Hong Kong: Man arrested for seditious material

Police's National Security Department today, after an in-depth investigation, arrested a 54-year-old man in Kwai Chung for conspiracy to publish seditious publications, contravening Section 9 and 10 of the Crimes Ordinance.

The man is being detained for further enquiries.

Police said an investigation is underway and further arrests may be made.

This story has been published on: 2022-04-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Sino-EU cooperation benefits world economy

(China Daily) 08:34, April 11, 2022

Visitors check the European Union food booth at the 4th China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Nov 7. Economic and trade cooperation between the EU and China has proved to be resilient and vigorous despite COVID-19. [Photo for China Daily]

BRUSSELSAlthough the global economy is facing mounting uncertainty and sluggish growth due to the COVID-19 pandemic, economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe can act as a counterbalancing force and help stabilize the world.

Economic and trade cooperation between the European Union and China has proved to be resilient and vigorous despite the negative consequences of COVID-19.

China has overtaken the United States to become the EU's largest trading partner in 2021, with bilateral trade volume hitting record highs. Last year, the EU also became China's second largest trading partner, and in the first two months of 2022, it overtook the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the top slot.

In 2021, bilateral trade between China and the EU was worth over $800 billion, a new all-time high. Two-way investment exceeded $270 billion. Bilateral trade increased significantly in various sectors, such as aerospace, biology, electronics and others.

The two sides have upgraded and extended their communication channels, including the EU-China High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue, as well as regular consultations between local governments and enterprises.

Juergen Friedrich, chairman and CEO of Germany Trade& Invest, the country's foreign trade and inward investment agency, said China has been Germany's most important trading partner for six consecutive years, and the aggregate volume of bilateral trade reached a new record in 2021.

China is one of the world's most important growth markets and is also an important partner for Germany in its efforts to tackle global challenges, such as the pandemic and climate change.

Horst Loechel, a professor at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, described trade between the EU and China as a win-win for both sides, saying he expects the growth trend to continue.

In March 2021, a landmark agreement between the EU and China to protect over 500 Chinese and European geographical indications entered into force. Among the early beneficiaries of the agreement were wines produced on Greece's Samos Island.

"China is an extremely important market or potentially important market for Greek wines. I think that as wine is becoming more popular in China, in just a few years' time, Greek wines will conquer the market there," said Konstantinos Lazarakis, Greece's first Master of Wine.

Last year also saw an increasing number of freight trains, also known as "steel camel fleets", transporting goods between China and Europe. In 2021, the number of two-way freight train trips reached 15,000, carrying 1.46 million twenty-foot equivalent units, up 22 percent and 19 percent year-on-year, respectively.

This train connection is also highly valued by producers and importers in Spain. Gonzalo Jerez, director of Spanish logistics company Trans-Glory, said it had played a key role as a sustainable and reliable mode of logistics during the worst days of the pandemic.

In Serbia, the Belgrade to Novi Sad section of the Chinese-built Hungary-Serbia railway opened in March. The flagship railway project has often been described as a symbol of cooperation between China and the central and eastern European region.

China and Europe are major markets with a shared strategic interest in promoting development through green and digital partnerships. The two sides are also in sync with their ambitious commitments to make a green and digital transformation, reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change.

China's Shanghai Electric Power Company is putting its expertise in wind, solar and hydrogen power into use on Malta's Gozo Island, which it aims to turn into the EU's first carbon-neutral island. The company is also involved in other green power projects in Malta and Montenegro.

Loechel said it is vital for Europe and China to cooperate on green energy. The EU unveiled its European Green Deal in 2019, and the bloc aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. China has committed itself to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral by 2060.This "template for cooperation" in green energy is very important for the whole world, Loechel said.

China and Europe have made continuous efforts to strengthen their partnership in digital trade and finance. Bilateral e-commerce cooperation is booming, and both sides are jointly developing cross-border e-commerce industrial parks.

Several Chinese companies, such as Huawei and ZTE, are actively involved in the expansion of Europe's 5G network. Bank of China and China Construction Bank are also set to launch their digital currency electronic payment systems and fintech labs.

Loechel added that Europe and China are both committed to addressing safety issues over digitalization and have drafted regulations and policies to protect the private data of consumers.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 11 (ANI/NewsVoir): Nutrify Today, World's Nutraceutical network, business and upskilling tech platform is all set to launch Nutrify C-Suite Summit 2022 (nutrifycsuitesummit.com/index.html), nutraceutical industry growth catalyst event that will give birth to ASINDOUS (Asia-Indo-US) HIGHWAY on June 17, 2022, at The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, India. The Summit will enable member countries to allow their nutraceutical industry to conduct business with ease in other member countries and promote the Indian nutraceutical industry at the global stage. India is entering into 3rd tech industry boom-Nutraceuticals. This Indian nutraceutical industry is slated to add a delta to global nutraceutical industry by USD 100 Billion by 2030. This world's first-of-its-kind event will bring together senior executives composed of buyers like GSK, AMWAY, KAMEDA SEIKA, FRESENIUS; sellers like Omniactive, Cepham, Holista, and innovators like Myhealth, Flavorwiki, MyAir etc, as well as government leaders from key ASEAN countries, India and the USA. The chief guest of the event is Principal Scientific Advisor to government of India. Talking about the summit, Amit Srivastava, Chief Catalyst, Nutrify Today said, "The main objective of this event is to enable ease of market access in partnering countries and harmonize business growth and investment. This summit will have C-Suite executives from Nutraceuticals finished dosages, ingredients, Foodtech, pharma companies with an interest in nutraceuticals, regulatory lobbies, government, Investors, pre-screened start-ups, and regulators of partnering countries. The event would witness a conglomeration of policymakers, national and international leaders from the Nutraceutical industry, and the academic and research fraternity. The deliberations at the conference will help in paving a path for the transformation required in ease of doing nutraceutical business between ASINDOUS member countries." Confirmed Speakers Panel C-Suite: Sanjaya Mariwala, Executive chairman and Managing director, OmniActive Health Amit Srivastava, Chief Catalyst, Nutrify Today, Member-Nutra Task Force, Office of PSA To Government of India. Anand Swaroop, President, Cepham Inc Rajen Manicka - CEO and Managing Director - Holista Colltech Sheldon Baker, Chief Executive Officer, Baker Dillon Group H.E. Tomasz Zaleski, Chairman of the Royal Office UAE Dr. Rajiv Tandon, Director-Health, RTI International India Lekh Juneja, Executive Vice President, Kameda Seika Co Ltd Yoni Glickman, Chairman of Board, Qualitas Health Gary Scattergood, Regional Head, and Editor-in-Chief - Asia-Pacific, William Reed. Sumeet Chandna, Partner-Performance Improvement, Life sciences, Ernst & Young Anil Jain, Founder & MD, Gangwal Healthcare NutrifyToday - World's 1st technology-powered platform for nutraceuticals that enables curated industry peer networking, empowering business, new product commercialization, and upskill for industry executives to get certified for better career prospects. Nutraceutical is the premium you pay for your sustainable wellness that defers or negates the potential onset of serious health complications in life. An industry that's gearing India to be a USD 100 billion markets by 2030, has a tremendous task at hand to accomplish. Nutrifytoday.com platform has been catalyzing this growth by leveraging over 18,000 executives from nutraceuticals, government, investors, regulations from India, and key large international markets. Nutrify Today through Nutrify Today Academy has also certified over 2000 industry executives and plans to train and certify over 15000 in next 2 years. 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 11 (ANI/Newsvoir): Solis Yanmar is one of the world's leading tractor brands that delivers pioneering technologies for supreme customer satisfaction and remains synonymous with toughness, durability as well as performance. Following an extraordinary approach to ensure 'Future is now' for farmers, Solis Yanmar has proudly achieved a historical milestone of 13,000th tractor roll out in FY'22, just two years after its grand Indian market debut. Since its inception, the flagship brand of International Tractors Ltd. has continued to capitalise on 100 years of Japanese technology to remain 100 years ahead and has been expanding its dominance in the toughest of advanced agriculture markets. Solis Yanmar already has been No1 tractor brand in 7 European countries. Further strengthening its position as 'Global 4WD expert' in the tractor industry, Solis Yanmar takes pride in the following: *Introduced globally renowned YM3 tractor range in India *Launched Solis Hybrid - India's first ever hybrid tractor along with many other advanced technology equipped tractors. *Surpassed the benchmark of 13,000 cumulative tractors sales, as the brand continues to capitalise on 100 years of Japanese technology *Strengthened its network to over 250 dealerships Speaking on the new milestone achievement, Raman Mittal, Joint Managing Director, Solis Yanmar, said, "It gives me immense pleasure to share that all our hard work over the last few years built a strong platform for us to achieve historical milestone of 13,000th tractor roll out in just two years of Indian market presence. Our joint venture with Yanmar continues to be fruitful and we are well positioned to capitalise on the 100 years heritage of Japanese technology and will keep innovating for 100 years ahead." We truly feel that 'Duniya hai humari, Ab hai India ki baari' as the drive across country to offer best-in-class product and services is aligned and we have already set out strategic direction against which the results have started showing. As the new financial year unfurls, with our strong No. 1 position across 7 European counties and Global 4WD tractor range, we are fully geared up to assure 'Future is Now' for the Indian farmers." 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 11 (ANI/NewsVoir): With a large consumer base hooked on to the numerous social media channels, businesses must adopt a brand reputation strategy to safeguard against potential negative feedbacks floating around undiscovered. mScanIt, a digital platform for e-Commerce analytics powered by mFilterIt, today announced the launch of its state-of-the-art AI-powered Online Reputation Management (ORM) solution suite to assist brands in identifying, highlighting, and segregating unidentified feedbacks/review patterns across prominent platforms through real-time notifications and dealing with them instantly. While manual brand reputation management frequently overlook large number of cases circulating across platforms, mScanIt's AI-based ORM solution recognises the growing importance of brand reputation and employs AI computer vision and natural language processing technology to recognise and analyse such evaluations, and capture opinions/feedback and therefore gives one an edge to stay one step ahead of the competition. Furthermore, when there are no hashtags or brand mentions in a review and simply images, computer vision assists in linking such reviews to relevant brands. Also, natural language processing helps in recording competitor analysis, brand dislikes, sentiment intensity, and such product specific feedback data. Amit Relan, Co-founder and Director, mFilterIt: "In this age when online reputations are priority for almost every brand, it is important that an immediate action is taken in case any negative feedback is found online. Our new AI-based instantaneous tracking solutions help save manpower, time and provide an ultimate support to maintain the ever-changing perception of the brand among the customers. We firmly believe that our new value additions will immensely benefit our customers and help in delivering excellent proposition." Growingly, customer feedback is becoming vital for establishing the brand reputation and it's becoming critical to keep an active track and take appropriate action, especially when a firm introduces new products. Customers are highly aware of the significance of reviews, and they may submit feedback on social media platforms such as YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter, as well as review sites, personal blogs, and other websites, which can radically impact public impression of the firm. One wrong review and the brand reputation is distorted. In addition to scanning, the real-time alerts help brands make instantaneous decisions, provide actionable insights and manage brand reputation across platforms. Moreover, brands gain insights into the buyer personas and can curate accurate marketing strategies for boosting the baseline. At all times, firms must project a positive image. Having a positive internet reputation is a terrific way to maintain a relationship with current and potential customers. 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 11 (ANI/ATK): Surat-based protective farming agritech platform GROWiT has raised INR 3 Crores (30 Million) in seed funding through a close network of investors. The round was led by Mehul Shah from IVY Growth. Coppermint LLP, Gaurav Singhvi (Co-founder, WFC), Rajeev Goel (Sagar Life Sciences), Sunay Shah (Mahati Electrics), Rohan Desai (CEO, Triumph Capital), and Mukul Goyal (Tapi Capital LLP) are some of the investors that joined in the round. The platform plans to make use of these funds by investing in its research and marketing processes that will ultimately enable GROWiT in expanding its customer base and producing standard quality cost-effective protective farming materials and products. The fund will also be utilised for strengthening the "GROWiT App", which is designed to assist farmers for better understanding of protective farming practices and products. Talking about the seed round, Saurabh Agarwal, Founder, GROWiT India Pvt. Ltd. stated, "At GROWiT, we are building a guided protective farming ecosystem with a clear goal to double the farm output of the country by 2030. We are helping and educating the farmers of rural areas regarding the benefits of protective farming products. These funds will effectively go in building this vision and is in line with our agri expansion strategy." Adding to this, Sunay Shah from Mahati Electrics said, "Agritech certainly is a fascinating word today but what GrowiT is doing is more tangible in terms of having a product as well as a platform backed by technology. This looks to be a more promising venture. Agriculture as an industry is poisoned with chemicals but here is a platform which is working on crop protection in non toxin ways hence more green as I see it . 4 parameters of my Investments are met - scalable , sustainable, profitable, vegan. The management has a zeal to do their bit for the society and educating farmers is what they've chosen through GrowiT." Further talking about the fundraise, Mukul Goyal from Tapi Capital LLP said, "There are always two types of companies - one who creates the market and the others who follows it. GrowiT is the first one to educate the concept of protective farming. Our reason for investing was very clear that we believe in their ideas of sustainability, farmer's economic growth, and entering into an untapped market space for years." With regard to this seed funding, Rohan Desai CEO, Triumph Capital said, "The main reasons for choosing GrowiT as an investment avenue are that their products are really innovative considering the fact that it helps farmers to a great extent. The potential for organic food is vast in India, therefore protective farming is the need of the hour. Lastly, the management of the company is very dynamic, innovative, and hardworking considering the fact they have developed the product according to the needs of farmers." GROWiT was founded in 2019 with a vision to increase the crop yield through protective farming products. It is India's first D2C protective farming agritech company. The major focus area of the company is to provide critical solutions like quality food, climate smart agriculture, farmer empowerment, and raising farmer's productivity. The company has also established Grow Kshetras (Demo Farms) at every Taluka for farmers to educate them about protective farming and other profitable farming practices. Currently, the platform is serving 15000+ farmers through around 117 franchise stores. GrowiT is further aiming to expand its franchise network to almost 300 franchise stores by the end of this fiscal year and serve around 2.5 lakh farmers. GROWiT India Pvt. Ltd. founded by Saurabh Agarwal is a state-of-the-art manufacturer and distributor of advanced protective farming inputs. It is India's first Direct-to-Farmer (D2F) protective farming agritech company. The firm is specialised in creating high-quality and cost-effective protective farming materials and manufacturing products. It ensures optimum quality and high yield for the Indian Agricultural & Farming Industry while lowering its carbon footprints. This story is provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/ATK)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 11 (ANI/NewsVoir): Vasundhara IVF launched its fertility hospital in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh to offer quality consultation, clinically reliable treatment assisted by modern and advanced technology and personalised care to its patients with the help of a state-of-the-art IVF Lab & Electronic Witnessing System. In India, the discussion of infertility as a problem affecting both men and women has recently gained recognition. Infertility is defined as a couple's inability to conceive after one year of unprotected sex or due to any other verified medical issue that prevents it. According to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), 10-15 per cent of the country's population suffers from fertility difficulties equating to about one in every seven people in a country of 1.4 billion population. Infertility treatments with the help of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in India have grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years. Vasundhara IVF inaugurated its IVF & fertility hospital in Lucknow, to provide couples with superior medical diagnosis and treatment methods like genetic testing, laser-assisted hatching, surrogacy, etc. They are providing world-class fertility treatments, with experience of more than 25 years in IVF treatments and successful pregnancy rates. People are often unaware of IVF treatment, resulting in misunderstandings and misinformation. 3EA, a leading management consulting firm, with a global presence, dedicated its efforts to building brand awareness and helped Vasundhara IVF break the taboos & stereotypes around IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation). Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak graced the launch event with his presence and conveyed his thoughts on the benefits that this facility will bring. He also expressed, "We are extremely happy and proud to facilitate the launch of one of the biggest state-of-the-art standalone fertility centres in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. India has become the most sought after destination for all infertility-related treatments, for the affordable and qualitative treatment that the country is able to provide." And thanked Vasundhara IVF for the initiative. Dr Noopur Bajpai, Chief Medical Director of Vasundhara Lucknow & IVF expert Laparoscopic Surgeon, stated on the occasion that they are committed to providing excellent and patient-centred healthcare. She also commented, "While India has 27.5 million couples with fertility problems, less than 1 per cent seek medical help, owing to a lack of information. At Vasundhara IVF, our mission is to raise awareness and provide access to reliable fertility treatment, as well as to provide world-class fertility care to a location near you." Vasundhara IVF is backed by the expertise of Dr Sanjay Makwana, (M.B.B.S., M.S., FICOG & FIAGES) Chief Medical Director & Sr. Endoscopic Surgeon & A.R.T. Specialist, and Dr Renu Makwana, (M.B.B.S, M.S. & FICOG) Chief Medical Director Obstetrics & Gynaecology - Head Sr. Gynaecologist & Obstetrician Feto-Maternal Specialist. Dr Noopur Bajpai added, "We are aiming to deliver fertility treatments that exceed international standards because of our unshakeable commitment to constantly update and absorb the latest technologies from around the world. Male infertility has been on the rise recently as a result of unpredictable lifestyles, environmental conditions, delayed fatherhood, junk food consumption, and other things. We assist guys to overcome infertility challenges and achieve fatherhood with our specialised fertility clinic." They want to enhance this healthcare by providing clinical expertise and compassion to every couple on their journey. Understanding that infertility is not only a medical issue but also an emotional one. As a result, they want to ensure and provide comprehensive treatment for infertile couples. And their brand tagline: "Bringing colours to life", best summarises who they are, and what is their purpose. According to a study conducted by 3EA, India's overall general fertility rate has decreased by 19.8 per cent in the last decade. According to WHO, one out of every four couples has experienced difficulties in conceiving. According to recent trend data, India has emerged as one of the world's fastest-growing hubs for Assisted Reproduction Treatments (ART). Vasundhara IVF wishes to provide IVF and fertility services in Lucknow and thereafter in the entire Uttar Pradesh, at an affordable and sustainable cost. With a legacy of over 25 years in IVF Treatments and successful IVF pregnancy rates, Vasundhara IVF is named among the top fertility hospitals having IVF doctors and infrastructure. Vasundhara IVF Lucknow is established to nurture cutting-edge technologies along with individualised treatment for many couples struggling with infertility and provides a variety of reproductive options, including IVF, ICSI, and egg storage. The launch event concluded with a few words from Dr Sanjay Makwana expressing, "We are delighted to launch our hospital in Lucknow. The necessity for organised and professional players in the infertility arena has grown critical. Many people are unaware of the options for achieving parenthood through sophisticated reproductive treatments based on technology. With the best embryologists and fertility specialists on staff, we are dedicated to assisting couples in realising their parental goals. Infertility is still a taboo subject in many circles, and we're working to dispel myths and educate couples about reproductive treatments through a variety of efforts." This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Several actors, directors and screenwriters have shared tributes and heartfelt condolences on social media on Monday.

Arjun Kapoor, who worked with the late actor in the hit film '2 States', took to his Instagram Story and shared a monochrome picture of his co-star.

"Rest in peace, Shiv sir. You will be missed," he wrote.

Abhimanyu Dassani, who shared screen space with Subrahmanyam in 'Meenakshi Sundareshwar', shared a still from their film on his Instagram Story.

He penned, "So kind so gentle so caring and so witty. Will always cherish the evening walks with you. Rest in peace sir, you will be missed."

Filmmakers Ashoke Pandit and Hansal Mehta also extended condolences on social media.

For the unversed, Subrahmanyam established his name in the industry by writing the screenplay for the 1989 film 'Parinda', and also penned the script for Sudhir Mishra's 'Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi'. (ANI)
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. Researchers have made an evidence-based case for expanding the diagnostic workup to include cardiac arrhythmias when a normally continent individual experiences Enuresis Nocturna (involuntary urination during sleep). The findings of the study were published in the journal 'Heart Rhythm'. 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. 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 paediatricians, 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 per cent recommended performing an encephalogram, an indication that they considered the possibility of nocturnal epileptic seizures as a potential cause, only 1 per cent 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." It is important to raise awareness of 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 in 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 recognise a malignant family history can be pivotal: Post-mortem investigation of the patient uncovered family history including genetic predisposition and instances of sudden death. (ANI)
His remarks came while addressing a virtual campaign for Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) candidate Jayashree Jadhav for the April 12 by-poll from the Kolhapur North seat.

"Today is Ram Navami. I wonder if Lord Ram would not have been born then, what issue the BJP would have raised in politics as they have no issue left. So, they keep communal issues at the forefront in politics," the chief minister said.

Thackeray said that BJP doesn't hold the patent on Hindutva.

"BJP leaders say that Shiv Sena has left Hindutva. It's not true, we have left BJP. BJP doesn't hold the patent on Hindutva and only BJP doesn't mean Hindutva either. BJP tried to create fake Hindu Hirdya Samrat but people have not supported them."

Thackeray said that the late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray is the only "Hindu Hridya Samrat".

"Your (BJP) saffron is fake, the real saffron of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," he added. (ANI)
Karnataka government will organise "Folk Utsav" in all the assembly constituencies of the state, informed Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday. Speaking after inaugurating the "Janapada Utsav-2022" in Padmanabha Nagar, Bommai said, "Folk Utsav would be organised in all the Assembly Constituencies of the state. With the far-sighted measures of Prime Minister Modi and former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa's effective action, Karnataka has successfully tackled the COVID-19 crisis. As a result, the Janapada Utsav is being held after two years." The huge gathering to witness the Utsava is ample proof of the cultural and linguistic richness of Kannada. Nobody can deny Kannada the top spot it has among the languages in India, Bommai said. The Folk University in Shiggaon is the only one of its kind in the entire world. It is a gift from BS Yediyurappa. We should strive to retain the Folk University and the Kannada University in Hampi, he added. (ANI)
He said that the monument was built with materials obtained after demolishing 27 Hindu-Jain temples.

"Qutab Minar was actually 'Vishnu Stambh'. Qutub Minar was built with materials obtained after demolishing 27 Hindu-Jain temples. The superimposed structure was built just to tease the Hindu community," the VHP spokesman told ANI.

Bansal also demanded all the 27 temples which were demolished in the past, be established again.

"We demand that all the 27 temples, which were demolished at the site in the past, be rebuilt and Hindus are allowed to offer prayers there," he added. (ANI)
The army commander arrived in Srinagar on a 3-day visit to the Valley.

"Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi was briefed by Lt Gen D.P. Pandey, GOC Chinar Corps, on the prevalent security situation and measures instituted to counter adversaries' design.

"The Army Commander also interacted with senior officers of Chinar Corps," the spokesman said, adding that Lt Gen Dwivedi lauded the strong counter infiltration grid along the Line of Control, and also appreciated the strict control exercised by the formation to abide by the ceasefire understanding between the DGMOs of both India and Pakistan.

"The Army Commander also visited two formation headquarters engaged in counter militancy operations in the hinterland.

"On being briefed on operational aspects, he complimented them for the conduct of operations with precision while ensuring zero collateral damage," the spokesman said, adding that he reiterated the credo of use of minimum force and just conduct by the soldiers involved in counter-militancy operations.

"He appreciated the efforts at breaking the 'cycle of violence' for sustainable peace and stability in Kashmir.

"The Army Commander was also appreciative of the excellent soldier-citizen connect activities, which have resulted in overall reduction in the (militant) recruitments."

Lt Gen Dwivedi, on Sunday, also visited 92 Base Hospital at BB Cantt and asked about wellbeing of patients admitted there.

He also interacted with the jawans of CRPF, who have been admitted to the hospital, owing to various operational injuries.

The Army Commander will be visiting forward areas on Monday and would interact with the troops deployed on the LoC, the spokesman said.

--IANS sq/vd

( 294 Words)

2022-04-10-23:02:02 (IANS)
Political parties and apolitical organisations in the northeast on Sunday expressed opposition to the move to make Hindi a compulsory subject up to Class 10 in the northeastern states. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday while chairing the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee had said Hindi should be accepted as an alternative language to English but not to local languages. "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. 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 had reportedly said in the meeting. Assam's influential apex literary body, Asom Sahitya Sabha (ASS) on Sunday has opposed the move to make Hindi a compulsory subject till Class 10 in the northeastern states. ASS Secretary General Jadav Chandra Sharma said making Hindi a mandatory language will endanger the indigenous language. However, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that there is no instruction from Centre to make Hindi learning compulsory. "Assamese is the mother tongue of the majority of Assam citizens. The Assam government in consultation with Asom Sahitya Sabha and tribal dominated organisations prepared a language policy where a student will learn Assamese and a tribal language besides English and Hindi. Bodo Sahitya Sabha has some opposition and that's why the state government has yet to announce the policy," the Chief Minister said. Sarma said that Shah had said one must know Hindi even though "we want students to learn English and Hindi". "Amit Shah has not said one must not stop learning Assamese and learn Hindi. He said that one must, after learning Assamese or their mother tongue, learn Hindi. We also want the same for by learning Hindi a student from this region would be able to apply for government and non-government jobs in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra," he said. Assam's Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia on Sunday said that Shah's announcement is in contradiction to the New Education Policy introduced by the BJP-led Central government which seeks to support primary education in the mother tongue. Manipur Pradesh Congress committee President Keisham Meghachandra on Sunday told the mediapersons in Imphal that the party strongly opposes Union Home Minister's statement "on imposition of Hindi language in Manipur and other northeast India states". In Meghalaya, former Congress leader and sitting MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh, who along with 4 party legislators recently announced to support the BJP-backed Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, also strongly opposed Shah's announcement. "The Central government is unilaterally trying to impose Hindi in the northeastern states," Lyngdoh told the media on Sunday in Shillong. --IANS sc/pgh ( 480 Words) 2022-04-10-23:14:02 (IANS)
A Kerala law student has written a letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin raising objections against his sharing of a dais with his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan during a seminar on 'Centre-state relations' as part of the 23rd party Congress of the CPI-M. Ajmal Karunagapally, a final year student of the Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram, in his letter, said that Stalin would have attended the seminar out of the belief that Vijayan was strongly opposed to the Sangh Parivar "but in reality, he was not". He claimed that on several occasions after coming to power, the actions of the Kerala Chief Minister were more or less supportive of Sangh Parivar. He said that the Kerala government had charged those who agitated peacefully against CAA-NRC with non-bailable offenses and has also declared the RSS organisation, Seva Bharathi, as a relief agency. The student said that the left government of Kerala had included in the post-graduate syllabus of Kannur University the teachings of RSS ideologues M.S. Golwalkar, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, and V.D. Savarkar. He also noted that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had got an opportunity to hoist the national flag at a school in Kerala during the regime of Vijayan. The law student also came out heavily against the K-rail project and said that the state government was trying to take over the land of many poor people for the project which has no chance of success and will push Kerala into debt trap. He said that Stalin's attendance at the programme "has caused major concern among the believers of secularism in Kerala" and has "been construed by the people of Kerala as an endorsement of the heinous political position taken by Vijayan". --IANS aal/vd ( 298 Words) 2022-04-10-23:22:10 (IANS)
Ram Navami Shobha Yatra has passed off peacefully in Hyderabad on Sunday amid tight security. Thousands of devotees participated in the procession which concluded Sunday night at Hanuman Vyayamasala. Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand said meticulous planning, supervision by senior officers and the perfect execution of commands by the field personnel ensured peace. The main procession started from Seetarambagh around 1.30 p.m., and proceeded to Hanuman Vyayamshala School, Sultan Bazar, after passing through various areas under Goshamahal and Sultan Bazar traffic police stations. Technology helped in live monitoring of the procession, crowd movement and traffic flow. The police commissioner chaired the joint command control centre in his office where in officials of RTC, R&B, GHMC, EMRI, Fire, Electricity were present. He monitored the live drone footage, CCTV feeds and radio communications and gave instructions to the field officers. Senior officers descended to field and ensured that the procession moved on. The scorching summer heat could not let down the spirit of 7,000 policemen who were deployed in sensitive areas and procession route. "The procession was completed peacefully with the cooperation of organisers, other government departments, devotees and general public," said Anand. Earlier, he told reporters that two new processions from Begumpet and Tappachabotra were also allowed on the direction of the Telangana High Court. As the procession was taken after a gap of two years due to Covid situation, devotees were very enthusiastic. In addition to 6,000 police personnel from the city, 1,000 officers were drafted from districts for deployment. Personnel of anti-terror wing OCTOPUS and anti-Maoist force Greyhounds and Task Force were deployed. The police kept strict vigil as the procession coincided with ongoing Ramzan festivities. The procession also passed off peacefully in Bhainsa town of Nirmal district. The High Court had given permission to the organisers with some riders. Shoba Yatra was held between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the organisers followed the route decided by the police. The organisers moved the High Court after police had denied permission for the procession to pass through certain communally sensitive areas. The state government conveyed to the court that in view of the law and order situation permission was not granted for the procession in certain areas. Bhainsa, about 260 km from Hyderabad, witnessed a series of communal clashes in recent years. Violence had rocked the town in March last year. Communal clashes were also reported twice in 2020. --IANS ms/pgh ( 414 Words) 2022-04-10-23:26:03 (IANS)
The preliminary investigation revealed that the man was killed and his body was brought in a suitcase into a field located at Nihalpur Mundi area to be burnt, police said.

Police informed that the body has been sent for postmortem.

"A half-burnt body was found between Nihalpur Mundi and the bypass road. Prima facie looks like the victim was killed and brought here to be burnt in a suitcase. Things will be clear after the postmortem," Manish Dawar, Rajendra Nagar police station in-charge told ANI.

More details are awaited. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday inspected the caravan or motorhome prepared to promote caravan tourism in the state. Vidushi, manager of Caravan Home said, "Our first vehicle was for the first time launched by the tourism minister, which basically marked the beginning of the caravan culture in India." "The caravan has the facilities of a home, including kitchen, wash-room, sofa, bedroom, refrigerator, television etc. All this while you can be on the go and explore places," added Vidushi. She also added, "Work is being done on making a policy to provide facilities to tourists through caravan tourism and that talks of setting up a caravan park in the state are also going on with the ministry." The state CM said, "We want religious tourism here to flourish alongside other forms of tourism. Now two vehicles have been made in such a way that people can easily complete their journey in it, and we are continuously promoting it. Our goal is that the number of tourists coming to the state, increases, and for that, we are trying our best to give them more and more facilities so that their visit becomes memorable." The company that made this home-on-wheels, Moto Home Adventure, is a 25-year-old company and the vehicles which are moving houses are called Caravan Moto homes. The company also manufactures personalized caravans as per order. Dhami, on Saturday, inaugurated the Tourism and Hospitality Conference-2022 and said that the tourism industry is the backbone of Uttarakhand. (ANI)
Earlier on Saturday, Mumbai's Esplanade Court sent lawyer Gunaratna Sadavarte to police custody till April 11, in connection with the protest outside Pawar's residence in Mumbai.

The court has also sent the other 109 accused in the case to 14-day judicial custody.

The attack on Sharad Pawar's residence took place on April 8, when a group of state transport workers tried to enter his residence and held a protest by hurling stones and slippers at his place.

Mumbai Police have arrested 105 people and registered cases against them under different sections of IPC in connection with the protest.

The incident was condemned by the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray who directed the administration to take stern action against those who ignited the violence saying that no one should act in a way that endangers law and order.

Meanwhile, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday condemned the attack and called it 'a big failure' of the state police. (ANI)
PM Modi took to Twitter and said, "Mahatma Phule is widely respected as a champion of social justice and source of hope for countless people. He was a multifaceted personality who worked tirelessly for social equality, women empowerment, and boosting education. Tributes to him on his Jayanti."

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also paid tributes to Jyotirao Phule and said, "Tributes to a great thinker, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, who dedicated his life to the empowerment of the oppressed and women."

Paying tributes to the social activist, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted, "My humble tributes to the great social reformer, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule ji on his birth anniversary. He dedicated his life for the cause of social justice. His contribution towards women's education and upliftment of the downtrodden shall always be an inspiration."

Jyotirao Govindrao Phule was a social activist, thinker, writer, and anti-caste social reformer from Maharashtra. Phule worked towards the eradication of untouchability and the caste system in India. (ANI)
As Muslims across the country are observing fast during the month of Ramzan, people prefer to use non-alcoholic perfumes, or attar during the holy month which has led to an increase in their demand in the Kashmir valley. Non-alcoholic perfumes or attar in Arabic, which are made from flower extracts and then left for a long time to get the desired results, are completely chemical-free. As per the holy rituals of Ramzan, the usage of alcohol and its products is prohibited. Devotees prefer to use non-alcoholic perfumes while offering prayers in public places, mosques, and specially arranged Taraweeh during the holy month. People in the Kashmir valley are buying these perfumes for prayers as well as to keep themselves fresh and the business of attar in the Kashmir valley is witnessing huge profits. Mohammed Aamir, a customer said, "I am here to buy attar as the Ramzan month is going on and we use these non-alcoholic perfumes or attar as we call it, during the holy month." Another customer, Burhaan said, "We particularly use attar during the month of Ramzan as it is alcohol-free and here in this shop there is a huge variety of attar and so I am here to buy it." Abdul Wasay, a shopkeeper in Kashmir said, "This is one of the oldest shops in the valley, and thousands of varieties of attar are available here and during Ramzan, we have a bumper sale of attar. The most popular fragrances are Gulab, chameli, Nargis, musk, chocolate, banana, Kashmiri apple, and Kashmiri Kesar." We also import the attar from Dubai, which is in good demand, especially during Ramzan. Wasay added, "For the last two years, we were not able to do business due to COVID-19, but this time, we are doing good business.' Nighat, another customer said, "I am a regular buyer of attar and this shop has a huge variety of fragrances. The attar is alcohol-free and hence we use it in good quantity during Ramzan." Every year new perfumes are added to these perfumes to give a new variety to the people so that they buy these fragrances. Ramzan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, during which the followers of Islam fast from dawn and sunset, pray for peace and guidance, give back to the community in the form of charity or 'zakat' and engage in humanitarian activities such as feeding the underprivileged and introspect to enlighten their souls. (ANI)
Union Minister Raosaheb Patil Danve on Monday hit out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and said that Shiv Sena is playing politics in the name of Lord Ram, not the BJP. The Minister also said that BJP's former ally has "sold the patent of Hindutva" to Congress and NCP for power. Speaking to ANI over the phone, Danve said, "Shiv Sena is playing politics in the name of Ram, not the BJP. Our role has always been to fight for Hindutva. Shiv Sena has sold its patent, not us. Shiv Sena has changed its colours from time to time. When there was an emergency in the country, they extended support to us. When Pranab Mukherjee was nominated for the presidential election, they had supported the Congress party." Danve added that the BJP has only changed their logo due to the passage of time and not their stance on Hindutva. "We have only changed the election logo, they have changed their stance. We never abandoned Hindutva. Neither when there was Jan Sangh, nor now when there is BJP. Yes, we have only changed the logo with the passage of time," he said. Earlier on Sunday, Thackeray slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party saying that if Lord Rama would not have born what issue the BJP would have raised. "Today is Ram Navami. I wonder if Lord Ram would not have been born then, what issue the BJP would have raised in politics as they have no issue left. So, they keep communal issues at the forefront in politics," the chief minister said. Responding to Thackeray's remarks, the Union Minister said that this question arises for not only the BJP, but for everyone. "Uddhav says that if Ram was not born, what issue would the BJP rake up. This question arises for not only us (BJP) but for all. He has abandoned Hindutva, they do not have any claim on it now," he said. (ANI)
A Special NIA Court on April 18 will frame formal charges against Yasin Malik and others in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case. Earlier the court had ordered the framing of charges against several separatist leaders under UAPA and IPC. Special NIA Judge Praveen Singh on Monday deferred the framing of formal charges against the accused persons in this case. The hearing has been deferred as two accused persons from Jail No. 4 could not be produced before the court. All other accused persons were produced before the court including Yasin Malik. On March 16, 2022, the NIA Court had ordered the framing of charges against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, Kashmiri separatist leaders including Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam and others under various sections of UAPA in a case pertaining to the terrorist and secessionist activities that disturbed the State of J&K. The court had also ordered the framing of charges against Kashmiri politician and former MLA Rashid Engineer, businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Avatar Ahmad Shah, Naeem Khan, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, alias Peer Saifullah and several others under various sections of IPC and UAPA including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country, unlawful activities, etc. NIA special Judge Praveen Singh while passing the order said, "The analysis reflects that the statements of witnesses and documentary evidence have connected almost all the accused with each other and to a common object of secession, to the commonality of means they were to use, their close association to terrorist/ terrorist organizations under the guiding hand and funding of Pakistani establishment." The court noted that, during the course of arguments, none of the accused has argued that individually they do not have a secessionist ideology or agenda or that they have not worked for secession or advocated for the secession of the erstwhile State of J&K from the Union of India. Witnesses after witnesses have deposed that APHC, its factions after division and JRL had only one object and that was the secession of J&K from the Union of India. Witnesses have connected accused Shabir Shah, Yasin Malik, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Naeem Khan and Bitta Karate to APHC and JRL. Another witness has connected Er. Rashid to Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali who in turn is closely intertwined with APHC and Pakistani establishment/ agencies, the court noted. However, the court had also clarified that whatever has been expressed in this order is a prima facie opinion although, a detailed discussion of the evidence had to be done because the arguments were advanced by both sides in much detail. According to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) various terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Toiba(LeT), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Jaish-e- Mohd. (JeM) etc., with the support of ISI of Pakistan, perpetrated violence in the valley by attacking civilians and security forces. It was further alleged that in the year 1993, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) was formed to give political front to the secessionist activities. The NIA charge sheet submitted that the Central Government received credible information that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Amir of Jammat-ud-Dawah and the secessionist and separatist leaders including the members of Hurriyat Conference have been acting in connivance with active militants of proscribed terrorist organizations like HM, LeT, etc. for raising, receiving and collecting funds domestically and abroad through various illegal channels including hawala. The NIA also stated before the court that this has been done for funding separatist and terrorist activities in J&K and as such they have entered into a larger conspiracy for causing disruption in the valley by way of pelting stones on security forces, systematically burning of schools, damage to public property and waging war against India. On this information, the Ministry of Home Affairs directed the NIA to register a case. Accordingly, the present case was registered by NIA for offences u/s 120B, 121, 121A of IPC and sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of UAPA. NIA further added that during the investigation, it was also revealed that APHC and other secessionists instigate the general public, especially the youth to observe strikes and to resort to violence especially stone pelting on the security forces. This was done to create disaffection amongst the people of J&K towards the Government of India. NIA also submitted that the investigation has revealed that the secessionists were mobilizing funds from all possible sources to fuel unrest and support the on-going secessionist and terrorist activities in Jammu & Kashmir. The secessionists were getting funds from Pakistan, funds from Pakistan based terrorist organizations and from local donations. (ANI)
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Monday issued a warning to the Centre over its paddy procurement policy and said that they would "go after the government" if crops are not "procured uniformly" within the next 24 hours. The TRS MPs, MLCs, MLAs and other elected representatives are taking part in the "dharna" while raising claims that the "Centre's policy is discriminatory towards Telangana farmers". Addressing the protest, Rao said, "I request Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Piyush Goyal to procure crops uniformly across the country including Telangana. Please buy our food grains. We will wait for the next 24 hours after that we will make a decision and will go after you." "I will come back and will discuss the presidential elections and other issues. We will make a decision in the next 2-3 days and then will decide," he added. The Chief Minister also warned the Prime Minister against "messing up with the farmers". "We have come 2,000 km away from Telangana amid this heat. I warn PM Modi that you can't mess with farmers. Indian history is a testament that wherever farmers cried, the government loses power. Nobody is permanent...When in power, don't treat farmers unfairly," he said. KCR also hit out at Piyush Goyal and claimed that the latter reacted "harshly" when the state Agriculture Minister had met the Union Minister. "When our agriculture minister came to Delhi, Piyush Goyal reacted harshly. Goyal asked him to eat broken rice. Piyush Goyal is Piyush Golmaal, I don't know what he understands," he said. Notably, KCR was joined by farmer leader Rakesh Tikait in the protest against the Centre. KCR welcomed his presence and assured him of his state's support. "Rajesh Tikait, I want to assure you that the whole of Telangana is with you. Everyone saw the way you protested in Delhi. You also made the Prime Minister apologise," he said. Slamming the BJP for the procurement policy, the Chief Minister said that if the government does not frame a new agriculture policy, the public will remove the government. "Telangana demands its right. I would urge PM to frame a new agriculture policy and we will contribute. If not then the public will remove you and frame a new agriculture policy," he added. (ANI)
Earlier on April 6, accused in the Gorakhnath Temple attack case, Murtaza was shifted to the Uttar Pradesh's Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) headquarters in Lucknow for further investigation.

The accused was also taken for a medical examination before being taken to Lucknow and his laptop and mobile have also been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for an investigation.

Notably, the father of the accused had stated that his son is mentally not stable and had no plan to commit the offence.

A man forcibly tried to enter the Gorakhnath Temple premises and attacked the on-duty police personnel with a sharp weapon on April 3.

Not ruling out the terror angle in forcibly entering the Gorakhnath Temple and assaulting the police personnel, the Uttar Pradesh government had handed over the probe to the Anti-Terrorism Squad after the accused was arrested (ATS). (ANI)
Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala, Binoy Viswam has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to reconsider the decision to provide booster doses to those aged above 18 years at a cost of around 375 rupees. He said that the nationwide COVID vaccination drive can only be justified by the free availability of vaccines in public healthcare institutions that can be accessed by millions of people who may not be able to afford private vaccination. Viswam in his letter to the Prime Minister said, "I urge the government to re-consider the same in the interest of the ordinary citizens of the country and their well-being. While a provision for private access to the vaccine booster dose may be kept, it can only be justified by the free availability of vaccines in public healthcare institutions that can be accessed by millions of people who may not be able to afford private vaccination." Private vaccination centres on Sunday began the administration of the precautionary "third" dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, also known as the booster dose, for the 18-plus population. The age cap for the booster shot came at a time when another highly transmissible XE variant of the coronavirus is being reported. However, the official confirmation of the existence of this particular variant is yet to come. The CPI MP further in his letter stated that the government has decided to provide booster doses for all those above the age of 18 and between 60 at around 375 rupees from the pockets of the people will lead to the failure of the drive. "The privatization of the vaccination drive is ill-planned, disastrous and could invariably lead to the failure of the intended programme," he added. "The most vulnerable people to the Covid-19 virus are those who work outside with maximum contact of people, this includes daily-wage workers, street vendors, industrial workers, students, and those commuting through public transportation to work. The policy to pay for the booster dose, dis-incentivizes these groups as the cost of vaccination could be a significant cost to the day-to-day expenses of this class" he said in the letter to PM Modi. The CPI Rajya Sabha MP said, "The Government policy for booster doses caters only to the affluent classes who can afford the vaccine while discriminating against those who may not be able to afford the same." "This discriminatory implementation of the vaccination drive is another example of the Government's concern for the common citizens of the country who are already reeling under the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the sharp price rise that is occurring at present. The government rather than standing by the interest of the ordinary citizens, is giving an opportunity to two companies to gain extraordinary profits and loot the country," he added. The CPI MP urged the Prime Minister to reconsider the decision in the interest of the ordinary citizens of the country and their well-being. (ANI)
The Indian SARS Cov2 genomic consortium (INSACOG) is looking into the results of samples collected from 15 states and 19 sewage sites for COVID-19 and plans to increase more sites for sewage sample collection, said NTAGI Chairman Dr N K Arora on Monday. "We are already looking at the results. The results are being viewed for the last two weeks and almost 15 states have at least one site or so. We are going to further streamline it in the coming weeks or a month or so," said Dr Arora. INSACOG is further going to increase the sites for the sewage sample collection, "We'll try to see just like polio, we have over 50 sites similarly for COVID-19, we will increase the number of sites so that the whole country is represented in that," said Dr Arora. Dr Arora explained about the sewage sample collection, "we have started analysing the gutter fluid for viruses despite the number of fewer cases, if there is any new variant coming up, it will be picked up from that because a lot of patients, a lot of people are asymptomatic, but they excrete the virus into the country." Earlier many scientists recommended environmental surveillance as an important indicator for the virus, Dr Priya Abraham, Director, ICMR-NIV, Pune to ANI said, "One environmental surveillance which people are doing is actually the sewage water sampling, which is like an indirect indicator that a particular area from where that sewage water is being drained from still has COVID-19 activity. So that's one way to do environmental monitoring or surveillance." (ANI)
Union Minister Raosaheb Patil Danve on Monday lashed out at the Opposition for calling the BJP "communal" and said that the same parties forge an alliance with the saffron party to come to power, but call them communal as soon as they lose power. Speaking to ANI over the phone, Danve said, "Look at the people who call us communal, Mayawati, Mamata Banerjee, and Farooq Abdullah. If we are communal, how was his son a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government? How was Mamata a part of our government earlier?" He further said, "Why did Mayawati become a chief minister with our support? Which party of the country has not come to power with the BJP? They come with us to gain power but call us communal as they lose power. We are a nationalist party. Sharad Pawar also came to power with our support." The Minister said that the Opposition put the allegation of the BJP being communal whenever the party moves on its agenda of Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas. "Our agenda is Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas. Whenever we move on our path, they put the same allegation against us that we are communal," he said. Earlier on Sunday, Sharad Pawar had called for the parties opposing the "communal forces" in the country to come together. "Centre is not cooperating with the state governments. The way there are differences, all the parties need to come together. There is a need to put a hold on the communal situation being created," Pawar said. (ANI)
The Congress Disciplinary Committee on Monday has sent notices to former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and senior party leader from Kerala KV Thomas for their public conduct against the party lines in recent times. Held at Congress War Room in Delhi, the meeting of the Committee was attended by senior party leaders Tariq Anwar, JP Aggarwal and Ambika Soni. Following the meeting Tariq Anwar said, "We are sending notice to both the leaders and asked them to reply on it within a week. Sunil Jakhar's statements during the Punjab Assembly polls harmed the party." "KV Thomas has been given show cause notice for participating in Left's program in Kerala. Prior to that KV Thomas had done a press confrence in Kerala and had said that he will attend the programme. While Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was also invited by the CPIM for the seminar but he refused to attend the event after state leadership objected," Anwar said. He further said the top leadership of Congress had intervened and Thomas was called by Sonia Gandhi for the same. "But Thomas attended the seminar following which Kerala Congress Chief K Sudhakaran wrote a letter to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and has urged her to take action against him," added Anwar. Sunil Jakhar reportedly passed "objectionable" remarks targeting former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for being an SC leader. Meanwhile, KV Thomas, defying the party's decision, attended a seminar organised by the CPI-M in Kannur over which Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President K Sudhakaran wrote to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi demanding "strict and befitting disciplinary action" against him. Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, obeyed the order of the party leadership and declined the invitation to the seminar. Senior party leader PJ Kurien had said that KV Thomas "disobeyed" the directives. Congress reconstituted this committee in view of the cases of "indiscipline" coming to the fore in the party. The grand old party has appointed senior leader and former Defense Minister AK Antony as its president of the committee. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate a two-day conference on April 12 in the national capital to mark the completion of the first year of the launch of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM). The conference will reflect on the progress of the initiative, discussions to adopt best practices and ideate future strategies of the celebration. Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Meenakshi Lekhi and Ajay Bhattwil will also address the conference. Top officials from every State and Union Territory government will attend the conference. According to the Ministry of Culture, the topics of discussion shall include landmark AKAM initiatives that involve mass public participation (Jan Bhagidhari) such as 'Har Ghar Jhanda', 'International Yoga Day', 'Digital District Repository', 'Swatantra Swar' and 'Mera Gaon Meri Dharoha'. It will also have a session by the Ministry of Tourism focusing on its significant contributions to the AKAM campaign. Further, an ideation session by States/UTs on the progress made by them under AKAM, along with deliberations on best practices and lessons learned so far and how they can be incorporated going forward will also be held. Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is a flagship initiative of the central and state governments, which has been launched to commemorate 75 years of India's independence. The objective of this programme is to recreate and renew the patriotic fervour of the independence movement, to recall the contribution of the freedom fighters and to create a vision for lndia at 2047. On the 91st anniversary of Dandi March on March 12, 2021, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav was launched seventy-five weeks ahead of the 75th Independence Day by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So far 7,200 events have been conducted across various states and Union Territories in the last year. (ANI)
A new study has found that those who went to a private school in England were no happier with their lives in their early 20s than their state-educated peers. The results of the study were published in the journal, 'Cambridge Journal of Education'. Previous work has shown that private school pupils do better academically than those who go to state schools. But whether they also enjoy non-academic benefits, such as better mental health, has been less clear. To find out more, researchers from University College London (UCL), analysed data from the Next Steps study, run by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies, which follows the lives of a representative sample of 15,770 people born in England between 1989 and 1990. The participants have been regularly surveyed since 2004 when they were 13 and 14-year-old secondary school pupils. Life satisfaction was measured at ages 20 and 25 by asking the participants how satisfied or dissatisfied they were with the way their life had turned out so far. On the face of it, those who had gone to private school were happier with their lot. However, after factors such as socio-economic background and ethnicity were factored in, the difference vanished. Mental health was measured at 14, 16 and 25 by asking questions such as "have you been able to concentrate on what you are doing?" and "have you lost sleep over worry?". The General Health Questionnaire is a standardised and validated measure of mental health, comprising twelve such questions. The results suggested that there was no private school advantage for boys' mental health at any age. Whilst at aged 16, girls in private schools had slightly better mental health than their state school counterparts. No such difference was seen at 14 or 25. The researchers concluded that, overall, there was no convincing evidence of a difference in mental health or life satisfaction between the private and state school pupils, either in their teenage years or in their early 20s. They also note that this analysis identifies associations between school status and wellbeing rather than establishing a causal relationship. The findings surprised the researchers who point out that private schools, which educate around seven per cent of pupils in England, have much more money to spend on resources than state schools. Private schools have also placed particular emphasis on pastoral support for mental health in recent years. In addition, higher educational achievement, something which is already associated with private schools, is linked to better mental health. Private school pupils may, however, be under greater pressure than their state school peers. "I think it is possible that the increased pastoral support was just starting to make a difference for this cohort," said researcher Dr Morag Henderson, a sociologist. "But it is also likely that although school resource is greater in private schools, the academic stress students face might be too and so we see each force cancelling the other out," Dr Morag Henderson added. Dr Henderson added that the results might be different for today's schoolchildren, due to private schools being better able to support pupils who are struggling with their mental health since the start of the pandemic. She explained, "This is speculation, but it might be that we see state school students fare worse in terms of mental health compared to private school students, post-lockdown. This question is ripe for future analyses; and is one of the areas that the new COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities Study (COSMO) cohort study, headed up by Dr Jake Anders - one of the co-authors - is gathering evidence on." (ANI)
The agreement has been signed for imparting phase-II flying training on Chetak Helicopter for six officers of Nigerian Army Aviation and marks the continuation of the contract signed in April 2021 for imparting Phase-I flying training to six Nigerian Army aviation officers, which was successfully executed in December last year.

The contract was signed by BK Tripathy, General Manager, Helicopter Division and Commodore Anthony Victor Kujoh, Defence Adviser, High Commission of Nigeria in India at a programme held at Helicopter Division recently.

General Manager-Helicopter Division, BK Tripathy, said the platforms such as Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), with a wide range of capabilities, can be of great strength for the Nigerian Army.

"Nigeria would not only like to further enhance the business relationship with HAL for training but also towards asset acquisition", said Commodore Kujoh.

The Phase-II flying training on Chetak Helicopter is scheduled to commence today and is planned to be completed by December 2022. As part of the training, 70 hours of flying training would be imparted for each Nigerian Army Aviation Officer. (ANI)
Researchers have found that words that help in directing caregivers' attention are likely to be among the first ones that children learn and use frequently. The findings of the study were published in the 'Journal of Child 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 learning -- especially on the first words -- even in languages that differ structurally and that are spoken in very different social settings. "Children learn demonstratives that call others' attention to objects -- such 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 wrote. 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 one to four at play and interacting with caregivers in their homes. She analysed 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" demonstratives -- equivalent 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 per cent 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 three 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." (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the blast at a chemical factory in Gujarat's Bharuch and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of deceased from the Prime Minister National Relief Fund (PMNRF). Injured people in the blast would be given Rs 50,000 each. Six people died in a blast that triggered a fire in a chemical factory in Bharuch district on Monday, police said. "PM Narendra Modi has expressed grief on the loss of lives due to a mishap at a factory in Bharuch. He extends condolences to the bereaved families. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of the deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," Prime Minister's Office tweeted. Bharuch Superintendent of Police (SP) Leena Patil said that the blast occurred at the reactor plant of Om Organics firm and probe over negligence, if any, is being done. "Blast occurred at the reactor plant of Om Organics firm, late last night. 6 labourers at the plant died in the blast. This was followed by a fire incident. Police, fire team, and others controlled the fire. We're probing if there was any negligence," the SP said. (ANI)
In a bid to boost air connectivity of the North Eastern Region with the rest of the country, Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, will inaugurate the first flight from Dibrugarh to Pasighat on Tuesday under the scheme "Providing air connectivity and aviation infrastructure in North Eastern Region (NER)", as per a press release by Ministry of Civil Aviation. He will also inaugurate the First Flying Training Organisation for North Eastern Region at Lilabari. "As a part of this scheme, two important developments will take place on 12th April 2022 -First flight of Made in India HAL Dornier Do-228 from Dibrugarh in Assam to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh. Alliance Air will be India's first commercial airline to fly Indian made aircraft for civil operations. There will also be the inauguration of First FTO (Flying Training Organization) for North Eastern Region at Lilabari, Assam," read the release. The Ministry said that to enhance the connectivity, new airports are getting developed and old airports are getting upgraded. Considering the hilly terrain, helicopter operations under the UDAN scheme have been given the focus on connectivity. "The development of the North Eastern Region (NER) is not only of strategic importance but is also part of India's growth story. Connectivity in NER is very essential and Under "Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN)", the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has identified NER as a priority area. This has helped in enhancing inter and intra connectivity for the NER," it said. The 17-seater non-pressurized Dornier 228 with an AC cabin capable of day and night operations will facilitate regional connectivity in northeastern states. On April 7, these two light transport aircraft were handed over to Alliance Air. Besides the Civil Aviation Minister, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, will be present at the inauguration ceremony. Apart from them, the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Rajiv Bansal, Usha Padhee and Amber Dubey, Joint Secretaries from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and other dignities from the State Governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, Alliance Air will also be present. (ANI)
Kharge was summoned to appear before the federal agency with regard to the probe in the money laundering case, they said.

The National Herald corruption case is linked to the Congress.

The National Herald case was filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy had filed the case in 2012 accusing Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, party leader Rahul Gandhi and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds.

He had stated that the Congress party granted an interest-free loan of Rs 90.25 crores to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), owner of the National Herald newspaper. It is alleged that the loan was not repaid. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Monday lauded the efforts of the Madhya Pradesh Police in foiling miscreants' conspiracy, hours after a curfew was clamped down in Khargone city as violence occurred during the Ram Navami procession. In a tweet today, Mishra wrote, "In Khargone, the miscreants wanted to carry out a big conspiracy. But with the vigilance of the Madhya Pradesh police, they could not succeed in their plan. Khargone Superintendent of Police, Siddharth Chaudhary and 6 police personnel were injured while stopping the chaotic elements. I did a video call from SP Siddharth Chaudhary to know about his well being." Earlier in the day, Mishra addressed a press conference saying that as many as 77 people were arrested so far following the incident in the city. "As many as 77 people have been arrested so far. Our Superintendent of Police has been injured after he was shot with a bullet. As many as six more police personnel have been injured. All the police personnel injured are stable. A person, who is not from the police force, has also received a severe head injury," Madhya Pradesh Minister said. A curfew was clamped in the Khargone city of Madhya Pradesh and 77 people were arrested after stones were hurled at a Ram Navami procession on Sunday. Speaking to ANI today morning, DIG, Khargone, Tilak Singh, said, "We have taken 60-70 people into custody. Some houses and vehicles were also burnt. The SP was also shot in the leg and he is stable now." (ANI)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached properties worth Rs 3.59 crore of four accused named in the case of seizure of drugs and arms from Sri Lankan nationals in a Sri Lankan boat named 'Ravihansi' last year, the agency said on Monday. The seized properties include six landed properties, 12 vehicles, cash and bank deposits belonging to the accused identified as Suresh Raj A, Satkunam, Ramesh A and Soundararajan. On March 18 last year, the Indian Coast Guard intercepted one Sri Lankan fishing boat named 'Ravihansi' near Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep within the territorial waters of India and on rummaging, it was found that the boat was carrying a huge quantity of contraband articles (300.323 kilograms Heroin) along with five assault rifles and one thousand 9 mm ammunition. Subsequently the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Kochi took over the investigation and registered a First Information Report and thereafter filed a charge sheet against Sri Lankan nationals and others. ED initiated a money laundering investigation on the basis of the FIR registered by the NIA and an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) revealed that the drugs and arms smuggled in the Sri Lankan boat 'Ravihansi' were meant for Suresh, Satkunam and their associates and sale proceeds of the said drugs would be used for purchasing the next consignment of drugs and also for the revival of proscribed terrorist organization Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The investigation further revealed that Suresh Raj A and Satkunam were involved in a similar crime earlier with the active support of Ramesh and Soundarajan, said the ED. "Suresh Raj A and Satkunam were convicted earlier in a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case. A criminal case under the schedule offence is pending against Soundarajan," said the agency. (ANI)
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting convened a meeting on Monday here to chalk out strategies for the publicity of the upcoming 43-day Shri Amarnath Yatra, scheduled to start on June 30. Top officials from the Ministry, Jammu and Kashmir administration and Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board attended the meeting. During the meeting, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Apurva Chandra said that publicity activities will be planned by different media units of the Ministry in conjecture with the JK Administration throughout the period of the pilgrimage. He added that Amarnath Ji Yatra activities will be projected throughout the country and there will be focus on the coverage of the tourism activities in the region as well. "There is a need to highlight the various achievements of the Centre and UT Administration with respect to developmental work done in J-K. We need to amplify such positive stories about the region throughout the country," He said. Chandra added that an expected six to eight lakh pilgrims are expected to cover the yatra this year. In the meeting, Chief Secretary Kumar said that this year's AmarnathJi Yatra will be the record highest owing to better facilities and a seamless journey experience for yatris. "Amarnathji Yatra is a prime example of composite culture and fraternity which has been preserved since ages by the cordial working out of locals with yatris," he said. He added that the administration has taken every measure to provide better facilities and roadside amenities to make the journey convenient and every effort will be made to make this year's pilgrimage a successful one. Joint Secretary in the Ministry Vikram Sahay instructed the media units to carry out wide publicity about the detailed procedures involved from registration to commencement and conclusion of the yatra. He added that there is an absolute need to highlight the positive environment of J-K which will clear all doubts about the pilgrimage. This he said will invite more and more people from all across the country to become a part of this journey. CEO, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, Nitishwar Kumar shared an overview of the preparedness for the yatra. "We are expecting a two-fold increase in yatra this year and similarly we have also done two-fold preparations to make it successful," he said. He urged the media units to highlight the advisories for the yatris from time to time and added that Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags will be used this year to keep a track of the location of the pilgrims. He also emphasized that misconceptions about the journey being a difficult one also need to be thwarted. The senior Information and Broadcasting officials assured the UT administration that appropriate steps will be taken to plan the publicity activities and there will be a buzz about the Yatra this year. Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal, Deputy Commissioner Anantnag and senior officials of security and administration also participated in the meeting. After the suspension for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Amarnath Yatra 2022 is set to commence on June 30 and will conclude on August 11. Even in 2019, the yatra was suspended a few days before August 5, when the Centre abrogated Article 370 and revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, dividing the state into two union territories. (ANI)
Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday went to forward locations along the Line of Control (LOC) to review the security situation and measures instituted to thwart the adversary's designs, said officials. On the second day of his visit, the Army Commander, accompanied by Lt Gen DP Pandey was briefed about the ongoing ceasefire on the LoC, development works, the counter-infiltration grid and operational preparedness. The Army Commander, while interacting with the local commanders, laid special emphasis on ensuring and maintaining the sanctity of the cease-fire in vogue, but at the same time not putting the guard down against any enemy misadventure. He also appreciated the measures and Standard Operating Procedures instituted by the units and formations to meet the challenges posed by the inimical elements in the valley. During his interaction with the soldiers on snow-clad heights, he was appreciative of the sharp vigil and alertness along the Line of Control and the high morale of the troops. The Army Commander, while interacting with villagers of forward areas, applauded them for their positive outlook, high motivation and strong national spirit. Later, Dwivedi also interacted with various civil functionaries and members of the civil society. He appreciated the rapid steps that are being taken by all sections of society for the sustainable peace and development of Kashmir. The Army Commander also lauded the synergy between all elements of the security forces and the Civil Administration. The Northern Army Commander is on a three-day visit for reviewing the security scenario in the Kashmir valley. The visit has been scheduled between 10 and 12 April. (ANI)
Inspector General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Vijay Kumar said that two police personnel have also been injured in the gunfight.

In a tweet by the Kashmir Zone Police, it read, "Kulgam Encounter Update: One #Pakistani #terrorist (code name Chacha) and one #hybrid terrorist killed. Two Police Personnel also injured. They are being evacuated to hospital. #Encounter going on: IGP Kashmir @JmuKmrPolice"

The encounter broke out at the Khurbatpora area of Kulgam today evening. ""#Encounter has started at #Khurbatpora area of #Kulgam. Police and Army on job. Further details shall follow," tweeted Kashmir Zone Police.

More details are awaited. (ANI)
Andhra Pradesh State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society Limited (APCO) Chairman, Chilapalli Mohan Rao and Vijayawada Mayor R Bhagyalakshmi, were also present on the occasion.

Mahatma Phule, along with his followers, formed the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth) to attain equal rights for peasants and people from lower castes.

Phule is regarded as an important figure in the social reform movement of Maharashtra. He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of women's education in India. (ANI)
Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed the petitions challenging the six-plus years age criteria for admission to class 1 in various schools under the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) for the year 2022-23. Justice Rekha Palli after hearing arguments of counsels for the Central Government and for the petitioner dismissed the petitions. The bench said the order will be uploaded later. Delhi HC was hearing petitions challenging KVS class I admission criteria 2022-23 laying down the minimum age of a child to six years instead of five. Centre submitted that there is no violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India, there is an irreparable loss to the petitioners and they do not have a locus in this matter to file petitions. Earlier, the Centre had submitted that KVS are a pacesetter and they are a beacon of education. "There is a need for uniformity in the age criteria. It is a part of the new education policy," they said. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Centre, submitted that New Education Policy 2020 is not challenged and the new age criteria is an integral part of the policy. He further had submitted that KVS are pacesetter and they are forerunners in the field of education. They are beacons of education. They are for the children of defence personnel and central government employees who get transferred from one place to another place. ASG had submitted that there were some difficulties in changing the age criteria for the children of 5 plus age getting registered for admission. Seven lakh application forms have been submitted so far against one lakh seats. If we change the age criteria, the program would be changed and would take weeks to reorganize. The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) in an affidavit filed in Delhi High Court had opposed the plea. KVS had said the Government of India has examined the issues at length and has notified NEP 2020, wherein a new scheme of pedagogical and curricular restructuring has been proposed to be implemented. Accordingly, KVS has implemented the said policy. "The age criteria for admission in class/ grade-1 should therefore be in consonance with the NEP 2020 because it is settled law that the executive has the competence to decide how a policy should be shaped or implemented," the affidavit stated. Lawyers Ashok Agarwal and Kumar Utkarsh appearing for the petitioner had stated that the Court's intervention and issuance of direction is required to the respondent Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan to reframe the admission criteria in 2022-23 in accordance with the law. The plea submitted that prior to the academic year 2022-23, the minimum age of admission for class I in respondent KVS was throughout 5 years as of March 31. It was also submitted that the impugned admission criteria of the respondent, KVS, is arbitrary, discriminatory, unjust, unreasonable, violative of the fundamental right to education of the petitioner as guaranteed under Articles 14, 21 and 21-A of the Constitution of India read with the provisions of Delhi School Education Act, 1973 and Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act. The petitioner, a kid through her father Pawan Kumar, submitted that as she would be five-plus age as of March 31, 2022, she was desirous of applying for admission in class I in respondent KVS in the academic year 2022-23. However, on February 24, 2022, all of a sudden respondent KVS made changes in the minimum age criteria for admission in class one from five years to six years by uploading the impugned guidelines on the portal, just 4 days before the admission process starts. The plea submitted that new guidelines say that "as per the mandate of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, entry age for Class 1 has been revised to 6 plus years with effect from Academic Session 2022-23". (ANI)
"Met Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak. Discussed various matters related to the development of the state. Their commitment towards public and country will lead the state towards new milestones of development," tweeted PM Modi.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath also took Twitter to extend greetings and thanked PM Modi for giving time to meet the UP leadership.

"Made a courtesy visit to the architect of New India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today. His guidance always fills you with positive energy. Thank you very much respected Prime Minister for giving your valuable time!" tweeted Yogi.

The delegation also met President Ram Nath Kovid and Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday.

This is the first visit of Adityanath to the national capital after he was sworn in as the Chief Minister for the second consecutive term.

In the recently held Assembly polls, the results for which were announced on March 10, the Bharatiya Janata Pary got an absolute majority in the 403-member Assembly by winning 255 seats with its allies Apna Dal (Sonelal) and the Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (Nishad) bagging 12 and six seats respectively. (ANI)
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday sought a response from the state government over the alleged gang rape and death of a 14-year-old girl in Nadia district. The Governor also sought a response from the West Bengal government over alleged atrocities on 'Ram Bhakts' on Ram Navami. "Urgent response of Chief Secretary be sought on alleged gang rape, death of 14-year-old girl in Nadia as also atrocities on Ram Bhakts on Ram Navami. Both these issues have been raised today by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari who called on the undersigned and sought a thorough probe," said Governor Dhankhar. "According to LOP, both incidents highlight the worrisome state of crime against women and nose-diving law and order scenario in the state. CS be called upon to render his report on both counts earliest, latest by April 13, 2022," added Dhankhar. Earlier on Monday, the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari called on Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar over the issues. Earlier this month, a 14-year-old girl died after she was allegedly gang-raped in West Bengal's Nadia district. The victim's family accused the son of a Trinamool Congress panchayat leader in the case. A case under sections 376(2)(G) (gangrape), 302 (murder), 204 (tampering with evidence) of the IPC and relevant sections of the POCSO) Act was registered in the case. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said state child commission will investigate the Nadia minor rape and murder case. Further, referring to another incident, Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday alleged that a Ram Navami procession was attacked by policemen in the Howrah district. Taking to Twitter, Adhikari said that some people got injured in the incident. "In the Shivpur area of Howrah district, Ram devotees took out a procession and the constable and police officer thrashed them with sticks. Some people got seriously injured," Adhikari tweeted. Meanwhile, Union Minister Dr Subhash Sarkar said that stones were pelted on a Ram Navami procession and also at his car in Bankura. "Stones were pelted on the Ram Navami procession in Bankura. It was done politically. They pelted stones at my car. I appeal to the police to identify and arrest the accused," the Minister said. (ANI)
Article 355 of the Constitution deals with an emergency provision by which the Centre can intervene and protect a state against external aggression or internal disturbance

"Rule 355 should be imposed in West Bengal. The situation is very bad here. I met Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and sought a probe into the alleged gang rape and death of a 14-year-old girl in Nadia. I will meet the family of the deceased tomorrow," said Adhikari.

The West Bengal Leader of Opposition called on Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday to discuss the issue.

West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called for a 12-hour strike in Ranaghat today, seeking justice for the deceased minor.

On April 5, a 14-year-old girl died after she was allegedly gang-raped in West Bengal's Nadia district. The deceased's family accused the son of a TMC panchayat leader in the case.

A case under sections 376(2)(G) (gangrape), 302 (murder), 204 (tampering with evidence) of the IPC and relevant sections of the POCSO) Act was registered in the case.

Meanwhile, chief minister Mamata Banerjee today said the state child commission will investigate the Nadia minor rape and murder case. (ANI)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested two people from Kolkata for allegedly operating unions on "PP Poker Online Gaming App" and placing illegal bets and gambling, the agency said on Monday. Those arrested have been identified as Hardeep Singh and Ankur alias Rahul Khanna, both residents of Kolkata. The accused were arrested last week under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The ED produced them before a Special Court last Friday and the court granted eight days of custody of the accused to the agency. ED initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of First Information Report (FIR) registered by Goa Police under various Sections of Indian Penal Code and Sections 3 and 4 of Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976 and Section 66-D of Information Technology Act, 2000 for illegal gaming activities and siphoning huge money through secret networks and thus causing loss to the government exchequer. "Investigation by ED revealed that Hardeep Singh and Rahul Khanna, are operating 2-3 Unions namely, Checkraise, Mini-India, Russian Poker etc on PP Poker Online Gaming App," said the agency. "Under each union, it is seen that around 25 to 30 clubs are being operated by different individuals. Through these clubs, individual players are invited vide WhatsApp chats for placing illegal bets through various poker gaming apps like PP Poker." The agency further said, "It is seen that the commissions to the tune of 5 per cent to 10 per cent were generated by these clubs on each table running". "The settlement of the commission and the betting amount is done mainly through hawala operators in cash or through cryptocurrency with each individual player and union head by their respective club managers." On April 6, the ED had also conducted searches on the residential premises of Hardeep Singh and Rahul Khanna and other club managers and agents situated in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Goa. (ANI)
A Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant said it would hear the matter on April 21 after counsels sought adjournment.

The apex court on January 31 had granted protection to Majithia from arrest till February 23 in view of the February 20 assembly polls to contest as a SAD candidate from the Amritsar East assembly constituency. He had surrendered after the expiry of the protection period.

Majithia - a former minister in the state - said the cases were politically motivated, contending they had already been investigated by high-ranking police officers.

On March 20, in his first orders to Punjab Police after assuming charge, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann reconstituted the four members Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the drug case against Majithia.

The previous SIT was a three-member team. The SIT was formed to probe allegations against Majithia based on an FIR lodged under various sections of the NDPS Act on December 20, 2021. (ANI)
According to GSM Arena, this news comes after earlier reports already confirmed that the Cupertino based company had started trial production of the iPhone 13 in India back in December.

Older models like the iPhone 12, iPhone 11 and iPhone SE (2020) are also manufactured in India and Apple is estimated to make 70 per cent of the phones it sells in India locally.

Reports had previously suggested that iPhone 13 Pro series is next in line to be manufactured in India.

Smartphone manufacturers prefer to assemble their devices in India as they get the incentive of saving up on import duties which include a 20 per cent import tax.

As per GSM Arena, in the near future, Apple is rumoured to move up 20 per cent of its iPhone production from China to India.

The iPhone 13 was announced on September 14 with a handful of new features including a lightning-fast A15 Bionic chip, advanced camera systems, great battery life, impressive durability, and 5G. (ANI)
A day after a scuffle broke out between two groups of students on the Jawaharlal Nehru University's (JNU) campus on Sunday, allegedly over-serving of non-vegetarian food in the mess on Ram Navami, the University administration on Monday appealed to everyone to exercise restraint and let the academic environment flourish without external disturbances. An official press communique today by the University read, "There was a scuffle in the JNU Campus on 10 April 2022 between student groups. It was the occasion of Rama Navami and Hawan was organized by the students in the Kaveri Hostel and there were students who were objecting to this. The wardens and Dean of Students tried to pacify and the Hawan was concluded peacefully." "Despite this, some group of students were not happy with this and soon after, at the time of dinner, a ruckus was created over there and heated arguments were followed by altercation between both the groups in the Kaveri Hostel. Mess is run by the student committee and the administration has nothing to do with their menu. The wardens clarified on the spot and issued a notice when the ruckus was going on among students that there is no bar on serving non-vegetarian food," the press release read. The administration highlighted that the warden issued a notice calling for peace and clarifying issues. "The JNU administration immediately swung into action. Later in the night, JNU Vice Chancellor Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit visited Kaveri Hostel and took stock of the situation. JNU is an institution with rich legacy which has nurtured generations. It has always been known for academic and intellectual pursuits with strong culture of healthy discussions and debates," it read. The administration appealed all to exercise restraint and let the academic environment flourish in JNU without any external disturbances, the Registrar said. Two groups of students clashed on the Jawaharlal Nehru University's (JNU) campus on Sunday, allegedly over serving of non-vegetarian food in the mess on Ram Navami. At least six students were injured in the scuffle between left-leaning students and members of the RSS-affiliated ABVP, though both sides claim many more were wounded. Delhi Police has lodged an FIR on the basis on a complaint filed by the JNU students. (ANI)
As many as 32 people were rescued after an accident at the Tirkut Ropeway service in Jharkhand's Deoghar on Monday while 15 people continue to be stranded mid-air in cable cars as rescue operations done jointly by the Indian Air Force, Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the district personal stopped due to visibility issues after dusk, officials said. While one woman succumbed to her injuries in hospital early this morning, the death toll in the ropeway mishap at the tourist spot atop Trikoot hills on Sunday rose to two as another man died this evening while being airlifted, officials said. The Indian Air Force has so far rescued 32 people trapped in cable cars that collided on the Trikoot ropeway on Sunday, leaving 48 stuck inside. Deoghar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Manjunath Bhajantri said, "The identification of the deceased has not been done yet. The IAF has so far rescued 32 people while 15 people are still trapped in three trolleys. The IAF will resume the rescue operation in the early morning tomorrow. " Jharkhand Minister Hafizul Hasan expressed grief over the incident and said, "Our priority is to save lives. NDRF, Air Force and Indian Army are performing rescue operations. Lack of maintenance could be the reason for the accident. An investigation team will be formed to investigate the case thoroughly." Indo-Tibetan Border Police PRO Vivek Pandey said that personnel of the rescue team was trying to supply food to people stranded in the trolleys. Notably, some cable cars collided on a ropeway at Trikoot hills close to Baba Baidyanath Temple. The IAF received the request for the rescue of approximately 40 tourists stuck in the Ropeway Service. Acting on the request, the IAF deployed one Mi-17 and one Mi-17 V5 helicopter early in the morning on Monday for the rescue. (ANI)
He was accompanied by his deputies Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak during his visit to New Delhi.

"Held a discussion with Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak over the development and governance initiative being undertaken in the state. I am confident that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, you will take UP to new milestones of development," tweeted Amit Shah.

CM Yogi Adityanath also took to Twitter to extend greetings to Home Minister.

"Paid a courtesy visit to Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi today. Thank you very much for giving your valuable time and guidance," tweeted Adityanath.

The delegation also met President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of their meeting with Home Minister.

In the recently held Assembly polls, the results for which were announced on March 10, the Bharatiya Janata Pary got an absolute majority in the 403-member Assembly by winning 255 seats with its allies Apna Dal (Sonelal) and the Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (Nishad) bagging 12 and six seats respectively. (ANI)
Rai today said that two immediate plans, namely 'Anti-Open Burning' will commence from tomorrow and 'Anti Road Dust campaign' from April 15.

In a tweet today, Rai wrote, "Summer Action Plan to make Delhi pollution-free: 2 immediate plans--Anti Open Burning from tomorrow and Anti Road Dust campaign from 15th April. 12 Long Term Plans- Many campaigns including Mega Tree Plantation, Urban Farming, Development of Lakes, Development of Parks."

The India Meteorological Department has predicted that heatwave conditions remain in the forecast for Delhi on Monday, with a maximum temperature of around 41 degrees Celsius.

"Heat Wave to severe heatwave conditions very likely in most parts over on 10th in many parts on 11th and in some parts on 12th to 14th April over West Rajasthan; heat Wave to severe heatwave conditions very likely in many parts on 10th and 11th April...., " tweeted India Meteorological Department yesterday.

".....over East Rajasthan; heat wave conditions in some parts with severe heat wave conditions in isolated pockets over Punjab and Haryana-Delhi during 10th-11th; heat wave to severe heat wave conditions in some parts over West Uttar Pradesh and West Madhya Pradesh and in isolated pockets over East Uttar Pradesh on 10th April," the weather agency tweeted.

System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), a government agency, on Monday, informed that the Air Quality Index is in the poor category with AQI being at 252.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'. (ANI)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma presented the 56th Jnanpith Award for the year 2021 to eminent Assamese poet Nilmani Phookan on Monday. The ceremony was held at Rabindra Bhawan in the city. Organised for the first time in Assam by Bharatiya Jnanpith, the event was also attended by Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Bora and Chairperson of Jnanpith Selection Board Pratibha Ray among others. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma said that the country's highest literary honour presented today to renowned poet Nilmani Phookan made the people of Assam proud and elated. He said that this honour was a great moment of achievement for the Assamese people and he thanked Bharatiya Jnanpith for presenting the prestigious award to the eminent poet. Stating that while novelist Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya was the first recipient of the prestigious Jnanpith from Assam, which he received in 1979 and Mamoni Roisam Goswami being the second Assamese Jnanpith awardee got the award in the year 2000, Sarma said that repeating history, poet Nilmani Phookan received the Jnanpith exactly after two decades. "Most of the poems of the poet Nilmani Phookan, who created the era of modern Assamese poetry, rich in quality that attracted the reader, have a beautiful picture of nature. Through poetry, he explores life, youth, love, joy, the world's most common mysteries, nature, etc and many other subjects," the Chief Minister said. He said that Nilmani Phookan through his dedication to the task of writing poetry over the years and with his uniquely creative language and recurrent use of symbols and imagery gave a new dimension to modern Assamese poetry. He said that by presenting the Jnanpith to Phookan, Bharatiya Jnanpith has infused new energy into Assamese literature. The Chief Minister further said that there is a need to take Phookan's poetry to the world readers and expressed his desire to take the initiative through Assam Publication Board to translate his poems. (ANI)
The Prime Minister also discussed the rescue operations with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, they said.

Two people died after some cable cars collided on a ropeway at Trikut hills close to Baba Baidyanath Temple on Sunday. The Indian Air force (IAF) has been pressed into action for rescue operations.

Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said that 32 people have been rescued while 15 people are still trapped mid-air in three cable cars. "Rescue operations will resume early morning tomorrow," he added.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Air Force and Indian Army carried out the rescue operations today. The IAF deployed one Mi-17 and one Mi-17 V5 helicopter for carrying out the rescue operations.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that he is constantly monitoring the situation and assured that soon, all those trapped will be taken out safely.

People, including women and children, had thronged in large numbers at the Baba Baidyanath temple on Sunday on the occasion of Ram Navami. (ANI)
Amid a row over the alleged gang-rape and death of a minor in West Bengal's Nadia, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday questioned if the girl was actually raped or had a love affair that got her pregnant. "How do you know if she was raped? The police are yet to ascertain the cause of the death. I had asked them. Was she pregnant or had a love affair or was sick? Even family knew it was a love affair. If a couple is in a relationship, how can I stop them?," the chief minister said during an address at the innaguration of the 'Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan' "This is not Uttar Pradesh that I can do that in name of Love Jihad," she further said. Mamata Banerjee said the state child commission will investigate the matter. Attacking the Centre the Chief Minister said, "How many CBI probes have been done in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam and Bihar over murders of people? How many leaders were arrested? No matter how many conspiracies you do by using CBI, ED. Do not think that we are weak." The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned the chief minister's remarks over the alleged gang rape case. Taking to Twitter West Bengal BJP said, "Shame on this woman Chief Minister of Bengal. She termed the incident of Hanskhali as a minor incident. She is making character assassination of the deceased rape victim by questioning her dignity. Women will not get justice in a state where its woman chief minister raises questions about the character of a raped woman." "TMC Block President's son raped a minor girl and burned her body to eradicate the evidence. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister asks, 'whether it is a rape, pregnancy, or a love affair?' Bengal's shame: Mamata Banerjee!" added the opposition party in the state. Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday sought a response from the state government over the alleged gang rape and death of a 14-year-old girl in Nadia district. "Urgent response of Chief Secretary be sought on alleged gang rape, death of 14-year-old girl in Nadia as also atrocities on Ram Bhakts on Ram Navami. Both these issues have been raised today by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari who called on the undersigned and sought a thorough probe," said Governor Dhankhar. "According to LOP, both incidents highlight the worrisome state of crime against women and nose-diving law and order scenario in the state. CS be called upon to render his report on both counts earliest, latest by April 13, 2022," added Dhankhar. Earlier on Monday, the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari called on Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar over the matter.Adhikari demanded that Article 355 of the Indian Constitution should be imposed in the state. Article 355 of the Constitution deals with an emergency provision by which the Centre can intervene and protect a state against external aggression or internal disturbance "Rule 355 should be imposed in West Bengal. The situation is very bad here. I met Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and sought a probe into the alleged gang rape and death of a 14-year-old girl in Nadia. I will meet the family of the deceased tomorrow," said Adhikari. Earlier this month, a 14-year-old girl died after she was allegedly gang-raped in West Bengal's Nadia district. The victim's family accused the son of a Trinamool Congress panchayat leader in the case. A case under sections 376(2)(G) (gangrape), 302 (murder), 204 (tampering with evidence) of the IPC and relevant sections of the POCSO) Act was registered in the case. (ANI)
Delhi Police on Monday said it has received as many as six complaints from students of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) following a clash that broke out at Jawaharlal Nehru University allegedly over the serving of non-vegetarian food on Ram Navami. ABVP students lodged complaints at the Vasant Kunj Police Station, against unidentified students associated with the Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union (JNUSU), Students' Federation of India (SFI), Democratic Students' Federation (DSF) and All India Students' Association, and demanded a probe into the case. Meanwhile, on Monday morning, Delhi Police also registered a case filed by the members of JNUSU, SFI, DSF and AISA against unidentified ABVP students and said that the ABVP students have intimated that they will be giving the complaint after which "necessary appropriate legal action will be taken." Deputy Commissioner of police South West District, Manoj C said that an FIR has been registered into the case and the police are on the lookout for the evidence to identify the culprits. "We received a complaint from a group of students who are members of ABVP, on Monday afternoon, against unidentified JNUSU, SFI, DSF students, accordingly we have a registered an FIR under section -323/341/506/509/34 IPC. Further investigation is on to collect factual/ scientific evidence and identify the culprits," the police official said on Monday. In their complaints ABVP students claimed that 'Left' students tried to disrupt the Ram Navami Pooja being held at the Kaveri hostel of the campus. They alleged that students affiliated with the Left groups threw stones at them, violated the modesty of girls, and used abusive words toward them. Sridevi, a University student alleged that the Left students had pre-planned the attack and used the warden's name to disrupt the Pooja. "They had created fake records in the name of warden that he has denied to organise any such Pooja on campus. They wrote on papers 'Warden Sir requesting not to do such Pooja' and pasted it on the walls. It was a planned attack; the Left students did not want us to do the Pooja," she said. She further alleged that the scuffle broke out on cross-checking the same instructions with the warden and the claims of clash over eating non-vegetarian food are fake. "When we asked the warden about any such instruction being carried out, he denied it. The Left students got furious with this and started abusing and thrashing us. They threw stones at us and created a hostile environment," she added. A first-year student of PhD, Prakash Kumar Jha said that the Left students instigated the violence saying that no such Pooja will be held on the campus. "Pooja was organised by the Kaveri residence. There were no parties involved in it. The Left students wanted to disrupt the Pooja and were mobilising other students outside the hostel during the Pooja. The program had to start by 3:30 pm but was delayed by 5 pm because of them. We concluded the Pooja by 7 pm peacefully but as soon as we went outside the hostel, the Left students started abusing us," he added. Notably, as many as six persons suffered minor injuries in the scuffle after which they were shifted to the hospital. (ANI)
Following Congress issuing a showcause notice to senior party leader KV Thomas, Kerala state Congress chief K Sudhakaran on Monday said Thomas' action is tantamount to betraying the party. The Congress Disciplinary Committee on Monday had sent notice to KV Thomas for his public conduct against the party lines in recent times. "He has been given a week to reply. I was the one who tried to bring him back and prevent him from going to the seminar. I had even spoken to him the day before he was going to the seminar. I had requested him not to go. Can he obey everything the CPIM says? He is a man who does not obey what the party says," Sudhakaran told mediapersons here. "The CPIM is a fascist political movement that is leading Kerala to collapse. The position of Congress party is that its (CPIM) platform should not be used by Congressmen. That is why the party blocked him. Thomas's action is tantamount to betraying the party. He can now be seen as the man who betrayed the party," added the Kerala Congress chief. KV Thomas, defying the party's decision, attended a seminar organised by the CPI-M in Kannur over which Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President K Sudhakaran wrote to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi demanding "strict and befitting disciplinary action" against him. Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor, who was also invited for the seminar obeyed the order of the party leadership and declined the invitation to the seminar. Congress reconstituted this committee in view of the cases of "indiscipline" coming to the fore in the party. The grand old party has appointed senior leader and former Defence Minister AK Antony as its president of the committee. (ANI)
Five years after the death of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, a premier research university was established in his name by an act of Parliament in 1969. During the discussion in the Lok Sabha, parliamentarian Bhushan Gupta voiced the opinion that this should not be yet another university. New faculties should be created, including scientific socialism, and one thing that this university should ensure was to keep noble ideas in mind. However, 50 years after its formation, Jawaharlal Nehru University, with each passing day is becoming an epicentre, a podium and a battlefield of the Left Vs Right politics that is often marred by incidents of violence. Just a day ago on April 10, the University once again bore witness to bloodshed between warring camps. As many as 16 students were injured during a fight that allegedly started over consumption of non vegetarian food on the occasion of Ram Navami. Minor scuffles do take place in universities but Sunday's incident was not the first time that the students-turned-miscreants became thirsty for each other's blood inside the campus. In January 2020, masked men and women carrying sticks and rods barged into the hostels of the University, attacking students and teachers. The campus property was damaged. Nearly 30 students, including JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh were injured in the incident. The scale of violence was such that the administration was forced to call the police which had to conduct a march inside the campus. Several left leaning political parties blamed the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad for allegedly creating mayhem, however, nothing has been proved even after two years of the incident. It was not a fight for prestige between students, as is usually seen at other universities in the country, rather the violence was a result of Left and Right politics. The JNU has always been a hotbed of politics and the politicians, both left and right, have a keen interest in whatever transpires within the campus walls. JNU is probably one of the most used words during election campaigns. But the varsity received serious political attention after February 9, 2016 when the 'Azadi' slogans rent the air of the campus. Some alleged anti-India, anti-judiciary slogans raised there in 2016, after six years still become the main point in TV debates. The term 'Tukde-Tukde gang' is often used to brand the left leaning alliances in JNU. It was coined after those slogans were raised. Interestingly, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in an RTI reply in January 2020, had said that it has "no information" concerning the 'Tukde Tukde Gang' -- a term that has been used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah themselves. Apart from all the misadventures that have taken place in the University, according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) -- the central government's ranking for higher educational institutions in the country -- JNU is still the second topmost university in India. (Ujwal Jalali can be reached at ujwal.j@ians.in) --IANS uj/bg ( 511 Words) 2022-04-11-20:02:04 (IANS)
Following BJP chief JP Nadda's statement that 10-15 per cent legislators will be replaced in upcoming Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, the party's sitting MLAs are in panic, apprehending denial of ticket. The 68-member Himachal Pradesh assembly election will be held along with Gujarat at the end of the year. The BJP formed the government in Himachal Pradesh by winning 44 seats in the 2017 state Assembly. A senior party functionary said Nadda's statement has given sleepless nights to all the sitting MLAs as there is no certainty about everyone getting another chance to contest the assembly polls. "Majority of sitting MLAs are tense after Nadda's statement as now everyone is uncertain about their future. No one knows who will be among the 10 or 15 per cent who will be replaced," he said. Another leader pointed out that replacing a few sitting MLAs will also reduce the intensity of anti-incumbency against the state government. "Among all the sitting MLAs, those who are disconnected from people or ground are more tense after Nadda's statement as lobbying will not ensure a ticket to contest upcoming assembly polls. Still they have a few months left to improve their popularity among voters," he said. While sitting MLAs are tense about their future, leaders seeking tickets are happy with Nadda's remark. Leaders, eyeing tickets from a constituency from where BJP has a sitting MLA, are now seeing their chances to get the opportunity to contest the polls. They will be putting extra efforts to get the party nomination in upcoming assembly polls, a party insider said. Addressing a press conference in Shimla on Sunday, Nadda had said: "There was always a possibility and it would be determined by changing circumstances. In any election, we do change 10-15 percent of the total ticket. 10 to 15 per cent tickets have been changed in Uttar Pradesh and Manipur assembly elections and in Himachal Pradesh too it can be done." While putting an end to speculation about any change of leadership in Himachal Pradesh government, Nadda had said: "The state government is performing well and there is no possibility of leadership change." --IANS ssb/pgh ( 370 Words) 2022-04-11-20:06:02 (IANS)
Former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said on Monday that right now it is just a 'short break' for the crisis-stricken island nation because the Indian credit line is operational. "The credit line from India, the credit line for all types of goods will most probably be over by the end of May, some say it will be earlier. And as far as the world credit line is concerned, some say it will end latest by the second week of May. Then the country will come to a halt," Wickremesinghe told an Indian TV channel, adding that the country does not even have enough foreign exchange. "It is probable that the private sector will have to close by June. Already, the shortages are affecting the hospitals, and the health services, in fact, it is affecting us in all sectors," he added. Talking about China, the former Sri Lankan Prime Minister said the Xi Jinping-led country gives SOPs and credit line in their own currencies and forces them to buy only Chinese. "They have said that they don't reschedule loans. However, they have promised an additional loan of a billion, to repay the existing loan," Wickremesinghe said. --IANS san/arm ( 212 Words) 2022-04-11-20:24:09 (IANS)
Kumar was arrested by the vigilance bureau when he was posted at the Community Health Centre in Bhuna in Fatehabad, a spokesperson for the bureau told IANS.

A case was registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2016.

--IANS vg/arm

( 86 Words)

2022-04-11-20:48:02 (IANS)
Terming Ashok Gehlot "outdated", Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Monday suggested the Rajasthan Chief Minister to retire from politics. In a series of tweets on Monday, Shekhawat, an MP from Rajasthan's Jodhpur, said: "Gehlot should now retire from politics. Even his party members want the same." "In Ashok Gehlot's statements, I hear the anguish of the defeat of his son in Jodhpur. They have not forgotten the result of Jodhpur Lok Sabha seat till date. Voters had blessed me to make PM Modi 'the Prime Minister'. Since then, he considered me as his worst enemy, but I sympathise with him," he said. Shekhawat had defeated Ashok Gehlot's son, Vaibhav, in the Lok Sabha polls. Further criticising the Rajasthan Chief Minister, the Union Minister said: "He not only misuses the government machinery to instigate me but also keeps making unwarranted statements. I have challenged him. Let them prove their fabricated allegations against PM Modi." For the last two days, Gehlot and Shekhawat have been slamming each other over the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project. On April 10 (Sunday), Gehlot in Bikaner said: "Rajasthan has won 25 MPs, Our Jal Shakti minister is from Rajasthan. He should at least get this one project which has been declared as a national project. If he does not have that much ability and could not convince the prime minister, why is he holding a ministerial portfolio?" There has been a tussle between Shekhawat and CM Gehlot after the Lok Sabha elections. It further escalated after the revolt of the Sachin Pilot camp in July 2020. The Gehlot camp had released audio tapes accusing the Union Minister of conspiring to topple the government. A case was later filed against Shekhawat. On the basis of this tape, Singh has filed a case in Delhi. Gehlot's OSD and police officers were accused in the case. Since then, the tension between the two has increased. --IANS arc/pgh ( 329 Words) 2022-04-11-22:22:03 (IANS)
Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Monday urged people to complete their COVID-19 vaccination doses amid the outbreak of a new XE variant in some countries. "Please ensure that all your vaccination doses are completed at the earliest," urged Sudhakar after a meeting with the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) amid a rise in cases of the XE variant COVID-19 in some foreign countries. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Sudhakar stated that there was an increase in XE variant COVID-19 cases in eight different countries including China, Hong Kong, South Korea, UK and Germany. Additionally, he also stated that there was an increase in XE cases in Delhi and Haryana. "TAC has suggested thermal screening, strict surveillance, mandatory quarantine for a period of 7-10 days for passengers arriving from these eight countries. The government will soon release guidelines regarding this," said Sudhakar. He appealed to people to wear masks, stating that the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has predicted another COIVD-19 wave around June and July. The Health Minister stressed the fact that many have not completed their second dose. "4.77 crore (98 per cent) of people under the 60 plus category have taken the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine and only 49 per cent of people have taken their precautionary dose. There already is a declined immunity in this age group. I urge everyone to please complete all doses," Sudhakar said. "Some have blamed the government for the COVID-19 wave and shortage of vaccines in the past. Now, there is an adequate supply and we have made several requests to people to take the vaccine. People should take the vaccine and cooperate with the government," he added. He said that among the 15-17 age group, 25,11,407 people out of 30,00,000 had taken the vaccine amounting to 79 per cent and only 65 per cent had taken the second dose. "Among the 12-14 age group, only 13,96,000 children have received the vaccine out of 20,00,000 amounting to 69 per cent," said the Health Minister. He urged parents to have their children vaccinated as there are no vaccines for young kids. Sudhakar said that 5000 children will be tested across the state as per the recommendation of the TAC. Regarding the hospital overcharging, the Minister said the government would not tolerate this. "We have received complaints of some hospitals overcharging for vaccines. The government will not tolerate this," he said. Sudhakar said that a high-level meeting has been held and the committee has been formed in this regard. The capped prices for CT scans, MRI and others must be considered as the new prices for the future and not just for COVID-19. "All officers have been given instructions in this regard. Labs should not charge higher costs than the cap fixed by the government. If this rule is violated, the government has the right to revoke the license of the lab or hospital," he said. (ANI)
A recent research has explored how humans could survive on the Moon and have successful habitats there in the future. 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. The findings of the research were published in the journal 'Acta Astronautica'. As part of the project, two space architects, Sebastian Aristotelis and Karl-Johan Sorensen 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, a 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," Konstantin Chterev concluded. (ANI)
As Pakistan is set to elect its new Prime Minister on Monday, Former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has submitted the nomination papers for the top seat from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after a meeting of party's core committee headed by Imran Khan. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, who is most likely to become the next Prime Minister of the country has also submitted his nominations for the prime minister's election scheduled tomorrow, reported ARY News. The nomination papers for the prime minister's slot from PTI were received by Maleeka Bokhari and Amir Dogar. Shehbaz Sharif's nomination was proposed by Khawaja Asif and seconded by Rana Tanvir while Shah Mahmood Qureshi's nomination was proposed by Amir Dogar and seconded by Maleeka Bokhari. According to sources, PML-N has collected more than one nomination paper for the election from the NA secretariat. The nomination papers will go under scrutiny at 3:00 pm and a list of the candidates will be displayed after scrutiny. The National Assembly session to elect the new premier will now be held at 2:00 pm on Monday (tomorrow), contrary to a previous schedule of 11:00 am. Security measures ahead of the Prime Minister's election are set in place. Strict security is in place around the D-chowk. Furthermore, roads leading to Parliament will be opened after the election of the new premier, as per the news channel. The voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government began in the country's National Assembly late on Saturday night where 174 members have recorded their votes in favour of the resolution that ousted the Imran Khan. (ANI)
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III on Sunday spoke to the Ukrainian troops training in the United States who are returning home. He made it clear that America will continue to provide Ukrainian with assistance. "This morning, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ukrainian troops training in the U.S. who are returning home to Ukraine today. Their bravery and skill are amazing. I made clear the US will continue to provide them with the assistance they need," Austin said in a Tweet. Meanwhile, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby on Friday said that the US wants Ukrainians to "win" the ongoing war with Russia. During a press briefing, Kirby noted that Ukrainian lives are destroyed, hence America wants to see the war end. "We want Ukrainians to win this war, to see Ukraine not have to fight for its own sovereignty as it has been for eight years. We want to see Putin and Russian army lose this invasion. Ukrainian lives are destroyed and obviously, we want to see that end," he said. He also said that the Ukrainian forces could use intelligence information provided by the US to conduct counterattacks against Russia. "When we say we want to help the Ukrainians defend themselves, we're talking about the aggregate effort here... We're trying to give them useful information and intelligence that allows them to defend themselves, to push back, to resist, to fight against - you can call it whatever you want - this Russian invasion, and if they were to use some of that information to conduct a counterattack, then so be it," Kirby said during a press briefing. On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. 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)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who arrived in Washington DC on Sunday as part of his five-day US visit will meet his US counterpart Lloyd J Austin III at the Pentagon on Monday. Rajnath Singh arrived in Washington as part of his five-day US visit which includes the India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue. He will be in the US from April 10 to April 15 to hold talks with US leadership on ways to deepen the India-US strategic partnership. "I would be leaving New Delhi tonight for a visit to the United States from April 10 to April 15. I look forward to attending the Fourth India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington DC. Also, I shall be visiting INDOPACOM headquarters in Hawai, during this visit," Defence Minister said in a tweet on Saturday. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III will welcome Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in an enhanced honour cordon ceremony at the Pentagon on April 11. 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 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 read. "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 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. Ahead of the 2+2 dialogue between India and the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting with US President Joe Biden on Monday. (ANI)
As the war in Ukraine rages on, leaders of European countries, notably Germany, have come to realize that they made a serious mistake by becoming so dependent on Russian energy. Currently, Europe depends on Russia for roughly 40 percent of its natural gas needs, and European leaders have vowed to reduce their dependence by two-thirds. So, European countries are feverishly trying to secure supplies from the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Energy security has become one of Europe's top priorities, putting on the back burner the fight to contain climate change and global warming. Of course, the gas and oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members were the first countries which European leaders requested to cover the energy shortfall to be created by a future removal of Russian gas and oil from the scene. However, GCC countries say that they are unable to significantly increase their hydrocarbon exports to Europe, due to production constraints and the fact that most of their future production is locked in long-term contracts with their clients in Asia. In the past few weeks, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom sent senior representatives to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are major hydrocarbon producers, asking them to increase energy supplies, but their requests fell on deaf ears. Qatar was the only country that offered some help when it diverted to Britain and Belgium six LNG tankers that were originally destined for Asia and indicated that it would increase its gas production to cover part of the shortage. The emirate of Qatar currently supplies about 30 per cent of its liquefied gas to the European Union, but none of this goes to Germany, because it does not have LNG terminals. To correct this situation, Germany is fast-tracking the construction of two LNG terminals, but these will become operational in three years' time. Last month, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck during a visit to Doha said that a long-term gas supply deal has been reached between his country and Qatar and added: "We might still need Russian gas this year, but not in the future." He also admitted that the previous German government had made a mistake by becoming so dependent on Russian gas supplies. It's worth noting that US President Joseph Biden last month tried to call Mohammed Bin Salman (known as MBS) to ask Saudi Arabia to increase its oil supply, after the US formally banned Russian oil imports, but as relations between the two countries remain frosty, MBS didn't accept the call. Perhaps MBS remembers vividly that Joseph Biden had promised to make Saudi Arabia "a pariah state" and described it "as a state with no redeeming social value" over the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and so decided to give Biden the cold shoulder. Another reason for ignoring Biden is that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE believe that they are no longer supported by the US against the Houthis in Yemen and their missile attacks against oil installations in the two countries. They are also angry because Biden had delisted the Houthis as a terrorist organization. On March 21, after three drone attacks on Saudi Aramco installations, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia declared that it will not be held responsible for shortages in the global energy market because Houthi missile attacks will disrupt supply. Saudi Arabia does not want to alienate Russia because it considers Moscow as a potential arms supplier, and it no longer wants to be viewed by the US (as former President Donald Trump described the Kingdom) as "a cash cow for the US defense industry." Furthermore, it sees Russia as a major country that can exert pressure on its archenemy Iran. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia understands that it must supply oil to some European countries because it does not want to encourage Europe to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy. It should be noted that Saudi Arabia already covers a large part of Poland's energy needs and last January Aramco -the Saudi state oil giant- said it had agreed to buy a 30 per cent stake in Poland's second-largest refinery and to increase oil supplies to the state's top energy firm PKN Orlen to 200,000-337,000 barrels per day. Apparently, the reluctance of Gulf energy producers to substantially increase production to replace Russian gas and oil in European markets made the US and European leaders turn their attention to other possible sources of supply and particularly to the Eastern Mediterranean. Moreover, both the EU and the US are currently re-examining the feasibility of the building of pipelines that will carry natural gas from the Eastern Mediterranean to Europe, the EastMed Pipeline, or a pipeline transporting Israeli gas to Turkey and from there to Europe. Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elharar has recently stated that the EU requested the Israeli government to supply it with natural gas. Israel could provide Europe with 10 per cent of the gas it currently buys from Russia. Last Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid travelled to Athens to meet with his Greek and Cypriot counterparts, Nikos Dendias and Ioannis Kasoulides, in one of their frequent trilateral meetings focusing on energy and security matters taking place every year. Lapid said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine will "change the structure of the European and Middle Eastern energy markets," adding that there are risks but the crisis also offers "opportunities which we must examine together." In July 2021, the Israeli government approved the 6 billion Euro EastMed project which would have created a new gas pipeline from Israel and Cyprus to Europe to lower dependency on Russian fuel. However, it is doubtful if this pipeline will be built, as Turkey which is the largest gas consumer in the region has strong objections and the United States decided in January to rescind its support, citing economic and environmental reasons. (ANI)
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to launch a countrywide protest campaign on Wednesday (April 13) against the removal of its government and the formation of the new administration which is most likely to be headed by Pakistan Muslim League-N President Shehbaz Sharif. "We are going to start a nationwide campaign from Wednesday from Peshawar," PTI leader and Pakistan former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper. Chaudhry informed that the ousted prime minister will address a public meeting in Peshawar on Wednesday, Dawn reported. Yesterday, supporters of PTI staged a protest in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates against Imran Khan's ouster as the Prime Minister through a no-confidence motion last night. Taking to Twitter, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said: "Dubai, UAE Call was for Pakistan but Pakistanis across the globe standing up for #ImranKhan." In Pakistan, PTI has taken out massive rallies in several cities including Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar, and Lahore with demonstrators shouting slogans against the Opposition. On Monday, Imran Khan expressed gratitude to the people of the country for supporting the protests against his ouster as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. "Thank you to all Pakistanis for their amazing outpouring of support and emotions to protest against US-backed regime change abetted by local Mir Jafar to bring into power a coterie of pliable crooks all out on bail. Shows Pakistanis at home & abroad have emphatically rejected this," Imran Khan tweeted. "Never have such crowds come out so spontaneously and in such numbers in our history, rejecting the imported govt led by crooks," he said in another tweet. The voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led PTI government in the country's National Assembly was held late on Saturday night where 174 members recorded their votes in favour of the resolution that ousted Imran Khan. Meanwhile, Pakistan's National Assembly will vote today at 2 pm to elect a new Prime Minister. (ANI)
Former Pakistan Foreign Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the party will take the final decision regarding the resignations of its members from the assemblies on Monday, reported local media. "A parliamentary party session will be held on Monday in which PTI will take a final decision regarding the resignations. Everything will be done as per Imran Khan's directives and his decisions will be accepted by all of us," ARY News quoted Qureshi as saying during its news programme on Sunday. Refuting the media reports regarding the collection of PTI lawmakers' resignations, Qureshi said that the majority of the PTI lawmakers have suggested staying in the assemblies and protests will be held against the new government in and outside the Parliament House. Notably, this is in contradiction to PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry's statement in which he said that his party members would resign from the National Assembly on Monday if the nomination of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif is accepted. The former foreign minister also confirmed the presence of PTI chairman Imran Khan in the Parliament today, adding that he will also take part in the voting process for the election of the Prime Minister, reported ARY News. Meanwhile, nomination papers of Pakistan joint opposition candidate Shehbaz Sharif and Qureshi have been approved for the Prime Minister's election slated to take place today. The National Assembly session to elect the new premier will now be held at 2.00 pm (local time) today, contrary to a previous schedule of 11.00 am. Security measures ahead of the Prime Minister's election have been put in place, with strict frisking of the people taking place around the D-chowk. Furthermore, roads leading to Parliament will be opened after the election of the new premier, as per the media reports. The voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was held in the country's National Assembly late on Saturday night, with 174 members recording their votes in favour of the motion that ousted the Imran Khan government. (ANI)
Hardening stand against anti-women measures of the Taliban, the envoys and representatives of the European Union, US, and the European countries in a joint statement have said that the international aid to Kabul will depend on Afghanistan's ability to ensure access to education for girls at all levels, said a media report. In the joint statement, the envoys and the representatives have said that the type and scope of "international donor assistance will depend, among other things, on the right and ability of girls to attend equal education at all levels," reported Tolo News. The joint statement further stressed that the progress towards normalized relations between the Taliban and the international community will depend mostly on Kabul's actions and delivery on commitments and obligations to the Afghan people and to the international community. The joint statement was issued after a meeting in Brussels of the special envoy and representatives of the EU, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The participants also raised concerns regarding the human rights situation in Afghanistan, including those of ethnic and religious minorities and groups. "If the Taliban is considering governance, they should reopen schools for all girls and boys. The development in the society depends on the development of men and women," the Afghan news agency quoted a women's rights activist, Anisa Basheeri. However, the Taliban has said that the provision of aid should not become a political tool and called upon the international community to not politicalize humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. "The humanitarian and the political issues should be separated. The humanitarian issue should not be used as a tool. Afghans call for further aid should be provided," the media outlet quoted Bilal Karimi, the Taliban deputy spokesman as saying. The Taliban regime has issued a decree banning female students above grade six from participating in their classes in schools. The girls were further told to stay home until the Islamic Emirate announces its next decision. The decision by the Islamic Emirate has drawn severe backlash across the world with the Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union issuing a joint statement to condemn the Taliban's decision to deny so many Afghan girls the opportunity to finally go back to schools. (ANI)
Today

A few passing clouds. Low 53F. SW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 15 to 25 mph.

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low 53F. SW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 15 to 25 mph.

Tomorrow

Partly cloudy skies with gusty winds. High 67F. Winds WSW at 25 to 35 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
The ouster of the Imran Khan-led government in Pakistan has made the task of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) to mobilise the requisite number for the Punjab Chief Minister's election tougher. The PML-Q has now decided to file a petition against the PTI dissidents in the Lahore High Court on Monday with the plea that they shouldn't violate the instructions of their party under Article 63A(1) of the Constitution, Dawn reported. The PML-Q is gearing up for the April 16 Chief Minister's election in the Punjab Assembly. The PML-Q, an ally of PTI, through its petition, is seeking a restraining order against the PTI's dissident MPAs to stop them from voting in the upcoming Punjab provincial election, arguing that allowing them to vote will violate the party instructions under Article 63A(1) of the Constitution, Dawn reported. "The restraint order can help reduce the joint opposition numbers in the Punjab Assembly for the April 16 election," a PML-Q leader was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper. On the other hand, the PML-N believes that the clauses which PML-Q mentioned in the petition wouldn't apply to the dissidents as they would not vote against a candidate from their own party. Pervaiz Elahi, candidate for Punjab Chief Minister's post from the PML-Q and backed by the PTI, received a phone call on Monday from the party chairman Imran Khan and discussed the political situation and other issues, Dawn reported. Parvez Elahi's spokesman Fayaz ul Hassan Chohan on Sunday said that the PML-N's claim of having the support of 200 MPAs in the Punjab Assembly was a white lie. "Parvez Elahi has 189 MPAs on his side," said Chohan. Meanwhile, the PML-N on Wednesday held a session at a private hotel and elected Hamza Shahbaz as Pakistan's Punjab province's new Chief Ministerial candidate. 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. In order to be elected as a Chief Minister in the 371-member Punjab house, a candidate will need at least 186 votes, according to the media outlet. These developments came after Punjab province Governor, Chaudhry Muhamad Sarwar, accepted the resignation of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on April 1. Following the acceptance of the resignation, the Punjab Cabinet was dissolved, reported Geo TV on April 8. (ANI)
Chandra, who is on a visit to South Africa, will also meet the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa and the Secretary-General of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB).

Notably, Chandra is the Chairperson of the A-WEB.

"CEC Shri Sushil Chandra along with senior Officials from #ECI interacted with officials from the Indian Consulate & representatives from NRI community on April 10 during his visit to Cape Town, South Africa," tweeted the ECI.

"During his visit, CEC will also be meeting the Chairperson, Electoral Commission of South Africa, and Secretary-General, Association of World Election Bodies. CEC Shri Chandra is the Chairperson of the A-WEB," it added. (ANI)
Ahead of the National Assembly session for the election of the Prime Minister on Monday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar has instructed all the party lawmakers to ensure their attendance in the House to support the party's candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi, reported Samaa TV. Notably, the National Assembly session to elect the new premier will now be held at 2.00 pm (local time) today. Nomination papers of Pakistan's joint opposition candidate Shehbaz Sharif and PTI's Shah Mahmood Qureshi were approved for the Prime Minister's election on Sunday. Further, security measures ahead of the Prime Minister's election have been tightened. Strict security is in place around the D-chowk. Furthermore, roads leading to Parliament will be opened after the election of the new premier, as per the media reports. Meanwhile, former Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the PTI will take the final decision regarding the resignations of its members from the assemblies on Monday, reported ARY News. "A parliamentary party session will be held on Monday in which PTI will take a final decision regarding the resignations. Everything will be done as per Imran Khan's directives and his decisions will be accepted by all of us," the media outlet quoted Qureshi as saying during its news programme on Sunday. Qureshi also confirmed the presence of PTI chairman Imran Khan in the Parliament today, adding that he will also take part in the voting process for the election of the Prime Minister. The voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was held in the country's National Assembly late on Saturday night, with 174 members recording their votes in favour of the motion that ousted the Imran Khan government. (ANI)
Taliban has issued a statement saying the political crisis in Pakistan seeing a constant soar, will have no effect on Afghanistan. However, analysts predict an impact is inevitable on Afghanistan's situation due to changes in Pakistan's administration. "The Islamic Emirate seeks good economic and political relations between the two countries", said the deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, Inamullah Samangani. "The current political crisis in Pakistan will not have any particular impact on relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said in a further statement, reported TOLO News. Meanwhile, political analysts claimed that there will be some impact on Afghanistan's situation as there will be a major change in the administration in Pakistan. In a statement, Tahir Khan, a Pakistani journalist explained "There is a possibility that the consultation between the two sides will increase and maybe on how to bring good things in policy... when the new government is formed, it will announce its new policy but I don't see that there will be very much changed regarding Afghanistan." "The political crisis in Pakistan will affect the economic relations of the people and government of Afghanistan," economist Hamid Aziz Mujadidi said. Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan was voted out of power on April 10 as he lost the vote of confidence in parliament mandated by the Supreme Court's ruling.The result of the vote, which was the culmination of a 13-hour session that included repeated delays, was announced just before 0100 (2000 GMT on Saturday) by the presiding speaker of parliament's lower house, Ayaz Sadiq, read a statement by TOLO News. Khan, 69 was ousted after 3-1/2 years of serving as Prime Minister of the nuclear-armed country of 220 million, where the military has ruled for nearly half its 75-year history. Parliament will meet on Monday to elect a new prime minister, says TOLO News. Opposition parties were able to secure 174 votes in the 342-member House in support of the no-confidence motion, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Sadiq said, making it a majority vote. "Consequently the motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan has been passed," he said to the thumping of desks in the chamber. Khan, who was not present for the vote, had no immediate comment. The house voted after the country's powerful army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa met Khan, and stated two sources in a statement to TOLO News who spoke on condition of anonymity. Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and a front-runner to become Pakistan's next prime minister, said Khan's ouster was a chance for a new beginning. "A new dawn has started... This alliance will rebuild Pakistan," articulated Sharif, 70, in parliament. Parliamentary elections are not due until August 2023. However, the opposition has said it wants early elections, but only after it delivered a political defeat to Khan and passes legislation it says is required to ensure the next polls are free and fair. Khan is the first to be removed through a no-confidence vote and his ouster extends Pakistan's unenviable record for political instability.Opposition parties say he has failed to revive an economy battered by COVID-19 or fulfil promises to make Pakistan a corruption-free, prosperous nation respected on the world stage, says TOLO News. Reema Omar, South Asia legal adviser to the International Commission of Jurists, also said it was an ignominious end to Khan's tenure. On Twitter, she posted, "3.5 years marked by incompetence; extreme censorship; assault on independent judges; political persecution; bitter polarisation and division; and finally, a brazen subversion of the Constitution." Imran Khan rose to power in 2018 with the military's support but ultimately lost his parliamentary majority when his allies quit the coalition government. There were also signs he had lost the military's support, analysts claimed. Imran Khan has become the first Prime Minister of Pakistan to lose the no-confidence vote in the National Assembly. Regardless of repeated attempts to dodge the no-confidence motion, the voting took place after midnight on Saturday, where 174 members voted in favour of the motion in the 342-membered house. Several members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf(PTI) were absent. (ANI)
Ahead of the National Assembly session for the election of the new Prime Minister, a meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) parliamentary party is underway at the Parliament House in Islamabad, reported Radio Pakistan. The meeting is being chaired by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Earlier, former foreign minister and PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said that a decision regarding the resignation of PTI lawmakers from the assemblies will be taken in the meeting, according to ARY News. "A parliamentary party meeting will be held on Monday in which PTI will take a final decision regarding the resignations of the members of the assemblies. Everything will be done as per Imran Khan's directives and his decisions will be accepted by all of us," the media outlet quoted him as saying during its news programme on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Pakistani Parliament is also going to elect the country's new Prime Minister today at 2.00 pm after Imran Khan was ousted from the PM post in a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly. Moreover, nomination papers of Pakistan's joint Opposition candidate Shehbaz Sharif and PTI's Shah Mahmood Qureshi were approved for the Prime Minister's election on Sunday. Ahead of the crucial National Assembly session, PTI leader Asad Umar has instructed the party lawmakers to ensure their attendance in the Assembly to support Qureshi. Notably, the voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was held in the country's National Assembly late on Saturday night, with 174 members recording their votes in favour of the motion that ousted the Imran Khan government. (ANI)
Dismissing the possibility of a no-confidence motion like Pakistan to oust the present government in Sri Lanka, Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa said that they will use their Constitutional provisions to change the government. Speaking to ANI, the Opposition leader said, "Pakistan has its own method of conducting democratic politics while we have our own Constitutional provisions and we will not be following anything else other than the Constitution of our country." Premadasa further said, "we have homegrown problems and we need a homegrown solution. We will represent hundreds of thousands of citizens and will have an organic uprising but will ensure that this will be a peaceful uprising. We'll use all methods available through constitutional procedures to achieve the expectations of the people." Reacting to the former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's statement over the huge bilateral loans that Sri Lanka has to pay, Premadasa said that the country has not only taken bilateral loans but also taken multilateral loans from various international monetary markets and also have ISBN. He said, " We need to pay the loan in the month of April. Our composition of tet is multifaceted. So we need to adopt certain procedures but first and foremost we need an orderly process." He said that their proposals for the inclusion of financial experts in the government were accepted within 24 hours. He further stated that if the government follows the roadmap and if the initiative was taken timely and the process will be fast track then Sri Lanka can survive as a country. Premadasa urged the world to help Sri Lanka in such a situation. He said, " As a responsible citizen, my appeal to all leaders, to everyone in the international community, financial institution and political organisation to help Sri Lanka to the maximum possible extent." Meanwhile, in Colombo, Sri Lankans continue to protest against the government as the country faces an economic crisis. "This protest will not end until this govt is brought down. We will stay here for months, years. It's not about a single-family but the entire corrupt system," says a protester Earlier, on April 9, Sri Lanka's main opposition party Samagi Jana Balwegya announced that it will move a no-confidence motion against President Gotabaya Rajapaksha if it fails to provide immediate relief to the people of the island nation adversely impacting the economic crisis. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa had earlier said that Sri Lanka must abolish the all-powerful Executive Presidency and strengthen Parliament without paving the way to a similarly dictatorial premiership while ensuring adequate checks and balances. "For nearly 20 years every leader promised to abolish the Executive Presidency but only strengthened it," Premadasa said in a strongly-worded speech in parliament on Tuesday reminding the Parliamentarians about the necessity to introduce a new electoral system. It is pertinent to mention that since the introduction of the presidential system in 1978, every election which ensued was fought on the promise to abolish the presidency. However, once elected all presidents chose to ignore the election promise. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan citizens continue to protest against the current government across the country and have raised demands to sack the President and Prime Minister. 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 sentencing of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed to 31 years imprisonment by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan seems to be a stage-managed show by the country for the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF), writes Sergio Restelli for The Times of Israel. Pakistan, grey-listed by FATF in the past few years, is desperate to prove its seriousness in curbing the terror financing operating in the country and has thus resorted to using its old tactics of sentencing terrorists who will later be freed by the higher courts of the country. After the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Saeed and his cohorts have been sentenced by Pakistan on numerous occasions, however, every time, the prosecution is challenged in a higher court and the judges have been eager to dispose of the cases. Hafiz Saeed is an infamous terrorist who has survived all kinds of scrutiny and sanctions and lived to tell the tale of Pakistan's deep relationship with jihad. He lives in plain sight of everyone, runs a corporate empire, and has ties with the Pakistan Army and several political leaders. He is also the head of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a global terrorist group involved in several terrorist attacks across the world, including the one in Mumbai, writes Restelli. Moreover, Saeed has been fundraising through various charity fronts and voluntary contributions from Pakistan political leaders and businessmen. However, none of these patrons has been held accountable for terror financing, despite these facts being in the public domain for a long time. Thus, the Pakistan government finally waking up to these facts in July 2019 and ordering action to be taken against Saeed and his group for terrorist financing seems to be a desperate attempt to put up a good show for the FATF. Notably, these actions come after Pakistan was first time grey-listed by FATF in June 2018 and was given one year to fulfil a checklist of requirements to be white-listed. Increased pressure from FATF after inaction for a year and the possibility of being blacklisted for not complying with the watchdog's requirements became the country's drive to take action against terrorist groups, according to Restelli. Finally, four years after being sanctioned, Pakistan has taken a step against LeT and its chief. However, had the country been serious about prosecuting terror, Saeed should have been long ago charged with terrorism, tried and prosecuted under harsh anti-terrorism laws. (ANI)
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is going to issue a special statement on Monday evening, the PM Office said in a statement. The speech comes at a time when the government is facing worldwide protests asking the PM and President to step down over the escalating issues in the country, Daily Mirror reported. Sri Lankans continue to protest against the government as the country faces an economic crisis. "This protest will not end until this govt is brought down. We will stay here for months, years. It's not about a single-family but the entire corrupt system," a protester said. Meanwhile, the meeting that took place between President Gottabaya Rajapaksa and former President Maithripala Srisena-led Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to discuss the political and economic crisis affecting the country ended without any conclusion on Sunday, reported local media. "The main objective of the meeting is to coerce President Rajapaksa to form an interim administration under an all-party cabinet sans Rajapaksas with the least number of portfolios," Srisena had said addressing the media at the party office prior to the meeting. However, the two sides did not reach any conclusion on the formation of an interim government and agreed to have another round of discussions after the New Year holiday, reported Daily Mirror. Earlier, amid the ongoing economic crisis in the country, eleven coalition allies of the Sri Lankan government and the independent group of former ruling party parliamentarians led by Anura Priyadarshana Yapa on Friday wrote to President Rajapaksa requesting the removal of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the appointment of a new cabinet under a new PM. The letter carried the signatures of the President of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), former President Maithripala Sirisena, Member of Parliament (MP) Vasudeva Nanayakkara, MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and President's Counsel Wijayadasa Rajapaksha on behalf of the 42 MPs who left the government and sat in Parliament as an independent group, Colombo Page reported citing local media. The letter also called on the President to work with the thus appointed Prime Minister and the Cabinet and hold elections within a limited time. Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation resulting in massive protests over the government's handling of the situation.The economy has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the crush of tourism.Sri Lanka is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries. (ANI)
Ahead of the election of a new Prime Minister in the National Assembly, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has decided to resign from the assembly. This development comes after Imran Khan said that he will not sit in the assemblies with 'thieves', reported ARY News. "The man who has 16 billion and 8 billion rupees of corruption cases, whoever selects and elects the Prime Minister can not be a big insult to the country. We are resigning from the National Assembly," Imran Khan was quoted as saying by PTI's official Twitter account. Confirming the decision, Pakistan's former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that sitting in the assembly would strengthen the Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif and therefore it has been decided to submit their resignation from the National Assembly. "Imran Khan supported my suggestion during the parliamentary party meeting," he said and added that Khan would visit Peshawar on Wednesday. "Imran Khan will give a call to people every Sunday to come out against the foreign conspiracy," Rasheed said. PTI Member of National Assembly (MNA) Murad Saeed was the first member of the party who submitted his resignation to the Speaker of the National Assembly, as per ARY News. Earlier in the day, the PTI held the parliamentary party at the Parliament House in Islamabad, reported Radio Pakistan.The meeting was chaired by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Meanwhile, the Pakistani Parliament is also going to elect the country's new Prime Minister today after Imran Khan was ousted from the PM post in a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly. Moreover, nomination papers of Pakistan's joint Opposition candidate Shehbaz Sharif and PTI's Shah Mahmood Qureshi were approved for the Prime Minister's election on Sunday. Ahead of the crucial National Assembly session, PTI leader Asad Umar has instructed the party lawmakers to ensure their attendance in the Assembly to support Qureshi. Notably, the voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was held in the country's National Assembly late on Saturday night, with 174 members recording their votes in favour of the motion that ousted the Imran Khan government. (ANI)
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan decided to tender his resignation as a member of the National Assembly ahead of the election for the new prime minister of Pakistan. This development comes after Imran Khan said that he will not sit in the assemblies with 'thieves'. "The man who has 16 billion and 8 billion rupees of corruption cases, whoever selects and elects the Prime Minister can not be a big insult to the country. We are resigning from the National Assembly," Imran Khan was quoted as saying by PTI's official Twitter account. Confirming the decision, Pakistan's former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that sitting in the assembly would strengthen the Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif and therefore it has been decided to submit their resignation from the National Assembly. "Imran Khan supported my suggestion during the parliamentary party meeting," he said and added that Khan would visit Peshawar on Wednesday. "Imran Khan will give a call to people every Sunday to come out against the foreign conspiracy," Rasheed said. PTI Member of National Assembly (MNA) Murad Saeed was the first member of the party who submitted his resignation to the Speaker of the National Assembly, as per ARY News. Earlier in the day, the PTI held a parliamentary party meeting at the Parliament House in Islamabad, reported Radio Pakistan. The meeting was chaired by Imran Khan. The Pakistani Parliament is going to elect the country's new Prime Minister today after Khan was ousted after a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly. The voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was held in the country's National Assembly late on Saturday night, with 174 members recording their votes in favour of the motion that ousted the Imran Khan government. (ANI)
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The session, which was scheduled to begin at 2 pm (local time) began with a short delay. PTI candidate for the prime ministerial post and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he was the party's candidate for the prime minister but it has decided to boycott the election.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif is the joint opposition candidate for the top post and is likely to be elected without much difficulty with Qureshi boycotting the session.

In a historic first for Pakistan, PTI leader Imran Khan was ousted as the prime minister of Pakistan from office through a no-confidence motion after the NA debated on the matter for more than 12 hours. The vote was held on Saturday night amid high political drama with Speaker tendering his resignation.

The session was chaired by Ayaz Sadiq -- a member of the panel of chairs who belongs to PML(N) -- after speaker Asad Qasier resigned from his post.

Sadiq said 174 members recorded their votes in favour of the resolution.

"Consequently the resolution for the vote on no-confidence against Mr Imran Khan, the prime minister of Pakistan, has been passed by a majority," he announced after the process of voting was completed.

No prime minister has completed full five-year tenure in Pakistan's 75-year history. (ANI)
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, the joint opposition candidate, is set to become the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan as the ruling Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was voted out after losing the no-confidence motion. Sharif is the joint opposition candidate for the top post and is likely to be elected without much difficulty with former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi boycotting the session. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators walked out of the country's National Assembly session which is being held to elect the new Prime Minister. In a historic first for Pakistan, PTI leader Imran Khan was ousted as the prime minister of Pakistan from office through a no-confidence motion after the NA debated on the matter for more than 12 hours. 174 members recorded their votes in favour of the resolution.No prime minister has completed full five-year tenure in Pakistan's 75-year history. Shehbaz Sharif, born in an industrialist family in Lahore in 1950, is the younger brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has served for three terms. Shehbaz Sharif has been the Chief Minister of the crucial Punjab province of Pakistan for three terms. Having made a reputation as an administrator, Shehbaz Sharif had staked claims for the Prime Minister's chair in August 2018. But the decision of the Bilawal Bhutto-led PPP to abstain from the PM vote in the last hour paved the way for the comfortable election of PTI's Imran Khan as the Prime Minister. Shehbaz Sharif had then settled as the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly. A graduate of the Government College University, Lahore, Shehbaz Sharif initially joined his family's steel business, while also becoming the president of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries in 1985. The political fortunes of the Sharif family rose considerably in the 1980s under the dictatorship of Zia-ul-Haq, with elder brother Nawaz Sharif inducted into the Punjab Provincial Cabinet as Finance Minister in 1983. Shehbaz Sharif entered the Punjab Provincial Assembly in 1988 while he was elected to the National Assembly in 1990. In 1993, he again stood for a Provincial Assembly seat and became leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly. He became the Chief Minister of Punjab for the first time after the 1997 elections. However, his term was cut short by Pervez Musharraf's military coup of 1999 after which he became the CM of the Punjab province again in 2008, returning from almost a decade-long political exile. Shehbaz Sharif was elected unopposed as the President of PML-N in February 2018 following his elder brother, and then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's disqualification from holding key positions after being implicated in the 'Panama Papers'. Like his elder brother, Shehbaz Sharif also faces serious corruption charges. In December 2019, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) froze 23 properties belonging to Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza, accusing them of money laundering. He was arrested by the NAB in the same case in September 2020 and incarcerated pending trial. In April 2021, the Lahore High Court released him on bail in the money laundering case.The factors favouring the younger Sharif, however, include the Opposition unity against Imran Khan's 'vindictive politics' as well as the tacit support of the military establishment, which seems to be keen to unseat Imran Khan from power, especially after his recent vitriolic comments against the US, including raising the foreign conspiracy charge. With the Sharif family set to return to power in Pakistan amid the fast-deteriorating economic situations and political instability, it is to be seen if Shehbaz Sharif infuses fresh energy into the system, or the much-tainted family continues to resort to its old ways. (ANI)
Several workers of Sindh Taraqi-Pasand Party (STP) on Sunday staged a demonstration in Sukkur district of Pakistan's southern Sindh province against the arrest of its workers by police a couple of days ago. STP protested along with a large number of members of the Khoso community. The protesters' leaders Abdul Waheed and Wahid Khoso said that the SITE police arrested four men and took them to an unknown place on Thursday when they were going to attend a hearing in sessions court, Dawn newspaper reported. According to the leader's information, two of the arrested men later made an underhand deal with police officials and were freed while police registered a fabricated case of drug peddling against the remaining two who belonged to Khoso community and were workers of STP settled in SITE area, the Pakistani newspaper reported. (ANI)
The other shoe has dropped for China, as it battles COVID-19 outbreaks in various locations, including Shanghai. In the past, Chinese netizens spent considerable energy mocking foreign countries as the pandemic swept unchecked, but now China's government is struggling to contain its own outbreaks. Indeed, China's propaganda machine has made hay denigrating other countries for how they handled or failed to handle, COVID-19. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has found plentiful ammunition to highlight the benefits of its authoritarian style of governance in containing the outbreak, but simultaneously demonstrated minimal sensitivity to the plight of others. In fact, China is guilty of often using the plight of others to merely advertise its own largesse in terms of supplying vaccinations and supplies to others. As an example, one infamous Chinese social media post from last year showed two side-by-side photos: one of the mass cremations in India and the other of a Chinese rocket launch. The proud comment was, "Lighting a fire in China vs lighting a fire in India." This kind of hubris and cold-heartedness has been rife on China's internet. However, China now has at least 23 cities on full or partial lockdown, encompassing more than 193 million people. Shanghai is one such location, and it is struggling to cope with a COVID outbreak. Suddenly, the Chinese government finds it "unethical" that others should be drawing attention to this difficult situation. Hu Xijin, ex-editor-in-chief of the Global Times, for example, tweeted, "Shanghai is at the peak of the epidemic. It's one thing for the US to withdraw its diplomatic personnel, but it's another to make a rude accusation of China's epidemic control measures. It's undiplomatic & unethical. No wonder some Chinese netizens asked them to 'go back to the US'!" Furthermore, China's Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the US side's groundless accusations about China's epidemic control policy". Like elsewhere in the world, rumours abound during lockdowns. One rumour circulating in Shanghai was that the city would see management by the People's Liberation Army, with soldiers dispatched to guard every residential compound and prevent people from leaving. The CCP issued a denial: "The armed forces will not take over Shanghai communities. The soldiers currently assisting with the city's anti-pandemic efforts are military medics involved in the mass testing of the population and treatment of COVID-19 patients." Nonetheless, the veracity of information released by the government is questionable at best, deliberately false at worst. According to the authorities, Shanghai has had more than 130,000 COVID cases since 1 March, yet nobody has died and there is only one seriously ill person. Such statistics fly in the face of the rest of the world's experience with COVID. Wu Zunyou of China's Center for Disease Control said death rates were minimal because of efforts to curb outbreaks early and China's high vaccination rate. "Compared with overseas, our country's COVID-19 death rate is low because of the various measures to prevent or reduce deaths." This is exactly the same Wu who infamously said just over two years ago, "For now, it seems there is no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission. This shows that the threat level from this virus is limited." When reporting deaths, there are strong incentives in China not to attribute them directly to COVID if alternative underlying conditions are available. Because of official obfuscation, it is simply impossible to know how many have died from COVID there. China also spends lots of time blaming imported frozen food and mail for spreading COVID. Beijing claims a Zero-COVID policy must be followed because "Omicron can generate a higher mortality rate than Delta during the epidemic". This assertion is verifiably false. Perhaps other reasons are more pertinent to the CCP's choice of a Zero-COVID policy. For example, just 51% of those over 80 years older are vaccinated. There are questions about the efficacy of Chinese vaccines too. Once loose in the community, the virus would likely decimate older segments of the population, especially since the World Health Organization says the Sinovac vaccine is only about 50% effective, while Sinopharm's is 78% effective. Despite the chaos in Shanghai, and looming lockdowns in places like Guangzhou, the top headline in Chinese state media on the morning of 11 April was "Xi Jinping's infinite love for the people" and "determination to benefit the people". This diversion of focus came as social media such as Weibo showed Shanghai residents in apartment blocks standing on their balconies to sing and protest the lack of supplies, and even desperate looting occurred. The authorities respond with airborne drones that announce through loudspeakers, "Please comply with COVID restrictions. Control your soul's desire for freedom. Do not open the window or sing." The Chinese government's brutal and inflexible approach is evident. One video clip showed an ambulance, after being forced to wait for a long time, unloading an ill stretcher-bound woman at a hospital gate. Guards refused to admit her, leaving relatives crying in despair at the entrance. Students, reportedly at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, hung banners and begged for freedom. "We want deliveries, we want to go off-campus, we want freedom!" Elsewhere, in Jilin, one WeChat message claimed a person ate their dog because of hunger. Thousands of beds have been readied in more than 100 makeshift hospitals in Shanghai. Yet conditions in COVID quarantine sites are primitive, with no showers, only portable toilets, no hot water and absolutely no privacy. No home quarantine is allowed. The policy of separating infected children from their virus-free parents has been relaxed after public anger.Dr. Euan Graham, a senior fellow supporting the International Institute of Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue, commented: "Because COVID-zero has become an end in itself for the party, the people, even in China's second city, must suffer. Governance reduced to better to go hungry than fall sick." Chinese is wary of complaints spreading online. For example, public digital signboards in Beijing read, "Do not post pandemic-related messages online" and "The internet is full of perils. Exercise caution on the internet". In Jilin, police criticized a resident through a megaphone to "fix" their "inappropriate" remarks in a chat group, since the comments amounted to a crime. The person responsible had their name and house number announced for all to hear. Despite the efforts of censors, some Chinese netizens are blaming the passivity of Shanghai's leadership early on. One complaint attracted 60,000 likes: "Now the Shanghai government is targeting Zero-COVID. It is the opposite attitude to March." Another pointed out, "Didn't you [the Shanghai government] say Shanghai cannot lockdown as it will cause huge damage to the globe?" Others were calling for a member of the Shanghai Epidemic Prevention and Control Leading group to step down because of mishandling.Online in China, there is a mix of attitudes regarding the pros and cons of China's Zero-COVID policy. One loyal citizen said, "Trust the dynamic Zero-COVID policy. It is the best option for Shanghai. Fight on!"Another post, which attracted 174,000 likes, said: "Shanghai failed to control the outbreak. The government acted with hesitation, uncertainty and delays during the lockdown. Turns out Shanghai's action to tackle COVID became a joke in China. From the outbreak in Hong Kong and Shanghai, we can now prove the 'dynamic Zero-COVID"' policy is the only correct way to tackle the pandemic. The claim is also supported by cases of COVID around the world. Still, some bring out so-called 'evidence', trying to guide China into a dead-end called 'living with COVID'." As for those against the harsh policy, one complained: "Shanghai is being criticized for this outbreak. The majority of the population agrees with the Zero-COVID policy, but it doesn't mean the policy itself is correct. Is the city able to handle the challenges and damage of a lockdown? If not, we need a self-review. Is it our fault or the rest of the world is wrong?" One Shanghai resident bemoaned, to popular acclaim: "Those people who do not live in Shanghai keep requesting a straight lockdown. We lost our income, huge damage to Shanghai's economy. We can only ask neighbours for help with food, struggling to secure enough food for my kids. They are requesting a Shanghai lockdown to avoid the same situation applying to themselves. Their action is selfish and ignores the difficult situation in Shanghai!" Others agree with the CCP's policy but ask for more flexibility. "Shanghai failed to control the outbreak at the beginning, so we have to consider how to tackle COVID. Different variants fit specific tactics, and China should have ways to choose the correct method ... For the Omicron variant, especially the BA2 variant, a lockdown is suitable due to its properties of high transmissibility. It is expected we'll have more COVID variants in the future. We have to consider carefully and make a decision on lockdown or not."Giving some insight into Shanghai's plight, Naomi Wu, who describes herself as China's #1 tech & DIY YouTuber, noted: "Things are quite bad in Shanghai. China has a long and ugly history of famine, displacement and civil unrest. The social contract we have is basically; no more of that and a steady improvement in quality of life, and we won't quibble too much about the path that takes us there."She highlighted this Chinese worldview that the people remain compliant as long as things are improving incrementally, generation by generation. If the CCP keeps delivering improvements, then the populace will not step out of line. Wu elaborated: "Some countries were founded in a fight against fascism, freedom from colonial powers - every nationality has its buttons you do not push if you don't want people in the street. In China, our fight was against the humiliation of colonialism, but also of the humiliation of poverty." Memories of ration cards and mass starvation are still in living memory. Wu continued: "We absolutely cannot abide any hunger. You can do a lot to Chinese -you've seen us put up with a lot, but hunger we will not. Whether it's an epigenetic legacy I can't say, but the memory of famine is firmly burned into the Chinese collective consciousness."This primal fear of starvation is one reason why Wu thinks the authorities will ensure people do not starve. "Shanghaiese will not starve in their homes - the powers that be are well aware of it. The only reason they have not taken to the streets in greater numbers is the population is highly educated, well invested in the current system, and aware that doing so will make things worse." The food situation is exacerbated by the fact that the Chinese prefer "fresh" rather than frozen food. This led to vast amounts of food being lost as it spoiled due to trucks being unable to deliver goods on time. As well as frozen food, the Chinese are not keen on canned food either, plus they rely heavily on takeout food. Perhaps 80% of the average person's daily calorie intake - with the exception of rice - comes from perishable goods, so any disruption to the time-sensitive food supply chain can snowball. Wu concluded, "I genuinely hope that ample supply trucks will get through, healthcare shortages eased, and people [are] patient. Civil unrest is called for in some cases, but here it would only make things vastly worse, very, very quickly. But you should understand why this is such a delicate time." If COVID does escape localized lockdowns, the death toll could spike, she warned. "So in the next few weeks, if there is no major progress, we are faced with the possibility of civil unrest caused by scarcity - either from lockdowns or by a shortage of workers able to deliver supplies due to illness." (ANI)
Rajnath who is on a five day US visit, which includes the India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue, arrived at the Pentagon for a bilateral meeting with US Defence Secretary Austin.

The defence minister and external affairs minister S Jaishankar arrived in Washington on Sunday for the fourth edition of the annual dialogue with their US counterparts.

The "2+2" comes amidst heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine and incidentally, the United Nations Security Council will be holding a meeting on Ukraine today.

According to the schedule released by US State Department Blinken will meet with Jaishankar at the Department of State at 9:00 a.m (local time).

Post that Blinken, Austin, Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh will participate in the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue at the Department of State.

Following that Blinken, Austin, Jaishankar, and Rajnath Singh will attend a signing ceremony of the Space Situational Awareness Memorandum of Understanding, which refers to the knowledge of the space environment, including the location and function of space objects and space weather phenomena.

Later, Blinken will hold a joint press availability with Austin, Jaishankar, and Rajnath Singh. Moreover, Blinken will host a working dinner with Austin, Jaishankar, and Rajnath Singh at the Department of State.

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)
Southeast Asians think that "remaining neutral is impractical" and that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc must choose between the United States or China, according to a survey. In a report published by The Asian Times in February, a growing number of scholars and opinion-makers think the region's traditional "hedging" between the two superpowers, the US and China need to be replaced by something new. The State of Southeast Asia report was published last week by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. The survey's questions also pertain to what ASEAN should do, not what individual states should do. "The data illustrates an enormous swing over the last year in Cambodian perceptions of the US and China, with the Kingdom appearing to be something of an outlier when compared to other ASEAN states," said Bradley Murg, a distinguished senior research fellow at the Cambodia Institute for Cooperation and Peace. Every year, respondents are asked by the survey's authors: If ASEAN was forced to align itself with one of the two strategic rivals, the US or China, which should it choose? "Hedging is a luxury middle powers cannot afford for long, especially when the stakes are high, superpowers are pushy and the rivalry is intensifying," said Rahul Mishra, a senior lecturer at the University of Malaya's Asia-Europe Institute, The Asian Times reported. In last year's survey, only 46.2% of Cambodian respondents said China - and the remainder said the US. According to this year's survey, some 81.5% of Cambodian respondents now think ASEAN should choose China over the US, only less than a percentage point fewer than Laos, who have long thought the same. In last year's survey, only 46.2% of Cambodian respondents said China - and the remainder said the US, explains The Asian Times. However, when broken down by country, the findings are stark. The percentage of Burmese respondents who said ASEAN has to choose between one of the two superpowers increased from 8.3% in last year's survey to 30.6% in the recently-released study. There was also a noticeable downturn of support for China in Myanmar - down to 8% from 51.9% last year, which was likely due to the military coup - as well as from Singaporeans, Malaysians and Thais. This may be expected due to the ongoing crisis started by last year's military coup. "Practically speaking, for issues that are non-consequential, it is easy to stay neutral, but for key strategic issues, sometimes being neutral may not be an option, it may also be seen as a form of strategic weakness," said Joanne Lin, a lead researcher at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute's ASEAN Studies Centre and one of the survey's authors. "Should US-China tensions increase, with a decoupling of the two superpowers," she added, "it will be even more challenging to stay neutral given that the world is interconnected and somehow ASEAN will end up having to choose a certain supply chain, a technology provider or a position in the South China Sea." Today, more than two-thirds of Cambodians and Laos think ASEAN should side with China. Most Bruneian respondents also agreed with this. But more than two-thirds of Burmese, Filipinos and Singaporeans now say America. And it appears that they are now gravitating further toward the US.Almost half of the respondents to the latest State of Southeast Asia survey still thought ASEAN should "enhance its resilience and unity to fend off pressure from the two major powers." But there was an increase in the number of people who thought the best option was to seek out "third parties" to broaden its strategic space and options. Some 70.1% of respondents thought ASEAN to be "slow and ineffective, and thus cannot cope with fluid political and economic developments", reported The Asian Times. Xi Jinping, in a virtual summit with Biden before stressed that a sound and steady China-US relationship is required for advancing the two countries' respective development and also safeguarding a peaceful and stable international environment. (ANI)
Shortly after being elected as Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif on Monday in his inaugural speech at the National Assembly announced a parliamentary probe into the "foreign conspiracy" to topple Imran Khan's government and offered to resign if there is a shred of evidence to prove the allegation. "As the elected Prime Minister, I announce that a briefing be given to the security committee of the National Assembly on-camera in which Army leadership, DG-ISI, Foreign Secretary and the diplomat who wrote the 'letter' is present," Sharif said, adding that, "we should not delay it as the entire country should know," Prime Minister-elect Shehbaz Sharif said. He further said that he would resign from his position if even a shred of evidence is found proving the "foreign conspiracy" allegations. "I say it on behalf of all our members that I will resign if a shred of evidence is found that it was a foreign conspiracy, that we got support from a foreign power, if our involvement is proved anywhere, I say it with you as witness Mr Speaker that I will resign that very second and go home," Sharif said. Imran Khan had accused the US of interfering in Pakistan's politics and plotting to oust his regime citing an alleged "threat letter" that was sent to Pakistan carrying the exchanges between Pakistani diplomats and US officials. The new Prime Minister at the beginning of his speech said, "Today's day is an important day for all Pakistanis, as today the people have shown a 'selected' Prime Minister the way back home by the way of constitution and law." "Today, the almighty has saved Pakistan and the 22 crore people of the country. This is the first time when the vote of no-confidence motion was successfully passed. The people of this country will celebrate this day," Sharif further said. He also talked about the historic Supreme Court judgement of April 7, saying that the rejection of the "doctrine of necessity" by the Pakistan Supreme Court should be commemorated every year. "No one in future will be able to use the 'doctrine of necessity' in future," Sharif said. Pakistan's Supreme Court in a historic judgement on Thursday had called for the convening of the session of the National Assembly "not later than 10:30 AM on Saturday" after setting aside the April 3 ruling of the Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri against the no-confidence motion on "Constitutional grounds". Declaring the ruling of the Deputy Speaker "to be contrary to the Constitution and the law and of no legal effect", the Court set aside all the subsequent steps taken, including the dissolution of the National Assembly, while also restoring Prime Minister Imran Khan and all the Federal Ministers to their respective positions as of April 3. The court also fixed the Saturday session with the conditions that the session cannot be prorogued unless the motion is voted upon, and in case Imran Khan loses the no-trust vote, the next PM had to be elected in the same session. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former leader of the Opposition, was elected the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan by the National Assembly of the country on Monday. Ahead of the voting, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators resigned en masse from the National Assembly and walked out of the National Assembly after a speech by former Foreign Minister and PTI candidate for prime ministerial post, Shah Mahmood Qureshi. The younger brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was set to grab the top post after former Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was ousted from power following the no-confidence motion against the regime. (ANI)
As both India and Australia have strained relations with Beijing, the signing of the India-Australia free trade pact on April 2 is rooted in a desire to reduce their economic dependence on the world's No. 2 economy, China. India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (IndAus ECTA) signed on April 2 offers obvious economic benefits. Annual bilateral trade is expected to almost double from USD 27.5 billion in 2021 to about USD 45 billion or USD 50 billion in the next five years. The deal eliminates tariffs on over 85 pc of Australian exports to India, rising to 91 pc in a decade while 96 pc of Indian goods entering Australia will become duty-free. With the trade pact being signed, both sides have their eyes on China. Even when the Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell did not name China directly, he told an event arranged by the Australia India Institute on Monday, "There's a panda in the room," reported Asia Nikkei. "India has faced border tensions (with China). Australia has faced economic coercion... Those issues are not going to disappear overnight." he added while laying out why the deal between India and Australia makes sense. In addition to this, many analysts are of the view that there are strategic implications in the partnership. Both the members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue along with the U.S. and Japan, look to manage difficult relations with China and promote a "free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific." Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the agreement "has been built on our strong security partnership and our joint efforts in the Quad, which has created the opportunity for our economic relationship to advance to a new level." Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it "a watershed moment" for bilateral relations. "On the basis of this agreement, together we will be able to increase the resilience of supply chains and also contribute to the stability of the Indo-Pacific region," he added. Srikanth Kondapalli, a professor of international studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, told Nikkei that "the supply chain resilience initiative among the three Quad members provides a certain advantage, which can be seen as conducive for the Australia-India trade agreement," as per Asia Nikkei. He said that while economic and trade agreements are generally based on complementarities, supply-demand conditions and mutual benefits, the Quad provided a "cushiony background" for the deal. (ANI)
Rajnath Singh, who is on a five-day US visit, arrived at the Pentagon for a bilateral meeting with Austin.

Austin welcomed Rajnath Singh in an enhanced honour cordon ceremony at the Pentagon.

The Defence Minister and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Washington on Sunday for the fourth 2+2 dialogue with their US counterparts.

The 2+2 dialogue comes amidst the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to hold a meeting on Ukraine today.

US State Department Blinken will also hold a meeting with Jaishankar before the 2+2 dialogue. 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)
After five years of efforts, India and the US will finally sign the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will help in the exchange of data on the threat posed to the satellites and other assets of the two countries. The MoU will be signed between the diplomatic and defence leadership of India and the US during the 2+2 Ministerial dialogue on Monday between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the Indian side, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin representing the US. Through the SSA agreement, India will receive data from the US about space debris and other objects in space and the potential threat they may pose to the safety and security of the new launches as well as the existing satellites and other space assets. In addition, the SSA framework will ensure the sharing of data and services to make certain, the long-term sustainability of outer space activities of the two countries, which will protect the two countries' satellites from man-made or natural threats. Space cooperation has repeatedly been reflected during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meetings with the American leadership. During PM's visit to Washington in September last year, the Indian leader had discussed India-US bilateral cooperation in the space sector with US Vice President Kamala Harris, who heads the National Space Council of America. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been working on the orbital debris tracking capability by deploying new radars and optical telescopes under the Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) project, a dedicated control centre for SSA activities set up in Bengaluru. NETRA is expected to become involved in various international collaborations on SSA. According to the schedule released by the US State Department Secretary of State, Blinken will meet EAM Jaishankar at the Department of State at 9:00 a.m (local time) today, post which Blinken, Secretary of Defence Austin, EAM Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will participate in the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue at the Department of State. (ANI)
Since Russia began the war in Ukraine, China has declared a de facto policy of neutrality. However, Vasyl Yurchyshyn, Director of economic and social programmes at the Razumkov Centre, a leading think-tank in Kyiv, has opined that China's nominal neutrality is a "de facto" support for Russia. He further added that Ukrainians are "disappointed" with China and such frustrations may translate into public opposition to future Belt and Road Initiatives BRI agreements. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday (local time) said that China "bears responsibility" to use its influence with Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the war in Ukraine. "We continue to call on all nations, especially those with direct influence with Russia, to use whatever leverage they have to compel Moscow to end this war of choice. We believe China, in particular, has a responsibility to use its influence with President Putin and to defend the international rules and principles that it professes to support," Blinken said. "Instead, it appears that China is moving in the opposite direction by refusing to condemn this aggression while seeking to portray itself as a neutral arbiter. And we're concerned that they're considering directly assisting Russia with military equipment to use in Ukraine. President Biden will be speaking to President Xi tomorrow and will make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia's aggression and we will not hesitate to impose costs," he said.There is a lot of conjecture about the strategic relationship between China and Russia, and the degree of knowledge that Chairman Xi Jinping had before President Vladimir Putin launched his lamentable invasion of Ukraine.This war is proving to be fraught with risks for China, putting Beijing in an awkward nexus as it tries to juggle support for its ally while pretending to be neutral.China has tried hard to portray itself as neutral in this conflict, but it is patently obvious that it is not easy walking such a tightrope. Russian talking points are blithely repeated by Chinese officials, one example being the ridiculous notion that the USA has biological warfare laboratories in Ukraine. (ANI)
"This morning, I'm meeting virtually with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India. I look forward to further deepening ties between our governments, economies, and people," Biden said in a tweet.

PM Modi and Biden would discuss a range of issues including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate crisis, global economy and Indo-Pacific.

"President Biden and Prime Minister Modi will discuss cooperation on a range of issues including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, countering the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had said on Sunday.

Both the leaders will also advance ongoing conversations about the development of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and delivering high-quality infrastructure.

The White House statement said that President Biden will continue close consultations on the consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilizing impact on global food supply and commodity markets.

The meeting will precede the US-India 2+2 Ministerial between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. (ANI)
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is likely to decimate Ukraine's military production capabilities and its ramifications will also fall on China, Ukraine's top arms customer and Russia's vital ally, according to an analysis. China is Ukraine's top arms customer and Ukraine had everything China required to preserve and modernise its vast inventory of Russian weapons systems. However, in the aftermath of Russia's heavy bombardment of the European country the resources of Ukraine are likely to be decimated, according to Di Valerio Fabbri, writing in Geopolitica.info. China is going to look out for other options. It can rely on other suppliers or can reverse-engineer and manufacture the parts itself. But till it does so, as it is a lengthy process, its military arsenal is going to be vulnerable, the report says. As Ukraine begins to rebuild its infrastructure and economy, China's willingness to cooperate with and support Russia is also going to decide China's relationship with Ukraine, the analyst said. Bilateral trade between China and Ukraine has seen significant growth over the years. Over the past 25 years, Ukraine's exports to China have increased at an annualised pace of 12.2 per cent. In 2020, Ukraine ranked 55th in terms of GDP, 46th in terms of total exports, and 47th in terms of total imports from China. Iron ore, grain, and seed oils were the top three exports sent to Beijing in 2020, totalling USD 7.26 billion in terms of bilateral trade. Another key area where China can get hurt is the agricultural resources. Nine months ago, the prospects for increasing Ukrainian wheat exports to China appeared promising. Ukraine had expectations that its grain exports to China would expand by two to three times, as per Geo Politica. However, the war in Ukraine has made it unclear as to where the partnership stands. The way China maintains its relationship with Russia is going to decide how Beijing's ties with Ukraine are to play out. (ANI)
The meeting was held ahead of the 2+2 dialogue between the two countries.

Biden said the US and India share a strong and growing "major defence partnership".

"We take the same concerns about the global challenges we face for COVID-19, advancing health security and tracking the climate crisis and we share a strong and growing major defence partnership," Biden said.

The US President also referred to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and said people in Ukraine were suffering "a horrific assault".

"I want to welcome India's humanitarian support for the people of Ukraine, who are suffering a horrific assault, including a tragic shelling in a train station last week that killed dozens of innocent children and women and civilians attempting to flee the violence," Biden said.

"The United States and India are going to continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilizing effects of this Russian war," he added.

He said at the root of the bilateral partnership is a deep connection between "our people, ties of the family of friendship and of shared values".

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hold talks with their US counterparts Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin III during the fourth India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. (ANI)
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah issued a five-page long reserved verdict against the plea, while slapping a Pakistani Rs 100,000 fine on the petitioner, Geo News reported.

The petition was filed by Maulvi Iqbal Haider after Khan left PM House following his ouster from the office in a no-confidence vote

Earlier, the then Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan claimed that Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu was involved in the "foreign conspiracy" to topple his government.

However, responding to Imran Khan's remarks, White House Director of Communications Kate Bedingfield rubbished the allegations regarding Washington's role in an alleged conspiracy. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking at a virtual interaction with US President Joe Biden ahead of the 2+2 India-US ministerial dialogue, reiterated that India condemns the killing of the civilians in Bucha and demands an impartial probe into the matter. PM Modi said, "Recent news of the killing of innocent citizens in Bucha city was a matter of concern. We immediately condemned it and also demanded an impartial probe. We hope that through the talks between Russia and Ukraine, a path for peace would come out." The Prime Minister also shared that India discussed the Ukraine issue in its Parliament. "I have spoken with Presidents of both Ukraine and Russia over the telephone, several times. I not only appealed to them for peace but also suggested President Putin hold direct talks with the Ukrainian President. Detailed discussions were held over Ukraine, in our Parliament," PM Modi said. Prime Minister noted that the interaction is being held at a time when the situation in Ukraine is a matter of concern. PM Modi recalled that a few weeks back, over 20,000 Indians were stranded in Ukraine adding that most of them were young students. "After a lot of hard work, we were successful in getting them all out," PM Modi added. The virtual meeting preceded the fourth India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue which will be led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs (MEA) S Jaishankar on the Indian side and their US counterparts, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.President Biden and PM Modi last spoke during the Quad Leaders meet in March.Earlier, the White House confirmed the meeting saying that the two leaders will meet virtually to "further deepen ties between our governments, economies, and our people." (ANI)
Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan on Monday evening hours after being elected by the National Assembly of the country. Prime Minister-elect Shehbaz Sharif was administered the oath by the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani after President Arif Alvi fell ill. Shehbaz Sharif, President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former leader of the Opposition, was elected the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan by the National Assembly of the country earlier today. "Mian Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif has secured 174 votes," announced PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq, who was chairing the session after the resignation of Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri ahead of the vote. Ahead of the voting, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators resigned en masse from the National Assembly and walked out of the National Assembly after a speech by former Foreign Minister and PTI candidate for prime ministerial post, Shah Mahmood Qureshi. The younger brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was set to grab the top post after former Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was ousted from power following the no-confidence motion against the regime. The voting on the no-confidence motion had resulted in the Imran Khan-led government losing with 174 votes in favour of the no-confidence motion. Sharif's candidature as the Opposition's choice for the Prime Ministership was revealed by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during a joint press conference of the opposition parties on March 30. He was elected as the Prime Minister in the same National Assembly session which saw the ouster of Imran Khan, in accordance with the order of the Pakistan Supreme Court. Pakistan's Supreme Court in a historic judgement on Thursday had called for the convening of the session of the National Assembly "not later than 10:30 AM on Saturday" after setting aside the April 3 ruling of the Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri against the no-confidence motion on "Constitutional grounds". Declaring the ruling of the Deputy Speaker "to be contrary to the Constitution and the law and of no legal effect", the Court set aside all the subsequent steps taken, including the dissolution of the National Assembly, while also restoring Prime Minister Imran Khan and all the Federal Ministers to their respective positions as of April 3. The court also fixed the Saturday session with the conditions that the session cannot be prorogued unless the motion is voted upon, and in case Imran Khan loses the no-trust vote, the next PM had to be elected in the same session. Like his elder brother, Shehbaz Sharif also faces serious corruption charges. In December 2019, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) froze 23 properties belonging to Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza, accusing them of money laundering. He was arrested by the NAB in the same case in September 2020 and incarcerated pending trial. In April 2021, the Lahore High Court released him on bail in the money laundering case. The factors favouring the younger Sharif, however, include the Opposition unity against Imran Khan's 'vindictive politics' as well as the tacit support of the military establishment, which seems to be keen to unseat Imran Khan from power, especially after his recent vitriolic comments against the US, including raising the foreign conspiracy charge. With the Sharif family back in power in Pakistan amid the fast-deteriorating economic situation and political instability, it is to be seen if Shehbaz Sharif infuses fresh energy into the system, or the much-tainted family continues to resort to its old ways. (ANI)
United States President Joe Biden on Monday held a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he is looking forward to meeting him during Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) summit in Japan on May 24. "It's always good to see you. I am looking forward to seeing you in Japan on 24th May (Quad summit)," Biden said. The meeting was held ahead of the 2+2 dialogue between the two countries. Biden said the US and India share a strong and growing "major defence partnership"."We take the same concerns about the global challenges we face for COVID-19, advancing health security and tracking the climate crisis and we share a strong and growing major defence partnership," Biden said. The US President also referred to the Ukraine conflict and said India and US will continue close consultation on how to manage the destabilising effects of "Russian war". "I want to welcome India's humanitarian support for the people of Ukraine, who are suffering a horrific assault, including a tragic shelling in a train station last week that killed dozens of innocent children and women and civilians attempting to flee the violence," Biden said." The United States and India are going to continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilizing effects of this Russian war," he added. He said at the root of the bilateral partnership is a deep connection between "our people, ties of the family of friendship and of shared values". A virtual summit of Quad leaders was held in March amid Russia's military action in Ukraine. Quad Leaders - Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan, and President Joe Biden of the United States took part in the summit. (ANI)
Taking to Twitter, PM Modi wrote, "Congratulations to H. E. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people."

Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan on Monday evening hours after being elected by the National Assembly of the country.

Prime Minister-elect Shehbaz Sharif was administered the oath by the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani after President Arif Alvi fell ill.

Shehbaz Sharif, President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former leader of the Opposition, was elected the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan by the National Assembly of the country earlier today.

"Mian Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif has secured 174 votes," announced PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq, who was chairing the session after the resignation of Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri ahead of the vote. (ANI)
The two countries agreed to further deepen the bilateral relations, particularly in areas such as defence and security, health and connectivity.

Secretary (East) in Ministry of External Affairs Saurabh Kumar held bilateral talks with his Cambodian counterpart Koy Kuong, Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Monday.

Saurabh Kumar visited Phnom Penh in Cambodia on April 10 and 11 as part of his three-nation tour to the region.

Secretary (East) reaffirmed India's support for Cambodia's successful chairmanship of ASEAN in 2022. He appreciated the role played by Cambodia including that by Deputy PM and FM Prak Sokhonn as the Special Envoy of ASEAN Chair on Myanmar.

"Both sides had comprehensive discussions on bilateral cooperation in diverse areas including political, economic, commercial, trade and investments, defence and security, development partnership, connectivity, capacity building and cultural cooperation, physical and digital connectivity," an MEA release said.

It said they appreciated the close cooperation between India and Cambodia and agreed to further deepen the bilateral relations, particularly in areas such as defence and security, health, connectivity - digital and physical infrastructure, capacity building and development cooperation.

The release said that both sides decided to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between India and Cambodia and to commemorate the India-ASEAN Friendship Year marking the 30th anniversary of dialogue relations between India and ASEAN this year.

The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The talks were held in a friendly atmosphere and both sides agreed to hold the next round of discussions at a mutually convenient date, the release said. (ANI)
Syria calls on UN to interfere to stop "systematic" Israeli strikes

Xinhua) 08:48, April 11, 2022

DAMASCUS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad on Sunday urged the United Nations to interfere to curb the repetitive Israeli attacks in Syria, slamming such strikes as systematic, according to the state news agency SANA.

In a letter addressing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Mekdad said the Israeli attacks have become "systematic," requiring immediate action by the UN to protect and preserve the Agreement on Disengagement of 1974 signed under the auspices of the United Nations.

Mekdad added that Syria has always warned about the consequences of the continuous Israeli attacks on international peace and security.

The Syrian condemnation comes against the backdrop of an Israeli attack earlier on Sunday against military sites in central Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor organization, said that the latest Israeli attack targeted a scientific research center west of Hama province.

The Israeli side claimed that Iranian-backed forces are using the center as a base to develop mid-range missiles and drones.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
A bill to accelerate Marylands transition away from fossil fuels will become law, setting goals to cut the states greenhouse gas emissions 60% below 2006 levels by 2031 and virtually eliminate the states carbon footprint by 2045.

The legislation had been widely expected to appear on a list of vetoes Gov. Larry Hogan presented Friday evening, ahead of the General Assemblys adjournment for the year on Monday. Hogan had called it a reckless and controversial energy tax bill as soon as floor debate began in the Senate last month, though it doesnt actually include any tax policies.

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But the Republican is allowing the measure to become law, a step environmentalists have said puts Maryland back into the forefront of states taking action to combat climate change, caused by a buildup of emissions in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels.

Hogan said he would not sign the bill, however, calling it a product of partisan politics. In a letter to Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, he said he would let it become law in hopes it would generate future deliberation and discussion on this critically important issue.

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Republican lawmakers had argued Maryland is too small a state to make a difference on climate, and that residents and businesses would bear significant expense to upgrade energy systems with little to no payoff. But Democrats who had said a sweeping climate bill was perhaps the top priority of this years General Assembly session say it sends a message to other parts of the country and world about the need to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Ahead of statewide elections this year, the legislation also was a key political priority for Democrats, who have faced criticism from environmental groups the past two years when they failed to pass similar climate bills.

The groups cheered lawmakers efforts to pass the bill this year.

We are grateful the Maryland General Assembly had the courage and vision to vote for a healthy future for Marylanders, Maryland League of Conservation Voters Executive Director Kim Coble said in a statement. Action by the legislature ensures Maryland is leading the nation in fighting the impacts of climate change.

Hogans decision on the climate bill follows a fine line he has threaded on environmental policies throughout his tenure, typically broadly supporting causes to combat climate change and clean up the Chesapeake Bay but often opposing specific policies that could place a financial burden on consumers. The governor, who is term-limited from running for re-election, has positioned himself as a moderate within the Republican Party relative to former President Donald Trump.

For example, while Hogan signed major climate legislation in 2016, requiring the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 2006 levels by 2030, he vetoed a bill to increase the states renewable energy supply that same year. In 2019, he allowed another renewable energy bill to become law, but did not sign it, citing cost concerns for utility customers.

The climate bill, which lawmakers presented to Hogan last week, replaces that 40% goal with the new 60% reduction target, plus adds the states first statutory declaration that it needs to essentially stop emitting any kind of fossil fuel exhaust within the next few decades. Those goals are in line with similar policies adopted in some 16 states, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures.

To accomplish the goals, the legislation requires owners of large commercial and residential buildings to reduce their energy usage 20% by 2030. It orders the state to buy progressively more zero-emissions vehicles in the coming decades, and establishes a pilot program to explore use of electric school buses, instead of ones that run on diesel.

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A fiscal analysis of the bill by nonpartisan state budget analysts suggests those policies will create significant costs that are impossible to pinpoint in advance. They also could reduce energy usage dramatically, creating savings, the analysts said.

Proponents of the legislation, meanwhile, say significant action to combat climate change is priceless, because its needed to protect future generations from the consequences of carbon emissions continuing to climb.

Scientists already have observed major ecological disruptions and increasingly extreme weather, and say conditions will continue to get worse in the coming decades. The latest climate change report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released Monday found that if the world doesnt take drastic action to reduce carbon emissions within the next 8 years, a goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will be impossible to meet.

Based on those dire warnings, this years climate bill had the blessing of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change and was a top priority of environmental groups and Democrats. Even three members of Hogans cabinet supported recommendations by the commission that informed central elements of the legislation that aim to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

Though environmental groups have cheered on the sweeping bill, some have raised concern it doesnt go far enough. As initially proposed, it would have adopted a new statewide building code forbidding installation of fossil fuel-based heating systems in new construction projects. But that policy was removed from the legislation due to concerns it could overly burden the electricity grid and reduce electric reliability.

Instead, the legislation calls for a Public Service Commission study of how much more electricity usage the grid could handle in the decades ahead.
Pakistan President Arif Alvi took ill just hours ahead of the swearing-in of the country's 23rd Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The President complained of "discomfort" and went on leave on Monday without any further explanation. According to Alvi's official Twitter account, the Pakistan President complained of discomfort and has been examined by a doctor. "President Dr Arif Alvi has complained of discomfort. The physician has examined him thoroughly and has advised him to rest for a few days," the tweet post read, reported ARY news. Alvi was scheduled to administer the oath of office to Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former leader of Opposition, who was elected by the members of the National Assembly as the country's new prime minister. President Alvi had dissolved the National Assembly on the advice of the then prime minister Imran Khan. Alvi assumed office as the 13th President of Pakistan in September 2018. "Mian Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif has secured 174 votes," announced PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq, who was chairing the session after the resignation of Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri ahead of the no-trust vote. Ahead of the voting, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators resigned en masse from the National Assembly and walked out of the National Assembly after a speech by former Foreign Minister and PTI candidate for prime ministerial post, Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Earlier, former Prime Minister Imran Khan had resigned from the membership of the House after holding a meeting with his parliamentary party delegation. The younger brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was set to grab the top post after former Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was ousted from power following the no-confidence motion against the regime. The voting on the no-confidence motion had resulted in the Imran Khan-led government losing with 174 votes in favour of the no-confidence motion. Sharif's candidature as the Opposition's choice for the Prime Ministership was revealed by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during a joint press conference of the opposition parties on March 30. He was elected as the Prime Minister in the same National Assembly session which saw the ouster of Imran Khan, in accordance with the order of the Pakistan Supreme Court. Pakistan's Supreme Court in a historic judgement on Thursday had called for the convening of the session of the National Assembly "not later than 10:30 AM on Saturday" after setting aside the April 3 ruling of the Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri against the no-confidence motion on "Constitutional grounds". Declaring the ruling of the Deputy Speaker "to be contrary to the Constitution and the law and of no legal effect", the Court set aside all the subsequent steps taken, including the dissolution of the National Assembly, while also restoring Prime Minister Imran Khan and all the Federal Ministers to their respective positions as of April 3. The court also fixed the Saturday session with the conditions that the session cannot be prorogued unless the motion is voted upon, and in case Imran Khan loses the no-trust vote, the next PM had to be elected in the same session. Shehbaz Sharif, born in an industrialist family in Lahore in 1950, is the younger brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has served for three terms. Shehbaz Sharif has been the Chief Minister of the crucial Punjab province of Pakistan for three terms. Having made a reputation as an administrator, Shehbaz Sharif had staked claims for the Prime Minister's chair in August 2018. But the decision of the Bilawal Bhutto-led PPP to abstain from the PM vote in the last hour paved the way for the comfortable election of PTI's Imran Khan as the Prime Minister. Shehbaz Sharif had then settled as the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly. A graduate of the Government College University, Lahore, Shehbaz Sharif initially joined his family's steel business, while also becoming the president of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries in 1985. The political fortunes of the Sharif family rose considerably in the 1980s under the dictatorship of Zia-ul-Haq, with elder brother Nawaz Sharif inducted into the Punjab Provincial Cabinet as Finance Minister in 1983. Shehbaz Sharif entered the Punjab Provincial Assembly in 1988 while he was elected to the National Assembly in 1990. In 1993, he again stood for a Provincial Assembly seat and became leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly. He became the Chief Minister of Punjab for the first time after the 1997 elections. However, his term was cut short by Pervez Musharraf's military coup of 1999 after which he became the CM of the Punjab province again in 2008, returning from almost a decade long political exile. Shehbaz Sharif was elected unopposed as the President of PML-N in February 2018 following his elder brother, and then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's disqualification from holding key positions after being implicated in the 'Panama Papers'. Like his elder brother, Shehbaz Sharif also faces serious corruption charges. In December 2019, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) froze 23 properties belonging to Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza, accusing them of money laundering. He was arrested by the NAB in the same case in September 2020 and incarcerated pending trial. In April 2021, the Lahore High Court released him on bail in the money laundering case. The factors favouring the younger Sharif, however, include the Opposition unity against Imran Khan's 'vindictive politics' as well as the tactic support of the military establishment, which seems to be keen to unseat Imran Khan from power, especially after his recent vitriolic comments against the US, including raising the foreign conspiracy charge. With the Sharif family back in power in Pakistan amid the fast-deteriorating economic situation and political instability, it is to be seen if Shehbaz Sharif infuses fresh energy into the system, or the much-tainted family continues to resort to its old ways. (ANI)
"It is threatening letter in my hand, which was read by outgoing Speaker Asad Qaisar after it was declassified," Suri said in the session.

"I am sending this letter on behalf of the National Assembly in a sealed envelope to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. It has been clearly written in the letter threatening serious consequences, if the no-confidence motion will be failed," he added.

The report said citing Qasim Suri that Imran Khan "has been punished for not accepting servitude".

"What I did, was in the defence of the constitution, while accepting the Supreme Court's decision. I apologize if someone has been hurt for it," he said, according to ARY News.

After Shah Mahmood Qureshi, PTI candidate for Prime Minister's election, announced the boycott of the election, Qasim Suri, a PTI loyalist, also expressed his inability to chair the National Assembly session.

"My conscience not allowing me to be part of this process," he said and asked Ayaz Sadiq, a member of the panel of chair to preside over the house proceedings, the report said.

He subsequently resigned from his post. (ANI)
In a major shift in its tone on India's energy imports from Russia, the United States on Monday (local time) said that energy imports are not banned from Russia and New Delhi is not violating US sanctions. This comes shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a virtual meeting with United States President Joe Biden wherein both the leaders exchanged views on several regional and global issues. During Monday's news conference, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the call between the two leaders was "constructive and direct". "This was a constructive call, it was a productive call. It's a relationship that is vitally important to the United States and to the president. I would not see it as an adversarial call," The White House spokesperson added. Answering a question on whether Biden pushed India to limit Russian energy, Psaki said, "Energy imports are not banned and they don't violate our sanctions. We certainly recognise that every country is going to take a step in their interest." However, Psaki during a press briefing, said Biden told PM Modi that it's not in India's interest to increase every import from Russia. "Beyond that, I'd let Indian leaders speak for themselves," said the White House Press Secretary on if US President was seeking a promise from PM Modi that he wouldn't look to increase oil purchases from Russia. On the question, if Biden was seeking a promise from PM Modi that he wouldn't look to increase oil purchases from Russia, Psaki reiterated, "I will let Prime Minister Modi and Indians speak on that. It's only 1-2 per cent at this point in time, they export 10 per cent from the United States. It is no violation of any sanctions or anything along those lines." Psaki further said Biden conveyed that the US is here to help them diversify their means of importing oil. "Imports from the US are already significant, much bigger than they get from Russia." Following Western sanctions on Russian entities in the wake of the Ukraine war, India purchased at least 13 million barrels of Russian crude oil at a discounted rate. This marked a sharp uptick from last year when India imported around 16 million barrels in 2021. India, the world's third-largest oil consumer and importer, imports 80 per cent of its oil, but only about 2 per cent to 3 per cent of those purchases come from Russia. Monday's virtual talks, which preceded a "US-India 2+2 Ministerial" meeting later on Monday, included US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. During the press conference today, Psaki said the US has seen India speak out more forcefully against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, particularly "as it relates to the horrific photos that we saw around Bucha". "We have seen them to take steps to provide humanitarian assistance and a range of assistance, but it is something we always encourage leaders to do - to speak out, to be vocal, to ensure they are on the right side of history," she said (ANI)
Ousted Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has demanded an "immediate elections" in the country, hours after Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the 23rd Prime Minister on Monday. Taking to Twitter, Imran Khan who is the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said, "Let the people decide, through fair and free elections, whom they want as their prime minister. He also said that he would be holding a rally in Peshawar on April 13. "We are demanding immediate elections as that is the only way forward -- to let the people decide, through fair & free elections, whom they want as their prime minister," he Tweeted. "On Wednesday I will be holding a jalsa in Peshawar after Isha - my first jalsa after being removed through a foreign- instigated regime change. I want all our people to come, as Pakistan was created as an independent, sovereign state not as a puppet state of foreign powers," he said in another Tweet on Monday. The voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was held in the country's National Assembly late on Saturday night, with 174 members recording their votes in favour of the motion that ousted the Imran Khan government. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan on Monday evening hours after being elected by the National Assembly of the country. (ANI)
Human Rights Violation continues to take place in Tibet despite the Chinese Communist Party's promise to improve it on many occasions, a Canada-based think tank, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS). The infringements on religious practice like demolitions of Buddha and Padmasambhava Statues, absurd claims of selecting the next Dalia Lama, and detaining people from sharing the demolition videos are the recent examples of the human rights violation. Apart from that Chinese authorities have also put restrictions on usage of the Tibetan language all over the region. Notably, Tibetans inside Tibet constantly face injustices in terms of getting jobs. The exams for civil services being only conducted in Chinese deprives a section of Tibetans who are more comfortable in their own language and can excel in Tibetan. With all these injustices and violations of basic human rights in Tibet sickens Tibetan People., the think tank said. Chinese authority posed heavy restrictions on communication into and out of Tibetan areas, with particularly harsh treatment for those who associate with Tibetan living in India as a refuge. Citing a Freedom House Report, IFFRAS said that yet again Tibet came off as the second least free country after Syria, and South Sudan. In March 2021, Chinese authorities deployed around 2,000 people to inspect Tibetan rural communities and enforce tighter travel restrictions, mainly near international borders in the South. According to a recent media report, the Chinese government has increased their restriction on the Tibetan Language on various online platforms and video streaming services. "China-based language learning app Talkmate and video streaming service Bilibili have now removed the Tibetan and Uyghur languages from their sites," Phayul reported citing Radio Free Asia's (RFA) sources. It is further reported that the Chinese government ordered in December last year that from March 1, foreign organizations or individuals can't share online religious content videos in China or Tibet without proper license. Recently, Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy reported that Kunchok Tsepal, 52, a prominent Tibetan writer, teacher and environmentalist who was sentenced to 15 years in 2009 by the Chinese authorities was released on March 18 after serving 13 years in prison, IFFRAS said. Chinese troops occupied Tibet in 1950 and later annexed it. The 1959 Tibetan uprising saw violent clashes between Tibetan residents and Chinese forces. (ANI)
Reiterating the importance of US-India ties, the White House on Monday said the video call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden was an opportunity to discuss the Russian aggression in Ukraine and it builds on discussions happened at the lower level. PM Narendra Modi on Monday held a virtual meeting with US President Biden wherein both the leaders exchanged views on several regional and global issues. Answering a question on why the call between PM Modi-Biden was organised, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, India's an incredibly important partner and the US consult very closely with it on a range of issues. "And this (video call between Modi and Biden) was an opportunity to discuss work very closely discuss the consequences of Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine," she said. Psaki said PM Modi-Biden's call builds on discussions that have happened at a lower level. "...But certainly is a reflection of the value the President sees in leader to leader diplomacy and having conversations that are candid, that is direct, but also provide hopefully a pathway to continuing to build on the steps we've seen India take in recent weeks." During Monday's press conference, the White House Press Secretary said that energy imports are not banned from Russia and that New Delhi is not violating US sanctions. Psaki said the call between the two leaders was "constructive and direct". "This was a constructive call, it was a productive call. It's a relationship that is vitally important to the United States and to the president. I would not see it as an adversarial call," the White House spokesperson added. Answering a question on whether Biden pushed India to limit Russian energy, Psaki said, "Energy imports are not banned and they don't violate our sanctions. We certainly recognise that every country is going to take a step in their interest." However, Psaki during a press briefing, said Biden told PM Modi that it's not in India's interest to increase every import from Russia. "Beyond that, I'd let Indian leaders speak for themselves," said the White House Press Secretary on if US President was seeking a promise from PM Modi that he wouldn't look to increase oil purchases from Russia. On the question, if Biden was seeking a promise from PM Modi that he wouldn't look to increase oil purchases from Russia, Psaki reiterated, "I will let Prime Minister Modi and Indians speak on that. It's only 1-2 per cent at this point in time, they export 10 per cent from the United States. It is no violation of any sanctions or anything along those lines." (ANI)
The United States supports India as a defence industry leader in the Indo-Pacific and a net provider of security in the region, said US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday. Addressing a press conference after India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, he said that the US has identified a new opportunity (India) to extend the operational reach of our military to coordinate more closely together across the expanse of the Indo-Pacific. "We all understand the challenges that we are facing. The People's Republic of China is seeking to refashion the region in the international system more broadly. In ways that serve its interest," said. "So we have identified a new opportunity to extend the operational reach of our military to coordinate more closely together across the expanse of the Indo-Pacific. We walked on the Indian Navy's decision to join the combined maritime forces in Moraine Bahrain and we have also committed to more high-end exercises together," Austin said. "We made a commitment today to reinforce our ties with like-minded countries including Japan Australia and our European allies and partners," he said. Speaking further, Austin said that it has been really two decades since we signed our first bilateral defence framework, our partnership has grown immensely since then. "We made important commitments today that we will drive technological innovation and cooperation in emerging different domains including space and cyberspace. We are committed to launch in new defence space exchange later this year between our space command and Indian defence space agency," the US Defence Secretary said. "We are also deeping our ties in cyberspace including through training and exercises later this year. and we are expanding our information sharing partnerships across all who are fighting domains," he added. While Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that an agreement on Defence Space and Defence Artificial Intelligence dialogues has been reached. "Many other initiatives and agreements which are in the discussion phase have been agreed to be expanded for progress in the scope and depth of our military engagements," he said. He further informed that India and the US also discussed further cooperation in the defence cyber and special forces field; including LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement). "Both the parties are confident in moving forward toward the close agreement on special op forces." US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held today at Washington. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today held a virtual meeting with United States President Joe Biden wherein both the leaders had an extensive exchange of views on several regional and global issues, such as the Ukraine situation, the Indo-Pacific region. (ANI)
Five people whose family members were killed in the April 15, 2021 mass shooting at a FedEx center in southwest Indianapolis are suing the global logistics giant, claiming stronger security measures should have been in place at the facility.

A complaint filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana says the company could have prevented deaths that day.

The lawsuit is being filed by the families of victims Amarjeet Johal, 66, Amarjit Sekhon, 48, Jasvinder Kaur, 50, John Weisert, 74, and Karli Smith, 19, all of whom lost their lives.

"It sucks that we have to go through this when this whole incident was 100% preventable," said Gary Johal, the son of Amarjeet Johal.

IndyStar has reached out to FedEx requesting comment.

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Eight people were killed and five injured after the shooter opened fire on the facility around 11 p.m. that Thursday. Matthew R. Alexander, 32, Samaria Blackwell, 19, and Jaswinder Singh, 68, also died in the attack.

It was the worst mass shooting in the city's history.

Lawyers and family members said Monday that FedEx should have known there was a potential threat because there have been a history of shootings at other FedEx Ground facilities, including one in Kennesaw, Georgia, in 2014 that resulted in six people being injured.

Like the shooter in the Indianapolis FedEx shooting, the suspect in that shooting was a former employee of the facility. Also like the Indianapolis shooter, he fatally shot himself after the attack.

Mel Hewitt, one of the attorneys in Monday's lawsuit, represented a client who sued FedEx in response to the Kennesaw shooting. That lawsuit reached a settlement.

Lawyers: FedEx should have prepared

Before the Indianapolis shooting, the lawsuit says, FedEx had hired a company called Threat Assessment Group to help it create a workplace violence prevention program.

Story continues

The logistics company had a system in place that would alert FedEx headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, about "workplace violence incidents" that had occurred at local facilities, lawyers wrote. One or more security specialists who the company had assigned to the Indianapolis facility were allegedly responsible for investigating and reporting any incidents.

The lawsuit doesn't describe any specific incidents leading up to the shooting, but it briefly claims the shooter "exhibited emotional and mental instability on multiple instances" during his window of employment at the FedEx facility from August to October 2020.

More: New details show interventions failed  again and again  to stop FedEx shooting

IndyStar had previously reported that the shooter's employment ended at the facility after he stopped showing up to work.

In general the company should have known that mass shootings are "one of the leading physical security threats" behind workplace deaths, lawyers wrote.

Lawyers said Monday they've had a hard time getting information about the shooting from law enforcement. Now that a lawsuit has been filed they can try to compel that information through court proceedings.

Shooter confronted security guard

Monday's lawsuit also targets Securitas, which Hewitt said was one of the largest private security contractors in the world.

Moments before he started firing on workers at the facility, the shooter allegedly confronted an unarmed security guard contracted by Securitas before "banging on a door and causing a disturbance," according to the lawsuit.

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Indianapolis Fedex shooting: 4 times failures and loopholes in red flag laws contributed to deaths, injuries

The security company is a defendant in the lawsuit because it should have trained its staff to see that as a sign of a potentially dangerous person, lawyers wrote.

All five of the victims at the heart of the lawsuit were employees at the facility but none of them were on-the-clock when they were shot, according to the lawsuit. Karli Smith was waiting for a ride at the time she was killed, said her father Matthew D. Alexander.

The families are requesting compensation in the form of damages.

Alexander said Monday he will spend this week, which marks the 1-year anniversary of the shooting, "doing the best I can to remind people of how much Karli meant to her friends and family."

"There are at least eight different lights that have gone out in this world needlessly," Alexander said.

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: Families file lawsuit nearly year after FedEx shooting in Indiana
BERLIN (Reuters) - Around three million COVID-19 vaccine doses are expected to expire in Germany by the end of June, a spokesperson for the health ministry said on Monday, as supply outstrips demand because a declining number of people are being vaccinated.

A law mandating the general population get vaccinated, which had failed to pass the parliament last week could have increased demand and made use of the surplus shots.

After a shortage in vaccine doses at the beginning of the vaccine campaign in early 2021, Germany stepped up its deliveries to meet growing demand, but a lower inoculation rate means Germany has more vaccine than it needs or can donate.

Around 76% of the population has received at least one dose, less than the level of more than 80% in western European countries including France, Italy and Spain.

The ministry declined to provide information on the possible cost of the doses' expiry, citing contract confidentiality.

BioNTech said last week its vaccine had a longer shelf life than previously estimated, meaning around seven million doses originally expected to expire by the end of June would be valid for longer.

Although countries in Africa, for instance, are in need of vaccines, Germany cannot donate its spare doses because of the difficulties of storing and transporting mRNA vaccines.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Riham Alkousaa; editing by Barbara Lewis)
(Reuters) - Activision Blizzard Inc has appointed former Accenture executive Kristen Hines as its new chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, the "Call of Duty" maker that has been under fire for the culture at the company said on Monday.

California in July last year brought a lawsuit against the company alleging it "fostered a sexist culture". Activision has also been the subject of investigative stories detailing allegations of sexual harassment internally, with employees staging walkouts to protest the company's response to the issues.

Workers in November last year circulated a petition calling for the removal of Chief Executive Officer Bobby Kotick amid mounting criticism of the culture at the company.

Hines joined Accenture in 2006 and until early this month led the Global Inclusion, Diversity and Equity practice at the company.

Activision, which is being acquired by Microsoft Corp for $68.7 billion, said that Hines will partner across its gaming teams to ensure that diverse and inclusive perspectives are included in game design, including storylines and character development.

"Hines will play a crucial role in furthering Activision Blizzard's commitment to increasing the percentage of women and non-binary people in its workforce by fifty percent over the next five years," the video game maker added. Hines will take on the role effective April 25.

(Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi)
Over the past two weeks, Barb Ripani has seen a change in the clientele who walk into Potato Valley on State Circle in Annapolis.

From January to April, Ripani corrals hordes of politicians, lobbyists and legislative aides who crowd into the popular lunch spot shes co-owned for 27 years. She knows about half of their orders by heart, she said. But after Monday, nearly all of those regular customers will disappear when the 2022 Maryland General Assembly session adjourns.

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The customers at Potato Valley will morph into a line of out-of-towners and transient visitors, many of whom arent familiar with the massive baked potatoes stacked high with bacon, cheese, veggies and other condiments.

Its fun. We try to give them samples and get to know who they are, Ripani said.

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Barb Ripani, right, co-owner of Potato Valley in Annapolis, says she is excited by the opportunities of the tourist season. (Paul W. Gillespie/Capital Gazette)

This summer will be the first full warm season since before the coronavirus pandemic began more than two years ago that businesses wont be hamstrung by mask mandates, seating limits and other restrictions. Ripani is relishing the opportunity.

There will be some excitement for the tourist season, she said. Well probably have more staff and look at rearranging our seating.

Annapolis has started to get back to normal in recent weeks thanks to high attendance at events like the St. Patricks Day parade, Maryland Day and the Annapolis Film Festival, said Erik Evans, executive director of Downtown Annapolis Partnership, a nonprofit business organization.

Similar turnouts are expected for the spring boat shows this month and Naval Academy Commissioning Week in May.

I am glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel, Evans said.

The rosy outlook for the next few months is shared by other business owners in town, many of whom are thrilled to finally have the pandemic mostly in the rearview. Last week, Maryland reported a testing positivity rate of around 2%, up slightly from where it had been since early March.

Annapolis businesses hope the bustle of business, like this scene at the Federal House on Friday, will flourish during the summer tourist months. (Paul W. Gillespie/Capital Gazette)

In the first quarter of the year, attendance and revenues have begun to creep up to pre-pandemic levels at Federal House on Market Space, owner Jeremy Black said.

Black is among five restaurant owners from Iron Rooster, McGarveys, Middleton Tavern and Market House whove banded together to secure a multiyear lease with the city to provide outdoor seating around the historic Market House. Those businesses, along with 1771 G&T, have drawn the attention of visitors who now view the area as a central gathering place, Black said.

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Some businesses, however, wont have the benefit of the expanded outdoor eating space.

In November, the city scrapped other outdoor dining areas, called recovery zones, in the Historic District, Eastport and other places. A state of emergency order issued by Mayor Gavin Buckley in December has allowed some restaurants to continue serving food and drinks in private parking lots.

On Monday, the City Council will consider a resolution that would extend those outdoor dining permissions for an additional 12 months.

While restaurants have started to recover, it may take longer for hotels and similar businesses to return to pre-pandemic levels, said Kristen Pironis, executive director of Visit Annapolis and Anne Arundel County.

The slower rebound is due in part to staffing shortages and hotels keeping their rates lower to attract customers, Pironis said.

Lisa Consiglio-Ryan, owner of Rasa Juice Shop on Maryland Avenue, says her business will be opening a second location this summer a few blocks down at the former City Dock Coffee location. (Paul W. Gillespie/Capital Gazette)

Lisa Consiglio-Ryan, the owner of Rasa Juice Shop on Maryland Avenue, said her business has thrived over the past two years despite the pandemic and expects this summer to bring more good fortune.

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Consiglio-Ryan will be opening a second location this summer a few blocks down at the former City Dock Coffee location. In preparation, the business is hiring more employees, buying more products and juicing more juice, she said.

Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. >

Im super excited and were extremely positive [about tourist season], Consiglio-Ryan said. We have tons of energy for everybody to come into town.

Some business owners and residents, especially those who live in the Historic District, have raised concerns that tourism could be disrupted by the impending demolition of Noah Hillman Garage later this month. The construction project, which is expected to last until next summer, will remove 425 spots from the downtown parking equation.

Its going to be a devastating outcome for the downtown community, said Kostas Alexakis, owner of OBriens Oyster Bar and Seafood Tavern.

The parking and transportation alternatives the city has proposed, including free rides on the Annapolis Circulator bus, trolley cars and on-demand service, arent enough to accommodate visitors, Alexakis said. He and other business owners have pitched the city on delaying the garage rebuild until later in the year to minimize disruptions to tourists.

Black isnt worried about the lack of parking potentially impacting his business, and compared the situation to those in other cities like Baltimore where parking isnt nearly as convenient around popular destinations.

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If you want to go to an Orioles game, you cant just park right in front of Camden Yards. Youre parking in a garage at the Sheraton Hotel six blocks away, Black said. But that didnt deter you from going to the Os game.

The proof will be in the numbers after [Hillman] comes down and during the construction process. But Im hoping Im right that visitors are going to come anyway. They will just have to find alternate places to park.
Activision Blizzard has recruited a new chief diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer. Kristen Hines will join the company and its senior leadership team on April 25th. She will report to Julie Hodges, the company's chief people officer. Hines most recently led the Global DEI practice at Accenture, where she helped other organizations bolster their DEI strategies and capabilities.

One of Hines' key responsibilities will be to help Activision Blizzard meet its commitment to increase the percentage of women and non-binary people in the workforce by 50 percent over the next five years. In its representation data document for 2021, the company said women made up 24 percent of its workforce. Hines will also work with Activision Blizzard's gaming teams to ensure diverse and inclusive perspectives are included in game design, including storylines, character development, gameplay and community interaction.

"In an industry with historical underrepresentation, Im looking forward to leading the companys efforts to further build a workplace that values transparency, equity and inclusivity, Hines said in a statement. Gaming has amazing potential to connect communities around the world and showcase heroes from all backgrounds. I am looking forward to playing a part in expanding the landscape of talent who brings these compelling experiences to a broad base of players.

Hines will be tasked with helping improve the workplace culture of Activision Blizzard, which has been under intense scrutiny since last summer. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing sued the company in July. It accused Activision Blizzard of fostering a "frat boy culture" and alleged there was discrimination against female employees. A wrongful death suit was filed against the publisher last month, as was a sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit from an individual plaintiff.

Also in March, a judge approved a proposal by Activision Blizzard, which is the subject of a pending $68.7 billion takeover from Microsoft, to set up an $18 million fund to settle a federal lawsuit. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's suit accused the company of enabling a sexist and discriminatory workplace environment.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday signed legislation to outlaw puberty blocking medications for minors.

The bill makes it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, to prescribe puberty blockers or hormones to transgender people under age 19 to help in their gender transition.

ALABAMA JOINS FLORIDA IN PROHIBITING CERTAIN SCHOOL TEACHERS FROM DISCUSSING GENDER, SEXUAL MATTERS

The bill also prohibits gender transition surgeries, although doctors told lawmakers those are generally not done on minors.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday signed legislation to outlaw gender-affirming medications for transgender youths. Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images

Ivey signed the legislation a day after state lawmakers passed the bill. Groups have vowed to challenge the law in court.

Alabama is the second state to try to impose a ban on gender-affirming care for minors and the first to impose criminal penalties. A similar measure in Arkansas, which would have banned doctors from prescribing the medications, was blocked by a federal judge.

Ivey also signed legislation prohibiting certain elementary school teachers from discussing gender identity and sexual orientation matters in school.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A juvenile was arrested Monday in connection with the shooting of a teenager on April 5 at Hallmark Mobile Home Park off Spring Valley Road in Athens.

Athens-Clarke Police Lt. Shaun Barnett said the 15-year-old suspect is charged with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during a crime and cruelty to children.

The suspect and the 15-year-old victim know each other, according to Barnett.

Previous coverage: Police investigating shooting of teen at mobile home park in Athens

The victim remained hospitalized Monday in Atlanta, where she is being treated for a serious wound to her abdomen, police said.

The shooting occurred about 10:45 p.m. outside a home in the Hallmark park. The suspect had left the scene when police were summoned, according to police.

The suspect used a handgun in the assault, but Barnett said he did not know if the gun has been recovered.

The motive for the shooting is still under investigation, he said.

The shooting, Barnett said, is not related to another shooting that occurred the same day, but about 19 hours earlier at the mobile home park.

In that case, two men reported they heard gunfire outside their home about 3:40 a.m., and later that morning when preparing for work, they found multiple gunshot holes in their trailer. Police collected eight 9mm shell casings outside the home, according to the report.

Six entry bullet holes were found in the trailer, including one that pierced a flat-screen TV. The residents told police they had no idea why they were targeted for violence.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens teen charged with assault in shooting at mobile home park
Apr. 11ATHENS  A public park that opened about 20 years ago is being refreshed with a new walking path, new playground equipment and other amenities for serving the community.

The Town of Athens recently received a $66,162 West Virginia Department of Highways grant for the construction of a new walking trail around Athens Town Park, according to Town Clerk Debra Shorter.

"The town is very excited about this upgrade to our Town Park since nothing has been done since it's dedication on April 20, 2000," Shorter said. "We are also raising funds for the upgrade of the park itself. We would like to show appreciation to the Governor's office with the help of Senator Mark Maynard (R-6th District) and Delegate Doug Smith (R-Mercer) for helping us receive monies from the Local Economic Development Assistance Grants (LEDA)."

Maynard helped the project receive $7,000 and Smith helped contribute another $9,000.

Sharon Jones, one of the volunteers forming the park committee, said plans for upgrading the park started last year.

"We have a whole proposal that was presented to the town council in December (2021), and so they did approve it and have given their support for the upgrades at the park," Jones said. "And they actually made a resolution in support of the renovations at the park."

Located off Vermillion Street about a block from Concord University, the park's walking track, which goes around its perimeter, is being repaved, Jones said. Other upgrades have been planned.

"We have decided to do electrical upgrades," she stated. "The current electrical system doesn't meet the needs with how the park has grown."

Musicians come to the park along with food trucks, but the current electrical system isn't good enough for the musicians' equipment, and food trucks have to use generators, she said.

The park's playground is being improved, too.

"We are upgrading the playground equipment that is currently there and we will be adding additional equipment," Jones said. "And there is going to be a swing for special needs children, an inclusive swing, for physical or mental challenges. and we do have other playground equipment that we will be replacing."

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Equipment for older visitors is part of the renovations, too.

"We're also trying to have senior fitness equipment," Jones said. "That's our proposal. That's all based on if we get the money for everything, for all renovations to the park will be based on any monies we receive."

Benches, picnic tables and other wooden fixtures will be water sealed. A community work day for doing this task has been scheduled for April 23. Work will get underway at 9 a.m., Jones said. Cleaning up the park will be done, too.

Repairing the park's chainlink fence, installing a new water fountain that can fill water bottles and upgrading the park's landscaping and lighting are part of the renovation plans, Jones added.

"Basically, we're trying to give it all an upgrade," she said. "A lot of people use the park. Basically we want to park to be a great place for people to go."

Jones has been working on the project and fundraising along with committee members Tom Bone III, Kathy Ball and Sharon Ofsa.

People who wish to help can send contributions to the Town of Athens, Jones said. Checks can be made out to the Town of Athens with Park written in the memo line. Contributions can be mailed to P.O. Box 458, Athens, WV, 24712. People with questions can call the town at 304-384-3525.

 Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com

Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
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
People look at the gutted remains of Russian military vehicles on a road in Bucha, Ukraine, on March 1. Serhii Nuzhnenko/AP Photo

Ukrainian officials said they intercepted radio transmissions of Russian forces.

The audio clips, published by CNN, include troops being instructed to kill civilians.

Another clip includes someone reporting that three soldiers had raped a 16-year-old girl.

Ukrainian officials said they intercepted disturbing radio transmissions of Russian soldiers talking about killing and raping civilians.

The audio clips, which were obtained and published by CNN, include orders to kill civilians and the discussion of a 16-year-old being raped by Russian forces. It's unclear who exactly is speaking in the recordings, but Ukrainian officials said they are between Russian soldiers and their commanders.

"A car drove by, but I'm not sure if it was a car or a military vehicle. But there were two people coming out of the grove dressed as civilians," one soldier said over the radio, according to CNN's translation.

"Kill them all, for f*ck sake," a second person responded.

Video: Ukraine president Zelensky on the horrors of war

The original soldier starts to protest, saying the village is composed of civilians, prompting the second person to respond: "What's wrong with you? If there are civilians, slay them all."

Ukraine has accused Russia of intentionally targeting civilians, a charge the Kremlin has denied. International leaders have called for Russia and its President Vladimir Putin to be investigated for charges of war crimes.

The calls grew louder after Russian forces pulled out of the areas around Kyiv, revealing liberated Ukrainian towns that allege Russian forces had committed atrocities against them, including the murder and rape of civilians. One woman from the village of Shevchenkove said Russian forces killed her husband and raped her repeatedly  accusations Ukrainian officials are investigating.

The intercepted audio published by CNN also included a Russian soldier in a tank regiment telling a woman over the radio that three members had raped a 16-year-old girl.

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"Our tankers?" the woman asked.

After the soldier responded "yes," the woman said: "F*ck."

Some of the worst allegations have emerged from Bucha, a town near Kyiv where a mass grave was discovered near a church after Russian forces retreated. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that many Ukrainians wonder "how many Buchas there are," adding that it's still unknown what has happened in some small towns.

"Some towns were destroyed completely," Zelenskyy said. "Some towns simply don't exist anymore  no more buildings, no more people. I do not know what we will find there."

Read the original article on Business Insider
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]
(Getty/iStock)

In response to the devastating wildfires which engulfed California in summer 2020, the United States Air Force sprung into action.

Four massive military C-130 Hercules aircraft were deployed to dump their 3,000-gallon tanks of retardant again and again, to try to hold back the monster blazes and give ground fire crews a fighting chance.

At the same time, Travis Air Force Base, the busiest military air terminal in the US located north of San Francisco, was evacuating dozens of planes and non-essential personnel as the huge LNU Lightning Complex Fire raced closer.

The main thing was everyone was safe. No one got hurt, and the aircraft got out of here safely, Bryan McFeron, crew chief of the 860th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron C-17, said after what was, by all accounts, a daring operation.

The split-screen operations are a snapshot of how climate change could unfold for the US military in coming decades: with troops increasingly responding to disasters caused by global warming while simultaneously being vulnerable to its impacts.

Four C-130 MAFFS-equipped aircraft are assisting @NIFC_Fire. Aircraft #3, 4 & 8, made 12 retardant drops Tue. Our AFNORTH 302 Air Expeditionary Group is managing the requests for these @AirNatlGuard & @USAFReserve C-130s. >100 retardant drops since Jul by 146, 152, 153 & 302 AWs pic.twitter.com/K0BS0WtbgY  1st AF/America's AOC (@1stAF) August 19, 2020

Military chiefs have been increasingly candid about what the ever-worsening spiral of heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, and floods means for US missions, bases and installations (the catch-all term for camps, posts and stations).

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A 2019 Department of Defense study of 79 installations found two-thirds were at risk of ongoing flooding and half threatened by wildfires or drought. Among those incidents was $500m flooding damage at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. Months earlier, Hurricane Florence roared through Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, leaving $3.5bn damages in its wake.

In its recently-published strategy to cut emissions, the US Army describes climate risks as broad, significant and urgent, and highlights impacts on supply chains, infrastructure, and the safety of soldiers and their families.

The time to address climate change is now, wrote Army Secretary Christine Wormuth.

The Army says it will cut its emissions by installing renewable power micro-grids across all bases by 2035, and ensure that its non-tactical fleet  those not involved in combat  is fully electric the same year.

The military branch already has 950 renewable energy sites up and running, including a solar field at Kentuckys Fort Knox, and arguably the largest battery storage system in the US at Fort Carson in Colorado. New training will be rolled out so troops are ready to operate in a climate-altered world.

The Air Force is expected to release its climate action plan later this year, along with the US Navy and Marine Corps which are coordinating on a strategy. President Joe Biden has pledged a whole-of-government approach to cutting domestic emissions in half by 2030 (from 2005 levels), and setting the country on a path to net-zero by 2050.

It wont be an easy lift. If it were a country, the US military would be the 47th largest emitter globally, landing between the annual domestic emissions of Peru and Portugal based on fuel use alone, a 2019 study found. In 2017, the military was purchasing more than 269,000 barrels of oil a day. And as yet, theres no viable alternative for jet fuel, which makes up the bulk of US military emissions.

To play its part in reducing that heavy carbon footprint, the Army has pledged a 50 per cent reduction in net greenhouse gas pollution, from 2005 levels, by the end of the decade.

Professor Neta C Crawford, political science chair at Boston University and co-director of the Costs of War project which researches post-9/11 conflicts, said the target was not ambitious enough, estimating that the US Army had likely already reduced its emissions by about half since 2005.

To put it in context, the United States was in a hot war in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2005, so those emissions were high, she told The Independent. The [Army] says the problem is broad, significant and urgent. This is not a document that signifies an urgent response.

The US Army did not respond to requests for comment from The Independent.

Theres another problem: President Bidens executive order to cut federal emissions actually exempts large parts of military operations which since 2001, has made up 77-80 per cent of all US government energy use, according to a 2019 study from the Costs of War project. (Exempting large parts of military operations from emission counts is common practice in most countries).

And yet climate change is widely understood in military circles to be a threat multiplier  one which builds on existing political or economic unrest to threaten peace and security.

Take war-ravaged Syria. The fingerprint of the climate crisis can be found in the excessive heat which contributed to the worst drought in 900 years from 2006-2010, decimating crops and livestock. It drove impoverished rural workers into cities and, combined with cuts to fuel and food subsidies rolled out by dictator Bashar al-Assad, tensions between ethnic groups exploded. More recently in Somalia, the third, climate-linked drought in a decade has gripped the country forcing millions to leave their homes seeking food and water, and giving rise to conflict.

Tensions are also rising at home in the US. A mega-drought in the US West shows little signs of abating, leading to increasingly fractious debates, and several legal fights, over water rights.

At the global level, (including the new UN climate report this week) alarm is at fever pitch on the need to urgently curb global temperature rise by every fraction of a degree possible, and slashing emissions from fossil fuels is critical. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called continued investing in fossil fuels moral and economic madness.

John Kerry, President Bidens Special Envoy for Climate, and former US Secretary of State, appeared to agree. The stakes are clear. Complacency will be met by irreversible and unthinkable impacts from climate change, Sec Kerry said in a statement.

But the US vast military machine looks set to grow, in part as a response to Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine. President Bidens budget for fiscal year 2023 includes a request for an extra $30bn for the Pentagon, taking defense spending to $813bn.

Dr Patrick Bigger, who co-authored a study on the US militarys use of hydrocarbons at Lancaster University Environment Centre, called its climate policy fundamentally contradictory  confronting the effects of climate change while remaining the largest single institutional consumer of hydrocarbons in the world, a situation it is locked into for years to come because of its dependence on existing aircraft and warships for open-ended operations around the globe.

An important way to cool off the furnace of the climate emergency is to turn off vast sections of the military machine, his co-author Professor Ben Neimark added.

Decarbonizing the US military isnt really possible without cutting back on operations and training, both in the US and overseas, Dr Crawford said.

A national security strategy should be in line with the sense of urgency that the Biden administration feels about the risks and the costs of climate change, and therefore actually engages in a wholesale reconsideration of US strategy, bases, operations, and arms control, Dr Crawford said.

It becomes imperative not to fight because once you start fighting, your emissions go way up.

So far, the US military response to climate change has been expansion. In March, thousands of American troops took part in new training ops in the Arctic in response to Russias growing militarization in an area with untapped oil, and where melting sea ice has cracked open new shipping routes. The polar region is seeing changes at two to three times the rate of the rest of the world due to climate change.

The US is also ramping up military activities in the Indo-Pacific region. Past US defense reports have emphasized how the world will become much more dangerous due to climate stresses, anticipating more tensions and potential armed conflict, which reveals a disconnect between cause and effect, Dr Crawford points out.

All of this is heightening our fear, and when were afraid, we arm, we prepare, our countries become lifeboats. Its counterproductive, she added.

By assuming that the nightmare is fait accompli, we make it more likely.
(Bloomberg) -- The billionaire Benetton family and Blackstone Inc. are nearing a takeover offer for Italian infrastructure giant Atlantia SpA in what could become the years biggest deal, according to people familiar with the matter.

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The familys Edizione Srl holding company, the U.S. buyout firm and other investors may announce as early as Wednesday their plan to buy out and take private the company, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information.

Atlantias minority shareholders, Singapore sovereign fund GIC Pte. and Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Torino, are expected to invest in a new company that the suitors plan to set up for the deal, the people said. The Benettons already own about 33% of Atlantia.

Representatives for the Benettons, Blackstone and Fondazione CRT declined to comment, while a spokesperson for GIC was not immediately available for comment.

Read more: Benetton Family Said to Discuss Atlantia Bid With GIC, CRT

Atlantia has a value of almost 65 billion euros ($71 billion) including debt, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, meaning any takeover would be the biggest of the year so far. It would also rank as one of the biggest infrastructure deals of all time.

Atlantia shares reversed earlier losses and gained as much as 2% in Milan trading. They were up 0.23% at 5:10 p.m. Giving the company a market value of 18.23 billion euros. Shares have gained over 23% since Bloomberg News first reported approaches to the Benettons April 6.

An offer from the Benettons and Blackstone may spur rival suitors for Atlantia into action.

Spanish construction tycoon Florentino Perez has been working with Global Infrastructure Partners and Brookfield Asset Management Inc. on a bid for Atlantia. Such a move could see Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA, the Madrid-based builder of which Perez is both chairman and the top shareholder, acquire the majority of Atlantias toll-road business. Bloomberg News reported Perezs interest last week.

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The Benettons have already said they are not interested in entertaining a GIP, Brookfield offer as they want to keep Atlantia together.

Atlantia, which traces its roots to the late 1990s privatization of Italys highway sector, now finds itself at a crossroads, as its set to receive roughly 8 billion euros from the sale of its Autostrade highway unit. Italys government forced Atlantia to sell the business in the aftermath of the deadly 2018 Genoa bridge collapse, which killed 43 people.

(Adds shares in sixth paragraph)

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Included in the Republican-led legislatures budget bill is a much-heralded 8% raise for all state employees.

Gov. Andy Beshear lauded that raise, which is steeper than what he first proposed in January. However, he vetoed a mirror 8% raise for legislators and executive branch officers like himself.

Beshear said that average overall compensation for legislators, as reported in a Herald-Leader story from last month, has grown in recent years to around $60,000. During the last 60-day budget session in 2020, that figure exceeded $65,000.

The governor pointed out that the total figure is around twice what the average Kentuckian makes.

The line-item veto in the Executive Branch budget presented under House Bill 1, as well as mirror language in the Legislative Branch budget, was just one of several unveiled at a Beshear press conference on Monday.

The governor went through the budget highlighting items he appreciated  infrastructure investments, state worker raises, economic development and more  while focusing his displeasure on one major item.

Education, Beshear said, was the greatest missed opportunity in the budget.

The budget certainly doesnt meet the moment when it comes to K-12 education, Beshear said.

Among Beshears disappointments: $680 million fewer dollars to the state education allocation formula known as SEEK than his proposed budget, no mandated teacher raises, and no funding for universal pre-K.

It fails to fund a no brainer, universal pre-K, that not only would make every Kentucky child kindergarten-ready, but is the single fastest thing we can do to put people back into the workforce, Beshear said. We cant talk about putting people back into the workforce, we cant make cuts into our safety net claiming its going to get people back to work, and then not do the simplest, most effective thing: universal pre-K.

Education has been an animating force in Kentucky politics, with teachers successfully marching the Capitol en masse to protest budget cuts in 2018. A year later, education played a pivotal role in Beshears defeat of former Gov. Matt Bevin.

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Senate Republican leadership has already indicated that they plan to override the vast majority of Beshears vetoes. With the exception of a few close House votes on notable bills  one that gives elected county leaders the authority to take control of their local libraries and another that creates a funding mechanism for public charter schools  both Republican-dominated chambers of the legislature have the numbers to easily override the governors vetoes.

Last week, Beshear vetoed priority GOP bills on abortion, cutting the states personal income tax, restricting public assistance, slashing unemployment benefits, and making it harder to get an abortion in the state.

During the press conference, Republican Party of Kentucky spokesperson Sean Southard released a statement characterizing the governor as unengaged in the budget drafting process and unwilling to work across the aisle with legislative leaders.

The Governor spent the entire legislative session on the sidelines and refused to engage with the General Assembly in any meaningful way, Southard wrote. He never walked down the hall to speak with House or Senate leadership. Instead, he chided them from the briefing room.

When asked about the statement on Monday, Beshear had a couple words in response: not true.

He pointed out that the House jumped the gun on the governors office in presenting a budget first, a privilege normally conferred to the governor.

We had meetings on broadband, we had meetings on water and sewer, Beshear said. We met with Senate leadership for four or five sessions over things in our budget and why they needed to be there. I get politics, but its just not true.

Beshear criticized two other omissions from the budget: funding 90 more positions in the beleagured Office of Unemployment Insurance, which he said will only get more overworked if his veto on a bill cutting those benefits gets overriden; and $400 million in hero pay for the states essential workers.

Beshear pointed to $200 million allocated for economic site development, which was not present in the Houses first version of the budget, as a provision thats part of a lot to like in the budget. $10 million for the expansion of Louisvilles Waterfront Park in the predominantly Black West End was another item he praised.
BETHESDA  A 7-year-old boy hit by a car while waiting for a school bus has died, police in Maryland said Friday.

A man was waiting at a Bethesda school bus stop with two children, ages 7 and 1, on Wednesday morning when a Honda Accord left the road and hit them, Montgomery County police said.

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The 7-year-old boy had life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital with his father, who had minor injuries, police said. The boy, identified as Muhammad Haekal Saifullah Elsyaf of Bethesda, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday, police said in a news release Friday.

The toddler, who was in a stroller, and the driver of the Honda werent injured. The driver remained on the scene and provided a statement to investigators.

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Detectives with the collision reconstruction unit continue to examine the circumstances of this crash, police said.
Michigans years-long debate over private school choice is heating up again this year. And experts say that backers of a voucher-like system, led by former U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, may have at last found the means to direct public funds to private schools.

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More than two decades after Michigan voters resoundingly rejected vouchers at the ballot box in 2000, DeVos and her allies are attempting to pass a new school choice law through an unusual wrinkle in the states ballot initiative process. The public campaign, known as Let MI Kids Learn, would award tax credits to private donors who contribute to newly created scholarship funds; those scholarships could be accessed by families to pay for their educational expenses, including private school tuition.

Related: Betsy DeVos Touts Voucher Ballot Initiative that Could Circumvent Michigan Gov. Whitmers Veto

The shift in policy would be substantial, said Ben DeGrow, director of education policy at Michigans right-leaning Mackinac Center.

Michigan would be going from basically zero private school choice to a robust choice program very quickly, DeGrow said. The new benefit would somewhat resemble similar tax credits offered in 22 other states, many initiated or revised over the last decade, he added.

Ben DeGrow (Mackinac Center)

Its path to enactment, however, sets it apart. After two tax-credit bills were vetoed last fall by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, conservatives pursued a different strategy to realize their aims. Now, if the organizers of Let MI Kids Learn collect a relatively small number of signatures by June 1, the proposal can be passed again by both houses of the Republican-held state legislature. After that, the law cannot be vetoed again by the governor, who is running for re-election later in the year.

Few other states permit such a process, which combines a direct appeal to the electorate with the strong-arm tactics of the statehouse. If local Republicans prevail, their blueprint for success will be one that lawmakers elsewhere wont be able to follow. But they will have significantly advanced the aims of the DeVos family, which has long sought to bring private and religious schools under the umbrella of K-12 options supported by their home state.

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John Austin, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the former Democratic president of the Michigan State Board of Education, described the states generational fight over schools as a 20-year shooting war that led to this push.

All these battles over privatizing schools have eviscerated the public education establishment of administrators, personnel, and their influence, Austin said. Its a very different politics than 20 years ago, and its carried the day because of the aggressive efforts of the DeVoses and their allies.

A perfect deal for the DeVoses

Michigan is perhaps Americas most wide-open environment for public school choice. A huge charter school sector enrolls about 150,000 K-12 students, and even among families who stick with traditional public schools, many take advantage of the popular Schools of Choice initiative, which allows students to attend schools outside their own district.

Related: Falling Birth Rates Spur Clash over Race and School Choice in Michigan

But like most states, Michigan disallows private schools from receiving public money. That prohibition was added to the state constitution after a referendum in 1970 and loudly reaffirmed in 2000, when the electorate voted down a ballot measure to lift the ban. The DeVos family contributed heavily to that later effort, which failed by a 39-point margin.

In the intervening years, Republicans have labored to widen the available alternatives to district schools, lifting a cap on charters in 2011 and dramatically increasing the enrollment of virtual charters the following year. Theyve also opened subtle cracks in the wall separating the public and private sectors by allocating millions of dollars to reimburse private schools for costs associated with state-mandated expenses like fire drills and inspections.

However, the party didnt reopen the question of directing state funding to pay for private school costs until late 2021, when GOP majorities in the state House and Senate approved legislation creating opportunity scholarships that would be available to qualified families; eligibility was tied to household income, which could be as high as roughly $98,000 for a family of four. Beneficiaries could receive nearly $8,000 to pay for private tuition, but the bills also offered hundreds of dollars to public school students to spend on tutoring, books, and other supplemental learning costs.

David Arsen, a professor of education policy at Michigan State University and sometime critic of the DeVos family, said that the structure of the tax credits was almost nicer than the straightforward voucher design that was unsuccessfully put before voters.

Related: School Choice Backers See Opening in COVID Chaos, Even as Culture War Issues Threaten to Fracture Coalition

Its sort of a perfect deal for the DeVoses, Arsen reasoned. The money they formerly would have given to the state, they will now be able to give to the private school vouchers of their choice.

Austin said the push was directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic, when some Michigan districts kept schools closed for months. An analysis from researchers at the University of Michigan found that public school enrollment in the state dropped by 3 percent in the fall of 2020 (enrollment among kindergartners dropped by 10 percent), while homeschooling and private school attendance simultaneously climbed. In other states, too, parents began to embrace specialized education savings accounts to offset new expenses incurred after withdrawing their students from traditional schools.

John Austin (Brookings Institution)

Some of the parents I know just found other schools that had stayed open, including private ones, Austin said. So the political moment is right for arguments about parental rights and parental choice governing kids education.

A request for comment from the DeVos Family Foundation was directed to Let MI Kids Learn spokesman Fred Wszolek, who agreed that by underwriting private school tuition or instructional expenses such as curricular materials, the new policy could give parents leverage they didnt have before.

They can go to their school board meeting and say, Hey, why are you teaching this subject this way? We think it should be different, Wszolek said. And now everybody will have the potential to take their kids and go [to private school] or homeschool their kids. So the education establishment  the teachers union, the school boards, and the school superintendents  theyre all going to have to get used to the fact that change is coming.

Unusual legislative maneuver

Even before Gov. Whitmer vetoed the two bills last November, having previously called them nonstarters, school choice advocates announced that they would launch a petition drive in support of the tax-credit scholarships. Within a few weeks, their petitions were approved, giving the organizers six months to collect a little over 340,000 signatures from Michigan voters.

Gathering the necessary signatures would allow the legislature to vote again on the tax credits within a span of 40 days, in accordance with the Michigan Constitutions indirect initiative provision. If they vote in favor, the proposal will be enacted  and Whitmer cannot veto it.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed opportunity scholarship legislation last fall. She wont have that option again if this years indirect initiative succeeds. (Bill Pugliano / Getty Images)

The indirect initiative grants tremendous power to legislative majorities in Lansing, though they have seldom exploited it. Due in part to favorably drawn district boundaries, Republicans have made up a majority of the state House for 22 of the last 28 years; they have held the Senate continuously since 1984.

This year, frustrated by Whitmers active veto pen, the GOP is pursuing indirect initiatives related not only to tax-credit scholarships, but also voter ID requirements and pandemic-inspired emergency orders. Lou Glazer, a longtime observer of local politics and head of the nonprofit Michigan Future Inc., said that while the tool had always been available to politicians, its previously infrequent use made it feel like a brand-new tactic.

Related: An Experiment at the Crossroads: In Year Two, Pandemic Pods Find Their Legs  and Face Their Limitations. Will They Endure Beyond COVID-19?

Whats changed is the willingness to use this device, which has been there for a while, Glazer said. As long as you control the legislature  the governor is irrelevant  you can initiate and enact policy with very few signatures.

In fact, the signature threshold of 340,047 represents just 8 percent of the votes cast in the 2018 gubernatorial election, in which nearly 2.3 million voters supported Whitmer. Sources agreed that the mark would be easy to hit, especially given the extensive resources of its proponents. State financial reports show that members of the DeVos family have already donated over $400,000 to Let MI Kids Learn, which will help underwrite a highly organized corps of professional signature collectors. The Great Lakes Education Project, an advocacy group established by DeVos, has kicked in another $25,000.

Provided the petitions win the requisite support, the question becomes whether the legislature will go along with the process. Michigan States Arsen argued that the support of Republican lawmakers was not a slam dunk, even though they passed the original legislation last year. Many represent school districts that have faced shrinking enrollment and financial distress for years, and the notion of propping up private schools out of the states coffers  particularly through such an unorthodox legislative avenue  might give them pause.

David Arsen (Michigan State University)

At the same time, he added, the DeVos political machine can be expected to keep wrangling votes in favor of their top agenda item. In past struggles over education policy and governance, the family has proven more than willing to finance primary challenges against Republicans who stray from the preferred line.

If this initiative gets the signatures and goes before the legislature, everybody knows that the DeVoses will be putting on a full-court press, Arsen said. Theyll use their resources to the extent possible, and theres usually not a lot of wiggle room for legislators to step outside that influence. They know theyll be primaried if they do.

Looking toward election

The Mackinac Centers Degrow said that Michigan Republicans would require little arm-twisting to repeat their votes in favor of the opportunity scholarships. The ongoing groundswell in favor of greater family involvement in education  typified by Virginias gubernatorial election last November, in which Glenn Youngkin rode to victory on a wave of parental discontent  amplified the political case for the policy.

Related: Will the Tea Party of 2022 Emerge from the Debate over Schools? Virginia Election Offers GOP Template for Midterms

Theyve already publicly committed themselves on this issue, and the timing of the governors veto of the bill coincided with the parent uprising election in Virginia, Degrow argued. That may have reinforced in their minds that theres a political advantage in recognizing the wishes of parents.

Let MI Kids Learns Wszolek said he believed the proposal would become law in 2022, and that its detractors would struggle to dismantle the choice scheme in the future.

If the teachers union wants to take it to the ballot in 2024 to try to repeal it, theyre free to do so, he said. But I dont think theyre going to be successful because once people see that options are a great idea, theyre not going to want to do away with them.

Whatever popular support the scholarships might gain if enacted, severely diminished labor strength could help them survive future elections. Since Michigan became a right-to-work state in 2012, membership in its largest teachers union, the Michigan Education Association, has plummeted by one-third. Additionally, nearly 7,000 member accounts have been sent to collections because of non-payment of union dues.

Related: Analysis: NEA Membership Is Down 9% Since 2009 & the Lowest Its Been Since 2006. But Unions Finances, and Political Influence, Still Going Strong

For the moment, most of the states political class is already looking toward Election Day 2022, when every seat in the legislature will be up for grabs. Republicans are favored to hold onto both chambers, especially in a midterm cycle when voter sentiment seems to be trending away from the Democrats. But a revised set of district maps designed by the states newly nonpartisan redistricting commission could make this falls races more competitive than theyve been in years. If the tax-credit initiative proves controversial with voters, that shift in political circumstance could prove an obstacle.

Gov. Whitmer, who became a national figure during the pandemic, is also running for a second term this year. The field of Republican challengers has yet to fully take shape, though polling in the races early stages shows the incumbent narrowly leading former Detroit police chief James Craig. K-12 issues could offer an opportunity to widen the gap.

A request for comment from the governors office was not returned. Already, however, Whitmer has unveiled a 2022 budget request that includes the largest increase in education funding in two decades. The proposal, drawing both from federal COVID relief and projected state surpluses, would offer school employees substantial annual bonuses over the next five years, along with a 5 percent increase in overall per-pupil support.

Related: DeVos on the Docket: With 455 Lawsuits Against Her Department and Counting, Education Secretary is Left to Defend Much of Her Agenda in Court

Arsen said that in a career of studying education finance in the state, hed never seen such an ambitious plan to increase school spending. He added that the move might carry particular benefits in areas of the state that have long been economically depressed, and where school districts are some of the largest employers.

Rural Michigan is not enjoying the economic dynamism  such as it is  of the rest of the state. And its not unlike parts of Wisconsin or Pennsylvania: Theyre all red, but the superintendents are like the mayors in these towns. Whitmer understands this. Shes got to have something to say to rural Michigan, and shes leading with schools.

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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,
President Biden. Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

President Biden is expected to announce Monday new policy measures on untraceable "ghost guns" and his replacement nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, two people with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.

Republicans were united against Biden's first nominee, 25-year ATF veteran David Chipman, leading the White House to withdraw the nomination. Biden is expected to announce that he's chosen Steve Dettlebach as his replacement nominee, six people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Dettlebach served as a U.S. attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016.

With gun violence rising in many major cities across the United States, the White House has been urged to take steps against ghost guns. These weapons do not have serial numbers, so law enforcement can't track them or carry out background checks. Justice Department statistics show that from 2016 to 2020, law enforcement officials were able to recover almost 24,000 ghost guns from crime scenes.

The White House is expected to enact a rule changing the current definition of a firearm under federal law to include unfinished parts, AP reports, and make it a requirement that dealers run background checks on people who want to buy ghost gun kits that contain the parts necessary to build a firearm.

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President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a "candid exchange of views" on the Ukraine crisis at a virtual summit Monday, but the United States appeared to have made little progress in wooing India away from its neutral stance on Russia's invasion.

"It is important that all countries, especially those with leverage, press Putin to end the war," Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters after the virtual summit, which was followed by an in-person meeting with his Indian counterpart and the defense ministers from both countries.

"And it's also important that democracies stand together and speak with one voice to defend the values that we share," Blinken said after the talks, described by one US official as "warm and productive."

Biden made no major demands of India, a key strategic ally in US plans to contain growing Chinese power in the Asia-Pacific region, and there was no indication of significant progress toward a unified posture on the Ukraine conflict.

But White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Biden "made clear that he does not believe it's in India's interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities."

- Tightrope -

Modi has tried to walk a tightrope between maintaining relations with the West and avoiding alienating Russia, but has raised concerns in Washington by continuing to buy Russian oil.

In his talks with Biden, he merely said the situation was "very worrying" and recalled his support for talks between Russia and Ukraine, which Washington views with skepticism.

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar showed a hint of annoyance when he told reporters asking about Biden's push for India to cut energy imports from Russia that "probably our total purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon."

Biden has been pressuring world leaders to take a hard line against Moscow, although a US official said there was no "concrete ask and concrete answer" on energy imports.

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"India has to make its own decisions about how it approaches this challenge," said Blinken, noting however that India "has made very strong statements ... condemning the killing of civilians in Ukraine" and was "providing significant humanitarian assistance."

Failing to win over such a key ally to its cause, Washington appears instead to be heaping on the pledges of friendship to prevent India from gradually slipping into the Russian camp, with Moscow actively courting it.

Biden began the meeting by saluting the "deep connection" between the two countries and said he wanted to continue their "close consultation" over the war.

Biden and Modi failed to reach a joint condemnation of the Russian invasion when they last spoke in early March at a meeting of the so-called "Quad" alliance of the United States, India, Australia and Japan.

- India 'shaky' on Russia? -

And New Delhi abstained when the UN General Assembly voted last week to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in war crimes.

The United States has already warned that any country that actively helps Russia to circumvent international sanctions will suffer "consequences."

Yet this has not deterred India from working with Russia on a rupee-ruble payment mechanism to circumvent banking sanctions, while taking advantage of discounted oil prices offered by Russian producers.

Meanwhile India has bought at least three million barrels of crude from Russia since the start of the invasion on February 24, despite an embargo by Western nations.

Biden said on March 21 that India was an exception among Washington's allies with its "somewhat shaky" response to the Russian offensive.

In the Cold War, officially non-aligned India leaned towards the Soviet Union, in part due to US support for arch-rival Pakistan.

According to experts, Russia remains India's biggest supplier of major arms and India is also Russia's largest weapons buyer.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who met with Modi in New Delhi in early April, lauded India for its approach to the conflict, and in particular for judging "the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way."

ft/jh/md
The Biden administration on Monday asked a federal appeals court to clear a procedural hurdle that remained after a key legal victory last week and allow the administration to quickly resume enforcement of its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal employees.

The request to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, if granted, would effectively reinstate the public health policy after it was put on hold across the country in January by a federal judge in Texas.

The latest development comes after a divided 5th Circuit panel last week reversed that January ruling by Texas-based U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown, a Trump appointee, and ordered the case dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.

The administrations request Monday would move up the timeline for the panels judgment to take effect, which is currently not set to occur until May 31.

Bidens vaccine mandate for federal workers was hit with lawsuits after its implementation early last fall. The policy, which allows for religious and medical exemptions, generally requires federal employees to get vaccinated or face discipline, including termination.

A challenge brought in December by Feds for Medical Freedom, a 6,000-member organization, led to the policy being temporarily blocked the following month.

In its 2-1 opinion last week reversing the challengers win in the lower court, the appellate panel held that the Feds for Medical Freedom should have pursued internal avenues for relief prior to filing its suit.

According to administration data from December, around 93 percent of employees had received at least one vaccination and 4 percent had sought exemptions.

The administrations vaccination policies have faced numerous legal challenges. In January, a divided Supreme Court blocked the Biden administrations vaccine-or-test mandate for large employers but allowed a vaccine-only mandate for health providers at federally funded facilities.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
OTTAWA, Ont.  Bill Browder, a U.S. investor and prominent anti-Putin critic, says the Russian presidents endgame in Ukraine is to ensure he stays in power at home.

And to do that, Vladimir Putin will stay at war, Browder says.

Its not going to end  it's going to carry on and on and on, Browder, who heads the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign, tells POLITICO.

Vladimir Putin is not going to back down and Ukrainians are not going to give up their country. This war will, unfortunately, be a long-lasting war in which many more atrocities will be committed, many more heartbreaks will happen and Russia will become even more isolated than they already are in the international community.

The founder and CEO of Hermitage Capital Management has a deep knowledge of the president and the way Putins Russia operates.

Browder, who has worked to reveal corruption in Russia, also knows how it feels to be on Putins bad side. This week, he will release a book titled "Freezing Order," in which he details how he helped expose Putins campaign to steal and launder hundreds of billions of dollars and what happened afterward.

Browder rose to prominence through his global efforts to persuade governments to adopt punitive legislation in the name of his friend, Sergei Magnitsky. The Moscow lawyer was tortured and killed in a Russian jail in 2009 after uncovering a massive tax-corruption scheme.

Ever since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Browder has been kept busy sharing his deep knowledge of Russia.

Browder said governments have sought his advice on who they should sanction around Putin, how to find the money and where to find the loopholes.

I've had detailed conversations with officials at a high level in the Canadian government about how to react to this, as I have with the U.S. government and with the British government, Browder said in an interview.

I don't want to violate confidences, but what I can say is that I've been thinking about these issues for more than a decade. A lot of these governments have been thinking about them for only a month.

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Browder shared his thoughts on Putin, the response of Western democracies and Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who he knows well from their days in Moscow years ago.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

What have you learned about Putin over the years and whats your take on the Wests response over Russias assault on Ukraine?

For 20 years, the West basically turned a blind eye to Putin's crimes. This is not the first time Putin has illegally seized, or tried to seize, a sovereign state. He did so in Georgia in 2008, he did so in Crimea in 2014, he did so in eastern Ukraine after that. Its not the first time hes killed innocent civilians. He did that in Syria, he's done that in Ukraine, hes done assassinations all over the world. And we have effectively  the West  has turned a blind eye and not create any consequences. In a certain way, we have emboldened him to do what he's done just now, which is, of course, much worse than anything hes done before.

Having said that, I think the Wests reaction now is appropriate and commensurate and powerful. The economic sanctions are something that I could have never envisaged the West doing. They're not complete, but I think that they're powerful, where they are, even at the moment.

How could the Wests response have a stronger effect on Putin?

If we look at the Russian banks that are still allowed to function, only 70 percent have been disconnected from SWIFT [The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication]  and we need to disconnect 100 percent of them from SWIFT.

If we look at the oligarchs who have been sanctioned, there are 118 on the Forbes list and only 12 of them have been sanctioned. More than 100 of them should be sanctioned. And most importantly  and this is the elephant in the room  while we're doing all these sanctions, the West  I'm speaking mostly about Europe  are still sending a billion dollars a day to Russia in the form of payments for Russian oil and gas. And that has to stop.

Why has the Wests response stopped short?

There are people who would be economically disadvantaged by 100 percent of the banks being sanctioned, by all the oligarchs being sanctioned, and so it requires even more political will. But Im 100 percent sure they all will be sanctioned because Putin, by his own atrocious action, is creating this political will.

Youve been following Putin closely for a long time. Why is he invading Ukraine?

The reason he's doing this is not because of NATO  (or) Ukraine joining the European Union. He is doing this because he needs a war in order to stay popular and stay in power. He has been a dictator for 22 years, he's stolen an enormous amount of money from the Russian people and, absent the war or some other highly visible way of riling his people into a fervor of patriotism, he would no longer be in power. And so this is his way of staying in power.

How much do you think about disinformation and misinformation when it comes to Russias war on Ukraine?

There's two kinds of wars going on right now  there's a military war and there's an information war. And the Russians are very good at information warfare. It doesnt require huge amounts of organized troops and military equipment. It just requires a relatively low investment.  I've been a very big victim of their information warfare and it's highly pernicious and it can create all sorts of bad outcomes.

How can the West combat Putins information war?

The West has done a beautiful job in this particular war. The U.S., Canada, the U.K. repeated every day for two months before the invasion that Russia was going to invade. So, by the time the Russians were starting to spread their misinformation to justify their invasion, a lot of the Russian apologist countries basically didn't use those arguments because they were so not credible because of this, what I would call a very good information strategy by the allies this time around.

What else can be done to put pressure on countries that are leaning toward supporting Russia, or even those that have been staying neutral?

There's a lot more to be done. There's certain countries  like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Brazil  who are not immensely powerful, where we have a lot of leverage. And we should use it to get them to not support Russia and to join the civilized world. It makes no sense why South Africa, for example, is doing this. And if they want to do this, there should be a price to pay.

And how about China?

We have no influence over China. They're a superpower by themselves. But, for example, the consumers of the world have an influence. We could all stop buying Chinese goods if they carry on supporting the war in Ukraine.

How do the oligarchs fit into the picture?

The oligarchs aren't powerful in their own right. Basically, they used to be before Putin. But their role now is to basically provide financial assistance to Putin  to look after his money for him, and to take financial actions as directed by him. And so they're effectively the financial arm of Vladimir Putin. They are his financial alter ego and so when we talk about sanctioning Putin, we have to be also talking about sanctioning the oligarchs.

Freeland has been credited with leading the international drive to sanction Russias central bank. Shes also a former journalist you know from your time in Moscow. What do you remember of her from your days in Russia?

When I was a fund manager in Moscow, I encountered all sorts of corruption by the oligarchs who own majority stakes of the companies I had invested in. She was the [Financial Times] bureau chief and I was trying to get different journalists to write about these scams. Most of the journalists were too scared. But she was the only one brave enough to go out and expose one of the biggest oligarchs in Russia at the time, Vladimir Potanin, in a major conflict I was involved in.

And her exposing him led to his attempts to steal huge amounts of money to go unsuccessful. It also led to my work as an anti-corruption activist when I saw I could work with the media to do this type of thing. It both empowered me and it also empowered other journalists to then step in and do the same thing. She was a real leader, even back when she was just a journalist.
The worlds largest crypto exchange received an in-principle approval from the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) to operate as a virtual assets broker-dealer, bolstering Binances presence in the Middle East.

See related article: Binance wins crypto license in Dubai days after FTX

Fast facts

Binance will offer virtual asset investment and trading services across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) through a subsidiary, an ADGM statement said.

Binance has made efforts to expand its presence in the region, obtaining licenses in Bahrain and Dubai last month.

Approvals from regulators in the Middle East will help Binance deflect criticism over the lack of oversight.

The United Arab Emirates has attracted a number of exchanges to set up shop there, with FTX gaining a license in Dubai last month.

Crypto.com and Bybit are also setting up regional hubs in Dubai.

See related article: Binance wants to play ball with regulators
(Bloomberg) -- Weeks after three private equity dealmakers told BlackRock Inc. they were headed to a rival, the worlds largest asset manager fired off its own salvo.

Most Read from Bloomberg

It dismissed Konnin Tam, Steve Lessar and Veena Isaac and announced the move internally in a memo to staff, citing the coordinated fashion in which they planned to depart.

That response underscores how intense the war for talent has become across the industry. BlackRock, best known as a provider of index and exchange-traded funds, has been seeking to expand in private equity, a sector that has been spared from the fee wars upending the rest of the asset-management world.

A lawyer for the three, who are leaving to join Apollo Global Management Inc., said they gave notice on March 24, indicating a desire to work cooperatively during the transition. They also told BlackRock that they would depart immediately or before the end of a 90-day notice period if thats what the company preferred, according to two people who shared the contents of a resignation letter.

The action we took reflects how seriously we take our commitment to putting the interests of our clients first and how the actions of these individuals fell short of what we expect of our employees, Edwin Conway, global head of BlackRock Alternative Investors, and Russell Steenberg, global head of BlackRock Private Equity Partners, said in the memo announcing the dismissals.

The three fired executives, all managing directors, are joining Apollo as part of the private equity firms push into secondary investing. That strategy involves buying and selling second-hand investments at discounts. Asset managers are in an escalating race to build up their secondaries arms -- key cash cows that generate cash streams and fees.

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Apollo said in an emailed statement that its looking forward to the trios arrival and is pleased by the caliber of talent that we continue to attract to the firm as we expand into new growth opportunities such as secondary solutions.

The three helped run BlackRocks secondaries investing group, raising more than than $3 billion for such deals in 2021. Lessar and Tam joined the firm in 2018 after working as managing directors at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Before joining BlackRock in 2019, Isaac was a partner at Jasper Ridge Partners and a principal at Pantheon Ventures.

Read more: BlackRock Hires Two Goldman Sachs Executives for Private Equity

BlackRocks hiring of Tam and Lessar was part of an effort to grow its alternatives arm.

Big asset managers have been hunting for secondaries teams, ratcheting up the scrum for talent in a niche but growing corner of the private equity industry. Last year, Franklin Resources Inc. said it reached a deal to buy Lexington Partners, an early pioneer in secondaries, and Ares Management Corp. acquired secondaries shop Landmark Partners.

Read more: Franklin, T. Rowe Embrace Booming Private Assets for Expansion

Now Apollo will have a new team to strengthen its secondaries platform. In 2021, the firm launched a credit-secondaries business led by insurance clients to invest in second-hand stakes in credit funds.

(Updates with Landmark Partners in penultimate paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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LOS ANGELES, CA  During the same year that George Floyd was murdered, leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement quietly purchased a $6 million luxury home in Southern California using funds donated to the organization, New York magazine's Intelligencer reported.

Read more from Itelligencer: Black Lives Matter Secretly Bought a $6 Million House

Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation  which is an organization that was built off of the movement itself  has raised more than $90 million in donations. It reportedly made the $6 million all cash splurge on the Studio City home just five months after Floyd's death. His murder ignited a tidal wave of activism and crowded protests across the country despite the threat and height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.



The home in question was reportedly purchased secretly and in a different name. But a BLMGNF spokeswoman did eventually confirm this month that the organization owns the state.

The group responded to Intelligencer's report on Twitter on April 4: "RT to spread the word: we are redefining what it means to be an activist in this generation with our new Fellowship and Creator House."

The "Campus" as its called by members, is a sprawling 6,500-square foot estate with six bedrooms, multiple fireplaces, a soundstage, a pool and separate bungalow. There's also parking for more than 20 cars, according to real estate listings.

On April 1, Shalomyah Bowers, a BLMGNF spokesperson told Intelligencer that Campus was purchased "with the intention for it to serve as housing and studio space for recipients of the Black Joy Creators Fellowship."

Last year, BLM leaders Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Melina Abdullah were seen sitting around a table in front of the multi-million dollar mansion in Los Angeles as they recorded a YouTube video to mark the first anniversary of Floyd's murder. As the women discussed disparities faced by in stewarding racial justice work, the house behind them went unacknowledged.

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Collurs had previously faced scrutiny for purchasing four homes for nearly $3 million during her time with BLM. The stature of her real estate portfolio revealed troubling disparities between the funds enjoyed by BLM's most prominent faces and activists with boots on the ground across the nation, Dirt reported.

In the video recorded last spring, Collurs addressed the backlash she received for those purchases, characterizing reporting from media as "right-wing media disinformation and harassment," adding that she was "in survival mode," according to the video posted last spring.

She resigned a few days after that video was released.

In another point during the video, Abdullah said: "They've attempted to say  and I'm just gonna say it  'She bought some damn houses. We gonna cancel her,"' with Garza adding "Y'all don't know [expletive] about what it takes to live in a box here."

This article originally appeared on the Studio City Patch
The Daily Beast

Chingis Kondarov/ReutersChechen troops in Ukraine loyal to Ramzan Kadyrov have claimed a reputation for being the most brutal in Putins war, but a new report says theyre actually suffering major losses and going to great lengths to cover them up.According to an investigation by Russias independent news outlet IStories, the official figure of 13 Chechen soldiers killed in Ukraine is a major undercount; a source in the Chechen Health Ministry tells the outlet the true death toll of the so-calle
An Edgewater man who police say stabbed another man to death at a Glen Burnie restaurant in 2020 was sentenced to 30 years of prison time, and was identified by prosecutors as a member of the notorious MS-13 gang.

Prosecutors maintain that the man who stabbed Jose Salvador Mancia Aguilar, of Glen Burnie, at El Norteno Grill was connected to the criminal enterprise, stating that Cristian Pleitez-Tejada, 23, is a verified member of the MS-13 gang, according to a news release from the Anne Arundel County States Attorneys Office.

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MS-13 is a gang made up primarily of Salvadoran immigrants or descendants and is found in communities across America. In Maryland, authorities say the gangs cliques operate in Anne Arundel, Prince Georges, Montgomery and Frederick counties.

Investigators determined a dispute between the men leading up to the October 2020 stabbing at El Norteno Grill stemmed from an undetermined incident in their mutual home country of El Salvador.

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Mancia Aguilar was found bleeding profusely and declared dead at the restaurant. Weeks after the stabbing, Pleitez-Tejada planned to flee the country, according to prosecutors, but he was found by FBI agents in Arkansas.

Police say he admitted to investigators that he had stabbed Mancia Aguilar with a knife he had been carrying that evening. Pleitez-Tejada pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court.

Anne Arundel County Circuit Judge Robert J. Thompson sentenced Pleitez-Tejada to 30 years of incarceration earlier this month, according to court records. Pleitez-Tejada was represented by a public defender.

I am grateful that the judge recognized the defendants dangerousness as a verified gang member, and sentenced him to the maximum sentence for this crime, Anne Arundel County States Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said in a statement. Its my hope that this outcome provides the victims family and friends some peace as they have suffered a terrible loss.

Two of Pleitez-Tejadas associates, Carlos Hercules-Aquino and Gerardo Quinteros-Hernandez, pleaded guilty last November to obstruction of justice charges. Authorities stated that they drove Pleitez-Tejada to St. Louis after the stabbing, then drove back to Maryland and sold the car they had used to flee the area. They received time-served sentences and were placed on five years of supervised probation.
MIRAMAR BEACH  Local wounded warrior Brian Kolfage has entered an agreement with federal prosecutors in New York to plead guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy charge connected to the defrauding of donors to a nonprofit organization he founded in 2019 to collect donations for construction of sections of wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a letter filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Kolfage also has agreed to plead guilty to three federal tax charges in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida that are tangentially related to his nonprofit We Build The Wall Inc., according to the letter from New York prosecutors.

The letter said the Florida cases were consolidated with the New York case because of the likelihood that they would have been brought together for purposes of a change of plea hearing and sentencing.

Wounded warrior Brian Kolfage speaks in Sunland Park, New Mexico, in 2019 at a section of U.S.-Mexico border wall built with funds from his nonprofit We Build The Wall Inc. Kolfage recently entered a plea agreement with federal prosecutors on fraud and tax charges connected to the nonprofit organization.

Earlier reporting: Plea deal may be developing in 'We Build the Wall' cases

From 2020: Kolfage says politics, misunderstanding behind fraud conspiracy indictment

In Florida, Kolfage was indicted last year on charges that he received hundreds of thousands of dollars from multiple organizations in 2019, including We Build the Wall Inc., which he failed to report to the IRS. He was subsequently indicted on an additional charge that he filed a false amended tax return in December 2020. That return was filed four months after the Southern District of New York indictment was announced.

Court documents do not indicate anything about the disposition of a second New York charge against Kolfage of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

An Air Force veteran who lost both legs and his right hand and forearm in a 2004 rocket attack in Iraq, Kolfage subsequently turned his attention to an array of conservative causes, including the border wall that became a focus of the administration of President Donald Trump.

We Build The Wall Inc. at one point held $25 million in donations, more than $8 million of which was used to build a 1-mile section of wall in Sunland Park, New Mexico. An additional $1.5 million was provided to a contractor pursuing a 3.5-mile section of wall in Mission, Texas.

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According to Kolfage, the nonprofit subsequently worked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to investigate potential projects with which the department indicated it might have needed some help. Also, Kolfage said the nonprofit switched some of its work to education and advocacy on border issues.

Contacted via voice message and text message on Friday for comment, Kolfage did not return the voice message, but did respond with a cryptic text message on the plea agreement.

"They Michael Flynn'd me," he wrote.

Asked for clarification, Kolfage texted, "That's all I can really say at the moment ...," before going on to write that "... after it's all said and done, I'll give you a full interview."

Given Kolfage's decidedly conservative politics, his reference likely was to Michael Flynn, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and former national security adviser in the Trump administration.

Flynn pleaded guilty in federal court to lying about contacts with a Russian diplomat regarding sanctions imposed on Russia in connection with that country's interference in the 2016 U.S. election, even as conservative media figures pressed the case that Flynn was innocent.

Flynn later moved to change his plea, with prosecutors urging that he not be allowed to do so. Flynn was pardoned by Trump in the last weeks of his administration for any possible crimes he might have committed in connection with special counsel Robert Muellers two-year investigation of Russian interference in the election.

A change of plea hearing for Kolfage has been scheduled for 2 p.m. April 21 in front of U.S. District Court Judge Analisa Torres, according to court filings. A copy of the fully executed plea agreement was submitted to Torres on March 31, court filings indicate.

Outside of whatever plea agreement Kolfage has reached with prosecutors  court documents provide no details  the charges could carry a sentence of as much as 60 years in prison.

Kolfage was indicted nearly two years ago by a Southern District of New York grand jury along with three codefendants on charges alleging, in part, that more than $350,000 in donations to We Build The Wall Inc. were steered to Kolfage despite his assertions that he would not accept a salary from the organization.

Also indicted in the scheme was Steve Bannon, a former political strategist for Trump, who allegedly steered $1 million that was donated to We Build The Wall Inc. into a separate nonprofit organization that he controlled. Trump pardoned Bannon in 2020 in the waning hours of the Trump administration.

Still facing the New York charges are two other Kolfage codefendants, Colorado businessman Timothy Shea and Florida financier Andrew Badolato. Shea likely is headed for trial May 19 and Badolato is scheduled for trial June 21, according to court filings.

A filing this week in Shea's case indicates that New York prosecutors are pursuing additional charges against him. In the filing, prosecutors notify Shea's attorney of evidence that Shea, his wife and Kolfage conspired to backdate checks steering money from We Build The Wall Inc. to a now-dissolved property management company and then to Kolfage.

The filing also cites evidence that Shea and Kolfage misappropriated $38,500 from We Build the Wall Inc. "as a purported 'loan' " to an energy drink company in which they both were involved.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Kolfage enters plea deal on federal charges in New York and Florida
The Juvenile Court Intervention Program was designed for students ages eight through 21 and offers classes on childhood abuse

A nonprofit network in Charlotte, North Carolina is dedicated to helping at-risk youth cope with the damaging effects of childhood trauma and gun violence.

As reported by the Charlotte Observer, the Mecklenburg Council of Elders launched a diversion program two years ago to help local students and create viable citizens.

(Adobe Stock photo)

The Juvenile Court Intervention Program offers classes on childhood abuse, mental health, anger management, and occupational skills, to name a few, for students ages 8 through 21.

We provide services to residents of Mecklenburg County by way of seminars and events designed to raise awareness of their rights and options as citizens- regardless of past involvement with the law, according to the Council of Elders website.

The Council of Elders consists of individual heads of non-profit organizations who work in criminal justice and interact with the court system, youth, young adults and the community, per the website. The diversion program collaborates with judges, social workers, and the community to provide educational awareness that serves as an alternative to incarceration for youth and young adults ages 13 to 35.

The website states the mission of the mentoring program is to create a sense of safety, trust, and justice.

The program operates out of the former Plaza Road Academy in northeast Charlotte. The space boasts repurposed classrooms, a fitness studio, a martial arts dojo, and an art room. The program helps students cope with childhood trauma that triggers adverse thoughts, which often lead to violent acts, said Macon.

Prisoners in jail (Adobe)

When you talk to many of the young people that are in jail or in court and waiting to be sentenced, something happened in their childhood that has triggered an adverse thought in their mind. And they enter into these gangs, into shooting, Macon said.

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So basically, what we do is to give them that necessary information in the hope that they change their mindset from the criminal activity, such as gang violence, and gun violence, and, you know, drug abuse and drug use, said Lorenzo Steele, a former Rikers Island guard and host of the podcast Behind These Prison Walls.

Steele discusses life inside prison with students with the hope that they understand the potential consequences their actions can have.

Tysha Pressley is a licensed clinical mental health counselor who leads an Abusive Childhood Experiences class for students trying to process their trauma and bounce back from their experiences.

Its an amazing time, just coming together and helping them to kind of understand themselves a little bit more, she said. Thats what I hope that they get out of it. I really hope that they get that, number one, () they matter, and theyre not just one dimensional, they are three-dimensional beings, Pressley told the outlet.

What I hope kids get out of the program is to be able to utilize the tools that are provided to keep the recidivism down to nothing, said educator Camille Stephens.

The program started with 45 students, and the goal is to reach 150 students this year, ages 8 to 21, executive director Maria Macon told the Charlotte Observer. This years classes and seminars started on April 4 and will run for six months. A community referral is required to participate in the free program.

TheGrio is now on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Charlotte non-profit helps youth cope with effects of childhood trauma, violence appeared first on TheGrio.
WASHINGTON  Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who has risen to national prominence as one of the most vocal opponents of former President Donald Trump, raised $2.94 million in toward her re-election bid the first quarter of 2022, her campaign confirmed to NBC News on Monday.

Cheney has raised more than $10 million during the 2022 midterm elections cycle and now has $6.8 million on hand, her campaign said.

The cash will likely all be needed as Cheney tries to fend off Trump-backed primary opponent Harriet Hageman, who is hoping to unseat the incumbent by riding the former president's public disdain for her.

The fundraising haul was first reported by Politico.

Last year, Cheney raised more than $7 million, which was 10 times as much as Hageman raised. The Wyoming Republican's fundraising prowess is in large part due to receiving donations from across the country for her re-election bid, buoyed by her role as the top Republican on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot.

In March, Bobbie Kilberg, an adviser to former Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and both Bushes, hosted a major fundraiser for Cheney. The event featured Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and VIP tickets costed $10,800 per couple.

Cheney has only a few months remaining before she's set to face Hageman in their state's primary on Aug. 16. Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, has been raising her national profile as an outspoken critic of Trump and of many of her fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill.

On Sunday, she said that the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol has enough evidence to refer President Donald Trump for criminal charges. The panel made similar allegations in a court filing in the case last month, saying it had a good-faith basis for concluding that the president and members of his campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy to defraud the United States.

The Republican National Committee formally censured Cheney and the only other Republican on the Jan. 6 committee, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., in February. This came after Republicans ousted Cheney as chairwoman of the House GOP Conference and replaced her with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.

Earlier this year, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Thursday endorsed Hageman in her effort to unseat Cheney from Congress.
BEIJING (AP)  The manufacturing hub of Guangzhou closed itself to most arrivals Monday as China battles a major COVID-19 surge in its big eastern cities.

Shanghai has taken the brunt of the rise, with another 26,087 cases announced on Monday, only 914 of which showed symptoms. The city of 26 million is under a tight lockdown, with many residents confined to their homes for up to three weeks and concerns growing over the effect on the economy of China's largest city.

The financial hub has seen international events canceled because of the crackdown, and local football club Shanghai Port has been forced to withdraw from the Asian Champions League because travel restrictions prevented it from attending games in Thailand.

No such lockdown has yet been announced for Guangzhou, a metropolis of 18 million northwest of Hong Kong that is home to many top companies and China's busiest airport. Just 27 cases were reported in the city on Monday.

However, primary and middle schools have been switched to online after an initial 23 local infections were detected last week. An exhibition center was being converted into a makeshift hospital after authorities said earlier they would begin citywide mass testing.

Only citizens with a definite need" to leave Guangzhou can do so, and only if they test negative for the virus within 48 hours of departure, city spokesperson Chen Bin said in a social media announcement.

China has stuck to its zero-COVID strategy of handling outbreaks with strict isolation and mass testing, despite complaints in Shanghai over shortages of food and medical services.

China's government and the entirely state-controlled media are growing increasingly defensive about complaints over the COVID-19 prevention measures, censoring content online and rebuking foreign critics.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Sunday said China had lodged solemn representations with the U.S." after the State Department advised Americans to reconsider traveling to China due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws and COVID-19 restrictions, particularly in Hong Kong, Jilin province and Shanghai. U.S. officials cited a risk of parents and children being separated.

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China was strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the U.S. sides groundless accusation against Chinas epidemic response, Zhao said.

Despite that, and indications the hardline policy is being dictated by head of the ruling Communist Party Xi Jinping, China has rejected any notion that its response is political in nature. Xi has demanded social stability above all else in the runup to a key party congress later this year at which he is expected to bestow on himself an unprecedented third-term as party leader.

The English-language China Daily acknowledged that Shanghai's measures are far from perfect," and pointed to the firing last week of three local officials for failing in their duties. But it said that shouldn't become an excuse to politicize the event and blame China.

Zhao issued a further defense of China's virus controls on Monday, saying they have proven to be effective and in line with its national conditions and needs, and have made an important contribution to the global fight against the epidemic."

Shanghai has brought in thousands of additional health workers from other cities, provinces and the military. Despite the large number of cases, no new deaths have been reported in the Shanghai wave, possibly because the omicron variant is less deadly than older variants.

City authorities also say they have secured daily supplies for residents, following complaints about deliveries of food and other necessities.

Residents have resorted to group buying of groceries because they are not allowed to leave their buildings, with only partial success in obtaining needed items.

Officials say they will begin relaxing restrictions beginning with areas where no new infections have been detected for two weeks. Residents will be allowed to move around their districts while remaining socially distanced.

A second category will be allowed to move around their neighborhoods, while others will remain isolated in their homes.

Chinese club Shanghai Port has been forced by the citys COVID-19 lockdown to withdraw from the Asian Champions League, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said Monday.

Due to travel restrictions in the city, Port was unable to make the trip to Thailand for six Group J games.

Its first game was scheduled on Saturday against Vissel Kobe of Japan.

The AFC acknowledged the travel restrictions faced by Shanghai Port FC as a result of the recent lockdown measures enforced in Shanghai, the AFC said in a statement.

The capital, Beijing, has seen relatively few restrictions, although the Erjiefang neighborhood including the famed 798 art district has been cordoned off and classified as high risk after eight infections were reported there over the past two weeks.

China is facing one of its worst local outbreaks since the pandemic began. China is still mostly closed to international travel, even as most of the world has sought ways to live with the virus.
The five-bedroom home where Chris Watts strangled his wife in 2018 - before killing their two young daughters - remains empty (Sheila Flynn)

Interested buyers from as far away as Germany are calling every week to inquire about the Colorado home where convicted murderer Chris Watts and his wife, Shanann, built their life  before he killed the pregnant mother and their two young daughters, one local attorney tells The Independent.

Its hard for me to say what its about, says bankruptcy lawyer Clark Dray. Some of it is morbid curiosity; some of it is just people having a hard time getting a home in this market  and theyll do whatever it takes.

As of now, the home  in a quiet subdivision a half-hour north of Denver  remains in legal limbo. And as potential buyers clamour to move onto the street, residents of the neighbourhood are fed up with the attention.

Some have already sold and left.

Were sick of it, says one neighbor, who only moved in after the infamous 2018 murders.

Chris Watts is currently serving life in prison after pleading guilty to murdering his wife, Shanann, along with their unborn son and their daughters Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3 (Instagram)

Another, whod lived there at the time, says that certain neighbours innocently gave interviews about the case  and were subsequently hounded, forcing them to flee. Others are fed up with tragedy tourists constantly driving by and stopping to take pictures; not only is the empty Watts home padlocked and peppered with signs warning that police will be called, but nearby neighbours have also posted similar warnings on their doors or properties.

Watts  who is serving life in a Wisconsin prison after pleading guilty to murdering his family  is still the named owner of the house, according to property records. But his wifes parents settled a $6m wrongful death suit with him in 2019, prompting a lien to be applied to the Frederick, Colorado house - meaning that proceeds from any sale would be turned over to them. The neighbourhood homeowners association also has a lien on the property, which was unsuccessfully put up for auction by the bank last year.

They started to foreclose, but then they realised  this is me interpreting what theyre doing  they thought this lien was on there and they thought, We dont want this, Mr Dray tells The Independent, describing HOA maintenance and everything else and also keeping squatters out.

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If they foreclosed, theyd be stuck on this dramatically underwater property.

He was not personally involved with the Watts case but, after being quoted about bankruptcy and foreclosure processes in connection with the house, found himself constantly fielding phone calls from interested parties. Hes even had to write a memo to his staff explaining why they were getting so many calls, he tells The Independent.

Watts and Shanann bought the newly constructed home in 2013 for just under $400,000; its now valued at almost double. The 4,200 square foot house includes five bedrooms and four bathrooms, just around the corner from the local school, playground and, sadly, a monument to drilling. Frederick is dotted with oil wells and Watts not only worked for Anadarko Petroleum but also buried his wife in a shallow grave on the site, stashing his tiny daughters bodies in oil tanks.

The door to the Watts home in Frederick, Colorado is padlocked and signs warn curious onlookers to stay away from the property (Sheila Flynn)

Watts, who turns 37 next month, killed his wife in August 2018 during a fight when he told her hed been having an affair and wanted a divorce. After strangling Shanann - who was pregnant with a son theyd named Nico - he smothered daughters Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3.

The oil worker initially tried to pin the girls murders on Shanann before confessing to killing his entire family. Shannans parents, Sandra and Franklin Rzucek, filed the suit against their son-in-law on the same day he pleaded guilty.

Its unlikely theyll see anything close to the $6m, if they even get a dime - though they knew that going in, their lawyer said following the civil suit.

Its fairly obvious that Chris Watts doesnt have money, Steven Lambert said in 2018. Hes not OJ Simpson. Were not going to collect millions out of him.

Mr Lambert did not immediately return a call for comment from The Independent. But when the suit was filed, he said the familys goal was to avoid Watts profiting from the brutal murders.

Just in case 20 years down the line from now he decides to write a book, we could come for that money, he said.

According to the suit, Shananns parents were unable to eat, sleep or even leave the house following the murders - especially after Watts initial claims that his wife had killed their daughters sparked conspiracy theories and harassment.

As Sandy Rzucek puts it, she feels like she dies every day and is always missing and crying for her precious family, lawsuit filings explained. Even to this day, it is hard for the Rzucek family to get out of bed, they cry all the time, every day and every night.

Watts, who turns 37 next month, also agreed to a $6m wrongful death suit filed by his murdered wifes parents on the same day he pleaded guilty (DP)

Watts has not written a book, but television specials and the murders shocking callousness have kept the case at the forefront of public consciousness - particularly the Netflix documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door, which premiered in 2020.

In it, Watts is pictured pleading for his family to come home before eventually breaking down and confessing to killing them. The details that emerged about how, exactly, he killed all three were hard to digest; the girls watched Watts load his dead wifes body, wrapped in a sheet, into the car before strapping them in.

Then Bella - old enough at four to realise that something was significantly wrong - watched Watts smother Celeste. She asked him if the same thing would happen to her and, as he killed her, fought back, shouting, Daddy, no.

All of those harrowing details were relayed by Watts himself.

As true crime documentaries chronicled the horror, one neighbour went viral when it was revealed he had shown damning security footage to authorities - and seemingly been the first person to flag that Watts was acting suspicious.

According to records, the home of that neighbour, Nathan Trinastich, was sold last year. He could not be reached by The Independent.

Watts, meanwhile, is serving life in Wisconsin for murder and body tampering. Looky-loos keep driving by and even attempting to break in to the family home; anyone approaching the property is warned by multiple signs that police will be called. Theyre also warned not to leave anything; one neighbour tells The Independent that the house had been overrun since the murder by people leaving everything from flowers to, inexplicably, food.

I get calls once a week from people who want to buy that house - calls from people in Germany and people here locally, says Mr Dray, who has several offices in the wider Denver area.

People want to buy it, but it cant be bought ... its not on the market.
As Russias invasion hits Ukraines production of wheat, corn and other major exports, Cindy McCain, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, warned on Monday that millions in the Middle East and Africa could soon be on the brink of famine.

Putins war is forcing us to take from the hungry to feed the starving, McCain said Monday on C-SPAN. Rising prices force hard decisions to cut rations in some of the most desperate humanitarian crises in the world, including Afghanistan and Yemen.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates as many as 13 million people worldwide could experience food insecurity as a result of the February invasion. More than 50 countries depend on Russia and Ukraine to produce about 30 percent of their wheat supply.

Ukraine is also a major provider of wheat for the U.N. World Food Program (WFP), which feeds 138 million people in more than 80 countries, including four hunger hotspots: Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen.

Russia is bombing one of the major bread baskets of the world, McCain said of Ukraine. This war will further exacerbate global food insecurity by interfering with the upcoming planting season and the transport of food within the country.

The WFP estimates Ukraines grain supply feeds 400 million people in a typical year, but that figure is set to drop sharply due to the war, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has warned.

According to the Department of Agriculture estimates, Russia will likely increase its annual wheat exports by 1 million tons, while Ukraine will likely decrease its wheat exports by the same amount. With the countrys Black Sea ports shut down, some Ukrainian farmers may plant crops better suited for local consumption rather than for exports.

Dr. Jim Barnhart, assistant to the administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Developments Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, told reporters on Tuesday that global food insecurity was an impending crisis long before Russia invaded Ukraine.

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The war has heightened existing roadblocks in the food supply chain, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing humanitarian crises and worldwide fertilizer price hikes. Barnhart, who recently returned from Senegal and Niger, warned that food riots occurred in at least 14 African countries during the last global food crisis from 2007 to 2008.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, Barnhart said. Experience has shown that $1 invested in resilience efforts  can save up to $3 in humanitarian assistance down the road, so all of this helps to ensure that major shocks like COVID-19, climate change and conflict are not causing families to slide back into poverty and malnutrition.

McCain said the U.N. aims to feed more with less by providing vulnerable populations with the most nutritious foods. Infants and children are the first affected in most humanitarian crises, she noted, adding that the WFP distributes packets of high-protein nutritional paste to sustain babies in famished regions.

These are nutrients that we take for granted here in the United States because of course our children get them, McCain said. These kids cant survive on just wheat and grain.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said he fears more organized brutality from Russia after Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed Gen. Aleksandr Dvornikov to lead its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Clapper, who is now a national security analyst for CNN, noted the generals track record in Syria  Dvornikov has been called the Butcher of Syria  during a conversations with host Fredricka Whitfield.

Well, I think that it means more of the same and maybe be more organized brutality, if theres such a thing, Clapper told Whitfield, noting his appointment was an indicator of problems that the Russians have and apparently now the hierarchy understands that.

And the other significant point, apart from the reputation for brutality that this general has, is the fact that apparently theyre putting some one general in charge of the whole operation, which hasnt been the case in the past, which has contributed to the many problems that the Russians have had, Clapper added.

Putin reportedly appointed Dvornikov to be in charge of the Ukraine invasion on Saturday, soon after Russian forces withdrew from areas around Ukraines capital of Kyiv and as its military is regrouping for an assault on the eastern Donbas region.

Dvornikov, commander of the countrys southern district military, led Russian forces in Syria, where Western officials and human right organization condemned his tactics, which included targeting hospitals and residential neighborhoods.

When Whitfield asked how the world will respond if Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukraine, Clapper said the international communitys threshold of pain before taking a more activist approach was yet to be seen but added that he did not see Russias dominance as a foregone conclusion, even as it focuses its attacks on the east.

I really question just how ready the Russians are, how much combat power  they actually have to mount an offensive in eastern Ukraine, which by the way is, thats an ambient war, if you will, thats been going on since 2014, Clapper said. So the Ukrainians are pretty familiar with the territory and how to fight the Russians there.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Welcome back to Forgotten Fact-Checks, a weekly column produced by National Reviews News Desk. This week we call out Brian Stelters hypocrisy, dive into the New York Times unfair take on parental concerns, and hit more media misses.

Stelter Proves Hes Not a Reliable Source

CNNs chief media correspondent Brian Stelter last week extolled the importance of journalistic humility, counseling reporters and pundits to admit when theyre wrong, all while continuing to defend his initial dismissal of the Hunter Biden laptop story in October 2020.

During a Disinformation and the Erosion of Democracy conference at the University of Chicago last week, a University of Chicago freshman and journalist from the Chicago Thinker questioned Stelter about many of the networks recent bias-related fumbles.

They push the Russian collusion hoax, they push the Jussie Smollett hoax, they smear Justice Kavanaugh as a rapist, and they also smeared Nick Sandmann as a white supremacist. And yes, they dismissed the Hunter Biden laptop affair as pure Russian disinformation, the student, Christopher Phillips, said.

He asked why all the mistakes of the mainstream media and CNN, in particular, seem to magically all go in one direction.

Stelter replied that journalists must admit it when they screw up to protect democracy.

Yet Stelter seemed unwilling to admit his own screwup on the Hunter Biden story. In October 2020, he claimed the New York Post story was potentially made up, manufactured, and a right-wing media smear.

The students question begins at 3:42:10:

Given the chance to redeem himself at the conference, he claimed that critics dont know how newsrooms work.

Stelter again showed this unwillingness to dive into the Hunter Biden story when he had the Atlantics Anne Applebaum on his show, Reliable Sources, on Sunday and failed to press the reporter on her own comments about the laptop story at the disinformation conference.

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College freshman and Chicago Thinker journalist Daniel Schmidt asked Applebaum at the conference if she believes the media acted inappropriately when they instantly dismissed Hunter Bidens laptop as Russian disinformation.

My problem with Hunter Bidens laptop is, I think, totally irrelevant. I mean, its not whether its disinformation, said Applebaum, who focuses much of her journalism on calling out corruption in foreign countries. I mean, I didnt think Hunter Bidens business relationships have anything to do with who should be president of the United States. So, I dont find it to be interesting. I mean, that would be my problem with that as a major news story.

However, while Applebaum claims the younger Bidens business relationships dont have anything to do with the president, one infamous email purportedly detailed a business arrangement between a Chinese company and the Biden family.

Tony Bobulinski, who is listed as a recipient of the email first published by the New York Post, offered further detail last year in a statement to Fox News on the correspondence in October 2020, which references a proposed equity split: 20 for H and 10 held by H for the big guy?

The reference to the Big Guy in the much-publicized May 13, 2017, email is in fact a reference to Joe Biden, said Bobulinski, who says he was brought on as CEO of Sinohawk Holdings by Hunter Biden and James Gilliar, the sender of the email.

Sinohawk was a partnership between the Chinese operating through CEFC/Chairman Ye and the Biden family, he said.

On Sundays episode of Reliable Sources, Stelter avoided both his and Applebaums comments from the conference.

After initially dismissing the report about the data recovered from Hunter Bidens laptop left with a Delaware repair shop, the mainstream media have recently gotten on board with the story. The New York Times has authenticated key files from the laptop, as has the Washington Post.

Other outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, have reported that a federal tax probe into the younger Biden is gaining momentum, with prosecutors reportedly investigating his sources of foreign income.

Headline Fail of the Week

The New York Times again discounted the concerns of parents this week in a piece titled, Conservatives Open New Front in Elite School Admission Wars.

The article details a federal lawsuit against Fairfax County Public Schools challenging the new admissions policies at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va.

The lawsuit was brought by the Coalition for TJ with the help of the Pacific Legal Foundation. The coalition, made up of concerned parents and students, says that the schools new equity admissions policy reduced the number of Asian-American acceptances.

The new policy eliminates standardized testing and gives weight to poorer students and students learning the English language in an effort to balance the racial makeup of the school.

Coalition for TJ argues that the new admissions process discriminates against Asian-American students.

Asra Nomani, co-founder of Coalition for TJ, shared a link to the article and wrote, This is how the @nytimes has covered our historic battle as Asians: focusing on conservatives fighting for merit. How about this headline: Brave Asian immigrant parents fight for childrens civil rights, challenging admissions policy as racist.

This is how the @nytimes has covered our historic battle as Asians: focusing on conservatives fighting for merit. How about this headline: Brave Asian immigrant parents fight for childrens civil rights, challenging admissions policy as racisthttps://t.co/HjLuA2js8X  Asra Q. Nomani  (@AsraNomani) April 10, 2022

Media Misses

 Mary Bruce, senior White House correspondent for ABC News, might have been mistaken for a senior White House staffer at Justice Ketanji Brown Jacksons swearing-in ceremony on Friday. Among other declarations, Bruce affirmed President Bidens assertion that this is a moment, certainly, for the entire country to celebrate, and mentioned that Jacksons beaming smile would be what she remembered most about the day. The coverage could be contrasted with an ABC report from October 2020 that took special care to note that Justice Amy Coney Barrett posed for a photograph without a mask after being sworn in.

ABCs Mary Bruce says today will be etched into our memory celebrating KBJ and her smile, etched in our memory b/c Biden stood next to these two remarkable women after Jackson faced Republican attacks and racism that were proof of how much progress still has to be made. pic.twitter.com/7CpMCauqPx  Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 8, 2022

 Democratic National Committee chairman Jaime Harrison called Senator Tom Cotton a maggot-infested man on MSNBCs Morning Joe last week. Co-host Mika Brzezinski interjected only to say yeah as Harrison continued his rant.

UNHINGED: DNC Chair Jaime Harrison calls Sen. Tom Cotton a maggot-infested man. pic.twitter.com/daIxAnkYlA  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 6, 2022

 Nikki Fried, Floridas commissioner of agriculture and a Democratic candidate for governor, tweeted last week that Florida is a blue state. Florida hasnt had a Democratic governor since the turn of the millennium, so thats a bit like mistaking Clifford for a big blue dog.

More from National Review
MarketWatch

In the last several months you may have seen news headlines announcing that the Social Security program will be insolvent by 2033. While news of Social Securitys potential lack of funding is a real concern, its important to remember that insolvent is not the same as bankrupt. If nothing is done to fund the system at current levels, it is estimated that the program will be able to pay only 76% of what is owed to retirees beginning in 2034.
The State Supreme Court said Monday that police and prosecutors may have violated a New London mans constitutional rights but upheld his murder conviction because jurors could have found him guilty based on other, substantial evidence.

Gerjuan Tyrus, 41, who is serving a 55-year sentence, claimed his right to be protected from an illegal search was violated when police obtained his cellphone location records without a warrant, and again when he was not permitted to confront one of his accusers because a firearms expert testified about the findings of a second examiner, who had died before the trial.

The state Appellate Court had previously upheld Tyus conviction for the 2006 murder.

Tyus was accused of a revenge murder.

There is evidence in the case that in 2006 Tyus was allegedly involved in a dispute with the victim, Todd Thomas, over jewelry Tyus had obtained from Thomas brother, while the brother was under the influence of drugs. Thomas wanted the jewelry returned and Tyus refused unless he got $10,000.

According to the Supreme Court decision, in late 2006, Thomas fired at Tyus with a .38-caliber hand gun in a drive-by shooting, hitting him in the leg and back. Tyus fired back with 9 nine millimeter handgun. Gun casings from both guns were collected by police. Later the same day, as Tyus was being treated at the hospital, his friend and eventual co-defendant Darius Armadore, was overheard saying, were gonna get them (racial epithet)

Weeks later, on Dec. 15, Tyus and Armadore rented a silver Chevrolet Impala, drove to Boston and returned to Connecticut. Shortly after midnight, Thomas was shot in the head while standing on the sidewalk in front of Ernies Cafe in New London. A witness saw the gunman jump into a silver car, which sped away.

Not long after that, Tyus and Aamadore arrived at Bella Note, a night club in Norwich.

Tyus testified at his trial and claimed that he and Armadore had driven directly to the Norwich night club from Boston. The cellphone location data, presented to the jury by an FBI expert, told a different story.

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Data from three cellphones  two from Tyus and one from Armadore  show the phones were in New London at the time of the shooting. But there was corroborating evidence that included a witness who said the two arrived at Bella Note after Thomas was killed and Armadores girlfriend, who testified that when he got home, he told her he had shot someone earlier in the night, according to the ruling.

Police collected shell casings from the shooting outside Ernies Cafe and determined that they matched those fired from the nine millimeter handgun in the drive-by shooting in which Tyus had been wounded and also fired shots.

Tyus hadnt raised a constitutional claim about the cell phone data at his trial, but the state Supreme Court analyzed it on appeal. Police were not required to obtain warrants for cellphone data until a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. The state Supreme Court concluded that even though the collection of cell location data by the New London Police Department may have been a retroactive violation in view of the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision, it was not grounds for reversing the conviction because of the other evidence.

The state Supreme Court reached a similar conclusion about testimony by the firearms examiner. The examiner, who made his own observations of firearms evidence, was permitted to testify about the findings of his colleague, who had died before trial. The court said evidence prepared by the examiner who died was presented to the jury, but Tyus was denied the opportunity to confront the person who prepared it.

As was the case with the cellphone data, the court declined to reverse the conviction based on the fire arms claim because of other evidence of guilt.
KYIV, Ukraine  The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, with corpses that were carpeted through the streets.

Speaking by phone Monday to The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko also said Russian forces brought mobile cremation equipment to the city to dispose of the bodies, and he accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage.

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Russian forces have taken many bodies to a huge shopping center where there are storage facilities and refrigerators, Boychenko said.

Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned, he said.

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The mayors comments emerged as Russia claimed that it destroyed several Ukrainian air-defense systems in what appeared to be a renewed push to gain air superiority and take out weapons Kyiv has described as crucial ahead of an expected broad new offensive in the east.

In one strike, Moscow said it hit four S-300 launchers near the central city of Dnipro that had been provided by a European country it did not name. Slovakia gave Ukraine just such a system last week but denied it had been destroyed. Russia previously reported two strikes on similar systems in other places.

The failure to win full control of Ukraines skies has hampered Moscows ability to provide air cover for troops on the ground, limiting their advances and likely exposing them to greater losses.

With their offensive in many parts of the country thwarted, Russian forces have relied increasingly on bombarding cities  a strategy that has left many urban areas flattened and killed thousands of people.

Ukrainian authorities accuse Russian forces of committing atrocities, including a massacre in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv, airstrikes on hospitals and a missile attack that killed at least 57 people last week at a train station.

In Bucha on Monday, the work of exhuming bodies from a mass grave in a churchyard resumed.

Cemetery workers prepare the coffin for a person killed during the war with Russia, as dozens of black bags containing more bodies of victims are seen strewn across the graveyard in the cemetery in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 11, 2022. (Rodrigo Abd/AP)

Galyna Feoktistova waited for hours in the cold and rain in hopes of identifying her 50-year-old son, who was shot and killed more than a month ago, but eventually she went home for some warmth. Hes still there, her surviving son, Andriy, said.

In Mariupol, about 120,000 civilians are in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications, the mayor said.

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Only those residents who have passed the Russian filtration camps are released from the city, Boychenko said. He said improvised prisons were organized for those who did not pass the filtering, while at least 33,000 were taken to Russia or to separatist territory in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the U.N. childrens agency said that nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion began, and the United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured, though the actual numbers are likely much higher.

Elsewhere, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks that were very direct, open and tough.

In a statement released by his office, Nehammer said his primary message to Putin was that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose. Nehammer said he also raised the issue of war crimes committed by the Russian military and said those responsible will be held to account.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

In other developments, the head of the separatist rebel government in Donetsk said Ukrainian forces have lost control of the port area of Mariupol.

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Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is now under our control, Denis Pushilin, president of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, told Russian state television, according to Russian news agencies. The claim could not immediately be confirmed.

The mayor said fighting continues.

It is difficult, but our heroic military holds on, Boychenko said. There are fights in the port. Yesterday, our heroic warriors knocked out several positions of equipment and, accordingly, rebuffed the infantry.

Russia has appointed a seasoned general to lead its renewed push in the eastern Donbas region, where Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014 and have declared independent states. Both sides are digging in for what could be a devastating war of attrition.

Russian forces will likely try to encircle the Donbas region from the north and the south as well as the east, said retired British Gen. Richard Barrons, co-chair of the U.K.-based strategic consulting firm Universal Defence & Security Solutions.

The ground in that part of Ukraine is flatter, more open and less wooded  so the Ukrainian ambush tactics used around Kiev may be less successful, Barrons said.

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As to the outcome, its finely balanced right now, Barrons said. If the Russians learned from their previous failures, concentrated more force, connected their air force to ground forces better and improved their logistics, then they might start to overwhelm the Ukrainian positions eventually, although I still think it would be a battle of enormous attrition.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for more Western aid, saying his forces need heavier firepower. In a video address to South Korean lawmakers on Monday, Zelenskyy specifically requested equipment that can shoot down Russian missiles.

But those armaments could increasingly come under attack as Russia looks to shift the balance in the 6-week-old war.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the military used cruise missiles to destroy the four launchers Sunday on the southern outskirts of Dnipro. He said the military also hit such systems in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions.

The Russian claims could not be independently verified.

Residents stand outside their apartments as shops burn after a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, April 11, 2022. (Felipe Dana/AP)

The Pentagon said it had seen no evidence to support Russias claims. A senior U.S. defense official said Russia did conduct an airstrike Sunday on the airport in Dnipro, destroying some equipment, but the official said the U.S. has seen no indication that an air-defense system was knocked out.

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Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakias prime minister, denied Monday that the S-300 system it sent Ukraine had been destroyed. She said any other claim is not true.

Questions remain about the ability of depleted and demoralized Russian forces to conquer much ground after their advance on Kyiv was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders.

Britains Defense Ministry said Monday that Ukraine has already beaten back several assaults by Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions  which make up the Donbas  resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery.

Western military analysts say Russias assault increasingly is focusing on an arc of territory stretching from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, in the north, to Kherson in the south.

A residential area in Kharkiv was struck by incoming fire on Monday afternoon. Associated Press journalists saw firefighters putting out the fire and checking for victims following the attack, and saw that at least five people were killed, including a child.

Oleh Synyehubov, the regional governor of Kharkiv, said earlier Monday that Russian shelling had killed 11 people over the last 24 hours.

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Anna reported from Bucha, Ukraine. Robert Burns in Washington, and Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.
Editor's Note: This story has been corrected to indicate that Andy Ngo was out of Portland for safety reasons at the time of the alleged encounter.



A contributor to The Daily Beast reportedly harassed an Asian man at a New Orleans bar after mistaking him for conservative journalist Andy Ngo.



In a tweet last Thursday, Thor Benson, who also writes for other news outlets, announced that he ran into Andy Ngo at the unidentified bar and politely told him he's a garbage person. The confrontation, Benson added, presumably made Ngo leave.







Ngo, however, denied encountering Benson in a tweet on Friday. He did not disclose his location but told NextShark that he was not in his native of Portland either, citing safety reasons.



Thor Benson, a white freelance writer, thought he found me & instead harassed a random Asian in New Orleans & made him leave a bar. Bensons followers said the man should've been assaulted, Ngo wrote in his response, which includes screenshots of threatening replies from other Twitter users, including one that said, Shoulda clocked him.





Thor Benson, a white freelance writer, thought he found me & instead harassed a random Asian in New Orleans & made him leave a bar. Benson's followers said the man should've been assaulted. @TracyConnor @CorinneIOZO you okay w/your contributor doing this?https://t.co/4AGDpu3YQd pic.twitter.com/C1NBGxq9VQ

 Andy Ngo  (@MrAndyNgo) April 9, 2022







Ngo, who focuses on exposing Antifa activities, has been on the receiving end of physical attacks and online threats for years. He tagged The Daily Beast's Editor-in-Chief Tracy Connor in his initial tweet, asking, you okay w/your contributor doing this?



Despite Ngos claims, Benson insists that he was not mistaken. Would have been more convincing if you hadnt responded when I called you by your name, he wrote.



The Post Millennial, where Ngo is the editor-at-large, reported the writer has accused others of being racist in the past.



While some users expressed support for Bensons actions, others pointed out that he could not tell the difference between Asians.



White journalist harasses random Asian person at bar wrongly thinking he's Andy Ngo. Because I guess we all look the same, wrote content creator Lauren Chen.



One Twitter user also called out Benson for what appeared to be conflicting statements. In a tweet posted minutes after his initial tweet, Benson wrote that he was the one who went out after their encounter: I was at a dive bar and he came in and started talking to people and I put my hand on his shoulder and said it and then went out for a cigarette.

Story continues

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Daniel R. Wilson

MACEDONIA  A civil servant from the Columbus area will move north to direct the citys service department starting April 25.

Daniel R. Wilson of West Jefferson, which is just west of Columbus, will be the new service director, replacing Leon Karas, who resigned in November 2021 after serving in the position for only four months.

Karas said he wanted to spend more time with his family. He had succeeded longtime Service Director John Hnottavange.

Wilsons starting salary will be $105,000. He will carry over 15 years, 9 months of service credit/seniority for the purpose of vacation leave, plus 915.65 hours of sick leave time.

Mayor Nick Molnar said the city administration interviewed 11 candidates for the job, and human resources director Annette Smith added Wilson comes with stellar references.

He has a lot of experience, and we believe he is a good fit for the city, said Molnar. He climbed through the ranks from a service worker to where hes at now. Hes two classes shy of a masters degree and has a lot of talent.

Wilson said he plans to eventually move his family to the area. Its an honor and privilege to get the chance to serve the city. I am humbled and excited to get started, he said.

Since May 2020, Wilson has been operations manager in the department of public service and engineering for the city of Gahanna, a suburb on the northeast side of Columbus.

He oversees all major operations, as well as worked closely with the human resources department to handle all personnel matters.

Prior to that he was a crew leader for the cities of Hilliard and Dublin, both northwest suburbs of Columbus, where he guided several maintenance technicians, and worked from 2006 to 2018 as a full-time maintenance technician for the latter.

He is working on his masters degree in public administration through Arkansas State University, with a major in public management, and earned a bachelor of arts degree from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., with a major in interdisciplinary studies.

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He has taken courses in emotional intelligence, leadership and management through John Glenn College of Public Affairs. He holds several certifications and licenses, and has several professional affiliations.

LAND PURCHASE

Council sent to second reading an ordinance to purchase 3.85 acres at Valley View Road and Park Avenue from J&J Valley Development LLC for $625,000.

The vacant parcel once was the site of a school, which was demolished a few years ago.

Molnar said a portion of the nearly $1.5 million the city received a few months ago from the sale of the former Bedford Anodizing property will be used to buy the property. He noted closing costs should amount to not more than $5,000.

The mayor explained the property was appraised at $675,000, but he was able to negotiate the lower price. He called the deal a good investment and said the city is looking to the future.

Molnar said past proposals for the property included building a trucking terminal or a senior citizens care facility, but city officials didnt think those were the best fits.

He said by owning the land, the city can control what winds up there. Wed like to see things people are asking for, such as mom and pop businesses, not corporate stores, he said, adding the future growth committee in 2015 favored redeveloping the site.

Its in our best interest to start moving on this [redeveloping the site], said Molnar. This parcel is a crown jewel for the city and acquiring it is just the first step of many.

Councilwoman Jan Tulley said if the sites purchase is OKd, a lot of talks are ahead before officials decide what to do with it. We need to first get input from the public and then find investors, she said.

Council president Jessica Brandt said if the city cant find an investor to develop the site, it always can sell it.

Council set an information session for April 28 at 7:15 p.m. at City Hall to inform the public about the possible acquisition. That will be prior to Councils next meeting since the regularly scheduled April 14 session has been canceled.

In one final item on April 5, Council directed the mayor to participate in the Ohio Department of Transportations annual road salt bidding process, with a commitment to purchase 4,000 tons for the 2022-23 winter season.

The cost per ton will be determined when ODOT opens bids this summer.

Contact the newspaper at newsleader@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Daniel Wilson named as city's new service director
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Colombian delivery app Rappi, which offers on-demand deliveries of food and other goods across Latin America, said on Monday it has launched a cryptocurrency payment pilot program in Mexico.

Rappi teamed with cryptocurrency platforms Bitpay and Bitso to back the new service, which will let users turn crypto into credits within the app to make purchases, Rappi said.

"It's a first step that will allow us to learn and continue incorporating the crypto world into Rappi," Rappi President Sebastian Mejia said in a statement.

Rappi, which operates in nine countries across Latin America, launched "Pay with Rappi" in Mexico last year to challenge Paypal and regional rival MercadoLibre by offering online payments.

It also provides some financial services in Mexico, Brazil, Peru and Chile, with plans to offer digital banking in Colombia this year.

(Reporting by Kylie Madry; Editing by Will Dunham)
Morning, neighbors! It's me again, Jeri Karges, your host of the Sacramento Daily.

First, today's weather:

Cooler. High: 62 Low: 39.

Here are the top five stories in Sacramento today:

Piles of burnt rubble sit behind a chain-link fence. Theyre the latest leftovers at the old California Shellfish Company, an abandoned property thats now had its fair share of fires. It was too close for comfort for nearby businesses and frustrating for firefighters who were caught in a dicey and unpredictable situation Friday night. These buildings are very dangerous, said Sacramento Fire Captain Keith Wade. While arson investigators have yet to arrest anyone involved in the fires, crews have torn down multiple warehouses that have caught fire and fenced off the complex in an attempt to keep people out. (Good Day Sacramento) The first weekend back after a gang-related mass shooting in downtown Sacramento left six dead and a dozen others hurt, many visitors are not avoiding K Street. People out at restaurants and nearby event venues Friday evening were aware of Sunday's shooting less than two blocks away, but are committed to supporting the restaurants and businesses that make up the downtown core. "What happened last week was horrific," said visitor Barb Matheson. "But we love our town and our town is going to continue thriving and we're going to continue going out." The Sacramento Police Department said its patrols doubled over the weekend in downtown, Midtown and Old Sacramento. Officers were keenly aware they needed to make their presence felt while life returns to normal for an area shaken by violence less than a week ago. (KCRA3) An all-star lineup of community leaders, activists, students, parents, educators and public officials were recognized at the 23rd annual MLK Jr. Dinner Celebration at Sac State March 26. James and Mertie Shelby, received the 2022 Robert T. Matsui Community Service Award. For nearly 20 years, James served as the transformative CEO of the Greater Sacramento Urban League and served as Mayor of Citrus Heights. Mertie was a dedicated teacher and school administrator. Other honorees included Daniel Hahn, retired Sacramento Police Chief, and several student essay contest winners. (Sacramento Observer) Elk Grove City Council Member Pat Hume, a candidate for the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors District 5 seat in this Junes election, has removed his title of teacher for that elections ballot. Hume, who recently began working as a substitute teacher, is one of several candidates vying to replace current and longtime District 5 Supervisor Don Nottoli, who announced last year that he will not seek reelection. The county informed Hume that he could not use the teacher designation on the ballot, given that he is a substitute teacher. Hell instead go by councilmember/small businessman on the ballot. The designation caused quite a brou ha ha with one candidate stating "Especially after what teachers have gone through over the last two years in COVID, I think it was disrespectful to the teaching profession, and I think it was deceitful to voters. (Elk Grove Citizen) Multiple horses and other farm animals were killed in a barn fire in south Sacramento, authorities said. The fire happened near the intersection of Gerber Avenue and Elk Grove Florin Road near a Walmart on Saturday, Metro Fire said. Firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading to other parts of the property. (KCRA3)

From our sponsor:

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Today in Sacramento:

Shuck Mondays at Revival at the Sawyer ! Every Monday, Revival offers guests $1 oysters all night long, as well as $7 glasses of Chandon and Chandon Rose. (4:00 PM)

Academy Award winner CODA is playing at the Tower Theater . (4:20 PM)

Try your brain at Trivia With Chad at Red Bus Brewing in Folsom. Bring a team of up to 6 players and compete for prizes and bragging rights. (7:00 PM)

The Veer Union with 2 Shadows and Madzilla will be a Harlow's downtown. (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

Front Street Animal Shelter is waiving its adoption fee for dogs due to the shelter being extremely full, the organization wrote on Facebook. Through Wednesday all dog adoptions will be FREE! (Good Day Sacramento)

This story is not unique to Sacramento. It would impact all of California, but I thought it was something we Sacramentans should know about. A new bill proposed in the California state assembly aims to shorten the workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours, requiring overtime pay on any work beyond that, said the Los Angeles Times. The bill, AB 2932, would change the definition of the California workweek to four days instead of five in companies with 500 employees or more. The bill was inspired by the number of workers that quit their jobs during the pandemic. If the bill passes, over 2,000 employers would be affected in California. (CBS Sacramento)

Valley showers and mountain snow showers return. Locally heavy mountain snow showers are possible that may limit visibility. There is a slight chance for isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Give yourself extra time to reach your destination safely today! (Facebook)

Loving the Sacramento Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe

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Send me a news tip or suggestion at sacramento@patch.com

Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you around.

 Jeri Karges

About me: Jeri Karges has been living in and loving the Sacramento region for over 30 years. Her passion is finding new and unique ways to enjoy the city and surrounding areas. On weekends, you can find her pestering her friends to sample the restaurant that doesn't have silverware, or try their hand at throwing an axe. Jeri also enjoys writing about retirement planning at https://rockinretirement.subst...

This article originally appeared on the Sacramento Patch
DR Congo's top court on Monday tossed out a 13-year jail term handed to a former aide to President Felix Tshisekedi in a high-profile graft case.

Former presidential chief of staff Vital Kamerhe, 63, was sentenced last June for embezzling nearly $50 million of public funds.

But on Monday the Court of Cassation dismissed the sentence issued by the Court of Appeal and ordered the case to be reassessed by a differently-composed court.

Reading out the ruling in a 90-minute public session, Judge Christophe Mukendi said the case had been put prematurely to the Appeal Court and "(Kamerhe's) right to defend himself was violated."

A veteran politician with extensive clout, Kamerhe teamed up with Tshisekedi in the runup to the December 2018 presidential election and afterwards became his chief of staff.

But he soon became embroiled in a sensational episode that became a test of Tshisekedi's vow to crack down on graft.

Kamerhe and several others were accused of siphoning off more than $50 million of public funds that had been earmarked for social housing.

After a trial that lasted only a month and was screened on nationwide TV, Kamerhe was sentenced in June 2020 to 20 years.

That term was reduced by the Court of Appeal in June 2021 to 13 years. In December, the same court ordered his release on health grounds.

Kamerhe has previously insisted that he is the victim of a "political trial" to prevent him from running for president in 2023.

He is a former president of the National Assembly and had been an early runner in the 2018 election before deciding to pull out of the race and campaign alongside Tshisekedi.

mbb/at/ri/pvh
SpaceX and Tesla chief Elon Musk, who recently became Twitters biggest shareholder, will not be joining the social media giants board of directors, the company announced on Monday.

Last week Twitter said Mr Musk would be joining its board, a day after disclosing that the Tesla chief took a nearly 10 per cent stake in the social media platform.

But early on Monday, Twitters chief executive Parag Agarwal announced on the platform that Mr Musk has decided not to join the social media giants board after all.

The company said in a regulatory filing last Tuesday that it entered into an agreement with Mr Musk which would give the worlds richest person a seat on its board for a term expiring at its 2024 annual shareholders meeting.

Looking forward to working with Parag & Twitter board to make significant improvements to Twitter in coming months! Mr Musk wrote following the announcement.

The Tesla chief even joked that he would smoke weed at Twitters board meetings, and has also been publicly tweeting his ideas for the platform.

Mr Musk also posted a poll on Twitter asking his followers whether the social media platform should have an edit feature to allow users to fix errors in their tweets, after which the company also confirmed it was working on the long-requested feature.

Do you want an edit button?  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 5, 2022

He even suggested that users of the social media platforms subscription service Twitter Blue should maybe get an option to pay in Doge, referring to the cryptocurrency  but as always, its hard to know when Mr Musk is serious on the platform.

Maybe even an option to pay in Doge?  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 10, 2022

Following these developments over the last week, Mr Agarwal shared a note early on Monday that Mr Musk would not be joining Twitters board.

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Elon has decided not to join our board. I sent a brief note to the company, sharing with you all here. pic.twitter.com/lfrXACavvk  Parag Agrawal (@paraga) April 11, 2022

We announced on Tuesday that Elon would be appointed to the Board contingent on a background check and formal acceptance. Elons appointment to the board was to become official effective 4/9, but Elon shared that same morning that he will no longer be joining the board, Mr Agarwal said in a note.

Elon is our biggest shareholder and we will remain open to his input, he said, adding that he believes this is for the best.

Mr Agarwal said Twitter has and will always value input from its shareholders whether they are on the companys board or not.

While he says there could be distractions ahead, the Twitter chief added that the companys goals and priorities remain unchanged.

The decisions we make and how we execute is in our hands, no one else's. Let's tune out the noise, and stay focused on the work and what we're building, Mr Agarwal said in the note.
Oleksii Yeromin stands at the gate on the US-Mexico border and calls to Ukrainian migrants crossing into America after fleeing the war in their home country, then wraps them in a hug on the other side.

"Come here, come, you see this line? Here there's the last checkpoint to go through and you will be in the United States," he said in English.

Wearing a hat and carrying a blue and yellow Ukrainian flag, the 43-year-old is the first face that many Ukrainians see as they cross into the United States.

He has even marked that final step for them, tracing the letters "USA" on the ground in red tape.

"Ukraine welcomed me, now Ukraine needed me here,"says Yeromin, who is originally from Uzbekistan and emigrated several years ago to Ukraine, where he married and had two daughters.

Five years ago he decided to go to Chicago to seek a better future. This week he was reunited with his wife and daughters at the US-Mexico border. They, too, had fled the war.

Family is everything, he said. "Any money, any house, anything's doesn't matter. It's zero." He is red-eyed -- likely from the exhaustion of not having slept more than four hours a night for days now.

Even after welcoming his family, the painter by trade decided to stay at the gate.

"This is minimum. They travel long, they need a hug," he said.

His eldest daughter, Katarina, 13, does not speak English, but she helps out at the care center that has been set up as part of a massive volunteer operation.

"Im very happy because I met my dad and also for helping here," says Katarina with the help of Gisele, her new friend and interpreter.

Soon, she is handing a phone battery to a young man and offering lollipops to a little girl.

"Im very excited. Im privileged, lucky. I needed to give back," adds the teenager with a shy smile.

"You made it, you're here. Come here, come here," says Yeromin a few meters away, while giving out more hugs.

pr/st/bbk/dw
Emma Corrin turned heads at the 2022 Olivier Awards in a unique balloon-inspired outfit. Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP

Emma Corrin wore a very fashion-forward look to the 2022 Olivier Awards in London on Sunday.

"The Crown" star attended in an outfit from Jonathan Anderson's fall 2022 collection for Loewe.

Corrin's playful ensemble was designed with a balloon bra top and matching balloon heels.

Emma Corrin turned heads on Sunday in one of her most eye-catching outfits to date.

"The Crown" star attended the 2022 Olivier Awards at London's Royal Albert Hall in a look designed with a balloon top and matching balloon heels. Harry Lambert styled Corrin in a straight-off-the-runway outfit from Jonathan Anderson's fall 2022 collection for Loewe, according to Vogue.

Corrin's look was from Jonathan Anderson's fall 2022 collection for Loewe. Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Corrin's mesh slip dress had a print of balloons in different shades of beige. It matched the 3D balloon bra top and black boots Corrin wore with the dress.

Corrin's black boots had a balloon heel to match the balloon top and print of the dress. Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

According to Vogue Runway, the balloon motif was heavily featured in the designer's latest collection during Paris Fashion Week in February.

Lambert shared Corrin's look on Instagram with the caption: "In Love ! This one is for the Gays!"

He accessorized Corrin's camp-inspired outfit with Cartier jewelry.

This isn't the first time Corrin and Lambert have had fun with her red-carpet fashion.

At the 2021 Emmy Awards, Corrin stood out in a custom strapless yellow Miu Miu dress. They paired the simple gown with a bonnet-style hat and fingerless gloves. The gloves exposed Corrin's long, pointed black nails, which looked almost like claws.

Corrin's look at the 2021 Emmy Awards. David M. Benett / Contributor / Getty Images

Corrin and Lambert also worked together on the clown-inspired Miu Miu dress she wore to the 2021 Golden Globes.

That night, Corrin won the Golden Globe for best actress in a drama series for their role as Princess Diana in season four of the hit Netflix series.

Corrin won a Golden Globe award in 2021 wearing a custom Miu Miu look. @emmalouisecorrin/Instagram

"The Crown" star told Vogue that they sent the Italian label pictures of clowns as inspiration for their design.

"It probably sounds a little bit crazy, but we were inspired by Pierrot clowns, with their giant ruffs and androgynous silhouettes," Corrin said.

Representatives for Corrin and Lambert did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
Emma Watsons 2020 interview with author and activist Paris Lees has been resurfaced, with many people praising the actor for her remarks on trans issues.

In the video interview, Lees  a transgender writer and campaigner  can be seen asking the Harry Potter star if she would feel comfortable with Lees using female toilets, to which the actor replies: Oh my god, of course.

Watson, who was being interviewed by Lees for British Vogue, continues by explaining that her message for people who have a problem with Lees using female toilets would be: Thats another human being. I understand fearing what you dont know. But go and learn

The clip has gone viral after being reshared to TikTok, before being shared on Twitter by a user with the handle @AnxietySugar_, who wrote: Emma Watson shining a light on how many of us cisgender women feel. This is true feminism and sisterhood.

At the time of writing, the tweet has been liked 13,200 times, with Watsons name trending since the weekend.

Many have reshared the post, with one person writing: I love Emma Watson. She always shows up.

Another added: I totally agree with Emma Watson  trans women should be welcome in female spaces.

The only people Im not comfortable sharing a public restroom with are the people who want to check everyones genitals to categorise them before they come in. Everyone else is cool with me.

Emma Watson speaks of a hopeful and inclusive feminism. Rowling and TERFs push something more cynical, regressive, and mean.



There's a reason why Watson's feminism has a future and TERF's does not. https://t.co/qCRx4XHIUo  Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) April 10, 2022

Emma Watson rightfully says that the moral panic over trans people in bathrooms is nonsense and TERFs (trans exclusionary radical fascists) are losing their goddamn mind  tired fag in love, JD (they/them)  (@abrowngaywrites) April 9, 2022

Emma Watson simultaneously being a legend and also relentlessly normal https://t.co/mHqxuQqFwn  Katy Montgomerie  (@KatyMontgomerie) April 10, 2022

The clips resurfacing comes in the wake of Watson appearing to make a dig at JK Rowling at the Baftas last month.

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As host Rebel Wilson introduced Watson to the stage, the Pitch Perfect star said: Here to present the next award is Emma Watson. She calls herself a feminist, but we all know shes a witch.

Watson then emphasised: Im here for all the witches!

One viewer posted a clip of the moment on Twitter, writing: Emma Watson destroying JK.

Rowling has repeatedly come under criticism for various social media posts. The author has consistently denied accusations that she is transphobic.

In June last year, she sparked outrage for posting a series of tweets about menstruation, after taking offence to an articles use of the phrase people who menstruate.

People who menstruate. Im sure there used to be a word for those people, she tweeted. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?

While many of Rowlings fans supported her, there were others  including numerous celebrities like Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness and Harry Potter stars Katie Leung, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint  who criticised her comment as anti-trans, arguing that transgender, non-binary and non-gender conforming people can also menstruate.

Rowling has also been highly critical of the Scottish governments proposal to introduce a law that would make it easier for transgender people to self-identify.
One of two people struck in a workplace shooting in South Carolina last week has died, the coroner in Anderson County confirmed.

The deceased was identified as Iain Samuel Peare, 24, of Belton, the county coroner's office said in a statement. The suspect, said to be a former employee, died when he shot himself at the location, the coroner said earlier.

Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride said the other victim suffered only a graze wound. NBC affiliate WYFF of Greenville reported that the weapon was an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle.

Authorities told the station that the shooter and the company had parted ways just a day or two before the attack.

The shooting happened at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday at an industrial piping plant in unincorporated Anderson County operated by a German firm called Frankische, authorities said.

The shooter opened fire on employees as many fled to a nearby restaurant called Tipsy Tavern, McBride said at a news conference the night of the violence.

Authorities said about 30 workers were at the location as gunfire erupted. McBride said that by the time deputies arrived, the shooter had already turned a gun on himself.

Peare was struck in the head and put on life support at a nearby AnMed Health facility, Coroner Greg Shore said by email. He was pronounced dead at 3:26 p.m. Sunday, the coroner's office said.

Frauke Barnofsky, a spokesman for Frankische, said in a statement provided to WYFF, "We are deeply shocked and our thoughts are with the victims and their families."

The company is providing assistance to employees affected by the attack, and it is cooperating with authorities, Barnofsky said.

The shooting remained under investigation by the Anderson County Sheriff's Office and coroner's officials.

The coroner's office identified the gunman as Bruce Vandermosten Jr.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
Maryland lawmakers will make the trek to Annapolis on Monday morning for a final day of legislating before the General Assembly adjourns at midnight and most of them strike out on the campaign trail ahead of upcoming elections.

Much of the agenda Democratic leadership marked as priorities was wrapped up over the weekend during a flurry of Saturday votes that overrode all 10 Friday vetoes from Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. The push left few high-profile battles, but still some important work for the final hours of the annual 90-day legislative session.

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Over the weekend, lawmakers voted to: put the possible legalization of recreational marijuana on the November ballot, enact sweeping new climate goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions, create a paid family and medical leave program, add new gun control restrictions to outlaw untraceable so-called ghost guns, expand abortion providers in the state and require most health insurance to cover abortions cost-free.

Earlier Hogan, wrapping up his final full legislative session as governor, struck deals with Democratic leadership to temporarily lift the states 36-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax, a reprieve that ends Saturday, and over a number of budget priorities. They included a deal on tax cuts that combined part of a long-sought Hogan priority  a $1,000 state income tax credit for Marylanders over 65  with Democratic proposals to cut sales taxes on many child care and medical items and to incentivize employers to hire from groups that traditionally have harder times finding jobs.

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A resurgent coronavirus pandemic in January cast a shadow over the beginning of the legislative session, with most lawmakers working remotely and all committee meetings handled over video. But rules loosened as the surge faded, with mask rules relaxing and members of the media allowed back on the floors of both chambers for the first time since the pandemic forced an abrupt end to the 2020 session.

Some of the celebratory atmosphere might return Monday to the State House with the public, for the first time since 2019, allowed to be on hand for sine die. The Latin term roughly translates as without [a] day, when legislators adjourn at the end of the last day of the current session.

With few major controversial issues still in play, the final push likely wont be as hectic as in past years. And, with a lighter agenda, lawmakers wont gavel in Monday until noon.

Still, here are several things that could get done on the final day.

Hogan criminal justice priorities

Two of Hogans criminal justice priorities, both championed by Republicans in the General Assembly, remain in play.

The governor and other Republicans have loudly demanded that Democrats pass a bill to stiffen criminal penalties and lengthen prison sentences for crimes involving firearms, claiming harsher sanctions would tamp down violence in Baltimore and elsewhere. But many Democratic critics contend the proposal would simply double down on failed tough-on-crime policies, and would fill prisons without addressing underlying causes of crime.

Despite Hogans repeated public appeals, the package  which he pushed in previous years, as well  has languished in the General Assembly. Thats left it with little time and a long way to go to succeed.

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A separate Hogan-backed bid to give voters more insight into how judges sentence people convicted of serious crimes seemed to pick up momentum. The states senators struck a compromise to publish aggregated averages for all judges in a jurisdiction, instead of detailing an individual judges record, which some Democrats argued could inject too much political pressure into the justice system.

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The Senate passed that bill unanimously, but it remains bottled up in the House Judiciary Committee. A last-minute push could get it through to the governors desk; its unclear whether it has the support among Democratic delegates for that to happen.

Policing Baltimores bus lanes

Last year, lawmakers gave Baltimore the go-ahead to install two speed cameras on Interstate 83, giving the city an automated way to control speeding on the often wild stretch of highway (and collect millions in projected fines).

Baltimore streets might soon get more camera enforcement, this time aimed at keeping drivers out of the citys bus-only lanes. A bill to authorize camera enforcement of bus-only lanes has passed both chambers, but lawmakers need to resolve slight differences over amendments to the bill.

If passed, scofflaws driving or parking in the lanes  which are supposed to be reserved for buses and bicyclists unless a driver is making a turn  would face a maximum fine of $100 for each camera citation, less than the $500 top fine for the (relatively rare) officer-issued ticket. As with other camera tickets, the citations would not be considered moving violations and would not result in points against a drivers license.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission has added 21 Russian airlines to a list of carriers banned from operating in the 27-nation bloc because they do not meet international safety standards, the EU executive arm said on Monday.

"The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency has allowed Russian airlines to operate hundreds of foreign-owned aircraft without a valid certificate of airworthiness," Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean said.

"The Russian airlines concerned have knowingly done so in breach of relevant international safety standards. This ...poses an immediate safety threat," she said.

She said the decision to ban the airlines certified in Russia, which include Aeroflot, was not another sanction against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, but a measure taken only on the basis of technical and safety grounds.

The Commission said that after the addition of the 21 Russian airlines, the EU black list of carriers banned from EU skies now contained 117 companies.

(Reporting by Jan Strupczewski, editing by Ed Osmond)
By Kate Abnett and Alex Lawler

BRUSSELS/LONDON (Reuters) -OPEC told the European Union on Monday that current and future sanctions on Russia could create one of the worst ever oil supply shocks and it would be impossible to replace those volumes, and signalled it would not pump more.

European Union officials held talks in Vienna with representatives of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries amid calls for the group to increase output and as the EU considers potential sanctions on Russian oil.

"We could potentially see the loss of more than 7 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian oil and other liquids exports, resulting from current and future sanctions or other voluntary actions," OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo said, according to a copy of his speech seen by Reuters.

"Considering the current demand outlook, it would be nearly impossible to replace a loss in volumes of this magnitude."

The European Union reiterated its call in the meeting for oil-producing countries to look at whether they can increase deliveries to help cool soaring oil prices, a European Commission official told Reuters.

EU representatives also pointed out that OPEC has a responsibility to ensure balanced oil markets, the official said.

OPEC has resisted calls by the United States and the International Energy Agency to pump more crude to cool prices, which reached a 14-year peak last month after Washington and Brussels imposed sanctions on Moscow following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In the meeting with OPEC, the EU said OPEC could provide more production from its spare capacity, according to an OPEC document seen by Reuters.

Still, Barkindo said the current highly volatile market was a result of "non-fundamental factors" outside OPEC's control, in a signal the group would not pump more.

OPEC+, which consists of OPEC and other producers including Russia, will raise output by about 432,000 barrels per day in May, as part of a gradual unwinding of output cuts made during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The EU-OPEC meeting on Monday afternoon was the latest in a dialogue launched between the two sides in 2005.

Russian oil has been excluded from EU sanctions so far. But after the 27-country bloc agreed last week to sanction Russian coal - its first to target energy supplies - some senior EU officials said oil could be next.

The European Commission is drafting proposals for an oil embargo on Russia, the foreign ministers of Ireland, Lithuania and the Netherlands said on Monday at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, although there was no agreement to ban Russian crude.

Australia, Canada and the United States, who are less reliant on Russian supply than Europe, have already banned Russian oil purchases.

EU countries are split over whether to follow suit, given their higher dependency and the potential for the move to push up already high energy prices in Europe.

The EU expects its oil use to decrease 30% by 2030, from 2015 levels, under its planned policies to fight climate change - though in the short term, an embargo would trigger a dash to replace Russian oil with alternative supplies.

(Reporting by Kate Abnett; Editing by Mike Harrison and Susan Fenton)
STUTTGART, Germany  The aftermath of a yearslong pandemic and a protracted land war in Europe is causing defense contractors to take a serious look at how to sustain their supply chains.

COVID-19 has caused the prices of critical materials and transportation capabilities used by the defense sector to skyrocket, just as multiple European nations have pledged to boost their military spending  demanding faster delivery times and increasing order rates.

Meanwhile, the economic sanctions imposed on Russia upon its invasion of Ukraine mean companies must perform a thorough inspection of their supply chains to ensure they are not using sanctioned firms or products.

These events have prompted defense contractors in Europe to develop new strategies to keep their products flowing through evermore uncertain times. Finnish defense manufacturer Patria has felt the squeeze of increased component prices and accelerated delivery schedules over the past couple of years, said Jukka Holkeri, executive vice president of Patrias global division.

Since the pandemic began, delivery times for components used to build Patrias equipment  be it armored vehicles or defense electronic systems  have grown longer, Holkeri said in an interview with Defense News.

On top of that, the cost of certain components, from semiconductors to armored steel, has risen over the past couple of years  both due to the lower availability of parts as well as increased transportation costs.

Everybody seems to be wanting to have armored steel, and the production just seemingly cannot cope with that, he said.

French defense industry leaders recently called on the nations delegates to do more to help keep critical materials and components flowing in the short and medium term. Speaking during a March 30 hearing before the National Assemblys defense committee, the three chairmen of Frances aerospace, land forces and naval forces industry associations warned they will need to begin stockpiling critical supplies such as steel, titanium, nickel and aluminum to fill orders in the short term.

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In the medium term, new suppliers will require requalification, which could take one to two years, warned Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation and chairman of the French Aerospace Industries Association.

For shipyards in particular, the low availability and high cost of steel is a fast-growing problem. Steel and aluminum can make up to 60% of the cost of a small ship, said Pierre-Eric Pommellet, president of Naval Group and chairman of the French Marine Industry Group.

The naval industry is absolutely witnessing price increases for steel of 40-60%, Pommelet told delegates. The supply of steel becomes problematic and can create enormous difficulties for our companies.

While these supply chain issues began during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were exacerbated in the lead-up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Countries started to raise their defense budgets, which leads to procurements, which leads to companies starting to prepare for bigger production, and that leads them to ordering long-lead items and materials, Holkeri said.

European officials welcomed these defense spending announcements, but quick decisions should not mean hasty and thoughtless decisions, warned European Defence Agency Chief Executive Jiri Sedivy.

We need to coordinate ourselves better on the demand side before making capability expenditures, avoid fragmentation, and use this new defense spending opportunity for a more collaborative approach, he told Defense News in an email.

The surge of demand may well crash against the defense-industrial production capacities, which were hampered by the shortage of raw material and components since the pandemic began. The war in Ukraine is only sharpening this crisis of supply chains. So already in the short term, we should avoid an intra-European arms race amongst the member states, by better coordinating on the industrial supply side as well, Sedivy said.

Defense industry leaders did reaffirm their support for the sanctions imposed against Russia. But those economic measures mean it will take companies even longer to find new suppliers for critical materials that previously came from Russia, Trappier noted. Moreover, the ongoing deliberations over whether Europe will cut off Russian gas will affect how defense businesses power their factories and build systems, he added.

The defense-industrial base is trying to ensure it can fulfill the equipment requests and sped-up delivery times in the short term. But executives see the Russian invasion leading to a full update of their business strategies.

Updating the strategy is approaching, but it seems more that companies are working to cope with the current situation  both pandemic and the Ukraine war  rather than updating the strategies more fully, Holkeri said.

Global reach

Supply chain woes in the defense industry are also a global problem. In the United States, the Biden administration has made supply resiliency a priority for the Pentagon.

Officials have begun to identify and patch holes in the system, orchestrated by a set of road maps to be released soon by the Defense Department, said Andrew Hunter, who is the U.S. Air Force acquisition chief and currently acting in that capacity for all of the Pentagon.

I think its important and significant that we can do it together with our allies, he said April 1 at the Norwegian-American Defense Conference in Arlington, Virginia.

For example, Hunter said, he learned in a recent conversation with his Norwegian counterpart, Morten Tiller, that Oslos M72 anti-tank weapons, donated to Ukraine, are produced in the United States. Nammos U.S. subsidiary makes the shoulder-fired weapons at its plant in Mesa, Arizona.

When I heard that, I thought to myself: Hmm, I wonder if our supply chains have the same challenges?  Hunter said.

The pandemics economic toll was in many ways a wake-up call for the Pentagon. While the prevailing wisdom was that prime contractors had a good grip on the business of sourcing vital components for their products, the dynamics have turned out to be more risky, Hunter said.

That remains true, but what [we] learned is that its a more challenging problem than we appreciated, and there are more overlaps and dependencies within the supply chain than we appreciated, he said. COVID brought many of these to light, and we saw delays and gaps develop over time.

Sebastian Sprenger in Washington contributed to this report.
A former Oregon offensive lineman is suing the university, the NCAA and former Ducks coach Willie Taggart, alleging that he sustained lifelong injuries after controversial workouts in 2017.

Doug Brenner is seeking $100 million in punitive damages from the NCAA and $25.5 million in damages from all defendants, according to USA Today. He filed the lawsuit in March in Oregon state court, and the trial is set to begin on Tuesday.

"For decades, the NCAA has refused to outlaw these remarkably dangerous workout drills  drills designed for punishment rather than conditioning," one of Brenners attorneys, Greg Kafoury, told USA Today. "They have refused to do so out of concern for their own organization's interests, rather than the safety of young athletes. We seek a punitive damage award large enough to force them to change their mind."

The lawsuit, according to ESPN, was initially filed in 2019 but was amended last month after discovery  which included depositions from NCAA president Mark Emmert and the NCAAs chief medical officer.

Doug Brenner hospitalized after workouts

According to the lawsuit, per ESPN, Brenner accused Taggart and former Oregon strength and conditioning coach Irele Oderinde of negligence, said they imposed physical punishments on players, and that they failed to ensure that Oderinde was trained properly. Oderinde, the lawsuit claims, wasnt certified to hold the position that he did.

Taggart, who was hired in 2016 and then left after one season for Florida State, said he was going to focus on discipline in strength and conditioning and that they were going to find the snakes in the grass and cut their heads off, per the report. Workouts in question reportedly started at 6 a.m. four days a week and lasted for 60 to 90 minutes, and water wasnt made available for at least the first day of the workouts. Players in a group of about 40 had to do 10 perfect push-ups in unison and had to restart if anyone was slightly off.

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Student athletes vomited, passed out or collapsed during the workouts, the lawsuit said, and Oregons medical staff "acknowledged that the workout went beyond the student athletes' natural limits after the first day, but rather than stop the workouts, university staff brought in oxygen tanks on the second day."

Brenner was one of three students hospitalized in 2017 as a result of the workouts. He was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, which causes skeletal muscle tissue to rapidly break down and causes permanent kidney damage. His life expectancy was reduced by 10 years, per the lawsuit.

Oderinde was suspended for a month as a result, and Taggart issued a public apology at the time.

Emmert and the NCAA said that the lawsuit failed to articulate what rule or bylaw should have [or could have] been adopted by the NCAA or its members in an effort to combat this.

"I've never talked to a president that they think that the responsibility is of a sport association to tell them how their medical professionals and training professionals should behave on campus," Emmert said, according to a transcript of his deposition, via ESPN. "Rather the association's role is to provide them with guidance and advice and understanding of where the best science is and medical advice is, but not to police their local behavior. That's not been a role that the association in 115 years has ever deemed was the appropriate thing for an athletic association to do."

Taggart issued a statement in response to the lawsuit and said he disagreed with Brenners claims.

"I care about every one of the players I've coached like they are my own sons, and I want each of them to be successful on and off the field," Taggart said in a statement, via ESPN. "I would never want any of them to suffer any injury. I disagree with the things Doug Brenner has said in his complaint and am sorry we're involved in this lawsuit. But I still wish him the best."

Oregon issued a similar statement, and said it responded quickly to Brenners injury at the time.

"The health and safety of our students is our highest priority, an Oregon spokesman said in a statement, via ESPN. There was a quick response to Doug Brenner's injury, and he was provided the best care possible. We are grateful that he made a full recovery and was able to play during the 2017 season and also graduate from the University of Oregon. We disagree with the claims made by Mr. Brenner's attorneys in their lawsuit and will address those in court."
By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. officials now say that people 50 and older can get a second COVID-19 booster shot to fortify their immune defenses against COVID-19. But for individuals in that group, the decision is complicated.

Here are considerations health experts say people should weigh.

WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION?

Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said any person aged 50 and older can get a second COVID-19 booster of an mRNA vaccine from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech at least four months following their last shot.

The same goes for people who are severely immunocompromised aged 12 and up as well as those who have received two doses of Johnson & Johnson's shot.

Dr. Peter Marks, director of FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said the aim is to give older adults the option to top up waning vaccine protection against severe disease as the virus continues to circulate.

The highly transmissible Omicron BA.2 subvariant has fueled cases in other countries and is now sweeping the United States, accounting for the majority of all coronavirus infections here.

WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE?

Data presented to a panel of FDA advisers last week showed that current vaccines lose much of their effectiveness in staving off infections from the Omicron variant but still do a good job at preventing severe disease, especially in people with healthy immune systems. Concerns about the variant's ability to evade the vaccine as well as data showing the shots become less protective over time prompted U.S. health officials to authorize a second booster.

Evidence in favor of a second booster comes from an Israeli study of more than 1.2 million adults published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine. It showed that a fourth dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine lowered rates of severe COVID-19 among those age 60 and older but offered only short-lived additional protection against infection.

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WEIGHING THE RISK

The decision to get a fourth dose should take into account a person's individual risk factors, experts say.

For people 65 and older, the immune compromised, or those 50 and older with serious medical conditions, the answer is "pretty easy," said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. They should get a second booster.

But for healthy people over 50, experts are unsure available data makes a clear case for them to get another booster.

"There's no clear evidence that vaccine protection against severe illness is waning in healthy adults with functioning immune systems," said Dr. Michael Daignault, and emergency physician and chief medical advisor to Reliant Health Services, an Atlanta-based testing company.

Daignault said the Israeli study may have been flawed by confounding factors such as other preexisting health conditions and behavior.

"I'm not convinced that most people need a fourth dose - or second booster - at this time," he said.

Dr. Gregory Poland, a former FDA vaccine advisory panel member and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, said the decision is challenging for many.

"I get many, many calls from my physician colleagues at the clinic and around the United States, wondering what to do," he said.

For people who have had a third shot, the risk of severe disease is already pretty low, said Dr. Jesse Goodman, an infectious disease expert at Georgetown University and a former FDA chief scientist.

Goodman said a fourth dose "may reduce it further, but we don't know for how long. That's why this is such a difficult call," he said.

Goodman, who is 70, and Poland, who is 66, both said they are holding off on a fourth dose based on their current health.

Because protection from a second booster is likely short-lived, Poland suggested people may want to time their shot for a trip, a high-risk event, or a new surge in cases.

(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; editing by Caroline Humer and Bill Berkrot)
One thing Kenedi Anderson can count on as she competes on this season of "American Idol" is that a devoted group of Thibodaux residents will be cheering her on.

"I'm very proud of her," said her grandfather, Greg Stock. "Kenedi's journey will be where she wants to take it."

Stock, CEO of Thibodaux Regional Health System, gathered with about three dozen friends and fans Sunday night at the hospital's Wellness Center as the ABC singing competition's latest episode aired.

More: 'American Idol's' Kenedi Anderson has a Thibodaux connection? Here's what we know.

The first batch among the top 24 contestants performed at the Disney Aulani Resort in Ko Olina, Hawaii, during Sunday night's show, and Kenedi is expected to appear at 7 tonight with the remaining singers.

Stock, 70, said he had hoped Sunday's gathering would be a watch party, but when he learned Kenedi won't appear until Monday, he and other guests watched videos of the young singer performing and shared memories of her time growing up in Thibodaux.

Kenedi and her family have moved around frequently and lived in Thibodaux from 2010 to 2015 while her father, Justin Anderson, was an assistant coach for Nicholls State University's football team. Stock and his wife, Monica, are the parents of Kenedi's mom, Anne Anderson. Kenedi now lives in Crozet, Virginia, where she is a senior at Western Albemarle High School.

Kenedi Anderson performs at Disney's Aulani Resort in Hawaii during an "American Idol" episode that was set to air Monday, April 12, 2022.

Coming from a large family, Kenedi's uncle David Stock, 41, said she is the member who really takes music seriously.

"Everybody does a little bit," he said. "All my sisters go sing together and do that stuff, but nobody is taking it to her level."

In March, Kenedi received a coveted Platinum Ticket and an automatic trip to the finals in Hollywood. She wowed judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie with a performance of Lady Gaga's "Applause." Her second song was a duet with another contestant, Jordan Chase, and they sang "Lean on Me," by Bill Withers. Lastly, she sang "Talking to the Moon," by Bruno Mars.

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More:Kenedi Anderson makes Top 24 in 'American Idol'

"She nailed every pitch very accurately," said her former voice teacher, Kenneth Klaus, 69. "Her voice has gotten stronger and richer."

Klaus is retired now, but he was choir director at Nicholls State University and music director at First United Methodist Church in Houma. He gave Kenedi private lessons for a year and said she showed a lot of potential. He went on to compare her to Taylor Swift, who Klaus said began with raw talent and developed her singing skills over the years.

Nurse Allison Robichaux and Thibodaux Regional CEO Greg Stock recall how his granddaughter, Kenedi Anderson, sang for a hospital patient as a child. A group of family, friends and fans gathered Sunday night at the hospital's Wellness Center to cheer the now-17-year-old singer on as she competes on "American Idol."

At Sunday night's gathering, the group watched videos showing Kenedi performing when she was 10-12 years old. Two were from church performances and one showed her and her sister Rubee performing for a hospital patient who has since passed away.

Three nurses remembered how Rubee began to tear up and Kenedi put her arm around her and finished the song "Peace in Christ." One of the nurses, Elizabeth Babin, 38, said she saved a copy of the video.

"When I need a little uplift, I listen to this song," Babin said.

The Rev. Norman Edmonds Sr. of Beulah Baptist Church in Thibodaux recalled the two sisters' performance of "Precious Lord" with fondness and remembers joking with the congregation that he would be her manager. He said Kenedi has great talent.

"There's no telling where God will take her," Edmonds said.

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Kenedi Anderson's Thibodaux fans rooting for her on 'American Idol'
In the first weeks of the war in Ukraine, 16 veterans treated by Robert McCartney, a counsellor for British former military personnel from Northern Ireland, travelled to join the fighting against Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called at the outset of the war in February for an "international legion" to join the defence against the Russian invasion.

Many, including members of the Ukrainian diaspora, answered the call with little to no military training.

But some, like the veterans McCartney counsels, wanted to bring their years of military experience to bear despite suffering conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

"They could be in a ditch, they could be seriously injured and their parents are back here, their families are back here, and nobody knows what's happened to them," McCartney told AFP.

The veterans were sometimes haunted by their own demons from Britain's recent conflicts.

"There's so many questions that they've asked themselves from Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan," the 63-year-old counsellor said.

"They're always questioning themselves: 'Was someone killed because of me? Did I have my head down when I should have been putting rounds down?'"

- 'Verge of losing everything' -

McCartney explained that for these reasons, when the conflict erupted in Ukraine, there was a high number of ex-servicemen coming through his door wanting to go off to fight.

"And we persuaded a lot of them to stay. But obviously the ones that are there are there, and they're there for their own reasons -- but at the same time it's not the right reasons to go to war."

Beyond The Battlefield, the charity that McCartney heads based in Newtownards, 10 miles (16 kilometres) outside Belfast, treated 854 veterans last year.

The charity offers counselling but also helps veterans with support for housing or to seek compensation they may be due from the armed forces.

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McCartney is a former Royal Irish Ranger and a veteran of Britain's war in the Falkland Islands 40 years ago.

He says that when former personnel are referred to him, they are "on the verge of losing everything" and often "on the thought process side of suicide".

Calls for military personnel to join the fight in Ukraine have flooded social media channels used by veterans.

"I think there's a lot of people who maybe do have PTSD that have heard about going out," said James Girvan, who served the British army in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Girvan said social media was a vital tool for ex-servicemen to stay in touch with those who have gone. Fears for friends' safety grew when posts and messages stopped.

- 'Manage good intentions' -

"I have a few of the other people that are on the same Facebook profile and it is a wee bit worrying," he said, describing one of the veterans who had gone to fight as a good friend.

The charity has received sporadic updates from the former personnel in Ukraine, some of whom reported engaging Russian forces on the outskirts of Kyiv.

McCartney says "a few" of the 16 veterans returned to Northern Ireland at the start of April after weeks of fighting, sometimes frustrated by the lack of coordination for international forces.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss appeared initially to back Britons who wanted to go fight in Ukraine. But she was admonished by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and military chiefs.

"We advise against travel to Ukraine, and anyone who travels to conflict zones to engage in unlawful activity should expect to be investigated upon their return to the UK," a foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP.

The Northern Ireland government's veterans commissioner, Danny Kinahan, said ex-service people "naturally feel the desire to assist".

But he said "we must manage good intentions to the best effect, and that does not promote travel to the Ukraine".

csp/jit/imm
The Biden administration has announced a new federal rule that cracks down on what has been dubbed ghost guns  untraceable homemade firearms that do not have serial numbers.

The new rule requires homemade gun kits to be treated like other guns made and sold in the U.S.

The kits will need to have serial numbers and the person buying one would need to pass a background check.

The rule goes into effect in four months, according to the Department of Justice.

READ: Violent weekend: 15 shootings reported in Central Florida in 48 hours

This rule clarifies that these kits qualify as firearms under the Gun Control Act, and that commercial manufacturers of such kits must therefore become licensed and include serial numbers on the kits frame or receiver, and commercial sellers of these kits must become federally licensed and run background checks prior to a sale  just like they have to do with other commercially-made firearms, said the White House in a statement.

The new rule also requires gun dealers to give serial numbers to any firearms in their inventory that do not currently have serial numbers, regardless of how the firearm was made.

READ: Passenger fined nearly $82,000 for unruly behavior on flight

The final rule will also help turn some ghost guns already in circulation into serialized firearms, said the White House. Through this rule, the Justice Department is requiring federally licensed dealers and gunsmiths taking any unserialized firearm into inventory to serialize that weapon. For example, if an individual builds a firearm at home and then sells it to a pawn broker or another federally licensed dealer, that dealer must put a serial number on the weapon before selling it to a customer.

The White House said last year alone, there were around 20,000 suspected ghost guns reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in criminal investigations, though law enforcement agencies have testified before Congress about the difficulty in tracking these weapons and warned that data is limited.

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READ: Boy, 13, drowns in Volusia County

Republicans in Congress have slammed President Bidens crackdown on ghost guns and called it a distraction from the uptick in violence across the country.

Homemade firearms arent any more dangerous than any other firearms, said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) during a Senate hearing in February. Its a name that is intended to scare people.

In response to the Biden administrations new rule Monday, the National Rifle Association said: An administration thats truly sincere and resolute about curbing violent crime rates would do one thing: take violent criminals off the streets immediately, said Andrew Arulanandam, managing director of public affairs for the NRA. Yet, the Biden administration allows these criminals who kill and maim with callous and reckless abandon, again and again, to roam the streets of Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and other cities large and small across our country without fear of prosecution and punishment. Americans know the lenient bail system and the revolving door justice system supported and perpetrated by the Biden administration and other leaders who support soft-on-criminal policies are the problem. However, today, the president unveils yet another hollow plan that will not stop this violence. His gun control actions will undoubtedly hearten his wealthy gun control supporters. But, this action sends the wrong message to violent criminals, because this ban will not affect them. These violent crime sprees will continue unabated until they are arrested, prosecuted and punished.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
We are continuing to learn more about the grandparents and grandson killed inside the Grantville gun range the family owned.

The familys pastor told Channel 2s Elizabeth Rawlins that the familys lives were led by faith.

Pastor Ben Sprenger with Emmanuel Baptist Church said hes praying he will find the right words and enough strength to perform the funeral service for the three.

The ATF is expected to hold a news conference on this shooting around 4 p.m. LIVE coverage of this developing story starting on Channel 2 Action News at 4 p.m.

TRENDING STORIES:

Investigators say Tommy Richard Hawk, his wife Evelyn and their grandson Luke were shot and killed Friday afternoon at their family-run business in Grantville  the Lock Stock & Barrel gun range.

Its up and down. A lot of different emotions, Sprenger said about the last 48 hours for the small, tight-knit community.

The Hawks were part of the churchs small congregation of about 50 members. Losing three people in this way is inconceivable to them.

Theres a hole in our lives now, Sprenger said.

Evelyn, Richard and Luke Hawk were all found shot to death inside in the Lock, Stock and Barrel gun range Friday.

That void became a reality for the congregation on Sunday  the first Sunday that there have been three empty seats.

It was just last week that Luke Hawk was called on to lead the congregation in prayer.

He turned 18 last December and I told him that I was going to call on him to pray soon. And he told his parents he didnt want to do it, but it felt so good, Sprenger said.

The Hawks were not only active in their church, but they were actively practicing and sharing their strong faith with their customers, even posting scripture on their business website with a standing invitation to church.

They loved God. They feared God. They loved their community. They were passionate about people. They knew the gospel, Jesus Christ and repenting of their sins. And believed it, Sprenger said.

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While so many questions remain unanswered, the congregation is comforted knowing the answer to the most important question.

This isnt made up. This isnt a game. This is real hope, and we are going to see them again. We believe that, Sprenger said.

The funeral for the Hawks is set for Thursday.

RELATED NEWS:
Dubai, United Arab Emirates --News Direct-- Fine Hygienic Holding

Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH), the world-leading wellness group and manufacturer of hygienic paper products and long-term germ protection solutions, has yet again taken the initiative to introduce new female-friendly policies as part of its continuous workplace reforms which aim to provide the most inclusive and welcoming environment possible for all its employees. Demonstrating that the company is serious about bringing about positive change, it has updated its Parental Leave Policy to include provisions for miscarriage or stillbirth, across all its locations.

FHH already has generous maternity leave provisions for working mothers who benefit from 16 weeks of paid leave, above what the International Labour Organization recommends, and it even offers 3 weeks of paid paternity leave, which puts it at the forefront not only in the MENA region but also globally.

Employees are eligible for compassionate leave upon the unfortunate event of a female employee or a male employees spouse suffering a miscarriage or stillbirth. In both instances the employee is entitled to five days of paid leave, and females may take an additional five days of unpaid leave. This comes in line with FHHs core values to lead with empathy and extend leave to women needing time to recover physically and emotionally, and to consider the needs of male partners as well. No other company in the region offers such a generous leave policy, with provisions for maternity, paternity, miscarriage or stillbirth, in addition to a monthly day off for females.

James Michael Lafferty, FHH CEO, said, Our company believes that  if we take care of the people, the business will take care of itself  which is why we are constantly on the lookout for practices that support our employees wellbeing, especially during pivotal moments in their lives. With our updated policy our aim is to live our values and support our employees through difficult times.

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FHH adheres to the highest standards of HR practices with a strong emphasis on supporting and empowering parents within its workforce. It is worth mentioning that the company was recently recognized as a Top Employer Middle East 2022 by the prestigious Top Employers Institute in every country it operates.

Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH), one of the worlds leading wellness groups and MENAs leading manufacturer of hygienic products, serves consumers in more than 80 countries around the world. Originally established as a paper manufacturer, FHH has transformed into a wellness company dedicated to enhancing global health and wellbeing. Committed to becoming the shining star of the Arab FMCG business world, the Group focuses on wellness, sustainability, pioneering CSR programs, and state-of-the-art production processes. Fine Hygienic Holding offers a diverse array of award-winning products including sterilized facial tissues, napkins, kitchen towels, toilet paper, baby diapers, adult briefs, jumbo rolls, as well as away-from-home products to accommodate all types of private and public institutions, in addition to its advanced range of personal protective equipment (PPE) and long-lasting germ protection solutions, it also brings Nai natural iced teas and innovative nutritional supplements, Motiva, to the market. Along with multiple accolated and awards over the years, particularly for its products and CSR initiatives, the company was recognized as a Top Employer Middle East 2022 by the prestigious Top Employers Institute in every country it operates.

Contact Details

Rana Kawalit |  Corporate Communication & PR Director

Rkawalit@finehh.com

Company Website

https://www.finehh.com/

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/fine-hygienic-holding-continues-to-lead-on-progressive-female-friendly-workplace-reforms-with-pregnancy-loss-policy-467587233
Australia's "finfluencers" could be jailed for up to five years if they continue giving financial advice without a license. Getty Images

Australia's finance influencers could face jail time if they give financial advice without a license.

The country's securities and investment watchdog listed content that can and cannot be posted.

Finance influencers, or "finfluencers," have since removed old posts to comply with the new rules.

Australia's hugely popular financial influencers  or "finfluencers"  could be jailed for up to five years if they continue giving financial advice to their followers without a license.

That's according to an information sheet issued last month by the country's corporate watchdog, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Finfluencers use social media to advise on everything from financial products to budgeting, with some even promising significant returns on specific investments  despite many not holding financial services licenses.

But that's no longer allowed in Australia.

"Think about your content carefully and whether you are providing unlicensed financial services, such as providing financial product advice or dealing by arranging," ASIC wrote. "If you carry on a business of providing financial services, you must hold an AFS (Australian Financial Services) license."

The information sheet listed several examples of text that would constitute financial product advice.

For example, the statement "I'm going to share with you five long-term stocks that will do well and which you should buy and hold" would likely be considered financial product advice as it "intends to influence someone's decision to buy specific financial products," ASIC said. However, offering budgeting tips would not.

Finfluencers who fail to follow ASIC's guidelines could face up to five years in prison, the organization said.

ASIS has already taken a finfluencer to court  Tyson Scholz amassed more than 22,500 followers on his Instagram account @asxwolf_ts before it was made private. According to a media release, the regulator accused the 36-year-old of operating a financial services business without a license "by delivering training courses and seminars about trading in securities on the ASX." Those courses were promoted on his Instagram and Twitter accounts, ASIC added.

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ASIC is seeking orders to restrain him from promoting or carrying any financial services business in Australia. The case is set to return to court in May.

In recent years, finfluencers have increased in popularity, especially among younger audiences. According to a December ASIC survey, one-third of Australians aged 18 to 21 followed a financial influencer online. The survey also found that 64% of young people in Australia admitted they changed their economic behavior after listening to an influencer.

Finance micro-influencer Ellie Withers, who posts under the Instagram handle @thelady.fire, told Insider that she had to remove some of her old posts to comply with the new rules.

"I've had to archive my net-worth updates as they showed what I invest in, and this is not allowed," said the 29-year-old, who does not have a financial services license. "They were posts on what I invest in, like the actual ETFs, and the new rules state we can't share what we invest in as it could influence our followers to buy that."

Withers, who has more than 1,300 followers on her account, said that the guide is "very broad and doesn't make it easy to decipher."

"There is a lot of turbulence in the finfluencer community right now, with a lot of people of the belief that the guidelines are ambiguous on purpose to make it hard for us to post," she told Insider. "Also, it's unfair to Australian finfluencers as Aussies will now look to overseas information which may not be applicable or may guide them in the wrong."

In her latest Instagram post, shared on Sunday, she said that she had invested more than A$21,000 so far this year. "Can't tell you what I've been investing in though, lols," she wrote.

Read the original article on Insider
(Reuters) - Russia has made a "massive strategic blunder" as Finland and Sweden look poised to join NATO as early as the summer, The Times reported on Monday, citing officials.

The United States officials said that NATO membership for both Nordic countries was "a topic of conversation and multiple sessions" during talks between the alliance's foreign ministers last week attended by Sweden and Finland, report added.

(Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
Lindsey Port struggles some days to grip her pen or firmly shake hands, something she has to do a lot in her job as a Minnesota state senator.

She takes her longer meetings sitting down or over Zoom. Her sneakers are no longer a fashion statement but a necessity to deal with recurring numbness and tingling in her toes and feet. Sometimes, that feeling spreads to part of her leg, forcing her to walk with a cane.

COVID-19 has transformed the life of the 39-year-old DFL legislator and mother of two, who said the effects of the virus linger in her and many others who have long COVID. For Port, the mysterious diagnosis can feel like a "new form of isolation" as the rest of the world tries to move on from the pandemic, including some of her colleagues at the Capitol.

"In this place it feels like everyone thinks the pandemic is done," said Port in an interview in her St. Paul office. "It's a little painful and frustrating for me to hear that, because I'm literally sitting here in pain because of it, and I have unanswered questions and changes to my life. I know that I'm far from alone in that."

Long COVID remains a perplexing problem for the medical community, which is still trying to understand why some people develop long-term effects, who is most at risk, how to treat the condition and possibly prevent people who contract the virus from having lasting health implications.

"People are still getting COVID right now and people are starting to get symptoms of long COVID right now," said Port. "It's not over and it's important for us as leaders to remember that. We need to say that part out loud."

Port caught the virus early in March 2020, before Minnesota had confirmed its first COVID-19 death. Her husband had recently returned home from traveling and the state was just starting to close down classrooms and businesses to slow the spread of the virus.

Her fever spiked and she wound up in the emergency room. Doctors knew little about the virus at the time, so they sent her home with an inhaler and told her to come back if she couldn't breathe.

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Back home, Port struggled to do simple things like walk around the block with her kids. The windows in her Burnsville home stayed shut all summer because campfire smoke triggered asthmatic attacks, something she'd never had before. Port started to feel like herself again by the end of the summer, but that's when the tingling started in her fingers and toes.

"That feeling when your hands falls asleep, it felt like that," she said. "It was annoying, but not anything that I was worried that much about."

She also started getting kidney stones, a red flag for her doctor. Decreased kidney function is a leading symptom of long COVID in women younger than 50. A biopsy showed her kidneys were healthy, but her brain wasn't telling her kidneys to do their job. She had to do a short stint of dialysis until her kidneys were functioning properly again.

Since then, the numbness has spread from her fingers and toes to her hands and feet. It can sometimes numb part of her leg for an hour or much longer, affecting her ability to balance properly. It's called neuropathy, which causes both numbness and pain.

"It felt temporary after the initial infection. Maybe this will take a little while to figure out, but we'll figure it out," said Port. "Now it feels like it's time for me to also accept that this is, at least for now, my new normal."

Neurological issues, brain fog, extreme fatigue as well as eye and throat issues are common signs of long-haul COVID, said Dr. Greg Vanichkachorn, medical director of Mayo Clinic's COVID Activity Rehabilitation Program.

Conservative estimates show between 10 and 20% of people who contract the virus come down with long-haul COVID, affecting millions of Americans. It's not rare, he said, even if it's not yet widely understood.

"Some people don't even think COVID-19 exits, so it's even more difficult to tell them that long-haul COVID exists," he said. "Patients start to question it themselves. It can make them feel depressed and anxious."

His program has seen 600 patients since June 2020 and they have a better idea now of what the condition looks like. Now, they're turning to finding treatments to help people get better faster.

"I tell patients if they have long-haul COVID they need to prepare for the long term. That being said, I don't want them to lose hope that we can't turn this around with new treatments," he said. "Keep engaged with the fight, keep engaged with your providers about this; don't bottle it up and hide."

Port's hope in talking about her struggles is that others might realize they are not alone. She's found solace in talking to a community of doctors and other long-haulers, which has made the experience less isolating.

She has hope when she sees steps being taken on the federal and state level to better prevent, detect and treat long COVID, but that progress can continue only if more people go in for treatment.

"We're not going to find solutions if we don't have a full grasp of the problem, so we need people to get in to their doctors," she said. "We need people to help us, together, find what this looks like long-term and what the solutions are to help people who are suffering. We can't do that if only a small group of us are talking, or if we're only talking in private."
Mass grave in Bucha Photo by Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

France has dispatched a team of police officers trained in forensics to investigate alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine, The Kyiv Independent reported Monday.

The team will reportedly begin investigating crime scenes on Tuesday, focusing on the Kyiv suburbs, where retreating Russian forces left the streets littered with civilian corpses.

Axios notes that "war crime charges are notoriously difficult to prosecute," but that forensic crime scene evidence, such as DNA, could help prosecutors "bring cases against some specific members of the Russian military."

 France sends a team of forensics police officers to Ukraine to assist in war crime investigations.



The team will begin its work on April 12 in the Kyiv Oblast, where multiple counts of Russian war crimes were reported.  The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) April 11, 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Biden have repeatedly accused Russian forces of committing war crimes in Ukraine. After images of dead civilians in Bucha and other Kyiv suburbs emerged earlier this month, even previously neutral nations like Turkey, India, and China called for investigations.

Russia has denied killing civilians in the Kyiv suburbs, calling the video and photo evidence a "monstrous forgery," and accusing Ukrainian forces of having killed the victims  some of who appear to have been bound before being shot  with indiscriminate airstrikes.

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PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday he was prepared to travel to Kyiv or any other city in Ukraine only if he felt his visit would help in the current crisis.

"I am ready to go anywhere and even to Kyiv if it could be useful, if it would help start a dialogue," Macron told BFM television.

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)
Information on a tip line led Fresno officers to arrest a man wanted for gunning down another man last month, according to police.

Police said they arrested 31-year-old Jerry Rodriguez on suspicion of murder in the slaying of 41-year-old Salvador Olivera, who was shot to death about 4:30 a.m. March 28 in the parking lot of an apartment building southwest of Ashlan and Fruit avenues, according to police.

Rodriguez was arrested Sunday at a motel near Blackstone and Barstow avenues, according to a news release.

Olivera had been shot multiple times and died at the scene on March 28, according to police. The police ShotSpotter reported four rounds.

The homicide followed an argument of some kind, according to police.

Lt. Paul Cervantes said last week Oliveras girlfriend had a previous dating relationship with Rodriguez.

As far as a love triangle is concerned, I wouldnt necessarily classify it as that, but there was a relationship with all the parties involved, Cervantes said Thursday.

He said other witnesses were on scene. The victim lived in the apartment building, police said.

A warrant was issued last week for the arrest of Rodriguez on suspicion of murder, police said.

He is held without bail, according to Fresno County jail records.

Anyone calling with information can remain anonymous with Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867. Reference Fresno police Case No. 2203280165.

Salvador Olivera, 41
Paul Gerard Faherty

A Milton, Georgia, man faces at least 25 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of Collier County sex assaults from 2013 to 2015 last week.

The jurors found Paul Gerard Faherty, 50, of Milton, Georgia, guilty of two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation and one count of lewd or lascivious battery regarding a child between 12 and 14, according to the State Attorney's Office, 20th Judicial Circuit. The trial lasted four days.

The courts also determined Faherty is a dangerous sexual felony offender based on a prior conviction for sexual assault in New Jersey.

Court records indicate that Faherty dated a male relative of the boy, gaining access to him after the boy's father died.

Pornography: Naples man, 60, sentenced to more than four decades in prison in child pornography case

Child molestation: Naples man sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexual battery of a child under 12

Faherty was arrested by the Collier County Sheriffs Office in May of 2019, after the victim came forward in late 2018. The allegations stemmed from incidents that took place between 2013 and 2015.

He told detectives that Faherty repeatedly touched him inappropriately, showed him pornography and kissed him on the mouth.

The boy told child welfare workers that Faherty is a "pedophile who is now arrested for doing other things to kids around the country."

Court records indicate that Faherty was convicted in Utah and New Jersey on similar cases.

A sentencing date has not yet been set; Faherty faces a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Man found guilty of Collier County sex assaults; faces life in prison
BERLIN (AP)  Germany's health ministry said Monday that the country may have to discard 3 million doses of expired COVID-19 vaccine by the end of June.

Ministry spokesman Hanno Kautz told reporters in Berlin that not many doses have been destroyed so far, though he couldn't give an exact figure.

But Kautz said that we have more vaccine available at the moment than is being used and than we can donate. He added that the U.N.-backed program to distribute shots to poorer countries, COVAX, isn't currently accepting donations.

There is certainly a danger of vaccine being discarded, Kautz said. However, he added that it recently emerged that the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine can be stored for longer than previously thought, so German officials now believe that 3 million doses may have to be discarded or destroyed by the end of June  down from a previous estimate of 10 million.

Germany's vaccination program has slowed considerably, with an average of only 33,000 shots administered per day over the past week  compared with over 1 million at times when the country's booster campaign was in full swing in December.

Some 76% of the population has been fully vaccinated and 59% also have received a booster. Officials aren't satisfied with the vaccination rate, particularly among older people, but the German parliament last week rejected a proposal to require all people 60 and over to get inoculated.

___

Follow APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's Anne Spiegel said on Monday she had decided to step down as Family Minister after controversy over her decision to go on vacation last year just after devastating floods in the state where she was then serving as a senior official.

Spiegel, a member of the Greens, is the first minister to quit Chancellor Olaf Scholz's federal government, which comprises his Social Democrats (SPD), the environmentalist party, and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP).

"Today, due to political pressure, I have decided to stand down from the office of Federal Minister for Family Affairs," Spiegel said in a statement. "I am doing this to avert damage to the office, which is facing major political challenges."

Spiegel had apologized on Sunday for taking a four-week family holiday shortly after the flood disaster in 2021.

At the time, she was state environment minister in the region of Rhineland-Palatinate, which took the brunt of Germany's most lethal floods in six decades that killed more than 170 people.

Spiegel's decision to step down came ahead of regional elections next month in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, which was also hit hard by the floods.

Last week, the environment minister for North Rhine-Westphalia also quit after revelations she had spent much of the time after the flood in Mallorca.

Spiegel's decision to quit her post in the federal government came despite Scholz backing her.

Greens party co-leader Omid Nouripour told journalists Spiegel's decision was right.

(Writing by Paul Carrel, editing by Kirsti Knolle)
(200771):2021( 20220411 15:40:57  ::2021(

::2021( Stock Code: 200771 Stock ID: Hangqilun B Announcement No.: 2022-39

Hangzhou Steam Turbine Co., Ltd.

Announcement on Adding Temporary Proposal and Supplementary Notice of the 2021 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders



The members of the Board and the Company acknowledge being responsible for the truthfulness, accuracy, and completeness of the announcement. Not any false record, misleading statement or significant

omission carried in this announcement.



On March 29, 2022, the Company held the 23rd meeting of the Eighth Board of Directors, which reviewed and approved the Proposal on Holding the 2021 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the

Company, and it published the Notice of Hangzhou Steam Turbine Co., Ltd. on Holding the 2021 Annual

General Meeting of Shareholders on Shanghai Securities News, Securities Times, Hong Kong Commercial

Daily and CNINF (www.cninfo.com.cn) on March 31, 2022Announcement No.:2022-26). On April 11, 2022, the Board of Directors of the Company received from the controlling shareholder Hangzhou Steam Turbine Power Group Co., Ltd. the Notice on Increasing the Temporary Proposal of the

General Meeting of Shareholders, and proposed to increase the Temporary Proposal of Electing Ms. Zhu

Chenqian as the Supervisor of the Eighth Board of Supervisors at the 2021 Annual General Meeting of

Shareholders held on April 27, 2022.

After verification by the Board of Directors of the Company, as of the disclosure date of this announcement, Hangzhou Steam Turbine Power Group Co., Ltd. holds 479,824,800 shares of the Company,

accounting for 63.64%. The procedure of adding temporary proposal by the controlling shareholder complies with the Company Law, the Rules of General Meeting of Shareholders of Listed Companies, the

Rules of Stock Listing of Shenzhen Stock Exchange and the Articles of Association, and the contents of the

proposal do not exceed the provisions of laws and regulations and the Articles of Association as well as the

terms of reference of the General Meeting of Shareholders. The Board of Directors agrees to make this

temporary proposal as a new proposal of the Company's 2021 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.

Due to the increase of the above-mentioned temporary proposal, the voting items of the original 2021

Annual General Meeting of Shareholders have been increased correspondingly. Proposal 8: Review the Proposal on Electing Ms. Zhu Chenqian as the Supervisor of the Eighth Board of Supervisors of Hangzhou

Steam Turbine Co., Ltd., and the resume of the supervisor candidate Ms. Zhu Chenqian is shown in the

annex. In addition, the time and place of the 2021 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company,

the date of record, the original proposal and other matters remain unchanged. After the temporary proposal is added, please refer to the Company's announcement on April 12, 2022 for

the updated notice of the complete General Meeting of Shareholders Notice on Holding 2021 Annual Shareholders' General MeetingRenewedAnnouncement No.:2022-40).

Annex: Resume of Ms. Zhu Chenqian





The Board of Directors of Hangzhou Steam Turbine Co., Ltd. April 12,2022





Annex: Resume of Ms. Zhu Chenqian

Ms. Zhu Chenqian, born in May, 1992, Member of the Communist Party of China, graduate degree, master's degree in finance from St Andrews University (UK), Certified Public Accountant, Certified Asset

Appraiser and Intermediate Accountant. Working experience: From October 2015 to September 2017, she

worked as an Auditor in PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhongtian Certified Public Accountants (special general

partnership); From September 2017 to April 2019, she worked as a Risk Manager/Product Manager in Hangzhou Branch of Bank of Beijing Limited; Since November 2019, she has been in charge of the Risk

Control Legal Department of Hangzhou State-owned Capital Investment and Operation Co., Ltd. Ms. Zhu Chenqian is related to Hangzhou State-owned Capital Investment and Operation Co., Ltd., the

indirect controlling shareholder of the Company; she is not holding the shares of the Company; She has not

been punished by China Securities Regulatory Commission and other relevant departments or disciplined by

the stock exchange, and has not been put on file for investigation by judicial organs for suspected crimes or

for inspection by China Securities Regulatory Commission for suspected violations of laws and regulations;

She has not been publicized by the China Securities Regulatory Commission on the public inquiry platform

of illegal and untrustworthy information in the securities and futures market or included in the list of

defaulters by the people's court; And she is free from situation in which the first paragraph of Article 3.2.2 of

the Self-regulatory Guidelines No.1-Standard Operation of Listed Companies on Main Board stipulates that

one shall not be nominated as a supervisor.



 Stock Code: 200771 Stock ID: Hangqilun B Announcement No.: 2022-39Hangzhou Steam Turbine Co., Ltd.Announcement on Adding Temporary Proposal and Supplementary Notice of the 2021 Annual General Meeting of ShareholdersThe members of the Board and the Company acknowledge being responsible for the truthfulness, accuracy, and completeness of the announcement. Not any false record, misleading statement or significantomission carried in this announcement.On March 29, 2022, the Company held the 23rd meeting of the Eighth Board of Directors, which reviewed and approved the Proposal on Holding the 2021 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of theCompany, and it published the Notice of Hangzhou Steam Turbine Co., Ltd. on Holding the 2021 AnnualGeneral Meeting of Shareholders on Shanghai Securities News, Securities Times, Hong Kong CommercialDaily and CNINF (www.cninfo.com.cn) on March 31, 2022Announcement No.:2022-26). On April 11, 2022, the Board of Directors of the Company received from the controlling shareholder Hangzhou Steam Turbine Power Group Co., Ltd. the Notice on Increasing the Temporary Proposal of theGeneral Meeting of Shareholders, and proposed to increase the Temporary Proposal of Electing Ms. ZhuChenqian as the Supervisor of the Eighth Board of Supervisors at the 2021 Annual General Meeting ofShareholders held on April 27, 2022.After verification by the Board of Directors of the Company, as of the disclosure date of this announcement, Hangzhou Steam Turbine Power Group Co., Ltd. holds 479,824,800 shares of the Company,accounting for 63.64%. The procedure of adding temporary proposal by the controlling shareholder complies with the Company Law, the Rules of General Meeting of Shareholders of Listed Companies, theRules of Stock Listing of Shenzhen Stock Exchange and the Articles of Association, and the contents of theproposal do not exceed the provisions of laws and regulations and the Articles of Association as well as theterms of reference of the General Meeting of Shareholders. The Board of Directors agrees to make thistemporary proposal as a new proposal of the Company's 2021 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.Due to the increase of the above-mentioned temporary proposal, the voting items of the original 2021Annual General Meeting of Shareholders have been increased correspondingly. Proposal 8: Review the Proposal on Electing Ms. Zhu Chenqian as the Supervisor of the Eighth Board of Supervisors of HangzhouSteam Turbine Co., Ltd., and the resume of the supervisor candidate Ms. Zhu Chenqian is shown in theannex. In addition, the time and place of the 2021 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company,the date of record, the original proposal and other matters remain unchanged. After the temporary proposal is added, please refer to the Company's announcement on April 12, 2022 forthe updated notice of the complete General Meeting of Shareholders Notice on Holding 2021 Annual Shareholders' General MeetingRenewedAnnouncement No.:2022-40).Annex: Resume of Ms. Zhu ChenqianThe Board of Directors of Hangzhou Steam Turbine Co., Ltd. April 12,2022Annex: Resume of Ms. Zhu ChenqianMs. Zhu Chenqian, born in May, 1992, Member of the Communist Party of China, graduate degree, master's degree in finance from St Andrews University (UK), Certified Public Accountant, Certified AssetAppraiser and Intermediate Accountant. Working experience: From October 2015 to September 2017, sheworked as an Auditor in PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhongtian Certified Public Accountants (special generalpartnership); From September 2017 to April 2019, she worked as a Risk Manager/Product Manager in Hangzhou Branch of Bank of Beijing Limited; Since November 2019, she has been in charge of the RiskControl Legal Department of Hangzhou State-owned Capital Investment and Operation Co., Ltd. Ms. Zhu Chenqian is related to Hangzhou State-owned Capital Investment and Operation Co., Ltd., theindirect controlling shareholder of the Company; she is not holding the shares of the Company; She has notbeen punished by China Securities Regulatory Commission and other relevant departments or disciplined bythe stock exchange, and has not been put on file for investigation by judicial organs for suspected crimes orfor inspection by China Securities Regulatory Commission for suspected violations of laws and regulations;She has not been publicized by the China Securities Regulatory Commission on the public inquiry platformof illegal and untrustworthy information in the securities and futures market or included in the list ofdefaulters by the people's court; And she is free from situation in which the first paragraph of Article 3.2.2 ofthe Self-regulatory Guidelines No.1-Standard Operation of Listed Companies on Main Board stipulates thatone shall not be nominated as a supervisor.
(Bloomberg) -- Glencore Plc traded above its IPO price for the first time since 2011 as Russias invasion of Ukraine continues to drive up commodity prices.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The shares breached 530 pence in London on Monday after surging 42% this year. Its a level Glencore, the worlds biggest commodities trader, had at times looked unlikely to ever regain.

Nearly all the companys most important commodities are trading at or near record levels. Markets from metals to oil and gas have been upended by the war in Ukraine as big corporates withdraw from Russia, lenders pull back from financing deals and the threat of new sanctions deters buyers. The Bloomberg Commodity Spot Index has surged 26% this year.

The milestone also caps a strong 12 months for Glencore itself. The company in February reported record earnings, announcing $4 billion in dividends and buybacks. The trading house said it expects to resolve long-running corruption probes by U.S., U.K. and Brazilian authorities this year.

Glencore first sold shares in 2011 at the height of the last commodity super cycle, and hit an all-time high of 547.2 pence soon after. Since then, its stock has remained well below those levels, trading as low as 66.67 pence during the 2015 commodity crash. Glencore traded at 533.20 pence by 10:10 a.m. in London.

For years, Glencores shares also underperformed many of its biggest rivals, as the company missed out on rising prices for iron ore -- which it doesnt produce -- and investors were deterred by sprawling anti-corruption investigations.

However, the commodities giant has positioned itself to be one of the biggest winners from what some analysts see as a new commodity supercycle, with a sprawling suite of mines producing many of the materials needed for the green energy transition. As the worlds biggest coal shipper, the company is also benefiting from the global energy crunch.

Story continues

The shares dipped briefly in mid-March, when Qatars sovereign wealth fund sold part of its large stake in the company at a discount to the market price. The sale of about 13% of its holding left BlackRock Inc. and former Chief Executive Officer Ivan Glasenberg as Glencores top investors.

Glencore is not the only miner to rally -- Anglo American Plc is trading at its highest-ever level and most other raw-materials producers have surged this year.

(Updates with shares in fifth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Alex Beresford is engaged. (Getty Images)

Alex Beresford has revealed the happy news that he is engaged to Imogen McKay - but has been keeping it a secret since New Year.

The Good Morning Britain weatherman and fiancee McKay made their big announcement with a photoshoot in Hello! magazine, where they admitted they'd been keeping their engagement out of the public eye for more than three months.

Read more: Piers Morgan says he stormed off GMB 'to stop himself slapping' Alex Beresford

Retelling the romantic story of how he popped the question, Beresford, 41, said that it had happened on holiday in Majorca on New Year's Day.

He said: "I took Imogen for a walk along the beach. The weather was sunny and warm, and the sea was crystal clear. 'This is it,' I thought.

Got some news! Click the link or grab @hellomag in the shops tomorrow for all the pics  https://t.co/tZuZPyLmis pic.twitter.com/JgYl3vo6fb  Alex Beresford (@alexberesfordTV) April 10, 2022

"Imogen's not one for taking photos, but as I persuaded her to pose for a picture overlooking the sea, I kneeled down to take the engagement ring I'd hidden inside my rucksack.

"When she turned around, I was on one knee, and asked her the biggest question of my life  and she said yes. It was an amazing moment."

Watch: Alex Beresford 'didn't want Piers Morgan to quit GMB'

Read more: Where is Dan Walker? BBC Breakfast star absent after quit announcement

The couple began dating in August 2020 after a mutual friend set them up on a blind date, with Beresford having split from his first wife just before the first lockdown began.

McKay, 29, who grew up in Australia but now works in London, said that she had never seen Beresford on TV before meeting him, but didn't look him up because she wanted to find out what he was like for herself.

Story continues

Alex Beresford recently won All Star Musicals. (ITV)

She travelled to Bristol, where Beresford grew up, for their first date and the couple said there had been an instant connection over shared family values.

They are planning to return to Majorca for their wedding in September, where Beresford's 12-year-old son Cruz will serve as ring bearer and best man and they'll be joined by 100 guests.

Beresford recently revealed his hidden talents for singing when he won ITV's All Star Musicals with a performance from West End show Hamilton.
Google Fi, Google's cell network provider, has dropped the pricing for its mobile plans by $5 to $10 per month, depending on the customer's plan.

The company decreased the price for its Simply Unlimited plan from $60 to $50 per line for one line, $45 to $40 a line for two lines, $30 to $25 a line for three lines and from $30 to $20 per month for four lines. These plans also come with 35 GB of high-speed data, an increase from 22 GB, and include 5 GB of hotspot tethering. The latter is a new addition to the Simply Unlimited plan.

Google Fi also announced updates to its Unlimited Plus plan, which offers the same features as the Simply Unlimited plan, along with additional perks, including unlimited hotspot tethering and 100 GB of Google One cloud storage. Google dropped the prices for this plan from $70 to $65 for one line, from $60 to $55 per line for two lines, from $50 down to $45 per line for three lines and from $45 to $40 each month for each line for four lines or more. Google also increased the monthly data package from 22 GB to 50 GB. This plan remains the best for international coverage, with calls to more than 50 countries and data in over 200 locations.

Customers should note, however, that Google Fi will throttle your data on its plans if you exceed the limits. Anyone who uses more than 15 GB on the pay-as-you-go plan (Flexible), more than 35 GB on Simply Unlimited, or more 50 GB on Unlimited Plus in a single cycle will experience slower data until the next cycle. Google notes that only 1% of Fi users ever hit 35 GB. Customers have the option to return to faster data before the cycle's end a rate of $10/GB.

A comparison of the plans can be found here.

Google Fi's initial plan was to provide a pay-as-you-go option for data. In 2019, Google turned that into an unlimited plan called Fi Unlimited, which it last year converted into the Unlimited Plus plan. The original pay-as-you-go offer is available in the Flexible plan, which charges $17 a line for four lines, and an additional $10 per GB of data. Google Fi has also added unlimited calls within Canada and Mexico to all three plans: the Simple Unlimited plan, the Unlimited Plus plan and the Flexible plan.

Story continues

Google Fi is also offering promotions to new customers. Customers who don't already have a Fi account can receive $100 in bill credit if they bring in their own phone and transfer their old number. New customers can also save on certain phones, including getting $500 off when purchasing and activating a Samsung Galaxy S22 or Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G from Google Fi if they transfer their numbers.

Google Fi's plans come with 5G and a built-in VPN, but its selling point may be the fact that it is flexible and contract-free, allowing users to pause and cancel easily, and switch plans once a month.
Matt DePerno, Republican candidate for Michigan Attorney General speaks next to former President Donald Trump during a Save America rally at the Michigan Stars Sports Center in Washington Township on April 2, 2022.

Republican attorney general candidate Matthew DePerno wants GOP opponent and former House Speaker Tom Leonard fired from his private law job, suggesting Leonard accessed privileged information DePerno provided to the firm as a client and used it for political ammunition.

Leonard has denied the accusations, repeatedly calling them baseless and "a little pathetic." A spokesman said he has never legally represented DePerno and has no access to information DePerno may have provided to other lawyers at his firm. A leader at the law firm echoed those comments in a statement issued Monday afternoon.

The Free Press obtained a copy of a letter DePerno sent April 7 to a partner at Plunkett Cooney, the law firm where Leonard works. In the letter, DePerno says he retained the firm in part to help him fight back against an investigation by the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission in connection to the election conspiracy lawsuit he filed in Antrim County.

More: Name-calling, Trump and fears someone may 'rig' vote: Attacks dominate GOP race for AG

More: At GOP county conventions Monday, the lowly precinct delegate is supreme

The letter appears to confirm for the first time an investigation into DePerno related to Antrim County by the commission, an entity that has the power to initiate proceedings that can lead to a lawyer losing the capacity to practice in Michigan.

"Under no circumstance should one of my lawyers publicly attack me, regardless of whether the information is false," DePerno wrote.

"Further, he knows that (as a client) I have no interest in making these investigations public; yet he has publicly called on me to release information, making them public. This is an egregious violation of the standard and duty of care."

The allegations are the latest personal attacks in a GOP race for attorney general marked more by name-calling than nuanced policy debates.

Leonard has frequently criticized DePerno over his Antrim County lawsuit, suggesting he used Trump's name to take nearly $400,000 from GOP grassroots advocates. Leonard has repeatedly called on DePerno to explain how he used the money, raised through online crowdsourcing in connection to the lawsuit.

Story continues

Both candidates, along with state Rep. Ryan Berman, R-Commerce Township, are vying for the Republican Party's endorsement at the April 23 state nominating convention.

Former House Speaker Tom Leonard, R-DeWitt, denies any misconduct. He notes he's never legally represented DePerno, calling his allegations baseless and "a little pathetic."

DePerno, of Kalamazoo, first referenced hiring lawyers from Leonard's firm at a debate in late March among GOP candidates for attorney general. At the time he cited comments from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who has repeatedly vowed to investigate attorneys tied to election misinformation lawsuits. But he made no mention of an investigation by the state grievance commission.

A Nessel spokeswoman said her office did not file a complaint against DePerno with the commission.

More: Trump hammers at false claims of voter fraud in return to Michigan

More: Michigan GOP AG candidates criticize case that nixed law banning use of birth control

Leonard is one of approximately 140 attorneys who works for Plunkett Cooney, a firm with offices in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. In a statement, the DeWitt Republican said he has nothing to do with the case and knows nothing about it.

Matt is like a boxer agreeing to get in the ring, taking a hit, and then running to the cops to file assault charges. It's politically motivated and, honestly, a little pathetic," Leonard said in a statement.

"If he cant handle a little criticism after dishing all sorts of ridiculous attacks against me, how does he expect to go up against Dana Nessel?"

In a statement, firm President and CEO Thomas P. Vincent denied that Leonard has any access to information about Deperno's case.

"Plunkett Cooney has in place a firewall to ensure that only the appropriate attorneys and staff have access to specific client information. Tom Leonard does not have access to any information regarding Matt DePerno, and neither do I," Vincent said.

"As a candidate for statewide elective office, Tom Leonard can and will attest to the fact that all of the information he has obtained about Mr. DePerno has not come from Plunkett Cooney."

In the letter, DePerno notes the firm represents him in a separate proceeding before the commission, tied to his work representing disgraced former state lawmaker Todd Courser.

DePerno suggests Leonard used information about both investigations in political attacks. He says that violates state legal ethics rules that ban a lawyer from publicly disclosing a client's secrets without that person's consent.

"A lawyer's duty to maintain confidentiality is sacred in this profession. The duty extends to everyone in the law firm, regardless of whether they had anything to do with the representation. Essentially, one of Mr. DePerno's lawyers set him up," said John Yob, a Republican political consultant working for DePerno's campaign.

Yob said DePerno is still waiting to hear back from Plunkett Cooney. If the firm does not indicate it is "holding Tom Leonard accountable" then DePerno will file his own complaint with the attorney grievance commission, Yob said.

President Joe Biden defeated Trump in Michigan by roughly 154,000 votes, but DePerno and many others pursued election fraud allegations that were ultimately debunked. Hundreds of audits and other reviews did not provide any evidence of widespread fraud.

The Antrim County lawsuit garnered national attention, serving as fodder for ex-President Donald Trump and supporters who incorrectly allege the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Many opponents, including Berman on Friday, have said DePerno's allegations are inaccurate.

Investigations by the attorney grievance commission are generally private unless the entity determines professional misconduct occurred. If this happens, the commission files a formal complaint with the Attorney Discipline Board. The board reviews the complaint before determining whether punishment is needed.

Contact Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: DePerno accuses GOP AG opponent Leonard of legal ethics violation
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - At least 50 people were killed and dozens abducted by gunmen in Nigeria's Plateau state, residents and a community leader said on Monday, the latest in a spate of attacks by armed gangs in northern parts of Africa's most populous nation.

Such attacks are not common in Plateau, in central Nigeria. But the state shares a border with Kaduna state, where suspected bandits - a loose term for gangs of outlaws carrying out robberies and kidnappings - blew up train tracks, killed eight people and kidnapped dozens last month.

Fifteen soldiers were last week killed by gunmen who attacked a Kaduna army base.

"This is again very sad and we strongly condemn it. The security (forces) should ensure the immediate rescue of all abducted persons," said Jonathan Ishaku, spokesman for Plateau Elders Forum.

He said at least 50 were dead and 70 people, including women and children, were kidnapped from nine villages late on Sunday afternoon.

A spokesman for Plateau Governor Simon Lalong said "many people were killed with houses and properties destroyed". He did not give a death toll.

Telephone service is patchy in most of Nigeria's rural areas, making it difficult for villagers to seek immediate help from security forces, who are stretched fighting an Islamist insurgency in the northeast.

Isahya Solomon from Kukawa, one of the village that was attacked, said when he heard shooting he fled with his family in a car and returned at night after the gunmen had left.

His house and several others had been torched while shops were looted and villagers were retrieving bodies of relatives, he told Reuters by phone on Monday from Jos, Plateau state's capital city.

"In our community ... 38 persons were killed. Many of our houses were burnt to ashes, many shops were looted," said Solomon.

(Reporting by Maiduguri newsroom, writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe, editing by Alex Richardson)
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Gunmen burst into a home just north of Mexico City and killed eight members of a family, including four children.

Prosecutors in the State of Mexico, which borders the capital, said the shootings occurred in the township of Tultepec, just north of the capital.

The shootings happened between late Sunday and early Monday. Seven people died at the scene, and one woman died late at a hospital.

There was no immediate information on a possible motive, but Tultepec is known for its fireworks workshops, both legal and illegal.
Gunmen who carried out a high-profile attack on a train in northwest Nigeria last month have released a video showing about two dozen of the hostages they kidnapped in the assault.

The images were the first indicator of how many passengers may have been abducted in the brazen raid, in which eight people were killed.

In the two-minute video, around two dozen people are seen sitting in a forest area, including men and women. At least one man appears to be from Southeast Asia while at least one another appears Caucasian.

Behind them a group of gunmen stand in a line.

"We are the passengers who left Abuja for Kaduna on Monday on March 28, 2022. We were seized on our way," one man says in Hausa language in the video.

"Since then it is only us that knows the dire situation we are in, there are women and children, there are aged people with health challenges."

AFP could not independently verify the video, which was disseminated on social media.

But the CEO of Nigeria's Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Ali-Hassan, appears in the recording.

He appeared in a previous video before he was later released in what his captors said was a goodwill gesture for the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan.

Ali-Hassan's family confirmed last week it was him in the first video and that he had been freed by his captors.

The sophisticated attack saw gunmen blow up the tracks to halt a train from the capital Abuja to Kaduna -- Nigeria's flagship rail service.

They then opened fire on the coaches before seizing an unknown number of passengers from the train's so-called VIP section.

There has been no claim of responsibility, although the finger of blame swiftly pointed at heavily armed criminal gangs known as bandits who have ravaged parts of northwest and central Nigeria.

But analysts said the propaganda-style format of the first video, some of the language and the use of explosives in the attack have raised worries that jihadists may have participated in the attack.

Story continues

Bandit gangs go after financial gain and ransom payments and usually have no ideological or religious motives. But there is concern among local authorities and analysts over alliances with Islamist militants.

Nigeria's security forces are battling a 12-year jihadist insurgency in the country's northeast where Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operate.

abu/pma/ri
Morning, Houston! Let's get this Tuesday started off right. Here's everything you need to know today in Houston.

First, today's weather:

Thunderstorms, some severe. High: 79 Low: 72.

 Are you a local real estate agent? Let us help you generate leads, build your brand in Houston and stand apart from the competition. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top five stories in Houston today:

1. Three senior staffers at the Harris County Judge's Office have each been indicted on one count of misuse of official information and one count of tampering with a government record following an investigation into allegations they steered nearly $11 million of a COVID-19 vaccine outreach contract to a small Houston-based firm. (ABC 13)

2. Mayor Sylvester Turner joined Verizon Foundation leadership to announce a $300,000 grant donation to the Houston Fund for Social Justice and Economic Equity. The funds will support entrepreneurship education at Texas Southern University and diverse-owned small businesses within the community, according to a release. (Click2Houston)

3. Fort Bend ISD says a social media threat made against one of its schools on Tuesday morning is "unsubstantiated." A photo made the rounds on social media showing two masked individuals holding guns in their hands with the caption "RPHS gone have a good day" on it, in reference to Ridge Point High School in Sienna. (KHOU 11)

4. A man has been charged with murder in the killing of his 80-year-old grandmother, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. 30-year-old Cahd Maydwell admitted to killing Juduth Maydwell as well as assaulting his father while he was arrested Sunday, deputies said. (ABC 13)

5. A new Cheesecake Factory location will be opening at Katy Mills Mall this fall. Katy Mills Mall is located at 5000 Katy Mills Circle and the new restaurant will be near Entrance 3. The popular restaurant chain offers over 250 menu items as well as 30 varieties of cheesecake. (Community Impact News)

Story continues

Today in Houston:

Coffee With The Principal at Austin High School (9:00 AM)

Toddler Tuesdays at Discovery Green. (10:30 AM)

The Way Home Income Initiatives at Coalition For The Homeless Of Houston/Harris County. (2:00 PM)

Core-Focused Yoga at Discovery Green. (6:30 PM)

Audition For M.E.S.A. Showcase at HCC Central Performing And Visual Arts. (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

The Friday Math Jam Sessions are free tutoring sessions hosted by full-time math department faculty members. Join us in these live virtual tutoring sessions . (Facebook)

Sanee Bell , who has served Katy ISD for the last twenty years in varying capacities, was unanimously approved by Katy ISDs board of trustees as the new assistant superintendent for teaching and learning on March 28 . (Community Impact Newspaper)

Pearland City Council during its March 28 regular meetin g adopted a resolution outlining numerous priorities and goals council and Mayor Kevin Cole have for the city . (Community Impact Newspaper)

There are 18 newly reported COVID-19 deaths of Houstonians, bringing the city's total since the start of the pandemic to 4,462. This update reports new data from 4/3-4/9/22. (Twitter)

More from our sponsors  thanks for supporting local news!

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with your next update.

 Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

This article originally appeared on the Houston Patch
Shallotte police continue to investigate after a 25-year-old woman was found dead in her car in the early morning hours of March 25.

Shallotte police continue to investigate after a 25-year-old woman was found dead in her car in the early morning hours of March 25.

Sgt. Cory McLamb with the Shallotte Police Department said officers responded to a report of a single-vehicle crash on Whiteville Road around 4:30 a.m. March 25 and found two uninjured passengers in a car that had crashed into a ditch.

Two hours later, police returned to the scene after a passerby reported the car was still in the ditch with unresponsive passengers inside. One woman was "extremely intoxicated" and the other was dead with a single gunshot wound to the head, police said.

Police identify decedent

Shallotte police have since identified the victim as 25-year-old Porsha Marie Lloyd.

The second woman found in the car was 24-year-old Destiny Scott. Scott and Lloyd were half-sisters from the Raleigh area, McLamb said.

McLamb said Lloyd's mother reported her missing on March 24 in Mebane  the day before the women were found in the Shallotte area. A "Be on the Look Out" (BOLO) call for Lloyd and her vehicle was issued to localities in the Mebane area, and McLamb said officers responding to the single-vehicle crash that morning wouldn't have known she was a missing person.

"Unless the family would have known that they were coming to the Brunswick County area, they wouldn't have issued a "Be on the Look Out" for our area as well," McLamb said.

McLamb added Lloyd was entered into the national missing persons database, but the system was offline that morning. McLamb said the system is down every morning between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. for maintenance.

Previous reporting: Shallotte police investigating after one woman fatally shot

According to her obituary, Lloyd had four kids: two daughters and two sons. She was previously registered to vote in Alamance County with a Burlington address, according to North Carolina voter registration information.

Scene of single-vehicle crash turns deadly

Story continues

At 4:30 a.m. March 25, officers responded to a single-vehicle crash on Whiteville Road where two women said they crashed after losing control of the vehicle when they swerved to avoid hitting a deer.

McLamb said Scott claims Lloyd was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash.

McLamb said officers attempted to push the vehicle out of the ditch but it was too stuck. They offered to call a tow truck, but the women declined and said their insurance company already called one and it was on the way.

Officers remained at the scene for about a half-hour before the women indicated they did not need help and they left.

Two hours after the initial call, a GFL Environmental truck driver made a 6:38 a.m. call to Brunswick County 911 and reported the car was still in the ditch and the passengers inside were unresponsive.

"They're not awake," he told dispatchers. "They're not moving."

More: 911 call reveals new details in fatal shooting of woman in Shallotte

EMS and police responded to the scene and found Scott in the passenger seat "extremely intoxicated." They then discovered Lloyd in the back seat of the car with one gunshot wound to the head.

McLamb said Lloyd was dead at the scene, and authorities discovered a firearm in the car. McLamb said it remains unclear whether the death was a suicide or a homicide.

Car, weapon found at scene registered to victim

According to McLamb, both the car and the gun found at the scene were registered to Lloyd.

McLamb said Scott said the women had been visiting Myrtle Beach and were headed back home to the Mebane area. McLamb said she said they made a wrong turn where N.C. 904 intersects with N.C. 130 before crashing into the ditch in Shallotte.

Scott in stable condition

As of last week, McLamb said, Scott was still hospitalized but in stable condition.

Scott is cooperating with the investigation, as is Lloyd's family, he said.

Police do not believe there is any danger to the public.

McLamb said police are currently awaiting various test results to aid in their ongoing investigation.

Jamey Cross is the public safety reporter at the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter @jameybcross.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Shallotte police continue investigation after fatal March shooting
(200771):( 20220411 15:41:01  ::(

::( Stock Code: 200771 Stock ID: Hangqilun B Announcement No. 2022-38

Hangzhou Steam Turbine Co., Ltd.

Announcement on the resignation of the supervisors



The members of the Supervisory Committee acknowledge being responsible for the truthfulness, accuracy, and completeness of the announcement. Not any false record, misleading statement or significant omission carried in this announcement.



On April 11,2022, The Board of Supervisors of the Company received a written resignation report from the supervisor, Mr. Lu Jianhua. Due to retirement, Mr. Lu Jianhua resigned as the Supervisor of the Eighth Board of Supervisors. After resignation, Mr. Lu Jianhua will not hold any position in the Company.

According to the Company Law and the Articles of Association, the resignation of Mr. Lu Jianhua will lead to the number of members of the Board of Supervisors of the company being lower than the quorum. The resignation application will take effect after a new supervisor is elected at the

Company's General Meeting of Shareholders. Before the resignation application takes effect, Mr. Lu Jianhua will continue to perform his duties as a supervisor in accordance with relevant laws, regulations and the Articles of Association.

Until the announcement date, Mr.Lu Jianhua did not hold any companys stocks. Mr. Lu Jianhua has been diligent, independent and fair since he became the supervisor of the Company, and has effectively promoted the standardized operation of the Company. The Board of Supervisors of the Company expresses its heartfelt thanks to Mr. Lu Jianhua for his contribution to

the development of the Company during his tenure!



The Supervisory Committee of Hangzhou Steam Turbine Co., Ltd. April 12,2022



 Stock Code: 200771 Stock ID: Hangqilun B Announcement No. 2022-38Hangzhou Steam Turbine Co., Ltd.Announcement on the resignation of the supervisorsThe members of the Supervisory Committee acknowledge being responsible for the truthfulness, accuracy, and completeness of the announcement. Not any false record, misleading statement or significant omission carried in this announcement.On April 11,2022, The Board of Supervisors of the Company received a written resignation report from the supervisor, Mr. Lu Jianhua. Due to retirement, Mr. Lu Jianhua resigned as the Supervisor of the Eighth Board of Supervisors. After resignation, Mr. Lu Jianhua will not hold any position in the Company.According to the Company Law and the Articles of Association, the resignation of Mr. Lu Jianhua will lead to the number of members of the Board of Supervisors of the company being lower than the quorum. The resignation application will take effect after a new supervisor is elected at theCompany's General Meeting of Shareholders. Before the resignation application takes effect, Mr. Lu Jianhua will continue to perform his duties as a supervisor in accordance with relevant laws, regulations and the Articles of Association.Until the announcement date, Mr.Lu Jianhua did not hold any companys stocks. Mr. Lu Jianhua has been diligent, independent and fair since he became the supervisor of the Company, and has effectively promoted the standardized operation of the Company. The Board of Supervisors of the Company expresses its heartfelt thanks to Mr. Lu Jianhua for his contribution tothe development of the Company during his tenure!The Supervisory Committee of Hangzhou Steam Turbine Co., Ltd. April 12,2022
Don't miss CoinDesk's Consensus 2022, the must-attend crypto & blockchain festival experience of the year in Austin, TX this June 9-12.

As cryptos market cap pushes past $2 trillion and makes its way onto the balance sheets of many institutional investors and corporations, Hong Kong insurer OneDegree has announced a deal with Munich Re, one of the worlds largest reinsurers, to offer a new digital asset insurance product.

OneInfinity, the digital asset insurance product, is targeted toward digital asset trading platforms, custodians, asset managers and technology providers.

Munich Re will provide reinsurance, described as "insurance on insurance companies," that ensures an insurance company remains solvent even in the face of large payouts.

Having insurance backed by reinsurance is the norm for major infrastructure providers of any asset class, but takes a unique twist with crypto given the intensity of cyberattacks.

Becky Tam, OneDegree's general manager of digital assets, said her firm runs risk-based analysis" that covers everything from cybersecurity and operations to personnel management.

Its just like how if you are a heavy smoker and drinker you will struggle to buy medical insurance, she said. Not everyone that comes to us can get insurance.

The company doesn't insure decentralized finance (DeFi) projects yet, but hopes to do so after it studies the market more.

Read more: IMA Financial Plans to Start Selling NFT Insurance in Decentraland
By Francesco Guarascio

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Hungary and Austria questioned an EU decision to blacklist two Russian oligarchs but eventually accepted the move after pressure from other governments, European Union diplomats and officials said.

The EU adopted a new package of sanctions against Russia last Friday over its invasion of Ukraine, including the blacklisting of oligarchs close to the Kremlin, among them Moshe Kantor and German Gref.

Hungary and Austria enjoyed relatively cordial relations with Russia before the invasion, and their concerns about blacklisting Kantor and Gref underlines the difficulty the EU faces in presenting a united front against Russia.

The envoys of Estonia and Lithuania successfully urged their partners not to remove the two men from the list, the diplomats said.

Kantor, a large shareholder in Russian fertilizers company Akron, is also a philanthropist who had headed the European Jewish Congress (EJC).

He was sanctioned for having close ties to President Vladimir Putin, the EU sanctions document said. Kantor, a citizen of both Britain and Russia, has already been sanctioned by London and the EJC said on Friday he would stand down as its president.

Hungary and Austria had both questioned the move against Kantor at a meeting of EU diplomats last Wednesday, officials who attended the meeting said.

The Hungarian envoy had expressed surprise at the blacklisting of somebody he described as a highly decorated man, they said. Kantor has received awards from several EU states, including Austria, Italy and France.

Spokespersons for Hungary's government and its diplomatic mission in Brussels had no immediate comment.

The Austrian envoy at Wednesday's meeting had asked for more information about why Kantor had been listed, sources said.

"Austria has never objected to or blocked any listings and will of course not do so in the future," a spokeswoman for Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said.

Story continues

Blacklisted oligarchs face asset freezes and travel bans in the EU, but not all EU countries have reported enforcement measures.

Out of about 30 billion euros frozen to oligarchs since the start of the Ukraine war, Austria has reported a few hundreds of millions of euros blocked in bank accounts linked to blacklisted individuals. Hungary has so far not publicly reported any measures.

At the meeting, Hungary also questioned the listing of Gref, head of Sberbank, Russia's largest lender.

Sberbank plays a crucial role in energy transactions and has so far been exempted from EU sanctions because of the EU's reliance on Russian gas and oil.

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio; additional reporting by Francois Murphy in Vienna and Anita Komuves in Budapest; Editing by John Chalmers and Gareth Jones)
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary plans to pay for Russian gas in euros through Gazprombank, which will convert the payment into roubles to meet a new requirement set by President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday.

Putin has warned Europe it risks having gas supplies cut unless it pays in roubles as he seeks retaliation over Western sanctions for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Under the scheme, Hungarian energy group MVM's subsidiary, CEE Energy, would pay an upcoming bill in euros, which Gazprombank would convert into roubles and then transfer to Russia's Gazprom Export, Szijjarto told a news conference.

With weeks go to before bills are due, the European Commission has said that those with contracts requiring payment in euros or dollars should stick to that.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said last week Hungary was prepared to pay roubles for Russian gas, breaking ranks with the European Union which has sought a united front in opposing Moscow's demand for payment in the currency.

"As for paying in roubles, we have a solution that does not violate any sanctions but at the same time it secures Hungary's gas supply," Szijjarto said.

Szijjarto said the option to pay bills in another currency rather than euros was included in a bilateral contract between CEE Energy and Gazprom Export concluded in September, which will now be modified to reflect the planned changes.

He did not go into detail and it was unclear whether the falls in the Russian currency would affect the new payment terms in any way.

Szijjarto added that Hungary, which relies on Russia for most of its oil and gas, opposed the EU taking a joint approach to the issue, which Budapest considers a bilateral matter.

Orban, whose government has pursued close business relations with Moscow for over a decade, swept to power for a fourth consecutive term in elections a week ago, partly on a pledge to preserve security of gas supply for Hungarian households.

The European Union's executive is drafting proposals for an EU oil embargo on Russia, the foreign ministers of Ireland, Lithuania and the Netherlands said on Monday, although there is still no agreement to ban Russian crude.

(Reporting by Gergely Szakacs and Anita Komuves; Editing by Nick Macfie)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ukraine's finance ministry on Monday welcomed the creation of a special new account set up by the International Monetary Fund to give bilateral donors and international organizations a secure way to send financial resources to war-torn Ukraine.

The IMF's executive board approved creation of the new account on Friday after the Canadian government proposed disbursing up to $1 billion Canadian dollars through the vehicle, which is to be administered by the IMF.

The account will allow donors to provide grants and loans to help the Ukrainian government meet its balance of payments and budgetary needs and help stabilize its economy as it continues to defend against Russia's deadly invasion.

Russia calls its actions a "special military operation."

"Donors will benefit from the IMF's tested infrastructure to quickly deliver authenticated payments," the IMF said.

Going through the global lender will allow donations to Ukraine to be frozen in the event of a Russian takeover of power in Ukraine, experts say.

Donors will deposit reserve currencies or Special Drawing Rights, the IMF's own reserve currency, into the new account, which will then disburse these resources as grants or loans into Ukraine's SDR account at the fund.

Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko last week said his government was seeking about 4 billion euros ($4.37 billion) in foreign financing in addition to the about 3 billion euros it has already received to deal with a budget shortfall.

IMF staff last month said Ukraine's economy was expected to contract by 10% in 2022 as a result of the invasion, but warned the outlook could worsen sharply if the conflict drags on.

One source familiar with the plans said additional donations were expected for both the IMF account and a separate World Bank account set up for Ukraine during next week's spring meetings of the two global financial institutions.

Story continues

The IMF in March also approved a $1.4 billion disbursement to Ukraine under its Rapid Financing Instrument.

IMF staff continue to engage closely with the authorities on their emergency response to the economic dislocations brought about by the war in Ukraine, the fund said.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Bernard Orr)
TipRanks

The one good thing about a market downturn? You get lots of opportunities to load up on shares at a discount entry point. And who doesnt like a discount? With the way the markets have performed so far this year, there are stocks in every segment which could potentially offer plenty of rewards. CNBCs Jim Cramer thinks there are several names in the retail sector which look particularly enticing right now, ones for which the term beaten-down readily applies. Some rallied nicely toward the end
PESHAWAR, Pakistan  On March 23, the Taliban turned away teenage girls, who had arrived excited and carrying new textbooks, from school gates across Afghanistan. Classrooms would be closed to girls from the sixth grade on, the leaders said, until an appropriate dress code could be decided on for girls and female teachers.

It was the first day schools had been set to open for girls since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August. The Ministry of Education, only two days before, had said all girls would be allowed to attend school.

Asked about the closure, Taliban spokesperson Bilal Karimi told NBC News there were multiple issues at play, but he did not have any details. The leadership held its meeting recently and discussed in detail the girls schools. They, however, decided to keep the schools closed until a further meeting, he said.

The flip-flop signals fundamental divisions within the Taliban between hard-liners and moderates over how to rule the country as the regime faces mounting international condemnation amid a spiraling humanitarian crisis.

Image: Girls leave their school after attending only hours following reopening in Kabul on March 23, 2022. (Ahmad Sahel Arman / AFP - Getty Images)

Theyve considered the different options available to them, theyve dealt with internal divisions on these issues and this is the path that they seem to be choosing, Heather Barr, associate womens rights director at Human Rights Watch, told NBC News following the ban.

The decision to bar millions of girls from education has frustrated some members of the Taliban. Several Taliban leaders, who spoke with NBC News on the condition of anonymity, as they are prohibited to speak with the media, said many of their peers were not happy about depriving girls of their right to education.

Look, more than half of our population comprises females. How can you develop your country and build institutions when you stop your females from getting education? a senior police officer and Taliban leader asked.

This isnt a wise decision, as we cant afford to annoy the Afghan people by banning girls education, he said. It should be our top responsibility to create an environment for girls to freely go to schools, colleges and universities as per the Islamic Shariah and our local customs and traditions.

Story continues

Women were barred from attending school and employment under Taliban rule, from 1996 to 2001, when the regime was toppled by American forces after leaders refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

The Taliban had promised to respect womens rights according to Islamic law and tradition when it retook control of the country last August.

Karimi, the Taliban spokesperson, said that schools would remain closed to girls beyond sixth grade pending further approval by the leadership but could provide no further information.

When and if this will happen remains unclear. A meeting of the council of religious scholars in the week following the ban decided to keep schools closed for girls indefinitely.

The Ulema Council ... stated they are not against girls education but before sending the girls to schools, they want to create a safe environment for them in the country, a Taliban leader, who requested anonymity out of fear of breaching the ban on speaking about official issues with reporters, said following the meeting.

The council also discussed the issue of a dress code for girls but said it considered it a minor problem, two Taliban leaders with direct knowledge of the meeting said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the media ban.

The school ban also signals incoherence in the Talibans policy toward girls education. Universities remain open to women, despite rumors that that could soon change. Karimi said the rumors were false.

Some Taliban leaders have also secretly sent their own daughters to private schools in Qatar, according to a report published in January by the Afghanistan Analysts Network.

Wisna Sultani, a 23-year-old female student in Kabul, said the Talibans decision showed that the group has no obligation to comply with the basic rights of women and Afghan citizens.

The world should break its silence against this obvious oppression and the explicit violation of the rights of millions of female students in Afghanistan, she said.

But withholding aid as leverage to punish the Taliban for depriving millions of girls of their right to attend school threatens to exacerbate Afghanistans already dire humanitarian crisis. The education of girls has remained one of the international communitys main concerns in talks over whether to recognize the group as leaders of the country and release humanitarian aid.

Everybody did think that the secondary schools were going to open. ... So this has thrown everything up in the air and left a lot of people struggling to think how do you engage ... with a group that behaves this way, Barr from Human Rights Watch said.

The issue of educating girls in Afghanistan holds some very serious consequences on peoples ability to eat and literally survive, she continued. This is a devastating, devastating decision for Afghans who are trying to survive and live decent lives in that country.

Image: School girls Malahat Haidari, right, and her sister Adeeba Haidari, center, study at their home with their younger sisters and mother in Kabul on March 24, 2022. (Ahmad Sahel Arman / AFP - Getty Images)

Around 95 percent of Afghans are not getting enough food to eat, while 23 million are suffering from acute hunger as of March, according to the United Nations.

In a move that may further exacerbate the countrys economic woes, the Taliban last week placed a ban on cultivating opium poppies, a crop farmers had turned to for income amid the desperate food shortage.

The Taliban reversed its decision to allow teenage girls to study eight days before a United Nations conference in London on March 31, which aimed to raise $4.4 billion for humanitarian relief for Afghanistan from international donors, an appeal that surpassed drives for Syria or Yemen.

The conference raised only half of its target goal, with representatives from Germany and the U.K. taking issue with the Talibans last-minute school ban.

Our potential to provide support will depend on how constructively the Taliban engage on key issues like the rights of women and girls and also ethnic and religious minorities. ... No nation can succeed if half of its population is held back, said Liz Truss, Britain's foreign minister.

Mushtaq Yusufzai reported from Peshawar and Rhoda Kwan from Taipei, Taiwan.
Israeli forces launched a third day of operations Monday around the flashpoint West Bank city of Jenin following heavy gun battles in recent days and overnight arrests, the army said.

Tensions have soared since a spree of attacks in Israel left 14 people dead in the past three weeks, with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warning the Jewish state is now "on the offensive".

The Israeli army said 14 Palestinians were arrested early Monday, a day after four Palestinians were killed in separate incidents in the occupied territory , sparking criticism from international observers.

An additional 13 army battalions were now operating in the West Bank, said a military source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In Jenin, thousands of mourners flooded the streets, many carrying Palestinian flags or rifles, for the funeral of Mohamed Zakarneh, 17, who according to the Wafa news agency died of gunshot wounds overnight.

"The resistance is in direct confrontation with the occupation and any minute we must expect a total clash," said Ziad al-Nakhala, secretary general of the militant Islamic Jihad movement, in a statement.

"Jenin must not be isolated, no matter the cost."

The Israeli army said it operated nearby Monday, in Burqa and Qallil in the northern West Bank, as well as in Al-Aroub and Hebron in the south.

"Violent riots were instigated by dozens of Palestinians" near Nablus, the army said, while the Palestine Red Crescent said 24 Palestinians were wounded in the Nablus area overnight.

Jenin, as well as Bethlehem in the southern West Bank, declared general strikes, shuttering shops, offices and official institutions.

"We will beat this terror wave with our powerful security forces," Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said Monday.

"There is the risk of escalation into a wider campaign in Gaza or some events in Lebanon," he said.

- Weeks of violence -

Tensions have surged during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, nearly a year after violence flared in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, leading to 11 days of war.

Story continues

A total of 14 people in Israel have been killed in four attacks since March 22, including a shooting spree in Bnei Brak, an Orthodox Jewish city in greater Tel Aviv, carried out by a Palestinian from Jenin.

Over the same period, at least 14 Palestinians have been killed, including assailants, according to a count by AFP.

Two of them were women shot dead on Sunday. Maha Zaatari stabbed and lightly wounded an officer in Hebron before she was killed. Ghada Sabatien was unarmed but failed to heed soldiers' warnings to stop near Bethlehem, the army said.

The British Consulate General in Jerusalem on Monday sent condolences to her family and wrote that "a swift, thorough investigation" into her death was needed.

The Israeli military source said 30 Palestinian suspects were apprehended in the past few days, and 16 attacks against Israeli targets foiled.

Islamic Jihad has been growing in strength and capability both in Gaza and the West Bank, and especially in Jenin, according to the Israeli military source.

The source also said that Israeli forces are operating in Jenin partially because the Palestinian Authority -- which has a security coordination agreement with Israel -- has failed in conducting its own activities in the area.

- Wrong turn -

Israeli troops were targeting relatives of Raad Hazem, the 28-year-old Jenin man who last Thursday killed three Israeli civilians and wounded more than a dozen at a Tel Aviv bar before he was shot dead following a manhunt.

The Israeli army demanded the father hand himself in, ahead of the planned demolition of the family home. It said it had engaged in an exchange of gunfire involving the assailant's family members on Sunday -- the clash in which 17-year-old Zakarneh was killed.

Another Palestinian from the Bethlehem area was shot dead Sunday after hurling a Molotov cocktail at an Israeli vehicle, the army told AFP.

In another incident overnight, two Israelis were shot and wounded after entering Nablus, where the previous night Joseph's tomb, a religious site, had been vandalised by Palestinians.

"A group of Israeli civilians entered into the city after breaking through an unmanned military checkpoint," said an army statement.

Shortly after, it said, the two Israeli men emerged at another checkpoint "with gunshot wounds".

One of the men involved told public broadcaster Kan they had gone to inspect Joseph's tomb.

"We were done and heading back to Jerusalem but then we took a wrong turn," and were shot at by a "terrorist", he said.

bur-yz/jjm/fz/dac/dwo
By Gavin Jones and Angelo Amante

ROME (Reuters) - Italian government forecasts showing a steady decline in education spending triggered an angry reaction on Monday from the country's trade unions, which threatened strikes and protests.

The government's multi-year economic planning document (DEF) published on Friday showed education expenditure projected to fall to 3.5% of gross domestic product in 2025 from 4% in 2020.

The 2020 level was already well below the European Union average of around 5% of GDP, Eurostat data shows.

The DEF projections "show grave short-sightedness that our country will pay heavily for in the future," said Rino Di Meglio, the head of the Gilda teachers union. "We will consult our members and organise protests over the next few days."

The education ministry was not immediately available to comment.

Italian students are among the worst performers in the European Union in mathematics, science and reading, according to the Programme for International Student Assessment tests overseen by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The DEF linked the projected fall in education spending to Italy's falling birth rate. This was rejected by the unions who said the fall in school age Italians was being compensated for by immigration.

"We expect no decline in the school population, we have just absorbed 10,000 Ukrainian children in our schools in the last few weeks, this is what we have to face," said Di Meglio.

The teachers' section of Italy's largest union confederation, the CGIL, said it was "madness" for the government to be projecting education cuts while increasing military spending, as Prime Minister Mario Draghi has pledged to do.

The unions accused the government of backtracking on the priorities Draghi set out when he stressed the importance of education in his maiden speech to parliament 14 months ago.

"After heaps of rhetoric, we're heading for spending cuts," said Francesco Sinopoli, head of the CGIL's teaching union.

"We are returning to an austerity scenario when we should be increasing investment. If this goes ahead we will take to the streets with every possible protest, including strikes."

(Reporting by Gavin Jones and Angelo Amante; editing by Grant McCool)
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LONDON (AP)  A leading Egyptian pro-democracy activist who has been imprisoned for more than 3 1/2 years has obtained a British passport, his family announced Monday. The move is likely meant to pressure Egyptian authorities to release him.

Alaa Abdel-Fattah, an outspoken dissident, rose to prominence with the 2011 pro-democracy uprisings that swept the Middle East and in Egypt toppled long-time President Hosni Mubarak. The 40-year old activist spent most of the past decade behind bars and his detention has become a symbol of Egypts return to autocratic rule.

He was first sentenced in 2014 after being convicted of taking part in an unauthorized protest and allegedly assaulting a police officer. He was released in 2019 after serving a five-year term but was rearrested later that year in a crackdown that followed rare anti-government protests.

In December, Abdel-Fattah was sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of spreading false news. Abdel-Fattah separately faces charges of misusing social medial and joining a terrorist group  a reference to the banned Muslim Brotherhood, which authorities declared a terrorist organization in 2013.

Last year, Abdel-Fattahs family and his Egyptian lawyers accused prison authorities in Cairos Tora Prison of torturing him and denying him basic legal rights. They also called for prosecutors to investigate the claims.

Abdel-Fattahs family said in a statement Monday that he gained British citizenship through his mother, Laila Soueif, a math professor at Cairo University who was born in London. The family said they sought a British passport for Abdel-Fattah as a way out of his impossible ordeal.

The family called for an investigation into alleged rights violations against Abdel-Fattah since his arrest in September 2019. Also, they requested that he be allowed to communicate with the family lawyers in the United Kingdom and that he be allowed consular visits in prison.

Abdel-Fattah began a hunger strike earlier this month to protest alleged violations against him and other detainees in the Tora prison complex, his family said.

Story continues

This is a British citizen detained unlawfully, in appalling conditions, simply for exercising his basic rights to peaceful expression and association, Daniel Furner, one of the family lawyers, told The Associated Press.

The U.K. Foreign Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Obtaining a Western passport could be a way for Abdel-Fattah to be freed. A handful of activists with dual nationality were forced to relinquish their Egyptian citizenship in recent years as a condition for their release, a legal maneuver that allows authorities to deport foreigners accused of crimes.

The government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, a U.S. ally with deep economic ties to European countries, has been relentlessly silencing dissenters and clamping down on independent organizations for years with arrests and restrictions. Many of the top activists involved in the 2011 uprising are now in prison, most under a draconian law passed in 2013 effectively banning all street protests.

Abdel-Fattah has been detained several times before under different governments for lobbying for civil rights on social media and in public. An influential blogger, he hails from a family of political activists, lawyers and writers. His late father was one of Egypts most tireless rights lawyers. His sisters  also British citizens  are also political activists and his aunt is the award-winning novelist Ahdaf Soueif.

Separately, the death of a well-known economics researcher who had disappeared two months ago was met with anger among activists and academics Monday.

Ayman Hadhoud was pronounced dead in the government-run Abbasiya Mental Health Hospital in Cairo, the Interior Ministry said in a statement Sunday. The circumstances surrounding his death were vague.

The ministry said in a terse statement that Hadhoud was detained Feb. 6 for allegedly attempting to break into an apartment in the upscale Zamalek district of Cairo and exhibited irresponsible behavior.

The ministry, which oversees the police, said Hadhoud, 48, was sent to the hospital. It did not elaborate further.

Local media reported that Hadhoud, a critic of government economic policies, had been detained early in February. His brother, Omar, was quoted as saying that a police officer told him that he was detained by the National Security Agency.

Hadhoud's family knew unofficially that Hadhoud was in the hospital in eastern Cairo a few days after he was forcefully disappeared, the brother said. A death certificate released Monday said Hadhoud died March 5 in Abbasiya.

Activists and academics have taken to social media to denounce Hadhoud's death and many have called for an investigation. Prosecutors ordered a forensic autopsy of his body to determine the cause of death.

The government-appointed National Council for Human Rights issued a statement on Hadhouds mysterious death, urging prosecutors to address all concerns raised on his alleged forced disappearance.

Torture and abuse by police are not unusual in Egypt. In 2016, Giulio Regeni, an Italian doctoral student, was found dead the side of a Cairo road with his body had been brutalized, raising suspicion of police involvement. Italy accused police officers of killing him, a charge that Egypt denied.
Johnny Depps multi-million defamation lawsuit against his former wife, Amber Heard, began in Virginia on Monday morning with jury selection. Seven jurors and four alternates were picked to hear the case.

He claims a 2018 article written by Heard in The Washington Post  in which she spoke about domestic violence towards women  implied Depp, her former husband, was an abuser.

Although the 35-year-old did not name the actor, lawyers for Depp say Heards allegations have made it difficult for the 58-year-old to land roles he previously did.

Depp is known for starring in films such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Sweeny Todd and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Heard has appeared in titles including Aquaman and Drive Angry.

He is asking for $50m (38.2m) in damages during the trial in Fairfax Countys district courthouse. Heard has meanwhile filed a counterclaim of defamation against Depp, who she divorced from in 2017, for nuisance.

Depp has previously lost a defamation case in the UK against British newspaper The Sun regarding the claims in Heards 2018 article.

Key points

Jury selection underway in Johnny Depp defamation case against Amber Heard

Actors expected to appear in case

Heard will use anti-SLAPP provision in defence

Heard says in statement: I continue to pay the price

Inside the first day of the trial

23:41 , Clemence Michallon

Fans showed up early, competing with members of the press corps for neon pink wristbands which, that day, guaranteed entry to an overflow room in which the proceedings could be followed live via video link. This setup was specific to day one, and to the jury selection; in the coming days and for the duration of the trial, members of the public will be allowed inside the courtroom, from which the case will be televised. Depp fans brought placards and flowers, in a setup reminiscent of Depps trial against The Sun in the UK. (The actor sued News Group Newspapers, the company that publishes the newspaper, for alleged defamation over a headline calling him a wife beater; he lost that case in November 2020 as a judge deemed the allegations against Depp substantially true.)

Story continues

During the London case, Depp was known to occasionally greet fans outside of court, at times collecting gifts and flowers from them. Heard, a witness in that trial, was also seen waving to supporters and being approached by fans. The rules in the Virginia case proved different from the onset Judge Penney Azcarate, who is in charge of the proceedings, has asked Depp and Heard not to pose for photos or sign autographs outside the Fairfax County courthouse. Both made discreet entrances on Monday and were only briefly photographed at the end of the day.

Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial opens in Virginia with fans, stars, and questions

Why is the trial taking place in Virginia when Heard and Depp live in LA?

22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Although the couple both live in California, the defamation case brought by Depp against his former wife is in Virginia, where the trial will play out at Fairfax Countys district courthouse.

Online editions of The Washington Post are published through servers located in Fairfax County, which is thought to be one of the reasons behind Depps lawyers deciding on the location.

Another is because of Virginias anti-Slapp law, which is not as broad as the one in California. The provision allows a person to claim protection from a lawsuit when speaking about issues of public concern.

Lawyers for Heard, who have filed a counter defamation claim, are expected to use the anti-Slapp law during the trial. It comes four years after her Washington Post article titled: I spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our cultures wrath. That has to change.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press

Heard and Depp pictured leaving courthouse after day one of trial

22:35 , Oliver O'Connell

(AFP via Getty Images)

(EPA)

Opening statements to commence on Tuesday morning

22:28 , Oliver O'Connell

A jury was selected on Monday afternoon in the defamation trial of #JohnnyDepp and #AmberHeard. Opening statements are set to begin on Tuesday in Fairfax County, Virginia. @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/P0j8gVsI3Y  Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) April 11, 2022

Heard: Ill be away for a few weeks

22:06 , Oliver O'Connell

Heres the statement issued by Amber Heard on Saturday on her Twitter and Instagram accounts, in which she tells fans she will be offline for the next few weeks.

She also thanked her fans for their support, and said in these coming weeks I will be leaning on it more than ever.

Heard also addressed Depps claim that she had defamed him in an article in 2018 in The Washington Post, and said she continued to pay the price for speaking out on the issue of domestic violence.

Depp denies any wrongdoing.

Judge rules Heard can use anti-Slapp provision

21:47 , Oliver O'Connell

Heard will be able to argue during the trial that she is immune from liability because her Washington Post article in 2018 about domestic violence was an important issue in the public interest.

Lawyers for Depp had argued for the court to refuse to allow Heard to use the law, known as an anti-Slapp (strategic lawsuit against public participation) provision, because it was a civil case.

Both will testify during the trial, which will see the Fairfax County district court assess Heards counter defamation claim against Depp.

Ellie Harrison reports.

Johnny Depp faces major setback in $100m Amber Heard defamation battle

Heard said in 2020 she wanted to be 'left alone

21:28 , Oliver O'Connell

Appearing as a witness during Depps trial against British newspaper The Sun in 2020, Heard said she wanted to be left alone and wanted her former husband to end lawsuits over domestic abuse claims to save him the embarrassment.

I didnt want to do this, I did not want to expose this totality of what really happened to me, Heard told Londons Royal Courts of Justice. I didnt want to talk about everything that happened in our marriage and happened in our relationship.

While Depp denies the claims, Heard told the court of 14 allegations of violence by Depp between 2013 and 2016, in locations such as a rented house in Australia, his private island in the Bahamas and a private jet, as The Associated Press reported two years ago.

The judge ruled against Depp, who accused the publisher of The Sun of defaming him with a headline including the words wife beater. His lawyers afterwards called the judges decision perverse.

Who might testify during the trial?

21:09 , Oliver O'Connell

Ahead of the trial due to begin today in Virginia, Depp and Heard have each published a list of witnesses their teams may wish to call upon, writes The Independents Clemence Michallon.

They have each filed lists of objections to some of the other sides witnesses, so the final pool of witnesses will become clearer and may evolve as the proceedings go on.

Some of the people named as potential witnesses so far include Tesla-founder Elon Musk and actor James Franco...

From James Franco to Elon Musk, who could testify at Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial?

The jury has been selected

21:05 , Oliver O'Connell

A jury of eleven people, including four alternates, has been selected to hear Johnny Depps defamation case against his ex-wife Amber HEard.

JURY PICKED!  Eleven people have been chosen to hear the dueling defamation cases of #JohnnyDepp & #AmberHeard. Opening statements will happen tomorrow. @CourtTV will broadcast the whole trial!  pic.twitter.com/KJAmVLLohM  Julie Grant (@JulieCourtTV) April 11, 2022

Not the first time Heard and Depp have been in court

20:50 , Oliver O'Connell

This is not the first time Depp and Heard have appeared in court after he failed to sue the publishers of The Sun newspaper for defamation in 2020.

A judge ruled that the headline of an article written by The Suns executive editor Dan Wootton in 2018 was substantially true. It described the actor as a wife beater, which he denies.

Depp, whose lawyers called the judges ruling perverse, was not allowed to appeal the decision either.

He also denied the claims made in the article and by Heard, who spoke in court as a witness during the case in Londons Royal Courts of Justice.

While Depp says he was forced to stand down from his role in the film Fantastic Beasts  a Harry Potter spin-off  following the trial, he has attended a number of film events and was awarded by the San Sebastian film festival in Spain for his lifetime achievements. The decision proved highly controversial.

Why is the trial taking place in Virginia?

20:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Although the couple both live in California, the defamation case brought by Depp against his former wife is in Virginia, where the trial will play out at Fairfax Countys district courthouse.

Online editions of The Washington Post are published through servers located in Fairfax County, which is thought to be one of the reasons behind Depps lawyers deciding on the location.

Another is because of Virginias anti-Slapp law, which is not as broad as the one in California. The provision allows a person to claim protection from a lawsuit when speaking about issues of public concern.

Lawyers for Heard, who have filed a counter defamation claim, are expected to use the anti-Slapp law during the trial. It comes four years after her Washington Post article titled: I spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our cultures wrath. That has to change.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press

20:12 , Oliver O'Connell

Legal dispute was focus of TV documentary last year

19:53 , Oliver O'Connell

The high-profile legal disagreement between Depp and Heard was depicted in a TV documentary series last year on Discovery Plus, which sought to reveal the reasons behind the pairs two polarised perspectives.

The programme  Johnny v Amber  was also billed as the story of the breakdown of Depp and Heards relationship, including how it tipped into the celebrity court case of the decade.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heards divorce and legal battles dissected in new documentary

19:34 , Oliver O'Connell

Heard can use anti-Slapp provision, judge ruled last month

19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Heard will be able to argue during the trial that she is immune from liability because her Washington Post article in 2018 about domestic violence was an important issue in the public interest.

Lawyers for Depp had argued for the court to refuse to allow Heard to use the law, known as an anti-Slapp (strategic lawsuit against public participation) provision, because it was a civil case.

Both will testify during the trial, which will see the Fairfax County district court assess Heards counter defamation claim against Depp.

Johnny Depp faces major setback in $100m Amber Heard defamation battle

Reminder: Heard asked court for restraining order in 2016

18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

When Heard and Depp filed for divorce in 2016, the actress asked a judge for a restraining order against her then estranged-husband, who she said had been violent towards her.

Depp  who denies the claims  was ordered to stay 100 yards away from Heard, who told the court in Los Angeles, California, that he had throne a cellphone at her during a fight, and that she was grabbed and hit,as well as screamed at.

During the entirety of our relationship, Johnny has been verbally and physically abusive to me, Heard wrote in a filing in 2016. I live in fear that Johnny will return to (our house) unannounced to terrorise me, physically and emotionally.

Depp lawyers said in a court filing at the time that Heard was attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse, and the actor rebuked the claims.

Amber Heard takes out restraining order on 'violent' Johnny Depp

Heard: Ill be away for a few weeks

18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Heres the statement issued by Amber Heard on Saturday on her Twitter and Instagram accounts, in which she tells fans she will be offline for the next few weeks.

She also thanked her fans for their support, and said in these coming weeks I will be leaning on it more than ever.

Heard also addressed Depps claim that she had defamed him in an article in 2018 in The Washington Post, and said she continued to pay the price for speaking out on the issue of domestic violence.

Depp denies any wrongdoing.

Depp and Heard: A timeline of their relationship

17:56 , Oliver O'Connell

From meeting on the set of a 2011 film to filing for divorce in 2016, the history between Depp and Heard will likely be heard again when the trial in Fairfax, Virgina, begins.

The Independents Clemence Michallon has a timeline, here:

A timeline of Johnny Depp and Amber Heards relationship and court battles

How long will the trial last?

17:37 , Oliver O'Connell

The trial will likely last several weeks, according to analysts, with the previous case brought by Depp against The Sun newspaper taking three weeks to conclude.

Proceedings at the court in Fairfax, Virginia, began on Monday with jury selection. At the next stage, both sides will present their arguments  including a number of witnesses.

That could take some time to conclude, with the judge also having to rule on Heards counterclaim for defamation against her former husband.

She has accused Depp of smearing her with his defamation action, and will likely plead immunity in reference to her Washington Post article from 2018 about being a domestic violence victim.

Jury selection underway

17:29 , Oliver O'Connell

The Independents Clemence Michallon reports from the courthouse:

Jury selection is underway for the defamation trial opposing Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in Fairfax.

Proceedings began around 10am ET with jury selection. Depp and Heard are both present, each sitting on one side of the courthouse with their legal team.

Prospective jurors were first asked whether theyd face any hardship if they were asked to participate in a trial expected to last six weeks. Some were excused on that basis.

Then, the judge and each partys lawyers asked prospective jurors whether they had read or heard anything about the case, and if so, whether theyd still be able to make an objective determination in this case.

Some jurors have acknowledged previous knowledge of the case, but have generally said theyd be able to keep an open mind if theyre part of the final jury.

Seven jurors and four alternates will be chosen in total.

Heard says in statement: I continue to pay the price

17:18 , Oliver O'Connell

In a statement on Saturday, Heard said she was continuing to pay the price for being a woman speaking out against men in power and that she was dissapointed her and Depps life would again play out in front of a court.

I never named him, said Heard on Saturday. Rather, I wrote about the price women pay for speaking out against men in power.

I continue to pay the price, but hopefully when this case concludes, I can move on and so can Johnny, she added of her former husband, who she said she has always maintained a love for.

Heards lawyers will likely argue that she is immune from liability during the trial because her opinion article in The Washington Post was a matter of public concern.

The article, which was published in 2018, was titled: I spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our cultures wrath. That has to change. It did not name her ex-husband.

Amber Heard shares public message about Johnny Depp ahead of trial

Previous Depp and Heard trial appearances

16:59 , Oliver O'Connell

This is not the first time Depp and Heard have appeared in court after he failed to sue the publishers of The Sun newspaper for defamation in 2020.

A judge ruled that the headline of an article written by The Suns executive editor Dan Wootton in 2018 was substantially true. It described the actor as a wife beater, which he denies.

Depp, whose lawyers called the judges ruling perverse, was not allowed to appeal the decision either.

He also denied the claims made in the article and by Heard, who spoke in court as a witness during the case in Londons Royal Courts of Justice.

While Depp says he was forced to stand down from his role in the film Fantastic Beasts  a Harry Potter spin-off  following the trial, he has attended a number of film events and was awarded by the San Sebastian film festival in Spain for his lifetime achievements. The decision proved highly controversial.

Who could testify during the trial?

16:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Ahead of the trial due to begin today in Virginia, Depp and Heard have each published a list of witnesses their teams may wish to call upon, writes The Independents Clemence Michallon.

They have each filed lists of objections to some of the other sides witnesses, so the final pool of witnesses will become clearer and may evolve as the proceedings go on.

Some of the people named as potential witnesses so far include Tesla-founder Elon Musk and actor James Franco...

From James Franco to Elon Musk, who could testify at Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial?

Why is the trial taking place in Virginia?

16:21 , Oliver O'Connell

Although the couple both live in California, the defamation case brought by Depp against his former wife is in Virginia, where the trial will play out at Fairfax Countys district courthouse.

Online editions of The Washington Post are published through servers located in Fairfax County, which is thought to be one of the reasons behind Depps lawyers deciding on the location.

Another is because of Virginias anti-Slapp law, which is not as broad as the one in California. The provision allows a person to claim protection from a lawsuit when speaking about issues of public concern.

Lawyers for Heard, who have filed a counter defamation claim, are expected to use the anti-Slapp law during the trial. It comes four years after her Washington Post article titled: I spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our cultures wrath. That has to change.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press

Johnny Depp fans waited outside the courthouse to catch a glimpse of the actor

15:52 , Oliver O'Connell

(EPA)

(EPA)

Heard said in 2020 she wanted to be 'left alone

15:30 , Gino Spocchia

Appearing as a witness during Depps trial against British newspaper The Sun in 2020, Heard said she wanted to be left alone and wanted her former husband to end lawsuits over domestic abuse claims to save him the embarrassment.

I didnt want to do this, I did not want to expose this totality of what really happened to me, Heard told Londons Royal Courts of Justice. I didnt want to talk about everything that happened in our marriage and happened in our relationship.

While Depp denies the claims, Heard told the court of 14 allegations of violence by Depp between 2013 and 2016, in locations such as a rented house in Australia, his private island in the Bahamas and a private jet, as The Associated Press reported two years ago.

The judge ruled against Depp, who accused the publisher of The Sun of defaming him with a headline including the words wife beater. His lawyers afterwards called the judges decision perverse.

Depp and Heard have arrived at the courthouse

15:17 , Oliver O'Connell

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have arrived at the courthouse for jury selection in the $50m defamation trial.

HERE WE GO!  #JohnnyDepp & #AmberHeard have arrived to pick the jury for their dueling defamation case.



Do YOU think there is going to be a clear winner in the end?? @CourtTV @CourtTVUK #DeppvHeard pic.twitter.com/PshP9Ogtig  Julie Grant (@JulieCourtTV) April 11, 2022

Franco and Musk to provide testimony

15:10 , Gino Spocchia

James Franco and Elon Musk are among the high-profile names who will provide a testimony during the case between Depp and Heard.

Paul Bethany, of WandaVision, as well as representatives of the Walt Disney company and Warner Bros are also due to appear in the Fairfax County court, reported Deadline.

The long-delayed trial is due to begin later today with the selection of a jury.

James Franco and Elon Musk to testify at Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial

Legal dispute was focus of TV documentary last year

14:55 , Gino Spocchia

The high-profile legal disagreement between Depp and Heard was depicted in a TV documentary series last year on Discovery Plus, which sought to reveal the reasons behind the pairs two polarised perspectives.

The programme  Johnny v Amber  was also billed as the story of the breakdown of Depp and Heards relationship, including how it tipped into the celebrity court case of the decade.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heards divorce and legal battles dissected in new documentary

Why is the trial taking place in Virginia?

14:40 , Gino Spocchia

Although the couple both live in California, the defamation case brought by Depp against his former wife is in Virginia, where the trial will play out at Fairfax Countys district courthouse.

Online editions of The Washington Post are published through servers located in Fairfax County, which is thought to be one of the reasons behind Depps lawyers deciding on the location.

Another is because of Virginias anti-Slapp law, which is not as broad as the one in California. The provision allows a person to claim protection from a lawsuit when speaking about issues of public concern.

Lawyers for Heard, who have filed a counter defamation claim, are expected to use the anti-Slapp law during the trial. It comes four years after her Washington Post article titled: I spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our cultures wrath. That has to change.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press

Outside the court

14:30 , Gino Spocchia

The court building in Fairfax, Virginia, will be busy over the coming weeks, as it is where the trial involving Depp and Heard will take place.

A live stream will be broadcast from the court when the trial begins, although it is unclear if there will be a stream on Monday, when jury selection is taking place.

The Fairfax County General District Court building (Getty Images)

Heard can use anti-Slapp provision, judge ruled last month

14:10 , Gino Spocchia

Heard will be able to argue during the trial that she is immune from liability because her Washington Post article in 2018 about domestic violence was an important issue in the public interest.

Lawyers for Depp had argued for the court to refuse to allow Heard to use the law, known as an anti-Slapp (strategic lawsuit against public participation) provision, because it was a civil case.

Both will testify during the trial, which will see the Fairfax County district court assess Heards counter defamation claim against Depp.

Johnny Depp faces major setback in $100m Amber Heard defamation battle

Despatch from outside the court room

13:53 , Gino Spocchia

Writing from outside the court room in Fairfax, The Independents Clemence Michallon says:

Spectators, supporters, and potential jurors have begun to gather at the Fairfax County Courthouse in Virginia.

Today is the opening of Johnny Depps $50m defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard. He alleges she defamed him in an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in 2018. Heard has countersued for $100m and asked to be granted immunity against his claims.

Potential jurors are lining up inside the courthouse, as are spectators looking to gain access to the courtroom.Proceedings are expected to begin at 10am with jury selection. Jury selection, in turn, is expected to wrap up by the end of the day.

Outside, television cameras are being set up. Supporters also showed up early. During Johnny Depps trial against The Sun in the UK, he was known to sometimes stop to greet fans, occasionally collecting flowers from them and stopping for photographs.

Reminder: Heard asked court in 2016 for restraining order

13:40 , Gino Spocchia

When Heard and Depp filed for divorce in 2016, the actress asked a judge for a restraining order against her then estranged-husband, who she said had been violent towards her.

Depp  who denies the claims  was ordered to stay 100 yards away from Heard, who told the court in Los Angeles, California, that he had throne a cellphone at her during a fight, and that she was grabbed and hit,as well as screamed at.

During the entirety of our relationship, Johnny has been verbally and physically abusive to me, Heard wrote in a filing in 2016. I live in fear that Johnny will return to (our house) unannounced to terrorise me, physically and emotionally.

Depp lawyers said in a court filing at the time that Heard was attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse, and the actor rebuked the claims.

Amber Heard takes out restraining order on 'violent' Johnny Depp

Heard tells followers Ill be away for a few weeks'

13:15 , Gino Spocchia

Heres the statement issued by Amber Heard on Saturday on her Twitter and Instagram accounts, in which she tells fans she will be offline for the next few weeks.

She also thanked her fans for their support, and said in these coming weeks I will be leaning on it more than ever.

Heard also addressed Depps claim that she had defamed him in an article in 2018 in The Washington Post, and said she continued to pay the price for speaking out on the issue of domestic violence.

Depp denies any wrongdoing.

A timeline of Depp and Heard

13:05 , Gino Spocchia

From meeting on the set of a 2011 film to filing for divorce in 2016, the history between Depp and Heard will likely be heard again when the trial in Fairfax, Virgina, begins.

The Independents Clemence Michallon has a timeline, here:

A timeline of Johnny Depp and Amber Heards relationship and court battles

How long will the trial last?

12:47 , Gino Spocchia

The trail will likely last several weeks, according to analysts, with the previous case brought by Depp against The Sun newspaper taking three weeks to conclude.

The court in Fairfax, Virginia, will begin on Monday by selecting a jury, and when proceedings do begin both sides will present their arguments  including a number of witnesses.

That could take some time to conclude, with the judge also having to rule on Heards counterclaim for defamation against her former husband.

She has accused Depp of smearing her with his defamation action, and will likely plead immunity in reference to her Washington Post article from 2018 about being a domestic violence victim.

Depp described Serbian award as new beginning

12:27 , Gino Spocchia

While actor Johnny Depp has blamed Amber Heard for an apparent dry-spell in film roles, the 58-year-old has continued to receive honours from around the world.

As well as receiving a lifetime achievement award from a Spanish film festival, Depp has also controversially been awarded a medal by Serbian president Aleksandar VuAiA.

Mr VuAiA said in February that the American actors outstanding merits in public and cultural activities, especially in the field of film art and the promotion of the Republic of Serbia in the world, warranted the honour.

Depp said during the ceremony in Belgrade, Serbia: I truly, sincerely thank you, president VuAiA, and this medal of merit, if I am given the honour to walk away with this, I thank you for being kind enough to bestow it upon me.

According to Balkan Insight, Depp also described the award as a new beginning.

Johnny Depp and Serbia president Aleksandar Vucic (Getty Images)

Heard says in statement: I continue to pay the price

12:20 , Gino Spocchia

In a statement on Saturday, Heard said she was continuing to pay the price for being a woman speaking out against men in power and that she was dissapointed her and Depps life would again play out in front of a court.

I never named him, said Heard on Saturday. Rather, I wrote about the price women pay for speaking out against men in power.

I continue to pay the price, but hopefully when this case concludes, I can move on and so can Johnny, she added of her former husband, who she said she has always maintained a love for.

Heards lawyers will likely argue that she is immune from liability during the trial because her opinion article in The Washington Post was a matter of public concern.

The article, which was published in 2018, was titled: I spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our cultures wrath. That has to change. It did not name her ex-husband.

Amber Heard shares public message about Johnny Depp ahead of trial

History of Depp and Heard trials

12:00 , Gino Spocchia

This is not the first time Depp and Heard have appeared in court after he failed to sue the publishers of The Sun newspaper for defamation in 2020.

A judge ruled that the headline of an article written by The Suns executive editor Dan Wootton in 2018 was substantially true. It described the actor as a wife beater, which he denies.

Depp, whose lawyers called the judges ruling perverse, was not allowed to appeal the decision either.

He also denied the claims made in the article and by Heard, who spoke in court as a witness during the case in Londons Royal Courts of Justice.

While Depp says he was forced to stand down from his role in the film Fantastic Beasts  a Harry Potter spin-off  following the trial, he has attended a number of film events and was awarded by the San Sebastian film festival in Spain for his lifetime achievements. The decision proved highly controversial.

Who could testify during the trial?

11:41 , Gino Spocchia

Ahead of the trial due to begin today in Virginia, Depp and Heard have each published a list of witnesses their teams may wish to call upon, writes The Independents Clemence Michallon.

They have each filed lists of objections to some of the other sides witnesses, so the final pool of witnesses will become clearer and may evolve as the proceedings go on.

Some of the people named as potential witnesses so far include Tesla-founder Elon Musk and actor James Franco...

From James Franco to Elon Musk, who could testify at Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial?

Why is the trial taking place in Virginia?

11:21 , Gino Spocchia

Although the couple both live in California, the defamation case brought by Depp against his former wife is in Virginia, where the trial will play out at Fairfax Countys district courthouse.

Online editions of The Washington Post are published through servers located in Fairfax County, which is thought to be one of the reasons behind Depps lawyers deciding on the location.

Another is because of Virginias anti-Slapp law, which is not as broad as the one in California. The provision allows a person to claim protection from a lawsuit when speaking about issues of public concern.

Lawyers for Heard, who have filed a counter defamation claim, are expected to use the anti-Slapp law during the trial. It comes four years after her Washington Post article titled: I spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our cultures wrath. That has to change.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press

11:11 , Gino Spocchia

Welcome to The Independents live coverage of Johnny Depps defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard, his former wife, which begins today in Fairfax, Virginia.

Not the first time in court for the couple

20:10 , Oliver O'Connell

This is not the first time Depp and Heard have appeared in court after he failed to sue the publishers of The Sun newspaper for defamation in 2020.

A judge ruled that the headline of an article written by The Suns executive editor Dan Wootton in 2018 was substantially true. It described the actor as a wife beater, which he denies.

Depp, whose lawyers called the judges ruling perverse, was not allowed to appeal the decision either.

He also denied the claims made in the article and by Heard, who spoke in court as a witness during the case in Londons Royal Courts of Justice.

While Depp says he was forced to stand down from his role in the film Fantastic Beasts  a Harry Potter spin-off  following the trial, he has attended a number of film events and was awarded by the San Sebastian film festival in Spain for his lifetime achievements. The decision proved highly controversial.
University of Georgia linebacker Adam Anderson attends his bond hearing on a felony rape charge at the Athens-Clarke County Courthouse on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021.

Western Circuit Superior Court Judge Eric Norris denied a defense lawyers motion Monday to dismiss a rape charge against former University of Georgia linebacker Adam Anderson.

Anderson is charged with the October 2021 rape of a 21-year-old woman in Athens, and the prosecutor acknowledged that an assault allegation made against Anderson in Oconee County is also under investigation.

Atlanta attorney Steve Sadow asked the judge to dismiss the charge, citing that 153 days have passed without a grand jury hearing since his clients arrest. He noted how another rape defendant in Athens was charged in January this year and indicted in February.

Initial report: Georgia football LB Adam Anderson booked on felony rape charge

Previous coverage: Attorney for former Georgia linebacker Adam Anderson asks court for dismissal of rape case

Related: Second sexual assault allegation surfaces during Georgia football LB Adam Anderson's bond hearing

The limbo of the rape charge will affect Andersons National Football League draft status when it occurs April 28-30, according to Sadow, who said Anderson had a good tryout camp and NFL teams have been calling him about his client.

Anderson, a senior this past season, was expected to be a high draft choice.

But Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Samuel dEntremonth said the case is in the pre-indictment stage and from a legal standpoint, the prosecution has not started. However, the prosecutor said he anticipates the case will go before a grand jury in another month or two.

After Norris denied the motion, Sadow asked that the Anderson case be recorded when and if it goes before a grand jury.

A practice of recording grand jury proceedings is not currently conducted and Norris asked the defense and prosecution to each file motions in regard to that issue.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Judge denies motion to dismiss rape charge against former UGA player
The Shelby County Election Commission will not be required to open additional early voting sites during Holy Week, a special judge ruled Monday.

Judge James Butler also declined to restrain the Election Commission from implementing a resolution opening just its downtown location on the first two days of early voting, which begins April 13, then five other sites (the Agricenter, Arlington Safe Room, Baker Community Center, Dave Wells Community Center and Glenview Community Center) on the fourth day of early voting. No other sites will be open until April 18, 2022, for the May 2022 primaries.

The question is, do I disrupt the entire Shelby County election based on what Ive heard at this point?" Butler asked. "And the court is not prepared to do that.

Butler determined that he had heard insufficient proof to determine that the Election Commission had violated the Tennessee Open Meetings Act or the Tennessee Constitution.

The ruling came as a disappointment to leaders of three Memphis groups that had alleged violations of the Tennessee Open Meetings Act, the Tennessee Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, saying the commission's decisions would disenfranchise minority voters throughout early voting in the upcoming county election.

The three groups suing were the NAACP Memphis Branch, #UpTheVote901 and the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis.

"These subtle tactics generally create what the courts call a chilling factor as far as voter turnout is concerned," said the Rev. Earle Fisher, founder of #UpTheVote901. "So you engage in these behaviors under the cover of night and then explain away why there's low voter turnout, but there's low voter turnout because the public is not given adequate information or adequate access. We were able to peer into some of what happens in those rooms and now it's public record."

'Shalom Y'all:'Celebrate Passover with recipes from Temple Israel's new cookbook

Story continues

Much of the argument Monday centered on whether churches were willing to act as early voting sites during Holy Week, the week on the Christian calendar leading up to Easter that includes Good Friday.

In the meeting in which the Election Commission voted to only open non-church voting sites during Holy Week, Administrator of Elections Linda Phillips had told commissioners that churches did not want to act as voting sites during Holy Week.

Monday, the Rev. J. Lawrence Turner, senior pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church and founder of the Black Clergy Collaborative, and the Rev. Reginald Boyce, senior pastor of Riverside Missionary Baptist Church, testified that they had not been contacted by the Election Commission to request whether they were willing to be voting sites during Holy Week.

Phillips testified that the county primary is a low turnout election and that in 2014, the last time early voting intersected with Holy Week, none of the church voting sites were open until the following Friday. That was before she became election administrator.

Its not just an issue of whether the church is willing, its also an issue of whether I have the staff for it," Phillips testified.

According to state law, the Election Commission is required to have one of its headquarters open as a voting site during early voting. During this primary, that will be its James Meredith Building, located downtown. There will be about six free parking spaces there, paid for by the county, Phillips testified.

Tax rate:Shelby County could get property tax rate around $3.399, but budget process is still early

After a 2018 lawsuit, the Election Commission passed a policy of, upon opening one early voting site other than a headquarters site, opening all early voting sites.

That policy was deviated from upon Phillips' advice regarding churches not wanting to be open during Holy Week.

Phillips testified that she did not contact any churches about wanting to open during Holy Week, but that staff had represented to her that they did not want to do so.

"We have never, ever opened any church ever during Holy Week," she said. It is also difficult to find staff to work during Holy Week, she said.

Darrel O'Neal, attorney for the three Memphis groups suing the Election Commission, argued that the three Republican commissioners violated the Tennessee Open Meetings Act by receiving a letter from five Republican state legislators.

The letter, dated Feb. 4, 2020, recommends seven days of early voting conducted at all satellite voting locations preceded by eight days of early voting at the Shelby County Election Commission office. The three Republican election commissioners are appointed by the Republican state delegation.

Jacob Swatley, attorney for the Election Commission, said the letter did not show the election commissioners deliberating or approving anything.

Early voting starts Wednesday for the May 3 county primary.

Leaders behind the organizations suing the Election Commission said they plan to work to increase the voter turnout in the primary, proving Phillips wrong that it is a low turnout election.

"Today is disappointing, but we believe the arc of the moral universe is long and bends toward justice," Turner said, quoting the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. "So we're in it for the long haul."

Katherine Burgess covers county government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com, 901-529-2799 or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Shelby County Election Commission will not be required to open more early voting sites
Marjorie Taylor Greene. Megan Varner/Getty Images

A federal judge on Friday indicated she might allow a Jan. 6-related constitutional challenge against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's (R-Ga.) candidacy to proceed, Insider reported.

The suit argues that Greene should be disqualified for running for office due to her alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Greene "aided and engaged in an insurrection to obstruct the peaceful transfer of presidential power," the challengers claim in their suit, "disqualifying her from serving as a Member of Congress under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment and rendering her ineligible under state and federal law to be a candidate for such office."

According to the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, lawmakers are prohibited from returning to elected positions if they supported an insurrection. Challengers claim Greene is therefore unable to run for re-election because she allegedly "planned with protest organizers and 'encouraged' the violence that disrupted the Electoral College certification" on Jan. 6, CNN reports.

Federal Judge Amy Totenberg of the Northern District of Georgia said Friday she had "significant questions and concerns" about a recent ruling in a similar challenge against firebrand Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), and will likely this week issue a ruling as to whether or not the challenge against Greene can proceed, CNN noted.

James Bopp Jr., Greene's lawyer, claims the suit being brought against her is "50 pages of newspaper articles, hearsay and political hyperbole," per CNN. The Georgia Republican is not an insurrectionist and was not involved in planning the Jan. 6 protests, her lawyers and a spokesperson claim.

Totenberg's decision is expected around the same time a Georgia state judge plans to "hold a hearing to address whether Greene engaged in or aided the insurrection and if that disqualifies her from office," Insider reported.

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Only three weeks after being released from jail, Jussie Smollett has released a new song titled Thank You God.

The former Empire star told Chicago police that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic assault in January 2019.

He claimed two men put a noose around his neck and poured a chemical liquid on him. Prosecutors said Smollett orchestrated the incident and paid the men to stage the attack, which he denies.

Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail and 30 months of probation for filing a false report. He was later released after six days behind bars when his lawyer appealed his conviction.

The actor took to his Instagram account, which according to his page is being run by the Smollett family, to share the tune on April 8.

The short snippet starts with the following words on the social media post, CHANNELING THESE THOUGHTS THE BEST WAY I KNOW HOW. LOVE YOU - JUSSIE.

Smollett then croons: Its like theyre hell-bent on not solving the crime / Taking out the elements of race and trans and homophobia thats straight taking lives / But turn around and act like Im the one that killed the strides.

The former Empire actor speaks directly to his critics with the lyrics, Some people searching for fame / Some people chasing that clout / Just remember this ... this aint that situation / You think Im stupid enough to kill my reputation.

Former

Former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett arrives at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building for day seven of his trial on December 8, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (Photo: Scott Olson via Getty Images)

The 39-year-old also referenced his discrepancies with CNN news anchor Don Lemon and filmmaker Lee Daniels, who have both publicly spoken out about Smollett and the alleged 2019 hate crime.

They had my own people, thoughts going off the wall/ Thats why from L.D. to Don, I still got love for yall/ I know well meet again, talk like real men/ Instead of sharing shade in rooms and up on CNN, Smollet sang.

Story continues

Smollett also noted in the posts caption that 100% of the [song] profits will be donated to Rainbow Push Coalition, the Illinois Innocence Project and Secure the Bag Safety.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
When parents look for information to help them choose a good elementary or secondary school for their child, they often turn to a variety of sources online.

For instance, they may check out state government websites that provide report cards on local schools. Examples include Virginias School Quality Profiles or Ohios School Report Cards.

Parents might also rely on popular school rating websites like GreatSchools.org, Niche.com or U.S. News & World Reports K-12 schools directory, which claims to help parents find the best schools for their child.

As a researcher who specializes in education policy, I see some shortcomings with how many of these websites portray school quality to the public. Im interested in the kinds of information that parents use to make school-related decisions. I also study how parental decisions about which school to select for their child might influence student diversity within schools.

Along with fellow education researcher Jeffrey Henig, I conducted a survey with a nationally representative sample of 2,800 parents or caretakers of children under age 12. With financial support from the Spencer Foundation and technical assistance from YouGov, we embedded an experiment in the survey to see how enrollment decisions might vary if parents chose schools based on different kinds of academic performance data.

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More specifically, we enabled parents to look at a schools academic performance in two different ways: achievement status and achievement growth. Achievement status is based on students current levels of academic performance, whereas achievement growth considers students academic performance over time.

We found that when parents are given information about achievement growth, they tend to choose schools that are not only more effective at teaching their students but also more demographically diverse.

Story continues

Status vs. growth

To make more informed choices for their children, parents need a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of these two ways to measure schools academic performance. But many websites meant to help parents choose schools  whether government or commercial sites  offer information about only achievement status.

Achievement status refers to individual students academic performance at a single point in time. For example, 50% of a hypothetical schools fifth graders might be proficient in reading as measured by the states annual reading test. Measures of achievement status like this provide a rough understanding of how students are doing in the tested subjects.

However, achievement status does not tell the public much about how schools contribute to student learning. Students face different obstacles both inside and outside of school, such as the challenges of poverty and racial discrimination, and they enter school with different levels of preparation. As a result, schools with relatively high achievement status tend to be disproportionately white and wealthy.

Achievement growth, on the other hand, refers to the rate of change in individual students academic performance from one year to the next. Consider the same hypothetical school where 50% of the fifth graders are proficient in reading. But the year before, when those same students were fourth graders, only 40% were proficient in reading. Something very positive is happening in this school, but people would miss it if they focused exclusively on the 50% proficiency rate. Rather than looking at the results from a single year, achievement growth measures changes like this over time.

Some researchers argue that growth is a better measure of school effectiveness than status. For instance, education researcher Morgan Polikoff has noted how indicators of achievement status, like proficiency rates, essentially measure who is enrolled in a school, rather than how well the school is doing at educating them.

Because such status measures merely capture the current performance levels of students, proficiency rates are highly correlated with student socioeconomic status and other demographics, Polikoff has written. Growth-based measures, on the other hand, can show students year-to-year changes and better demonstrate the schools effectiveness or contribution to student learning.

In other words, a schools academic growth has much less to do with whos enrolled at the school and more to do with what the school is doing to educate those students.

Some people might wonder whether a schools rate of achievement growth merely reflects the fact that, for many schools serving disadvantaged students, those students may just have more room to grow. In fact, there are roughly as many high-growth schools that serve disproportionately affluent students as there are high-growth schools that serve disproportionately low-income students. As it turns out, all students  no matter their backgrounds  have a similar capacity to learn and grow.

A classroom filled with many children of color.

Toward more diverse schools

For my study, I asked participants to choose between three randomly selected schools drawn from the same randomly selected school district somewhere in the United States. To guide this choice, participants received a range of demographic information about each school, such as the percentages of white, Black, and Hispanic students and the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch  a common measure of economic disadvantage. In addition, some participants were randomly assigned to receive information about each schools average status, average growth, or both.

What I found is that when parents are provided with information about a schools current academic performance, they tend to choose higher-status schools, which, on average, have more students who are white and from families with higher income. However, when parents are provided with student growth data, they tend to choose higher-growth schools, many of which serve larger proportions of low-income students and students of color.

For this reason, school rating websites that provide only achievement status information are essentially nudging families toward the whitest and most affluent schools in a community. This exacerbates school segregation, especially if white and affluent families are more likely to have the economic means to decide where they want to live and where to send their kids to school.

Increasingly, school districts and states have included growth data in their reports on local schools. As of 2020, 43 states and the District of Columbia reported achievement growth info in their annual school report cards.

However, with the exception of GreatSchools.org, most school rating websites have yet to incorporate student achievement growth data into the range of information that they provide.

Measuring growth has also been made more difficult by the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, annual standardized tests were canceled in 2020 and frequently administered in modified formats in 2021. It will be more challenging  but not impossible  for states to calculate growth accurately for the next few years because of the missing and modified tests during the pandemic.

The future of growth data

Calculating students rates of growth on tests is a technical and complicated process. The results are often difficult for many people to understand. The next step in my research is to identify more effective and intuitive ways of communicating growth data to the public.

The Conversation

Disclosure: David M. Houston receives funding from the Spencer Foundation. Houston is an Assistant Professor of Education at George Mason University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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LIBERTYVILLE, IL  The Libertyville Village Board on Tuesday will consider extending outdoor dining rules through this summer.

Village staff members will recommend a policy on temporary outdoor diningduring an informal work session at Tuesday's village board meeting, according to the Daily Herald.

Under the temporary policy, outdoor dining would be allowed May 1 through Nov. 1 for businesses that receive a staff-issued permit. The village board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at village hall, 118 W. Cook Av venue.





This article originally appeared on the Libertyville Patch
Spotting of six Y-20 cargo planes in Serbia 'displays China's strategic transport capabilities'

By Liu Xuanzun and Guo Yuandan (Global Times) 08:59, April 11, 2022

A Y-20 large transport aircraft attached to an aviation division under the PLA Western Theater Command flies at a predetermined altitude during a flight training mission on January 4, 2021. (eng.chianmil.com.cn/Photo by Liu Shu)

A fleet of six Y-20 cargo planes of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force was reportedly spotted in Serbia on Saturday, with observers saying on Sunday that it could be the largest overseas operation by the Chinese domestically developed large transport plane yet, displaying the country's strategic transport capabilities.

Citing commercial flight trackers, US news website thedrive.com reported on Saturday that the six Y-20 aircraft were first spotted heading west in Turkish airspace late Friday night, and later local residents took photos of the Y-20s, which allegedly landed in Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade, Serbia. The aircraft later flew over the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey again on their way back to China.

China has not made an official announcement about the mission as of press time, but the Global Times learned that the Y-20s indeed have carried out such a flight.

A whopping six Y-20 large transport aircraft could mark an unprecedented overseas operation, Chinese military observers said.

It is a new record that an overseas mission features six Y-20s, and it is also very rare to see so many Y-20s being deployed at the same time, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The mission reflects a significant improvement in the PLA Air Force's long-range strategic transport capabilities, as well as the large transport aircraft's logistics support and maintenance capabilities in intercontinental flights, Fu said.

It is more difficult to organize a large fleet featuring six Y-20s compared with only one or two of the aircraft, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday.

China has used the Y-20 for several missions to Europe in the past. For example, the PLA used a Y-20 to carry 105 members of the PLA honor guardto join the Russian Victory Day parade held in Moscow in June 2020.

Unlike just flying to Russia, it would need the Y-20s to fly through several other countries in order to reach Serbia from China, so China must have had much coordination and communication with these countries and gained their authorization in order to realize the flight, Song said.

The mission of the Y-20s to Serbia remains unknown, with thedrive.com speculating that the aircraft could be delivering the FK-3, the export version of the Chinese HQ-22 surface-to-air missile system, to Serbia.

Analysts told the Global Times that the cargo must be large and heavy to require as many as six Y-20s.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
A London jury on Monday unanimously found Islamic State follower Ali Harbi Ali guilty of murdering UK lawmaker David Amess in a ferocious knife attack in October last year.

"It cannot have been easy to listen to the evidence you have listened to," judge Nigel Sweeney told jurors, saying he would sentence Ali, 26, on Wednesday.

Ali had told the trial that he had no regrets about murdering father-of-five Amess after he voted in parliament for air strikes in Syria in 2014.

The court at London's Old Bailey heard that Ali stabbed Amess more than 20 times with a foot-long carving knife in Leigh-on-Sea, southeast England.

Members of Amess's family were in court as the verdict was read out, during which Ali refused to stand on religious grounds.

Ali, from north London, arranged an appointment with Amess, 69, by telling the politician's office that he was a healthcare worker and wished to talk about local issues.

Knife-wielding Ali was apprehended at the scene of the murder in a church by two police officers armed only with batons and spray.

He had sent a manifesto to family and friends to try to justify his actions around the time of the attack.

- 'Self-satisfied' -

The court heard that Ali said "sorry" to Amess before killing him, after which his assistant Julie Cushion said he appeared "self-satisfied".

During police interviews, Ali had told police that Amess suspected a "sting", having been duped in the 1990s into talking about a made-up drug "cake" during a satirical television series.

Director of Public Prosecutions Max Hill said the murder was "the most appalling tragedy" for the family and an "attack on democracy".

The court heard how Ali had become self-radicalised in 2014, going on to drop out of university, abandoning ambitions for a career in medicine.

Ali, who came from a Somali family and said he had a childhood "full of love and care", considered travelling to Syria to fight but opted instead for an attack in Britain.

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He bought a knife six years ago which he carried in his bag throughout the summer of 2021 as he "scoped out" possible targets, jurors heard.

He carried out reconnaissance on parliament but found police there "armed to the teeth", the court heard.

Ali carried out online research on MPs including Labour leader Keir Starmer, deputy prime minister Dominic Raab and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

He staked out the west London home of MP Michael Gove but rejected plans to murder him after Gove split up with his wife and moved out of the family home.

Amess was a long-serving member of parliament for Prime Minister Boris Johnson's ruling Conservative party.

His killing, the second of a British MP in five years, shocked the country and led to calls for better security for elected representatives.

In 2016, a right-wing extremist who shouted "Britain first" shot and stabbed Labour lawmaker Jo Cox to death in the febrile run-up to the Brexit referendum.

- 'Desire for infamy' -

Cox's widower, Brendan, said after Ali's verdict that all the murder had achieved politically was "to allow millions of people to learn about David's decency and the causes he cared about."

"Terrorists may cite different ideologies. But what unites them is their desire for infamy, their cowardly attacks on the unarmed and the total failure to advance their cause," Brendan Cox tweeted.

A post-mortem examination showed Amess suffered 21 stab wounds to his face, arms, legs and torso, as well as injuries to both hands that were consistent with defending himself, the court heard.

Amess was first elected to parliament in 1983, initially representing Basildon in Essex, then nearby Southend West.

Hundreds of locals turned out in the seaside town to pay their respects after his death.

Pope Francis praised the Catholic lawmaker's "devoted public service" in a special message read out at his funeral.

cjo/jwp/ach
The Rev. John Raymond of Slidell was arrested and accused of three counts of cruelty to juveniles.

LAFAYETTE, La.  A Louisiana pastor, "Survivor" contestant and Republican politician was arrested last week and charged with three counts of cruelty to juveniles after taping children's mounts shut for talking too much in class. He defended his actions Monday.

The Rev. John Raymond, founder and headmaster of Slidell's Lakeside Christian Academy, issued a 1,100-word statement on the school's website blaming the students for bullying a teacher and insisting none of the children was harmed.

Raymond, who is an elected member of the Louisiana Republican Party governing board, said a teacher approached him in tears threatening to quit because a group of students was continually disrupting her class by talking.

"We have a zero-tolerance bully policy at Lakeside," Raymond said in his statement. "This means students cannot bully each other or bully the teachers. We are serious about protecting both our students and our teachers."

Raymond said he gave five children a choice of having their mouths closed with Scotch brand packing tape or school suspensions. He said all five volunteered to have their mouths taped shut.

In Texas: Teacher resigns after lighting student's hands on fire in science experiment

He said the tape didn't impede their breathing and wasn't wrapped all the way around their heads as was reported last week.

"The students all chose tape and I pulled off one piece at a time and carefully placed it over their mouths making sure that it did not touch their nose or interfere with their breathing," he said. "At no time was tape wrapped around any students head."

"After the tape was applied, I asked all the students, 'Are any of you in pain or hurting in any way?' They unanimously shook their heads no. I asked, 'Can you all breathe normally?' They unanimously shook their heads yes. At any time, the students could have easily removed the tape by simply pulling it off."

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Raymond conceded that the principal of the school disapproved.

"The principal said, 'You put tape over their mouths?' I said, 'Yes, thats the choice they made instead of calling their parents and being suspended.' And she said, 'Im not very comfortable with that.' And I said, 'Well theyre not in pain, so let them sit it out for about ten minutes to learn their lesson.' She said, 'How about two minutes?' I said, 'Thats fine with me.'"

Raymond said the tape was on the children's mouths for not more than 10 minutes before he and the principal "gently" removed it.

"We love all of our students at Lakeside and strive to maintain a safe and effective learning environment," he said. "Building character in teenage boys can be difficult."

"We remain fully committed to our vision and values," Raymond said.

Raymond, 60, was booked into the Slidell City Jail on Thursday after he turned himself in to police.

Raymond's arrest: Louisiana pastor, 'Survivor' contestant allegedly taped students' mouths shut for talking too much

Raymond was a "Survivor" contestant in 2002, where he was the voted off the island in Thailand.

A story published about his exit from "Survivor" in 2002 described him as "bossy, dominating and (who) irritated his tribemates."

He has been active in state Republican politics as a member of the Louisiana Republican Party State Central Committee as credentials committee chair who determines if there is a quorum during meetings.

USA TODAY Network is seeking comment from Louisiana GOP Party Chairman Louis Gurvich.

Raymond also ran for the Louisiana House of Representatives in 2018 but was defeated by fellow Republican Mary DuBuisson of Slidell.

Follow Greg Hilburn on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana pastor, 'Survivor' star defends taping students' mouths
Incumbent Emmanuel Macron and right-wing challenger Marine Le Pen will enter a run-off election at the end of the month after neither candidate met the threshold for a decisive first-round victory in the French presidential election.

Macron received 28.6 percent of the vote in Sundays election while Le Pen drew 23.6 percent, according to pollster Ifop-Fiducial for French broadcasters TF1 and LCI.

One of the 12 candidates needed to receive over 50 percent of the vote to be declared the winner without a follow-up race. Eric Zemmour, a conservative newspaper columnist, joined Le Pen in running on immigration restriction but failed to unseat her as the leader of the French right.

Seventy-three percent of French adults cast votes in the election, the lowest turnout for a first-round presidential election in 20 years, Ifop-Fiducial reported.

Macron, whose popularity has waned amid a European economic crisis exacerbated by Russias disruption of energy markets, tried to inspire voter momentum after the first election. He warned against a Le Pen administration that would be isolationist and closed off to the world. Macron is known for his management of the pandemic in France, especially his Covid-19 vaccine passport for the country. While Macron has been vocal about his support for Ukraine and its president Volodymyr Zelensky amid the Russian onslaught, Le Pen has been accused of sympathizing with Russian president Vladimir Putin in the past.

Nothing is settled and the debate that we will have in the coming 15 days is decisive for our country and our Europe, Macron said Sunday night. I dont want a France which, having left Europe, would have as its only allies the international populists and xenophobes. That is not us. I want a France faithful to humanism, to the spirit of enlightenment.

In her speech Sunday, Le Pen struck a populist tone, promising to be a president for all the French if she wins the second round.

Macron is predicted to outperform Le Pen in the second round 51 percent to 49 percent, respectively, according to a Sunday poll from Ifop-Fiducial. Their match-up could be a repeat of the 2017 race when Macron defeated Le Pen, however, this time the race appears to be much closer.

More from National Review
Rep. Madison Cawthorn made a jab at his own party in a speech at a Trump rally in North Carolina.

During his speech, he accused his party's leadership of "weakening" and "cheapening our platform."

He said the GOP should pursue "disenfranchised men and women."

North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn took a swipe at the GOP's leadership during a speech at a Trump rally in his home state on Saturday.

Cawthorn accused Republican leaders of chasing votes from the wrong part of the GOP voter base.

"We have so many in the national party of our country that believe the key to saving our nation is weakening, cheapening our platform, and going after these non-existent middle-ground voters," Cawthorn said.

"My friends, there is no middle ground with Marxists," Cawthorn continued.

"The key to saving our nation is not going after these voters that don't exist but it's going after the disenfranchised men and women in our country," he said. "The people who don't even bother to vote because it's been proven time and time again that the government will never work on their behalf."

Cawthorn went on to say that the party should be focusing on the "people that actually make our economy run" and the issues they care about."

"These are the pipefitters, the linemen, the construction workers, the welders," he said. "We care about dining room politics, what actually affects your family as you gather together around the kitchen table."

He went on to ask that the GOP voter base put "America First patriots" back in power in Washington, and Trump at the helm in the White House.

Cawthorn has, in recent months, faced several public rebukes from the Republican leadership about controversial comments he made on Ukraine and claims he made about cocaine use and orgies in DC.

In March, Cawthorn called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "thug" while also describing Ukraine's government as "incredibly corrupt" and "incredibly evil."

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He later doubled down on his comments, saying that the Ukrainian government is "well known for corruption." This was despite being criticized by Republican senators like Sen. Lindsey Graham, who called him an outlier in the GOP "in the largest sense possible."

In March, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell referred to Cawthorn as one of the "lonely voices" in the Republican party where his views on Ukraine were concerned.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy later rebuked Cawthorn for claiming that members of Washington's elite invited him to orgies and did cocaine in front of him.

For these claims, McCarthy said that Cawthorn had "lost his trust." Meanwhile, other GOP figures like Thom Tillis, a senator from Cawthorn's home state, promptly backed one of Cawthorn's primary challengers, Chuck Edwards, while accusing the congressman of embarrassing the GOP.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Guernsey County Common Pleas Court Baliff Tom Phillips escorts New Concord area resident Thomas Holmes from the courtroom where he was sentenced to 48 months in prison.

A New Concord area resident accused of seriously injuring a woman during an assault at his home last year was sentenced to four years in prison last week in the Guernsey County Common Pleas Court.

Thomas W. Holmes, 55, was sentenced to consecutive 24-month sentences after being convicted of two amended counts of attempted felonious assault, third-degree felonies.

Holmes plead guilty to the charges on Feb. 2, as part of a negotiated plea agreement with the Guernsey County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. He was initially indicted on two second-degree felony counts of felonious assault last April.

A misdemeanor count of domestic violence was dismissed by Judge Daniel G. Padden during the sentencing hearing.

Prosecutors requested consecutive 30-month sentences for a total of five years in prison while defense counsel asked for Holmes to be granted Community Control sanctions.

"What happened here, just can't happen," Padden told Holmes referring to the serious physical and psychological harm suffered by the victim.

The judge said medical personnel reported there was "strong evidence of strangulation" and Holmes admitted placing his hand around her neck. He also referenced a report of a fractured pelvis from another assault.

Holmes was given eight days credit for time served in the county while the case was pending in the court. No fine was imposed and the victim did not request restitution.

Holmes expressed remorse during the hearing, asking the victim to forgive him.

"I deeply regret any harm that I caused," he said.

According to reports from the Guernsey County Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched to the Claggett Road residence on March 21, 2021, to conduct a well-being check after Holmes allegedly disconnected a call between the victim and a local doctor's office.

The well-being check was requested by staff at the office.

While en route to the residence, deputies were advised the victim had also spoken with the Haven of Hope and reported being the victim of domestic violence for some time.

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The Haven of Hope had reportedly scheduled a medical examination for the alleged strangulation on the same day. They also requested a well-being check when they were unable to make contact with the victim after the call to a nurse was disconnected.

On arrival, Holmes met deputies at the door and advised them the victim was no longer at the home. They soon learned she was a medical facility in Cambridge and a deputy was dispatched to speak with her while other deputies continued to talk to Holmes.

Holmes reportedly told deputies none of the altercations with the victim involved any form of violence, claiming they were only verbal arguments.

After the deputy dispatched to speak with the victim reported seeing visible injuries on her body, Holmes was taken into custody and transported to the Guernsey County Jail.

More: Grand jury indicts nine out-of-county residents on felony charges

He was later indicted by a grand jury.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Man sentenced to 48 months in prison for assault
Nadiya Ruyhynska had almost never left Ukraine, though her daughter lives in the US city of Seattle.

But with the war looming in her hometown of Lviv, the 55-year-old former nurse set off on the long journey to the Mexican city of Tijuana, where a massive operation is helping thousands of Ukrainian refugees cross the border to resettle in the United States.

Most arrive with mixed emotions.

"I am 50-50," said the former nurse as she stepped onto American soil.

"I have happiness" at the prospect of being reunited with her pregnant daughter Christina, who has a young son, but also sadness at having left her own mother behind, she said.

Like Ruyhynska, hundreds of Ukrainians have reached the border town of Tijuana in hopes of crossing onto US soil -- encouraged by a promise from Washington that it is prepared to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians who have fled the war.

Pavel Savastyanov, a Russian-born volunteer helping at a support center for Ukrainians in San Ysidro, California, just across the border from Tijuana, said every flight to the area is bringing more.

- 'The first step' -

The operation begins at Tijuana International Airport. The first thing passengers see when they pass through the arrival gate is a blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag next to signs in Cyrillic reading "Welcome" and "Help."

In a small office there, volunteers record the new arrivals' names on a list -- already bearing more than 2,300 names -- for eventual transportation to the border.

"This is the first step," said Sergio, a 36-year-old Ukrainian volunteer who declined to give his last name. He and his cousin had traveled 500 miles (800 kilometers) from Sacramento, the California capital, to help the arriving refugees.

One area in the airport is marked off with yellow tape. A sign in English and Spanish reads: "Ukrainian refugees only."

There is food and drinks, and a play corner set aside for children with crayons and coloring books.

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From there, the refugees are taken to one of four housing centers that volunteers, with governmental and church support, quickly set up in this city that has long drawn thousands of Latin Americans hoping to reach the United States.

- 'My dad had to stay' -

"My dad had to stay behind," said 15-year-old Ukrainian Anastasia Chorna, choking back tears.

Sitting in a chair in the Benito Juarez sports complex, Tijuana's largest refugee center for Ukrainians, she hugged the enormous stuffed gray shark she had brought when she and her mother left home.

"It's literally the only thing I could bring," she said.

Her father, who is 41, remains in Kyiv. "I feel bad because I wanted him to be here, with these volunteers, where everything is so peaceful," Anastasia said, struggling to express herself in a language not her own.

She and her mother had passed through four countries on the long way to Mexico, where getting a visa for entry is comparatively easier for Ukrainians than to the United States.

Some men did flee Ukraine, in violation of a martial-law decree requiring all those aged 18 to 60 to stay and fight or face conscription.

"I know I committed a crime, but I didn't want to fight," said a 25-year-old engineer, who refused to give his name.

He had left Ukraine with his partner, whom he married the day war broke out, and was now waiting for his number to be called for a bus to the US border.

"I've never picked up a gun... I couldn't kill someone or watch them die. I couldn't," he said, crestfallen, in broken English.

For those who speak no English, an enormous network of volunteers is there to help.

- Growing numbers -

Twins Maria and Liza Melnichuk had emigrated with their family from Ukraine 20 years ago.

When the sisters, now 26, heard about the influx of refugees, they jumped into their car to drive the 540 miles to Tijuana to join an active rotation of volunteers working round-the-clock. As Ukrainian-speakers, they knew they could help.

"We're glad to see the people arrive," said Liza, who was able to welcome her cousins who had fled Bucha, the Ukrainian town now synonymous with charges of extreme brutality under Russian occupation.

Her sister Maria said the numbers of arrivals have been steadily growing. "On Wednesday we received some 300 people, and already today (Friday) there must have been 700."

A coordinated effort between Mexican and US authorities made the so-called Ped West entrance at the border exclusively available for the arrivals.

Buses transport hundreds of people a day to a line where they are received by Mexican officials before crossing on foot to the US side.

Once on Californian soil, the tears flow -- of joy and of sadness.

"I don't think there are words to describe what has happened, and how hard it has been," said Christina Ruyhynska after a long, emotional hug with her mother -- their first in three years.

The two women, wiping away tears, spoke briefly in Ukrainian.

Then in English, Christina turned to her mother and asked, "Are you ready to go home?"

pr/dl/bbk/sw/dw
(Refiles to add dropped letter in headline)

(Reuters) - Two of the world's richest people are pitching in ideas to tackle the issue of homelessness, suggesting that Twitter Inc convert its headquarters to a shelter home.

Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos on Sunday backed an idea put forth by Elon Musk, who recently became Twitter's largest shareholder, to convert the social networking firm's San Francisco headquarters into a homeless shelter as few people are working there during the pandemic.

Bezos tweeted https://twitter.com/JeffBezos/status/1513251374774972417 an article by technology-focused blog GeekWire from May 2020 about Amazon's eight-floor family homeless shelter attached to its Seattle headquarters, saying the initiative worked out great and makes it easy for employees who wish to volunteer.

Bezos also suggested converting at least a portion of Twitter's headquarters, if not all of it, into a homeless shelter. Musk agreed in another tweet, calling it a "Great idea."

Musk, who has more than 81 million followers on Twitter, started a poll on Saturday, asking users to vote if the building should be converted. The poll gained over a million votes in less than a day, with more that 90% saying yes.

The chief executive of electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc, who frequently tweets about his company and other topics, has been known to leave people confused as to whether he is joking. However, Musk clarified this time he was not joking. "I'm serious about this one btw," he tweeted https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1513199588454264832, following up on the topic on Sunday.

A separate poll https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1513045405029711878 by Musk on Sunday asked if "w" should be deleted from Twitter's name, leaving two voting options, "yes" and "of course."

Musk had suggested a raft of changes to the Twitter Blue premium subscription service on Saturday, including reducing its price, banning advertising and giving an option to pay in the cryptocurrency dogecoin.

(This story has been refiled to add dropped letter in headline)

(Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
STORY: In a speech during the meeting, Choe Ryong Hae, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and one of the most senior officials under Kim, said the North Korean leader "has finally achieved a historic goal of completing the state's nuclear power programme."

Kim assumed power after his father Kim Jong Il died in December 2011. Monday (April 11) marked 10 years since the younger Kim was elected as the top party and state leader. In practice, only one candidate appears on each ballot in North Korean elections and the Kim family has ruled the country for its entire history.

North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests since 2006, four of which during Kim Jong Un's rule. Tensions in the Korean peninsula have sharply escalated after North Korea tested two ballistic missiles on Feb. 26 and March 4 that involved a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system that the country is developing, and as it conducted a full ICBM test  the first since 2017  on March 24.
A Louisiana trooper who bashed a Black mans head with a flashlight and tased and punched him during a fatal arrest portrayed himself as a victim to investigators, according to newly released audio.

Louisiana Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth bragged about beating the ever-living f- of Ronald Greene in 2019. More than a year later, he told internal affairs he did it because he feared for his life as a video of the incident looped in the background.

Chris Hollingsworth/Ronald Greene (Police Academy/Family Photo)

I was scared, Hollingsworth during the two-hour recorded interrogation interview made public by The Associated Press. He could have done anything once my hold was broke off him  and thats why I struck him.

Investigators grilled him about the apparent inconsistencies.

Hollingsworth was among a group of troopers captured on body camera video beating and dragging a bloodied Greene until he went limp.

State police initially told Greenes family that he died in a car crash until state police released the footage in 2020. During the violent arrest, Greene pleaded with the troopers, Im your brother! Im scared! I am scared.

Greenes family has accused authorities of repeated cover-ups.

No one has been charged for Greenes injuries and death sustained in the May 2019 arrest. However, it has prompted a federal investigation and legislative review. Hollingsworths September 2020 internal affairs interview could not be used to prosecute him.

He died in a single-person car crash into a guardrail six days later after learning he was fired.

I wasnt trying to use deadly force against him, Hollingsworth told investigators in an edited AP video featuring snippets of the interview. I only wanted to free my arm.

That was a far cry from what Hollingsworth told another officer on the phone after the arrest. The call was answered picked up on his body camera that he reportedly tried to withhold from investigators. At some point, Hollingsworth also turned off the camera.

I beat the ever-living f out of him, choked him and everything else trying to get him under control, Hollingsworth said with his uniform dappled with Greenes blood. All of a sudden he just went limp.  I thought he was dead.

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Greene reportedly died en route to the hospital.

Internal affairs questioned Hollingsworth about his use of a flashlight and stun gun during the arrest.

Chris, did you have an object in your hand, one of the investigators asked the trooper.

Can we rewind the video and look, Hollingsworth said. I couldve my flashlight in my hand.

The investigators also asked the trooper his reason for using force in the first place.

According to this video, at least according to us, it doesnt appear that you never gave him a chance to get out of the car, one of the detectives said. I mean, you pretty much run up to the window, and within a second or two, you tase him. How come?

I was in fear that he was going to hurt myself or Trooper [Dakota] DeMoss, Hollingsworth said.

Was he doing anything to indicate that he was going to fight you, gonna try to punch you? the detective asked.

He was in control of the vehicle, Hollingsworth said.

I understand that. Was he pressing on the gas? Was the car accelerating? The detective asked.

Greenes sister, Dinelle Hardin, told CNN the new developments made her angry.

It pisses me off to know that we have the video of him stating those words, beating Ron senselessly, she said. No one stepped in to stop him and three years later, no arrests have been made.

Medical examiners ruled Hollingsworths death an accident, but crash reconstruction experts and others suspect suicide. Hollingsworth was a state police driving instructor, and he was sober when he crashed on the highway without a seatbelt.

Its definitely consistent with a suicide, but I dont have enough information to say he didnt fall asleep, Jonathan Cherney, a California-based crash reconstructionist, told the AP. But Ill tell you what, you have a hard time falling asleep when youre doing 100 miles per hour.

The troopers death has reportedly prolonged the investigations into Greenes in-custody death. It has made Greenes mother leery about finding justice for her son. Mona Hardin told a legislative panel on March 17 that she has not been able to grieve her son while she waits for closure in the case.

Hollingsworth is considered to be the trooper most responsible for the fatal incident.

It hurts me to the core that Hollingsworth isnt here, Hardin told reporters. He was front and center, and they gave him all the bells and whistles on his burial.  They overlooked what he did, what he confessed to.
A police pursuit prompted by a call about an intruder at a state park in Virginia has left an elderly man dead and a North Carolina woman charged with vehicular homicide.

Virginia authorities said rangers at the Staunton River State Park found 41-year-old Christine S. Barnette of Cary, North Carolina, in an unoccupied, unrented cabin Friday.

Police said that as park rangers approached, Barnette ran from the cabin and got into her car, which rangers began pursuing.

ALSO READ: NC state park system reports record 22.8M visitors in 2021

The Halifax County Sheriffs Office joined the pursuit, which passed through Pittsylvania County, Henry County, the city of Martinsville and Patrick County.

Authorities said Barnette was contained at one point before she rammed two sheriffs vehicles near South Boston and continued to flee.

Authorities said officers also tried several times to disable Barnettes car with spike strips, but that she managed to avoid each attempt.

(WATCH BELOW: Pedestrian dies after being hit by car in Chester County, troopers say)




The latest two sub variants have been added to the WHOs list for monitoring (Getty Images)

Two new sub-variants of Omicron are being investigated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to assess whether or not they are more dangerous or infectious than the original strain.

A few dozen cases of the sub-variants are being tracked with BA.4 and BA.5, sister variants of the original BA.1 Omicron variant, added to the WHOs list for monitoring.

In recent weeks, the UK has been hit by a further spike in Covid-19 cases, with infections being driven by a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant known as BA.2 or Stealth Omicron.

Although the rapid increase in cases seems to be subsiding, cases remain high and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recorded 333,347 positive tests within seven days on 8 April.

A total of 1,475 deaths were also recorded and 16,407 people were admitted to hospital.

Covid continues to be prevalent around the world, with record cases seen in Shanghai in China where a new lockdown has been in force.

But what are the new sub variants of Omicron?

What are BA.4 and BA.5?

BA.4 and BA.5 are sub variants of the original Omicron variant of Covid-19 which has already mutated several times.

A few dozen cases of BA.4 have been reported in South Africa, Denmark, Botswana, Scotland and England.

Meanwhile, BA.5 cases have been reported in both South Africa and Botswana.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms have been reported to be fairly mild. On Monday, Botswanas health ministry said it had identified four cases of BA.4 and BA.5, all among people aged 30 to 50 who were fully vaccinated. They are said to be experiencing mild symptoms.

According to the ZOE Covid app, the most common symptoms being reported by patients with BA.2 - another sub type of the Omicron variant - at present are: runny noses, headache, sore throat and fatigue.

Other common Covid symptoms include sneezing, persistent cough, hoarseness, chills or shivers, unusual joint pains, fever, dizziness, brain fog, sore eyes, altered sense of smell, muscle pains, swollen glands, loss of appetite and chest pains.

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How worried should we be?

The Omicron variant has already mutated several times into BA.1 and BA.2 (or Stealth Omicron) with sub-lineages feared to be more transmissible than its parent variant.

Professor Adrian Esterman, a former World Health Organisation epidemiologist, warned on social media: Omicron BA.2 is about 1.4 times more infectious than BA.1. The basic reproduction number (R0) for BA.1 is about 8.2, making R0 for BA.2 about 12. This makes it pretty close to measles, the most contagious disease we know about.

However, at present those with the new variants who have been vaccinated, seem to be experiencing mild symptoms. The WHO will continue to monitor the spread of the new sub variants.
The mayor of Mariupol, Ukraine, said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died during the Russian siege and subsequent occupation of the city.

Mayor Vadym Boychenko warned that the final civilian death toll could exceed 20,000 in a phone call with the Associated Press, and said that corpses were carpeted through the streets. Boychenko also claimed Russian forces had brought mobile crematoriums to the city.

Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned, Boychenko said.

Meanwhile, about 120,000 civilians remain in the city and are in need of food and water, according to the mayor.

Boychenkos claims were not immediately verifiable. City officials have previously told residents to leave bodies in the streets because it was too difficult to bury them, while two AP reporters documented mass graves in the city last month.

The new report comes as the Russian military appeared to regroup for a renewed focus on fighting in Ukraines east. Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer told reporters Russia was preparing for an assault on the Donbas region, after meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Monday.

The attack being threatened cannot be underestimated in its violence, Nehammer said, according to the New York Times.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Monday that the U.S. has indications that Russia is attempting to regroup its forces in the Donbas.

We have seen some some early indicationsthat the Russians are in fact trying to resupply and reinforce their efforts in the Donbas, Kirby said at a press conference.

More from National Review
An armed stand off with deputies in Flagler County ended with a woman taking her own life after holding her family at gunpoint, deputies said.

WATCH: Two teenage girls shot in drive-by shooting Saturday night, police say

The seven-hour stand off started just before 8 a.m. on Emerald Lake Drive in the Palm Coast Plantation in Flagler County.

Deputies said they were called to a home for an armed domestic violence situation.

Deputies said the husband was initially held at gunpoint by the woman, but he and a child were rescued by deputies shortly after the stand off began.

Photos: Palm Coast woman shoots herself after holding family at gunpoint, deputies say

However, for the next several hours, attempts to communicate with the armed woman were unsuccessful.

Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and deputies, Flagler County Sheriffs Office SWAT and crisis negotiation units worked with Flagler County Fire-Rescue, Palm Coast Fire Department and Palm Coast Technology throughout the day at the scene in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.

WATCH: 2 men shot after community event at park in Orange County

She was refusing to communicate. So, we used our robot, drones and other technology in hopes of communicating with her, Staly added. Based on our technology, we observed her holding the gun in a suicidal manner. We knew from the Brevard County Sheriffs Office in a prior nine-hour standoff with her that she would not communicate, and a tactical resolution would be the only solution.

Deputies said because of the threat to the neighborhood, and her lack of communication with crisis negotiators, gas was deployed.

Deputies said they used non-lethal weapons to try and disarm her, but she shot herself in front of the deputies while in the homes pool around 3 p.m.

Officials said deputies immediately pulled her from the pool and began first aid.

READ: Florida man charged thousands on victims stolen credit cards, deputies say

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Flagler Fire-Rescue paramedics took her to Advent Health-Palm Coast, and she was later flown to the Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach where she would die from her self-inflicted injury, deputies said.

We did all we could to end this incident peacefully without injury, Staly said. Im proud of our team that did everything they could to resolve this situation peacefully. This is not the outcome we were hoping for. But in these situations, we do not control the outcome. Fortunately, no deputies, neighbors or the family members were injured during this almost eight-hour incident. Our prayers go out to the family as this is a sad and difficult time for everyone involved.

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The parents of an 18-year-old Texas woman whose death was initially declared a suicide are demanding answers after it emerged that she may have actually been killed in a hit-and-run crash.

Houston Police were called to the intersection of the East Freeway feeder road and Gregg Street on 6 February where Jesslyn Zuniga was found lying dead on the side of the roadway. Investigators thought she had jumped from the overpass above where a truck was found abandoned, but her parents didnt believe that version of events.

Yes. Right from the beginning. We know our daughter, father Jose Zuniga told ABC13 on Friday.

Its just the most horrible feeling in the world, her mother Sandy Garza said.

Herminio Orozco, 21, a friend of Ms Zuniga, has now been charged with failure to stop and render aid in an accident.

Court documents state that Mr Orozco went to the police 14 hours after Ms Zuniga was found and told law enforcement that she was flung from his truck when they crashed with a van, adding that he was too scared to stay in the area.

Records say that he was the driver while Ms Zuniga was in the front passenger seat.

Come on. Leave somebody on the side of the road like that and run off? Thats cold. Thats a cold-blooded person, Mr Zuniga told ABC13. If its an accident, you call for help.

Jesslyn Zuniga, 18, was found dead below a freeway overpass in Houston on 6 February (Zuniga family via ABC 13)

The parents also questioned that she was ejected from the car and that her injuries stemmed from a crash. Preliminary autopsy results only state that the cause of death was an accident.

The parents say that the initial theory that it was a suicide doesnt help and that they will continue to ask questions.

They said she committed suicide and now she didnt commit suicide. Youd want answers. Thats what we want. Answers, Mr Zuniga told ABC13.

Mr Orozco has left jail on a $75,000 bond. Court records show a bond violation for not reporting to pre-trial services as well as failing to get an ankle monitor.

Herminio Orozco, 21, is charged with failure to stop and render aid in an accident in connection with the death of Jesslyn Zuniga (Houston Police Department)

In a press release on 8 April, Houston police said the crash occurred at around 3am on 6 February.

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A gray Dodge Ram 2500 pickup truck ... struck a barrier multiple times, and came to a stop on the shoulder of the freeway. According to witnesses on the service road, a disturbance was heard and a male voice shouting, the police statement said.

A male and a deceased female (Ms Zuniga) were later observed on the service road. The male fled the scene on foot. Houston police homicide investigators initially opened an investigation into what at that time was believed to be a suicide, the department added.

Further investigation identified Orozco as the driver in this case. He was charged and subsequently arrested on February 25, they said.
The Shasta County District Attorney, along with officials in four other North State counties, announced Monday that they have reached a settlement with Pacific Gas and Electric Co. over the utility firm's responsibility for the 2021 Dixie Fire.

The consortium of district attorneys also includes Plumas, Lassen, Tehama and Butte counties.

The civil prosecution settlement requires PG&E to make payments by this summer to people who lost their homes in the wildfire and to continue making extensive improvements in their infrastructure throughout the North State.

The settlement also requires PG&E to pay back $29.5 million by July to local charities and organizations involved in providing assistance after the fire.

The Dixie Fire was sparked on July 13, burned 963,309 acres, destroyed 1,329 structures before being fully contained on Oct. 25.

The second-largest wildfire in California's history, the Dixie Fire also forced thousands in Shasta, Tehama, Lassen, Plumas and Butte counties to evacuate their homes and leveled the historic Gold Rush-era town of Greenville.

And the judgment mandates oversight by the district attorneys though the creation of an independent five-year safety monitor, which will give assurances to the public that PG&E will live up to its promises, the officials said.

PG&E must also pay penalties and costs of the investigation to the DA's Offices, which cannot be recoverable through imposing customer rates.

I fully support this joint settlement of the Dixie Fire damages," Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie A. Bridgett said.

Patti Poppe, Chief Executive Officer of PG&E Corp., said in a statement that the company is "committed to doing our part."

Poppe added: We respect the leadership of the local DAs, welcome the new level of transparency and accountability afforded by these agreements and look forward to working together for the benefit of the communities we collectively serve.

Plumas County District Attorney David Hollister said in a statement that PG&E "has demonstrated they are committed to change and will continue to work towards earning our trust."

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The consortium of district attorneys filed a civil rather than criminal complaint in Plumas County Superior Court accusing PG&E of unlawful business practices. After negotiations with PG&E, a stipulated Final Judgment was filed on Monday that resolved the case.

The DAs noted the civil judgment allowed more flexibility in demanding changes in PG&Es safety practice and in obtaining rapid restitution to those who lost homes and property in the Dixie Fire, while putting the company on essentially a five-year probation.

The DAs stated it was decided to pursue the Dixie Fire as a civil prosecution rather than a criminal prosecution to maximize the return to the fire victims rather than to seek criminal penalties. The DAs noted that the maximum criminal fines possible in the Dixie Fire, which caused extensive property damage but no deaths, was only $329,417.

The North State DAs said the settlement was part of a larger settlement involving the Sonoma County District Attorneys settlement of the 2019 Kincade Fire, which also occurred Monday in Sonoma County Superior Court.

The settlement calls for each North State District Attorney Office to receive $1 million. The Butte County District Attorney will receive $250,000 for investigative costs.

Shasta Countys criminal case against PG&E for their actions causing the Zogg Fire remains pending, according to Bridgett.

Record Searchlight reporter Damon Arthur contributed to this report.

Michele Chandler covers city government and housing issues for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Follow her on Twitter at @MChandler_RS, call her at 530-225-8344 or email her at michele.chandler@redding.com. Please support our entire newsroom's commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: PG&E settles California wildfire suit with Shasta, Plumas, others
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health announced Monday that it will reinstate the citys indoor mask mandate, just over a month after lifting it.

Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole said the department will allow a one-week education period for businesses, with masks required in all indoor public spaces, including schools and child care settings, business, restaurants and government buildings, as of April 18.

This is our chance to get ahead of the pandemic, Bettigole said at a news conference.

The average number of daily new cases is low  just 142  but is on the rise. By contrast, the city began this year with a seven-day average of nearly 4,000 cases as the highly-contagious Omicron variant spread like wildfire.

Philadelphia is the first major city to reinstate its mask mandate. The decision goes against guidance issued by the CDC, as the city currently has a low Covid-19 community level under the agencys parameters, which take into account hospital admissions and other benchmarks. Areas with a low community level are not advised to require masking under the CDCs new guidelines.

Bettigole defended the citys decision, saying that local conditions do matter in making such decisions.

Weve all seen here in Philadelphia, how much our history of redlining, history of disparities has impacted, particularly our Black and brown communities in the city, she said. And so it does make sense to be more careful in Philadelphia, then, you know, perhaps in an affluent suburb.

The mask mandate comes as the city reaches its Level 2 designation under its Covid-19 response plan. The city had been at Level 1 since the beginning of March, a designation that means most mitigation measures, including indoor mask mandates and proof-of-vaccination requires in restaurants can be lifted.

However, Level 2 means that average new daily case counts and hospitalizations are low but cases have increased by more than 50 percent in the previous 10 days. A spokesman for the health department told the New York Times that over the past 10 days, the average number of new cases had risen nearly 70 percent.

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Level 2 automatically triggers a reinstatement of the mask mandate.

More from National Review
PHILADELPHIA  As coronavirus cases rise in Philadelphia, health officials said the city's indoor mask mandate will be reinstated next week.

Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole Monday said the city will shift to the "mask precautions" tier of its new coronavirus response system on Monday, April 18.

Under the "mask precautions" tier, vaccine requirements are waved under this tier, but masks are required for indoor public spaces.

She encouraged businesses in the city to break out signage regarding mask requirements once again and to discuss the mandate's reinstatement with employees ahead of its return.

"I'm also asking each of you, the residents of Philadelphia, to dig out your masks again," she said. "Make sure you have them when you leave the house and start getting back into the habit of wearing them when you're indoors in public places."

Bettigole said the city is giving residents and businesses a week to prepare for the reinstated mask mandate, and that inspectors will begin enforcing the mandate on April 18.

However, Bettigole said in the week leading up to the mandate's return, residents should be vigilant in staying home if sick and get tested, get vaccinated, and wear masks when indoors in public.

Ben Fileccia, Senior Director of Operations of Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association, issued a statement on the mandate's return, saying restaurants and their workers will likely face backlash in enforcing the mandate as they have in the past.

"We are extremely disappointed to hear that the city plans to mandate that masks be required when dining indoors without any input from the mitigated community," he said. "Restaurant workers have suffered severe backlash when enforcing these rules in the past and, unfortunately, this time will be no different."

Fileccia called the city's decision a major blow to the industry, which he said has worked hard to keep workers and guests safe throughout the pandemic.



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In announcing the mandate's return, Bettigole said the city is averaging 142 new cases daily, and Monday's case count was more than double the case count reported 10 days ago.

In the last two weeks, 4.5 percent of tests in Philadelphia have come back positive



The new BA.2 subvariant is estimated to be responsible for anywhere from 61 to 73 percent of new cases in the wider region, according to the recent estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bettigole said the data is unclear if the new wave is being caused by the subvariant.

While cases are rising now, hospitalizations remain low, with just 46 patients being treated in Philadelphia's hospitals.

"I suspect that this wave will be smaller than the one we saw in January," she said. "But if we wait to put our masks back on, we'll have lost our chance to stop the wave."

Bettigole said the mandate's return is no cause to panic or avoid activities residents enjoy.

This "mask precautions" tier  which is the second-least restrictive of the tiers  is declared when three of the following are true:

Average new cases per day is less than 225 (this is approximately the cut-off between CDC's "high" and "substantial" levels of transmission).

Hospitalizations are under 100.

Percent positivity is under 5 percent.

Cases have not risen by more than 50 percent in the previous 10 days.

Below are the other tiers in order of least to most restrictive:

All Clear

This will be declared when three of the following are true:

Average new cases per day is less than 100 (this is approximately the cut-off between CDC's "substantial" and "moderate" levels of transmission).

Hospitalizations are under 50.

Percent positivity is under 2 percent.

Cases have not risen by more than 50 percent in the previous 10 days.

Under the "all clear" tier, there is no vaccine requirement for places that serve food or drink and no mask requirement except in schools, healthcare institutions, congregate settings, and on public transportation.

No mandates will be enforced when the "all clear" tier is reached.

Caution

This will be declared when three of the following are true:

Average new cases per day is less than 500.

Hospitalizations are under 500.

Percent positivity is under 10 percent.

Cases have not risen by more than 50 percent in the previous 10 days.

In the "caution" tier, proof of full vaccination or a negative test results from a lab or administered onsite is required to eat indoors in addition to indoor masking.

Extreme Caution

This will be declared when three of the following are true:

Average new cases per day is 500 or more.

Hospitalizations are 500 or more.

Percent positivity is 10 percent or more.

Cases have risen by more than 50 percent in the previous 10 days

"Extreme caution" means only proof of full vaccination is accepted to eat and drink indoors; negative test results will not be sufficient to do so. Masking will be required indoors, as well.

"Philadelphias COVID-19 response levels allow us to be clear, transparent and predictable in our response to local COVID-19 conditions," said Mayor Jim Kenney. "Given the recent rise in cases, we are moving to Level 2 in hopes of preventing higher case rates and stricter measures. Our city remains open; we can still go about our daily lives and visit the people and places we love while masking in indoor public spaces. Im optimistic that this step will help us control the case rate."



Thus far during the pandemic, 278,407 Philadelphians have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 5,007 have succumbed to the virus.



The total number of fully vaccinated Philadelphians is at least 1,057,086, and the number of Philadelphians with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine is at least 1,277,057.

Currently, 76.9 percent of Philadelphia adults are fully vaccinated, and 94.7 percent of Philadelphia adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

35.7 percent of 5-to-11-year-olds in Philadelphia have received at least one vaccine dose.

Among eligible Philadelphians ages 12 and older, 76 percent are fully vaccinated, and 93.6 percent have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.



This article originally appeared on the Philadelphia Patch
As Pakistan's now-ousted leader Imran Khan faced what he claimed to be a US-backed campaign to remove him from power, social media posts shared thousands of times purported to show a photo of a pro-Khan, anti-US protest in Turkey. In fact, the photo was taken in 2017, when thousands marched against the detention of a Turkish opposition politician. A picture of Khan's face was doctored onto a sign that actually read "Freedom for jailed MPs".

"After Russia, there were demonstrations in Turkey against the American regime change," reads an Urdu-language tweet from April 6 shared more than 2,900 times.

A photo apparently showing protesters in Russia rallying in support of Khan and against the United States circulated widely ahead of a no-confidence vote that ousted the cricketer-turned-politician from power on April 10. However, the photo turned out to be doctored.

The tweet adds: "US President Joe Biden had earlier released a video in support of opposition parties for regime change in Turkey, to which Turkey reacted strongly."

Biden caused a stir during his presidential campaign by telling The New York Times that the United States should embolden rivals to defeat the "autocrat" Erdogan.

The tweet purports to show a photo of demonstrators raising Turkish and Pakistani flags and an image of Khan.

Screenshot of the doctored image, taken on April 7, 2022

Muslim-majority countries Pakistan and Turkey have been aligned on key foreign policy issues, particularly under the leadership of Khan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Khan insisted his opponents colluded with the United States to bring about "regime change", which Washington denies.

The picture was shared widely on Twitter, including here, here, here and here; and on Facebook here, here, here and here.

Doctored sign

However, the image has been doctored from an AFP photo taken on June 15, 2017 at a protest in Istanbul.

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Thousands of supporters joined a nearly 500-kilometre march from Ankara to Istanbul to protest the jailing of prominent journalist-turned-lawmaker Enis Berberoglu, who was handed a 25-year sentence for leaking classified information to a newspaper.

Berberoglu regained his seat in parliament in February 2021 after his jail term was reduced.

Screenshot of the original AFP photo, taken on April 11, 2022

Below is a screenshot comparing the doctored photo (left) with the original in AFP's archives (right).

Screenshot comparison of the doctored image (left) and the AFP photo (right)

The photo was edited to add Khan's face onto a red sign reading "Freedom for jailed MPs", and flags representing Turkey, Pakistan and anti-US sentiment.

AFP debunked a wave of false claims in the lead-up to the no-confidence vote against Khan, including doctored footage that appeared to show his image displayed on the Burj Khalifa and posts misrepresenting his remarks about India's army.
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians' Justice Center in Dowagiac.

A Pokagon Tribal Police officer is charged with drunk driving after he hit a utility pole while driving in western St. Joseph County last month.

The officer, 49-year-old James Taylor, tested at almost .19 percent blood alcohol content, court documents say, and was seen swerving in his personal vehicle moments before the March 30 crash on US 20.

He was charged Friday with operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person  a Class A misdemeanor. Indiana law states that the legal limit is a blood alcohol content of .08 percent.

More: Driver who killed two Notre Dame students in crash will spend 30 days in jail

Pokagon Tribal Police Chief William Lux said Monday the department is conducting an internal investigation into the crash but did not tell reporters if Taylor was on leave as a result of the criminal charges.

"We've got an open investigation on him. I'm not at liberty to comment on that," Lux said. "We're aware of everything."

In court documents, prosecutors say St. Joseph County police officers were dispatched to a crash on US 20 just east of Rosewood Road where a car had hit a utility pole on the side of the road.

James Taylor

Responding officers determined Taylor was the sole occupant of the car and was emanating a "strong odor of alcohol" with slurred speech. Taylor was taken to the hospital and tested at .187 percent blood alcohol content, court documents said.

A witness who was driving behind Taylor told investigators Taylor was swerving into oncoming traffic before he went over the centerline and off the road into the pole, court documents say.

Because he was taken to the hospital after the crash, Taylor was not arrested and instead issued a court summons. Troy Warner, an attorney for the St. Joseph County Police Department said that is the standard procedure for DUI investigations where the suspect is treated at the hospital.

Lux said Taylor has been with tribal police for around eight months. Prior to that, Taylor was a detective with the South Bend Police Department for 22 years, records show. Taylor retired as a South Bend detective in July 2021, per minutes from the Board of Public Safety.

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More: No trial for South Bend 'police tapes' case; judge rules recordings to be handed over to council

Taylor is also one of the officers involved in a lawsuit over the South Bend "police tapes" case, per Tribune archives. Though the case has been tied up in court since 2012, Taylor and two other South Bend officers joined the proceedings in 2018, claiming they had private conversations with another officer while his phone line was being recorded.

Email Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@sbtinfo.com. Follow him on Twitter: @marek_mazurek

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Pokagon tribal police officer James Taylor charged with drunk driving
Gdansk (Reuters) -Poland's biggest fashion retailer, LPP, said on Monday it would strengthen its presence in the European Union, shifting focus after suspending its business in Ukraine and closing stores in Russia.

Loss of the two eastern markets would cost 25% of revenue, it said.

In response, it will enter Italy, Greece and Cyprus next year and continue expanding its "Reserved" brand in Germany and Britain.

"After the difficult period of the pandemic, we faced further challenges related to losing a significant part of the sales network," said Chief Financial Officer Przemyslaw Lutkiewicz, referring to the suspension of Ukrainian operations and decision to quit Russia.

"Despite this, the company's situation remains stable, and the expected revenues for the current financial year, more than 16 billion zlotys ($3.76 billion), allow us to think calmly about the future of LPP," Lutkiewicz added.

Since the company could not predict the future situation in Ukraine, it had decided to focus on EU markets where it was already present, he said. "At the same time, we want to debut in new markets, especially in the southern European region, where we see growth potential for our brands."

The company will also focus this year on developing its e-commerce business, which in the fourth quarter of its financial year to January 31, 2022, exceeded 30% of total sales.

In the current year, the estimated value of revenues from online sales may reach 5 billion zlotys. That would be 31% if total revenue is 16 billion zlotys.

($1 = 4.2547 zlotys)

(Reporting by Adrianna Ebert; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Bradley Perrett)
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A 15-year-old wanted by Tacoma police for a string of armed robberies and a killing that occurred last month during a cannabis shop robbery in the citys Eastside neighborhood was arrested Monday by Seattle police.

The teenager was arrested in Kent outside the Maleng Regional Justice Center, according to a news release from Tacoma Police Department. He and 16-year-old Montrell Hatfield  who has yet to be apprehended  were charged March 24 with first-degree murder and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. The News Tribune typically does not publish the names of juveniles charged with crimes but is naming Hatfield because he is charged as an adult in Pierce County Superior Court.

The 15-year-old was transported to Remann Hall Juvenile Detention Center and booked for investigation of first-degree murder. It has not yet been determined whether he will be charged as a juvenile or an adult, but Pierce County Prosecuting Attorneys Office spokesperson Adam Faber said prosecutors will seek to charge the teenager as an adult.

The pair are suspected in at least 10 armed robberies at pot shops in Pierce and King counties. Police said Hatfield is considered to be armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on his whereabouts was asked to call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Montrell Hatfield, 16, and a 15-year-old boy are wanted for a fatal shooting at a Tacoma pot shop on East Portland Avenue on March 19, 2022.

The deadly pot shop robbery occurred March 19 at a business in the 3200 block of Portland Avenue. Police responded just after 10 p.m. that night when dispatchers received calls regarding an armed robbery there.

When police arrived, they found an employee who had been shot and who was declared dead on the scene. The Pierce County medical examiner later identified the victim as 29-year-old Jordan Brown.

The robbery occurred three days after the teens cut off home detention monitoring devices they were ordered to wear for home detention following their arrest for allegedly robbing a pawn shop in Federal Way.

Video from surveillance cameras showed a person, later identified as Hatfield, fighting Brown after the victim tossed back a trash bag he had been ordered to fill with cash, according to charging documents. The teenager arrested Monday allegedly broke up the fight by shooting Brown in the neck, and the teens ran out the door.

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After interviewing witnesses and reviewing video from surveillance cameras, Tacoma police began to suspect the robbers were the same people involved in a string of pot shop robberies with similar circumstances in King and Pierce Counties.

A memorial for Jordan Brown sits outside of Wolrd of Weed on the 3200 block of East Portland Avenue in Tacoma, Wash. on Saturday, March 26, 2022. Brown was shot and killed in an armed robbery while working at the shop on March 19, 2022.

Detectives noticed Hatfield had an oddity in his gait, and footage showed a prosthetic leg beneath his pants as he fought with Brown. Upon reviewing surveillance video from other pot shop robberies, detectives discovered the suspects fit the same description and occasionally wore the same clothing.

Police were able to identify the teens because they were arrested Feb. 22 after allegedly robbing a Federal Way pawn shop. They were released from jail and placed on home detention.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office identified the man who was shot and killed in a Sunday afternoon shooting in Bloomfield.

Christian Lisaldes Perez, 23, of Newark, was shot near the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue and 16th Street. Police pronounced Perez dead at the scene at 3:18 p.m. Two others, who police did not identify but said were in their 30s, were injured in the shooting and taken to the hospital where one is in critical condition, and the other is stable, the prosecutors said.

Authorities have not yet arrested anyone in connection with the shooting and the investigation is still ongoing, prosecutors said. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutors Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tips line a 1-877-847-7432.

Mall chaos: American Dream reopens mostly as usual morning after shooting creates chaotic scene

Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia said his goal in the coming days will be to assure citizens of the 3rd Ward that their neighborhood is safe. The area where the shooting occurred is near the Newark border, and he said it "always has targeted patrols" to thwart violence.

The shooting was the first homicide in Bloomfield in 2022. The last reported homicide in Bloomfield took place in August 2020 when Kevin Roberts, 47 of Newark, was shot on First Avenue between 15th and 13th street.

Liam Quinn is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.

Email: quinnl@northjersey.com

Twitter: @Liam_D_Quinn

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bloomfield NJ shooting victim identified as Newark man
Last year Pret said it planned to double the size of the business within five years, including launching in five new markets by the end of 2023. Photo: Hannah McKay/ Reuters

Pret A Manger is set to expand into the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland for the first time in its history, opening 20 new stores over the next decade.

The coffee and sandwich chain, which is owned by investment group JAB and founder Sinclair Beecham, said the deal with its long-term franchise partner Carebrook Partnership will create as many as 500 jobs.

The first site will open in Dublin this summer as part of its expansion drive.

Last year Pret said it planned to double the size of the business within five years, including launching in five new markets by the end of 2023. It is aiming to hire at least 3,000 team members to drive its expansion worldwide.

Setting up shop in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland has been our plan for a long time, and were thrilled that were finally able to make it happen, Pano Christou, chief executive of Pret A Manger, said.

There has long been demand from our neighbours on the island of Ireland to bring Prets freshly prepared food and organic coffee, and now with the backing of Carebrook Partnership were able to do so. We look forward to making this partnership a success.

Read more: Heathrow records busiest month since start of pandemic

Carebrook has worked alongside Pret for more than three decades, overseeing outlets in London, including Camden, Belsize Park and Finchley.

Its majority co-owner Gerard Loughran grew up in Nenagh, Co Tipperary in Ireland and has over 30 years' experience in the UK and US food sector.

Minority co-owner Ray McNamara from Dublin also has 25 years' experience in the Irish food industry, including ownership of Ann's Bakery.

"We've been working with Pret for over three decades, ever since they arrived in London," said Loughran. "Having grown up in Tipperary, and with more than two decades of experience in the hospitality and food industry, Ive always wanted to bring Pret to Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Im delighted that this will soon become a reality alongside my co-owner Ray, who has great connections and links to the food sector in Dublin with 25 years experience."

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As well as the United Kingdom, Pret currently has shops in the United States, Hong Kong, France, Dubai, Switzerland, Brussels, Singapore and Germany.

Watch: How does inflation affect interest rates?
Osceola County Sheriff's Office

A father accused of murdering his familyand letting their bodies rot inside their rented Florida homeallegedly carried out the heinous crime after making a murder-suicide pact with his wife in order to pass over together before the apocalypse, prosecutors argued on Monday.

Everybody needed to die in order to pass over to the other side together because the apocalypse was coming, Assistant State Attorney Danielle Pinnell told jurors in her opening statement at Anthony Todts murder trial Monday in Osceola County Court.

Todt, 46, has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of homicide despite allegedly confessing to murdering 42-year-old wife, Megan, and their three children13-year-old Alek, 11-year-old Tyler, and 4-year-old Zoeyinside their Celebration, Florida, home in December 2019. Todt was also charged with one count of animal cruelty for killing the familys dog, Breezy.

His Family Overdosed on Benadryl. His Story Kept Changing.

Prosecutors say authorities were first made aware that the Todt family was missing just after Christmas in 2019, when family members asked Osceola Sheriffs deputies to perform a wellness check at their rental home. At one point, an FBI agent who had been investigating Todts Connecticut business for medical fraud also grew concerned and asked the Florida sheriffs office to locate the physical therapist.

In one 911 call played in court on Monday, one of Todts sisters states that he believed the world was ending in late December 2019and that deputies needed to go check on her family because nobody could reach them.

Ultimately, federal agents and deputies had to get an arrest warrant for alleged financial crimes in order to enter Todts home on Jan. 13, 2020. During a search, deputies found the heavily decomposed bodies of Megan, Alek, Tyler, and Zoey in the upstairs master bedroomall covered in blankets.

The bodies were discolored, black and blue, Special Agent Michael Phelps testified on Monday.

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The Orange-Osceola County Medical Examiners Office concluded the four were killed by unspecified violence combined with overdoses of Benadryland that all but the 4-year-old had sustained stab wounds. The report noted that Megan was stabbed twice in the stomach, while the two boys both sustained a single wound to the abdomen.

Emily Seda, a forensics supervisor at the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, testified on Monday that a cherry-flavored liquid Benadryl bottle was found in a trash can with Todts fingerprints on it. Prosecutors also alleged that boxes and bottles of Benadryl were found inside the home.

An arrest affidavit noted that Anthony could barely stand and appeared to be shaking during the grisly search, telling police he consumed Benadryl in an attempt to die by suicide. Phelps also noted on Monday that Todt was mumbling as authorities searched the house.

In three subsequent police interview, Todt confessed to killing his family.

Florida Dad Who Confessed to Killing Family Now Claims Wife Poisoned Kids With Benadryl Pudding Pie

On Monday, Pinnell previewed those confessions, stating that Todt described to investigators that he killed Zoe first while she was sleeping, stating that he rolled over on top of her until she suffocated. Todt then told investigators that he killed his two sons by suffocating them and stabbing them.

[Todt] was more concerned about Tyler Todt because Tyler was the fastest, Pinnell told jurors. He was afraid that if something didnt go the way that he wanted, Tyler would escape.

Afterwards, Pinnell said Todt told investigators that his wife then stabbed herself twiceand when that didnt work, he suffocated her with a pillow. Finally, Todt allegedly claimed he suffocated the family dog. Todts defense team deferred their opening statements on Monday.

Seda said Todts wife and children were found under blankets with rosaries in their hands.

But six months after allegedly admitting to familicide, Todt then argued that his wife had something to do with the grisly scene, telling his father in an explosive July 2020 prison letter that it was actually Megan who had drugged their children with a tainted Benadryl pudding pie..

Todt also claimed in the letter that after Megan had confessed to killing the kids, she drank a bottle of family-sized Benadryl and stabbed herself in the stomach.

Long story short, she gave them the Benadryl/Tylenol PM pie, separated them, woke up at 11:30 [p.m.], stabbed and then suffocated each one, Todt wrote in the letter first reported by the Orlando Sentinel. At the news of this I ran to the bathroom and pukedI was weak.

I love my wife, still, very deeply, and it will be the hardest thing to sit there and tell everyone that it was her that did this when I was not home, and then she [died by] suicide in front of me, he wrote.

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Imagine Rebel Wilson adapting the ubiquitous Steve Buscemi/30 Rock "How do you do fellow kids?" meme into a movie (with shades of Never Been Kissed and Bring It On) and that's the easiest way to boil down Netflix's upcoming Senior Year.

And that's a sales pitch, not a diss. Hollywood's never been anything if not derivative.

The first NSFW trailer for Wilson's R-rated comedy is heavy on laughs, a good sign for the May 13 release looking to join the ranks of high school favorites like Clueless and Mean Girls.

Wilson plays Stephanie Conway, who as a teenager (Angourie Rice) was cheerleading captain/most popular girl in school until a devastating fall landed her in a long coma. Waking up 20 years later, the now-37-year-old Stephanie is determined to return to high school and continue right where she left off. Fish-out-of-water hijinks inevitably ensue as Stephanie must catch up with the times ("Madonna's now called 'Lady Gaga?'" she asks her parents while looking at a Rolling Stone cover).

After a busy 2019 that included the releases of her rom-com star vehicle Isn't It Romantic, the Anne Hathaway-co-starring Dirty Rotten Scoundrels rework Hustlers, the Oscar-contending comedic drama Jojo Rabbit and the-less-said-about-it-the-better Cats, Senior Year marks Wilson's first movie in three years.

Rebel Wilson in Senior Year. (Photo: Netflix)

Not that the Aussie star has been MIA lately. She's hosted two reality shows Down Under (the dog grooming competition Pooch Perfect and the comedian clash LOL: Australia) and appeared on an episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? And of course, there's also been the never-ending headlines about Wilson's highly publicized weight loss.

Behind Wilson, Senior Year boasts an impressive supporting cast, including Sam Richardson and Zoe Chao, who just had phenomenal chemistry in Apple TV+'s critical hit, The Afterparty. Other costars include Justin Hartley (This Is Us), Mary Holland (one of Yahoo's breakout stars of 2020 for her scene-stealing turn in Happiest Season), Chris Parnell (speaking of 30 Rock) and Alicia Silverstone (speaking of Clueless).

Senior Year is directed by Alex Hardcastle (New Girl, The Mindy Project, The Office) from a script by Andrew Knauer, Arthur Pielli and Brandon Scott Jones. The film premieres on Netflix on May 13.
PARIS  The opening of Isabel Toledo: A Love Letter at the Savannah College of Art and Designs new permanent fashion museum in the South of France had a special emotional resonance for her husband, Ruben Toledo.

The exhibitions inauguration on Saturday took place on what would have been the Cuban-born American designers 62nd birthday. And since Ruben Toledos birthday is on April 10, she liked to turn it into a monthlong celebration.

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She didnt like schedules, and thats why she didnt show every single season and collection. Once she could get out of that, she loved it, Toledo told WWD by Zoom from the picturesque village of Lacoste in Provence. It was my job to keep on the schedules and the deadlines so that she could just freely float. She hated the monotony of routines and all that.

The artist, known for his illustrations for clients including Louis Vuitton and Nordstrom, spoke movingly of his decades-long partnership with Isabel Toledo, who passed away in 2019.

He talked about how they sparked off each others differences; how two political refugees from Cuba became the darlings of the New York City club scene in the late 70s and early 80s; how Toledos twin love of haute couture and workwear informed her exacting, experimental designs, and how First Lady Michelle Obama put the designers designer on the map.

He hopes the exhibition will inspire students today, and give European audiences a better insight into American design thinking. There was a point where Isabel was preferring to do museum shows than to do runway shows, because she said, this is so much more satisfying, because you share the story, and you see its effect on these young minds, he said.

Isabel Toledo and Ruben Toledo, 1992. - Credit: Thomas Iannaccone/WWD

Thomas Iannaccone/WWD

WWD: It must be quite an emotional process for you to work on this exhibition. How did you want to honor the creative partnership that you and Isabel had together?

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Ruben Toledo: People assume that to collaborate and work together, you have to be alike or think alike, and its quite the opposite, and were living proof of that. The friction caused by the difference is what creates something very new, because Isabels aesthetic and my aesthetic are completely different, and our working methods are completely different. Our outlook on everything is different, from food, to weather, to temperature, including art and clothes  very, very different aesthetics. And thats what made the work interesting and multifaceted, and it makes it modern and last long.

We knew what we were good at, but always interrupted or interfered in the other ones territory, and so there were no clear borders on who did what, and where did something start and something finish. So I think it was always important for us to let students understand that. It just frees your ego to create.

WWD: Thats so interesting, because just looking at the images of you two together, I would have assumed instinctively that you were two peas in a pod.

R.T.: So many of our friends even said, You guys finish each others sentences. And we always said, yes, we do, but in a Dada poetry way. Its not what you expect the ending to be.

But I think that was part of it, you appreciate whats been added thats completely something you would never have thought of. Its a new ingredient put into the stew.

WWD: Can you tell me a little bit about how Isabels clothing inspired you concretely in terms of your illustrations and your art?

R.T.: Isabel never sketched. She could draw, but when she met me, she said she stopped drawing because she thought I did it so much better than she did, so that was always my job. She would describe an outfit gesturally, or even talking about body language and an emotion to describe what she wanted, shape it with her hands in the air, and I would try to capture that as a sketch. That was a starting point. Then from there, she would start creating clothes and the architecture of her patterns.

Her patterns to me were like modern art. They were just these incredible graphic symbols, and not having been a fashion designer or trained in that world, just to understand that these solid graphic shapes, whether they were symmetrical or asymmetric, ended up being this fluid, beautiful, elegant thing, that kind of blew my mind  how she went from a flat, very solid, very clearly defined thing to this kind of amorphous, ethereal, floating in the wind thing. So part of the exhibition shows, when youre looking at one of the garments, how the pattern pieces laid out are almost like an animal skin or a dissected human. You see all the body parts that make up this garment.

And I think its an unappreciated part of what fashion designers do. People assume its this beautiful fluff of air, this beautiful million tons of tulle. They dont understand the geometry and the engineering that goes into making that.

Michelle Obama wearing Isabel Toledo, with her husband President Obama. - Credit: AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

WWD: How will your art be featured in the exhibition?

R.T.: We have actual live sketchbooks open. We have ink drawings that I do, based on Isabels patterns. We have fashion sketches. So were trying to show a little bit of the full gamut of what goes on, and what it takes to create that and what it took to make Isabels world, how much output there was. Because ultimately, one sees a dress on a model for three seconds, but Id like people to understand all that richness that goes into making that one three-second appearance happen.

For Isabel, time was really important. She was really an observer, like a Zen creator. I kind of can spit out 3,000 things in one minute, and she took 3,000 years to spit up that one thing. So again, thats a good opposite, and no one way is the right way.

WWD: Isabel showed in Paris for about four years, but she hasnt had any big exhibitions in France yet. How do you see this in terms of being able to explain her work to people here?

R.T.: I think this is an incredible opportunity. Im so grateful for SCAD to allow us this moment to share Isabels talent with the world. I do think American design is very underrated in Europe, and rightfully so, because the Europeans have a kind of hierarchy on how far back their fashion history stretches. So we understand that, but theres a definite bias, even with Americans, against American design thinking.

Of course, once Michelle Obama gets meshed into our story and woven in, that is when most people met the name Isabel Toledo and understood. Many people still think that yes, Michelle picked a Cuban designer, thinking that Isabel really did come just out of Cuba to dress the first lady. They dont understand we were already here as political refugees early on. So I think its a beautiful doorway for people to enter our story and to enter the story of American design and American fashion thinking.

We started really young, and we were both self-taught. Isabel was working at the Met and interning for Diana Vreeland, and of course, learning fashion history.

The fact that we grew up around people like Bill Cunningham and Anna Piaggi and Antonio Lopez, the illustrator  all these people became our friends early on  was super influential to us. But we were very much fertilized by American design thinking of army surplus and working clothes, so we understood the differences of couture, this fantasy, make-believe dress-up world, and the world of utility, and making things that are meant to last forever [and] that are bought at a hardware store. So we liked those two opposites, and Isabels design thinking freely took from both.

A dress by Isabel Toledo on show at the SCAD FASH museum in Lacoste, France. - Credit: Chia Chong/Courtesy of SCAD

Chia Chong/Courtesy of SCAD

WWD: Its interesting that when people talk about Isabels lineage, they mention Madeleine Vionnet but also Claire McCardell.

R.T.: I think its beautiful to mesh those two worlds and to explain that.

We grew up in New York at a time where there were, again, no borders. Thats why we were working with choreographers and filmmakers and poets and writers. And the music scene very much was important. I was in a punk rock band. I was in Klaus Nomis band, and we were playing CBGBs and the Mudd Club, and so we were freely swimming in those circles, from the Studio 54, disco, Latin hustle  Isabel was an incredible dancer  to this underground art scene that meshed all these things together.

WWD: Thats insane. I had no idea about your Klaus Nomi connection.

R.T.: Yes, can you imagine? I was a super-shy kid and somehow I got into performing.

But it was an incredible learning opportunity for me, because I was still a high school kid, and this Cuban high school kid ends up in that world and, yes, meeting Andy [Warhol] and [Jean-Michel] Basquiat and Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf. Isabel was brought into that with me, and she was making costumes for Klaus, so it was such a transformation, that only in America can that happen.

WWD: Im not sure that those kinds of synergies could happen today. That was such a special time.

R.T.: Theres a lot of pressure put on youth today to become something, and I think we had the liberty, being refugees and transplanted here, to grow up into these strange weeds that were just wildflowers. We didnt know what we were supposed to be, and our parents were busy working in factories, so they didnt have to look after us and help us find our way. So we found our own way, and thats such a great liberty. So we like to share that with students, and its such an important thing that they understand that the world is your oyster. Your job is to swim through it and find your territory, and define it, and shape it and form it.

WWD: The exhibition opened on what would have been Isabels birthday, April 9.

R.T.: It has been very bittersweet. Im in a way buffered by this incredible SCAD family, and everyone whos here that came with me, too, from New York. Its wonderful to have that, but at the same time, every time I talk about the exhibition, I almost dont want to look. I just talk about it, because I know it like the back of my hand. But its an emotional wave. Because of the pandemic, Ive been isolated. Isabel passed in 2019, and then this all happened, so Ive had the luxury to live in my own creative bubble with Isabel here, and shes alive, and we joke and laugh all the time, and we talk to each other all the time. But coming back to the real world is hard, because you have to see this path in front of you without someone I knew since I was 13, and the love of my life, and my everything. My purpose on earth was to see her through, you know, to clear the way, and I think we did that for each other.

WWD: What projects do you have coming up after this exhibition?

R.T.: There is a documentary on our life happening, which is really nice to keep having this bloom.

And I continue to do, of course, other illustrations. Im doing a cover of an Edith Wharton book called The Custom of the Country, which is a really great story. I dont know if youre familiar with it, but Sofia Coppola is doing a [series] about it, and the book is supposed to come out at the same time.

Im also doing some illustrations for a journalist friend of mine whos called Marylou Luther, and its all the designers shes [written about] going back to Coco Chanel and Balenciaga and Dior, all the way to the present. So Im illustrating her favorite quotes from all these designers, which is about 90 of them. So its a big load of work, but its an honor.

SEE ALSO:

Isabel Toledo, Who Designed for Michelle Obama, Dies at 59

Think Tank: Hula Hoops in the Studio in Remembrance of Isabel Toledo

Isabel Toledo Gives Advice to Marymount Students

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(Reuters) -Russia on Monday demanded Google take immediate steps to remove "threats" against Russians after it said Google Translate had offered some users the option to translate the phrase "dead Russians" instead of "dear Russians".

Russia's communications regulator said it had demanded Google "immediately take measures to exclude statements of threats against Russian users".

The regulator said that when "dear Russians" was typed into Google's translator, it had also offered the variant "dead Russians" under the "Did you mean" section.

The regulator, known as Roskomnadzor, said it did not offer such variants for the phrase with other nationalities. Google did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Google Translate did not appear to be suggesting such a variant when Reuters tried out the translator.

Russia's regulator "demanded that the American company take comprehensive measures to prevent such situations against Russian users, as well as to inform the agency about the reasons for the appearance of such messages."

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Susan Fenton)
Russian forces are reinforcing around the Donbas, notably near the town of Izyum, but have not yet launched an offensive to seize control of the disputed region of eastern Ukraine, Pentagon officials said Monday.

"They're repositioning, they're refocusing on the Donbas," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Kirby said a convoy of vehicles had been observed heading for Izyum but "it's not clear to us how many vehicles are in this convoy and what exactly they're bringing.

"It does seem to be a mix of personnel-carrying vehicles as well as armored vehicles and maybe some artillery," he said.

The Pentagon spokesman underscored that the Ukrainian military has been fighting Moscow-backed separatists in the Donbas region since 2014.

"The Ukrainians have been for eight years -- and still are -- fighting over that," he said. "And they show no signs of being willing to give that territory up."

A senior US defense official said earlier Monday that the United States does not believe a "new offensive" in the Donbas region has begun yet.

"We still assess that while there is fighting going on they (the Russians) are working to reinforce their capabilities and to add to it," the official said.

The official also confirmed that Russian general Alexander Dvornikov, a veteran of Russia's military intervention in Syria, had been named the overall commander of Russian forces in Ukraine.

"Our assessment is that the Russians have in fact appointed him to be the overall commander," the official said.

"But it remains to be seen, given the significant logistics and sustainment challenges, the operational maneuver challenges, the integration of fires challenges, the morale, the leadership, it certainly remains to be seen what sort of an effect he's going to be able to have," the official said.

Pentagon spokesman Kirby said he was unable to confirm a claim by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that "tens of thousands" of people may have been killed in the southern city of Mariupol.

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"I don't think anybody's really going to know until Ukrainian authorities are able to get in there and look and see," he said. "It's still being fought over.

"But if you just look at the imagery, and you see how much the Russians have pounded Mariupol from the air, it's inconceivable to imagine that there aren't going to be civilian casualties, and that it could be a significant number," he said.

sl-cl/sw
KOTKA, Finland  Two days after Russia invaded Ukraine, a bearded and distraught-looking Ivan Nikolaev, 35, posted a video on YouTube denouncing President Vladimir Putin for the attack.

Innocent Ukrainian citizens are being murdered as Russia continues to occupy an independent state of Ukraine, Nikolaev said. As citizens of Russia, we are all involved in this military crime.

His wife, Alena Starostina, 38, shared the video on her Facebook page.

Soon after, Russia passed a law against spreading statements not in line with the government narrative. With that, the husband and wife, who had spent their days as longtime performers thoughtfully dissecting plays, were suddenly criminals, facing fines of 1.5 million rubles, or more than $18,000, and up to 15 years in prison.

Live Ukraine updates: Weeks of attacks on Mariupol have left 21K or more dead; holiday could mark key deadline

After a final performance by Starostina, the couple took out as much cash as they could and packed up their small car. They said goodbye to Starostinas father, who couldnt believe they were fleeing, and left for Finland.

Within a few days, the couple realized that the war probably would not be over for months.

It feels like a person close to you is dying, not suddenly of a stroke, but of some terminal torturous disease, Nikolaev said. But there is always this silly hope that someone kills (Putin) and this whole thing will be over.

Nikolaev and Starostina are among the growing numbers of artists who have fled Russia to neighboring Finland in recent weeks. Many have long faced the threat of persecution in Russia for not supporting official stances, but their criticism of the war put them in danger of imprisonment, forcing them to give up their work and make a new home several hours from the Russian border.

Now, amid a harsh crackdown on opposing views, such artists are unsure if or when it will ever be possible to return. They are also worried about the integrity of their work in Putins Russia, which has increasingly suppressed free speech and expression.

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Starostina and Nikolaev, who worked at a small independent theater company in St. Petersburg, have found themselves closely following Russias actions in Ukraine with disgust while applying for work abroad. Nikolaevs mother had long ago moved to the snowy, southeastern seaside of Kotka, and they have joined her in the tiny one-bedroom, third-floor walk-up flat.

They miss the lives they led, where they created elaborate worlds from words, sets and costumes to explore the futilities and ironies of Russian society. They are worried their art failed to transform the minds of their countrymen, to foster a more open and caring Russia.

Theater is meant to talk to people and communicate with them, to explain things about the world, Starostina said. But it looks like we failed. We couldnt stop this war, and so I think we are also responsible for it.

The couple has through May to figure out whether they will be able to get a long-term visa to work in Finland or must otherwise leave. Meanwhile, they are still paying for their apartment back in St. Petersburg, using the rubles in their Russian bank account and saving the few hundred euros they converted before sanctions made it impossible to change the rest of their cash.

Were waiting to see which money runs out first, Nikolaev said  the money in their Russian bank account or their cash.

Life in Russia could mean persecution for artists who oppose Putin

The threats to free-thinking artists in Russia have become more tangible with each passing day.

In the weeks leading up to the invasion, some of the actors, stagehands, directors and other theater staff faced warnings of possible consequences from authorities for speaking out against the state, Nikolaev said. Once war broke out, those who publicly opposed the invasion were fired from official cultural posts and faced possible imprisonment.

Many artists in Russia work for theaters that are fully or partially funded by the Russian state, which leaves them particularly vulnerable to censorship. That was the case for Starostina and Nikolaev, who ran Theater Post, a small theater that took grants from the Russian government to fund its performances. Even so, many of their performances were put on by activist playwrights and included subtle criticisms of the government.

Nikolaev, who spoke primarily through an interpreter, said he received intimidating messages from authorities over the theaters performances and his subscription to a newsletter belonging to opposition leader Alexei Navalnys anti-corruption organization.

Then the theater groups performances of The Sad Deity Committee'' and Ribbons, by activist Belarussian playwright Pavel Pryazhko, set for March and April, were canceled. The Sad Deity tells the story of patriotic, unskilled workers who do not understand that their poverty is the product of their society, Nikolaev said. Ribbons tells the terrible and ordinary stories of life under the regime of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, known as Europes last dictator."

While some Russian artists spoke out against the government or quit their positions, many others werent able to or chose not to speak up, Nikolaev said.

Nikolaev was sickened by his peers who would not join the opposition.

Theater is supposed to be about common values, like good and evil, but the biggest names in the Russian theater industry, they all kept quiet, Nikolaev said. Just a few people made statements, but most of them, the best around, they havent said a word. So how can I keep working with them?

Nikolaevs mother, Valentina Lyakhova, who emigrated to Finland for work in 2004, was grateful when her son and his wife finally arrived at her flat. They were finally safe.

She gave her son and wife her bed, choosing to sleep on the floor to give them comfort. She said she worries for their safety and obsessively monitors the news, but she tries not to think of what may happen if her son and daughter-in-law must return to Russia. She, too, shared Nikolaevs video on her social media and supports their outspokenness because not doing anything is also a way of destroying yourself.

Attending anti-war protests in Russia is dangerous

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, celebrated playwright Mikhail Durnenkov went to protests in Moscow daily for a week, messaging friends on Telegram that he was going for a walk as code.

He worried his communications were being monitored by the Russian government.

Durnenkov has spoken out against the Russian government before. His most well-known play, The War Has Not Started Yet, was written after Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014 and features characters bombarded by state propaganda. Durnenkov was arrested for protesting.

As the war continued, Durnenkovs friends abroad urged him to leave. It was a difficult decision, he said.

Im a writer. I write in Russian, he said.

Relatives cry at the mass grave of civilians killed during the Russian occupation in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, April 8, 2022.

It wasnt until he, his wife, their 15-year-old son and their dachshund, Kubrik, crossed the border into Finland on March 18 in their Hyundai Solaris that he realized how much tension he had been holding in his muscles. His hunched body suddenly felt lighter and taller.

During his first few days, Durnenkov said he was in shock but slowly came to realize my life is broken. It is completely ruined.

Im between (worlds), Durnenkov said. Abroad youre the invader, and in your country youre a traitor.

While he is working in Finland on a play that was arranged before the war, he said he feels powerless and knows he could be arrested if he returns to Moscow. At the same time, the destruction and violence he sees in Ukraine is unbearable: He has never felt more Russian in his life, and never wanted to not be Russian more.

When I was in Russia, I had a feeling this war was started in my name, and I wanted to be as distant from the country as possible, like my identity was part of the state, Durnenkov said. Now I have a right to say, them.

Durnenkov has been given space to work inside a former psychiatric hospital in Helsinki along the Baltic Sea, a studio and common space run by the nonprofit Artists at Risk, which helps artists facing persecution flee their homeland and relocate. The organization has assisted artists  including members of the famed feminist Moscow-based punk rock protest group Pussy Riot  in Belarus, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Egypt and elsewhere.

Finland and Russia have always had a close bond, especially among artists, said Marita Muukkonen, who co-founded Artists at Risk. She said at least 220 Russian artists have applied for a safe haven through the program, including Nikolaev and Starostina. She noted that when Finland was part of the Russian empire, it flourished because many intellectuals went through Helsinki to St. Petersburg at the time. Now there is a type of reverse migration as Russian dissidents leave for Finland.

"If we want to change governments and have more democratic governments, we need dissidents," Muukkonen said. "We need those people who speak up. If we hope that there will be a new power in Russia, it means that the dissidents have to continue their fight."

Like many Russian dissidents, Durnenkov yearns to return to Russia one day and build change from within. He doesnt know when or how, as long as his son is safe outside the country.

Bodies are placed into a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, as people cannot bury their dead because of the heavy shelling by Russian forces.

He worries he didnt do enough to challenge the Russian government and its followers during his years creating art in Moscow. He said he lived in a liberal bubble, cutting off people who didnt share his beliefs, unfriending people on social media after the annexation of Crimea. He yearns to listen and connect with people with different and contradictory opinions.

Its very nice to be brave in your bubble, Durnenkov said. But my words were invisible for them. Maybe this was my mistake.

Or maybe its not about art. Maybe art is not enough. I feel Russian culture has failed.

War has changed how some Russians view Ukraine

For Aleksey Yudnikov, 48, an actor with the Moscow theater Teatr.doc, known for its artistic independent plays with social commentary, the past few weeks in Finland have felt like a bad trip in more ways than one.

Yudnikov lived in Russia for 30 years and mostly considers himself Russian  his father comes from a long line of Russian military officers  but he has a Ukrainian passport. Thats because he was born in Kyiv when it was ruled by the Soviet Union and spent his summers there with his grandparents. His background is emblematic of the complicated identities frequently found among former Soviet and Russian nationals.

Not many among his social group knew of his Ukrainian passport until war broke out, he said. It had not really mattered much before. But because his mother and brother live in Kyiv, he felt he needed to leave Russia. He left by train for St. Petersburg, then by bus for Helsinki.

Yudnikov had hoped to stay with a friend in Tel Aviv, Israel, and hopped on the next flight there. But a wave of Ukrainian Jews fleeing to Israel instead resulted in him being placed overnight in a deportation holding cell equipped with bunk beds, a steel door and bars on the windows, and then, with official apologies from a Knesset member, spending a surreal two days at a COVID-19 hotel where people are typically quarantined.

He was offered group therapy with other newly arrived Ukrainians from cities across Ukraine as he waited for the next Finnair flight to return him to Helsinki.

Once he returned to Finland, he was given space to work by Artists at Risk at their studio. Because of his Ukrainian citizenship, he is able to apply for temporary protected status.

For many years I didnt feel a deep identity with Ukraine. It was just the place I was born, the place where my grandfather and grandmother died, Yudnikov said.

Everything changed for him eight years ago, after Putin annexed Crimea.

Since then, Putins push to merge Ukraine back with Russia and erase its unique identity has backfired for Yudnikov and friends of his who share a Ukrainian identity. He noted how some have moved from Moscow to Ukraine in the past few years, shockingly reclaiming their heritage while he has remained in Russia. Today, he feels a sense of guilt over his identity, as if having not staunchly identified as Ukrainian has helped validate Putins claim that Ukraine isnt a sovereign nation.

In his new country, Yudnikov doesnt eat or sleep well. He's glued to his phone checking Telegram channels for news, contacting his mother and brother every time there is a bombing, and processing his shock over the war.

Men exhume the bodies of civilians in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine.

In a group therapy session recently, he listened to Ukrainians from Mariupol and Kharkiv tell their stories of escape. Yudnikov, a man who almost never cries, teared up, he said.

This has broken my life, Yudnikov said.

I wish I could forget

On a recent afternoon, Nikolaev sat in a chair in his mothers living room, taking long drags on a vape pen with the words USA'' and an image of a New York cab on the outside. On the wall behind him was a framed photograph of his grandfather, with the same facial features, proudly wearing his Russian military uniform.

Seeing what Russian soldiers have done and the disaster that was Bucha, where hundreds of civilians were found murdered by Russian soldiers, some with their hands tied behind their backs or in mass graves, has made Nikolaev feel ashamed of his heritage.

I wish I could forget my own language, Nikolaev said. But I dont know any other one well enough yet.

Starostina cried when she spoke to her father by phone the other day. He has bought into the Russian propaganda, she said, and claims Russia and its citizens are a victim of the Ukrainian state. Nikolaevs father, a well-known Russian television star of police dramas, works hard to rationalize Putin's actions.

Since fleeing home, Starostina and Nikolaev have been unable to create new art. Their faith in the value of art and its shared experience was shaken.

Still, Starostina said, there are embers of a brighter tomorrow.

On a recent night at the philharmonic in Kotka, the orchestra played the Ukrainian national anthem as Nikolaev and Starostina stood up and listened, tears in their eyes. They let themselves feel hope that in a country with more freedom of expression, it might be possible for them to make art again, and for it to matter.

Translation work by Elena Tarashanskaja

Tami Abdollah is a USA TODAY correspondent. Send tips via direct message @latams or email tami(at)usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine war has left protesters fleeing Russia to avoid Putin's wrath
Reuters

President Vladimir Putin will send a "doomsday" warning to the West when he leads celebrations on Monday marking the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany, brandishing Russia's vast firepower while its forces fight on in Ukraine. Defiant in the face of deep Western isolation since he ordered the invasion of Russia's neighbour, Putin will speak on Red Square before a parade of troops, tanks, rockets and intercontinental ballistic missiles. A fly-past over St Basil's Cathedral will include supersonic fighters, Tu-160 strategic bombers and, for the first time since 2010, the Il-80 "doomsday" command plane, which would carry Russia's top brass in the event of a nuclear war, the Defence Ministry said.
Sega has revealed more about its mysterious "Super Game" project, and it's more complex than you might have suspected. As VGC and Kotaku note, Sega executive VP Shuji Utsumi used an interview on its Japanese recruitment page to explain that Super Game is actually "several titles" in progress within the same framework. He and fellow leaders were shy on many details, but vowed that these would be blockbusters that ventured "beyond" the conventional game experience.

That might include some trendier technology. Producer Masayoshi Kikuchi said in the interview that it was "natural" to expand into areas like "cloud gaming and NFT." This wasn't a definite commitment to using either tech and comes soon after Sega acknowledged a public backlash to NFTs. However, Sega recently registered a "Sega NFT" trademark in Japan  it's at least open to the idea of offering digital collectibles.

Sega unveiled a partnership with Microsoft last year to use the Azure cloud platform for Super Game development. However, this doesn't necessarily hint at game streaming plans. Sony, for instance, used Azure to help build its online infrastructure.

Super Game might not pan out for a while. Parent firm Sega Sammy said in November 2021 it might invest the equivalent of $882 million into the project over the next five years. You won't necessarily have to wait that long for the first products, but it's clear Sega treats Super Game more as a strategic bet than a short-term fix.
By David Stanway

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's financial centre of Shanghai started easing its lockdown in some areas on Monday despite reporting a record of more than 25,000 new COVID-19 infections, as authorities sought to get the city moving again after more than two weeks.

Pressure has been mounting on authorities in China's most populous city, and one of its wealthiest, from residents growing increasingly frustrated as the curbs dragged on, leaving some struggling to find enough food and medicine.

City officials announced on Monday morning that they were grouping residential units into three risk categories as a step towards allowing "appropriate activity" by those in neighbourhoods with no positive cases during a two-week stretch, adding that district authorities would publish further details.

Among the first districts to release lists were the industrial area of Jinshan on Shanghai's southwestern edge and the central area of Jing'an, which posted the names of residential sites still in high- and medium-risk categories.

While videos published by local media showed that most residents in areas earmarked for easing were still locked in and waiting to be notified of next steps by their neighbourhood committees, they also showed some people trickling out from their homes onto the streets.

"It's good to be out finally, although there's nowhere to go," a resident who gave her surname as Qin told Reuters.

The step provides some relief for many cooped up for more than three weeks in the battle against China's biggest outbreak since the coronavirus was first found in central Wuhan in late 2019.

City official Gu Honghui said Shanghai was divided into 7,624 areas that were still sealed off, with a group of 2,460 now subject to "controls" after a week of no new infections, and 7,565 "prevention areas" to be opened after two weeks without a positive case.

Those in "prevention areas" who move around their neighbourhoods must observe social distancing and could be sealed off again if there are new infections, Gu added.

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NO CHOICE

Some social media users criticised the easing move as risky at a time of record new daily cases, but others said Shanghai had no choice.

Complaints about controls continued, with some in the city's Xuhui district telling Reuters that neighbourhood committees had put locks and bicycle chains on their front doors from late Sunday to confine them to their homes.

China's zero-tolerance approach to COVID-19, prescribing central quarantine for anyone testing positive even in the absence of symptoms, is increasingly strained by the highly infectious, though less deadly, Omicron variant.

The policy has halted nearly all international travel and is taking a growing economic toll as cities impose curbs, with southern Guangzhou and eastern Ningbo the latest to do so, even as other countries try to live with the disease.

On Monday, the European Chamber of Commerce in China said it sent a letter to China's State Council, or cabinet, describing the challenges for firms because of the recent COVID prevention measures and urging the country to review the policy.

Data also showed that China's auto sales plunged in March as curbs to rein in COVID-19 outbreaks took a toll, with Tesla Inc among automakers feeling the pain of limits on production.

Still, the "dynamic clearance" policy remained Shanghai's "best option", said Liang Wannian, who heads a National Health Commission panel on COVID-19.

It was misleading to view Omicron as "big flu", and lowering China's guard would expose its huge elderly population to risk, especially as the virus mutates, Liang said.

"If we lie flat, the epidemic would just be a disaster for these kinds of vulnerable people," the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily quoted Liang as saying, making use of a popular term for doing the minimum.

Shanghai added 25,173 new asymptomatic infections on Sunday, up from 23,937 the previous day, although symptomatic cases edged down to 914 from 1,006.

(Reporting by David Stanway, Engen Tham and the Shanghai and Beijing newsrooms; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Tony Munroe, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Alex Richardson)
WRTV's Meredith Hackler reports. The Sikh community remembered all eight victims of the 2021 FedEx shooting Sunday with a prayer service.
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) announced the appointment of six corporate executives to its board of directors, effective immediately.

Yahoo News reports corporate executives from Alaska Air Group, Citigroup, Chevron, ExxonMobil, General Motors, and Intel will join top executives from Walmart, Goldman Sachs, KKR, and Procter & Gamble to support the UNCF in its effort to ensure HBCU students reach higher levels of success.

The new members of UNCFs board are Citigroup Managing Director Vladimir Jean-Fritzner Galiothe; General Motors Executive Vice President Gerald Johnson; Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci; Chevron Chief Human Resources Officer Rhonda Morris; ExxonMobil Diversity Manager Tara Parker, and Intel Chief Strategy Officer Safroadu Yeboah-Amankwah.

UNCF and HBCUs have experienced unprecedented donations and recognition of our important mission during the past two years. Today we take a major step forward to continue that momentum in aggressively growing a Board that will deliver increased leadership, funding, and resources for all our UNCF-member institutions, UNCF Board Chairman Milton H. Jones, Jr. said in a UNCF release. We are thrilled to welcome this impressive group of diverse, experienced, and talented corporate leaders to join in our progress as we support our member institutions and the students they serve.

All six have decades of combined experience sitting on corporate boards and dealing with mentoring, recruitment, and retention of employees. Additionally, the group is known for developing and implementing college to career pipelines and career development programs. Plans for the group are still largely unknown but are expected to involve college to career pipelines, job training programs, mentorship programs, and more.

The UNCF is Americas largest and most effective educational organization, supporting the development of Black students through scholarships and other programs. The UNCF has administered more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship, fellowship, and faculty development programs supporting more than 60,000 students in 1,100 colleges and universities.

HBCU schools have enjoyed numerous partnerships, donations, and initiatives over the last two years as interest in Black students and talent have skyrocketed because of the Black Lives Matter movement and the focus on social equity.
WARSAW, Poland  Shortly after Slovakia supplied an S-300 air defense system to Ukraine to support its fight against Russias invasion, Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad has announced his country is in talks with the Ukrainian government over a potential sale of Zuzana 155 mm self-propelled howitzers.

We are also discussing the possibility of having damaged Ukrainian combat vehicles and T-72 or T-55 tanks come to our territory, and our military repair plants would repair them and send them back to Ukraine, Nad said, as reported by local news agency SITA.

Mounted on an eight-wheel drive chassis, Zuzana is an upgraded variant of the Dana self-propelled howitzer developed in the former Czechoslovakia. Zuzana is currently operated by the armed forces of Slovakia and Cyprus.

Nad said Bratislava and Kyiv were discussing whether the sale would involve the older Zuzana 2000 variant or the newer Zuzana 2 version. He did not disclose how many howitzers are on the table.

Slovakias armed forces acquired 16 Zuzana 2000 howitzers between 1998 and 2000, and in 2018, the countrys Ministry of Defence ordered 25 units of Zuzana 2 from Slovak state-run defense company KONSTRUKTA-Defence.

The potential sale marks another example of the intensifying military cooperation between the two neighbors. Slovakia recently transferred its Soviet-era S-300 system to Ukraine after the United States agreed to deploy an additional battery of the Patriot air defense system to protect the Slovak skies.

One battery of the Patriot system is better than one battery of the S-300 system, which we donated to Ukraine to protect innocent people from Putins aggression, Nad said in an April 10 Facebook post. We will have four such batteries.

The fourth battery is to compliment the three batteries of the air defense system that were brought to Slovakia by its allies Germany and The Netherlands last month.
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday said the country had reached a decisive juncture and called for patience as protests continued over the government's handling of a deepening economic crisis.

In a televised address, Rajapaksa said that the government, which is led by his younger brother Gotabaya, will bring back a fertiliser subsidy for farmers, who were badly hit by a ban on the product last year that was later rolled back.

"The President and I are spending every moment to formulate solutions on how to get Sri Lanka out of this current crisis," he said.

(Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe, Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; editing by John Stonestreet)
Its spring in Chicago, and that means road construction season.

Work will continue this spring and summer on ongoing highway projects like the Tri-State Tollway construction and widening, creation of a new tollway near OHare International Airport and the long-running Jane Byrne Interchange project.

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It could mean a headache for drivers as traffic ticks back toward pre-pandemic levels. But there is some good news in sight: The Byrne Interchange remains on schedule to be finished this year, after years of delays and budget increases.

Passenger traffic on Chicago-area tollways in the first months of the year was about 9% below 2019, while commercial traffic was up from pre-pandemic levels, according to Illinois Tollway data on toll transactions. The expressways are performing very similar to pre-pandemic, Illinois Department of Transportation spokeswoman Maria Castaneda said.

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Some of the traffic could be from commuters returning to the office at least a few days a week and opting to drive instead of take public transit as they once did, said Audrey Wennink, director of transportation for the Metropolitan Planning Council.

We hope that people will kind of reset and go back to riding transit, given that its not possible for everyone to drive downtown and its not good for our region from an environmental perspective and a safety perspective, she said.

Work to keep roads and bridges in safe and usable condition is important, Wennink said. But projects that widen roads or create more room for cars can create more demand, rather than relieve traffic or encourage people to drive less, she said.

I think we need to think very hard about widening roads that already exist, versus trying to use them in different ways  trying to have transit operate on them, for example, she said.

Heres whats in store on Chicago-area expressways and tollways this spring and summer:

Jane Byrne Interchange

Work to reconstruct the Byrne Interchange, where the Eisenhower, Kennedy and Dan Ryan expressways meet west of the Loop, is set to wrap up in November, more than four years behind schedule.

Rebuilding the congested interchange began in 2013, and was originally scheduled to be finished in June 2018 at a cost of $535.5 million. The cost is now projected to be $800 million, IDOT documents show.

Before the project wraps up, work will continue on both sides of the Kennedy and Dan Ryan expressways and on the Adams Street and Jackson Boulevard bridges over the expressways.

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Workers work on a ramp between Jackson Boulevard and Adams Street in Chicago on April 6, 2022. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

Other expressways

Work will continue in April on the I-55/Weber Road interchange near Bolingbrook and Romeoville, which is being reconfigured and widened into a diverging diamond design in a $47.9 million project. Another lane is being added in each direction for a stretch along Weber Road, and IDOT is adding traffic signals at several intersections and undertaking other work. The project is expected to be complete this summer.

Work will also continue this spring and summer to resurface I-55 in Will County from Weber to I-80. Lanes will be closed overnight during the project, which is expected to last until November.

Later in April, work will begin to patch and resurface I-57 from I-294 to Halsted Street. Work will also take place to repair the I-57 bridge over the Canadian National Railroad in Matteson and Richton Park, which is expected to be complete in September.

Planned work on I-80 west of Joliet includes shoulder work, widening and the replacement of the Shepley Road bridge west of the DuPage River, according to IDOT.

Tollways

The $4 billion reconstruction and widening of the Tri-State Tollway, or I-294, is continuing. The focus now will be on a stretch of the highway between Wolf and St. Charles roads, and, farther south, stretches between I-55 and 75th Street and between LaGrange Road and 95th Street, the Tollway said. Lanes and ramps will be closed in those areas at various times throughout the year.

As part of the project, the southbound portion of the Mile Long Bridge near Willow Springs  which takes drivers over two railroads, the Des Plaines River, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship and Illinois and Michigan canals, and other roads and distribution centers  is scheduled to be finished this year. The northbound lanes were completed in 2020.

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Work to rebuild the BNSF Railway Bridge near Hinsdale is also scheduled to be complete this year.

Other Tri-State work includes removing the Hinsdale Oasis from above the road, and constructing a new pedestrian bridge over the highway near 47th Street between Hinsdale and Western Springs. The Plainfield Road Bridge over I-294 is also scheduled to be rebuilt.

The Illinois Tollway will also continue work on construction of a new highway that will provide western access to OHare. Work on I-490 this year will focus on interchanges connecting the tollway to I-294, Illinois Route 390 and I-90, including construction of a bridge over the Touhy Avenue Reservoir.

The overall project is scheduled to be complete in 2026.

sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com
A 16-year-old student has been charged with attempted murder and sexual assault after getting violent and strangling his teacher in a dispute over his grades last week, Las Vegas police said.

Officers were called to a high school in the 1100 block of North Linn Lane on Thursday at 3:30 p.m., the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release. While police did not disclose the name of the school in the release, Clark County School District Superintendent Jesus Jara confirmed the attack occurred at Eldorado High School.

Officers found a female teacher being treated by medical personnel for multiple injuries, according to police. She was hospitalized and said to be stable.

The investigation found that the student went into a female teachers classroom to talk about his grades, according to the release.

At some point, the suspect got violent and began punching the victim and strangled her until she lost consciousness, police said.

The suspect fled and was later found by another employee.

He was taken into custody and transported to the Clark County Detention Center on charges of attempted murder, sexual assault, battery with intent to commit sexual assault, first-degree kidnapping and robbery. He has not been named as he is a minor.

No other details in the incident were released.

Lawyer information for the boy was not immediately available.

NBC News has reached out to Eldorado High School and the Clark County School District for comment on the matter.

The superintendent sent out a message to staff after the Thursday incident.

I am devastated, and the CCSD family hurts for the teacher assaulted at Eldorado High School. Our hearts are heavy because of the violence committed against her, and we pray for her full recovery, Jara said, according to NBC affiliate KSNV of Las Vegas.

"As I have said previously, 'Violent acts, assaults, and bullying will not be tolerated in the Clark County School District, and those who choose to engage in these activities will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,'" he continued, promising the suspect "will be held to account for his actions."

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"Let me say again, unequivocally, violence will not be tolerated at Clark County Schools or against our students or staff," he added.

The school will have counseling services available after spring break when classes resume April 19.

Theres been a wave of violence on school campuses within the Clark County School District, which prompted new disciplinary measures last month.

In March, Clark County School District police Chief Henry Mike Blackeye said there were 3,000 incidents, including assaults and fights, since the start of the school year.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak condemned the alleged attack Friday as an absolutely tragic and horrendous situation" and demanded a safe environment for teachers and students in schools.

My entire family is sending our love, thoughts and prayers to this teacher as she recovers from the brutal attack, and we are glad to hear she is in stable condition, he tweeted. We must ensure our educators remain safe as they do the important work of teaching our kids  their safety and well-being is a primary concern. We must also provide the resources necessary for our students to have the mental health supports they need.

Anyone with any information about the latest incident is urged to contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Departments sexual assault section at 702-828-3421.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti (left) has dismissed Thomas Tuchels suggestion (PA Wire)

Carlo Ancelotti has dismissed the suggestion of Thomas Tuchel that Chelseas hopes of progressing to the semi-finals of the Champions League are not alive after first leg defeat to Real Madrid.

Tuchel commented that he could not see his side progressing after the 3-1 home loss to Ancelottis side at Stamford Bridge last week.

Ahead of the second leg at the Bernabeu, Ancelotti has stressed that his players will not be complacent as they target a place in the last four.

The Italian also explained that he was expecting a better showing from the visitors as they bid to defend their Champions League crown.

Chelsea are coming here to fight to get through, Ancelotti said. They know its difficult but they will try because that is the spirit of the big teams, they never give in.

We have a lot of respect for Chelsea because they have so much quality and the only way to prepare this game is to expect a Chelsea that will be better than the one we saw last week. We know we will have to suffer in order to get through, but we are ready to suffer

This group of players will not be complacent. They are happy to be playing this game because its another great chance to play a semi-final.

Chelsea are still a very strong team. We would like to play the same game as the first leg but we have to be aware that Chelsea will try to play a different game. If we have to play a different game too to match that then we will.

Former Chelsea manager Ancelotti is in his second spell at Real Madrid, and has guided the club into a commanding position in La Liga in his first season back in charge.

His comments were echoed by midfielder Casemiro, who said: We cant trust the words of Tuchel. We are talking about the reigning champions.

Real Madrids first-leg asendancy was established on the back of a fine individual performance from Karim Benzema, who produced an excellent hat-trick.

Ancelotti was full of praise for the Frenchman, a player he has managed during both stints in charge in the Spanish capital, describing him as the archetypal modern centre-forward.

Karim is a modern centre-forward, the Real Madrid manager said. In the past the centre-forward was the player who got on the end of the crosses but now its about helping the team and even helping with defensive work because you cannot play with one less without the ball.

He represents what the modern centre-forward is.
The Tacoma Business Council (TBC) will be holding a virtual Q&A with Tacoma Police Chief Avery Moore on Monday.

Kristen Wynne, the president of TBC, said hundreds of business owners in Tacoma have reached out to participate in the organization. The group was formed by several business owners after a business summit in late January at the LeMay car museum.

In hearing what the business owners had to say throughout all parts of Tacoma, it was necessary for us to start an organization to collaborate. (And) to present a voice for businesses within our community to be able to solve issues impacting economic stability of the community, which are being negatively impacted by crime, Kristina Maritczak, the chair of TBCs Solution Committee, said. Businesses felt like their voices werent being heard.

Public safety is job No. 1 for any local government. Nothing else can happen if you can not keep your citizens safe, Wynne said. I think along the way, thats gotten a little lost.

Numbers show crime has risen in Tacoma in recent years. In 2020, there were 4,467 reported violent crimes, including more than 4,021 assault offenses and 30 homicides. In 2021, there were 5,242 reported violent crimes, including 4,813 assault offenses and 31 homicides. As for property crimes, there were 21,569 reported for 2020, including 134 arsons, 2,059 burglaries and 8,638 thefts. In 2021, there were 25,534 reported violent crimes, including 241 arsons, 2,270 burglaries and 9,487 thefts.

What I dont think people understand is people are prepared to leave (the city of Tacoma), Maritczak said. Its not easy to relocate a business.  To them, they are incurring an enormous cost, an enormous risk to leave a city that they love. Imagine what has to exist for this to occur.

Maritczak said the organizations solutions are constantly evolving, as they continue to speak with more business owners and members of the community. Most, if not all, of their current proposals involve the Tacoma Police Department.

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I think some of the solutions were proposing are really around supporting the police, Maritczak said. One of those solutions is to fund the positions that are currently open in the police department. Plus, also accounting for natural attribution.

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The organization is also in favor of expanding Tacomas crisis response team, with TPD being more involved in responses.

If theyre responding to someone in an obvious mental health crisis or a crisis related to drug addiction  in that situation, it is helpful if you can send out people who are trained in dealing with those particular situations. But, of course, backed up by people from TPD in a secondary role, Wynne said, adding that shed like to see more collaborations between TPD and city agencies.

Speaking on other solutions proposed by the TBC, Maritczak said, We are proponents of high-frequency, repeat offenders task force where there are known repeat offenders of which law enforcement is aware of. Were very supportive of efforts to target those offenders.

Maritczak also supports community policing, which Chief Moore has advocated for since he joined TPD in mid-January.

I am encouraged that he is interested in community policing. That is a very difficult thing to do, but very effective. And a lot of police chiefs wont take that on, she said.

TBCs virtual town hall with Chief Moore will be on Monday, April 11, at 5:30 p.m. It will be livestreamed on the groups YouTube channel.
School girls hold Taliban flags during a ceremony to mark the start of the academic year at a primary school in Kandahar on March 24, 2022. While the Taliban has allowed primary school-age girls to resume their education, they have banned secondary school-age girls from coming back to school. AVED TANVEER/AFP via Getty Images)

In March, the Taliban girls from attending middle and high school.

Insider recently spoke to two teen girls in Kandahar who had been impacted by the decision.

They said they have little hope of the Taliban letting them return to school.

When the Taliban announced last month that schools for girls would finally reopen in Afghanistan, 16-year-old Laura* was excited to get back to studying her favorite subjects: math and chemistry.

But when she showed up her school in the Kandahar region on March 23, she learned that she and all other middle and high school-aged girls across the country would not be permitted to resume their studies, as the Taliban had promised.

She said she and her classmates were deflated when they showed up to school last month and learned they wouldn't be allowed back.

"Upon hearing the news, we lost all of our hopes, all of our dreams," Laura said. "We knew that there was no hope for a future and all of us got emotional. We started crying and we knew our future was no longer in our own hands."

The Taliban has faced international scorn for their sudden reversal on girls' education. Just days after the decision was announced, the US cancelled planned talks with the Taliban in Qatar, and issued a joint statement with the governments of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK, expressing "condemnation" of the decision.

"Every Afghan citizen, boy or girl, man or woman, has an equal right to an education at all levels, in all provinces of the country," the statement read.

In the wake of decision, Insider spoke to two girls in the country who had been impacted by the sudden ban on girls secondary education. Laura and 19-year-old Emily* are both from the Kandahar region. Laura was in her last year of high school, while Emily was about to start 10th grade before the school closure. Both had dreams of going to college and studying to become doctors and expressed a desire to give back to their community.

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Though some have suggested that the Taliban may be trying to use girls education as a bargaining chip to get international recognition, and that girls will eventually be allowed to go back to school, neither Laura and Emily are banking on that outcome.

Emily said that after learning she would not be allowed to go back to school she "kind of accepted" that her education was over.

While Laura has continued to study at home, Emily says she hasn't picked up a book since the Taliban took power.

"I'm pretty much just at home, cooking and cleaning and doing house chores now," Emily said.

"My heart doesn't allow me to pick up any book because I know I can't complete my studies."

Emily says the thing she misses most about school was the routine and getting to socialize with friends.

"Even after these many months, I wake up in the morning sometimes and I get this feeling that I need to get ready to go to school because that had been my routine for so many years. And then I realize, wait, you can't go, and I sit hopelessly, accepting the new reality that I'm no longer able to continue the routine of going to school everyday anymore."

The Taliban's decision has also weighed heavily on Emily's mother, who was a girl when the Taliban first rose to power in the 1990s. She was never educated herself, but was committed to making sure her children got the opportunities she was denied.

"When my kids were school-age, I hoped they would have a future different than mine. I was very happy seeing them go to school every day," Emily's mother said of her children. "With this decision, my hopes and dreams are shattered. This is a bad decision, I'm very sad with this decision."

Laura says it's become her new dream to leave the country so that she might continue her education abroad.

"It is my high desire to continue my education and if it means going outside of the country to be able to fulfill that dream, that is my biggest hope right now," she said.

In addition to international outrage, the Taliban has also faced blow-back over the decision at home, where more than two dozen women and girls took part in a protest outside of the Ministry of Education on March 26.

Laura and Emily say they haven't seen any protests in Kandahar, but would take part if given the opportunity.

Laura did admit to being concerned about how the Taliban would react if she took part in a protest.

"I would be afraid," she said. "The reason we are afraid of the Taliban is because they do not respect women, they don't give women the honor that women have and deserve. Many women in Kandahar are extremely afraid of raising their voice because of the fear that the Taliban may come back and punish them afterwards."

Emily was less concerned with whether she might invoke the fury of the Taliban by protesting.

When asked if she was concerned about Taliban reprisals, she laughed and said, "I'm not afraid of them."

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the girls.

Read the original article on Insider
BANGKOK (Reuters) - A prominent Thai politician faces up to 20 years in prison following his indictment on Monday for insulting the king and violating a cyber law, after he criticised the government for over-reliance on a royal-owned firm to supply COVID-19 vaccines.

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the 43-year-old leader of the disbanded Future Forward Party, is accused of lese majeste and breaking cyber laws in a January, 2021 Facebook Live stream, during which he said the government had mishandled its vaccine campaign and unfairly favoured Siam Bioscience, a firm owned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Thailand has one of the world's strictest lese majeste laws and a conviction carries a maximum sentence of 15 years, while breaches of its computer crimes act are punishable by up to five years in prison.

Thanathorn, who was granted bail on Monday, denies insulting the monarchy and said his criticism was directed at the government, not the royal family.

"What I did was intended for public benefit and to protect the royal institution," he told reporters.

"I want to stress that the usage of this law is not a good thing, and certainly not good for the monarchy," he added, referring to the lese majeste law.

Siam Bioscience, which had not produced vaccines prior to last year, was chosen to manufacture the COVID vaccine of Britain's AstraZeneca for distribution in Southeast Asia. It also received $20 million in government subsidies to develop its capacity.

Thanathorn had also complained the government should have diversified its sources of vaccines.

Thailand subsequently used three different types of COVID vaccines, which Thanathorn said was proof his remarks were in the public interest.

The complaint against him was lodged by an official in the prime minister's office. The government, AstraZeneca and Siam Bioscience have stood by the vaccine production agreement.

The office of the attorney general did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Thanathorn was banned from politics for 10 years in 2020 by the Constitutional Court over a loan he gave his former opposition party. His indictment comes as scores of members of a student pro-democracy movement affiliated with his party await trial on similar charges, which they deny.

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor)
Imran Ahmad Khan arrives at Southwark Crown Court in London

A Conservative MP has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy, believed to be the first sitting Member of Parliament to be convicted of child sex offences.

Imran Ahmad Khan, who represents Wakefield, has been expelled from the Conservative Party, meaning the Red Wall seat could be the first to be won back by Labour since 2019.

A jury at Southwark Crown Court were on Monday told that Khan forced the boy to drink gin at a party 14 years ago before touching his feet and legs in a bunk bed.

The victim told the court that he wasnt taken very seriously when he made the allegation to the Conservative Partys press office days before Khan was elected in 2019.

A source told The Telegraph that the party had found no record of such a complaint.

Crispin Blunt, a former justice minister, told The Telegraph that he thought the decision by the jury was an international scandal and that the case relied on lazy tropes about LGBT+ people that we might have thought we had put behind us decades ago.

Following Khans election win in Boris Johnsons landslide victory which picked up seats across Labours Red Wall heartlands in the North of England and Midlands, the victim reported the incident to the police.

The court heard that Khan forced the teenager to drink gin and tonic, dragged him upstairs, pushed him onto a bed and asked him to watch pornography before the attack at a house in Staffordshire in January 2008.

It all came flooding back

The victim, who is now 29, told the jury that he was left scared, vulnerable, numb, shocked and surprised after Khan touched him within a hairs breadth of his privates.

He said that he pretended to be asleep before Khan reached through the wooden bars to touch him.

A police report was made at the time, but no further action was taken because the youngster did not want to make a formal complaint.

He told jurors that it all came flooding back when he learned that Khan was standing to become an MP.

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The boys brother, who was 18 at the time, told the court that he was also a victim of an assault by Khan.

He said that Khan asked if he was wearing his kilt like a true Scotsman - without underpants - before lifting it up with his hands.

Sean Larkin QC, prosecuting, said that it was a mere technicality that Khan had not been charged with the second sexual assault of a man in Pakistan, where the MP was working as part of a project funded by the Foreign Office.

The alleged victim in his mid-20s said Khan performed a sex act on him while he slept as they shared a room after an evening drinking whisky and smoking marijuana.

The man told the jury that he reported the incident to the British High Commission and the Foreign Office, coming forward as a witness after hearing Khan had been charged with sexual assault.

Khan claimed the sexual activity was consensual.

The MP, who is gay and Muslim, said that he only touched the Catholic teenagers elbow when he became extremely upset after a conversation about his sexuality.

Calls for Khan's resignation

The Labour Party and Robbie Moore, the Tory MP for Keighley, have both called for Khan to resign, which would trigger a by-election.

The same will happen if he is handed a prison sentence of more than a year or subject to a recall petition by his constituents.

A Labour party spokesman said: Imran Ahmad Khan should immediately resign so a by-election can take place and the people of Wakefield can get the representation they deserve.

Khan made no comments as he left the court but his lawyers said that he will appeal the decision.

A Conservative spokesman said: Mr Khan has been expelled from the Conservative Party with immediate effect.

The judge, Mr Justice Baker said he will sentence Khan at a date to be fixed.
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.
If you want to know who really controls Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. Institutions often own shares in more established companies, while it's not unusual to see insiders own a fair bit of smaller companies. Companies that used to be publicly owned tend to have lower insider ownership.

With a market capitalization of US$19b, Broadridge Financial Solutions is rather large. We'd expect to see institutional investors on the register. Companies of this size are usually well known to retail investors, too. In the chart below, we can see that institutional investors have bought into the company. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Broadridge Financial Solutions.

View our latest analysis for Broadridge Financial Solutions

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Broadridge Financial Solutions?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

We can see that Broadridge Financial Solutions does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Broadridge Financial Solutions, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Broadridge Financial Solutions. The Vanguard Group, Inc. is currently the largest shareholder, with 12% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 8.2% and 4.2%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.

Story continues

Looking at the shareholder registry, we can see that 50% of the ownership is controlled by the top 15 shareholders, meaning that no single shareholder has a majority interest in the ownership.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of Broadridge Financial Solutions

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our information suggests that Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. insiders own under 1% of the company. Being so large, we would not expect insiders to own a large proportion of the stock. Collectively, they own US$121m of stock. It is good to see board members owning shares, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 11% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Broadridge Financial Solutions that you should be aware of before investing here.

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
President Biden meets virtually with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. Present at the White House were Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, center, and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, right. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)

President Biden and his top Cabinet members spent much of Monday lobbying their Indian counterparts in a so-far-unsuccessful bid to persuade the world's largest democracy to join the U.S.-led movement to support Ukraine against Russia's military onslaught.

In a virtual meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Biden praised relations between Washington and New Delhi that have improved significantly in recent years. Modi responded that the two countries are "natural allies."

But they are not allied in the current crisis consuming the energies of much of the Western world.

India has abstained on several votes in the United Nations to condemn Russia for its brutal invasion of Ukraine, where thousands of civilians may have been killed and some 4.5 million have been forced to flee the country. The Biden administration says it believes Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces are committing war crimes.

"It's a tough spot for the Indians ... between a rock and a hard place," said Vikram Singh, an Asia expert at the U.S. Institute for Peace, a Washington think tank.

India is wholly reliant on Russia for its weapons, a decades-long relationship that dates to a 1971 war in which India was backed by Russia, while Pakistan, India's bitter enemy, was backed by the U.S.

India also depends on Russia for fertilizer and other agricultural products to feed its 1.4 billion people.

For Indians, Singh said, higher energy prices don't just mean more at the gas pump  they mean food insecurity and hunger.

"Indians are just as horrified as anyone, but India is a poor country," Singh said. "Taking the risk of burning relations with Russia has no real upside."

A senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters after the talks with Modi said the two leaders had a "candid exchange of views" on the war in Ukraine, but there was "no concrete ask, no concrete response."

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The official  speaking without attribution, in keeping with White House protocol  said Biden and Modi also discussed ways to mitigate the effect that sanctions against Russia might have on food security in India and ways to diversify India's economy to make it less dependent on trade with Russia. Biden urged Modi not to increase imports of Russian gas and oil, the official said.

India imports less than 2% of its energy supplies from Russia and around 10% from the United States, according to U.S. officials.

Weaning India off Russian weaponry would take years and be very costly, experts say. One alternative might be for India to ramp up domestic production of armaments and critical parts for fighter jets and helicopters.

Despite its long-standing ties with Moscow, India in recent years has developed an increasingly friendly relationship with Washington. Under former President Trump, the two countries brokered trade deals, and India began to enjoy new prominence in U.S. foreign policy when Trump, followed by Biden, revived a grouping known as the Quad that also includes Australia and Japan. While not a formal alliance, the Quad is seen as an important bulwark against China's aggressive efforts to dominate the Indo-Pacific region.

India's antagonistic confrontation with China also underpins its position on the Russia-Ukraine war.

China has openly backed Russia in the war, with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping declaring a "limitless" bond in February, during the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Some Indian diplomats fear that if New Delhi were to antagonize Moscow now, it would push Russia closer to China, leaving India exposed.

India and China fought deadly skirmishes along their shared and disputed Himalayan border as recently as 2020, and India suspects that the much larger China is behind hackings into its electrical grid and similar subversive actions.

India's attempts to remain neutral in Russias invasion of Ukraine are in keeping with its long tradition of going its own way on foreign policy and international relations, said Alyssa Ayres, dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, who has written extensively on India.

"India prides itself on its independence," she said. "It is not particularly swayed one way or another by entreaties from the United States or from other countries."

India likes to "straddle the divides," Ayres added; for example, it is friendly to both Israel and Iran to avoid being forced into any alliance-loyal position.

The U.S. secretaries of State and Defense, Antony J. Blinken and Lloyd J. Austin III, met Monday afternoon with their Indian counterparts, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. The officials announced no new agreements after the sessions but said they were finding ways to diversify Indian imports and move more of them to U.S. markets.

Biden administration officials also emphasized a slight shift in the Indian public position on denouncing atrocities in Bucha, a suburb of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv where many civilians were killed and dumped in a mass grave.

"They have condemned the recent horrific atrocities we saw in Bucha," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. "And certainly, as we see more, we expect them to do exactly that as well."

India has called for a full U.N. investigation of what happened in Bucha before it will attach blame to Russia.

In a late-afternoon news conference, Blinken seemed to acknowledge that changing India's mind was not in the cards. But the two countries were able to agree on some efforts, including India's decision to send medicines and other humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and agreed to disagree on others.

"India has to make its own decisions about how it approaches these challenges," Blinken said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The key archetypes in "Frankenweenie" adhere closely to the best-known of the classic Frankenstein films, James Whale's 1931 original and the 1935 "Bride of Frankenstein." Victor's Igor-like sidekick and the Vincent Price-inspired science teacher (here voiced by Martin Landau, so sweet as Bela Lugosi in Burton's "Ed Wood") set the tone for playfully macabre scares and mildly amusing riffs. But the balance has been tipped toward horror this time, too far for my taste. The monster-movie component of "Frankenweenie" stomps all over the appeal of the original 30-minute version. The pathos seems misjudged and a little ruthless; without the proper mixture of chills and whimsy, poor Sparky's fate(s) come close to "Vertigo" territory, which is ambitiously morbid territory indeed. And not quite right for "Frankenweenie."
Associated Press

The getaway vehicle used by a man wanted for murder in Alabama and the jail official suspected of helping him escape after a jailhouse romance was found in an impound lot in Tennessee, where it sat for nearly a week before authorities realized they had it, officials said Friday. Sheriff Rick Singleton of Lauderdale County, Alabama, told a news conference the Ford Edge with distinctive burnt orange paint was found on a roadside and towed the same day that Casey White, charged with murder, and former assistant corrections director Vicky White disappeared. The vehicle was found in a rural area off Interstate 65 about 100 miles (about 160 kilometers) from the jail in Florence, Alabama.
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has agreed to a request from his finance minister Rishi Sunak for a review to determine whether he had stuck to the rules on ministerial declarations following criticism over Sunak's family financial arrangements.

Sunak said on Sunday he had written to the prime minister asking him to refer his ministerial declarations to Christopher Geidt, the independent adviser on ministers' interests.

"The prime minister has agreed to the request from the chancellor for Lord Geidt to undertake this work," a spokeswoman for Johnson said on Monday, adding that the prime minister had full confidence in his finance minister.

"The prime minister is confident that all the appropriate declarations were followed."

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Kate Holton)
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said on Monday it had imposed sanctions on Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik and a second Bosnian-Serb politician for what it described as their attempts to undermine the legitimacy and functionality of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia has been going through its worst political crisis since the end of the Balkan wars of the 1990s, with Bosnian Serbs challenging state institutions as part of their longtime bid to secede and eventually join neighbouring Serbia.

The sanctions on Dodik and Zeljka Cvijanovic, President of the entity of Republika Srpska, include travel bans and asset freezes, the government said.

"These two politicians are deliberately undermining the hard won peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Encouraged by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, their reckless behaviour threatens stability and security across the Western Balkans," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement.

The United States sanctioned Dodik, who is the Serb member of Bosnia's inter-ethnic tripartite presidency which makes decisions on the Balkan country's foreign policy, in January.

EU officials have said the bloc would consider sanctions on Bosnia's Serb Republic and also withhold financial support if the political crisis continues to worsen, but so far no sanctions were introduced. The bloc doubled its peacekeeping force in Bosnia as a precautionary measure to stave off instability after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Britain said Dodik had "driven action to withdraw Republika Srpska from key State institutions, using divisive, dangerous, nationalist rhetoric, undermining domestic and regional peace and encouraging ethnic hatred and genocide denial."

The news on UK sanctions caught Dodik in the parliament of the Bosnian Serb entity.

"I have no assets in the UK and I have not been there in 10 years," web portal http://www.klix.ba quoted Dodik as saying to the parliament.

Cvijanovic has publicly glorified war criminals and denied the genocide at Srebrenica, the British government said.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Additional reporting Ivana Sekularac in Belgrade; Editing by Kate Holton)
By Bogdan Kobuchey and Ronald Popeski

(Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that Russia could use chemical weapons in Ukraine and called on the West to impose strong sanctions on Moscow that would deter even talk of the use of such weapons.

There were unconfirmed reports on Monday suggesting that chemical weapons were used in the besieged southern Ukrainian port of Mariupol.

"We treat this with the utmost seriousness," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on Monday. He did not say chemical weapons had already been used.

"I would like to remind world leaders that the possible use of chemical weapons by the Russian military has already been discussed. And already at that time it meant that it was necessary to react to the Russian aggression much harsher and faster."

Petro Andryushchenko, an aide to the mayor of Mariupol, wrote on his Telegram channel reports about a chemical attack had not been confirmed and that he expected to provide details and clarifications later.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the United States was aware of the reports.

"We cannot confirm at this time and will continue to monitor the situation closely," Kirby said. "These reports, if true, are deeply concerning and reflective of concerns that we have had about Russia's potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine."

The Russian invasion, which has killed thousands and displaced millions, has shifted from the gates of Kyiv to the east of Ukraine, with a huge offensive expected there. The European Union said on Monday that more sanction on Russia are an option.

"It is time to make this package in such a way that we would not hear even words about weapons of mass destruction from the Russian side," Zelenskiy said. "An oil embargo against Russia is a must. Any new package of sanctions against Russia that does not affect oil will be received in Moscow with a smile."

(Reporting by Bogdan Kochubey in Lviv, Ronald Popeski in Winnipeg and Idress Ali in Washington; Writing by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Leslie Adler, Sam Holmes and David Gregorio)
Family members gather for a road naming ceremony with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, centre, his son Hunter Biden, left, and his sister Valerie Biden Owens. AP

Valerie Biden Owens says her nephew Hunter "walked through hell" with his addiction struggles.

"He didn't wake up and say, 'Aunt Val, I think I'm going to be an addict,'" she told USA Today.

Biden Owens' memoir "Growing Up Biden" is due for release on Tuesday.

Valerie Biden Owens says her nephew Hunter Biden has already "walked through hell" in his struggles with substance abuse and mental illness as he faces an ongoing federal investigation into his tax affairs.

Biden Owens, President Joe Biden's older sister and one of his closest confidantes and advisors, discussed the Biden administration and her nephew Hunter in an interview with USA Today ahead of the publication of her memoir "Growing Up Biden," due for release on Tuesday.

Hunter, Biden's eldest son, publicly detailed his yearslong battle with drug and alcohol addiction in a 2019 interview with the New Yorker and then in more detail in his memoir "Beautiful Things." The 52-year-old Yale-trained attorney also been open about mental health and how his divorce and the 2015 death of his brother Beau from cancer affected him and his family.

Bidens Owens said she doesn't think Hunter bears responsibility for the public criticism and political attacks he's recieved. "Hunter walked through hell. He didn't wake up and say, 'Aunt Val, I think I'm going to be an addict. And so whatever happens, it's my responsibility,'" she said.

Biden Owens, citing other family members who dealt with addiction, said the most difficult part of her memoir was "exposing the vulnerabilities of a family and addiction." Biden himself does not drink alcohol.

Biden Owens stepped in to help raise Hunter and Beau after Biden's first wife Neilia Hunter and daughter Naomi died in a December 1972 car accident that also left the two boys injured. She told USA Today that she sees Hunter more like a son than a nephew.

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In addition to the ongoing federal grand jury probe, congressional Republicans are openly chomping at the bit to investigate Hunter's business dealings and other Biden family business ventures if the GOP wins back control of the House of Representatives in 2022.

But Biden Owens said the family is prepared for whatever congressional investigations or other scorched-earth political attacks come their way.

"I don't know what could be worse than Beau's dying of glioblastoma when he was 46 years old," Biden Owens said. "I don't know what could be worse than watching Hunter walk through hell. You never say the worst is over, but whatever comes, we can handle it as a family."

Biden Owens, one of her brother's most ardent supporters and defenders, says she talks to the president multiple times a week.

"When he calls, I don't talk about what happened with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin today," Biden Owens told USA Today. "We talk about family. It's a respite...we talk about nothing, and in talking about nothing, we talk about everything. I don't have to say a whole lot, because we understand each other."

Read the original article on Business Insider
In 1957, West Warwick Reggie was riding high.

At 17, he was a junior in high school and a talented trumpet player.

I was Mr. Music, Reggie reminisced recently. I was dating a cheerleader. the best-looking girl in the school. And then she dumped me!

Youre not mature enough, she told him. Why dont you join the Army and grow up?

So he did.

He enlisted in September 1957.

Members of Rhode Island's fifth Officer Candidate School at their graduation party in July 1962. The assistant commandant, Lt. Col. Benjamin Hague, stands at front center, with tactical officers 2nd Lt. Rosindo E. Caldarone immediately to his left and 2nd Lt. Raymond W. Casey to his right. The graduates are, from left: Ambrose A. Gallagher, Robert J. Gould, Thomas M. Frazer, Paul A. Dunphy, Reginald A. Centracchio, James S. Toczko, John W. Nelson III, Richard M. Ciaramello and Richard G. Reis.

Reginald A. Centracchio: Retired three-star general

In 2005, 48 years later, Reginald A. Centracchio retired as a three-star general, having served the previous 10 years as Rhode Islands adjutant general. He was the first Guardsman to rise from private to adjutant general in Rhode Islands history.

That journey began in 1961, when Centracchio was one of 54 candidates to join the fifth-ever class of Rhode Islands Officer Candidate School. Fifteen months later, only 10 graduated.

On April 2, three members of that class met at Camp Varnum in Narragansett for their 60th reunion.

Three of the 10 graduates have died, and two have moved to Arizona. Two others still live locally but could not attend for medical reasons. The three attendees were Centracchio, Tom Frazer and Paul Dunphy.

Tom Frazer: First RI OCS graduate to attain general officer rank

Frazer was the first Rhode Island OCS graduate to attain general officer rank, becoming assistant adjutant general in 1990. Centracchio was the second, when he was appointed adjutant general in 1995.

Both graduated from OCS on their birthdays: July 23. (Frazer is two years older.)

Current Adjutant Gen. Chris Callahan welcomed them on the parade ground near the ocean. They adjourned to the mess hall for a briefing on the world situation and the role our Rhode Island Guard plays.

The 1962 grads enjoyed a box lunch with several cadets from the 2022 Class #66. The group then toured Fort Varnum, bringing back memories from decades ago.

I actually sat on my old bunk, said Frazer, who has held this small group together over the years.

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The Rhode Island OCS program started in 1957. Each course started in May and consisted of two weekends of training each month, plus two intense, two-week training periods during the summers at Camp Varnum.

When the fifth class began, John F. Kennedy was in the White House. During the course, the Bay of Pigs fiasco took place and the Berlin Wall went up.

The 54 soldiers who began the program came from all branches of the Guard, and a few came from Army Reserve units.

We reported at the Cranston Street Armory, recalled Frazer. I drove in with my wife Carolyn and two small children. The harassment started immediately.

You had that feeling  what have I gotten into? Tactical officers and upperclassmen were screaming at the top of their lungs as we exited our vehicles.

Reginald Centracchio, left, Tom Frazer, center, and Paul Dunphy at their 60th Officer Candidate School reunion.

Some soldiers just got back into their cars and drove away.

By the time of the summer encampment two months later the class had been reduced by half.

Advancing in the ranks

Tom Frazer was born and raised in Providence, graduating from Hope High School.

I knew I wasnt going to college, he said. I had to work right away. In October of 1956 I enlisted, and in March of 1957 I went to work full time for the Guard."

After graduating from the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy in February 1961, Four enthusiastic NCOs nudged me to go to OCS.

Frazer stayed in the Guard his entire career, working most of that time in the property and fiscal office. He retired in 1994 as a brigadier general.

Reggie Centracchio was born in West Warwick in 1940. His uncles had served in World War II and his next door neighbor was one of the Band of Brothers.

After enlisting he thought he might make it a career.

If I was going to stay in the Army I should become an officer, he decided.

He was commissioned an air defense artilleryman.

In OCS, camaraderie was what got you through. Tom Frazer and I bonded, and after graduation he went into the field artillery, and I went to a missile site in Foster.

This was one of five Nike sites in Rhode Island during the Cold War  the last line of defense if Soviet bombers eluded our fighter interceptors.

We were on high alert during the Cuban Missile Crisis, he said wryly.

Centracchio steadily advanced in rank and responsibility, eventually retiring as a colonel in 1992.

He spent three years in real estate  a fish out of water for a career military man. In 1995 Gov. Lincoln Almond named him Adjutant General, a position he held for the next 10 years.

Looking back, Centracchio observes, Time goes by so damned quick  you close your eyes and 60 years have passed. Last week I told a cadet, 'Take advantage of your youth, because time passes quicker than you think.'"

Centracchio had three children with his first wife. Linda Lindgren, who died of cancer in 1990. Six years later, he married again, to Linda Felici. They live in Scituate.

Paul Dunphy: 'Being an officer had real advantages'

Paul Dunphy was born in Providence. He graduated from La Salle Academy in 1955 and from Providence College in 1959.

As a senior, Dunphy said, I had to do two things: get a job, and complete my military obligation.

He enlisted in 1958, serving in a quartermaster unit in Cranston.

Even though I had no intention of pursuing a military career, being an officer had real advantages," he said. "So I applied for OCS.

He married his wife, Marilyn, in 1960. One of the reasons he left the Guard was the conflict between weekend duty and raising three children.

Dunphy worked for Sealol, then IBM while serving in the Guard. In 1977 he began running his own custom label printing business in East Lyme, Connecticut. He retired in 2002 and lives in Niantic, Connecticut.

3 class members have died

Robert Gould was the outsider, a New Yorker who graduated from Iona College in 1957. He enlisted in 1955. His classmates recall his sole motivation for OCS was to fly.

In June 1969, Gould was flying a small airplane in Vietnam when a monsoon came out of nowhere, causing his plane to crash on takeoff. He was badly burned, and spent five months at the Army Burn Center in Texas.

Medically retired, he enjoyed a successful career in the Kansas City area. He died July 31, 2017, and is buried in the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery.

Ambrose Gallagher was born in Providence in 1936 and served in the Korean War. Amby was our leader, recalled Frazer. His prior active duty helped our class a lot.

Amby left the Army and joined New England Telephone, where he worked as an equipment technician for 29 years, retiring in 1995. He and his wife moved to Glocester in 1970, where they raised two sons. He died March 24, 2012.

Providence native James Toczko was a 1955 classmate of Dunphy at La Salle.

He enlisted, graduated from OCS and served until 1966. He earned a marketing degree from Bryant College and worked in the precision tool industry, eventually running his own business. He was married for 42 years before his death Oct. 27, 2020.

Other living members of the class

Richard Ciaramello started his own construction business after OCS. Later, he did tours at the National Guard Bureau in communications. He lives in Smithfield with his wife, Marcia. They have a daughter, Julie, who is a lieutenant colonel in the Rhode Island Air Guard.

John Nelson as a National Guard officer in the 1970s.

Middletown native John Nelson III wanted to drive a tank. So he also joined the Army at 17 while still attending Rogers High School.

He eventually ended up with the 115th Military Police Company, which was activated to West Point, replacing active duty MPs sent to Vietnam.

He volunteered for Vietnam, and ended up as the personnel officer of a Combat Engineer Battalion in the First Infantry Division.

He served with distinction, earning two Bronze Stars and two Commendation Medals for his active duty.

Nelson was working for Hospital Trust Bank when he was activated.

He left banking to start his own firm helping small businesses get capital. I helped over 2,000 small businesses and raised over $160 million, he told The Journal in 2020.

Nelson continued with the Guard, eventually serving as commandant of OCS. He transferred to an Army Reserve Civil Affairs group before retiring as a lieutenant colonel after more than 35 years service.

Nelson still lives in Middletown with wife Betty Anne, whom he married in 1964; they have three children.

Frazer recalls Richard G. Reis as being the brain of our group, who graduated first in academics. Reis went on to flight school and flew in the Rhode Island Guard for several years. He was an artillery major in 1973.

Reis was born in Middletown in November 1936, and enlisted in 1956. He moved to the Tucson area when he retired, and is believed to be living in Arizona.

John J. Wilkinson, known as Jack, was born in March 1937. He graduated from Pawtucket West High School and attended Rhode Island College. He enlisted in September 1959, and transferred from Artillery to Infantry in 1964.

He moved to Fountain Hills, Arizona, where he lives today.

Veterans Voice: Keeping alive the memory of troop ship Dorchester's RI victims

Veterans Voice: VA expands list of cancers for disability care for burn pit victims

Calendar

April 18, 2 p.m., Ribbon-cutting for state-of-the-art hemodialysis facility at the VAs main Providence campus, 830 Chalkstone Ave. This is the most advanced VA dialysis treatment facility in New England. It consists of more than 12,000 square feet of newly constructed clinical space and can service 14 dialysis patients simultaneously.

To report the outcome of a previous activity, or add a future event to our calendar, email the details (including a contact name and phone number/email address) to veteranscolumn@providencejournal.com.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI Officer Candidate School graduates meet for 60th reunion
On Monday, the White House released a so-called rural playbook intended to highlight and promote the billions of dollars available to smaller communities from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Alongside issues like broadband access and safe drinking water, the document prioritizes extreme weather and especially forest fires. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland spoke to reporters from Colorado on Monday, where she met with firefighters and fire response coordinators about the new opportunities.

The reality is that these days, fire season lasts for much of the year and rural communities across the country often bear the brunt of more intense fire seasons fueled by extreme heat and drought conditions, Haaland said. The funding ... will be crucial to ensuring those communities have the resources they need to bolster climate resilience and protect natural areas."

The emphasis underscores the growing threat to rural communities as they grapple with the impacts of climate change. The United States faced 22 extreme weather events in 2021  from floods to fires to wind storms. Each costs over $1 billion and added up to a price tag of nearly $100 billion, according to the White House. The 2021 CoreLogic Wildfire Risk Report found similar high costs and millions of homes at risk. The group has also recently found that the impacts span 13 states, largely in the West.

A firefighter helps fight the Windy Fire in the Sequoia National Forest near Johnsondale, California in 2021. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

The release of the new document comes alongside a rural infrastructure tour, kicked off by a trip from President Joe Biden to Menlo, Iowa on Tuesday. During a Yahoo Finance Live interview Monday, White House Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese added that Biden would also use Tuesdays Iowa stop to talk about additional actions we can take to combat high gas prices.

The overall tour is set to feature stops in the coming weeks from officials including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in addition to Haalands Colorado visit.

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These generational infrastructure investments will provide rural communities across America affordable high-speed internet, clean drinking water, reliable electricity, better roads and bridges, and good-paying jobs, Biden said in a statement.

An opportunity for folks to protect their communities

In one of the fire-specific initiatives highlighted this week, $5.5 billion will go to the Forest Service and its land and will largely be used to prevent fires.

The funding will provide an opportunity for folks to protect their communities and their homes and their lives and to also make sure that our firefighters are not having to deal with the risk and the tremendous danger of these catastrophic wildfires," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.

The administration is launching ambitious efforts to remove vegetation that can fuel wildfires on more than 4 million acres and also reforest up to 400,000 acres of previously burned land.

Some of the money will boost current firefighters' pay. Currently, the Forest Service only guarantees that its firefighters make at least $15 an hour  less than average starting salary for an Amazon warehouse worker. Vilsack noted that his department has struggled with losing employees to other more financially beneficial firefighting opportunities.

Some of the money will also fund a $1 billion Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program that will offer grants to communities to beef up their wildfire plans and defenses. There is also money set for other efforts to help establish fleets of vehicles that can be quickly converted to respond to fires.

Other money in the $1.2 trillion law  $550 billion of which is newly authorized spending  is going towards the other effects from climate change. They are also highlighted throughout the playbook, with billions for rural water projects, flood mitigation, pollution cleanup, and other efforts.

There is $14.6 billion set aside for rural-specific projects overall, says Mitch Landrieu, the former New Orleans mayor who's coordinating the overall rollout of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. That is in addition to money for roads and bridges that will help urban and rural communities alike.

Ben Werschkul is a writer and producer for Yahoo Finance in Washington, DC.

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Siegfried, as played by Burkhard Fritz, sings during a dress rehearsal of act three of Richard Wagner's opera "Siegfried," part of the Ring Cycle, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago at Civic Opera House. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Can a startling production with a mostly charismatic cast succeed when the lead performer doesnt summon quite the vocal firepower required?

Apparently so in the case of Siegfried, the third work in Richard Wagners four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), which opened Saturday night at Lyric Opera of Chicago. For even though tenor Burkhard Fritz proved a bit too small of voice and unassuming a presence for the rigors of the title role, the rest of this new Lyric production was so visually arresting, dramatically provocative and otherwise beautifully sung that resistance was futile.

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To his saving grace, Fritz  making his American operatic stage debut  very nearly rose to the occasion during the operas final pages, in part simply to keep pace with his duet partner, the commanding soprano Christine Goerke as Brunnhilde.

Yet even beyond the rest of the casts allure, it was the look, feel and concept of this Siegfried that rendered the deepest impression. This was a Siegfried sure to unnerve purists and delight more venturesome souls, its staging rich in cheeky comedy and intentional anachronism. Both served to deflate some of Wagners innate grandiosity, always a welcome development.

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Even before the curtain went up, this production signaled its intent, a claw of the dragon Fafner crawling out to the lip of the stage and, predictably, drawing laughter from the audience. So here was a Siegfried that opened with a visual joke, the first of many to come.

Mime, played by Matthias Klink, top, speaks to Siegfried, played by Burkhard Fritz, during a dress rehearsal of Act I of "Siegfried," at the Lyric Opera of Chicago at the Civic Opera House. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)

Once the curtain rose, the audience witnessed not the conventional gloomy hut of the dwarf Mime but something more stunning: a brightly colored nursery packed with toys and stuffed animals, plus a tableau of child-like drawings as scenic backdrop. Better still, the larger-than-life crib and other outsize furniture towered over Mime, vividly emphasizing not only his diminutive scale but his smallness of character.

Because the production, directed by David Pountney, sought to cast Siegfried from the outset not just as an innocent but also as a child, the enormous props and infantile setting suited his persona as well. The question was whether  five hours later  wed see a Siegfried who had become a man.

Long before the answer arrived, tenor Matthias Klink, in his Lyric debut as Mime, made a tragicomic tour de force of Als zullendes Kind, smarmily bemoaning how his supposed generosity toward Siegfried had won him nothing but contempt from the youth. Mimes intentions, of course, were darkly selfish, and Klink conveyed crocodile tears through tone of voice and wickedness of gesture. When Fritzs Siegfried duetted  shoulder to shoulder  with Klinks Mime, we saw innocence and cynicism in a grim embrace sure to end murderously for one of them.

It falls to Siegfried to forge the sword Nothung from its surviving shards, and the tools to do so arrived onstage via large boxes carrying the curved-arrow trademark that today adorns every Amazon package, here floating atop the words Rhein Logistik (or Rhine Logistics, a Ring cycle in-joke). As Fritzs Siegfried set about welding the sword, he followed billboard-size instructions that looked as if they had come directly from Ikea. Once again, director Pountney and colleagues were coaxing Siegfried into the 21st century, chuckling all the way. Those who objected to these touches may be taking Wagners self-styled mythologies a tad too seriously.

After all this whimsy, the entrance of bass-baritone Eric Owens as the Wanderer (actually the god Wotan in disguise) was very nearly overwhelming, and not just because he was walking on stilts. The majesty of his instrument matched the fervor of his delivery, Owens portraying a god who dwarfed all around him but ultimately realized hes doomed to lose his powers.

Act II two of "Siegfried," at the Lyric Opera of Chicago at the Civic Opera House. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)

Inevitably, Siegfried must confront the dragon, and here one marveled anew at the stagecraft involved. For the giant Fafner, disguised as the hideous monster, was animated by actors moving several distinct body parts (head, claws, tail). The beast looked terrifying, smoke oozing from behind pointy white teeth. It sounded even more so, bass Patrick Guetti providing aptly snarling lines, his voice every bit as large as one might expect a dragons to be.

Indeed, the level of singing and acting stayed consistently high, with bass-baritone Samuel Youn imposing as Mimes comparably corrupt brother Alberich; and mezzo-soprano Ronnita Miller magisterial in her Lyric debut as the entombed goddess Erda, her dramatic rise from her slumber another achievement for this production. As she ascended, the aforementioned actors made her enormous gown billow and quiver while she addressed the Wanderer (Wotan). The Forest Bird that led Siegfried through the thicket was equally magical, an actor holding the glowing puppet aloft, the beauty of its appearance and the flow of its motion very nearly making you forget that it wasnt airborne on its own. Soprano Diana Newman became the personification of the winged creature, her radiant upper register and anthropomorphic movement as poetic to see as to hear.

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Of course, Siegfrieds travails ultimately led him to the sleeping Brunnhilde. After his kiss awakened her, the sheer size, scope and stature of Goerkes instrument in Ewig war ich made you glad it did. Fritzs Siegfried produced more tone and commitment in his duets with Goerke than anywhere else  though, really, he had to in order to be heard alongside her. He looked and acted taller, too, the boy of the first act clearly having become a man by the third.

Its not an exaggeration to note that the enormous, Wagnerian orchestra practically stands as a character unto itself, commenting upon and foreshadowing the action. The Lyric Opera Orchestra, under the baton of music director Andrew Davis, handled a tremendously complex score with vigor, virtuosity and considerable tonal sheen.

The late Johan Engels created the original sets for Lyrics entire, ongoing Ring cycle, with Robert Innes Hopkins building ingeniously on them. Add their visionary work to Fabrice Kebours neon-bright lighting design and Marie-Jeanne Leccas irrepressibly imaginative costume design, and you had a production that appealed to the eye as much as the ear.

Five hours rarely have flown by faster.

3.5 stars (out of 4)

Siegfried continues at Lyric Opera, 20 N. Wacker Drive, on select dates through Nov. 16; ticket prices vary; 312-827-5600 or www.lyricopera.org.

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Howard Reich is a Tribune critic.

hreich@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @howardreich

[ MORE COVERAGE: Musicians end strike against Lyric Opera ]

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Deidre DeJear is reportedly finding Iowa a changed place, trending staunchly conservative, endorsing many aspects of Trumpism.

NEVADA, Iowa (AP)  In 2008, this overwhelmingly white state was Barack Obamas unlikely launching pad to become the nations first Black president. Fourteen years later, Iowans arent showing a similar embrace for the woman running to become its first Black governor.

Democrat Deidre DeJear is finding Iowa a much changed place, trending staunchly conservative, endorsing many aspects of Trumpism, with an electorate that is so far displaying little interest in her history-making candidacy.

Democratic Iowa gubernatorial candidate Deidre DeJear speaks at the Story County Democrats Super Soup Fundraiser last month in Nevada, Iowa. (Photo: Charlie Neibergall/AP)

Educated younger adults who were once reliable Democratic voters have fled rural Iowa seeking opportunities elsewhere. The strength of organized labor has eroded. Obamas general election victories in 2008 and 2012 seem like distant memories.

The changes are part of a broader transformation that has spread through the Northern Plains over the past two decades, making it increasingly difficult for Democrats to compete in the region even as they make inroads in other places like the Deep South and Sun Belt.

Times are so different from Obamas 2008 campaign, said Dave Leshtz, a veteran Democratic organizer from Iowa City, after a DeJear event in the liberal enclave. Its an entirely different state.

DeJear, a 36-year-old Des Moines businesswoman, cemented her status as a rising political star in 2018 when she became the first Black candidate to win a statewide primary in Iowa. She lost the general election for secretary of state, but she won national attention and invitations from Democratic presidential hopefuls to serve as a state adviser.

She is struggling to translate that lower-wattage fame into support from voters. Only 31% of likely Iowa voters said they know enough about DeJear  running unopposed in the June 7 primary  to form an opinion, according to The Des Moines Registers Iowa Poll, conducted in late February and early March.

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Meanwhile, she posted an anemic $8,500 fundraising balance in January, raising less than $300,000 since announcing her candidacy in August. It paled next to Republican incumbent Gov. Kim Reynolds $4.8 million balance and $3.8 million in contributions.

Story County Democrat Barb Wheelock attributed part of DeJears struggle to racism, both inside the party and among the states voters.

I think its part that shes Black and people dont think shell do very well  the people in our state party, the people with the money, Wheelock, a 70-year-old retired physical therapist, said while attending a DeJear stop in Story County last month.

DeJear told The Associated Press that she suspected her race may be on some minds as she seeks supporters.

Of course no one has said that to me outright, DeJear said. But there is a question of whether or not a Black woman could win. That is definitely a question.

DeJear tried to put any such doubts aside as she bounded onto the stage at an event in Nevada, a small farm town in central Iowa. With an upbeat style and a trace of her native Mississippi accent, DeJear reminded the audience that Iowans boasted a groundbreaking legacy, including an Iowa Supreme Court decision that made Iowa the first state to desegregate public schools after the Civil War.

I believe in whats possible, she said. We made a conscientious decision that no matter what your skin color was, no matter what your race was, each and every one of our students should have access to a quality public education.

It was a nod to an Iowa progressive streak that carried well into the 21st century.

In 2009, the Iowa high court ruled gay marriage legal, making the state the third to allow it, after similar rulings in Massachusetts and Connecticut but five years before the U.S. Supreme Court. A year before, Iowa voters had not only backed Obama by a healthy margin in the general election, they overwhelmingly sent liberal Democrat Tom Harkin to the U.S. Senate for a fifth term.

Iowans ushered in the new millennium with Tom Vilsack, a Democrat and former mayor from rural southeast Iowa, as governor. And during the 1988 Democratic presidential caucuses, the Rev. Jesse Jackson finished a notable fourth, relying on support from rural Iowa.

But a sharp decline of union jobs and an exodus of young, college-educated adults, have altered Iowas once dynamic political map.

In a striking illustration, Obama carried the state in November 2008 by winning 52 of its 99 counties. Joe Biden, who on Tuesday will make his first trip to Iowa as president, lost the state in 2020, winning only six counties.

After decades of divided state government, Republicans have controlled the Legislature and the governorship for six consecutive years, cutting taxes and reining in voting and abortion rights. Today, five of Iowas six members of Congress are Republicans.

State Rep. Ras Smith had hoped to interrupt the trend as a candidate for governor in this years race. The 34-year-old Smith, who was voted the Iowa Democratic Partys Rising Star award recipient in 2019 and is Black, found it difficult to persuade some of the partys major donors in the state, who are white, to give him a look.

Despite Smiths promising profile and DeJears 2018 breakthrough, some wealthy Iowa Democrats sought out others to run, including state Rep. Todd Pritchard, who is from rural northern Iowa and white.

Smith said some influential donors declined his invitation to meet to discuss his campaign. Among them, he said, was Fred Hubbell, the 2018 Democratic nominee for governor. A wealthy Des Moines-area businessman, Hubbell spent $7 million of his own money in narrowly losing to Reynolds.

It wasnt about the dollars, said Smith, who ended his campaign in January, leaving DeJear unopposed in the primary. He didnt come to an event and was turned off. We didnt have coffee and I said something that pissed him off. Thats the part that felt disrespectful. It was disrespectful.

Smith said he and Hubbell spoke by phone but never met despite several invitations. Hubbell did not respond to requests for comment.

My party doesnt think its nearly as racist, said Tom Courtney, a former state senator and longtime union activist from the once-booming manufacturing corridor along the Mississippi River, who is white. But some of that is going on.

The sentiment stings for Iowa Democrats, as national party leaders, frustrated by the states lack of diversity, are taking steps to shift the early presidential nominating contest away from the traditionally first-in-the-nation caucus state.

Hubbell endorsed DeJear in a written statement last month, two months after Smiths withdrawal made her the Democrats only candidate. Hubbell has since contributed to DeJears campaign, though her campaign declined to say how much. Smith has also endorsed DeJear, one of several Black Democratic women running for statewide office around the country this year.

Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams is again seeking the governorship. Former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley is running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat. And Florida Rep. Val Demings is the leading Democrat to face Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.

But DeJear is the only Black woman campaigning in such a predominantly white state. In 2020, 90.4% of Iowans were white, according to census data. Roughly 62% of the nations population was white, and more than 13% Black.

Still, DeJear, who campaigned for Obama as a college student at Drake University in Des Moines in 2008, is optimistic she can relight the flame.

We also look to Obama and what he was able to accomplish, she said in the interview. I believe that Iowans have this innate ability to see the humanity that exists in other folks. And thats what drives us.

The post White Iowans who supported Obama in 2008 not embracing the Black woman running for governor appeared first on TheGrio.
A proposed parking fee system in 2023 to sustain the Great Smoky Mountains National Park promises to be transformational for the national park service unit that has more visitors than any other in the country.

Over the last decade, visitation increased by 57 percent to a record 14.1 million visits in 2021, park officials said.

Dana Soehn, the park's spokesperson, said establishing parking fees is one of the most significant developments in the parks history since it was established in 1934 and dedicated in 1940.

Collectively, the people of North Carolina and Tennessee have carried the weight but now its time to call on the people across the U.S., she said in a teleconference with about 50 volunteers and others on Wednesday, when the program was announced.

National park officials spent several months laying the groundwork for the announcement by contacting the congressional delegations impacted by the park in Tennessee and North Carolina, governors of both states, and state/county/city leaders in the gateway communities in six counties, Soehn said.

This paid off with former U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, who lives two miles from the park, writing an opinion piece supporting the proposal that was published on knoxnews,com on Thursday.

This columnist sought comment from several elected officials.

Judd Deere, deputy chief of staff for communications for U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, said in a statement: Senator Hagerty is very proud that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the country and the place where many American families spend their vacations. While the decision of whether to require fees is up to the National Park Service, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Hagerty is working with his colleagues to ensure that the congressional appropriations process provides the park with the tools it needs to operate.

U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Knoxville, said, I appreciate the Great Smoky Mountains National Park opening up this process for public comment. The park is popular with visitors throughout the world, not just the local community, which helped it become the most visited National Park in 2021. The U.S. Department of Interior should amend its funding formula to direct more money to parks that see higher usage.

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Since the park has no entrance fees like just about every other national park, its been dependent on its annual budget appropriation from Congress to operate. That appropriation has been about $20 million for a number of years, which means the park has had to cut staff and services to operate, Kendra Straub, the parks program and management analyst, said.

The park has had campground and backcountry fees, which are proposed for increases. Nonprofit support groups like Friends of the Smokies and the Great Smoky Mountains Association also have provided funding to the park to help with its personnel and services.

Once implemented, the new and increased fees are expected to generate about $14 million annually. All revenue generated through the user fees would remain in the Smokies to support operational costs for managing and improving services for visitors including trail maintenance, custodial services, trash removal and supporting more law enforcement staffing across the park, park officials said.

The reason why the park does not have entrance fees has to do with deed restrictions put in place when the state of Tennessee transferred its portion of Newfound Gap Road and Little River Road to the park in 1951.

The deed restriction prohibits the park from charging a toll to use those two roadways, Soehn said in an email. That action, in and of itself, doesn't prohibit entrance fees at other park locations. However, Title 16 of the US Code does. By this federal code, parks are restricted from charging entrance fees anywhere in their park if they can't charge for use of primary roads.

Both Soehn and Straub said there are no verbal or written agreements documented at the time of the parks creation associated with the transfer of lands from the 1,200 landowners or the 18 logging companies that restricted entrance fees.

Park Superintendent Cassius Cash was on the teleconference briefly, one of his first appearances after serving nearly five months as acting director of the Park Services southeast regional office. He said he became familiar with a number of other parks and this park is one of the jewels of the region.

The park is proposing a daily parking tag for $5, weekly tag for $15 and annual tag for $40. It also is recommending increasing backcountry camping fees from $4 per night to $8 per night, with a maximum of $40 per camper. A proposed fee for all campground for family campsites would be $30 per night for primitive sites and $36 per night for sites with electrical hookups. Formerly rates for campgrounds varied and ranged from $17.50 to $25 per night. Rates for daily rental of the Appalachian Clubhouse and Spence Cabin in Elkmont are proposed to be a standard daily rate, with $300 daily at the clubhouse, and $200 daily at the cabin. Present rates are based on whether use is daily or on the weekend.

The volunteers on the teleconference were urged to support the proposals as often only opponents are heard from on public policy issues, Soehn said.

A virtual public meeting will be held on the proposal at 5 p.m. Thursday by logging in at tinyurl.com/mttkdyxs. Or comments can be mailed to: Superintendent Cassius Cash, Attn: 2023 Smokies Fee Program Changes Proposal,107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738.

HOW THEY VOTED: Neither of Tennessees U.S. senators joined in confirming Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, paving the way for her to become the first Black woman to sit on the court. The bipartisan vote supporting Jackson was 53-47. She will succeed Associate Justice Stephen Breyer when he retires in the fall.

U.S. Sens. Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn said they felt her approach to justice did not align with the Constitution. Jackson is a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., and previously was a U.S. District Court judge.

While I found Judge Jackson to be deeply intelligent and committed to serving her country, I do not believe her judicial philosophy and method of constitutional interpretation align with what the Constitution demands and what Tennesseans rightly expect from a Supreme Court justice. Therefore, I am not able to support her lifetime appointment to the Court. Hagerty said.

The role of a Supreme Court justice is to interpret the law, not to take up arms in a culture war. I have serious concerns that Judge Jacksons ideology may influence her jurisprudence. A justices primary commitment must always be to the Constitution  not to woke progressivism or results-based judicial activism. Throughout her career, Judge Jackson evaded this duty, with terrible results. She consistently handed down lenient sentences to child predators, and even granted a convicted cop killer compassionate release from prison. I cannot in good conscience support her confirmation to the highest court in the land, Blackburn said.

Blackburn was a member of the Judiciary Committee that failed to send a recommendation to the full Senate in an 11-11 vote. Then the Senate voted 53-47, the same as the final vote, to discharge the nomination from the committee to the full Senate.

Blackburn gave a speech criticizing many of the Bidens administrations policies last Monday and included one line for Jackson, who had declined to answer when Blackburn asked during her confirmation hearings to define the word woman. Blackburn said people in Tennessee know what a woman is. They dont need a biologist to tell them, she said. Saturday Night Live later poked fun at Blackburns line of questioning on the definition of a woman.

Democrats said Republicans distorted Jacksons sentencing record and said it was in line with most federal judges. Representatives for the American Bar Association gave Jackson its highest rating of well qualified, and also told the committee that Jacksons sentencing was within the mainstream of American judges, several news reports said.

OTHER POLITICAL NEWS: Marie Yovanovitch, former U.S. ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Ukraine, who was fired by former President Donald Trump, will speak on her experiences and talk about the current geopolitical climate in Eastern Europe at 5:30 p.m. May 2 at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Egypt and Syria Margaret Scobey will interview Yovanovitch. The event is free and open to the public, and a Q&A will follow. Yovanovitch will be the lecturer in a series sponsored by former Knoxville mayor/ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe.

The event will include a signing of her new book, Lessons from the Edge: A Memoir. Copies of the book will be available at the Baker Center, 1640 Cumberland Ave., on the University of Tennessee campus.

David Smith, former press secretary and director of communications to former Gov. Bill Haslam, has joined the Baker Center as director of external affairs. He also is former director of communications for the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp.

The Knox County Democratic Party has a second campaign office, 9041 Executive Park Drive, entrance B, which was to open Saturday. The other is at 311 Morgan St.

The first day of early voting for the Knox County primaries is Wednesday.

Georgiana Vines is retired News Sentinel associate editor. She may be reached at gvpolitics@hotmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Great Smoky Mountains National Park leaders spent months on parking plan
"... the Indiana Fever select ..."

If all goes to the current schedule, that phrase will be heard a lot during the WNBA Draft on Monday, April 11. Through their 2021 performance and trades, the Fever have four of the top 10 picks: No. 2, 4, 6 and 10.

More: Fever have 'glaring' needs and are in need of a reset. Hello, 4 first-round picks.

How to watch: Fever are scheduled to make four first-round picks

Here's how the latest WNBA mock drafts see the Fever's selections:

2. NaLyssa Smith, Baylor: (Lin) Dunn praised the skill sets of both Howard and Smith. But Smith looks to be a better fit right now for the Fever, who are in need of post help and more energy on defense. Baylor coach Nicki Collen said she thinks Smith had her best defensive season yet as a senior, and would embrace guarding opponents' best players. Smith averaged 22.1 PPG and 11.5 RPG this season, and while she is known for scoring in the paint, she believes her range will keep growing.

4. Emily Engstler, Louisville: If ever a player looked like a "Lin Dunn type," it's the scrapper Engstler. And that's why Dunn might use a lottery pick to get her, rather than risk New York taking her at No. 5. Engstler made a big impact in her one season at Louisville, helping lead the Cardinals to the program's fourth women's Final Four. She averaged 11.9 PPG and 9.4 RPG, and her constant energy, ability to disrupt the passing lanes and grit could help the Fever's lackluster defense.

6. Elissa Cunane, North Carolina State: There seems to be a wide range of opinion on Cunane, who finished her Wolfpack career averaging 14.8 PPG and 7.9 RPG. Is she ready to play right away? Can she get stronger? Will she go later in the first round? Or fall out of the first round altogether? With Dunn needing size and wanting good chemistry, Cunane could be a solid pick. She made 112 3-pointers in college, shooting 41.1% from behind the arc, so that is a legitimate weapon for her. And she's a hard worker who will fill whatever roll she is asked to play.

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10. Destanni Henderson, South Carolina: Henderson had her best game at the best time, helping the Gamecocks win the national championship. If the Fever go post-heavy with their first three selections, they might not pass on Henderson if she is available. As a point guard, she can be a sparkplug on both offense and defense.

2. NyLyssa Smith, Baylor: This has been a two-player race at the top of the draft for a while now, and with Howard off the board the Fever will gladly take Smith, who was one of just five players in the country to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds this season. She is an unbelievable athlete who excels in transition, a strong rebounder and defender and an efficient finisher around the basket. She has real star potential, especially if she continues to refine her offensive game.

4. Kierstan Bell, Florida Gulf Coast: After taking Smith, it makes sense for the Fever to turn towards the perimeter with their second lottery pick. At 6-foot-1, Bell is the type of big, athletic wing you need to build a winning team in the modern game. She was one of the best scorers in the country (her 23.5 points per game would have ranked fourth if she didn't miss time due to a knee injury), crashes the glass well for her size and should be able to play multiple positions. Watch out if she can improve her 3-point shooting.

6. Nyara Sabally, Oregon: Nyara Sabally, the younger sister of Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally, has a brutal injury history that's highlighted by multiple ACL tears in her right knee. But as a 6-foot-5 big who can bang in the paint and is mobile enough to move around the perimeter, she is a clear first-round talent. Her upside if she stays healthy is well worth the risk for a rebuilding Fever team that needs all the help it can get and has four top-10 picks.

10. Nia Clouden, Michigan State: There are some conflicting opinions on where Clouden might go, in part because she's only 5-foot-9. But given her quickness and ability to create shots for herself and others, she's well worth a late first round pick. Only six other players in the country put up at least 20 points and four assists per game last season, and none of them shot better than Clouden from 3-point land (39.6%).

2. Smith: Smith was a bench player on Baylors national championship winning team in 2019. However, weve seen her blossom into one of the top WNBA draft prospects. Check out her senior year numbers. Smith still needs to work on her shooting, but her dominance in the paint (makes her an early pick).

4. Sabally: Nyara Sabally is one of the more intriguing players. Her talent has her among the best players in college basketball. However, she has missed a ton of time with multiple knee injuries. Sabally averaged 14.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in 47 games at Oregon.

6. Elissa Cunane, North Carolina State: Elissa Cunane is one of those players that is better than the numbers show. She doesnt average many rebounds and blocks, but shes a great interior presence on the defensive end. Her points per game dropped in her senior season, but she made over 40% on her 3-pointers.

10. Engstler: Engstler is one of the hardest working prospects in the WNBA Draft. ... You never have to question her commitment to the game.

2. Smith: Smith's skill set fits best into a run-and-gun offense rather than one that moves a bit slower on the block. ... Smith will get considerably more opportunities to play. But will a team like Indiana have the player development infrastructure in place necessary to take advantage of Smith's athleticism and length?

4. Sabally: Sabally has a pro frame at 6'5", can take up a lot of space in the paint and is athletic for her size. The German native more of a traditional post player with strong finishing skills on the block. She's super physical, but she can also stretch and shoot from beyond the arc when needed. She's also a willing passer.

6. Ashley Joens, Iowa State: With the modern game dependent on having players with Joens' skill set and size, the Fever would be foolish to not fill a glaring hole on their roster. Victoria Vivians is the only player on Indiana's roster that right now is most comfortable playing on the wing. Joens is a multidimensional scorer.

10. Christyn Williams, Connecticut: Indiana probably won't need a lead guard but rather one who can run in concert off the ball with Danielle Robinson and Kelsey Mitchell. Enter Williams.

2. Smith: Listed at 64, Smith is a highly physical power forward who has an athletic advantage over the vast majority of her individual matchups. A strong face-up game and a relentless motor make Smith quite a handful on the boards and at the rim.

4. Bell: Bell scored nearly 1,100 points in just two seasons at FGCU, quickly proving to be a perfect fit in the Eagles 3-point-heavy offense. She operated mainly as a small-ball forward there, feasting on Atlantic Sun competition en route to a pair of conference player of the year awards. Although Bells role will likely be different on whichever WNBA team she lands on, theres no question she has both the skill and the body to be a successful pro.

6. Sabally: Saballys career at Oregon was limited to just two seasons due to multiple ACL injuries, but when healthy, she showed several of the same skills that made her older sister Satou a cant-miss WNBA prospect  handling the ball and finishing plays in transition, in particular.

10. Veronica Burton, Northwestern: A three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year who amassed 394 steals in four collegiate seasons, Burton was often tasked with carrying the lions share of the playmaking for an offensively limited Northwestern team; although she plays with the push needed from WNBA point guards, she wouldnt be overtaxed in Indiana, and her ability to set the tone of a game on defense would be a welcome addition to a backcourt that lacks a point-of-attack defender.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: WNBA mock draft 2022: Who will Indiana Fever take?
A woman who was accused of helping the MS-13 gang kill four young men on Long Island in 2017 has been found guilty on all counts, federal prosecutors said Monday. Leniz Escobar was convicted in connection with her participation in the April 11, 2017 murders of Justin Llivicura, Michael Lopez, Jorge Tigre and Jefferson Villalobos.

Escobar, now 22, faces up to life in prison when she is sentenced.

Escobar, also known as "La Diablita" or "Little Devil," allegedly lured five men to a park in Central Islip to smoke marijuana. When they got there, the victims were attacked by gang members with machetes, knives, an axe and wooden clubs, prosecutors said.

Leniz Escobar / Credit: CBS New York

One ran off, but the other four were killed. Prosecutors say the MS-13 members believed the victims were "members of a rival gang, at least two of whom had disrespected the MS-13 by posting photos on social media."

The four victims  who were between the ages of 16 and 20  were found hacked to death with what police described as "significant trauma" wounds that Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said at the time indicated the work of MS-13.

"After the attack, the MS-13 members dragged the victims' bodies to a more secluded spot in the woods, piled them up, and then fled," prosecutors said, adding that the bodies were discovered the following evening.

In the days following the murders, prosecutors allege Escobar "bragged to other MS-13 members about her role in the killings" and discussed the attack in detail in recorded calls with her boyfriend.

Prosecutors also say Escobar destroyed evidence of her involvement in the murders by disposing of a sweatshirt stained with a victim's blood and tossing her cell phone from a car while being followed by the police.

"With today's verdict, Escobar has been held responsible for the crucial role that she willingly played in orchestrating one of the most vicious and senseless mass murders in the district in memory," said United States Attorney Peace. "The defendant showed utter disregard for human life by leading the victims into a killing field, to their slaughter, to enhance her stature with her fellow cold-blooded murderers within the MS-13 gang."

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More than a dozen MS-13 members and associates have been charged in connection with the 2017 killings.

The casket of Justin Llivicura, one of four young men found slain in a suspected MS-13 gang killing, is carried from St. Joseph the Worker Church after Llivicura's funeral, April 19, 2017, in East Patchogue, N.Y. / Credit: Frank Eltman / AP

MS-13, also called Mara Salvatrucha, is believed to have been founded as a neighborhood street gang in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s by immigrants fleeing a civil war in El Salvador. It grew after some members were deported to El Salvador, helping turn that country into one of the most violent places in the world.

The gang is now a major international criminal enterprise, with tens of thousands of members in several Central American countries and many U.S. states.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy asks South Korean lawmakers for military aid

Biden announces new rules for "ghost guns," introduces ATF director nominee

Kitten rescued from destroyed town in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has urged NATO to take stronger actions throughout Russias invasion, said in an interview that aired Sunday he is no longer interested in their diplomacy.

When youre working in diplomacy, there are no results. All of this is very bureaucratic, Zelensky said in an interview with CBSs 60 Minutes.

Thats why the way I am talking to them is absolutely justified. I dont have any more lives to give. I dont have any more emotions. Im no longer interested in their diplomacy that leads to the destruction of my country, the president added.

Since the unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, Zelensky has referred to NATO as weak and under confident, while also previously pushing for Ukraines membership in the body.

Knowing that new strikes and casualties are inevitable, NATO deliberately decided not to close the sky over Ukraine, Zelensky said in an earlier video, urging the security alliance to think about all those people who will die because of you.

Because of your weakness, because of your disunity, all the alliance has managed to do so far is to carry 50 tons of diesel fuel for Ukraine, he said in March. Is this the alliance you were building?

NATO has said it condemns in the strongest possible terms Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine and last week called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw all his forces from Ukraine without conditions and engage in genuine diplomacy.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has also said that the invasion has already had long-term consequences that will require the alliance to adapt to that reality.

NATO is the most successful alliance in history for two reasons. One is that we have been able to unite Europe and North America. The other is that we have been able to change when the world is changing. Now the world is changing and NATO is changing, the secretary-general added.

Story continues

Later in Sundays interview with CBS, Zelensky added that he was not disappointed with President Bidens response to the crisis.

I dont know how another president in his place would help us. I dont know. Its difficult, he said.

We have a good relationship, he added, speaking of Biden. Ukraine depends on the support of the United States and I, as the leader of a country of war, I can only be grateful.

Biden has also rejected Ukrainian demands for a no-fly zone, and nixed a Polish plan to transfer fighter jets into the country.

However, the U.S. has sent hundreds of millions of dollars worth of weapons to Ukraine, including missile systems and lethal drones.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ukrainian President Volodyrmyr Zelenskyy seen on March 10, 2022. Office of the President of Ukraine

Zelenskyy said in an interview with CBS that Ukrainians are "defending the right to live."

He added that Ukrainians are "defending the ability of a person to live in the modern world."

"I never thought this right was so costly. These are human values," Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CBS civilians in his country defending themselves against the Russian invasion "are defending the right to live."

"We are defending the ability of a person to live in the modern world. They say we're defending Western values. I always say, what are Western values? Someone who lives in the United States or Europe, do they also not like children? Do they not want their children to go to university, do they not want their grandfather to live for 100 years? We have the same values," Zelenskyy said during an interview with 60 Minutes airing Sunday.

He added: "We are defending the right to live. I never thought this right was so costly. These are human values. So that Russia doesn't choose what we should do and how I'm using my rights. That right was given to me by God and my parents."

Zelenskyy also spoke to CBS about the increasing need for military aid as Ukraine prepares for a "new wave" of Russian attacks. In a recent interview with the German newspaper BILD, owned by Insider's parent company Axel Springer, Zelenskyy predicted intense fighting in the coming days.

"It could be a big war in Donbas  like the world has not seen in hundreds of years," Zelenskyy told BILD.

The full 60 Minutes interview with Zelenskyy airs on April 10.

Read the original article on Business Insider
This page recaps the news from Ukraine on Monday, April 11. Follow here for the latest updates and news from Tuesday, April 12, as Russia's invasion continues.

Russia is resupplying and reinforcing its invasion force in eastern Ukraine with a long convoy of vehicles heading to the region, indicating a new phase of the war is likely to occur there, according to a senior Pentagon official.

That phase is expected to be bloodier and more brutal than anything seen in the conflict so far, considering Russia deems the Donbas region in the east an essential prize and has chosen Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, known as the "Butcher of Syria,'' as its new commander.

A new sign of what's to come might have emerged Monday, when the Pentagon said it's aware of social media reports indicating the Russians have detonated a chemical weapon in the besieged port city of Mariupol, though it did not confirm their accuracy.

The Russian convoy, exposed in commercial satellite imagery, stretches an estimated eight miles. It appears to contain vehicles to command and supply infantry units and possibly helicopters, said the official, who provided intelligence assessments on condition of anonymity.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of an impending Russian offensive in his country's east and has urged civilians to flee the region.

"The occupiers have sent dozens of thousands of soldiers and colossal numbers of equipment to prepare new attacks," he warned in a speech to South Korean lawmakers translated by NBC News. Josep Borrell, EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, issued a similar warning Monday.

USA TODAY on Telegram: Join our new Russia-Ukraine war channel

VISUAL EXPLAINER: Mapping and tracking Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Latest developments:

France's Societe Generale became the first big Western bank to announce an end to its business activities in Russia. SocGen is also selling its entire stake in Rosbank -- a Russian banking sector heavyweight -- to a company linked to an oligarch, costing the French bank some 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion).

Story continues

President Joe Biden asked Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday not to accelerate the country's purchases of Russian oil as the U.S. and other nations try to cut off Moscows energy income following the invasion of Ukraine. India has maintained a neutral stance in the war and Modi made no public commitment.

The United Nation's childrens agency says nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion, and the organization has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured, though the numbers are likely much higher.

Russia has lost 19,500 troops, 725 tanks,1,923 armored vehicles, 347 artillery systems, 154 aircraft; 137 helicopters and an overwhelming amount of other equipment since the war began, the Ukraine military estimated Monday. Russia has not provided numbers but says its troop losses have been "significant."

Moscow has appointed a new war chief after a largely unsuccessful six weeks of battle in Ukraine. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, known as the "Butcher of Syria'' because of his brutal tactics in that country's civil war, had been in command in southern Ukraine, where the Russians had initial success in the invasion. Russian forces, however, continue to have problems with morale, leadership and supply, according to British and U.S. assessments.

Pentagon aware of reports a chemical weapon was deployed in Mariupol, can't confirm them

The Pentagon on Monday evening acknowledged social media reports of Russian forces detonating a chemical weapon in Mariupol but could not confirm whether they're accurate, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement.

"These reports, if true, are deeply concerning and reflective of concerns that we have had about Russias potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine, Kirby said.

Use of chemical weapons, banned by international treaty, would represent a serious escalation in the brutal siege of Mariupol. The southern port city has been in the Russians' crosshairs since early in the war and remains under a relentless assault, but has not yet been claimed by the invading forces.

A Pentagon official said the Russians have positioned 60 battalion tactical groups in eastern and southern Ukraine  48,000 to 60,000 troops  as they focus their efforts on that region. Some of them include troops involved in the failed attempt to seize the capital of Kyiv.

-- Tom Vanden Brook

Mariupol mayor says death toll could exceed 20,000 in his city

Vadym Boychenko, mayor of the besieged city of Mariupol, says more than 10,000 civilians have been killed since the Russian invasion in February. Boychenko said corpses were carpeted through the streets of our city and the death toll could actually exceed 20,000. Russian forces bisected Mariupol from the city center to the coast on Sunday, isolating the city's remaining Ukrainian defenders in two locations, according to the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War.

The city is crucial to Russia's effort to link Crimea with the Donbas region, where Moscow-backed separatists have established de facto republics that even Russia only recognized days before the war broke out in February.

Im afraid the Russian troops are massing on the east to launch an attack on the Donbas, said Josep Borrell, EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. "I am afraid ... the war will increase on the Donbas."

Austrian leader has 'direct, open and tough' in-person talks with Putin, yielding few results

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer did not come away optimistic that the war in Ukraine would end soon after what he described as very direct, open and tough talks Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which Nehammer called for the hostilities to stop.

It might be necessary to do it 100 times, Nehammer said of the meeting. But I think its necessary to do it, so that peace reigns again and the people of Ukraine can live safely.

A child uses an air rifle to shoot at a target with the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin on it on April 11, 2022 in Lviv, Ukraine. Lviv has served as a stopover and shelter for the millions of Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, either to the safety of nearby countries or the relative security of western Ukraine.

Nehammer said he brought up the topic of war crimes committed by Russian troops during the first meeting between Putin and a European leader in Moscow since Russia invaded its neighbor Feb. 24. On Saturday, Nehammer had traveled to Kyiv for a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Nehammer said face-to-face talks to look each other in the eye, discussing the horrors of war could have an impact over the long term.

Russia's claim of destroying missile launchers US helped provide is refuted

The Russian military says it used sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles to destroy four S-300 air defense missile launchers near the city of Dnipro, just days after Slovakia sent Ukraine an S-300 air-defense system in a deal worked out by the U.S.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement Monday that Ukraine had received the technology from an unnamed European country and that about two dozen Ukrainian troops were also hit by the strike.

Our S-300 system has not been destroyed, said Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakias Prime Minister Eduard Heger. It was unclear whether both sides are referring to the same airstrike as the Russians have targeted missile defense systems in three locations in recent days.

Slovakia was able to provide a system to Ukraine because the U.S. was willing to give Slovakia a Patriot battery to replace it, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday.

Russia could use phosphorus bombs in Mariupol, Brits warn

Russian forces have used phosphorous "munitions" in the Donetsk region in the past, raising the possibility they could be used in Mariupol as fighting for the city intensifies, the British Defense Ministry warned Monday. Phosphorus can ignite on contact with oxygen and severely burn human flesh, but it is not classified as a chemical weapon under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Russian shelling has continued in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Ukrainian forces have repelled several assaults and destroyed Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery equipment, the ministry said in its latest assessment.

Russias continued reliance on unguided bombs decreases their ability to discriminate when targeting and conducting strikes while greatly increasing the risk of further civilian casualties," the assessment warned.

Russian dissenters who fled at start of war unsure on return

A growing numbers of artists have fled Russia to neighboring Finland in recent weeks. Many faced the threat of persecution in Russia for not supporting official stances, and their criticism of the war put them in danger of imprisonment. That compelled them to give up their work and make a new home several hours from the Russian border.

Now, amid a harsh crackdown on opposing views, many are unsure if or when it will ever be possible to return. Many artists said they were also worried about the integrity of their work in Russia, which has increasingly suppressed free speech and expression.

Theater is meant to talk to people and communicate with them, to explain things about the world, Alena Starostina told USA TODAY. But it looks like we failed. We couldnt stop this war, and so I think we are also responsible for it.

 Tami Abdollah

Firefighters clear debris and search for bodies under the rubble of a building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on April 11, 2022.

Zelenskyy: This week crucial for Ukraine's fate

In his nightly address Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned his nation that the coming week would be as crucial as any in the war and accused Russia of trying to evade responsibility for war crimes.

When people lack the courage to admit their mistakes, apologize, adapt to reality and learn, they turn into monsters," Zelenskyy said. "And when the world ignores it, the monsters decide that it is the world that has to adapt to them. Ukraine will stop all this."

Zelenskyy called on Western countries, including Germany, to provide more assistance to Ukraine. During talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelenskyy said he discussed how to strengthen sanctions against Russia and how to force Moscow to seek peace.

I am glad to note that the German position has recently changed in favor of Ukraine. I consider it absolutely logical, Zelenskyy said.

More Ukraine coverage from USA TODAY

European Union to consider Ukraine membership in weeks

Ukraine could become part of the European Union in a matter of weeks, the president of the European Commission said Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Ukraines application to join the EU in February, and Olga Stefanishyna, deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, said she expects Ukraine to fully join the EU by June.

The process can take years, but European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union that Ukraines membership could take only weeks to consider.

Yesterday somebody told me: 'You know, when our soldiers are dying, I want them to know that their children will be free be and be part of the European Union,' von der Leyen said. They are in an extraordinary situation, where we have to take unusual steps.

 Celina Tebor

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine recap: Ukraine braces for new Russian offensive
Outgoing Nelson County High School Principal Chris Sumner didnt always want to work in education.

Sumner, 40, said in an email he came to the decision in his first year studying visual art at Virginia Commonwealth University.

I remember thinking that it didnt make sense for me to pursue a degree in illustration, painting or printmaking since I could already do those things, he said.

Sumner recalled his first high school job  watching three neighborhood children after school between their parents work shifts.

Realizing that I was good at art and liked kids, it made sense to marry the two and pursue education.

Sumner said hes taught art to students from all grade levels from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade during the span of his career, in rural, suburban and urban settings and on the Fort Lee military base in the Prince George school system from 2004 to 2011 as a teacher and 2015 to 2018 as an assistant principal.

I really enjoyed working with the little ones but felt that I had more to offer and could do more with older students given my artistic talents, Sumner said, adding he moved to the middle and high school levels early in his career. He said his students have produced amazing works of art, won awards and pursued college and careers in visual arts.

He spoke on his artistic path during an interview, saying he started with pencil drawings, became proficient with painting and then did commission work for several battalions at Fort Lee.

Brooke Johannsmeier was in Sumners Art II class her sophomore year at Colonial Heights High School in Colonial Heights, Virginia.

We always knew when we went in his classroom we were going be greeted with a smile, open arms, and know that even if we werent good at art, he was going to make the class fun for us, she said.

Johannsmeier said she felt comfortable approaching Sumner with any problem for guidance, even if it had nothing to do with his class.He always made sure he told me the things I was good at, she said.Johannsmeier now teaches preschool and said Sumner has been an influence on the way she teaches. She said she hopes to balance assertiveness with giving constant support and guidance to her students after Sumners example.

She said years after high school, I know I can just pick up the phone and say, Hey Chris, Im going through this, I need your feedback, and he would give me the best advice.

Andrea Thomas also met Summer while she was a student at Colonial Heights High School. Thomas said Sumner was involved in extracurriculars and took her and other students to CADRE and YADAPP meetings. Thomas said YADAPP stands for Youth Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Program and the Colonial Heights CADRE Coalition is a volunteer youth substance abuse prevention organization according to the Colonial Heights website.She struggled to find the words to describe what Sumners mentorship has meant to her.Hes just so caring and passionate about what hes doing, especially in education. He always just wants whats best for his students and everyone around him, really. But he is also funny and extroverted and just brings so much joy to the people around him.

Thomas now teaches fifth grade. She said Sumner helped her with writing a resume, finding and giving interviews.

When I first started looking for a teaching job he actually helped me and did a mock interview kind of in his free time. You know theres not much free time when youre an educator. He took me in and helped me a lot, Thomas said.

Watching him continue not only to be an educator but a learner as well, hes someone that I look up to constantly. Im always able to go back to him.

Sumner said his oldest sons birth in 2012 inspired him to return to school to pursue a masters in administration and supervision, so I could positively affect more people (students, families, staff and community) than I could in the classroom setting alone.

Sumner then went on to gain a doctorate in educational leadership.

When I think about my Ph.D, I cannot help but think of my high school guidance counselor and his wife; his wife taught me psychology. As I worked towards my doctorate, they joked (and continue to joke) that my parents were worried that I would never get into college, and eventually  they (my counselor and psychology teacher) started to worry that I would never get out of college, he said.

Sumner recently resigned from his position as principal of NCHS to pursue a full-time central office administration role. He described the role in a phone interview as special project administrator and said he does whatever they need me to do based on his expertise. Sumner added he currently commutes an hour to Lovingston and hopes to find something closer to home.

I hope I will eventually become a division superintendent; however, I am not there yet. Right now, I am just taking things one day at a time and learning as much as I can from each new experience, he said.

Sumner served as NCHS principal since 2019, according to the NCHS Facebook page.

I am proud of so many things that we accomplished at NCHS, he said. He cited increases in English and Math SOL performance, students achievements of Career Technical Education credentials, the addition of African American Studies and Oceanography courses, reduced student discipline and clinic visits and two successful pandemic-era graduations among other division-wide accomplishments hes particularly proud of.

I also believe that things happen for a reason and that one of my purposes at NCHS was to help get the school through the pandemic, which I believe we did, and I reason that we did it well, he said.

He said leading the school through the pandemic was like building a plane while flying it.

For me the focus of educational leadership seemed to shift from change and continuous improvement to empathy and sympathy. I feel like I grew a lot as a leader by leading in a pandemic and certainly value a people-centered approach to leadership now more than ever, Sumner said.

According to Nelson County Public Schools, since stepping down Sumner has been working on a variety of central office projects through the end of the school year. Sumner said hes been working on curriculum audits, Office of School Quality documents and Title grants, experiences that are adding to his professional knowledge base and preparing him for divisional leadership.

If or when I become a superintendent, I will aim to cultivate a place where teachers and staff come to work, stay and grow as professionals, and remain until retirement all while staying focused on helping students self-actualize. Thats the kind of school division I grew up in, and it is my hope for whichever division I might eventually lead, Sumner said.

His mind and his heart is there, Johannsmeier said. She thought Sumner would want to extend the positive effect he had on her to students in an entire division, while remaining humble and devoted.

She said he would be the type of leader to say, I have to build my team and we have to do whatever we can for these children.Thomas said shell be working in gifted education at a new school soon, and Sumner has helped her with the transition. She said some of her colleagues also have sought Sumners guidance.Even if he doesnt know exactly what to say or do, hell find a way to help you, which I absolutely love, she said.

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The COVID-19 pandemic was a horror for human health. Of the more than 80 million cases recorded, nearly 1 million Americans are dead and an unspecified number face the prospect of long-term complications as a result of infections.

Everyone suffered  life expectancy in the United States dropped by 1.8 years according to federal mortality data  but it was clear early on that the virus harmed some communities more than others: the elderly, those with health complications and minorities, among others.

It is not a silver lining  far from it  but the data collected in the last two years promises to help the nation make better informed choices for the next pandemic happens. And its important to carefully examine what worked and what didnt in order to improve public health outcomes.

Already, some of that data is being compiled, reviewed and reported. One such study, conducted by researchers at the University of Georgia and published in March in the journal ScienceDirect, merits wider attention.

The top-line conclusion packs a wallop: U.S. media has extensively covered racial disparities in COVID-19 infections and deaths, which may ironically reduce public concern about COVID-19.

The summary continues: Reading about the persistent inequalities that produced COVID-19 racial disparities reduced fear of COVID-19, empathy for those vulnerable to COVID-19, and support for safety precautions. These findings suggest that publicizing racial health disparities has the potential to create a vicious cycle wherein raising awareness reduces support for the very policies that could protect public health and reduce disparities.

In simple terms, when the subjects of this study learned that COVID-19 was disproportionately affecting those in minority communities, it fueled a rise in opposition to restrictions aimed at controlling the virus. People showed less concern about infection when they learned others were at greater risk.

There should be caution in extrapolating one study about an issue so sensitive and complicated as this. Americans from all walks of life who raised their voice about restrictions came to that position due to a variety of reasons.

But the research here reflects something familiar and known: that the less an event impacts us directly, the less concern we have for those affected. Thats evident across a host of issues and commonly manifests itself in public opinion polling and, ultimately, public policy.

Consider, for instance, the 2020 racial justice protests. They inspired empathy and support for minority communities fighting for equal treatment under the law. Yet a subset of Americans were far more concerned with associated property destruction than the cause that inspired such outrage. For that group, the protests were an intrusion, an inconvenience.

But its not simply racial differences at issue here. The study notes an instance in 2020 when the Wisconsin Supreme Court chief justice dismissed a COVID outbreak linked to a meatpacking plant as not affecting just regular folks  the implication being that low-wage workers at such a factory are somehow less deserving of health protections than regular Wisconsinites, a cruel and callous distinction.

The pandemic ravaged minority communities, low-income workers and others who oftentimes live at the margins of society. But this study suggests covering how those groups were affected may have inadvertently diminished public support for measures to help protect them.

Obviously there will be a lot more research and many more reports to emerge from the pandemic. Plenty of mistakes were made, in both the public and private sectors, and its critical we dont dismiss what could be difficult conclusions about that.

But this study should be cause for reflection. If illumination of a problem, especially among the most vulnerable, serves to diminish concern about that problem, how can we come together to adopt workable solutions to help those in need?

Its a troublesome conundrum, one that calls on us all to be more empathetic and understanding to those who do not look like us or come from a different economic reality, but who need our help just the same.

The Virginian-Pilot & Daily Press Editorial Board

 The Virginian-Pilot & Daily Press Editorial Board
David Thien, with Thien Farm Management, Inc., Council Bluffs, has been recognized as a part of the 2021 APEX Producers Club by the Realtors Land Institute (RLI) as a part of the RLI APEX Production Awards Program, sponsored by The Land Report.

David was recognized by RLI CEO Aubrie Kobernus, MBA, RCE, and The Land Report co-founder, Eric OKeefe, on Thursday, March 24th, during RLIs 2022 National Land Conference (NLC22), in, San Antonio, Texas, at a dinner that included special guest Jamey Clement, retired Chairman of the Board of Texas King Ranch, the nations largest ranch at 825,000 acres.

Being recognized by an elite organization and joining RLIs 2021 APEX Producers Club is a very satisfying professional accomplishment. The network, contacts and education that RLI provides to its members is crucial to reaching lofty professional goals, said David upon receiving the award.

David is co-owner and President of Thien Farm Management, Inc. He is a licensed real estate broker in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Colorado and Certified General Real Property Appraiser in Iowa. David also holds the Accredited Farm Manager (AFM) and Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) designations.

We are proud of David and all of our members that were recognized as part of our award programs for their accomplishments in 2021, Kobernus said. They truly are the cream of the crop when it comes to land real estate professionals.

To learn more about David and Thien Farm Management, Inc. visit www.tfmgt.com.
"The thing I noticed is that, day to day, Islam is no different than any other religion in the world: It comes down to what you do with it and how you express it. And we saw the same exact human condition and situations that you would see anywhere else in the modernized world. They just spoke a different language.
Four Corners Community Foundation, formerly TS Community Foundation, recently held a ribbon cutting announcing its new name. Founded in 1999, Four Corners Community Foundation is designed to create impact in rural southwest Iowa through charitable giving and community projects, according to a release. In 2019, the foundation became an affiliate of the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation, and as partners, work continues to spur growth and prosperity in southwest Iowa.

The new name represents the heart of rural Iowa towns, the release said. Often times the four corners or town square can serve as a main meeting place where community impact starts, a place of great ideas with community-minded people.

At Four Corners Community Foundation we are excited for this new chapter and look forward to helping create impact for generations to come. We are a community of giving people, 4CCF Board President Kelsey Stupfell said in the release. It is our desire to help people achieve more with their donations and connect them to resources. Our new name, Four Corners Community Foundation, reflects our foundational mission to help maximize local philanthropy, support community projects and connect more giving to individuals and organizations.

As an affiliate of Pottawattamie County Community Foundation, donors could be eligible for additional tax incentives such as the Endow Iowa Tax Credit, a program administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and is open to individuals, businesses and financial institutions.

In two decades, 4CCF has helped the Treynor Optimist Club build a playground in the eastern city park, helped city organizers create the Veterans Memorial area including a show-stopping helicopter, as well as jumpstarted the Vision Treynor Group, which is working to bring new ball fields and a gathering place in town, among other projects.

Most recently, funds were created with the newly formed Treynor Parks and Trails Commission, a collaboration between the Treynor Splash Pad, Tristans Trails and Dexters Dream as well as with the Lamar Hartje Legion Post 725 to help more local southwest Iowa students attend Boys and Girls State.

This is an exciting time for the Four Corners Community Foundation and we are truly honored to help share this news, Pottawattamie Community Foundation President and CEO Donna Dostal said in the release. Together, our collective work to amplify the strong culture of philanthropy in our region will continue to create lasting positive impact and a legacy of giving. We look forward to supporting Four Corners Community Foundations efforts in continuing to make our communities strong.
CEDAR RAPIDS  Cedar Rapids Democrat Abby Finkenauer is appealing what she calls an outrageous and partisan decision by an Iowa district court judge to throw her off the June 7 primary election ballot for a U.S. Senate seat.

After careful review, I have decided to challenge this deeply partisan decision to the Iowa Supreme Court, Finkenauer, a former member of the U.S. House, said in a statement Monday.

Finkenauer will ask the court to reverse a ruling issued Sunday night by Polk County District Court Judge Scott Beattie that she did not submit enough signatures on nomination petitions to qualify for the Democratic primary to determine the partys U.S. Senate nominee in the November general election.

His decision overruled the State Objections Panel that rejected challenges to Finkenauers campaign raised by GOP activists. The panel decided Finkenauer had met the ballot requirement to acquire at least 3,500 signatures, including at least 100 signatures each in at least 19 counties. But only the Democrats on the panel  Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and State Auditor Rob Sand  voted in Finkenauers favor, while Republican Iowa Secretary of State voted against her campaign.

Finkenauer called the judges decision a massive gift to Washington Republicans  that ignores decades of precedent, interferes in the electoral process and makes a mockery of our democracy.

Its clear now more than ever: Republicans are scared of the campaign were building, she said. Theyve gone to historic lengths to slow us down because they know Chuck Grassley is more vulnerable than ever, and that we can beat him in November.

Finkenauer has been competing with retired Admiral Michael Franken of Sioux City and physician Glenn Hurst of Minden for the Democratic nomination. Grassley is expected to be the Republican nominee, but faces a primary challenge from state Sen. Jim Carlin of Sioux City.

Grassleys re-election is considered solid by the Cook Political Report and Inside Elections, and safe by Crystal Ball.

Beattie, according to Finkenauer, did the bidding of Chuck Grassley and his allies in Washington. Grassley was not a party to the challenge brought by other GOP activists.

The state Supreme Court issued an order Monday that the case was being expedited but did not say when a ruling would be issued. It scheduled oral arguments for Wednesday.

The Finkenauer campaign hopes the court acts quickly because Pates office said Monday county auditors need a final decision by April 18 to have ballots printed to meet an April 23 deadline for sending overseas ballots. Early voting starts May 18.

After the Objections Panel approved Finkenauers nomination petitions, determining she had substantially complied with state law, Kim Schmett, a former Republican congressional candidate, and Leanne Pellett, co-chair of the Cass County Republicans, filed a number of objections. They asserted some signature lines were missing information, and as a result, Finkenauer did not have the mandatory 100 signatures from 19 counties.

Beattie said the panels interpretation of the law was incorrect.

The court takes no joy in this conclusion, he wrote. This court should not be in the position to make a difference in an election, and Ms. Finkenauer and her supporters should have a chance to advance her candidacy. However, this Courts job is to sit as a referee and apply the law without passion or prejudice. It is required to rule without consideration of the politics of the day.

Beatties decision also is being appealed by Miller, according to his spokesman. Miller had discussed the ruling and challenging it with the other Objection Panel members, Pate and Sand.

Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said Miller and Sand should be ashamed of their hyper-partisan actions and have more respect for our election laws. With the district judges decision, he said, the rule of law has prevailed.

This is not the first election-related case Beattie has ruled on. In 2018, he dismissed a challenge brought by Democrat Kayla Koether in her race for an Iowa House seat in Northeast Iowa.

When the ballots were counted that year, she trailed incumbent Republican Rep. Michael Bergan of Dorchester by nine votes. However 29 absentee ballots from Winneshiek County were not counted because they had not arrived in the county auditors office before the deadline. The Postal Service confirmed the ballots had been mailed on or before the deadline.

Koether wanted those ballots opened and counted. Beattie dismissed her case on jurisdictional grounds. He cited the Iowa Constitution, saying the legislative branch, not the judiciary, was the proper venue for determining contested elections.

The GOP-controlled Iowa House upheld Bergans win.
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The Union of Oil and Gas Workers rejected on Saturday transferring the countrys revenues of oil exports to the government of Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, Libya Update reports.

The unions reaction came following the request made by Head of the Audit Bureau, Khaled Shakshak, inviting the National Oil Corporation (NOC) to transfer oil revenues to Dbeibehs government.

Libyas legislature in February, replaced Dbeibeh and appointed former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha, arguing that his term came to an end on Dec. 24. Dbeibeh has refused to relinquish power.

The Union denounced the request and particularly criticized Shakshak, accusing him of violating the law by issuing such decision when his tenure in office has expired.

The Union also pointed out that Dbeibehs government should not be entrusted with oil money since it operates in only one city, and it lacks administrative, financial and security control over production sites and export sites alike.

Last week, Shakshak said blocking oil revenues by the National Oil Corporation (NOC) in the last months was unusual and against state laws.

The Central Bank of Libya (CBL), in this situation, wont be able to transfer foreign currency because of the blockage by the NOC and the only way is to use deposits overseas which can devalue the dinar, he said.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR), in a letter, urged the NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanallah to block oil revenues away from the CBL so the unity government cannot use the money, and to allow the government to spend for subsidies and salaries only.
Tunisian President Kais Saied issued Saturday a decree to compensate families of martyrs and police and army members killed or wounded, when defending the country during the 2011 revolution.

The compensation, according to the decree, will be awarded to the families of martyrs and police and army killed or wounded defending the country from what he called terrorist attacks in the years after the revolution.

Dozens of youths were killed and hundreds injured during an uprising against the rule of then-president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.

The revolution did not meet total expectation. The country, following the uprising, witnessed the darkest years of its history with a series of terror attacks.

Saieds decree comes amid a tug-of-war with Tunisian lawmakers who accuse him of rolling back the gains of the revolution. The Tunisian President has lately dissolved the parliament. In July last year, he suspended the parliament, seized the executive power. He argues that the moves are meant to restore democracy.
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) announced last week that it had opened an investigation into allegations of serious human rights violations during an anti-terrorist operation launched by Malian armed forces in the Moura region in central Mali.

MINUSMA said in a statement that it has formally opened an investigation since March 29 under its human rights mandate and in support of fact-finding efforts, adding that Malian authorities have been informed.

It stressed that in accordance with established procedures since its deployment, it has approached the authorities to obtain air access to Moura; a location where MINUSMA has never undertaken an operation and which is extremely difficult to access.

MINUSMA reiterated its deep concern over allegations of serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law during an anti-terrorist operation conducted from March 27 to 31 by the Malian Armed Forces in the village of Moura, Djenne Circle, in the center of the country.

In this regard, the statement added, MINUSMA noted the decision of the Malian authorities to open an investigation to establish the facts.

Malis military justice system announced last Wednesday that it was opening an investigation into the recent events in Moura, following allegations that civilians were being abused.

Following allegations of abuses committed against civilians [], investigations have been opened by the national gendarmerie at the instructions of the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs in order to shed light on these allegations, the prosecutor of the Mopti military court said in a statement.

The prosecutor will go to the site very soon with investigators and a forensic doctor, the statement said.

The Malian army announced on Friday that it had killed 203 terrorists and arrested 51 others following a large-scale air-land opportunity operation carried out from March 23 to 31 in the Moura area, 17 kilometers northeast of Kouakourou in the Djenre circle.

The operation also resulted in the seizure of large quantities of weapons and ammunition, in addition to 200 motorcycles, which were burned, the Malian military said in a statement.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that Malian soldiers, associated with suspected Russian foreign mercenaries, executed 300 civilians in late March in a central Malian town.

These facts are the worst episode of atrocities committed since the outbreak of violence in the country in 2012, the international rights watchdog said.
Saudi Arabias carrier, Saudia Airlines, announced that it will launch a new flight linking Jeddah to Marrakech on May 30.

The new flight is part of Saudias 10 new routes for the summer, announced in February by the company, which seeks to expand international air routes to meet passengers needs.

The Saudi Airlines unveiled the launch date of 3 of its 10 summer destinations, saying that flights to Marrakech will start on May 30. Fights to Malaga and Barcelona will follow on June 30 from Riyadh and Jeddah.

The company said that its operational plan will increase its share of travel traffic, in a move to achieve new record rates in the transportation of guests, including tourists, and Hajj and Umrah visitors.
Hundreds of Tunisians took to the streets Sunday, April 10 in Tunis, for the largest protest against President Kais Saied since he took office.

Despite numerous checkpoints and controls, hundreds of people gathered on Bourguiba Avenue, at the call of Islamist Ennahdha party and Citizens Against the Coup, a grassroots initiative.

The demonstrators demanded the resumption of the activities of the Parliament, the end of the suspension of the Constitution, the formation of a government of national salvation, and the renunciation of the decisions taken by President Kais Saied, since July 25, 2021, reports the Tunisian news agency TAP.

The protesters, lamenting the political crisis, coming in the midst of a socio-economic and health crisis, chanted slogans such as Freedoms, freedoms the police state is over, There are no military courts for civil cases, The people want national unity, Freedoms, freedoms, down with the coup and The judiciary is independent according to TAP.

Politician and human rights activist Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, who participated in the demo, called for the creation of a national salvation front which brings together all political and civic forces without any exclusion, TAP said, adding he called for devising a clear roadmap to steer the country out of an unprecedented political, economic and social crisis.

He also condemned what he called a coup by President Kais Saied against the Tunisian constitution, one of the best contemporary charters.

Jawhar ben Mbarak, one of the founders of Citizens against Coup, reiterated rejection of Kais Saieds decisions and called for the protection of state institutions against any autocratic drift, describing President Saieds decision to dissolve parliament and summon deputies who participated in the virtual plenary session by the Anti-Terrorist Brigade as illegal.

Ben Mbarak called on the elected members of the dissolved parliament to hold more parliamentary sessions, exercise their duties and take decisions to protect the Tunisian people from any populist decision taken by President Saied.

President Kais Saied has plunged the country into chaos, he accused.

TAP quoted several other participants in the demonstration who denounced the July 25 coup and condemned the determination of President Saied to legitimize and justify the coup, suspend the constitution, bring civilians before military courts, dissolve the parliament and initiate legal action against MPs for plotting against state security.

The demonstrations coincide with the commemoration of the Martyrs Day, celebrated every April 9.

Tunisia commemorated Saturday the 84th anniversary of the events of April 9, 1938, when riots took place resulting in the death of 22 Tunisians in a bloody shootout to suppress demonstrations that demanded the institution of a parliament in Tunisia still under French protectorate.

Tunisia has been plunged in a serious political crisis since July 25, when President Kais Saied imposed exceptional measures, including freezing the powers of parliament (before deciding to dissolve it on March 30), enacting laws with presidential decrees and dissolving the Supreme Council of the Judiciary.

The majority of political forces in Tunisia reject Saieds decisions, calling them a coup against the constitution, while other forces support them, seeing them as a recovery of the 2011 revolution process, which toppled the regime of former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (1987-2011).
Derrill Richard Rick Ennis took the witness stand on Monday, which was Day 7 of his capital murder trial.

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.

Ennis, 42, approached the stand on Monday morning to testify. He told the jury that he met Lori around 2003, spent a lot of time with her, and visited her trailer frequently.

The prosecution and defense will give closing statements to the jury on Tuesday.

Sex and dating

When Ennis was questioned about the letter he wrote to Slesinski, Ennis said hed written it about a month or two before she went missing, and it was a letter asking her if she wanted to date him. Ennis said he and Slesinski talked about the letter, and she had told him she wanted to remain friends.

One of Ennis defense attorneys, William Whatley, asked Ennis if he ever had sex with Slesinski, and he replied yes. Ennis said the first time was about two months before she went missing, and the last time was a week before she went missing.

Lee County District Attorney Jessica Ventiere asked Ennis how he gave the letter to Slesinski.

She had given me a key to her house and she asked me to return it, Ennis said. So when I returned the key I left the  it was a letter inside of a card  and I left it on her kitchen table with the key on top.

At this point, Ventiere questioned the order of events. She asked for her key back after she found that letter, didnt she? Ventiere asked.

Im not 100 percent sure, Ennis said.

Ventiere asked what else the letter said, and if there was anything explicit in it, but Ennis only said he remembered asking Slesinski if she wanted to date. Ventiere asked why Slesinski would be upset by this letter.

According to former APD investigator Jenkins, Ennis had told police in 2006 that the letter had made Slesinski mad. In court on Monday, Ennis said, She wasnt really mad. She just wasnt happy that I left the letter.

She asked me why I didnt ask her sooner, Ennis said. That weve been friends for so long that she just wanted to keep it as friends.

Monday afternoon in the states rebuttal, Ventiere called Special Agent Mark Whitaker to the stand and played a recorded jail phone call Ennis made to his former boss from Virginia named Sharon where he tells her about his relationship with Slesisnki.

We were never together, Ennis said in the recording clip. Whitaker confirmed Ennis was the speaker.

Marijuana

Ennis confirmed to the jury that he did grow marijuana, and Whatley asked him where he grew it. Ennis said he took Slesinskis grow from Troy, took it to his place on Emily Avenue, then transplanted it in Tuskegee National Forest. Ennis said Slesinski was involved in that process.

Ventiere asked Ennis if hed ever told police about growing marijuana in Tuskegee National Forest, and Ennis said he had not.

On the Saturday Slesinski went missing, Ennis said, he saw her late that afternoon at her trailer. He told the jury hed locked his keys in his car and had to use a coat hanger from Slesinski to unlock his vehicle.

Ventiere asked Ennis why he felt it was important to go back in his statement and say, I left this part out: I had to use a hanger. The hanger was later found underneath Slesinskis bed stretched out, according to Auburn police investigators.

Its what happened, Ennis said. Because Id used the hanger to unlock my car.

Ennis said he had left Slesinskis trailer and drove to Montgomery to sell marijuana to someone he knew and trusted. He said he knew Rod from working together at Smokey Bones in 2004 and had purchased weed from him.

In 2006, Ennis said he was pretty desperate to sell the marijuana because he didnt have a job at the time.

Ennis said the last time he worked at AMF Auburn Lanes was about six weeks before Lori went missing, and he didnt have a key to the building.

He said he had thought Slesinski was going to sell her portion of the marijuana after she went to the store on Saturday.

Ventiere asked Ennis, having known that Slesinski was planning on selling marijuana, when he started to think something bad had happened to her. He said when the police found her car on fire on Wednesday.

APD Detective Chris Murray was called to the stand Monday afternoon and told the jury that when he inspected Slesinskis trailer he didnt find any drug paraphernalia and said the trailer did not smell like marijuana.

The source of information of Lori selling two and a half pounds of marijuana, the only source of that information, the only person that said she was doing that came from the defendant, correct? Lee County Assistant District Attorney Clay Thomas asked.

That is correct, Murray said.

Lindsay Braun, one of Slesinskis friends and former coworkers, was called to the stand again on Monday and further questioned about Slesinski growing marijuana.

Braun told the jury she knew Slesinski grew some at her mothers home, but not at her trailer in Auburn. She said Slesinski had told her she was only growing one or two plants for herself so she didnt have to purchase any.

Braun said she never saw grow lights, plants, vacuum sealers or baggies at Slesinskis trailer, which she said she visited a lot.

Ventiere asked Braun if Slesinksi ever sold marijuana that she knew of, and Braun replied no.

In the statement Ennis gave to police on Tuesday June 13, 2006, he had told police he returned to Montgomery on Sunday and Monday to try to sell the marijuana. In court on Monday, he stood by his statement.

In the June 13 statement, Ennis also told police that he sold the marijuana to Rod for $2,400, but in court on Monday Ennis said he lied about selling it because he was scared of being arrested for drug trafficking.

I answered every question truthfully except the ones about marijuana, Ennis told the jury.

Ennis told the jury that he never actually sold the marijuana to Rod, but instead hid it and was scared to go get it.

Ventiere pointed out that Ennis needed money but left the marijuana behind.

Evidence

Jenkins, the former APD investigator, testified in court last week that when he was taking statements from Ennis in 2006, he saw scratch marks on Ennis arms and hands. Jenkins said when he had asked Ennis how he got them, Ennis had said he didnt know.

While on the stand on Monday, Ennis told the jury he got the scratches from playing with his dog, a female bulldog.

Ennis also told the jury that his dog was not fixed and had periods.

Whatley asked Ennis what the scrub brush, found by police while searching his vehicle in 2006, was for. Ennis replied it was for cleaning up the blood from his dog, which he said occurred frequently and about once a month.

Ventiere pointed out that dogs only have periods about twice a year.

Whenever my dog went into heat, I distinctly remember her spotting on the floor and me cleaning it with a brush, Ennis said.

On Monday, Ennis responded to testimony last week from former APD detective Lee Hodge that a hand-rolled cigarette was found at the car fire scene, and from a forensic analyst that the DNA matched Ennis.

Ennis confirmed that he did smoke hand-rolled cigarettes, but he only smoked them at his house.

Also on Monday, Whatley showed Ennis pictures of three rugs.

In testimony last week, Ennis former roommate, Abram Sissons, said that Ennis had the rugs in the apartment they shared, and that Ennis had told him the rugs were a gift from Slesinski. Her mother and a friend last week identified those rugs as being from Slesinskis trailer. Sissons also said he had seen a Galileo thermometer in Ennis bedroom, and Slesinskis mother testified that shed given her daughter a Galileo thermometer that was missing from the trailer after her disappearance.

On Monday on the witness stand, Ennis confirmed that the rugs were the ones he had in the apartment he shared with Sissons in Huntsville in 2007, but he said hed bought the rugs at Target.

When Whatley asked Ennis if he ever owned a Galileo thermometer, Ennis replied no.

I have a vague idea of what it is, but Ive never seen one in person, Ennis said.

Questions

Sissons had also told the jury last week that Ennis had trashed his apartment and left the oven on with a liquid-filled glass inside after hed told Ennis to leave.

On Monday, when Whatley asked Ennis if he trashed the apartment and tried to burn it down, Ennis said no.

Whatley also asked Ennis questions in response to last weeks testimony from Terry Booth, who said he worked with Ennis in 2008 at Sams Club in South Carolina, that Ennis had told him at a Wild Wing Cafe that he had strangled a bitch. He also said that Ennis had called Slesinski a white piece of trailer park trash.

Whatley asked Ennis on Monday if he ever went out drinking with Booth and if he ever told Booth he strangled someone.

Ennis said no to both questions.

Whatley asked Ennis if he had an argument with Slesinski the last time he saw her, if he broke into her trailer that Saturday, if he kidnapped her, and if he burnt her vehicle.

To all of these questions, Ennis answered no.

Did you kill Lori? Whatley asked.

I did not, Ennis said.
In his play Three Tall Women, the great playwright Edward Albee identified what he called the 360-degree view. It happens, he said, in your 40s or 50s, when youre old enough to understand the folly of youth and still young enough to see and feel the agonizing decline of the generation ahead. For this and other reasons, older writers come with a built-in advantage when it comes to new plays; if only Broadway, always obsessed with the young, better understood what it is missing.

The wonderful new drama Birthday Candles, which stars Debra Messing of Will and Grace fame, is a perfect example. For 90 minutes at the Roundabout Theatre on Broadway, face masks double as a means by which an emotionally wrought audience can wipe its eyes. No young person could have written this play; the pain and discoveries of the author are all over every beautifully written line.

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The writer Noah Haidle once was a wunderkind New York playwright, the kind Broadway loves. But his life took various challenging turns, his career stalled, personal issues accumulated and he ended up back in Michigan, living with his parents. The first indication of his rich second act as a writer, born of his own challenges, was Smokefall, a beautiful family drama set (like Birthday Candles) in Grand Rapids that premiered at Chicagos Goodman Theatre in 2014 and clearly was the work of a playwright who had come to understand one of lifes most profound truths.

Susannah Flood, Enrico Colantoni, Debra Messing, Christopher Livingston, John Earl Jelks, Crystal Finn in "Birthday Candles." (Joan Marcus)

Smokefall was an unforgettable play. Birthday Candles is even better.

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Heres what Birthday Candles is all about. As we age, we come to see that life is a series of losses and our happiness largely depends on how we deal with them. We also are forced to realize that people we had to come to think of as permanent fixtures of our consciousness walk out of the doors of our lives, their departures unanticipated and often traumatic.

We first meet the central character Ernestine when she is 17 years old, learning one of her familys most abiding rituals: the baking of a favorite birthday cake. Over the course of the play, Ernestine ages in rapid succession as scenes from different stages of her life fly by: she marries, has children, loses people, makes rash decisions, recalibrates. By the end, she is an older woman clinging to the one ritual that roots her in our unsettling world.

Enrico Colantoni and Debra Messing in Roundabout Theatre Company's "Birthday Candles." (Joan Marcus)

Messing is exceptionally moving. But the challenges of the play are not limited to the lead role: all of Ernestines fellow travelers age with her. And since people come in and out of families, an ensemble cast plays several roles each, parents morphing into partners into children. John Earl Jelks is Ernestines husband; Enrico Colantoni plays her road not traveled, a guy next door who loves her from prom to dotage, even as others fall away. And Christopher Livingston, whose performance deepens as it goes, plays Ernestines son.

The best work in the show comes from two women, Crystal Finn and Susannah Flood, who mostly play characters struggling yet failing to truly know themselves. Theyre both extraordinarily strong, vulnerable and rich.

Haidle, who works elegant and probing prose into the quotidian language of just another day in Michigan, is in Thornton Wilder territory here. Like Our Town, Birthday Candles is telling us to slow down and live in the moment, appreciate the present, take comfort in rituals like baking or measuring your height on the door frame, even if those around us think them ridiculous, as they usually do. And, above all, know that nothing and no one are forever. The play is shot through with a Midwestern sensibility, it is a picture of the search for meaning and happiness in a provincial city where little is likely to happen of consequence. Its theme is how we define what is of consequence. And how that changes.

There are times when director Vivienne Beneschs production, staged on a single setting from Christine Jones, does not fully exploit the epic, metaphysical sense of the writing; transitions are marked by annoying sound cues when wed be fully aware of what transpires without them. Some moments are rushed, others too broad.

But those really are minor quibbles in a truly must-see show that is fully successful when it comes to everything that really matters. Messing didnt pick some revival or obvious showcase for her comedic chops: she strives mightily and beautifully to find her way through a wise and sad drama, just like the character she plays.

Birthday Candles plays on Broadway at American Airlines Theatre, 227 West 42nd St., New York; www.roundabouttheatre.org

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Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com
Localnews

Prayer vigil held for children, others killed in Ukraine

kmansfield / Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter Kateryna Petrylo, left, wearing a pink jacket, accompanied by her sister, Hrystyna, white jacket, and friends, lights candles in preparation for a candlelight vigil she organized in honor of Ukrainian children who have died. kmansfield / Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter The Rev. John Charest of St. Peter and St. Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Carnegie led a candlelight vigil in honor of Ukrainian children that was organized by Kateryna Petrylo, center. kmansfield / Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter The Rev. John Charest of St. Peter and St. Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Carnegie leads a candlelight prayer service in honor of children in Ukraine. The vigil was organized by Kateryna Petrylo, right. kmansfield / By Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter By Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter The Rev. John Charest of St. Peter and St. Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church leads a candlelight vigil to remember children who have died in Ukraine. The service was organized by Kateryna Petrylo. kmansfield / Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter Victoria Kukhar lights candles Saturday in preparation for a candlelight prayer vigil held at St. Peter and St. Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Carnegie.

CARNEGIE  On a cold and cloudy Saturday, about 100 people gathered at the bottom of the steps of St. Peter & St. Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Carnegie for a candlelight prayer vigil to honor Ukrainian children who have died or been displaced, and others who have lost their lives, amid the countrys invasion by Russian military forces.

The service was organized by 16-year-old Kateryna Petrylo, a sophomore at Chartiers Valley High School.

Petrylos parents grew up in Ukraine and her grandmother lives near Ternopil, in western Ukraine, and the teen  whose first language was Ukrainian  visited her there last summer. Her grandmother is safe, but afraid.

Im 16, and there are kids my age and younger who have died in Ukraine. I wanted to show awareness of how many lives have been affected, and people need to be aware of whats happening there, said Petrylo. Ukraine is absolutely beautiful and its so saddening to see what is going on.

Petrylo and a group of friends and children lit more than 170 candles, each one representing a child who has died since the war began nearly seven weeks ago.

The Rev. John Charest of St. Peter & St. Paul led the prayer service, asking for the safety of Ukrainian people inside the country and praying for those who have been killed.

At the conclusion of the vigil, the group sang the Ukrainian national anthem and said, Slava Ukraine (Glory to Ukraine).

Charest denounced Russias invasion, which, according to the most recent report from the United Nations, has left 1,626 civilians dead and 2,267 injured, although the UN believes actual figures are considerably higher.

These are atrocities, these are war crimes. (President Vladimir Putin) is no different from a bully who is taking advantage of the helpless, said Charest. We are looking to end this war.

Petrylo and Charest said community support has been important as Ukrainians in Southwestern Pennsylvania continue their efforts to assist the Ukrainian people.

Charest said the Ukrainian flags flying outside and the honking of car horns as they pass the church provide encouragement as the conflict continues.

Petrylo said teachers at Chartiers Valley last week wore shirts bearing the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag and a peace dove. At her familys Greenfield store, Natalyas European Food Market, people continue to stop in to voice their support.

St. Peter and St. Paul has delivered about 24,000 pounds of supplies to Ukraine. The church has received so many donations that it has temporarily halted its collection, but is continuing to raise monetary donations.

Charest cautioned against a growing resentment of people in the Russian community, encouraging everyone to differentiate between the Russian people and Putin.

This is Putins war. Their sons are dying, said Charest. This war is not good for anyone.
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On Thursday, April 21, at 5 p.m. in Lowder Hall room 19, the Department of Economics will host the David Kaserman Memorial Lecture, a program in honor of the late David Kaserman. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will feature Andrew Sweeting, a professor of economics at the University of Maryland, College Park, who will discuss contemporary topics in antitrust policy.

Sweeting received his doctoral degree in economics from MIT in 2004 and has held positions at Northwestern University and Duke University. He has been a Faculty Research Fellow and later a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, or NBER, since 2007.

His research covers a range of topics, including the effects of mergers on prices and product variety, how to quantify the constraints that potential entry and product repositioning will place on market power after mergers, the design of auctions, the identification of collusion in wholesale electricity markets, the welfare effects of targeted advertising and the effects of revenue management in secondary markets for event tickets. Sweetings research has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and published in leading economics journals such as Econometrica, American Economic Review, Journal of Political Economy and the RAND Journal of Economics.

Sweeting is currently editor of the RAND Journal of Economics, and a former editor of the Journal of Industrial Economics and a former foreign editor of the Review of Economic Studies. He founded and co-organizes the annual DC Industrial Organization Conference. He served as the Director of the Bureau of Economics at the Federal Trade Commission in 2020, and on the UK Competition Commissions Academic Panel from 2007 to 2014.

Professor David L. Kaserman, 1947-2008, was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and remained spiritually an East Tennessean his entire life. After working his way through college at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, he attended graduate school at the University of Florida, where he began a life-long collaboration with Professor Roger Blair, an internationally recognized antitrust scholar.

Kaserman worked as an economist for the U.S. government at Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Trade Commission and Oak Ridge National Laboratories, and served with great distinction on the faculties of the University of Tennessee and Auburn University. He published more than 100 articles, including influential papers on vertical integration and regulation in the American Economic Review, The Review of Economics and Statistics, The Journal of Law and Economics and many others. He authored numerous books, including Antitrust Economics through Oxford University Press, with Roger Blair, and the textbook Government and Business: The Economics of Antitrust and Regulation through Dryden Press, with John Mayo.

Kaserman suffered from congenital kidney disease, and endured years of dialysis before receiving a successful transplant. His experiences motivated him to work on behalf of kidney patients by analyzing global organ shortage in numerous articles, op-eds and seminars, culminating in the publication of The Global Organ Shortage: Economic Causes, Human Consequences, Policy Responses through Stanford Press, with T. Randolph Beard and Rigmar Osterkamp, which is posthumously dedicated to him.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa  A shooting inside a crowded Cedar Rapids nightclub left a man and a woman dead and 10 people wounded early Sunday, authorities said.

Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman said investigators believe two men fired more than a dozen shots inside the Taboo Nightclub and Lounge just before 1:30 a.m. Sunday. He said officers who were just outside the club because of an earlier incident rushed inside just as 100-150 people streamed out of the bar and found the victims.

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Officers helped treat the people who were wounded and rushed several of the victims to hospitals in squad cars.

The names of the man and woman who died were not released Sunday. Jerman said one of the people who were injured was in critical condition Sunday afternoon while the other injuries, which were all related to the gunfire, ranged from serious to minor.

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The gunmen likely escaped as the crowd rushed out of the nightclub. Police were searching for suspects Sunday afternoon and no arrests had been reported.

Jerman said police havent determined the motive for the shooting but investigators believe one of the victims was targeted.

This is another mindless and senseless gun-related incident involving a reckless disregard for human life, Jerman said. I remain livid and angered at the continued and blatant disregard and lack of respect for human life that continues. That said, I want to reassure the residents of this city that Cedar Rapids is a safe city.

The clubs owner, Mod Williams, told the Cedar Rapids Gazette that he is working with police.

Its an extremely disturbing thing that happened and currently Im just being as cooperative as I can to help the police, Williams said.

Mayor Tiffany ODonnell expressed dismay about the shooting and lauded the police response. She also urged residents to speak out against violence.

Shock, anger, grief, disappointment  just a few of the emotions that Im sure we all feel today, ODonnell said. And I can personally say that as a mother my heart goes out to those moms and dads today who are having the worst day of their lives. To the families of the injured, we are with you and we are praying for a swift recovery.
Damn it I thought Dobson had died already. I loathe him too.

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I wish. No, he's a reg on Faux News, carrying the bag for TRUmp and Pence. Bastard.

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Jesus and John Wayne is a great book that explains the history of Evangelicals fucking up this country.

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Thanks for the rec!

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I really have to read this book, you're the fifth person to rec it to me.

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Bless this series, op

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Bless your blessing! I'm quite surprised how well it's been received.

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I went to live with my aunt after my mother died when I was a teenager, and she used to blast Rush Limbaugh and Focus on the Family over the house intercom. Truly the worst time of my life, lol. Fuck James Dobson!

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You poor thing. I know that pain and share it. If she was listening to Family Radio, even more sympathy.

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I havent believed in a man in the sky since I was about 18.



I just came here to say Why are men?



It doesnt matter the religion/ race/ location; no matter what its always men.



except for like Tammy Faye. But still.





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Why are men INDEED. I know many here are fans of Tammy Faye but...for me she is legit nightmare fuel. I have a whole sermon on the Bakkers, a lot of which is from my bike since that was one of the BIG influences on my mother's "Christianity".

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i officially proclaim ONTD School of Divinity a mandatory course of ONTD University. i gotta say i died at the window with the ONTD mascot.i officially proclaim ONTD School of Divinity a mandatory course of ONTD University.

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How did I miss this? ONTD doesn't read see strikes again!

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I chuckled when I saw that. I commend the OP for the attention to detail

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the stained glass jackal!!

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Is the professor Chris Pratt?

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omg it's perfect

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Omg I love it

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I worked hard to get that stained glass jackal on point! Also, I treasure this inclusion into ONTD University and am more proud of it than my professional property and casualty license. Thank you for this high honor. Omni shady, Amen.

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As someone who is in the process of unpacking their religious trauma, I am here for this series.



Fuck Dobson and Focus on the Family aka the background noise of most of my childhood. Back in my moms heyday of ultra-evangelicalism (she is much, much, much better now and has denounced evangelicalism), she took my siblings and me to the Focus on the Family headquarters in Colorado. We were only excited to go because my siblings and me were way into the Adventures in Odyssey radio show as kids and they had a part of the building dedicated to the show.

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I came in here to see if anyone else listened to Adventures in Odyssey. Fell asleep listening to those, watched McGee and Me on vhs.

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Oh, wow. I forgot about McGee and Me. A church we went to had a library and my mom would check out those VHS tapes for us.

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I had an Adventures in Odyssey cassette tape from a Chick Fil A kids meal in the late 90s. All I remember was the one character sounded like Barbie. Lo and behold it was the same woman from the Detective Barbie PC game! Also something about a pot pie.



FOTF is shit

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I wish MY mother was better. She's toned down on the blind following of most of these mega-preachers but the damage was well and truly DONE between me and God. I'm just glad she never wanted to go to Colorado, I had to endure Heritage USA and the PLT Club as a teenager for two summers. NOPE.



I barely remember listening to Adventures in Odessey...I know I much have but I've blanked it out along with so much other stuff.

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I'm always amazed that just a handful of people can get together to create organizations that are so destructive for generations.

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I will be so happy when Dobson croaks, Focus on the Family content taught me so much messed up stuff that's taken decades to undue.

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OP THANK YOU. Ive been really thinking, and unpacking, so much of my evangelical Christian upbringing. I remember James Dobson being celebrated in my church growing up but my parents didnt really care for him.



Its amazing how much of my life revolved around church and now it justdoesnt.

Ive spent the last probably 8 years questioning what I believe. Im pretty settled on being cool with Jesus and what he stood for. Im less cool on God, especially in the Old Testament when he was so vengeful, and basically just seemed to treat humans as play things. But then theres the concept of the trinity that makes that weird. Idk. That anger, murder, and destruction doesnt gel with this loving God Ive been force-fed my whole life.



Anyway, there are a lot of details there that I could write paragraphs about but I wanted to thank you OP for your note at the end. QUESTION EVERYTHING! I once heard a pastor say:



If you're not questioning the god you serve you might be a serving a glorified version of yourself.



And that just makes me think about how people use God and religion to make excuses and further their own ideals, power, beliefs and it has ruined this world.



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Yeah, Jesus seems like a pretty cool guy. I don't have problems with people who call themselves Christians because they like what Jesus stood for and want to follow his example. I just don't get how people think he's actually coming back, and how it's OK to laugh at the QAnon idiots who really think JFK Jr is coming back but it's "insensitive" to point out that someone who has been dead for MUCH longer is never coming back.

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WOW. That line from that pastor is awesome. Why can't more pastors be like THAT...cause they aren't.



It's been close to 20 years for me and I'm still not done. The way I explain it is 'I'm on the outs with God. He's got some shit to answer for in my book.' Arrogant? Probably, but after the decades of 'God never gives you more than you can handle' and all the other euphemisms and how much vile bullshit is done in His name...I still got problems.



My mother sent me to a nondenominational Christian prep school my junior and senior years of high school. She sent me there for them to turn me into some kind of robot for the Lord--yeah, that didn't happen AT ALL. My 11th grade Bible teacher rocked my brain with that 'question everything' line. If you can't question your faith, you can't defend your faith. We were taught to read, question, read, question, challenge, challenge, challenge and that changed me dramatically.



People have used whatever their version of 'God' is to justify the worst of the worst for so long, it's not even surprising anymore.



Thank you for reading, I appreciate it.

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I gave up on religion in high school and Im still working on resentment I have due to religious indoctrination as a kid and certain punishments I was subjected to in the name of a God.



Ive always been fascinated/horrified by how much political influence evangelicals have over American politics. How people can get away with causing so much harm while promoting Christian values is something else.

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Is there an ONTD U theology class spinoff? Ill take the course in cat worshipping instead of this John and David shit

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Oh I am a high ranking member of the Church of Kot. See fuzzy priestess in the icon.

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Your kitty is adorable btw

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i was forced to read, but i was also forced to learn.

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ontdU's motto

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Love these posts.



I recently discovered the Leaving Eden podcast and it is truly spectacular. One of the cohosts is a woman that grew up in the IFB (Independent Fundamentalist Baptist) church and she has such a passion in telling her story to help others. They cover lots of topics and her research is fantastic.

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+1 on Leaving Eden, though her cohost can be annoying at times.



For anyone interested  The SoJo Files (podcast) has covered Josh Duggar's case from the start. She was at the trial and took crazy extensive notes. She's currently speaking to people from the wider Duggar world as he awaits sentencing. So far, the computer expert (who knew Josh) from trial, a babysitter, and now another lady whose name I have forgotten. But her dad was a mandated reporter who did not report the molestation, even though Michelle called them and spoke about it after she found out.





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My mom always gifted every expecting couple we knew Dare to Discipline.



I will celebrate when James Dobson dies.

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Eww Mom NO.



It probably makes me a terrible human to wish someone to die...but James Dobson is sketchy af and the number of wounded children left in his wake is astonishing.

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As countries look for alternative energy production for greater energy security, concerns remain around the disposal of nuclear waste as governments establish new nuclear energy strategies for the coming decades. At present, there is no one accepted ideal nuclear waste disposal method, meaning that different countries have varying levels of success in getting rid of their waste safely, with scientists and governments around the world continuing to look for the best long-term solution.

Around 350,000 tonnes of nuclear waste from decades past is sitting in temporary storage containers, some of which are gradually eroding, while politicians continue to discuss a longer-term solution. In the U.S., the government has long talked about storing this waste below the Yucca Mountain in Nevada. But, due to strong opposition from the state, this plan has never come to fruition. Various other plans have come and gone, bringing the U.S. government back to square one each time.

There has been extensive talk by governments and scientists over which methods of disposal are most effective, with some states accusing others of not addressing the situation seriously enough. This conversation has been most prominent following the Chernobyl disaster 35 years ago. And, to this day, high levels of radioactivity are present in many animals and plants across a large radius around the site.

The World Nuclear Association identifies the two main ways in which countries dispose of their nuclear waste. The first is near-surface disposal, at ground level or in caverns tens of meters below ground level. Countries including the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK, the USA, Finland, and Sweden follow this method. The second is deep geological disposal, at a depth of 250 to 1000 meters for mined repositories, or 2000 to 5000 meters for boreholes. Several countries have explored this option, but few have put plans into practice. The U.S. currently does it for defense-related transuranic waste at WIPP, and Finland is building its first facility, which it hopes to become operational in 2023.

While many countries favor deep geological disposal as a long-term method, most face the challenge of finding a town, city, or state willing to take on this burden, with many scared for their safety. In the U.K., a facility of this nature is expected to cost around $14 billion. Finlands new plant, the first of its kind, will have 100 nuclear waste disposal tunnels at a depth of more than 400 meters, with the hope of keeping the waste isolated for the required 100,000 years. Although, changes in world temperatures make this prediction less certain.

Related: Outlook For China Oil Demand Darkens

While nuclear power is quickly making its way back onto the agenda, with governments eagerly discussing ways to establish greater energy security and less reliance on Russia, and other states, the public is not so sure. In the U.K., it is estimated that the decommissioning of civil nuclear sites across the country could cost taxpayers around $153 billion, and sites wont be considered safe to use in an unrestricted manner for around 120 years.

But the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is confident that it is providing safe advice for the disposal of nuclear waste, in countries that are producing nuclear energy, which should help alleviate some of the public concerns.

The IAEA visits countries around the globe with nuclear programs to advise them on safety and best practices, for both nuclear plants and their waste. In addition, ARTEMIS missions are held in several countries to provide independent expert advice from an international team of specialists convened by the IAEA. They review national frameworks and programs for the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste, to ensure each country is disposing of its nuclear waste effectively.

In Canada, the government has decided to ask for public input on the situation. An online survey will be available until the 10th of June for members of the public to provide feedback on a five-year implementation plan for a proposed underground storage facility to store nuclear waste. It is thought that by involving the public, the government will gain greater support for the project, as well as be able to identify the best site for the facility.

But not everyone is relying on the government to come up with a solution, with scientists working independently for decades to see how they might best fix the problem. Specialists around the world have studied the main causes of the corrosion and degradation of nuclear waste storage materials to come up with a safer solution for people and the environment, even if only for the mid-term. And now some are coming up with innovative solutions for the disposal of this waste.

A father and daughter start-up called Deep Isolation may have a possible solution for U.S. waste. The duo plan to make commercial technology available to dig 18-inch-diameter holes deep into the Earths surface to then put radioactive nuclear waste in 14-foot-long containers down into the deep boreholes.

Deep Isolation has been working on the idea for the last six years. CEO Elizabeth Muller explains of the plan, We didnt invent the idea of using boreholes for disposal  that has been around since the 1980s. But Nobody had thought of using directional drilling. And so that was the key innovation that Deep Isolation brought she stated. The potential to drill horizontally as well as vertically could create more storage space, according to Muller. And experts believe this slight variation of an existing method shows great potential.

So, will the public be convinced about nuclear power as new waste disposal methods crop up and the IAEA assures the public of the safety methods already being imposed? Due to the need to store nuclear waste for thousands of years until it becomes safe, it is unlikely that the public will be truly confident about their safety around nuclear waste facilities. However, novel ideas are showing greater promise, and the more hidden the waste (for example, if it is placed deep underground) the more likely the public will be to support nuclear programs.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

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The European Union may make its renewable energy capacity buildup targets even more ambitious than they already are in light of its search for alternatives to Russian fossil fuels.

"What we will do in the next couple of weeks is work towards what I call the Repower EU initiative, and as part of that we want to accelerate the energy transition. So in that context we might revisit our targets," Frans Timmermans, the head of the EU's energy transition plan, told media, as quoted by Reuters this weekend.

This revision would mean higher renewable energy targets for 2030, Timmermans also said. As a reminder, the EU's latest ambition was to wean itself off Russian gas within a year after initially targeting a two-thirds reduction in Russian gas imports by the end of this year.

The current target share of renewable energy in the EU mix for 2030 is 40 percent, Reuters recalls in its report. The EU's net-zero plan envisages a reduction in carbon emissions by 55 percent from 1990 levels by 2030.

To detail its energy diversification efforts, the EU recently issued a plan called REPowerEU, which features an obligation for all gas storage operators across Europe to have their facilities filled to at least 90 percent by October each year and higher LNG imports. Per the REPowerEU plan, the EU should become independent of Russian gas by 2030.

"It is time we tackle our vulnerabilities and rapidly become more independent in our energy choices," Frans Timmermans said in the press release detailing the plan.

"Let's dash into renewable energy at lightning speed. Renewables are a cheap, clean, and potentially endless source of energy and instead of funding the fossil fuel industry elsewhere, they create jobs here. Putin's war in Ukraine demonstrates the urgency of accelerating our clean energy transition."

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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A recurring theme when it comes to Venezuelas oil industry and national oil company PDVSA are wildly ambitious crude oil production targets announced each year by President Nicolas Maduro. During early January 2021, after the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic had passed, Venezuelas president announced that PDVSA would be pumping 1.5 million barrels per day by the end of the year. That objective proved impossible to meet with PDVSA announcing in November 2021 that it had slashed the target by a third to one million barrels per day. While Maduro announced during January 2022 that with exclusively local investment PDVSA had ratcheted-up production to 1 million barrels per day during December 2021, OPECs March 2022 Monthly Oil Market Report tells a different story. PDVSA data to OPEC; shows Venezuela only pumped an average of 871,000 barrels per day during December 2021 with production for January and February 2022 falling to 755,000 and 788,000 barrels per day respectively. OPECs numbers indicate that PDVSA is producing far less than the 1 million barrels daily claimed by Maduro. This along with a range of factors, including strict U.S. sanctions and crumbling industry infrastructure, indicates that this years target of 2 million barrels per day, announced by Maduro (Spanish) during March 2022, is unachievable. While Caracas points to PDVSAs significant production growth at the end of 2021, where October output surged 16% month over month and eventually grew to 871,000 barrels daily for December, as evidence there are signs the company is operating at capacity. That impressive spike in crude oil production volumes can be attributed to Caracas securing a regular supply of condensate, a form of extremely light liquid hydrocarbons, from Iran. Condensate is crucial for upgrading the extra-heavy crude oil extracted from the Orinoco Belt, which is accounts for over a third of Venezuelas petroleum output, to exportable grades. When Trump ratcheted up sanctions against the Maduro regime and PDVSA in 2019 it prevented Venezuela from importing condensate from the U.S., which until then was the key source of that vital hydrocarbon liquid. The loss of a reliable source of condensate was responsible for Venezuelas crude oil output plunging. It forced PDVSA to mix domestically produced Santa Barbara light grade with extra-heavy crude oil thereby reducing the volume of lighter petroleum grades available for refining domestically into urgently needed gasoline and diesel worsening Venezuelas fuel shortages.

Related: The World Desperately Needs To Get Energy Costs Under Control

Now that PDVSA has benefited from securing a reliable source of condensate it is highly unlikely that there will be any further substantial increases in petroleum production. Industry experts, including Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin American Energy Program at Rice Universitys Baker Institute in Houston, believe that PDVSAs operations have reached productive capacity. In a December 2021 Reuters article he stated:

Base production in 2021 was way below PDVSAs production capacity, and We are reaching that capacity now. To see an output increase during 2022, investment in new wells and upgrading infrastructure is needed, . . .

Then there is Venezuelas ailing energy architecture, such as pipelines, storage tanks and refineries, is so badly deteriorated from a lack of critical maintenance that many facilities only operate intermittently. In many cases the abysmal condition of PDVSAs infrastructure means most operational facilities are spewing oil and noxious fumes into the environment creating an environmental catastrophe of epic proportions. The abject condition of crucial oil infrastructure means most facilities are operating inefficiently, are highly unreliable and in some cases out of commission thereby weighing on PDVSAs ability to further ramp-up production. For Venezuelas national oil company to continue expanding its crude oil output it must make substantial investments in acquiring skilled employees, capital and technology to conduct urgent critical maintenance on dilapidated facilities and overhaul critical petroleum infrastructure. It is estimated that could take anywhere between $58 billion, from a PDVSA internal document, to as much as $200 billion, as per Juan Guaidos economic recovery plan (Spanish). Monaldi previously estimated it will take an investment of up to $12 billion annually over at least several years to rebuild Venezuelas shattered petroleum infrastructure and return production to something resembling pre-Chavez volumes.

Related: Bearish News Is Mounting For Oil



For Caracas to attract such significant investment the U.S. must ease its strict sanctions which prevent foreign energy companies from operating profitably in Venezuela. Those restrictions also sharply increase the risk of Washington imposing financial and other penalties on companies conducting business with PDVSA and other Venezuelan entities. Washingtons threats to target individual companies doing business with Venezuela combined with the reluctance of banks to conduct transactions that could fall afoul of sanctions is creating considerable trepidation. This is driving a culture of over-compliance among energy companies making them extremely reluctant to conduct business with PDVSA and invest in Venezuela even for those activities which fall outside of U.S. restrictions. These fears are underscored by Russian energy company Rosneft, which had invested heavily in petroleum projects and joint ventures with PDVSA, selling its Venezuelan assets to a Kremlin owned entity during March 2020 to avoid U.S. sanctions on its businesses. That in turn is further impacting Caracas ability to attract the capital, technology and skilled labor that is urgent and necessary requirement for rebuilding Venezuelas shattered oil infrastructure which is a prerequisite for growing production.

Another factor indicating that PDVSA is incapable of further significantly boosting petroleum output are signs that the national oil company is overstating production volumes. When reviewing the OPEC Monthly Oil Market Reports it becomes apparent that there is a significant difference between the numbers provided by PDVSA and the oil cartels secondary sources. For February 2022, Venezuelas national oil company claims to have pumped an average of 788,000 barrels per day, yet OPEC secondary sources state that Venezuelas total oil production for the month was 680,000 barrels daily, which is 14% less than the official number. That has emerged as a persistent trend, as the chart below shows, when reviewing OPECs Monthly Oil Market Reports since January 2019 when production started declining because of the Trump administrations additional sanctions.

Source: OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report.

It is worth noting that despite a marked increase in production toward the end of 2021, there was no notable growth compared to 2020 when the pandemic and sharply weak oil prices caused output to plunge 44% year over year to 569,000 barrels per day. According to PDVSA the company pumped 636,000 barrels per day during 2021 which despite being 12% greater than 2020 was still 37% less than the 1 million barrels per day produced in 2019. That trend of PDVSA reporting production numbers greater than those obtained by OPEC from secondary sources is also apparent from annual production data as the chart below indicate.

Source: OPEC Annual Report.

For some time, industry analysts have been speculating that PDVSA is overstating production data. Inexperienced government aligned senior management, corruption and purges of politically unreliable employees are creating an environment where PDVSA reports numbers that align with the statements of Venezuelas political leaders. That coupled with Venezuelas national oil company no longer releasing audited operational data points and the considerable difference compared to OPEC secondary numbers to inaccurate and inflated production volumes being released. The heavily corroded condition of Venezuelas petroleum industry infrastructure and lack of investment in critical maintenance as well as overhauls points to PDVSA being unable to successfully boost crude oil output once again. There is considerable evidence that Venezuelas national oil companys hydrocarbon production has reached capacity meaning Maduros overly ambitious 2022 production target of 2 million barrels per day is simply unachievable.

By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com

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The European Union is holding a high-level dialogue meeting with OPEC on Monday, as the EU is looking at ways to step up sanctions against Russia, including by an oil embargo.

The meeting, being held in Vienna, is expected to discuss the potential of more supply from OPEC as the EU is considering alternative supply in case it decides to ban oil imports from Russia at some point.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, OPEC and the larger OPEC+ group, including Russia, have not commented on the war and have not found the need to boost output more than planned, saying that the high oil prices are the result of geopolitical events, rather than a case of very tight market fundamentals.

The EU, for its part, banned last week the imports of coal from Russia as of August 2022. Some top EU officials, as well as many EU members, including the Baltic states and Poland, have called for oil to be the next step in punishing Vladimir Putin for the war in Ukraine. However, Europe is split on an immediate oil embargo, with the biggest economyGermanynot willing to go for it, for now, saying an oil ban would plunge Germany, and Europe, into a deep recession.

The EU ministers of foreign affairs are meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, and oil is expected to be one of the topics of discussion.

Irelands Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said that sanctions against Russia should include oil.

We know that its very difficult for some member states and we have to keep a united position across the EU, Coveney said, adding that the European Commission is working on a next package of sanctions that would include oil.

The Commission are now working on ensuring that oil is part of the next sanctions package and we believe the sooner that can happen, the better, the Irish foreign minister told reporters in Luxembourg today.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The European Union is set to begin tentative discussions this week about a potential embargo on oil imports from Russia, but any decision is still weeks away, given the deep division on the issue among member states.

Since the Russian war in Ukraine started at the end of February, Europe has been hesitant to slap embargoes on Russian energy, fearing recession for its economies and record-high energy prices for its consumers because of its high dependence on Russian oil and gas.

Following the footage of atrocities of Russian troops in Ukraine, the EU adopted a ban on imports of Russian coal last week. The embargo, however, will not go into effect until August 2022. The delayed embargo will give EU member states time to find enough alternative supplies.

Related: U.S. Natural Gas Price Jumps Above $6

For Russian oil and especially gas, a decision on an embargo would be even more difficult, as the EU continues to be split on a ban. The Baltic states and Poland are calling for an oil embargo, while the biggest economy, Germany, continues to oppose a ban on oil imports, saying that it's impossible to replace Russian supplies immediately, and a halt in imports would hurt its economy too much.

Overall, the EU relied on Russia for 26 percent of its crude oil imports, which met 37 percent of the EU energy needs in 2020, according to the EU's statistics office Eurostat. In natural gas, the dependence is even higherin 2020, the EU received 46 percent of its natural gas imports from Russia, per Eurostat data.

The mounting evidence of Russian war crimes while troops retreat from Ukrainian towns has prompted strong condemnation globally and a resolve in several EU member states to stop using Russian energy. Many within the EU have called for an oil embargo to follow the coal import ban, but several nationsled by Germanycontinue to resist the idea of an oil import ban.

So, discussions over a possible oil embargo on Russia would likely take weeks. Even if a ban is introduced, it could be a phased-in embargo to allow Europe to find alternatives to Russian oil supply, as The Wall Street Journal's Laurence Norman notes.

Top EU officials have called for an EU action on Russian oil to deprive Russia of revenues that it could use in the war in Ukraine.

Announcing the proposal to ban Russian coalwhich the EU agreed to on FridayEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech last week:

"Yes, we have now banned coal. But now, we have to look into oil and we will have to look into the revenues that Russia gets from the fossil fuels. And we really have to make an effort, for example to take a share to an escrow account, so that we will really limit the source of revenues of Russia from fossil fuels. This has to end, and this is the next step we will have to take together."

Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said this weekend after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv:

"We need to continue to increase our pressure on Russia. We have imposed massive sanctions already but more needs to be done on the energy sector, including oil. On Monday, I am convening an EU Foreign Affairs Council #FAC to discuss next steps."

Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, told the European Parliament last week that the bloc had spent much more money on buying energy from Russia than on helping Ukraine resist the invasion.

"We've given Ukraine nearly 1 billion. That might seem like a lot but 1 billion is what we're paying [Vladimir] Putin every day for the energy he provides us with. Since the start of the war, we've given him 35 billion, compared to the 1 billion we've given Ukraine to arm itself," Borrell said.

Still, Germany, Hungary, and Austria, as well as some other EU members, continue to resist an immediate outright ban on Russian oil, although Germany signaled last week it could end its dependence on Russian oil this year.

A former aide to Putin, Andrei Illarionov, told the BBC over the weekend that a full embargo on Russian oil could stop Putin's war.

"It's one of the very effective instruments still in the possession of the Western countries," Illarionov told the BBC.

The EU now must decide if it could take the economic pain to inflict pain on Putin's revenues with an oil embargo.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Despite pledges of net-zero portfolios, Canadian banks doubled their funding for Canadas oil sands production and related projects to $16.8 billion last year, according to data from a recent report by environmental groups crunched by the Financial Times.

Bank financing for 30 top oil sands production companies and six key oil sands pipeline companies increased their lending in 2021 by nearly $9 billion, according to the data, compiled by FT.

Between 2016, the year after the Paris Agreement was signed, and 2021, the major Canadian banks financed Canadian oil sands projects with the most money, the report from Oil Change International, Rainforest Action Network, BankTrack, Indigenous Environmental Network, Reclaim Finance, Sierra Club, and Urgewald showed.

Overall in all 60 banksnot only Canadianexamined by the report, oil sands saw a 51-percent jump in financing between 2020 and 2021, to $23.3 billion, the report showed. The biggest jump in tar sands financing last year came from Canadian banks RBC and TD.

RBC was the worst banker of tar sands in 2021, the report said.

Canadian banks continue to be overrepresented in the dirty dozen top fossil banks since the Paris Agreement, with RBC, Scotiabank, and TD all in the top 12. Remarkably, this trio, plus Bank of Montreal and CIBC, all increased their fossil fuel financing from 2020 to 2021, the report reads.

Between 2016 and 2021, TD financed oil sands with a total of $27.454 billion, with $5.424 billion in 2021 alone. TD has been the biggest financier of oil sands since 2016, followed closely by RBC, which poured $27.445 billion into the financing of oil sands, including $5.445 billion in 2021, according to the report. Another Canadian bank, CIBC, was third with $13.682 billion in financing for oil sands since 2016, and JP Morgan Chase was fourth with $10.879 billion.

Overall, the report found that the 60 largest banks in the world poured as much as $742 billion in fossil fuel financing in 2021 alone.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Banks have been actively seeking ways to distance themselves from the oil and gas industry in recent years under growing pressure from pro-energy transition activists. Their efforts have been quite productive, too, with funding of renewable energy loans rising significantly. But the tables are turning as fossil fuel prices soar in the face of tight supply and the threat of shortages.

The Wall Street Journal, for instance, reported earlier this month that banks had underwritten more renewable energy loans than oil and gas loans during the first quarter of the year. However, certain banks underwrote more oil and gas loans than renewable ones, the report noted, reversing course on their earlier approach to lending.

Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Societe Generale, and Mizuho Financial Corp were among the banks that underwrote more oil and gas loans than renewable energy loans, according to the report,

A separate report, by a group of environmental nonprofit organizations, once again pointed the finger at the banking industry for continuing to provide the oil and gas industry with money at all. Dubbed Banking on Climate Chaos, the group said in its 2022 Fossil Fuel Finance Report that banks had provided a total of $742 billion in funding to the fossil fuel industry last year. Of that, four Wall Street majors, including JP Morgan, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Citigroup, account for a quarter.

Banks have been a huge target for environmentalists as the push for the energy transition began to really gather momentum a few years ago. The pressure exerted on the industry has led to a flurry of net-zero commitments by virtually every bank, with the majors mentioned in the above report also being members of the Net Zero Banking Alliance.

Yet the hard realities of the energy world have not escaped the attention of bankers. Demand for fossil fuels is on the rise while supply is, at best, tight. With pressure rising on Europe to impose an embargo on Russian oil and gas, there are fears, even expressed by the International Energy Agency, that the global oil market could swing into a deficit of as much as 3 million barrels daily.

Related: EU-OPEC Meet As Europe Discusses Russian Oil Embargo

What this means is that the world urgently needs more oil production and also more gas production. There is even a shortage danger in the coal market following an EU decision to ban imports of Russian coal, although Brussels scheduled the start of the ban for August so it can stock up on the commodity in the meantime.

As the Wall Street Journal report points out, this context for banks also involves higher costs for renewable energy projects: the tight supply is not only a feature of the hydrocarbons market. In such a context, any bank would remember it is a business rather than a charity, and take its money where the returns are.

It is certainly an unfortunate situation for wind and solar. After years of everyone pretty much assuming their costs will only ever go down, the pandemic and the outlook for raw material demand changed that. Supply chain disruptions were the first to start affecting wind and solar prices negatively. Then higher energy costs kicked in for an additional cost boost, with polysilicon prices hitting the highest since 2011 earlier this year.

It is a special kind of irony that energy costs, or rather, the cost of fossil fuel energy used in the production of solar panels, for instance, are affecting the costs of the technology supposed to wean us off fossil fuels. Yet facts are what they are: higher fossil fuel prices are driving up the prices of virtually everything that features energy inputs.

Banks have made it clear that despite their increasingly ambitious commitments to the net-zero path, they cannot simply drop their oil and gas clients overnight. The reason for this is that renewable energy is not on par with fossil fuels in terms of performance. It wont be on par for a while yet, but global energy demand will remain strong, it seems, and it would need to be met.

Just how important this is was made clear by none other than pro-transition Democrats in the U.S., who, for all their focus on the shift from oil and gas to renewables, have now taken to calling on the oil and gas industry to boost production amid high priced at the pump. These have been blamed on Russias President recently but assigning blame will not make the burden lighter on Americans, hence the calls on Big Oil to pump more, despite transition efforts.

As for renewable energy financing, this is not going anywhere, whatever the costs. The pressure from environmentalist organizations and activist shareholders is not showing any signs of subsiding, which means lenders will continue to feel it and adjust their actions accordingly. Until there is such strong government support, including financial, for renewables, banks will continue to finance the industry.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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There has been an unspoken assumption that the West knows what its doing because it has been doing it longer than the East. Almost all developed economies are in Western Europe and North America. Yet recently, the tables have turned in one vital respect: energy policy. During the last few years, the EU has doubled down on its ambition to become the worlds first net-zero region. It has built up massive amounts of renewable energy, has slated huge investments in green hydrogen, and has been adopting policy after policy to discourage the consumption of fossil fuels.

In the U.S., the big push into renewables started two years ago as President Joe Biden took office. The transition from a fossil fuel-based economy to one based on and fueled by renewable energy was a central tenet in his campaign, and he got to work from day one, banning the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada and soon after temporarily banning oil and gas drilling on federal lands.

Meanwhile, far, far, away in the East, OPEC+ was formed to include two of the worlds largest oil producersRussia and Saudi Arabiaas well as the Central Asian oil producers from the former Soviet Union, including Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. The expanded cartel hasnt always seen eye to eye, and just before the pandemic really blew up, the Russians and the Saudis engaged in a brief price war. Yet since then, OPEC+ has worked like a well-oiled machine.

The EU, the UK, and the United States have raced to install more wind turbines, more solar panels, and more storage, and carmakers, almost all based in either Europe or the U.S., have equally raced to commit tens of billions of dollars to the electrification of transport. Those races are both based on the Paris Agreement and the goal of reducing the rise in global average temperatures by 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels.

Related: JP Morgan: Commodities Could Surge By Another 40%

While the West has been busy with that, OPEC+, headed by Russia and Saudi Arabia, has been pumping as much oil as it has seen fit at any given moment. In addition to that, Russia has kept its metals and uranium industry going and has continued to forge closer ties with the Far East, with a focus on China. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has staked a claim in the mining world and has allocated tens of billions on renewable energy and smart tech investment.

What this means, basically, is while the West has enthusiastically focused on the final section of the energy supply chainthe wind turbines, the panels, and the EVsthe East, in the face of Russia and Saudi Arabia, has focused on the start and the middle of the process, on the raw materials without which no energy transition would be possible. While doing that, they have also continued what they have done for decades: supply the world, including transition-happy economies, with fossil fuels.

Right now, the West is discovering how important the raw materials part is for the energy industry as a whole. U.S. shale drillers cannot boost production as fast as the Biden administration would like because it has been plagued by shortages. The EU is struggling under a growing electricity cost burden because renewables have under-delivered while the EU has been trying to reduce its consumption of fossil fuels. Now, this consumption is on the rise, but its also a lot more expensive than it was because of the tight supply. Ironically, emissions are also on the rise. Related: Outlook For China Oil Demand Darkens



The Biden administration wants to bring in more Canadian oil into the U.S., but the Keystone XL pipeline that couldve done that has been killed by that very same administration. The administration also wants more local critical mineral production but appears to not want the mines that would be necessary to do that. What it doesnt want, apparently, is Russian oil and fuels amid the Ukraine war, but it will only suspend these imports beginning on April 22, so it can stock up before that.

In Europe, politicians have been equally active in punishing Russia for Ukraine with, so far, five rounds of sanctions that many have joked have hurt the EU more than they have hurt Russia. There is some truth in these jokes: EU energy prices have skyrocketed and stayed in the sky, industries are warning they might have to close if the EU sanctions Russian gas or if Russia decides to turn the tap off in retaliation, and people are beginning to protest.

Even so, Brussels officials are talking about oil and gas sanctions, and they just this week voted for a ban on Russian coal imports... to take effect in August. That last part is a sliver of common sense. Russia supplies 45 percent of Europes thermal coal, used for electricity and heat generation. The EU is now scrambling to find a replacement, while the worlds biggest coal exporter Indonesia is hiking its prices massively and Australia, another coal giant, is warning it will not have enough for Europe.

The West is beginning its painful awakening to one very simple fact. This fact is that whoever controls the raw materials controls everything. And if those who control the raw materials play their cards right, they are likely to remain in control while the consumers of these raw materials deepen their dependence on these external suppliers.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and the oil industry are the ones to blame for high prices at the pump, according to a survey by Ipsos and ABC News.

The survey, carried out among 530 Americans last week, showed that 71 percent of them blamed Putin for the high domestic gas prices while 68 percent blamed the oil industry. A little over half, 52 percent, blamed the policies of the Democratic party for the high prices, and 51 percent blamed President Joe Biden specifically.

A third of the respondents placed the blame on Republican policies, and 24 percent said high prices at the pump were Donald Trump's fault.

Another finding from the poll was that about half of the respondents were suffering financial hardship because of higher gas prices. Of these, 21 percent said the hardship was serious,

The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline stood at $4.116 as of Sunday, according to the AAA. That was down from $4.318 a month ago but a lot higher than the national average a year ago, which stood at $2.865 per gallon.

The White House has tried everything to rein in prices, from calling on OPEC to produce more to releasing millions of barrels of crude from the strategic petroleum reserve, to, most recently, calling on the local oil industry to boost production. This has appeared to be challenging for the industry due to the lingering effects of pandemic supply chain disruptions and shortages.

This has not stopped Congress from seeking to blame the industry for high prices. In a hearing last week, the House subcommittee on energy and commerce summoned half a dozen Big Oil executives to explain themselves.

"We will not sit back and allow the fossil-fuel industry to take advantage of the American people and gouge them at the pump," the WSJ quoted Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette, who chairs the subcommittee, as saying ahead of the hearing.

The hearing did not end with anything particularly productive: Big Oil explained that exploration and production companies were not the ones setting retail fuel prices and that there was a host of factors at play in these prices, few of them under the control of the upstream industry.

The latest move by the Biden administration to motivate more oil production has been a proposal to make American oil companies pay fees on wells from leases they have not used in years and on acres "that they are hoarding without producing," as part of a plan to respond to "Putin's price hike at the pump."

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Family of three becomes guardian of endangered black-necked cranes at nature reserve in Chinas Yunnan

People's Daily Online) 09:11, April 11, 2022

Photo shows Zhao Bingxiang carrying his son on his back as they leave the nature reserve, having just finished feeding black-necked cranes found in the area. (Photo/Zheng Yuanjian)

The Dashanbao Black-necked Crane National Nature Reserve is an important habitat for endangered black-necked cranes to overwinter every year. Located in Zhaotong city, southwest Chinas Yunnan Province, the nature reserve witnesses visits from nearly 2,000 black-necked cranes for overwintering here each annual season.

Zhao Bingxiang and his wife, Chen Guanghui, are considered guardians for the black-necked cranes taking refuge in the reserve. Between November and April in the next year, they help staff members in the nature reserve to confirm the number of black-necked cranes present inside the reserve, in addition to feeding the birds on days affected by adverse weather conditions.

Zhaos mother Dong Yinglan has gotten engaged in the protection of black-backed cranes, too. When the nature reserve was established in 1990, my mother became the only guardian of black-necked cranes there, said Zhao, while recalling that as a young boy, he would always help his mother in efforts to protect the birds.

Photo shows black-necked cranes in the snow at a nature reserve on April 5, 2022. (Photo/Wu Taiping)

Wu Taiping, a staff member with the nature reserve, said that guardians of the black-necked cranes like the family play an important role in helping staff members on the nature reserve rescue the birds as well as preventing and controlling the spread of diseases when the birds overwinter at the nature reserve or temporarily stay there during their seasonal migration.

In 2003, Chen Guanghui became the second guardian of black-necked cranes in the nature reserve after her mother-in-law retired. Over the past years, Chen has learnt how to blow a special whistle to communicate with the birds, having also helped rescue a number of black-necked cranes. Nowadays, Zhao himself has also become a guardian of the black-necked cranes in the nature reserve.

I love these birds and I want to protect them all my life, said Zhao,

In late-February, Chen was injured while feeding the birds. After she was hospitalized, Zhao became the only one left to take care of both his elderly and younger family members, having also become the sole remaining guardian of the black-necked cranes left in the family. In order to provide food for and rescue the birds, Zhao would come to the nature reserve to count the birds at 6:30 a.m. every day and feed the birds twice a day.

Photo shows Zhao Bingxiang and his wife Chen Guanghui. (Photo/Zheng Yuanjian)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
PARIS  French President Emmanuel Macron declared Monday that he wants to convince a broad range of French voters to back his centrist vision, kicking off a two-week battle against far-right challenger Marine Le Pen ahead of the countrys presidential runoff vote.

Le Pen, meanwhile, is ready for the fight, planning to highlight rising prices for energy and food that have hit poorer households especially hard recently as Macron has focused his efforts on seeking diplomatic solutions to the war in Ukraine.

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The two candidates came out on top in Sundays first-round presidential vote, setting up an April 24 replay of their duel in 2017. Macron trounced Le Pen five years ago in the presidential runoff but all opinion polls show the leader of the National Rally is much closer this time to a potential win.

French President and centrist presidential candidate for reelection Emmanuel Macron meets residents in Denain, northern France, April 11, 2022. (Lewis Joly/AP)

The French election outcome will have wide international influence as Europe struggles to contain the havoc wreaked by Russias invasion of Ukraine. Macron has strongly backed European Union sanctions on Russia while Le Pen has worried about their impact on French living standards. Macron also is a firm supporter of NATO and of close collaboration among the EUs 27 members.

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Macron headed Monday to an economically depressed area of northern France where a majority of voters had chosen Le Pen, close to her electoral stronghold of Henin-Beaumont.

Im here, and Im determined to fight, the 44-year-old president said during his visit to the town of Denain, adding that he heard the concerns of people who struggle to find a job and earn more money.

They need to be reassured, he said.

For her part, Le Pen met with National Rally officials to plan strategy for runoff. Later Monday, Le Pen was to visit a cereal producer in the Burgundy region to speak about rising prices and making strong, urgent decisions to protect the purchasing power of the French. The topic has been at the core of her campaign this year, but Macrons team argues that, due to the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, Le Pen wouldnt have the financial means to meet her campaign promises.

French far-right candidate Marine Le Pen leaves her campaign headquarters in Paris, April 11, 2022. (Francois Mori/AP)

Macron said he wants to court those who voted for the extremes or opted to stay at home. He met with residents in Denain, many of whom criticized his proposed pension changes, which include raising the minimum retirement age from 62 to 65.

Denain Mayor Anne-Lise Dufour-Tonini told reporters she will vote for Macron with no hesitation in the second round, but intends to push for him to adopt more leftist proposals.

Many of the 10 presidential candidates who were defeated in the first round Sunday encouraged voters to choose Macron in the second round, including conservative candidate Valerie Pecresse, and the Green and Socialist candidates. Pecresse warned of the chaos that would ensue if Le Pen was elected. Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who came in third in Sundays vote, urged voters not to choose Le Pen, implicitly suggesting that staying at home could be an option.

Le Pen was backed by the other far-right candidate, former TV pundit Eric Zemmour.

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On her third attempt to become Frances first woman president, Le Pen was rewarded Sunday for her years-long effort to rebrand herself as less extreme. Macron is not buying it, however, accusing Le Pen of pushing a dangerous manifesto of racist, ruinous policies. Le Pen wants to roll back some rights for Muslims, banning them from wearing headscarves in public, and to drastically reduce immigration from outside Europe.

Macron and Le Pen are to debate on national television next week.

Our focus is now on the project and the values, said Sen. Francois Patriat, a member of Macrons party.

Le Pens camp, meanwhile, is hoping to capitalize on anger at Macron over policies seen as favoring the rich.

Now everything is possible, Aurelien Lopez Liguori, a councilor with Le Pens party in the southern city of Sete, told The Associated Press, adding that, compared with 2017, now Macron has a record, a bad record.

French Minister for European Affairs Clement Beaune told the AP that only five years ago Le Pen was proposing  must not forget it  to leave the euro, to break Europe when Brexit and Frexit were trendy.

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Le Pen has dropped earlier threats to pull France out of the EU and abandon the shared euro currency if elected, but some of her proposals, including setting up a national border control, are contrary to EU rules.

With all first-round votes counted Monday, Macron had 27.8% support, Le Pen captured 23.1% and Melenchon was third with close to 22%.

The euro rose Monday to trade 0.27% higher at $1.09, indicating investor relief that Macron came out on top in the first round.

John Leicester and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed.
Russias shipments of crude oil rebounded in the first full week of April to the highest level so far this year, although some cargoes are set on longer-than-usual voyages toward Asia, Bloomberg News tracker of crude leaving Russian ports showed on Monday.

In the week to April 8, outbound Russian crude averaged nearly 4 million barrels per day (bpd), the highest volume leaving Russian ports this year. While Russia is shipping out the highest level of crude cargoes since the start of the year, not all of the cargoes have final destination in their trackers and many of them are bound for long trips from European ports via South Africa en route to Asia, according to Bloombergs tanker-tracking data.

Russian shipments have rebounded from the previous two weeks of lower outbound volumes, the data showed. It also found that signs have started to emerge that traders are working to get more Russian crude to Asia, as many companies and countries in Europe are in a self-sanction mode and not willing to take Russian oil. For example, the northwestern European market for Russias flagship Urals crude grade is disappearing.

Before the Russian war in Ukraine, northwestern Europe was taking a lot of Urals from the Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga.

Some of those shipments are now making their way to Asia, where buyers such as India and China arent shying away from Russian crude and are even benefiting from the record discounts at which Russian oil is being sold on the spot market relative to Dated Brent.

The voyage from Russias Baltic ports to Asia is much longer, but some traders and refiners appear to have concluded that the hefty discounts are worth it.

Asian buyers continue to buy one of Russias key crude grades shipped from the Far East ports as the Sokol cargoes for May loadings for Asia are already sold out, traders told Bloomberg last week.

Crude from the Sakhalin I project, from which operator ExxonMobil said it would withdraw after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, was sold either on a term or spot basis to South Korea, China, and India, Bloombergs sources said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Russias current account surplus, the broadest measure of trade, more than doubled in the first quarter of 2022 from the same period last year amid soaring oil and gas prices, according to data from the Russian central bank cited by Bloomberg.

Russiawhich continued its oil and gas sales in Q1 at the highest prices in yearssaw its current account surplus jump by more than 2.5 times from last years first quarter to $58.2 billion from $22.5 billion.

Russian revenues from oil and gas sales soared in the first quarter, while imports plunged amid companies withdrawing from Russia over Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. This resulted in a major surplus in the Russian trade of goods and services.

Export inflows stayed practically the same, but imports dropped sharply because of logistics limits and restrictions imposed by Western countries, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told local newspaper Izvestia in an interview published during the weekend.

Despite the widespread global condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia continued to sell its oil and gas to its key export markets in the first quarter. Asian buyers China and India continued buying Russian oil at hefty discounts, while Europe continued buying natural gas. Europe also continued buying Russian oil for most of Q1, although many European majors said in early March that they would not trade with spot Russian crude and oil products after the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia expects to earn additional oil and gas revenues equivalent to $9.6 billion (798.4 billion Russian rubles) this month, its finance ministry said last week.

Despite the self-sanctioning of many European buyers of Russian oil, Moscow continues to export its oil, and Europe continues to pay for and import Russian natural gas.

On Friday, the EU said it would be imposing a ban on imports of coal and other solid fossil fuels from Russia as of August 2022 as part of the fifth round of EU sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The EU is currently discussing sanctions on Russian oil, although a consensus seems weeks away as the bloc is split over an oil embargo.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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TotalEnergies plans to raise the production capacity of the Cameron LNG plant in Louisiana in the United States, the French supermajor said on Monday, as the U.S. is looking to boost LNG shipments to Europe to help it reduce dependence on Russian gas.

Under a recent heads of agreement signed with the other partners in the Cameron LNG project, TotalEnergies will expand the plant with a fourth production train with a production capacity of 6.75 million metric tons per annum (Mtpa). This would be a 5-percent increase of the current 13.5 Mtpa first three trains through debottlenecking.

Cameron LNG is jointly owned by Sempra Infrastructure (50.2 percent), TotalEnergies (16.6 percent), Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (16.6 percent), and Japan LNG Investment (16.6 percent).

Under the terms of the deal, TotalEnergies will offtake 16.6 percent of the projected fourth trains production capacity and 25 percent of the projected debottlenecked capacity.

TotalEnergies, the worlds leading exporter of U.S. LNG as of 2021, is the second-largest LNG trader in the world, with a market share of around 10 percent, the company says.

The French major also announced today that Cameron LNG advances the development of this project with the selection of two contractors to conduct a competitive Front End Engineering Design (FEED) in view of the selection of the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor.

Development of the Cameron LNG expansion project remains subject to definitive agreements, obtaining the necessary permits, and all partners reaching a final investment decision planned for 2023.

At the end of last month, a month after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union and the United States announced a deal for more U.S. liquefied natural gas exports to the EU as the latter seeks to replace Russian supplies, on which it is dependent.

According to the terms of the deal, the United States will deliver at least 15 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas to the EU this year more than previously planned, the White House said in a fact sheet.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
Russia and Russia-affiliated armed groups in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk are disrupting operations at a key compressor station through which one-third of Russian gas supply to Europe via Ukraine passes, the gas transmission systems operator of Ukraine, GTSOU, said on Friday.

"Gas TSO of Ukraine (GTSOU) reports on gross interference by representatives of the Russian Federation and illegal armed groups under their control, the so-called LNR, in operational work and technological processes of gas transportation through compressor station (CS) Novopskov in the Luhansk region," the operator said, noting that the "actions of Russian occupiers endanger the gas transit through GMS Sokhranivka."

Russian and Russia-affiliated armed groups are trying to interfere in the operations of the compressor station, which could result in the Ukrainian operator losing operational control over the equipment, GTSOU said.

"It will lead to significant risks to the integrity of the Ukrainian gas transmission system, the stability of gas transportation modes, and the impossibility of gas transportation through the CS, including gas volumes under the transit contract," the Ukrainian company said.

"Responsibility for the consequences falls on the Russian Federation," it added.

The European Union has so far refrained from imposing sanctions or an embargo on Russian natural gas, due to the EU's high dependence on Russian gas and insistence from major economies  including Germany  that a ban on Russian gas would lead to a deep recession in Europe.

However, some participants in the gas market in Europe are concerned that Russian flows could be disrupted due to combat activities before being disrupted by EU sanctions.

Earlier this week, Germany's Finance Minister Christian Lindner said that an immediate ban on imports of Russian oil and gas into Germany was not feasible, although he added he was all in favor of an energy embargo.

"If I could follow my heart," there would be a ban on Russian oil and gas in Germany, Lindner said in an interview published by German weekly Die Zeit on Wednesday.

An immediate ban on imports of Russian oil and gas, however, is not feasible at present, because it would endanger Germany's economy and social stability, the minister added.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. (AP)  When the coronavirus pandemic first hit the U.S., sales of window coverings at Halcyon Shades quickly went dark. So the suburban St. Louis business did what hundreds of other small manufacturers did: It pivoted to make protective supplies, with help from an $870,000 government grant.

But things haven't worked out as planned. The company quit making face shields because it wasn't profitable. It still hasn't sold a single N95 mask because of struggles to get equipment, materials and regulatory approval.

So far, it has been a net drain of funds and resources and energy," Halcyon Shades owner Jim Schmersahl said.

Many companies that began producing personal protective equipment with patriotic optimism have scaled back, shut down or given up, according to an Associated Press analysis based on numerous interviews with manufacturers. Some already have sold equipment they bought with state government grants.

As COVID-19 was stressing hospitals and shuttering businesses in 2020, elected officials touted the need to boost U.S. production of protective gear: All this stuff should be made in the United States and not in China, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in remarks echoed by others.

Yet many manufacturers who answered the call have faced logistical hurdles, regulatory rejections, slumping demand and fierce competition from foreign suppliers. On April 1, Florida-based American Surgical Mask Co. became one of the latest to close.

Im just done with the fight, CEO Matt Brandman told the AP.

After the initial scramble for PPE subsided, many industry newcomers faced difficulty selling products. Government agencies sometimes wanted huge quantities at tough-to-meet deadlines. Hospital systems tended to contract with established suppliers. Retail sales waned after every virus surge.

At the end of the day, when everybody said they wanted American-made, nobodys buying, not even the state, said Tony Blogumas, vice president of Green Resources Consulting, a rural Missouri firm that received an $800,000 state grant but has sold only a few thousand masks. Were kind of upset about the whole situation.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson also is disappointed. His administration divided $20 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds among 48 businesses for the production of masks, gowns, sanitizer and other supplies. Parson hoped to seed a permanent field of manufacturers.

Im still a firm believer in that  that we need to be making PPE here in this state, Parson said. Unfortunately, a lot of entities went right back to where they were getting it before.

The onset of the pandemic revealed that the U.S. was highly dependent on foreign countries for protective gear. When China limited exports because of its own battle against COVID-19, U.S. stockpiles plummeted. Prices skyrocketed as federal officials, governors and health care systems competed for supplies.

Though federal stockpiles have been replenished, shriveling domestic production has raised concerns that state governments, medical facilities and others could again get stuck scrambling for gear during a future pandemic.

The AP identified more than $125 million in grants to spur production of pandemic supplies made to over 300 business in 10 states  Alabama, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Ohio. Its possible that grants were awarded in additional states, but there is no central clearinghouse to track them.

In November 2020, Alabama awarded one of the single largest grants  nearly $10.6 million from federal pandemic relief funds  to HomTex Inc. The company was to equip a new Selma facility to make 250 million surgical masks and 45 million N95 masks annually. The plant returned $1.8 million of the state grant and has yet to make anything due to a lack of customers.

I cant produce product that I cant sell, HomTex President Jeremy Wootten said.

Other companies also had trouble living up to political hype.

In October 2020, New York announced eight grants that then-Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, now the governor, said were "a model for how we build back better for the post-pandemic future. Those included $800,000 for newly formed Altor Safety and $1 million for startup firm NYPPE.

But NYPPE's equipment wasn't ready until February 2021, by which time the market had changed, President Connor Knapp said.

So Knapp tapped the brakes on his plans. NYPPE still hasn't sold any N95 masks because it lacks regulatory approval. It just recently scaled up production of surgical masks, after obtaining a U.S. Food and Drug Administration certification that came with its purchase of Altor Safety.

Some PPE manufacturers point to federal regulations as part of the reason for their struggles. Three-ply masks need FDA approval to be marketed for medical use  an important designation for building a long-term customer base.

That process can be time-consuming. Facing delays, Angstrom Manufacturing in Missouri ended up buying another business that already had FDA approval, President Chris Carron said. By then, it was fall 2021  a year after it received a state grant.

Companies need approval from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to market products as N95 respirators, which filter at least 95% of airborne particles.

During the first two years of the pandemic, NIOSH approved 30 new manufacturers  more than seven times the typical number during a similar pre-pandemic period, according to agency data. Some applications remain pending, while numerous others were denied.

Halcyon Shades' N95 certification was rejected in October because its samples didn't have head straps attached. While the company works on another application, its equipment sits idle inside the clear plastic-sheet walls of a clean room specially built to shield materials from airborne contaminants. Partially finished masks remain paused on a conveyor belt, waiting to be deposited into a cardboard box.

Without federal approval, "were just dead in the water, said Schmersahl, the company owner.

Progress reports filed with the Missouri Department of Economic Development show that nearly all its PPE grant recipients faced challenges by July 2021, especially with sales.

Patriot Medical Devices, which received $750,000 from Missouri, hired nearly 100 people as it cranked out millions of masks during a COVID-19 surge in late 2020 and early 2021, CEO Rick Needham said. Fewer than 10 employees remain.

We felt it was our patriotic duty to do something to help solve the problem, Needham said. But, he added, Its frankly a little bit of a dysfunctional business model at this point.

Ohio awarded $20.8 million to 73 businesses to manufacture pandemic-related supplies, according to state data. Of 60 businesses that complied with a recent reporting deadline, more than one-third no longer produced PPE by the end of 2021.

Cleveland Veteran Business Solutions, which received a $500,000 grant to get into the PPE business, made about 5 million surgical masks beginning in August 2020. It ultimately halted production in the face of cheaper imports and sold its machines this year, co-founder Taner Eren said.

It was surprising and disappointing strategically that there wasnt support for a local PPE manufacturing industry," Eren said.

The business was among several dozen that banded together to form the American Mask Manufacturer's Association with the goal of sustaining the industry. The group's membership has dwindled as more and more go out of business.

Association organizers say the industry has reached a critical point. They want the federal government to treat PPE manufacturers like the nation's defense industry  entering into long-term contracts to perpetually replenish a stockpile for future pandemics or emergencies.

If the federal government doesnt come in and help support the U.S. manufacturing base, its almost certainly going to go back to China, and well be just as vulnerable as we were in early 2020 and 2019, said Brent Dillie, the association chairman and co-founder of Premium-PPE, a Virginia manufacturer started during the pandemic that has shed about two-thirds of its roughly 300 employees.

Infrastructure legislation signed by President Joe Biden took a step toward bolstering domestic suppliers. Effective in February, it required new contracts for PPE purchased by the departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to run for at least two years and be awarded to U.S. producers  unless theres not sufficient quantity and quality at market prices.

The health and veterans departments said they havent bought anything yet. Homeland Security hasnt answered the APs questions. Documents show the government solicited bids due Dec. 6 for up to 381 million U.S.-made surgical masks over three years for its stockpile. No deal has been announced.

Other documents show the government is looking to contract with three major suppliers  3M, Moldex, and Owens & Minor  for a total of $115 million in U.S-made N95 masks over three years. A justification document says noncompetitive contracts are necessary to preserve capacity for future coronavirus surges or emergencies.

The Biden administration also formed a task force of experts from federal agencies, health care providers, PPE manufacturers and distributors to develop a national strategy for ensuring a resilient public health supply chain. Its work is expected to extend for years.

Some manufacturers said they can't wait long for a federal life preserver.

Dentec Safety Specialists is wrapping up a contract to supply 125,000 rubber reusable respirators and 500,000 filtration cartridges from its Kansas facility for the national stockpile, said President Claudio Dente. It needs more orders soon to prevent layoffs, he said.

I thought that COVID would really change the mindset of the people, the governments and manufacturing," Dente said. But he added: The general marketplace is reverting back to their old ways -- meaning looking to buy product from China."

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BEIJING (AP)  China said Monday its military planes delivered regular military supplies to Serbia, in its first comments on an unusual operation in which six Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport planes landed in Belgrade early Saturday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters the operation was part of the two countries annual cooperation plan, does not target any third parties and has nothing to do with the current situation.

Zhao gave no further details.

The planes arrival prompted heavy speculation they were carrying HQ-22 surface-to-air missiles under the terms of a previous deal signed between the sides. Serbias defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic all but confirmed the delivery of the medium-range systems that was agreed to in 2019, saying on Saturday that he will present the newest pride of the Serbian military on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The veiled operation this weekend came amid Western concerns that an arms buildup in the Balkans at the same time as war is raging in Ukraine could threaten the region.

Serbia and China have long shared strong ties, partly out of a common disdain for Washington. Serbians nurture resentment over NATO's 1999 air campaign during the Kosovo conflict, in which the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade was hit. NATO called the incident, which sparked violent demonstrations in Beijing, a mistaken bombing, an explanation China and many others have long rejected.

Despite claiming to be neutral, China has largely sided with Russia in the Ukraine conflict and many Serbians are sympathetic to Moscow. Although Serbia has voted in favor of U.N. resolutions that condemn the Russian attacks in Ukraine, it has refused to join international sanctions against its allies in Moscow or to outright criticize actions by the Russian troops there.

The apparent arms delivery to Serbia over the territories of at least two NATO member states, Turkey and Bulgaria, was seen by experts as a demonstration of Chinas growing global reach.

The weekend flights could be the largest overseas operation by the Chinese domestically developed large transport plane yet, displaying the countrys strategic transport capabilities," the Communist Party newspaper Global Times said Monday, citing Chinese defense analysts.

The Y-20, which was first delivered to the People's Liberation Army Air Force in 2015, has been used in overseas missions before, including the dispatch of 105 members of the PLA honor guard to join the 2020 Russian Victory Day parade in Moscow, and in flights near Taiwan's air space aimed at testing the self-governing island's defenses and intimidating its democratic government.

There are fears in the West that the arming of Serbia by Russia and China could encourage the Balkan country to move toward another war, especially against its former province of Kosovo that proclaimed independence in 2008. Serbia, Russia and China dont recognize Kosovos statehood, while the United States and most Western countries do.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The Omaha company preparing to build a new skyscraper on the downtown skyline has also received a lofty ranking from Fortune magazine as a good place to work.

Mutual of Omaha this week was named by Fortune and consulting firm Great Places to Work as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, coming in No. 84 on the list.

This is the first time Mutual of Omaha has been named to the list, which is based on a certification process, analytics and a survey of some 870,000 workers nationwide.

Iowa had one company on the list, an information technology company based in Ames. Among Nebraskas surrounding states, there were no companies from Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota or Wyoming.

Employees were surveyed on a number of topics, including how trustworthy, caring and fair the company is in times of crises; employees physical, emotional and financial health; and the companys broader community impact.

In effort to ensure that a company treats all employees fairly, companies were also scored on how employees experiences varied depending on their job role, gender, race/ethnicity, payroll status and other characteristics. The ranking accounted for differing experiences among women, people of color, LGBT individuals, older workers and those who have disabilities.

This award reflects the many ways we support and invest in our associates, as well as the continued positive feedback they provide on our workplace and culture, said Liz Mazzotta, chief administrative officer at Mutual of Omaha.

Companies had to have at least 1,000 employees to be included in the rankings. Mutual employs roughly 4,000 workers in Omaha.

Mutual of Omaha last year first went through the Great Places to Work certification process. The Fortune 500 company said it did so to highlight its culture and to aid in the recruiting of workers during a tight national labor market.

Worker recruitment was also a reason Mutual leaders cited in January when they announced plans to build a new headquarters tower downtown. The company expects to move its Omaha workforce to the Omaha downtown library site by 2026.

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HOUSTON (AP)  Three people who have worked for the top elected official in Harris County were indicted on Monday after being accused by prosecutors of steering a nearly $11 million contract for COVID-19 vaccine outreach to a political consultant with ties to local Democratic officials.

Alex Triantaphyllis, Aaron Dunn and Wallis Nader were each indicted on one count of misuse of official information and one count of tampering with a record, according to court records.

Triantaphyllis is chief of staff for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, while Wallis Nader is a policy director and Aaron Dunn is a former senior adviser who recently left Hidalgos office. The county is the nation's third-most populous and home to Houston.

We look forward to the upcoming court proceedings, which will shine a light on the fact that there has been no wrongdoing here. These charges against my client are unsupported by a full and objective review of the facts and the voluminous evidence in this case. In his service to Harris County, Alex has made the people the top priority and worked to ensure that taxpayer resources are utilized as effectively and efficiently as possible," Marla Poirot, an attorney for Triantaphyllis, said in a statement.

Ashlee McFarlane, an attorney for Hidalgo, declined to comment until her legal team had a chance to review the indictments.

Aaron Dunn is innocent. He is an honest and dedicated public servant. He didnt commit any crime, and I am confident that he will be vindicated," said Derek Hollingsworth, Dunn's attorney.

It was not immediately known if Nader was represented by a lawyer.

The Harris County District Attorneys Office declined to comment.

Documents detailing the charges were not immediately available. But a search warrant made public last month alleged Triantaphyllis, Dunn and Nader provided non-public information about the vaccine outreach contract to Felicity Pereyra, the founder of Elevate Strategies, giving her an advantage that led to her winning the proposal in June 2021.

The search warrant, first reported by KTRK-TV, was part of a raid of several county offices in which investigators, including the Texas Rangers, seized computers, telephones and other items.

The contract, which was part of the countys efforts to improve vaccination rates, was canceled in September after criticism about how it was awarded and concerns over whether the firm that won it had sufficient staffing and resources to manage the outreach effort.

Hidalgo had requested that the contract be canceled, saying that while there was nothing improper, it had become too political.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
UNITED NATIONS  Nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion and the United Nations has verified the deaths of 142 youngsters although the number is almost certainly much higher, the U.N. childrens agency said Monday.

Manuel Fontaine, UNICEFs emergency programs director who just returned from Ukraine, said having 4.8 million of Ukraines 7.5 million children displaced in such a short time is something he hadnt seen happen so quickly in 31 years of humanitarian work.

Ukraines U.N. ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, claimed Russia has taken more than 121,000 children out of Ukraine and reportedly drafted a bill to simplify and accelerate adoption procedures for orphans and even those who have parents and other relatives.

Most of the children were removed from the besieged southern port city of Mariupol and taken to eastern Donetsk and then to the Russian city of Taganrog, according to Kyslytsya.

Fontaine said that of Ukraines refugee children, 2.8 million are displaced within Ukraine and 2 million more are in other countries.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:

 Mariupol mayor says siege has k illed more than 10K civilians

 Biden, Modi to speak as US presses for hard line on Russia

 Ukrainian nuns open their monastery doors to the displaced

 US doubts new Russian war chief can end Moscows floundering

 Analysis: War, economy could weaken Putins place as leader

 Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., who was twice sickened in incidents he suspected were poisonings, has been detained in Moscow by police, another prominent opposition figure said Monday.

Ilya Yashin said on Twitter that Kara-Murza was detained Monday near his Moscow residence. It was unclear whether he had been charged.

Kara-Murza was hospitalized with poisoning symptoms twice, in 2015 and 2017. A journalist and associate of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was shot and killed in 2015, and oligarch-turned-dissident Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Kara-Murza nearly died from kidney failure in the first incident. He suspects he was poisoned but no cause has been determined.

Kara-Murza was taken to a hospital with a sudden, similar illness in 2017 and put into a medically induced coma. His wife said doctors confirmed that he was poisoned.

PARIS __ Societe Generale has announced it is ending its Russian activities -- making it the first big Western bank to announce its quitting Russia.

SocGen is also selling its entire stake in Rosbank to a company linked to a Russian oligarch, costing the French bank some 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion).

Rosbank is a heavyweight in the Russian banking sector, and Societe Generale was the majority shareholder.

After several weeks of intensive work, the bank said in a statement, it had signed an agreement with Russian investment fund Interros Capital to sell all of its stake in Rosbank as well as its insurance subsidiaries in Russia.

Interros is one of the largest funds in the country, which holds assets in heavy industry and metallurgy.'

MILAN  Italian Premier Mario Draghi secured a deal Monday for more natural gas imports across a Mediterranean pipeline from Algeria, in the latest push by a European Union nation to reduce dependence on Russian energy following its invasion of Ukraine.

Draghi told reporters in the Algerian capital after meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune that an agreement to intensify bilateral cooperation in the energy sector along with the deal to export more gas to Italy are a significant response to the strategic goal of quickly replacing Russian energy.

Russia is Italys biggest supplier of natural gas, representing 40% of total imports, followed by Algeria, which provides some 21 billion cubic meters of gas via the Trans-Mediterranean pipeline.

The new deal between Italian energy company ENI and Algerias Sonatrach would add up to 9 billion cubic meters of gas from Algeria, just eclipsing Russias current 29 billion cubic meters a year. The increased flows will start in the fall, ENI said in a statement.

LVIV, Ukraine  The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol tells The Associated Press that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the southeastern city since the Russian invasion in February.

Mayor Vadym Boychenko told The Associated Press by telephone Monday that corpses were carpeted through the streets of our city and that the death toll could be more than 20,000.

Boychenko also said Russian forces have brought mobile crematoria to the city to dispose of the bodies and accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to disguise the carnage.

The mayor had previously claimed 5,000 dead. He explained that these data were on March 21, but thousands more people were lying on the streets, it was just impossible for us to collect them.

WASHINGTON  The Pentagons latest assessment is that Russia is gearing up for, but has not yet begun, an intensified offensive in the Donbas.

A senior U.S. defense official said the Russians are moving more troops and materiel toward that area and are focusing many of their missile strikes there. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. military assessments.

The official said a lengthy convoy of vehicles that is headed south toward the eastern city of Izyum contains artillery as well as aviation and infantry support, plus battlefield command-and-control elements and other materials.

The official said the convoy appeared to originate from the Belgorod and Valuyki areas in Russia, which are shaping up as key staging and marshalling grounds for the Russian buildup in the Donbas.

The official said the Russians also are bolstering their presence in the Donbas by deploying in recent days more artillery southwest of the city of Donetsk.

 By Robert Burns

VIENNA  Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer says his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow was very direct, open and tough.

In a statement released by his office after the meeting, Nehammer said Monday his primary message to Putin was that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose.

Nehammer was the first European leader to meet Putin in Moscow since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February.

The Austrian leader stressed that the Monday trip was not a friendly visit, but rather his duty to exhaust every possibility for ending the violence in Ukraine.

Nehammers Moscow visit comes after a trip on Saturday to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In his conversation with Putin, Nehammer said he raised the issue of serious war crimes committed by the Russian military in the Ukrainian city of Bucha and others. All those who are responsible will be held to account, he added.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. childrens agency says nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion, and the United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured though these numbers are likely much higher.

Manuel Fontaine, UNICEFs emergency programs director who returned from Ukraine last week, told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that of the 3.2 million children estimated to have remained in their homes nearly half may be at risk of not having enough food, and attacks on water system infrastructure and power outages have left an estimated 1.4 million people in the country without access to water.

He said the situation is worse in cities like Mariupol and Kherson in the south, which have been besieged by Russian forces where children and their families have spent weeks without running water, sanitation or a regular supply of food.

Hundreds of schools and educational facilities have been attacked or used for military purposes, Fontaine said. Others are serving as shelters for civilians.

He said school closings are affecting the education of 5.7 million school-age children and 1.5 million students in higher education.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina  Relatives of the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica are worried that the history is repeating itself in the war in Ukraine.

Hundreds of women who lost their sons, husbands and other relatives in the 1995 massacre of some 8,000 people in the eastern Bosnian town, on Monday demanded that all those who committed war crimes be brought to justice.

An association of the relatives of the Srebrenica victims, the Mothers of Srebrenica, has been active in keeping the memory alive of the Bosnian Serb execution of the Bosniak men and boys  who are mostly Muslim  in the late months of the 1992-95 War in Bosnia.

Sehida Abdurahmanovic says we spent all these years working to prevent this Srebrenica (killings) from happening to anyone else. But, she adds, we are really sad to say, but in todays Europe its happening again - Srebrenica is happening again.

LONDON  The World Bank says Ukraines economy will shrink by 45% this year because of Russias invasion, which has shut down half of the countrys businesses, choked off imports and exports, and damaged a vast amount of critical infrastructure.

Unprecedented sanctions imposed by Western allies in response to the war, meanwhile, are plunging Russia into a deep recession, lopping off more than a tenth of its economic growth, the Washington-based lender said in a report Sunday.

The report said economic activity is impossible in large swathes of areas in Ukraine because productive infrastructure like roads, bridges, ports and train tracks have been destroyed.

Ukraine plays a major role as a global supplier of agricultural exports like wheat but thats in question now because planting and harvesting have been disrupted by the war, the report said. The war has cut off access to the Black Sea, a key route for exports, including 90% of Ukraines grain shipments.

WARSAW, Poland  The mayor of Warsaw says a disputed compound administered by Russias diplomatic mission is being taken over by the city and will be made available to the Ukrainian community.

Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was at the site Monday and said that a bailiff had entered the two apparently empty buildings, dubbed spyville by Warsaw residents, to check their condition and to mark them as seized by the Town Hall.

It is very symbolic that we are closing this procedure of many years now, at the time of Russias aggression on Ukraine, Trzaskowski said on Twitter.

Russias Embassy, which had the tall apartment blocks built in the 1970s, has been refusing court orders to pay lease or to hand it over. Once busy, the buildings became empty in the 1990s, after Poland shed its communist rule and dependence from Moscow and after the Soviet Union dissolved.

Ever since, Poland has been saying that lease on the plot of land had expired and demanded it be returned.

BUDAPEST, Hungary - Hungary plans to modify its natural gas contract with Russian energy company Gazprom in order to satisfy a demand by President Vladimir Putin that Russian gas be paid for in rubles.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told a news conference on Monday that the subsidiary of Hungarys energy group MVM, CEE Energy, would pay its gas bills in euros to Russias Gazprombank, which would convert the payments into rubles and transfer them to the gas provider Gazprom Export.

Putin, in retaliation over sanctions against Russia by the European Union, has demanded that countries pay for Russian gas in rubles or risk having their supply shut off.

While Hungary has voted with the European Union on most sanctions against Russia, it has lobbied heavily against blocking Russian energy imports, arguing that would cripple its economy.

Szijjarto said that modifying Hungarys contract with Gazprom ensured the countrys energy supply while staying in line with the EUs sanctioning policy.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark  The Danish Health Authority said Monday it will buy 2 million iodine tablets in case of a nuclear accident in our immediate area.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that it is important to be prepared, while the war in Ukraine shows that the world is unpredictable, the health authority said, adding it had based its recommendation on advice by the Danish Emergency Management Agency as well as impact calculations for the risk of a nuclear incident in Denmarks immediate area.

The tablets would cover the risk group which includes those up to age 18, health and emergency personnel under the age of 40, and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

BUCHAREST, Romania  The Republic of Moldova received on Monday in Luxembourg a questionnaire from the European Commission to assess the small countrys readiness to become a European Union member, authorities said.

A period of hard work is ahead starting today, Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu wrote online.

The former Soviet republic of around 2.6 million people is one of Europes poorest nations. Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova has pushed to accelerate joining the EU since Russia launched its attacks on Ukraine in late February.

Becoming a EU member will take years and be contingent on reforms, including cleaning up widespread corruption.

VILNIUS, Lithuania  Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on Monday became the latest Western leader to visit Ukraine to express support to the nation under Russian attack,

Today, my visit in Ukraine started in Borodyanka. No words could possibly describe what I saw and felt here, Simonyte wrote on Twitter. She also posted photos of her looking at the at the blackened hole in a high-rise apartment building in Borodyanka, northwest of Kyiv.

During the unannounced visit, she is expected to meet with the Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy, who plans to address the Lithuanian parliament on Tuesday.

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia  Slovakia has denied its S-300 air defense missile system it transported to Ukraine has been destroyed by the Russian armed forces.

Our S-300 system has not been destroyed, Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakias Prime Minister Eduard Heger said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.

She said any other claim is not true.

Earlier on Monday, the Russian military said it destroyed a shipment of air defense missile system provided by the West on the southern outskirts of the city of Dnipro.

The Russian side said Ukraine had received the air defense system from a European country that he didnt name. Last week, Slovakia said it has handed over its Soviet-designed S-300 air defense systems to Ukraine, which has pleaded with the West to give it more weapons, including long-range air defense systems.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark  Latvia has arrested a citizen of Belarus, who is suspected of spying for Belarusian special service by allegedly gathering information about the Baltic countrys Armed Forces and critical infrastructure facilities, news report said Monday.

The Baltic News Service, the regions main new agency, said Latvias State Security Service (VDD) and the Military Intelligence and Security Service detained the man in February.

The Belarusian suspect had been secretly filming and taking photos, BNS said, adding that the state security service had seized technical equipment and data carriers.

Latvian public broadcaster LSM said criminal proceedings were initiated on Feb. 15.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BALTIMORE  Terry Golaner is counting the days until her two youngest children can be vaccinated against the coronavirus, continuing with masks and careful consideration of social activities.

I feel like my two younger ones potentially could be sitting ducks, the Pikesville, Maryland, mother said. At some point we all may have COVID, but I want them to have the vaccine because I dont want them to end up in the hospital or with long-haul COVID or die.

The wait is frustrating, especially with much of the public moving on from the pandemic as cases plummet and mandates lift.

Whats worse for public health officials staring down a possible new wave of infections from another omicron subvariant called BA.2 is the fear other parents wont see a need to get their kids vaccinated when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorizes it for children under age 5, as soon as April.

The percent of fully vaccinated Americans has stagnated at about two-thirds. Just under half of those eligible have gotten a booster dose. Federal regulators authorized a second booster last week for older and immunocompromised people, but its unclear how many people will want those either.

Children remain the least protected with about 35% of parents of those aged 5 to 11 choosing to vaccinate their kids since they became eligible in November.

A Kaiser Family Foundation survey found even greater hesitancy among parents of younger kids. Only 1 in 5 parents said they will follow Golaners plan to immediately vaccinate their children aged 6 months to 5 years, the survey found. About a quarter said theyd wait and see, 15% said theyd do it only if required and 35% said they would not vaccinate.

We do need to do better, but Im not sure we know how to do that anymore, recently lamented Dr. William Moss, executive director of the Johns Hopkins International Vaccine Access Center. At this stage of the pandemic, its hard to convince people. We pay a high price for that.

He and colleagues said the low vaccination rate among those aged 5 to 11 is an ominous sign about coverage for the younger ones.

Children have largely weathered the virus, with about 12 million reported cases and fewer than 1,000 deaths. But 5 million of the youth cases have been recorded so far in 2022 alone, boosting the number of hospitalizations. Long-term effects remain unknown.

Some new  and old  methods are being deployed to persuade parents to get their children and themselves vaccinated.

In Maryland, with higher than average vaccination rates, Gov. Larry Hogan has consistently pushed both vaccination and boosters with lotteries and other means, and the state has continued to offer testing and vaccinations at sites including hospitals.

Demand has waned, but the Maryland Department of Health keeps testing and vaccinations sites in warm status, or ready to ramp back up if needed.

If we need to utilize these sites, we can staff them, stock them with inventoried supplies and have them operational very quickly, said Andy Owen, a department spokesman, adding the state continues to monitor cases, including testing for BA.2.

Federal funding for such efforts is expected at least through June.

We are actively planning for the availability of COVID vaccines to Marylanders under age 5 based on the latest federal guidance and information, Owen said.

Rupali J. Limaye, director of behavioral and implementation science at Johns Hopkins International Vaccine Access Center, has helped develop a course about how to talk to people about vaccinating their children.

So far the messaging is that COVID in kids has been mild, she said. But were seeing increases in hospitalizations for children in recent months. And weve seen a lot of kids in this age range have long-term effects as well.

Limaye thinks the shifting advice, and now dropping mandates, has sent mixed messages about the need for vaccines and maybe the tactics need to change.

The best thing may be moving away from the messaging coming from the health care system, she said. Make it more peer-to-peer, with more interpersonal communication, grounded in empathy.  Target the moveable middle.

Delays in authorization of vaccines for the youngest kids may further reduce uptake, she said.

The FDA put off consideration of the low-dose, two-shot Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinations in February because it wasnt as effective as expected in young children. The drug makers are testing three doses.

Similarly, Modernas two doses didnt reach the 50% effective rate that the CDC set as a threshold. But experts believe that is because it was tested during the surge of omicron, which has been better at evading protections.

But both vaccines are expected to offer significant protection from severe disease for young children.

Effectiveness is definitely a concern among the vaccine hesitant, said Rev. Derrick DeWitt, senior pastor of First Mount Calvary Baptist Church.

DeWitt was enlisted as a messenger, serving as a vaccine ambassador for the state of Maryland, encouraging everyone, but especially African Americans, to get their shots.

He said hes heard every excuse from concerns about how quickly the COVID vaccine was developed, though the mRNA technology has been around more than a decade, to conspiracy theories about implanted chips.

I heard no way, no how am I ever going to do this, and my kids are not going to do this, said DeWitt, who mandated vaccination for staff at the Maryland Baptist Aged Home, where he also serves as president of the board, when only 11 of 60 employees initially opted for vaccination.

Teens seemed especially receptive to conspiracy theories they find online, said DeWitt, who believes schools may have to mandate vaccination. That could increase uptake to like 80%, with the remainder convinced when nothing bad happens to their friends.

For now, DeWitt has turned to incentives, such as handing out food along with a shot and a COVID test.

Were giving away video games and gift cards along with food, he said. Some call it gimmicks. But we had to develop a way to get people to register.

The Baltimore Community Foundation recently received $700,000 in funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to hand out to leaders like DeWitt, with an emphasis on Black and Hispanic residents of Baltimore city and county aged 18 to 34  in many cases parents of young children.

Groups can apply on the foundation website, and the foundation also is working with Michigan State University to analyze what methods work best.

The outreach and the research will both be crucial for this and the next pandemic, said Kiara Mayhand, a public health fellow at the foundation spearheading the initiative.

Getting vaccinated is what we know works and is our best option to protect ourselves and our families, Mayhand said. Were uncertain about what the next phase of the pandemic will hold.

The public health experts know reaching children and their parents remains a heavy lift, with the Baltimore health department reporting only about a quarter of kids 5 to 19 are fully vaccinated, compared with 75% of those over age 60.

About 44% of Black residents are vaccinated compared with about 60% of white residents and 67% of Hispanic residents.

Golaner, the Pikesville mom, said she understands that people may have trouble getting good answers about the vaccines for themselves and their kids if they dont have people they trust to ask like she does. Her brother is a has a doctorate in biochemistry, her mother is a nurse and shes also worked in health care.

But she believes that education can work and is needed to boost vaccine rates that also protect her children, ages 11, 4 and 20 months until they get their shots.

Even then, she doesnt expect it will end the efforts.

COVID isnt going to go away, Golaner said. Itll be a part of our lives. We get a flu shot every year and well get COVID shots if we have to. I want them protected from the really bad stuff.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  The debate took less than four minutes.

In the Florida House last month, legislators swiftly gave final approval to a bill that makes it easier to buy and sell cryptocurrency, eliminating a threat from a law intended to curb money laundering. One of the few pauses in the action came when two House members stood up to thank crypto industry stakeholders for teaming with state officials to write a draft of the bill.

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Whether youre Binance or Ethereum, Dogecoin or Bitcoin, this is a great bill, said Rep. John Snyder, R-Palm City, referring to crypto exchanges and coins.

Shortly afterward, the House voted unanimously to pass the measure. The Senate followed, sending the bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his signature after 75 seconds of deliberations.

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Floridas warm embrace of the cryptocurrency agenda is just the tip of an aggressive industry-led push to position states as crypto-friendly beachheads. Across the nation, crypto executives and lobbyists are helping to draft bills to benefit the fast-growing industry, then pushing lawmakers to adopt these made-to-order laws, before moving rapidly to profit from the legislative victories.

The effort is part of an emerging national strategy by the crypto industry, in the absence of comprehensive federal regulatory demands, to work state by state to engineer a more friendly legal system. Lobbyists are aiming to clear the way for the continued explosive growth of cryptocurrency companies, which are trying to revolutionize banking, e-commerce and even art and music.

Many states are racing to satisfy the wish lists from crypto companies and their lobbyists, betting that the industry can generate new jobs. But some consumer advocates worry that this aim-to-please effort could leave investors and businesses more vulnerable to the scams and risky practices that have plagued cryptos early growth.

In Florida, the new money-transmission legislation emerged from a monthslong collaboration between Rep. Vance Aloupis Jr., R-South Miami, and Samuel Armes, who is starting a cryptocurrency investment firm, Tortuga Venture Fund.

Vance has been an incredible asset to the blockchain and crypto community, Armes said.

The Florida House of Representatives in Tallahassee, where legislators approved a bill that makes it easier to buy and sell cryptocurrency, March 4, 2022. (Octavio Jones/The New York Times)

Similar teamwork has been on display in Wyoming, North Carolina, Illinois, Mississippi, Kentucky and other states, according to a New York Times review of state legislative proposals and interviews with legislators and their industry allies.

At least 153 pieces of cryptocurrency-related legislation were pending this year in 40 states and Puerto Rico, according to an analysis by the National Conference of State Legislatures. While it was unclear how many were influenced by the crypto industry, some bills have used industry-proposed language almost word for word. One bill pending in Illinois lifted entire sentences from a draft provided by a lobbyist.

In New York, at least a dozen industry players have hired lobbyists over the past year  including Blockchain.com, a crypto exchange, and Paxos, which is trying to set up a national crypto bank  collectively spending more than $140,000 a month, state records show.

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The state proposals include bills to exempt cryptocurrency from securities laws intended to protect investors from fraud. Other legislation, such as in Florida, would exclude certain cryptocurrency transactions from money-transmission laws enacted to curb money laundering. Some would take even more radical steps, as in Arizona, where one legislator wants to declare Bitcoin legal tender so it can be accepted to pay off debts.

Legislators want to be on the cutting edge, on the side of something new, said Kristin Smith, executive director of the Blockchain Association, a Washington group that represents the industry. We want to cultivate more champions.

The moves have alarmed current and former financial regulators like Lee Reiners, a onetime supervisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, who is now at Duke University law school. He raised objections last year before North Carolina passed a bill exempting certain experimental cryptocurrency startups from the states consumer protection laws.

States are being convinced you have to do this if you want to be competitive, so theyre rolling out the red carpet for crypto firms, he said. Theres no one pushing back saying there are big risks here to your citizens, of money laundering, consumer fraud and tax evasion.

State legislators, many of whom have limited background in financial regulation, said they had little choice but to rely on industry experts, given the complexity of the crypto marketplace.

About two years ago, Jason Saine, a state representative in North Carolina, spoke with Dan Spuller, who wanted to pitch him on crypto projects and later joined the Blockchain Association.

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What would it look like? Saine said he recalled asking. You tell me.

Their collaboration resulted in a bill that Saine introduced last year creating a regulatory sandbox for financial technology projects  essentially a special license allowing the industry to test new products without following certain regulatory requirements. The bill passed in October.

Solving the Espinoza Problem

In Florida, it began with the 2019 book Bitcoin Billionaires.

State legislators started working with the crypto industry after Aloupis read the book, which details the efforts of the Winklevoss brothers, who helped create Facebook, to generate new wealth in the crypto industry.

Aloupis said he had then spoken with the Gemini Trust Co., the cryptocurrency exchange that the Winklevosses founded, and Anchorage Digital, the first federally chartered cryptocurrency bank, for input on possible legislation he could introduce.

At the time, crypto executives were frustrated with a 2019 Florida court ruling that upheld the conviction of Mitchell Espinoza, who had sold Bitcoin to a Miami Beach police officer working undercover as the operator of a Russian stolen-credit-card enterprise. Espinoza was charged with laundering money and failing to hold a Florida money-transmission license.

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The ruling meant that any two-party transaction involving cryptocurrency in Florida  even perhaps withdrawing money from a crypto ATM or buying crypto on an exchange  required sellers to have a state money-transmission license. For crypto companies, that necessitated meeting financial stability requirements and completing complicated paperwork. They called it the Espinoza Problem.

In July, the state ordered a dozen ATM providers that sell crypto in exchange for cash  including Cash Cloud, Coin Now and DigiCash  to register as money transmitters, despite appeals from the companies, documents obtained by The New York Times show.

Last year, Aloupis introduced the bill to exempt two-party crypto transactions, after lobbying appeals by Armes and a trade group he leads, the Florida Blockchain Business Association. (Its members include Binance, the large crypto exchange.) The bill failed to win Senate approval, and it was reintroduced for this years session.

Russell Weigel, the Florida commissioner of the Office of Financial Regulation, said he endorsed the legislation that Armes had championed.

If I go and buy groceries at your food store, thats a two-party transaction, Weigel said. Do I need a license for that? It seems absurd.

Lobbyists for Blockchain.com, a cryptocurrency exchange that moved last year from New York to Miami, and Bit5ive, which manufactures crypto mining equipment in the Florida area, joined the effort, contacting dozens of state lawmakers.

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They are very pro crypto, Robert Collazo, the Bit5ive CEO, said of Florida lawmakers.

In the future, the company plans to raise money for crypto-friendly legislators in Florida, said Michael Kesti, Bit5ives lobbyist. The legislative affairs director of the Florida blockchain association, Jason Holloway, is already running for the state House, with donations  some in cryptocurrency  from Armes and others.

I dont want it to seem like we are paying for the influence, Kesti said. But we do want to support them.

A Nationwide Lobbying Push

What has happened in Florida is playing out in other states as the crypto industry mobilizes to move its agenda  or defend against efforts to rein it in.

In New York, for example, concern about the environmental impact of crypto mining  in which large amounts of electricity are used to run computers that allow investors to get newly issued crypto tokens  has led to pending legislation to ban these centers. Another bill proposes cracking down on common forms of crypto fraud. The result has been a flood of lobbying in New York to combat these measures.

The opposite is happening in Georgia and Illinois, where legislators have proposed tax incentives for mining companies.

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The Illinois bill emerged after Sangha Systems, a crypto mining company, converted an old steel mill in the state into a mining center and sought a special tax break to help finance the project.

Last year, a Sangha lobbyist took an official from the state Chamber of Commerce to visit the project in Hennepin, Illinois. Keith Staats, the chamber official, suggested modifying a state law to extend tax incentives to mining companies that set up shop in Illinois. He wrote a draft of the bill, which the chamber shared with Sangha.

I looked at it, I iterated with them, said Spencer Marr, Sanghas president. They made sure I was good with it.

In January, Sue Rezin, a Republican state senator, introduced the bill  at the urging of the chamber, she said. She said she was not a crypto expert and had not heard too much about minings environmental impact.

The bills final version, which is awaiting action, is nearly identical to the draft written by Staats  including technical language about data centers and mining.

Not all legislative proposals have come to fruition. In Mississippi, Josh Harkins, a Republican state senator, proposed several crypto bills this year, including one exempting digital tokens from securities laws. He said he had gotten the idea from a lobbyist, Daniel Harrison, who was hoping to start a local blockchain trade association.

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The bills died in committee in February. Harkins said he planned to revive them this summer.

Profiting on State Legislation

In some states where crypto legislation has passed, the architects of the proposals have moved swiftly to profit on the laws.

Last year, Kentucky passed a pair of bills creating tax incentives for crypto mining companies. One was sponsored by Brandon Smith, a Republican who leads the state Senates Natural Resources and Energy Committee.

A few months after the bill passed, Smith teamed up with Bitmain, a supplier of hardware for crypto mining, to propose a Kentucky-based repair center for mining equipment, a project he has since abandoned. Smith, in an interview, said he did not consider his work in the industry a conflict, given that he had not applied for the tax credits his law created.

Nowhere has the potential for crypto advocates to profit on new legislation become more apparent than in Wyoming.

Since 2018, Wyoming has established more than 20 laws that make it easier for the crypto industry to operate. A key player was Caitlin Long, a Wall Street veteran and a crypto booster, who helped engineer a 2019 law that paved the way for banks handling digital assets to receive Wyoming charters.

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Not long after the crypto banking legislation passed, Long opened Avanti Bank and thanked Wyomings Legislature for making the business possible. The bank promptly received a state charter.

Last year, the business, now known as Custodia, raised $37 million from venture investors. Somebody has to be in the arena, doing the work, Long said.

Long worked on the banking legislation with Trace Mayer, a crypto investor and entrepreneur. Both had invested in Kraken, a crypto exchange that also received a state charter.

Critics have accused Long of using her influence to enrich herself.

They came in and started writing legislation that really gamed it to their advantage, said Robert Jennings, who served with Long on a coalition of crypto supporters in Wyoming. It quit being about How do we help Wyoming people? and quickly became How do we game this system for the big crypto players? "

Long said she had not decided to start a crypto bank until months after Wyomings legislation passed, when it was unclear whether others would take advantage of the law.

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Its not easy to find the right people, she said. The crypto kids in hoodies, so to speak, were not likely to pass muster.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has raised more than $5 million in his pursuit of a second full term, bringing in more than $600,000 in the first fundraising quarter of this year.

That's according to data released Monday by the Republican's campaign.

The incumbent faces two opponents in the June primary, although neither has undertaken significant fundraising. As of the end of last year, Harrison Musselwhite had raised just under $11,000. Mindy Steele reported around $4,000 on this quarter's filing.

If he wins in November, McMaster will become South Carolina's longest-serving governor, thanks to the two years he served following Nikki Haley's resignation to join then President Donald Trump's administration as U.N. ambassador. McMaster is a longtime ally of Trump, who has backed him in this year's election.

No Democrat has won the states top office since 1998. McMaster won his 2018 contest over Democrat James Smith by 8 percentage points.

As of this month, McMaster and his running mate, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, had about $3.2 million in their campaign account, a figure that can largely be held over until the general election, unless one of the other Republicans in the race starts bringing in more money.

Democrat Joe Cunningham  the former one-term congressman now seeking the state's top job  has raised about $1.7 million over the course of his entire campaign to unseat McMaster. In the June primary, Cunningham brought in $400,000 in the first quarter of this year, according to this campaign, ending it with $536,000.

There are several other Democrats in the race, although only one of them, state Sen. Mia McLeod, has raised any significant money. The Richland County lawmaker had raised $359,000 over the course of her campaign, ending 2021 with $115,000 on hand. She had not posted her latest figures or responded to messages on her totals as of Monday afternoon.

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Chances for some much-needed rain return to eastern Nebraska on Tuesday with severe weather, including damaging winds and hail.

Its looking like we will see a pretty strong storm system extending from southeast Nebraska to central Iowa and into eastern Kansas and northwest Missouri, meteorologist David Eastlack of the National Weather Service office in Valley said Sunday. The precipitation should continue into Tuesday night, Wednesday morning and afternoon before drying out Wednesday night.

The week will begin with a high temperature in the mid-60s for Omaha on Monday under mostly sunny skies, Eastlack said. A low of 47 is expected.

Tuesdays high temperature for Omaha is forecast to reach 77 degrees ahead of the storm front, he said. Southeast winds of 15 to 25 mph are also forecast.

(High) temperatures will drop (Wednesday) into the mid-50s as that cold front arrives, he said. (The temperatures) will then fall into the 40s by Wednesday afternoon.

Eastlack expects strong northwest winds to accompany the cold front and they will likely persist well into Thursday afternoon. The skies are forecast to be partly cloudy Thursday and Friday with highs in the lower 50s, he said.

A chance for showers returns Saturday afternoon. The outlook for Easter Sunday is still unfolding, but Eastlack said there currently is a 30% to 40% chance for showers with a high temperature around 50 degrees.

Were in the (seasonal) transition period, Eastlack said. Things can change quickly.

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A 74-year-old Omaha man told police that he was defrauded of $27,000 after he gave someone remote access to his computer to resolve what he thought was fraudulent bank activity.

The incident, which occurred last week, began when the man received a notification on his computer that the computer had been hacked.

The man spoke on the phone with a person he thought was a Microsoft employee and gave the person remote access to his computer.

The person told the man that he had detected a charge on the mans bank account related to online gambling and instructed him to purchase cryptocurrency to resolve the matter.

When the man was unable to do so, he instead withdrew money from his bank to purchase gift cards from retailers valued at $30,000. Over the telephone, the man gave the scammer access to $27,000 in gift cards from two home improvement chains.

The person who defrauded the man declined another $3,000 worth of gift cards from a grocery store.

Other Omahans also have reported falling prey to thefts by deception.

An 87-year-old woman told police Friday that since Jan. 15, 2021, she has wired more than $6,000 from her bank account to a stranger in order to collect a lottery prize, which she said was $3.5 million and a Mercedes Benz car.

Another woman, 23, reported that she was contacted Friday by someone purporting to be a law enforcement officer in Texas who told her that she would be arrested if she did not purchase gift cards to clear up a warrant. She went out and bought the cards but did not end up providing access to the fake officer.

Also last week, a 45-year-old woman removed $2,100 from her employers store safe and deposited $1,800 of it into a CoinFlip ATM, which enables users to purchase Bitcoin with cash.

A stranger who called the womans workplace told her that her employer had authorized the payment.

Meanwhile, a 24-year-old man lost $3,000 Wednesday in an electronic money transfer and gift cards. The man was told by a person claiming to work for Amazon that the money would be used to stop fraudulent activity on the mans Amazon account.

The crook assured the man that the money would be returned once the case was resolved, but that never occurred.

Tech support scams are rampant, said Josh Planos, a spokesman for the Omaha Better Business Bureau. Planos also said demands for payment in either cryptocurrency or gift cards are red flags for fraud.

Its a mode of payment that is often targeted by scammers because of its untraceability, he said.
An Omaha driver died Sunday afternoon following a three-vehicle crash at 72nd Street and Military Avenue.

Romello Thomas, 25, was injured in the 1 p.m. crash when the 2011 Nissan Altima he was driving collided with a 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe. He was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he died shortly after going into surgery.

Omaha police said the Tahoe, driven by Kendall Leavy, 20, of Omaha, was westbound on Military Avenue when Thomas turned wide as he headed west onto Military from a business.

Police said Thomas did not yield to Leavy. The Tahoe struck the Nissan on the drivers side.

Thomas was not wearing a seat belt, police said.

Both vehicles then hit a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado, driven by 57-year-old Mark Shore of Omaha, who was stopped in a turn lane on 72nd Street.

Leavy suffered serious injuries and was transported to Immanuel Medical Center. Shore and an unidentified passenger were uninjured.

Westbound Military was closed to traffic until about 4 p.m.
Community Alliance, an Omaha nonprofit that has served Nebraskans with mental illness for 40 years, has announced plans to expand services and build a 120,000-square-foot headquarters at 71st Street and Mercy Road.

Carole Boye, Community Alliances CEO, said mental health challenges were apparent in the community before the COVID-19 pandemic. But the pandemic has increased the number of people experiencing mental health challenges and spotlighted the areas lack of capacity and access to behavioral health care.

Our goal  and were not there yet  is if somebody walks in, we can say, How can we help you today? Boye said. Not make an appointment for a month or two from now.

Community Alliance, now located at 41st and Leavenworth Streets, serves between 3,300 and 3,500 people a year, she said. Over the next five years, the organization envisions serving about 10,000 people a year.

To accomplish that goal, Boye said, Community Alliance has begun hiring staff, tapping four federal grants it has received over roughly the past two years.

One grant will help the organization, working with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, expand its integrated health care program. Boye said people with mental illness generally live shorter lives than the general population, often because of other health conditions.

With the grant and the new building, the organization can expand its primary care offerings, with primary care doctors working alongside mental health providers and consulting with them.

Another grant will allow the organization to become certified as a community behavioral health center, a new federal program focused on increasing access to care. Community Alliance, Boye said, is the first in the state to seek the designation, which will be the mental health equivalent of federally qualified health centers, which in Omaha include OneWorld Community Health Centers and Charles Drew Health Center.

All of that gives us the capacity to hire more people and to be more competitive in our rates, Boye said.

The new building will be roughly three times the size of the organizations current facility. Construction will be funded by a $60 million capital campaign that is being led by Rhonda and Howard Hawks, Omaha philanthropists and longtime behavioral health advocates.

Included in the funding will be a portion of the $40 million in American Rescue Plan Act money that the Nebraska Legislature allocated last week through the passage of LB 1014 for expanding mental health services and building new treatment facilities. Other sources include grants, agency reserves and investments and private sector support.

The organization already has purchased a property at 7171 Mercy Road for the new facility. Demolition will start this month. The new headquarters is expected to open in late 2023 and will have access to the Interstate and two bus lines. Community Alliances services will continue at their current location until the new center opens.

What we want is for this to be not only physically accessible, we want it visible to the public so they know were here, Boye said.

In addition to the expanded primary care offerings, the new facility will offer space to expand the organizations rehabilitation program and expanded access to employment and education services, including family and peer support.

Boye said the organization is working to create a welcoming, calming, respectful facility. The new facility will include a dedicated health and wellness area.

To me, she said, thats also really exciting so we can emphasize the wellness, not the illness side of things.

Boye added that the expansion is an exciting opportunity for the community-based organization, which turns 40 this year. The organization was founded by parents who were seeking better services for their adult children with mental illness. Boye has been with the organization from the beginning.

I really mean it when I say Im so thankful our community is willing to open up their minds, their hearts and their finances to help make this possible, she said.

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Mariupol mayor says siege has killed more than 10K civilians

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol says more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city and the full death toll could surpass twice that number. Speaking by phone Monday with The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko said corpses carpeted the streets of the city. He said Russian forces brought mobile cremation equipment to the city to dispose of the bodies and accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to disguise the carnage. Mariupol has been cut off by Russian attacks and has suffered some of the most brutal assaults of the war.

Philadelphia to restore indoor mask mandate as cases rise

Philadelphia has become the first major U.S. city to reinstate its indoor mask mandate after reporting a sharp increase in coronavirus infections. The city's top health official said Monday she wants to forestall a potential new wave driven by the omicron subvariant. Dr. Cheryl Bettigole says that COVID-19 cases in the city have risen more than 50% in 10 days. That's the threshold at which the citys guidelines call for people to wear masks indoors. Health inspectors will start enforcing the mask mandate at city businesses starting April 18. Most states and cities dropped their masking requirements in February and early March.

Biden aims at 'ghost gun' violence with new federal rule

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden is taking fresh aim at ghost guns, the privately made firearms without serial numbers that are increasingly cropping up in violent crimes. At the White House on Monday, Biden highlighted the Justice Departments work to finalize new regulations to crack down on the guns. He also announced the nomination of Steve Dettelbach, who served as a U.S. attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016, to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Still, the announcement of the new regulation also highlighted the limits of Bidens influence to push a sweeping congressional overhaul of the nations firearm laws. Congress has deadlocked on legislative proposals to reform gun laws for a decade.

Ex-officer convicted of storming Capitol to disrupt Congress

WASHINGTON (AP)  A federal jury has convicted a former Virginia police officer of storming the U.S. Capitol with another off-duty officer to obstruct Congress from certifying President Joe Bidens 2020 electoral victory. Jurors on Monday convicted former Rocky Mount police officer Thomas Robertson of all six counts he faced stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, including charges that he interfered with police officers at the Capitol. His sentencing hearing wasnt immediately scheduled. Robertsons jury trial was the second among hundreds of Capitol riot cases. The first ended last month with jurors convicting a Texas man, Guy Reffitt, of all five counts in his indictment.

US orders consular staff to leave Shanghai amid COVID surge

BEIJING (AP)  The U.S. has ordered all non-emergency consular staff to leave Shanghai, which is under a tight lockdown to contain a COVID-19 surge. Many residents in the city of 26 million have been confined to their homes for up to three weeks as China maintains its zero-COVID strategy of handling outbreaks with strict isolation and mass testing. But people living under the restrictions have described an increasingly desperate situation, with families unable to obtain food and daily necessities. The State Department said the order is an upgrade from the advisory last week that made the decision to leave voluntary. Chinas government and the entirely state-controlled media are growing increasingly defensive about complaints over the COVID-19 prevention measures.

EXPLAINER: Where do US opioid trials, settlements stand?

A trial on whether pharmacy chain Walgreens bears responsibility for the opioid crisis started Monday in Florida on the heels of opening statements last week in another opioid trial in West Virginia. The cases are pressing ahead even as companies have been settling many of the claims filed by state and local governments across the U.S. Going to trial brings risk for both sides. If the suing governments win, they could get major payments. But rulings for the companies could help bolster their cases that they shouldn't be held liable for a complicated epidemic linked to the deaths of more than 500,000 Americans over two decades.

EXPLAINER: 2 men in Gov. Whitmer plot could be tried again

DETROIT (AP)  A jury last week couldn't reach a unanimous verdict for two men charged with a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. It means the federal government can take Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. to trial again. A hung jury is unable to unanimously agree on whether someone is guilty or innocent. It could be just one person on the 12-member panel who disagrees with the others. Former federal prosecutor Mark Chutkow would be surprised if prosecutors fold, citing allegations of a violent plot against a governor. U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge says his team will get back to work on the case. Two other men were acquitted of all charges.

UN: Nearly two-thirds of Ukraine's children have fled homes

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. children's agency says nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion. And UNICEF says the United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed, though the numbers is almost certainly much higher. UNICEFs emergency programs director told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that having 4.8 million of Ukraines 7.5 million children displaced in such a short time is quite incredible. Manuel Fontaine said it was something he had not before seen happen so quickly in 31 years of humanitarian work.

Families, doctors contest Alabama transgender treatment ban

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Families with transgender teens have sued the state of Alabama to block a law that makes it a crime for doctors to treat trans youth under 19 with puberty blockers or hormones to help affirm their gender identity. It was one of two separate lawsuits filed in federal court Monday. The lawsuit were filed three days after Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the measure into law. The law will go into effect next month unless blocked by the court. Violations will be punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean win big at CMT Music Awards

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP)  Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean were the big winners at the CMT music awards. Underwood and Aldean won video of the year and collaborative video of the year Monday night for their duet If I Didnt Love You on the show from Nashville, Tennessee that uses fan votes to honor the best in country music videos. The Judds reunited on the show for their first major awards show performance in more than two decades. Kelsea Ballerini, who was scheduled to co-host the show with Anthony Mackie before testing positive for COVID-19, hosted segments of the show from home and moved her performance to her backyard.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, as weeks of attacks and privation leave the bodies of Mariupol's people carpeted through the streets.

Speaking by phone Monday with The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko also accused Russian forces of having blocked weeks of thwarted humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage there from the outside world.

Mariupol has been cut off by Russian attacks that began soon after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in late February, and has suffered some of the most brutal assaults of the war. Boychenko gave new details of recent allegations by Ukrainian officials that Russian forces have brought mobile cremation equipment to Mariupol to dispose of the corpses of victims of the siege.

Russian forces have taken many bodies to a huge shopping center where there are storage facilities and refrigerators, Boychenko said.

Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned, he said.

Boychenko spoke from a location in Ukrainian-controlled territory but outside Mariupol. The mayor said he had several sources for his description of the allegedly methodic burning of corpses by Russian forces in the city, but did not detail the sources of his information.

The discovery of large numbers of apparently executed civilians after Russian forces retreated from cities around the capital, Kyiv, this month already has prompted widespread condemnation and charges from Ukrainians and the West that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine.

Elsewhere Monday, U.S. officials pointed to new signs that Russia's military is gearing up for a major offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, switching its focus after Russian forces failed in their initial drive to capture Kyiv.

Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region since 2014, and have declared independent states. A major confrontation between the two countries' fighters in Donbas would allow Russia to try to use its numbers and greater military might to capture more territory there. Western military strategists say Russia also hopes to force Ukrainian fighters out into the open in more conventional battles in the east, rather than the successful hit-and-run attacks Ukrainian fighters have often employed so far.

Russia has appointed a seasoned general to lead its renewed push in the eastern Donbas region.

A senior U.S. defense official on Monday described a long Russian convoy now rolling toward the eastern city of Izyum with artillery, aviation and infantry support, as part of redeployment for what appears to be a looming Russian campaign in the east.

More artillery is being deployed near the city of Donetsk, while ground combat units that withdrew from around the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas appear destined for refitting and resupplying before they position in Donbas, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. military assessments.

With their offensive in many parts of the country thwarted, Russian forces have relied increasingly on bombarding cities  a strategy that has flattened many urban areas and killed thousands of people.

In Bucha on Monday, the work of exhuming bodies from a mass grave in a churchyard resumed.

Galyna Feoktistova waited for hours in the cold and rain in hopes of identifying her 50-year-old son, who was shot and killed more than a month ago, but eventually she went home for some warmth. He's still there, her surviving son, Andriy, said.

In Mariupol, about 120,000 civilians are in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications, the mayor said.

Only those residents who have passed the Russian filtration camps are released from the city, Boychenko said.

Ukrainian officials say Russian troops are confiscating passports from Ukrainian citizens then moving them to filtration camps in Ukraines separatist-controlled east before sending them to distant, economically depressed areas in Russia.

Boychenko said Monday that improvised prisons were organized for those who did not pass the filtering, while at least 33,000 people were taken to Russia or to separatist territory in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Ukrainians on Monday that Russia might use chemical weapons in Mariupol. We take this as seriously as possible, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

Western leaders have warned since before Russian troops moved into Ukraine that Russia could resort to unconventional weapons there, particularly chemical agents.

A Russia-allied separatist official, Eduard Basurin, appeared to urge their use Monday, telling Russian state TV that Russian-backed forces should seize a giant metals plant in Mariupol from Ukrainian forces by first blocking all the exits out of the factory. And then well use chemical troops to smoke them out of there, he said.

A Ukrainian regiment, without evidence, also claimed Monday that a drone had dropped a poisonous substance in Mariupol but said there were no serious injuries.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement that the U.S. could not confirm the drone report out of Mariupol. But Kirby noted the administrations persistent concerns about Russias potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the United Nations childrens agency said nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion began. The United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured, though the actual numbers are likely much higher.

Elsewhere, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks that were very direct, open and tough.

In a statement released by his office, Nehammer said his primary message to Putin was that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose. Nehammer said he also raised the issue of war crimes committed by the Russian military and said those responsible will be held to account.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

In other developments, the head of the separatist rebel government in Donetsk claimed Ukrainian forces have lost control of the port area of Mariupol.

Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is now under our control, Denis Pushilin, president of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, told Russian state television, according to Russian news agencies. The claim could not immediately be confirmed.

But Mariupol's mayor said fighting continues at the port. "It is difficult, but our heroic military holds on, Boychenko said.

Both sides are digging in for what could be a devastating war of attrition.

Russian forces will likely try to encircle the Donbas region from the north and the south as well as the east, said retired British Gen. Richard Barrons, co-chair of the U.K.-based strategic consulting firm Universal Defence & Security Solutions.

The ground in that part of Ukraine is flatter, more open and less wooded  so the Ukrainian ambush tactics used around Kiev may be less successful, Barrons said.

As to the outcome, its finely balanced right now, Barrons said. If the Russians learned from their previous failures, concentrated more force, connected their air force to ground forces better and improved their logistics, "then they might start to overwhelm the Ukrainian positions eventually, although I still think it would be a battle of enormous attrition.

In a video address to South Korean lawmakers Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically requested equipment that can shoot down Russian missiles.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov claimed the military used cruise missiles to destroy four S-300 launchers near the central city of Dnipro on Sunday. He said the military also hit such systems in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions.

The Pentagon said it had seen no evidence to support Russias claims. And Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakia's prime minister, denied Monday that the S-300 system it sent Ukraine had been destroyed.

Questions remain about the ability of depleted and demoralized Russian forces to conquer much ground after their advance on Kyiv was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders.

Britains Defense Ministry said Monday that Ukraine has already beaten back several assaults by Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions  which make up the Donbas  resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery.

Western military analysts say Russia's assault increasingly is focusing on an arc of territory stretching from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, in the north, to Kherson in the south.

A residential area in Kharkiv was struck by incoming fire on Monday afternoon. Associated Press journalists saw firefighters putting out the fire and checking for victims following the attack, and saw that at least five people were killed, including a child.

Oleh Synyehubov, the regional governor of Kharkiv, said earlier Monday that Russian shelling had killed 11 people over the last 24 hours.

Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Anna reported from Bucha, Ukraine. Associated Press Writer Robert Burns in Washington, and AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.

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

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden asked India's Narendra Modi on Monday not to accelerate the buying of Russian oil as the U.S. and other nations try to cut off Moscow's energy income following the invasion of Ukraine. The Indian prime minister made no public commitment to refrain from Russian oil, a source of tension with the U.S.

Meeting by video call, Biden told Modi that the U.S. could help India diversify its sources of energy, according to press secretary Jen Psaki. Even though India receives little of its oil from Russia, it stepped up recently with a major purchase as other democracies are trying to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The president also made clear that he doesnt believe its in Indias interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy or other commodities, Psaki said.

At a separate State Department news conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar pointedly suggested that Europe, not India, be the focus of Washington's concern about energy purchases from Russia.

I suspect, looking at the figures, probably our total purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon, he said.

While Biden and Modi ended their session with Biden saying they committed to strengthening their relationship, White House officials could not say if India stood with them in fully condemning Putin, saying the choice ultimately rested with Modi's government. The two leaders will meet in person May 24 in Tokyo for a summit of the Quad, a coalition that also includes Australia and Japan.

At the State Department news conference, Blinken appeared to seek to cajole India into taking a stronger stance on the conflict in Ukraine, appealing to the countrys interest in upholding the international rules-based order and pointing out that resource-stretched Indians may be affected by both energy and food shortages caused by the war.

Russias aggression stands in stark contrast to the vision that the United States and India share for a free and open Indo-Pacific, and Russias actions are having a profound impact not just in Europe and Ukraine, but around the world, for example, causing food insecurity and rising prices, Blinken told reporters after the meetings concluded.

Indias neutral stance in the war has raised concerns in Washington and earned praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who lauded India this month for judging the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.

Biden opened the video conversation by emphasizing the defense partnership between the two countries and by saying the U.S. and India are going to continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilizing effects of this Russian war" on food and other commodities.

The root of our partnership is a deep connection between our people, ties of family, of friendship and of shared values, the U.S. president said.

Modi on Monday called the situation in Ukraine very worrying, and he noted that an Indian student lost his life during the war. He said he has spoken with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appealing to both of them for peace. India has condemned the killings uncovered in the city of Bucha and has called for an independent investigation.

A senior U.S. official described the Biden-Modi exchange as warm and productive, though the official stressed that India would make its own decisions on how to respond to Putin. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the meeting.

Biden and Modi discussed how to manage the risks of global instability regarding food, humanitarian relief and climate change, and Modi candidly shared his views about some of the tight links between Russia and China that raise concerns, the official said.

Also Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met in person with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Austin appealed to India to act together with fellow democracies, a form of government based on the popular consent of the people that stands in contrast to autocracies such as China and Russia.

Now more than ever, democracies must stand together to defend the values that we all share, Austin said.

India has refrained from some efforts to hold Russia accountable for its invasion. India abstained when the U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the U.S. and Ukraine have called war crimes.

The vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.

India continues to purchase Russian energy supplies, despite pressure from Western countries to avoid buying Russian oil and gas. The U.S. has also considered sanctions on India for its recent purchase of advanced Russian air defense systems.

Last month, the state-run Indian Oil Corp. bought 3 million barrels of crude from Russia to secure its needs, resisting entreaties from the West to avoid such purchases. India isnt alone in buying Russian energy, however. Several European allies such as Germany have continued to do so, despite public pressure to end these contracts.

Indian media reports said Russia was offering a discount on oil purchases of 20% below global benchmark prices.

Iraq is Indias top supplier, with a 27% share. Saudi Arabia is second at around 17%, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 13% and the U.S. at 9%, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

___

Sharma reported from New Delhi. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
ST. LOUIS  St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has reached an agreement with the Missouri Office of Disciplinary Counsel in which she acknowledges mistakes in her handling of the prosecution of former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens but wont face severe penalties for those mistakes.

The joint stipulation agreement was announced Monday at the outset of a disciplinary hearing before a three-person panel. In the agreement, Gardner concedes that she failed to produce documents and mistakenly maintained that all documents had been provided to Greitens lawyers in the 2018 criminal case.

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The agreement states that Gardners conduct was negligent or perhaps reckless, but not intentional.

It calls for a written reprimand. A more severe punishment  suspension or disbarment  would likely cost Gardner her job because state law requires elected prosecutors to hold active law licenses.

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The panel would still need to sign off on the agreement and make a recommendation within 30 days to the Missouri Supreme Court, which ultimately decides punishment. Its unclear when the court might make a final decision.

Gardner, a 46-year-old Democrat, is St. Louis first Black female circuit attorney and is one of several progressive prosecutors elected in recent years with a focus on creating more fairness in the criminal justice system. She told the panel Monday that the mistakes were due to the fast-moving nature of the Greitens case.

Yes, we had a process. But unfortunately, that process came up short, she said, adding that her office has taken the case as a lesson moving forward.

The 2018 prosecution of Greitens played a pivotal role in his eventual resignation. Greitens is now attempting a political comeback and is a leading contender for the Republican nomination for a Senate seat, despite recent allegations of abuse by his ex-wife.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner appears at her disciplinary hearing April 11, 2022, in St. Louis. (T.L. Witt/AP)

Gardner represents the worst of establishment and dishonest officials who use their unfettered power to target innocent and law-abiding individuals, from the governor of Missouri to police officers to everyday citizens, Greitens said in a statement. The people of Missouri deserve better.

The brash former Navy SEAL officer with presidential aspirations was a year into his first term when news broke in January 2018 of an affair three years earlier with his St. Louis hairdresser. The woman alleged that Greitens took a compromising photo and threatened to use it as blackmail if she spoke of their relationship.

There was a victim, someone saying they had been attacked, Gardners lawyer, Michael Downey, said in an interview.

But neither the FBI nor St. Louis police seemed inclined to investigate, Downey said. Gardners in-house investigator was away on military duty.

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So Gardner hired private investigator William Tisaby, a former FBI agent. The investigation led to Greitens indictment on one felony count of invasion of privacy. Greitens claimed he had been the victim of a political witch hunt.

Jury selection had just begun when Gardner dropped the charge after a judge ruled she would have to answer questions under oath from Greitens attorneys over her handling of the case. She said that it put her in an impossible position of being a witness in a case she was prosecuting.

Meanwhile, Gardner filed a second charge accusing Greitens of tampering with computer data for allegedly disclosing to his political fundraiser a list of top donors to a veterans charity he founded, without the charitys permission.

Under investigation by lawmakers as well, Greitens resigned in June 2018, and Gardner agreed to drop the criminal charges.

Attention then turned to how Gardner and Tisaby handled the investigation. In 2019, Tisaby was indicted on six counts of perjury and one count of evidence tampering. He pleaded guilty last month to misdemeanor evidence tampering and received a suspended sentence of one year of probation.

The case stemmed from Tisabys statement that he had not taken notes during an interview with the woman when a video later showed that he had, and his statement that he hadnt received notes from the prosecutors office before he interviewed the woman when a document later showed that he had.

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Greitens attorneys raised concerns about Gardners failure to correct the record on Tisabys statements, and whether she concealed evidence.

Downey said any mistakes were unintentional, the result of Gardners heavy workload during the Greitens investigation.

Gardner has had plenty of clashes during her leadership of the circuit attorneys office.

Last summer, charges were dropped in three murder cases in one week because prosecutors failed to show up in court or werent prepared after months of delay, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The newspaper also cited Circuit Court data showing that about one-third of felony cases were dismissed  triple the percentage of her predecessor.

Gardner contends that her reforms have made the city safer and the criminal justice system more equitable. She has expanded a diversion program and stopped prosecuting low-level marijuana possession, helping to significantly reduce jail overcrowding.

Gardner has often been at odds with police, especially in 2019, when she placed dozens of officers on an exclusion list, prohibiting them from bringing cases. The list was developed after a national group accused the officers of posting racist and anti-Muslim comments on social media.

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In 2020, Gardner filed a lawsuit accusing the city, a police union and others of a coordinated and racist conspiracy aimed at forcing her out of office. The lawsuit alleged violations of the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, which was adopted to thwart efforts to deny the civil rights of racial minorities.

Downey, in a court filing, said the ethical complaints involve another attempt by Ms. Gardners political enemies  largely from outside St. Louis  to remove Ms. Gardner and thwart the systemic reforms she champions.

Greitens had remained largely out of sight until Sen. Roy Blunts announcement in March 2021 that he would not seek a third term. Republican leaders worry that Greitens could win the primary but lose to a Democrat in the general election, forfeiting what should have been a surefire GOP seat.

In a court filing last month in a child custody case, Sheena Greitens accused her ex-husband of being physically abusive to her and their children. Eric Greitens called the allegations completely fabricated and baseless.
BEIRUT (AP)  A delegation from the European Union election observers on Monday wrapped up a six-day visit to Lebanon during which they discussed the deployment of observers ahead of the upcoming May 15 parliamentary elections in the crisis-hit country.

The observer mission said it will start deploying 30 observers throughout Lebanon later this week, with their numbers reaching more than 150 from 27 EU member states, Switzerland and Norway on the day of the vote.

During the visit, Gyorgy Holvenyi, head of the mission, discussed its work with top Lebanese officials, politicians and religious leaders.

The May 15 elections will be the first in Lebanon since the country's economic meltdown began in October 2019. A massive Aug. 4, 2020 explosion in Beirut's port that killed more than 200 people, injured over 6,000 and caused wide damage in the Lebanese capital, precipitated the country's crisis.

The militant Hezbollah group and its allies control the majority of seats in the current parliament. Their opponents are hoping to deprive them of this majority in the next months vote.

A total of 103 lists with 1,044 candidates are vying for the 128-seat legislature that is equally divided between Christians and Muslims. Parliamentary elections are held once every four years in Lebanon.

Holvenyi, a Hungarian politician currently serving as a member of the European Parliament, highlighted that the EU Election Observation Mission is impartial and independent, adding that it does not judge the electoral outcome or validate the results.

He said it will evaluate the electoral process and its compliance with regional and international commitments on political participation and democratic elections.

We are not here to interfere in the process. We are not investigators, Holvenyi said.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BERLIN (AP)  A German Cabinet minister resigned Monday after it emerged that she went on a long vacation shortly after devastating floods which left over 100 people dead last year in the state where she was then a senior official.

Anne Spiegel quit her post as minister for families and women, citing political pressure as she became the first member of Chancellor OIaf Scholz's government to step down. An emotional apology on Sunday had failed to stem calls for her to go.

Spiegel joined Scholz's Cabinet in December. Before that, she was the environment minister and deputy governor of Rhineland-Palatinate state. That was the region worst hit by floods in July that nationwide killed more than 180 people - 134 of them in Rhineland-Palatinate's Ahr valley.

Regional officials have faced questions over their handling of the floods. On Sunday, the state government confirmed a report by the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that, 10 days after the floods, Spiegel went on a four-week family vacation in France  though it stressed that she had been reachable throughout. The national opposition leader, Friedrich Merz, called on Scholz to dismiss Spiegel.

In a hastily arranged appearance on Sunday evening, Spiegel offered an apology but didn't address the calls to go.

It was a mistake that we went on vacation for so long, and that we went on vacation, and I apologize for this mistake," she said. She added that her children hadn't dealt well with the coronavirus pandemic, that her husband needed to avoid stress after suffering a stroke, and that her family had needed a vacation.

On Monday, Spiegel issued a terse written statement saying that she had decided today because of the political pressure to step down.

I am doing this in order to protect my office, which faces big political challenges, she added.

Spiegel is a member of the environmentalist Greens, the second-biggest party in Scholzs governing coalition.

Party co-leader Omid Nouripour said her resignation was right ... as difficult as this decision was. He said a successor will be named very soon.

Last week, the environment minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, the other German state that was badly hit by the floods, resigned after it emerged that she only briefly interrupted a vacation on the Spanish island of Mallorca when the disaster hit. The departed minister, Ursula Heinen-Esser, is a member of Merz's center-right party.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
ST. LOUIS (AP)  St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has reached an agreement with the Missouri Office of Disciplinary Counsel in which she acknowledges mistakes in her handling of the prosecution of former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens but won't face severe penalties for those mistakes.

The joint stipulation agreement was announced Monday at the outset of a disciplinary hearing before a three-person panel. In the agreement, Gardner concedes that she failed to produce documents and mistakenly maintained that all documents had been provided to Greitens' lawyers in the 2018 criminal case.

The agreement states that Gardner's conduct was negligent or perhaps reckless, but not intentional.

It calls for a written reprimand. A more severe punishment  suspension or disbarment  would likely cost Gardner her job because state law requires elected prosecutors to hold active law licenses.

The panel would still need to sign off on the agreement and make a recommendation within 30 days to the Missouri Supreme Court, which ultimately decides punishment. It's unclear when the court might make a final decision.

Gardner, a 46-year-old Democrat, is St. Louis first Black female circuit attorney and is one of several progressive prosecutors elected in recent years with a focus on creating more fairness in the criminal justice system. She told the panel Monday that the mistakes were due to the fast-moving nature of the Greitens case.

"Yes, we had a process. But unfortunately, that process came up short, she said, adding that her office has taken the case as a lesson moving forward.

The 2018 prosecution of Greitens played a pivotal role in his eventual resignation. Greitens is now attempting a political comeback and is a leading contender for the Republican nomination for a Senate seat, despite recent allegations of abuse by his ex-wife.

Gardner represents the worst of establishment and dishonest officials who use their unfettered power to target innocent and law-abiding individuals, from the governor of Missouri to police officers to everyday citizens," Greitens said in a statement. The people of Missouri deserve better.

The brash former Navy SEAL officer with presidential aspirations was a year into his first term when news broke in January 2018 of an affair three years earlier with his St. Louis hairdresser. The woman alleged that Greitens took a compromising photo and threatened to use it as blackmail if she spoke of their relationship.

There was a victim, someone saying they had been attacked, Gardner's lawyer, Michael Downey, said in an interview.

But neither the FBI nor St. Louis police seemed inclined to investigate, Downey said. Gardner's in-house investigator was away on military duty.

So Gardner hired private investigator William Tisaby, a former FBI agent. The investigation led to Greitens' indictment on one felony count of invasion of privacy. Greitens claimed he had been the victim of a political witch hunt.

Jury selection had just begun when Gardner dropped the charge after a judge ruled she would have to answer questions under oath from Greitens attorneys over her handling of the case. She said that it put her in an impossible position of being a witness in a case she was prosecuting.

Meanwhile, Gardner filed a second charge accusing Greitens of tampering with computer data for allegedly disclosing to his political fundraiser a list of top donors to a veterans charity he founded, without the charitys permission.

Under investigation by lawmakers as well, Greitens resigned in June 2018, and Gardner agreed to drop the criminal charges.

Attention then turned to how Gardner and Tisaby handled the investigation. In 2019, Tisaby was indicted on six counts of perjury and one count of evidence tampering. He pleaded guilty last month to misdemeanor evidence tampering and received a suspended sentence of one year of probation.

The case stemmed from Tisabys statement that he had not taken notes during an interview with the woman when a video later showed that he had, and his statement that he hadnt received notes from the prosecutors office before he interviewed the woman when a document later showed that he had.

Greitens' attorneys raised concerns about Gardner's failure to correct the record on Tisaby's statements, and whether she concealed evidence.

Downey said any mistakes were unintentional, the result of Gardner's heavy workload during the Greitens investigation.

Gardner has had plenty of clashes during her leadership of the circuit attorney's office.

Last summer, charges were dropped in three murder cases in one week because prosecutors failed to show up in court or werent prepared after months of delay, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The newspaper also cited Circuit Court data showing that about one-third of felony cases were dismissed  triple the percentage of her predecessor.

Gardner contends that her reforms have made the city safer and the criminal justice system more equitable. She has expanded a diversion program and stopped prosecuting low-level marijuana possession, helping to significantly reduce jail overcrowding.

Gardner has often been at odds with police, especially in 2019, when she placed dozens of officers on an exclusion list, prohibiting them from bringing cases. The list was developed after a national group accused the officers of posting racist and anti-Muslim comments on social media.

In 2020, Gardner filed a lawsuit accusing the city, a police union and others of a coordinated and racist conspiracy aimed at forcing her out of office. The lawsuit alleged violations of the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, which was adopted to thwart efforts to deny the civil rights of racial minorities.

Downey, in a court filing, said the ethical complaints involve "another attempt by Ms. Gardners political enemies  largely from outside St. Louis  to remove Ms. Gardner and thwart the systemic reforms she champions.

Greitens had remained largely out of sight until Sen. Roy Blunt's announcement in March 2021 that he would not seek a third term. Republican leaders worry that Greitens could win the primary but lose to a Democrat in the general election, forfeiting what should have been a surefire GOP seat.

In a court filing last month in a child custody case, Sheena Greitens accused her ex-husband of being physically abusive to her and their children. Eric Greitens called the allegations completely fabricated and baseless."

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP)  Maryland lawmakers closed their legislative session late Monday with approval of legislation to strengthen cybersecurity in a year marked by a budget surplus that enabled upgrades to parks, infrastructure, schools and information technology systems, as well as tax relief.

In a year of huge surplus largely due to federal pandemic relief, the General Assembly passed a package of cybersecurity measures and nearly $570 million for information technology upgrades. It comes after Marylands health department was hit by a ransomware attack in December that impeded information about health metrics relating to COVID-19.

Lawmakers reached an agreement Monday on raising the legal age of marriage in the state from 15 to 17, with judicial review if there is no parental consent, after years of struggling with the issue. They also approved restrictions on long-lasting chemicals known as PFAS and switching to safer alternatives for firefighting foams.

Democrats, who control the legislature, and Republican Gov. Larry Hogan already had agreed to a bipartisan budget deal. It includes nearly $1.86 billion in tax relief over five years for Maryland retirees, small businesses and low-income families in a year of enormous budget surplus for the state's $58.5 billion budget.

The deal included a tax credit as an incentive for employers and businesses to hire and retain workers from underserved communities. It also includes sales tax exemptions for child care products such as diapers, car seats, and baby bottles, and health products for dental hygiene, diabetic care and medical devices.

Senate President Bill Ferguson, hours before adjournment at midnight, cited bipartisan work in an election year that resulted in major investments in the state.

Investments included about $150 million for state parks to address a maintenance backlog and funding for new parks and upgrades. Lawmakers also approved large investments in mental health initiatives to help in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I think that Marylanders should be really proud of the budget that we passed, the investments that we're making, and I think across the board it was truly an historic year," said Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat.

Hogan highlighted the tax relief for retirees that he has been advocating for years as one of the reasons for calling this his best session as governor.

Look, weve stood up and disagreed strongly on different issues, but I think weve accomplished a lot together," Hogan said, referring to bipartisan work with Democrats.

Democrats indeed had their disagreements with the term-limited governor, now in his last year in office.

Lawmakers overrode Hogan's veto on Saturday to create a paid family leave insurance program that has been discussed for years in the state. Maryland workers will be able to take up to 12 weeks of partially paid leave to deal with such family issues as having a baby, caring for a sick relative or dealing with a military deployment.

They also overrode the governor's veto of legislation to expand access to abortion in the state. Maryland will end a restriction that only physicians perform abortions, enabling nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants with training to perform them.

The General Assembly passed a broad measure aimed at slowing climate change. Hogan said Friday he would let the bill go into law without his signature. The Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 speeds up Marylands current goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from 40% of 2006 levels to 60% by 2031. It also sets a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045 in the state.

Lawmakers approved a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana in July 2023, giving the final decision to voters in November. A measure lawmakers passed to take initial steps toward implementation went into law without Hogan's signature. Licensing and taxing issues will be taken up next year, if voters approve.

Separately, lawmakers passed a bill setting aside $1 million to fund alternative therapies including psychedelics and hyperbaric oxygen therapy for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries in clinical trials.

Lawmakers also approved a bill to invest $400 million in development in the area around FedEx Field Stadium, home to the Washington Commanders football team, though the money would not be used to pay for a new stadium. A companion bill to spend $1.2 billion to upgrade Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium also was passed. Hogan is scheduled to sign those bills Tuesday.

Legislators and the governor agreed to a new congressional map for the state, after a judge struck down the map approved by lawmakers over Hogan's veto in December as a product of extreme gerrymandering. The General Assembly redrew the state's eight U.S. House districts to be more compact, and Hogan signed the measure last week.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
In a decade or so, a new harbinger of atomic doom and deterrence will squat in Minuteman III missile silos in Nebraska and four other upper Midwest states.

Now the next-generation ICBM has a name: Sentinel.

Until last week, the Pentagon called the nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles currently in development by the moniker Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, or GBSD.

On Tuesday, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall announced that they will be called by the slightly less awkward name LGM-35A Sentinel.

The name Sentinel recognizes the mindset that thousands of Airmen, past and present, have brought to the deterrence mission, Kendall said in a statement.

LGM stands for Launched (from a silo) Guided Missile, and 35A is the design and serial number.

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., an Air Force veteran who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, welcomed the announcement.

I think Sentinel works great, Bacon said in a statement. This will be a major program for decades ahead, and it was overdue in getting a name.

Nebraska has an outsized stake in the nations nuclear enterprise. U.S. Strategic Command, which commands the nuclear arsenal, is headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base. And 82 of the nations 450 Minuteman III silos are in the states far western counties, near Scottsbluff and Sidney. Others are in Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota and Montana.

In 2020, the Air Force awarded a $13.3 billion contract to Northrop Grumman to develop a replacement for the Minuteman III missiles, which have comprised the land-based leg of the U.S. nuclear arsenal since 1970. The total cost of replacing the Minuteman IIIs has been estimated at $100 billion, including upgrades to the silos, missile-control centers and other missile-field infrastructure. The first Sentinels are scheduled to be deployed in 2029.

The missiles will be tipped with W87-1 thermonuclear warheads, which are also currently being developed.

StratComs official Twitter feed called the Sentinel a worthy successor to the Minuteman III.

The air-land-sea nuclear triad has been the bedrock doctrine of both the U.S. and Russian nuclear strategy since the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, though their arsenals are much smaller today.

ICBMs are valued because they are instantly ready and are a massive target for an enemy to overcome. The air leg is highly flexible because the planes can fly anywhere but can also be called back. And the sea leg is both mobile and well-hidden, thought to be invulnerable to an adversarys first strike.

In addition to the ICBMs, the U.S. fields B-61 and B-83 gravity bombs designed to be dropped from B-52 and B-2 bombers, and Trident missiles launched from Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines.

Nearly all of the weapons, though, are 30 to 60 years old and well beyond their intended lifespan. A series of StratCom commanders  including the current chief, Adm. Charles Richard  have advocated for speedy replacement of the entire arsenal, at a cost expected to exceed $300 billion.

Advocates of nuclear arms reductions have called for the U.S. to do away with ICBMs, which they argue are designed only to create a must-destroy target for an enemy first strike.

The specific mission of the ICBMs is to be a nuclear sponge, Tom Z. Collina, director of policy for the Ploughshares Fund, a group dedicated to eliminating nuclear weapons, told The World-Herald in 2020. If you remove all the ICBMs, we would be safer than we are today.

But arms reduction has been a tougher sell in recent years given Russias large-scale weapons modernization program and Chinas rapid nuclear expansion, including the recent construction of several large missile fields.

Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine, and its open threat to employ nuclear arms if NATO should intervene, have only heightened the fear.

And in the Air Forces statement, Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of the Louisiana-based Global Strike Command, said nuclear deterrence is more important now than its ever been.

The Sentinel, he added, will be a highly resilient and capable deterrent that will bring global stability to us and our allies for decades to come.

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NORMAL  Rashod Taylor's images on display at Heartland Community College grew out of the normal photographs many new parents take of their children's early years.

Like any new dad, you take snapshots of your son, Taylor said.

His use of large format film to capture his son's childhood sets his work apart. The project became "Little Black Boy," featuring photos of his son, LJ, taken on a large format camera that uses 4 inch by 5 inch film.

Theres not a lot of (positive) images, of media representation, of a little boy growing up in America, Taylor said.

Taylor grew up in Bloomington-Normal and came back after attending Murray State University in Kentucky. He and his family recently moved to Missouri. The images, which will remain on display at Heartland until May 13, were taken in Bloomington.

Growing up in Bloomington-Normal, Taylor said he never had a negative interaction with law enforcement, but having conversations about topics like police brutality is part of what he feels he has to do to protect his son as much as possible.

Taylor won the 2021 Arnold Newman Prize for New Directions in Photographic Portraiture, which is given by the Arnold and Augusta Newman Foundation and run by the Maine Media Workshops and College. Some of the photos from "Little Black Boy" are now in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

His photographs are deeply rooted to photographic traditions and break new ground, the award website said. Intimacy and honesty speak to an under-addressed chapter of the United States: The Black American experience, particularly the relationship between father and son is a focus of his work.

His interest in photography started with looking at family photo albums when he was 8 or 9 years old, Taylor said.

Taylor went on to do photography for the school newspaper and yearbook at Normal Community High School and then The Murray State News in college. An internship with Essence Magazine helped cement his interest, he said.

He kept shooting photos while working a job as well. Then in 2019 and 2020, interest started to pick up, he said.

In 2020, National Geographic reached out to him, Taylor said. He ended up doing a project on Black military families. He has also worked with ProPublica on a series about Black farmers in Pembroke Township in Kankakee County.

The increased interest in his work coincided with increased interest in Black artists following the murder of George Floyd, Taylor said. Museums, gallery owners and others began to think about the work that had been ignored that was done by artists from historically marginalized backgrounds.

I would say in the art world, yes, there is a lack of representation, Taylor said.

That is part of why he was glad to be able to hold the workshop for Heartland students on large format cameras. It can be important for students to be able to see themselves reflected in the people they are learning from, Taylor said. The students may also have never used large format before.

I really like to give back, because I never had a Black professor, he said.

His exhibit at Heartland is up through May 13 and is free and open to the public.

Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter: @connorkwood

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NORMAL  Members of the union that represents Illinois State University building, grounds and food services employees plan to hold a rally Tuesday as contract negotiations continue.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1110 filed a strike notice with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board last week. If any agreement isn't reached, the employees could strike as soon as April 18.

Union members plan to rally at 4:15 p.m. on the east side of Hovey Hall, 201 S. School St. in Normal.

Local 1110, which is part of AFSCME Council 31, has been in negotiations with the university since October after its contract expired in June 2021. The local represents more than 300 employees in dining, grounds and building service positions.

Wages have been the main sticking point of the negotiations, which continued Friday with a 12-hour session that included assistance from a federal mediator.

ISU, in a statement on its website, says "significant progress was made" during the Friday session. An AFSCME spokesperson said the session "produced some movement, but important issues remain unresolved."

Under rates listed on the university website as effective Jan. 1, members make between $12.30 an hour for some intern positions up to $25.32 an hour for grounds equipment mechanics, nursery workers and tree surgeons.

The parties have agreed to meet again Thursday.

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BLOOMINGTON  The Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the state to expand broadband internet access.

"Internet can be a great equalizer and we know that those who don't have it for whatever reason are certainly going to fall behind going forward," said Casey Peterson, the EDC's business retention and expansion manager. "This is really our chance as a community to show the state that we have assembled a good team and we're willing to work with any internet service provider that wants to expand their network in our community."

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity on Monday announced the grant as part of a second wave from the Regional Engagement for Adoption and Digital Equity (READY) program, which aims to address issues of equity and inclusion through broadband access.

The awarded money is part of Pritzker's $400 million Connect Illinois program  which is funded through 2019's Rebuild Illinois capital infrastructure program  with the goal of expanding broadband capabilities statewide by 2024. The grants are aimed at community-based and regional groups who can address inequities and gaps in coverage throughout the state that may not be solved by the growth of the state's broadband network.

Although nothing specific has been chosen, Peterson said the grant funds need to be spent on physical broadband infrastructure and the funds themselves will not be able to cover all costs. The organization plans to seek "creative ways" to use the funds on a project for wired broadband construction or low- to no-cost payments on bills.

"We're happy for the project but again this is more of a signal to the state as they're looking to fund broadband projects going forward so we can work efficiently," Peterson said. "We have ideas for future projects because not only [does the state] have $320 million currently, they're probably going to get well over a billion dollars from the federal government likely in federal infrastructure funding for broadband and we want to make sure that we are on their radar."

Recipients of Grant Funds The four other organizations awarded grants include: Chicago State University (Chicago, Ill.)

Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, Ill.)

Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, Ill.)

Western Illinois University (Macomb, Ill.)

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BLOOMINGTON  A new family medicine residency program at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center aims to recruit physician residents to the area, allow them to train here and become a part of the community.

"As we see more and more people come into town, we're also seeing more and more new patients coming into our ambulatory practices," said hospital President Lynn Fulton. "We knew we had a need four years ago, but now that we a have a larger population, that need has increased, and to bring those physicians really is going to be critical for the future of medical care in our community."

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, announced $700,000 in federal Community Project Funding (CFP) program funding for the program during a visit to the hospital Monday afternoon. His office requested the funding in the appropriations bill and has been in play since 2021.

The new residency program is a response to ongoing shortages of physicians across the country, especially in Illinois, and will attempt to attract physician residents here where they can train, become comfortable and hopefully call this community their home in the long run, Fulton said.

"Study after study shows when you have a residency program that is built out that physicians come to you, they stay in the community, they raise their families here, they spend money, and I look at that as how that affects our community here in Bloomington-Normal," LaHood said. "And also when you think about physician shortages across the country, having a facility that is a first-class facility to have that type of training and you couple that with what OSF has done  it's a win-win for the community and for OSF."

The funding will be used to convert and remodel a 4,000-square-foot space into an education and learning environment for physicians enrolled in the family medicine residency program at St. Joseph, said Todd Kettering, director of the program.

Kettering added the space will have a lounge area and individual workspaces for practicing physicians to relax and focus on their clinical work all while being on call.

Other features include a conference room that can hold 30 members to observe clinical studies or MRI images and a simulation center that is part of OSF's hospital network and will allow physicians to access practice terminals, Kettering said.

"Fortunately a lot of great groundwork has already been done by all the fine people here to make that happen," he said. "You don't have a house built on sand; we got a house built with a great foundation to do what we need to do in educating the next generation of physicians."

Fulton said they are beginning with the bidding process this month and hoping to start construction on the lower level of Eastland Medical Plaza II sometime early in the summer with the program kicking off in July 2023.

It will consist of a three-year program with six residents receiving hands-on training per year that will eventually turn into 18 physician residents working alongside clinicians in all parts of the hospital, Fulton said.

The program also is in the process of receiving accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, a nonprofit private council that is responsible for evaluating all graduate medical training programs for physicians in the U.S.

"It's not just Bloomington-Normal; we really look at the surrounding community as well as our sister hospital in Pontiac," Fulton said, referring to OSF Saint James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center.

"By having this residency program it will also enable us to do some rotations," Fulton added. "They may go to Pontiac to see some of the care that's delivered there and give those physicians more exposure to what we view as rural medicine."

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A 79-year-old man and a 61-year-old woman were found dead in a Buena Park senior housing facility Sunday night when Chicago police officers went to the North Side residence a well-being check, officials said.

Investigators went to the senior care apartment building on the 1000 block of West Montrose Avenue around 8:30 p.m. after getting a request from someone to check on the well-being of the 61-year-old woman who lived on the third floor. It wasnt immediately clear who placed that initial call as Chicago police dont typically provide that information.

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With the assistance of an on-site maintenance worker, officers were able to make entry into the victims apartment, according to an online media notification from Chicago police.

Inside the apartment, officers found the bodies of the 61-year-old woman who lived at the address as well as a 79-year-old man whose home address is listed in Berwyn, according to information from the Cook County medical examiners office.

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Monday morning that agency identified the two people as Sheila Banks, 61, and 79-year-old Ocie Banks Sr., of the 2100 block of Gunderson Avenue in Berwyn, according to the medical examiners office.

Both were pronounced dead at the scene at 11:20 p.m. Sunday, according to preliminary information. Sheila Banks appeared to have a gunshot wound to the side of her head, according to Chicago police. Ocie Banks Sr. had suffered trauma to the face, police said, but did not provide additional information about the injuries.

No arrests had been made as of Monday morning and the case remained under investigation. Check back for updates.
Jim Martin enters a dead zone when traveling from his home to his farm. Its not a major problem, but it can be an inconvenience.

I farm 30 miles from where I live, and theres a dead zone around a river here, said Martin, who lives in Livingston County but farms in LaSalle County, Illinois. When we go back its really frustrating.

As with broadband, cell service is critical for modern farming. Cabs of tractors and combines are moving offices. Having an unreliable signal can cost farmers in time lost. Besides communicating with employees, they may need to make calls to a grain elevator, diesel mechanic or seed company.

It is difficult to overestimate the value of broadband and cell service in agriculture today, according to Emily Buckman, director of congressional relations with the American Farm Bureau Federation.

In todays constantly connected world, access to broadband as well as cell phone service is no longer a luxury  its a necessity, Buckman said. Rural communities need to be connected to ensure access to emergency services, health care, government services, educational and business opportunities.

Often times individuals use their mobile phone for telehealth appointments, to conduct business, and perform school work. AFBF policy supports developing and expanding broadband and cell network access to rural areas. We will continue to support initiatives that will bring more connectivity to our rural communities.

Wireless provider T-Mobile has addressed the issue in a roundabout way. Last year the company launched its Hometown Grants initiative, dedicating $25 million over the next five years to support people and institutions in rural America.

Since we launched the program, weve given more than $3.3 million to support projects that are strengthening economic opportunity in small towns across 35 states, said Lyssa Hansen, communications manager for the companys Central Region.

The company also partnered with Metro to have a presence at 2,300 Walmart stores, which are disproportionately distributed in rural areas.

AT&T is making a major push to improve service in rural areas, with its FirstNet effort, which uses low 700 MHz spectrum, allowing signals to travel father.

Verizon has expanded its rural footprint through measures including the purchase of TracFone, available at Walmart stores.

The number of large carriers has gone from five to three due to acquisitions. That is a negative for rural competition, according to Jeff Moore of Wave7 Research. Moore wrote in an opinion piece that Verizon has strengthened its network, however.

Despite the occasional dead zone irritation, Martin is relatively pleased with cell signals.

Service has gotten better over the years, he said.

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On a recent Saturday, the fight for the Democratic nomination in Illinois sprawling new Latino-leaning congressional district played out in a few square miles of Chicagos Northwest Side.

In a Guatemalan restaurant in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood, state Rep. Delia Ramirez, 4th District, told supporters theyre working for a progressive who will keep fighting progressive fights: Were not just going to send the first Latina from the entire Midwest to Congress, were sending one of ours.

Less than 2 miles west in the same neighborhood, Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, knocked on doors to tell voters hes best prepared to hit the ground running, and to reach across the aisle in Washington, D.C., to get things done.

The classic Chicago retail politicking on a raw spring afternoon more than two months before the primary looked familiar to anyone versed in the age-old local emphasis on a strong campaign ground game to connect with residents and get people to the polls.

But the race is also setting up as a modern referendum on issues ranging from diversity of representation to the political philosophies that are dominating the Democratic Party in Illinois and across the nation. And its all playing out in a new district that extends from progressive Chicago neighborhoods to historically conservative towns in the far reaches of what used to be the Republican stronghold of DuPage County.

Ramirez comes to the contest with progressive bona fides and the backing of liberal U.S. Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia, 4th District, who currently represents a chunk of the new district. Ramirez spoke about her start as a Northwest Side affordable housing advocate before voters elected her to the Illinois House in 2018. She told supporters she proved her legislative chops in Springfield while championing Medicaid expansion and an elected Chicago school board.

When people on the doors tell you, Shes too young to go to Congress, shes not experienced enough, she doesnt have a proven record,  just pull up every piece of legislation that together weve been able to pass, and everything weve done even before I went to the state legislature, the 38-year-old Ramirez told supporters.

Villegas, 51, touts his moderate political pragmatism and says he can find ways to collaborate in a closely divided, bitterly partisan U.S. Capitol rather than adhering to an all-or-nothing approach.

The head of the City Councils Latino Caucus, which remains locked in a tough fight to increase the number of Latino-majority wards in Chicago, Villegas pointed to the universal basic income program Mayor Lori Lightfoot adopted after he first pushed it. And he noted his aldermanic office pivoted quickly during the pandemic, from one day dealing with potholes and garbage collection to the next day setting up vaccine clinics and helping residents find food, clothing and places to live.

Its about meeting peoples needs, whatever those needs are, Villegas said in an interview. Ive done that here, and Im all set to keep on doing that in Congress.

The contest takes place in the new 3rd District, which Illinois Democrats drew to be a heavily Democratic, lean Latino congressional seat as the state recalibrates its district boundaries to acknowledge Latinos continued population gains even as the states overall population fell slightly in the 2020 U.S. Census.

Four candidates filed petitions to run for the Democratic nomination, which will be decided in the June 28 primary. Villegas and Ramirez are the front-runners in terms of name recognition, political organization and fundraising.

At the end of 2021, Villegas had $377,055 on hand in his congressional campaign fund, while Ramirez had $110,443, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Registered nurse and Chicago cannabis entrepreneur Juan Aguirre is also running, as is Iymen Chehade, a college professor and congressional foreign policy analyst from Chicago.

Justin Burau is the lone Republican candidate. From suburban Winfield, Burau is expected to face the Democratic winner in the November general election.

The Democrat will be favored thanks to the way the districts boundaries are drawn, a somewhat jarring turnabout in places such as Wheaton and Glen Ellyn that were represented for decades by staunchly conservative Republicans, including U.S. Reps. Henry Hyde and Peter Roskam, before Democrat Sean Casten beat Roskam in 2018.

Both the Ramirez and Villegas campaigns said they expect more than 70% of the votes in the Democratic primary will come from Chicagoans. Thats despite the fact that the 3rd District stretches about 30 miles from the citys Avondale neighborhood on the east to West Chicago on the western edge of DuPage County.

The reconfiguration concept isnt a new one for Villegas. Hes represented the Northwest Side 36th Wards Belmont Cragin, Montclare, Portage Park and Schorsch Village neighborhoods since 2015, the first election after aldermen made it a majority Latino ward to reflect Latino population gains in the 2010 U.S. Census.

Villegas won the seat with the support of the once-powerful Arroyo political organization, which was an ascendant force in Northwest Side Latino politics at the time. Things have gotten rocky for the Arroyos in recent years. Former state Rep. Luis Arroyo is awaiting sentencing in a federal bribery case for offering to pay kickbacks to a fellow legislator to support sweepstakes gambling legislation in Springfield.

Villegas counts his base among those who now reside in the bungalows, ranch-style homes and Tudors peppered throughout the Northwest Sides Bungalow Belt.

Greeting him a week ago outside a ranch in Belmont Cragin with a weather-beaten Ald. Villegas-branded Pick up after your dog sign stuck in the front lawn, Tadeusz Bednarczyk announced, I support you, always. Speaking Polish as a Villegas staffer translated, Bednarczyk then took the opportunity to vent about neighborhood crime to his alderman and would-be congressman.

Ramirezs state House district overlaps with the 36th Ward for a few blocks in the Hermosa neighborhood, but mainly stretches east and south to take in parts of Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Wicker Park and the Ukrainian Village.

She won her House seat with strong backing from Garcia, who has built a formidable local progressive coalition of elected officials and grassroots organizations. Ramirez also has enjoyed considerable financial and organizing support over the years from the Chicago Teachers Union, which has endorsed her in this congressional race.

Asked whether such progressive allies will play beyond the hipster-inflected, Sen. Bernie Sanders-backing neighborhoods in her House district and into the more conservative Far Northwest Side and western suburbs, Ramirez said shes spent years fighting for working class people and the concerns shes hearing throughout the new 3rd District are pretty universal.

What are the things they care about? The same things I care about: a good quality of life, the ability to retire not when youre 90, but maybe in your 60s without the worry that youre going to have to take a second job because you cant afford your mortgage, Ramirez said. These are the things people care about in Logan Square, and they care about in West Chicago and Wheaton.

In addition to the political stratification across the district, candidates have to deal with the bias some suburban voters feel toward Chicago candidates.

About 47.4% of the 3rd Districts nearly 754,000 residents are Hispanic, according to the Illinois Democratic Party.

In creating the new 3rd Congressional District, gone is the infamously gerrymandered earmuffs that the majority- Latino 4th Congressional District represented for years by Luis Gutierrez and then Garcia that used a thin ribbon of suburban real estate to connect areas with sizable Latino populations on Chicagos Northwest and Southwest sides.

While Garcia continues to represent his Southwest Side base in Washington, D.C., the Northwest Side now has its own district that also includes parts of about two dozen other municipalities within its boundaries.

DuPage County, historically a Republican stronghold, has become more diverse and gotten decidedly bluer in recent elections. But DuPage County Democratic Party Chairman Ken Mejia-Beal said Chicago Democrats face challenges convincing residents in places such as Glen Ellyn and Winfield to trust them.

When this district was drawn, a lot of people were apprehensive about having a quote-unquote Chicago representative representing parts of DuPage County, Mejia-Beal said. After meeting both (Ramirez and Villegas), those fears have largely dissipated.

Theres also likely some apprehension among some DuPage County voters about being represented in Congress by a Latino in a district that was designed to lean Latino for election purposes.

Thats just the world we live in, Mejia-Beal said. But I also believe the majority of voters look at the skill set and the issues. Is everyone on board? No. Is the majority on board? I think so.

The big politically purple swaths of DuPage reward renaissance candidates, Mejia-Beal said.

I think in Chicago and Cook County, you tend to find more neighborhoods aligned really strongly around the same core issues, he said. To be a successful candidate in DuPage, you have to be multifaceted. You have to know a little bit about a lot, because you might find a single block with one voter or household very concerned with the environment, the next one really focused on fiscal issues and then the next house has a very conservative voter.

Both Ramirez and Villegas take pains to tout their outreach to suburbanites, like those now represented in the U.S. House by Democrats Casten, Lauren Underwood, or Raja Krishnamoorthi, who could soon see a Chicagoan take over speaking for their interests in Washington, D.C.

Suburban mayors back me because I talk to them and they understand that Im the guy who can bring back resources for their cities and towns, Villegas said. As a freshman legislator, its going to be difficult to pass major legislation, so its about being able to send resources back to municipalities that need it, and they know I can do that.

Villegas talks often about how his father died when he was 8, and his mothers struggle to make ends meet. He enlisted in the Marines after graduating from Roosevelt High School in Chicago and joined the Teamsters union while working as a bread truck driver after he got out of the service.

That story and Villegas approach resonate with suburban voters, according to state Rep. Kathleen Willis, D- Addison, who is backing Villegas bid.

Hes someone who can understand peoples concerns when the grocery bill goes up, when the gas bill goes up, Willis said. Hes willing to do the work and work hard, and people appreciate that.

And this district is not as progressive as some people think. Its more moderate, she said.

Ramirez wore a shirt emblazoned with the slogan DuPage Democrats: Good Trouble as she talked to supporters in Belmont Cragin, and told them to be prepared to carry the campaigns message across DuPage.

That readiness to be present throughout the suburban parts of the district and bring different groups of people together sets her apart, Ramirez said.

They want someone thats actually going to show up, thats going to do town halls  someone who will establish offices throughout the district and find ways to engage and listen to constituents, she said. And thats always been my thing.

State Sen. Karina Villa, D- West Chicago, said Ramirez has already done a good job of that.

She has a long-standing record of being out here, getting to know the community and listening to people, said Villa, who has endorsed Ramirez. That didnt start with this campaign. Delia was here helping get people to fill out their census forms, and the things shes been fighting to achieve for years  affordable housing, affordable health care, immigration reform  are the things that are important to residents here.

Ramirez is the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants. Her husband arrived from Guatemala as an undocumented immigrant and has been living in Chicago under the auspices of the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Ramirez said. That personal experience will ensure she centers immigration reform in her congressional efforts, she said.

While theyre the highest profile candidates, Ramirez and Villegas arent the only two vying for the Democratic nomination.

Aguirre, 26, is part-owner of an Illinois marijuana dispensary license, which he said he expects he and his partners to sell rather than opening a site. He grew up poor before getting into Chicagos prestigious Walter Payton College Preparatory High School and then winning a Gates Scholarship to help cover his costs to attend the University of Michigan.

Im in this race because poor people are set up to fail in this country unless they get lucky, Aguirre said. I was lucky to get into Payton. I was lucky to get a Gates Scholarship, and we need to help poor people so they dont need to get lucky. Im the one candidate who understands that.

Aguirre has filed paperwork with the FEC to create a campaign fundraising committee, but it hasnt been processed, according to the election commission. He said his nominating petitions have been challenged, and he plans to fight to stay on the ballot.

Chehade, 48, teaches at Columbia College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and also serves as the foreign policy director for U.S. Rep. Marie Newmans election campaign. Chehade has been named as part of a U.S. House Committee on Ethics investigation opened last fall aimed at Newman into whether she improperly offered Chehade a job on her congressional staff if he agreed not to run against her. The investigation remains open.

Chehade said his grassroots campaign appeals to the many voters in the new 3rd District who are sick of the machine. He had $38,846 on hand at the end of 2021, and said he plans to personally knock on at least 12,000 doors in the district by the primary.

When youre put in office by the establishment, youre beholden to the establishment, Chehade said. Were not beholden to anyone but the constituents.

Whichever candidate wins the new seat in November, Mejia-Beal said the freshman U.S. representative better start gearing up to earn DuPage County voter support again two years later. No seat in DuPage  county, state or federal  is a safe seat. Were the Ohio of Illinois.

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Heres a prediction that, unfortunately, may be as inescapable as it is undesirable: The current war between Ukraine and Russia will expand into a larger shooting war that involves the United States, as well as its NATO allies.

From the beginning, President Joe Biden has been emphatic: America will not engage directly in a conflict with Russia, which Biden has said would amount to World War III.

But even as Russian President Vladimir Putin surrounded Ukraine with nearly 200,000 troops in February, few imagined that his invasion would devolve into the brutality and atrocity that were seeing reported from Ukraine every day.

Nevertheless, thats where we are, and there are no signs of an end to the bloodshed. Last Friday, a Russian missile attack was launched against an eastern Ukrainian train station packed with fleeing civilians. At least 57 were killed and many more injured.

Even the current best-case scenario is dreadful: If the war eventually grinds to an exhausted halt, with Putin controlling large portions of eastern and southern Ukraine and Crimea, the only way to get to that undesirable point is through the deaths of many, many thousands of Russians and Ukrainians, including many civilians, women, children and old people.

The difference between Putin and Hitler is a matter only of scope and scale, and the Wests tolerance for this sort of brutal carnage cannot be unlimited.

Furthermore, eventually the stakes of the war in Ukraine may become more obvious and inescapable. Nowhere are those stakes better described than in Robert Kagans 2018 book The Jungle Grows Back.

Kagan reminds us of how rare and fragile a thing the liberal world order is, the seven-decade reprieve from history as usual that began after World War II. According to Kagan, the liberal world order was largely engineered by the United States, and it resulted in a unique era of human history that values democracy, rule of law, equality, free speech, international cooperation over war and the rights and freedoms of individuals over the prerogatives of the state.

The desirability of these principles is so obvious that one might assume they would naturally thrive as humankind develops, but according to Kagan the liberal world order had to be imposed and maintained by force or, at least, by the threat of force. Its in constant danger of relapsing into the war, tyranny, disorder and poverty that has characterized the vast majority of human history.

This more typical condition of humankind is what Kagan calls the jungle. The jungle is never completely subdued. The liberal world order is threatened constantly by its resurgence.

In short, first, theres nothing inevitable about the characteristics of the free world that provide the kind of life that we Americans value so highly. They are under constant threat in nations around the world, including in the U.S.

Second, its naive to believe that the battle between the free world and the autocracies of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran can be won without force. We may hope otherwise, but history has another story to tell.

All of this would be considerably simpler if the primary antagonists in this confrontation were not heavily armed with nuclear weapons. But the invention of the atomic bomb was always inevitable, and so was its use. The abolition of nuclear weapons is as unrealistic as the eradication of war itself.

A nuclear exchange has sometimes been called unthinkable. But in truth any nuclear power  including us  will use nuclear weapons if the circumstances reach a certain point of desperation.

Thus nuclear weapons are a significant element of the calculus that our adversaries use to advance their autocratic agendas.

This is terribly risky, but its in the nature of the sad point that world politics has reached. If were unwilling to push back with a credible nuclear threat, the battle between a liberal world order and autocracy is already lost.

John M. Crisp is an an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service. jcrispcolumns@gmail.com.

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Elon Musk, Twitter Inc's (TWTR.N) biggest shareholder, on Saturday suggested a raft of changes to the social media giant's Twitter Blue premium subscription service, including slashing its price, banning advertising and giving an option to pay in the cryptocurrency dogecoin.



Musk, who disclosed a 9.2% stake in Twitter just days ago, was offered a seat on its board of directors, a move which made some Twitter employees panic over the future of its ability to moderate content. read more



Twitter Blue, launched in June 2021, is Twitter's first subscription service and offers "exclusive access to premium features" on a monthly subscription basis, Twitter says. It is available in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.



In a Twitter post, the head of electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc (TSLA.O)suggested that users who sign up for Twitter Blue should pay significantly less than the current $2.99 a month, and should get an authentication checkmark as well as an option to pay in local currency.



"Price should probably be ~$2/month, but paid 12 months up front & account doesn't get checkmark for 60 days (watch for credit card chargebacks) & suspended with no refund if used for scam/spam," Musk said in a tweet.



"And no ads," Musk suggested. "The power of corporations to dictate policy is greatly enhanced if Twitter depends on advertising money to survive."



Musk also proposed an option to pay with dogecoin and asked Twitter users for their views.



Twitter declined to comment on Musk's suggestions.



The company already lets people tip their favorite content creators using bitcoin. Twitter had said last year that it planned to support authentication for NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, which are digital assets such as images or videos that exist on a blockchain.



Musk also started a poll on his Twitter account - which has more than 81 million followers - asking whether the firm's San Francisco headquarters should be converted to a homeless shelter as "no-one shows up (to work there)". The poll got more 300,000 votes in an hour, with 90% answering yes.

Source: REUTERS









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The management of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Limited has set the record straight regarding a series of publications making rounds on several online portals contradicting the announcement by the Managing Director, Edwin Provencal, that BOST has made an operating profit before tax of GHC30 million and a report from SIGA indicating BOST has incurred losses to the tune of GHC400 million.



Correcting the erroneous impressions created by the publications, the management of BOST said that the report of the GHC400 million losses made by the company was not accurate but rather was picked out of context.



Explaining the inaccuracies in the publications to the media, Mr Edwin Provencal, the Managing Director of BOST said that his submission at SIGA was emphatic that the company achieved a profit before tax of GHC9, 844,673 versus an estimated GHC30 million in the year 2020 as against a loss of GHC158, 478,676 in 2019.



He further stated that the positive net profit before tax attained in 2020 implied a massive turnaround of the operational fortunes of the company as the previous records from 2016 to 2020 showed negatives except in the year 2020.



Mr Provencal however was quick to add that during his submission at SIGA, he indicated that the unpaid tax obligations over the five-year period to date, the reduction in the value of their GOIL investment, and the forex difference on dollar-denominated loans would turn the profit before tax into a net loss for the period.



This enhanced performance was driven by extensive operational efficiency initiatives including, but not limited to massive repair works of our storage tanks, pipelines and marine assets, replacement of outmoded parts across the facilities of the company in the last two years supported by improved marketing and customer service. In the past two years, our income-earning assets have improved from 18% to 91%, he stated.



He added that the false publication making waves, stating that BOST made losses of GHC400 million was based on net loss after tax which was outside managements control, impacting the overall business negatively thus posting a loss for the year 2020 in the statement of comprehensive income.



He said it would only be fair to analyse the performance of BOST based on the profit before tax and not the net loss after tax; thus, the profit before tax accurately measures the success of the company as that was within the control of management.



He averred that BOST as part of its drive towards operational excellence undertook a revaluation of its assets in the 2020 financial year.



This became necessary as most of the assets still in operation had been written down to near-zero levels while still useful in the operations of the companywhen assets are revalued, the increase in their values is taxed resulting in larger tax obligations. The revaluation which was a deliberate decision to enhance the reporting of the company led to a deferred tax obligation of GHC292,935,973 compared to the net loss of GHC291,017,758, a difference of GHC1,918,215, he stated.



The MD for BOST reiterated that the increase in the value of the revalued assets also resulted in increased depreciation charges which further reduced the bottom line or the profit for the year.



He again recounted that since BOST owns a 20% stake in GOIL, any loss in the market value of shares of GOIL was computed and that reduced the income of BOST to arrive at its net profit or loss for the year.



In the year 2019 to 2020, our investment in GOIL saw a reduction of GHS15, 674,525 in its market value. Respectfully, this event is external to BOST operations and therefore to gauge the performance of BOST management and staff by this loss in investment will not be fair. This is the reason why we should rely on the profit before tax rather than all these uncontrollable factors which have been factored in to arrive at the net profit or loss for the year. The recorded net losses for the years 2019 and 2020 per the income statement were, therefore, GHS101, 411,781 and GHS291, 017,758, he recalled.



Mr Edwin Provencal insisted that BOST has been turned around as the comprehensive and objective analysis of the audited statements from the past five years showed that the company was on track to higher performance through enhanced efficiency.



He stated that Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Limited looks forward to capitalizing on these modest improvements to make the company an example of a World-Class State-Owned Enterprise.



It remains uncontested that the debt to suppliers and related parties of $623 million has been paid down to $39 million, the debts owed the local banks of about GHS273 million have been fully cleared and our pipelines which were procured in 2011 and left to the mercy of the weather in the United States under the AT & V contract have arrived safely on our shores and we expect to complete the installation of the additional 12-inch pipeline between the Accra Plains and Akosombo depots.



The cash flow position of the company is enhanced and the repair of the companys infrastructure continues despite the reduction in our BOST Marginwe reiterate the fact that your company BOST is on its way to becoming a profitable state-owned enterprise and nothing will derail the resolve of management and staff to achieve this, he assured.

Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline.com









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Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson (ERICb.ST) said on Monday it was suspending its business in Russia indefinitely.



"In the light of recent events and of European Union sanctions, the company will now suspend its affected business with customers in Russia indefinitely," it said in a statement.



Employees in Russia will be placed on paid leave, it said.



Ericsson said it would record a 900 million crown ($95 million) provision in the first quarter for impairment of assets and other exceptional costs related to the move.



In February, Ericsson paused deliveries to customers in Russia.









Source: REUTERS









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Four people have been arrested by the Western Regional Police Command in connection with attacks on the Nkroful Magistrate Court, Esiama Police Divisional Headquarters and the Ellembelle District Assembly.



The suspects; Richard Tetteh, Kwame Gorkeh Miah, Michael Anyimiah, and Cosmos Gadekor were among a group of people who rioted at the District Magistrate Court, Nkroful on April 1, 2022, to demand the release of their colleagues who were standing trial at the Court.



The Police have identified twenty-two others, currently on the run and are pursuing them to be arrested and brought before the law.



A news brief from the Police said the group also attacked the Ellembelle District Assembly and threatened to assault the District Chief Executive.



It said the four suspects were among the group that also stormed the Esiama Police Station, vandalized rooms and caused damage to vehicles parked at the station, 2 buses and 1 Toyota Hilux Pickup.



The brief said whilst Police continued to count on the help and support of every well-meaning Ghanaian, they were also assuring them that they would not relent in their efforts to ensure that law and order prevailed in the society.





Source: GNA









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The Ghana Education Service (GES) has dismissed reports that it has prescribed uniforms for teachers in the country.



Social media was flooded with pictures of the brown uniform reportedly prescribed by the GES over the weekend.



But speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Prof Opoku Amankwah debunked those reports.



He said there's no way GES will come out with a uniform and put it on social media; adding such decisions are not made randomly.



The GES has not prescribed any uniforms. When GES proposes something we dont go to social media to display it, we dont have anything to do with that. We've not even discussed anything on uniforms, he said.



"Our lawyers will investigate and we'll take the appropriate action when necessary," he added.





Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com









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Bright Senior High School located in Akyem Kukurantumi in Eastern Region has been adjudged best Private Senior High School in Ghana by the West Africa International Press Limited organizers of Heroes of Distinction Conference and Awards.



The Heroes of Distinction Conference and Awards ceremony is an annual event, which is organized by the West Africa International Press Limited, publishers of West Africa International Magazine to honour outstanding Ghanaian personalities and entrepreneurs for their contribution to the economic growth of Ghana.



The award ceremony was instituted in 2018 in furtherance of the objective of the press house to provide platform for recognition, promotion and celebration of corporate entities and individuals of excellence.



Bright Senior High School won the second cycle education category award on merit after careful assessment by a panel of distinguished personalities.



The 2021 Heroes of Distinction Conference and Awards was held Thursday March 24,2022 at the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIB) in Accra.



The panel took into consideration consistent impressive academic performance of Bright SHS in the West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the high level of discipline, effective monitoring and supervision structure, availability of modern ICT and science laboratories as well as the availability of subjects specialist teachers in the school among others.



The Vice President of Bright Senior High School, Dominic Acquah who led a delegation to receive the award told the media that, selecting Bright Senior High School as the best Private School in Ghana is recognition of hard work, investment, commitment and quality education. It is going to help us raise the standard of the school more. We are going to lift the bar in private education. Now almost all teachers in the school are graduates with masters and PhD, and those with First class honours are all teaching there, and in fact the President of the school, Bright Amponsah, continues to invest to improve the quality of teaching".



He urged parents across the country to bring their children to Bright Senior High School to benefit from the quality education to" shape their academic dreams and shape their future".



Dr. Dee Otibu-Asare, President of West Africa International Press Limited  publisher of New Ghanaian Magazine, said the objective of his outfit is to recognise trailblazers who have contributed immensely to the countrys socio-economic development of the sub-region.



"These are those whose undertakings are of strategic importance to the development of West Africa and the entire of the African continent. We hope the honours will ginger you to do more for mother Ghana and the west Africa sub-region"



The chairman of the governing council of Wisconsin International University College, Noble Justice Isaac Duose, congratulated the awardees, saying: You have not been carelessly selected. Youve been carefully selected and we are targeting that in due course youll be our light in the countrys developmental agenda"



History of Bright SHS



Bright Senior High School was established as a diploma awarding institution in 2007 by a sole proprietor, Mr.Bright Amponsah Nyarko with 6 students .



In 2008, enrollment increased to 9 diploma and 3 Senior High School students. Due to the excellent performance of the first batch of candidates who sat the West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), enrollment witnessed significant increase the following year.



The consistent excellent performance in WASSCE continues to attract more students increasing the population to about 2,000 in 2021.



Other Awardees



Fourteen (14) other personalities and corporate entities were honoured alongside Bright Senior High School during the 2021 West Africa International Press Limiteds Heroes of Distinction award.



The personalities include President of Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) Dr. Joseph Obeng,



Joseph Albert Quarm, Nana (Dr.) Appiagyei Dankwaso I, and Dr. Agyaba Kwame Afriyie.



The corporate awardees included Etoile Engineering Limited, Chocho Industries, Baah Herbal Centre, Rene Educational Centre and JIK Management Consultancy Services.



The rest were Abotare Clinic, Alternative Medical Centre, Gracelift Herbal Centre, Jackson College of Education, Kumasi; and Gods Grace International School.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Majority Leader of Parliament, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu is in India to chair the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) mid-year executive committee meeting.



The meeting which will be attended by regional representatives from 53 Commonwealth countries and nine(9) regions will be held in Guwahati  the capital of Assam Province.



The Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is expected to officially open the event tomorrow, April 9, 2022.



The delegation from Ghanas Parliament are the first deputy Speaker, Mr. Joseph Osei-Owusu, who is representing the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin at the meeting and Member of Parliament for Akatsi South Constituency, Bernard Ahiafor.



Minority Leader, Haruna Iddirisu is expected to be part of the meeting.



Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu who is also the vice chairman of the CPA International is expected to chair the committee of the Association- the planing and constitutional review committee.



It is the reason why I had to leave parliament on the 5th of April, the very day Parliament adjourned sine die. So I am here for the Association in the name of the Africa Region, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu told AGN.



According to him, the ongoing executive meeting in India is to outline preparations towards the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) in Canada.



This meeting is preparatory to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference which well be holding in Nova Scotia in Canada that will be in August. So the executive committee is to review the programs slated for Canada, he added.



He revealed that arrangements had also been made for Ghana to host the next Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) in Accra in August 2023.



Ghana will be hosting the CPC in Accra. Possibly, it is going to be in August of next year but we have to think through the exact date for it, he told AGNs Princess Arita Anim.



The CPA Executive Meeting usually meets twice a year and is made up of CPA Officers and Regional representatives from all nine CPA regions.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Chicago police investigate the scene where three police officers and a suspect were injured in an exchange of gunfire July 30, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

A man who pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a dramatic ambush on police near a Northwest Side station was sentenced Monday to 31 years in prison.

Lovelle Jordan had been arrested on suspicion of carjacking the morning of July 30,2020. From the back of a squad car, he grabbed a pistol hidden near his groin  and when an officer opened the car door to lead him into the station, he allegedly opened fire.

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As many as 60 shots were fired in the ensuing shootout, which left one officer in a coma, several others injured and Jordan paralyzed.

Jordan, 27, pleaded guilty in February to one count of attempted murder and five counts of aggravated battery to a peace officer, according to Cook County court records. He was sentenced Monday to 31 years for attempted murder, records show, to be served concurrently with 3-year sentences on the aggravated battery counts.

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Chicago police officers investigate an officer-involved shooting outside the 25th District police station on July 30, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Police and prosecutors at the time said the sequence of events began routinely enough, when officers in the North Austin neighborhood found a stolen white Porsche that had been carjacked at gunpoint a few days before.

The two officers were in their squad car beginning paperwork to have the Porsche towed when Jordan walked directly in front of them and got into the drivers seat of the car and then started to drive off, prosecutors have said.

Police tried to get Jordan out of the car, but he struggled against the officers by stiffening and flailing his arms, prosecutors have said. He also repeatedly reached for his waistband, a signal often understood by police to mean a subject is armed.

As the officers tried to pat him down, he squirmed and shielded his body from them, and they only got drugs and some personal items from his pockets, prosecutors have said.

They missed the Glock subcompact pistol, loaded with at least five rounds.

Jordan was handcuffed behind his back, put in the back seat of a different officers police vehicle, and taken to the 25th District police station at 5555 W. Grand Ave.

At some point, Jordan managed to move his cuffed hands from behind his back and pull out the gun. When an officer opened the door to get him into the station, Jordan raised the pistol and fired at close range.

It sparked a dramatic gun battle, much of which was caught on multiple cameras.

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One officer was shot in the neck, and fell to the ground. Two nearby officers shot at Jordan, who returned fire from the back seat of the squad car as they called for assistance.

At least four times, Jordan ducked in and out of the back seat to fire and then take cover  then popped out of the back seat and ran around the opened door to drop into a crouched firing position, prosecutors have said. He continued firing, then moved to the front bumper and shot a police vehicle before running north while still pointing his pistol at the officers, authorities said.

Officers continued to fire. Jordan was hit multiple times and fell to the ground.

mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
Minister of National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah, has spoken about the importance of a robust and fair judicial system in maintaining the peace and stability of the country.



According to him, a strong judiciary was a pillar in the peace process because it will afford people the opportunity of using the courts to seek justice instead of taking the laws into their own hands.



He made these comments during a meeting last week with members of the judiciary to discuss the role of the third arm of government in Ghanas national security architecture.



If you are going to be able to address the security challenges that we have, especially the domestic ones, we need to ensure that there is a judicial system that works. If you do not have a judicial system that works, many people will simply take the laws into their own hands and misbehave and do what they want.



He noted that Ghana had a positive perception within the sub-region, a perception that needed to be sustained and consolidated: Therefore, in trying to manage the security situation, it is important for us that we do get a judicial system that works and we are all lucky that within the sub-region, we are perceived as a country where the judicial system works and where you could expect justice.



He continued with an admonition, If the interpretation of the law is tilted in our favour all the time, people will start accusing the judiciary and will not have the confidence that they need.



The comment about perceived lopsided interpretation of the law has generated lots of reactions on social media with some people asking whether it was a tacit admission that the judiciary was doing the bidding of government.













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Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon. Alan Kyerematen, together with some individuals of the New Patriotic Patriotic Party, have visited the Aliu Mahama's family residence to offer their condolence after the passing of the former Second Lady, the late Hajia Ramatu Aliu Mahama



The former Second Lady of Ghana died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Thursday, April 7, 2022, after having been on admission at the hospital for some time.



Mr. Kyerematen described the late Hajia Ramatu as a likeable woman and a mother to all. Recounting her days as Second Lady of the Republic, he said her gentle and graceful nature was evident in all she did as she opened her doors to all in society."



"Her calming influence will be sorely missed in our body politic. She and her husband have been a good inspiration to many. May her soul Rest in eternal Peace he concluded.



The late Hajia Ramatu Mahama was Ghana's Second Lady between 2001 and 2008 when her late husband, Aliu Mahama, served as vice president in the two-term government of the former president, John Agyekum Kufuor.



She died at the age of 70 and would have turned 71 in October this year.



A son of the late couple, Farouk Aliu Mahama, is the current Member of Parliament for the Yendi constituency



The Family of the late Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji Aliu Mahama has announced arrangements for the funeral and burial of the late Hajia Ramatu Mahama, the wife of the former vice president.



On Saturday, April 9, a state funeral will be held at the Independence Square for the general public to file past the body which will later be airlifted to the Northern region for burial.



"The funeral will be done in accordance with the Islam religion. The National Chief Imam will be there to lead the entire programme, a family spokesperson said.



Meanwhile, the family has opened a book of condolence in her honour.













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The Executive Director of the Bureau of Public Safety, Nana Yaw Akwada, has urged Ghanaians to be more cautious of their safety ahead of the Easter festivities.



He advised that, if possible, revellers should move in pairs for protection.



Chances to survive if attacked alone is very limited, he said on NEAT FMs morning show, 'Ghana Montie'.



Adding that, "The wicked lives among us so be vigilant and be a friend to the police".



Nana Yaw Akwada was discussing a report by his firm that suggests that the capital city of the Ashanti Region, Kumasi is a high-risk homicide zone in Ghana.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









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The President General of the COA Mixture Manufacturing Company has unveiled the 5-Year Strategic Plan for Centre of Awareness global Peace Mission(COA-GPM)



The well-attended launch and public Lecture which was under the theme: Targeting Leadership Across the Globe to Achieve Global Peace was aimed at championing peace to the world with particular attention to the Ukraine war.



Prof. Ato Duncan who is the President General of the COA-GPM) revealed that the mission of the Centre of Awareness is to form peace Associations in all Nation of the world and to link them up into an International Movement for Peace (IMF).



It will also work closely with Political, Religious, Ethnic and other relevant leadership to adopt and implement policies and programs that will foster peace Unity and reconciliation among people of this world and help address pertinent issues confronting peace, Prof. Ato Duncan emphasized .



According to him, the objectives also includes supporting venerable persons in society to become independent and working with governments, traditional leaders, Religious Leaders and Youth Groups to mainstream Peace Initiatives in their plans of work.



According to him lack of peace in any country is counter-productive to Gods will and purpose for man on this earth.



This is the time we need to plead with Leadership in the world to speak so that there will be peace in Ukraine, Prof. Ato Duncan emphasized.



He added the fourth public lecture and launch of the 5 -year Action Plan are to introduce to the major stakeholders to a new route to complement our efforts in achieving Global peace .We will create solutions and remain one hundred percent neutral in all our dealings and activities.



He further explained that peace on earth is the will of God Almighty who created the world and everything there-in adding that God says He needs peace for his global family now.



Prof. Ato Duncan later revealed that the vision of the COAGPM [which is to see a peaceful nation and a world free from Ethnic, Political, Social injustices, religious intolerance, terrorism, dictatorship, Poverty, greed, corruption, immorality and diseases] was anchored on a revelation he received 34 years ago from God whilst praying in the forest and fasting.



He indicated that he read all the verses on Psalm 119 pleading to God to reveal his purpose of existence on this Earth.



He added that as a Man of Great faith, on July 29, 1988, his Prayers were answered as a voice came to him saying:



 there is nothing God has created that is worth more than Man (human being). God created everything you see around because of Man, so know how important Man is to God. However because Mans love for material things and fame, his love for his fellow man has dwindled. Loving one another is the basic principle building. Unless the people of this world understand this basic principle, the world will never know peace . Peace is the tool for human development both physically and spiritually.



This is your call. That is why you have been sent out there to bring peace to the entire world.



The President General who was born a baby with a cross on his forehead, stressed that the revelation by God is the reason for the mammoth launch of the 5- Year Strategic Plan of the COA-GPM and the public lecture on Sunday after several years in the wilderness coupled with 40 Days and 40 Nights of Prayer request.



He later used biblical philosophy to support his peace mission explaining that Man is an integral part of God and that what ever you do to man affects God.







Natural law or what we call nature is the constitution that governs the world. Pivot of Justice shifts when we do bad and when we do bad, the darkness shifts towards you and it turns into a problem whilst you lose the peace. The more we commit sin the more the peace is taken away from us.



In view of that he appealed to world leaders to let peace prevail at all times.



The COA Mixture founder later revealed that the COA-GPM would have a 12 Council Members headed by the President General where the 12 Council members would be assigned to 12 global regions to work as Peace agents.



The learned and herbal Professor extraordinaire also revealed that proceeds from COA mixture will be used to fund the peace Mission adding that more Novel researches will be conducted by COA manufacturing company as part of the 5-Year Strategic Plan to help sustain the global peace Mission.



The programme was Chaired by the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutus Representative Nana Mensah Bonsu known in private life as Prof Edward Badu, and graced by the Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan, the Incoming President of GJA, Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, the outgoing GJA President, Mr. Roland Affail Monney, Managing Editor of senaradioonline.com and a host senior and managing Editors and seasoned Radio Presenters including Kwame Adinkra, Captain Smart among others.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Veronica Owusu Ansah, is an award-winning Brand, Marketing, Communications and Media professional with over a decade of experience which spans news media, marketing & advertising services, telecommunications, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Communications, Branding, Financial & Investment Services, Copywriting, Events and artiste management.



She is a savvy communications strategist, and a passionate brand and external relations specialist. She has worked in an integrated marketing communication function as well as creating business leads for brands.



She has initiated and led successful campaigns that brought some award recognitions to brands she worked for.



She is a game-changer with a track record of awarded achievements. She is a determined, self-motivated and confident individual who seeks an opportunity to contribute her acquired skills and experience to a challenging and dynamic team to help achieve the objectives of an organization.



Veronica is currently the face of communications at the Quick family, a business transforming generations through equity financing and collateral-free loans to Ghanaians.



Currently, she is the Group Head, of Brand Communications for Quick Angels limited and Quick Credit &Investment Micro Credit limited.



Veronica is the brain behind the Communication strategies of the young yet refreshed Quick Angels brand that has endeared itself to numerous entrepreneurs and businesses, leading to the signing on of more than 30 companies in less than two years.

At Quick Angels she led the successful launch of the firm and has since presided over its visibility. Through her marketing tactics, over 30 brands have signed onto the Quick Angels angel investor scheme.



So much admiration is said to be attached to her name when it comes to project executions.

She was named among 10 top Women in PR IN Ghana in 2021.













She has worked with companies such as Metro TV as a Broadcast Journalist, Primus Advertising as Senior Media and Client Service Executive, Tigo Ghana as a Communications Specialist, Group Ideal & Ideal Finance as Lead for Media and Advertising. She was also the Head of Brands at the rebranded TV Africa and Head of Corporate Affairs at the Ghana Library Authority.



She led the successful launch of Quick Angels in 2019 and has ensured the funding and strategic direction of over 20 brands signed under the Quick Angels angel investor scheme.



Veronica Owusu Ansah has equally led massive campaigns for some of its brands such as agatex, Sankofa natural spices, pizzaman chicken man, Addicent foods zaconut, shopnaw, and many others.



She has also successfully led both internal and external engagement of Quick Credit investment microcredit limited, a sister company of quick Angel from no visibility to a well-known microcredit company also in less than 5 years.



Veronica also oversees the strategic communications of Quick Credit brands in other African countries, called OYA microcredit Limited.



She is a strategic leader with a desire to impact brands and lives through her strategic communications engagement.



Some brands under the Quick Angels portfolio she manages include Oya Micro credit company limited, Ridge Medical Center, Dough man foods, Prospectus Ghana, Zaconut, Pinkberry, Coli network, Alcilla (into tilapia), Addicent foods(rice production-Benjie rice), Dominion paints (Agatex as the first brand), Sunsolar(into salt production), Sankofa natural spices, BEEfA foods(first product- BEEfA CHIPS), Janam cosmetics, CEQA foods(Pizzaman and Chickenman), Burger King(quick angels franchise in Ghana), Morning Glory publication, Mona Brand-Cosmetics, and Clothing, Tigon Creative Studios.





Veronica holds a Masters degree in Development Communications from the Ghana Institute of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in Information Studies from the University of Ghana, Legon.



She holds Professional certificates in Advanced Public Relations, Annual Report writing, and Strategic Communications and Marketing.



She is a member of IPR (Institute of Public Relations Ghana) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).



Recognitions;



Winner; 3rd edition 2021 National Communications awards, Woman of Excellence Marketing and Communications



Winner;3rd edition 2021 National Communications awards the Best Corporate Communications Team of the Year Award for the SME Category



4th finalist, multinational/Pan Africa Positive Role Model West Africa Awards; Gender Mainstreaming Awards 2021



2019 IPR Discovery of the year nominee



She is on a journey to discover whats next and aspires to become a woman advocacy leader









Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Road Safety Enhancement Works to be undertaken on the London market street at Jamestown, a suburb of Accra, as part of efforts to reduce road crashes and its related fatalities have commenced.



The enhancement works are undertaken by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) in collaboration with the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) with support from the World Resources Institute (WRI) through its Tactical Urbanism Programme and is expected to be completed in May this year.



The works include marking of road lines and pedestrian crossing to delineate travel lanes, installation of 30km/hr speed limit sign, speed ramps, rumble strips as well as the narrowing of wider lanes.



A visit to the site by the Director of Projects at Bloomberg Philanthropies, Kelly Larson, on Friday saw the construction of speed ramps close to the Sacred HEART Technical Institute and the Adedenkpo 1&2 school.



The intervention follows the findings of a report on road traffic deaths for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (2018-2020) which identified the Nii Adja Kwao Road/ London Market Street in James Town as one of the hotspots in AMA.



The assessment conducted on the corridor revealed high pedestrian activities on the stretch due to the presence of schools, religious bodies and other land uses along the stretch with no posted speed limit signs, pedestrian crossing and road line-markings.



Vehicles, on the other hand, were also observed to be travelling beyond 60km/h within the zone with vehicular volumes high during peak periods.



Speaking to the media after the familiarization tour, Kelly Larson said the overall goal of the project was to help the city of Accra reduce road crashes, injuries and fatalities, beat speed, redesign the street as well as increase awareness on road safety to promote the wearing of seat belt, manage speed, obey traffic regulations among others.



Earlier Kelly Larson met with the Board Chair of NRSA, Germain Nkrumah where they discussed various interventions being undertaken to reduce road crashes in the country.



Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Elizabeth Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey, before the beginning of the enhancement works, embarked on an inspection tour on the stretch to break the ground.

Source: Gladys Boakye/Peace FM News









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Nigerian vice president Yemi Osinbajo said on Monday he wanted to run for president next February on the ruling All Progressives Party ticket but faces a challenge from another party stalwart who said he also wanted to join the race.



Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will step down after serving two four-year terms following a Feb. 23, 2023 ballot.



The country's political parties are due to pick presidential candidates by June 3. Official campaigning will begin in September, according to the country's electoral commission.



Osinbajo said in a statement he wanted to complete the job of "radically transforming" Africa's biggest economy.



But hours after his declaration, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a southern Muslim and wealthy power broker who governed Lagos from 1999-2007 met ruling party governors to canvass their support to become the presidential candidate for the All Progressives Party (APC).



"My mission is to seek the collaboration, encouragement and support of my party for my ambition and mission to become the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," Tinubu told reporters after meeting the governors, who wield influence in selecting party candidates.



Transport minister and former two-time governor of oil-producing Rivers state Rotimi Amaechi also declared his intention at the weekend to join the race to be the APC's presidential candidate.



In Nigeria, power shifts between Nigeria's oil-rich, largely Christian south and the poorer, mostly Muslim north. Buhari is from northern Katsina state and the APC has agreed its next candidate would come from the south.



Osinbajo, a southern Christian, would need to build a strong coalition of supporters with deep pockets to take on the political machinery of Tinubu, who helped to campaign and deliver victory for Buhari during elections in 2015 and 2019.



Supporters tout Osinbajo as a safe pair of hands who would provide stability and pursue a more liberal economic policy, including easing of forex rules. He has previously criticized the central bank for maintaining foreign currency controls.



Osinbajo served as Lagos justice commissioner and attorney general under Tinubu.

Source: Reuters









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The Ministers Conference of the Ghana Baptist Convention, has recommended the setting up of a non-partisan independent body to monitor the use of funds accrued from the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy).



This, according to the Conference, would not only promote transparency and accountability but would also influence the proper usage of the funds.



Since the E-Levy has been passed into law, we recommend that a monitoring team of non-partisan nature made up of traditional leaders, religious leaders and other influential individuals be set up to man it, the Reverend Dr Charles Owusu Ampofo, President of the Baptist Ministers Conference stated.



He was addressing journalists on the sidelines of the 59th annual refresher course, retreat and business of the Ministers Conference of the Ghana Baptist Convention at Ejura, in the Ejura-Sekyedumasi Municipality.



The retreat which was held on the theme Called to serve: Called to send, aimed at equipping the Ministers with the doctrines, teachings, the will to win souls, disciplining and bringing development to the church.



Rev. Dr Owusu Ampofo suggested that a dedicated deposit account be set up to receive the proceeds from E-levy instead of the Consolidated Fund.



This, according to him, would enable Ghanaians to know the amount of money received from the levy every year and what that amount was used for.



On the Conferences achievements over the last year, he said they had completed and handed over some rural housing projects to the Northern Ghana Sector of the church.



It had also launched the Ministers personal retirement scheme and published the Conferences constitution, among others.



He said financial deficits due to the low levels of income had been the main challenge of the Conference.



Rev, Dr Owusu Ampofo advised leaders in the ministry not to relent on evangelising, disciplining and winning souls for Christ, adding that these virtues ensured unity and peaceful co-existence.



On the Russian-Ukraine war, he described the incident as unfortunate and said the church would continue to pray for peace to exist between the two countries.







Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Imam Alhassan Seeta, an Islamic tutor at Ansaarul Islam Mosque, has urged Muslims to give alms to the vulnerable for the sake of Allah.



He said this during Jumma prayer at the Adjei-Kojo Suncity Mosque, speaking on Supplication to Allah, he stated that Muslims were in their nineth month of the Islamic calendar.



He encouraged Muslims to do according to what Allah asked them to do, adding that Muslims should ask for a reward from Allah in return after giving alms to the poor for his sake.



He said giving to the poor would bring continuous blessings to ones household and restrained them from all problems.



He said Muslims should not only give to the poor during the month of Ramadan adding that giving should be done frequently for the sake of Allah.



He said Allah was ready to give rewards to Muslims who obeyed his words and instructions.



We are in the holy month of forgiveness, mercy, and blessings so take advantage of this month to draw closer to Allah, he said.



He said Muslims should constantly ask for forgiveness from Allah because Allah is all-forgiving.



Imam Alhassan Seeta said Allah gave strength, wealth, and rain so that, whoever sowed, would reap accordingly.





Source: GNA









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The youth of Akatsi in the Akatsi South Municipality of the Volta Region have again, expressed their anger over the death of Setor Agormeda, a 20-year-old student of Akatsi Senior High Technical School (AKAST).



The deceased was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Ridge Hospital in Accra on Sunday morning after he was referred from the Akatsi Municipal hospital when he was involved in a motor accident together with two other pillion riders.



The deceased, together with Ademu Jemino, aged 18, a pillion rider, and Nelly Wilson Lumor, the motor rider aged 19, also a student of AKAST were involved in an accident near the Akatsi College of Education on Saturday dawn at about 1300 hours.



Eyewitnesses told the Ghana News Agency (GNA), a Police Riot Control Van, stationed at Akatsi, during their usual night patrol duty, chased the trio upon an alleged theft case, leading to the incident.



The victims were later rushed to the Akatsi Municipal Hospital by the Police team before one was later pronounced dead.



Mr. Shaibu Mumuni, an eyewitness, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) the youth, massed up in hundreds wielding stones and tires, in the early hours of Sunday, April 10, and moved to the Akatsi Police Station to pour their frustration through offensive conducts in solidarity with their departed brother as a result of what they alleged unprofessional conduct of the Police leading to the incident.



The melee on Sunday led to the injury of two youths namely, Hamza Ademu, and Yao, popularly known as Agboyibor, who is in critical condition and are currently being referred to the Ho Teaching Hospital for further medical attention.



The situation, however, led to the presence of Police reinforcement from Ho, Sogakope, and the Formed Police Unit (FPU) from Accra.



Officers from the Volta Regional Police Command including COP Oduro Kwarteng, the Volta Regional Police Commander, are on the scene to forestall peace and order.



Mr. Edward Oduro Kwarteng, in an interaction with the GNA, said investigations into the incident had commenced and that, anyone found culpable would not be spared.



Mr. Kofitse Martin Nyahe, the Municipal Chief Executive for the area, told the GNA efforts were far advanced to ensure peace returned to the area.







Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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State Rep. Delia Ramirez, 4th District, left, and Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, are two of the candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives' 3rd Congressional District. (Trent Sprague/for the Chicago Tribune)

On a recent Saturday, the fight for the Democratic nomination in Illinois sprawling new Latino-leaning congressional district played out in a few square miles of Chicagos Northwest Side.

In a Guatemalan restaurant in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood, state Rep. Delia Ramirez, 4th District, told supporters theyre working for a progressive who will keep fighting progressive fights: Were not just going to send the first Latina from the entire Midwest to Congress, were sending one of ours.

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Less than 2 miles west in the same neighborhood, Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, knocked on doors to tell voters hes best prepared to hit the ground running, and to reach across the aisle in Washington, D.C., to get things done.

The classic Chicago retail politicking on a raw spring afternoon more than two months before the primary looked familiar to anyone versed in the age-old local emphasis on a strong campaign ground game to connect with residents and get people to the polls.

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But the race is also setting up as a modern referendum on issues ranging from diversity of representation to the political philosophies that are dominating the Democratic Party in Illinois and across the nation. And its all playing out in a new district that extends from progressive Chicago neighborhoods to historically conservative towns in the far reaches of what used to be the Republican stronghold of DuPage County.

State Rep. Delia Ramirez, 4th District, meets with volunteers before they canvass Chicago's Belmont Cragin neighborhood on April 2, 2022. Ramirez is running for the Illinois 3rd District for the U.S. House of Representatives. (Trent Sprague/for the Chicago Tribune)

Ramirez comes to the contest with progressive bona fides and the backing of liberal U.S. Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia, 4th District, who currently represents a chunk of the new district. Ramirez spoke about her start as a Northwest Side affordable housing advocate before voters elected her to the Illinois House in 2018. She told supporters she proved her legislative chops in Springfield while championing Medicaid expansion and an elected Chicago school board.

When people on the doors tell you, Shes too young to go to Congress, shes not experienced enough, she doesnt have a proven record,  just pull up every piece of legislation that together weve been able to pass, and everything weve done even before I went to the state legislature, the 38-year-old Ramirez told supporters.

Villegas, 51, touts his moderate political pragmatism and says he can find ways to collaborate in a closely divided, bitterly partisan U.S. Capitol rather than adhering to an all-or-nothing approach.

The head of the City Councils Latino Caucus, which remains locked in a tough fight to increase the number of Latino-majority wards in Chicago, Villegas pointed to the universal basic income program Mayor Lori Lightfoot adopted after he first pushed it. And he noted his aldermanic office pivoted quickly during the pandemic, from one day dealing with potholes and garbage collection to the next day setting up vaccine clinics and helping residents find food, clothing and places to live.

Its about meeting peoples needs, whatever those needs are, Villegas said in an interview. Ive done that here, and Im all set to keep on doing that in Congress.

The contest takes place in the new 3rd District, which Illinois Democrats drew to be a heavily Democratic, lean Latino congressional seat as the state recalibrates its district boundaries to acknowledge Latinos continued population gains even as the states overall population fell slightly in the 2020 U.S. Census.

Four candidates filed petitions to run for the Democratic nomination, which will be decided in the June 28 primary. Villegas and Ramirez are the front-runners in terms of name recognition, political organization and fundraising.

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At the end of 2021, Villegas had $377,055 on hand in his congressional campaign fund, while Ramirez had $110,443, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Registered nurse and Chicago cannabis entrepreneur Juan Aguirre is also running, as is Iymen Chehade, a college professor and congressional foreign policy analyst from Chicago.

Justin Burau is the lone Republican candidate. From suburban Winfield, Burau is expected to face the Democratic winner in the November general election.

The Democrat will be favored thanks to the way the districts boundaries are drawn, a somewhat jarring turnabout in places such as Wheaton and Glen Ellyn that were represented for decades by staunchly conservative Republicans, including U.S. Reps. Henry Hyde and Peter Roskam, before Democrat Sean Casten beat Roskam in 2018.

Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, left, speaks with Antonio Galvez while canvassing Chicago's Belmont Cragin neighborhood on April 2, 2022. Villegas is running for the Illinois 3rd District for the U.S. House of Representatives. (Trent Sprague/for the Chicago Tribune)

Both the Ramirez and Villegas campaigns said they expect more than 70% of the votes in the Democratic primary will come from Chicagoans. Thats despite the fact that the 3rd District stretches about 30 miles from the citys Avondale neighborhood on the east to West Chicago on the western edge of DuPage County.

The reconfiguration concept isnt a new one for Villegas. Hes represented the Northwest Side 36th Wards Belmont Cragin, Montclare, Portage Park and Schorsch Village neighborhoods since 2015, the first election after aldermen made it a majority Latino ward to reflect Latino population gains in the 2010 U.S. Census.

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Villegas won the seat with the support of the once-powerful Arroyo political organization, which was an ascendant force in Northwest Side Latino politics at the time. Things have gotten rocky for the Arroyos in recent years. Former state Rep. Luis Arroyo is awaiting sentencing in a federal bribery case for offering to pay kickbacks to a fellow legislator to support sweepstakes gambling legislation in Springfield.

Villegas counts his base among those who now reside in the bungalows, ranch-style homes and Tudors peppered throughout the Northwest Sides Bungalow Belt.

Greeting him a week ago outside a ranch in Belmont Cragin with a weather-beaten Ald. Villegas-branded Pick up after your dog sign stuck in the front lawn, Tadeusz Bednarczyk announced, I support you, always. Speaking Polish as a Villegas staffer translated, Bednarczyk then took the opportunity to vent about neighborhood crime to his alderman and would-be congressman.

Ramirezs state House district overlaps with the 36th Ward for a few blocks in the Hermosa neighborhood, but mainly stretches east and south to take in parts of Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Wicker Park and the Ukrainian Village.

She won her House seat with strong backing from Garcia, who has built a formidable local progressive coalition of elected officials and grassroots organizations. Ramirez also has enjoyed considerable financial and organizing support over the years from the Chicago Teachers Union, which has endorsed her in this congressional race.

Asked whether such progressive allies will play beyond the hipster-inflected, Sen. Bernie Sanders-backing neighborhoods in her House district and into the more conservative Far Northwest Side and western suburbs, Ramirez said shes spent years fighting for working class people and the concerns shes hearing throughout the new 3rd District are pretty universal.

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What are the things they care about? The same things I care about: a good quality of life, the ability to retire not when youre 90, but maybe in your 60s without the worry that youre going to have to take a second job because you cant afford your mortgage, Ramirez said. These are the things people care about in Logan Square, and they care about in West Chicago and Wheaton.

In addition to the political stratification across the district, candidates have to deal with the bias some suburban voters feel toward Chicago candidates.

About 47.4% of the 3rd Districts nearly 754,000 residents are Hispanic, according to the Illinois Democratic Party.

Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, canvasses Chicago's Belmont Cragin neighborhood on April 2, 2022. (Trent Sprague/for the Chicago Tribune)

In creating the new 3rd Congressional District, gone is the infamously gerrymandered earmuffs that the majority-Latino 4th Congressional District represented for years by Luis Gutierrez and then Garcia that used a thin ribbon of suburban real estate to connect areas with sizable Latino populations on Chicagos Northwest and Southwest sides.

While Garcia continues to represent his Southwest Side base in Washington, D.C., the Northwest Side now has its own district that also includes parts of about two dozen other municipalities within its boundaries.

DuPage County, historically a Republican stronghold, has become more diverse and gotten decidedly bluer in recent elections. But DuPage County Democratic Party Chairman Ken Mejia-Beal said Chicago Democrats face challenges convincing residents in places such as Glen Ellyn and Winfield to trust them.

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When this district was drawn, a lot of people were apprehensive about having a quote-unquote Chicago representative representing parts of DuPage County, Mejia-Beal said. After meeting both (Ramirez and Villegas), those fears have largely dissipated.

Theres also likely some apprehension among some DuPage County voters about being represented in Congress by a Latino in a district that was designed to lean Latino for election purposes.

Thats just the world we live in, Mejia-Beal said. But I also believe the majority of voters look at the skill set and the issues. Is everyone on board? No. Is the majority on board? I think so.

The big politically purple swaths of DuPage reward renaissance candidates, Mejia-Beal said.

I think in Chicago and Cook County, you tend to find more neighborhoods aligned really strongly around the same core issues, he said. To be a successful candidate in DuPage, you have to be multifaceted. You have to know a little bit about a lot, because you might find a single block with one voter or household very concerned with the environment, the next one really focused on fiscal issues and then the next house has a very conservative voter.

Both Ramirez and Villegas take pains to tout their outreach to suburbanites, like those now represented in the U.S. House by Democrats Casten, Lauren Underwood, or Raja Krishnamoorthi, who could soon see a Chicagoan take over speaking for their interests in Washington, D.C.

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Suburban mayors back me because I talk to them and they understand that Im the guy who can bring back resources for their cities and towns, Villegas said. As a freshman legislator, its going to be difficult to pass major legislation, so its about being able to send resources back to municipalities that need it, and they know I can do that.

Villegas talks often about how his father died when he was 8, and his mothers struggle to make ends meet. He enlisted in the Marines after graduating from Roosevelt High School in Chicago and joined the Teamsters union while working as a bread truck driver after he got out of the service.

That story and Villegas approach resonate with suburban voters, according to state Rep. Kathleen Willis, D-Addison, who is backing Villegas bid.

Hes someone who can understand peoples concerns when the grocery bill goes up, when the gas bill goes up, Willis said. Hes willing to do the work and work hard, and people appreciate that.

And this district is not as progressive as some people think. Its more moderate, she said.

Ramirez wore a shirt emblazoned with the slogan DuPage Democrats: Good Trouble as she talked to supporters in Belmont Cragin, and told them to be prepared to carry the campaigns message across DuPage.

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State Rep. Delia Ramirez, 4th District, left, and Lillian Jimenez watch as volunteers teach how to canvass before heading out to Chicago's Belmont Cragin neighborhood on April 2, 2022. Ramirez is running for the Illinois 3rd District for the U.S. House of Representatives and Jimenez is running for the Illinois House of Representatives 4th District. (Trent Sprague/for the Chicago Tribune)

That readiness to be present throughout the suburban parts of the district and bring different groups of people together sets her apart, Ramirez said.

They want someone thats actually going to show up, thats going to do town halls  someone who will establish offices throughout the district and find ways to engage and listen to constituents, she said. And thats always been my thing.

State Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, said Ramirez has already done a good job of that.

She has a long-standing record of being out here, getting to know the community and listening to people, said Villa, who has endorsed Ramirez. That didnt start with this campaign. Delia was here helping get people to fill out their census forms, and the things shes been fighting to achieve for years  affordable housing, affordable health care, immigration reform  are the things that are important to residents here.

Ramirez is the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants. Her husband arrived from Guatemala as an undocumented immigrant and has been living in Chicago under the auspices of the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Ramirez said. That personal experience will ensure she centers immigration reform in her congressional efforts, she said.

While theyre the highest profile candidates, Ramirez and Villegas arent the only two vying for the Democratic nomination.

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Aguirre, 26, is part-owner of an Illinois marijuana dispensary license, which he said he expects he and his partners to sell rather than opening a site. He grew up poor before getting into Chicagos prestigious Walter Payton College Preparatory High School and then winning a Gates Scholarship to help cover his costs to attend the University of Michigan.

3rd Congressional District candidate Juan Aguirre speaks March 29, 2022, during a rally outside the Thompson Center by the group True Social Equity in Cannabis demanding broader decriminalization of marijuana in Illinois with no lottery or caps on business licenses. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Im in this race because poor people are set up to fail in this country unless they get lucky, Aguirre said. I was lucky to get into Payton. I was lucky to get a Gates Scholarship, and we need to help poor people so they dont need to get lucky. Im the one candidate who understands that.

Aguirre has filed paperwork with the FEC to create a campaign fundraising committee, but it hasnt been processed, according to the election commission. He said his nominating petitions have been challenged, and he plans to fight to stay on the ballot.

Chehade, 48, teaches at Columbia College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and also serves as the foreign policy director for U.S. Rep. Marie Newmans election campaign. Chehade has been named as part of a U.S. House Committee on Ethics investigation opened last fall aimed at Newman into whether she improperly offered Chehade a job on her congressional staff if he agreed not to run against her. The investigation remains open.

Iymen Chehade, a college professor and congressional foreign policy analyst from Chicago, talks to a voter while knocking on doors in the Dunning neighborhood on April 10, 2022, while campaigning for the new 3rd Congressional district seat. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Chehade said his grassroots campaign appeals to the many voters in the new 3rd District who are sick of the machine. He had $38,846 on hand at the end of 2021, and said he plans to personally knock on at least 12,000 doors in the district by the primary.

When youre put in office by the establishment, youre beholden to the establishment, Chehade said. Were not beholden to anyone but the constituents.

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Whichever candidate wins the new seat in November, Mejia-Beal said the freshman U.S. representative better start gearing up to earn DuPage County voter support again two years later. No seat in DuPage  county, state or federal  is a safe seat. Were the Ohio of Illinois.

jebyrne@chicagotribune.com

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Ghanaians especially those living in Sefwi- Kafukaa and its environs have been advised to reduce their expenses on funerals and other social gatherings. Rather, they have been encouraged to save for their childrens education to secure them a brighter future.



Nana Kyere ll, Chief of Sefwi - Kafukaa gave the advice at his palace during the 2022 Annual Yam Festival.



As we all know the cocoa trees are now dying, and we have no other option than to invest in our childrens education so that they can also take care of us when we are old, he advised.



Nana Kyere further admonished his people to desist from cutting down trees from the cocoa farms because the tress served as shades and protected the cocoa trees. He added that cutting the trees in their cocoa farms exposed the cocoa trees to the sun and encouraged them to rather plant more trees in their cocoa farms.









Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Police in Kumasi are investigating the circumstances under which a 50-year-old City Guard of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) was reportedly stabbed to death.



Thomas Amakye Yankey commonly called Congo Soldier was reportedly stabbed with a knife by a commercial driver.



The Public Relations Officer (PRO) to the KMA, Henrietta Afia Konadu Aboagye confirmed this to OTEC FM that the deceased attempted to prevent the driver and his mate from loading at an unauthorized place which resulted in a misunderstanding.



According to her, the driver during the misunderstanding, got a knife from nowhere and stabbed the City guard on the neck, stomach severally resulting in serious degrees of injury.



Congo soldier was rushed to the Ahwiam Clinic in Adum but was referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital where is reportedly died later.



Ms Henrietta Konadu said the driver and his mate are both being held in police custody,

assisting with investigation.



Meanwhile, officials from the KMA led by the Mayor, Sam Pyne called on the Ashanti Regional Police Command to formally lodge a complaint and also visit family of the late city guard to console them.

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.

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Member of Parliament for Yendi, Farouk Mahama, has revealed that the Aliu Mahama family spent a lot of money but that could not save their dear mothers life.



He indicated that such is life and urged Ghanaians to love one another irrespective of tribe, political party, or religion.



 Lets us humble ourselves because money is not everything, if it was GHS 1million I would have paid for my mother to be alive so its not money lets live a good life, and lets love one another. My mothers death has saddened me and has taught me that in this life we must love one another.



Farouk Mahama made this known when he interacted with journalists at the burial of his late mother Hajia Ramatu at Kalpohini in Tamale.



According to him, the late Former President Evans Attah Mills, Former President J. A Kufour, Former President John Dramani Mahama, and President Akufo-Addo have all supported the Aliu Mahamas family financially to cater for the health of the late Hajia Ramatu and thanked them all for their support.



Hajia Ramatu Mahama had been battling a heart-related sickness for about two years and was taken to the United Kingdom for treatment last year.



The Son of the late Vice President, called on Ghanaians especially the good people of Dagbon to support him to sustain the legacy of the Aliu Mahama family.



The Hajia Ramatu Mahama died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra on Thursday, April 7, 2022, after she was admitted.



She was 70.



The former second lady was laid beside her husband at Kalpohini the familys private residence where the late Vice President, Aliu Mahama was buried.



The mortal remains of the former second lady were airlifted to Tamale after the national Chief Imam, His Eminence Sheikh Prof, Osman Nuhu Sharubutu performed the Janazah prayer on the mortal remains of the former second lady.



In Tamale, Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Second Lady, Samira Bawumia, and other dignitaries witnessed the performance of the Janazah Prayers for the late former Vice Presidents wife, Hajia Rahmatu Aliu Mahama by the Northern Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Ahmed Abdul Salam, at the Tamale Jubilee Park before the body was sent to Kalpohini the familys private residence for burial.



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.

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.

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Gunmen have attacked villages in Nigerias central Plateau state killing at least 26 people, with more feared dead.



The attackers on motorbikes stormed at least four remote villages on Sunday in Kanam area in the state, shooting people dead.



Most of the victims were children.



The gunmen also stole cattle and burnt down homes.



Residents say at least 20 bodies have been found in the village of Gyambau while at least six have been recovered in the village of Kyaram.



More killings were reported in the villages of Dungur and Kukawa.



A number of people are still missing and hundreds have been displaced.



The authorities say more security forces are being deployed to the area.



The latest attack comes as Nigeria grapples with a wave of violence by armed gangs who frequently carry out killings and kidnappings for ransom.

Source: bbc









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Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta has said that the Vice President of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he is the type of person who can lead if Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo leaves.



The Finance Minister made this known when he spoke Accra-based Metro TV on the sidelines of the TESCON Forum held at the Millennium City where the Vice President made a presentation on the state of the economy.



Ken ofori Atta said the Vice Presidents presentation lays out what the NPP government has done and the capacity to take the country to the transformation level.



I think it lays out very distinctly what we have done as a party and the capacity to take us to the transformation level that we are talking about. Clearly for me, also makes it very evident to Ghanaians that we have the type of person who can lead after Nana Akufo-Addo leaves and that is reassuring, he told Metro TV on the sidelines of the event Thursday.



The Vice President Bawumia during his presentation acknowledged that times are hard in Ghana but was reassuring that work is being done to assuage the plight of the people of Ghana.



He argued that the economy is currently struggling as a result of some global crisis and that it there is the need for the people of Ghana to support the government deliver a better life.



Comparatively, he said the NPP government had done very well in managing the economy but added that they will do more.





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.

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The NPP Loyal Ladies an all women volunteer group affiliated to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as part of its 6th Anniversary Celebration donated and fixed streetlights for the people of Afasiebon in the Atwima Kwanwoma District.



The NPP Ladies after presenting the streetlights to the community also fixed the lights at areas that were lacking .

The ladies recalled how on their campaign rounds in the community during the 2020 elections they experienced first hand the activities of hooligans who attacked members who plied that stretch in the dark or at dawn.



The gesture, according to the Ashanti Regional Captain, Lucy Afia Aseiduwaa Obeng is part of fulfilling a promise made to the chief in the event the community voted massively for the NPP.

She also added that, this donation shows the welfare of the ordinary Ghanaian is of great interest to the New Patriotic Party and the NPP Loyal Ladies.



Hon. Prince Kakari, the DCE of Atwima Kwanwoma added that, even though they have been trying their best with fixing streetlights in the district, they alone cant do all and therefore the help of the NPP Loyal ladies came in at the right time.



The chief of the area Nana Kofi Sika Awere 2, who accepted the donation on behalf of his community showed his appreciation to the group for their kind gesture and entreated them to continue with their good works. He also added that, it shouldnt be a nine day wonder and he hopes the group continues to have his community at heart.

In attendance for the commission of the streetlights were Kwabena Ampofo Appiah (CEO State Housing Com. Ltd) Kofi Tonto, Richmond Mensah (NPP Milton Keynes Chapter chairman) and some party executives in the constituency.



The group marked its 6th Anniversary in Kumasi from the 25th to the 27th of March.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warns US against isolating China over Ukraine. (PHOTO: Bloomberg)

By Philip J. Heijmans

(Bloomberg)  Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned the US against isolating China over the war in Ukraine by framing it as a battle between democracies and autocracies, which would complicate an already fraught relationship between the two powers.

You have to be very careful not to define the problem with Ukraine in such a way that automatically, China is already on the wrong side, Lee said in comments published by his office on Sunday.

We all have a problem in Ukraine, he continued. I think if we talk about sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, a lot of countries can come along. Even China would not object to that, and would actually privately strongly support that.

Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine has tested ties between the US and China already strained by a host of security and economic issues from Taiwan, to the South China Sea, telecommunications technology and trade. Asian nations like Singapore have long sought closer ties between the two in order to cooperate on other global issues like climate change and a response to the pandemic.

Still, Chinas muted response to Russias invasion of Ukraine has hardened views within President Joe Bidens administration that President Xi Jinping may be moving closer to supporting Moscow as the conflict continues. Lee previously said Russias invasion of Ukraine raises awkward questions for China because it violates Beijings closely-held principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty and non-interference.

Already, things are difficult enough, he said in the remarks published on Sunday. There is very little trust on both sides. It is not so easy to find the right level empowered to engage so that you can tee up to reach rapprochement to reduce the tensions, gradually to build up trust, and to work toward accommodations which are necessary, if you are going to coexist with them.

 2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Phuket resident and Soi Dog Foundation staff member Yanisa Kingmala-Beven, will in April attempt to climb the 6,419 metre peak Mt. Chulu West in the Annapurna Range of the Himalayas, to raise money for the animal welfare non-profit.

Yanisa, 51, a volunteer coordinator at Soi Dogs Phuket Sanctuary since 2018, hopes to complete the challenge with her husband, Rohun, 65, to promote awareness of the sick, abandoned and homeless street dogs and cats of Thailand, and help raise vital funds for the charity.

The 21-day trek and challenge to climb a 6,000m Himalayan peak is significant given the extreme altitude and severe risks involved. The summit attempt involves negotiating a dangerously steep and narrow snow-covered ridge, with a drop of thousands of feet on either side.

I am very anxious about the expedition and will try to reach the top if I can, says Yanisa. I hope people in Phuket and across Thailand, particularly animal lovers, will follow us on our Facebook fundraiser challenge page as we raise as much money as we can.

The trek will start from Kathmandu in Nepal on April 27th and finish around May 20th, depending on weather conditions at altitude.

To support the climb, and the animals who will benefit from the funds raised, please sponsor Yanisa and Rohun on either of these donation links;

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/donate/353756103334374/353761036667214

Soi Dog website  https://links.soidog.org/MountainClimbChallenge

Additional information;

Facebook Page Name: Rohun and Yanisas Fundraiser for Soi Dog Foundation

Contact: Rohun Beven / rohunbeven@gmail.com / M: 096 654 7925
During the dry season, evaporating water leaves behind trona crystals, which grow on the lakebed of Lake Magadi, the southernmost lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley. A drilling rig used in the study is seen towering above the dry lakebed. Credit: Andrew Cohen/University of Arizona

A new study combining climate data with fossil records of large mammals that lived across Africa during the last 4 million years casts doubt on a long-standing hypothesis that repeated shifts in climate acted as major drivers of evolutionary change in mammals, including human ancestors.

Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study yields an African continent-wide synthesis of environmental variability during the Plio-Pleistocene, a period in Earth's history that spans roughly the last 5 million years and includes the last ice age about 20,000 years ago.

The study finds that environmental variability during that time mirrors changes in the Earth's orbit and orientation with respect to the sun, as predicted by a natural phenomenon known as Milankovic cycles. These cycles expose our planet to varying intensity of solar radiation, resulting in well-documented, cyclical effects on Earth's climate at various frequencies.

The researchers observed a long-term trend of increasing environmental variability across Africa attributable to variations in global ice volume and ocean temperature. The results did not, however, yield a significant correlation between environmental variation and rates of species origination or extinction, suggesting that environmental variability and species turnover may not be closely related, a notion that has been widely debated in the scientific community.

The idea that long-term trends toward a wetter or drier climate may have been a driver of human evolution goes back to the time of Charles Darwin, according to the paper's first author, Andrew Cohen, a University Distinguished Professor in the University of Arizona Department of Geosciences and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. A major change came in the late 1990s, with the introduction in the scientific community of the influential variability selection hypothesis.

"The idea here is that it's not just the direction of climate change that was important as a driver for evolutionary novelty in the hominin lineage, but the variability in the environmental and climate conditions," Cohen explained. "As our ancestors faced rapidly shifting conditions, this hypothesis suggests they had to be more resourceful and capable of dealing with many different contingencies, which, in turn, led to new species appearing while others went extinct."

In the current study, researchers analyzed samples taken from sediment cores from lakebeds, ocean floors and terrestrial outcrops from 17 locations throughout the African continent and surrounding areas. The environmental data was sourced by analyzing records from pollen, fossilized algae, dust, leaf waxes, soil isotopes and other physical properties that provide clues about the types of vegetation and environmental conditions at the site where they were deposited. To combine data from these very different types of records and tease out the underlying pattern of climatic variability, Cohen said the team had to overcome a major challenge: how to quantify variability and compare it from one sampling location to another.

Workers use a drilling rig to collect samples of lake sediments from deep underground. Credit: Andrew Cohen/University of Arizona

"This isn't trivial because you have records on the one hand of things like fossil pollen telling you about how variable the vegetation was, others telling you about changing lake levels, still others telling you about dust blowing out onto the ocean," he said. "We needed a way to not just look at one record but stack all these different types of reference that allows us to tease apart the rhythm of variability."

To do this, the researchers developed statistical methods that allowed them to "compare apples and oranges," Cohen explained, and assigned the climate record datapoints to "bins" of time periods comprising 20,000, 100,000 and 400,000 years. Once the individual datasets of variability scores in each bin had been standardized, the team could then "stack" them and calculate an averaged amount of variability for each time period.

The climate data were then directly compared with the fossil record of large mammalsprimarily bovids, a family that includes antelopes and other large herbivoresfrom eastern Africa. The researchers focused on large herbivores primarily because fossils from human ancestors are too rare to be useful in such an approach.

"I won't say you could fit all of (the hominin fossils) in a shoebox anymore, but they're still not that common," Cohen said, "so we decided to look at other organisms with a better fossil record, because there's no reason to think that only our closest relatives, our hominin ancestors, should be affected by climate change and variability.

"If climate variability is a significant driver in evolution, it ought to be a driver and evolution of other large mammals, too," he added. "Think, for example, of polar bears and how they are affected by current climate change."

The authors used a method borrowed from modern wildlife population biology to account for a bias that has long plagued paleontologists: the inherent incompleteness of the fossil record, which the study's second author, Andrew Du, illustrates with a block of Swiss cheese. If one were to drill a core sample through cheese, it would have gaps from where the core hit a hole in the cheese. Similarly, the fossil record of a species has gapstime periods when no fossils have been foundinterspersed with periods when there are fossils. This makes it very difficult to establish exactly when a species originated in the fossil record and when it went extinct.

To circumvent this limitation, Du applied a technique known as capture, mark and recapture, which is frequently used by wildlife biologists when they survey animal populations: After an animal is caught, it is tagged for identification and released back into the wild. During a later survey, scientists compare the proportion of tagged to untagged animals. Applying statistics, this allows them to get an idea of the size and structure of the population at large.

Extinct mammals, similar to these wildebeest photographed at a watering hole in Serengeti National Park in northern Tanzania, once roamed the African continent and left behind a plethora of fossils. Credit: Andrew Cohen/University of Arizona

Du, an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology & Geography at Colorado State University, explained how the technique works in fossil systems.

"Let's say we see the appearance of a new species in the fossil record in time period one, then we find a different fossil from the same species in time period two, we miss it in time period three, but we see it again in time period four," he said. "What this tells us is that even though we didn't see the species in time period three, we know it was around. This gives us an idea about the quality of the fossil record during certain time periods, and we can account for this quality when estimating speciation and extinction rates."

Putting all these datasets together allowed the researchers to compare patterns of environmental variability and its relationship to mammal species origination and extinction rates.

"Overall, there has been a long-term trend over the last 3.5 million years of increasing variability in the environment," he said. "That trend tracks rising variability in global ice volume and sea surface temperatures around Africa. Superimposed on that, we found another trend: Once we get into the ice ages, we see more ups and downs; the wiggles get bigger and bigger and bigger, reflecting the waxing and waning of the ice sheets, and that variability tracks the 400,000-year Milankovic cycles."

All the while, the fossil record of species origination and extinction among the large herbivores, and also hominin fossils, appears to be disconnected from these climatic variability trends. While the authors acknowledge that the variability selection hypothesis could still be correct but operating at different scales, they hope to encourage the scientific community to think about the variability selection hypothesis in a more critical way, "rather than just accepting it as an underlying principle of how we look at the fossil record in Africa, and especially the human fossil record," Cohen said.

"We don't say that environmental variability is not important for human evolution, but the data we have currently compiled is very inconsistent with that idea," he said. "If environmental variability was as important as it has been made out to be, we would expect to see that long-term trend of increasing variability mirrored in evolutionary turnover in all kinds of species, including hominins, but we just don't see that."

Explore further Earth's orbit affects millennial climate variability

More information: Plio-Pleistocene environmental variability in Africa and its implications for mammalian evolution, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Plio-Pleistocene environmental variability in Africa and its implications for mammalian evolution,(2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107393119
At least 24 people have been killed in landslides and flooding across central and southern Philippines, authorities said Monday.

At least 24 people have been killed in landslides and flooding across central and southern Philippines, authorities said Monday, after tropical storm Megi dumped heavy rain and disrupted travel ahead of the Easter holidays.

More than 13,000 people fled to emergency shelters as the storm pounded the region Sunday, the national disaster agency said, flooding houses, inundating fields, cutting off roads and knocking out power.

The central province of Leyte was among the hardest hit, with landslides leaving 21 people dead in four villages, Baybay City disaster officer Rhyse Austero told AFP.

Leyte's death toll adds to another three people killed on the main southern island of Mindanao, the national disaster agency said.

Photos posted on Facebook and verified by AFP show several houses buried in mud up to the rooftops in Bunga, one of the affected villages in Leyte.

"Yesterday the rain was so hard, it was non-stop for more than 24 hours," resident Hannah Cala Vitangcol told AFP.

The 26-year-old teacher fled with her family to a hotel Monday after waking to find nearby homes had been covered in an avalanche of mud.

"I was crying because I know the people buried there and I was also scared because there were mountains behind our house," she said.

Baybay City council member Mark Unlu-cay posted photos on Facebook showing survivors from another village, Kantagnos, being treated in hospital.

"It seems like the entire community... was badly hit by the landslide and the riverflow," he said.

The Philippine Coast Guard and police rescued people from their homes in the flooded town of Abuyog in Leyte province.

Unlu-cay said he feared the death toll could rise after receiving reports that other villages had also been inundated by the waves of earth and mud.

Philippine Coast Guard and police personnel rescued people from their homes in the flooded town of Abuyog, carrying residents onto orange stretchers laid on floating boats.

First major storm in 2022

Tropical storm Megiknown in the Philippines by its local name Agatonis the first major storm to hit the disaster-prone country this year.

Whipping up seas, it forced dozens of ports to suspend operations and stranded nearly 6,000 people at the start of one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

The Philippines re-opened to fully vaccinated tourists from most countries in February after lifting most Covid-19 restrictions, and Easter is a popular holiday for domestic tourists.

The storm comes four months after a super typhoon devastated swathes of the archipelago nation, killing more than 400 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.

Rai, the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines last year, intensified faster than expected, officials said previously.

Scientists have long warned that typhoons are strengthening more rapidly as the world becomes warmer because of human-driven climate change.

The Philippinesranked among the most vulnerable nations to its impactsis hit by an average of 20 storms every year.

In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan was the strongest storm ever to have made landfall, leaving over 7,300 people dead or missing.

Explore further Two dead, hundreds flee floods in Philippine storm

 2022 AFP
Chicago mayoral candidate Willie Wilson laughs with supporters while pumping gas on April 23, 2022 at an Amoco station in the 7200 block of North Clark Street during his third gas giveaway event. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Businessman Willie Wilson will run for Chicago mayor in the 2023 election, adding a second declared candidate to a growing field of potential challengers to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, he declared Monday.

The citys in horrible condition. So we got to change, Wilson told the Tribune, vowing to spend whatever it takes to get elected.

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Announcing his candidacy at a news conference in the ritzy downtown high-rise where he lives, Wilson promised to focus on crime and education.

I dont need to run for mayor to get a paycheck. My wanting to do this is to serve communities, Wilson said. We want to bring all races, creeds and colors together.

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Wilson, who is wealthy, said he isnt beholden to campaign contributors  and announced that he will donate $5 million to his campaign fund.

He will accept small campaign contributions but doesnt want large donations, Wilson said as he unveiled his campaign alongside a couple dozen Black and Latino pastors, including one who defied the stay-at-home order during the pandemic, demonstrating his strong church-going base.

Lightfoot has not formally declared her campaign for reelection but is widely expected to seek a second term and has strongly hinted she will run. In January, for instance, she told the Tribune her work isnt done and Im yielding to no one.

At an unrelated news conference Monday, the mayor said she did not watch Wilsons campaign announcement and did not directly address his candidacy.

Its that season. People are going to jump in. People are going to try to distinguish themselves. But what Im going to do every single day is focus on doing the job that the people elected me to do, Lightfoot said. Part of that is making sure that were focused on public safety, that were focused on the pandemic, and that were focused on truly equitable and inclusive economic development, in particular ... making sure that we support our young people.

Lightfoot said shes comfortable with her record of success through a pandemic and economic meltdown.

There will be plenty of time for me to talk about that, Lightfoot said.

Her reelection bid could be complicated by Wilsons campaign. As the field of candidates grows, it will be harder for any individual candidate to achieve more than 50% of the vote and avoid a runoff.

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In the first round of voting in 2019, Lightfoot emerged first from a 14 candidate field with less than 20% of the vote, much of it from white wards on the lakefront. This time, Lightfoots coalition is expected to rely more heavily on Black voters, but Wilson could cut into her support.

Although Wilson failed to make the runoff in 2015 or 2019, he won Chicagos Black vote in the last elections first round, and his support for Lightfoot in the 2019 runoff helped her crush Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in a landslide.

Chicago mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot accepts the endorsement of former candidate Willie Wilson at the Chicago Baptist Institute International on March 8, 2019. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Wilson called his 2019 runoff endorsement of Lightfoot a hell of a mistake. But he also said he would not get involved in talking about her negatively because people want to see how Im going to fix the city.

Let the people make that judgment, Wilson said.

Regarding crime  likely to be a central issue in the race  Wilson said: I would not be one to say I can fix crime by itself. No way. He said hell support better relations between police and the community and seek to get to the root of the problem.

You cant ever stop crime by locking people up and putting people in jail, Wilson said.

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Wilson, 73, brings a rags-to-riches success story to the race.

Born in Gilbert, Louisiana, Wilson dropped out of school, worked as a sharecropper and picked vegetables before moving north.

As a younger man, Wilson worked his way up the fast-food world by mopping floors and flipping burgers at McDonalds. He later developed a friendship with legendary McDonalds chief Ray Kroc and ran several franchises.

Wilson hosted Singsation, a TV program showcasing gospel talent, for more than three decades and is head of a medical supplies company. In that role, Wilson has also clashed with Lightfoot.

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Lightfoot and Wilson exchanged words in spring 2020 after she accused him of requesting millions of dollars from the city in upfront cash to help buy protective masks.

In response, Wilson denied wanting the money in cash and said the city didnt get back to him about his proposal.

Volunteer Justin Kerr pumps free gas for a motorist at the BP station at Pulaski Road and Montrose Avenue on, March 17, 2022. Willie Wilson donated $200,000 of gasoline at select stations throughout the city. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

Lightfoot and Wilson also have clashed over his recent gas giveaways, which have led to speculation that he is upping his profile for a mayoral run. After Wilson donated $1.2 million in gas to city and suburban residents, Lightfoot announced a planned $7.5 million giveaway  while subtly throwing shade on his efforts by saying residents wont need to get up at 4 a.m. or stand in long lines.

Wilson also disputed that his charitable giving is political, saying hes been giving away money to the needy since 1996.

At his campaign announcement, Wilson also pledged to continue the handouts, even though critics say he is doing so for political advantage. Wilson rebutted that by saying he gives not only in Chicago but also around the country, including recent giveaways for people in New Orleans after Hurricane Ida.

I wasnt running for mayor of New Orleans, Wilson said.

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He also said a decision is coming soon about whether there will be another gas giveaway. And if he will not be allowed to do so in Chicago, he will have drivers meet him in Indiana for free gas, he said: It touched me the first time we did the ($200,000). I had no idea it was that devastating.

Wilson finished fourth out of 14 candidates in the February 2019 election. He pulled in nearly 11% of the vote, notching victories in 13 wards on the South and West sides and taking much of the Black vote.

Wilson also donated $100,000 to himself in that race, triggering a provision in state campaign finance law that lifts restrictions on campaign donations for candidates.

Although he has run for mayor, president and senator, Wilson has never won elected office. Hes also never been appointed to any high-level government posts, two drawbacks that he will need to address.

His candidacies have often been unorthodox as he developed his own unique form of campaigning that centered on gospel music performances and religious sermons rather than stump speeches. During the lead-up to the 2019 election, Wilson often would offer a prayer at candidate forums.

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He has been embraced by thousands of Black voters who see him as a noble figure, in part, because he reached financial success with only a seventh grade education and because he has refused to conform to mainstream standards.

Asked Monday what will be the difference between this campaign and his previous runs for mayor, Wilson said hes been to more Latino and white churches and has learned more about the struggles faced by all Chicago residents. He said hell spend more money than during previous runs and expand his efforts to meet with a broader cross-section of Chicago residents.

I think what makes me a better person is getting out in the community and finding out the sensitivity of the community, Wilson said. The color of your skin to me, it doesnt matter. Im African American, Im white American, Im Latino American. Im all of those American. Im not going to let anyone say otherwise.

He added: Were going to win because the Lord said were going to win.

He also criticized Lightfoot for ticketing churches that defied the stay-at-home order during COVID-19, saying he supports religious freedom.

While Wilson says hes a Democrat, he has said he voted for President Donald Trump and many of his views align with conservative positions. His support of some Republicans could limit his broader appeal in an overwhelmingly blue city.

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In a previous story about Wilsons appeal to Black voters, the Rev. Ira Acree told the Tribune that while former President Barack Obama represented someone who succeeded by earning all the highly respected, mainstream accolades such as an Ivy League education, Wilson, by contrast, got there with grit.

Willies story is the story of Black people in America and Black people in Chicago, Acree said. Willie is a product of the Jim Crow South. He should not have survived all that he went through  but he did.

Wilsons political career has not been without controversy.

In 2018, a political reform group complained Wilson violated state election law when he gave away more than $200,000 at a South Side church, but he was cleared by state officials who found that he did not violate state law despite mistakenly broadcasting his charitable foundations money giveaway on a campaign Facebook page, among other issues.

State officials also noted he has been giving away his own money for decades, long before he became a political candidate.

Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez declared a mayoral run last week, largely focused on reducing crime. Other potential candidates include Local Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara, whose union has fought bitterly against Lightfoots COVID-19 vaccine mandate; U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley; former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas; state Reps. Kam Buckner and La Shawn Ford; Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Stacy Davis Gates; former city Building Commissioner Judy Frydland; Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson; and City Council members Roderick Sawyer and Brian Hopkins.

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Credit: Penny Gale, Fabriculture, Author provided

From all accounts, Australia's blue-gray mouse was a charming little creature. The famous British zoologist Oldfield Thomas of London's Natural History Museum first described the species in 1910 and named it Pseudomys glaucus.

Within half a century, the species had seemingly disappeared, leaving behind only three scientific specimens. Since then, two of these have been lost.

But is the mouse extinct, or just extremely hard to find?

We decided to explore old museum specimens and correspondence in the hope of finding one of Australia's most enigmatic extinct mammals. We have not rediscovered it yetbut our new research has shown us where to look.

The importance of questioning extinction

Biologists have rediscovered a number of Australian species long thought extinct. The bridled nailtail wallaby was rediscovered when a fencing contractor and his wife matched one they'd spotted in the wild to a picture in Women's Day magazine.

The desert bettong was lost, found, and is now lost again. Gould's mouse was found despite being thought extinct for over a century. It was hiding in plain sight thousands of kilometers away from its original range.

These efforts matter because Australia's black book of animal extinctions has too many entries already, with 33 species of mammals lost. That's the worst mammal extinction record in the world. Our native mice are one group suffering the most.

Goulds mouse, feared extinct, is now known to be the same species as the Shark Bay Mouse. Credit: John Gould/Wikimedia, CC BY

On the trail of the blue-gray mouse

To have a chance of rediscovery, we need to know as much as possible about distribution, habitat and the circumstances under which a species was last seen by humans.

The blue-gray mouse has a lower profile than Australia's better-known extinctions, such as the thylacine, the Christmas Island Pipistrelle, a microbat, and what might have been the first victim of human-induced climate change: the Bramble Cay melomys.

To find out more, we went back to the beginning. The three blue-gray mouse specimens Thomas examined arrived in London in 1892 as a donation from the Queensland Museum in Brisbane. The holotype specimen (an example nominated to define a species) of this mouse was amongst a group of five donated rodents. Four had originally been entered in the register as "Mus" (the house mouse genus which at the time was regularly given to unidentified rodents) from "S. Queensland" and "Cape York."

Jotted next to the holotype was "Pseudomys glaucus" and "Type 1910," in text that looked to have been added later. This specimen in London is now the only physical evidence we have that the blue-gray mouse ever existed. The other four rodents are missing.

In 1892, five rodent specimens from the Queensland Museum were registered at the Natural History Museum, London. One of these was the blue-grey mouse holotype from "S. Queensland." Credit: Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London

Later we found a tantalizing clue to the existence of a third specimen from New South Wales in the 1957 book "The Furred Animals of Australia" by Australian Museum curator Ellis Le G. Troughton.

Here, too, the the details were frustratingly brief. A dried skin. Received in 1956 from "B.N. Parkins of Cryon." Specimen missing.

Floods, mouse plagues and a bushie's keen eye

We found a link between the uncommon surname Parkins and the property Coorallie at Cryon, a small region near the famous opal mining town of Lightning Ridge.

Threatened species artist and friend Penny Gale, who was originally from nearby Walgett, told us there was a Bob Neville Parkins, who lived at Coorallie and was able to put us in touch with his daughter, Jill Roughley.

Jill remembered the entire episode clearly. She had kept the original letter her father received from Troughton, the curator, thanking him for the specimen. And she remembered the circumstances of how her father found the rare blue-gray mouse.

The blue-grey mouse (Pseudomys glaucus) holotype skull (1892.8.7.2), Natural History Museum, London. Credit: Chris Dickman

In October 1955, record rains hit the region. By March 1956, there was major flooding. Once the rains eased, grasses and crops grew strongly. The conditions were perfect for a plague of introduced house mice.

At Coorallie, the swarms of mice broke into the stock feed rooms to gorge themselves. Desperate to keep the numbers down, Parkins set a steel drum on its end and poured grain into it to make an effective trap.

One night, a blue-gray mouse must have crept atop the drum and dropped inside. When Bob checked the trap, there it was, alongside hundreds of house mice.

Jill told us her dad was a typical "bushie." He was acutely observant of what was happening in the environment.

Likewise, Jill recalled Coorallie in the 1950s with remarkable detail. She told us the property was on plains of native Mitchell grass, which had reached the height of a horse's stirrups by early 1956. As the mouse population ballooned, so did their predators. Red foxes arrived in numbers, posing a major threat to the blue-gray mouse.

Correspondence in 1956 from mammal curator Ellis Le G. Troughton of the Australian Museum, Sydney is precious evidence the blue-grey mouse was found in NSW. Credit: Jill Roughley

Jill's memory has given us vital clues to where the mouse might still be hanging on. Mitchell grass, rural New South Wales, heavy rains. Given the mouse plagues of recent years, now might be a good time to look again.

Does one mouse species matter, amongst all the continent's species? We believe so. And we hope the clues we've uncovered could see Australia's sad list of extinctions drop by one, rather than keep going up.

Explore further Shock find brings extinct mouse back from the dead

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Great white sharks are not normally thought of as social creatures. Credit: Yannis Papastamatiou, CC BY-ND

Sitting anchored to the rocky reef 70 feet (21 meters) below the surface of the ocean, hundreds of scalloped hammerhead sharks swam above me in unison, moving as if one. When most people think of sharks, they don't think of them as social creatures. The schooling hammerhead sharks above my head were a striking example of shark social groups, a topic that has not been the subject of much exploration.

I am a marine biologist and study the behavior of predators. For the last 22 years, my research has focused on sharks.

Biologists have long known that some sharkslike hammerheadsare social creatures, but whether great white sharks interact with each other while hunting, and if so, how, is still a mystery. Since 2014, my colleagues and I have visited the beautiful Guadalupe Island off the coast of Mexico to try to find out. Using state of the art technology, we have been able to gain a better understanding of the secret social lives of these top predators.

What makes a social animal?

A social animal is one that interacts and spends time with other individuals of the same species. While nearly all animals show some degree of socialitywhen they mate, for examplesocial behaviors can range from solitary snow leopards to highly social ant colonies.

When people think of social predators, most probably picture a pack of wolves hunting in an organized, cooperative group. But social behavior can be much simpler than that. An animal may simply decide to stay in close proximity to another individual because it has learned that if its "colleague" locates some prey, its own chances of getting a meal increase.

The sharing of informationthe location of preyin this example is inadvertent. The first predator wasn't purposefully alerting the second predator to the presence of a meal. But under the right conditions, this type of basic social interaction can increase the success of both animals' hunting.

Some creatures, like ants, form highly complex social systems based around cooperation, but there are many levels of social behavior.

Hints of a social shark

White sharks travel to seal colonies during the seal's breeding seasons in the summer and fall. Sharks generally hunt by patrolling the waters adjacent to seal colonies and ambush seals at the surface.

In 2001, researchers in California published a paper describing how white sharks patrolling a seal colony at Ano Nuevo Island would remain within "eavesdropping" distance of each other. The biologists suggested that if one shark killed a marine mammal, other, nearby sharks would register this information and quickly approach the site of the kill, perhaps hoping to eat from the remains of the prey. While the sharks may not be cooperating, they can still potentially benefit by hanging out with each other.

Further studies on white shark behavior in Australia took this a step further. Researchers found that white sharks would often turn up at cage diving sites with the same individuals time and time again. The fact that white sharks not only stay close to each other but also have preferred buddies got me wondering if maybe these animals were more social than people thought.

How to tag a great white shark

Guadalupe Island is located about 150 miles (240 km) west of Mexico's Baja Peninsula. Every fall, at least 100 white sharks arrive at the island to feed on Guadalupe fur seals, California sea lions, squid and tuna. In 2014, I reached out to my friend and colleague, Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla, who has been tagging white sharks at Guadalupe for over 15 years, to see if he was interested in studying white shark social behavior.

Great white sharks were historically seen as individualistic hunters, but previous research hinted at social behaviors. Credit: Yannis Papastamatiou, CC BY-ND

To do this, we developed a new electronic tag that we call the "social tag." It has sensors that can detect simple acoustic transmitters that we attached to other sharks, allowing us to see which sharks hang out with each other and for how long. The social tags also include a video camera and motion sensors that can track how fast the shark is swimming and how deep it is.

Starting in 2017, I would head to Guadalupe every year for about a week to try to tag sharks with Mauricio and his students from the nonprofit research organization Pelagios-Kakunja. Sometimes we would tag sharks from the safety of cages, but more often we would free dive with them. We would use bait to attract a shark to the boat and when one appeared, three or four taggers would jump into the crystal clear water. We would then wait for one of these large sharks to get curious and swim within a few feet of us. When that happened, we would use a long pole to clamp the tag onto the dorsal fin of the shark.

Over three years of successful tagging, we deployed our social tags on three male and three female sharks and tagged another 37 individuals with acoustic transmitters. The tags would stay on for one to five days before falling off and floating to the surface for the team to recover. In total, we collected over 312 hours of data from the six social tags.

When sharks hang out

Over the many hours of data that we collected, the sharks frequently came within 100 feet (30 meters) of other individuals. Many of these meetings were short and seemingly randomkind of like crossing paths with someone at a grocery storebut a few lasted longer and appeared to be true social interactions. We recorded five instances of these longer interactions, one of which lasted for over an hour.

We also found that individual sharks behaved quite differently from one another. Two of the tagged sharks were particularly social and associated with 12 and 16 other individuals, while two others appeared much less social, only crossing paths with only four and six other sharks respectively. The tags used on the final two sharks did not have working sensors on them, so we were not able to measure interactions.

The social tag can detect nearby sharks with transmitters, allowing researchers to see when sharks were near each other. Credit: Yannis Papastamatiou, CC BY-ND

Another interesting behavioral difference was that some sharks hunted in shallow waters and others hunted hundreds of meters deep.

Our new evidence suggests that white sharks are indeed social animals. Just as previous research suggested, our results fit with the idea that that the benefit of white shark sociality is that they can "eavesdrop" on other sharks. They can quickly acquire information such as a seal killed at depth by another shark, and this could end leading to an easy meal. However, there is so much more to learn.

Measuring sociality over months and over a year, as opposed to just days, would provide much deeper insights. When the sharks leave Guadalupe Island in the spring, they travel long distances across the open oceansome swim as far as Hawaii. Do they travel together or by themselves?

The social lives of white sharks have been a secret hidden from researchers for decades. It took new technology and new research methods to see it.

Explore further Scientists get inventive to reveal secret social lives of great white sharks

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The different colors in this sample of iron phosphorous trisulfide (FePS3) correspond to regions with varying thicknesses, which form different cavity modes at different wavelengths. Credit: University of Pennsylvania

A major research challenge in the field of nanotechnology is finding efficient ways to control light, an ability essential for high-resolution imaging, biosensors and cell phones. Because light is an electromagnetic wave that carries no charge itself, it is difficult to manipulate with voltage or an external magnetic field. To solve this challenge, engineers have found indirect ways to manipulate light using properties of the materials from which light reflects. However, the challenge becomes even more difficult on the nanoscale, as materials behave differently in atomically thin states.

Deep Jariwala, Assistant Professor in Electrical and Systems Engineering, and colleagues have discovered a magnetic property in antiferromagnetic materials that allows for the manipulation of light on the nanoscale, and simultaneously links the semiconductor material to magnetism, a gap that scientists have been trying to bridge for decades. They described their findings in a recent study published in Nature Photonics.

Collaborating with Liang Wu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in Penn's School of Arts and Sciences, along with graduate students Huiqin Zhang, a doctoral student in Jariwala's lab, and Zhuoliang Ni, a doctoral student in Wu's lab, the researchers describe the magnetic property of FePS3, an antiferromagnetic semiconductor material. Christopher Stevens and Joshua Hendrickson of the Air Force Research Laboratory and KBR, Inc. in Ohio, as well as Aofeng Bai and Frank Peiris at Kenyon College in Ohio also contributed to this work.

"Our lab's research focuses on finding new materials for electronics, computers, information storage and energy harvesting and conversion," says Jariwala. "The class of materials we examine are atomically thin two-dimensional van der Waals materials, and more specifically, those that are semiconducting."

Magnetic materials are classified as either ferromagnets or antiferromagnets. Antiferromagnets are materials that contain lines of electrons spinning in one direction next to lines of electrons spinning the opposite direction, canceling out any attraction or repulsion forces typical of magnets, whereas ferromagnets are those with electrons that all spin in the same direction and produce their own magnetic field.

The antiferromagnetic material used in this study, FePS3, or iron phosphorus trisulfide, is a semiconductor with unique optical properties dependent on the alignment of its electron spin direction.

"Theoretically, by applying an external magnetic field to this antiferromagnetic 2D semiconductor, we can alter its optical properties," says Jariwala. "And that is how you use a magnetic property to manipulate light. Having made the link between magnetism and light manipulation, we are entering into the field of 'magnetophotonics,' an area of research I believe will greatly expand in the next five to ten years."

The paper not only describes the use of the material's magnetic properties to control light, it highlights that there is also a physical property of the material involved as well.

"We also find that for specific thicknesses this antiferromagnetic material acts as a cavity that significantly enhances its interaction with light and its alteration with the magnetic property," says Jariwala. "This is important when trying to develop an efficient technique for light control."

"Imagine the cavity of the material as the space between two parallel mirrors," he says. "Standing in this space, you will see an infinite number of your own reflections, which occurs because the light you are observing is interacting with the medium of the mirrors many times. The more interactions the light has with the medium before it escapes, the stronger the optical effect. By creating a highly interactive cavity through changing the thickness of the material, we can produce strong optical responses, only now they are also guided by the magnetic property of the semiconductor."

Jariwala's work links the magnetic and optical properties of antiferromagnetic nanomaterials, opening doors for engineering light for high-tech applications.

The manipulation of light is not only significant for technology advancement, it is also a tool used to characterize materials.

"This work also relates to a previous study led by Liang that demonstrated the ability of second harmonic generation microscopy to directly image the spin alignment in a different antiferromagnetic semiconductor at the monolayer level," says Jariwala.

"This type of microscopy is a specialized way to observe a unique optical property only present in certain materials. Using this specialized microscopy technique, we can now characterize materials and map their magnetic properties with a thickness of just a few atoms. These papers together highlight the significance of optical properties in both understanding materials better and developing new kinds of imaging and microscopy techniques." says Wu

The researchers' next steps will be to bring the theory of light manipulation by magnetism to practice by actively applying magnetic fields to selected orient spins in antiferromagnetic materials, testing the ability to create magnetophotonic circuits.

"We are very excited by these observations, particularly because they are in semiconductor materials where we possess various other knobs for manipulation," says Jariwala. "In addition, this class of materials is much broader with many more combinations to explore, including finding ways to raise the magnetic transition temperatures. We are now looking to find and design ways to manipulate light inside these materials using multiple control knobs and see how strongly we can tune them in real devices."

Explore further Spintronics: Improving electronics with finer spin control

More information: Huiqin Zhang et al, Cavity-enhanced linear dichroism in a van der Waals antiferromagnet, Nature Photonics (2022). Journal information: Nature Photonics Huiqin Zhang et al, Cavity-enhanced linear dichroism in a van der Waals antiferromagnet,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-022-00970-8
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

When people see COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on online personal messaging platforms and don't speak up, this can boost the legitimacy of false claims and further their spread. So why don't we correct our peers?

In a first-of-a-kind public report, experts from Loughborough University's Online Civic Culture Centre have uncovered the social norms that shape whether people challenge misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines in the largely hidden worlds of personal messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Professor Andrew Chadwick, Professor Cristian Vaccari and Dr. Natalie-Anne Hall found personal messaging encourages what they call "hybrid public-interpersonal communication," which has distinctive implications for how vaccine misinformation spreads.

"Discussion of vaccines mostly happens in small messaging groups among family, friends, and work colleagueswhere people know each other well and tend to trust each other," say the researchers.

"Paradoxically, this can increase the likelihood that misinformation goes unchallenged. This is because, on personal messaging, people have a norm of conflict avoidance.

"Importantly, for some people conflict avoidance is seen as easier to perform on personal messaging than it is during in-person communication."

The report, based on nine months of intensive fieldwork funded by the Leverhulme Trust from a 347,000 grant, says seeing misinformation leads some people to "disengage from vaccine talk on personal messaging."

"This presents a further paradox," say the researchers, "they know the content of the misinformation posts but do not speak up, even if they disagree with it.

"These signals of tacit acceptance in a family, friend or school group can enhance the legitimacy of misinformation and contribute to its further spread."

The report also looks at what people do when they encounter vaccine misinformation in larger personal messaging groups, such as among school parents or work colleagues.

The researchers found people fear that if they try to correct misinformation, they will be seen as undermining group cohesion by provoking conflict and they worry about their knowledge of the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. These risks are perceived to be greater the more "public" the group is, even though school and work messaging groups are never fully public in the same way as social media.

Other key findings include:

Key findings. Credit: Loughborough University

The report goes on to outline broad principles for public health communicators to slow the spread of vaccine misinformation on personal messaging platforms.

Key findings and broad principles for public health communicators to slow the spread of vaccine misinformation on personal messaging platforms. Credit: Loughborough University

Of the importance of the report, the authors said: "Gaps in levels of protection from COVID-19unvaccinated, first dose, second dose, third primary dose, booster, top-up boosterare multiplying and widening.

"Personal messaging is hugely popular and has grown rapidly in recent years. In the UK, WhatsApp alone has 31.4 million adult usersabout 60% of the entire UK adult populationand is more widely and frequently used than any of the public social media platforms.

"In some of our previous research, we found evidence that people use personal messaging to discourage people from getting vaccinated.

"However, we also found that vaccine encouragement via personal messaging is more common, which suggests that online personal messaging could be one focus of a broader online communication program to reduce the spread of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and promote the benefits of vaccination for individuals and society.

"At present, however, researchers and health communicators have very poor understanding of the forms that vaccine encouragement and discouragement take in the hidden world of personal messaging platforms, and how people deal with vaccine misinformation in these spaces.

"This report addresses this gap in knowledge."

More information: COVID Vaccines and Online Personal Messaging: The Challenge of Challenging Everyday Misinformation. COVID Vaccines and Online Personal Messaging: The Challenge of Challenging Everyday Misinformation. www.lboro.ac.uk/media/media/re  l-Messaging-2022.pdf
Cuckoo finch eggs laid by different females. Diversity of maternally inherited egg phenotypes within a single interbreeding species, the brood-parasitic cuckoo finch. Different cuckoo finch matrilines mimic the eggs of different host species (here, tawny-flanked prinia and red-faced cisticola) and have further diversified to approximate the range of variable egg "signatures" within each host species, an anti-parasite adaptation that aids host parents in recognizing their own eggs. Credit: Claire N. Spottiswoode

As many humans prepare to unwrap their Easter eggs, scientists have solved one of nature's biggest criminal cases, an egg forgery scandal two million years in the making. Their findings suggest that the victims of this fraud may now be gaining the upper hand.

Around the world, many birds side-step the costs of parenthood by laying their eggs in the nest of other species. This lifestyle, termed "brood parasitism", has many advantages but also presents challenges such as how to convince the other species to accept a foreign egg. Many brood parasites achieve this by mimicking the colors and patterns of their host's eggs, but some exploit the care of several different host species whose eggs all look different.

How then can a single brood-parasitic bird species simultaneously mimic the eggs of several different bird species to trick them into raising their young? And how do these parasitic forgers pass this ability on to their young despite interbreeding between birds raised by different hosts?

These questions have been puzzling scientists for more than a century. Now genetic research by an international team led by Professor Claire Spottiswoode from the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology and the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town; and Professor Michael Sorenson at Boston University, has made a major breakthrough, and their findings may be bad news for the egg forgers.

The study, published today in PNAS, focussed on the genetics of egg mimicry in the cuckoo finch, a species which adopts a brood-parasitic lifestyle and exploits many species of warbler across Africa. The research reveals that female cuckoo finches inherit their ability to mimic the appearance of their hosts' eggs from their mothers, via the female-specific W chromosome (analogous to the male-specific Y chromosome in humans).

Cuckoo finch and host chicks. Brood parasitism is costly for hosts because a cuckoo finch chick begs for food very vigorously as soon as it hatches, outcompeting the host parents own chicks (here zitting cisticolas) which typically soon die of starvation. Credit: Claire N. Spottiswoode

Such 'maternal inheritance' allows cuckoo finches to side-step the risk of inheriting the wrong mimicry genes from a father raised by a different host, and so has allowed distinct lineages of cuckoo finch females to evolve specialized egg mimicry of several different host species. Such mimicry dupes host parents into accepting a parasitic egg as their own rather than throwing it out of the nest, and so has been crucial to the success of these African birds.

But the researchers believe that this long-established 'genetic architecture' of maternal inheritance may come back to haunt the cuckoo finches. Dr. Spottiswoode said: "In this particular coevolutionary arms race between species, natural selection has created a double-edged sword.

"While maternal inheritance has allowed cuckoo finches to exploit multiple host species, it's likely to slow their ability to evolve counter-adaptations as their hosts evolve new defenses. In particular, parasites face a daunting challenge because some host species have in return evolved an astonishing diversity of egg color and pattern 'signatures', that help hosts to distinguish their own eggs from parasitic mimics."

The field data were collected at a study site in southern Zambia together with Dr. Wenfei Tong and Dr. Gabriel Jamie from the University of Cambridge and Ailsa Green, Silky Hamama, Ian Taylor and Collins Moya from the surrounding community in Zambia. Cuckoo finches in this area trick four different species of grass-warbler to devastating effect: if host parents fail to detect and remove a parasitic egg in their nest, the young cuckoo finch typically outcompetes the hosts' own hatchlings, which soon starve to death.

The team collected DNA samples from 196 cuckoo finches from 141 nests belonging to the four grass-warbler species and studied the majority by sequencing thousands of short segments across their genomes.

A tawny-flanked prinia, a common host species of the cuckoo finch, captured in Zambia for genetic sampling with the help of field assistant Tom Hamusikili. Credit: Claire N. Spottiswoode

In their fightback against the forgers, grass-warblers have become skilled quality controllers, rejecting eggs that differ from their own in color and pattern, and all four species have evolved the ability to deposit unique 'signatures' onto their own eggs to enhance their detection of intruders. Tawny-flanked prinias, for example, lay eggs with blue, white, red, or olive-green backgrounds overlaid with a variety of patterns.

Cuckoo finches have responded not only by evolving mimicry of the eggs of their several host species, but have also further diversified to mimic at least some of the signature-like variation seen in the eggs of different females within each host species. The team established that both abilities are handed down through maternal inheritance, finally validating a hypothesis first proposed in 1933 by ornithologists pondering how the common cuckoo in Europe was similarly able to mimic the eggs of several different host species.

Forgers facing an uncertain future?

The researchers believe that the cuckoo finches now face an uphill struggle because they cannot recombine the different forgery traits evolved by their separate family lines. For example, two different lineages of cuckoo finch mothers have evolved eggs with either blue or red backgrounds, as an evolutionary response to similar diversity in their tawny-flanked prinia hosts, but there is no evidence that they can create the precise mixture of pigments needed to produce the olive-green eggs that some host females can produce.

In a previous study, Professor Spottiswoode found that a growing proportion of eggs laid by tawny-flanked prinia hosts are olive-green, suggesting this is part of an accelerating evolutionary fightback. As expected, the team found that these host birds are passing down their anti-fraud 'egg signature' abilities through a different genetic process (bi-parental inheritance) to that used by the cuckoo finches.

Cuckoo finch egg in zitting cisticola nest. Cuckoo finch eggs closely mimic the colour and pattern of the eggs of each of their several host species, to trick host parents into accepting the parasitic egg as one of their own. Here a cuckoo finch has successfully had its egg (at left) accepted in the nest of a zitting cisticola (egg at right). Credit: Claire N. Spottiswoode

Spottiswoode said: "Cuckoo finches are missing out on a powerful source of evolutionary novelty and that could prove costly in this ongoing arms race. The way they inherit their ability to mimic host eggs has a downside by likely making the grass-warblers' defenses more effective, and constraining the parasite's ability to respond.

"We may see the emergence of unforgeable egg signatures which could force cuckoo finches to switch to other naive host species. Or the parasitic birds might become increasingly dependent on young host individuals that haven't yet learned their own signatures and are bad at spotting mismatched eggs."

The study argues that 'selection from host defenses drove cuckoo finches to transfer control of egg appearance to the maternally inherited part of the genome' at least 2 million years ago.

Explore further Cheating birds mimic host nestlings to deceive foster parents
This series of microscope images from Ankur Dalias lab at Indiana University shows how living bacteria (green) use a long, arm-like apparatus to reel in DNA from the environment (red). Its almost like a fishing line, MSUs Heather Kittredge said. Credit:Dalia Lab, Indiana University

Dead bacteria can still make their presence felt in the land of the living. New research led by Michigan State University integrative biologists is showing that this could have big implications for antibiotic resistance on farms.

The results were published March 24 in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

The World Health Organization has called antibiotic resistance one of the biggest threats to food security. Infectious bacteria that can evade antibiotic treatments are huge concerns for the well-being of livestock, the food industry and the public.

"Outside of medicine antibiotic resistance isn't talked about maybe as urgently as it should be," said Sarah Evans, an associate professor in the College of Natural Science and the Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program. "We thought these were processes that needed to be studied more in the field."

So Evans and her team took a closer look at one of those processes: how DNA from dead bacteria could introduce antibiotic resistance to living bacteria in the soil. In better understanding that process, the team is also looking to find ways to help stop it.

"People think a lot about live bacteria," said Heather Kittredge, who led the research for Evans's lab as a doctoral student. "Maybe we should be thinking about the dead ones, too. They have biological activity beyond death."

The idea might sound like something out of a zombie movie. It is, however, an established and prevalentalbeit less well-knownpart of evolution. It's an example of what's called horizontal gene transfer, in which genes are more handed off than handed down.

A collection of soil microcosms where live bacteria acquired antibiotic resistance genes from dead bacteria. Credit: Heather Kittredge

When bacteria die, they burst and leave DNA behind. This lets living bacteria collect those genes and put them to work. For example, if a dead bacterium happened to have genes that contributed to antibiotic resistance, a living microbe could pick those up and gain their powers.

Microbiologists have extensively studied genetics and bacteria in petri dishes to know that this is indeed a way antibiotic resistance spreads. But less is known about how the process plays out in nature, especially in soil, where antibiotic resistant pathogens can develop and eventually wreak havoc on human health.

"Soil is still somewhat of a black box," said Kittredge, who is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Connecticut. "We wanted to know how this happens in the wild, what factors contribute to it and what we can do about it."

To learn all this, the Spartans collected soil samples from sites around W. K. Kellogg Biological Station, where Evans is also a faculty member. They sterilized the soil and added living cells of the soil bacteria Pseudomonas stutzeri along with DNA from antibiotic resistant forms of P. stutzeri. They could then observe how often the living cells incorporated the DNA under different conditions.

What they found is that live bacteria could integrate the DNA even when it was present at low concentrations and live cells that picked up DNA persisted throughout the 15-day duration of the experiments. But DNA is known to survive in soil longer than that, Kittredge added.

"Overall, this work demonstrates that dead bacteria  are an overlooked path to antibiotic resistance," the team wrote in its publication.

The researchers also noted that living cells were more likely to integrate DNA from dead cells when they started off closer to it, which wasn't surprising. Living cells need to touch the DNA in order to collect it.

When bacteria die in soil, they leave behind genes that can be picked up and used by living microbes. Credit: Steven Weeks/Unsplash

What was surprising, though, was the role of soil moisture. Although the living cells collected DNA over a range of realistic moisture levels, they were most efficient in slightly drier conditions. But bacteria are more mobile in wet soil, which would presumably increase their likelihood of bumping into DNA.

"They also grow at higher rates in higher moisture," Kittredge said. "So when they grow the most isn't the same as when the have the highest rates of gene transfer."

So why aren't bacteria that are more mobile and more prolific better at picking up genes? That's something the team wants to investigate, in part because understanding it could present opportunities to slow gene transfer. In the meantime, though, this research has already offered ideas on stemming horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistant genes on farms.

For example, manure from livestock is used as fertilizer on farmland used to grow food crops. To help in the battle against antibiotic resistance, manure is often heat-treated to kill any bacteria present.

"But the temperature at which bacteria die and at which DNA is destroyed are different," Kittredge said. "Increasing the temperature treatment to degrade DNA could potentially go a long way."

This work could also have applications in helping researchers promote the transfer of beneficial genes.

Explore further Bacterial viruses: Faithful allies against antibiotic resistance

More information: Heather A. Kittredge et al, Dead but Not Forgotten: How Extracellular DNA, Moisture, and Space Modulate the Horizontal Transfer of Extracellular Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Soil, Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2022). Heather A. Kittredge et al, Dead but Not Forgotten: How Extracellular DNA, Moisture, and Space Modulate the Horizontal Transfer of Extracellular Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Soil,(2022). DOI: 10.1128/aem.02280-21
Credit: Pixabay

Currently, Europe imports nearly 90% of the soybeans it consumes, mostly from the United States and Brazil, mainly for animal feed. Although the area under soybean cultivation has quadrupled on the continent in 12 years, from 1.2 Mha in 2004 to 5 Mha in 2016, it represented only 1.7% of total European cultivated area in 2016.

Yet local soybean cultivation has many economic and environmental advantages. Like other legumes, it fixes nitrogen in the soil thanks to symbiotic bacteria living in its roots, which is beneficial for the following crop and reduces the use of nitrogen fertilizers and their environmental impact. Moreover, the reduction of imports would reduce the cost and pollution associated with them. That is why researchers from AgroParisTech and INRAE set out to explore whether the European continent could become self-sufficient in soybeans, and whether climate change would be a help, or on the contrary, a hindrance, to this crop in Europe over the next few decades.

To do so, they developed a modeling approach based on the joint use of global agronomic and climatic databases and machine learning algorithms. Thanks to this, they were able to make continent-wide soybean yield projections directly from the available data, according to different crop area scenarios and based on forecasts of present and future climate conditions.

Self-sufficiency achievable with 11% of European cropland devoted to soy

The results, published in Nature Food, show that the European agricultural area suitable for soybean cultivation is much higher than the area currently harvested. Projections indicate an average yield of 2 metric tons per hectare under current climatic conditions, even without irrigation or fertilizer, and it would increase with future climatic conditions by +0.4 to +0.6 metric tons per hectare in 2050 and 2090. Projections also show a shift of the most productive areas from the south of the European continent to the north and east due to climate change.

With a constant need for soybeans, the results suggest that soybean self-sufficiency of 50 to 100% is achievable in Europe, under current and future climates, if 4 to 11% of the cultivated land was devoted to soybeans. This would require an increase in crop area by a factor of 2 to 3, or 5 to 6, for a 50% or 100% self-sufficiency rate respectively. Assuming that fertilizers are not used on soybeans, this increase would cut back the use of nitrogen fertilizers by 4 to 17% on the European continent.

Explore further Being near pollinator habitat linked to larger soybean size

More information: Nicolas Guilpart et al, Data-driven projections suggest large opportunities to improve Europe's soybean self-sufficiency under climate change, Nature Food (2022). Nicolas Guilpart et al, Data-driven projections suggest large opportunities to improve Europe's soybean self-sufficiency under climate change,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s43016-022-00481-3

Provided by INRAE
Example of automatic, AI-generated feedback on a trainee teacher's assessment of a pupil with learning difficulties (German, with translated annotations). Credit: Michael Sailer, LMU-Munich

A trial in which trainee teachers who were being taught to identify pupils with potential learning difficulties had their work 'marked' by artificial intelligence has found the approach significantly improved their reasoning.

The study, with 178 trainee teachers in Germany, was carried out by a research team led by academics at the University of Cambridge and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen (LMU Munich). It provides some of the first evidence that artificial intelligence (AI) could enhance teachers' 'diagnostic reasoning': the ability to collect and assess evidence about a pupil, and draw appropriate conclusions so they can be given tailored support.

During the trial, trainees were asked to assess six fictionalized 'simulated' pupils with potential learning difficulties. They were given examples of their schoolwork, as well as other information such as behavior records and transcriptions of conversations with parents. They then had to decide whether or not each pupil had learning difficulties such as dyslexia or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and explain their reasoning.

Immediately after submitting their answers, half of the trainees received a prototype 'expert solution', written in advance by a qualified professional, to compare with their own. This is typical of the practice material student teachers usually receive outside taught classes. The others received AI-generated feedback, which highlighted the correct parts of their solution and flagged aspects they might have improved.

After completing the six preparatory exercises, the trainees then took two similar follow-up teststhis time without any feedback. The tests were scored by the researchers, who assessed both their 'diagnostic accuracy' (whether the trainees had correctly identified cases of dyslexia or ADHD), and their diagnostic reasoning: how well they had used the available evidence to make this judgment.

The average score for diagnostic reasoning among trainees who had received AI feedback during the six preliminary exercises was an estimated 10 percentage points higher than those who had worked with the pre-written expert solutions.

The reason for this may be the 'adaptive' nature of the AI. Because it analyzed the trainee teachers' own work, rather than asking them to compare it with an expert version, the researchers believe the feedback was clearer. There is no evidence, therefore, that AI of this type would improve on one-to-one feedback from a human tutor or high-quality mentor, but the researchers point out that such close support is not always readily available to trainee teachers for repeat practice, especially those on larger courses.

The study was part of a research project within the Cambridge LMU Strategic Partnership. The AI was developed with support from a team at the Technical University of Darmstadt.

Riikka Hofmann, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, said: "Teachers play a critical role in recognizing the signs of disorders and learning difficulties in pupils and referring them to specialists. Unfortunately, many of them also feel that they have not had sufficient opportunity to practice these skills. The level of personalized guidance trainee teachers get on German courses is different to the UK, but in both cases it is possible that AI could provide an extra level of individualized feedback to help them develop these essential competencies."

Dr. Michael Sailer, from LMU Munich, said: "Obviously we are not arguing that AI should replace teacher-educators: new teachers still need expert guidance on how to recognize learning difficulties in the first place. It does seem, however, that AI-generated feedback helped these trainees to focus on what they really needed to learn. Where personal feedback is not readily available, it could be an effective substitute."

The study used a natural language processing system: an artificial neural network capable of analyzing human language and spotting certain phrases, ideas, hypotheses or evaluations in the trainees' text.

It was created using the responses of an earlier cohort of pre-service teachers to a similar exercise. By segmenting and coding these responses, the team 'trained' the system to recognize the presence or absence of key points in the solutions provided by trainees during the trial. The system then selected pre-written blocks of text to give the participants appropriate feedback.

In both the preparatory exercises and the follow-up tasks, the trial participants were either asked to work individually, or assigned to randomly-selected pairs. Those who worked alone and received expert solutions during the preparatory exercises scored, on average, 33% for their diagnostic reasoning during the follow-up tasks. By contrast, those who had received AI feedback scored 43%. Similarly, the average score of trainees working in pairs was 35% if they had received the expert solution, but 45% if they had received support from the AI.

Training with the AI appeared to have no major effect on their ability to diagnose the simulated pupils correctly. Instead, it seems to have made a difference by helping teachers to cut through the various information sources that they were being asked to read, and provide specific evidence of potential learning difficulties. This is the main skill most teachers actually need in the classroom: the task of diagnosing pupils falls to special education teachers, school psychologists, and medical professionals. Teachers need to be able to communicate and evidence their observations to specialists where they have concerns, to help students access appropriate support.

How far AI could be used more widely to support teachers' reasoning skills remains an open question, but the research team hope to undertake further studies to explore the mechanisms that made it effective in this case, and assess this wider potential.

Frank Fischer, Professor of Education and Educational Psychology at LMU Munich, said: "In large training programs, which are fairly common in fields such as teacher training or medical education, using AI to support simulation-based learning could have real value. Developing and implementing complex natural language-processing tools for this purpose takes time and effort, but if it helps to improve the reasoning skills of future cohorts of professionals, it may well prove worth the investment."

The research is published in Learning and Instruction.

Explore further Computer games in the classroom: Educational success depends on the teacher

More information: Adaptive Feedback from Artificial Neural Networks Facilitates Pre-Service Teachers' Diagnostic Reasoning in Simulation-based Learning, Learning and Instruction (2022). Journal information: Learning and Instruction Adaptive Feedback from Artificial Neural Networks Facilitates Pre-Service Teachers' Diagnostic Reasoning in Simulation-based Learning,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2022.101620
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

How can adults support children and young people during challenging times? Deakin mental health researchers have some suggestions.

Many Australians have been under intense emotional pressure since late 2019. The unprecedented events feel relentless: extreme weather, the COVID-19 pandemic and its strict lockdowns and border closures, and the unfolding impacts of war in Ukraine.

And with a 24-hour news cycle of constant updates and images of disasters, the world can feel overwhelming, even for adults.

How do we even begin to think about supporting our children and young people through these times?

"The best investment in our kids is to make sure we're look after ourselves as parents," says child clinical psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Westrupp, whose research investigates child development in the family environment at Deakin University's Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development (SEED).

"If parents are feeling anxious and upset, then children are going to notice. And that in itself can be worrying for kids.

"As parents, it's so important to make sure we are sleeping and eating properly, staying active and taking breaks. And it's okay to take time out from our kids," Dr. Westrupp says.

"Even when terrible things are happening in the world, it's okay to take time to catch up with friends and have some fun. That actually helps us to be better parents."

Once you're sure you can handle conversations about stressful current events with calm confidence, how do you decide which topics are appropriate for children and young people?

"There's almost no topic, including death, that you can't raise with a child," says Dr. Westrupp. "If a child is asking, then you should talk to them about it."

With younger children, you can start and guide those conversations. How you approach them depends on the individual child. Consider their age, level of maturity, what information they may already have, and how they are likely to react to new information.

"In early developmental stages, kids often have big imaginations," Dr. Westrupp says.

"For those children who are especially prone to worry or nightmares, they need to know that they are safe, especially when discussing distressing world events, like the war in Ukraine.

"That doesn't mean that you can't have the conversation. It just means that you might be a bit more planned about how you do it."

For teenagers, Dr. Westrupp recommends parents take a more passive role. Respecting an adolescent's independence is important and parents should focus on creating a safe place for them to express their thoughts and emotions while being available for support.

Parents should also understand that the access older children and adolescents have to information sources outside the family creates a valuable learning opportunity for young people.

"I think a lot of us are quite afraid about what media our children are engaging in," says Dr. Westrupp.

"Knowing how to evaluate the sources and quality of information is a critical life skill in the modern world. If we can teach children the skills to be really thoughtful and critical users of media, then it reduces the risks of them being targets for misinformation."

Professor Craig Olsson, Director of SEED, says Australia must also take a long-term view to equipping young people to deal with future adversities. We can do this by strengthening the foundations of emotional development from childhood through to adolescence.

"A key foundation is care for the physical body through the restorative power of good sleep, good nutrition, and regular physical activity. If our bodies aren't well, our minds can't be either. Good physical regulation supports our ability to manage our emotions.

"Access to strong and supporting relationships is critical as well. This is because most of our ability to regulate strong emotion mostly happens within the context of close relationships with others, starting with parents in childhood and then extending to peers and partners in adolescence.

"When physical needs are met, and close relationships are strong, the foundations for greater self-regulation of emotion begin to emerge. This includes skills to solve things that can be changed, accept things that can't be changed, and skills to distinguish between the two," says Prof. Olsson.

"But by far the most important foundation to nurture is the capacity to find meaning beyond self-interest. Our ability to care for others and the world reflects a sense of hope that is as critical to emotional health as air is to life itself."

So how do we strengthen these foundations in our kids? Prof. Olsson says investing in and enriching the social environments in which children and young people live and growfamily, school and communityis key to supporting healthy social and emotional development.

"When the right public health investments are made, with the right health services investment too (for those needing more focused support), the developmental foundations come together. Then you have children and young people who have an incredibly powerful advantage: they can adapt, they can absorb a challenge, they can process it, and they can evolve themselves in relation to it and move on," says Prof. Olsson.

"And this not only prepares young people for future challenges, whatever they may be, it also positions them to make the world a better place as a result."

Explore further Talking to your kids about the war in Ukraine
Neoadjuvant Opdivo (nivolumab) with Chemotherapy Significantly Improves Event-Free Survival in Patients with Resectable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Phase 3 CheckMate -816 Trial

Details Category: Antibodies Published on Monday, 11 April 2022 19:46 Hits: 1229

When administered before surgery, three cycles of Opdivo in combination with chemotherapy reduced the risk of disease recurrence, progression or death by 37% and showed an encouraging early trend in overall survival

CheckMate -816 is the first positive Phase 3 trial with an immunotherapy-based combination in the neoadjuvant setting of non-small cell lung cancer and fourth Opdivo trial to demonstrate benefit in earlier stages of cancer

Data featured as an oral presentation during a Clinical Trials Plenary Session at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022 and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine

Based on the CheckMate -816 data, Opdivo in combination with chemotherapy received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the neoadjuvant treatment of certain patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer

PRINCETON, NJ, USA I April 11, 2022 I Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) today announced results from the Phase 3 CheckMate -816 trial, which showed that neoadjuvant treatment with three cycles of Opdivo (nivolumab) in combination with chemotherapy significantly improved event-free survival (EFS), a primary endpoint, compared to chemotherapy alone in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). With a minimum follow-up of 21.0 months, Opdivo with chemotherapy reduced the risk of disease recurrence, progression or death by 37% (Hazard Ratio [HR] 0.63; 97.38% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.43 to 0.91; p=0.0052) across randomized patients when administered before surgery. In patients receiving the combination, median EFS was 31.6 months, compared to 20.8 months for patients treated with chemotherapy alone.

Additionally, while the data are still immature and the analysis did not reach statistical significance, favorable early overall survival (OS) results were observed with Opdivo in combination with chemotherapy (HR 0.57; 99.67% CI: 0.30 to 1.07). At two years, 83% of patients treated with neoadjuvant Opdivo and chemotherapy were alive, compared to 71% with chemotherapy alone. OS will continue to be followed for upcoming analyses.

CheckMate -816 represents the first Phase 3 study with an immunotherapy-based combination to show a significant improvement in EFS, as well as in the other primary endpoint of pathologic complete response (pCR), in the neoadjuvant setting of NSCLC. The EFS data are being presented for the first time during the Neoadjuvant and Perioperative Immunotherapy Clinical Trials Plenary Session (Abstract #CT012) at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2022 on Monday, April 11, 2022, from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. CT and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

While resectable non-small cell lung cancer may be curable in some cases, patients face a high probability of recurrence after surgery, so we need effective systemic treatment options to interrupt this trajectory, said Nicolas Girard, M.D., Ph.D., CheckMate -816 investigator and professor and head of the Thorax Institute Curie-Montsouris. The results from CheckMate -816 represent the first demonstration of clear and significant benefits with neoadjuvant immunotherapy-based treatment over chemotherapy alone for these patients, initially seen with increased pathologic complete response and now with improved event-free survival and a positive trend in overall survival. As we work toward the ultimate goal of curing these patients, these data suggest the potential for better long-term outcomes with nivolumab in combination with chemotherapy.

In the study, the safety profile of the neoadjuvant Opdivo-chemotherapy combination was consistent with previous reports, and no new safety signals were observed at the time of the EFS analysis. Rates of Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were similar with the Opdivo-chemotherapy combination versus chemotherapy alone (34% vs. 37%), as were all causality surgery-related Grade 3-4 adverse events (11% with the combination vs. 15% with chemotherapy). With Opdivo in combination with chemotherapy, 83% of patients went on to receive surgery, compared to 75% with chemotherapy.

Surgery is still the cornerstone of cure for patients with non-small cell lung cancer, said Jonathan Spicer M.D., Ph.D., CheckMate -816 investigator; associate professor of surgery, McGill University; and attending surgeon, division of thoracic and upper gastrointestinal surgery, Montreal General Hospital, McGill University Health Centre. The fact that neoadjuvant nivolumab with chemotherapy enabled shorter, less invasive and less extensive operations without increasing complications or adverse events is of tremendous importance to thoracic surgeons and their patients. These findings, combined with the improved survival outcomes, have the potential to completely change the way surgeons and oncologists collaborate in treating patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer.

Immunotherapy has ushered in a new era of treatment in metastatic cancers, changing survival expectations for patients with lung cancer and many other tumor types. More recently, our understanding of the biology of the immune system and cancer has led us to explore the role of immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant and peri-operative settings, said Abderrahim Oukessou, M.D., vice president, thoracic cancers development lead, Bristol Myers Squibb. The data from CheckMate -816, including the positive early overall survival results, reinforce the importance of researching immunotherapy in earlier stages of disease, and we look forward to continuing to see this science translate into tangible benefits for patients and their families.

Based on the EFS and pCR results from CheckMate -816, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Opdivo in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy every three weeks for three cycles for adult patients with resectable (tumors 4 cm or node positive) NSCLC in the neoadjuvant setting in March 2022, and further applications are under review with health authorities globally.

In non-metastatic NSCLC, Bristol Myers Squibb and collaborators are exploring the use of immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant and peri-operative settings, as well as in association with chemoradiation. The scientific rationale for using immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting is twofold: the presence of a tumor during immunotherapy treatment may enable a stronger immune response, potentially making the treatment more effective against a primary tumor, while offering an early opportunity to target covert micro-metastasis. To date, Opdivo-based treatments have shown improved efficacy in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment of four tumor types: lung cancer, bladder cancer, esophageal/gastroesophageal junction cancer and melanoma.

Bristol Myers Squibb thanks the patients and investigators involved in the CheckMate -816 clinical trial.

About CheckMate -816

CheckMate -816 is a Phase 3 randomized, open label, multi-center trial evaluating Opdivo in combination with chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone as neoadjuvant treatment in patients with resectable stage IB to IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (per the 7th edition American Joint Committee on Cancer/Union for International Cancer Control staging criteria), regardless of PD-L1 expression. For the primary analysis, 358 patients were randomized to receive either Opdivo 360 mg with histology-based platinum doublet chemotherapy every three weeks for three cycles, or platinum doublet chemotherapy every three weeks for three cycles, followed by surgery. The primary endpoints of the trial are event-free survival and pathologic complete response. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, major pathologic response, and time to death or distant metastases.

About Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths globally. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common types of lung cancer, representing up to 84% of diagnoses. Non-metastatic cases account for the majority of NSCLC diagnoses (approximately 60%, with up to half of these being resectable), and the proportion is expected to grow over time with enhanced screening programs. While many non-metastatic NSCLC patients are cured by surgery, 30% to 55% develop recurrence and die of their disease despite resection, contributing to a need for treatment options administered before surgery (neoadjuvant) and/or after surgery (adjuvant) to improve long-term outcomes.

Bristol Myers Squibb: Creating a Better Future for People with Cancer

Bristol Myers Squibb is inspired by a single vision  transforming patients lives through science. The goal of the companys cancer research is to deliver medicines that offer each patient a better, healthier life and to make cure a possibility. Building on a legacy across a broad range of cancers that have changed survival expectations for many, Bristol Myers Squibb researchers are exploring new frontiers in personalized medicine, and through innovative digital platforms, are turning data into insights that sharpen their focus. Deep scientific expertise, cutting-edge capabilities and discovery platforms enable the company to look at cancer from every angle. Cancer can have a relentless grasp on many parts of a patients life, and Bristol Myers Squibb is committed to taking actions to address all aspects of care, from diagnosis to survivorship. Because as a leader in cancer care, Bristol Myers Squibb is working to empower all people with cancer to have a better future.

About Opdivo

Opdivo is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor that is designed to uniquely harness the bodys own immune system to help restore anti-tumor immune response. By harnessing the bodys own immune system to fight cancer, Opdivo has become an important treatment option across multiple cancers.

Opdivos leading global development program is based on Bristol Myers Squibbs scientific expertise in the field of Immuno-Oncology, and includes a broad range of clinical trials across all phases, including Phase 3, in a variety of tumor types. To date, the Opdivo clinical development program has treated more than 35,000 patients. The Opdivo trials have contributed to gaining a deeper understanding of the potential role of biomarkers in patient care, particularly regarding how patients may benefit from Opdivo across the continuum of PD-L1 expression.

In July 2014, Opdivo was the first PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor to receive regulatory approval anywhere in the world. Opdivo is currently approved in more than 65 countries, including the United States, the European Union, Japan and China. In October 2015, the Companys Opdivo and Yervoy combination regimen was the first Immuno-Oncology to receive regulatory approval for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and is currently approved in more than 50 countries, including the United States and the European Union.

INDICATIONS

OPDIVO (nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with melanoma with involvement of lymph nodes or metastatic disease who have undergone complete resection.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy, is indicated as neoadjuvant treatment of adult patients with resectable (tumors 4 cm or node positive) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors express PD-L1 (1%) as determined by an FDA-approved test, with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab) and 2 cycles of platinum-doublet chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving OPDIVO.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with intermediate or poor risk advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with cabozantinib, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received prior anti-angiogenic therapy.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) that has relapsed or progressed after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and brentuximab vedotin or after 3 or more lines of systemic therapy that includes autologous HSCT. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) with disease progression on or after platinum-based therapy.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who have disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy or have disease progression within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC) who are at high risk of recurrence after undergoing radical resection of UC.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric (12 years and older) patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have been previously treated with sorafenib. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after prior fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-based chemotherapy.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of completely resected esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer with residual pathologic disease in adult patients who have received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum- containing chemotherapy, is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with advanced or metastatic gastric cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer, and esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Please see US Full Prescribing Information for OPDIVO and YERVOY.

Clinical Trials and Patient Populations

Checkmate 037previously treated metastatic melanoma; Checkmate 066previously untreated metastatic melanoma; Checkmate 067previously untreated metastatic melanoma, as a single agent or in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 238adjuvant treatment of melanoma; Checkmate 816neoadjuvant non-small cell lung cancer, in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy; Checkmate 227previously untreated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 9LApreviously untreated recurrent or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer in combination with YERVOY and 2 cycles of platinum-doublet chemotherapy by histology; Checkmate 017second-line treatment of metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer; Checkmate 057second-line treatment of metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer; Checkmate 743previously untreated unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma, in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 214previously untreated renal cell carcinoma, in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 9ERpreviously untreated renal cell carcinoma, in combination with cabozantinib; Checkmate 025previously treated renal cell carcinoma; Checkmate 205/039classical Hodgkin lymphoma; Checkmate 141recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck; Checkmate 275previously treated advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma; Checkmate 274adjuvant treatment of urothelial carcinoma; Checkmate 142 MSI-H or dMMR metastatic colorectal cancer, as a single agent or in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 142MSI-H or dMMR metastatic colorectal cancer, as a single agent or in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 040hepatocellular carcinoma, in combination with YERVOY; Attraction-3esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; Checkmate 577adjuvant treatment of esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer; Checkmate 649 previously untreated advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction or esophageal adenocarcinoma

About the Bristol Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical Collaboration

In 2011, through a collaboration agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Bristol Myers Squibb expanded its territorial rights to develop and commercialize Opdivo globally, except in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, where Ono had retained all rights to the compound at the time. On July 23, 2014, Ono and Bristol Myers Squibb further expanded the companies strategic collaboration agreement to jointly develop and commercialize multiple immunotherapies  as single agents and combination regimens  for patients with cancer in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

About Bristol Myers Squibb

Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

Celgene and Juno Therapeutics are wholly owned subsidiaries of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. In certain countries outside the U.S., due to local laws, Celgene and Juno Therapeutics are referred to as, Celgene, a Bristol Myers Squibb company and Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol Myers Squibb company.

SOURCE: Bristol Myers Squibb
Law enforcement authorities are asking the public to ignore rumors about a missing-person case in Gary after a doll was mistaken for the missing woman.

Gary Police officers were sent to 15th Avenue and Lake Street late Sunday afternoon upon receiving calls that a body had been found in a grassy area, Police Spokeswoman Lt. Dawn Westerfield said in a Sunday release. Initially, Westerfield said police were unable to identify the body when they found it.

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Upon further examination, however, police found that the person had discovered a life-size, silicone/rubber-type female doll, she said.

Lake County Coroner David Pastrick in a separate release provided more detail, saying that his office was summoned when a NIPSCO employee working in that area happened upon the lifelike mannequin.

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We wanted to release the information as soon as possible to let the community know this was a false alarm due to previous missing person reports, Pastrick said in the statement.

Westerfield was more direct in her appeal for people, as well as the media, to wait until police have positively identified the deceased.

We ask all media entities not to buy into social media rumors that are circulating regarding Ariana Taylor and wait for credible information to be released, she said.

The Gary Police Department has been investigating the disappearance of Taylor, 23, whose last communication was late April 2, according to police.

Gary officers were sent to a crash site April 3 where the vehicle appeared to have been involved in a possible hit-and-run on Interstate 65 near Lake Station, which caused it to be forced over an embankment and onto a road below, police said. The cars owner  Taylors mother, Queena Taylor  said her daughter was supposed to be the last person who had the vehicle, police said.

Queena Taylor reported her daughter missing to the Lake County Sheriffs Department April 3, and to the Gary police April 4, police said. So far, neither foot searches, K-9 searches, helicopter nor ATV searches have found any sign of her, police said. She hasnt been sighted in any area hospitals, either, according to police.

On behalf of the people of the City of Gary, my family and I are praying for the safe return of Ariana Taylor, who has been missing since April 3, Gary Mayor Jerome Prince said in a statement. Our Police Department, which accepted jurisdiction of this case days ago, is actively searching for Ariana, as are other law enforcement agencies and numerous volunteers who care for her. Weve received support from federal law enforcement, as well.

As a father and grandfather, I cant begin to imagine the fear and pain Arianas family and friends are experiencing, but we will continue to do everything we possibly can to find Ariana and return her to her family. The Gary police, my team and I will remain in contact with Arianas family and provide any support we can.

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Ariana Taylor, is approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. She was last seen wearing a red sweater, ripped bluejeans and gym shoes. Anyone with information on her location is asked to contact Detective Sgt. Mark Salazar at 219-881-1209.

Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
QUEENSBURY  A group of local climate and medical experts gathered on a panel before a live and online audience, warning residents of the impacts climate change has on their health.

On Thursday night, Warren County Health Program Coordinator Dan Durkee hosted the event at the Queensbury Activity Center to educate the aging county about the health risks associated with the changes in the climate and what residents can do locally to combat the impacts.

In Durkees overview of the topic, he stated that the panel was not to debate the reasons or severity of climate change, but to instead share the ways Warren County is preparing for this change.

We are not here in to get into why this happening, whether it is part of natural process or accelerated by humans. It is happening, heres what we can do to adapt, Durkee stated.

Durkee said according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the temperature across New York has risen a considerable amount, with a statewide increase of 2.5 degrees since 1900.

He said spring now begins about a week earlier than it did a couple decades ago, which negatively impacts the ecosystems of the Adirondacks. The DEC data also noted the decrease of snow coverage in the area, which can alter the lakes and freshwater systems.

Due to the increase in temperature and frequency of heat waves, residents with chronic diseases tend to suffer more or need additional medical care, he said.

Durkee shared that the county has an average population five years older than most of the other counties in the state, which can also lead to an increase in the number of people suffering from chronic diseases.

People with cardiovascular or respiratory diseases can experience more symptoms when being subjected to warmer temperatures for longer periods of time.

Dr. Richard Leach, a retired infectious disease physician and specialist from Queensbury, was the first of the panel to present the impact the different weather patterns are having on the mosquito and tick population in the area.

The climate crisis is the greatest threat humanity has ever had, he stated to open his presentation.

Leach explained the cases of Lyme disease have drastically increased in the area and he suggested the cases are largely underreported.

He warned that a more dangerous species, the Lone Star tick would soon infiltrate the area carrying and spreading rare diseases.

Warren County Director of Emergency Services Ann Marie Mason shed light on the steps the county is taking to prepare and adapt to climate change.

Being prepared can be more valuable and more cost-effective than post-hazard response, she said.

Mason listed the threats and hazards impacting the county, including ice jams, severe weather at increased rates and heat waves.

She said it is important to understand the area you live in. For example, if the area is prone to flooding due to the increase in precipitation, develop personal or household emergency plans.

Ethan Gaddy, a member of the Warren County Climate Smart Task Force, spoke about ways to reduce greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere.

He outlined the recent work of the task force, which includes an organics management program that looks at the countys waste and aims to find more environmentally consciously ways to deal with trash, rather than burning it or using landfills, as the current practices allow. As of result of the research and an application, the group has been awarded a DEC grant to begin exploring pilot programs for composting.

Gaddy also mentioned that the county is looking for ways to begin integrating electric vehicles into the 270-vehicle fleet the county currently has.

Kathy Bozony, coordinator of the Queensbury Clean Energy Community Committee, encouraged others to join in the climate action initiatives happening in the town of Queensbury.

Bozony, also part of the countys Climate Smart Task Force, said one of the big projects the committee had promoted was the 2018 solarize initiative that incorporated all of Warren County.

She said the program can still be accessed on the towns website, with four solar vendors, offering a 10% discount on National Grid bills, for residents to choose from.

Benjamin Lapham, a founding member of the Climate Smart Community Task Force in Glens Falls, presented the current sustainability projects being implemented in the city.

The first project Lapham described was the result of a $100,000 grant that was awarded based on an application written by Glens Falls sustainability consultant Jeff Flagg. The micro-grid project looks at ways to provide power to public safety and public health to mitigate the power fluctuations and instability caused by climate change.

He said the city is a little ahead of the county and has purchased some electric vehicles for municipal use already.

Claudia Braymer, Glens Falls Third Ward supervisor and member of New York State Association of Counties Climate Action Standing Committee, ended the presentations.

I studied climate change and its environmental impacts 20 years ago at Penn State and it was an emergency then, she began.

Braymer expressed concern that more had not been done to protect our children and childrens children.

She said the legislation put in place by New York is leading the way for the rest of the country, with protecting natural resources, achieving a carbon-free electricity system by 2040 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions 85% from the 1990 levels by 2050.

Jana DeCamilla is a staff writer who covers Moreau, Queensbury, and Lake George. She can be reached at 518-742-3272 or jdecamilla@poststar.com.

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LAKE GEORGE  Marine sniper Eddie Ryan was forever changed by two gunshot wounds to the head from friendly fire on April 13, 2005, on a rooftop in central Iraq, his third tour of duty in the war on terror.

His recovery continues, 17 years later.

Ryan, who has lived full time with his family in the town of Lake George for 11 years, will celebrate his 17th Alive Day on Wednesday at the Holiday Inn Resort in Lake George. His father, Chris, recalled Eddie clinging to life after being shot, which occurred when a group of Marines were mistaken for the enemy.

We celebrate as a family because we just thank God he made it, Chris said. Even now, with a lot of determination, he struggles through each day with his strong Marine spirit and grateful attitude.

The Ryan family, originally from Ulster County, had a vacation home in Lake George before building a permanent house and relocating here in 2011 to be closer to the Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany.

Eddie goes for treatment at a local physical therapy center three times a week. He lost sight in his left eye and his motor skills were damaged in the 2005 incident.

He only has full motor skills in his left hand and arm. He keeps his (muscle) tone just from exercising and physical therapy, his father said.

Having his son one day be able to use his right arm to some degree would be life-changing, Chris said, noting that Eddie was recently approved for occupational therapy sessions in addition to physical therapy.

Overall, hes doing very well, Chris said of his son, now 38. He has an indomitable spirit.

The Ryan family, along with Eddie and all his local friends, will celebrate from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Holiday Inn Resort, and the event is open to the community to attend, Chris stated in a follow-up email. There will be food for everyone and also a delicious cake donated for Eddie by the Lake George Bakery.

The Adirondack-Lake George chapter of the Leathernecks, an all-Marines motorcycle club that does a benefit ride for Eddie every year, will be at the event Wednesday.

Vinnie Crocitto, owner of the Holiday Inn Resort, was a friend of the Ryans before he purchased the hotel, Chris said. The Crocitto family is putting the Ryan family up for the night in the hotel for free.

Crocitto would visit with his pet bulldog (the Marine mascot) when Eddie was bedridden and couldnt really talk  to uplift his spirit, Chris said.

Its always so good to see friends succeed, and we thank the Crocitto family for holding this event, Chris said. We thank their manager, Jennifer Stannard Vidnansky, for putting this all together.

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EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP  With assurances that current patients of medicinal marijuana will not suffer, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission approved licenses for retail cannabis sales for companies with locations in the township and Vineland.

The expanded licenses will allow the companies to grow and sell cannabis for the recreational market.

Seven medical cannabis companies were on the agenda for expanded licenses at a special meeting Monday afternoon. All seven were approved, opening the door for the first legal sales to adults without a medical cannabis card in the state.

Approvals included licenses for The Botanist, with a location in Egg Harbor Township and another in Williamstown in Gloucester County, and Columbia Care, which has a dispensary at 1062 Delsea Drive in Vineland.

The companies had to show they had the OK of the local municipality and a labor agreement with workers, as well as promise to meet requirements for safety and social equity.

Steps remain before sales begin, including inspections from state officials. It could be about a month, commission members said, but could take longer before the final approvals are in place.

Demand is expected to be high.

Board member Dianna Houenou, who leads the commission, said at the virtual meeting she expects the new license holders to abide by the conditions and hold off on recreational sales until all the approvals are in place.

She added that the companies should keep both the commission and municipal officials informed, including making sure towns know in advance when sales start, which could mean additional traffic and long lines at the dispensaries.

Many more licenses are expected to be approved in the coming months, but the medicinal dispensaries were always expected to be the first to open their doors. The Botanist was the first up for a vote.

Owned by the national brand Acreage Holdings, The Botanist has locations at 100 Century Drive in Egg Harbor Township, 2090 Black Horse Pike in Williamstown and in Atlantic City at 1301 Boardwalk. While Atlantic City officials have expressed interest in allowing cannabis sales, City Council has voted not to allow retail sales on the Boardwalk, so the Atlantic City location is set to remain open only to medicinal cannabis customers.

Before voting on the approvals, board members with the Cannabis Regulatory Commission heard plans to ensure the companies would have enough supply for patients before allowing sales to the recreational market.

Brian Sickora, the general manager of Acreage Holdings, discussed the steps planned to keep current patients from being lost in the new recreational market.

That will include patient-only hours at the dispensaries, which in New Jersey are described as alternative care centers or ATCs.

In Egg Harbor Township and Williamstown, Sickora said, the patient-only hours will include four hours each Sunday, along with reserved parking and curbside delivery. He said there will be separate check-out areas for patients.

You can kind of think of it like TSA pre-check in an airport, he said.

Representatives of each of the seven ATCs on Monday discussed plans, which also included home delivery for patients and other proposals.

In southern New Jersey, the board approved three licenses, including Acreage, Curaleaf in Bellmawr, Camden County, with additional licenses approved for Verano, GTI New Jersey, Ascend New Jersey and TerrAscend further north in the state.

According to Jeff Brown, the commissions executive director, there are almost 130,000 cannabis patients in the state. Based on an estimate of about 12% of state residents buying from dispensaries, there could be 836,000 customers for the recreational market, buying an average of four ounces a year. Another 788,000 customers could come from out of state, which could mean a demand of more than 258,000 pounds a year.

Supplies could fall short as the sales begin, Brown said, adding those shortages will be on the recreational side, not for those with medical marijuana cards.

More growing capacity is on the way, he said, with many more licenses for the medical market that applied in 2019 set to come online soon.

On Monday, the commission approved 34 new licenses for the cultivation or manufacture of cannabis products. The board approved 68 licenses at its last meeting. In all, the commission has had more than 700 license applications, with 102 conditional licenses approved so far.

On March 15, the first day for applications for retail sales for new cannabis companies, the commission received more than 200 applications, with more coming in since then.

At the meeting, Houenou said Tuesday will be the commissions first birthday, praising the staff and the boards efforts.

Its truly remarkable what we have accomplished in a year, Brown said.

Industry groups praised the vote before the meeting was even adjourned at about 3:30 p.m., with the New Jersey Cannabis Trade Association calling it a win that will mean new tax revenue and jobs.

Since New Jersey residents voted to legalize adult-use cannabis in November 2020, it has been a long road to receiving approval for selling safe, vetted products, the group said in an email.

The organization represented the 11 licensed alternative treatment centers in New Jersey.

Over the last two years, our member ATC operators have been working tirelessly to plan for this day, and have invested significant time, money and resources into expanding operations to prepare for a smooth transition to recreational sales without harming access or supply to New Jerseys medical cannabis patients, who have always been and will continue to be our top priority.

Another industry organization was also enthusiastic about the vote.

New Jersey continues to move ahead of other states in the region on adult-use cannabis. Todays action is the culmination of a tremendous amount of time, work and effort by the CRC and the industry to get this done right, said Edmund DeVeaux, the president of the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, after the vote. Looking to the future, it is critical that we ensure that both medical and adult-use cannabis are in supply and affordable for New Jerseyans. We look forward to continuing our work with the CRC on that process and eagerly anticipate the next round of progress for New Jersey.

Some organizations remain skeptical of legal marijuana. One speaker in the public comment portion of Mondays meeting said the state should prepare for the harm it will cause, especially to young people.

New Jersey is one of 18 states, along with the District of Columbia, that have legalized recreational marijuana. There also are 37 states, including New Jersey, that have legalized medical marijuana.

Contact Bill Barlow: 609-272-7290 bbarlow@pressofac.com Twitter @jerseynews_bill

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It was the second time the group had met. Rumors swirled, as they often do, that the topic of discussion was the potential development of large-scale hotels along the Boardwalk. Contacted afterward, several of those who attended the meeting declined to offer any details of the discussion, while others would not even confirm there was a meeting at all.

That changed Thursday, as the race for the mayors seat between incumbent Jay Gillian and challenger Keith Hartzell, a City Council member, again spilled into the regular council meeting.

The vote in the nonpartisan election is May 10. Also on the ballot are six candidates for at-large seats on council.

Hartzell has raised the specter of multistory hotels and condominiums as part of his campaign. Several residents have said he told them that, if elected mayor, he would block high-rise development on the Boardwalk. At the council meeting Thursday, he said three different property owners have contacted him saying they plan to put hotels on the Boardwalk.

Hartzell did not name the owners. He said they told him the additional development was needed to bring fresh capital to the Boardwalk, helping fund improvements and updates there.

I dont want Boardwalk Disney. I want Ocean City just the way it is, Hartzell said at the meeting, putting emphasis on each word. I said Im dead set against it and Ill do anything in my power to stop it.

Further complicating matters is a suggestion that some of the hotels would be able to serve alcohol, a deeply unpopular concept in dry Ocean City. A member of the public raised the possibility, suggesting a hotel with 100 rooms could have a bar.

At the meeting, city attorney Dottie McCrosson said that is inaccurate. In New Jersey, the number of liquor licenses allowed in a municipality under state law is determined by the population. It is true that a hotel with more than 100 rooms would be allowed a license, regardless of how many others existed in a community, but that decision would still rest with council, she said.

At the same meeting, Councilman Jody Levchuk, a Boardwalk businessman, said he was present at the February meeting of Boardwalk property owners. He said Gillian owes council a more detailed explanation of plans for the Boardwalk zone.

Gillian was not at the council meeting Thursday. He declined to be interviewed about the matter Friday, offering instead a statement in which he said the proposals Hartzell has described would not be allowed under Ocean Citys zoning rules.

There may be people who want to build hotels or high-rises in Ocean City  but I do not, and I never did. There may be people who want to see alcohol in Ocean City  but not me, Gillian said. I dont want to talk about what other people want to do, especially when those things are not permitted by law. I want to talk about my 12-year record as mayor.

Three Ocean City candidates file petitions for City Council OCEAN CITY  Incumbents Peter Madden and Karen Bergman and newcomer John Tony Polcini drop

City resident Frank Worrell, a Gillian supporter, started the discussion when he raised the issue during the public comment portion of the council meeting. He challenged Hartzell, suggesting he would be in a better position to block Boardwalk development or shape zoning laws as a councilman than he would as mayor.

At the same council meeting, resident Gregg Balin spoke about the February meeting on the Boardwalk, suggesting a $150 million hotel was discussed there, and that the proposal could be a pathway to a liquor license in the city. Ocean City has never had any liquor licenses.

So whats the plan here? Is the mayor involved in this project? Balin said. Whats the plan? Who benefits?

He said Gillian was at the February meeting.

Another speaker mentioned Eustice Mita, the owner of Icona Resorts, which operates hotels in Cape May, Avalon and elsewhere, and Achristavest, which specializes in high-end homes. In 2021, Mita invested in Gillians business, Wonderland Piers, which had been in his family since 1929. This came as the property was reportedly in default of $8 million in loans.

Contacted on Friday, Mita said he started his career in the amusement business. An Ocean City resident, Mita said he has no plans for a hotel there but left open the possibility in the future.

Rotondi the latest to submit council petitions in Ocean City OCEAN CITY  Second Ward Councilman Tom Rotondi is the latest to submit petitions for a spot

We have zero plans for that, Mita said. If the citizenry wants it, well consider it.

Mita said the city has not seen a new landmark hotel in decades and described hotels as the driving force of tourism, upon which the citys economy depends. He said national chains like Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt wont take the risk of building for a seasonal economy, especially where they will not be able to sell alcohol.

We have hotels in Avalon, Cape May and Diamond Beach. Were rated number one by Trip Advisor. We would love to bring that same reputation for first-class hotels to Ocean City, Mita said.

Despite saying he had no plans, Mita did say he was looking at several potential sites for a hotel in the city and could have a decision on one within the next six months. It would not be a high-rise, he said.

I dont want a high-rise hotel. I dont own any high-rise hotels. I dont build any high-rise hotels, Mita said.

Mita criticized Hartzell, saying he was spreading rumors.

Ocean City Council candidates announce campaign OCEAN CITY  A three-person team officially kicked off an election campaign for the May race

I have nothing against Keith Hartzell. But I dont think he should be slinging mud like this, Mita said.

At the council meeting, Hartzell said one of the unnamed developers made a threat. Hartzell said the man told him he would do anything he could to stop him.

I said, OK, now we have something to talk about. Now we have something to go back and forth on in an election, Hartzell said at the meeting. These are all facts. Its all true.

My opponent seems to be making up imaginary problems he can solve. I have a record of tackling, and solving, real issues: drainage, back bay dredging, Boardwalk replacement and so on, Gillian said in his statement.

However the mayors race plays out, and if there eventually are applications submitted to the citys Planning and Zoning boards for new projects along the Boardwalk, there is already a multistory, 111-unit condominium hotel project with approvals for 1101 Ocean Ave. close to the Boardwalk. Last May, the Planning Board granted final site plan approval for a luxury project in a parking lot next to The Flanders hotel.

That project, known as The Soleil, had been in the works for years. Initially proposed in 2005, the Planning Board had rejected the proposal, but in 2017, a Superior Court judge sided with the applicant.

Hartzell files petitions for Ocean City mayors race As mayor, my mission will be to preserve our town and secure our future. Ocean City deserve

While the proposal had met firm opposition from neighbors in the past, there were no comments from the public at the remotely held meeting in May 2021.

So far, while a website touts the property as the ultimate luxury condominium resort, there is no indication of any work starting soon at the site, which continues to operate as a parking lot. On Saturday, with the citys long-running Doo Dah Parade underway, cars parked in the lot for $10, with signs along the outside wall showing images of the Soleil project approved last year.

Contact Bill Barlow: 609-272-7290 bbarlow@pressofac.com Twitter @jerseynews_bill

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Representatives from the Purdue University Global School of Nursing and CHI Health St. Elizabeth will celebrate their shared state-of-the-art simulation center at CHI Health St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m. CT on April 28.

The Simulation Center for Innovative Excellence, which is utilized by both Purdue University Global students and CHI Health St. Elizabeth employees, was announced in September to create a more efficient and innovative learning model.

Nursing students are immersed in skill-based activity and simulations that replicate patient scenarios. The simulations allow students to care for patients and learn within a safe environment to ultimately increase the quality of patient care and safety when they become practicing nurses.

This will be an exciting day to celebrate our wonderful partnership with CHI Health St. Elizabeth, said Melissa Burdi, Purdue University Global vice president and dean of the School of Nursing. This amazing simulation facility enables our nursing students and health care colleagues to engage in immersive learning with a keen training focus on patient safety, high reliability and quality of care, all while fostering interprofessional collaboration during a time of great need.

The simulation center utilizes a family of high-fidelity, Gaumard-brand manikins that include an infant, child, birthing mother and adult. The space consists of two high-fidelity simulation suites staged to mock hospital rooms with audio/video capabilities, a master control room, three rooms to hold debriefings or skills labs, as well as a nurses station, central supply area, medication preparation space, offices and storage space.

Additionally, the organizations are working together to create mutually beneficial interprofessional simulation experiences where multiple health care professionals can practice patient and family care together.

The simulation lab will give staff at CHI Health St. Elizabeth the opportunity to further their skills and stay up to date on the latest training  things that are constantly evolving in the world of health care, said Jenny Stachura, vice president of patient care services for CHI Health St. Elizabeth. It will be an invaluable tool for our care teams and also to the future nurses and health care workers who are seeking a career in the medical field. The industry needs trained health care workers more than ever before.

This arrangement builds on an existing partnership between Purdue University Global and CHI Health St. Elizabeth in which Purdue University Global students have completed their clinical rotation at the hospital.

About Purdue University Global

Purdue University Global delivers personalized online education tailored to the unique needs of adults who have work or life experience beyond the classroom, enabling them to develop essential academic and professional skills with the support and flexibility they need to achieve their career goals. It offers personalized paths for students to earn an associate, bachelors, masters or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits and other considerations  no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue University Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It is affiliated with Purdue Universitys flagship institution, a highly ranked public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue University also operates regional campuses in Fort Wayne and Northwest Indiana, as well as serving science, engineering and technology students at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. For more information, visit purdueglobal.edu.

About CHI Health

CHI Health is a regional health network with a unified mission: nurturing the healing ministry of the Church while creating healthier communities. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, the combined organization consists of 14 hospitals, two stand-alone behavioral health facilities, more than 150 employed physician practice locations and more than 10,000 employees in Nebraska and southwestern Iowa. In fiscal 2021, CHI Health invested more than $208.7 million back into our communities. The majority of those dollars went to caring for the poor and underserved. CHI Health is part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. It was created in February 2019 through the alignment of Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health. CommonSpirit Health is committed to creating healthy communities, delivering exceptional patient care, and ensuring every person has access to quality health care. With its national office in Chicago and a team of approximately 150,000 employees and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians, CommonSpirit Health operates 142 hospitals and more than 700 care sites across 21 states. In FY 2020, Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health had combined revenues of $29.6 billion and provided $4.6 billion in charity care, community benefit and unreimbursed government programs.

Media Contact, Purdue University Global: Tom Schott, tschott@purdue.edu

Media Contacts, CHI Health St. Elizabeth: Taylor Miller, taylor.barth@commonspirit.org and Molli Weeks, molli.weeks@commonspirit.org

Sources: Melissa Burdi

Jessica Manning

Jenny Stachura
A little more than half of Silvis will get water service from Moline, but there is no certainty that all Silvis residents ultimately will be included.

Moline now has a preliminary design for a water-line extension to Silvis and is awaiting approval by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, said Tony Loete, Moline's director of utilities. The City Council last month approved an intergovernmental agreement, allowing for the sale of surplus water to portions of Silvis.

Moline to provide water to portions of Silvis After years of struggling with water-pressure issues, some Silvis residents may find some relief thanks to Moline.

Low-pressure issues are expected to be resolved by the new system, which will supply water to about 55% of the population. The extension will serve the city from the new source along John Deere Road to an area just north of Crosstown Avenue.

Though Moline officials said they are eager and willing to sell water to all of the city, Silvis City Administrator Nevada Lemke said the offering is premature.

"There's no talk right now of Moline supplying the whole community," she said. "It's not something we've had a discussion on.

"I think there's a lot of things to consider before Silvis would be looking to have that conversation."

One major consideration will be the results of an in-house engineering study that began early last year and looks at the city's current water supply, infrastructure and other details. A preliminary report was issued, Lemke said, and council members are contemplating those results.

While many Silvis residents say the hard well water they get in their homes is of poor quality and damages many appliances, many longtime residents are accustomed to and satisfied with the city's well water. Before a city-wide commitment would be made for water service, Lemke said, public meetings would take place.

Asked whether it is likely some Silvis residents will reject a change in water service, she said: "I can't really say for sure. There are definitely residents looking forward to it  just because our water is hard and Moline's is so good."

The switch to Moline water is expected to occur in late summer, Loete said Friday.

"All in, we expect this (extension line) to be constructed, tested and ready for service in August or so," he said, adding that the length of the line is about 8,000 feet.

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CHICAGO - A man was killed and five other people were injured following an early morning shooting at a gathering in northwest suburban Elgin, authorities said.

Police officers were called to investigate a shooting in the 800 block of Congdon Avenue at 1:59 a.m. Sunday, according to Elgin police, who posted basic details about the shooting on Facebook and declined to answer questions by phone when reached by the Tribune Sunday morning.

The preliminary investigation has revealed that several (people) were gathering at a residence and subsequently victims were struck by gunfire. One male adult victim has since succumbed to his injuries, officials posted on Facebook. The name of the deceased is being withheld and will be released by the Kane County Coroners Office pending an autopsy.

When officers arrived, they initially located five injured people who later were taken to area hospitals. Officers later were notified about a sixth person suffering injuries as a result of the shooting, who self-transported to a local hospital, police said in the social media post.

The conditions of the five remaining victims were not immediately clear. According to published reports, at least three of the victims initially had been in critical condition; authorities didnt say whether the man who died had been among those in critical condition.

Based on preliminary information, police classified the shooting as an isolated event.

But they did not provide information about the shooter, including whether he or she was arrested or was among the wounded, or any details about what may have led up to the shooting. It was not clear how many people were at the gathering or if the people who were shot were specifically targeted or were shot at random.

Detectives from the Elgin Police Departments Major Investigations Division and Special Investigations Division were investigating the shooting.

Elgin police asked anyone with information about the shooting to call 847-289-2600 or text a tip to 847411 and include ELGINPD in the beginning of the text followed by the message or tip information.

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It appears consumers will pay more for eggs this Easter and beyond compared with last year.

A significant drop in production along with strong demand recently pushed wholesale table egg prices to more than $3 per dozen, up 170% from a year ago, according to the CME Groups Daily Livestock Report.

The sharp increase in prices was due in large part to recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Nationwide, at least 11 million layers have been lost to the potent virus, according to a CoBank report, while estimates this month suggest total losses could reach 18 million birds, or 5.5% of the layer supply, DLR reported.

The impact of HPAI on the egg production industry has been devastating, which is also what the industry experienced in 2015, DLR authors noted. If 2015 is any guide, we could see more outbreaks and losses in the next two months, further worsening the egg supply situation and pricing.

With USDA reporting new cases of HPAI almost daily and depopulation of operations ranging from dozens to millions of birds, estimating total expected losses remains challenging, according to CoBank.

USDAs weekly shell egg demand indicator showed about five days of inventory on hand at the start of the month, which suggests a snug but not alarmingly tight supply, CoBank noted. However, it does not appear supplies will be able to accommodate the reduction in layers as a result of HPAI outbreaks, especially at a regional level.

The outbreak of HPAI is the latest blow to the egg layer industry, which is dealing with skyrocketing feed prices and struggled with a lack of packaging equipment and supplies needed for grocery sales at the height of the COVID pandemic.

U.S. producers have been hard-pressed to align supplies with market demand over the last two years, said Brian Earnest, lead animal protein economist with CoBank.

The U.S. layer flock typically expands ahead of the surge in demand for Easter and contracts during the summer months, he continued. But recent losses due to HPAI have combined with high feed costs and other challenges that are severely limiting flock size management.

Overall, protein for Easter meals is expected to be more expensive than in years past. The lamb cutout value has averaged more than $6 per pound so far this year, down slightly from a record value of $6.39 per pound last August but still well above average.

Meanwhile, the wholesale boneless beef ribeye price has averaged $8.43 per pound this year, more than $1 above the five-year average, ham prices remain above the five-year average and broiler prices gained 20% the first quarter of this year to $1.60 per pound, DLR reported.

Losses from HPAI also could affect sales to other countries. The U.S. exported 16.8 million dozen eggs in January, down 35% compared with last year, the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council reported.

And, while the value of chicken and turkey exports increased in January because of higher prices, volumes decreased 4.5% for chicken and 16.2% for turkey.

USDAs world ag supply and demand estimates project broiler sales could decline as higher prices reduce export opportunities. The forecast for turkey exports was lowered in part because of HPAI-related import restrictions to Mexico.

This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.

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A Cedar Falls author will talk about Iowa's closed high schools in an event at LeClaire Community Library.

James Kenyon, veterinarian and author, will speak at 6:30 p.m. April 18 about his book, "Echoes in the Hallways," a historical account of closed high schools of the state of Iowa.

Kenyon spoke to nearly 1,000 people from 102 small towns, including LeClaire, to hear stories about their schools. Among those interviewed were Marie Spinsby and Dick Wales, of LeClaire, who attended LeClaire High School, also known as Albert Gross School. The last high school graduation was in 1960, and the building closed in 1966. The site is now a rec center for the LeClaire Parks and Recreation Department.

Kenyon's talk will focus on high schools in LeClaire, Lost Nation, Sabula, Nichols and Mechanicsville.

Starting at 6 p.m., Buffalo Bill Museum will display LeClaire High School memorabilia, such as a pre-1960 cheerleader costume and yearbooks from 1939 to 1960.

A representative of the Scott County Community Memory Project will offer information on sharing school stories as part of an oral history.

For more information go to www.leclairelibrary.org.

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In the Quad-Cities and across the country the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths plummeted during March and the first 10 days of April.

A few quiet warning signs have emerged, however, that suggest new cases are rising in places like the United Kingdom and a few eastern cities in the United States.

So far, Scott County and Rock Island County are not part of that trend. According to the latest county-wide COVID-19 statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Scott County saw an increase of 38 new cases during the seven-day period ending Saturday. During the same span, Rock Island County recorded 23 new cases.

Rock Island County Health Department Public Information Officer Janet Hill said the numbers looked good on the Illinois side of the Q-C but noted case reporting might not be as accurate as states close public testing facilities and a growing number of people utilize at-home COVID-19 tests.

"The CDCs Community Level transmission metric shows both Rock Island and Scott counties as low. Rock Island Countys positivity rate is 1.18%, which is a far cry from the 31% it was in early January," Hill said. "This metric likely doesn't show the prevalence of disease in our communities because home tests are not counted. We are at a much different part of the pandemic, but the virus still is circulating. Omicron and the omicron variant are more infectious than delta, which was more infectious than the earlier strains."

The Scott County Health Department did not respond for a request for comment.

The area's public health and health care system officials have stressed the need for all those eligible to get vaccinated, and Hill also stressed getting tested if you develop symptoms.

"If you get sick after getting vaccinated, you are very likely to have a mild illness. In fact, many peoples symptoms are so mild that they are assuming its their seasonal allergies, especially now that flowers, trees and grasses are all starting to come back to life," Hill said. "The only way to know for sure is to get tested. Please get tested at one of our pharmacy or health care partners or take a home test. Please isolate for five days after a positive test  Day Zero is the day you feel symptomatic  and wear a high-quality mask for another five days."

Vaccine numbers have not moved much in the past two months. According to the latest from the CDC, 104,969 of the estimated 172,943 total Scott County population are fully vaccinated. That's 60.7%. On the Illinois side, 82,453 of the estimated 141,879 total population of Rock Island County residents are fully vaccinated. That's 58.1%.

Boosters for fully vaccinated people have remained a hard sell in the Quad-Cities, as less than 50% of fully vaccinated residents of Scott and Rock Island counties have taken the extra shot.

Hill pointed out the focus of public health in Rock Island County remained first vaccination shots.

"Were happy to be doing second boosters, but our main message is the first dose still is the most important. Our vaccination rate in Rock Island County is still less than 62% for people 5 and older," Hill said. "Its been ticking up by tenths of a percent for several weeks now. It's slightly higher in Scott County: 64.7%.

"Still, this means that more than 35% of Quad Citians are putting their personal health, their familys health and the health of their community at risk."

Hill urged people to stay up to date with their vaccination, which is three doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

"The CDC took the unusual step of recommending that people who had the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to get boosted with either Pfizer or Moderna," Hill said. "Those 50 and older and those 12 and older who are immunocompromised can get a second booster, or a fourth dose."

The Rock Island County Health Department offers any dose of vaccines twice a week: Tuesday for Moderna and J&J and Friday for Pfizer at its offices in Rock Island. The Scott County Health Department offers Pfizer (12 and older) and Johnson & Johnson (18 and older) doses from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday at its offices in Davenport. Other providers can be found at vaccines.gov.

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China's National Health Commission has unveiled an implementation plan to achieve a range of major targets in boosting healthcare for women and children by 2030.

By 2030, the average number of practicing pediatricians and beds in medical institutions per 1,000 children will be raised to 1.12 and 3.17 respectively, according to the plan.

By then, the ratio of eligible women who receive cervical cancer screening will surpass 70 percent, while the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS will be reduced to below 2 percent, the plan stated.

To deliver on the goals, the plan called for people-centered and coordinated efforts to integrate prevention with medical treatment, and tap both traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine.

It also maps out goals including lowering rates of maternal and infant mortality, expanding the coverage of pre-marital and prenatal medical examinations, and boosting vaccination campaigns for children to shore up their immunity.
Some Scott County Republican state lawmakers hope the Iowa legislative session comes to a close without making law taxpayer-funded scholarships for students to switch to private schools.

The proposal is one of the main sticking points as the Iowa legislature nears adjournment.

Backed by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds as one of her main legislative priorities, the Iowa Senate passed a bill largely along party lines that would grant taxpayer-funded vouchers to up to 10,000 qualifying low-to-moderate income families to be used for tuition and books at private schools.

Reynolds Students First Act would allocate $55.2 million for students who transfer to private schools. Each student who uses a voucher would receive roughly $5,500, or about 70% of the state's $7,500 per-pupil allocation for students who attend Iowa's k-12 public schools.

Proponents of the bill say it creates opportunities for more families to provide their children with the education choice thats best for them.

There remains some opposition among House Republicans, however, which caused a similar proposal to flounder last year, especially among Republicans from rural districts who fear students leaving would hurt already small schools.

Rep. Gary Mohr, R-Bettendorf, who chairs the powerful budget-writing House Appropriations Committee, said he opposed the governors plan because it included sending some of the leftover per-pupil aid to districts with fewer than 500 students, a change Reynolds made to try to win over some rural Iowa lawmakers.

For example, if a student transfers from Bettendorf or Pleasant Valley school districts to Davenport Assumption High School, instead of all the leftover $2,000 in state funding going to those schools, some of the money "goes to Ringgold County."

"I cant support that, Mohr said Saturday during a legislative forum with Scott County state lawmakers at the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency in Bettendorf.

Rep. Ross Paustian, R-Walcott, who isnt running for reelection to the statehouse, said he had consistently opposed the taxpayer-funded private school tuition help.

The House needs 51 votes to pass the bill, and Democrats are unified in opposition. Paustian said there were about 15 to 20 Republicans opposed to the measure in the House, where the GOP has a 59-seat majority.

We aren't even close to enough votes in the House, Paustian said in response to a question from a forum attendee about the fate of the voucher bill. Now, you know, you're not home free until we adjourn. So, you know, they attach that to some bill that 15 or 20 current 'no' votes say, 'I've got to have that bill' so they'll vote for it. I don't really see that happening. But, I'm ready for the session to be over. This is my last session. That's one thing (on private school tuition assistance) ... I'll come home and say I did not support that.

The only Republican senator in attendance, Chris Cournoyer, a Republican from LeClaire who voted for the Senate bill, did not comment on the private school scholarships and left 15 minutes early to take her kids to a band solo festival.

Rep. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, said the state already offered $20 million in tax credits for donations to a private school fund, which she said private schools then used to offset tuition for low-income families.

Those are, again, taxpayer dollars that pay tuition to private entities, Winckler said.

Rishi Wagle, a student at the University of Iowa pursuing a master's in music education, said educators and future educators like him felt on edge with certain lawmakers' attempts to criminalize teachers who distributed materials lawmakers find offensive.

"Reynolds, in her reelection announcement speech, said, 'You shouldn't have to wake up every morning and worry about the next thing that the government is going to do to you, your business or your children,'" Wagle said. "And unfortunately, as an educator under this administration in Iowa, that's exactly how it feels. Laws that fundamentally change what teachers do every day or pass effective immediately."

Cournoyer, in response, said she and most lawmakers did not support the measure that would've added criminal penalties for teachers who distributed certain books. She pointed to state student loan forgiveness programs in the state for teachers who graduated from state schools and instructor partnerships for music educators.

Maternal health

Lawmakers were asked by the forums sponsor AAUW, to comment on a proposal passed by the senate that would give state funding to nonprofit anti-abortion centers and extend Medicaid coverage post-childbirth.

Cournoyer voted for the bill and said the measure remained one legislative action she was most proud of.

I talked with my colleagues about doing something to support maternal health support women that are in crisis pregnancies, unplanned pregnancies, not only support them through the pregnancy, but through the birth and then also beyond in their postpartum time, Cournoryer said.

Hammering out the budget

In order to come to a close, GOP leaders also need to come to an agreement on the states $8.2 billion budget. Mohr, who chairs the appropriations committee, highlighted throughout the forum that the House has passed its budget bills.

I think it's time for the Legislature to adjourn, Mohr said. Together in the House, we put together, I think, a very responsible budget that moves Iowa forward. We've passed good legislation this year. Some of the legislation we've all been concerned about hasn't passed.

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A little more than half of Silvis will get water service from Moline, but there is no certainty that all Silvis residents ultimately will be included.

Moline now has a preliminary design for a water-line extension to Silvis and is awaiting approval by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, said Tony Loete, Moline's director of utilities. The City Council last month approved an intergovernmental agreement, allowing for the sale of surplus water to portions of Silvis.

Moline to provide water to portions of Silvis After years of struggling with water-pressure issues, some Silvis residents may find some re

Low-pressure issues are expected to be resolved by the new system, which will supply water to about 55% of the population. The extension will serve the city from the new source along John Deere Road to an area just north of Crosstown Avenue.

Though Moline officials said they are eager and willing to sell water to all of the city, Silvis City Administrator Nevada Lemke said the offering is premature.

"There's no talk right now of Moline supplying the whole community," she said. "It's not something we've had a discussion on.

"I think there's a lot of things to consider before Silvis would be looking to have that conversation."

One major consideration will be the results of an in-house engineering study that began early last year and looks at the city's current water supply, infrastructure and other details. A preliminary report was issued, Lemke said, and council members are contemplating those results.

While many Silvis residents say the hard well water they get in their homes is of poor quality and damages many appliances, many longtime residents are accustomed to and satisfied with the city's well water. Before a city-wide commitment would be made for water service, Lemke said, public meetings would take place.

Asked whether it is likely some Silvis residents will reject a change in water service, she said: "I can't really say for sure. There are definitely residents looking forward to it  just because our water is hard and Moline's is so good."

The switch to Moline water is expected to occur in late summer, Loete said Friday.

"All in, we expect this (extension line) to be constructed, tested and ready for service in August or so," he said, adding that the length of the line is about 8,000 feet.

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Honor Flight of the Quad-Cities will hold the 52nd Honor Flight to Washington D.C. for more than 90 veterans who served during conflicts.

On Tuesday, April 12, veterans on this full-day flight to Washington will visit the monuments built in their honor.

This flight will be designated as the Galva/Backroad Music Festival flight in honor of the many volunteers, supporters and fundraisers held in that area. Most of the veterans onboard will be from Henry, Knox, Mercer, Warren and Stark counties in Illinois.

The veterans will be accompanied by 60 volunteer guardians who will assist them throughout the day.

At the end of the day, about 10 p.m., the flight will return to the Quad Cities International Airport, where the public is invited to come and give the veterans a warm reception and welcome home. A mask is required inside the airport.

Any person who was on active duty during World War II, Korea or Vietnam may fill out and application for a future flight. Those interested in assisting as a guardian also may fill out an application. Applications are available at www.honoflightqc.org.

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As the spring and summer construction season gets underway, local leaders want motorists to make work zone safety a priority.

In recognition of National Highway Safety week and Work Zone Awareness week April 11-15, local cities and the Rock Island County board have issued proclamations encouraging the public to slow down, obey rules and drive safely through highway work zones.

To raise awareness, the new Interstate 74 Bridge, Davenport Skybridge and the Muscatine Bridge will be lit up in orange, the national color for safety. Mike Bartels, public works director for Rock Island, said the approach lights on the Illinois side of the Centennial Bridge also would be illuminated orange beginning Tuesday night and through the rest of the week.

Bettendorf City Administrator Decker Ploehn said the I-74 Bridge would be illuminated orange on Wednesday night.

Jeff Deppe, secretary and treasurer for Laborers Local 309, and a member of the Rock Island County board, is encouraging everyone to do their part in making highway safety a priority by slowing down in work zones and moving over for emergency vehicles.

"We again this year are reminding everyone to be careful and slow down," Deppe said. "The maintenance demands of our nation's crumbling infrastructure, combined with a rise in speeding and distracted driving are creating increasingly dangerous conditions in highway work zones.

"When vehicles are moving faster, the chances of escaping a work zone intrusion alive goes down dramatically," Deppe said. "At 42 mph, only 50% of pedestrians survive the impact. A combination of increased speed and distracted driving gives motorists much less time to react and workers less time to escape with their life."

According to workzonesafety.org, there were 156 pedestrian fatalities in work zones in 2020, the most recent year information is available. Also in 2020, there were 102,000 work zone crashes, 44,000 work zone injuries, 857 fatalities and an additional 244 commercial motor vehicle involved fatalities.

Deppe said motorists should remember that when they "see cones, no phones. Go hands free."

"There is never a need to speed in a construction zone," he said. "Construction zone speeding fines are $375 for the first offense."

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Pete Patterson, Dale Petersen and Rex Petersen sat in Patterson's living room, ribbing each other in the gray afternoon light. Rex brought up adjudicating summer fast-pitch softball games, much to the consternation of the other two.

With these brothers' medical history, standing for hours on a hot, dusty softball diamond isn't advisable.

Patterson, 73, of Milan, received a heart transplant 21 years ago this March. Dale, 64, became a heart transplant recipient himself in 2021. And as of a couple of weeks ago, Rex, 66, of Davenport, is now on the heart transplant waiting list.

Patterson was diagnosed with idiopathic cardiomyopathy in 1995. He spent a year on the transplant waiting list, of which five months were spent in the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., before receiving a heart.

Dale, who lives in Rock Island, has had heart problems since 2003, when he had his first heart attack. After another heart attack in 2004, he had stents put in to keep his arteries open and went on with his life until 2016 when he had a cardiac pacemaker put in to help prevent a slow heartbeat. In 2018, he was placed on a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) after a cardiomyopathy diagnosis. The device helps with cardiac circulation, partially functioning as his heart as he waited for a transplant.

His condition worsened in December of 2021, so doctors brought him higher on the waiting list for 30 days. Just minutes after his 30 days were up, Dale heard that they found him a heart. He received his transplant on Jan. 8, 2021.

Rex learned he had heart problems during a doctor's appointment for diabetes. His doctor informed him that he had a form of cardiomyopathy that had thinned his hearts walls, making it difficult for the muscle to contract when pumping blood.

We decided to keep it a family thing, Patterson joked.

Rex is able to stay at home for now and is taking medications while he waits for a new heart. He said when it came to his spot on the transplant waiting list, hes at the very bottom.

Knowing Patterson's story didn't make Dale or Rex feel any better about their own diagnoses. They know just how many things can go wrong, and even when the transplant is over, it's a lifetime of paying close attention to your health.

"I assumed I was going to live forever," Rex said.

Each brother has a cardiac pacemaker, a device implanted to prevent the heart from beating too slowly. Theyve all been shocked by it before  not something they enjoyed.

Rex almost went on the LVAD in December, when his pacemaker shocked him six times on his birthday. After a weeklong stay at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Rex responded to treatment and was able to come home without the medical device.

I had warned him over the past three or four years  when that defibrillator goes off, it's going to knock you on your butt, possibly, Patterson said. He was kind of in denial about everything for the longest time. He felt good. He didn't think he had any problems. We couldn't convince him that it's going to happen. He had things showing up already, but he just thought he felt too good.

The LVAD can be used as a bridge to transplant or as destination therapy if the patient doesnt qualify for the heart transplant list but hasnt responded to other treatments. Destination therapy is meant to improve the quality of life for the rest of the patients life.

The brothers family has a history of heart problems. Their uncle and cousin both died of congestive heart failure, and their grandfather also died of heart disease. Their father and other male family members had heart issues of their own, and Patterson, Dale and Rex followed the family tree.

According to the National Library of Medicine, men have an increased incidence and severity of many heart diseases, including dilated cardiomyopathy. This is an interesting fact when looking at Pete, Rex and Dale's sister, who has no heart issues beyond high blood pressure.

Apparently it just runs in the male side of the family, Patterson said with a chuckle.

Theyve each warned their kids about getting their hearts checked, as they could have inherited their fathers health issues. A recent check showed that Rex, at least, has a genetic abnormality.

Iowa Donor Network spokesperson Heather Butterfield said patterns of transplant necessity in families were much more common when it came to kidneys than hearts. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, of the more than 106,000 people in the U.S. waiting for an organ transplant, around 3,400 are waiting for a heart.

As of 2021, 169 million people in the U.S. have registered as organ donors. Patterson and Dale have both corresponded with their donors families, and Dale said his donor has helped at least 24 people.

Situations like his and his brothers are why its so important people sign up to be an organ donor, Patterson said. Butterfield said an average of 20 people die a day waiting for an organ transplant.

Information on how to become an organ donor can be found on the Health Resources and Services Administration website.

"I thought, since one brother already had [a heart transplant] in the family, there's no way [I'll get one]," Dale said. "And now I'm hoping for three for three."

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CEDAR RAPIDS  Cedar Rapids Democrat Abby Finkenauer is appealing what she calls an outrageous and partisan decision by an Iowa district court judge to throw her off the June 7 primary election ballot for a U.S. Senate seat.

After careful review, I have decided to challenge this deeply partisan decision to the Iowa Supreme Court, Finkenauer, a former member of the U.S. House, said in a statement Monday.

Finkenauer will ask the court to reverse a ruling issued Sunday night by Polk County District Court Judge Scott Beattie that she did not submit enough signatures on nomination petitions to qualify for the Democratic primary to determine the partys U.S. Senate nominee in the November general election.

His decision overruled the State Objections Panel that rejected challenges to Finkenauers campaign raised by GOP activists. The panel decided Finkenauer had met the ballot requirement to acquire at least 3,500 signatures, including at least 100 signatures each in at least 19 counties. But only the Democrats on the panel  Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and State Auditor Rob Sand  voted in Finkenauers favor, while Republican Iowa Secretary of State voted against her campaign.

Finkenauer called the judges decision a massive gift to Washington Republicans  that ignores decades of precedent, interferes in the electoral process and makes a mockery of our democracy.

Its clear now more than ever: Republicans are scared of the campaign were building, she said. Theyve gone to historic lengths to slow us down because they know Chuck Grassley is more vulnerable than ever and that we can beat him in November.

Finkenauer has been competing with retired Admiral Michael Franken of Sioux City and physician Glenn Hurst of Minden for the Democratic nomination. Grassley is expected to be the Republican nominee but faces a primary challenge from state Sen. Jim Carlin of Sioux City.

Grassley's reelection is considered solid by the Cook Political Report and Inside Elections, and safe by Crystal Ball.

Beattie, according to Finkenauer, did the bidding of Chuck Grassley and his allies in Washington. Grassley was not a party to the challenge brought by other GOP activists.

The state Supreme Court issued an order Monday that the case was being expedited but did not say when a ruling would be issued. It scheduled oral arguments for Wednesday.

The Finkenauer campaign hopes the court acts quickly because Pates office said Monday county auditors need a final decision by April 18 to have ballots printed to meet an April 23 deadline for sending overseas ballots. Early voting starts May 18.

After the Objections Panel approved Finkenauers nomination petitions, determining she had substantially complied with state law, Kim Schmett, a former Republican congressional candidate, and Leanne Pellett, co-chair of the Cass County Republicans, filed a number of objections. They asserted some signature lines were missing information, and as a result, Finkenauer did not have the mandatory 100 signatures from 19 counties.

Beattie said the panels interpretation of the law was incorrect.

The court takes no joy in this conclusion, he wrote. This court should not be in the position to make a difference in an election, and Ms. Finkenauer and her supporters should have a chance to advance her candidacy. However, this Courts job is to sit as a referee and apply the law without passion or prejudice. It is required to rule without consideration of the politics of the day.

Beatties decision also is being appealed by Miller, according to his spokesman. Miller had discussed the ruling and challenging it with the other Objection Panel members, Pate and Sand.

Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said Miller and Sand should be ashamed of their hyper-partisan actions and have more respect for our election laws. With the district judges decision, he said, the rule of law has prevailed.

This is not the first election-related case Beattie has ruled on. In 2018, he dismissed a challenge brought by Democrat Kayla Koether in her race for an Iowa House seat in Northeast Iowa.

When the ballots were counted that year, she trailed incumbent Republican Rep. Michael Bergan of Dorchester by nine votes. However 29 absentee ballots from Winneshiek County were not counted because they had not arrived in the county auditors office before the deadline. The Postal Service confirmed the ballots had been mailed on or before the deadline.

Koether wanted those ballots opened and counted. Beattie dismissed her case on jurisdictional grounds. He cited the Iowa Constitution, saying the legislative branch, not the judiciary, was the proper venue for determining contested elections.

The GOP-controlled Iowa House upheld Bergans win.

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Five hundred seventy-seven days.

That's the time that will have passed between a fatal crash that killed 55-year-old Joe Boever and the political judgment day for the man behind the wheel.

The South Dakota House of Representatives will gavel in at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the state Capitol for what could be the state's first-ever impeachment of a constitutional officer.

But exactly how the final day of a special legislative session convened in November to specifically vet whether the conduct of Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg related to the 2020 crash will play out, and if the 45-year-old Republican will be impeached, remains uncertain.

While the House Select Committee on Investigation recommended last month the chamber not vote to impeach, a contingent of lawmakers are expected to support a resolution circulating among them that calls for Ravnsborg's impeachment and would force an impeachment trial in the Senate.

Drafted by Rep. Will Mortenson, R-Pierre, the resolution states Ravnsborg was not forthcoming with a 911 dispatcher the night of the crash as well as with detectives who investigated the crash and that he used state assets to benefit himself personally.

Mortenson declined to comment for this article.

Procedural mechanisms for delivering both Mortenson's resolution as well as the committee's 22-page report have yet to be established by House leadership or the Legislative Research Council.

House Speaker Spencer Gosch, R-Glenham, told the Argus Leader on Friday that because this is the first time the Legislature has ever gone through the impeachment process, research and dialogue with the LRC about how best to proceed are ongoing.

Early on, the House will be asked to accept the committee's report. Gosch, though, said that doesn't necessarily amount to a vote on impeachment, only to acknowledge the committee has finished its work and followed through with its directive to submit a report to the Legislature.

While any motion made to accept the report could be replaced with a substitute motion, Gosch said it's his preference to allow resolutions relating to impeachment to be introduced independent of the committee's report.

"We're still navigating through that," he said. "But I think it would be much cleaner if they brought their own resolutions."

And while many lawmakers are also still keeping their intentions on Ravnsborg's impeachment close to the vest, they all say they're eager to put the attorney general saga behind them.

"This is long overdue, and hopefully, we can get the situation resolved for the betterment of the people of South Dakota," said Rep. Sydney Davis, R-Burbank.

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Two local men with felony records have pleaded guilty to illegally possessing firearms in The Belt Atlantic apartments in Richmond three months after five people were shot there  including a mother and her infant who were killed  as a result of efforts by the U.S. Attorneys Office to leverage federal resources in combating violent gun crimes in the city.

Anthony C. Brown Jr., 24, of Richmond pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court in Richmond to possessing a Glock 35 .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol in The Belt Atlantic on July 23, 2021. Dequane A. McCullers, 24, of Henrico County pleaded guilty Wednesday to possessing a Glock 23 .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol in the complex on the same day. The two men were indicted together in November.

Judge John A. Gibney Jr. convicted both men after accepting their pleas and set sentencing for Aug. 15. Under federal law, possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison. Under Virginia law, the offense is punishable by up to five years.

The U.S. Attorneys Office in Virginia agreed to take the cases to assist Richmond authorities as they deal with a wave of deadly firearm offenses.

The U.S. Attorneys Office, along with its partners, is leveraging federal resources to support local Richmond law enforcement in combating violent gun crimes, said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, in a statement provided to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. This includes specifically targeting prominent violent offenders who are responsible for disproportionate amounts of criminal activity, and focusing efforts on geographic areas that have been hit hard by violent crime, such as The Belt Atlantic apartments.

This is an inter-agency effort stemming from a clear recognition of the severity of the threat firearms crime poses to our Richmond community, and the commitment of our office to reducing violent crime across the Eastern District of Virginia, Aber said.

According to the prosecutions statement of facts in the Brown case, Richmond police officers on July 23 were watching the social media accounts of known individuals and observed several of them brandishing firearms outside of The Belt Atlantic apartments area. Another officer then accessed surveillance cameras for the complex and noticed that several of the individuals brandishing firearms were still on the apartment complex property.

Consequently, several officers responded to The Belt Atlantic. Upon arrival, the officers approached several of the people whom officers recognized from the video surveillance. One of them was Brown, who was observed going into a stairwell of one of the buildings.

The officers detained Brown and after patting him down found the Glock 35 in his possession. Brown pleaded guilty less than three years ago in Henrico to two counts of felony forging and uttering and obtaining money under false pretenses. In May 2019, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison with all but one year and six months suspended, according to court records.

It was noted in court on Monday that Brown was wounded in a January 2019 shooting in Richmond and must wear a colostomy bag as a result of his injuries. Brown was shot by an assailant who tried robbing him near the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, his attorney, Greg Sheldon, said after court.

The summary of facts in the McCullers case is similar to Browns, in that Richmond officers approached him on July 23 after he was observed going into a stairwell of The Belt Atlantic. He was detained and a Glock 23 pistol was found in his possession during a pat-down.

McCullers was convicted in May 2015 of two counts of robbery, and he was sentenced in August 2016 to 20 years in prison with all of that time suspended, according to court records. He was a juvenile at the time of the offense but tried as an adult.

The Belt Atlantic has come under increased scrutiny since the April 27, 2021, mass shooting in the complex courtyard. At around 6:30 p.m. that day, a group of several young men, wearing masks fully covering their faces, opened fire while a large group of people were outside enjoying the evening. Another group of people returned fire. More than 48 cartridge casings were recovered.

Sharnez Hill, 30, was shot in the back of the head and killed. Her infant, Neziah, suffered a fatal shot to her right thigh that exited through the left side of her abdomen. An 11-year-old girl, a 15-year-old girl and a 29-year-old woman also were shot and wounded. All were innocent bystanders.

Five months later, on Nov. 30, Aaron Walker, 24, was shot and killed in a parking lot inside The Belt Atlantic during a robbery, police said. Four teenagers were charged in the robbery and killing of Walker.

So far, only one of the defendants charged in the April 27 shooting at The Belt Atlantic has had his case adjudicated in court.

Kevin Bynum, 19, was sentenced March 14 to serve 183 years in prison with 131 suspended on his earlier guilty pleas to seven felonies, including two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of malicious wounding in the April 27 Belt Atlantic shootings; the punishment also included Bynums conviction for a separate killing 20 days earlier, in which Vinshaun Johnson, 18, was fatally shot on Montvale Avenue in North Richmond after being ambushed by Bynum and at least two others.
The Henrico County Division of Police and Richmond police are investigating a shooting near Community Supermarket off Mechanicsville Turnpike. One man was sent to a hospital with critical injuries, according to a tweet from the division.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting just before noon near the 1900 block of Mechanicsville Turnpike beside the intersection of Whitcomb Street and Cool Lane. This incident occurred around the dividing line between the county and city, according to officials.

One man was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. Henrico spokesman Lt. Matt Pecka said hes still gathering information on the incident and that more updates will be provided when theyre available.

Police encourage anyone with information about this incident to contact Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000 or online at http://p3tips.com.
You are here: China

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Sunday stressed the crucial role of "Chinese seeds" in ensuring the country's food security.

China's food security can only be safeguarded when seed resources are firmly held in our own hands, Xi said while inspecting a seed laboratory in the city of Sanya, south China's Hainan province.

"To ensure that China's seed resources are self-supporting and under better control, self-reliance must be achieved in seed technology," he said.

Highlighting the strategic significance of the related work, Xi called for carrying forward the spirit of scientists and researchers of the older generations, including Yuan Longping.

Xi also called for sustained efforts in developing the country's seed industry.
Chesterfield County officials are still going back and forth through letters with the Virginia Attorney Generals Office regarding the redistricting plan the county submitted late last year.

In mid-January, the Attorney Generals Office, then under the direction of Mark Herring, rejected the redistricting plan. In response, county officials asked for new Attorney General Jason Miyares to overturn the decision. The county is still waiting on a potentially new outcome.

In letter swapping last month, the Attorney Generals Office sent a list of questions to the county on March 11, seeking additional information as part of our ongoing investigation as to whether Chesterfield Countys proposed changes comply with state law, according to an attorney general letter obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Questions included: the rationale for moving residents in and out of the Midlothian District, even though the district didnt need to be touched due to population size; the rationale for not moving residents from the overpopulated Matoaca District to the underpopulated Clover Hill and Dale districts; the rationale for moving residents from Clover Hill to Dale; the rationale for moving residents from Matoaca to Midlothian; if other redistricting plans were considered and if so, why they were rejected; any contemplated changes to polling places; and results of a public hearing.

The county responded to the list of questions, roughly a week later on March 17, according to another letter obtained by The Times-Dispatch.

In almost every response to the individual questions, the county included the same rationale for the particular redistricting decision as it relates to the Dale District. For example, in defense of not choosing a different population shift, the county wrote, such a move would have diluted the strength of the minoritys population vote in Dale. Then when answering in defense of particular moves, a sentence along the lines of, the movement of the population also maintains the voting strength of the Black population in Dale, appeared in the letter.

Although the Countys redistricting plan successfully maintains the voting strength of the minority population in the Dale district, the Countys redistricting plan does not pack minorities into Dale, the county wrote in the March 17 letter.

The county also wrote that no moves diluted the voting strength of any racial or language minority groups in a particular district or the county as a whole, in any statistically meaningful way.

During the redistricting process last fall, the countys NAACP branch, the county Democratic committee and residents criticized the map for racial and political gerrymandering. The groups and residents expressed concern that the county map looked to pack Black residents into the Dale District, which happens to be the countys single majority-minority district and where the sole Black member of the Board of Supervisors resides.

An analysis of voting patterns by The Times-Dispatch showed the countys proposal would help the boards four Republican incumbents and sole Democrat by adding favorable voters to their districts.

Legally required once a decade following new census numbers, redistricting looks to cut the county into similar-sized pieces. Chesterfields population grew up by nearly 50,000 in the past decade for a total of 365,000 residents.

Herrings office, after reviewing the countys plan and 2020 U.S. census information, said the countys map made questionable changes, including creating three split voting precincts and may negatively affect a resident of colors right to vote.

In January, the county said in a letter to Miyares office that the rejection of its request for certification of no objection from Herrings office was arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion.

The letter merely states that the information and data related to the redistricting plan suggests that the plan will have the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote based on race or color and attempts to support this statement by listing the Offices concerns. The letter never states that the Office actually finds that the Countys redistricting plan has the purpose or effect of denying or abridging the right to vote based on race or color, according to the Jan. 21 letter the county sent to the attorney general.

In a blog post last week, the county provided an update regarding the redistricting situation with the Attorney Generals Office. While the county provided dates, names and details regarding the January letters, the recent March letters were not referenced in great detail.

Instead, the county wrote the following sentences regarding the March correspondence: Chesterfield has submitted additional information to the Virginia Attorney Generals Office regarding the countywide redistricting plan approved by the Board of Supervisors last November, and the Attorney Generals Office is currently reviewing the countys request, and the county recently responded to written questions from the office about its redistricting plan.

The county also did not provide the series of questions that the Attorney Generals Office asked in its March 11 letter.

The county plans to update the blog post when additional information is provided by the Attorney Generals Office. According to a spokesperson for Miyares, the office is still reviewing the matter.
Developers of a decadeslong planned residential project in Henrico Countys Varina District recently pulled out of developing the 420-acre site. Residents had criticized the 650 single-family homes and town homes subdivision project.

Last year, D.R. Horton, a home construction company headquartered in Texas, took over the project  located about a mile east of Interstate 295 and state Route 5  from Atack Properties.

However, on April 5, Henrico officials received notice that D.R. Horton withdrew its contract with the Atack Estate to purchase the site, which is set to become The Ridings at Warner Farm.

Via email, the county learned that the developer no longer intended to move forward with the acquisition of the property, said Steven Yob, Henricos deputy county manager for community operations.

In previous interviews with residents, the issues at hand were the projects potential impact on the Camp Holly Springs aquifer and the Civil War battlefield of New Market Heights, where 14 members of the U.S. Colored Troops earned the Medal of Honor for valor in an attack on Confederate forces.

D.R. Horton abandoned the project after the Coalition raised concerns that the project was out of compliance with permits issued by the Army Corps of Engineers, specifically that the project had not completed several elements of the cultural resources plan, which is a condition of the permit, according to a news release Monday from the Coalition for the Protection of New Market Heights Battlefield.

An attorney for D.R. Horton did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

D.R. Horton was also working through a checklist from the county. The forms are used to make sure compliance is met with all components of the design, engineering standards and aspects related to roads, the environment and the subdivision, Yob said.

As far as the county goes, we will review it as many times as it takes to make sure everything is good to go, Yob said. In the case of The Ridings, they had gotten very far getting through the checklist and requirements ... [and] we were working through the items that they were doing.

Non-county-issued permits concerning the environment were set to expire this summer. The county takes those permits into account with its checklists. For example, impacts on wetlands require approval from the Army Corps of Engineers and/or the Department of Environmental Quality.

The process did what the process was supposed to do as it relates to accountability, said Varina District Supervisor Tyrone Nelson. D.R. Horton was in the planning of its development stage and there are checkpoints and checklists that our planning department goes through with developers and Horton did not meet that criteria.

Environmental protections are important to Henrico County, including protection of floodplains, wetlands, streams and rivers, he said.

In 2012, Bob Atack of Atack Properties went before the Henrico Planning Commission and secured approval for the development, after initially purchasing the land seven years earlier. Atack died in 2014 before the project truly began.

When D.R. Horton stepped in last year, new plans were developed to expand the number of homes from 650 to 770. However, in November, D.R. Horton withdrew its rezoning application from the Planning Commission, bringing the project back to 650 homes.

Despite D.R. Hortons decision, the 2012 rezoning case still stands, meaning the land can still be developed.

The Atack Estate, which did not respond Monday evening to an email sent to an address listed on the Richard Atack website, has the ability to either sell the land to another developer or potentially a preservation group.

As a property owner, you have a right to look at all options for your property, Nelson said.

The Capital Region Land Conservancy and the American Battlefield Trust have previously expressed interest in purchasing the property for preservation purposes if D.R. Horton stepped aside.

Its been one of those things where the community [has been] saying repeatedly over the past year that this is an important site for them and they would like to see it preserved, said Parker Agelasto, executive director of the land conservancy. I can only think that has had some impact on the decision makers to get to this point.

Community members who wanted to see the land be preserved sought out the help of Agelasto. He has helped them access available conservation information and has assisted them in understanding how regulations are used to protect resources.

Jeff Dawes, a member of the New Market Heights coalition, said in a statement that the coalition hopes the result of D.R. Horton stepping away from the project is allowing for the land to be preserved.
Its one thing to watch your friends die. Its another to watch them die slowly and painfully, and to know this is what lies in store for you, too.

My friendship with Bob Knapp grew out of Virginia soil. We were boyhood friends in middle school in Virginia Beach. We attended Hampden-Sydney College as roommates and then as fraternity brothers. Together, we entered the naval aviation training program to serve as Navy pilots during the Vietnam War. Later, we were ushers in each others weddings, and then we were godparents to each others children.

At midlife, Bob suffered a slow, gruesome death from leukemia, likely from exposure to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam, along with another former squadron mate of mine, Stan Starling. I was by Bobs and Stans bedsides during their last months of his life. I can attest that they endured uncontrollable pain.

Witnessing my friends deaths firsthand left me with the permanent impression of the hardships that can be suffered not only by dying people, but also by their loved ones. It convinced me there has to be a better and more humane way to live out those final moments of life before death than in agony and devitalization, unable to say goodbye to those whom you love.

At some level, I also knew the same disease that claimed Bobs and Stans lives, and drew out their dying processes, was coming for me.

I was diagnosed with metastatic (progressive) cancer in 2019. I can delay the inevitable through various treatments. I recently completed a clinical trial at Columbia University, and I will continue to receive intermittent treatment.

But my disease is incurable. When metastatic prostate cancer spreads to your bones, a protracted, painful death follows.

As a mentally capable adult whose illness one day will be terminal, I feel very strongly that the decision over how I die should be mine when I reach that point. When death is imminent and the dying process is grueling, why should I be forced to loiter at deaths door? I want the option of medical aid in dying in Virginia so I can have a peaceful death, with a clear mind, surrounded by love.

Medical aid in dying is an authorized option for mentally capable, terminally ill adults in 10 states, as well as the District of Columbia (but not in Virginia). It doesnt seem right that I should have to undergo avoidable suffering at the end of my life as a consequence of living in this state.

I have a daughter who lives in Oregon, where medical aid in dying has been an authorized option for terminally ill people for 25 years. I could move there to access medical aid in dying, but Im a lifelong Virginian. I was born in this state, Ive spent my life in this state and I pray I can die in this state without needless suffering.

Thats why I testified in support of the Virginia Death with Dignity Act (Senate Bill 668)  a bill that would authorize medical aid in dying for terminally ill Virginians  at a Feb. 3 hearing before the Senate Committee on Education and Health. The committee narrowly failed to pass the legislation in a tie vote. I can only hope and pray that I live long enough to see the bill pass during the next legislative session, so I can die peacefully, not in agony.

With the Virginia Death with Dignity Act, lawmakers have the opportunity to make medical aid in dying an authorized option for people like Bob and Stan, and one day, myself. The option is not for people who want to die; it is for people who already are dying and dont want to suffer.

Now I, like Bob and Stan, have cancer. I can only hope that I do not share his fate. In fact, most Virginians dont want to share his fate.

Wason Center surveys in both February 2021 and 2022 show 7 in 10 Virginia voters support medical aid in dying. Majority support spanned geographic, political and racial spectrums. This is not a political issue. It is a human issue.

Virginia legislators, I implore you: Please pass the Virginia Death with Dignity Act, and give me the option to end my suffering gently, at home in this great state.
Ronnie Black got one question more than any other when he announced his plans to retire: Whats going to happen to the pig?

Blacks shop, Crossroads Hobbies and Crafts of Salem, had been a mecca for model builders, RC car racers and do-it-yourselfers for 59 years, started by his father and carried on by Black.

The store was also home to a beloved community tradition  a rotund, concrete pig that is part eccentric mascot and part public message board.

Its not the first time the pig has made more news than I have, chuckled Black. ... I got quite a few calls, theyre worried about the pig, what about the pig.

The pig is safe for right now, he assured people. It aint going anywhere.

Crossroads Hobbies and Crafts got its start in 1963 at Crossroads Mall in Roanoke before migrating to a bigger space on Salems busy West Main Street corridor in 1988.

Weve been making a go of it ever since, said Black, who took the helm when his father retired in the 1980s.

Black, now 68, said his own approaching retirement came with a mixed bag of emotions.

Ive been doing this for so long that Im sure Im going to miss it, he said. Im going to miss the people more than anything and the friends Ive made over all these years  They have supported me wholeheartedly. Theyre how I made a go of it.

Congratulatory calls have come in from West Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina as news of Blacks retirement spread among the regions hobbyists.

Clubs used to gather to race cars around a track set up in the rear of the store. Customers have brought in their children and grandchildren to bond over train sets or remote control airplanes.

The store stocked everything from models to art supplies to 1,000-piece puzzles. The shelves were increasingly bare though as the shop approached its last day, which arrived April 2, and sold off its inventory.

The changing retail environment over the decades, including the rise of online competitors, was a factor in the decision to retire, but just one, smaller piece of it, Black said.

It just got to be time, he said.

The future of the shops building, which spans a total of about 7,200 square feet, remains open-ended. Black said hed be willing to either lease or sell it. Hed love to see another hobby shop in the storefront, which covers an estimated 2,700 square feet, but is willing to consider all proposals.

The store cat  affectionately nicknamed Punk after he showed up as a stray more than a decade ago and adopted the place  was set to go with Black after the shops last day.

Black also plans to keep caring for the popular pig statue that has stood in his parking lot since 2010.

The tradition of the pig first began with a barbecue joint two doors down, Henrys Memphis BBQ, which encouraged community members to paint their pig mascot with patterns and messages.

When the restaurant closed, people clamored to keep the fun oddity going. Signs popped up that begged: Bring Back The Pig.

Black agreed to carry it on. The Crossroads Hobbies pig has been splashed with thousands of coats of paint since then, and heralded everything from birthday greetings to community event announcements.

The pig will keep its post as long as Black remains the owner of the property, he said.

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One person is dead after a Monday morning house fire in northwest Roanoke.

Roanoke Fire-EMS said department personnel were summoned to the 3700 block of Greenland Avenue Northwest at 6:52 a.m. by reports of smoke coming from the roof of a residence.

Arriving crews saw heavy smoke and flames coming from the roof of the two-story building and marked it as a working fire, a department news release said.

Crews searched the first floor of the residence and gained access to the second, where they found the heaviest area of the fire, the department said.

During their search of the second floor, crews located and removed one victim.

The departments public information officer, Rachel Hale, confirmed in an email shortly before 11 a.m. that the victim is deceased. The persons identity has not been released.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the fire marshals office.

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CHRISTIANSBURG  Supporters of allowing collective bargaining in Montgomery County Public Schools say it would lead to improved work conditions for teachers and staff and ultimately a better learning environment for students.

There is, however, a contingent that is starting to mount a campaign against the effort to let county teachers and staff unionize, something the state legalized for public employees in 2020.

Among the arguments against collective bargaining are a concern that it would effectively force tax increases to meet demands to boost pay and benefits and a claim that it would wrestle control of the schools away from the district and school board.

Jo Anne Price, the recently elected chairwoman of the Montgomery County Republican Party, has been among a handful of recurring speakers who have addressed the subject of collective bargaining at school board meetings over the past several weeks.

Price, a critic of a number of school-related initiatives, said during public comments last month that the effects of unionizing in the private sector differ from those in the public sector due to companies having the option to either close shop or move to other states.

In the public sector, the reasons theyre not OK is the government cant shut its door. You cant stop teaching schools, she said. Then the taxpayers are basically being ransomed.

Catherine Kincaid, who has addressed the school board on the matter on more than one occasion, echoed Prices arguments on taxes and raised concerns about another group diminishing the authority of the district and school board.

We better be careful what we wish for. It sounds good, but its not, Kincaid told board members last month. It creates problems among teachers, board members and administrators. It further divides, rather than unifying.

As part of the opposition, Price organized two motorcades last month where drivers placed signs on their vehicles advocating against the unionization of school employees. One motorcade involving 11 cars went through Christiansburg and Riner, while another with seven vehicles went through Blacksburg, she said.

Then, Price had another motorcade planned Saturday for the eastern Montgomery County communities of Shawsville and Elliston.

Despite some of the pushback, supporters say there has been misinformation and misunderstanding in the community on the subject.

Glen Chilcote, president of the Montgomery County Education Association and who has spoken in favor of the matter several times this year, addressed the argument that the issue would force tax increases.

Chilcote, along with some others, said the school board has no power to levy a tax. He said that authority falls on the countys Board of Supervisors, which he added school employees dont negotiate with.

As far as calls for better salaries and benefits are concerned, Chilcote said the process would see little change from the one that currently exists  where the district often proposes an annual budget that includes plans for raises and calls on the board of supervisors to approve a request for additional funding.

When school employees advocate for raises to the school board, the elected body would decide on whether they want to include the measure in the proposed budget, Chilcote said. Then, theres a clause that would specify that such pay increases could only happen if the funds are in fact available, he said.

The difference with a union, Chilcote said, is employees would be able to sit down with school board members and division representatives and have face-to-face conversations on a number of measures. Currently, much of the advocacy for improvements in areas such as pay are largely limited to email correspondences to the board and comments made by employees at board meetings, he said.

And thats not really a lot of time to work with the whole board on big, important issues, Chilcote said.

But regarding the topic of pay, Chilcote said it would certainly be a focus under collective bargaining  but not necessarily the main one. Working conditions, for instance, mean more to many MCEA members, he said.

Issues teachers would hope to see improvements include the areas of duty-free lunches and protected planning time, Chilcote said.

The pandemic, for example, has led to certain regulations and conditions that have at times led teachers in some buildings to not truly have lunch breaks, Chilcote said. Teachers, he said, would also hope to see caps on the number of meetings that can occur during their time for planning lessons.

In response to an argument hes heard that the MCEA is really an outside organization that seeks to silence local teacher voices, Chilcote said the groups membership is full-time teachers. He is a music teacher at Kipps Elementary School and a drumline instructor at Blacksburg High School.

One other teacher during a school board meeting last month echoed some of Chilcotes points, saying whoever represents employees during collective bargaining would be an MCEA member and ultimately someone who works for the district.

Gayle Webster, a high school special education teacher with MCPS, talked about how her colleagues in the past went many years without sufficient pay increases. She also spoke on the challenges of teacher retention and the need to provide them with the best possible conditions to serve students.

We work hard to make our classrooms a positive place and a safe place for students to learn and thrive, she said.

As far as where the district is on the subject of unionizing, the board in February gave MCPS officials the green light to begin putting together a draft resolution that would enable collective bargaining  if the elected body does in fact approve the measure later.

The administration is still working on the draft resolution, MCPS spokeswoman Brenda Drake said this past week.

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Dark clouds forming; distant thunder sounding; a chilly breeze  a somber backdrop influenced the choice of topics for this weeks submission. Thus a sad story is at hand.

In previous columns detailing the dealings of the Crozer Iron Co., a out-of-town financed Roanoke industry operating just prior to the turn of the 20th century, another story suggested itself. That is of Carroll County, Virginia-born George L. Carter, whose rise and fall with the company that absorbed Crozer will be sketched out shortly.

Carters story drew the attention of researcher Patrick Dalton Dickerson, whose 2012 James Madison University Masters thesis The Virginia Iron, Coal & Coke Company and the Growth and Decline of Southern Appalachias Iron Industry: 1880-1930 uses Carters story as a backdrop.

As warned previously, Carters business life turned tear-jerker, as we shall see, in some ways that could have been expected. As anybody who knows anything about the history of U.S. extraction enterprises understands, boom or bust is written on every page.

As Dickerson tells it, Carter was born of a well-to-do farming family in 1857. No farm interested him. The only dirt under his fingernails came from reading ledgers, business reports, and his bank book.

First a clerk in a local store, Carters ambition and cleverness with numbers and accounting practices led him into partnership with a contractor for the Norfolk & Western Railway that resulted in the development of the Dora Iron Furnace in Pulaski.

Success with that enterprise plus a productive relationship with the N&W led Carter to expand operations into Roanoke, just then in the early stages of fabulous growth. The way he did it was to purchase Crozer Iron from its Pennsylvania-based absentee owner. Crozer was founded in 1882 and expanded in 1889.

The consolidation under the banner of Carter Coal & Iron Co. was one of a series of such mergers then taking place in the larger context of the Souths post-Reconstruction industrial transformation.

The formation of Carter Coal & Iron began the rapid series of mergers and expansion that led to the birth of Virginia Iron, Coal and Coke, Dickerson wrote.

Although by this time Carter had accumulated a substantial personal fortune, investment in his expanding business required outside financing. That led Carter to New York and the firm of Moore & Schley, an investment bank that had been looking for a way to expand its interest in iron manufacture.

Carters company was an attractive buy both for its existing production and business as well as its extensive holdings in the coalfields of Virginia and West Virginia that provided the fuel for the furnaces. Carter agreed to a deal that sold his company to the investment firm and landed him a position as president of what would become the much larger Virginia Iron, Coal, and Coke.

The resulting merger consolidated nearly the entire iron industry of southwest Virginia and east Tennessee, Dickerson wrote.

The New York underwriters of the new venture spent $10 million, a huge sum. Holdings as enumerated by Dickerson were substantial when organized in 1899: 15 blast furnaces good for production of 500,000 pounds of pig iron; two rolling mills and planned steel works; cast iron pipe works; a sawmill; grist mills; hundreds of coke ovens; and ownership or rights to 125,000 acres that included iron ore, limestone, and coal properties.

Moore & Schley gambled on what turned out to be a bad hand. Major iron production in the central Appalachians was doomed to failure. By the 1920s the entire pig iron industry of Southwest Virginia and east Tennessee had been eclipsed by that elsewhere in the Great Lakes and western Pennsylvania regions.

On top of having a more established industrial base, these regions were taking advantage of being situated between the rich ore beds of the Lake Superior region and the rich coal deposits of southern Appalachia, Dickerson wrote.

As steel development outpaced iron, pig iron produced in these northern regions was found to be better suited to Bessemer and open-hearth furnace steel production.

Carters downfall came swiftly as the ultimate shortcomings of his managerial ability were exposed. For a variety of reasons, within two years Virginia Iron, Coal, and Coke was struggling and had fallen into receivership.

Lack of profitability was of course a big problem for Carter. So was something else: him. According to Dickerson Carters personality aggravated the situation: over the course of his career he had a tendency to turn friends into enemies, and his tenure at VIC&CC was no exception.

When business troubles loomed, Carter found little support among the big city investors. Once the company went into receivership, he was forced out.

By the 1920s, the company had turned almost entirely to coal production and so lived on for a number of years after.

As for Carter, his spectacular rise from humble professional beginnings to would-be iron magnate and the subsequent precipitous fall had all the classic elements of tragedy. By nature, tragedy is a sad story. As promised, we delivered.

But not to leave readers in melancholy, Carter did have a comeback story. Dickerson credited him after his parting with Virginia Iron, Coal and Coke with helping spearhead development of the Carolina, Clinchfield, and Ohio Railroad and also a successful rebirth of Carter Coal. He died in 1936.

Sounds like he turned out to be one of the richer residents of the graveyard.

If youve been wondering about something, call Whats on Your Mind? at 777-6476 or send an email to whatsonyourmind@roanoke.com. Dont forget to provide your full name (and its proper spelling if by phone) and hometown.
As the needs of the community continue to increase, Lake Christian Ministries is looking to expand its longtime headquarters in what used to be Monetas downtown.

Lake Christian Ministries announced a capital campaign to raise enough funds from the community to construct an additional building as well as renovate its headquarters. The expansion is expected to double the nonprofits space and provide the necessary room for staff and volunteers to support people in need in Franklin, Bedford and Pittsylvania counties.

We dont have room to store anything right now, said Jane Winters, executive director of Lake Christian Ministries. The nonprofit is currently limited on what donated furniture and appliances it can take due to space needed to store food supplies.

LCM is also currently unable to store large amounts of clothing. Winters said items like jackets that will not be needed for several months are currently being donated elsewhere due to lack of space with the hopes that more will be donated in the fall.

Winters said the first phase of the proposed expansion includes the construction of the new facility that will serve as storage for furniture and clothing as well as a learning center for the nonprofits New Tomorrows program that works with individuals and families in need to assist them out of poverty.

New Tomorrows was created to give folks the knowledge and tools to help them stand on their own. Winters said several local businesses have partnered with LCM over the years to provide jobs for those in need.

Thats our main goal, Winters said. To get them to the point they dont need us anymore.

The second phase will include the renovation of the current headquarters to include additional offices and meeting space. Approximately 1,500 square feet of space in the building is currently used to display available clothing. That space will be converted into offices once the clothing is moved to the new building.

The headquarters has only two offices for interviews right now. The offices provide a space where community partners can speak privately with individuals or families who may be in need of help due to domestic violence or drug addiction.

Winters said the offices allow people to open up without fear of others overhearing  something that can be difficult with only two offices. We need a third and a fourth office right now, she said.

The proposed new building will be constructed on property adjoining Lake Christian Ministries. The property was purchased late last year. A building on the property that was once a country store was torn down.

This will be the first major renovation of the headquarters and expansion since Lake Christian Ministries moved into the building in 1998. LCM was first established in 1992 but wasnt provided with a main headquarters until the Cappellari family donated the former location of its home building center. The family later opened Capps Home Building Center in Westlake.

Lake Christian Ministries originally came together when Bethlehem United Methodist Church, Morgans Baptist Church, Resurrection Catholic Church and Trinity Ecumenical Parish all joined together in an effort to provide assistance for people in need in the community. That assistance includes food donations as well as financial assistance.

Winters said the needs have continued to increase in the community in the past 30 years. The needs have been even greater since the pandemic, she said.

More than $270,000 in financial aid was provided to area families in 2020. Winters said that was a 138% increase over 2019, before the pandemic.

Also in 2020, 182,440 meals were provided for more than 700 households in the three counties that surround Smith Mountain Lake.

While the needs have been greater, Winters said the community has stepped up to provide donations to help keep Lake Christian Ministries going. We have a wonderful support system, she said.

Winters is now asking for donations to help them expand their ability to provide services to the community. The current campaign has a goal of $700,000, and despite only being announced for a brief time, has already passed the halfway mark at $450,000 currently.

Once the campaign reaches 80% of its goal, Winters said construction will begin on the new building. The final 20% will be needed to complete the renovations in the current building, she said.

Winters said they would like to begin construction on the new building later this year with renovation on the current building taking place sometime next year. She said the current goal date to have everything completed is Dec. 31, 2023.

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MARTINSVILLE  A former Martinsville physician has been cleared by the Virginia Board of Medicine and has filed suit against Sovah Health for wrongful termination.

James M. Isernia, M.D., has been cleared by the Virginia Board of Health Professionals of a complaint filed against him by his former employer, Sovah Health, and on Monday, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court seeking an undetermined amount of money and punitive damages against Sovah and its various subsidiaries.

The Bulletin obtained copies of the documents on file with the Danville Division for the Western District of Virginia, where Isernia is demanding a trial by jury.

In December 2020, Sovah Health launched an internal audit into Isernias prescribing practices and claimed that improvements were not evident from earlier recommendations and that Isernia had failed to comply with the best practices and tenets of chronic opioid management per CDC, state-specific regulations, and practice-specific standards of practice, records show.

The audit alleged that Isernia prescribed controlled substances 420 times in May 2020 and that he failed to use the electronic prescriptions for controlled substance functionality when doing so.

Based upon the information available for its review, the Board has determined that it will end its inquiry at this time, wrote Virginia Board of Medicine Deputy Executive Director Jennifer Deschenes, in a letter to Isernia dated March 2.

Should additional similar complaints be received in the future, the Board may again review the information in this case for evidence that pertains to a violation of the law or regulations relating to the healing arts, wrote Deschenes. The disposition taken in this matter is not a disciplinary action.

Isernias lawyer Thomas Strelka said by telephone Thursday afternoon, No punishment. License all good. The nonsense he was accused of has been dismissed.

Isernia was placed on administrative leave on Dec. 21 and terminated on Jan. 4 by Sovah Health, records show.

Since his wrongful termination, Dr. Isernia has been contacted by former patients who have indicated that under their current care regiments, and in contrast to their care under Dr. Isernia, they are receiving greater volumes of opioids including the additions of Benzodiazepines in some cases, the lawsuit states. This contrasts the moderate and reasonable calculated treatment as per the standard of care in Virginia, in which Dr. Isernia treated his patients prior to his wrongful termination and supports a finding that the fabricated complaint by Sovah was a mere pretext masking invidious retaliation.

Sovah at large is named specifically in the suit as Danville Regional Medical Center, LLC, HSCGP, LLC and John Doe Corporations whose true names are unknown, but are then defined as SOVAH, jointly and severally, later in the complaint.

Sovah named three people within its organization as having knowledge about the facts in its complaint of Isernia to the Department of Health Professions in Richmond dated April 5: Miyoski Whitlock, Carole McGovern and Alan Larson.

According to Sovah Healths website, Larson is the market president and CEO of Sovah Health-Danville, Miyoski is listed as the market employee relations manager and McGovern is the director of physician services in Martinsville.

The Bulletin contacted the offices of Larson, Miyoski and McGovern seeking comment Thursday afternoon and left voicemail messages, but received no return calls.

The Bulletin also reached out to Sovah Health Marketing Coordinator Hailey Fowlkes by email and phone for comment on Thursday. She returned the email shortly after 3 p.m. and asked for the Bulletins deadline stating she needed to have some conversations internally, but the deadline passed and despite two more attempts by the Bulletin for comment, Fowlkes did not provide anything.

Isernias lawsuit against Sovah does not seek a specific amount of money, but seeks as damages an injunction to restrain Sovah from repeating the action against Isernia, reinstatement to the same position or an equivalent position, compensation for lost wages, benefits, and other remuneration including interest, attorney fees and costs, back pay, front pay, actual damages, general damages, compensatory damages and punitive damages as the Court would deem appropriate.

Carolina Health Specialists of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has welcomed Isernia on their website as a new physician accepting new patients beginning June 1.

Martinsville Bulletin staff writer Holly Kozelsky contributed to this report.

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Chinese premier stresses cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries

Xinhua) 09:23, April 11, 2022

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech online while attending the opening ceremony of a special ministerial conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (PSCs), also known as Forum Macao, in Beijing, capital of China, April 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for strengthening cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries on Sunday.

Li made the remarks online while attending the opening ceremony of a special ministerial conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (PSCs), also known as Forum Macao.

Trade between China and the PSCs has exceeded 100 billion U.S. dollars for five consecutive years and reached 200 billion U.S. dollars last year, which fully demonstrated the resilience and potential of cooperation, Li noted.

Li said that China would make more contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting mutual development and prosperity of all countries together with the PSCs and the international society.

China is willing to increase cooperation with the PSCs in vaccines, medication, and health and set up a communication center on epidemic prevention in China's Macao Special Administrative Region, said the premier.

Calling for further enhancing trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, Li said China is willing to improve collaboration in advancing infrastructure connectivity, industrial capacity, energy conservation, and environmental protection with the PSCs.

Government delegates from China and eight PSCs, including Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, and Timor-Leste, attended the meeting.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
Like most organizations around the world Cine de Terror de Valdivia, Chile's oldest genre film festival will return to in-person screenings during it's 19th edition.

Located in the beautiful city of Valdivia, only a few hundred kilometers south of Santiago (holy crap, Chile is looong), the festival will host free screenings for the duration of the week. That's a nice thing to do after a couple of rough years, isn't it? There will also be events and workshops for the community as well. We have it on good authority that it is a terrific event, taking place in a beautiful city that has incredible brewaries and the best beer in the world. Hey, that is what we're told.

So we're going to include the two official announcements made by the festival. These have been Google translated for sake of time and lack of Spanish skills, so forgive any chopiness in the flow below.

Below the two official announcements is the festival's promo spot. Enjoy!

Between April 18 and 23, the activities will take place, all free, scheduled for this year, which will mostly be with an audience. The traditional Valdivian event, dedicated to lovers of scary movies, returns in April with face-to-face functions, after two years of online broadcasts due to the pandemic. New feature films, national premieres, previews of what is being done in Latin America and of course the 2 Minute Competitions, as well as other news, are returning from Monday 18th and until Saturday 23rd April Part of the program will include special effects workshops to be taught by Deborah Araya, makeup expert and director of the Valparaiso International Terror Festival, which will take place at the Casa Prochelle Uno Cultural Center. Meanwhile, on the YouTube channel of the corporation there will be late-night movies and horror stories. We want to have 12 performances at the Lord Cochrane Theater with free admission, during the 6 days that the event will last, one at 7:00 p.m. and the other at 9:00 p.m., added to what we have prepared in online format. We want to maintain these two modalities because that way we reach more spectators, and last year's numbers prove it, we had more than a thousand people watching us, explained Nino Bernucci, director of the festival. Competition 2 Minutes In the short film contest there will be works by Chilean, Spanish, Mexican, Argentine and German directors, 12 in total, from which the 3 winners this year will come out; plus the favorite of the public, which will be chosen by the spectators by means of a face-to-face vote, starting on April 19 during the show at nine o'clock at night. The programming will be available a week before the start of the Valdivia International Horror Film Festival at www.ccm-valdivia.cl, but some of it will be previewed on all the event's social networks and on those of the Municipal Cultural Corporation @ ccmvaldivia

The festival will announce its program this coming week in lead up to the festival. They did announce before the weekend that local hit, APPS, will be the closing night film of the festival.

The horror anthology has had a hugely successful festival run over the past year. Made by a couple of friends of mine, Lucio A Rojas and Sandra Arriagada, along with Camilo Leon, Jose Miguel Zuniga y Samot Marquez, APPS has played at more than 30 festivals so far with further stops still in May.

I have been told that Rojas will make the trip to Valdivia, taking a short break from pre-production on his next film. Arriagada is currently prepping her next film as well.
 "Transgender Rights & the Eighth Amendment" | Main | "The Return of the Firing Squad?" 

April 11, 2022

Considering sentencing echoes of SCOTUS confirmation hearings' sentencing attacks

This lengthy new CNN article, headlined "Ambitious trial judges could be wary after GOP attacks on Judge Jackson's sentencing record," provides an effective review of how last month's SCOTUS spectacle could impact the work of federal sentencing judges. I recommend the full piece, and here are excerpts (with some commentary added in spots):

The Senate Republicans who led the attacks on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's sentencing record say they hoped to send a message to other trial judges who might seek appointments to higher courts. While some veteran judges see it as a tactic of intimidation, it hits on a longstanding tension between the lifetime tenure granted to judges to in theory shield them from politics and lawmakers' frustration that they're using that discretion to supposedly stretch beyond the instructions they've received from Congress. J One of the most important consequences of these confirmation hearings is there are district judges across the country who may have ambitions for elevations, who are going to think twice about letting violent criminals go or giving them a slap on the wrist, rather than following the law and imposing serious sentences for those who have committed serious crimes," Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, told CNN.

Of course, as I highlighted in this prior post, Judge Jackson was "following the law" in all of her sentencing decisions; and the cases that were the focal point for attacks by GOP Senators did not generally involve "violent criminals," but on computer criminals who downloaded child pornography. Sigh. Now, more from the CNN article:

"It is in part meant to intimidate judges," said Ret. Judge Shira Scheindlin, who joined several other retired judges in a letter last month defending Jackson's approach to the child pornography cases that had been singled out by GOP lawmakers. "They are kind of on notice that, if that's their ambition, they better think hard about their sentencing practices," Scheindlin, a Bill Clinton appointee, told CNN. "That's a bad thing."... "I think it's terrible for public perception for the senators to be suggesting that there are judges around the country who favor child pornography," said Ret. Judge John Martin, who served as a US Attorney under Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan before his appointment by President George H.W. Bush to Manhattan's federal court.... Whether judges will change their approach out of fear they too may someday face the hostility Jackson was subjected to remains to be seen. "People in the legal profession saw it for what it was, and it wasn't a real argument based in fact," said Lisa Cylar Barrett, the director of policy at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund. Judges take it seriously, Ret. Clinton-appointed Judge Faith Hochberg told CNN, that their job requires them "to set politics aside and apply the facts and the law to every single case that comes before them, without any overlay of what may be made of the decision politically by someone else who wasn't privy to the facts and the law that the judge was presented." Still other former judges acknowledged it could have a conscious or subconscious effect. "I don't think judges are going to be too intimidated, but for those few who have the ambition to go to a higher court, they may think twice about leniency," Scheindlin said. "That's unfortunate. They should only be thinking about the defendant in front of them."

April 11, 2022 at 09:00 AM | Permalink

Comments

Is this anything new? Presidents (and their staffs) have always looked at the prior decisions of judges they consider for elevation to higher courts.

Posted by: Marc Shepherd | Apr 11, 2022 10:40:36 AM

Is this anything new? Presidents (and their staffs) have always looked at the prior decisions of judges they consider for elevation to higher courts.

Posted by: Marc Shepherd | Apr 11, 2022 10:40:36 AM

Marc Shepherd --

Correct. Not only is it now new; it's perfectly proper. If scrutiny of one's career in the law is not legitimate grist for the confirmation mill, one must wonder what is.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Apr 11, 2022 10:36:54 PM

Post a comment
 Considering sentencing echoes of SCOTUS confirmation hearings' sentencing attacks | Main | Reviewing the application of Miller and juvenile LWOP in the federal system 

The question in the title of this post is the headline of this notable new Marshall Project piece, which gets started this way:

Six years ago, a man on death row in Nevada named Scott Dozier said he wanted to give up his legal fight and be executed, but there was a problem. Prison officials couldnt find lethal injection drugs. Amid the ensuing legal turmoil, Dozier tossed off his own solution, telling me during an interview, Id have been just as happy if they took me out back and shot me.

Doziers death, in 2019, was ruled a suicide, but now his words seem prescient. On Thursday, South Carolina scheduled the execution of Richard Moore  convicted of murder in a 2001 convenience story robbery  for April 29. Because state officials say they cant secure lethal injection drugs, they will give him the choice between the electric chair and the firing squad. Officials have spent $53,000, by their own estimate, to renovate part of a prison to allow a three-person firing squad to carry out executions, including adding bulletproof glass to protect witnesses.

South Carolinas not alone: Oklahoma and Mississippi have also formally adopted the firing squad, though Utah remains the only state that has actually used the method in the last century. The U.S. Supreme Court has told death row prisoners that if they want to fight lethal injection in court, they need to propose an alternative. Following dozens of botched, evidently painful lethal injections in recent years, prisoners in at least 10 states have been making a surreal argument: They would prefer the firing squad.

So, are we really about to start shooting prisoners? Although the method strikes many as cruel and archaic, conversations with scholars and a review of history suggest we should also ask why we have so consistently avoided the firing squad. The answers suggest that this is about more than just another execution method. The firing squad dredges up some of the core contradictions at the heart of American capital punishment.

Its an almost instantaneous death, its the cheapest, its the simplest, it has the lowest botch rate, said Corinna Lain, a law professor at the University of Richmond. (Federal judges have made similar points.) At the same time, its more honest, she said. Lain and other scholars have argued that Americans have long wanted  not always consciously  to disguise the violence of capital punishment. We dont want a mess, wrote Douglas B. Kamerow, a former assistant surgeon general, in The BMJ, a medical journal published by the British Medical Association. We want these evil people to disappear, to be dead, but most of us dont want to feel bad about how they died.
A British man rescued by Malaysian authorities two and half days after drifting at sea told officials that his teenage son, missing since diving off the coast of Malaysia, has died.

Adrian Chesters, 46, had gone for a training dive in waters near Tokong Sanggol along with his 14-year-old son Nathan Renze Chesters on 6 April. The father-son duo were among the four people who went missing along with the groups 35-year-old Norwegian instructor Kristine Grodem and another 18-year-old french national Alexia Molina.

While Ms Gordem was rescued by a tugboat on Thursday, Mr Chesters and Ms Molina were found at around 1 am in waters of Pengerang, a considerable distance south of where they disappeared, Mersing district police chief Cyril Nuing told reporters.

Nathans father however told the authorities that his son has died as he was too weak and could not survive, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said in a statement. This comes even as his body is yet to be recovered.

The authorities added that the Indonesian authorities will take over the search for the Dutch national, who most likely drifted into their waters.

Commander of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Khairul Nizam Misran shows on a map where two divers, French national Alexia Alexandra Molina and British national Adrian Peter Chesters, were found alive near Indonesias Bintan Island on 9 April 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

"We believe there is a high likelihood that he is no longer in Malaysian waters based on the movement of sea currents, as well as the time and location where the other victims were found," said Mr Nuing.

Earlier, the groups diving instructor Ms Grodem told officials that the group had resurfaced about an hour into their dive on Wednesday but could not find their boat.

She was later separated from the others after being caught in strong currents.

Meanwhile, diving activities off Mersing have been suspended. Several towns in the area are popular dive spots for local residents and tourists.

Malaysias borders reopened to foreigners on April 1 after being closed for more than two years during the pandemic.

Additional reporting from the wires
DOW CITY, Iowa -- When Estelle J. (Busch) Leinen has her birthday on Saturday, she'll also mark a very important milestone.

Born April 16, 1922, the Chicago native will celebrate the centennial of her birth with her family, which consists of six children, 14 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

Now living in the Crawford County town of Dow City, Leinen is one of the last remaining U.S. Navy W.A.V.E.S., a group of women who served in World War II.

Graduating from high school in 1940, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services (or W.A.V.E.S. for short) in 1943, after being recruited by Genevieve Sullivan, sister of the five Waterloo, Iowa-born Sullivan Brothers, who were all killed in action on the light cruiser USS Juneau in 1942.

The women's branch of the U.S. Naval Reserves W.A.V.E.S was established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This law authorized the Navy to accept women into the Naval Reserve as commissioned officers and, at the enlisted level, effective for the duration of World War II, plus six months.

Although the branch was only around from July 1942 to Sept. 1946, an estimated 87,000 W.A.V.E.S. served at that time.

This included Leinen, who completed U.S. Naval Training School at Hunter College, in the Bronx, New York, where she receive the rating of a storekeeper. She subsequently completed Storekeeper Specialist Training School from the University of Indiana, in Bloomington, Indiana.

For her W.A.V.E.S. service, Leinen received her Honorable Service Lapel in Aug. 1946. She married her husband Lavern P. "Spider" Leinen, a sailor from Earling, Iowa, the very next month.

Eventually, the Leinens settled in Dow City, where they had a large family farm as well as Leinen's Produce, which bought and sold agricultural products from farmers in four counties in Iowa.

According to Leinen's son Vincent Leinen, she was honored by the Rev. R. Walker Nickless, the Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City, on her 85th birthday in 2007.

Nickless even blessed his mom's then brand-new Pontiac G6 at the time, Vincent Leinen remembered.

Between her military career, her involvement with American Legion Post #444, and work in civil causes, Leinen has been recognized by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst and former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad over the years.

Just as exciting, Leinen received autographed posters, clothing, and a personalized digital video birthday message from actor Taylor Kinney ("Chicago Fire") for her 98th birthday a few years ago, her son said.

The Leinen Family are requesting that birthday cards be sent to Estelle Leinen, Post Office Box 54, Dow City, Iowa, 51528.

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ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- A Boyden, Iowa, man was sentenced Monday to four years in prison for sexually assaulting his then-wife and another woman.

Damian Schouten, 30, pleaded guilty in Sioux County District Court to two counts of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse.

According to the Sioux County Attorney's Office, Schouten's ex-wife reported to police in June that Schouten had sexually assaulted her in 2015 and again in 2018. Four days after the initial police report, a second woman who previously had had a romantic relationship with Schouten said he had sexually assaulted her several times.

In addition to the prison sentence, Schouten will be required to register as a sex offender for life and, after completing his sentence, must serve a 10-year special sex offender sentence, which is similar to parole. If he were to violate terms of the special sentence, he could be sent back to prison.

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SIOUX CITY -- City staff are asking the Sioux City Council to reject the bids received for the SUX Aviation Center Project, after the low bid came in roughly 47% over the engineer's estimate.

In July, the council entered into a lease and development agreement with Oracle Aviation, LLC for the construction, lease and operation of a new hangar facility at Sioux Gateway Airport. The facility will be the home of the Oracle Aviation Center, which includes a flight academy established in partnership with Morningside University, as well as additional aviation-related operations.

According to city documents, three local contractors were contacted about the project. Two bids were received by the March 15 deadline. L&L Builders Co. submitted the the low bid of $12,950,584.50. The engineer's estimate for the project is $8,794,186.25.

RS&H Iowa, P.C., which provides architecture, engineering and consulting services, said in a letter addressed to Assistant City Manager Mike Collett that uncertainty over the post-COVID supply chain and energy prices due to the crisis in Eastern Europe, as well as a significant amount of work in Siouxland were contributing factors to the bids.

"RS&H Iowa, P.C. and city staff have reviewed the bids and feel that re-bidding the project with a change in the design would be in the best interests of the city," city documents state.

The new building was initially proposed to be 35,000 square feet and include two hangars located on either side of a two-level, 10,000-square-foot unfinished office facility. Site improvements were to include a new parking lot, taxiway, apron, landscaping and related amenities.

The project, which currently has an available balance of $9.7 million, is primarily funded using general obligation bonds. A $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration will also assist with the cost of construction.

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Ukrainian defenders dig in as Russia boosts firepower

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  As Ukrainian forces dug in on Sunday, Russia lined up more firepower and tapped a decorated general to take centralized control of the war ahead of a potentially decisive showdown in eastern Ukraine that could start within days.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Sunday in his nightly address to the nation that the coming week would be as crucial as any in the war, saying Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state.

He also accused Russia of trying to evade responsibility for war crimes in Ukraine.

When people lack the courage to admit their mistakes, apologize, adapt to reality and learn, they turn into monsters. And when the world ignores it, the monsters decide that it is the world that has to adapt to them, Zelenskyy said.

The day will come when they will have to admit everything. Accept the truth, he added.

In France, it's Macron vs. Le Pen, again, for presidency

PARIS (AP)  Incumbent Emmanuel Macron will face far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen in a winner-takes-all runoff for the French presidency, after they both advanced Sunday in the first round of voting in the countrys election to set up another head-to-head clash of their sharply opposing visions for France.

But while Macron won t heir last contest in 2017 by a landslide to become France's youngest-ever president, the same outcome this time is far from guaranteed. Macron, now 44, emerged ahead from Sunday's first round, but the runoff is essentially a new election and the next two weeks of campaigning to the April 24 second-round vote promise to be bruising and confrontational against his 53-year-old political nemesis.

Savvier and more polished as she makes her third attempt to become France's first woman president, Le Pen was handsomely rewarded Sunday at the ballot box for her years-long effort to rebrand herself as more pragmatic and less extreme. Macron has accused Le Pen of pushing an extremist manifesto of racist, ruinous policies. Le Pen wants to roll back some rights for Muslims, banning them from wearing headscarves in public, and to drastically reduce immigration from outside Europe.

On Sunday, she racked up her best-ever first-round tally of votes. With most votes counted, Macron had just over 27% and Le Pen had just under 24%. Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon was third, missing out on the two-candidate runoff, with close to 22%.

Macron also improved on his first-round showing in 2017, despite his presidency being rocked by an almost unrelenting series of both domestic and international crises. They include Russia's war in Ukraine that overshadowed the election and diverted his focus from the campaign.

US doubts new Russian war chief can end Moscow's floundering

WASHINGTON (AP)  Russia has tapped a new Ukraine war commander to take centralized control of the next phase of battle after its costly failures in the opening campaign and carnage for Ukrainian civilians. U.S. officials don't see one man making a difference in Moscow's prospects.

Russia turned to Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, 60, one of Russias most experienced military officers and  according to U.S. officials  a general with a record of brutality against civilians in Syria and other war theaters. Up to now, Russia had no central war commander on the ground.

The general's appointment was confirmed by a senior U.S. official who was not authorized to be identified and spoke on condition of anonymity.

But the White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said no appointment of any general can erase the fact that Russia has already faced a strategic failure in Ukraine.

This general will just be another author of crimes and brutality against Ukrainian civilians, Sullivan said. And the United States, as I said before, is determined to do all that we can to support Ukrainians as they resist him and they resist the forces that he commands.

3 churches in Ukraine contemplate faith, hope and charity

BORODYANKA, Ukraine (AP)  Its almost Easter in Ukraine, where a trio of churches on the far edges of the capital considered faith, hope and charity on Sunday.

In Bucha, shocked into silence by atrocities that left bodies in the streets, about two dozen of the faithful gathered for the service while the exhumation of bodies continued from a mass grave in the churchyard.

In Makarov, a handful of members visited a badly damaged riverside church, at times moved to tears. Small golden crosses for rosaries lay scattered on the floor with the shattered glass.

And in Borodyanka, where Russian attacks ripped a blackened hole in a high-rise apartment building, volunteers and donations filled an almost untouched church a short walk away, while residents lined up at the door for food and other assistance. Many were elderly people who stayed behind while others fled.

On the day when Pope Francis called for an Easter truce in Ukraine to make way for a negotiated peace, church visitors invoked God in recalling their survival.

Scheffler gets Masters green jacket to go with No. 1 ranking

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP)  Scottie Scheffler looked like a Masters champion even before he slipped into his green jacket, the model of calm as he methodically worked his way around the most stressful course in major championship golf.

Sunday morning was different. That turned out to be the toughest test he had all day.

I cried like a baby this morning. I was so stressed out. I didn't know what to do, Scheffler said after winning his first major. I was sitting there telling (wife) Meredith, I dont think Im ready for this ... and I just felt overwhelmed."

And then he capped off his torrid two-month stretch with his grandest feat of all, leading the entire weekend and strolling to a 1-under 71  with one lapse in concentration at the end when it didn't matter  for a three-shot victory over Rory McIlroy.

For a guy who had won three of his previous five tournament, who reached No. 1 in the world, why suddenly be overcome with doubt?

America's homeless ranks graying as more retire on streets

PHOENIX (AP)  Karla Finocchio's slide into homelessness began when she split with her partner of 18 years and temporarily moved in with a cousin.

The 55-year-old planned to use her $800-a-month disability check to get an apartment after back surgery. But she soon was sleeping in her old pickup protected by her German Shepherd mix Scrappy, unable to afford housing in Phoenix, where median monthly rents soared 33% during the coronavirus pandemic to over $1,220 for a one-bedroom, according to ApartmentList.com.

Finocchio is one face of Americas graying homeless population, a rapidly expanding group of destitute and desperate people 50 and older suddenly without a permanent home after a job loss, divorce, family death or health crisis during a pandemic.

Were seeing a huge boom in senior homelessness, said Kendra Hendry, a caseworker at Arizona's largest shelter, where older people make up about 30% of those staying there. These are not necessarily people who have mental illness or substance abuse problems. They are people being pushed into the streets by rising rents."

Academics project their numbers will nearly triple over the next decade, challenging policy makers from Los Angeles to New York to imagine new ideas for sheltering the last of the baby boomers as they get older, sicker and less able to pay spiraling rents. Advocates say much more housing is needed, especially for extremely low-income people.

China makes semi-secret delivery of missiles to Serbia

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  Russian ally Serbia took the delivery of a sophisticated Chinese anti-aircraft system in a veiled operation this weekend, amid Western concerns that an arms buildup in the Balkans at the time of the war in Ukraine could threaten the fragile peace in the region.

Media and military experts said Sunday that six Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport planes landed at Belgrade's civilian airport early Saturday, reportedly carrying HQ-22 surface-to-air missile systems for the Serbian military.

The Chinese cargo planes with military markings were pictured at Belgrade's Nikola Tesla airport. Serbia's defense ministry did not immediately respond to APs request for comment.

The arms delivery over the territory of at least two NATO member states, Turkey and Bulgaria, was seen by experts as a demonstration of Chinas growing global reach.

The Y-20s appearance raised eyebrows because they flew en masse as opposed to a series of single-aircraft flights, wrote The Warzone online magazine. The Y-20s presence in Europe in any numbers is also still a fairly new development.

2 killed and 10 wounded in Cedar Rapids nightclub shooting

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP)  A shooting inside a crowded Cedar Rapids nightclub left a man and a woman dead and 10 people wounded early Sunday, authorities said.

Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman said investigators believe two men fired more than a dozen shots inside the Taboo Nightclub and Lounge just before 1:30 a.m. Sunday. He said officers who were just outside the club because of an earlier incident rushed inside just as 100-150 people streamed out of the bar and found the victims.

Officers helped treat the people who were wounded and rushed several of the victims to hospitals in squad cars.

The names of the man and woman who died were not released Sunday. Jerman said one of the people who were injured was in critical condition Sunday afternoon while the other injuries, which were all related to the gunfire, ranged from serious to minor.

The gunmen likely escaped as the crowd rushed out of the nightclub. Police were searching for suspects Sunday afternoon and no arrests had been reported.

AP PHOTOS on Day 46: What survival looks like in Ukraine

Faith and grim determination are reflected in Sunday's images from a Ukraine at war.

Outside the capital of Kyiv, in suburban towns still emerging from weeks of Russian occupation, elderly people line up for donated food and workers raise bodies from a mass grave, hoping to identify them for proper burials and to document any war crimes. A plastic sheet covers the Bucha churchyard's unearthed soil, anticipating spring rains after this bitterest winter.

Inside the church, services are held as abominations are uncovered outside. The work must not pause, because this opportunity may not hold: Kyiv's mayor said Sunday that Russia's military is sure to return if Ukrainian forces can't defeat them.

The fighting is already intensifying as Russian forces refocus in the east, where a boy in a wheelchair is among a crowd trying to evacuate from Kramatorsk, the city where a train station platform became a killing field only days earlier. Further north in Kharkhiv, under withering attacks for weeks now, three men await their fate in a basement shelter.

For many, this is what survival looks like: maneuvering around an impact crater, searching through buildings turned inside-out, saying goodbye.

Biden to nominate new ATF director, release ghost gun rule

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden is nominating an Obama-era U.S. attorney to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as his administration unveils its formal rule to rein in ghost guns, privately made firearms without serial numbers that are increasingly cropping up at crime scenes, six people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

Biden is expected to make the announcement nominating Steve Dettlebach, who served as a U.S. attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016, at the White House on Monday, the people said. They were not authorized to discuss the nomination publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

The administration will also release the finalized version of its ghost gun rule, which comes as the White House and the Justice Department have been under growing pressure to crack down on gun deaths and violent crime in the U.S.

Dettlebachs confirmation is likely to be an uphill battle for the Biden administration. Biden had to withdraw the nomination of his first ATF nominee, gun-control advocate David Chipman, after the nomination stalled for months because of opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in the Senate.

Both Republican and Democratic administrations have failed to get nominees for the ATF position through the politically fraught process since the directors position was made confirmable in 2006. Since then, only one nominee, former U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones, has been confirmed. Jones made it through the Senate in 2013 but only after a six-month struggle. Jones was acting director when President Barack Obama nominated him in January 2013.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Mariupol mayor says siege has killed more than 10K civilians

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol says more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city and the full death toll could surpass twice that number. Speaking by phone Monday with The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko said corpses carpeted the streets of the city. He said Russian forces brought mobile cremation equipment to the city to dispose of the bodies and accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to disguise the carnage. Mariupol has been cut off by Russian attacks and has suffered some of the most brutal assaults of the war.

Philadelphia to restore indoor mask mandate as cases rise

Philadelphia has become the first major U.S. city to reinstate its indoor mask mandate after reporting a sharp increase in coronavirus infections. The city's top health official said Monday she wants to forestall a potential new wave driven by the omicron subvariant. Dr. Cheryl Bettigole says that COVID-19 cases in the city have risen more than 50% in 10 days. That's the threshold at which the citys guidelines call for people to wear masks indoors. Health inspectors will start enforcing the mask mandate at city businesses starting April 18. Most states and cities dropped their masking requirements in February and early March.

Biden aims at 'ghost gun' violence with new federal rule

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden is taking fresh aim at ghost guns, the privately made firearms without serial numbers that are increasingly cropping up in violent crimes. At the White House on Monday, Biden highlighted the Justice Departments work to finalize new regulations to crack down on the guns. He also announced the nomination of Steve Dettelbach, who served as a U.S. attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016, to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Still, the announcement of the new regulation also highlighted the limits of Bidens influence to push a sweeping congressional overhaul of the nations firearm laws. Congress has deadlocked on legislative proposals to reform gun laws for a decade.

Ex-officer convicted of storming Capitol to disrupt Congress

WASHINGTON (AP)  A federal jury has convicted a former Virginia police officer of storming the U.S. Capitol with another off-duty officer to obstruct Congress from certifying President Joe Bidens 2020 electoral victory. Jurors on Monday convicted former Rocky Mount police officer Thomas Robertson of all six counts he faced stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, including charges that he interfered with police officers at the Capitol. His sentencing hearing wasnt immediately scheduled. Robertsons jury trial was the second among hundreds of Capitol riot cases. The first ended last month with jurors convicting a Texas man, Guy Reffitt, of all five counts in his indictment.

US orders consular staff to leave Shanghai amid COVID surge

BEIJING (AP)  The U.S. has ordered all non-emergency consular staff to leave Shanghai, which is under a tight lockdown to contain a COVID-19 surge. Many residents in the city of 26 million have been confined to their homes for up to three weeks as China maintains its zero-COVID strategy of handling outbreaks with strict isolation and mass testing. But people living under the restrictions have described an increasingly desperate situation, with families unable to obtain food and daily necessities. The State Department said the order is an upgrade from the advisory last week that made the decision to leave voluntary. Chinas government and the entirely state-controlled media are growing increasingly defensive about complaints over the COVID-19 prevention measures.

EXPLAINER: Where do US opioid trials, settlements stand?

A trial on whether pharmacy chain Walgreens bears responsibility for the opioid crisis started Monday in Florida on the heels of opening statements last week in another opioid trial in West Virginia. The cases are pressing ahead even as companies have been settling many of the claims filed by state and local governments across the U.S. Going to trial brings risk for both sides. If the suing governments win, they could get major payments. But rulings for the companies could help bolster their cases that they shouldn't be held liable for a complicated epidemic linked to the deaths of more than 500,000 Americans over two decades.

EXPLAINER: 2 men in Gov. Whitmer plot could be tried again

DETROIT (AP)  A jury last week couldn't reach a unanimous verdict for two men charged with a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. It means the federal government can take Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. to trial again. A hung jury is unable to unanimously agree on whether someone is guilty or innocent. It could be just one person on the 12-member panel who disagrees with the others. Former federal prosecutor Mark Chutkow would be surprised if prosecutors fold, citing allegations of a violent plot against a governor. U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge says his team will get back to work on the case. Two other men were acquitted of all charges.

UN: Nearly two-thirds of Ukraine's children have fled homes

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. children's agency says nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion. And UNICEF says the United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed, though the numbers is almost certainly much higher. UNICEFs emergency programs director told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that having 4.8 million of Ukraines 7.5 million children displaced in such a short time is quite incredible. Manuel Fontaine said it was something he had not before seen happen so quickly in 31 years of humanitarian work.

Families, doctors contest Alabama transgender treatment ban

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Families with transgender teens have sued the state of Alabama to block a law that makes it a crime for doctors to treat trans youth under 19 with puberty blockers or hormones to help affirm their gender identity. It was one of two separate lawsuits filed in federal court Monday. The lawsuit were filed three days after Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the measure into law. The law will go into effect next month unless blocked by the court. Violations will be punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean win big at CMT Music Awards

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP)  Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean were the big winners at the CMT music awards. Underwood and Aldean won video of the year and collaborative video of the year Monday night for their duet If I Didnt Love You on the show from Nashville, Tennessee that uses fan votes to honor the best in country music videos. The Judds reunited on the show for their first major awards show performance in more than two decades. Kelsea Ballerini, who was scheduled to co-host the show with Anthony Mackie before testing positive for COVID-19, hosted segments of the show from home and moved her performance to her backyard.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Ukrainian defenders dig in as Russia boosts firepower

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Ukrainian forces dug in while Russias military lined up more firepower and tapped an experienced general to take centralized control of the war. The next phase of battle is expected to be a showdown in eastern Ukraine. The outcome could determine the course of the conflict, which has flattened cities and killed untold thousands of people. Questions remain about the ability of Russias depleted and demoralized forces to conquer much ground after their advance on the capital, Kyiv, was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders. Britains Defense Ministry reported Sunday that the Russian forces are trying to compensate for mounting casualties by recalling veterans discharged in the past decade.

In France, it's Macron vs. Le Pen, again, for presidency

PARIS (AP)  Incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron will face far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen in a winner-takes-all runoff for the presidency. They both advanced Sunday in the first round of voting in the countrys election. That sets up another head-to-head clash of their sharply opposing visions for France. Le Pen thanked voters for sending her into the runoff. Several defeated presidential candidates urged supporters not to vote for Le Pen, saying it would throw France into chaos. Macron, meanwhile, sought wide support from both the right and the left to defeat Le Pen in round two on April 24. Macron won their last encounter in 2017 by a landslide to become Frances youngest-ever president, but the same outcome this time is far from guaranteed.

US doubts new Russian war chief can end Moscow's floundering

WASHINGTON (AP)  Russia has tapped a new Ukraine war commander to take centralized control of the next phase of battle after its costly failures in the opening campaign and carnage for Ukrainian civilians. U.S. officials dont see one man making a difference in Moscows prospects. But they do see more ugly times ahead. Russia turned to Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, one of Russias most experienced military officers. That's according to a senior U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity. U.S. officials say Dvornikov has a record of brutality against civilians in Syria and to expect more of the same in Ukraine.

3 churches in Ukraine contemplate faith, hope and charity

BORODYANKA, Ukraine (AP)  Its almost Easter in Ukraine, where a trio of churches on the far edges of the capital have faith, hope and charity to consider. In Bucha, shocked into silence by atrocities, about two dozen of the faithful gathered for Sunday services even as bodies were being exhumed from a mass grave in the churchyard. In Makarov, people were moved to tears by their badly damaged riverside church. And in Borodyanka, volunteers filled a church with donations just steps from where Russian attacks ripped open a high-rise. One woman in Makarov said all the survivors have one thing in common: They've been speaking to God.

Scheffler gets Masters green jacket to go with No. 1 ranking

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP)  Scottie Scheffler is the No. 1 player in the world and has a Masters green jacket to show for it. Scheffler won his first major at Augusta National with another command performance. It caps an amazing two months of four victories in six starts. Scheffler left all the thrills and spills to everyone else. He was steady all day and shot 71 to win by three shots over Rory McIlroy. The only struggle was the end when he took four putts from 40 feet. That only affected the final score. McIlroy had his best finish at the Masters.

America's homeless ranks graying as more retire on streets

PHOENIX (AP)  America's homeless population is graying. It's a rapidly expanding group of destitute and desperate people 50 and older who have suddenly found themselves without a permanent home following a job loss, divorce, family death or health crisis during a pandemic. Advocates say most in this group don't have mental illness or substance abuse problems. Academics project their numbers will nearly triple over the next decade, challenging policy makers from Los Angeles to New York to imagine new ideas for sheltering the last of the baby boomers as they get older, sicker and less able to pay spiraling rents.

China makes semi-secret delivery of missiles to Serbia

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  Russian ally Serbia has taken delivery of a sophisticated Chinese anti-aircraft system in a semi-secret operation this weekend, amid Western concerns that an arms buildup in the Balkans at the time of the war in Ukraine could threaten the fragile peace in the region. Media and military experts said Sunday that six Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport planes landed in Belgrade early Saturday reportedly carrying HQ-22 surface-to-air missile systems for the Serbian military. The Chinese cargo planes with military markings were pictured at Belgrades Nikola Tesla airport. The arms delivery over the territory of at least two NATO-member states, Turkey and Bulgaria, was seen by experts as a demonstration of Chinas growing global reach.

2 killed and 10 wounded in Cedar Rapids nightclub shooting

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP)  Authorities said a shooting inside a crowded Cedar Rapids nightclub has left a man and a woman dead and 10 people wounded. Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman said investigators believe two men fired more than a dozen shots inside the Taboo Nightclub and Lounge just before 1:30 a.m. Sunday. He said officers who were just outside the club because of an earlier incident rushed inside just as 100-150 people streamed out of the bar and found the victims. The gunmen likely escaped as the crowd fled. The names of the victims were released. One of the people injured was in critical condition Sunday afternoon while the other injuries ranged from serious to minor.

Biden to nominate new ATF director, release ghost gun rule

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden is set to announce that he is nominating an Obama-era U.S. attorney to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Thats according to six people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press. The announcement of the nomination of Steve Dettlebach is expected Monday as the Biden administration unveils its formal rule to rein in ghost guns. Those are privately made firearms without serial numbers that are increasingly cropping up at crime scenes.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo.  When the coronavirus pandemic first hit the U.S., sales of window coverings at Halcyon Shades quickly went dark. So the suburban St. Louis business did what hundreds of other small manufacturers did: It pivoted to make protective supplies, with help from an $870,000 government grant.

But things haven't worked out as planned. The company quit making face shields because it wasn't profitable. It still hasn't sold a single N95 mask because of struggles to get equipment, materials and regulatory approval.

"So far, it has been a net drain of funds and resources and energy," Halcyon Shades owner Jim Schmersahl said.

Many companies that began producing personal protective equipment with patriotic optimism have scaled back, shut down or given up, according to an Associated Press analysis based on numerous interviews with manufacturers. Some already have sold equipment they bought with state government grants.

Virus Outbreak PPE Supplies Jim Schmersahl, owner of Halcyon Shades, sits next to material used in making N-95 masks March 18 in University City, Mo. Halcyon is small com

As COVID-19 was stressing hospitals and shuttering businesses in 2020, elected officials touted the need to boost U.S. production of protective gear. Yet many manufacturers who answered the call have faced logistical hurdles, regulatory rejections, slumping demand and fierce competition from foreign suppliers. After the initial scramble for PPE subsided, many industry newcomers had difficulty selling products.

"At the end of the day, when everybody said they wanted American-made, nobody's buying, not even the state," said Tony Blogumas, vice president of Green Resources Consulting, a rural Missouri firm that received an $800,000 state grant but has sold only a few thousand masks. "We're kind of upset about the whole situation."

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson also is disappointed. His administration divided $20 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds among 48 businesses for the production of masks, gowns, sanitizer and other supplies. Parson hoped to seed a permanent field of manufacturers.

"I'm still a firm believer in that  that we need to be making PPE here in this state," Parson said. "Unfortunately, a lot of entities went right back to where they were getting it before."

The onset of the pandemic revealed that the U.S. was highly dependent on foreign countries for protective gear. When China limited exports because of its own battle against COVID-19, U.S. stockpiles plummeted. Prices skyrocketed as federal officials, governors and health care systems competed for supplies.

Though federal stockpiles have been replenished, shriveling domestic production has raised concerns that state governments, medical facilities and others could again get stuck scrambling for gear during a future pandemic.

Virus Outbreak PPE Supplies Angstrom Manufacturing president Chris Carron stands near machinery the company uses to make surgical masks March 23 in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. An

The AP identified more than $125 million in grants to spur production of pandemic supplies made to over 300 business in 10 states  Alabama, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Ohio. It's possible that grants were awarded in additional states, but there is no central clearinghouse to track them.

In November 2020, Alabama awarded one of the single largest grants  nearly $10.6 million from federal pandemic relief funds  to HomTex Inc. The company was to equip a new Selma facility to make 250 million surgical masks and 45 million N95 masks annually. The plant has yet to make anything due to a lack of customers.

"I can't produce product that I can't sell," HomTex President Jeremy Wootten said.

Some PPE manufacturers point to federal regulations as part of the reason for their struggles. Three-ply masks need FDA approval to be marketed for medical use  an important designation for building a long-term customer base. Companies need approval from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to market products as N95 respirators, which filter at least 95% of airborne particles.

During the first two years of the pandemic, NIOSH approved 30 new manufacturers  more than seven times the typical number during a similar pre-pandemic period, according to agency data. Some applications remain pending, while numerous others were denied.

Virus Outbreak PPE Supplies Jim Schmersahl, owner of Halcyon Shades, poses with a machine used to make N-95 masks March 18 in University City, Mo.

Halcyon Shades' N95 certification was rejected in October because its samples didn't have head straps attached. While the company works on another application, its equipment sits idle, with partially finished masks paused on a conveyor belt.

Without federal approval, "we're just dead in the water," said Schmersahl, the company owner.

Progress reports filed with the Missouri Department of Economic Development show that nearly all its PPE grant recipients faced challenges by July 2021, especially with sales.

Ohio awarded $20.8 million to 73 businesses to manufacture pandemic-related supplies, according to state data. Of 60 businesses that complied with a recent reporting deadline, more than one-third no longer produced PPE by the end of 2021.

"If the federal government doesn't come in and help support the U.S. manufacturing base, it's almost certainly going to go back to China, and we'll be just as vulnerable as we were in early 2020 and 2019," said Brent Dillie, the association chairman and co-founder of Premium-PPE, a Virginia manufacturer started during the pandemic that has shed about two-thirds of its roughly 300 employees.

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LAPORTE  A group of LaPorte County farmers will not be further squeezed by urban sprawl  at least not in the near future.

The LaPorte County Commissioners have unanimously rejected plans for a proposed subdivision on 166 acres of mostly wooded, undeveloped land.

A primary concern was the possibility of adding 1,000 or more residents to the heavily farmed area.

Jim Paarlburg said thats about twice the population of nearby Rolling Prairie and more than other communities in the county, like Kingsbury and LaCrosse.

In my view, this is not a subdivision. Its a city, he said.

Paarlburg said his industrial farming operation raising crops like tomatoes, onion sets, garlic and seed corn is adjacent to the proposed development.

He said he was concerned a child from the subdivision might wander out into the field and get seriously hurt or killed by a combine or some other piece of farm machinery.

The dangers are of the highest price, he said.

Part of the land targeted for the new housing is already zoned residential.

The developer, Sloan Avenue Land Opportunities, requested the zoning on the remainder of the parcel be changed from agriculture to residential.

Todd Leeth, an attorney representing the developer, said theres room in the proposed subdivision for as many as 308 homes on one-quarter acre lots.

Leeth said the homes, valued at $300,000 to $400,000, would not come as a shock to the surrounding area because it might take 10 years or longer, depending on demand, for all of them to be constructed.

The service industry, the economy, the government will all have time over that period of time to react to the growing population, he said.

Last month the commissioners, expressing a need for more new housing, gave preliminary approval to the zoning request after the LaPorte County Planning Commission, on a split vote the previous month, endorsed the project.

At the request of the commissioners, Leeth said he recently met with landowners near the proposed development to address their concerns.

He said one adjustment in the plans was increasing the space between the development and farmland to reduce any risk of chemicals drifting over to the subdivision while being sprayed on crops.

Farmers, already weary over complaints about the smell of manure from city dwellers moving to an agricultural area, didnt budge in their opposition.

Commissioner Rich Mrozinski said there were still too many unanswered questions for him to put his final stamp of approval on the project.

Mrozinski also said the parcels for each home on the drawings seem not large enough.

To me, it looks like a trailer park. I dont like small lots, he said.

Leeth said the lots are standard size for most subdivisions.

The developers will have to reapply for a zoning change and go through the approvals process again from very beginning if they want to further pursue the project, said Shaw Friedman, the attorney for the commissioners.

Friedman said it would take about one year for another zoning request to come back to the commissioners for reconsideration.

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HONG KONG (AP)  Lawyers for Hong Kong media mogul and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai are asking the United Nations to investigate his imprisonment and multiple criminal charges as legal harassment that punish him for speaking out.

The publisher of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper was one of the most prominent activists arrested in Hong Kong's crackdown on virtually all political criticism since mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.

The crackdown continued early Monday with the arrest of another veteran journalist, Allan Au Ka-lun, a teaching consultant who'd worked for a number of Hong Kong media outlets.

The actions by Lai's lawyers in Britain followed that country's announcement last month it would withdraw its judges from Hong Kongs top court because keeping them there would legitimize oppression in the former British colony.

Lai, 74, has been charged under Hong Kong's sweeping national security law and is serving 20 months in prison. His assets have been frozen and the raft of legal cases against him include four separate criminal prosecutions related to attending and joining various protests, his legal team at Doughty Street Chambers in the U.K. said in a statement.

Lai faces the risk of spending the rest of his life in prison simply for speaking out, and for seeking to defend freedom of the press, democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong," Lai's counsel, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, said in the statement.

In a follow-up email, Gallagher said the appeal had been filed with the U.N. special rapporteurs for freedom of opinion and expression, counter-terrorism and human rights, rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and human rights defenders.

We are awaiting a response," she wrote.

Lai's son, Sebastien Lai, was quoted as urging U.N. special rapporteurs to investigate Chinese and Hong Kong authorities' actions against Hong Kong residents.

While the U.N. has a number of special rapporteurs, their powers are limited mainly to seeking information from government agencies and possibly seeking real steps to end violations.

Hong Kong authorities had no immediate comment on the request. When Britain withdrew its judges, China reacted furiously, accusing Britain of flagrant interference and harm to Hong Kongs judicial system.

Police issued a brief statement on the arrest of Au, saying a 54-year-old man had been arrested for conspiracy to publish seditious publication" and was being detained for further investigation.

The national security law that was imposed by Beijing to override local opposition defines sedition in extremely broad terms, permitting authorities to punish almost all open criticism of the government. Those caught in its net include four people arrested last week for clapping in court.

Au had been a teaching consultant at Chinese Universitys journalism school and had previously worked for Hong Kong media outlets TVB and RTHK. He had also written a column for outspoken pro-democracy platform Stand News, which shut down last year after police raided it and arrested staff.

In a statement, the Hong Kong Journalists Association said Au had been a mentor to young journalists and expressed its deep concern" his arrest would further damage the freedom of the press in Hong Kong."

We urge the police to explain the case as soon as possible, and at the same time request the government to protect the freedom of the press and speech enjoyed by Hong Kong citizens in accordance with the Basic Law," it said, referring to Hong Kong's mini-constitution under which it returned to Chinese control.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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 Flash

A team of Chinese experts went to the Mahosot Hospital in Lao capital Vientiane for exchanges over COVID-19 testing and treatment on Friday.

The six-strong Chinese expert team inspected the testing capacity and equipment of the hospital, while Khaysy Rassavong, the deputy director general of the hospital gave an introduction on the nucleic acid test in the hospital and learned about the practices and opinions of the Chinese counterparts at this regard.

Khaysy expressed gratitude to the Chinese experts for sharing their experience and know-how on the treatment and testing of the virus. "The exchange has brought a lot of new information to our hospital," he told Xinhua.

After arriving in Vientiane on Feb. 7, the experts of medical testing and traditional Chinese medicine who are all from southwest China's Yunnan Province, besides making every effort to complete their main job to assist in the nucleic acid testing of Chinese air passengers in Laos, have been actively engaged in exchanges with their Lao colleagues.

Earlier on March 11, the Chinese experts went to the Lao Ministry of Health to communicate with various departments under the ministry, including those in charge of infectious disease control, medical treatment, food and drug administration and the national center for laboratory and epidemiology.

Deputy Minister of the Lao Health Ministry Phaivanh Keopaseuth thanked the experts' work and hoped that they would give more guidance to the Lao side on the formulation of nucleic acid testing standards and testing technologies.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, as weeks of attacks and privation leave the bodies of Mariupol's people carpeted through the streets.

Speaking by phone Monday with The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko also accused Russian forces of having blocked weeks of thwarted humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage there from the outside world.

Mariupol has been cut off by Russian attacks that began soon after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in late February, and has suffered some of the most brutal assaults of the war. Boychenko gave new details of recent allegations by Ukrainian officials that Russian forces have brought mobile cremation equipment to Mariupol to dispose of the corpses of victims of the siege.

Russian forces have taken many bodies to a huge shopping center where there are storage facilities and refrigerators, Boychenko said.

Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned, he said.

Boychenko spoke from a location in Ukrainian-controlled territory but outside Mariupol. The mayor said he had several sources for his description of the allegedly methodic burning of corpses by Russian forces in the city, but did not detail the sources of his information.

The discovery of large numbers of apparently executed civilians after Russian forces retreated from cities around the capital, Kyiv, this month already has prompted widespread condemnation and charges from Ukrainians and the West that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine.

Elsewhere Monday, U.S. officials pointed to new signs that Russia's military is gearing up for a major offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, switching its focus after Russian forces failed in their initial drive to capture Kyiv.

Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region since 2014, and have declared independent states. A major confrontation between the two countries' fighters in Donbas would allow Russia to try to use its numbers and greater military might to capture more territory there. Western military strategists say Russia also hopes to force Ukrainian fighters out into the open in more conventional battles in the east, rather than the successful hit-and-run attacks Ukrainian fighters have often employed so far.

Russia has appointed a seasoned general to lead its renewed push in the eastern Donbas region.

A senior U.S. defense official on Monday described a long Russian convoy now rolling toward the eastern city of Izyum with artillery, aviation and infantry support, as part of redeployment for what appears to be a looming Russian campaign in the east.

More artillery is being deployed near the city of Donetsk, while ground combat units that withdrew from around the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas appear destined for refitting and resupplying before they position in Donbas, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. military assessments.

With their offensive in many parts of the country thwarted, Russian forces have relied increasingly on bombarding cities  a strategy that has flattened many urban areas and killed thousands of people.

In Bucha on Monday, the work of exhuming bodies from a mass grave in a churchyard resumed.

Galyna Feoktistova waited for hours in the cold and rain in hopes of identifying her 50-year-old son, who was shot and killed more than a month ago, but eventually she went home for some warmth. He's still there, her surviving son, Andriy, said.

In Mariupol, about 120,000 civilians are in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications, the mayor said.

Only those residents who have passed the Russian filtration camps are released from the city, Boychenko said.

Ukrainian officials say Russian troops are confiscating passports from Ukrainian citizens then moving them to filtration camps in Ukraines separatist-controlled east before sending them to distant, economically depressed areas in Russia.

Boychenko said Monday that improvised prisons were organized for those who did not pass the filtering, while at least 33,000 people were taken to Russia or to separatist territory in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Ukrainians on Monday that Russia might use chemical weapons in Mariupol. We take this as seriously as possible, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

Western leaders have warned since before Russian troops moved into Ukraine that Russia could resort to unconventional weapons there, particularly chemical agents.

A Russia-allied separatist official, Eduard Basurin, appeared to urge their use Monday, telling Russian state TV that Russian-backed forces should seize a giant metals plant in Mariupol from Ukrainian forces by first blocking all the exits out of the factory. And then well use chemical troops to smoke them out of there, he said.

A Ukrainian regiment, without evidence, also claimed Monday that a drone had dropped a poisonous substance in Mariupol but said there were no serious injuries.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement that the U.S. could not confirm the drone report out of Mariupol. But Kirby noted the administrations persistent concerns about Russias potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the United Nations childrens agency said nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion began. The United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured, though the actual numbers are likely much higher.

Elsewhere, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks that were very direct, open and tough.

In a statement released by his office, Nehammer said his primary message to Putin was that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose. Nehammer said he also raised the issue of war crimes committed by the Russian military and said those responsible will be held to account.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

In other developments, the head of the separatist rebel government in Donetsk claimed Ukrainian forces have lost control of the port area of Mariupol.

Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is now under our control, Denis Pushilin, president of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, told Russian state television, according to Russian news agencies. The claim could not immediately be confirmed.

But Mariupol's mayor said fighting continues at the port. "It is difficult, but our heroic military holds on, Boychenko said.

Both sides are digging in for what could be a devastating war of attrition.

Russian forces will likely try to encircle the Donbas region from the north and the south as well as the east, said retired British Gen. Richard Barrons, co-chair of the U.K.-based strategic consulting firm Universal Defence & Security Solutions.

The ground in that part of Ukraine is flatter, more open and less wooded  so the Ukrainian ambush tactics used around Kiev may be less successful, Barrons said.

As to the outcome, its finely balanced right now, Barrons said. If the Russians learned from their previous failures, concentrated more force, connected their air force to ground forces better and improved their logistics, "then they might start to overwhelm the Ukrainian positions eventually, although I still think it would be a battle of enormous attrition.

In a video address to South Korean lawmakers Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically requested equipment that can shoot down Russian missiles.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov claimed the military used cruise missiles to destroy four S-300 launchers near the central city of Dnipro on Sunday. He said the military also hit such systems in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions.

The Pentagon said it had seen no evidence to support Russias claims. And Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakia's prime minister, denied Monday that the S-300 system it sent Ukraine had been destroyed.

Questions remain about the ability of depleted and demoralized Russian forces to conquer much ground after their advance on Kyiv was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders.

Britains Defense Ministry said Monday that Ukraine has already beaten back several assaults by Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions  which make up the Donbas  resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery.

Western military analysts say Russia's assault increasingly is focusing on an arc of territory stretching from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, in the north, to Kherson in the south.

A residential area in Kharkiv was struck by incoming fire on Monday afternoon. Associated Press journalists saw firefighters putting out the fire and checking for victims following the attack, and saw that at least five people were killed, including a child.

Oleh Synyehubov, the regional governor of Kharkiv, said earlier Monday that Russian shelling had killed 11 people over the last 24 hours.

Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Anna reported from Bucha, Ukraine. Associated Press Writer Robert Burns in Washington, and AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.

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

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Nebraska could put a record $1.1 billion into the pockets of property taxpayers next year, and, thanks to a bill passed last week, that amount would keep growing.

In fact, an Omaha World-Herald analysis showed that the amount of state dollars devoted to direct property tax relief could approach $1.6 billion within 10 years.

Thats a big number isnt it? said State Sen. John Stinner of Gering, a retired banker and chairman of the Legislatures Appropriations Committee. Thats what you have to be wary of, moving forward. The number is a potentially huge number.

Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, a farmer and champion of property tax relief, said the number is significant. But he said he hopes to do more in the future, noting that Nebraskans will still pay more in property taxes than in either sales or income taxes.

Theres been substantial progress, but Im not into taking victory laps because theres work yet to do, he said.

The number represents the accumulation of legislative efforts over several years. Legislative Bill 873, passed Thursday, was the latest bill to address the most-hated tax in Nebraska.

With the bill and others before it, the amount of direct property tax relief statewide would equal about 21% of projected property taxes for 2023. The World-Herald analysis showed that the proportion of relief would remain at the same level through the next 10 years.

The amount of relief provided to homeowners and other property owners would vary, however, depending on their location and circumstances.

Gov. Pete Ricketts is expected to sign LB 873 into law this week. Along with the increased property tax relief, the measure would reduce the top income tax rate for corporations and individuals and phase out income taxes on Social Security. The package is expected to reduce state tax revenues by close to $900 million when fully implemented.

The property tax portion of the bill includes creating a refundable income tax credit equal to a portion of what property owners pay in community college property taxes.

It would become Nebraskas fourth property tax credit or exemption program.

The newest 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, enough to cover about 25% of K-12 property taxes, and grow to $560.7 million for 2023.

The community college credit program would start at $50 million this year and ramp up to $195 million by 2026. At full implementation, it could offset about three-quarters of community college property taxes.

Under LB 873, both credit programs would grow by the same percentage that property valuations grow statewide, up to a 5% maximum. The growth factor would kick in for the K-12 credits in 2024 and for community college credits in 2027.

In addition, Nebraska has a longstanding property tax credit program that reduces the amount of tax that property holders have to pay. The credits are based on the propertys valuation and appear as a line on the annual property tax statement.

The program provides $313 million a year in credits now, up from $105 million when it began in 2007. Proceeds from the yet-to-begin casino gambling are earmarked for the credit fund.

Finally, the state provides homestead exemptions for low-income elderly and disabled homeowners. The program has grown along with the number of older Nebraskans and as lawmakers have expanded it to cover additional people. Homestead exemptions are budgeted at $131.7 million for 2023.

Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, the Revenue Committee chairwoman who led the push for LB 873, said she would rather give property tax relief through school aid than through the current variety of programs.

But she has long argued that increased school funding needs to be coupled with tighter limits on school spending, which has proved politically unpopular.

This is not the ideal way to do this, she said. This is what weve been able to do. Its not perfect, but its relief.

Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha also argued that there are better ways to ease property taxes than Nebraskas current approach. While the current programs can help taxpayers, they do not lower the actual tax levies.

Its just a tax shift, he said. Its not actually alleviating taxes.

In addition, they can be complicated. Property owners claimed only 60% of the LB 1107 school tax credits when they filed their income taxes last year, the first year that the credits were available. Many were unaware of the credits or how to claim them.

Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington raised concerns that the growth factors in the two newer programs could put the state in a fiscal pickle down the road. She said capping growth at 5% will help, but she would like more safeguards.

We will have to be vigilant and continue to watch whats happening, she said.

But Stinner offered cautious optimism about the sustainability of the current programs, at least over the long term. He said the 5% cap should keep the property tax relief programs from growing faster than the historical average of state revenues.

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SIOUX CITY, Mo. (AP)  The last of four people charged in a fatal shooting at a New Year's Eve party in Sioux City has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Liliana Gutierrez, 21, was sentenced Monday for driving three other suspects to a home where the party was being held on Jan. 1, 2021. The three suspects fired at least 27 shots into the house, killing 18-year-old Mia Kritis and wounding three others.

Gutierrez, of Sioux City, pleaded guilty in February to two felony charges of reckless use of a firearm and a misdemeanor charge of accessory after the fact.

Her three co-defendants  Christopher Morales, Carlos Morales and Anthony Bauer -- all pleaded guilty to reduced charges of second-degree murder, The Sioux City Journal reported.

Police have said there is no evidence that Gutierrez fired any shots.

At their plea hearings, Christopher Morales admitted to firing the shots that killed Kritis and wounded the others. His brother, Carlos Morales, and Bauer admitted they also fired shots.

Christopher Morales, 21, was sentenced to 55 years in prison, and Bauer, 19, was sentenced to 50 years. Carlos Morales, 19, was sentenced to 50 years in prison but because he was a juvenile at the time, he must serve only 15 years before he's eligible for parole.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Sioux City Journal.

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  Gov. Kristi Noem and the South Dakota Department of Social Services are working to expand the number of regional behavioral health facilities across the state.

The state received $15 million in federal stimulus funding to support the expansion, which was approved by legislators and included in the department's overall budget.

Over the next four years, an estimated $3,750,000 will be spent annually for the construction and expansion of facilities across the state, Noem said in a news release.

The goal is to have at least one facility in all five of the state's behavioral health regions.

Adding short-term regional crisis stabilization services in each region of the state is a very positive step for South Dakota, said DSS Secretary, Laurie Gill. The Department is committed to working with its partners across the state to support crisis service delivery. This will require collaboration with state, county, and city entities as we all have a role to play in providing quality crisis services.

According to authorities, people in mental health crisis are often placed in jail or are involuntarily committed to inpatient psychiatric hospitals when they could be served in a less restrictive setting closer to their home and community.

We want all South Dakotans, regardless of where they live, to have access to short-term comprehensive behavioral health crisis stabilization close to home 24 hours per day, seven days a week, Gill said. This will also take pressure off law enforcement and first responders in our communities who have for a long time been the people responding to behavioral health crises.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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The premise of Old Enough!, a Japanese reality show newly streaming on Netflix, is childishly simple. In each 10-minute episode, a tiny kid sets off to complete the childs first errand alone. (Well, alone, with the cameramen.) The children totter off into the neighborhood, forget what theyre supposed to be doing, burst into tears, and ultimately make their way back to Mom and Dad laden with plastic shopping bags, having succeeded in their mission. Hajimete no otsukai, which is based on a childrens book of the same name from 1977, has run on Japanese TV for more than 30 yearslong enough that some kids on the shows newer episodes have parents who were on the show!

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In the first of the 20 episodes made available to Netflix subscribers, a 2-year-old travels to the town convenience store to buy groceries for Mom. In the fourth, 3-year-old Yuka crosses a five-lane road in Akashi, a city the size of Cincinnati, to get to the fish market. Can you go all the way to Uonotana without getting hit by any cars? Mom asks.

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Needless to say, if the show were set in the United States, the parents would be under investigation by child protective services, and the children in foster care. Like many things about Japan, it would be easy to attribute Hajimete no otsukai (literally, First Errand) to some cliche about Japanese essentialism. But the Japanese are not so different from us. Theyve just made policy choices that make it possible for kids to run their first errand a decade before their American counterparts get to do the same.

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In Japan, many kids go to neighborhood schools on foot and by themselves, thats quite typical, said Hironori Kato, a professor of transportation planning at the University of Tokyo. Typically, Japanese children dont actually run errands for Mom and Dad in the city at 2 or 3 years old, he notes, as they do in the show. But the comic, TV-friendly premise exaggerates a truth about Japanese society: Children in Japan have an unusual degree of independence from an early age.

Roads and street networks are designed for kids to walk in a safe manner, Kato said. Among the factors, he said: Drivers in Japan are taught to yield to pedestrians. Speed limits are low. Neighborhoods have small blocks with lots of intersections. That means kids have to cross the street a lotbut also keeps drivers going slow, out of self-interest if nothing else.

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The streets themselves are also different. Many small streets do not have raised sidewalks but depend on pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers to share the road. Curbside parking is rare, which creates better visibility for drivers and pedestrians and helps give the smaller streets of big Japanese cities their distinctive feel. In fact, I first heard about Hajimete no otsukai from Rebecca Clements, a research fellow at the University of Sydney who has written a dissertation on Japans approach to parking: Car-buyers must show proof of an off-street parking space to make their purchase. For Clements, the show is evidence of how Japan gives children a right to the city.

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Japanese kids make a lot of weekday trips on footespecially those between 7 and 12 years old, who walk for almost four in five trips. Neighborhood schools are the driving force behind a lot of this travel, with many schools employing walking school busesa morning parade of kids in which the older ones help guide the younger ones. But the school trips also introduce children to their neighborhood, which can facilitate other kinds of travel.

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I went into it saying, Is it the built environment or the culture?  recalled E. Owen Waygood, a professor at Montreal Polytechnique who wrote his Ph.D. thesis at Kyoto University on Japanese childrens travel and land use. There is an underlying cultural valueJapanese parents believe kids should be able to get around by themselves. And they build policies to support that. Japanese cities are built on the concept that every neighborhood should function as a village. That planning paradigm means you have shops and small businesses in residential neighborhoods, which means there are places to goplaces these kids can walk to.

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Waygoods research revealed that kids in Japan were more likely to travel independently in mixed-use, urbanized neighborhoods. That was in part because destinations were close at handbut also, upending a common stereotype about cities as alienating and anonymous environments, because children in cities were more likely to see people they knew on such trips.

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Its not as if Japanese parents dont also fear stranger danger; while crime is low by Western standards, kidnappings are not unheard of. One such incident is at the heart of Six Four, the 2012 detective novel by Hideo Yokoyama, which was a smash hit in Japan and abroad.

But instead of telling children to keep to themselves, Waygood observed, kids are taught to say hello to the people they passpart of the Japanese greeting culture, aisatsu. Along with neighborhood events like block parties and festivals, that helps build up a dense social network that can help out in a pinch, like in Hajimete Episode 7, when the local hardware store owner helps Miro cross the street. In a survey of 14 countries, Japanese parents were the most likely to agree with the idea that neighborhood adults look out for other peoples children.

The biggest winner of this system might be Mom. When kids need a chaperone, the role falls mainly to Mom, in both the U.S. and Japan. But Japanese kids ages 10 and 11, Waygood found, make just 15 percent of weekday trips with a parent, compared with 65 percent of trips for American kids. A city that frees children also frees their parents.

Thats a cultural difference. But its one that is deeply associated with a different approach to designing cities and neighborhoodsone that we could easily copy, if we wanted to.
The 1991 romance Mississippi Masala was director Mira Nairs second film, after the Oscar-nominated Salaam Bombay! Beautifully shot, sexy, and funny (Nair wrote the screenplay with longtime collaborator Sooni Taraporevala), the movie was a minor indie hit, thanks to its unpolished warmthplus the chemistry of its stars, Sarita Choudhury and Denzel Washington. Unfortunately, ownership complications have made it unviewable for years. Contemporary audiences will finally get a chance to see this charmer, as a new restoration is opening this week in New York before rolling out nationwide, and a Criterion Collection edition will follow in May. Mira Nair spoke to me from Mumbai about how studios tried to convince her to make her heroes white, how her own real-life love story influenced her direction, and how she made Denzel Washington the hottest hes ever been in any movie. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Slate: Before this restoration and the Criterion release, why couldnt people watch Mississippi Masala?

Mira Nair: Because, like happens with many films, the folks who owned it sold it over and over as part of different libraries. And one lost track of where it was, or even where a print could be found. When I really put my mind to tracking it down, I found it in Nashville, Tennessee, in a music company called SESAC, that had somehow inherited it as part of a deal from the thrice-removed owners. Extraordinarily, they were very open to returning the rights back to me.

That seems like a very unlikely happy ending to this kind of story.

Very unlikely!

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Was it hard to convince people to finance this story?

Oh, yes. Oh yes. The head of Orion at the time heard this idea. By that time we had already written it for Denzel. I had already got Denzel to say yes. He loved Salaam Bombay! and that was the reason he wanted to meet me. I pitched the story, and the head of the studio says to me, Can you make room for a white protagonist? That was his exact line.

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What movie did he think you were making?!

Can I make room for a white protagonist! And I said, I can promise you one thing, that all the waiters in this film will be white. And he kind of looked at me and laughed, and I laughed, and he politely showed me the door.

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So you had Denzel. Where did Sarita Choudhury come from?

I found Sarita in a very cutting-edge British magazine where I saw this fantastic four-page spread of this girl with the wild hair. So I asked Susie Figgis, my casting director, to find her. She was a film student, not an actor. A student of film in London. She was brought into a casting session. Susie kept telling me shes late, sorry, but what had happened is that Sarita had come there with her hair all neatly oiled and not wild at all. Susie took one look at her and sent her straight to the salon with 10 and said, You go wash that hair and you dont coif it. Meanwhile, Susie was saying, Lets go take you to lunch, Mira, just distracting me while Sarita came back. And she was what I dreamed of, really. Incredibly intelligent, extraordinary sensuality. Fierce in her independence.

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Mina is so confident in this movie. She knows what she wants. Even when things get messy, she might feel bad about making trouble for her family, but she never, ever feels bad for wanting Demetrius. And that felt very refreshing to me at the time, and it still feels refreshing now.

Yeah. She has absolute bravery in her blood. She was brave and thats what we wanted. We cast Sharmila Tagore as her mother in the film. She is an icon. Shes a big, big star here. Shes Satyajit Rays heroine from the Apu Trilogy. And then Roshan Seth came, who was perfect. Actually, to be very honest, we wrote the film for Ben Kingsley, instead of Roshan Seth.

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What happened?

I was in Venice, and I was quite the toast of the town from Salaam Bombay! Ben Kingsley came to me, and I said, We wrote this film for you, and he actually said thisI dont know why Im telling you thishe said [Ben Kingsley voice] Mira, I only do title roles.

Oh no.

And I kind of joked and said, Oh, well, we could call it Jay Patel. He was not amused.

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Lets talk about Sarita and Denzel and the chemistry between them. Rewatching the movie this time, I really admired that long shot on the bayou where theyre walking together and he asks if he can kiss her. And then right as they kiss, we realize that the camera has been slowly tracking in on them the whole time. Do you have specific memories of shooting that scene?

I completely have memories. Last month I was directing in Baton Rouge, and I took the Amtrak to Greenwood, Mississippi, to find the bayou where we shot that scene. I had always seen it as a long take, because I used to feel that romantic scenes were always kind of all cut up and artificially ellipsed. They dont have the electricity and the slow sizzle of what its really like. Some of the awkwardness and the tenderness and the nerves. And I find that all extremely affecting and beautiful.

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Their chemistry, it did reflect the slow growing affection that allowed them to find each other. And the great courtesy that I felt in the South. The great courtesy of may I kiss you. Its none of that movie-style smashing into each other. I mean, a lot of it is just concocted. Life is often not like that.

I have long maintained to friends that Denzel Washington has never been hotter in a movie than he is in this one. This is the absolute peak hotness of Denzel Washington. But rewatching it, I think what I finally realized is: Its not just that he is 35 and looks great. Its the movie! Its the story you wrote.

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Its Denzels probably only romantic role that he ever played with such vulnerability.

Yes, hes so vulnerable and eager and happy to be with her, and he just didnt get to do that many movies where he got to be romantic and sexy.

Well, I was also making this film in a stupor of love myself. I had fallen in love for the first time, and I just knew what it was feeling like.

With someone you met researching this movie in Uganda.

Spike Lee used to tease me and say, Denzel is not going to take his shirt off. Then I would come to the set and hes taken his shirt off on his own.

Yes. My husband of now 32 years, hes in the other room right now. Mahmood Mamdani, a Ugandan professor and activist. So I was in this, like a lightning bolt.

When we started with the non-love stuff in the movie, Denzel was just consummate, I mean, man, hes just in his being. He would enter the restaurant in the scene and he would just be so deeply natural and completely charismatic at the same time. It was just so real. But when it came to the love stuff, I was not feeling it.

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I also should tell you that I was warned by a good friend, Spike Lee, he used to tease me and say, Denzel is not going to take his shirt off. Then I would come to the set and hes under the car, fixing the car, and hes taken his shirt off on his own. I would just laugh internally and think, Spike, I never asked him and there he was.

He just knew thats what the movie needed.

But I still didnt get this vulnerability thing that I myself was feeling. The stupor, the love stupor. I remember hed won the Oscar for Glory, and I was this second-time filmmaker pacing outside his trailer, really nervous. I walked into the trailer and I said, Denzel, Im getting everything, youre doing this, youre doing that, its fantastic. And then he looked at me like, Get on with it. What do you want?

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I said, Im not getting the vulnerability that love can cause. Its a beautiful thing. And I want that. He looked at me again with his sort of pale eyes like, Oh yeah? And I said, Just in case you think Im a sentimental female fool, I think the audiences are going to just be weak-kneed when you open your heart. That really hit him. He got it.

And it really worked!

Dan, do you know that I always go to the openings all over the country? I was definitely in New York, definitely in LA. I worried, to see whether African American audiences would not like the idea of an Asian girl. But it was interactive. It was a scream fest. I would go to the loos, thats the best place to understand how people are liking a movie or not. And they would be like a drooling fest.

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Right. To see people enjoying that kind of sexuality and attraction and connection is really rewarding.

And it was unfettered. It wasnt all processed and judged up. It was real. And of course the novelty of seeing Black and brown skin in the one frame, that was a big thing. Frankly, I have not seen it in 30 years since, as much as it should be celebrated. That was the other thing about the audiences. In England, the lines that were seeing this film, they were all hybrid folk, interracial, mixed people, people who had never seen themselves on screen. And it dawned on me then that, Oh my God, there really is an audience for my work. I had never felt that. I was always feeling marginal, neither being here nor there. But it was all put to bed with Mississippi Masala.
Update, April 11, 2022, at 1:45 p.m.: The chat is complete! Find the write-up in the Dear Prudence archive, and continue the conversation on the Prudie Facebook Page. Submit questions for next weeks chat here.

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As I found while researching my book, Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of American Monuments, most of the more than 200 public monuments taken down after the death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020 are still sitting in storage, while we argue about whether they should stay hidden or be put back up. But Im a classicist. If theres anything the ancient world can teach us, its that were not thinking big enough when it comes to disposing of our surplus statuary.

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The ancients even had better deep storage strategies than us. Take this portrait sculpture of Ur-Ningirsu, who ruled a Sumerian city-state in what is now Iraq in around 2080 B.C. Ur-Ningirsu, who is folding his hands in prayer, clearly never skipped an arms day. He rocks a sheepskin hat with a rolled brim as well as a magnificent unibrow. The statue would have been placed in a temple, so the gods would think Ur-Ningirsu was standing there in perpetual adoration. In return, they would grant him a long life (#PolytheisticLifeHack).

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When divine favor eventually wore thin, and Ur-Ningirsu died, another ruler wanted prime altar real estate for his own votive sculpture. Ur-Ningirsus sculpture was likely removed and carefully deposited in a pit dug into the temple floor. (Were not completely sure this happened to this sculpture, since we dont know where it was before it appeared on the European art market in the 1920s, probably after being looted from an ancient site.)

Ur-Ningirsu and his fellow ancient Mesopotamians thought about portraiture like we do nuclear fissionan immense power, usable for good or evil. Statues could convince the gods to give you power-ups. But enemies could injure you by attacking your statue. To prevent magical abuses, priests unplugged the connection between Ur-Ningirsu and his statue before they buried it, via a quick ritual decapitation. This led to a lot of complications in the early 20th century, when the Louvre bought his body and the Metropolitan Museum bought his head. They put him back together, and now he flies across the Atlantic every four years, like a kid in a custody dispute.

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Bronze is tough, and marble can be easily repaired. Its easy enough, say, to glue Columbus head back on. Most of the American monuments to have come down since 2020 were officially removed, but even the 35 that were pulled down by protesters remain mostly unscathed. No matter how controversial now, they could easily be put back up if the political winds blow the other way. If we dont want our public monuments to remain in storage ready for redeployment, like some sort of North American Strategic Racism Reserve, maybe we need to take tips from the Mesopotamians on how to lay a statue to rest for good.

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True, damaging a monument isnt really a way to get rid of it permanently, as is shown by the many statues of Hatshepsut, who ruled Egypt from circa 14791458 B.C. Hatshepsut took power on the death of her husband, initially acting as regent for her 2-year-old stepson Thutmose III. But Hatshepsut never stepped aside. She ruled for 22 years and constructed an elaborate burial complex with numerous statues, showing herself as a queen, male pharaoh, or sphinx. After her death, Thutmose (or perhaps his son) reacted by smashing many of these statues.

Archeologists have been happily piecing Hatshepsut back together again since modern excavations began in Egypt. The destruction didnt erase her from historybut it did show how her successors reacted to her memory. We might be horrified at the reasons for their disapproval, but we are certain of their opinions. What will future generations think of our current habit of tucking away monuments celebrating white supremacy in expensive, climate-controlled storage, designed to preserve them indefinitely?

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The ancient Romans are even more famed for the deliberate destruction of images, thanks to their habit, dubbed damnatio memoriae by modern scholars, of destroying all portraits of people deemed enemies of the state. Emperors were especially vulnerable to a posthumous popularity contest. Of the 70 Roman emperors from Augustus to Constantine, 25 were declared deities after their death, while 26 had their memories condemned.

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Some of these erasures involved very deep cuts. A round wooden painting made in Egypt circa 200 A.D. shows the Emperor Septimius Severus, his wife, and his son Caracalla, all with cheerful smiles and bulging eyes. A scrubbed-off circle of gray floats where the face of the other son, Geta, once was. When they were co-emperors, Caracalla ordered Geta assassinated and his memory erased. Someone in provincial Egypt, far from the capital, was eager to comply.

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We still remember Geta, like we remember Hatshepsut. Damnatio memoriae is a sign of disavowal, not an actual magical removal of a person from history. What damnatio memoriae did was change the meaning of the image. The obliteration of Getas head made the tondo a statement of the owners obedience to Caracalla. (Long story short about Caracalla: You really, really wanted to stay on his good side.)

The power of damnatio memoriae to change meaning without destroying an entire object might give us some good ideas for modifying modern monuments. Take, for example, the Freedmens Memorial, dedicated in Washington, D.C., in 1876. The monument shows President Abraham Lincoln holding the Emancipation Proclamation while a newly freed Black man, clad only in a loincloth, crouches at his feet. As soon as the monument was unveiled, Frederick Douglass criticized its representation of this man on his knees like a four-footed animal. Many others have echoed this criticism, and in June 2020, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton announced she would seek its removal, as the monument failed to note in any way how enslaved African Americans pushed for their own emancipation.

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But in 1916, Freeman H. M. Murray, a Black journalist and activist, proposed a different solution. Murray argued that the crouching man was an example of the way that American monuments depicted Black people not as they really were but as white Americans wished they would behave: subordinate, obedient, second-class citizens, grateful for their freedom, and admitting that they were unfit for real political or social equality. To stop this message from spreading to new generations of Americans, Murray proposed removing the Black figure from the Freedmens Memorial, transforming it into a memorial to Lincoln alone. This removalnot of a historical person, but of a noxious and false ideais less a damnatio memoriae than a damnatio propagandae.

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The Romans also give us another, even more practical idea: reusing statues by recarving them into a portrait of someone else. When the notoriously cruel Emperor Domitian was assassinated in 96 A.D., Nerva took over and condemned his predecessors memory. Artists killed two imperial birds with one stone by recarving condemned Domitians into new Nervas. Sometimes this didnt work out so well, like on a set of two reliefs now in the Vatican Museums, which originally showed the gods, including Mars and Minerva, celebrating a triumphal Domitian. Cutting down Domitians head into a portrait of Nerva did make the new emperor look like he had a swole neck, but his comparatively tiny skull looks ridiculous.

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A petition to swap Columbus out for Prince at the Minnesota state Capitol is just one of many similar proposals, but I havent yet heard of anyone thrifty enough to replace a controversial monument by recarving, in 2022. But artists have been using more temporary means of transforming standing monuments. In Richmond, artists projected portraits of Breonna Taylor, Malcolm X, and others on the pedestal of a statue of Robert E. Lee. Similarly, the figures on the 1954 Monument to the Soviet Army in Sofia, Bulgaria, have become superheroes, been doused in pink to apologize for the Bulgarian occupation of Prague, and were painted in the colors of the Ukrainian flag to celebrate the 2014 Ukrainian revolution. Of course, its easier to scrub off these additions, as authorities have routinely done, than to repair a recarved monument.

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So far, Ive been talking about transformations of monuments in times of peace. But the ancient world also has plenty of examples of wartime transformations of monuments, especially those captured by invading forces and taken back home as trophies.

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A bronze head of the Emperor Augustus, now in the British Museum, was once one of these trophies. In 24 A.D., a decade after Augustus death, an army led by Queen Amanirenas of Kush invaded Roman territory in Egypt, hacked this head off an oversized statue, and brought it back home to Meroe, in what is now Sudan.* They buried it beneath the staircase leading to an altar of victory. For the next two millennia, everyone approaching the altar symbolically humiliated Augustus by treading on his face. Something strangely similar happened in 2015, when an artist encased a Communist-era statue of Lenin, slated for removal from the grounds of a factory in Odessa, Ukraine, in a titanium sheathing, transforming him into Darth Vader. Like Augustus, the buried Lenin gained a new, unexpected power: a transmitter in his helmet beams out free Wi-Fi.

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In the 12th century B.C., the Elamites, in what is now Iran, made an entire collection of captured monuments. One was a massive stele, once over 7 feet tall, carved in the mid-3rd millennium B.C. to celebrate the victory of Naram-Sin, king of the Akkadian Empire, over Lullubi people in Irans Zagros mountains. In it, the colossally sized Naram-Sin is shown striding over the puny, prone bodies of his dead enemies. A thousand years later, the Elamite king Shutruk-Nahhunte invaded what had once been Naram-Sins territory. He ordered the stele taken to his capitol, Susa, 300 difficult miles away.

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Shutruk-Nahhuntes artists gouged out Naram-Sins face, as well as that of the puppet king he had left behind to rule the Lullubi. And they added another inscription to tell the story of Shutruk-Nahhuntes victory. His capitol held other captured monuments, including the famed law code of Hammurabi and another victory monument showing Naram-Sins grandfather, Sargon, holding a net full of thrashing, captured soldiers.

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Naram-Sins and Sargons monuments had once sent a message to their subjects, reminding them that the expense of paying the onerous annual tributes the Assyrians demanded would be nothing compared with the pain that would come if they rebelled. By modifying and moving these monuments, Shutruk-Nahhunte showed these threats were finally empty.

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Several modern collections have also brought together works of outdated propaganda to show how the world has changed, ranging from the Soviet statues on display at Grutas Park in Lithuania to the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Michigans Ferris State University. Unlike the Elamites, though, such collectors have been reluctant to damage the monuments themselves. But perhaps the modern world is finally catching up with the ancients, as Charlottesvilles Swords into Ploughshares initiative shows.

In July 2021, the focal point of 2017s deadly Unite the Right rally, a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee, finally came down. Later that year, the city transferred the monument to a local nonprofit, which plans to commission an artist to use its melted-down bronze to sculpt another artwork. Unlike the Lee statue, erected as part of an anti-interracial marriage campaign, the new monument will bring Virginians together instead of driving them apart. We need more of these creative responses to controversial monuments as we redecorate our nation, to remind us that the transformation were aiming for is far deeper than just the monuments in our parks.
More than six weeks after Russias invasion of Ukraine and an unprecedented scramble to reduce the Wests reliance on Russian oil, a narrative about Americas newfound position as a leading fossil fuel producer (and provider) has taken firmer hold of the countrys imagination. To some, its almost as though fracking has saved American democracy.

This pairing of ideas is hardly new. For decades, the United States has been chasing the dragon of energy independence as core to its international interests. It was true the last time the country was dealing with high gas prices, in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. Back then, the U.S. was the one being sanctionedby the Arab members of OPEC for American support of Israel during the ArabIsraeli war. The shock of high gas prices and rationing prompted the U.S. government in 1975 to put a ban on U.S. companies exporting oil and gas. That ban remained in place until 2015 when President Obama, after an intense amount of lobbying pressure from the petroleum industry during the heady days of the fracking boom, lifted it.

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By then, interests had flipped, and now exporting fracked oil and gas was positioned as helping the domestic goal of energy independence. All of a sudden, there were plenty of fossil fuels to go around. If we could be global suppliers of the worlds oil and gas, the story went, we would have more power over world events. They told people here [in Appalachia], whose sons were off fighting in Iraq, that it was their patriotic duty to lease their land for fracking. That this was how we would get out of Iraq and avoid the next war in the Middle East, says Heaven Sensky, a fracking lease-holder in Southwestern Pennsylvania who now works with the nonprofit Coalfield Justice to hold fracking companies accountable for their impact on communities. The truth, however, is that the drill, baby, drill playbook that has driven domestic policy for more than a decade has failed to deliver the promised energy security. Americans are just as dependent on and impacted by the global energy market as any other country, and now the countrys position as an oil and gas exporter is helping push America toward an escalating energy confrontation with its Cold War foewith the help of frackers eager to rescue Europe by snatching away Russias customers.

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As the old saying goes, if were fooled twice, shame on us.

Its hard to overstate the hype that surrounded fracking, and the bipartisan support it enjoyed, in America throughout the 2010s. In Obamas 2012 State of the Union address, he declared that fracking could unlock enough natural gas from under Americas soil to supply cheap domestic energy for a hundred years. Fracking also offered the promise of escaping the seeming inevitability of Rust Belt decline. Obama predicted that it would create 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade, and in 2016, then-presidential candidate Ted Cruz proclaimed that the industry would create millions of millions of new high-paying [manufacturing] jobs. Whats more, because methane combustion emits about half as many pounds of carbon dioxide per million BTU of energy as does coal, shale gas was also widely touted as a bridge fuel to renewable energy.

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This has all contributed to a silver-bullet mythos around fracking that is almost wholly divorced from the facts. At the height of the boom, many rural Pennsylvanians were under the expectation that they would eventually be able to tap into the cheap supply of natural gas being extracted from beneath their homes. This didnt happen; the industry was more keen on championing the completion of dozens of liquified natural gas facilities to export the glut of methane abroad, where it fetched a higher price. A bombshell report produced by the Ohio River Valley Institute last year found that gas drilling has not lifted the financial outlook of Appalachian shale communities and may have even made the regional economy worse. On the environmental front, the methane emissions associated with fracking are so pervasive that many scientists now think that substituting natural gas for coal wont reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (Not to mention that fracking has become notoriously associated with drinking water contamination.)

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Perhaps most astounding, the fracking industry never really managed to make money. Its an industry thats been phenomenally successful at producing oil and gas, but has been terrible at producing cash, says Clark Williams-Derry, an energy finance analyst with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. These companies have always struggled to produce positive free cash flow, which is what you use as a company to reward your investors and pay down your debt.

The push to export fracked gas, then, was driven not by a patriotic duty to liberate our allies with molecules of U.S. freedom but by a desperate need to get out of debt and turn a profit. But capitalism and patriotism are things the fossil fuel industry has conflated masterfully for its existence. For decades they have been  tying their product to the American way of life and everything good about America, explains Brown University sociologist Dr. Robert Brulle, who studies fossil fuel misinformation campaigns. Industry-funded media outlets have relentlessly campaigned to convince rural landowners in Pennsylvania and elsewhere that the anti-fracking movement is driven by liberal urban elites bent on waging class warfare against Americas heartland residents and stripping them of their property rights.

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Unfortunately for the frackers, none of it has really allowed the industry to start raking it in. They kept ramping up production and cheered when Trump announced that the U.S. was now the top supplier of gas in the world, but they still couldnt turn that production into profits. In fact, the only thing that saved most fracking companies from bankruptcy in 2020 was, ironically, the COVID-19 pandemic. A good excuse to lower production gave them the ability to dramatically cut costs and lay off workers, and government relief programs enabled them to get federal loans and delay paying back their bank loans. Fracking companies held on by the skin of their teeth. Now, with the response to Russias invasion, the universe has provided for them again. At the moment when bipartisan support for fracking has eroded, blue chip companies have massively divested from fossil fuels, and many residents in fracking country have grown supportive of a ban on unconventional drilling, the invasion has provided frackers with both an economic and a rhetorical gift. Freedom gas to the rescue.

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Ever since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the American oil and gas industry has been preparing for this moment. The U.S. government responded to the annexation with harsh sanctions, messing with Exxons investments in Russia and its partnership with the state-owned oil company Rosneft. Given that Putin has continued supporting separatists in Ukraine since then, it wasnt beyond the realm of possibility that another Crimea-like event might happen, and the industry wasnt going to be caught off-guard again. No surprise, then, that the American Petroleum Institute at first lobbied the government to hold off on enacting sanctions that might hurt American companies operating in Russia when Putin began his troop buildup along the border. Various executives and trade groups were sending letters to the White House the morning after the invasion asking for volume increases on permits at existing liquid natural gas (LNG) facilities (which the Department of Energy granted within two weeks) and for the fast-tracking of approvals for new LNG terminals and pipelines. Sanctions were now becoming an opportunity. Two days after the initial invasion, the API started social media campaigns asking the Biden administration to lift regulations that were keeping them from producing more oil and gas. No such regulations exist, and the industrys top lobbying group knows that. But they couldnt very well risk the American public thinking they were the ones choosing not to produce more oil and gas. When Biden announced a ban on imports of Russian oil, the campaigns grew louder.

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Of course, nothing at all about American sanctions on Russia affected the actual supply of gasoline at the pumpthose high prices are the result of markets reacting to the news and speculating about what might happen if more countries say no to Russian oil and gas or if Putin makes good on his promise to take his barrels and go home. Bidens promise to ship more LNG to Europe may soften the blow of rising energy prices there, but it wont be enough to replace Russian gas (and threatens to hamper both superpowers transition to renewable resources). And U.S. companies are already producing exactly as much oil and gas as they want to be producing. Theynot the governmentset their own production volume, and petroleum executives have been telling their shareholderspromising them, in factthat they will not increase production, even if the price of oil hits $200 a barrel. Why? The same old fracking cash flow problem.

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For the first time since the early days of the shale gas and oil boom, fracking companies are actually paying shareholders decent dividends. After a number of boom and bust cycles, theyre promising those shareholders that they will hold steady, cash in on high prices, and keep paying out. Meanwhile, the oil majors are replenishing their coffers after taking a big hit in the pandemic. Like the fracking execs, ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods has told shareholders hes more interested in higher prices per barrel than producing more barrels.

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But once again were hearing the familiar cry of energy independence and American jingoism. Were being told that exporting oil and gas to Europe ensures our national security, and that high gasoline prices at home are Putins fault. If anything, what the Russia ordeal has shown us is that we are entirely beholden to global markets and world events because we are an exporter. And because of our reliance on fossil fuels and our indulgence of the fossil fuel industry. The only way America will ever truly achieve energy independence is to get off of fossil fuels altogether.
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A Palestinian woman was killed on Sunday by Israeli soldiers in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, official sources and eyewitnesses said.

The woman, whose identity wasn't immediately known, was critically injured after being shot by Israeli soldiers near the Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs, in the Old City of Hebron, Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses said.

She was left bleeding on the ground until her death, they added.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed the death of the unidentified Palestinian woman, citing the information from the Palestinian Civil Liaison Office, an office that coordinates with the Israeli authorities over civilian issues.

Her body was held by the Israeli soldiers in the area, the ministry noted.

According to eyewitnesses, the Israeli army closed the Ibrahimi Mosque before prayers, and prevented the medical teams from reaching the woman.

Meanwhile, Israeli media outlets reported that Israeli soldiers in Hebron opened fire at a Palestinian woman who stabbed an Israeli soldier with a knife at a checkpoint near the Ibrahimi Mosque and slightly injured him in the neck.

This was the second Palestinian woman who was killed by Israeli soldiers on Sunday in the West Bank.

Earlier in the day, Ghada Sbateen, a 47-year-old Palestinian woman of six, was killed by Israeli soldiers in the town of Husan near the West Bank city of Bethlehem when trying to carry out a stabbing attack, according to the Palestinian health ministry and Israeli media reports.

On Saturday, Israeli troops raided the hometown of a Palestinian man who carried out a shooting attack in Tel Aviv on Thursday that killed three people.

The raid sparked a gun battle between the Israeli troops and armed Palestinians in which, according to Palestinian sources, at least one Palestinian was killed and several injured.

Tension between Israel and the Palestinians has been flaring over the past couple of weeks and during the Muslims' fasting month of Ramadan, mainly in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Officials in Spain issue warning over counterfeit bank notes



Many false bank notes circulating in Spain can be very convincing

Counterfeit money is a big business in Spain and as the summer season approaches, both individuals and business owners are more susceptible to this fraudulent practice. As a result, the Guardia Civil has launched an alert through its official Twitter account to advise people of the steps to check if bank notes are real or fake.

Officers posted a bizarre image of a fake bill that looks like a 50 euro note, but is actually stamped with an amount of 39.95 euros. The Guardia Civil pointed out that, although this example is quite amusing and obviously fake, many counterfeits are far more convincing and can easily fool us.

The officials have recommended the following tip to establish if a bank note is real:

Touch the embossed print to check the texture.

Hold the bill up to the light.

Check that the holographic band is present.

Puede parecerte gracioso y evidente, pero algunas falsificaciones no son tan garbanceras como esta

Consejo:

Toca la impresion en relieve

Gira para ver la banda holografica

Mira al trasluz

Evitaras que tu "dinero" no valga nada pic.twitter.com/xEHmull8y5  Guardia Civil  (@guardiacivil) April 3, 2022

Image: Guardia Civil
Hlas is still the strongest party while SaS support has dropped.

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A month and a half of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has not significantly changed support for Slovak political parties.

The only more significant change occurred in the case of Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) coalition party, where support dropped from 12 percent in February to 10.3 percent in April.

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SaS voters could negatively perceive the criticised statements of Richard Sulik, chair of the party, who said that if necessary Slovakia should pay for gas in rubles as Vladimir Putin demanded, opined director of the Focus polling agency Martin Slosiarik.

The poll was conducted by Focus for Na Telo , a political discussion on private television channel Markiza, between March 30 and April 6 on 1,007 respondents. The poll showed that Hlas still has the strongest support, 19 percent, and that second is Smer with 15 percent.

Sulik and rubles

The poll measured support only partly in the time when Sulik said his statement about paying for gas in rubles.
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/after-khans-departure-us-could-grab-control-of-pakistans-foreign-policy-political-scientist-says-1094680969.html

After Khan's Departure, US Could Grab Control of Pakistan's Foreign Policy, Political Scientist Says

After Khan's Departure, US Could Grab Control of Pakistan's Foreign Policy, Political Scientist Says

The 342-seat Pakistani National Assembly on Monday cast 174 votes for Shehbaz Sharif to become the country's new prime minister after his predecessor Imran... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

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asia & pacific

russia

china

us

coup

pakistan

imran khan

special operation

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"According to current media trends, not only internationally but the majority of Pakistanis see former prime minister Imran Khan as a just and honest leader," says Sabtain Ahmed Dar, a Pakistan-based academic and political scientist, commenting on rallies supporting Khan.According to Dar, the 9 April no-confidence vote was nothing but a US-backed coup d'etat aimed at "reining in" Islamabad over its independent foreign policy course, strong ties with China and unwillingness to join anti-Russia sanctions.During Imran Khan's visit to Moscow on 23 to 24 February - which coincided with the beginning of Moscow's special operation to demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine - America's Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu, reportedly called Asad Majeed Khan, Pakistan's ambassador to Washington, and "demanded that the visit be immediately interrupted" which Khan rejected.Later, heads of European Union member states released a joint letter on 1 March urging Khan to support a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly condemning Russia's Ukraine operation, notes Dar.On 7 March, Lu reportedly threatened Asad Majeed Khan with consequences over Islamabad's foreign policy course, referring to the no-confidence motion against PM Khan. The motion was tabled in the Pakistani National Assembly the very next day by opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, the leader of Pakistani Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) over alleged corruption and inability to improve the country's economy."Imran Khan's unwillingness to join anti-Russian sanctions was motivated by his hatred of the US and its policy towards Pakistan," says Dar. "He has always sought to take Pakistan out from the Yankee Club and reduce her dependency syndrome."On 27 March, the prime minister revealed for the first time a "threat letter" mentioning the toppling of his government and the opposition's no-confidence motion. According to Khan, it was sent by Lu.On 3 April, Pakistans Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri quashed the no-confidence motion against Khan and dissolved the National Assembly, thus paving way for snap elections. However, the Pakistan Supreme Court on 7 April reversed the deputy speaker's decisions and allowed the non-confidence vote to proceed in the National Assembly which led to Khan's defenestration on 9 April."Contrary to NSCs findings and the subsequent dissolution of assemblies, the Supreme Courts constitutional verdict against the prime minister's administration was ironic as it was unwittingly supporting foreign interference and regime change in Pakistan," says Dar.He also expressed bewilderment over the Pakistani military's decision to "give a cold shoulder" to the prime minister despite the Pakistan Armys media outlet Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan (ISPR) making a public statement that it backed the NSCs findings on the foreign-backed plans to oust Khan.'Everything Was Used Against Khan'The Pakistani academic notes that the majority of people support Imran Khan, adding that if Khan were allowed to hold snap general elections, his party - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf - would most certainly win.For its part, the opposition sought to come to power because of its vested political and economic interests, according to Dar. Although the academic is sure that the opposition was involved in foreign interference in Pakistan's domestic affairs to unseat Khan, he notes that they also wanted to remove Khan "to relieve themselves from previous corruption charges in the Supreme Court and National Accountability Bureau."According to the political scientist, Pakistani people are continuing to ask questions about Imran Khan's ejection, as well as the Pakistani political and military establishment's role in the event. He does not rule out protests and instances of civil unrest over the recent developments. Meanwhile, the next general election in the country is scheduled for August 2023.The academic outlines a possible series of events which could follow Khan's resignation: after Shehbaz Sharif forms his new government the opposition is likely to dissolve the Nation Accountability Bureau; Pakistan's independent foreign policy course could be "compromised"; the United States may grab control of Pakistans foreign policy and influence Islamabad's ties with Russia and China.Sabtain Ahmed Dar is a Pakistan-based academic and political scientist. He teaches History and International Relations at the School of Integrated Social Sciences at the University of Lahore. He is at present a senior fellow at the Center for Security, Strategy and Policy Research (CSSPR) and contributes at the National Security Division think-tank of Pakistan.

https://sputniknews.com/20220405/us-punishing-disobedient-imran-khan-for-his-foreign-policy-says-russian-foreign-ministry-1094494714.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220410/watch-tens-of-thousands-of-imran-khan-supporters-take-to-streets-in-pakistan-after-weekend-ouster-1094654664.html

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Ekaterina Blinova

asia & pacific, russia, china, us, coup, pakistan, imran khan, special operation
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/biden-white-house-to-release-rule-on-ghost-guns-as-soon-as-monday---report-1094655949.html

Biden White House to Release Rule on Ghost Guns as Soon as Monday - Report

Biden White House to Release Rule on Ghost Guns as Soon as Monday - Report

Ghost guns are firearms sold online as D.I.Y. kits that can be assembled without a license or a background check. About 80% of the firearms are complete when... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T00:38+0000

2022-04-11T00:38+0000

2022-04-11T00:36+0000

guns

gun control

biden administration

rule

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The Biden administration is expected to roll out a long-awaited rule on ghost guns - unregulated and untraceable firearms built from kits - as soon as Monday, according to the Associated Press. Under US federal law, firearms are required to be labeled with serial numbers by every manufacturer, importer, or anyone making a firearm."The announcement for the rule on ghost guns has not yet been made available, but the rule is expected to change the current definition of a firearm under federal law to include unfinished parts like the frame of a handgun or the receiver, as well as require firearm dealers to run background checks before selling the D.I.Y. kits.Bidens ghost gun rule comes at a crucial time, as an increase in shootings is expected this summer after an ominous spring, which saw a string of shootings in America occur in a single weekend last month and left a total of eight people dead and at least 60 injured. That weekend of bloodshed made up some of the total 129 mass shootings that have taken place across the US in 2022 to date.On February 28, a little over a month before a mass shooting in downtown Sacramento that killed six people, David Mora, 39, killed his three daughters, a chaperone and himself during a supervised visitation at a church. Mora used an unregistered ghost gun in the shooting despite his restraining order, which prohibited him from possessing one.While ghost guns have existed for decades, the market saw its growth begin to climb starting in 2009. The issues surrounding ghost guns increasing stole nationwide headlines after a single shooter went on a killing spree in 2013 at the Santa Monica College campus and its surrounding area. Six people, including the gunman were killed during the shooting.The Santa Monica shooter was deemed ineligible in 2011 by the California Department of Justice to purchase a firearm, so he built his own at home. Sales of ghost gun parts are unregulated, except for the lower receiver. Websites that sell ghost gun kits and parts market them as 80-pecent receivers which do not require a background check, as they are only 80% complete, but that doesnt necessarily mean putting them together is difficult.Within an hour or two, you should be breaking it in at the range, boasts one online merchant. Another site said that the jigs which are included in the ghost gun kits could make it easy enough for anyone to assemble a gun in under 15 minutes.Between 2016 and 2020, the Justice Department reported that nearly 24,000 ghost guns were found by law enforcement at crime scenes, and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reported that law enforcement recovered about 10,000 ghost guns in 2019.In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 250 ghost guns were recovered by authorities in 2020, compared to 99 that were found the year prior. And in Baltimore, Maryland, 126 ghost guns were found compared to just 29 from the year before. Meanwhile in California, a state that has been ramping up its gun restrictions, authorities said that in 2019, nearly a third of the firearms they recovered were homemade, unserialized, and untraceable.In 2022 alone, 131 ghost guns were recovered in New York City by the NYPD, marking a 351% increase in the city from the 29 ghost guns that were recovered by police in 2021. Former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said in 2021 that ghost guns are a significant public safety threat in a way that they werent even two years ago.In October 2021, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation in order to crack down on the untraceable firearms, which would make it illegal to possess an unfinished gun frame or receiver by anyone other than a licensed gunsmith or dealer.For nearly a year, Bidens rule on ghost guns has been making its way through the federal regulation process, with gun safety groups and Democrats in Congress urging the Justice Department for months to finally wrap it up.

https://sputniknews.com/20210822/twenty-republican-run-states-launch-challenge-to-bidens-ghost-gun-law-1083685938.html

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guns, gun control, biden administration, rule
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/british-counter-terror-agents-missed-obvious-warnings-of-manchester-arena-bombing-1094678726.html

British Counter-Terror Agents Missed 'Obvious' Warnings of Manchester Arena Bombing

British Counter-Terror Agents Missed 'Obvious' Warnings of Manchester Arena Bombing

Suicide bomber Salman Abedi was probed by MI5 in 2014 and was later flagged up by the agency's 'Operation Clematis' as worthy of further investigation  but... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T16:42+0000

2022-04-11T16:42+0000

2022-04-11T16:42+0000

uk

britain

great britain

mi5

2017 manchester arena bombing

itv

ariana grande

libya

cia

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A leading expert on British anti-terrorism law has said counter-terrorism agency MI5 missed "obvious" signs of the Manchester Arena suicide bomber's deadly plot.22-year-old Salman Abedi killed himself and 22 others when he detonated his explosives in the crowed at an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017. More than a thousand others were injured. Many of the victims were children or teenagers.Abedi had been allowed to travel to Libya in 2011 to take part in the violent overthrow of the government, backed by the US, Britain, France and former colonial ruler Italy. Other Islamic extremists who took part in the coup were later transplanted to Syria for the CIA-orchestrated regime change attempt there.Interviewed for a new two-part ITV documentary When Worlds Collide, to be broadcast this week, Lord David Anderson QC said "mistakes were made" and MI5 overlooked important information that linked Abedi to a bomb plot.The QC led a review of terrorism legislation, published in 2015, and wrote an assessment of MI5 months after the 2017 attack.Now we all make mistakes, we all misunderstand things that we are told, we all jump to conclusions, and Im afraid thats what happened in this case, he added.Anderson said MI5 should have put procedural "trip wires" in place to trigger renewed surveillance of subjects where appropriate. "Thats the trickiest thing of all in what MI5 do," he said.Abedi was investigated by MI5 in 2014, but his file was closed. He was later flagged up by the agency's "Operation Clematis" as "somebody who looked as though he might deserve a priority investigation"  but the security service scheduled action nine days too late.Anderson said MI5 had already accepted that it had dropped the ball when it failed to apprehend Abedi when he flew back to the UK airport from Libya four days before the concert.The powers of the police at the airport are very strong indeed. They can compel people to answer questions, there is no right of silence, He said.Abedi's brother and accomplice Hashem was jailed in 2020 for 22 counts of murder, along with attempted murder and conspiracy to cause explosions.

https://sputniknews.com/20201207/hashem-abedi-brother-of-manchester-arena-bomber-for-the-first-time-admits-role-in-plotting-attack-1081382338.html

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uk, britain, great britain, mi5, 2017 manchester arena bombing, itv, ariana grande, libya, cia
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/canada-trained-fighters-from-nationalist-azov-battalion-despite-vowing-not-to-local-radio-says-1094682612.html

Canada Trained Fighters From Nationalist Azov Battalion Despite Vowing Not to, Local Radio Says

Canada Trained Fighters From Nationalist Azov Battalion Despite Vowing Not to, Local Radio Says

The battalion was created in 2014 as a ragtag unit consisting mostly of the members of the radical right groups, such as the Right Sector, who never hid their... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T20:51+0000

2022-04-11T20:51+0000

2022-04-11T20:48+0000

situation in ukraine

canada

ukraine

europe

azov battalion

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Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) spent over $890 million on training Ukrainian soldiers since 2014, including members of the Ukrainian nationalist battalion Azov, Radio Canada has reported, citing obtained documents and photos from several training sessions. According to the media, its fighters even boasted being capable to provide similar training based on the western military standards themselves  to other members of the battalion.Even though the Canadian government promised that it would never be training fighters for the Azov battalion, precisely because of their deep ties to the radical nationalist groups, several of its members apparently took part in training sessions with the CAF around November 2020 at the Ukrainian National Guard Training Centre in Zolochev.CAF indeed held sessions for the Ukrainian military at Zolochev between 20 February, 2019 and 13 February, 2022. Radio Canada found several photos posted online from the training and spotted at least two Ukrainian servicemen brandishing their patches with Azov battalion insignia  a Spartan's helmet and a sign similar to the Wolfsangel, a symbol used by some of the German Nazi units.On a different photo - shot by a photographer from the CAF around the same time and found by the Radio Canada - another Ukrainian soldier is seen wearing a patch with a golden lion and three crowns on a blue background. The same insignia was used by the 14th division of the Waffen-SS, which is a unit created in 1943 from the volunteers in Ukraine to fight against the USSR and Ukrainian compatriots fighting against the Nazi occupants.The patch of the 14th division of the Waffen-SS does not prove a link between this soldier and the Azov battalion directly. However, Ukrainian nationalists often praise the members of this division of Waffen-SS and have routinely held tribute ceremonies devoted to it since the Western-backed 2014 coup in Ukraine.Although the Canadian Department of National Defence strongly denied engaging in training of the members of the Azov battalion, it admitted that the Canadian servicemen who held these training sessions had not been tasked with double-checking if the members of the battalion were among their trainees.Over the course of the educational programme, Canada trained 33,346 Ukrainian servicemen, including, apparently, an undefined number of nationalists from the Azov battalion. The same nationalists, whom Russia is accusing of attacking civilians in the two Donbass republics, the DPR and LPR, which requested Moscow to defend them ahead of 24 February. Russian armed forces also reported that the members of nationalist battalions did not shy away from using the local population of Ukrainian cities as human shields against the Russian soldiers carrying out the special military operation to demilitarize and "de-Nazify" Ukraine.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus

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canada, ukraine, europe, azov battalion
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/documentary-about-ukrainian-forces-shelling-of-a-donetsk-school-with-grad-rockets-1094637615.html

Documentary About Ukrainian Forces Shelling of a Donetsk School With 'Grad' Rockets

Documentary About Ukrainian Forces Shelling of a Donetsk School With 'Grad' Rockets

This is one of numerous pieces of evidence showing that children and teachers were deliberately attacked in Donbass. 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T05:02+0000

2022-04-11T05:02+0000

2022-04-11T05:02+0000

children

donbass

school

shelling

donbass. genocide. 2014-2022

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On 1 October 2014, when children came to schools to begin their studies (one month later than usual due to hostilities in the region), Ukrainian militants attacked Donetsk using rocket launchers. Eleven civilians were killed as a result of the attack on that day. One of the rockets hit a shool, and - luckily - none of the children was injured. Later, such attacks took place repeatedly all across the DPR and LPR.

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Aftermath of Shelling of School in Donetsk with Ukrainian Grads Aftermath of Shelling of School in Donetsk with Ukrainian Grads 2022-04-11T05:02+0000 true PT0M47S

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children, donbass, school, shelling, 
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/donbasss-peoples-republics-path-to-independence-1094653786.html

Donbasss Peoples Republics: Path to Independence

Donbasss Peoples Republics: Path to Independence

After breaking off from Kievs control in 2014, the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics began their journey on the road to independence. The post-coup... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T05:01+0000

2022-04-11T05:01+0000

2022-04-11T09:09+0000

donbass

independence

sovereignty

donetsk people's republic

lugansk peoples republic

donbass. genocide. 2014-2022

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Anti-Terrorist Operation Grows Into Brutal WarIn February 2014, Ukraine was rocked by a Western-backed coup detat that overthrew democratically-elected President Viktor Yanukovych. Crimea, Odessa, Kharkov, Donetsk, Lugansk and other regions were overrun with protests by those opposed to the outcome of the Euromaidan revolution. Protesters demanded the federalisation of Ukraine and peoples militia units were formed in the Donbass. In response, acting president of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchinov announced an anti-terrorist operation in the Donbass, which by the summer grew into a full-scale war, complete with the use of military aviation and heavy armour.Referendums on Self-RuleIn May of 2014, political forces in the Donbass organised referendums on the self-determination of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, and the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics were proclaimed. Kiev did not recognise the results of the vote, and ramped up its military operation.Did Ukraines Constitution allow for self-determination? According to Article 73, questions on changes to territory were only to be answered via a national referendum. However, this point should be considered in connection with the Constitutions other norms. Article 5, for example, declares that the people of Ukraine are the source of all power, and that no one has the right to usurp power.In the spring of 2014, Ukraine did not have elected authorities. President Yanukovych was overthrown in February, and power was usurped by the opposition forces. Consequently, the people of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions decided to determine their own fate via referendum.Special StatusBetween September 2014 and February of 2015 the trilateral contact group of Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE, and later Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France hammered out a plan for peace in the Donbass  the Minsk Agreements. One of their central points was the need for Kiev to adopt a law on a special autonomous status to be granted to the breakaway territories.Special Status BlockedIn September 2014, Ukraines parliament passed a law on the special status for the Donbass, but made it applicable only to those separate areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions outside Ukraines control. The law included the right to use the Russian language, amnesty for participants of the armed conflict, and the formation of a peoples militia. At the same time, a temporary, three-year period of special local self-government was allowed for.The issue of local elections became a stumbling block preventing the laws implementation. Under its terms, elections would be held in accordance with norms set in Kiev, i.e. without taking account of the situation which developed in the aftermath of the Euromaidan coup. Kiev refused direct elections with the representatives of the self-proclaimed republics. The Minsk deal required direct dialogue between all parties to the conflict.The DPR and LPR held elections on 2 November 2014. Alexander Zakharchenko was chosen leader of the DPR, and Igor Plotnitsky was selected as head of the LPR. Kiev did not recognise the results of the votes.Temporarily Occupied TerritoriesIn March 2015, Ukraines parliament passed a new law, declaring the DPR and LPR temporarily occupied territories. In essence, the law quashed the preceding law on a special status for the Donbass.In 2016, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier proposed a new initiative aimed at resolving the crisis. The plan, dubbed the Steinmeier formula, proposed the granting of special status to the Donbass republics temporarily on the date that local elections were to take place. At the same time, the elections had to be held under Ukrainian law and under the control of Organization for Security Co-Operation in Europe observers. After the recognition of the elections, the republics were to receive permanent special status as part of Ukraine.Hope FadesUkraine, Germany, France and Russia expressed support for the Steinmeier Formula. However, in time Ukraine began to demand new conditions: a ceasefire, the removal of forces from the line of contact, the return of control over the entire border with Russia and the introduction of peacekeepers. Some of these demands contradicted the Minsk Agreements, dampening hopes for a resolution to the conflict.Law on the Reintegration of the DonbassIn 2018, Ukraine adopted a new law on the reintegration of the Donbass. The Donetsk and Lugansk Republics were again painted as temporarily occupied territories. All mention of the Minsk Agreements were removed from the law before it was passed.In 2019, then-freshly elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised to implement the Steinmeier Formula, but backed down after tens of thousands of ultra-nationalist radicals and opposition supporters gathered in the streets threatening to oust him if he proceeded.Donbass in DangerOn 18 February 2022, after weeks of escalating shelling, sabotage and sniper attacks by Kiev forces, the leaders of the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics announced a mass evacuation of the civilian population to Russia, saying they feared an imminent full-scale offensive by Ukraine.Recognition AchievedOn 21 February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree granting the Donbass republics the status of sovereign and independent states.International SupportCuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Syria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia followed suit in recognizing the two new countries. The United States and its European allies refused to do so, dubbed Russias actions a gross violation of international law, and slapped Moscow with new sanctions.

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donbass, independence, sovereignty, donetsk people's republic, lugansk peoples republic
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/eon-energy-giant-wont-extend-german-nuclear-plants-lifetime-amid-threats-to-ditch-russian-gas-1094680148.html

E.ON Energy Giant Won't Extend German Nuclear Plants' Lifetime Amid Threats to Ditch Russian Gas

E.ON Energy Giant Won't Extend German Nuclear Plants' Lifetime Amid Threats to Ditch Russian Gas

Even now nuclear energy, as well as Russian gas, plays a significant part in overall energy generation in Germany  one of the EU's vital industrial centres... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T17:03+0000

2022-04-11T17:03+0000

2022-04-11T17:04+0000

germany

russia

nuclear power

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German-owned European energy giant, E.ON, has ruled out extending the lifetime of the three nuclear power plants it is operating in Germany citing political climate in the country. Despite facing pressure to ditch buying Russian gas because of its special military operation in Ukraine, and thus facing potential power shortages, Berlin ruled in March 2022 that it won't be prolonging its phasing out of nuclear energy which is scheduled to finish in 2023.Birnbaum hinted that the German government decided that keeping nuclear energy would not "be a game changer" in relieving "the gas emergency situation", possibly referring to a potential end to Russian gas supplies in Germany. The E.ON chief executive called the move to conclude wrapping up nuclear energy production a "decent trade-off decision" on Berlin's part.At the same time, Birnbaum called on the German government to abstain from boycotting Russian gas as it would have drastic negative implications for the country's industry  a call echoed by other companies in Germany. The E.ON boss said that a shutdown of such giants as chemical company BASF, would have a dangerous effect on the country's economy far exceeding that of the COVID-19 lockdowns.German Nuclear Phase Out Amid Gas ConcernsThe German government made a decision to stop using nuclear power plants after the disaster at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant, which was damaged by an extremely powerful tsunami in 2011 leading to catastrophic nuclear waste. By 2022, only three nuclear power plants, all of which are operated by the E.ON, remain functioning in Germany and all three are scheduled to be switched of by 2023.The talks about a potential boycott of Russian gas in response to Russia's special operation in Ukraine briefly prompted talks of extending the phase out. Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck stated that he won't be opposing extending the operational time of nuclear power plants for the time being. However, on 8 March, Berlin said it won't extend the phase-out, opting for faster build-up of alternative energy sources instead.This is, however, not the only plan Berlin has. Although it still resists boycotting Russian fuel in the here and now, pushing for a gradual refusal of it, the German government has planned in case of gas supply shortages. Among other things, there is strict rationing of existing gas supplies with potential cut-offs for big enterprises and forced halting of their operation to accommodate to all needs. Agriculture Minister for Baden-Wurttemberg, Peter Hauk, even called for reducing apartment heating standards to 15 degrees Celsius and to freeze a little "for freedom" from Russian gas.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus

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germany, russia, nuclear power
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/eu-countries-lack-consensus-on-issue-of-cutting-off-russian-oil-reports-say-1094661051.html

EU Countries Lack Consensus on Issue of Cutting off Russian Oil, Reports Say

EU Countries Lack Consensus on Issue of Cutting off Russian Oil, Reports Say

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Last week, the European Union announced its fifth package of sanctions against Russia for its military operation in Ukraine. The... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T04:45+0000

2022-04-11T04:45+0000

2022-04-11T04:45+0000

russia

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EU member states have not agreed on a unified approach to the issue of a potential immediate blockade on Russian oil imports and will not discuss this topic at the foreign ministers meeting on Monday, The Financial Times reports.The potential measure could be raised informally for broad discussion, but EU politicians are exercising caution amid rising energy prices, the newspaper said on Sunday, citing EU officials.One official said that cutting off Russian oil was "a technically and politically complicated matter" for some countries with high dependency.According to The Financial Times, apart from Hungary, there are other EU member states that are resisting the idea of an oil embargo.The European Union could consider imposing tariffs on Russian oil, instead of a straight ban, officials told the newspaper.In March, energy prices in the EU were up 45 percent from a year earlier. In 2021, Russia's imports to the EU amounted to about 45% of gas, 27% of crude oil and 46% of coal, according to the European Commission.On 24 February, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response, the EU rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, which includes airspace closures and restrictive measures targeting numerous Russian officials and entities, media and financial institutions.

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China on Monday said it will maintain its policy of friendly ties with Pakistan no matter how the political situation in Pakistan changes.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a press briefing when answering a query concerning the National Assembly of Pakistan passing a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan on April 10.

"As Pakistan's close neighbors and friends, we sincerely hope that all factions in Pakistan will remain unified and jointly safeguard their overall national stability and development," Zhao said.

"We believe that changes in Pakistan's political situation will not affect the overall situation of China-Pakistan relations," Zhao added.
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/finland--sweden-may-reportedly-seek-nato-membership-by-summer-1094659397.html

Finland & Sweden May Reportedly Seek NATO Membership by Summer

Finland & Sweden May Reportedly Seek NATO Membership by Summer

NATO officials told CNN last week that membership talks with both Finland and Sweden have intensified amid the situation in Ukraine, which has also elicited... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T03:44+0000

2022-04-11T03:44+0000

2022-04-11T03:41+0000

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Washington anticipates that NATO will increase from 30 to 32 member-states due to the Russia-Ukraine conflicts impact on nearby neighbors, including moves by Moscow that have been branded as a massive strategic blunder, according to a new report in The Times.Citing US officials, the British daily detailed that the topic of Finland and Sweden joining NATO was a topic of conversation and multiple sessions during talks held last week and attended by both Nordic countries.Finland is reportedly expected to make a decision on the matter by June, while Sweden will announce its position later in the summer.I think we will have very careful discussions, but we are also not taking any more time than we have to in this process, because the situation is, of course, very severe, Marin added.Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has said Stockholm will keep an open mind regarding possible NATO membership. At the same time, the country is amid a security policy review that takes precedence, and is anticipated to wrap by the end of May.The two Nordic nations are said to be working in tandem to build domestic consensus, although their final decisions will be made independently.Anti-Russian sentiments have grown in both nations as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg readies some 40,000 troops under its command on Europes eastern flank. The rise reportedly represents a tenfold increase from the forces manpower prior to February 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow began its special operation.Stoltenberg told The Sunday Telegraph that forces will be repositioned to prevent further expansion or invasion. The NATO Secretary-General said such positioning will be a new normal for European security.Therefore, we have now asked our military commanders to provide options for what we call a reset, a more longer-term adaptation of NATO, Stoltenberg told the outlet. I expect that NATO leaders will make decisions on this when they meet in Madrid at the NATO summit in June.On Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Sky News that the Nordic countries should remember the goal of mutual deterrence.

https://sputniknews.com/20220408/russian-art-seized-by-finnish-customs-may-return-home-this-weekend-1094583000.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220410/nato-undergoing-fundamental-transformation-with-stonger-eastern-flank-but-keeps-eye-on-china-1094628824.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20220411/finnish-foreign-policy-heavyweight-touts-alliance-with-sweden-as-alternative-to-nato-membership-1094662566.html

Finnish Foreign Policy Heavyweight Touts Alliance With Sweden as Alternative to NATO Membership

Finnish Foreign Policy Heavyweight Touts Alliance With Sweden as Alternative to NATO Membership

Russia's special operation in Ukraine has tilted opinion polls in Finland and Sweden in favour of NATO for the first time in history, fuelling a hot debate... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T06:37+0000

2022-04-11T06:37+0000

2022-04-11T06:37+0000

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It is better for Finland to create a defence alliance with Sweden than to join NATO, former Foreign Minister and heavyweight Social Democrat Erkki Tuomioja has suggested.Tuomioja, deputy chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, a member of the Defence Committee, and the leader of the Social Democrats' working group on defence issues, is sceptical of Finnish membership in NATO and says the country's current security arrangement is relatively safe.According to Tuomioja, the United States would play a role as a third outside partner in the alliance."That could be enough. It would not cause the same potential problems as NATO membership", he mused.He furthermore ventured that such in-depth cooperation has already been discussed between Swedish and Finnish Social Democrats, currently in power in both nations. "We have had digital meetings with the Social Democrats in the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees in both countries. We have taken up the matter and there has been no negative reaction", Tuomioja said.Yet, according to Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist, the Finnish-Swedish defence alliance is currently "not on the table". His Finnish counterpart Antti Kaikkonen has voiced similar thoughts."Sweden is our closest partner in defence cooperation. We have started working more closely together and will probably continue to do so. But we don't have any preparations for a mutual defence alliance of the kind", Kaikkonen said.Russia's special operation to demilitarise and "de-Nazify" Ukraine and held in support of the People's Republic of Donbass, which the West portrays as an "invasion", has fuelled the perennial NATO debate in the historically non-aligned nations of Finland and Sweden, with several surveys indicating growing support for joining the alliance. In a recent poll by Yle, 71 of 112 MPs (about 63 percent) indicated support for the idea, following previous polls with similar results among the general public.Among others, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said it was time for Finland to "seriously reconsider" its stance on NATO, while her Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson said she "didn't exclude NATO membership in any way", despite previously being against joining the alliance.

https://sputniknews.com/20220411/finland--sweden-may-reportedly-seek-nato-membership-by-summer-1094659397.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20220411/graffiti-in-memory-of-children-who-became-victims-of-war-unveiled-at-destroyed-donetsk-airport-1094636879.html

Graffiti in Memory of Children Who Became Victims of War Unveiled at Destroyed Donetsk Airport

Graffiti in Memory of Children Who Became Victims of War Unveiled at Destroyed Donetsk Airport

A terrifying and heartbreaking piece of art. 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T05:02+0000

2022-04-11T05:02+0000

2022-04-11T05:02+0000

donbass

ukraine

genocide

airport

donbass. genocide. 2014-2022

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Footage made by a drone shows children's silhouettes on the ruins of the bombed Donetsk airport. This graffiti appeared in the airport's parking lot in 2016. The authors of this art work dedicated it to all the children who died during the years of the Donbass conflict. Ukrainian forces were intensively shelling civilians in Donbass in 2014-2015, when thousands were killed, including more than 100 children.

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Graffiti in Memory of Child Victims of War in Ruins of Donetsk Airport Graffiti in Memory of Child Victims of War in Ruins of Donetsk Airport 2022-04-11T05:02+0000 true PT0M46S

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https://sputniknews.com/20220411/hunger-in-lugansk-part-two-the-diary-of-volunteer-evdokiya-sheremeteva-1094636437.html

Hunger in Lugansk. Part Two. The Diary of Volunteer Evdokiya Sheremeteva.

Hunger in Lugansk. Part Two. The Diary of Volunteer Evdokiya Sheremeteva.

We continue to publish pieces from a heart-rending and at times unbearably honest book. This is a diary by journalist and volunteer Evdokiya Sheremeteva, who... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T05:01+0000

2022-04-11T05:01+0000

2022-04-11T05:01+0000

ukraine

donbass

genocide

donbass. genocide. 2014-2022

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... In early June, Sasha posted a video from Lugansk. It captured a woman dying in the footage. She had her legs torn off, but she calmly and without hysterics, unlike the person filming her on a phone, asked to call an ambulance.Next to her lay the body of a woman in grey breeches. She was killed after an airstrike on the city's regional administration building. She was a relative of Sasha's. I posted the video on my page. I lost many friends after that. Here she is lying dead. And in the comments friends write some nonsense about air conditioners and separatists. It's their own fault.It turned out that people fall into different sorts. Those who can be sympathetic and those who cannot. Those who advocate the right ideas - you can listen to them. And there are others, of a different sort. And it wasn't written by Germans from the 1930s, but by some of my friends, with whom I went to skating rinks, with whom I ran in underground cars.Six months have passed and a ceasefire has been established in Donbass. A relative peace has settled in the territory where Lida and Sasha live, and the line of confrontation has receded. The violent tension has subsided. The media has subsided.And hunger came to Pervomaisk.Hunger in Lugansk13 December 2014DiaryIn short, a good friend of mine from the Lugansk region wrote to me. I can back up his words. Last night, he posted in restricted access on his Facebook page:Dear citizens. Comrades... Friends. The SBU has become very active in our region (a friend lives in the part that is under Ukrainian control  author's note). They called two of my friends in for questioning and, God knows, I don't know how it's going to end up for me. So, I try to keep a low profile online with my opinions and activism. However, I feel it is right and necessary to tell you this.Today my friend from Lugansk, Zhenya, was in Pervomaisk. He contracted to take humanitarian aid there. He called me just now. He has seen all sorts of things in his life, a man over 50, balls of steel and nerves of iron, but, although it became a buzzword, he really sobbed into the phone, levelling it with foul language. That's how men do it, you know...It's a real shithole in Pervomaisk. There's not a single house intact. About 70 percent are uninhabitable. There's no ceasefire or silence. Shelling is taking place every day. Those residents that remain live in basements and are afraid to come out. There is no heating. There is no communication. There is no electricity. There is virtually no water. Worst of all, there is no food either. The nearest civilisation lies in Stakhanov, 15 kilometres away. Brigades come from there to patch up the gas pipeline, sometimes an ambulance comes. What he brought with him on his bus was unloaded at a general store, and from there it was distributed to public canteens. He walked around while they were unloading it. In this very canteen, the food was just potatoes floating in water.He said that the militiamen invited him to eat. At first, he refused, but then accepted. He said: I think I'll see what they're eating. If they serve borscht with meat, I am going to put a pot on their heads. They were eating the same. Potatoes floating in warm water.And now a real request. If anyone has anything to do with humanitarian aid, there is a man in Lugansk who is willing to take it to Pervomaisk. If my vouching for his honesty helps in any way, this is it.For contact details, please direct message me.*Meta (Facebook and Instagram) is banned in Russia over extremist activities.Part One: My WarPart Three: I Am in LuganskPart Four: Tears of Lugansk

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https://sputniknews.com/20220411/indian-diamond-industry-suffering-from-sanctions-imposed-on-russias-alrosa-trade-union-says-1094677007.html

Indian Diamond Industry Suffering From Sanctions Imposed on Russia's Alrosa, Trade Union Says

Indian Diamond Industry Suffering From Sanctions Imposed on Russia's Alrosa, Trade Union Says

Indian Diamond Industry Suffering From Sanctions Imposed on Russia's Alrosa, Trade Union Says

2022-04-11T14:03+0000

2022-04-11T14:03+0000

2022-04-11T14:03+0000

russia

diamonds

india

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Working hours have been reduced from 12 to eight hours, which directly affects wages of up to one million workers.India imports about 10% of Alrosa's total production of rough diamonds, the media noted.Alrosa is the world's largest producer of diamonds, accounting for 27% of the world and 95% of Russian diamond production. Alrosa's sales volume of rough and polished diamonds reached 4.2 billion dollars last year.On 24 February, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian forces. In response, the US and the EU rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, which includes airspace closures and restrictive measures targeting numerous Russian officials and entities, media and financial institutions.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220411/javid-owns-up-to-past-non-dom-tax-status-as-sunak-saga-rumbles-on-1094666236.html

Javid Owns Up to Past 'Non-Dom' Tax Status as Sunak Saga Rumbles On

Javid Owns Up to Past 'Non-Dom' Tax Status as Sunak Saga Rumbles On

Sajid Javid's full disclosure comes amid the revelation that Chancellor Rishi Sunak held US 'Green Card' residency status for several years, and that his wife... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T12:09+0000

2022-04-11T12:09+0000

2022-04-11T12:09+0000

uk

sajid javid

rishi sunak

boris johnson

britain

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British Health Secretary Sajid Javid has revealed he held non-domiciled status in the past  as the row over Chancellor Rishi Sunak's tax affairs intensifies.Javid held non-domiciled status tax from 2000 to 2009, which he was entitled to as his parents were born overseas in Pakistan.That meant he did not have to pay tax in the UK on his income when he lived worked abroad in New York and Singapore during his career as a banker at Chase Manhattan and Deutsche Bank, before he was first elected to Parliament in 2010.The health secretary insisted he had "always comprehensively declared all information required.""I have been domiciled in the UK for tax purposes throughout my entire public life," Javid stressed, adding that he was making the disclosure of his "past tax statuses" due to "heightened public interest in these issues."In 2006 I moved to Singapore with my family and was therefore no longer a UK tax resident," Javid explained. "In 2009, upon my return to the UK, I became tax resident in the UK again and also proactively chose to give up my non-domiciled status by making the UK my domicile of choice.The health secretary said he placed some of his financial investments in an offshore trust before returning to Britain in 2009 and entering politics. After his first appointment to a junior ministerial post at the Treasury in 2012, he "decided to voluntarily collapse that trust, repatriate all assets to the UK and pay 50 per cent income tax on those assets."Javid insisted that "this approach deliberately incurred the heaviest possible tax burden, and offset any accrued benefits from the previous trust arrangement, but I believed it was the right thing to do."Sunak wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday, asking him to refer his tax affairs to Lord Geidt, the independent advisor on minister's interests.That was after it emerged that he held US 'Green Card' foreign residency status  following the revelation that his wife Akshata Murty, daughter of Indian billionaire businessman N. R. Narayana Murthy, had maintained domicile status in India. Murty has now said she will pay tax on her earnings there in the UK.Johnson, a native-born New Yorker of Russian-Jewish and Turkish ancestry, only renounced his own dual US citizenship in 2015. That was after the then-mayor of London was forced to pay the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) more than $50,000 in capital gains tax on the sale of his 1.2 million London house  on top of his bill to Her majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC)  calling it absolutely outrageous.Javid's meteoric rise following his career in the commodities market has seen him hold the posts of culture and home secretaries and chancellor of the exchequer.Sunak was Javid's number two as chief secretary to the treasury from 2019 to 2020, when he nabbed his former boss' job as chancellor of the exchequer in Johnson's cabinet reshuffle. Javid was brought back into the cabinet in 2021 after former health secretary Matt Hancock was forced to resign in disgrace.

https://sputniknews.com/20220411/sunak-asks-bojo-for-probe-into-his-financial-affairs-amid-row-over-tax-status-of-chancellors-wife-1094661678.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20220411/minsk-agreements-why-the-genocide-of-donbass-failed-to-stop-1094652280.html

Minsk Agreements: Why the Genocide of Donbass Failed to Stop

Minsk Agreements: Why the Genocide of Donbass Failed to Stop

In the winter of 2015, The Minsk Peace Agreements became the sole possible means to reaching a lasting diplomatic resolution to the conflict in the Donbass... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T05:01+0000

2022-04-11T05:01+0000

2022-04-11T05:01+0000

donbass. genocide. 2014-2022

donbass

minsk agreements

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PreludeOn 24 February 2014, one day after the illegal ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in a Western-backed coup, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Chairman Didier Burkhalter proposed the creation of a contact group of representatives of the OSCE, Russia and Ukraine, aimed at resolving the Ukrainian crisis and providing support for Ukraine in overcoming its transition period.In June of that year, after the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk became ensnared in a hot war between local independence-supporting militias and Ukrainian troops sent to crush the resistance, the contact group held its first meeting in Kiev.On 20 June, then-newly elected President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko proposed a peace plan, saying that his priorities included ensuring the safety of the residents of southeastern Ukraine, as well as a ceasefire. As weeks passed, as Kiev and representatives of the newly-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics held talks, Ukrainian troops continued their advance deep into militia-held territory, engaging in heavy artillery and mortar shelling, air attacks and attacks on cities, towns and villages in the Donbass region.Minsk: OriginsIntense fighting continued, and on 31 July, the Belarusian capital of Minsk hosted a meeting with a Ukraine-OSCE-Russia-DPR format in which the parties agreed to a prisoner exchange, measures to secure the Russian-Ukrainian border, and a ceasefire in the area around the crash site of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17.Two weeks after that, contact group negotiators met in Kiev to discuss the logistics of Russian humanitarian aid to the Donbass. By mid-August, Ukrainian forces had taken control of major Donbass cities, including Mariupol, Slavyansk, Artemovsk, and Kramatorsk, and partially encircled the cities of Donetsk and Lugansk themselves. In counterattacks, Donetsk and Lugansk militia forces managed to partially push back Ukrainian forces, and to cause substantial losses in manpower and weapons.On 1 September, Minsk hosted a second meeting of the contact group.On 3 September, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented a seven-point peace plan, calling for an immediate ceasefire, the deployment of international observers to monitor the truce, the release of all prisoners, the creation of corridors for the evacuation of refugees and the delivery of humanitarian aid, and assistance to rebuild Donetsk and Lugansk. I believe that a final agreement between the authorities in Kiev and southeastern Ukraine can be reached and cemented during a meeting of the contact group on 5 September, Putin said.Poroshenko immediately dismissed the plan, calling it an attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the international community ahead of the NATO summit and an attempt to avert the European Unions inevitable decision to unleash a new wave of sanctions against Russia.On 5 September, the contact group met again in Minsk, hammering out a peace deal by taking account of both the Ukrainian and Russian presidents proposals. The plan included an immediate ceasefire, OSCE monitoring, special self-governance status for the Donbass region, the release of all hostages and prisoners of war, and measures to improve the humanitarian situation.On 14 September, the protocol was signed by representatives of the OSCE, Russia, Ukraine and the leaders of the Donbass republics. Russia entrenched itself as a guarantor of the peace deal, but not a direct participant in the conflict.Minsk IINotwithstanding the terms of the agreement, battles continued to rage. In January 2015, bloody clashes were fought for the Donetsk Airport, and Ukrainian forces were threatened with encirclement and liquidation in the area of Debaltsevo in the Donetsk Peoples Republic.The Minsk Protocol obliged the parties to remove heavy weaponry from the line of contact. However, Kiev and Donbass forces saw their obligations differently, with the militias deeming Ukrainian forces to be trapped inside their territory, while Kiev called for a ceasefire and insisted that its forces were not encircled.On 12 February 2015, the leaders of the Normandy Four contact group of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France met in Minsk to sign a new, 13-point plan. The agreement, known as Minsk II, succeeded Minsk I, and Russia, Germany and France would continue to insist on its implementation for the next 7 years.Devil is in the DetailsThe Minsk Agreements called for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of forces from the contact line buffer zone, banned the deployment of heavy weaponry in this zone, and required an immediate exchange of prisoners according the principle of all for all.The agreements also called for Kiev to carry out political reforms, including amending the constitution to include the concept of decentralisation and the granting of special status to the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk. The Donbass states were required to hold local elections, after which Kiev could begin to gradually restore its control over the border.WatchmenThe OSCE, which formed a special Joint Centre on Control and Coordination (JCCC) in the conflict zone in September 2014, was tasked with monitoring the implementation of the 13-point Minsk II plan, but factually had little to do except observe the ceasefire regime while it dragged its feet on implementing the agreements political mandates.On 19 December 2019, Russia was forced to end its personnels involvement in the JCCC due to efforts by the Ukrainian side to hamper their work.ImplementationIn nearly 8 years, the parties to the agreement managed to achieve success in only one of the agreements 13 points  the exchange of prisoners of war. The Donbass republics and Minsks Russian guarantors accused Kiev of illegally absorbing settlements in the buffer zone and deploying heavy weaponry, as well as the regular shelling of settlements.Kiev argued that it would need to take control of the Donbasss border with Russia before local elections in the Donbass could be held. In 2015, Ukraines parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, approved a law on the Donbasss special status, but tied its implementation to the local elections, in direct contravention of Minsks terms.Steinmeier FormulaIn 2019, participants of the contact group approved the so-called Steinmeier Formula, named after the German foreign minister at the time, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and aimed at giving the implementation of the Minsk peace plan a much-needed boost. The document proposed the implementation of the 2015 law on granting the Donbass special status after the OSCE recognised local elections there. In addition, it proposed to again have both sides pull back their forces from the line of contact. Freshly elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky initially expressed support for the proposal, but when pressured by ultra-right radicals, Petro Poroshenkos allies, and other political forces which had gathered in the streets of Kiev for mass protests, he backed down, preventing the formulas implementation.Minsk Breaks DownZelensky sought to continue the observation of Minsks terms, but failed. On November 2019, fighters from the neo-Nazi Azov Regiment stationed within the village of Zolotoe in Lugansk region not only refused to pull back their weapons, but threatened to increase their numbers.In 2020, Kievs rhetoric took a sharp turn. The Ukrainian government began to insist on the need to revise the Minsk deal. Authorities were unsatisfied with the conditions of the agreement requiring Donbasss border with Russia to be returned to Kievs control only after local elections in Donetsk and Lugansk were held. President Zelensky proposed a new approach to the pullback of forces from the line of contact according to a sectoral principle, instead of across the entire line.What Changed in 2020?In December 2020, Zelensky told Ukrainian media that he would personally prefer to scrap the Minsk Agreements, but was unable to do so for fear that European countries might lift sanctions against Russia and the leaders of the unrecognsed Donbass republics. It was too early to speak of an alternative Plan B, he said.In 2021, several more meetings of representatives of the Normandy Format were held, but no progress was made. By the beginning of December, the diplomatic path toward resolving the conflict reached a dead end, and the military escalation of the situation along the line of contact began.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220411/my-war-part-one-the-diary-of-volunteer-evdokiya-sheremeteva-1094622659.html

My War. Part One. The Diary of Volunteer Evdokiya Sheremeteva.

My War. Part One. The Diary of Volunteer Evdokiya Sheremeteva.

We are publishing pieces of a heart-rending and sometimes unbearably honest book. A diary by journalist and volunteer Evdokiya Sheremeteva, who throughout the... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T05:01+0000

2022-04-11T05:01+0000

2022-04-11T09:52+0000

ukraine

donbass

book

war

donbass. genocide. 2014-2022

genocide

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From the foreword of the book "There Are People Here: A Diary" by Evdokiya Sheremeteva.I wrote the book in the winter of 2015-2016. It is difficult to define the genre of this book. On the one hand, all the events are real. So are the characters. On the other hand, this is my reality. My war. My Donbass. And it is difficult to talk impartially here.Zhenya, my friend with whom I have been travelling in Donbass (Zhenya from Moscow), commented on the book like this: it exposed the flesh. Yes, exactly like that. I have ripped off my skin and thrown myself at your feet. And I am scared.I remember a story of a woman whose house was hit by a shell. She was standing near the foundation of her home and talked about how her chickens had burned. After the explosion, they flew up in the air and caught on fire. At that moment I caught myself thinking that I was standing there imagining those flaming birds. Autumn was upon us and gloom was hanging in the air. There were no leaves to cover the horror of what was happening, and a woman was telling me how she had lost everything. I stood there thinking that if I were making a film, it would open with these very shots of chickens burning in the air. And that is dreadful. It is horrible that I, all of those who have come with me and continue to do so, have ceased to be acutely aware of this line. The line between life and death. Between reality and the news. When I started travelling around, I lived through every such story. I was processing it. October 2017.People HereThe war broke out.I learned about it from Lida. Not from newspapers or the Internet. My war in Lugansk and Donetsk began precisely with Mangusta's "live journal".Stories about war touch us all. But they touch us from afar. We gnash our teeth, we worry, but somehow we live our lives. We flick the buttons on our TV remotes, close books and magazines, scroll through the web with a mouse and, eventually, exhausted we turn off the computer.And then, Lidas message popped up in my feed: Tanks have rolled in. It flashed so quickly that I did not immediately notice it among the piles of articles about Crimea and the Olympics. And my heart skipped a beat. In a second, somehow, the war "there" became the war "here".Lida, wait, we were going to introduce our daughters this summer, were we not? You promised apricot compote and I promised fig jam.*A photo from the book There Are People Here: A DiarySummer Letters(Writing to new friends)Letters from Donbass9 August 2014Diary***Oh! Dunya, I had a messed up weekend! There was no electricity and no water in town on Saturday... It was night. A maternity hospital without electricity is almost as bad as shelling! Not having Internet was nothing compared to the only working ancient phone in the building. Anyway, I found out that the emergency generator was in the basement and it was leaking. Emergencies Ministry workers are boorish and foul-mouthed, but great guys. Also, my nurses run faster than a doe, carrying a bag of plasma to the infirmary through a frightful park (because it is unrealistic to call for a car). Our pathologist is the greatest guy (he brought his own generator from home and a bunch of extension cords, went down with me to the basement while talking to the emergency workers, until they realised that there are two newborns connected to the machines!) When the generator that had been brought stopped working, the pathologist again rushed to the emergency vehicle, and everyone powered up the incubators, the refrigerator (they had brought plasma back because the refrigerators in the medical ward were leaking by that time) and the operating room through a window. At 11 p.m., the lights came back on! What a joy that was! And my girls went into labour... I woke up Monday morning to explosions at four in the morning. And the pregnant girls were crying about everything.***Hi. I'm more or less fine. The National Guard is in town. No Internet. The fibre-optical line was damaged somewhere. And there wasn't any before because those marauders looted the petrol station along with the server. And the gasoline too. The gas station operator was shot in the leg. The post lady saw a van loaded with dead bodies. No one knows who they were. They went door-to-door with lists.***Today, I had my mobile phone fixed and I talked to a former colleague.She told me how she had spent the last two weeks. Here's a snapshot from July 2014 in Ukraine. For four days we sat in a bomb shelter around the clock. There was no water in the city for more than a week, then no electricity due to damaged wires.She told us about the looting: windows and walls were broken in shops - people were looting everything they could get their hands on, and guys were carrying cognac and exchanging it for cigarettes, the latter being in short supply.She said that during the first few days, bread was delivered from Severodonetsk and cost twelve hryvnias instead of five.She told me that they were giving humanitarian aid somewhere and that her grandmother dragged a bag with the inscription "Russia" across the asphalt, but there was a hole in it and rice was spilling out along the road. The guys ran up: "Grandma, look, your rice is spilling out". She said: "That's all right, I've had enough, I'm already carrying the second one..."Many houses have no windows, she herself had three windows broken, the city of Proletarsk was hit hard, and not a single house is left intact on Svoboda Street. Lots of unexploded shells, there are some that are stuck in the ground, specialists came and looked at them and said: If we start to extract it, it will explode, we have to detonate it on the spot. How can it be done on the spot when the city is all around?She cooks on an electric stove, boils water with a boiler (she already has light - her neighbours, former power station workers, repaired it with their own resources). Some people go out on the street and cook over a fire in large pots. One bridge is still intact, so the supply is getting better and better.By the way, it looks like school will start on 1 October...***We arrive at work. Sitting there, there is a bombardment outside the window. And it's very loud. Somewhere close by? They don't fire much in the daytime, today is an unpleasant exception. When they fire, especially mortars, I like to stay home.***Tonight it rained all night, apparently drowning out the sounds of gunfire. Because I only woke up twice, noted to myself that it was mortars firing, and went back to sleep. And Dima came in the morning, almost asleep, said that they had started at half past one and went on almost until morning, and in the morning gave three volleys of something new - a shot, and then a loud hiss. Who the hell knows what kind of novelty arrived at our lot.Part Two: Hunger in LuganskPart Three: I Am in LuganskPart Four: Tears of Lugansk

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https://sputniknews.com/20220411/natos-eastward-expansion-orchestrated-by-us-with-goal-of-regime-change-in-russia---military-analyst-1094670461.html

NATO's Eastward Expansion Orchestrated by US With Goal of Regime Change in Russia - Military Analyst

NATO's Eastward Expansion Orchestrated by US With Goal of Regime Change in Russia - Military Analyst

Over the weekend, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg announced that the alliance will see a "fundamental transformation", particularly by beefing up its eastern... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T13:02+0000

2022-04-11T13:02+0000

2022-04-11T13:02+0000

opinion

nato

jens stoltenberg

eastern europe

ukraine

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Russia has been repeatedly reiterating that it views NATO's expansion eastward as a national security threat, highlighting it as one of the nation's so-called "red lines" in December 2021.Now, citing a "new normal" for European security, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has announced that the alliance will face a major reset that envisages enhanced military on its eastern flanks.With the decision - if there is one - regarding the readdressing of NATO's strategic concept at a June summit in Madrid, the mere announcement of the alliance's ambition could pose a series of concerns for Moscow - concerns that the West ignored when they were listed in December.Scott Ritter, a military analyst and former US Marine Corps intelligence officer, who helped implement arms control treaties in the former Soviet Union, served in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm, and in Iraq, believes that NATO's "transformation" is a response to the unflattering "truth on the ground in Ukraine today".It looks like Russia's stance on the matter will not be too much of a concern for NATO, just like it wasn't before the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine. Pointing at how Russia warned that NATO's expansion eastward would prompt a "military-technical response", Ritter suggests that the alliance's actions may trigger exactly that. However, it could be limited to "simply a re-disposition of forces in a manner that's more forward-leaning", he notes.Pondering as to why NATO would continue its provocative actions despite clearly knowing Russia's stance on its expansion eastward, Ritter pointed to it not being the alliance itself making this decision.In order to achieve that goal, he continues, NATO, guided by the United States, will "move forward in a manner which is definitely counter to Europe's security interests", using a similar template to that observed in countries like Iraq, Libya, Syria, and other nations where Washington was willing to change power. This template, Ritter says, is "to create a tremendous amount of pressure through economic sanctions", then combining it with military pressure, a posturing of forces, and the like.And if it does follow such a scenario, then it could face a military conflict with Russia, with Moscow "showing in the instance of Ukraine" that Russia is "willing to go to war to defend its national security interests, that it deems to be of an existential nature". Should Moscow deem the alliance's ambition of beefing up its eastern flanks with more military, then the consequences could be grim for Europe.What Could NATO's Permanent Presence in Eastern Europe Mean?What NATO calls its "tripwire presence" in Eastern Europe could be reinforced primarily in the Baltic countries and Poland. His view comes as Lithuania announced on Monday that Vilnius and other countries of NATO's eastern flank "are seeking NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalions to be reinforced to the level of brigades".When it comes to Poland, Ritter continues, NATO might be contemplating the possibility of reconfiguring the Polish Army so that it could "withstand an invasion by Russia", especially in light of military misfortunes already faced by the Ukrainian Army. However, given the slight difference between beefing up offensive and defensive combat due to manoeuvre warfare, Russia could view any Polish military buildup - even that carried out for defensive purposes - as a potential threat."So again, this reinforcement is counterproductive and counter-intuitive. I think only bad things can come from it", Ritter concluded.

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opinion, nato, jens stoltenberg, eastern europe, ukraine
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/nevada-student-charged-with-attempted-murder-sexual-assault-of-teacher-after-dispute-over-grades-1094684830.html

Nevada Student Charged With Attempted Murder, Sexual Assault of Teacher After Dispute Over Grades

Nevada Student Charged With Attempted Murder, Sexual Assault of Teacher After Dispute Over Grades

The 16 year-old student physically and sexually assaulted his teacher after school hours during a discussion over grades. The student was charged with... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T22:42+0000

2022-04-11T22:42+0000

2022-04-11T22:40+0000

crime

nevada

high school

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A student attending Nevada's Eldorado High School was recently arrested and slapped with several charges after allegedly attacking an instructor after a dispute broke out between the pair over the student's grades.The student allegedly went to see his teacher and at some point, got violent and began punching the victim and strangled her until she lost consciousness, police said.Jail records have identified the student as 16 year-old Jonathan Eluterio Martinez Garcia. Garcia is currently being held on a $500,000 bail after being taken to the Clark County Detention Center.After attacking his teacher, Garcia fled the scene. The victim was then discovered by a colleague.Officers were called to Eldorado High School in Clark County, Nevada at 3:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, and found the teacher being treated by medical personnel for multiple injuries. She was then transported to a hospital and is said to be stable.Garcia was found about a mile from the school on Cedar Avenue, and was taken into custody by police without incident. He is expected to appear in court again on Tuesday, and was ordered to have no contact with the victim.The assault prompted the Clark County Education Association to demand a safer environment for teachers after a dozen fights were reported at Desert Oasis High School last month, and a loaded gun was found at Cheyenne High School on Thursday. Both schools are a part of the Clark County School District (CCSD).While this incident is now in the hands of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, rest assured that this suspect will be held to account for his actions, the email added.Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak called the assault an absolutely tragic and horrendous situation in a statement on Friday.Marie Neisess, president of the Clark County Education Association, said that teachers are fearful due to the rise in violence among their students.She says the association is now calling on the school district to reactivate disabled cameras on campus, to consider panic alarms in classrooms, as well as hire more staff throughout the schools. The assault at Eldorado High School occured before spring break, and Neisess says she hopes to see immediate changes once classes resume.We dont have enough staff members, she said. We dont have enough social workers. We do not have enough campus monitors or school police who are ready to respond to this.

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crime, nevada, high school
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/plastic-surgery-on-the-rise-in-gaza-despite-financial-woes-and-cultural-taboos-1094660715.html

Plastic Surgery on the Rise in Gaza, Despite Financial Woes and Cultural Taboos

Plastic Surgery on the Rise in Gaza, Despite Financial Woes and Cultural Taboos

Ahmed Al Moghrabi is one of several plastic surgeons in the coastal enclave. In the past, he says, he struggled to secure clients but in recent years his... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T05:43+0000

2022-04-11T05:43+0000

2022-04-11T06:04+0000

gaza strip

plastic surgery

hamas

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The Gaza Strip, which is home to more than two million people, has seen a dramatic surge in poverty and unemployment rates. In 2021 they were 53 and 47 percent, respectively.Booming BusinessAhmed Al Moghrabi, a plastic surgery specialist from the coastal enclave, says that despite economic hardships, his business is booming.Some clients arrive at his clinic at the Nasser Medical Complex to get rid of scars and distortions caused by the wars with Israel. But the vast majority of his costumers are women seeking beauty treatments."Here, at my clinic, we are offering clients everything from liposuction and hair transplantation to lip augmentation and botox", says Al Moghrabi. "Other services include rhinoplasty, filler needles, and dimple surgeries".The clinic's services are not cheap, and the cost for some procedures can climb to $2,500, an astronomic amount for a place where the average salary is less than $300. But the surgeon says those prices pale in comparison to what Gazans would see outside of the enclave. And this is why clients keep on coming.Shifting Public Opinion?When he started his business some 20 years ago that wasn't the case. Back then, clients were scarce, rarely reaching more than ten a month. Al Moghrabi puts this down to the dire economic situation in the enclave and conservative Palestinian culture, with its desire to focus on the inner world and spirituality rather than physical appearance."Those days are now gone", says the surgeon, who has seen a 400 percent rise in clientele in the past couple of years. "We are now living in a global world, where there is a lot of competition and where much emphasis is given to beauty"."Palestinians look at celebrities and appreciate their appearance so it is only natural that they want to imitate their idols and undergo plastic surgeries that will help them to achieve that perfect look. And what about the public? Well, its opinion on the issue has been gradually changing", says Al Moghrabi.Yet, for some, such procedures are still considered a vice. Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has been run by the militants of Hamas, an Islamic movement that bases its charter on strict Sharia law.Aside from boasting some 30,000 well-trained combatants, the group also has a strong police force and a special unit that patrols towns and cities to make sure that residents of the enclave act, look, and dress modestly. Excessive plastic surgery is unlikely to go unnoticed under their watchful gaze. But that still doesn't present a deterrent and Al Moghrabi says the clinics of Gaza -- which currently stands at twenty -- can barely meet the demands of the masses.And he is also certain that the number of clients will only grow with time.

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Elizabeth Blade

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Elizabeth Blade

gaza strip, plastic surgery, hamas
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/shehbaz-sharif-elected-new-pakistani-prime-minister-by-national-assembly-1094671373.html

Shehbaz Sharif Elected New Pakistani Prime Minister by National Assembly

Shehbaz Sharif Elected New Pakistani Prime Minister by National Assembly

The election of a new prime minister took place amid political turmoil in Pakistan that saw its previous Prime Minister Imran Khan ousted after he attempted to... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T11:55+0000

2022-04-11T11:55+0000

2022-04-11T13:01+0000

pakistan

election

assembly

asia & pacific

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The Pakistani National Assembly has elected Shehbaz Sharif the country's new prime minister after his predecessor Imran Khan was ousted from his post. Some 174 lawmakers, more than half of the National Assembly, voted for the candidacy of Sharif, who leads the opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-N.Shehbaz Sharif can now form his own government, which will work until the next general election in the country, which is due in August 2023. The newly minted prime minister vowed to make changes in Pakistan calling his election a "victory of democracy".The new prime minister also called his predecessor a "liar" warning that Pakistan is currently heading for the biggest budget and trade deficit in its history following Imran Khan's tenure in office.Lawmakers from the Pakistan Movement for Justice (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) led by Imran Khan, boycotted the election and walked out of the National Assembly in protest. The party's candidate for the post of new prime minister, former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, announced that PTI lawmakers will be ditching their National Assembly seats.Pakistani Prime Minister Ousted in Hard-Won No-Confidence VoteThe election took place amid political turmoil that has lasted over a week following an attempy by opposition parties to hold a vote of no confidence in then-Prime Minister Imran Khan. The attempt, undertaken on 3 April, was thwarted after Khan advised President Arif Alvi to dissolve the National Assembly and hence call early elections.The move, however, was overturned by Pakistan's Supreme Court, which ruled it unconstitutional. The National Assembly then convened again on 10 April, successfully passing a no-confidence motion and thus ousting Imran Khan. The ousted prime minister, in turn, accused the US of being behind a plot to have opposition parties oust him. Washington denied having anything to do with the vote.Opposition parties, united under the Pakistan Democratic Movement alliance accused Imran Khan of poor governance and management of the country's economy, as well as persecution of political opponents.Khan came to power in 2018 breaking away from the longtime political rivalry between two political forces  the Bhutto and Sharif families, who have dominated Pakistan's politics for decades. Members of both families face accusations of corruption and misconduct, which they denied and newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif himself is on bail in a money laundering case against him. The latter was extended upon his election until 27 April by a court.

https://sputniknews.com/20220409/imran-khan-ousted-as-prime-minister-of-pakistan---reports-1094627061.html

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pakistan, election, assembly, asia & pacific
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/sunak-asks-bojo-for-probe-into-his-financial-affairs-amid-row-over-tax-status-of-chancellors-wife-1094661678.html

Sunak Asks BoJo for Probe Into His Financial Affairs Amid Row Over Tax Status of Chancellor's Wife

Sunak Asks BoJo for Probe Into His Financial Affairs Amid Row Over Tax Status of Chancellor's Wife

Rishi Sunak is under fire after it was revealed that his billionaire wife held "non-dom" status, allowing her to avoid paying UK tax on her huge foreign... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T06:04+0000

2022-04-11T06:04+0000

2022-04-11T06:07+0000

uk

rishi sunak

boris johnson

wife

scandal

taxes

probe

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UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has called for a government investigation into whether all his interests were "appropriately declared" amid a scandal over his spouse's "non-dom" status."My overriding concern is that the public retain confidence in the answers they are given and I believe the best way of achieving this is to ensure those answers are entirely independent, without bias or favour", the chancellor's letter reads.According to Sunak, Geidt's probe will stipulate a review of all his declarations since he became a minister in 2018.The document came as the Cabinet Office said that Geidt had already confirmed he was "completely satisfied with the chancellor's propriety of arrangements", arguing that Sunak had followed the ministerial code "to the letter".Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, however, insisted in her own message to Geidt that given recent "jaw-dropping revelations", it was "staggering" to suggest that Johnson's ethics adviser had given due attention to concerns over Sunak's tax arrangements.Rayner said that the details of the Sunak family's tax affairs should have been made publicly available on the register of ministerial interests.She also asserted that Sunak holding a US green card while UK chancellor poses "serious conflicts of interest" with his ministerial duties.Sky News quoted unnamed sources as saying that there would be a Downing Street response on both letters in the coming 24 hours.Sunak in Hot Water Over His Tax Arrangements Sunak is facing questions after it was revealed that his multi-millionaire wife Akshata Murty does not pay income tax on foreign earnings due to her non-domicile status.Murty owns a 0.93% stake in the world's fastest-growing tech firm, Infosys, and received about $15 million as an annual dividend. UK resident taxpayers pay a 38.1% tax on dividend income. So-called "non-dom" status means that Sunak's wife legally does not have to pay taxes in the UK on income earned outside Britain. Over the weekend, Murty released a statement saying she would now pay UK tax on her worldwide income because she did not want the issue to become a "distraction" for her husband.As for Sunak, he is also under pressure over why he continued to hold a US green card 18 months into his role in Number 11, and claims that he has been listed as a beneficiary of tax haven trusts linked to his wife in the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands.A spokesperson for Sunak claimed that "all laws and rules have been followed and full taxes have been paid where required in the duration he held his green card".

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uk, rishi sunak, boris johnson, wife, scandal, taxes, probe
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/telangana-state-chief-warns-pm-modi-not-to-mess-with-farmers-stages-protest-over-paddy-procurement-1094675645.html

Telangana State Chief Warns PM Modi Not to Mess With Farmers, Stages Protest Over Paddy Procurement

Telangana State Chief Warns PM Modi Not to Mess With Farmers, Stages Protest Over Paddy Procurement

The state government of Telangana has repeatedly asked the federal government to buy the entire produce of the paddy fields (ie, rice) in the state. Recently... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T16:12+0000

2022-04-11T16:12+0000

2022-04-11T16:12+0000

india

india

narendra modi

narendra modi

bharatiya janata party (bjp)

farmers

farmers

protest

protest rally

political protest

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Telangana state chief and leader of political party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Kalvakuntia Chandrashekar Rao on Monday staged a protest at Telangana Bhavan in the national capital Delhi over a dispute involving the procurement of rice from farmers of his state.TRS' working president and a minister in Telangana state government, as well as son of the state chief - Kalvakuntia Taraka Rama Rao - and several other senior members of the party, and party lawmakers, legislators, legislative council members and elected representatives of urban and rural local bodies took part in the protest against the federal government.Rao launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and set a 24-hour deadline for the federal government to respond to the state government's demand on paddy procurement and said that if the federal government fails to meet Telangana's demands, he will take the protest across the country.While addressing the gathering, Rao said: "I warn PM Modi that you can't mess with farmers. Indian history is a testament that wherever farmers cried, the government has lost power. Nobody is permanent... When in power, don't treat farmers unfairly."Telangana's people demand their rights. I would like to tell the PM to come up with a new agriculture policy, and we will contribute to that. If you do not do it, then you will be removed and the new government will make a new integrated agriculture policy," the TRS chief said. If Modi has the guts, let him arrest me... in all humility this is my message to the PM and [Federal Food Minister] Piyush Goyal. Please buy our rice. I give you 24 hours; after that, we will make our decision".He also said that farmers are not beggars, they have the right to seek the minimum support price (MSP) for their produce.Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait also reached the protest site and expressed solidarity with the Telangana state chief. BKU was one of the farmers' organisations that staged a year-long protest against the three new farm laws which have now been scrapped.BJP's Counter AttackThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tried to counter the protest staged by TRS. The party had put up several posters near the protest site in Telangana Bhavan asking the state chief to step down.Why the TRS Staged a ProtestThe TRS intensified the protest and reached Delhi after the federal government refused Telangana's request to buy parboiled rice in the present farming season. The federal government said it can procure only raw rice and not the parboiled sort which is not widely consumed in India, whereas the Telangana state government wants that the federal government to buy the entire paddy produced in the state.The state government is also seeking a common paddy procurement policy for all. In 2021, the state government ministers met federal ministers calling for just such a policy.However, federal food minister, Piyush Goyal, maintains that there is no existing discrimination between states on paddy procurement. He has alleged that the Telangana government is misguiding farmers to stir up controversy and shift focus away from state matters.Recently, TRS workers blocked four national highways in Telangana to press their demand for a "uniform" procurement policy in the country.Existing Paddy Procurement PolicyThe Food Corporation of India (FCI), a statutory body run by the federal government under the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, at present undertakes the procurement of wheat and paddy in association with state agencies.Every year, ahead of the harvest, the federal government announces a minimum support price (MSP) at which the grains are procured. However, farmers are free to sell their produce in the open market if they get a better price than the MSP.

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india, india, narendra modi, narendra modi, bharatiya janata party (bjp), farmers, farmers, protest, protest rally, political protest
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/uk-lawmaker-david-amess-murder-suspect-found-guilty-1094671995.html

UK Lawmaker David Amess Murder Suspect Found Guilty

UK Lawmaker David Amess Murder Suspect Found Guilty

Sir David Amess was a Conservative MP for Southend West. He was fatally stabbed in October 2021 as he was attending a meeting with his constituents. 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T11:57+0000

2022-04-11T11:57+0000

2022-04-11T12:18+0000

uk

sir david amess

murder

court

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A London judge on Monday found British citizen Ali Harbi Ali, 26, guilty of murdering UK lawmaker David Amess.Harbi Ali, a young man of Somali descent, was described by London's Old Bailey court as a "committed, fanatical, radicalised Islamist terrorist". He was also found guilty of preparation of terrorism.The suspect is said to have killed Amess as an act of revenge for the lawmaker voting in favour of airstrikes on Syria in 2014 and 2015.According to the Associated Press, the jury deliberated for just 18 minutes before finding Harbi Ali guilty. His sentence will be announced later on Wednesday.Amess was killed on 15 October 2021 during a meeting with voters that took place in a church. Harbi Ali stabbed him more than 20 times before the lawmaker died. The man was spotted by CCTV and charged with murder and preparing terrorist acts.Amess' murder caused shockwaves in the United Kingdom, prompting calls for improving security for Members of Parliament.

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uk, sir david amess, murder, court
https://sputniknews.com/20220411/watch-russian-iskander-system-fires-missiles-during-special-operation-in-ukraine-1094664116.html

WATCH: Russian Iskander System Fires Missiles During Special Operation in Ukraine

WATCH: Russian Iskander System Fires Missiles During Special Operation in Ukraine

The special operation in Ukraine began at the end of February, as Moscow aimed to stop the eight-year-long war in Donbass. Russian forces have been targeting... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International

2022-04-11T07:44+0000

2022-04-11T07:44+0000

2022-04-11T07:44+0000

situation in ukraine

russia

ukraine

iskander ballistic missile

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The Russian Ministry of Defence has published a vide demonstrating Iskander ballistic missile systems in action during the special operation in Ukraine. The footage shows an operator launching the missile, as it flies off to hit its target, leaving a fiery trail of smoke in its wake.Over the past month, Russian forces have been using Iskander missiles to eliminate Ukrainian command posts, fuel and weapons storage, missile defences, and other military objects.

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russia, ukraine, iskander ballistic missile
Just one horse with an infectious disease diagnosis can close a stable or event facility. Vaccination is the best way to lower risk of loss of use, high treatment costs and unnecessary suffering for the horse. Tailoring your annual immunization plan to each equid in your care is the best way to practise prevention from spreading disease.

With spring vaccination season here, the Vaccination Equi-Planner (TheHorsePortal.ca/VaccinationTool) is Equine Guelphs free healthcare tool available to horse owners as part of Vaccination Education Month. It is designed to explain the risk factors and then provide a print-out personalized to your horses vaccination needs  to get the conversation started with your vet.



We are very pleased to announce April as our Vaccination Education Month, said Gayle Ecker, director of Equine Guelph. We thank Merck Animal Health, who has been an important partner of Equine Guelph programs for 10 years now, supporting the continued development of this interactive online tool and other important educational initiatives.



Timing is everything

Spring is the popular time for immunization for a reason. West Nile vaccine and vaccines for other vector borne diseases should be administered before mosquitos emerge. Horses tend to receive their first influenza shots of the year in the springtime in anticipation of outings and increased exposure to pathogens.



If you are vaccinating prior to an event, avoid vaccinating too close to trailering day. Depending on the vaccine used, you want to schedule at least two to four weeks out from the shipping date. You should also make sure your horses are appropriately vaccinated for the place to which they are travelling.



Equine influenza remains one of the most frequent and contagious respiratory tract diseases in horses. As is the case on the human side, the equine influenza virus evolves over time, although at a less rapid pace," said Dr. Serge Denis, Technical Services Veterinary Consultant with Merck Animal Health. Therefore, the use of a vaccine, including recent strains of equine influenza, is highly desirable in order to help provide coverage against strains circulating in the field.

Equine vaccines for the times

Just as the overwhelming majority of Canadians added COVID vaccines to their immunization roster, your vet may suggest a revised list of shots for your horse depending on what is endemic in your area and what recent strains of disease may impact you. Your horses vaccination strategy changes over time and discussions with your veterinarian are integral to your immunization plans.



Age is a factor

Just as a teenager would not get vaccinated for Shingles, your horses immunization necessities change over the course of their lives. Foals, broodmares, travellers in their prime and the senior pasture puff all have special considerations. Vaccination Equi-Planner is a great interactive resource to learn about recommendations for each stage of life of your horse.



Exposure

Horses that are fed hay silage or haylage are usually vaccinated for botulism due to the possibility of encountering Clostridium botulinum, a spore-forming bacteria that grows in the absence of oxygen. Tetanus, on the other hand, is an immunization for every horse as the bacteria is found in the soil and most cases of tetanus are fatal. Rabies has seen its fair share of announcements of late in certain parts of Canada and is also considered a core vaccine. Only vaccination can prevent death from certain diseases such as rabies.



Who your horse hangs out with should be another consideration. If your horse is a homebody but other horses in the barn travel, they may be exposed to the same threats as their higher risk travelling stablemates.



When you purchase a new horse, it is wise to find out their vaccination status. Then you can have a conversation with your vet knowing which vaccines you require as boosters and which you may be including as part of an initial vaccination course.



Rules and regulations

Reputable boarding barns require proof of vaccinations before allowing a new equine on the property. Vaccination records and biosecurity measures such as quarantine for new and returning horses are important actions taken to protect the health of the horses placed in their care.



Racing regulators and racetracks, as well as organizations including the United States Equestrian Federation, Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) and Equestrian Canada have rules requiring vaccination against equine influenza. They also specify how far out before the event they require proof of immunization.



How well do you understand the vaccines currently available and what are the discussions you should have with your vet?

Four questions are asked in Equine Guelphs Vaccination Equi-Planner to help horse owners start conversations with their vet. Every farm has different risk factors including: age, use, sex, exposure to outside horses and geography. Whether you are the proud owner of a young foal, competition horse, hobbyhorse or broodmare, the Vaccination Equi-Planner points out considerations for each and discusses core and risk-based (optional) vaccines your vet may recommend.

(Equine Guelph)
Longtime harness racing industry participant Jennifer Lynn Baxter (Sevigny) age 47 of Falmouth N.S., passed away peacefully on the morning of April 10, 2022, at home with her family, husband Joe and children Sean, Sara and Evan.

Born in Chatham, Ontario on January 11, 1975 the daughter of Dennis Sevigny and Theresa Lepage, twin sister of Judy Sevigny (Dwayne Brooks) nieces Rebecca (Josh Caron), Riley and nephew Ryan.

Jenn's family was the most important thing in her life.

She worked as an educational assistant at Windsor Elementary School and had a career as a Child and Youth Care Worker, also doing Respite Care. Jenn was also an active owner of Standardbreds and shared a passion for the racing industry with her family and friends.

Her hobbies were harness racing, being number one fan of her children's activities and the biggest supporter of her family.

Jenn believed "A life that touches others goes on forever."

A special thank you and appreciation to close friend Brandie Daniels, palliative care, VON, home care workers and all doctors involved.

Cremation will take place and a celebration of life at a later date yet to be determined.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Jennifer Baxter.
The Upper Rappahannock River Water Trail is among recently announced Gold Medal winners of the 2022 Governors Environmental Excellence Awards.

Creating the first public access to the Rappahannock in Fauquier County, the trail includes three new canoe and kayak launches as a result of a multi-year collaboration between Friends of the Rappahannock River, Piedmont Environmental Council and John Marshall Soil and Water Conservation District.

Water access along the Scenic River is at Riverside Preserve, Rector Tract and Rogers Ford, according to Friends.

Additionally, this project developed the first of its kind MOU with a local government and the Virginia Dept. of Wildlife Resources to offer shared management of the access sites to maximize results, according to riverfriends.org.

It would not have been possible for Fauquier County to establish the public access without generosity and collaborative efforts of various stakeholders, according to Friends of the Rappahannock.

In 2019, landowner Charles McDonald donated 196 acres, creating Riverside Preserve. The American Battlefield Trust purchased and donated Rector Tract for public use. The properties are held in permanent conservation easements with Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The public land of C.F. Phelps Wildlife Management Area contains the Rogers Ford access point. Multiple grants from the PATH Foundation, Northern Piedmont Community Foundation, and Virginia Environmental Endowment made the project possible, according to Friends.

Youngkin recognized 13 Environmental Excellence Awards winners and two honorable mentions March 29 at the Environment Virginia Symposium held at Virginia Military Institute for innovative projects that improve Virginias environment.

Winners were from business, industry, higher education and state, local and federal government entities that successfully implemented projects that achieved considerable beneficial results for the environment, according to an office release.

Im proud that Virginia has problem solvers in our private sector and I look forward to seeing what the future holds, Youngkin said in a statement.

Other Gold Medal Winners were: Catawba HospitalGreening of Government; City of Harrisonburg, Department of Public WorksHarrisonburg Urban Forestry Program; Coastal Virginia Ecotourism AllianceVirginia Water Trail; George Mason UniversityMason Sustainability Councils Circular Economy & Zero Waste Task Force and University of VirginiaWaste Minimization.
Workers at Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center grabbed cheerleading pompoms and balloons last week, then gathered on an inside stairwell for a photo to mark a special milestone: For seven days, the hospital didnt have a single patient with COVID-19.

The streak was broken the following day, but it still gave people like Kristen Woodward, who oversees the hospitals intensive care unit, a moment of reprieve, to be able to take a deep breath and to say, Woo, this has been heavy,  she said in a video by Channel 4 news in Washington.

Mary Washington Healthcare experienced a similar moment last week. Two workers posed outside the hospital doors with extended arms to announce that waiting rooms are open and visitor restrictions have been lifted. Patients at Mary Washington Hospital and Stafford Hospital can have four visitors at a time and even COVID-19 patients are allowed two visitors over 18 who must follow infection prevention protocol.

Its really nice to get back to some sense of normalcy, said Dr. Christopher Newman, chief medical officer of Mary Washington Healthcare. It feels great.

Masks are still required for workers, patients and hospital visitors except in areas where employees arent interacting with patients, according to MWHC. The staff has resumed in-person meetings. While conditions havent returned to pre-pandemic levels, the changes have been more than welcome, Newman said.

Its really a well-needed respite for our nursing staff, our physicians, our care teams, especially after the delta and omicron surges which were extraordinarily difficult, he said. But after two years of the pandemic, were seeing unprecedented levels of burnout, both among nurses and doctors, unlike anything weve ever seen, not just at Mary Washington but across the nation. Theres a tremendous amount of fatigue and burnout.

For the last two weeks, Mary Washington Healthcare has had about 10 COVID-19 patients a day, Newman said. Thats a far cry from three months ago, when the systems two hospitalsMary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg and Stafford Hospitalhad 180 patients on Jan. 15.

After equally dramatic declines in case counts, new cases have remained steadywith a few ups and downs in recent weeksin the Rappahannock Area Health District, said Mary Chamberlin, public information officer.

The local health district, which includes Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford, has averaged between 19 and 30 cases a day since mid-March, compared to Jan. 4, when there were 1,713 new infections reported in a single day. That was the all-time high for the Fredericksburg area.

COVID-19 deaths continue to be added to the local tally, sometimes months after they occurred. One of the 12 fatalities added to Fridays weekly report happened in January, according to the RAHD. To date, 624 people in the local health district have died from the virus.

While overall cases have dropped significantly in the United States since the surge of the highly contagious omicron variant, the Centers for Disease Controls COVID Data Tracker has reported that almost half of the country is beginning to see increases in weekly averages. The tracker also notes that the BA.2 subvariant of omicron has accounted for 72% of recent new cases.

But current case counts may not reflect the true picture of COVID prevalence because so many people are taking tests at home and probably not reporting the results to their state health department. Thats why Dr. Olugbenga Obasanjo, RAHD director, believes hospitalizations are one of the most accurate barometers to gauge transmission levels in our communities.

The CDC does as well, as its new metrics to determine a communitys transmission level include new hospital admissions, the number of beds occupied by COVID patients and new cases per 100,000 people. Under those measurements, the local health districts transmission level has been low for weeks.

So has the RAHDs positivity rate which mirrors state levels. The rate indicates the percentage of positive tests among all those taken. Locally and across Virginia, the rate fell to about 3.5% in mid-March then climbed above 5% on Friday.

Still, the prevalence of COVID-19 is very, very low in the Fredericksburg area, Newman said, adding that the United States is not seeing the uptick of the BA.2 variant as other countries have seen. Its not quite clear why that is and well take it as it comes.

Going into summer, he said that for most people who dont have compromised immune systems or significant underlying health problems it is fairly safe to resume life as normal, Newman said. However, everyone needs to weigh individual risk and tolerance.

Obasanjo, at the health district, said the same. For now, the data says we can continue our current relaxed measures, but that could very well change.
The Culpeper County Board of Supervisors has declared April 10-April 16 National Public Safety Tele-communicators Week in Culpeper recognition of the important work being done every day by local E911 Dispatch Center staff.

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management announced it is pleased to honor tele-communicators across the commonwealth for the special week observed every second week in April to recognize and celebrate the work of tele-communicators helping to save millions of lives every day.

The Culpeper County Board unanimously approved a resolution:

WHEREAS, emergencies can occur at any time that require police, fire, or emergency medical services; and WHEREAS, when an emergency occurs, the prompt response of police officers, firefighters and paramedics is critical to the protection of life and preservation of property;

and WHEREAS, the safety of our police officers and firefighters is dependent upon the quality and accuracy of information obtained from citizens who telephone the Culpeper County Public Safety Communication Center; and WHEREAS, Public Safety Telecommunicators are the first and most critical contact our citizens have with emergency services;

and WHEREAS, Public Safety Telecommunicators provide the single, most vital link for our police officers and firefighters by monitoring their activities by radio and by providing them information and ensuring their safety; and WHEREAS, the Public Safety Telecommunicators of the Culpeper County Public Safety Communication Center have contributed substantially to the apprehension of criminals, suppression of fires and treatment of patients;

and WHEREAS, each dispatcher has exhibited compassion, understanding and professionalism during the performance of their job in the past year; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors declare the week of April 10 through 16, 2022 to be National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Culpeper County, in honor of the men and women whose diligence and professionalism keep our county and citizens safe.

Also at its meeting last week, the BOS approved award of a contract in the amount of $133,339 to Russ Bassett Corp. for the turnkey installation of E-911 Specialty Console Furniture in the Culpeper County E911 Center.

The Virginia Dept. of Emergency Management 9-1-1 & Geospatial Services Bureau will be hosting several virtual events starting with a kick-off at 11:30 a.m. on Monday immediately followed by an internet scavenger hunt.

The state will host a Virtual Vendor Hall on Tuesday, April 12; a Health, Wellness, Motivation, and Inspiration Webinar April 13; 9-1-1 and Geospatial Service Bureau Regional Coordinator Forum April 14 and Prize Pack Giveaways Friday, April 16 vaemergency.gov/

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Come July 1, it will be legal to hunt Sundays on public land, per a bill signed this week by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, ending a ban in place since colonial times.

Fairfax Democrat State Sen. Chap Petersen introduced the legislation to allow Sunday hunting on public land more than 200 yards from places of worship, according to a release from the governors office.

Previously, Wildlife Management Areas and National Forests were only open to hunters every other day of the week, except Sundays.

This legislation encourages Virginians to take full advantage of the many outdoor opportunities our great Commonwealth has to offer, said Youngkin in a statement. This legislation will open up new opportunities for hunters to enjoy the sport they love.

The Board of the Department of Wildlife Resources passed a resolution last fall supporting changes to the law to allow hunters access on Sundays.

Virginias sportsmen and women are a significant economic forcespending more than $1.5 billion, supporting more than 39,160 jobs, generating more than $1.17 billion in salaries and wages and $242 million in state and local taxes, according to the governors office.

The ban on Sunday hunting in Virginia has been in place in one form or another (with exceptions for raccoons and waterfowl) since 1643, when it was passed by the House of Burgesses, the forerunner of todays House of Delegates, according to Virginia Mercury.

The Virginia Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries maintains 44 management areas totaling more than 225,000 acres for the benefit of all citizens for a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities, including hunting. These lands are purchased and maintained in part with hunting fees.

Closest to Culpeper, the Rapidan wildlife management area in Madison totals nearly 11,000 acres and there are three state public land areas in Fauquier.
RALEIGH  When Ted Budd won a surprise endorsement from former President Donald Trump last year, he was a little-known congressman running for a Senate seat in North Carolina against some of the states most recognizable Republicans, including a former governor.

As he enters the final stretch before the states May 17 primary, Budd is again hoping for a boost, banking on the power of Trumps endorsement to put him on top of a field that includes a dozen other Republicans.

We feel weve got strong momentum, Budd told The Associated Press. Whether its grassroots, trend lines in polling or fundraising, we think were in a very good place.

Budds candidacy will serve as an early test of whether Trumps backing is powerful enough to lift someone from relative obscurity to the GOP nomination for a critical Senate seat. A strong showing by Budd could provide clues about how Trump-backed candidates in other states, including Georgia, that vote in quick succession after North Carolina, will fare.

The race will be a test of the Trump effect on North Carolina among North Carolina Republicans, I think not just for North Carolina but nationally, said Mike Rusher, a political consultant who previously worked for the state GOP.

Democrats have made inroads across the South in recent years, winning a presidential election in Georgia in 2020 for the first time in 28 years and picking up two Senate seats.

North Carolina has experienced similar demographic changes, driven by an influx of new residents to the Raleigh and Charlotte areas. But for now, Democrats have struggled to make the same progress in the states presidential and Senate races. Barack Obama was the last Democratic presidential contender to carry North Carolina in 2008, and a Democrat hasnt won a Senate seat since Kay Hagan the same year.

Trump returned to the state on Saturday for a rally in rural Johnston County, just southeast of Raleigh, where he hyped Budd as a great guy and a tremendous person.

Some people didnt know him, but now they know him, he said.

Trump was a boon to North Carolina Republicans in the 2020 campaign, boosting turnout so that GOP candidates  with few exceptions  won races up and down the ballot even as Trump himself only narrowly eked out a win.

Budd is running for retiring Republican Sen. Richard Burrs seat against former Gov. Pat McCrory, who is viewed as a moderate and has kept some distance from Trump while backing his economic policies. A dozen other Republicans are also seeking the nomination, including former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, who has resisted Trumps entreaties to drop out.

The winner is expected to take on presumptive Democratic nominee Cheri Beasley, a former state Supreme Court chief justice, in Novembers general election. Like nearly all statewide races, the general election should be close, and a Democratic victory could thwart GOP hopes of retaking the Senate majority.

While McCrory entered the race as its best-known candidate, Budd and his advisers are increasingly optimistic that his position is strengthening in the races final weeks.

Budd credited Trumps endorsement as the single biggest factor to help advance and get attention on this campaign. He has also benefited from millions of dollars in super PAC spending on his behalf, including from the Club for Growths political wing. The groups ads heavily feature Trumps endorsement, casting Budd as a reliable conservative while highlighting McCrorys past criticism of the former president and slamming him as a disloyal, liberal loser.

McCrory became governor in 2013 but lost reelection after he signed a bathroom bill targeting transgender people that cost the state billions.

Saturdays rally comes amid questions over whether Trumps influence is fading amid stumbles in other states. Last month, he withdrew his endorsement of Rep. Mo Brooks, who was struggling to gain traction in Alabamas Senate primary. Last year, his endorsed candidate in Pennsylvanias Senate race, Sean Parnell, dropped out amid allegations of abuse by his estranged wife.

As aides have warned that he is setting himself up for failure by offering too many endorsements, Trump has held off picking sides in several competitive Senate contests, including in Missouri and Ohio, where early voting is underway.

Seeing Walker as a potential spoiler, Trump has tried to no avail to pressure him to leave the race  a tactic he has used successfully in other contests to bolster his favored candidates chances.

The top vote-getter must garner more than 30% of the vote to avoid a runoff. Otherwise, the top two finishers advance to a runoff in late July.

Look, we appreciate President Trump and the work that he did for our country, but it doesnt mean that he makes the right decisions and sometimes he gets bad counsel, Walker said in an interview. And in this particular incident, he has hitched his wagon to the wrong horse.

McCrory, meanwhile, dismissed polling out this week suggesting he had lost his early edge, saying theres time for a counterattack.

This race is going to be a dead heat. Its neck and neck right now, and its amazing that were even in that position, considering $7 to $8 million have been spent against us from a special interest group in D.C., McCrory said in an unnamed reference to Club for Growth Action.

Many voters have yet to make up their minds, with early in-person voting beginning April 28.

John Dismukes, 48, of Carolina Beach describes himself as 100% undecided. Im looking at all three of them, he said.

Billy Shomaker, a retired commercial pilot from Beech Mountain, said he supports Budd regardless of Trumps endorsement. I like President Trump. I dont like everything he does, said Shomaker, 68.

Trumps preferred candidates in North Carolina havent always been successful. In 2020, political newcomer Madison Cawthorn comfortably won a GOP congressional primary runoff over Trumps pick.

But Trump soon embraced Cawthorn, who won the general election at age 25 and became one of the ex-presidents strongest supporters. Now, Trump is returning the favor, featuring him as a rally speaker and endorsing him for reelection even as Cawthorn has faced backlash over recent incendiary comments.

McCrory said he had other events to attend Saturday and wouldnt have shared the stage with Budd, Cawthorn or Trump even if offered.

Trump says I dont represent his values, McCrory said, referencing the former presidents words when he endorsed Budd 10 months ago. I agree with the policies of Trump. But yeah, we maybe have different opinion on values.
A school resource officer is being credited with saving a students life by performing the Heimlich maneuver to remove a piece of candy that was lodged in the students windpipe.

Deputy Alan Josey, a former combat medic in the United States Army Reserves, was working at North Iredell Middle School on April 7 and was alerted to an emergency situation in the seventh grade hall at North Iredell Middle School.

Iredell Sheriff Darren Campbell, in a news release, said Josey got to the hallway and discovered a student on the floor, apparently in respiratory distress. A young man was attempting to help the girl, Campbell said.

Josey acted quickly and determined the student was choking. He then performed the Heimlich maneuver and dislodged a piece of candy.

Deputy Joseys quick actions certainly abated a tragedy and allowed a young girl the opportunity to return home to her family, Campbell said. We are beyond fortunate that Deputy Josey chose a career in law enforcement after serving eight years in the United States Army Reserve as a combat medic.

Campbell said the job of SRO is a multifaceted position that requires an array of skills, and Josey demonstrated that last week.

While we often think of our School Resource Officers as men and women who protect our schools against outside threats, cases such as these prove them invaluable on many levels, Campbell said.
Marion Outdoors opened at 208 E. Main Street in Marion last week. Thespian-turned-businessman Andrew Livingston said it has always been a dream to own and operate an outdoor store.

Previously, Livingston worked as an actor for the Barter Theatre, where his wife, Amanda, worked as marketing director. Amanda is now Smyth Countys director of tourism.

Ive always loved Marion, and have been thinking of opening a store like this for a very long time, Livingston said. I have two kids and working at the Barter, I was not able to spend as much time as I liked with them. I wanted to be able to read them bedtime stories, but I was usually doing a show at night. Now, they hang out with me at the store.

The Livingstons have a daughter Clara, 6, and son Arthur, 4.

They bought the building in December and have been hard at work renovating the building to serve a variety of purposes in addition to the outdoor store. Livingston rents space to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu next door and also rents out two apartments in the brick building. He is renovating the top floor, which will become The Merry Inn, home to eight bunks for hikers and two private Airbnb rooms.

In addition, Livingston rents space to White Blaze Outdoors, which offers guided hiking tours and hiker/biker shuttles from Wytheville to Erwin, Tennessee.

Livingston nurtured his love for the outdoors while growing up as a Boy Scout in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Today, he enjoys bikepacking, traveling hundreds of miles on his bike and camping in the woods along the way.

He just returned from a 365-mile trip in Florida.

You start in Ocala and make a big loop in Florida, he said, adding that the longest trip he has taken so far is the Trans Virginia route from Washington, D.C., to Damascus. He one day hopes to bike and camp the Great Divide Trail that reaches from Canada to Mexico through the middle of America.

Livingston said hes excited for the challenge of owning his own business.

I was ready for something new, he said. I wanted a new challenge; I dont like to sit still.

Marion Outdoors has everything and anything a hiker would need on the Appalachian Trail. Livingston uses a cell phone app to connect with hikers on the trail. Marion is about 62 miles from Damascus, making it a perfect place for hikers to renew their supplies.

I knew Marion was an Appalachian Trail town, he said. I pick up hikers and bring them to the store, and then take them back or to a local hotel. Hopefully, they will soon be able to stay upstairs. I knew Marion didnt have a store like this, so I thought it was the perfect place.

But AT hikers arent the only ones who have checked out the store  Smyth and Wythe County residents have shopped there.

A lot of locals have come in, probably more so than hikers, Livingston said. I think people are excited about it.

Helping Hands Community Thrift Store

Also in downtown Marion, Helping Hands Community Thrift Store has reopened in its new location.

The store, which supports a variety of community needs with its proceeds, is now located at 116 East Main St., the former Jewel Box building. A non-profit, Helping Hands opened its doors in 2005.

Learn more about its work on Facebook.

In nearby Wytheville, two highly anticipated businesses, Roses and IHOP, are slated to open this spring.

Roses

A Roses representative said this week that the Roses store at 800 E. Main St. will open within the next 60 days, and the store is hiring employees. To apply for a job, visit the store between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

The popular store is returning to Wytheville after a nearly three-decade absence. The store is in the former site of the Virginia Department of General Services Surplus Retain Store.

In January, an official with store owner, Variety Wholesalers Inc., said plans call for a soft opening in late April and a grand opening in early May.

Roses had a store in Wytheville from about 1980 until 1996 in the Food Lion Shopping Center on Fourth Street, where Harbor Freight is today.

Variety Wholesalers is based in Henderson, North Carolina, and owns nearly 400 retail stores, including Roses and Maxway, and employs approximately 7,000 workers.

IHOP

Everyone wanting to order up IHOPs famous pancakes will have to wait a bit longer. A spokesperson for the company said the restaurant plans to open in Wytheville this spring, but did not give an opening date.

Last summer, IHOP has confirmed that it plans to open a restaurant in Wytheville. It appears that the location will be at the Travel Center of America truck stop on Peppers Ferry Road. According to The Town of Wythevilles building permits for the month of July 2021, Travel Centers/IHOP/Connors & Gaskins applied for a permit to renovate the property at 1025 Peppers Ferry Road, which is the TA property.

According to the permit report, renovations for an IHOP restaurant are expected to cost around $280,000.

To reach reporter Millie Rothrock, call 276-228-6611, ext. 573, or email mrothrock@wythenews.com.
Days after temperatures hit 80 degrees, Cowlitz County residents woke up to snow Monday morning, the latest measurable accumulation on record.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for the Interstate 5 corridor through noon Monday, as heavy, wet snow canceled school and knocked out power for about one-third of the areas residents.

Any accumulating snow in Western Washington and Oregon all the way down to the valley floors is pretty exceptional for April 10th and 11th, really any time in April, said Dan Miller, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland.

The Weather Service doesnt have specific records for Longview, but the previous latest snowfall recorded in downtown Portland was April 10, 1903, Miller said.

Miller said some models hinted at the chance of snow in Portland a week ago, but the magnitude of the event became clear Sunday when the agency issued advisories and warnings.

It was a very strong and strengthening weather disturbance that just strengthened at the right time and right place as it came ashore in northwest Oregon, Miller said. It started with cold rain and the precipitation rates were heavy enough where they were able to form the snow level down to valley floors for a few hours.

Some areas got more snow than expected, Miller said. By Monday afternoon, most lower-level snow had melted, but some higher elevations received feet of snow likely to stick around into the week. In Longview, the temperature rose from about 32 degrees overnight to a high around 45 degrees.

Last year the region had one of the driest springs on record, with hardly any precipitation in March, April and May, Miller said. While one storm doesnt make or break the snowpack, any this time of year is a good thing, he said.

The heavy snow caused downed trees and power lines throughout the county and region.

About 16,600 Cowlitz PUD customers were without power as of 8:40 a.m. Monday, according to the agencys outage map. By 4 p.m., about 11,500 people didnt have power. The PUD estimated some restorations would not be completed until midnight.

Crews were busy all night and will work 24/7 until all power is restored, according to a PUD Facebook post. Mutual aid crews from Clallam PUD, Grays Harbor PUD, Snohomish PUD and Magnum Power came to assist local crews Monday morning, according to the post.

The Washington Department of Transportation asked travelers to delay trips throughout Southwest Washington because of snowy and icy roads, and downed trees and collisions.

Cowlitz County school districts  Longview, Kelso, Castle Rock, Toutle Lake, Kalama and Woodland  as well as the Rainier School District were closed Monday. Three Rivers Christian School closed but its early learning center at Ocean Beach Highway remained open.

Lower Columbia College had a two-hour late start, opening campus at 10 a.m. Monday.

The Woodland City Council canceled its special Monday night meeting where a decision was set to be made about a City Council appointment. The meeting will be rescheduled to a later date.

Some local government offices and businesses were closed or opened late Monday because of the weather or related power outages.

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Next Great North American Solar Eclipse is on the way! Know when, where, and how to watch it.

Two years from now, there will be an awe-inspiring moment for all skywatchers! In 2024, the Great North American Solar Eclipse will come to pass. It will cross the country on April 8 covering a wide range of land from Mexico to Canada and turn daylight into night-like darkness. Back in 2017, the United States had seen its first total solar eclipse in almost 40 years that created a spectacular scene for all. Now, another great total solar eclipse is on the way for North America. And, two years are not all that far. Popularity of total solar eclipses has always been high and it even makes people travel across different countries to catch a glimpse of it.

So lets first decode these terms, an eclipse occurs when the Earth, sun, and moon are aligned in such a way that one celestial body casts its shadow on the other. Particularly in a solar eclipse, the moon comes between the Earth and the Sun, leaving its shadow to move across the Earth's surface. And a total solar eclipse occurs when the moon is just the right distance away from the Earth in such a way that it completely covers the Sun. Two years from now, the same situation will occur which will bring night-like darkness during the day in North America.

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When and where to watch the Great solar Eclipse?

As mentioned, the Great North American Total Solar Eclipse will occur on April 8, 2024 starting from Mazatlan, Mexico, at 10:51 a.m. local time. The starting time will be for the partial eclipse, and the best scene of the eclipse will emerge during its peak when the moon will completely cover the sun. Space.com mentioned that the solar eclipse will cross through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Though, you need to know that the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) suggests viewing the solar eclipse only while wearing special glasses approved by ISO. And you should avoid watching it with naked eyes.

But, why is the Great North American Solar Eclipse important?

Well, total eclipses are not that rare! As it occurs approximately every 18 months. But there are rare occurrences. On an average, a specific location can experience a total solar eclipse around every 375 years! So, you can guess how rare it is for the United States to experience a total solar eclipse. The Space.com report mentioned that before 2017s total eclipse, North America had experienced its earlier total solar eclipse in 1918!

The Great solar eclipse of 2024 will cast a wider shadow and will last longer than the 2017s solar eclipse. That means, people will easily be able to watch the spectacular moment in 2024!
Left alone in the Google Meet? These new Google Meet updates will provide a much better experience to you.

Google Meet is a great way of communication especially when you are working from home. Surely, during the pandemic, everyone must have understood the true potential of Google Meet video calling feature. From attending office meetings from home to online classes for college and school students, Google Meet was one of the top video-calling platforms when the pandemic was raging. Having said that, there are always some unhappy times on GMeet. How many times have you ended up in an awkward situation of being alone in a Google Meet? Or, left your audio or video on unintentionally? Very embarrassing, indeed. Fortunately, Google now has a solution to fix your most embarrassing meeting moments!

In a blog post, Google has revealed two new improvements for Google Meet to help users have a better video conferencing experience. Google has announced it will roll out two new improvements for Google Meet users. The updated features are available for Google Meet users on desktop and iOS devices such as iPhones. Read on to know what is going to change for the better for you on Google Meet.

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Host management menu update

One of these new improvements in Google Meet is the centralized location for the controls used by meeting hosts to manage calls. Right now, host and co-host controls can be found in multiple locations in Google Meet. Now with the latest Google Meet update, it will be a more user intuitive experience. Google mentioned that it has consolidated all host and co-host features in a single, central location under the Host controls menu. We hope this change makes it easier to manage your meeting settings by reducing the need to switch between various menus, Google mentioned. This update is only for desktop Google Meet users.

Leave empty call reminders

To save you from an unusual situation where you are the only person in a meeting, Google will prompt you with a message to leave the meeting. With the update, when youre the only person in a meeting for five minutes, Google will send a prompt pop-up message asking whether you want to stay or leave the meeting.

Google also mentioned that "We hope that this feature will help prevent situations where your audio or video is unintentionally shared." This feature will be available on desktop and iPhones. Well, Android users will get this update soon.
Google has banned 10 popular apps due to their malicious nature. These are extremely dangerous and can cause immense damage and loss to innocent users. Check if your smartphone has any of these apps. If you do, delete them now.

All the Android apps that you see available on Google Play Store need to pass through several security checks to go online before they are made available for downloading bu users. However, sometimes these malicious apps somehow manage to escape these security checks to be listed on Google Play Store where many users download them thinking they are useful. And surprisingly, they rack up a huge number of downloads too! But sometimes these dangerous apps are exposed and Google Play Store removes them to ensure more people are not caught in their web. Now, it has been revealed that Google banned 10 popular Android apps from the Play Store that had more than 60 million downloads! That means a huge number of people have these dangerous apps on their smartphones.

According to a recent report by Wall Street Journal, Google has removed these 10 Android apps from the Play Store due their dangerous nature which can steal user's data. These online fraudsters aim to get access to data on a large scale. According to the recort, these malicious apps were able to share the exact location of the users to hackers. Moreover, these apps have the potential to get access to emails, contact numbers, even passwords.

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How hackers used these banned apps to steal users' data?

These data-stealing Android apps were used as a tool by hackers to get access to smartphones of all those who downloaded these apps. Hackers employed the data theft via these apps through the 'cut and paste' method. Basically, whenever a user copy-pasted an OTP, password or any other details, the hackers were able to steal the details through these apps from the device. The report also mentioned that these apps were able to help the fraudster to get access to the downloaded files on WhatsApp.

Because of their dangerous nature, Google decided to ban these apps from the Play Store. However, if any of these malicious apps are downloaded on your smartphone, then it is advised to delete them immediately due to security reasons. Here's the full list of these malicious apps banned from Google Play Store:

1. Speed Radar Camera

2. AI-Moazin Lite (Prayer times)

3. Wi-Fi Mouse (Remote Control PC)

4. QR & Barcode Scanner (Developed by AppSource Hub)

5. Qibla Compass - Ramadan 2022

6. Simple Weather & Clock Widget (Developed by Difer)

7. Handcent Next SMS- Text With MMS

8. Smart kit 360

9. Full Quran MP3-50 Languages & Translation Audio

10. Audiosdroid Audio Studio DAW

Android users should note that in addition to uninstalling these above-mentioned apps from your device, you must erase all the apps related data from your smartphone.
Your digital footprints can give hackers clues about you that they can use to trick you. Credit: Ivan/Flickr, CC BY-SA

When you use the internet, you leave behind a trail of data, a set of digital footprints. These include your social media activities, web browsing behavior, health information, travel patterns, location maps, information about your mobile device use, photos, audio and video. This data is collected, collated, stored and analyzed by various organizations, from the big social media companies to app makers to data brokers. As you might imagine, your digital footprints put your privacy at risk, but they also affect cybersecurity.

As a cybersecurity researcher, I track the threat posed by digital footprints on cybersecurity. Hackers are able to use personal information gathered online to suss out answers to security challenge questions like "in what city did you meet your spouse?" or to hone phishing attacks by posing as a colleague or work associate. When phishing attacks are successful, they give the attackers access to networks and systems the victims are authorized to use.

Following footprints to better bait

Phishing attacks have doubled from early 2020. The success of phishing attacks depends on how authentic the contents of messages appear to the recipient. All phishing attacks require certain information about the targeted people, and this information can be obtained from their digital footprints.

Hackers can use freely available open source intelligence gathering tools to discover the digital footprints of their targets. An attacker can mine a target's digital footprints, which can include audio and video, to extract information such as contacts, relationships, profession, career, likes, dislikes, interests, hobbies, travel and frequented locations.

They can then use this information to craft phishing messages that appear more like legitimate messages coming from a trusted source. The attacker can deliver these personalized messages, spear phishing emails, to the victim or compose as the victim and target the victim's colleagues, friends and family. Spear phishing attacks can fool even those who are trained to recognize phishing attacks.

Your online activities may feel fleeting, but they leave traces.

One of the most successful forms of phishing attacks has been business email compromise attacks. In these attacks, the attackers pose as people with legitimate business relationshipscolleagues, vendors and customersto initiate fraudulent financial transactions.

A good example is the attack targeting the firm Ubiquity Networks Inc. in 2015. The attacker sent emails, which looked like they were coming from top executives to employees. The email requested the employees to make wire transfers, resulting in fraudulent transfers of $46.7 million.

Access to the computer of a victim of a phishing attack can give the attacker access to networks and systems of the victim's employer and clients. For instance, one of the employees at retailer Target's HVAC vendor fell victim to phishing attack. The attackers used his workstation to gain access to Target's internal network, and then to their payment network. The attackers used the opportunity to infect point-of-sale systems used by Target and steal data on 70 million credit cards.

A big problem and what to do about it

Computer security company Trend Micro found that 91% of attacks in which the attackers gained undetected access to networks and used that access over time started with phishing messages. Verizon's Data Breach Investigations Report found that 25% of all data breach incidents involved phishing.

Given the significant role played by phishing in cyberattacks, I believe it's important for organizations to educate their employees and members about managing their digital footprints. This training should cover how to find the extent of your digital footprints, how to browse securely and how to use social media responsibly.

Explore further How to trust your instincts to foil phishing attacks

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Wearing the black-and-green jacket of a Gojek driver, GoTo CEO Andre Soelistyo (second right) pressed the opening bell at the Jakarta stock exchange.

Indonesia's biggest tech firm soared on its market debut Monday after a billion-dollar IPO that was the world's fifth-biggest this year, defying recent heavy weather for Asian tech stocks.

GoTo, the largest digital ecosystem in the archipelago nation of 270 million people, was formed by the merger of ride-hailing company Gojek and e-commerce platform Tokopedia in May 2021.

Clad in the signature black-and-green jacket of a Gojek driver, GoTo CEO Andre Soelistyo pressed the 9:00 am opening bell at the Jakarta stock exchange.

"Despite global market volatility, investor interest has been strong, reflecting the rapidly growing demand in Southeast Asia for our on-demand, e-commerce and financial technology services, as well as confidence in GoTo's position as the largest digital ecosystem in Indonesia," he said in a press release.

GoTo shares jumped as much as 23 percent in early trade before closing 13.02 percent higher at 382 rupiah. Overall, Jakarta stocks ended down 0.10 percent.

The company raised about $1.1 billion in its IPO that concluded last week, priced at 338 rupiah a share, representing a market value of about $28 billion, it announced.

It has sold shares for $954.7 million (13.7 trillion rupiah) plus $146.3 million from treasury shares for the purpose of over-allotment.

Based on the total funds raised, GoTo's IPO is the third-largest in Asia and fifth-largest in the world this year, it said.

The company announced last week it would distribute shares worth about $21.6 million to hundreds of thousands of its drivers.

One of the lucky drivers was Ryan Supriandi, who has been a Gojek driver for nearly seven years.

Supriandi was pleasantly surprised to receive a mobile notification saying the company had granted him 4,000 shares, worth about $90.

"I was happy and confused at the same timewhat am I going to do with it? Many drivers don't understand shares or markets," the 34-year-old told AFP.

GoTo was formed by the merger of ride-hailing company Gojek and e-commerce platform Tokopedia in 2021.

US listing planned

President Joko Widodo congratulated GoTo on its debut.

"I hope GoTo IPO will motivate Indonesian youth to give new energy for the leap of our country's economic development," Widodo said.

But Reza Priyambada, a stock market analyst from CSA Research Institute, said that while it was still too early to judge how GoTo would perform, investors should proceed cautiously.

"While they do claim to be the biggest marketplace in Indonesia, they are still suffering losses at the moment," Priyambada said.

"Right now investors are still under a euphoria, but we don't know if they really understand how GoTo works, what are their prospects and how the management is run."

GoTo has not published profits yet. The exchange reported that from January to July 2021 the company posted more than $556 million in net losses.

Last year, another Indonesian unicorn, Bukalapak, launched the biggest initial offering in the history of the country's stock market, raising more than $1.5 billion.

However, shares in the online marketplace have since dropped by around 60 percent, instilling doubts in the Southeast Asian tech sector.

A successful IPO for GoTo could open the door to a string of listings in the country as several tech firmsincluding Traveloka, LinkAja, J&T Express, Tiket and Blibliare also set to make their market debut, according to local media.

GoTo, whose main competitors in the region are SEA and Grab, has said previously that it was also planning a US listing.

In November it said it had raised $1.3 billion from various investors including Google, Singapore's Temasek and China's Tencent.

Explore further GameStop is surging again on first stock split in 15 years

 2022 AFP
In this April 26, 2017, file photo is a Twitter app icon on a mobile phone in Philadelphia. Tesla CEO Elon Musk now has a 9% stake in Twitter and a seat on its corporate board of directors, raising questions about how the billionaire business magnate could reshape the social media platform. He is now Twitter's biggest shareholder and has the ear of top managers. Credit: AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File

As Twitter's newest board member and largest shareholder, Elon Musk is already floating suggestions for changes he'd like to see on the social media platform.

In a series of tweets late Saturday, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO said that the company should include an "authentication checkmark" as a feature of its Twitter Blue premium subscription service, which costs $2.99 a month.

Twitter adds a checkmark logo next to a user name when the account has been verified "authentic, notable and active."

Musk also suggested Twitter make the authentication checkmarks of premium subscriber accounts different than those granted to official accounts belonging to public figures, for example.

Such a move, Musk said, would "massively expand" the pool of verified user accounts and discourage the proliferation of spam "bot" accounts, making them too expensive to maintain.

Musk also shared ideas for how Twitter should charge for its subscription membership, saying the fee "should be proportionate to affordability and in local currency," and adding: "Maybe even an option to pay in Doge?" referring to the Dogecoin cryptocurrency.

"And no ads," Musk tweeted. "The power of corporations to dictate policy is greatly enhanced if Twitter depends on advertising money to survive."

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk arrives on the red carpet for the Axel Springer media award in Berlin on Dec. 1, 2020. As Twitters newest board member and largest shareholder, Musk is already floating suggestions for changes hed like to see on the social media platform. In a series of tweets late Saturday, April 9, 2022, Musk said that the company should include an authentication checkmark as a feature of its Twitter Blue premium subscription service, which costs $3 a month. Credit: Hannibal Hanschke/Pool Photo via AP, File

Nearly 90% of Twitter's revenue in 2021 came from advertising.

Musk's latest tweets about Twitter, including posting polls asking his 81 million followers whether Twitter is "dying" and whether the company's San Francisco headquarters should be converted into a homeless shelter "since no one shows up anyway," followed a tweet earlier in the week asking if he should add an edit button on the platform.

Last week, Twitter disclosed in a regulatory filing that it entered into an agreement with Musk giving the billionaire a seat on the company's board, with the term expiring at its 2024 annual shareholders meeting. The move came a day after it was disclosed that Musk took a 9% stake in the company.

Twitter declined to comment Sunday.

Explore further Elon Musk joins Twitter board after amassing massive stake

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Experts from universities in the UK and the U.S. have repurposed their research activities to quickly create a system which provides a running account of atrocities taking place in Ukraine, constructed from social media accounts located in the country.

MOBILISE, an existing project about Ukrainians at home and abroad funded by ESRC and ORA, has responded to the humanitarian emergency by combining their expertise with that of three other institutions in the U.S.. Their quick thinking means they can now document and trace the displacement of people, human rights abuses, humanitarian needs and civil resistance to invasionall in real time.

The new Data for Ukraine project analyzes Twitter data using machine-learning algorithmsit is able to flag important events a few hours ahead of media outlets by demonstrating spikes of credible tweets about certain subjects the team is tracking, as well as mapping where these events take place. It focuses on four areashumanitarian needs, displaced people, civilian resistance and human rights violations.

Dr. Olga Onuch, a Ukrainian Senior Politics Lecturer from The University of Manchester, identified which accounts to monitor and created a list of more than 600 keywords for the system to check. It captures living languagefor instance, a protest may be referred to in Ukrainian or Russian with the Soviet-era colloquialism of a "meeting."

She hopes the work can help in two ways: in the moment, by helping aid agencies direct resources to people fleeing fighting, and in the long term, by permanently documenting abuses and atrocities for eventual justice.

In one instance, its tracking of civilian resistance and human rights abuses was able to immediately identify the beginning of a major eventRussian forces firing on peaceful protesters in the southern city of Kherson on March 21as it registered as a spike on one of the main graphs on the project's website.

"It's an early alarm system for human rights abuses," explains Ernesto Calvo of the University of Maryland. "For it to work, we need to know two basic things: what is happening or being reported, and who is reporting those things."

Calvo and his lab focus on the second of those two requirements, and constructed a "community detection" system to identify key groups of Twitter users from which to gather datameaning that millions of tweets now feed into the system every day.

Erik Wibbels of Duke University handles the project's natural language processing element, using AI and the keyword list developed by Onuch and others to analyze what the tweets are about; political science Professor Graeme Robertson of the University of North Carolina and his colleagues provide expertise on the region; and scholars from the Kyiv School of Economics are helping to validate the system's performance.

The war in Ukraine may be the first war to use social media data in this way, but it won't be the lastanalyzing social media data is likely to become an increasingly prevalent way to monitor conflicts, as well as other crises and key moments in future history, said Calvo. The tool, and the reports it is producing, also has potential for major impact on policy and human rights documentation procedures in UK and internationally.

More information: For more information about Data for Ukraine, visit For more information about Data for Ukraine, visit mlp.trinity.duke.edu/dataforukraine.php#en
Interior designers Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan will face their biggest challenge yet in a new Channel 5 series.

Colin and Justins Great Canadian Escape will follow the couple as they buy and transform a run-down hotel in rural Nova Scotia and attempt to turn it into a luxury high end boutique hotel.

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The four-part series will see the pair take on "the riskiest venture of their lives" as they move to a small Canadian town and become hoteliers for the first time.

Channel 5 share: "With the aim of opening in early summer 2022, this observational documentary series will track this ambitious undertaking as the duo buy and transform a 21-room, old fashioned and tired hotel which includes a restaurant and beach house.

"Not only will this series follow their attempts to renovate the hotel, it will also document their personal journey settling in to the local community as these city boys try to get the town on board, hiring local tradespeople and suppliers, from lumber merchants to blacksmiths and hotel staff. Well also get a flavour of what life is like living in remote Canada.

"With beautiful landscapes cut against the reality of a rural town, the series gives a peek into small town living, the strength of community and a charismatic couple following their dream."

Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan said: "Were super excited to be returning to Channel 5 with this series that follows our Canadian hotel adventure. It started in the early part of the pandemic when we felt locked out from our regular lives in Glasgow, London and Toronto.

"When we stumbled across an exciting a hotel for sale in Cape Breton, in need of major updating but with so much potential, we emptied our bank account and ploughed our pension into the purchase.

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"What we quickly learned is that there's no such thing as a bargain. Have we made the wrong decision, and can our relationship weather the storm? As hoteliers with no experience whatsoever, some might say we're in over our heads, ring leading our toughest challenge ever, but we cant wait to see what happens next.

The four-part series will air on Channel 5 with a start date to be announced.
This years Honor Flight is taking off early this morning, and the nonprofit Golden Isles Honor Flight is asking as many residents as possible to show up at the Brunswick airport this evening to welcome the veterans home.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service continues to provide support coordinating hay, livestock feed and fencing supplies to producers impacted by the Eastland Complex wildfire.

Fires encompassed more than 50,000 acres around Eastland and resulted in more than 400 dead livestock.

AgriLife Extensions Disaster Assessment Response team was deployed March 18 to Eastland County to support animal needs assessments with the Texas A&M University Veterinary Emergency Team and Texas Animal Health Commission. Staging areas continue at the Texas Cattle Exchange in Eastland County with animal supply points at Rising Star, Cross Plains and Gorman.

AgriLife Extension, along with its partners, continue to provide support to those affected by these devastating wildfires, said Monty Dozier, AgriLife Extension director, Disaster Assessment Recovery, Bryan-College Station. Our DAR agents have served in several capacities, whether coordinating intake and distribution of hay, feed and livestock, or assisting with field assessments. Its truly been a team effort as we assist these producers during this time of great need.

Logistical coordination

Bryan Davis, AgriLife Extension agent-emergency management, Seguin, said the challenges the wildfire presents are much different from other disasters he has responded to, including hurricanes, because the fire continues to burn.

When we first got here on Friday, fires were still popping up everywhere, Davis said. I worked with Task Texas Force 2 and the chief of police in Carbon in response to a request to set up a staging operation at the Cattle Exchange. I also worked with Dr. Wesley Bissett and the TAMU Veterinary Emergency Team to work the flow of livestock coming in and coordinate where hay could be stacked safely from any embers, identifying a dry place for sack feed.

Amid the fieldwork, Davis said DAR agents have been receiving calls for hay and feed donations. Through March 20, more than 400 round bales and several semi-truck loads of cattle cubes and fencing supplies were received. Davis said multiple staging areas are receiving round bales, feed and fencing supplies for livestock operations in the counties affected by the wildfires.

Once the agencys strike team agents came in, we coordinated work with the Texas Animal Health Commission and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association conducting field assessments, he said. We would receive a call from a producer who had either cattle down or had cattle that died and needed assistance with removal. TSCRA rangers were also identifying proper owners of cattle.

People know we have agents in every county, and we are a service agency. Weve been working throughout COVID-19 providing various support efforts, so people know what we are capable of and how we fit into the system, what we can offer.

Communities grateful for support, donations

TJ Cummings, AgriLife Extension agent for Eastland County, said, People have been keeping me and the other agents swamped with hay, feed, fence materials, and dog and cat food by the pallets.

One producer sent two semi-loads of bulk cubes and was working to send money to help those affected by the fire, Cummings said.

Cummings said many producers lost cattle and homes when wildfires swept through the same part of Texas in 2006. Some are providing help because they experienced losses then, but others are experiencing a second round of losses to fire.

He wanted to thank donors on behalf of fire victims, Eastland County and AgriLife Extension and said fencing material remains the top request from landowners impacted by the fire.

Its just mindboggling, he said. Its very humbling what people have done to help here. We had some ladies at the auction today who were still working despite the fact their homes burned down and they lost their cattle. The grass will come back, but weve got a lot of lives and miles and miles of fence to rebuild.
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The Grand Island Kennel Club will host the AKC All-Breed Dog Show, Obedience and Rally Trials on Saturday and Sunday in the Pinnacle Expo Center at Fonner Park.

All shows will be indoors and unbenched, with obedience and rally trials open to All-American dogs listed in the AKC Canine Partners Program. Doors open at 9 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday. Breed judging starts at 9 a.m., with group judging in the afternoon.

The public is encouraged to come early in the day if they expect to observe their favorite breed.

Admission will be $5 per day for adults, children 12 and younger will be admitted free. All tickets will be sold at the door. Strollers and un-entered dogs are not allowed for this event.

The Grand Island Kennel Club got its 60 years ago, when a trio of area residents shared a vision, club member and show chairman Dawn Mieth noted in a press release. They understood the significant role dogs play in the lives of both individuals and communities. They wanted to share their expertise in training and exhibiting fine purebred dogs with others. As a result of this groups efforts, the Grand Island Kennel Club was formed.

Club members purchased some land southeast of Grand Island, including a lake, where they built a clubhouse. Mieth said families have enjoyed camping, picnicking and fishing at the club as well as working with their dogs through the years. The building was a victim of the 1980 tornado but was rebuilt in the same footprint as the original, and today is home to countless classes and other activities.

The GIKC has been an important part of Grand Island and Hall County since its inception. Community members realized that A trained dog is a good dog, and brought their pets to the Kennel Club for obedience training, filling classes year after year. Dogs are trained at the club to certify as nationally recognized Canine Good Citizens. Newer programs such as rally and agility provide a fun, healthy activity for dog-owners of all ages. Top quality purebred dogs continue to be trained to compete in conformation shows of which some GIKC dogs have achieved national prominence for their local breeders and owners.

Working with area youth, especially through 4-H, has always been important for the club. Members have helped hundreds of 4-Hers train, exhibit and learn to care for their dogs.. Many canine-related educational programs have been offered for the public through the years. GIKC members regularly take dogs to schools, Scout meetings, the veterans home and nursing homes for demonstrations. Additionally, specially trained and certified dogs provide comforting hospice-based therapy to patients. Kennel Club members helped to found the Central Nebraska Humane Society in 1967, as well as the adjacent pet cemetery, which benefits people throughout mid-Nebraska.

For more information, check the groups website at www.gikennelclub.com or check out its page on Facebook.
KEARNEY  At 66, as the longest serving paramedic at CHI Health Good Samaritan, Kevin Badgley refers to himself as an old fossil.

March 31, after 33 years as a Good Sam paramedic and a 48-year career, he retired.

Im 66. My body is telling me theres a finite limit to this, he said. Except for one person, none of my co-workers was even born when I started in this business. Most of their parents were in grade school when I started.

It all began when he was just 18. Prodded by his parents, he took his first EMT course in 1974 in Oconto. My dad said, You are working with your grandpa on the farm all the time. You need to take this class, Badgley said.

Now he teaches those classes. He has taught at Central Community College and at 100 towns in western and central Nebraska. From the start, he pulls no punches.

The first night I try to talk people out of taking the class unless theyre committed for the long haul. I tell them that theyre going to miss Christmas, Thanksgiving and more. People will call you in the worst possible times, and you have to go. You cant wait 10 minutes, he tells them.

Your family has to commit to this, too. I always said one of these days I was going to regain my sanity and find a job where I dont have to work nights, weekends and holidays. Its definitely a calling, he said.

In the beginning

In 1975, when he was just 19, Badgley got a part-time job with a private ambulance service in Rapid City, S.D., while attending business school there.

We got paid by the call. Id get off work at 6 a.m., go home to the trailer and change clothes and go to school. Then Id change clothes and go to the EMS job. I was on call all night. Id sleep at times, he said.

Residents of Rapid City called the ambulance only in dire circumstances. Most people said, I can drive myself to the hospital, which was lucky, since Badgley was often the only person on call. He covered an area that included Mount Rushmore, Needles, Hill City and Hermosa, all the way west to the Wyoming border and clear down to Scenic, in the southeast, 54 miles from Rapid City.

Once I got a call 10 miles south of Scenic about a baby being born breech. It was snowing. We had to take a snowplow to get from Scenic to the farm. There was no place to turn around. I couldnt start an IV. I had no medication. All I could give her was oxygen, he said.

The woman delivered safely, and the baby was healthy.

When that ambulance service went out of business in 1977, he began working for the Rapid City/Pennington County Ambulance Service. Married with an associates degree by then, he also worked full time at a lumberyard.

The RCPCS ambulance was a Cadillac. We couldnt care for anyone in the back. We couldnt sit up. To care for them, we had to flip the seat and crawl around, he said.

That Cadillac had a huge, heavy door. The wind would catch it and slam it into you as you were loading the patient. It looked like a hearse, he said.

Thats because 50 years ago, funeral homes supplied ambulances. Crews put patients on the carts that were used in the hearses.

First paramedic service

One day, in 1980, his mother called. The city of Grand Island was starting an ambulance service. Two weeks later, Badgley drove to Grand Island, passed an EMT competency test and got hired by the Grand Island Hall County Ambulance. It was only the third such service in the state that was separate from fire and police.

Also in 1980, Badgley enrolled in the first Nebraska paramedic class held outside of Omaha, offered through Central Community College. In 1982, he passed and joined the ranks of the National Registry of Paramedics in 1982. By June, he had his state license.

He and the other new paramedics were absorbed into the Grand Island Fire Department. As a fire department employee, he worked 24 hours on and 48 hours off. In between, he worked for a private ambulance service in Grand Island.

I worked part time to make extra money. We werent paid worth a darn, he said.

Move to Kearney

In August 1988, he left Grand Island to help launch a hospital-based ambulance service at what was then Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. In December 1987, the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department had voted to give up its ambulance service, and Badgley envisioned Good Sam filling the gap.

I loved Kearney. My family had been patients at Good Sam since the 1960s. My grandparents, my cousin and my nephew were born there, he said.

He rolled up his sleeves, but Good Sam was reluctant to get involved. Like many hospitals at the time, it believed patients were not their problem until they arrived at the door, and the new equipment seemed financially out of reach, Badgley said.

Badgley got busy. He talked to city council members individually and asked them to reconsider.

One day I got a call. They had worked out a deal with the city, he said. Good Sam leased two ambulances for $100 a year. On Aug. 1, 1988, the new service began.

Badgley became the first paramedic  and second employee  hired. The first employee was James Staab, an EMT who rode often with Badgley as he trained to become a paramedic.

Kevin was a great instructor. He was very intelligent. He was a really good paramedic, said Staab, now retired after 27 years.

Early Kearney years

In the early years, it was hard to explain to people what you did, Badgley said. We had to tell people, We dont drive ambulances. We do a lot more than that.

He chuckles at the memories of those early ambulances. Certified medical technicians had to carry a 50-pound defibrillator, but the batteries couldnt be replaced, and there was no electricity going to the ambulance, he said.

As an EMT, I could do basic things without asking permission, but paramedics were so new, he said.

Basically, paramedics have more education and training than EMTs, but as paramedics, we had to call in for everything. I couldnt defibrillate anyone or put in an IV without calling the ER physician. I had to call to get an order for a narcotic. Doctors didnt trust us to interpret the heart rhythm, he said.

Finally, after a year, busy doctors told the paramedics to go ahead with less direct supervision. Also, there were no emergency room physicians in the early years, so a patients doctor had to be called in when an ambulance arrived.

Cardiac arrest

Mindful of HIPPA laws, Badgley refrains from sharing too many stories, but he still remembers the day a man in his 40s collapsed in a hallway. It looked like a seizure. I told someone to call an ambulance, but I stayed with him and tried to find a pulse. He was breathing hard and deep. He turned purple. I did chest compressions, Badgley said.

When the ambulance arrived, I rode with him to the hospital doing chest compressions. They shocked him once and got him back. He walked out of the hospital a few weeks later, he said.

During the years, Badgley has been certified as an instructor for all kinds of medical training, including a FarMedic course, which hes taught since 1992. Coming from a farm background, and having lost family or friends to farm accidents, I particularly enjoyed teaching that class, he said.

One afternoon, while teaching a FarMedic class, I backed up to turn around, and a fence post ran into the gas tank of my pickup. I had fuel pouring out the bottom of my tank. Someone grabbed a trailer and hauled me and the pickup to the repair shop and put it back, he said.

He added, Thats part of volunteer spirit. Volunteers will get it done.

Leaving a legacy

Badgley has effuse praise for his wife LuAnn. She has been the rock. She tells me, I wasnt that important, but I tell her she was my sounding board at times when I was upset, had bad calls, bad management, vehicle breakdowns and God knows what else. She sat there when I would just scream, he said.

She raised our four kids. I was gone so much the kids finally quit asking when Id be back, he said.

Matt Walter, Good Sams EMS manager, noted that Badgley helped start hospital-based EMS in 1988 when many thought it couldnt be successful.

His experience, talents and calm demeanor continue to guide our program. During his career, Kevin not only provided lifesaving care, but also helped train and mentor the next generation of first responders. Many lives have been touched and made better because of Kevins unwavering dedication to emergency medicine, Walter said.

Badgley knows its time to retire.

Im an old man. I ask myself, Mentally, can I do this? Physically, will I be a detriment to patients and my partner? I want to be honest enough to say when I should quit I dont want to end up being thought of as a liability, he said.
Grand Islands temporary casino might open as early as this fall, says Fonner Park Chief Executive Officer Chris Kotulak.

I would expect a temporary casino facility to be in operation before the end of 2022 but probably not until closer to October, he said.

Its hard to predict which month the casino will open because there are many variables that are out of our control, Kotulak said.

Elite Casino Resorts of Iowa, Fonner Parks gaming operator, will build the temporary casino on the Fonner Park campus.

In the temporary facility, people will be able to play blackjack, roulette and craps, in addition to slot machines. It will also include a small restaurant and bar area.

It will look and feel like a casino, just a small one, Kotulak said. We dont want to shortchange our guests with an inferior environment or experience.

Nebraska voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing casinos at the states tracks in November 2020.

If Fonner isnt offering casino gaming a year from now, that means something dreadful has taken place, Kotulak said.

That means that the 70% of Nebraskans that voted for casino gaming did not get what they voted for, he said.

If a temporary casino isnt operating at Fonner Park in early 2023, it means that casino revenue hasnt arrived for horsemen and horse players whove been expecting it. And that would be disappointing for many people, Kotulak said.

Construction on the permanent casino facility wont begin until after this years Nebraska State Fair.

Having a casino will increase purses at Fonner Park because a percentage of the gross gaming revenue will be allocated toward purse money for horsemen.

The percentage is included in the agreement between Fonner and Elite Casino Resorts. Every racetrack makes their own deal with the casino operator, Kotulak said.

Im hopeful that in a year or two our purses will have doubled what they are today, Kotulak said.

More revenue will go toward horse racing when the permanent casino opens. Its expected to have more than 600 slot machines. The temporary structure will have close to 200.

The construction of the Grand Island Casino Resort at Fonner Park probably will have to work around two Nebraska State Fairs. It would be nice to have the permanent facility up and running in 2025, Kotulak said.

Baxter Construction of Des Moines, Iowa, will be the general contractor of both the temporary and permanent structures.

The temporary casino will be used for storage after the Grand Island Casino Resort at Fonner Park is built.

Fonner Park hopes to have its temporary casino in operation by the end of this year, and possibly before that.

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The murder charge over a "self-induced abortion" has been dropped against a 26-year-old Texas woman.

District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez announced Sunday that she is dropping the charges against Lizelle Herrera, just days after she was arrested in Starr County.

Ramirez was arrested Thursday and charged after "intentionally and knowingly causing the death of an individual by self-induced abortion," according to local officials.

Few details were ever made public, including whether Herrera got the abortion herself or arranged it for someone else. It's also unclear how far along the pregnancy was.

"Self-induced abortion" typically refers to any procedure outside of medical care, including pills, supplements or physical trauma.

Herrera was released on $500,000 bond Saturday with money raised by the Frontera Fund, a Rio Grande Valley abortion rights organization that also helped her find legal counsel.

"Policing pregnant people is WRONG regardless of pregnancy outcomes," the group said in a statement.

Herrera's attorney did not immediately return a request for comment from the Daily News Sunday.

Texas' abortion ban currently outlaws procedures after six weeks, but there are no criminal consequences, only civil; anyone can sue someone who "aids or abets" an abortion. Another law prohibits the supply of medical abortion pills after 49 days of pregnancy, punishable by a $10,000 fine and up to two years in prison, but again does not punish the pregnant woman.

"It is clear to me that the events leading up to this indictment have taken a toll on Ms. Herrera and her family," Ramirez said in a statement.

"To ignore this fact would be shortsighted. The issues surrounding this matter are clearly contentious, however based on Texas law and the facts presented, it is not a criminal matter."

Despite dropping the charges, Ramirez stressed that the Starr County Sheriff's Department was right to investigate the abortion after being tipped off by a local hospital.

"To ignore the incident would have been a dereliction of their duty," she said.

Ramirez will officially file a motion to have the charge dismissed Monday.

Herrera's arrest comes amid fears and expectations that the Supreme Court is preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade, reversing the federal right to an abortion established in 1973.



2022 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale has for the seventh consecutive year earned national recognition as a Tree Campus Higher Education program in honor of its commitment to effective forest management.

As the university celebrates this Arbor Day Foundation acknowledgment, it is continuing efforts to make SIU a greener, more sustainable campus by hosting a tree planting event on April 19, and everyone is welcome to participate.

All welcome at planting

The SIU tree planting in honor of Arbor Day will take place from 9-11 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. on April 19, rain or shine. Participants should meet in front of Parking Lot 11, located along South Illinois Avenue/U.S. 51, just south of the main entrance to campus, directly east and across Lincoln Drive from the Student Center. Organizers encourage participants to dress appropriately, with jeans and closed-toed shoes recommended.

For more information, or to volunteer, email sustainability@siu.edu. No pre-registration is required.

We are very excited that we get to have this event live and welcome everyone to participate this year after having to do things differently the last couple of years due to the pandemic, said Dave Tippy, superintendent of grounds. This event fits well with the Tree Campus program. We are always very impressed by the student initiative, interest and turnout we always have for this and other sustainability-related events. We also appreciate the campus and community interest and participation.

SIU in select company

Each year, just a few hundred institutions of higher learning across the country are chosen by the Arbor Day Foundation for the select honor, previously known as Tree Campus USA. This marks the 150th anniversary of Arbor Day (officially April 29 this year). Although final results for this year have yet to be announced, SIU was among fewer than 400 institutions honored last year.

To earn the designation, SIU had to meet five campus sustainability standards:

Establish a tree advisory committee.

Create a campus tree care plan.

Sustaining a campus tree program.

Host an annual Arbor Day observance.

Sponsor student service-learning projects.

Trees intrinsic to campus culture

SIU has more than 5,200 inventoried trees, encompassing over 150 different species, on the 1,200-acre main campus alone. In addition, there are thousands of additional non-inventoried trees in the wooded areas around Campus Lake, Thompson Woods and auxiliary properties including the Touch of Nature Environmental Center and the farms.

Hundreds of trees on campus are marked via a QR tree coding system, courtesy of the Tree Campus Advisory committee, Plant and Service Operations grounds department and the SIU Forestry Club. By simply scanning the code, you can learn to identify various trees and view photos of them along with numerous other details about their bark, fruit, leaves and more.

The SIU Arboretum also offers six self-guided tree identification tours, which you can view virtually or enjoy in person as walking tours. SIU is the first Illinois university to earn Level II Arboretum Accreditation from the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. It is also featured in the Morton Register of Arboreta.

Get a peek of SIUs beautiful and extensive variety of trees by viewing a Virtual Tree Tour or a 360 Degree Virtual Tree Tour.

Ongoing Commitment

The campus wide collaborative focus on to sustainability education, community outreach and environmental stewardship is ongoing, Tippy said.

In recent years, national studies have consistently shown that university students are very concerned about sustainability and the environment, and we take that very seriously at SIU, Tippy said. Our commitment to sound forestry practices not only creates a beautiful living laboratory for students, visitors and the local community, but it also has tangible environmental and economic benefits, including increased property values, energy savings, improved air quality and more.

Learn more about the SIU Arboretum Tree Campus initiative or by contacting Tippy at 618-453-8179 or dtippy@siu.edu or Elizabeth Cheek at 618-453-8185 or echeek@siu.edu.

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Vic Ritter, who served as mayor of the City of Herrin for more than a decade, died Saturday. He was 82.

Ritter, who was born in Du Quoin and graduated from Du Quoin High School, was mayor of Herrin 1999-2014. He stepped down from the post due to health reasons in November of that year. Ritter had said that resigning was one of the most difficult decisions he had ever made. He also had a 34 year career with the Illinois Department of Transportation. Prior to his service as mayor, Ritter was president of the Herrin Park Board and served as an alderman.

Murphysboro Mayor Will Stephens said he remembers Ritter as a civic leader who was passionate about Herrin.

When I was elected in 2013, he was in his final term, Stephens said. All of my interactions with him were always professional. I know he loved his community and his legacy will last well beyond his passing.

Current Herrin mayor Steve Frattini called Ritter a visionary.

"Always with a keen wit, Mayor Ritter was a man of faith, integrity and devotion to the citizens and employees of the City of Herrin. Throughout his many years of service to our community he never lost sight of the need to set a course for the future," Frattini said in a prepared statement.

Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Monday, April 18, 2022, at Meredith-Waddell Funeral Home in Herrin with visitation, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

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California Congressman Ro Khanna is participating in a Fireside Chat with Dr. Dwaun Warmack, president of Claflin University, on Tuesday, April 12, at 6 p.m. at Claflin University in Orangeburg.

In 2018, a delegation of elected officials -- including Khanna, Congressman Jim Clyburn, and a group of Silicon Valley venture capitalists -- traveled by bus to Claflin Universitys Ministers' Hall to learn how historically Black colleges (HBCUs) are preparing students to become the next generation of entrepreneurs and technology professionals.

The trip was part of the Comeback Cities Tour South, which visited cities throughout the region and HBCU campuses in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Khannas Claflin experience was the catalyst for a five-year partnership between Claflin and Zoom Video Communications Inc.

The partnership represents $1.2 million in educational and financial investments.

I saw Democratic Whip Jim Clyburns passion for this firsthand when he took me on a tour of his congressional district. Together we toured Claflin University," Khanna said. Im so proud to see Zoom announce a $1.2 million partnership over the next five years with Claflin. This is not just a one-time donation from Zoom; they will provide paid internships, scholarships, and real-world experience for students at Claflin. We need structural change and Zoom's partnership is the model of a substantive partnership that others should follow.

The 6 p.m. Tuesday event is open to the public and now will be held in Ministers Hall (on the campus of Claflin University).

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NOTE: This story has been corrected. We apologize for the error.

A Holly Hill man is accused of shooting a woman in her face last week, but in a different incident than previously reported.

Derian Jamar Clark, 26, of 130 Oriole Lane, is charged with attempted murder, discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

In the story Man accused of shooting woman in face, which appeared on page B6 of Tuesdays edition, The T&D incorrectly reported his charges stem from an incident in Holly Hill. He was not charged in that incident.

We apologize for the error.

Clarks charges actually arise from an April 7 shooting in the parking lot of Youngs gas station, located at 1041 Cannon Bridge Road.

The shooting was discovered at about 5 a.m. as an employee arrived at the store. She called 911 after noticing a woman bleeding in the drivers seat of an Accord. Clark was also at the scene, according to an Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office incident report.

Clark claims that he drove from his home in Holly Hill to speak with the woman regarding their children, the report said. They are the parents of a 1-year-old and an 8-month-old.

Once Clark got to the womans home, the woman got into her Accord and drove to Youngs, he said.

Clark followed her in his car.

He claims that while he and the woman were talking in the parking lot, he noticed she had a handgun.

Clark told deputies he attempted to take the gun from her and they got into a tussle, the report states.

Deputies allege that Clark said the handgun accidentally discharged and struck the woman in the neck area.

Orangeburg County EMS transported the woman to the Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Deputies reviewed surveillance footage at the Youngs.

The deputies claim the video shows the woman pulling into the parking lot and Clark driving up to the drivers side of her car.

The video allegedly shows the woman driving off and a muzzle blast coming from Clarks vehicle.

The report claims that Clark then ran from his car to the womans car.

The womans car slowly rolled in the parking lot until it struck a mailbox and came to a rest.

Clark allegedly ran back to his car, drove it around to the opposite side and returned to the womans car.

Warrants also allege Clark used a .40-caliber semi-automatic Glock 27 handgun in the incident.

They also claim that Clark, through video and audio recordings, admitted he was the shooter.

Orangeburg County Magistrate Stephanie McKune-Grant set Clarks bond at $50,000. She stipulated that he must wear electronic monitoring while he remains free on bond.

Clark posted bond on Monday afternoon.

If convicted, Clark faces up to 30 years in prison.

The Tuesday, April 5 shooting of a woman in Holly Hill is still under investigation, according to Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Richard Walker.

Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD

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In his recent rally in Florence, South Carolina, Donald Trump spoke in support of candidates he would like to see in office. That was the main purpose of his rally. But he said something else that received less attention but which was even more important  that if he were re-elected, he would introduce reforms so that the president would have the authority to fire everyone in the Executive Branch. In his words, he would make them all fireable.

While this may have popular appeal, it is actually quite dangerous; it would produce the most significant increase in presidential power in American history.

Trump claims that this expansion of power is a way for him to eliminate what he has termed the deep state, but whatever you think about that term, Trumps proposal would just make things worse. It is true that the president cannot fire anyone he wants to fire, except for those who are political appointees. This limitation on presidential power exists because of the Pendleton Act of 1883 (later strengthened by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978), which created the merit system of hiring members of the bureaucracy.

The merit system for the civil service (a better term than deep state) is good for the country, because it demands evidence of expertise for hiring and a verifiable cause for firing employees. This also means that the civil service can oppose any president who attempts to act outside of the law, since the rank-and-file employees are not beholden to the president. The merit system was created to eliminate what Trump has called the swamp. Back in the 1800s it was called the spoils system, when federal jobs were given as rewards to political loyalists, regardless of the level of their incompetence.

In the 1800s, the Executive Branch was very small, but it grew enormously under Franklin D. Roosevelt in the early 1900s and has continued to grow. It currently includes 15 departments, which I want to list here because seeing these helps one understand the breadth of governmental operations contained within them: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury and Veterans Affairs. There are other entities, such as the Federal Reserve, that are part of the Executive Branch, but whose employees are not at this point fireable by the president. Again, all of these have political appointees in key leadership positions (including Cabinet secretaries, who are fireable), but the merit system exists for most civil servant jobs.

The Constitution put a delicate system of limited government into place, including separation of powers and checks and balances. And while the Founders (especially Alexander Hamilton) talked of the importance of an energetic executive, they were unanimous about the principle that the president was not to be a king or tyrant. Ours was to be a republican (with a lowercase r) government. If a modern president can fire anyone in the Executive Branch at will, we will no longer have limited government.

Imagine what could change if this proposal were implemented. What used to be civil service jobs would be handed out like candy for presidential loyalists who would be eager to please the president with everything they did. This would mean that any president would be able to use the CIA and the FBI for political purposes, and anyone standing in the way could be fired immediately. Political opponents of the president could be harassed and jailed at will. The IRS could become a political tool used to intimidate or threaten anyone who disagreed with the president. And the Department of Justice could launch investigations into the presidents opponents and could be forbidden to investigate the president or anyone the president wanted to protect. This would be a nightmare.

I have no idea what is motivating Trump to make this proposal, but it would have deep and lasting implications for our future. It would create a much deeper swamp than the country has ever seen. And it would effectively create regime change in America. It would destroy the delicate balance established by the Constitution  a balance that can sometimes be frustrating but which is essential for keeping our nation from transforming from a republican, representative government to a regime of almost unlimited presidential power.

If this were to happen, there would be no need for another attempted insurrection in the United States; the country we know would have fallen  using T.S. Eliots expression  with a whimper rather than a bang.

Solomon D. Stevens is the author of Religion, Politics, and the Law (co-authored with Peter Schotten) and Challenges to Peace in the Middle East. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.

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Time will tell. Eerily, the Bible says, the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Perhaps now is not the time for President Joe Biden to ask Russia to oversee Irans development of nuclear grade uranium. Environmentalists dire warnings of extremely cold winters or extremely blistering summers pale in comparison with the very real possibilities of rogue nations carrying out pledges to wipe such-and-such nation(s) off the map with a nuclear blast.

From the mid-1400s B.C. to the second century A.D.  the book of Job notwithstanding  God inspired men to write his story for the world. So far, time has revealed the revelational truth of his word far beyond any other modern or historic prognostications, collectively or individually. Time has already revealed a lot.

A good friend used to quip that in his home he made all the big decisions. His wife made all the little decisions. While he dealt with peace in the Middle East as well as foreign and domestic policy issues in America, his wife handled decisions about buying cars and homes, choosing schools and activities for the children, involvement in community activities and a host of other little other things.

Big issues in America today include whether K-3rd grade teachers should counsel their students one-on-one about changing their biological gender without parents knowledge or permission. One Disney executive called such guidance of 5 to 8-year-old children "the right thing to do. This issue burst on the national scene after Florida passed legislation last week specifically prohibiting K-3rd grade teachers from such counseling. While other nations wrestle with foundational and historical human rights, Americans are fighting over 5-8 year old childrens rights to change their biological genders surgically and hormonally.

Politically woke folks have so changed the meanings of words today that debates about matters of substance, i.e. prepubescent sex changes, devolve into redefining such terms as boy and girl. And, monikers like Christian defy any singular definition. Nevertheless, Christians have watched woke left-wing extremists unblushingly move historical moral goalposts to the outermost regions of sexual abuse and perversity with the unabashed approval and support of Biden himself, who told the woke sex-changers last week, We have your back.

Unsurprisingly, human nature has not changed over the millennia. If anything, morality has continued its death spiral into entropy. How should Christians AKA believers live in light of such ungodly norms?

Believers need to remember continually that we live 24/7 in relationship with God, who has given us eternal life by his grace through faith in Jesus Christ. How is this relationship affected by threats of nuclear annihilation or smothering societal sexual sociopaths? Our relationship with God stands and withstands all attacks from the world and Satan. We live daily moment by moment protected by his power within us.

The Bible never tells believers how to change societys evils and perversities. The Bible tells believers how to live in Gods grace through faith during our brief time on earth. When everyone else is losing his head and blaming it on us, we can live continually in peace that surpasses all understanding. Time will tell.

Daniel L. Gardner is a syndicated columnist who lives in Starkville, Miss. You may contact him at PJandMe2@gmail.com.

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Wed love to believe that a bizarre incident at a Midlands school board meeting was an anomalous instance of a rogue chairwoman drunk with power and angry over a news report about out-of-control spending in her district.

Unfortunately, we suspect this was not quite as far outside the norm as we hope. And even if Cheryl Harris delusional claim that she could bar her fellow board members from criticizing her or the district was a first, the general idea it flows from is one thats widely adopted by school boards across South Carolina.

As The Post and Couriers Avery Wilks discovered, the S.C. School Boards Association recommends that these boards adopt a policy like Richland 1s that names the chair as the official board spokesperson and that says board members may refer the information seekers to the board chair or the superintendents designee. That doesnt gag anyone, but since thats something they obviously dont need permission to do, its hard to see such policies as anything other than an attempt to encourage board members to keep quiet.

Actually, the associations language is stronger, saying board members will refer inquiries to the board chair, which association Director Scott Price told us was aimed at routine information about board votes and such. He told Wilks further that it was designed to help school districts present a consistent message and encourage board members to rally around whatever decision a board makes, even if they voted against it.

We can understand the need to make sure correct information is distributed about, say, which policies were approved and by what vote. But the text of that policy has morphed in the minds of too many members of school boards and other governing bodies to mean they cant answer questions from the public or the media about their decisions because only the board chair to do so. Theres been a disturbing uptick lately in appointed and even elected officials using that idea as a dodge to avoid answering for controversial decisions and problems. More disturbingly, a growing number of board members seem to believe its true.

And while its counterproductive for board members to refuse to accept that they lost a vote and to keep bringing up the same issue over and over at board meetings, the idea that they should not express their concerns does a tremendous disservice to the voters, and potentially to the institution they govern.

The policy of school boards and other governing bodies  particularly elected bodies  should be just the opposite: to encourage board members to answer questions from the public and the media about what the board has done, what its contemplating and why. Its not only their right but their obligation to answer such questions.

As concerning as the current policy is, the Richland One board gave initial approval on March 22 to making the bad policy worse, by adding more model language that says board members who do speak publicly shall state that their comments are not stated on behalf of the school board but they are individual comments made by the board member.

You cant write a law that requires elected officials to explain what they did or why they did it  thats just as much a constitutional problem as trying to prohibit them from doing so. But governing bodies certainly can and should adopt policies that encourage rather than discourage members to be both proactive and responsive to public inquiries about their actions and their reasoning for taking those actions. And voters can and should make it clear that we expect that from our elected officials.

This abridged editorial is from The Post and Courier of Charleston via The Associated Press.

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Today

Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 64F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

A few clouds from time to time. Low 49F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 74F. Winds light and variable.
Nursing staff shortages persist in Wyoming. But there are a number of ways people are trying to turn that around.

Nationwide nursing shortages precede the pandemic. COVID-19 just made it a lot worse.

A June 2021 survey by the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living found that up to 94% of nursing homes and 81% of assisted-living communities had experienced staff shortages in the prior month.

One of the most frightening and immediate areas of shortage is occurring in WY long-term care and assisted living facilities with a lack of (Certified Nursing Assistants), said Lori Hart, Wyoming State Board of Nursing Executive Director.

Hart said she spoke to a nurse during the peak of COVID who was part of a two-person staff managing a 24/7 emergency room.

Most of us are understanding when Arbys has to close early because they dont have enough staff. What happens when a rural ER faces this issue? A long term care unit? she asked. In the light of public safety, nurses pushed past personal exhaustion and did what had to be done.

Some nurses, she said, turn to substance abuse to cope with the workload.

There are a number of ways to tackle nursing shortages.

Hart said joining the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Compact, which was created in 2020, could help. That would allow advanced practice registered nurses to hold one multistate license. They could use that license in any of the states that are part of the compact. Right now only three states have joined  Utah, North Dakota and Delaware. The compact wont be enacted until there are seven member states.

This is an important area to consider in the next few years to assure seamless transition between states (including telehealth), Hart said.

Wyoming already has experience with compacts. It joined the Nursing Licensure Compact in 2018. The idea is pretty much the same  now Wyoming nurses can have one license to practice in any compact state. To date, 39 states have joined.

Wyoming Hospital Association President Eric Boley said these compacts have been successful as all get out, particularly for bringing in more nurses during the pandemic.

Another obvious solution to address nursing shortages is upping nurse salaries. Monster.com lists a median salary of $15.41 an hour, so for a 40 hour week, that would come out to be over $30,000. Salary.com says they earn about $28,600 a year. Intuit estimates that the average annual salary for CNAs in Wyoming is about $27,500.

To compare, the average wage at Walmart is $16.40, which comes out to be about $34,000 a year.

Another part of the solution may be increasing salaries for nurse educators, who often earn less than practicing nurses in addition to requiring a masters degree.

Some states have passed legislation to retain and recruit nurse educators.

Washington, for example, passed a 2019 bill that appropriated $60.8 million toward increasing nurse educator and high-demand program faculty salaries at community and technical colleges. That was after the Washington Center for Nursing and the Council of Nursing Education in Washington State found low pay to be the primary reason nurse educators thought about leaving their positions, according to an article from the Washington State Nurses Association.

At the time, more than 800 qualified nursing school applicants were turned away each year because of faculty shortages.

Increasing salaries could help Wyoming tap into its pool of unemployed or under full-time nurses.

The Wyoming State Board of Nursing and Wyoming Workforce Services partnered during the pandemic to try and identify nurses who had worked less than 4 quarters in 2020. They made a list that could help facilities find nurses and CNAs who might not be working.

Nurses and CNAs both in WY and across the nation are experiencing extreme fatigue as well as frustration in their jobs, Hart said.

Perhaps an equally important question to consider is what can WY do to keep licensed nurses and certified CNAs providing care?

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In the early 1700s, A man waded into the water near what is now the town of Thermopolis, Wyoming. Spirits pulled him under.

Two hundred miles away, this man, known as Dappiish, the Fringe, came up for air at the thermal springs of Mammoth Terrace, a complex of travertine formations fed by thermal springs, from which the oldest water within Yellowstone National Park flows.

The Apsaalooke mans vision quest concluded with him coming out of the thermal waters known as Dappiish Iilapxe, Fringes Father.

When Apsaalooke are fasting, they are adopted by a spirit, and the area encompassing Thermopolis and Mammoth Terrace adopted him. Crow tradition paints his life as one filled with performing miracles, healing wounds and walking on water. The story of Dappiish is one of many that bind the Apsaalooke to the region that is now Yellowstone National Park, and his story is one preserved through oral histories.

Individual tribal members, they keep the connection going, said Crow Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Aaron Brien. Despite whatever policy the government put in place, weve never been completely out. We know of people, who dont talk about it too much because its a private thing, who have gone and fasted there.

People traversed the 2.2 million acres of what is now Yellowstone National Park well before President Ulysses S. Grant signed the act in 1872 designating the region at the headwaters of the Yellowstone River as a public park. The act came four years after the Treaty of Fort Laramie shrank the Crow Nations recognized territory from 38 million to 8 million acres, and less than two years after U.S. troops slaughtered 200 Blackfeet as they slept along the Marias River near present-day Shelby.

Park archaeologists are still uncovering evidence of the presence of the continents first people, which dates back to the end of the last Ice Age 12,000 years ago. The Park Service has recognized the Kiowa, Blackfeet, Cayuse, Coeur dAlene, Bannock, Nez Perce, Shoshone, Northern Cheyenne, and Umatilla as among those drawn to the area for its natural and spiritual splendor.

Each tribe has its own wealth of history, and in recent years the parks management has made strides in recognizing that John Colter and fur trappers were not the first to walk through the regions forests and canyons. Two Crow historians recently spoke with the Gazette about the Crow Nations relationship with the park after a century and a half.

The Apsaalooke have made Yellowstone National Park their abode since there have been people calling themselves Apsaalooke. Experts on the history of the Crow Nation debate on the origins of the Plains tribe, but evidence shows them having a consistent presence within the modern parks east side since at least the 1500s, according to Brien.

There are four bands of Crow. Theres the Mountain Crow, who occupied the mountainous areas along the Yellowstone River, which we actually call the Elk RiverThen there was the Beaver Dries Its Fur band, those were the bands who were in the area, said Emerson Bull Chief, a former Crow Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and current dean of academics for Little Big Horn College.

Like the more than a dozen tribes who populated the region, Crow came to the ancient quarry at Obsidian Cliff north of Beaver Lake. The black glass from the 98-foot cliff was carved and carried as far as the East and West Coasts, into Canada and as far south as Mexico, said Bull Chief, who holds a doctorate in American studies.

Theres also the wickiups youll find there, what we sometimes call warrior lodgesThere are some still standing in the park, and we as a Crow people have a name established to those wickiups, Bull Chief said.

With Indigenous people explicitly left out of the language creating the park, a large portion of which was established on land previously guaranteed to the Crow Nation, the U.S. government implemented another strategy to erase the Indigenous presence from the land and its history: marketing.

Coupled with the U.S. Army giving the park a more secure veneer in the wake of the ongoing Indian Wars, park officials proliferated apocryphal tales to explain the absence of Indians. With a campaign to purge the park of predators and Indians soon after its opening, the Gazette previously reported, the federal government ensured the park was unpopulated for arriving tourists.

Most of the time when they talk about the park, its about the government saying it was going to be designated as a park and preserved and what a great thing it was, which is a great thing, to preserve that area...There was narrative created that Native Americans were afraid of the area, Bull Chief said.

The federal government made it clear that they owned the land, he said, while Native Americans were ignored.

One publication from the National Park Service read that tribes did not live in the region out of fear of incurring the wrath of an evil spirit living in the geysers and hot springs. The nearly 2,000 archaeological sites within the park, according to the National Park Service, along with personal accounts passed down by oral tradition allay that fiction.

One story in particular as told by Bull Chief is driven by a narrative that loops in the Pryor Mountains with Yellowstone Lake.

There are the Thunderbirds whose nest is in the Pryor Mountains, and every year, the male and the female Thunderbird, they would only lay two eggs. And they hatched, and when the babies would start to fledge, their feathers would float down to Yellowstone Lake, and there was this creature called Long Otter that would come out when he saw the feathers, Bull Chief said.

Long Otter would send a mist up from the lake. Under the blanket of that mist, Long Otter would travel into the Pryor Mountains and eat the two fledgling Thunderbirds.

One day, there was a warrior, Packs Antelope, who was asleep. One of the Thunderbirds picked him up and carried him to the nest. He woke up, there were two fledglings asking him, Save us! Save us!

Packs Antelope, who earned his name by carrying the hide of an antelope, left the nest and waited for the mist.

He was hiding in the branches. And as Long Otter was coming to get in the nest, he opened his mouthand Packs Antelope shot one of his arrows, sacred arrows, into his neck, which caused Long Otter to open his mouth. And then he shot an arrow into his mouth and was able to kill him that way. Once he died, the mist lifted, he said.

Outreach on the part of parks management included the construction of a Crow-style teepee at the parks north entrance in Gardiner last year. Bull Chief, who also heads the 7 Bison Cultural Consulting, helped to oversee its construction.

Because of Park Service regulations, they didnt allow us to use stakes, so we used stones. Just like those before us, who never used stakes but used stones to build teepees. We actually created our own teepee ring, he said.

Aaron Brien, the current THPO for the Crow, makes annual visits to Yellowstone National Park with his children, watching the change in landscape from timber to arid along the highway and sharing with them the history of the region.

The Crows value success over antiquity. Our connection to a particular place isnt dependent on the fact that weve been historically associated with it, he told the Gazette.

One of those successes came from Briens grandfather, Max Big Man. The chief made headlines with his lecturing and storytelling throughout the 1920s and early 30s, touring the nation by rail with accounts of the Battle of Little Bighorn.

During his tour, according to National Archive records, Big Man had a chance to request, directly from the Secretary of the Interior, buffalo from the small herd contained in Yellowstone National Park. Although he requested 30, five buffalo made their way to his wifes allotment in Crow Agency.

We tribal members have been asked about how long Indians have been in the area thats now Yellowstone National Park, but its not important that we used to be in the area. What is important are the successes we found there, if that makes sense. If we found success in a particular place, we look at it favorably, Brien said.

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China's orbiting astronauts answer US students' questions

10:08, April 11, 2022 By LIU YINMENG in Los Angeles ( China Daily

Zoey Cardamone, a US student who asked China's astronauts aboard the Shenzhou XIII spacecraft a question, shares her insights on Saturday during an event in Washington, DC, that featured a Q&A session between US students and the astronauts. The event was hosted by the Chinese embassy in the United States. SHA HANTING/CHINA NEWS SERVICE

More than 300 students across the United States gained a glimpse on Saturday into the lives and work of Chinese astronauts.

Floating hundreds of kilometers above the Earth in an orbiting space station, the three astronauts, along with former NASA astronauts and aerospace experts on the ground, answered questions from US students.

There was a lot of curiosity about the Chinese space station and the astronauts' experiments in space, so the Chinese embassy decided to put together a Q&A session with Chinese astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu, said Qin Gang, China's ambassador to the US.

The students from 20 schools in 13 states sent the embassy their questions, which were then delivered to the three Chinese astronauts on the Tiangong space station. Their prerecorded responses to some of the questions were shared with students, parents and teachers, who joined the event in person at the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, or through the Zoom communications platform.

The students' questions covered a wide range of topics, from whether it's possible to grow the ancient life-form archaebacteria on the moon or Mars to how the taikonauts prepared themselves for the journey.

Skyla Winters, a student from Lone Peak Elementary School in Utah, wanted to know what happens if the astronauts run out of water in space.

"The water on the space station comes from the Earth. However, all the water we use is recycled," Ye said. He explained that the sweat, urine and water particles in their breath are all collected and recycled through the water circulation system on the space station.

Zoey Cardamone, a student from Yinghua Academy, a Chinese immersion public charter school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, asked what things the astronauts will want to take back home with them.

"I will bring back some meaningful personal items, such as my drawings and calligraphy that I did in space, as well as photos of my daughter and my toy calf," Wang said.

In response to what they do for fun outside of work, the Chinese astronauts said they exercise on a treadmill, sing karaoke and play musical instruments. They even watched the Beijing Winter Games to keep themselves entertained when they were not conducting experiments on the space station.

Ambassador Qin said people across the world share a common responsibility to protect the planet.

"You say you are American, we say we are Chinese, but we are all citizens of the Earth.  Let's join hands to protect our Mother Earth and to work for a better future of common prosperity for all mankind," he said.

Donald A. Thomas, an engineer and former NASA astronaut who completed four space shuttle missions in the 1990s, was a guest speaker at the event.

He recalled looking out the window of the space shuttle during his first flight and seeing Earth. That experience "changes your view of your place on planet Earth", he said.

Cities, states, countries, continents, languages and religions no longer matter as, "we are all earthlings here", Thomas said, adding that the embassy event helps to form new friendships and understanding, despite the difference between the cultures.

Students, parents and teachers participate in the event either in person or through teleconferencing. CHINA DAILY

Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, who appeared in a prerecorded video message, told attendees that the grounds for future space cooperation "are amazing".

"I look forward to humanity working together to form a self-sustaining civilization on Mars and other planets, which I think will be very important for the long-term prosperity and survival of life as we know it," he said.

At the end of the session, students were eager to share what they learned from the exchange.

"This has just been really inspiring seeing how the taikonauts responded to this experience but also our questions, and just seeing how interconnected the space exploration community is," said Myles Carley, who studies at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia.

Anasophia Abbas, a sixth-grader from Avenues: The World School in New York, said she wanted to be an engineer when she grows up. It's motivating to learn about the effort and collaboration needed to go into space, she said.

Shenzhou XIII, the Chinese manned spacecraft carrying the three taikonauts, was launched in October 2021. After a six-month mission in orbit, the Chinese astronauts are due to return to Earth in a week, according to the embassy.

To welcome the crew back to Earth, all participants at the event were invited to join in the recording of a video message in which they said "welcome home" in Chinese.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
There are no more visa appointments at the United States Embassy in Trinidad for 2022, so be
WITH the countrys murder toll standing at 190 yesterday, evidence abounds that the crime profile has risen significantly over the last 12 months.

At this time last year, that count was 119. We are once more in a zone in which the national social profile is coloured by fear and increasing despair.
One of the greatest things about a film festival is its ability to transport you to different places in space and time without you ever leaving the comfort of your theater seat.

One minute, youre traversing canyons by horse, on the hunt for your latest archaeological dig site. The next, you are in deep space, gingerly navigating your way through a treacherous minefield of your own making.

With more than 36 indoor and 13 outdoor screenings planned, and 130 films in all, this years Arizona International Film Festival is ready to send you to the edge of the cosmos and back with an eclectic selection of cinematic works. Several of the scheduled films were made right here in Arizona.

Here are 10 reasons why this years festival, taking place Wednesday, April 20-May 1, is worth your attention.

1. Longevity

There is a reason its called the Arizona International Film Festival and not the Tucson International Film Festival.

When Giulio Scalinger, director of the festival since its inception, and his board held the first film festival in 1990, at the newly renovated and reopened Temple of Music and Art, there was nothing, Scalinger said. There were a couple of smaller events, but we basically were the first festival in the state.

Today, the festival count in Arizona is like Starbucks, Scalinger said. There is one on every corner.

Yet the Arizona International Film Festival continues to thrive as one of the largest and most expansive film festivals in the city.

We get submissions from all over the world, Scalinger said. We thought there might be fewer submissions this year, but we had more than ever.

2. Canyon del Muerto

Festival organizers are kicking off this years screenings with a full-length feature, filmed about seven hours north of Tucson on the Navajo Nation.

Canyon del Muerto follows the career of Ann Axtell Morris, a pioneering female archeologist, who, along with her husband, Earl Halstead Morris, excavated several sites, including Canyon del Muerto, in what is now Canyon de Chelly National Monument, on the Navajo Nation in the 1930s.

Scenes from the film, directed by Colorado native Coerte Voorhees, were shot on location at Canyon de Chelly, a feat in a part of the country where permission to film commercially is rarely given.

Scalinger said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, who has a cameo in the film, will be attending the screening.

Canyon del Muerto begins at 7:30 p.m. on April 20 and tickets are $13.64 through foxtucson.com.

3. Your choice of venues

In addition to the Fox, 17 W. Congress St., the Arizona International Film Festival will be screening features and shorts all over town, including at Main Gate Plaza, 943 E. University Blvd.; The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway; and the Hotel Congress Plaza, 311 E. Congress.

See the immigration story through the eyes of young Mexicans, working their way from the strawberry fields of Oxnard, California, to better lives in Mariposas del Campo, at the Screening Room, 127 E. Congress, at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 30.

Watch a suspected madman play mind games with strangers atop Mount Lemmon in the psychological thriller, 8000 Ft Up, at the Mercado Annex, 267 S. Avenida del Convento, at 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 25.

Or check out a documentary on the quirky, transient community that makes up the town of Quartzsite, Arizona, during its peak season in the One Road to Quartzsite, screening at Cactus Carpool Cinema, 6201 S. Wilmot Road, at 8 p.m., Sunday, May 1.

Admission costs vary. Visit filmfestivalarizona.com for more information.

4. Mescal movie set tour

Take a break from watching movies to walk among the Old West buildings of cinemas past on a film festival bus tour of the Mescal Movie Set in Benson on Saturday, April 30.

Long known as the sister site to Old Tucson Studio, the Mescal Movie Set was home to more than 80 Westerns over the course of several decades, including the popular 90s titles, Tombstone and The Quick and the Dead.

The set was purchased in 2021 after falling into disrepair. Its new owners have since been utilizing a small army of volunteers to restore it to its former glory.

A bus will depart from Tucson at 8 a.m. and return at 1 p.m. Admission is $30 per person through tucne.ws/1k8j.

Scalinger said they plan to include more elements of film tourism at future festivals.

People like to go to places where things were shot, he said. Mescal is definitely one of those places, but a lot of films were made right here in Tucson.

5. Lots of shorts

If you are looking for a little variety in your film festival schedule, you can opt to attend one of its many movie short film screenings.

There is an animation shorts night at The Screening Room on April 22 and an experimental shorts program at the same theater on April 25.

Other shorts screenings include a night for Arizona shorts, global shorts and dramatic shorts, including the 19-minute film Hurricane, about a young girl abandoned by her mom and the friendship she develops with a mother who is grieving the loss of her son.

It is a delight watching shorts, Scalinger said. You are telling a story in 20 minutes. You have to be very creative.

6. Cine Sonora

Among the shorts sessions slated for this years festival is Cine Sonora, a celebration of short films from Sonora, Mexico, to be held at the Mercado Annex starting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 22.

Five films will be featured, including El Pozo, about a young girl who falls into an enchanted well in war-torn Mexico, and La Poeta del Ring, about a female boxer ready for the match of a lifetime in Las Vegas.

The shorts join full-length features and documentaries about Mexicans and Mexican-Americans living on both sides of the border, and one documentary, American Wall about the communities that reside along the wall that divides the two countries (screening at the Mercado Annex at 7:30 on Tuesday, April 26.)

Scalinger said the board plans to expand its partnership with festivals held in Mexico in the future, and hopes to make Spanish-language cinema a more expansive theme in 2023.

7. Zoom panels

The Arizona International Film Festival canceled all of its activities in 2020 and moved many of them online in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was very difficult, Scalinger said. When screening films, the numbers werent as high as we thought they could be. It just wasnt us.

What did work were the panels and discussions with filmmakers and cinema experts that were held over Zoom.

We had as many as 400 people logged in at times, Scalinger said. Our in-person panels at previous festivals were always much smaller. It was pretty exciting.

Its why the festival board decided to keep the Zoom format when holding panels in 2022.

Turn the app that you use to hold meetings with your coworkers into a tool for learning by attending festival panels ranging from Mexican cinema to Panavision camera equipment to British filmmakers.

Scalinger said the details were still being worked out as of press time, but that all Zoom panels would be listed on filmfestivalarizona.com and free to attend.

8. Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl

Among the films of local interest is the documentary about Derrick and Amy Ross, the husband-and-wife musical duo from Bisbee known as Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl, who died in 2013 under tragic circumstances.

Derrick and Amy were much loved in Bisbee and Tucson and played regularly at venues like Plush and Delectables on North Fourth Avenue.

We expect that will be our biggest film of the festival, beyond opening night, Scalinger said.

The film screens at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, at the Mercado Annex. Tickets are $10.

9. Filmmakers in attendance

Browse the schedule of films being screened this year at the film festival and youll notice a good number of them come with the line, filmmaker in attendance attached.

Scalinger estimates more than 60 directors will be flying to Tucson to attend this years event.

I have a filmmaker coming from South Korea, Scalinger said. His film is only 10 minutes long, but this is his first festival. He wants to be here.

Scalinger said the essence of any good festival, especially the Arizona International film festival, is having filmmakers on-site. Audience members get to ask questions about what theyve just seen and filmmakers get to network with one another.

They interact a lot, he said. It is amazing how many filmmakers who attend the festival end up working on projects together.

10. Last film festival before summer

With summer fast approaching and all of the other major Tucson-area film festivals over and done until the fall, this will be your last chance to experience such a wide range of cinematic works in such a short amount of time.

We tell people that this is a unique opportunity to see films from around the world, Scalinger said. I believe there is a film for each person at the festival. You just have to find it.

Photos: Moviemaking at Old Tucson Studios Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson Moviemaking at Old Tucson

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Former Arizona center Kyryl Natyazhko joined the Star's Justin Spears and explained why he's risking his life in Ukraine, what Americans can do to help the cause, his playing days at Arizona, and why "doing my little job to help the team" has motivated him to defend his home country.

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HOUSTON (AP)  Three people who have worked for the top elected official in Harris County were indicted on Monday after being accused by prosecutors of steering a nearly $11 million contract for COVID-19 vaccine outreach to a political consultant with ties to local Democratic officials.

Alex Triantaphyllis, Aaron Dunn and Wallis Nader were each indicted on one count of misuse of official information and one count of tampering with a record, according to court records.

Triantaphyllis is chief of staff for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, while Wallis Nader is a policy director and Aaron Dunn is a former senior adviser who recently left Hidalgos office. The county is the nation's third-most populous and home to Houston.

We look forward to the upcoming court proceedings, which will shine a light on the fact that there has been no wrongdoing here. These charges against my client are unsupported by a full and objective review of the facts and the voluminous evidence in this case. In his service to Harris County, Alex has made the people the top priority and worked to ensure that taxpayer resources are utilized as effectively and efficiently as possible," Marla Poirot, an attorney for Triantaphyllis, said in a statement.

Ashlee McFarlane, an attorney for Hidalgo, declined to comment until her legal team had a chance to review the indictments.

Aaron Dunn is innocent. He is an honest and dedicated public servant. He didnt commit any crime, and I am confident that he will be vindicated," said Derek Hollingsworth, Dunn's attorney.

It was not immediately known if Nader was represented by a lawyer.

The Harris County District Attorneys Office declined to comment.

Documents detailing the charges were not immediately available. But a search warrant made public last month alleged Triantaphyllis, Dunn and Nader provided non-public information about the vaccine outreach contract to Felicity Pereyra, the founder of Elevate Strategies, giving her an advantage that led to her winning the proposal in June 2021.

The search warrant, first reported by KTRK-TV, was part of a raid of several county offices in which investigators, including the Texas Rangers, seized computers, telephones and other items.

The contract, which was part of the countys efforts to improve vaccination rates, was canceled in September after criticism about how it was awarded and concerns over whether the firm that won it had sufficient staffing and resources to manage the outreach effort.

Hidalgo had requested that the contract be canceled, saying that while there was nothing improper, it had become too political.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  U.S. service members who are HIV-positive cannot be discharged or barred from becoming an officer solely because they're infected with the virus, a federal judge in Virginia ruled. Advocates say it's one of the strongest rulings in years for people living with HIV.

The cases involved two service members that the Air Force attempted to discharge, as well as Sgt. Nick Harrison of the D.C. Army National Guard, who was denied a position in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said in a written order dated April 6 that her ruling bars the military from taking those actions against the plaintiffs and any other asymptomatic HIV-positive service member with an undetectable viral load because they are classified as ineligible for worldwide deployment ... due to their HIV-positive status.

Peter Perkowski, an attorney for the plaintiffs, called it a landmark victory  probably the biggest ruling in favor of people living with HIV in the last 20 years."

The military was the last employer in the country that had a policy against people living with HIV. Every other employer  including first responders  is subject to rules that prohibit discrimination based on HIV status, he said.

The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to an emailed request seeking comment on the ruling or whether it intends to appeal.

The airmen, identified by pseudonyms in the 2018 lawsuit, argued that major advancements in treatment mean they can easily be given appropriate medical care and present no real risk of transmission to others.

In 2020, the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a preliminary injunction barring the discharge of the airmen. In its ruling, the three-judge panel said the militarys rationale for prohibiting deployment of HIV-positive service members was outmoded and at odds with current science. The appeals court ruling left the injunction in place while their lawsuit was being heard.

The Department of Justice argued before the 4th Circuit that the Air Force determined the two airmen could no longer perform their duties because their career fields required them to deploy frequently and because their condition prevented them from deploying to the U.S. Central Commands area of responsibility, where most airmen are expected to go. Central Command, which governs military operations in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia, prohibits personnel with HIV from deploying without a waiver.

The DOJ acknowledged that treatment lowers the risk of transmitting HIV, but said the risk is amplified on the battlefield where soldiers can often come into contact with blood.

An attorney for the airmen argued during a 2019 hearing that the odds of transmitting HIV in combat are infinitesimal and should not limit their deployment or lead to their discharge.

In its written ruling, the 4th Circuit panel said a ban on deployment may have been justified at a time when HIV treatment was less effective at managing the virus and reducing the risk of transmission.

But any understanding of HIV that could justify this ban is outmoded and at odds with current science. Such obsolete understandings cannot justify a ban, even under a deferential standard of review and even according appropriate deference to the militarys professional judgments, Judge James Wynn Jr. wrote in the unanimous 2020 ruling.

Brinkema said in this month's written order that she had temporarily sealed her ruling in the case to give both sides a chance to seek redactions within 14 days. The judge ordered the secretary of the Air Force to rescind the decision to discharge the two airmen and ordered the Army to rescind its decision denying Harrison's application to commission into JAG, and to reevaluate those decisions in light of her ruling.

Kara Ingelhart, senior attorney at Lambda Legal, one of the groups that brought the lawsuits, said in a news release that the ruling knocks down a barrier to preventing people living with AIDS from becoming officers, and "brings an end to the military's ongoing discrimination against the approximately 2,000 service members currently serving while living with HIV.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Tucson Electric Power: Tucson Electric Power is partnering with Tugo Bike Share to provide Free Ride Wednesdays during the month of April. Take a bike out at no cost, ride for as long as you wish that day, then return the bike to any station from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays all month long. The program has seen more than 80,000 trips and sold more than 11,000 passes, translating to more than 60,000 miles of pedal power. Those trips helped avoid approximately 38,000 pounds of carbon emissions from the transportation sector, the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Learn more about Free Ride Wednesdays at tugobikeshare.com/free-ride-wednesdays.

Hughes Federal Credit Union: Hughes Federal Credit Union donated a check for $8,590 to the Tucson Wildlife Center through $5 donations for each new Diana Madaras Little Prowler debit card issued to members in 2021. That brings the total donated to the center through the popular Madaras cards and benefit events to more than $15,000 since 2019.

Mac Ban Law Offices: The Tucson-based Mac Ban Law Offices has made a $50,000 donation to the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law in support of the colleges $6 million A New Day in Court initiative. The campaign, which launched last year, seeks to significantly reconstruct the two practice courtrooms inside the College of Law building and expand the colleges advocacy program offerings. This gift brings the total amount raised for A New Day in Court up to $2.25 million. For more information on the effort, visit law.arizona.edu/court.

Submit items about charitable donations by businesses or nonprofits to business@tucson.com.

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Students in the Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District in Rio Rico participated in the 2022 Sodexo Future Chefs Challenge, in which they took to the kitchen to cook up original recipes.

The local contest, which took place at Calabasas School on March 30, was part of Sodexos national initiative to get students thinking about healthy food choices, while encouraging them to take active roles in the kitchen.

Judges assessed the meals based on originality, taste, kid friendliness, the use of healthy ingredients and presentation.

The top winners in the Santa Cruz Valley School District were Sarah Miranda, a fifth grader at Mountain View Elementary, who who made her Crazy Cajun Pasta; Gema Hernandez, a third grader at Calabasas School, took second place with her Wazowski Nachos; and Emily Rodriguez, a fourth grader at San Cayetano School, who came in third with her Rataouille.

Third grader Victoria Guerrero of San Cayetano School was a runner-up with her Shrimp Sushi, as was third grader Janie West of Mountain View Elementary with her French Rataouille.

A+ schools

The Arizona Educational Foundation announced the names of 21 Arizona public schools that received the A+ School of Excellence Award earlier this year, five of which are in Pima County.

The local recipients of the award are Corona Foothills Middle School, Cottonwood Elementary and Ocotillo Ridge Elementary School in Vail School District; Elvira Elementary School in Sunnyside Unified School District; and Robert S. Richardson Elementary School in Flowing Wells Unified School District.

Schools are evaluated in the areas of student focus and support, school culture, active teaching and learning, curriculum, leadership, community and parent involvement, and assessment data.

Winning schools receive $500 and a banner designating them as an A+ School of Excellence, a title they get to keep for four years.

Contact reporter Genesis Lara at glara@tucson.com

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Arizonas Democratic Party has asked Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich to investigate redistricting decisions that give a political edge to three GOP state senators.

The Democratic Party eventually might seek to have the legislative maps redrawn.

The complaint about the Independent Redistricting Commissions decisions, by Arizona Democratic Party executive director Charlie Fisher, is expected to be delivered Monday, April 11.

It says the commission was on track to create legislative districts that would comply with the 2000 voter-approved initiative that created the five-member panel.

The draft map adopted in late October following those laws put incumbent Republican Sen. Wendy Rogers of Flagstaff into a heavily Democratic district. In that proposal, Republican Sine Kerr of Buckeye also wound up in a district with a Democratic edge. Early proposals put GOP Sen. Vince Leach, who lives in the southern Pinal County community of SaddleBrooke north of Tucson, into a district considered competitive, with Republicans having just a 4.2% edge.

But by the time the final maps were adopted, the two Republican commissioners, with the consent of Erika Neuberg, the nonpartisan chairwoman of the panel, altered the lines  sometimes by just a few blocks  to ensure all three senators found themselves in districts with large GOP margins.

Fisher contends the maneuvers were not by accident. He wants Brnovich to determine if they were illegal.

The Republican commissioners and Neuberg, questioned by reporters as these decisions were being made, denied any wrongdoing.

Democratic Party spokeswoman Morgan Dick said there is no interest in creating problems and redrawing lines so close to the 2022 election. Early ballots for the primary go out in mid-July. But she also said that if Brnovich confirms that laws were broken, the party may go to court to have the lines redrawn ahead of the 2024 election.

At the heart of this is the 2000 voter-approved constitutional amendment creating the commission.

Before that, the decennial process was left to lawmakers. That resulted in maps crafted by the majority party, allowing it to cement its hold on power for the coming decade.

That 2000 amendment set up the five-member commission of two Democrats, two Republicans and an independent and provided specific rules about how to craft maps. Those include protecting communities of interest, complying with federal voting rights laws and, to the extent it doesnt interfere with other goals, creating competitive districts.

And theres something else.

The places of residence of incumbents or candidates shall not be identified or considered, it reads. Fisher, in his complaint to Brnovich, said that means that commissioners are not supposed to tell staff to design maps using that information. And he said the record suggests otherwise.

One of the most notable last-minute changes between the draft and final maps involves Rogers who lives in a mobile home park on the south side of Route 66, just west of downtown Flagstaff.

A distinctly Republican edge

The original map had placed her into Legislative District 6 that includes much of Flagstaff but also stretches through the Navajo, Hopi, Havasupai, White River Apache and San Carlos Apache reservations. It also is a district that has a heavy Democratic edge.

But that was before David Mehl, a Republican member of the panel, asked that the lines be tweaked to put the mobile home park and a few blocks around it into LD 7. It runs through Snowflake and Payson into Apache Junction and as far south as Oracle and San Manuel.

It also is a safe Republican district.

Mehl initially declined to answer questions from reporters about the reason. When pushed, he sidestepped the issue, saying it was done to help Democrats boost Navajo voting strength in LD 6.

But Shereen Lerner, one of the Democrats on the panel, said that Mehl told her a different story.

He came over to me and he said, Id like to make a change for a friend of mine who asked me to make this change, Lerner said. She said she agreed but pursued the issue.

I said, Dont tell me if its for an incumbent, Lerner continued. And he said, Then, I wont tell you.

Different and more complex dynamics were at play in Leachs district.

Initial test maps of the area in northern Pima County had put the SaddleBrooke community where Leach lives in a district that includes Marana, Oro Valley and Casa Adobes. That would have been a politically competitive district.

But what emerged in the final map as LD 17 excluded Casa Adobes and instead extended the line to instead take in the Tanque Verde area and everything east of Camino Seco all the way to the edge of Vail. It also gave the district a distinctly Republican edge.

That change was promoted as being advanced by the Southern Arizona Leadership Council. And Ted Maxwell, the groups executive director, said at least part of the reason was to ensure there would be GOP lawmakers from Southern Arizona to promote issues in the Republican-controlled legislature.

As it turned out, the map with the proposed changes were not submitted by SALC.

Entitled to try to influence

Fisher said public records obtained by the Democratic Party show it came from a Republican political consultant who is in Leachs district. He also said there is evidence that shows that a letter that Mehl touted from Marana Mayor Ed Honea supporting the change actually was crafted by a Senate staffer at Leachs direction  and from taxpayer funded offices during business hours.

Leach said he has a legal opinion from legislative lawyers that say he is entitled to try to influence the redistricting process. But he said he cant answer the questions about what Senate staffers may have done.

Neuberg herself stated at one point she went along with the two GOP commissioners because she wanted to create what amounted to a safe Republican district for largely Democratic Pima County. She later recanted  partly.

I used a very poor word when we deliberated the first time, she said. But Neuberg argued there were legitimate reasons for drawing the lines the way the panel did  and excluding Democratic areas  even if it did give Republicans a political boost.

The third change was a bit more subtle.

Going into the final decisions, the unincorporated community of Liberty, outside of Buckeye, was slated to be in LD 23. That heavily Democratic district stretches from the far western suburbs of Phoenix west to parts of Yuma and south through the Tohono Oodham Nation, even including a few blocks of the Drexel Heights neighborhood of Tucson.

But the commission, at Mehls request, decided to move the approximately 600 residents there  including Kerr  instead into safe Republican LD 25. That runs from Buckeye through Sun Valley into areas on the east side of Yuma.

The issue of where the commission drew those lines is particularly important in legislative races, where candidates are required to reside in their districts. By contrast, congressional candidates need not live in the district they represent.

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In what would be an unprecedented move, the U.S. Interior Department is considering an action that would create a possible, immediate cutback in Colorado River water supplies to Arizona, California and Nevada: holding back nearly a half million acre-feet of water it had planned to release this year from Lake Powell to Lake Mead.

In a letter Friday to all seven Colorado River Basin states' top water officials, Assistant Interior Secretary Tanya Trujillo wrote that such a possible cutback would be aimed at keeping Powell from falling below the elevation at which electricity couldnt be generated at Glen Canyon Dam.

Trujillo warned of possible major risks to the dams operations and infrastructure if Powell falls below the minimum power pool level of 3,490 feet.

If that happened, it would raise concerns about the dams ability to deliver water to the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada, wrote Trujillo, Interiors assistant secretary of water and science.

In such circumstances, Glen Canyon Dam facilities face unprecedented reliability challenges, water users in the basin face increased uncertainty, downstream resources could be impacted, the Western electrical grid would experience uncertain risk and instability and water supplies to the West and Southwestern United States would be subject to increased operational uncertainty, Trujillo wrote.

Her letter asked water officials in the seven states to comment on a potential 480,000-acre-foot cut by April 22. The cut would be effective in water year 2022, which runs from October 2021 through September 2022.

Trujillo also warned that without a change in river flows, which would require a break in the recent arid conditions, it may not be possible to avoid operating Lake Powell below 3,490 feet.

This reality reinforces the need for the basin states, and all entities in the basin, to prioritize work to further conserve and reduce use of Colorado River water to stabilize the systems reservoirs, she wrote.

A midyear delivery cut of this scale would remove about 6.5% of the 7.48 million acre feet the lower basin was to receive this year from Powell.

But that cut would still further slash elevations at already depleted Lake Mead, triggering major concerns among water users about the certainty and reliability of future deliveries, said Kathryn Sorensen, a research fellow at Arizona State Universitys Kyl Center for Water Policy.

The letter points to how dire conditions are on the Colorado River and, I think, the big picture is that communities have a responsibility to make sure there is water at the tap. If they havent already put contingencies in place to be able to deliver alternative water supplies, we need to do it now, Sorenson said.

Certainty is really important to water planners, but in an increasingly volatile system that certainty is going to be hard to come by, she said.

Today, the river basin faces the 22nd year of what some scientists call this regions worst drought in 1,200 years.

The Lower Basin states, including Arizona, had already cut back more than 500,000 acre feet in deliveries this year, following a 2019 drought contingency plan. Thats the equivalent of enough water to serve 2 million households if they consume water at Tucsons rates.

Hardest hit was the Central Arizona Project, a 336-mile canal stretching from the river to Tucson, with cuts particularly smacking farmers in Pinal County northwest of Tucson.

But as reservoirs keep falling due to drought and climate change, Interiors Bureau of Reclamation was already considering releasing more water from upstream reservoirs in the Upper Basin states of Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, to prop up Powell. A plan for such releases is to be finished this spring.

But in March, Lake Powell for the first time dropped below 3,525 feet, the level acting as a buffer against the possibility of it falling to 3,490 feet at which the dams turbines could no longer operate. On Sunday, Powell stood at 3,522.9 feet, nearly 40 feet below its April 2021 elevation and more than 75 feet below that of two years ago.

The bureau has forecast a nearly 1 in 4 chance of Powell falling below 3,490 from 2023 through 2026.

Now, Interior officials are concerned that more actions are needed to reduce the risk of power generation being curtailed, Trujillo wrote. Below the 3,490 feet elevation, water releases to the Lower Basin would have to be delivered through outlet tubes, massive steel structures lying at the foot of the dam.

Glen Canyon Dam was not envisioned to operate solely through the outlet works for an extended period of time, and operating at this low lake level increases risks to water delivery and potential impacts to downstream resources and infrastructure, Trujillo wrote.

In addition, should Lake Powell decline further below 3,490 feet, we have confirmed that essential drinking water infrastructure supplying the City of Page, Arizona and the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation could not function, Trujillo said. Page, population about 7,530, adjoins Lake Powell.

Given our lack of actual operating experience in such circumstances, these issues raise profound concerns regarding prudent dam operations, facility reliability, public health and safety and the ability to conduct emergency operations, Trujillo wrote.

The bureau is committed to safely operating the dam and maintaining reliable reservoir releases, she said. But in todays low runoff conditions, we are approaching operating conditions for which we have only very limited actual operating experience  and which occurred nearly 60 years ago, Trujillo said.

in a statement, the Arizona Department of Water Resources said that ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke "is evaluating the actions contained in the letter. He recognizes that the increased operational uncertainties present serious risks with substantial potential impacts to the resources and stakeholders reliant upon the river and the infrastructure on the river."

The Southern Nevada Water Authority said in a statement that, "Conditions on the Colorado River are serious, and we are committed to working with the Bureau of Reclamation and our partners on the river in accordance with the operating guidelines to identify and develop responsive strategies as requested by April 22.

The statement referred to guidelines for operating the river's reservoirs, including Powell and Mead, that the seven states and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation approved back in 2007.

But if the regions arid conditions persist beyond this year, I think there will be immense pressure to find another solution beyond the cuts currently proposed, said Sarah Porter, the Kyl Centers director.

No one has adequately studied what happens if Glen Canyon Dam isnt producing power. I dont think weve adequately looked into the capacity of the grid to provide redundant power supply, Porter said.

As for Lake Mead, Porter noted that its important to realize that as the lake falls, its rate of decline accelerates due to the lakes inverse pyramid shape.

Photos: Glen Canyon Dam dedicated in 1966 after years of construction Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam, bridge, construction Glen Canyon Dam, bridge, construction Glen Canyon Dam, bridge, construction Glen Canyon Dam, bridge, construction Glen Canyon

Contact Tony Davis at 520-349-0350 or tdavis@tucson.com. Follow Davis on Twitter@tonydavis987.

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The oldest son of former President Donald Trump has met with the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. That's according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private session. The interview with Donald Trump Jr. took place Tuesday. He's one of nearly 1,000 witnesses interviewed by members of the House committee as they work to compile a record of the worst attack on the Capitol in more than two centuries. He's the second of Trumps children known to speak to the committee. His sister Ivanka Trump sat down with lawmakers for eight hours in early April.
Clyde Boyd Middle School eighth-grader Blake Wolfe is a firm believer that books can take readers all sorts of places.

And now hes experiencing it firsthand: Thanks to having read S.E. Hintons iconic young adult novel The Outsiders in December, Blake will be headed to the state Capitol soon to receive a first-place award in a statewide writing competition.

Blake placed first among seventh- and eighth-graders in the 2021-22 My Favorite Book competition through the Oklahoma Center for the Book and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.

As a first-place winner, he will receive $500 for himself and will get to select either his school or a public library to receive a $1,000 grant. Second-place honorees will receive $250, and third-place honorees will receive $100.

More than 595 students representing public, private and home schools participated in the competition for students in fourth through 12th grades. Students were required to write a letter to the author of a favorite book and explain how the book or one of the books characters impacted their life.

The winners will read their letters at an awards ceremony May 11 in the state Capitol Rotunda in Oklahoma City.

Clyde Boyd English teacher Pamela Freeman presented the contest to her students last fall as an extra-credit assignment with the added carrot that they might win a prize.

I like to encourage my students to write as often as they can, she said, adding that Blake is very dedicated. He loves to read, loves to write.

It certainly wasnt for the extra class points.

No, he doesnt need any extra credit, Freeman said. I think he just thought it would be fun. Im just so proud of him.

The My Favorite Book competition is designed to encourage young people to think critically about the books they read, said Connie Armstrong, director of the Center for the Book. The letter-writing exercise also emphasizes formal and important ways to communicate in a world filled with texting and social media posts.

Blake said he was attracted to the extra assignment because he had heard about The Outsiders movie and knew that it was based on a book.

And like all true book-lovers, he wanted to read the book.

But the assignment was about writing, and it was his letter to the Outsiders author that garnered him the first-place prize.

I just kind of wrote to her on why her book had a special impact on my life, Blake said. Her book just really touched me. Its really similar to a lot of the events that happened in my life.

He said he felt a kinship with many of the characters in the story, who experienced some bad times but didnt give up.

It helped me persevere through all the stuff that was going on in my life, said Blake, whose parents are divorced.

A lot of the stuff in the book just resonated with me, he said. I wasnt the only one who was going through an emotional struggle. Hearing that others had gotten through it kind of gave me a boost.

And hes not at all unhappy about the $500 prize, which Blake, 14, says he plans to put in savings to use toward buying a vehicle in a few years.

I have some money saved up, and Ill add it to that to buy a car, he said, although hes still debating on exactly what vehicle to get.

I might get a truck, he said. You can do a lot more with it. Im leaning toward a truck.

As for the $1,000 prize that he will get to give away, Blake is likely going to stay true to his school.

Im going to lean toward giving it to my school, he said. If it wasnt for our library, a lot of kids would be struggling.

Its hard to make a decision because I know there a lot of libraries that are in need.

He said he hopes the recipients will continue what theyre doing and use the money to make their library even better.

Blake is well-acquainted with his schools library, he said, adding that school can sometimes be really noisy and the library offers quiet places for him to keep up with his studies.

Im one of the kids that really, really cares about my grades, he said.

Blake was initially unaware that the award came with a trip to Oklahoma City for a ceremony and presentation at the Capitol, where he has never been.

His first concern upon learning that detail was, Will I have to miss school for that?

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When Angella Elwell first considered owning a restaurant, she imagined the job would be one of elegance and glamour.

And then, theres the reality of a roomful of dirty dishes.

A couple of Saturdays ago, I had a dishwasher not show up, Elwell said. So I spent that night working the wash pit, doing the dishes.

Thats something I had to learn very quickly, she said, laughing. A big part of this job is making sure the work that needs to be done gets done. Even if it means spending several hours washing dishes.

Elwell recounts this moment as she sits beneath a wall-filling mural of an Alpine scene, with the words Herzlich Willkommen (A Sincere Welcome) emblazoned on a banner at its base.

It is a sight that for years has greeted visitors to Margarets German Restaurant, which has been serving Tulsans authentic German cuisine for more than 30 years.

The restaurants namesake, Margaret Rzepczynski, announced in September that she was planning to retire and was looking for a new owner who would be willing to maintain the menu and traditions she had established.

The restaurant business has always been something of a gamble, subject to the whims of popular tastes, the vagaries of the job market, the fluctuations in the price and availability of essential products.

The COVID-19 pandemic, with its shutdowns, social distancing, supply chain crises and similar woes, has only exacerbated the risks of running any sort of restaurant, be it a five-star fine dining establishment or a food truck serving burgers and fries.

In the last two years, a number of Tulsa restaurants have been forced to shut their doors for good. However, many local restaurants have been able not simply to survive the pandemic but to expand their audience and their presence in the Tulsa food scene.

One reason for that success is that these restaurants have been able to adapt to the rapidly changing times brought on by the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But another, and perhaps more important reason, is that a lot of Tulsans want to enjoy what these restaurants are cooking up.

All in the pivot

Elwell had absolutely no experience in the restaurant world when she learned that Margarets German Restaurant was in search of an owner. She was living and working in Oklahoma City, overseeing properties in the citys Paseo District, an area known for its art galleries and acclaimed restaurants.

Im dating a man who lives in Tulsa, and he sent me the Tulsa World article about Margaret looking for someone to take over this place, Elwell said. Her story reminded me a lot of my grandmother, who was also from Poland.

She was a great cook and instilled in us grandchildren an appreciation of strong flavors, Elwell said. Shed pack our lunches for school, and while my fellow students were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I was having liverwurst and spicy mustard on rye. I loved that  and still do.

Rzepczynski put Elwell through several weeks of training to make certain she would duplicate the recipes that her clientele had grown to love, from the sausages and sauerkraut to the various schnitzel preparations and dishes such as kassler rippchen (smoked pork loin) and leberkaese (baked German bologna).

Margaret would rap my knuckles  figuratively speaking  if I added too much sage or not enough dill to a dish, Elwell said. But I came into this knowing that it was Margarets way or the highway.

And I had absolutely no problem with that, she said. One thing that appealed to me about taking this on was that I could tell the restaurant was on a solid foundation. Thats because Margaret understood at the start of the pandemic that she had to pivot from business as usual to doing what was necessary to keep the doors open, her staff employed and her customers happy.

The risk of taking over the restaurant was, in my mind, not as great as some people might think.

Frank Willis first took a risk when he set up his Alpha Grill food truck near the intersection of 31st Street and Sheridan Road in 2016 to serve what he terms Barbecue with a Twist, mixing Mexican, Cajun and Caribbean foods and flavors with traditional Oklahoma barbecue.

His food made such an impression that he opened a sit-down restaurant in Mall 31, at 5970 E. 31st St., in March 2020, just weeks after the city announced the first COVID-related shutdown.

Something like that happens, you just have to adapt, Willis said. We started doing a lot of online ordering, a lot of carryout, a lot of curbside delivery. We made use of two delivery companies, as well.

We were able to do pretty well during that time, he said. And thats what makes all this a little bittersweet, because a lot of people we know in the business werent able to adapt, and theyre not around anymore. I like to see everybody do well, you know?

The all this to which Willis refers is Alpha Grills newest location, at 6670 S. Lewis Ave. It occupies the space that in the past was Helen of Troy and then, briefly, Tandoori Guys Express.

I really wanted to have a standalone place, Willis said. We have our food truck out in front of Mall 31, to let people know where we are. And were always having people complain that they went to the food truck and it wasnt open. We tell them, Just turn around and come inside the mall; were inside.

But here, we have a sign outside, so anyone coming down Lewis is going to see us, he said.

Customer loyalty

Another long-lived Tulsa restaurant, Mondos Ristorante Italiano, recently reopened in new digs at 3534 S. Peoria Ave., about a block or so from its previous location.

Building a new restaurant in the midst of the pandemic shutdown might seem like a foolhardy venture, but Rob Aloisio said he had no doubts about success.

Strictly from a real estate perspective, it was the right thing to do, he said. The property values in the Brookside area are always going to be high. And as for the restaurant side of things, I was just as confident things would work.

A large part of that confidence was due to the customer loyalty that Mondos has built up over the years. The Aloisio family owned and operated Mondos from 1969 to 1997, when the family sold the restaurant. It didnt last long under those new owners, and in 2012, Rob Aloisio decided to reopen the family restaurant in Brooksides Center 1.

Not even a global pandemic could keep Mondos fans away from the restaurants signature clams with linguine, colossal ravioli, homemade sausage and meatballs, wood-fire pizzas, and other classic Italian-American dishes.

The pandemic really created a new business model, Aloisio said. One of the first things I did was order all the takeout containers and pizza boxes we could. We had the restaurant practically filled with those things. Our take-out business tripled during the shutdown, and it has remained strong even after we reopened.

Aloisio said the federal Paycheck Protection Program also helped the restaurant maintain its staff during the pandemic. We would divide that equally among our employees, because theyve been loyal to us and we want to take care of them. Im proud to say weve managed to keep 100% of our staff through all of this.

Just as important to Aloisio was the generosity of the restaurants regular customers.

We would see people tipping 50, 100% of their checks, he said. They knew these were rough times, and they wanted to help us take care of our staff. When everyone was talking about toilet paper shortages, we had one customer hand us a four-pack of toilet paper and a $100 bill. That kind of generosity, it just overwhelms you.

Tulsa World Scene: Revival of the Turnpike Troubadours

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Tom Gilbert Chief Photographer I joined the Tulsa World in 1988 after graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma. I lived in Saudi Arabia before graduating from Broken Arrow High School. I'm married to Karen Gilbert and have three grown children. Phone: 918-581-8349 Follow Tom Gilbert Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

This week's Beer of the Week is Cesare, a spelt Saison from Rapture Brewing.

Said brewmaster Mitch Hull, "I brewed this beer to be super traditional. It's 6% ABV. It is super dry and super carbonated. You can tell with that head on it. This is one of my favorite beers that we make. I'm pretty sure this is the first beer that I brewed as Rapture Brewing. So it's a really special beer to me, and this is our newest release of it. I feel like we nailed it this time. It tastes as good as ever. You can't really beat being on a farm, drinking a Saison."

The Saison style originated in Belgium and is a highly carbonated, lower-in alcohol beer that was brewed at farmhouses. It is a beer that farmhands could drink but not affect their work (too much). It is also called a Farmhouse Ale.

"So this beer was really brewed for being on the farm, and like our farmhands and the owners of the farm when they're working, this is just the beer for them," he said.

Cesare (pronounced CHES-sar-ay) is available at the Biergarten in Jenks and Ranch Acres and Midtown Liquors in Tulsa.

Rapture started at Prairie Creek Farms in Kellyville in 2019 as a one-barrel brewhouse. They focus on Saisons and small-batch stouts with IPAs and other unique beers.

"We started as just four buddies that just wanted to start a brewery," Hull said. "My buddies owned the farm. They were doing stuff like that with the animals and they were like, 'hey, you like to brew beer  would you want to start a brewery?' And I was like, 'yeah, let's do it.' And here we are. I've started going gray because of it, but that's OK.

Hull said Rapture is in the process of doing an expansion.

"We haven't done any big announcements yet, but an announcement is coming, so just stay tuned for that," Hull said. "We're really excited about it."

Rapture has a few other beers in the pipeline: a stout with coffee and coconut, and in the next few months, they will be canning a Pilsner in six-packs.

Rapture has a unique way of doing beer releases  during a family farm day at Prairie Creek Farms. It is a day that kids and adults can enjoy. Attendees can enjoy the fresh air (unless you are close to the chicken coops), watch kids play on hay bales and enjoy being on a farm.

They give tours of the farm on a wagon connected to a tractor. There are pigs hanging out in the mud, and a few piglets running around. You can't miss petting their pet goat, Porch, and their newest pet pig, Sandwich.

"It's just a really fun time for us to meet the people that buy our products and just get to hang out," Hull said.

Past Beers of the Week:

Tom Gilbert 918-581-8349 tom.gilbert@tulsaworld.com

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The city of Broken Arrow is seeking a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support the Ninth Street Corridor Safety Improvement Project to improve traffic flow from Kenosha (71st) to Albany (61st) streets.

The proposed project would widen Ninth Street, also known as Lynn Lane Road and 177th East Avenue, from five to seven lanes  three lanes in each direction with a center turn lane and a new westbound entrance ramp to the Broken Arrow Expressway, Oklahoma 51.

The requested grant is part of the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity  or RAISE  Transportation Discretionary Grants Program. The money, if approved, would be used to make improvements to the streets bridge and interchange reconfiguration with the Broken Arrow Expressway.

At its April 5 meeting, the City Council authorized Mayor Debra Wimpee to send a letter supporting the project to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., Wimpee said the council secured the support of the citys congressional delegation. U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., has already sent a letter to accompany the grant application. U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofes office has said his correspondence is on the way.

In addition to mitigating congestion and traffic accidents, the proposed project will increase overall safety by constructing an area of separation between vehicles and pedestrians, the city said in a news release.

We believe this is a critical infrastructure project for our community, and we enthusiastically support it, Wimpee said.

We believe the project will greatly improve pedestrian and vehicular traffic flow in the area, she said. This will allow lower-income residents better access to goods, services, recreational areas, and local places of employment.

The RAISE Grant, if awarded, would supplement existing local funds from the 2018 general obligation bond and possible state of Oklahoma funding.
Teacher, Support Employee of the Year honorees: On Thursday evening, officials with Broken Arrow Public Schools announced the districts Teacher of the Year and recipient of the Above and Beyond Award, which is presented to the districts support employee of the year.

A fourth-grade teacher at Rosewood Elementary School, Kelsee Arnold is Broken Arrow Public Schools 2022 Teacher of the Year. The third-generation teacher has been with the district for 10 years.

Derrick Younger is the 2022 Above and Beyond Award recipient. A security guard at Options Academy, Younger also organizes the sites graduation ceremonies and has started a music program at the alternative school.

Teacher of the Year, part two: Sperry Public Schools recently named Amy Wolf as its 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year.

Now the counselor at Sperry High School, Wolf taught high school English for 16 years, including Advanced Placement Composition and English literature.

In summer: Registration opens Monday for Tulsa Public Schools summer programming through the districts website, tulsaschools.org/summer

Job fair: Union Public Schools Career Connect program will host a job fair at the Union Multipurpose Activity Center on Thursday afternoon. Access will be limited to Union students from 2-4:30 p.m. and members of the public are welcome to attend the free event from 4:30-7 p.m.

COVID-19 by the numbers: Several local school districts published updated COVID-19 case counts by the close of business Friday.

Tulsa Public Schools reported no cases among its students and one among its employees.

Bartlesville Public Schools reported no cases among its students or staff and one high school student in quarantine due to close contact exposure.

Broken Arrow Public Schools reported two cases among its students and no cases among its employees.

Collinsville Public Schools had no reported cases among its staff and five among its students.

Jenks Public Schools reported five cases among its students and no cases among its employees. Campuses with at least one reported case include West Elementary School, Southeast Elementary School, Jenks Middle School and the Central Campus, which houses Jenks High School, the Freshman Academy and the districts alternative education program.

Owasso Public Schools reported two cases among its students and none among its employees. The district does not distinguish among sites in its public-facing reporting.

Skiatook Public Schools had no reported cases among its students and employees.

Bixby and Sand Springs did not publish case count updates by the close of business Friday.

Berryhill, Glenpool, Sapulpa and Union have stopped publishing regular case count updates.

School board calendar: The boards of education for Berryhill, Broken Arrow, Claremore, Collinsville, Glenpool, Jenks, Liberty, Mounds, Owasso, Sand Springs, Skiatook, Sperry and Union are all scheduled to meet Monday.

The board of education for Inola Public Schools is scheduled to meet Wednesday.

The board of education for Bixby Public Schools is scheduled to meet Thursday.

 Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton, Tulsa World

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A group of 91 war veterans will leave Tuesday for a daylong visit to Washington, D.C., marking the return of a special flight program from a two-year break for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coordinated by the nonprofit Oklahoma Warriors Honor Flight program, the group, with veterans from across northeastern Oklahoma, will fly out of Tulsa International Airport on Tuesday morning. The veterans will tour the nations various war memorials and other sites in the nations capital before returning to Tulsa that evening.

The program, which had been organizing two trips annually, last conducted a flight in October 2019, officials said.

We couldnt be more excited to get going again, said Lana Hurt, program director.

The program had a full group of veterans ready to go in April 2020, she said, but the onset of the pandemic forced the national Honor Flight network to shut down all flights.

Hurt said the ensuing two-year hiatus has served as a reminder of why its so critical to get as many (veterans) on these flights as we can.

Of veterans on the canceled 2020 flight, 20 have since either died or experienced a health decline that prevents them from participating now, she said.

You feel so bad, but it was circumstances out of our control, Hurt said. Everybody understood.

The total number of people going on Tuesdays trip is 189, which includes the veterans, someone to accompany each one, and a medical team.

The oldest participant is 98-year-old Lonnie DaVoult of Blanchard, one of six World War II veterans on the trip.

The group includes 24 Korean War and 61 Vietnam War-era veterans.

The next flight will be held in October, as the program resumes its schedule of two flights annually, Hurt said.

She said the waiting list is currently at 400 veterans and continues to grow.

Even if the list didnt grow anymore, it would take three years of twice-annual flights to accommodate everyone.

If we had the funding, wed love to do four flights a year, Hurt said.

Each flight costs up to $125,000.

They are chartered, and we provide hotel rooms for the veterans for the night before and all meals, Hurt said.

The news last week of a surprise gift will help going forward, she said.

An anonymous donor contributed $40,000, which will cover about a third of the cost of a future flight.

We were all in shock, Hurt said. Were not used to donations like that.

The community will have two opportunities to celebrate the current group of veterans.

A send-off program will be held Monday at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 777 W. Cherokee St. in Catoosa.

The public is invited to attend the free event, which starts at 6 p.m. Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell will speak.

The public is also encouraged to come to the airport Tuesday evening to welcome the group back from D.C.

The welcomes have become an important part of the total experience, Hurt said.

Its appreciated by everyone, but especially the Vietnam guys who didnt get welcomed back, she said.

The flight is due in between 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The Owasso High School Band will perform, with Patriot Guard riders on hand providing flags for welcomers to wave.

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OKLAHOMA CITY  Hundreds of people are expected to file for legislative, congressional and other offices this week at the state Capitol.

Filing starts at 8 a.m. Wednesday and ends at 5 p.m. Friday on the ground floor.

State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax expects just under 600 candidates to file.

Wednesday is always the busiest day for candidate filing, Ziriax said. It is best not to wait until the last minute on Friday, because if you do have issues with paperwork or a filing fee or anything like that that might disqualify you from making the ballot, you have time to get that fixed prior to the deadline.

Posts up for election include two U.S. Senate seats, five U.S. House seats, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state treasurer, state superintendent, state auditor and inspector, labor commissioner, insurance commissioner and corporation commissioner.

In addition, 24 state Senate seats and 101 state House seats are up for grabs.

Filing will also include district judges, associate district judges and district attorneys.

Appellate court judges file with the secretary of state and will be on the general election retention ballot.

Contests to candidate qualifications must be filed by 5 p.m. on the Tuesday following the end of the filing period.

Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, will be seeking his third term in the state House.

Races are hard, Waldron said. Races are challenging, but the voters deserve a choice. You cant be afraid of a little opposition.

He said knocking on doors and talking to voters is the best way to learn how to represent them.

Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow, will also seek another term.

I am excited about it, Ford said. At the same time, you are just kind of wondering about the unknown, if you will have an opponent or how many opponents you may have.

Sen. John Haste, R-Broken Arrow, said the filing process is not hard but that candidates need to make sure they have their paperwork done correctly.

In 2018, during a period when teachers were demonstrating, the state had a modern record of 794 candidates file, Ziriax said.

But going back to the early 2000s, typically the number of candidates who filed during the gubernatorial year is a little less than 600 in most cases, Ziriax said. My expectation for 2022  it will be closer to the historical average than the modern record we saw in 2018.

Candidate filing packets can be found on the Oklahoma State Election Board website. The packets include a check list.

Candidate qualifications and the filing fees are also on the website. The fees range from $2,000 for U.S. Senate to $500 for district attorney.

The primary election is June 28, and the primary runoff is Aug. 23. The general election is Nov. 8.

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The aviation market in Vietnam is recovering faster than expected, with local airlines racing to recruit new employees and offering better salaries to their current staff.

Ton Khanh, an Airbus A321 co-pilot of national carrier Vietnam Airlines, said he has been busy again as his flight schedule was restored by 60-70 percent.

Aside from domestic flights, I have been assigned more international flights, Khanh elaborated.

Even though the number of flight hours is still lower than before the pandemic, I am glad to be back in the sky and have a higher income.

He hoped that the aviation market would continue to thrive thanks to an increase in travel demand during the upcoming summer.

A pilot of Vietnam Airlines currently flies about 30 to 40 hours per month, and the number is expected to increase to 70 hours in the foreseeable future.

The salary of pilots and flight attendants of budget carrier Vietjet has also recovered by 90-100 percent.

Aside from raising salaries, local airlines have been expediting their recruitment drives.

Nguyen Huynh Sang, a resident of Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, said he had quit his office job and applied for a flight attendant position at Vietjet last month.

Sang has been hired and is now participating in a Vietjet training course.

According to Dang Ngoc Cuong, director of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, a total of six domestic carriers and 39 international airlines are operating at the airdrome.

A foreign airline resumes operations at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

Tan Son Nhat now serves more than 68,000 passengers, including 10,000 international travelers, on a daily basis, Cuong continued.

International flight frequency is gradually increasing, according to the allocation of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).

The international aviation market will recover very quickly, said Nguyen Phuoc Thang, a CAAV official.

More passengers have been recorded at Tan Son Nhats international terminal after such foreign airlines as Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Asiana Airlines heightened their flight frequency from April, Thang stated.

Vu Thi Thanh Huong, head of Qatar Airways representative office in Vietnam and Cambodia, said that the airline will raise the frequency of the Ho Chi Minh City - Doha route to five flights a week from April 12.

South Koreas Asiana Airlines has hiked the number of flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc to seven per week.

A spokesperson of Emirates said it has planned to boost the operation of commercial flights to and from Vietnam.

The Saigon Ground Service Service JSC (SAGS) believed that the aviation market has more room to grow this year after the pandemic was put under control, and countries applied more open immigration policies.

However, there are still some challenges brought about by rising gasoline prices and Chinas zero-COVID policy, the firm added.

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Hundreds of thousands of people congregated at the Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam to offer incense for the Hung Kings Commemoration Day on Sunday.

A large number of visitors arrived at the historical relic site very early in the morning.

After leaders of the Party, state, and Phu Tho Province finished their incense offering ceremony at around 8:00 am, residents were allowed to go to the temple.

Due to the large crowd, police officers had to use loudspeakers to constantly remind people not to jostle or push others.

The number of visitors to the Hung Kings Temple increased drastically on Sunday, according to Le Truong Giang, director of the relic site.

Visitors wait their turn to offer incense at the Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam, April 10, 2022. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

The Phu Tho Department of Public Security mobilized all of its officers and coordinated with local youth union members and military officers to ensure security and order at the temple, Giang continued.

Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to pay homage to the Hung Kings at the site on Sunday, he added.

People climb the stairs to the Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam, April 10, 2022. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

Hung Kings is the title given to the ancient Vietnamese rulers of the Hong Bang period (2879-258 BC).

The Hung Kings Commemoration Day takes place on the 10th day of the third lunar month, which fell on April 10 this year.

A sea of people at the Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam, April 10, 2022. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

An officer helps a young girl on her way to the Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam, April 10, 2022. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

A sea of people at the Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam, April 10, 2022. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

Congestion at the main gate of the Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam, April 10, 2022. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

A man carries his child to the Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam, April 10, 2022. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

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A 33-year-old Vietnamese police lieutenant saved four young people from drowning at a beach in southern Vietnam on Sunday morning.

My rescue operations took place quite quickly, only about 10 minutes," Lieutenant Thai Ngo Hieu, from a fire and rescue team of the Department of Public Security in southern Dong Nai Province, said of his life-saving actions.

"If it had taken longer, they might have all died.

Hieu, 33, also expressed his deep disappointment and regret for not being able to save the one fatality in the group.

All the survivors are young, with the oldest born in 1999.

The incident took place at 9:00 am on Sunday off the Phuoc Tinh beach in Long Dien District, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

At that time, Hieu was bathing on the beach with his family when he heard shouts for help from a group of young people 30 meters away.

Seeing that many of them were going to drown, Hieu immediately swam to them and in his first effort, he pushed three of them to the shore.

He then moved back to the sea to save one more victim.

At the same time, two other swimmers rescued two more members of that group, Hieu narrated.

Hieu immediately performed CPR on the victims to revive them.

Lieutenant Thai Ngo Hieu, from the fire and rescue team of the Department of Public Security in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: H.T. / Tuoi Tre

Right after that, Hieu heard that there was still one more victim at sea so he joined a local rescue team in another life-saving effort but the person did not survive.

As a rescue and salvage officer, Hieu said he had been well trained in this field and has dealt with hundreds of rescue cases, including one in which the victim was saved from a well at a 40-meter depth.

After a video clip of Hieu saving four lives was spread rapidly on social networks, thousands of netizens gave numerous comments in which they expressed their high appreciation and admiration for the mans brave actions.

They also extended deep condolences to the family of the drowning victim.

Some people called Hieu a 'hero' and said he should be honored with a certificate of merit for his noble, altruistic deed.

Meanwhile, Hieu considered his endeavors 'very common' as they were part of his job as well as his daily duty.

Anyone would take action to help others in distress, the lieutenant added.

As far as Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper knows, Hieu has taken part in many successful rescue operations and has been commended by the Fire Prevention and Fighting and Rescue Police Department, under the Ministry of Public Security, as a bright example for others to follow.

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Former Nightly News 7 Tasmania presenter Jo Palmer has been appointed minister for women, primary industries and water, as well as disability services in Tasmania.

Palmer was elected to the states upper house in 2020, after 18 years as news anchor for Seven.

We have selected a cabinet that reflects, experience, skill, commitment, passion and drive to make Tasmania a better place, newly-installed Premier Jeremy Rockliff said.

The reshuffle was forced by former premier Peter Gutweins shock decision to quit politics last Monday after two years in the top job.

Ms Palmers appointment comes after two ministerial reshuffles in February following the resignation of former education minister Sarah Courtney and upper house member Jane Howletts decision to leave cabinet.

Palmers media career commenced as the host of Tasmanias first lifestyle program, The Good Life in Tasmania which first aired on Southern Cross Television, following her reign as Miss Australia.

Source: The West
Warning: Be sure you have seen S4 E8 before reading this post.

Writer Laura Neal recently told Metro.co.uk: I hope fans will be really excited by the ending. Its Killing Eve so there will be blood, but I hope the fans will find it glorious and triumphant.

That was the kind of feeling we wanted people to come away with when we were talking about the final episode.

But that wasnt what some fans got from the final episode, when a final romance between Eve and Villanelle was cruelly extinguished at the hands of Carolyn in London. Many fans were calling it Bury Your Gays a TV Trope in which LGBTQI characters are deemed more expendable than their heterosexual counterparts.

She also told Salon the team discussed many possible endings for the pair.

I think the reason we went with this one is because it just felt like the most truthful end to both of these characters stories. Especially with Villanelle, she said.

This is a character who has doled out so much violence herself in her life, and so much pain and destruction.

She is steeped in killing. It felt appropriate that her end would be bloody in some way.

Neal added, We liked the idea of her finally achieving something that she wanted to achieve, which is an act of goodness.

She pushes Eve off of the boat and she saves Eve in that moment.

She does this selfless thing that I think she talks about wanting to do in Episodes 1 and 2. [But] she can never quite find the right way to do it.

So, even though her ending in some ways is tragic, I also think in some ways its triumphant. Because she proves to herself and to Eve  and to the audience almost  that she can change.

Many fans took to social media to vent.

the way it took 2 minutes, a hundred and twenty seconds, for the killing eve writers to ruin everything theyve built up for 4 years  g | ke spoilers (@shivdeckers) April 10, 2022

Killing eve ended here for me pic.twitter.com/IJ81FNPGvu  Killing Eve Incorrect Quotes (@EveIncorrect) April 10, 2022

killing eve was one of the only show that broke most wlw stereotypes in media until the stupid tragic ending  nur (@villanellefilms) April 10, 2022

thoughts about the killing eve finale: the most heartless finale ever. villanelles death was a disrespect to the creator of the character and to the fans. how cruel do you have to be to give this queer character hope only to end it all in the most unnecessary death scene?  k is mourning (@myvillaneve) April 10, 2022

killing eve has overthrown game of thrones for having the worst ending of any show ever made in the history of television  alex | killing eve spoilers (@sithoksana) April 10, 2022

And heres what some press had to say:

Digital Spy:

Now, the issue isnt that someone important died. The stakes have always been high on Killing Eve, and you could argue that it would be unrealistic if both characters emerged from all this unscathed. No, the problem is that given this shows queasy history with LGBTQ+ representation, immortalised by the many queer-baiting think pieces that have been written about Killing Eve since day one, youd think the writers would try to avoid the biggest, perhaps most problematic queer trope of all. Yes, we are of course referring to Bury Your Gays, the fun old notion that LGBTQ+ characters are more likely to be killed off than their straight counterparts just because. Well, not just because. Its actually because of deep-rooted bigotry across our whole society, but you get the drift. And so, more queer deaths also means that queer romances are far more likely to end in tragedy too.

Variety:

The whole thing is so abrupt, so hackneyed, so amazingly unoriginal that for one hopeful minute, I was sure it had to be a trick. But no: Killing Eve really ends with Villanelle drifting away into the Thames, Jack in Titanic style, as Eve screams into the night. When the shows signature block lettering slams THE END onto the screen, its so jarring that it feels like a slap in the face. If I were to give the show the benefit of the doubt, Id say that it made such a cliche choice on purpose. Like Carolyn, maybe Season 4 showrunner Laura Neal (who wrote the series finale) wanted to surprise people by not surprising people. Pulling off such a move, however, requires some serious finesse that this blunt force trauma of an ending just doesnt have. Anyone whos seen a single spy thriller could have called this twist from a mile away. Hell, anyone whos gotten invested in a TV love story between two queer women shouldve been steeling themselves for tragedy the second Eve and Villanelle finally found some semblance of happiness. Granted, this particular couple was made up of a rogue assassin and spy who flirted with death even more than each other. This ending working wouldnt necessarily have come down to both of them making it out alive. But if one or both of them were going to end the series dead, Eve stepping back from an embrace only to see Villanelle blinking through a gunshot wound is as boring a death scene as it gets. (See also: Buffy the Vampire Slayer infamously killing off Tara in much the same way over 20 years ago.) For as much as the swelling music and harrowing shots of Villanelles corpse floating away tried to underline the drama of the moment, it was way too predictable to be at all effective. This absolute most basic way to end an otherwise complex story just made everything that came before it seem like an enormous tease.

San Francisco Chronicle:

This 11th hour, or more literally, 32nd hour (four seasons of eight episodes) development spared the BBC America spy thriller from the hall of shame reserved for shows that pander to queer audiences. Those of us who had waited since 2018 for former MI5 agent Eve (Sandra Oh) and assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) to acknowledge their feelings at the same time, in the same place, were rewarded with about 20 minutes of them having fun and showing physical affection. The shows characteristically violent (but uncharacteristically badly staged) final scene then dashed all hopes of the romance ever growing further in a Killing Eve movie or reboot  or even as a flash forward in the planned prequel series focused on Fiona Shaws Carolyn Martens. Or maybe not all hopes, if the writers revive a biblical storyline introduced early in season four. Was it better to see Eve and Villanelle show their love only briefly than to never have seen it at all? Absolutely. But the ridiculous delay of this crucial plot point until the series finale highlights the creative timidity of the past two seasons. It tarnished the legacy of Killing Eve, a onetime critical and awards darling (Oh won a Golden Globe and Comer an Emmy in 2019).

The episode is available on iview and screens Sunday night on ABC.
EXCLUSIVE:

Changes are coming to the Hillsong Channel on Foxtel, following Pastor Brian Houston recently resigning as head of the Church.

On April 28, the Trinity Broadcasting Network will rebrand Hillsong Channel #183 to TBN Inspire.

Hillsong content on the channel will be replaced with other Christian content.

The new content will include:

TBNs daily 1-hour flagship program Praise and a daily 30 womens program entitled Better Together.

Non-pulpit teaching programs from Joel Osteen, Joseph Prince, Levi Lusko and Robert Morris.

Documentary programs Adventures with God and A Call to All.

Music-based programs with Elevation Worship, Big Daddy Weave, David and Nicole Binion, and Main Stage, as well as Gospel Worship Experience.

Foxtel advises these changes reflect the rebranding Trinity Broadcasting Network has recently completed in the United States and is now undertaking progressively in other countries.

Last month Network 10 also discontinued Hillsong TV.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky discussed Russian aggression and enhancing energy cooperation with Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Stre.

"Held talks with Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Stre. Informed of the course of resistance to aggression, Russia's horrific war crimes. We agreed that all guilty must be punished. Enhancing cooperation, including in energy sector, is on the agenda. Appreciate Norway's support! We must restore peace in Ukraine," Zelensky said on Twitter.
Since the initial implementation of the Smartroad Gotland wireless charging project in November 2019, Electreon has successfully demonstrated the operation of Electric Road Systems at scale utilizing a 40-ton e-truck and a commercial passenger e-bus.

BEIT YANAI, Israel, April 11, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Electreon (TASE: ELWS.TA), the leading provider of wireless and in-road wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging technology, today announced the one year extension of the Smartroad Gotland pilot project in Sweden. The 2 million ($2.17 million) budget for the extension is funded by the Swedish Transport Administration and includes an upgrade of 400 m of the existing installation. Electreon will also extend the run of the electric airport shuttle busthe shuttle will continue to undergo testing and simultaneously be available for commercial rides, and will open to the public in the summer of 2022. Government stakeholders, commercial fleet operators, and businesses interested in the technology are welcome to visit the project site and learn more about the project.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220411005166/en/

Electreon has successfully demonstrated the operation of Electric Road Systems at scale utilizing a 40-ton e-truck and a commercial passenger e-bus. (Photo: Business Wire)

"The team at Smartroad Gotland is excited for the one year extension of this project and for the opportunity to demonstrate the continued endurance of our wireless charging technology in Swedish weather," said Hakan Sundelin, director of the Nordic Region at Electreon and project manager for Smartroad Gotland. "The planned large scale electric road pilot in Sweden, in addition to the French governments decision to fund pilots for wireless charging roads, shows high demand for Electreons technology in Europe.''

Jan Pettersson, program manager of electrification, Swedish Transport Administration said, "We are very positive about the opportunity to test higher wireless charging performance, as well as road durability. Now that the corona restrictions have eased, we are also looking forward to spreading the knowledge from the project more widely."

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As part of the project extension, Electreon will increase the capacity of its receivers to transfer energy to approximately 30 kW and examine a new generation of its technology. This will demonstrate how the wireless charging infrastructure can be upgraded to meet evolving needs over time. Electreon will also deploy its software capabilities, such as its billing feature, which enables the Company to invoice vehicle subscribers using the Electric Road System.

After the upgrade is complete, the long-haul e-truck and commercial passenger e-bus, that have now been utilizing the wireless charging infrastructure for one year as part of this project, will undergo continued testing. The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) will perform third-party endurance and stress tests to verify that Electreons technology and charging coils are unaffected by road construction and heavy-duty truck use. Electreons wireless charging technology is designed to be future proof, and this project will continue to prove that Electreon offers long-term performance with minimal maintenance. Additional third-party endurance tests of Electreons wireless charging technology are currently being performed as part of the BASt project in Germany and the Arena of the Future project in Italy.

To date, Electreons patented technology has been integrated with a wide range of vehicles, as part of its ongoing collaborations with auto manufacturers including Renault, Stellantis, Iveco, and Volkswagen. In February 2022, Electreon announced it was awarded a Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) contract for the first public Electric Road System for wireless EV charging in the U.S. In November 2021, Electreons wireless charging technology was named one of TIMEs 100 Best Inventions of 2021.

About Electreon

Electreon is the leading provider of wireless charging solutions for electric vehicles (EVs), providing end-to-end charging infrastructure and services to meet the needs and efficiency demands of shared, public and commercial fleet operators and consumers. The companys proprietary inductive technology dynamically (while in motion) and statically (while stopped) charges EVs quickly and safely, eliminating range anxiety, lowering total costs of EV ownership, and reducing battery capacity needsmaking it one of the most environmentally sustainable, scalable, and compelling charging solutions available today. Electreon works with cities and fleet operators on a charging as a service (CaaS) platform that enables cost-effective electrification of public, commercial, and autonomous fleets for smooth and continuous operation. For more information, visit electreon.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220411005166/en/

Contacts

Media

Janine Ward

On behalf of Electreon

electreon@antennagroup.com

313-536-7806
BANGKOK, Thailand, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Forty-three MICE entrepreneurs from 15 markets, who visited Thailand as part of Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)'s first familiarisation trip after a two-year pause, expressed their confidence in Thailand and the seven-day trip produced 57 leads with a business value estimated at 1,900 million baht.

Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)s familiarisation trip

Mr. Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of TCEB, said the 2022 Thailand MICE Familiarisation Trip was a clear reflection of Thailand's readiness to host face-to-face international business events again following the success in pandemic control and the increased normalisation of international travel.

The trip participants were MICE agents, event planners, meeting planners, corporate buyers and professional conference organisers (PCOs) from 15 markets  Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, the UK, and the USA.

"We are expecting a strong rebound in Thailand's meeting and incentive sectors in the short term, followed by a broader-based recovery in the medium term. This is mainly because of our preparedness and readiness developed during the pandemic. Our MICE community has moved forward to providing better products and services and, of course, hygiene standard. We believe visitors to Thailand this year will find the experience extraordinarily rewarding."

This familiarisation trip also demonstrated how Thailand can now help organisers meet their sustainability requirements. All activities during the trip were conducted with sustainable event management in mind. The total reduction of CO 2 emissions for the trip amounted to 6,603.19 kgCO 2 e, which is equivalent to planting 400 trees. Selected materials from the farewell party such as fabric for stage performance and backdrop decoration have also been retained for reuse.

Throughout the trip, TCEB was able to schedule meetings between participants and Thai suppliers. The meetings with international convention centres and hotels generated six leads, which are worth an estimated 919 million baht of revenue and comprise 14,600 travellers. The meeting and incentive segment generated 51 leads, with an estimated 15,580 travellers and 981 million of revenue. The sum total of potential revenue is 1,900 million baht.

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At the conclusion of the trip, participants cited Thailand's client-centric service culture, variety of choice, and sumptuous food as Thailand's strongest draws for international MICE.

Mr. Werner Van Cleemputte, Owner of MediCongress  a Belgium-based professional conference organiser (PCO), said: "Over the last four days of the familiarisation trip, we have been impressed by how much Bangkok has evolved. We saw the standard for an international conference. I would say Thailand is unique in how flexible the people you work with are and the technology that is available now. We know hybrid meetings are common nowadays but the spirit that you have here in Thailand makes everybody want to come to a real conference and meet one another in person again."

Meanwhile, Ms. Alexandra Goodsell, Head of Customer Success, Power2Motivate  an Australian event planner, said: "Joining this fam trip definitely tells me that Thailand is so much more than just for incentives. No wonder Thailand is among the most distinctive options for MICE, because there is a good variety of products that respond to many types of MICE travellers. Hotel quality and the food standard have been raised. There are a lot more hotel products and MICE venues available now. The leisure destinations are really good options for MICE travellers, especially for a younger demographic from maybe a tech company."

Mr. Mark Cochrane, Regional Director Asia-Pacific of UFI (The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry), said: "During the pandemic, we saw Thailand's endeavour to improve its service quality. Event organisers had to put in place new processes to overcome problems caused by COVID-19. Now, Thailand is putting more emphasis on customer-oriented services, such as the Thailand Pass, which can be considered an expansion of Thailand's strengths in efficient servicing. This has benefited event organisers, who are really the core to any successful exhibitions."

Mr. Chiruit concluded: "The feedback we received from participants reaffirms our view that public-private sector collaboration is key to communicating Thailand's unique selling points to overseas audience. TCEB is mindful of the need to shift our focus from helping our industry survive COVID-19 to helping them achieve product rejuvenation and new competitiveness at this juncture. With the recovery of international MICE in sight, I am glad that TCEB's familiarisation trip has been able to impress upon our participants that after more opening of international travel, Thailand remains a high-trust destination with outstanding products and services."

Picture: https://we.tl/t-HLxlGngRfK

#####

Thailand: Redefine Your Business Events

Experience the Extraordinary

About TCEB

A LEADING AGENCY AT THE FOREFRONT OF THAILAND'S MICE INDUSTRY

Established in 2004, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB  the government agency under the supervision of the Prime Minister  has been assigned a role to promote, support and develop business events industry  corporate meetings, incentive trips, conventions, exhibitions, mega events and world festivals. Serving as a strategic partner, TCEB helps deliver creative ideas and solutions to bring success and fulfill the requirements of business events. The overarching goal is to drive Thailand to become a global MICE and mega events destination that can drive the country's strategic industries and national economy.

SOURCE Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)
Purchase of 100 acres farmland for $1.85 Million, in Ontario, Canada to close in June 2022





Through experienced partners, Red Light's Farm Division plan on growing mushroom production with projected additional 65,000 sq feet of Mushroom production facilities





Mike Medeiros (AEM Partner, Carleton Mushroom Farm co-owner and President of Mushrooms Canada) excited for "massive opportunity" with Red Light as Canadian mushroom production continues to increase as more domestic and export market opportunities open up

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 11, 2022) - Red Light Holland Corp. (CSE: TRIP) (FSE: 4YX) (OTC Pink: TRUFF) ("Red Light" 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 that Red Light has signed a purchase and sales agreement to acquire 100 acres of farmland located at 620 Stewart Line, in the township of Cavan-Monaghan in Peterborough, Ontario (the "Farm") for $1.85 Million (the "Acquisition").

STRATEGIC HIGHLIGHTS

The purchase of the farmland by the Company will have the ability to dramatically increase the Company's production, packaging and distribution of a wide variety of fresh mushrooms. The Company intends to work with Acadian Exotic Mushrooms Ltd. ("AEM Farms"), an operational gourmet mushroom production facility in New Brunswick, Ontario, which is majority owned by Red Light (as previously disclosed on September 7, 2021), and co-owned by leading Canadian mushroom farming groups/individuals Holburne Mushroom Farm and Mike and Fernando Medeiros, who co-own Carleton Mushroom Farms, to develop the Farm into approximately 65,000 sq feet of two Mushroom production facilities (to be called "AEM Ontario"). The Acquisition will enable the Company to expand its farm division ("Red Light Farms"), which already includes Happy Caps Gourmet Mushroom Farm in Halifax, Nova Scotia, AEM Farms in New Brunswick, Ontario and Red Light's truffle farm in Horst, The Netherlands. The Company expects planning of AEM Ontario to commence immediately with construction expected to start in the Summer of 2022 as planning and productive conversations with the township of Cavan-Monaghan have already begun.

Story continues

"We at Red Light are so excited that our AEM partnership with industry leaders in the mushroom sector will continue to grow on a much bigger scale," said Todd Shapiro, CEO and Director of Red Light. "Mushrooms and truffles are our core focus and I've really fallen in love and see tremendous opportunity in the exotic mushroom industry. By purchasing 100 acres of farmland, we are continuing with our incredible plan of setting up a strategic foundation focused on increasing revenues and profit, which plans on being the 'mushroom train' for psychedelic R&D, legal, regulations, advocacy, education, and product development as we advance in the psychedelic sector cautiously and carefully. As we continue to expand the Red Light Farms division, we anticipate adding additional revenue generation facilities, which could be converted to support Canadian psychedelic operations, if and when regulations permit - all with the focus on enhancing shareholder value. We look forward to updating the market when AEM Ontario commences operations and in the meantime we are pleased to add a strong asset on the books - farmland," added Mr. Shapiro.

"Todd has a clear cut and confident vision of revenue generation in a proven mushroom industry that fuels the expansion of the close cousin, psilocybin," said Bruce Linton, Chair of Red Light's advisory board. "As Todd continues to innovate, lead and push the limits, like no other company in the recreational psychedelic sector, he also grows partnerships with industry leaders to help ensure near term and future success. It's a great strategy. I'm truly excited and proud to be a part of this clever, creative and fun team who are focused on continued growth," added Mr. Linton.

"We have been so pleased with our partnership with Red Light to date. It was a no-brainer for us, together, to focus on much larger growth for the future. The purchase of 100 acres of farmland will provide us with a massive opportunity, which we feel can be very successful," said Mike Medeiros, co-owner of Carleton Mushroom Farms and President of Mushrooms Canada. "Our expertise and knowledge of the mushroom industry coupled with Red Light's psychedelic, psilocybin, branding and marketing knowledge, is a great fit and we look forward to growing strategically together," added Mr. Medeiros.

ACQUISITION DETAILS

The Acquisition, which is an arm's length transaction, is subject to customary conditions of closing, is expected to close in June 2022. The consideration for the Farm being acquired will be $1.85 Million paid in cash on closing.

GRANT OF RSUS

Further to the Company's press release dated June 8, 2021, the Company has issued an aggregate of 366,232 restricted share units ("RSUs") to three (3) consultants of Radix Motion Inc. out of the reserved aggregate of 3,924,042 RSUs. The RSUs were issued on April 10, 2022 (the "RSU Issuance Date"), on a monthly vesting schedule such that 25% of the RSUs vest every month. The RSUs expire three (3) years from the RSU Issuance Date

About Mike and Fernando Medeiros and Holburne Mushroom Farm

Carleton Mushroom Farms was founded in 1984 by Mike and Fernando's parents and remains a family run business. Mike and Fernando took over day to day operations in 2005. In recent years growing capacity has tripled, and yields have steadily increased to 12 million pounds per year. Carleton Mushroom Farms implements cutting edge technologies from around the world as part of their growing practices. Website: https://www.carletonmushroom.com/.

Holburne Mushroom Farm is a local family owned and operated business that specializes in growing fresh, organic Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms since 2005. Production of Organic Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms has steadily increased to current yield of 1.3 million pounds per year. Proudly, the largest fresh, Organic Shiitake Mushroom growers in Canada.

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: www.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, AEM Farms, AEM Ontario or Red Light Farms 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: Red Light completing the Acquisition on the terms and within the timelines set out in this news release; Red Light receiving requisite approvals for the Acquisition; the anticipated effects of the Acquisition on the business and operations of Red Light, including Red Light Farms and AEM Ontario increasing Red Lights' revenues and profit; providing Red Light with potential new revenue generation; enhancing shareholder value of Red Light; the anticipated operating abilities of AEM Ontario; the commencement of operations at AEM Ontario; the potential that the Red Light Farms and AEM Ontario facilities being converted to support Canadian psychedelic operations; and expectations for other economic, business and/or competitive factors.

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.

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/120028
The crown jewel of the United Kingdom and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) has determined a champion for the first time in nearly five and a half years. It was the return of the PokerStars sponsored regional tours at one of its most iconic locations in the Hippodrome Casino in the heart of London. The 2022 UKIPT London 1,100 Main Event attracted a field of 645 entries and the biggest slice of the 619,200 prize pool was split among the final three finishers, who cut an ICM deal.

James Rann was the shortest stack by a small margin when the trio shook hands but ran(n) the best when it mattered from thereon. He defeated Lukas Dimsa in heads-up to claim the top prize of 86,568 while his opponent from Lithuania cashed for 80,282. Third place finisher Rickie Vedhara walked away with 80,204 for his efforts after taking part in a live MTT after a break of seven years in which he solely focused on cash games.

For Rann, it was the first live MTT win on European soil and his first ever live cash back in 2010 was in a UKIPT Main Event in Edinburgh. Start-of-the-day chip leader Joshua Boulton had to settle for fourth place while PokerStars ambassador Ben Spragg bowed out in 15th place (5,920).

Final Result 2022 UKIPT London 1,100 Main Event

Place Winner Country Prize (in GBP) 1 James Rann United Kingdom 86,568* 2 Lukas Dimsa Lithuania 80,282* 3 Rickie Vedhara United Kingdom 80,204* 4 Joshua Boulton United Kingdom 40,960 5 Alexios Zervos Greece 31,511 6 Julien Sitbon France 24,242 7 Kully Sidhu United Kingdom 18,644 8 Lorenc Boci Albania 14,341 9 Antoine Saout France 11,028

*the final three players agreed to an ICM deal and played for the trophy plus 8,732 to the winner

James Rann

The return of the popular live poker tour, which last took place in November 2016 at the very same location, was a thorough success. Poker players from near and far headed to the former theatre at Leicester Square to join the series from April 1 to 10, 2022.

In the most expensive tournament of the festival, the 2,200 High Roller, a record-setting field of 131 entries for the tour was set and the marquee event followed suit in similar fashion. Lola's, the new tournament room on the ground floor, was bustling with action throughout all starting days of the 1,100 Main Event.

The Action of the Final Day

Only 16 players out of the 645-entry strong field returned for the final day and among them was also PokerStars ambassador Ben Spragg, who was one of the short stacks. He ensured one pay jump thanks to the early elimination of Robert Boon but came up second-best to Antoine Saout soon after to finish in 15th place.

It didn't take long to whittle down the field to final ten after that with Joshua Boulton doing the lion's share of the work to whittle down the number of hopefuls. By the time the final table bubble took place, Rickie Vedhara was among the shorter stacks but scored back-to-back double ups against Julien Sitbon and Antoine Saout to leap into second place. Boulton then knocked out cash game player Dongze Hao in a large pot to enter the final stage with two times as many chips as his nearest follower.

UKIPT London Final Table 2022

Saout was left short after the previous clash with Vedhara and sent the remainder of his stack over in the same direction moments after the action resumed. The eventual heads-up opponents James Rann and Lukas Dimsa doubled through Boulton prior to the final table and Rann did so again with aces versus nines when all had combined to a single table. It was just a small dent in the stack of Boulton at the time and he made up for it by knocking out Lorenc Boci and Kully Sidhu.

A third double for Rann through Boulton came in spectacular fashion when his king-jack suited went runner runner for a flush. Sitbon was left short after paying off Alexios Zervos' value bet and he was eliminated by Vedhara in the next hand. The Greek was the next to bow out after he doubled Dimsa and the Lithuanian finished the job a short while later.

The next major setback for Boulton was a significant one as Vedhara took the lead, while Dimsa stayed alive against Rann. Ultimately, Boulton's run good ceased to exist and he ultimately fell in fourth place. Once the chips were nearly even in three-handed play, the trio agreed to ICM numbers and Rann dominated the action to claim the trophy and largest payday.

That wraps up the PokerNews live coverage for the first UKIPT series in more than five years. The next two spots of the tour have also been confirmed already. In May 2022, the Bonnington Hotel in Dublin will be hosting the second UKIPT stop of the year while the series then heads to Malta for the Summer Poker Festival in June 2022.
The Princess Royal has arrived in Papua New Guinea to continue her southern hemisphere tour to mark the Queens Platinum Jubilee.

Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, landed in Port Moresby on Monday after a weekend of engagements in Australia, including opening the 200th Sydney Royal Easter Show on Saturday.

They were greeted on the tarmac of Jacksons International Airport by Prime Minister James Marape, and Anne was presented with a garland of flowers before she inspected a guard of honour.

The Princess Royal is presented with a garland of flowers at Jacksons International Airport (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

On Monday and Tuesday the princess and her husband are scheduled to tour Papua New Guinea, visiting Caritas Technical Secondary School, St John Ambulance, the Bomana War Cemetery, Adventure Park Papua New Guinea and the National Museum and Art Gallery.

She will also open a Womens Resource Centre at Vabukori Village and the National Cardiac Diagnostic Centre at Port Moresby General Hospital, and will meet elders and community leaders at Hanuabada Village.

Anne was a guest of honour at the Sydney Royal Easter Shows opening at Homebush (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

Anne will conclude the two-day tour with a dinner with Mr Marape and representatives from the charity sector and business groups.

It comes after the Queen and the royal family on Saturday marked the first anniversary of the Duke of Edinburghs death.
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Two University of North Georgia (UNG) students have won the Barry Goldwater Scholarship for 2022-23, making UNG the only public university in Georgia with more than one recipient this year. The other Georgia school with multiple recipients was Emory University with three.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 to serve as a living memorial to honor the lifetime work of U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years in the U.S. Senate.

Anna Cronan and Alisha Paul were UNG's Goldwater winners, placing them among 417 sophomores and juniors selected from 1,242 nominees across the country. The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields and will provide up to $15,000 per student over a two-year period.

"Having two Goldwater awardees, both Honors biology majors from separate campuses, is an excellent testament to UNG's dynamic undergraduate research culture and exceptional research mentors across our institution," Dr. Anastasia Lin, assistant vice president of Academic Affairs, director of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office and dean of Honors, said.

Cronan, a sophomore from Dahlonega, Georgia, pursuing a degree in biology, is a member of the Honors Program on UNG's Dahlonega Campus. She participated in a Faculty Undergraduate Summer Engagement research project in the summer of 2021 with biology lecturers Jessy Patterson and Aminda Everett. They examined the effect of neonicotinoid-based insecticides, used to combat the hemlock woolly adelgid, on non-target species such as amphibians.
Hi!

That chapter was actually easier to translate than to write haha, I've spend hour to try and depict the unique atmosphere I wanted for that cave, very serene, unmoving, and I'm not sure it's exactly how I wanted it xD. But, if it's easy to picture it, I think that the cave picture I choose fit well with the aura I wanted to give even if it doesn't look like the description I give. Same goes for the two dragons pics, I think the images fit well with how they feel, and how Glorfindel sees them.

Trigger warning : frank "cashe" discution around a murder

Hope you'll enjoy, tell me what you think! =D

004 Cavern and secrets

P.O.V. Glorfindel

I stopped the white stallion, barely a meter before reaching the place where I found Thranduil earlier, I could guess the vague outline of his body on the sandy ground. Leaving my horse with a friendly pat on his neck, I knelt near the imprint, clearly distinguishing the two more marked, deeper rounded shapes where his knees had first touched the ground. He must have fallen from exhaustion. Next to it, one atop the other, the four-fingered steps of the wyvern, the dot of each claw marked at the end of the finger. Just here. Had he carried her with him? I rose to my feet, and leaving a friendly pat on the neck of the white horse, I began to trace back the line of footprints left by Thranduil, walking slowly next to it.

I could almost see him standing, moving with small stride next to me, his steps close to one another, like glued, almost aligned. Sometimes he wobbled, drawing a little zigzag in place, other times the space was more important, like if he had fallen forward and caught himself. The shape was not always perfectly clean, a little slipped as if he was dragging a leg a little behind him. In some areas, the sandy ground was painted in dark red, a drop of blood having left a broken circle here. And I remembered the bloody gash on his thigh.It was really... unusual, even strange to follow him like that.To walk in the steps of a living-dead.Who limped, dragged himself, staggered a little almost in place, also stumbled, but persisted in putting one leg in front of the other and moving forward. I could imagine the tensed muscles of his clenched jaws, the tears which shone in his eyes and clung to his eyelashes. When we worked together, I had found him determined, he was hardworking, learned quickly, wanted to do well and sought to surpass himself, never afraid to raise the bar even higher, but there his relentlessness commanded admiration.I wondered what he could be thinking of, walking like that on a forest road. Surely that he was not anywhere in particular, and he was in pain... he did not really know what else to do either. So he tried that : walking in a straight line and see where this would lead him. The path did not seem that long to me, but for him I could not imagine what kind of ordeal it must have felt like. And I stopped, his traces emerging from a vertical opening between two rocks. It was a kind of big rocky dome, behind it stood cliffs as if this side of the wall had ended up collapsing on itself and lowering from an earthquake, and further behind the ridge and the black forest. What people used to call 'the ridge' was nothing in particular, just a chain of small mountains that stretched from East to West, with the huge Black Wood all around it as far as the eye could see, traversed by labyrinths of crevasses, ravines and precipices forming an impassable obstacle for those who do not know it, and on the East side of it, under its cliffs, had been dug the underground fortress of the royal palace and of the great elven city.The 'structure' in front of me had something unnatural about it, maybe the shape, too smooth and regular to just be due to erosion and the action of time, or just this somewhat confusing resemblance with a mound.Approaching, I peeked through the opening, a long dark corridor stretched ahead between the narrow walls, just wide enough for an adult to pass abreast, but seemed to stretch all the way in height.I still took a second before entering, feeling only now, that strange aura emanating from within. In no way threatening or even hostile but welcoming, a bit like a very old friend. With no other choice, this time, I slipped my footprints in Thranduil's one and entered.It was... quite a strange feeling : to be alive and well and to follow in the footsteps of a someone half-dead, who moved slightly leaning forward with the help of the wall and his small wyvern in his arms. I could see him so clearly in front of my eyes.I stopped myself on the other side, feeling the uneven ground under my boots, as if I were walking on large polished and perfectly round pebbles, my steps reasoning in the closed and empty space in front of me. An echo that seemed ridiculously long to me, too loud in this frozen silence. The atmosphere of the place hit me, the same aura that I felt outside, but stronger, with something under that I could not quite name yet. It wasn't dangerous or ominous, the aura wrapped around me, with something almost living,pulsing and beating, incredibly heavy on me. The air became heavier on my shoulders, as much as the weight of a thick fur-lined coat could be in the dead of winter. But despite that feeling, like time itself had its own matter and was crushing me, I didn't feel like I was suffocating but surprisingly well here, safe and protected like never before, I could really believe that someone had wrapped a coat around me. ... Or that an immense wing covered me and kept me hidden in the eyes of the World, and at that thought, I saw again a great black dragon hovering in a night sky above a city set aflame. The air itself seemed different, ancient, unmoving, frozen in time too like all this strange cave. How long has this place been untouched? Centuries ? Millennia? I almost felt like a tomb raider for walking in here, and yet there was this thing around that told me no, I was even welcome, that it let me in. As my eyes gradually got used to the almost total darkness, the only source of light being a hole in the ceiling towards the back, from which a gray light was pouring, I was able to better take into account what surrounded me. A vast, circular cave, the ground covered with what looked like large pebbles, I could not really get a good idea of the dimensions. At regular intervals, stalactites fell from the ceiling, drawing a big circle. Stalactites... It clicked in my head. The air inside the cave was just strangely unmoving but in no way humid. It was not cold either noticeably cooler than outside like in all caves because of the stone, but not cold, I could not see the white fumes of my breath in front of my mouth, and no matter how much I listened, I could not hear the sound of water over the stone and dripping to the ground, the wall under my hand was dry, there was not even moss on it, there was just the stone gray, old, forgotten. And above all, under none of the peaks was its ascending twin: there was no circle of stalagmites on the ground. There was nothing at all on the ground, nothing at all here, except for those rocks and what looked like a pile of rubble under the opening, as if right there the ceiling had ended up collapsing or someone had made it. I approached the light ray to try to see a little better, taking care of keeping my steps as silent as possible, not wanting to disturb the calm of the place.From closer, the shape of the stalactites had something quite thin, narrow, almost hewn. My eyes widened, my body froze, as unmoving as a statue and everything else here, and a long, cold, shiver ran through me.It was heads.The outline of long snouts slanting down to the ground, jaws, horns that disappeared into the ceiling, down to where their eyes were, big and still strangely expressive. My gaze slid along the shapes. The inclined necks, and the bodies encrusted in the rock of the walls around. Sitting with paws under them and tail curled around like cats. Big wings opened wide to form a dome. Dragons. Standing there like sentinels, very real and imprisoned in stone. Or rather, they were the ones who ended up becoming it. What could have happened to them? Again, I paid attention to their position, head bowed downward, they watched over something, and with their big stone eyes on me, their aura all around so alive despite their condition, and that they must be dead, I felt small in their presence. That was the thing underneath that I could not name, they were tall, mighty and majestic, they commended respect, and like that I had the impression I was the one they protected. I looked down at my boots. So those... were eggs? I knelt and put a hand on one of them, and under the shell, the heart beated calmly as the dragon waited patiently for his time to hatch. All of them were waiting. Since when ? For how many more years? What exactly were they waiting for, the World had changed so much around them...Except for one of them. The wyvern had found what she was waiting for, the one she was waiting.Getting back on my legs, I came to stand just at the edge of the circle of light, just above the bone of a wing. At the top, I could just guess steep walls from which a few ledges protruded, to guess that I was standing at the bottom of a ravine. So, he had fallen from up there? It seemed unlikely that he had managed to survive. Improbable also that the ceiling has yielded under his weight. I looked at the dragons, the weight of their eyes of stone upon me, were they the ones who caused the collapsing to let Thranduil in? They wanted to hide him?I lowered myself to ground level again, there was some blood. And, between the rubble and the other eggs, the broken shards of the wyvern's one, white contrary to the other gray one, with red patterns in the form of flames, the same one she wore in black on her wings. I tried to imagine him, laying there on his back, what he must have felt. I wasn't even sure if he was in pain or even really realized, he must have just been stunned with shock, before he lost consciousness and that aura had covered him like a blanket...I heard a noise above my head, the soles of heavy metal-reinforced boots crunching on the gravel, footsteps weighing on the stone, and I crouched in the darkness of the cave out of the stain of light on the ground, even though there was no place where I could hide. The aura changed all of a sudden, violently, becoming even more heavy, loaded with threat and hostility, and a feeling of intense panic, like I have never felt before, not even surrounded by the flames in Gondolin, paralyzed me on the spot and my breath quickened. A scary second that got too long and then it wore off, like if a bubble had formed.And just around me, I felt once more the warm weight, heavy and so reassuring, like a coat or a blanket on my shoulder, feeling safe anew. Some talked about the dragons as the most noble and most beautiful of all the creatures, and until now I was unable to believe them, I had to find myself in a forgotten cave, surrounded by their bodies turned into stone to believe it. They were ruthless to their opponents, exactly the bloodthirsty beasts they were reduced to, burning down peoples, cities and whole kingdoms alike, like we could burn wood during winter. The aura curled tighter around me. They were protectors, brave guardians even good to the one they considered as friends. A dragon must be more effective than any army, keeping us safer than any fortress would ever be able to, and more loyal than the most battle-hardened of elite soldiers.Outside, voices were heard. Strangely accented voices, with something gritty, corrupt about them, as sick as a rotten apple.-We searched all the damn crevices and found nothing. I've had enough of that research!-Yes! He must have stayed hung higher and served as a meal for scavengers!-Let's go back! We'll tell the Chef he's dead.I wondered who that chef could be, and I remembered one of my training sessions with Thranduil back then. Someone had passed, I had vaguely recognized him as the king's adviser at the time but now I was completely unable to remember anything about him from his name or his appearance, and Thranduil half hid behind my legs. When I asked him why he just answered I don't like him, he scares me. There is something bad in him. At the time I had just reassured him without really understanding his answer, now maybe a little better. There were many things we'll have to talk about...- We must find him, if he's alive we can say goodbye to power and control. That stray dog of Dimrost took him away yesterday and came back alone, he's somewhere. These two have the look of wolves running free, they're going to get us in trouble.I take care to note the name in my head, listening with dread to the rest of their conversation. Officially, Thranduil will be declared dead, without a corpse.-Yeah, that's it. We're going to go and leave you with your wolves!-I told you something eat him.-Then we bring back the bones, or what's left of his carcass. The Chef will have our heads if we came back empty handed.-HA! A bone is a bone! We just have to take one of yours and the problem is solved!-He fell in there and what lives down there made its meal out of him.-Exact. But, if you keep on opening your mouth, it's going to be your bones we're going to bring to the Chef as proof of the death of our dear Crown Prince. And even if he comes back one day? By then we will already be the masters here and he won't be able to do anything anymore. But just in case, we'll keep an eye on that Viper, like that we can just kill the both of them.They ended up agreeing on that plan as sordid as cruel and left. The aura taking back its calm and protector aspect, full of serenity.Oh my Fortuna.So, that was all of the story? Dimrost was one of Thranduil's friends and did not find any better idea than to throw him into the void in the hope of protecting him from what seemed to be a conspiracy against the royal family? Him in particular, the current ruler not even counting as a threat in his state. I did not know what to think about it, if it was brave or reckless, but definitely desperate. Yet, somehow, thanks to the Dragons, Thranduil had managed to get out alive. Without even knowing him, I hoped that Dimrost knew what he was doing, and that he would be fine until Thranduil came back and took back his place and his throne, for the future. But I imagined that a man nicknamed the Viper would know what kind of game he was playing, no matter how risky.This time, I got back on my feet to leave. I just turned around one last time before walking into the crevice of the wall to get out. I looked at the cave, taking in its calm, its immobility, its silence and serenity, the weight of time that had passed around its cocoon leaving it intact. I looked at the silhouettes of the most beautiful and noble of all creatures, bowing low and respectfully before them, addressing them a little prayer, thanking them for letting me in and for saving Thranduil, promising them to keep an undying memory of the Dragon's Cave in my memory.Outside, the Sun warmed me, but if its rays had chased away the cold, they were unable to erase the imprint left by the Dragons on me. I joined Asfaloth, waiting for me under a tree, and we took the road back toward Imladris.
A man was fatally shot in a residential area in North Waco on Saturday afternoon, Waco police announced Sunday.

Following next-of-kin notifications, Waco police identified the victim Monday as Benjamin Brannan Miller, 45, of Woodway.

Officers responded at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday to a report of a shooting in the 1500 block of North 11th Street and after arriving immediately started providing medical aid to a gunshot victim, according to a police press release.

An American Medical Response crew arrived and took the victim to a hospital, where they later died, the press release says. Police believe the shooting was an isolated incident. No arrests had been made as of late Sunday morning.

It is being investigated as a homicide, and no other information was provided.
Army General Alexander Dvornikov, commander of Russia's Southern Military District

Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov gave an interview on Sunday to Newsweek in which he asserted the West is provoking Russia by supplying weapons and munitions to Ukraine.

Russia's U.S. Ambassador Anatoly Antonov attempted to extort the United States into stopping its military aid to Ukraine, telling Newsweek

"We warn that such actions are dangerous. They can lead the U.S. and the Russian Federation onto the path of direct military confrontation."

His threat seemed like an attempt to pre-empt White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan who gave a few Sunday Morning news show interviews to assert the flow of equipment the U.S. and its allies have been sending Ukraine will continue. According to Sullivan, Slovakia was able to send an S-300 air defense system last week to Ukraine because the U.S. was willing to provide a Patriot battery to replace the system Slovakia was giving away.

Ambassador Antonov's threat hasn't been widely reported. Still, it may indicate that if the United States and NATO continue to arm Ukraine and at the same time try to damage Russia's economy, Putin might be crazy enough to engage NATO.

Given Putin's habit of doubling and tripling down after making one bad decision after another, the world's financial markets could be severely shaken by his latest threat. Putin may be gambling on using a battlefield nuclear weapon against Kyiv now that he has withdrawn its troops to demonstrate what NATO faces if it continues to support Ukraine. This strategy would embarrass Jake Sullivan after his assertion that "Russia has changed its behavior in this war" during his Sunday morning interview on CBS News's Face The Nation. His assertion

"They have pulled back from substantial territory in northern and northeastern Ukraine. Chiefly, they made those adjustments because the Ukrainians beat them."

"They have retreated."

 maybe he and the rest of the Biden Administration are miss-reading how far Putin is willing to go.

Putin's appointment of Army General Alexander Dvornikov, commander of Russia's Southern Military District, to lead the war in Ukraine is a bad sign. Dvornikov is a sociopathic mass murderer who used chemical weapons against Syrian civilians and decimated entire cities with wholesale bombing and artillery barrages.

Putin appoints new military commander for Ukraine war
Under a moody sky on April 2nd, 2022, legendary early aeroplane specialist, Mikael Carlson, flew the American Heritage Museums Nieuport 28 C-1 biplane fighter on its first post-restoration flight, taking off from a grass strip near his workshop in Sebbarp, a small village in rural southern Sweden. The airframe, serial number 512, dates from 1918 and is one of just five complete examples known extant. It is also the oldest original airworthy combat aircraft to have served with Americas armed forces, albeit during the post-WWI period.

The Nieuport 28 was the first combat aircraft which the American Expeditionary Force operated during WWI, with the 27th, 94th, 95th, and 147th Aero Squadrons fielding the type. Noted pilots such as Americas ace of aces Eddie Rickenbacker and President Theodore Roosevelts youngest son, Quentin, flew and fought in these nimble biplane fighters.

According to the American Heritage Museum, their Nieuport emerged from a factory near Paris, France during late 1918. Following WWI, the American government imported a batch of roughly fifty Nieuport 28s, including s/n 512, to fill out the ranks of the newly-established U.S. Army Air Service. After retirement from Army use, 512 gained a new lease of life in civilian hands, featuring in a number of significant aviation films, such as Hells Angels (1930) and The Dawn Patrol (1930 & 1938). Part of the collection gathered by famed aerial performers Paul Mantz and Frank Tallman, the Nieuport continued flying into the 1960s, and was amongst the numerous unique airframes put up for disposal at the Tallmantz Auction of May, 1968 (there is a wonderful period account of this auction in Time Magazine HERE). Legendary racing car builder/driver, Jim Hall, bought the Nieuport for $14,500, a seemingly paltry sum by todays standards, but this was more than twice the price which a Curtiss Kittyhawk (RCAF 1082) went for at the same auction, so that should provide a relevant yardstick regarding its actual value. The aircraft has not flown since the early 1970s and largely disappeared from public view until its 2019 donation to the Collings Foundation, parent organization to the American Heritage Museum. The museum described* the Nieuport and its restoration as follows

The mission of the American Heritage Museum has always been to bring history to life and the Nieuport project was no exception. This is a very rare opportunity to bring Americas first fighter back into the skies and honor the designers, pilots, and mechanics of the First World War. When complete, it will be the sole airworthy original Nieuport 28 in existence, and one of only four on display in the world.

Currently, The Nieuport 28 is in the incredibly skilled hands of Mikael Carlson in Sebbarp, Sweden. It was shipped from Texas in the summer of 2019. Mikael is arguably one of the worlds leading restorers of pre-1920 aircraft, and is a master historian when it comes to the unique designs and constructions of WWI planes. Mikael has previously restored two original Bleriot XIs, and exact flying reproductions of a Swedish Tummelisa from 1919, Fokker DR.I, Fokker D.VII, and a Pfalz D.VIII  all with original power-plants.

Once the Nieuport 28 was delivered to Mikael, he quickly began the process of evaluating the aircrafts original structure and condition for restoration to airworthiness. The first order of business was careful disassembly of all components. Being a wooden structure, and more than a century old, it was understood that some parts would be useful only as patterns for exact new-build components. But, to Mikaels surprise much of the original structure was in excellent condition.

The primary fuselage structure was in fantastic shape, with original factory markings and stampings of the late-war manufacturer, Liore et Olivier, throughout. Although the stringers and upper bulkheads were not original, and needed replacing, this primary structure was retained. All metal components were also found to be in excellent condition and were used in the restoration. Additionally, the upper wings had been clipped during its use as a movie aircraft by Tallmantz, so Mikael rebuilt a portion of the upper wing to bring it back to original size using the same construction methods that would have been found in 1917.

Surprisingly, the original nine-cylinder Gnome Monosoupape 9N rotary engine was in outstanding condition, despite its age. Mikael was able to break down the engine and, drawing on his intimate knowledge of the type, fully overhaul it. The original cowling for the engine was no longer with the aircraft, having been replaced with an inaccurate piece in the 1950s. Therefore an accurate reproduction cowling, a single piece of spun aluminum, was manufactured for the project by a British company using period-correct fabrication methods.

Although the original propeller was intact and in great condition, we decided to craft an exact reproduction of the laminated wood propeller with new glue to use for flight trials. The original propeller will be reserved, and installed when the aircraft is placed on static display [at the museum]. The remaining fairings were added and the cockpit fitted out with original equipment, including a very rare gun synchronizer connected to the propeller. The original machine guns are under restoration in the United States and will be added to the aircraft when it is reassembled here [in Stow, Massachussetts] this Spring.

The Nieuport 28 will return to the United States later this year and go on display at the American Heritage Museum in Stow, where it will be available for public viewing and limited public flight exhibitions.

A magnificent video (see below) depicts the newly-restored Nieuport 28 on its maiden post-restoration flight in Sweden. The aircraft is marked to represent an example from the famed 94th Aero Squadron.



*edited original text
DENVER  An Oelwein man has been arrested following a standoff with authorities on Friday morning.

Deputies with the Bremer County Sheriffs Office were called to 260th Street east of Denver around 5:30 a.m. When deputies approached, the driver ran off on foot.

He was later located at an address in the 2700 block of Navaho Avenue, where he climbed in a parked truck and refused to exit. A standoff ensued, ending two hours later when authorities used tear gas to remove him from the truck, according to court records.

Joshua Smith, 46, was arrested for third-degree burglary, driving while revoked and interference.

The Bremer County Sheriffs Office was assisted by Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Department of Transportation, Denver Police Department, Denver Ambulance Service and Bremer County Dispatch.

Court records show Smith is currently awaiting trial for theft and burglary charges in an October 2020 break-in at a Strawberry Point home were 17 firearms, jewelry and other items were taken.

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CEDAR RAPIDS (AP)  Authorities on Monday identified the two people killed when two gunmen opened fire inside a crowded Iowa nightclub over the weekend.

Cedar Rapids police said that 25-year-old Michael Valentine and 35-year-old Nicole Owens were killed. Both lived in Cedar Rapids.

Sundays shooting at the Taboo Nightclub and Lounge in Cedar Rapids also injured 10 other people.

Guilty verdict in fatal robbery trial A Waterloo man has been found guilty of robbery in an August 2020 holdup where his brother allegedly shot and killed a man in a garage

Police didnt provide an update Monday on the condition of everyone who was wounded. A day earlier, officials said one person was in critical condition Sunday while the other injuries ranged from minor to serious.

Police continued investigating the shooting Monday. No arrests have been reported.

The clubs owner, Mod Williams, told the Cedar Rapids Gazette on Sunday that he doesnt know many details about the shooting.

Its an extremely disturbing thing that happened and currently Im just being as cooperative as I can to help the police, Williams said.

Mayor Tiffany ODonnell expressed dismay about the shooting and lauded the police response.

We as citizens need to do our part, too. We must head off incidents like this before they happen. That means respecting one and other, resolving issues peacefully and holding ourselves accountable, ODonnell said in a statement.

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Breaking into the field of data science (and staying there) doesnt mean you have to learn a dozen coding languages or build the most complex models. The most important skill? Communication.

Minh Phan MBA 17, a behavioral health data scientist for King County, Washington, has held jobs across several industries  marketing, health care, nonprofits, government  and the skill that transferred to each role was her ability to relay technical knowledge to a non-technical audience, she said.

Not everyone can understand a database or complex data, she said. Thats why you need to be a bridge to it.

Phans path to data science began with a business and economics major in Vietnam, where shed planned on pursuing a consulting and research career. She was a high achiever, entering as many international business competitions as she could, and one first place win  a smart recasting of soy milk as a healthy alternative for young and trendy women  earned a job offer her junior year from global consulting company Kantar Worldpanel.

Working full time as a consultant, she analyzed and visualized behavioral data, managed databases for consumer product categories and identified consumer trends. But over time, she became less interested in the profit aspect of the business, and more interested in how to utilize and manipulate data to find strategic solutions to more complex problems in life, she said.

The close-knit culture of the Willamette MBA and its early career option appealed to her. During the program, she gained insight from Stuart Read, a now-retired former professor of strategic management who had extensive experience in the tech industry, and Larry Etner, former leader of the MBAs signature Practical Application for Careers and Enterprise (PACE) program. Real world application is a distinguishing feature of PACE, and it introduced her to the Chicago Childrens Advocacy Center, where she designed a salary study and database system for several centers and helped improve employees total compensation benchmarks.

The MBA also gave Phan opportunities for success when she was least aware of it. After her first year, she landed an internship with the State of Oregon Enterprise Technology Services department. Later, she found out that an employee there  who also happened to be an MBA teaching assistant she did not know personally  recognized her name on the application and told the hiring manager she had a good reputation in class.

Sometimes you might think being active in class has nothing to do with your career, she said. But it actually does matter  you never know what will happen.

Following graduation, Phan became a data analyst for the state and helped shepherd its transition to a new IT system. Her MBA, resourcefulness and experience communicating with diverse stakeholders fit the role, and she learned enough about big data and programming languages from experts on her team to be hired in 2019 at the Olympia-based Washington State Health Care Authority, which oversees Medicaid for more than two million residents.

As a data analyst, Phan provided the agency with information that helped allocate federal funding for the most common illnesses among Medicaid-funded populations. But she also supported its move to integrated managed care, a transformative shift by Washington state to merge two separate healthcare systems  physical health and behavioral health  into one. For one key project during the five-year transition, Phan supported the work of nine regions across Washington state to find solutions to and gauge the effectiveness of their individual health care systems. The project also connected her to King County health care officials and led to her current job there.

In her role, Phan fields questions from health care professionals and the public about its crisis response line, a crucial connection for people with mental health and substance use disorders. She also led many projects in leveraging health and behavioral health encounters and claims data to support the successful execution of different healthcare initiatives. One of her current projects involves monitoring network adequacy and crisis system performance and establishing goals to evaluate hospital and other acute care service utilization.

She's happy with her career, and she encourages data science graduates to consider as many options as possible.

A lot of young graduates are often motivated only by working for big private companies with fancy names, but I find the public sector very rewarding, too, she said. Theres less pressure and more opportunities to explore or learn, and you have a better time connecting with the community.
Lavrov: Russian Special Operation in Ukraine Aims to Put End to US Course for World Domination

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Monday that Moscow wont succumb to pressure from abroad, noting that the operation in Ukraine aims to put an end to Americas plans for global domination.

Our special military operation is designed to put an end to the reckless expansion and reckless course towards complete domination by the United States and, under them, the remainder of Western countries on the world stage. This domination is built with egregious violations of international law, and in accordance with some [unclear] rules, which are imposed on occasion, Lavrov said in an interview with the broadcaster Rossiya 24.

He also criticised EU top diplomat Josep Borrell for his latest statements, and noted that now the rules have changed drastically.

This is an utterly serious change, even in the policy that the EU and the West under US leadership  there is no doubt about it  began to pursue after the start of our special military operation. A policy that reflects anger, in some ways even frenzy, and which, of course, is determined not only by [the situation in] Ukraine, but by Ukraine being transformed into a foothold for the final suppression of Russia, the minister noted.
Here are some explained symbolic Easter foods that traditionally make it into the Pascha basket:

Kulich freshly baked and topped with white icing and colorful sprinkles and the letters XB which stands for Christ is Risen ( B!)

Pascha a pyramid-shaped cheese dessert made with farmers cheese, eggs, butter, raisins and almonds

Colored eggs hard boiled and dyed either blood red to represent the Resurrection and new life

Ham or lamb meat symbolize the great joy and abundance of Easter

Butter is typically shaped into a figure of a lamb or a three-barred (Russian) cross and reminds us of the goodness of Christ

Horseradish grated with red beets is symbolic of the Passion of Christ; he bittersweet flavors also remind us of his resurrection

Special Blessed candles symbolizes the light of the world and light of Jesus Christ

Verba (Pussy Willow) branch as a symbol of new life and new beginnings

Below is not my recipe. It is from people I know here in Russia and I have never made Paskha

Paskha  also known as , paskha, pasca and pascha  is a pyramid-shaped confection that is served for Easter in the Eastern Orthodox homes of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine and also in Poland and Lithuania. Similar in taste to a cheesecake without the crust, paskha is traditionally spread on slices of kulich, a sweet Easter bread. Ingredients: Farmers cheese  2 pounds

Unsalted butter, room temperature  1/2 pound

Sugar  1 1/2 cups

Egg yolks, hard-cooked  6

Heavy cream  1 cup

Blanched almonds, finely ground  1/2 cup

Vanilla  1 1/2 teaspoons

Raisins  1/4 cup Lets make: Drain farmers cheese overnight in a fined-meshed sieve or through several layers of cheesecloth. After the cheese has drained, press it through a medium-meshed sieve once or twice to break up the curds and make it light and fluffy. Set aside Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a standing mixer and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes Beat in the egg yolks one at a time Reduce speed to medium low and beat in the farmers cheese, heavy cream, almonds and vanilla Line a pashka mold or a clean terracotta flowerpot with cheesecloth that has been rinsed with water and squeezed dry Fill the mold or pot with the cheese mixture Place a lid or a small plate on top of the mold and set a weight on top. Place the mold in a bowl to catch any liquid and refrigerate for at least 12 hours Remove the paskha from the mold onto a serving plate and use the raisins to decorate the sides

Again: Now you know a bit more about Russia

WtR
Weather Alert

...WINDY AND COLDER MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND WITH SNOW SHOWERS... * Winds: Periods of strong winds will continue through the weekend. The most widespread strong winds will be tonight and again on Sunday, with localized strong winds in the Eastern Sierra on Saturday. * While not major wind events, we will likely see rough air for plane travel. Travel restrictions for high profile vehicles are possible. Check with CalTrans and/or NDOT for the current road information. Areas of blowing dust are possible, and backcountry and ski recreation will be impacted along with rough conditions on area lakes this weekend. * Temperatures: A strong cold front will roll through on Sunday. This front will usher in a much colder airmass Mother's Day into the first half of next week. Temperatures will be 15-25 degrees below normal. While there is still some uncertainty due to winds and cloud cover, it's likely we will have frost and freeze concerns Sunday through Tuesday nights. Watch those sprinklers and protect any sensitive vegetation ahead of time. * Rain and Snow: We will see periods of rain and snow/pellet showers along with slight chances for thunderstorms Sunday through Tuesday. The best chance for accumulating snows in the mountains appears to be Sunday afternoon and evening as the cold front moves in. Check travel conditions Sunday before heading over the hill. Outside of that, rain and snow showers will be more scattered in nature through Tuesday, but accumulations will be hard to come by. Sorry mom. We'll do better next year.

...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM PDT SATURDAY... * WHAT...West winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph. Wind prone areas may see gusts up to 65 mph. Wave heights of 2 to 5 feet on Pyramid Lake. * WHERE...Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area and Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake. * WHEN...Until 2 AM PDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Dangerous boating conditions on Pyramid Lake. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds will last into the night Friday night, especially for the Reno-Carson City area. Areas of blowing dust are possible downwind of the Carson Sink, which could bring reduced visibility to I-80, US-95, and US-50. Travel restrictions are possible for high profile vehicles. Check with NDOT for the latest on road conditions. Consider delaying going out on area lakes. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Now is the time to secure loose outdoor items such as patio furniture, holiday decorations, and trash cans before winds increase which could blow these items away. The best thing to do is prepare ahead of time by making sure you have extra food and water on hand, flashlights with spare batteries and/or candles in the event of a power outage. &&
En espanol

The long-running Macintosh-Windows rivalry is the Ali-Frazier battle of personal computers.

Microsofts camp crows about Windows market share dominance. Apples corner brags about the Macs popularity among the creative types and cool kids, reinforced in the late 2000s by Apples famous Mac Guy vs. PC Guy TV commercials.

Yet, while Microsoft recently pushed out Windows 11 and Apple released macOS Monterey, less enmity seems to surround PC-Mac clashes, perhaps because so much attention is focused on smartphones, where Apple is matched against the Google/Android folks.

Even if your PC is a Mac, you may still have occasion to employ Windows software, perhaps for work because Microsoft's Access relational database is available only for Windows, or to play a Windows-only game. Or maybe you prefer the Windows edition of a program such as Quicken personal finance software to the version produced for the Mac.

The good news is you can run the Windows operating system and thus Windows programs on your Mac. It's also possible to run the Mac operating system on a Windows machine, if you were curious. But because Windows runs on more than 3 in 5 laptop and desktop computers in the United States vs. a little more than 1 in 4 for macOS, according to Dublin-based Statcounter GlobalStats, chances are good that Windows users will find a Windows version of their favorite Mac applications that's easy to install.

The bad news for Mac users is that the options for running Windows are generally not for the technologically timid. Here are two main ways to turn your Mac into a Windows PC, at least some of the time.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said authorities recovered the body of a young child on April 11 after the child was swept over a Whitewater.
Lake Resources and Ford Motor Company sign non-binding MoU to negotiate for lithium offtake from the Kachi Project



Lake and Ford sign non-binding MoU for lithium offtake

Sydney, April 11, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Clean lithium developer Lake Resources NL ( ASX:LKE ) ( FRA:LK1 ) ( OTCMKTS:LLKKF ) advises an offtake of approximately 25,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of lithium from the Kachi Project has been signed in a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ford Motor Company (Ford).- Offtake proposal for approximately 25,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of lithium from the Kachi Project in a non-binding agreement with Ford Motor Company.- Strategic collaboration between Ford and Lake to sit alongside the collaboration with Hanwa (ASX release 29 March 2022) to fully develop a Clean Lithium Supply Chain to meet the global environmental demands for Electric Vehicles.- Second non-binding MoU offtake collaborator, further de-risking the project for financiers and investors."As we've shared, Ford is sourcing deeper into the battery supply chain," said Lisa Drake, Ford's vice president, EV Industrialization."This is one of several agreements we're exploring to help us secure raw materials to support our aggressive EV acceleration," she said."Both Lake and Ford see this as an opportunity for a potential long-term agreement with the ability to scale up environmentally responsible production and participate in Lake's other projects to ensure high-quality lithium products are available to Ford," Steve Promnitz, Lake's Managing Director, said."This MoU with Ford supports Lake's strategy to be a key independent supplier into global lithium supply chains and ensure the security of supply to customers."Lake's Chairman Stu Crow said project financing was becoming increasingly tied to ESG credentials and that investors, debt providers, and off-takers and their customers are demanding that new lithium projects adhere to strict ESG standards."Increasing customer and consumer scrutiny around lithium production's environmental and ethical credentials drives our focus on sustainable extraction," Crow said."Lake Resources is committed to integrating sustainable development practices throughout our operations, minimising our environmental footprint, and contributing to a clean energy future."This MoU with Ford follows the Hanwa MoU. Together with the UK and Canada Export Credit Agencies' indicative provision of debt finance for around 70 percent of the Kachi project's capital requirements, this provides a framework of support for Lake's TARGET 100 Program, which has the goal of producing annually 100,000 tonnes of high purity lithium chemical to market by 2030," he said.Ford has consented to this market release. Lake will update the market on progress on the implementation of the MOU with Ford as soon as it is able to do so.About Lake Resources NL

Lake Resources NL (ASX:LKE) (OTCMKTS:LLKKF) is a clean lithium developer utilising clean, direct extraction technology for the development of sustainable, high purity lithium from its flagship Kachi Project, as well as three other lithium brine projects in Argentina. The projects are in a prime location within the Lithium Triangle, where 40% of the world's lithium is produced at the lowest cost.



This method will enable Lake Resources to be an efficient, responsibly-sourced, environmentally friendly and cost competitive supplier of high-purity lithium, which is readily scalable, and in demand from Tier 1 electric vehicle makers and battery makers.


High-Grade Results Ahead of Near Surface Resource Update

Perth, April 11, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - West Australian gold exploration and development company, Rox Resources Limited ( ASX:RXL ), in conjunction with its joint venture partner Venus Metals Corporation Limited ( ASX:VMC ), is pleased to provide an update on drill results from the Youanmi Gold Project near Mt Magnet, WA, in the OYG JV area (Rox 70% and Manager, VMC 30%).Highlights:- Results improve confidence in mineralised zones in near mine areas- Latest results from Link include:- RXRC429: 4m @ 4.41g/t Au from 128m- RXDD043: 4m @ 4.43g/t Au from 52m- RXDD039: 1m @ 13.44g/t Au from 384m- RXDD044: 2m @ 5.41g/t Au from 286m- Drilling near historical underground workings intersects high gold grades:- RXRC452: 5m @ 9.82g/t Au from 198m,including 3m @ 15.86g/t Au from 198m- RXRC447: 4m @ 6.26g/t Au from 84m,and 6m @ 4.5g/t Au from 260m- RXDD038: 2m @ 11.8g/t Au from 109m- RXRC442: 4m @ 2.99g/t Au from 156m- Near Surface Mineral Resource update targeted mid-AprilThe latest round of high-grade drilling results were received from shallower parts of the Link area, and near pre-1942 stopes of the historical mine.Rox Managing Director Alex Passmore commented: "The further high-grade results from the Link area will likely contribute to the Youanmi Near Surface Resource. Results from near mine drilling further support the Company's belief in the potential for high-grade mineralisation near historic mine development.We look forward to providing an update on the Near Surface Resource in mid-April which consolidates near-surface drilling results.The Company continues simultaneously exploring and conducting mining studies as we progress the Youanmi Gold Project toward the potential restart of operations."Resource Infill at Link ProspectDrilling at Link focussed on resource conversion and extensional drilling to grow the recently reported resource inventory at Youanmi of 3Moz at 3.78g/t Au (ASX RXL 20 January 2022). At the 0.5g/t resource cut off, results from this zone are expected to add inventory to the indicated category of the Youanmi Near Surface Resource.Drilling to date at Link has defined a zone of high-grade mineralisation more than 200m from historical underground and open pit workings with extensive down-plunge continuity of high-grade ore zones. Mineralisation at Link remains open down plunge to the northwest and up plunge to the southeast (Figure 1*).Results were received from shallow infill RC drilling at Link aimed at achieving conversion of inferred to indicated resource in this area (Figure 1*).Highlights include:- RXDD043: 4m @ 4.43g/t Au from 52m- RXRC429: 4m @ 4.41g/t Au from 128m- RXRC435: 10m @ 1.39g/t Au from 76m,including 2m @ 4.1g/t Au from 84mAs well as further de-risking the project, the results reconcile well with inferred resource block grades in this area and demonstrate ore continuity. The results from infill drilling continue to add confidence in the Near Surface Resource model.Results were also received from extensional drilling down plunge for the historical Hill End underground mine.Highlights include:- RXDD039: 1m @ 13.44g/t Au from 384m and 0.89m @ 3.89g/t Au from 344m- RXDD044: 2m @ 5.41g/t Au from 286m and 0.39m @ 3.44g/t Au from 334.72mThese encouraging results demonstrate continuity of the mineralised structure down plunge of the Hill End Mine.Future drilling will test down dip and down plunge to target areas where thickening of mineralised zones is likely.Additional high gold grades intersected near historical underground workingsResults from drilling that tested for extensions to the historically mined high-grade stopes - in conjunction with previously reported results (ASX RXL 22 February 2022) - continue to define an area of high-grade material within close proximity to existing underground development, and serve to convert the inferred resource to indicated status, which will likely contribute to early production plans.Highlights from latest results include:- RXRC452: 5m @ 9.82g/t Au from 198m,including 3m @ 15.86g/t Au from 198m- RXRC447: 4m @ 6.26g/t Au from 84m,and 6m @ 4.5g/t Au from 260m- RXDD038: 2m @ 11.8g/t Au from 109m- RXRC442: 4m @ 2.99g/t Au from 156mForward PlanAn update to the Youanmi Near Surface Resource is expected to be announced mid-April 2022.The Company continues its approach of simultaneously exploring and conducting mining studies. Ongoing and planned activities at Youanmi include:- Inferred to indicated resource conversion and exploration drilling;- Feasibility level underground and open pit metallurgical testwork;- Scoping level study processing plant design and costing; and- Mine design and environmental work.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Venus Metals Corporation Limited

Venus Metals Corporation Limited (ASX:VMC) is a West Australian based Company with a focus on gold and base metals exploration. The Company aims to increase shareholder value through targeted exploration success on its projects.

The Company's major gold project is the Youanmi Gold Mine, located 500km north east of Perth. The Youanmi Gold Mine is now jointly owned by Venus Metals (30%) and Rox Resources Limited (70%) (OYG JV); Indicated and Inferred Resources of the mine is 1.7 million ounces of gold.

Exciting new discoveries at the Youanmi Gold Mine have been made at the Grace prospect in footwall granites where very high grades of free milling gold have been intersected, including 25m @34.7g/t Au from 143m (RXRC 287) and 13m @60.49 g/t from 181m (RXRC 239). The Grace Prospect may substantially add to the Youanmi Gold Mine resources.


High-Grade Gold Prospects Staked in Alaska

Ballarat, April 11, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - White Rock Minerals Ltd ( ASX:WRM ) ( OTCMKTS:WRMCF ) has been able to stake a contiguous block of new tenements in a new high-grade gold project, the White Gold Project, identified within the Tintina Gold Province, Alaska, host to giant gold deposits including Donlin Creek (45 Moz Au), Pogo (10 Moz Au) and Fort Knox (13.5 Moz Au).The White Gold Project encompasses 8 mineralised prospects connected by a 16-kilometre network of northeast trending geological structures. Historic surface geochemistry and core drilling completed by two previous explorers highlights the potential of the district, with White Rock staking 38 contiguous mining claims over 24km2 (5,900 acres).Highlights from historic exploration include:- Goldberg Prospecto 18.0m @ 9.1g/t gold including 4.0m @ 33.8g/t gold in surface trenching- Shalosky Prospecto 19.0m @ 4.0g/t gold including 2.6m @ 11.2/t gold in surface trenchingo 27.1m @ 3.1g/t gold from 88.3m including 1.2m @ 23.1g/t gold (WG11-02)- Low Prospecto 9.8m @ 8.6g/t gold including 3.8m @ 14.3g/t gold in surface trenchingo 20.0m @ 2.5g/t gold from 34.4m including 2.2m @ 17.4g/t gold (WG11-05)- Hunter Prospecto 28.0m @ 3.0g/t gold including 3.3m @ 16.4g/t gold in surface trenchingo The mineralised prospects appear to be controlled by a series of northeast trending structures within an orogenic setting that is distal to the Cretaceous granitic intrusions linked to mineralisation in the Tintina Gold Province. Within orogenic gold systems, fault-controlled mineralisation often persists for extensive strike lengths and depths.White Rock's Managing Director & CEO Mr Matt Gill commented:-"White Rock is committed to building a quality portfolio of high-grade precious metal assets in the world class Tintina Gold Province, to stand alongside our high-grade zinc-silver rich VMS deposit at Red Mountain, now measuring over 21 million tonnes at 8.5% Zinc Equivalent or 393 g/t Silver Equivalent grades."Generative exploration work by our first-class team in-country is continuing to highlight significant prospectivity where limited historic exploration has been undertaken when compared with similarly endowed terrains on a global scale. In this instance, White Rock has been able to stake a contiguous block of new tenements over 8 quality high-grade gold mineralised prospects that are structurally linked."I and the Team remain impressed and encouraged by the rich mineral endowment and high exploration prospectivity that the geology of Alaska offers. Overlaid by this geological prospectivity is the fact that Alaska is ranked by the Fraser Institute in the Top 5 jurisdictions in the world for overall Investment Attractiveness, which takes both mineral and policy perception into consideration."This project is at the early stages of discovery with several >10g/t gold intercepts across this sparsely drilled property offering tantalising upside potential."THE WHITE GOLD PROJECTThe White Gold project (the "Project") is located in central Alaska, 265km southwest of Fairbanks and only 25km south of the Alaska Highway. The Project is approximately 150km southeast of White Rock's district-scale Red Mountain VMS and Last Chance IRGS Gold Project. The tenement package comprises 38 State of Alaska mining claims over a total area of ~24km2, covering eight early-stage high-grade gold prospects: Shalosky, Kokanee, Hunter, HD Saddle, Goldberg, Low, Flicka and OTG.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About White Rock Minerals Ltd

White Rock Minerals Ltd (ASX:WRM) (OTCMKTS:WRMCF) is a diversified explorer and near-stage producer, headquartered in Ballarat, Victoria. The Company's flagship exploration project is Red Mountain in central Alaska. At Red Mountain, there are already two high grade zinc - silver - gold - lead VMS deposits, with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 9.1 million tonnes @ 609g/t AgEq / 13% ZnEq. The Company is also exploring its recently discovered large intrusion related gold anomaly at Last Chance, also located in the Tintina gold belt of Alaska, home to multi-million gold ounce deposits like Pogo, Fort Knox and the Donlin Project. The Company also has the Mt Carrington project, located near Drake, in Northern NSW, which is a near-production precious metals asset with a resource of 341,000 ounces of gold and 23.2 million ounces of silver on an approved mining lease, and with a Gold First PFS and JORC Reserve.


Resignation of Chairman

Melbourne, April 11, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Crowd Media Holdings Limited ( ASX:CM8 ) ( FRA:CM3 ) advises that Steven Schapera has tendered his resignation as Chairman and a director of the Board effective 30 June 2022. A new Chairman will be appointed in due course.Steven Schapera said "Crowd Media is in a great position to move on to the next level, as it drives its Talking Head AI-driven conversational commerce platform to commercialisation. The underlying EBITDA for the Company is profitable, all borrowings have been extinguished from the Balance Sheet and the first license agreement for our Talking Head has been executed. Operationally the company is led by an exceptionally savvy CEO, Idan Schmorak, and strategically it is led by an experienced board with a rare mix of skillsets. This is indeed an exciting inflection point for the company, but it's time for me to hand over the baton and focus on my other ventures."About Crowd Media Holdings Limited

Crowd Media Holdings Ltd (ASX:CM8) (FRA:CM3) is an Artificial Intelligence company that is leveraging its AI platform for applications in Conversational Commerce.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

It happens all the time.

Albuquerque police Sgt. Will Taylor, a pilot in the departments Aviation Unit, said sometimes a couple of times a week hell be flying in Albuquerque skies and a laser pointer strikes the helicopter. If it hits the acrylic window just right, the laser can flare the entire window and temporarily blind the crew.

Its almost as if somebody lit a firework right in front of the aircraft, he said. Its the equivalent of literally somebody in a very dark room taking a flash and just flashing in your eyes. So it causes you to lose that night vision for a while. It can be four seconds, it can be four minutes, depending on how intense the exposure is.

Though its readily available technology, a laser pointer can be dangerous when it strikes an aircraft.

And the strikes have become more common in Albuquerque, according to pilots in the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, where hundreds of airmen complete regular training flights at night when the aircraft are more vulnerable to being affected by a laser pointer.

Between August 2020 and August 2021, 58th SOW pilots reported 20 instances of being lased, according to KAFB officials.

NM 7th in incidents

The Federal Aviation Administration in a recent report found that New Mexico had the seventh most laser incidents in the country per capita, according to KAFB officials.

Kiiva Williams, a spokeswoman for the FAA, said across the country the agency received 9,723 laser strike reports from pilots in 2021, the highest number ever recorded by the agency. People who shine lasers at aircraft face fines of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple laser incidents.

She had no specific data on how often people in New Mexico face consequences for shining a laser pointer at an aircraft.

A KAFB news release says the reported lasing incidents in New Mexico have increased 218% since 2019.

If (a laser beam) comes inside the cockpit and anybody gets it near their face, well terminate the training sortie at that point, said Col. Michael Curry, the commander of the 58th SOW. We come back here to Kirtland. And then theres a checklist we use and then we call over to optometry to get evaluated to make sure that we dont have any injuries.

Medical evaluations needed

Lt. Col. Syreeta Lawrence, KAFBs optometrist, said that if airmen are struck with a laser while flying, the affected crew needs to be evaluated before they can fly again. That evaluation includes having their pupils dilated.

Lawrence said shes had patients on base who had lingering issues for an extended period of time after being lased while flying. She hasnt treated anyone who suffered permanent injuries.

So you can get something thats short term, she said. Or you can get anything from like burns, thermal burns or bleeding or swelling in the retina.

Curry said the Air Force rarely sees where the laser is coming from, in part because the first protocol is for the whole crew to go eyes in at the first sign of laser.

If they see a laser start to track it in the sky, their first call will be to say Eyes in,' he said. Which is look at your instruments, focus on that and get to a safe altitude so we dont get blinded by the laser.

APD can track

Albuquerque police, on the other hand, have a camera attached to their helicopter that can quickly hone in on the source of the laser and provide police with an address.

Taylor said officers will make reports on the incident and forward them to the FAA, which would enforce the federal law prohibiting people from using a laser against an aircraft.

Curry said he thinks pilots are seeing an increase in laser incidents because lasers are so common. Taylor said that the frequency of aircraft in Albuquerque  there is a Air Force base, pilot schools, the states only Level 1 trauma center and other hospitals with helipads in the city  could be another reason why the occurrences are frequent.

I personally do not believe that people are being nefarious or theyre trying to cause harm or trying to disrupt any air operations, Curry said. I think its simply that they have (lasers). And they want to shine them up and see if they can see if they can actually get it on the airplane as it goes over.
LAS CRUCES  Sitting cross-legged on the floor as his wife and six children laid plates of fruit on a red cloth in front of him, Wolayat Khan Samadzoi watched through the open balcony door for the sliver of new moon to appear in the cloudless New Mexico sky, where the sun had set beyond a desert mountain.

Then, munching on a date, the bushy-bearded former Afghan soldier broke his first Ramadan fast in the United States  far from the Taliban threat, but also the three dozen relatives he would be marking the start of the Muslim holy month with if he was still home in Khost, Afghanistan.

A few minutes after naan was dipped into bowls of stewed okra and beans, Samadzoi, his wife and the two oldest children retired to worship on their prayer rugs. On Saturday evening, the two-bedroom apartment filled with the murmurs of their invocations.

I pray for them, and they pray for me, they miss me, he said of his relatives back home. His cousin Noor Rahman Faqir, who is also now in Las Cruces, translated from Pashto to the simple English he learned working with American forces in Afghanistan.

As they adjust to their new communities, Afghan families evacuated to the United States as the Taliban regained power last summer are celebrating Ramadan with gratitude for their safety. Yet theres also the agony of being away from loved ones who they fear are in danger under a Taliban leadership crafting increasingly repressive orders.

From metropolitan areas with flourishing Afghan diasporas to this desert university community less than 40 miles from the Mexican border, tens of thousands of newly arrived Afghans share one predominant concern thats amplified in what should be a celebratory time: With only temporary immigration status and low-paying jobs, they feel helpless to take care of their families here and back home.

Abdul Amir Qarizada repeats several times the exact moment, 4:30 p.m., when he was ordered to take off from Kabuls airport during the chaos of the evacuation  with no time to get his wife and five children, who are still in Afghanistan more than seven months later.

My concern is the aircraft is safe, but my family is not safe, the former flight engineer says after Friday prayer at Las Cruces only mosque, where he goes by bike to find some peace.

So does Qais Sharifi, 28, who says he cant sleep with worry for his kids left behind, including a daughter born two months after he fled Afghanistan alone.

Both men break into smiles when the mosques education director, Rajaa Shindi, an Iraqi-born professor at nearby New Mexico State University, invites them to register for the free iftar dinners held nightly in the meeting hall decorated with gold balloons spelling Ramadan kareem  an Arabic greeting often used to wish people a happy Ramadan.

Local congregations like the mosque and El Calvario United Methodist Church in Las Cruces, as well as the Jewish and Christian-based organizations that resettle refugees across their national networks, have been helping Afghans find housing, jobs, English-language classes and schools for their children.

They decry the fact that most displaced Afghan families dont have permanent legal status in the United States, despite their services for the U.S. government, military or their Afghan allies during the post-9/11 Afghanistan war. That would give them access to many government benefits and an easier path to work and family reunification.

While Afghanistans decades of war and current food shortage mean far less extravagant feasts than in many countries where Ramadan is celebrated, the familiar tastes of home are top of mind for many displaced this year. Qarizada recalls his mothers signature festive dish of bolani, a stuffed fried bread like a giant samosa.

The three oldest Sultani children, from left, Sana, 8; Elaha, 9, and Shafiullah, 11, eat a midday meal prepared by their mother in the motel room the family shares in El Paso on March 26. (Giovanna DellOrto/Associated Press) Qais Sharifi, left, and Abdul Amir Qarizada, right, leave the mosque in Las Cruces after attending Friday prayer on April 1. Both Afghan men were evacuated to the United States when Kabul fell to the Taliban without time to bring their wives and children. So instead of celebrating the Muslim holy month of Ramadan with their loved ones, they planned to partake of free nightly iftar meals at the Southern New Mexico Islamic Center. (Giovanna DellOrto/Associated Press) Wolayat Khan Samadzoi prays using beads made in the colors of the flag of his native Afghanistan. (Associated Press) Prev 1 of 3 Next

The mother of Shirkhan Nejat still cries every time the 27-year-old makes a WhatsApp video call home from Oklahoma City, where he was resettled with his wife and the couples baby was born. Missing his close-knit extended family at Ramadan brings bad emotions, Nejat said, despite his gratitude for being safe.

Its such bonds, the warmth of large family gatherings around the iftar meal and the cacophony of familiar sights, sounds and smells marking the end of a days fast that many are yearning for in America.

In Texas, Dawood Formuli misses his familys typical pre-iftar routine: His hungry father irritably asking for his food. His mother asking her husband to calm down, and Formuli, 34, telling a joke to lighten the mood and make his father laugh. His children, in another room with their many cousins, sometimes playing, sometimes fighting. Allahu akbar, the call to prayer, spilling over from the mosque down the street.

Every day, its like Christmas, the former translator at the U.S. embassy in Kabul said of past Ramadans in the three-story house his family used to share with his parents, siblings and their families.

In his new apartment in Fort Worth, the call to prayer now comes from an app, not a minaret.

The transition has been especially hard for his pregnant wife, who is still learning English. Yet there are traces of the familiar in their new community: Muslim neighbors, mosques for the special Ramadan prayers, known as taraweeh, and halal food markets.

Khial Mohammad Sultani, who the day before Ramadan was still living in an extended stay motel on the outskirts of El Paso, had to ride nearly 80 miles round trip into New Mexico in a taxi to go buy and slaughter a lamb for Ramadan.

The 37-year-old former soldier, his wife Noor Bibi, and their six children broke the second days fast with pieces of that lamb stewed in an aromatic sauce around the one table in their duplex, newly built on a barren foothills lot unlike their house in Gardez, with its apple and pomegranate trees.

Right after iftar, four of the children got ready for their first day of school ever the next morning, another new thrill for their parents who never received a formal education.

But when it comes to faith, Sultani will continue to teach his children at home, as his father did for him.

The three oldest children  a boy, 11, and two girls, 9 and 8, with red headscarves loosely arranged over their long braids  pray in turn on a green rug that is among the familys most treasured possessions.

The familys Quran came from the military base in New Jersey where they first landed in the United States. But Sultanis father brought this rug from his pilgrimage at Mecca after another son was killed by the Taliban, a possible fate they escaped, crossing many checkpoints as they fled Afghanistan last summer.

We are Muslim, and a part of our faith is to thank Allah for everything, Sultani says in Dari through a volunteer translator. As appreciation for him, were doing this.
KYIV, Ukraine  The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, as weeks of attacks and privation leave the bodies of Mariupols people carpeted through the streets.

Speaking by phone Monday with The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko also accused Russian forces of having blocked weeks of thwarted humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage there from the outside world.

Mariupol has been cut off by Russian attacks that began soon after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in late February, and has suffered some of the most brutal assaults of the war. Boychenko gave new details of recent allegations by Ukrainian officials that Russian forces have brought mobile cremation equipment to Mariupol to dispose of the corpses of victims of the siege.

Russian forces have taken many bodies to a huge shopping center where there are storage facilities and refrigerators, Boychenko said.

Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned, he said.

Boychenko spoke from a location in Ukrainian-controlled territory but outside Mariupol. The mayor said he had several sources for his description of the allegedly methodic burning of corpses by Russian forces in the city, but did not detail the sources of his information.

The discovery of large numbers of apparently executed civilians after Russian forces retreated from cities around the capital, Kyiv, this month already has prompted widespread condemnation and charges from Ukrainians and the West that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine.

Elsewhere Monday, U.S. officials pointed to new signs that Russias military is gearing up for a major offensive in Ukraines eastern Donbas region, switching its focus after Russian forces failed in their initial drive to capture Kyiv.

Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region since 2014, and have declared independent states. A major confrontation between the two countries fighters in Donbas would allow Russia to try to use its numbers and greater military might to capture more territory there. Western military strategists say Russia also hopes to force Ukrainian fighters out into the open in more conventional battles in the east, rather than the successful hit-and-run attacks Ukrainian fighters have often employed so far.

Russia has appointed a seasoned general to lead its renewed push in the eastern Donbas region.

A senior U.S. defense official on Monday described a long Russian convoy now rolling toward the eastern city of Izyum with artillery, aviation and infantry support, as part of redeployment for what appears to be a looming Russian campaign in the east.

More artillery is being deployed near the city of Donetsk, while ground combat units that withdrew from around the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas appear destined for refitting and resupplying before they position in Donbas, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. military assessments.

With their offensive in many parts of the country thwarted, Russian forces have relied increasingly on bombarding cities  a strategy that has flattened many urban areas and killed thousands of people.

Ukrainian authorities accuse Russian forces of committing atrocities, including a massacre in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv, airstrikes on hospitals and a missile attack that killed at least 57 people last week at a train station.

In Bucha on Monday, the work of exhuming bodies from a mass grave in a churchyard resumed.

Galyna Feoktistova waited for hours in the cold and rain in hopes of identifying her 50-year-old son, who was shot and killed more than a month ago, but eventually she went home for some warmth. Hes still there, her surviving son, Andriy, said.

In Mariupol, about 120,000 civilians are in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications, the mayor said.

Only those residents who have passed the Russian filtration camps are released from the city, Boychenko said.

Ukrainian officials say Russian troops are confiscating passports from Ukrainian citizens then moving them to filtration camps in Ukraines separatist-controlled east before sending them to distant, economically depressed areas in Russia.

Boychenko said Monday that improvised prisons were organized for those who did not pass the filtering, while at least 33,000 people were taken to Russia or to separatist territory in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Ukrainians on Monday that Russia might use chemical weapons in Mariupol. We take this as seriously as possible, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

Western leaders have warned since before Russian troops moved into Ukraine that Russia could resort to unconventional weapons there, particularly chemical agents.

A Russia-allied separatist official, Eduard Basurin, appeared to urge their use Monday, telling Russian state TV that Russian-backed forces should seize a giant metals plant in Mariupol from Ukrainian forces by first blocking all the exits out of the factory. And then well use chemical troops to smoke them out of there, he said.

A Ukrainian regiment, without evidence, also claimed Monday that a drone had dropped a poisonous substance in Mariupol but said there were no serious injuries.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement that the U.S. could not confirm the drone report out of Mariupol. But Kirby noted the administrations persistent concerns about Russias potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the United Nations childrens agency said nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion began. The United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured, though the actual numbers are likely much higher.

Elsewhere, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks that were very direct, open and tough.

In a statement released by his office, Nehammer said his primary message to Putin was that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose. Nehammer said he also raised the issue of war crimes committed by the Russian military and said those responsible will be held to account.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

In other developments, the head of the separatist rebel government in Donetsk claimed Ukrainian forces have lost control of the port area of Mariupol.

Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is now under our control, Denis Pushilin, president of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, told Russian state television, according to Russian news agencies. The claim could not immediately be confirmed.

But Mariupols mayor said fighting continues at the port. It is difficult, but our heroic military holds on, Boychenko said.

Both sides are digging in for what could be a devastating war of attrition.

Russian forces will likely try to encircle the Donbas region from the north and the south as well as the east, said retired British Gen. Richard Barrons, co-chair of the U.K.-based strategic consulting firm Universal Defence & Security Solutions.

The ground in that part of Ukraine is flatter, more open and less wooded  so the Ukrainian ambush tactics used around Kiev may be less successful, Barrons said.

As to the outcome, its finely balanced right now, Barrons said. If the Russians learned from their previous failures, concentrated more force, connected their air force to ground forces better and improved their logistics, then they might start to overwhelm the Ukrainian positions eventually, although I still think it would be a battle of enormous attrition.

In a video address to South Korean lawmakers Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically requested equipment that can shoot down Russian missiles.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov claimed the military used cruise missiles to destroy four S-300 launchers near the central city of Dnipro on Sunday. He said the military also hit such systems in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions.

The Pentagon said it had seen no evidence to support Russias claims. And Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakias prime minister, denied Monday that the S-300 system it sent Ukraine had been destroyed.

Questions remain about the ability of depleted and demoralized Russian forces to conquer much ground after their advance on Kyiv was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders.

Britains Defense Ministry said Monday that Ukraine has already beaten back several assaults by Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions  which make up the Donbas  resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery.

Western military analysts say Russias assault increasingly is focusing on an arc of territory stretching from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, in the north, to Kherson in the south.

A residential area in Kharkiv was struck by incoming fire on Monday afternoon. Associated Press journalists saw firefighters putting out the fire and checking for victims following the attack, and saw that at least five people were killed, including a child.

Oleh Synyehubov, the regional governor of Kharkiv, said earlier Monday that Russian shelling had killed 11 people over the last 24 hours.

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Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Anna reported from Bucha, Ukraine. Associated Press Writer Robert Burns in Washington, and AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.

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Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Dairy farmers can seek reimbursement from the federal government for cows contaminated by chemicals that have leached into the groundwater around an Air Force base in eastern New Mexico.

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan on Friday commended a recent rule change by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that created a pathway for farmers to receive payments through the Dairy Indemnity Payment Program. Previously, farmers were able to get payments for lost milk production but could not get paid for their cows.

Lujan said in a statement that New Mexico farmers and ranchers are critical contributors to the states economy and that many producers have been brought to the verge of bankruptcy due to inaction and because programs that were designed to provide a safety were not working.

Beyond the moral imperative of the federal government providing just compensation, this announcement is part of a broader effort to support the dairy industry and rural communities, he said.

At one dairy near Cannon, Lujans office said an estimated 5,200 cows were impacted and about 2,000 of the animals have died.

New Mexico sued the Air Force in 2019 over PFAS contamination at Cannon and at Holloman Air Force Base in southern New Mexico. The state argued that the federal government had a responsibility to clean up plumes of toxic chemicals left behind by past military firefighting activities.

The synthetic chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances also are used in products ranging from cookware to carpets and have been increasingly showing up in drinking water systems, wells and food. They have been associated with health problems including cancer and reduced birth weight.

They often are referred to as forever chemicals because they do not easily degrade and can remain in the body for years.

Last year, the EPA announced a new strategy to regulate them.

In New Mexico, the Air Force began installing monitoring wells in March to determine the extent of forever chemicals in and around Cannon, which is located near the community of Clovis. The locations for the wells were determined following an extensive effort that involved the collection of soil and groundwater samples.

Air Force officials said the data collected from the wells will help determine potential future full-scale response efforts.
KYIV, Ukraine  As Ukrainian forces dug in on Sunday, Russia lined up more firepower and tapped a decorated general to take centralized control of the war ahead of a potentially decisive showdown in eastern Ukraine that could start within days.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Sunday in his nightly address to the nation that the coming week would be as crucial as any in the war, saying Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state.

He also accused Russia of trying to evade responsibility for war crimes in Ukraine.

When people lack the courage to admit their mistakes, apologize, adapt to reality and learn, they turn into monsters. And when the world ignores it, the monsters decide that it is the world that has to adapt to them, Zelenskyy said.

The day will come when they will have to admit everything. Accept the truth, he added.

Experts have said that the next phase of the battle may begin with a full-scale offensive. The outcome could determine the course of the conflict, which has flattened cities, killed untold thousands and isolated Moscow economically and politically.

In an interview that appeared on 60 Minutes Sunday night, Zelenskyy said Ukraines fate as the war shifts to the south and east depends on whether the United States will help match an expected surge in Russian weaponry in those regions.

To be honest, whether we will be able to (survive) depends on this, said Zelenskyy, speaking through a translator. I have 100% confidence in our people and in our armed forces. But unfortunately, I dont have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need.

Zelenskyy thanked President Joe Biden for U.S. military aide to date but added that he long ago forwarded a list of specific items Ukraine desperately needed and that history would judge Bidens response.

He has the list, Zelenskyy said. President Biden can enter history as the person who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people who won and chose the right to have their own country. (This) also depends on him.

Questions remain about the ability of Russias depleted and demoralized forces to conquer much ground after their advance on the capital, Kyiv, was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders. Britains Defense Ministry reported Sunday that the Russian forces were trying to compensate for mounting casualties by recalling veterans discharged in the past decade.

In Washington, a senior U.S. official said that Russia has appointed Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, one of its most seasoned military chiefs, to oversee the invasion. The official was not authorized to be identified and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Until now, Russia has had no central war commander on the ground.

The new battlefield leadership comes as the Russian military prepares for what is expected to be a large, focused push to expand control in Ukraines east. Russia-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donbas region since 2014 and declared some territory there as independent.

Dvornikov, 60, gained prominence as head of the Russian forces deployed to Syria in 2015 to shore up President Bashar Assads government during the countrys devastating civil war. U.S. officials say he has a record of brutality against civilians in Syria and other war theaters.

Russian authorities do not generally confirm such appointments and have said nothing about a new role for Dvornikov, who received the Hero of Russia medal, one of the countrys highest awards, from President Vladimir Putin in 2016.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking Sunday on CNNs State of the Union, played down the significance of the appointment.

What we have learned in the first several weeks of this war is that Ukraine will never be subjected to Russia, Sullivan said. It doesnt matter which general President Putin tries to appoint.

Western military analysts say Russias assault has increasingly focused on a sickle-shaped arc of eastern Ukraine  from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, in the north to Kherson in the south.

The narrower effort could help Russias problem, earlier in the war, of spreading its offensive too widely over too great a geographic area.

Just looking at it on a map, you can see that they will be able to bring to bear a lot more power in a lot more concentrated fashion, by focusing mainly on eastern Ukraine, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday.

Newly released Maxar Technologies satellite imagery showed an 8-mile convoy of military vehicles headed south through Ukraine to Donbas, recalling images of a convoy that got stalled on roads to Kyiv for weeks before Russia gave up on trying to take the capital.

On Sunday, Russian forces shelled government-controlled Kharkiv and sent reinforcements toward Izyum to the southeast in a bid to break Ukraines defenses, the Ukrainian military command said. The Russians also kept up their siege of Mariupol, a key southern port that has been under attack and surrounded for nearly 1  months.

A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said Russias military used air-launched missiles to hit Ukraines S-300 air-defense missile systems in the southern Mykolaiv region and at an air base in Chuhuiv, a city not far from Kharkiv.

Sea-launched Russian cruise missiles destroyed the headquarters of a Ukrainian military unit stationed farther west in the Dnipro region, Konashenkov said. Neither the Ukrainian nor the Russian military claims could be independently verified.

The airport in Dnipro, Ukraines fourth-largest city, was also hit by missiles twice on Sunday, according to the regional governor.

On Sunday night, Zelenskyy again called on Western countries to provide more assistance to Ukraine. During talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelenskyy said, he discussed how to strengthen sanctions against Russia and  force Russia to seek peace.

I am glad to note that the German position has recently changed in favor of Ukraine. I consider it absolutely logical, Zelenskyy said.

The president of the European Commission said on CNNs State of the Union Sunday that Ukraines response to a questionnaire she recently handed to Zelenskyy will enable her to decide whether to recommend the nation as a candidate to join the EU.

The process normally takes years, but Ursula von der Leyen has said Ukraines application could take just weeks to consider.

Yesterday, somebody told me: You know, when our soldiers are dying, I want them to know that their children will be free and be part of the European Union,' von der Leyen said.

Ukrainian authorities have accused Russian forces of committing war crimes against civilians, including airstrikes on hospitals, a missile attack that killed at least 57 people at a train station and other violence discovered as Russian soldiers withdrew from the outskirts of Kyiv.

A day after meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced that he will meet Monday in Moscow with Putin. Austria, a member of the European Union, is militarily neutral and not a member of NATO.
Lordsburg has a new recovery center for those dealing with substance abuse.

Hidalgo County Manager Tisha Green told the Journal that the facility  dubbed the Hidalgo Hope Haven and Recovery Center  is currently offering intense outpatient services. It will soon expand to offer detox and residential services for those trying to get their life back on track, Green said.

The services that will be provided at the Hidalgo Hope Haven and Recovery Center will benefit our entire community, from dispatch, law enforcement, detention staff, emergency medical services and, most importantly, the individuals suffering, Green said. Providing resources such as these will give those suffering from behavioral health and substance abuse issues an opportunity to effectively treat the root of the problem and reduce recidivism.

Recovery Management Center runs the Hope Haven facility, which contracts with the Adult Drug Court to help detox those who abuse drugs or alcohol, Green said. But the center is also open to the public, she said.

My administration will continue to use every available tool to expand and improve rural health care delivery for New Mexicans across the state, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement.

The county purchased the facility in September 2020, Green said, after about a year of discussion with government officials about what to do with the vacated property that formerly housed a nursing home.

The county paid about $225,000 for the facility with help from the New Mexico Finance Authority, Green said. And the state allocated $750,000 in capital outlay funds that went toward the renovation of the 2,700-square-foot facility; Hidalgo County has so far spent about $300,000.

Phase two and three of the drug and alcohol recovery center  which will add detox and residential services  are expected to be completed within the year. Construction on those projects will begin in May, Green said.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden asked Indias Narendra Modi on Monday not to accelerate the buying of Russian oil as the U.S. and other nations try to cut off Moscows energy income following the invasion of Ukraine. The Indian prime minister made no public commitment to refrain from Russian oil, a source of tension with the U.S.

Meeting by video call, Biden told Modi that the U.S. could help India diversify its sources of energy, according to press secretary Jen Psaki. Even though India receives little of its oil from Russia, it stepped up recently with a major purchase as other democracies are trying to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The president also made clear that he doesnt believe its in Indias interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy or other commodities, Psaki said.

At a separate State Department news conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar pointedly suggested that Europe, not India, be the focus of Washingtons concern about energy purchases from Russia.

I suspect, looking at the figures, probably our total purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon, he said.

While Biden and Modi ended their session with Biden saying they committed to strengthening their relationship, White House officials could not say if India stood with them in fully condemning Putin, saying the choice ultimately rested with Modis government. The two leaders will meet in person May 24 in Tokyo for a summit of the Quad, a coalition that also includes Australia and Japan.

At the State Department news conference, Blinken appeared to seek to cajole India into taking a stronger stance on the conflict in Ukraine, appealing to the countrys interest in upholding the international rules-based order and pointing out that resource-stretched Indians may be affected by both energy and food shortages caused by the war.

Russias aggression stands in stark contrast to the vision that the United States and India share for a free and open Indo-Pacific, and Russias actions are having a profound impact not just in Europe and Ukraine, but around the world, for example, causing food insecurity and rising prices, Blinken told reporters after the meetings concluded.

Indias neutral stance in the war has raised concerns in Washington and earned praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who lauded India this month for judging the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.

Biden opened the video conversation by emphasizing the defense partnership between the two countries and by saying the U.S. and India are going to continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilizing effects of this Russian war on food and other commodities.

The root of our partnership is a deep connection between our people, ties of family, of friendship and of shared values, the U.S. president said.

Modi on Monday called the situation in Ukraine very worrying, and he noted that an Indian student lost his life during the war. He said he has spoken with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appealing to both of them for peace. India has condemned the killings uncovered in the city of Bucha and has called for an independent investigation.

A senior U.S. official described the Biden-Modi exchange as warm and productive, though the official stressed that India would make its own decisions on how to respond to Putin. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the meeting.

Biden and Modi discussed how to manage the risks of global instability regarding food, humanitarian relief and climate change, and Modi candidly shared his views about some of the tight links between Russia and China that raise concerns, the official said.

Also Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met in person with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Austin appealed to India to act together with fellow democracies, a form of government based on the popular consent of the people that stands in contrast to autocracies such as China and Russia.

Now more than ever, democracies must stand together to defend the values that we all share, Austin said.

India has refrained from some efforts to hold Russia accountable for its invasion. India abstained when the U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the U.S. and Ukraine have called war crimes.

The vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.

India continues to purchase Russian energy supplies, despite pressure from Western countries to avoid buying Russian oil and gas. The U.S. has also considered sanctions on India for its recent purchase of advanced Russian air defense systems.

Last month, the state-run Indian Oil Corp. bought 3 million barrels of crude from Russia to secure its needs, resisting entreaties from the West to avoid such purchases. India isnt alone in buying Russian energy, however. Several European allies such as Germany have continued to do so, despite public pressure to end these contracts.

Indian media reports said Russia was offering a discount on oil purchases of 20% below global benchmark prices.

Iraq is Indias top supplier, with a 27% share. Saudi Arabia is second at around 17%, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 13% and the U.S. at 9%, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

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Sharma reported from New Delhi. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
BOISE, Idaho  An Idaho judge ruled Monday that a mother accused of conspiring to kill her children, her estranged husband and a lovers wife is now mentally competent to stand trial on some of the charges in Idaho.

Daybell and her new husband, Chad Daybell, face numerous charges in the complicated case involving allegations of bizarre spiritual beliefs involving zombies and doomsday predictions.

Prosecutors have said that Lori and Chad Daybell espoused the religious beliefs in an effort to encourage or justify the murders.

The case against her had been hold for months after Judge Steven Boyce ordered her committed to a mental facility so she could undergo treatment in an effort to make her mentally fit enough to assist in her own defense.

Boyces new order said Lori Vallow Daybell is restored to competency and is fit to proceed in the Idaho murder case. He did not provide other details about her treatment or mental condition.

She is scheduled to be formally arraigned in court next week and both Lori and Chad Daybell are set to stand trial together early next year.

Tare charged withconspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Lori Daybells children 7-year-old Joshua JJ Vallow, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as Chad Daybells first wife, Tammy Daybell.

Lori Daybell is also charged in Arizona with conspiring to kill her former estranged husband, Charles Vallow, with the help of her now-deceased brother, Alex Cox.

Chad Daybell has pleaded not guilty to the charges and Lori Daybell has not yet had an opportunity to enter a plea. Chad Daybells attorney, John Prior, declined to comment on the case. Lori Daybells attorney, Jim Archibald, did not immediately respond to voice and email messages requesting comment.

An indictment said Chad and Lori Daybell in 2018 while still married to other people began espousing an apocalyptical system of religious belief.

Lori Daybells brother Alex Cox shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in suburban Phoenix, according to an indictment in Arizona.

Cox asserted the shooting was in self-defense, and he was never charged. At the time, Charles Vallow was seeking a divorce, saying his wife believed she had become a god-like figure responsible for ushering in the biblical end of times. Cox later died of an apparent blood clot in his lung.

Shortly after Charles Vallows death, Lori Daybell  who then had the last name Vallow  and her children moved to the rural eastern Idaho community of Rexburg, near where Chad Daybell lived. At the time, Chad Daybell was married to Tammy Daybell. She died in October of 2019, and her obituary said the death was from natural causes.

Authorities grew suspicious, however, when Chad and Lori Daybell got married just two weeks later, and investigators had Tammy Daybells body exhumed for an autopsy. Authorities have not released her cause of death.

Police began searching for Lori Daybells youngest two children in November after relatives raised concerns. The Daybells quickly left town, and were found months later in Hawaii without the children.

Investigators later found the bodies of JJ and Tylee buried in Chad Daybells yard back in Idaho. They have not disclosed causes of death but court documents said Tylees body was partially burned.

Friends of the Daybells told investigators that the couple believed people could become zombies if they were possessed by evil spirits, a state in which their soul was trapped in limbo, according to police reports. The couple reportedly believed that the only way to rid a person of a zombie was for their body to die, according to police reports.

A friend of the couple, Melanie Gibb, told investigators that Lori Daybell referred to her youngest children as zombies, and police in Arizona said the couple exchanged text messages saying that Tammy Daybell had been possessed by a dark spirit.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  New Mexicos voting laws got a congressional close-up Monday, as a U.S. House subcommittee held a field hearing at the Roundhouse that focused on steps the state has taken to expand voter access.

The hearing, which was not attended by any Republican members, comes as a proposed federal update of the Voting Rights Act has stalled in the U.S. Senate and some states have moved to enact laws restricting some types of voting and election-related activities.

U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., chairman of the subcommittee on elections, said at the onset of Mondays hearing that New Mexicos approach to voting laws stands in contrast to anti-democratic measures enacted in other states, including his home state of North Carolina.

This great state has moved in the opposite direction by increasing access to the ballot box for voters, said Butterfield, who plans to retire this year after 18 years in Congress.

New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver was one of several individuals who testified at the Monday field hearing, which was part of a series of hearings around the country held to gather evidence of voter suppression and issues facing elections officials.

Toulouse Oliver, who is seeking reelection this year, cited past threats she has received related to her job duties and lamented the spread of misinformation about voter fraud and other election-related issues.

We have to collectively figure out how we can make it so these lies are not tolerated and they are not allowed to propagate, she said.

The secretary of state, a Democrat, also said New Mexico has conducted fair and accurate elections after adding same-day voter registration, ballot drop boxes and allowing 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections, provided they turn 18 before the general election.

It is a fallacy to say ballot access comes at the expense of election security, Toulouse Oliver said.

New Mexico voter turnout surged in 2020, with 68% of registered voters casting ballots in that years general election.

The turnout percentage was the states highest since 2008, when 70% participated, and New Mexico set a record for raw votes cast with more than 928,000 ballots cast altogether.

Of that amount, roughly 35% were cast via absentee ballot, as registered New Mexico voters are not required to provide a reason for requesting an absentee ballot and casting their votes via that method.

However, a simmering debate over election integrity has intensified in New Mexico and in other states in recent years, driven in large part by former President Donald Trumps unsubstantiated claims he was denied victory in the 2020 presidential election by widespread fraud.

A proposed New Mexico voting rights bill establishing a permanent absentee voter list and restoring the voting rights of felons upon their release from jail failed during this years 30-day legislative session when a Republican senator filibustered on the sessions final day to prevent a final vote.

In addition, the Monday field hearing at the state Capitol was interrupted by Albuquerque resident Marcie May, who said it was unfair it was being conducted without GOP participation.

The hearing ended after Butterfield warned she could be arrested for the interjection, but May later told reporters she witnessed voting irregularities as a poll challenger in Albuquerque and accused Democrats of labeling those who oppose their election proposals as racists.

But advocates for expanded voting rights like Andrea Serrano, the executive director for OLE, or Organizers in the Land of Enchantment, an Albuquerque-based nonprofit group, said misleading election-related information is often spread with a specific goal in mind.

That disinformation is done intentionally, Serrano said. And its done specifically to keep people of color from voting.

Committee staffers for the elections subcommittee of the U.S. Committee on House Administration said Republican members were invited to attend Mondays hearing  including via remote participation  but declined to do so.

Meanwhile, the field hearing gave the opportunity to two members of New Mexicos congressional delegation  Democratic U.S. Reps. Teresa Leger Fernandez and Melanie Stansbury  to attend to congressional business on their home turf.

Leger Fernandez, who is a member of the subcommittee, cited her past legal work before running for Congress to address long lines to vote on tribal lands in New Mexico, among other issues.

She also said some of the testimony provided Monday would be valuable for committee members.

Some of the issues that were raised here, like the need to provide funding so there is a steady source for our secretary of secretary of state, thats something Im going to go back and work on immediately, Leger Fernandez told reporters.

Both Leger Fernandez and Stansbury, who is not a member of the subcommittee but was allowed to attend the field hearing, are running for election this year under a congressional map that was redrawn by legislators during a December special session on redistricting.
The University of New Mexicos Health Sciences Centers top financial officer, Ava Lovell, will retire in June.

Lovell, HSCs senior executive officer for Finance & Administration, has spent nearly 28 years with UNM. She began her time with the university in 1994 and has been in her current role since 2012.

I just cant think of a better way to spend your time that you put into a career any place else really, Lovell told the Journal. It went so fast and I really enjoyed it.

A certified public accountant with more than 30 years of financial management experience, Lovell has fiscal and administrative oversight for academic and health system enterprises under UNMs Health Sciences Center.

She had received her bachelors degree in accountancy from Northern Arizona University. She also received her masters degree in health administration from the University of Southern California in 2016.

Lovells most recent salary stood at $275,000, according to UNMs transparency portal.

Lovells career had taken her many places before her time at UNM. She had worked for a national auditing firm in Ernst & Young and several Fortune 500 companies, including PepsiCo, before heading to UNM.

In 2007, Lovell became the vice president and university controller over main campus and UNM Health Sciences Centers financial services. By 2012, she had moved full-time into HSCs Finance & Administration department as SEO.

Lovell has also taught some classes related to accounting through the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

Her excellent skills and knowledge combined with tireless efforts has helped create stability in a rapidly changing healthcare and health sciences landscape, and we have been very fortunate to benefit from her leadership, executive vice president for Health Sciences and CEO of UNM Health System Doug Ziedonis said.

The UNM Health Sciences Center said it will conduct an internal search for an interim VP of Finance & Administration until a national search is implemented for the role. Lovell, whose last day is June 30, will remain through the rest of the year in an advisory capacity, according to HSC.
Philadelphia became the first major U.S. city to reinstate its indoor mask mandate on Monday after reporting a sharp increase in coronavirus infections, with the citys top health official saying she wanted to forestall a potential new wave driven by an omicron subvariant.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases have risen more than 50% in 10 days, the threshold at which the citys guidelines call for people to wear masks indoors, said Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, the health commissioner. Health officials believe the recent spike is being driven by the highly transmissible BA.2 subvariant of omicron, which has spread rapidly throughout Europe and Asia, and has become dominant in the U.S. in recent weeks.

If we fail to act now, knowing that every previous wave of infections has been followed by a wave of hospitalizations, and then a wave of deaths, it will be too late for many of our residents, said Bettigole, noting about 750 Philadelphia residents died in the wintertime omicron outbreak. This is our chance to get ahead of the pandemic, to put our masks on until we have more information about the severity of this new variant.

Health inspectors will begin enforcing the mask mandate at city businesses on April 18.

Most states and cities dropped their masking requirements in February and early March following new guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that put less focus on case counts and more on hospital capacity. The CDC said at that time that with the virus in retreat, most Americans could safely take off their masks.

Philadelphia ended its indoor mask mandate March 2, and Bettigole acknowledged it was wonderful to feel that sense of normalcy again.

Confirmed cases have since risen to more than 140 per day  still a fraction of what Philadelphia saw at the height of the omicron surge  while only 46 patients are in the hospital with COVID-19. The CDC says community spread in Philadelphia remains low, a level at which the agency says that masking can be optional.

The restaurant industry pushed back against the citys reimposed mask mandate, saying workers will bear the brunt of customer anger over the new rules.

This announcement is a major blow to thousands of small businesses and other operators in the city who were hoping this spring would be the start of recovery, said Ben Fileccia, senior director of operations at the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association.

PolicyLab at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia said Friday that while it expects some increased transmission in the northern U.S. over the next several weeks, hospital admissions have remained low and our team advises against required masking given that hospital capacity is good.

Bettigole said requiring people to mask up will help restaurants and other businesses stay open, while a huge new wave of COVID-19 would keep customers at home. She said hospital capacity was just one factor that went into her decision to reinstate the mandate.

I sincerely wish we didnt have to do this again, Bettigole said. But I am very worried about our vulnerable neighbors and loved ones.

In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams has paused his push to unwind many of the citys virus rules as cases have risen, opting for now to keep a mask mandate for 2 to 4-year-olds in city schools and preschools. But Adams, a Democrat who has said New Yorkers should not let the pandemic run their lives, has already lifted most other mask mandates and rules requiring proof of vaccination to dine in restaurants, work out at gyms or attend shows.

Adams was asked at a virtual news conference Monday afternoon if he was considering reimposing the New York City mask mandate in light of Philadelphias decision. The mayor said he would listen to his team of medical doctors for their advice on whether to bring back any restrictions. Adams himself tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.

New York City is now averaging around 1,800 new cases per day, about three times higher than in early March when New York began easing rules. That does not include the many home tests that go unreported to health officials.

The latest outbreak has struck many high-profile officials in Washington, including Cabinet members and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut. Some universities have reinstated mask mandates.

D.C. health officials say they have no immediate plans to change virus protocols, but they reserve the right to change course down the road.

___

Rubinkam reported from northeastern Pennsylvania. Associated Press reporter Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this story.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams mother, Sonja Lujan, died over the weekend of natural causes, the governor announced Monday.

The governor said last week that her mother, who was 82 years old, had recently taken a turn for the worse and was receiving hospice care at the governors official residence in Santa Fe.

In a Monday statement released by Lujan Grisham and her brother, Gregory Lujan, the governor said her mother spent her final days surrounded by loved ones. She died Sunday.

She adored her family, and we treasured every minute we had with her, Lujan Grisham said. She was my mom, irreplaceable, and I love her dearly.

The governor acted as her mothers caretaker during recent years and spoke emotionally several times during the COVID-19 pandemic about the strain of trying to safely visit and interact with her mother at an Albuquerque assisted living home.

In her statement, the governor described her mother as a dedicated advocate for her sister Kimberly, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was 2 years old and died at age 21.

Specifically, Sonja Lujan pushed for the best standard of care for her daughter, refusing to back down when she believed there was more that could be done, the governor said.

Her tenacity and determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges has inspired me every single day of my adult life, Lujan Grisham said Monday. She taught me to fight hard  to make sure no one is left behind, that no family is lacking the support they need and deserve.

In a 2018 interview while running for governor, Lujan Grisham also said the financial toll her parents faced to pay for her sisters medical treatments helped her relate to the plight of other New Mexicans going through health issues.

Sonja Lujan was born in Indiana and lived abroad for part of her childhood due to her fathers service in the U.S. Air Force, according to the Governors Office.

She married Llewellyn Buddy Lujan in 1959 and the couple lived in both Los Alamos and Santa Fe, eventually having three children. The governors father was a dentist and died in 2011.

Numerous New Mexico elected officials and candidates, Democrats and Republicans alike, issued statements Monday expressing their condolences to the governor following the death of Sonja Lujan.
A fire burning in the Belen bosque prompted evacuations on Monday afternoon.

The Big Hole Fire was first reported north of Rio Communities at about 1:30 p.m. and had burned about 60 acres two hours later.

The Valencia County Fire Department said evacuations were in progress for the areas of Blue Sky Road, Las Chapulinas and Nighthawk Road.

Evacuees should report to the Belen Recreation Center at 305 Eagle Lane.
Facebook Music

The rapper daughter of Benzino scores a major commercial success with Nicki Minaj's collaboration 'Blick Blick', which serves as one of the tracks off the former's debut album, 'Trendsetter'.

Apr 11, 2022

AceShowbiz - The drama behind Coi Leray's collaboration with Nicki Minaj has paid off. The 24-year-old, who previously lashed out at her father Benzino for leaking info about "Blick Blick", scored a major commercial success with the new single as it jumped to No. 1 spot on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart with 8,000 downloads in the week ending March 24.

Released on March 22, the track burst into the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, starting at No. 10 on the list dated April 2. It marks Coi's first time to enter the list, while it's Nicki's 37th overall visit to the top tier and third consecutive trip.

"Blick Blick" additionally arrived at No. 8 on the Hot Rap Songs chart, also marking Coi's first Top 10 on the list. Meanwhile, the song peaked at number 37 on the U.S Billboard Hot 100 and number 68 in Canada.

"Blick Blick", which serves as one of the tracks off Coi's debut album "Trendsetter", was released along with its music video where she and Nicki rap about their sexual activity and brag about their expensive lifestyles.

Nicki initially wanted to pull her verse from the song after Coi's dad Benzino leaked their collaboration. When hopping on Clubhouse back in February, the TV personality divulged, "She got the song with Nicki Minaj that's gonna be coming out that's gonna be crazy."

The Harajuku Berbie denied the claim. As for Coi, she slammed her dad on Twitter, saying, "It's my turn now. It's my turn, daddy. I'ma need you to sit the f**k down, grab some popcorn, enjoy the show, and clap for me when it's time to clap for me. Alright, daddy?"

Regretting his action, Benzino then issued an apology on Twitter. "Gm world, I have to [do] better and I will," he said, before adding in another tweet, "I just wanna apologize to Coi, Nicki everyone involved. I meant no harm nor did I mean to offend or disrespect anyone. I know better, it's a business of trust and I broke that. I feel horrible and sad. I am 100 percent in the wrong and it will never happen again. Smh."
Instagram Celebrity

When standing up for herself in a video she shares on her YouTube channel, the former star of 'The Real Housewives of Orange County' insists that she is not 'a bigot' nor 'a homophobe.'

Apr 11, 2022

AceShowbiz - Kelly Dodd has spoken out after facing backlash over her alleged "offensive" joke. The former "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star defended herself after her insensitive social media post made her being removed from a gay event.

On Sunday, April 10, the former Bravo star posted a video on her YouTube page, Rick & Kelly UNMASKED, in which she and her husband Rick Leventhal addressed the matter. In the beginning of the nearly 14-minute clip, she said that she received heavy backlash from LGBTQ community after she posted a "joke" on her Twitter account.

The said joke was an image of hand-drawn pictures of several women's genital areas from different decades. One of the illustrations saw a penis between a woman's leg. "Payback is a b***h. How women have changed over the years," read the text over the graphics.

"I thought it was funny. Half of the people thought it was funny," Kelly told the viewers. Rick then chimed in, "Kelly didn't mean anything. There was no mean spiritedness behind it. It's just like something [Kelly] thought was funny."

Kelly and Rick stressed that it wasn't Kelly who created the meme. "It's funny because the bush has evolved over time," Kelly pointed out, while Rick said, "My point is, the person who created that meme might be a transgender. We don't know what their motivation was for making that meme. They might have been poking fun at themselves. We don't know."

"The point is, [Kelly] should not have been uninvited to an event," Rick noted. "They should have encouraged people to come to the event to have dialogue with [Kelly] because that's what this country was based on."

Kelly later said, "I just want everybody to know that I'm not here to hate on anybody. I'm here to love everybody. I want everybody to be happy and that's the truth." She further highlighted, "So for people to take this little meme and turn it into something as if I'm a bigot or I'm a homophobe is completely and utterly wrong."

Kelly received an invitation from DJ Ryan to help host the gay event at a gay club in Los Angeles on Sunday at 6 P.M. "I was happily to celebrate this gay event," Kelly explained in the clip. "I was here to help the LGBTQ community. That's what I went there for. I wasn't getting paid to do it. I went just to celebrate the LGBTQ community."

Unfortunately, Kelly's invitation was pulled last minute by the people running the party after she was called out for her "transphobic" social media post. "King Sundays has postponed the invite to Kelly Dodd to join us tomorrow," read a statement from the event on Saturday night, April 9. "We do not condone Kelly's recent post. However, we are happy to help educate her ... Kelly has invited myself and a member of the trans community to join her on her podcast to talk about LGBTQ+ issues, in an effort to learn how she can be a better ally."

Upon learning of the sudden cancellation, Kelly turned to her Instagram page to slam "the intolerance." The 46-year-old reality star wrote, "Cancel culture strikes again !!! Was looking forward to helping host this event with my very good friend @djryankenney but apparently some people have lost their sense of humor swipe right to see why I got disinvited."

"The intolerance is so sad & counterproductive since we can't have conversations and share thoughts & perspectives if we're not together," Kelly added. "I love all people & just wish tolerance worked both ways. The hypocrisy is real !!!"
Instagram Celebrity

When defending the controversial campaign amid fans' outrage over photoshop allegations, the 'America's Next Top Model' creator says she's happy to showcase her 'curvier' body.

Apr 11, 2022

AceShowbiz - Tyra Banks is defending Kim Kardashian's controversial SKIMS campaign. In a new interview, the supermodel said that she finds it "pretty empowering" despite the photoshop accusations.

During a new interview with Hoda Kotb on "Today", the "America's Next Top Model" creator said, "This is something I've been talking about for decades." She went on to share, "So, me curvier, me damn near almost 50 years old in this campaignI think it is pretty empowering."

Elsewhere during the conversation, Tyra also revealed how the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" alum convinced her to pose for SKIMS. "[Kim] said when I was on the cover of 'Sports Illustrated' she hadn't seen boobs that were real and big," the 48-year-old model recalled. "She said that that gave me self-esteem for my body. So we had, like, a serious conversation, and I finally said, 'Let's do this!' "

Kim, who also joined the interview, added, "We just had an honest heart-to-heart conversation, and she got to hear what the brand stands for, why I started the brand." The 41-year-old reality star, who said that she and Tyra have known each other for a "really long time" and that she has "so much respect for her," stressed, "I'm just all about supporting women."

Earlier this week, Kim released a new ad for her SKIMS line. The new campaign featured iconic models, including Tyra, Heidi Klum, Alessandra Ambrosio as well as Candice Swanepoel. "Introducing Tyra, Heidi, Alessandra and Candice in their first-ever joint campaign," read the caption of the ad. "Wearing our signature Fits Everybody collection, it doesn't get more iconic than this."

However, shortly after the photographs were released, many social media critics slammed Kim, accusing her of photoshopping the pictures to make Tyra appear slimmer. "These pics are stunning but Tyra looked so gorgeous naturally and this editing is so bizarre and unnecessary?" one person claimed.

"Tyra seems to be a victim of extreme photoshop in this one - where did her body go?" a separate person sarcastically asked. Another critic wrote, "Appalled to see the amount of photoshop done to Tyra Banks' body in Kim Kardashian's new Skims and campaign."
If youve ever shared a sibling-like relationship with someone, by blood or otherwise, then you must have gone through a spectrum of emotions - from helping one on his quest for love like Rhea and Varun in Eternally Confused and Eager for Love, to being at each other's throats like Nolan Booth and John Hartley in Red Notice, to dealing with your brother as you look to find the most deserving suitor like Anthony and Daphne in Bridgerton, and even teaming up against your parents like Katie, Evan, and Ellie Torres in Yes Day. So this Siblings Day, vicariously relive some of the bittersweet relationships through these 14 titles on Netflix.

The Fame Game [Series]

Avinash (Lakshvir Saran) and Amara (Muskkaan Jaferi) redefine trust with their silent but synergic bond, when they continue to stand hand in hand in pursuit of finding their missing mother even when the whole world raises a finger on them.

Dil Dhadakne Do [Film]:

Your siblings are the only ones who will have your back till the very last moment. Ayesha (Priyanka Chopra) and Kabir Mehra (Ranveer Singh) must stand by each other even when the ugly truth behind their dysfunctional familys flawless facade is peeled open by nosy relatives and friends during a shipboard holiday gone wrong.

Tall Girl [Film]:

Did you also look up to your older sibling as a role model while growing up? Jodis (Ava Michelle) biggest insecurity is being the tallest girl in school but her beauty queen sister, Harper (Sabrina Carpenter), does not always help smooth things over for her. Discover how Jodi with the help of her far-from-perfect sister, gets over her insecurities about her appearance and finds the confidence to stand tall during one of the most difficult phases of her life.

Bridgerton [Series]:

Having an older sibling means getting into screaming matches and never being able to agree upon anything. Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) takes his responsibilities as an elder brother to new heights when he begins to rule out potential suitors for his sister, Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor). Watch them as they bicker back and forth about everything, and yet always end up having each other's back. ( Bonus: Catch more of the Bridgerton house madness in the new season)

Yes Day [Film]:

Do you and your siblings often tag-team to gang up against your parents? Parents Carlos and Allisons patience is tried and tested multiple times when they give their three kids a YES DAY'', where the children make the rules for 24 hours and the parents cannot say no. Sit tight as the little troublemakers cook up a big pot of mischief and make the most out of their adventurous day, taking you back to your childhood days.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S. [Series]:

If "it hasn't been your day, your week, your month or even your year", youll be able to relate to Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica (Courteney Cox) the most. Become a part of their lives in this evergreen series as they push each other over the edge with their constant bickering, crazy antics, dance routines and pure love for each other that will surely make you miss the miles between you and your sibling.

Eternally Confused and Eager for Love [Series]:

Socially awkward, low on self-esteem, 24 year old Ray (Vihaan Samat) might not have many friends in his life but his two friends, Varun (Ankur Rathee) and Rhea (Dalai) would go to any length to have his back - whether to rescue him from a social situation or support him in his quest for is one true love.

Pyaar Ka Punchnama [Film]:

Meet the super trio from the 2-part film series that showcases the perfect bromance between three best friends. From supporting each other with their ambitions and relationships to being there when both dont work, they will make extreme efforts to make sure the other is okay and leave you wishing for an ultimate bro like the three.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara [Film]:

If you have ever dreamt about having the most amazing bachelorette, this film is the perfect watch for you. While it will make you all kinds of jealous, you would not want to stop yourself from taking a wild road trip with the three best friends Arjun (Hrithik Roshan), Kabir (Abhay Deol) and Imran (Farhan Akhtar) around Spain. Watch as they deep dive into the deepest oceans, fly in the sky, and run with the bulls to overcome their biggest fears together. Their adventures are sure to fill you with a sense of nostalgia and remind you of the true value of close knit friendships and forgiveness.

3 Idiots [Film]:

When you have a friend telling you All is well then all must most certainly be well. Rancho (Aamir Khan), Raju (Sharman Joshi), and Farhan (R. Madhavan) hold a bond unlike any other, unaffected by their different backgrounds, ambitions and way of life. All they know is to be there and support each other, fighting every odd put against them.

Red Notice [Film]:

If you enjoy watching tender, sweet and bickersome bromances, then the on-screen chemistry between Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds) and John Hartley (Dwayne Johnson) is sure to leave you in bouts of laughter. Get ready to go on a high flying adventure with the duo as they take you around the world, across the dance floor, trapped in a secluded prison, into the jungle, and worst of all - constantly in each others company.

Alexa and Katie [Series]:

Alexa (Paris Berelc) & Katie (Isabel May) simply cannot imagine being away from each other whether it be at school, at home, or in the hospital. They will leave you wanting to see more, as they stand by each other, overcoming emotional hardships as one.

The Kissing Booth [Film]:

Elle Evans (Joey King) and her BFF Lee (Joel Courtney) have been glued at the hips since day one and cannot imagine not being involved in each others lives. But what happens when she is posed with the age old question of picking between her best friend and her boyfriend? If youve faced a similar situation, better watch this trilogy about love and friendship.

Never Have I Ever [Series]:

Meet the trio Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez) and Eleanor (Ramona Young) who are like peas in a pod, navigating through the everyday pressures of high school, home, and new romantic relationships. Watch their bond grow stronger in the middle of all the drama and chaos while they spill some real tea with you.
All India Gaming Federation, the apex industry body for the sunrise online gaming sector hosted its first edition of AIGF Knowledge Series, sponsored by MPL, Spartan Poker & Gameskraft with Meghalaya as the Partner State. It concluded the two-day virtual event scheduled on 7th and 8th April 2022. Honble CM of Meghalaya, Shri Conrad Sangma graced the occasion with his presence as the Chief Guest and delivered the inaugural address. This edition is focused on Meghalaya and the recent regulatory framework, legalities and the future of online gaming in the state.

The Honble CM of Meghalaya, Shri Conrad Sangma in his inaugural speech said, I am indeed very thankful to the All India Gaming Federation for having me here today. Online skill gaming is a sunrise industry as it has reached 1.5 billion US dollars in size and expected to double in size by 2025. This industry is a direct beneficiary of the Honble Prime Minister Narendra Modis Digital India initiatives started seven years back. The gaming industry at large has a huge potential to be an engine of growth, employment and innovation across the world. We are happy to partner with the industry through AIGF Knowledge Series with spotlight on Meghalaya today and tomorrow. My team and I are looking forward to hearing from domain experts on best practices that we as a state can deploy to build a strong gaming ecosystem in Meghalaya.

The first day of the webinar saw a range of eminent speakers from the gaming industry as well as other stakeholders, including bureaucrats and Ministers. Honble Minister for Registration, Taxation & Stamps, Govt of Meghalaya, Shri, James Sangma and Ms. Sarika Aggarwal Synrem, Commissioner & Secretary, Taxation, Government of Meghalaya, Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, IT & Industries  Telangana, Senior Counsel Aryama Sundaram, Mr. Sai Srinivas, MPL (Mobile Premier League) Co-Founder & CEO, Dr. Sutanu Behuria, Former bureaucrat & Skill Games Council Member, PK Misra, Former bureaucrat & Skill Games Council member, were amongst the speakers who shared their insights on various important themes including Importance & Benefits Of Regulating This Sunrise Sector By States, Global Best Practices  Online Skill Gaming, Online Skill Gaming  Judicial Acceptance amongst other regulatory led topics.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Roland Landers, CEO of All India Gaming Federation said, It is an

honour and privilege to have the Honble Chief Minister Shri Conard Sangma grace us with his presence for this edition of the AIGF Knowledge series. Meghalaya as a state has the potential to become one of the most progressive and massive markets for the gaming industry, if the framework is inclusive. The AIGF is delighted to provide the platform where senior industry leaders & domain experts from the bureaucracy, legal, regulatory, business, social media and investor backgrounds, to come together and have meaningful discussions that will go a long way in shaping the future of this growing industry.

The second day of the webinar was power packed with insightful panels on topics like Media Platforms & Online Gaming, Building Efficiencies In The Gaming Ecosystem, Life Skills & Online Skill Gaming and a fireside chat on Online Gaming Investors Session. Many dignitaries and key stakeholders form the gaming ecosystem including; Mr Amin Rozani, Co-founder & CEO - Spartan Group, Prof Farhat Basir Khan, Director, Media Studies & Skill Games Council Member, Ms Manisha Kapoor, Secretary General, Advertising Standards Council of India, Mr Amit Yadav, Lead ,Gaming Paytm, Mr Ajay Rajan Senior Group President - Yes Bank, Mr Rakesh Maheshwari, Sr Director & Group Coordinator, Cyber Laws - MeitY, Dr Rajesh Sagar, Professor & Head Department Psychiatry AIIMS, Ms Fatema Agarkar, Educationist & Skill Games Council Member and Mr Atul Bisht, Senior Assistant Vice President & Head - Technology, Media, Telecom & ESDM - Invest India, Mrs Shweta Rajpal Kohli, Chief Public Policy Officer - Sequoia participated and concluded the two day series.

With such a power packed AIGF Knowledge Series event, we are positive that the Indian online skill gaming industry will be seen in a different and a progressive light. Our aim with this series is to begin insightful and riveting discussions across strategic gaming themes and also collaborate with key states in the future for greater outreach and awareness. I am thankful to all the eminent speakers who contributed their insights through various discussions on the online gaming landscape and the potential it holds. He added

Ms. Sarika Aggarwal Synrem, Commissioner & Secretary Government of Meghalaya and Mr. Sunil Krishnamurthy, General Secretary AIGF gave the valedictorian address for Day 1 and Day 2 respectively. The event was scheduled keeping in mind the international audience, who are keen to consider the developments in gaming in Meghalaya, as well as keep abreast with the pace this industry has set across India.

The AIGF Knowledge Series is a cohesive module to spark up conversations and create awareness about the online skill gaming landscape. The series will be held in collaboration with different states in the country to foster insightful and riveting discussions across strategic gaming themes through panel discussions, fireside chats by various domain experts from the industry and gaming ecosystem.





Key Takeaways from the Day 1s discussions:

Digital India initiatives accelerated the online skill gaming industry with increased penetration of smartphone and high-speed internet

Creation of an enabling environment will foster a regulatory framework in the gaming sector

From a state perspective, it has been observed that from early 2010s, states have been under a lot of pressures pertaining to fraudulent, illegal acts, etc. The regulatory bodies including the police did not have the capabilities to regulate online gaming effectively. Hence blanket ban seemed like a viable option that time.

In the last few years, it was realised that blanket bans are not a solution and there is a need to regulate and bring in a self-regulation mechanism like the one practiced by the AIGF

There is a need for clarity in terms of taxation, having a rational tax slab will result in revenue generation as well as create a regime where businesses in the sector can do a good job in running the business

Once there is regulation in place, the menace of grey market operators can be eliminated

Stability in the sector will help the young gamers to learn a lot of digital skills and shape their careers at large



Constitutional principles have been applied by various HCs has established that online games of skill even if played with an entry fee is not gambling bringing business certainty to this industry

Meghalaya recently came out with the gaming regulation act and the primary reason for it was because the state understands the potential of the gaming industry in a tourist-friendly state like Meghalaya

Governments should to work in collaboration with the AIGF and protect the players and the legitimate gaming industry.

A game that requires adequate amount of knowledge, skills, ability & intuition to play should be considered has game of skill and be regulated under the law.

Key Takeaways from the Day 2s discussions:
In a commitment to further strengthen its technology vertical, BYJUS, the worlds leading edtech company, today announced the appointment of Vedhanarayanan Ganeshkumar as Vice-President, Technology. As a tech-driven global leader in education, BYJUS has been investing in the powerful synergy of technology and innovation by scaling its robust tech team. This new appointment is part of BYJU'S concerted strategy to further enhance its world-class learning products, and accelerate innovative and impactful learning experiences for students globally.

In his new role, Vedhanarayanan will be responsible for accelerating critical technologies to further scale BYJUS tech and innovation prowess to define the future of learning. He will also build and lead a talented team of engineers, software development managers, product managers, program managers, and more. Commenting on the appointment, Anil Goel, President - Technology, BYJUS, said, We are delighted to have Vedhanarayanan on board. His strong expertise in tech innovation will further strengthen BYJUS commitment to creating value in students' lives and providing them with high-quality learning opportunities. We look forward to working together and supporting him in achieving his goals.

Vedhanarayanan Ganeshkumar, Vice President - Technology, BYJUS said, Technology is a powerful instrument that has the potential to transform and reinvent how education is delivered. I am excited to join the highly motivated and talented tech team that forms the foundation of BYJUS. The company is already delivering cutting-edge technologies and is constantly innovating the educational ecosystem. I look forward to playing a key role in the development of next-generation education technology that makes quality education accessible, equitable, and contextual for every student.

With a rich career spanning over two decades, Vedharnarayanan brings a proven track record of ideating and delivering impactful technological innovations across companies like Amazon and Oracle. In his most recent stint over 15 years, Vedhanarayanan held multiple Sr. Engineering leadership roles at Amazon Global Technology organization supporting Last-Mile Delivery, Supply Chain, and Customer Shipment Tracking experience, among others and also played a key role in the growth of Amazon Global Development Center in India.
Vasuta Agarwal, Senior Vice President and Managing Director - APAC, InMobi, put the spotlight on Driving personalisation, innovation and engagement at scale with mobile in her special keynote address on Day 3 of the 6th edition of DIGIXX Summit & Awards 2022, organized by Adgully.

Agarwal stated that as of September 2021, out of the total Internet population in the country of more than 800 million Internet users, almost 97% of them accessed it through mobile, giving the conclusion that India's Internet users are truly mobile first.

Similarly, when users are spending time on mobile, almost 90% or more is being spent on apps, so there is a stick shift change in behavior of users when it comes to mobile apps.

Lastly, more than 60% consumers actually tried a new or alternate brand on their mobile phones during the course of the pandemic. All of these things have also led to a change in the consumer shopping behaviour or purchase behaviour on mobile.

Consumers are going through all parts of the shopping journey, whether it's learning, exploring or buying on their mobile phones and interestingly, mobile offers a very non-linear shopping journey which allows the user to compare prices, look at reviews, go and purchase a product, even return the product on their mobile and go back into the journey. There are three dimensions, or PIE as it is called, which is surrounding Personalisation, Innovation and Engagement.

The biggest shift in the consumer behavior in the mobile first economy is around the expectation of personalization from brands. Consumers have four key expectations. They want the brand to meet them where they are, which is on their mobile phone. They want the brand to know their preferences, tastes and choices, they want the brand to tweak their services, offer products based on those choices and preferences. And lastly, they want the brand to continuously engage in with the right information, right touchpoints in the most effective manner. So if these are such high expectations that consumers have, brands really need to think about how to deliver personalization at scale. A recent McKinsey report actually suggested that more than 70% of consumers expect brands to deliver these interactions in a personalized way, and more than 75% actually get frustrated when they dont get that experience. And if we look at some of the brands which have actually started offering personalized experiences, we'll see that they have benefited immensely from it. It's not just about customer experience, but almost a 5 to 25% lift in revenue has been observed for brands which deliver personalized experiences to their consumers. So there is a material impact in business that brands can expect if they go all out on the personalization dimension of pie.

The second dimension is around innovation. It is known to all how difficult it is to get a consumers attention in a very cluttered environment, keeping pace with the customers trying to get ahead of competition. All of these are difficult aspects for brands to tackle and therefore the dimension of innovation becomes extremely critical for brands.

The third dimension is around engagement. Engagement is absolutely critical because a lot of times brands may succeed on personalization and even innovation, but can lose out on actually getting the ROI on their ad spends if they don't deliver this last mile experience of engagement. Customers again, here are very demanding. They want native engagement that provides active, enjoyable and rewarded experiences.

These are edited excerpts. For the complete address, please watch below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu_WlPp6jnM
Sit tight, buckle up and prepare for Netflixs next film with Anil Kapoor Film Company, Thar. The film premieres on the streaming service on 6th May 2022. The film has an inerrant blend of suspense, mystery and thrill, set in the Western Film Noir world and promises to be an immersive experience for its audience

Directed by Raj Singh Chaudhary, Thar features Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Satish Kaushik and Anil Kapoor in lead roles. The film follows Siddharth, an antique dealers journey through a remote village in Rajasthan that has recently been rocked by a series of violent killings. As the local cop Surekha Singh investigates these killings he crosses paths with Siddharth will that encounter be the only one? We shall soon find out!

Thar releases exclusively on Netflix on May 6th!

Producer: Anil Kapoor Film Company (AKFC)

Director: Raj Singh Chaudhary

Writer/ Screenplay: Raj Singh Chaudhary

Dialogues: Raj Singh Chaudhary, Anurag Kashyap

Cinematographer: Shreya Dev Dube

Music Director: Ajay Jayanthi

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Satish Kaushik
Nishant Tandon has joined Disney + Hotstar as the AVP-Growth. Tandon will be working with and assisting the Growth team at Hotstar and will be based out of Gurgaon. He has worked with Voot and V18 for six years. He said in a Linkedin post : Though I look forward to the new challenges, its sad that I will not be working with my former colleagues who are my friends.

Tandon has joined Viacom18 Media in June, 2016 and was the Senior Director, Subscription Revenue at Voot Select, Voot Kids. He was the Assistant Manager, Distribution Strategy at Star TV Network and also the Key Account Manager at Mahindra Group. He started his career as a software developer at Oracle.
Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb Ambedkar, is the father of the Indian Constitution. Also known as one of the most remarkable figures in the 20th century, Babasaheb Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, politician, and social reformer. This year, to celebrate his birthday on April 14th, listen to some important audiobooks available on Audible that showcase how his work transformed one of the biggest nations on earth.

An Undelivered Speech: Annihilation of Caste

Written by: Dr B.R. Ambedkar; Narrated by Siddhartha Valicharla

This audiobook features the most famous speech that was never delivered, "Annihilation of Cast", by Dr B. R. Ambedkar, along with his paper Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development, combined to form one cohesive audiobook, the way Babasaheb envisioned it.

Ambedkar's India

Written by Dr B.R. Ambedkar; Narrated by Mishal Varma

The recently launched audiobook is a collection of three of B.R. Ambedkar's most prominent speeches on caste and the Indian Constitution. The three speeches, Annihilation of Caste, The Grammar of Anarchy, and Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development on the Indian Constitution and Caste, inspired many campaigns against discrimination.

Puffin Lives: B.R. Ambedkar, Saviour of the Masses

Written by Payal Kapadia and narrated by Rohini Vij

With its wealth of little-known facts, this audiobook takes the listener on a journey of an independent India's first law minister, a formally converted Buddhist who wholeheartedly dedicated himself to initiating various movements for the social and political betterment of the Dalit community. This audiobook presents a fascinating outlook on Ambedkar's political aspirations and promises to be an enrapturing story.

Ambedkar and Buddhism, Annihilation of Caste

Written by: Dr B.R. Ambedkar & Urgyen Sangharakshita; Narrated by Ratnadhya & Sagar Arya

In the 1930s, Ambedkar proclaimed that though he was born a Hindu, he would not die a Hindu; and on 14th October 1956, with 400,000 followers, he converted to Buddhism in a mass meeting in Nagpur. This biography is by the British-born Buddhist monk Urgyen Sangharakshita who knew Ambedkar and spent decades working with the Dalit community. A clear and affectionate look at a singular life changed one of the largest nations on earth and charted Ambedkar's gradual move towards Buddhism, which he saw as the best path for his people.

Darling Democracy

Written by Nilotpal Mrinal (Sahitya Akademi Award winner), Hind Yugm and narrated by Nilotpal Mrinal, Babla Kochhar, Parvez Gauhar, Sanyam Sharma, and more

Darling Democracy, an Audible Original podcast is author Nilotpal Mrinal's first-ever audio-show. This podcast takes you through the Panchayat elections in a village named Bilaiya, with 4 candidates from Tribal, Bania, Rajput, and Pandit backgrounds. But with an imaginable twist, news arrives that the elections will no longer happen and ends up destroying all their aspirations to win and take over the Panchayat seat.
Zee Media Corporation Ltd., one of India's largest News networks, has launched an exclusive news channel catering to Delhi, NCR and Haryana. The channel ZEE Delhi NCR Haryana  will serve to everyday news consumption needs via an array of different genres of programs. The channel assures quality  both in terms of content and the team behind the channel.

Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Subhash Chandra congratulated everyone on the launch of the channel, in his message he wished that channel delivers to the expectations of the viewers. He also urged viewers to give their feedback about the channel.

Chief Minister of Haryana, Shri Manohar Lal was present at the Zee Medias Delhi-NCR Haryana studio said, First, I would like to extend my best wishes to the group on launching the new channel  Zee Delhi, NCR and Haryana. We are rapidly evolving and coming closer every day becoming a global village; and news plays a very important role in this. I expect that the new channel will be a bridge between the state government and the people of Haryana.

Being one of the largest news networks in India with a robust reporter strength, ZEE media addresses the need gap of a hyperlocal channel exclusively focused on the issues pertaining to Delhi, NCR and Haryana. The channel offers carefully curated programming that caters beyond politics and debates by including shows on crime, lifestyle, health etc.

Editor of the moment, Chief Minister of Delhi, Shri Arvind Kejriwal while addressing the audience said, Congratulations to Zee Media on launching Zee Delhi NCR Haryana, for fulfilling the need of a regional focused channel based out of our region. Journalists work in tough conditions and I have a lot of respect for the work they do but sometimes, they may get disconnected from the common man. There will be many things that different parties or politicians say, but it is important to keep the focus on what the common man says.

Soon after launch of the channel, CBO, Zee Media Cluster 3, Abhay Ojha, said,"The regions of Delhi, NCR and Haryana are a hotbed for politics and are also important cultural centres of the country. We see a gap in honest, unbiased and extensive on-ground reporting in the regions, and hence we launched the channel that will exclusively cater to fulfilling that gap. We aim to be the most trustworthy news brand in the market. Since retail sales potential is very high, many SMEs are missing the platform as they can't go to the national channels. Only local channels can give them complete ROI on advertisement, and we aim to focus on hyperlocal."

ZEE Delhi, NCR and Haryana will be available as a linear television channel across all DTH and MSO platforms, along with the OTT streaming platform  ZEE 5. The news channel will also have its exclusive handles on social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. To follow the website, log in towww.zeednhnews.com.
BASS Genetics Inc., based in Danube, Minn., was recently awarded $53,662 from APUC to help with developing a highly competitive non-GMO corn hybrid.

BASS (Baumgartner Agricultural Science and Service) researchers and the Baumgartner family have spent a long time researching corn hybrids and breeding corn before beginning to sell all non-GMO corn seed across the Corn Belt in 2017.

They produced the seed for their first sale in 2016.

BASS started coming up with non-GMO parent corn hybrids in 2005 that could hold their own in the field with insect pressure and drought without having to insert a trait in them, said Mike Parkinson, national sales manager for BASS Genetics. Now, were either the fifth- or sixth-largest breeding program in the U.S.

Parkinson explained BASS was bringing modern plant breeding and genetics to compete directly against the traited products.

Were not using old off-patent corns, and in doing that, were bringing non-GMO natural insect tolerance and products that can (withstand) drought, he said.

BASS tests heavily in research plots near smaller towns in North Dakota and South Dakota, with some testing in Minnesota.

We have some 600-1,400 corn hybrids in each location being tested, Parkinson said.

BASS also has a research facility in Puerto Rico, which is unique, because BASS tests on the south side of Puerto Rico where it doesnt rain as much and isnt as humid, in spite of the ocean.

Once you are there (where the research goes on), you see it is warm, in the 80s and 90s during the day, but it looks like South Dakota with rolling hills and cattle grazing on tan-colored grass, Parkinson said. We have 360 acres of research plots there on the dry side of the island that we drip irrigate, and where we breed for heat and lack of moisture every day without even trying because that is your environment.

The other part of the Puerto Rico environment is that there is significant insect pressure.

BASS had been working with other corn companies there and would need to spray the traited corns in the plots 21 times in 90 days because of the large number of insects.

Parkinson explained that what protects those traits from insects is protein. Companies would put in two proteins for corn borer, an above-ground insect, and two proteins for rootworm, a below-ground insect.

What we noticed in the process of bringing and spraying and looking at these hybrids over a 15-20-year period, was that there were natural occurring corns that the bugs didnt really bother very much, he said.

While the insects would eat on these corns, which started the natural resistance in the plant, the other plants would be so eaten they were skeletonized.

Rachael Baumgartner explained that there are several natural characteristics that make up the insects natural resistance to the corn.

These corn plants would still have the leaf, the ear, the silks, the tassel, and the roots intact, but no trait in it.

Ed Baumgartner and his team began collecting those products that seemed to have more of a natural resistance, and then started breeding them to each other, he said. Eventually, we came out with corns that visibly, you could see that the insects just didnt bother with them as much.

The non-GMO corn was tested on a separate farm on the island, totally separate from the GMO corn products.

Parkinson pointed out the new non-GMO corn products were the result of a lot of hard work collecting and breeding.

There was no magic wand, just hard work, he said. Wewould develop the natural insect tolerance down there in Puerto Rico.

The other part of the breeding story came from the Danube, Minn., research facility and plots in North Dakota.

Since 2009, we have been testing in North Dakota  bringing products from the south and coming up with the correct balance of what we think is insect resistance and yield production, Parkinson said.

The reason BASS has many testing plots near towns in North Dakota is the soils are different in each site, the climate is different, and the crop management is different.

We test for crop management, no-till, tillage or minimum till, and high moisture or low moisture and whether it is corn on corn or corn following other crops, he said.

Hybrids have to be selected very precisely for all these local differences.

We know the difference between the soils in Minot, Harvey, and Grand Forks and other places, and that takes different hybrids, he said. You are going to see every combination of weather on those hybrids over that period of time.

BASS is continually testing to make sure their hybrids are strong and have significant data over time before they are released.

During testing with the plots, one of the things the BASS team was amazed at was that a lot of their hybrid stands were probably 97-98 percent, which was about 10 percent more than other companies.

We do three different tests on germination, he said.

With corn hybrids, Parkinson believes BASS has the right hybrid products to outcompete the trait corn hybrids.

BASS non-GMO corn hybrids are in high demand because our seed costs are less than other companies and the hybrids are top quality and have tolerance to drought and insects, Parkinson said.

Parkinson has been selling corn for 40 years, and he sold conventional corn for 20 years.

Conventional corn, at one time, gave farmers a financial advantage, but cost per bag of seed began creeping up to where it became very expensive.

When the GMOs came in, they put the trait technology fee on everything. So, all of a sudden, corn that I had been selling for $72 as conventional, was now $172, he said.

From 1997 to present, trait corns jumped higher, with some in the $265-$285 range for a bag of seed.

Parkinson has many of the same customers he had long ago. He saves these farmers, on average, $100 a bag.

Can the non-GMO corn go into the same markets as GMO corn?

While some non-GMO corn can go into specialty markets like organic, other farmers just send it to the same place they send other corn to.

While 10 percent might go to specialty markets, everything else, 90 percent of it is going to the ethanol plants, feedlots and wherever else corn goes, he said.

Parkinson pointed out farmers are getting equal yields or better yields on BASS corn. They also find out there are less insects with the corn.

I video log the fields I walk through with farmers, and I will ask them, Are there holes in the leaves? They will say no, he said.

Farmers in North Dakota that planted the BASS corn during the drought had amazing yields.

We actually had yields that went into the 190s, depending on the farmers. We had some guys around Streeter that were actually knocking off 190-bushel corn, he said. And the other corn in those areas was not getting remotely close to that because of the drought. Those guys all ordered almost a 100 percent of our corn back.

Parkinson said they felt that a huge advantage to North Dakota farmers would be to let them save the money up front.

So many companies want you to put every input that you possibly can into this corn and try to get the absolute max bushels out of that corn, but the only weak spot on that is it still has to rain for that to happen, Parkinson said.

Farmers can decide if they want to use the extra money they saved on bags of seed and put it into extra nitrogen on a good field or something else to try and improve that crop.

BASS is a global business and used the APUC award to buy two machines to improve plant quality.

We were excited with the APUC award. We were so excited to see legislators in North Dakota who wanted to share a vision of coming up with options for the farmers and the ranchers that they represent out there to make more money or to be able to improve the conditions on their farm through increased value in corn, he said.

The award allowed BASS to purchase a near infrared machine that can check the quality or protein percentage, oil percentage and more on the corn.

They also were able to purchase a high-quality drone with the APUC grant to gauge the nutrient deficiencies in the plants.

The next thing on BASS list of improvements to their hybrids is that all their corn hybrids need to be able to handle stress.

We want insect tolerance, natural insect tolerance in our corn, and all of our corns have to take stress. Thats the very next thing on the list, Parkinson said.

With their silage corns, Parkinson said they have increased the feed value of the corn.

Weve had tremendous results in silage. One of our customers feeds thousands of head of cattle and theyve been using our products for the last three years, 100 percent, he said.

The customer has cut up to 33 tons per acre of silage on irrigation, which is high.

The responsibility thats falling on the U.S. farmer to feed the world is going to be exponential this year, and we want to help them with that, Parkinson said.

The 2022 corn line-up includes 30 hybrids that maximize performance for the farmers overall operation, according to BASS. The company sells grain corn, silage corn, and high moisture corn that has maturity from 76 days to 113 days.

For more information on BASS offerings, visit www.basshybrids.com or call (320) 522-3461.

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How many kinds of birds do you see in your back yard or around the neighborhood? Five or six
U.S. an evil backstage manipulator behind worldwide turmoil

10:17, April 11, 2022 By Chen Zi ( People's Daily Online

(Cartoon by Ma Hongliang)

After the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted, the US government has continued sending weapons to Ukraine, imposing sanctions on Russia, and fanning the flames.

If Washington really cares about the Ukrainian people, it should try to promote peace rather than continuing to provide weapons. The US has constantly poured fuel on the flames, fully exposing its ugliness in its attempt to maintain worldwide hegemony through the intensification of conflicts.

Reflecting on history reveals that the US has exported turmoil overseas and sought private gains from such moves with a high degree of proficiency. Since the United States of America declared its independence on July 4, 1776, there has only been a period of less than 20 years in the countrys 240-year history that has passed without it engaging in a war.

From the end of World War II in 1945 all the way to 2001, of the 248 armed conflicts that occurred in 153 regions of the world, 201 were initiated by the US, accounting for 81 percent of the total number, according to incomplete statistics.

After World War II, the US and NATO have continually created chaos all over the world, whether through direct invasion or indirect intervention, including those in Guatemala, Cuba, Vietnam, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nicaragua, Iraq, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria.

There is a trace of the US in almost every dispute and conflict that has happened around the world. It is fair to say that the Americans are the ones behind the worlds turmoil.

The US has never cared about world peace and development. Instead, Washington frequently provokes unrest as a political game for the country to seek gains and pursue its own selfish interests.

Related:

US side initiator of Ukraine crisis

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
A medical worker takes a swab sample from a resident for nucleic acid test at a community in Liwan District of Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

GUANGZHOU, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou Sunday announced the suspension of in-person classes at local primary and middle schools starting April 11 for COVID-19 control.

From 8 a.m. Saturday to 2 p.m. Sunday, the city has registered 22 local infections amid its latest COVID-19 outbreak starting from Friday, said local authorities during a press conference held Sunday.

Starting from April 11, students in the city's primary and middle schools will switch to online classes. The exception will be third-graders in senior high schools whose schools have accommodation and closed-off management conditions, said Chen Xueming, deputy director of the city's education bureau, during the conference.

Kindergartens in Guangzhou will suspend admitting new children. The local off-campus training institutions will cancel offline teaching, and after-school care institutions will suspend services. Institutions of higher learning are expected to be put under closed-off management.

The physical education examination of the city's senior high school entrance examination, previously scheduled for April 11, will also be temporarily suspended.

Most of the local infections registered over the days were detected from screening of the city's key groups, close contacts and secondary close contacts of previously reported confirmed cases and asymptomatic ones. However, there might be possible transmission chains in the communities in the fresh outbreak, according to Chen Bin, deputy director of the municipal health commission.

Guangzhou has also tightened its virus control measures and encouraged its citizens not to leave the city unless necessary.

From April 11, people leaving the city will have to show a negative nucleic acid test result within 48 hours.

Eleven districts of the city have launched all-inclusive nucleic acid testing campaigns. As of Sunday noon, a total of over 19 million people had been sampled, according to Chen Bin.

Starting from Sunday afternoon, some districts have carried out another round of massive screening, which is believed to be a major approach to curb the virus spread in a timely manner.

Currently, Guangzhou is building a makeshift hospital in its Pazhou exhibition center, said Wu Linbo, deputy secretary-general of the municipal government, at the press conference. 
There is an absolutely fascinating study that was done in July 2020 by Mark P. Mills, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, called Mines, Minerals and Green Energy: A Reality Check.

In it, Mills lays out a very convincing case that makes two major points:

Regardless of how well-intentioned, the production of so-called Green machinery and energy devices consumes prodigious amounts of materials and produces an incredibly excess amount of waste, beyond all expectation or general awareness, and America is dependent on unreliable foreign sources for too many of the critical minerals needed for manufacturing eco-efficient products, yet despite our huge mineral reserves, we dont make the requisite effort to recover and produce our own uninterruptable supply.

Lets look at each broad point a little more closely:

It is phenomenally wasteful and costly to manufacture Green devices

Their manufacture ends up being a net loser, both economically and environmentally.

From the report:

Building wind turbines and solar panels to generate electricity, as well as batteries to fuel electric vehicles, requires, on average, more than 10 times the quantity of materials, compared with building machines using hydrocarbons to deliver the same amount of energy to society.

Oil, natural gas, and coal are needed to produce the concrete, steel, plastics, and purified minerals used to build green machines. The energy equivalent of 100 barrels of oil is used in the processes to fabricate a single battery that can store the [energy] equivalent of one barrel of oil.

By 2050, with current plans, the quantity of worn-out solar panelsmuch of it nonrecyclablewill constitute double the tonnage of all todays global plastic waste, along with over 3 million tons per year of unrecyclable plastics from worn-out wind turbine blades. By 2030, more than 10 million tons per year of batteries will become garbage.

In all the Democrats speeches and publicly stated positions over the past several years on renewable energy, the Green New Deal, etc., there is not the slightest indication from any so-called liberal environmental expert or elected officeholder that they have even the dimmest awareness of any of this. Instead, Democrat politicians and their Green supporters simply spout their vacuous, predictable, totally inaccurate party lines about saving the earth before time runs out, or the evils of big energy corporations. The smart money says that not one liberal environmental proponentelected or otherwise has even read this report, much less is able to refute any of it in a coherent, logical manner.

Demand for rare-earth minerals is set to skyrocket

Demand for the rare-earth minerals needed for lithium car batteries, niobium used in the manufacture of superconducting magnets for MRI machines, neodymium for the electrical systems in wind turbines, and countless other devices essential for modern living will absolutely skyrocket in the coming years. Estimates are the lithium demand will rise more than 2,000% for cars alone, excluding a commensurate rise in its demand for the nations electrical grid. The World Bank estimates that well need up to 4,000% more neodymium to meet demand. Where will this supply come from? Which countries hold the greatest mineral reserves? Do Democrats and other Green proponents understand that the extraction and processing of this material are at least as environmentally intrusive as anything associated with fossil fuels? Undoubtedly they do not.

The exploration and extraction of these critical minerals are guided by the same considerations that govern the exploration and extraction of fossil fuels: The worlds economy requires a certain amount (constantly growing) of these minerals to meet product production needs. The only question is where these minerals will be acquired and by what means. Do we want to depend on hostile countries with inadequate environmental procedures? Or do we want to control our own supplyindependent of global political instabilityusing far cleaner American environmental methods?

Just about every paragraph of this report contains a nugget of information worthy of a Stop the Presses! headline, such as:

Compared with hydrocarbons, green machines entail, on average, a 10-fold increase in the quantities of materials extracted [from the earth] and processed to produce the same amount of energy.

Replacing the energy output from a single 100-MW natural gas-fired turbine, itself about the size of a residential house (producing enough electricity for 75,000 homes), requires at least 20 wind turbines, each one about the size of the Washington Monument, occupying some 10 square miles of land.

Compared with a natural gas power plant, all three [wind, solar, water] require at least 10 times as many total tons mined, moved, and converted into machines to deliver the same quantity of energy.

As recently as 1990, the U.S. was the worlds number-one producer of minerals [but] it is in seventh place today. America is now 100% dependent on imports for some 17 key minerals.

The Democrats fall into one of two categories regarding all of this: There is the Squad/Buttigieg/Granholm wing of the party, that spouts its baseless warning of imminent doom if the world doesnt eliminate its reliance on fossil fuels. Then there is the John Kerry bloc, the ones that know better, yet they pontificate about the danger of anthropogenic global warming in a particularly disingenuous, condescending manner anyway. Kerry knows its not true, but to his ilk, the political value of scaring the uninformed masses is too great to ignore.

Unfortunately, there is no evidence whatsoever that Kerry, the Squad, Pete Buttigieg, or any so-called Pro-environment advocate has any recognition or grasp of how vital the worlds mineral market is to Americas future and how great the environmental ramifications are as that sector is expanded to meet future demand.

The complexity, detail, and depth of the information contained in Mines, Minerals and Green Energy: A Reality Check is well beyond the pitifully shallow, wholly inadequate, sorrowfully emotional blatherings of the Environmental faction of the Democratic Party and their blindly ignorant supporters. National energy production strategy and our future policy needs to be based on fact and science, not on knee-jerk fanatical responses by uninformed Democrat partisans.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
MAIDAN SHAR, Afghanistan, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Two children were seriously wounded by an unexploded ordnance explosion in Afghanistan's eastern province of Wardak, a local official confirmed on Monday.

"The incident occurred when an Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) was detonated in a Jalrez district's village on Sunday," district chief Sibghatullah Nafiz told Xinhua.

According to the source, one of the wounded has found and brought the ERW after they returned from nearby mountains, in an effort to sell the item as scrap metals in the village, 35 km to the west of capital Kabul.

The victims were transported to Kabul for treatment.

The Afghan officials use the term ERW referring to unexploded ordnance (UXO) and abandoned explosive ordnance (AXO).

Landmines, anti-personnel mines as well as ERWs left behind from wars kill or maim about 120 people every month in the post-conflict country, according to Afghanistan's State Ministry for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs. 
It is difficult to remain objective over the Florida education fracas. So much of the episode fires up the amygdala. The innocence of children. The rights of parents. The sovereignty of individual identity. The never-ending scandal of humans and sex. To feign "neutrality" in this conflict is a sort of moral suicide. If none of this matters, what possibly could?

As someone who taught school in progressive enclaves for 14 years, I can attest that there are many good people who oppose this law for fear that it will diminish the humanity of loved ones and reverse the tide of social progress. Although I do not believe that this law will have that effect, I respect the sincerity of those who do. Nonetheless, it remains urgent to speak the truth plainly and oppose the ever-intensifying spread of radical social theory being taught to ever-younger students.

Instances of ideological excess in American classrooms are well chronicled and widespread. We have seen enough to know that the time to act has long since passed. The Florida Parental Rights in Education law is a necessary tool to blunt this advance, even though it seems conspicuously tame upon closer inspection. Its most controversial aspect, from which the clever but disingenuous "don't say gay" moniker was derived, would have been uncontroversial in any other era: "Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."

The key term for those still attempting to comprehend this law is "instruction." The target is not the casual reference, but rather the systematic instruction of academic gender theory to prepubescent children. For instance, it has become common for teachers to utilize resources like "The Genderbread Person" in SEL (social-emotional learning) curricula, as well as other ideologically tinged materials that do not reflect settled science, let alone objective reality.

Further, such instruction materials necessarily force teachers to operate beyond their professional depth and predetermined range of responsibility. Teachers are not psychologists. This was pointedly demonstrated by a mother who spoke at a PTA meeting in Spreckles, California after her daughter's teacher admitted to stalking her online in order to recruit her into an LGBTQA+ club. "Do you have a doctorate in psychiatry that I don't know about?" she asked. Also, teachers are not paid by taxpayers to be activists involved in recruiting 5- to 8-year-olds into political causes. Too many teachers have departed the realm of education and entered into the realm of indoctrination, and often with a creepy, messianic air. As such, they must be reined in.

The Florida law prohibits teachers from formally instructing students on these matters before the 4th grade. Until then, the situation will remain in the hands of the students' families and their doctors.

It would be difficult to contrive a more sensible demand in reaction to the current climate. This is perhaps the most stunning aspect of the entire controversy. Beneath the wailing and screeching is an utterly reasonable request.

And as such, it is no surprise that the vast majority of Floridians support the new law, along with the vast majority of the U.S. voting population. Nor is it a surprise that voters who have read the actual text of the law support it in even greater numbers. Even a majority of Democrats back the legislation. And yet, outlets like NPR and CNN, and subsequently their audiences, have reacted to its passage as though it were an edict from the pope. The cultural left's blind spot here is profound. At this point, the DNC and its media allies should be charging Ron DeSantis consulting fees. No one is working harder to elect him president.

"The fundamental cause of trouble in the modern world," philosopher Bertrand Russell once said, "is that the stupid are full of certainty, while the intelligent are full of doubt." For years, the cultural left has taken the Democrat party hostage and forced it to abandon any pretense of intellectual humility, let alone electoral realism. Both parties have undergone bouts of dangerous self-certainty in recent times. The Republican Party was guilty of this during the Iraq war. But it is obvious that today's Democratic Party has claimed pathological self-certainty as its banner. While even the most egalitarian countries in the West retreat from pushing gender ideology on prepubescent children, American liberals appear bent on doubling down.

Because of the emotional component, it is understandably difficult to zoom out and gain perspective. But the current environment beggars belief. Can the cultural left really be so certain of an academic theory  so certain that sex is "assigned" at birth as opposed to "observed" in the same manner as eye and hair color, weight, and length  that they will continue to demand its presence in early childhood curriculum? Even at the cost of looming political catastrophe?

It's still possible that it will relent. But it will require a good dose of humility.

Peter Laffin is a teacher and writer in Laguna Niguel, California. His work has appeared in the American Spectator.

Image via Pixabay.
Within only a couple of months, Russia became a bigger world pariah than when it invaded Afghanistan in 1979. The left, Russia's historical ally since the times of the USSR, hates it. The right, confused by suddenly finding itself on the side of the majority, followed Mark Twain's advice: paused, reflected, and still found Russia despicable, too.

Contrary to what detractors are saying, the widely shared condemnation of Russia is not some cynical campaign to deflect from the waning COVID-19 hysteria or to prop up the failing Biden presidency and the Democrats before the midterms. It is a result of Russia's own hideous actions.

It began with a miscalculation: the Kremlin had misjudged Ukraine's military and its people, expecting Kyiv to fall within days. Deceived by his own propaganda, Putin honestly believed that his troops would get the red carpet treatment. Instead, he got torches and pitchforks.

Anticipating a quick victory, the Kremlin hadn't bothered with the usual disinformation groundwork, and now it had to improvise. The "Pentagon biolabs in Ukraine," which supposedly infected flocks of birds to spread diseases among Russians (but not Ukrainians), ended up as fodder for hilarious memes. The accusations of "Nazism" fell flat against a nation that had recently elected a Jewish president with 73% of the vote. The alleged "fear of NATO" didn't stand up to serious scrutiny, either.

As the fake excuses for the invasion chip away, the real reason is becoming exposed in all its ugliness.

In contrast, Ukraine's gritty resistance and heroism have amazed civilians and military professionals worldwide. From Bill Maher praising Zelensky to Mark Levin quoting a Ukrainian ex-pat exposing Russian propaganda, the poles of American public opinion are now united in their anti-Russia sentiment.

The rest of the world feels largely the same way  from Poland and Estonia, who know what Russia's victory would mean to their sovereignty, to Germany's remorse over having enabled Putin for so long, to the U.K.'s Boris Johnson's aggressive rhetoric. Even the otherwise xenophobic Japan has invited Ukrainian refugees.

That was even before the world knew of the Bucha massacre by the Russian army.

Such unprecedented unity provides an opportunity to finally bring down the Moscow regime.

If this talk shocks you, then you haven't been paying attention. The West has pondered this idea for a while without quite getting around to doing it. The most recent opportunity was missed in the early 1990s. In the absence of a thorough decommunization following the example of Poland and other ex-communist nations, Russia's Communist Party was allowed to survive. No living communist official or KGB officer was made to pay for the Soviet-era abuses.

The USSR killed millions at home and abroad, and condemned the survivors to a life of misery unimaginable in Western societies, while at the same time gaslighting the world with its masterful propaganda. Thus, the world knows that the USSR launched the first man into space in 1961, but few are aware that the first Soviet toilet paper factory was launched only in 1969. In the 21st century, sixty years after that first space flight, one-fifth of Russians continue to live without running water, and that's just the official number.

Instead of addressing the misery at home, Russia seeks to spread it abroad. It has been doing that for centuries  from the tsars sending their slave soldiers to fight anti-monarchist movements in Europe to the Politburo sending tanks into Hungary and Czechoslovakia and organizing bloody dictatorships in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to Putin sending his murderous hordes to suppress "color revolutions" from Georgia to Ukraine.

As Robert Heinlein said, "the Commies didn't invent that attitude; it goes back at least a thousand years."

In our era of mild-mannered political vegetarianism, of which this author is also a product, we are not calling for anyone's death, except by the verdict of Nuremberg Trials 2.0.

Instead, consider the following measures:

A) Let the Russian Federation break apart USSR-style; its vast territories have little affinity for each other and would be better off as sovereign countries.

B) Given Russia's history of threats and the first-use doctrine, all of these newly independent parts of Russia should be induced to surrender their nuclear weapons, as Ukraine and Kazakhstan were induced to do so in the 1990s.

C) Vacate Russia's permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council.

Does that seem to be over the top, even after a series of unwarranted invasions and war crimes? Then consider that Russian officialdom is preparing something much worse for Ukraine, complete with physical and cultural genocide of the Ukrainian people.



This article in RIA Novosti, a government propaganda mouthpiece, titled "What Russia must do to Ukraine," is calling for the physical extermination of anyone who dares identify as a Ukrainian, and for a ban on the Ukrainian language and culture so that the survivors would have to be re-educated into Russians.

This could've been easily written by Hitler or Goebbels about the "Untermenschen," yet the author is seriously claiming that Ukraine and the Western world, in general, are almost entirely Nazis who need to be conquered, occupied, and denazified:

Denazification can only be conducted by the winner, which means (1) their unconditional control over the denazification process and (2) the authority that can ensure such control. For this purpose, a country that is being denazified cannot possess sovereignty. The denazifier state, Russia, cannot take a liberal approach towards denazification. The denazifier ideology cannot be challenged by the guilty party that is being denazified.

How does the Russian propaganda define Nazism? It's quite simple: if you resent Russia, you're a Nazi. And since due to Putin's actions most of the world has come to resent Russia, the world must be filled with Nazis. Showing examples of such resentment, the propagandists then tell the Russians that their Motherland is surrounded by Russophobic Nazis. That whips up even more domestic public support for Putin's military adventurism, which causes even more resentment outside Russia, and so on, going in a vicious circle. The latest opinion poll shows that public support for Putin's policies inside Russia has grown to 83%.

The only way this vicious circle can be broken is if Russia is defeated and defanged before it's too late.

Why now?

The three main impediments to doing this have always been nuclear threat, political risk, and business interests. For much of the 20th century, anyone even thinking of confronting the USSR or Russia had to consider its nuclear weapons, a technology stolen from the U.S. by American communists. The nuclear threat is hardly real today. Even if Russia's aging (and rumored to be cancer-stricken) dictator gives such an order, the other top military and government officials are not likely to follow it, especially with their children and assets scattered around Europe and the U.S.

Political risk is not currently a factor, as the entire world has now turned against Russia. This is a rare moment when neither the usual useful idiots nor paid propagandists can sway public opinion in Russia's favor. Given the sophistication of Russian propaganda and disinformation techniques, this moment may not last long.

Business interests with regard to Russia have almost entirely been extinguished by the sanctions. Rather, there may be an anticipation of new opportunities in the renewed, de-Putinized Russia or whatever is left of it.

But how?

Military victories have always empowered a sitting government, while a defeat weakened it and brought about reforms. Russia is not immune to this rule.

A defeat in the Crimean War, for example, drove Nikolai I to death in 1855. By 1861, his son Alexander II had abolished slavery.

Losing a 1905 war to Japan caused civil unrest, resulting in a reform that turned Russia from an absolute into a constitutional monarchy.

Today, having invested its political capital in the ridiculous idea of "denazifying" Ukraine, the Russian government is unlikely to survive a military defeat by Ukrainian forces. Thus, a sound victory for Ukrainians will not only restore justice and right historical wrongs, but also be an instrument of Realpolitik, even if our "realpoliticians" weren't prepared for such developments.

The cost of this is relatively cheap: provide Ukrainians with the weapons they need. The portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles have been great so far, but they'll also need heavy weapons to retake the occupied parts of their country.

A victory will allow Ukraine to seek reparations in European and American courts and rebuild the country with the Russian assets already frozen in the West, as well as with the proceeds from the export of Russian oil and gas. To survive, the starved Russian government will be forced to reform its economic and political system, which at a minimum will make that territory a better place. A permanent defanging and de-Putinization must be made a condition for softening the sanctions and normalizing relations.

Time is of the essence

This needs to happen soon, and not just to avoid a prolonged suffering of Ukrainians. The unique international unity of today will not last forever. It will certainly not survive beyond Putin. Whoever succeeds him will fracture the anti-Russian coalition without even trying  by simply not being Putin. The pro-Russian useful idiots and paid agents will be back, whipping up sympathy toward the "poor Russians" and demanding we forgive them because our own past hasn't been spotless, either.

Should that happen and the sanctions on Russia be lifted for economic and political gain, in a few decades' time, the world will face the same hideous but more experienced monster, on less favorable terms than we have today.

Image: W. Bulach via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Joe Biden is an influential man.

And sure enough, the University of Pennsylvania, which runs something called the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, has been the recipient of $54 million in anonymous donations from China. You know, anonymous, like Hunter Biden's art buyers.

The New York Post has been on the job:

A government watchdog is demanding the US Attorney probing Hunter Biden in Delaware investigate tens of millions in anonymous donations from China to the University of Pennsylvania, where an academic center is named for his father, President Biden. The Ivy League college raked in a total of $54.6 million from 2014 through June 2019 in donations from China, including $23.1 million in anonymous gifts starting in 2016, according to public records. Most of the anonymous donations came after the university announced in February 2017 that it would create the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement. Joe Biden, whose term as vice president had just ended, was to lead the center and was also named a professor at the university. The center, which is located in Washington, DC., opened its doors in February 2018. Antony Blinken, whom Biden named as Secretary of State, briefly served as its managing director. The Ivy League university received $15.8 million in anonymous Chinese gifts that year, including one eye-popping $14.5 million donation in May 2018, records show.

This might be nothing. Maybe there is no link, none whatsoever, between those Chinese donations and the fact that the university hosts the Penn Biden Center. Maybe China was just excited about Penn. The university has refused to say if any of the cash went to the center itself, or how the king-sized donations were used at all. But we know that money went there, the donations to Penn went up as Joe got closer to public office, and someone from China was buying (or laundering) something for its money. "Some people," as Rep. Ilhan Omar might put it.

Now, maybe the Post is just paranoid. But the abandoned laptop of Hunter Biden does show that Hunter himself was an influence-peddler, taking on board seats and other no-show jobs despite having no experience in fields like energy or venture capital at hefty cash payouts from foreign sources  from places like Russia, Ukraine, China, and possibly Kazakhstan and Romania, where such corruption is common. Would the Penn money dump from Chinese sources be out of the ordinary? So much stuff of this kind was going on among the Bidens and from so many different directions.

We also know that China doesn't spend cash here in the States out of the goodness of its heart. If it spends cash, it expects something in return. Maybe the donors of the $54 million to UPenn were buying something other than House Biden's loyalty, but it's hard to think who could be more important to them than the Bidens, who, similar to Hillary Clinton with her Clinton Foundation, had a convenient lily pad at the University of Pennsylvania. The university denies that it allowed the Biden center itself to take donations, but that's a pretty flimsy shield, given that the university got the cash and won't say how it spent it.

Another thing we know is that China, and Hunter Biden, according to the emails on his abandoned laptop, had Chinese business interests that wanted him to lobby for him, but Hunter didn't want to register as a foreign agent. How potentially convenient to have Penn as a repository, then.

As we learned from some of the recent University of Southern California scandals, such as this one, where city contracts were kicked over to the university in exchange for its "'taking care of" a big politician's wastrel son, sometimes direct lines don't actually matter.

Activist watchdog groups, who discovered the curious coincidences, are calling on the U.S. attorney to investigate this matter to see if there is any connection to the curious cash washing in from China, which looks rather funny at this point. To be fair, such donations from China happened not just at Penn  these Chinese donors also donated to other fancy schools (with political clout), such as Harvard and Yale. How anything honest could happen with an A.G. probe and Joe Biden as president now is hard to imagine, but it would be the fair thing if it happened, and they are right to press for it. After all, if big political fish in Los Angeles could go down, why shouldn't "the big guy" and "the smartest guy" he claims to know?

Photo illustration by Monica Showalter with use of images from Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0; Acaben via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0; PxFuel, public domain; and SKopp via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Elon Musk is quite a holy terror to Twitter's self-satisfied barons and satraps.

The kooka-bucks billionaire rocked markets last week and sent Twitter's battered stock sky-high with news that he had bought a 9.2% stake in Twitter worth $2.89 billion, making him the company's largest shareholder. That's chump change for the 287-billion-dollar man, but four times what Twitter founder Jack Dorsey has, and way more than what any of the other current Twitter elite holds.

I even kind of predicted that he would make such an appearance last January 2021, when I wrote about Twitter and its censorship enthusiasm hurting the company's share price and market cap:

As Big Tech goes crazy and cuts its own money streams to Get Trump, all we can note is that that's not market behavior. Market behavior is to maximize shareholder value and do all possible to increase profits, something these people aren't bothering to do. They apparently think they're a monopoly, and right now, they apparently are. But the upstart rivals are still coming, and as the late, great Herb Meyer noted, change often comes from a direction you never suspect. Jack may still be focused on lording it over Trump and crushing small rivals, but there's a hell of a bigger billionaire on the horizon, bigger than they are, bigger than Buffett, Soros, or Gates, which is the censorship-hostile, apparently free marketfriendly Elon Musk, who just recently dumped California and moved his Tesla car operations to Texas. He recently surpassed all of these Trump-hating petty tyrants in wealth and doesn't seem to be an enemy of conservatives or libertarians. Jack may lash out against Trump, and be happy to cut his own throat in the process, but there's a zeitgeist out there that suggests that Big Tech might just be starting to be eclipsed. I hear the strains of Gotterdammerung as Jack goes nuts and Musk rises in net worth wealth.

Sure enough, in came Musk, plinking down his billions, and the Twitter elite had to be nervous. They knew he could buy the whole darn thing and throw them all out on their ears if he wanted to. Musk has continued to be an outspoken advocate of free speech while Twitter itself has embraced wokester censorship and even accelerated it  banning Trump, banning serious journalism exposing the extent of Joe Biden's corruption in the New York Post's coverage of Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop, and silencing even major conservative voices such as those of Tucker Carlson, Jack Posobiec, and the satirical Babylon Bee. Just the other day, they took down the account of popular Clinton accuser Juanita Broaddrick, and we know they are not finished. Every one of these shutdowns costs them money and customers.

According to the New York Post:

"Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?" Musk asked users in a Twitter poll on March 28, in which over 70 percent of the 2 million voters responded "yes."

But Musk laid down his money, and the stunned Twitter elites knew he wasn't going to be a passive shareholder collecting his coupons if his past stock purchases were any indication. He'd make waves. He'd kick butts.

To defend themselves, they decided at first to be nicey-nice to him, oozing flattery, in the hopes that kicking him upstairs to become a board member of the social media giant would keep him docile.

Im excited to share that were appointing @elonmusk to our board! Through conversations with Elon in recent weeks, it became clear to us that he would bring great value to our Board.  Parag Agrawal (@paraga) April 5, 2022

Gush, gush.

Guys like Parag, who's "the Big Guy" now at Twitter as CEO now that @Jack has exited the picture, had hoped to effectively smother Musk and all his free speech ideas by locking him into a room with them, where he could talk all he liked and they could ignore him. Board members, after all, have to be careful about what they say (and tweet) to the public, as whatever they say could rattle share prices. Musk, like Trump (and like Joe Biden in his claims to voters), has 81 million followers on Twitter (with very few fake followers) and is an active participant on the platform, blithely ignoring court advice in another context to get some lawyers to go over his tweets before they go out. Musk has some Trump-like instincts and enjoys getting a rise out of the preening clowns he runs into. Based on his past tweets, those clowns clearly included the Twitter barons, and the barons knew it.

Next thing we know, something happened. Following the gushy tweet from Parag, we got this:

Elon has decided not to join our board. I sent a brief note to the company, sharing with you all here. pic.twitter.com/lfrXACavvk  Parag Agrawal (@paraga) April 11, 2022

Notice that menacing little notation about passing a "background check," followed by an irrelevant point about how Elon "shared" information about not wanting to join the board, and then the odd statement about it all being "for the best." Was Parag, in that undoubtedly well lawyered statement, suggesting that Musk, who's probably not perfect in his private life, having been married a couple of times, shacking up with various "girlfriends" with a string of kids, and being known to smoke pot, was somehow not up to Twitter's tough, positively Baptist moral standards? File under baloney  we all know that whatever Musk would have in his background would be not at all different from what's in theirs. Maybe it was something else  bitcoin or an old lawsuit about racism and sexism at one of his companies? It sounds as though they wanted to suggest they "had something" on him to keep him docile and quiet.

Musk, though, retorted with a giggling emoji, probably this one, which is the standard shareable Twitter giggly emoji with the hand over the round face:

...which he then deleted. The New York Post has that story here.

Two things are likely to be happening with this purchase, this board seat, this non-board seat, and the continuous tweets from Musk.

One, he wants the freedom to keep tweeting, saying anything he likes, and letting the board react to what he says from the public platform. He'd certainly be out of the SEC line of fire regarding the rules that board members must follow.

Two, and probably even more likely, he's disgusted with what he's seen so far of the Twitter elite and all their urges to censor others, and now he plans to buy the whole darn company. We certainly could see that in his recent tweets, one of which noted the large number of "dead" accounts from big-name celebrities like Katy Perry and Barack Obama, which have millions of followers but don't tweet much. The other that leaped out was his tweet that suggested that Twitter convert its huge largely unused headquarters building in downtown San Francisco into a homeless shelter. Obviously, Musk can see signs of decay and an absence of dynamism in the company all over and had no problem telling his 81 million followers, which had to have forced the Twitter barons to choke on their chateaubriand.

Board membership would shut Musk up and restrict Musk's purchases to a 14.9% Twitter stake, but not being on the board at all frees Musk to buy whatever he likes and say whatever he likes. Maybe he plans to take a monster stake in the company and boot the Twitter barons' sorry butts from power. Share prices of Twitter have fallen 5% on the news that Musk won't be taking the board seat, suggesting that investors are recalibrating their expectations. According to this market website, Musk has opened the door to a hostile takeover of the platform.

And of course, he's laughing at them. That giggly emoji tells us mountains about how he plans to toy with them.

Image: Shareable Twitter emoji.
Yesterday, House minority leader Kevin McCarthy appeared on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.

During the interview, Bartiromo played a clip of Republican congressman Greg Murphy saying Joe Biden has committed impeachable offenses, but members of Congress are reluctant to impeach Biden because the next in line of power is Kamala Harris, in whom few have confidence.

When Bartiromo followed up asking McCarthy if he was considering moving forward with impeachment (if they win a majority in the House during the midterms), McCarthy responded as follows:

"Look the one thing we learned that the Democrats did, is they used impeachment for political reason. We believe in the rule of law. We're not going to pick and choose just because somebody has power," McCarthy said, adding that "at any time if someone breaks the law" impeachment may be considered "but we're not going to use it for political purposes."

GOP House members such as Reps. Madison Cawthorn, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and others also called for Biden's impeachment.

It has to be remembered that the Democrats impeached President Donald Trump on two occasions without evidence or reason.

The first impeachment, in 2019, was over baseless claims that Trump withheld aid to Ukraine for political gain. Here the votes were strictly on party lines. The second impeachment was in 2021 on claims that he provoked an "insurrection." On this occasion, ten House Republicans sided with Democrats and voted to impeach President Trump.

The Democrats amped up their vicious anti-Trump campaign the day he won the presidential election in November 2016. They weaponized various government agencies in order to force Trump out of office. What was disappointing was that this occurred at a time when Republicans controlled the House, the Senate, and the White House  i.e., the GOP controlled Washington. Yet the GOP were relegated to helpless spectators as Democrats concocted the Russian collusion conspiracy, hysterically beating the drums to amplify it such that it caused the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

A conspiracy theory that should have been restricted to the dark web was mainstreamed and weaponized.

The goal behind the special counsel probe, the two impeachments, and myriad other (still ongoing) investigations was and is to tarnish Trump. The Democrats knew they couldn't tarnish President Trump's stellar record of peace all over the world and prosperity within the U.S., hence they fabricated scandals.

The impact of their actions will never be entirely known. It is impossible to know how many voters either chose to abstain from voting or chose to vote against Trump because these various manufactured controversies amplified by the media managed to obscure Trump's achievements.

It is quite natural for Republican voters to want revenge against the Democrats for what they did to President Trump. McCarthy's statements about not wanting to lead a partisan, politically motivated impeachment of Biden will obviously be a cause for concern among voters.

Is this the Lindsey Grahamization of McCarthy? Is the GOP once again surrendering even before the battle begins, or is there more to this?

The celebrated Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher Sun Tzu, who taught "The Art of War" in 500 B.C., wrote:

The general who is skilled in defense hides in the most secret recesses of the earth; he who is skilled in attack flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven. Thus on the one hand we have the ability to protect ourselves; on the other, a victory that is complete.

It is unwise to make full disclosure of strategy and motives before the war has begun. This especially applies when one is not in a position of power.

By stating that he believes in the rule of law and that they are not going to abuse their power, McCarthy was actually practicing discretion, which is better than a blatant display of braggadocio.

If McCarthy had stated that Biden has already committed myriad impeachable offenses such as leaving the border open, hastily withdrawing from Afghanistan, ruining the economy, and misusing his office for his son to profit, it certainly would have made great TV and headlines in Democrat-run papers. But there would be absolutely no change in Washington.

Hence, it is wise to remain tight-lipped until January 2023 and act only after they are in power.

The number of members in the House Freedom Caucus is likely to increase in January 2023. They can function as a pressure group to nudge the GOP in the right direction should they falter.

It therefore makes sense to be cautiously optimistic about Kevin McCarthy's utterances and not be demotivated to vote Republican in November.

Photo credit: YouTube screen grab.
Strategic relations between China and Taiwan are at their lowest point in 40 years. China views Taiwan as a province, whereas the government of Taiwan considers itself a sovereign state. The nationalist Chinese government has ruled Taiwan since 1949. Following the Chinese Civil War, Chiang Kai-Shek, the nationalist leader, was exiled to Taiwan and formed his own government there. In the early 1980s, China devised a governmental solution that allowed Taiwan to have autonomy known as "one country, two systems."

The 2016 election of Tsai Ing-Wen escalated tensions as she campaigned for independence from China and rejected Chairman Xi's plan for reunification. As a result, the Taiwanese government is on high alert, as China has practiced air drills within Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ). This zone extends out as far as the Taiwan Strait and a large part of China's mainland. Anything crossing the unofficial line between China and Taiwanese territory is considered an incursion.

The National Chengchi University conducted a survey that found that more than 64% of citizens on the island of Taiwan identify as Taiwanese, while only 3% identify as Chinese. A similar poll from the Taiwan Center for International Strategic Studies found that 77% of Taiwanese will fight for Taiwan if China invades.

Taiwan's defense minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, warns of a Chinese invasion as the Taiwanese parliament is considering a multi-billion-dollar bill for defense spending for warships and missiles. Mr. Chiu warns that China will have the capability to mount a full-scale invasion by 2025. Taiwan's top military advisers have studied the Russian invasion of Ukraine, particularly the parliamentary resistance, to help develop a strategy for a possible war with China. President Tsai has been a strong advocate for "asymmetrical warfare," which is the military tactic used by Ukrainian nationalists by becoming more mobile and using stealth.

The U.S. has weighed in on China's recent actions against Taiwan. President Biden recently met with Chairman Xi on a two-hour-long teleconference. The meeting was meant to discourage the Chinese military from making rash decisions to move against Taiwan amid the ongoing war with Ukraine. Biden reiterated, "Washington continues to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo" and that there will be consequences if any action is taken.

The U.S. government adheres to the "One China" policy. It is a formal diplomatic agreement that China has only one government. In 1971, as relations with China were warming, the Nixon administration conceded that China and Taiwan were one country. In 1979, under the Carter administration, the U.S. officially established diplomatic relations with China while also signing the Taiwan Relations Act into law. The act guarantees support for Taiwan militarily and financially.

The Biden administration agreed to a second arms deal for around $95 million in missile defense systems. The U.S. Defense Security Corporation Agency (DSCA) released a statement saying the deal will include "training, planning, fielding, deployment, operation, maintenance, and sustainment of the Patriot system, associated equipment, and logistics support elements." The Chinese government released a statement of disapproval from defense ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian. He states that the arms deal violates the "One China" policy and threatens China's security and stability with the Taiwan Strait. In opposition, Taiwan's military leaders have expressed gratitude to the United States for strengthening relations.

The Chinese assault on Taiwan has ramifications for the U.S. and the global market. Taiwan is the world leader in producing semiconductor chips. The U.S. Air Force Office of Commercial and Economic Analysis released a study showing that if China conquers Taiwan, it will control up to 80% of global semiconductor chips. It would put tech companies like Google and Apple and defense contractors under threat of China's control.

Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin is one of Taiwan's most prominent defenders in Washington, saying, "Taiwan isn't just a vibrant democracy under intense pressure from the CCP  they're a high-quality friend that needs our help." The assault on Taiwan may leave the democratic world order in peril.

Image: Pixabay.
Competing narratives continue to perplex distant observers of the Russia-Ukraine War. Recently on these "pages," Leo Goldstein cast doubt about the massacre in Bucha. Being Ukrainian by birth, he has some reasonable credibility. And Russia continues to deny responsibility for bombing a refugee-choked train station in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine.

During the Spanish Civil War, the Basque town of Guernica was supposedly bombed by combined German and Italian air forces in April of 1937...at the request of the Spanish Nationalist forces. The carnage inspired Pablo Picasso, living in Paris, to produce one of his most famous works:

In The First Casualty, a history of war journalism, Phillip Knightley claims that the bombing never happened. Visitors to the site, shortly after the event was supposed to have taken place, found no damage. Ironically, the victorious Nationalists under Francisco Franco refused to join the Axis during WW2...and allowed the British to continue to control Gibraltar...which drove Hitler nuts. It has been suggested that Franco was a crypto-Jew, known in Spanish as a Marrano.

In 2014, "eyewitnesses" to the shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson, MO police officer initially claimed that Brown obligingly surrendered and shouted, "Hands up...don't shoot!" When required to give statements under oath, however, most of the "witnesses" admitted that they weren't even at the scene when the shooting occurred.

Nowadays, we have satellites and cell phone cameras to record events in real time. And yet, what is really happening? Opposing interests have compelling reasons to structure the narrative in order to gain broad support for their cause. During the First World War, a British diplomat named Mark Sykes initiated a hoax that the Turks were massacring Zionist Jewish settlers in Palestine. This was in order to further rally support for the Allied cause...and was fairly credible because of the actual massacre by the Turks done to the Armenians earlier in the war. Meanwhile, the Zionists in Palestine were actually fairly content to continue to live under Ottoman rule. Nonetheless, the hoax influenced Zionist supporters outside the area to push for a completely sovereign Jewish state that we now call Israel.

Even with modern means of information-gathering, it may take some time to sort out the facts from fiction in the Ukraine mess...if ever. Wikipedia still portrays the bombing of Guernica as a real, historic event without any reference to Knightley's contrary version.

Image credit: Pablo Picasso, public domain.
Various branches of the U.S. military, long steeped in tradition, are now making changes...to accommodate wokeness.

For example, the U.S. Marine Corps is altering its uniform regulations. The erstwhile "Leathernecks" are introducing new maternity clothes for pregnant Marines. Other changes include an allowance of increased hair length, the edging up of one's hairline, and additional manicure options for female Marines. I guess this shouldn't be too surprising since even the Navy SEALS have gone woke.



Not just the Marines (Photo credit: U.S. Navy).

First Lt. Phillip Parker, a spokesman for the Marine Corps Training and Education Command, recently told the Marine Corps Times the changes are intended to help "positively impact diversity, equity, and inclusion."

Inclusion? In the Marines? Is this a good idea? Would femininity have aided the Devil Dogs on Bataan or Corregidor in WWII? Should people of all genders, ages, and physical fitness levels be welcomed into the Corps? Should diversity, equity, and inclusion trump combat readiness and effectiveness and the ability to protect and aide your fellow Marine  and, if necessary, carry him off the battlefield...dead or alive?

Not to be outdone, the U.S. Army has made significant changes to its fitness program. The six-event Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) will no longer be meant to prepare soldiers for combat, but instead will simply serve as a general fitness assessment. It will also have different scoring standards for men and women across different age groups. Most of the standards will be lowered, of course, after a congressionally mandated report from the Rand Corporation found that nearly half of the service's women could not pass earlier standards for the test.

I'm not certain that lowering standards to make it easier for "menstruators" and "birthing people" to serve is a good idea. But it is abundantly clear that the Biden administration is rapidly purging the military of "toxic masculinity" and is hell-bent on ridding it of competence as well.

Startling changes such as these make one wonder what is next, and just how far down the woke road the U.S. military will travel before the wheels and tracks fall off.

The way things are going, my guess is that, in 2030, the Army will update and revamp its ACFT again. This time, it will announce that it will thereafter be pared down to a three-event evaluation comprising of tag, hopscotch, and Simon Says. (It will soon become known that dodgeball was to be one of the three events but was ultimately deemed "too dangerous.")

The U.S. Air Force will subsequently announce that its training regimen will consist of Hide and Seek; Duck, Duck, Goose; and Mother May I. This, in turn, will prompt the Marines to state that they are going with line dancing, ladder ball, and Yahtzee for their conditioning program.

Finally, in a stirring show of diversity, equity, and inclusion, all branches of the military will announce that their service members may choose to wear rainbow, lesbian, or transgender pride flag pins on their uniforms in place of the traditional unit pins or pins of the American flag. Now that's cohesiveness. Bring on China.
At the mouth of Manila Bay just off the coast of Philippines lies a huge battleship-shaped immovable concrete structure that was built in the early twentieth century to defend Manila. Known as Fort Drum, but commonly referred to as the concrete battleship, this heavily fortified structure roughly resembles a concrete ship. Fort Drum stands on an originally barren rocky island called El Fraile that was leveled by the U.S Army between 1909 and 1914, and built up with thick layers of steel reinforced concrete into a massive fortress, 350 feet long, 144 feet wide, and rising 40 feet above the water.

Photo credit

The idea of Fort Drum was created after the SpanishAmerican War in 1898 when the Board of Fortifications decided that the United States needed to better fortify overseas territories, especially harbors. One of the primary areas that the Board of Fortification decided to focus on was Manila Bay in the Philippines. Originally, the fort was to be the control center for a mine network across the Bay. However, due to inadequate defenses in the area, a plan was devised to level the island and then build a massive fortification.

The fort was topped with a pair of armored steel gun turrets, each mounting two 14 inch guns. Searchlights, anti-aircraft batteries, and a fire direction tower were also mounted on its upper surface. Armor was provided by 25- to 36-foot thick fortress walls that protected extensive ammunition magazines, machine spaces, and living quarters for the 200 man garrison.

After the outbreak of war in the Pacific on December 7, 1941 Fort Drum withstood heavy Japanese air and land bombardment as it supported U.S. and Filipino defenders on Bataan and Corregidor. Fort Drum surrendered to Japanese forces following the fall of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942 and was subsequently occupied by Japanese forces.

In a bid to recapture Manila, Fort Drum was assaulted by US forces on April 1945. After a heavy aerial and naval bombardment, US troops gained access to the deck of the fort, and were able to pin down the garrison below. But rather than attempting to break in, the troops pumped fuel into the air vents of and ignited it. The Japanese inside the fort were completely incinerated, while the fort burned for several days. When the Americans could enter the fort, they discovered 65 charred bodies.

With the bay forts, including Fort Drum, thus neutralized, Japanese resistance in the Manila Bay area was ended. The ruined hulk of Fort Drum, including its disabled turrets and 14 inch guns, still stand at the mouth of Manila Bay.

El Fraile Island before the building of Fort Drum. Photo credit

Starboard beam view of the battleship USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) passing between CORREGIDOR (background) and FORT DRUM as she enters Manila Bay. Date: 3 Jul 1983 Photo credit

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14-inch turret for Fort Drum undergoing tests a Sandy Hook proving ground. Photo credit

Fort Drum in 1937. Photo credit: unknown

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Computer generated 3D model of Fort Drum. Photo credit

Sources: Wikipedia, TravelSmart, Wikipilipinas, Corregidor.org
Some 30 kilometres from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, a dusty track meanders towards the abandoned town of Kuldhara. Deserted land of scanty vegetation straddles this road in silence, and a mirage rises from its surface under the unrelenting sun. Despite the arid land and the sultry heat, there is much that has attracted tourists to this secluded village. There is mystery and legend here, and enough room for the imagination to fly and the heart to feel scared.

Photo: Pierre Doyen/Flickr

The legend of Kuldhara resounds with realities of rural India, but after centuries of being sieved through oral narratives, the village has taken on a haunted tinge like that of a gory fairytale. According to stories, Kuldhara was inhabited by the Paliwal Brahmins of Rajasthan back in the 19th century. One day, the shameless and debauched prime minister of the state, Salim Singh, settled his roving eyes on the daughter of the village head. Used to getting what he wanted, the minister demanded the girls hand in marriage, and threatened to raise taxes if anyone dared to oppose his decision. But the people of Kuldhara were united and not easily relented. As the local legend goes, the villages stealthily communed to discuss the matter, and decided to flee the land in the dead of night. In their exodus they left behind a curse on the village: no one would be able to inhabit it in the future.

The houses of Kuldhara still stand inhabited. Photo: Manish Ayachit/Flickr

Loose threads of mystery weave intrigue into the story. No one knows where the villagers went or what happened to them. Many have come to believe that ghosts, probably of the villagers, continue to roam the mud houses of Kuldhara. Others believe it is the spirit of the girl, who was later made victim to an honour killing. Some have tried to spend nights in the village as well, but were chased away by seemingly paranormal activities in the dark. Whether its the curse or the belief of the progeny, but the village continues to remain abandoned even today. As a consequence, the architecture of the village has remained untouched for centuries, and harks back to a time that is now long gone and long forgotten. Mud brick walls continue to hold the ruinous roofs of Kuldharas dingy houses. Open courtyards still stand strong against the ravages of time and weather, and the upper stories of the houses are high enough to provide a wholesome aerial view of the entire village. Outside, stone gazebos sit quietly looking at the tourists who pass them by in awe. An ancient temple sits somewhere in the middle of the village.

Photo: Tomas Belcik/Flickr

The ruins now sit under the purview of the Archaeological Survey of India. Capitalising opportunists strangle its beauty with commercial stays around its periphery. Despite the natural beauty of the place, a host of people from the surrounding villages continue to take it upon themselves to add charm to the location with their varied stories about its past.

Photo: mike gleeson/Flickr

Photo: Lorna Taylor/Flickr

Photo: Chandra/Flickr

References

# The Better India

# Business Standard

# The Hans India
A local resident thanks Farr, a volunteer from New Zealand, for his help in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2022.

As China strengthens its epidemic prevention and control measures in the face of a COVID-19 resurgence, many volunteers including foreigners have joined the anti-epidemic fight.

(Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

HAIKOU, April 11 (Xinhua) -- As China strengthens its epidemic prevention and control measures in the face of a COVID-19 resurgence, many volunteers including foreigners have joined the anti-epidemic fight.

In Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, volunteers from different countries, including the United States, New Zealand and Ghana, assisted with anti-epidemic services and made their own contributions to helping the city.

At a nucleic acid testing site in Haikou on Sunday, Tommy from America checked people's temperatures and made sure that they maintained the proper distance.

Having lived in Hainan for 12 years, Tommy speaks fluent Chinese, and even some Hainan dialect, and he now calls himself "new Hainanese."

"Hainan is my second home," he said. "If I can go out and help out, if I have this opportunity to help out, I should take advantage of that and help out my Hainanese friends."

At the testing site, he greeted local residents in Hainan dialect from time to time. Every time he saw kids coming, he would put on his cartoon mask and interact with them.

"I know that all the kids are going back to school tomorrow, so I knew there would be a lot of kids today, so I brought a bunch of cartoon masks to wear to interact with them," he said.

Tommy said that some kids might be a little scared of foreigners, while some may be scared about coming to do their first nucleic acid test.

"I thought if there's anything I can do to help them relax, help them to have fun, help them to have a good experience today, then I'll do that. "

Tommy has participated in volunteer work twice recently. "I'm really impressed with all the people that are coming out to get their test done," he said, adding that there is a strong sense of community in Hainan.

"Everybody here on Hainan island is working together to make it a better place to live."

Farr from New Zealand is 69 year old, but says that one is "never too old to be a volunteer."

It is his belief that people are doing volunteer work as their way of saying thank you to the community for what it has done for them.

"It's the simplest way of saying thank you to the community," he said. "I feel good because I'm doing something for the community. Although it may look small, it's something."

Kingsford from Ghana stood in the sun for hours, guiding people to ensure they kept the distance.

Following his graduation from Hainan Normal University one year ago, he decided to stay in Hainan and start a business. He now runs a foreign-trade company in Haikou.

"Hainan has given a lot to me personally. So, it's no big deal to come and help out a little bit," he said.

He feels that helping prevent the spread of the virus in the community is meaningful work, as the COVID-19 virus can be reduced in Hainan and people can move around freely.

Several days ago, Tommy underwent a period of self-quarantine, during which he wrote a funny song, encouraging people to stay at home to protect themselves and others.

"The song's kind of funny and kind of silly. But I think a lot of people saw it and it made them smile, so it was worth the effort," said Tommy. 

Kingsford, a volunteer from Ghana, guides a girl to take the nucleic acid test in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2022.

As China strengthens its epidemic prevention and control measures in the face of a COVID-19 resurgence, many volunteers including foreigners have joined the anti-epidemic fight.

(Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Farr, a volunteer from New Zealand, helps a resident in wheelchair take the nucleic acid test in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2022.

As China strengthens its epidemic prevention and control measures in the face of a COVID-19 resurgence, many volunteers including foreigners have joined the anti-epidemic fight.

(Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Tommy, a volunteer from America, checks a resident's body temperature in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2022.

As China strengthens its epidemic prevention and control measures in the face of a COVID-19 resurgence, many volunteers including foreigners have joined the anti-epidemic fight.

(Xinhua/Guo Cheng)
(Image source from: Twitter.com/ANI)

KCR Stages Protest In New Delhi:- The Telangana government has been protesting against the Centre for the procurement of the paddy in the rabi season in the state. The Centre was strict on its hold and the talks failed. KCR sought the appointment of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week but the Prime Minister's Office did not grant the appointment to KCR. The TRS Chief today staged a day-long protest against the Centre for the farmers of Telangana. The entire ministers, MLAs, MPs and other leaders are present for the protest. The protest is happening in TRS Bhavan in the national capital.

Telangana CM K Chandarsekhar Rao is joined by BKU leader Rakesh Tikait at the 'dharna' staged by Telangana MPs, MLCs, and other leaders against the Centre's paddy procurement policy, in Delhi pic.twitter.com/lVFoi1XoNv  ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2022

TRS Working President KTR too is present for the protest. Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait joined the protest to support TRS and he blamed Centre for its stand against the farmers. The premises are filled with TRS flags and thousands of supporters reached Telangana Bhavan to participate in the protest. Telangana Agriculture Minister Niranjan Reddy asked the Centre to step down from its stand and support the farmers and procure the paddy. KCR slammed the Centre during his speech and he said that they would intensify the protests in the coming days if the Centre fails to support the farmers.

(Video Source: T News Telugu)
(ANSA) - ROME, APR 11 - Premier Mario Draghi on Monday signed a declaration of intent with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on bilateral cooperation on energy and gas to ease Rome's reliance on Russian gas amid the Ukraine war.

To this was added a deal between Italian fuels giant Eni and its Algerian counterpart Sonatrach "to increase gas exports to Italy", the premier said.

he said the deals amounted to a "significant response to our reliance on Russian gas.

"Immediately after the invasion of Ukraine, I had announced that Italy would move swiftly to reduce our reliance on Russian gas.

Today's accords are a significant response to this strategic goal, and they will be followed by others.

"The government wants to defend its citizens and businesses from the consequences of the conflict. I want to thank ministers Di Maio and Cingolani and Eni for their work on this front." "Italy is ready to work with Algeria to develop renewable energies and green hydrogen," Draghi went on.

"We want to accelerate the energy transition and create opportunities for development and employment".

Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi signed gas deals with Algeria aimed at weaning Italy off Russian gas, which amounts to 40% of its total supplies.

Draghi said deep ties with Algeria had been boosted Monday and that late Eni chief Enrico Mattei had been "a great protagonist of the collaboration between our two countries".

At a meeting in Algiers, Di Maio met his Algerian counterpart Ramtane Lamamra while Descalzi met the top brass of Algerian gas company Sonatrach, and Ecological Tranbsirion Minister Roberto Cingolani met corresponding Algerian officials. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, APR 11 - A Rome judge on Monday suspended a trial of four Egyptian security officers in the 2017 abduction, torture and murder in Cairo of Italian student Giulio Regeni due to lack of cooperation from Egyptian authorities in locating the four to serve notice they have been indicted.

The preliminary hearings judge (GUP) ordered ROS special branch Carabinieri to carry out fresh efforts to track down the four.

The next hearing in the case was set for October 10.

The GUP described the Cairo prosecutor-general's arguments as to why the defendants cannot be found as "wholly specious", adding that "the Egyptian authorities' refusal to cooperate is now a proven fact".

On October 10 the GUP will hear from the justice ministry's judicial affairs office chief Nicola Russo on possible developments after the statement sent by the Egyptians following a meeting on March 15.

There has been "no cooperation whatsoever" from Egyptian authorities on the alleged abduction, torture and murder in Cairo in early 2016 of Italian Cambridge University doctoral researcher Regeni, according to a justice ministry note issued for Monday's hearing into the four Egyptian security officers accused in the case.

The note described the stance of Egyptian authorities as one of "total closure" on the case of the 28-year-old Friuli-born researcher into Egyptian street-seller unions, who was tortured so badly his mother said she only recognised him by the tip of his nose.

Italy is trying to notify the four officers of their indictments in order for the case to proceed with their trial in absentia, which ran into a brick wall last year after Cairo refused to help locate them.

The fresh hearing before the GUP was expected to say whether the case can nonetheless go ahead again or not.

Regeni, whose research topic was a politically sensitive issue, was tortured for days, resulting in "acute physical suffering" by being subjected to kicks, punches, beaten with sticks and bats and cut with sharp objects, and also being burned with red-hot objects and slammed into walls, Rome prosecutors say.

His neck was then snapped in a fatal blow.

At various times Egypt has advanced differing explanations for Regeni's death including a car accident, a gay lovers' tiff and abduction and murder by an alleged kidnapping gang that was wiped out after Regeni's documents were planted in their lair.

Lack of cooperation on the case by Egypt led to Rome's temporarily withdrawing its ambassador from Cairo for a spell.

The Regenis have appealed to the EU for help in finding the truth about their son's slaying and have condemned continued Italian arms sales to Egypt including two frigates.

In mid-February, after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, European Commission Spokesperson Dana Spinant said the EU has asked and continues to ask for full cooperation from the Egyptian authorities with the Italian authorities in investigating the circumstances of Regeni's death.

National Security General Tariq Sabir and his subordinates, Colonels Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim and Uhsam Helmi, and Major Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif, were on trial at the third Court of Assizes in Rome in October when a judge ruled the trial could not proceed because they had not been served notice of it.

Hence the continued Italian efforts to contact them and inform them they have been indicted. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, APR 11 - A Rome judge on Monday suspended a trial of four Egyptian security officers in the January-February 2016 abduction, torture and murder in Cairo of Italian student Giulio Regeni due to lack of cooperation from Egyptian authorities in locating the four to serve notice they have been indicted.

The preliminary hearings judge (GUP) ordered ROS special branch Carabinieri to carry out fresh efforts to track down the four, while Regeni's parents urged Premier Mario Draghi to intervene.

The next hearing in the case was set for October 10.

The GUP described the Cairo prosecutor-general's arguments as to why the defendants cannot be found as "wholly specious", adding that "the Egyptian authorities' refusal to cooperate is now a proven fact".

On October 10 the GUP will hear from the justice ministry's judicial affairs office chief Nicola Russo on possible developments after the statement sent by the Egyptians following a meeting on March 15.

There has been "no cooperation whatsoever" from Egyptian authorities on the alleged abduction, torture and murder in Cairo in early 2016 of Italian Cambridge University doctoral researcher Regeni, according to a justice ministry note issued for Monday's hearing into the four Egyptian security officers accused in the case.

The note described the stance of Egyptian authorities as one of "total closure" on the case of the 28-year-old Friuli-born researcher into Egyptian street-seller unions, who was tortured so badly his mother said she only recognised him by the tip of his nose.

A lawyer representing Regeni's parents, Claudio Regeni and Paola Deffendi, asked "Premier Draghi, sharing our indignation, to demand, without any ifs or buts, the defendants to divulge their domiciles" so they can be served.

"We take note of the justice ministry's failed attempts to obtain concrete collaboration from the Egyptian authorities and we are saddened and indignant at the response from the el-Sisi regime's prosecutor who is continuing to thumb his nose at our institutions and our legal system.

"Today was the umpteenth mockery." The lawyer, Alessandra Ballerini, said the Regeni's were now hoping Draghi's intervention could help achieve progres sin the case.

Italy has been trying to notify the four officers of their indictments in order for the case to proceed with their trial in absentia, which ran into a brick wall last year after Cairo refused to help locate them.

The fresh hearing before the GUP was expected to say whether the case can nonetheless go ahead again or not.

Regeni, whose research topic was a politically sensitive issue, was tortured for days, resulting in "acute physical suffering" by being subjected to kicks, punches, beaten with sticks and bats and cut with sharp objects, and also being burned with red-hot objects and slammed into walls, Rome prosecutors say.

His neck was then snapped in a fatal blow.

At various times Egypt has advanced differing explanations for Regeni's death including a car accident, a gay lovers' tiff and abduction and murder by an alleged kidnapping gang that was wiped out after Regeni's documents were planted in their lair.

Lack of cooperation on the case by Egypt led to Rome's temporarily withdrawing its ambassador from Cairo for a spell.

The Regenis have appealed to the EU for help in finding the truth about their son's slaying and have condemned continued Italian arms sales to Egypt including two frigates.

In mid-February, after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, European Commission Spokesperson Dana Spinant said the EU has asked and continues to ask for full cooperation from the Egyptian authorities with the Italian authorities in investigating the circumstances of Regeni's death.

National Security General Tariq Sabir and his subordinates, Colonels Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim and Uhsam Helmi, and Major Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif, were on trial at the third Court of Assizes in Rome in October when a judge ruled the trial could not proceed because they had not been served notice of it.

Hence the continued Italian efforts to contact them and inform them they have been indicted. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, APR 11 - There has been "no cooperation whatsoever" from Eguptian authorities on the alleged abduction, torture and murder in Cairo in early 2016 of Italian Cambridge University doctoral researcher Giulio Regeni, according to a justice ministry note issued for a hearing into the four Egyptian security officers accused in the case.

The note described the stance of Egyptian authorities as one of "total closure" on the case of the 28-year-old Friuli-born researcher into Egyptian street-seller unions, who was tortured so badly his mother said she only recognised him by the tip of his nose.

Italy is trying to notify the four officers of their indictments in order for the case to proceed with their trial in absentia, which ran into a brick wall last year after Cairo refused to help locate them.

Regeni, whose research topic was a politically sensitive issue, was tortured for days, resulting in "acute physical suffering" by being subjected to kicks, punches, beaten with sticks and bats and cut with sharp objects, and also being burned with red-hot objects and slammed into walls, Rome prosecutors say.

His neck was then snapped in a fatal blow.

At various times Egypt has advanced differing explanations for Regeni's death including a car accident, a gay lovers' tiff and abduction and murder by an alleged kidnapping gang that was wiped out after Regeni's documents were planted in their lair.

Lack of cooperation on the case by Egypt led to Rome's temporarily withdrawing its ambassador from Cairo for a spell.

The Regenis have appealed to the EU for help in finding the truth about their son's slaying and have condemned continued Italian arms sales to Egypt including two frigates.

In mid-February, after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, European Commission Spokesperson Dana Spinant said the EU has asked and continues to ask for full cooperation from the Egyptian authorities with the Italian authorities in investigating the circumstances of Regeni's death.

National Security General Tariq Sabir and his subordinates, Colonels Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim and Uhsam Helmi, and Major Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif, were on trial at the third Court of Assizes in Rome when a judge ruled the trial could not proceed because they had not been served notice of it.

Hence the continued Italian efforts to contact them and inform them they have been indicted. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, APR 11 - A Rome judge on Monday suspended a trial of four Egyptian security officers in the 2017 abduction, torture and murder in Cairo of Italian student Giulio Regeni due to lack of cooperation from Egyptian authorities in locating the four to serve notice they have been indicted.

The preliminary hearings judge (GUP) ordered ROS special branch Carabinieri to carry out fresh efforts to track down the four, while Regeni's parents urged Premier Mario Draghi to intervene.

The next hearing in the case was set for October 10.

The GUP described the Cairo prosecutor-general's arguments as to why the defendants cannot be found as "wholly specious", adding that "the Egyptian authorities' refusal to cooperate is now a proven fact".

On October 10 the GUP will hear from the justice ministry's judicial affairs office chief Nicola Russo on possible developments after the statement sent by the Egyptians following a meeting on March 15.

There has been "no cooperation whatsoever" from Egyptian authorities on the alleged abduction, torture and murder in Cairo in early 2016 of Italian Cambridge University doctoral researcher Regeni, according to a justice ministry note issued for Monday's hearing into the four Egyptian security officers accused in the case.

The note described the stance of Egyptian authorities as one of "total closure" on the case of the 28-year-old Friuli-born researcher into Egyptian street-seller unions, who was tortured so badly his mother said she only recognised him by the tip of his nose.

A lawyer representing Regeni's parents, Claudio Regeni and Paola Deffendi, asked "Premier Draghi, sharing our indignation, to demand, without any ifs or buts, the defendants to divulge their domiciles" so they can be served.

"We take note of the justice ministry's failed attempts to obtain concrete collaboration from the Egyptian authorities and we are saddened and indignant at the response from the el-Sisi regime's prosecutor who is continuing to thumb his nose at our institutions and our legal system.

"Today was the umpteenth mockery." The lawyer, Alessandra Ballerini, said the Regeni's were now hoping Draghi's intervention could help achieve progres sin the case.

Italy has been trying to notify the four officers of their indictments in order for the case to proceed with their trial in absentia, which ran into a brick wall last year after Cairo refused to help locate them.

The fresh hearing before the GUP was expected to say whether the case can nonetheless go ahead again or not.

Regeni, whose research topic was a politically sensitive issue, was tortured for days, resulting in "acute physical suffering" by being subjected to kicks, punches, beaten with sticks and bats and cut with sharp objects, and also being burned with red-hot objects and slammed into walls, Rome prosecutors say.

His neck was then snapped in a fatal blow.

At various times Egypt has advanced differing explanations for Regeni's death including a car accident, a gay lovers' tiff and abduction and murder by an alleged kidnapping gang that was wiped out after Regeni's documents were planted in their lair.

Lack of cooperation on the case by Egypt led to Rome's temporarily withdrawing its ambassador from Cairo for a spell.

The Regenis have appealed to the EU for help in finding the truth about their son's slaying and have condemned continued Italian arms sales to Egypt including two frigates.

In mid-February, after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, European Commission Spokesperson Dana Spinant said the EU has asked and continues to ask for full cooperation from the Egyptian authorities with the Italian authorities in investigating the circumstances of Regeni's death.

National Security General Tariq Sabir and his subordinates, Colonels Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim and Uhsam Helmi, and Major Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif, were on trial at the third Court of Assizes in Rome in October when a judge ruled the trial could not proceed because they had not been served notice of it.

Hence the continued Italian efforts to contact them and inform them they have been indicted. (ANSA).


EU Commission to get mandate for bloc's joint gas purchases BLoc struggles with high prices amid Russia's war on Ukraine

(ANSA-AFP) - BRUSSELS, MAR 26 - EU leaders have agreed for officials in Brussels to make joint gas purchases for the bloc as it struggles with high prices amid Russia's war on Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday. "What we decided, for the first time, is that the European Commission will have a mandate to do joint procurement, which is exactly what we decided, remember, for vaccines at the time of the Covid crisis," Macron told journalists after an EU summit in Brussels.



Discussions on energy dominated Friday's final session of the two-day summit, which on Thursday was given over to a show of Western unity against Russia by US President Joe Biden participating. On Friday, Biden and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced plans for Washington and Brussels to work together to source US and other alternative natural gas sources for Europe as it weans itself off Russian gas. Formal conclusions from the second day of the summit said the joint-purchasing plan for gas and other Commission steps to mitigate high market prices would be "voluntary" and "time limited". The joint purchases of gas would also be open to Ukraine and other non-EU countries, including Western Balkans ones and Georgia and Moldova. EU leaders recognised that, inside the bloc, the needs and energy mixes of the bloc's 27 nations varied widely. Some, in the east, were deeply dependent on Russian gas, while others such as Spain and Portugal found themselves less connected to the rest of Europe in terms of supply lines. "It's a bit tricky," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, explaining that it would fall on private companies across Europe that have existing contracts to buy gas. Summit discussions on the issue were very technical and dragged out because, as Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte put it, it involves "literally thousands of contracts, hundreds of parties and also has a very big difference between regions, between member states". The Commission has been told to come back to leaders with a "comprehensive and ambitious plan" on how to phase out Russian coal and gas while not exacerbating price hikes by the end of May. Short-term measures such as energy tax cuts and price capping are to be looked at -- but with the proviso that the fundamentals of market trading were not undercut. EU officials admitted that, even with alternative gas sources being hunted for, Europe faced a very tight market and supply risks -- especially with the debate over expanding sanctions to Russian gas still kicking around. They predicted that EU leaders would soon have to put forward measures to encourage dampening demand -- something that could be felt by European households next winter as heating bills shoot up. (ANSA-AFP).





 Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved
RENNES - Demonstrations on Sunday night turned caused damages in downtown Rennes and Lyon, where several hundreds of people gathered when the results of the first round of presidential elections in France were announced.



Some 500 people, mostly youths, marched along the streets of Rennes, chanting anti-capitalist and anti-fascist slogans. Urban furniture and the windows of local banks were damaged.



In a central square of Rennes, construction material was set on fire, prompting the intervention of firefighters. Police intervened late at night to disperse the demonstration, which could be the first of a series considering that a large portion of the population does not feel represented by the candidates running in these elections, as proven by the high abstention rate, or 26.2% according to the Ipsos institute, more than one in four French voters.



On Sunday, Emmanuel Macron garnered 3% more votes than when he was elected back in 2017, and kept his distance from rival Marine Le Pen. But results could change in 15 days in the second round of elections. And if the outgoing president - who obtained 27.85% of the vote against the 23.15% of his rival - can count on the support of a good part of the right and left, analysts say that Marine Le Pen will gain at least 7% of votes from the challenge that took place five years ago, garnering Eric Zemmour's votes (7.5%) after he urged his supporters last night to vote for her.



The rest of the scenario of these atypical French elections, dominated first by Covid and then by war in Ukraine, sees the final evaporation of the neo-Gaullist right and the moderate left, led by the Socialist party whose candidate, Anne Hidalgo, got 1,74% of the vote.



On the other hand, radical gauche candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon for the first time obtained more than 20% (21.95%), coming in third. "Not even one vote must go to Marine Le Pen!" he screamed for four times at a rally, sparking enthusiasm among his supporters.



Meanwhile the two candidates in the second round of elections on April 24 have started campaigning to gain as many votes as possible. Macron on Monday will be in Denain, one of the poorest cities of France, in the north. Another visit of the presidential candidate is expected in Le Pen's stronghold as Macron does not want to repeat the mistake he made in 2017, when he celebrated a victory in the first round at 'La Rotonde', one of the most elegant brasseries in Paris, in the heart of the rive gauche. He is expected tomorrow in Mulhouse and then Strasbourg, where a third of voters yesterday chose the candidate of the left, Melenchon. According to 'Paris Playbook' of Politico, on Thursday the president-candidate is expected to go to Le Havre, a stronghold of his former premier, Edouard Philippe.



Marine Le Pen's schedule is less packed. Contrary to 2017, she reportedly intends to limit her travels so she will not appear as tired as she did in her previous televised debate with Macron. This year, their debate is scheduled on April 20. She is expected to meet supporters on Tuesday at the Salons Hoche in Paris and to give two interviews, one on France Inter and at night on TF1, as well as to star in a video and to hold a press conference. Rallies of the nationalist candidate are also being prepared in Avignon, on April 14, and in Arras, a week later.




TEL AVIV - Violence is continuing between Palestinians and Israeli army units as four Palestinians have been killed in clashes with soldiers over the past 24 hours. In the morning, according to Palestinian news agency Maan, 17-year-old Muhammad Zakarna died in Jenin after being wounded yesterday in a gunfight with soldiers. Last night, military radio added, in al-Khader (Bethlehem), soldiers shot dead a 20-year-old Palestinian who threw molotov cocktails at passing cars. The victim was identified as Mohammad Ghneim, who was buried in Bethlehem today with all honors. According to Maan, his casket was accompanied by supporters of al-Fatah, in the presence of hooded militants from the same organization. A general strike was observed in the city during the funeral.



Yesterday, two Palestinian women were killed by soldiers: one at the Tomb of the Patriarchs, after wounding an Israeli official with a knife, and the other in Hussan (Bethlehem) after soldiers patrolling a checkpoint felt she was about to attack them.



Al-Fatah reacted with anger at reports of the Palestinian victims. In a document released by Palestinian news agency Wafa, the party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas blamed Israel for the latest escalation of violence and the "systematic and intentional use of war crimes". At the origin of this deterioration, according to al-Fatah, is the refusal of the Israeli government to recognize the rights of the Palestinian people and "bolting all openings to a true peace process that leads to a two-State solution". According to Wafa, al-Fatah then expressed "respect for the souls of the heroic martyrs that fell over the last few hours, whose pure blood irrigated the precious land of Palestine" in Jenin, Bethlehem, and elsewhere. Al Fatah - continued the document - "pledges in front of the masses of our people to proceed along the road indicated by martyrs and prisoners, the road to freedom, independence and the right to self-determination.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presides over a symposium on the economic situation in east China's Jiangxi Province, April 11, 2022.

Government officials from Jiangxi, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Sichuan provinces attended the symposium online or offline. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

NANCHANG, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday called for the stabilization of employment and price levels to keep the country's economy running within an appropriate range.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while presiding over a symposium on the economic situation in east China's Jiangxi Province, which government officials from Jiangxi, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Sichuan provinces attended online or offline.

While highlighting the strong resilience of the Chinese economy, Li urged people to remain vigilant in the face of unexpected changes and mounting downward pressures both domestically and externally, and face up to new challenges.

The premier underscored the need to use this time to implement decisions and measures laid out during the Central Economic Work Conference in 2021 and in this year's government work report.

Supportive policies such as tax refunds and cuts, financial support for the real economy, the issuance of special government bonds, and the construction of key projects should be accelerated to help market entities tide over difficulties, he said.

He urged solid efforts to boost spring farming, strive for a bumper grain harvest for the whole year, and consolidate the foundations of stable prices.

Efforts should be made to ensure stable supplies of electricity, coal and other energies, and maintain the orderly operations of key transport networks and ports so as to maintain the stability of industrial and supply chains, Li said.

The premier said that targeted supportive measures should be unveiled for sectors and firms facing difficulties -- particularly medium, small and micro-sized enterprises, and individually owned businesses.

Li also stressed the importance of ensuring the supply of daily necessities for people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need to work to meet the people's medical treatment needs. 

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presides over a symposium on the economic situation in east China's Jiangxi Province, April 11, 2022.

Government officials from Jiangxi, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Sichuan provinces attended the symposium online or offline. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presides over a symposium on the economic situation in east China's Jiangxi Province, April 11, 2022.

Government officials from Jiangxi, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Sichuan provinces attended the symposium online or offline. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)
Almost half of all LGBTQ+ psychiatrists in the UK have experienced hostility at work because of their identity, according to a survey.

The survey by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which has around 20,000 members, was the first of its kind.

The survey was completed by 2,282 psychiatrists, with 48% of the 572 LGBTQ+ respondents reporting that they experienced hostility in the workplace because of their identity.

This number was even larger for LGBTQ+ psychiatrists from black, Asian and other minority groups  with 58% saying they had experienced bullying, harassment or microaggressions.

Hostile comments or behaviours, known as microaggressions, were the most common form of workplace hostility reported by LGBTQ+ psychiatrists.

Of those who experienced microaggressions, 31% said they were also bullied and 40% said they were harassed.

Reported microaggressions included co-workers using the wrong pronouns when referring to them or their partner despite being advised otherwise, or making derogatory comments about LGBTQ+ people and other minority groups in their presence.

Just four in 10 LGBTQ+ psychiatrists who said they experienced bullying reported it to their employers. Only one in 10 made a formal complaint.

Dr Pavan Joshi, chair of the Colleges Rainbow Special Interest Group, said that no-one should be bullied at work because of their identity.

Nobody should be bullied, harassed or experience microaggressions at work because of their sexuality or gender identity, he said.

Like racism, LGBTQ+ discrimination can be subtle and disguised. Discrimination against LGBTQ+ people will continue unless we each speak up and call it out.

Staying silent emboldens perpetrators. Discrimination in all its forms damages mental health. It has no place in our society including the workplace.
Johnny Depps multimillion-dollar US defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard is due to begin at a Virginia courthouse.

The former Hollywood power couple are both expected to give evidence in person at the trial, and high-profile figures including James Franco, Paul Bettany and Elon Musk are scheduled to give testimony.

Mr Depp is suing his former partner for libel over a 2018 op-ed she wrote in the Washington Post, in which she discussed her experiences of domestic abuse.

The actors lawyers say the article falsely implies Ms Heard, 35, was physically and sexually abused by Depp when they were married.

Mr Depp, 58, has said the accusations have made it difficult for him to get the sorts of roles he once did.

Ms Heards 2018 op-ed, which she wrote in the Washington Post, is the focus of Depps case (Yui Mok/PA)

The piece was titled: I spoke up against sexual violence  and faced our cultures wrath. That has to change.

The article does not mention Mr Depp by name.

Ms Heards lawyers are expected to argue she should be immune from the libel suit because of a Virginia law known as an anti-Slapp provision (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation).

The provision is designed to protect people from nuisance lawsuits when they speak about matters of public concern.

Ms Heards lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, has argued the article addresses a very serious issue of public concern: preventing domestic violence.

The actress has also filed a counterclaim for defamation against Mr Depp because of statements Mr Depps lawyer made about her.

Depps lawyers say Ms Heards 2018 article falsely implies she was physically and sexually abused by him when they were married (Yui Mok/PA)

The case is being brought in Virginia, rather than in California where the actors reside, because the Washington Posts online editions are published through servers located in Fairfax County.

Mr Depps lawyers say one of the reasons they brought the case in Virginia is because the states anti-Slapp law is not as broad as the one in California.

The lawsuit, taking place at the Fairfax County District Courthouse, seeks 50 million dollars (38.2 million) in damages.

It comes after Depp lost a similar defamation case in the UK, which he brought against the publishers of The Sun newspaper, News Group Newspapers (NGN).

An article also written in 2018 by The Suns executive editor Dan Wootton referred to Mr Depp as a wife-beater in the headline.

Following a 16-day trial in July 2021, a judge found the content of the article to be substantially true.

Mr Depp is refused permission to appeal against the decision at the Court Of Appeal.
A homegrown terrorist is facing a life sentence after jurors took just 18 minutes to convict him of the cold and calculating murder of Sir David Amess.

Ali Harbi Ali refused to stand in the dock on religious grounds as the jury foreman returned unanimous guilty verdicts, following a seven-day trial in which Ali admitted carrying out the attack and plotting to kill other MPs including Conservative grandee Michael Gove.

Sir Davids family  sat almost within arms length of the Old Bailey dock  remained silent throughout.

London-born Ali, who did not dispute much of the overwhelming evidence, will be sentenced on Wednesday for murder and preparing acts of terrorism.

The 26-year-old Islamic State fanatic carried out his attack at the veteran MPs constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on October 15 last year.

Ali told the trial he had no regrets about the murder, defending his actions by saying Sir David deserved to die because he had voted in Parliament for air strikes on Syria in 2014 and 2015.

The court heard that Ali became known to authorities around this time as his school performance plunged and he was referred to the Governments Prevent strategy, but continued plotting in secret.

The so-called lone wolf sent a manifesto on WhatsApp to family and friends seeking to justify his actions around the time of the attack, and told Sir David he was sorry before plunging the knife into him, causing the politician to scream.

The Tory backbencher died at the scene.

Sir David Amess (Chris McAndrew/PA)

Knife-wielding Ali was later apprehended by two police officers armed only with batons and spray. They have since been handed bravery awards.

Essex Police Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: Theyve basically gone in armed with a stick  something that appears smaller than a deodorant can  to deal with a man that has just committed an absolutely heinous act, still armed with that knife.

I think its an astounding act of bravery.

Director of Public Prosecutions Max Hill QC said the murder was the most appalling tragedy, particularly for the Amess family, and an attack on democracy.

He said: Im obviously pleased that at the end of what must have been a very difficult trial for Sir David Amesss family, justice has been served and this individual will now pay the price for his crimes.

In a statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: Sir David Amess was a beloved colleague, public servant and friend who championed the city of Southend in everything he did. My thoughts today remain with Julia, the Amess family and all those who knew and loved him.

The court heard that model student Ali had become self-radicalised in 2014, going on to drop out of university, abandoning ambitions for a career in medicine.

Ali Harbi Ali after being arrested on suspicion of the murder of Sir David Amess (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Ali, who came from an influential Somali family and said he had a childhood full of love and care, considered travelling to Syria to fight but by 2019 had opted for an attack in Britain.

He bought a 20 knife from Argos six years ago which he carried in his bag throughout summer 2021 as he scoped out possible targets, jurors heard.

He carried out reconnaissance on the Houses of Parliament but found police there were armed to the teeth.

Ali researched MPs online including Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

He staked out the west London home of Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove six times and wrote detailed notes on how he might get to him.

The scene at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea (Yui Mok/PA)

Scenarios included mingling with media, bumping into him jogging, ringing his doorbell, and causing a scene to lure him out.

Ali rejected the plan after Mr Gove split up with his wife and was thought to have moved out of the family home.

The attacker later told police: It was so convenient to go to that address but I just, I dont know why I didnt do that one.

Ali, from Kentish Town, north London, was also spotted lurking outside Finchley MP Mike Freers constituency office, jurors were told.

By September last year, Ali had settled on Sir David as an easy target after seeing his upcoming surgery in Leigh-on-Sea on Twitter.

He made an appointment through the MPs office, falsely claiming he was moving to the area and was interested in churches.

Email contact between Ali Harbi Ali and the office of Sir David Amess (Metropolitan Police/PA)

On the morning of October 15, he was caught on CCTV as he made his way by foot and train to Essex.

Within minutes of meeting Sir David, Ali pulled out a 12in carving knife and stabbed him more than 20 times.

He waved the bloody knife and threatened to kill the MPs two female aides and a couple who had arrived for their own appointment.

Sir Davids assistant Julie Cushion told jurors that Ali appeared self-satisfied after the killing.

In police interview, he spoke calmly about his terror plot and admitted allegiance to the so-called Islamic State group.

He told officers that Sir David immediately suspected a sting, having been duped into talking about a fake drug called cake in the television series Brass Eye.

Ali went on: I felt like one minute I was sat down at the table talking to him and the next he was, sort of, dead.

But, yeah, its probably one of the strangest days of my life now, you know?

Jurors were told Ali had no mental health issues and he accepted much of the evidence against him.

Sir David was killed five years after Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox was murdered in her constituency.

His death led to renewed concern around the safety of MPs.
Beleaguered Chancellor Rishi Sunak has referred himself to Boris Johnsons independent adviser on ministerial interests as he sought to fend off questions over his familys financial affairs.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Sunak asked that Lord Geidt should review all his declarations of interest since he first became a minister in 2018 to ensure they had been properly stated.

While he said he was confident he had acted appropriately at all times, his overriding concern was that the public should have confidence in the answers.

Today I have written to the Prime Minister asking him to refer my ministerial declarations to the Independent Advisor on Ministers Interests. I have always followed the rules and I hope such a review will provide further clarity. pic.twitter.com/JjVRDFJELl  Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) April 10, 2022

The move came after Labour warned that disclosures that his wife was non domiciled in the UK for tax purposes and that he still had a US green card when he became Chancellor raised potential conflicts of interest.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner has written to the Prime Minister and Lord Geidt with a series of detailed questions about his familys affairs which she said needed answering.

A fish rots from the head. It is the Prime Ministers responsibility to bring this debacle to a close by ensuring that standards are upheld across his Cabinet, she said.

Mr Sunaks latest attempt to defuse the political storm that has engulfed him came after an announcement on Friday by his wife, Akshata Murty, that she would pay UK taxes on all her worldwide income failed to stem the criticism.

Mr Sunak has requested that Lord Geidt (above) should review his ministerial declarations of interest (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

In his letter requesting a review, Mr Sunak said: My overriding concern is that the public retain confidence in the answers that are given and I believe the best way of achieving this is to ensure those answers are entirely independent, without bias or favour, he said.

I am confident that such a review of my declarations will find all relevant information was appropriately declared.

I have throughout my ministerial career followed the advice of officials regarding matters or propriety and disclosure and will continue to do so.

Earlier however, it emerged that he had ordered a full-scale investigation by the Cabinet Office and the Treasury into who leaked details of his wifes tax status to the media.

Angela Rayner has called for full transparency over the Sunak familys overseas earnings (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

It has been estimated that her non-dom status could have saved her 20 million in taxes on dividends from her shares in Infosys, an Indian IT company founded by her father.

Labour accused Mr Sunak of hypocrisy, saying his family was saving tens of millions of pounds as a result of the arrangement while he was putting up taxes for millions of others.

In her letter, Ms Rayner questioned whether Mr Sunak had ever benefited from the use of tax havens  particularly when he ran hedge funds before he was an MP  and whether he had received any updates on his blind trust since becoming Chancellor.

She also questioned whether he had made a legal promise to the US when he received his green card that it was his permanent residence, and, if so, whether he was legally a permanent US resident when he entered Parliament and became a minister.

And she sought an assurance that the Chancellor and his family would provide full transparency on all their overseas income and where they pay tax on it.

The chaos caused by the Conservatives over the last week must be brought to an end, she said.

When it comes to the Tories hiking up taxes on working people, it seems it is one rule for them and another for the rest of us.

The row has erupted at a time when Mr Sunak was already under pressure amid criticism that his Spring Statement last month did little to help low income families struggling with the spiralling cost of living.

The fallout reportedly led to renewed tensions with the Prime Minister and his advisers.

At a joint press conference on Friday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Mr Johnson denied that No 10 was responsible for hostile briefing in the media against Mr Sunak, insisting he was doing an outstanding job.

However the disclosures are widely thought to have severely dented his hopes of succeeding Mr Johnson as Prime Minister, with Tory MPs questioning his political judgment.

While there was nothing illegal about Ms Murtys non-dom status, many MPs believe he was naive to think that it would not come out eventually in a way that was politically damaging.
A Ukrainian woman who fled the war has said she felt duty-bound to volunteer at a new advice centre for refugees arriving in Northern Ireland.

Galyna Valvenkina left her home in Zhytomyr, a city about 80 miles west of the capital Kyiv, 10 days after the Russian invasion.

Ms Valvenkina and her husband, who is originally from Londonderry, spent a week travelling across Europe before reaching Dublin.

Now living in Northern Ireland, the teacher is volunteering at the first Ukrainian assistance centre to open in the region.

Ian Snowden and Sharon Sinclair at the centre in Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)

The Belfast City Council-owned facility on Linenhall Street in Belfast, which offers a one-stop-shop service for refugees looking for information on how to access key services, is one of several that will operate across Northern Ireland.

We escaped war, we stayed 10 days there but then it started, these unbearable sirens, constant sirens, we had to rush to the cellar, said Ms Valvenkina.

So, we decided we would go to Northern Ireland because my husbands brother lives here and my husband is from Derry. We used to live here. So thats why were here.

She said she felt compelled to offer to help at the advice centre.

Im here because its my duty to help my people in Ukraine, she said.

Im a teacher, I speak Ukrainian, Russian, English. So, when my sister-in-law told me and asked me if I could go, I said of course, so thats why Im here volunteering to translate and interpret.

Volunteer Ukrainian interpreter Galyna Valvenkina (Liam McBurney/PA)

Ms Valvenkina said her journey out of Ukraine was like something from a Second World War movie.

It was a terrible journey, she said.

We used the evacuation trains, they were packed with women and children, thousands and thousands. It took us one week to get from Zhytomyr to Dublin.

But people were helpful and supportive. We were met by volunteers from the church at the Ukrainian border and they gave us shelter. Then we crossed the border and Polish volunteers were extremely helpful. They gave us shelter and food and everything.

It was all free trains, but they were packed with people. It was like some terrible film about the Second World War, seriously.

Ms Valvenkina said an overriding priority motivated all those fleeing her homeland.

They just want to be safe, she said.

The Red Cross is helping to operate the new advice centres. As well as Belfast, facilities are opening in Ballymena, Newry and Craigavon.

Sharon Sinclair, the Northern Ireland director for the Red Cross, said they were expecting people arriving from Ukraine to be deeply traumatised by what they have experienced.

Ukraine Assistance Centres The following arrangements have been put in place for the opening of the #Ukraine Assistance Centres. Those attending will need to bring ID and proof of the scheme under which they are registered. More information: https://t.co/dgdA8D3Pvf pic.twitter.com/RGrCEfIZIY  The Executive Office (@ExecOfficeNI) April 8, 2022

Ms Sinclair said it was the largest refugee crisis of this century.

We know this is a very traumatised group of people, she said.

We expect high levels of trauma in almost everyone coming in, so its important that they first of all just have a quiet and restful time to settle in while dealing with practical things and then to have their health needs met and other very basic things.

Ian Snowden, head of the Ukrainian support team in Northern Ireland, said around 300 people from Ukraine had already arrived to stay with family members.

He said 660 Ukrainians were awaiting visas to come to Northern Ireland via the other entry option  the UKs visa sponsorship scheme.

I think that as time goes past and more people are applying through that sponsorship scheme, we will expect to see that number would go up quite a lot, he said.

Mr Snowden said around 90 visas had been issued so far but only 10-12 people had arrived through the sponsorship scheme to date.

He said the centres would perform an important role.

The idea of these centres are that theyre a one-stop-shop, where recently arrived Ukrainian persons or their family members or their sponsor that they are living with here in Northern Ireland can come and get advice and help, he said.
The European Union needs to cut off financing for the Russian war in Ukraine by introducing sanctions on oil exports, Irelands foreign minister has said.

Simon Coveney is in Luxembourg for a meeting of the EU foreign affairs council, where further sanctions against Moscow will be discussed.

Speaking as he arrived for the meeting, Mr Coveney said the EU is spending hundreds of millions of euros on Russian oil.

He said: Ireland has maintained for quite some time that we need to take a maximalist approach to sanctions to offer the strongest deterrent to the continuation of this war and brutality.

That should include, in our view, oil.

We know that is very difficult for some member states and we have to keep a united position across the EU.

We now have coal as part of the sanctions package. We know that the commission is working on a future package that we hope we can see soon that will involve oil as well.

The European Union is spending hundreds of millions of euros importing oil from Russia. That is certainly contributing to financing this war.

In our view we need to cut off that financing of war even though it creates huge challenges and problems for the EU to solve together.

We will see what the commission says. They are now working on ensuring that oil is part of the next sanctions package. We believe the sooner that can happen the better.

EU foreign ministers are expected to take stock of EU support to Ukraine and discuss the geopolitical impact of the war on the wider region.

They will also meet the foreign ministers of Iceland and Norway on co-ordination in response to the war and will hold an informal exchange with International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan and Ukrainian prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova.
Florence Nakijoba, a Chinese language teacher, interacts with students during a lesson at Entebbe Comprehensive Secondary School in Wakiso, Uganda, April 5, 2022.(Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)

by Ronald Ssekandi

WAKISO, Uganda, April 11 (Xinhua) -- "Ni hao," students in Kitoro, a tiny village on the shores of Lake Victoria in the central Ugandan district of Wakiso, chorused as they responded to greetings from their Chinese language teacher, Florence Nakijoba.

Murmurs of students passing by, mimicking their peers, indicate a new wave of youngsters in the school eager to learn Chinese, the latest foreign language that was included in the school curriculum by the government back in 2019.

Nakijoba, 26, has been a proponent of this at Entebbe Comprehensive Secondary School, one of the government schools selected to teach the Chinese language.

"I always wanted to be a linguist, learning different languages, and Chinese is one of them," she told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Nakijoba was teaching Luganda and computer studies in 2019, before she took a nine-month training course in Chinese language teaching, as the government rolled out Mandarin in the school curriculum.

"I was very scared at first, but with time I got used to the language," she said. "By the end of nine months, I had reached level four."

In her class of about 90 students, Nakijoba teaches intonations, tenses and sentence construction of Mandarin.

The class, which is composed of students in their early teenage years, is still at the elementary level of learning the language.

Some students said that learning the Chinese language is one of the ways of widening their opportunities, especially as the Asian country deepens its ties with Africa.

Charles Bwebale, one of the students, said being multilingual widens one's opportunities.

"We hear China is one of the successful countries in the world, so when you know Chinese, you can engage them, you can do business (with the Chinese)," he said.

Ephraim Muwonge, deputy headmaster of the school, told Xinhua that parents have embraced the idea of their children learning the Chinese language, one of the sure ways of deepening the people-to-people relations between Uganda and China.

"We should teach Chinese," he said. "At the end of it, we shall benefit."

Nakijoba has extended Chinese language teaching beyond the school premises, offering online lessons for some learners.

She said that online learning was at its height during the lockdown last year as the country grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many parents put their children on online Chinese language learning programs.

One major highlight of her Chinese language tutoring came earlier this year, Nakijoba said, when she was tasked with teaching Chinese songs to Ugandan musicians who were preparing for a Lunar New Year performance.

Back home, Nakijoba's siblings and parents are all excited that she speaks and teaches Chinese.

"My parents, up to now, still cannot believe I can speak Chinese," she said. 

Ephraim Muwonge, deputy headmaster of Entebbe Comprehensive Secondary School, speaks in an interview with Xinhua in Wakiso, Uganda, April 5, 2022.(Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)

Florence Nakijoba, a Chinese language teacher, teaches during a lesson at Entebbe Comprehensive Secondary School in Wakiso, Uganda, April 5, 2022.(Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)

Charles Bwebale writes Chinese characters during a lesson at Entebbe Comprehensive Secondary School in Wakiso, Uganda, April 5, 2022.(Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)
The Prime Minister held a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over a dinner of roast beef during his visit to Kyiv on Saturday, Downing Street said.

Boris Johnson was in the Ukrainian capital for around five hours, and travelled by car, helicopter, military plane and train, according to a No 10 spokeswoman.

He started by meeting with Mr Zelensky for an hour, followed by a 30-minute walk to Independence Square.

(Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/PA)

On arrival in Kyiv, the PM and President Zelensky met for an hour  this was a meeting just with the two of them. They then went on a 30-minute walk together to Independence Square, the spokeswoman said.

Youll have seen some of the footage  he met with Ukrainians and passed the memorials that have been put up to victims of the war.

After returning, they held a further full bilateral meeting over dinner, she added.

The pair had a starter of goats cheese salad and chicken soup, followed by a main course of roast beef and cherry dumplings for dessert.

Asked who accompanied the Prime Minister on the visit, the spokeswoman said: It was a very small delegation. I believe it was one member of his private office and then security.

(Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/PA)

She said Mr Johnson was in Kyiv for around five hours.

In terms of the entirety of the visit, he left on Friday evening and he travelled overnight, and he arrived back in the UK on the Sunday morning, she said.

The spokeswoman said that due to operational concerns it was not possible to go into too much detail about the arrangements, but said Mr Johnson travelled by car, helicopter, military plane and train to get to Kyiv and back.

Asked about his emotional response to seeing the destruction, she referred to a previous statement in which the Prime Minister praised the heroism of Ukrainians in the face of Russian aggression.

She said the visit had been in planning for several weeks but the final decision was taken on the advice of security officials on the day of travel.

Mr Johnson is now at his country retreat, Chequers, with a view to having a bit of a break for a couple of days.

The spokeswoman said the intention is for the Prime Minister to get some rest and spend some time with family.

He will continue to receive updates, particularly on Ukraine, and will be participating in meetings throughout, she said.

The spokeswoman was also asked about Mr Johnson being presented with a ceramic cockerel, which has become a symbol of resistance in Ukraine, as he walked through the streets of Kyiv with Mr Zelensky.

Asked if the Ukrainian president had explained the significance of the item, and whether it would be placed in the Downing Street office, she said: I understand that he took that back with him to Chequers, so he has that.

And yes, he is aware that it has become a famous symbol of resistance.
A young man helps clean up after a Russian bombardment in Borodyanka, Ukraine. (Petros Giannakouris / Associated Press)

With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky telling compatriots to brace for a fateful week, Western military officials warned Monday that Russian forces would likely resort to even more brutal tactics against civilians in a looming offensive in the countrys south and east.

Nearly seven weeks into the war, Russian forces, whose campaign has been marked by strategic stumbles, appeared poised to achieve a major objective: capturing the port city of Mariupol. A Ukrainian marine brigade that described itself as among the last holdouts posted on Facebook that the unit had suffered a "mountain of wounded" and was running out of ammunition.

For some, death, and for some, captivity, said the post, which criticized Ukrainian military higher-ups for not providing more weaponry and resources for the fight.

Hours earlier, Zelensky said the city, the scene of one of the war's most sustained and savage Russian offensives, had been destroyed and that tens of thousands of its residents were dead.

Later, Zelensky said in a virtual address to the Ukrainian people that he took seriously concerns that Russians could deploy chemical weapons in Mariupol. He urged Western leaders to impose a tougher package of sanctions, one that included an oil embargo against Russia.

It is time," he said, "to make this package such that even a word about weapons of mass destruction is no longer heard from the Russian side.

Amid the carnage and rising atrocities in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin held his first face-to-face talks since the Feb. 24 invasion with a European leader, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. Nehammer was criticized in some quarters for handing the Kremlin a potential propaganda opportunity, but said afterward he had delivered a tough message to Putin that the war must end and Russian troops responsible for war crimes "would be held to account."

In a news conference after his meeting with Putin, Nehammer said he was not optimistic. It was clear, he said, that Russian forces were preparing for a major offensive in eastern Ukraines Donbas region.

The battle being threatened cannot be underestimated in its violence, he said.

Austria is a member of the 27-nation European Union, which has imposed stringent sanctions against Russia, but is militarily neutral and not a member of NATO  a status that in the past has allowed it to maintain closer links with Moscow. Nehammer, who met over the weekend with Zelensky, has demanded a war-crimes investigation against Russia, which denies its troops have committed atrocities against civilians.

European leaders, meanwhile, signaled that more sanctions against Moscow may be in the works. But the bloc is running out of ways to try to force Putin to break off the biggest ground war in Europe in decades, which has triggered the continents largest refugee crisis since World War II.

More than 4.5 million Ukrainians have fled the country, according to the latest United Nations figures, and about another 7 million are internally displaced. Nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes, the United Nations Children's Fund said Monday.

"In my 31 years as a humanitarian, I have rarely seen so much damage caused in so little time," Manuel Fontaine, director of UNICEF's office of emergency programs, told the U.N. Security Council.

Sanctions "are always on the table, the European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, told reporters as he headed into a meeting Monday with the blocs foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

The United States, for its part, was stepping up diplomatic efforts to bring more countries into the anti-Russia coalition. President Biden held a virtual meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India is a U.S. ally, but has not imposed any sanctions against Russia. Among a four-nation group of allies known colloquially as the Quad  the U.S., Japan, Australia and India  Biden has previously described India as the only somewhat shaky country regarding Ukraine.

A man mourns his mother, who was killed in Bucha, Ukraine, on the outskirts of Kyiv, the nation's capital. (Rodrigo Abd / Associated Press)

A senior Pentagon official said Monday that a long convoy of Russian military vehicles rolling toward the eastern city of Izyum with artillery, aviation and infantry support would reinforce and resupply their forces in the Donbas region. But the Russian effort to reinforce their capabilities, the official said, did not necessarily represent the beginning of a new Russian offensive in the region. Further south, the Russians were beginning to reinforce some of their positions southwest of Donetsk with artillery units.

With a new phase of the war considered all but certain, Ukrainian civilians continued to try to escape from what is expected to become the next main battleground, the countrys eastern industrial heartland and its southern seacoasts.

Even with nearly another 3,000 people fleeing those areas on Sunday, according to Ukrainian officials, the pace of the exodus has been slowed by fear of more attacks like the one on a railway station last week in the eastern city of Kramatorsk, which killed at least 57 people, including five children.

After the rocket strike on the railway station, the evacuation of the Donetsk region will be carried out from the neighboring towns of Sloviansk and Povrovsk, said Oleksandr Honcharenko, the mayor of Kramatorsk. About 160,000 residents had already fled his city, he said, and about 45,000 remain, most of whom had endured the hostilities in 2014 and would probably remain if there is no heavy shelling.

Honcharenko emphasized that any resident who wanted to get out of the city could leave.

The experience of other cities, such as Mariupol and Chernihiv, shows that the occupants are trying to use residents as hostages for their hostilities, he said. Therefore, the task of the city authorities, every mayor, is to keep the number of people, especially women and children, in the cities as small as possible.

Zelensky's account of death and destruction in Mariupol came in a video-link speech to South Koreas parliament  the latest in a series of virtual addresses to lawmakers around the world to drum up support and plead for more weaponry for his beleaguered country.

Since the start of the war, Moscows forces have sought to capture Mariupol to establish a land corridor between Russian-controlled areas of the east and the Crimean peninsula, which Russia seized eight years ago.

On Monday, the head of the separatist rebel government in Donetsk said Ukrainian forces had suffered significant defeats in Mariupol.

"The port of Mariupol, it is already under our control," Denis Pushilin, president of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, told Russian state television, according to Russian news outlets. His claim could not immediately be verified.

Mariupols mayor, Vadym Boychenko, said in an interview with the Associated Press that more than 10,000 civilians had died in his city and the death toll could exceed 20,000. Russian forces, he said, were attempting to conceal war crimes by bringing in mobile cremation equipment to dispose of the bodies.

Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned, he said.

Analysts at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War noted in a report Sunday that Russian forces had made significant territorial gains in Mariupol, bisecting the besieged city from the city center to the coast and isolating the remaining Ukrainian troops in the Azovstal steel plant in the east and the main port of Mariupol in the southwest.

A British military intelligence assessment on Monday warned that Russia might resort to the use of phosphorus weapons in its bid to finally secure control of the city, and said civilians in many areas were imperiled by the invaders use of indiscriminate firepower.

Russias continued reliance on unguided bombs decreases their ability to discriminate when targeting and conducting strikes, while greatly increasing the risk of further civilian casualties, the assessment said.

Claims on social media and elsewhere that chemical weapons or an unknown substance had been deployed by Russian troops could not be independently verified and were not referenced by Zelensky in his speech Monday.

John F. Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, said the U.S. was aware of the social media reports involving potential chemical munitions in Mariupol but could not confirm them. The U.S. would continue to monitor the situation closely," Kirby said.

Artillery strikes rocked several eastern cities early Monday. Air-raid sirens also wailed in the southern city of Mykolaiv, near the Black Sea, where a massive blast reverberated late Sunday. The regional governor, Vitaliy Kim, said in a video posted Monday that it was a missile strike that caused no deaths.

In his overnight video address, Zelensky said Russia was trying to evade responsibility for war crimes such as the reign of terror visited on areas outside Kyiv during a monthlong occupation before abandoning the bid to swiftly seize the capital city and topple the Ukrainian government.

Investigators and Ukrainian forces have been in satellite towns outside Kyiv, recovering bodies of civilians, many killed execution-style and thrown into mass graves. Forensic specialists from France arrived Monday to help with the preservation of evidence. Ukrainian officials say the count of fatalities in those outlying areas has surpassed 1,200.

We are doing everything we can to bring to justice every bastard who came to our land under the Russian flag and killed our people, who tortured our people, destroyed our cities, looted and tormented, Zelensky said.

He added that the coming week will be as tense as any in the course of the war, as Russian forces prepare to stage even larger operations in the east of our state.

In laying groundwork for that offensive, Russian missiles strikes destroyed the central city of Dnipros airport in a missile strike Sunday, Ukrainian officials acknowledged. But Ukrainian forces have also repulsed several assaults in eastern regions, resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery equipment, the British military assessment said.

Col. Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, spokesman for Ukraines Ministry of Defense, said at a Monday briefing that Ukrainian troops had repulsed seven Russian attacks in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in the last 24 hours.

The enemy is finalizing the restoring of its units and redeploying them to the territory of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, Motuzyanyk said. We predict that active combat operations will begin anytime soon. The Ukrainian army is ready for it.

Russian forces also kept up unrelenting strikes near the seaport of Mariupol and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest. Kharkiv's regional governor, Oleh Sinegubov, wrote on Facebook that eight people, including a 13-year-old child, died in bombardment on Monday and 19 people were injured.

These are military crimes against peaceful Ukrainians who will never forgive Russians! Sinegubov wrote.

Fears over the fate of Ukrainian civilians were heightened with word over the weekend that Russia has appointed a military chief known for atrocities in Syria to oversee the Kremlin's war effort. The appointment of Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, Western officials say, suggests that the deliberate targeting of civilians, a hallmark of Russias war strategy, is likely to continue.

Adding to the sense of menace, the notorious Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has been leading fighters in Ukraine from his Russian republic, declared Monday that he was a loyal foot soldier to Putin and suggested that Ukrainian cities faced devastation if resistance to the Russian assault continues.

Dont let Kyiv be destroyed, Kharkiv and other cities, Kadyrov, who has been sanctioned for human rights abuses, wrote in a Telegram post that also mentioned Mariupol, Luhansk and Donetsk.

Russias military setbacks since the start of the invasion have been plainly visible, but more details are emerging about the nature of its losses. The British Broadcasting Corp. reported more than 20% of the military personnel confirmed dead and identified by name were officers, including specialists like fighter pilots and veteran commanders.

Bulos reported from Mykolaiv, King from Warsaw and Jarvie from Atlanta. Times staff writers Patrick McDonnell in Kyiv contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Recently, Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, blessed the Russian soldiers who are invading Ukraine at a lavish service.

Kirill said, "We need to be very strong. When I say 'we,' I mean the armed forces first and foremost."

RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE: LIVE UPDATES

Kirill's support of Vladimir Putin's violent and bloody campaign against Ukraine is angering the Christian Orthodox world.

Insiders say this supposed man of God is more powerful politician than priest.

"He is a small copy of Putin," said Sergei Chapnin, former deputy editor-in-chief of Moscow Patriarchate publishing house. "He is kind of Putin's oligarch and lives the life like the oligarchs live," he added.

PUTIN'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE HAS RELIGIOUS, SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS

Chapnin, a theologian and journalist, worked with Kirill for 15 years in the Moscow Orthodox Church. He said that once Kirill rose to the highest rank of patriarch 13 years ago, he changed.

"I would say that Metropolitan Kirill and Patriarch Kirill  actually [they] are two different persons. And that's [a] really striking change with him after he was elected."

Patriarch Kirill restructured the church to be more autocratic, in line with Putin's vision to recreate imperial Russia.

Key to that vision is bringing back into the fold the birthplace of the Russian church: Kyiv, Ukraine,

Chapnin said Kirill uses "religious language for political reasons."

Dr. George Demacopoulos agreed with that. Demacopoulos is co-director of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University in the Bronx, New York. He said Kirill's support of the war is about Russia's spiritual roots.

Demacopoulos said that Putin wants to "reunite Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, in large part because the origins of Russian identity begin with the baptism of Prince Vladimir in the 10th century  and that occurred in Kyiv."

The centuries-old Russian Orthodox church survived Soviet-era communism and the country's official atheist religion. It was heavily infiltrated by the KGB, the Soviet Union's dreaded security agency.

Candles burn during a Russian Orthodox service at Christ the Redeemer Parish on Feb. 27, 2022. Uli Deck/picture alliance via Getty Images

Kirill's connection, if any, is not clear. But his life as a priest was heavily influenced by Kremlin propaganda.

After the Soviet collapse in 1991, the church gained power by promoting conservative values such as traditional marriage and gender roles.

Demacopoulos said that Kirill justifies supporting the invasion of Ukraine by calling it a pushback against western decadence and liberalism. "The violence that Putin is unleashing in Ukraine is designed to protect Russian speakers from the godless West," said Demacopoulos.

Church observers say that Putin sees himself as defender Orthodox Christianity. But his faith is less about the gospel of Jesus Christ  and more about maintaining power over an institution that is larger in scope than even Russia itself.

Demacopoulos said, "Putin is not a genuine believer. Putin is an instrumentalizer of religion."

The end result of Kirill's support of Putin's war is that it will likely lessen his power in the orthodox world.

Many parishes once aligned with Moscow before the war are now distancing themselves from Kirill and moving toward aligning with the Ukraine Orthodox Church.

PALM SUNDAY IS START OF HOLY WEEK FOR CHRISTIANS

And many orthodox theologians are engaging in a spiritual battle against Kirill.

Last month they created a "declaration" condemning the Russian church and Kirill's complicity in the ideology called "Russian World" or "Russkii Mir," which is the propaganda behind the justification for war.

So far, more than 1300 clergy and theologians have signed it.

The declaration ends with a plea: "We entreat all whom this declaration concerns to return to 'the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace' (Ephesians 4:3)."
Patrick Ho hardly seemed the profile of a big-time international fixer. A short, pudgy man, affectionately known to friends as Fat Ping, Ho had been a Harvard-trained ophthalmologist and a Hong Kong government minister. Yet in the fall of 2017, after landing at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, he was arrested by FBI agents and charged in an audacious plot to dole out millions of dollars in bribes to African leaders in exchange for major energy contracts that appeared to advance Chinese government interests.

What emerged in his indictment and later trial and conviction in federal court was a revealing portrait of Chinese influence peddling that included allegations that Ho arranged to broker arms deals  including the sale of rocket and grenade launchers  to countries in war zones in Africa and the Middle East.

There was one noteworthy detail, however, about Hos global wheeling and dealing that went unmentioned in federal court documents or Justice Department press releases at the time.During the same period that he was being pursued by the FBI for his role in the global bribery scheme, Ho and his boss, Ye Jianming, a billionaire oil tycoon with past ties to a front for the Peoples Liberation Army, had entered into a business relationship with two members of the Biden family  President Bidens son Hunter Biden and the presidents brother, James Biden.

As Yahoo News first reported, when Ho was arrested by agents at JFK, the first call he made was to James Biden. (The presidents brother later told the New York Times that he believed the call was intended for his nephew Hunter.) At the time, Hos connection to the Bidens was unclear. But emails on a damaged laptop that Hunter Biden left at a computer repair store in Wilmington, Del.  many of which have since been authenticated by the Washington Post and the Times  as well as bank records and other documents uncovered by Senate Republican investigators, reveal a high-dollar money trail that flowed from Chinese interests to Hunter and James Biden and which now appears to be at the heart of an ongoing Justice Department criminal investigation. (George Mesires, a lawyer for both Hunter and James Biden, did not respond to requests for comment from Yahoo News. A lawyer for Ho declined to comment.)

President Joe Biden with first lady Jill Biden, his son Hunter Biden and daughter Ashley Biden after being sworn-in as president, Jan. 20, 2021. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

The documents show that over a 14-month period in 2017 and 2018, a Chinese firm, CEFC China Energy, which was founded by Ye and whose nonprofit wing was run by Ho, paid $4.8 million to an investment vehicle controlled by Hunter Biden. During that same time frame, Hunter Bidens firm transferred $1.4 million to James Bidens consulting firm, according to bank records and a report released by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, ranking minority member on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Moreover, in September 2017, just two months before the Chinese businessmans arrest, Hunter Biden (who is a lawyer) signed a retainer agreement to represent Ho, according to emails found on his laptop and since authenticated by the Washington Post. Grassley separately obtained bank records showing $1 million was paid to Biden in March 2018 for the representation, although it is not clear what work, if any, he did for Ho. Court records of Hos criminal case show no indication that Biden or his law firm at the time, Boies Schiller Flexner, participated in Hos legal defense. (Among the questions that Yahoo News submitted to Mesires, the Bidens lawyer, were what work Hunter Biden did for the $1 million retainer and what work James Biden did for the $1.4 million paid to his consulting firm. He did not respond.)

But there are indications that Hunter Biden had good reason to suspect the Chinese intelligence connections of Ho and Ye. In a May 11, 2018, audio recording of a conversation with an unidentified woman found on the laptop, a copy of which has been obtained by Yahoo News, Hunter Biden complained about getting a phone call from a New York Times reporter asking about his representation of Ho. He is literally the f***ing spy chief of China, Biden says to the woman, clearly overstating Hos role. (It is unclear why the conversation, which was recorded by the woman, was on the laptop.)

In the same conversation, Biden also talked about phone calls he had gotten from his father about media inquiries into his business affairs. And he complains that Ye, who he refers to as my partner and the richest man in the world had recently gone missing in China and he was unable to get in touch with him. (Ye, who apparently ran afoul of Chinese President Xi Jinping, has not been publicly seen or heard from since.)

Dr. Patrick Ho. (AP)

None of the details about Hunter and James Bidens business dealings with Chinese interests implicate President Biden in any wrongdoing. But the depth and breadth of the Bidens financial ties with Ho and Ye raise new questions as to whether they were targets of a Chinese influence operation that, separate and apart from an ongoing criminal probe into Hunter Biden for alleged tax fraud and potentially foreign lobbying violations, represents a counterintelligence threat.

Theres no question that Chinese intelligence services look for every possible opportunity to get close to family members of high-ranking officials, said Frank Figliuzzi, former chief of the FBIs counterintelligence division. In the past, Figliuzzi had expressed skepticism about stories in conservative media about Hunter Biden. But now, he adds, I believe that the information weve learned is something that merits a review by the counterintelligence arm of the FBI. (A FBI spokeswoman said the bureau would have no comment on whether it has initiated a counterintelligence inquiry into the Bidens Chinese connections similar to the one it launched into then candidate Donald Trump and his campaign in the summer of 2016.)

Theres no doubt Hunter presents CI [counterintelligence] vulnerabilities, says another former senior FBI official, who asked not to be identified by name discussing sensitive matters relating to the Bidens. But those issues received less scrutiny during the Trump years because Trump and his own family had multiple business interests with foreign governments, which he used his power as president to bolster.

Trump and all the hangers-on were so bad that I think some legitimate questions about Hunter have been covered less rigorously than they should have been, said the former official. Still, if Trumps children such as Donald Trump Jr. or Eric Trump were doing the same things, many more people would be howling.

Getty Images

Alleged Chinese political influence schemes in the U.S. go back decades. In the 1990s, a campaign finance scandal known as Chinagate erupted over illicit donations by Chinese backers with ties to the countrys intelligence service to the Democratic National Committee and Bill Clintons 1996 reelection campaign.

More recently, suspected Chinese agents have tried to sidle up to prominent politicians including California Democrats Sen.Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Eric Swalwell, prompting the FBI to give both lawmakers a defensive briefing. (After being alerted by the bureau, Feinstein fired the staffer alleged to be working for Chinese intelligence. Swalwell cut his ties to the suspected Chinese agent who had been raising money for his campaign.) Scions of prominent Republican families, like Neil Bush  son of former President George H.W. Bush and the brother of former President George W. Bush  have also been criticized for their connections to Chinese organizations running influence efforts.

But a full picture of the Chinese business ties of the Bidens has only emerged in fits and starts, with much that is still unknown. Although many of the details have circulated in conservative media circles for some time, they were largely ignored by mainstream news organizations in part because they initially surfaced on a laptop that wound up, through circuitous means, in the hands of Rudy Giuliani, Trumps lawyer who is prone to making factually dubious claims, and the accuracy of its contents was hard to verify.

Playing on those concerns and the memory of the Russian hack-and-dump campaign that targeted 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, 51 former U.S. intelligence officials (many of whom had clashed with Trump and were publicly backing Biden) released a statement claiming that the email dump has all the classic earmarks of a Russian influence operation. The intel officials who signed the letter acknowledged they had no evidence of Russian involvement in the laptop, and none has surfaced since then.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Still, signs of Hunter Bidens efforts to do business in China  and his willingness to use his proximity to his father to further those deals  had been public for some time. In 2013, Hunter Biden accompanied his father, then the sitting vice president, aboard Air Force 2 on a trip to Beijing. While his father engaged in five-and-a-half hours of talks with Xi, the Chinese leader, the younger Biden met with Jonathan Li, a Chinese banker with whom he had just formed a Chinese private equity firm. (The Chinese business license for the firm was issued by Shanghai authorities 10 days after the trip and Hunter Biden was named a member of the board, according to NBC reporter Jonathan Lederman, then with the Associated Press, who accompanied the Bidens on the trip.)

What became of that venture  and how much it netted Hunter Biden  is still fuzzy. But by 2017, as his father was starting to plot his campaign for president, Hunter Biden began forming new ventures with problematic new partners. He met with Ye, the chief of CEFC, for dinner in Miami and discussed a $40 million investment in a liquified natural gas venture in Louisiana, according to an account in the New Yorker. That summer, Ye also informed Hunter Biden that his deputy, Ho, was under criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in New York and asked the younger Biden to assist in his defense  a request that led to the $1 million retainer payment the following year.

As those relationships solidified, the FBI was intensifying its pursuit of Ho. Court documents later revealed that the bureau had gotten a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant to secretly intercept Hos communications, an action the FBI can only be granted for targets suspected of being an agent of a foreign power or a terrorist organization.

A courtroom sketch from March 2019 shows Patrick Ho, center, being sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of paying bribes to the presidents of two African countries. (Elizabeth Williams/AP)

The case that prosecutors ultimately brought against Ho revolved around claims that he used CEFCs U.S.-based nonprofit, the China Energy Fund Committee, to shell out $2.5 million in bribes to senior African officials to win oil contracts for Yes Shanghai-based energy conglomerate.

Ho was not formally accused of acting on behalf of the Chinese government. But when it comes to Beijings influence operations, the line between freelancing businessmen and de facto agents of the state can be thin, sometimes by design, according to former U.S. intelligence officials. Indeed, Hos own defense lawyersargued that his actions were in furtherance of the Chinese states agenda by promoting Belt and Road, Xis signature initiative to expand Chinese economic power around the world through infrastructure investment.

Besides his bribes, prosecutors also introduced evidence of other misdeeds by Ho. He had, they charged, sought to facilitate a sanctions-busting scheme on behalf of Iran, plotting with an Iranian agent how to wash frozen Iranian funds so Tehran could covertly purchase precious metals. He also sought to leverage his connections and power by brokering arms deals  including the sale of mortar rounds and rocket, anti-tank and grenade launchers  to Libya, Chad, South Sudan and Qatar, according to a sentencing memo filed by the prosecutors.

Hos actions were corrupt and they were criminal, and he knew it, said Douglas Zolkind, an assistant U.S. attorney during the former Hong Kong ministers trial at federal court in Manhattan. Thats why he carried out these schemes from his perch as the head of a nonprofit NGO, where he could gain access to world leaders under the guise of someone interested in humanitarian goals.

Ho was convicted of seven counts for money laundering, conspiracy and foreign lobbying violations in December 2018 and sentenced to three years in federal prison.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan  On March 23, the Taliban turned away teenage girls, who had arrived excited and carrying new textbooks, from school gates across Afghanistan. Classrooms would be closed to girls from the sixth grade on, the leaders said, until an appropriate dress code could be decided on for girls and female teachers.

It was the first day schools had been set to open for girls since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August. The Ministry of Education, only two days before, had said all girls would be allowed to attend school.

Asked about the closure, Taliban spokesperson Bilal Karimi told NBC News there were multiple issues at play, but he did not have any details. The leadership held its meeting recently and discussed in detail the girls schools. They, however, decided to keep the schools closed until a further meeting, he said.

The flip-flop signals fundamental divisions within the Taliban between hard-liners and moderates over how to rule the country as the regime faces mounting international condemnation amid a spiraling humanitarian crisis.

Image: Girls leave their school after attending only hours following reopening in Kabul on March 23, 2022. (Ahmad Sahel Arman / AFP - Getty Images)

Theyve considered the different options available to them, theyve dealt with internal divisions on these issues and this is the path that they seem to be choosing, Heather Barr, associate womens rights director at Human Rights Watch, told NBC News following the ban.

The decision to bar millions of girls from education has frustrated some members of the Taliban. Several Taliban leaders, who spoke with NBC News on the condition of anonymity, as they are prohibited to speak with the media, said many of their peers were not happy about depriving girls of their right to education.

Look, more than half of our population comprises females. How can you develop your country and build institutions when you stop your females from getting education? a senior police officer and Taliban leader asked.

This isnt a wise decision, as we cant afford to annoy the Afghan people by banning girls education, he said. It should be our top responsibility to create an environment for girls to freely go to schools, colleges and universities as per the Islamic Shariah and our local customs and traditions.

Women were barred from attending school and employment under Taliban rule, from 1996 to 2001, when the regime was toppled by American forces after leaders refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

The Taliban had promised to respect womens rights according to Islamic law and tradition when it retook control of the country last August.

Karimi, the Taliban spokesperson, said that schools would remain closed to girls beyond sixth grade pending further approval by the leadership but could provide no further information.

When and if this will happen remains unclear. A meeting of the council of religious scholars in the week following the ban decided to keep schools closed for girls indefinitely.

The Ulema Council ... stated they are not against girls education but before sending the girls to schools, they want to create a safe environment for them in the country, a Taliban leader, who requested anonymity out of fear of breaching the ban on speaking about official issues with reporters, said following the meeting.

The council also discussed the issue of a dress code for girls but said it considered it a minor problem, two Taliban leaders with direct knowledge of the meeting said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the media ban.

The school ban also signals incoherence in the Talibans policy toward girls education. Universities remain open to women, despite rumors that that could soon change. Karimi said the rumors were false.

Some Taliban leaders have also secretly sent their own daughters to private schools in Qatar, according to a report published in January by the Afghanistan Analysts Network.

Wisna Sultani, a 23-year-old female student in Kabul, said the Talibans decision showed that the group has no obligation to comply with the basic rights of women and Afghan citizens.

The world should break its silence against this obvious oppression and the explicit violation of the rights of millions of female students in Afghanistan, she said.

But withholding aid as leverage to punish the Taliban for depriving millions of girls of their right to attend school threatens to exacerbate Afghanistans already dire humanitarian crisis. The education of girls has remained one of the international communitys main concerns in talks over whether to recognize the group as leaders of the country and release humanitarian aid.

Everybody did think that the secondary schools were going to open. ... So this has thrown everything up in the air and left a lot of people struggling to think how do you engage ... with a group that behaves this way, Barr from Human Rights Watch said.

The issue of educating girls in Afghanistan holds some very serious consequences on peoples ability to eat and literally survive, she continued. This is a devastating, devastating decision for Afghans who are trying to survive and live decent lives in that country.

Image: School girls Malahat Haidari, right, and her sister Adeeba Haidari, center, study at their home with their younger sisters and mother in Kabul on March 24, 2022. (Ahmad Sahel Arman / AFP - Getty Images)

Around 95 percent of Afghans are not getting enough food to eat, while 23 million are suffering from acute hunger as of March, according to the United Nations.

In a move that may further exacerbate the countrys economic woes, the Taliban last week placed a ban on cultivating opium poppies, a crop farmers had turned to for income amid the desperate food shortage.

The Taliban reversed its decision to allow teenage girls to study eight days before a United Nations conference in London on March 31, which aimed to raise $4.4 billion for humanitarian relief for Afghanistan from international donors, an appeal that surpassed drives for Syria or Yemen.

The conference raised only half of its target goal, with representatives from Germany and the U.K. taking issue with the Talibans last-minute school ban.

Our potential to provide support will depend on how constructively the Taliban engage on key issues like the rights of women and girls and also ethnic and religious minorities. ... No nation can succeed if half of its population is held back, said Liz Truss, Britain's foreign minister.

Mushtaq Yusufzai reported from Peshawar and Rhoda Kwan from Taipei, Taiwan.
FILE PHOTO: A candle and a portrait of British MP David Amess are seen at the church of St Michael's and all Angels, in Leigh-on-Sea

By Michael Holden and Andrew MacAskill

LONDON (Reuters) -A "fanatical Islamist" inspired by Islamic State was found guilty on Monday of murdering veteran British lawmaker David Amess by knifing him to death in a frenzied attack in a church where he was meeting voters.

Ali Harbi Ali, 26, a British citizen and son of a former media adviser to a prime minister of Somalia, repeatedly stabbed Amess in an attack last October for what he said was revenge for the lawmaker's support for airstrikes on Syria.

Prosecutors said he was a "committed, fanatical, radicalised Islamist terrorist".

"This was a horrific act of terrorism motivated by religious and ideological beliefs," said Nick Price, Head of the Crown Prosecution Service's Counter Terrorism Division. "Ali chose to commit this abhorrent crime for his own selfish and hateful reasons."

Ali was found guilty of murder and preparation of terrorism at London's Old Bailey court after the jury took less than half an hour to reach a verdict.

The killing of 69-year-old Amess, a married father of five children and a member of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party, sent shockwaves through Westminster and led to calls for better security for members of parliament (MPs), coming just five years after another lawmaker was murdered.

British lawmakers regularly hold "surgeries", or one-to-one meetings, with voters in their constituencies, a tradition considered a bedrock of democracy. But with little or no security and an emphasis on access for all, surgeries can make lawmakers vulnerable.

Ali told detectives he had spent years planning to kill a lawmaker and had previously carried out reconnaissance at the Houses of Parliament, and of two other MPs, including cabinet minister Michael Gove.

He said he had "bottled" previous attacks and had settled on Amess because he was "the easiest", he told police in interviews. He also mentioned the lawmaker's membership of the Conservative Friends of Israel Group.

"If I thought I did anything wrong, I wouldn't have done it," Ali, who described himself as "moderate" told the court.

CHURCH MEETING

On Oct. 15, he made an appointment to meet Amess at the Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, northeast of London, on the pretext that he had recently moved to the area.

At their meeting in an office at the back of the church, he tried to engage Amess in conversation, before producing a 12 inch (30cm) long knife and stabbing him 21 times.

"I want him dead. I want every parliament minister who signed up for the bombing of Syria, who agreed to the Iraqi war to die," he told a man who had also been due to meet Amess.

He had hoped police would shoot him dead at the scene, but gave himself up after his crying sister begged him to as they spoke on the phone, and as unarmed officers arrived.

Ali, who had no previous convictions, said he wanted to go to Syria to join Islamic State, but later decided in 2017 he would carry out an attack in Britain instead.

He said the COVID-19 lockdowns had hampered his plans. He then scouted Gove's London home five times but decided against attacking him after learning he had split up from his wife and the house had been sold.

He did reconnaissance at another MP's constituency surgery and also went to parliament six times with the intent of attacking MPs but concluded it was too heavily guarded.

He then settled on Amess, who was first elected to parliament in 1983 and later became MP for Southend West. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2015 for his public service.

Ali is due to be sentenced on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan and Michael Holden; Editing by Kate Holton)
FILE-file March 30, 2016, Head of a special government commission investigating the 2010 plane crash in Russia that killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others, Antoni Macierewicz shows a report alleging the crash was an assassination, in Warsaw, Poland. Macierewicz reinforced these allegations while presenting the latest report in Warsaw, Poland, on Monday, April 11, 2022 that says the crash was caused by intended detonation of planted explosives.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

WARSAW, Poland (AP)  A Polish government special commission has reinforced its earlier allegations that the 2010 plane crash that killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others in Russia was the result of Moscow's assassination plan.

The latest of the commissions reports, released Monday, alleges that an intentional detonation of planted explosives caused the April 10, 2010 crash of Soviet-made Tu-154M plane that killed Kaczynski, the first lady and 94 other government and armed forces figures as well as many prominent Poles.

Their deaths were the result of an act of unlawful interference by the Russian side, the commission's head Antoni Macierewicz told a news conference.

"The main and indisputable proof of the interference was an explosion in the left wing ... followed by an explosion in the plane's center," said Macierewicz, who in 2015-2018 served as defense minister in Poland's right-wing government.

He denied that any mistakes were made by the Polish pilots or crew members, despite bad weather at the time of the crash.

The report repeats many previous allegations made by the commission, appointed by the government whose key figure is the main ruling Law and Justice party leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the twin of the late president.

It comes at a time when Russia has unleashed a war on Polands neighbor Ukraine, and among the current tense relations between Warsaw and Moscow. Poland supports Ukraine in its struggle against Russia and is calling for very tough sanctions on Moscow for its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

The latest report once again drums up hostility toward Russia among some Poles, chiefly supporters of the nationalist government, it what seems to be an effort to consolidate the voter base of the Law and Justice party, which was founded by the Kaczynski twins in 2001.

Suspicions are additionally fuelled by Russia's refusal to return the wreckage, which has complicated Poland's investigation.

Earlier, two separate reports by Polish and Russian experts on aviation incidents said the crash on approach in dense fog to the Smolensk airport, which did not have sophisticated aviation equipment, was the result of human errors made in adverse weather conditions.

They found no proof of foul play.
Finland and Sweden are set to join NATO as early as this summer, extending the organizations borders alongside Russia by hundreds of miles, U.S. officials told the British newspaper the Times. Finland is expected to submit its application for membership in June, with Sweden to follow.

During talks among the organization's 30 member nations last week, U.S. officials said that NATO membership for the Nordic countries was the topic of conversation. Foreign ministers from both Sweden and Finland attended the NATO sessions.

Protesters demonstrate against Russia's invasion of Ukraine at a rally in Helsinki, Finland, on March 5. (Mikko Stig/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images)

How can this be anything but a massive strategic blunder for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin? a senior American official said in an interview with the Times.

Sweden and Finland have turned to NATO as a result of the threat Moscow has posed since it invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. The Russian military has launched attacks against its neighbor by land, air and sea, and Putin has justified the war by claiming he is acting to demilitarize and de-Nazify the country.

Over the weekend, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said Russia is not the neighbor we thought it was. She added: I think we will have very careful discussions, but we are also not taking any more time than we have to in this process, because the situation is, of course, very severe.

Finland, which shares an 810-mile border with Russia, said it had discussed a possible bid for membership with almost all of the organizations 30 delegates.

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said two weeks ago that the country would be carrying out a security policy review and that it would be ready at the end of May. I do not exclude NATO membership in any way, she said. Stefan Nordstrom, a major in the Swedish Army, told Reuters that it would be naive to not recognize that there is a threat from Russia. "The security situation in the whole of Europe has changed, and we have to accept that, and we have to adapt, he said.

Irina Moprezova reacts in front of a house damaged by aerial bombing in Irpin, Ukraine, on March 13. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia has repeatedly warned Finland against joining NATO. On March 12, Russias Foreign Ministry said that there will be serious military and political consequences if Finland joins the alliance.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in late February that he "value[s] the close partnership" with Finland and Sweden, even if they are not members. "This is a question of self-determination and the sovereign right to choose your own path and then potentially, in the future, also to apply for NATO membership, he said.
WASHINGTON  Patriarch Kirill, leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, has been a loyal ally of President Vladimir Putin for years. But his vociferous support of the invasion of Ukraine has drawn strong rebukes from religious leaders who say he has forsaken Christian teachings by supporting the Kremlins destructive campaign.

In his most recent Sunday sermon, delivered at the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Moscow, Kirill told worshippers to respect official power  a message seemingly intended to bolster a military campaign that has gone badly for Russia. Once called the politicking patriarch, Kirill was enthroned in 2009 and is closely associated within Russia with the current political regime.

May the Lord help us all in this difficult time for our Fatherland to unite, including around the authorities, Kirill said in the sermon. He hoped that the Russian people would maintain the ability to repel external and internal enemies.

Kirill has been a vociferous and consistent supporter of Putins invasion of Ukraine, despite the fact that the vast majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Orthodox. On Sunday, nearly 300 leaders of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church signed a letter accusing Kirill of moral crimes for his endorsement of the unprovoked attack on Ukraine, which has killed thousands of civilians.

Russian Patriarch Kirill celebrating a Christmas service in Moscow on Jan. 6. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images)

Our position is fully consistent with the Gospel and the church tradition, the Ukrainian clergymen wrote. Defending the homeland from the enemy is one of the main Christian virtues.

Many Christian leaders in the West have denounced the invasion, including Pope Francis and members of Kirills own church. Most Russian clergy, however, share Kirills views. Metropolitan Mitrofan of Murmansk said the invasion of Ukraine was a battle against the Antichrist.

Mitrofan also said the Orthodox Church in Ukraine is not a real church, in reference to the schism between the Ukrainian and Russian churches three years ago, angering both Putin and Kirill.

Long suspected of having once been an agent of the KGB  the Soviet era security service that frequently singled out religious dissidents  Kirill is a symbol of the resurgence of the Orthodox Church under Putin, who has used religion to bolster his nationalistic, anti-Western vision. In 2013, Kirill decried same-sex marriage as a very dangerous sign of the apocalypse. Four years later, he criticized Western Europe for the grave mistake of straying from Christianity.

Although Russian society has become increasingly religious since the fall of the Soviet Union, which officially embraced atheism, Kirill has not wholly escaped scrutiny. In 2012, a photograph of him wearing a $40,000 watch was airbrushed to remove the timepiece, leading to widespread derision and mockery. Two years ago, he was seen wearing a watch costing $16,000, this time without apparent concern for public backlash.

When Putin decided to launch an invasion of Ukraine in late February  in what he described as an effort to de-Nazify the countrys government, which is led by a Jewish president  Kirill told members of the armed forces that they were on the correct path. He also alluded to threats mounting on the borders of our Fatherland, an obvious reference to Ukraine and its Western allies.

A sovereign nation since 1991, Ukraine has sought to chart a course distinct from its Soviet legacy. Kyivs desire for autonomy has always been viewed as an affront by Putin, who first invaded Ukraine in 2014. He invaded again eight years later, expecting an easy victory, only to face protests at home and condemnation abroad.

Kirill remains a key ally for an increasingly embattled Kremlin. The Russian Orthodox Church's moral blessing of this war has been years in the making, Russia expert Samuel Ramani of Oxford University said earlier this month. While few have been surprised by Kirills loyalty to Putin, his seeming lack of concern for the plight of ordinary Ukrainians has renewed criticism of his tenure.

Though he has made generic calls for peace, the 75-year-old bishop has also made no secret of his true sympathies. We have entered into a struggle that has not a physical, but a metaphysical significance, Kirill said in early March.

In a widely condemned sermon earlier this month, Kirill struck out against the West while envisioning the same fictitious unity of Slavic peoples that Putin has invoked and Ukrainians have rejected.

Debris and destroyed Russian military vehicles in Bucha, Ukraine, on April 6. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Today the word independence is often applied to almost all countries of the world, Kirill said on the same day that much of the world was encountering the images of slaughtered civilians in Bucha. But this is wrong, because most of the countries of the world are now under the colossal influence of one force, which today, unfortunately, opposes the force of our people.

The April 3 sermon was delivered at the main cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces. Kirill did not name the malevolent force he had in mind, but Putin has blamed the United States for engineering Ukraines successful resistance to Russia.

We are a peace-loving country and a very peace-loving, long-suffering people who suffered from wars like few other European nations, Kirill went on to say.

We have no desire for war or for doing something that could harm others. But we have been so educated by our entire history that we love our Fatherland and will be ready to defend it in the way that only Russians can defend their country.

The April 3 sermon led to a rebuke from a leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in the United States. From the words and actions of Patriarch Kirill, we can conclude he has made the same bargain with Putin and his cronies. This is, indeed, a sad moment for our church, and the whole world is watching, Archbishop Elpidophoros said in a speech the following day.

Rowan Williams, the former archbishop of Canterbury, called for the World Council of Churches to eject Russia after the April 3 sermon.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The riot act has to be read, Williams said in an interview with the BBC.

When a Church is actively supporting a war of aggression, failing to condemn nakedly obvious breaches in any kind of ethical conduct in wartime, then other churches have the right to raise the question and challenge it  to say, unless you can say something effective about this, something recognizably Christian, we have to look again at your membership.

Present at the sermon Kirill delivered on Sunday were several representatives of Norilsk Nickel, the mining giant that helped construct the church where service took place. The corporation is helmed by Vladimir Potanin, an oligarch close to Putin.

_____

What happened this week in Ukraine? Check out this explainer from Yahoo Immersive to find out.
LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Ukrainian troops have repulsed several Russian assaults in the country's east, British intelligence said on Monday, while President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said thousands of Russian soldiers were massing for a new offensive.

Russian forces were also pushing to establish control over the southern port city of Mariupol, the lynchpin between Russian-held areas to the west and east.

"There are tens of thousands of dead, but even despite this, the Russians are not stopping their offensive," Zelenskiy told South Korea's parliament by videolink.

Reuters could not verify the accuracy of his estimate.

The Russian invasion - the most serious conflict in Europe since the Balkans wars of the 1990s - has left a trail of death of destruction that has drawn condemnation from Western countries and triggered concern about Putin's broader ambitions.

About a quarter of Ukraine's 44 million population have been forced from their homes, cities turned into rubble, and thousands of people have been killed or injured - many of them civilians.

Austrian leader Karl Nehammer planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday and will call for an end to the conflict. It would be Putin's first face-to-face meeting with a European Union leader since Russia's invasion started on Feb. 24.

Russian forces have abandoned their attempt to capture the capital Kyiv, for now at least, but are redoubling their efforts in Ukraine's east. Britain's defence ministry said Russian shelling continued in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Residents carry their belongings near buildings destroyed in the course of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, in Mariupol

But Ukrainian forces had beaten back several assaults and destroyed Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery equipment, it said in its regular intelligence bulletin.

Powerful explosions rocked cities in the south and east and air raid sirens blared out across Ukraine early on Monday.

Zelenskiy kept up his campaign to generate international support and rally his countrymen, warning the coming week would be important.

"Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state. They may use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs. But we are preparing for their actions. We will answer," he said in a late night video address.

Addressing South Korea's parliament, he said Russia was concentrating tens of thousands of soldiers for the next offensive. He asked Seoul for any military aid it could provide.

Since Russia invaded, Zelenskiy has appealed to Western powers to provide more defence help, and to punish Moscow with tougher sanctions including embargoes on its energy exports.

Zelenskiy also said Mariupol has been destroyed. Reuters journalists on Sunday saw several Russian tanks heading down a highway in the direction of the city.

Search for bodies under the rubble of a building destroyed by Russian shelling, in Borodyanka

The general staff of Ukraine's armed forces said it was likely the Russians would try to disrupt supply lines and strike at transport infrastructure.

Russia's defence ministry said high-precision missiles had destroyed the headquarters of Ukraine's Dnipro battalion in the town of Zvonetsky.

In a later statement, the ministry said Russian sea-launched missiles had on Sunday destroyed S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems which had been supplied to Ukraine by a European country. They systems were concealed in a hangar on the outskirts of Dnipro in central Ukraine, it said.

Reuters could not confirm the reports.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he would meet Putin on Monday in Moscow.

"We are militarily neutral, but (have) a clear position on the Russian war of aggression against #Ukraine," Nehammer wrote on Twitter. "It must stop! It needs humanitarian corridors, ceasefire & full investigation of war crimes."

Mounting civilian casualties have triggered widespread international condemnation and new sanctions.

Ludmila Zabaluk, head of the Dmytriv Village Department, north of Kyiv, said dozens of civilian bodies were found in the area.

"There were more than 50 dead people. They shot them from close distance. There's a car where a 17-year-old child was burned, only bones left. A woman had half her head blown off. A bit farther, a man lying near his car was burned alive," she said.

Reuters could not confirm the reports.

Military sappers dismount a machine gun from a Russian tank destroyed during Russia's invasion near the village of Motyzhyn

Moscow has rejected accusations of war crimes by Ukraine and Western countries. It has repeatedly denied targeting civilians in what it calls a "special operation" to demilitarise and "denazify" its southern neighbour. Ukraine and Western nations have dismissed this as a baseless pretext for war.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, speaking before a meeting of European ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, said Berlin saw "massive indications" of war crimes in Ukraine.

French bank Societe Generale became the latest company to retreat from Russia, agreeing to sell its stake in Rosbank and the Russian lenders insurance subsidiaries to Interros Capital, a firm linked to billionaire Vladimir Potanin.

The Russian invasion has triggered a barrage of financial sanctions from the United States, Europe and Britain, prompting Western companies to sell their Russian assets.

SocGen had faced mounting pressure to cut ties with Russia and end its more than 15-year investment in Rosbank.

Several EU ministers said on Monday the bloc's executive was drafting proposals for an oil embargo on Russia, although there was still no agreement to ban Russian crude.

The World Bank on Sunday forecast the war would cause Ukraine's economic output to collapse by 45% this year, with half of its businesses shuttered, grain exports mostly cut off by Russia's naval blockade and destruction rendering economic activity impossible in many areas.

The bank forecast Russia's GDP would contract by 11.2% this year due to the Western sanctions.
by Peerzada Arshad Hamid

NEW DELHI, April 11 (Xinhua) -- India has reportedly bought at least 13 million barrels of crude oil from Russia since Feb. 24, compared with nearly 16 million barrels in all of 2021, given the huge discounts offered by Moscow since the Ukraine crisis.

Crude prices are soaring in the international market with the Russia-Ukraine conflict unfolding. New Delhi has called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine but abstained from voting on multiple United Nations (UN) resolutions on the military operation despite growing pressure from Washington and its allies.

MORE RUSSIAN OIL

India is the world's third largest consumer of oil and imports over 80 percent of it from other countries to meet its needs. Last year, the majority of India's oil supplies came from the Middle East, followed by remarkable quantities from the United States and Nigeria.

In 2021, Russia only accounted for around two percent of India's total oil imports.

Following the West's imposition of sanctions on Russia, Moscow has been seeking new markets for its oil exports by offering discounts. Indian companies took advantage of the opportunity to increase imports from Russia and placed orders.

However, in the wake of the sanctions on Russian banks, these companies are facing a challenge of how to finance these discounted purchases.

In the recently concluded country's parliament session, Junior Oil Minister Rameswar Teli said that there was currently no contract or proposal under consideration of oil undertakings in the public sector with Russia or any other country to buy crude oil in Indian rupees.

Insiders say New Delhi and Moscow have been looking to establish a rupee-rouble trade system and discussions between financial officials from the two countries are ongoing. Other options for all possible payment mechanisms are also being explored.

The issue reportedly came up for discussion during Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's recent visit to New Delhi, during which he also met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Lavrov's visit came just after British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss's visit and U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh's visit to India, both trying to convince India against doing business with Russia.

INDIA'S DEFIANCE

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently said India will continue buying cheap Russian oil in the nation's interest.

"I would put my energy security first. If the fuel is available at a discount, why shouldn't I buy it?" Sitharaman said.

For this, Indian state refiners have been doubling down on Russian barrels.

"We have started buying (oil from Russia). We have received quite a number of barrels. I would think about 3-4 days of supply, and this will continue. India's overall interest is what is kept in mind," Sitharaman said of the contentious issue of oil purchases from Russia.

Reports said Moscow is offering more oil to New Delhi at a discount of as much as 35 U.S. dollars a barrel on prices before the conflict. Meanwhile, crude in the market hovers above 100 dollars a barrel.

The Indian finance minister's comments were seen as a reaffirmation of New Delhi's position on continuing trade with Moscow, despite Western sanctions.

Sitharaman also said that it would be better to have a Unified Payments Interface-like platform that can interact with another system, just like SWIFT.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar also defends New Delhi's position saying that while India's crude purchases from Russia are insignificant, the major buyers of Russian oil and gas are from Europe.

"When the oil prices go up, I think it is natural for the countries to go out into the market and look for what are good deals for their people," he said in his remarks during a conversation with his British counterpart Truss, who was on a day-long visit to India as part of a wider diplomatic push on the Ukraine issue.

Analysts say buying crude at a discount can help India keep a check on prices in its domestic market to some extent.

Fuel retailers have started passing on high prices to consumers, putting pressure on the government to slash fuel duties.

U.S. CARROT & STICK

Washington has been trying to bring New Delhi into its fold. Initially, it said New Delhi's oil imports do not violate sanctions but actually it harbors grudges against New Delhi, which has so far remained neutral.

The White House, unwilling to see India increasing its oil purchases from Russia in defiance of sanctions, recently said that it was ready to support New Delhi in diversifying its energy imports.

"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," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a news conference. "And (the U.S. 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 percent of their oil from Russia."

On Wednesday, Biden's 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 Delhi's reactions on the Ukraine issue.

"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. 
The Queens personal adviser has described how she took on a new role during lockdown  hairdresser to the monarch.

Angela Kelly has updated her book about serving the Queen and included a new chapter that covers the pandemic and reveals details about royal life under Covid, including how she set and cut the monarchs hair.

The Queen spent much of the pandemic in the safety of Windsor Castle, protected in HMS Bubble, believed to be the nickname given to her reduced household of dedicated staff.

The Queen watches a fashion show with Caroline Rush, Dame Anna Wintour and Angela Kelly (Yui Mok/PA)

Ms Kelly, the Queens senior dresser and personal adviser, was part of the team who would have isolated with the head of state for periods.

Her revised book, The Other Side Of The Coin: The Queen, The Dresser And The Wardrobe, first published in 2019, also covers the Duke of Edinburghs funeral, the first public engagements post-lockdown and looks ahead to the Queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June.

Katya Shipster, Harper Non-Fiction publishing director, said about the book, updated to mark the jubilee: It tells the story of the royal bubble as well as the lengths Angela and the royal household went to, to ensure the safety of the monarch.

Ms Kelly, a bubbly and hard-working royal aide, has kept the Queens style relevant and even added a touch of bling during almost 30 years working for the monarch.

The Queen values the opinion of her meticulous personal assistant and has gradually over the years given her free rein when helping her create a look for an event.

The Queen, with the Duke of Edinburgh, wearing 3D glasses embellished by Angela Kelly during a visit to Pinewood Studios in Toronto (John Stillwell/PA)

Despite the Queens advancing years, she has been prepared to embellish her style under Ms Kellys direction as a nod to modern times.

A pair of 3D glasses worn by the Queen during a film demonstration in Canada in 2010 were given a touch of glamour by Ms Kelly  Swarovski crystals forming the letter Q on their sides.

Ms Kelly rarely gives interviews but she once disclosed: We are two typical women. We discuss clothes, make-up, jewellery.

Her book, published on May 12 by HarperCollins, reveals some of the behind-the-scenes tricks used for the monarchs attire.

She sews in extra layers of lining to cushion the impact of beading and crystals on the Queens back when events require glamorous gowns.

Angela Kelly has served the monarch for almost three decades (John Stillwell/PA)

Tiny weights are also put into day-wear hemlines in case of windy weather and fabrics that crumple or could potentially develop messy loose strands are avoided.

Ms Kelly  who has the same size feet as the Queen  wears in the monarchs handmade new shoes to ensure they are comfortable when first used.
The UK fears that Vladimir Putins forces could use white phosphorus (WP) munitions in the bombardment of the besieged Ukrainian port Mariupol.

A British defence intelligence assessment said WP had already been used by Russia in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

White phosphorus is used for illumination at night or to create a smokescreen, but when it is deployed as a weapon it causes horrific burns.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine  11 April 2022 Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/3RYc4QJBuG  #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/p6jpNvs1eU  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) April 11, 2022

The intelligence assessment published by the Ministry of Defence on Monday said: Russian forces prior use of phosphorus munitions in the Donetsk Oblast raises the possibility of their future employment in Mariupol as fighting for the city intensifies.

The MoD said Russian forces had continued shelling in the Donetsk and Luhansk areas of eastern Ukraine, but Kyivs troops had repulsed several assaults.

Russias continued reliance on unguided bombs decreases their ability to discriminate when targeting and conducting strikes while greatly increasing the risk of further civilian casualties, the department warned.

Watch: Russian army targets civilians in villages near Kyiv

The UK is set to step up its military support for Ukraine following Boris Johnsons unannounced visit to see Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv over the weekend.

The Ukrainians have the courage of a lion. President @ZelenskyyUa has given the roar of that lion. The UK stands unwaveringly with the people of Ukraine. Slava Ukraini   pic.twitter.com/u6vGYqmK4V  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 9, 2022

Cabinet minister George Eustice told Sky News: We must ensure that Putin cannot prevail on this.

The Ukrainians have been incredibly brave, I think President Zelensky has led his people well and weve all been humbled really by the acts of bravery weve seen, but also deeply shocked about some of those terrible scenes that were seeing coming out now from the cities from which Russias withdrawn.

In the village of Buzova outside Kyiv, local officials said bodies showing evidence of execution had been discovered following the Russian withdrawal.

Buzova is near Bucha, another town where atrocities were discovered  although Russia has claimed the scenes from the aftermath of its occupation were staged.

Cemetery workers remove a body from a mass grave in Bucha (Rodrigo Abd/AP)

Mr Zelensky used his nightly address to warn Ukrainians to brace for a Russian onslaught in the countrys east.

Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state, he said.

They can use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs. But we are preparing for their actions.

We will respond. We will be even more active in providing Ukraine with weapons.
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. Frank Hans Dannenberg Castellanos, newly appointed Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the Republic of Armenia (residence in Moscow), handed over his credentials to President Vahagn Khachaturyan, the Presidential Office reports.

The Armenian President congratulated the Ambassador on appointment and expressed confidence that he will serve his experience and professional skills at best for the development of the Armenian-Dominican relations.

The Ambassador assured that he will make all efforts to further enrich and promote the agenda of the relations of the two countries.

The prospects of boosting the bilateral ties, developing the mutual partnership were touched upon. Both sides attached special importance to the development of tourism between the two countries, highlighting lifting the visa regime and establishing a direct air communication as a key factor contributing to tourism growth.
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a telephone conversation with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov on April 11.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, the ministers exchanged views on demarcation and formation of the commission on border security, preparation of peace talks and humanitarian issues.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh and external affairs minister Dr S. Jaishankar have left for the US for the meeting

New Delhi: Ahead of the Indo-US 2+2 talks in Washington on Monday at the foreign and defence ministerial level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will hold a virtual meeting at which the United States will raise the consequences of Russias brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilising impact on global food supply and commodity markets.

Bilateral ties will also be discussed between the two leaders, with both the Indo-Pacific region and the role of China and recent developments in South Asia  a possible veiled reference to the situation in neighbouring Pakistan as well as Afghanistan expected to come up for discussion.

New Delhi and Washington issued separate statements on the virtual meeting but there was no reference to the Ukraine issue in the statement issued by New Delhi

Defence minister Rajnath Singh and external affairs minister Dr S. Jaishankar have left for the US for the meeting.

The US is pressing India to take a tougher line on its time-tested friend Russia in view of the Russian military offensive in Ukraine. While batting for immediate cessation of hostilities and resolution of the matter through dialogue, India has so far refused to condemn Russia and has stated that continuation of economic ties with Moscow is in New Delhis interest.

The Ukraine issue and Indias ties with Russia including the purchase of both Russian oil and weaponry are expected to be raised in a major way by the United States with India during both the virtual meeting between the two top leaders as well as the 2+2 Dialogue that will follow it.

The statement issued by New Delhi said: The two leaders will review ongoing bilateral cooperation and exchange views on recent developments in South Asia, the Indo-Pacific region and global issues of mutual interest. The virtual meeting will enable both sides to continue their regular and high-level engagement aimed at further strengthening the bilateral Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.

The United States, in its statement said, President Biden and Prime Minister Modi will discuss cooperation on a range of issues including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, countering the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. The ;eaders will advance ongoing conversations about the development of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and delivering high-quality infrastructure. President Biden will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russias brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilising impact on global food supply and commodity markets. Biden last spoke to Prime Minister Modi with other Quad Leaders in March.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov had visited New Delhi recently and Indias recent purchase of Russian oil at heavily discounted rates seems to have jolted Washington. Just last week, the United Nations General Assembly had voted to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and India had once again abstained during voting along with many other nations.

India has so far been doing a tight-rope balancing act to avoid antagonising wither Washington or Moscow although Indias difficulties seem to be increasing on this score given the ever-widening gulf and hostility between the West and Russia. The West led by the US has imposed crippling economic sanctions on Russia and observers point to repeated indications from the US that there will be economic consequences on countries like India if they seek to ramp up ties with Russia despite these Sanctions.

Indias purchase of weaponry and defence platforms including the S-400 missiles from Russia are also expected to be discussed during the talks. The purchase of Russian oil by India is also being viewed with increasing concern by Washington although Russian oil accounts for less than one per cent of Indias oil imports.

The US on the other hand supplies over seven percent of Indias oil imports and is expected to offer to increase this so that New Delhi does not have to buy Russian oil. India is also expected to tread cautiously on expanding trade ties with Russia in view of the Western sensitivities but at the same time, India is expected to firmly continue existing trade and defence ties with Moscow and is likely to convey that clearly to Washington.

In a statement released last week, the US state department noted that the 2+2 meeting would celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations and said: 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. It is also a chance to highlight the growing Major Defense Partnership between the United States and India.

The US had further said, The relationship between the worlds 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.
Mr Khans successor will be elected at a special session of the National Assembly that has been called at 2 pm on Monday

New Delhi/Islamabad: With Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif tipped to take over as Pakistans new Prime Minister Monday after the National Assembly formally elects him when it meets in the afternoon, the Indian government is cautiously optimistic that relations between the two neighbouring nations could improve in the coming months.

Observers in New Delhi feel Mr Shehbaz Sharif might tread cautiously on ties with India due to the hawkish position adopted on the Kashmir issue by his political rival, former PM Imran Khan, in the past three years. Mr Sharif also raked up the Kashmir issue on Sunday, saying that while Pakistan wants peace with India, lasting peace was not possible without a resolution of the Kashmir issue.

Mr Sharif on Sunday nominated himself for the PMs post after the unceremonious ouster of Imran Khan, who has called on his supporters to join him on the streets in protest against an imported government. The process of electing the new Leader of the House began Sunday after Mr Khan was removed through a no-confidence vote, the first PM in the history of Pakistan to be sent home after losing the trust of the House.

The joint Opposition -- a rainbow of socialist, liberal and radically religious parties -- nominated Shehbaz Sharif, 70, for the PMs post while ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was named by Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as its candidate.

Mr Khans successor will be elected at a special session of the National Assembly that has been called at 2 pm on Monday. In the House of 342, the winner will need 172 votes to become the new Prime Minister.

Former President and Pakistan Peoples Party co-chair Asif Ali Zaradri had proposed Mr Shehbaz Sharifs name for PM at a joint Opposition meeting. It is learnt that Mr Zardaris son and top PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto is likely to be appointed the new foreign minister.

On ties with India, the restoration of both trade ties and full-fledged diplomatic relations at the level of high commissioners are expected to be the key indicators in case the new government in Islamabad decides to test the ground. Mr Sharif is believed to have the support of Pakistans powerful military that has successfully implemented a ceasefire at the Line of Control with Indian troops from February last year.

Mr Sharif, who was earlier chief minister of Pakistans most populous and politically-important Punjab province, is also seen as an extremely efficient administrator and a pragmatist whose focus will be to revive Pakistans ailing economy. He is the younger brother of former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, but unlike his older brother, who is now virtually in exile in London, Shehbaz Sharif is seen to be trusted by the military establishment. Interestingly, Pakistan Army chief, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, whose second three-year term is due to end later this year, had recently sounded a conciliatory note publicly about ties with India and a resolution of the Kashmir issue through dialogue. Speculation has been rife of continuing the Track 2 engagement between intellectuals from both nations, with a recent round believed to have taken place a few weeks ago in a Middle Eastern country.

Since the Indian and Pakistani armies implemented a ceasefire at the LoC in February last year, which has successfully been maintained so far, there was hope political ties would improve in view of the widespread perception that the Pakistan Army was in favour of going forward with the momentum and improving ties with India. But it did not happen as the Imran Khan government refused to engage with India and instead set a precondition that New Delhi first reverse its move taken in August 2019 of revoking Article 370, which conferred special status on Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistan governments demand was seen as untenable by New Delhi, as many in Pakistan advocated resumption of trade ties with India that were crippled since August 2019. However, the Pakistan government did not budge.

It may also be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone on a surprise though brief visit to Lahore in December 2015, when Nawaz Sharif was PM, and was seen to have a good rapport with him. Nawaz Sharif was later forced to quit as PM and subsequently moved to London for medical treatment. Given the fast-paced political developments in Islamabad on Saturday night, New Delhi is waiting and watching keenly.

For Shehbaz Sharif, it will be a real challenge to shepherd the motley herd that includes four Independents and allow Parliament to complete its five-year term that ends in August 2023. Before filing his nomination, he offered special thanks to those who stood up for the Constitution. He then added, while addressing the National Assembly on Sunday: I don't want to go back to the bitterness of the past. We want to forget them and move forward. We will not take revenge or do injustice; we will not send people to jail for no reason, law and justice will take its course.

A petition has meanwhile been filed in the Islamabad high court seeking to prevent Imran Khan and his former ministers from leaving the country. The court will hear the petition on Monday. The Federal Investigation Agency has put its immigration staff at all international airports on high alert with a directive to stop any official linked to the Imran Khan government from travelling abroad without a no-objection certificate.
From 2015 to last March, security forces arrested more than 9 thousand children under 18. That's 19 thousand since the outbreak of the second intifada. Activist group denounces abuse, violations and mistreatment of young detainees. The symbolic story of Ahmad Manasra, arrested at the age of 13 for a knife attack.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - More than 9 thousand Palestinian minors arrested and detained by Israeli security forces between 2015 and the end of March 2022; of these, at least 1300 were detained last year, an increase of 140% compared to 2020 taking into account, however, the restrictions imposed to contain the Covid-19 pandemic that have limited - by a lot - activities and movements.

Extending the period under examination to the outbreak of the second intifada (the al-Aqsa uprising of September 2000), about 19,000 young Palestinians were arrested, including children under 10 years of age.

The numbers are contained in the report published in recent days by the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, on the occasion of the Palestinian Day for Children celebrated on April 5. The study shows that, to date, there are 160 Palestinian minors detained in the prisons of Ofer, Damon and Megiddo.

The activists add that detention is a customary practice of the Israeli security forces, which exploit rules of the British mandate that fall under the guise of administrative detention, with indefinite detentions without a trial and without the formulation of specific charges.

The largest number of minors detained are from East Jerusalem, but there are from different parts of the West Bank. Arrests have accelerated since 2015, following amendments to the Children's Law that lowered the age at which there is criminal responsibility from 14 to the current 12. However, even earlier between the first (1987) and second intifada, arrests were not uncommon even among the youngest children.

Ra'fat Hamdouna, director of the Palestinian Prisoners' Centre for Studies, accuses the Israeli authorities of committing dozens of violations of the rights of children in detention, including psychological and physical torture, threats, abuse and intimidation, even with the use of dogs. Authorities would resort to deception, false promises and cruelty. Minors are then tried in military courts with unjust laws, are subjected to fines, isolation, use of force and harassing searches. And they sign "confessions" in Hebrew, a language they do not understand, testifying to unfair trials that fall far short of international standards.

Among the many stories of hard imprisonment for juveniles, the group recalls the case of Ahmad Manasra, defined as an "example" of cruelty and injustice and for which thousands of young Palestinians took to the streets to demonstrate in recent days. The arrest dates back to 2015 when he was only 13 years old, then convicted of carrying out a knife attack in the settlement of Psgat Ze'ev, in East Jerusalem.

In prison, he suffered extremely harsh and continuous psychological and physical punishments, as well as social including a ban on visiting his family and blocking communication with his parents and siblings, in addition to long periods of solitary confinement. In spite of his progressively deteriorating health, the Israeli judges rejected his requests for a reduction of his sentence and denied him medical and psychological treatment in specialized centers outside the prison.
by Arundathie Abeysinghe

The former prime minister asked President Rajapaksa to delegate public finances to parliament and set up a consortium of countries to provide economic assistance to the island, currently crushed by runaway inflation and a shortage of essential goods. The situation remains at an impasse because of the presidents unwillingness to resign, but his party is no longer able to organise a rally in his support.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  Former Prime Minister and United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo on 7 April to discuss the present crisis faced by Sri Lanka, the worst of the past few decades.

The UNP leader blamed the countrys severe economic and financial crisis on inappropriate decisions taken by the present government after it took power.

The president consulted Wickremesinghe with regard to approaching the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The UNP leader told the president that the immediate solution is for him to resign from the presidency and vest powers in parliament, an option the president rejected once again.

The UNP leader also proposed that an aid Sri Lanka consortium should be formed to address the countrys immediate economic needs, consisting of the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea and China as well as others willing to help Sri Lanka.

The World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have already agreed to assist the country with short-term loans for urgent purchases such as medical drugs.

Meanwhile, while speaking to parliament (7 April), the UNP leader said that the government had failed in its duties and questioned who, in a surprise move, allowed the rupee to free float, which led the currency to depreciate by more than 40 per cent. Those responsible should be held accountable.

We advised the government to go to the IMF about a year ago, but it did not listen. The prevailing problems would not have cropped up, if the government acted early, Wickremesinghe said.

He also proposed bringing in a resolution for the legislature to take over public finance. In his view, this can be done under Section 148 of the constitution.

Sources within Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the party of former President Maithripala Sirisena that quit the government coalition, told AsiaNews that talks with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa continue with the aim of finding a solution to the current economic, political and social mess affecting the island nation.

Addressing the media on Sunday morning, Sirisena said that he would try to force President Rajapaksa to form an interim administration under an all-party cabinet without any Rajapaksas and with as few portfolios as possible.

He stressed that the interim administration should be set up under the constitutional provisions of the 19th Amendment and curtail the executive powers of the president.

For many political analysts, the main obstacle in the present catastrophic context is President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who refuses to resign, a step that any decent, self-respecting leader in any other country would have already done, while the vast majority of the population is against him.

The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party is the only source of political support for the president; however, their vote base seems to have evaporated. The SLPP has failed to hold a single mass rally anywhere in the country in support of the president, nor has it been able to find a cluster of supporters to defend their residences.
by Nirmala Carvalho

The appeal filed by a number of associations against the reform of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, which affected many organizations active in assisting the poor, including the Missionaries of Charity, has been rejected. For the judges, there is "no shortage of donors in India". Babu Joseph: "But the rules must be applied in a non-partisan manner. When will there be the same demand for transparency in the financing of Indian parties?".

New Delhi (AsiaNews) - The New Delhi Supreme Court has ruled that it is legitimate for the government to set limits to the possibility for Indian organizations to receive contributions from abroad.

This was established on April 8 with a verdict on an appeal filed by some associations against the contested new text of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, approved in 2020 and whose entry into force has led to major problems for many NGOs and organizations linked to missionaries active in the country.

The affair even involved the Missionaries of Charity who, on Christmas Eve, had their request for renewal of their license to receive funds from abroad rejected. The decision was then overturned in January, after the international echo of the affair and the presentation of new documents by virtue of which the Sisters of Mother Teresa were granted a new permit that will be valid until 2026. Precisely the high margin of discretion in the issuance of permits had been challenged in the appeal.

Receiving foreign donations cannot be an absolute or even a vested right, the court said. It is open to the State to have a regime which may completely prohibit receipt of foreign donation, as no right inheres in the citizen to receive foreign contribution [donation].

Such being the expanse of the effect of foreign contribution coupled with the tenet of constitutional morality of the nation, the presence/inflow of foreign contribution in the country ought to be at the minimum level, if not completely eschewed, the court said. The judges said that there was no dearth of donors in India and added that charitable organisations should focus on donors from within the country.

The court also upheld the validity of Article 17 of the law, which requires NGOs to open an account for foreign contributions at a branch of the State Bank of India in New Delhi. It added, however, that in order to apply for authorization it should not be indispensable to present the Aadhaar (the Indian identity card), but a passport should suffice.

The Court's sentence has not dispelled the concerns of the many NGOs active in India alongside the poor. In fact, the fear remains that many organizations committed to promoting the rights of the poor will be targeted through this tool. More than three months after the controversy, in fact, there are still only 16,896 associations to which the license has been renewed, compared to over 22 thousand active at the end of 2021.

Fr. Babu Joseph, SVD and former spokesman of the Indian Catholic Bishops' Conference (CBCI), commented to AsiaNews: "We respect the judges' point of view on the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act; but the point is that this regulation on civil society organizations must be implemented in a non-partisan and transparent manner. Some of the cases in which registration was cancelled or punitive actions were initiated were based on dubious grounds, which lends credence to the belief that the NGO sector is being targeted. Even with their flaws, these entities continue to do a lot of good in society, especially among those the government does not reach. If indeed there were no longer a need for them in India, we should not still have citizens languishing below the poverty line."

"I also agree," Fr. Joseph continues, "with the Court's observation that without controls on foreign donations there is the possibility of misuse to the detriment of the country. This logic, however, should not only apply to civil society organizations but also - for example - to political parties whose funding systems are very opaque. I would like the emphasis on transparency to be extended to all levels of government in India: only this will create a level playing field for all," he concluded.
French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to convince a broad range of French voters to back his centrist vision, kicking off a two-week battle against far-right challenger Marine Le Pen ahead of the countrys presidential runoff vote
The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol says more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city and the full death toll could surpass twice that number
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Tesla employee Regan Janssen was among the first to receive a Tesla Model Y built at the recently opened Gigafactory Texas.

Share This: After the Cyber Rodeo grand opening event April 7, Tesla officially delivered the first production Model Y vehicles with 4680 batteries from Gigafactory Texas.

On April 8, CEO Elon Musk announced the first production Model Y units were delivered. He thanked the Tesla team for their hard work. A few of the new Model Y owners already shared their joy with the community online.

Over the following weekend, Tesla technician Regan Janssen announced on LinkedIn she received the first Model Y with 4680 battery cells produced in Giga Texas. Janssen happens to be an engineering process technician at Tesla. She started her Tesla career the month before.

Janssen didnt elaborate on her new Tesla Model Y much in her LinkedIn post. She did not disclose the variant she received. Janssen also didnt say how many Model Y units with 4680 battery cells were delivered.

It makes sense a Tesla employee received one of the first Model Y vehicles from Giga Texas. Teslas first deliveries are usually handed over to employees.

During Cyber Rodeo, Tesla debuted the Model Y Standard Range with 4680 cells. The debut of the base Model Y with 4680 cells hinted Tesla might have started production at Giga Texas with the Standard Range variant, though Tesla usually kicks off deliveries with the Performance variant.

Before Giga Texas grand opening event, @TesLaw22 announced on Twitter he expected to...
The Volkswagen Type 2 Kombi was built in February 1967 in Germany and exported to San Francisco, California. It was built to U.S. specifications and features market-specific bumpers and safety seatbelts. The bus was subsequently converted to a camper by Sundial. It owes its good shape to a recent refurbishment carried out in 2019 that included repainting the exterior as well as refreshing the cabin. A rebuilt 1.8-liter flat-four engine was also installed. The Type 2 Camper has received several improvements, including the louvered side windows and an ARB awning. The new motor was built by Brothers Machine Shop of Los Angeles, California, and is mated to a four-speed Freeway Flier manual transaxle. The undercarriage looks well, although corrosion signs are visible.Inside the cabin, youll find the usual amenities, including the rear bench that folds into a bed and the rear-facing bench seat that was popular with camper conversions at the time. The refrigerator is integrated into a cabinet featuring an additional drawer and a countertop. Another pop-up table can be shared by the whole family, while a smaller one extends outside the cab.Woodgrain trim lines the floors, walls, and roof. Everything is rounded out by the many storage compartments located under the seat, on the right side, and in the rear cargo area. The upholstery throughout the cabin has been refreshed, giving it a tidy appearance and we reckon it looks like coming out of the factory not long ago.Despite being listed just a day ago, this Type 2 Camper already started a bidding war on Bring a Trailer . The highest bidder offered $20,500 which is a very good start for the auction. Of course, there is a reserve on this one, but we expect things to really heat up in the next six days as the auction nears its deadline.
kW

Safran Electrical & Power is one of the biggest players in the European aerospace industry thats also able to provide whats considered a rare expertise in high-voltage networks. It has recently joined forces with another Toulouse-based aviation company, Aura Aero, for accelerating the development of a regional airplane with 19 seats and a two-seat training aircraft.Era (Electric Regional Aircraft) is set to revolutionize regional flight operations with a fully electric range of 215 nautical miles (247 miles/400 km) and a 300-knot (345 mph/555 kph) maximum speed. Its meant to transport up to 19 passengers or 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) of cargo.There are several other regional electric aircraft projects out there, but Era is unique because it will boast a 100% bio-based cabin, recycled and recyclable. Plus, the manufacturer will use local production facilities and materials in support of a sustainable , circular economy.Safran will develop the high voltage propulsive architecture for Eras motors and the non-propulsive solutions that will power the aircrafts other systems. The electric 19-seater is expected to complete its first flight in 2024 and kick-off operations by 2027.Until then, Integral E will take to the sky. This is the name of the electric version of a training aircraft with aerobatic capabilities. This flight demonstrator will be powered by Safrans smart Engineus electric motor that can deliver over 100. The Integral E will be ready to conduct its first flight this year, with deliveries scheduled for 2023.This next-generation aircraft is a side-by-side two-seater that can operate with zero emissions, soon to be certified by EASA (the European Union Aviation Safety Agency) and FAA (the Federal Aviation Administration).
The famous Reuben brothers, David and Simon, aged 80 and 77, were listed as the second richest family in the UK by the Sunday Times. Born in India, they moved with their parents to London in the 1950s. They ended up building a real estate and development empire called Reuben Brothers. The Siren, considered to be Davids private yacht, is one of the many expensive billionaire toys owned by the British tycoon. It is named that way due to the alluring silhouette that makes it appear even longer than its 242 feet (74 meters) and exquisite exterior spaces.Built by Nobiskrug in Germany in 2008, the Siren was highly innovative at the time and went on to win several prestigious awards. It was the worlds first luxury yacht to boast a hydraulic foldable helicopter platform that could also be turned into a dancefloor, a stage, or used as a sun deck. It was also one of the first to have a masters suite with direct access to a fold-out balcony. In addition, it was designed with wide corridors and staircases large enough for two people to walk side by side.Today, its guests (who can be accommodated in six cabins) are able to enjoy a generous interior movie theater on the bridge deck, as well as an outdoor cinema on the aft deck, perfect for relaxed evenings. A spacious jacuzzi, sun pads at all angles, and multiple dining areas welcome them at any time.Being pampered by an onboard massage specialist, yoga instructor, and hairstylist is not unusual for a high-end charter yacht, but its the first time weve heard about one where daily newspapers can be downloaded and printed on board so that you dont miss your favorite publications while out at sea.But for this and all the other luxuries on board, youd have to take over $530,000 per week out of your pocket. The alluring Siren may be one mans special toy, but its also occasionally available for others, according to the Burgess Yachts listing, and is still one of the most sophisticated superyachts out there.
ANKARA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- At least four were killed, and 25 others injured on Monday after a minibus crashed in eastern Turkey, semi-official Anadolu Agency reported.

The incident took place in the town of Adilcevaz in the eastern Bitlis province. The minibus overturned after crashing into a mound of dirt on the side of the road, the agency reported.

Four irregular migrants, who entered Turkey illegally, were killed and 25 people, including the driver, were injured in the accident.

The gendarmerie, fire department and first aid teams were dispatched to the scene and the injured were taken to hospitals.

Turkey has been a transit point for migrants mostly from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan who aim to cross into Europe fleeing war and extreme poverty.

The country hosts more than 4 million refugees, 3.7 million of whom are Syrians, according to official statistics. 
NHTSA

It appears that the problem is the harness connector, on either side of the roof rail airbag, which could have incompatible electrical terminals. In other words, due to these parts, which were installed during offline service at the factory, the airbag deployment could be affected, thus increasing the risk of occupant injury in the event of a crash.Only 89 vehicles in total have been encompassed in this safety campaign, including 76 Chevrolet Traverses, made from March 2, 2020, to November 30, 2021, and 13 Buick Enclaves, assembled between November 21, 2020, and November 24, 2021. The exact recall population, which does not include vehicles that were not subjected to offline servicing, was determined using manufacturing records, subsequent to an internal investigation.The fix is relatively easy, as General Motors authorized technicians will replace the harness connector to the roof rail airbag free of charge, subsequent to inspection. Assuming that they can prove it via the original receipt, and/or other proof of payment, owners who have already repaired their vehicles will be reimbursed.Dealers have been informed of the situation at the end of March, and owners should hear from General Motors from May 16. Thehasnt said when the recall will officially commence, but in all likelihood, it will be in the second half of next month.GMs official number for this recall is N212352140, and owners of the faulty Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse who want to reach out to them will have to use it. Buick can be contacted at 1-800-521-7300, and Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020. At the same time, the NHTSA can also answer certain questions on the topic at 1-888-327-4236.
SUV

Among the best-selling American cars ever made, and one of the most popular GM flagship passenger cars, Chevys Impala is no longer with us because today almost everything revolves around crossovers, SUVs, and trucks across the automotive industry. So, would it have been possible for the Detroit automaker to avoid its demise?Oscar Vargas, the virtual artist better known as wb.artist20 on social media, has decided the popular nameplate needs a little bit of mashup love and signaled to everyone interested in a little detail from GM history. Back in the early years of Impalas existence, the series became related to many other Chevy models: Biscayne, Bel Air, Brookwood, Parkwood, Kingswood, or Nomad.However, there is also one very odd affiliation to the legendary Chevy El Camino coupe utility. And this special relationship is what determined the pixel master to once again focus on a passenger car to pickup truck-style transformation. So, after popping up on social media with merry wishful thinking thoughts such as a Toyota El Camino Supra, Ford Mustang Fox Body Cobra Ute , or a Ford Crown Victoria Ranchero, now it is time to meet the digital Chevy Impala El Camino SS.Notice the Super Sport designation and the 1990s styling? That means the CGI expert did not want to go back too much in time and instead of the original Impala SS he chose to piggyback on the amazingly popular seventh-generation 1994-1996 Chevy Impala SS. The El Camino morphing looks decidedly organic and thus makes us beg to wonder. Had this been real, would the conjoined Impala and El Camino series have had a bigger chance of survival in this crossover,, and truck-loving days?
Together with the Statista institute, Financial Times has conducted an extensive research project based mainly on reviewing existing emissions data. The goal was to identify the companies in Europe that achieved the best results in terms of greenhouse gas emission reductions. The results were recently published in the second edition of the Europes Climate Leaders 2022 ranking.Financial Times named 400 European companies that significantly lowered emissions between 2015 and 2020. Among these, 44 are French, five are related to the aerospace and defense industry, and one of these is Dassault. The French aviation company claims to have a long-term commitment to sustainability. Its one of the active promoters of SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) as a replacement for conventional kerosene, with its Falcon business jet range already compatible with it. Another way it helps reduce the carbon footprint is to implement newer, more efficient manufacturing processes, as well as optimize the current ones when its possible.The aircraft manufacturer is also a member of the European Sesar Program, which focuses on establishing specific flight paths in order to improve flight efficiency and lower fuel consumption. Its also active in several other research programs.Together with other big names in the industry, such as Airbus and Safran, as well as Frances Ministry of Transport, it launched an innovative program called VOLCAN (VOL avec Carburants Alternatifs Nouveaux  Flight with New Alternative Fuel) at the end of 2021.With the goal of reaching 100% SAF certification for the new-generation business jets and single-aisle commercial aircraft, a test flight will be completed soon as part of the project. An Airbus A320neo single-aisle aircraft will demonstrate its compatibility with SAF, and all of the participating companies will be involved in analyzing the test results and identifying the next steps for regular operations.
The Defiant is the two companies entry in the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program, an initiative of the U.S. Army meant to create, as the name says, the next-generation flying combat machines.Coming into the world as a whole new breed of helicopter, with lift and motion ensured by two counter-rotating blades on top and a vertical propeller at the rear, the Defiant , for now known as the Defiant X, will be capable of traveling at speeds of up to 282 mph (454 kph), effectively becoming the fastest assault helicopter in history.The way its propellers have been designed will allow for some extreme and seemingly unnatural maneuvers for a helicopter, including acceleration without tilting and deceleration without flaring. Its turn radius is also drastically reduced, with the Defiant needing just half the distance present-day helicopters need to turn.Last week, weve learned of the Defiant X making its first long-range trip , flying from West Palm Beach, Florida, where it is being put together, all the way to Nashville, Tennessee, to attend the Army Aviation Association of Americas annual summit. The helicopter traveled for 800 miles (1,287 km) and stopped two times along the way.But that's not the only recent news on the Defiant front. At the end of last month, somewhat under the radar, Collins Aerospace announced it was selected to supply the seats for all three platforms the Defiant will come in, but also the computer for the flight control and vehicle management.The seats, designed to be lightweight and ergonomical, will also be armored and will serve the needs of the pilot, co-pilot, cabin crew, and whatever troops will happen to travel in them.The computer is called Perigon, and it relies on 3 dissimilar, high-integrity multicore processor cards. It is capable of high-speed digital data transfer, cross-functionality, and 20 times the processing power of existing solutions made by the same company.Collins did not disclose the value of the contract or the number of helicopters it should provide these parts for.
EV

Hyundai Ioniq 6 was supposed to launch early this year, but a report from the Korean Economic Daily in August 2021 confirmed that Hyundais electric sedan would be delayed three to four months. Among the reasons for the delay were an overhaul of its Asan plant where the car will be built and a request by Hyundai's boss Eui-sun Chung to adjust the design.According to the same source, the modifications had the Ioniq 6 grow by 20 mm (0.79 inches), possibly to allow for a bigger battery capacity. The front and rear bumpers, as well as the lamps, were allegedly redesigned. This is enough to grant the Ioniq 6 an entirely new face and we hope this one will be better received.Thats because the new design has been already signed off. The information has been confirmed by Hyundais chief of design SangYup Lee , who spoke with Autocar about the new. He also said that the Ioniq 6 will be revealed in the next few months.The Ioniq 6 is in the spirit of Prophecy, said Lee for Autocar . The car gets taller because of the skateboard platform. And the design maximizes the interior space. Theres also a lot of aerodynamic improvement on the car. Its been done for a long time.The new model has been spotted testing on public roads recently, another sign that the final car is ready for prime time. The prototype sported a more conventional silhouette than the Prophecy concept, which is a good sign. The headlights are also more down-to-earth.Built on the same E-GMP as Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, the Ioniq 6 will feature similar characteristics . The slightly bigger battery and the improved aerodynamics mean the Ioniq 6 will have better range though. This appears to mirror Kia EV6 characteristics, so we guess the Ioniq 6 might feature a 226-horsepower motor for rear-wheel-drive configurations and a dual-motor 321-horsepower setup for all-wheel-drive configurations.
When Brock Keen bought a roof tent for his Porsche 911, he didnt know this would completely change his life. Keen became famous after he set up the @996roadtrip Instagram account to document his off-grid adventures and soon his story inspired others. Most would be stuck at the part that camping with a Porsche is even possible, but hes more than happy to bust the myth that you need a proper camper to go off-grid.A Porsche 911 is tiny and what you can pack within is even tinier, but that didnt deter Brock. He installed the roof tent on top of his 2004 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S and this apparently solved all his problems. He even sees the small footprint of the 911 as an advantage rather than as a problem, as it makes you more selective about the things you take with you. Pack light is the word of the day, and Brock had a lot of experience coming from his days going backpacking, camping, and hiking.Keen uses titanium gear to keep everything extra-light. A backpacking table and chairs fit perfectly into the frunk, while his fire pit folds down to sit snugly inside the roof tent. Speaking of which, this comes with everything, down to the memory foam mattress. Theres room to let in a few little luxuries  and for us, thats something as simple as bringing a nice bottle of wine and steel glasses, so we dont break them, explains Brock.If you wonder how long can you go off-grid in a Porsche 911, Keen says his typical trips last about three days. But his records include one solo trip that spanned a total of 11 days, as well as a nine-day adventure with his wife and dog. The 911s all-wheel drive is a boon for Keen, as it allows him to explore a little further off-road. This, of course, involves hitting some rocks occasionally or puncturing a tire from time to time, but this is part of the adventure.His next one will start this summer, as Brock hopes to take his precious 996 over the Ocean to Europe for a multi-country, multi-month adventure. He hopes to visit Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, and beyond. You can follow Brock Keens adventures on his Instagram account
More to the point, the military branch is looking to incorporate into these machines something called a C4/UAS payload. C4/UAS stands for Command, Control, Communication and Computers / Unmanned Aerial Systems. To see how thatll go, the USMC tasked BAE Systems with a Phase 1 study, which may end up in the company modifying an ACV to incorporate the new hardware.We are not being told exactly what type of hardware the C4/UAS is made up of, but BAE says the system will feature a state-of-the-art battle management system and advanced sensing capabilities. Moreover, it will be an open-source solution that will not only be compatible with other ACV variants, but will also support the integration of future technologies into the existing platform.The BAE Systems ACV is an 8x8 machine that can be used for a variety of purposes and can be deployed from a variety of U.S. Navy ships. It weighs 35 tons, can carry a crew of up to 16 people, depending on configuration, and has a range of up to 325 miles (523 km). The thing moves at speeds of 65 mph (105 kph) on paved roads and can swim at 6 knots in the water.Being designed for combat, its an all-wheel-drive chassis around which a blast-resistant hull was wrapped. Together with energy-absorbing seats, the ACV should provide enough protection for the occupants in case of need.At the time of writing, and not including the above-mentioned C4/UAS variant, BAE Systems is working on an ACV command and control variant, one packing a medium caliber cannon, and a recovery version.
Coming soon  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 10, 2022

More and more post-May 2021 Tesla owners received their new models without radars. Eliminating this piece of hardware was good for keeping production ramped up, but it also changed how fast you can travel using the famous Autopilot and its Autosteer function. The driving assistant system was limited to 80 mph (129 kph). One can argue this value is a good maximum top speed to have for safety to remain a top priority. But people should be able to go faster and trust their cars advanced software for which they paid a lot.Those that bought new Tesla EVs understood this is the way to go if you dont want to wait even more for the delivery of a new car. They accepted that it will be a while for their cars to be able to travel using Autopilot as before Tesla Vision came around. The system needed to be taught how to react properly in any road situations before being able to work as the former Autopilot with radars did. Enough data had to be gathered to ensure everything runs smoothly.But the U.S. is a large country. More often than not the interstates are almost empty, and the speed limit on them is set to 85 mph. Granted, this value is only available for the Texas State Highway 130. Considering Giga Texas is now the jewel in the crown for Tesla, the American automaker should've considered updating the top speed as customers have been requesting since last year. Older Tesla models equipped with radar hardware can still use Autopilot and its Autosteer function at a maximum of 90 mph (145 kph).Fortunately, Elon Musk now confirmed it's going to happen. The carmaker will increase the top speed for the radar-less Autopilot known as Tesla Vision to at least 85 mph or even 90.But dont get excited yet. The CEO said itll be coming soon. This might mean a couple of weeks, months, or even a year. For now, just sit tight and wait for the over-the-air (OTA) update notification.
Such was recently the case with Timothy Adry Emmanuel, the virtual artist better known as adry53customs on social media, who kept silent for a while because of a few happy events. One would be the wedding with his significant half and the other is a bit more focused. As such, after the biggest day in his life, we noticed the CGI expert was not exactly back in full swing as per the usual tradition.Sure, he dabbled with one of his all-time favorites, a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda that rocked a blown 426ci V8 engine alongside a couple of other CGI projects (including a secretive Trans Am). And then he also joined on the April 1st tomfoolery with a truck that digitally adopted Holleys towering Sky-Ram prank. But there was still too much eerie silence in between different creations.Well, as it turns out, the virtual artist is now also trying to double as a YouTube gamer, and his recently-started Araglo Gameplay channel is now focused on the acclaimed 2020 off-road simulation game SnowRunner . During the latest gameplay he also bruised and battered an old-school Dodge Ram pickup truck, so inspiration quickly struck, and the author decided to showcase just a stock lookin second-gen unit that was goodly restored.Well, it is only natural that as far as pixel masters are concerned, stock actually means off-road prepared with lots of aftermarket goodies. So, while the design of the BR/BE Dodge Ram pickup truck may look like Chuck Norris is behind the wheel, it also comes with a roster of modifications: a suspension lift, beefy wheels shod in rugged off-road rubber, additional underbody protection, an exhaust tune, and lots of additional lights.Well, now it just needs a passionate owner to take notice of all the digital changes and apply them in real life... Maybe a young gamer with a focused nostalgia on the Walker, Texas Ranger TV series?
Next-generation composites are supposed to reduce the overall weight and improve aerodynamics, which results in lower energy consumption while also increasing an aircrafts payload capacity and flight range. Coupled with an electric propulsion system, this would make air taxis even more efficient.Hexcel claims to be one of the best when it comes to carbon fiber, honeycomb, and other composite materials dedicated to air vehicles . And it will provide its expertise to the Palo Alto-based manufacturer thats planning to advance urban air mobility in the area with its future eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing), Archer Aviation.Specifically, Archer will use Hexcels lightweight carbon fiber and highly-toughened resin systems, known as prepeg, to manufacture composite parts for future production aircraft. In addition to the high quality of these materials, Hexcel also brings the benefit of already being familiar with FAA (the Federal Aviation Administration) certification requirements  an important asset when it comes to innovative electric air taxis.Archers future eVTOL was unveiled in 2021 and had already hit a milestone by the end of the year when it successfully completed its first flight. Described as an ultra-silent eVTOL (100 times quieter than a helicopter), this two-seater (with room for luggage, too) will be able to fly at 150 mph (340 kph), covering distances between 20 and 40 miles (32-64 km).Initially, the Archer air taxi will be piloted, but its expected to eventually reach unmanned operations. The Californian company has big plans for the area, envisioning a UAM (urban air mobility) network, including rooftop landing pads, which would enable air taxis to complete 40 trips per day. Operations for the future air taxi with a carbon fiber composition are set to kick off by 2024.
BERLIN, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Anne Spiegel, Germany's federal minister for family affairs, resigned from office on Monday following criticism of her handling of the flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate in July 2021.

Ten days after the floods that destroyed entire villages and left over 180 people dead, Spiegel, who was environment minister of the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the time, left the country for a four-week family vacation in France, returning only for a single day to visit the affected area.

"I have decided today, due to political pressure, to make the office of federal family minister available. I am doing this to avert damage to the office, which is facing major political challenges," the Green Party politician said in a ministry statement.

Spiegel already described the vacation as a mistake on Sunday evening and apologized for it. In doing so, she also admitted that, contrary to what had originally been communicated, she had not joined cabinet meetings from her vacation.

"I have great respect for Family Minister Anne Spiegel's decision," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said via Twitter. "We had a close and trusting cooperation."

The Green Party leadership also welcomed her resignation. "We will very soon, promptly, submit a proposal for the successor," said co-leader Omid Nouripour. Spiegel had done a good job and had now taken responsibility, he said. 
The Globemaster is described by the Air Force as the most flexible cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force. Presently used for rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area, it had its maiden flight in 1991 and became operational just a few short years later.The plane was designed by Boeing as a mammoth heavy-hauler. Its wings span, tip to tip, for over 169 feet (almost 52 meters), and each holds a couple of Pratt & Whitney engines capable of developing 40,440 pounds per piece.The beast can fit inside its belly (the cargo compartment alone is 88 feet/27 meters long) 102 troops, or 170,900 pounds (77,519 kg) of cargo distributed on 18 pallet positions, and transport them pretty much anywhere on this planet, thanks to the availability of aerial refueling All of the above are just numbers and words on a screen and do not nearly do the plane justice. To be fully experienced, the thing has to be seen, even in things as trivial as photos. And weve seen a number of official ones released by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) over the past few years, but few of them were as successful at capturing the essence of this man-made flying elephant as the ones we have here.Front and center weve got a Globemaster departing the runway of the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska back in March, during Exercise Rainier War 22A. Just like the ones nicely lined up behind it on the runway, it is deployed with the 62nd Airlift Wing out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.And it looks so imposing we bet you didnt even notice the ones on the ground behind it...
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The conversation came less than a week after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in Brussels for talks hosted by European Council President Charles Michel. Aliyev and Pashinian agreed to instruct their foreign ministers to start official negotiations on the comprehensive treaty and to set up before the end of this month a joint commission on the border demarcation.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov exchanged views on the creation of the commission on delimitation and border security, preparation of peace negotiations and humanitarian issues. It gave no other details.

The call came hours after the conflicting parties traded fresh accusations.

In a statement on the 30th anniversary of mass killings of ethnic Armenian civilians in the Karabakh village of Maragha, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said ethnic cleansing of the Karabakh Armenians remains the real goal of official Baku. It also said Armenia will continue to defend the Karabakh Armenians right to a free, secure, dignified life in their homeland.

Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry responded by accusing Yerevan of lacking a real desire to make peace with Baku.

Earlier in the day, Mirzoyan met in Yerevan with Brice Roquefeil, the French co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Ararat Mirzoyan presented Armenia's position on the start of negotiations on Azerbaijan over the peace agreement, emphasizing in that context the mediation role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, read a separate statement released by his press office.

Speaking after talks with Mirzoyan in Moscow on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said France and the United States have stopped working with Russia within the framework of the Minsk Group co-headed by the three world powers. Lavrov claimed that they have cancelled the co-chairing troika of the group.

U.S. and French officials have not publicly confirmed that.
Contributing columnist Jose Gaspar is a news anchor/reporter for Telemundo Bakersfield and KGET. Email him at elcompa29@gmail.com. The views expressed here are his own.
NEW YORK, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Oil prices fell on Monday, pressured by renewed concerns over energy demand.

The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for May delivery lost 3.97 U.S. dollars, or 4 percent, to settle at 94.29 U.S. dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for June delivery decreased 4.3 dollars, or 4.2 percent, to close at 102.78 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.

The pullback came as traders assessed the impact of COVID-19 on the outlook of fuel demand.

Meanwhile, data released Friday by Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes showed a visible increase in drilling activity in the United States. U.S. oil rigs rose 13 to 546 last week, while gas rigs rose three to 141, according to the company.

For the week ending Friday, the WTI and Brent dropped 1 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively, based on the front-month contracts. 
Schor, whose research focuses on the intersection of work, consumption, and climate change, will make the case for a four-day work week in her presentation on Tuesday, April 12.

Invitations to speak at the TED main conference are both prestigious and coveted; organizers search year-round for those who will "inform and inspire, surprise and delight," according to the program website. TED Talks, the online compilation of recordings from the conferences and other events, are viewed or listened to more than three billion times annually.

Schor says she was both "honored and excited" to be asked to join the gathering of prominent academics, educators, researchers, philanthropists, environmentalists, scientists, technologists, artists, activists, and others.

"I think it's going to be fun," she said, "in addition to giving me a platform to share my research and perspectives."

Schor is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure, widely credited for influencing the national debate on work and family. Her scholarly interests center on the human impact and effectiveness of current working practices, particularly new ways to reconfigure business in the 21st century. She has conducted extensive research on the sharing and gig economies, as well as the link between working hours and high carbon emissions.

She is currently leading an international team researching four-day work week trials in six countries. The pilot program, launched by 4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit affiliated with Oxford and Cambridge universities in the U.K. and University College Dublin in Ireland, has four-day weeks (with reductions in hours but no reductions in pay) in progress at companies in the U.S. and in Irelandwith summer starting dates for the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. More than 100 companiespotentially moreare planning to participate.

Hundreds of U.S. workers are experiencing their first day off this week as their six-month trial begins. Others in the U.S. will join the trial in coming months, while more than 3,000 workers at 60 companies across Britainfrom small businesses to the Royal Society of Biologywill test a four-day week from June-December, in what is thought to be the biggest trial to take place anywhere in the world, according to a report in The Guardian.
Bluefield, WV (24701)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. High near 55F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Rain showers early with overcast skies late. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Bluefield, WV (24701)

Today

Rain likely. High near 55F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Showers in the evening, then cloudy overnight. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Historic Adventures of a Lighthouse on South Oregon Coast: Coquille River Light at Bandon

Published 04/07/22 at 08:22 PM PST

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Bandon, Oregon)  For about 150 years now, this sentinel has stood guard over the southern Oregon coast town of Bandon with a rusty kind of dignity and a stern resolve. It's been through a lot over the decades and managed to stand tall in spite of storms, vandals and even a ship slamming into it. (Above: courtesy Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more)

At Bandon's Coquille River, the Coquille River Lighthouse no longer lights up the skies, yet it remains a stalwart example of the south coast's history and as a testament to those who served over its 80 years as a functioning light station.

It all began in the 1850s when the town was initially called Averill, but by 20 years later so many Irish had moved here that it acquired the name Bandon after an area in that homeland. Meanwhile, the rivermouth here was always a hazard in one way or another, and channeling and a jetty finally opened that up for more and safer shipping lanes. This soon required a warning system that land was there as well as the opening to the river, so after some financial wrangling and a year of construction, the Coquille River Lighthouse fired up its lamp for the first time in early 1896.



Courtesy Bandon Historical Society Museum



The following day a snowstorm hit and the adventures began. The first lightkeepers here  recently transferred from Florence's Heceta Head light  had to also utilize the fog horn immediately.

Thereafter, its signature of 28 seconds of light and 2 seconds of eclipse flashed on for decades.

Come 1901, fencing and a wooden walkway were added to protect the keeper's quarters and other facilities from getting buried by constantly-building sands. In 1903, an abandoned schooner actually rammed the lighthouse, causing some damage. By 1910, a generational tradition began as the first of the Langlois family began serving there as a keeper, with other descendants doing the same. You might know that name from the little town nearby.



Courtesy Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more



At one point, about 1916, funds were allocated to actually move the lighthouse to the tip of the south jetty. However, that plan was stopped and the money used to implement a fog horn system on the south jetty.

Oscar Langlois, the first of them, wound up falling from the top of the lighthouse while washing its windows, hitting the rocks and breaking his ankle in 1932, the local paper reported. A man from Portland came in as a temporary replacement while Langlois healed.

Then came the great fire tragedies of the Oregon coast, with 1936 nearly burning Bandon to the ground. Only 16 of the town's 500 structures survived. Those already sick and in the hospital were moved to the lighthouse and sheltered there while the fire raged and during the aftermath.

Soon after, time came to a close for the Coquille River Lighthouse at Bandon. An automated light nearby replaced the old lighthouse in 1939 and it was decommissioned. There it sat abandoned for over two decades, with storms, time and even vandals taking a heavy toll on the structure.



Courtesy Bandon Historical Society Museum

The 1940s did see some shifting of the new light system to a spot even further away from the old lighthouse.

In the '70s, as Bullards Beach State Park was created, Oregon officials included the lighthouse in the new south coast park's boundaries, and the responsibility for taking care of it fell into Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department's lap. Yet by this time, all the damage to the Coquille River Lighthouse was too much for one agency to deal with, so other partners in the refurbishment of the historic building were brought on and massive restoration projects began in 1976. Roofing was repaired, new bricks had to replace old ones, and to the great delight of tourists to the south Oregon coast this lighthouse was open to the public.

Since the town of Bandon turned 100 in 1991, the centennial for the lighthouse was celebrated then, and further restoration projects happened. Another big one took place in 2007, and since then other sizable projects keep popping up. That part of the story of the south Oregon coast's Coquille River Lighthouse will likely be around as long as it is.

Now, the latest challenge is to reopen the lighthouse to tours again as before COVID.

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Layers Upon Layers of Oregon Coast: at Brookings, Florence, Rockaway Beach, Astoria

Published 04/08/22 at 07:12 PM PST

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Oregon Coast)  On this sometimes jagged, meandering shoreline the wonders never cease. And the deeper you go, the more layers of marvels you uncover. Or simply spend a little more time exploring one place at random. It's like a true treasure hunt, but instead of booty you'll make real discoveries. (Above: near south jetty of Florence. Photo courtesy Visit Florence Oregon)

These four places are perfect examples of layers upon layers of Oregon coast.



South Coast's Not-So-Secret Beach

At the very southern edges of the Oregon coast, in the last 30 or so miles of it before it all enters California territory, there's a magical stretch called the Samuel H. Boardman Corridor near Brookings. Within that there's a secret that has never really been a secret  it's simply called Secret Beach for some reason. This south Oregon coast wonder doesn't actually have an official name, yet that moniker of Secret Beach simply got attached to it somewhere along the way.



Courtesy Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more

Maybe part of that is the fact it's not really a beach 100 percent of the time: sometimes it simply does not exist. Higher tides cover it up and the spot just goes away. Secret Beach becomes a cove of watery madness that humans can't get to. Even then, however, some high vantage points let you take in all its breathtaking glory in safety.

Getting here is a hike  several hundred feet worth of rugged trail with the occasional really steep section. Once down here, however (if conditions permit), you'll discover a bounty of mesmerizing crevices, rocky islands and engaging, memorable sights.

Sandy Wonders of Florence

This sizable town at the very middle of Oregon's 362 miles of coastline boasts a vast expanse of pristine beaches, an awe-inspiring bridge, a waterfront full of natural and manmade wonders, and it's the gateway to 40 miles of insanely cool dunes.

Begin at its Old Town, beneath the gaze of the stately Siuslaw River Bridge, to find a cavalcade of historic buildings painted up in funky, fun colors. It's like Americana with the contrast button turned up.

A highlight is Gazebo Park, which features a cozy little gazebo and a small dock on the river behind it - perfect for a romantic moment on a nocturnal walk through Old Town.

Plenty of daylight fun can be had wandering the riverfront and its abundance of old pilings, as well as exploring the area beneath the famous bridge.

Out on its beaches, begin with the North Jetty and its enormous boulders. From there, it's seven miles of sand and dunes to the cliffs south of Sea Lion Caves, eventually melding into Baker Beach and broken only by a stream or two. Some areas are heavy in sand dollars, and it's likely you'll find a whole one around here.

If you love sand, sand and more sand, you'll be in paradise: the National Dunes Recreation Area begins here.

Heceta Beach Rd. will lead you down to the main area, as well as to another dead-end at a beach access a ways north. There are small trails in the brush near this northern access.

For an extra kick, seek out Exploding Whale Park: it's a memorial to the Oregon coast's famed Exploding Whale back in 1970 (although the actual spot where it happened is at the north end of town).

Rockaway Beach

It's a long stretch of town that has a rustic, rough and yet slightly Victorian vibe in many spots. Numerous homes here look like they were built back in the late 1900s when the town was actually a series of resorts bustling with wealthy and middle-class Portlanders. These have often been gussied up in interesting colors or decorated with wacky sea flotsam.

Rockaway Beach makes attempts at being commercial and touristy, but it doesn't always succeed - thankfully. It still retains a sleepy, off-the-beaten-path quality in spite of the copious lodging and a few oddball, curio shops. The main attraction is still the beach, with about seven miles of it in either direction.

The most recognizable landmark on 101 is the main park and access, with the big red caboose catching the eye. This now houses the town's visitor center. The parking lot also has restrooms and a viewing area. During the summer, this beach has a giant volleyball net set up. There are also a myriad of stores nearby.

The other big landmark isn't on land at all. Rockaway is famous for the Twin Rocks - the double rock arches laying just a ways offshore. Twin Rocks creates more than a few surprises (Rockaway Beach Geologic Surprise). Hotels in Rockaway Beach - Where to eat - Rockaway Beach Maps and Virtual Tours



Astoria's Atmospheric Aspects

At the very northern tip of the Oregon coast, one of its most famous towns isn't part of the beach at all. But Astoria does take you to dizzying heights.

It's the coastal town of high places. Coxcomb Hill, where inventors created the beginning of cable TV, hosts the enormous Astoria Column. Already one of the highest points on the entire coast, the Column then juts another 100 feet or so above the skyline, allowing incredible panoramic views of Young's Bay and the end of the Columbia River. Or you can simply wander the lawns of this park to catch awe-inspiring glimpses of that massive span of the Astoria-Megler Bridge, which stretches some four miles across the river to Washington.

Simply driving through Astoria's ancient neighborhood streets will get a rise out of you: these can have rather steep, even daunting hills that suddenly soar above it all. Here, however, you'll find the extraordinary, stately Victorian homes in abundance. Hotels in Astoria - Where to eat - Astoria Maps and Virtual Tours





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Chris Rock will take his stand-up act to Sugar Land's Smart Financial Center on Nov. 5, nearly eight months after Will Smith slapped him on stage at the Oscars. Tickets for the show, which was announced Monday, go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The comedian started touring his new show - Chris Rock Ego Death World Tour - just three days after the infamous slap, and saw prices on second-hand ticket sites skyrocket because of the controversy. Rock added dates to the show this week, including three in Texas. In addition to the Sugar Land stop, he'll be in Irving on Nov. 3 and San Antonio on Nov. 10.
Egyptian president, European Commission chief discuss bilateral issues, Ukraine crisis

Xinhua) 10:30, April 11, 2022

CAIRO, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday discussed regional and international issues, including the Ukraine crisis, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.

During a phone conversation, the two sides exchanged views on how to address the impact of the Ukraine crisis, particularly in the fields of energy supply, food security as well as global supply chains, according to the statement. The two leaders agreed to enhance coordination in this regard.

Von der Leyen said the EU is ready to further promote cooperation with Egypt at various levels, while Sisi affirmed Egypt's keenness to boost relations with the EU.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)




NEWS PROVIDED BY

Truth & Liberty Coalition

April 11, 2022



OPINION, April 11, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- By Richard Harris, Executive Director of the Truth & Liberty Coalition.

Christopher, Harriet, Angel, Holly, and Phoenix.



Those are the names given to five children allegedly killed by an abortionist near or at term  whose remains were recently recovered in the Washington, DC, area by pro-life activists. The five were among 115 babies' bodies allegedly discarded by an abortion clinic and scheduled to be incinerated at a Maryland power plant.



The extremely graphic, gruesome, and deeply disturbing images of those five children have now been made public.



The Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising organization, whose members turned the remains over to authorities, said in a press release, "Their late gestational ages as well as their apparent sustained injuries potentially show violations of the Partial Birth Abortion Act as well as the Born Alive Infants Protection Act which are federal crimes."



Pro-life activists and members of Congress are calling for full investigations. In contrast, Democrat lawmakers in states across America are working to rapidly pass laws granting immunity for the slaughter of babies in the womb up to birth, and in some cases after birth up to 28 days!



Democrats are feeling the pressure to enshrine radical abortion rights now out of fear that the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the pending case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization will reverse its infamous 1973 pro-abortion decision of Roe v Wade. Since Roe, abortion has taken the lives of at least 63 million children in America and has been the number one cause of death worldwide for many years.



In Colorado, only three days after news broke about the 115 aborted baby corpses in Washington, progressive Democrat Gov. Jared Polis brazenly signed into law North America's most extreme pro-abortion law, all the while celebrating the new law's grant of absolute unrestricted freedom to kill innocent babies.



Among the disturbing provisions of new Colorado law (deceptively called the "Reproductive Health Equity Act"):

Unborn babies are explicitly stripped of any rights under state law.



All babies can be aborted at any time up to birth with no civil or criminal legal consequences for anyone.



Minors are empowered to obtain unlimited abortions with no parental notification.

While a number of Republican-led states have passed laws protecting the unborn in anticipation of Roe's reversal, Democrat led states are following Colorado's lead. California and Maryland are even considering measures allowing babies to be killed after birth  outright legalizing infanticide. It's a strategy to create abortion 'sanctuary' states ahead of the possible overturn of Roe.



Children are a gift from God (Psalm 127: 3), and shedding innocent blood is an abomination to Him (Prov. 6:16-19).



In the Bible, Israel was forbidden from worshiping the false god Molech (Lev. 18:21), a practice which involved child sacrifice. Biblical scholars believe Molech's priests would place live infants into the outstretched arms of the idol, which had been superheated by fire, cooking the child to death. The sacrifice was committed to earn prosperity from the false god.



How different are Colorado and other Democrat-controlled states these days from the cult of Molech? In just 50 years, activists have gone from claiming a "right" of abortion (not found in the U.S. Constitution), to demanding taxpayer funding and enthusiastically supporting the death of babies up to and well after birth.



Is the outright butchery exposed in images of aborted children in Washington any different than the detestable ritual of child sacrifice to Molech? Consider recent reports of women happily taking abortion pills on the Supreme Court steps while taunting pro-life activists  all for the attention of the adoring left-wing media.



The overturn of Roe is far from certain. But even if it is ultimately retracted by the High Court, states under Democrat control (like Colorado) will still be abortion havens. Americans who value the sanctity of life and want unborn babies protected must continue to stand for truth, insist that lawmakers protect life, work for the election of genuinely pro-life candidates, and resist all attempts to legalize the barbaric practice of child sacrifice.



Richard Harris is executive director of Truth & Liberty Coalition, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization based in Woodland Park, Colorado. https://truthandliberty.net
One woman was killed Monday after a fatal crash involving a tractor-trailer truck that shut down Interstate 10 in Beaumont for several hours.

Authorities reported the major crash just before noon in the 800 Block of Interstate 10 westbound. The crash shut down both east and westbound lanes near Pine Street. By 4:15 p.m., the Beaumont Police Department confirmed all lanes were reopened.
MILAN (AP)  Italian Premier Mario Draghi secured a deal Monday for more natural gas imports across a Mediterranean pipeline from Algeria, marking the latest push by a European Union nation to reduce dependence on Russian energy following its invasion of Ukraine.

After meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Draghi told reporters in the Algerian capital of Algiers that an agreement to intensify bilateral cooperation in the energy sector along with the deal to export more gas to Italy are a significant response to the strategic goal" of quickly replacing Russian energy.

"Others will follow,'' Draghi said.

Russia is Italys biggest supplier of natural gas, representing 40% of total imports, followed by Algeria, which provides some 21 billion cubic meters of gas via the Trans-Mediterranean pipeline.

The new deal between Italian energy company Eni and Algeria's Sonatrach would add up to 9 billion cubic meters of gas from Algeria by 2023-24, just eclipsing Russias current 29 billion cubic meters a year. The increased flows will start in the fall, Eni said in a statement.

Europe is trying to cut its reliance on Russian natural gas imports quickly, with leaders recognizing that their payments help fund Moscow's war. At the same time, there is concern Russia might turn off the taps in reprisal for sanctions, a threat that would have devastating effects on the European economy. Natural gas is used to generate electricity, heat and cool homes, and power industry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already sought to have gas payments be made in rubles, in an apparent bid shore up the currency. A loophole allows countries to pay a designated Russian bank in dollars and euros as set out in contracts.

The tiny Baltic state of Lithuania, a former Soviet republic, recently cut itself off entirely from Russian gas imports, the first of the European Unions 27 nations using Russian gas to break its energy dependence on Moscow.

Lithuania has been planning that move for years, and the task is more difficult for economic powers like Germany and Italy, which have gotten most of their natural gas from Russia.

The EU plans to reduce Russian gas imports by two-thirds by the end of the year and eliminate them before 2030 through steps like conservation, wind and solar development, and alternative sources. The 27-nation bloc has reached a deal with the United States to receive more boatloads of liquefied natural gas, or LNG.

Germany, which gets about 40% of its gas from Russia, has announced plans to quickly build two LNG terminals and reached an agreement with Qatar for LNG supplies. Poland is expanding an LNG terminal to receive deliveries from Qatar, the U.S., Norway and others. It has been reducing dependence on Russian oil through contracts with Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and Norway.

Germany and Italy also are pushing for more renewable energy.

The deal between Italy and Algeria is the first concrete result of missions by Italys foreign minister to energy-producing nations to secure alternate sources, also including Azerbaijan, Qatar, Congo, Angola and Mozambique.

Draghi is traveling with Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, the energy transition minister, Roberto Cingolani, and the CEO of Italian energy company Eni, Claudio Descalzi.

Eni announced a significant oil and gas discovery in Algeria last month and said it would work with Algerian partner Sonatrach to fast-track its development for the third quarter of this year. Eni has operated in Algeria for more than 40 years.
NEW YORK (AP)  Actor Kevin Spacey asked a judge Friday to throw out actor Anthony Rapp's sex abuse lawsuit, saying through his lawyers that allegations that he abused the then-teenage Rapp at a 1980s party are false.

The lawyers wrote in papers filed in Manhattan federal court that the alleged events Rapp described never occurred. Rapp has appeared in Rent on Broadway and in Star Trek: Discovery on television.

He alleged in his lawsuit that he went to a party in 1986 at Spaceys Manhattan home, where a 26-year-old Spacey, without Rapps consent, engaged in a sexual advance by grabbing Rapps buttocks and lifting him onto a bed and laying on his body. Rapp claimed he was forced to extricate himself before leaving the party.

Spacey's lawyers argued the alleged encounter cannot qualify as sexual abuse under New York's laws because the only alleged contact with an intimate part of the body by Spacey was when his hand grazed the 14-year-old Rapp's buttocks when the older actor picked him up. The lawyers said Rapp wriggled out with no resistance during an encounter of less than 30 seconds.

There was no other evidence that would suggest any fleeting contact between Spacey's hand and Rapp's buttocks was for the purpose of sexual gratification or to degrade or abuse Rapp, the lawyers wrote.

The lack of evidence means Rapp's claims for assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress must fail, the lawyers said.

They said Spacey flatly denies that any of what Rapp described took place.

Lawyers for Rapp did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

When Rapp first spoke publicly of his claim in 2017, others went public too and Spaceys then-celebrated career abruptly halted. At the time, Spacey issued a statement saying he didnt remember the encounter but apologized.

Spacey won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in American Beauty, a 1999 film in which he played a frustrated suburban father who lusts after his daughters best friend.

In recent filings, Rapp's lawyers have asked to transfer the case to state court, saying Spacey cannot prove he has been living in Maryland and qualifies for the diversity of citizenship necessary to remain in federal court.

In fact, they argue, he has been mostly living in London since 2003.

They said he only lived in Maryland when he was acting in his Emmy-winning role in House of Cards from 2014 through 2017. He was fired from the show days after Rapp went public and former show workers claimed that Spacey made the production a toxic workplace and one ex-employee alleged the actor sexually assaulted him.

In November, an arbitrator said Spacey and his production companies must pay the studio behind the Netflix political thriller $31 million because of losses they incurred after his firing.

Spacey appealed the decision to a panel of three more private arbitrators, who found for the plaintiffs, making the decision final, and public.

A criminal case brought against him, an indecent assault and battery charge stemming from the alleged groping of an 18-year-old man at a Nantucket resort, was dismissed by Massachusetts prosecutors in 2019.
School districts in Texas are usually asking for more money to spend on their students and teachers  and rightly so  but this year public schools are getting a different kind of break on funding. They wont be losing any money because of pandemic-caused attendance declines.

That may not seem like much, but it is for countless school districts across Texas. The state allocates aid to each district based on its average daily attendance, and it needs a formula like that to equalize education funding as much as possible. The system worked fairly well  until the pandemic came along.

School attendance fell in almost every district, and by a lot in some places. Normally that would mean a big drop in state funding for those districts, but fortunately state officials realized the unusual circumstances of the pandemic. They didnt slash funding for any district, and now Gov. Greg Abbott has announced that school funding will not be reduced for the remainder of this school year.

Providing this adjustment to the 2021-22 school year will ensure school systems have the funding they need to retain the best and brightest teachers and provide quality education to all public school students across Texas, Abbott said in a statement. We have made tremendous strides to return more of our students back to the classroom, and will continue in our efforts to do so.

Funding problems like this can be difficult for school districts to deal with. If a math class has, for example, 15 students after Covid instead of its usual 20, the school district still needs to put a teacher in front of those students.

But when attendance reductions like that ripple through a school district, state aid could be reduced considerably, making it harder for districts to hire new teachers and increase pay for the ones they have. In the current school year, the amazing total of 700,000 public school students and staffers became ill with Covid at various times, with many of them missing school days because of it.

This decision caused many a school board trustee and superintendent to breathe a sigh of relief. If they can just get through the last few months of this school year, they will have a better chance to regroup over the summer and get ready for what should be a new school year in August free of any disruptions from Covid. Yes, the virus may have something to say about that, but Texans and all Americans are hoping that the worst of this pandemic is behind us.

COVID-19 shook American life in countless ways, and public education was hit hard. Many students struggled with virtual learning when their campuses were closed, and many teachers left the profession or retired early. The 2022-23 school year could be the first normal school year in two years. State officials have to make sure that public schools have as many resources as possible to get back on track, and this decision helps that process.
Bedford, PA (15522)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. High 51F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy. Periods of light rain early. Low near 40F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
We live near a lake. I was walking around it on the concrete walkway one Sunday afternoon as a cold southerly breeze blew.

What is that?

I stopped to sit on a park bench and distantly saw something white flapping in the water. Some seagulls hovered above it, looking down.

I continued to watch as it was slowly blown towards the northern shore. I walked to where it would be blown. As it came closer, I could easily see it was a seagull. Its head was awkwardly bent sideways back over its body. It was clearly distressed.

The rescue

As I was now beside it, I took off my sneakers and jacket, skidded down the bank, gently caught hold of it and immediately saw the problem. A large fishhook penetrated from the underside of its beak with about 15 centimetres of tangled line attached. It was helpless and would surely have drowned.

As I couldnt get back up to the walkway with the entangled bird, I called out to a guy sitting on a nearby bench. He rushed over and took the bird as I struggled back up to the path. I took it back and held it carefully as he laboured to manoeuvre the hook. We worked to extract it without harming the bird.

In two days time I was teaching Scripture to 11-12 year olds at a government primary school and told them this story. I mentioned that as I held close to me my little feathered friend it bit down on my finger. This stranger and I had our heads close together as he carefully laboured away and I prayed. I asked God to talk to this bird and keep it calm as we worked to free it.

I told the class that prayer is like a set of traffic lights. God may say no to our prayer which is like the red stop light, or His answer may be like the amber light when He says not yet - wait. And sometimes His answer is like the green light when He says yes okay.

I told them my wife and I had received a red light answer when we planned to purchase a certain block of ground. We met builders on site and spent much wasted time there. God sees at once the whole time-line of our lives but we only see the frame in front of us. He had a better plan in mind. I imagined He shook His head as He closed off all hope of us ever purchasing that earlier block. Now were glad He did. We know that: He works out everything for the good of those who love Him, which we do. (Romans chapter 8 verse 28).

Answered prayer

My request to this little birds mighty Creator required a green light at that moment. Any other answer would be too late. I didnt need an answer next week: I needed it then and there.

During this birds ordeal s/he remained calm and still. I knew God had answered my prayer. Do I believe He can talk to the animals? Absolutely, and He did.

It took a while, including turning the straight shaft of the hook this way and that as walkers gathered to watch. Finally the hook was removed apparently without injury to my patient.

My helper left and disposed of the hook and line in a nearby garbage bin. I was alone with my seagull. Its neck was freed up. I settled him in my hands and straightened him out a bit, placed him on the walkway and stepped back.

Afterwards

He preened himself for a while rearranging his displaced feathers as, like birds do he faced into the breeze. He opened his wings, was raised up by the breeze and returned to settle on the grass.

The hook had pierced from underneath through the soft membrane within the outer frame of his lower beak, and in his struggle for freedom his head had become twisted backward.

There was spotted blood on his chest but he did not appear to be seriously injured. Interestingly, some of his mates came and again hovered overhead as he rested on the pathway, which told me there was concern within his little community for the plight of one of its own.

I waited as he preened some more and when satisfied he was okay, left him to rejoin his friends. Careless fishermen who thoughtlessly cut lines leaving morsels of bait in floating hooks perform a painful disservice to Gods wildlife, but I felt good that I had been available at that time and place of need.

What God says

Every animal of the forest [and lake] are mineI know every bird in the mountains [and lake] and the creatures of the field are mine. (Psalm 50 verses10/11).

Job knew the animal kingdom can teach us. Askthe birds of the air and they will tell youWhich of these does not know thatin His hands is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. (Job chapter 12 verses 7, 9/10).

As King David said to his son Solomon: Acknowledge God serving Him wholeheartedly and willingly for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him He will be found by you. (1 Chronicles chapter 28 verse 9).

Regrettably I have never heard a sermon preached on these sobering words: Whoever finds Me finds life and receives favour from the LORD. But whoever fails to find Me harms himself; all who hate Me love death. (Proverbs chapter 8 verses 35/36).
The 2022 edition of the Thai new year (April 13-15) will be a dry one.

Because the government has banned mass water fights in public  a Songkran tradition  as a precaution against another potential wave of COVID-19 infections, revelers will need to get creative.
Thousands of university students hold a protest against the speculated extension of President Joko Jokowi Widodos presidential term, in front of Indonesias House of Representative (DPR) building in Jakarta, April 11, 2022.

Thousands of students staged protests across Indonesia on Monday, a day after President Joko Jokowi Widodo denied speculation that his party plans to delay elections and extend his presidency beyond the constitutionally mandated two terms.

In Jakarta, some of the nearly 1,000 students reportedly threw rocks at security personnel while dispersing, prompting riot police to fire tear gas and water cannons into the crowd, according to eyewitnesses and images seen on television. Students tried to march to the presidential palace, to also protest against rising prices, but barricades stopped them.

We reject [a] third presidential term [for Jokowi], read a banner unfurled by the protesters. Lower the prices of cooking oil, said another.

Similar rallies were held in several other cities in the sprawling archipelago, including in Bandung, Padang and Kendari.

Protesters urged Jokowi, who was reelected for a second term in 2019, not to postpone the elections and extend his five-year term. An amendment to the constitution would be required to change term limits, which were enacted through a constitutional amendment in 1999.

Protesters also urged the government to stabilize the prices of basic necessities and ensure their availability, amid a public outcry about the soaring prices of cooking oil.

Hollow political interests

In a series of tweets on Sunday, Jokowi sought to reassure the public that he was not seeking constitutional amendments to prolong his presidential term, or postpone elections, saying the polls would take place on Feb. 14, 2024 as planned.

Ahead of the democratic event, there is always an uptick in political temperatures and thats normal. But the people should not be provoked by hollow political interests, he wrote on Twitter.

Comments made in January by Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia kicked off speculation that postponing the polls might be on the cards.

Bahlil said that businesses wanted the presidential election to be delayed to allow the country to recover from an economic crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that business players feared elections would create instability.

A month later, the countrys chief economics minister, Airlangga Hartarto, said farmers wanted Jokowi to serve a third term.

And last month, Luhut Pandjaitan, Jokowis most trusted aide and the minister for maritime and investment affairs, said that social media big data showed that more than 110 million Indonesians wanted Jokowis term to be extended.

He, however, declined when asked to reveal the data to the public, saying it was confidential.

Im asking you, what makes you think that Jokowi should step down [after the second term]? Luhut said, after saying that the elections should be postponed.

If I look at the grassroots level, the people are asking that question.

Last year, Jokowi said he was not interested in staying in office for much longer.

I can assure you, I have no intention of becoming president for three terms, he said at that time.

Violence

The protests in Jakarta took another violent turn when a group of protesters outside the parliament building set on a known ardent supporter of Jokowi and stripped him naked before police whisked him away from the angry crowd, eyewitnesses said and television footage showed.

The Jokowi supporter, Ade Armando, a communications lecturer at the University of Indonesia, was bruised and bleeding from his face, video footage circulating online showed.

Ade had criticized students who took part in street rallies against Jokowis policies before, accusing them of being used by the presidents political opponents.

Gen. Fadil Imran, the chief inspector for Jakarta police, said investigators had identified the alleged attackers.

If they dont turn themselves in, we will arrest them, Fadil was quoted as saying by the state news agency Antara.

Tomorrow maybe we will  announce the identity of the perpetrators.
New evidence has emerged that may help support Vietnams claims over the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, currently occupied by China.

A copy of a birth certificate issued in June 1940 cited that Mai Kim Quy, a girl, was born at 3 p.m. Dec. 9, 1939, on Pattle Island to Mai Xuan Tap, a Vietnamese meteorologist and his wife, Nguyen Thi Thang.

The paper was witnessed by Nguyen Tang Chuan, a medical doctor, and Do Duc Mui, head of the local radio communication station.

As such, it indicates that French Indochina, of which Vietnam was part, had administration of the island and Vietnamese people worked there. That could be significant evidence as claimants to disputed features in the South China Sea may seek to show they were the first to have an official presence there.

Pattle is a coral island, part of the Crescent Island group of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. It served as the main base for the colonial-era French Indochinese and later, South Vietnamese occupation of the Paracels.

Vietnam, Taiwan and China all claim sovereignty over the entire Paracel archipelago but China has occupied it since 1974.

Peaceful life

During the 1930s, the French colonial government built infrastructure including a weather station, a medical facility and a post office on Pattle Island.

Mai Xuan Tap, father of Mai Kim Quy, was among the civilians sent there to man the weather station when it was set up in 1938. He brought with him his wife and two daughters, Mai Thi Phi, then 2 years old, and a new born baby, Mai Thi Phuong.

The eldest daughter, Mai Thi Phi, who is 86 and lives in Ho Chi Minh City, said: Our family lived in Pattle four years, from 1938 to 1941. My sister Mai Kim Quy was born there.

Unfortunately Quy died in 1942 after we returned to the mainland.

Our life on Pattle Island was quiet and peaceful. The Vietnamese living there were mainly civil servants working at the weather station, the post office and the hospital, Phi recalled.

We had never seen any Chinese person on the island during the whole time we were there, she said.

Mai Xuan Tap died in 1983, his wife died much earlier in 1954. After returning to Saigon, the couple had seven more children including three sons and four daughters.

The birth certificate of Mai Kim Quy was passed to the eldest son, Mai Xuan Phu, for safekeeping.

My family has donated the birth certificate to the Vietnamese foreign ministry, Mai Thi Phi said.

The ministry said this is a valuable document that can play an important role in defending the countrys territorial claims in the South China Sea, she said.

This birth certificate was issued in June 1940 by the French colonial authority on Pattle Island in the Paracels for Mai Kim Quy, daughter of a Vietnamese meteorologist and his wife. [Courtesy Mai Xuan Tap family]

Useful evidence

The Paracel archipelago is occupied and fully controlled by China, with the biggest feature  Woody Island  being extensively developed. China has carried out land reclamations and substantial upgrades of its military infrastructure there, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Yet disputes remain over the islands ownership.

Contested territorial claims are hard to verify, especially because until the 20th century, there was no permanent military nor civilian presence of any country there.

China, Vietnam and Taiwan all have ample historical documents to back up their claims, including maps, declarations and different materials.

Vietnam, which was part of French Indochina, said the troops of Annam (the then-name of colonial Vietnam), and after that, civilian administrators, set up base on the Paracels before anybody else.

Mai Kim Quys birth certificate may serve as a historical evidence of physical acts of administration on the Paracel islands, said Bill Hayton, associate fellow in the Asia-Pacific Program at Chatham House, an independent United Kingdom think tank.

My argument would be that this [the birth certificate] doesnt swing the argument decisively but it is very useful evidence that Annam was in effective occupation of some of the Paracels at that time, Hayton said.

If the case ever went to a tribunal of some kind, the Chinese would put forward their own evidence and the judges would decide which case was stronger.

Such cases arent decided by vague claims or printing names on maps but on proving that a state had administrative control over a feature  and registering a birth on the island to a civil servant is quite strong evidence of that, the British analyst said.

His argument, however, is being rejected by some historians who point out that Chinas stance would be to stick to historical claims.

The French government stated at the time that they only occupied the Paracels before any other Power did so, meaning Japan. This was widely reported in the press, said Mark Hoskin, an independent researcher and lecturer on Chinas maritime history and law.

This action was taken because the Japanese had occupied Hainan and implemented a blockade of the Southern Chinese coastline. Japan was threatening France due to the transport of arms via Indochina to China.

So the French occupation of the Paracel islands had strategic and military reasoning, but was not sovereignty related. The French statements themselves negate any potential for a sovereignty claim, Hoskin said.
The Philippine flag flutters in the wind as supporters sing the national anthem during the presidential campaign stop of Vice President Leni Robredo in San Fernando city, north of Manila, April 9, 2022.

With less than four weeks left until Filipinos vote for a new president, internet trolls are wreaking havoc by disseminating false information in the run-up to the general election, digital media and sociology analysts say.

The spread of disinformation online, they allege, is more than the mere handiwork of small-time keyboard warriors. Unscrupulous political operators are heavily financing it, according to the experts.

Its an open secret who these people are, these political strategists operate in board rooms, and they hold corporate accounts and political clients, and they still enjoy a very strong level of protection even from political elites, said Jonathan Ong, an associate professor of digital media at the University of Massachusetts who has studied the phenomenon.

He did not name names but said there was a need to reimagine our accountability measures about a month before 65.7 million Filipinos are expected to cast ballots on May 9.

During a seminar organized by digital rights advocate EngageMedia on Saturday, Ong said interventions were focused on fact checking, information dissemination and media literacy.

While it may seem that efforts have been made to go after operators of fake social media accounts to unmask the people behind them, we have done very little to hold accountable the big wigs behind it, he said.

Thats why even progressive legislators are hesitant to target these players and still go after small players or anonymous accounts, Ong said.

These operators, he said, are driven not only by politics but money.

So much polarization has occurred ahead of the election that most presidential candidates seem to have their own pundits and influencers using mostly gutter language to spread information, Ong said.

Malicious fabrication

He gave examples of how supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are running their presidential campaigns online. Supporters of both camps have been involved in meme wars and take-down wars against their opponents, among other online activities.

Ong said Robredo has suffered from the worst attacks. Propaganda operators have included nasty, misogynistic attacks on Robredos eldest daughter by including her name on pornographic sites.

On Monday, Robredo spokesman Barry Gutierrez condemned an alleged sex video targeting one of the candidates three daughters circulating online.

While it was difficult to pinpoint the person responsible for the smear, the false sex video spread among accounts supporting the campaign of her rival, Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the late dictator who was ousted by a people power revolt in 1986.

This is a malicious fabrication and we have reported it to the platforms so it is taken down, Gutierrez said in a statement. Our lawyers are studying our options for legal action.

He said that the attack should be seen as nothing more than a distraction as Robredos campaign has gathered momentum over the past few weeks. On Saturday, more than 200,000 people flocked to her outdoor campaign rally in San Fernando city, north of Manila, according to local organizers.

This is a direct vile response to the momentum we continue to gain. It wont yield votes for those spreading it, he said. The goal of this tactic is to goad us to express anger on social media so that we turn people off from supporting us.

The Robredo camp has been advised to be firm but kind in correcting online information regardless of how shameless that information can be, he said.

Pandemic

Meanwhile, political analyst Ramon Casiple said fewer people have been going out to hold or join public rallies because of the COVID-19 pandemic and are turning to social media to spread information.

Like Ong, Casiple said the spread of online propaganda is nothing new.

What makes this election distinct, according to Casiple, is the deliberate targeting of young people and feeding them fake or misleading information, especially about the martial law-era under the rule by Marcos father.

Casiple said this could be the reason for Marcos high ratings in the surveys, which showed that most people supporting him came from the younger demographics.

This is bad because [the young generation] has not experienced politics that much, Casiple said.

And according to Nicole Curato, a professor of sociology in the University of Canberra, challenging disinformation goes beyond waging war against fake news.

How do you make chief instigators accountable, she asked. Its about money politics.

When it comes to disinformation and elections, I think, we still dont know enough about how to appreciate the extent to which fake news is a problem, she said in the same forum as Ong. We still need to ask whether disinformation offers a greater threat than long-standing issues of vote buying, electoral fraud, political dynasties, disenfranchisement and violence.

Red Tani, the communications director of EngageMedia, which advocates digital rights in Southeast Asia, said separate studies by Curato and Ong confirmed previous revelations about marketing firms leading politically motivated disinformation campaigns.

EngageMedia notes that such practices threaten democracy and human rights, issues for which we need to raise awareness, encourage action and demand accountability, Tani said.

Last week, Facebook announced on its website that it had removed more than 400 accounts, Pages, and groups in the Philippines that worked together to systematically violate our Community Standards and evade enforcement.

The announcement was included in a posting explaining how Facebook will activate an elections operation center while tackling hate speech and harmful content. It also discussed efforts to disrupt harmful networks and combat misinformation.

In January, Twitter suspended more than 300 accounts linked to the Marcos campaign.
A Thai court indicted a prominent opposition figure Monday on charges of defaming the monarchy and committing cybercrime, more than a year after he spoke out about a COVID-19 vaccine produced by a company owned by the crown.

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit was charged with royal defamation under Section 112 (Lese-Majeste) of the Criminal Code as well as the Computer Crime Act over comments he made during a live-streaming event via Facebook on Jan. 18, 2021, according to the charge sheet viewed by BenarNews.

The case against me is politically motivated.  Its clear that I am one of the key opposition [figures], and I think the objective is to silence me to make the public afraid, Thanathorn said outside the court after posting 90,000 baht (U.S. $2,676) bail.

During last years online debate, Thanathorn, the former leader of the disbanded Future Forward Party questioned the governments pandemic policy. The topic of the live-streaming event was Royal Vaccine: Who Gains and Who Loses.

That policy included choosing Siam Bioscience Co., Ltd., which is owned by the Crown Property Bureau, to collaborate with British-Swedish AstraZeneca to produce as many as 200 million vaccine doses a year, a government spokesman said.

What I did was intended for public benefit and to protect the royal institution, Thanathorn said Monday, denying that he had insulted the monarchy and that his criticism was directed at the government.

So many people in Thailand over the past three years have been charged under Section 112, and I think these charges are against human rights principles, said Thanathorn, 43, a billionaire whose company is an auto parts maker.

If this were a democratic government, it would not happen, said Thanathorn, who saw his party  the third largest at the time  ordered dissolved by a court in February 2020 over loans he had provided to it. He has been banned from politics for 10 years.

Mondays bail condition prohibits him from saying or doing anything that could harm the monarchy.

Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code relates to Lese-Majeste, a law which makes it illegal to defame, insult or threaten the monarchy and allows a sentence of up to 15 years behind bars for each conviction. Similarly, violating cyber laws is punishable by up to five years in prison.

While Thanathorn is the top opposition figure to face a Lese-Majeste complaint, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said at least 173 people, including 13 juveniles, have been charged since street protests against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, the constitution and the royals began in July 2020. Thanathorn has also been separately charged with sedition but has yet to stand trial in that case.

Charges against Thanathorn

The Office of the Attorney General filed the case against Thanathorn in the Criminal Court for defamation, insult or malice against the monarchy.

The indictment said that his statement was intended to cause the public to doubt the king regarding whether the monarchy was involved in the governments actions, using the budget to support the production and supply of the vaccines by Siam Bioscience. It called Thanathorns statements slanderous.

During the January 2021 live-stream, Thanathorn asked if Prayuths administration had chosen Siam Bioscience as a vaccine producer to do someone a favor.

Is this to generate political popularity or to really care about the Thai people? he said at the time, adding that the government should have diversified its sources of vaccines.

Newin Chorchaithip, the deputy minister for digital economy and society, lodged a complaint with the Thai police that same week.

We gave police evidence that what Thanathorn said is inaccurate regarding the vaccine quality as well as his false claim that the institution is involved with the vaccine which made people wonder, Newin told reporters at the time.

Thanathorn, meanwhile, defended his statement, saying the prime minister always uses the monarchy to cover his mistakes and his administrative inefficiency, merely citing his loyalty and vowing to protect the institution.

On Monday, he asked all people to stand up and fight against the tyranny of Prayuths government.

If we can keep silent, keep our mouths shut, they win, he said.

Whether what I said had an impact on the people or not, people can decide for themselves. But we deny all allegations and we are ready to fight until the end, believing in our innocence, Thanathorn said.

The court has scheduled June 6 as the day for evidence to be presented ahead of the trial.

Uayporn Satitpanyapan in Washington contributed to this report.
Hopefully if you read a love letter I wrote to my husband you wouldnt assume the words of affection were intended for you. This unnatural (and very awkward) method of interpreting a love letter, as if it was written directly to you, is however, how we sometimes read the Bible.

For example, there are stories of groups who have taken Mark chapter 16 as speaking directly to them and therefore they drink poison and let deadly snakes bite them. Alas, many of these group members dont live to tell the tale or more importantly, preach the Gospel.

How can we know what the Bible says?

This deadly approach is just one way people interpret the Bible that they read, and the method used will in large part determine what someone believes the Bible teaches or does not teach. The words of the Bible themselves are not wrong, rather they are the perfect words of a perfect God who cannot lie and because He is all-knowing, He never makes a mistake. God teaches such foundational truth throughout all of Scripture and yet, as we all know, there are many different views on lots of different verses and topics.

This does not expose weakness in God or His Word, but the weakness of sinful humanity and our inability to know all things and the sin-tainted glasses we wear. So, while we can never perfectly understand Gods Word, we must exercise (with the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit) spiritual wisdom and discernment through a careful study of Gods Word as it was written, to whom it was written, why it was written, and the context in which it was written.

In our family it has become a bit of a joke, since we currently live in Canada, that Abraham was called by God to Canada! Acts chapter 7 verse 4 (and other similar passages) says, God had him move to this new country in which you are now living (emphasis added).

Now obviously, Abraham did not move to Canada, but taking this single verse out of context it would be possible to see why someone might think this is what it means. While this example is a bit of humour in our family, this same method of interpretation is often applied to other verses in the Bible without us questioning them (e.g. Philippians chapter 4 verse 13; Matthew chapter 18 verse 20; Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11)

Now, certainly these example verses are Gods truth and there are very real, comforting, and timeless principles every believer can apply in their life; however, before we automatically assume every verse is speaking directly to us and interpreting and applying it wrongly (which can lead to another whole host of issues), its important we ask some key questions.

These questions are likely the same questions we naturally and subconsciously ask every day when we open the newspaper, read a blog post, check our emails, and skim (or skip) the terms and conditions on any number of documents. Therefore, in the same way, when we read the Bible, it is important to approach it with a desire to learn what God has said, not what we want it to say.

Key questions:

Firstly, it is necessary to affirm God inspired men to record the Bible and yet God is the ultimate author of Scripture, and yet it is important to ask who the individual was who wrote the portion of Scripture we are reading. Knowing as much as possible about them will help us understand what has been recorded.

However, not only should we know who wrote the section, but who was it written to. For example, was it written to Israel, was it written before, during, or after Judahs exile, was it written to believers or non-believers, was it written to Jews or Gentiles? These sample questions will further help us understand the context in which the author originally wrote and the intended purpose he had in writing to the intended audience.

The 40+ authors of Scripture also wrote in a variety of genres, therefore its important to understand the genre they used. For example, poetry is typically understood in a different manner to that of a legal document, and a historical record is not the same as a personal letter.

These key questions and the content of the literature may also provide an understanding of why the piece was written and therefore help us understand the meaning behind what we are reading.

Furthermore, no verse should be taken out of the context in which its written (i.e. the surrounding verses, consideration of the whole book etc.) and no verse should be interpreted without a study of what other verses in Scripture also speak to the same topic. Therefore, it is important to allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, not our society or anyone or anything else.

These basic, yet key, questions should help open our spiritual eyes to understand the original and intended meaning of the text. Following these important first steps in interpretation, we can then consider how the truth applies in our own life through the timeless principles of Scripture. Isnt this what we want? Dont we want to know what God says so we can learn about Him and how to live for Him?

Lots more could be said, but I think this is a good and solid starting point to help us all understand what God has said and how it is now relevant to us. May we also go forth and share this truth with others, proclaiming a loving God has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for sin, in the place of all those who repent and believe in Him!
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Ukraines president has warned his nation that the coming week will be as crucial as any in the war
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Gov. Charlie Baker and his health and human services secretary, Marylou Sudders, plan to testify at a noontime Health Care Financing Committee hearing on his bill (S 2774) that aims to inject more resources into behavioral health and primary care, target health care cost drivers and boost access to care.
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As we approach Easter, many people may start to wonder about some of the lesser considered facts of the life of Jesus. We wonder what he looked like, what clothes he wore, how tall he was, what food he ate. These are natural questions that we can have as we consider the humanity of Jesus, especially as we approach the day of his death.

One question arises very often because we want to know its value compared to our own life. How old was Jesus when he died? Was he young? Was he old? Was he in the prime of his life? Was he weakened by age and the cares of long life? It helps us to be able to identify in some way with Jesus at this moment. His humanity cries out to us from deaths door as we consider our own mortality.

Never forget the resurrection in these moments. It belongs to you as well. Scholars have long supposed that Jesus was approximately 33 years old when he was crucified.

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How Do We Determine Jesus Age?

There are no specific verses that tell us Jesus age when he died. What we do have are verses that tell us how old he was when he accomplished certain things, as well as the cultural expectations of his faith community regarding milestones in a persons life.

The ones to look out for that relate to his death are when he started his ministry and how long he was in ministry for up until he died. Prior to that we need to know when he was born. That has been estimated at the years four to zero BC. Luke 3:23 shows us that Jesus was about thirty when he started ministry (26-30 AD) and was in ministry for three years  placing Jesus death at 29-33 AD. Other important milestones in Jesus life would have been circumcision, Temple redemption, Bar-Mitzvah, and reaching majority age (20 years old).

What Were Some Milestones in Jesus Childhood?

Hebrews 4:15 describes something about Jesus that we must consider when attempting to determine his age. He was without sin. In the connotation of his Jewish upbringing, he was considered perfect according to the Law of Moses.

If he was perfect according to the Law of Moses, it means that the expectations of the community life governed by the Law were met satisfactorily. This means that we can track some of his life milestones if we look carefully and then build a loose timeline for his life. Here are the ones we have in the Scriptures:

Circumcision at 8 days old (Luke 2:21). This was required of all males in the Mosaic Law. Circumcision is the mark of Gods covenant with Abraham, it is a sign of the promise as well as the initiation of a male child into the life of the Jewish faith. Without ritual circumcision, a boy cannot be a part of this community of faith.

Temple presentation (Luke 2:22). This was done forty days after birth for the purification ritual. This had a number of purposes. First, it was the ritual that declared the child (Jesus) to be clean after coming into contact with his mothers blood in childbirth. This was also the ritual that declared the mother (Mary) to be ritually clean after the uncleanness created during childbirth. Because Jesus was the firstborn male, this was also the redemption ceremony. In this, his family purchased via sacrifice (redemption) the firstborn male because all firstborn male offspring (human or otherwise) are owed to the Temple.

Twelve years old, teaching in the Temple (Luke 2:41-51). This was one year prior to the Jewish age of Bar-Mitzvah (Son of the Commandment). When Jesus was still considered a child and while his father was still responsible for his moral actions, Jesus stands with the teachers in the Temple and instructs them. This is important because it shows that even before the society considered him responsible for himself or before he could be a part of the practices of faith, Jesus already possessed wisdom beyond the most learned of the Jewish faith.

Two years old when the Magi visited (Matthew 2:16). Another moment in Jesus life was not related to his religious/moral upbringing. The Gospel of Matthew gives us the information we need to determine other specific age facts on Jesus timeline. Because Herod figured out from his conversation when the Magi left on their journey, he sent his soldiers to kill any child under the age of two in Bethlehem. So, we know that when the Magi worshipped Jesus, he was two years old.

We can also deduce that Jesus family stayed in Bethlehem for the two years following his birth. While Jesus was born in a stable, it would be probable that the family had moved into other lodging.

Do We Know What Jesus Was Doing as a Young Adult?

While there are no scriptures that describe Jesus from the age of twelve until full adulthood, the Bible does give us a few hints as to what he was doing during that time. The verse found in Mark 6:3 is from people who are not describing Jesus in a positive light, but they did describe something that they knew about him.

These people are the ones that watched him grow up and they call him the carpenter. We also know from other verses that his father Joseph was a carpenter by trade, and it would have been the cultural expectation that Jesus would have learned his fathers vocation and carried on the family business.

Another thing to consider was that Jesus lived in proximity to where the Herods (Kings of Israel/Judea/Palestine) were conducting large building projects at that time. It would not be improbable that Jesus could have worked on some of these projects as a young man as they required a large amount of manpower to complete.

For a long time, many scholars have proposed that Jesus could have been a part of the Essene movement when he was a young man. Dr. Simon J. Joseph explains this more here. There have been many arguments about the validity of this idea and what it means for the Christian faith. The Bible does not specifically mention the Essenes by name anywhere.

That being said, there is a reason that some scholars have proposed this. Namely, the teachings of Jesus share some of the same concerns that the Essene community were tightly focused on in regard to the end of days and community life. They also had common enemies in the Pharisees, Sadducees, High Priest, Sanhedrin, and Roman occupiers. The fact that Jesus did not marry also adds force to the argument.

Along with this, Luke 22:7-13 leaves open great opportunity for speculation. In Jesus day, carrying water was considered a womans job. Jesus told the disciples to follow a man carrying water. If a household had slaves, the slaves could be tasked with this duty, but it normally fell to women. Only if there were no women in a household would men carry the water. Essenes were known to be present in Jerusalem at the time, according to this article from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and they lived in houses segregated by gender. In the male houses, the men would have been getting their own water.

There is also the issue of what Jesus tells his disciples to say in this passage. He tells them to tell the owner of the house that The Teacher needs a space to celebrate the Passover in. In Essene life, the head of the community went by the title Teacher of Righteousness.

While we cannot say for sure that Jesus was part of the Essene community, it does appear that he was at least aware of the Jerusalem branch of the Essene sect, its practices, and its teachings.

How Old Was Jesus When He Began His Ministry?

Jesus would have entered into ministry when he reached the age of thirty. Luke 3:23 says that he was about age thirty when he began his ministry. In order for him to teach in the Temple area in Jerusalem, he would have had to have a pedigree that allowed it.

His mother, Mary was a cousin to Elizabeth, who was revealed to be a daughter of Aaron in Luke 1:5. This gives Jesus his ancestral credentials to perform in the teaching role that he occupied when he visited the Temple. Age wise, Numbers 4:3 provides the guidelines to the Jewish priesthood for when a man begins his full ministry: thirty years old.

The Gospel of Luke marks this entry into ministry with a series of events. He was baptized (Luke 3:21), tempted (Luke 4:1-12), practicing (Luke 4:14), and teaching in the synagogue (Luke 4:16-22). The significance of this series of milestones and events arises on a couple of levels.

First, it reveals to us that Jesus not only has lineage through King David to claim royal authority, he has lineage through Aaron to claim the High Priestly office. It gives us the spiritual reasons for the conflicts between Jesus and the temporal and spiritual authorities of his day. The second, and more germane for our topic, is that we have an age for Jesus when he started his ministry and from that point we know that he was in ministry for around three years. This places him at thirty-three years old when he died on the cross.

Now we can relate Jesus age to our own and we can compare him to his society and see if he was representative of the norm. Many sources relate that the average lifespan in Jesus day was thirty-five years old, which would make Jesus seem like an older man when he died. However, when you remove the huge statistical weighting of infant mortality, we can see that among people that reached the age of five, they had an average life-expectancy of 56 years (+/- 15.5 years), according to JP Griffin for the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

I would have to say that Jesus actually died young compared to his peers. He truly gave his life without considering how much of it he had left on the Earth. When he counted the cost, he thought that we were worth it.

What Does This Mean for Believers?

God calls many people into ministry. Some start from an early age and this has been the expected norm for a while, but things are changing. Over the last number of years, many people entering ministry are doing so as second, or third careers (including the author of this article). Jesus himself had been in a different career as a carpenter prior to entering ministry.

Dont let your age discourage you. Even if you are younger, remember that Jesus instructed the teachers in the Temple when he was twelve years old. If you feel the call of God to enter ministry, contact your pastor or another ministry leader to share your feelings with them. Spend a little time discerning and then follow Gods call. There is nothing more satisfying than living in what God has called you to do.

The primary thing that we should be considering when we examine Jesus age when he died, is the fact that he died. The main message shouted across the heavens is that God loved his creation so much, that he did not discard them as rubbish, but came and died in their place to pay their sin debt.

His age is relevant in that he was not a child and could make his own choices while here on Earth, he was not coerced. His death came as a result of his choice to do so. He also did not die a natural death. It was gruesome, violent, and terrible to behold. Such was the price he was willing to pay.

Jesus certainly could have lived longer, but chose to die as soon as all of Gods goals for his life with us were achieved. He was here long enough to show us how to live, how to die, and how to live again eternally.

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Larry White is the pastor of Ephesus Baptist Church near Sanford, NC
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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  A bill allowing limited use of medical marijuana in South Carolina is heading to the House floor  the furthest the proposal has made it during the eight years its passionate supporters have been pushing for it.

A House committee voted 16-3 in favor of the bill Thursday.

The bill's sponsor said if it passes, South Carolina's law would be one of the most conservative of the nearly 40 states that allow marijuana for medical use.

Smoking the drug would be illegal. Instead patients would have to use oil, salves, patches or vaporizers. The illnesses that can be treated are specified, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, sickle cell anemia, autism and some post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses. The marijuana could be obtained only through specially chosen pharmacies.

Doctors would have to meet patients in person and patients could only get a two-week supply at one time.

The House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee made just a few minor changes to the bill that passed the Senate in February.

They added criminal background checks for distributors and security plans for their businesses. The exact strain of marijuana and what ingredients are in the oil, salve or other product would have to be given to patients. And the bill now allows some podiatrists with extra training to the list of doctors who can prescribe medical marijuana.

The bill's chances on the House floor aren't certain either way. It has both supporters and opponents among Democrats and Republicans.

Rep. Vic Dabney proposed 127 amendments to the bill. More than half were found out of order and pulled down more than two dozen more after feeling his concerns about the bill had been met.

The Republican from Camden has said he thinks the medical marijuana law covers too many conditions, saying at a public hearing earlier this week that people seek out medical or chemical help when there are some things you just have to deal with, like a shaking hand."

On Thursday, he said arguments that marijuana is organic and less dangerous than alcohol didn't make sense either.

Well poison ivy is an organic plant and Im not going to chew it, or smoke it or rub it all over me," Dabney said.

Many law enforcement agencies, including the attorney general and the head of the state police also oppose medical marijuana, saying they want to wait until the federal government allows it and marijuana use can lead to people trying more dangerous illegal drugs.

The bills chances on the House floor arent certain either way. It has both supporters and opponents among Democrats and Republicans. It even split the only father-daughter lawmaker pair in the General Assembly.

Democratic Rep. Kimberly Johnson of Manning voted for the bill in her committee. Her father, Democratic Sen. Kevin Johnson of Manning, voted against it in February on the Senate floor.

Kimberly Johnson and other Democratic supporters of the bill pointed out that while much was made of children and people with terminal conditions being helped if the bill passes, many of the people speaking in favor of medical marijuana at Monday's public hearing were veterans looking for help with PTSD and other disorders.

We're always telling veterans thank you for your service. But I believe that talk needs to be matched by the walk, Kimberly Johnson said.

The bill is most closely associated with Sen. Tom Davis, a Beaufort Republican who has dedicated eight years of his legislative career to medical marijuana. He attended the more than six-hour long public hearing on Monday to see if there is anything else he could learn to make the bill better.

This is not the legislature prescribing medicine, Davis told House members. "This is the Legislature getting out of medicine.

___

Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korea is demolishing a South Korean-owned hotel at a North Korean resort that was one of the last symbols of inter-Korean engagement, according to Seoul officials who called for the North to stop the unilateral destruction.

South Korea built dozens of facilities at North Korea's Diamond Mountain resort to accommodate tourism by its citizens during a high period of engagement between the rivals in the 1990s. But North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2019 called the South Korean facilities there shabby and ordered them destroyed after months of frustration over Seouls unwillingness to defy U.S.-led sanctions that kept the tours from resuming.

The North postponed the demolition work in 2020 as part of stringent measures to prevent COVID-19.

South Koreas Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said Friday that North Korea was proceeding with the demolition of the Haegumgang Hotel. The floating hotel, docked at a coastal area of the resort, was a major property among dozens of facilities South Korea established to accommodate Diamond Mountain tours, which began in 1998.

Unification Ministry spokesperson Cha Deok-cheol said it wasnt clear whether the North also was destroying other facilities at the site. He said Seoul strongly regrets North Koreas unilateral dismantlement of the hotel and urged the North to engage in talks to resolve disagreements over the South Korean properties at the site.

Commercial satellite images indicate the demolition work has been underway for weeks. Cha said Seoul used inter-Korean communication channels to demand an explanation and talks on the issue, but the North has ignored the request.

The demolition comes amid heighted tensions over recent missile launches. North Korea conducted its first intercontinental ballistic missile test since 2017 on March 24, as Kim revives brinkmanship aimed at forcing the United States and other rivals to accept the North as a nuclear power and remove crippling sanctions.

South Korean tours to Diamond Mountain were a major symbol of cooperation between the Koreas and a valuable cash source for the Norths broken economy before the South suspended them in 2008 after a North Korean guard fatally shot a South Korean tourist.

South Korea cant restart mass tours to Diamond Mountain or any other major inter-Korean economic activity without defying sanctions, which have been strengthened since 2016, when the North began accelerating its nuclear and missile tests. While U.N. sanctions dont directly ban tourism, they prohibit bulk cash transfers that can result from such business activities.

During their brief diplomacy in 2018, South Korean President Moon Jae-in met Kim three times and vowed to restart Diamond Mountain tours, voicing optimism that sanctions could end. But North Korea suspended cooperation with the South after diplomacy with the U.S. collapsed in 2019 and Seoul wasn't able to wrest concessions from Washington on its behalf.
CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP)  Habitat for about a million bats will be protected from human impacts through a deal between a nonprofit and the federal government.

About 315,000 acres (1,275 square kilometers) of southern New Mexico land owned by billionaire media tycoon Ted Turner were protected from development in a partnership between the U.S. Department of Defense and New Mexico Land Conservancy, the Carlsbad Current-Argus reported.

The deal saw a conservation easement added to Armendaris Ranch, owned by Turner, due to perceived cultural significance and biological diversity on the land in Sierra and Socorro counties.

The ranch land supports more than 500 vertebrate species, per a report from the Land Conservancy, including multiple listed for federal and state protections.

It also contains the Fra Cristobal Mountain Range, home to 230 desert bighorn sheep, and lava fields that include the Jornada cave system that houses bats of multiple species.

This land is laden with important and unique natural and cultural resources, and the opportunity to permanently protect a property with conservation values of this magnitude was at the heart of our organizations decision to tackle this landscape-scale project, said Ron Troy, southern New Mexico program manager with the Land Conservancy.

___

What is the location and history of Armendaris Ranch?

Armendaris Ranch sits along the Rio Grande, from the Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge to the north and stretches about 50 miles south to Elephant Butte Lake near Truth or Consequences.

It spans east from there through the Fra Cristobal Mountains to the San Andres Mountains and White Sands Missile Range.

Ancient footprints were discovered in the ranch about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from White Sands, believed to date back 20,000 years.

The Conservancy reported evidence of 10 Indigenous cultural periods, including 11,000-year Clovis peoples, pre-Columbian rock art, the remains of Puebloan, Mimbres, Navajo and Apache groups.

In modern history, the land contains a section of El Camino Real, a network of roads built by colonial Spain also known as the Kings Highway, and the site of largest Civil War battle fought in the Southwest known as Valverde.

There are 20 abandoned town sites on the land, per the Conservancy, and former transportation routes between Los Alamos and the Trinity Site used during the Manhattan Project that saw the first nuclear weapons tested in New Mexico.

The easement was intended to protect all of the historic and cultural significance of the land by restricting most development activities.

For the DOD, blocking development on the ranch was useful as it contains a part of the western buffer for White Sands Missile Range.

Setting aside the land was partially funded by the departments Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program, which was created to mitigate land conflicts near military installations and conserve wildlife to avoid restrictions that could inhibit missions.

The REPI program conserved 830,000 acres (3,359 square kilometers) since its inception in 2002, and the Armendaris Ranch easement was the largest in the programs history, almost doubling the conserved land from 340,000 acres (1,375 square kilometers) on 115 easements to 655,000 acres (2,650 square kilometers).

The permanent protection of this land presented a unique and timely convergence of interests between the various partners involved, said Scott Wilber, Conservancy executive director. This is truly a win-win-win project for wildlife, the people of New Mexico and our national security.

Brian Knight, team manager with the U.S. Army said for White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) the project would allow the facility to expand its airspace, as part of the easement is in a region known as the Western Call Up Area where officials at the missile range can extend its airspace as needed for testing and other activities.

Completion of this historic project has been a very high priority for White Sands Missile Range, Knight said. Working with our neighbors to create compatible land uses and minimize any encroachment to military airspace will sustain the unique capabilities that make WSMR the premier test and evaluation range in the country.

___

President Biden, Gov. Lujan Grisham seek to conserve public land

Land conservation was also a main priority for the state of New Mexico and federal government in recent months.

President Joe Biden and the U.S. Department of the Interior pushed in recent months a 30x30 plan that would see 30% of federal public land conserved by 2030, also known as the America the Beautiful Initiative.

In Bidens budget request for Fiscal Year 2023, he called for an $18 billion budget at Interior, an increase of $2.9 billion.

About $4.9 billion of that request would go to the 30x30 initiative, per an Interior report, to support local conservation projects.

President Biden has proposed an important blueprint for our countrys future that reflects the importance of science, equity and collaboration in carrying out Interiors important missions, said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

And last year, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order to set a similar goal of conserving state-owned land through the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.

Today we promote a broad view of conservation that reflects the importance of traditional resource protection, access for outdoor recreation, contributions of working lands, and tribal sovereignty and self-determination, Lujan Grisham said upon announcing the order. We have set the wheels in motion to conserve our states incredible natural resources and ensure that New Mexico remains, forever, the Land of Enchantment.
The new integrated centre of excellence in diagnostics inaugurated in Delhi

Mahajan Imaging has forayed into precision and personalised medicine by launching an integrated centre of excellence in diagnostics at Safdarjung Development Area, New Delhi. The new centre combines state-of-the-art technology in medical imaging with a full-fledged pathology and genomics lab as well as an R&D department and an AI startup.

Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu delivered the inaugural address at the launch of the new centre. He emphasised the need for early diagnosis through screening programmes and preventive health checks at the population level. He further remarked on the role of Public-Private Partnership and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence in providing access to high-quality, affordable diagnostics across the country.

The centre, spread across five floors, is designed with aesthetics for maximum patient comfort and is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies including radiology and nuclear medicine. It consists of three MRI scanners, Dual Energy Spectral CT, Digital PET CT, Dual Head Gamma Camera, radionuclide therapy with Lutetium, Full Field Digital Mammography with 3DTomosynthesis, 3D / 4D Ultrasounds, Cone Beam Dental CT, DEXA bone densitometry, non-invasive cardiac lab, digital fluoroscopy, and radiography.
It's finally here. Inside Education has launched its quarterly print publication. The publication will be distributed to all schools, universities and TVET colleges across the country.

Matuma Letsoalo, executive chairman of K and K Media Group

Phindile Xaba, editor of Inside Education

The quarterly print publication, edited by veteran journalist Phindile Xaba, will feature regular columns such as science & technology, classroom management, financial literacy, school sports, and revisions to assist learners to prepare for their exams.Matuma Letsoalo, executive chairman of K and K Media Group, that owns, said he was excited about the launch of the new print publication.He described the publication as a resource tool for both educators and the learners  aimed at improving the quality of education in South Africa.The new print publication will not only serve as a resource tool for educators and learners, but will go a long way in improving the quality of education in South Africa, said Letsoalo. Our content is aimed at empowering teachers, learners and students. It is also a tool for encouraging good leadership, ethics and good governance within the education sector.Letsoalo saidwill distribute 120,000 copies for free to all schools, universities and TVET colleges across the country.He said the new print publication was a long time coming because when he first initiated the online platform devoted to education and all related matters throughout the continent few years ago, he didnt realise there was such an appetite.Its unique position to close the vacuum covering the entire education process from Early Childhood Development (ECD) to Lifelong Learning saw it become one of the continents leading resource for educators, learners and students, a necessary tool to encourage good leadership, ethics and astute governance within the education sector, said Letsoalo who is formerpolitics editor.Today, our digital platform reaches over 3,1m audiences. It is for this reason that we are expanding to print so we can reach schools in rural, peri-urban and other peripheral areas across the nine provinces in the country.Xaba, who was hand picked by Letsoalo to become editor-in-chief, comes from a history of editing multiple education publications, including, formerly owned by thenewspaper.She said she was quite delighted to work in the space at this crucial time. I look forward to contributing towards being part of the solution and thanks to the publisher for the opportunity. Together with the assembled team of highly professional media people, we only aim to make this a support resource for teachers, learners, ECD facilitators, tertiary institutions and all artisan training facilities.
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Zelensky in his May 2019 inaugural address. (President.gov.ua)

The House was gearing up to impeach Donald Trump for freezing weapons shipments to Ukraine while pressuring its government to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. The Beltway media was consumed with frenzy of a presidency in peril. But Professor Cohen, one of the leading Russia scholars in the United States, was concerned with what the impeachment spectacle in Washington meant for the long-running war between the US-backed Ukrainian government and Russian-backed rebels in the Donbas.

At that point, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky was just months into an upstart presidency that he had won on a pledge to end the Donbas conflict. Instead of supporting the Ukrainian leader's peace mandate, Democrats in Congress were impeaching Trump for briefly impeding the flow of weapons that fueled the fight. As his Democratic allies now like to forget, President Obama refused to send these same weapons out of fear of prolonging the war and arming Nazis). By abandoning Obamas policy, the Democrats, Cohen warned, threaten to sabotage peace and strengthen Ukraine's far-right.

"Zelensky ran as a peace candidate," Cohen explained. "He won an enormous mandate to make peace. So, that means he has to negotiate with Vladimir Putin." But there was a major obstacle. Ukrainian fascists, Cohen warned, "have said that they will remove and kill Zelensky if he continues along this line of negotiating with Putin His life is being threatened literally by a quasi-fascist movement in Ukraine."

Peace could only come, Cohen stressed, on one condition. "[Zelensky] cant go forward with full peace negotiations with Russia, with Putin, unless America has his back," he said. "Maybe that wont be enough, but unless the White House encourages this diplomacy, Zelensky has no chance of negotiating an end to the war. So the stakes are enormously high."

In October 2019, Stephen F. Cohen (RIP) implored DC to support Zelensky's peace mandate.



"His life is being threatened by a quasi-fascist movement," Cohen said. "He cant go forward with full peace negotiations unless America has his back." Siding with fascists, DC chose war. pic.twitter.com/hXkq270Shs  Aaron Mate (@aaronjmate) April 10, 2022

Stephen F. Cohen in October 2019.
Antifa members in France reacted to the outcome of the first round of the presidential election by rioting in several cities because they didnt like the result.

Populist Marine Le Pen will face off against incumbent Emmanuel Macron in the second and final round of the election in two weeks after the pair racked up the most votes out of all the candidates.

This apparently displeased members of the far-left Antifa extremist group, who responded to the democratic vote by rioting in several major cities.

Rennes, Brittany saw innumerable acts of arson and several violent clashes last night in the aftermath of the vote.

Demonstration against Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen this evening at #Rennes following the announcement of the results of the first round. Demonstrators erect barricades in the city center.

#presidentielles2022 #1erTour pic.twitter.com/LvYDf2sWTe  Protest News (@ProtestNews_EN) April 11, 2022

Plusieurs centaines de personnes manifestent a #Rennes contre Emmanuel Macron et Marine Le Pen suite a l'annonce des resultats du 1er tour de l'election presidentielle. (Le Reporter Independant) #presidentielles2022 #1erTour pic.twitter.com/E1mIlaKWjA  Anonyme Citoyen (@AnonymeCitoyen) April 10, 2022

Protesters who marched through the streets also caused property damage.

#Rennes #France

A group of approximately 500 gathered to demonstrate the presidential election results; with some individuals setting fires and causing property damage.

pic.twitter.com/3oiSWuV8dC  Shane B. Murphy (@shanermurph) April 10, 2022

Other Antifa rioters attempted to smash their way into a bank.

Antifa rioting in parts of France, this is Rennes tonight as a bank is targeted, they're angry because Le Pen and Macron are the ones going through to the second election round, and they don't like either  pic.twitter.com/Ag0YvSI7rb  BBlues60 (@BBlues60) April 11, 2022

Riot police were deployed.

Protests against Macron and Marine Le Pen tonight in Rennes following the announcement of the results of the first round of the French presidential election. #electionpresidentielle2022 #France #Election2022 #France #KurdsatNews pic.twitter.com/RACHEQsQQT  KurdSat English (@KurdsatEnglish) April 10, 2022

Rioters also set off fireworks to protest the result in the city of Lyon.

https://twitter.com/winnie_LaLisa/status/1513321404665667589

Marseille was also hit with unrest.

Despite Le Pens success, all the other establishment parties, from Republicans to Communists, have urged their supporters to vote for Macron in the second round, closing ranks around the former Rothschild banker and Socialist technocrat.

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If youve got a gut feeling that your rulers are working to control your perception of the war in Ukraine, it is safe to trust that feeling.

If you feel like theres been a concerted effort from the most powerful government and media institutions in the western world to manipulate your understanding of whats going on with this war, its because thats exactly what has been happening.

If you cant recall ever seeing such intense mass media spin about a war before, its because you havent.

If you get the distinct impression that this may be the most aggressively perception-managed and psyop-intensive war in human history, its because it is.

If it looks like Silicon Valley platforms are controlling the content that people see to give them a perspective on this war that is wildly biased in favor of the US narrative, its because that is indeed the case.

If it seems like a suspicious coincidence that Russiagate manufactured mainstream consent for all the same shady agendas were seeing ramped up now like cold war brinkmanship against Moscow, internet censorship, and being constantly lied to by the mass media for the greater good, its because it is a mighty suspicious coincidence.

If it seems weird to you that so many self-styled leftists are responding to this war by fanatically supporting the extremely dangerous unipolarist geostrategic agendas of the most powerful empire that has ever existed, thats because it is weird. Really, really, really weird.

If it seems a bit hypocritical to you that the empire is blasting us in the face all day with narratives alleging Russian war crimes while that same empire is imprisoning a journalist for exposing its war crimes, thats because it absolutely is hypocritical.

If something looks wrong about the fact that were about to watch a judge sign off on Julian Assanges extradition to the United States for practicing journalism while that same United States keeps pushing out narratives about the need to protect Ukraines freedom and democracy, thats because it should.

If youre beginning to get the nagging sense that the mainstream consensus worldview is a construct manufactured by the powerful, for the powerful and everything you were taught about your nation, your government and your world is a lie, thats definitely a possibility worth considering.

If its starting to seem like were all being manipulated at mass scale to think, act and vote in a way which benefits a vast power structure that rules over us while hiding its true nature, Id say thats a thread worth pulling.

If youve a sneaking suspicion that the lies might go even deeper than that, right down to deceptions about who you fundamentally are and what this life is actually about, that suspicion is probably worth exploring.

If youre feeling a bit like Keanu Reeves in the beginning of The Matrix right before the veil gets ripped away, Id recommend following the white bunny and seeing how deep that rabbit hole goes.

If it has occurred to you that humanity needs to wake up from the matrix of illusion before our sociopathic rulers drive us to extinction via environmental catastrophe or nuclear armageddon, then your notes match my own.

If you believe its possible that these existential crises were fast approaching may be the catalyst we need to collectively rip the blindfold from our eyes and begin moving in a truth-based way upon this earth and creating a healthy world, then we are on the same page.

If theres something in you that whispers theres a good chance we make it despite the long odds we appear to be facing, I will tell you a secret: I hear it too.

______________________

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On Monday, the White House announced a new crackdown on Americans Second Amendment rights  entirely bypassing Congress  and ruling by executive decree instead. The new rule attacks individuals who build their own firearms at home.

In response to Bidens new dictate, Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky lambasted the presidents decision to bypass Congress and attack one of the key components of the Second Amendment.

The Constitution does not authorize the federal government to prevent you from making your own firearm. This a fact that has been recognized for 200+ years. Also, Article 1, Section 1 (literally the first operative sentence in the Constitution) says Congress makes law, not POTUS!

The Constitution does not authorize the federal government to prevent you from making your own firearm. This a fact that has been recognized for 200+ years. Also, Article 1, Section 1 (literally the first operative sentence in the Constitution) says Congress makes law, not POTUS! pic.twitter.com/vTFRvKYTVi  Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 11, 2022

According to the new dictate, this final rule bans the business of manufacturing the most accessible ghost guns, such as unserialized buy build shoot kits that individuals can buy online or at a store without a background check and can readily assemble into a working firearm in as little as 30 minutes with equipment they have at home.

The rule also dictates that gun stores can no longer destroy their records after 20 years. These stores must turn over lists to the ATF of every gun purchased at their store so the ATF can maintain a running database of American gun owners.

Second, the final rule requires federally licensed firearms dealers to retain key records until they shut down their business or licensed activity. At that time, these dealers must transfer the records to ATF, just as they are currently required to do at the end of licensed activity. Previously, these dealers were permitted to destroy most records after 20 years, making it harder for law enforcement to trace firearms found at crime scenes.

It is unclear how this administration will treat the millions of gun owners who currently have these custom firearms in their homes. It is indeed likely that this dictate could turn millions of gun owners into felons overnight as there is no way to prove when a custom build was purchased, which means their previously legal guns could now be deemed illegal.

TFTP has been predicting these attacks easily as Biden has been promising them for years. Since before he was elected, Biden has promised more gun control, and he is doing everything in his power to keep this one promise  up to and including executive action  specifically targeting 3D printing of guns. Or, as Biden refers to them, Ghost Guns.

The term ghost gun is meant to incite fear and is used by the anti-gun crowd as a slogan to sway the ignorant away from the fact that law-abiding citizens often customize their legal weapons with parts obtained online or manufactured in their homes. Some of the parts are drilled with machine tools or 3D printed and therefore do not have a serial number so it is harder for government to track the weapons. Biden has now made this legal activity for law-abiding gun owners  illegal.

However, as the Fast and Furious scandal  which happened under Bidens tenure as VP  shows us, serial numbers on guns dont stop anyone from committing crimes. The US gave serialized weapons to cartels, who in turn used them on Americans.

For generations, advocates of private gun ownership have been fighting exhaustively through political channels to protect their right to keep and bear arms. Gun owners even have one of the strongest lobby groups in Washington, the highly disappointing NRA. Yet over the years, gun rights continue to diminish in America, despite the constant political campaigns by the NRA and politicians who claim to support gun rights.

Psychopaths who want to cause harm to others will cause harm to others using any means necessary. Limiting the ability for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves will never change this.

While it would certainly be an amazing thought to be able to live in a world without guns, that is simply not the case. Until it is the case, anyone who wants to defend themselves and their family, should be able to do so in any manner they see fit  including making their own 3D gun  as the only other option is tyranny.
Now, Republican members of the House Election Integrity Caucus, led by Rep. Claudia Tenney, in a letter addressed to Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, are asking for answers about the censorship of the story.

A few weeks ago, The New York Times confirmed the authenticity of what the New York Post called the laptop from hell.

Twitter censored the story over the origins of the material and suspended the New York Posts account for two weeks. The online platforms also prevented users from sharing the story.

In October 2020, just before the election, the New York Post published a story about Hunter Bidens potentially corrupt dealings when his father, Joe Biden, was vice president. The story was based on damning emails obtained from a laptop Hunter left at a repair shop in Delaware.

Big Tech oligarchs have grown far too powerful, censoring free speech that challenges their preferred narrative and their handpicked politicians, Tenney told FOX Business. In 2020, this reached a new low.

Twitters actions to silence the New York Post and others undoubtedly swayed the outcome of the presidential election. The free flow of information is key to a healthy democracy and to free and fair elections. Congress must be unequivocal in its response and hold Big Tech accountable.

The Republicans want Twitter to provide answers to the American people. They also want Congress to break up big tech, take an axe to Section 230, and ensure Silicon Valley elites can no longer interfere in our elections.

They argue that the laptop contained damning emails that could have worked in President Trumps favor.

The laptop reportedly contained damning emails from Hunter Biden, showing how he exploited his connections to his then-vice president father to further his own career interests, leveraged his connections for massive paychecks from foreign entities, and much more, the lawmakers wrote.

Twitter then suspended the New York Posts account for more than two weeks and blocked users from sharing the article because of what it called concerns about the origins of the material.

They added that the suspension prevented people from reading a news article that could have had serious consequences for the presidential election.

The New York Times confirming the authenticity of the laptop has renewed concern over Twitters interference in a presidential election, according to the lawmakers.

In the letter, the legislators demand answers to several questions from Agrawal, including who made the decision to censor the New York Posts story on Hunter Bidens laptop from hell. They also want to know if Twitter collaborated with any individuals directly or indirectly involved with the Biden campaign when it censored the story.
eres a surprise for all you Australians trapped in Australia because you chose not to take part in a medical experiment. The reason you cant leave is not for your own health. Its not for the health of fellow Australians. Its because we are protecting the rest of the world. This is a world where where fully vaccinated travellers have already spread Covid to every country on Earth and at least

As Senator Rennick says: I cannot for the life of me see the health risks in an unvaccinated person leaving the country.

Paul Kelly, Australias Chief Medical Officer explained that it was due to Australias International Health Obligations. Thats an international treaty we signed because were a member of the WHO. As far as a quick search turns up, Australia, Canada and the UAE may be the only nations still banning their own citizens from leaving. In Canada, things are so inexplicable, the vaccinated dont even need to do a test anymore. So people infected with Covid are free to fly in or out of Canada shedding virus everywhere. But healthy unvaccinated people will need to be tested at the airport and again eight days after arrival, and isolate for 14 days. Righto.

The Australian PM Scott Morrison keeps telling us he opposes mandates, yet he hasnt said boo about this international treaty. Indeed, if the Australian government was set up as a subsidiary wing of Pfizer and Moderna, they could hardly have done more to lift profits

Below Senator Rennick asks Paul Kelly, Australias Chief Medical Officer, at the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee why unvaccinated Australians cant leave the country. It may take two repeat-viewings to get the message, there is no sunset clause on locking in the refuseniks.

The Good news is that finally the two year Pandemic Emergency Biosecurity powers are about to end.

The Bad news is the government plans to make other rules that will still stop unvaxxed Australians from leaving.

Australian citizens who wish to travel without getting injections will still need to swim, paddle, ride crocodiles, or renounce their citizenship. Perhaps Prof Kelly is hoping to use this as a booster bonus carrot? Will they ban the two-jabbed?

From Senator Rennicks Facebook account.

No one in their wildest mind can pretend its about your health anymore: viral loads in both the vaccinated and unvaccinated reach the same levels. Vaccines double cardiovascular risk factors and dont appear to improve our chances of staying alive overall. In fact US Military Data shows a frighteningly higher rate of vaccination injuries  a 300% to 1000% increase medical billing items related to miscarriage, cancer, neurological conditions, fertility problems and pulmonary embolisms.

The vaccine data is so bad, its commercial in confidence.

The WHO is a menace  They only had one job in the last 50 years, and they failed dismally, now they want more power.

Remember February 2, 2020? Thats when the WHO could have saved millions of lives and told the world to turn off the flights and keep the Wuhan Flu in Wuhan. Instead Tedros, the former belt-n-road Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, told the world ridiculous fictions and Chief Health Officers believed him.

Now the WHO wants bigger better pandemic treaties. Like the IPCC but so much worse.

A few years ago, before Covid, the WHO recommended Australia needed to do more to overcome vaccine hesitancy. Apparently we needed electronic systems for storing information on ill travellers, and we needed to establish centralized vaccination registries thats page 28 of the recommendations from Australias National Action Plan for Health Security 2019-2023 .

We think the WHO should overcome its cheap drugs hesitancy and start saving lives instead.

Thanks to Sharon W and previously David Maddison

REFERENCES

The Emergency Declaration in March 2020 with the ban on overseas travel.

PDF printable version of Australias National Action Plan for Health Security 2019-2023  PDF 1464 KB

WHO


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A Manitoba Metis Federation delegation is set to meet with the Pope in Rome later this month in an effort to encourage the religious leader to visit Canada.

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A Manitoba Metis Federation delegation is set to meet with the Pope in Rome later this month in an effort to encourage the religious leader to visit Canada.

The Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF), the government of the Red River Metis, will be travelling to the Vatican on April 21.

The delegation of 55 members includes survivors, cabinet members, knowledge keepers and youth. The full delegation will arrive on April 18 and will spend time at the Vatican before visiting churches in Italy.

"Im very pleased that Pope Francis has done what hes done. I think he has truly put out the olive branch that Catholic Church wants to make amends. The Catholic Church wants to work with us," MMF president David Chartrand said. "Now its my job to convince him to come here."

The meeting marks a historic moment as it will be the first time the Red River Metis will sit for a face-to-face meeting with the Pope.

The federations goal is to spark a revitalization of the church on the Prairies, Chartrand said, after the historic apology for the Catholic Churchs role in Canadian residential schools earlier this month. This makes his trip to the Vatican essential so he can address citizen concerns, he said.

"As the Metis government of Red River, we want to work with the churches, we want to work with the people that need counselling, need support, that need healing.

"The church is still important to us and will continue to be important to us for generations to come."

On April 1, the Pope delivered an apology to Indigenous delegates for the wrongs of Indian residential schools in Canada, as well as for the conduct of members of the Roman Catholic Church within that system. That apology followed a week of discussion with members of First Nation, Inuit and Metis populations, as they offered testimonies in his presence about what they have experienced as Indigenous peoples in Canada.

The Pope said he may travel to Canada and visit former residential school sites, an idea that has been welcomed by many.

These conversations will only gain deeper meaning if they can take place on Red River Metis soil, Chartrand said.

The papal apology made Chartrands heart smile, he said, and it was important to hear these words of acknowledgement come from the Pope.

"We know its not all priests, its not all nuns. Its individuals that represented the church that perpetuated these horrific actions against children," Chartrand said. "The damage is known by everyone now."

More than 150,000 First Nation, Metis and Inuit children were forced to attend residential schools for more than a century when the Canadian government enacted a policy to assimilate Indigenous children, breaking them from their cultures, families and languages. The Catholic and Anglican churches ran most of the schools for the government, where children were subjected to rampant emotional, physical and sexual abuse.

"They [First Nations] have a right to be given a priority," Chartrand said. "But, I also believe the Pope needs to come and meet with the Red River Metis."

If the Pope comes to Canada to visit Red River Metis soil, it will convey a powerful message of support and revitalization, Chartrand said.

"Admitting it happened is a big process."

The papal apology makes it easier to pursue revitalization on the Prairies because healing can begin.

"Truth must be first and he [the Pope] has admitted this has happened," Chartrand said. "The church is dying and thats one of the great failures that the church has done  denying that it actually happened, but proof came after decades."

 ckemp@brandonsun.com, with files from The Canadian Press

 Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp
Brandons Muslim community hosted its first feast of the Ramadan month Saturday after being apart for two years due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

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CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Members of the local Muslim community who are currently observing Ramadan gather for evening prayer, known as "tarawih," and a feast to break their fast Saturday at the Brandon Islamic Centre.

Brandons Muslim community hosted its first feast of the Ramadan month Saturday after being apart for two years due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Ramadan, which began April 1 with the new moon, sees Muslims around the world abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset before breaking their fast with family and friends at a meal known as Iftar.

"There is not a major celebration as you would see in bigger cities like Toronto and that area," said Faiz Ahmad, a Brandon Islamic Centre board member. "But it is a joyous occasion."

During the month of Ramadan, before COVID-19, community members would break their fast together at the Islamic Centre on 834 10th St.

Muslims take on additional responsibilities during Ramadan, Ahmad said, including more regular attendance at the mosque for prayers and most importantly, joining in Tarawih prayers, which are recited only during the fasting month.

Ramadan is the most important month of the year for Muslims because it is an opportunity for people to seek salvation and to be spiritually elevated, he said, describing it as a time of enhanced kindness and respect.

CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Members of the local Muslim community who are currently observing Ramadan gather for evening prayer, known as "tarawih," and a feast to break their fast Saturday at the Brandon Islamic Centre.

"Muslims see this as a tremendous opportunity to fast because this fasting has been ordered by Allah to mankind. We try to up our good deeds and prayers and worship in this month."

Muslims in Westman will fast for nearly 15 hours a day during Ramadan.

Ramadan ends on May 2 with a community feast known as Eid-ul-Fitr, which will see the entire community gather for congregation prayers to honour the day.

The Brandon Islamic Centre has been unable to host an Eid dinner since COVID-19 began. This year, they will be reuniting for a special supper at the Healthy Living Centre on May 2.

Ramadan is similar to Christmas, Ahmad said, without the commercial and consumption focus. Children receive gifts and a focus is placed on the exchange of love, happiness and respect.

"A lot of people will be visiting each other and taking that day off  its a special holiday," Ahmad said. "Its a joyous occasion. Everyone celebrates for being able to carry on with the fasting and the daily duties, the extra duties, that come along with Ramadan. That is no small achievement."

Muhammad Furqan and his family attended the community feast at the Brandon Islamic Centre Saturday evening after sunset.

CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Muhammad Furqan joins other members of the local Muslim community in a gathering for evening prayer.

He described Ramadan as the month of blessings.

"Its a struggle between the body and soul because we are hungry, we are thirsty from dawn to sunset, because its almost 15 hours fasting," Furqan said. "The body will tell you to eat something, or lets drink something because the throat will say give me water, the stomach will make craving sounds  but then the heart will control you and you will say no."

Actions taken during Ramadan reaffirm their faith in Allah, Furqan said, because they know Allah is with them at all times.

The time is also known as "The month of Quran" because the holy book was revealed during this month and took 23 years for revelation to be completed. It is also known as the month of blessing and any good deeds that occur during the month multiply by 70 times.

"We try our best to do as much good as we can do in realizing Ramadan," Furqan said.

In the Muslim faith, during Ramadan, Allah has closed the doors of hell and chained the devils who would tempt people to commit evil deeds. At the same time, Allah has opened the doors of heaven.

"If we do bad, it means it is our own intention, its our own will," Furqan said. "There is no outside sound convincing you to do bad.

"Its your own self if for one month you struggle with yourself and you dont harm people, animals, trees, you look after your neighbours, family, kids, mothers, parents  your community.

"If you keep doing that practice for 30 days once the devils are free still you will find yourself in the same spot you are finding yourself in during Ramadan."

He described it as building spiritual fortitude.

Furqan moved to Brandon in 2019 from northern Manitoba. His family is originally from Pakistan. This year marks the first Ramadan he and his family will be able to celebrate as a large group with the Muslim community in Brandon.

The Brandon Islamic Centre has been closed during Ramadan for the past two years due to COVID-19.

"This is the first time we are enjoying our prayers in the mosque because there are no restrictions," Furqan said. "Its a big blessing."

Gathering for prayer alongside others offers a different experience compared to praying in isolation, Furqan said. Being together at the mosque during Ramadan provides fresh energy that inspires people to do good in the community.

Furqan plans to visit the mosque every day during Ramadan for holy prayer.

"We can feel the blessing of Ramadan. Especially at the time of breaking fast at sunset."

 ckemp@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp
SOURIS  The Prairie Babette has been celebrating the Easter season by passing on the traditional art of pysanky.

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SOURIS  The Prairie Babette has been celebrating the Easter season by passing on the traditional art of pysanky.

Prairie Babette founder Jennifer Piwniuk hosted a pysanky egg-decorating workshop to celebrate Ukrainian culture and support the besieged country at the Souris-Glenwood Memorial Complex Saturday.

"As youre inscribing  youre writing and inscribing good intentions, good vibes, positives blessings, abundance  into your egg," Piwniuk said. "When you get it as a gift or give it as a gift, youre passing those blessings on."

When Piwniuk hosts workshops, her goal is to create a calm and positive atmosphere. She will walk around the room as students work, stepping in when needed to ensure the eggs turn out the way the crafters envision.

She described the egg-decorating process as a meditative, but dying, folk art in North America and Ukraine. The art is centred on making "blessed gifts." Every symbol and colour added to the eggs has a special meaning.

Piwniuk recently began hosting pysanky classes in Westman in support of Ukraine. She has hosted five workshops since March in Souris, Brandon, Sprucewoods and Shilo.

She described herself as a proud Ukrainian-Canadian and she enjoys being able to share pysanky with others.

"I just love it," Piwniuk said. "Its people like me that need to keep it alive. Its part of our heritage."

Crafters used fresh chicken eggs with the yolk inside to create their pysanky. A vinegar wash is initially applied to the egg to help the dye and beeswax adhere to the exterior.

Some students will draw a pencil line onto the egg for designs before applying the beeswax, while others will jump right in applying the wax coating.

The wax is warmed using a candle and gently applied to create unique designs on an egg. From there the egg is placed in the dye for two to 10 minutes. The spaces covered by the wax will remain untouched by the dye.

Eggs are dyed from the lightest colour to the darkest colour. Piwniuk brought yellow, orange, scarlet and black for the Souris workshop.

The final step is to dewax the egg by gently removing the coating to unveil the final creation.

CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Prairie Babette assistant Debbie McLachlan places eggs in dye during a pysanky workshop Saturday at the Souris-Glenwood Memorial Complex.

To protect the egg, Piwniuk recommends using a non-yellowing UV clear-coat spray. The eggs should be resprayed every year to help them last as long as possible.

The innards of the egg will eventually dry up, but it can take up to 10 years.

The Prairie Babette has been known by many different names over her career. She was bestowed the nickname "Babette" by a family friend who described her as "the baba without the grandkids."

Prairie Babette was formally known as Heavenly Aurora Designs, a crafting page that allowed Piwniuk to showcase her skills as a "no niche mom."

She pivoted to launch Prairie Babette in January and brought the pysanky classes to Westman after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. More information is available on her social media pages @theprairiebabette.

"I still have family in Ukraine. We dont know if theyre safe. We dont know if theyre OK. I probably will never, ever meet them, but my heart and my prayers are with them," Piwniuk said. "I wanted to do something."

She initiated the pysanky classes to raise $500 to donate to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress for the purchase of essential supplies to aid in the humanitarian crisis.

Ukrainians are known for woodworking, pysanky and embroidery, Piwniuk said, and she takes pride in helping keep these traditions alive in Canada.

Piwniuks pysanky art classes have come to an end but she will be hosting paint nights and other craft workshops for those interested.

"No matter your age, your ability, anything that society labels you, you are always welcomed at Babettes tables."

Sharon Lee, from Waskada, and Adri Lee, from Brandon, made the trek to Souris to participate in the pysanky workshop.

The classes were a great opportunity to support Ukraine and enjoy some quality time together while learning a new craft, Sharon said.

They drew on example design patterns shared by Piwniuk in books and on her own eggs to help craft their projects. Sharon said she appreciated the encouragement Piwniuk gave to add their personalities to the eggs.

They were inspired by the beautiful designs they learned from Piwniuk, Adri said, and they hope to get better at the craft by creating more eggs.

"I think its pretty fun," Adri said. "Drawing the lines on the eggs is kind of tricky, but its really cool. Im sure with practice, you would be really good at it."

 ckemp@brandonsun.com
What started as a simple HVAC system installation at the Adult and Teen Challenge store quickly turned into a $100,000 renovation project to prevent a possible structural collapse.

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What started as a simple HVAC system installation at the Adult and Teen Challenge store quickly turned into a $100,000 renovation project to prevent a possible structural collapse.

Aaron Murray, development director for Adult and Teen Challenge, was overseeing renovations at the building in Brandon last week when the problem was discovered.

Management had been working to install proper heating, cooling and ventilation on all three levels of the store over the past few months.

After buying the building last year, Murray said, he knew a large investment was needed to upgrade an already aging facility, but didnt expect structural issues.

"As they were putting the ductwork in one area, one of the contractors noticed the wall was leaning slightly," he said.

"We got an engineer to check it and the engineer confirmed earlier this week that sure enough, there were structural issues."

According to Murray, its an exterior wall on the south side of the building near the rooftop. Contractors priced the repairs at $100,000, and Murray is concerned for the viability of the store if the money cant be raised.

"It needs to be addressed immediately because of its leaning; if that wall were to collapse, then the roof collapses [too]."

The foundation repair must be addressed in the coming weeks. Due to the high cost, Murray is encouraging an already supportive community to give back even more to try and remedy their tight situation.

"If people could give $20, $50 or $500, some people are able to give more," he said.

"Were just asking for people, if they have extra money at this time, to consider giving towards this project that is making a difference in the community. The community has been super supportive in the thrift store itself."

Management is currently renovating a community office on the lower level of the thrift store to become a resource for addictions help in Westman.

"Thats going to serve for weekly groups for men, women, families, and you just cant have enough help for things like that."

Years ago, Murray said, he sought assistance with recovering from addictions and couldnt find a local place for help in Brandon. Aside from options in Winnipeg, he said he was grateful to learn of the program they offered at Adult and Teen Challenge. Within three to four days, he was accepted for help.

"Its a consistent story with what we do here at Adult and Teen Challenge; we try to help people very quickly because we know they are in a desperate spot."

Once construction on the community office is complete, counselling, Ready Now Recovery small groups, and family support groups will be offered or expanded for anyone in Brandon and the surrounding areas to access at no charge.

There are two direct ways people can assist in fundraising toward the $100,000 project. They can call 204-949-9484 or visit the Teen Challenge website at www.teenchallenge.tc/donate.

 jbernacki@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @JosephBernacki
OTTAWA - Canada's foreign minister told Indonesian leaders on Monday that Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister do not belong at the G20 summit in the southeast Asian country later this year.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 7, 2022. Canada is targeting Russia's defence industry with its latest round of sanctions over Moscow's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Kremlin Pool Photo, Sputnik - Mikhail Klimentyev

OTTAWA - Canada's foreign minister told Indonesian leaders on Monday that Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister do not belong at the G20 summit in the southeast Asian country later this year.

But Melanie Joly said Canada committed to helping Indonesia salvage the summit that it will be chairing as the G20 rotating president. The gathering was meant to be a major discussion on repairing a global economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic before a major European war caused even more economic damage.

"Indonesia is in a difficult position, because clearly, the question of Russia's invasion of Ukraine hijacked their agenda for the G20. So, we want to make sure that we find a constructive solution for Indonesia," Joly said in an exclusive interview from Jakarta on Monday.

Joly was speaking after meeting Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi earlier Monday and after Canada targeted Russia's defence industry with its latest round of sanctions over Moscow's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. Joly said the new measures impose restrictions on 33 entities in the Russian defence sector.

Joly said she will not share a meeting table with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, just as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently said the same went for him with any future interaction with Putin.

U.S. President Joe Biden has said Russia should be expelled from the 20-country alliance, but if Indonesia or other nations disagree, then Ukraine should be allowed to participate in the summit.

The G20 is a larger version of the G7 that includes non-democratic countries including Russia, China and Saudi Arabia and other large economies such as India and Brazil. All of those countries have not criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The G20 is the world's main multilateral forum for dealing with the global economy. Trudeau has said that Putin does not belong at the G20 table because his invasion is responsible for damaging the global economy.

Joly did not specify what sort of compromise could be found to make Indonesia's life easier as this year's G20 president, as she loudly echoed Trudeau's criticism of Russia participating in the alliance.

"The G20 is about economic growth. And we want to do everything in our power to make sure that there's absolutely no economic growth for Russia," she said.

"My goal is to make sure that I am not sitting at the same table as Lavrov, nor the prime minister (with Putin)."

Joly said Monday's new sanctions targeted the organizations that have provided support to the Russian military  directly or indirectly  and are therefore complicit in the pain and suffering stemming from Putin's unjustifiable war in Ukraine.

The measures usher in asset freezes and prohibitions on listed entities including the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Integral SPB and Shipyard Vympel JSC.

Following Russia's attack that began Feb. 24, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 700 individuals and entities from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, Canada has levied sanctions on more than 1,100 individuals and entities.

On Monday, Russia claimed it had destroyed several Ukrainian air defence systems in an attempt to gain air superiority and mount a renewed push on the country's eastern region.

The mayor of Mariupol, a key southern port that has been under attack and surrounded for well over a month, said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians had been killed in the Russian siege and that the death toll could surpass 20,000 once all the bodies have been counted.

Joly said it was "fundamental" that Ukraine receive more weapons from its Western allies, including more air-defence capability to "not only win the war but to protect life."

"Our goal is to announce sanctions every week and to co-ordinate with allies," she added. "There will be more sanctions, so this is not the end of it. We need to make sure that we stop Putin's war machine and that's exactly why we're targeting the defence sector."

In a weekend video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy argued that Russia's aggression "was not intended to be limited to Ukraine alone." The "entire European project is a target," he said.

"That is why it is not just the moral duty of all democracies, all the forces of Europe, to support Ukraine's desire for peace," Zelenskyy said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2022.

 With files from The Associated Press.
Its supposed to address a crisis, but the name of the legislation may just put you to sleep  Act Respecting Online Communications Platforms that Make News Content Available to Persons in Canada.

Its supposed to address a crisis, but the name of the legislation may just put you to sleep  Act Respecting Online Communications Platforms that Make News Content Available to Persons in Canada.

In fact, many of us in the news business have pretty much nodded off waiting for the bill to be introduced in the House of Commons this week that would require digital platforms such as Google and Facebook to negotiate payments for content with news publishers.

News Media Canada, which represents daily and community newspapers across the country, started lobbying in early 2016 to get the federal government to force digital companies to support journalism. Six years later, we finally seem to be getting somewhere on what Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez described recently as "a crisis in the Canadian news system."

Crisis, indeed. News Media Canada representatives were met with blank stares when we first started using that word with federal politicians and officials six years ago. Even though a steady stream of newspapers had been closing for years and remaining newsrooms dwindled as staffing was cut, there was little awareness that public-interest journalism was in trouble in Canada, or that the government could play a role in helping it survive.

To be fair, the Liberal government eventually woke up to the problem and introduced unprecedented support programs for written journalism. The largest of these is a five-year program to subsidize newsroom salaries through refundable tax credits. There is also a consumer program, an annual tax credit for digital news subscriptions.

While welcome, many of us regarded these efforts as Band-Aids rather than cures for what ails the news business.

The macro problem for news is that advertising dollars have moved out of traditional media, especially newspapers, to digital platforms that are not in the business of running local, regional and national newsrooms to provide comprehensive reporting for communities.

Local auto dealers used to support local journalism by buying ads in local newspapers. Now they spend most of their budgets on digital ads, and most of that money goes to companies that produce no local news. Those ads often appear in conjunction with news and information generated by news publishers that arent getting paid anything for the content or the ads.

News Media Canada and others initially suggested that the Trudeau government tax companies like Google and Facebook and use that money to support journalism. The government took half the advice  it agreed to provide some support but did not get the money from the digital companies.

This was not surprising  Google and Facebook lobby hard against government regulation. In recent years they have also undertaken significant programs to support journalism and individual news outlets in an effort to demonstrate that government intervention is not necessary.

Canada seemed content to accept this. Then the Australian government took on the digital giants and passed legislation to address the huge imbalance in media created by the dominance of Google and Facebook. The Australian law requires digital companies to negotiate deals with news publishers  or have them imposed by a regulator.

It became the model for Canadian news publishers, and the Liberal government has adopted a made-in-Canada version.

It legislates what already operates informally. Google and Facebook have both signed deals with multiple publishers, including the Winnipeg Free Press and The Brandon Sun. The new bill will broaden the number of recipients and influence the size and scope of deals.

Most importantly, it will enshrine in law the principle that the journalism organizations that originate news content deserve to be compensated for it as it is searched and shared on digital platforms.

Thats a key step in addressing the "crisis" in Canadian news, and suggests were no longer just sleepwalking into the future.

 Bob Cox is the publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press and past chair of News Media Canada.
Warren Beatty gave Dame Joan Collins an engagement ring in a tub of offal.

The 'Bonnie and Clyde' actor proposed to Joan in 1960 and the actress has revealed how he hid the 7,000 ring in her favourite treat of chopped liver.

The 'Dynasty' star recalled to The Times newspaper: "He must have known that I would consume that first, so imagine my surprise when I found that massive ring inside the container as I greedily ladled myself a spoonful.

"He then announced that we were engaged."

However, Joan and Warren ended their relationship after two years together and were never married.

The 88-year-old actress is auctioning off the engagement ring from Beatty as well as the one given to her by her second husband Anthony Newley.

Joan, who has been married five times, quipped that she was selling the rings as "like everything else, my fingers have put on weight", although the real reason is because "jewellery is meant to be worn, and these pieces belong to a different time in my life".

The star recalled in her 2013 memoir 'Passion for Life' that she called off her engagement to Warren amid rumours that he was having a number of high-profile affairs.

Joan wrote: "It was a sad ending, but I knew that our relationship of almost two years was doomed. Marriage to Warren would never have lasted because he simply loved the ladies too much."

Meanwhile, Collins recently claimed that modern men are "suffering from the rise of anti-maleness" as a result of the #MeToo movement.

The iconic actress is a supporter of the campaign - which saw women all over the world share their painful experiences of sexual abuse and misconduct by men online in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal - but thinks it is making decent men become wary around women.

Joan - who is now married to Hollywood producer Percy Gibson - said: "Sadly, I think that now young men are suffering from being labelled toxically masculine because of this rise of anti-maleness."
A former elite soldier has told the Federal Court he felt threatened into co-operating with three newspapers being sued for defamation by war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith because the media outlets lawyers had told him they believed he was involved himself in an unlawful killing in Afghanistan.

Person 56, a former Special Air Service soldier, told Roberts-Smiths defamation case on Monday that he only agreed to speak to the newspapers lawyers last year because he believed they had a deal he would not be asked about some of his own alleged actions in Afghanistan if he gave evidence about his former comrade.

Ben Roberts-Smith outside the Federal Court in Sydney last month. Credit:Louise Kennerley

He agreed with Arthur Moses, SC, one of the barristers acting for Roberts-Smith, that he gave a statement in the proceedings to get the newspapers off ... [his] back, and he felt threatened that he would be questioned in court about his own conduct if he did not co-operate.

Roberts-Smith is suing The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times for defamation over a series of reports in 2018 that he says portray him as a war criminal.
[He is] the joke dessert that ices itself. You dont even have to tell him, he just goes and grabs the ukulele all by himself. Tame also took aim at one of her critics, One Nation NSW MP Mark Latham, whom she referred to as one of her favourite comedians. She said she lived rent free in Lathams head along with Rosie Batty, the 2004 election result, and pretty much, well, actually, everyone who isnt a straight white man. Its probably why hes so mad all the time. Its pretty crowded in there. NAME CHECK

It is, definitively, on. And as a result, the Australian Electoral Commissions pursuit of the Liberal Democrats, a minor party best known for their former senator David Leyonhjelm (in turn best known for making ugly, defamatory remarks about the Greens Sarah Hanson Young), has been paused. The commission was going after the Liberal Democrats, who have long benefitted from disengaged voters presumption that they are somehow related to the actual Liberal Party of Australia, because of their name after a change in the law. Late last year, the minor party proposed changing its name to the Liberty and Democratic Party (Liberty Democrats). But that didnt last long, with the proposal withdrawn on March 22. John Humphreys, the partys president, says the party had changed its mind on the name that it wants on the ballot. Loading But funnily enough, all that wrangling means the very minor party will be able to run under its current name  which it insists is a better fit for its libertarian views than the sometimes big-spending Liberal Party  for this election. The name is going to be a 22 May problem Humphreys predicted in comments to your columnists last week. Turns out hes right. For its part an AEC spokeswoman said: The AEC can only administer the legislation as it is written. The exasperated sigh accompanying this was entirely of our own imagining.

COUNCIL DOGFIGHT You could say the Liberal Party around Port Phillip Bay has gone to the dogs. First there was the shock disappearance in the federal seat of McNamara (the old Melbourne Ports) of endorsed Liberal candidate, businessman Christopher Ride, who seems to have been cheesed off by the party. His place has been taken by Colleen Harkin, a businesswoman and former staffer for Senator Jane Hume. Loading Now City of Port Phillips Liberal-aligned mayor Marcus Pearl has agreed to spend $300,000 on what one resident and Age subscriber told us was a Royal Commission into naughty dogs in the city.

Mayor Pearl begs to differ. The extensive review is not about naughty dogs. Its about achieving the best possible access for everyone wanting to enjoy our popular public spaces, including our four-legged friends, he tells CBD. The lockdown puppy pandemic boom created huge demand for more dog off-leash areas at parks, sporting reserves and the foreshore. Because dog restrictions are a touchy subject, with petitions calling for more off-leash areas and others strongly against, community consultation will be part of the 15-month review due to start in May. Stay tuned. I DO, I DO, I DO

Theres nothing quite like going out with a bang, and someone who seems to have become quite an expert at it is former Sunrise boss Michael Pell. Former Sunrise executive producer Michael Pells send-off took a surprisingly romantic turn. Credit:Jacky Ghossein Having given up his lucrative breakfast television producing career to make shows for Seven in LA, Michael held an intimate soiree to bid farewell to those closest to him on Saturday night. A whos who of the Seven Network were in attendance along with a peculiar collection of celebrities and influencers, including Kerri-Anne Kennerly and someone from Married at First Sight  such is the variety of Pells little black book. Touching speeches were made and fond memories shared of the breakfast television wunderkind who blagged his way into work experience at 12 before becoming the Sunrise producer at the alarmingly tender age of 26.

He helmed the show for more than a decade, a decade that saw it dominate the important breakfast television ratings battle. His departure might have been a surprise for many in the industry but the biggest surprise of the night was reserved for Pell himself when his partner Daniel Burgess-Wise popped the question on the night. The news broke on Instagram with just about everyone there posting a grab of the emotional moment Burgess-Wise choked back tears to ask the big question. Its been a period of heightened emotions. Farewelling so many talented colleagues and a show I love, but Im beyond excited for this next chapter overseas, Pell told CBD.
Scott Morrison goes into the May 21 election needing to win seats to maintain a Coalition majority in the House or else face negotiations with what could be one of the largest cross benches in Commonwealth history.

In the current 151-member House, the Coalition holds 76 seats, Labor has 67 (down from 68 since the resignation of Spence MP Nick Champion before the parliament was prorogued), and the crossbench includes independents Zali Steggall, Helen Haines and Andrew Wilkie.

The House of Representatives will decide who forms the next government after the election. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Craig Kelly, who won his Sydney seat of Hughes as a Liberal, now represents the United Australia Party. Greens leader Adam Bandt holds the seat of Melbourne, Bob Katter holds the north Queensland seat of Kennedy while Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie holds the South Australian seat of Mayo.

As the government needs to appoint a Speaker to the House, it means whichever party hopes to take power in their own right after the election needs to claim at least 77 seats or else rely on cobbling together support from the crossbench.
Labor deputy leader Richard Marles told members of the militarys top brass he would probably be defence minister in an Albanese government, in a move that caused ructions inside the party.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has also told senior members of his party that the only two frontbench roles guaranteed under a Labor government are Jim Chalmers as treasurer and Penny Wong as foreign affairs minister.

Richard Marles, left, with Anthony Albanese, has long been interested in national security. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Multiple Defence and Labor sources, who are not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed Marles late last year gave senior members of the Australian Defence Force the strong impression he would take over the portfolio if Labor won the election.

On Tuesday, Albanese said he hadnt spoken to Richard Marles about the reporting of the portfolio move.
The internal war within the NSW division of the Liberals over preselections has led to a mass exodus of members, with more deserting the troubled party this year than the previous two years combined.

Membership figures were presented to the partys state executive meeting on Friday night, showing hundreds of members have resigned this financial year, which still has several months to go.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, who worked together to stop preselections in 12 seats in NSW from being held. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

This year 325 members have quit, while just 102 members resigned in 2020 and 160 in 2019, according to a slide presented to state executive members and seen by The Sydney Morning Herald.

Slides, shown to the meeting by state director Chris Stone, also revealed that the party signed up 2319 new members in 2019  the year the division had elections at a state and federal level  but this year that figure was significantly lower at 1211.
Almost one in three students expelled from Victorian government schools during the first year of the pandemic had a disability, up from one in seven the previous year, in a pattern of exclusion that youth disability advocates warn is merely the tip of the iceberg.

The official number of student expulsions fell to 68 in 2020, the lowest number in a decade, as most students spent well over 100 days learning remotely.

The official number of student expulsions fell in 2020, but the drop was not matched by a large decrease in expulsions among students with a disability. Credit:Janie Barrett

That number was down from 184 in 2019. But the steep overall fall was not matched by a large drop in expulsions among students with a disability. Twenty of the 68 expulsions  or 29.4 per cent  were students who received funding from the Program for Students with Disabilities. This was a small decrease from the 27 students with a disability who were expelled in 2019.

Data for the 2021 and 2022 school years has not been published, but Association for Children with a Disability chief executive Karen Dimmock said she did not believe the high proportional figure was an anomaly.
What do the prominent far-right politicians Marine Le Pen of France, Viktor Orban of Hungary and Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia have in common? All three have fought elections this month, and all three have done better than they did in their previous election contests.

Two of them, the incumbent leaders Orban and Vucic, were returned to power with increased shares of the vote. The third, Le Pen, won an enlarged share of the vote in the first round of the French presidential election on the weekend compared with her first-round performance five years earlier, and now confronts Emmanuel Macron in the run-off for the presidency on April 24.

Marine Le Pen confronts Emmanuel Macron in the run-off for the presidency. Credit:Illustration by Dionne Gain

One of the worlds most notorious xenophobes, Le Pen now is closer to the presidency than she ever has been. With 96 per cent of the votes counted, she had 24 per cent and Macron 27.4. The run-off is projected to be tight. Note that this is now a contest between the French right and the far right.

One other striking factor that the trio have in common: all are long-standing admirers of Russian President Vladimir Putin. And the feeling is mutual.
China to build unified national market to tackle persistent issues, enhance economic security

(Global Times) 10:50, April 11, 2022

Buildings in Beijing CBD are seen under blue sky Photo: Li Lei/GT

China on Sunday unveiled guidelines for accelerating the building of a unified national market, envisioning breaking local protection and market fragmentation and unblocking key sticking points that weigh on economic circulation, as part of a wide-ranging push for an effectively regulated, fairly competitive and fully open market across the country.

The far-reaching ordinance encompassing energy, technology, property rights protection and market regulation is intended to address some persistent problems in the country's reformist shift toward being market-oriented, experts said. They described the new guidelines issued by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council, the cabinet, as a vital boost to China's two-pronged focus on economic development and security.

The new regulation eyes a comprehensive push for the country's market to shift from being big toward becoming powerful, buttressing efforts to build a high-level socialist market economic system, read a full text of the guidelines published by the Xinhua News Agency on Sunday.

The Sunday announcement came roughly four months after the guidelines were reviewed and approved at the 23rd meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform in mid-December.

To build a new development paradigm, it is imperative to speed up the building of a unified national market that is efficient, standardized, open and allows fair competition. It is also vital to establish unified market rules and regulations across the country and promote the smooth flow of goods, factors and resources on a wider scale, President Xi Jinping said while chairing the December meeting, according to Xinhua.

Xi urged efforts to speed up the transformation of government functions, improve government oversight efficiency, promote better alignment between an efficient market and a capable government, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of companies and people's lives and property.

The weighty announcement on Sunday is expected to inject confidence into both the consumer market and producer market in anticipation of unified and coordinated rule-setting and implementation when it comes to labor, capital and innovation, among various parts of the market, Cao Heping, an economist at Peking University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The new guidelines intend to rely on high-quality supplies to create and guide demand, enabling smoother production, distribution, circulation and consumption as market operation becomes more efficient. Notably, the regulation urges a problem-oriented approach to address striking paradoxes and problems, and to accelerate the elimination of varied rules and practices that hamper a unified market and fair competition, according to the Sunday announcement, calling for the breaking of "various closed small markets and self-centered small circulations."

As part of the efforts, the guidelines flag the need for the creation of a unified national energy market. Efforts are expected to ramp up the creation of a unified natural gas measuring and pricing system, consider the building of a national electricity trading center at an opportune time, and press ahead with the improvement of a unified national coal trading market.

These measures apparently address some notable persistent issues with the energy market that exemplify woes over the multifaceted market as a whole: barriers inherent in different parts of the country point to a mismatch between central government policymaking and local government implementation, Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Coal supply shortages that ravaged the country last year and increasing awareness about energy security amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to Lin, make the case for a heightened push for energy market allocation and planning at a national level.

That means an imperative drive away from the long-held fragmented approach to economic and industrial policy implementation among different provinces and cities, he continued, calling attention to an increasing focus on secure growth.

Systemic coordination got a mention in the guidelines, which envisaged elevated government oversight efficiency and improved capacity to "dynamically safeguard market stability and economic security."

As the guidelines stipulate, the country would strengthen the building of an emergency logistics system, improve transport facilities and logistics stations in high-risk areas in terms of disaster exposures, and avoid supply shortage risks in major products such as food and energy.

The guidelines also called for an institutional opening-up to further improve the country's clout in global supply chains and innovation chains for there to be a greater say in international economic governance.

The guidelines, which instantly went viral on Chinese social media, also proposed the nurturing of a unified technology and data market as the country plans to encourage sci-tech information exchanges and interaction among different regions, push for the opening and sharing of major scientific infrastructure and equipment, and step up international cooperation.

In addition, calls for better use of platforms aimed at promoting Chinese brands and progress on unified national standard setting in areas such as facial recognition, finger vein and iris scans were among the most talked-about parts of the guidelines.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Latest News 24 lenders raise interest rates Read the full list here

Clients seek advice on interest rate rise City brokers field many enquiries

Mortgage brokers have welcomed the expansion of a scheme to help first home buyers enter the market.

The federal governments First Home Guarantee scheme allows first home buyers to purchase property with a 5% deposit, with the government guaranteeing the remaining 15% so no lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) is required.

Shore Financial senior credit adviser Greg Bishop (pictured) said the initiative would benefit first home buyers foremost and enable them to get into the market sooner.

If first home buyers no longer need to pay LMI on top of saving a deposit at the minimum of 5%, that premium disappears and buyers could potentially pay an even higher purchase price (depending on their location and price caps), Bishop said.

By pushing for that extra money saved for the buyers pocket to spend on their home without LMI or stamp duty costs, they might be able to afford a better property now and they wont need to sell or upsize in a few years time.

Read more: nMB welcomes expansion of New Home Guarantee scheme

The scheme also removes stamp duty costs as another incentive to assist eligible first home buyers. The government has just announced another 50,000 places for eligible Australians from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2025.

Bishop said he dealt with lots of first home buyers and, when possible, he presented the scheme as an option to those who qualify.

Sometimes clients come to me assuming they are eligible for the scheme, however they do not know the full extent including price parameters, income thresholds, or the fact they need to be an Australian citizen, he said.

Bishop said while there was no real disadvantage to the scheme for any qualified buyers, the only pinch point was the $800,000 price cap in NSW, which could hold people back.

That purchase price limit can be challenging in a competitive market. Not only are these buyers dealing with others who have positions on the scheme but everyone else including second and third home buyers, investors etc., he added.

It has made that price point very competitive with a lack of stock in the space providing the biggest disappointment for some people.

Mortgage Advice Bureau Brisbane managing director Tracey Kearey also had contact with many first home buyers and said she understood that brokers need to regularly communicate and keep these clients interested and engaged.

A first home buyer can become a second, third, or fourth home buyer. As brokers we need to help these buyers along the whole journey, Kearey said.

The house is the dream, and the finance side goes along with it, but we try to take as much pain out of that as we can  just because someone isnt ready now, doesnt mean they wont be in the future.

Read more: Brisbane property prices rise 33%

Kearey said she supported the First Home Guarantee Scheme as it stimulated the economy and people spending money on property supported multiple industries.

We need people to keep entering the market. The Australian home ownership statistic currently sits at  10% are first home buyers, 30% mortgage payers, 30% encumbered and 30% investors, she said.

Kearey said she set realistic expectations and goals with her first home buyers before helping them achieve their home ownership goal.

Mortgage Advice Bureau designed the Nurture Program for first home buyers who might not have enough savings today but can unlock savings milestones through the tech platform to keep on track and accountable.

Through the Nurture Program we can show our clients the mountain might not be as high, Kearey said. It is so exciting telling our first home buyers their finance is approved and here are the keys to their new home.
Latest News 24 lenders raise interest rates Read the full list here

Clients seek advice on interest rate rise City brokers field many enquiries

Top-end and inner-city suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney saw a slip in values as higher fixed mortgage rates, affordability, and increased buyer choice impacted values at a granular level, according to fresh CoreLogic data.

CoreLogics interactive Mapping the Market tool, which provides an analysis of 3,111 capital city house and unit markets, showed a quarterly decline in values across 23.6% of suburbs, the majority of them in Sydney and Melbourne.

Eliza Owen, CoreLogic head of research, said the quarterly figures confirmed the gradual shift from a prolonged period of broad growth to a multi-speed market that differed between capital cities, regions, and property types.

The CoreLogic March Home Value Index showed a 2.4% rise in national dwelling values in the first quarter of 2022, which is lower than the same period in 2021, when values increased 5.8%.

High-end and inner-city areas are emerging as the first suburbs to experience this shift in market conditions, Owen said. It is likely that slightly tighter lending conditions and higher average fixed rates are hitting the very top of housing markets first. These same areas are seeing some of the bigger jumps in advertised stock levels too, so as we see new demand for housing in these areas decline buyers have more choice, more time for decision-making, and more power at the negotiating table.

Of the 917 properties analysed across Sydney through the 2022 quarter, 354 (38.6%) posted a decline in value, with more than half of the declines occurring in house markets.

Quarterly value declines ranged from -7.2% for houses in Beaconsfield, 5km south of Sydneys CBD, to -0.01% for houses in Gladesville on the citys lower north shore, CoreLogic data showed.

Some 46.8% of the 648 properties analysed in Melbourne markets recorded a slip in values in the three months to March. Declines ranged from -6.4% for houses in the inner-city suburb of Cremorne, to a -0.01% fall for houses in Boronia.

At a broader market level, Owen said Melbourne had seen two monthly market declines in four months and suburb movements confirmed the city was shifting into the downswing phase in its cycle.

Quarterly declines have been more skewed towards the inner and inner-east of Melbourne, as higher fixed mortgage rates and affordability constraints may be seeing demand slip from the very top end of the market, she said. This pattern is mirrored across Sydney, and its a pattern that has been observed through previous cycles.

CoreLogic figures showed that as the housing market cools across Melbournes inner city and east, the periphery of the metropolitan is experiencing thriving market conditions. Seeing the strongest quarterly increase of Melbourne house and unit markets, were units in the suburb of Wyndham Vale, at 6.7%.

This surge in more affordable parts of the city, Owen said, could be a result of homebuyers looking for alternatives after being priced out of more central locations.

Unlike Sydney and Melbournes softer conditions, Brisbane and Adelaide continue to shine as Australias best performers. None of the 651 house markets analysed across Brisbane and Adelaide saw a quarterly or annual decline of values.

In the Brisbane house markets, some of the strongest value gains were south of Brisbane River, which recorded quarterly value increases of around 10% for Acacia Ridge, Capalaba, and Yeronga. Topping the list for Greater Brisbane was Logan Central, where values rose 13.5% in the March quarter.

Conditions across southeast Queensland continue to be supported by strong interstate migration from those relocating from NSW and Victoria and the relatively affordable housing stock, Owen said. For those migrating from the southern states, a typical house in Brisbane was $857,000 in March, significantly less than Sydneys median of $1.4 million.

In Adelaide, the strongest quarterly value gains were in Largs North, Ottoway, and North Haven, close to trendy breweries and beaches.

The stellar performance across Adelaide was driven by the high, ongoing demand across the state, positive trends in interstate migration, relatively affordable dwelling values, and low levels of advertised stock.

At the end of March, CoreLogics median dwelling value for Adelaide was $602,000, making it the countrys third most affordable capital city behind Perth and Darwin.

In Canberra, 5.2% of the markets analysed saw a quarterly decline in values. The strength of the Canberra market was most evident in the unit segment, where not one suburb saw unit declines over the quarter or year.

Owen credited the strength of Canberras unit market to relative affordability compared to the house segment, as well as increased investor participation in housing markets, as rents rise and units generally offer better gross rent yields.

CoreLogics analysis of 55 properties across Hobart for the March quarter found 10.9% of suburbs recording a decline in values.

Owen said Tasmanias many tailwinds supported the market for long-term capital growth.

While migration trends to the state have not been as favourable since the onset of COVID-19, eased travel restrictions may see a more robust return in domestic and international tourism, which would support economic conditions, and likely further tighten the rental market, she said. This beautiful state still poses inviting opportunities for retirees and tree-changers, with dwelling values sitting relatively low compared with nearby southern states.

Across Perth and Darwin, 13.4% and 18% of markets, respectively, saw a quarterly decline. Despite seemingly high instances of quarterly value falls, these markets overall have enjoyed decent value gains in the March quarter.

Across Perth, value gains were strongest in Wannanup units, up 9.3% in the quarter, while the top house market was Forrestdale, with gains of 5.3%, CoreLogic reported.
Bryan, OH (43506)

Today

Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High around 65F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

A mostly clear sky. Low 39F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.
In a major fillip to India's dream to become a global manufacturing hub, on Monday confirmed it has started manufacturing its top-selling iPhone 13 smartphone in .

first started manufacturing iPhones in in 2017, with iPhone SE.

"We are excited to begin making iPhone 13 -- with its beautiful design, advanced camera systems for stunning photos and videos, and the incredible performance of the A15 Bionic chip -- right here in for our local customers," said in a statement shared with IANS.

The tech giant manufactures some of its most advanced iPhones in the country, including iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and now iPhone 13 at the Foxconn facility while iPhone SE and iPhone 12 are being assembled at the Wistron factory in the country.

According to industry experts, the new Apple iPhone 13 series has benefitted from the strong consumer appetite and spend to upgrade to premium smartphones.

In the first quarter this year, CyberMedia Research (CMR) estimates point to Apple iPhone shipments potentially growingA more than 20 per cent (on-year), with the iPhone 13 series contributing close to 17 per cent of the total iPhone shipments.

"The Apple iPhone shipments will potentially touch the 7 million mark in CY2022, translating into a historic 5.5 per cent market share," Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR, told IANS.

iPhone 13 was available to customers in India simultaneously with the US, among other markets which was a first for the country.

The device features an advanced 5G experience, brings super-fast performance and power efficiency with A15 Bionic, longer battery life, and a beautiful flat-edge design with incredible durability with the Ceramic Shield front cover, tougher than any smartphone glass.

iPhone uses 100 per cent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, 100 per cent recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board and, for the first time, in the solder of the battery management unit.

Apple started its India journey more than 20 years ago.

The tech giant launched its India online store in September 2020 and will soon open its own retail store in the country.

"With growing domestic Apple iPhone production, aggressive retail forays, and marketing initiatives, we anticipate Apple's growth story in India to remain resilient despite potential headwinds," Ram told 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.)
giant Byjus is strengthening its technology vertical. The Bengaluru-based firm has appointed tech veteran Vedhanarayanan Ganeshkumar as vice-president, technology. As a tech-driven global leader in education, Byjus has been investing in the powerful synergy of technology and innovation by scaling its robust tech team. This new appointment is part of Byjus concerted strategy to further enhance its world-class learning products, and accelerate innovative and impactful learning experiences for students globally.

In his new role, Ganeshkumar will be responsible for accelerating critical technologies to further scale Byjus tech and innovation prowess to define the future of learning. He will also build and lead a talented team of engineers, software development managers, product managers, program managers, and more.

His strong expertise in tech innovation will further strengthen Byjus commitment to creating value in students' lives and providing them with high-quality learning opportunities, said Anil Goel, president - technology, Byjus. We look forward to working together and supporting him in achieving his goals.

With a rich career spanning over two decades, Vedharnarayanan brings a proven track record of ideating and delivering impactful technological innovations across like and Oracle. In his most recent stint over 15 years, Vedhanarayanan held multiple Sr. Engineering leadership roles at Global Technology organization supporting last-mile delivery, supply chain, and customer shipment tracking experience and also played a key role in the growth of Amazon Global Development Center in India.

Technology is a powerful instrument that has the potential to transform and reinvent how education is delivered. I am excited to join the highly motivated and talented tech team that forms the foundation of Byjus, said Vedhanarayanan Ganeshkumar, vice president - Technology, Byjus. The company is already delivering cutting-edge technologies and is constantly innovating the educational ecosystem. I look forward to playing a key role in the development of next-generation education technology that makes quality education accessible, equitable, and contextual for every student.

Early this year, Byjus announced the appointment of Mani Bansal and Maneesh Agrawal to lead key technology functions in an effort towards strengthening its tech vertical and further driving innovative and impactful learning experiences. While Bansal took the role of vice-president, engineering, Agrawal joined as vice-president, reliability, security and cloud engineering.

The company had said that Mani Bansal will lead the Content Engineering platform across the group, along with working closely with the Byjus Lab team to build AI and ML capabilities to set the benchmark for the future of personalised learning. With a rich career spanning over 20 years, the Hyderabad-based Bansal is an Amazon veteran, having donned multiple global technology leadership roles in Amazon Prime and Amazon Logistics.

Maneesh Agrawal, with over 22 years of experience, championed strategic thinking across design, implementation and operational excellence. He will play a pivotal role in driving the companys reliability engineering, security and cloud engineering. Formerly with Adobe, Olacabs, InMobi, Yahoo and Indiamart, he had delivered strategic vision across IaaS, PaaS, SaaS and Cloud efficiency.
In light of the recent incidents involving scooters from prominent electric mobility brands bursting into flames, the subject of electric vehicle (EV) safety has come under the spotlight.

As many as 20 electric scooters of Nashik-based Jitendra EV Tech caught fire after being loaded on a transport container. While no one has been reported injured, the company said it is conducting an investigation to find the root cause of the fire.

An unfortunate incident took place on April 9 near our factory gate. The situation was immediately brought under control by our teams timely intervention. Safety being of prime importance, we are investigating the root cause and will soon come out with the findings, said a spokesperson for the company.

This is the sixth incident of fire in electric scooters since the onset of summer. Government officials said that they are cognisant of the incident that has happened at Jitendra EV Tech and will call the companys executives for a report on it.

The road ministry has already called senior executives of Ola Electric Mobility and Okinawa Scooters to give a detailed presentation on the issue and will take a call on it.

An Ola electric scooter and an Okinawa electric bike recently caught fire, leaving several customers concerned.

Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, while speaking in the Lok Sabha on the EV fire cases on March 31, had said that the incidents may have taken place due to higher temperature. He, however, had said reports from an expert committee were still awaited.

This is a very serious issue and we have ordered a forensic investigation into each individual event, said Gadkari, adding that the government will take appropriate action after the exact technical reason behind the accident is known.

A government-appointed team  that includes experts from the Indian Institute of Science and the Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety  has been deputed to visit and investigate the accident sites in Vellore, Pune, and Trichy.

Asked whether the high recurrence of such incidents  particularly those involving models from the same  merits stricter action, such as mandatory recall of vehicles, a senior official of the road ministry said unless one knows the reason behind the accidents, it will be pure speculation to proffer a comment.

Nobody called for such action when a popular car brand from a large automotive (auto) company saw several cases of its model catching fire, he pointed out.

EV sales in the country witnessed over threefold jump last financial year, with two-wheeler offtake leading the segment, according to the data compiled by auto dealers body Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations of India. Total EV retails reached 429,217 units in 2021-22  a threefold rise from 2020-21.
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SoftBank-backed internet commerce firm has downsized its grocery vertical SuperStore (formerly Farmiso) in an attempt to drive efficiency. The Bengaluru-based firm did not reveal the number of laid-off employees. However, the company officials said that about 150 employees have been laid off.

As we look to boost efficiencies in the light of the integration, a small number of full-time roles and certain third-party positions on six-month contracts at Superstore were reassessed to remove redundancies with the core business, said the company in a blog post. To support those impacted by this restructuring, Meesho is offering severance packages and outplacement assistance to help them secure new opportunities outside the company.

The redundancies do not impact any positions at the core Meesho marketplace business, where we continue to hire and grow talent.

Meesho launched online grocery services, Meesho Superstore, as a pilot in Karnataka less than nine months ago. With this foray, the idea was to meet consumer demand for affordable daily essentials in Tier 2+ markets as it aspires to become the single shopping destination for the next billion Indians.

In a short span, the firm has scaled the offering to six states  Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. It now plans to make it available in 12 states by the end of 2022.

Last week, the firm said it was integrating the grocery business within the core app to provide Meesho users a unified shopping experience, while driving stronger synergies across areas like customer acquisition, technology, product and talent.

Meesho Superstore currently provides 500 products across categories like fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, groceries, home care and packaged food, among others. The integration will now provide the companys over 100 million Meesho users access to over 87 million active product listings across 36 categories on a single platform.

"As we continue to scale our efforts to make online grocery affordable for users across Tier 2+ markets, these changes will ensure we have the right framework in place to meet the growing needs of our customers," said the company.

This week edtech unicorn Unacademy laid off about 600 employees comprising nearly 10 per cent of its workforce in a move that is being seen as a focus on profitability as well as consolidation and cost-cutting drive in the space amid the pandemic, according to the sources.
Tata Powers plans to reduce debt by hiving off its renewables energy businesses into an infrastructure investment trust (InvIT) has missed the March-end deadline.

The company was planning to bring down its gross debt to below Rs 25,000 crore from Rs 49,000 crore with the InvIT structure.

The earlier deadline mentioned by chairman N Chandrasekaran was March 2021 but due to the Covid-19 disruption, the plan could not take off.

InvITs own, operate and manage operational infrastructure assets.

The cash flows from the businesses owned by the InvITs are distributed among the unitholders.

In the financial year ending March this year, had re-started talks with several potential investors, including Petronas and Brookfield, but could not close the transaction.

Renewable Energy (TPREL), a subsidiary of Tata Power, is currently leading the power firms initiative to increase non-fossil generation to about 60 per cent of its total capacity by 2025.

The combined portfolio of TPREL and Walwhan Renewable Energy generate around 2.7 Gw, making it a significant proportion of Tata Powers generation capacity of around 30 per cent.

The company may look at listing Renewable Energy on the stock markets to reduce debt, said a banker close to the development.

Tata Power shares closed at Rs 283 a share on Monday, up 1.73 per cent.

An email sent to Tata Power did not elicit a response till going to press.

Tata Powers credit profile is considered a high carbon transition risk. This is because a significant part of its generation business is reliant on coal-fired generation (69.5 per cent), rating firm Moodys had said in November last year.

However, Tata Powers commitment to not add any new coal-based capacity, phase out the existing ones once their power purchase agreements expire and significantly increase its renewable energy footprint provides clarity regarding its carbon-transition plan, Moodys added.
India's largest IT services provider for the fiscal 2021-22 added over 100,000 employees from campus, but its continued to inch up. For the Q4FY22 the company's was at 17.4 per cent.

Though the 17.4 per cent could be less than peers, which will be soon announcing their numbers, it has zoomed up from a year before. For the Q4FY21 the company had reported of 7.3 per cent. Even for the quarter gone by, Q3FY22, attrition was 15.3 per cent.

Management said that though on the LTM basis the numbers are high, on an incremental basis the numbers are coming down. "The 17.4 per cent is because of the way LTM is calculated. I also believe that this will get worse before its starts to come down. We are already seeing on individual basis the attrition numbers are tapering down," said Rajesh Gopinathan, CEO & MD, .

The company also said that going forward, its hiring momentum will be similar to the last fiscal, "And we will start with a campus hiring number of 40,000 for the Q1 of Fy23," said N Ganapathy Subramaniam, COO and executive director, .

In terms of getting back employees back to office the management said that starting this month senior leaders will start to come in for three days per week.

When asked what happens to its 25/25 target, Gopinathan explained, "At present we are in the ration of 95/5 with 95 per cent employees still in WFH mode. Before we hit the 25/25 we need to get employees back to office. So we expect to be 80/20 ratio by June this year and then gradually move to the 25/25 model."
India's top firms that are a part of the benchmark Nifty50 index are expected to post another quarter of high double-digit growth. Meanwhile, a panel of union ministers is likely to give a go-ahead to officials to prepare for the launch of LIC's initial public offering (IPO). Scroll futher down for more on these and other stories in our top headlines this morning.



likely to see 29% surge in Q4 corporate earnings



Brokerages expect another quarter of high double-digit growth in the earnings of the countrys top that are part of the benchmark Nifty50 index. According to brokerage estimates, the combined net profit of the in the index is expected to grow by 29.1 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in the January-March 2022 quarter (Q4FY22) to an all-time high of Rs 1.61 trillion, from around Rs 1.25 trillion a year ago. Read more

Govt likely to wait until ceasefire to announce Russia payments deal



The Centre is unlikely to announce an agreement over payment mechanism with Russia until a ceasefire is declared in the Ukraine war, said people in the know. An inter-ministerial group headed by the finance ministry has been meeting regularly for over a month to analyse and discuss payment mechanisms that can work under the current circumstances and ensure the trade between India and Russia is not disrupted. Read more

Boosters for all: Pvt hospitals in a bind over new pricing, old vax stocks



While the number of hospitals administering booster doses remained low on Day 1 of booster doses for the entire adult population, the number of beneficiaries opting for the jab was also fewer  but still higher, compared to the past five Sundays. Moreover, some private hospitals were in a bind over pricing. They said the new rates were much lower than the price they paid to vaccine manufacturing companies and, therefore, would wait for clarity on pricing before beginning the booster process. Read more

launch likely in mid- or end-April; decision may come soon



Government officials have suggested mid- or end-April dates to the top ministers panel for the IPO of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). The ministers panel comprises Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman; Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari; and Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal. The panel is likely to make its decision soon and give a go-ahead to officials to prepare for the launch of the initial public offering (IPO). Read more

norms likely for online skill gamers to curb money laundering



Online skill gaming, which attracts millions of customers and involves large sums of money, is likely to be brought within the purview of the Prevention of Act (PMLA) in an attempt to thwart (ML) and terror financing (TL) via such activities. If platforms facilitating online gaming with stakes are brought within the PMLAs purview, such companies would have to follow the know your customer (KYC) norms while onboarding users. Read more
The Muslim League Nawaz's (PML-N) president was elected as the new Prime Minister of by the Parliament on Monday, unopposed. While the dropeed by $4 a barrel on plans to release record volumes of crude and oil products from strategic stocks and lockdowns. Read the top headlines for the day and other information below.



Q4 net profit rises 7% to Rs 9,926 cr, revenue surges 16%

The country's largest software services firm, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), on Monday reported a 7% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 9,926 crore for the March 2022 quarter. This is against a net profit of Rs 9,246 crore in the year-ago period, said in a regulatory filing.

The consolidated revenue of the IT major grew 16% to Rs 50,591 crore in the quarter under review from Rs 43,705 crore a year ago, it added. Read more

elected as new Prime Minister of Pakistan

Shehbaz Sharif, the Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president, was elected unopposed as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan by Parliament on Monday after rival candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced that his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party will boycott the voting and staged a walkout.

Shehbaz, 70, was the only candidate left in the race after Qureshi's boycott of the election in the National Assembly. Read more

Oil drops below $100 on reserves release and lockdowns

Oil prices dropped by $4 a barrel on Monday, with Brent crude tumbling below $100 on plans to release record volumes of crude and oil products from strategic stocks and on continuing coronavirus lockdowns in .

Brent crude for June delivery was down $3.93, or 3.8%, at $98.85 a barrel by 1130 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude lost $4.19, or 4.3%, to $94.07. Read more

KKR signs deal to buy 10% stake in Shriram Gen Insurance for Rs 1,800 cr

Global investment major KKR & Co has entered an agreement to acquire 9.99 per cent stake in Shriram General Insurance (SGI) for about Rs 1,800 crore. KKR will acquire the stake owned by Shriram Capital in Shriram General Insurance.

KKRs investment will position Shriram General Insurance for continued growth in Indias fast-growing general insurance industry, the company said in a statement. Read more
(MSI) on Monday said two people working with a contract firm died in a fire incident at its research & development centre at in Haryana.

There was a fire incident on Monday afternoon in the company's R&D centre in one of the buildings where a new lab expansion was being carried out by a third party project company, the country's largest carmaker said in a regulatory filing.

The fire was brought under control and the root cause is being examined along with the investigating authorities, it added.

"Unfortunately, two people working with a contract firm of the project company succumbed to the fire," the carmaker said.

The company deeply mourns this loss of life and stands with the families of the deceased in this moment of grief, it added.

There have been no other injuries, the auto major stated.

This incident does not affect the production or operations of the company, MSI noted.

(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.)
It was a 2+2 bilateral dialogue, but given the situation in Europe, Ukraine figured prominently in the virtual meeting between US President and Indias Prime Minister .

Both Biden and Modi, whose meeting kicked off the latest annual 2+2 meeting, called for an end to hostilities in Ukraine and for dialogue to resume between Ukraine and Russia.

We share the same concerns regarding health security and climate change. We share a strong defence partnership. I want to welcome Indias humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine, and we will work closely to manage the fallout of the war, said Biden.

Biden was flanked by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, Indias Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar. Singh and Jaishankar are in Washington for the bilateral dialogue with Austin and Blinken.

We have always called for resolution through dialogue and diplomacy. The situation in Ukraine is worrying. We condemn the killings in Bucha and have called for an independent enquiry. We will be sending Ukraine another consignment of medicines very soon, said Modi, adding, I spoke to the Presidents of Ukraine and Russia. I suggested President (Vladimir) Putin have direct talks with the President of Ukraine (Volodymyr Zelenskyy).

Modi and Biden continued their discussions off-camera late Indian time, and their meeting will be followed by bilateral talks between Singh, Jaishankar, Blinken, and Austin.

The meeting between Modi and Biden comes in the backdrop of increasingly under pressure from western nations for its stance at the United Nations (UN), including strong words from visiting US officials. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, has abstained from eight UN votes, according to NDTV. Late last week, Russia was suspended from the UN Human Rights Council, where had abstained again.

Indias take on the matter has been consistent. While it has called for an end to the war in Europe, saying it stands for peace, dialogue, and diplomacy. Indias foreign policy strategy sees Russia as a key ally not just for military equipment, but also Moscow is seen as a credible voice in Beijing and New Delhi. The latter sees a belligerent and assertive China as its main threat and hence wants to keep all options open.

As reported earlier, India is also taking advantage of discounted Russian crude oil and is importing 2 million tonnes or roughly 15 million barrels of crude. This will be on cost, insurance and freight model, where the seller incurs the costs and pays the freight, including insurance charges.

The Centre is unlikely to announce an agreement over payment mechanism with Russia until a ceasefire is declared in the Ukraine war. An inter-ministerial group headed by the finance ministry has been meeting regularly for over a month to analyse and discuss payment mechanisms that can work under the current circumstances and ensure the trade between India and Russia is not disrupted.

With inputs from PTI
With the mercury soaring in the capital, the peak demand here touched 5,460 MW on Monday afternoon, the highest in April so far, discom officials said.

The peak demand was 5,460 MW at 3.29 pm on Monday, according to the realtime data of State Load Dispatch Centre, .

is currently reeling under a heatwave with the India Meteorological Department predicting similar conditions for the next two days.

The Met office has issued an 'orange' alert warning of a severe heatwave in the city for Monday.

The maximum temperature on Sunday reached 41.8 degrees Celsius. A day before, it was 42.4 degrees Celsius, the highest in April in five years.

It is also the first time in 72 years that has recorded such a high temperature in the first half of April.

Discom officials said the peak demand of Delhi has increased by over 22 percent since April 1.

So far, Delhi's peak power demand was higher on 100 percent of the corresponding day's vis--vis April 2019, 2020 and 2021, they said.

"The unabated heatwave in Delhi is pushing-up the power demand to newer highs. At 3:29 pm today, Delhi's peak power demand touched 5,460 MW, the highest this season in 2022. Incidentally, this is also the highest peak power demand recorded in the national capital in the first two weeks of April," officials said



It is after a gap of three years that the peak power demand of Delhi has crossed 5,000 MW on April 8 and clocked 5,036 MW.

In both 2021 and 2020, Delhi's peak power demand had not crossed the 5K mark in April.

Delhi's peak power demand had breached the 7,000 MW for the first time peaking at 7,016 MW in 2018. The peak power demand of around 8,200 MW is forecast for 2022 summers.

(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 Monday registered an FIR against unidentified people in a case of inside Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus that resulted in injuries of six students.

"We received a complaint from a group of students who are members of JNUSU, SFI, DSF and AISA against unknown ABVP students," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Manoj C. said.

Accordingly, the police registered an FIR under sections 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

The DCP further said that the students belonging to Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) have also intimated that they will also be giving a written complaint.

"On receipt of the same necessary appropriate legal action will be taken," the senior official said.

Warring camps at the clashed on Sunday once again tarnishing the image of the country's one of the most prestigious universities.

The Left alliance members accused the ABVP of forcefully prohibiting non vegetarian food at a Hostel in the campus while the ABVP alleged that the members of the Left alliance, including the NSUI were not allowing them to conduct a 'Puja' and 'Havan' programme on the occasion of Ram Navami.

(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.)
Live news updates: Prime Minister on Monday will interact with US President virtually to further deepen bilateral relations between India and the US and discuss a range of issues including the Covid-19 pandemic, climate crisis, global economy, and Indo-Pacific. According to the statement by the White House, Biden last spoke to PM Modi with other Quad Leaders in March.

On the economic front, the expects the Ukrainian economy to shrink by 45.1 per cent in 2022 as a result of the Russian military operation, while Russia will see its economy contract by 11.2 per cent in the same period.

Meanwhile, two groups of students clashed at the Jawaharlal Nehru University's Kaveri Hostel on Sunday allegedly over serving non-vegetarian food in the mess on Ram Navami, with police saying six students were injured in the incident. The groups claimed that over 60 students were injured from both sides.
US President on Monday conveyed to Prime Minister that he was looking forward to seeing him in Japan on May 24 during a summit of the leaders of the or Quadrilateral coalition.

Biden said this in his opening remarks at a virtual meeting with Prime Minister .

"It is always good to see you. I am looking forward to seeing you in Japan on May 24," the US President said.

Japan will host the summit of the leaders that is expected to hold extensive discussions on ways to further enhance cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The comprises India, Japan, the US and Australia.

"When I visited Washington in September last year, and about which you just mentioned, you said that the India-US partnership can contribute in solving many global problems," Modi said in his opening remarks.

"I totally agree with you. As the world's two largest and oldest democracies, we are natural partners," Modi said.

He further added: "And the progress that has been made in our relations over the last few years, the new momentum that has been created, perhaps it was something difficult to imagine, even a decade ago from today."



In March last year, Biden hosted the first-ever summit of the Quad leaders in the virtual format that was followed by an in-person summit in Washington in September for which Prime Minister Modi had travelled to the US.

The Quad has been focusing on cooperation in areas such as producing vaccines, connectivity projects, facilitating the mobility of students, and looking at promoting startups and technology collaboration.

The foreign ministers of the Quad grouping held extensive talks in Melbourne in February.

The Quad has been focusing on cooperation in areas such as producing vaccines, connectivity projects, facilitating the mobility of students, and looking at promoting startups and technology collaboration.

(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.)
Paying tributes to noted social reformer Jyotirao Phule on his birth anniversary, Prime Minister on Monday said Phule is widely respected as a champion of social justice and a source of hope for countless people and worked tirelessly for social equality, women empowerment and boosting education.

In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said, "Mahatma Phule is widely respected as a champion of social justice and source of hope for countless people. He was a multifaceted personality who worked tirelessly for social equality, women empowerment and boosting education. Tributes to him on his Jayanti."





Mahatma Phule is widely respected as a champion of social justice and source of hope for countless people. He was a multifaceted personality who worked tirelessly for social equality, women empowerment and boosting education. Tributes to him on his Jayanti. pic.twitter.com/i7GoMoY7v7  (@narendramodi) April 11, 2022

Noting that the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, a key architect of the Constitution who like Phule came from a disadvantaged section of society and fought for social reforms, follows in a few days on April 14, the prime minister shared a clip of his "Mann ki Baat" broadcast in which he had paid tributes to them.

"India will forever be grateful to Mahatma Phule and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar for their monumental contribution," he added.

Paying respect to the great visionary, Vice President said Phule's endeavour for the uplift of the underprivileged and women remains an eternal source of inspiration in our efforts to build an inclusive and egalitarian society.



My tribute to the great social reformer, visionary thinker and educationist, Mahatma Phule on his Jayanti today. His endeavour for the uplift of the underprivileged and women remains an eternal source of inspiration in our efforts to build an inclusive and egalitarian society. pic.twitter.com/0WOD30aQ91  Vice President of India (@VPSecretariat) April 11, 2022

Assam Chief Minister said the founder of Satyashodhak Samaj pioneered social reform by fighting against untouchability and spearheaded a movement to educate women.

Rajasthan Chief Minister also paid tributes to the social reformer and said Phule's contribution towards women's education and upliftment of the downtrodden shall always be an inspiration.




A Special NIA Court on Monday said that it will frame formal charges against Kashmiri separatist leader and others on April 18 in connection with a .

On the last date of hearing on March 19, the court had ordered framing of charges against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin and others for hatching criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country and other unlawful activities.

Kashmiri separatist leaders, including Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam, former MLA Rashid Engineer, businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Avatar Ahmad Shah, Naeem Khan, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, alias Peer Saifullah and several others have also been framed under charges for criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country and other unlawful activities.

In the order dated March 16, the NIA special Judge Praveen Singh had said: "The above analysis reflects that the statements of witnesses and documentary evidence have connected almost all the accused with each other and to a common object of secession, to the commonality of means they were to use, their close association to terrorist/terrorist organisations under the guiding hand and funding of Pakistani establishment."

Notably, the court has discharged three, namely Kamran Yusuf, Javed Ahmad Bhatt and Syedah Aasiya Firdous Andrabi.

The case related to the various terrorist outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizbul-Mujahideen (HM), Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) backed by Islamic State were perpetrating terrorist and secessionist activities to disturb Jammu and Kashmir.

(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 is keeping a watchful eye over the COVID-19 situation and there is no reason to worry until a new variant of concern is detected, Health Minister said on Monday.

Interacting with reporters here, the minister also sought to allay apprehensions over the steady rise in daily cases in Delhi and the positivity rate remaining over one per cent during the last few days.

The count of daily cases in Delhi is being reported in the range of 100-200. We are keeping an eye on hospital admissions, and that is going down. Focus shouldn't be on positivity rate much as of now, Jain said.

Delhi reported 141 fresh Covid cases and one more death on Sunday, while the positivity rate stood at 1.29 percent, according to data shared by the city health department. The positivity report has been hovering above the one per cent-mark in the last few days.

Meanwhile, doctors cautioned on Monday that while daily cases have been rising a "sense of complacency has set in among the masses" in general especially after the mask mandate was removed.

I do not foresee any new wave as long as we remain cautious, follow all Covid-appropriate behaviours and wear masks while being outside, especially in crowded places. But, I am seeing visuals on internet and reports that people are gathering in large numbers, and not many wearing mask, which would mean that cases could further rise," said Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant, internal medicine, Apollo hospital here.

The doctor also said that the city government should increase the number of Covid tests. Positivity rate refers to the percentage of people who have tested positive among those overall tested.

A total of 10,939 COVID-19 tests were conducted in Delhi on Saturday, according to the Sunday bulletin.

Later in a statement, the Delhi health minister's office quoted Jain as saying: The XE variant is yet to be classified as a variant of concern. New variants of the virus are being discovered around the world almost every other day, and many more will emerge as time passes. We have to understand that unless a variant is deemed as a variant of concern' by the WHO, we need not be worried about it".

"However, we still need to keep our guards up and follow the rules pertaining to the pandemic containment ", he said, while adding, the has taken all necessary precautions beforehand to tackle any rise in cases.

The minister's remarks on Monday came after Gujarat reported its first case of the XE variant of .

The WHO has issued a warning against XE, a new variant of first detected in the UK, and suggested that it could be more transmissible than any COVID-19 strain so far. The XE variant is a combination or recombinant of both sub-variants -- BA.1 and BA.2 -- of .

Jain said, "Everyday a new variant is getting generated as the virus is mutating".

"The is keeping a watchful eye over the COVID-19 pandemic situation. The World Health Organisation has not declared any new variant of concern. There is no reason to worry until a new variant of concern gets detected," he said.

The genomic analysis of the COVID-19 XE variant sample from Gujarat is still underway and results are expected soon, Union health ministry sources had said on Saturday.

Gujarat reported its first XE variant case after a man from Mumbai tested positive for COVID-19 during his visit to Vadodara, a state official had said.

Before this, Mumbai civic body officials had said that a woman who had arrived from South Africa in February-end and tested positive in March has been infected by the XE variant, but the health ministry had not agreed.

The ministry had said that present evidence does not yet indicate that it is a case of the XE variant.

Responding to questions on the precautionary doses of Covid vaccine, Jain said all preparations are being made and all eligible people would get it.

On the lifting of the mask mandate, the minister said, "The cases have gone down substantially and the hospital admissions have followed suit as well. Only around 49 people were admitted into hospitals, which is a significant fall in numbers from around 150 people being admitted a month ago".

"Also, don't think it's due to laxity as such. We have to understand that Covid is a pandemic of the century, after the Spanish Flu of 1918. We will have to learn to live with Covid," he told reporters.

"There is no need to panic. The only way to prevent the virus from spreading is to take precautions and follow all the protocols related to Covid safety at all times," 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.)
In a virtual meeting with US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday night hoped that the ongoing talks between Russia and Ukraine will pave the way for peace in the conflict-torn country.

In his opening remarks, Modi described the recent reports of the killing of innocent civilians in Bucha city as "very worrying" and said India immediately condemned it and demanded a fair investigation.

The prime minister referred to his phone conversation with the Presidents of both Ukraine and Russia.

"'I suggested President Putin have direct talks with the President of Ukraine," Modi said.

"As the world's two largest and oldest democracies, we are natural partners," Modi said on ties with the US, adding, "Our talks today are taking place at a time when the situation in Ukraine remains very worrying."



On his part, Biden welcomed India's humanitarian support for the people of Ukraine.

The US President said US and India are going to continue their close consultation on how to manage and stabilise the effects of this Russian war.

He also referred to the strong and growing defence partnership between India and the US.

The Modi-Biden meeting took place ahead of the fourth India-US '2+2' dialogue in Washington which will be led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the Indian side and their US counterparts, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony J Blinken.

The virtual meeting comes in the midst of some disquiet in Washington over India's position on the Ukraine crisis as well as its decision to procure discounted Russian oil.

The US President last spoke to Modi and other Quad leaders during a virtual meeting in March.

Unlike its Quad partner countries, India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it abstained from the votes at the UN platforms on the Russian aggression.

India has been pressing for an immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine and seeking a resolution of the crisis through diplomacy and dialogue.

Modi held phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, March 2 and March 7.

He had also spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy twice.

In a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on April 1, Modi conveyed that India stands ready to contribute in any way to the peace efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Mayank Bhardwaj and Rajendra Jadhav

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Bumper harvests and overflowing grain bins will help India to meet wheat import needs of the world's top buyers as Russia's Ukraine invasion hits supplies from the Black Sea region, a top government official said.

India, the world's second biggest wheat producer, is prepared to meet any extra demand for wheat from buyers in south Asia and Southeast Asia, and also from countries further afield in Europe, West Asia and North Africa. Ukraine is a major producer of grains but exports have been disrupted since the Russian invasion in February.

"The Indian market has sufficient stocks, and India is in a comfortable position to meet requests from wheat importing countries," Sudhanshu Pandey, the most senior civil servant at the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, told Reuters in an interview.

India's new season wheat harvest is underway, with this year's production pegged at a record 111.32 million tonnes - making it the sixth season in a row that the country has produced a surplus.

India needs at least 25 million tonnes of wheat each year to run a food welfare programme.

Last year, the government bought a record 43.34 million tonnes of wheat from domestic farmers, substantially higher than the amount it needs for the welfare programme.

This year government purchases are likely to fall because private traders are offering farmers a higher price for wheat than the government's price of 20,150 rupees ($265.35) a tonne, - leaving a bigger surplus for export.

"We have to meet our own requirement for the PDS and then the rest is available for global exports," Pandey said referring to the public distribution system, or food welfare programme that supplies around 25 millions tonnes of subsidised wheat to the poor.

Pandey said if there is enough wheat for the poor, the Indian government is "happy" to see farmers getting attractive prices from private traders who have been actively buying from growers to meet rising global demand.

Wheat stocks at government warehouses totalled 19 million tonnes on April 1, he said, significantly higher than a target of 7.46 million tonnes.

Pandey said the government was encouraging wheat exports by asking port and railway authorities to give priority to outbound wheat cargoes.

India's wheat exports hit 7.85 million tonnes in the fiscal year to March, an all-time high and a sharp increase from 2.1 million tonnes in the previous year.

SUGAR SURPLUS

Pandey said India's sugar exports are expected at a record 8.2 million tonnes in the current 2021-22 season, higher than last year's 7.2 million tonnes.

Indian sugar mills have already contracted to export around 7 million tonnes in 2021-22, he said.

Still, India's sugar inventories on Oct. 1, 2022, when the next season begins, are expected at around 7 million tonnes, Pandey said, against 8.2 million tonnes on Oct. 1, 2021.

"This year's (sugar) production is at a record of almost 35 million tonnes, and our domestic requirement is about 26-26.5 million tonnes, so you can very clearly see that we have a surplus from the current year's production. And then we have stocks of 8.2 million tonnes from last year," Pandey said.

Explaining New Delhi's efforts to cut its reliance on expensive vegetable oil imports, Pandey said the long-term solution lies in raising India's domestic output, and the government is working on a plan to encourage farmers to grow more oilseeds.

(Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj and Rajendra Jadhav. Editing by Jane Merriman)

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Six workers were killed in a which triggered a fire in Om Organics, a chemical factory in Gujarat's Bharuch district on Monday, officials said.

The incident took place around 3 am in the unit located in Dahej industrial area, some 235 km from Ahmedabad.

The six victims were working near a reactor, which suddenly blew off during solvent distillation process, Bharuch Superintendent of Police Leena Patil said, adding police is probing if there was any negligence.



| occurred at the reactor plant of Om Organics firm, late last night. 6 labourers at the plant died in the . This was followed by a fire incident. Police, fire team, & others controlled the fire. We're probing if there was any negligence: Bharuch SP Leena Patil pic.twitter.com/85cjUIvlkQ  ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2022

Expressing grief over the loss of lives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakhs to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those injured in the incident from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF).





PM @narendramodi has expressed grief on the loss of lives due to a mishap at a factory in Bharuch. He extends condolences to the bereaved families.

An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of the deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.  PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 11, 2022

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Setting the stage for the rollout of 5G services, telecom regulator Trai on Monday mooted a mega auction plan valued at over Rs 7.5 trillion at the base price across multiple bands for radiowaves allocated over 30 years.

Overall, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended about a 39 per cent reduction in the reserve or floor price for the sale of spectrum for mobile services, including the latest 5G offering, as it looked to match revenue expectations with the industry's paying capacity.

The watchdog has recommended a mega auction plan of over Rs 7.5 trillion for over 1 lakh megahertz spectrum in case government allocates it for a period of 30 years. In case of 20 years, the total value of the proposed spectrum auction will stand at around Rs 5.07 trillion at the reserve price, according to the back-of-the-envelop calculation.

With large swathes of spectrum remaining unsold in the last two auctions, Trai recommended to the government for selling airwaves in all existing bands of 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz and new slots of 600 MHz, 3300-3670 MHz and 24.25-28.5 GHz.

It has suggested a lower reserve price for all bands, compared to last recommended prices in 2018.

When contacted, Trai Chairman P D Vaghela told PTI that 5G recommendations have been framed after a "careful analysis" following stakeholder consultation, and wide discussions.

Recommendations are in interest of telecom sector and the country, Vaghela added.

On a 20-year scenario, the floor price in the 700 MHz band has been cut by 40 per cent to Rs 3,927 crore per MHz for a pan-India spectrum while the same in 800 MHz has been lowered by 22 per cent to about Rs 3,620 crore per MHz, pan-India.

For the prime 5G frequency of 3300-3670 MHz band, the all-India reserve price adds up to Rs 317 crore per MHz, which is more than 35 per cent lower than the Rs 492 crore/MHz suggested by Trai last time around.

Trai has also mooted a nearly 39 per cent lower base price across all bands referred to it, as compared to the last time.

The move to cut the reserve price follows more than 60 per cent of the spectrum put on the block at the auctions in 2016 and March 2021 remaining unsold.

The industry has since then been seeking realistic pricing in an essentially three-player market where most airwaves typically get sold at the base price. If the price is not in line with the industry's expectations, the spectrum could remain unsold.

Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal had previously spoken of "appropriate" pricing of spectrum.

Recently, telecom industry body COAI had asserted that spectrum pricing should be kept conducive to market conditions as 5G entails upfront capital investments with monetisation spread over a long-haul, and pricing radiowaves high will only push the players up against the wall.

Trai's latest recommendations will set the groundwork for spectrum auctions in 2022, to facilitate the rollout of 5G mobile services within 2022-23, by private telecom providers.

The market is gearing up for the rollout of 5G services, that will usher in ultra high speeds and spawn new-age services and business models.

"The reserve price of spectrum allocation in case of 30 years should be equal to 1.5 times the reserve price of spectrum allocation for 20 years for the respective band," Trai said.

In the millimetre band, that is 24.25-28.5 GHz band, all India base price adds up to Rs 7 crore per MHz.

Trai further said that for the long-term growth and sustainability of the telecom sector, infusing liquidity and encouraging investment, the telecom service providers should be allowed easy payment options, including part payment with flexibility of moratorium.

"To provide flexibility to the telecom service providers, block size of 10 MHz for 3300-3670 MHz band and 50 MHz for 24.25-28.5 GHz band recommended. Spectrum to be assigned in a contiguous manner," Trai said in a statement.

The sector watchdog said that considering the facts that presently band plan for the frequency range 526-612 MHz is yet to be defined by international bodies, and the development of the ecosystem in the 526-612 MHz frequency range will take some time and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is using the 526-582 MHz band extensively across the country for TV transmitters, "the 526-612 MHz frequency range should not be put to auction in the forthcoming auction".

"DoT should come out with a plan for refarming the 526-582 MHz band to be utilised for IMT deployments. To make the 526-582 MHz band available for IMT, DoT should work with MIB to prepare a plan for an early migration from Analogue to Digital Transmission, so that the frequency band from the 526-582 MHz can be vacated for IMT services," Trai said.

Unlike existing coverage-based rollout obligations, considering deployment of 5G network in 3300-3670 MHz and 24.25-28.5 GHz bands, easy network deployment-based roll-out conditions have been recommended for these bands.

As per Trai, spectrum caps have also been rationalised. Overall cap across all bands has been done away with.

Trai has suggested a cap of 40 per cent on combined spectrum holding in sub-1 GHz bands. It has, however, recommended a cap of 40 per cent on combined spectrum holding in 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz and 2500 MHz bands, while an individual band-specific cap of 40 per cent for 3300-3670 MHz and 24.25-28.5 GHz spectrum bands has been suggested.

For ease of doing business, easy and transparent spectrum surrender norms with a fee of Rs 1 lakh per spectrum band per licensed service area has been suggested.

According to Trai, the spectrum for private network can be assigned administratively to the eligible Captive Wireless Private Network Permission holders/Licensees on demand for specified geography on non-interference basis through a widely publicized online portal-based process in a fair and transparent manner.

Prashant Singhal, Global TMT Emerging Markets Leader at EY termed TRAI's recommendations on auction of as a welcome move.

"In particular, reducing 5G auction base price in the 3,300-3,670 MHz band by approximately 36 per cent was much warranted. However, even with the reduction in the base price, price in India is still higher, which is 2.6X of Germany, 3.8X of the UK, and 4.4X of South Korea," Singhal said.

The price needs to be further pruned to offer affordable 5G services across the nation, Singhal argued.

"On the other hand, provision for surrender of spectrum is a good move. We need to carefully evaluate the mechanism and the commercial arrangement of such surrender," 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 Centre is unlikely to announce an agreement over payment mechanism with Russia until a ceasefire is declared in the Ukraine war, said people in the know. An inter-ministerial group headed by the finance ministry has been meeting regularly for over a month to analyse and discuss payment mechanisms that can work under the current circumstances and ensure the trade between India and Russia is not disrupted.

The US had recently said that there would be consequences for countries actively attempting to circumvent or backfill American sanctions against Russia. While the ...
Private sector lender said that false allegations were levelled against the banks officials by a borrower while filing a first information report (FIR) with Lonavala Police Station, and the bank had acted in accordance with the prevailing law and processes.

A spokesperson said the bank was cooperating with local authorities.

A borrower at our Lonavala Branch has filed an FIR naming officials at the Lonavala Police Station wherein he has made false allegations in the context of his borrowing transactions. The bank acted in accordance with the prevailing law and processes at all times. We are co-operating with the local authorities," said Rohit Rao, spokesperson, Kotak Mahindra Group.

Media reports quoting Lonavala police said an FIR had been registered against seven officials of the bank on the complaint of one Lonavala resident Ashok Purohit, director of Krishna Inn Pvt Ltd. The local police, according to reports, said they had arrested one official from the bank, Alankar Khere, who was named in the FIR.

Disclaimer: Entities controlled by the Kotak family have a significant holding in Business Standard Pvt Ltd
went on 60 Minutes in 2013 and pledged to fill the skies with a fleet of delivery that could zip parcels to customers homes in 30 minutes. Asked when this future would arrive, the .com Inc. founder said he expected drone deliveries to commence in the next five years or thereabouts.

Almost a decade later, despite spending more than $2 billion and assembling a team of more than 1,000 people around the world, is a long way from launching a drone delivery service.

A Bloomberg investigation based on internal documents, government reports and interviews with 13 current and former employees reveals a program beset by technical challenges, high turnover and safety concerns. A serious crash in June prompted federal regulators to question the drones airworthiness because multiple safety features failed and the machine careened out of control, causing a brush fire. While experimental aircraft are expected to crash during test flights, current and former employees say pressure to get the program back on track has prompted some managers to take unnecessary risks that have put personnel in harms way.

With rigorous testing like this, we expect these types of events to occur, and we apply the learnings from each flight towards improving safety, spokesman Av Zammit said in an emailed statement. No one has ever been injured or harmed as a result of these flights, and each test is done in compliance with all applicable regulations.

Amazon plans to ramp up testing in the coming months. Having missed a goal of conducting 2,500 test flights last year, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg, the company has set an even loftier target of 12,000 for 2022although fewer than 200 had been completed as of late February. The company plans to add new testing locations this year in College Station, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Austin, and Lockeford, California, near Stockton. Amazon also hopes to start testing beyond the sight of flight observers, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg, a key step toward proving their ability to fly autonomously.

It will be years before the Federal Aviation Administration approves commercial drone deliveries, although the agency is letting conduct test flights in increasingly populated areas so long as they dont pose significant safety risks. But the prospect of replacing human drivers with flying robots appeals to online retailers because 30-minute shipping is expected to become standard for certain deliveries, such as medicine, snacks and baby products.

Amazon could fan out up to 7 miles (11 km) from a delivery station, breezing above traffic to deliver packages weighing as much as 5 pounds (2.3 kg) within a half-hour of a customer clicking buy. The speed would finally make ordering from Amazon as quick as a trip to the store and help offset one of the biggest costs of e-commerce: paying someone to drive packages to homes.

The Seattle-based company is under growing pressure to keep up with deep-pocketed rivals. Just last week, Alphabet Inc.s Google Wing accelerated its own drone testing program by starting to ferry packages to shoppers from Walgreens in a 90-square-mile suburban area north of Dallas. Walmart Inc. and United Parcel Service have their own drone programs in varying stages of development.

Even Amazons toughest internal critics dont question the technologys potential, but current and former employees say the company is doing what it has done so many times before: putting speed before safety in the name of beating the competition. Someone is going to have to get killed or maimed for them to take these safety issues seriously, said Cheddi Skeete, a former Amazon drone project manager who says he was fired last month for raising concerns to his managers. How can we bring these tests to more communities when we know we have problems. Spokesperson Zammit denied Skeete was terminated for speaking up.

The FAA declined to comment on the crashes, but said its testing requirements were designed to protect the public. Flight testing is a critical part of all aircraft certification projects, the agency said. FAA flight-testing approvals contain provisions to ensure it occurs safely, without posing a hazard to people, property or other aircraft.

In 2013, Amazon tapped aviation buff and software engineer Gur Kimchi to run its nascent drone program, now known as Prime Air. Designing delivery drones promised to be a heavy liftand Amazon made the challenge all the harder by opting to create a completely new machine itself rather than farming out pieces of the design and building of prototypes to other . Kimchi favored a D. I. Y approach because doing so gave the team control over the final design, but former and current employees said the decision slowed development. For example, personnel wound copper wire around electric motor magnets themselves when an outside vendor could have done it faster. Even the prototypes were built in-house by hand.

The machines Bezos revealed on 60 Minutes resembled something you might see in a local park and simply werent up to the task; they could barely fly a mile and got tossed around in wind gusts. Amazon wanted a drone that blended the ability of a plane to fly long distances with the maneuverability of a helicopter that can swiftly change direction to avoid trees and power lines and hover over a back yard during inclement weather. The drones also needed to fly and find their destination with no human intervention.

The team went through more than two dozen concepts. The work was tedious and slow. The drones required new software that would allow on-board cameras to recognize and react to obstacles and differentiate between things like swimming pools and driveways. The team ultimately settled on a large 85-pound drone because they wanted it to be capable of carrying a 5-pound parcela payload that covers about 85% of the packages Amazon delivers. Extending the range as much as possible was key because every extra mile meant the drone could serve a larger population. Bezos was patient with the team so long as it meant creating a superior machine, according to a senior executive familiar with the program.

With six propellers, Amazons drone can shift from flying up and down to flying forward, a difficult engineering feat that had already bedeviled the U. S. militarys notoriously over-budget V-22 Osprey aircraft. The drones wings encase the propellers, helping it fly more efficiently over long distances and providing an additional layer of protection around the spinning blades.

Kimchi took safety seriously and gave his team time to fix defects rather than rushing them, according to people who worked for him. Information was shared freely, and employees were allowed to watch video of crashes to assess what went wrong. The Prime Air group had a pretty strong safety culture, said one former employee, who requested anonymity to discuss internal matters without authorization. I remember even just the software meetings, we always had to open our meetings with someone volunteering a safety tip. They definitely werent playing fast and loose.

Yet as the team struggled to get the drones various components working seamlessly together, one deadline after another came and went, according to a former employee. Jeff Wilke, who then ran Amazons consumer division, wanted to demonstrate the drone at a 2019 tech conference and announce that deliveries would begin by the end of that year. During a meeting with the drone team, he shared the goal to make sure everyone was on the same page. Employees knew the timing was unrealistic but dared not challenge him, according to people who were there.

Wilke showed off the drone at a Las Vegas hotel, playing video of it operating and touting the potential upsides for customers. He didnt provide a date for the start of deliveries, saying theyd begin in months. Several employees watching the presentation recall thinking Kimchi wouldnt be around much longer. The following year, the drone program became part of Amazons operations team, another sign executives wanted to move things along, and Kimchi was out as the boss. He left Amazon later that year.

He overpromised and underdelivered, said one former employee, who requested anonymity to discuss an internal matter. That said, I think if the guy wasnt so positive, or overambitious about the timelines, I dont know if Prime Air would exist. Kimchi declined to comment.

In March 2020, Amazon hired David Carbon to run the drone program. The Boeing Co. veteran arrived with baggage. A New York Times investigation had previously revealed that a Boeing 787 factory that Carbon ran in South Carolina tended to value production over safety. Several employees told the newspaper theyd been retaliated against for raising safety concerns. Though the problems pre-dated Carbons arrival, they continued on his watch, the Times reported. Boeing executives defended the plants commitment to safety, but a month later Carbon was on his way out.

When Amazon announced his hiring internally the following year, an interim director of the drone program told the team not to believe everything they read in the press, according to current and former employees. That didnt stop them from googling Carbon on their smartphones during the meeting. Still, these people acknowledge that Carbon brought discipline and focus to the program. His long industry experience helped accelerate development and he began farming out some drone production. He closed facilities in England and France and moved some image-recognition work to lower-cost Costa Rica.

But current and former employees said it wasnt long before Carbon began pushing speed over safety.

Amazon didnt make the drone chief available for an interview, but spokesperson Zammit said Carbon has over 25 years of experience bringing aerospace innovations to scale safely and reliably, and were excited that hes leading the next phase of our mission to bring 30-minute delivery by drones to customers.

Last year, an Amazon team was preparing for a flight at a Crows Landing testing facility in Californias Central Valley about 20 miles south of Modesto. Some of the crew worried they would violate FAA testing guidelines because a farmer was driving a tractor in the flight path. After a debate, according to personnel who were there, a team leader said the test would be safe so long as the drone wasnt directly above the farmer. They conducted the test without incident, but some employees said the boss had improperly interpreted the FAA rules.

We always clear the test area before beginning each flight test, Zammit said in the emailed statement. In this instance, a farm vehicle entered the field after we launched. The crew safely and quickly landed the drone.

David Johnson was a drone flight assistant for about a year, mostly at remote testing facilities in rural Oregon. He said Amazon often conducted tests without a full flight team and inadequate equipment, forcing employees to handle more than one role. For example, he said, someone responsible for a pre-flight drone inspection would quickly pivot to flight observer, which requires watching out for potential obstacles. Johnson said he once warned his bosses that his laptop had a broken keyboard but wasnt given a replacement in time for a test. He went ahead with an external keyboard that made it difficult to complete a pre-flight inspection in time. Johnson said he was still completing his checklist when the drone took off, earning him a reprimand for taking his eyes off the aircraft.
Downplaying the differences between India and the US on the approaches to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, US President began his virtual summit with Prime Minister on Monday by highlighting Indias humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

"I want to welcome India's humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine. We're going to continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilising effects of this Russian war," Biden said.

Modi spoke of India's relief supplies to Ukraine and condemned the killings of civilians in Bucha, which he called "very worrying", adding that the Parliament had extensive discussions on Ukraine.

"We have sent medicines and other relief materials to Ukraine and to its neighbouring countries, and on Ukraine's request, we will be sending them another consignment of medicines very soon," Modi said.

"Recently, the news about the killings of innocent civilians in Bucha was very worrying. We have instantly condemned the killings and have called for an independent inquiry," he said, speaking in Hindi with simultaneous interpretation in English.

The summit took place before the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Modi said the summit "is very important as it will provide direction for discussions" at the 2+2 meeting.

At the White House, Biden sat at a semi-circular table with the US secretaries to his right and Indian ministers and Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu to his left, facing Modi on a video screen.

While ending his introductory remarks, Biden, who is known for his several slips of the tongue, addressed Modi as "Mr President" although elsewhere during the brief speech he called him the Prime Minister.

The media that was in the room to watch the start of the summit was not allowed to ask questions and was ushered out even as they were shouting questions.

Before the summit, Blinken and Jaishankar, and Austin and Singh, held separate bilateral meetings.

Austin welcomed Singh to the Pentagon with an honour guard.

India has stayed mostly neutral on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, abstaining eight times on Ukraine-related voting at the United Nations.

This and India buying oil from Russia have led to criticism of India in the US and suggestions of imposing sanctions, even though energy purchases are allowed under the US sanctions and European US allies continue to buy far higher amounts of energy from Moscow.

The Biden administration has tried to ward off criticism of India, which is a key player in its global strategy.

Hence, Biden stressed India's humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

"Our continued consultation and dialogue are key to ensuring the US-India relationship continues to grow deeper and stronger, delivering our people and our global good, good that we all are seeking, managed particularly in your part of the world", Biden said.

Modi recalled that at their meeting in September, Biden had said "that the India America partnership can contribute to solving a lot of global problems".

"I totally agree with you. As two democracies that are the world's largest and oldest, we are natural partners and progress that has taken place in our relations in the last few years, the new momentum that has been created, would have been hard to even imagine a few decades ago," Modi said.

Stressing the democracy link, Modi said, "At the beginning of your term in office, you used to use the very important slogan, 'Democracies can deliver'. India-America partnership and its success is the best means to make the slogan meaningful this year."

On US' ties with India, Biden said, "We have the same concerns about the global challenges we faced with Covid-19. Advancing health security and tracking the climate crisis, and we share a strong and growing major defence partnership.

"And our partnership is a deep connection between our people ties of family, of friendship and of shared values."

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)

--IANS

al/arm

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Anthony Todt reacts as photos of the bodies of his family are made public during the first day of his trial at the Osceola County Courthouse, Monday, April 11, 2022. The Connecticut physical therapist is accused in the killings of his wife, children and dog, at their Central Florida home. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)

Anthony Todts youngest child was the first to die, Assistant State Attorney Danielle Pinnell told jurors Monday morning.

The defendant ... went into Zoe Todts room while she was asleep, Pinnell said. He took the time to sit with her and then he rolled over on top of her until she suffocated.

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In a confession that jurors will hear during his trial, Todt told detectives he next went to the boys bedroom, where his eldest son was sleeping, Pinnell said during her opening statement. After suffocating and stabbing Alek, Todt went to the playroom where 11-year-old Tyler was sleeping on a sofa.

The defendant was more concerned about Tyler Todt because Tyler was the fastest, the prosecutor said. He was afraid that if something didnt go the way that he wanted, Tyler would escape.

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Todt shook his head as Pinnell described his interrogation by law enforcement, in which Todt confessed to killing 4-year-old Zoe; his two sons Alek, 13, and Tyler; then his wife 42-year-old Megan Todt and the family dog Breezy at their Celebration home.

The white, two-story house where Anthony and Megan Todt lived with their three children, as it appeared Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, the day after four bodies were found inside. (Grace Toohey/TNS)

After he was found living with the decomposing bodies of his wife, children and dog and arrested in January 2020, Anthony Todt told detectives he and his wife had an agreement to kill their family, prosecutors said.

Everybody needed to die in order to pass over to the other side together because the apocalypse was coming, Pinnell told jurors at the Osceola County Courthouse.

Todt, a 46-year-old Connecticut physical therapist, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of animal cruelty in the 2020 killings of his wife, kids and pet.

He has pleaded not guilty.

Jurors, who were sworn in last week, did not hear from Todts defense before testimony began Monday.

Orange-Osceola Public Defender Robert Wesley told Circuit Judge Keith Carsten the defense would be deferring its opening statement, meaning Todts attorneys will wait to present theirs until after the state rests its case.

Pinnell in her opening said Todt told detectives that after he suffocated and stabbed Tyler, he suffocated Breezy. Todt claimed his wife stabbed herself in the abdomen, she said.

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The defendant told law enforcement that Megan did that to herself, and as best as she tried, that didnt work, Pinnell said. And so the defendant took a pillow and suffocated Megan Todt as well.

Jurors later heard from deputies with the Osceola County Sheriffs Office, who tried to reach the Todts at their Reserve Place home after relatives said they hadnt heard from the family since Dec. 26.

Im wondering if somebody can do a wellness check on my brother and his family, Todts sister, Chrissy Caplet, told dispatchers on an audio recording played for jurors. Theyve been really sick for probably like the past week and a half, and I cant seem to get a hold of them.

Images of Megan Todt, 42, and her children, 13-year-old Alek, 11-year-old Tyler and 4-year-old Zoe from a 2020 funeral service held in her hometown parish in Montville, Conn.

Authorities discovered Todts slain family Jan. 13, 2020 while serving a warrant to arrest him on federal health care fraud charges related to his Connecticut physical therapy business.

Osceola deputies and FBI agents who swarmed the home on Reserve Place found the door unlocked and smelled a foul order. Body camera footage played for jurors showed deputies speaking to Todt, who told them his wife was sleeping and yelled out, Megan!

Michael Phelps, a federal law enforcement officer, told jurors authorities found the bodies of Todts wife, children and dog wrapped in blankets in the master bedroom.

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The bodies were discolored  black and blue, he said.

During cross-examination, Assistant Public Defender Azalia Carliz Romero-Sanchez asked Phelps if Todt was shaking and mumbling during his initial encounter with law enforcement.

Yes, some of the things he was saying werent coming out clearly, he said.

After his arrest, Todt was involuntarily committed under Floridas Baker Act because authorities said he made comments about harming himself and said he had ingested Benadryl pills. Carsten has ruled that Todts jurors will not learn of his commitment during the trial.

The victims had stab wounds and toxic amounts of Benadryl in their bodies, according to autopsy reports. Investigators said they were killed weeks before their bodies were discovered.

As prosecutors showed photos of the victims covered in blankets and clutching rosaries in their hands, Todt appeared to be wiping tears from his eyes.

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Emily Seda, a forensics supervisor at the Sheriffs Office, told jurors she processed the crime scene and found empty bottles and boxes of Benadryl and its generic equivalent scattered throughout the house and in the trash. Seda testified she processed fingerprints on those items, as well as two knives found in the bedroom.

Crime scene photos show investigators found several empty containers of Benadryl and a generic equivalent in a trash bin outside the Todt family's home.

Erin West, a crime scene manager, said fingerprints on the Benadryl boxes matched Todts. West told jurors some other print results were inconclusive, though she could not exclude Todt.

Romero-Sanchez asked West during cross-examination if Megan Todts fingerprints had been compared to any of the prints found.

I did not compare Megan Todt to any of the exhibits, West said.

Although Todt initially confessed to the killings, he has since blamed his wife for the slayings in jailhouse writings. Todt claimed she took her life after poisoning the children with a tainted dessert and stabbing them in their sleep.

Witness testimony will resume Tuesday morning at 9 a.m.

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mcordeiro@orlandosentinel.com
French President declared on Monday that he wants to convince" a broad range of French voters to back his centrist vision, kicking off a two-week battle against far-right challenger ahead of the country's presidential runoff vote.

Le Pen, meanwhile, is ready for the fight, eager to highlight rising prices for energy and food that have hit poorer households especially hard recently as Macron has focused his efforts on seeking a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine.

The two candidates came out on top in Sunday's first-round presidential vote, setting up an April 24 replay of their duel in 2017. Macron trounced Le Pen five years ago in the presidential runoff but all opinion polls show the leader of the National Rally is much closer this time to a potential win.

The outcome of the French presidential election will have wide influence as Europe struggles to contain the havoc wreaked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Macron has strongly backed European Union sanctions on Russia while Le Pen has worried about their impact on French living standards. Macron also is a firm supporter of NATO and of close collaboration among the EU's 27 members.

Macron headed Monday to an economically depressed area of northern France where a majority of voters had chosen Le Pen, close to her electoral stronghold of Henin-Beaumont.

I'm here, and I'm determined to fight," the 44-year-old president said during his visit to the town of Denain, adding that he has heard the concerns of people who struggle to find a job and earn more money.

They need to be reassured, he said.

For her part, Le Pen met with National Rally officials to plan her strategy for the runoff and visited a cereal producer in the Burgundy region to speak about rising prices and making strong, urgent decisions to protect the purchasing power of the French."



The topic has been at the core of her campaign this year, but Macron's team argues that, due to the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, France does not have the financial means to meet Le Pen's campaign promises.

Macron said he wants to court those who voted for the "extremes" or opted to stay at home. He met with residents in Denain, many of whom criticized his proposed pension changes, which include raising the minimum retirement age from 62 to 65.

Denain Mayor Anne-Lise Dufour-Tonini told reporters she will vote for Macron 'with no hesitation" in the second round, but intends to push for him to adopt more leftist proposals."



Many of the 10 presidential candidates who were defeated in the first round Sunday encouraged voters to choose Macron in the second round, including conservative candidate Valrie Pcresse and the Green and Socialist candidates. Pcresse warned of the chaos that would ensue if Le Pen was elected.

Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mlenchon, who came in third in Sunday's vote, urged voters not to choose Le Pen, implicitly suggesting that just staying at home could be an option too.

Le Pen was backed by the other far-right candidate who was defeated, former TV pundit Eric Zemmour.

On her third attempt to become France's first woman president, Le Pen was rewarded Sunday for her years-long effort to rebrand herself as less extreme.

Macron is not buying it, however, accusing Le Pen of pushing a dangerous manifesto of racist, ruinous policies. Le Pen wants to roll back some rights for Muslims, banning them from wearing headscarves in public, and drastically reduce immigration from outside Europe.

Macron and Le Pen are to debate on national television next week.

Our focus is now on the project and the values, said Sen. Francois Patriat, a member of Macron's party.

Le Pen's camp, meanwhile, is hoping to capitalise on anger at Macron over policies seen as favouring the rich.

Now everything is possible, said Aurlien Lopez Liguori, a councilor with Le Pen's party in the southern city of Sete, adding that, compared with 2017, now Macron has a record, a bad record.

French Minister for European Affairs Clment Beaune told the AP that only five years ago Le Pen was proposing must not forget it to leave the euro, to break Europe when Brexit and Frexit were trendy.

Le Pen has dropped earlier threats to pull France out of the EU and abandon the shared euro currency if elected, but some of her proposals, including setting up a national border control, are contrary to EU rules.

With all first-round votes counted Monday, Macron had 27.8 per cent support, Le Pen captured 23.1 per cent and Melenchon was third with close to 22 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.)
chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday that the bloc will support Ukraine's parallel efforts to rebuild and seek EU membership once the conflict is over.

Von der Leyen told CNN in an interview that the eastern European nation belonged in Europe and its accession to the might be viewed as an extraordinary case.

It usually takes an aspiring EU member state years to clear accession hurdles, von der Leyen admitted. She travelled to Kyiv on Friday to hand Volodymyr Zelenskyy a membership questionnaire to launch the process.

(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.)
is seeking a formal review into whether he properly declared his financial interests, a move the Chancellor of the Exchequer said he hoped would ensure the public retain confidence as he seeks to move past a row over his and his familys tax affairs. I have always followed the rules and I hope such a review will provide further clarity, Sunak said on Twitter, where he also posted his letter to PM Boris Johnson to request his ministerial declarations be probed by the governments independent adviser. Bloomberg





Apple faces EU antitrust charge in streaming probe

Apple faces an additional EU antitrust charge in the coming weeks in an investigation triggered by a complaint from Spotify, a person familiar with the matter said, a sign that EU enforcers are strengthening their case against the US company. The European Commission last year accused the iPhone maker of distorting competition in the music streaming market via restrictive rules for its App Store that force developers to use its own in-app payment system and prevent them from informing users of other purchasing options. Extra charges set out in a so-called supplementary statement of objections are usually issued to companies when the EU competition enforcer has gathered new evidence or has modified some elements to boost its case. Reuters

Senior EU officials targeted with Israeli spyware

Senior officials at the European Commission were targeted last year with spy software designed by an Israeli surveillance firm, according to two EU officials and documentation reviewed by Reuters. Among them was Didier Reynders, a senior Belgian statesman who has served as the European Justice Commissioner since 2019, according to one of the documents. At least four other commission staffers were also targeted, according to the document and another person familiar with the matter. The two EU officials confirmed that staffers had been targeted but did not provide details. Reuters

growth slows amid manufacturing decline

Britains economic growth slowed in February amid declines in the production of cars, computers and chemicals. Gross domestic product increased just 0.1 per cent from a month earlier, down from the 0.8 per cent growth reported in January, the Office for National Statistics said Monday. The output of productive industries, including manufacturing, mining and power generation, dropped 0.6 per cent in the month. Construction fell 0.1 per cent. Those declines largely offset an increase in service industries, driven by an 8.6 per cent jump in accommodation and food services. Monthly GDP is now 1.5 per cent above pre-pandemic levels, the ONS said. While services output is 2.1 per cent higher than in February 2020. PTI
has thanked his supporters for their participation in rallies held across and abroad to protest against his ouster as prime minister and the formation of a "US-backed regime" in Islamabad.

Protest rallies were held in different Pakistani cities after 9 pm on Sunday and continued for several hours on the call of Khan.

"Thank you to all Pakistanis for their amazing outpouring of support & emotions to protest against US-backed regime change abetted by local Mir Jafars to bring into power a coterie of pliable crooks all out on bail. Shows Pakistanis at home & abroad have emphatically rejected this," Khan tweeted on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, ousted prime minister Khan tweeted that "today marked the beginning of a freedom struggle" against what he said was a "foreign conspiracy of regime change" in .

In an attempt to galvanise his supporters, he said "it is always the people who protect their own sovereignty and democracy."



The charged PTI supporters, including women and children, showed their solidarity with Khan during the rally in Lahore that started at 9 pm on Sunday and lasted till 3 am on Monday.

Big gatherings were also reported from other parts of the Punjab province, including Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Vehari, Jhelum and Gujrat districts. Islamabad and Karachi also witnessed major gatherings of PTI supporters.

Protests were also held abroad, including in Chicago, Dubai, Toronto, and the UK against Khan's ouster.

PTI's local leadership was leading the protest. The charged workers and supporters of the party were chanting slogans against the US, which Khan claims to be behind the ouster of his government.

They were also shouting slogans against Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif, who is expected to be elected as the new prime minister on Monday; Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Ali Zaradri and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for allegedly plotting against Khan's government at the behest of the US.

Most placards carried by the protesters read "Imported government not acceptable."



Former federal minister and PTI senior leader Shireen Mazari said in a tweet: "Such amazing scenes from across Pak and from abroad --- Pakistanis have rejected US instigated regime change. Two of my favourite individual placards! #ImportedGovernmentRejected #RevolutionBlackedOut.

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Prime Minister on Monday congratulated on his election as the Prime Minister of and said India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror so that "we can focus on our development challenges".

"Congratulations to H. E. Mian Muhammad on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan," Modi tweeted.

"India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people," the prime minister said.

Modi was amongst the first ones to wish Sharif after he was sworn-in as the prime minister of .

His swearing-in brought to an end the political uncertainty that had gripped the country since a no-confidence motion was introduced against his predecessor Imran Khan on March 8.

Earlier, the Parliament elected unopposed Shehbaz who was the only candidate left in the race after former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced that his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party will boycott the voting and staged a walkout.

Soon after he was elected as Pakistan's Prime Minister, Sharif in his inaugural speech raised the issue of abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir and alleged that the people in the Valley were bleeding and Pakistan will provide them with "diplomatic and moral support" besides raising the matter at every fora.



The 70-year-old leader, who replaced Imran Khan after a high voltage political tussle, said he wanted good relations with India, but it cannot be achieved without the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

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A pact to share information on activities is to be signed by the US and India during the 2+2 meeting of their diplomatic and defence leaders in Washington on Monday, according to the State Department.

The Situational Awareness Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aims to protect the satellites of the two countries.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin for the Fourth 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue that will finally take place after being postponed in December 2021.

It will kick off ceremoniously on Monday at 9 a.m. (6.30 p.m. IST) with an honour cordon to welcome Rajnath Singh to the Pentagon for a meeting with Austin.

At the same time over at the State Department, Blinken will meet Jaishankar, according to the schedule for the 2+2 circulated by the US.

The 2+2 meeting takes place under the cloud of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the divergent approach to it by India and the US.

But before the meeting, President Joe Biden will hold a virtual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at which the Russian invasion of Ukraine will figure, according to the White House.

At a briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said: "President Biden will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russia's brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilizing impact on global food supply and commodity markets."

India has tried to stay neutral on the Russian invasion given its dependence on Moscow for vital defence supplies and abstained on eight Ukraine-related votes at the UN.

The US, which is leading the global response to the invasion prefers India to take a stronger stand against Russia.

But the 2+2 will focus on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, where the two countries are strategically more aligned.

The formal 2+2 meeting of the ministers and the secretaries will be held at the State Department with the opening press statements that will be live-streamed on www.state.gov at 2 p.m. on Monday (11.30 p.m. IST).

It will be followed by the signing of the Situational Awareness MOU.

The four are scheduled to hold a news conference at 4.45 p.m. (2.15 a.m. Tuesday IST), which is also to be live-streamed.

Concluding the 2+2 meeting, Blinken will hold a working dinner for the other 2+2 leaders at 6 p.m. (3.30 a.m. Tuesday IST).

The 2+2 meetings held since 2018 alternate between the two capitals and its fourth edition, which was to have been held in December, was postponed because of the visit of Russian President Vladimir to New Delhi that month.

This year's event will celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and the US, the State Department said.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)

--IANS

al/ksk/

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US President on Monday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that it was not in India's interest to "accelerate or increase" its oil purchase from Russia and was willing to help New Delhi further diversify its energy imports, the White House said.

Biden made the remarks during a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Modi, which was "constructive" and "productive" and their interaction was "not adversarial," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.

The virtual meeting between the two leaders came in the midst of some disquiet in Washington over India's position on the Ukraine crisis as well as its decision to procure discounted Russian oil. The Modi-Biden virtual meeting lasted for about an hour.

"This was a constructive call. It was a productive call. It is a relationship that is vitally important to the United States and to the President. I would not see it as an adversarial call," Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference soon after the conclusion of the Modi-Biden virtual bilateral.

While the two leaders have met virtually multiple times and also in personal settings, this was for the first time that Biden and Modi had a virtual bilateral.

During the meeting, Biden said that it is not in India's interest to accelerate or increase its from Russia. As of now, India imports between one and two per cent of its oil needs from Russia as compared to 10 per cent from the US.

The United States, Psaki said, is willing to help India further diversify its energy resources. India buying oil and gas from Russia, she insisted, is not in violation of any sanctions. "But I will let them speak for themselves, she said.

Responding to a question, Psaki said that no decision has been taken on CAATSA sanctions on India, which is going ahead with its decision to purchase the S-400 missile system from Russia.

In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems to ramp up its air defence, despite a warning from the then Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions.

The US has already imposed sanctions on Turkey under the CAATSA for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia.

Psaki told reporters that Modi and India have spoken forcefully against Russian atrocities in Ukraine.

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prices slipped in early Asian trading, following the second straight weekly decline after world consumers announced plans to release crude from strategic stocks and as Chinese lockdowns continued.

As of 2202 GMT, Brent crude fell 38 cents to $102.40 a barrel while U.S. crude lost 16 cents to $98.18. Last week, Brent dropped 1.5% while U.S. West Texas Intermediate slid 1%. For several weeks, the benchmarks have been at their most volatile since June 2020.

The market has been watching developments in China, where authorities have kept Shanghai, a city of 26 million people, locked down under its "zero tolerance" for COVID-19. China is the world's biggest importer.

Member nations of the Energy Agency (IEA) will release 60 million barrels over the next six months, with the United States matching that amount as part of its 180 million barrel release announced in March.

The release could also deter producers, including the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and U.S. shale producers, from accelerating output increases even with prices around $100 a barrel, ANZ Research analysts said in a note.

However, the OPEC+ group of exporting nations has not shown any inclination to increase its output targets more than the 400,000 barrels per day it has been adding monthly as part of a restoration of supply cuts.

The IEA release would amount to roughly 2 million barrels of daily supply for the next two months - plus another 1 million bpd from the United States for four months after that. It is unclear whether that will offset the shortfall in Russian crude after that nation was hit with heavy sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's production of oil and gas condensate fell to 10.52 million barrels per day (bpd) for April 1-6 from a March average of 11.01 million bpd.

(Editing by Daniel Wallis)

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Fuel demand in India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, rose to a three-year high in March, with petrol sales hitting a record peak

By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin

LONDON (Reuters) - dropped by more than $2 a barrel on Monday after a second straight weekly decline on plans to release record volumes of crude and oil products from strategic stocks and on continuing coronavirus lockdowns in China.

Brent crude for June delivery was down $2.08, or 2%, at $100.70 a barrel by 0940 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude lost $2.19, or 2.2%, to $96.07.

Bank of America maintained its forecast for Brent crude to average $102 a barrel for 2022-23, but it cut its summer spike price to $120. Swiss investment bank UBS also lowered its June Brent forecast by $10 to $115 a barrel.

"The release of strategic government oil reserves should ease some market tightness over the coming months, reducing the need for to rise to trigger near-term demand destruction," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

Energy Agency (IEA) member nations will release 60 million barrels over the next six months, with the United States matching that as part of its 180 million barrel release announced in March.

The moves are aimed at offsetting a shortfall in Russian crude after Moscow was hit with heavy sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow describes as a "special military operation".

The release of Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) volumes equals 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) over the next six months and is enough to offset a shortfall of 1 million bpd of Russian oil supply, JP Morgan analysts said.

The European Union's executive is drafting proposals for a possible EU oil embargo on Russia, the foreign ministers of Ireland, Lithuania and the Netherlands said on Monday, though there is still no agreement to ban Russian crude.

The market has also been watching developments in China, where authorities have kept Shanghai, a city of 26 million people, locked down under its "zero tolerance" policy for COVID-19. It was announced that Shanghai will start easing lockdowns in some areas from Monday.

"Fears are rising now that if China's Omicron wave spreads to other cities, its zero-COVID policy will see mass extended lockdowns that negatively impact both industrial output and domestic consumption," said OANDA senior market analyst Jeffrey Halley.

UBS analyst Staunovo said that demand for oil will be affected in China - the world's biggest oil importer - by pandemic-driven mobility restrictions and in Russia by sanctions.

Fuel demand in India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, rose to a three-year high in March, with petrol sales hitting a record peak.

U.S. President Joe Biden will hold a virtual meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, the White House said, at a time when the United States has made it clear it does not want to see an uptick in Russian energy imports by India.

(Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in London; Additioanl reporting by Florence Tan and Isabel Kua in Singapore and David Gaffen in New York; Editing by David Goodman)

(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.)
prices slid more than $2 a barrel on Monday, following a second straight weekly decline after world consumers announced plans to release a record volume of crude and products from strategic stocks and as lockdowns continued.

Brent crude was down $2.32, or 2.3%, at $100.46 a barrel by 0427 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude lost $2.37, or 2.4%, to $95.89. Last week, Brent dropped 1.5% while U.S. slid 1%. For several weeks, the benchmarks have been at their most volatile since June 2020.

The market has been watching developments in China, where authorities have kept Shanghai, a city of 26 million people, locked down under its "zero tolerance" policy for COVID-19. is the world's biggest oil importer.

Concerns about China's growth was the main reason for the fall in oil prices today with Shanghai's lockdown showing no signs of being lifted and Guangzhou looking to start mass virus testing, said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA.

"Fears are rising now that if China's Omicron wave spreads to other cities, its zero-COVID policy will see mass extended lockdowns that negatively impact both industrial output and domestic consumption," he added.

Member nations of the Energy Agency (IEA) will release 60 million barrels over the next six months, with the United States matching that amount as part of its 180 million barrel release announced in March. The moves are aimed at offsetting a shortfall in Russian crude after Moscow was hit with heavy sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.

"We expect these Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) volumes -about 273 million barrels in total and 1.3 million barrels per day (mbd) over the next six months - to go a long way in the short term toward offsetting the 1 mbd of Russian oil supply we expect to remain permanently offline," said JP Morgan analysts in a note.

However, it is unclear whether that will fully offset the shortfall in Russian oil as exports continued, with India, lured by steep discounts, increasing imports.

On Monday, President Joe Biden will meet virtually with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the White House said, at a time when the United States has made it clear it does not want to see an uptick in Russian energy imports by India.

In the United States, energy firms last week added oil and natural gas rigs for a third week in a row as Washington seeks more production to help its allies wean themselves off Russian .

(Reporting by Florence Tan and Isabel Kua in Singapore; Additional reporting by David Gaffen in New York; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

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CT Truth PAC, the independent-expenditure group supporting Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski with television and web ads attacking Gov. Ned Lamont, reported Sunday it has spent about $300,000 of the $1 million provided by two wealthy businessmen.

Formed in February with an initial contribution of $500,000 from David Kelsey of Old Lyme, the super PAC collected another $500,000 last month from Thomas E. McInerney of Westport, according to the campaign finance report filed Sunday with the State Elections Enforcement Commission.

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McInerney is the co-founder and CEO of Bluff Point Associates, a private equity investment firm. He contributed $100,000 in 2018 to FixCT, the super PAC that supported Steve Obsitnik, a GOP gubernatorial candidate who later paid $90,000 to SEEC to settle allegations of illegal coordination.

State law prohibits direct contributions of more than $3,500 to a gubernatorial campaign and $10,000 to a state party, but there is no limit on contributions to independent groups known as super PACs  so long as they do not coordinate their activities with candidates they are supporting.

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The only other contributor to CT Truth PAC before the close of the campaign finance reporting period on March 31 was Matthew Sharp, a co-founder with Kelsey at Hamilton Point Investments. Sharp contributed $25,000.

The super PACs advertising was shaped by Chris LaCivita, who was a consultant to Stefanowskis 2018 campaign.

Super PACs cannot coordinate advertising with the campaigns they are supporting, and shared vendors or consultants constitute a presumption of illegal coordination under state law. But LaCivitas work for CT Truth PAC is well outside an 18-month cooling off period.

His firm, Advancing Strategies, was paid $57,575 by the PAC.

The initial advertising buy was $103,511 on television and $50,073 on the web.

The campaigns of Stefanowski and Lamont also are on the air. Their first quarter finance reports were not filed as of 5 p.m. Sunday.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that more than 4.5 million people have fled since Russia launched its ongoing war on February 24.

As of Sunday, the said there were 4,503,954 Ukrainian refugees, 62,291 more than the previous day, the BBC reported.

According to the UN agency, this is the first time for Europe to witness such a large number of refugees since the Second World War.

The said that 90 per cent of those who have fled are women and children, as most men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave as they must stay and join the country's forces.

Poland currently hosts the largest number of refugees from Ukraine, with 2,593,902 people crossing into the country since the beginning of the invasion, it added.

Ninety-four per cent of the registered refugees in Poland are women and children.

According to the UN's Organization for Migration (IOM), around 210,000 non-Ukrainians have also fled the country.

Figures published by the IOM on April 5 had revealed that an additional 7.1 million people, or more than a quarter of the overall population, have been displaced within the country.

(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 Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf (PTI) has decided to boycott the election of the new Prime Minister and resign en masse from the National Assembly, said senior party leader Fawad Chaudhry after a parliamentary meeting of the party on Monday, media reports said.

In a video message after the meeting, the former Information Minister said PTI Chairman has decided that the PTI would not legitimise "this foreign-funded regime change" in Pakistan by taking part in the election of the Premier, Express Tribune reported.

"The parliamentary meeting of the PTI gave the complete authority to make decisions on the lawmakers' behalf."

Chaudhry said as per the directions of Imran Khan, no PTI lawmaker will vote in the election for the PM and after that, the PTI MNAs will also send their resignations to the National Assembly Speaker.

He also acknowledged that there was a difference of opinion over the decision to resign en masse from the assembly but the parliamentary party gave the authority to make this decision who decided in favour of resignations, Express Tribune reported.

Imran Khan claimed that there were two mega corruption cases against PML-N chief and it would be the "biggest insult to the country" to elect him as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Earlier in the day, PTI General Secretary Asad Umar, in a letter, told party lawmakers to vote for Shah Mehmood Qureshi else they will be considered defectors and disqualified under Article 63-A.

--IANS

san/

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UK Chancellor of the Exchequer has written to his boss, Boris Johnson, to be referred to one of the British Prime Minister's independent advisers to review all his ministerial declarations of interest amid a row around his family's tax affairs.

The Indian-origin finance minister, who has been fighting back attacks over wife Akshata Murty's tax arrangements in India and also Opposition allegations around his own finances, said in a Twitter post on Sunday that he is confident the independent review by House of Lords peer Christopher Geidt, the Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests, will provide further clarity.

"My overriding concern is that the public retains confidence in the answers they are given and I believe the best way of achieving this is to ensure those answers are entirely independent, without bias or favour," Sunak states in his letter to Johnson.

"To that end, I would recommend that Lord Geidt makes all his conclusions public. I am confident that such a review of my declarations will find all relevant information was appropriately declared. I have throughout my ministerial career followed the advice of officials regarding matters of propriety and disclosure and will continue to do so," he said.

"I am confident that such a review of my declarations will find all relevant information was appropriately declared," he added.

Johnson is now expected to formally ask Lord Geidt to open an inquiry, which can take months to complete.

The Opposition Labour Party has also written to 10 Downing Street asking for an investigation into a "series of troubling revelations regarding the tax status and business connections of the Chancellor and his household".

Last week, Sunak had vehemently defended the non-domicile status of his wife, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, which meant she was not legally bound to pay tax on her Indian income in the UK.

Akshata Murty has since announced that she would be paying all her taxes in the UK to avoid the issue becoming a "distraction" for her husband's political career.

It was followed by revelations around Sunak's US Green Card, which he reportedly relinquished last year.

The document entitled the British minister to permanent residency in the US as well as making him liable to file a tax return there.

Sunak's spokesperson stressed that he followed all guidance and continued to file US tax returns, but specifically as a non-resident, in full compliance with the law.

The financial arrangements of Sunak and his wealthy family have been dominating headlines for days, with the Opposition alleging a lack of transparency at a time when the British public is faced with a rising tax bill as a result of the government's Budget.

The lack of transparency does raise questions about conflict of interest. The fact that they have changed their tax arrangements now shows that they do recognise it's a problem but they wouldn't have done that if this hadn't been public," said Yvette Cooper, Labour's shadow home secretary.

Meanwhile, there is also media speculation around Sunak's wife and their daughters Krishna and Anoushka moving out of the 11 Downing Street government residence to be permanently based at their family home in west London.

While the move was expected for some time for the family to be closer to Krishna's school in the area, the shift may have been hastened by the storm around the Akshata Murty's tax affairs.

Sunak will reportedly spend most working days at Downing Street and join his family at the Kensington home on holidays and weekends.

Some UK media reports are also speculating about Sunak withdrawing from British altogether over time to build a permanent base in California in the US.

This follows plummeting popularity ratings in recent opinion polls, which no longer view the first British Indian finance minister as a key contender for the top job of the UK Prime Minister.

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has defaulted on its foreign debt because it offered bondholders payments in rubles, not dollars, ratings agency has said.

attempted to pay in rubles for two dollar-denominated bonds that matured on April 4, said in a note on Friday. The agency said this amounted to a selective default because investors are unlikely to be able to convert the rubles into dollars equivalent to the originally due amounts. is now planning legal action.

We will sue, because we undertook all necessary action so that investors would receive their payments, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said.

Russia strikes Europe-supplied S-300 missiles

Russia said on Monday that it had used cruise missiles to destroy S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems which had been supplied to Ukraine by an unidentified European country.

Ruble falls sharply

The Russian ruble has weakened sharply after the countrys central bank decided to relax some of the temporary capital control measures aimed at limiting a drop in the currency.

War to shrink Ukraine economy 45%, says World Bank

The World Bank has said that Ukraines economy will shrink by 45.1 per cent this year because of Russias invasion, which has shut down half of the countrys businesses, choked off imports and exports, and damaged a vast amount of critical infrastructure.

SocGen sells unit of Rosbank

French bank Societe Generale said it would quit Russia and take a 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) income hit from selling its Rosbank unit to Interros Capital, a firm linked to Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin.

Ukraine pushes allies to sell Russian assets worth $1 Trillion

Ukraine is pushing allied countries to seize and sell Russian assets including oil tankers, so that the proceeds can be used to pay for the rebuilding of destroyed cities. Ukraine has suffered more than $1 trillion in physical damage.

Russian oil embargo could be part of next EU curbs

The European Union's executive is drafting proposals for an EU oil embargo on Russia, the foreign ministers of Ireland, Lithuania and the Netherlands said, although there was no agreement to ban Russian crude. Many of the ministers meeting in Luxembourg showed support for sanctions on Russian oil imports, the EUs top diplomat Josep Borrell said.
Europes push to wean itself off Russian natural gas is sparking billions of dollars in new commitments toward building a market for low-carbon hydrogen. A nearly 450% jump in European gas prices the past year made the green fuel of the future cost-competitive about a decade ahead of schedule, according to BloombergNEF. Now, investment funds are joining governments and utilities in ambitious plans to make hydrogen a viable substitute for fossil fuels in manufacturing, transportation and heating.

Its kind of a tipping point, said Phil Caldwell, chief executive officer at Ceres Power Holdings Plc, a U. K.-based hydrogen technology company. Youre going to see that capital coming in on a big scale now. Theres no turning back.

Russia is ostracized on the world stage for invading Ukraine, but some of the harshest critics still need its oil and gas to keep their economies running. Europe is quickening efforts to break that addiction, with Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. planning a $50 billion project for the hydrogen supply chain with German energy giant E. On SE; Norways Scatec ASA building a $5 billion production plant; and investment fund Hy24 earmarking $1.6 billion for infrastructure.

The case for hydrogen already was growing, primarily because of its climate benefits, but the war broadened investor interest by highlighting the need for energy security, Fortescues billionaire founder, Andrew Forrest, said in an interview.

It has accelerated money flows, Forrest said in London. After the tanks rolled across the border, theres none of that conscience at work in peoples minds. It is a physical, fiscal necessity.
Parliament on Monday elected unopposed Shehbaz Sharif as 23rd prime minister of the country, bringing to an end the political uncertainty that had gripped the nation since a no-confidence motion was introduced against his predecessor Imran Khan on March 8.

Shehbaz, 70, was the only candidate left in the race after former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced that his Tehreek-e-Insaf party will boycott the voting and staged a walkout.

"Sharif has secured 174 votes and has been declared as prime minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan," according to the formal result announced by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq who presided over the session after Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri said his conscience did not allow him to conduct the session.

In the House of 342, the winning candidate should get support of at least 172 lawmakers.

In his maiden address to the house as the prime minister, Shehbaz said that it was the first time in Pakistan's history that a no-confidence motion against a prime minister had been successful. "And good has prevailed over evil," he said.

He said today is a "big day" for the entire nation as a "selected" prime minister has been sent home in a legal and constitutional manner.

Shehbaz, the younger brother of former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, said that the US dollar's value declining by Rs 8 today signified the "happiness of the people".

He acknowledged the apex court's "unanimous" verdict, saying the day when the Supreme Court gave its judgment should be marked as a historic day in the history of .

On the letter controversy, Shehbaz said the letter came on March 7, but decisions to bring a no-trust motion was made way before that.

"So, if (what the previous government claimed) is a lie, then the matter should be disclosed transparently before the public," he said.

He announced that the parliament's security committee would be given a briefing on the "threat letter" to the members of the committee in presence of the armed forces personnel and bureaucrats  the Inter-Services Intelligence chief, foreign secretary, and the ambassador who wrote it.

"If there's an iota of evidence that we were backed by foreign conspirators ... then with you Mr speaker and God as my witness, I will not think for another second and resign from the office of the prime minister," Shehbaz said, vowing to hold an in-camera session of the security committee at the earliest.

He also lauded China for its support to Pakistan at the world stage and said the friendship between the two countries will remain intact.

He also thanked his brother and ex-premier Nawaz Sharif for his support.

The oath-taking ceremony will be held in the President House where President Arif Alvi would administer the oath of office to him later Monday.

Earlier, Qureshi in his address announced to boycott the process along with party lawmakers by announcing their mass resignation from the parliament. His decision was not sudden as the party had already announced it would leave the parliament and boycott the election to elect the new prime minister of the country.

The younger Sharif is known as an able administrator who served for years as chief minister of Punjab, the largest province of the country and greatly transformed the road infrastructure of the province.

The successful completion of the process to carry through the no-confidence motion and elect the new leader of the house has for the time being ended the political instability. But the resignation by PTI and its decision to launch protest rallies has seeds of a fresh round of chaos.

The new prime minister would have to face not only the unruly PTI taking to the streets but a brittle economy that needs a very careful handling. There are a lot of expectations of the masses from the new leadership to control inflation, which is a tough task.

Shehbaz's PML-N has only 86 seats and the rest of numerical support has come from the coalition partners who apparently has nothing in common except their rivalry for Khan, and it will be a big challenge for him to keep them calm and satisfied.

On the security front, there has been a revival of terrorist attacks in the country and the new prime minister would have to take quick measures to nip this evil in the bud.

Foreign policy challenges are also no less daunting, especially after the allegations of former prime minister Khan against the US in the context of conspiracy to remove him. Similarly, Pakistan's ties with India will also be a crucial test for the new leader of the country.

But Shehbaz's strength flows from various political parties - the former combined opposition  that are behind him. His historical good ties with the establishment would also be an asset to deal with the multiple challenges.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As the National Assembly (NA) convenes on Monday to elect a new Prime Ministter after PML-N President and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi their nomination papers, the PTI seems divided over its erstwhile decision of en masse resignations by its lawmakers.

While the cabinet division de-notified 52 members of the federal cabinet, 25 federal ministers, four ministers of state, four advisers to the Prime Minister and 19 special assistants, after Sunday's historic vote of no-confidence by the joint opposition against former premier Imran Khan, Sharif having bright chances to make it to the top slot said the new cabinet would be formed only after consultation with all allies, reports Dawn news.

As the PTI core committee remained indecisive in a meeting chaired by Khan on Sunday whether to go for en masse resignations of MNAs or not, the party chairman called the parliamentary party meeting at the Parliament House on Monday to make a final decision.

Whether Qureshi will contest the election for the premiership or will resign along with other MNAs of the PTI and its allies depends on the outcome of the PTI parliamentary meeting.

However, the PTI decided to give a tough time to the upcoming government through street protests if the PML-N won the contest in the parliament.

(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.)
is facing its worst since gaining independence from the British in 1948 which has triggered food shortages, soaring prices and power cuts.

Many say the government is to blame. and in recent days, thousands of Sri Lankans have taken to the streets to demand the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, reports the BBC.

Sri Lanka's problems come down to the fact that its foreign currency reserves have virtually run dry.

It means the island nation cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.

The government blames the pandemic, which all but killed off Sri Lanka's tourist trade, one of the island's biggest foreign currency earners, the BBC reported.

It also says tourists were frightened off by a series of deadly bomb attacks on churches during the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

However, many experts say economic mismanagement is to blame.

There are many reasons for this, but one main factor is that at the end of its 30-year civil war in 2009, chose to focus more on its domestic markets instead of exporting to foreign ones. So income from exports remained low, while the bill for imports kept growing.

The government also racked up huge amounts of debt to fund what critics have called unnecessary infrastructure projects.

At the end of 2019, had $7.6 billion in foreign currency reserves, but by March 2020 it had only $2.3 billion.

When he came to power in 2019, President Rajapaksa decided to cut taxes. This meant the government had less money to buy foreign currency on the markets to increase its reserves.

When Sri Lanka's currency shortages became a really big problem in early 2021, the government tried to stop the outflow of foreign currency by banning all imports of chemical fertiliser, telling farmers to use organic fertilisers instead.

This led to widespread crop failures, said the BBC report.

Sri Lanka had to supplement its food stocks from abroad, which made its foreign currency shortage even worse.

--IANS

san/ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad has urged the (UN) to interfere to curb the repetitive Israeli attacks in Syria, slamming such strikes as systematic, according to the state news agency SANA.

In a letter addressing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Mekdad said the Israeli attacks have become "systematic," requiring immediate action by the UN to protect and preserve the Agreement on Disengagement of 1974 signed under the auspices of the UN, Xinhua news agency reporter.

Mekdad added that has always warned about the consequences of the continuous Israeli attacks on peace and security.

The Syrian condemnation comes against the backdrop of an Israeli attack earlier on Sunday against military sites in central .

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor organization, said that the latest Israeli attack targeted a scientific research center west of Hama province.

The Israeli side claimed that Iranian-backed forces are using the center as a base to develop mid-range missiles and drones.

(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 has warned that is likely to "even larger operations in the east of our state", urging citizens to prepare for a fresh round of assault amid the ongoing war.

In his latest nightly video address, the President said: "They can use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs... But we are preparing for their actions. We will respond."

Zelenksy's warning came after General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Sunday evening that was trying to prepare for an offensive operation in the eastern Donbas region.

" keeps on regrouping, increasing the management system and logistics of troops. The Russian occupying forces are moving battalion tactical groups from the Eastern and Central military districts to the Belgorod, Voronezh and Kursk regions bordering Ukraine," Ukrayinska Pravda quoted the General Staff as saying in a statement.

It also claimed that Russian troops were facing a number of problems, including a lack of spare parts and certain types of artillery ammunition, as well as issues in the system of storage and supply of material and technical facilities.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate said that Russia has stepped up its "mobilisation" campaign in the Donbas region and started to draft men who are not eligible for conscription, the BBC reported.

According to the military intelligence service, several mobile brigades are operating in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, where they stop men and issue them with a summons to come to a military enlistment office.

Earlier, the UK's Ministry of Defence said in its latest public intelligence update that Russia was trying to boost troop numbers with personnel discharged since 2012.

(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.)
Farmington will decide this year what to do with the part of Farmington High School built in 1928. The town expects to demolish all or most of the rest of the school, but many residents support preserving the section that's seen from Route 4. (Courant file photo)

As Farmington residents are surveyed about what to do with the historic section of the existing high school, a retired community leader is suggesting it should become the new town hall.

Instead of demolishing the oldest section of the sprawling high school, the town should remodel it, Bea Stockwell told the town council in a letter last week.

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Combining municipal offices and school administrative offices in that space would solve several problems in one move, Stockwell wrote.

As a former chairman of the Board of Education and the Town Council, I have had the unique opportunity of working on both sides of the fence! The way to make government work efficiently and in harmony is to put them together, Stockwell wrote.

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Her suggestion is among numerous ideas that a special committee will consider this year as Farmington prepares to raze its high school and build a modern replacement.

The current high school is a sprawling patchwork of additions and enlargements built over many decades, and taxpayers agreed last year to build a replacement alongside it for up to $135.6 million. The town will put in as much as $110 million, with the state expected to contribute $26.3 million.

That plan envisions demolishing a dozen separate sections of the building constructed or remodeled between 1952 and 2003.

A diagram shows when the various segments of Farmington High School were built or remodeled. The bottom center section is the 1928 part of the building. (Courtesy of Town of Farmington)

But there has been no decision about the original 1928 portion, which is a high-profile feature of town to passing motorists on Route 4. It stands at the top of an embankment, and its brick facade and cupola dominate the landscape.

Estimates last year were about $10 million to fully modernize it. Some residents support demolishing it along with the other 12 sections, but others are pressing to reuse it for other town needs and to preserve an iconic part of Farmingtons history.

The ad hoc committee studying what to do with it has sent a survey to all Farmington households to get public opinion.

Weve been getting a good response. There are about 700 replies already in  the survey company says we have a legitimate number, but were hoping to get more, said C.J. Thomas, town council chairman. Were just waiting to see what the public thinks.

The survey, administered by the Center for Research & Public Policy, asks residents whether theyd prefer to keep the 1928 section or demolish it.

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Some of the options are to use it for the regional probate court, or for consolidating town social services and recreation offices.

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

The probate court needs more space, and our recreation department and human services offices are spread through town, Thomas said.

The survey notes that the town might be able to use federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for part of the renovation, and asks residents if that would change what they think about whether to tear it down instead.

The survey also asks about relocating town hall offices there, and possibly keeping the 1952 and 1978 sections of the high school to provide more community gym space, a recreation center and storage.

That plan could also generate new community meeting space, event space and room for nonprofits, art groups or possibly business incubators, according to the town.

Thomas noted that the council needs to reach a decision by early next year at the latest. The plan and zoning commission in late March approved the site plan for the new high school, and construction is to begin this fall.

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That will require running drainage systems and other infrastructure work on the 1928 property, Thomas said, so contractors need to know if it is being razed or retained.

Keeping it would be a big project but could help a lot of needs throughout the town, Thomas said.
Shares of hit an over two-year high of Rs 273.10, up nearly 2 per cent on the BSE on Monday in an otherwise weak market. The stock has rallied 6 per cent in the past two sessions on expectation of strong earnings due to improved cigarette volumes.

The share price of the cigarettes to fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) major was trading at its highest level since July 2019. In comparison, at 01:11 pm, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 0.42 per cent at 59,196 points.

Thus far in calendar year 2022, has outperformed the market by surging 25 per cent, as compared to a 1.6 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex. It had hit a record high of Rs 353 on July 3, 2017.

is better-placed than peers with improving cigarette performance and strong earnings visibility. Analysts expect ITC to report a relatively stronger quarter, with improvement in cigarettes and other divisions and lesser margin pressure compared to FMCG peers.

Analysts at Emkay Global Financial Services estimate steady cigarette performance with sales/EBIT growth of 9 per cent/10 per cent. FMCG sales growth will be 9 per cent with margins staying flat year-on-year (YoY).

We estimate strong performance in paper and agri with EBIT growth of 11 per cent/38 per cent and EBIT breakeven for hotels. Profit after tax growth is lower at 8 per cent due to lower other income and higher effective tax rate (ETR), the brokerage said in a Q4 preview.

Analyst at ICICI Securities expect cigarette companies (ITC, VST) to see 7 per cent & 10 per cent volume growth, respectively, with volumes surpassing pre-Covid levels given offices, restaurants, pubs are completely open after lifting of all mobility restrictions.

Moreover, robust wheat export due to Russia Ukraine crisis is likely to benefit ITCs agri business sales, they said.

We expect strong revenue growth of 21.5 per cent for ITC led by strong recovery in cigarette business and robust growth in agri, paperboard & hotels business. We estimate 9.2 per cent sales growth in cigarette sales with 7 per cent volume growth, ICICI Securities said in a FMCG sector Q4 result preview.

The brokerage also expects 69.5 per cent growth in agribusiness with opportunity in wheat exports after Russia-Ukraine crisis. Paperboard business may see 28.9 per cent sales growth with complete recovery in user industries.

We expect 83.6 per cent growth in hotels business with strong occupancies & growth in ARRs. We estimate 13.1 per cent growth in FMCG sales largely led by price hikes & recovery in education & stationary business. We estimate 76 bps contraction gross margins & 10.7 per cent growth in profitability adversely impacted by lower other income (ITC increased dividend payout), the brokerage said.
The key benchmark indices are likely to start trade for the week on a quiet note amid subdued global cues. That apart, Q4 earnings led by IT shares are likely to dictate the market trend this week. As of 07:30 AM, the SGX Nifty April futures quoted at 17,811 as against the spot Nifty close of 17,784 last week.

Earnings Watch: TCS, Kesoram Industries, Delta Corp and Birla Tyres were some of the prominent companies to announce Q4 results today.

Q4 expectations: Brokerages expect another quarter of high double-digit growth in the earnings of the countrys top companies that are part of the benchmark Nifty50 index. According to brokerage estimates, the combined net profit of the companies in the index is expected to grow by 29.1 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in the January-March 2022 quarter (Q4FY22) to an all-time high of Rs 1.61 trillion, from around Rs 1.25 trillion a year ago. READ MORE

Veranda Learning Solutions: The stock is likely to make a decent debut on the bourses on Monday. The IPO was subscribed 3.5 times, with retail quota subscribed up to 10.8 times. As per the Grey Market Premium (GMP) the stock may see modest gains of 5-10 per cent in early deals.

Jindal Steel and Power (JSPL): The company plans to set-up the countrys second coal gasification plant at its Raigarh plant in Chhattisgarh. The company is already using the coal gasification technology to produce steel at its plant in Angul, Odisha. READ MORE

Vedanta: One of the groups firm has said it is working on a solution to use hydrogen instead of coke in its manufacturing process so as to reduce carbon emissions. Vedanta's Sesa Goa Iron Ore Business said it is looking for a tie-up with IIT-Bombay to carry out a research for manufacturing pig iron ore using hydrogen in place of coke.

Export Import (Exim) Bank of India: The bank plans to raise around $3 billion in 2022-23 (FY23) via overseas bonds to support fresh lending and refinance a portion of the old debt. Harsha Bangari, managing director, India Exim Bank, said that treasury rates (yields on government bonds) have started going up in international . READ MORE

Time Technoplast: The companys board has approved a proposal for restructuring of overseas business to capture the growth in Asian Countries, Middle East and USA through joint venture/ Special Purpose Vehicle by onboarding strategic partner/ investor partner by way of sale/ transfer/ disposal of part of assets/ investments of subsidiaries/ material subsidiaries/ step down subsidiaries.

Further, the company will be benefitted by utilizing proceeds of the restructuring for repayment of debt, capex for Composite Cylinders (LPG/CNG/Hydrogen) & Core Business in India to meet huge market demand and benefit to the shareholders, it said in a release to the BSE.

Multiplex owners: Shares of the multiplex owners are likely to be in limelight as April promises to be as exciting as March was for Bollywood, going by the strong lineup of films and advance booking of tickets for blockbusters such as K.G.F: Chapter 2. K.G.F. 2, which releases on April 14.

Cadila Pharmaceuticals: The pharmaceutical major said it has developed the world's first novel three-dose vaccine against rabies.

TCS: A consortium led by the IT major has bagged a Rs 550 crore order from BSNL for deploying indigenously-designed 4G network, an official source said on Friday. The consortium will initially deploy 6,000 mobile towers for BSNL 4G services.

Banks: Taking a cue from the shift in policy stance and hardening yields, banks may look to revise lending rates albeit in a calibrated manner. Much of upward revision in loan rates is expected to happen when the RBI hikes policy rates like repo, bankers said.

FMCG: Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sales slowed in the March quarter on the back of a sharp rise in prices, especially in commodity products that include edible oil, retail Intelligence platform Bizom said. Homecare and personal care product sales have witnessed a slowdown. However, Bizom expects sales of beverages to pick up in the summer months. READ MORE

Jet Airways: Back to the airline boardroom after almost two years, Sanjiv Kapoor now has a job which has no precedence- to take back Jet Airways, which has been grounded for three years now back to skies. The airline shut operations in April 2019 after getting under a pile of debt and bankers refusal for any fresh funding. The airline is expected to take to the skies again by the third quarter of CY2022. Jet will be the first bankrupt airline to be revived. READ MORE

Wipro: The IT major appointment Anis Chenchah as a member of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer, APMEA (Asia Pacific, India, Middle East and Africa). Chenchah has over two decades of experience in Consulting, IT and Business Process Services. He joins from Capgemini where he was the Global CEO of Capgemini Business Services and member of the Group Executive Committee.

ABB India: Even as it expands its Gujarat facility at Vadodara by inaugurating a digital substation products and systems plant, ABB India is also planning to expand its traction motor output for locomotives and metro rail projects with a new plant at the location.

Vodafone Idea: The Department of Telecommunication has returned bank guarantees worth Rs 15,000 crore to Vodafone Idea (Vi). This is in line with last years telecom reforms package which reduced bank guarantee requirements for licence fee and spectrum dues.

Axis Bank, IDBI Bank: The Reserve Bank of India on Friday said it imposed a penalty of Rs 93 lakh on Axis Bank for non-compliance of certain regulatory directions. Similarly, IDBI Bank too was penalised for non-compliance of directions on 'frauds - classification and reporting by commercial banks and select financial institutions'.

Stocks in F&O ban: RBL Bank is the only stock in the F&O ban period on Monday.
Shares of (BDL) hit a new high of Rs 775 after they rallied 8 per cent on the BSE in Mondays intra-day trade in an otherwise weak market on the back of heavy volume. The stock of the state-owned aerospace and defence company has zoomed 36 per cent in the past three trading days.

At 09:58 am; BDL traded 7 per cent higher at Rs 769.05, as compared to a 0.62 per cent decline in the S&P BSE Sensex. The trading volume at the counter nearly-doubled with a combined 3.65 million equity shares changing hands on the NSE and BSE.

BDL is a public-sector enterprise supervised by the Ministry of Defence. The company manufactures Surface to Air Missile (SAM), Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATG M), Torpedoes, and Allied Defence Equipments.

Thus far in the calendar year 2022, the market price of BDL has nearly doubled or zoomed 97 per cent from Rs 392.90 at beginning of the calendar year. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 0.17 per cent during the same period.

Government of India aims to reduce the country's dependence on imports of defence equipment and have a more 'self -reliant' defence sector under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The push for Aatmanirbhar defence will get a further boost due to current geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Also, in the current Budget, the government has increased budget spending by 10 per cent from last year. This will help defence companies who have a strong order book, revenue visibility and clean balance sheets over the next three to four years, ICICI Securities said in defence sector report.

Meanwhile, the market price of BDL has surged 46 per cent so far in April after UAE firm Tawazun Economic Council (TEC) exchanged Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore new business opportunities in various areas of mutual interest in the field of defence.

TEC is defense and security acquisition authority for the UAE armed forces. It manages procurement, technical, contractual aspects for the UAE armed forces.

Under the MoU, both BDL and TEC will work together to identify different business opportunities and assess the viability and feasibility of implementing business opportunities in the field of co-development, co-production, establishment of joint ventures, set up of maintenance, repair, refurbishment, life extension facilities, supply of military products as well as licensed production. The duo will also explore the export possibility of the products to reach out global demands.

Earlier on February 2, 2022, the company had signed a contract worth Rs 3,131.82 crore with the Indian Army. Under the contract, the company will manufacture and supply of Konkurs - M AntiTank Guided Missiles to the Indian Army in three years. "With this contract, the companys order book position stands at Rs 11,400 crore (net)," BDL said in a statement.

Technical View

Bias: Positive

Target: Rs 810

Upside: 7%

Following the recent steep rally, shares of BDL have closed above the higher-end of the Bollinger Band on the daily charts for the two successive trading sessions. The same inidcates that the bias is likely to remain outrightly bullish as long as the stock trades above Rs 696.

Simlarly, the stock has been sustaining above the higher-end of the Bollinger Band on both the weekly and the monthly charts.

As per the monthly Fibonacci chart, the stock can extend its rally towards Rs 788-810 levels; above which the next hurdle would be at Rs 830.

(With inputs from Rex Cano)



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Digital Editor Read our full coverage on Buzzing stocks Among the key momentum oscillators, the Directional Index and the Slow Stochastic are in favour of the bulls, while the MACD indicates some consolidation ahead. The 14-day RSI is in overbought zone, holding above 83.3-odd levels, hence some cooling of prices cannot be ruled out.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III on Sunday spoke to the Ukrainian troops training in the who are returning home.

He made it clear that America will continue to provide Ukrainian with assistance.

"This morning, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ukrainian troops training in the U.S. who are returning home to Ukraine today. Their bravery and skill are amazing. I made clear the US will continue to provide them with the assistance they need," Austin said in a Tweet.

Meanwhile, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby on Friday said that the US wants Ukrainians to "win" the ongoing war with Russia.

During a press briefing, Kirby noted that Ukrainian lives are destroyed, hence America wants to see the war end.

"We want Ukrainians to win this war, to see Ukraine not have to fight for its own sovereignty as it has been for eight years. We want to see Putin and Russian army lose this invasion. Ukrainian lives are destroyed and obviously, we want to see that end," he said.

He also said that the Ukrainian forces could use intelligence information provided by the US to conduct counterattacks against Russia.

"When we say we want to help the Ukrainians defend themselves, we're talking about the aggregate effort here... We're trying to give them useful information and intelligence that allows them to defend themselves, to push back, to resist, to fight against - you can call it whatever you want - this Russian invasion, and if they were to use some of that information to conduct a counterattack, then so be it," Kirby said during a press briefing.

On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations.

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.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As the war in Ukraine rages on, leaders of European countries, notably Germany, have come to realize that they made a serious mistake by becoming so dependent on Russian energy. Currently, depends on for roughly 40 percent of its natural gas needs, and European leaders have vowed to reduce their dependence by two-thirds.

So, European countries are feverishly trying to secure supplies from the and the Mediterranean. Energy security has become one of Europe's top priorities, putting on the back burner the fight to contain climate change and global warming.

Of course, the gas and oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members were the first countries which European leaders requested to cover the energy shortfall to be created by a future removal of Russian gas and oil from the scene.

However, GCC countries say that they are unable to significantly increase their hydrocarbon exports to Europe, due to production constraints and the fact that most of their future production is locked in long-term contracts with their clients in Asia.

In the past few weeks, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom sent senior representatives to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are major hydrocarbon producers, asking them to increase energy supplies, but their requests fell on deaf ears.

Qatar was the only country that offered some help when it diverted to Britain and Belgium six LNG tankers that were originally destined for Asia and indicated that it would increase its gas production to cover part of the shortage.

The emirate of Qatar currently supplies about 30 per cent of its liquefied gas to the European Union, but none of this goes to Germany, because it does not have LNG terminals. To correct this situation, Germany is fast-tracking the construction of two LNG terminals, but these will become operational in three years' time.

Last month, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck during a visit to Doha said that a long-term gas supply deal has been reached between his country and Qatar and added: "We might still need Russian gas this year, but not in the future."

He also admitted that the previous German government had made a mistake by becoming so dependent on Russian gas supplies.

It's worth noting that US President Joseph Biden last month tried to call Mohammed Bin Salman (known as MBS) to ask Saudi Arabia to increase its oil supply, after the US formally banned Russian oil imports, but as relations between the two countries remain frosty, MBS didn't accept the call.

Perhaps MBS remembers vividly that Joseph Biden had promised to make Saudi Arabia "a pariah state" and described it "as a state with no redeeming social value" over the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and so decided to give Biden the cold shoulder.

Another reason for ignoring Biden is that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE believe that they are no longer supported by the US against the Houthis in Yemen and their missile attacks against oil installations in the two countries. They are also angry because Biden had delisted the Houthis as a terrorist organization.

On March 21, after three drone attacks on Saudi Aramco installations, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia declared that it will not be held responsible for shortages in the global energy market because Houthi missile attacks will disrupt supply.

Saudi Arabia does not want to alienate because it considers Moscow as a potential arms supplier, and it no longer wants to be viewed by the US (as former President Donald Trump described the Kingdom) as "a cash cow for the US defense industry." Furthermore, it sees as a major country that can exert pressure on its archenemy Iran.

On the other hand, Saudi Arabia understands that it must supply oil to some European countries because it does not want to encourage to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy.

It should be noted that Saudi Arabia already covers a large part of Poland's energy needs and last January Aramco -the Saudi state oil giant- said it had agreed to buy a 30 per cent stake in Poland's second-largest refinery and to increase oil supplies to the state's top energy firm PKN Orlen to 200,000-337,000 barrels per day.

Apparently, the reluctance of Gulf energy producers to substantially increase production to replace Russian gas and oil in European markets made the US and European leaders turn their attention to other possible sources of supply and particularly to the Eastern Mediterranean.

Moreover, both the EU and the US are currently re-examining the feasibility of the building of pipelines that will carry natural gas from the Eastern Mediterranean to Europe, the EastMed Pipeline, or a pipeline transporting Israeli gas to Turkey and from there to .

Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elharar has recently stated that the EU requested the Israeli government to supply it with natural gas. Israel could provide Europe with 10 per cent of the gas it currently buys from Russia.

Last Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid travelled to Athens to meet with his Greek and Cypriot counterparts, Nikos Dendias and Ioannis Kasoulides, in one of their frequent trilateral meetings focusing on energy and security matters taking place every year.

Lapid said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine will "change the structure of the European and Middle Eastern energy markets," adding that there are risks but the crisis also offers "opportunities which we must examine together."

In July 2021, the Israeli government approved the 6 billion Euro EastMed project which would have created a new gas pipeline from Israel and Cyprus to Europe to lower dependency on Russian fuel.

However, it is doubtful if this pipeline will be built, as Turkey which is the largest gas consumer in the region has strong objections and the United States decided in January to rescind its support, citing economic and environmental reasons.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the global State of Venture 2021 report published by CB Insights earlier this year, Asia emerged as the top region for global deals in 2021 with a 36 per cent deal share.

The region saw 12,485 deals in 2021 out of the global total of 34,647, surpassing the US' 12,138 for the first time in seven years of tracking by CB Insights. China accounted for over half of Asia's total. Asia also saw a record year for funding dollars at USD 176 billion, an 89 per cent year-on-year increase.

In India, based on a PwC report, there is a unicorn created almost every week. As many as 43 Indian attained unicorn status last year, taking the total private startup unicorn count to 68 by the end of 2021. It expects this number to cross over the 100 mark by this year. Asia contributed to three out of the top ten countries leading in the number of unicorns created year on year. Besides India, the other two countries brimming with unicorns are China and South Korea.

This is not surprising as Asia has among the most dynamic startup scenes in the world and has quickly become a breeding ground for innovation over recent years.

About a week ago, to hitch on the business opportunity offered by the proliferation of startups, launched its for Founders Hub in Asia which it said will "empower startups' ambitions and fuel innovation to drive economic and societal progress for Asia and beyond".

says that the Founders Hub is a new digital and truly inclusive platform for Founders in Asia. It offers over USD300,000 worth of benefits and credits, giving startups free access to the technology, tools, and resources they need to build and run their business.

It further promises to empower entrepreneurs to innovate and grow by connecting them with mentors who will provide them with industry, business, and technical support to guide them through their next business milestones. In addition, founders will have access to Microsoft Learn and a variety of startup and unicorn programs to help them build connections with customers and accelerate their growth.

Those interested in signing up for this Microsoft scheme will first have to go to the Microsoft startups website where they will be prompted to use their LinkedIn details to provide further information about their idea or project. Information about the startup's website, a description of the project and the founder's background are required. The online form also asks for the firm's current stage of development, and funding stage as well as the names of current investors and accelerators.

For successful applicants, Microsoft is offering USD 1,000 Azure clouding computing credits for startups at the ideation stage, USD 5,000 for those at the development stage, USD 25,000 at the growth phase, and USD 120,000 for companies that are ready to scale their operations. The credits can grow up to USD 150,000 as the firm expands.

As part of the support to qualified startups, Microsoft is also offering productivity tools such as GitHub Enterprise, Visual Studio Enterprise and Microsoft 365.

Microsoft is not new to the venture capital scene. It has a venture fund named M12 that started in March 2016 and typically invests in startups in funding stages Series A to D.

Bengaluru-based SalesKen, the creator of an AI-driven analytical sales tool, is a beneficiary of Microsoft's M12 venture fund. SalesKen helps sales representatives in real-time customer conversations and relies on the Microsoft cloud as well as its rich ecosystem and co-sell opportunities.

Surga Thilakan, co-founder and CEO of SalesKen said, "Starting my business has not been without its challenges, including my family's concern in leaving my stable job. Thanks to my connections in the industry, I have been able to expand SalesKen's vision and scale, and attract investment from Sequoia India, and a Series B round of funding led by M12, Microsoft's Venture Fund."

Microsoft's launch of the Startups Founders Hubin Asia comes at a time when venture capital deals and dollars in India reached record highs in 2021. According to CB Insights, last year saw a total of USD 30.5 billion worth of deals in India with the number of deals numbering 1,736.

The Microsoft Startups Founders Hub looks like a smart way for Microsoft to not only tap into the startup scene and perhaps spot the next unicorn but also capture a larger market share for its products and services.

Singapore-based Jesus Martin, Chief Strategy, Microsoft Asia, explained that their cloud services and solutions are designed to empower founders to concentrate on what they do best and allow them to innovate at their own pace.

"Our aim is to give startups access to the technology that will power their innovation, connect them with customers, and an ecosystem of developers, partners and investors to help them scale in Asia and beyond," said Martin.

He added, "Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub was created following extensive research and conversations with hundreds of founders who explicitly shared their need for access to a digital ecosystem that promotes opportunities and democratises innovation regardless of background, location, progress, or passions. We look forward to how our new offering will support more founders in Asia and provide access to the technology, tools, and resources they need to build and run their business.

(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 supporters of Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have staged a protest in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates against Imran Khan's ouster as the Prime Minister through a no-confidence motion last night.

Taking to Twitter, Tehreek-e-Insaf said: "Dubai, UAE Call was for but Pakistanis across the globe standing up for #ImranKhan."

Meanwhile, in Pakistan, PTI has taken out massive rallies in several cities across the country. The cities include Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar, and Lahore with demonstrators shouting slogans against the Opposition.

On Monday, PTI chairman expressed gratitude to the people of the country for supporting the protests against his ouster as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

"Thank you to all Pakistanis for their amazing outpouring of support and emotions to protest against US-backed regime change abetted by local Mir Jafars to bring into power a coterie of pliable crooks all out on bail. Shows Pakistanis at home & abroad have emphatically rejected this," tweeted.

"Never have such crowds come out so spontaneously and in such numbers in our history, rejecting the imported govt led by crooks," he said in another Tweet.

On Sunday, the PTI supporters agitated outside former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's residence in London after was voted out of power by opposition parties.

The voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led PTI government began in the country's National Assembly late on Saturday night where 174 members recorded their votes in favour of the resolution that ousted Imran Khan.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's National Assembly will vote on April 11 (Monday) to elect a new 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.)
CreditAccess Grameen gained 2.33% to Rs 944.9 after the company announced decent business update for March 2022.

The micro finance institution's gross loan portfolio grew 22.2% year on year to Rs 16,601 crore in March 2022 as compared to March 2021. Gross Loan Portfolio of Madura Micro Finance (MMFL) grew 27.7% year on year to Rs 2,869 crore in March 2022.

Total disbursements stood at Rs 2,257 crore in March 2022, out which disbursement made by MMFL were at Rs 432 in March 2022. The micro finance had disbursed a total of Rs 1,746 crore in February 2022.

The NBFC saw improvement in asset quality on PAR front. Portfolio At Risk (PAR) is the percentage of gross loan portfolio that is at risk. As on March 2022, PAR 30 stood at 3% as compared to 5% in February 2022, PAR 60 stood at 2.6% in March 2022 as against 4.5% in February 2022, PAR 90 stood at 2.3% in March 2022 as against 4.1% in February. The NBFC said it registered a write off Rs 243.3 crore in March 2022 as per policy.

MMFL also registered an improvement is asset quality. As on March 2022, PAR 30 stood at 7.5% versus 9.8% in February 2022, PAR 60 stood 6% as compared to 7.9% in February 2022 while PAR 90 was at 4.9% in March as compared to 6.6% in February.

On the operational front, the micro finance lender's branch network grew by 15% YoY to 1,638 branches in March 2022.

CreditAccess Grameen is a microfinance institution focused on providing micro-loans to women customers predominantly in rural areas across India.

The micro finance company reported a standalone net profit of Rs 129.2 crore in Q3 FY22 as against a net loss of Rs 71.6 crore in Q3 FY21. Net Interest Income increased by 40.4% YoY to Rs 349.4 crore during the quarter. Net interest margin was 11.7% in Q3 FY22 as against 8.7% in Q3 FY21.

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JSW Utkal Steel (JUSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW Steel has today received the environmental clearance (EC) for setting up of a greenfield Integrated Steel Plant (ISP) of 13.2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) crude steel from the Union Ministry of Environment & Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).

The capital expenditure for the modern, green and environment-friendly integrated steel plant (ISP) project is expected to be approx.

Rs. 65,000 crore including associated facilities. The phase-wise work for the project will start once the land is handed over to the company by the government of Odisha.

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John J. Thomas, assistant project manager of real estate at Community Solutions, a nonprofit, spoke Monday at a news conference announcing a $3.7 million federal grant for renovations at the Swift Factory in North Hartford. Behind him are Harford Mayor Luke Bronin, left, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal. The event was in the space that will house a new branch of the Hartford Public Library. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant. (Cloe Poisson / Special to the Courant)

HARTFORD  The transformation of a 19th century factory in North Hartford is getting a boost from a $3.7 million federal grant announced Monday to establish a workforce training center, spaces for small businesses and a branch of the Hartford Public Library.

John J. Thomas, assistant project manager for real estate at Community Solutions, a local nonprofit, said the COVID-19 relief money from the U.S. Department of Commerce for the Swift Factory will help blunt the impact of years of discrimination against North Hartfords Black community.

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[ At Hartfords Swift Factory, entrepreneurs find space to build businesses, achieve dreams, and its just the beginning ]

Lenders for years made capital available to white neighborhoods, while excluding Black residents, he said.

Many in this state see funding like this as some sort of socialistic handout, but we see this as well-deserved social justice, Thomas said.

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Steven M. Harris grew up near the factory that once made gold leaf used on buildings across the country and on Connecticuts Capitol dome.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal speaks at a press conference announcing a $3.7 million federal grant for the renovations at the Swift Factory in Hartford's Northeast neighborhood, Monday, April 11, 2022. Among the speakers at the event are (l-r) Bridget Quinn, President and CEO, Hartford Public Library; U.S. Rep. John Larson, Helen Nixon, Co-chair, Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Zone; John J. Thomas, Assistant Project Manager, Real Estate, Community Solutions; Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin; and Courtenay Jackson, North Hartford Promise Zone Director. The event was held in the space that will house a new branch of the Hartford Public Library. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant (Cloe Poisson / Special to the Courant)

I used to pass this factory as a kid when folks worked here. I also passed it when no one worked here, when folks were leaving my neighborhood, he said at a news briefing announcing the grant.

Harris, 75, a member of the board of the Hartford Public Library and a retired city firefighter, credited Community Solutions and federal, state and local officials for not giving up on us and taking another chance.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Hartfords North End has faced economic disregard and abandonment resulting in deteriorating housing stock and dwindling job opportunities.

First floor space at the Swift Factory awaits finishing as a library. The 80,000 square foot community hub and business incubator houses a majority of Black-owned and women-owned businesses. Photograph by Mark Mirko | mmirko@courant.com (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

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

This federal grant to spur minority-owned business growth and train workers is a force multiplier for economic growth in this neighborhood, community and greater Hartford area, he said.

The imposing block-long 80,000-square-foot factory, which was built in stages from 1887 to 1948 and closed in 2005, houses mostly Black- and women-owned businesses such as a food business incubator and a kindergarten-to-first grade school. Its undergoing a $34 million redevelopment.

Workforce development will be a key component of the library branch, which will occupy a cavernous space dominated by a long wall of windows facing neighborhood homes. The branch will replace one on nearby Barbour Street and be more than seven times larger, at 15,000 square feet.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 8 Helen Nixon, Co-Chair, Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Zone, speaks at a press conference announcing a $3.7 million federal grant for the renovations at the Swift Factory in Hartford's Northeast neighborhood, Monday, April 11, 2022. The event was held in the space that will house a new branch of the Hartford Public Library. "This is a gold mine," she said, referring to the factory's past as a major producer of gold leaf, and its future impact on the neighborhood. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant (Cloe Poisson / Special to the Courant)

The revamped factory will help the community double-down on the efforts to support local entrepreneurs and job-seekers in North Hartford, Mayor Luke Bronin said.

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U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1, criticized Republicans, reminding the audience in election year comments that GOP members of Congress voted as a bloc against the COVID-19 rescue plan.

Helen Nixon, Co-Chair, Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Zone, speaks at a press conference announcing a $3.7 million federal grant for the renovations at the Swift Factory in Hartford's Northeast neighborhood, Monday, April 11, 2022. The event was held in the space that will house a new branch of the Hartford Public Library. "This is a gold mine," she said, referring to the factory's past as a major producer of gold leaf, and its future impact on the neighborhood. Photo by Cloe Poisson/Special to the Courant (Cloe Poisson / Special to the Courant)

Now because all the stimulus checks went out with the American Rescue Plan and funny thing in all those red districts theyre sending out letters asking people if they got their check, he said. Thats whats wrong with Congress currently is that theres not enough pulling together.

Stephen Singer can be reached at ssinger@courant.com.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday, 8 April 2022 imposed an aggregate penalty of Rs 90 lakh on IDBI Bank.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 8 April 2022 imposed an aggregate penalty of Rs 90 lakh on the bank, in exercise of powers vested in it under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Section 46(4)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 for non compliance with the directions issued by it on frauds-classification and reporting by commercial banks and select FIs; strengthening the controls of payment ecosystem between sponsor banks and scbs/ucbs as a corporate customer and cyber security framework in banks.

IDBI Bank stated that it has put in place necessary corrective actions to strengthen its internal control mechanisms so as to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

Shares of IDBI Bank were down 0.42% at Rs 47.30 on BSE. IDBI Bank is one of India's one of the state own largest bank having more than 1,890 branches with 3,300 ATM'S across the globe.

The net profit of IDBI Bank rose 52.81% to Rs 578.25 crore on 3.85% decline in total income to Rs 5,772.86 crore in Q3 December 2021 over Q3 December 2020.

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Shoppers Stop completed a further sale of 19.50% stake in Crossword on Friday i.e. 8 April 2022, reducing its stake to 29.50% held in the company.

The board on 31 August 2021 had approved the sale of 100% equity shares held by Shoppers Stop in Crossword Bookstores (Crossword) to Dinesh Gupta, Aakash Gupta & Family (owners of Agarwal Business House) (ASH), Pune.

On 11 October 2021, Shoppers Stop had completed the sale of 51% stake of the company in Crossword and Crossword had ceased to be a subsidiary of the company. In continuation to the same, Shoppers Stop plans to sell its entire 100% equity shares held in Crossword.

Shoppers Stop reported consolidated net profit of Rs 77.32 crore in Q3 December 2021 as against net loss of Rs 25.11 crore in Q3 December 2020. On a consolidated basis, net sales rose 33.82% to Rs 958.11 crore in Q3 December 2021 over Q3 December 2020.

Shares of Shoppers Stop rose 0.99% to Rs 464.05 on BSE. Shoppers Stop is the nation's leading premier retailer of fashion and beauty brands.

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TCS: IT major TCS will declare its Q4 result today, 11 April 2022.

Wipro: The IT major appointed Anis Chenchah as the member of the Wipro Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), APMEA (Asia Pacific, India, Middle East and Africa) region.

Tata Motors: Tata Motors' wholly owned subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said retail sales for the quarter ending 31 March 2022 were 79,008 vehicles, down 1% (1,118 units) from the previous quarter ending 31 December 2022 and 36% (44,475 units) from the quarter a year ago ending 31 March 2021.

Axis Bank: Axis Bank said that its board is scheduled to meet on Thursday, 28 April 2022, to consider raising funds by issue of debt Instruments, including but not limited to bonds and non-convertible debentures.

HDFC, Bandhan Bank: Housing Development Finance Corporation sold 3.08% stake in Bandhan Bank via bulk deal on Friday, 8 April 2022. Societe Generale bought 1,90,81,469 shares or 1.18% stake at an average price of Rs 306.55.

Shoppers Stop: The company has completed the sale of 19.50% of stake in Crossword. Accordingly, the company's equity stake in Crossword stands reduced to 29.50%.

Veranda Learning Solutions: Shares of the company will make its debut on the bourses today, 11 April 2022. The issue price is Rs 137 per equity share.

GTPL Hathway: GTPL Hathway reported 8.3% decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 56.6 crore on a 20.3% fall in total income to Rs 627.8 crore in Q4 FY22 over Q4 FY21.

Go Fashion (India): Go Fashion (India) said that ICRA had upgraded the long term and the short term ratings on the credit facitilies of the company. The credit rating agency has upgraded Go Fashion's long-term rating to '[ICRA] A' from '[ICRA] A-'. It has also upgraded the company's short-term rating to '[ICRA] A1' from '[ICRA] A2+'.

Seamec: Seamec and its consortium partner, Posh India Offshore has entered into an deal with Larsen & Toubro for diving related and other associated work through deployment of its vessel, Seamec Princess, for ONGC work of Pipeline Replacement project VII.

SMS Lifesciences: SMS Lifesciences on Friday announced that its manufacturing facility located at Sangareddy district in Telangana completed USFDA without any observations.

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Indias vaccination programme has seen some major changes in the past few days. The government has, for one, opened up access to booster shots  what it calls precaution doses  to all individuals over 18.

Those above the age of 18 who received their second shot more than nine months earlier will become eligible for a booster, which had already been opened up weeks ago to health care workers, frontline workers, and all those aged 60 and above. These additional shots, however, will have to be taken from private sector channels and not through the free ...
The BJP on Monday accused Congress leader of questioning the existence of Lord Ram and alleged that "petty politics" of the Congress leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and their "inciting" remarks have played a role in the recent violence in several states during Ram Navami processions.

Talking to reporters, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra called Gandhi a "chunavi Hindu" (Hindu for electoral purposes), and alleged that he pretends to be a Hindu.

The BJP was reacting to a recent public address of Gandhi during which he quoted a BJP leader, whom he did not name, as saying that he did not believe in reincarnation.

Then he asked him, Gandhi said, if he does not believe in reincarnation, then how can he believe in Ram.

During the speech, Gandhi also spoke about his conversation with a Dalit youth who had tried to commit suicide after violence against Dalits in Una in Gujarat.

Citing the conversation, he said, "If my sister had been assaulted I would have stabbed and killed her tormentor before dying," he added.

Patra seized on the former Congress president's remarks to hit out at him. This shows that Gandhi has faith neither in the Constitution nor in the judiciary, he added.

With Gandhi claiming that he had no interest in power despite being born in its midst, the BJP spokesperson said these remarks aimed at "provoking" people and "questioning" Ram's existence underline his desperation.

The Gandhi family can go to any extent to get power, he alleged.

"The way some leaders are questioning the existence of Lord Ram and are inciting people... This should not have happened. seems to be unable to tolerate that people in India have faith in Lord Ram. This shows the character of the Congress," he said.

Noting that Gandhi was described by his party as a "janeu-dhari Hindu", one who wears sacred thread, Patra said that by "attacking" Ram's existence, the Congress leader had shown himself to be someone who pretends to be a Hindu for electoral benefits.

The UPA government in an affidavit to the Supreme Court had said that there was no proof of Ram's existence, he said, adding that is treading on the same path as his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

This resulted in people finishing off the existence of the Congress in elections, and the opposition party will be taught a lesson again, he said.

In this context, Patra also condemned Thackeray for his jibe at the BJP that what issue the ruling party would have raised if Lord Ram was not born.

Opposition leaders can find thousands of reasons to attack the BJP but this is "petty politics", he said.

Referring to the violence in a number of states during Ram Navami processions, he said it is natural that such incidents will happen when senior leaders like Gandhi and Thackeray make such remarks due to their "appeasement" .

Chief ministers of opposition-ruled states like Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan have blamed right-wing groups for violence and have hit out at the BJP.

(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.)
Hitting back at former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, leader on Monday said that people like him have started spreading lies to save those who are responsible for violence in Khargone.

Quoting senior Singh's tweet, Mishra said, "One who called Kasab a Hindu again started spreading lies. There was no riot where I was. And yes, if the investigation is done then only name of a jihadi and a Congressman hiding behind him will come out in every riot. Jihadis pelted stones and set fire. People like Digvijaya have started spreading lies to save them."

Mishra told IANS that he was 40 kilometers away from the place where clashes took place. "I was in a village in another part of Khargone which is 40 kilometres from the place where violence erupted. The event I attended was peaceful and it can be checked from my timeline on social media," Mishra said.

Sharing a news report stating that leader Mishra was present during the violence in the Ram Navami procession in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone, tweeted, "Wherever steps in, there were riots. Will it be investigated?."

In Khargone, stones were hurled at a Ram Navami procession, triggering incidents of arson wherein some vehicles were set on fire, prompting authorities to clamp curfew in three areas and section 144 of CrPC in the entire city. Police fired tear gas shells to control the situation.

Some police personnel and people were injured during the stone-pelting as per the preliminary information. The procession was attacked by the people from a particular community, who objected to playing loud DJ music during the procession. This resulted into confrontation between the two communities (Hindu-Muslim), following which stone pelting was reported

Police had to face tough situations and tear gas shells were used to disperse the people creating ruckus. Additional forces from some other local police stations were alerted and deployed to the spot.--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.)
West Bengal Chief Minister on Monday said the unprecedented economic crisis in Sri Lanka will impact India, where businessmen and industrialists are isolated and disturbed.

She said corporates should be allowed to invest in the country for its sound economic health.

"Do you there will be no effect of the situation in Sri Lanka on India? Even the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is worried about the economy of our country," Banerjee said at the inaugural programme of 'Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan', an exhibition venue.

"We want industrialists and companies to invest and grow in India without any disturbance. I condemn the policy to isolate and disturb them, the chief minister said, without elaborating.

Banerjee also said 14 countries would participate in this year's Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) scheduled on April 20-21.

The annual event could not be held for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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leader on Monday urged all Indians to stand together to secure a just and inclusive India, saying hate and violence are weakening the country.

His remarks came a day after communal clashes broke out in Himmatnagar and Khambhat cities of Gujarat during Ram Navami processions, leaving one person dead, and also violence in the JNU campus over serving of non-vegetarian food on the festival.

"Hate, violence and exclusion are weakening our beloved country. The path to progress is paved with the bricks of brotherhood, peace and harmony. Let's stand together to secure a just, inclusive India," Gandhi said on Twitter.

On Sunday, two groups of students clashed at the Jawaharlal Nehru University's Kaveri Hostel allegedly over serving of non-vegetarian food on Ram Navami in the mess. Six students were injured in the violence.

Several purported videos of the violence surfaced on social media, with one them showing a student bleeding from the head. Officials have not confirmed the authenticity of the videos.

(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.)
RJD chief Lalu Prasad's elder son has invited Chief Minister to re-enter the 'Mahagathbandhan'.

Taking to Twitter, Tej Pratap has shared a poster with his picture on one side of the frame and "Entry Nitish Chacha (Uncle)" written on the other.

Tej Pratap's move comes at a time when the BJP and JD-U are at loggerheads over several issues, including caste-based census, leadership of NDA in Bihar, liquor ban, law and order situation.

Recently, BJP leader and minister Janak Ram had claimed that the BJP is the single largest party in Bihar Assembly with 77 seats while JD-U has only 45 seats. Hence the chief minister should come from the BJP quota. He also advocated for the ban on loudspeakers for Azan (prayers in mosques).

Several netizens took a dig at Tej Pratap for the post as few years ago, he had stood outside Rabri Devi's residence with a placard reading "No entry for Nitish Chacha."

Many have questioned him for backtracking from his earlier stand.

Notably, led JD-U contested the Assembly elections with RJD and Congress party in 2015 and formed the government.

In that election, JD-U managed to win only 69 seats while RJD won 80 seats, still Lalu Prasad Yadav gave the post of chief minister to .

After 15 months of governance, Nitish Kumar left the and joined NDA to form the government in Bihar. At that time, BJP had only 54 seats in the state Assembly.

Following the separation from Mahagathbandhan, RJD always claimed that the people of Bihar had given the mandate to Nitish Kumar to run the government with RJD and Congress and not with BJP. Still, Nitish Kumar went with BJP and formed the government. RJD alleged that Nitish Kumar stole the mandate of Bihar to form the government with BJP.

Following that episode, had stood with a placard reading "No entry of Nitish Kumar 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 legislature will be debating the extension of three orders originally by Gov. Ned Lamont. The two top leaders in the General Assembly - House Speaker Matt Ritter of Hartford and Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney of New Haven - are shown here at the Capitol. (Mark Mirko/AP)

HARTFORD  At a time when some thought that Gov. Ned Lamonts executive orders were a thing of the past, the state legislature is poised to extend three of the original orders that will expire this Friday.

The orders have already been codified into law, and the legislature will be voting on short-term extensions of those laws until June 30.

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Why are the extensions needed?

While the number of hospitalizations and infections have dropped sharply from the peak, the COVID pandemic is not over.

The most high-profile reminders that the pandemic continues is that it has reached the states top leaders.

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Gov. Ned Lamont tested positive last week, while Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz tested positive Sunday from a rapid self-test.

She is feeling well,' said Adam Joseph, Bysiewiczs chief of staff. Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz will isolate at home for the next five days, and will not be attending any in-person events this week.'

Lamont has been holding press conferences via Zoom, rather than in-person.

I tested negative today, which is great,' Lamont told reporters Monday. Susan was not happy that she tested positive first thing this morning. There is community spread. ... That said, were vaccinated. Were not going to the hospital. ... I hope were done with this in the next month or so, but time will tell.'

Lamont added, Today, I think Im 98%. Some of you may doubt that. He said he would start making public appearances probably in the next couple of days.

These are the three executive orders, codified as short-term laws, that are being extended:

Housing for the homeless

One of the three extensions would authorize the state to continue providing non-congregate housing to the homeless and other at-risk residents so that they are not placed into close quarters in bunk beds in shelters that can easily lead to the spread of COVID-19. The state has already received millions from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, known as FEMA, to carry out the program. The funding provides for housing to allow people in need of housing to be spaced apart and thus at lower risk of contracting and spreading the virus.

The state health commissioner, public safety commissioner and budget director are key players in arranging the housing and seeking reimbursement from the federal government.

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Vaccination information

Another extension would allow the states public health department to disclose a persons vaccination status to school nurses, local health directors and others as some residents have lost their vaccination cards.

This order permits health care providers to properly administer booster shots by making a persons vaccine information readily available even if the person has misplaced their original vaccination card,' according to a summary sent to legislators. It also permits school nurses and local health directors to access a persons vaccination status to properly respond to any COVID outbreaks within their jurisdiction.'

House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford said Republicans want to make sure that access to the vaccination database is restricted.

That could draw some no votes because there are general concerns to make sure that its limited to health care providers  like nurses and doctors  versus health districts,' Candelora said in an interview. If I went and got my vaccine at Walgreens, my doctors office doesnt necessarily have a record of that. It would enable these third-party providers to have access to verify whether or not Ive been vaccinated. ... I dont believe the health districts should need access to that information. I do think its helpful for doctors offices to be able to verify so theyre not double-vaccinating people.'

Nurses aides

A third extension allows officials to suspend various requirements for temporary nurses aides and allow them to keep practicing their profession because their skills are in high demand at nursing homes and other facilities.

The order allows the state public health commissioner to adopt, amend, implement, suspend, and revoke training, competency, scope of practice and temporary hiring policies concerning temporary nurse aides and grant a registration to an individual as a temporary nurse aide who complies with the policies adopted,' a summary states.

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Lamont said in his original order that the nurses aide program is successful in providing critically needed health care services and addressing statewide health care resource constraints, while also demonstrating the potential of an additional workforce development pipeline into traditional licensed health care professions.'

When will this happen?

The House is scheduled to vote Wednesday, and the Senate is also expected to vote this week.

Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com
One more person died on Monday after falling from a chopper during a rescue operation for trapped passengers following malfunction of a ropeway in Jharkhand's Deoghar district, pushing the toll to two, officials said.

Around 32 people have so far been rescued while 15 people remain trapped mid-air in a row of cable cars, nearly 28 hours after the accident took place around 20 km from the famous Baba Baidyanth temple in Deoghar town.

One person had died late on Sunday and 12 people were injured.

The rescued passengers were airlifted with the help of two Indian Air Force helicopters, Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said. The ropeway which runs through a picturesque and densely-forested valley is surrounded by hills, making the operation difficult, except by air.

"Thirty-two people were rescued with the help of choppers, while 15 people are still trapped mid-air in the cable cars suspended at varying heights, the maximum being nearly 1,500 feet. The rescue operation had to be stopped after sunset and will resume tomorrow," Additional Director General of Police, R K Mallick, told PTI over phone from the spot.

Mallick said there is heavy security deployment in the area and the rescue effort by joint teams of the Air Force, the Army, ITBP and NDRF will recommence early on Tuesday.

He also confirmed that one person fell from a chopper in the course of rescue and was rushed to hospital, where he died.

According to Deoghar Civil Surgeon C K Sahi, he succumbed to injuries after falling from a considerable height.

Local BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, however, claimed three people were killed in the accident that took place around 4 pm on Sunday.

Drones were used to supply food and water to those who remain trapped mid-air in the cable cars. Eleven of the stranded tourists were rescued Sunday night.

Expressing sorrow over the incident, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said rescue and relief operations are being conducted on war footing.

"The government is keeping a close watch on the situation," he said.

Governor Ramesh Bais said: "The accident on the ropeway built on Trikut mountain of Deoghar, a world-famous religious place, is very sad and painful. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and pray to Baba Baidyanath for the speedy recovery of the injured."

Health Minister Banna Gupta said an enquiry will be conducted and action would be taken against those found guilty of negligence.

The injured people were rescued and hospitalised, Bhajantri said, adding, one passenger died of injuries on Sunday after the accident that saw cable cars colliding with each other, due to a fault in the ropeway system.

The 766-metre Trikut ropeway, according to the Tourism Department, is India's highest vertical ropeway.

Sandip, who was stuck in a trolley for 19 hours, said, "I feel Baba Baidyanath gave me a second life. I can't explain the harrowing experience in a hanging trolley overnight. It was frightening."

He said the power supply of the trolley suddenly went off and it stopped mid-way.

"When I called on the helpline number around 4 pm on Sunday, I was told that it stopped due to a technical snag, which is being rectified. I again called them around 7 pm. They said the ropeway is not working and we will be rescued on Monday.

Added Devang Jaipal from West Bengal, "After offering prayers at Baba Baidyanath temple, I wanted to enjoy nature on this ropeway ride... who knew that I would be hanging in a trolley for a whole night?"

"With no food and water, we had a sleepless night on Sunday. On Monday, we were given some food and water through drones. Thanks to the administration for saving our lives," he said.

Meanwhile, BJP vice-president and former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das accused the state government of being inactive, even after such a major accident, and claimed that ministers hailing from the region did not visit the site.

"The government did not care about the lives of the people. The inability to make quick decisions resulted in passengers hanging in the air overnight," Das said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is keeping an eye on the entire incident, he said.

He also demanded that the Jharkhand government provide a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the next of kin of the deceased.

A similar cable car accident two-and-a-half years back in the ski-resort of Gulmarg, where the ropeway had snapped, resulted in a family of four and three tourist guides crashing to their death. Another ropeway accident in January 2019 in Jammu had caused the death of two workers.

(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.)
Security has been tightened at the Jawaharlal Nehru University to maintain peace and ensure no untoward incident takes place again, a day after a clash in the campus over non-vegetarian food, police said on Monday.

Two groups of students clashed at the Jawaharlal Nehru University's Kaveri Hostel on Sunday allegedly over serving of non-vegetarian food on Ram Navami in the mess, with police saying six students were injured in the .

According to police, the security both inside and outside the campus has been stepped up. Police personnel have been deployed only outside the campus till now while the security inside the campus is being taken care of by the university's security guards.

"Our personnel have not been deployed inside the campus yet because the varsity has not requested for our security yet. However, we are monitoring the situation," a senior police officer said.

"We have deployed our teams outside the campus. If the university makes a request, definitely our personnel will be deployed inside the campus. The university has its own security which has been deployed inside the campus," the officer added.

According to sources, the Vice-Chancellor of the university Santishree D Pandit was outstation when the incident took place and as the information reached her, she immediately reached last night to monitor the situation.

Several purported videos of the surfaced on social media, with one of them showing a student, Akhtarista Ansari, bleeding from the head. Officials have not confirmed the authenticity of the videos.

Meanwhile, taking to Twitter on late Sunday night, Ansari whose photo went viral said that she has been discharged from the hospital and was feeling better.

"I have been discharged from AIIMS and i am better now. Thanks to everyone for checking on me. The fight against the Sanghi goons and fascist forces will go on. Inquilab Zindabad. #ArrestSanghiGoons," she tweeted.

Also, on Monday registered an FIR against unknown ABVP students based on the complaint received from a group of students in connection with a clash in campus over non-vegetarian food.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Manoj C said that they have received a complaint from a group of students who are members of JNUSU, SFI, DSF and AISA early Monday morning against unknown ABVP students.

"Accordingly, we have a registered an FIR under section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). Further investigation is on to collect factual or scientific evidence and identify the culprits," he said.

The officer added that students belonging to ABVP have also intimated that they will be giving a complaint. On receipt of the same, necessary appropriate legal action will be taken.

The Students' Union (JNUSU) on Sunday alleged that Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad members stopped the mess vendor from supplying chicken to the mess and attacked him in the afternoon.

However, the right-wing ABVP denied the charge and claimed that Leftists obstructed a puja programme organised at the hostel on Ram Navami.

Both sides accused each other of pelting stones and injuring their members.

The JNUSU alleged that the ABVP, the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), used muscle power and goondaism "to create a ruckus, manhandled the staff and asked them not to prepare any non-vegetarian items.

"They were forcing and attacking the mess committee to change the dinner menu and exclude the usual non-vegetarian items in it for all students," it alleged.

"JNU and its hostels are meant to be inclusive spaces for all and not one particular section," it said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ukraine's president warned his nation Sunday night that the coming week would be as crucial as any in the war.

"Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

He accused Russia of trying to evade responsibility for war crimes.

"When people lack the courage to admit their mistakes, apologize, adapt to reality and learn, they turn into monsters. And when the world ignores it, the monsters decide that it is the world that has to adapt to them. will stop all this," Zelenskyy said.

"The day will come when they will have to admit everything. Accept the truth," he said.

He again called on Western countries, including Germany, to provide more assistance to . During talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelenskyy said he discussed "how to strengthen sanctions against Russia and how to force Russia to seek peace."



"I am glad to note that the German position has recently changed in favour of . I consider it absolutely logical," Zelenskyy 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.)
Four electronic-scooters burst into flames in quick succession in as many parts of the country late last month. And the news spread like wildfire with the visuals and video footage of the burning two-wheelers flooding social media platforms.

The manufacturers, on their part, went into fire-fighting mode. They claimed that the battery-run two-wheelers were as safe as the vehicles that run on internal combustion engines.

They also rejected the theory, which has been doing the rounds on social media platforms, that such vehicles were not fit to withstand Indian conditions-- like the heat, potholed roads and heavy loads.

But why did these scooters catch fire?

The only common link between these scooters is fixed lithium-ion batteries.

In December last year, e-scooters were banned from the public transport network in London over safety reasons. Officials there said that hurriedly-packed or defective batteries had led to a spate of fire incident in such scooters.

Experts point out three main reasons for battery failure, which lead to fire.

The first is their improper packaging. Then the bad quality of cells and the third is improper battery management system (BMS) which determines how the battery should accept charge and how it discharges. It works like the brain of the battery.

A Lithium-ion battery is composed of hundreds of lithium-ion cells. And a deformity in one cell leads to a chain-reaction which engulfs all other cells. Also densely-packed cells will have less room to breathe and may also cause problems.

Experts also pointed out that the overcharging may lead to formation of crystals on the surface of anode. And if it grows larger and goes on to touch the cathode, it will cause a short circuit. Thats why most e-scooters now come with an auto-cut off system.

Meanwhile, Arun Shreyas, co-founder and CEO of RACEnergey attributes these fire incidents to the urgency of a few companies who skipped proper validation and testing.

Suhas Rajkumar, Founder & CEO of Simple Energy Pvt. Ltd believes that the fire in E-scooters may turn out to be good news for the industry. He told a national daily that these incidents will make people realise the importance of R&D and safety standards of the battery itself.

The government too has launched an investigation into the incident of fires. Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES), which comes under Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has been tasked with the responsibility to find out the cause. In India, all vehicles should conform to Central Motor Vehicle Act standards.

According to a business daily, the government can also ask Ola and Okinawa to recall their two-wheelers.

The manufacturers too are trying to douse the flames and get to the root of the problem before it spooks the buyers. They want to present e-scooters as a realistic personal transportation option.

The government is also working to establish standards for battery-swapping services for .

By 2030, it expects electric scooters and motorcycles to make up 80% of the total sales of two wheelers. Right now it is just 2%. But these recent incidents of fire may cast a shadow over such a plan.

NITI Aayog has joined hands with the Bureau of Indian Standards, Department of Science and Technology for detailed technical standards for batteries.



Incidents of electronic scooters catching fire are clearly not good for their makers and the government too, which wants to shift the country away from fossil fuels.



The companies on their part should ensure that the report of probe into these incidents are taken seriously, and made public too. It is said that the image of Tata Nano took a hit due to similar reasons.
and financial institutions are required to follow certain customer identification procedures for the opening of accounts and monitor transactions of suspicious nature for the purpose of reporting them to appropriate authorities. These guidelines are in the form of Know Your Customer, Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Financing of Terrorism regulations.

The objective of these guidelines is to prevent and financial institutions from being used, intentionally or unintentionally, by criminal elements for money laundering or terrorist financing activities. KYC procedures also enable to understand their customers and their financial dealings better which in turn helps them manage their risks prudently.

Every bank should develop a clear customer acceptance policy laying down explicit criteria for the acceptance of customers. No account shall be opened in an anonymous or fictitious name.

Banks cannot open an account when it is unable to verify the identity or obtain required documents. A bank can also consider closing an existing account under similar circumstances.

It is important to note that the adoption of the customer acceptance policy and its implementation should not be too restrictive resulting in the denial of banking facility to people who are financially or socially disadvantaged.

Next comes customer identification, which means undertaking client due diligence measures while commencing an account-based relationship. This includes identifying and verifying the customer on the basis of one of the officially valid documents.

For opening accounts of individuals, banks should obtain one certified copy of an officially valid document containing details of identity and address, one recent photograph and other documents pertaining financial status of the customer as may be required.

Banks are allowed to adopt simplified measures and accept certain other documents in respect of low risk customers.

Continuous monitoring is an essential element of effective KYC procedures. Banks are expected to closely examine the transactions to ensure that they are consistent with the customers profile and source of funds. The extent of monitoring will depend on the risk category of the account with high-risk accounts subjected to intensified monitoring.

Banks should exercise continuous due diligence with respect to the business relationship with every client and closely examine the transactions in order to ensure that they are consistent with their knowledge about the clients, their business and risk profile.

The Board of Directors should ensure that an effective AML/CFT programme is in place by establishing appropriate procedures and ensuring their effective implementation.
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Whats new: China will boost cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries in the areas of vaccines, medication and health amid the global economic uncertainties associated with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Premier Li Keqiang said at a forum on Sunday.

A communication center will be set up in Macao to deepen cooperation between China and Lusophone nations on epidemic prevention to further improve the global health governance system, Li said in a video address at the opening ceremony of a special ministerial conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, also known as Forum Macao.

Noting that Macao  a Chinese special administrative region and former Portuguese colony  is a bridge that connects China and Portuguese-speaking countries, Li said that the central government will continue to support the region in its development as a service platform for business cooperation with the countries.

He also stressed the importance of openness in boosting global economic recovery, especially in areas of trade and investment with Lusophone countries, as well as infrastructure connectivity, industrial cooperation, green trade, energy conservation and environmental protection.

The background: The forum, which was held simultaneously in Beijing and Macao, was attended by government delegates from China, Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, and Timor-Leste.

Trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries has exceeded $100 billion for five consecutive years, reaching $200 billion last year, which demonstrates the resilience and potential of cooperation, Li said.

Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use.

Contact reporter Kelsey Cheng (kelseycheng@caixin.com) and editor Joshua Dummer (joshuadummer@caixin.com)

Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go.

Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter.
Whats new: Li Guorong, a former bank regulator in Southwest Chinas Sichuan province, was expelled from the Communist Party and removed from public office for taking bribes, Chinas top antigraft agency said Monday in a statement.

Li, 46, accepted illegal payments related to the failure of troubled Baoshang Bank Co. Ltd. while serving as a senior executive responsible for the banks government takeover, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said. Li took bribes from entrepreneurs and abused his power to offer them help in loan interest relief, loan issuance and extensions as well as debt restructuring, the CCDI said.

Li was a deputy head of a team appointed by the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) and the central bank to take over Baoshang Bank in 2019 in Chinas first state takeover of a commercial lender in 20 years.

The official was put under investigation in July. Even during the probe, he showed no regret and continued wrongdoing, the commission said. Lis case was referred for criminal prosecution.

The background: Li joined the predecessor of the CBIRC in 2003 and was transferred to its Sichuan branch in 2016 to act as a deputy director. In 2018, Li became a member of a team sent to Chengdu Rural Commercial Bank Co. Ltd. to study the lenders risky dealings with controlling shareholder Anbang Insurance Group Co. Ltd.

In February 2021, Inner Mongolia-based Baoshang Bank was declared bankrupt by a court, making it the first Chinese bank failure in decades. The collapse of Baoshang Bank, which was exposed to serious credit risks, sent tremors through the countrys financial markets and rattled investors confidence in smaller financial institutions.

Li is among several former CBIRC officials who are under investigation in relation to Baoshang Bank. Xue Jining, a former head of the Inner Mongolia branch of the CBIRC, was accused of receiving over 400 million yuan of bribes.

Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use. To read the full story in Chinese, click here.

Contact reporter Denise Jia (huijuanjia@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bob.simison@caixin.com)

Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go.

Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter.
China has set up the worlds highest automatic weather station on Mount Everest as part of the Peak Mission scientific expedition launched April 28. The weather station sits over 8,800 meters above sea level on the worlds highest mountain, known locally as Mount Qomolangma. More than 270 researchers participated in the expedition, among whom 13 reached the summit on Wednesday. The team is the first to make the famous climb from China this year

May 06, 2022 08:15 PM
Connecticut Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz speaks to reporters before touring storm damage in the area on Aug. 7, 2020, in Westport, Conn. The lieutenant governor's chief of staff said Monday that she tested positive for COVID-19. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) (John Minchillo/AP)

HARTFORD  Four days after the governor announced that he has the coronavirus, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz also has tested positive, according to her chief of staff.

On Sunday, Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz took a regularly-scheduled COVID-19 rapid self-test which showed a positive result, chief of staff Adam Joseph said in a news release Monday morning. She took a PCR test this morning and is awaiting the results. Our office will be conducting contact tracing this morning to identify and inform close contacts over the last five days.

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Bysiewicz is feeling well, Joseph said. She will isolate at home for the next five days in accordance with CDC guidance.

He said the lieutenant governor advises anyone who is eligible to receive their booster shots.

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Lt. Governor Bysiewicz was scheduled to receive her second booster shot later this week. She encourages all residents to get vaccinated and receive their initial or second booster shoot when eligible to protect themselves, their loved ones and our greater Connecticut community.

[ Connecticut Gov. Lamont tests positive for COVID-19; will quarantine at home for five days ]

Gov. Ned Lamont announced that he tested positive Thursday. He has no symptoms, he said. Lamont had just received his second booster shot the week before.

He tweeted shortly after the news was released Thursday. I wanted you to hear straight from me that I tested positive for COVID-19 today. I feel good, and Im not experiencing any symptoms. Weve done contact tracing to let people know. Thankfully, Im double boosted, and I encourage everyone to get your vaccine and boosters if eligible.

With the BA.2 subvariant spreading, the number of people testing positive has been increasing nationally, including among well-known Washington lawmakers like Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as lawmakers in Connecticut.

Since the start of April, Connecticut saw an increase in its COVID-19 positivity rate and its count of patients hospitalized with the disease.

[ COVID-19 positivity rate, hospitalizations are rising in Connecticut due to BA.2 subvariant ]

As of Thursday, the states positivity rate was at its highest level since mid-February, though that number is likely skewed by recent changes in how the states data is reported. Hospitalizations are up 57% since Monday and at their highest level since mid-March.

Individual COVID-19 cases have risen slightly as well and are likely undercounted due to the prevalence of at-home tests, whose results are not reported to the state.

Christine Dempsey may be reached at cdempsey@courant.com.

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Rankings reflect sales for the week ending Saturday, April 2, which were reported on a confidential basis by vendors offering a wide range of general interest titles. Picture Book rankings include hardcover sales only. Series rankings include all print and e-book sales.

Every week, thousands of diverse selling locations report their actual sales on hundreds of thousands of individual titles. The panel of reporting retailers is comprehensive and reflects sales in stores of all sizes and demographics across the United States. An asterisk (*) indicates that a books sales were barely distinguishable from those of the book above. A (b) indicates that some bookstores reported receiving bulk orders.

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PICTURE

1. NANA LOVES YOU MORE, by Jimmy Fallon. Illustrated by Miguel Ordonez. (Feiwel & Friends) A nanas love runs deep. (Ages 1 to 3)

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2. HOW TO CATCH THE EASTER BUNNY, by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton. (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) The Easter Bunny avoids traps in order to deliver eggs and candy. (Ages 4 to 8)

3. ANTIRACIST BABY, by Ibram X. Kendi. Illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky. (Kokila) Nine steps to raising an anti-racist child. (Ages 0 to 3)

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4. PETE THE CAT: BIG EASTER ADVENTURE, by James Dean and Kimberly Dean. (HarperFestival) A certain rabbit needs Petes help. (Ages 4 to 8)

5. THE GOOD EGG PRESENTS: THE GREAT EGGSCAPE!, by Jory John. Illustrated by Pete Oswald. (HarperCollins) Good Egg and his pals escape their carton! (Ages 4 to 8)

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6. IM NOT SCARED, YOURE SCARED, by Seth Meyers. Illustrated by Rob Sayegh. (Flamingo) Brave Rabbit and cowardly Bear go on an adventure together. (Ages 3 to 7)

7. PRETTY PERFECT KITTY-CORN, by Shannon Hale. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. (Abrams) Unicorn learns to embrace his flaws. (Ages 4 to 8)

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8. DRAGONS LOVE TACOS, by Adam Rubin. Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri. (Dial) What to serve your dragon-guests. (Ages 3 to 5)

9. THE WONDERFUL THINGS YOU WILL BE, by Emily Winfield Martin. (Random House) A celebration of future possibilities. (Ages 3 to 7)

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10. GOOD NIGHT, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK, by Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry. (Clarion) Blue and Toad offer shelter from a storm to other farm animals. (Ages 4 to 7)

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MIDDLE GRADE HARDCOVER

1. WONDER, by R.J. Palacio. (Knopf) A boy with a facial deformity starts school. (Ages 8 to 12)

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2. REFUGEE, by Alan Gratz. (Scholastic) Three children in three different conflicts look for safe haven. (Ages 9 to 12)

3. DAUGHTER OF THE DEEP, by Rick Riordan. (Disney-Hyperion) Ana Dakkar faces the weekend trials at the Harding-Pencroft Academy. (Ages 9 to 12)

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4. THE LAST CUENTISTA, by Donna Barba Higuera. (Levine Querido) Petra is one of the last people who have memories of the planet Earth. (Ages 10 to 14)

5. OUT OF MY HEART, by Sharon M. Draper. (Atheneum) In this sequel to Out of My Mind, Melody goes to summer camp. (Ages 10 and up)

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6. GROUND ZERO, by Alan Gratz. (Scholastic) Parallel storylines of Brandon and Reshmina take place on Sept. 11, in 2001 and 2019. (Ages 9 to 12)

7. STUNTBOY, IN THE MEANTIME, by Jason Reynolds. Illustrated by Raul the Third. (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy) As a coping mechanism for his frets, a young boy creates a superhero alter ego. (Ages 7 to 12)

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8. PAX, JOURNEY HOME, by Sara Pennypacker. Illustrated by Jon Klassen. (Balzer and Bray) A boy and his pet fox reunite after a year of separation. (Ages 8 to 12)

9. THE OGRESS AND THE ORPHANS, by Kelly Barnhill. (Algonquin) A kind ogress is blamed for the woes of the town of Stone-in-the-Glen. (Ages 10 to 18)

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10. WILLODEEN, by Katherine Applegate. (Feiwel & Friends) Willodeen investigates the disappearance of hummingbears from Perchance. (Ages 8 to 12)

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YOUNG ADULT HARDCOVER

1. A MAGIC STEEPED IN POISON, by Judy I. Lin. (Feiwel & Friends) In an attempt to save her sisters life, Ning takes part in a cutthroat magical competition. (Ages 13 to 18)

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2. ONE OF US IS LYING, by Karen M. McManus. (Delacorte) For five students, a detour into detention ends in murder. (Ages 14 and up)

3. SO THIS IS EVER AFTER, by F.T. Lukens. (Margaret K. McElderry) A new king must find a spouse before his 18th birthday in order to stay alive. (Ages 14 and up)

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4. GALLANT, by V.E. Schwab. (Greenwillow) Olivia uncovers long-buried family secrets after arriving at Gallant. (Ages 13 to 17)

5. YOUVE REACHED SAM, by Dustin Thao. (Wednesday) After the death of her boyfriend, Sam, Julie can still reach him via cellphone. (Ages 12 to 18)

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6. IRON WIDOW, by Xiran Jay Zhao. (Penguin Teen) Zetian becomes a Chrysalises pilot to battle the Hunduns but has an ulterior motive. (Ages 14 to 17)

7. THE HAWTHORNE LEGACY, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. (Little, Brown) Avery and the four Hawthorne grandsons have a new family puzzle to solve. (Ages 12 to 18)

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8. THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, by Chloe Gong. (Margaret K. McElderry) A re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai. (Ages 14 to 18)

9. LOVELESS, by Alice Oseman. (Scholastic) Georgia, a British teenager, works on accepting her aro-ace identity. (Ages 14 to 18)

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10. I MUST BETRAY YOU, by Ruta Sepetys. (Philomel) In 1989, Cristian Florescu is an informant for the secret police in communist Romania. (Ages 12 to 17)

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SERIES

1. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. (Amulet) The travails and challenges of adolescence. (Ages 9 to 12)

2. HARRY POTTER, by J.K. Rowling. (Scholastic) A wizard hones his conjuring skills in the service of fighting evil. (Ages 10 and up)

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3. A GOOD GIRLS GUIDE TO MURDER, by Holly Jackson. (Delacorte) Pippa Fitz-Amobi solves murderous crimes. (Ages 14 and up)

4. PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS, by Rick Riordan. (Disney-Hyperion) A boy battles mythological monsters. (Ages 9 to 12)

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5. WINGS OF FIRE, by Tui T. Sutherland. (Scholastic) Only the five dragonets of destiny can unite the seven warring dragon tribes. (Ages 9 to 12)

6. WHO WAS/IS ...?, by Jim Gigliotti and others; various illustrators. (Penguin Workshop) Biographies unlock legendary lives. (Ages 8 to 11)

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7. FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDYS: FAZBEAR FRIGHTS, by Scott Cawthon. (Scholastic) Short stories from the twisted, sinister world of Five Nights at Freddys. (Ages 12 to 18)

8. I SURVIVED, by Lauren Tarshis. (Scholastic) Youngsters tales of living through dangerous historical events. (Ages 9 to 11)

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9. MAGIC TREE HOUSE, by Mary Pope Osborne. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. (Stepping Stone/Random House) These siblings can overcome space and time. (Ages 6 to 9)

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10. CRAVE, by Tracy Wolff. (Entangled Teen) Grace attends Katmere Academy among supernatural beings. (Ages 14 to 18)

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How US spread biological 'poison', ethnic division and ideological antagonism around the world

By Zhang Mengxu (Global Times) 13:47, April 11, 2022

Editor's Note:

Since the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine began, the international community has grown increasingly aware of the roles the US and NATO have played behind the crisis.

From funding biological labs to creating ethnic division and ideological confrontation around the world, from imposing sanctions on "disobedient countries" to coercing other nations to pick sides, the US has acted like a "Cold War schemer," or a "vampire" who creates "enemies" and makes fortunes from pyres of war. The Global Times is publishing a series of stories and cartoons to unveil how the US, in its superpower status, has been creating trouble in the world one crisis after another. This is the fifth installment.

After World War Two (WWII), the US ran amok around the world, leaving behind a plague of war and hatred wherever they went. Whether on the biological front or in the ideological front, the US is the top "poison disseminator."

Mysterious bio-labs

Since conflict broke out between Russia and Ukraine, biological laboratories in Ukraine that are funded by the US caught global attention.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on March 22 that Russia cannot tolerate the US setting up biological laboratories in Ukraine with the prospects of developing biological weapon components, TASS reported.

Earlier that month, Russian defense ministry also disclosed that US spent more than $200 million on biolaboratories in Ukraine, TASS said.

The Russian military said they had gotten hold of documents confirming that Ukraine developed a network of at least 30 biological laboratories that host extremely dangerous biological experiments, aimed at enhancing the pathogenicity of plague, anthrax, tularemia, cholera, and other lethal diseases with the help of synthetic biology. This work is funded and directly supervised by the US' Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) in the interest of the Pentagon's National Center for Medical Intelligence, according to a statement by Russian Permanent Representative to UN Vassily Nebenzia.

The Russian defense ministry said that it learned of the details regarding a project implemented at laboratories in Kiev, Kharkov, and Odessa, which studied the possibilities of spreading particularly dangerous infections through migratory birds, including the highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza (lethal to humans in 50 percent of cases) and the Newcastle disease.

As part of some other projects, bats were considered as carriers for potential biological weapon agents. Among the priorities identified are the study of bacterial and viral pathogens that can be transmitted from bats to humans: pathogens of the plague, leptospirosis, brucellosis, as well as the coronaviruses disease, and filoviruses.

The analysis of the obtained materials confirms the transfer of more than 140 containers with ectoparasites from bats from a bio-lab in Kharkov abroad, according to Nebenzia's statement.

The bio-labs in Ukraine are only a handful of the 336 biological laboratories the US reportedly funds in 30 countries around the world. Most of these labs are located in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa, and along the perimeter of former USSR, according to the Russian defense ministry.

Despite covert behaviors, the dubious activities of the US' overseas bio-labs had previously been revealed.

In August 2021, a South Korean civic group sued the Fort Detrick bio-labs and the US Forces Korea (USFK) over the smuggling of toxic substances to US military bases there in violation of domestic law.

In December 2015, the South Korean Yonhap News Agency revealed that the USFK had staged 15 experiments using neutralized anthrax samples at the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul from 2009 to 2014.

US officials gave incongruous responses to the bio-lab issue since Russia disclosed relevant documents. They admitted to the existence of such labs but failed to provide substantial evidence that the programs they funded were to promote public health. Thus, it increased the world's suspicions over such labs.

Creating turmoil and division

The US prides itself on being the "city upon the hill" and a "beacon of democracy." However, the history of the US was full of wars and killing. During its over 240 years of history, there were only 16 years when the US was not at war.

After the end of WWII, the US became the most powerful country in the world, however, war became an important tool for the US to maintain its own hegemony.

Data shows that from the end of WWII to 2001, the US initiated 201 of the 248 armed conflicts worldwide in 153 locations, accounting for over 80 percent of total conflicts.

The Korean War (1950-53), for example, resulted in the deaths of more than 3 million civilians and created approximately 3 million refugees, and almost all major cities in the Korean Peninsula were left in ruins.

However, the US evidently lacked self-reflection after the Korean War. Immediately after the end of the Korean War, the US intervened in Vietnam in the 1950s under the pretext of preventing the expansion of Communism in Southeast Asia. During the Vietnam War, the brutality of the US army made the war the longest and most brutal war since WWII.

The Vietnamese government estimates that as many as 2 million civilians died in the war, many of whom were slaughtered by US forces in the name of fighting Viet Cong communists.

In March 1999, under the banner of "avoiding humanitarian disaster," NATO forces led by the US openly bypassed the UN Security Council and carried out the bombing of Yugoslavia for 78 days, causing death of many innocent civilians.

After the September 11 attacks in 2001, the US first invaded Afghanistan in the name of fighting Al Qaeda and the Taliban and then launched a war in Iraq under trumped-up charges.

Over the years, the US instigated the "Arab Spring," igniting civil wars in Libya and Syria.

Since 2001, wars and military operations by the US have claimed more than 800,000 lives and displaced tens of millions of people.

"We inflated the stature of our enemies to match our need for retribution. We launched hubristic wars to remake the world and let ourselves be remade instead...We midwifed worse terrorists than those we set out to fight," New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg wrote in September 2021, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Exporting 'democracy'

Former US president Jimmy Carter once said that the US is "the most warlike nation in the history of the world" due to a desire to impose American values on other countries.

The Cold War was, to some extent, a global confrontation born of ideological opposition. In this process, the US established its own discourse system and promoted a so-called "liberal democracy," which was the foundation of its cultural hegemony.

In his book, America's Deadliest Export: Democracy, the Truth About US Foreign Policy, and Everything Else, American diplomat William Blumm reveals the close connection between America's foreign expansion and its "democracy export."

Between 1947 and 1989, the US carried out 64 covert operations of subversion and six overt ones, wrote Lindsey O'Rourke, a political scientist at Boston College, in her book Covert Regime Change: America's Secret Cold War.Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador, Bolivia, El Salvador, Grenada, Honduras, Panama, Haiti, Venezuela...Of all America's Latin American neighbors, there were few who have not faced meddling from the US.

After the end of the Cold War, the US became more unscrupulous in promoting interventionism and frequently exported "color revolutions."

A US Congressional investigation in 1976 revealed that nearly 50 percent of the 700 grants in the field of international activities by the principal foundations were funded by the CIA, Frances Stonor Saunders wrote in the book Who Paid the Piper? The CIA and the Cultural Cold War.

These foundations support elites and students from other countries to study in the US and select and support "opinion leaders" who serve the interests of the US.

The US has also long linked economic aid to the "democratic revolution" and put pressure on some developing countries through its leading international financial institutions.

Far from achieving stability and prosperity, most of the recipients of the US' version of democracy seem to be trapped in the "democratic curse" of political turmoil and national retrogression.

As Michael Parenti, an American political scientist pointed out, the US has been wearing these "democratic" glasses for years. An inexplicable sense of superiority has led the US to stand on the notion of it being the so-called "city on a hill", regarding its democracy as an "international model," an unsupported hypothesis, and point fingers at other countries. The US' enthusiasm for "democracy export" is not really about democracy, but about maintaining American hegemony.

As former US President Bill Clinton said, "defending freedom and promoting democracy in the world is not just a reflection of our deepest values. They are vital to our national interest."

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Hampton University has canceled outstanding balances before. The school used funds from the Federal Relief Act to pay off outstanding balances from the spring semester last year.

Hampton University is offering students some financial relief.

University President William R. Harvey announced last week that the school decided not to increase tuition, fees and room and board for next school year. The school has also erased all outstanding balances from the spring semester.

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Harvey said many of students and families are still experiencing financial hardship from the pandemic.

In keeping with the Universitys efforts to help our students, there will be no increase in tuition, fees, room and board for the 2022-2023 academic year, Harvey said in a news release. In addition, on behalf of the University, I am pleased to announce that all outstanding balances for the Spring 2022 semester will be erased. We hope that this action will continue to assist our students and their families at our Home by the Sea.

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Hampton has canceled outstanding balances before. The school used funds from the Federal Relief Act to pay off outstanding balances from the spring semester last year.

The most recent announcement came about three weeks after the university said for the summer semester, it would accept 50 to 100 students who have been studying in Ukraine.

The school is covering tuition, housing and meal plans for the Ukrainian students. Those who want to continue studying at Hampton after the summer semester will be able to enroll but will have to pay the schools regular rate.

The decision drew criticism from current students and alumni who say the school should use the funds to help past, present and future students, according to a report from NewsOne, an online outlet.

Jessica Nolte, 757-912-1675, jnolte@dailypress.com
STUART  A police pursuit prompted by a call about an intruder at a state park in Virginia has left an elderly man dead and a North Carolina woman charged with vehicular homicide.

Virginia authorities said rangers at the Staunton River State Park found 41-year-old Christine S. Barnette of Cary, North Carolina, in an unoccupied, unrented cabin Friday.

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Police said that as park rangers approached, Barnette ran from the cabin and got into her car, which rangers began pursuing.

The Halifax County Sheriffs Office joined the pursuit, which passed through Pittsylvania County, Henry County, the city of Martinsville and Patrick County.

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Authorities said Barnette was contained at one point before she rammed two sheriffs vehicles near South Boston and continued to flee.

Authorities said officers also tried several times to disable Barnettes car with spike strips, but that she managed to avoid each attempt.

The pursuit ended on Route 58 in Patrick County when Barnette crossed the median and collided head-on with a vehicle driven by Bobby Wayne Gammons, 81 of Mount Airy, North Carolina.

Gammons died at the scene. Barnette was flown to Roanoke Memorial Hospital with serious injuries.

State police said Barnette is facing charges of breaking and entering, reckless driving, defrauding an innkeeper, felony eluding police, trespassing and vehicular homicide.
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Photo: The Canadian Press Cars drive near a damaged bridge following a Russian attack in Makarov, near Kyiv.

LVIV, Ukraine  The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol tells The Associated Press that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the southeastern city since the Russian invasion in February.

Mayor Vadym Boychenko told The Associated Press by telephone Monday that corpses were carpeted through the streets of our city and that the death toll could be more than 20,000.

Boychenko also said Russian forces have brought mobile crematoria to the city to dispose of the bodies and accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to disguise the carnage.

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. childrens agency says nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion, and the United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured though these numbers are likely much higher.

Manuel Fontaine, UNICEFs emergency programs director who returned from Ukraine last week, told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that of the 3.2 million children estimated to have remained in their homes nearly half may be at risk of not having enough food, and attacks on water system infrastructure and power outages have left an estimated 1.4 million people in the country without access to water.

He said the situation is worse in cities like Mariupol and Kherson in the south, which have been besieged by Russian forces where children and their families have spent weeks without running water, sanitation or a regular supply of food.

Hundreds of schools and educational facilities have been attacked or used for military purposes, Fontaine said. Others are serving as shelters for civilians.

He said school closings are affecting the education of 5.7 million school-age children and 1.5 million students in higher education.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina  Relatives of the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica are worried that the history is repeating itself in the war in Ukraine.

Hundreds of women who lost their sons, husbands and other relatives in the 1995 massacre of some 8,000 people in the eastern Bosnian town, on Monday demanded that all those who committed war crimes be brought to justice.

An association of the relatives of the Srebrenica victims, the Mothers of Srebrenica, has been active in keeping the memory alive of the Bosnian Serb execution of the Bosniak men and boys  who are mostly Muslim  in the late months of the 1992-95 War in Bosnia.

Sehida Abdurahmanovic says we spent all these years working to prevent this Srebrenica (killings) from happening to anyone else. But, she adds, we are really sad to say, but in todays Europe its happening again - Srebrenica is happening again.

LONDON  The World Bank says Ukraines economy will shrink by 45% this year because of Russias invasion, which has shut down half of the countrys businesses, choked off imports and exports, and damaged a vast amount of critical infrastructure.

Unprecedented sanctions imposed by Western allies in response to the war, meanwhile, are plunging Russia into a deep recession, lopping off more than a tenth of its economic growth, the Washington-based lender said in a report Sunday.

The report said economic activity is impossible in large swathes of areas in Ukraine because productive infrastructure like roads, bridges, ports and train tracks have been destroyed.

Ukraine plays a major role as a global supplier of agricultural exports like wheat but thats in question now because planting and harvesting have been disrupted by the war, the report said. The war has cut off access to the Black Sea, a key route for exports, including 90% of Ukraines grain shipments.

WARSAW, Poland  The mayor of Warsaw says a disputed compound administered by Russias diplomatic mission is being taken over by the city and will be made available to the Ukrainian community.

Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was at the site Monday and said that a bailiff had entered the two apparently empty buildings, dubbed spyville by Warsaw residents, to check their condition and to mark them as seized by the Town Hall.

It is very symbolic that we are closing this procedure of many years now, at the time of Russias aggression on Ukraine, Trzaskowski said on Twitter.

Russias Embassy, which had the tall apartment blocks built in the 1970s, has been refusing court orders to pay lease or to hand it over. Once busy, the buildings became empty in the 1990s, after Poland shed its communist rule and dependence from Moscow and after the Soviet Union dissolved.

Ever since, Poland has been saying that lease on the plot of land had expired and demanded it be returned.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark  The Danish Health Authority said Monday it will buy 2 million iodine tablets in case of a nuclear accident in our immediate area.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that it is important to be prepared, while the war in Ukraine shows that the world is unpredictable, the health authority said, adding it had based its recommendation on advice by the Danish Emergency Management Agency as well as impact calculations for the risk of a nuclear incident in Denmarks immediate area.

The tablets would cover the risk group which includes those up to age 18, health and emergency personnel under the age of 40, and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia  Slovakia has denied its S-300 air defense missile system it transported to Ukraine has been destroyed by the Russian armed forces.

Our S-300 system has not been destroyed, Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakias Prime Minister Eduard Heger said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.

She said any other claim is not true.

Earlier on Monday, the Russian military said it destroyed a shipment of air defense missile system provided by the West on the southern outskirts of the city of Dnipro.

The Russian side said Ukraine had received the air defense system from a European country that he didnt name. Last week, Slovakia said it has handed over its Soviet-designed S-300 air defense systems to Ukraine, which has pleaded with the West to give it more weapons, including long-range air defense systems.

MOSCOW  The Russian military says it has destroyed a shipment of air defense missile systems provided by the West.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the military used sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles to destroy four S-300 air defense missile launchers on the southern outskirts of the city of Dnipro. He said about 25 Ukrainian troops were also hit by the strike on Sunday.

Konashenkov said in a statement Monday that Ukraine had received the air defense systems from a European country that he didnt name. Konashenkovs claim couldnt be independently verified.

Last week, Slovakia said it had handed over its Soviet-designed S-300 air defense systems to Ukraine, which has pleaded with the West to give it more weapons, including long-range air defense systems.

Slovakias prime minister office issued a statement late Sunday calling the news that the S-300 system given to Ukraine was destroyed disinformation. It was unclear, however, whether both sides are referring to the same airstrike. The Russians have targeted missile defense systems in three different locations in recent days.
Photo: The Canadian Press

On the very same January day that a family of four from India died while trying to cross illegally from Manitoba to the U.S., six Mexicans were attempting a similar crossing some 1,500 kilometres away on the B.C.-Montana border.

In both cases, human smugglers were instrumental in organizing the crossings.

While the fate of the Patel family from Gujarat has garnered international media interest, there has been far less attention paid to the Mexicans who crossed the border on foot in freezing temperatures. Border officials say such crossings are not uncommon.

On Jan. 19 this year, at about 5 a.m., the U.S. Border Patrol learned through electronic surveillance that a group of people was attempting to cross into the U.S. illegally on foot near Rexford, Montana. Soon after, a border patrol agent stopped a suspected SUV with a Washington licence plate transporting six undocumented Mexicans.

Authorities accused the 51-year-old female driver and the 61-year-old male front passenger, both originally from Honduras but with legal permanent residence in Seattle, of illegal transport of aliens and conspiracy to transport aliens. Both carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine.

According to USBP documents, the driver admitted knowingly transporting illegal aliens for compensation. She said she was instructed to travel from Seattle, Washington to Eureka, Montana to a specific location that had been entered into her phone GPS and pick up four people.

She also admitted she paid her passenger $1,000 USD to accompany her as part of the scheme, the District Court states. Both accused have pleaded not guilty.

Documents claim that the six Mexicans, four women and two men, whose surnames do not refer to a direct family relationship, declared that they paid between $180 and more than $7,000 each to enter illegally into the U.S.

One of them said she paid $1,300 to the smuggler. She knew a vehicle would be picking her up and referred to the driver as Brownie. Another paid $4,000 to be smuggled and said she owed another $5,000 when she arrived in North Carolina.

Another immigrant claimed to have paid $180 for the service and planned to work off the reminder, though she didnt know how much that would be. She said she didnt know anything about the driver and passenger.

Two more claimed to have paid, in Mexican pesos, approximately $975 and $7,324 Cdn each. According to official documents, the last immigrant did not give any information on payment, only details on travel from Mexico to Canada and the location of the stay in Canada.

Jason A. Givens, public affairs officer with U.S. Border Patrol who handles Montana, told New Canadian Media that Mexican nationals are going to Canada and trying to illegally enter the U.S. from Canada because Canada has a Visa Waiver Program with Mexico.

Under the Conservative government of Stephen Harper, in 2009, Canada imposed a visa requirement on Mexicans to curb bogus asylum seekers. After pressure from Mexico, Canada lifted the visa requirement in 2016 and now only requires an Electronic Travel Authorization, which has facilitated the entry of more Mexicans.

Data from Statistics Canada indicate that 17,000 Mexicans entered Canada in December 2021. Before the pandemic, Mexican entry was reduced from 21,000 in March 2020 to 6,000 the next month. Since then, the number of Mexicans arriving in Canada as visitors, temporary farmworkers, international students or businesses has increased steadily from 8,000 in April 2021 to 18,000 in November 2021.

In some instances, Mexicans travel to Canada and try to enter from there, said Givens, who added that some individuals may have already been in Canada and decided to migrate to the U.S.

Individuals who illegally cross the border are generally unfamiliar with the area and typically pay someone to act as a guide as well as for transportation to and from either side of the border, he explained.

According to the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, encounters along the northern border declined in the Fiscal Year 2021 compared to 2020, but appear to be rising in 2022.

Juan Munoz, a Mexican labour liaison for farmers in Leamington, Ontario, argues that the main coyote (a person who smuggles immigrants) is the Canadian government through lifting the visa requirement for Mexicans. I have seen many Mexicans that arrive as tourists and are eager to find any kind of job, he told NCM.

Their desperation to work can make them easy prey for labour abuse where they are exploited for several months without any job protections, he added, recalling the death last January of a 27-year-old undocumented Mexican after falling from a roof on a Leamington farm.

Luis A. Mata, the coordinator of the anti-human trafficking program at the FCJ Refugee Centre, pointed out the difference between human smuggling and human trafficking.

Smuggling is to charge money to cross the border, but human trafficking implies controlling people for exploitation (sexual or labour). Both are a million dollars business, he said, adding that this is a systemic issue because migrants are treated as a salable, transferable, exploitable commodity.

Mata, an immigrant from Colombia who has been working against human rights violations for many years, said that the human smuggling-trafficking scheme has not been well documented or studied, but it is a reality that happens all the time.

Asked if human smuggling cases are increasing, Clair J. Howard, the public affairs officer at the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Montana, said that her office continues to see several cases a year and that there has not been a significant increase in the number of cases.

The death of the Patel family in Manitoba highlights the dangers inherent in human smuggling. Some smuggling cases have involved guns and high-speed chases.

On January 23, 2021, a man used a Nissan Sentra to pick up three men after they illegally crossed the border from Canada near Eureka, Montana. When spotted by border patrol, the driver sped up and led agents on a 122-km high-speed chase at speeds up to 200 km per hour, with the smuggled migrants in the back seat. The pursuit ended about 1.6 km north of Whitefish when law enforcement successfully spiked the Nissans tires.

The driver faced a possible sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release, but the court sentenced him to 238 days in custody and three years of supervised release.

Another border smuggling encounter took place on March 6 this year, southeast of Montreal near Plattsburgh, N.Y. After a high-speed chase, a USBP agent stopped a car with five immigrants, four from Guatemala and one from Mexico, ages 24 to 38. In this case, a passenger was found with a 9mm handgun, according to an official report.

Human smuggling across the Canadian border is dangerous both to those who are being smuggled and to Montanans who may cross paths with the smugglers, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme. He referred specifically to a November 2019 smuggling case that involved more than a dozen people and two vehicles in the US-Canada border in Glacier County.

Border Patrol stopped one vehicle with nine passengers. During a second vehicle stop, all the occupants ran into a nearby field. Agents found eight individuals within a few minutes. Officials took all the suspects to the Sweetgrass Border Patrol Station for processing.

Four of the transported immigrants told agents they had paid from $4,000 to $4,750 to be smuggled into the United States.

In April 2020 federal court in Great Falls sentenced three Mexican citizens for smuggling people. They received sentences of 158 and 159 days served.

Those who are smuggled and cannot pay the fee may be forced to work to pay it off. Those who prey on the aspirations of those from other countries wanting a better life for themselves, putting them and Montanans at risk, will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, Alme said in a press release.

In general, the northern border is subjected to a significantly lower number of illegal incursions than the southwest border. However, attempts at illegal immigration and smuggling regularly occur, said Givens.

While the six Mexican immigrants who crossed the border on January 19 were removed from the Border Patrol Station in Eureka and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to USBP, more immigrants are expected to continue crossing the porous line that divides Canada and the U.S.
Photo: Glacier Media

A Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure contractor is facing charges almost four years after a job-site chemical spill nearly wiped out the fish population of a West Vancouver creek.

On April 30, 2018, crews from Keller Foundations Inc. were working on a highway project near Horseshoe Bay when water from their cement operation discharged into Larson Creek, killing upwards of 80 cutthroat trout.

After an investigation by Environment and Climate Change Canadas enforcement branch, the Crown swore two federal Fisheries Act charges against Keller Foundations last week.

Documents filed in North Vancouver provincial court, where the case will be heard, show two counts of depositing a deleterious substance in water frequented by fish. One charge is for cement leachate. The other is for grout spoils.

West Vancouver Streamkeepers Society past president John Barker, who had been in touch with federal investigators almost every month since the incident, said he is pleased to see the process of accountability move forward.

I'm delighted that it's finally come to this. Streamkeepers have been following this for four years, he said. Finally, we may see some result that comes out from what we believe was a devastating experience for Larson Creek.

Barker said he believes the court process will draw a lot of attention.

A lot of people were aware of it. And a lot of people were quite annoyed, he said.

At the time of the spill, it was feared the entire population of genetically distinct cutthroat trout were wiped out but, since then, Barker said it is apparent that some survived in tributaries and the creek is showing signs of recovery.

Keller representatives are due for a first appearance in court in May.

A phone message left with Kellers Canadian legal department Friday afternoon was not immediately returned.
Followers of the Penamaluru MLA K Parthasarathi protest against the injustice of the Cabinet in Vijayawada on Bandar Road. (DC Image)

VIJAYAWADA: The cadre and followers of some YSR Congress MLAs staged a protest when they found their leaders had not picked for the the new Jagan Mohan Reddy ministry.

The followers of Macherla MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy burnt tyres and a bike at Macherla and blocked roads while shouting slogans. The Macherla municipal chairman, five MPPs, five ZPTCs, 65 MPTCs and 31 councillors submitted resignations to their posts.

In Guntur, followers and cadres of former home minister Mekathoti Sucharita staged a protest demanding her inclusion in the Cabinet. Several ZPTCs, MPTCs and municipal councillors announced that they are submitting resignations to their posts.

In Vijayawada, the supporters of YSRC MLA Kolusu Parthasarathy staged a protest in front of YSRC office and on the Bandar Road when he was not picked. The MLA rushed to the protestors and appealed to them to stop the agitation. He said the Chief MInister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy had offered him a minister post.

In Jaggayyapet, the Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway at Mullapadu crossroads was the venue of protests by supporters of local YSRC MLA Samineni Udayabhanu. They too burnt tyres and set fire to a bike. Several leaders led by Jaggayyapeta municipal chairman Prabhakar announced that they are going to quit their posts.

The supporters of YSRC MLA Silpa Chakrapani Reddy expressed anguish over non-selection of their leader in the new Cabinet. They said that five municipal councillors in Atmakur were going to submit resignations to their posts.
Photo: The Canadian Press The interior of a cell is seen during a media tour of renovations at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Halifax on Tuesday, May 15, 2018. The federal government says it will do away with the controversial practice of confining inmates to dry cells when they are suspected of carrying contraband in their vaginas. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

The federal government announced it would ban a controversial form of confinement for inmates suspected of carrying contraband in their vaginas, but critics say the government should reconsider the practice for everyone.

Dry cells are essentially a type of solitary confinement where prisoners suspected of carrying contraband in their bodies are subjected to 24-hour lights and surveillance, and deprived access to running water.

The idea is that they will eventually pass whatever substance they might be concealing so that authorities can retrieve it.

The federal prison watchdog, correctional investigator Ivan Zinger, called the conditions of dry cell confinement "by far the most degrading, austere and restrictive imaginable in federal corrections."

Former federal inmate Lisa Adams launched a court challenge against the practice after she was subjected to dry cell confinement for more than two weeks in 2020, when she was suspected of carrying crystal meth in her vagina.

After 15 days alone, but under constant supervision, a pelvic exam revealed she was not concealing anything in her body.

The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia deemed the practice unlawful, given that an inmate suspected of concealing something in their vagina could be locked in a dry cell indefinitely.

"The predominantly involuntary menstrual process by which bodily fluids or waste (including contraband) might be expelled through the vagina is not as frequent as through the digestive tract. As such, women may become subjected to longer periods of dry cell detention where reasonably suspected of carrying contraband in a vagina  as was the case with Ms. Adams," Justice John Keith said in his decision.

The Crown in the case suggested simply changing the wording of the legislation to exempt those suspected of concealing material in their vaginas, but Keith said that would be an oversimplification, and gave the government six months to review its policy as a whole.

That deadline expires in May.

In the budget tabled last Thursday, the federal government noted it will amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to prohibit the use of dry cells for those suspected of concealing contraband in their vaginal cavity. The document makes no mention of doing away with the controversial practice of dry cells altogether.

The notice in the budget came as a surprise to Emilie Coyle, executive director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies.

She said she was disappointed the government doesn't seem to be rethinking the practice for all inmates.

"It is particularly egregious for people who have vaginas because they could be dry celled for an indeterminate amount of time. But the practice of dry celling is overall a harmful practice," Coyle said in an interview Monday.

"It's a really, really torturous way to try to extract suspected contraband."

It's difficult to know how common the practice is, Coyle added.

The current and previous correctional investigators have repeatedly called on the federal government to put limits on the practice.

In his annual report in 2020, Zinger reissued a nearly decade-old recommendation to ban inmates from being placed in dry cells for more than 72 hours.

"In my opinion, beyond 72 hours there can be no further reason or justification to detain or keep a person in such depriving conditions," he wrote in his report. "After three days, surely this procedure becomes unreasonable, if not strictly punitive."

The Correctional Service of Canada once again rejected the recommendation, because "it is more than feasible to delay bowel movement beyond 72 hours," and some individuals don't have a bowel movement more than once or twice a week.

The inmates are always provided bedding, food, clothing and toiletries, as well as reasonable access to medical, spiritual and psychological assistance, the correctional service said in its response to the recommendation.

The service said it would consider other safeguards and oversight measures when it comes to the use of dry cells.
Cemex signs alternative fuel agreement with 3M

11 April 2022

Cemex has expanded its use of alternative fuels with an agreement with 3M in Panama to process their industrial waste. This collaboration aligns with Cemexs Future in Action strategy to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to a circular economy.



This agreement adds to Cemexs extensive capacity to repurpose societys waste in its operations, reducing the carbon footprint of its own productions processes as well as the amount of waste sent to landfills. Decomposition in landfills produces methane gas, a greenhouse gas that is 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.



3M will transfer waste from its manufacturing process with a high calorific value, such as residual foam and wool, to Cemex. 3M will transfer approximately 30t of its waste per year for Cemex to use as an alternative fuel to produce high-quality cement for Panama. "With this agreement, we will ensure that our waste has a second use and carry out the co-processing of our waste, valuing the waste as an alternative fuel; helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, better waste management, and reduction in the use of fossil fuels," said Enrique Aguirre, MD of 3M in the Central America and Caribbean Region.



We are very pleased to make this alliance that strengthens our companys path towards our carbon neutrality goal by 2050. Cemex and the building materials industry can play an important role in the creation of a truly circular economy. As evidenced by this agreement, we welcome this challenge and are moving aggressively to create the better circular world of the future, said Jesus Gonzalez, president of Cemex South, Central America, and the Caribbean.

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A woman on West 14th Street Court told police she was taking a bath and heard a loud noise. She later discovered that the window in her living room had been broken. She didnt see or hear anyone and doesnt know why someone would do this. The officer saw the window was broken,. There was no evidence of what may have been used to break it.

* * *

A woman on Siskin Drive told police someone busted out the drivers door window of her vehicle while she was working out. She said nothing was taken from the car.

* * *

A man at Lattimore Tours at 3016 Riverside Dr. told police over the phone someone got into his company bus and stole the radio. He said the keys were in a box on the vehicle. The key was located and the radio of the bus was ripped out. The man said the key was also taken.

* * *

A man told police someone cracked his windshield while it was parked at Ben & Jerrys at 201 Broad St.

* * *

Police responded to a theft at the Speedway at 3956 Brainerd Road. A man told police over the phone he works for CSC Service Works and an air machine they own was broken into. The man said the estimated damage to the machine was around $210 and the amount taken in coins was about $675. The man wasnt sure when the incident occurred.

* * *

The manager of Popeyes at 3352 Broad St. called police because an employee was refusing to leave the property. When the officer arrived, the issue was resolved and the female was leaving.

* * *

Police responded to 1 E. 11th St. in regards to people in the lobby being loud that do not live there. Upon arrival the officer saw several males on the couches and chairs asleep. Once asked, none of the men lived at the apartments and appeared to be homeless. The officer asked them to leave, which they did. The officer spoke with a resident of the complex. He reported that Patten Towers no longer has security on scene. Police had received an earlier call where a "security company" from New York called in reporting someone criminally trespassing. There was no description of the subject except for a black male. The front doors to the establishment remain open and unlocked. There are no "no trespassing" signs that the officer observed. Due to the large population of homeless individuals in this area, the officer foresees an increase in these types of calls. All the subjects that were inside the lobby were homeless. At the moment, there is no contact information for management or anyone else that has the authority to prosecute or manage the activities of the complex.

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The manager of Circle K at 4900 Brainerd Road said a man had been in the parking lot for five hours and she wanted him to vacate the premises. She asked him several times but he refused to leave and she wanted him trespassed. Police spoke with the man and told him that he was trespassed from the property and if he returned he would be arrested.

* * *

A woman on East Brainerd Road called police and said her car had been broken into last January and her registration and insurance documents for her vehicle had been stolen. She said someone had attempted to call her insurance company, Bullard Insurance, to place themselves under her policy under the name Justin Peace. She wanted to have a report made to document the theft in case of further attempts.

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A woman at the Red Roof Inn at 7014 Shallowford Road told police the man at the front desk was arguing with her. She asked the officers to help get keys to their motel room. Officers spoke with the front desk clerk who was more than happy to give keys to the woman.

* * *

An anonymous caller said a man entered the Red Roof Inn at 7014 Shallowford Road and was shouting and rambling about people who were after him. Police spoke with the man and he said some people that he stayed the night with at the motel were acting funny towards him. He said he just wanted to get to his vehicle and leave.

* * *

An employee with MHC Kenworth at 7831 Lee Hwy. told police one of the company vehicles was stolen. He said the keys to the vehicle was still on site in the shop. The vehicle had major issues and only could have made it roughly three hours before it broke down. The vehicle was entered into NCIC.
To read news headlines these days, one might be tempted to believe the demise of Christianity is imminent. Evangelicalism, according to some observers and self-acclaimed experts, seems on the ropes and headed for a knockout: Megachurch pastors resigning in disgrace; ministry leaders being tied to scandal, even posthumously; prominent Christian celebrities declaring theyre no longer followers of Jesus Christ.

This is not to minimize nor dismiss such dismal reports. When people holding held highly recognizable roles in modern-day Christendom are caught up in sin, or when so-called believers announce they no longer believe, this is cause for sadness, even some tears. But its not reason for despair.

Cynics and skeptics might regard these very public failures as cause for celebration, shouts of I told you so! However, for the faithful, despite the discrediting of people we might have admired, theyre vivid reminders to not lose focus, to keep the main thing the main thing: That we worship and serve the risen Christ only, not talented and influential persons who have served in His name.

We cant judge where any of these fallen Christian icons stand with the Lord. Thats His job alone. To speculate on what might have gone wrong serves little purpose. But as King Solomon wrote, What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The Scriptures candidly confirm similar scandals that occurred thousands of years ago, including an unlikely trio.

When Saul was chosen as the first king of Israel, he seemed an excellent choice. Described in 1 Samuel 9:2 as an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites  a head taller than any of the others, he had the look of a leader.

Then, when prophet Samuel revealed he was Gods choice to deliver My people from the hand of the Philistineshe will govern My people (1 Samuel 9:16-17), Saul came across as self-effacing, another admirable trait for a leader: But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me? (1 Samuel 9:21). Wed surmise this was a man God could use  good-looking and humble, magnetic leadership qualities.

Before long, however, we learn King Sauls outward appearance belied his poverty of inner character. He repeatedly disobeyed Gods commands, lacked courage, suffered fits of jealousy and, when his misdeeds were found out, quickly cast blame elsewhere. So, the Lord directed Samuel to anoint someone else  the lowly shepherd boy, David  to succeed him.

David exhibited many qualities that indicated worthiness for leadership, including bravery in confronting an imposing giant named Goliath. The book of Psalms contains many of Davids wonderful meditations about the Lord. Hes revered to this day  the Star of David bears his name.

Alas, David also had feet of clay, falling prey to his own lust in seducing a married woman named Bathsheba, who became pregnant. He then compounded his sin by arranging to have her husband, Uriah, killed in battle. The king had many other failings, including not stemming family strife that resulted from his multiple wives and subsequent sibling rivalry. To his credit, David is described as a man after [Gods] own heart (Acts 13:22), reflecting his readiness to sincerely repent of his sins.

His successor, Solomon, his son by Bathsheba, also had a promising start in his role as king. When God appeared to him in a dream and said, Ask for whatever you want Me to give you, Solomon responded with great humility: Now, O Lord, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. So give your servant a discerning heart to governing your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours? (1 Kings 3:4-9).

God answered, I will do what you asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for  both riches and honor  so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings (1 Kings 3:12-13). Wow! This surely was the kind of leader the Lord wanted.

Solomon did accumulate the promised riches and honor. God gave us three books of the Bible largely attributed to him: Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. But again, this king didnt finish as strongly as he began. Partly because he also accumulated wives, defying a prohibition against marrying women from foreign nations. As 1 Kings 11:3-6 states, He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines, and his wives led him astray. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

We could cite many other examples from the Old and New Testaments; clearly, leaders tumbling into sin and even turning their backs on God is not a recent development. For us, one key is concentrating on the essence of truly following Jesus Christ. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Jesus died and rose again to atone for our sins, but even more than that, He rose so that we could experience new life in Him. He said, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full (John 10:10). But we also must realize were in a daily spiritual battle, facing an enemy desperately desiring to destroy us.

We cant overcome this spiritual enemy in our own strength. Rather, as the apostle Paul wrote, I can do everything through [Christ] who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). Only through Him can we one day declare, as Paul did, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). Evangelicalism, as we know it today, may stumble and even fall. But through the power of Jesus Christ, His Church will continue to stand tall.

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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.
Chair-ries Jubilee will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 22 at the Museum Center at 5ive Points. The Chambers Arts in Education and Business Committee announces the events return to The Museum Center at 5ive Points, after the pandemic caused a change in logistics for the event in 2020 and 2021. This years theme is Refresh and Renew in 2022."



Each year, community members and schools donate experiences, gift cards, diamond jewelry, decor and hand-crafted furniture pieces to the fundraiser. Chair-ries Jubilee is best known for antique furniture pieces, specifically chairs, that have been re-finished by artists and refreshed with new life. Artists items will be showcased in both silent and live auctions. Food and beverages, including wine and beer, are included in the ticket price.



"The Arts in Education and Business Committee (formerly the Allied Arts Council) of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce has provided over $544,000 to our schools and community since the inception of the Chair-ries Jubilee fundraiser," officials said. "While artists were unable to visit area schools in person this past year, we were able to fund projects for our teachers and offer several virtual programs and plays."



Food and beverage providers include Gardners Market, Cafe Roma, Thomas Hospitality, Tarver Distributing, Cookes Food Store, Aubreys and Fulins Asian Cuisine. Greg Hicks will also showcase Mexican fare from Misfit Tacos and Inman Coffee will pair up with Bradley Central High Schools Culinary Arts class to provide coffee and chair-rie-themed desserts.



Tickets for Chair-ries Jubilee can be purchased in advance at the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce for $25 or at the door for $30. Corporate sponsorships are $150, are tax-deductible and provide recognition for your organization. For more information about corporate sponsorships, contact Melissa Skinner at Mskinner@clevelandchamber.com or 423-472-6587.



Visit Facebook.com/Chairriesjubilee for more information or contact Tasha Sullivan at Tsullivan@clevelandchamber.com or 423-472-6587.
The Catoosa County Historical Association will meet Monday at 7 p.m. at Old Stone Church Museum. The CCHS Board will meet at 6 p.m.

The speaker this month is Linda Moss Mines. Her presentation will be Countdown to America 250: Georgia Patriots and their Contributions.



Ms. Mines is the official Chattanooga-Hamilton County historian; vice-chairman of the Executive Board and vice president for education at the Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center; a founding member of the Tennessee Cemetery Committee [appointed by Governor Lee]; secretary of the Chattanooga Area Veterans Council; a former member of the Tennessee Historical Commission; a member of the Sgt. York Patriotic Foundation Board; and current trustee and immediate past chairman of the Board, Erlanger Health System.



She is a frequent contributor on topics related to history for local television, radio and print media.

Ms. Mines spent 45 years teaching AP US Government, AP US History and Constitutional Law and the last 27 years as chairman of the History Department at GPS.

She splits time between Chattanooga and the family farm on the Cumberland Plateau.

Ms. Mines is a proud member of the National Park Service Artillery Brigade.
As a practicing lawyer for over 50 years, District Attorney for 22 years, Criminal Court judge, and attorney with a major law firm, I have come in contact with many fine attorneys. Michael Dumitru is one of the very best. Michael is a candidate for Circuit Court judge and I hope you will vote for him.

Michael is extremely bright, hard-working, dedicated and honest. These are traits a good trial judge needs. What sets Michael apart is that in addition to these qualities, he possesses a genuine love of people .all of themand this leads to his open mind and insightful understanding of peoples problems. This quality is the essential characteristic of the best judges.

Michael Dumitru will be one of those best judges if you elect him.

We in Hamilton County will be very lucky to have Michael Dumitru as our Circuit Court judge.

Gary Gerbitz

* * *

I have known Mike Dumitru for several years. I have had the opportunity to work with him and observe the quality of his work. Mike is an extremely hard worker. He does not believe in procrastination.

Mike is very intelligent, yet has the enviable gift of common sense. He has the ability to know what is right and fair and the courage to make the right decision regardless of public opinion.

Mike is a "people" person. He is a family man. He is compassionate, understanding, open minded and willing to listen. Regardless of race, ethnicity or place in society, Mike will treat everyone fairly.

I have practiced law 52 years in the courts of Hamilton County and throughout the State of Tennessee. I definitely know what it takes to be a good judge. Mike Dumitru has the qualities, integrity and intelligence to make a great Circuit Court judge.

I solicit and encourage your vote for Mike Dumitru.

W. L. "Chink" Brown
Could Nurse Trixie Franklin be getting ready to say goodbye to Nonnatus House? A plot twist in an upcoming episode of the PBS series Call the Midwife suggests that the stylish nurse could hang up her midwifes cape for good. So, is Trixie really leaving Call the Midwife? Keep reading for the scoop on whats in store for the beloved character.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Call the Midwife Season 11.]

Is Trixie leaving Call the Midwife?

Trixies (Helen George) romance with Matthew Alyward (Olly Rix) heats up in a big way in Call the Midwifes April 17 episode, which PBS members can stream early with Passport.

Trixie and Matthew spend the night together for the first time in season 11s fifth episode, but their happiness is short-lived. When Trixie receives word that her beloved aunt and godmother is gravely ill with cancer, she decides to drop everything and travel to Italy to care for her. This is the same aunt who took Trixie in when she was dealing with alcohol addiction in an earlier season. She naturally wants to be there for her relative during her own time of crisis.

Unfortunately, being by her aunts side means putting her relationship with Matthew on pause. Trixie says that while she doesnt know how long shell be gone, she does plan to return.

I will be back, she assures Matthew, adding, I need you to stay here and keep my life warm.

Helen George, who plays Trixie, took a break from Call the Midwife because she was pregnant

Helen George as Nurse Trixie Franklin in Call the Midwife Season 11 | Courtesy of Neals Street Productions

Nurse Franklins unexpected trip to Italy had a tragic cause. But the real-life reason why Trixie left Call the Midwife was a happy one. George, who has played the character since season 1, was pregnant.

George announced she was expecting her second child in June 2021. At the time, she was hard at work filming Call the Midwife Season 11. The actor and her partner Jack Ashton welcomed a daughter named Lark in November 2021.

Trixies previous trip to Italy was also written into Call the Midwife to accommodate the actors maternity leave for her first child. In both cases, George continued to work throughout her pregnancy, with the show using visual tricks and costumes to conceal her growing baby bump.

Not all fans of the series were happy with Georges decision to keep filming while pregnant. But she defended her choice on Twitter.

Ive seen too many ridiculous comments about my pregnancy whilst filming @CallTheMidwife1 (also thank you for the lovely comments!) Women get pregnant, our bodies change, she wrote. But we have the right to work if we choose to do so.

Will Trixie be back for Call the Midwife Season 12?

They're back #CallTheMidwife Season 11 premieres this Sunday on @PBS. Check local times. x pic.twitter.com/i2WNCX1VnY  Call the Midwife (@CallTheMidwife1) March 15, 2022

Trixie wont appear in the latter half of Call the Midwife Season 11. But will the actor be back for the shows already announced twelfth season? It sounds like the answer is yes.

George recently chatted with Radio Times about Call the Midwife Season 12. She revealed that there was not too long to go before filming began on the new episodes. George added that she was looking forward to not having to deal with pandemic-related filming restrictions when she returned to set.

Whats nice is were not going to have COVID restrictions for the first time in a few years, which will be wonderful, she said.

New episodes of Call the Midwife Season 11 air Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on PBS.

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Madonna once covered Don McLeans American Pie. Subsequently, McLean revealed what he thought of the cover. He also reacted to a poll that claimed Madonnas American Pie was the worst cover song ever.

Madonna | Virginia Sherwood/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

Madonna covered Don McLeans American Pie for a movie soundtrack

In addition to making some of the most famous pop songs ever, Madonna appeared in several films. For example, she starred in a courtroom drama called The Next Best Thing. The film features American Pie. Madonna covered the track for the movies soundtrack.

During a 2021 interview with UK Music Reviews, McLean discussed the cover. Well, you really couldnt ask for a better present anywhere in the world than to have Madonna do what she did with that song, he said. She put it out two different ways; she had it played on three different times in the movie that she made. So for me it was just this enormous gift from this humongous star.

McLean also discussed the music video the Queen of Pop made for her cover of American Pie. The video that Madonna made to accompany the song was one of the most famous videos that she ever made, he opined. That video is the thing that people remember.

RELATED: Why Madonnas Father Tried to Stop Her From Going to a David Bowie Concert

Don McLean reacted to a BBC poll that trashed the Queen of Pops cover

McLean reacted to a BBC Radio 6 Music poll that deemed Madonnas cover the worst cover song ever. Really, the worst one, oh Jesus I dont know, McLean said. There really must be some awful ones out there (laughter).

McLean shrugged off the poll. To be honest, I dont care about Radio 6 and what they say, he revealed. The thing about it is, any song of mine that gets used by people as long as it is appropriate and reasonably civilized, I think is funny or if it is really good, it really doesnt bother me.

RELATED: Madonnas Brother-in-Law Said She Felt Elvis Presleys Ghost Pass Through Her the Day He Died

How Madonnas American Pie performed on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

Madonnas American Pie became a modest hit in the United States. The track reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. For nine weeks, Madonnas American Pie stayed on the chart. The cover appeared on some editions of the album Music. The album topped the Billboard 200 for one of its 55 weeks on the chart.

The cover was far more popular in the United Kingdom as well. According to The Official Charts Company, the song topped the chart for one week in the U.K. It spent 18 weeks on the chart in total. Meanwhile, Music was No. 1 for two of its 73 weeks on the chart.

Madonnas American Pie incurred some backlash but McLean was a fan of it.

RELATED: Michael Jackson: Madonnas Songwriter Said 1 of Her Songs Is Just Billie Jean in a Different Key
V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin, and J-Hope of BTS | Lester Cohen via Getty Images for The Recording Academy

The seven members of K-Pop group BTS are currently waiting for a government ruling on whether or not they will have to enlist in the military. In South Korea, all men must serve at least 18 months in the military.

All Korean men must enlist by age 28. While many citizens do it at the age of 18 or in their early 20s, K-pop idols often defer until 28 because their career gets interrupted by military service. BTS has already received a deferment until 30, but they may not have to enlist at all.

Will BTS be exempt from serving in the military?

A hot topic in K-pop is whether or not global superstars BTS will have to enlist for mandatory military service. If they get an exemption, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook will be the first K-pop idols ever not to serve.

However, the government does give exceptions to entertainers like some violinists, pianists, and ballet performers. Also, athletes who have won medals in the Olympics, or a gold medal in the Asian Games, are exempted from active duty.

During a press conference for Permission to Dance On Stage  Las Vegas, HYBE CCO Lee Jin Hyung directly addressed the issue. (HYBE is the parent company of BTS label, Big Hit Music.)

Its true that we are wary of speaking about this matter because we know how important the issue of military service is in Korea. He continued, We hope that a decision will be reached on the amendment to the Military Service Act as soon as possible.

In Dec. 2020, the Korean government passed the BTS military service amendment.

According to Soompi, the law allows artists who receive the recommendation of the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to postpone their mandatory service until they turn 30 years old by international reckoning.

The oldest member of BTS, Jin, would be actively serving now had this amendment not passed.

BTS' Jin, HYBE reply to concerns over his military service: 'Members are having a hard time' https://t.co/MP9fm6mOAi  HT Entertainment (@htshowbiz) April 11, 2022

BTS leaving the matter of enlistment to their company

If something doesnt change, Jin will have to enlist by the end of 2022. However, some members of the National Assembly have proposed a bill that would exempt male artists like BTS, who have made significant contributions to the national interest from their military duty. The South Korean legislature has not reached a consensus on the bill.

Lee Jin Hyung says the members are willing to go. The BTS members have currently left the matter of their military service in the hands of the company.

BTS has already conveyed the message multiple times that they will accept the call of duty when the nation calls them, and they have not changed that opinion.

He continued, The company told BTS that after the new amendment to the Military Service Act was proposed, we were wary of making a decision in regards to their military service, and the BTS members maturely accepted this and left the matter in the hands of the company.

Waiting on a ruling makes planning future music and tours more difficult for the K-pop group

While the members of BTS wait to find out if they will be exempt from military service, the company has to plan for new music and touring. Not knowing which members will or will not be present creates anxiety.

To put it precisely, the policy on military service is changing, and its true that the BTS members are having a hard time because its difficult for them to predict the timing of their military service.

Since its difficult for them to make plans, both the BTS members and the company are currently keeping a close eye on the proposed amendment.

He continued, Ultimately, we plan to do our utmost so that a decision can be reached that is beneficial to both our society and BTS, he continued.

HYBE hopes the National Assembly will have an answer soon

HYBE hopes the issue of enlistment will be quickly resolved.

As the matter of BTSs military service is something that the entire world is interested in, it appears that the debate over the issue is nearing an end both within society and within the National Assembly, so we hope that the issue will be resolved within this current National Assembly.

Lee Jin Hyung put pressure on the National assembly with his ending comments.

If the issue passes on to the next National Assembly, the debate will continue without any promises, He reiterated, the uncertainty over BTSs military service is making things difficult, we hope that the National Assembly will reach a decision as soon as possible.



RELATED: Baekhyun Updates Fans on His Upcoming Military Enlistment
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma clarified that there is no instruction from the Centre to make Hindi learning compulsory. (DC)

Guwahati: The Centres plans to make Hindi a compulsory language in schools up to Class 10 across states has triggered angry reactions among many organisations, including Asom Sahitya Sabha, an influential literary body opposing the idea and asking the central government to concentrate on conserving and promoting indigenous languages.

However, Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu supported the move saying that lack of Hindi knowledge in the state has become a challenge for the people of Assam to find jobs in Hindi speaking states. Mr Pegu said, Learning a language is a skill and it is equally as important as getting a degree or certificate. Job seekers from Assam are lacking in this skill, thus they are unable to find suitable jobs in states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat etc. Only opting for fourth-grade jobs in south India will not make our youths successful.

Describing Hindi as the language of India, the Union home minister Amit Shah had recently said that Hindi will be made a compulsory subject up to Class 10 in all schools in the north-east region. He also said 22,000 teachers have been recruited to teach Hindi in the north-eastern states.

The remark of the Union home minister was opposed in most of the northeastern states. Asom Sahitya Sabha secretary-general Jadav Chandra Sharma in a statement said: If Hindi is made compulsory, the future of indigenous languages and Assamese as a link language will be endangered.

The chairperson of the North-East Students Organisation, Samuel B. Jyrwa, said: We have no objection to Hindi as an optional subject but this is a kind of imposition. We oppose this move, Hindi can be an optional subject. He said that in Meghalaya, besides the local language, English is the preferred medium of instruction. We will approach all the state governments in the region to not make Hindi compulsory, he said.

Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh, who was suspended from the party recently, said the Khasi and Garo-speaking states cannot allow Hindi to be imposed. The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution gives us the protection against any kind of imposition, she said.

In Mizoram, the influential Young Mizo Association has also opposed the move. Likewise, in Assam, the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti has condemned the move as anti-democracy, anti-constitution and against the federal structure of the country.

Regional political parties such as Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad have also panned the Centres move as a bid to give Hindi-speakers the economic, academic and administrative edge and let them control the non-Hindi speaking regions of the country in the long run.

Meanwhile, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma clarified that there is no instruction from the Centre to make Hindi learning compulsory. He told reporters: There is no instruction from the Centre to make Hindi learning compulsory. In Assam, Assamese is the mother tongue.

He added: The Assam government, in consultation with the Assam Sahitya Sabha and Tribal Sahitya, prepared a language policy where a student will learn Assamese and a tribal language besides English and Hindi. Bodo Sahitya Sabha has some objections and that is why we have not announced the policy yet.
After the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, the Foo Fighters canceled all tour dates for the foreseeable future. Nine Inch Nails have now been confirmed as official replacements for two summer music festivals in Florida and Massachusetts. The rockers will be busy in 2022, with tour dates and festivals scheduled throughout the US and Europe.

Trent Reznor of Nail Inch Nails | Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage via Getty Images

Nine Inch Nails Headlining Welcome to Rockville and Boston Calling

In a slot originally occupied by Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails will now headline the Welcome to Rockville festival on May 19-22. The festival will take place at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida.

The four-day event also includes headlining performances from Kiss, Korn, and Guns N Roses. Nine Inch Nails are set to headline on Sunday with the Smashing Pumpkins and Janes Addiction. Other acts fans can expect to see that weekend include Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach, Breaking Benjamin, Megadeath, Shinedown, Rise Against, and Bush.

The following week, Nine Inch Nails replace the Foo Fighters at Boston Calling on May 27-29. During the Memorial Day Weekend festival at the Harvard Sporting Complex, Nine Inch Nails will headline on Friday, May 27. Other acts that evening include HAIM, Avril Lavigne, and the Struts. The headliners for the remaining two nights are The Strokes and Metallica.

Announcing @NineInchNails will be headlining Friday of the fest! Grab your tickets: https://t.co/hC6ms7OuM2 pic.twitter.com/qyk1yI0Ojc  Boston Calling (@bostoncalling) April 6, 2022

Nine Inch Nails touring the US for the first time since 2018

Its going to be a busy summer for Nine Inch Nails. The two new festival dates will be between the bands first US tour since 2018s Cold and Black and Infinite tour. Kicking off in Raleigh, NC, on Apr. 28, the group will play thirteen dates across America ending in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sep. 24.

Nine Inch Nails will play five dates in the United Kingdom in June. They plan to make stops in Glasgow, Cornwall, Manchester, and London.

Besides Welcome to Rockville and Boston Calling, Trent Reznors group is scheduled to play other festivals throughout the spring and summer, starting with Shaky Knees in Atlanta, GA, on Apr. 30.

On June 24, Nine Inch Nails will play Hellfest in Clisson, France. They also plan to make an appearance at Louder than Life in September alongside the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Slipknot.

Foo Fighters cancel tour dates to grieve, heal, and pull our loved ones close

On Mar. 25, Taylor Hawkins died at the age of 50 while on tour in South America with the Foo Fighters. The cause of death has not been released. Reeling from the sudden loss, the remaining group members flew back to LA and paused all future performances.

On Mar. 29, the Foo Fighters posted a statement on Twitter explaining the cancellation of upcoming tour dates.

It is with great sadness that Foo Fighters confirm the cancellation of all upcoming tour dates in light of the staggering loss of our brother Taylor Hawkins,

The statement continued, Were sorry for and share in the disappointment that we wont be seeing one another as planned.

The band ended by saying, Instead, lets take the time to grieve, to heal, to pull our loved ones close, and to appreciate all the music and memories weve made together.

RELATED: 2022 Grammy Awards Pay Tribute to Foo Fighters Drummer Taylor Hawkins
Fans recently watched the conclusion of Clayton Echards season of The Bachelor. Clayton surprised everyone after a rollercoaster ride of a journey when he and Susie Evans announced they had reunited after the finale. The couple is still together, and Clayton moved to Virginia to avoid a long-distance romance. However, as of now, theyre only dating, and Clayton hasnt proposed. Lets take a look at which of the couples from The Bachelor are still together in 2022.

Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney | Paul Hebert/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney from The Bachelor Season 13

When it comes to dramatic finales of The Bachelor, Jasons might rank as number one. Jason proposed to Melissa Rycroft during his seasons finale, but he shocked everyone during his After the Final Rose episode when he broke up with Melissa on live TV. As if breaking Melissas heart in front of a live audience wasnt bad enough, he immediately asked runner-up Molly Malaney if she wanted to get back together. Molly and Jason are now married and have a daughter together.

She had me at ice cream. pic.twitter.com/EZpXtXiVVM  Sean Lowe (@SeanLowe09) January 17, 2020

RELATED: Susie Evans Warned Clayton Echard Not to Propose During The Bachelor Finale, I Will Say No

Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici from season 17

Sean first appeared on Emily Maynards season of The Bachelorette, but when Emily rejected him, he nabbed the coveted lead in The Bachelor Season 17. During his season, Sean fell hard for Catherine Giudici and proposed to her during the finale in Thailand. The couple has remained strong throughout the years and often pops up on current seasons of the show to give other Bachelor hopefuls advice on how to make things work.

Best birthday weekend ever! Lauren is pretty much the coolest / best wife a man could ask for :) pic.twitter.com/T4KWNr9Qsb  Arie Luyendyk Jr. (@ariejr) September 20, 2020

Arie Luyendyk and Lauren Burnham from season 22

Folks watching The Bachelor Season 22 may have gotten some deja vu from Aries season. The finale played out similarly to Jason Mesnicks when Arie first proposed to Becca Kufrin. Arie then decided Becca wasnt the one for him and broke up with her on television. Fans watched, horrified, as Becca and Aries emotional breakup happened before their eyes. To make matters worse, Arie went after his runner-up, Lauren Burnham, almost immediately.

After filming ended, Arie and Lauren rekindled their romance. During the After the Final Rose episode, Arie proposed to Lauren, and she accepted. Arie and Lauren had two weddings to celebrate their relationship. Their first wedding took place in Hawaii, while the second one was a vow renewal in Vegas to celebrate the birth of their first daughter. The married couple now has three children together and is still going strong.

Matt James and Rachel Kirkconnell from The Bachelor Season 25

Matt made history as the first Black male lead in The Bachelor franchise. However, his season suffered from several unflattering incidents. The show decided to introduce five new women into the fold a few weeks into filming, which sent the women into a panic. Plus, the seasons villain, Victoria Larson, made everyones life pretty miserable. On top of that, racially insensitive photos of Rachel attending an Antebellum-themed party in college surfaced midway through the season. Matt did not propose to Rachel during the finale of The Bachelor Season 25. Although, the two eventually rekindled their relationship. As of now, the couple is still happily together.

Check out all of Showbiz Cheat Sheets Bachelor and Bachelorette coverage to stay up to date on the franchise and its stars!

RELATED: The Bachelor Couple Susie Evans and Clayton Echard Confess Their Biggest Regrets From the Show
Reality TV stars Kailah Casillas and Jenna Compono became good friends throughout their time on The Challenge together. They, including Nany Gonzalez, formed the infamous holy trinity during season 35s Total Madness. Casillas and Compono havent competed in another season yet, but they both got married recently. While Casillas eloped, Compono had a huge dream wedding. However, her friend missed the heavily documented celebration. Casillas has since explained why she couldnt attend the wedding.

The Challenge stars Jenna Compono and Kailah Casillas | Lars Niki/Getty Images

Kailah Casillas on why she didnt attend Jenna Componos wedding

Seven years after meeting on The Challenge: Battle of the Exes, Jenna Compono, 29, and Zach Nichols, 34, tied the knot. Several co-stars attended the wedding, including champs Kaycee Clark, Jordan Wiseley, Lauren Stucky, and veterans Nany Gonzalez and Nicole Zanatta.

However, co-star and Componos close real-life friend Kailah Casillas, 29, was notably missing. Responding to fans on her Instagram story who wondered why she didnt go, the Vendettas finalist explained she currently lives in England.

Which shady queen pulled the double cross and then pitted Jenna and Kailah against each other on Dirty 30? #TheChallengeTrivia pic.twitter.com/ju9HtptlJ2  The Challenge (@ChallengeMTV) February 14, 2018

RELATED: The Challenge Star Kailah Casillas on Why She Likely Wont Return: I Have Outgrown It

According to Casillas, she recently flew back to America for her cousins bachelorette party and would have had to go back and forth too many times.

She also tagged her friend in the answer, adding they still love each other and I wish I could have been there! The reality star affirmed theyre still friends by ending it with the hashtag Jailah Forever.

Compono recently married The Challenge co-star Zach Nichols

In December 2019, Nichols proposed to Compono after her presumed final season, Total Madness. The couple initially set a wedding date for February 2020 but had the global pandemic forced them to reschedule.

Therefore, they opted for the same date a year later. In February 2021, Compono and Nichols announced their first child together. She revealed the couple decided to start the next chapter of their lives after another wedding postponement.

Zach is happier that Jenna got picked than she is! #TheChallenge33 pic.twitter.com/Km747jVyeq  The Challenge (@ChallengeMTV) February 7, 2019

A month later, The Challenge stars wed in a private ceremony and welcomed their son, Anthony Joseph, in September of that year. In April 2022, the couple had the dream wedding they planned with all of their friends and family in attendance.

They uploaded several behind-the-scenes pictures and videos to their Instagram story that followed the special day, from walking down the aisle to cutting the cake.

Casillas and fiancee Sam Bird eloped

After appearing on Ex on the Beach: Peak of Love, Sam Bird, 29, and Casillas began a romantic relationship in early 2020. They were quarantined together in his London, England, hometown and hung out with co-star Wes Bergmann in Missouri before visiting her Delray Beach, Florida, hometown.

During an August 2020 vacation to Greece, Bird proposed. Almost two years later, the couple eloped.

And with the highest score for the girls, Kailah makes it to her first final! #TheChallengeVendettas pic.twitter.com/QpN0rBXoPQ  The Challenge (@ChallengeMTV) March 28, 2018

They documented their experiment in a six-minute March 2022 YouTube video that followed the pair as they traveled overseas to Gibraltar and privately tied the knot.

Casillas and Bird also posted pictures of their elopement in their gown and tuxedo to their Instagram account, and several other reality stars congratulated the couple in the comment section. The Challenge: All Stars 3 premieres May 11 on Paramount+.

RELATED: The Challenge: Kailah Casillas Marries Sam Bird: We Eloped!
Hulus The Dropout chronicled the rise and fall of tech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes and her biotech startup company, Theranos. It also included her family background and briefly touched on her fathers experience getting laid off from Enron amid a bankruptcy scandal. How did Elizabeth Holmess parents become rich?

The Dropout cast Michel Gill as Chris Holmes, Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes, Elizabeth Marvel as Noel Holmes, and Sam Straley as Christian Holmes | Beth Dubber/Hulu

Elizabeth Holmess father came from a wealthy family

Even though Elizabeth Holmes had dreams of becoming a billionaire, she came from a very wealthy family. According to family friend Richard Fuisz, her great-great-grandfather, renowned surgeon Christian R. Holmes married Fleischmanns Yeasts creators daughter.

Holmess dad, also named Christian, worked for multiple government agencies before relocating to Houston, Texas, to serve as vice president for now-defunct energy, commodities, and services company Enron Corporation.

Even legal said this is true. All episodes of #TheDropout are now streaming on @hulu. pic.twitter.com/9XCive4j8W  The Dropout on Hulu (@TheDropoutHulu) April 8, 2022

RELATED: The Dropout: Elizabeth Holmes Reportedly Did Dance When Alone

Her mother, Noel Holmes, previously worked as a Capitol Hill policy aide. According to childhood friend Joseph Fuisz, the son of inventor Richard Fuisz (portrayed by William H. Macy in Hulus The Dropout), who Holmes infamously sued, they really took that mantle of this family history very, very seriously.

He thought her parents very much yearned for the days of yore when the family was one of the richest in America and believes a young Holmes channeled that.

Elizabeth Holmess father was laid off during the Enron scandal

Founded in 1985, Enron was a major player in several industries, receiving Americas Most Innovative Company honors from Fortune for six years in a row. On a quest to become the premiere natural-gas pipeline in the country, two top executives were charged with fraud and filing false tax returns after they hid the companys actual loss.

After a couple of major shifts, including taking their business overseas, the COO, Jeffrey Skilling, hired financier Andrew Fastow who created a confusing web of Enrons limited partnerships to hide its massive quarterly losses.

During 2000, the company claimed revenues of over $100 billion, sustained mainly by the accounting fraud. The following year, the SEC investigated the company, but it declared bankruptcy, resulting in the dissolution of its accounting firm, a former top audit, and accountancy partnership Arthur Andersen.

The scandal was considered the most extensive bankruptcy reorganization in the countrys history at the time. Skilling and founder Kenneth Lay were ultimately convicted on securities and wire fraud counts.

Richard Fuisz said Elizabeth Holmess father asked for help after Enrons bankruptcy

During the first couple of episodes of The Dropout, Holmess fathers (portrayed by Sam Straley) experience with Enron is briefly touched on. He seemed upset and let down by the company and maintained that he didnt know about the fraud.

As a result of his unexpected layoff, he had to ask a family friend for help, initially embarrassed to do so. Richard Fuisz confirmed this to Forbes in a 2019 interview, claiming her father used his influence to get a good job at Enron. He was a vice president there.

Puffy vest 

Green juice 

Seduction 



Amanda Seyfried dancing to Lil Wayne. #TheDropout pic.twitter.com/ximZ9nIqxZ  The Dropout on Hulu (@TheDropoutHulu) April 7, 2022

Additionally, after its failure, the inventor claimed the former vice president returned to Washington D.C. broke and came crying to us. He had no money. I was living in a new house a few blocks away, and I told him that he could live in our first house in McLean, Virginia, rent-free.

He also claimed Christian Holmes used his connections to get his daughter in front of a major venture capitalist Don Lucas, to invest in Theranos. Apparently, Holmes used her familys name as well and brought up her famous ancestors when answering scientific questions. The Dropout is streaming on Hulu.

RELATED: The Dropout: Whats The Deal With Elizabeth Holmes Unblinking Eyes?
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. remotely addresses the U.S. House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations regarding the opioid crisis on April 5.
Graveside services will be held Saturday May 7, 2022, 1:00pm at the Alex Cemetery, Alex, OK. The family will receive guests following the service at the Alex Community Center.
The court directed revenue officials to make suitable allotments to them in Shamirpet and Jawaharnagar, keeping in mind their sacrifices. (DC)

HYDERABAD: Retired servicemen, especially those who were posted on the borders, have been engaged in a different war, albeit civilian, for a long time.

They have been fighting with the government for allotment of housing plots. Even though the High Court directed revenue officials to conduct a survey of allotted lands and provide housing plots to ex-servicemen, revenue officials have stalled the process stating that all such lands have been encroached by businessmen and land sharks.

The founder-president of Ex-service Welfare Association A. Rangaiah Goud said that at least 6,000 acres of land in Hyderabad was purchased from farmers by the British before independence. These lands were used for shooting practices by the British army.

Ever since India achieved independence, those lands, in the present day Jawaharnagar and Shamirpet, have been lying vacant, he said. The association, comprising retired army personnel from the city, submitted representations to successive governments seeking allotment of those lands as housing plots. Around 5,000 acres were allotted to ex-servicemen and widows. As the process was getting delayed, they filed a petition before the High Court seeking its directions.

The court directed revenue officials to make suitable allotments to them in Shamirpet and Jawaharnagar, keeping in mind their sacrifices. Despite being armed with the court orders, it has been an uphill task for us. There has been no progress in the last ten years. Revenue officials are yet to take up the survey. We have 30,000 members and a majority of them eligible for housing sites, Goud said.

Meanwhile, the Medchal-Malkajgiri district collector on October 1, 2020 (Lr No 2/1878/2020) directed the revenue divisional officer, Keesara and Kapra tahsildar, to look into the issue. He pointed out that the applicant had sought allotment of 250 square yards to each ex-serviceman in Shamirpet and Jawaharnagar. They also alleged misuse of 5,977 acres of land, which has gone to realtors. It is once again requested that you pay personal attention and submit all relevant details for taking further action, the Medchal collector said.
16 missing children recovered in US Marshals operation that uncovers sex trafficking allegations

Some 16 missing children have been recovered in an operation led by the U.S. Marshals Service Eastern District of Louisiana New Orleans Task Force which also uncovered allegations of sex trafficking in some of the cases, the agency announced.

In a news release published Thursday, the agency revealed that through "Operation Fresh Start, conducted from Jan. 1 to March 31, they made five arrests and are currently pursuing the arrest of four other adults.

Based on the operation at least four (4) felony warrants exist for adults suspected of involvement with MCU minors and the USMS New Orleans Task Force is actively pursuing these fugitives, the agency said.

In one of the cases, marshals recovered a 14-year-old female on March 25 from an address in Fayetteville, Georgia, living with several adults. She had run away from her family in New Orleans in January, authorities said.

The teen had run away from New Orleans in January of 2022 and her family were concerned about her possible involvement in sex trafficking and believed that she was with an older male in Florida. USMS investigation shows the teen may have also traveled to the Jacksonville, Florida area as well before being located in Georgia, the U.S. Marshals Service said.

A day later, on March 26, marshals also rescued another 14-year-old habitual runaway from a location in Addis, Louisiana. The teenager was described as a previous victim of sexual assault. She was returned to St. Tammany Parish after the rescue.

According to the release, New Orleans was one of the original U.S. cities to begin a USMS pilot program for the Missing Child Unit in 2016, and U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Scott Illing, said he was proud of the work they have done so far.

I am very proud of the cooperative work done by all the agencies involved in safeguarding at risk children. Our Office is proud to be a part of a robust MCU program that took root in New Orleans starting in 2016, Illing said in a statement. This work is being done with our partners while our office still performs its critical USMS missions (judicial and witness security, managing federal prisoners, violent fugitives apprehension, sex offender investigations, and service of federal process).

Several of the cases also involved custodial disputes between parents, which can sometimes turn deadly.

Marshals successfully recovered a 5-year-old female and 7-year-old male who were taken by their mother, who was the non-custodial parent.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office issued a felony warrant for the mother of the children for kidnapping, and she made active attempts to avoid arrest along the way, the release said. The non-custodial parent/mother took the children to the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida area and the USMS Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force was able to recover the children and arrest the mother on her Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office warrant.

On Jan. 31, marshals also recovered a 1-year-old male child abducted by his father after the father shot and killed the infants grandfather in New Orleans, Louisiana, the agency said.

News reports show that the grandfather, the late beloved trumpeter Brian Murray, was babysitting the child at the time he was killed by Edmond Ramee Sr.

Ramee is currently in custody on a second degree murder charge.

New Orleans Police Department Violent Offenders Warrant Squad (VOWS) and USMS New Orleans Task Force immediately began to search for Edmond RAMEE Sr., and he surrendered to NOPD VOWS on the evening of 01/31/2022, with the child being safely located and recovered, the U.S. Marshals Service said.

Not all custody disagreements end with children being recovered safely.

In January, Tennessee Pastor Kenneth Cook died along with his 16-year-old step-daughter, Teagan Welch, and Teagans biological father, Christopher Ray Welch, 48, after a domestic-related shooting in White Pine at a Pilot gas station.

The Jefferson County Sheriffs Office told WVLT News that the Jan. 3 event stemmed from a custody drop-off between the pastors wife and Teagans father, who were meeting to change custody of their child.

Last month, three sisters were fatally shot by their father in another domestic dispute concerning custody. The father also killed himself and their chaperone inside the sanctuary of The Church in Sacramento during a supervised visit in California. All the individuals involved were members of the church.

The Sacramento coroners office identified the father as David Mora Rojas, 39. His daughters were identified as Samarah Mora Gutierrez, 9; Samantha Mora Gutierrez, 10, and Samia Mora Gutierrez, 13. The late chaperone was identified as Nathaniel Kong, 59. Business records show that he was an executive of the church.
Most Americans say moral lessons of Easter, Passover important to country's future: poll

More than two-thirds of likely voters in the United States believe that the moral lessons of Easter and Passover are important to ensuring a strong America for future generations.

The Convention of States Action and The Trafalgar Group released the results of a new survey on Monday, which centered on how likely U.S. voters felt about the influence of Easter and Passover.

Easter Sunday is the annual Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus, while Passover is an annual Jewish observance celebrating the Exodus out of Egypt in ancient history.

Data for the report came from a survey conducted April 5-8, with a sample space of 1,079 likely general election voters, with a margin of error of 2.99% at the 95% confidence level.

According to the survey, 72.6% of respondents said they believe the moral lessons found in the holidays of Easter and Passover are either somewhat important or very important to guaranteeing a strong U.S. in the future.

In total, 52.6% of respondents said the moral lessons were very important, while 20% said they were somewhat important." Another 11% said they were not very important and 16.4% said they were not important at all.

Trafalgar found a considerable political divide among respondents, as 66.6% of Republicans said they were very important, compared to 35.9% of Democrats.

Additionally, while only 8.7% of Republican respondents said that the moral lessons were not important at all, 27.8% of Democrat respondents said the same.

Mark Meckler, president of the Convention of States Action, said in an emailed press release that he believed the findings showed that, contrary to popular belief, Americans do not place less and less value on faith.

Parents want our children to be taught to know and respect God, value freedom, observe the golden rule, and to achieve a good and great society through hard work and sacrifice, stated Meckler.

These are some of the fundamental values taught to us through our Judeo-Christian heritage. This is the foundation of all that is exceptional about the United States of America.

A conservative group based in Houston, Texas, and founded in 2013, the Convention of States Action seeks to have the U.S. hold a national states convention in order to push reforms aimed at combatting the influence of federal government bureaucracy.

Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. shouldnt be allowed to make sweeping decisions that impact millions of Americans. But right now, they do, stated the group.

So it all boils down to one question: Who do you think should decide whats best for you and your family? You, or the feds? Wed vote for the American people every single time.
Woman adds rat poison to husbands food in plot to kill him for converting to Christianity

A Muslim woman in eastern Uganda added poison to the food of her husband, a former Islamic teacher who converted to Christianity about a week earlier, after noticing him praying in the name of Christ, according to a report.

Hiire Sadiki, 56, who put his faith in Christ on March 27, is recovering in a hospital in Butaleja District, Morning Star News reported.

Sadiki, who is from Masjidi Uthuman in Nawanjofu village, was poisoned on April 2, as he had declined to observe the Islamic rituals of Ramadan and his wife noticed him praying in the name of Christ.

She questioned me because of the mode of my praying. I told her that I had believed in Issa [Jesus], the victim was quoted as saying from his hospital bed.

He said he put his faith in Christ after several months of discussions with a Christian pastor.

His pastor, who took him to a hospital, said Sadiki suffered convulsions and vomiting after eating. As we arrived at the hospital, his condition worsened. He started having diarrhea with blood, nausea, vomiting and severe abdominal pain.

The pastor added that he rang his wife. As I began asking about the sheikh and introducing myself, she was so annoyed and started abusing me for converting her husband. She said she did not want to be identified with him because he had become an infidel, and that she was leaving him and going back to her people, that her husband deserved death for forsaking Islam, and that she didnt want to relate with an infidel.

Sadikis wife has left the town with their three children, ages 16, 10 and 6, the pastor said.

While most people in Uganda are Christian, some regions in the country have higher concentrations of Muslims.

The Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project estimates that about 11.5% of Ugandas population is Muslim, mostly Sunni. Armed attacks and murders of converts are not uncommon in the region.

Radical Islams influence has grown steadily, and many Christians within the majority-Muslim border regions are facing severe persecution, especially those who convert from Islam, a Voice of the Martyrs factsheet notes.

Despite the risks, Evangelical churches in Uganda have responded by reaching out to their neighbors; many churches are training leaders how to share the Gospel with Muslims and care for those who are persecuted after they become Christians.
Pastor Bart Barber joins stable of SBC presidential candidates after Willy Rice withdraws

Just over two months before messengers vote at the denominations annual meeting in Anaheim, California, Pastor Bart Barber of First Baptist Church in Farmersville, Texas, has joined the stable of pastors jockeying to become the next president of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Barbers candidacy was announced Thursday by SBC Pastors Conference President Matt Henslee, who told the Baptist Press that Barber is what Southern Baptists are when they are at their best.

As a church, First Baptist Farmersville gives generously through the Cooperative Program and directly supports missionaries and church planters. As a pastor, Barber is actively involved in the local association, state convention, and the national level of the Southern Baptist Convention, Henslee said. He preaches the Word faithfully, reaches the lost passionately, and truly believes Baptists are at their best when they are working together to advance the kingdom.

The announcement comes a day after Florida Pastor Willy Rice, who was the first of now four pastors to publicly announce he would accept the challenge of vying for the role, revealed on Twitter Wednesday that he was withdrawing his candidacy because it was drawing unwanted attention to his church and the people he loves.

Im hereby withdrawing my name as a candidate for the SBC presidency this summer. The last few days have been very difficult and Ive found myself in an untenable position of watching people I love in a church I love done immeasurable harm simply because my name was being considered for this office, Rice said in his statement.

Rices statement came shortly after he was forced to remove one of his deacons from leadership at Calvary Church in Clearwater, Florida, where he leads, due to the SBCs ban on individuals who have committed sexual abuse from church leadership roles.

The former deacon, Jeff Ford, had confessed to being in a relationship with an 18-year-old female student at a high school where he worked as a teacher while he was married.

I do hope another candidate will emerge whose ministry has been characterized by leading in the local church with a passion for the Great Commission. I will continue to contribute to Southern Baptist life and cooperative efforts where I am able, but my primary focus will be as the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church as long as God allows me to serve in that position, Rice said. My calling is to my local church, my family and to the mission field God has given me. I wish to return my time and attention to those things.

Rice had announced his candidacy last month just a day after Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton announced he would break tradition and not seek reelection following his first year in office.

In his support of Barber for the SBCs top executive role, Henslee described him as a caring family man who can unite the denomination.

Whether I was starting in ministry about 10 miles from him or pastoring churches 600 miles from him, Bart has been a phone call away for counsel or help as I navigated the ups and downs of ministry, he said. Now as his associational missionary and fellow pastor, I have a front-row seat to a man who loves his family well, shepherds his church with care, and still finds time to encourage pastors and promote unity in our Convention.

Other candidates vying for the SBC presidency are: Tom Ascol, longtime senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Florida, and Robin Hadaway, senior professor of missions at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The SBCs annual meeting is expected to run from June 14-15.
Lent: A season to remember how to suffer well

On Wednesday, Feb. 26  Ash Wednesday  many members of the global church will enter the Lenten season.

Lent, which dates back to the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., is a 40-day period dedicated to prayer and fasting. During this time, Christians reflect on the mission and suffering of the Messiah, leading up to his passion on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Lent culminates on April 9, Holy Thursday, the night Jesus shared his Last Supper with his disciples before he went to the cross.

In his farewell discourse during the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples they would suffer.

He said, I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33, ESVUK).

When Jesus said in this world you will have tribulation, he was referring to more than just suffering because of the faith. Suffering is one of the great realities of human life.

Consider the tens of thousands of people who in the past few weeks have been infected and have died because of the new coronavirus from China. Or the millions of people who suffer hunger and starvation on a daily basis in developing nations across the world. Or the victims of persecution such as the Uighur Muslims in China, a million who are imprisoned in reeducation camps, or the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar who have been the victims of genocide at the hands of the government.

Likewise, Christians around the world continue to be persecuted and killed for their faith. Open Doors, a nonprofit that aids persecuted Christians, estimates that 260 million people in 50 countries experience high levels of persecution. North Korea, Afghanistan and Somalia were identified as the top three most dangerous countries for Christians in 2020, according to the organizations World Watch List.

As the leader of an Anglican church movement in India, I am intimately acquainted with human suffering.

A couple of years ago, a group of radical extremists hacked one of our pastors with axes and left him to die. I vividly remember the images of the attack. Through the power of prayer and reconstructive bone surgery, his ribs, hips and legs were put back together. One of his legs is now three inches shorter than the other and we had to have special shoes made for him. It took him a year to learn how to walk with a crutch.

When we gave this pastor the opportunity to lead a church in a safer area, he insisted on returning to the same community where he had been attacked. His motivation was the suffering and victory of Jesus on the cross. How could he stay back, he said, when his Master did not flinch from suffering so that we could experience the love and salvation of God?

So he is back in his field, serving his own people with joy. He embodies the words of the author of Hebrews:

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1b-2).

We must remember the paradoxical meaning of Jesuss suffering and death.

It was through suffering and death that Jesus destroyed suffering and death once and for all and brought resurrected life to all. He endured the cross with joy because he saw his reward. Therefore, we should not be surprised by suffering and hardship but learn how to suffer well. We must also work hard to end the human suffering that sin and evil have unleashed in this world.

This Lent season, lets remember to face suffering the same way Jesus did.
Texas pastor and father of 6 murdered, police searching for suspect: Awesome man of God'

Police in Texas are searching for a suspect who shot and killed a 38-year-old pastor and father of six, an "awesome man of God" who held street services and oversaw a prison ministry.

Karl Arthur Hollins Jr., an ordained pastor, was shot and killed by an unidentified man on Harmon Street in Dallas last Wednesday, Fox 4 reported. Police have not identified a motive for the shooting.

Police and Dallas Fire-Rescue responded and took Hollins to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Hollins leaves behind six children, his mother and his siblings.

Dallas Morning News added that anyone who has more information on the murder should contact Detective Christopher Walton at 214-671-3632 and refer to case No. 060922-2022.

My brother did not live to 40. That is devastating and it hasnt settled with me just yet, said the pastors sister, Crystal Hollins, according to Fox 4. I havent had time because I need to be strong for my momma.

His mother, Tammy Jones, described her son as an "awesome man of God. He taught me what a man is supposed to do for a woman, as a man.

In addition to serving as a pastor, Hollins was a security guard who ran a street and prison ministry in the community he grew up in, according to NBC 5.

On his Facebook page, a post was made on Saturday asking people to give his family privacy and telling them to contact an individual identified as "Reanee" for more information.

Several people commented on the post, while others posted on the late pastor's Facebook account giving their condolences over his tragic death.

"Sending love just know he [touched] people he didn't even know he [touched] and if [you all] need help with anything it will be my pleasure," posted one person.

"[I'm] speechless. In prayer silently for the Mom & entire family; church fam & all. I claimed Apostle Hollins as a spiritual Son. Time was so short with him though. Unbelievable," stated another.

While police have not yet released any description of the suspect, they have declared a reward of $5,000 for any information that may lead to the arrest and prosecution of the killer.

In a separate incident in Dallas, a 36-year-old man was shot and killed and three others were injured on Jerome Street on Sunday morning, 5 NBCDFW reported.

One of the three who were injured, a female, is in critical condition, police said.
Virginia passes law requiring schools to report sexually explicit classroom books to parents

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has signed a bill into law that will require school boards to inform parents of when books used in the classroom contain sexually explicit content.

Known as Senate Bill 656 and signed by Youngkin last week, the new law orders the Virginia Department of Education to create model policies for school boards by July 31, and requires school boards to adopt the policies by Jan. 1 of next year.

The Department shall develop and make available to each school board model policies for ensuring parental notification of any instructional material that includes sexually explicit content, states SB 656.

The policies will include parental notification, identifying the specific instructional material and sexually explicit subjects, and allowing the parent of any student to review instructional material that includes sexually explicit content and provide, as an alternative, nonexplicit instructional material and related academic activities to any student whose parent so requests.

Last week, Youngkin also signed House Bill 938, which requires the Board of Education to convene a group of stakeholders that would include parents and school officials in order to make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding issues like improving academic standards and increasing transparency for proficiency standards.

In a statement released last Friday, Youngkin explained that SB 656 and HB 938 both deliver on my Day One promises to give parents a greater say in their childrens education.

I'm pleased to sign them into law, along with many other bipartisan bills that will enhance education, improve public safety, provide tax relief, and make government work better for the people of Virginia, stated Youngkin.

Last year, Virginias Fairfax County Public Schools, which is one of the largest school districts in the United States, garnered controversy for having sexually graphic books in their high school libraries.

These included the books Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe and Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison, which graphically depict sexual acts between men and boys.

After a highly publicized school board meeting in which a parent read passages from the books, FCPS officials announced that the circulation of these books has been suspended, while a committee reviews and makes recommendations about the text.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another Republican, signed a bill last month that prohibited school officials and third parties from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity with students between kindergarten and the third grade.

Known as House Bill 1557 but derisively called the Dont Say Gay bill, critics of the legislation claimed that it censored the speech of students and faculty regarding LGBT issues.

Supporters of HB 1557 argued that it was a necessary law to support parental rights, and questioned the morality of those who wanted teachers to talk to little kids about sexual matters.

Parents rights have been increasingly under assault around the nation, but in Florida we stand up for the rights of parents and the fundamental role they play in the education of their children, stated DeSantis last month.

Parents have every right to be informed about services offered to their child at school, and should be protected from schools using classroom instruction to sexualize their kids as young as 5 years old.
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.
HYDERABAD: The country is woefully short of doctors to treat rheumatism-related ailments, doctors said at a rheumatology conference at KIMS Hospitals, Secunderabad. Dr Sarath Chandra Mouli, clinical director, department of clinical immunology & rheumatology, KIMS Hospitals, said if the ratio of rheumatology specialists to the population in the US and the UK were considered, India needed about 20,000 specialists to maintain the same ratio.

Instead, Dr Mouli estimated, there were only about 700-800 specialists in the country. One reason for the shortage, he said, was the lack of courses offered for the super specialty in medical institutes. He said there was not a single government college in either Telangana or AP which offered the course.

The number of courses offered for paediatric rheumatology are even fewer. NIMS Hyderabad had a rheumatology centre which received about 200 patients per day while KIMS got about 120, he said.

Doctors also stated that contrary to what was believed earlier, children were being affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Dr B.G. Dharmanand, senior consultant, Manipal Hospitals, Bengaluru, and president, Indian Rheumatology Association, said, women were more prone to rheumatology-related issues like arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and others.

Dr Dharmanand added that there wasnt enough awareness about rheumatology and a misconception prevailed that most rheumatology diseases had no cure. A lot of research has been done in the last 20 years and very effective treatments have been developed. We are planning to educate the public about this problem, he added.
American Bible Society survey finds 'unprecedented drop' in Bible reading

There has been an unprecedented drop in the number of Bible users in the United States since last year, according to a report released by the American Bible Society.

The 2022 State of the Bible report, released Wednesday, based its findings on responses collected from a survey of 2,598 U.S. adults conducted in January. The 12th annual report asked Americans a variety of questions about their Bible use and their thoughts on its role in society.

A preface to the report also highlights changes in the percentage of Bible users in the U.S. over time. The American Bible Society defines Bible users as those who use the Bible at least 3-4 times each year on their own, outside of a church setting.

After reaching a high of 53% in 2014, the share of Bible users among the U.S. adult population consistently remained between 48% and 51%. Just last year, 50% of Americans were Bible users. However, in 2022, Bible users in the U.S. accounted for just 39% of the adult population, the lowest in more than a decade.

The State of the Bible report described the 11% decrease as an unprecedented drop in the percentage of Bible users in the United States. When applied to the U.S. population as a whole, the figure suggests that the number of Bible users in the U.S. dropped from 128 million in 2021 to 103 million in 2022.

The group labeled Bible users consisted of Americans who read the Bible outside of church as infrequently as three to four times a year to those who use the Bible daily. Ten percent of U.S. adults use the Bible daily, while 4% use it four to six times a week, 7% consult it two to three times a week, 5% read the Bible once a week, and 7% read it once a month.

More than half (60%) of Americans use the Bible less than three to four times a year. A plurality (40%) of those surveyed never read the Bible on their own, while 12% read it less than once a year and 8% look at it once or twice a year.

The State of the Bible report also demonstrates what the American Bible Society describes as a major decrease in Scripture Engagement, which is defined as consistent interaction with the Bible that shapes peoples choices and transforms their relationships with God, self, and others. The estimated number of Scripture-engaged Americans dropped from 64 million in 2021 to 49 million in 2022. At the same time, the estimated number of Bible disengaged Americans rose from 100 million last year to 145 million this year.

The survey also inquired about respondents Bible reading habits. The overwhelming majority (78%) of those surveyed indicated that their Bible reading stayed the same over the past year, as 13% reported an increase in Bible reading and the remaining 10% saw a decrease in their Bible reading.

When asked how do you think our country would be without the Bible, specifically referring to a hypothetical scenario where nobody read the Bible at all, a plurality of respondents (45%) indicated that they thought the U.S. would be worse off without the Bible. This is a noticeable decrease from last year, when 54% of those surveyed believed that the U.S. would be worse off without the Bible.

Forty-one percent of respondents contended that the country would be about the same without the Bible, an increase from the 33% who said so in 2021. The share of Americans who think the U.S. would be better off without the Bible remained flat at 14% in both 2021 and 2022.

In 2022, the elderly were the group most likely to believe that the U.S. would be worse off without the Bible, with 64% of the oldest Americans agreeing with that statement. A majority of baby boomers (57%) and a plurality of those in generation X (46%) also predicted that the U.S. would be worse off without the Bible.

Millennials were the least likely group to see an absence of the Bible as making the U.S. worse off. Thirty-one percent of millennials subscribed to that belief. A slightly higher share of Generation Z (39%), the youngest group of American adults, told pollsters that an absence of the Bible would make the U.S. worse off.

Overall, nearly half of respondents (49%) agreed either strongly or somewhat that Bible reading is an important component of a childs character development, while an additional 27% disagreed either strongly or somewhat with that analysis. At 47%, the oldest respondents constituted the largest share of respondents who strongly agreed that Bible reading played an important role in a childs character development.

Thirty-three percent of baby boomers strongly agreed that Bible reading was important to a childs character development, along with 28% of those in Generation X, 19% of millennials and 20% of those in Generation Z.

Forty-nine percent of adults also agreed with the statement proclaiming that the Bible contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life. Once again, elders were far more likely than their younger counterparts to strongly agree with that statement. The share of elders who strongly agreed with that statement was measured at 44%, followed by 34% of baby boomers, 31% of Gen Xers, 22% of Gen Zers and 19% of millennials.

Additional chapters of this years State of the Bible report are expected to be released throughout the year.
8 lessons learned from the Hillsong scandal

Whether it be a historic denominational church or an independent evangelical church, its always unfortunate whenever there is a scandal in the church. Often, when the media reports a Christian scandal, they report only the salacious details, neglecting the many thousands of lives that the power of Jesus Christ has transformed.

This is certainly the case regarding the public deconstruction of the Hillsong brand. One report says that Hillsong has lost at least half of its American campuses in the last two weeks! Whether this movement survives is totally up to the response of its leaders as God says He will lift us if we humble ourselves. Consequently, there are at least 8 lessons we can learn from Hillsong.

1. We cannot build a church upon mega personalities.

Many of the Hillsong churches, including NYC, were built upon the mega personalities of their lead pastor. Whenever a church is built upon one persons charisma and influence, it becomes dangerous because its foundation dissipates if that pastor resigns.

2. The lifestyle of the top leader filters down to the ecosystem of the whole church.

The Hillsong NYC Pastor, Carl Lenz, had to resign because he was caught in an adulterous relationship. The reports I read also cited numerous affairs amongst the staff in the church. Recently, the global lead pastor, Brian Houston, had to resign because of a flirtatious text to a staff member. He was also caught in a womans hotel room, whom he met at a conference. He was in her room for 45 minutes. Unfortunately, culture starts at the top of an organization, and whatever is practiced and tolerated filters from the leader down to every other part of the entity.

3. We cannot build on a bad foundation.

I remember when Hillsong Church started in New York City. They had concerts every Sunday night for several months until they built up a critical mass. Then, one Sunday evening, they announced they were starting a church the following week during Sunday morning hours and encouraged everyone to attend. I heard that this was their modus operandi in other cities of the United States and beyond. Consequently, they planted churches based on the strength of their worship band, gathering crowds taken from other smaller feeder churches. This merely transfers growth and does not expand the kingdom of God.

4. Every local church needs local church governance.

Pastor Terri Crist in Arizona resigned from Hillsong recently because he claimed they do not allow local churches to be autonomous. For Mr. Crist, leaving Hillsong was the culmination of several years of doubts about the institution. He objected a few years ago, he said, when a global church restructuring disbanded his board of local leaders and put him directly under the authority of the Australia-based global board. This is a gross violation of the biblical model we see in the New Testament. Every local church should be governed by indigenous leaders who understand the context of their city and culture. They are usually the aptest at giving oversight to the congregation.

5. The brand of a movement can tarnish all the churches so branded.

Many leaders like Pastor Sam Collier resigned because it was too difficult for him to raise a new church with all the scandals distracting from his purpose of preaching the Gospel. Whenever a local church connects to a movement and is forced to take its name, it is taking a chance that the brand of said movement will be a positive and not a negative one when moving forward.

6. A church can have an excellent Sunday presentation but poor infrastructure.

Hillsong put on some of the greatest Sunday services in the world, especially because of their extraordinary worship. Unfortunately, this presentation often hid the fact that they had poor infrastructure, lacking a healthy, biblically-based culture amongst the staff and leadership. Just because a church has a big crowd and exciting services doesnt mean they comport with the New Testament pattern for processing and vetting its leaders and staff (1 Timothy 3:1-15).

7. You can have a megachurch with a few disciples.

The bottom line for determining if a church is influential is if they are winning new converts and making them disciples of Jesus ( Matthew 28:19-20). A Church that is built upon attracting people because of great music, without biblically-based solid teaching from the pulpit, will have difficulty producing genuine disciples of Christ. (To be fair, there may be exceptions to this with some substantive biblical preaching in some Hillsong campuses, but I am referring to the primary way they plant churches and keep drawing people.)

8. A leader or church should not cater to or focus on celebrity culture.

It is important to reach all people, including celebrities, with the Gospel. NYC Pastor Carl Lentz was known as the hipster, cool pastor to the celebrities. However, when a lead pastor seems to be enamored by celebrity culture and caters to power people, they violate the command against showing partiality (James 2). Young, cool, attractive pastors who are close to famous secular people have to be careful. They must guard against being seduced by lust for fame and an illicit lifestyle.

The apostle John warns us to not love the world or the things in the world because if anyone loves the world, the Fathers love is not in them. The love of the world includes the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:15-17). In conclusion, my prayer is that all the thousands of sincere Christ-followers, including some of the leaders in Hillsong, will have wisdom from God as it relates to continuing the Hillsong movement and redeeming their witness for Christ.
Vikings were in the Americas 500 years before Columbus who, In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

Wooden artifacts show the Vikings were living in the Americas by at least the year 1021.

These artifacts were found at the Norse settlement L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland

Until this discovery in 2021, it was only a guess as to when the Vikings first set foot on the Americas. Now, a new study which used wooden artifacts and knowledge of solar storms has helped provide the first definitive date  1021.

The Vikings lived in Newfoundland 1,000 years ago.

To determine the date of Viking settlement, scientists went to LAnse aux Meadows at the northern tip of Newfoundland. LAnse aux Meadows is the only conclusively identified Viking settlement in the Americas and contains artifacts which date from the eighth to the 11th century.

A geoscientist from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands, Dr Michael Dee and his team, examined three pieces of wood collected there in the 1970s which bore clear markings of metal tools.

The local people didnt use metal tools, explained Margot Kuitems, a member of Dees team and an archaeologist at the University of Groningen.

The Vikings had made the cut.

The team then searched for evidence of solar storms. One such storm, called a Miyake event, had happened between 992 and 993.

These storms send cosmic rays to earth and leave unusually high levels of radioactive carbon in trees.

The distinct uplift in radiocarbon production which occurred between 992 and 993 A.D. has been detected in tree-ring archives from all over the world, explained Dr Dee.

If they could find evidence of such carbon, they could pinpoint when the Vikings had cut the wood.

All the artifacts showed evidence of a solar storm, 29 rings from the tree barks edge.

Finding the signal from the solar storm 29 growth rings in from the bark allowed us to conclude the cutting activity took place in the year 1021 AD, said Kuitems.

In other words, the Vikings arrived in LAnse aux Meadows shortly after the solar storm. Scientists suspect they lived there for about 13 years before pulling up stakes and returning to Greenland.

This is the first time the date has been scientifically established, Kuitems explained.

Previously the date was based only on sagas  oral histories that were written down in the 13th century, at least 200 years after the events they described took place.

Skraeling

In these stories, known as the Icelandic Sagas, Viking lore describes fantastical events as well as encounters with Indigenous Americans, whom they called skraeling, thought to mean wearer of animal skins.

They were short in height with threatening features and tangled hair on their heads, one account says. Their eyes were large and their cheeks broad.

Another depicts how Indigenous people attacked Vikings arriving by ship.

I have been wounded under my arm. An arrow flew between the edge of the ship and the shield into my armpit. one character says in the saga.

Here is the arrow, and this wound will cause my death.

Dr Dee said his new study will help anchor the Icelandic Sagas.

He added, however, the 1021 date is a bit later than expected.

Other Viking sagas suggest the Vikings were in Iceland and later Greenland, as early as 870 and when they arrived in Iceland, were met by Gaelic monks from a Hiberno-Scottish mission. These monks soon left because they did not wish to live among the heathens.

Forced Christianity

Christianity started to spread among the Icelanders and later, Greenlanders at the end of the 10th century.

The adoption of the new faith by the whole population was the consequence of a compromise between the Christian and heathen chieftains, as well as the lawspeaker, at the national assembly of 999 or 1000.

Initially missionary bishops and priests of foreign origin composed the clergy, but the number of local priests quickly increased.

The Lutheran form of the Reformation which was introduced in Iceland between 1541 and 1551 caused fundamental changes in Church life, spirituality and culture. For instance, the bulk of Church estates was confiscated and the cult of saints was abolished.

The first Icelandic translation of the New Testament was published in 1540, and of the whole Bible in 1584.

(With assistance from a paper by Dr Margot Kuitems)
Robert Nickelsberg | Getty Images

It's been a rough time for travel; many people were left scrambling to get to their destinations last week after bad weather in Florida led to hundreds of cancellations and delays across major U.S. airlines. But JetBlue passengers were hit particularly hard over the weekend when more than 300 flights were canceled due to staffing shortages, CNBC reports.

Now, as JetBlue looks ahead to what it anticipates to be an extremely busy peak travel season, it's reconsidering its strategy for the summer. Weve already reduced May capacity 8-10% and you can expect to see a similar size capacity pull for the remainder of the summer, Joanna Geraghty, JetBlues COO and president, said in an email to staff on Saturday, which was viewed by CNBC.
Bloomberg | Getty Images

Many companies have announced the suspension of their operations on Russian territory as a result of the armed conflict against Ukraine. None have elicited such extreme reactions from consumers as Chanel . The luxury products company announced that, in addition to ceasing to operate on Russian territory, it will no longer sell its products to Russian citizens who intend to bring them to their country. This with the aim of complying with the sanctions that the European Union (EU) and Switzerland have imposed on Russia.

The most recent EU and Swiss sanctions include a ban 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.  We have put in place a process to ask customers whose primary residence we do not know to confirm that the items they are purchasing will not be used in Russia," the company explained in a press release.
When three porcupines showed up at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care with an array of injuries from last years Caldor Fire, and then another in January with a fractured clavicle, animal care director Denise Upton was befuddled.

We've never, ever rehabbed four porcupines at one time, Upton says. We get one a season, maybe.

Most Californians have never seen a wild porcupine. Largely nocturnal, the creatures spend a lot of time up in the trees and their population in this state is thought to be small, but theres not much research out there about porcupines. Perhaps the biggest surprise in rescuing three was this: Porcupines can sometimes be quite noisy. Two of the porcupines in particular, whom the center nicknamed P2 and P3, had all kinds of things to say. P2  a female with burned paws, scorched hair and a singed tail  was extremely vocal right away.

As animal experts evaluated her, her protests sounded like someone blowing a kazoo.

[P2] had no problem announcing her displeasure with her examination today, a staff member posted on the centers Instagram page along with video evidence. ... Dont worry she isnt being hurt. She is just wild and doesnt like us.

Within about a month, P3  an older male with burned paws  had become even more outspoken. When staff members woke him to clean his cage, he seemed to be grumbling like a fussy old hermit. When eating carrots, he made mmmm sounds, like a human making a show of enjoying a meal. One day, P3 even had a conversation with a hidden camera.

Ehhhhhhhhh. Ehhhhhh. Eh! Ehhhhhhh. Ehhhhhh. Ehh, he says to the camera for unexplained reasons in an Instagram video. Upton knew then that she had a lot to learn.

As it turns out, these loud porcupines are not without precedent. Another porcupine from Texas, Teddy Bear, became a YouTube sensation in 2011 for his human-like sounds and love of corn. In a recent Facebook post in a private wildlife group, one user criticized porcupines for damaging trees when feeding on bark, and added, "They chew and talk to their selves, sounds like munchkins on acid in the forest."

But according to porcupine experts, the quilled rodents are not usually very noisy  at least not in nature. They do make loud sounds occasionally, but only for a few specific reasons, says retired Queens College biology professor Uldis Roze, who studied the creatures for much of his career and wrote the definitive book on the animal: "The North American Porcupine."

Courtesy of Uldis Roze

If it's a young baby, it'll call for its mother like a human child, and when a baby porcupine nurses, the mother and baby 'sing' to each other, Roze says. Another vocalization is in mating time when two males are competing for the same female. They fight, and the males scream. It's like an ambulance siren through the forest. You hear it for a long distance. And then there's the kind of irritated sound. Its like, eh, eh, eh!

When Roze makes the eh noise, he sounds strikingly similar to P2 and P3 in some of the Instagram posts. Thats the sound of not wanting to be with the other guys, Roze says. Its the sound that porcupines make when they're in the den and another porcupine comes into the den, and they're just kvetching all the time until one of them leaves.

Porcupines are very solitary animals, he explains, largely spending their lives alone.

Roze became fascinated with porcupines back in the 1970s while building a cabin with his wife in the Catskills. The creatures started eating the plywood  an excellent source of sodium, he notes  and he began to wonder, Why is this animal eating our house? What do we know about this animal?

I found out there wasnt much known, he says, and I got drawn into a study of porcupines that lasted for decades.

Roze admitted he wasnt very familiar with California porcupines and suggested contacting a different expert  Cara Appel  to learn more about their distribution here and behavior during wildfires. Appel is a PhD student at Oregon State University who did her masters research on porcupines at Cal Poly Humboldt, which included general research on their distribution and status in the northwestern United States.

Asked about why the porcupine population is so small in California, she offers a disclaimer before answering: Unfortunately, there hasnt been a lot of interest in it, so most of what we know is more speculative, she says.

But basically, in looking at historical records and distribution modeling across California, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and other western states, Appel found that porcupines were abundant in the region up until the mid-1900s. But they were eating saplings and damaging trees that were economically valuable.

They were a big problem in the viewpoint of those who manage timberlands, Appel says. For decades, there were concerted efforts to get rid of porcupines, including bounties, systematic poisoning and other control efforts, she continues, and their population declined precipitously.

Courtesy of Cara Appel

Porcupines only reproduce once a year, giving birth to just one baby porcupine, and they also prefer to live at low density (remember the ehhhhhhs?). So it takes a longer time for the populations to recover, Appel says.

Meanwhile, predator populations have increased in areas where they live, she adds, and forestry practices have modified their habitat in ways that make it less attractive to herbivores. Porcupines do occasionally make appearances in places like Tolowa Dunes State Park, Yreka and the Sierra, but often its in the form of roadkill. Otherwise, they largely fly under the radar.

In August 2021, the Caldor Fire changed that. The incredibly destructive fire burned through more than 200,000 acres of the Sierra Nevada, including parts of Christmas Valley in South Lake Tahoe. And in September, thats where residents found all three porcupines, P1, P2 and P3, and reported them to Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care.

Porcupines are particularly ill-equipped to survive wildfires, say the experts, because they arent very quick and their escape of choice is to climb trees. They do sometimes have dens underground that could give them a little bit of protection, Appel says, but not extensive burrowing systems like other animals have.

P1 was in the worst condition of the three, with his eyes burned shut, his nose burned closed and all of his quills burned off. He must have just rolled up to survive the flames, staff from the center theorized in an Instagram post. P2s quills were burned off her tail, her hair was singed and all four of her paws were burned, which required tilapia skin grafts, and P3 also had burned paws.

Upton herself handled that rescue, traveling to Christmas Valley to retrieve P3 from a concrete bunker he had crawled into. With porcupines, if you want them to go right, they go left, she says. So I had to climb in there and convince him to come out.

In taking care of other porcupines, including an educational ambassador named Porky whom she raised after his mother died, Upton learned that they like small places where they can feel safe. So she brought a pet carrier with a cover, making it look like a hidey hole.

She was then able to tap P3 on the butt (steering clear of his swishing tail) and usher him into the pet carrier. So thats wrangling a porcupine 101, she says.

Over the past seven months, the three rescued porcupines have eaten their vegetables, their wounds have healed and their quills have grown back. P1 and P2 are again able to climb trees  which is a requirement for releasing them back to the wild. And earlier this week, the center bid a fond farewell to P1.

After P1 was dropped off in the woods, a trail camera captured his movements. He remained in his box a while, then finally began walking around and sniffing and eventually heading for a tree. P2 will be the next to go, and then it will be P3s turn, if he can prove hes able to climb trees.

Staff members at the center have mixed feelings about that, Upton says. P3 is old, and hes cranky and his noises  whatever they might mean  are absolutely adorable.

Were not sure what to do with him, Upton says. Hes acting a little goofy.  Hes been walking around talking all day long. I dont know what his deal is.
John Raoux/AP

NEW YORK (AP)  Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has a book coming out this fall that covers his years in the Trump administration and, according to his publisher, offers unvarnished appraisals of the deals made and characters encountered along the way."

Broadside Books, a conservative imprint at HarperCollins Publishers, announced Monday that Pompeo's untitled book was scheduled for November. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Click here to read the full article.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court gave the go-ahead for a business-friendly and anti-environment Trump-era regulation. That this conservative Supreme Court ruled in this way is par for the course. But what was somewhat unusual about the ruling was that the court used what is called its shadow docket to do so. This secretive, irregular, and unreasoned ruling from the Supreme Court has unfortunately become more common in the past few years.

To understand the shadow docket and what is so problematic about the Supreme Courts use of it, you have to first think about how the court typically decides its cases. For those cases, after two lower courts have ruled in the case, a party appeals to the Supreme Court. There are briefs from both sides arguing whether the Supreme Court should take the case. Then, if the Supreme Court decides to hear the case, the parties file new briefs asking the court to rule in their favor. Other people and groups can also file what are called amicus briefs giving their outside view on the matter. The court then hears oral argument in the case, where the lawyers argue their position to the Justices. Then, after deliberating on the matter and then taking several months to reason through the legal issues, the court renders its ruling accompanied by lengthy opinions explaining the basis of the ruling and any disagreements the Justices might have.

This normal order of things takes time, sometimes multiple years, but that time is the result of a transparent process that allows for reasoned decision-making based on the full participation of the parties and even the public. It is this orderly process that, in theory, gives the court its legitimacy. And it is the courts legitimacy that makes people in this country follow what the court says and respect its decisions, even if they disagree with them.

The shadow docket runs afoul of everything that gives the Supreme Court its legitimacy in the normal process. At its least controversial, the shadow docket is used for cases that present true emergencies. Think a death row appeal where the prisoner is going to be executed within hours if the court doesnt act. The shadow docket allows the court to decide true emergencies like this without the lengthy process that ordinary cases take. For these types of cases, the shadow docket makes sense.

However, as scholars have documented, since the start of the Trump presidency, the Supreme Court has been using the shadow docket to decide high profile controversial issues that do not present the same level of emergency as an impending death sentence. And for this growing number of cases, the court rushes everything and changes almost all of its procedures.

Take the environmental case decided earlier this week as an example. A federal trial court ruled against the Trump regulation on October 21, 2021. The case was appealed, and on February 24, the federal appeals court ruled that, while the case was being decided, the lower court order would remain in place. Without giving that lower court an opportunity to actually decide the case, the parties appealed to the Supreme Court on March 21. Over the course of the next 9 days, the parties filed three more briefs. Then, without any argument, the Court ruled on April 6 that the Trump regulation should be reinstated. The Courts unsigned ruling stated nothing other than the fact that it was reinstating the regulation while the case was being appealed.

In almost every way, this is different than the normal way of doing things. The lower appeals court never got an opportunity to decide the case first. Only one set of briefs was filed. There was no opportunity for briefs from the general public. The Justices never heard oral argument. They didnt meet to deliberate over the matter. There was no opinion explaining the ruling. No one Justice took responsibility for the Courts reasoning. And the decision was made a mere 16 days after the initial filing with the Court.

This is about as far from reasoned analysis and decision making as the Justices can possibly get. In dissent, Justice Elena Kagan was explicit in her criticism of what the Court did here, stating that the ruling renders the Courts emergency docket not for emergencies at all. The docket becomes only another place for merits determinations  except made without full briefing and argument.

Of note here is that Chief Justice John Roberts, one of the courts conservatives, joined in this dissent. In agreeing publicly with this sentiment, the courts institutional leader is making a bold statement, agreeing with the many critics of the courts shadow docket practices. Those critics have attacked the use of the shadow docket for undermining the courts legitimacy, rushing important decisions, hiding the vote among the Justices, issuing decisions in the middle of the night, and deciding hugely important legal issues with minimal reasoning  if any at all. Kagans dissent explicitly nods in the direction of these critiques, and Roberts apparently agrees.

However, there is nothing he can do about it, because the five more conservatives Justices on the Court are moving full speed ahead using the shadow docket. And, predictably, they are using it to check off almost every item on the conservative legal agenda. Beyond ruling for an anti-environment regulation in the case discussed here, they have also approved abortion restrictions, limited COVID precautions, allowed religious exemptions to generally applicable rules, given the green light to executions, reinstated anti-immigrant policies, and more.

In other words, this ultraconservative Supreme Court is exploiting a mechanism that used to be reserved for the most emergent matters that come to the Court to further stamp its right-wing view on American law and society. And it is doing so mostly in the dark.
Baseball is back. The Houston Astros play their first home game on Monday, April 18, against the Los Angeles Angels.

Americas pastime is famously a sport many people watch just as much for the food and the vibes as the game itself. Luckily, Minute Maid Park in Houston has plenty of great dining options, including some new items for the season. Tex-Mex institution El Tiempo is also unveiling a location in the stadium.

This year marks chef Scott Stricklands first as Minute Maids executive chef, replacing Jimmy Coatsworth, now a general manager for Aramark, which oversees the food at the stadium. Strickland describes himself as a big home-cook guy and says he wanted to offer food at Minute Maid that people could also recreate at home.

We ranked 10 foods at Minute Maid Park from least-favorite (10) to must-order (1).

Emma Balter

10. House-Smoked Turkey

This item consists of two thick slices of turkey drizzled with barbecue sauce. It was nicely smoked (after being brined for 48 hours) and tasted perfectly fine, but there wasnt much to it other than just being meat. It personally didnt excite me but Im sure it will make plenty of turkey lovers happy.

Where to find it: Section 224

Emma Balter

9. Crawford Sausage

This hot dog is made with sausages from Slovaceks, a Czech purveyor based in Snook, Texas. Its topped with finely chopped onions that have been braised in Karbachs Crawford Bock beer. The delightfully savory onions made the dish, the sausage was good but a little difficult to eatI prefer a seamless bite into a soft dog and its bun. Overall solid, but it wasnt memorable compared to some other dishes.

Where to find it: Sections 132 and 433

Emma Balter

8. Fried Bread Pudding

Easy to eat on a stick, this pudding ball had plenty of cinnamon flavor, warm raisins inside and a moist texture (I always mean this as a compliment, as a hater of dry food). Chef Strickland says they make the hot dog buns fresh daily, and in order not to waste any buns, use day-old ones to make the bread pudding. This dish gets extra points for its no-waste mission.

Where to find it: Battered Up, Section 116

Emma Balter

7. Crawford Dog

This hot dog contains two sausages, split then griddled, served on a hamburger potato roll as opposed to a hot dog bun. The sweet-and-savory condiment mix is what sold me here: Mustard blends with a bacon-onion jam thats made with Crawford Bock beer. A nice twist on a classic.

Where to find it: Crawford Stand, Sections 109 and 418

Emma Balter

6. Tostitos Walking Nachos

A take on dorinachos, these walking nachos in a bag were promising in theory, but didnt quite work in practice. First off, Im confused why theyre called tostitos but are made with Doritos Dinamita chips, but no matter. These nachos are supposed to be a good walking food, but the Dinamita chips are too skinny to scoop up any of the meat properly. Eating them with a plastic fork also proved difficult, as the chips are too crunchy. I really wanted to like this, and it tasted goodsave for the Dinamitas becoming a little mushybut food infrastructure is important.

Where to find it: Section 225

Emma Balter

5. Pork Pastor Nachos

A more classic version of nachos, but sometimes the O.G. works just fine. The pork pastor was flavorful, the dish was overall well-executed, and had a good mix of everything, between the pickled jalapenos cutting through the richness of the queso blanco and the kind of tortilla chips that are appropriate for scooping.

Where to find it: Section 114

Emma Balter

4. House-Smoked Chicken on a Potato

I love a loaded baked potato, and this one hit the spot. The shredded chicken is deeply smoked and flavorful, the sour cream and grated cheddar add more oomph, and everything melds well with the flesh of the potato. No complaints.

Where to find it: Spud House, sections 117 and 154

Emma Balter

3. Pastrami Sandwich

Chef Strickland says making this pastrami sandwich is a two-week process, between the brining of the brisket that gives it a pickle-y tang, and the smoking. The meat in this sandwich is nice and moist with crumbly edges, avoiding the typical pastrami pitfall of being too dry. The three layers of rye bread provide good support for the filling, which marries well with the slaw and whole-grain mustard.

Where to find it: Homeplate Portable, Section 116

Emma Balter

2. La Pina Dog

This hot dog has everything: sweet, tangy, smoky and spicy. Its an homage to Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel, whose nickname is La Pina for his gravity-defying spiky hair. Chef Strickland admits this item will be like pineapple pizza: You either hate it or you love it. Im Team Pineapple and was delighted by this hot dog. The team tosses the pina in honey and Tajin, then smokes it. Chunks of pineapple are laid on a bun lined with a teriyaki-soy sauce glaze, alongside a long dog and candied jalapenos that bring the heat.

Where to find it: Home + Away Stand, Sections 113 and 129 & Fastball Stand, Section 416

Emma Balter

1. Asian Nachos

Drumroll My absolute favorite item was the Asian nachos. Instead of tortilla chips, perfectly crispy and appropriately greasy fried wonton strips are used as the scooping aid. They are layered with pulled pork and pickled carrot strings, drizzled with teriyaki glaze and sweet chile aioli, then topped with black and white sesame seeds. Perfection.

Where to find it: La Michoacana Cart, section 115 & Food Portable, Section 206
Morgan Davis, a transgender man, joined Texas child welfare agency as an investigator to be the advocate he never had growing up.

Less than a year later, one of the first cases under Gov. Greg Abbotts order to investigate parents of transgender children landed on his desk.

His supervisors in the Travis County office of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services offered to reassign the case, but maybe, he thought, he was the right person for the job.

If somebody was going to do it, Im glad it was me, Davis said.

He hoped it would be reassuring to the family to see a transgender man at the helm of the investigation. But the familys lawyer didnt see it that way.

She said, I know your intentions are good. But by walking in that door, as a representative for the state, you are saying in a sense that you condone this, that you agree with it, Davis said.

It hit me like a thunderbolt. Its true, he said. By me being there, for even a split second, a child could think theyve done something wrong.

Davis resigned shortly after. Since the directive went into effect, each member of his four-person unit has put in their notice as well.

While the attorney generals office has gone to great lengths to defend the governors directive in court, the agency responsible for carrying out the investigations has been roiled by resistance and resignations as employees struggle with ethical questions theyve never faced before.

More than half a dozen child abuse investigators told The Texas Tribune that they either have resigned or are actively job hunting as a result of the directive.

A spokesperson for DFPS declined to comment on the resignations or answer specific questions, citing pending litigation.

The employees, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their jobs, said they feel conflicted  unwilling to undertake what they see as discriminatory investigations and critical of the agencys internal response to requests for guidance, but haunted by what a mass exodus of experienced child abuse investigators would mean for the states most vulnerable children.

Things are already slipping through the cracks.  We will see investigations that get closed where intervention could have occurred, one supervisor said. And children will die in Texas.

Morgan Davis gave notice of his resignation on April 4. If this is the hill I go out on, Im proud to do it, Davis said. Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune

A heartbreaking investigation

From the moment he got the case, Davis felt the conflict acutely. He joined DFPS to help children facing abuse and neglect, not children receiving medical care under the direction of a doctor  medical care that made such a difference in his own life.

Gender-affirming care is endorsed by all the major medical associations as the proper treatment for gender dysphoria, the distress someone can feel when their assigned sex doesnt align with their gender identity. While many young people focus on social transition  dressing differently or using different pronouns  some are prescribed puberty blockers, which are reversible, or hormone therapy.

[What is gender-affirming medical care for transgender children? Heres what you need to know.]

Davis felt the directive was an unnecessary overreach  he knew firsthand the care and caution that doctors take when prescribing treatments for gender dysphoria.

Even the person who made the child abuse report didnt seem to agree with the directive: Davis said they were sobbing on the phone, distraught that they were reporting the family, but the person was mandated by law to report child abuse and feared the consequences of not making a report.

[They] said to me, Just promise me youll be kind, Davis remembered.

When he visited the family, the house was clean, the pantry was well stocked and the kids were healthy, happy and well loved. He tried to be as reassuring as possible, reiterating again and again what a good job the parents were doing raising their children in a safe and loving way.

But the family was clearly terrified, he said.

It was just heartbreaking to me, to everyone, to see what we were doing, to see what we had become, Davis said.

After that, Davis said he couldnt keep working for an agency that would target families this way. Last week, he put in his notice; he is going to keep working until mid-May to wrap up as many of his open cases as he can to help minimize the burden on his colleagues.

But even though Davis told his supervisor there was no evidence of abuse, the investigation into that childs family will remain open, likely long after hes left, while the state continues to fight in court for the right to investigate parents just like those.

Inside the agency

Employees at the Travis County DFPS office say they found out about Abbotts directive the same way most people did  on the news. They were shocked and devastated to see their agency become politicized, several said.

When they got an invitation to an emergency staff meeting the next day, many of them hoped theyd be told the agency wouldnt be following the governors directive.

Instead, they received confirmation that they would now be required to open investigations into reports of parents who provide gender-affirming care to their children. They were instructed to treat these cases very differently than others.

According to a meeting agenda reviewed by the Tribune, supervisors were told that they needed to notify their chain of command when they received one of these cases (as we know these can be difficult, the agenda read) and that the agencys general counsel would be working on guidelines to determine how to rule on these cases.

Several employees say they were told to mark all the cases under Abbotts directive as sensitive, a rare designation usually reserved for cases in which DFPS employees are personally involved.

They were also instructed not to communicate about these cases in writing, a directive that struck the employees as unusual, unethical and risky.

We document  as relentlessly as we do because its a way to make sure theres individual responsibility for actions that are taken that can be tracked back to who made the decision, said one Travis County child protective investigations supervisor. I could be held responsible for a decision made in my case that I didnt make, but I have no way to defend myself.

Investigators and supervisors said they dont typically investigate cases if the only allegation is that a parent is giving their child medication prescribed by a doctor. Instead, those cases are ruled out without a formal investigation and designated priority none.

In fact, they said, the agency usually gets involved in cases with the opposite problem: parents who wont or dont give their child prescribed medications.

But supervisors at the emergency staff meeting say they were told cases in which parents were providing medically prescribed gender-affirming care to their children could not be marked priority none and had to be investigated.

This is literally a direct contradiction of the policy  because we are telling parents we understand that a doctor  is telling you to do this, but we dont like it, said one senior-level supervisor.

When people on the call pointed out that these cases would not meet the standards for physical abuse or medical neglect as laid out in the Texas Family Code, they were told that policy would be generated to match the directives, according to several employees who were in the meeting.

One senior-level supervisor said the response seemed to be, basically, do it now and policy will catch up later, and everything will be fine.

For a lot of employees, the special requirements on these cases have put them in an untenable situation.

We already have such a high level of responsibility that our ethics cant be called into question, said another senior-level supervisor who is still employed by the agency. We have the ability to remove peoples children. We have to be able to pass muster at every level. [This] has dramatically affected the trust that I have in this department as a whole.

Many DFPS employees say they feel caught in a tug of war between their ethics and their obligations. They say they dont want to be foot soldiers following Attorney General Ken Paxton and Abbott into this latest culture war, but they need their jobs and they worry about what will happen to vulnerable children if they leave.

Many of those who have stayed have been engaging in small acts of resistance to the directive. Last week, DFPS workers from several offices signed on to an amicus brief condemning the order. Several Travis County staff members wore T-shirts one day proclaiming their support for trans kids; others have added subtle rainbows to their office decor.

DFPS supervisor Randa Mulanax decided to quit the agency shortly before testifying at a court hearing where a judge paused Gov. Greg Abbotts order to launch child abuse investigations against families who provide gender-affirming care to their transgender children. I knew that saying something internally wasnt going to do anything. Mulanax said. Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune

Resignations and resistance

A week after the directive came out, the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit on behalf of a DFPS employee, identified only as Jane Doe, who was under investigation for child abuse for providing gender-affirming care to her 16-year-old daughter.

At the hearing, a lawyer for the state said DFPS was not going to investigate every trans youth or every young person undergoing these kinds of treatments and procedures.

The directive was intended to convey not that gender-affirming treatments are necessarily or per se abusive, but that these treatments, like virtually any other implement, could be used by somebody to harm a child, said assistant attorney general Ryan Kercher.

Watching the hearing, Travis County investigators were confused. In the emergency meeting after Abbott announced the directive, they say regional leadership told them the exact opposite  they had to investigate these cases, even if there was no evidence that these medications were being forced on a child or otherwise used as a form of abuse.

A judge granted a temporary restraining order, halting the investigation into that family, and scheduled a hearing to consider a statewide pause to the governors directive.

Soon after, DFPS supervisor Randa Mulanax put in her resignation at the Travis County office. Shed reached out to the ACLU to see how she could help block this directive from being implemented and agreed to testify at the next hearing.

On the stand, she told the judge that the cases being investigated under Abbotts directive are treated differently than others, and that the ethical conundrum those cases had sparked left her no choice but to resign. The judge granted a temporary statewide injunction that day, blocking these investigations from continuing until a full trial in July.

Paxton has asked the Texas Supreme Court to intervene and allow the investigations to continue while the case proceeds through the courts. After several days of confusion, supervisors said they were told the cases are on pause  they remain open, but investigative activities are currently suspended.

The injunction also stops DFPS from investigating new reports of child abuse based solely on allegations that a parent provided gender-affirming care to a child.

When Mulanax returned to the office after testifying, she said her office door was covered in thank-you notes and her email inbox was overflowing with gratitude from families, lawyers and fellow DFPS employees.

Mulanax said she felt proud that shed contributed to blocking the directive but was wracked with guilt over what her resignation would mean for an already overburdened department.

I understood that things were going to get worse with me leaving, she said. Im leaving cases behind that have been reassigned two or three times and bounced around from supervisor to supervisor. But do I trade in my ethics and my morality?

The states child welfare agency has long struggled to recruit and retain qualified staff. Its a grueling job, made more difficult in recent years as the agency scrambles to try to comply with the terms of a decadelong federal lawsuit.

The state is still dealing with a crisis of foster children without permanent placement who sleep in state offices, often for weeks at a time. DFPS employees take shifts supervising these kids; supervisors, who are salaried, do not get paid overtime for that work.

And thats in addition to their existing, often overwhelming job duties investigating some of the most heartbreaking, challenging cases of abuse and neglect.

Several employees said investigators at the Travis County office are often getting assigned five to seven new cases a week  more than double what they say is recommended as best practice  on top of an already teetering pile of open cases.

Its a very scary time here right now, one senior-level supervisor said. You never know what youre going to come into the next day, if someone else is going to leave and youre going to have another 20 cases to reassign, or youre going to have to cover another unit because their supervisor left.

And employees say they know better than anyone the potential consequences of overloaded investigators.

Theyre letting so many years of experience walk out that door, said a senior-level supervisor. And the ones who will leave are the ones who stand their ground and do the right thing. Once all those good staff leave, who will be left?

Many DFPS employees say they feel caught in a tug of war between their ethics and their obligations. Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune

Few answers available

On a Tuesday in mid-March, a few days after Mulanax testified, hundreds of child welfare investigative supervisors and managers from across the state logged in to a video conference call, eager to get some answers from the departments leadership.

Several managers said they were surprised to see that DFPS Commissioner Jaime Masters wasnt in attendance.

Instead, Associate Commissioner Rich Richman took the lead. He started by saying the meeting was not going to be an ass-chewing, according to several people who attended, and then launched into a criticism of the handling of a separate scandal the agency was facing in connection to allegations of sex trafficking at a state-licensed foster facility in Bastrop.

Abbotts directive was not the focus of the call, as theyd been hoping, employees who were on the call said.

We had a whole statewide meeting on something that has literally nothing to do with us instead of the thing that is directly affecting our everyday life, one supervisor said.

Richman did not address Mulanaxs testimony or the injunction in the gender-affirming care cases. Instead, several people on the call said, he briefly reminded staff that they were to be neutral fact-finders in these and all investigations.

When Richman opened up the floor to questions and comments, the staff unloaded, according to chat logs reviewed by the Tribune. They demanded answers on when they were going to be getting more guidance on how to handle cases of gender-affirming care and issued dire warnings about the flood of resignations on the horizon.

You are losing so many tenured staff and wisdom because this job is just not manageable anymore, one supervisor wrote.

Another said DFPS leaders are so out of touch with what your agency does.

They also aired long-standing gripes about salaries, overtime pay and working conditions.

As supervisors, we are out here working 60 to 80 hours a week to be supportive of our staff and to keep their heads above water and feel supported, one supervisor wrote. We are worn but pushing through, because we love what we do, but not getting overtime or compensation becomes exhausting and discouraging.

Most of the questions, including those about gender-affirming care cases, went unanswered.

Richman did respond to the money question: According to several people on the call, he encouraged employees to remember they were there for the children, not the money.

It was also very upsetting because weve looked at the salaries of all those higher-ups, said Mulanax. Its pretty, pretty easy to say its not about the money when youre sitting high and tight on over $100,000 a year and youre not working all this overtime.

Richman, who was hired in September, earns $150,000 a year.

Evoking childrens welfare felt particularly disingenuous, several people said, when theyd been loudly challenging whether the governors directive was really in childrens best interest, to no response.

The meeting was scheduled for 90 minutes, but just before the hour mark, Richman brought it to an end. He said hed print out the questions in the chat and follow up with employees directly via email. No one who spoke to the Tribune has received a response.

Later that day, the department hosted a similar meeting for lower-level investigators. But this time, the chat function was turned off.

For LGBTQ mental health support, call the Trevor Projects 24/7 toll-free support line at 866-488-7386. You can also reach a trained crisis counselor through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 800-273-8255 or texting 741741.

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.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
HYDERABAD: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), making its demand of one nation-one foodgrain procurement policy a nation-wide issue, is all set to stage what it called the biggest ever protest against the Centre, to be spearheaded by party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, in the national capital on Monday.

Joining the protest would be party working president and minister K.T. Rama Rao, many TRS bigwigs, including ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs.

The TRS is demanding that the Centre buy all the paddy that has been produced in the state during the current Yasangi (rabi) season without any pre-conditions.

Meanwhile, even as the TRS is geared up for the protest, the Telangana BJP, on its part, announced that it would hold a maha dharna at Indira Park here on Monday with a counter-demand that the state government buy paddy from farmers.

It will be attended by Union minister V. Muralidharan, state BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar and party leaders.

Before leaving for New Delhi for the protest, state agriculture minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy told reporters at RGI airport on Sunday that Telangana wanted

The Centre should have acted earlier in the interests of farmers. The state government is left with no option but to stage its biggest protest against the Union government in the national capital.

In New Delhi, MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha said that the schemes and policies of the Centre were a threat to the national food security system and TRS would fight for protecting the interests of farmers.

Reminding that it was Chandrashekar Rao who turned a barren Telangana into a prosperous land, Kavitha warned the BJP government at the Centre saying no government has prospered at the cost of farmers.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  A fourth person pleaded guilty Monday to his role in a scheme that recruited homeless people from Rhode Island to cash counterfeit busieness checks in several New England states in exchange for a small payment, federal prosecutors said.

Cortavious Benford, 28, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Rhode Island.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Organizers of this year's Albuquerque gay Pride festivities have decided not to let the city's police department participate.

KOB-TV reports all but one member of the ABQ Pride Board approved a motion Sunday to prohibit police from having a parade float or a booth at Pride Fest.
Cory Jobe, the current President and CEO of the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau, used to be the State of Illinois tourism director for five years.

During those years, Jobe never realized how important tourism traffic was for small businesses within those communities.

The Main Street experience and meeting owners when you walk into a place is a unique experience you dont find everywhere, Jobe said. The small business story is the one we tell. Our area is so unique and diverse that its a great story to tell the visitors.

As we move further away from the worst of the pandemic, Jobe views tourism as a major economic engine to bring large amounts of revenue back to municipalities.

Although COVID has had a negative monetary impact on small businesses and tourism, it opened the door for potential change, and that was to further develop the tourism product with more family activities, as well as more outdoor activities.

One thing Jobe noticed during the pandemic is that people from all over the region come to the area for the first time to enjoy the outdoors, which includes the 137 miles of bike trails offered by the Madison County Transit.

Rural tourism is still the most searched travel idea in the country, Jobe said. There are a record number of people hitting Route 66 and seeing the real America. Were not like the western states that experience over tourism.

Edwardsville will have two Route 66 events this summer: the Kicks on 66 car show in September and the annual Route 66 festival in downtown Edwardsville in June.

Throughout the summer, Edwardsville will also have the Arts in the Parks music series, as well as the Edwardsville Art Fair in late September.

Early June will be a hot spot for Collinsville, with the 35th annual International Horseradish Festival June 3-4 in uptown Collinsville.

That same weekend will see the NASCAR Cup Series race thats set to take place at the World Wide Technology Raceway June 5. That race will be called the Enjoy Illinois 300.

A full list of events can be found on the Great Rivers and Routes website.

These events are very important for not only our outside visitors, but also our community members and residents, Jobe said.

Jobe knows how important tourism is in the area, especially since his research has shown him a 40 percent increase in visits to the Great Rivers and Routes website.

Residents from the top three cities searching the website include St. Louis, Chicago and Indianapolis.

Tourism is an investment, Jobe said. We market our beautiful area and visitors come and enjoy everything and spend their money here. If you dont tell people about your region, then people will go elsewhere.

One form of investment in the region has come from Alton, which now has three cruise boats docking 34 weeks this year, bringing in more new travelers to the area.

These events and new investments continue to bring visitors to local businesses on the Main Streets within the region.

All indicators are up and looking promising, Jobe said. Now is not the time to take the foot off the gas.
VIENNA (AP)  Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said Monday that he urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the invasion of Ukraine and raised the issue of serious war crimes committed by the Russian military.

Nehammer was the first European leader to meet Putin in Moscow since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine Feb. 24.

In a statement released after the meeting, the Austrian chancellor said his primary message to Putin in the very direct, open and tough" talks was that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose.

Nehammer told Putin all those responsible for war crimes in the Ukrainian city of Bucha and elsewhere would be held to account."

He also stressed the need to open humanitarian corridors so that civilians trapped in cities under attack can access basic supplies like food and water, according to his statement.

The Austrian leader called the Moscow trip to Moscow his duty to exhaust every possibility for ending the violence in Ukraine, coming just two days after travelling to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Nehammer said face-to-face talks to look each other in the eye, discussing the horrors of war, could have a greater impact over the long term.

But he said he walked away from the meeting without much optimism for an end to the war any time soon.

It might be necessary to do it 100 times, Nehammer said of the meeting. But I think it's necessary to do it, so that peace reigns again and the people of Ukraine can live safely.

European Union-member Austria supported the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

But Nehammer and other Austrian officials have been keen to stress that military neutrality does not mean moral neutrality.

We are militarily neutral, but have a clear position on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Nehammer wrote on Twitter Sunday when announcing his trip to Moscow. It must stop!

Nehammer said he told Putin the EU is as united as its ever been on the issue of sanctions, and that these will remain in place - and may even be strengthened - as long as Ukrainians continue to die.

Earlier Monday, Austrian foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg said Nehammer decided to make the Moscow trip after meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv and following contacts with the leaders of Turkey, Germany and the European Union.

Schallenberg said ahead of a meeting with his EU counterparts in Luxembourg that it was an effort to "seize every chance to end the humanitarian hell" in Ukraine.

He added that every voice that makes clear to President Putin what reality looks like outside the walls of Kremlin is not a wasted voice.
WILLOWBROOK, Calif. (AP)  Two people were killed in a weekend shooting near Los Angeles and five people were wounded and hospitalized, authorities said.

The gunfire erupted at about 4 p.m. Sunday on a residential block in the community of Willowbrook, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of downtown Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.
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BEIJING (AP)  China said Monday its military planes delivered regular military supplies to Serbia, in its first comments on an unusual operation in which six Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport planes landed in Belgrade early Saturday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters the operation was part of the two countries annual cooperation plan, does not target any third parties and has nothing to do with the current situation.

Zhao gave no further details.

The planes arrival prompted heavy speculation they were carrying HQ-22 surface-to-air missiles under the terms of a previous deal signed between the sides. Serbias defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic all but confirmed the delivery of the medium-range systems that was agreed to in 2019, saying on Saturday that he will present the newest pride of the Serbian military on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The veiled operation this weekend came amid Western concerns that an arms buildup in the Balkans at the same time as war is raging in Ukraine could threaten the region.

Serbia and China have long shared strong ties, partly out of a common disdain for Washington. Serbians nurture resentment over NATO's 1999 air campaign during the Kosovo conflict, in which the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade was hit. NATO called the incident, which sparked violent demonstrations in Beijing, a mistaken bombing, an explanation China and many others have long rejected.

Despite claiming to be neutral, China has largely sided with Russia in the Ukraine conflict and many Serbians are sympathetic to Moscow. Although Serbia has voted in favor of U.N. resolutions that condemn the Russian attacks in Ukraine, it has refused to join international sanctions against its allies in Moscow or to outright criticize actions by the Russian troops there.

The apparent arms delivery to Serbia over the territories of at least two NATO member states, Turkey and Bulgaria, was seen by experts as a demonstration of Chinas growing global reach.

The weekend flights could be the largest overseas operation by the Chinese domestically developed large transport plane yet, displaying the countrys strategic transport capabilities," the Communist Party newspaper Global Times said Monday, citing Chinese defense analysts.

The Y-20, which was first delivered to the People's Liberation Army Air Force in 2015, has been used in overseas missions before, including the dispatch of 105 members of the PLA honor guard to join the 2020 Russian Victory Day parade in Moscow, and in flights near Taiwan's air space aimed at testing the self-governing island's defenses and intimidating its democratic government.

There are fears in the West that the arming of Serbia by Russia and China could encourage the Balkan country to move toward another war, especially against its former province of Kosovo that proclaimed independence in 2008. Serbia, Russia and China dont recognize Kosovos statehood, while the United States and most Western countries do.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  Closing arguments in the trial of an Ohio doctor charged in multiple hospital deaths were conducted Monday, with a prosecutor telling jurors that regardless of how close a patient is to death, it's illegal to speed up the process.

An attorney for Dr. William Husel told jurors the state hadn't provided evidence to prove murder allegations.

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 month after a weekslong trial that began Feb. 22. Jurors seated for the trial heard from 53 prosecution witnesses, including medical experts, Mount Carmel employees, investigators, and family members of all 14 patients. Prosecutors took five weeks to present their case.

Prosecutors have said ordering such high dosages for a nonsurgical situation indicated an intent to end lives. Husel's 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.

It is a crime to kill a dying man, regardless of how close they are to death, David Zeyen, an assistant Franklin County prosecutor, told jurors Monday.

Even though they were very critically ill, and perhaps some of them were on a trajectory to die very soon anyways, you cannot hasten their death, you cannot quickly, painlessly cause the death of a dying person," Zeyen said. Cant do it  not in the state of Ohio.

Jose Baez, Husel's lead attorney, said the state hadn't presented one shred of evidence to support the prosecution. He added that Husel never tried to hide the dosages he used to treat patients.

"Why will this man risk his family, his career, 17 years of trying to be a doctor, every single thing he has worked for, to hasten someones death, or to kill them?" Baez said.

In a rebuttal, Zeyen said motive or lack thereof is not a defense under Ohio law.

The jury was expected to begin deliberations Tuesday.

Husel's defense team called a single witness on March 30  a Georgia anesthesiologist who testified that Husels patients died from their medical conditions and not Husels actions. The defense rested the following day.

Mondays arguments before Franklin County Judge Michael Holbrook began after a delay of several days. The delay came after a document used to disqualify judges was filed with the Ohio Supreme Court in the Husel case last week. The document was sealed and no details were available about it.

Mount Carmel has reached settlements totaling more than $16.7 million over the deaths of at least 17 patients, with more lawsuits pending.
BEIRUT (AP)  A delegation from the European Union election observers on Monday wrapped up a six-day visit to Lebanon during which they discussed the deployment of observers ahead of the upcoming May 15 parliamentary elections in the crisis-hit country.

The observer mission said it will start deploying 30 observers throughout Lebanon later this week, with their numbers reaching more than 150 from 27 EU member states, Switzerland and Norway on the day of the vote.

During the visit, Gyorgy Holvenyi, head of the mission, discussed its work with top Lebanese officials, politicians and religious leaders.

The May 15 elections will be the first in Lebanon since the country's economic meltdown began in October 2019. A massive Aug. 4, 2020 explosion in Beirut's port that killed more than 200 people, injured over 6,000 and caused wide damage in the Lebanese capital, precipitated the country's crisis.

The militant Hezbollah group and its allies control the majority of seats in the current parliament. Their opponents are hoping to deprive them of this majority in the next months vote.

A total of 103 lists with 1,044 candidates are vying for the 128-seat legislature that is equally divided between Christians and Muslims. Parliamentary elections are held once every four years in Lebanon.

Holvenyi, a Hungarian politician currently serving as a member of the European Parliament, highlighted that the EU Election Observation Mission is impartial and independent, adding that it does not judge the electoral outcome or validate the results.

He said it will evaluate the electoral process and its compliance with regional and international commitments on political participation and democratic elections.

We are not here to interfere in the process. We are not investigators, Holvenyi said.
GRANTVILLE, Ga. (AP)  A coroner who discovered three of his family members slain in the robbery of their Georgia gun range says they are now rejoicing in heaven." A funeral for all three is set for Thursday, as family and friends mourn their deaths and a police hunt is continuing for the killer.

Among those to discover the bodies was the local coroner, Richard Hawk. He said his parents and teenage son were shot to death Friday at their family business, Lock Stock & Barrel Shooting Range in Grantville, a small town southwest of Atlanta.

Gary Stallings, a close friend, told a church congregation Sunday how Hawk reacted after the bodies were found, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

All three are rejoicing in heaven, Hawk told Stallings.

Grantville police identified the victims as the gun range owner, Thomas Hawk, 75; his wife, Evelyn, 75; and their grandson, Luke, 17.

As many as 40 guns and the ranges surveillance camera were also stolen, investigators said. A reward of $15,000 has been posted for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer or killers in the case, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said. No arrests have been announced.

Friends and relatives described the Hawks as a deeply religious family whose members were well-known and well-respected in the small community where they operated Lock Stock & Barrel for nearly 30 years. Luke had been on spring break from school, helping his grandparents at the business.

For decades, the Hawks have been members of Emmanuel Baptist Church in the Newnan area, where Evelyn Hawk played the piano and her husband was always praying for those who were sick or just needed to hear the Lords Word, the Atlanta newspaper reported.

They were just real people who loved God with all of their hearts and they were bold in their faith, sharing the Gospel. They prayed often for people to get saved, said the Rev. Ben Sprenger of Emmanuel Baptist Church.

Luke Hawk had just picked up his high school graduation cap and gown the week before spring break. He worked the soundboard in church, and his favorite song was Leave With Nothing Left, Sprenger said.

He wanted to give God everything he had, Sprenger said, adding that he was living out what his parents passed on to him.

A service is planned at 2 p.m. Thursday at Unity Baptist Church in Newnan, the McKoon Funeral Home announced.
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ST. LOUIS (AP)  St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has reached an agreement with the Missouri Office of Disciplinary Counsel in which she acknowledges mistakes in her handling of the prosecution of former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens but won't face severe penalties for those mistakes.

The joint stipulation agreement was announced Monday at the outset of a disciplinary hearing before a three-person panel. In the agreement, Gardner concedes that she failed to produce documents and mistakenly maintained that all documents had been provided to Greitens' lawyers in the 2018 criminal case.

The agreement states that Gardner's conduct was negligent or perhaps reckless, but not intentional.

It calls for a written reprimand. A more severe punishment  suspension or disbarment  would likely cost Gardner her job because state law requires elected prosecutors to hold active law licenses.

The panel would still need to sign off on the agreement and make a recommendation within 30 days to the Missouri Supreme Court, which ultimately decides punishment. It's unclear when the court might make a final decision.

Gardner, a 46-year-old Democrat, is St. Louis first Black female circuit attorney and is one of several progressive prosecutors elected in recent years with a focus on creating more fairness in the criminal justice system. She told the panel Monday that the mistakes were due to the fast-moving nature of the Greitens case.

"Yes, we had a process. But unfortunately, that process came up short, she said, adding that her office has taken the case as a lesson moving forward.

The 2018 prosecution of Greitens played a pivotal role in his eventual resignation. Greitens is now attempting a political comeback and is a leading contender for the Republican nomination for a Senate seat, despite recent allegations of abuse by his ex-wife.

Gardner represents the worst of establishment and dishonest officials who use their unfettered power to target innocent and law-abiding individuals, from the governor of Missouri to police officers to everyday citizens," Greitens said in a statement. The people of Missouri deserve better.

The brash former Navy SEAL officer with presidential aspirations was a year into his first term when news broke in January 2018 of an affair three years earlier with his St. Louis hairdresser. The woman alleged that Greitens took a compromising photo and threatened to use it as blackmail if she spoke of their relationship.

There was a victim, someone saying they had been attacked, Gardner's lawyer, Michael Downey, said in an interview.

But neither the FBI nor St. Louis police seemed inclined to investigate, Downey said. Gardner's in-house investigator was away on military duty.

So Gardner hired private investigator William Tisaby, a former FBI agent. The investigation led to Greitens' indictment on one felony count of invasion of privacy. Greitens claimed he had been the victim of a political witch hunt.

Jury selection had just begun when Gardner dropped the charge after a judge ruled she would have to answer questions under oath from Greitens attorneys over her handling of the case. She said that it put her in an impossible position of being a witness in a case she was prosecuting.

Meanwhile, Gardner filed a second charge accusing Greitens of tampering with computer data for allegedly disclosing to his political fundraiser a list of top donors to a veterans charity he founded, without the charitys permission.

Under investigation by lawmakers as well, Greitens resigned in June 2018, and Gardner agreed to drop the criminal charges.

Attention then turned to how Gardner and Tisaby handled the investigation. In 2019, Tisaby was indicted on six counts of perjury and one count of evidence tampering. He pleaded guilty last month to misdemeanor evidence tampering and received a suspended sentence of one year of probation.

The case stemmed from Tisabys statement that he had not taken notes during an interview with the woman when a video later showed that he had, and his statement that he hadnt received notes from the prosecutors office before he interviewed the woman when a document later showed that he had.

Greitens' attorneys raised concerns about Gardner's failure to correct the record on Tisaby's statements, and whether she concealed evidence.

Downey said any mistakes were unintentional, the result of Gardner's heavy workload during the Greitens investigation.

Gardner has had plenty of clashes during her leadership of the circuit attorney's office.

Last summer, charges were dropped in three murder cases in one week because prosecutors failed to show up in court or werent prepared after months of delay, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The newspaper also cited Circuit Court data showing that about one-third of felony cases were dismissed  triple the percentage of her predecessor.

Gardner contends that her reforms have made the city safer and the criminal justice system more equitable. She has expanded a diversion program and stopped prosecuting low-level marijuana possession, helping to significantly reduce jail overcrowding.

Gardner has often been at odds with police, especially in 2019, when she placed dozens of officers on an exclusion list, prohibiting them from bringing cases. The list was developed after a national group accused the officers of posting racist and anti-Muslim comments on social media.

In 2020, Gardner filed a lawsuit accusing the city, a police union and others of a coordinated and racist conspiracy aimed at forcing her out of office. The lawsuit alleged violations of the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, which was adopted to thwart efforts to deny the civil rights of racial minorities.

Downey, in a court filing, said the ethical complaints involve "another attempt by Ms. Gardners political enemies  largely from outside St. Louis  to remove Ms. Gardner and thwart the systemic reforms she champions.

Greitens had remained largely out of sight until Sen. Roy Blunt's announcement in March 2021 that he would not seek a third term. Republican leaders worry that Greitens could win the primary but lose to a Democrat in the general election, forfeiting what should have been a surefire GOP seat.

In a court filing last month in a child custody case, Sheena Greitens accused her ex-husband of being physically abusive to her and their children. Eric Greitens called the allegations completely fabricated and baseless."
HYDERABAD: Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy was appointed star campaign for the Congress in Telangana by All India Congress Committee (AICC) interim president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday.

AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal said that the appointment orders came into effect immediately.

Reacting to the appointment, Venkat Reddy said he would tour the state to expose the failures of the TRS government. We will discuss with Congress top leadership how to bring the party to power in Telangana, he said.

Speaking to reporters in Nalgonda on Sunday, Venkat Reddy said that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was "cheating " the people with false promises. The Congress will end the family rule of Chandrashekar Rao soon, he said.

Venkat Reddy had begun his political career as a student leader with the Congress. He was elected to the Assembly for four times in 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014. In 2018, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Bhongir constituency. Recently, he become active in Congress programmes, after staying away from the TPCC leadership.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  Investigators on Monday were trying to determine the cause of a weekend fire that ripped through a barn and killed several animals including horses at a ranch southeast of Sacramento, authorities said.

Flames were engulfing the barn when firefighters arrived at the property on Saturday, said Captain Parker Wilbourn with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
LONDON (AP)  A jury deliberated for just 18 minutes Monday before finding a fervent Islamic State supporter guilty of stabbing lawmaker David Amess to death a slaying that shocked the nation and sparked calls for increased police protection for politicians.

Ali Harbi Ali, 26, was found guilty by Londons Central Criminal Court of murder and preparing terrorist acts. Ali stabbed the veteran British lawmaker to death last year while he was meeting with voters at a church hall in eastern England.

Ali, who had spent years researching and planning potential attacks on lawmakers, had defended his actions by saying Amess deserved to die as a result of voting for airstrikes on Syria in 2014 and 2015.

Ali, a London man with Somali heritage, had denied charges of murder and preparing acts of terrorism.

Opening the trial, prosecutor Tom Little said the case was nothing less than an assassination carried out because of a warped and twisted and violent ideology.

It was a murder carried out by that young man who for many years had been planning just such an attack and who was, and is, a committed, fanatical, radicalized Islamist terrorist, he said.

Little said Ali bought the knife used to attack Amess five years earlier, and that Ali tricked his way into meeting Amess by pretending to be one of his constituents.

Amess, 69, had been a member of Parliament since 1983. He was pronounced dead at the scene after the stabbing.

The prosecutor also said that Ali had researched and planned attacks on lawmakers and the Parliament building from at least 2019. The research included reconnaissance trips targeting work and home addresses of two other lawmakers, Mike Freer and Cabinet member Michael Gove, he added.

The slaying of Amess shook the nation, as lawmakers often meet directly with the public. It came five years after Labour Party lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death by a far-right extremist.
MILWAUKEE (AP)  Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson told backers at a recent event in Wisconsin that his plastics company benefitted from a key provision he pushed for in former President Donald Trump's tax bill in 2017, addressing a line of attack being made against him during his reelection bid.

Johnson made the comments in reaction to a question from an audience member at an event Friday in Medford, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday.

Johnson said that his company, Pacur LLC, some of his prominent donors and many other businesses benefitted from the small-business tax provision.

Now, did my business benefit? Sure. Did some of my donor businesses? Sure. When you give tax relief to everybody, everybody benefits, Johnson said. The Journal Sentinel posted audio of the interaction.

So they want to make it sound like I carved out some loophole for a couple of people," Johnson said in reference to attack ads on the issue. "What I did is I made sure that 95% of American businesses werent left behind in tax reform. Im really proud of that achievement.

Johnson is seeking a third term in November. Nearly a dozen Democrats are running for a chance to take him on in a seat that could determine majority control of the Senate.

ProPublica reported in August that the tax break Johnson championed resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in deductions to megadonors who funded his campaigns.

Johnsons campaign spokesman, Jake Wilkins, said the audio is exactly what Senator Johnson has said in public and private for years."

Despite strong opposition, he secured tax relief for more than 90% of U.S. businesses who benefited from it after it became law," Wilkins said. "It is a gross distortion to imply his tax cuts were a special deal for a few. His tax cuts benefited the many.

Johnson, in his comments at the Friday meeting, criticized the distorted attack ads that have run against him.

They said I doubled my wealth, he said. Thats true.

Johnson explained that after he got elected in 2010, he took all of his marketable securities and placed them in cash so that he would have no conflicts.

He said the reason his wealth doubled is that he sold his business.

I sat on cash, he said. Im still sitting on cash. I knew during the COVID recession that this was a good time to invest in the stock market. I didnt. I stayed invested in, Ive just got cash, OK.

He added: Im not asking anybody to feel sorry for me.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A federal judge on Monday dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a man who died from a drug overdose in the Dane County Jail.

U.S. District Judge William Conley ruled there was not enough evidence to put the case in front a jury.

The lawsuit was filed two years ago by the family of 37-year-old Shannon Payne, who overdosed in 2016 on what was said to be heroin that had been smuggled into the jail.

In granting summary judgment to the defendants, the court in no way means to diminish the tragic events surrounding Paynes overdose and death, Conley wrote. Of course, it is awful that heroin was smuggled into the jail, and as a matter of public policy, the jail should do all it can to restrict, if not eliminate, the presence of any unauthorized drugs within its walls.

Conley said lawyers for Payne's family failed to present sufficient evidence that would support the finding that Payne's constitutional rights were violated or that the county was somehow liable, the State Journal reported.

According to court documents, Payne went into a restroom at the jail with another inmate, where both apparently used drugs. Payne suffered an overdose in the bathroom and was taken to a hospital, where he died two days later.

Defendants, which included Dane County and then-Sheriff Dave Mahoney, maintained it was not known when the drugs Payne took were smuggled into the jail, who smuggled them in and how, and whether Payne or the other inmate had possessed the drugs that were used in the bathroom.
PHOENIX (AP)  Attorneys for a prisoner scheduled to become the first person to be executed in Arizona in nearly eight years are making another bid to try to stop his execution, arguing their clients psychological problems keep him from rationally understanding why the state wants to end his life.

In an order Friday, a Pinal County judge concluded defense lawyers had shown reasonable grounds for appointing mental health experts to examine Clarence Dixon and for planning a hearing over whether their client is competent to be executed for his murder conviction in the 1977 killing of Deana Bowdoin, a 21-year-old Arizona State University student. His execution is scheduled for May 11.

Dixons attorneys say putting Dixon to death would violate protections against executing people who are mentally incompetent. They cited a psychiatrist's conclusion that their client lacks a rational understanding of the reasons for his execution.

They say Dixon has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia on multiple occasions, has regularly experienced hallucinations over the past 30 years and was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 1977 assault case in which the verdict was delivered by then-Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sandra Day OConnor, nearly four years before her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. Bowdoin was killed two days after the verdict, according to court records.

Dixon's lawyers say he erroneously believes he will be executed because police at Northern Arizona University wrongfully arrested him in a previous case  a 1985 attack on a 21-year-old student. His attorneys concede he was in fact lawfully arrested then by Flagstaff police.

Dixon was sentenced to life sentences in that case for sexual assault and other convictions. DNA samples taken while he was in prison later linked him to Bowdoins killing, which at that point had been unsolved.

His attorneys say Dixon's inability to distinguish between reality and fantasy in the case involving an NAU student had started to spill into the case over Bowdoins killing.

Dixon had fired his attorney in the case involving Bowdoin's death under an irrational belief that the DNA evidence wasnt admissible in the murder case because he erroneously thinks the NAU Police Department wasn't a legal entity when it arrested him on the sexual assault charges, his current lawyers said.

For decades convicted killers have used the court system to delay accepting responsibly for their heinous crimes, said Katie Conner, a spokesperson for Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovichs office. General Brnovich will continue to fight for victims, their families and our communities.

Prosecutors have said Bowdoin, who was found dead in her apartment, had been raped, stabbed and strangled. Dixon had been charged with raping Bowdoin, but the charge was later dropped on statute-of-limitation grounds. He was convicted, though, in her death.

The last time Arizona used the death penalty was in July 2014, when Joseph Wood was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over two hours in an execution that his lawyers said was botched.

States including Arizona have struggled to buy execution drugs in recent years after U.S. and European pharmaceutical companies began blocking the use of their products in lethal injections. Last year, Arizona corrections officials revealed that they had finally obtained a lethal injection drug and were ready to resume executions.

About a year ago, prosecutors took steps to seek the executions of Dixon and another death row prisoner, but the litigation was put on hold by the state Supreme Court due to concerns over the expiration date of the drug to be used in the lethal injections. Earlier this year, the state resumed its efforts to move forward with their executions.

Dixon must decide whether to be injected with a lethal drug or by the gas chamber. If he doesnt make a choice, lethal injection will serve as the default execution method.

The nations last lethal-gas execution was carried out in Arizona more than two decades ago, before the United States rejected the brutal nature of the deaths. The state refurbished its gas chamber in late 2020. Corrections officials have declined to say why they are restarting the gas chamber.

Late last week, a judge denied a request by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix to bar the state from using cyanide gas to carry out executions in Arizona.

Arizona has 112 prisoners on death row.
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP)  Maryland lawmakers closed their legislative session late Monday with approval of legislation to strengthen cybersecurity in a year marked by a budget surplus that enabled upgrades to parks, infrastructure, schools and information technology systems, as well as tax relief.

In a year of huge surplus largely due to federal pandemic relief, the General Assembly passed a package of cybersecurity measures and nearly $570 million for information technology upgrades. It comes after Marylands health department was hit by a ransomware attack in December that impeded information about health metrics relating to COVID-19.

Lawmakers reached an agreement Monday on raising the legal age of marriage in the state from 15 to 17, with judicial review if there is no parental consent, after years of struggling with the issue. They also approved restrictions on long-lasting chemicals known as PFAS and switching to safer alternatives for firefighting foams.

Democrats, who control the legislature, and Republican Gov. Larry Hogan already had agreed to a bipartisan budget deal. It includes nearly $1.86 billion in tax relief over five years for Maryland retirees, small businesses and low-income families in a year of enormous budget surplus for the state's $58.5 billion budget.

The deal included a tax credit as an incentive for employers and businesses to hire and retain workers from underserved communities. It also includes sales tax exemptions for child care products such as diapers, car seats, and baby bottles, and health products for dental hygiene, diabetic care and medical devices.

Senate President Bill Ferguson, hours before adjournment at midnight, cited bipartisan work in an election year that resulted in major investments in the state.

Investments included about $150 million for state parks to address a maintenance backlog and funding for new parks and upgrades. Lawmakers also approved large investments in mental health initiatives to help in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I think that Marylanders should be really proud of the budget that we passed, the investments that we're making, and I think across the board it was truly an historic year," said Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat.

Hogan highlighted the tax relief for retirees that he has been advocating for years as one of the reasons for calling this his best session as governor.

Look, weve stood up and disagreed strongly on different issues, but I think weve accomplished a lot together," Hogan said, referring to bipartisan work with Democrats.

Democrats indeed had their disagreements with the term-limited governor, now in his last year in office.

Lawmakers overrode Hogan's veto on Saturday to create a paid family leave insurance program that has been discussed for years in the state. Maryland workers will be able to take up to 12 weeks of partially paid leave to deal with such family issues as having a baby, caring for a sick relative or dealing with a military deployment.

They also overrode the governor's veto of legislation to expand access to abortion in the state. Maryland will end a restriction that only physicians perform abortions, enabling nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants with training to perform them.

The General Assembly passed a broad measure aimed at slowing climate change. Hogan said Friday he would let the bill go into law without his signature. The Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 speeds up Marylands current goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from 40% of 2006 levels to 60% by 2031. It also sets a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045 in the state.

Lawmakers approved a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana in July 2023, giving the final decision to voters in November. A measure lawmakers passed to take initial steps toward implementation went into law without Hogan's signature. Licensing and taxing issues will be taken up next year, if voters approve.

Separately, lawmakers passed a bill setting aside $1 million to fund alternative therapies including psychedelics and hyperbaric oxygen therapy for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries in clinical trials.

Lawmakers also approved a bill to invest $400 million in development in the area around FedEx Field Stadium, home to the Washington Commanders football team, though the money would not be used to pay for a new stadium. A companion bill to spend $1.2 billion to upgrade Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium also was passed. Hogan is scheduled to sign those bills Tuesday.

Legislators and the governor agreed to a new congressional map for the state, after a judge struck down the map approved by lawmakers over Hogan's veto in December as a product of extreme gerrymandering. The General Assembly redrew the state's eight U.S. House districts to be more compact, and Hogan signed the measure last week.
ATHENS, Ala. (AP)  A Maryland woman faces a murder charge after Alabama sheriffs deputies found a woman dead at a home.

Limestone County deputies were responding to a burglary-in-progress call in Athens on Saturday, Al.com reported.

Deputies say they encountered 39-year-old Diana Lynne Rogers in the back yard. They say she was acting suspicious and trying to lead deputies away from the home and then became irate and began fighting with them.

After searching the residence, they found a 58-year-old woman dead. The victims name wasnt immediately released.

Rogers, of Mount Airy, Maryland, is charged with capital murder, second-degree burglary and obstructing law officers. It wasn't known Monday whether she has a lawyer who could be reached for comment on her behalf. She was being held in the Limestone County Detention Center.
ST. LOUIS (AP)  A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Monday sentenced two men and a woman from Missouri to several weeks in jail for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building.

U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg sentenced Emily Hernandez, of Sullivan, to 30 days in jail. He also sentenced her uncle, William Merry, and another suburban St. Louis man, Paul Scott Westover, to 45 days in jail each, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Strong spring winds fueled wildfires burning around New Mexico on Monday, prompting evacuations south of Albuquerque where authorities said some structures have burned and more are threatened.

About 100 firefighters were battling the latest blaze, which was burning out of control and sent up a large plume of smoke that could be seen for miles in the Rio Grande Valley.
STOCKTON, Mo. (AP)  Nine more former students of a southwest Missouri boarding school allege in lawsuits that they were abused while attending the school.

With the nine new lawsuits filed Friday, the Agape Boarding School in Stockton and the Agape Baptist Church, which oversees the school, are now facing lawsuits from 14 former students accusing staff and other students of abuse, The Kansas City Star reported.
ANANTAPUR: It was a day of highs and lows for Madakasira MLA M. Thippeswamy on Sunday. His name was in the list for the new Cabinet but was dropped at the last minute. His brother-in law and minister Adimulapu Suresh, who was earlier dropped, was retained.

This led to displeasure among Thippeswamys aides in Anantapur and Satya Sai districts  both of which now have no minister.

In the first list, Thippeswamy was included under the SC category as the only minister from Satya Sai district. Things changed quickly afterwards. There were celebrations when Thippeswamys names was first announced, which died down after news reached that he had been dropped.

It hurt the sentiments of party cadres, a leader from Madakasria said. He said there would have been no issue if Thiippeswamy had not been picked in the first instance. But selecting him and dropping him had caused heartburn.

Kalyanadurgam MLA Ushasri Charan of the Kuruba community from Anantapur district was picked for the Cabinet and minister Shankara Narayana dropped.

Rayachoti MLA Gadikota Srikanth Reddy of Annamayya district headquarters said he was happy working for the party under headship of Jagan Mohan Reddy and was least bothered about a Cabinet berth.

In Kurnool district, MLAs who had joined the YSRC from the TD were unhappy that ministers G. Jayaram and B. Rajendranath continued in the Cabinet.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  New Jersey regulators gave a green light Monday to seven facilities that already sell medical marijuana to also sell recreational cannabis, although it's not clear exactly when sales would begin.

Sales could start in a matter of weeks or longer, but a specific date wasn't set at the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commissions vote during a remotely held meeting. Three of the facilities, known as alternative treatment centers, are in the northern part of the state. Three are in the south, and one is in central New Jersey.

The timing of the start of sales is unclear in part because the facilities must still pass a regulatory inspection of their operations and be issued new licenses.

The New Jersey Cannabis Trade Association, a trade group that advocates for the alternative treatment centers, estimated that recreational retail sales could start as the soon as the end of April, according to spokesperson Pamela Dollak. But it could vary by location, as each center faces compliance and other considerations.

Retail sales for the general public would start in 13 dispensaries operated by the seven treatment centers across the state.

To get approval, the facilities have agreed that the coming influx of recreational buyers won't interrupt access for patients who are currently using medical marijuana. The facilities said they would reserve parking spaces for patients as well as keep hours specifically for patients only.

There are about 130,000 medical marijuana patients in the state, with an estimated roughly 800,000 potential recreational consumers, and fewer than 800,000 estimated tourism consumers, according to the commission.

How much money the state will get in tax revenues from recreational marijuana isn't clear. Murphy's fiscal year 2023 budget, which is pending before the Democrat-led Legislature, estimates revenues of just $19 million in a nearly $49 billion budget. In 2019, as legalization of recreational marijuana was still just pending before voters, he had estimated about $60 million in revenue.

Legislation governing the recreational market calls for the 6.625% sales tax to apply, with 70% of the proceeds going to areas disproportionately affected by marijuana-related arrests. Black residents were likelier  up to three times as much  to face marijuana charges than white residents. Towns can also levy a tax of up to 2%.

These approvals were given based on commitments from the ATCs that we would not see adverse effects with expansion, commission chairperson Dianna Houenou said. Expansion into the adult-use market  with a substantial advantageous start ahead of new applicants  is a privilege that must not be taken lightly."

The vote comes about a year after the commission started operating, and a year and a half after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question to permit recreational marijuana for people 21 and older.

New Jersey's Senate President Nicholas Scutari praised the development in a statement Monday, but said the state needs to do better and in a timely way.

He added that he plans to hold oversight hearings to get an understanding of the delays, the uncertainties and any obstacles that hinder the full implementation of the cannabis law.

New Jersey is one of 18 states, along with the District of Columbia, that legalized recreational marijuana. There also are 37 states, including New Jersey, that have legalized medical marijuana.
JERUSALEM (AP)  The Israeli spyware maker NSO Group is turning to the U.S. Supreme Court as it seeks to head off a high-profile lawsuit filed by the WhatsApp messaging service.

In a filing to the Supreme Court, NSO said it should be recognized as a foreign government agent and therefore be entitled to immunity under U.S. law limiting lawsuits against foreign countries. The request appeals a pair of earlier federal court rulings that rejected similar arguments by the Israeli company.

WhatsApp parent Facebook, now called Meta Platforms Inc., sued NSO in 2019 for allegedly targeting some 1,400 users of its encrypted messaging service with highly sophisticated spyware. It is trying to block NSO from Facebook platforms and servers and seeks unspecified damages.

Granting sovereign immunity to NSO would greatly hinder WhatsApps case. It also could provide protection from a potentially risky discovery process that could reveal its customers and technological secrets. NSO is seeking to have the entire case dismissed.

In its petition, NSO said that lower courts have given mixed opinions on sovereign immunity over the years and that it was crucial for the Supreme Court to rule on an issue that has great national security implications for governments around the world.

Many nations, including the United States, rely on private contractors to conduct or support core governmental activities, it wrote in the April 6 filing. If such contractors can never seek immunity ... then the United States and other countries may soon find their military and intelligence operations disrupted by lawsuits against their agents.

NSOs flagship product, Pegasus, allows operators to covertly infiltrate a targets mobile phone, gaining access to messages and contacts, the camera and microphone and location history. It says that it sells the product only to government law enforcement agencies to catch criminals and terrorists and that all sales are approved by Israels Defense Ministry. It does not identify its clients.

But critics say a number of clients, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Poland, have abused the system to snoop on critics and stifle dissent. WhatsApp says at least 100 of the users connected to its lawsuit were journalists, rights activists and civil society members.

NSO says it has no control over how its clients use the product and no access to the data they collect, though it claims it has safeguards in place to prevent abuses. Critics say the safeguards are insufficient.

NSOs spyware invades the rights of citizens, journalists, and human rights activists around the globe and their attacks must be stopped, WhatsApp said in a statement.

Two United States courts have already rejected NSOs contrived bid for immunity and we believe there is no reason for the Supreme Court to hear their last-ditch attempt to avoid accountability, it said, adding that multiple human rights groups and tech companies have said granting immunity to spyware companies would be dangerous for the world.

The WhatsApp case is among a series of legal battles plaguing NSO. Apple last year filed a lawsuit that it says aims to prevent NSO from breaking into products. It claimed Pegasus had affected a small number of iPhone users worldwide, calling NSOs employees amoral 21st century mercenaries.

NSO last year also was blacklisted by the U.S. Commerce Department, limiting its access to U.S. technology. U.S. officials said the companys products were complicit in transnational repression.

NSO appears to face a formidable challenge. For starters, the Supreme Court agrees to consider just 1% or so of the requests put before it.

It could be months before the court decides whether to review the case. But even if it does, NSO would have to convince the court that it is a state agent and entitled to immunity.

Eugene Kontorovich, an Israeli-American professor at the George Mason University Scalia Law School and director of its Center for the Middle East and International Law, said it was a very interesting and very serious case. But he said he was skeptical NSO would prevail.

Theyre a software company. They create a product thats been licensed to foreign governments and which governments can use, he said. An agent usually is something of a much higher standard.
CHICAGO (AP)  Authorities identified a man and a woman Monday who were found dead overnight in a senior housing apartment complex on Chicago's North Side by officers conducting a welfare check.

The Cook County medical examiners office identified the two people as Sheila Banks, 61, and 79-year-old Ocie Banks Sr. of Berwyn, the Chicago Tribune reported.
HANOVER, Md. (AP)  A driver was shot and wounded over the weekend in what police called a possible case of road rage on a Maryland highway.

A man was driving a gray Chevrolet Malibu on northbound Interstate 295 near Arundel Mills Boulevard when the shooting occurred on Sunday afternoon, Maryland State Police said in a news release.
BALTIMORE (AP)  The death of a girl found after a fire in a southwest Baltimore rowhouse has been ruled a homicide, police announced Monday.

Baltimore fire officials said crews were called to a home on Vancouver Road on Friday evening and a child between the ages of 3 and 4 was found dead at the scene, news outlets reported.
HOSHIV, Ukraine (AP)  Beneath the ancient beech forests of the Carpathian Mountains, a quiet monastery in the western Ukrainian village of Hoshiv has transformed itself into a giant playground for a dozen children who've been displaced by the war with their families.

Nuns at the Greek Catholic Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family, 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Lviv, have granted refuge to some 40 people fleeing fighting with Russian forces in eastern and central Ukraine.

The sound of birdsong and the gentle drone of prayers are a relief for 59-year-old Ryma Stryzhko, who fled from Kharkiv. It seemed that the planes were flying in the middle of the house. And you could hear the sound of bombing, she recalled. She often had to duck behind cars as she was going to buy bread or medicines.

After what we saw, (the monastery) is a paradise.

The monastery is in itself a symbol of resilience, built after Ukraines independence in the early 1990s. The previous monastery in the village had been closed by communist authorities while the area was part of the Soviet Union, and the nuns sent to Siberia.

All our prayers are now focused on peace in Ukraine, for our soldiers, for those innocent people who died, who were murdered, said Sister Dominica, the head nun.

Before the war, the 17 nuns led a tranquil life. In addition to their religious duties and charitable work, they also grew mushrooms, made their own pasta and painted icons to decorate the chapel. Now, they run after young children, provide support and counseling to their mothers and cook daily for dozens of guests.

Everything in the monastery is focused on prayer and order, Sister Dominica explained. But when the Russian invasion began, they told local officials they could host up to 50 displaced people.

We adjusted the prayer and work schedule to the people, she said.

Many of the children who are now laughing and hugging the nuns arrived traumatized.

In the beginning, they were a little reticent. This is a new place for them. They came from cities where (there is shooting), where there are constant (air raid) sirens, she said.

But even among these peaceful surroundings, the nuns still get air raid alerts on their smartphones. They warn the rest of the residents by ringing the monastery bells  a less traumatic sound than the loud sirens in the cities  and direct them to the basement.

A makeshift chapel there is decorated with a painting of Mary and baby Jesus, a candle and a large cross made of branches. Mattresses, blankets and benches also line the basement. One of the walls had The Prodigy written in chalk, an apparent homage to the British dance-electronic band.

But even when there are no sirens, children happily use the cavernous underground space.

We play, and read prayers," said Rostyslav Borysenko, a 10-year-old, who fled besieged Mariupol with his mother. It helps.

His mother is still anxiously awaiting news of relatives and friends who couldn't escape Mariupol, or were evacuated to eastern areas controlled by Russian-backed separatists.

Despite being thousands of kilometers from the frontlines, conversation at the dinner table mostly revolved around war.

While the families break bread in the dining room, the nuns dine separately in the library, at a long table under a painting of the Last Supper. Among them is 44-year-old Sister Josefa, who was evacuated from a Kyiv monastery on the first day of the war.

Its hard to leave the place you lived, she said. Although I can live here ... my heart is there. And Im waiting to go back.

___

Associated Press photojournalist Nariman El-Mofty contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP)  A COVID-19 patient was in respiratory distress. The Army nurse knew she had to act quickly.

It was the peak of this years omicron surge and an Army medical team was helping in a Michigan hospital. Regular patient beds were full. So was the intensive care. But the nurse heard of an open spot in an overflow treatment area, so she and another team member raced the gurney across the hospital to claim the space first, denting a wall in their rush.

When she saw the dent, Lt. Col. Suzanne Cobleigh, the leader of the Army team, knew the nurse had done her job. Shes going to damage the wall on the way there because hes going to get that bed," Cobleigh said. "He's going to get the treatment he needs. That was the mission.

That nurse's mission was to get urgent care for her patient. Now, the U.S. military mission is to use the experiences of Cobleigh's team and other units pressed into service against the coronavirus pandemic to prepare for the next crisis threatening a large population, whatever its nature.

Their experiences, said Gen. Glen VanHerck, will help shape the size and staffing of the militarys medical response so the Pentagon can provide the right types and numbers of forces needed for another pandemic, global crisis or conflict.

One of the key lessons learned was the value of small military teams over mass movements of personnel and facilities in a crisis like the one wrought by COVID-19.

In the early days of the pandemic, the Pentagon steamed hospital ships to New York City and Los Angeles, and set up massive hospital facilities in convention centers and parking lots, in response to pleas from state government leaders. The idea was to use them to treat non-COVID-19 patients, allowing hospitals to focus on the more acute pandemic cases. But while images of the military ships were powerful, too often many beds went unused. Fewer patients needed non-coronavirus care than expected, and hospitals were still overwhelmed by the pandemic.

A more agile approach emerged: having military medical personnel step in for exhausted hospital staff members or work alongside them or in additional treatment areas in unused spaces.

It morphed over time, VanHerck, who heads U.S. Northern Command and is responsible for homeland defense, said of the response.

Overall, about 24,000 U.S. troops were deployed for the pandemic, including nearly 6,000 medical personnel to hospitals and 5,000 to help administer vaccines. Many did multiple tours. That mission is over, at least for now.

Cobleigh and her team members were deployed to two hospitals in Grand Rapids from December to February, as part of the U.S. militarys effort to relieve civilian medical workers. And just last week the last military medical team that had been deployed for the pandemic finished its stint at the University of Utah Hospital and headed home.

VanHerck told The Associated Press his command is rewriting pandemic and infectious disease plans, and planning wargames and other exercises to determine if the U.S. has the right balance of military medical staff in the active duty and reserves.

During the pandemic, he said, the teams make-up and equipment needs evolved. Now, he's put about 10 teams of physicians, nurses and other staff  or about 200 troops  on prepare-to-deploy orders through the end of May in case infections shoot up again. The size of the teams ranges from small to medium.

Dr. Kencee Graves, inpatient chief medical officer at the University of Utah Hospital, said the facility finally decided to seek help this year because it was postponing surgeries to care for all the COVID-19 patients and closing off beds because of staff shortages.

Some patients had surgery postponed more than once, Graves said, because of critically ill patients or critical needs by others. So before the military came, we were looking at a surgical backlog of hundreds of cases and we were low on staff. We had fatigued staff.

Her mantra became, All I can do is show up and hope its helpful." She added, "And I just did that day after day after day for two years.

Then in came a 25-member Navy medical team.

A number of staff were overwhelmed," said Cdr. Arriel Atienza, chief medical officer for the Navy team. "They were burnt out. They couldnt call in sick. Were able to fill some gaps and needed shifts that would otherwise have remained unmanned, and the patient load would have been very demanding for the existing staff to match.

Atienza, a family physician whos been in the military for 21 years, spent the Christmas holiday deployed to a hospital in New Mexico, then went to Salt Lake City in March. Over time, he said, the military has evolved from things like pop-up hospitals and now knows how to integrate seamlessly into local health facilities in just a couple days.

That integration helped the hospital staff recover and catch up.

We have gotten through about a quarter of our surgical backlog, Graves said. We did not call a backup physician this month for the hospital team ... thats the first time thats happened in several months. And then we havent called a patient and asked them to reschedule their surgery for the majority of the last few weeks.

VanHerck said the pandemic also underscored the need to review the nations supply chain to ensure that the right equipment and medications were being stockpiled, or to see if they were coming from foreign distributors.

If were relying on getting those from a foreign manufacturer and supplier, then that may be something that is a national security vulnerability that we have to address, he said.

VanHerck said the U.S. is also working to better analyze trends in order to predict the needs for personnel, equipment and protective gear. Military and other government experts watched the progress of COVID-19 infections moving across the country and used that data to predict where the next outbreak might be so that staff could be prepared to go there.

The need for mental health care for the military personnel also became apparent. Team members coming off difficult shifts often needed someone to talk to.

Cobleigh said military medical personnel were not accustomed to caring for so many people with multiple health problems, as are more apt to be found in a civilian population than in military ranks. "The level of sickness and death in the civilian sector was scores more than what anyone had experienced back in the Army, said Cobleigh, who is stationed now at Fort Riley, Kansas, but will soon move to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

She said she found that her staff needed her and wanted to talk through their stresses and strains before theyd go back on shift.

For the civilian hospitals, the lesson was knowing when to call for help.

It was the bridge to help us get out of omicron and in a position where we can take good care of our patients," Graves said. I am not sure how we would have done that without them.
GRUNDY, Va. (AP)  Authorities are investigating an incident in which a police officer shot and wounded a woman at a Virginia motel.

State police said the incident happened Saturday night when an officer in the town of Grundy provided a ride to a local motel for Melissa M. Trammel, 46.
National Weather Service

Strong thunderstorms could arrive in the Houston region Tuesday, the National Weather Service reported, particular in areas north of Interstate 10.

All of southeast Texas could see storms roll through in the afternoon and evening Tuesday, according to the weather advisory issued Sunday, but the greatest risk is along I-10 and points north.
What is a democratic government? Often it is reduced to one essential element, and that is the electoral process. This refers to having heads of government who are elected through fair and free elections. This also extends to whether or not all sections of society have the right to participate, that is, to take part in the electoral process. India usually scores well on this count. Even in the rankings of Freedom House, the American outfit which has declared that India is only partly free, on the count of electoral democracy, India scored 33 out of 40, which is pretty good. In fact, it is one point more than what the United States of America has scored, which is just 32.

On civil liberties, however, India has only scored 33 out of 60, while the United States has scored 51. And so, the US was rated as free while we have been categorised as partly free (and Jammu and Kashmir was rated as not free). It may surprise some readers that electoral democracy was only good for 40 points while civil liberties was 60 points. But that is how most of the world views democracy. It is about the rights and freedoms of the individuals and not just limited to a single act once every five or six years. This, then, is how democracies are rated and why we are constantly slipping.

However, there is a third aspect to democracies which has not been discussed here, and that is the functioning of the State. The engagement the most citizens have is not with the politician that they elected. It is with the bureaucrat and collector and the police officer and the judge that we have to deal with. For us, it is these people who are the State, and who are the ultimate representatives of the democracy. If they were to be rated, how would it go?

Unfortunately, it would be quite bad. One part is obviously the corruption and inefficiency that we all have to live with. But there is something else, and it is the ability of the political establishment to bend the bureaucracy to their will. The police and the various agencies of the State are unleashed by the politicians in power on their opponents, and there is no resistance to this from within the system.

There appears to be no real morality prevalent among the officers who are staffing the agencies that are used in this way. The raids by the Enforcement Directorate (which is controlled by the Union government) on Opposition leaders and parties have become a weekly affair. And the targeting of those who are especially threatening is obvious. Similarly, the National Investigation Agency, again controlled by the Union government, has been used against many activists. The Bhima Koregaon case was initially about the violence between the Marathas and dalits in the village of Bhima Koregaon, but it was taken away from the police in Maharashtra after the BJP lost power in the state to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Those in jail in the case include individuals whose work the BJP doesnt like and doesnt want to be continued. One of those, Father Stan Swamy, died in prison as the BJP kept opposing bail to him.

But the intent of the political party is separate from what actually happens. Some officer will have to write down a case that is either wholly fraudulent or cooked up in some way or meddled with in other ways. Another officer must approve this file, knowing fully well that what is happening is patently illegal. But they go along with it. These things do not happen in other democracies. We have to accept that. And when they do, these things are caught and exposed and there are consequences. There is none of that here. And that is the reason that officers continue to harass people whom the political leaders want harassed. What can be said about those individuals in government who as officers and as advocates denied Stan Swamy the right to die with dignity? What can be said about those in the police force who, as the courts in Delhi have said, deliberately went after the victims of the Delhi pogrom rather than the perpetrators? You have to be a particularly venal sort of person to do such things. And yet it seems that there are more of such people in the system than of the sort that resist. On such things as the meat ban and the hijab ban, we are finding out that elements that comprise the system are enthusiastic about denying people their rights. It says something awful about us as a society.

It is bad enough that the State structurally does not allow us to exercise our rights and freedoms, as the global indices scores show. But it is even worse that within such a restrictive space, the apparatus of the bureaucracy has succumbed to the whims of those who are elected. It is why our road to becoming a modern, civilised, prosperous and free society is long and will continue to be full of obstacles.
Spring Antiques Week in Texas wrapped up April 2 with the iconic Round Top Show and Marburger show and has left many collectors wondering where to go next. Houston has a bustling community of antiques dealers and enthusiasts, so if youre ready to dive in you can discover  or revisit  Chrons list of The Best Antique Stores in Houston.

For those who feel inspired by the Round Top Show to shake up their homes feng shui, there are a couple of home design events in Houston coming up we think might interest you. First, Houston Design Days will be held on April 12 and April 13. This two-day event will feature Keynote Speakers who are interior design and architecture professionals. The event will be held in the Houston Design District on Old Katy Road where youll be near a slew of antique stores nearby.

For collectors who caught the antiquing bug at the Marburger or Round Top Show during Spring Antique Week, this is a great place to connect with a community of people looking to spruce up their home environment. Hear from professionals on a variety of topics from kitchen trends to sophisticated decor tips to fine furnishings. Let Houston Design Days spark your imagination and head to the closest antique store near you to find the perfect accent pieces and fine furnishings for your new aesthetic.

The Best Antique Stores in Houston chron.com See Stores

2. Vintage Market Days of NW Houston: Road Trip

Accessing thousands of collectibles dealers at the Round Top Antique Show can feel like being in an antique wonderland for some; for others, its an overwhelming amount of items to sort through. For a smaller scale antique fair experience, consider visiting Vintage Market Days of NW Houston for their upcoming antique fair, Road Trip, where youll find local artisans and dealers of vintage and antique wares. Vintage Market Days is held at Waller County Fairgrounds, so you may want to plan to visit some of the year-round antique stores near Northwest Houston on your way there or back.

3. Montgomery Antiques Festival

Coming at the end of the month is the Montgomery Antiques Festival in Montgomery, TX. If you feel like taking a ride out on April 30, May 1, or May 2, you can expect to find antique and collectible dealers along with vintage items and those described as junky and funky. If youd rather stay closer to home, map out a day of antiquing in Houston after a nice hearty brunch using our guide below!

The Best Antique Stores in Houston chron.com See Stores

Hearst Newspapers participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

Pamela Mahler is an E-Commerce Writer for Local Commerce at Hearst Newspapers. Email her at pamela.mahler@hearst.com.
If youve been searching for tickets to see New Kids On The Block in Houston, youre in luck. Weve rounded up tickets you can buy safely online at fairly reasonable prices. New Kids On The Block in Houston is all set for May 19; all thats missing is you.

By using online ticket resellers like Vivid Seats, StubHub, and Ticketmaster, you can buy authentic event tickets at major Houston venues without the worry of being scammed. For detailed information on the guarantees provided by these online ticket marketplaces, keep scrolling.

How to buy tickets to New Kids On The Block in Houston

100% Buyer Guarantee with Vivid Seats

New Kids on the Block Toyota Center vividseats.com Shop Now

As of April 8 tickets start at $37.

With the Vivid Seats 100% Buyer Guarantee, you can purchase resell tickets to the most popular events with peace of mind. Vivid Seats guarantees your tickets are authentic and valid by putting licensed, certified, and professional ticket resellers through a rigorous evaluation process. Should your event be canceled and not rescheduled, Vivid Seats will refund the full cost of your tickets, including delivery charges. In some cases there may be a restocking fee that will be deducted from your refund.

Ticketmaster Verified: A safe way to buy New Kids On The Block tickets

New Kids On The Block Houston ticketmaster.com Shop Now

As of April 8, tickets start at $43.

Ticketmaster Verified guarantees your event tickets are 100% authentic and issued in your name after purchase. Once the tickets are yours, they cannot be counterfeited; so you dont have to have anxiety about your tickets authenticity at the entrance. Put simply, Ticketmaster boasts that the seat you buy is the seat you get.

Getting the Stubhub Fan Protect Guarantee

New Kids on the Block Houston Tickets stubhub.com Shop Now

As of 4/8, tickets start at $44.

Stubhub customers get valid tickets to any event or their money back with the Stubhub Fan Protect Guarantee. Even if an issue arises with your order, the customer service team at Stubhub works to find replacement tickets for you. If your event is canceled and not rescheduled, you can count on receiving either a credit worth 120% of the amount you paid for the event or a cash refund. The choice is yours.

COVID-19 Protocols at the Toyota Center

With the new variant of COVID-19 making its way through the U.S., its prudent to take precautions to protect the health & safety of everyone at large events. According to the Toyota Center website, New Kids On The Block in Houston will not require concert-goers to wear masks, however, they are strongly encouraged.

As of April 8, proof of vaccination will not be required for entry into New Kids On The Block Houston, but if any protocols are changed or updated, you may receive an email from a Toyota Center representative. To be extra sure, you can always call the venue at 713-758-7200 for their most up-to-date COVID-19 policies.

More information about New Kids On The Block in Houston

New Kids On The Block stole our hearts back in 1984 and theyve yet to return them! This boy group for the ages is stopping in Houston on their Mixtape 2022 Tour with special guests En Vogue, Rick Astley, and Salt-N-Pepa. 80s lovers, this is your time to shine: youve got the right stuff, baby!

This isnt the first mixtape tour for New Kids On The Block; back in 2019 they toured alongside a number of 80s icons, from Tiffany to Debbie Gibson. Salt-N-Pepa opened for the 2019 Mixtape Tour and are back in action for this years tour, so expect to Shoop the night away. Doors open at The Toyota Center at 6:00 p.m. and showtime is 7:30 p.m., so get there early be sure youre inside for the full experience.

Original New Kids On The Block member Donnie Wahlberg promises that the show will take audiences through all the emotions, just the way a mixtape from our crush used to make us feel. Our inner-tweens are squealing with anticipation!

Hearst Newspapers participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

Pamela Mahler is an E-Commerce Writer for Local Commerce at Hearst Newspapers. Email her at pamela.mahler@hearst.com.
WFO LAS VEGAS Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, April 11, 2022

_____

DUST STORM WARNING

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED

Dust Storm Warning

National Weather Service Las Vegas NV

342 PM PDT Mon Apr 11 2022

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a

* Dust Storm Warning for...

Southwestern Inyo County in south central California...

* Until 545 PM PDT.

* At 340 PM PDT, a dust channel was 9 miles east of Keeler, or 20

miles northeast of Olancha, moving east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Less than a quarter mile visibility with damaging wind in

excess of 60 mph.

SOURCE...Detected by National Weather Service meteorologists.

IMPACT...Dangerous life-threatening travel.

* Highway 190 and 136 surrounding the Owens Dry Lake Bed.

Locations impacted include...

Olancha, Darwin, Keeler and Cartago.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Dust storms lead to dangerous driving conditions with visibility

reduced to near zero. If driving, avoid dust storms if possible. If

caught in one, pull off the road, turn off your lights and keep your

foot off the brake.

Motorists should not drive into a dust storm. PULL ASIDE STAY ALIVE!

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, April 11, 2022

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX

536 AM CDT Mon Apr 11 2022

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of east central Bastrop

and south central Lee Counties through 615 AM CDT...

At 535 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over

Bastrop, moving east at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Locations impacted include...

Bastrop, Giddings, Paige, Circle D-KC Estates, Camp Swift, Phelan,

Serbin, Bastrop State Park, Hills Prairie, Northrup, Alum Creek,

Buescher State Park, Hills, Lincoln and Manheim.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

LAT...LON 3005 9698 3003 9741 3017 9743 3032 9691

3011 9686

TIME...MOT...LOC 1035Z 258DEG 25KT 3012 9734

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

East central Bastrop County in south central Texas...

South central Lee County in south central Texas...

* Until 630 AM CDT.

* At 538 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Bastrop,

moving east at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected.

* Locations impacted include...

Bastrop, Giddings, Paige, Circle D-KC Estates, Camp Swift, Phelan,

Serbin, Bastrop State Park, Hills Prairie, Northrup, Alum Creek,

Buescher State Park, Hills, Lincoln and Manheim.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO CORPUS CHRISTI Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 10, 2022

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX

615 PM CDT Sun Apr 10 2022

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Webb

County through 700 PM CDT...

At 614 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 16

miles west of Las Tiendas, or 32 miles west of Encinal, moving east

at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Locations impacted include...

Las Tiendas.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio

stations and available television stations for additional information

and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

LAT...LON 2817 9962 2787 9953 2784 9988 2786 9990

2788 9991 2789 9989 2791 9990 2792 9992

2794 9993 2794 9994 2798 9993 2799 9998

2802 9999

TIME...MOT...LOC 2314Z 254DEG 24KT 2796 9989

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
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
Hong Kong: Lawyer secondment beneficial

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng

Secondment arrangement with international organisations is one of the key policies initiated by the Department of Justice in a bid to nurture legal talents through provision of training opportunities. I am very pleased to announce that the next round of selection exercise for the secondment programmes with the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) has been open to legal professionals in both the public and private sectors for applications until May 10.

I am most grateful to the Central Peoples Government, the HCCH and the UNIDROIT for their staunch support to the arrangements.

The HCCH is committed to working for the progressive unification of the private international law rules, finding internationally agreed approaches in a wide range of areas, such as international civil procedure, commercial law, banking law, child protection, marriage and personal status. The UNIDROITs mandate is to study the needs and methods for modernising, harmonising and co-ordinating private and in particular commercial law among countries in areas such as security interests, capital markets, commercial contracts, international sales and civil procedure. The HCCH and the UNIDROIT have been playing a leading role in these areas of law.

The secondment programmes provide invaluable opportunities to Hong Kong legal professionals to work in a multi-cultural environment with colleagues coming from diverse lingual and legal traditions. They could gain top-notch experience in issues in private international law and broaden their horizons through collaborating with international law experts from different parts of the world. They could also experience the global development of international law by participating in the formulation and negotiations of international conventions or instruments.

I hope legal professionals in both the public and private sectors will seize this great opportunity. I also trust law firms and barristers chambers would continue to encourage their young legal practitioners to apply for the secondment. They will not only benefit from the professional experience and exposure in the work of these organisations, thereby enhancing their future career development, but also contribute to the reinforcement and sustainability of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as a leading centre for international legal and dispute resolution services. At the same time, I wish they could also show a full picture about the Hong Kong SAR to the international community.

In the last secondment, for the very first time we have two practitioners from the private sector joining the HCCH and the UNIDROIT. I am glad to know that they benefited a lot from this unique experience. Let me share with you what Beryl Wu and Amelia Lo said about the programmes:

Beryl Wu, Associate, Addleshaw Goddard (HK) LLP and secondee to HCCH: This secondment is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. Not only can I personally witness and participate in the working group meetings of international conventions and the CGAP (Council on General Affairs & Policy) meeting, but also understand more about the work of the HCCH and how international conventions are negotiated and drafted. Thanks to the secondment programme, I have also made new friends from different backgrounds and cultures in the HCCH.

Amelia Lo, Associate, Li & Partners and secondee to UNIDROIT: I am really honoured to be selected for this unique opportunity to learn more about international law and work in an international organisation. Such an opportunity is both invaluable and meaningful. It is also a great opportunity for personal growth and allows one to contribute back to society.

Successful applicants will spend about six to 12 months at the HCCH in The Hague or the UNIDROIT in Rome, as the case may be. With contributions from the Hong Kong SAR Government, successful applicants from the private sector will receive a monthly allowance from the relevant international organisation. For those who are interested in the programmes, please visit our dedicated webpage for further details and application procedures.

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng wrote this article and posted it on her blog on April 11.

This story has been published on: 2022-04-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Breathtaking Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park in a snapshot

People's Daily Online) 15:54, April 11, 2022

The Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park on south Chinas island province of Hainan boasts the most concentrated, best preserved and largest contiguous tropical rainforests in the country.

The park covers nine cities and counties, with a total area of 4,269 square kilometers, or about one-seventh of Hainan Islands total land area. More than 95 percent of the park is virgin forest. With its rich biodiversity, the park is an important part of the worlds tropical rainforest habitats.

Being one of 34 global biodiversity hotspots, the park includes the only habitat for Hainan gibbons, the worlds most critically endangered primates. It is considered a treasure house of tropical biodiversity and genetic resources. The park is home to 3,653 species of wild vascular plants, accounting for 11.7 percent of the total number of such plants in China, according to preliminary statistical analysis.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Local

Crystal River City Council to vote on approving civic master plan, updated RV park

busterthompson / Buster Thompson Chronicle Reporter Crystal River City Hall pictured along U.S. 19 in Crystal River.

Crystal River City Council has a busy agenda for its first meeting in April, including a vote on whether to set the citys grand development blueprint in motion.

Council members will call to order at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 11, at City Hall, 123 NW U.S. 19, Crystal River. For more information about the meeting and how to watch it live online, visit crystalriverfl.org/meetings.

City Manager Ken Frink and city staff will introduce council with a motion to adopt a resolution seeking to approve the Crystal River Civic Master Plan as a city document.

Crystal River Civic Master Plan (Web Only)

Dover Kohl & Partners is scheduled to unveil a final draft of the master plan  a comprehensive and illustrative 319-page document created with the help of over 450 city residents and stakeholders to help guide the city in its development for the next 50 years or so.

To see the latest draft of the citys civic master plan, visit tinyurl.com/3ucrs2et. For more information, visit crystalrivercivicmasterplan.com.

In short, councils agenda states, the Civic Master Plan provides our public officials, city staff, community members, local businesses, and property owners with a road map that conveys both future changes as well as needed improvements for years to come.

This plan focuses on three city areas: the neighborhood surrounding Copeland Park and State Road 44; the downtown waterfront and City Redevelopment Area, or CRA; and the U.S. 19 shopping and neighborhood centers.

There are also five Big Ideas the master plan identified as a framework Crystal River should try to apply throughout its city: keep downtown a vibrant destination; revitalize aging retail centers and invest in neighborhoods; build safe, comfortable and interesting streets; protect and restore historic places; and increase access to resilient nature.

The plan reflects the citys dedication to preserve and enhance the existing community, councils agenda states, while promoting new places of character that are both time-honored and meaningful.

Council is already moving ahead with one the master plans Big Ideas by mulling over the creation of a historic district to help preserve and protect the buildings Crystal River has listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Christine Dalton, of Dalton Studio LLC, will present city officials on Monday with how a historic district can be established, along with the pros and cons.

Many historic buildings, which are designed in accordance with prior regulations, cant meet current code requirements at a reasonable cost. Structures are also allowed to deteriorate because improvements often result in noncompliance.

Even if theres enough funds or compliance to bring a historic building up to code, the upgrades will strip away the sites archaic character.

Placing such a building within a historic district can provide it with greater flexibility and latitude from building and floodplain codes, along with more funding sources, causing restoration.

Council to vote on putting CARES money toward business-license fees, scholarship

Council on Monday will also vote on a resolution seeking to allocate a $64,123 reimbursement from Citrus County for COVID-19 health and safety expenses towards a business-license forgiveness program and scholarships for a YMCA summer program.

Crystal River was awarded the requested funds as part of the countys disbursement of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act monies.

However, since the city budget had already accounted for the money, the reimbursement was put in a reserve account for councils consideration.

Frink

Frink is asking council on Monday to give the money back to businesses in the city, and also fund a scholarship.

This would be done by waiving the 2023 business license fees for each of the 751 businesses registered in the city, and using $45,000 from the reimbursement as offsetting revenue.

Afterwards, the remaining $19,123 would go toward the creation of a scholarship for children of socioeconomically disadvantaged families to attend a YMCA summer program.

Council to consider ordinance amendment to renew, modify RV park master plan

Council members on Monday will vote during a public hearing on whether to approve a city ordinance amendment to renew and modify the expired planned unit development master plan for the 15.59-acre Crystal Bay RV Resort at 8172 W. Balloon Lane.

Crystal Bay RV Resort Master Plan (Web Only)

Crystal River RV Resort LLC is applying to have 68 RV pads, four tent sites, an office-clubhouse and swimming pool developed on the southwest corner of North Turkey Oak Drive and West Balloon Lane as a Kampgrounds of America (KOA) Holiday campground franchise.

Council approved the RV parks original masterplan for 88 RV lots and a clubhouse on May 28, 2019, but the development agreement expired before it came to fruition.

City planning commission members voted 4-1 March 3 for council to approve the revised Crystal Bay RV Resort masterplan application.

Council was introduced to the ordinance amendment at its prior meeting on March 28, and agreed to bring it to a final public hearing on Monday.

Also on councils agenda for Monday:

Council will vote on whether to accept the resignation of Phillis Rosetti from the citys Waterfronts Advisory Board, where Rosetti was first appointed Aug. 26, 2013.

Rosetti submitted her resignation April 4 as the city resident on the boards fourth seat. Rosetti also chairs the board.

Council will vote on proposed zoning and land-use ordinance amendments from Gulf Coast RV and Boat Storage LLC to change 8.25 acres of 1075 N. Suncoast Blvd. from highway commercial to industrial to develop an outdoor RV and boat-storage facility.
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Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
FILE - A sign requiring masks as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus on a store front in Philadelphia, is seen Feb. 16, 2022. Philadelphia is reinstating its indoor mask mandate after reporting a sharp increase in coronavirus infections, Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, the city's top health official, announced Monday, April 11, 2022. Confirmed COVID-19 cases have risen more than 50% in 10 days, the threshold at which the city's guidelines call for people to wear masks indoors.
Council of Canadian Innovators wants Canada to introduce a High Potential Tech Visa, to give in-demand professionals a pathway to permanent residency without a job offer in hand.

Tech group wants new visa to allow skilled workers to enter Canada without a job offer

Tech group wants new visa to allow skilled workers to enter Canada without a job offer Council of Canadian Innovators wants Canada to introduce a High Potential Tech Visa, to give in-demand professionals a pathway to permanent residency without a job offer in hand.

Tech group wants new visa to allow skilled workers to enter Canada without a job offer Council of Canadian Innovators wants Canada to introduce a High Potential Tech Visa, to give in-demand professionals a pathway to permanent residency without a job offer in hand.

Tech group wants new visa to allow skilled workers to enter Canada without a job offer Council of Canadian Innovators wants Canada to introduce a High Potential Tech Visa, to give in-demand professionals a pathway to permanent residency without a job offer in hand. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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To help address labour shortages in the tech sector, the Council of Canadian Innovators is calling on the federal government to pilot a new visa that would allow high-skilled tech workers to come to Canada without a job offer.

The CCI recently released its Talent and Skills Strategy, offering 13 key recommendations for policymakers to support Canadas growing tech industry.

The proposed visa, called the High Potential Tech Visa, would target in-demand professions like software developers and data scientists. It would allow holders to work, change jobs, and help them obtain Canadian permanent residency.

Are you an employer seeking tech talent? Contact Cohen Immigration Law for a Free Consultation

In its report titled the Talent and Skills Strategy, CCI noted that most people seeking work visas in Canada need a job offer to qualify. This requirement creates a barrier for highly skilled talent who want to work in Canada. The report says if software developers, data scientists, and other professionals working in in-demand occupations were allowed to enter Canada to seek work they would likely find it.

In addition, the pandemic has made remote work increasingly more common. As a result, CCI says the Canadian government should consult with the private sector to pilot allowing highly skilled foreign workers to come to Canada for a designated amount of time without a job offer.

This proposal is loosely based on a program being proposed in the UK, which would allow software developers, engineers, or data scientists to enter the country without a job offer.

The proposed tech visa would complement the existing Global Skills Strategy, which aims to process work permit applications in as little as two weeks for in-demand roles. The CCI, however, is calling for a 48-hour visa processing time for this program.

By creating an avenue for skilled tech workers to come to Canada on their own initiative, the government can increase the available supply of skilled workers who could be hired by Canadian companies, without forcing firms to proactively undertake the time-consuming and bureaucratic process involved in sponsoring a potential foreign worker, the report says.

The CCI also wants the government to offer a concierge service to help companies navigate the immigration system, and thereby ease the pathway to permanent residency through the Global Talent Streama work permit program that operates under the Global Skills Strategy and is available to certain employers and select in-demand tech occupations.

Some of the CCIs other recommendations relating to talent acquisition included launching a Digital Nomad Strategy to make Canada a destination for more remote workers, and reviewing the National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes more regularly to better reflect the shifting nature of technology jobs in Canada. They also want Canada to expand the recognition of international and alternative credentials for Canadian visa applicants.

Two-week work permit processing for tech talent

Canada already offers some immigration and work permit options for tech workers. Among the many pathways to permanent residence, Canada also offers the Global Talent Stream (GTS), which allows certain skilled workers to get a temporary work permit within two weeks of applying. It is one of the pillars of Canadas Global Skills Strategy, which aims to help companies grow by ensuring they can access the highly skilled talent they need quickly.

The GTS allows employers to get a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) without the advertising requirement. It is available to high-growth companies that can demonstrate a need to recruit unique specialized talent from abroad. Employers in this category must be referred to the Global Talent Stream by a designated referral partner.

The GTS is also available to employers looking to hire skilled talent for in-demand occupations found on the Global Talent Occupations List.

Employers in both categories have to meet conditions relating to the payment of skilled workers. Foreign workers hired through the GTS must be paid at the prevailing wage or higher. The prevailing wage is defined as the highest figure of either:

the median wage for the occupation on the Government of Canadas Job Bank;

the wage within the range an employer pays current employees in the same position at the same location, with the same skills and experience;

the minimum wage floor as defined in the Global Talent occupations list (if applicable).

There are also some work permit exemptions under the Global Talent Stream. Highly-skilled workers in NOC skill type 0 or A-level occupations may enter Canada to work for 15 days in a six-month period, or 30 days in a 12-month period without a work permit. Researchers working at publicly-funded research institutions may come to Canada for 120 days in a year without needing a work permit.

Are you an employer seeking tech talent? Contact Cohen Immigration Law for a Free Consultation

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
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FILE - Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 25, 2022. Pompeo has a book coming this fall that covers his years in the Trump administration. Broadside Books, a conservative imprint at HarperCollins Publishers, announced Wednesday that Pompeos book was scheduled for November and is currently untitled.
Centrul International La Strada anunta concurs de angajare a unei persoane pentru functia de director/directoare de program
The outpouring of anger and support for Ukraine has been heart-warming. A global coming together, momentarily bonding all of us with a common focus.

All of a sudden, my work in the humanitarian sector is of interest to friends and family in a way I have rarely experienced. The fact that many of my friends have also donated to the various Ukrainian appeals is even more surprising.

Indeed, the amount of money raised for Ukraine is truly staggering. The UK Disaster Emergencies Committee (DEC) appeal alone has raised more than 260m.

There is however growing concern within the humanitarian space about the many other contexts are not currently receiving either the level of attention of Ukraine, or the level of attention they deserve.

Without wanting to take away from the level of need in and around Ukraine, equally shocking and desperate need remains in Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Haiti.

Sadly, this is just to name but a few. For comparison the DEC appeal for Afghanistan raised about 30m.

This is not about some sort of grim top-trumps competition or about taking anything away from Ukraine, this is simply pointing out the facts  support for Ukraine has been vast, as it should be. Support for other disasters has lagged behind however, and I just wish the collective commitment towards Ukraine could be replicated globally.

How will funding be spent?

But a focus on numbers is only half the picture. There is a danger that humanitarian responses, including Ukraine, are judged on how much money is raised rather than how it is spent.

Beyond concerns I have about the imbalance in funding, having spent time on the ground in Ukraine, I have more pressing concerns about the ability for that funding to be spent well.

Despite weeks of telegraphing (if not years!), many humanitarian agencies did not prepare for the scale of the current disaster in Ukraine.

Some agencies remained in the country after the 2014 Crimea annexation, but many did not. As a result, they are now scrambling to find effective and efficient ways to respond now.

Over a month since the war began, much of the funding raised remains unspent. International agencies, many of whom have limited history or presence in Ukraine, sit on huge sums, looking for quick ways to respond to a complex and nuanced crisis.

Aid is best delivered by organisations embedded in communities

Effective humanitarian response requires local knowledge and understanding. It is based on relationships and cannot efficiently happen without communities taking a leading role.

As a result, aid is best delivered by organisations embedded in those communities; by those who understand community preferences and have established mechanisms to truly engage with those most in need.

Those rich in money, but poor in local history, presence, and relationships threaten to at best be inefficient, and at worse to do more harm than good. Given Ukraine has one of those rarities in the humanitarian sector  a well-funded response  this would be yet another tragedy in a war that needs no more.

Kai Hopkins is head of humanitarian programmes at World Jewish Relief , which has been working in Ukraine for over 30 years, and has an established network of 29 partners across the country

Civil Society Voices is the place for informed opinion, and debate about the big issues affecting charities today. Were always keen to hear from anyone, working or volunteering at a charity, who has something to say. Find out more about contributing and how to get in touch. is the place for informed opinion, and debate about the big issues affecting charities today. Were always keen to hear from anyone, working or volunteering at a charity, who has something to say.




FILE - Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear delivered the State of The Commonwealth address, Wednesday night, Jan. 5, 2022, at the Capitol in Frankfort, Ky. Kentucky's Democratic governor on Friday, April 8, vetoed bills that would revamp the tax code and tighten rules for public benefits, continuing his pushback against the Republican legislative agenda.
Nate Gartrell flipped through a fat stack of pages. Im basically just looking for homicides, he said. Every week, Gartrell, a thirty-one-year-old reporter for the East Bay Times, visits the records office of the Contra Costa County criminal courthouse in Northern California, where a young clerk greets him with a smile and two sets of documents. One lists all the defendants scheduled to appear in the coming days; the other contains police reports detailing recent arrests. In late October, the schedule alone was a hundred and sixty pages longnearly five hundred defendants. There were always more stories in the pile than Gartrell could cover, but he hated the thought of missing something important. So he scanned every sheet, tracing his index finger along each name and criminal charge, snapping a photo on his phone whenever a detail caught his eye.

The only way to understand what was in front of himto identify who was coming to court, when, and for whatwas by knowing how to read the penal codes. It took Gartrell a year to memorize them. PC 203: Thats mayhem, he said. Its like gouging someones eyes out or disfiguring a face. PC 459: burglary. The one with an HS: a meth charge. There was a code for police chases. Robbery. Gun possession. Assault with a deadly weapon. PC 187: murder. Gartrell had been noticing a lot of 187s latelynot owing to a sudden spike in killings, he explained, but because of a recent change in Californias felony murder rule.

Gartrell is a devoted custodian of the courts beat. He is the reason you may have read in todays paper that police are investigating a dead body found on the 300 block of Lemarc Street, and he tracks what happens after someone is charged with a crime. Some cases involve dangerous criminals; others center on someone jailed for months, only to be deemed innocent; more than a few turn up wrongdoing on the part of prosecutors or the police. When Gartrell speaks with me about what goes on in courtlike lawyers meeting the burden of proof, say, or gang turf warseach sentence cuts into the next, the habit of someone trying to pack a lot of nuance into little time. He has stark brown eyes, a mat of brown hair, and a deadpan sense of humor. He swears a lot. In his shirt pocket, he has tucked three pensin case his backup needs a backup.

Gartrell stopped at a page and took note of two names: one a gang member in east Contra Costa, the other a man who had been arrested for running a multimillion-dollar auto theft ring around the Bay Area. Continuing on, he paused at the name of a former county election official whod been charged with perjury and other crimes. He embezzled money from his campaign fund and used it to renovate his second home, in Hawaii, Gartrell said. He was a great fucking source, too. We all trusted him.

The pandemic had slowed everything down. The jails werent allowing visits, even from lawyers, and jury selection was taking longer now that only twenty people could be in the courtroom at a time. Gartrell, however, was having his busiest year yet. When we first spoke, in July, he had already written over three hundred and fifty stories; by December, that number had more than doubled.

All through 2020, the country grappled with its history of systemic racism and what felt like a torrential wave of police violence against Black and other marginalized people. Thousands poured into the streets to demand an end to brutal police tactics, mass incarceration, and structural inequality. Municipalities tried to figure out how to respondsome considered abolishing their police departments altogetherwhile the court system remained in the background, as an important, if less discussed, part of the problem. Criminal charges are exceedingly rare among fatal-police-shooting and excessive-use-of-force cases; in the absence of local or state prosecution, the only recourse a victims family usually has is to sue a city in federal court, seeking damages for wrongful death or violation of civil rights. Those cases, often settled quietly, receive relatively little notice from the public unless someone like Gartrell places attention there.

For Gartrell, who is white, watching the video of an officer killing George Floyd was a reminder of the need to question official narratives. He was struck by how much the footage contradicted the initial statement by police, which had attributed Floyds death to a medical incident. Gartrell never wanted to be the kind of reporter who would accept that kind of story. I remember this sinking feeling of, Holy shit, have I ever had something like this happen on my watch, in my jurisdiction, and not dug because it wasnt on video? he said. Its a scary thought, that maybe theres something people should know about that they didnt know about because I was too naive or stupid. He had to make sure he always scrutinized the paperwork. The weekly court record checks could be tedious and time-consuming, but such is the work required to always be watching, to notice when something is off.

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Several years ago, David A. Sellers, who has served as a public information officer for the federal court system since 1987, observed that news about the courts tends to focus disproportionately on the eighty or so decisions made annually by the Supreme Court. Yet it is Americas lower courts, he wrote, in each state, county, and city, that resolve the majority of criminal and civil cases. Their workthe people, the trends, and most importantly, the impactgoes largely unnoticed. Gone from the press room are reporters from evening papers, newsmagazines, and most regional papers, he found. Their disappearance left a gap in coverage that needed to be filled. If not the media, he asked, who?

Around the time of his writing, American newspaper employment was plummeting. The Pew Research Center found that outlets were eliminating beats to save money; a reporter once assigned to focus on local courts, for instance, was now also being tasked with covering city hall or education. Bruce Cadwallader, who covered the cops and courts in Ohio for twenty-five years, had found himself loaded with thirty judges to follow; he was filing up to six stories a week. He had to become more selective about which cases he followed. Eventually, he left his job, at the Columbus Dispatch, and took a position outside journalism. People have little information about whos presiding over these cases, he told me recently. The public has lost the ability to understand their own legal system because of the lack of coverage.

Lately, courts and law enforcement have made gestures toward transparency, hiring public information officers, moving records online, and expanding their social media presence. But that has left scarce room for the press and the public to push back on official narratives. You get spoon-fed stuff from the prosecutors officeWeve got this conviction, that conviction,  Mike Carter, who covers federal cases and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for the Seattle Times, told me. He pointed to the rise of digital news organizations like the Marshall Project, The Crime Report, and The Appeal as direct responses to the need for greater criminal justice coverage. But without reporters regularly showing up at local courts, the judicial branch had turned into a kind of black hole, Carter said. You need someone who knows where to go, who to talk to, whats going to happen next.

Those who work inside courtrooms are often among the first to notice the effects of a depleted press corps. Michael Haddad, a civil rights attorney who represents plaintiffs in police brutality and jail death cases in Northern California, told me that he used to rely on a handful of experienced local crime reporters to cover lawsuits in detail. Now, with the notable exception of Gartrell, members of the press rarely call him anymore. Most reporters will write their entire story just from our press release and print the quote that I put in it, he said.

In the Bay Area, the consequences of thin reporting are direthe outwardly progressive politics of cities like San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley belie a reality complicated by a growing housing crisis, a widening wealth gap, and a criminal justice system that targets Black and Latinx communities at a disproportionate rate. Its racism with a mask on, Pendarvis Harshaw, a reporter at KQED, the local NPR station, told me. In the courtroom, these disparities weigh heavily: a recent ABC7 News investigation found that Black people in Bay Area cities are more than four times as likely to get arrested as white people. Qiana Washington, a former public defender in several Bay Area counties, told me that a defendants fate following arrest often depends less on the crime itself than on outside factorsanything from how much experience a defense attorney has to the implicit bias of a judge. When court reporting foregrounds the view of the prosecution and police, she said, it can skew the publics perception of guilt and innocence. Washington, who runs a criminal defense practice in Contra Costa County and serves on the board of the local bar association, said that reporters like Gartrell play an important role in educating juries. Without Nate, she told me, we would really have a void.

Gartrell landed in his position almost by luck. He joined the paper, then called the Contra Costa Times, as a metro reporter in 2014. But things were changing: The paper had fallen under the control of Alden Global Capital, a New Yorkbased hedge fund notorious for acquiring media companies and slashing them for profit. Through an entity called the the Bay Area News Group, Alden had set out to consolidate, and, in 2016, the Contra Costa Times was absorbed into what became known as the East Bay Times, along with the former Oakland Tribune and Daily Review. Soon, the Bay Area News Group cut its staff from about 380 to 250; after a couple of years, the company had just 160 people left. Gartrells original team dissolved; his former editor became a regional reporter. Sending beat writers out to cover several cities in the area became the new normal.

Amid the shuffle, a reporter on the courts beat became a columnist. Gartrell wound up in the vacated job and eventually found himself working out of a closet-size cubicle in the back of the civil court clerks building. (His old office building was demolished and replaced by a charter school.) At the courthouse, he got to know his main competitors: a couple of reporters for the Bay City News, which for many years touted its local courts coverage. But after a while, they stopped showing up. On most days, Gartrell is the only member of the press around.

Gartrell grew up in a waterfront suburb near the border of Contra Costa, a county of just over a million people spread across nineteen cities and suburbs along the Bay Areas eastern edge, opposite San Francisco. In the late nineties, when he was still young enough to play with Legos and Pokemon cards, a series of stories in the local papers about child kidnappings gripped him with terror and curiosity. I really couldnt relate to why someone would do that, he said. Thats what initially drew me in. Gartrells father, who worked for the water department, and his mother, a poet, tried to shelter him from violent stories by hiding their copies of the paper. Gartrell managed to get his hands on them anyway, at friends houses.

During high school, rumors often circulated in his social circles: about a local cartel safe house getting busted, or drug deals gone awry. Gartrell became fascinated by the criminal underworld that seemed to surround him. There was all this stuff happening right under the nose, a second society of people, he said. I lived in a pasty-white suburb, what I thought was a crime-free, Beaver Cleaver land, and there were people selling meth by the ten-kilo pack, stashing Uzis, building secret compartments in their homes. One summer, a close friend and his sister saw their parents get stabbed to death by an uncle, and they had to testify against him at trial. Their uncle had chosen to represent himself, which meant that he cross-examined his nephew and niece. His premise was that he had done the world a favor, Gartrell recalled.

In his junior year, Gartrell received encouragement from David Ruenzel, an English teacher and the adviser to the high school newspaper, to take a journalism class. Gartrell had been coasting on a B-minus averagethe kind of student, he said, who rolled a joint in the back of the class, always being told I wasnt applying myself enough. His first assignment for the school paper was about a profane but beloved history teacher whod recently announced he was leaving. The teacher gave a farewell speech during a morning meeting; Gartrell can still remember hearing gasps in the hall. He made it sound like he was leaving voluntarily, he recalled. But a rumor spread that the teacher had, in fact, been fired. Gartrell decided to look into it. He interviewed faculty and students, one of whom suggested that the teacher, who was gay, had been unpopular among faculty because of his sexual orientation. Ruenzel approved the assignment, but a school administrator killed it after reading a draft, without giving a clear reason. They used some government language, like fuckin The story was inaccurate, Gartrell said. He wound up publishing the article on a classmates LiveJournal, confirming for the first time that the school had, in fact, asked the teacher to leave. Gartrells scoop became the talk among classmates; he got an A in journalism. From then on, he said, I pretty much was dead set on that.

At San Francisco State University, Gartrell took an introductory reporting course with Thomas Peele, a longtime investigative journalist. On the first day, Peele warned his students that two factual errors would get them an automatic F on an assignment. I remember thinking, Wow, this is fucking great,  Gartrell said. A handful of students dropped out. Gartrell got an A-minus, one of the top grades. The following year, Peele offered Gartrell a paid gig to help him research a book about Chauncey Bailey, a newspaper editor from Oakland who had been assassinated by members of a criminal ring hed been investigating. Gartrell occasionally met Peele at the office of the Oakland Tribune, where he picked up tips from veteran journalists on how to request a police report and a death certificate. That summer, he attended the trial of the men accused of killing Bailey. So the first time Ive ever been in court watching a murder case, I saw pictures of a journalist with bullet holes in his head, he said.

In 2017, Gartrell married his high school sweetheart, Sarah. She respects her husbands passion for journalism, though she worries sometimes. Over the years, shes seen him struggle with the emotional toll of covering gruesome crimes. And she figures that being the only outside observer in a courtroom makes Gartrell easy to spot by people who might want to silence him. Still, she told me, I cant see him doing anything else.

One afternoon in September, I called Gartrell as he bounced in and out of several courtrooms in Martinez, Contra Costas county seat. Trials were reconvening after a six-month hiatus due to quarantine orders, and his days had quickly filled up with hearings. He wanted to make sure he had time to attend a coroners inquest into the recent death of an incarcerated person, and he had to keep checking the clock. When you have two places you need to be in at once, he said, you have to be able to anticipate what the witness is talking about so you can know whether you want to be in place A or place B.

Gartrell has heard colleagues dismiss coroners inquests as canned affairs: a jury meets whenever someone dies in custodymost often in jail or in an encounter with policehears out the evidence, and votes on a cause of death. Unlike at a typical court hearing, witnesses at an inquest can watch one another testify; an officer appointed by the DAs office is allowed to ask leading questions; and police can enter hearsay testimony. More often than not, the deaths are ruled accidents or suicides or are deemed to be the result of natural causes. The verdict doesnt carry any criminal or civil liability for the officers involved. But from his early days as a courts reporter, Gartrell discovered that inquests can provide illuminating details about who the deceased was; what led to the persons death; and what, if anything, might have prevented it. He rarely sees many people in attendancean attorney, maybe a family member or two. The hearings have their flaws, Gartrell said, but they allow members of the public to ask questions, and he sees few alternative ways to get information.

In the spring of 2017, Gartrell went to an inquest concerning a thirty-two-year-old man named Humberto Martinez, who had died after a struggle with officers in Pittsburg, an industrial city in the upper reaches of Contra Costa County. Initial police statements about Martinezs death were sparse: hed had a criminal record; led officers on a short pursuit; he was Tased; he fought with cops as they tried to arrest him; he bit one, breaking skin. A Pittsburg police captain told reporters that, after more officers arrived and managed to handcuff Martinez, he became unresponsive. Officers were able to resuscitate the suspect at the scene, a breaking news story, which Gartrell co-reported, read. He was transported to the hospital, where he died. Police could not say if the suspect had any medical conditions. The Contra Costa County district attorney declined to press charges against the officers involved.

During the inquest, a forensic pathologist testified that hed found cuts, bruises, and several broken ribs on Martinezs body. Several officers who had been at the scene also spoke, including one who said that hed used an arm to put Martinez in a carotid hold, a choke hold technique that cuts off blood flow to the brain and can squeeze the neck so tight that the arteries close. Afterward, Gartrell spoke to Haddad, the civil rights attorney, who had been retained by Martinezs family to sue the City of Pittsburg. Haddad told him that Martinezs family had been denied police reports detailing the incident, and that they were preparing a lawsuit. Haddad also mentioned that he had seen a video of Martinezs struggle with the cops, and that the footage reminded him of what happened to Eric Garner, who was killed by a New York City police officer in 2014, suffocated in a choke hold. Garners dying wordsI cant breathehad since become a slogan for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Gartrell decided to file a public records request asking the Pittsburg Police Department for body or dashcam footage recorded while Martinez died. It was a shot in the dark; police departments typically declined to release videos, citing an ongoing investigation or a pending lawsuit. But Gartrell made a habit of submitting requests anyway, whenever he heard about a death in police custody. After a few weeks, when his request for the Martinez footage was still pending, I thought, Gee, they might actually give me something.

Months went by. Eventually, the Pittsburg police sent Gartrell an email with two videos attached. Hed gotten them on a technicality: the department had already shown the footage to Haddad, which meant the videos were public record. Gartrell soon published a story, making the footage visible to the general public for the first time. In one video, viewers could see an officer place Martinez in a carotid hold for at least fifty seconds as he told them, I cant breathe.

The video was picked up by local media outlets, including Telemundo, ABC, and KTVU. The California Reporting Project, a partnership of forty news organizations across the state, cited Gartrells report in an investigation analyzing the use-of-force records released by 122 law enforcement agencies. Theres a lot of things about that videothe fact that somebody stays on his neck for so long after hes already unresponsive, and they dont know that hes basically dying until somebody else points it outits a hard video to watch, Gartrell said.

In the year after he obtained the footage, Gartrell started to notice that, during several inquests, investigators played video of other fatal police encounters. A new state law had required cops in California to wear body cameras, making the incidents more visible than before. Because an inquest is a court proceeding, and anything shown to a coroners jury is entered into the public record, Gartrell was able to draft public records requests for all the materiala breakthrough in his ability to cover how officers treated people in their custody, and to tell stories that might never have surfaced otherwise.

In October 2020, more than three years after the inquest into Martinezs death, the family won a $7.3 million settlement in their civil rights lawsuitone of the highest such payouts the country has ever seen. Haddad told me he thought that the outrage over videos like the one Gartrell publicized put pressure on judges and juries to deliver larger sums. But monetary compensation is just one part of the accountability families seek in these cases; their settlement terms also tend to include police reforms, which can be harder to negotiate. In the Martinez case, Haddad said they had made a few demands, including that the City of Pittsburg ban carotid holds. They were really resistant, he said, of the Pittsburg officials, until George Floyd.

Haddad has observed how much is required to bring about systemic changemass protest, litigation, facts on the ground. Reporters like Gartrell, he said, have an important role to play. And there is reason to hope, albeit cautiously, for pivotal coverage to come: in the years between Martinezs death and his familys settlement, California passed new legislation requiring that investigations of fatal police encounters be made accessible to the public, a landmark in the states commitment to transparency. Several law enforcement agencies destroyed years of records just before the new bill went into effect; others delayed releasing them even months afterward; but a few, Gartrell has found, are now sending over their footage without his having to ask.

One evening, Gartrell emailed me to share some news: the paper had assigned him to cover Alameda Countys courts, on top of Contra Costas. I congratulated him on what sounded like a promotion. But it added to an already full plateAlameda County is home to fourteen cities, including Berkeley and Oakland. Gartrell told me matter-of-factly: It more than doubles my workload.

Like others in ever-shrinking newsrooms, Gartrell has learned to be judicious with his time. In a typical week, he averages fifteen stories. If he needs to devote a block of hours to sitting in on court hearings or driving around to pull records, he might publish four or more stories in a day. He monitors his traffic analytics to gauge which articles resonate most with readersa quick hit about a man who cannibalized his grandmother, for example, could free up a few hours to chip away at an investigation into civil asset forfeitures. Often, its the subjects that Gartrell finds most important that receive the fewest clicksstories about people with mental illnesses who end up in jail, for instance, whose cases stall while the court debates their competency to stand trial. His editors encourage him to go after stories with impact, but Gartrell has found it impossible not to notice that the reporters hes seen get laid off are those who generate the least traffic. So he pushes himself, into late nights and weekends. Grace Wyler, Gartrells editor, told me that she views him as something between a unicorn and a maniac. She added, Nate is a paper-of-record reporter with Daily Mail instincts.

Gartrell didnt think to give himself a break until hed been on the courts beat for three years, when Sarah gave birth to their daughter, Scarlett. He went on paternity leave. Shortly after Sarah and Scarlett came home from the hospital, though, he stole some time to finish his civil asset forfeitures investigation. And a few days into his leave, Sarah told me, the couple decided that he may as well go back to work until she had to return to her job, at a local gym. He was still very busy, and I remember thinking, Okay, well, we just had a baby, did you want to come and say hello to her?  (Lately, she said, Gartrell had been making an effort to step away from work on the weekends. Theyd just taken a trip to the zoo.)

Now that he had to cover Alamedas courts, Gartrell needed to comb through roughly five hundred additional cases each week and report on a sheriffs department that was less than forthcoming about deaths in custody. (While working on a story about someone who had been beaten to death by a cellmate, Gartrell learned that the jails public information officer didnt know about the incident until a journalist asked.) To manage the extra work, hes had to become more selective about when to sit in court, and hes found himself spending less time than hed like following federal drug and weapons possession cases, which carry long sentences. Now thats falling by the wayside, he said.

Less than a month after his beat had been expanded, we met up. Gartrell was reporting a slew of new stories: He was looking into a sheriffs deputy whod been fired for misconduct (awful shit youll see lol, hed texted me), another body camera case, a local district attorney controversy, a traffic cop lawsuit, an off-duty officer who shot a man in the back, a cop charged with sexual harassment, an officer who was charged for a fatal shooting. And he was writing a follow-up to his investigation into civil asset forfeitures.

We stood under some shade across from a county courthouse. I asked how long he thought he could keep juggling so many stories. Basically, the plan is until I get laid off, Gartrell said, only half joking. This was the job hed always wanted, the job to which hed gravitated even before he knew it existed. One of the first cases he heard about after joining the Contra Costa Times, he said, involved a childhood friend of his who had been convicted of murder. Later, during one of his first interviews as a metro reporter, his father called to deliver some bad news: Ruenzel, his first journalism teacher, had been shot and killed while hiking in the Oakland Hills. Gartrell drove straight to his high school parking lot, where a small pack of TV reporters were waiting around for someone to interview. He answered a few questions, holding back tears. It had been on my to-do list to say Thanks for inspiring me and ask him out to lunch, Gartrell told me.

As trying as his work is, he feels that hed been prepared. And over time, hes drawn more lessons: reporting on the courts has convinced Gartrell that the most important pillar of American society, maybe even more than the right to vote, is the right not to be searched or arrested by the government without just cause. That pillar, he said, was built to make sure the innocent dont get harassed at the expense of protecting people who might be guilty. To do his job well, hed learned, meant listening to the people most likely to be targeted. And he had to keep showing up in court with his notebook and pens. If the justice system was designed to be fair, and there are people saying its unfair based on factors a person cant control, like race or gender, thats a serious flaw that needs to be remedied immediately, he said. That cant happen unless someone acknowledges that it exists.

Gartrell had just checked in to the court clerks office, the final stop on his records tour for the day. The visit turned up nothing. The clerk who typically gave him the weekly filings was out to lunch; neither of the two women behind the window recognized Gartrell or knew where to find the documents for which hed come. Gartrell debated what to do. He could wait for the regular clerk to return, but that would risk missing an important press conference. He could return the next day, but that would mean adding an extra stop on his way to Dublin, a suburb forty-five minutes away, where hed planned to go through the Alameda County court filings system. Finally, he decided to cut bait. Thank you very much for checking, he told the ladies, flashing them a smile as he walked out. Hed be back tomorrow.

Editors Note: This story has been updated to correctly describe the consolidation of the East Bay Times.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Jaeah Lee is an independent journalist who has written for The California Sunday Magazine, Mother Jones, Topic, Vice News, Pop-Up Magazine, and others. Shes based in San Francisco.
In last Mondays newsletter, I wrote about the death of Mantas Kvedaravicius, a Lithuanian filmmaker who had reportedly been killed in an attack by Russian forces as he tried to leave the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, a longtime subject of his work. On Saturday, Lyudmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian Parliaments commissioner for human rights, shared what she described as new information about Kvedaraviciuss death, claiming, in posts on Telegram and Facebook, that Russian occupiers had imprisoned him, then shot him and thrown his body into the street. Denisova also claimed that Kvedaraviciuss wife had risked her life to recover the body, with the true circumstances of his death withheld to protect her safety.

In recent days, Denisovas feeds and other public statements have featured a constant stream of allegations of appalling human rights abuses committed by Russian troops in Ukrainefrom the claim that more than four hundred people have gone missing from Hostomel, in the Kyiv region, since Russia occupied it to the claims that there may be as many as three hundred dead bodies in a mass grave in nearby Bucha and that children as young as eleven have reported being raped by Russian soldiersthat have been widely cited by the international press, often with a disclaimer that the claims have not yet been independently verified. Indeed, the eyes of the world have been transfixed on the Kyiv region ever since Russia withdrew its troops, leaving behind evidence of atrocities whose full extent had been cloaked in a fog of war. In addition to Ukrainian officials, civilians have been speaking out about what happened there, not least via social media, continuing, as experts told the Washington Posts Hannah Allam, a tradition of citizen witnessing seen previously in Syria, Gaza, and elsewherea powerful trend, even if this, too, presents challenges of verification and context.

ICYMI: When it comes to how journalists use it, theres no such thing as Twitter

Ukrainian and international journalistswhose job is documentation and verification, where possiblehave followed in behind as Ukraine has retaken the abandoned towns, discovering scenes of devastation not only in Bucha, but in Borodyanka, Trostyanets, Irpin, and elsewhere. Ive covered decades of conflicts and wars, Heidi Levine, a photojournalist, wrote for the Post from Bucha, but Im struggling to find the words to express how horrified I amand all my colleagues in the press areby what is happening in Ukraine, what people have endured and their immeasurable resilience. Reporting from the ground has often been supported from afar. The visual-investigations team at the New York Times analyzed satellite and other footage to show that the bodies of civilians first appeared in the streets of Bucha when Russian forces still controlled the towndebunking the Kremlins claims of a Ukrainian hoax there. Journalists at the AP and PBS, both on the ground and remotely, have collaborated throughout the war to verify incidents that appear to violate international humanitarian law. Their War Crimes Watch Ukraine database has documented 112 potential war crimes so far.

Particularly since Russia left the Kyiv region, those wordswar crimesand related charges have dominated Western discussion of the war, and not just in the media; a week ago, President Biden, who had already called Vladimir Putin a war criminal, suggested that he should face a war crime trial. Getting to that point is another matteras Flynn Coleman, an international human rights lawyer, wrote for Foreign Policy over the weekend, while public proclamations alleging violations of international law draw attention, these charges must be supported by a precise process, complete with vetted and permissible evidence, to convict. Scores of NGOs, international forensics experts, and open-source intelligence hunters are working to gather such evidence (the latter before social media companies automated moderation systems take it down), and so, again, are Ukrainian officials. Levine watched police in Bucha separate out bodies bearing signs of war crimes. By one count, fifty thousand Ukrainian investigators, many of them themselves displaced, are busy interviewing civilians in minute detail. It seemed like what happened was obvious, Vira Kovtun, a Bucha resident who spoke to prosecutors for three hours, told the Post, but then we realized that we need to prove this crime against peaceful people.

Still, holding perpetrators to a legal standard of accountability will be devilishly difficult, and in the past week, a flood of coverage has reminded us of that fact, too. The culpability of commanders in individual cases must be established, which can be very tricky and time-consuming; even then, the Russian leadershipwhich has continued to brazenly deny any wrongdoing in Ukraine and accuse that country of fabricating the blatant evidence of atrocitieshardly seems likely to recognize the judicial legitimacy of the authorities overseeing any eventual trial, be it in Ukraine or at the International Criminal Court. As Max Fisher noted in the Times yesterday, the ICC only started investigating possible Russian war crimes in Georgia in 2016, eight years after the conflict in South Ossetia began, and only issued a first set of arrest warrants last month, none of which is likely to lead to an actual arrest. Michael Ignatieff, a prominent Canadian politician and human rights expert, went so far as to tell NPR last week that even investigating war crimes right now amounts to virtue signalinga diversionary activity from military aid.

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As Fisher notes, though, the international legal system can (eventually, at least) offer symbolic justice and monetary damages for victims, or simply establish the facts of what happened. The presswhich can often itself dole out accountability without having to meet legal standardsshould always welcome that, and though the process of proof can be slow, important evidence can disappear quickly, so acting to document it now is essential. As more alleged Russian atrocities come to light, the press must persist with its vital work along these parallel tracks of coverage, with journalists continuing to contribute to this work of documentation while assessing the progress of international accountability. The space between these tracks can feel jarring, with immediate, horrifying images and accounts couched, at the latter level, in terms like alleged, accused, and potential. Our job is to explain why, as Coleman put it, the words and definitions used matter here without muddying the devastating cost of the horrors being describedto ensure, in other words, that we hold factual and moral truths in clear proportion.

Of course, as well as continuing to come to light, atrocities are continuing to happennot least in Mariupol and the rest of the Donbas region, which Russia is shaping up to blitz following its Kyiv-area pullback. On Friday, rockets hit a railway station in the city of Kramatorsk, where civilians had gathered in the hope of getting out. Afterward, reporters found the remains of a rocket with Russian words meaning for the children written on its side. The message was widely reported in international media, alongside words like chilling.

As the Times reported Friday, it wasnt clear who painted the words on the rocket, or when; the English meaning of the words, too, was ambiguous, with linguists clarifying that the Russian syntax clearly implied vengeance (this is for what youve done to our children) or alignment with a cause (this is for Russia!), rather than intent (this is aimed at your children). Either way, the toll of the strike on the station was clear. Local authorities said that at least five children were among those killed there. This morning, Denisova claimed on Facebook that 183 children have been killed in total since Russia invaded, though she added two caveats: some of the sourcing for the claim requires verification, and the ongoing occupation makes the true number impossible to know.

Below, more on Russia and Ukraine:



Other notable stories:

Related: Elon Musk pushes Twitters edit button, as Trumps imitation Twitter flounders

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Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop.
EDISON, Neb. (AP)  A wildfire in southern Nebraska fueled by dry conditions and strong winds forced the evacuation of the small village of Edison, destroyed several homes and factored into the death of a rural fire chief who was killed in a crash while responding to the blaze.

The Nebraska State Patrol called for a mandatory evacuation Thursday night of the Furnas County community of about 130 people about 187 miles (301 kilometers) southwest of Lincoln.

That order was later extended to rural residents around Edison and near the small town of Stamford, across the county line in Harlan County. Several schools in the area canceled classes Friday, and the National Weather Service reported that several homes were destroyed in the fire.

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said the fire began when strong winds blew a dead tree into a power line.

Shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday, an SUV carrying emergency officials to the fire collided with a water tanker on state Highway 283 in Furnas County as smoke from the fire cut visibility to zero, the patrol said Friday. Elwood Volunteer Fire Chief Darren Krull, 54, who was a passenger in the SUV, died at the scene, the patrol said.

The SUVs driver, 40-year-old Phelps County Emergency Manager Justin Norris, suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash, the patrol said, and was hospitalized in stable condition Friday morning. The 28-year-old driver of the tanker was not injured, the patrol said.

As of midday Friday, the fire had ballooned to 30,000 acres, or about 47 square miles (122 square kilometers), and 40 fire departments from around the region had responded to fight the blaze, said Jodie Fawl, a spokeswoman for the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency. The Nebraska National Guard also sent two Black Hawk helicopters to the site to drop water on the flames, she said.

As of right now, it is 0% contained, Fawl said. That doesnt mean they havent put out parts of the fire. It just means that a line around the outside of the fire is not established.

Establishing that fire line has proven difficult, Fawl said, as high winds that gusted up to 60 mph (97 kph) Thursday and around 40 mph (64 kph) Friday across much of Nebraska and Kansas. Those winds coupled with low humidity pushed the fire south from Gosper County into Furnas County, according to the National Weather Service.

Fawl said the fire had also jumped the Republican River, which might have might have helped contain it. She said the fire had damaged at least eight structures, including some homes, and six outbuildings, which could be sheds, garages or barns.

Critical fire weather conditions were forecast for Friday from the central Plains to the northwestern Gulf Coast, including parts of Texas and Louisiana, the weather service said.

No other deaths or injuries have been reported beyond the crash that killed Krull and injured Norris.

Strong winds and drought also fueled fires in northwestern Oklahoma and that states Panhandle, where three fires forced evacuations of two small towns and had burned about 70.31 square miles (45,000 acres), state Fire Management Chief Mark Goeller said Friday.

The towns of Ft. Supply, about 140 miles (225kilometers) northwest of Oklahoma City, and Forgan, about 195 miles (314 kilometers) northwest of Oklahoma City were evacuated for a few hours late Thursday and injured two firefighters who suffered burns, Goeller said.

About the photo: This undated photo provided by the Nebraska State Patrol shows a wildfire in southern Nebraska fueled by dry conditions and strong winds that forced evacuation of the small village of Edison and a rural fire chief was killed in a crash while he was responding to the blaze. The Nebraska State Patrol called for a mandatory evacuation Thursday, April 7, 2022 of the Furnas County community of about 130 people about 187 miles southwest of Lincoln. (Nebraska State Patrol via AP)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A jury trial accusing Walgreens Boots Alliance WBA.O of contributing to Floridas opioid addiction epidemic was set to begin on Monday after the pharmacy chain opted not to join a multimillion-dollar settlement by other defendants.

The state accuses Walgreens of poor oversight in its dispensing and distributing opioids in Florida, allowing the drugs to be diverted to illegal use and causing an increase in addiction. Walgreens has denied the allegations.

Jury selection began on April 5, with opening statements by attorneys set for Monday before Judge Kimberly Sharpe Byrd in Pasco County Circuit Court.

The pharmacy chain has argued it should be immune from the current litigation based on a mere $3,000 settlement reached with Florida in 2012 following an investigation into its record-keeping policies and efforts to prevent the diversion of opioid drugs.

Under the previously-announced settlements by Walgreens prior co-defenants in the Florida trial, pharmacy chain rival CVS Health Corp will pay $484 million. In addition, drugmakers Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. agreed to will pay $194.8 million, Abbvie Incs Allergan unit will pay $134.2 million and Endo International Plc $65 million. Walgreens argued that the 2012 deal released it from future opioid claims in the state, even if Florida regretted those terms as a bad bargain, according to court transcripts.

Florida in the same court transcript called the Walgreens position absurd, saying the earlier deal addressed only a single record-keeping violation. The settlements from the other previous defendants in the litigation totaled $878 million.

Florida has collected more than $3 billion in opioid litigation against drugmakers, distributors and pharmacies, according to attorney general Ashley Moody. Most of the money will be spent on efforts to mitigate the opioid crisis in the state.

There has been a wave of recent settlements by companies facing allegations over their part in the opioid crisis, which has led to more than 500,000 U.S. deaths from overdoses in the past two decades, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 3,300 lawsuits have been filed against drugmakers, distributors and pharmacies over the crisis.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Warnings that strong winds and hot and dry weather could produce dangerous wildfires blanketed most of New Mexico on Saturday as crews continued to battle at least two blazes that started as prescribed burns but then got out of hand.

The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings and fire weather watches that extended into Monday evening for the entire state except for snow-covered areas in higher elevations.

In southeastern New Mexico, air tankers assisted crews from at least six agencies battling a fire that had burned 3 square miles (7.7 square kilometers) of mostly grassland along the Pecos River southeast of Roswell as of Saturday and was contained around 50% of its perimeter, officials said in a statement.

The federal Bureau of Land Management said the fire was started Thursday as a prescribed burn to clear potential fire fuel but was declared a wildfire that afternoon after it grew outside the planned boundary due to a wind whirl, a small rotating wind storm generated by a fires extreme heat.

The fire damaged power lines and threatened homes at times, officials said.

We didnt actually have to evacuate. We did tell people be ready, so they were up and ready, Dexter Fire Chief Justin Powell told KOB-TV. It did burn right up to some peoples houses, right beside them but we did keep it off them as much as we could.

In northern New Mexico, crews battled a wildfire declared Wednesday after winds caused spot fires that took a prescribed burn outside its planned area. The fire is at the base of a peak in the Santa Fe National Forest about 12 miles (19.3 kilometers) northwest of Las Vegas.

A higher-level multiagency incident management team on Monday will begin taking over command of the firefighting effort that included at least five ground crews aided by helicopters, fire officials said Saturday.

No structure damage was reported but officials said crews were working to keep the fire out of a municipal watershed. The fire burned 350 acres (1.4 square kilometers) as of late Friday and was burning toward a wilderness area.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at the MMS- Payne Funeral Home Chapel from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Family will greet friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Grace Ann Harrison passed away on April 26, 2022 at the age of 76 years old. Grace Ann was born to Dryden and Joan Carman 
Cleveland State University recently conferred the honor of distinguished professor on Samantha Baskind for her contributions to the CSU Department of Art and Design, its College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and to the university.
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Sasha Weitman, son of Mimi Reinhard, a secretary in Oskar Schindler's office who typed up the list of Jews he saved from extermination by Nazi Germany, holds an old photograph of his mother in Herzliya, Israel, Monday, April 11, 2022. Mimi Reinhard died Friday in Israel at the age of 107.
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Clinton, IA (52732)

Today

A mainly sunny sky. High 68F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear early, then a few clouds later on. Low around 45F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.
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The multi-platform project Small Island Big Song allowed the Penn State community to help celebrate Pacific Islander cultures through a historical and ancestry experience.

On Thursday evening, eight out of the few hundred musicians put on a concert at Penn States Eisenhower Auditorium, while promoting environmental and cultural awareness and supporting the individuals on the frontline of the climate crisis.

The performers used their love of the ocean to put perspective on global warming and climate change.

The eight artists from the project took the stage: Sauljaljui from the Paiwan tribe of Taiwan; Emlyn, Kokol and Kan from Mauritius; Putad from the Amis tribe of Taiwan; Selina Leem from the Marshall Islands; Sammy from Madagascar and Richard Mogu from Papua New Guinea.

Leem, who was the youngest speaker to meet with global leaders at the COP 21 Paris Agreement, shared small monologues in between songs about her realities of living on an island and her personal experiences with climate change.

She shared her worries about melting glaciers and other issues contributing to the rise in sea levels since she grew up surrounded by water.

Just the pure self-possession of Selina and the conviction of her message this is not an academic exercise for Selina. This is her life, this is her family, her land, Amy Dupain Vashaw, the audience and programming development director at the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State said. I think that is the biggest takeaway... The time to act is beyond now.

The artists took the audience on a musical journey through songs in their native languages, as well as traditional dances and instruments with footage in the background.

In between each song were tributes to different events that have happened across the 16 island nations of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The tributes touched on the Indian Ocean oil spill in August 2020, which affected coral reefs off of the southeast coast of Mauritius, and the Bravo Bomb, which exploded in 1954 at Marshall Islands, as well as instances of deforestation and desertification.

Through dance and music, Small Island Big Song payed tribute to the spirits of ancestors and challenges hope for the future. The instruments the musicians used were all made from upcycled trash or from a sustainable source.

Accompanying Small Island Big Song was the Penn State School of Music and the Penn State Sign Language Organization. Delta Middle School ensemble also took the stage and performed one song. The middle school students were studying the Small Island Big Song film to gain experiences with cultures different from their own through instruments and song.

Creators of Small Island Big Song, husband and wife duo Tim Cole from Australia and BaoBao Chen from Taiwan, explained their connection to climate change. Chen said they decided to start the project after visiting Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific, in 2012, where they learned more about their ancestors relationship with the ocean.

The idea at the beginning was simply to just to go to the traditional custodians in the islands of these lands and record their traditional songs in nature, singing in their traditional tongues, Andrew Reissiger, Small Island Big Songs director of educational outreach, said. Knowing the premises of the project, people just started singing and [taking] it to another island and just [started] layering.

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Women in performing arts groups at Penn State inspire, empower others The influence of women in the arts at Penn State is visible in a variety of artistic fields 
With less than a month left in the spring semester, many students are planning to head back home to their families for summer vacation  but not for some Chinese international students.

Jiaxuan Song said she decided to stay in State College the entire summer because going back to her home in Shanghai seems impossible at the moment.

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the Chinese government drastically reduced inbound flights to mainland China, which became a problem for many international students in the U.S.

The tickets are really expensive, Song (junior-psychology) said. It cost three times more than the price before the pandemic.

According to the United Airlines website, a plane ticket from New York to Shanghai costs from $10,000 up to over $24,000 for the summer.

Song also said shes concerned that all of the university's facilities might not remain open in the summer while many people are going back home.

I dont know if the gym and all the computer labs will close or not, Song said. I have no idea how to spend three months with everything closed.

According to Anna Barone, director of student care and advocacy for Penn State Student Affairs, there will be gyms and other resources like the Student Affairs office open this summer.

Yunke Jiang is another Chinese international student who said she shares Songs problem.

I have never been in the United States in the summer, Jiang (sophomore-theatre) said. It could be a little challenging for me.

Jiang said shes planning to do some volunteer work with all of her friends who will remain in State College during the summer.

As for Bohan Huang, hes stayed in State College throughout the entire pandemic.

I think it is a great opportunity to take some time off, Huang (senior-data science) said. You can only experience that kind of leisure in State College.

However, Huang said hes staying local over the summer by choice.

It's not enough when you only have a plane ticket. I heard they have to take three different COVID tests, and it must all show negative so you can apply for the permission to get back home, Huang said. I think it's a little too complicated.

Jennifer Garvin, who works in Penn States Housing office, said while the university requires students to take summer classes to live on campus during the summer, those who have extenuating circumstances, such as limited travel due to international status can receive exceptions.

We are happy to accommodate on a case-by-case basis, Garvin said.

Barone also said students who are impacted by pandemic travel restrictions or conflict in their home country can reach out to Student Affairs.

We want to make sure that they dont feel that they dont have housing security, food security or financial security, Barone said. Anything that students who are in those predicaments can raise their hand and indicate they need help thinking through the options.

MORE CAMPUS COVERAGE
The Colorado legislature voted to designate Juneteenth as an official state holiday Monday, sending the proposal to Gov. Jared Polis for its final approval.

The state House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 139 recognizing the holiday in a 61-2 vote. The bill received substantial bipartisan support  previously passing the state Senate in a 32-1 vote last month  though all three lawmakers who voted against the bill are Republicans.

This is not a partisan issue. This is an American issue, said Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver. We have to reckon with our very tough past of slavery and what this country was built upon. But we also have to honor the freedoms that have come and the liberation that is here.

Herod led the bill with two other Black lawmakers: Aurora Democrat Sen. Janet Buckner and Denver Democrat Sen. James Coleman.

Juneteenth, also called Freedom Day and Emancipation Day, celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. The holiday recognizes June 19, when Major General Gordon Granger announced slaves in Texas were free in 1865. This announcement came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln declared the end of slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation.

Coloradans have celebrated Juneteenth for decades, including through the annual Juneteenth parade and music festival in Denvers historic Five Points neighborhood. The celebration is one of the largest in the country, attracting around 50,000 attendees each year, according to event organizers. Five Points first official Juneteenth celebration was held in 1953.

This shouldve been a holiday well over a century ago, said Rep. Patrick Neville, R-Castle Rock. Its long overdue and I think this is a great way to celebrate it. Its something that we should celebrate as we move forward as a country.

The bills approval comes 10 months after Juneteenth National Independence Day was made a federal holiday  the first since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983  and more than a year after the city of Denver established Juneteenth as an official city commemorative holiday.

If the bill is signed by Polis, Juneteenth will be Colorados 11th state holiday, during which most schools and state services are closed. This would be the first change to Colorados state holidays since 2020, when lawmakers repealed Columbus Day, replacing it with Frances Xavier Cabrini Day.
A new water treatment plant is being constructed at 4140 Lincoln Plaza Drive for the Security area. The water supplied by this plant is hoped to provide a long-term solution for treating water pulled from an aquifer saturated with toxic chemicals used for decades by nearby Peterson Air Force Base in a firefighting foam. Photo taken Aug. 4, 2019.
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It looks as if Internet Explorer (IE) will soon be gone from our PCs and .NET 4.5.2, 4.6 and 4.6.1 will drop out of support on April 26. So, we should just rip out IE and .NET from our machines, right?

Not so fast. First, you might have an application that relies on an older version of IE or .NET; removing them might not be wise  especially if youre still using Windows 7. Or you can wait for updates from important vendors. Case in point: I recently received an email from a key vendor saying it will be providing software updates to remove a dependency from IE. The vendor is going so far as to provide updates to older software releases that date back to 2017. (The software is released annually and, thus, needs updates to use older versions.)

But Microsoft is not deprecating or removing the Trident engine, which provides support for software including forms.webbrowser and iemode. In fact, the Trident engine will be supported until 2029 and Microsoft itself is already providing support for Webview2 to Chromium and Trident engines. (If youve suddenly wondered why Webview2 was installed on your computer, you probably have a Microsoft 365 application installed.) These days, I strongly recommend having multiple browsers installed one your PC; use one for general surfing (with the highest restrictions and privacy plug-ins) and a fallback browser with default settings intact that you can use for any websites that refuses to work with your settings.

As for .NET 4.5.2, 4.6 and 4.6.1, theyre going away because the .NET Framework was previously digitally signed using certificates that use the Secure Hash Algorithm 1 (SHA-1), and we are prioritizing support to newer digital certificates.

Dont remember what the .NET framework is? Its the original implementation of .NET and provides a framework for developers to code with (and deliver the software you use routinely).

As Microsoft notes, it provides a consistent object-oriented programming environment whether object code is stored and executed locally, executed locally but Internet-distributed, or executed remotely. It provides a code-execution environment that minimizes software deployment and versioning conflicts. Lastly, it provides a code-execution environment that promotes safe execution of code, including code created by an unknown or semi-trusted third party.

In a nutshell, its one of those building blocks developers use to create the software we all use.

To be honest, .NET has always been a bit confusing. For many years, I used to cringe each time a .NET update came out, as it would cause havoc with many of my line-of-business apps. Intuits QuickBooks, for example, would install the specific .NET it needed or complain when you didnt have .NET 3.5 installed. Fortunately, .NET has become better behaved; I havent had to rip out and reinstall .NET in years. (Too bad Windows as a whole cant learn a few of the same lessons.)

Microsoft You can use a simple command line to see what version of .Net is installed.

Lets determine what version of .NET you have. Open a simple command line and type in dir %windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework /AD. On a typical Windows 10 machine, youll see a screen that indicates you have .NET 1, 2, 2, 3.5 and 4. That doesnt mean its time to get rid of those really old versions, however. (In fact, you likely dont have all those older .NET versions installed, it just means your .NET is backwards compatible.) You should also know that there are new .NET releases that no longer user Framework and Core in their naming.

Another way to view which version of .NET you have installed is to review the registry key located at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full. If the Full subkey is missing, then .NET Framework 4.5 or above isn't installed.

Microsoft One way to determine which version of .NET is installed is to review the registry key.

If you do have the Full subkey, browse to it and compare the number on the far right next to release in parentheses and then compare it to the chart on this page. On my Windows 10 21H2 machine, I have .NET framework version 528372  indicating I have .NET framework 4.8 that is still supported and patched.

Youll also want to ensure .NET is receiving security updates. You may not realize it, but you may have never enabled a setting for Windows  or rather, Microsoft Update  to detect that you have .NET installed. If you go to Settings, then Update and Security, then Windows update, then Advanced options, make sure to check, Receive updates for other Microsoft products when you update Windows. Unless you have this box checked, your system may not get updates for newer .NET platforms installed by apps.

Microsoft Use Windows Update to make sure .Net is getting security updates.

If you find that you have.NET 4.5.2, 4.6 and 4.6.1 installed on your computer, you could have a line-of-business application that still relies on that version. Do you remember which one installed it? Based on this FAQ, your application should work fine if you install .NET 4.8. But I still recommend reaching out to the vendor to ensure that when you install .NET framework 4.8 the application will still work.

Still confused? Youre not alone. Ive often found that its hard to understand what .NET releases are shipped with which versions of Windows 10. Keeping up with them is hard enough for developers, let alone end users. Im hoping someone will come up with a better and easier way to know what is on our systems and how best to remove what should and should not be there. Ill keep you posted.
60%

Website stoneeshop.com uses latest and advanced technologies like: Php. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 402705 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 42286 bytes (41.29 kb uncompressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2022-04-11, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
The memorial service for Judith McFerran Robertson will be held at Algiers United Methodist Church, 637 Opelousas Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70114 at 2PM on Sunday, May 22, 2022 with Reverend JoAnne Pounds officiating. The obituary for Judi can be viewed and online condolences made at www.shule
Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning is extended for the following river in Arkansas... Arkansas River At Pine Bluff affecting Lincoln and Jefferson Counties. ...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Arkansas... Arkansas River At Toad Suck Lock And Dam Tailwater affecting Faulkner and Perry Counties. Arkansas River At Morrilton affecting Perry and Conway Counties. Arkansas River At Dardanelle 1 NE affecting Yell and Pope Counties. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. River forecasts are based on current conditions and rainfall forecasted to occur over the next 24 hours. During periods of flooding...Evening forecasts are reissued with updated rainfall forecasts. Observed and forecasted stage data plots are available on our Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service web page at... www.weather.gov/lzk Under the Current Conditions section...Select River and Lakes AHPS. && ...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON TO LATE MONDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Arkansas River At Dardanelle 1 NE. * WHEN...From Saturday afternoon to late Monday morning. * IMPACTS...At 32.0 feet, Minor flooding, commercial and industrial areas along the river in Dardanelle and Russellville may be affected. Lower lying agricultural land within the levee starts to flood. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 8:00 PM CDT Friday the stage was 27.4 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to rise above flood stage early Saturday afternoon to a crest of 32.4 feet Saturday evening. It will then fall below flood stage early Sunday morning. - Flood stage is 32.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood && Fld Observed Forecast 7 PM Crest Location Stg Stg Day/Time Sat Sun Mon Crest Time Date Arkansas River Dardanelle 1 N 32.0 27.4 Fri 8 PM 32.4 29.0 20.9 32.4 7 PM 5/07 &&
Margaret Pearl Blaylock, age 85, of Crossville, TN, passed away at her home on May 3, 2022. She was born on November 18, 1936, in Crossville, TN, daughter of the late William Wyatt and Alice (Hale) Wyatt. Margaret was a homemaker and attended Stephen Gap Church of Christ. She is survived by 


Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a seed laboratory to learn about seed industry innovation in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2022. Xi on Sunday inspected the city of Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

SANYA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Sunday stressed the crucial role of "Chinese seeds" in ensuring the country's food security.

China's food security can only be safeguarded when seed resources are firmly held in our own hands, Xi said while inspecting a seed laboratory in the city of Sanya, south China's Hainan Province.

"To ensure that China's seed resources are self-supporting and under better control, self-reliance must be achieved in seed technology," he said.

Highlighting the strategic significance of the related work, Xi called for carrying forward the spirit of scientists and researchers of the older generations, including Yuan Longping.

Xi also called for sustained efforts in developing the country's seed industry.



Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a seed laboratory to learn about seed industry innovation in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2022. Xi on Sunday inspected the city of Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)


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The list of companies accepting payments in cryptocurrency keeps expanding, so customers can buy almost everything they want: electronics, college degrees and cappuccinos. At the same time, the market for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) skyrockets, with new artists becoming millionaires and more established names like Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart and Grimes capitalizing on the trend.

Cryptocurrency and NFTs are on many organizations' agenda as they discuss the ramifications of Web3 and the opportunities it presents. This new major shift in the internet's evolution promises to decentralize our digital world, offering users more control and a more transparent flow of information.

Across industries, companies are giving their best shot at adapting to the new paradigm. But CISOs have a long list of concerns, starting with cybersecurity and identity fraud, marketplace security risks, management of keys and data, and privacy.

Cryptocurrency in any form, including NFTs, has a set of threats and security concerns that may not be familiar to most companies. "It requires a number of new operational procedures, creates exposure to a new set of systems (public blockchains), and entails risks that many firms are less familiar addressing," says Doug Schwenk, CEO of Digital Asset Research.

How CISOs think about these issues could affect users and business partners. "Compromises have an immediate financial impact on either the company or their users and/or NFT collectors," says Eliya Stein, senior security engineer at Confiant.

These are the ten most significant security risks that cryptocurrencies and NFTs present to CISOs.

1. Integrating blockchain protocols can be complex

The blockchain is a relatively new technology. As a result, incorporating blockchain protocols into a project becomes a bit difficult. "The principal challenge associated with blockchain is a lack of awareness of the technology, especially in sectors other than banking, and a widespread lack of understanding of how it works," according to a report by Deloitte. "This is hampering investment and the exploration of ideas."

Companies should evaluate each supported chain carefully for maturity and suitability. "Adopting a [blockchain] protocol that is at an early stage can lead to downtime and security risks, while later-stage protocols currently have higher transaction fees," says Schwenk. "After selecting a protocol to support the desired use (such as payments), there may not be any support available from the sponsor. It's much more like adopting open source, where particular service providers may be necessary to fully realize the value."

2. Asset ownership norms change

When someone buys an NFT, they aren't actually buying an image, because storing photos in the blockchain is impractical due to their size. Instead, what users acquire is some sort of a receipt that points them to that image.

The blockchain only stores the image's identification, which can be a hash or a URL. The HTTP protocol is often used, but a decentralized alternative to that is the Interplanetary File System (IPFS). Organizations who opt for IPFS need to understand that the IPFS node will be run by the company that sells the NFT, and if that company decides to close shop, users can lose access to the image the NFT points to.

"Although it's technically possible to reupload a file to IPFS, it's unlikely that a regular user will be able to do that because the process is complex," says independent security researcher Anatol Prisacaru. "However, the good part is that due to the decentralized and permissionless nature, anyone can do thatnot just the project developers."

3. Marketplace security risks

While NFTs are based on blockchain technology, the images or videos associated with them can be stored on either a centralized or a decentralized platform. Often, out of convenience, the centralized model is chosen, because it makes it easier for users to interact with the digital assets. The downside of this is that NFT marketplaces can inherit the vulnerabilities of Web2. Also, while traditional bank transactions are reversible, those on the blockchain are not.

"A compromised server may present the user with misleading information tricking him into executing transactions that will drain his wallet," says Prisacaru. But putting enough time and effort into doing the implementation properly can protect against attacks, especially when it comes to using a decentralized platform.

"When implemented properly in a decentralized fashion, a compromised marketplace should not be able to steal or alter a user's assets; however, some marketplaces cut corners and sacrifice security and decentralization for more control," Prisacaru says.

4. Identity fraud and cryptocurrency scams

Cryptocurrency scams are common, and they can often have a large number of victims. "Scammers regularly stay on top of highly anticipated NFT releases and usually have dozens of scam minting sites ready to promote in tandem with the official launch," says Stein. The customers who fall victim to these scams are often some of the most loyal, and this bad experience could potentially affect how they perceive the brand. So, protecting them is crucial.

Often, users receive malicious emails telling them that suspicious behavior was noticed in one of their accounts. They are asked to provide their credentials for account verification to solve that. If the user falls for this, their credentials are compromised. "Any brand trying to get into the NFT space would benefit from allocating resources towards monitoring and mitigation from these types of phishing attacks," Stein says.

5. Blockchain bridges are a rising threat

Different blockchains have different coins and are subject to different rules. For example, if someone has bitcoin but wants to spend Ethereum, they need a connection between the two blockchains that allows the transfer of assets.

A blockchain bridge, sometimes called cross-chain bridge, does just that. "Due to their nature, usually they are not implemented strictly using smart contracts and rely on off-chain components that initiate the transaction on the other chain when a user deposits assets on the original chain," Prisacaru says.

Some of the biggest cryptocurrency hacks involve cross-chain bridges, including Ronin, Poly Network, Wormhole. For example, in the hack against the gaming blockchain Ronin at the end of March 2022, attackers got $625 million worth of Ethereum and USDC. Also, during the Poly Network attack in August 2021, a hacker transferred more than $600 million of dollars in tokens to multiple cryptocurrency wallets. Luckily, in this case, the money was returned two weeks later.

6. Code should be thoroughly tested and audited

Having good code should be a priority from the beginning of any project. Prisacaru argues that developers should be skilled and willing to pay attention to detail. Otherwise, the risk of falling victim to a security incident increases. For instance, in the Poly Network attack, the attacker exploited a vulnerability between contract calls.

To prevent an incident, teams should conduct thorough testing. The organization should also contract a third party to do a security audit, although this can be expensive and time-consuming. Audits offer a systematic code review to help identify the most known vulnerabilities.

Of course, checking the code is necessary but not sufficient, and the fact that a company did an audit doesn't guarantee that they are out of trouble. "On a blockchain, smart contracts are usually highly composable, and oftentimes, your contracts will interact with other protocols," Prisacaru says. "Businesses, however, only have control over their own code, and interacting with external protocols will increase the risks."

Both individuals and businesses can explore another avenue for risk management: insurance, which helps companies reduce the cost of smart contract or custodian hacks.

7. Key management

"At its heart, crypto is just private key management," says Schwenk. "That sounds simple to many firms, and CISOs may well be aware of the issues and best practices."

There are several accessible solutions for key management. One of those is hardware wallets like Trezor, Ledger, or Lattice1. These are USB devices that generate and store the cryptographic material on their secure elements, preventing the attackers from accessing your private keys even if they have access to your computer, for example, using a virus/backdoor.

Another line of defense is multi-sigs, which can be used together with hardware wallets. "At its base, a multi-sig is a smart contract wallet that requires the transactions to be confirmed by a number of its owners," says Prisacaru. "For example, you could have five owners and require a minimum of three people to sign the transaction before it can be sent. This way, an attacker would have to compromise more than one person in order to compromise the wallet."

8. Employee and user education

Organizations that would like to integrate Web3 technologies need to train their employees because new tools are needed to transact on the different blockchains. "Commerce for digital assets might seem familiar to traditional e-commerce, but the tools and browser plugins needed to be proficient in this new world are quite different than what finance teams are used to," says Aaron Higbee, co-founder and CTO of Cofense.

While every business needs to worry about email-based phishing attacks, employees who handle digital assets can be targeted more often. The purpose of training is to make sure that everyone in the team follows the latest best practices and has a good understanding of security. Oded Vanunu, head of products vulnerability research at Check Point, says he noticed "a big gap" in knowledge when it comes to cryptocurrency, which can make things "a little bit chaotic" for certain companies. "Organizations that would like to integrate Web3 technologies need to understand that these projects must have deep security reviews and security understanding, meaning that they must understand the numbers and the implication that can happen," he says.

Some organizations that don't want to do private key management decide to use a centralized system, which makes them vulnerable to Web2 security issues. "I'm urging that if they are integrating Web3 technologies into their Web2, this must be a project that will have a deep security review and security best practices that need to be implemented," Vanunu says.

9. The permanence of NFTs and Web3 decentralized apps

Many enterprises will sunset products that no longer serve their needs, but this is typically not available for blockchain-backed assets if they are done right. "NFTs should not be treated as a one-time marketing effort," Stein says. "If the NFT itself is not on chain, there's now a burden on the company to keep it up in perpetuity. If the project becomes a wild success, then the company has taken on a major task of supporting the collectors of these NFTs with regards to mishaps, scams, etc."

One viral project is the one launched by the Ukrainian government, which sold NFTs based on the timeline of the war. "The place to keep the memory of war. And the place to celebrate the Ukrainian identity and freedom," according to a tweet by Mykhailo Fedorov, vice prime minister of Ukraine and minister of digital transformation. NFT enthusiasts reacted positively, saying they wanted to buy a piece of history and support Ukraine. Their expectation, though, is for the project to be kept up.

10. Blockchain is not always the right tool

New technologies are always exciting, but before making the leap, organizations should ask if they actually solve the problem, and if it's the right time to adopt them. Blockchain-based projects have the potential to change companies for the better, but they might also drain resources, at least in the initial stage.

"Weighing the risk/reward will be an important part of the decision, and appropriately resourcing the security effort, both in adoption and ongoing, is critical," Schwenk says. "Judgment of risk/reward for these new exposures may not (yet) be a core competency, and it's easy to get caught up in the hype that is often associated with crypto."
Business and government organizations are rapidly embracing an expanding variety of artificial intelligence (AI) applications: automating activities to function more efficiently, reshaping shopping recommendations, credit approval, image processing, predictive policing, and much more.

Like any digital technology, AI can suffer from a range of traditional security weaknesses and other emerging concerns such as privacy, bias, inequality, and safety issues. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is developing a voluntary framework to better manage risks associated with AI called the Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF). The frameworks goal is to improve the ability to incorporate trustworthiness considerations into the design, development, use, and evaluation of AI products, services, and systems.

The initial draft of the framework builds on a concept paper released by NIST in December 2021. NIST hopes the AI RMF will describe how the risks from AI-based systems differ from other domains and encourage and equip many different stakeholders in AI to address those risks purposefully. NIST said it can be used to map compliance considerations beyond those addressed in the framework, including existing regulations, laws, or other mandatory guidance.

Although AI is subject to the same risks covered by other NIST frameworks, some risk gaps or concerns are unique to AI. Those gaps are what the AI RMF aims to address.

AI stakeholder groups and technical characteristics

NIST has identified four stakeholder groups as intended audiences of the framework: AI system stakeholders, operators, and evaluators, external stakeholders, and the general public. NIST uses a three-class taxonomy of characteristics that should be considered in comprehensive approaches for identifying and managing risk related to AI systems: technical characteristics, socio-technical characteristics, and guiding principles.

Technical characteristics refer to factors under the direct control of AI system designers and developers, which may be measured using standard evaluation criteria, such as accuracy, reliability, and resilience. Socio-technical characteristics refer to how AI systems are used and perceived in individual, group, and societal contexts, such as explainability, privacy, safety, and managing bias. In the AI RMF taxonomy, guiding principles refer to broader societal norms and values that indicate social priorities such as fairness, accountability, and transparency.

Like other NIST Frameworks, the AI RMF core contains three elements that organize AI risk management activities: functions, categories, and subcategories. The functions are organized to map, measure, manage, and govern AI risks. Although the AI RMF anticipates providing context for specific use cases via profiles, that task, along with a planned practice guide, has been deferred until later drafts.

Following the release of the draft framework in mid-March, NIST held a three-day workshop to discuss all aspects of the AI RMF, including a deeper dive into mitigating harmful bias in AI technologies.

Mapping AI risk: Context matters

When it comes to mapping AI risk, We still have to figure out the context, the use case, and the deployment scenario," Rayid Ghani of Carnegie Mellon University said at the workshop. I think in the ideal world, all of those things should have happened when you were building the system.

Marilyn Zigmund Luke, vice president of Americas Health Insurance Plans, told attendees that, Given the variety of the different contexts and constructs, the risk will be different, of course, to the individual and the organization. I think understanding all of that in terms of evaluating the risk, you've got to start at the beginning and then build out some different parameters.

Measuring AI activities: New techniques needed

Measurement of AI-related activities is still in its infancy because of the complexity of the socio-political ethics and mores inherent in AI systems. David Danks of the University of California, San Diego, said, There's a lot in the measure function that right now is essentially being delegated to the human to know. What does it mean for something to be biased in this particular context? What are the relevant values? Because of course, risk is fundamentally about threats to the values of the humans or the organizations, and values are difficult to specify formally.

Jack Clark, co-founder of AI safety and research company Anthropic, said that the advent of AI has created a need for new metrics and measures, ideally baked into the creation of the AI technology itself. One of the challenging things about some of the modern AI stuff, [we] need to design new measurement techniques in co-development with the technology itself, Clark said.

Managing AI risk: Training data needs an upgrade

The management function of the AI RMF addresses the risks that have been mapped and measured to maximize benefits and minimize adverse impacts. But data quality issues can hinder the management of AI risks, Jiahao Chen, chief technology officer of Parity AI, said. The availability of data being put in front of us for training models doesn't necessarily generalize to the real world because it could be several years out of date. You have to worry about whether or not the training data actually reflects the state of the world as it is today.

Grace Yee, director of ethical innovation at Adobe, said, It's no longer sufficient for us to deliver the world's best technologies for creating digital experiences. We want to ensure that our technology is designed for inclusiveness and respects our customers, communities, and Adobe values. Specifically, we're developing new systems and processes to evaluate if our AI is creating harmful bias.

Vincent Southerland of the New York University School of Law raised the use of predictive policing tools as an object lesson of what can go wrong in managing AI. They are deployed all across the criminal system, he said, from identifying the perpetrator of the crime to when offenders should be released from custody. But until recently, There wasn't this fundamental recognition that the data that these tools rely upon and how these tools operate actually help to exacerbate racial inequality actually and help to exacerbate the harms in the criminal system itself.

AI governance: Few organizations do it

When it comes to AI governance policies, few organizations are doing it. Patrick Hall, scientist at bnh.ai, said that outside large consumer finance organizations and just a few other highly regulated spaces, AI is being used without formal governance guidance, so companies are left to sort out these stormy governance issues on their own.

Natasha Crampton, chief responsible AI officer at Microsoft, said, Failure mode arises when your approach to governance is overly decentralized. This is a situation where teams want to deploy AI models into production, and they're just adopting their own processes and structures, and there's little coordination.

Agus Sudjianto, executive vice president and head of corporate model risk at Wells Fargo, also stressed top-level management in governing AI risk. It will not work if the head of responsible AI or the head of management doesn't have the stature, ear, and support from the top of the house.

Teresa Tung, cloud first chief technologist at Accenture, emphasized that all businesses need to focus on AI. About half of the Global 2000 companies reported about AI in their earnings call. This is something that every business needs to be aware of.

As with other risk management frameworks developed by NIST, such as the Cybersecurity Framework, the final AI RMF could have wide-ranging implications for the private and public sectors. NIST is seeking comments on the current draft of the AI RMF by April 29, 2022.
By Cynthia Hubert

They overcame bullying, poverty, violence, and racism in their youths. Through remarkable perseverance, they made it into the CSU system. Now they are thriving.

The four current CSU students and one recent graduate helped kick off the 2022 Young Males of Color Conference, held at Sacramento State April 6-7. The annual conference, which attracted more than 500 students, educators and others from across the CSU and beyond, explored challenges that Black, Latino, Pacific Islander, and Native American young men face in higher education, while also considering programs and approaches that help make success attainable.

The conference is a wonderful opportunity for the campus to engage its CSU and regional partners in efforts to advance student success and meet the goals of the systems Graduation 2025 initiative, said Marcellene Watson-Derbigny, Sac State associate vice president for Student Retention and Academic Success.

The initiative has led to rising graduation rates at Sac State and the CSU, but work continues to close equity gaps  differences between traditionally underserved minority students and their peers.

Im here because I wanted to be around other African American men while we look for ways to build ourselves up, and guide the next generation." - Sacramento State student Josiah Greer

A morning discussion featuring CSU students on April 6 opened the conference. The panelists told their personal stories and offered advice for overcoming obstacles to earning a college degree.

Jose Juan Rodriguez Gutierrez, a senior at Cal Poly Humboldt, was born in Mexico and moved to the United States with his parents when he was 8 years old. His family lived in poverty, and he was ridiculed in school for his lack of English. His salvation was a group of close friends who shared his values and desire for better things, he said.

Surround yourself with toxicity, and you will draw it to you. Avoid it, and you will find the light, said Rodriguez Gutierrez, who will graduate with a degree in Wildlife Management this year.

Malik Campbell, a senior studying Biology at Cal State Northridge, was bullied as one of the few Black students at his high school in Southern California. In college, he found a community that welcomed and guided him, he said.

Find your safe space and your people, Campbell advised the group.

Temesghen Ghebreyesus, whose parents are African immigrants, took part in a leadership development program at Cal Poly Pomona, where he studies Engineering. That program led to a good job that will be waiting for him after he graduates later this year.

At Cal Poly, I found people who understood me and the potential that I have, he said.

Joselito Flores, a 2021 alumnus of Cal State Bakersfield, was born to a mother who was addicted to drugs and a father who was in and out of prison. His situation, he said, taught him persistence and resilience. Today, he has a relentless pursuit of knowledge and a career in business that has brought him prosperity, he said.

Focus on change, Flores said. Focus on making things better. Focus on being the best version of you.

Lamont Paxton, a Business major at Sonoma State, grew up in the projects in the Watts area of Los Angeles, surrounded by drugs, violence, and guns. He saw his father shot, an image he said still causes me trauma. Paxton was the first in his family to attend college, where he took part in a Male Success Initiative that he said was worthwhile.

I never let anything break me or stop me from achieving my highest potential, Paxton said.

Young Males of Color conference attendees gathered in Sacrameto State's University Union Ballroom on April 6-7 to explore challenges that Black, Latino, Pacific Islander, and Native American young men face in higher education, while considering programs and approaches that help make success attainable. (Sacramento State/Nicole Fowler)

Conference participants also heard from keynote speakers and attended breakout sessions focused on topics such as breaking bad habits, empowerment, successful programs to help Hmong students, and others.

Josiah Greer, who will graduate with a masters degree in Education from Sac State in May, attended a session focused on reasons many young men of color are reluctant to seek help for mental health issues.

Im here because I wanted to be around other African American men while we look for ways to build ourselves up, and guide the next generation, Greer said. Im gaining tools to advocate for change in my community and help that next person succeed.

Many Black men are taught that showing emotions and accepting mental health diagnoses and treatment are signs of weakness, speaker Christian Abson said. That belief can lead to more stress and symptoms that ultimately interfere with relationships and the pursuit of higher education, he said.

We need to communicate the need for personal and psychological support, he said. We need to give as much attention to our mental health as we do to our physical health.

Abson, who holds degrees Psychology, Educational Psychology, and Educational Leadership, from three different CSU campuses, encouraged students to seek help from their colleges, where mental health services often are available for free.

Greer said he has sought therapy during difficult times in his life, with positive results.

Im an advocate of it, he said. Without it, I wouldnt be as clearheaded as I am now.

The conference, which was preceded by a reception at the downtown Kimpton Sawyer hotel and a Sacramento Kings game at Golden 1 Center, wrapped up on Thursday afternoon.

William Franklin, vice president of Student Affairs at CSU Dominguez Hills and one of the organizers of the event, said he hopes it will have a lasting impact on participants.

By sharing information and best practices, we want to empower, equip, rebuild, challenge and celebrate young men of color, he said.

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FAIRFAX, Va. (AP)  A jury was selected Monday to hear a long-anticipated libel lawsuit Johnny Depp filed against his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard, whom he accuses of falsely portraying him as a domestic abuser.

Depp sued Heard over an op-ed piece she wrote in The Washington Post in 2018 in which Heard refers to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. The article doesn't mention Depp by name, but he says it clearly refers to allegations Heard made in other forums that she suffered physical abuse at his hands. Depp denies the accusations.

The lawsuit brought a little bit of Hollywood to a courthouse that has a long history of dealing with high-profile crimes, just not those involving movie stars.

More than a dozen women, some waving signs saying Justice for Johnny, joined other fans who waved pirate flags in recognition of Depp's signature role in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, waited outside the courthouse an hour before the hearing.

The courtroom in the city of Fairfax was closed to the public Monday, with limited closed-circuit access in an overflow courtroom. People lined up before 7 a.m. for the wristbands granting access. Both Depp and Heard were in attendance, but court personnel brought them in and out utilizing special access points that frustrated fans' ability to see them.

The judge overseeing the trial, Penney Azcarate, has imposed a series of access rules to try to maintain decorum in the courthouse. Most significantly, neither Depp nor Heard are permitted to pose for photos or sign autographs in the courthouse or on the courthouse grounds.

Depp's fans have been vocal in their support, saying he has been falsely accused. Raylyn Otey, a Depp fan from Bluefield, Virginia, drove five hours to see the movie star. She was disappointed when Depp did not greet fans personally, as sheriff's deputies carefully limited fan access.

I'm so disappointed. I came to give him flowers to show some support, she said, bouquet in hand.

In a separate lawsuit Depp filed against a British newspaper, a judge dismissed the case, finding that Depp assaulted Heard on a dozen occasions and put her in fear for her life on multiple occasions.

Heard has filed a countersuit against Depp that accuses his lawyers of defaming her at his direction.

Heard's lawyers tried unsuccessfully to have the case moved to California, where the actors reside. A Fairfax judge ruled that Depp was within his rights to bring the case here because the Posts online editions are published through servers located in Fairfax County. Depp's lawyers have said they brought the case in Virginia in part because the laws here are more favorable to their case.

A jury of seven, plus four alternates, was selected by Monday afternoon. The smaller jury is typical for civil trials in Virginia.

Opening statements are scheduled for Tuesday morning. The trial is expected to last more than a month. A long list of witnesses includes actors James Franco and Paul Bettany, and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. Some witnesses are expected to appear in person, while others will testify via video link.

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Raylyn Otey's last name.
Emporia, KS (66801)

Today

A few clouds early, otherwise mostly sunny. High 76F. Winds SE at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 61F. Winds SE at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.
Several days after Gov. Ned Lamont contracted COVID-19, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz has tested positive for the virus, her office said Monday.

In a statement, Bysiewiczs office said the lieutenant governor took a rapid COVID-19 test on Sunday that was positive. She is still awaiting the results of a PCR test, but Bysiewiczs office said she is feeling well.

Our office will be conducting contact tracing this morning to identify and inform close contacts over the last five days, the statement read.

Last Thursday, Lamont announced he had tested positive for COVID-19. While initially he had no symptoms that day, he said Friday he began experiencing mild issues.

On Monday, Lamont said he felt 98 percent better, after only experiencing mild symptoms like a slight headache.

Im feeling pretty good. I tested negative today, which was great. Ive been here in quarantine, in this nice place, by myself, for the last few days, and ready to get out and see people again, Lamont said, adding that he hopes to return to making public appearances in the next several days.

He said he began taking paxlovid, the COVID-19 therapy from Pfizer, on Friday after he started experiencing symptoms.

Ive had no side effects, and Id like to think its working, Lamont said.

Bysiewiczs positive COVID test comes amid a recent uptick in infections across Connecticut. On Monday, Connecticut reported a seven-day positivity rate of 5.5 percent with 3,799 new cases among 69,115 tests. Hospitalizations, which were 104 in total, were 11 patients more than this time last week.

Like Lamont, Bysiewicz plans to quarantine at home for the next five days, her office said.

Bysiewicz had been scheduled to receive her second booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, her office said.

She encourages all residents to get vaccinated and receive their initial or second booster shoot when eligible to protect themselves, their loved ones and our greater Connecticut community, the statement read.

One day before Lamont tested positive, he and Bysiewicz attended an event in Middletown last Wednesday to announce new community grants.

Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim said he has tested negative twice and is continuing to monitor himself for any symptoms, and as far as he knows, "no one here has tested positive after the event."

State Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, also tested negative after attending two events with Lamont last Wednesday. Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Joseph J. Giulietti, who was with Lamont at an event in Clinton on Wednesday, has also tested negative for COVID-19.

Aside from Bysiewicz, Lamont said he was not aware of anyone he had come in contact with coming down with the illness. But with high levels of community spread, Lamont cautioned its difficult to determine how someone contracts COVID-19.

Susan was not happy with the fact that she tested positive.  Look, theres community spread out there. And theres community spread especially among folks that havent been infected before. I think you see that here  I think you see that all over our region now, Lamont said.
An effort to strengthen regulations around so-called ghost guns in Connecticut appears to have lost traction this legislative session, while President Joe Biden has announced stricter measures on ghost guns through an executive order.

These firearms, often built at home with kits, have grown in popularity across the nation in recent years, and often are difficult to trace because they usually do not come with serial numbers like traditional firearms from established manufacturers.

However, until 2019, they were largely unregulated in Connecticut. Though there are regulations in place, lawmakers had said they were limited.

What are ghost guns?

Home-built firearms, which are often called ghost guns, are usually receiver kits, which contain the workings of a firearm that are put together at home, according to the gun control group Brady United. These kits do not contain serial numbers and are often unfinished enough to skirt regulations.

While there are numerous gun regulations in Connecticut and across the country that relate to background checks for firearm purchases, officials said these kits often do not require a background check to purchase.

These unmarked firearms, known as ghost guns, are often assembled from kits that are sold without background checks, making them easily acquired by criminals who otherwise would not be permitted to possess a firearm, the U.S. Justice Department said last year.

The term ghost gun also has been used to describe firearms that are built with 3D printed components.

How are ghost guns regulated in Connecticut?

In 2019, the legislature passed a bill that required anyone who manufacturers a firearm at home, including these ghost guns to obtain a unique serial number from the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection before they complete the firearm.

The law also requires that the sale of unfinished frames or receivers, key to building a ghost gun, comply with all regulations.

Among those supporting the legislation was DESPP, which said in submitted testimony: Ghost guns can be easily ordered and assembled by those intending to do harm in our communities or those excluded from firearms purchases.

However, the law did not apply to firearms built before it went into effect in 2019.

The Connecticut Citizens Defense League, a grassroots gun-rights organization, opposed the measure, saying there are hundreds of thousands of firearms without serial numbers and those firearms have never posed a threat to public safety.

How many ghost guns are there in Connecticut?

There is not much data collected on ghost guns in Connecticut, considering those firearms are difficult to track. So it is unclear how many ghost guns there are in the state.

The Connecticut State Police Special Licensing and Firearms Unit, which handles requests for unique serial numbers from home-built firearms has provided 44 serial numbers since the legislation was passed in 2019.

According to state police, there were two serial numbers provided in 2019, three in 2020, 36 in 2021 and three so far this year.

How were lawmakers looking to further regulate ghost guns?

Gov. Ned Lamont ahead of this years legislative session proposed a measure meant to stymie gun violence in Connecticut. The sweeping piece of legislation, which included creating a statewide firearms task force, provides money for recruiting new police officers and establishes a community violence intervention team, sought to close some loopholes related to ghost guns.

Ghost guns are banned in Connecticut, but those that were manufactured prior to 2019 were grandfathered in, making the law nearly impossible to enforce, the governors office said in announcing the proposal.

The measure would require all ghost guns pre-dating 2019 to be registered with a unique serial number.

However, this portion of the legislation was removed by lawmakers in committee.

Have ghost guns been seized by Connecticut police?

While it is unclear how many ghost guns have been seized by police across Connecticut, there have been some high-profile seizures.

In March, state police, working with local and federal law enforcement partners, announced they made an arrest in what they described as an illegal ghost gun trafficking operation in the greater Waterbury area. Officials said the guns were homebuilt and sold without serial numbers.

While state police did not provide an exact number of firearms, they shared several photos of at least a dozen assault rifles and handguns.

What is the federal government doing to regulate these guns?

On Monday, President Joe Biden announced stricter measures on ghost guns through an executive order.

The new rules would ban the most accessible buy build shoot kits, according to the White House. The rules would also treat kits used to build guns as firearms under the Gun Control Act. The White House said manufacturers will need to be licensed and include serial numbers on the kits.

A final part of the measure would require any licensed firearms dealer or gunsmith will have to put a serial number on existing ghost guns that come into their possession, the White House said.

Under this commonsense rule, manufacturers of the assembly kits that create ghost guns must treat these firearms just as they would be required to do for any other firearm, closing a gaping loophole that has repeatedly allowed guns to get into the wrong hand, Lamont said, praising Bidens action on ghost guns.
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Joyce Ares had just turned 74 and was feeling fine when she agreed to give a blood sample for research. So she was surprised when the screening test came back positive for signs of cancer.

After a repeat blood test, a PET scan and a needle biopsy, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.

I cried, the retired real estate broker said. Just a couple of tears and thought, OK, now what do we do?

The Canby, Oregon, resident had volunteered to take a blood test that is being billed as a new frontier in cancer screening for healthy people. It looks for cancer by checking for DNA fragments shed by tumor cells.

Such blood tests, called liquid biopsies, are already used in patients with cancer to tailor their treatment and check to see if tumors come back.

Now, one company is promoting its blood test to people with no signs of cancer as a way to detect tumors in the pancreas, ovaries and other sites that have no recommended screening method.

Its an open question whether such cancer blood tests  if added to routine care  could improve Americans health or help meet the White Houses goal of cutting the cancer death rate in half over the next 25 years.

With advances in DNA sequencing and data science making the blood tests possible, California-based Grail and other companies are racing to commercialize them.

And U.S. government researchers are planning a large experiment  with 200,000 participants and possibly lasting seven years  to see if the blood tests can live up to the promise of catching more cancers earlier and saving lives.

They sound wonderful, but we dont have enough information, said Dr. Lori Minasian of the National Cancer Institute, who is involved in planning the research. We dont have definitive data that shows that they will reduce the risk of dying from cancer.

Grail is far ahead of other companies with 2,000 doctors willing to prescribe the $949 test. Most insurance plans dont cover the cost. The tests are being marketed without endorsements from medical groups or a recommendation from U.S. health authorities.

FDA authorization, clearance or approval of such tests is required by law, but the agency historically has not enforced most regulatory requirements for ones  like Grails  that are designed, manufactured and used within a single laboratory. The agency is working with Congress on legislation to update the regulatory framework, which would include active oversight for such tests, said FDA spokesman Jim McKinney.

For a drug, the FDA demands that there is a substantial high likelihood that the benefits not only are proven, but they outweigh the harms. Thats not the case for devices like blood tests, said Dr. Barry Kramer of the Lisa Schwartz Foundation for Truth in Medicine.

Grail plans to seek approval from the FDA, but is marketing its test as it submits data to the agency.

The history of cancer screening has taught caution. In 2004, Japan halted mass screening of infants for a childhood cancer after studies found it didnt save lives. Last year, a 16-year study in 200,000 women in the United Kingdom found regular screening for ovarian cancer didnt make any difference in deaths.

Cases like these have uncovered some surprises: Screening finds some cancers that dont need to be cured. The flip side? Many dangerous cancers grow so fast they elude screening and prove deadly anyway.

And screening can do more harm than good. Anxiety from false positives. Unnecessary costs. And serious side effects from cancer care: PSA tests for men can lead to treatment complications such as incontinence or impotence, even when some slow-growing prostate cancers would never have caused trouble.

The evidence is strongest for screening tests for cancers of the breast, cervix and colon. For some smokers, lung cancer screening is recommended.

The recommended tests  mammography, PAP tests, colonoscopy  look for one cancer at a time. The new blood tests look for many cancers at once. Thats an advantage, according to Grail executive Dr. Joshua Ofman.

We screen for four or five cancers in this country, but (many) cancer deaths are coming from cancers that were not looking for at all, Ofman said.

Dr. Tomasz Beer of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland led the company-sponsored study that Joyce Ares joined in 2020. After a miserable winter of chemotherapy and radiation, doctors told her the treatment was a success.

Her case isn't an outlier, "but it is the sort of hoped-for ideal outcome, and not everyone is going to have that, Beer said.

While there were other early cancers detected among study participants, some had less clear-cut experiences. For some, blood tests led to scans that never located a cancer, which could mean the result was a false positive, or it could mean there's a mystery cancer that will show up later. For others, blood tests detected cancer that turned out to be advanced and aggressive, Beer said. One older participant with a bad case declined treatment.

Grail continues to update its test as it learns from these studies, and is sponsoring a trial with Britains National Health Service in 140,000 people to see if the blood test can reduce the number of cancers caught in late stages.

Although Ares feels lucky, its impossible to know whether her test added healthy years to her life or made no real difference, said Kramer, former director of the National Cancer Institutes Division of Cancer Prevention.

I sincerely hope that Joyce benefited from having this test, Kramer said when told of her experience. But unfortunately, we cant know, at the individual Joyce level, whether thats the case."

Cancer treatments can have long-term side effects, he said, "and we dont know how fast the tumor would have grown. Treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma is so effective that delaying therapy until she felt symptoms might have achieved the same happy outcome.

For now, health experts stress the Grail blood test is not a cancer diagnosis; a positive result triggers further scans and biopsies.

This is a path in diagnostic testing that has never been tried before," Kramer said. Our ultimate destination is a test that has a clear net benefit. If we dont do it carefully, well go way off the path.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

___

This story was first published on April 11, 2022. It was updated on April 14, 2022, to make clear that FDA approval of some tests is required by law but the agency historically has not enforced regulatory requirements on certain tests.
Around noon on Thursday, a Metro-North train pulling into South Norwalk was mostly full, with additional people boarding for the trip on to Stamford and Grand Central Terminal in New York.

With COVID-19 infection rates inching up again in Connecticut and New York  and shock gas prices ebbing for the moment as peak rail pricing returns  will more people opt for the highway heading into the city this spring? Rail data suggests that could be the short-term outcome, if infection rates remain on an upward trajectory.

Connecticut train ridership dropped significantly in January when the omicron variant fueled a COVID surge after the December holidays. Trains logged nearly 450,000 fewer passenger trips  a 30 percent drop  in January compared with December, according to the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council.

The state reported on Friday the seven-day COVID positivity rate had risen to 5.27 percent, up more than a full percentage point from a week earlier and three percentage points from a month ago.

While some municipalities are seeing rates above 10 percent, similar to pockets of Manhattan, infections remain well below Connecticuts 23 percent test positivity rate in January.

The surge prompted many people to skip the train, according to the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council. Bolstering rail ridership remains a key policy goal of Connecticut, to cut greenhouse gases, reduce highway congestion and encourage more economic development in urban neighborhoods near stations.

But even as data shows Metro-North Railroad trains carried only half the number of passengers last week compared with prior to the pandemic, bridges and tunnels managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority were close to pre-COVID traffic levels, suggesting many people are choosing to drive on the days they head into New York City.

We want to get the trains back to 100 percent capacity sooner rather than later, said state Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk. I-95 has been a bear.

Winning back riders

Metro-North has been offering deals to lure back commuters, including 20 percent off a 20-ticket package for peak hours. Last week, Metro-North promoted New Haven Restaurant Week, which ended Saturday, noting the concentration of participating restaurants within walking distance of Union and State Street stations.

But for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, Metro-North brought back peak pricing in late March, tacking on $3 to $6 for a ticket to New York City.

Metro-North prices now range from $13.75 for a one-way ride from Greenwich to Grand Central Terminal during peak morning and evening hours, to $23.75 from New Haven to Grand Central.

As of Friday, TollGuru estimated the cost to drive from Greenwich to midtown Manhattan to be $11.40 and $14 from New Haven via the Merritt Parkway. SpotHero estimated average parking rates in midtown Manhattan between $29 to $41 as of Friday.

Despite the peak-price hikes, Metro-North ridership last Tuesday only barely missed the post-pandemic record set at the beginning of March as an estimated 150,700 people rode the New Haven, Harlem and Hudson lines that comprise the system.

And the previous Saturday, Metro-North set a new mark in 2022 for passengers as a percentage of pre-pandemic levels, at 83 percent compared to the same day in 2019. By that measure, Metro-North ridership peaked on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 when the trains were at 90 percent of fares compared to two years prior.

Gov. Ned Lamont continues to bet big on the viability and appeal of commuter rail service during the coronavirus era even though many companies remain remote on a hybrid or full-time basis. Higher fuel prices could prod some to return to Metro-North as a way to save, though Lamont and Connecticut lawmakers have given drivers a break by suspending the states gasoline tax through June.

The state is pushing ahead with plans to add a second track to the New Haven Lines Waterbury Branch, which extends north from Bridgeport. In January, the Waterbury Branch had the smallest decline of riders  23 percent  of the six Connecticut commuter rail lines and branches. Shore Line East had the sharpest drop at 40 percent, while ridership fell 37 percent on the Hartford Line.

The New Canaan and Danbury branches were roughly even with the 30 percent decline experienced by the main trunk of the New Haven Line.

Duff noted Connecticuts track record in recent years of spurring development near train stations. In lower Fairfield County, notable projects include Charter Communications new headquarters adjacent to downtown Stamfords train station, the Darien Commons complex across from the towns Noroton Heights station and the Curb apartments next to Norwalks Merritt 7 station under construction.

The Lamont administration awarded Norwalk $6 million for additional improvements in the vicinity of the South Norwalk Train Station to entice more development in the area.

Connecticut desperately needs housing, and transit-oriented development is the way to go, Duff said. With the Hartford Line, theres development around those stations  these public investments bring private investments behind it.

Longer term, rail service could get a big boost in Connecticut if the MTA follows through on a proposal to establish a direct connection to Penn Station, sparing travelers the need to hop on the subway or hail a ride to destinations on the west side of midtown Manhattan.

You are going to get Metro-North speeding up 20 minutes faster, Lamont said in March, speaking to members of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce. The work is happening over the next five to six years  hopefully, its transformative for the next 50 years.

Includes prior reporting by Abigail Brone, Josh LaBella and Tara ONeill.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
Innovation is happening all around us. Every day, new buildings are proposed, science introduces new forms of technology and the past fades away. However, there are still some places in Connecticut where the past remains in physical form. There are abandoned castles, theme parks and power plants that tell the tales of times long ago  and not so long ago.

Theres something about these spaces that tells us mystery still exists in the world, and history really can be a tangible thing that points us to where were going by reminding us of where weve been.

Read on for more about these currently or previously abandoned places in Connecticut.

NOTE: Please keep in mind that these sites are not open to the public but can be viewed in some cases from public areas. Please respect warning signs and keep a safe distance.

Pleasure Beach Bridgeport

John Burgeson / John Burgeson

Once a bustling seaside amusement park, this stretch of beach was abandoned after a fire in 1997 burned the only bridge leading to the beach between Bridgeport and Stratford. In 2009 and 2010, most of the carnival rides and beach cottages were fully demolished after the fire department declared them a fire hazard. The property was blocked off for a time, with some buildings remaining, like an octagon theater building and a pavilion that can be seen from the other side of the perimeter fence. In 2014, the beach reopened with a seasonal concession stand and ferry service to and from the beach.

Fairfield Hills Hospital

H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media

Fairfield Hills Hospital, an old abandoned psychiatric hospital in Newtown, has had quite the history. It opened in the 1930s and ran for 60 years until it shut down in 1995. The following year, it was featured as a set piece in the movie Sleepers, which featured Brad Pitt, Robert DeNiro and Minnie Driver. Adding to the spook factor, the hospital featured a series of underground tunnels which have been filled in. The town has been in the process of repurposing the land, but some of it remains in its original state for now.

Johnsonville Village

Courtesy of JWeags Photography

Johnsonville Village, an abandoned mill town, looks something like that scene out of Big Fish  you know the one. Theres that little town with no roads and no one wears shoes and everything is grassy and picturesque. These abandoned buildings look more like the set for a Ghibli movie than anything else. The town has also passed through many hands over the years, with owners planning to turn the land into a tourist attraction  and then a hotel, and then a residential area. All of those plans fell through and Johnsonville faced the elements  it was even struck by lightning  until it fell into disrepair and remained abandoned for 20 years. In 2017, it was purchased by religious group Iglesia Ni Christo, which has other Connecticut locations in Stamford and Bristol. The church does not allow anyone on the property.

Hearthstone Castle

H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media

There are BIG Narnia vibes in Danbury where a crumbling castle sits in the woods. Is it enchanted? Cant say for sure, though my scientist friends all tell me a resounding no. The castle was originally built in 1896 by photographer E. Starr Sanford. It passed through the hands of several owners over the years until the City of Danbury purchased it in 1985. As of January 2021, the castle is blocked off the public as it undergoes construction to make it safe for visitors.

English Station

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

This abandoned New Haven power plant is housed in an imposing brick building. It was constructed in 1924 as a plant for United Illuminating and closed 1991; the company sold the building nine years later. United Illuminating is responsible for cleaning up the site, which is considered dangerous to enter due to the hazardous materials  like asbestos  found inside. As of this month, the clean-up is still delayed and is three years behind schedule.

Nike Missile Site

Autumn Driscoll / Autumn Driscoll

This missile site was built in 1956 during the Cold War and was just one of 12 such sites in the state of Connecticut. Its located in Meshomasic State Forest and can be accessed via Del Reeves Road, though the journey has to be made on foot. The control site has been demolished but the launch site remains, grown over by the forest.

sarajane.sullivan@hearstmediact.com, @bysarajane on Twitter
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NEW HAVEN  Former U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd will serve as a special adviser to the administration of President Joe Biden for the upcoming Summit of the Americas diplomatic gathering, according to the White House.

Dodd will be joined by former U.S. Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Florida, as part of the administration's delegation for the summit, which brings together the leaders of North, South, and Central America and the Caribbean, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said in an email.

Psaki said the summit will play a central role in shaping the future of the Americas at a critical time in our history, noting that Dodd and Mucarsel-Powell are confident that President Biden will renew and strengthen the collaboration and respect essential for a bright future for the Americas as part of the gathering.

The regions governments, civil society, and private sector will work to develop a shared vision built around the theme for this years meeting, Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future, Psaki said. The United States looks forward to welcoming the hemisphere to Los Angeles to work together on strengthening our democracies, building more prosperous and inclusive economies, and better protecting the human rights, health, dignity, and security of our people. The United States previously hosted the inaugural Summit of the Americas in Miami, Florida, in 1994.

Dodd previously served as a member and Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere for over three decades, including working with Biden on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for over 28 years, according to the White House.

Senator Dodds interest in Latin America began years before his election to the U.S. Congress. In the 1960s, Dodd joined President John Kennedys Peace Corps, serving for two years as a volunteer in the Dominican Republic. During his service in the Peace Corps and in the Senate, he traveled extensively and on numerous occasions throughout the hemisphere, Psaki said in the release.

Mucarsel-Powell was the first and only Latina Democrat to ever represent a Congressional district in Florida, and the first-ever member of Congress born in Ecuador, according to the email.

Congresswoman Mucarsel-Powell was a leading voice in the charge to support Venezuelans fleeing their country through securing Temporary Protected Status in the United States and providing humanitarian and other aid to the Venezuelan people and neighboring countries. She served as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Womens Task Force and also sponsored environmental and public health legislation, said Psaki.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.. (AP)  Sonja Lujan, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams mother and an advocate for children with disabilities, has died of natural causes. Sonja Lujan was 82.

The governors office said in a statement Monday that she died on Sunday. The governor told reporters last week that her mothers health had declined and that she was in hospice care at the governors residence in Santa Fe.

The first-term governor described her mom as truly one of a kind" who fought for the best standards of care and refused to back down when she knew more could be done to help children in need.

Her tenacity and determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges has inspired me every single day of my adult life," Lujan Grisham said. She taught me to fight hard  to make sure no one is left behind, that no family is lacking the support they need and deserve.

Lujan Grisham said that while neither her mother nor father ever ran for political office, they taught her the importance of serving the community.

Her mother raised three children, including Lujan Grishams sister, Kimberly, who was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor as a toddler. Kimberlys illness eventually resulted in blindness, and Sonja Lujan spent years fighting government and health care bureaucracy to make sure her daughter received the resources she needed, according to the governor's office.

As Kimberly grew up and attended the New Mexico School for the Blind, Sonja drove to Alamogordo every weekend to bring her daughter and her classmates back to Santa Fe to spend their days off with family.

Sonja Lujan went on to serve on the schools Board of Regents and remained a caregiver for Kimberly until her death in 1985 at age 21.

She became a dedicated advocate for my sister Kimberly and children with disabilities across the country simply because there was no other choice, Lujan Grisham said.

Born Sonja Lee Jackson on Jan, 18, 1940, in Brazil, Indiana, she and her family lived abroad at times as her father's career in the U.S. Air Force landed them in Germany and Japan.

In 1959, Sonja married Llewellyn Eugene Buddy Lujan. The couple made their first home together in Los Alamos before moving to Santa Fe. Buddy Lujan was a dentist who often provided free care to those who afford to pay, particularly to disabled and underprivileged children. He continued practicing dentistry until his death in 2011 at age 81.

Sonja Lujan spent her final days surrounded by relatives, and the governor said she will be missed dearly.

Sonja Lujan was in an assisted living facility in Albuquerque during the coronavirus pandemic, which was often mentioned by Lujan Grisham. The governor said many of the public health decisions she made at the time were aimed at keeping people like her mother safe.

In a May 2021 post on social media, the governor said that despite the challenges over the past year, she was glad to finally be able to celebrate Mother's Day with her mom in person. She also acknowledged her mother's birthday during her state of the state address in January.
The mother of a Puerto Rican Olympian was killed by a stray bullet while sewing in her Connecticut home over the weekend, according to the athlete and police.

Police believe Mabel Martinez, 56, was an innocent bystander and the intended target was apparently a man walking outside her home in the town of Waterbury. He was wounded in the leg and survived. No arrests have been announced.

Mabel Martinez was the mother of Yarimar Mercado Martinez, a rifle shooter on the Puerto Rico Olympic team who competed in the summer Olympics last year and in 2016.

Mabel Martinez died Sunday after being shot in the head Saturday afternoon, police said.

Mercado Martinez, 27, expressed her anguish in social media posts.

Why you? Why this way? You were just sitting in your little house sewing, as you always did, she wrote in Spanish.

Two days ago you called me with excitement, asking me to save the date and help you prepare to renew your wedding vows with daddy in Puerto Rico, she said Sunday. There are so many things I still needed to learn from you ... I was so far away without being able to do anything, I couldnt even say goodbye to you."

She wrote that the family intends to bring her mothers body to Puerto Rico so her friends and family can say goodbye.

I apologize to Puerto Rico because even if I wanted to, I really cant compete, my place is with my family," she wrote.

A message seeking comment was left Monday for Mercado Martinez.

The athlete flew out of Brazil late Sunday and has arrived in Connecticut, according to Gilberto Hernandez, president of the Puerto Rico Shooting Association, the sport's governing body in the U.S. territory.

Hernandez said its not clear when the body would arrive for burial in Puerto Rico, adding that the shooting association is helping pay a portion of the funeral costs.

We trust that she will overcome this, he told The Associated Press. She can count on us. ... The doors of the association are always open.

Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said investigators believe the shooting was drug-related and had nothing to do with Mabel Martinez.

This was definitely a random, tragic act of violence, he told the AP. She was in her house. She's not the intended target.

Spagnolo said relatives were extremely distraught, including Mabel Martinez's husband, whom he described as inconsolable.

He said the investigation has been very, very active since Saturday.

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AP journalist Danica Coto contributed to this report from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, as weeks of attacks and privation leave the bodies of Mariupol's people carpeted through the streets.

Speaking by phone Monday with The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko also accused Russian forces of having blocked weeks of thwarted humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage there from the outside world.

Mariupol has been cut off by Russian attacks that began soon after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in late February, and has suffered some of the most brutal assaults of the war. Boychenko gave new details of recent allegations by Ukrainian officials that Russian forces have brought mobile cremation equipment to Mariupol to dispose of the corpses of victims of the siege.

Russian forces have taken many bodies to a huge shopping center where there are storage facilities and refrigerators, Boychenko said.

Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned, he said.

Boychenko spoke from a location in Ukrainian-controlled territory but outside Mariupol. The mayor said he had several sources for his description of the allegedly methodic burning of corpses by Russian forces in the city, but did not detail the sources of his information.

The discovery of large numbers of apparently executed civilians after Russian forces retreated from cities around the capital, Kyiv, this month already has prompted widespread condemnation and charges from Ukrainians and the West that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine.

Elsewhere Monday, U.S. officials pointed to new signs that Russia's military is gearing up for a major offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, switching its focus after Russian forces failed in their initial drive to capture Kyiv.

Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region since 2014, and have declared independent states. A major confrontation between the two countries' fighters in Donbas would allow Russia to try to use its numbers and greater military might to capture more territory there. Western military strategists say Russia also hopes to force Ukrainian fighters out into the open in more conventional battles in the east, rather than the successful hit-and-run attacks Ukrainian fighters have often employed so far.

Russia has appointed a seasoned general to lead its renewed push in the eastern Donbas region.

A senior U.S. defense official on Monday described a long Russian convoy now rolling toward the eastern city of Izyum with artillery, aviation and infantry support, as part of redeployment for what appears to be a looming Russian campaign in the east.

More artillery is being deployed near the city of Donetsk, while ground combat units that withdrew from around the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas appear destined for refitting and resupplying before they position in Donbas, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. military assessments.

With their offensive in many parts of the country thwarted, Russian forces have relied increasingly on bombarding cities  a strategy that has flattened many urban areas and killed thousands of people.

Ukrainian authorities accuse Russian forces of committing atrocities, including a massacre in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv, airstrikes on hospitals and a missile attack that killed at least 57 people last week at a train station.

In Bucha on Monday, the work of exhuming bodies from a mass grave in a churchyard resumed.

Galyna Feoktistova waited for hours in the cold and rain in hopes of identifying her 50-year-old son, who was shot and killed more than a month ago, but eventually she went home for some warmth. He's still there, her surviving son, Andriy, said.

In Mariupol, about 120,000 civilians are in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications, the mayor said.

Only those residents who have passed the Russian filtration camps are released from the city, Boychenko said.

Ukrainian officials say Russian troops are confiscating passports from Ukrainian citizens then moving them to filtration camps in Ukraines separatist-controlled east before sending them to distant, economically depressed areas in Russia.

Boychenko said Monday that improvised prisons were organized for those who did not pass the filtering, while at least 33,000 people were taken to Russia or to separatist territory in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Ukrainians on Monday that Russia might use chemical weapons in Mariupol. We take this as seriously as possible, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

Western leaders have warned since before Russian troops moved into Ukraine that Russia could resort to unconventional weapons there, particularly chemical agents.

A Russia-allied separatist official, Eduard Basurin, appeared to urge their use Monday, telling Russian state TV that Russian-backed forces should seize a giant metals plant in Mariupol from Ukrainian forces by first blocking all the exits out of the factory. And then well use chemical troops to smoke them out of there, he said.

A Ukrainian regiment, without evidence, also claimed Monday that a drone had dropped a poisonous substance in Mariupol but said there were no serious injuries.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement that the U.S. could not confirm the drone report out of Mariupol. But Kirby noted the administrations persistent concerns about Russias potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the United Nations childrens agency said nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion began. The United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured, though the actual numbers are likely much higher.

Elsewhere, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks that were very direct, open and tough.

In a statement released by his office, Nehammer said his primary message to Putin was that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose. Nehammer said he also raised the issue of war crimes committed by the Russian military and said those responsible will be held to account.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

In other developments, the head of the separatist rebel government in Donetsk claimed Ukrainian forces have lost control of the port area of Mariupol.

Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is now under our control, Denis Pushilin, president of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, told Russian state television, according to Russian news agencies. The claim could not immediately be confirmed.

But Mariupol's mayor said fighting continues at the port. "It is difficult, but our heroic military holds on, Boychenko said.

Both sides are digging in for what could be a devastating war of attrition.

Russian forces will likely try to encircle the Donbas region from the north and the south as well as the east, said retired British Gen. Richard Barrons, co-chair of the U.K.-based strategic consulting firm Universal Defence & Security Solutions.

The ground in that part of Ukraine is flatter, more open and less wooded  so the Ukrainian ambush tactics used around Kiev may be less successful, Barrons said.

As to the outcome, its finely balanced right now, Barrons said. If the Russians learned from their previous failures, concentrated more force, connected their air force to ground forces better and improved their logistics, "then they might start to overwhelm the Ukrainian positions eventually, although I still think it would be a battle of enormous attrition.

In a video address to South Korean lawmakers Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically requested equipment that can shoot down Russian missiles.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov claimed the military used cruise missiles to destroy four S-300 launchers near the central city of Dnipro on Sunday. He said the military also hit such systems in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions.

The Pentagon said it had seen no evidence to support Russias claims. And Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakia's prime minister, denied Monday that the S-300 system it sent Ukraine had been destroyed.

Questions remain about the ability of depleted and demoralized Russian forces to conquer much ground after their advance on Kyiv was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders.

Britains Defense Ministry said Monday that Ukraine has already beaten back several assaults by Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions  which make up the Donbas  resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery.

Western military analysts say Russia's assault increasingly is focusing on an arc of territory stretching from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, in the north, to Kherson in the south.

A residential area in Kharkiv was struck by incoming fire on Monday afternoon. Associated Press journalists saw firefighters putting out the fire and checking for victims following the attack, and saw that at least five people were killed, including a child.

Oleh Synyehubov, the regional governor of Kharkiv, said earlier Monday that Russian shelling had killed 11 people over the last 24 hours.

___

Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Anna reported from Bucha, Ukraine. Associated Press Writer Robert Burns in Washington, and AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.

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Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
So often, when we discuss education funding, we stick to the dollar and cents. The total amount a school receives. The per-pupil spending. But its what those dollars do, the doors they open, and the experiences they provide that matter most.

What does an additional $1,330 mean for a fourth-grader in Waterbury? How about an additional $1,450 for an eighth-grader in New Britain? Or the additional $1,840 for a kindergartner in New London?

It could mean social work support, smaller class sizes, a laptop, a new work-based learning program or access to extracurriculars. It could be the difference between a child finding their passion or feeling left behind. It could be the difference between a thriving Connecticut economy, and one that struggles to remain competitive in the long term.

So how does Connecticut make this happen? The student-centered funding formula outlined in HB5283 would provide the funding necessary to make these critical differences in the lives of Connecticuts public school students, regardless of what type of school they attend.

If a school has mental health concerns, theyll have the resources needed to hire school psychologists. If another school has concerns regarding their math outcomes, they can hire interventionists and tutors. And, if families need better after-school or summer learning options, schools can build out additional programming.

HB5283 recalibrates and simplifies Connecticuts Education Cost Sharing formula to send much-needed resources to students starting in fiscal year 2025  when federal COVID relief funds expire. The proposal:

funds students based on their individual needs;

shrinks the states alarming racial and socio-economic education funding gaps by more than 53 percent;

provides equitable funding to all students in traditional, magnet, charter, and vocational-agricultural schools; and

eliminates the need for interdistrict tuition payments.

The funding fix also complements proposals before the legislature to provide greater mental health supports (SB1), diversify the educator workforce (SB274), and invest in early childhood education.

Connecticut continues to see its fiscal health improve with a large rainy day fund and considerable budget surpluses. But what rainy day are we waiting for when it is pouring for Black, brown, and low-income students across the state? Investments in education are life changing and can help students break generational poverty.

We must ask ourselves and our lawmakers, if we do not invest in our children when we have the resources to do so, when will we?

To learn more about HB5283 and its impact on your town, please visit: Student-Centered Funding, and Funding by District in HB5283 .

Subira Gordon, of Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN) ; Ruben Felipe, of the Connecticut Charter Schools Association ; Daniel Pearson, of Educators for Excellence ; Jamilah Prince-Stewart, of FaithActs for Education ; and Lisa Hammersley, of School and State Finance Project are are the executive directors for member organizations of the Education Justice Now Coalition , a group of education policy organizations.
Westport  Superintendent Thomas Scarice is encouraging the school community to be tested as the number of COVID cases rise in the region.

We certainly havent approached anywhere near the case rates we have from prior rounds of the infection, but we have seen an increase since the big drop off in February, Scarice said in a recent update to the school community.

Scarice and the districts health supervisor have been in contact with their colleagues in places with similar situations. Westport is also continuing to get guidance and updates from state and local health officials, he said.

Its pretty clear that this is likely the latest variant, Scarice said.

Health officials had already noted the prevalence of the new omicron subvariant, known as BA.2, in late March, with data showing it accounting for more than half of the cases in New England. Experts also warned it could account for 95 percent of COVID cases in Connecticut by April.

The states health commissioner also said the uptick was starting in Connecticut as March came to a close, with experts pointing to the new sub-variant as the cause.

In Westport, the district reported 24 positive COVID cases among students and staff as of Monday.

The town in general is also in the red classification on the states map  the highest transition rating. Westports rate is 20.1 cases per 100,000 people for the reporting period of March 20 to April 2, the most recent state Department of Public Health data. Of that, there were 36 cases reported in the first week and 44 cases reported in the second week.

There are nearly 25 municipalities in Connecticut in the red with a few dozen other communities in the orange.

The fortunate part is with some of the infection rate increases, we havent seen concurrent hospitalization increases, Scarice said. And thats an indication, we are told from DPH and local health officials, that the virulence of this variant is probably on line with where the original omicron was as well, with a lot of infections, highly contagious but likely just a result of cold-like symptoms.

He said the district is continuing to follow the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as local and state health officials and are sharing all of that with families so they can make the decisions most appropriate for them.

Scarice said the health officials new guidance is a significant shift from community-based mitigation measures to personal, individual-based ones. It also focuses more on how to live with COVID, according to those health officials.

I believe right now we are experiencing a move from pandemic to endemic and its going to be a bumpy ride, Scarice said.

Among the changes is the switch to mask choice, which went into effect Feb. 28.

Scarice said hes learned from health officials that wearing masks can still protect the wearer, even if others around that person arent wearing masks.

We do have people who are choosing to wear masks and that does provide an additional measure of support for folks, he said.

The district is still updating its COVID dashboard to share information on the number of cases. School officials are also informing elementary school classes when there is a positive case in the classroom and encouraging the other students to get tested.

The weekly testing is still offered by the district and test kits are available through the school nurses.

We have plenty of test kits for families, Scarice said, adding they can be provided immediately.

He said families can reach out to get the kits so they can test before returning to school after the upcoming break, especially if theyre traveling.
Baring Biden's big 'gun violence' lie

By Mark Alexander

web posted April 11, 2022

At 0200 on April 3 in downtown Sacramento, assailants fired weapons while in a crowd of partiers gathered on a street outside local bars and nightclubs. Six individuals were killed and 12 others wounded.

Police are looking for multiple suspects who may have been involved in a street fight in the area earlier in the evening, but at present, no motive has been determined, as if this is a mystery. It is not clear if any of those killed or injured were specifically being targeted by the assailants.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident. Dandrae Martin was arrested on the scene. Last Tuesday, his brother Smiley Martin , who was released from prison in February  six years before his 10-year sentence was complete  was arrested. Both men have extensive criminal records and were arrested for possession of illegal weapons, but neither has been charged with the homicide pending further investigation.

A third criminal who was at the scene, Daviyonne Dawson , was arrested but released on $500,000 bond because the illegal weapon he had in his possession is not believed to have been used in the assault.

Before the blood had dried, Democrat politicos were serving up their usual big lies , blaming the deaths and injuries on "gun violence" in our nation's urban centers.

Predictably, Joe Biden used the assault to advance his 2A deconstruction agenda . Biden claimed in a White House briefing : "America once again mourns for another community devastated by gun violence. ... We know these lives were not the only lives impacted by gun violence last night. ... We must do more than mourn; we must act. That is why my administration has taken historic executive action to implement my comprehensive gun crime reduction strategy."

He used the attack as an opportunity to pitch his budget and try to put additional daylight between Democrats and their deadly " defund the police " agenda, insisting, "Pass my budget proposal, which would give cities more of the funding they need to fund the police."

Likewise, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg echoed Biden's message: "Thoughts and prayers aren't nearly enough. We must do more as a city, as a state, and as a nation. This senseless epidemic of gun violence must be addressed. How many unending tragedies does it take before we begin to cure the sickness in this country? Let us be honest, this is a sickness."

But " gun violence " is not the problem; it is just a manifestation of the violent criminal problem the Democrats have propagated for seven decades.

If Demos want to "cure the sickness in this country," they will have to start with the admission that the root cause of violence is cultural . But they will not touch that third rail of truth in regard to violence.

That is because urban violence is the direct result of generations of failed Democrat Party statist policies that have eroded our culture from top to bottom  including, most notably, families and the children who were once nourished by them. The devastating consequences of this erosion play out in an endless loop of daily tragedies  only the loudest of them, like mass assaults, ever make it into the news.

Those policies are the effluent of the Demos' so-called " Great Society " social programs, which resulted in generations of poor Americans being enslaved on urban poverty plantations in every major city nationwide. These modern-day plantations are the locus of cultural devolution, most notably, the systemic disintegration of the American family and particularly the devaluation of fatherhood .

Most inner-city violence  in fact, most social degradation  is associated with the absence of effective fathering in the lives of young men and women.

So, what do the Sacramento assailants and victims have in common?

Earlier this week, before much was known about the Sacramento assault, I posted analysis titled " The Real 'Epidemic of Violence' in America? "

It was a response to an absurd Biden assertion, pandering to his gender-confused constituents , that he was going to "end the epidemic of violence against transgender" people. There is no such epidemic, but there most assuredly is an "epidemic of violence" against black citizens, and the vast majority of those assailants are black.

I noted: "If Biden wanted to address a real 'epidemic of violence,' he would make the epidemic of black-on-black assaults and murder in America his administration's highest priority. ... In the most recent year for complete data , there were far more black people murdered than white people  even though the black population in America is only 13%. Moreover, the suspect in 88% of black victims of murder is also black."

I noted further, regarding Biden's " white supremacy " bogeyman and the interracial crime disparity , "According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics survey of criminal victimization , black people commit about 90% of interracial felonies but adult black males who committed most of those crimes represent less than 3% of the population."

Again, what do the Sacramento assailants and victims have in common? Well, as outlined above, race. Those identified as the assailants are black, and four of those killed were black. In addition, one victim was Hispanic and another was a homeless person who may be white. As usual, the race of the assailants and victims is not mentioned by the MSM because that would make the racial association between assailants and victims too obvious.

It will require at least a generation to seed corrections to the generational urban catastrophe that the Democrat Party has created, all in the name of keeping its most loyal constituency corralled.

Notably however, an increasing number of black Americans are not betting on those changes.

In the wake of the Demo-induced Black Lives Matter and antifa movement violence that consumed some Demo-controlled urban centers in 2020, compounded by the continuing criminal violence empowered by the Demo "defund the police" agenda, there has been a surge of firearm purchases by black citizens .

In fact, after the election of Biden, there were more than 18 million firearms purchased by all Americans in 2021. There has also been an significant increase of the issuance of carry permits.

Moreover, last week Georgia became the 25th state to approve "constitutional carry," meaning half our nation's states have fully affirmed the First Civil Right "to keep and bear arms" as affirmed by the Second Amendment . Constitutional carry means that those who can legally possess a firearm can legally carry that firearm without the issuance of a permit. The other constitutional carry states are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

There are 17 right-to-carry states, some of which are also constitutional carry states, that issue carry permits, and those include reciprocity to carry between states with reciprocity agreements. In Tennessee, for example, a concealed carry permit, which requires competence testing and legal knowledge, is recognized by 37 other states .

Further, an upcoming Supreme Court case, NYSRPA v. Bruen , may ensure those states that highly restrict firearms possession  including states like New York, Illinois, and California, which all have high rates of urban violence  are required to restore their citizens' right to keep and bear arms. As we say, when firearms are outlawed, only outlaws will have firearms.

Bottom line: Until Democrats begin to dismantle the policies that have spawned the culture of violence now besieging our nation, there will be no solution to the urban epidemic of violence  and no amount of leftists rhetoric about "gun violence" will solve anything.

Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post.
Rembert Wayne Stanley, age 72, of Dalton, GA passed away Tuesday, May 3, 2022. He was born on May 13, 1949. Arrangements have been entrusted to independently owned and operated Dalton Funeral Home, 620 S. Glenwood Ave.
Weary-eyed, academically exhausted and confronted with the reality of a global pandemic, Tess Murphy logged onto Zoom once more. She had decided to stay back in her small hometown in Pennsylvania as former President Trump announced a state of national emergency due to a novel respiratory virus: SARS-Cov-2, more commonly known as COVID-19.

I remember really vividly going home at the end of winter thinking, Oh yeah, it's only gonna be three weeks away from school, just like everyone else thought, Murphy, a University of Oregon student who took a gap year during the 2020-21 academic year, says.

In spring of 2020, the University of Oregon informed its students that the rest of spring term classes would be held online. Murphy anxiously stayed back in her small hometown after spring break. What was originally a visit home turned into a three-month relocation full of online classes and uncertainty.

Buildings became ghost-like and empty, restaurants shut down and workplaces went virtual. According to a UNICEF report published in March 2021, 150 countries completely shut down their schools. COVID-19 disrupted the routines, jobs and friendships of students across the globe.

As young people, we already have so much going on and existential dread and figuring out what were doing, but then you throw in a hammer like COVID, and it just doubles it, Sienna Ross, a journalism and political science student at New York University, says.

Whether coming from NYU, UO or any college in between, students were forced to contemplate major changes in their career paths . The UOs Institutional Research page shows a decrease in enrollment at UO after the start of the pandemic. The 2020-2021 academic year had almost one thousand fewer students enrolled than the previous year. Many students found themselves changing their graduation plans, career paths or schools because of the global pandemic.

Over the past term, I talked to four college students who experienced this dramatic shift. Tess Murphy, Sienna Ross, Merc Heredia-Ferran and Katie Mayer all had to navigate the new reality of a shifting college experience.

Murphy knew immediately after the spring term of 2020 that she wanted to take a gap year.

I just remember thinking at the end of that term, I cannot do this next year. I didnt do well academically. I didn't feel like I was learning anything, Murphy says.

As someone who had taken online classes in high school, Murphy instantly recognized where UO was lacking. Professors, required to restructure entire courses, were overwhelmed.

It was, I think, my most difficult term of teaching in the time that Ive taught, and Ive been teaching for about 15 years, Emily Simnitt, a Senior Instructor at the UO who teaches community engagement, scientific writing and technical writing, says. There was just so much built up anxiety for myself and my family. I felt anxiety and concern for students.

Not only was it challenging academically, but online classes completely excluded the social aspect of attending a university. Murphy and her friends tried to keep in touch via Zoom, but that slowly died out. It wasnt the same.

For me, I think college is the academics, but its also the social life and its going to the Rec, and being on campus, and that's what youre paying for. Youre not just paying for academics, Murphy says.

Lacking social connections and experiences was a main reason why Ross, like many students, struggled with online learning. As a recent transfer student from Pitzer College to NYU, she was unable to meet people on campus, making her first experience at NYU extremely isolating.

There was this air of Oh my god what am I doing with my life. I felt so bad. I felt like I was wasting my parents money because I was doing terribly, Ross says.

Struggling academically and grappling with the mental health effects of a global pandemic, while also paying what both students viewed as excessive tuition for online courses, Murphy and Ross took initiative to postpone their academic plans. Murphy pursued a gap year while Ross took NYUs spring semester off.

I was punishing myself a lot because theres this mentality of You need to finish school on a standard track. All your friends are doing it quote-on-quote the right way. Now I know that there is no right way, Ross says.

During her semester off, Ross felt a huge sense of relief. She got a job at Trader Joes and was able to create connections in her community.

It was good money. I met some people, ended up meeting a lot of friends and I met my boyfriend, so that semester off was a time to reset both mentally and emotionally, Ross says.

Murphy also pursued work experience during her year off. She secured a job as an elementary school teacher and worked for the Biden campaign in the fall of 2020.

During my gap year I definitely learned that I was more capable than I thought I was. Especially when it came to work, Murphy says. I got a really good job without a college education, and I was really good at it, and I really enjoyed doing it. It really gave me a sense of Wow, I can be an adult in the real world.

Yet, being forced into adulthood due to a global pandemic came with its own toll. Staying at home with her parents, Murphy found it difficult being away from people her age, especially her friends. The person who cut her familys lawn was the only person remotely close to her age that she saw.

Before the pandemic I was school, work all the time and that was my life. That was what I chose to spend all my time on. Looking back during my gap year, it made me wish that I hadn't spent so much time on schoolwork but had spent more time living my life, Murphy says.

Now re-enrolled, Murphy has shifted her focus to embrace more balance between her academics and her social life.

Im still focused on getting good grades, but it isnt my top priority right now. My top priority is spending time with my friends that I missed so much time with, going outside, having adventures, Murphy says.

The experience made Murphy question her previous perception of a college degree. Not only was she able to successfully get a job without a degree, but she realized how unnecessary the amount of academic pressure she originally put on herself was. Connection and social interaction can be just as valuable, according to Murphy.

COVID makes you realize how much you miss life, Murphy says.

Heredia-Ferran, similar to Murphy, shifted their view of a college education as they also underwent changes in their career path due to COVID-19.

At the end of the day, education is 100% up to you, and I think I have devalued what a bachelors degree and a masters degree really is because it's a piece of paper, Heredia-Ferran says.

Heredia-Ferran graduated from University of Illinois in the spring of 2021. As an undeclared major until their junior year, Heredia-Ferran only got one term of focused classes before the pandemic. They felt ill-equipped to move into a professional job by the time they graduated. To combat this, they applied to the UOs graduate program in advertising to gain more experience.

While many UO classes have returned to in-person learning, Heredia-Ferrans have stayed online due to their small sizes. Especially as a graduate student, they have been frustrated with the lack of depth in discussion and student interaction that is able to occur on Zoom.

But, if anything, Heredia-Ferran has learned to take charge of their own learning during online classes, especially since they are paying out-of-state tuition for grad school.

Taking charge of my own learning has been something that Ive always struggled to do but have somewhat learned to do during this pandemic, Heredia-Ferran says.

According to Heredia-Ferran, knowing their desired end goal and pursuing internships and experiences outside of the classroom have helped them navigate their career and secure jobs.

Learning stuff outside of the classroom is, I think, the most important thing you can do before getting a job. Not getting too stuck on the grades and the classes is probably my biggest tip. The grades and the class honestly don't matter as long as you are learning what you want to learn, Heredia-Ferran says.

For UO student Katie Mayer, adjusting to online learning was extremely difficult. She struggled with intense academic burnout and the feeling of isolation that came with being stuck in her room, as social distancing requirements took on each state.

After a brutal term, Mayer decided to get an EMT license during summer of 2020 to build her resume for medical school. Once she graduated, she began to search for useful applications, later finding out that Eugenes rural fire department takes EMT volunteers.

Ready with questions, Mayer gave them a call. She found that in order to volunteer, she had to graduate through the fire academy as well, something that had never been a part of her original plan.

Despite having preconceived notions of firefighters being burly, tough and traditionally male, Mayer, 510 and lanky, decided to go to the fire academy.

It was the hardest thing I'd ever done, but I was able to do it and I slowly fell in love with it. I loved the challenge, Mayer says.

Every six days she would work either a 12 or 24-hour shift alongside being a full-time student.

Two years later, after finding a strong sense of place at the fire station, Mayer plans to finish her degree and to continue working towards becoming a firefighter paramedic.She is currently enrolled as a full-time student while working a 48-96 schedule, entailing two days on and four days off at the fire station, and additionally helping on an ambulance through the city of Eugene.

This experience has caused Mayer to also question the value of a college education during a pandemic.

I used to think that college was the only viable option to have a good paying job, Mayer says.

Mayers work at the fire department has taught her otherwise. Especially working alongside other individuals with non-traditional career paths, she recognized how detrimental and unnecessary the pressure students put on themselves is. Some of her coworkers are returning to school after years of a break; others never went to college.

You are so young, and being in your early 20s, it feels like a lot of people around you have it figured out and that they are setting their goals, but you really have so, so much time, Mayer says.

Murphy reached a similar conclusion, emphasizing that, no matter the circumstance, students are all navigating the pandemic in a different way, each way as valuable as the next.

If you had to change your college plan because of COVID, that doesn't make you any less of a person or any less of a student. Ive definitely been struggling with feeling like a little bit of a failure because I took time off, Murphy says. At the end of the day, it really doesnt matter. What matters is you go at your own pace and you get an education that is meaningful to you, not others.
Opinion: People have a lot of opinions on religion, especially at colleges. Understanding the space in between the extremes of the opinions will help all individuals feel more comfortable with their practices.

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My parents are both church workers. I am Catholic. Declaring these two things, despite their truth, is often uncomfortable for me. The institutions of Christianity  including its traditionally conservative viewpoints that neglect certain individuals  are not the cornerstones of my faith. I often disagree with the public and political views churches and churchgoers espouse. But my faith comes from the outlet religion provides in which I can experience and define beauty in the world.

For me, these experiences can be as simple as listening to Dolly Parton sing, wishing I had my own coat of many colors and hoping that someday I, too, could experience her Tennessee mountain home. And yet, explaining to others that actions like these are where I find God make me feel like a dreadfully cheesy Sunday School teacher, boring children into an asserted belief in Christianity.

In my experience, Catholicism stresses the practice of being grateful and embodying compassionate characteristics. When I was 9, my grandmother passed away. The comfort that religion provided me, and everyone else who was suffering her loss, helped me recenter my understanding of grief. Although searching for comfort varies for all individuals, religion holds a valuable aspect of community care. Its about gracefulness, even through disheartening situations, and I admire when that attribute reveals itself in multiple communities.

I have always felt there was a chasm between those who are religious and those who are atheist. Since attending college, it seems to be even more drastic. This disparity has led me to feel awkward about revealing myself as Catholic. The University of Oregon is a very liberal school  which has many advantages  but it costs me any pride about my religious practices.

Religiousness is often expressed in a subjective and guilt-based way. Our campus is littered with those who attempt to validate their strict beliefs by imposing it on others. These corner preachers make me feel embarrassed about my faith; they make me feel unwelcome in the eyes of other students because any kind of association with them conflicts with my views on religion. I self-censor due to this. My religious identity is at risk if compared to those who speak dangerously and ignorantly about faith practices.

I hear an unknown man on the corner yelling something about the impending judgment day. He tells the passing students that his soul is safe. He then asks if I can say the same about mine. I think to myself, Im not sure, sir, but I dont want to be in whichever group youre eternally consigned to. I walk calmly past him, just like all the other students who are subjected to street preaching during their afternoon strolls.

Ive heard awful things spoken to passing students from these preachers: statements laced with homophobic remarks. These preachers cast eternal damnation on those who disagree with such claims. There is also a reasonable reproach from students at UO. While combating the preachers negative statements, a student during the fall term stole the mans bible. There are fierce opinions from both sides of this spectrum, and yet I find myself moderately navigating the crowd. Im displeased with the words Im surrounded by, but not to the extent where I feel impassioned to steal a bible. It is interesting to imagine what these kinds of expressions would look like at other institutions.

Religion-based universities integrate religion into their campuses. For example, Gonzaga University, a private Catholic school, dedicated a new grotto in 2012 to promote faith. I understand that UO is not a religious university, nor do I want it to be one. Its shocking to me when I consider an educational campus with religious icons on it. The idea that religion isnt looked down upon in these institutions is equally as shocking to me.

A research paper titled Too Smart to be Religious? dissects the stigma surrounding religion at elite colleges. The authors explain how there is a lack of conversation surrounding religious topics and a discretion of those who practice religion. Religious people dont feel welcomed at a nonreligious university due to these occurrences.

The area that we need to focus on now is the middle ground. Many individuals find themselves somewhere on the spectrum between religious and atheist. Recognizing this will help dismantle the harsh stereotypes about both sides. Refusing to find the middle ground leads to further polarization. Alternatively, by sharing our experiences with one another, everyone can be seen for the individuals they are rather than a stereotype of their beliefs.
Getting ahead at UO

Head Start is a preschool program thats more than just education  it provides comprehensive support to families when they need it most.

The first and largest classroom at the UO location. Head Start is an on-campus program that aids non-traditional students. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

Do you remember your preschool days? Holding your parents hands as the teacher warmly greets you inside; You start to recognize your name, where your seat is and which peers sit next to you, all in an environment made for you. You start to learn routine through letters and numbers, playing outside and being brave enough to ask someone to play with you. Although these experiences were different for all of us, you started the first steps in a world of education. It is a world of social understanding and the beginning of something bigger lying ahead of you. At the University of Oregon, theres a program that caters to this educational system and people that believe in those values: Head Start of Lane County.

Head Start provides services for families and students in Eugene, including non-traditional students, helping low-income families with the proper care and attention they need. It helps non-traditional students with children by providing them with a place to work on their studies and thats affordable as students while their kids also go to school. Head Starts UO site works with graduate students studying early childhood education and provides services to both UO students with children and other community members. Head Start is a national federally funded program that has run in Lane County for over 50 years and has created a community.

Head Start offers different programs to help meet a growing need for social and emotional support for students  not just academic.

Its a lot different when youre parenting a child with special needs, Shanna Matti, the regional manager at the UO Head Start, said. I needed resources as a parent. Matti works with teachers and families at the site and went through Head Start herself as a mother.

Her daughter had a sensory process disorder, and she was able to find help through the Head Start program. She was also getting her Master's while her daughter was enrolled in Head Start, earning her degree at the same time her daughter graduated from preschool. She now can work with students and families, helping them the same way she got help, she said.

The expectation is that the Head Start program is doing the best they can to ensure that the child is ready to move on, said Annie Soto, the executive director for Head Start of Lane County. She said through the years there have been more children that have social and emotional challenges. About 25% of students in Head Start have a disability, including learning disabilities, like reading, writing, speaking and reasoning as well as ADHD, autism and emotional disturbances.

I believe that early childhood years are the most crucial years, because thats in our brains, its malleable. Its easy to retrain or introduce and teach young learners, social skills and life skills," Matti said. She indicates that her experience was positive and helped her through her career as a mother and student.

Head Starts classroom at the UO is located in the Berwick building on East 18th Avenue next to the UO music school. As you head past the Pioneer Cemetery down the hill, youll see a cubic pocket of a playground with slides and outdoor toys.

We're right next to the music hall, so from the playground, the kids can hear the music and they're just enthralled by it, EuGina Fails, the head teacher for the afternoon class at the UO Head Start, said. She works with kids from ages 3 to 5, helping them on a variety of levels.

"We have a couple of programs that we've adopted as our base curriculum, and Head Start likes to focus on building a foundation for the kids so that they can be as successful as possible in life, Fails said.

One of the programs that Head Start implements is Second Step, a curriculum that teaches kids about their feelings and different ways to engage with them.

Eugina Fails is a teacuer at the UO campus location of 'Head Start'. Head Start is an on-campu program that aids non-traditional students. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

Head Start also has a curriculum called Creating Connections, which helps families connect with their kids at home, doing activities that encourage positive reinforcement, child cognition (helping with problem-solving, giving them the independence of having a choice and how to handle emotional awareness), along with communicating discipline, according to the Head Start program. They also work with the Department of Health Services, which assists families with building healthy and safe environments for their kids.

Second Step and Creating Connections go beyond preschool  theyre social and emotional means of teaching kids and parents that their feelings are valid and how to engage with each other. Communicating those feelings out loud helps kids address and express their emotions, Fails said, helping them connect on a social and emotional level with themselves and others before moving on to kindergarten.

Fails thinks that by exposing children to an open environment and speaking to them in earnest that theyll be able to grow.

The main officer for 'Head Start of Lane County' is located on B st. in Springfield, Ore. Head Start is an on-campus program that aids non-traditional students. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

Additionally, Head Start uses public funds to support kids and their families with financial needs.

One method that Head Start applies is the Two-Generation (2Gen) approach. This approach works simultaneously with kids and parents, making sure both are stable educationally and financially. The idea is that a child can only strive if the family has stability and help on their end, Soto said. It's an interconnected and interdependent way of working with the families at the school level but also at home.

I act as a resource and support for our families at Head Start, Allison McGillivray said. Shes a Family Support Coordinator at UO Head Start, helping families with resources and information here in Eugene. Shes been working with Head Start as an FSC for five years in the UO Head Start location along with two other locations in Eugene.

McGillivray said most of the families that go through Head Start are income-qualified and are living at or below the poverty line. She mentioned that although a lot of families are income-qualified at Head Start, it doesnt paint the real picture of where the poverty line stands.

There are families in Lane County that are living in poverty, but dont income qualify, McGillivray said. She described a grassroots study called ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), done in Oregon about families that are above the federal poverty line but struggle to meet the basic costs of living. The study showed what the federal poverty line is for a family in Oregon, and the annual cost is $24,100. Families that sit above this level don't qualify for services on the federal level.

McGillivray, along with Head Start, tries to help families on the state and federal levels of poverty making sure that their homes have everything they need to function.

This includes non-traditional students who are getting their degrees at the UO, such as those with children, who must be both academic and family responsibilities. Head Start at the UO helps integrate both dynamics with students that are going through obstacles.

Head Start launched its program in 1964 during the war on poverty. The idea was to help break the cycle of poverty in the education system and instead establish services accessible to low-income families.

Soto leads Head Start in Lane County and has been working with them since 1979. Shes responsible for making sure the agency meets the expectations and regulations of both the department of education in Salem and the head office for Head Start in Washington D.C.

Oregon first adopted the Head Start program back in 1989, because of senator Frank L. Roberts who brought the program to light. However, it wasnt recognized by the state and on a federal level until Roberts and his wife, Barbara Roberts, the 34th Governor of Oregon, worked to adopt the Head Start program in Oregon. He wanted to change the preschool education system and thought that the Head Start philosophy was the way to go. Soto tries to keep the program going by showing the state why the program matters.

Most of the research around early childhood in our country has been paid for by Head Start funds, Soto said. One of the research projects that they were able to help fund during this time was the television program Sesame Street. Soto mentioned that a lot of early childhood research was funded by their program, calling it Head Start research dollars.

The program is mostly supported by local parents and teachers who have children in or work with the program. One of the reasons its been around is that the people who receive the services make the decisions, Soto said. Soto mentioned theres a policy council in Head Start that meets monthly to talk about grants and funding for the program.

At the UO, Head Start has been around since the early 90s, reaching out and working with the College of Education and other divisions in the school. We have a strong relationship with the early childhood division at the UO, Soto said, saying that throughout the years theyve worked with some great research projects and people, including Helen Neville, a brain scientist, working with the brain lab for over 10 years. They were able to take MRIs of some of the children and provided services for them and their families for a long time.

Annie Soto hopes that when children leave Head Start, parents have the resources and opportunities to go where they want in the community. She said as a parent you never stop advocating for your children. It doesnt matter if they're 9, 12, 18, you never stop advocating for your kids, Soto said. Having something like Head Start available for families will stick with you forever, Soto said, and will be a program that can help families for years to come.
Sunbury, PA (17801)

Today

Periods of rain. High 51F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch..

Tonight

Showers in the evening, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 38F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Here we go again. With a mini-heatwave forecast for the holiday weekend, along come the professional merchants of doom to rain on our Easter parade.

The NHS Confederation is calling for the return of compulsory mask-wearing and new restrictions on mixing indoors.

Roll up, roll up, my friends, for the pandemic that never ends.

Matthew Taylor, the confederation's chief executive, told the BBC, who lapped it up, that 'mitigating actions' were needed to fight 'record infection' rates.

'The brutal reality for staff and patients is that this Easter in the NHS is a bad as any winter,' he said.

And, guess what, it's all the Government's fault for recklessly lifting Covid regulations. As a result, millions are being told to stay away from hospitals unless they are actually dying.

Ambulance services are allegedly so overstretched that emergency cases are having to make their own way to A&E.

Beleaguered NHS staff have been falling like flies ever since mass testing was scrapped and people were left to decide for themselves if they were well enough to go to work.

(Outside the public sector, this is widely known as 'throwing a sickie'.)

Taylor said: 'We have a Government that seems to want to wash its hands of responsibility for what is occurring in plain sight. NHS leaders and their teams feel abandoned by the Government.'

He is calling for another expensive public information campaign to remind people of their duty to 'Protect The NHS'.

We're back in deep 'lies, damn lies and statistics' territory here.

In the Looking Glass world of the NHS, figures prove whatever they want them to prove.

The number of infections and hospital admissions may be up, but deaths from Covid have fallen dramatically, compared with a year ago. Even then, the figures were deliberately inflated by those with a vested interest in keeping the pandemic going.

And they're still at it. Half of 'Covid' patients in hospital now are primarily being treated for other reasons, such as a broken leg.

The truth is that most triple-vaccinated people who contract the Omicron variant will experience little worse than a nasty cold.

If our soon-to-be 96-year-old Queen can shake it off, the rest of us will probably survive it, too, unless we have serious underlying conditions.

Boris Johnson said on TV recently that he 'couldn't rule out' another lockdown if children started to become infected. Above, people socialise this Easter

One statistic the NHS Confederation isn't so keen on bandying around is that thousands of people who have died from Covid actually caught it after being admitted to hospital with something else.

That's because this is primarily about preserving the myth that the NHS is the envy of the world and is being starved of love and money by the heartless Tories.

Always look at the messenger before swallowing the message. Take Matthew Taylor, for instance, the NHS Confederation chief executive. A grand title which makes him sound like a life-long health service professional.

The 'brutal truth', as he would put it, is that Taylor is a longtime Labour Party hack, a failed parliamentary candidate who was head of Tory Blair's policy unit and ran the so-called Rapid Rebuttal unit designed to expose Tory 'lies'.

He helped write the 1997 '24 Hours To Save The NHS' manifesto and eventually became the party's assistant general secretary.

So when he lays the blame for neglecting the NHS at the feet of the Conservatives, you can take it with a shovel-load of Maldon's finest.

'The brutal reality for staff and patients is that this Easter in the NHS is a bad as any winter,' said Matthew Taylor

His latest outburst is primarily designed to distract attention from the manifest failings of the complacent, self-serving Soviet-style bureaucracy which runs the health service.

While we may applaud the dedication of medical and ancilliary staff, particularly during the pandemic, we shouldn't blind ourselves to the appalling mismanagement and waste which blights the NHS.

It is the feather-bedded, overmanned boss class represented by Taylor's outfit which is responsible. If patients are being turned away from hospitals and having to make their own way to A&E, it's their job to fix it, not constantly carp about being 'underfunded'. That's what they are paid handsomely for.

Especially when by 2024, the NHS will consume 44p of every pound of taxpayers' money this 'heartless' Tory Government spends on public services.

Does anyone really still buy the 'envy of the world' nonsense in light of the litany of preventable NHS scandals?

I'm sure I don't have to list them all, from Alder Hey and Mid Staffs to the doctrinaire obsession with 'natural childbirth', which was blamed for the deaths of 200 babies and nine mothers in Shrewsbury and Telford.

At the weekend it was revealed that babies' lives are still being put at risk because maternity units are unsafe, despite years of warnings from families.

Out of 193 maternity services in England, 80 are rated 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission. These are serious matters of life or death. But they're not the only way in which the NHS is found wanting.

I repeat, doctors, nurses, orderlies and cleaners performed beyond the call of duty during the pandemic. But far too often the NHS gives the impression that it would be a great place to work if it wasn't for patients getting in the way.

The problems of getting a face-to-face GP appointment are well documented.

During the pandemic, doctors were content to hide behind their computers. And surgeries are still using Covid as an excuse for not returning to normal.

After my wife was told recently she couldn't even speak to her NHS GP on the phone about an urgent prescription issue for at least two weeks, I was struck by a letter that appeared in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday.

Matthew Taylor, the confederation's chief executive, told the BBC, who lapped it up, that 'mitigating actions' were needed to fight 'record infection' rates

It came from Lee Brown, from Hyde, Cheshire, who turned up early for a pre-arranged appointment with his doctor. The receptionist asked him to sit in the deserted waiting room.

'A few minutes later she came over to tell me the appointment was by telephone and the doctor would ring me in five minutes.

'I left the surgery and a few minutes later I spoke to the doctor while I sat in my car, less than 20 yards away. If that's not ridiculous, I don't know what is.'

You couldn't make it up.

A glaring, if absurd, example of the NHS being run for the benefit of the staff, not the paying public. Far more serious was the news that one in eight hospitals is still refusing to allow families to visit patients, despite official guidance to relax the rules.

Yet again, the excuse is 'because of Covid'. Some hospital wards and, particularly, care homes have become virtual prisons.

This had particular personal resonance. As regular readers will know, my mum recently died aged 93 in hospital in Michigan, where she lived. Fortunately, I was able to get there in time to say our goodbyes.

My best friend's mother, happily still with us, was born within a week of Mum. She's in a care home in Scotland, but my friend had been unable to visit her for weeks because of strict Covid rules. One positive test and the whole place has to go into lockdown again.

What has the world come to when it is easier for me to travel 3,700 miles to Detroit to see my mother in hospital than it was for him to visit his own mum three miles down the road?

And all because the jobsworths who run the NHS, both in Scotland and the rest of the UK, carelessly and fatally decanted patients from Covid wards into care homes at the start of the pandemic, and now want to cover their backsides at all costs.

Yet we go on kidding ourselves our health system is the best in the world. No wonder the NHS Confederation is trying to scare us into masking-up again and keeping our distance. Anything rather than face up to their own culpability.

Boris Johnson said on TV recently that he 'couldn't rule out' another lockdown if children started to become infected.

He couldn't have said otherwise, to be fair, given that he'd be accused of killing bay-bees by the merchants of doom.

Let's hope he has the fortitude to resist their cynical scaremongering. The alternative is too horrible to contemplate . . .

Roll up, roll up, my friends, for the pandemic which never ends.
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For the days you want to glam up or show that you mean business, Karen Millen can always be trusted to provide some seriously smart power dressing options.

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If you're looking to reap the rewards of a deep tissue massage from the comfort of your own home and get unlimited uses for the price of one session, then an acupressure mat should be on your radar.

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Over 1,800 Amazon shoppers have left glowing five-star reviews for the Base yoga Acupressure mat and pillow, raving about how it relieves tension and aids a better night's sleep

Base yoga Acupressure mat and Pillow The Base yoga Acupressure Mat has thoughtfully positioned spikes that connect with the skin to stimulate pressure points to help release tension and encourage relaxation. Shop

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A third penned: 'I cant even describe how much relief I felt after just laying on this for the first time. Its amazing. I would say wear a t-shirt to begin with, just to get used to it, but wow! Life changer.'
Iran threatens: We wont hesitate to fire missiles at Bahrain By Lt. Col. (ret.) Michael Segall

web posted April 11, 2022 Iran has repeatedly warned recently that it sees Israeli activity in Bahrain as endangering its own security interests, and it will not hesitate to attack in response. Since the signing of the Abraham Accords and the bolstering of their diplomatic-security significance (with visits to the kingdom by Prime Minister Bennett, Foreign Minister Lapid, and Defense Minister Gantz, along with the Negev Summit in Israel attended by Bahrains foreign minister, among others), Iran has been more and more concerned about the implications of Israels growing ties with the Gulf States in general and with Bahrain in particular. Iran also claims that the Israeli presence in Kurdistan endangers its national security and hence launched missiles at a Mossad base in Erbil on February 13, 2022. Top Iranian Officials Lambast Growing Ties with Israel In his weekly press conference on April 4, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh drew a connection between the expected appointment of an Israeli military attache to the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which is stationed in Bahrain, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGCs) missile attack on Erbil in mid-March. 2 Asked what the appointment meant for Iran, Khatibzadeh said it could be summed up in one word, Erbil, and added that Israel is doing all it can to prevent the normalization of the situation in the region [i.e., the Gulf and Iraq]. Khatibzadeh also criticized the Negev Summit, saying that the [Arab] governments that took part in the meeting [the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, and Morocco], which their peoples have rejected, are seeking legitimization in other places. He added that Israel was trying to redefine the Arab agenda by turning Iran into a threat at the expense of the Palestinian people but declared that the main thing in the Islamic world is the Palestinian issue. Back in October 2021, the spokesperson criticized Foreign Minister Lapids visit to the kingdom and described his reception by its rulers as humiliating and against the will of the noble and free people of Bahrain. This step will not legitimize the Zionist regime and will not affect the liberation of Al-Quds [Jerusalem]. President Raisi, in an April 3 telephone conversation with his Iraqi counterpart Barham Salih, asserted that any country in the region that overlooks the power-hungry machinations of the United States and Israel jeopardizes not only its security interests but also the security of the entire Islamic ummah.

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami said that Israels presence in the strategic Persian Gulf region is a cause of insecurity. In a similar vein, IRGC Commander Hossein Salami said on March 30, 2022, during a visit to the island of Abu Musastrategically located at the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and disputed with the United Arab Emiratesthat unfortunately, some of the states along the southern littoral of the Persian Gulf have established diplomatic and security ties with the Zionist entity, posing a grave threat to the security of the region and to the regimes themselves. We declare and warn, Salami continued, that continuing these relations is unacceptable, and the Gulf States must recognize that the contaminating presence of the Zionist regime in any location undermines security and that its existence in the region is, in any case, intolerable. The Gulf States must rethink their political behavior. On April 5, the lead headline of IRGC-affiliated newspaper Javan Warning: What Happened in Erbil Can Happen in Bahrainechoed the words of the Foreign Ministry spokesperson. Iran, the paper added, had admonished Israel that anything bad that happens in the Gulf will not remain unanswered. Javan also quoted Salamis demand that the Zionists stop sowing evil in the region, warning that otherwise, they would again suffer the bitter taste of the missile attack. In acknowledging responsibility for the March 13 attack, the IRGC wrote that the target was a strategic center that spreads the Zionist evil in Erbil and that after [Israels] latest crimes and Irans avowal that it would respond to them, the Zionist center was struck by powerful and accurate missiles. The announcement warned the Zionist regime that new crimes will draw a harsh and destructive response. The security of the Iranian homeland constitutes a red line, and we will not allow anyone to violate it. Tehran Threatens and Attacks Its Neighbors As Tehran sees a growing threat from Bahrain, it declares that it will not hesitate to attack targets in the kingdom, whether by itself or through its proxies, the Houthis in Yemen and the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq. Tehran may already be preparing public opinion for such a measure. On September 4, 2021, the Houthis simultaneously attacked several Saudi targets, including the city of Dammam in the eastern part of the kingdom not far from Bahrain, with weaponized drones and ballistic missiles. The target was the giant Aramco oil companys Ras Tanura residential camp. On January 17 and 24, 2022, the Houthis attacked the neighboring United Arab Emirates, claiming they targeted the Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi with Zulfiqar ballistic missiles and important sites in Dubai with Samad-3 UAVs. During the January 17 attack, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) made its first operational use. THAAD is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles before they reenter the atmosphere. On the day of the attack in Dammam, and probably not coincidently, Iran strongly criticized Bahrain for not learning the lessons of the past and making the same mistakes in its suicide route. It ties its fate to the fate of the illegal Zionist entity that is on its way to oblivion. The Aramco facility at Ras Tanura (in the Dammam region) is only 50 miles from Manama, the capital of Bahrain. The target was probably chosen to signal to Bahrain that it was within range of Houthi missiles and drones. An editorial in Kayhan, a mouthpiece for Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, accused the royal family (the Pirates of Manama) of treason and imprisonment, torture and killing of innocent Bahraini civilians. The Iranian publication added that, just a few days earlier, Bahrain inaugurated  contrary to the opinion of the proud people of Bahrainan Israeli embassy in Manama, ignoring the protests of thousands of Bahrainis who showed solidarity with Palestine. On the same day, Bahrain also inaugurated an embassy in Israel. Sowing Discord in Bahrain Tehran also amplifies Bahraini opposition voices against the kingdoms rulers, normalizing relations with Israel, and the Fifth Fleets presence in the kingdom. Kayhan published a statement by the Coalition Youth of 14 February Revolution (a Bahraini opposition group formed during the 2011 Arab Spring uprising): One of the most important functions and missions of the American military base is to preserve the Al Khalifa dynasty, which serves them in Bahrain. The base has trained Jordanian, Pakistani, Syrian, and Yemeni mercenaries on how to suppress Bahrains popular uprising that began in mid-February 2011. The opposition group averred that Bahrain has turned into a den of espionage as well as a key center for reconnaissance and spying activities against Iran and resistance groups. The Coalition Youth of 14 February Revolution demanded the dismantling of the U.S. naval base at Juffair, Bahrain, and the expulsion of all American and Israeli officers, security, and military advisers. The Israeli-Bahraini normalization of relations is another significant and painful blow to Irans soft belly. However, unlike in the case of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain is of particular historical, religious, and political importance to Iran. Bahrain was once under Persian rule (16021783), and as Iranians 14th province, it sent representatives to the Iranian Majlis (parliament). A Sunni minority rules Bahrains Shiite majority, and part of the population is Persian in origin. In recent years, especially during President Ahmadinejads tenure, demands were raised to restore Bahrain to Iranian rule. Since Bahrains announcement on forging ties with Israel, those calls have returned at greater intensity. Bahrain, a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, is in Irans crosshairs. As noted, it hosts the U.S. Navys main base for the Fifth Fleet in the Gulf region and representatives of the Royal British Navy. Bahrain effectively serves as a microcosm of the significant processes and upheavals in the Middle East, which have gradually unraveled the old order and the old narratives (the Sykes-Picot Treaty, territories for peace, and pan-Arabism). These have been replaced by a new regional order that responds to growing threats posed by Iranin the short and medium-term, the terror threat, and in the long-term, the nuclear threat, which would provide Iran with an umbrella to widen its subversion and terror activity across the region. Even before the outbreak of the Arab Spring, Iran has pressed, principally via the Revolutionary Guards, to destabilize the Bahraini kingdom and bring down the minority Sunni rule. Bahrains decision, with apparent Saudi backing, to normalize relations with Israeland all the more so, to augment them in the diplomatic, security, and economic sphereswill very likely lead to increased Iranian subversion in the kingdom through the local Shiite terrorist groups and the Shiite opposition parties that Iran operates, with assistance from the Lebanese Hizbullah. Leading Iranian media, such as Kayhan, are already inciting Bahrainis to pick up arms to protect their rights and predicting that Bahrain will be the first of the Gulf States to fall. Iran is already signaling its plans for a new order during the new Iranian year (1401), which began on March 21, 2022. Kayhan has been outlining a process in which the Gulf States and the countries of the Arabian Peninsula will win independence. The process advances from Yemen, when the Yemenis decisively defeat the U.S.-Zionist-engineered invasion of their country, to Bahrain, where the long-oppressed Bahraini people should be assisted in materializing their dream of establishing a democratic state free of the tentacles of a highly repressive [Sunni] minority regime, to Saudi Arabia, where the paper envisions, by the end of the year, the end of the clannish rule of a minority cultwhere Muslims are massacred on the slightest pretext and the tenets of Islam are being trampled by a megalomaniac in league with the Americans and the Zionists. The IRGC, through its special-operations arm, the Quds Force, is responsible for implementing the policy of exporting the revolution to Bahrain and inciting the Shiites against its rulers. As soon as the Israeli-Bahraini ties were established, the IRGC issued an announcement calling for rebellion and civil protest in Bahrain: For the executioner, the ruler of Bahrain, harsh revenge awaits from the fighters for Jerusalem and the proud Muslims of the kingdom. The shameful step taken by the royal [Al Khalifa] family, and the government that is dependent on it, of establishing relations with the Zionist entity against the opinion and the ideals of the Muslim residents of the country is a great folly that lacks all legitimacy and will receive a fitting response. The domino effect of renewing relations with the Zionist regimetaken by several Arab rulers [implying Saudi Arabia] and to the delight of the White House and the hated and foolish U.S. presidentis a continuation of the humiliation of the Muslim countries and the plundering of their natural resources and wealth. All this is in order to provide security to Israel and to hurt the Palestinians. However, in reversing the equations, these steps will, in fact, bolster the determination of the Islamic ummah and bring to the surface the hidden and unseen capabilities of the anti-Zionist resistance to expel the cancer named Israel from the geography of the Muslim world. The document warns Al Khalifa and other arrogant traitors of the regime in Bahrain against opening the gates to the entry and influence of the Zionist regime in the strategic region of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman The satanic and cruel measures taken by the tyrannical regime in Bahrain, like other satanic plans and treasonous plans for a compromise, have been of no benefit to the United States and the supporters of the Zionist regime; instead, those who stood behind these treasonous and virulent steps will eventually be a target of the holy rage and deadly revenge of the Islamic ummah and especially the Shiite residents of Bahrain, who now wave proudly the flag of We love you [Imam] Hossein [the age-old symbol of Shiite sacrifice]. These [Shiites] are recalling the humiliation and will tear the mask from the face of those who pose an ongoing threat to the security of the West Asian region and of the Muslim world through acts of oppression, terror, murder, and the sowing of instability and insecurity. Iran Versus Growing Ties between Israel and Arabs As the cooperation between Israel and the Gulf States expands, Iran will try to thwart it with intensified subversive activity, employing the proxy organizations under its authority. It will not hesitate to launch missiles and drones at Bahrain. Iran does not settle for words and is working to destabilize Bahrain, particularly by mobilizing and inciting the Shiite population. In so doing, Iran uses instructors from the Lebanese Hizbullah (according to the model of the local Shiite militias in Iraq and Yemen) to promote its interests and prepare the ground for a coup in Bahrain. It also employs clandestine cells, information collection, and the incitement of the Shiite population to protest and subversive activity. In 2013, the Quds Force set up the Islamic resistancethe (Malik) Al-Ashtar Brigades (Saraya al-Ashtar)in an attempt to overthrow the Royal Bahraini family, using the Hizbullah model. These statements, which undermine Bahrains Arabness, independence, and sovereigntyalbeit unusualintensify Bahraini concerns about Irans ongoing incitement, subversion, and repeated attempts to overthrow the monarchy. The Iranian threats, and the feeling that the United States is no longer a solid and reliable partner, underpin Bahrains and other Gulf States warming of ties with Israel to forge a regional alliance against Iran. Those countries are particularly frustrated by the United States unwillingness to help them defend against the growing threat of Iranian-made UAVs, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles employed by the Houthis that have targeted critical oil and civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates; and at the same time, by U.S. enthusiasm to rejoin the nuclear deal with Iran and even remove the IRGC from the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation list. Senior Iranian officials continue to claim that until its independence, Bahrain was Irans 14th province, and they harshly criticize the Shahs disgraceful decision to cede Bahrain. For example, Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of Kayhan and a close associate of Khamenei, stated in July 2007 that the governments of the Gulf states were established as a result of the direct interference of global condescension [i.e., the Western powers]and were accused by their people of collaborating with the Zionist entity. They know full well that the earthquake that shook Iran [the Islamic Revolution] would bring [sooner or later] the collapse of their illegal regimes. He said this was not a personal opinion but that of the Iranian and Bahraini people. A recent documentary film, The 14th Province, which deals with the events that led to Bahrains declaration of independence in 1971, has won prizes in Iranian film festivals organized by revolutionary elements. The Unforgivable Sin: Separating Bahrain from Iran: The Fake Referendum, a new book, has also been published recently. From Irans standpoint, the enhancement of diplomatic and security ties between Israel and the United States on the one hand and Bahrainwhich it still views as part of Iranon the other, and the strengthening of the Israeli presence in the region, constitute red lines. Iran sees these unfolding relations as entering a new and dangerous stage, moving toward Irans backyard and encircling its borders. Irans attempts to destabilize Bahrain via the Shiite majority and terrorist organizations, recruited from within and aided by the successful Hizbullah and Houthi models, will likely intensify and become more violent, particularly in the vicinity of Manama. Iranian propaganda is already paving the way by blatantly inciting the Shiite majority against the normalization of ties with Israel. Terrorist cells in Bahrain operate with Iranian supervision and funding dating back to Qasem Soleimani. Although most of these cells have been thwarted by Bahrain, those still active are capable of destabilizing the country if Iran turns up the flames. Will Iran Invade Bahrain? Another question is whether Iran, which is genuinely concerned about the growing Zionist presence in the Gulf region and on its northern border, will try to invade Bahrain in a manner reminiscent of Russias invasion of Ukraine, which Tehran supports. Iran would thereby aim to regain sovereignty over a country it sees as its rightful possession and as posing a growing danger to its security, even if this entails risking a direct confrontation with the United States and Saudi Arabia. Such a scenario has probably been discussed in Iran, and contingency plans have been developed to implement it. For now, books and films on the subject are being produced there, possibly to prepare local public opinion for such a move. Meanwhile, Bahrain is more susceptible to an Iranian strike (involving ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, etc.) on strategic targets in the kingdom to demonstrate its anger over the warming of ties with Israel, as Tehran hinted recently. American anti-aircraft radars and defenses for the Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain would detect any attack on the country. Iran may, deliberately or nothit U.S. military targets as part of a confrontation in the Persian Gulf. IDF Lt.-Col. (ret.) Michael (Mickey) Segall, an expert on strategic issues with a focus on Iran, terrorism, and the Middle East, is a senior analyst at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and at Acumen Risk Advisors. Home
A talented baker has impressed thousands and fooled just as many by producing a cake that looks identical to a bottle of tomato sauce.

Baker Tigga Maccormack, owner of Cake for Days, has shared another installation of her supermarket series to her popular TikTok page. in which she challenges viewers to guess which item in the aisle is real and which is a cake.

In the first of two videos, which was viewed 2.1 million times, she showed a supermarket aisle in which her cake blended indistinguishably into other sauce bottles.

In the second video, the Melbourne pastry chef browses the shelves before picking up one of the 'bottles' and biting into it, revealing it to be cake.

Scroll down for video

Melbourne baker Tigga Mac has impressed thousands online with her ultra realistic-looking tomato sauce bottle cake in a clip posted to TikTok

Can you spot the cake? Tigga shared another installation of her supermarket series where she encourages viewers to guess which item in the aisle is real and which is a cake

'Ive looked over this 1000 times and cant help but feel Im being trolled,' comedian Christian Hull commented.

'I fooled so many of you,' the baker captioned the second clip.

Tigga showed the aisle with a tomato sauce-shaped cake hiding on the shelves in a video posted the previous day that racked up more than 2.1million views and had fans guessing

In the video, the pastry chef pretends to browse the shelves of ketchup, barbecue sauce and mustard before picking up one of the 'bottles' and taking a bite revealing it to be cake

Hundreds of viewers in the comments said they guessed it right but others admitted they were stumped.

'What - no way, you absolutely fooled me, you are amazing,' said one woman.

'I guessed it - but girl I was scannnnning thru the video trying to find it! This is the best,' a second wrote.

In a video to Instagram, the clever baker demonstrated how she created the sauce bottle cake by stacking layers of cake and then carving it into the right shape.

In a video to Instagram, the clever baker detailed how she created the sauce bottle cake saying she stacked a few layers of cake and carved it into the right shape

'One of the hardest things about making a cake like this is trying to get it the perfect size. Once you've cut the cake and you've got to allow for ganache on the outside and then fondant as well,' she said.

Tigga said she 'eyeballed' the bottle shape and lid and used a printer with edible link to reproduce the MasterFoods label.

'Using edible ink, it's really tough to get an exact match and a lot of people said that was the main reason they could tell the difference,' she explained.

This isn't the first time Tigga has gone viral for her realistic baked creations and she has developed a loyal following on TikTok of more than 756,100 users with her incredible baking skills.

This isn't the first time Tigga has gone viral for her realistic baked creations and she has developed a loyal following on TikTok of 756,100 users with her incredible baking skills

Last month, she wowed foodies with her cake that looks exactly like an unwashed potato.

In the second edition of her 'Shopping with Tigga' series she walked through the fruit and vegetable aisle at an Australian supermarket and picking up what looked exactly like a potato.

Viewers were shocked when she took a bite out of the 'potato' again revealing it to be a cake.

Scroll down for video

Previously, Tigga wowed foodies with her cake that looks exactly like an unwashed potato

In a now-viral video, Tigga picks up a 'potato' in the fresh produce aisle at an Australian supermarket and shocked viewers when she took a large bite out of it revealing the vegetable to actually be a cake

A second clip revealed how the cake artist sneakily placed the sweet treat among the other identical potatoes on the shelf.

She waited until the aisle was clear of customers and put her cake among the other vegetables with viewers hardly being able to tell the difference.

The videos have racked up thousands of views and impressed responses from Tigga's fans.

'Wow that's incredible! Looks so real!' one said.

A second clip revealed how the cake artist sneakily placed the sweet treat among the other identical potatoes on the shelf

'I was like 'omg she is going to eat a raw potato lol' but then I saw it was cake. I'm imaging the customers there were looking and wondering what is she eating,' another wrote.

'You need to get a Woolies employee to show you where the potatoes are and then eat it in front of them,' a third joked.

Tigga also shared how she made a ultra-realistic looking Shapes cake.

Scroll down for video

Tigga also shared how she made a ultra-realistic looking Shapes cake

A clip of her walking through the biscuit aisle, picking up a cake that looked exactly like box of Shapes from the shelf and taking large bite out of the top went viral on TikTok with 2.2million views

A clip of her walking through the biscuit aisle, picking up a cake that looked exactly like box of Shapes from the shelf and taking large bite out of the top also went viral with 2.2million views.

The bizarre footage - which shocked her fans - encouraged Tigga to showcase exactly how the cake was made using fondant and a printer.

'You can definitely tell which one was the cake. In person there is a slight colour difference and the ink we use to print the labels is edible ink and edible paper,' she said.

The bizarre footage - which shocked her fans - encouraged Tigga to showcase exactly how the cake was made using fondant and a printer

'Also it's a cake so it feels different. It doesn't feel like cardboard when you touch it.'

Tigga waited in the biscuit aisle at her local Woolworths for 10 minutes until all of the customers had left before she went and took a bite of the cake.

'So good! Loved your TikTok supermarket run too. You'd never have known it was cake next to the other Shapes boxes,' said one fan.

'Can't wait to see how many kids who love watching your videos walk down the aisles biting into Shapes boxes,' said another.

A third added: 'Omg. I actually thought you ate a box!'
Only a true know-it-all could get a perfect score on this tricky general knowledge quiz.

Coming from the US-based trivia website Quizly, it promises to leave you reaching for the encyclopedia.

Do you know enough about a varied range of subjects in order to take home a top score?

Try your hands at the questions below and then scroll down to find the answers at the bottom. But no cheating!

Do you know enough about a varied range of subjects in order to take home a top score on this trivia quiz from Quizly? Stock picture

1.

1. China

2. Russia

3. Canada

4. USA

2.

1. Time

2. Weight

3. Air pressure

4. Temperature

3.

1. Angelina Jolie

2. Rachel Weisz

3. Audrey Hepburn

4. Zoe Saldana

4.

1. Acronym

2. Anagram

3. Simile

4. Synonym

5.

1. Raul Castro

2. Fidel Castro

3. Pedro Castro

4. Miguel Castro

6.

1. Thimpu

2. Bangui

3. Pongyang

4. Ouagadougou

7.

1. The Who

2. Queen

3. Pink Floyd

4. Deep Purple

8.

1. Andy Serkis

2. Anthony Perkins

3. Orson Welles

4. Robert Duvall

9.

1. Blue

2. Red

3. Purple

4. Yellow

10.

1. Dessert

2. Wood

3. Shoes

4. Hat

11.

1. Lion

2. Cheetah

3. Leopard

4. Puma

12.

1. Moon phases

2. Primates

3. Sandwiches

4. Hates

13.

1. Sow

2. Doe

3. Mare

4. Cow

14.

1. Japan

2. Mongolia

3. Philippines

4. China

15.

1. Alfie

2. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

3. The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming

4. A man for all seasons

16.

1. White

2. Blue

3. Pink

4. Purple

17.

1. Kid

2. Colt

3. Calf

4. Goatee

18.

1. Tom Hanks

2. an McKellen

3. Nick Nolte

4. Roberto Benigni

19.

1. Pollen

2. Gemstones and ornamental materials

3. Materials tan can be utilised for economic and or industrial priposes

4. Earth

20.

1. Overflow

2. Tsunami

3. Grand Masif

4. Kahuna

21.

1. Pancreas

2. Liver

3. Lungs

4. Kidney

22.

1. Potato

2. Honey

3. Grape

4. Almond

23.

1. Dicing

2. Slicing

3. Cleaving

4. Mincing

24.

1. Bosworth Field

2. Waterloo

3. Hastings

4. Trafalgar
The maternity scandal at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has become one of the worst in the history of the National Health Service. Over two decades, hundreds of babies died or were left brain damaged, with close to 1,500 cases reviewed.

Grieving parents have now hit out at the NHS regulator  the Care Quality Commission (CQC)  for failing to listen to them. It told parents it would not support an independent inquiry into the baby deaths just months before one was ordered.

One mother said she had absolutely no faith in its ability to regulate and spot future scandals. Im afraid I tend to agree.

Dr Max Pemberton says that patient care and kindness needs to be a priority in the NHS and recognised by inspectors

A few years ago, the hospital where I was working was inspected by the CQC and I witnessed first-hand how warped and unhelpful the criteria they use to assess a hospital are.

My hospital was by no means perfect, but the staff worked incredibly hard and were unwaveringly dedicated and passionate about their jobs. Everyone really cared about trying to get the best for their patients.

Before experiencing a CQC visit, I had assumed patient care would be their primary concern. Silly me.

Prior to their visit we were warned that, rather than using real-life clinical encounters to assess how good the care was, they would instead focus on odd and trivial things.

For example, the inspectors might ask staff things like do you know the physical location of the infection control policy folder?

It wont matter that theyve undergone training and know the infection control policy inside out. They need to know where the folder with the typed instructions is. If they dont, thats a black mark.

At one meeting before the visit, someone realised that the carpet that lay between two rooms was the wrong type of carpet. Apparently it needed to be special carpet that doesnt attract dust. It was regularly vacuumed by the cleaners, and the rooms were rarely used, but apparently that was irrelevant.

Everyone ran round like headless chickens frantically changing carpets so that we didnt get marked down.

Its crystal clear that the people whove come up with these ridiculous criteria have absolutely no awareness of whats really important to patients who are sick in a hospital.

If they did, theyd go round seeing if nurses brought you water when you were thirsty, or held your hand when you were scared, or if a doctor stayed late to explain something to a worried relative  or any other myriad things that actually relate to care and what affects peoples experience of the NHS.

As well as being an NHS doctor, Ive been a patient, too. I know what mattered to me when I felt unwell and vulnerable.

A few years ago I swallowed an antibiotic that got stuck in my throat and eroded a hole in my gullet. In hospital I had to plead with a phlebotomist to take my blood after she refused, saying she was on her break and I had been sent at the wrong time.

Dr Max Pemberton (pictured) says that he won't forget the nurse who gently took his hand as he was having a scope put down his throat

She eventually relented and, tutting, vindictively stabbed me in the arm with her needle. And it wasnt an isolated incident.

A grumpy receptionist brought me close to tears. A radiologist snapped at me when I turned round to answer a question as I was having my chest x-rayed. I was talked about as though I wasnt there and, worse still, had people discussing their holiday while performing intimate procedures.

If these things can happen to me  a doctor who knows his rights, what to expect and how to assert himself and complain  what must it be like for other people? Imagine being elderly, or confused, or having a learning disability. Or just being scared and in pain and not being treated in a kind, courteous and compassionate manner.

Surely that is important? Not to the CQC it isnt.

Conversely, there was a kindly volunteer who found me looking lost and took me to the door of the doctor I was supposed to be seeing. I cant remember what the doctor said, but Ill never forget the volunteer.

Neither will I forget the nurse who gently took my hand as I was having a scope put down my throat or the porter who went the extra mile to find me a blanket when I was cold.

Small gestures that make the biggest difference.

These are the things that there are no tickboxes for yet, but which, for the patient, are vital. Sick people want care and kindness, not regulation carpets.

If we cant inspect how patients are treated, whats the point of doing an inspection at all?

Carries right, words CAN hurt you

Carrie Hope Fletcher (pictured) plays the lead in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella. She has spoken about she has been subjected to unpleasant remarks about her appearance

Carrie Hope Fletcher, who plays the lead in Andrew Lloyd Webbers Cinderella, has spoken about how playing a character subjected to unpleasant remarks, particularly about her appearance, has undermined her confidence. Although directed at Cinders, not her, it goes to show the power of negative comments and how we cant help but absorb them to some extent.

I often talk to patients about being mindful of negative comments said without thinking. If we arent careful, we internalise them and they become part of a story we tell ourselves. We start to believe the comments, regardless of how true they are.

I remember a teacher saying I was bad at maths. I think this came from not being taught times tables at school. She thought I was stupid and I started to believe it. Id panic when confronted with sums and make daft mistakes  it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. It wasnt until I did statistics at degree level, and went to Harvard to study health economics, that it occurred to me I wasnt bad at maths at all.

Its often assumed private schools give children the best start in life. But researchers at University College London found state schools do not lead to worse mental health or lower levels of satisfaction in adulthood. A private education may give children an unfair advantage in life, but they arent happier adults.

Covid restrictions have left a generation of babies and toddlers struggling to crawl and communicate, according to an Ofsted report last week. They found a host of difficulties, from struggling to make friends and development delays to anxiety around strangers. It goes to show how social humans are. It is fundamental to normal development to be surrounded by people. While I despair at these reports, the thing I hold on to is that childrens brains are still rapidly changing. Though development may be delayed, this doesnt have to be permanent. The next year will be pivotal to avoid a generation profoundly damaged by Covid. Now more than ever we must help them catch up.

Dr Max prescribes...

Mood-Boost Podcast

In this podcast Ricky Gervais talks to his friend Sam Harris, a neuroscientist and philosopher

In this podcast Ricky Gervais talks to his friend Sam Harris, a neuroscientist and philosopher. Its fun, but tackles some complex questions such as why do we dream, why do we cry at stories and why do we fear death? A wonderful introduction to the philosophy of the mind.
The UK's number one skincare brand has hit cult status in Australia, selling one product every 60 seconds in Priceline stores.

No7 is famously adored by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Crazy Rich Asians actress Gemma Chan and Sienna Miller.

The affordable British brand is available in more than 470 Priceline stores nationwide after launching here on August 12 last year.

No7 - which regularly attracts waiting lists of 100,000 - boasts 42 products ranging from $19.99 to $61.99 in price.

BEFORE: The affordable British brand is available in more than 470 Priceline stores nationwide after launching here on August 12 last year

AFTER: In Australia the top sellers include No7 Laboratories Line Correcting Booster Serum (RRP $61.99), which has sold over four million tubes globally, and the No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum (RRP $54.99), which instantly makes skin appear healthier

Youtuber Katie Bridgemon has stunned fans with her eight-week transformation

The 'miracle' product is the most expensive in No7's range

In Australia the top sellers include No7 Laboratories Line Correcting Booster Serum (RRP $61.99), which has sold over four million tubes globally, and the No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum (RRP $54.99), which instantly makes skin appear healthier.

'With such a diverse product offering that caters to every skin need, you can achieve everything from plumping and brightening to reducing fine lines and hydrating the skin - all within a really reasonable price point and the assurance that the clinically-proven formulations will deliver real results,' Priceline Pharmacy's Business Category Manager of Skincare and Haircare in Merchandise Michael Papalia said.

'Following in the footsteps of our friends in the UK, No7 is a smash hit in Australia. Priceline has officially sold over 100,000 No7 products since launch. This achievement is a testament to Australians' love for effective ingredients, clinically-proven formulations and accessible price points.'

The UK skincare brand is beloved by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Gemma Chan and Sienna Miller (No7 skincare and makeup pictured in use)

Some of the highlights are the brand's famous Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum ($54.99), which has won multiple awards (the serum pictured)

PROTECT & PERFECT SERUM

One of the highlights from No7 is the brand's famous Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum ($54.99), which has won multiple awards thanks to its ability to lessen the impact of fine lines and wrinkles.

The serum (pictured) famously includes often pricey ingredients like retinol, hyaluronic acid and No7's matrixyl 3000

The serum famously includes often pricey ingredients like retinol, hyaluronic acid and No7's matrixyl 3000 - which works to visibly reduce the signs of ageing every time you apply the serum.

According to the Head of Science research at No7, Dr Mike Bell, it's the scientific studies that set No7 apart from other skincare brands on the market.

'The serums have gone through rigorous clinical and consumer testing to validate their age defying performance with thousands of women involved in their testing, across 70 studies over the past 10 years,' he said in a statement.

'This partnership between No7 Beauty Company and Priceline means that millions of Australian consumers will now be able to access No7's iconic age defying skincare range, getting prestige quality at accessible prices exclusively at Priceline.'

Another top product in the extensive range is No7's Advanced Retinol 1.5% Complex Night Concentrate ($61.99), which is the most expensive item in the collection (pictured)

ADVANCED RETINOL 1.5 PER CENT COMPLEX NIGHT CONCENTRATE

Another top product in the extensive range is No7's Advanced Retinol 1.5% Complex Night Concentrate ($61.99).

The most expensive item in the collection, the retinol is designed to re-boot and renew the skin while you sleep, so you wake up looking refreshed, and - after several weeks - noticeably younger.

When the retinol launched in the UK, it did so to a waiting list of 100,000 people.

It is now used by millions of women around the world and has rave reviews online.

'Very surprised at how well this product works,' one recent reviewer posted.

Another added: 'I have been using this product for about five months now and it is amazing. You skin peels the top layer of skin to reveal much clearer skin with fewer brown spots and lines'.

Ingredients including shea butter and hyaluronic acid work to hydrate the fragile skin around the eyes with the eye cream (No7 products pictured)

RESTORE AND RENEW MUTLI ACTION EYE CREAM

'I have real issues with the skin around my eyes. This cream really does make a remarkable difference,' one reviewer said of the cream (pictured)

The third 'cult' product in the No7 collection is Restore and Renew Multi Action Eye Cream, $37.99, which seeks to firm and revitalise the delicate skin around the eye area.

Ingredients including shea butter and hyaluronic acid work to hydrate the fragile skin around the eyes and plump it out, while ginseng extract aims to make you look more awake.

'I have real issues with the skin around my eyes. This cream really does make a remarkable difference and I've only used it for two weeks,' one commenter posted.

Another reviewer added: 'It's smooth and creamy not oily. It really helped with the puffiness under my eyes'.
An Amazon shopper has shared a new buy that's completely transformed the way she makes her bed each morning.

American mum, Julianna Claire, uses the MadeEZ Bed Maker to hold up the mattress and tuck bed sheets tightly underneath for a seamless, neat look.

The convenient gadget is pricey at $60 and can lift her mattress up to make sliding a fitted sheet on or off an effortless task.

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American mum, Julianna Claire, uses the MadeEZ Bed Maker daily to tuck bed sheets tightly underneath her mattress for a seamless, neat look

The nifty find can also hold the mattress up to 10cm in the air to leave both hands free when making the bed.

Julianna says this gadget creates smooth sheets every time, even when she's in a rush and has dubbed the tool a 'bedroom favourite'.

The mum says this buy instantly elevated her bedroom and posted the find to social media to share the tool with fellow homeowners.

The nifty find can also hold the mattress up to 10 centimetres in the air to leave both hands free when making the bed

'Omg that is genius! I wish it came with a person that washed and put the sheets on,' a woman wrote.

'Literally where has this gadget been my whole life! Need it,' another wrote.

A home stylist from Brisbane, Queensland, has also revealed how to make a hotel-style bed, that will leave your bedroom looking luxurious.

Liz Amaya began by washing her bed sheets, which should be done weekly, then put a fresh set on the bed and tucked in the corners 'like a hotel'

Liz Amaya began by washing her bed sheets, which should be done weekly, then put a fresh set on the bed and tucked in the corners 'like a hotel'.

To do this, she simply ensured each corner and the sheet at foot of the bed were neatly tucked away before laying the doona on top.

Prior to replacing the linen, she also recommended vacuuming the top and sides of the mattress often to remove dust mites and debris.
An American woman has shared her surprise on the laidback attitudes of Australians after riding on a shuttle bus at Sydney Airport.

Californian Jaylee Promise caught a plane from Los Angeles International Airport before landing in Sydney for a connecting flight to Brisbane.

Ms Promise was then transported to the domestic airport by a shuttle bus that was packed with passengers who were exhausted following the 15 hour flight.

She took to TikTok to reveal the moment the bus driver made a very unexpected pit-stop and the very surprising response from the passengers.

Californian Jaylee Promise caught a plane from Los Angeles International Airport before landing in Sydney for a connecting flight to Brisbane

'The bus guy shows up and he gets out,' Ms Promise said.

'He says to everyone, like this massive group of people waiting, "I'm just gonna step out for a sec. I just need five minutes, like to just go inside, and chill."

Ms Promise admitted she thought the passengers would be 'p***ed' by the unplanned announcement - but was amazed by their unexpected reaction.

'But Australian people are just so not worried about anything,' she said.

'Literally everyone was like, "Yeah, no worries mate. Go on, get yourself a coffee".'

Ms Promise looked at the camera with a stunned expression on her face.

'I was laughing because I was like, "Oh my gosh, if this happened anywhere else, people would be so p***ed",' she said.

Ms Promise was then transported to the domestic airport by a shuttle bus that was packed with passengers who were exhausted following the 15 hour flight

Social media users were quick to agree with Ms Promise's perception of Australians

'But in Australia everyone is like, "Yeah, mate. Go for it. No worries at all". And they were just happy and they came back like 10 minutes later.'

Social media users were quick to agree with Ms Promise's perception of Australians.

'I think Australians understand the need for a break. Google "smoko",' one commented.

Another one added: 'Is it that we can't be bothered or is it that respect this bus driver also needs 10min for a toilet break & coffee & we just respect ppl more?'

Ms Promise has been regularly documenting her experiences in the country on her social media page.

Her cultural shocks include learning about clotheslines, understanding Australian jargon and driving on the left hand side of the road - the opposite in America.
Viewers of SAS: Who Dares Wins slammed the new series last night after members of the British team were replaced by 'annoying' American knock-offs.

Chief instructor Ant Middleton, 40, was dropped from his role on British reality show SAS: Who Dares Wins earlier last year for misconduct, going on to call it the programme too 'scripted'.

Last night saw the return of the Channel 4 series, with 20 ordinary men and women volunteering for the extreme training programme under the watchful eye of new instructors, former United States Recon Marine Rudy Reyes, 49, and former US Navy SEAL Remi Adeleke.

With a sweltering Jordan backdrop, the series was based at a secret SAS military base, with British sidekicks Jason Fox and Mark Billingham returning.

However many of those watching were left unimpressed by the new characters, with one writing: 'I don't get it, the SAS is a British regiment, so why isn't one of the British guys running the show?

Viewers of SAS: Who Dares Wins slammed the new series last night after members of the British team were replaced by 'annoying' American knock-offs (pictured left, Ant Middleton, and right, new instructor Rudy Reyes)

'Have the Americans completed the SAS training?'

Another commented: 'Bring back Ant and Scotland. No more Americans please.'

Meanwhile a third wrote: 'What a disappointment. What's this American twist? SAS is supposed to be about the British special forces.

'American twist totally spoilt it. Garbage.'

Many of those watching the first episode slated the two new American insructors and urged the programme-makers to bring back Ant Middleton

A fourth added: 'Just watching the 1st three minute introduction to #SASWhoDaresWins and I'm switching off. It's too Americanised, Ant Middleton was the backbone of the programme.'

At the start of the show, instructor Billy explained the reasoning behind introducing a more American team to the show.

He said: 'Collaborations with our brothers in arms, the Americans, has gone on for years, doing operations all over the globe.

'We have laid down our lives for the greater good, and in every conflict we've been in, the brotherhood comes first.'

Wow! With a sweltering Jordan backdrop, the seires was based at a secret SAS military base, with sidekicks Jason Fox (centre left) and Mark Billingham (right) returning

Experienced: As the former lead combat force, entering both Afghanistan and Iraq, it's no doubt Rudy will push contestants to the limit (pictured in 2003)

Joining was ex-marine Rudy, who had 15 years experience fighting in different warzones, and said he was 'hard to kill'

The elite team of ex-special forces soldiers from the UK and USA combined their skills to create the toughest SAS course yet, bringing together the most gruelling elements of special forces selection from both sides of the Atlantic.

On the show, the American 'process' was described as 'brutal', with Billy saying: 'It's physically and verbally hard and it's going to be intimidating.'

Joining was ex-marine Rudy, who had 15 years experience fighting in different warzones.

He said: 'I pride myself on being hard to kill...many have tired to kill me, but I took them down.'

New American instructor Rudy described how his father figures in his life were Wolverine, Rambo and Bruce Lee

Also joining the DS was ex-US navy seal, Remi, who had served his country for over 13 years.

He said: 'I want the recruits to learn through pain and believe me, they're going to learn a lesson.'

Rudy added: 'Because I came from a broken home, Bruce Lee, Wolverine, Rambo - they were my father figures and I aspired to be just like them.

'Wrestling, martial arts - ultimately lead me to the military. And the military was the family I ultimately had always been looking for.

However it didn't appear those watching were impressed by the new American team, with many saying they were missing Ant Middleton

'The UK and USA have a very special relationship. A bond of brotherhood paid for in blood. We are warriors brothers.

'You cannot be an individual first, you must be a cog in the machine.'

However it didn't appear those watching were impressed by the new American team, with many saying they were missing Ant Middleton.

In early March 2021, Ant's abrupt departure from the British version of the show was confirmed by Channel 4, apparently due to his 'personal conduct'.

Meanwhile Remi also joined the programme's instructors, and said he wanted the recruits to 'learn through pain'

A spokesperson for Channel 4 told MailOnline at the time: 'Ant Middleton will not be taking part in future series of SAS: Who Dares Wins.

'Following a number of discussions Channel 4 and Minnow Films have had with him in relation to his personal conduct it has become clear that our views and values are not aligned and we will not be working with him again.'

His departure came months after Ant sparked controversy by referring to Black Lives Matter protesters as 'absolute scum', and urging people to 'carry on as normal' and not change their habits during the Covid pandemic.

Ant previously hit back at claims his exit was due to him allegedly making a lewd comment to a female that was picked up on his microphone.

Exit: In early March 2021, Ant's abrupt departure from the British version of the show was confirmed by Channel 4, apparently due to his 'personal conduct'

His spokesperson said: 'Ant has worked on TV sets around the world for many years and has never at any point been accused of speaking inappropriately by anyone.

'He has only ever been informed of these allegations, which he wholeheartedly and emphatically rejects, via the media.

If anyone felt that he did say anything verbally offensive we would have expected a formal process of review but no such discussion has ever taken place either via any of the networks he works for or via bodies such as Bectu.'

Speaking on Good Morning Britain in March, Ant denied claims he'd made 'inappropriate' comments to female staff which were subsequently investigated by Channel 4 bosses.

Controversy: His departure came months after Ant sparked controversy by referring to Black Lives Matter protesters as 'absolute scum', and urging people to 'carry on as normal' and not change their habits during the Covid pandemic

He said anonymous complaints had been made about 'indirect' behaviour that was typical of the hosts' military backgrounds, and said 'snowflakes' do not belong on the set of SAS: Who Dares Wins.

Following Channel 4's statement of his exit, Ant posted on Instagram: 'Hi guys, I've got some news which is that after five incredible years I've decided it's time to move on from SAS Who Dares Wins UK.

'Big respect to my fellow DS  its been a journey I'll never forget. Thanks to everyone that took part and made the show what it is.'

He added: 'Really excited about the future and what's coming this year. Stay positive.'
Convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein called Prince Andrew 'an idiot' behind his back but was keen to exploit the Duke's status for his own financial gain, royal biographer Tina Brown has claimed.

Tina Brown, who was Vanity Fair's editor-in-chief in the 1990s and moved on to edit the Daily Beast up until 2013, writes in her upcoming book The Palace Papers, that Epstein boasted about using Prince Andrew for his connections to negotiate his own deals with 'shady' foreign players.

In an excerpt from her book shared with The Telegraph, Brown recalled how Epstein felt that a 'senior royal, even if tainted, is always a potent magnet abroad', and said Andrew was 'useful'.

She claimed that in return, Esptein made 'oversexed' Andrew feel like he'd made it in the big league.

Tina Brown, who was Vanity Fair's editor-in-chief in the 1990s and moved on to edit the Daily Beast up until 2013, writes in her upcoming book on the royals, the Palace Paper, that the Duke of York, 62, failed to endear himself even to the disgraced financier (pictured in 2011)

Prince Andrew, pictured today after going horse riding in Windsor, reportedly still feels that there is a role for him in public life

'Privately, Epstein told people that Andrew was an idiot, but  to him  a useful one. A senior royal, even if tainted, is always a potent magnet abroad,' Tina wrote in the book.

She claimed Epstein would fly Andrew to meet governments in 'obscure foreign markets' who could not refuse to see him because he was a royal, and would come along with him as an 'investment adviser' to His Royal Highness.

He then would negotiate deals for his personal gain.

Brown said Epstein knew which buttons to push to ensnare Prince Andrew, who felt stung from being second fiddle to Prince Charles and relied on his mother to fund his lifestyle.

Brown claimed Andrew, seen in 2020 is a sex-obsessed teenager who once spent two days watching porn while staying on the estate of the US ambassador to the UK Walter Annenberg

The author and journalist also claimed Andrew was made to feel important by Epstein thanks to 'the deals, the girls, the plane, the glittering New York world, where he wasnt seen as a full-grown man still dependent on his mothers Privy Purse strings.'

Brown described Andrew as being like a sex-obsessed teenager and claimed a source told her the Duke of York disgusted the wife of the US Ambassador to the UK Walter Annenberg when spent two days watching porn on cable while visiting their Californian estate in 1993.

Epstein was arrested on charges of sex trafficking in July 2019 and took his own life in prison a month later.

Dozens of women have come forward with allegations that Epstein sexually assaulted them with the help of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell when they were teenagers.

Andrew was friend with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and got her into prized event, including Royal Ascot's Ladies Day in 2000, pictured

Andrew's reputation has been left in ruins after he paid 'sex slave' Virginia Roberts Giuffre a reported 12million to settle allegations of sexual abuse out of court - allegations that he always denied.

It comes amid reports that the Duke still has ambitions of returning to public life even after the furious fallout from his remarkable stunt at Prince Philip's memorial and his 12million rape case payout to accuser Virginia Roberts, it has been claimed.

Sources close to the disgraced duke have insisted last night that he 'still has a lot to give to people who will let him' despite sparking a massive backlash when he escorted his mother the Queen at Prince Philip's memorial service at Westminster Abbey last month.

The duke sparked yet more controversy days by issuing a now-deleted 700-word statement about the Falklands War that was signed off as 'HRH', despite Buckingham Palace saying he would no longer use the title.

Aides told The Times that the duke was taken aback by the level of hostility to the post, and is now trying to carve out a new role in public life once again in the belief he still has more to offer.

'He [Andrew] is clearly in an awful place. If you read it (the Instagram post), it was incredibly personal, and incredibly thoughtful', a source close to the Duke of York said.

'Even the reaction to that...here he was as a veteran sharing something deeply personal on this important anniversary - it was surprising that it couldn't be read as what it was.

'There are rightfully some questions of him but there is rarely a balanced judgment of him in the media. He has a lot to give to people who will let him give.'

However, another royal insider says the duke's potential comeback is not likely given Prince Charles' stance, who is 'less sympathetic' to circumstances regarding his role in the public eye.
Ghislaine Maxwell became a 'shrunken version' of herself after father Robert's death but created a 'bizarre echo' of their dynamic with Jeffrey Epstein, her friends have claimed.

Robert Maxwell died in 1991 after falling from his yacht in the Canary Islands shortly before the discovery that 460 million had been fraudulently appropriated from the Mirror Group's pension fund.

As his fraudulent business activities unravelled following his mysterious death, his youngest daughter Ghislaine was left 'extraordinarily well connected, but destitute', according to her former friend Christopher Mason.

Appearing on BBC2 documentary House of Maxwell, which airs tonight, he said that in the face of financial ruin her relationship with the billionaire peadophile represented 'private planes, yachts and wealth'.

British society writer Christopher, 55, said that Ghislaine sought to replace Maxwell with Epstein and would do 'anything in her power to please him'.

Ghislaine Maxwell became a 'shrunken version' of herself after father Robert's death, friends have claimed. The socialite is pictured with the media tycoon at a party on his yacht in 1990

Ghislaine Maxwell would have 'done anything in her power' to please her boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein, according to her former friend Christopher Mason

'After the prospect of financial ruin after her father's death, Jeffery represented access to private planes and yachts and wealth, and she would do anything in her power to please him', he said.

'But also it seemed like a bizarre echo of the dynamic between Ghislaine and her father that she was acting out with Epstein.'

British journalist Vassi Chamberlain met Ghislaine at a party in London a year prior to Robert's death and recalled how charming the socialite was in the days before her father's demise.

'The thing that marked Ghislaine out was how extraordinarily friendly she was', said Chamberlain. 'How instantly she introduced herself, she made you feel included.

British society writer Christopher Mason, 55, said that Ghislaine sought to replace Maxwell with Epstein and would do 'anything in her power to please him'

British journalist Vassi Chamberlain met Ghislaine at a party in London a year prior to Robert's death and recalled how charming the socialite was in the days before her father's demise

'She was very popular because she was charming and she was opinionated, and she was funny.'

Shortly after Robert's death the pair met again at a party in New York, with Chamberlain recalling: 'This was a very different Ghislaine.

'She was a shrunken version of the person I had met a year previously, like she couldn't quite believe what happened to her.'

Mason recalled meeting with Ghislaine in her New York apartment shortly after Robert's mysterious death, revealing that she was determined to rebuild her life despite being 'plunged into chaos'.

'I remember her inviting me over to her apartment, she was talking about her father's death. She was convinced he had been murdered', said Christopher.

'The perception then was that she was suddenly extraordinarily well connected but kind of destitute, there was no money. That everything had been plunged into chaos with his death.

As Robert Maxewell's fraudulent business activities unravelled following his mysterious death, his youngest daughter Ghislaine was left 'extraordinarily well connected, but destitute'

'She was reeling off the names of people who had been asking how she was going to make it through this extraordinary situation and I said: "Just watch in a year, watch this space and see what's happening, I don't know what it's going to be but it's going to be interesting".

Mason recalled first hearing of Ghislaine's relationship with Epstein, with the socialite delighted to have met someone of 'staggering importance'.

'These were early days for Ghislaine living in New York', he said. 'The only people I saw her with at the time were bright Brits, but by the time I saw her next she said she had just met someone of staggering importance, Jeffrey Epstein.

'They were dating and she told me she was working for him and that her job included running all of his properties.

Despite 'dying to know' how Ghislaine had met Epstein, Christopher said where the pair were first introduced remained a mystery.

'The first thing she wanted you always to know about Jeffrey was he managed people's money and would not take anyone with less than a billion dollars, that was shorthand for him being fantastically brilliant and talented.'

Mason claimed that in the face of financial ruin Ghislaine's relationship with the billionaire peadophile represted 'private planes, yachts and wealth'

Vassi also told the programme that she had heard rumours of how late media tycoon Robert Maxwell used the disgraced paedophile to hide stolen millions and that Epstein met Ghislaine through her father and before his death.

She told the programme: 'I was in the City and I had some friends who worked on Wall Street during that time and they heard that Jeffrey Epstein and Robert Maxwell had entered into an agreement before Robert Maxwell's death, whereby certain funds had been siphoned off.

'That is what Jeffrey Epstein was doing at the time, he was helping very rich people park their money offshore, to avoid tax.'

Colin Barr, the executive producer of the series, said: 'I think we now know for a fact that Robert Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein knew one another before Maxwell died, I think there is no question about that.'

House of Maxwell is available on BBC iPlayer
The royal family has shared another historic image of the Queen as part of its countdown to the Platinum Jubilee weekend in June.

A black and white 1970 photo of her Majesty and her late husband Prince Philip, as well as Prince Charles and Princess Anne in New Zealand, marks the latest in the series of images being shared to count down to the Platinum Jubilee.

Each of the 70 photos represent a year of the monarch's seven-decade reign.

The caption for the image, which garnered more than 25,000 likes in an hour, says: 'The Queen is joined by The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal on the steps of the Parliament Building in Wellington, New Zealand following the State Opening of Parliament.'

Princess Anne, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles (L-R) pictured in 1970 on the steps of the Parliament Building in Wellington, during a tour of New Zealand

Another picture taken around the same time show the family arriving in New Zealand for the 1970 tour

Explaining the significance of the countdown, the caption also says: 'Over the next 70 days, as we countdown to the Platinum Jubilee Celebration Weekend, well be sharing an image a day of The Queen  each representing a year of Her Majestys 70-year long reign.'

Today's image followed a 1969 picture of her Majesty riding on the London Underground.

The colour image shows the monarch beaming inside the train, which has a sign on it that says 'Oxford Circus'.

Its caption reads: 'The Queen is pictured in the drivers cab of an underground train as she opens a new section of the Victoria Line.

The Royal Family shared this image on Instagram yesterday, as part of its countdown to the Platinum Jubilee. It shows Queen Elizabeth on the London Underground in 1969

Another pictured posted recently by the account includes this image of the Queen receiving a bouquet of flowers from Fijian Princess Adi Kaunilotuma during a royal tour to Fiji in 1963

'In 2016 it was revealed that the new crossrail line would be named the Elizabeth line in honour of Her Majesty.'

Her Majesty, who ascended the throne on February 6, 1952, is the first British royal to reach to reach the Platinum Jubilee.

The historic milestone will be celebrated over a four-day bank holiday weekend, from 2nd -5th June. To mark the date, public events and community activities will be held, among other celebrations.

Despite the magnitude of the event, the extent of the Queen's public involvement is not yet clear, due to her recent mobility and health issues.
According to White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan, Ukrainian forces are effectively driving back Russian soldiers, forcing the invaders to reorganize, refit, and refocus.

Sullivan commended the military of Ukraine, as well as the equipment that the United States and its allies have been giving to the embattled country. He claimed last week that Slovakia was able to deploy an S-300 air defense system because the US agreed to provide a Patriot battery to replace the system Slovakia was handing over.

The Russian Ambassador to the United States Newsweek quoted Anatoly Antonov saying that the West is baiting Russia. "We warn that such actions are dangerous," the envoy said. "They can lead the US and the Russian Federation onto the path of direct military confrontation."

According to Ukraine's border guard agency, around 2,200 Ukrainian males of fighting age have been apprehended while attempting to flee the country in violation of the martial rule. Some of them allegedly used falsified passports, while others attempted to bribe border guards, according to the agency.

Ukraine's chief prosecutor, Irina Venediktova, revealed Sunday that she is probing the role of roughly 500 Russian leaders, including President Vladimir Putin, in 5,600 suspected war crimes, according to USA Today.

US Launches Plan to Send Supplied to Ukraine

Meanwhile, the governors of Iowa and Nebraska launched joint plans this week to supply police protection gear to Ukraine, including military-grade equipment like helmets and vests, to aid civilian defense against Russia's incursion. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts announced that his state would send 550 pieces of protective gear, while Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that her state's department of public safety and 18 law enforcement organizations would send 860 pieces of gear to Ukraine.

According to an assessment of state-by-state initiatives and interviews with some individuals engaged, the agencies join a growing list of police departments from California to Ohio to Vermont that are giving non-lethal police gear to help Ukrainian citizens.

Many of the participating police agencies are collaborating with charitable groups and former US military members. Due to worries about potential legal issues, several people with firsthand knowledge of the various operations - but who are not engaged - talked to CNN on the condition of anonymity.

Experts believe it's rare for US law enforcement to send police protection equipment and military-grade gear to a foreign government fighting a war. The endeavor also raises concerns regarding police departments' duties, and whether they should send equipment to a foreign conflict outside of their authority as domestic law enforcement organizations, CNN reported.

Read Also: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Vows Increased Military Support For Ukraine As More Civilians Flee After Deadly Missile Attack in Kramatorsk Train Station

Russia Appoints New Commander to Leader the Invasion in Ukraine

After expensive mistakes in the initial campaign and the slaughter of Ukrainian civilians, Russia has appointed a new Ukraine war commander to assume leadership of the next phase of the struggle. Officials in the United States believe that one guy will not make a difference in Moscow's chances.

According to US sources, Russia resorted to Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, 60, one of Russia's most experienced military officers and a general with a history of cruelty against civilians in Syria and other combat zones. Russia has no central war commander on the ground until recently.

A senior US official who was not allowed to be identified and spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed the general's appointment. However, Jake Sullivan, the White House national security advisor, stated that no general appointment could erase the fact that Russia has already experienced a strategic loss in Ukraine, as per ABC News.

Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: 164 Bodies Found in Bucha After Civilian Massacre; 50 Dead Following Russian Missile Strike at Kramatorsk Train Station

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Said Duke of Sussex might 'go after' his step-mother in his upcoming memoirs

Prince Harry appeared 'tense' with the Duchess of Cornwall during public appearances in the years before Megxit, a body language expert has claimed.

Princess Diana's biographer Tina Brown yesterday claimed the Duke of Sussex, 37, who is currently living in his $14 million mansion in California, 'can't stand' Camilla and might deepen his rift with the royal family by 'going after' her and Prince Charles in his upcoming memoirs,

Speaking to the Telegraph Magazine ahead of the release of her new book, The Palace Papers, Brown, 68, said the Duke of Sussex never made his peace with Prince Charles and Camilla's relationship, and does not want Camilla to become Queen.

Speaking to FEMAIL today, body language expert Judi James revealed how there appeared to be 'friction' between the pair during engagements over the last few years.

Prince Harry, 37, appeared 'tense' with the Duchess of Cornwall, 74, during public appearances in the years before Megxit, body language expert Judi James has claimed (pictured together in 2015)

She explained: 'Like his brother William, Harry appeared to adopt a philosophical view of the woman once called The Rottweiler and be willing to make verbal declarations of affection for her.

'However this behaviour seems to have been linked to and possibly dependent on his relationship with his father.

'It looks very much as though Harry needed an alienation from his father before he dropped some of the social niceties with Camilla.'

She revealed how at key public appearances involving Prince Harry and the Duchess, there was clear 'friction' between the two.

She revealed how at key public appearances involving Prince Harry and the Duchess, there was clear 'friction' between the two, with the Duke appearing 'tense' (pictured together in 2018)

'FEELING TENSE' AT CHARLES AND CAMILLA'S WEDDING IN 2005

Judi explained how the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla was 'tense', with Harry 'distancing' himself from the group in portraits.

She said: 'This was a tense affair all round, with the Queens body language probably topping the list when it came to stoicism and teeth-gritting.

'Harry and William performed their usual upbeat and fun-loving double act, with Harry clearly living up to his reputation as the joker prince.

'However he appears to be less keen on showing the face of grinning approval when it comes to the official portraits.'

She continued: 'Both William and the Queen are sporting intentional gesture smiles, a baring of the teeth that looks too forced to be authentic but which shows a desire to be seen to be sociable and polite.

According to Judi, Prince Harry 'put a wider distance between himself' and the rest of the royal family in the official wedding portraits from Charles and Camilla's big day

'We can see Williams smile does not extend to his eyes here, making it fake, but he is putting in some effort.'

'The same cant be said for Harry, who has put a wider distance between himself and the group and who stands with his hands tucked behind his back in a gesture of polite disassociation.

'His smile is barely that. Low-effort and barely visible there are no teeth showing and only a slight up-turn of the mouth.

'Looking at the other guests and their expressions this looks suspiciously like the moment the photographer yelled Smile! and for the normally-grinning Harry there are hints of a lack of enthusiasm or open approval here.'

DUKE 'AVOIDED GOING BEYOND POLITE' TO CAMILLA AT TROOPING OF THE COLOUR IN 2015

The body language expert said Prince Harry's 'brow was furrowed' and smile was 'non-existent' at Trooping the Colour in 2015

The body language expert explained: 'Harry is still adopting a polite and dutiful approach to his step-mother here, bending low to listen to her as she points and appears to ask a question.

'Her body language suggests she might be expecting and used to this level of politeness from Harry.

'She looks relaxed and doesnt seem to be working the pose or putting in extra effort to communicate with him as she might if she felt she had a tricky relationship.

'Again though, Harry seems to avoid going beyond the levels of polite duty.

'His brow is furrowed and his smile is non-existent when his signature way of communicating at these events was always with humour. There is no eye contact, either.'

HARRY IS 'SIGNALLING DISTRESS AND ALIENATION' AFTER MARRYING MEGHAN IN 2018

Meanwhile the body language expert also pointed out there was sizeable gap between Camilla and Charles and Harry and Meghan at the event to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force in 2018

By the time the couple attended the centenary of the Royal Air Force, tensions appeared to be more obvious between the Duke and Duchess.

Judi revealed: 'At this point the signals of alienation are much more marked, along with Harrys signals of distress.

'This is now a man seen looking worried or haunted rather than a man creating and enjoying fun.

'The line-up contains a huge spatial gap between Camilla and Harry and as Charles speaks to his son, both Harry and Meghan stand stiffly to attention, turning just their heads in a gesture of acknowledgment rather than affection.'

The two couples also attended a rare public engagement to mark The Prince of Wales' 70th Birthday patronage celebration.

However Judi said tensions appeared to be bubbling under the surface at the event.

Judi explained: 'The signals of simmering unhappiness and even resentment or anxiety are appearing obvious in Harrys body language.... Here though he seems to be glowering in the direction of his father and Camilla.

'He performs a tight mouth clamp that suggests anger, as well as a frown. His bounce has gone and his hands are clasped behind his back.'

Meanwhile elsewhere, Judi suggested Prince Harry showed 'signals of simmering unhappiness and resentment' in 2018 towards Prince Charles and Camilla

CAMILLA SHOWS SIGNS OF INNER TENSION AT ARCHIE CHRISTENING IN 2019

Meanwhile according to Judi, while Harry appeared relaxed and happy at his son's christening in 2019, Camilla showed signs of 'inner tension.'

She explained: 'Harry has Camilla sitting at his side, which should suggest some closeness or warmth but which might have been down to protocol.

'If she had stood at the back with Doria she would have appeared to be taking the place of grandmother to baby Archie.

'Like Harry, Camilla looks relaxed and happy apart from her tell-tale thumb-steepling that is often a sign of inner tension or anxiety.'

Meanwhile according to Judi, while Harry appeared relaxed and happy at his son's christening in 2019, Camilla showed signs of 'inner tension'

Yesterday, Brown said Prince Charles' estranged son is likely to voice his frustration in his memoirs, which are set to be published later this year.

Brown, who penned the Diana Chronicles in 2006, said: 'William was disgusted about Meghans attack on Kate because she cant answer back. But thats nothing compared to how furious hes going to be when this book comes out.

'Because Harrys not going to go after the Queen, shes sacrosanct. And he probably wont go after Kate, whom hes very fond of. But he will go after Charles and Camilla and maybe William.

'And thats so unhelpful to them all at this particular moment; for William thats the big cloud in their relationship right now.'

Brown, who reported on the royal family for years as Tatler's editor-in-chief and Vanity Fair's editor, said that Harry never warmed up to Camilla.

In her upcoming book, the author has quoted an unnamed courtier who told her than when Harry was eventually talked into being in the same room as Camilla, he would remain silent and shoot her angry looks.

The royal author has claimed the Duke of Sussex is likely to criticise his father and step-mother in his upcoming biography

She said that Prince William has grown to accept his father's relationship with Camilla, but added the Duke of Sussex is 'very angry' that the Duchess of Cornwall will become Queen Consort when Prince Charles ascends to the throne.

William and Harry's relationship first came under strain in the lead up to Megxit and has slowly worsened in the months since, with the Duke of Cambridge reportedly furious about his brother's repeated attacks on the Royal Family.

Camilla felt empathy for Diana over Prince Charles' 'relentless' routine In an extract of the Palace Papers shared with the Sunday Telegraph, Tina Brown revealed that the Duchess of Cornwall's struggled with the Prince of Wales' regimented lifestyle. Before the pair were married in 2005, Camilla was Charles' unofficial consort, a role that grew more and more difficult to keep as time went by. The author claimed Camilla was happy to stay away from the limelight, but struggled to keep up with the demands of the Prince of Wales' regimented lifestyle. The author claimed that Prince Charles stuck to the same routine everyday and that Camilla's struggle with being on time was a source of tension in the couple. If the couple were headed somewhere and Camilla would ask Charles where they were going, he would snap at her and asked if she had not read the memo about their outing, Brown claimed. A source close to Camilla at the time told Brown that the Duchess of Cornwall began to feel sympathy for Princess Diana's various discountents. Eventually, however, after a push from Clarence House's press secretaries, the couple married on 9 April 2005. Advertisement

He was particularly incensed by the way his wife the Duchess of Cambridge was targeted.

The pair have been photographed together just twice since Harry and Meghan stepped down from royal duties: the funeral of their grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh in April last year, and the unveiling of a statue in honour of their mother Princess Diana last summer.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Tina said the rift with Harry was a detriment to the royal family because Harry, alongside Kate, is one of the only people who could keep Prince William grounded and avoid for him to become pompous.

'One of his close people told me that everyone talks about how much Harry needed William, and he did, but William also needed Harry because all those friends you think are so real, well, they still know youre going to be king,' she said.

'Only Williams wife and his brother are going to be straight with him.

'And Harry could tease his brother and bring him down to earth. William depended on that, Im told.

'There was a danger William was headed towards pomposity and Harry wouldnt let that happen.'

It comes after the Sussexes' biographer insisted Prince Harry only wants to speak positively about the Queen in his memoir.

Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie said Harry 'really wants to celebrate her life and his relationship with her in that book.'

Speaking on the Royally Obsessed podcast, Omid said the book will celebrate the life and reign of Her Majesty.

He said: 'Harry really is going out of his way to make sure that there isn't material in there [the book] that can be seen as negative towards the Queen or her reign in any way whatsoever.

'He really wants to celebrate her life and his relationship with her in that book.

'I think as much as the press want this to be a burn book and an attack on the institution, this is more just about his story.'

Meanwhile, Prince William has grown accepting of his father and Camilla's relationship. Pictured together with Kate Middleton at the 'No Time To Die' world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in September

'Of course, his story is so much more than just the few years of his life as the Duke of Sussex.

'I think for people expecting that warts and all moment, it's not going to happen. That said, it's still going to be fascinating.'

The Royal Family has been left deeply concerned by Harry's decision to secretly collaborate with Pulitzer-winning ghostwriter JR Moehringer on what his publishers described as 'the definitive account of the experiences, adventures, losses, and life lessons that have helped shape him'.
A brooch a Titanic steward gifted to a female passenger in a real-life love story likened to Jack and Rose from the epic film is set to go on sale.

Roberta Maioni, from Norwich, struck up a romance with an unnamed crew member during the four days she spent on board the ill-fated liner. The then 20-year-old was the maid to a first class passenger and it is thought she fell in love with the young man who was their cabin steward.

She kept the white star-shaped badge that he gave her as a memento after the ship was struck by an iceberg until her death in 1963, aged 71.

A private collector who bought it from her descendants more than 20 years ago, is now selling the brooch at auction for an estimated 60,000 alongside her typed account of the tragedy worth an additional 5,000.

A brooch that Roberta Maioni (pictured), from Norwich, was gifted by an unnamed crew member of the Titanic is up for sale

Roberta and the unnamed crew member's short romance bears striking similarities to the one between Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, in James Cameron's 1997 film Titanic.

After the ship struck an iceberg on the night of April 12, 1912, and the passengers had to evacuate the ship, the steward sought Roberta out.

He escorted her from her cabin to lifeboat number eight and made sure that she was safe.

As he did so he handed her the white star-shaped badge that was on his uniform to remember him by, as it tragically turned out.

Just like DiCaprio's character Jack, the young steward died in the disaster.

Years later and now married, Roberta wrote an extraordinary eye-witness account of the tragedy, referencing her beau several times as well as Captain Edward Smith.

She wrote: 'An elderly officer, with tears streaming down his cheeks, helped us into one of the lifeboats. He was Captain Smith - the master of that ill-fated vessel.

Roberta penned an account of the disaster in which a steward gave her a badge from his uniform (pictured)

'As the lifeboat began to descend, I heard him say, 'Goodbye, remember you are British'.'

Smith also died in the tragedy that happened 110 years ago.

Now the poignant brooch that Roberta kept for the rest of her life has emerged for sale at auction for 60,000.

Along with it is her 1926 typed account of the disaster that is valued at 5,000.

There is also a rare piece of correspondence from the White Star Line First-Class Passenger Department dated April 18, 1912. It is addressed to Roberta's mother Jane and it confirmed that her daughter had been rescued. It is also worth 5,000.

The letter would have been a huge relief to Mrs Maioni as Roberta's name did not appear on any survivors' lists because she was recorded under the name of her employer, the Countess of Rothes.

The archive is being sold by a private collector who bought it from descendants of Roberta over 20 years ago.

An archive related to Roberta is being sold by a private collector, with auctioneer Andrew Aldridge describing her brooch as an 'incredibly poignant item'

It will go under the hammer with auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son of Devizes, Wilts.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: 'During her lifetime Roberta is said to have told her family about how she survived the Titanic and about the young cabin steward she met on board.

'She is said to have fallen in love with him and he with her.

'Although she never revealed his name to anyone - maybe because she was married by that time - she kept hold of this little brooch.

'She told her family that the steward gave it to her, either as a token of love or something to remember him by as he probably realised his fate.

'Either way, it is an incredibly poignant item and one that has a direct connection with the Titanic.'

Roberta boarded the Titanic at Southampton with the Countess of Rothes.

Roberta detailed how she spent the night in the music salon before going to her cabin on the night that disaster struck the Titanic

Her account of her time on board the liner included the near-miss collision the huge ship had with the smaller liner, the SS New York.

As it left Southampton, the water displacement made by the doomed ship sucked the New York towards it and led to Captain Smith to take evasive action.

In her account, Roberta recalled how when she was not on duty she spent her time exploring the ship and 'making friends', which could be a reference to the male steward.

On the night of the disaster, April 14, 1912, she wrote how she spent the night in the music salon before going to her cabin and being startled by the ship hitting the iceberg.

She said: 'I was about to get up when a steward came and said, 'Miss, we have struck an iceberg but I don't think there's any danger. Should there be, I'll come back and let you know.

'...in a few minutes the steward was back again, telling me not to be afraid but to dress quickly, put on my life belt and go on deck.'

Roberta wrote about joking with the steward as he fixed her life jacket, before realising that something serious had happened

Roberta added that she struggled to get her life jacket on and the steward helped her.

She added: 'Still realising nothing of the danger I was in, I joked with him about the funny way in which it was fixed. He did not answer but smiled very sadly and shook his head. Then I knew that something serious had happened.'

She recalled how there was 'ice all over the deck' and men and women 'looking gaunt and fearful'.

She wrote how there were about 35 people in her lifeboat. When they were a safe distance they stopped rowing and watched as the Titanic began to sink.

She wrote: 'Then I heard the terrible cries of the twelve hundred men, women and children left upon her. And then came an awful silence - more terrible than the sound that had gone before.'

Roberta and her employer were rescued by the RMS Carpathia several hours later.

She returned to Britain and married London business consultant Cunliffe Bolling in in 1919. He died in 1938 and she passed away in 1963, aged 71.

The archive relating to her has an overall estimate of 75,000 and will be old on April 23.
A Texas man who was adopted from Chile as a child learned only last year that he had been kidnapped from a mother who wanted him  and now, 38 years later, he has reunited with his biological family.

Tyler Graf, 38, got the shock of his life on May 22, 2021, when he was contacted by a Chilean nonprofit that informed him that he had been stolen from his family in Temuco, Chile and given up for adoption illegally.

A DNA test soon confirmed that he had, in fact, been a victim of a kidnapping scheme in the '80s that is estimated to have affected up to 8,000 to 12,000 children and families.

Now Graf  a Houston firefighter with a child of his own  has flown back to Chile for an emotional reunion with his mother and three sisters he never knew he had.

Tyler Graf, 38, recently reunited with his birth mother - whom he had been stolen from at birth in Chile in the '80s

After confirming their relationship with a DNA test last year, his mother flew to see him in Texas - and now he has traveled to Chile for the first time to visit her

Graf had a happy childhood in Minnesota - and had no idea that when he was two weeks old, he was kidnapped and his mother was told that he had died

Graf had a happy childhood in Minnesota, and told Good Morning America that he was adopted 'by a very loving, caring family.'

He knew a few details about his adoption from his adoption papers, which said his birth mother was named Hilda del Carmen Quezada. She had been 26 when he was born, and the papers said that she gave him up because she couldn't afford to care for him.

'I never thought that any excuse would be good enough,' he told the New York Times in December. 'I carried that animosity, that chip on my shoulder, my whole life.'

But he was still curious about his origins, and a few years ago, he met someone who offered to help.

During a firefighter training exercise, he met a man whose mother, Marisol Rodriguez, ran a Chilean nonprofit Hijos y Madres del Silencio, which is working to reconnect families separated by forced adoptions.

These kidnappings and forced adoptions were shockingly common under the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet, who actively encouraged them to reduce poverty in the country.

His adoptive family had no idea he was taken illegally, and the practice was shockingly common in Chile, which was under a dictatorship, at the time

A few years ago, Graf began looking into his roots and got connected to a nonprofit that figured out the truth

When his mother learned he was alive, 'Every muscle in my body tightened up and squeezed the tears in my eyes. I felt like I had been hit by a bat and was seeing stars'

'I feel like Ive been in some way cheated,' Graf said. 'I mean you are playing with peoples lives for money. You are not destroying one life, youre destroying multiple families'

When Rodriguez got ahold of Graf's adoption papers, she saw telltale signs that suggested he was a victim to one of these schemes.

Soon, they'd confirmed the truth: Graf's mother had never wanted to give him up for adoption. He was born three months premature and she named him Sergio, but was told that he had passed away.

'Two weeks after the birth, they told me he had died,' Quezada, now 65, said. 'I asked for the body and they refused, saying it was too small.'

Looking back, Graf told KPRC: 'I cant imagine what my birth mother went through when she lost me and grieved my death.'

Quezada told the Times that she mourned for her son every year on his birthday, never forgetting the loss.

Then, last May, she received a call from Hijos y Madres del Silencio, which told her that they believed her son was alive.

'I couldnt digest the information,' she told the Times. 'I couldnt grasp what was happening. Every muscle in my body tightened up and squeezed the tears in my eyes. I felt like I had been hit by a bat and was seeing stars.'

Quezada mourned for her son every year on his birthday, never forgetting the loss

Graf admitted he always carried a chip on his shoulder about his adoption

A firefighter in Houston, he is now married with a child of his own

'I wanted to scream. I questioned a lot of things. The thought of if he was loved, if he ate well, if he spent time gold,' she told GMA.

Graf, too, got the news on May 22, 2021, and they were later able to confirm their relationship through DNA tests.

Graf's adoptive parents never knew that he had been stolen.

'I feel like Ive been in some way cheated,' he said. 'I mean you are playing with peoples lives for money. You are not destroying one life, youre destroying multiple families.'

Graf also learned he had three sisters, and began to get to know his family on Zoom.

A few weeks later, Quezada  who'd never been on an airplane before  flew to Houston to meet her son.

'It was the closest hug,' he said. 'They just left us alone in each others arms and we hugged and she kissed me and we just stood there crying.'

'It was the closest hug,' Graf said of his first meeting with his mother. 'They just left us alone in each others arms and we hugged and she kissed me and we just stood there crying'

He also learned he has three sisters, whom he is getting to know. He fished with them on a recent trip to Chile

'Were making up for 38 years of lost time,' he said. 'Time we cant get back'

He has founded an organization that aims to help other victims find their roots by supplying MyHeritage DNA kits

Graf recently got to fly back to Chile as well, returning to his birth place for the first time and reuniting with his birth mother once again.

The emotional moment was captured by GMA's cameras, which also filmed as he met his three sisters for the first time.

But the transition has been bittersweet, and Graf admits to feeling many different emotions.

'Now, Im in between families. I do not want to hurt my adoptive parents' feelings or my birth mother's feelings, so it is kind of a fine balance right now. Im trying to figure where I fit in the middle of all this,' he said.

'Were making up for 38 years of lost time,' he said. 'Time we cant get back.'

He has also founded an organization that aims to help other victims find their roots by supplying MyHeritage DNA kits.
An author has gone viral after she lamented how difficult it is to find a 'picture book about buses' because so many writers seem preoccupied with pushing highbrow concepts to children.

Moniza Hossain, a children's author based in Singapore, struck a chord with parents when she noted there seems to be a divide between the types of books publishing houses are pitched and the ones families actually want to read at home.

The author, who does not have children herself, tweeted: 'Writers pitching picture books: a book about family and culture, and the courage to be different.

Moniza Hossain, a children's author based in Singapore, struck a chord with parents when she noted there seems to be a divide between the types of books publishing houses are pitched and the ones families actually want to read at home

The children's sections of bookshops are filled with book series like 'Little Feminist' - a four-part series on high-profile women including Amelia Earhart and Hillary Clinton (pictured)

'Parents looking for picture books: please, does anyone have any books with pictures of buses? Not trains or trucks, I need buses. My child likes buses.'

The tweet was 'liked' more than 10,000 times and met with supportive comments from parents who have encountered similar issues.

The children's sections of bookshops are filled with book series like 'Little Feminist' - a four-part series on high-profile women including Amelia Earhart and Hillary Clinton - and Little People, Big Dreams, which introduces children to the likes of Prince and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

One parent wrote: 'It just needs to be pictures of different buses. No plot. Just pictures with short captions underneath describing the type of bus.'

Another mother was on the lookout for a book purely about the moon, and tweeted: 'The moon. My son wants books about the moon, and about food.

'Does not like if there are concepts in the book, which seems to mean history? Plot? Im honestly not sure, but he has opinions about it.'

Moniza joked that it's at the stage where children even have a 'favourite Supreme Court Justice' and it's invariably Ruth Bader Ginsberg

One mother added: 'Its so annoying. I feel guilty only buying the classics from my own childhood (Robert Munsch etc) but all the new picture books on sale are trying to impart a message and my kids legit just want books about fun/funny kid stuff.'

Writer Sarah Hannah Gomez of Tucson, Arizona, responded to say that publishing houses are giving the greenlight to books that are too complex for babies and toddlers to understand.

She noted that while it is valid for authors to want to introduce young children to important issues like disability rights and racism, the best way to go about this is to introduce a diverse cast of characters to a 'regular' baby book about families or counting.

Writer Sarah Hannah Gomez of Tucson, Arizona, responded to say that publishing houses are giving the greenlight to books that are too complex for babies and toddlers to understand

Little Leaders (left) relates true stories of black men throughout history while Hey You! (middle) explores the experiences black children face growing up with systemic racism. Young, Gifted and Black (right) celebrates 'icons of colour from the past and present'

She explained: '[Publishers] cater too much to people who want to glom onto kidlit as a personality trait w/o knowing anything about it, & they are pubbing books about abstract concepts when the whole f*****g point of concept books as a genre is they're THINGS BABIES ARE ENCOUNTERING.

'Concept books are a very specific thing - 1, 2, 3 A, B, C Red, yellow, blue Cat, dog, bird Circle, triangle, square Parents, grandparents, siblings The challenge and achievement lie in the execution, not "look how edgy I can be when choosing a topic."

'This is why things like Baby Loves Physics are so effective--they appear to be cutesy concepts but are actually developmental milestone concepts like up/down, fast/slow, etc. Baby Reads Pride & Prejudice where the "concepts" are Darcy/Elizabeth/Pemberley are wastes of paperboard.

'Concept books are far more worthwhile for raising antiracist (antihomomisic, antiableist, &c) babies when they do actual baby concepts w illustrations of queer families, brown babies, disabled people, & so on, and & they use words that aren't appropriative/oppressive/essentialist.'
The Home Edit's Joanna Teplin says her friend and partner Clea Shearer is a 'pillar of strength' and is doing well since her double mastectomy.

Shearer, 40, revealed last week that she has been diagnosed with stage 2 mammary carcinoma after discovering a lump in her breast earlier this year.

On Friday, she underwent a double mastectomy and is currently at home recovering  but her 'Get Organized With the Home Edit' co-star Teplin, 41, offered an update on the Today show this morning.

'She's doing well. She is just so strong and such a pillar of strength, that I can't imagine anyone tackling cancer the way that she has and is,' she said.

'She's right now recovering from the surgery. The surgery was very successful. And she's home now just waiting to find out any next steps.'

The Home Edit's Joanna Teplin (left) says her friend and partner Clea Shearer (right) is a 'pillar of strength' and is doing well since her double mastectomy

'She's doing well. She is just so strong and such a pillar of strength, that I can't imagine anyone tackling cancer the way that she has and is,' Teplin said

Shearer revealed her diagnosis with a candid Instagram post on April 7, explaining that she'd found a lump during a self-exam and, after a mammogram, ultrasound, and triple biopsy, was told she had two aggressive tumors.

She underwent a double mastectomy on Friday and updated Instagram followers this weekend.

'I've been mobile, I've been walking around. I have some pain, don't get me wrong, but, you know, we can do hard things,' she said.

'If anyone can handle cancer, it's me,' she added.

Teplin told Savannah Guthrie this morning that it's been hard getting Shearer to just relax since the procedure.

'I told her I'm gonna sit on her like a chicken! She's having a tough time sitting,' she said.

Shearer, 40, revealed last week that she has been diagnosed with stage 2 mammary carcinoma after discovering a lump in her breast earlier this year

On Friday, she underwent a double mastectomy and is currently at home recovering

'She has the best attitude. I can't imagine having the attitude that she has, but she's just like, "If it's gonna happen to someone, why not me?" instead of, "Why me?" Teplin said

She also noted that her friend is keeping an upbeat outlook throughout the whole ordeal.

'She has the best attitude. I can't imagine having the attitude that she has, but she's just like, "If it's gonna happen to someone, why not me?" instead of, "Why me?" she said.

'Because she's able to have that fortitude and that way of thinking about it, she's able to help so many other people,' she added, by being an advocate.

'If there was something to show for this horrible thing she has to go through, then it was all worth being public for,' she said.

Shearer had suspected something might be wrong during a self-exam when she noticed a lump.

'She said, "I think I found something, I'm not sure what it is," and we just decided, we're not gonna spiral yet, let's get more information first. And so she decided to try to get an appointment with her OB,' Teplin said.

'They couldn't get her in for a really long time, and so she realized she had to keep pushing,' she continued.

Shearer had suspected something might be wrong during a self-exam when she noticed a lump, and soon underwent a mammogram and biopsy

Shearer (pictured with her business partner and Reese Witherspoon in March) said she had to advocate herself because her OB wouldn't see her for months

Shearer reached out to her general practitioner, who made her a mammogram appointment.

'Thank god she's such an advocate for herself, and she's now becoming an advocate for so many others to self-test and be aware from the start,' Teplin said.

Shearer had shared her health news last week shortly before her operation.

'I have breast cancer. Its a hard thing to say, but its easier than keeping it to myself,' she captioned a photo of herself wearing a white robe at the Vanderbilt Breast Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

'Im having a double mastectomy tomorrow (prayers are welcome!), and I wanted to say a few words before I do,' she continued.

'I found a lump myself the last week of February. I had been trying to make an appt with my OB for several months, and even when I told them I found a lump, they couldnt accommodate me.

'I had to request a mammogram from my general doctor, which led to an ultrasound, and then an emergency triple biopsy. I have two tumors, 1 cm each, that are aggressive and fast moving - but I caught it early. Had I not taken this upon myself, I would be in a completely different situation right now.

Shearer shares a daughter, Stella, 11, and a son Sutton, 8, with her husband, photographer John Shearer

Shearer told People that the hardest part for her is having to tell her children the news

'Its a personal choice to make this public, but sharing my experience makes cancer feel purposeful,' she said.

'If I can convince any of you to self-examine on a regular basis, self-advocate always, and to prioritize your health over your busy schedules  then this will have meant something. Its also important to note that I was under 40 when these tumors formed, and have no history of breast cancer in my family. Even if cancer feels improbable, its still very possible.

'I have to admit, for the first few days I endured the why me feelings. But quickly, I started to think honestly, why NOT me?! I have all the support, resources, and a platform to help other people through this. So if anyone has to have breast cancer, Ill gladly let it be me,' she said.

Public well-wishes have poured in from Lauren Conrad, Rachel Zoe, and Ali Fedotowsky.

Shearer shot to fame after she Teplin founded their home organizing company, The Home Edit, in 2015 and earned a celebrity following.

They've organized spaces for everyone from Khloe Kardashian to Reese Witherspoon, whose production company Hello Sunshine recently acquired The Home Edit.

She is now awaiting more information about her treatment plan and whether she will need chemotherapy

Their business expanded into a book, The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals; an Instagram following of nearly six million, a Netflix series that is in its second season; and most recently a special magazine issue, The Home Edit: Feel-Good Organizing.

Shearer, who shares a daughter, Stella, 11, and a son Sutton, 8, with her husband, photographer John Shearer, told People that she was in New York City filming segment for the Today show with Teplin when she discovered two lumps.

'I felt something, a mass, a lump. But I didn't know what a lump actually even felt like, so I was just in my hotel room Googling, "What does a breast tumor feel like?"' she explained.

Her test results came back as 'suspicious and concerning,' which led to her having an emergency triple biopsy on the same day.

Shearer learned she had breast cancer on March 11, and she said the first person she reached out to was her friend and client Christina Applegate, who is a breast cancer survivor.

'She's just incredible and she has had a very similar situation, so she's been a tremendous support and just someone who's really counseled me going through this,' she said of the 'Dead to Me' star, who was one of their first A-list clients.

Shearer shot to fame after she Teplin founded their home organizing company, The Home Edit, in 2015 and earned a celebrity following

Shearer also has the support of Teplin, who told her they are 'going to get through this together.'

The mother of two shared that the hardest part for her is having to tell her children the news, which she hadn't done as of Tuesday.

'I didn't want to tell them with too much advanced notice before my operation just because I think that it would be really hard for them to be carrying around that anxiety for the whole week,' she explained.

'That's actually the part that I'm most nervous about. I know I'm going to be okay and I know that I'll be fine in surgery and recovery and all of it, but I'm nervous to tell my kids.'

Shearer will next find out if she also needs chemotherapy or other further treatment.

'I'm a fighter. If anyone can crush cancer, it is me,' she said. 'I'm literally afraid for cancer and I've got this.'

On Instagram, she also encouraged others to put their health first.

'Please prioritize your health. I know how hard it is on a daily basis, to be a mom, to be working, to have a hundred things always on your to do list, but, I mean, what does it all matter if we're not healthy?' she said
Prince Charles and Camilla will carry out an official tour of Canada as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Clarence House confirmed the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will visit in May and meet communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canadas Capital Region, and the Northwest Territories.

Canada is the overseas country most visited by Her Majesty, having toured the nation 22 times in an official capacity. Charles, 73, has travelled to the country 18 times.

The Prince Of Walkes first visited in 1970 with Her Majesty and his late father Prince Philip and in 1991 toured Canada with Princess Diana and their sons Prince William and Prince Harry.

Prince Charles and Camilla will carry out an official tour of Canada as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The couple most recently visited Canada in 2017 when the couple met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie to mark the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation

Camilla, 74, has visited on four occasions, most recently in 2017 when the couple met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie to mark the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation.

Mr Trudeau said in a statement: 'This spring, Canada will have the pleasure of welcoming Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall to Newfoundland and Labrador, the National Capital Region, and the Northwest Territories.

During their visit, they will have the wonderful opportunity of seeing first-hand the diversity and kindness of Canadians and the beauty of our abundant natural landscapes that make us proud to call our country home.

'This year, Canadians and people across the Commonwealth are celebrating Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, which marks the 70th anniversary of her accession to the Throne.

The royal visit is part of the line-up of celebrations to mark Her Majesty's 70 years on the throne including, Trooping the Colour, a Service of Thanksgiving and a concert at Buckingham Palace

The Royal Tour, which coincides with this historic milestone, will be an opportunity for Their Royal Highnesses to take part in various initiatives to honour The Queen's service and dedication to our country, and meet with inspiring Canadians who are making a difference in our communities.

'On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I look forward to welcoming Their Royal Highnesses and showing them some of the many reasons why we take pride in being Canadian.'

The Duchess of Sussex lived in Toronto while filming TV drama Suits, but now lives in the US with the Duke of Sussex and their two children Archie and Lilibet.

Meghan and Harry initially stayed in Canada after announcing they were quitting as senior working royals, before moving to California.

Clarence House has yet to comment on whether the prince will visit the Sussexes during his trip across the Atlantic.

Her Majesty speaking during an audience at Windsor Castle, as national charities have said they will light community beacons to honour the Queen as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June

The royal visit is part of the line-up of celebrations to mark Her Majesty's 70 years on the throne including, Trooping the Colour, a Service of Thanksgiving and a concert at Buckingham Palace.

A royal expert warned today that the 'very tired' Queen will limit her Platinum Jubilee appearances to 'just a few' events after battling covid two months ago and ongoing mobility problems.

Royal biographer Angela Levin said the Queen s presence at jubilee events will be limited due to her frailty.

She said: 'It's going to be very difficult and I think they will only show her in a few instances, maybe at the service at St Paul's. That will be very important to her because she is a Christian.

'I dont think we'll see her around and about. Maybe she'll be well enough to sit and watch horses. It won't be her, everywhere. But if she is there, she will appreciate the fact the public will be wanting to be there and supporting her.

'I imagine that the aides are worried that if the public don't see her, people may think that if she's not there it's not worth us going.

'I'm sure everyone in the Palace hopes that people will turn up to show their respects and say thank you for an extraordinary reign both in length and in breadth.
The son of a woman who was sentenced to death after she was found guilty of murdering her baby broke down in tears as he begged authorities not to 'kill an innocent woman,' insisting that his sibling's death was an 'accident.'

Melissa Lucio, 53, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on April 27 in Texas for the murder of her daughter Mariah in 2007 - but her son Bobby Alvarez is pleading with Texas Governor Greg Abbott to spare his mom's life.

Lucio - a domestic violence victim - has maintained that she is innocent, claiming she 'falsely' pleaded guilty to beating her two-year-old daughter to death following hours of police interrogation.

Her lawyers contend Mariah died from injuries obtained from a fall down the 14 steps outside the family's apartment in the South Texas city of Harlingen.

Now, Alvarez, who was seven when his sister died, has backed his mother's claims and insisted that her death 'was an accident.'

The son of a woman who is facing execution after she was found guilty of murdering her baby begged authorities not to 'kill an innocent woman,' insisting the baby's death was an 'accident'

Melissa Lucio, 53, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on April 27 in Texas for the murder of her daughter Mariah in 2007. Melissa is pictured with Mariah before her death

But her son Bobby Alvarez (pictured) is now pleading with Texas Governor Greg Abbott to spare his mom's life

Her other son John Lucio (pictured) said during a press conference, 'I don't want my mom to be executed,' as he choked back sobs

'If they go through with it, they'll be killing an innocent woman,' he told CBS Mornings.

When asked what it would mean to him to have his mom back with him if her execution was overturned, Bobby said it would be 'everything.'

'You know, it's my mom. I even told her myself that I consider her my best friend,' he added.

One of her other sons, John Lucio, added during a press conference, 'I don't want my mom to be executed,' as he choked back sobs.

Lucio (pictured with some of her kids) has maintained she is innocent - claiming she 'falsely' pleaded guilty to beating her two-year-old daughter following hours of police interrogation

During five hours of relentless questioning, Lucio denied fatally beating the toddler more than 100 times.

But worn down from a lifetime of abuse and the grief of losing her daughter, her lawyers say, the Texas woman finally acquiesced to investigators at 3 A.M. on February 17, 2007.

The decision to have her execution appealed lies in the hands of the Texas Governor, as well as the Board of Pardons and Parole, and the current Cameron County District Attorney, Luis V. Saenz.

Together, they said in a statement to CBS: 'A jury of [Lucio's] peers rendered to her a verdict.  We cannot allow the rule of law to be suspended and substituted by a court of public opinion.'

As the date of her upcoming execution nears, Alvarez said he is trying to enjoy every possible moment that he can have with his mother.

'Right now, what I have is my family,' he said. 'That is what I cherish the most. So, I really try not to think about the future, because right now I have what I want.'

He got a special message to his mom tattooed onto his chest, 'because, you know, it's close to my heart,' he told the outlet.

The ink reads: 'I'll always be with you, and here I'll always stay.'

His pleas come just days after Kim Kardashian also spoke out and urged Governor Abbot to spare Lucio's life.

Her lawyers contend Mariah died from injuries obtained from a fall down the 14 steps outside the family's apartment in the South Texas city of Harlingen

During five hours of relentless questioning, Lucio (pictured left with Mariah before her death) denied fatally beating the toddler more than 100 times

But worn down from a lifetime of abuse, her lawyers say, Lucio acquiesced to investigators at 3 A.M. in the morning on February 17, 2007. She is pictured during police questioning

'It's stories like Melissa's that make me speak so loud about the death penalty in general and why it should be banned when innocent people are suffering,' Kardashian said.

'I guess I did it,' Lucio eventually said, when asked by police if she was responsible for some of Mariah's injuries.

Her lawyers later claimed that statement was wrongly interpreted by prosecutors as a murder confession - tainting the rest of the investigation into Mariah's death, with evidence gathered only to prove that conclusion, and helping lead to her capital murder conviction.

Lucio, who has been on death row for more than 14 years now, had been sexually assaulted multiple times, starting at age 6, and had been physically and emotionally abused by two husbands.

Her lawyers said that this lifelong trauma made her susceptible to giving a false confession.

Lucio's lawyers are hopeful that new evidence, along with growing public support - including from jurors who now doubt the conviction and from more than half the Texas House of Representatives - will persuade the state's Board of Pardons and Paroles and Governor Abbott to grant an execution reprieve or commute her sentence.

'Mariah's death was a tragedy not a murder... It would be an absolutely devastating message for this execution to go forward,' said Vanessa Potkin, one of Lucio's attorneys who is with the Innocence Project.

'It would send a message that innocence doesn't matter.'

As the date of her upcoming execution nears, Alvarez said he is trying to enjoy every possible moment that he can with his mother, who is pictured at her trial in 2008

She also told CBS: 'Over 100 times, she asserted her innocence. They refused to listen to her, sending the clear message that this interrogation wasn't going to stop until she told the officers what they wanted to hear.

'Her so-called confession was the result of highly coercive interrogation tactics, some of which are so coercive that they're no longer used today.'

After reading about Lucio's case, Kardashian tweeted: '[Lucio] has been on death row for over 14 years for her daughter's death that was a tragic accident.

His pleas come just days after Kim Kardashian also spoke out and urged Governor Abbot to spare Lucio's life

'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. [Lucio] is a survivor of abuse and domestic violence herself and after being interrogated for hours and falsely pleaded guilty.

'She wanted the interrogation to be stopped, but police made her words out to be a confession.'

'She is scheduled to be executed on April 27 in Texas,' the reality star added, as she urged the public to sign a petition by the Innocent Project in an effort to press Governor Abbott to stop Lucio's execution.

Lucio's lawyers claimed that jurors never heard forensic evidence that would have explained that Mariah's various injuries were actually caused by a fall days earlier.

They also said Lucio wasn't allowed to present evidence questioning the validity of her confession.

However, the Texas Attorney General's Office maintains that evidence shows Mariah suffered the 'absolute worst' case of child abuse her emergency room doctor had seen in 30 years.

'Lucio still advances no evidence that is reliable and supportive of her acquittal,' the office wrote in court documents last month.

Lucio (pictured leading a prayer group during a meeting with Texas lawmakers) had been sexually assaulted multiple times, and had been physically and emotionally abused

Lucio's lawyers are hopeful that new evidence, along with growing public support will persuade the state's Board of Pardons to grant an execution reprieve

The Cameron County District Attorney's Office, which prosecuted Lucio, declined to comment.

Lucio would be the first Latina executed by Texas 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.

In their clemency petition, Lucio's lawyers said 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.

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 family's life, but there was never an accusation of abuse by any of her children, Potkin said.

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 wasn't responsible,' Lucio said.

Her lawyers stated that Lucio's sentence was disproportionate to what her husband and Mariah's father, Robert Alvarez, received.

He got a four-year sentence for causing injury to a child by omission even though he also was responsible for Mariah's care, Lucio's lawyers argued.

Lucio's lawyers claimed jurors never heard forensic evidence that would have explained that Mariah's injuries were caused by a fall days earlier. She is pictured during police questioning

However, the Texas Attorney General's Office maintains that evidence shows Mariah suffered the 'absolute worst' case of child abuse her emergency room doctor had seen in 30 years

In 2019, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Lucio's 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, 'despite the difficult issue of the exclusion of testimony that might have cast doubt on the credibility of Lucio's confession.'

Three jurors and one alternate in Lucio's trial have signed affidavits expressing doubts about her conviction.

'She was not evil. She was just struggling... If we had heard passionately from the defense defending her in some way, we might have reached a different decision,' juror Johnny Galvan, who sentenced Lucio to death, wrote in an affidavit.

In their clemency petition, Lucio's lawyers said 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

He also wrote that he was misled and pressured to return a vote in favor of the death penalty during Lucio's trial in an essay with the Houston Chronicle.

He claimed he was wrong to succumb to 'peer pressure' and change his vote from a life sentence to the death penalty, adding that the jurors would 'be there all day' if he hadn't done so.

'There were so many other details that went unmentioned. It wasn't until after the trial was over that troubling information was brought to life,' he explained.

'If I had known all of this information, or even part of it, I would have stood by my vote for life no matter what anyone else on the jury said.

'I did not know that her long history of physical and sexual abuse made her vulnerable to falsely confess when subjected to aggressive interrogation tactics on the night of her daughter's death.

'No one took us through the interrogation to show us how many times she asserted her innocence (over 100) or how she repeated the same words the interrogators fed to her.

'No evidence was presented of that and it would have mattered to me.'

In a letter last month to the Board of Pardons and Paroles and to Abbott, 83 Texas House members said executing Lucio would be 'a miscarriage of justice.'

'Her so-called confession was the result of highly coercive interrogation tactics,' attorney Vanessa Potkin said. 'Some of which are so coercive that they're no longer used today'

'As a conservative Republican myself, who has long been a supporter of the death penalty in the most heinous cases... I have never seen a more troubling case than the case of Melissa Lucio,' said state Representative Jeff Leach, who signed the letter.

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 Lucio's clemency petition two days before the scheduled execution, Rachel Alderete, the board's director of support operations, said in an email.

A spokeswoman for Abbott's office did not return an email seeking comment.

Abbott has granted clemency to only one death row inmate in the past - 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 victimized again if his son was executed.

Lucio's supporters have said her clemency request is similar in that her family would be retraumatized if she's executed.

'Please allow us to reconcile with Mariah's death and remember her without fresh pain, anguish and grief. Please spare the life of our mother,' Lucio's children previously wrote in a letter to Abbott and the board.
During his infamous BBC Newsnight interview in November 2019, Prince Andrew revealed his thoughts on how he might try to salvage the remnants of his reputation.

Following the exposure of his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and allegations that he had sex with Virginia Giuffre when she was a 17-year-old sex trafficking victim (which he vehemently denies), the Duke of York cited his Pitch@Palace global initiative as a way of reconnecting with the public.

The Dragons' Den-style mentoring network to connect start-up firms, often in the technology sector, with potential investors was the Prince's pride and joy and, it was claimed, had raised tens of millions of pounds for local and national economies.

London-based Turkish businessman and former banker Selman Turk shakes the Prince's hand at the Pitch@Palace event

'I'm [going] to continue to work with Pitch,' Andrew, a former UK trade ambassador, told interviewer Emily Maitlis. '...I'm not somebody who does things in competition with people, oddly. I do things in collaboration with people.'

Even at the time, it sounded ridiculously naive. Within days of the car-crash interview, leading businesses and charities that had enthusiastically backed Pitch@Palace were rushing for the door, despite a royal aide insisting plaintively that it had been one of Andrew's few 'real success stories'.

His name had soon disappeared from the website, its moniker was reduced to 'Pitch', employees vacated their Buckingham Palace HQ and the UK arm of the company, owned by the Prince, was wound up.

Now, given recent revelations about Pitch@Palace, the Prince's assertion that it was key to his rehabilitation sounds positively cynical, with some of those 'collaborations' looking decidely rum.

Attention is increasingly focused on what exactly happened at a Pitch event at St James's Palace on November 6, 2019, with questions mounting over the integrity of businessman Selman Turk, who took part and who is, separately, now embroiled in a High Court fraud case.

He has also been accused of owing employees tens of thousands of pounds, and even a member of the House of Lords is out of pocket.

Andrew faces questions about why this alleged fraudster, whose company Heyman AI had received a Pitch@Palace award, has been accused of facilitating the placement of 750,000 into the Prince's personal account at his bank Coutts just days after the event, and whether later concerns about the legitimacy of the award were ever investigated.

Turk with the Duchess of York. There is no evidence to suggest that Prince Andrew was involved in determining who the final winners were in respect of the awards

The renewed scrutiny of Pitch@Palace follows new information in High Court documents in the case between Mr Turk, a former Goldman Sachs banker who is accused of a 40 million fraud, and Nebahat Isbilen, a 77-year-old Turkish multi-millionairess.

As the Mail reported earlier this month, the court papers have drawn the Duke, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and even his daughters into a tantalising mystery of how and why they came to receive large sums from accounts linked to Turk.

According to the court papers, it is claimed that Isbilen transferred the 750,000 to Prince Andrew's bank account on November 15, 2019. This was nine days after Turk had presented his digital bank business idea at the glittering Pitch@Palace event at St James's.

Mrs Isbilen, who is a political exile in the UK, claims in her court affidavit she was told by Turk that this was a gift to Prince Andrew, who, she claims she was told, was helping to secure her a British passport. The sum was paid back by the Prince in March 2021  16 months later  after Mrs Isbilen's solicitors wrote to him over his dealings with Turk, according to legal documents.

Mrs Isbilen said in her affidavit that she was in the audience at the Palace that day, which she believes was at Turk's invitation.

'I can only wonder if there is any connection between this event and the Duke of York transfer,' she said.

According to the court papers, it is claimed that Isbilen transferred the 750,000 to Prince Andrew's (pictured in 2020) bank account on November 15, 2019

A former business associate of Turk has reportedly claimed that the money 'was all to do with ensuring Heyman AI did well at Pitch'.

There is no evidence to suggest that Prince Andrew was involved in determining who the final winners were in respect of the awards.

Adding to the intrigue is video footage, revealed by The Mail On Sunday, of the Duchess of York praising Mr Turk at a private dinner in September 2019 as a 'wonderful man'  just weeks after he had transferred at least 225,000 to her bank account.

In another clip filmed five months later at the same restaurant, she says: '...I completely believe in the customer care of this wonderful man, Selman...'

Selman Turk's digital banking company, Heyman AI, began life in April 2019, just six months before the Pitch event. It was incorporated at 25 Park Lane, Mayfair  one of the most exclusive addresses in Britain  and Turk, 35, saw Pitch@Palace as the perfect platform to elevate it further.

Founded five years previously, Pitch boasted of helping 931 businesses, creating 5,982 jobs and generating 1.1 billion of economic activity.

Each year, hundreds of start-up companies entered, of which 42 were selected by a panel of Pitch staff, business experts and corporate sponsors to progress to the next round.

These lucky entrepreneurs were then subjected to a series of 'boot camps' where they honed their business plans and perfected their pitches. From this group, 12 were selected for the final, in which they had three minutes to pitch to Britain's business luminaries.

The court papers have drawn the Duke, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and even his daughters into a tantalising mystery of how and why they came to receive large sums from accounts linked to Turk

It's fair to assume that few of the entrepreneurs in Pitch's Class of 2019 had ever crossed a royal threshold before  except one.

Selman Turk was already an associate of Prince Andrew, the men having been introduced in May or June of 2019  about five months before Pitch  by Tarek Kaituni, a convicted gun smuggler and associate of Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi.

In fact, Turk lived less than a mile from St James's Palace, in a multimillion-pound flat rented out by the Crown Estate.

Turk, Kaituni and the Duke went on to meet at a dinner with potential investors at Turk's home in December 2019. In February 2020, Turk and Kaituni were pictured at Frogmore House, the royal residence in Windsor Great Park.

In August 2019, three months before Pitch@Palace, 225,000 was transferred to an account in the name of 'Duchess of York' from an account linked to the Turkish banker. The Duchess has previously said this sum was for her work as a brand ambassador for a U.S. solar energy company.

There were also regular instalments adding up to 350,000 paid to the Duke.

Princess Eugenie received 25,000 over the course of two days in October 2019. These payments  including the 750,000 to the Duke  have variously been explained as a gift for Beatrice's wedding, and funds towards a surprise birthday party for the Duchess of York.

Selman Turk's company, Heyman AI, made it to the first round of Pitch@Palace, then the top 42, then the final 12, giving him an opportunity to pitch at the main event.

'He got through but he was appalling', a senior Pitch@Palace source told the Mail this week. 'He did an appalling pitch and I just remember thinking, 'How did he get through?' It was just nuts.'

Princess Eugenie (pictured in 2019) received 25,000 over the course of two days in October 2019

However, the source added that it was 'fanciful' to assume Prince Andrew had any influence over the Pitch panel, and that 'there were lots of people who vetted the applications'.

As planning for the final Pitch extravaganza gathered pace, there was a sense of discombobulation behind the scenes, according to one of the entrepreneurs who advised Prince Andrew on the 2019 event.

He described a boardroom meeting at Buckingham Palace in the weeks before the event that 16 business leaders attended to discuss the venture.

'[The Prince] was late, for a start,' according to the entrepreneur. 'But what I found astonishing, given his [previous] role as the UK's unofficial business ambassador, was when he leaned back in his chair, surrounded by the great and good of business, and said: 'I don't have a clue about business.''

Selman Turk (pictured) was already an associate of Prince Andrew, the men having been introduced in May or June of 2019  about five months before Pitch

On the day itself, the air thrummed with anticipation as nervous entrepreneurs, potential investors and a glittering array of business leaders gathered to sit on crimson velvet chairs beneath giant chandeliers at St James's Palace.

In the scarlet-walled room, beside the large digital screen centre stage, were two Grenadier Guards in all their pomp, who sounded their trumpets to announce 'time up' on any pitch that went over three minutes.

Up for grabs were two prizes: The title of official winner of Pitch@Palace 2019, with two runners-up, and the People's Choice Award, voted for online the next day.

'The prize is the prestige,' said Sharon Pursey, who competed in Pitch in 2017 through her firm SafeToNet. She says the Duke's 'little black book' has since opened many business opportunities to her.

And there was no doubt Selman Turk was hoping to benefit even more than he might have done already from Prince Andrew's 'little black book'.

But on the day he bombed: banal, stuttering, floundering on stage, then falling silent before the trumpets sounded to put him, and the audience, out of their misery.

Not surprisingly, it caused much consternation the next day when Heyman AI was announced as winner of the People's Choice Award, having won by a landslide.

Other competitors were so surprised by the win  which had garnered as many as 10,000 votes, while the other entrants had only hundreds  that concerns were immediately lodged with Amanda Thirsk, then Prince Andrew's private secretary.

In an exchange with Thirsk reported by The Guardian, she was told that Heyman AI's win 'did not feel right or make sense' and 'it would be a shame if people were gaming the system'.

Thirsk replied: 'I think your point is right that a campaign to 'game' the position is not quite in keeping. We will certainly look at this again for next time.'

Another source said: 'There was a group of us on the day who felt the People's Choice Award hadn't felt right during that competition because their pitch was c**p.

Their whole concept was bizarre, in that they were pitching for something when they didn't have a licence.

'A few of us made the assumption, rightly or wrongly, that bots [must have been used] to do this, because the way the awards worked was you were actively told to go on your network and get people to vote for you [online]'.

Online robots or 'bots' are software programs that perform automated, repetitive, pre-defined tasks.

An AI expert who works in cybersecurity, and who asked not be named, said that for someone to increase votes on a website, they would simply need to provide the voting link 'to someone who knows how to write code or some computer language that is familiar with scripting websites.

'You provide them with the link and ask them to write a piece of code that mimics filling out a form and voting. Depending on what [authentication] is required on the form, they could generate names as well.'

Prince Andrew has declined to comment on these allegations, but a source familiar with Pitch operations said a specialist data company had been used to prevent malicious voting, including by bots.

Winning the People's Choice Award did not deliver quite as much as Selman Turk hoped. From late 2020 through 2021, Heyman AI's fortunes went from bad to worse.

At least eight employment tribunals last year found against the firm, ordering it to pay out for unpaid wages, holidays worked but not paid for, and dismissing employees in breach of contract.

More than 100,000 was owed to Joe Gordon, a rising star of the financial technology industry who left his job as CEO of online bank First Direct to take on a shiny new role at Heyman AI.

Former Heyman AI employees have written online about the company's culture, alleging unscrupulous business dealings.

'CEO lies a lot and gave unrealistic promises,' wrote one on the employment review website Glassdoor. Another commented: 'Unethical behaviours in management...a huge question mark about source of funding.'

The Times reported this week that, according to former staff, on the day in November 2020 when salaries were due, Turk arranged a video call with employees and told them they would not be paid. He refused to take questions.

In January 2021, he is reported to have changed his email address and 'gone quiet'. Up to 80 staff in total say they have not been paid, along with 20 contractors. In

September last year, a County Court Judgment was issued against Heyman AI, with outstanding debts of 21,913.

Perhaps no one is more surprised at Heyman AI's change in fortunes than Baroness Couttie, a life peer who was a special adviser to the firm until the end of January 2021, earning around 40,000.

'He had a good team around him, several ex-Bank Of England people,' the Baroness told the Mail last week. 'Selman was quite charming, very driven. He was confident this business would be a success.' In March last year, following Mrs Isbilen's High Court claims, a worldwide freezing order was made on all Turk's funds up to 40 million.

According to Baroness Couttie, 'by November [2021], he ran out of money. It came as a great shock to us.' She said Turk 'still owes me money' but would not be drawn on how much.

Heyman AI was dissolved in September 2021 and Selman Turk has not been seen in London for months.

As for Prince Andrew, his fortunes deteriorated further soon after the Pitch event, fuelled by the Newsnight interview on November 16.

In February this year, the Duke paid 12 million in an out-of-court settlement to Virginia Giuffre.

While there is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of the Prince, his ex-wife or their daughters, Andrew's links to this alleged fraudster are intriguing, to say the least.

How well did he know Selman Turk? What did he think the 750,000 in his account was for?

And how, given Turk's lamentable performance on the day, did Heyman AI emerge as a winner at Pitch@Palace after such an overwhelming public vote?

Yesterday, the entrepreneur who was present at the Buckingham Palace boardroom meeting said he could only speculate as to how Heyman AI came to be at Pitch, and whether the Duke of York had any involvement.

'[The Yorks] apparently have no cashflow,' said the source. 'Obviously, he can pull strings. But did he?'
She is one of the worlds most successful TV chefs who has sold more than 21million cookbooks.

But Delia Smith has admitted her new work was turned down by half a dozen publishers, possibly over concerns it wont sell enough copies.

The book, released last month, is about spirituality. But discussing the knockbacks from publishers, she said: I cant say Im surprised. They might have thought it wasnt going to sell very well.

Delia Smith said that she has always been passionate about spirituality, and to write about it in a book. Pictured above at the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival last month

Its a subject Ive always been passionate about, and I always wanted to write a book on this subject, about spirituality being natural.

Speaking to Radio Times, she added: Its not something you acquire. Its already there and it just gets buried.

The book  You Matter: The Human Solution  includes insight from spiritual thinkers, philosophers, astronauts, poets and pop stars including American rapper Pharrell Williams  who is one of Miss Smiths favourite musicians.

She added: The main focus is how we can believe in ourselves. I felt a great need for people to get in touch with the deeper side of being.

The book  You Matter: The Human Solution  focuses on how we can believe in ourselves, she explained. Pictured at the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival to talk about her new release

There is an inside life and an outside life; outside life tends to dominate, and inner life gets forgotten or supressed.

Referring to the inclusion of Pharrell, she said: Ive always loved pop music, that doesnt go away with age.

With this book, I felt a great need for people to get in touch with the deeper side of being.

I did cookery books because I felt there was a great need for them, too. I was trying to teach people the basics.
A home cook has revealed the genius cooking gadget she uses to make perfect hard boiled eggs every time.

Foodie Kaoutar swears by a $13 colour changing timer from Amazon to tell when her eggs are cooked to perfection.

The timer transforms from white to red as the egg cooks and even has the soft, medium and hard cooking stages written on the surface.

Egg enthusiast, Kaoutar, swears by a $13 colour changing timer from Amazon to tell when her eggs are cooked to perfection, it transforms from white to red as the egg cooks

The gadget has been designed to slip into the pot along with eggs and boiling water to control cooking times in a precise manner.

'Probably one of my favourite purchases, always have the perfect hard boiled eggs,' Kaoutar wrote.

To restore the timer back to its original white colour after use, simply place it on a kitchen bench or somewhere at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.

'Probably one of my favourite purchases, always have the perfect hard boiled eggs,' American egg enthusiast, Kaoutar wrote

She shared the gadget on Facebook for other home cooks to find and many left comments saying they need the egg cooker themselves.

'I need this. Mine always come out over cooked,' a foodie wrote.

In another Facebook page a group of parents have revealed a simple way to prevent the offensive odour of boiled eggs cooking from spreading through the house.

To neutralise the smell of boiling eggs a mum named, Natasha, simply added a few teaspoons of white distilled vinegar into the water

A mum named, Natasha, simply added a few teaspoons of white distilled vinegar into the water when boiling eggs and it neutralised the smell.

According to culinary scientist Jessica Gavin, boiling eggs releases the iron in the yolk while the whites release sulfur and hydrogen that causes the smell to occur.

But adding the vinegar to the water when cooking the eggs will help prevent this chemical reaction from occurring without impacting the taste of the food.
Former United States President Donald Trump said that he was the "most honest human being" that God has ever created, citing the multiple investigations regarding his tax, business, and election fraud claims which he alleged have found nothing.

The Republican businessman's remarks prompted laughter from his followers during a rally in Selma, North Carolina, on Saturday. At the event, the former president defended himself from the multiple investigations into his tax affairs and his attempts to overturn the 2020 elections.

Investigations Into Trump

Trump allegedly quoted private remarks from a friend and claimed that he was the cleanest man on Earth when it came down to it. The former president's speech comes after state prosecutors in Democrat-controlled New York asked a court to hold Trump in contempt for failing to hand over documents amid a civil probe into his family business, the Trump Organization's dealings.

Furthermore, the House Select Committee was investigating the events of the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot and obtained text messages that were allegedly sent by Trump's son Donald Jr. The messages were sent to the former president's chief of staff two days after the election day. They detail plans to "control" who would be named the winner of the elections, as per Independent.

During the rally, Trump supported several GOP candidates in their upcoming election bids, on top of his remarks. The former president also said that Democratic prosecutors should stop the "crime and bloodshed" that was running amok in Democrat-controlled cities. He also noted that New York Attorney General Letitia James should focus on her city instead of going after him.

Read Also: Donald Trump Slams New York AG Letitia James After Threatening to Penalize Him $10,000 a Day for Failing to Turn Over Documents

Trump showed his support for Ted Budd for the latter's senatorial bid in the primary and re-election campaign for U.S. Representative Madison Cawthorn. The latter has received scrutiny for his statements about alleged orgies and cocaine use among Congress members.

According to Newsweek, Cawthorn said last week that he would not back down and do what he could to prevent the opposition from winning. When pressured regarding his remarks, the official said, "I will continue fighting for many years to come."

Criminal Referral

On the other hand, the House Select Committee is rumored to have become divisive over whether or not to make a criminal referral to the Justice Department over Trump. This doubt comes amid the panel's concussion that they have enough evidence to do so, said people involved in the discussions.

The talks focus on whether making a referral would backfire by politically tainting the Justice Department's expanding investigation into the Jan. 6 chaos and what caused it. A team of federal prosecutors has spent since last summer working for the committee to document the attack and the preceding efforts of Trump and his allies to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

The panel said it plans to issue a detailed report on its findings but has said in recent months that it has regularly signaled that it was also looking into filing a criminal referral. This would pressure Attorney General Merrick B. Garland into opening a criminal investigation into the former president, the New York Times reported.

Related Article: Letitia James Seeks To Hold Trump in Contempt After Failure To Provide Records of Family Business

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An Australian veteran has revealed how she built an earring empire from scratch in just five years after rediscovering her love for art when she left the army.

With her bright pink and purple hair, giant acrylic earrings and sparkling tinsel jacket it is hard to imagine Christie Bavage blending in behind the frontline.

But for eight years the 38-year-old businesswoman worked as a medic for the Australian Defence Force saving lives at home and in Iraq.

Speaking to FEMAIL from her studio in the Northern Rivers region of NSW Christie explained she had always had two passions, helping people and being creative.

'My love for helping people, that passion for nursing is still there but it is in the background at the moment,' she said.

'I have always loved being creative and one of the reasons I left the army is because I felt like I couldn't express myself.'

An Australian veteran has revealed how she built an earring empire from scratch in just five years after rediscovering her love for art when she left the army

The former medic joined the force at 19 after becoming disillusioned with her university bridging course

She has managed to create $400,000-per-year business following her creative urges and found a way to help people at the same time.

'I call it my zone of genius, I have found something that helps people and brings me so much joy.'

Part of her collection, a series of brightly coloured poppies, has been created to raise awareness for service men and women who struggle in civilian life.

Many servicemen and women struggle with their mental health and, according to Christie, the rate of suicide from veterans is horrific.

The new poppy range has just been launched in time for an ANZAC Day campaign to raise funds for Wounded Heroes, a not-for-profit helping ex soldiers.



Christie said she could never express herself in her army career - but now she can and has chosen to acknowledge her former career with the poppy range

Last week Christie's brother died in an accident. He was a military man and had been the one to introduce her to the Wounded Heroes charity.

'They had helped him when he struggled after he left the army,' she said.

Despite growing up as a Tom-boy on her family's potato farm Christie never dreamed of joining the army.

'When I was at school I was determined to become a nurse or an art teacher,' she laughed.

It wasn't until she became disillusioned by a University bridging course after missing out on the marks that she needed to become a nurse that she considered it.

She joined the army to help with her career goals of becoming a nurse and worked as a medic in Iraq where she is pictured

'I spent most of my time at the shopping centre looking at the fashion jewelry instead of going to uni,' she said.

'Then I came across a recruitment booth for the army and they said they could help me get into nursing if I signed up.'

'I definitely had no idea what I was actually signing up for at the time.'

So she went Kapooka, in Wagga, and completed her basic training before moving to Albury where she was taught everything she needed to know to keep soldiers alive.

She went on to serve in field hospitals in Iraq and helped soldiers brush up on medical knowledge so they could help their mates when they fell 'beyond the razor wire'.

The earring empire began in 2017 as a hobby before becoming a very serious business

She started making earrings from her kitchen table but now has a studio and enlists the help of her whole family

The family are all hands on and very supportive of the Dented Diva business and passionate supporters of the Wounded Heroes charity

After eight years Christie decided she was no longer being challenged in her role and she left the armed forces.

She was discharged with skills to be a paramedic as well as those to be a nurse but instead decided to work in sales for a medical firm.

About five years later the reality of leaving the army sunk in and she realised she would never truly fit in to society - just like most other veterans.

So she began making earrings from polymer clay as a form of creative meditation.

Before too long she was making the pieces for family and friends and selling about 100 each week at local markets.

Christie's mum and dad retired as potato farmers to help her with her earrings

But she never thought the creative outlet would become a lucrative and enjoyable business.

'We have had so much support, especially after we appeared on MasterChef,' she said.

Last year the self-taught artist made 22,000 pairs of earrings, putting each pair together by hand from the table in her studio.

'This year I think that number is closer to 40,000,' she said.

Although the earrings are now made from acrylic which she loves because she is 'all about sparkles'.

Christie now puts her husband, an army veteran of 20 years, potato-farming mum and dad, sister and her young niece and nephew to work.

Christie has even started letting her sister and husband put earrings together on their own.

The Dented Diva's owner hopes to raise $10,000 for the charity with this year's ANZAC Day poppy campaign

'I was making every set by myself but I have realised I need to step back from that and take on the role of artistic director,' she said.

As the company goes from strength-to-strength Christie hopes she can continue to raise awareness for veterans and the Wounded Heroes charity.

The Dented Diva's owner hopes to raise $10,000 for the charity with this year's ANZAC Day poppy campaign. The range includes plaques and brooches as well as earrings and $5 from every purchase goes to the charity.

Christie says she now sells her earring to customers all around the world after starting from her kitchen table just five years ago.
An epic stretching beach with stunning turquoise blue rock pools has become a popular hotspot for travelling Australians and tourists.

The spectacular pools are along Talia Beach near Ellison less than two and a half hours' drive north from Port Lincoln on the eastern end of the Great Australian Bight.

At low tide, the ocean pulls back from the rocky shore to reveal a series of unique natural pools with crystal clear water perfect for a dip while taking in the stunning coastal views.

Travellers are flocking to Talia Beach - an epic stretching shoreline with a series of natural turquoise clear rock pools

The spectacular pools along Talia Beach are less than two and a half hours' drive north from Port Lincoln on the eastern end of the Great Australian Bight

At low tide, the ocean pulls back from the rocky shore to reveal a series of unique natural pools with crystal clear water perfect for a dip while taking in the stunning coastal views

The area is famed for its epic sunsets, sunrises and spectacular scenery and has been popping up all over social media as travellers post jaw-dropping images of their visit.

Adventures can cool themselves in the pools or, with their glass-clear waters, look to see what marine creatures the tide left behind.

The pools are visible when the tides go out twice a day from sunrise and sunset and best visited during small swells so travellers are advised to pay attention to weather conditions.

Adventures can cool themselves in the pools or, with their glass-clear waters, look to see what marine creatures the tide left behind

The pools are visible when the tides go out twice a day from sunrise and sunset and best visited during small swells so travellers are advised to pay attention to weather conditions

Near the pool is a monumental Woolshed cave with a 50-metre-wide mouth that acts as a natural window to the ocean outside

The area is famed for its epic sunsets, sunrises and spectacular scenery and has been popping up all over social media as travellers post jaw-dropping images of their visit

Around the corner from the pools you can also explore the amazing Woolshed cave, an epic cavern carved out of the granite cliff by the pounding waves.

Woolshed cave's 50-metre-wide mouth acts as a natural window to the ocean outside and you can hear echoes of the crashing waves outside and bats hanging on the honeycomb ceiling overhead.

Aside from the rockpools and caves, Talia beach is also an ideal spot for rock fishing, camping and surfing with frequent sightings of sea lions, dolphins, and whale during their winter migration.
A 12-year-old girl was left on the brink of death after doctors dismissed meningitis as a common cold.

Harri Tuson, now 13, of Eltham in London, was taken to A&E last June after suffering from a fever, runny nose and headache for a week.

Her mother claims medics at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich said it was just a cold, despite a blood test indicating Harri's body was fighting something more severe.

Toni Tuson, 38, said she had a 'gut feeling' doctors were wrong but reluctantly took her daughter home after spending eight hours in the emergency department.

But later that night Harri suffered a seizure and was rushed to hospital again, where scans revealed she had bacterial meningitis and deadly inflammation in her brain.

She spent six days in an induced coma and was put on a course of antibiotics. When she was discharged from hospital three weeks later, she had to use a wheelchair for two months and relearn how to walk.

Ms Tuson has shared Harri's story to encourage other mothers to 'trust their instincts' and raise awareness about the infection.

Harri Tuson, from Eltham in London, took a turn for the worse last June after suffering from cold-like symptoms for a week. Despite a soaring temperature and blood tests confirming she had an infection, her mother Toni Tuson, 38, claims A&E medics at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich dismissed the symptoms as a virus

Harri was later rushed to hospital after suffering a seizure, where scans confirmed she had meningitis and an inflamed brain. She spent six days in an induced coma and three weeks in hospital in total

Toni Tuson (right), who is a business information manager, has shared Harri's (left) story to encourage other mothers to trust their instinct and raise awareness of the bacterial infection

Harri fell ill last June, suffering from cold-like symptoms that did not clear after a week.

Her mother rushed her to hospital when Harri's temperature soared to 40C (104F) and she began to look 'grey and unwell'.

Ms Tuson said: 'My gut feeling was telling me this isn't just a cold or virus.

WHAT IS MENINGITIS? Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, called meninges. It is caused by bacteria or viruses that enter the bloodstream and travel to the brain and spinal cord and can occur after a separate infection or illness. It can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults. Meningitis can be very serious if not treated quickly. It can cause life-threatening blood poisoning and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves. A number of vaccinations are available that offer some protection against meningitis. Its symptoms include a fever, being sick, a headache, a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it, a stiff neck, a dislike of bright lights, drowsiness and seizures. These symptoms can appear in any order and sufferers do not always get all the symptoms. The infection is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infections, which are spread through sneezing or coughing. Bacterial meningities usually needs to be treated in hospital for at least one week, through antibiotics and fluids given directly into a vein and oxygen through a face mask. Viral meningitis tends to get better on its own within seven to 10 days. Source: NHS Advertisement

'I had to push for a blood test and it came back with markers that would indicate an infection but we were discharged.

'In hindsight and the benefit of all the research I have since done, I shouldn't have left.

'But we were there for eight hours and I was made to feel like a neurotic parent and that nothing was wrong, so I had to trust the doctor's word and go home.'

That night Ms Tuson lay at the end of her daughter's bed with an overnight hospital bag ready.

At around 2am, Harri woke up and walked to the bathroom  but the youngster didn't return to her room.

Ms Tuson, who went to inspect, said: 'She was completely out of it and didn't even know where she was.

'She was staring right through me and looked brain damaged.

'One pupil was bigger than the other and I later found out that this was a seizure. I was terrified.'

The pair were rushed in an ambulance back to Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

A CT scan showed Harri was suffering from a brain infection and hospital doctors immediately gave her antibiotics.

The schoolgirl was transferred to Kings College Hospital in London for an MRI scan which revealed she had meningitis, inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

Doctors also discovered Harri had encephalitis  a dangerous complication that sees the brain itself became inflamed.

She was put into a medically-induced coma for six days to prevent the brain from swelling further.

Ms Tuson said: 'I was in shock as she didn't have the symptoms I was familiar with  such as a non-blanching rash or sensitivity to light.





'They said they would do everything possible to protect her brain but prepared us for the worst, saying some people don't even wake up.





'Harri started off with a cold but the sinus infection migrated towards her brain and festered in her sinuses. That is how she ended up with bacterial meningitis.'

Around one in five people who catch bacterial meningitis have serious complications, while 10 per cent die.

It is caused by bacteria or viruses that enter the bloodstream and travel to the brain and spinal cord and can occur after a separate infection or illness.

On the fifth day in a coma, doctors tried to wake Harri up but her left lung collapsed and the right side of her body was paralysed.

Ms Huson describes the following day as 'one of the hardest' as Harri woke up emotionless.

Harri was put into an induced coma at Kings College Hospital in London for six days. Ms Tuson said: 'I was in shock as she didn't have the symptoms I was familiar with  such as a non-blanching rash or sensitivity to light'

Harri (pictured) spent three weeks in Kings College hospital and then nurses came daily to infuse her with antibiotics for six weeks. The schoolgirl used a wheelchair for eight weeks and had to learn how to walk again and rebuild her strength

She said: 'I was happy that she was starting to wake up but it was the worst day.

'I was terrified as she was trying to scream but no noise was coming out. She wasn't responding  I thought she was brain dead.

'She had no emotions and was unable to form a sentence.

'But thankfully, every day something more would move like her lips and eyes which gave us a little bit of hope. It took about three days for Harri to switch back on.'

The schoolgirl spent three weeks in Kings College hospital and then nurses came daily to infuse her with antibiotics for six weeks at home.

Harri used a wheelchair for eight weeks and had to learn how to walk again and rebuild her strength.

Ms Huson said: 'Harri is very smart and loves to read.

'I was worried in case she would struggle academically but she has managed to catch back up with school work after missing a term.

'It took months for Harri to recover and she still has balance issues.

'She was unlucky enough to get it because it is so rare, but incredibly lucky to survive and come back without serious permanent damage.

Ms Huson said she is 'glad she trusted her instincts' as otherwise Harri might not 'be here today'.

She said: 'She shouldn't have been sent home but thankfully when she arrived back at the hospital in the ambulance the doctors did an amazing job.

'She was just let down by the urgent care team in A&E. Harri is doing super well. We are still in shock that it's happened.'

A spokesperson from the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust said: 'We cannot comment on this case in the media due to patient confidentiality.

'But we carried out a detailed investigation last year after Mrs Tuson complained about her daughter's care, and we sent her a full response in October 2021, addressing all of her concerns.'
A Malaysian woman developed 'ram's horns' on one of her breasts after an 'extremely rare' case of viral warts.

The 63-year-old, who wasn't identified, told doctors the growths had spontaneously appeared on the left side of her chest two years ago.

By the time she went to hospital they had grown to around 5cm (2inch) in length and had become itchy.

The woman was told she had cutaneous horns (CH), which occur due to a build-up of keratin, a protein in hair, skin and nails.

Doctors believe the horns formed as the result of a skin infection after tests ruled out cancer. But exactly how is 'still a mystery'.

Doctors at the Hospital Queen Elizabeth 2 in Kota Kinabalu surgically removed the horns and the patient made a full recovery.

The tale was revealed in a case report published in the journal the Annals of Medicine and Surgery.

A Malaysian woman developed 'ram's horns' on her left breast after a rare case of viral warts

Writing in the report, the medics said: 'Cutaneous horns usually appear as elongated projections ranging from a couple of millimetres to centimetres.

'It could also be described as a ram's horn. It gradually grows over the years.'

The Malaysian woman went to hospital complaining of the horn-like growths that caused her 'on and off itchiness'.

Scans revealed the masses had formed on the surface of the skin and had not spread to the breast tissue itself.

There were no signs of inflammation or soreness, which gave the medics confidence it was not cancerous.

Doctors performed a bedside excision to remove the horns and sent off samples to be tested for the disease  which came back negative.

The patient did not have warts on any other part of her body and was not suffering from other skin conditions.

Writing in her case report, published on April 8, the medics said: 'As of this writing she is in good health and shows no signs of recurrence.'

'Her scar from the biopsy is well healed and does not show any signs of recurrence after follow up for six months.'

The prevalence of cutaneous horns is not known but the medics described them as 'extremely rare'.

Causes are not clear but scientists have previously found links to radiation and UV exposure.

Research suggests the most common cause is actinic keratosis, which occurs due to overexposure to UV radiation.

But the most recent case was judged to have been caused by verrucae vulgaris, viral warts caused by human papillomaviruses (HPV).

The normally harmless viruses can enter the skin and cause a skin infection that forms warts.

The most common location for cutaneous horns are the scalp and upper face, or other areas most exposed to the sun such as the chest, shoulder and neck.

However, they have been found all over the body, including on the penis.
Organised and self-disciplined people may be better protected against dementia later in life, a study claimed today.

Extroverts may also have an extra year before they start developing mild cognitive impairment  the first steps towards dementia.

But the effects appear reversed for people of a moody disposition, according to the researchers.

The project tracked nearly 2,000 older adults in Chicago for up to 25 years to see if their personality traits were linked to cognitive decline.

People who scored high in 'conscientiousness'  being organised and driven  lived nearly two years longer before seeing mental drops.

Adults deemed extroverts  more talkative, assertive and emotionally expressive  also gained an extra year of sound cognition.

But volunteers with higher neuroticism scores  sadness, moodiness and emotional instability  began suffering mild cognitive impairment one year earlier.

Organised and self-disciplined people could be better protected against dementia in later years, a study claimed today

The research, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, was observational so could not establish why personality may influence dementia risk.

But Dr Tomiko Yoneda, a psychologist at the University of Victoria, pointed to a wealth of previous evidence linking being more social with a lowered risk.

WHAT IS DEMENTIA? THE KILLER DISEASE THAT ROBS SUFFERERS OF THEIR MEMORIES A GLOBAL CONCERN Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders (those affecting the brain) which impact memory, thinking and behaviour. There are many different types of dementia, of which Alzheimer's disease is the most common. Some people may have a combination of types of dementia. Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience their dementia in their own unique way. Dementia is a global concern but it is most often seen in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live into very old age. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED? The Alzheimer's Society reports there are more than 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK today. This is projected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting between 50 and 75 per cent of those diagnosed. In the US, it's estimated there are 5.5 million Alzheimer's sufferers. A similar percentage rise is expected in the coming years. As a person's age increases, so does the risk of them developing dementia. Rates of diagnosis are improving but many people with dementia are thought to still be undiagnosed. IS THERE A CURE? Currently there is no cure for dementia. But new drugs can slow down its progression and the earlier it is spotted the more effective treatments are. Source: Alzheimer's Society Advertisement

Mental stimulation is thought to be one of the biggest protectors of cognitive decline.

The study also involved experts from the University of Edinburgh and Northwestern University in Illinois, the US.

They tracked 1,954 people  who were in their eighties on average  from 1997 until this year.

Participants were given character assessments during in-person interviews. Some interviews were done over the phone if in-person conversations were not possible.

They were given a score on a 48-point scale for each personality trait.

Doctors asked to answer whether they fit specific statements, for example 'I am a productive person who always gets the job done', to assess how well they fit the trait.

And they received at least two annual cognitive checks  or one prior to death  to assess for MCI.

The researchers did not, however, find any association between personality traits and lifespans.

Dr Yoneda said: 'Personality traits reflect relatively enduring patterns of thinking and behaving, which may cumulatively affect engagement in healthy and unhealthy behaviors and thought patterns across the lifespan.

'The accumulation of lifelong experiences may then contribute to susceptibility of particular diseases or disorders, such as mild cognitive impairment, or contribute to individual differences in the ability to withstand age-related neurological changes.'

Experts said future research should focus on how cognitive impairment is related to the other two of the big five personality traits: agreeableness and openness.

Agreeableness is associated with showing signs of trust, kindness and affection.

Openness describes the extent to which people show imagination and insight.

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders that impact memory, thinking and behaviour.

Around 850,000 people in the UK are estimated to have the condition, according to the NHS. It affects 5.8million people in the US.

Mild cognitive impairment is often a precursor to the memory-robbing condition, although not everyone with MCI goes on to develop the condition.
Zapping the penis could combat premature ejaculation, doctors claim.

One man who underwent the therapy was able to last roughly seven times longer in bed.

He underwent the treatment, which involved getting electrodes stuck onto his penis for 30 minutes at a time, three times a week.

Doctors in Lebanon, who treated the unidentified man, say he ejaculated within 40 seconds before seeking help.

But six months after completing the treatment, he was able to pleasure his girlfriend for almost five minutes before climaxing.

The Beirut-based medics called for studies to determine if the device can be rolled out as a safe and drug-free treatment for more patients.

Urologists at Lebanese University told the case of the 28-year-old patient, for whom drugs failed to help.

The patient had been in a relationship with his girlfriend for a year, medics wrote in the Asian Journal of Urology.

They had sex at least twice per week, and he would climax after just 40 seconds 'on almost all occasions'.

Dr Mohamad Moussa and colleagues trialled running an electrical current through his penis.

They hoped it would stimulate his dorsal penile nerve, one of the nerves that gathers movement and sensation information from the penis.

HOW DOES THE DEVICE WORK? Medics place two round surface electrodes, attached to a nerve stimulator machine, on the penis shaft. One is placed at the base and the other is 2cm further up. The device stimulates the dorsal penile nerve and interferes with the responses needed for muscles to contract as part of ejaculation. It had a frequency of 20 Hz, a pulse width of 200 s and the wave was set between 20 mA and 60 mA. The patient is given three 30-minute sessions per week, over the course of six months. Advertisement

Whenever the man underwent the zapping therapy, he had two electrodes placed on the surface of his penis.

One was placed at the bottom of his member, while the other sat around 2cm higher up.

Over the course of six months, he underwent three 30-minute sessions each week  where he was exposed to a continuous current.

It had a frequency of 20 Hz, a pulse width of 200 s and the wave was set between 20 mA and 60 mA.

For comparison, patients who receive deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's are exposed to more than 100 Hz.

Medics did not say whether the treatment was painful, but studies on similar devices said they can be used 'without discomfort'.

The man used a stopwatch during sex to measure his intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT)  the time from vaginal penetration to ejaculation.

Before the treatment, his IELT was 40 seconds. But by the end of the six-month trial, his average IELT jumped to roughly three minutes and 54 seconds.

And the duration continued to rise even after he stopped using the device, reaching an average of five minutes 14 months later.

That is the average length it takes for men to ejaculate, according to the NHS.

The team said it is 'not fully understood' how the device works to improve premature ejaculation.

But during ejaculation, sperm is released through contraction of muscles between the anus and scrotum  called the bulbospongiosus and ischiocavernosus.

The medics believe stimulating the dorsal nerve interferes with the muscles and stops the contracting as quickly.

They said the procedure is non-invasive and called for further studies to determine whether it can be used as a safe and drug-free treatment for premature ejaculation.

Up to 40 per cent of men experience the problem at some point. But there is no definition for what is classed as a premature ejaculation.

The NHS advises men to seek help for premature ejaculation if half of their attempts at sex result are cut short.

The NHS also advises men to try masturbating before sex, using a thick condom and taking breaks during sex before seeking medical help.

Premature ejaculation can be caused by prostate problems and taking recreational drugs, as well as by stress and anxiety.

Current treatments include dapoxetine tablets, which is taken a few hours before sex, and lidocaine and prilocaine gels, which delay ejaculation.
A girl was left looking 'dead behind the eyes' after contracting salmonella from a Kinder Surprise chocolate egg, her mother claims.

Charlotte Wingfield, thought to be from Dorset, said daughter Brooklyn-Mai, three, had never been 'so poorly' in her life after the suspected food poisoning last week.

The mother assumed her little girl had caught a tummy bug when her temperature shot to 39C and she became so weak she struggled to stay awake.

In a Facebook post that has been shared hundreds of times, Ms Wingfield claims it has since been 'confirmed she has salmonella from the Kinder chocolate she ate'.

Confectionary giant Ferrero last week recalled eight of its Kinder chocolate products  including Surprise eggs  after they were linked to salmonella contamination at a factory in Belgium.

A spokesperson said the company is 'very sorry to hear about Brooklyn-Mai' and its 'sincere thoughts are with her and her family at the time'.

Ms Wingfield said her 'usually fiery, adventurous and very active baby girl' was left 'so lifeless' after being struck down last Monday.

'It's been absolutely heartbreaking to see my usually fiery, adventurous and very active baby girl be the complete opposite of everything she usually is,' she said.

She urged others who had the treats at home to throw them out.

Charlotte Wingfield said her daughter Brooklyn-Mai (pictured) was 'so poorly' last week and she assumed the toddler was suffering from a viral bug. But she just days later it was 'confirmed she has salmonella from the Kinder chocolate she ate', Ms Wingfield said

Ms Wingfield (pictured with her daughter Brooklyn-Mai) said her daughter was left 'completely dead behind the eyes and so lifeless'. 'It's been absolutely heartbreaking to see my usually fiery, adventurous and very active baby girl be the complete opposite of everything she usually is,' she said

Ms Wingfield took to Facebook to reveal the news in a post which has been shared more than 500 times.

The parent had just recovered from a stomach bug and assumed her daughter had been struck down with the same illness.

WHAT KINDER PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN RECALLED? Kinder voluntarily recalled a selection of its products, which were manufactured in Belgium, in response to dozens of reported salmonella cases. Kinder Surprise 20g

Kinder Surprise 20g x 3 multipacks-

Kinder Surprise 100g

Kinder Mini eggs 75g

Kinder Egg Hunt Kit 150g

Kinder Schokobons 70g

Kinder Schokobons 200g

Kinder Schokobons 320g The Food Standards Agency said anyone who has bought these products should not eat them. Instead, Britons should contact Ferrero consumer careline to obtain a full refund. Advertisement

She became more concerned when Brooklyn-Mai slept for '21 out of the following 24 hours and then kept falling asleep as she was doing things'.

Ms Wingfield said: 'I knew something wasn't right and spoke to the GP who ran through a list of what it could be alongside a hospital visit.

'I came away thinking she had a viral bug.

'Fast forward three days and it's been confirmed she has salmonella from the Kinder chocolate she ate on Sunday.'

Brooklyn-Mai has been ill 'a couple of times but this has been something else', Ms Wingfield said.

The toddler slept for all but 12 hours over four days last week, Ms Wingfield added.

'She's been completely dead behind the eyes and so lifeless.'

Brooklyn-Mai started to feel better on Thursday, becoming 'aware of her surroundings again and has been able to play for the first time in days'.

Her mother said: 'Anyone with little ones who eat Kinder chocolate products, especially the surprise eggs and have products with their best before dates between July 11 2022 and October 7 2022, please please throw them!'

The problems with some Kinder products were revealed last Wednesday by the Food Standards Agency, which warned the public to dispose of a series of Kinder products, including Kinder Surprise 20g eggs and Kinder Mini eggs.

A UK-wide investigation found a link between reported salmonella cases and products made by Kinder's parent company Ferrero.

But by Friday, the British food watchdog warned consumers not to eat a series of Kinder products, regardless of their best before date, and contact Ferrero consumer careline to obtain a refund.

The products affected Kinder products are its Surprise eggs, three-packs of the chocolate eggs, mini eggs, egg hunt box and schokobons.

And Belgium's food regulator, AFSCA, on Saturday ordered the factory in Arlon to close after the company was unable to provide documents needed for its separate investigation.

Ms Wingfield added: 'She's (Brooklyn-Mai, pictured) been completely dead behind the eyes and so lifeless, it's been absolutely heartbreaking to see my usually fiery, adventurous and very active baby girl be the complete opposite of everything she usually is.'

A UK-wide investigation found a link between reported salmonella cases and products made by Kinder's parent company Ferrero. But by Friday, the British food watchdog warned consumers not to eat a series of Kinder products, regardless of their best before date

It said the factory can only open if it can provide it complied with food safety rules.

A Ferrero spokesperson said: 'We are very sorry to hear about Brooklyn-Mai and our sincere thoughts are with her and her family at this time. We deeply regret this matter.

'We continue to work closely with the food safety authorities to support their investigations.

'Food safety, quality and consumer care have been at the heart of Ferrero since the company was founded.

'We are taking every step necessary to preserve the full trust and confidence of our consumers.'

Salmonella  food poisoning caused by salmonella bacteria  is rarely serious and usually gets better within a week.

It is caused by eating something that has been contaminated with germs, such as food that is not cooked or stored properly, is left out too long or handled by someone who is ill or has not washed their hands.

Symptoms usually include feeling sick, diarrhoea, being sick, stomach cramps, a fever and feeling generally unwell.

Signs of the illness usually start anytime from a few hours to a few weeks after eating the food that caused the infection.
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Covid cases are starting to rise once again in parts of the U.S. after nearly three months of declines coming off of the massive winter Omicron surge - but health officials say it's not a cause for concern because hospitalizations and deaths remain low.

Dr Ashish Jha, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator who also served as dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told NBC's TODAY and MSNBC's Morning Joe on Monday morning that despite recent case rises in more than half of U.S. states, Americans do not have reason to be 'excessively concerned' about the current pandemic situation.

According to most recent data, daily Covid cases have increased over the past two weeks in 26 U.S. states. Cases are increasing nationwide as well, with data from Friday, April 8, reporting an average of 36,204 daily infections - a 25 percent jump from the previous week.

Raw case figures are not particularly high, though, and Jha also says that hospitalizations are currently the lowest they've been at any point of the pandemic.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, also said this week that Americans will have to start to decide for themselves how they would like to live with the virus and that it could not be eradicated.

Daily Covid infections are now rising in 26 US states after months of sharp declines around the country

Jha points to the BA.2 'stealth' variant as responsible for the recent increase in cases.

Dr Ashish Jha, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, said that he is not very concerned with America's current Covid situation despite cases rising in more than half of states

'It is incredibly contagious, even more contagious than the original subvariant of Omicron, and it caused a substantial spike in cases in Europe,' he said to Morning Joe, referring to case spikes suffered by the UK, Denmark and other European nations upon the sub-variant's discovery earlier this year.

The stealth variant is causing slight case upticks across America, though the case rises have not been anywhere near as dramatic as the ones seen nationwide when the Omicron variant first arrived in late December and early January.

New York is suffering the largest increase, with cases up 60 percent over the past two weeks in the empire state. Mississippi (57 percent jump in infections over past two weeks), Kansas (41 percent) and Oregon (40 percent) have experienced sharp increases as well.

The strain earned the 'stealth' moniker from its ability to avoid some types of virus surveillance practices, and it is believed to only be detectable by genomic sequencing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported last week that the strain now makes up 72 percent of sequenced Covid cases in the U.S. - overtaking the BA.1 strain that dominated much of the winter.

Like it's predecessor, the strain is more mild than other versions of the virus. It causes hospitalization and death at a much lower rate than other variants.

'The thing that we care most about, people getting really sick, hospitalizations, deaths, they remain really low. We have fewer people in the hospital right now than at any point in the pandemic,' Jha said.

According to most recently available data, 15,058 Americans are in the hospital with Covid every day, an 18 percent drop over the past two weeks. Many of these people may not have a severe case of the virus, as the figure also includes people who are hospitalized for another condition and test positive for the virus while present.

Deaths are down as well, with the nation recording 551 daily Covid deaths as of Friday, with last week being the least deadly for the virus since August 2021.

Because of this, Jha is not particularly concerned about America's current Covid situation.

'I don't think this is a moment where we have to be excessively concerned,' he told TODAY.

'...We should not let this infection run wild, we should watch it carefully and keep it under control. At the same time we dont have to let it dictate our lives anymore.

He is not the only major U.S. official to show less concern for Covid in recent days. Fauci, who serves as director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease, said over the weekend that the virus will never be 'eradicated', but instead people will have to decide from themselves how much risk they want to take living alongside it day-to-day.

'There will be - and we've said this many times even in our own discussions between you and I, that there will be a level of infection,' Fauci told ABC's This Week on Sunday.

'This is not going to be eradicated and it's not going to be eliminated. And what's going to happen is that we're going to see that each individual is going to have to make their calculation of the amount of risk that they want to take in going to indoor dinners and in going to functions.'

Officials are still recommending Americans to get the Covid vaccines as soon as they can if they have not already, as the jabs are mostly responsible for the declining hospitalizations and deaths in the country.

Per most recent data from the CDC, 89 percent of American adults have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 75 percent fully vaccinated. Nearly half of adults have received an additional booster shot, and a second booster dose became available to those 50 and older earlier this month.

'There are still a lot of Americans that are not yet vaccinated or boosted, and when they get [infected] the consequences are still quite substantial,' Jha said.
Breathing in second-hand cannabis smoke from a bong exposes people to four times more toxic pollutants than those from a standard cigarette, a study has found.

The risks of second-hand cigarette smoking have been known for years, but this paper is thought to be one of the first to show marijuana fumes also pose a risk.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley monitored PM2.5 levels  a particle type that can worsen asthma and heart disease  in a room over the two hours bong smoking took place, and for two hours afterwards.

Patton Nguyen, a master's of public health student at the university and lead study author, warned that 'bong smoking was not safe'.

He said toxic fumes released from the devices could pose a risk to children, pregnant women and grandparents if they also inhaled them.

A total of 18 US states  including California, New York and Arizona  have already legalized the smoking of cannabis for recreational reasons, with 20 others having legalized it more medical purposes.

Pressure is also building on the federal government to legalize the drug recreationally.

The above graph shows the PM2.5 levels in the air before, during and after smoking a bong during the eight sessions alongside the average (blue dotted line). The recommended levels from the Environmental Protection Agency are included (red dotted line)

PM2.5 particles in the air can irritate the lining of the nose and throat, and raise the risk of asthma and heart problems studies suggest (file photo)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns marijuana smoke contains many of the same toxic and cancer-causing chemicals as in cigarettes.

Previous studies showed the compound responsible for the marijuana 'high' can be passed to children and infants through second-hand smoking.

This could pose a risk to youngster's mental development, and trigger problems with attention, motivation and memory.

What is PM2.5? PM2.5 is a tiny piece of a solid or liquid that is suspended in the air. It can include metals, microplastics, soils and chemicals. PM2.5 is often emitted when substances are burned, such as fuel in a car or tobacco in a cigarette. But it can also get into the air when particles on a surface are disturbed by sudden movements. The particles can get into the eyes, ears, nose and throat  triggering irritation. Studies have shown they can worsen asthma and heart conditions. Advertisement

Researchers, who published their findings at the end of last month in JAMA Network Open, asked participants to sit in a room with the windows and doors closed and smoke a bong for about two hours.

An aerosol monitor  often used on sites where there is a risk of toxic gas exposure  was then used to measure the levels of PM2.5.

They found during these periods PM2.5 levels rose to about 1,300 micrograms of gaseous pollutant per cubic meter of air (ug/m3).

This is about five times the recommended maximum level from the US Environmental Protection Agency (250ug/m3).

It was also four times that measured in rooms where people were smoking cigarettes, up to 330ug/m3.

From 12 hours after cannabis smoking stopped, levels still exceeded the EPA daily standard, 35ug/m3, six-fold.

The study did not look at PM2.5 levels after smoking cannabis as a joint.

Data on cigarette smoking came from a separate study carried out by Columbia University researchers last year.

In the Columbia study, PM2.5 levels were measured during a smoking session in rooms in the New York area.

PM2.5 is a minute particle that can be released from cars, planes, and from burning cigarettes and cannabis.

It can irritate the lining of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs, triggering coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath.

Previous studies have also linked higher levels of this pollutant to rising numbers of respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations.

Nguyen said: 'Second-hand cannabis smoking in the home can expose non-smokers to extremely high concentrations of fine particulate matter, as much as 10 times greater than the very unhealthy wildfire smoke the Bay Area experienced during the orange sky days of September 2020.

'The public should be aware of the potential concerns with second-hand cannabis smoke.

'Smokers should understand how smoking indoors can impact others and potentially expose children, pregnant women, the elderly, workers and non-smokers.

'Public health policies should establish cannabis smoke-free environments similar to tobacco smoke-free environments.'

About seven in ten cannabis smokers in the US consume it through smoking, while one in 10 eat or smoke it through a bong respectively.
Dental nurse Caroline Heath readily admits shed never have considered taking part in a trial for a vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus if she hadnt happened to be at a talk about coronavirus  and how the race to develop a vaccine for it was won.

The talk was part of Henley Literary Festival, last October, and the speaker Dame Sarah Gilbert, the scientist behind the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine and author of the book, Vaxxers.

Dame Sarah explained that before Covid shed been working on a vaccine for Ebola and that they now needed volunteers for this.

There was polite laughter from the audience, but that clocked in my head, says Caroline, 43, who lives near Reading, Berkshire.

A few weeks later, I got in touch with the trial organisers and went for my first meeting. It all started from there.

Dental nurse Caroline Heath readily admits shed never have considered taking part in a trial for a vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus if she hadnt happened to be at a talk about coronavirus

Oxford University launched the first phase of its Ebola vaccine trials at the end of last year, with Caroline the first volunteer in the world to get the jab.

The vaccine is designed to tackle the Zaire and Sudan types of Ebola, which have caused nearly all outbreaks and deaths worldwide. A 2014 outbreak in West Africa killed 10,000 people.

Although researchers succeed in recruiting enough volunteers for most clinical trials, some  including those involving exotic, or dangerous, viruses or diseases such as Ebola that most Britons are unlikely to encounter  have, in the past, struggled.

But the publicity surrounding the global hunt for a Covid vaccine appears to have prompted a sea change in the publics attitude  including greater involvement in trials.

The fact the AstraZeneca vaccine was developed here in the UK has definitely had a motivating effect, says Dr Daniel Jenkin, a senior clinical research fellow at The Jenner Institute in Oxford and lead investigator for the Ebola trial.

Its helped people realise that even if its far away, the world does need these vaccines.

One of the four species of Ebola virus that affect humans, the Zaire causes death in 70 to 90 per cent of cases if left untreated.

Vaccines do exist for the Zaire species but Oxford researchers hope the new jab will prove successful against both the Zaire and the Sudan variant, for which there is no vaccine.

Dame Sarah explained that before Covid shed been working on a vaccine for Ebola and that they now needed volunteers for this. There was polite laughter from the audience, but that clocked in my head, says Caroline, 43, above, who lives near Reading, Berkshire. A few weeks later, I got in touch with the trial organisers and went for my first meeting. It all started from there'

The new vaccine is based on a weakened version of a common cold virus that has been genetically modified so that it cannot replicate in humans. The trial volunteers will not get Ebola.

In the first stage of the trial, 26 people aged 18 to 55 will receive a single dose. The first stage of any trial establishes the safety of a vaccine or drug.

In this case, the participants will be monitored over six months to see whether they suffer any side-effects and whether they develop Ebola antibodies  with results expected later this year.

Caroline had never previously taken part in a vaccine or drug trial. Indeed, she admits she had had her doubts about the development of the Covid-19 jabs.

During the Covid era, when people were talking about vaccines coming out, I, naively, was one of those who was saying How can they develop it so quickly?

I am not a massively science-y person, but after reading the book by Professor Sarah Gilbert and listening to her talk, a lot of it made sense to me.

It consolidated the fact that they had actually been working on this vaccine for a long time; it wasnt something they suddenly sat down and came up with.

That was reassuring  that the foundations for the Ebola vaccine were there with the work they had done for the Covid vaccine.

Experts from a range of medical fields agree that the publicity surrounding the race to develop a Covid vaccine has produced a better level of public understanding about trial procedures.

Research has taken a place in our national psyche now, because it was in the national psyche every day during the height of the pandemic, says Aoife Regan, head of clinical research at Cancer Research UK.

The new vaccine is based on a weakened version of a common cold virus that has been genetically modified so that it cannot replicate in humans. The trial volunteers will not get Ebola

Dr Jenkin agrees. I rarely have to explain what a phase one trial is now, he says  and this has translated into greater interest in signing up.

The recruitment for Oxford Universitys recent Com-CoV trials into the effectiveness of different coronavirus vaccinations for first and booster jabs went so well in the early stages (which involved the over 50s in February to April 2021) that we could have filled this programme with recruits ten times over, recalls Com-CoV trial lead investigator, Dr Matthew Snape, a professor of paediatrics and vaccinology at Oxford University.

Dr Jenkin says people volunteer for a variety of motives. One might be to access experimental drugs and new treatments, which can be particularly appealing to patients for whom standard treatments have not proved successful. These can include some patients with hard-to-treat cancers such as pancreatic, oesophageal and brain cancer, for whom outcomes from standard care are poor.

In randomised later-stage trials there is no guarantee that a volunteer will receive the new drug, as they may get normal standard of care instead. Nonetheless, they may benefit from being treated in research hospitals, with regular check-ups and tests.

There is some evidence to suggest that patients treated as part of a clinical trial generally feel more positive and may even have better outcomes regardless of whether they received the trial drug, says Aoife Regan.

The reasons for this trial effect arent clear but may include patients being more assiduous about taking their medication due to contact with the study team.

The recent Com-CoV trials suggest many volunteers also carefully evaluate their own risk or benefit against the risk or benefit to society.

The trial recruited well in the early stages, Com-CoV and Com-CoV2, which involved the over 50s  enabling this age group, which was at greater risk of serious complications of coronavirus, to get jabs ahead of the NHS roll-out.

Yet Com-CoV3, which involved adolescents aged 12 to 15, was not overwhelmed in the same way, probably partly due to the fact this age group is less likely to become seriously ill with coronavirus, so their personal gain is less.

In any event, recruitment to the adolescent Com-CoV trial was halted early when it was announced this age group would be eligible for two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

But Professor Snape says that the trial has nonetheless been able to attract enough volunteers to produce the necessary data, partly because Covid has raised the profile of vaccine research and research in general.

Another motivation for some is the financial compensation for taking part. Not all medical trials offer this, but the Ebola vaccine trial, for instance, offers 370 per patient to compensate for time spent and travel expenses.

Yet, post Covid, numerous Ebola volunteers have in fact turned down the offer of payment out of a sense of public duty  the first time weve seen this, says Dr Jenkin.

Caroline says her biggest motivation for taking part was being able to help with a clinical trial.

This sense of public service also motivated one of her fellow volunteers, 23-year-old Alice Yu, a postgraduate student studying international relations at Oxford University, who also took part in the Ebola trial, partly out of altruistic motives and partly out of curiosity.

The biggest motivating factor we come across is genuinely people wanting to help us progress our research in vaccines, says Dr Jenkin.

But public support for vaccine and drug trials is by no means universal. The pandemic has prompted an avalanche of anti-vax sentiment and misinformation on social media about the Covid vaccine in particular and vaccines in general, says Dr Jenkin.

This might partly be behind a recent drop in the numbers of children receiving childhood vaccinations, too.

In February, the UK Health Security Agency warned that coverage of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines first dose had dropped below 90 per cent in two year-olds. By age five, uptake of two doses had dropped to 85.5 per cent  well below the World Health Organisations 95 per cent target needed for elimination of measles.

And its not just MMR: small reductions have been seen in the uptake of other childhood vaccines including the combined six-in-one diphtheria, hepatitis B, Hib, polio, tetanus, and whooping cough vaccine, as well as those for rotavirus and meningitis B, according to an article published in the BMJ in February.

This may be partly for practical reasons  for instance, research published in 2020 found there was confusion among some parents as to whether services such as childhood vaccination clinics were still open.

But another study, from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington found that Covid vaccination rates were linked to trust in government, The Lancet recently [SUBS: February] reported.

But while the pandemic may have helped recruit volunteers for trials, it had a hugely negative impact on trials in other ways

Many of those for cancer treatments, for instance, were paused due to lack of medical staff (many were redeployed to support the Covid effort), and Aoife Regan estimates that, even now, the number of patients involved in all cancer trials across the Cancer Research UK portfolio is still only 70 per cent of what it was pre-pandemic.

And we certainly saw patients responding to stay at home messaging, she adds.

Above all, though, the pandemic has raised the profile of science.

As a nation, we are much more aware of medical research and the role that UK research has played through the pandemic and that can only benefit us all in the future, says Aoife Regan.

There simply wasnt the manpower, she explains. There was also a halt to anything generating aerosols, which included endoscopies needed to test for oesophageal cancer.

And we certainly saw patients responding to stay at home messaging - our trial teams tried to find other ways to continue our research including posting drugs to patients and seeing if we could arrange follow-up appointments locally with GPs for instance.

Such Covid-era measures have now provided insights into making trials more attractive for future participants  for instance by organising them so that patients no longer have to travel potentially long distances to a research facility if a more convenient option is available.

Another important lesson being learned is from the higher Covid-19 infection and mortality rates for ethnic communities, says Aoife Regan; this has increased the urgency in ensuring that future trials are available and attractive to these communities.

Cancer Research UK now requires all applicants for new trials to include plans for how their study will recruit patients from populations that may be under-represented in research, for example ethnic minorities and people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

This is vital, not only because it is the just and ethical thing to do, but also so we can safely apply the results of research to the general population,  says Aoife Regan.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and pledged his country's support for the latter's continuing fight against the Russian invasion by President Vladimir Putin.

The two officials received praise on social media platforms after they were seen walking together, which shows their solidarity in the face of Moscow's aggression. A video was captured and shared by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, showing Johnson and Zelensky defiantly walking the streets of Kyiv and speaking with local residents.

Johnson and Zelensky

In a Twitter post, the Defense Ministry said that the footage of the two officials together was showing what democracy really looks like. They argued that it also showed courage and true friendship between people and nations.

Johnson also posted a separate tweet where he praised Ukrainians for having the "courage of a lion" amid their battle against Russian forces. He said that Zelensky has given the "roar of that lion" and said that the UK stands unwaveringly with the people of Ukraine, as per Fox News.

The Ukrainian president also urged leaders of other Western countries to follow the example of the UK prime minister. At a news conference, Zelensky said that the world had to pressure Russia using sanctions and expressed his gratitude to the UK that continues to intensify the sanctions it imposed on Moscow.

Read Also: Zelensky Says Situation in Borodyanka 'More Dreadful' Than Bucha After Discovery of 26 Dead Civilians

Zelensky also thanked the UK for its continued support in the form of reinforcement of its defensive capabilities. The official's remarks called on Western nations to impose an embargo on Russian energy sources and supply more weapons to his military troops.

According to the Washington Post, the UK prime minister also called Putin's war on his country "inexcusable" as he pledged to intensify sanctions on Russia. He said that the consequences were not limited to just the freezing of assets in banks and sanctioning oligarchs. He also said they include moving away from the use of Russian hydrocarbons.

Russian Invasion of Ukraine

After the meeting between Johnson and Zelensky, Downing Street said that they would be sending 120 armored vehicles and anti-ship missile systems to support Ukraine. Senior officials under the Ukrainian president praised the UK for its support.

Johnson's trip to Kyiv was not announced in advance and he was first seen in the city in a photograph together with Zelensky. A spokesman for Downing Street said that the British prime minister traveled to Ukraine to meet with the Ukrainian president.

After the meeting, the British prime minister released a statement paying tribute to Zelensky's resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of his people. He argued that the country's residents have defied the odds and pushed back Russian forces from the gates of Kyiv.

Johnson added that the UK would be stepping up its own military and economic support and will convene a global alliance. It would work on bringing this tragic and horrible invasion to an end and ensure that Ukraine survives and thrives as a free and sovereign nation despite Russian aggression into its territory, BBC reported.



Related Article: Kremlin Spokesman Acknowledges 'Significant Losses' of Russian Troops in Ukraine, Calls It a 'Huge Tragedy'

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A premature baby born with an incomplete esophagus is the smallest ever to survive with the condition.

Harper Jacobo and her sister Gabriella weighed just 1lb (0.45kg) when they were born at 23 weeks in Alliance, Nebraska in February 2021.

After birth. the twins were rushed 250 miles to a specialist Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children in Denver, Colorado, where doctors found the tube between Harper's mouth and stomach had failed to connect.

Doctors carried out surgery before using magnets to successfully bring the two parts of the esophagus together.

Dr Steven Rothenberg, chief of pediatric surgery at the hospital, said Harper was the 'smallest baby ever to be born with this [condition] to survive'.

Pictured above is Harper (left) and Gabriella (right) Jacobo about a year after they were born, at home in Alliance, Nebraska

The pair weighed just 1lb (0.45kg) when they were born. Pictured above is mother Kayla Hatch holding one of her daughters at a hospital

Doctors at specialist Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children in Denver, Colorado, found that the tube between Harper's mouth and stomach had failed to connect. They carried out surgery and used magnets to join it together so that she could eat and breathe normally

Parents Kayla Hatch and Victor Jacobo pictured with Harper at the specialist hospital in Denver, Colorado, where she received surgery

The condition  known as esophageal atresia  occurs when the upper and lower part of the esophagus fail to connect.

It occurs in about one in 4,100 babies born in the U.S., although most babies survive the condition.

It is not clear what causes it, but scientists have suggested the condition could be down to abnormalities in the genes, pointing out that many sufferers also have problems with their digestive system, heart and kidneys.

What is esophageal atresia? This condition happens when the tube connecting the mouth and the stomach fails to connect. It leaves babies unable to pass food to their digestive system, and sometimes struggling to breathe. It is not clear what triggers the condition, but scientists have suggested it may be due to genetic abnormalities. They point out many children with the condition also have other issues such as digestive problems. Surgery is needed to connect the tube to enable the baby to eat properly. Multiple operations may be needed if the tube later becomes too narrow for food to pass through it, or if the muscles do not work well. About one in 4,100 babies born in the US are affected by the condition every year. Advertisement

Harper and her twin Gabriella were both born in February last year at about the earliest age from which babies have been known to survive outside the womb.

After transferring Harper to the specialist hospital, doctors there waited another four months before carrying out surgery.

They did not say how Harper was fed during this time.

After the initial surgery, doctors used a magnetic procedure to bring the esophagus together.

Harper spent the first year of her life in hospital receiving treatment before finally being discharged.

Gabriella was not born with the birth defect, and was discharged earlier into her family's care.

Parents Kayla Hatch and Victor Jacobo have thanked doctors for keeping their babies alive.

'To see them breathing, kicking... it's just truly awesome,' Jacobo said.

Fighting back tears, he added: 'We just can't thank everyone enough for being there and helping us through these trying times.

'For the rest of my life, I'm going to be thanking them.'

Babies have been known to survive outside the womb from 23 weeks of age, although they need high levels of medical care.

Esophageal Atresia is usually detected within the first few days of life, and can also be diagnosed in the womb from 23 weeks of age.

Almost all babies diagnosed with the condition survive, according to studies.
Today, Caron Nolan is undergoing major surgery for advanced bladder cancer. The mother of two from Bexley, Kent, is having her entire bladder and nearby lymph nodes removed, as well as her womb and fallopian tubes.

After the six-to-eight-hour operation, she will need to wear a urostomy bag  a pouch to collect urine as it drains from an opening in her abdomen.

Speaking to Good Health days before her surgery, Caron, 60, is nervous. Yet along with fear, the former fitness instructor is also experiencing another emotion: anger.

Anger that the NHS has let her down.

For six months, her symptoms were repeatedly dismissed as 'just an infection' by her GP  or, rather, GPs; she rarely spoke to the same doctor twice.

It was only after becoming desperately ill in February this year that Caron, who lives with her partner, learnt what was wrong  and only then because she'd gone to A&E.

She was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder, an aggressive form of the disease resistant to chemotherapy.

Paul Garratt, 40, a charity worker, lives with wife Rachel, 35, a GP, in Saffron Walden, Essex. He says: 'If Id waited for my scan, I might not be here. Going to A&E that night saved my life'

'At first I felt numb as it was so hard to make sense of it,' she recalls. 'But as it sank in, I was almost shaking with anger.

'My GPs should have done something months ago. I must have made ten appointments between last August, when my symptoms  needing the loo urgently several times a day and night  started, and early January when I began passing blood. Now the cancer has spread. I am terrified of what the future might bring.'

It is a shockingly common story. Research published last week revealed more than a third of cancer cases in the UK are only diagnosed after the patient went to A&E with cancer-related symptoms. The UK figures are far higher than in other, comparable high-income countries such as Canada and Norway.

Furthermore, people who end up in A&E were less likely to survive, particularly if they have stomach, bowel, liver, pancreatic, lung or ovarian cancer, according to the study by the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership and Cancer Research UK.

As these figures are pre-pandemic (the data are from 2012 to 2017), there is a real fear that the numbers will be even bleaker in the wake of the Covid restrictions on healthcare access.

Abigail Solieri, 33, an events director, lives with husband Chris, a digital marketing consultant, and their daughters - Arianna, six, Mya, three, Zara, one, and three-week-old Raya - in Herts. She said: 'We call Arianna Wonder Woman because she's an absolute trouper despite what she's going through. But I'm angry that no one realised something was seriously wrong sooner. If the GP had referred us for blood tests or a scan the cancer might not have spread'

Going to hospital saved my life Paul Garratt, 40, a charity worker, lives with wife Rachel, 35, a GP, in Saffron Walden, Essex. Id been feeling strange for about two weeks  bloated and uncomfortable after eating, always on my right side, under my ribcage. And for the past two years, Id found I couldnt put on weight like before. The feeling under my ribs became really painful. So I went to my GP, who thought it might be my appendix or gallbladder but, after examining me, said this was unlikely. So I was referred for a scan. This was in October 2020  on the cusp of the second lockdown  so there was a likelihood there would be a wait, even though the scan was marked urgent. Then, five days after seeing the GP and still with no news of my scan, I was suddenly violently sick. I kept being sick every 20 seconds. Rachel obviously knew this was not normal and rushed me to A&E. The nurse at the door took one look at me and ushered me through. I was given a CT scan and told there was a complete blockage in my colon, which had spread beyond my bowel wall  thats why I was being sick  and the blockage was life-threatening. The next morning I had surgery to remove a tumour. They hoped that would be it. But a follow-up scan a month later showed a 2 cm mass in my liver, and I had four rounds of chemotherapy and surgery. After another round of chemo in 2021, the doctors said theyd got it all  I now have three-monthly scans. I have no cancer and feel better than ever. If Id waited for my scan, I might not be here. Going to A&E that night saved my life. Advertisement

UK cancer survival rates already lag behind other developed nations. In 2019 the UK was near the bottom of the league table of high-income countries for all forms of the disease  and at the bottom for stomach, colon, rectum, pancreatic and lung cancer.

How can the UK compare so badly, given we have some of the world's leading cancer research teams as well as the latest tech? For example, Milton Keynes University Hospital has become the first in Europe to use the Versius Surgical Robotic System for major gynaecological surgery, including complex cancer cases.

The problem has many roots, but early diagnosis is a key issue.

Some forms of the disease, such as lung and ovarian cancer, can have ambiguous signs. The study found these cancers were more likely to be diagnosed in A&E, by which time the disease may be advanced, says Professor Karol Sikora, one of the UK's leading cancer experts. But he says this is compounded by flaws in the system.

'GPs may not see a patient's symptoms as serious, so they might come back four times before being sent for investigation,' he says.

'This is a system plagued by a lack of focus on the needs of the consumer. For example, the predominant consumers of general practice are older  they may not want access by computer. But the system these days doesn't adapt for the consumer  everything is online.'

The irony, he says, is that in the UK, we used to pride ourselves on the two-week wait referral system to ensure patients with suspected cancer symptoms were seen by a specialist within a fortnight.

'I was on the committee that designed it, and I know it was launched with the best intentions. But it doesn't work  partly due to a lack of diagnostic capacity  with relatively few people diagnosed in this way.

I wish Id kept a diary of my symptoms Janet Peacock, 61, a nurse, lives with her husband David, an accountant, in Truro, Cornwall, and has four children. During a training exercise in January 2020, a student measured my blood oxygen level at 93. A healthy level is between 95 and 100. It is a real red flag and can mean something is seriously wrong but I stupidly told the students it was probably a mistake. Ive since gone over why I dismissed it. I thought I was too busy. Ive seen so many timewasters in the NHS that it has pushed me the other way, to ignore signs. It wasnt even my first symptom. Id had consistent pain in my left leg for months, which radiated from my bottom. My GP said it sounded like sciatica and recommended painkillers, which Id been taking anyway. Then I started suffering from bloating and by May 2020, my oxygen levels fell as low as 88. This time my GP sent me for an X-ray, which showed pleural effusion, where the lining of the lung had filled with fluid. I blamed a flu I had months earlier and went home, but within days was back in A&E. Doctors said they wanted to do a CA125 test to measure a protein that can indicate ovarian cancer. A healthy reading should be 35  mine was over 700. Days later, on my 60th birthday, I got my diagnosis of ovarian cancer. My breathlessness and pain were caused by the 5 cm x 6 cm tumour. It was Stage 4, having spread beyond the ovaries, and incurable. I had surgery in July 2020 to remove my ovaries and tumour, followed by chemotherapy. But the cancer returned within months and Im now on a drug called niraparib, a tablet that slows cancer growth. I dont blame my GP. The situation was dire due to Covid and I ignored my symptoms. I dont know how long I have left. Most people in my situation live for two years. My goal is to have another Christmas. If Id kept a symptom diary, I could have put two and two together and who knows where I would be right now. targetovariancancer.org.uk Advertisement

'In France and Germany, if patients think they have cancer symptoms the GP isn't necessarily the key person. They can choose a specialist themselves or set up a scan without going through a GP.'

France, Germany and Italy also have 'one-stop shops' in community settings where checks and tests can be done under one roof.

In fact, the NHS has plans to replace the two-week referral system with a 'faster diagnostics standard', where urgently referred patients should be diagnosed or cancer ruled out within 28 days.

Professor Sikora thinks that it will be challenging to meet even that deadline.

Some blame lies with lack of awareness about symptoms, such as for, say, ovarian cancer. GPs and patients may put symptoms such as a bloated abdomen down to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

'Yet IBS should be a diagnosis of exclusion,' says Professor Gareth Evans, a cancer specialist at Manchester University who specialises in genetic risk, especially in breast and ovarian cancer. 'In cases of persistent bloating, IBS should never be diagnosed until other causes such as ovarian cancer have been excluded through tests.'

General practice is also being blamed. 'The problem is GPs are overworked and have to get patients out quickly,' adds Christopher Eden, a professor of urology at Surrey University.

'And patients may see a different GP each visit. The majority of people with, say, persistent urinary symptoms will have an infection  but it is also a cancer symptom. But if the patient is seeing a different GP each time, the easy thing to do is to prescribe antibiotics, and if the patient comes back it's another GP's problem. Whereas 20 years ago you saw the same person and they'd see this as a red flag.'

An aggravating feature is getting to see a GP. Pre-pandemic, around eight in ten GP appointments were face-to-face. It is now only 61 per cent. As Professor Sikora says 'you can't diagnose cancer on the phone'.

Official figures suggest there were between 240,000 and 740,000 'missing' urgent GP referrals for suspected cancer from March 2020 to September 2021, and between 35,000 and 60,000 fewer people started treatment for cancer than would have been expected.

Caron's symptoms began last August when she started urinating more frequently.

If the GP had sent her for scans sooner, they may have found the tumour Abigail Solieri, 33, an events director, lives with husband Chris, a digital marketing consultant, and their daughters  Arianna, six, Mya, three, Zara, one, and three-week-old Raya  in Herts. Last July Arianna complained of upper back pain. Our GP suggested seeing an osteopath, who diagnosed muscle tightness. It wasnt severe so we agreed it was down to her new bed. The pain subsided but returned months later in the lower back. Arianna was at a party but wasnt joining the other children on the bouncy castle because of pain. I called 111 who said theyd call back  it took 18 hours and in the meantime Id taken her to A&E as she was screaming with pain. A urine sample showed traces of blood. But one doctor thought it was OK and said: I dont know what you expect me to do? The next day she could barely walk. I took her to an urgent care unit where staff said she might have a kidney infection. I feel so angry and frustrated now for not demanding more tests. We went to the GP the next day who sent us to the hospital. But they tried to say they couldnt X-ray her: I was adamant and they did X-ray her pelvis, but not her back. If they had, we might have seen the tumour earlier. At one point, A&E staff suspected sepsis and gave her antibiotics, but still sent us home. Days later we were back in A&E. Her infection markers had doubled and she was vomiting. An ultrasound revealed she had a tumour on her left kidney. It was neuroblastoma, a cancer that had spread to her bones, eye sockets and legs. Arianna finished chemo in February, then had a stem cell harvest and is having more chemo before surgery, which will be risky as the tumour is wrapped around an artery. Even then theres a high chance of relapse so were trying to raise funds for a vaccine thats available in the U.S. We call Arianna Wonder Woman because shes an absolute trouper despite what shes going through. But Im angry that no one realised something was seriously wrong sooner. If the GP had referred us for blood tests or a scan the cancer might not have spread. I should not have had to go to A&E eight times. We could have saved her so much pain. justgiving.com/campaign/arianna younglivesvscancer.org.uk Advertisement

To see a GP, she had to fill in a form online. During a call from one doctor hours later, she was advised to come to the practice and provide a urine sample. A week later Caron received a call from a different doctor, diagnosing a urinary tract infection and a prescription for antibiotics was dispatched.

When the drugs didn't help, Carol contacted the surgery again  and again, she was asked to do a urine test and told she had an infection. It was a situation which would be repeated several times over the following five months.

Caron says: 'I never saw a GP in person. So I was never examined.'

In January she started passing blood  her GP again asked her to provide a sample and told her that it was an infection.

Professor Eden says 'a standard infection should respond to antibiotics'. That it didn't in Caron's case, along with the blood in her urine, should have been a red flag.

Weeks later, Caron developed severe flu-like symptoms. Applying for an appointment online, she was told a call from a GP was scheduled for Monday but if she deteriorated, she should go to A&E. 'That's exactly what I did,' Caron recalls.

She began vomiting and underwent blood tests and a scan which revealed a mass on her bladder.

'I couldn't stop vomiting and couldn't eat,' she says. 'Then, to top it all I got Covid.' This meant the surgery she needed to remove the cancer was delayed.

For Gordon Jayson, a consultant medical oncologist at the Christie hospital and a professor of medical oncology at the University of Manchester, cases such as Caron's show that 'a lack of opportunities to see a GP has allowed a disease like cancer to progress'.

But it's wrong to blame individual GPs, he says. 'I don't think GPs are slacking  they are at their wits' end. It's important patients flag any symptoms that are getting worse, though clearly not all will be confident enough to do so.'

Professor Sikora suggests what is needed is a cancer 'hotline', where staff would use a computer algorithm to refer people directly to diagnostic centres, with the results going to a relevant hospital specialist.

'That way you bypass the delay at GP level. We wouldn't do more tests, we'd just do them quickly.'

The difficulty is a shortage of staff. Last week the Health and Social Care Committee said staffing shortfalls are 'jeopardising' progress on diagnosing cancer early.

Another route to faster diagnosis is through setting up NHS Community Diagnostic Hubs across the country  'one-stop shops'.

Professor Sikora is medical director of Rutherford Cancer Centres, a group of private cancer care centres which has built one such diagnostic hub in Taunton with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.

At this centre everything is done in one morning. 'Investigation is completed in a few hours so people can be reassured or be channelled elsewhere,' he says.

Would introducing screening for

more cancers help? It was hoped, for example, that a blood test for CA125, a protein linked to ovarian cancer, might work as a screening tool. But a study by University College London found cases detected earlier were still hard to treat.

Otherwise, it is down to a public health campaign to raise awareness about symptoms, suggests Georgios Lyratzopoulos, a professor of cancer epidemiology at University College London who led the latest research.

'We need to keep providing information on signs of cancer,' he says. And to encourage people not to feel shy about symptoms  a 2019 BUPA survey found that a fifth of UK adults have put off seeking medical advice around 'embarrassing' cancer symptoms.

For people like Caron, change can't happen soon enough.

'Until my symptoms began I was fit and healthy,' she said. 'I needed a doctor to talk to me, examine me and refer me for tests. It should not have taken so long to get diagnosed.'

Professor Martin Marshall, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, told Good Health: 'The challenge is striking the balance of ensuring patients get the care they need, without overloading onward specialist services.'

And as many cancer symptoms are similar to other conditions, he adds: 'having sufficient time with patients is vital'.

Interviews by Julie Cook and Jill Foster
Earlier this year, a 71-year-old man in the Swedish city of Trollhattan was shovelling snow outside his house when he suffered a cardiac arrest  his heart suddenly stopped beating.

A passing doctor rushed to help and began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to keep blood and oxygen flowing to his brain and other vital organs, while a bystander called for an ambulance.

It was a race against time. With an irregular heartbeat, the mans heart needed to be shocked back into regular rhythm using a defibrillator.

The drone took just three minutes to arrive, reaching the patient well ahead of paramedics. A stock image is used above

Statistics show that for every minute that passes without defibrillation, a cardiac arrest victims chances of survival drop by ten per cent.

But before paramedics reached the scene, there was another arrival  a flying drone carrying a defibrillator.

The remote-controlled device had been sent by an emergency services base a few miles away, as part of a trial to see if using the flying machines to rush defibrillators to the scene of a cardiac arrest can improve survival rates.

The drone took just three minutes to arrive, reaching the patient well ahead of paramedics. It had been able to fly a direct route, avoiding the citys congested roads and saving vital minutes.

The doctor used the defibrillator to restart the mans heart, and the patient went on to make a full recovery.

It was one of the first examples of how drone technology  already used in film-making, wildlife monitoring, military reconnaissance and missile attacks  could transform some aspects of modern healthcare.

Drones usually run on batteries or solar power. They can hit speeds of up to 60mph and cover several miles before needing to be recharged. Some are flown remotely by trained pilots, while others come with satnav technology which means they can reach their destination after a postcode is punched in.

In 2019, doctors in Baltimore, U.S., used a specially adapted drone to deliver a donor kidney across the city from one hospital to another, where a patient was waiting for a transplant.

The machine carried the kidney in a cooler box to keep it at the right temperature, and was equipped with a parachute to prevent the organ being damaged in case it ran out of power.

A passing doctor rushed to help and began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to keep blood and oxygen flowing to his brain and other vital organs, while a bystander called for an ambulance

It completed the three-mile trip in minutes. In organ donation, its vital that a transplant occurs as soon as possible to improve the chance of success.

Now, several initiatives are under way in the UK to see if the use of drones can save more lives, deliver cancer drugs and improve Covid testing. One involves the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, which has been working with drone manufacturers and specialists on an initiative that is similar to the Swedish project.

The team have equipped commercially available drones with automated external defibrillators (AEDs). These self-powered machines guide an untrained person  using pre-recorded verbal instructions  through the process of carrying out defibrillation on somebody who has no pulse.

Every year, around 30,000 people in the UK have a cardiac arrest  the majority at home or in public places. The arrests occur when problems with electrical signals in the heart stop it beating properly and pumping blood around the body.

Thousands of AEDs are located in shopping centres, offices, schools and airports for emergency use by passers-by. When a bystander calls 999, the controller is usually able to tell them where the nearest AED is situated.

But it is estimated that public AEDs are only used in a fraction of the cardiac arrests which happen outside hospital, often because they are locked away somewhere inaccessible or they are too far away to be useful.

Meanwhile, average ambulance waiting times in England for the victims of heart attacks and strokes have risen to 70 minutes or more  more than four times the 18-minute target  due to overstretched services and Covid-related staff shortages.

Welsh researchers carried out six dummy flights, covering a total distance of nearly 60 miles. Drones flew to their destination and dropped a defibrillator attached to a parachute to be used in a simulated emergency exercise.

The results of the project, published in the journal PLoS One, showed drones could be used effectively  with one three- mile dash taking less than three minutes.

Dr Nigel Rees, head of research and innovation at the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, said: This has the potential to save more lives from cardiac arrests. The survival rate among cardiac arrests that happen out of hospital is only about 8 per cent.

Drones wont replace defibrillators in public places but will be a valuable add-on.

The team have now applied for further research funding to explore the practicalities of how a drone rescue service might work.

Professor Martin Cowie, a consultant cardiologist at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust in London, said: Using drones this way is a great idea because, although community defibrillators have made some difference, you cant possibly have one on every street corner or in every remote area.

This isnt just about saving someones life. Its also about saving it in a meaningful way so that they not only survive but come out of it without any brain damage, too. If its possible to get a drone on-site with a defibrillator in just three to four minutes, that could make a big difference.

In 2020, the Government announced 33 million funding for research into drone and aviation technologies to be used in areas including healthcare.

Several of the projects it approved involved the use of drones to help tackle Covid. One initiative already under way in Essex has been trialling the use of drones to deliver Covid blood and swab tests between hospitals and labs to limit human contact and speed up processing.

Another scheme in Cornwall has been deploying drones to deliver Covid test kits and personal protective equipment (PPE) to rural communities in the county and the Isles of Scilly.

Similar schemes using drones to ferry Covid test kits to remote regions have also commenced in parts of Scotland.

Meanwhile, another project involves drones delivering vital chemotherapy drugs to hospitals on the Isle of Wight. The island is currently dependent on mainland hospitals for its supply of chemotherapy drugs.

But these have to be transported by road to Portsmouth then ferried across to the Isle of Wight and taken by taxi to St Marys Hospital in Newport. This four-hour journey can be even longer if there are disruptions to ferry services.

Chemotherapy drugs have a relatively short shelf-life and can go to waste if theyre not used in time. The drone trial could slash the travel time to just 30 minutes, minimising treatment delays. The trial results are due in the next few months,

Former Isle of Wight NHS Trust chief executive Maggie Oldham said: Moving items by drone across the Solent will ensure our patients receive prescribed chemotherapy drugs efficiently.

But there is one major stumbling block to widespread drone usage in healthcare. UK legislation stipulates that a drone can only be flown where the pilot can see it  in most cases no more than a few hundred yards.

This is to prevent accidents where drones end up in the path of aircraft or cause injury to people in the area.

But it rules out the routine use of drones to drop defibrillators to cardiac-arrest victims who may be several miles away.

Trials deploying drones in this way were given special permission by the Civil Aviation Authority to fly them in airspace corridors where there was little or no risk of collision.

Drone manufacturers are working on software which will allow the machines to communicate safely with other air traffic to avoid accidents.

Professor Cowie said: We may need new legislation to change the rules on drones having to remain in sight when they are being used for medical purposes.
The UK Space Agency is never going to compete with Nasa any more than Silicon Glen is likely to displace Silicon Valley. Nevertheless, the UK's innovative R&D, engineering and aerospace skills mean that it is well placed to compete on the next frontier.

Britain's leadership in the field of geostationary satellites, critical to marine and aerospace navigation, is among the reasons why pioneer UK operator Inmarsat is being wooed so vigorously by its US competitor Viasat.

The easy part for Viasat chief executive Richard Baldridge is convincing the Inmarsat board that his 6.5billion bid is irresistible. The harder part is to persuade the UK authorities that such a deal is good for Britain's national and economic security.

Up in the air: Britain's leadership in the field of geostationary satellites is among the reasons why Inmarsat is being wooed so vigorously by its US competitor Viasat

Baldridge is so keen to get the deal that he is in Britain to make the case with the authorities personally. He has already made a series of undertakings to boost the UK's engineering and R&D capacity for the new space age if the transaction is done.

Viasat is also promising to support the ambitions of the UK Space Agency by funding educational initiatives. The Inmarsat-Viasat deal is the first big test for Britain's National Security and Investment Act. To be completed the deal will have to overcome the hurdles of security and competition reviews on both sides of the Atlantic.

The fate of the transaction will show the resolve of Boris Johnson's government in the face of the long-term economic damage that can result from letting British brain power, R&D and patents disappear over the horizon. Baldridge wants to convince all those involved that the opposite is the case.

But too often, pledges made in the white heat of takeovers have led to a loss of command and control over vital technologies.

What is indisputable is that as satellite makers and operators, both the would-be partners find themselves on the cusp of the next frontier for technology.

In a post-Brexit effort to go it alone in space the Government ploughed 400m into OneWeb, which aims to create a low-orbit network of satellites. The investment has been questioned as an unproven technology and has suffered a setback thanks to Russia's war in Ukraine. Before sanctions, Russian rockets launched the satellites.

Scepticism in Britain ought to be allayed by the space race under way in the US. Two of the world's richest tycoons, Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Elon Musk, are investing heavily in low Earth orbit. Bezos is planning a 7.7billion network of 3,500 satellites. His ambition is less lofty than Musk's and is intended to support Amazon cloud computing and communications operations.

As always Musk does nothing by halves. The SpaceX Starlink project is seeking to launch 42,000 satellites, cluttering up the Earth's atmosphere with its ambition.

This ring of satellites is seen by Musk as an essential prerequisite for missions to Mars. If anyone thinks this is crazy, they should remember how Musk was mocked for his electric car ambitions. He now leaves established car makers such as General Motors and Volkswagen in the dust.

Even though Inmarsat is principally involved in the highest tech satellite business, the activities of all the space pioneers are closely connected.

Britain clearly needs to be a space wars player in the age of hypersonic weapons systems. Israel's Iron Dome system already seeks to protect strategic targets against precision guided missiles. The big question for ministers is whether the UK is willing to allow valuable tech to fall into overseas hands  even those of its closest ally.
A top investor has refused to vote on Rio Tinto's annual report and accounts following a bullying scandal.

Investment manager Abrdn, which owns a 0.29 per cent stake in the mining giant worth 223m, abstained at Rio's AGM on Friday following a scathing study of its workplace culture published last month.

Refusal: Abrdn, which owns a 0.29 per cent stake in Rio Tinto worth 223m, abstained at the AGM

The probe, commissioned by Rio Tinto and compiled by the consultancy Elizabeth Broderick & Co, exposed bullying, racism and sexual harassment.

Andrew Mason, Abrdn's stewardship director, said: 'In light of the nature, severity and systemic impacts of the issues raised we have decided to abstain from our vote to approve the company's reports and accounts.'
Rishi Sunak must help businesses out of the crushing cost-of-living crisis, the head of the British Chambers of Commerce has demanded.

Shevaun Haviland had already railed against the rise in national insurance contributions, brought in controversially last week, claiming this would push struggling firms to the brink.

Now, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Haviland is pushing the Treasury to ease some of that pressure and help firms urgently with their ballooning energy bills.

Call for action: British Chambers of Commerce boss Shevaun Haviland says Chancellor Rishi Sunak must help firms

'Last summer businesses were already saying there was an increase in raw materials and shipping costs,' she said.

'Recruitment was so hard, and into December energy prices started to tick up. National insurance contributions have risen this month, and that was before the situation in Ukraine saw energy prices go off the scale. This is not business as usual, it's very serious. We just wanted another year for businesses to get back on their feet.'

The BCC director general wants the Chancellor to axe the national insurance rise, which hits employers and workers, as soon as possible.

Sunak should also impose a cap on energy bills for small and medium-sized businesses, she added, since many firms that usually pay a monthly contract are being moved on to expensive variable tariffs.

The Chancellor ought to consider energy rebates, giving small firms money off their bills, and a moratorium on extra costs such as VAT and business rates until the worst of the crisis is over.

Haviland said: 'Business owners don't want the Chancellor to prop them up. But he should be taxing growth, not adding on more costs when firms are really struggling.'

Doron Zilkha, founder of the London cafe chain Quarter Group, said he had never seen anything like the jump in costs in 25 years in hospitality.

He said: 'Am I going to keep absorbing these costs? Am I going to have to shut my doors and lay off staff? Are we going to see a total shrinkage of the hospitality industry?'

Zilkha added: 'I've been in this sector since 1997. I've lived through many recessions. But where we are headed to now, the divide is beyond anything I've seen.'

One manufacturing firm from Cambridgeshire called the BCC last month after its energy bills jumped from 14,000 a year to 46,000 overnight, while the bill for one medium-sized manufacturer in the North has soared from 140,000 a year to 706,000.

Haviland said: 'We really need to see some action.'
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Despite mass flight cancellations, Heathrow Airport has reported its busiest month in two years following the removal of all travel restrictions in the UK.

A total of 4.2 million people went through the country's busiest airport in March, the highest since February 2020 and eight times the number who came through the venue in the same month last year.

Travel to and from all markets has surged, but there was particularly strong growth in demand for flights to the European Union, which jumped tenfold year-on-year to 1.4 million.

Huge rebound: A total of 4.2 million people went through the country's busiest airport in March, eight times the number who came through the venue in the same month last year

Passenger volumes also rose 47 per cent from the previous month as arrivals coming to Britain were no longer required to fill in passenger locator forms or take coronavirus tests from 18 March and quarantine hotels were wound down.

Heathrow noted there had been strong demand for overseas holidays during the weekends and schools holidays, though the levels of business travel and foreign tourists coming to Britain remained poor.

While the airport said this rebound in demand was 'very welcome,' it has created significant pressure on its operations, as labour shortages have caused long waits at check-ins, and hundreds of flight delays and cancellations.

Heathrow added that congestion had been exacerbated by over half of international markets still requiring strict coronavirus checks like quarantines and vaccination status on incoming travellers.

The West London site observed this had led to especially difficult bottlenecks at peak travel times and is recommending passengers check with their air carrier when they should travel to the airport.

British Airways has called off dozens of flights to or from the airport this morning, while passengers travelling through Heathrow have complained of three-hour flight delays or long waits to collect their luggage.

New hires: London Heathrow Airport has already announced that it is hiring 12,000 more employees in anticipation of a massive holiday boom this summer

This follows multiple cancellations last week when the end of the Easter school term led to an onrush of Britons looking to get away for a foreign break.

Other major UK airports, including London Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham, have also reported serious staffing problems.

Heathrow has already announced that it is hiring 12,000 more employees in anticipation of a holiday boom this summer when demand is forecast to near pre-pandemic volumes on some days.

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'The aviation sector has been rebuilding capacity ahead of a summer peak, so resources are stretched,' the British Airways hub remarked.

'Heathrow is working closely with airlines and ground handlers to make sure this increase in demand can be met while keeping passengers safe.'

However, these new employees might cope with fewer-than-expected travellers as the airport warned that demand could be affected in the medium-term by high oil prices, the conflict in Ukraine and weak economic growth.

In addition, there is the threat of potential new Covid-19 variants, which may or may not be less deadly than previous alterations of the disease, but could make more people reluctant to book holidays abroad and take staycations instead.

Britain's airline industry suffered a major setback from the peak Christmas period right into January after the emergence of the Omicron variant led governments across the world to reimpose travel restrictions.
Pret a Manger is set to make its entry in Ireland and Northern Ireland as it pushes ahead with expansion plans after shutting down dozens of shops during the pandemic.

The coffee and sandwich chain has said it plans to open 20 new stores on the island over the next decade, with the first to open in Dublin this summer.

Pret shut down around 40 stores in Britain and cut 3,700 jobs since the start of Covid after racking up massive losses as office workers switched to remote working.

Expansion: Pret a Manger is set to open its first Irish cafe in Dublin this summer

The company, which is owned by investment group JAB and founder Sinclair Beecham, will open the new stores thanks to a deal with Carebrook Partnership, one of its longest serving franchise partners.

The move is expected to create around 500 jobs and is part of Pret's ambition to expand into new markets across the world.

The chain has finally started to see business bounce back as workers return to the office, with sales at its stores in the City of London at 86 per cent of pre-Covid levels last month.

In September last year, the company revealed plans to open over 200 new shops in the UK over two years.

It said the new outlets would be concentrated in more suburban and provincial areas, where footfall has held up better than in city centres, as well as in transport hubs and motorway service stations.

At the time, it also said it aimed to double the size of the business within five years, launching into five new markets by the end of 2023.

Chief executive Pano Christou wants to launch into five new markets by the end of 2023

Chief executive Pano Christou said: 'Setting up shop in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland has been our plan for a long time, and we're thrilled that we're finally able to make it happen.

'There has long been demand from our neighbours on the island of Ireland to bring Pret's freshly prepared food and organic coffee, and now with the backing of Carebrook Partnership Ltd we're able to do so.

'We look forward to making this partnership a success.'

Pret currently has shops in the United Kingdom, United States, Hong Kong, France, Dubai, Switzerland, Brussels, Singapore and Germany.

The company, which had built its business capturing city centre trade using the mantra 'follow the skyscraper', has had to adjust to a shift in consumer behaviour in the wake of the pandemic.

It has formed tie-ups with the UK's largest independent forecourt operator, Motor Fuel Group, and services station business Moto.

In addition, it has launched the UK's first high street coffee subscription service where customers can pay 25 per month to get up to five free drinks per day, new organic coffee products, and struck partnerships with supermarkets such as Tesco.
Russian ally Serbia received a secret delivery of Chinese anti-aircraft weapons in a show of Beijing's strength in Europe.

Western countries are concerned that the military build-up by the Balkans state comes at a fragile time for peace in Europe.

Belgrade has grown its armoury in recent years with the help of Russia and China.

All three countries do not recognise the statehood of Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

Six Chinese Y-20 army transport jets arrived in Belgrade on Sunday (this one pictured in 2018)

Media and military experts said on Sunday that six Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport planes landed at Belgrade's civilian airport early on Saturday, reportedly carrying HQ-22 surface-to-air missile systems for the Serbian military.

The Chinese cargo planes with military markings were pictured at Belgrade's Nikola Tesla airport.

Serbia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to AP's request for comment.

The arms delivery over the territory of at least two NATO member states, Turkey and Bulgaria, was seen by experts as a demonstration of China's growing global reach.

The secret shipment makes Serbia the first owner and operator of Chinese missiles in Europe

'The Y-20s' appearance raised eyebrows because they flew en masse as opposed to a series of single-aircraft flights,' wrote online magazine The Warzone.

'The Y-20's presence in Europe in any numbers is also still a fairly new development.'

Serbian military analyst Aleksandar Radic said 'the Chinese carried out their demonstration of force'.

Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic all but confirmed the delivery of the medium-range system that was agreed in 2019, saying on Saturday that he will present 'the newest pride' of the Serbian military on Tuesday or Wednesday.

He had earlier complained that NATO countries, which represent most of Serbia's neighbours, are refusing to allow the delivery flights over their territories amid tensions over Russia's aggression on Ukraine.

Belgrade's Nikola Tesla civilian airport was the site of the clandestine overnight delivery

Although Serbia has voted in favour of UN resolutions that condemn the bloody Russian attacks in Ukraine, it has refused to join international sanctions against its allies in Moscow or criticise outright atrocities by the Russian troops.

US officials had warned Belgrade against the purchase of HQ-22 anti-aircraft systems in 2020.

They said if Serbia wants to join the European Union and other Western alliances, it must align its military equipment with Western standards.

The Chinese missile system has been widely compared to the American Patriot and the Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile systems, although it has a shorter range than more advanced S-300s.

Vucic (right) is an enigmatic leader and recently gave Johnny Depp (left) a medal of honour

Serbia will be the first operator of the Chinese missiles in Europe.

Serbia was last at war with its neighbours in the 1990s.

The country, which is formally seeking EU membership, has already been boosting its armed forces with Russian and Chinese arms, including warplanes, battle tanks and other equipment.

In 2020, it took delivery of Chengdu Pterodactyl-1 drones, known in China as Wing Loong.

The combat drones are able to strike targets with bombs and missiles and can be used for reconnaissance tasks.

There are fears in the West that the arming of Serbia by Russia and China could encourage the Balkan country toward another war, especially against former province Kosovo.

Serbia has also helped supply the Myanmar military junta alongside Moscow and Beijing.

At least 1,500 civilians have been killed since military launched a coup three years ago.

Serbian and Russian weapons have been tied to war crimes, according to the US.

A Chinese construction firm is also building a multi-billion-pound sewage plant in Kragujevac, central Serbia.

The two countries also intend to sign a free trade agreement by the end of 2022.
The Bucha Massacre, which Kyiv and the West have trumpeted as a heinous war crime, may have a hitch as the posting of a Ukraine Police Force video tells another story.

Upon entering the city limits, no bodies were lying about as charged by Ukrainian leaders. But media has played up the alleged Russian war crimes used by the west to criticize Russia even more in the eyes of the world.

Bucha Massacre

The video in question was uploaded on April 2, and it has not been taken down as of this writing but comes with an advisory on the platform.

Overall, the claims of dozens of dead civilians in Bucha killed by the Russian forces might be doubted as the police cleanup contradicts what Kyiv could have staged as a war crime, reported the Daily Telegraph.

Moscow denied that their forces did it and stated that the Ukrainian troops set up the scene after the operation there.

Immediately, Western media caught up and posted images on social media showing the dead bodies that had not undergone rigor mortis; the corpses were freshly slain with bloody wounds. The Kremlin demanded a meeting with the UN Security Council over the incident.

Last March 30, Russian forces left the Bocha area after an agreed withdrawal of troops from Kyiv after the diplomats from both sides agreed on it.

That day, the mayor of Bucha declared on live social media all Russian troops had left the city. In the statement, he made no mention of the alleged atrocities verified in the Ukraine Police Force video. Bucha City lies outside Kyiv, which is as big as Gisborne, with 36,000 people living there.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin: 3 Facts You Didn't Know About Russia's President - From His Judo Records to His KGB Pseudonym

On April 4, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that bodies were strewn in the suburban sprawl of Irpin, Hostomel, and Bucha, calling it the Bucha massacre when it broke out on AP News.

Ukrainian forces claim they found 410 bodies in Bucha, with nine dead found at a Russian base, cited Time.

One argument is that Russian forces would commit such a terrible atrocity that impacted Moscow and Ukraine's talks.

Nazi Sympathizers

The Ukrainian neo-Nazi ultranationalists are the ones to profit from the massacre; they are committed to doing anything to help NATO win and present an alleged untrue story for western media to spread condemnation of Russia.

The video posted by Ukrainian Police does not confirm the claims of a Russian rubout of civilians claimed. As further proof in the video, locals were seen talking to police after two days the Russians had left.

More proof that it was a staged massacre is that locals did not talk of murdering people; many were casual while talking to the police in the video. One old lady had an animated conversation in the footage.

One of the questions was when the killing began and how soon the bodies got placed on the streets of Bucha, said sources.

A video posted erased by Ukrainian nationalist and former colleague of Tesak, Sergey "Botsman" Korotkikh, on social media. One said in the footage if he could shoot those with no blue armband.

It can be another staged strike involving Ukrainian media workers and then dumped in the editorial offices of all Western media. Is the Bucha Massacre legit? Why does the Ukraine Police Force video contradict it, and western media does not examine the evidences.

Related Article: Orban Tells Zelensky To Stop Rhetoric, Asserts To Stay Out of Russia-Ukraine War

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The average U.S. price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline dropped 30 cents over the past month to $4.12 thanks to, strangely, the high prices themselves.

The $4.12, according to AAA, is a sharp decrease from $4.27 a week ago but is still a huge increase from $2.93 a gallon at this time last year.

Trilby Lundberg, an analyst with the Lundberg Survey, said prices dropped dramatically in the past two weeks in part because higher prices reduced demand during the second half of March.

However, the drop isn't predictive of further declines because among other things, the global oil supply is tight due to a dip in output last month by OPEC, Lundberg said.

The war in Ukraine also has sparked global uncertainty. The U.S. has banned all Russian energy supplies but Lundberg said sanctioned Russian oil is still finding 'big buyers like India and China happy to pay discount prices.'

The average U.S. price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline dropped 30 cents over the past month to $4.12 thanks to, strangely, the high prices themselves

The news comes as a majority of American voters say Democrats and their policies are at least partially to blame for rising gas prices, a new poll suggested on Sunday.

The apparent resentment is part of a larger picture of dissatisfaction with how President Joe Biden is handling Russia's war in Ukraine.

Fifty-two percent of respondents to ABC's poll said Democratic policies share either a great deal or a good amount of blame for the rising costs, compared to 46 percent who said they don't blame Democrats much or at all.

A Pennsylvania man fed up with rising gas prices was arrested after he put stickers on fuel pumps featuring a finger-pointing Joe Biden that say 'I did that!' in a protest gaining traction around the country.

Just a third of those voters blame Republicans - which is expected, given Democrats control both the White House and Congress.

A 51-percent majority also said Biden himself was to blame, though the largest swath of survey respondents pointed the finger at big oil companies and Putin.

Even the president has publicly criticized the American energy industry, blaming corporations for keeping prices at the pump sky-high even as crude oil costs drop from the all-time high in March.

He's also dubbed the rising costs as 'Putin's price hike.'

Sixty-eight percent of voters said big oil was to blame for the economic hardship of high gas prices. Seventy-one percent said it was Putin's fault.

The poll was conducted between April 8 and April 9, and sampled 530 adults.

Tulsa, Oklahoma saw the lowest gas prices of anywhere in the country, while Los Angeles recorded the highest prices

The Lundburg survey, used by industry experts to measure fuel prices, said that figures dropped 10 cents over the past two weeks to $4.27 per gallon as oil prices continue to 'yo-yo,' industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday.

Their figures at the pump were $1.32 above what it was one year ago, according to the Lundberg Survey taken Friday.

Nationwide, the highest average price for regular-grade gas was in Los Angeles, at $5.85 per gallon. The lowest average was in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at $3.52 per gallon.

According to the survey, the average price of diesel was $5.13 per gallon, down 2 cents over two weeks.

In a bid to reduce spiking energy prices, Biden last month ordered the release of 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve for six months.

Just over 50 percent of Americans who responded to ABC's survey said they at least partially blame President Joe Biden for rising gas prices and disapprove of his handling of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Last Thursday, the International Energy Agency said that its member countries would release 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves on top of previous United States pledges.

The Paris-based organization says the new commitments made by its 31 member nations, which include the U.S. and much of Europe, amount to a total of 120 million barrels over six months, the largest release in the groups history.
Scott Morrison's office says he will not commit to more interviews on the 7.30 Report because ABC viewers are 'rusted on' with their voting choices.

Leigh Sales grilled the Prime Minister on the ABC primetime show last Tuesday - a week after the federal budget was delivered.

She repeatedly asked Mr Morrison if he would commit to two more interviews on the show but he turned her down.

He postponed a planned appearance six days earlier, the night after the budget, because he was attending Shane Warne's state memorial in Melbourne.

A senior government official said Prime Minister Scott Morrison would not commit to a second or third interview with Leigh Sales on the ABC's 7.30 Report because he needs to visit as many other shows as possible

A senior government source has told The Australian the PM was not going to commit to Sales' offer.

'We like Leigh, but we were never going to commit to two interviews with 7.30 in the campaign,' they said.

'We wouldn't commit two interviews to Paul Murray on Sky (News) now either. That's not to say we won't do it, but we can't commit just yet.'

While the 7.30 audience was largely Labor and Green voters and Sky viewers were more likely to support conservative candidates, the PM's office believed other programs offered a chance to reach out to the undecided voters who regularly determine election outcomes.

'There are big numbers of swinging voters watching a show like (Nine's) A Current Affair. But the people watching 7.30 aren't generally changing their vote, whether Labor or Liberal. They're rusted on,' they said.

During the interview Sales grilled Mr Morrison on Covid, plans for aged care facilities, and criticism from within the Liberal Party.

Mr Morrison will face Labor candidate Anthony Albanese in the upcoming federal election on May 21

She asked the PM four times if he would return for another interview, having appeared on the 7.30 report very sparingly while in office.

'Are you going to be the first prime minister in 27 years to not do two interviews on the main prime time current affairs program in the country?' she asked.

Mr Morrison replied: 'Surprisingly, I don't think the major issue that people are thinking about at the next election is the 7.30 report.'

Mr Morrison's government will face a Labor opposition led by Anthony Albanese in the upcoming federal election on May 21.

Labor has been consistently ahead in the polls but Mr Albanese's preferred PM rating dipped back below Mr Morrison's in the latest Newspoll.
Kylie Moore-Gilbert has recalled the devastation of finding out about her husband's infidelity after having been imprisoned for 804 days in a notorious Iranian jail.

It's been almost four years since the University of Melbourne lecturer was arrested for spying at Tehran Airport while preparing to return home from a three-week trip to attend a seminar on Shia Islam.

When she was finally freed in November 2020 as part of a prisoner swap deal, she returned to Australia to the shocking news her Russian-Israeli husband Ruslan Hodorov had started an affair with Dr Kylie Baxter, her university colleague.

In a new interview with Woman's Day, Dr Moore-Gilbert, 34, revealed she had an inkling while imprisoned that her marriage may be over due to their long separation, but she was shocked to discover the infidelity.

Kylie Moore-Gilbert was upset and shocked to learn of her husband's affair following her release from an Iranian prison in 2020

'I knew that our marriage was essentially over when I was still in prison, so it wasn't necessarily a shock to me that we weren't together anyone,' Dr Moore-Gilbert told the magazine.

'But it was upsetting to come home and discover not only had he left me, but he'd deceived my family the entire time.'

She was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and spent more than two years in Tehran's Evin prison, where resistance became a way of restoring her dignity.

After being released, Dr Moore-Gilbert spent her first two weeks of freedom in Australia holed up in hotel quarantine, where she enjoyed an emotional reunion with her mother Jenny.

'I remember we had a really, really long hug, and we were overcome with emotion,' she recalled.

'It was a special moment and she'd been in the hotel before I arrived and she'd brought all this food, and she'd made a cake and bought flowers.'

Dr Moore-Gilbert was given a 10 year prison sentence, but was eventually freed after spending 804 days in a high-security Tehran prison

Dr Moore-Gilbert's Russian-Israeli husband Ruslan Hodorov (right) started having an affair with Dr Kylie Baxter (left) while his wife was in Evin Prison

She later celebrated Christmas at her grandmother's place at Port Macquarie on the NSW mid north coast, where she spent her days relishing her freedom by swimming in the ocean.

Dr Moore-Gilbert has since become an advocate for other innocent people being held hostage.

She told the magazine that meeting others in a much worse situation than her helped put her own predicament in perspective.

One year on from her divorce, Dr Moore-Gilbert has found love again but remains tight-lipped about the blossoming romance, apart from acknowledging his support in her new autobiography The Uncaged Sky.

Dr Moore-Gilbert filed for divorce shortly after her release which took four months to become official.

She took to Twitter to announce her new relationship status with a cheeky reference from Aussie sitcom Kath and Kim.

'Forgive the irrelevant personal announcement dear Twitter, but ladies and gentlemen, I am officially divorced! Time for a sneaky kardonnay?', she posted in April 2021.

Aussie academic Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert discovered her Russian-Israeli husband Ruslan Hodorov (both pictured) was having an affair with Dr Kylie Baxter when she was released from prison

Dr Moore-Gilbert still has no idea of how or why her husband's affair with her colleague developed.

'He went through a really hard time, though not as hard as me,' she told 60 Minutes last month.

'I don't know his side of the story.'

When asked whether she wanted to know, she replied: 'Not particularly.'

'Because I'm over it. I'm better off this way.'

The University of Melbourne lecturer travelled to Iran in August 2018 to attend a seminar on Shia Islam. She was arrested at Tehran Airport a month later

Australian academic who was cheated on by her husband while trapped in Iranian jail opens up about the bizarre love triangle involving a sleazy prison boss and female guard  and reveals the bold move she made that saw her locked up for longer

Australian academic Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert has revealed she was beaten up by a prison guard who turned out to be the wife of a senior officer who tried to seek a romantic relationship with her while she was locked in an Iranian jail for 804 days.

The University of Melbourne lecturer in Islamic studies travelled to Iran in August 2018 to attend a seminar on Shia Islam.

But three weeks later she was arrested at Tehran Airport accused of spy charges as she attempted to fly home.

She was sent to Tehran's notorious Evin prison and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, where she spent more than two years behind bars until she was finally freed in November 2020.

Dr Moore-Gilbert opened up for the first time about the prison boss she knew as Qazi Zadeh, when she appeared on 60 Minutes last month.

She claimed he took a 'perverse' romantic interest in her and used his powers to extend her sentence after she became embroiled in his bizarre love triangle.

Two months after he started flirting with her, Dr Moore-Gilbert was horrified to discover that he was married to a guard at the prison.

Aussie academic reveals how she rejected sleazy Iranian prison boss

Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert (pictured) has revealed for the first time how a senior prison officer developed a romantic interest in her and how he bought her pizza, clothes and a birthday cake during her time in Tehran's Evin prison

Aussie academic Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert discovered her Russian-Israeli husband Ruslan Hodorov (both pictured) was having an affair with Dr Kylie Baxter when she was released from prison

'She did everything she could to make my life impossible to live,' she told 60 Minutes.

'She bullied me, she really made it hard. She had beaten up. She was the prison guard who beat me up.'

Kylie Moore-Gilbert (pictured) claims the senior prison officer she befriended later extended her imprisonment after she told him she was romantically interested in him

Dr Moore-Gilbert put two and two together after a conversation with the prison guard's wife in the exercise yard.

'I sat up in bed one night with a blanket over my head and I just had this moment of realisation that 'Oh she's his wife. F*** what do I do?,' she said.

'It was too bonkers.'

After almost two years behind bars, Dr Moore-Gilbert was told a diplomatic deal for her to be released was imminent.

She decided to make a bold move that would backfire on her.

'I understood that in a few days time that perhaps I was leaving,' she recalled.

'I felt I had to warn her. I wanted her to know that it wasn't coming from me. I wanted her to know I had no power or control over this.'

That's when the prison boss cancelled the diplomatic deal and ordered Dr Moore-Gilbert to be relocated to Qarchak prison, a notorious women's facility in Iran, where she was detained for a further six to seven months.

'When I eventually made it clear to him I wasn't interested, I was sent to Qarchak prison,' she said.

'He thought I would suffer there and I would be in danger there being around criminals and gangs and murderer.

'I couldn't believe he had the power to do that.'

The University of Melbourne lecturer spent two years in Evin Prison (pictured), one of Iran's most notorious prisons

The University of Melbourne lecturer spent two years in Evin Prison (pictured), one of Iran's most notorious prisons

Dr Moore-Gilbert shared candid details about the bizarre bond she had with the Revolutionary Guard who controlled every aspect of her life in prison.

She claimed there was a lot of animosity between them in the first 12 months.

'He initially wanted to present himself as the 'good cop' but that quickly degenerated into him being the absolute bad cop - punishing me, putting informers and spies in my room, banning me from family phone calls and consulate visits,' she recalled.

He then developed a romantic interest in her which Dr Moore-Gilbert claimed was very perverse, controlling and emotionally abusive.

'He had complete and utter control over every facet of my life,' she said.

'He was giving me information. I saw it as a beneficial relationship to nurture and foster because I was getting something out of it.

'I got a lot of stuff from him. He would buy me pizza, he arranged a birthday party for me, he bought clothes for me.

'He helped me bear the conditions in that place.

'I know it's strange. He bought me an enormous two tier chocolate cake with my name in icing.

'It was very dangerous. He was a very dangerous man.'

Kylie Moore-Gilbert (pictured) claims the senior prison officer she befriended later extended her imprisonment after she told him she was romantically interested in him

While she was imprisoned, her Russian-Israeli husband Ruslan Hodorov started having an affair with Dr Kylie Baxter, her university colleague and PhD supervisor - which she would only discover upon arriving home.

Kylie Moore-Gilbert (pictured) claimed she was bullied and beaten up during her two years in an Iranian prison

A year since announcing her separation on social media, she still has no idea of how or why the affair developed while she was imprisoned.

'He went through a really hard time, though not as hard as me,' Dr Moore-Gilbert said.

'I don't know his side of the story.'

When quizzed by reported Sarah Abo on whether she wanted to know, she replied: 'Not particularly.'

'Because I'm over it. I'm better off this way.'

Dr Moore-Gilbert was given a 10-year sentence but always denied the charges, that reportedly stemmed from the Iranian authorities' belief that she was a spy for Israel because of her relationship with her husband - an Israeli citizen.

Kylie Moore-Gilbert (pictured) claimed she was bullied and beaten up during her tow years in an Iranian prison

Dr Moore-Gilbert's Russian-Israeli husband Ruslan Hodorov (right) started having an affair with Dr Kylie Baxter (left) while his wife was in Evin Prison

When she was arrested, Dr Moore-Gilbert - who is also the cousin of Julian Assange - had been attending a conference in Iran when she was flagged as 'suspicious' by a fellow academic and by a subject she had interviewed for research.

She was subsequently tried and sentenced, and held in Evin prison in solitary confinement. Iranian authorities reportedly tried to recruit her as a spy in exchange for her release, which she declined.

Nick Warner, the head of Australia's intelligence service, successfully negotiated a prison swap for Dr Moore-Gilbert's freedom, as she revealed what got her through those 804 days of torture.

'Freedom is so precious, only when it's taken away from you do you really understand its value and what it means,' she said.

'There were a lot of factors that helped me survive.'

'One of them is simply you have no choice, you have to survive. What's the alternative?'

'Your own brain becomes your worst enemy. You're there to be broken.

'They didn't break me, and I'm proud of myself for that.'

Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert (pictured) spent more than two years locked up in an Iranian prison after being accused of espionage

During her horror 804-day ordeal in the Middle Eastern hellhole, the academic was subjected to filthy toilets, mistreatment from guards, and horrible food.

But there were some moments of light that helped her push through the her terrifying ordeal - including the kindness of a diplomat who visited her in prison.

While she managed to keep a strong front most of the time, Dr Moore-Gilbert reached a tipping point during a meeting with Iranian officials in April 2019.

Taken from her cell to the meeting room, Dr Moore-Gilbert arrived to find Australia's ambassador to Iran Ian Biggs and a camera mounted on a tripod.

Kylie Moore-Gilbert (pictured) was subjected to poor treatment, horrible food, and filthy toilets during her horror 804 day stint in Tehran's Evin Jail

After previously being pressured into making statements on camera, she refused to have her conversation with Mr Biggs recorded.

At that point, her jailers declared the meeting was over and asked Mr Biggs to leave, prompting Dr Moore-Gilbert to angrily shout it was not over until she said so.

She dove to the floor and threw her arms around Mr Biggs legs, begging him to continue to tell her what he came there to say, and fill her in on the ways the Australian government was working to get her out of the Middle East.

Dr Moore-Gilbert was given a 10 year prison sentence, but was eventually freed after spending 804 days in a high-security Tehran prison

Telling him to ignore Iranian guards insistence to leave, Dr Moore-Gilbert noticed Mr Biggs had muscular legs as she clasped her arms around his calves.

'He must have been a runner or something. [I told him] nice legs!' she told the Sydney Morning Herald 's Good Weekend.

Dr Moore-Gilbert said she had begun to suspect her husband, who she had bought a home with in Dandenong shortly before leaving for Iran, was starting to grow less committed to their relationship.

She said he seemed highly emotional during their initial conversations in jail, but grew distant and distracted as time went on.

Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert (pictured) spent more than two years locked up in an Iranian prison after being accused of espionage

Dr Moore-Gilbert conceded her husband had also been traumatised by the experience, but does not believe that is an excuse for his actions.

Although she now feels better off without him, she does not want him to be seen as a villain, and strongly believes that sometimes good people do bad things.

Kylie Moore-Gilbert is pictured returning to Australia in November 2020 after spending more than 800 days in one of Iran's most notorious jails

Her first inkling that she was in trouble was the night before she was due to leave Iran when a group of men 'like police' came to her Tehran hotel while she was out.

After being told about the visit by the hotel receptionist, Dr Moore-Gilbert searched for the phone number of the Australian embassy without any success and then dismissed any concerns as had nothing to hide.

Her harrowing nightmare began the next day at the airport, where she was pulled out of the passport-control queue and taken to a room filled with men wearing black.

She spent the next week being interrogated at a hotel before she was blindfolded and transported to Tehran's Evin Prison.

Dr Moore-Gilbert would spend two years confined to a windowless cell which measured two metres by two metres.

Assigned as prisoner 97029, she would often spend her days singing hits from Destiny's Child and Amy Winehouse at the top of her lungs but her time in solitary confinement gradually left her disheartened.

She had to wear a blindfold every time she left her cell and was handcuffed during trips to the clinic inside the prison grounds.

She didn't attempt suicide and admits she did contemplate ending her life.

'My understanding of myself as a unique human being with a personality and a character, with likes and dislikes, with talents, with a moral compass, with dreams and ambitions, slowly diminished,' she writes in her new book The Uncaged Sky.

Kylie Moore-Gilbert is pictured returning to Australia in November 2020 after spending more than 800 days in one of Iran's most notorious jails

'I was losing myself. I was becoming 97029.'

Dr Moore-Gilbert describes prison food as edible and will never forget the 'filthy, disgusting, squat toilet' she says hadn't been cleaned if in months, if not ever.

'They said, 'We can't give you cleaning chemicals because you'll drink them and kill yourself,' she recalled.

'I said, 'You clean it then.' My first hunger strike, that was one of my demands: 'I want someone to pour bleach into the toilet.' '

She went on seven hunger strikes during her imprisonment which she says was an effective way of getting the prison bosses' attention.

Kylie Moore-Gilbert (pictured) was subjected to poor treatment, horrible food, and filthy toilets during her horror 804 day stint in Tehran's Evin Jail

Her fate was in the hands of the prison guard she knew as Qazi Zadeh, whom she says developed a crush on her and admitted she felt a real connection with him.

'He had complete and utter power over me,' she recalled as she looked back on their 'weird relationship'.

'He was in love with me. It was clear to everyone, not just me.'

Some days he would taunt Moore-Gilbert by claiming Australian embassy staff knew she was guilty, or assuring her that she would be buried in Iran.

Other days he would claim he was her side he was on her side and that he would organise her release if only she agreed to switch allegiances and spy for the Islamic Republic.

'We had a lot of intellectual conversations, and flirty banter was going on as well,' she says. '

'It was probably Stockholm syndrome.' Loneliness no doubt came into it, too, she said. 'I was in solitary. I had nobody else to talk to.'

Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert (pictured) has revealed for the first time how a senior prison officer developed a romantic interest in her and how he bought her pizza, clothes and a birthday cake during her time in Tehran's Evin prison

She will never forget her first hours of freedom in November 2020, where her first stop was to the home of the current Australian ambassador, Lyndall Sachs, where she enjoyed a hearty lunch which included her first glass of wine since 2018 and two cups of coffee.

More a year after her return to Australia, Dr Moore-Gilbert credits personal resilience with preventing her from becoming extremely damaged for life.

She has no bitterness towards Iran which she described as beautiful and regards ordinary Iranians as wonderful, warm and hospitable.

Her harrowing ordeal hasn't diminished her interest in the Middle East and says she's if anything, more interested in the region where she was held captive.
The Biden administration is set to release long-awaited rule changes for the sale of ghost guns under growing pressure to crack down on a nationwide spike in the use of the deadly weapons.

The new rules, which could be unveiled as soon as Monday, are designed to get privately made firearms without serial numbers off the streets, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

The stiffer measures would require firearms dealers to run background checks before they sell ghost gun kits that contain the necessary parts needed to assemble a firearm.

The rule is also expected to change the current definition of a firearm under federal law to include unfinished gun parts, like the the receiver of a long gun or the frame of a handgun.

Many of these parts can be legally bought online, with no license required and without any serial numbers or other markings on it.

Ghost guns on display at the headquarters of the San Francisco Police Department in San Francisco

Pictured: A ghost gun recovered by NYPD following the the stray-bullet shooting death of 16-year-old Bronx girl on Friday

President Joe Biden is set to release a long-awaited rule on ghost guns under growing pressure to crack down on a nationwide spike of gun deaths and violent crimes

The White House is also currently considering naming a former US attorney from Ohio, Steve Dettelbach, to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, after having recently withdrawn the nomination of David Chipman.

The nomination of Chipman, a gun-control advocate, was stalled for months after opposition from both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate.

The ghost gun rule has languished for almost a year as it has made its way through the federal regulation process, with Democrats and gun safety groups advocating for the Justice Department to finalize the rule in recent months.

However, the rule changes will almost certainly draw the ire of pro-gun groups, who will attempt to kill the measures.

The exact timing of the rule's announcement hasnt been set. Sources close to the matter could not discuss it publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. The White House declined to comment.

On Sunday, Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York urged the Biden administration to speed up the process in approving the rule on ghost gun.

'Its high time for a ghost gun exorcism before the proliferation peaks and before more people get hurt  or worse,' the Democrat said in a statement.

On Sunday, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, pictured, the Senate's top Democrat, urged the Biden administration to speed up the process in approving the rule on ghost gun

'My message is a simple one: No more waiting on these proposed federal rules. Ghost guns are too easy to build, too hard to trace and too dangerous to ignore.'

From 2016 to 2020, nearly 24,000 ghost guns were recovered at crime scenes by law enforcement, according to Justice Department statistics.

The exact amount of the untraceable guns on the street is difficult to determine, authorities said.

Pictured: honor student Angellyh Yambo, 16, who was shot and killed on Friday by a gunman armed with a ghost gun in the Bronx

Pictured: Jeremiah Ryan, 17, the alleged gunman behind the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old Bronx girl, who was shot and killed with a ghost gun on Friday in New York City

Across the country, police have reported increases in ghost guns, with the NYPD alone reporting 131 unserialized firearms since January.

The NYPD on Sunday revealed the ghost gun that was discovered after 17-year-old Jeremiah Ryan allegedly shot dead honor student Angellyh Yambo, 16, as she walked home from school.

Cops discovered the black Polymer 80 9-mm. handgun after Ryan reportedly tossed it out of his fourth-floor Bronx apartment following the fatal shooting, the New York Post reported.
A staggering $500,000 of taxpayers' money is set to be used to payout a parliamentary staffer who had a secret affair with a Liberal frontbencher.

Rachelle Miller, the ex-mistress of Education Minister Alan Tudge is reportedly set to receive the payout from the Federal Government after claiming she was bullied.

Despite Mr Tudge stepping aside from his position, Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday morning confirmed he was still the education minister.

'Is Alan Tudge still a Cabinet minister? I'm a little confused,' Today show host Karl Stefanovic asked.

'He is. He stood aside and we had that inquiry and it was found there was nothing there which would prevent him continuing on as a minister,' Mr Morrison replied.

Alan Tudge's ex lover Rachelle Miller (pictured together) is reportedly set to get a six-figure payout from the Federal Government despite an investigation clearing him of breaching ministerial guidelines

'He's decided to stay aside for health ... reasons until the next election and if he wishes to rejoin the Cabinet he will be welcome,' Mr Morrison said.

'He's technically still part of the Cabinet.'

Mr Tudge was earlier this month cleared of breaching any ministerial guidelines during his affair with former press secretary Ms Miller.

Ms Miller alleged he had been emotionally and, in one instance, physically abusive towards her during the pair's consensual affair, which Mr Tudge emphatically denies.

Despite the investigation clearing Mr Tudge of breaching any rules, the Morrison Government is finalising a financial settlement with Ms Miller, which includes a massive payout and reimbursement of legal costs, News.com.au reported.

When Ms Miller's payout and the government's own legal fees are combined, the affair could end up costing taxpayer's close to a million dollars.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday said Mr Tudge is still the Education Minister despite stepping aside (pictured)

Government sources said the former media adviser was in the final stages of negotiation after mediation talks with the Department of Finance.

'That's a private matter between her and the department and it's not a matter I have any involvement with or for which I have any oversight over.' Mr Morrison said.

'If he didn't do anything wrong what's the money for and if he did why is he still a cabinet minister,' Stefanovic pushed.

'We had an independent inquiry which found there was no basis for him not to continue on as minister and as for those others matters I can't say.'

I can't say what those matters speak to but I'm not aware of anything that would be preventing him from continuing on and serving as a minister and he's been a very fine Education Minister.'

Mr Tudge stood aside as Education Minister late last year as the investigation, commissioned by Scott Morrison, was launched into Ms Miller's allegations of abuse.

Although Mr Tudge confirmed he was 'intimate' with Ms Miller, he insisted the pair never had sex.

Earlier this month the Prime Minister said Dr Vivienne Thom, who investigated the allegations, found that the evidence in the inquiry 'does not provide a basis for a finding that Mr Tudge's conduct breached the ministerial standards'.

Ms Miller did not participate in the inquiry, saying the process was flawed and the government had ignored her concerns about the terms of reference.

Her discussions with the Morrison government over her civil claim were also active at the time.

Ms Miller said the minister repeatedly chastised, bullied and belittled her, outlining methods of coercive control.

On one occasion, she alleges Mr Tudge kicked her until she left his bed after her phone rang early one morning and he became frustrated it woke him, allegations Mr Tudge denied.

In a statement Mr Tudge said: 'I welcome Dr Vivienne Thom's Report which finds that none of Rachelle Miller's allegations against me for alleged events in 2017 were substantiated, nor was there any breach of Ministerial Standards.

Ms Miller alleged he had been emotionally and in one instance, physically abusive towards her during the pair's consensual affair - but an investigation last month cleared Mr Tudge of any wrongdoing

'This is the second inquiry created at the request of Ms Miller and the second time that the allegations have been dismissed.

'I deeply regret the consensual affair with Ms Miller in the second half of 2017 when both of us were married with children and in our forties. It should never have happened and it has caused hurt to our respective families. It caused the end of my marriage that year.

'Despite Dr Thom's findings, given the impact of the allegations on my family and myself, I have requested not to be returned to the front bench before the election. In the meantime, I will focus on my health, my kids and my electorate.

'I will not be making further comment.'

However, Dr Thom report said Ms Miller's decision not to participate limited the amount of evidence available to the inquiry.

'The Ministerial Standards do not specifically address broader integrity and conflict of interest issues that can be a consequence of relationships that do not amount to ongoing or family relationships,' she said.
Melissa Caddick borrowed money from a lender and invested in cryptocurrency to try and pay back her investors before she disappeared, a new podcast claims.

'Liar Liar: Melissa Caddick and the Missing Millions', by journalist Kate McClymont, revealed the Sydney conwoman approached a lender of last resort after stealing $23million of her investor's money.

She tried to make back the fortune by investing in the highly-volatile cryptocurrency market.

Forensic psychiatrist Olav Nielssen said the high-stakes gamble was a sign of Caddick's desperation.

'If I get the big jackpot, I can pay everybody back and then it will all go away - but that's sort of the fantasy they exhibit,' he said.

The new podcast released on Monday investigates Caddick's complex Ponzi scheme and tracks her attempts to cheat investors, including family, out of their money.

Melissa Caddick borrowed money from a lender and invested in cryptocurrency to try and pay back her investors before she disappeared, a new podcast claims

'Liar Liar: Melissa Caddick and the Missing Millions' revealed the Sydney conwoman approached a lender of last resort after stealing $23million of her investor's money (pictured, Caddick with partner Anthony Koletti)

Caddick used the stolen funds to bankroll her lavish lifestyle that included designer clothes, two lavish Sydney houses, luxury cars, artwork and jewellery.

Most of the $1.1million Caddick stole from her parents was used to buy a flawless diamond for $590,000.

Caddick's parents had sold their family home at Connells Point, in Sydneys south, and believed the money was being used to pay off their apartment in Edgecliff.

Instead Caddick spent the money on the diamond and other personal expenses.

The podcast also features an interview with one of Caddick's victims who describes a revealing facial quirk she believes was the telltale sign the swindler was being deceitful.

'Melissa had a terrible habit of just licking her lips when she was lying,' Faye Reid tells the podcast, which has been produced by the Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes.

Ms Reid and her wife, Cheryl Kraft Reid, were duped of their $800,000 superannuation savings by Caddick.

Ms Reid revealed last year that Caddick, who was constantly searching for new victims, would meet the couple at her home to talk over their finances.

When she did this, Reid remembers, Caddick repeatedly licked her lips.

'It was slow and constant. She would talk a little bit and then lick her lips, talk a little bit and then lick her lips  I'm going, "Oh god, what's wrong with this woman?",' Ms Reid said.

Caddick had used the stolen funds bankroll her lavish lifestyle that included designer clothes, two lavish Sydney houses, luxury cars, artwork and jewellery (pictured, Dover Heights home)

Caddick was an unlicensed financial adviser who disappeared on November 12, 2020, the day after Australian Federal Police raided her home on the suspicion she had embezzled $30 million from 72 clients

Caddick was an unlicensed financial adviser who disappeared on November 12, 2020, the day after Australian Federal Police raided her home on the suspicion she had embezzled $30 million from 72 clients.

The 49-year-old had been under investigation by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) for falsely posing as a registered financial adviser and running a Ponzi scheme fleecing mostly family and friends.

Her victims handed over enormous sums on the understanding the money was being invested in portfolios.

Instead Caddick, a designer brand addict who favoured Chanel and Dior which she wore with her trademark fire-engine red Chanel lipstick, spent the money on clothing, two Sydney houses, luxury cars, artwork and jewellery.

In February 2021, partial human remains washed up on Bournda Beach on the NSW South Coast, 400km from the Dover Heights home Caddick left four months earlier without her mobile phone, wallet or keys to go for a run just before sunrise .

The podcast will follow the upmarket life led by Caddick, described as the 'con artist of the century', who began stealing as far back as 1998 when she was caught forging cheques at an investment bank

Police matched DNA from the decomposed foot in the shoe to a sample from Caddicks toothbrush

Police matched DNA from the decomposed foot in the shoe to a sample from Caddicks toothbrush.

The podcast will follow the upmarket life led by Caddick, described as the 'con artist of the century', who began stealing as far back as 1998 when she was caught forging cheques at an investment bank.

A quiet, unremarkable schoolgirl from Sydney's Southern suburbs, Caddick developed a taste for luxury goods, expensive travel and haute couture, and travelled overseas 25 times between 2009 and her death.

Liar Liar promises to retrace Caddick's travels from the 'upmarket jewellery auction rooms in Hong Kong' to the 'ski slopes of Aspen' and 'private islands in the South Pacific'

Born Melissa Grimley, she kept her married name from first husband, Tony Caddick, who she divorced in 2013, marrying her hairdresser Anthony Koletti in the same year.

One of Caddick's former associates claims every day the master conwoman was meeting potential prey she 'had to wear something different  to work', and sometimes that was 'a ballgown'.
Omicron symptoms disappear in half the time of the common cold, provided the sufferer has had a Covid booster shot, a new study has shown.

Scientists at Kings College London studied 62,000 vaccinated people during the Omicron outbreak in the UK and found remarkable differences in recovery times depending on how many doses they had received.

Those who were triple jabbed reported symptoms that lasted an average of 4.4 days, compared to 8.3 days for those who had received two vaccinations.

That was about half the time of symptoms from the common cold, which lingers for seven to ten days.

For those with a booster, Omicron infection was 3.3 days shorter than a Delta infection, which lasts for 7.7 with a third dose or 9.6 days for the doubled-jabbed.

A new study has found a Covid booster shot makes omicron symptoms last half as long compared to two vaccine doses (stock image)

The findings indicated both that the Covid virus was evolving to be less virulent over time, and also that getting a booster drastically reduces the symptomatic period.

'Every time you boost immunity, even if it is not enough to stop infection, it helps you get over symptoms faster,' Professor Catherine Bennett, the chair in epidemiology at Deakin University in Melbourne, told Daily Mail Australia.

'But it also makes sense that it would clear the infection faster which means if you get vaccinated you won't have to put up with it for the same time.'

Professor Bennett said research shows the risk of catching Covid is also halved after having a booster shot.

However, while vaccination reduces the duration of illness, each person's experience is based on a number of factors.

'It also depends on the strength of your immune system, how long it has been since you had the booster, and the initial infecting dose,' she said.

Professor Catherine Bennett, the chair in epidemiology at Deakin University in Melbourne, said the findings show the wide-ranging benefits of a booster shot. Pictured: a nurse administers a vaccine in Sydney in July

'If you come across someone who is very infectious and get a big viral load in one hit, you may feel the impact more.

'But if it is a smaller viral load, it might be easier for your body to fight it off.'

Professor Bennett said the UK has been leading many studies into Covid-19 through out the pandemic as they have strong systems in place to conduct population based research.

While infection and immunity rates - through vaccination or catching the virus- previously varied significantly between countries, the worldwide spread of the more contagious but less virulent Omicron has made medical findings relatable across the globe.

'Now that we have had Omicron in every state and territory, we start to look more like the UK, and it makes their immunity information comparable to Australia.

'This research shows that booster are worth it. Even if you aren't likely to have a serious infection, Covid isn't pleasant to get.

'But if you have a booster, you halve the infection risk, are less infectious, have shorter symptoms, and your symptoms are more mild.'
Nearly half of England's teachers plan to quit within the next five years, according to an education poll.

And a fifth said they would leave within two years, many citing heavy workload as a significant factor in their decision.

The staggering figures come ahead of the National Education Union's annual conference in Bournemouth this week.

Nearly half of England's teachers plan to quit within the next five years, according to an education poll (stock photo used)

In the NEU survey of 1,788 teachers, over half of respondents  52 per cent  said their workload was 'unmanageable' or 'unmanageable most of the time', up from 35 per cent last year (2021).

Pay and concerns about the level of trust in teachers from the public and Government were also key motivators.

Teachers said schools were finding it difficult to fill vacancies, leading to a doubling up of roles, with 73 per cent reporting the issue had got worse since the start of the pandemic. One described how 'everything is pared to the bone'.

Dr Mary Bousted, the joint NEU general secretary, accused successive education secretaries of failing 'to get a grip on the issues facing teachers'.

Dr Bousted added that teaching was a 'great and fulfilling job' which people enter because they want to make a difference, 'yet the Government makes this more difficult'.

Members were working in an 'unattractive' profession with 'amongst the highest number of unpaid working hours', she added, which is 'simply unsustainable'.

The staggering figures come ahead of the National Education Union's annual conference in Bournemouth this week (stock photo used)

'Our survey findings show that, whether it be recruitment targets missed, talented teachers leaving the profession, the pernicious effects of a punitive and deeply flawed inspection system, or the effect of real-term cuts to pay over many years, a national policy is always the villain of the piece,' Dr Bousted said.

The Department for Education said three in five people who started teaching ten years ago remained in the job today.

It added 37,000 new trainee teachers were recruited to start training in 2021/22.

A spokesman said: 'We recognise the pressure that staff in schools and colleges have been under and are enormously grateful to them for their efforts, resilience and service now and throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

'Teaching remains an attractive and fulfilling profession. The number of teachers in our schools remains high, with more than 461,000 teachers working in schools across the country - 20,000 more than in 2010.

'We have taken and will continue to take action to improve teacher and leader workloads and wellbeing, working proactively with the sector to understand the drivers behind such issues and improve our policies and interventions.'
People convicted of assaulting NSW frontline emergency services workers could face up to 14 years in jail.

The new crime of assaulting frontline workers will expand the penalties that already apply for assaulting police and other law enforcement officers.

Premier Dominic Perrottet says the government supports all of the recommendations in the NSW Sentencing Council's report, Assaults on Emergency Services Workers.

Premier Dominic Perrottet announced the NSW government will support new legislation protecting emergency frontline workers and recommendations to include firefighters, RFS, and SES crews

But the government will go further than the report's recommendations to ensure firefighters from the NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, and NSW SES frontline workers are also protected.

'We are committed to increasing protections for our emergency services workers and ensuring that sentencing for assaults and other actions against these workers is appropriate,' Mr Perrottet said on Monday.

'They keep us safe and we will do whatever we can to keep them safe too.'

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the new crimes would help protect paramedics and hospital staff.

'No one deserves to be assaulted, whatever the circumstances, but anyone who commits a violent attack on health professionals trying to care for them is committing an appalling crime,' he said.

The government will introduce legislation later this year, with culprits facing a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail

Attorney-General Mark Speakman said the state's frontline emergency workers had dealt with difficult challenges during the past two years.

'Our frontline health workers, emergency services staff, and correctional and youth justice officers often face risks as they bravely serve our community,' he said.

'Those who perpetrate disgraceful acts of violence on these dedicated individuals should face stringent consequences.'

The government will introduce legislation later this year, with the maximum penalty for anyone convicted of wounding or causing grievous bodily harm to a frontline health worker facing up to 14 years in jail.
Britain's MoD said Moscow is scrambling for extra troops to fight in the war

A total 40,000 are wounded, dead or captured since Putin's invasion started

A total 40,000 are wounded, dead or captured since Putin's invasion started

At least 15,000 Russian troops have been killed in

The Russian army's losses are so high the Kremlin has recruited retired troops

The Russian army's losses are so high the Kremlin has resorted to recruiting soldiers that have been retired for a decade.

At least 15,000 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine, with a total 40,000 wounded, dead or captured since Putin's invasion began on February 24.

Intelligence from Britain's Ministry of Defence said Ukraine has killed so many of Putin's soldiers that Moscow is scrambling for extra troops.

The Kremlin has even started to recruit from Russian-occupied Transnistria, in Moldova.

Service members of pro-Russian troops drive an armoured vehicle during Ukraine-Russia conflict on a road outside the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine April 10

Ukrainian forces fire GRAD rockets toward Russian positions in Donbas, Ukraine on April 10

Intelligence from Britain's Ministry of Defence said Ukraine has killed so many of Putin's soldiers that Moscow is scrambling for extra troops

Britain's Ministry of Defence said: 'In response to mounting losses, the Russian armed forces seek to bolster troop numbers with personnel discharged from military service since 2012.

'Efforts to generate more fighting power also include trying to recruit from the unrecognised Transnistria region of Moldova.'

Ukraine has put Russia's death toll higher at 20,000 and the Kremlin's top spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, admitted last week there were 'significant losses' that were 'a tragedy for us'.

On Sunday, President Zelensky, accused Russia of cowardice and warned Ukrainians in the east of the country to expect Russia to wage 'even larger operations'

Russian troops have been pulling out of Kyiv in recent days as Moscow turns its gaze to the east of Ukraine, which traditionally has more pro-separatists living there.

It could be an attempt by Putin to have a battlefield win before May 9 so he can celebrate it on Russia's annual Victory Day parade in Moscow.

On Sunday, President Zelensky, accused Russia of cowardice and warned Ukrainians in the east of the country to expect Russia to wage 'even larger operations'.

He said: 'They can use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs.

'But we are preparing for their actions. We will respond.

The Russian army's losses are so high the Kremlin has resorted to recruiting soldiers that have been retired for a decade

'They say about the murders in Bucha that it is not them, but allegedly us.

'Do you know why this is so? Because it's cowardice.'

He added: 'They are afraid to admit that Russia's entire policy toward Ukraine has been erroneous for decades.'

'They deprived themselves of any political tools and, unwilling to give up unrealistic ambitions, started this war.'

'It all came from cowardice. When cowardice grows, it turns into a catastrophe.

'When people lack the courage to admit their mistakes, apologise, adapt to reality, learn, they turn into monsters.

'And when the world ignores it, the monsters decide that it is the world that has to adapt to them.

'Ukraine will stop all this.'

Meanwhile, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhaylo Podolyak told national television that 'Ukraine is ready for big battles' against Putin's forces.

Satellite imagery has emerged of a huge convoy of Russian armour and artillery heading towards the under-siege areas of eastern Ukraine as both sides gear up for a brutal new phase of the war

This handout satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows a large military convoy consisting of hundreds of vehicles (including armored vehicles, trucks with towed artillery and support equipment) moving south through the Ukrainian town of Velykyi Burluk, Ukraine, April 8

He said: 'Ukraine must win them, including in the Donbas.

'Once that happens, Ukraine will have a more powerful negotiating position.

'After that the presidents will meet. It could take two weeks, three.'

Chilling satellite images have shown hundreds of Russian armoured vehicles heading for a major confrontation with Ukrainian troops which could decide the outcome of the war.

The bodies of 132 civilians were found shot dead at a new potential Russian war crimes site in Ukraine, officials said today. Pictured: Workers remove debris from a destroyed building in the region west of Kyiv, April 8, 2022

Bodies of civilians, who according to the head of the village were killed by Russian soldiers amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, lie on the ground after police exhumed them from a well at the fuel station in Buzova

A Ukrainian serviceman stands amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Policemen work to identify civilians who were killed during the Russian occupation in Bucha, Ukraine, on the outskirts of Kyiv, before sending the bodies to the morgue, Wednesday, April 6

Ukrainian investigators exhume bodies from a mass grave in the grounds of the St Andrew church in the town of Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, on April 8, 2022

A damaged car sits amongst a residential building destroyed as a result of shellfire on April 7 in Makariv. According to reports, 40 percent of the town has been destroyed

A residential building destroyed as a result of shell fire on April 7, 2022 in Makariv, Ukraine

A Russian air strike hit Kramatorsk's train station on Friday, with graphic pictures showing bodies strewn across floor outside, lying amongst abandoned luggage

Grainy pictures showed a column of trucks, some towing artillery, stretching for more than eight miles through Russian-held territory.

The convoy is heading towards eastern Ukraine where decisive battles are expected.

Tens of thousands of Russian troops are heading to the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk  known collectively as the Donbas.

The Kremlin is seeking a victory there to justify its 'special military operation', which has failed to capture any major cities.

According to Western officials, Russian commanders believe the Donbas represents their best chance of success.
United States President Joe Biden is expected to announce new firearm regulations amid continuing pressure to address rising gun violence in the nation and reveal a nominee who would lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE).

The new measures are believed to be designed to contain the use of privately-made weapons, said people familiar with the matter. The new regulation on what authorities call "ghost guns," which are unregulated and untraceable weapons made from kits, aims to address the critical gap in the government's ability to monitor and track them.

Ghost Gun Regulations

Furthermore, the Democratic leader is expected to name Steve Dettelbach, who is a former U.S. attorney from Ohio, as his nominee to lead BATFE as soon as Monday, said one official. Biden's previous nominee was forced to withdraw from the nomination due to opposition in the Senate.

The new order comes as gun violence and crime in the United States have seen an increase in frequency. The situation has put the White House under pressure to address the issue and Biden is expected to unveil new steps on guns in a public event scheduled on Monday afternoon, as per CNN.

Biden's new measure has been making its way through the federal regulatory process for nearly a year. For months, gun safety groups and Democratic lawmakers in Congress have been urging the Justice Department to finish the rule. However, the measure would probably meet heavy resistance from gun groups and draw litigation in the following weeks.

Read Also: Will Smith Gets Punished With 10-Year Academy Ban for Chris Rock Slap During Oscars 2022

The Senate's top Democrat, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York on Sunday implored the administration to move faster with passing the measure. In a statement, the official said that it was "high time" for a ghost gun exorcism before the proliferation peaks and to prevent more people from getting hurt or killed.

According to Fox News, Schumer said that his message was fairly simple, which is no more waiting on the proposed federal rules. He argued that ghost guns were too easy to build, too hard to trace, and too dangerous to ignore.

Rising Number of Gun Violence

The Senate majority leader's call for a crackdown on ghost guns came after a staggering surge in seizures of the DIY weapons in New York City. He argued that the untraceable firearms more often than not end up in the wrong hands, including the Bronx teen who is charged in a shooting on Friday that resulted in the death of a 16-year-old girl and the injury of two others.

Statistics from the New York Police Department (NYPD) showed that there was roughly a 351% increase in the number of ghost guns recovered by police officers this year. Authorities said that at least 131 of the makeshift firearms were seized between Jan. 1 and Wednesday, which is a massive jump from only 29 in the same period last year.

Schumer said that the issue of ghost guns was haunting all of New York, forcing him to call on the federal government to place rules that would classify "partially complete" frames and receivers as firearms. This would subject them to gun regulations that include background checks and serial numbers, the New York Post reported.



Related Article: Hunter Biden Scandal: Associates Call Joe Biden 'The Big Guy' in Evidence, Claim POTUS Is Involved in His Son's Business Dealings

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Motorists could be slapped with hefty fines ahead of the Easter long weekend due to a slew of unusual road laws that few Australian drivers obey.

Speeding, drink driving, and drug related offences account for the bulk of road offences but there are many lesser-known - in fact, totally unknown - road rules that could catch out even the most conscientious driver.

Motorists planning a road trip this Easter break should take a quick road rule refresher by checking out the list below:

Motorists could be slapped with hefty fines ahead of the Easter long weekend by a slew of unusual road laws that almost all Australians have done. Drivers could be paying up to $698 and lose five demerit points for the illegal acts

1. Throwing apple core out of the car window: $533 and two demerit points.

Drivers that drop 'injurious matter on a road' could be fined for littering even if the object is biodegradable. The Queensland law means 'tossers' could be fined $533 and two demerit points for throwing a banana peel or apple out of their vehicle.

2. Toot horn and wave farewell: $698 and three points

NSW drivers could be fined $349 for the friendly farewell beep as it constitutes 'unnecessary use of horn or warning device'. Adding a wave to the cheerful goodbye could double the infringement as 'part of the body outside the vehicle' is another $349 fine.

Australian motorists could be fined up to $534 and could lose a whopping five demerit points if they use their phone to pay at a drive-through

3. Using your phone to pay at a drive-through: $534 fine

The dangers of using a mobile phone are well-documented but the strict laws extend all the way to the drive-through window. Depending on the state, motorists could be fined up to $534 and could lose a whopping five demerit points. To avoid the costly fine, Australian's must switch their engine off and have their handbrake on before using a mobile phone to pay for their fast-food meal.

4. Cutting through a service station: $349 and three demerit points

Motorists stuck in traffic or queued at a red light and in a hurry to get to their destination could be fined for cutting through a service station. The tempting shortcut is illegal as it falls under the 'drive on or over footpath' road rule. The fine, designed to protect pedestrians, could cost drivers $349 and three demerit points.

5. Splashing pedestrians: $187 fine

In NSW, drivers that deliberately splash individuals waiting for a bus could be fined. Entertaining as it may be, motorists would do well to avoid those puddles. Pedestrians on the footpath are exempt from this odd rule.

NSW drivers could be hit with a double infringement when they beep and wave goodbye to friends and family. Both 'Unnecessary use of horn or warning device' and 'part of the body outside the vehicle' are $349 fines

6. Speeding up while being overtaken: $344 and two demerit points

This common and infuriating practice sees drivers accelerate when another vehicle attempts to overtake. Drivers caught doing this could cop a $344 fine and lose two demerit points in NSW and $330 and two demerit points in Victoria.

7. Flash lights to warn others of speed camera or RBT: $116 and one point

Although appreciated by many, this 'community service' act is illegal. Flashing a vehicles headlights on and off to warn other drivers of police presence is a $116 ticket and one demerit point. Previously the infringement referred to the use of high beams in a built-up area but it is now 'use high beam towards oncoming vehicle'. In NSW drivers can be slapped with the fine if their high beams outside of fog and inclement weather.

8. Drive over nature strip in a school zone: $464 fine and four points

Drivers that mount a kerb or median strip while in a school zone could be slapped with the hefty fine regardless of how tight the street is or how difficult it is to find a spot to park.

9. Not giving way to horses: $130 fine

Although horses are no longer a common means of transport, it is illegal if a motorist does not give way to a hard-to-control horse. The rider would signal that the horse refuses to move by raising a hand and pointing to the horse. Drivers must move to the left, turn off their engine and wait. Drivers that choose to disregard this rule could score a $130 fine in Queensland.

10. Leaving your key in the ignition = $114 fine

Roughly 1,000 NSW drivers a year are issued a fine for leaving the key in the ignition unattended. Although convenient, motorists are urged to avoid the practice.
Sex attack victims are being forced to wait an average of eight years for justice, shocking figures showed yesterday.

In some areas it takes more than 16 years to put an offender behind bars, with cases now lasting 50 per cent longer than before the pandemic.

The latest Ministry of Justice figures for October to December 2021 show that the average time between a sex attack happening and the trial ending is 2,937 days, which is more than eight years.

It also takes 426 days on average from police charging a sex offender to the end of their trial. In 2018 it was 284 days.

The delays cause further distress in cases where the attack may have happened years before the victim felt able to go to the police.

Hundreds of trials are also being abandoned every month because of shortages of specialist prosecutors, defence barristers and even judges.

Sex attack victims are being forced to wait on average eight years for trials to conclude according to figures from the Ministry of Justice, with some victims waiting for over a decade

Analysis by the Criminal Bar Association reveals that a record 179 trials were ditched last year because no judge was available to preside.

In some cases, women have been left suicidal by the delays and campaigners fear attackers are being left free to claim new victims.

Officials insist that more victims of historical sexual offences have had the confidence to come forward, which has led to the average time between offence and case completion rising.

The worst delays are in North Yorkshire where sex assault victims waited an average of more than 16 years from an offence to the conclusion of their case. The equivalent figure was just four years in 2018.

Criminal barristers in England and Wales are due to take industrial action today in protest over levels of legal aid.

Jo Sidhu QC, chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, said: The perfect storm is already raging across the country as trial delays lengthen because we simply do not have sufficient numbers of judges, prosecutors, and defenders to deal with the backlog.

The Ministry of Justice is spending 1billion to boost court capacity and accelerate trials post-pandemic.

A spokesman said: We are determined to get victims the swift justice they deserve  thats why we are increasing court capacity and overhauling our entire response to rape while boosting funding for support services to 185million a year.
Finland and Sweden could join NATO as early as this summer amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine - as US officials blast Putin's war a 'massive strategic blunder'.

Membership is understood to have been a 'topic of discussion' during talks between NATO's foreign ministers last week.

Finland is expected to apply to join the alliance in June, followed by neighbouring Sweden, despite warnings from Russia that membership would lead to 'the destruction of their country'.

It comes after Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said it was time for the country to reconsider its stance on NATO, while Swedish leader Magdalena Andersson refused to rule out an application.

Finland, which has a long border with Russia and was invaded by the Red Army in 1939, has never been a member of the Cold War defence alliance, preferring instead to organise its own protection.

However, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, opinion polls commissioned by Finnish media outlets have shown a swift U-turn in public opinion with the majority now favouring joining.

And Sweden is currently undertaking a review of its security that is due for completion at the end of this month - similar to Finland's timetable, The Times reports.

If granted membership, NATO''s alliance would rise to 32 nations amid hopes that the Russian military would be stretched even further.

inland Prime Minister Sanna Marin pictured on Thursday during a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Helsinki, Finland

Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson pictured arriving at an EU summit in Brussels on March 25

US officials have branded Putin's war a 'massive strategic blunder' as Finland and Sweden are poised to make applications for NATO membership

Sweden and Finland are the two closest countries to Russia in the Arctic Circle, with the Kremlin previously threatening 'military consequences' if either joined NATO.

But Ms Marin said: 'Russia is not the neighbour we thought it was.'

She added: 'I think we will have very careful discussions, but we are also not taking any more time than we have to in this process, because the situation is, of course, very severe.'

Finland has opted to remain neutral since World War Two, choosing instead to act as a buffer between East and West when Europe was carved up during the Cold War, affording it more flexibility in its foreign policy while allaying Russian fears of Western expansion.

But Alexander Stubb, who headed Finland's government in 2014 and 2015, also said the country could decide to join the military alliance as soon as May.

He added: 'In the beginning of the war I said that Putins aggression will drive Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership.

'I said it was not a matter of days or weeks, but months. Time to revise: Finland will apply within weeks, latest May. Sweden to follow, or at the same time.'

Russian lawmaker Vladimir Dzhabarov, though, said this week that it is not likely 'the Finns themselves will sign a card for the destruction of their country', threatening a repeat of the Ukraine invasion which was sparked in part by its desire to join NATO.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov added that if Finland and Sweden joined NATO, then Russia would have to 'rebalance the situation' with its own measures in another thinly-veiled warning.

It comes as NATO is preparing to deploy a permanent full-scale military force on its eastern flank capable of repelling a Russian invasion similar to the one that has ravaged Ukraine, the alliance's secretary general has revealed.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gestures as he addresses media representatives at a press conference following a meeting of NATO foreign ministers on Wednesday

Residents walk along a street near a building destroyed in Mariupol on Sunday during Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Emergency workers remove debris of a building destroyed in the besieged city of Mariupol

Residents carry their belongings surrounded by buildings that have been destroyed by Russian shelling on Sunday

Currently, NATO only deploys a relatively small 'tripwire' force in the Baltic states that border Russia and Belarus, which is intended to signal a commitment to the countries' defence rather than a credible defence in its own right.

As part of NATO's major 'reset', this symbolic presence will be replaced by one capable of beating the Russian army back without reinforcements needing to be called in from across the alliance.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in the Telegraph that NATO was 'in the midst of a very fundamental transformation' that will reflect 'the long-term consequences' of Vladimir Putin's actions.

He pointed out that NATO troop numbers in the eastern flank were already at 40,000, nearly ten times greater than they were a few months ago before the invasion.

'What we see now is a new reality, a new normal for European security. Therefore, we have now asked our military commanders to provide options for what we call a reset, a longer-term adaptation of NATO.

'I expect that NATO leaders will make decisions on this when they meet in Madrid at the NATO summit in June.'
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The second day of the 'Melbourne Cup of the Outback' is underway in the remote Queensland town of Birdsville.

Thousands of racegoers dressed in colourful suits and dazzling frocks gathered to watch the annual horse race and enjoy the party in the country's dusty red centre.

The 139th Birdsville Races began a day earlier on Sunday after being cancelled for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 38C heat was the hottest on record for the race in recent years with both the jockeys and horses enjoying a cool post-race hose down.

Contestants in fashions on the field on the first day of the Birdsville Races (pictured) in hot and dusty conditions on the outskirts of Birdsville in far western Queensland

Maddie Finn from Sydney (left), Carla Fowler from Geelong (centre) and Kate Reily from Sydney (right), excited at the first race, on the first day of the races

The 13-race program had 84 entries with the 1600m TAB Birdsville Cup on Monday offering the winning horse a record $42,000 in prize money

Gary Brook, the Vice President of the Birdsville Race Club, said the scorching temperatures didn't take away from fun had on and off the track (pictured, punters at the entry gates)

More than 3,000 punters descended on the town in central west Queensland on the edges of the Simpson and Stoney deserts to witness the 140-year tradition.

'It is so great to be back and supported so well by the thousands who travelled to join us at this special edition of the Birdsville Races. It was hot, but didn't slow the horses or the fun off the track,' Gary Brook vice president of the Birsville Race Club said.

Apprentice jockey Shae Nielson picked up her first ever win on day one of the races, prompting raucous applause from the 3,000-strong crowd.

'I'd like to thank Birdsville for putting on a great couple of days,' the 26-year-old said of her triumph on the track.

The field pass the finish in race 5 on the on day one of the races (pictured)

About 3,000 spectators attended the event in the dusty Outback town (pictured)

As well as the races there are also a number of events held during the carnival including a charity auction and of course many bars to grab a cool drink (pictured)

'I will never forget this win and hope that I can come back again and ride at Birdsville. It's been more than I ever thought it would be.'

Her horse Rosaraya also delivered trainer Todd Austion a winning trainers double and the first of two $2,000 trainers bonuses awarded on the day.

Day two sees the 2022 race program culminate with the headline 1,600m Birdsville Cup, which this year offers a record $42,000 prize-purse.

The April 2022 Birdsville Races offer a record combined prize purse of $262,500 across the two days of racing.

Racegoers who travelled from all corners of Australia for the two-day event celebrated by decorating themselves with colourful hats, shirts and tutus.

It's by far the biggest event for the year in the tiny town of Birdsville which had a population of just 140 people in the 2016 Census.

The event was postponed for the last two year but made a triumphant return in 2022 (pictured)

The town is located on the edge of the Simpson and Stoney deserts in central Australia (pictured)

Thousands of brightly-dressed punters have gathered in the remote outback town of Birdsville for the 139th running of the iconic two-day event

If a trainer wins both the April and September 2022 TAB Birdsville Cup races, they will receive up to $15,000 in bonuses - thought to be the biggest cash prize in the history of country racing in Queensland.

Race club president David Brook, 74, said he was feeling the pressure before the race meet.

'I haven't been able to sleep some nights because I haven't known how we're going to do it,' he said.

'I wake up with a stomach ache at three in the morning.'

Passionate about horses and keeping the heart of the bush alive, Mr Brook shouldn't be worried. He's well practised.

Racegoers cool down in the 38C heat on day one of the races (pictured)

The Fashions on the Field event (pictured) had many colourful entries

He's been running the iconic Birdsville carnival for nearly five decades. His uncle was president before him.

One of his sons is the vice president, a daughter the treasurer.

Mr Brook knows the lead-up to the event can feel daunting but then the volunteers start arriving - down from the big smoke for a bit of hard work, a lot of fun and no money.

'They're getting a meal, somewhere to stay, a cool place to have a drink; they might get shouted a beer and they do a day's work for nothing,' he said.

Apprentice jockey Shae Nielson (left) won her first ever race on Sunday on horse Rosaraya, to the raucous applause from the 3000-strong crowd

Punters from across the country looking to get in on the action from the comfort of their own home can tune in to watch the 13-race line up on Sky Racing (pictured, horses race)

'They turn up and tell me 'don't worry, we can do that' and by lunch I haven't got any stomach pain at all.'

He said the event was an iconic one every Australian should visit.

'You've got to get to the race track and see the horses and the dust,' Mr Brook said.

'The weather's good, the beer will be cold and everything will be great.'

Punters from across the country looking to get in on the action from the comfort of their own home can tune in to watch the 13-race line up on Sky Racing.
There will be fewer flights for air travelers this summer after JetBlue Airways and Alaska Air announced it will cut their schedules because of worker shortages.

JetBlue said that despite already hiring 2,500 new workers this year, it's still unable to fill all the openings needed for a fuller summer schedule.

'We've already reduced May capacity 8-10 percent and you can expect to see a similar size capacity pull for the remainder of the summer,' Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue's COO and president, said in an email to staff obtained by CNBC on Saturday.

Over 300 flights were canceled by the airline over the weekend, a week after poor weather across Florida had led to another rash of cancelations and delays for the carrier.

'Despite these challenges and, based on your feedback that the schedule is wound too tight, we know the best plan is to reduce capacity now,' Geraghty wrote. 'I think everyone recognizes that the industry still remains very much in recovery mode, so we believe this proactive step is the right decision.'

Air travele

Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer of JetBlue Airways, and Robin Hayes, the CEO for the entire company, plan to reduce flight schedule this summer

JetBlue isn't the only airline downsizing things. Alaska Airlines said it would trim its schedule by two percent through the end of June due to similar staffing shortages.

'We've recently let down some of our valued guests by canceling an unusual number of flights,' Alaska said Friday. 'The primary cause of cancellations is the shortage of pilots available to fly versus what was planned when we built our April schedule in January.'

Not only is there a staff shortage, but pilots have also been striking against the regional airline amid what the Anchorage Daily News calls a bitter contract dispute.

JetBlue's Geraghty added that the airline will share other measures to avoid disruptions with staff in the coming weeks.

'In the meantime, any and all ideas are welcome,' she wrote.

Airlines have been anticipating a huge boon to the travel industry for summer 2022. The number of tickets sold in February for those traveling between June and August of this year was down just three percent from February 2019.

Alaska Airlines said it would trim its schedule by two percent through the end of June due to similar staffing shortages

Passengers check in for flights with Spirit Airlines at O'Hare International Airport on April 6

As of mid-March, airlines will have over 2.1 million domestic flights scheduled over the summer months, aviation data provider Cirium said. That's an eight percent dip from the flights scheduled over the same months in 2019.

In summer of 2021, scheduled flights were down 16 percent from the summer of 2019.

JetBlue, which in March was predicting revenues going down 6 to 9 percent this year - a sunnier outlook than the original in-house prediction of 11 to 16 percent - said it will 'moderate' its plans due to the rise in fuel prices.

Spirit Airlines said late Thursday that it will talk to JetBlue Airways about its $3.6 billion bid to combine the two airlines, which appeared to leapfrog an earlier offer by Frontier Airlines.

Spirit said that after speaking with financial and legal advisers, its directors believe JetBlue's offer could 'reasonably' turn out to be the better of the two deals.

Executives from the other major US airlines will start detailing staffing and capacity plans this week when Delta Air Lines reports first-quarter results. Remaining carriers report later in the month.
Throngs of terrified tourists took off running in Times Square Sunday after three manhole fires led to a loud blast that one nearby resident said shook her 'whole apartment.'

Videos from the the scene show pedestrians dashing through the Crossroads of the World just before 7pm.

In a video posted to social media, a young woman films herself as crews respond to the manhole fires. The explosion is then heard and she begins to run.

'What the f***?' What the f*** was that?'

The FDNY did not reveal the reason for the manhole explosion but officials found elevated carbon monoxide levels at 229 West 43rd Street after the blast. High levels of the odorless and colorless gas, which can lead to brain damage or death, were likely caused by the entrapped manhole fires.

Firefighters were in the process of 'venting and mitigating the cellar and sub-cellar of the location' before they handed the scene over to utility companies by 9pm.

There were no injuries.

The explosion rattled an already jittery city that has seen crime skyrocket since the start of the pandemic. Overall crime is up 44.13 percent across the city from this time last year, with shooting victims up 14.5 percent.

Pedestrians run for their lives in Times Square on Sunday evening after a loud blast was heard

Video from the 24/7 EarthCam in the area shows Duffy Square packed with people on Sunday

The crowd quickly empties out of the Crossroads of the World after the inexplicable blast

One young woman who was recording the fire trucks in the area hears a loud bang and takes off running with the crowd nearby. Fire officials said they found three manholes on fire in the area. The cause of the fires was unknown

Overall crime in the city has risen 44 percent in the first three months of the year and police are now saying that hundreds of repeat offenders have been arrested at least three times

The blast took place as crowds were gathering outside theaters for Broadway shows in the popular tourist hub.

One video shows fearful crowds running down the sidewalk as others join in without knowing what's really happening.

'I dont know what it is but,' a man says in one video 'What is it? I heard something.'

The blast was likely caused by three manhole fires reported in the area, the FDNY said.

The cause of Sunday's fires has not been determined.

Footage from the 24/7 EarthCam above Duffy Square - site of Times Square's iconic red steps - shows a crowd lingering in the area just before 7pm when, suddenly, groups of people start running in one direction.

The square is partially emptied out by the time the panic dies down a few seconds later.

One nearby resident tweeted: 'Feeling relieved. With it being the start holy week, I was very scared. When I say my whole apartment shook, my goodness! Hoping to get more details on the manhole explosion. Two in two years. Wild.'

The city's fire department was assisting utility companies in finding out the cause of the manhole fires that led to the blast. The scene was turned over to the utility companies by 9pm.

The loud blast came as a shock to visitors of the city's most popular tourist destination as crime rates continue to rise in the Big Apple.

On Saturday, a 17-year-old was arrested and charged in the Friday slaying of a 16-year-old girl, who was described as a 'beautiful soul' by her family.

Jeremiah Ryan, 17, was charged with murder, attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon by the NYPD in the killing of Angellyh Yambo, 16, near her Bronx school.

Angellyh Yambo, 16, (pictured in 2020) was walking home with two others around 2pm on Friday when she was struck in the chest with a bullet

'Last night, we were able to bring in Jeremiah Ryan and place him in custody,' NYPD Chief Timothy McCormack said at a press conference Saturday, adding that the boy is working with police.

'We have two families that are completely destroyed right now - our victim's family and our shooter's family,' McCormack said.

Police were investigating whether the shooting suspect, who has no criminal record, was using a so-called 'ghost gun' - a homemade firearm that can be built with parts bought online and lacks a serial number normally used to trace it. They said a total of six rounds were fired .

Yambo was walking home with two friends at around 2pm on Friday when she was struck in the chest with a bullet, having been caught in the crossfire of two reported criminals on opposite sides of the street when an argument broke out between them.

She was rushed to Lincoln Medical Center after emergency personnel were seen performing chest compressions on her in the street as blood pooled around her. Yambo could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Meanwhile, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced a plan to give judges more power over bail for repeat offenders and to pursue more cases against minors after she admitted New Yorkers' trust in safety has 'shattered.'

Hochul, 63, who has recently announced she will be running for a full term as governor, announced on Thursday that judges will have more discretion over bail for repeat offenders or those charged with gun trafficking.

Hochul, 63, who has recently announced she will be running for a full term as governor, announced on Thursday that judges will have more discretion over bail for repeat offenders or those charged with gun trafficking

She admitted that bail 'has been an issue,' and the new measure includes expanding the defendants' gun-related history, including previous gun use and the severity of the crime, when considering bail. T

he new law would also amend the current statutes on illegal gun trafficking, setting the number of illegal firearms needed for bail at three, down from 10.

'For the first time, [we are] going to allow judges to set bail for gun charges that we previously subject only to release.

'Also, adding factors that a judge must consider - as I mentioned, some problematic loopholes on Raise the Age and discovery, and making Kendra's Law more effective. All in the interests of making a safer and more just New York,' she said.
Sunburnt and grieving for his son, a British diver rescued after spending three days missing off Malaysia was yesterday recovering in hospital.

Adrian Chesters has told investigators that his Anglo-Dutch son, Nathen, 13, did not survive the ill-fated diving expedition after becoming exhausted.

The 46-year-old, who was found by fishermen after three days, was in intensive care last night.

Searches for Nathens body are still taking place and due to switch from Malaysian to Indonesian waters.

Recovering: Adrian Chesters and Alexia Molina receive gifts from a representative of the sultan. Mr Chesters has told investigators that his Anglo-Dutch son, Nathen, 13, did not survive the ill-fated diving expedition after becoming exhausted

Mr Chesters said Nathen died as a result of being too weak  he was unable to survive, a statement by the Malaysian coastguard revealed.

Shell oil engineer Mr Chesters, his son and Frenchwoman Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18, were with Norwegian instructor Kristine Grodem, 35, when they got into difficulties.

They surfaced from a 40-minute dive in waters nearly 50ft deep, near an island in the southern Johor state, but could not find their boat.

Mr Chesters said Nathen (pictured) died as a result of being too weak  he was unable to survive, a statement by the Malaysian coastguard revealed

Investigators believe the ships captain may have simply abandoned them in the South China Sea and sailed to shore while high on drugs. He was later arrested after testing positive for amphetamines.

A search was launched, covering a radius of 100 miles and involving 30 divers, two planes and 18 boats.

Miss Grodem was rescued by a tugboat on Thursday, having drifted over 20 miles. Mr Chesters and Miss Molina were found at 1am on Saturday.

District police chief Cyril Edward Nuing said: We have rescued two divers who were reported missing while doing scuba diving activities. They have survived and are now in hospital in a stable condition.

We believe there is a high likelihood that he [Nathen] is no longer in Malaysian waters, based on the movement of sea currents, as well as the time and location where the other victims were found.

Mr Chesters and Miss Molina were visited in hospital by the Sultan of Johors representatives, who offered his best wishes for their recovery and presented them with flowers and gifts.

Born in Sheffield, Mr Chesters married his Dutch wife Andrea  Nathens mother  in Berkshire in 2005. More recently, the family have lived in Houston, Texas.

Yesterday, relatives  including Mr Chesters parents Neil and Carolyn  said they did not wish to make any comment about the tragedy.
Health chiefs want Britons to follow a string of new Covid measures to fight record infection rates in the UK and ease pressure on the NHS.

NHS Confederation accused No10 of 'abandoning any interest in Covid whatsoever', warning that hospitals are set to deal with a 'brutal Easter as bad as any winter'.

The group, which acts as a representative for hospitals and ambulance trusts, called for 'mitigating actions' to stop the spread of the virus, such as not meeting people indoors and wearing masks in crowded spaces.

It comes just weeks after Covid restrictions, including the legal requirement to self-isolate, were scrapped under Boris Johnson's 'living with Covid' plan. And England's 2billion-a-month mass-testing scheme was scrapped at the start of April.

The easing of rules has coincided with infection rates spiralling to the highest levels seen throughout the pandemic, with one in 13 people estimated to be infected at the start of the month.

Health bosses say the situation  fuelled by rising Covid rates and staff sickness  is impacting its ability to tackle the record backlog of patients needing care.

Millions of patients have already been told to stay away from busy A&E units unless they are genuinely dying, while ambulance services have urged some to make their own way to hospital.

The number of virus-infected patients in hospital last week breached 20,000  the highest since February 2021. Although, figures also show thousands aren't primarily ill with the virus.

The NHS Confederation accused the Government of 'abandoning any interest in Covid whatsoever' as hospitals are set to deal with a 'brutal Easter as bad as any winter'

Confederation boss Matthew Taylor said: 'NHS leaders report a clear disconnect between the Government's Living with Covid plan and the realities at the NHS front line'

England's outbreak has PEAKED, massive testing survey suggests England's Covid resurgence has finally peaked  even though more people are currently infected than ever, the country's most respected surveillance report suggests. Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysts estimate 4.1million people in England had Covid in the week ending April 2. Although the highest toll recorded since the pandemic began, it's only 0.5 per cent higher than last week. Experts today hailed the figures as the 'first sign infections have plateaued'. In the worst-hit parts of the country  Plymouth, Torbay and South Hams  up to one in 10 people were carrying the virus, according to the testing survey. ONS bosses admitted that 'while infections remain high', cases 'may no longer be increasing in some parts of the UK'. Experts say England's latest surge was driven by the more transmissible version of Omicron, scientifically named BA.2. Ministers also admit that ditching the final Covid restrictions last month also fueled the uptick. The ONS figures, based on swabs of 100,000 people, suggest that the downturn seen in the official numbers over the past week is genuine and not entirely down to the end of mass testing. Scientists and Tory MPs want the daily updates scrapped because they are now almost meaningless. Advertisement

'The brutal reality for staff and patients is that this Easter in the NHS is as bad as any winter,' said Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation.

'But instead of the understanding and support NHS staff received during 2020 and 2021, we have a Government that seems to want to wash its hands of responsibility for what is occurring in plain sight in local services up and down the country.

'No10 has seemingly abandoned any interest in Covid whatsoever.

'NHS leaders and their teams feel abandoned by the Government and they deserve better.'

'Mitigating actions'  including not meeting people indoors and wearing masks in crowded spaces  were needed to prevent the spread of the virus, the group said.

It also said the Conservatives needed to have a 'public information campaign' to ask people to stay away from A&E unless they have an emergency.

Overcrowded A&E rooms are suffering from staff shortages, with data showing up to three per cent of staff in the NHS have coronavirus.

And delays to ambulance handovers, which are supposed to take 15 minutes, are at their highest level this year, with a quarter of patients forced to wait for at least 30 minutes to be admitted.

The organisation said that in the last week alone 20 emergency departments in England have been forced to turn patients away as they issued 'diverts' due to being too full.

Trusts across Yorkshire last week claimed the pressures left them with no choice but to prioritise patients in 'genuine, life-threatening situations'.

And Dr Derek Sandeman, chief medical officer at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System, last week pleaded with families to take their Covid-infected relatives home to free up beds as trusts battle a 'perfect storm' of pressures.

The NHS Confederation also questioned whether plans to tackle the record backlog of care are realistic.

One in nine people in England were waiting for routine treatment  such as joint replacement and cataract surgery  or diagnostic tests by the end of January.

Meanwhile, ministers should reconsider asking the NHS to foot the bill for Covid tests for staff  estimated to cost the NHS 'several hundred million pounds' which is being taken away from patient care.

Mr Taylor said that the nation was 'behaving as if this pandemic is over, but it is not over in relation to the challenges facing the health service'.

He told BBC Breakfast: 'There is a lack of awareness of engagement pressures the health service is under and it's particularly felt in hospitals at the ambulance service, but it's actually across the system as a whole.

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)

HOW LONG IS THE NHS BACKLOG IN ENGLAND? NHS waiting lists for routine operations hit another record high of 6.1million in January. An additional 30,000 people were on the list for routine operations such as hip and knee replacements and cataract surgery in January compared to December. The 6.1million toll is 2million higher than when the pandemic hit, when NHS elective care was effectively frozen for months. The number of people waiting over a year to start treatment increased to 311,528 in January, up from around only 1,400 before Covid hit. The Government and NHS England have vowed to eliminate all waits of more than a year by March 2025 as part of their pandemic recovery plan. The health service will get an extra 12billion a year from April, funded by the 1.25 per cent hike to national insurance. Almost 24,000 have been waiting at least two years for treatment, up from 20,065 in December, and over nine times the 2,608 who were waiting in April 2021. These patients will be contacted by the end of the month to be offered alternative appointments in places where queues aren't as long or in private hospitals. Their transport and accommodation fees will be covered. Advertisement

'Because although we're much better at dealing with Covid, with fewer people dying and ending up in intensive care, it is still a disease that puts immense pressure on the health service.

'It is adding to the demand which already exists  partly to do with the number of people who are waiting for treatment.

'So we have a situation in our health service now which is as bad as any winter, even though we're approaching Easter and it's really important that we understand that this has happening.

'In our view, we do not have a "living with Covid" plan, we have a "living without restrictions" ideology, which is different. We need to put in place the measures that are necessary to try to alleviate the pressures on our health service while this virus continues to attack.'

But hospital data shows Covid daily admissions and the number of infected patients in hospital are falling or flattening out.

Latest hospitalisation data for the UK shows 2,406 infected people were admitted to hospitals across the UK last Monday, down 4.1 per cent in a week.

And England alone logged 2,176 admissions on Wednesday, down 7.6 per cent in a week.

Meanwhile, there were 20,331 Covid patients in hospital in the UK on Thursday, up 3.4 per cent week-on-week, and 16,366 people were in wards in England, up 2.5 per cent.

Yet more than half of 'Covid' patients in hospital are primarily being treated for other reasons, like a broken leg, other data shows.

And the virus is not the underlying cause of death in up to a third of all fatalities.

It comes after figures from the Office for National Statistics on Friday showed a record 4.1million people in England, equivalent to 7.6 per cent of the population, were infected in the week to April 2.

The number, based on swabs of 100,000 people across the country, is the highest ever recorded by the surveillance survey.

But it is less than 0.5 per cent higher than one week earlier, suggesting the latest Omicron resurgence has finally peaked.

ONS bosses admitted that 'while infections remain high', cases 'may no longer be increasing in some parts of the UK'.

The figures have become the best way of measuring the state of the UK's outbreak since the end of free mass testing, which scientists and ministers have warned are almost meaningless.

England's mass swabbing regime  thought to cost up to 2billion-a-month  was ditched under Boris Johnson's 'living with Covid' blueprint.

It marked one of the final steps on the route back to normal life, after mandatory self-isolation rules were scrapped in mid-February.

Workers who test positive no longer have to legally self-isolate, although they are still advised to 'stay at home and avoid contact with other people'. The NHS also says that they should take 'extra care' to avoid making contact with anyone at higher risk of the virus.

But union bosses have warned the scrapping of free tests  combined with an expansion to the list of symptoms  will trigger a 'free for all' of staff absences.

Last week Mr Johnson admitted that he 'can't rule out' plunging the UK into a Covid lockdown again in the future, despite only just releasing the nation from two years of crippling on-off restrictions.

The Prime Minister previously promised the route back to normality was 'irreversible', seemingly consigning draconian stay-at-home orders to history.

But the PM has now said it would be 'irresponsible' for the Government not to keep a blanket shutdown in its virus-fighting playbook. He added: 'I'm not going to take any options off the table.'

In an interview with GB News, Mr Johnson added: 'I want to avoid any such thing ever happening again.'

However, he insisted any decision on bringing back curbs must get the balance right between prioritising public health and saving lives.

A spokesperson for Department of Health and Social Care said: 'The success of our vaccination and antivirals programmes alongside increased public understanding on managing risk means we can start living with Covid  with public health guidance and free testing focused on groups who are most at risk from the virus.

'We are incredibly grateful to NHS staff and we have set out our plan to tackle the Covid backlog and deliver long term recovery and reform, backed by our record multibillion-pound investment over the next three years.

'We are on track to deliver 50,000 more nurses by 2024, there are over 4,300 more doctors compared to last year, and we are investing hundreds of millions in growing the workforce.'
Comical stickers blaming President Joe Biden for skyrocketing gas prices have been showing up at gas stations across the US, with one man in Pennsylvania even arrested for putting one on a pump.

Identical stickers bearing the words 'I did that!' next to a photo of a pointing Biden have been seen in Minnesota and Kansas, with vendors doing a brisk business selling the anti-Biden merchandise, to the chagrin of exhausted gas station staffers.

Thomas Richard Glazewski, 54, of Manor Township, was arrested on March 31 after a confrontation with police that was caught on video and shared on social media by over 3,000 people as of Sunday.

The video shows Glazewski being tackled by cops at a Turkey Hill convenience store on 1503 Columbia Avenue in East Hempfield Township, Lancaster Online reported.

He repeatedly yells: 'I did that. I did that. That's what I did,' as he points to several stickers of the finger-pointing Biden slapped on the gas pump.

Pictured: a sticker depicting President Joe Biden pointing at the price of gasoline

A satirical sticker of US President Joe Biden is placed on a gas pump at a Turkey Hill station

Glazewski made it even more difficult to remove the stickers after spraying the surface with clear coat, a Turkey Hill employee told police.

He was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, harassment and criminal mischief last Monday and is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on April 26.

While being forced into the back of a police vehicle Glazewski suffered 'self-inflicted injuries' which required EMS to take him to a local hospital, according to charging documents.

The 'I did that!' sticker has popped up across the country over the last few weeks as gas prices soar, similar to the 'Let's Go Brandon' chants that swept through many red states as people showed their displeasure with the Democratic president.

Vendor Javier Estrada Ovalles, from California, said he has seen his 'I did that!' stickers sales skyrocket in the last few weeks

The station KSTP reported that last month, 'I did that!' stickers have repeatedly shown up at Stockmen's Truck Stop in South St Paul.

'Now its like almost an everyday thing,' said cashier Hajra Akram. 'The minute they pile up and its like, "Oh, I got to take time from out of being here and scrape it off first." So, you know, just keep it off of there  maybe put it on your own car on the back.'

The Minnesota Service Station and Convenience Store Association, which represents more than 300 gas stations in Minnesota, issued a statement asking customers to stop vandalizing fuel pumps with the stickers.

'Retailers in the fueling industry dont like high gas prices just like everyone else. As for the President Biden "I did that" decals that may be attached to fueling dispensers, fueling retailers continue removing these decals as fast as they are placed by a third-party individual,' said Lance Klatt, executive director of the Minnesota Service Station and Convenience Store Association. 'A retail business is no place for politics.'

One Alabama gas station employee told WAAY-TV last month that he regularly peels off the stickers from fuel pumps.

'I take off five or six a day from our different pumps,' Perry Cagle, assistant manager of an Exxon station near Athens, told the outlet.

Glazewski was serving two years of probation after pleading guilty to a count of retail theft in 2020 at the time of this incident, court records indicate.

This was the third time in the last decade he had been convicted and sentenced to probation for a retail theft offence, according to court documents.

While being forced into the back of a police vehicle Glazewski suffered 'self-inflicted injuries' which required EMS to take him to a local hospital, according to charging documents

Pictured: The Turkey Hill gas station where the Pennsylvania man was arrested

Joe Biden stickers on fuel pumps saying I Did That due to rising fuel prices are seen in Mauston, Wisconsin, back in October

A satirical protest sticker critical of President Biden has been placed on a gasoline pump in Lafayette, California, on December 29, 2021

A gas pump displays current fuel prices, along with an 'I did that!' sticker at a gas station in Arlington, Virginia, on March 16, 2022

The Boston Herald reported on the stickers last year, when gas prices were only $3.50 per gallon. On Sunday, the average gas prices for regular unleaded hovered around $4.10.

A pack of 100 of the 3-inch-high stickers costs anywhere from $10 to $13 on Amazon.

'It's been ramping up for a few months,' said Javier Estrada Ovalles, who's been selling the 'I did that!' stickers at his online store, as well as his physical store in El Monte, California.

'But in this last month alone, once the prices of the gas really started going up, I started getting bulk sales twice or three times more than it was before,' he told Slate, before adding that he went from getting 20 to 30 individual orders a day to 80 a day,

Patriot Products, an online shop run by out of Oklahoma, has also seen a spike in sales.

'Over the past week, 'I've noticed an increase of organic sales, meaning I'm not having to do advertising,' the owner, who identified himself only as Keenan, told Slate.

Keenan estimated that he sold about 1,500 stickers in a week. Back in August, when he first started selling the 'I did that!' decals, he said he earned $40,000.

Just over 50 percent of Americans who responded to ABC's survey said they at least partially blame President Joe Biden for rising gas prices and disapprove of his handling of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

A majority of American voters say Democrats and their policies are at least partially to blame for rising gas prices, a new poll suggested on Sunday.

The apparent resentment is part of a larger picture of peoples' dissatisfaction with how President Joe Biden is handling Russia's war in Ukraine.

Fifty-three percent of respondents to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll said they do not approve of the president's leadership while trying to navigate the brutal invasion in Eastern Europe.

However, despite its effects on day-to-day life domestically, a majority also support giving Ukraine more help to fight off Vladimir Putin's forces -- with the exception of US boots on the ground in the war zone.

That includes a whopping 79 percent of voters stating they support harsher economic sanctions on Russia. A measly seven percent said they were against tightening the economic noose, while 13 percent said they were unsure.

Gas prices, which had already been rising due to inflation caused by the economy's rebound from COVID-19, surged when Putin ordered an attack on Ukraine in the early hours of February 24.

As of Sunday, the nationwide average price of a gallon of gas is about $4.12. It's lower than the all-time high seen a month ago of $4.33, but still nearly double the $2.87 per gallon cost of April 2020.

Cost of gas drops by 30 cents to $4.12 a gallon in a month because high price has reduced demand - but is still $1.20 more than it was at this time last year

The average U.S. price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline dropped 30 cents over the past month to $4.12 thanks to, strangely, the high prices themselves.

The $4.12, according to AAA, is a sharp decrease from $4.27 a week ago but is still a huge increase from $2.93 a gallon at this time last year.

Trilby Lundberg, an analyst with the Lundberg Survey, said prices dropped dramatically in the past two weeks in part because higher prices reduced demand during the second half of March.

However, the drop isn't predictive of further declines because among other things, the global oil supply is tight due to a dip in output last month by OPEC, Lundberg said.

The war in Ukraine also has sparked global uncertainty. The U.S. has banned all Russian energy supplies but Lundberg said sanctioned Russian oil is still finding 'big buyers like India and China happy to pay discount prices.'

The average U.S. price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline dropped 30 cents over the past month to $4.12 thanks to, strangely, the high prices themselves

The news comes as a majority of American voters say Democrats and their policies are at least partially to blame for rising gas prices, a new poll suggested on Sunday.

The apparent resentment is part of a larger picture of dissatisfaction with how President Joe Biden is handling Russia's war in Ukraine.

Fifty-two percent of respondents to ABC's poll said Democratic policies share either a great deal or a good amount of blame for the rising costs, compared to 46 percent who said they don't blame Democrats much or at all.

A Pennsylvania man fed up with rising gas prices was arrested after he put stickers on fuel pumps featuring a finger-pointing Joe Biden that say 'I did that!' in a protest gaining traction around the country.

Just a third of those voters blame Republicans - which is expected, given Democrats control both the White House and Congress.

A 51-percent majority also said Biden himself was to blame, though the largest swath of survey respondents pointed the finger at big oil companies and Putin.

Even the president has publicly criticized the American energy industry, blaming corporations for keeping prices at the pump sky-high even as crude oil costs drop from the all-time high in March.

He's also dubbed the rising costs as 'Putin's price hike.'

Sixty-eight percent of voters said big oil was to blame for the economic hardship of high gas prices. Seventy-one percent said it was Putin's fault.

The poll was conducted between April 8 and April 9, and sampled 530 adults.

Tulsa, Oklahoma saw the lowest gas prices of anywhere in the country, while Los Angeles recorded the highest prices

The Lundburg survey, used by industry experts to measure fuel prices, said that figures dropped 10 cents over the past two weeks to $4.27 per gallon as oil prices continue to 'yo-yo,' industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday.

Their figures at the pump were $1.32 above what it was one year ago, according to the Lundberg Survey taken Friday.

Nationwide, the highest average price for regular-grade gas was in Los Angeles, at $5.85 per gallon. The lowest average was in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at $3.52 per gallon.

According to the survey, the average price of diesel was $5.13 per gallon, down 2 cents over two weeks.

In a bid to reduce spiking energy prices, Biden last month ordered the release of 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve for six months.
Rishi Sunak could face an investigation into whether he breached US immigration laws whilst serving as a UK Chancellor after green card rules 'ban American citizens from voting or standing in foreign elections', the Liberal Democrats have claimed.

Mr Sunak, who has faced a backlash over revelations of his wife Akshata Murty's non-dom status, is facing questions about his decision to keep his US green card until October last year  more than 18 months after becoming Chancellor.

The decision meant he had to file American tax returns and was classed as a 'permanent resident' of the US, where he worked for a decade before entering politics.

Mr Sunak and his wife Mrs Murty own a 5 million flat in Santa Monica, California, which they visit regularly.

However in a fresh blow from the Chancellor's political opponents, the White House was challenged over the weekend about how he had been allowed to maintain a status that is not available to people 'employed by a foreign government'.

Layla Moran, the Lib Dems foreign affairs spokeswoman, wrote to US officials, asking them to investigate why Mr Sunak held the card despite holding elected office in the UK and serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer since February 2020.

She added: This would appear to be in contravention of US State Department rules.

It has now emerged that Ms Moran has urged the White House to launch an inquiry into Mr Sunak breaking US immigration laws by serving as a UK Chancellor while holding a Green Card, according to The Telegraph.

Rishi Sunak (pictured) could face an investigation into whether he breached US immigration laws after green card rules 'ban American citizens from voting or standing in foreign elections', the Liberal Democrats have claimed

Layla Moran (pictured), the Lib Dems foreign affairs spokeswoman, wrote to US officials, asking them to investigate why Mr Sunak held the card despite holding elected office in the UK and serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer since February 2020

She wrote to Alejandro Mayorkas, the American Secretary of Homeland Security, making clear that the Chancellor and his wife 'continued to file tax returns in the United States while he was in apparent breach of these rules.'

Ms Moran said the matter was of 'significant public interest' because US Department of State documents says that 'running for political office in a foreign country' and 'voting in foreign elections' constitutes 'evidence indicating abandonment of [US] residence'.

In the letter, also addressed to Charles Rettig, the US Commissioner of Internal Revenue, she wrote: 'This would appear to be in contravention to US State Department rules, which state that running for political office in a foreign country and being employed by a foreign government indicate abandonment of residence in the United States.'

Ms Moran asked US officials 'what sanctions may be applied' if Mr Sunak was found to have broken 'either the letter or the spirit' of any of the US visa laws.

Akshata Murthy, whose father is one of India 's richest men, faced scrutiny after it emerged she has kept non-dom status despite living in 11 Downing Street with Rishi Sunak and their children. They are pictured together last month

Rishi Sunak's political opponents yesterday called on the White House to investigate why the Chancellor possessed a US green card until last October

Tax experts said the personal loans to Akshata Murty's venture capital firm, Catamaran Ventures UK, fall into a 'grey area' of the rules

A Treasury spokesman said Mr Sunak had declared his green card arrangement to the Cabinet Office in 2018, when he became a Minister.

He gave it up in October last year after seeking guidance ahead of his first US trip in a Government capacity.

It means he was paying tax to the US Government at the same time as he was holding negotiations with Washington over minimum international tax rates for American-based internet giants including Google and Facebook.

A spokesman for the Chancellor said: 'As required under United States law and as advised, he continued to use his green card for travel purposes.

Upon his first trip to the US in a government capacity as Chancellor, he discussed the appropriate course of action with the US authorities.

'At that point it was considered best to return his green card, which he did immediately.

'All laws and rules have been followed and full taxes have been paid where required in the duration he held his green card.'
By Jun Sheng

The White House submitted its FY 2023 budget request to the Congress on March 28, which included a defense budget of USD 813.3 billion  one of the largest investments in national security in American history  allegedly because of the Russian-Ukraine crisis and other factors. This made some American politicians and arms dealers day.

The Ukraine crisis, which was instigated by the US in the first place and has been continuously fueled by it, has recently kept American moguls in military-industrial, energy and financial sectors busy counting money. Despite its constant pledge to engage with Russia diplomatically, the US has left no stone unturned to hype up the war threat and escalate the situation. And look what we have now  the conflict between Russia and Ukraine keeps fermenting, casualties keep rising, and the world, especially Europe, is taking a disastrous economic toll. Preaching morality and justice while practicing nothing but business  this is the true color of some American politicians, who would stop at nothing for profits and are now busy lining their pockets through the war.

While making gestures to put out fires, the US is actually employing all kinds of dirty tricks to fuel the flames. Russia urged NATO to promise, in a legal form, not to expand eastward further or include Ukraine and several other countries in the bloc, yet Washington, continuing its tough stance on Russia, expressed support for Ukraines inclusion in NATO and kept sending it more military aid. Before the conflict broke out, it shipped multiple batches of weapons to Ukraine with the promise to provide more military and economic aid. It also sent more troops to NATO member countries near Ukraine such as Poland and Romania to keep exacerbating the tension.

A look back on Americas trouble-making history easily reveals that creating geopolitical tension has been American arms dealers usual ploy of money-making. Over the years, wherever there is war and turmoil, there is America bringing wood to fire. In the 21st century, it has fed its military-industrial complex on the Afghan War, the Iraqi War and other wars. A research report shows that starting from 2018, the worlds top five military-industrial corporations all come from America. In comparison to the diplomatic means of peace negotiations, they are more interested in intensifying the tension to stimulate weapon demand and consequently make more economic and political gains.

The US is in the habit of agitating confrontation and conflict to profiteer from war. According to an arms sale trend report released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), from 2017 to 2021, the global weapon transaction volume contracted a little compared with the previous five-year period, but Americas overseas arms sales shot up sharply because its military-industrial corporations and some politicians were eagerly feeding off wars.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict is a money-spinner for American military industry and other sectors. As soon as the conflict broke out, Washington announced to provide USD 350 million worth of military aid to Ukraine, followed by USD 800 million worth of weapons announced on March 16.

It is really insidious and contemptible for the US to keep hyping up the crisis of war and allow its military-industrial complex to fish in troubled waters. Adam Smith, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, once warned that it is impossible and inadvisable for the US to always seek overwhelming military superiority because that would send a wrong signal and take America to a new Cold War.

Facts prove that what America has done  pursuing its own interests at the expense of other countries  is extremely detrimental to international security and stability. As the destroyer of international security, it must do some serious self-reflection, stop its dirty tricks of rocking regional security, and stop speculating on and profiteering from wars!
On Monday, President Joe Biden will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he encourages international leaders to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The United States is concerned about India's impartial approach in the battle, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised India last month for analyzing "the issue in its whole, not only in a one-sided approach."

Biden, Modi To Meet Virtually

India recently abstained when the United Nations General Assembly decided to suspend Russia's membership in the 47-member Human Rights Council amid claims that Russian forces in Ukraine committed human rights breaches that the US and Ukraine have labeled war crimes.

With 58 abstentions, the result was 93-24. Biden will discuss the repercussions of Russia's assault on Ukraine "and reducing its destabilizing influence on global food supply and commodities markets" in the virtual conference, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

They'll talk about "strengthening the global economy and supporting a free, open, rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity," she added.

Biden and Modi will also discuss a range of issues, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, combating the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, according to Psaki.

Despite pressure from Western countries to stop importing Russian oil and gas, India continues to acquire Russian energy supplies. India's recent acquisition of powerful Russian air defense systems has also prompted the US to contemplate penalties, as per CBS News.

Read Also: Hunter Biden Scandal: Associates Call Joe Biden 'The Big Guy' in Evidence, Claim POTUS Is Involved in His Son's Business Dealings

US Expresses Willingness To Help India in Energy, Defense Suppliers

Last month, the state-run Indian Oil Corporation purchased 3 million barrels of Russian oil to meet its demands, defying Western pressure to avoid such purchases. However, India isn't the only country that buys Russian electricity. Despite public pressure to terminate these contracts, certain European allies, such as Germany, have continued to do so.

The South Asian nation has attempted to strike a balance between its connections with Russia and the West, but it has not placed sanctions on Russia, unlike the other members of the Quad - the United States, Japan, and Australia.

Despite increased purchases from the United States in the last decade, Russia has long been India's largest supplier of defense equipment. According to defense specialists, Russian supplies are more cost-effective and essential for India, which is up against a better Chinese force.

During his visit, Daleep Singh stated that the US was willing to assist India in diversifying its energy and defense suppliers. India is the third-largest oil importer and user in the world, Reuters via MSN reported. He also warned that the US does not want its allies to assist in resurrecting the rouble, which plummeted after the war began but has since recovered.

As it prepares for a big Russian onslaught in the country's east, Ukraine said on Sunday that it is seeking another round of European Union sanctions against Moscow as well as amore military help from its allies. Since its invasion on February 24, Russia has failed to conquer any major cities, but Ukraine claims it has been assembling forces in the east in preparation for a major attack and has encouraged residents to escape.

According to Psaki, Biden and Modi will discuss cooperation on a variety of issues, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, combating the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and maintaining a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.

Per The Telegraph India, the leaders will also advance current discussions on developing an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and delivering high-quality infrastructure, according to the White House, in an effort to curb China's increasing influence in the area through infrastructure.

On Monday, Jaishankar and defense minister Rajnath Singh will travel to Washington for the fourth edition of the 2+2 dialogue with their counterparts, which comes at a time when India has publicly distanced itself from the US in relation to Russia, refusing to pick a side in a throwback to Nehruvian strategic independence.

Related Article: US President Joe Biden Suffers Another Brain Cramp, Says First Lady Jill Biden Was Barack Obama's Vice President

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The defiant Sussexes have finally revealed that they will fly in from California with Archie, three today, and Lilibet, 11 months, to attend celebrations marking the monarch's extraordinary 70 years on the throne that begin on June 2. A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said: 'Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are excited and honoured to attend The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations with their children.' They spoke out moments after Her Majesty delivered an extraordinary snub to them and her son the Duke of York by not inviting them to the balcony for the Trooping the Colour - the spectacular centrepiece of her Platinum Jubilee. The 96-year-old monarch's decisive action to only include royals carrying out official public duties such as Harry's father and brother for the Buckingham Palace parade was taken by her 'after careful consideration'. But it is understood the Sussexes have been invited to other jubilee events - likely to include the service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday June 3. Andrew is also expected to be there. 'The Queen has decided this year's traditional Trooping the Colour balcony appearance on Thursday June 2 will be limited to Her Majesty and those members of the royal family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the Queen', a palace spokesman said. The symbolic Trooping the Colour ban will be widely viewed as a rejection of Harry and Meghan, who quit the monarchy for a new life in the US two years ago, and to Andrew, who was cast out over his civil sexual assault case. Royal biographer Tom Bower told MailOnline that the Queen had ended the 'mystery farce created by the Sussexes' about whether they would be on the balcony. He said: 'They [Harry and Meghan] have been forced to accept a downgraded role. If the Palace is not remarkably careful, the Sussexes will milk the celebrations'.
Travellers heading away for the Easter school holidays have been warned to expect more chaos at Australia's busiest airports for another two weeks at least.

Passengers at Sydney and Melbourne airports have faced a fifth consecutive day of lengthy delays and missed flights as long queues waiting to check-in extended outside the terminal on Monday morning.

There were also similar scenes at Brisbane and on the Gold Coast in recent days amid the busiest period for domestic air travel in two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Airports have issued multiple pleas for domestic travellers to arrive at least two hours early as they try to deal with the overwhelming demand amid mass staff shortages.

The long queue of travellers at Sydney Airport snaked outside the terminal early Monday

Airlines have warned delays will extend beyond the Anzac Day long weekend with NSW students not back in the classroom until April 27.

Half a million passengers have been booked on Qantas and Jetstar flights this long Easter weekend alone.

Qantas boss Alan Joyce has blamed the recent chaos on passengers not being 'match-fit' and up to half of its workforce absent due to Covid-19 isolation rules.

'At the moment the sick leave, the absenteeism is twice the level of the reserves,' he told the Today show on Monday.

'You have 15 percent of cabin crew typically on reserve on backup on stand by, where you getting up to 30 percent of people not turning up because of Covid or close contacts.

'Managing that, we ask people to give us patience. We again apologise for it.'

These Virgin Australia passengers at Sydney Airport endured lengthy delays to get to their 'happy place' on Monday

He hopes NSW health minister Brad Hazzard's decision to scrap isolation rules for airport workers who are close contacts will relieve staff shortages.

'We're also seeing that passengers are rusty in travelling as well,' Mr Joyce told the ABC

'You know, it's happening to all of us.

'I just came back from a trip from the United States. I left my passport in my hotel safe.'

His comments come as more frustrated passengers took to social media to vent their anger about the delays on Monday.

'You can be rest assured that Sydney Airport is no one's happy place this morning,' a writer captioned a photo of the chaotic scenes at the Virgin Australia check-in kiosks.

Sydney Airport (pictured on Monday) is facing a fifth consecutive day of travel chaos

There were similar chaotic scenes at Melbourne Airport on Monday morning (pictured)

Another woman uploaded a photo of her exhausted young grandsons fast asleep on an airport lounge in Sydney after two long haul flights en route from UK on their way to Adelaide.

There are also delays at Melbourne airport after a luggage belt at a Qantas baggage check-in desk broke down on Monday morning.

Photos also show traffic chaos outside the airport drop-off.

More than 1.4 million travellers are expected through the Melbourne terminal over the next two and a half weeks.

'We are thrilled to be welcoming so many people through Melbourne Airport, but this means travellers need to plan ahead to avoid arriving at the airport at the last minute,' Melbourne Airport aviation chief Lorie Argus said.

'We want everyone to start their holiday right, and nothing beats arriving early so you have time to find your way to your terminal, check in, get through security, locate your gate, and then sit down and relax before your flight.

'Processing times may be longer than usual, and we expect that there will be queues for check-in and security.

Airlines have warned travellers to expect delays for the next two weeks at least (pictured a Qantas passenger at Sydney Airport on Monday)

Sydney Airport says its working around the clock to to address issues faced in recent days with two long weekends looming.

'We are working around the clock to resolve these issues and have teams in the terminals bringing passengers forward in order of priority,' a spokesperson said.

'[We're] anticipating it will [be] busy right through the school holiday period and peak over the Easter and Anzac Day weekends, in some cases at 90 per cent of pre-Covid passenger levels'.

Sydney Airport gave passengers plenty of notice and warned them two weeks ago arrive early if travelling interstate during the April school holidays.

'Domestic passenger numbers have nearly doubled over the past six months, and we are anticipating this Easter school holidays to be the busiest the airport's been since the start of the pandemic,' operations general Manager Greg Hay warned on March 28.

'To help manage queues at security checkpoints and make sure everyone gets away on time, we're encouraging domestic travellers to arrive two hours ahead of their scheduled departure.

'We know arriving two hours ahead is going to mean some early starts but we want to see everyone clear security quickly and safely and get to where they're going.'
Scott Morrison admits he could have more tact and empathy when dealing with voters that may turn many of them off at the polls.

When asked on Monday morning to describe what he views as his 'biggest weakness' the prime minister said he could often be misunderstood.

'I tend to go straight into problem solving mode... when I do that, people sometimes don't think that I really understand how they're feeling,' he said on Sunrise.

'I can assure you I do... My father was a policeman, my brother is a paramedic. When we see a problem, we want to fix it.

'People might criticise me for lacking a bit of that empathy on occasion, it's because I'm just really focused on trying to solve the problems that they're facing.'

Scott Morrison got a very frosty reception when he toured the bushfire ravaged town of Cobargo following his holiday in Hawaii (pictured)

Mr Morrison used the examples of bushfire support to the tune of $2 billion, flood relief funding, and the JobKeeper program to illustrate his point.

He tried to flip his answer into a swipe at Anthony Albanese, repeating his claims that Labor is 'untested'.

'That might not come across the right way. But my passion is to ensure that we deal with these problems because... they continue... and I can tell you it won't be any easier under Labor because we know how to work these things through,' he said.

Mr Morrison has repeatedly been accused of not being compassionate towards those in difficult situations as recently as the northern NSW floods in March.

Liberal MP Catherine Cusack quit the the party last month over claims the government originally only gave flood support payments to those in the Coalition seat of Page but not the nearby flood affected Labor seat of Richmond.

Mr Morrison said on Monday his 'biggest weakness' was that he focuses on fixing problems which could be mistaken as a lack of empathy (pictured)

Ms Cusack then claimed a second funding package by NSW Premier Dom Perrottet for victims who had 'fallen through the cracks' was repeatedly denied co-funding by the federal government until she spoke up.

In the Australian summer bushfires of 2019-20, Mr Morrison famously received a prickly reception in the fire ravaged town of Cobargo.

Days earlier he had cut short an Hawaiian holiday as fires spread out over large swathes of the country with the excuse that he 'doesn't hold a hose'.

His Coalition government in 2019 even paid $190,000 of taxpayer cash to an empathy consultant to teach them how best to show drought-stricken farmers they cared.

And when the Brittany Higgins scandal erupted, Mr Morrison admitted he had trouble empathising with her until his wife Jenny explained to view the situation as if it were his own girls.

Ms Higgins (pictured) responded on Twitter that Mr Morrison needed empathy training himself after her referred to rape allegations as a situation she 'found herself in'

He later claimed parliament as a workplace had improved after the implementation of a new complaints mechanism, as well as counselling support service and the empathy training for MPs or staffers who step out of line.

But when Mr Morrison publicly reprimanded ex-Australia Post boss Christine Holgate for gifting expensive Cartier watches to her employees, it was too much for even Pauline Hanson.

'Given the prime minister won't apologise to Christine Holgate, it looks like the taxpayer-funded empathy training he's been paying for was a complete waste,' Senator Hanson said.
A Michigan man was violently beaten after accidentally bumping into a member of the Iron Coffin motorcycle gang at a suburban Detroit bar, authorities said.

On April 2, the 35-year-old victim, who was not named, was leaving the Wolf's Den Bar when he accidentally bumped into a man wearing Iron Coffins Motorcycle Club colors.

Police said that multiple bikers then began yelling at the victim, who attempted to leave the bar in Carleton through a side door.

As he tried to exit, several Iron Coffins members attacked him, with more club members eventually joining in, police said.

Police released a picture of the suspects wanted in connection to the crime, and were able to identify them within hours of posting the photos to Facebook

Pictured: the Wolf's Den Bar in Michigan, where the biker gang assault took place last week

The victim, who suffers from seizures, needed 28 staples to close the wound on his head.

Police released a picture of the suspects wanted in connection with the crime, and were able to identify them within hours of posting the photos to Facebook.

However, they have yet to be publicly identified.

Fox 2 Detroit spoke with the assault victim, who did not want to talk on camera, but did reveal he was on pain pills and suffering from a terrible headache.

The bar attack happened to take place right next to the town police station, but all of the officers were on patrol at the time of the incident.

The owner of the bar came to the victim's defense, telling the outlet that he 'doesn't cause any problems.'

Pictured: the Iron Coffin Motorcycle Club Logo

The Wolf's Den Bar in Carleton, Michigan

'The gentleman whos got the stitches is a really nice kid,' bar owner Mike Wolf said.

'He doesnt cause any problems, he's a good kid - and we dont really know what happened.'

Meanwhile, one patron tried to downplay the incident, claiming it was an 'isolated incident.'

'It was an isolated incident you go to any bar anywhere in this country and youre going to have conflict,' the patron said.

No arrests have been made as of Sunday.
Australians will still be able to vote on election day if stuck in Covid-19 isolation as a confirmed case or close contact.

The Australian Electoral Commission says it will roll out a telephone voting system for those subject to isolation orders on the day of the May 21 poll.

'We are working on a telephone voting option, which will be a first,' AEC boss Tom Rogers told ABC Radio on Monday.

Voters who have missed pre-polling and postal vote options will have to make a declaration they're subject to a health order to access the 'emergency' measure.

Australians will still be able to vote on election day if stuck in COVID-19 isolation as a confirmed case or close contact. Stock image

The Australian Electoral Commission says it will roll out a telephone voting system for those subject to isolation orders on the day of the May 21 poll. Stock image

Mr Rogers said the declaration would stop people 'gumming up' the system for others.

'If we have to read out the Senate ballot paper for people in telephone voting, it's going to take some time. So I urge people to only use that if they are actually subject to that health order,' he said.

Confirmed Covid-19 cases and most close contacts are currently required to spend seven days in isolation across the country.

National cabinet last month agreed it would remove the requirement for close contacts, contingent on health advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee.

But the expert health body recommended the seven-day isolation rule for close contacts remain until the peak passes for the current Omicron wave, expected sometime in April.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is preparing to announce a new health minister to replace the outgoing Greg Hunt.

Mr Hunt, who led Australia's Covid-19 pandemic response, is not re-contesting his Victorian seat of Flinders, opening the way for the government to lock in a new candidate for health minister if it's re-elected on May 21.

Voters who have missed pre-polling and postal vote options will have to make a declaration they're subject to a health order to access the 'emergency' measure. Stock image

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (right) is preparing to announce a new health minister to replace the outgoing Greg Hunt (centre). Mr Hunt, who led Australia's COVID-19 pandemic response, is not re-contesting his Victorian seat of Flinders

Mr Morrison confirmed on Monday his pick for health minister would be made known at the weekend.

'I'm taking my team forward at the election. They're a proven team,' he said on Sunday when asked about the security of the rest of his cabinet.

'My strong united team I led for the last three years, sitting around that cabinet table... has seen Australia lead the world with its recovery (from the pandemic).'

Mr Hunt's departure from politics comes as virus case numbers dropped in every state and territory over the weekend.

More than 36,000 new Covid-19 cases and four deaths have been recorded across Australia on Monday.

In a promotional video for his re-election campaign, Mr Morrison claimed his government had saved 40,000 lives since the pandemic began.
Scott Morrison has said children risk not being taught what makes Australia a success in schools and to not to like the nation.

Mr Morrison, who has made some ground as preferred prime minister in the latest Newspoll at 44 per cent compared to Anthony Albanese at 39 per cent, made the sweeping claim on Monday.

'I want our kids to be taught the right things at school. I don't want them to be told not to like our country or not believe in our future and to rewrite our history,' he said.

What history the PM was referring to was not made clear, and he did not offer any justification for his claims.

Embattled education minster Alan Tudge (pictured) previously claimed the 'woke' generation would be unwilling to defend the country

Mr Morrison had been asked on Sunrise if he would be standing behind embattled education minister Alan Tudge returning to his role, and insisted Mr Tudge was 'doing a great job'.

'He has not been stood down and he's been doing a great job in the education portfolio, standing up for important issues on education curricula,' he said.

'That's what Alan Tudge has been standing up for and I think he makes a good point, and I think he'd make a strong return as a cabinet minister.'

Mr Tudge stood aside after an inquiry was called into claims he had a secret affair with his former press staffer Rachelle Miller and she was bullied by him.

The inquiry subsequently found Mr Tudge had not breached any ministerial standards clearing the way for him to return to the front bench.

Despite this, Ms Miller is reportedly to be paid out $500,000 in taxpayer funds over the affair.

Mr Morrison claims students are at risk of not being taught what makes the nation great (file image)

Mr Tudge in an October speech to libertarian think-tank the Centre for Independent Studies insisted practices in school such as referring to Anzac Day as a 'contested idea' would undermine the younger generation's ideological belief in Australia..

That suggestion was put forward earlier in 2021 when the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority released its draft changes to national school curriculum.

Mr Tudge commended some aspects of the proposal such as strengthening language phonics and pushing forward some mathematics concepts by a year.

But he slammed other aspects such as Year 9 being taught about: 'the commemoration of World War I, including different historical interpretations and contested debates about the nature and significance of the Anzac legend and the war'.

The word 'contested' appears in the draft curriculum 19 times.

The Prime Minister said on Monday (pictured) that he wanted to make sure children were being taught why the Australia is a success

'[Curriculum changes] go to the heart of what our children our taught: the content, the priorities and the values embedded in the materials.' Mr Tudge said.

He also said the teaching of indigenous history should be balanced with learning how a modern, free Australian society originated.

'We have an opportunity to enrich the history curriculum with more emphasis on indigenous history and indigenous perspectives,' he said.

'This would be a positive development but... it should not come at the expense of the teaching... how Australia came to be a free, liberal democracy.'

He also noted Australia has fallen from the top group of educated countries to the middle of the pack over the last two decades with countries such as Poland and Estonia rocketing above us.

The original draft curriculum was released in April 2021.

A draft school curriculum document wants children to be taught that notion of Anzac Day and commemorating those who fought for Australia is a 'contested idea'

'I am not satisfied with the current draft [curriculum] which has been presented because some of those core things which underpin our democracy are not there.' Mr Tudge told parliament on Thursday.

In his speech, Mr Tudge refers to a Lowy Institute poll which found 40 per cent of 18 to 29-year-olds believe a non-democratic government would be acceptable or that they don't care what system of government is in place.

'Ultimately, students should leave school with a love of country and a sense of optimism and hope that we live in the greatest country on earth and that the future is bright,' he said.
A leaked document has revealed Sydney's new Emerald-class ferries could become airborne in rough weather.

Captains of the new Manly ferries were warned to avoid steering the boats directly into waves near the entrance of Sydney Harbour or risk their ship becoming airborne.

The leaked document obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald said the new ferries were at risk of becoming 'airborne' amid the sometimes rough seas near the entrance to the harbour on the Manly to Circular Quay route.

It also warned of 'tunnel slamming' if they sailed into directly into a wave - or on a 45-degree angle to the wave - at a speed of about 10 knots.

A leaked document has revealed captains of the new Emerald-class ferries between Manly and Sydney Harbour were warned they could 'lose control' of their vessels

Tunnel slamming occurs when a water rises between the two hulls of the ferry and jolts the bridge deck.

'This can be detrimental to the vessel's integrity and the safety and comfort of the crew and passengers,' the document states.

The document also advises against 'running ahead of the swell' as it could cause 'trapping' and result in a loss of control over the ferry.

Instead the memo recommends captains crossing Sydney Heads - the entrance point to the Harbour from the Pacific Ocean - steer the ferry in such a way as waves hit the beam, which is the width of the boat at its widest point.

Debate over the safety of the ferries reached a head last weekend when a 19-year-old had to be rescued from the harbour after falling overboard from an Emerald-class ferry

The new Emerald-class ferries have been the centre of heavy debate as people worry they can't handle the sometimes heavy swells on the Manly to Circular Quay route.

Northern Beaches Council deputy mayor Candy Bingham believes Transdev - the operators of Sydney's government-owned ferries - were asking captains to 'do the impossible with the vessels they were supplied with'.

'They are just not suitable for the route due to the size of the swells at the heads. They are just going to get totally trashed on this route, and we are already seeing evidence of that,' she told the Herald.

Labor transport spokeswoman Jo Haylen said the change in ferries was an inconvenience to locals.

'For many passengers on the Manly route, the replacement bus has taken the place of a regular and reliable ferry service,' she said.

Transdev said that the Emerald-class ferries were capable of withstanding Sydney's 'unseasonable' weather and will be able to operate in 99 per cent of the time

The new ferries were introduced last October after the much-regretted retirement of the Queenscliff, one of four freshwater ferries that spent 40 years in operation.

Debate reached a head last weekend when a 19-year-old had to be rescued from the harbour after falling overboard from the Clontarf ferry - one of three Emerald-class ferries used on the Manly to Circular Quay route.

Action for Public Transport spokesperson Graeme Taylor condemned the new ferries as 'very jerky' and fragile.

Mr Taylor believes the freshwater ferries should be reinstated as the transport for the Manly to Circular Quay route and the Emerald-class ferries be used on calmer inner-harbour routes.

Transdev has dismissed criticism of the Emerald-class ferries and said the vessels had cleared their 'full survey swell height certification' last month.

They claim historical wave data shows the new ferries will be able to operate on the Manly route 99 per cent of the time.
A close-knit community has rallied behind 20 residents left homeless and with few undamaged possessions after a massive factory fire engulfed their homes.

Dozens of locals and workers were forced to flee the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Brunswick East when an inferno ripped through Alpha Trading Wholesalers last Thursday.

Sixty firefighters were unable to stop the blaze from spreading to an adjoining block of almost brand new townhouses, which left 20 tenants and several pets homeless.

Photos uploaded online show the devastating aftermath inside the gutted John Street complex with at least one townhouse now unrecognisable.

One couple lost not only all of their belongings but also their beloved cat who perished in the blaze.

Celeste Elezovic and her dog Mars (pictured) are on the hunt for a new home after being forced to flee a factory fire that engulfed their adjoining complex last Thursday

A second couple and a mother and daughter also lost most of their possessions.

Completed in late 2019, the complex was managed by a local real estate and also home to one of its property managers.

Celeste Elezovic was working from home at the time battling Covid-19 when she and her dog Mars were forced to flee.

Many of her possessions sustained smoke and water damage while her car parked in the garage was a write-off.

Currently staying with her parents, Ms Elezovic doesn't know when or if ever she'll be able to return to the complex, where all of the tenants were part of a tight-knit group.

'It's been a tough few days with a lot of deal with, which has been very hard to process,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'Everyone who knows me knows how devastated I am as it was such a special complex.'

'I'm just very lucky the fire didn't enter my unit, unlike some of my neighbours who have lost everything but the clothes on their backs.'

One couple lost all of their possessions in the blaze which left their home unrecognisable

One couple who lost everything in the blaze (pictured) will be major beneficiaries of a fundraiser launched by their real estate

Ms Elezovic and four other neighbours managed to flee within minutes of their homes being engulfed by flames and smoke, which could be seen across Melbourne.

Firefighters were still on scene battling hotspots 24 hours later on Friday afternoon.

Police and firefighters have advised at least part of the complex will have to be demolished and rebuilt as all electrical, plumbing and sewerage services were destroyed entirely.

Raine and Horne Brunswick has launched a fundraising campaign to help affected tenants get back on their feet, which has raised almost $5,500 so far.

'Speaking to the tenants, we cant help but think how differently things could have unfolded had the fire started at night,' the online fundraiser states.

The massive factory blaze threatened neighbouring properties and gutted the adjoining block of townhouses

'In our 30 years of real estate, weve never encountered an event like this. Life truly is so fragile and in a blink of an eye it can be changed forever.

'We ask you our local community of Northsiders - who also call Brunswick East and the closely surrounding suburbs home, if you can spare even what youd spend on your daily coffee and donate it to the tenants at 47 John Street, to help them get back on their feet during this devastating time. It would mean the world.

'If you are in a position to help in any other way - perhaps you might be able to donate basic household items these tenants will need.'

The fundraiser was launched by Ms Elezovic's sister Alicia, who also works at the real estate.

Funds raised will be allocated to tenants based on the extent of damage caused.

Most tenants are currently staying with family or friends as the hunt to relocate them begins.

Celeste Elezovic (pictured) doesn't know when or of she'll be able to return to the complex in Brunswick East which she called home for two years

The real estate has stressed 100 per cent of money raised will go directly to tenants to help with replacing possessions.

'I spoke to all of the tenants today (Monday) and everyone is still shocked about what's happened,' Alicia told Daily Mail Australia.

'It's a horrible situation which has been very traumatic for everyone involved.

'The complex is two years-old so everyone who lived there shared a unique bond after going through six Covid lockdowns together.

'But everyone has rallied together and we're enlisting the help of other agents to help find home for everyone.'

An investigation into the cause of the blaze continues.
Elon Musk has raised speculation that he may he launch a hostile take-over bid of Twitter after he filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) indicating he will keep criticizing the platform and demanding change.

Musk, who is the company's largest shareholder, signed the new filing Monday indicating he may 'express his views' about Twitter's policies and services to the board or on social media.

The form also said Musk 'may engage in discussions with the Board and/or members ... potential business combinations and strategic alternatives, the business, operations, capital structure, governance, management, strategy of the Issuer and other matters concerning the Issuer.

'The Reporting Person may express his views to the Board and/or members of the Issuers management team and/or the public through social media or other channels with respect to the Issuers business, products and service offerings,' the filing added.

Musk had originally filed SEC form 13G, indicating he planned to be a passive investor - but soon amended the filing to a 13D form commonly associated with 'activist investors' who want to signal their intentions to create change or even take over a company entirely.

Monday's amendment has analysts concerned Musk could be seeking to stage a hostile takeover at Twitter, which would require him to own at least 50 percent of the company's stock.

Notably, this week's filing indicates that Musk 'has no present plans or intentions' to stage such a takeover - though it also states that he 'reserves the right to change his plans at any time.'

'This weekends changeup spares the company from having to deal with a renegade director tweeting about board-level discussions. That would have been untenable,' Don Bilson, of Gordon Haskett Research Advisors, told CNBC Monday.

'The flip side to this is Twitter must deal with a wildcard investor that already owns 9 percent of the company and has the resources to buy the remaining 91 percent. As volatile as Musk is, we could see a move like that made shortly. Or we could never see it all,' he added. 'I dont think anything is off the menu with this guy.'

'This is clearly going to be an unfriendly situation,' Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives echoed. 'Instead of Musk in the board room in the corner just saying nay or agreeing on certain board candidates, I think now it really goes to the point that in the coming days I think well start to see if hes going to go more hostile, more active  thats what the Streets focused on.'

Other analysts allege Musk's promise to be vocal about the company could impact the value of Twitter stock, which recovered quickly after falling more than 8 percent in premarket trading Monday, after news emerged that Musk was refusing to take a seat on the company's board of directors.

The social media giant's share price was up more than 1% as of midday Monday, to $46.77 after closing at $46.23 Friday.

Twitter stock recovered quickly after falling more than 8 percent in premarket trading Monday. The volatile morning came after Elon Musk refused to take a seat on the company's board of directors

Analysts allege that Agrawal's statement coupled with Musk rejection of board membership suggests the billionaire may be seeking more control over the company

Elon Musk (left) has raised speculation that he may he launch a hostile take-over bid of Twitter after he filed paperwork with the SEC Monday indicating he will keep criticizing the platform and demanding change. The latest filing comes just hours after Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal (right) announced Sunday night that Musk had declined his invitation to join the platform's board board of directors

How much would it cost Elon Musk to take over Twitter? In order for Elon Musk to takeover Twitter, he would need to purchase a majority stake in the firm or enough shares to override 50 percent of the vote. The Tesla CEO, who is Twitter's largest shareholder, currently holds a 9.2 percent stake in the social media platform. He owns 73.4 million shares, valued at approximately $3.4billion. Twitter currently has 800.64 million outstanding shares, according to Yahoo Finance. Musk would need to obtain at least an additional 40.8 percent stake in the company to become the majority shareholder. The SpaceX CEO - the world's richest person with a $302billion net worth - would need to purchase roughly 400.32 million additional shares, valued around $15.3billion, to own 50 percent of the company. Musk 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 last week. 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 Monday, Twitter stock recovered quickly after falling more than 8 percent in premarket trading as news emerged that Musk was refusing to take a seat on the company's board of directors. The social media giant's share price was up more than 2.8 percent as of Monday afternoon, to $47.51 after closing at $46.23 Friday. Advertisement

The Tesla CEO's latest filing came just hours after Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal announced Sunday night that Musk had declined his invitation to join the platform's board board of directors. Agrawal said the board would still 'remain open' to Musk's input, while also warning: 'There will be distractions ahead but our goals and priorities remain unchanged.'

Analysts allege that Agrawal's statement coupled with Musk rejection of board membership - which eliminated the agreement that he would not own more than 14.9 percent on Twitter shares - suggests the billionaire may be seeking more control over the company.

'While it remains unclear what Mr. Musks priorities are, we do expect his tweets will receive increased attention, which could drive share price volatility,' KeyBanc analysts told CNBC Monday.

'Elon switched his paperwork last week from passive to activist investor. Hes no longer bound by the agreement that caps the amount of Twitter he can own. He seems mad,' longtime technology reporter and author Alex Kantrowitz argued. 'Only getting more interesting from here.'

Jason Miller, former Trump spokesman and CEO of rival social media platform Gettr, told DailyMail.com Musk probably realized that the culture is so embedded in Twitter that it can't be changed: 'It is like getting a rental car from a driver who smoked. You can't get rid of the smell.'

'The entire culture is fundamentally broken,' Miller said, and criticized their constant political discrimination, censoring of conservative voices including Jake Posobiec and Juanita Brodderick and continually choosing 'winners and losers' in the free speech.

He did admit, however, that there is no predicting what Musk might do next and whether he will be hands off when it comes to Twitter.

Loup Ventures Managing Partner Gene Munster, however, said he believes 'he majority of the drama is over,' arguing it would've been a smarter decision for Musk to go for a takeover immediately if he planned to do so.

The analyst also claimed he doesn't believe Musk wants to dedicate his time to a Twitter takeover.

'Understand that there is something that is important to him around free speech and I think he wants to move that forward. Understand that he sees that as an opportunity as big as electrification and as big as space travel,' Munster said. 'But ultimately I think that this just, its just one too many things on the plate for him to take over.'

On Monday, Musk filed an amendment to his previous 13D SEC filing which declared his intentions to be an active investor. The new filing allows him the acquire additional shares of the company or sell all or a portion of his shares, if he pleases. However, the document states Musk has 'no present plans or intentions' to do so

Musk would need to purchase roughly 400.32 million additional shares, valued around $15.3billion, to own 50 percent of Twitter

Musk, who disclosed a 9.2 percent stake in Twitter just a few days ago, was offered a board seat on Tuesday, and his appointment was to become effective on Saturday. But Chief Executive Parag Agrawal announced Sunday evening that the Tesla CEO had decided to decline the offer.

'Elon shared that same morning that he will no longer be joining the board', Agrawal said on Twitter, adding that he thought it was 'for the best'.

On Monday, Musk filed an amendment to his previous 13D SEC filing - which declared his intentions to be an active investor.

The new filing allows him the acquire additional shares of the company or sell all or a portion of his shares, if he pleases. However, the document states Musk has 'no present plans or intentions' to do so.

'This is clearly going to be an unfriendly situation,' Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives (pictured) argued during a SquawkBox interview on Monday. 'Instead of Musk in the board room in the corner just saying nay or agreeing on certain board candidates, I think now it really goes to the point that in the coming days I think well start to see if hes going to go more hostile, more active'

He may also participate in active conversations with Twitter's board or leadership 'concerning, including, without limitation, potential business combinations and strategic alternatives, the business, operations, capital structure, governance, management, strategy of the Issuer and other matters,' the filing reads.

Musk is permitted to share his opinions with the board, company leadership and online, or in any other capacity.

News of billionaire's involvement in the company had caused Twitter stock prices to skyrocket over the last week, reaching a high of $53.84 per share on April 5.

Analysts argue it is likely that his refusal to join the board of directors influenced Monday's decline.

Musk's board appointment would have started on Saturday, 'contingent on a background check and formal acceptance,' Agrawal previously said.

'The board and I had many discussions about Elon joining the board, and with Elon directly,' wrote Agrawal. 'We were excited to collaborate and clear about the risks.

'We also believed that having Elon as a fiduciary of the company where he, like all board members, has to act in the best interests of the company and all our shareholders, was the best path forward. The board offered him a seat.'

Twitter stock fell 8 percent in premarket trading Monday after the social media giant revealed largest shareholder Elon Musk (pictured last month in Germany) had refused his seat on the company's board of directors

Twitter stock briefly dropped 8 percent in premarket trade Monday, trading at less than $43 per share. However, the drop recovered slightly and by 7.30 am ET was at $45.20 per share, an only 2.23 percent decline from closing on Friday

Yet Musk then changed his mind, amid days spent posting a flurry of tweets suggesting changes to Twitter, and conducting online polls - some serious, some seemingly in jest.

The usually vocal Musk, 50, has not commented on his decision but early Monday morning he tweeted an emoji of a smiling face, with a hand over its mouth - supposedly an expression of rapture, a smirk, a shy smile, or indicating happiness. He then deleted it.

Several Twitter employees posted their reactions to Agrawal's announcement, seemingly agitated by the roller coaster surrounding Musk's involvement in the company, with one researcher calling it: 'The drama that keeps on giving.'

'My drafts folder deserves agency representation at this point,' Global Head of Partners Lara Cohen said.

A Twitter staff researcher called the situation surrounding Musk a 'drama that just keeps giving'

Ej Samson, who works in the company's marketing department, appeared eager to discuss the situation with his coworkers

Global Head of Partners Lara Cohen made a seemingly snarky remark about the situation, saying: 'My drafts folder deserves agency representation at this point'

Twitter researcher Matt DeMichiel simply shared an image of cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants face planting in the sand

'Cant wait to discuss this with my passionate, hard-working, and dedicated colleagues that show up to work every day, even if its not in an office,' Ej Samson, who works in the company's marketing department, wrote.

Twitter researcher Matt DeMichiel simply shared an image of cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants face planting in the sand.

Had he taken a board seat, the SpaceX CEO would have been limited in how much of the company's shares he could own, with a 14.9 percent cap.

Musk could now remain a passive investor or plan a hostile takeover of the company.

Some on social media also wondered whether the South Africa-born businessman's complex network of business interests could have raised issues during the background check.

Twitter's CEO did not reveal the reason behind Musk's surprising decision.

Musk, 50, is pictured on Thursday at the official opening of Tesla's factory in Texas

The second tweet about deleting 'w' saw Musk give two options without no as an answer, with 55.8 percent saying 'yes' and 44.2 percent 'of course' of 445,158 votes to-date

Parag Agrawal's statement in full Team, Elon Musk has decided not to join our board. Here's what I can share about what happened. The board and I had many discussions about Elon joining the board, and with Elon directly. We were excited to collaborate and clear about the risks. We also believed that having Elon as a fiduciary of the company where he, like all board members, has to act in the best interests of the company and all our shareholders, was the best path forward. The board offered him a seat. We announced on Tuesday that Elon would be appointed to the board contingent on a background check and formal acceptance. Elon's appointment to the board was to become officially effective 4/9, but Elon shared that same morning that he will no longer be joining the board. I believe this is for the best. We have and will always value input from our shareholders whether they are on our board or not. Elon is our biggest shareholder and we will remain open to his input. There will be distractions ahead, but our goals and priorities remain unchanged. The decisions we make and how we execute is in our hands, no one else's. Let's tune out the noise, and stay focused on the work and what we're building. Advertisement

On Saturday, Musk had suggested changes to the Twitter Blue premium subscription service, including slashing its price, banning advertising and giving an option to pay in the cryptocurrency Dogecoin.

He also tweeted: 'Delete the w in twitter?'

And the billionaire even asked his 80 million followers: 'Is Twitter dying?'

Agrawal continued: 'We announced on Tuesday that Elon would be appointed to the board contingent on a background check and formal acceptance.

'Elon's appointment to the board was to become officially effective 4/9, but Elon shared that same morning that he will no longer be joining the board.'

Agrawal did not specify why Musk was not joining the company's board.

But, he added: 'I believe this is for the best.

'We have and will always value input from our shareholders whether they are on our board or not.'

The 37-year-old said: 'Elon is our biggest shareholder and we will remain open to his input.'

'The decisions we make and how we execute is in our hands, no one else's.

'Let's tune out the noise, and stay focused on the work and what we're building.'

Twitter had been due to host Musk for a staff 'question-and-answer session' following his appointment.

Musk was also due to give a TED talk on Thursday morning in Vancouver, and it is now uncertain whether that will proceed as planned.

Musk on Saturday continued a week of radical suggestions about changes to the company's policies.

'Everyone who signs up for Twitter Blue (ie pays $3/month) should get an authentication checkmark,' he tweeted.

One respondent asked for the cost to be made cheaper, claiming that $3 feeds an entire family in the South American nation.

That prompted Musk to respond again, writing: 'Maybe even an option to pay in Doge?'

Musk has long enjoyed teasing his more than 81 million followers with the cryptocurrency, whose logo is a Shiba Inu dog, which is widely regarded as a joke.

Unlike Bitcoin - the most valuable form of crypto, which is worth around $43,320 as of April 10, Dogecoin is currently worth $0.16.

Agrawal is pictured with his wife and daughter. The 37-year-old CEO said he felt it was for the best that Musk does not join the board

Twitter's new largest shareholder suggested letting users pay for the premium Twitter Blue with Dogecoins on Saturday. It is unclear if the tweet was sent before or after he told the board he would not be joining them

Elon Musk previously suggested using 'joke' cryptocurrency Dogecoin as a payment method for Twitter's premium Blue service.

Dogecoin is widely seen as a joke cryptocurrency, with one Dogecoin worth $0.16 as of April 10

Dogecoin is widely regarded as a joke cryptocurrency, with one of the coins worth just $0.16 USD as of April 10 - compared to one Bitcoin being worth more than $43,300 on the same date

The Tesla CEO was named to Twitter's board of directors after tweeting several polls on hot-button issues within the company, including a question about whether it should implement an edit button.

Agrawal announced Musk's board membership on the social media on Tuesday, saying the billionaire brings 'great value' to the company.

'I'm excited to share that we're appointing @elonmusk to our board! Through conversations with Elon in recent weeks, it became clear to us that he would bring great value to our Board,' Agrawal wrote.

'He's 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 responded to the CEO, saying: 'Looking forward to working with Parag & Twitter board to make significant improvements to Twitter in coming months!'

Other board members seemed receptive to Musk - who has 80 million Twitter followers - joining their ranks, with several issuing welcome messages online, including platform founder Jack Dorsey.

Twitter board members, including founder Jack Dorsey, seemed excited about Musk's appointment

Several, including Omid Kordestani, the board's executive chairman and a current member, posted messages of welcome to the platform

Board chair and Salesforce Co-CEO Bret Taylor said they were excited to work with Musk

'I'm really happy Elon is joining the Twitter board! He cares deeply about our world and Twitter's role in it,' Dorsey tweeted.

'Parag and Elon both lead with their hearts, and they will be an incredible team.'

Board chair and Salesforce Co-CEO Bret Taylor echoed the sentiment, saying: 'Welcome to the Twitter board, @elonmusk! We are all excited to work with you and build the future of Twitter together.'

Taylor's post was retweeted by fellow board members Mimi Alemayehou, Senior Vice President for Public-Private Partnership at Mastercard; Martha Lane Fox, Founder and Chairperson of Lucky Voice Group; and Stanford University professor Dr. Fei-Fei Li.

Omid Kordestani, the board's executive chairman and a current member, wrote: 'Welcome @elonmusk!'

The four remaining board members - Former World Bank President Robert Zoellick; Invoia Capital general partner Patrick Pichette; 1stdibs.com Inc. CEO David Rosenblatt; and Egon Durban, Co-CEO of Silver Lake - did not publicly comment on Musk's appointment to the board.

Twitter stocks have surged since mid-March when Musk purchased his stake

In the first post, Musk seemingly took aim at the company's lax remote working policies, saying he came up with the plan 'since no one shows up anyway.' So far, 91.1 percent of 923,459 respondents voted in favor of the plan

Twitter Blue, launched in June 2021, is Twitter's first subscription service and offers 'exclusive access to premium features' on a monthly subscription basis, Twitter says. It is available in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The features include bookmarks, and a 'preview' option which lets subscribers see what a tweet will look like, and undo any errors, for 30 seconds before it goes live.

The social media network confirmed it is finally working on a long-requested edit button last week, after Musk suggested that too.

Musk also suggested that users who sign up for Twitter Blue should pay significantly less than the current $2.99 a month, and should get an authentication checkmark as well as an option to pay in local currency.

'Price should probably be ~$2/month, but paid 12 months up front & account doesn't get checkmark for 60 days (watch for credit card chargebacks) & suspended with no refund if used for scam/spam,' Musk said in a tweet.

'And no ads,' Musk suggested. 'The power of corporations to dictate policy is greatly enhanced if Twitter depends on advertising money to survive.'

Musks musings came after he tweeted several polls to his millions of followers on the social media platform on Saturday.

The outspoken Tesla CEO, known for his social media antics, initially asked if he should transform the company's Silicon Valley headquarters into a homeless shelter, before suggesting the removal of the letter 'w' in Twitter.

In the first post, Musk seemingly took aim at the company's lax remote working policies, saying he came up with the plan 'since no one shows up anyway.'

The result suggests overwhelming support for the prospective undertaking - with 91.1 percent of more than 923,459 respondents voting in favor of the plan.

The second tweet about deleting 'w' saw Musk give two options - without 'no' as an answer.

It resulted in 55.8 percent saying 'yes', and 44.2 percent 'of course'.

It comes weeks after Twitter executives - who offered staffers the option of working from home 'forever' during the pandemic - reopened the offices on March 15, with remote work remaining an option for staffers.

'It's been almost two years since we closed our offices and travel and I'm excited to announce that we're ready to fully open up business travel and all our offices around the world!' Agrawal wrote in a note to employees posted to Twitter on March 3.

'Business travel is back effective immediately, and office openings will start on March 15,' he wrote.

In the statement, Agrawal, who was promoted to CEO of the San Francisco-based company in November, said that he would be honoring a policy put in place by former head Jack Dorsey during the early days of the pandemic, that said staffers could work remotely 'forever' if they wanted to.

In the statement, Agrawal, who was promoted to CEO of the San Francisco-based company in November, said he would be honoring a policy put in place by former head exec Jack Dorsey during the early days of the pandemic that allowed staffers to work remotely indefinitely

'Our top priority since the beginning of the pandemic has been to keep you all safe and this will continue,' Agrawal wrote.

'Now we are returning to a stage where you're living your lives, adjusting to local health guidelines, and deciding what works best for you.

'So, the decisions about where you work, whether you feel safe traveling for business, and what events you attend, should be yours,' he added, in a sentence set in bold.

'As we open back up, our approach remains the same.

'Wherever you feel most productive and creative is where you will work and that include working from home full-time forever,' the CEO wrote, in another bolded sentence.

'Office every day? That works too. Some days in the office, some days from home? Of course.'

Staffers at the San Francisco-headquarter company now have the option to come into the office - a policy Musk seemingly took aim at with the Saturday poll. Pictured is Twitters San Francisco office last summer

Prior to posting the poll, Musk also suggested further changes to Twitter's business models in a series of tweets suggesting tweaks to the platform's premium Blue service, including a cheaper subscription price, banning ads and offering the option to pay in cryptocurrency

Agrawal, however, warned that 'distributed working will be much, much harder' and said 'there will be lots of challenges' amid the new policy.

Agrawal went on to tout the advantages of having staffers in the same physical space, where they can experience the 'company culture,' and said that visits to the office will 'bring that culture to life in such a powerful way.'

The CEO then signed off, expressing hope that many would indeed return to their office desks.

'I look forward to seeing you all back at the office or perhaps at an event, somewhere in your home city, or mine?

'Can't wait... Parag.'

More than a month later, as Silicon Valley's tech workers are starting to filter back to the office as COVID-19 cases plummet, it looks as if the CEO's faith in staffers' desire to return to work in-person was misplaced.

Many tech companies are now forcing staff back to the office, rather than simply giving them the option.

Google, for instance, told employees last month that it would begin requiring employees to return in person at least three days a week - a policy that went into effect this past week.

Apple similarly announced that by April 11, employees will have to work from the office at least one day a week.
A dog that was brazenly snatched from a shopping centre carpark has been reunited with its owner after being handed into an animal shelter.

Addie, the three-year-old Kelpie, was left unattended in her owner's car on Saturday morning at a carpark in Melbourne's west.

Her owner left the windows down while she ducked into the Tarneit Central shopping centre on Derrimut Road.

The three-year-old Kelpie was handed into an animal shelter after a man snatched her from the parked car and then drove off in a white sedan on Saturday morning

But she returned to the car after 15 minutes to find the precious family dog missing.

It's believed a man broke into the car through the driver's side door between 8.15am and 8.30am and snatched the helpless pooch before driving away in a white sedan.

After a frantic search and to the relief of her owner, Addie was handed into a North Melbourne animal shelter on Monday morning.

Wyndham North police said they were making 'inquiries in relation to the man involved' but appealed to the public for information.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police or submit a confidential report.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev cautioned that the economic sanctions against Moscow would have a negative domino effect, cited the Strategist.

The economic penalties were imposed when Vladimir Putin entered the DPR and LPR in a special operation. Washington and the EU pushed for more sanctions that have the opposite effect from the intended outcome.

The West Must Halt Russian Sanctions

According to Dimitry Medvedev, attempts to contain Russian leader Vladimir Putin will cause the inadvertent collapse of most international institutions with the United Nations, reported the Daily Telegraph.

These massive sanctions imposed by the US and western allies heaped on Moscow to stop the war in Ukraine, according to a Telegram post last Friday, noted 24 Happenings.

Sanctions are applied by the UN Security Council, not how the western nations like the Biden administration and its European allies used it liberally.

Furthermore, how the west has used these economic penalties has violated the right of Russia under international law.

All the sanctions are illegal and have harmed the Russian Federation's sovereign rights by the US and the European Union interpreting the law for their ends.

These sanctions are reckless and should stop before any more follows, remarked Medvedev, the current deputy head of the Russian Security Council.

Relations between nations are important and should not be strained unnecessarily by anyone bloc or group. The imposition of economic sanctions on Russia will fray and lead to a dead-end that will not be good for the international community, remarked former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Children: Does Russia's President Have Kids?

He calls these actions directed at kneecapping and hobbling the Russian federation a form of economic aggression short of declaring war on a country.

The US and its allies have deliberately assaulted the economy, independence, and sovereignty with its proxies. Though not engaged in a physical conflict, the western alliance has started a war on the economy that could lead to more measures equal to self-defense.

He warned that the Kremlin does not hesitate to defend Russia and its citizens through any method it needs to do so. Russia will not be weakened by these actions and will not make its citizens waver. Warning that the Russian people will support its leaders and know who the state's enemies are.

Economic Sanctions Could Affect the West

Continuing on the current path will be an altered world order that will have dire consequences on the economy of all countries. Keeping up the supposed effectiveness of economic warfare will be seen as a lie.

This former leader added that the comments come after several rounds of economic penalties imposed on Moscow are followed by more.

Last Friday, the European Union followed the direction of Washington to continue more penalties directed at the finance and trade sectors, including Russian coal.

Mostly unaffected is the export of oil and natural gas energy, which the US and many countries have penalized Russia but still pay for it.

Last Thursday, the UN Human Rights Council suspended Russia for alleged atrocities against Bucha civilians. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says economic sanctions imposed are illegal by international law, though it has more effect globally than thought.

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.
The ratings for ABC's flagship program Q&A continue to freefall even as producers experiment with different broadcast days and more polarising guests.

The debate show, which is hosted by a rotating team of Virginia Trioli, Stan Grant and David Speers, has seen consistently declining viewership numbers, culminating in a staggeringly low audience of just 224,000 last week.

In its heyday, Q&A was watched by well over a million Australians, but is now routinely has only a fraction of the audience of Home and Away and A Current Affair.

The number coincided with the show moving to Thursday and welcoming a controversial guest, Institute of Public Affairs mouthpiece Gideon Rozner.

The ratings for ABC's flagship program Q&A continue to freefall after popular hosts Tony Jones and Hamish Macdonald left the show

The ratings skid for the once popular program coincided with the departure of host Hamish Macdonald, who took over from the popular Tony Jones.

Macdonald left in August last year to anchor the Sunday Project alongside Lisa Wilkinson.

Since then the audience has steadily switched Q&A off, with record low metro viewers in March.

Thursday night's record low featured the polarising Rozner, who has been accused of being a climate denialist and fossil fuels lobbyist.

'Dear Q&A, you seriously degrade your show by giving a platform to Gideon Rozner. He has no credibility whatsoever,' one viewer tweeted during the broadcast.

'I am still really distressed that ABC Q&A wasted precious time letting Gideon Rozner on. It is a grave insult to every living creature who has died and to those suffering bc of climate change,' another wrote, saying they felt 'betrayed' by his inclusion.

Trioli, who was the host on Thursday night's episode, defended inviting Mr Rozner on the show, but not everyone was convinced it was a good idea.

'Gideon is just as strange as his backer. I like Trioli and can see where she was coming from, but this was a bizarre step to take,' one wrote.

'Maybe hadn't met him before? Only excuse I've got... except that she was trying to mix and stir things up. She tried...'

The ratings skid for the once popular program coincided with the departure of host Hamish Macdonald, who took over from the popular Tony Jones (pictured far right)

Grant has been one of the least popular figures to take over the show, drawing criticism after kicking a Putin-supporting university student out of the audience last month.

Sasha Gillies-Lekakis appeared in the audience during the episode in early March before he was asked to leave after making a contentious statement about Ukraine.

'As someone who comes from the Russian community in Australia, I've been pretty outraged by the narrative created by the media depicting Ukraine as 'the good guy' and Russia as the 'bad guy', he began.

'Believe it or not, there are a lot of Russians here and around the world who support what Putin is doing in Ukraine, myself included.'

Sasha Gillies-Lekakis (pictured) was asked to leave the Q&A studio after he said he supported what Putin was doing in Ukraine and claimed there were other like-minded Australians

The University of Melbourne student claimed that since 2014 the Ukrainian government had collaborated with Nazi groups to besiege the Russian population.

Host Grant took the question to the panel, asking if there was a moral equivalence to the attacks and if there had been provocation from Ukraine, before then deciding he wasn't comfortable with Gillies-Lekakis sitting in the crowd.

Following discussion from the panel, Grant circled back the student and sensationally asked him to leave the studio amid raucous applause.

'Something has been bothering me, I have to admit, since we had Sasha's question earlier about Russia, and it's been playing on my mind,' the host said.

'Sasha, people here have been talking about family who are suffering and people who are dying. I understand you wanted to ask your question about - is there some reasoning for this?

As audience members take the opportunity to give their two cents, the host shuts down any further discussion and instead points his arm toward the door.

'Can I just say - I'm just not comfortable with you being here. Could you please leave? Sasha, I'm sorry. You can ask a question, but we cannot advocate violence. I should have asked you to leave then.'

Grant circled back the student and sensationally asked him to leave the studio amid raucous applause

The opening two weeks of last month saw just 168,000 and 174,000 people tune in, the fewest ever for the show in the five mainland capitals.

However, the national audiences for those weeks were still 265,000 and 296,000 respectively, much higher than Thursday's audience.

The latest episode of Q&A was more than 40,000 short of that previous low, with the ABC saying those totals are being supplemented by higher numbers of people watching through iView.

'Each week on average more than half a million people watch Q+A, an unscripted, thought-provoking hour of topical discussion and debate,' a spokesperson for the broadcaster said in a statement.

Former Australian of the Year Grace Tame has made several appearances on the program which used to be appointment viewing for Aussies each week

'In 2022 to date Q+A has achieved a total average audience of 518,000 viewers across metro and regional broadcast markets and ABC iview.'

Commentators claim the falling numbers have coincided with an increasingly left-leaning political agenda and voices, but the ABC said the there's a different reason for lower TV numbers.

The broadcaster claims its audience through the streaming platform increased 70 per cent last year alone, with people also watching on demand via YouTube.

The show's YouTube channel includes six episodes with north of a million views.
One of Nicola Sturgeon's coalition ministers has been branded 'grossly offensive' after comparing feminists worried about new transgender laws to racists or anti-Semites.

Lorna Slater, 46, who was given a ministerial post under Ms Sturgeon's SNP's deal with the environmental political group, made the remarks in a blast at the BBC.

She railed against the corporation over its inclusion of voices who oppose new legislation in Scotland which allow anyone over 16 change their legal sex by self-identification only.

Speaking in The Herald on Sunday, Ms Slater declared: 'The BBC only recently stopped putting on climate deniers because they required balance.

'We wouldn't put balance on the question of racism or anti-Semitism, but we allow this fictional notion of balance when it comes to anti-trans. The whole thing is disgusting.

'The Scottish Government is in the right place, absolutely. It's openly supportive of trans rights.'

Lorna Slater, 46, spoke out after feminists criticised new sex change legislation in Scotland

Lorna Slater is a minister in Nicola Sturgeon's government in Green-SNP coalition government

Ms Slater added the Greens were standing some trans candidates for local election and she was 'genuinely afraid for their safety'.

She added she believed people who were against the new law had been secretly funded by American right-wing groups.

But Susan Smith, director of campaign group For Women Scotland, told the Telegraph Ms Slater's remarks were 'deliberately inflammatory' and were tantamount to calling for the 'censorship and suppression of political opponents'.

Ms Smith added: 'It is ironic she likens women's rights activists to anti-Semites, racists and climate-change deniers, when some might think her intemperate, incendiary, fact-free rant bears all the hall marks of extremist bigotry as well as a denial of the fundamentals of biological science.

She made the remarks in a blast at the BBC over the corporations inclusion of critics of the law

'Such bullying hectoring should concern any parliamentarian who wants an open, thorough examination of legislation.'

Legislation published by the SNP-Green coalition government makes it easier for all over 16s from Scotland change their legal sex.

The new rules allow self-identification, which negates the need for a medical diagnosis or doctor.

But there has been severe criticism of the new regulations.

Feminists say the good-intention law could be exploited by male predators to get access to female only areas.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'The aim of this government is to ensure that trans people in Scotland enjoy equality and feel safe and accepted for who they are.

'We appreciate the range of strongly held views on the Gender Recognition Act and have always been keen to seek consensus where possible and to work to support respectful debate.

'We are committed to making changes... to improve and simplify the process for a trans person to gain legal recognition.'
Scott Morrison will pledge to create 1.3million jobs over the next five years as he trumpets his Government's economic achievements on the election campaign trail.

The Prime Minister will make the announcement on Tuesday in NSW where Labor has six seats with margins of less than three per cent.

The Government says the jobs will be created as a result of its Budget policies including an extra $20billion for road and rail projects, $7.1billion for major infrastructure projects in four regional areas and $2.8billion for apprentice wage subside programs.

Scott Morrison will pledge to create 1.3million jobs over the next five years. Pictured: Tradies in Sydney

After the Coalition pumped billions of dollars into the economy during the Covid-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate sits at 4 per cent, down from from 5.7 per cent when Labor left office.

Mr Morrison will insist that if re-elected he will drive this rate down further and create even more jobs.

'We've got the runs on the board and proven plans to deliver these 1.3 million new jobs,' he said in a statement.

'Our tax relief for workers and small business, our investments in skills and trades, and our support for our local manufacturing sector mean we can get more people into more jobs.'

The Coalition claims Labor 'don't have a plan for the economy and jobs', but Anthony Albanese disputes this by pointing to his plan for fee-free TAFE places, cheaper childcare and plan to get power bills down with renewable energy.

The Labor leader will on Tuesday unveil a plan to boost mental health telehealth consultations in regional areas by implementing a 50 per cent regional loading under Medicare.

The ALP says the plan will support 450,000 consultations over four years at a cost of cost $31.3 million.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the Gilmore electorate of NSW on Monday

Australian Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese drinks a coffee ahead of a morning TV interview on Day 1 of the 2022 federal election campaign in Launceston on Monday

Mr Albanese will be trying to move on from his catastrophic gaffe on Monday where he could not state the cash rate and then wrongly guessed the jobless rate was 5.4 per cent when it's actually 4 per cent.

'The national unemployment rate at the moment is... I think it's 5.4... sorry. I'm not sure what it is,' he said in a disastrous press conference in Tasmania.

When questioned by a reporter in a later campaign stop in Devonport, Mr Albanese admitted: 'Earlier today I made a mistake, I'm human, but when I make a mistake, I will fess up to it and I will set about correcting that mistake.'

The Prime Minister's jobs pledge comes after he visited the southern NSW marginal Labor seat of Gilmore with Liberal candidate and former state minister Andrew Constance on Monday.

He was grilled about his disastrous visit to the nearby town of Cobargo where he forced an upset local woman to shake his hand after the 2019 bushfires.

Asked if he would apologise, he said: 'I already have. That was a difficult day.

'As I moved through that community. It was in trauma. It was shell-shocked.

'There were those exchanges that day, but there are many other exchanges that day which were very different.'

Mr Constance had criticised the PM at the time, saying he got the welcome he deserved from furious locals after returning from his infamous holiday to Hawaii as the nation burned.

Labor is ahead by six points on a two-party preferred basis, according to the latest Newspoll.

The gap has already tightened from 10 points three weeks ago.
Brothers Brothers For Life founder Bassam Hamzy may know where the bodies of Ivan Milat's unknown victims are buried, after the two murderers struck up a close friendship in Australia's worst jail.

The serial killer and the drug kingpin became prison pals inside the Goulburn Super Max with Hamzy serving a 40-year sentence and Milat locked behind bars for life until he died of cancer aged 74, in 2019.

The 43-year-old's lawyer Zali Burrows revealed the bizarre friendship on episode five of News Corp's podcast Lady Justice, but added her client is at long odds of revealing the locations.

Ivan Milat (pictured) is regarded as one of the most vile and sadistic killers in Australian history, preying upon mostly female hitchhikers and dumping their bodies in the Belanglo State Forest, south of Sydney

Brothers Brothers For Life founder Bassam Hamzy (pictured) may know where the bodies of Ivan Milat's unknown victims are buried

She said 'the relationship between New South Wales Police and Hamzy is quite toxic,' and that any collaboration would be very difficult.

'If only they were nice to him, they would get some secrets out of him because I know that Ivan Milat confided in him,' the high-flying lawyer who has represented the likes of super model Tziporah Malkah, disgraced Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer and brothel madam Madison Ashton, said.

'And I'm pretty sure Hamzy knows where the missing bodies are buried.'

Milat is regarded as one of the most vile and sadistic killers in Australian history, preying upon mostly female hitchhikers and dumping their bodies in the Belanglo State Forest, south of Sydney.

He was given seven life sentences in 1994 with no possibility of parole.

Investigators believe he could also be linked with dozens of other missing persons cases from the 1980s and early 1990s.

Milat has always maintained he was not responsible for the gruesome killings.

Hamzy and Milat struck up a close friendship in Australia's worst jail, Goulburn Super Max (pictured)

Hamzy serving a 40-year sentence and Milat was locked behind bars for life until he died of cancer aged 74, in 2019. Pictured: Goulburn Super Max

The Goulburn Super Max (pictured) is home to Australia's most high risk offenders

The western Sydney gangster, who started the Brothers For Life gang in prison, had also been running a major drug supply network from behind bars.

He landed in the slammer after pulling out a firearm and gunning down Kris Toumazis, 18, in 1998 after a nightclub argument in Sydney's CBD.

He later fled to Turkey and then went on the lam in Belize where a wealthy relative resided.

Hamzy was eventually arrested when he travelled to Miami in the US and was extradited back to Australia in 1999, where he was sentenced to 21 years behind bars.

He has since been hit with drug supply offences and a range of other crimes.

The Hamzy family have been back in the headlines recently after several family members were gunned down in in near identical assassinations.

Hamzy will be eligible for release in 2035.

Hamzy's once thriving crew has been decimated by deaths and arrests in recent years
A mother-of-three was 'absolutely sickened' after a neighbour criticised the parking of her elderly parents' car by writing on it in permanent marker.

The woman's parents, who are both in their 70s, were babysitting their grandchildren at their daughter's home in Sydney's north shore when the vandalism occurred.

When they returned to the car, they found 'footpath' scrawled in the difficult to remove ink across the bonnet.

It was the first time in six years she left her three children overnight only for her relaxing weekend away was ruined when she returned home and found the nasty message.

An angry North Shore resident wrote the word 'footpath' in permanent marker across the bonnet of the elderly couple's car after the parked the vehicle was obstructing the footpath

The north shore local posted her horror to the local community's Facebook group appealing for any information.

'My dad parked in our driveway to help my mother get closer access to the house given her abilities,' she wrote.

'In doing so, they were blocking the footpath but walkers could still walk around the back of the car.'

The woman explained that her parents were going to move the car but did not get the chance because her three young children needed constant supervision.

The couple went to move their car at 9am on Sunday morning when they saw the permanent marker across the bonnet of their white Toyota Camry.

'I totally understand the concerns of blocking the footpath but to write with permanent marker all over their front bonnet is disgusting erratic behaviour and I'm absolutely sickened to think a person such as this lives nearby,' the post read.

'This is vandalism and is illegal!! I feel so sorry for this person in every way as they would have had so much hatred at the thought of walking around a car to go home and get a marker, come back and vandalise a car.

The woman said that her parents, who are both in their 70s, had every intention to move their car but could not leave her three children unattended

'Just WOW!!! Next time be a big enough person to ring the doorbell and advise [us] directly so we can fix this in an amicable way and you can walk the straight path that you so desire. Or if you wish to remain anonymous write it on PAPER!'

She ended with an appeal for more information and urged locals to come forward if they witnessed anything suspicious.

The post received a divided response as many sympathised with the woman while others believed her parents should have seen it coming.

'Wow I can't believe someone did this what an arsehole!!!! Your poor parents I hope they are ok and not too upset,' one local wrote.

'What a bitter sad person who did this. I pity their miserable existence! Karma will give them a serve don't worry,' another commented.

A disapproving local wrote: 'Unpopular opinion, but I don't have much sympathy available for this. Don't block the footpath. Easy as.'

'My elderly grandmother, who was disabled and couldn't simply 'walk around the back' used to encounter this problem all the time,' another commented.

'Vandalism is illegal, but so is parking across the footpath. If the mother has mobility issues, then they should have had more awareness themselves,' another comment read.
They have endured five years of Emmanuel Macron presiding over gilets jaunes protests, rising fuel costs and increasing European integration.

But France's disenchanted blue-collar workers may now end up propelling his rival Marine Le Pen into power after she secured a run-off against the president in the French elections.

The National Rally leader, 53, received 23.15 per cent of the vote in the first round yesterday, just four points behind Macron in the best ever showing by a far-right party.

The two will now face off in a head-to-head on April 24, with pollsters predicting a far closer showdown than their 2017 battle, with Le Pen currently forecast to take 49 per cent of the vote in the second round, well within the margin of error for victory.

While many of the losing candidates told their supporters not to back Le Pen in the second round, including far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, her populist message focusing on the cost of living crisis is resonating across the political spectrum.

Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief for The Economist, told BBC's Today: 'She is really popular among blue collar voters, the low paid, people who work in service sector jobs, people who are struggling with paying the bills at the end of the month, who are facing real difficulties with the price of petrol filling up their cars.

'Lots of them live in rural areas or areas where they need their cars to go to work.

Marine Le Pen was all smiles today after securing the second most votes in the first round of the French election (sitting beside party chairman Jordan Bardella)

Emmanuel Macron arrived in Hauts-de-France in the north of the country to continue his election campaign today

Marine Le Pen narrowly nudged ahead of Jean-Luc Melenchon in the first round of voting

'This focus she has on the cost of living goes down really well with the Melenchon supporters on the radical left.'

Throughout the campaign, Le Pen has been visiting markets in towns and villages to meet with working class voters where the gilets jaunes protests were sparked, pushing the narrative that Macron has divided France and she is the one to unite it.

She said she is no longer the 'big, bad wolf' of politics, and has been positioning herself as a unifying and benign figure, posing for selfies with a teenager in a headscarf and sharing photos of her pet Bengal cats.

An Ifop survey in March showed that fewer than half of all French now found her 'scary'.

In her speech on Sunday, she painted herself as a unifying figure, who would heal France's 'fractures' and halt the 'chaos' supposedly brought about by Macron, a former banker who she said embodied the 'power of money' and worked for the few.

It is a far cry from her fiery performances in the last two elections in which she made a number of high-profile blunders, learning from her mistakes to play down her relationship with Vladimir Putin and fiercely condemning his invasion of Ukraine.

Le Pen posed with a teenager wearing a headscarf in Dunkirk

One Le Pen supporter said: 'She did a great campaign, she was good all along, she was close to the people.

'She wasn't too much on the TV, she was more with us on the field, in the cities. She did everything right.

'The difference is that in 2017, people voted for Macron because he was new and we didn't know him so we were like, well let's try it. We tried it and it was awful.'

Last week, pollster Brice Teinturier from Ipsos found that more people would expect an improvement in their own situation and the country's if Le Pen were elected instead of Macron.

The pair are equally as trusted on the cost of living crisis, and 19 per cent would vote deliberately to stop Macron in a second round, compared to 18 per cent for Le Pen, showing the dissatisfaction with the current president.

Macron will start his campaign for the second round visiting former mining heartlands in Le Pen's industrial heartlands of northern France in an early indication of how the blue-collar workforce will be a major election battleground.

With 12 candidates in the first round whittled down to two, now they must seek to appeal to the circa 50 per cent of voters who had other first-choice preferences.

In past elections at national, regional and municipal levels, left- and right-wing voters have historically united to block the far right from power, a phenomenon known as a 'republicain front'.

While all mainstream candidates, including those of the conservative Les Republicains and Socialist party, endorsed Macron for the runoff on Sunday night, it is not clear their voters will follow.

Moreover, their low single-digit scores were so pitiful that their support may carry little weight.

Analysts say the left-wing vote could likely be split, with a third going to Macron, a third going to Le Pen and a third abstaining.

The Le Pen-Macron head-to-head is a repeat of the 2017 presidential election, when the first-round results were 24.01 per cent for Macron, and 21.03 per cent for Le Pen.

Macron then went on to beat Le Pen with a resounding 66 per cent in the second round.

But experts say this election will be very different with voters disillusioned after five years of the centrist president's globalist and pro-European policies, with Le Pen seeking to unite voters with her anti-Macron message.

Bruno Gollnisch, former MP for the Front National, said: 'I think the circumstances are quite different from what they were five years ago because there are many people who are disappointed with Mr Macron's policy.

Le Pen poses for a selfie with supporters during a campaign rally in Perpignan last week

The National Rally leader has softened her image in this election, sharing photos of her pet cats with supporters

'Either from the right or left, the real debate now will be between globalism on one side and difference of national identity on the other side.'

Marine took over as leader of the Front National in 2011 from her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, and she has since been trying to 'de-demonise' the party which its critics have accused of being racist and associated with Holocaust denial.

It has since been rebranded as National Rally and in 2015 Marine threw Jean-Marie out of the party he co-founded in the 1970s for repeating his view that the Holocaust was a mere 'detail' of World War II.

Marine Le Pen Cost of living: Lower VAT on fuel and energy from 20% to 5.5%. Income tax for under-30s scrapped as well as the TV licence fee, while highways would be renationalised Immigration: Ban the Muslim headscarf from public spaces, hold a referendum on immigration to prioritise native French people for jobs, housing and healthcare Europe: Dropped previous promises to leave the EU and euro, but wants to cut EU budget contributions. Wants French law to take primacy over EU law Pensions: Drop the pension age to 60 for those who started work before the age of 20 Foreign policy: Condemned Russia but wants to maintain an alliance on 'certain substantive issues'. Pull out of NATO's integrated command structure Advertisement

Emmanuel Macron Cost of living: Remove all tax on inheritance valued less than 150,000, abolish TV licence fee Immigration: Reform the asylum system to make it more efficient, long-stay permit is only given to people who pass a French language exam and are professionally successful Europe: Strengthen the EU and its armies, increase the continent's energy autonomy, fill the gap left by Angela Merkel as de facto EU leader Pensions: Raise the pension age from 62 to 65 to keep the pension system afloat. Minimum pensions would be raised to 1,100 a month Foreign policy: Took a leading role in negotiations with Vladimir Putin Advertisement

But in a rare show of support, Jean-Marie congratulated his daughter last night on a 'remarkable campaign' as he predicted her election victory.

This election, her campaign has been quietly professional without major gaffes, and she has appeared more presidential than her far-right challenger, the controversial commentator Eric Zemmour, who received seven per cent of the vote.

But she did suffer a blow in January when her niece Marion Marechal, considered a likely successor as party leader, publicly backed Zemmour.

Marine's emotional response on TV in which she described raising Marion as a baby saw her poll numbers rise while Zemmour's fell.

French newspaper Le Monde today pitted the April 24 run-off as 'the France of executives and retirees against the France of employees and workers, cities against the periphery, European integration against national sovereignty.

'One polished his presidential stature thanks to the Covid-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine.

'The other captured the concern of the French about their purchasing power, while continuing to assume an identity and sovereignist project.'

Macron, a former finance minister, will likely target Le Pen's economic programme after she vowed to lower the retirement age to 60, scrap income tax for the under-30s and reduce VAT on energy from 20 per cent to 5.5 per cent.

Marine took over as leader of the Front National in 2011 from her father Jean-Marie Le Pen (pictured together)

Speaking of his own manifesto, Macron said: 'Do you want a France that speaks of full employment and is serious about financing its welfare state, its pensioners, its schools, hospitals and public services?'

'Macron's politics ... has strengthened the far-right,' voter Lea Druet, 27, told Reuters at Melenchon's campaign headquarters. She voted for Macron in 2017 and said she would abstain in this month's runoff.

Other Melenchon supporters were still unsure. 'I'll see how the next two weeks go. If the polls say 49-51, at that moment I will vote Macron,' said Guillaume Raffi, 36, a music producer from Montpellier.

The current president has been vocally pro-EU despite a growing anti-European sentiment in France, hammering Britain over Brexit and playing hardball over fishing rights.

While Le Pen has dropped previous promises to leave the EU and the euro, she still wants to cut French budget contributions to the bloc and pursue a more isolationist European policy, that has endeared her to many voters.

Le Pen won 33 per cent of the votes in the northern industrial Hauts-de-France region.

Left-wing candidates won a combined 27-28 per cent of the vote in the area. How the left's votes are redistributed nationally will be a key factor in the second-round vote's outcome.

But it has been her focus on the cost-of-living issues troubling millions that has helped her tap into a widespread discontent towards rulers as she has toured towns and villages across France.

She said voters were making a choice between two opposite visions of France: 'one of division, injustice and disorder imposed by Emmanuel Macron for the benefit of a few, the other a rallying together of French people around social justice and protection.'

Today, defeated candidates, including Valerie Pecresse of the conservative Republicans, and Anne Hidalgo, of the Socialists, immediately told their voters to back Mr Macron.

It is common for the French to unite in a so-called 'Republican Front' when an extremist candidate reaches the second round.

Left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon came close to pipping Ms Le Pen on Sunday, with 22.2 per cent of the vote  just 1.2 per cent behind Ms Le Pen

Left-wing candidate Melenchon came close to pipping Le Pen on Sunday, with 22.2 per cent of the vote  just 1.2 per cent behind Le Pen.

Melenchon has also told his supporters to vote against Ms Le Pen in the next round.

Addressing his supporters in Paris after the preliminary results were announced, President Macron said: 'We have a rich democracy  one that is defended by everyone who fights for their values and their ideas.

'I would now like to formally invite all our fellow citizens, no matter what they voted in the first round, to join our movement.'

Macron said many would rightly want to 'block off the far-Right,' adding: 'Their level headedness and desire to block off the far Right's progress is commendable'.

He added: 'Let's not kid ourselves, nothing is certain, and the debates over the next two weeks, will be a deciding moment for our country and for Europe.'

In turn, Le Pen immediately projected the upcoming head-to-head confrontation with Mr Macron as a 'choice between civilisations', saying she would become 'the President of all the French people'.

Speaking to her own supporters in the French capital on Sunday night, she portrayed the incumbent president as a globalist puppet who could not be trusted.

'The French people have spoken, and do me the honour of qualifying to take on the outgoing president,' said Le Pen.

'On April 24 it will be a fundamental choice between two opposing visions of the country  either division and disorder, or the rallying of French people around social justice guaranteed by a fraternal framework.'
Britain's richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe today accused an 'ignorant minority' of anti-fracking activists of scuppering an energy revolution in the UK as his business Ineos offered to drill a shale gas test site to demonstrate that it can be done safely.

The billionaire founder of the chemicals group Ineos said politicians had 'totally ignored' the science around shale gas extraction and had instead been swayed by public perceptions of the 'so-called dangers' of fracking.

The UK banned the practice in 2019 over fears that it caused earthquakes - but Sir Jim said it is 'ridiculous' to have 'so much gas under our feet' in the 'midst of an energy crisis with ever increasing prices driving people into fuel poverty whilst giving huge sums of money to oppressive regimes'.

And taking aim at celebrity opponents including Dame Vivienne Westwood, who joined protests against fracking in Lancashire in 2018, he added: 'Apparently the influential voice of a fashion designer carries more weight than any number of scientific experts.'

Ineos had spent 250million on British fracking projects before the ban, funds which the tycoon said had been 'destroyed with the flick of a political switch'.

The company has licences across the north of England including in Cheshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire and has offered to drill a shale gas test site in the UK to demonstrate that fracking can be done safely, as the country wrestles with high energy prices.

Sir Jim said: 'We are willing to develop a fully functioning shale test site to prove that this technology can be operated safely by a competent operator'.

Swayed by public perception: Sir Jim Ratcliffe said politicians had 'totally ignored' the science around shale gas extraction and have been swayed by an 'ignorant minority' and celebs such as Dame Vivienne Westwood

Ineos has licences to drill across the north of England but is asking permission to test a site after a fracking ban came in in 2019 after protests

Boris Johnson (pictured visiting the Hinkley Point C site) is being urged to explore fracking again

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, he said the decision left the UK vulnerable to the global energy crisis.

WHAT IS FRACKING AND WHY IS IT CONTROVERSIAL? Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before inserting a high-pressure water mixture to release gas and oil within rocks. This allows drilling firms to access hard-to-reach gas and oil sources. Although banned in Scotland, other parts of the UK are expected to legalise fracking in 2018, according to British shale gas companies. This comes after another year of campaigners protesting with little progress. Fracking could be introduced to the resource-rich area stretching from Lancashire to Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Currently, drilling licenses are only issued to select companies. In the US, fracking has significantly boosted oil production and reduced gas prices. Fracking is estimated to have offered gas security to the US and Canada for around the next 100 years. Why is it controversial? Fracking is controversial due to the potentially cancer-causing chemicals used to extract oil and gas, which could then contaminate local water supplies. Some also argue, fracking, which requires a huge amount of water, may distract energy firms and the Government from investing in renewable energy sources. The process has even been linked to the recent rise in earthquakes in Oklahoma as drilling can penetrate rock crisscrossed with tectonic faults, triggering such natural disasters. Source: BBC and The Guardian Advertisement

The Government has announced a review into the science of fracking, but Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has said shale gas would not deliver at a commercial scale for years, and would do nothing for bills now. There is also a local opposition due to the tremors the process has caused in the past.

Chemicals and energy giant Ineos has written to the Government to ask for permission to test one of their sites as the country wrestles with high energy prices.

It comes after the Government published its energy strategy which focuses on securing UK energy supplies, as western countries consider how to reduce reliance on Russian oil and gas.

Just a few months ago, more than a decade of efforts to develop fracking for shale gas seemed to be over as authorities ordered the sealing of the only two horizontal drilled wells in Lancashire.

But with the energy crisis, there has been pressure to look again at the controversial gas source, and the order to permanently seal the wells has been suspended.

The Government has also commissioned a review into the science around fracking, which could pave the way to lifting the current moratorium on the process brought in over the tremors it caused.

But Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has warned fracking would take years of exploration and development to produce commercial levels of gas.

Ineos said the moratorium was imposed because the 'science behind shale was totally ignored and politicians bowed to an extreme vocal minority'.

Promoting his new energy strategy, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the Government was taking a 'sensible and pragmatic view' on new North Sea oil and gas and said it was important to license domestic resources rather than importing higher carbon fossil fuels from Russia and other places.

Sir Jim said: 'The UK is right to be re-examining its energy policy and to look again at the North Sea as part of the answer to our energy needs.

'But, as the US has shown, shale gas from home could make us self-sufficient in 10 years and we need to re-examine this too'.

The Ineos chairman said the company would invite Government inspectors to monitor the site, and make it good if the science shows there are problems.

'But if, as we believe, the opposite is true, we would ask that the Government looks again at shale gas which would allow the UK to benefit from its own resources, massively reduce the cost of energy and ensure our long-term energy independence,' Sir Jim said.

The move comes amid wider calls to end the fossil fuel era to tackle dangerous climate change, and Ineos said it is 'part of the growing renewables revolution'.

'But renewable technology is not yet reliable enough to take over and the UK will need gas for the next 30 years as it goes through the energy transition,' the chemicals group said.

Ineos

Map showing potential areas of shale oil and gas and licensed areas (pictured)

With the Ukraine crisis contributing to surging household energy bills, nearly 40 MPs and peers in the Tory Net Zero Security Group are writing to the Prime Minister to urge him to stop the UK's only two shale gas wells being concreted over within the next ten days

Boris Johnson unveiled a big bet on nuclear last week 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.

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.

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 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.

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.
Disgraced property developer Salim Mehajer has aired his side of the relationship breakdown with his glamorous model girlfriend in his first social media post in four years, admitting his silence was 'killing' him.

Mejaher, 35, was in a relationship with model Melissa 'Missy' Tysoe for almost three years after the pair met at a New Year Eve's Party in Sydney's eastern suburbs in 2017.

Ms Tysoe in late 2020, accused the developer, and former Auburn deputy mayor, of stalking, choking and bashing her throughout their three-year relationship.

In January 2021, Majaher pleaded not guilty to four counts of common assault, one of stalking and intimidation, and one of choking with recklessness.

He was hit with five additional counts of breaching the restraining order from his prison cell, where he presently remains on separate charges.

Mehajer on Monday took to Instagram where he opened up about the relationship.

Mejaher, 35, was in a relationship with model Melissa 'Missy' Tysoe (right) for almost three years after the pair met at a New Year Eve's Party in Sydney's eastern suburbs in 2017

Mehajer on Monday took to Instagram to air his side of the relationship breakdown and explained his silence on the matter had been 'killing' him (Pictured is his Instagram post)

'Hello everybody. Whilst I have been away from social media for sometime, I find it somewhat uncomfortable to simply parachute in with a post, without first addressing the allegations made against me,' he began the lengthy post.

'For all of you that already know me, I am sure you will agree, that I would never normally go public on personal issues, in particular relationship break-ups.

'However, following the series of nasty media reports made against me, it is necessary that I address the said allegations, as my silence is killing me.

Ms Tysoe (right) in late 2020 accused the developer, and former Auburn deputy mayor, of stalking, choking and bashing her throughout their three-year relationship

Ms Tysoe, a 31-year-old finance graduate, first reported her allegations to police on December 21, 2020 and had an interim restraining order granted on her behalf

The restraining order currently in force bans the disgraced developer (pictured arriving at court in August 2020) from contacting his ex-partner Melissa Tysoe except through a lawyer and from owning firearms and prohibited weapons

'As I write this post, I remind myself to not fuel hate following my disappointment, or cause shame for my personal gain.

'I will simply refute based solely on facts and evidence.'

Daily Mail Australia cannot share the rest of Salim's comments for legal reasons.

Ms Tysoe, a 31-year-old finance graduate, first reported her allegations to police on December 21, 2020 and had an interim restraining order granted on her behalf while her claims were investigated.

Since the breakdown of their three-year relationship - which saw Mehajer throw an extravagant yacht party for his then-girlfriend's 30th birthday - all traces of the couple had been removed from her social media accounts.

Mehajer is also barred from assaulting, threatening, stalking, harassing or intimidating Ms Tysoe or recklessly destroying her property (Pictured is the former couple)

Mehajer has denied contacting Ms Tysoe and therefore breaking the domestic violence order in December 2020, claiming his sister contacted her without his knowledge

Mehajer (pictured in October 2020) on Monday took to Instagram to air his side of the relationship breakdown and explained his silence on the matter had been 'killing' him

The restraining order currently in force bans the disgraced developer from contacting his ex-partner except through a lawyer and from owning firearms.

He is also barred from assaulting, threatening, stalking, harassing or intimidating Ms Tysoe or recklessly destroying her property.

The former mayor was charged with one count of breaking the domestic violence order on December 30, 2020 after he allegedly pressured Ms Tysoe to drop the allegations multiple times while behind bars.

She then allegedly sent a WhatsApp message to Ms Tysoe saying her brother was 'broken' and 'never did anything wrong'.

Mehajer has denied contacting his ex-lover, claiming his sister contacted her without his knowledge.

His lawyer Javid Faiz argued for the former politician's release under strict bail conditions but Magistrate Rodney Brender denied bail.

The magistrate told the court Ms Tysoe was allegedly the victim of 'a series of violent assaults' and was the target of the restraining order breaches.

Magistrate Magistrate Rodney told a Sydney court Ms Tysoe was allegedly the victim of 'a series of violent assaults' and was the target of the restraining order breaches
A paedophile primary school teacher has been jailed after abusing children and filming himself having sex with a doll that was dressed in school uniform.

James Treasure on Monday faced the Victorian County Court, where he was sentenced to a total of four years and eight months behind bars after pleading guilty to producing and possessing child abuse material, and two counts of an indecent act with a child under 16.

The 42-year-old must serve at least 19 months behind bars before being eligible for parole and has agreed to use a chemical sex drive inhibitor upon release.

James Treasure faced the Victorian County Court (pictured), where he was sentenced to a total of four years and eight months behind bars after pleading guilty to producing and possessing child abuse material, and two counts of an indecent act with a child under 16

'It is tragic for your sake, and all the victims, that your personality and psychological problems could not be identified earlier,' Judge Frances Hogan said.

Treasure led a lonely life, struggled to form intimate relationships with people his age and had longstanding alcohol abuse problems.

He has been diagnosed with a hyper-sexuality and deviant sexual fantasies, and told police he felt 'relieved' when arrested.

The 42-year-old had already been jailed in Queensland after police caught him filming children on a Noosa beach in 2018.

When Queensland detectives searched his accommodation, they found 3900 child abuse images stored on his laptop, as well as shoes fitted with secret recording devices.

They also uncovered videos of him having intercourse with a childlike sex doll in a school uniform, and films of sex acts on which he had digitally imposed his own face and that of one of his students.

While Treasure was still in Queensland, Victorian police raided his Melbourne home, uncovering dozens of CDs, DVDs and hard drives of child abuse material, almost 100 videos he had filmed of children, and three covert watch cameras.

Treasure had also collected 30,000 videos and images of activities from the schools where he taught, the court heard, and he kept a diary of his interactions with students.

Treasure, 42, has abused several children and once filmed himself having sex with a doll in a uniform. The teacher had already been jailed in Queensland after police caught him filming children on a Noosa beach in 2018. Stock image

The former teacher would prey on his students by inviting them into his classroom at lunchtime, giving one of his victims chocolates before kneeling down and tickling her, and then touching her vagina outside her shorts.

After she yelled out 's***', Treasure reprimanded her, saying she had gone too far, and other children would have overheard.

Another former student described him tickling one of them in 'weird or wrong places' on five or six occasions.

One of his victims was a 'bright happy and confident' student who began to have mental health problems and use drugs and alcohol after she was abused.

'Your actions created a lot of pain and anxiety in the school's community,' a principal who used to work with Treasure said in a statement read out to court.

'Colleagues and families who placed their trust in you are devastated by your conduct.'

Defence barrister Philip Dunn QC said while Treasure was 'wired differently', he was mortified by his actions.

Treasure will be placed on a sex offenders register for life.

He could be released from prison within five months, having already served more than 430 days in pre-sentence detention.
Russians are for the first time expressing their open outrage and anguish at the catastrophic death toll of Vladimir Putin's troops - especially among young 'cannon fodder soldiers'.

They are speaking out online despite the threats of severe punishment for doing so.

Putin's invasion has suffered another blow after it was revealed on Friday his force's death toll rose to 19,000, according to Kyiv's estimates.

One case that hit home with Russians was the death of tank driver Alexei Veselkov, one of thousands sent to die in Ukraine by Vladimir Putin.

Aged 24, he married in June 2021, and his daughter was born last month - shortly before he was killed. He never saw the child.

'God, it's unbearable to see and read this,' noted Natasha Ilina. 'So young and they haven't even seen their children. Eternal memory.'

One case that hit home with Russians was the death of tank driver Alexei Veselkov, 24, (left) one of thousands sent to die in Ukraine by Vladimir Putin. The death of Corporal Solbon Bolotov, 26, (right) also sparked outrage

Another comment Elena said: 'He looks 17. It's so sad. So many of our men have died.'

One more comment asked: 'Why are such young guys sent there?'

'He's such a child - when will this end?' demanded a further Russian commenter.

Natalia Krainova said: 'How do his family survive this grief? Who needs this [war]?

Olga Habibullovna implicitly criticised Putin, posting: 'Why are we sending such young Russian men there?

'Who will bring these guys back to life? Condolences to his family and loved ones. Eternal memory.'

Another simply said: 'When will all this nightmare end?'

When she read about the death of Roman Sadykov, 25, Elena Tushich posted: 'This is the third obituary in an hour in [my] feed.'

Tamara Darmaeva added her voice: 'Condolences to the family. It's so sad for our young boys. How much longer will they die?'

Vera Kazachenko asked plaintively: 'How many more will die before this war is over?'

Junior sergeant Roman Sadykov, 25, died in Ukraine whilst Private Dmitry Kozubenko, 21, died in Ukraine on March 26, 2022

Arsalan Togmitov, 24, a private, was buried this week after being slain in Ukraine whilst Senior sergeant Namzhil Sangadiyev, 38, died in Ukraine

Marina Dengina vented her fury, saying: 'When will it finally end? It's so painful to read about these newly perished men. New faces every day.

'We are losing handsome, strong and manly guys with kind eyes. Eternal memory to you, hero! Sincere condolences.'

The death of Dmitry Kozubenko, 21, led to a comment from Larisa Sundupova-Namsaraeva saying: 'When will this end, so sorry for such young men?

'They had all lives ahead, my heart is aching for them.'

Elena Alexandrova wrote: 'Lord, it's so sad when the young die.'

Tatyana Geninova added: 'If it was a time of peace, they would have lived until they had grey hair, raised their children and saw their grandchildren.'

Valentina Kiryaeva said: 'He's still a boy. Why are such young sent to war? He never saw life, and now he will not know it.'

Anna Sukhikh posted: 'God, he's a child, just a child'

Arsalan Togmitov, 24, a private, was buried this week after being slain in Ukraine.

Maxim Grudinin posted: 'So many of our men are dying.'

And Aryuna Batueva said: 'I'm endlessly sorry that our young are dying. Condolences to the family. May this end soon.'

The death of senior sergeant Namzhil Sangadiyev, 38, prompted outrage. Alexey Sayanov commented: 'Our land has lost so many sons, we're praying he's the last one in this list. Condolences to the family and loved ones.'

Another fallen senior sergeant Zhargal Dashiyev, 38, prompted this from Svetlana Potemk to asked: 'When will there be the end to this war?'

About Corporal Solbon Bolotov, 26, Natalya Seleznyova pleaded: 'God, when will this end..?'

Corporal Ivan Isaev, 21, (left) died in Ukraine whilst Senior sergeant Zhargal Dashiyev, 38, (right) was also killed during fighting

The death of Maxim Bolshakov, 22, (left) from Ulan-Ude, the hardest-hit Russian region for casualties, prompted outrage from Russians. Tank driver Bair Rinchinov, 32, (right) also died in Ukraine

A similar comment from Kseniia over the death of tank driver Bair Rinchinov, 32, asked: 'How many sisters, wives and mothers cry every day...

'When will this end?'

Other comments said: 'He shouldn't have gone to Ukraine', 'There are no more tears left due to such news', 'It's impossible to see young handsome men who are no longer here'.

The death of Maxim Bolshakov, 22, from Ulan-Ude, the hardest-hit Russian region for casualties, prompted outrage from Tsyren-Dulma Ayusheeva: 'I am only sorry for peaceful Ukrainian people and our military who are dying because of politicians making money in this so-called military operation.

'This is a war, not something else...When will this be over?'
Authorities discovered new mass graves containing tortured remains of Ukrainians in various towns of the nation. It comes amid warning to residents in the eastern nation to flee from Russian attacks.

The remains were discovered in a ditch near a gas station, according to Taras Didych, the leader of the Dmytrivka community, which encompasses Buzova and many other adjacent settlements.

Remains in Ditch Show Devastation Left by Russian Forces

The number of dead discovered in the Buzova grave, which had been held by Russian soldiers for weeks, has yet to be confirmed. Local officials were unable to confirm the allegation immediately, Mirror reported

The bodies discovered in the graves were clothed in a combination of civilian and military attire. Several settlements around Kyiv, notably Makariv, Bucha, Irpin, and Dmytrivka, were under continual bombardment as Russian soldiers launched an onslaught towards the city in the initial weeks of Moscow's invasion.

Local media claimed in early April that roughly 30 remains had been discovered in and around Buzova. With the majority of the towns and villages around Kyiv already retaken, the discovery of mass graves and civilian casualties has sparked a wave of international outrage, particularly over killings in Bucha, northwest of the city.

Meanwhile, officials claimed two people were killed in shelling in Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, in the northeast, on Sunday morning, a day after 10 civilians were killed in a blast to the city's southeast.

President Volodymyr Zelensky repeated his condemnation of atrocities against civilians after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, stating the two had agreed that "all perpetrators of war crimes must be identified and punished."

Ukraine's prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, also announced that the government was investigating 500 senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, for alleged participation in thousands of war crimes.

Although the threat to Kyiv has diminished, Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukraine is ready for a major battle with Russian troops massing in the country's east. Ukraine's officials have advised civilians in the country's east to flee, as per Daily Mail.

Read Also: Israel Tel Aviv Attack: Videos Show Scary Moment, Aftermath of 'Terrorist' Shooting That Killed 2

Churches Invoke Faith, Hope, Charity

The remains of 132 citizens were discovered shot dead just hours earlier in Makariv, a town in Kyiv Oblast some 30 miles west of the capital. According to the mayor of the town, all of the victims died as a result of gunshot wounds.

According to sources, over 40% of the town has been devastated since Ukrainian soldiers reclaimed it from Russian control on March 22. Since then, officials have been keeping track of the deceased.

Similar sites have been revealed in the neighboring town of Bucha, where over 400 residents have been found dead. The vast majority had likewise been assassinated. Following the evacuation of Russian soldiers, workers found remains from a mass grave in the commuter town, revealing grisly proof of dozens of deaths.

Visitors to the church invoked God on the day that Pope Francis called for an Easter truce in Ukraine to allow for a negotiated peace.

Some of the millions of Ukrainians who fled over the border or to other areas of the nation have been able to return home as a result of Russia's withdrawal from the territory around Kyiv. Some people are reporting damage to or destruction of their houses of worship, ABC News reported.

At least 59 spiritual facilities, including churches, mosques, and synagogues, were struck in late March, according to Ukrainian officials. The blessing will be delivered at a church in another community that has survived war damage, according to the priest, for Easter, which is two weeks away in the Orthodox world.

Related Article: Russia-Ukraine Crisis: German Intelligence Intercepts Russian Radio Comms on Bucha Massacre

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A tycoon accused of giving Prince Andrew 1million of embezzled money still owes his staff some of their wages.

Selman Turk, 35, wound up his banking firm Heyman AI, which had received a Pitch@Palace award from the Duke of York.

Staff say that on the day they were due to be paid, Mr Turk set up a video meeting with all of them.

On the call they say he told them they would not receive their salary.

When they tried to get in touch with him, they told the Times he changed his email and stopped responding to messages.

Currently a total of eight employees have claimed money back through employment tribunals, but there are thought to be scores more who may have not been paid.

Turkish businessman Selman Turk, 35, is alleged to have made payments of more than 1 million to Prince Andrew

The Duke and Duchess of York (pictured) have been urged to clarify the nature of their relationships with Mr Turk

One said: 'It was a two-minute conversation, no one was allowed to ask any questions and we were just told to bear with him.

'It was very stressful, everyone had mortgages, families.'

Turk's assets have been frozen as part of a court action by Turkish millionaire Nebahat Evyap Isbilen.

She claims he left her around 39.37million short while acting as her financial adviser.

He is also accused of arranging a 750,000 payment to Andrew nine days after he received an award from the Pitch@Palace scheme in 2019.

In High Court documents it was described as being a 'wedding gift' for Princess Beatrice.

Turk has denied instructing Isbilen to make the payment to Andrew, while the Duke has repaid the money.

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by him or any members of his family.

A selfie taken by Selman Turk alongside Tarek Kaituni during a visit to what appears to be Frogmore House, the royal residence in Windsor Great Park, in February 2020

Sarah, Duchess of York, Princess Beatrice and Prince Andrew, Duke of York pictured together at Royal Ascot in 2018

Yesterday two videos emerged of Sarah, Duchess of York, praising Turk as a 'wonderful man'.

It came after he had transferred almost 250,000 into her bank account.

Heyman AI was building Yuu, a type of bank that would have let customers buy products in instalments.

Documents submitted to the High Court claim that around 1.1 million of the allegedly misappropriated 40 million was transferred to Andrew, including the 750,000 payment to the Duke's account with Coutts in November 2019.

That sum  described as a 'wedding gift' for Princess Beatrice  has since been repaid by Andrew, but three further payments to him by Mr Turk between October and December 2019 totalling 269,000 do not appear to have been returned.

Mrs Isbilen has told the court she regards claims that the money was a wedding gift or a thank you for the Prince helping with her passport to be false.

Mr Turk denies the accusations against him from Isbilen in his defence in court documents, arguing that she asked him to help her transfer her assets out of Turkey 'and putting them beyond reach of the Turkish authorities,' and that he did exactly as she asked. 'He did not engage in any deceit,' it adds.

Prince Andrew is spotted driving his car after going horse riding in Windsor today

Prince Andrew is seen driving his car with a passenger in the front in Windsor today

The Duchess has previously said that a sum of 225,000 transferred to her by Mr Turk was for her work as a brand ambassador for a US solar energy company and that one of his companies was merely a conduit for the payment.

Court papers lodged last week claim a further 20,000 was sent to her bank account by the businessman. Court documents also claim Mr Turk made two separate payments totalling about 25,000 to Princess Eugenie.

There is no suggestion that the Duke, the Duchess or their daughters have been involved in, or had knowledge of, fraudulent activity.The case will not help with Andrew's dreams of rehabilitation after he was forced to step down as a working Royal following a protracted multi-million-pound legal battle with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.

The Duke, who has always denied her claims, met Ms Giuffre through paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and his girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking in December.

A source close to the Duchess last night denied that there was anything untoward about the two dinners with Mr Turk, or her comments in the footage.

The first meal, which involved about eight guests, was held after a mutual friend introduced her to the businessman in September 2019, the source said.

Mr Turk did not eat with the Duchess on the second occasion and only joined her briefly as she had been unable to be at a business meeting that day, the source added.

A spokesman for the Duchess said: 'The Duchess has been completely open about the fact she knew Mr Turk. Her dealings with him were always on a primary business level and she was happy to be supportive, as she would of any new venture.

'She last met Mr Turk in February 2020. She was completely unaware of the allegations that have since emerged against him. She is naturally concerned by what has been alleged against him.'

Heyman AI, which once employed more than 100 staff, ceased operations last year. Mr Turk did not respond to requests to comment.
Authorities in Shanghai have moved to loosen the city's extreme lockdown as local revolts become rampant.

Areas with zero Covid cases over a two-week stretch will be allowed to engage in 'appropriate activity', a city official told journalists this morning.

Comments by epidemic prevention director Gu Honghui followed the release of more than 10,000 recovered Covid patients on Sunday, Reuters reported.

Health leaders insisted they will be allowed to go home.

More than 10,000 recovered Covid patients (pictured) have been sent home from hospitals

China's biggest city today entered its third week of a brutal lockdown.

But it has failed to stop or even slow the spread of the Omicron variant in the city.

This morning a record 25,173 new cases were reported by local officials, up from the previous record of 23,937 yesterday.

Infected Shanghainese are taken to remote quarantine sites and children under seven have been separated from their parents.

Two volunteers per apartment building are allowed to shop outside each day for a maximum of two hours.

Starving locals have also been spotted storming supply points, breaking barriers in the street and scuffling with enforcers.

Food distribution among the city's 26million people has collapsed, with the deputy mayor admitting on Saturday: 'A lot of our work has not been enough. We will do our best to improve.'

Zong Ming added: 'We feel the same way about the problems everyone has raised and voiced.'

One protestor placed his empty open fridge on his balcony in a brave public protest.

Video shows one struggling business owner in Tianjin, northern China forcibly pulling his wife out of their apartment window, killing them both.

Shocking footage filmed over the weekend shows locals fighting for emergency supplies

Shanghainese have also been seen tussling with enforcers in footage taken down from Weibo

Their child was reportedly inside the flat at the time.

Shanghai will now be split into 7,624 districts, with 2,460 now subject to 'controls' after a week of no infections.

More than 7,500 have been labelled 'prevention areas' and will reopen after two weeks without a single positive case.

But users on state-censored social media site Weibo were not convinced by the new plan.

This emergency supply checkpoint in Jiuting became the scene of desperate clashes on Friday

PPE-clad state workers enforce Shanghai's ultra-strict lockdown despite residents' opposition

'I think the Shanghai government has a secret plan to infect the whole of the Chinese people,' said one poster under the name 'The Star Broke the Ice'.

Another user named Ruan Yi added: 'I think this is the Shanghai government admitting it cannot continue locking down while ensuring that its citizens don't starve to death.'

Yet China's national strategy remains unchanged, with Beijing official Liang Wannian saying the 'dynamic clearance' zero-Covid policy was still Shanghai's 'best option'.

Director Honghui said the easing would be 'dynamic' and open to change, adding: 'We also hope all citizens and friends will continue to support and cooperate.'

Photos taken on Saturday show the city remains deserted as Shanghai's lockdown groans on

Until March, China had successfully kept the daily caseload down to double or triple digits, with harsh localised lockdowns, mass testing and travel restrictions.

But last Monday the nationwide caseload topped 13,000 for a second day as the daily infection tally hit rates unseen since mid-February 2020.

Western diplomats expressed their concern last week over the policy of separating children from their parents, while requesting assurances that their ambassadors and diplomats would not be subject to such stringent controls.
Downing Street has today promised a crackdown on eco-activists using 'guerilla tactics' following a spate of disruptive protests on oil depots across the UK.

In the strongest statement yet on the eco-mob 'Just Stop Oil', Number 10 today pledged that it would 'not tolerate' those obstructing people 'going about their day-to-day business'.

It comes after activists from the protest group chained themselves to pipes high up at Grays oil depot in Essex.

The group tweeted just before 7am that protesters still remained at the site more than 24 hours later.

One protestor today posted a video in which he, ironically, referred to the 'cost of living crisis'.

Responding to the group's tactics, a No 10 spokeswoman said: 'We recognise the strength of feeling and the right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, but we won't tolerate guerrilla tactics that obstruct people going about their day-to-day business.'

The spokeswoman added: 'We fully support the police who are putting significant resource into their response to the demonstrations.'

It comes as a furious motorist today revealed how they had to drive 46 miles to fill up because of the disruption to the UK's petrol supplies, while others said they did not have enough fuel to go to work today.

One driver, recounting their nightmare journey yesterday, told MailOnline: 'Every petrol station we tried was shut - we drove 11 miles to Aylesbury first and then 17 miles to Bicester before giving up and driving the ten miles back home.

A group of Just Stop Oil activists at a major oil depot in Grays, Essex

Long queues at a petrol station in Hampton, Peterborough this morning, where only a few pumps were in operation

Motorists queueing at a Tesco petrol station in Ashford this morning. Fair Fuel today said it was receiving 'mixed messages' about the picture across the country

A sign reading 'out of fuel' outside a station in Ashford as it was forced to turn away drivers

Pumps at a petrol station in Ashford covered with 'sorry out of use' tags

'The next day we drove to Winslow which is another eight miles away before finding fuel there. It is total pot luck'

This morning, other drivers took to social media to vent their frustration at the protesters' 'selfish, naive' actions. 'No petrol stations near to me have any fuel, no fuel means I can't work,' one Twitter user wrote this morning.

Another added: 'I'm working today. I have enough petrol to get there but we probably don't have enough fuel in the work vehicles to take vulnerable people to medical appointments so they'll have to be cancelled.'

Priti Patel has called the protesters 'selfish, fanatical and frankly dangerous' while George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, criticised their 'extreme' tactics.

Campaign group Fair Fuel said up to a third of petrol stations were closed yesterday, while pictures showed some remained shut today.

Fair Fuel founder Howard Cox told MailOnline supplies remained 'patchy' - with diesel particularly affected - but overall the situation was better than on the weekend.

The AA last night shortages had been 'isolated' and none of its 2,700 patrols had experienced difficulties getting fuel.

Meanwhile, the Petrol Retailers Association, which represents around 65% of independently owned forecourts, said: 'We are aware of protests at several fuel supply sites; however, the majority are unaffected.'

Supply issues tend to hit motorists in London and the South East worse than elsewhere.

This is most likely due the regions' higher population densities, Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association, has previously said.

Campaign group Just Stop Oil is now on its eleventh day of disruptive protests.

A video posted at 3.30am this morning showed one activist at Grays oil depot filming a selfie video from inside a pipe.

'We're still in the pipes, still stopping oil, still stopping whatever we non-violently can to resist the collapse of our liveable future,' he said.

'We really hope to make it to 24 hours and beyond because that's the only way this government will listen.

'This corrupt government that is pushing us towards not just a climate catastrophe but a social crisis.

'We're in the depths of a cost of living emergency... we're in the depths of a legitimacy crisis and unless Boris Johnson gets on with the job and stops oil and legitimacy crisis will extend to the entire global system'.

Today, Environment Secretary George Eustice said: 'A right to protest is important but not if it's causing havoc with other people's lives. That's wrong and not acceptable.

'We all recognise that we need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels... this is a mainstream agenda, people really don't need to do these extreme protests to get their point heard.'

A video posted at 3.30am this morning showed a Just Stop Oil protester occupying Grays oil depot in Essex saying 'we're still out here'

Members of the public vented their fury at 'selfish- eco protesters this morning

A Tesco Petrol station near Cambridge on Sunday after it run out of fuel

Protesters have been holding up fuel supplies by targeting Grays oil depot and two other crucial sites in Warwickshire and Hertfordshire.

And yesterday some also blocked two central London bridges in a series of 'exceptionally dangerous' stunts.

The mayhem comes ahead of a record 21.5million motorists preparing to take to the roads this coming Easter weekend.

Yesterday, a frustrated Priti Patel said: 'Hard-working people across our country are seeing their lives brought to a standstill by selfish, fanatical and frankly dangerous so-called activists.

'Keir Starmer's Labour Party repeatedly voted against our proposals that would have given the police extra powers to deal with this eco mob. The police have my full backing in doing everything necessary to address this public nuisance.'

In a sign of the havoc, nearly a third of drivers surveyed in the Midlands and the South East reported a lack of fuel at forecourts. Diesel was in especially short supply.

At the Kingsbury oil terminal in Warwickshire (pictured), protesters claimed to have dug a tunnel under a tanker route in a bid to block deliveries to forecourts

Pictured: Protesters block the Esso West oil facility near Heathrow Airport

Ministers had planned to introduce new powers to help police tackle eco-protesters but the measures were blocked in the House of Lords in January.

At the time, Miss Patel accused Labour of siding with 'vandals and thugs'.

Proposed measures had included an offence of 'locking on' in a bid to stop protesters resorting to the common tactic of chaining themselves to buildings and vehicles.

New stop and search powers were also proposed to allow police to detain protesters arriving carrying bike locks and other equipment designed to make themselves difficult to remove.

Ministers are expected to try to revive the measures in the next Queen's Speech.

Yesterday the Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion fanatics brought chaos to fuel depots.

At the Kingsbury oil terminal in Warwickshire they claimed to have dug a tunnel under a tanker route in a bid to block deliveries to forecourts.

On Lambeth Bridge (pictured), hundreds of protesters prevented cars and buses from using the key route linking north and south London

Up to 40 campaigners then locked themselves to the gates of the Buncefield terminal in Hertfordshire.

This was followed by further action at the Exolum storage terminal in Grays, Essex.

The group has vowed to continue until ministers agree to stop all new fossil fuel investments. On Lambeth Bridge, hundreds of protesters prevented cars and buses from using the key route linking north and south London.

The protest had a festival atmosphere, with speakers playing dance music and a stall handing out pasta and falafel. The activists sat down and refused to move for hours. However they allowed ambulances to pass.

A samba band joined the protesters blocking cars and buses on Vauxhall Bridge.

The protest had a festival atmosphere, with speakers playing dance music and a stall handing out pasta and falafel

The Metropolitan Police reopened both London bridges by 8pm last night, making 38 arrests. Essex Police said the depot protest tactics were becoming 'exceptionally dangerous' and putting activists and officers at 'unacceptable' risk of harm.

Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin said: 'We cannot stand by while criminal acts are being committed, and lives are being put at risk, in the name of protest.'

The force has made 338 arrests since the protests began on April 1.

Warwickshire Police has detained 180 people and its assistant chief constable, Ben Smith, said: 'While we will always recognise and respect the public's right to peaceful protest, we will take action against anyone who breaks the law or causes significant impact on the local community.'

A spokesman for the UK Petroleum Industry Association said: 'The industry is working hard to ensure fuels are being delivered as quickly as possible.'
Two Buffalo police officers who shoved an elderly protestor to the ground - cracking his skull - during racial injustice protests in June 2020 have been cleared of violating the department's use-of-force guidelines.

The episode drew national attention when a news crew captured shocking video of 75-year-old Martin Gugino being pushed by officers Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski in downtown Buffalo, as crowd control officers in riot gear cleared demonstrators for an 8pm curfew.

The elderly Gugino, who was taking part in a June 4 protest following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, was shoved backward by the oncoming cops and cracked his head on the concrete sidewalk.

He lay, motionless and bleeding with a fractured skull, as a line of cops in riot gear nonchalantly walked past him.

Gugino spent a month in hospital following the incident to recover from the fracture skull and an associated a brain injury.

But in a decision on Friday, arbitrator Jeffrey Selchick wrote: 'Upon review, there is no evidence to sustain any claim that Respondents (police officers) had any other viable options other than to move Gugino out of the way of their forward movement.'

Officers walked past as the 75-year-old lay on the ground, visibly bleeding from his head and ear after fracturing his skull on the concrete sidewalk when he was pushed by police on June 4, 2020

Black Lives Matter protester Martin Gugino, 75, in February 2021 filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming his constitutional rights were violated when he was shoved by cops (Gugino pictured in October 2020 after recovering from injuries sustained in the incident)

Aaron Torgalski (left) and Robert McCabe (right) were cleared by a grand jury on Feb 11, 2021 of criminal charges relating to the incident

Selchick ruled that the level of force used by the officers was justified because Gugino refused to comply with orders to leave the scene and was 'acting erratically' - despite video clearly showing the protestor posed no threat and was attempting to speak to the cops.

'The use of force employed by Respondents reflected no intent on their part to do more than to move Gugino away from them,' the arbitrator declared.

McCabe and Torgalski were suspended without pay and arrested within days of the incident, but last year a grand jury declined to indict them and charges were dropped.

An attorney for Gugino, who has sued the city, told the Buffalo News that the ruling has no bearing on the lawsuit.

'We are not aware of any case where this arbitrator has ruled against on-duty police officers, so his ruling here on behalf of the police was not only expected by us, but was certainly expected by the union and city who selected and paid him,' Melissa Wischerath told the newspaper.

Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said in a statement he will reinstate the two officers to duty on Monday, the newspaper reported.

Email messages seeking comment were left Sunday with an attorney representing the city, which argued for the disciplinary charges, and with the Buffalo police union.

Gugino was pushed to the ground in front of Buffalo City Hall in New York on June 4, 2020 by cops, despite posing no threat

Gugino, who resides in upstate New York, announced in February of last year he was suing the police, the city, and the mayor for the injuries he sustained after being shoved to the ground by police officers.

Attorneys for Gugino filed the lawsuit in federal court, claiming that the man's constitutional rights to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and due process, among others, were violated during the incident that took place outside Buffalo City Hall on June 4, 2020.

It also alleges forcible assault without warning by police officers.

The complaint names as defendants the City of Buffalo, Mayor Byron Brown, Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood, Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia, and police officers Robert McCabe, Aaron Torgalski, and John Losi.

The lawsuit alleges that the third officer named as a defendant in the complaint, Losi, was the one who instructed McCabe and Torgalski to shove him, as the rest of the police team 'yelled out in chorus, "push him, push him."

Martin Gugino, 75, suffered a fractured skull when he was shoved by two police officers on June 4, 2020, amid racial injustice protests following the murder of George Floyd the previous month

'If the roles were reversed, and Gugino pushed a BPD officer who then fractured his skull, he would have been immediately indicted, and for good reason,' plaintiff's attorney Richard Weisbeck said in a news release.

In the complaint, Gugino also argues that his rights to petition the government for redress of grievance, movement, unreasonable seizures and freedom from the unlawful use of force by government agents, were violated.

The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and unspecified monetary damages 'in an amount sufficient to punish them and deter others from similar conduct.'

In October 2020, several months after the incident, Gugino said he had regained his health, but sustained permanent damage to his ear and walks with a cane.

'Look, I'm up, got a cane, no problem. I'm good,' he said.

'But the city is not good.

'These were not two especially bad officers. The whole system is wrong.

'The curfew is wrong. Mayor [Byron] Brown needs to be taught what the First Amendment means. The chief of police, whatever training he gave these guys is not right.

'You are allowed to protest on the sidewalk. Protest is the American way.'

He said there was no justification for what happened to him.

'Fall down, hit your head, blood comes out of your ear, carted off unconscious - there's no reason for that,' he said.

Gugino's lawsuit is ongoing.
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Ukrainian troops cheered and celebrated after they shot down a Russian drone with a British-made missile.

Video shows a Ukrainian soldier firing the laser-guided missile that travels at more than three times the speed of sound at the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Ukraine.

The UK-made Starstreak missile took down the Russian Orion drone in Ukraine, prompting cheers from the Ukrainian troops.

One soldier could be seen swearing at the wreckage with his middle finger as it tumbled from the sky.

Ukrainian soldier Yuriy Kochevenko, who posted the footage online, thanked Britain for supplying the missile system, adding that Kyiv uses the 'support of allies effectively'.

Britain is supplying and training Ukrainian troops in the use of the high-velocity anti-air missiles as well as providing body armour, helmets and combat boots.

Video shows the Ukrainian soldiers, believed to be from the 95th Air Assault Brigade, downing the drone on April 9, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said.

They can be heard jubilantly celebrating as they watched the drone tumble from the sky, with one shouting: 'There's contact, we destroyed the sh**.'

Video shows a Ukrainian soldier firing the British-made missile that travels at more than three times the speed of sound at the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The soldier could be seen swearing at the wreckage with his middle finger as it tumbled from the sky

The UK-made Starstreak missile took down the Russian Orion drone in Ukraine, prompting cheers from the Ukrainian troops

Photos from the scene show the destroyed remains of the Russian drone, which is designed for visual, radar or radio reconnaissance with the possibility of long-term patrol of an area

The wreckage from the Russian drone can be seen lying in a field in Ukraine

Residents look at destroyed Russian tanks outskirts of Buzova village, west of Kyiv, on Sunday

Residents carry their belongings near buildings destroyed by Russian troops, in the southern port city of Mariupol on Sunday

What are Starstreak missiles? The Starstreak high-velocity surface-to-air missile is designed to defend against conventional air threats like fixed wing fighter planes and helicopters. It is made in Belfast by the company Thales Air Defence. The missile has a range of more than 7km and carries a three dart payload. The Starstreak system is a shoulder-mounted missile that travels at more than three times the speed of sound to take down low-flying enemy aircraft It uses a laser beam guidance system which the manufacturer says is 'immune to all known countermeasures'. The weapon can be launched from lightweight land, sea or air platforms and can be unleashed as soon as a target is detected - there is no wait for 'lock on'. It accelerates to a speed of more than Mach 3 - approximately 2,300mph - in a 'fraction of a second'. Once hitting full speed it releases its three 'hittiles' which are then guided to the target. It is a man-portable air-defence system - known by the MANPADS acronym. The missiles are similar to the US-made Stinger which is already being used by Ukrainian forces. Advertisement

Kochevenko said: 'Successful combat use of Starstreak man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) in the Ukrainian-Russian war.

'Air defence destroyed the Russian UAV Orlan. This is the greeting of Ukrainian paratroopers to Boris Johnson.

'Thank you Britain. We use the support of allies effectively, send more of it. For our freedom and yours!'

Photos from the scene show the destroyed remains of the Russian drone, which is designed for visual, radar or radio reconnaissance with the possibility of long-term patrol of an area.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Facebook that Ukrainian soldiers on April 10 downed another Russian Orlan-10 drone using the Starstreak missile system.

The military wrote: 'In Kharkiv region, the air defense unit of a separate airborne assault brigade with British-made MANPADS 'Starstreak' successfully destroyed another Russian UAV 'Orlan-10'.'

The downing of the Russian drones comes after Mr Johnson revealed Britain is to send Ukraine more weapons worth 100million and will work to get more tanks to Kyiv in the face of Russian war crimes.

He pledged high-tech supplies including more Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank rockets and drones as he hosted a joint press conference with German chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday.

On Monday, Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine suffered another devastating blow after his force's death toll rose to 19,500 according to Kyiv's estimates.

Russia has only admitted 1,351 of its troops have died fighting in Ukraine since Putin invaded on February 24, a fraction of the figure estimated by Ukraine's armed forces.

The catastrophic death toll comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky defended his criticism of NATO and the UN, saying he has had enough of diplomacy with Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky told CBS 60 minutes on Sunday: 'When you are [working] at diplomacy, there are no results. All this is very bureaucratic. That's why the way I'm talking to them is absolutely justifiable. I don't have any more lives [to give]. I don't have any more emotions.

'I'm no longer interested in their diplomacy that leads to the destruction of my country. A lot of countries have changed their mind about Ukraine and about our people. But I think we've paid too high price for that.'

It comes amid warnings from British intelligence chiefs that Putin's troops could use white phosphorous munitions in Mariupol as fighting there intensifies, with Ukrainian forces saying they are preparing for the 'last battle' in the city.

While strictly not considered a chemical weapon, the substance burns fiercely and can cause horrendous injuries, and its use on civilians constitutes a war crime.

Britain's Ministry of Defence today said Russian forces prior use of phosphorous munitions in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine 'raises the possibility of their future employment in Mariupol as fighting for the city continues'.

Zelensky said that tens of thousands of people have been killed in Mariupol. He said: 'Mariupol has been destroyed. There are tens of thousands of dead, but even despite this, the Russians are not stopping their offensive.'

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its 47th day, evidence of Russian troops committing war crimes continues to mount.

In Buzova, a village in the Kyiv region, Ukrainian officials said the bodies of 50 people, all of whom were shot at close range, were discovered on a road. Another mass grave with dozens of bodies were also found in the village.

A mother reacts as police members exhume the body of her son, who according to the head of the village was killed by Russian soldiers, from a well at a fuel station in Buzova, on Sunday

Oleg, 56, mourns for his mother Inna, 86, killed during the war against Russia in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday

A roadway is shown damaged by the attacks of Russian forces in the Makariv region near Kyiv on April 10, 2022 in Marakiv, Ukraine

Russian troops drive an armoured vehicle on a road outside the southern port city of Mariupol on Sunday

The catastrophic death toll comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky defended his criticism of NATO and the UN, saying he has had enough of diplomacy with Vladimir Putin

The mass killing of civilians Ukraine have been widely condemned by the West as war crimes with piles of bodies showing signs of torture and execution were pictured in Bucha after the city had been recaptured by Ukrainian forces.

But officials have now revealed that even greater damage was done by Putin's thugs in Borodyanka, northwest of Kyiv and about 15 miles from Bucha.

Boris Johnson has not ruled out considering arming Ukraine's resistance against Russian troops with tanks from former Warsaw Pact nations. Czechia has already sent some T-74 tanks east.

Mr Johnson said: 'I'm in principle willing to consider anything by way of defensive weaponry to help the Ukrainians protect themselves and their people.

'I think it's important that we should be giving equipment that is genuinely useful and is operable by Ukrainians, that's our consideration.'

Russia on Monday continued its shelling of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, but battling Ukrainian forces repulsed several assaults and destroyed Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery equipment, the UK's MoD said.

The MoD warned that Russia's 'continued reliance' on unguided bombs in Ukraine increases the risk of further civilian casualties as the weapons decrease their ability to discriminate when targeting and conducting strikes.

Zelensky on Sunday warned Ukrainians to brave for a Russian onslaught in the country's east within days, as he vowed that his forces will 'respond'.

Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukraine in the eastern Donbas region since 2014 and parts of the region are under Moscow's control.

'Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state,' Zelenksy said in his nightly address on Sunday. 'They can use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs.

'But we are preparing for their actions. We will respond.'

Tens of thousands of Russian troops are heading to the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk  known collectively as the Donbas.

The Kremlin is seeking a victory there to justify its 'special military operation', which has failed to capture any major cities. According to Western officials, Russian commanders believe the Donbas represents their best chance of success.

They have retreated from other areas, including around Ukraine's capital city Kyiv, to focus their efforts there. But Ukrainian forces are determined to push them back.

Russia is believed to be seeking a link between occupied Crimea and Moscow-backed separatist territories Donetsk and Lugansk in Donbas.

Lugansk governor Sergiy Gaiday warned that the region could suffer as badly as Mariupol, a besieged port city that even pro-Russian authorities say has been 70 percent ruined by fighting.

'The battle for Donbas will last several days, but during these days our cities may be completely destroyed,' Gaiday said.

Soldiers hold a dismounted machine gun from a Russian tank destroyed during Russia's invasion near the village of Motyzhyn, in the Kyiv region, on Sunday

Military sappers dismount a machine gun from a Russian tank destroyed during Russia's invasion near the village of Motyzhyn on Sunday

Residents carry their belongings along a street near a building burnt during the invasion of Ukraine in Mariupol

A view shows the building of a theatre destroyed in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol on Sunday

Praskovya, 77, is walking in a carriage of a medical evacuation train on its way to the the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, on Sunday

Civilians fleeing from the conflict zones in Kyiv, Kramatorsk, Kharkov, Mariupol, take temporary shelter at the sports hall of Lviv Polytechnic National University in Lviv, Ukraine, on Thursday

In a later Telegram message, he said Russian troops knew that 'there is no surviving critical or any other infrastructure in our area'.

'Therefore, every shelling of the housing stock is a deliberate terrorist attack.'

Ukraine is believed to have tens of thousands of soldiers in the east, the majority of its military force, ahead of what is believed to be a decisive battle in the war.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are preparing for a 'last battle' to control the southern port of Mariupol, besieged by Russians since the invasion, marines in the city said Monday.

'Today will probably be the last battle, as the ammunition is running out,' the 36th marine brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces said on Facebook.

'It's death for some of us, and captivity for the rest,' it added, saying it had been 'pushed back' and 'surrounded' by the Russian army.

It said it had been defending the port for 47 days and 'did everything possible and impossible' to retain control of the city.

Russian forces have said that fighting has recently centred around the city's Azovstal iron and steel works and in the port.

The marines said that is where 'the enemy gradually pushed us back' and 'surrounded us with fire, and is now trying to destroy us.'

The brigade said around half of its men are wounded, adding: 'The mountain of wounded makes up almost half of the brigade. Those whose limbs are not torn off return to battle.'

'The infantry was all killed and the shooting battles are now conducted by artillerymen, anti-aircraft gunners, radio operators, drivers and cooks. Even the orchestra.'

The marines complained over a lack of support from Ukraine's military leadership: 'No one wants to communicate with us anymore because we've been written off.'

Mariupol has seen the most intense fighting since the Kremlin launched its attack on Ukraine, with the city being virtually razed to the ground. Thousands of civilians are thought to have died in the city.

A US defence expert told Sky News that the next three weeks will 'determine the outcome of the war' in Ukraine.

He said that whilst Putin's troops had 'reassessed their objectives in the war' to focus on eastern Ukraine, their 'major problem' is whether they can 'reconstitute enough combat power' to take on a 'very experienced' Ukrainian force there.

The US defence expert said: 'The next three weeks will be decisive. It will determine the outcome of the war.

'If we in the West can increase our sense of urgency in supplying the Ukrainians, wrapped up to the level of the Berlin Airlift, the Ukrainians can really come out of this with a victory.'

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are preparing for a 'last battle' to control the southern port of Mariupol, besieged by Russians since the invasion, marines in the city said Monday

A Ukrainian soldier stands watch by a building severely damaged in attacks by Russian forces in the Makariv region near Kyiv on Sunday

A building is shown severely damaged by the attacks of Russian forces in the Makariv region on Sunday

A resident looks on near a building destroyed by Russian troops in Mariupol on Sunday

A local resident sits amongst rubble and glass after Russian troops destroyed a building in Mariupol on Sunday

Cemetery workers carry a corpse of a man from a mass grave to be identified in a morgue, in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Russia will not pause its military operation in Ukraine for subsequent rounds of peace talks.

Russian officials say peace talks with Ukraine are not progressing as rapidly as they would like, and have accused the West of trying to derail negotiations by raising war crimes allegations against Russian troops in Ukraine, which Moscow denies.

Speaking in an interview with Russian state television, Lavrov said he saw no reason not to continue talks with Ukraine but insisted Moscow would not halt its military operation when the sides convene again.

Lavrov said that President Vladimir Putin had ordered to suspend military action during the first round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in late February but that Moscow's position had changed since.

'After we became convinced that the Ukrainians were not planning to reciprocate, a decision was made that during the next rounds of talks, there would be no pause (in military action) so long as a final agreement is not reached,' Lavrov said.

Lavrov last week accused Kyiv of presenting Moscow with an 'unacceptable' draft peace deal that deviated from agreements the sides had previously reached. Kyiv dismissed Lavrov's comments at the time as a tactic to undermine Ukraine or divert attention from war crime accusations against Russian troops.

In the interview aired on Monday, Lavrov also said that calls by Josep Borrell, the European Union's top diplomat, for the bloc to continue arming Kyiv marked a 'very serious U-turn' in European policy.

Meanwhile Ramzan Kadyrov, the powerful head of Russia's republic of Chechnya, said early on Monday that there will be an offensive by Russian forces not only on the besieged port of Mariupol, but also on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

Russia has deployed Chechen fighters, reputed to be particularly fierce, in Mariupol. Capturing the city on the Sea of Azov would give Russia a land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine and annexed eight years ago.

'There will be an offensive... not only on Mariupol, but also on other places, cities and villages,' Kadyrov said in a video posted on his Telegram channel.

'Luhansk and Donetsk - we will fully liberate in the first place... and then take Kyiv and all other cities.'

Kadyrov, who has often described himself as Russian President Vladimir Putin's 'foot soldier,' said there should be no doubt about Kyiv.

'I assure you: not one step will be taken back,' Kadyrov said.

Kadyrov has been repeatedly accused by the United States and European Union of rights abuses, which he denies.

Ukrainian troops have repelled scores of Russian attacks, killing 19,500 Russian troops and masses of artillery according to Kyiv's estimates.

Ukraine's defence ministry said as of April 11, the Russian forces have lost over 19,500 soldiers and officers, 723 tanks, 1,923 armoured personnel vehicles, 347 artillery systems, 154 Russian aircraft, 137 helicopters, and 119 unmanned aerial vehicles.

Putin's forces have also lost 111 multiple rocket launcher systems, 1,387 various motor vehicles, 76 fuel tanks, 55 anti-aircraft systems, and four short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) systems.

But the Russian military said on Monday that it destroyed a shipment of air defense missile systems in Ukraine provided by the West.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said the military used sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles to destroy four S-300 air defense missile launchers on the southern outskirts of the city of Dnipro.

He said about 25 Ukrainian troops were also hit by the strike on Sunday.

Konashenkov said in a statement Monday that Ukraine had received the air defense systems from a European country that he didn't name. Konashenkov's claim couldn't be independently verified.

Last week, Slovakia said it had handed over its Soviet-designed S-300 air defense systems to Ukraine, which has pleaded with the West to give it more weapons, including long-range air defense systems.

But Slovakia said it cannot confirm that air defense systems it has provided to Ukraine have been destroyed by the Russian armed forces.

Asked whether Russia has destroyed Slovak supplied S-300s, Slovakian Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok said that 'we have no evidence of this.'

'We've been hearing news to that end, but based on information provided by the Ukraine side we cannot confirm that. The Ukrainian side has excluded that,' he said at an EU meeting in Luxembourg.

Korcok says Slovakia is supplying the systems 'because we want to beef up the air defense of Ukraine.'

Residents look at a destroyed Russian tank outskirts of Buzova village, west of Kyiv, on April 10

Civilians fleeing from the conflict zones in Kyiv, Kramatorsk, Kharkov, Mariupol, take temporary shelter at the sports hall of Lviv Polytechnic National University in Lviv, Ukraine

An elderly woman points towards a partially destroyed five story building in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Sunday

A young man pushes a wheelbarrow in front of a destroyed apartment building in the town of Borodyanka, Ukraine, on Sunday

Slovakia's prime minister office issued a statement late Sunday calling the news that the S-300 system given to Ukraine was destroyed 'disinformation.' It was unclear, however, whether both sides are referring to the same airstrike.

The Russians have targeted missile defense systems in three different locations in recent days.

Meanwhile, Austria's chancellor on Monday will become the first European leader to visit Moscow since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as Kyiv prepares for a huge Russian offensive in the country's east.

Karl Nehammer said he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and is expected to raise alleged war crimes in devastated areas around Kyiv that were under Russian occupation, including the town of Bucha.

Ukrainian authorities say over 1,200 bodies have been found in the area so far and that they are weighing cases against '500 suspects' including Putin and other top Russian officials.

The chancellor decided to organise the meeting after he met Zelensky in Kyiv on Saturday, his office said.

He wants 'to do everything so that progress towards peace can be made' even if the chances of success are minimal, the spokesperson added.

'We are militarily neutral, but have a clear stance on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine,' Nehammer tweeted, calling for humanitarian corridors, a ceasefire and a full investigation of war crimes.

Buildings are shown destroyed or severely damaged by the attacks of Russian forces in the Makariv region on Sunday

A man pushes a bicycle by a buidling severely damaged in attacks by Russian forces in Makariv on Sunday

Civilians fleeing from the conflict zones in Kyiv, Kramatorsk, Kharkov, Mariupol, take temporary shelter at the sports hall of Lviv Polytechnic National University in Lviv

A building is shown severely damaged by the attacks of Russian forces in the Makariv region near Kyiv on Sunday

EU foreign ministers will also meet Monday to discuss a sixth round of sanctions, with concerns that divisions over a ban on Russia gas and oil imports could blunt their impact.

The chancellor decided to organise the meeting after he met Zelensky in Kyiv on Saturday, his office said.

He wants 'to do everything so that progress towards peace can be made' even if the chances of success are minimal, the spokesperson added.

'We are militarily neutral, but have a clear stance on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine,' Nehammer tweeted, calling for humanitarian corridors, a ceasefire and a full investigation of war crimes.

Over the weekend, ongoing attacks on the region hampered evacuations, and 12 people were killed in and around northeast Kharkiv, regional governor Oleg Synegubov said.

'The Russian army continues to wage war on civilians due to a lack of victories at the front,' Synegubov said on Telegram.

In Dnipro, an industrial city of around a million inhabitants, a rain of Russian missiles nearly destroyed the local airport, causing an unknown number of casualties, local authorities said.

Gaiday said a missile strike on a railway station in the city of Kramatorsk on Friday, which killed 57 people, had left many afraid to flee. Russia has denied involvement in the strike.

He estimated just 20 to 25 per cent of the local population remained, with 'fewer and fewer' now evacuating.

Over the weekend, nearly 50 wounded and elderly patients were transported from the east in a hospital train by medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the first such evacuation since the attack on the Kramatorsk station.

Electrician Evhen Perepelytsia was evacuated after he lost his leg in shelling in his hometown of Hirske in Lugansk.

'We hope that the worst is over - that after what I've been through, it will be better,' said the 30-year-old after arrival in the western city of Lviv.

On Monday, the Chairman of the Board of Ukrainian Railways Alexander Kamyshin said another railway station in the east had been attacked overnight.

'They continue to aim at the railway infrastructure,' he wrote.

The World Bank warned Sunday that Ukraine's economy would collapse by 45.1 per cent this year - a much bleaker outlook than it predicted even a month ago - while Russia would see an 11.2 per cent decline in GDP.

Ukraine's allies have sought to pile pressure on Moscow over allegations its troops carried out war crimes in areas around Kyiv, and there has been little sign that intermittent peace talks are progressing.

The Pope has urged an Easter ceasefire, denouncing a war where 'defenceless civilians' suffered 'heinous massacres and atrocious cruelty.'

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Sunday accused the Kremlin and Russian media of laying the groundwork for war 'for many years'.

'Russian political elites and propaganda have been inciting hatred, dehumanising Ukrainians, nurturing Russian superiority and laying ground for these atrocities,' he tweeted.

But in an interview with NBC's 'Meet the Press', Kuleba said he was still open to negotiating with the Russians.

'If sitting down with the Russians will help me to prevent at least one massacre like in Bucha, or at least another attack like in Kramatorsk, I have to take that opportunity,' he said.

Bucha - where authorities say hundreds were killed, some with their hands bound - has become a byword for the brutality allegedly inflicted under Russian occupation.

But other villages, towns and roads on the northwest flank of Kyiv have their own tragedies.

An AFP reporter saw at least two corpses inside a manhole at a petrol station on a motorway outside Kyiv on Sunday, in a mix of civilian and military clothing.

A distraught woman peered in before breaking down, clawing at the earth and wailing: 'My little son.'

Meanwhile, Zelensky on Sunday night accused Russia of trying to evade responsibility for war crimes.

'When people lack the courage to admit their mistakes, apologise, adapt to reality and learn, they turn into monsters. And when the world ignores it, the monsters decide that it is the world that has to adapt to them. Ukraine will stop all this,' Mr Zelensky said.

'The day will come when they will have to admit everything. Accept the truth.'

He again called on Western countries, including Germany, to provide more assistance to Ukraine.
Boris Johnson voiced 'full confidence' in Rishi Sunak today as he signed off a sleaze probe into the Chancellor's tax affairs.

The PM has agreed that independent adviser Lord Geidt will look at whether the Chancellor properly declared financial interests.

Mr Sunak had asked for the peer - who previously cleared Mr Johnson over 'Wallpapergate' - to get involved saying his 'overriding concern' is to demonstrate he had behaved correctly.

A Downing Street spokeswoman insisted today that the premier still backs his Chancellor, but dodged giving a timetable for when the probe might be complete.

'I'm not aware of whether Lord Geidt himself has begun his work,' the spokeswoman said.

'But I can confirm that the Prime Minister has agreed to the request from the Chancellor for Lord Geidt to undertake this work.'

Mr Sunak tried to show he is getting on with the job today by visiting the Treasury's campus in Darlington.

But Tories have warned that his ambitions of becoming PM have been 'scuppered' by the revelations about his billionaire heiress wife Akshata Murty having non-dom status, and that he held a US green card while running the Treasury.

There has also been criticism that the Chancellor's response of launching an aggressive leak inquiry was 'petulant and naive'.

No10 has batted away calls for Mr Sunak to publish his tax returns, or for public disclosures about the tax status of other ministers - although they are meant to declare arrangements to senior civil servants.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid admitted over the weekend that he was a non-dom while working as a banker, before entering politics.

After Labour accused Mr Sunak of breaking the ministerial code, he released the text of a letter to Mr Johnson requesting Lord Geidt looks at the declarations and whether rules were followed.

Lord Geidt previously cleared Mr Johnson of wrongdoing over the 112,000 refurbishment of the Downing Street flat.

Some Conservatives believe that Mr Sunak might opt to walk away from politics rather than accept scrutiny of his family, but friends told the Daily Mail he was determined to carry on.

'Clearly it's been very damaging to him and the family are finding the scrutiny difficult,' a friend said.

Letft, Rishi Sunak's letter to the PM. Right, Mr Sunak and Akshata Murthy pictured together at the British Asian Trust at British Museum earlier this year

In a round of interviews this morning, Environment Secretary George Eustice repeatedly dodged giving any view of whether the tax arrangements were acceptable

Crisis-hit Rishi Sunak (pictured with wife Akshata) has ordered a hunt for the 'Red Throat' leaker of his wife's tax status as he moved his family out of his grace and favour Downing Street residence

An Opinium poll this weekend shows that approval for Mr Sunak now stands at just 28 per cent, while disapproval is 43 per cent

Removal vans arriving at the rear of Downing Street before heading to the front entrance to unload items from 11 Downing Street

The sense of chaos was enhanced further yesterday as removal vans were pictured outside No11. The Sunaks are moving to their luxury West London home, said to be a long-planned step as their elder daughter is heading to boarding school

Vans were seen taking some of the Sunaks' possessions from Downing Street yesterday

Labour confusion over whether it would abolish non-dom status Labour is still mired in confusion over whether it would abolish non-dom status. The party vowed to scrap the centuries-old provision - intended to attract wealthy people to the UK - under Jeremy Corbyn. After the row over Rishi Sunak's wife erupted last week, shadow business secretary Ed Miliband suggested that the last Labour government should have done away with non-doms. But shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper repeatedly dodged when pressed on the policy in interviews this morning. She told Sky News that shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves 'has a review under way'. 'We have previously proposed reforms in exactly this area,' she said. Advertisement

'But suggestions that he's going to walk away are wide of the mark. If there was something worse to come out it would be unsustainable, but he doesn't think there is.'

There was speculation about the Chancellor's future at the weekend after removal vans were pictured being loaded with furniture from his Downing Street flat.

An aide said Mr Sunak's wife and their daughters were temporarily relocating to their west London home in a 'pre-planned' move to leave them closer to their eldest daughter's school.

The Chancellor is expected to continue to 'live above the shop' on days when he is working late.

In a round of interviews this morning, Environment Secretary George Eustice repeatedly dodged giving any view of whether the tax arrangements were acceptable.

He stressed that he personally was not interested in non-dom status or a US green card.

Mr Eustice said the Chancellor was 'very clear that he's been very candid about his own arrangements at every stage'.

Asked about Rishi Sunak referring himself to Boris Johnson's independent adviser on ministerial interests, Mr Eustice told Sky News: 'Rishi Sunak and his wife have spoken for themselves on this. I'm not his accountant, I'm not responsible obviously for his tax affairs or those indeed of his wife.

'She gave a statement over the weekend, she's now made clear that although she hasn't done anything wrong, she's a citizen of India and grew up and was born in India, has some income from that, nevertheless she's changing her tax arrangements so that she would pay the tax on that income here in the UK.

'Rishi himself, there's been some speculation around that, he's written to the Prime Minister and asked the adviser on ministerial (standards) to look at this case. He's very clear that he's declared everything that should have been declared at the right time and there is a process here that you have as a minister.

'You declare all your interests to the permanent secretary in your department, and the Cabinet Office then decide which bits should be made public, which bits they should be aware of, there's a duty of candour in both directions and Rishi's very clear that he's been very candid about his own arrangements at every stage.'

Mr Eustice also warned that against creating a culture where people were 'too rich' to be a Chancellor or PM.

'I don't think it's right that we should have a rule that says you're too wealthy to be able to do a role  what matters is the knowledge, the technical expertise that you have,' he told the BBC.

He added: 'You can't walk a mile in everyone's shoes, all of us have different perspectives, different experiences in life and for any MP, let alone minister, the single most important thing is an ability to empathise (with) people who might have had experiences and challenges in their life, that you've personally not experienced.'

The investigation comes after Mr Sunak ordered an 'aggressive' leak inquiry to identify the person responsible for releasing details of his wife's financial affairs.

Senior officials will be grilled over the damaging leak to the Independent last week.

Allies of the Chancellor believe the information, to which few people were privy, was leaked by a Labour-supporting Whitehall mole.

'There's going to be a full Cabinet Office and HM Treasury investigation... Divulging the tax status of a private individual is a criminal offence,' a source said.

Policing minister Kit Malthouse yesterday acknowledged that the timing of the news about Ms Murty's non-dom status was 'not ideal' in a week when the Chancellor's controversial rise in national insurance was introduced for millions of working people and businesses.

Rishi Sunak's political opponents yesterday called on the White House to investigate why the Chancellor possessed a US green card until last October

Tax experts said the personal loans to Akshata Murty's venture capital firm, Catamaran Ventures UK, fall into a 'grey area' of the rules

Akshata Murthy, whose father is one of India 's richest men, faced scrutiny after it emerged she has kept non-dom status despite living in 11 Downing Street with Rishi Sunak and their children. They are pictured together last month

Mr Malthouse told the BBC the Chancellor had been a 'remarkable force for good', but that Mr Sunak's political future was of 'secondary importance' to what happened to the economy.

The Chancellor, a former hedge fund manager, was yesterday urged to reveal details of his own financial investments to remove suspicion of a conflict of interest.

He is one of several ministers to have put his investments in a so-called blind trust, which is managed by someone else on his behalf while he remains in government.

But critics say the system is unsatisfactory because ministers still have a good idea what investments they hold and could take decisions to benefit them.

Former minister David Davis suggested investments should be listed 'in the public domain'.

Mr Sunak also faces claims made by the Independent that his name appears as a beneficiary of tax haven trusts set up in the British Virgin isles and the Cayman Islands.

The newspaper claimed to have seen documents 'linked to Ms Murty, her family and companies linked to their businesses... In a number of them, Mr Sunak was listed as a beneficiary.'

A Treasury source said that neither Mr Sunak, his wife nor her family were aware of any trusts naming him as a beneficiary.

Mr Sunak is also facing questions about his decision to keep his US green card until October last year  more than 18 months after becoming Chancellor.

The decision meant he had to file American tax returns and was classed as a 'permanent resident' of the US, where he worked for a decade before entering politics.

The White House was challenged over the weekend about how the Chancellor had been allowed to maintain a status that is not available to people 'employed by a foreign government'.

Indian-born Ms Murty has a 713million stake in the Bangalore-based IT giant Infosys, which was founded by her father.

Last week it emerged she applied to pay tax on a 'remittance basis', which allows non-doms to avoid UK tax on foreign earnings in return for a 30,000 annual fee.

On Friday Ms Murty announced she would start paying UK tax on her global earnings, although she will remain a non-dom.

But she faced fresh scrutiny yesterday after the Mail on Sunday revealed she has given more than 4million in interest-free loans to her British venture capital firm Catamaran Ventures UK.

A spokesman for Ms Murty said she had 'followed the letter of the law'.

This is the extraordinary web of homes and businesses with links to Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata, a heiress to a billion dollar fortune
The teen accused of killing a 16-year-old girl used a 'ghost gun' to fire a fatal stray bullet during a street dispute that hit her as she walked home from school in New York City.

Straight-A student Angellyh Yambo was leaving University Prep Charter High School in the Bronx on Friday when a total of six rounds were fired.

Jeremiah Ryan, 17, was arraigned on Saturday on charges including murder and attempted murder and mouthed 'I love you' to his mom as he left court.

The suspect, who has no criminal record, was ordered held without bail pending a court appearance today.

It comes as the Biden administration is set to release long-awaited rule changes for the sale of 'ghost guns' under growing pressure to crack down on a nationwide spike in the use of the deadly weapons.

Jeremiah Ryan (pictured), 17, was arraigned on Saturday on charges including murder and attempted murder and mouthed 'I love you' to his mom as he left court

Straight-A student Angellyh Yambo was leaving University Prep Charter High School in the Bronx on Friday when a total of six rounds were fired (pictured in 2020)

Police had said the gunfire appeared to start after Ryan and another person were gesturing at each other across an intersection.

Another 16-year-old girl was hit in the leg and a 17-year-old boy was wounded in the buttocks. Both are expected to survive.

The teen was reportedly identified and tracked down to his Bronx apartment early on Saturday by investigators who scoured hours of surveillance video from the scene.

When cops arrived at the suspect's apartment, sources said lawmen reportedly witnessed the teen throw a bag containing a ghost gun - a homemade firearm that can be built with parts bought online and lacks a serial number used to trace it - out of his window.

At a news briefing on Saturday, Deputy Police Chief Timothy McCormack expressed dismay over the circumstances of the case.

'We have two families that are completely destroyed right now - our victim's family and our shooter's family,' McCormack said.

The suspect (above), who has no criminal record, was ordered held without bail pending a court appearance today

The child's mother, Yamely Henriquez (pictured left), 41, mourned the loss of her only daughter on Saturday, saying 'My baby was an innocent bystander.'

Biden's new regulations The Biden administration is set to release long-awaited rule changes for the sale of 'ghost guns' under growing pressure to crack down on a nationwide spike in the use of the deadly weapons. The new rules, which could be unveiled as soon as Monday, are designed to get privately made firearms without serial numbers off the streets, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Advertisement

He described the suspect's mother as 'a hard-working woman' whose child had 'zero police contact' before his arrest.

The child's mother, Yamely Henriquez, 41, mourned the loss of her only daughter on Saturday, saying 'My baby was an innocent bystander.'

'She was walking home from school,' Henriquez said. 'She was a good student, a good girl. She wasnt in the streets. Our kids arent even safe walking from a place where they get their education.'

The mourning mom added that the family had just celebrated Yambos 16th birthday days ago.

'My baby was everything to me,' she said of the killing. 'Im devastated, Im broken. Half of me is gone,' said Henriquez, who also has two sons.

'Where are they getting these guns?' an anguished Henriquez, who also urged city officials to 'stop this violence,' lamented.

The shooting in the Bronx was the latest episode of headline-grabbing violence in the city amid a surge in crime during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The incident is the latest in a string of shootings in the currently crime-ridden Big Apple

NYC crime is up almost 50 percent compared to last year and shooting victims have risen 14.5 percent (the scene was roped off with caution tape)

NYC crime is up almost 50 percent compared to last year and shooting victims have risen 14.5 percent.

Mayor Eric Adams has made fighting crime a priority since taking office on January 1.

Homicides are down slightly from this time last year, but gun violence overall remains at levels not seen in a decade.

New York City saw shootings drop to modern-era lows from 2012 to 2019, but that progress was partly erased during the pandemic and social unrest of the past two years.

Violence still remains at levels far below the city's nadir in the 1990s or even in the decade after the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
North Korea has praised Kim Jong Ung's leadership in a celebration marking 10 years in charge of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

New exhibitions and portraits were unveiled in the national meeting on Monday, which applauded the North Korean dictator in his development of nuclear weapons and his political achievements.

Kim is considered to have assumed power when he was named supreme commander of the military after his father, Kim Jong Il, died in December 2011, but he was elected as the top party and state leader on 11 April 2012.

The Kim family has ruled the one-party state for its entire history.

In a speech at a national meeting on Sunday, Choe Ryong Hae, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and one of the most senior officials under Kim, praised the North Korean leader as 'a gifted thinker and theoretician, outstanding statesman and peerlessly great commander'.

Mr Ryong Hae called Kim 'a peerless patriot and a great defender of peace' for making North Korea 'a full-fledged military power equipped with all powerful physical means of self-defence'.

He added that despite facing unprecedented difficulties, Kim had opened up a 'new era for North Korea' as a 'powerful socialist nation' prospering and developing with 'self-sustenance and self-reliance'.

North Korea has praised Kim Jong Ung's leadership and development of nuclear weapons in a national meeting celebration (pictured) marking 10 years in charge of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea

The events started a week of commemorations that will also include the 110-year anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder and Kim Jong Un's grandfather, on Friday.

Commercial satellite imagery has shown North Korean troops practicing for a military parade that could be held this week.

Analysts also say there are signs that North Korea could display its intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), a long-range weapon used to deliver warheads to distant targets, at the event.

Last month North Korea set alarm bells ringing in Seoul, Tokyo and Washington by conducting a full ICBM test for the first time since 2017, ending a self-imposed moratorium on such tests.

New construction has been spotted at North Korea's nuclear test site, raising concerns that it could soon explode a weapon for the first time since 2017.

In a speech at a national meeting on Sunday, Choe Ryong Hae, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and one of the most senior officials under Kim (pictured together in 2017), praised the North Korean leader as 'a gifted thinker and theoretician, outstanding statesman and peerlessly great commander'

Last week North Korea said it opposes war but will not hesitate to use its nuclear weapons if it is attacked by South Korea.

Under Kim North Korea conducted four of its six nuclear tests, and developed massive ICBMs which analysts believe may be capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

Kim has vowed to improve residents' lives and tried to boost North Korea's economy, but it suffered major contractions in recent years as it was battered by international sanctions, COVID-19 lockdown measures and bad weather.

UN agencies have warned of possible humanitarian crises.

State media unveiled a rare new official portrait of Kim on Sunday, and reported that a Pyongyang museum had opened a new exhibition to showcase the achievements of his 'immortal leadership'.

'Ten years is a fine time for Kim to try and boost his cult of personality even higher,' Colin Zwirko, an analytical correspondent with NK News, which monitors North Korea, said on Twitter.
A man who killed a 19-year-old woman he met while on a night out only metres from her home is being deported back to the UK as a free man after being released from prison last month.

James Duggan, believed to be 36, was convicted in 2006 of murdering Rebecca Ryle after meeting her at a pub in Perth, Australia when he was a teenager.

Duggan, who emigrated to Australia from Liverpool, offered to walk Rebecca home on May 5, 2004, and then strangled her for more than three minutes in a park just by her house.

Duggan, now in his 30s, left his victim's half-naked body in a field adjacent to a classroom about 50 metres away from her home, which was found by police a few hours later.

During the court case, Western Australian Supreme Court, Justice Lindy Jenkins described the crime as 'bizarre' when she jailed him for a minimum of 11 years and six months.

Justice Jenkins said the murder was every parent's worst nightmare, adding Rebecca had died 'alone and degraded'.

Duggan never fully explained why he killed her.

James Duggan is set to return to the UK after serving 16 years in prison in Australia for strangling Rebecca Ryle to death after a night out in 2004

Rebecca Ryle, originally from Bolton, was killed when she was 19 just a short distance away from her family home in Perth

Rebecca only had a short walk home (pictured), which James Duggan offered to accompany her on

James Duggan (pictured) surrounded by police after his arrest in 2004

Rebecca's parents Francis and Marie (pictured) have never been given a reason by their daughter's killer for his actions

Before moving to Australia Rebeccas parents, Falkland war vet Francis and GP receptionist Marie, were optimistic, having swapped Bolton for the sunny coast of Perth.

A Murder Without Motive: The Killing of Rebecca Ryle Martin McKenzie-Murray's book about the murder Australian journalist Martin McKenzie-Murray wrote a book looking at the 'suburban male psyche' of James Duggan. As a local to the area, the murder was of interest to Martin and gave him insight into the environment Duggan was living in. Martin described Duggan as someone who 'stole money and drugs from those around him' He said before the murder Duggan lived with his friend Gareth and Gareths mum. He hadnt worked in six months and he was into anti-social past-times such as graffiti, binge drinking and sly theft. The reporter's brother also knew Duggan personally and had for years. He said his brother 'Had shared smokes and stubbies with him. Had resented him, feared him, punched him to the ground.' Advertisement

Rebecca, who was hoping to take a nursing course at the local university in the future as she volunteered at a hospice back in the UK, had been feeling homesick before she died.

One Wednesday when she went to the local pub, the Boat, she met friend of a friend James Duggan, who was also 19 and also born in England.

When walking her home they went into the park across the road from Rebeccas house, where he strangled her.

After, Duggan went to a petrol station where he bought some food and an adult magazine while waiting for a taxi.

In the two years between the murder and his trial, Duggan never explained his actions beyond the phrase 'I dont know'.

A parole board in Australia reviewed Duggan's case on November 19, 2019 and the Attorney General decided not to release him due to his behaviour in prison, a return to substance abuse and offending.

He said: 'Given the serious nature of the offence, Mr Duggan's poor prison behaviour, uncertainty around the level of professional support that he would receive in England, lack of acknowledgement of wrongdoing and apparent lack of remorse, I am not convinced Mr Duggan's release to parole is appropriate at this time.'

The board reviewed Duggan's case again in September 2021 and the Attorney General recommended his release from prison, along with two years on parole.

The new case included a psychological report, dated June 23 2021, where a senior forensic psychologist said Duggan had 'engaged in a considerable amount of treatment' and identified him as having a 'moderate risk of violent reoffending'.

A report from the community corrections officer dated July 19, 2021, said Duggan 'imparted remorse and regret towards the offence as well as acknowledging the victim'.

Duggan was released from prison on March 11, 2022, almost 18 years after he strangled Rebecca to death.

As part of his parole Duggan must have no direct or indirect contact with Rebecca's family, be deported back to the UK from Australia, and to comply with any and all directions and restrictions now or in the future, made, issued or imposed by the Federal Government or Government of Western Australia.

Following the announcement, Rebecca's family have slammed the Attorney General's ruling to let Duggan out of prison.

A psychologist said Duggan had 'engaged in a considerable amount of treatment' but identified him as having a 'moderate risk of violent reoffending'

On the night she died, Rebecca had met friends at a local pub and was introduced to Duggan for the first time, who offered to walk her home

Rebecca's death 'utterly shattered' the family according to her brother Andy, who said Duggan 'stole a life' and should not be allowed to start again

Her brother, Andy, told The Liverpool Echo: 'It's not an exaggeration to say that the loss of Rebecca destroyed our family. Our lives were utterly shattered, where so much happiness had once been.

'We had come to Australia to start a new life, and within six months, it had been completely decimated. It had really gone from our dream life to a nightmare.

'There's no way of knowing the extent of the damage that the trauma has caused us and still continues to do so. The kind of effects that such a heinous and destructive crime has on your mental health is often overwhelming - especially when it's clear that the person responsible continues to show no remorse or motive, nearly 20 years after the fact.'

When asked about how they felt hearing Duggan was released from prison, Andy said: 'Anger. Sadness. Anxiety. Fury. The worst emotions possible really, and all the energy that has to be spent going through them. I find some small comfort in knowing this man will never set foot in Australia ever again, and my parents can rest easy knowing that they'll never have to bump into him in the street.

'However, I find it horrific that the alternative is that the British public is subjected to him, and that he can start afresh. I hope that by writing this, at least some people are made aware that this monster will be around.. He doesn't deserve the opportunity to start again. He stole a life.'

Duggan is currently in an immigration detention centre in Australia, awaiting deportation back to the UK.
The MoD has been buying thousands of doses of a 'smart drug' that could keep soldiers awake in combat for 40 hours straight.

In response to a MailOnline Freedom of Information probe, the MoD admitted to having bought more than 12,500 pills of modafinil from 2013 to 2021, at an estimated cost of up to 800,000 based on drug prices published by NICE.

Modafinil, a stimulant prescribed to stop narcoleptics falling asleep during the day, has a similar effect to 'drinking 20 cups of coffee', according to one doctor.

Unlike caffeine, which can leave coffee-drinkers with jitteriness, modafinil has few short-term effects on users, although long-term use of the 'smart drug' can cause arrhythmia, high blood pressure and a weakening of the immune system.

The controversial psychostimulant has rocketed in popularity over the last two decades, with growing numbers of students and high-flying businesspeople seeking to buy modafinil illegally to boost their productivity.

The MoD has been buying thousands of doses of modafinil, a 'smart drug' that could keep soldiers awake in combat for 40 hours straight, with 12,500 pills bought since 2013

Modafinil, a stimulant prescribed to stop narcoleptics falling asleep during the day, has a similar effect to 'drinking 20 cups of coffee', according to Dr Judith Leech, Medical Director at the West Ottawa Sleep Center in Canada

Modafinil is rumoured to have been the inspiration for the fictional wonder drug taken by Bradley Cooper's character in the 2011 film Limitless, which allowed him to use 100 percent of his brain and tap into superhuman abilities.

Non-prescription sale of modafinil was banned in the UK in 2016, and the tablets are only available with a prescription for diagnosed cases of narcolepsy and other chronic sleep disorders.

Yet reports suggest university campuses are awash with such mind-altering substances, with 29 percent of students admitting to having experimented with smart drugs of one kind or another, according to a 2019 survey by student newspaper The Tab.

How does modafinil work? Modafinil, sold under the brand name Provigil, is a central nervous system stimulant. The mechanism through which the drug operates is not fully understood, although it is known to impact on the hypothalamus, a gland in the brain that controls hormones. Modafinil makes chemical messengers, like adenosine and monoamines, more available in the spaces between brain cells. That reduces sleepiness, with the drug also being linked with improvements in decision-making, flexibility, learning, memory and even creativity. Side-effects of the drug can include agitation, anxiety, arrhythmia, nausea and vomiting. Modafinil can also interfere with contraceptive pills and can increase the risk of congenital malformations when taken during pregnancy. Advertisement

Although illegal, modafinil is still available online to pill junkies looking for a productivity boost - often from foreign-based distributors.

In a report for New York Magazine, an analyst and trader on Wall Street, named Peter Borden, vividly described the 'freaky sensation' he got after popping modafinil to ratchet up his work performance.

He said: 'I sensed it was blood actually moving to the optic nerve.

'Your eyes start to feel very sort of engorged, and your awareness comes to the front of your face.

'My senses sort of shifted to the visual, and my auditory sense went down.

'Sounds didnt even register.

'It was like walking around on a winter day when it just snowed.

'It was very easy to stay visually focused.

'I didnt take as many breaks; I didnt get as frustrated; the stuff came out with fewer errors', Mr Borden said.

The US military have long been interested in using pharmaceuticals to prevent sleepy soldiers from making blunders on the battlefield, with an early documented experiment on helicopter pilots using Dexedrine, an ADHD drug, carried out in 1995.

The findings, published in the journal Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, found after 34 hours without sleep the military pilots could perform complicated manoeuvres in a simulator with 'no adverse behavioural or physiological effects'.

A US study published in 2012 gave Black Hawk helicopter operators modafinil as they carried out a series of flights and other evaluations over a 40-hour period without sleep, concluding that the pills allowed the pilots to better 'maintain alertness' and 'cognitive function' throughout the ordeal.

'It's just one of these misuses, in my view, of a medical application', said Dr Judith Leech, Medical Director at the West Ottawa Sleep Center in Canada.

Speaking to The Ottawa Citizen about the use of modafinil in the military, the doctor continued: 'You could probably get the same thing with 20 cups of coffee, but you wouldn't like it.'

Modafinil is rumoured to have been the inspiration for the fictional wonder drug taken by Bradley Cooper's character in the 2011 film Limitless (pictured), which allowed him to use 100 percent of his brain and tap into superhuman abilities

'Stay-awake' pills ordered by the MoD since 2013 Year Modafinil tablets bought by the MoD 2013 750 2014 900 2015 1800 2016 1770 2017 1710 2018 600 2019 2100 2020 2010 2021 870 TOTAL 12,510

Dr Judith Leech (pictured), Medical Director at the West Ottawa Sleep Center in Canada, said: 'Sleep helps the brain store memories and recuperate from work, and helps the body build its immune system'

'...What I use in somebody whose life is totally impaired by a brain chemistry disorder is different from what I think you should use in an army person or other healthy people.

'It's bad to use drugs for bad reasons. There's a reason why we get sleepy.

'Sleep helps the brain store memories and recuperate from work, and helps the body build its immune system.

'And you deprive yourself of those things if you use a stimulant to overcome it.'

An investigation by the Guardian published in 2004 found purchases of Provigil, a brand name of modafinil, started in 1998 and peaked at 5,000 pills delivered in 2001 - the year allied forces entered Afghanistan.

The second largest order, for more than 4,000 pills, came in 2002, when troops entered Iraq.
United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday claimed that Russian authorities "planned" war crimes in Ukraine, including attacks on civilians, as part of President Vladimir Putin's grand scheme for the invasion.

During an interview, Sullivan said that the American federal government had already declassified intelligence and presented it before the war began. The official said that there were indications of a plan from Russia's highest levels of government to target civilians who opposed the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's "Planned" War Crimes

Sullivan noted that these plans include causing violence against civilians and organizing efforts to brutalize them in an attempt to try to terrorize the population and subjugate it. The national security adviser said that the horrifying acts were planned by Russia's top authorities.

Recently, Russian troops have begun retreating from areas near Kyiv, leaving behind massive evidence of atrocities, especially in Bucha where dead civilians were left on the streets. Ukrainian authorities believe the victims were executed, with many of them having their hands tied behind their backs, as per Politico.

While Sullivan said that he thinks some Russian soldiers committed war crimes even without orders from top authorities, the horrifying actions were planned from the start. The national security adviser was also asked whether the actions amounted to genocide as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested.

Read Also: White House Confirms Ukraine Is Beating, Pushing Russia Back; Ambassador Warns About Dangerous US Provocation

The American official noted that the State Department usually made that legal determination after an investigation and legal analysis. However, Sullivan said that setting aside legalities, everyone around the world knew that Russians committed mass atrocities.

According to ABC News, in one of the latest incidents in Ukraine, at least 52 people, including five children, were killed after a missile strike at a train station in the eastern part of the country. Photographs of the scene showed dead bodies strewn across luggage while authorities said hundreds of other people were left injured.

Massacre in Ukraine

The American official's remarks come as forensic teams uncover the true depth of the massacre left behind by Russian military forces in Bucha, Ukraine. The team of forensic investigators on Friday arrived in Bucha after traveling from Kyiv. They began documenting the terror that was inflicted on civilians in the area.

All of the victims that the team uncovered were believed to have died violent deaths with one man missing a large portion of his skull. Another individual was so badly burned that only his head and half of his torso remained intact. One civilian victim discovered by the team appeared to have been beheaded.

The lead investigator knelt over each new cadaver that was laid in front of him and softly murmured an inventory. At that time, one of his colleagues wrote it down. They checked inside the decaying mouths of the victims, the range of motion of broken limbs, and documented burns, bullet wounds, and injuries caused by shrapnel.

The forensic investigators did their jobs before volunteers from the town helped place each corpse into a fresh body bag. The pink and blue gloves were soon covered with the red color of blood. Workers plunged their hands into the meter-high pile of dirt taken out of the grave so far, rubbing clumps of it between their palms to restore their grip, The Guardian reported.



Related Article: Johnson Meets With Zelensky in Kyiv, Pledges Support for Ukraine's Fight Against Russian Invasion

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Labor has vowed to restore telehealth psychiatric consultations for people living in regional and rural Australia, while portraying Prime Minister Scott Morrison as a danger to Medicare.

Health is shaping up to be one of the major battlegrounds in the federal election, which will be held on May 21.

'Scott Morrison's cuts to regional mental health consultations during a pandemic which has seen people struggling with mental health issues are unconscionable,' Labor leader Anthony Albanese said on Monday night.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese (pictured) reacts as he speaks with nurses in Tasmania on Monday, April 11, 2022

Labor has vowed to restore telehealth psychiatric consultations for people living in regional and rural Australia. Pictured is a stock image of a telehealth consultation

Telehealth consultations were greatly expanded due to the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, allowing patients in rural and regional areas to get regular, bulk-billed phone or video sessions.

On December 13, the Department of Health announced $106million to make telehealth a permanent fixture of primary healthcare.

But just three days later, 27 items were amended and 128 scrapped, including video psychiatric consultations through GP referrals.

Then on January 1, the federal government removed a 50 per cent loading for some rural psychiatric services, meaning many providers were no longer able to bulk-bill their services.

'Labor will restore these vital mental health services, making them affordable and accessible to people wherever they live,' said Mr Albanese.

Labor said the Coalition government's cuts had affected patients in regional areas throughout Australia.

'It has resulted in significant gap fees for psychiatric consultations delivered through videoconferencing to patients living in the regions.

'It has also seen some psychiatrists withdrawing these services altogether,' a statement from Mr Albanese and Labor's health spokesman Mark Butler said.

Labor has said that Prime Minister Scott Morrison is a threat to Medicare. Pictured is a Medicare card

They added that Mr Morrison's 'cuts to Medicare bulk billing for psychiatric telehealth shows how his policies are hurting people in regional and rural Australia'.

Labor understands the importance of mental health care for Australians, regardless of where they live,' the statement said.

'We will restore a 50 per cent regional loading to telehealth psychiatric consultations, meaning people in the regions will once again be able to have affordable bulk billed telehealth mental health consultations.'

Labor said reinstating Medicare support for telehealth mental health consultations is expected to support 450,000 consultations over the next four years if it wins the election.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) is a threat to Medicare, the Labor Party said

This investment in Medicare is expected to cost $31.3million.

'Labor built Medicare  and only an Albanese Labor government will strengthen Medicare, by making it easier to see a doctor,' the statement said.

The Liberal Party has been contacted by Daily Mail Australia seeking comment on this story.
A convoy of cars waving Russian flags marked with the pro-war Z symbol has been spotted in Ireland, with the Ukrainian embassy slamming the 'disgusting disrespect' against the 'Irish people who stand against Russia's war on Ukraine'.

Pro-Russia protesters rallied on Irish roads over the weekend, with a line of cars spotted on the M50, in Dublin, Ireland's busiest motorway, with huge Russian flags waving from the windows.

Some of the cars had various other flags on display, with others having the letter 'Z' written across the windows.

Pro-Putin politicians, activists, and influencers have been spotted wearing clothes and badges with the letter 'Z' on to show their support for the invasion of Ukraine.

The insignia, which is Latin script, has been seen on Russian tanks and military vehicles coming into Ukraine and become a symbol of the invasion.

The Embassy for Ukraine in Ireland slammed the pro-Russian move on Twitter, writing: 'Its absolutely disgusting that these Russians living in Ireland demonstrate their complete disrespect for country of residence and the Irish people who stand against Russias war in Ukraine.

'Z, the symbol of killings & atrocities, must be prohibited by law in every democratic state.'

It is understood that the fleet of vehicles started the organised rally from Maldron Hotel at Dublin Airport on Sunday afternoon.

Some of the cars were spotted flying the Irish tricolour alongside the Russian insignia, with users condemning the two being put side by side.

Laura Jayne Halton said: 'Despicable. These fools don't deserve to live on Irish soil.'

Cathal Kavanagh replied to the Embassy's tweet: 'They fly the tricolour in unison with the flag that conducts genocide in Ukraine. Get tf***.'

Another said: 'Absolutely disgusting to see our tricolour displayed with the 'Z' symbol.

'What a pathetic limp show of force by Putins Puppets. The Irish People have shown who they stand beside Slava Ukraini!'

Gill Berry added: 'No Irish flag should be flying here. This is a horrendous act.'

A convoy of cars waving Russian flags marked with the pro-war Z symbol have been spotted in Ireland, with the Ukrainian embassy slamming the 'disgusting disrespect' against the 'Irish people who stand against Russia's war on Ukraine'. The Embassy for Ukraine in Ireland slammed the pro-Russian move on Twitter

A similar rally also took place in Germany on Sunday, with the country's significant Russian-speaking population demanding an end to the discrimination it says it has suffered since war began in Ukraine.

Approximately 600 demonstrators staged a car convoy in the northern city of Hanover following an appeal by the Russian-speaking community, local police told AFP, while 200 people took part in a rally in Osnabruck, northwest Germany.

A counter-demonstration in the city under the banner 'Support Ukraine!' attracted 3,500 people, according to police.

Protests were also held on Saturday in Stuttgart and in the northern city of Lubeck, where around 150 people took part.

Lubeck police said they had stopped a convoy of around 60 vehicles because it broke the law by expressing support for 'Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine' and using 'banned symbols'.

Authorities fear the protests could be used to promote Moscow's war narrative and import the conflict into Germany.

It is understood that the fleet of vehicles started the organised rally from Maldron Hotel at Dublin Airport on Sunday afternoon. Some of the cars were spotted flying the Irish tricolour alongside the Russian insignia, with users condemning the two being put side by side

Pro-Russia protesters rallied on Irish roads over the weekend, with a line of cars spotted on the M50, in Dublin, Ireland's busiest motorway, with huge Russian flags waving from the windows (pictured)

Police have recorded 383 anti-Russian offences and 181 anti-Ukrainian offences since the Kremlin's invasion started on February 24.

Around 800 people descended on financial hub Frankfurt Sunday, police said, amid a sea of Russian flags to protest 'against hatred and harassment'. There was a heavy police presence.

The protesters were outnumbered by 2,500 people taking part in a counter-demonstration in support of Ukraine.

'I came here because I support peace,' Ozan Yilmaz, 24, a pro-Russian protester said.

'Children are beaten at school because they speak Russian, that's not acceptable.'

Sebastian, 25, was also in the pro-Russia crowd. He said: 'The war didn't start this year. It has been going on since 2014 and so I find that speaking of an attack against Ukraine by Russia is not really appropriate.'

Police threw up a large cordon to separate the protesters - marching behind a banner that read 'Truth and diversity of opinion over PROPAGANDA' - from a pro-Ukraine counter-demonstration near the city's central banking district.

Germany is home to 1.2 million people of Russian origin and 325,000 from Ukraine.

Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, strongly opposed the green light given by German authorities to the protests, describing it as a 'huge shame' for the country.

Some of the cars in the demonstration carried both Russian and German flags in what has been described as a 'parade of shame'

In Hanover, approximately 350 cars took part in a pro-Russian demonstration, with other demonstrations taking place in Frankfurt and Berlin

Melnyk also said it was a 'declaration of failure' for the government's policy, which he viewed as ambivalent towards Moscow.

Attacks on the Russian community in Germany have spiked since the start of the war in Ukraine.

But the demos have sparked a backlash, with many interpreting them as a show of support for Russia's military aggression in Ukraine.

Christian Freier, 40, has been sent hundreds of death threats a day since helping to organise a 400-strong vehicle convoy in Berlin two weeks ago, along with images of burnt and mutilated corpses.

The website of his car repair shop was hacked and his online ratings have plummeted.

'My life is hell,' said Freier, who has both Russian and German citizenship.

The demonstration was largely peaceful and apolitical, though one woman was arrested for displaying the letter 'Z', a symbol of support for the Russian army and now banned in Berlin.

'My aim was only to protest against the daily aggression suffered by Russians in Germany,' Freier said, declining to answer any questions about the conflict itself.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, 383 anti-Russian and 181 anti-Ukrainian crimes have been officially reported to German police.

Germany is home to around 1.2 million Russians and 325,000 Ukrainians, plus more than 316,000 who have arrived as refugees since the start of the conflict.

'All war is awful and can never be justified,' said Rene Hermann, 50, who also helped to organise the Berlin convoy.

Hermann said he has 'no position' on the Ukraine conflict, but also runs a TikTok page with thousands of subscribers, which was recently suspended after repeatedly spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda, including allegations that Kyiv had staged a massacre 'to manipulate Western thinking'.

'The motives for taking part in these demonstrations are very diverse,' said Jochen Toepfer, a sociologist at the Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg and an expert on Russian society.

'They were organised as demonstrations against discrimination in Germany. But there were certainly also fans of Putin, as well as people who don't necessarily like Putin but don't want to see their country discredited, despite the war,' he said.

Though it was billed as apolitical, the Berlin demo provoked a wave of indignation in Germany, with the Bild daily calling it a 'parade of shame'.
A luxury wedding organiser and her husband fear being left 'totally homeless' after losing a four-year court fight with a multimillionaire medicinal cannabis tycoon nicknamed 'Dr Pot'.

Alo Brake and husband Andrew transformed sprawling West Axnoller Farm in Dorset from a derelict site to a sought-after 7m wedding venue, where actor Sean Bean married his fifth wife, Ashley Moore.

But the financial crisis in 2008 sparked a downturn in their fortunes, resulting eventually in the farm being sold to a company run by cannabis entrepreneur Dr Geoffrey Guy, 57.

Nicknamed 'Dr Pot', Dr Guy made his fortune after founding GW pharmaceuticals, which is known for its multiple sclerosis treatment derived from the cannabis plant.

Initially, the Brakes continued to work for him in the wedding business after his 2017 purchase, living in the farm's 'jewel in the crown' Axnoller House or in a nearby cottage when an event was taking place.

But they later fell out with the cannabis tycoon and in November 2018 were fired and told to get out of the house.

The row resulted in a mammoth court battle, racking up dozens of hearings before judges and ultimately resulting in the Brakes being ordered out of Axnoller House by the Court of Appeal last week.

Alo Brake and her husband Andrew arrive at the Court of Appeal in London during their four-year battle over the possession of Axnoller House

Lord Justice Arnold rejected an application to appeal an earlier decision of the High Court, leaving the couple facing eviction before the end of the month.

Addressing the judge after the ruling, Mrs Brake, 56, - a former City bond dealer - said she feared the decision would leave the family 'totally homeless' because their assets remain frozen due to the legal row and they will struggle to rent because they own a dog.

But for Dr Guy's company, barrister Niraj Modha said the Brakes had effectively been 'trespassing' on the farm for more than three years, costing the tycoon about 320,000 in lost revenue.

Dr Geoffrey Guy, dubbed 'Dr Pot', bought the couple's 7m wedding venue in 2017 and issued an eviction notice a year later

According to Judge Paul Matthews in a ruling in the battle earlier this year, Mrs Brake had bought the picturesque farm, near Beaminster, Dorset, in September 2004.

At the time it was derelict, but with the help of her husband, 57, she transformed it into a holiday letting business and high-class wedding venue, with adjoining horse 'arena.'

However, the credit crunch of 2008 forced the couple into looking for outside investment, leading them to form a partnership with a businesswoman in 2010 and contribute the farm as their stake.

The partnership ultimately failed and the farm was in 2015 sold by receivers to another company, a corporate vehicle for Mrs Brake's friend, The Hon Saffron Foster, daughter of the third Lord Vestey.

The farm was then sold again in July 2017, passing to Dr Guy's company, The Chedington Court Estate Ltd, for more than 7 million.

Initially, Mrs Brake continued running the wedding and accommodation business, but the relationship between the parties 'broke down' and the Brakes were both sacked and told to leave in November 2018.

The couple claimed they should be allowed to live in Axnoller House, described as the 'jewel in the crown' of the property and they had been given assurances they would be allowed to stay

But they refused, claiming they had a right to stay there because Mr Brake was an agricultural tenant and relying on alleged promises that they would be allowed to stay on.

In evidence, the couple said that Mrs Foster had bought the farm as a means to ensure they kept their home and made 'assurances' in 2015 they would not have to leave.

'Saffron has told us that her main aim was to protect us and allow us to continue living as we always had done at the farm,' said Mr Brake in his evidence. 'I regard her as one of the most honourable people that I have met.'

The couple claimed that when the property was then sold to Dr Guy's company in 2017, assurances had been made to the effect that he would not evict them for at least five years and not without paying enough compensation to allow them to find a new property.

At the High Court in February, Judge Matthews ruled that Mr Brake was not an agricultural tenant because the farmland he tended was simply a 'stage set' for the wedding business.

There had also never been an assurance that they could stay on, neither by Mrs Foster nor Dr Guy.

In buying the farm through her company, Mrs Foster had in fact been a 'nominee' for Mrs Brake, having effectively 'lent her name' for the purpose of the purchase, the judge found.

Negotiations for the sale to Dr Guy's company had been conducted almost exclusively by Mrs Brake and the Brakes had taken about 3m from the proceeds of sale, he said.

'In my judgment, taking into account not only these points but all the evidence, it is clear beyond doubt that the 2015 assurances were never given,' he said.

'For the avoidance of doubt, I make clear that this conclusion covers not only the house, but also the arena, and indeed the rest of the farm.'

During discussions about buying it, Dr Guy had simply been told that the couple sometimes stayed at Axnoller House when weddings were not taking place as a 'perk' of their employment.

The venue has hosted many weddings, including that of actor Sean Bean, pictured here on the day of marriage to wife Ashley

'I find that there was no discussion of the Brakes being entitled to occupy Axnoller House or the arena,' he continued.

'An astute businessman such as Dr Guy would have noticed immediately if there had been.

'I conclude as a fact that no such promise was ever made, whether on any particular occasion, or taking the relevant events together and looking at them as a whole.

'Nor did Dr Guy do or say anything which could reasonably have created in the Brakes an expectation equivalent to such a promise.'

Instead, what happened was that Dr Guy had been content for the couple to continue to sometimes use the house and to keep their horses in the arena on a non-exclusive basis.

Appealing against the judge's ruling last week, Mrs Brake - who represented the couple herself - argued that he had made several errors in deciding the legal argument in the case.

He had taken too narrow a definition of agriculture when deciding that Mr Brake was not an agricultural tenant of the farm, she claimed.

Additionally, there had been 'procedural unfairness' in the High Court trial which resulted in the finding that Mrs Foster had been acting as her 'nominee' when purchasing the farm in 2015.

Mrs Brake claimed at a previous court hearing that Dr Guy had threatened to kill her horses (pictured), something that was disputed by his lawyers

But giving judgment, Lord Justice Arnold said none of Mrs Brake's arguments had any hope of overturning Judge Matthews' decisions.

'None of the individual grounds have a reasonable prospect of success,' he said, rejecting their appeal application and allowing an eviction notice to take effect from April 21.

Mrs Brake said she feared the decision could leave them homeless, since their assets are frozen and the fact they have a dog puts them 'at the back of the queue' when looking for a rental property.

A dispute between the Brakes and Dr Guy's company over possession of a cottage close to the farm, where the couple had stayed during events but is now in Chedington Court's hands, is set to be decided by the Court of Appeal at a later date.

The couple claim they were wrongly evicted from the cottage and have been given permission to argue their case in a full appeal.
An ex-nursing home administrator who accused former President of the United States Bill Clinton of raping her in 1978 has had her Twitter account locked for violating the platform's policy relating to Covid information.

Juanita Broaddrick, 79, published a tweet on April 9 which called into question the effectiveness of vaccines and argued they are 'DNA-altering' jabs being pushed so pharmaceutical companies can make big profits.

Her account was subsequently locked by Twitter for 'violating the policy on spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19', according to an email she received from the platform and shared with Fox News.

There is no credible evidence that Covid vaccines can alter a person's DNA, and the jabs are credited with giving millions of people extra protection from the virus which has likely saved millions of lives.

But pharmaceutical companies have been accused of not sharing the development process for their vaccines, which would enable companies in poorer countries to produce cheaper versions of them

Pfizer made nearly $37bn in sales from its vaccine last year, meaning the jab has proven to be one of the most profitable products in history, and the company's overall 2021 revenues totaled in excess of $80bn.

Ex-nursing home adminstrator Juanita Broaddrick, who accused former President of the United States Bill Clinton of raping her in 1978, has had her Twitter account locked for violating the platform's policy relating to Covid information

'We understand that during times of crisis and instability, it is difficult to know what to do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe,' Twitter's letter to Juanita read.

'Under this policy, we require the removal of content that may pose a risk to people's health, including content that goes directly against guidance from authoritative sources of global and local public health information,' the company said.

Twitter has been heavily criticized for locking, suspending or completely banning a variety of accounts seen to post content which does not align with the official narrative and policies surrounding Covid.

Juanita's tweet, published on April 9 read: 'When will this vaccine crap be over? Big Pharma has profited enough for the next hundred years. Stop pushing vaccines that don't work and alter DNA,' according to a screenshot obtained by Fox News before the account was suspended.

The social media site warned Broaddrick that repeated breaches of the platform's rules could result in a 'permanent suspension' of her account.

The statement did not clarify whether a previous violation had occurred.

Broaddrick, a former Arkansas nursing home administrator, first claimed in 1999 that Clinton raped her during a meeting in Little Rock in 1978, when he was the state's attorney general.

Clinton's attorney denied the claim at the time and Clinton was never charged.

Broaddrick sued Bill Clinton in 1999, but the case was dismissed in 2001.

Juanita Broaddrick (right), a former nurse who publicly accused Bill Clinton (centre left) of rape in 1999, took to Twitter this week to blast the event as 'despicable' and 'a joke'. She is pictured right with the former president at a nursing home in 1978

Broaddrick also famously appeared alongside then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in a St Louis hotel in 2016 after he invited several women who accused Clinton of rape and unwanted sexual advances to watch his debate against Hillary Clinton.

The former nursing home administrator has publicly criticized former President Clinton on a number of occasions, most notably in March 2021 when she hit out at him for hosting an 'empowering women' seminar on behalf of the Clinton Foundation.

The event was slammed on social media by critics who questioned why Clinton, who faced a number of allegations of sexual misconduct and is known to have close ties to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, would speak on such a topic.

Broaddrick compared inviting Clinton to speak on women's empowerment to 'asking Jeffrey Dahmer to host a cooking class.'

Meanwhile, a recent study conducted by Harvard found that up to one fifth of Americans believe 'misinformation' about Covid vaccines.

Harvard researchers found that around 20 percent of people believe at least one piece of common vaccine disinformation

Researchers surveyed nearly 17,000 people for the study.

Each were asked how they felt about four common pieces of misinformation spread about the virus online.

Participants were asked if they believed the lie was accurate, inaccurate or were unsure.

The study found that the most commonly believed falsehood over vaccines is that they can cause infertility - something for which there is no evidence, though our knowledge of the long-term impact of Covid vaccines on the body is limited.

Around 10 percent of people believe the shots alter DNA, contain fetus tissue or have microchips.
A homeowner has blasted Australia Post on social media after a delivery driver drove through a nature strip in his front yard, but critics have been quick to point out it's technically not his property.

The man shared images of the distinct tyre marks to a private Facebook group and revealed that he was selling his home at the time the driver came through.

'My house is on the market and today my postie decided he'd tear up my nature strip despite the fact there's a GIANT service lane they could have used,' the man wrote.

He slammed the post worker, prompting a debate between members of the group as to whether the criticism was valid.

A homeowner has blasted Australia Post on social media after a delivery driver drove through a nature strip in his front yard, leaving tyre marks

He slammed the post worker for the tyre marks, prompting a debate between members of the group as to whether the criticism was valid

'I feel your pain. It's like they do it intentionally when the ground is at its wettest,' responded one man in the comments.

'I'd be pissed. It takes a lot of care and money to keep grass nice like this. I threaten to shoot people who drive over or park on my lawn,' wrote another.

One man went to extreme lengths and suggested the homeowner 'scatter nails everywhere'.

But not everyone took the homeowner's side, with several members arguing that the nature strip belongs to the local council, while others believed the criticism was unnecessarily overblown.

'Not your land it's council land,' said one.

'You don't own the nature strip,' commented another.

A third chimed in, writing, 'This post is a joke right?'

'Deary me, someone is selling a house, everyone around them better be on their best behaviour,' a fourth member joked.

Many cast their doubt that a careless postal worker was responsible for the tyre tracks due to how many there were, and the fact the man shared the photos on a Sunday - a day Australia Post doesn't usually deliver mail.

'Are you sure it was the postie? They don't normally deliver on a Sunday,' one person wrote.

The man responded to the queries by taking a photo of the post driver next to his bike delivering mail the following day and sharing it to the group to somehow prove it was him.

He claimed in the comments that the numerous tyre tracks could be explained as the postie was driving a '3 wheeled bike'.

The man responded to the queries by taking a photo of the post driver next to his bike delivering mail the following day and sharing it to the group to prove it was him

The homeowner then posted a picture later that day of the nature strip which has been sectioned off with barricade tape that man has used to stop the driver going through

The homeowner then posted a picture later that day of the nature strip which has been sectioned off with barricade tape that man has used to stop the driver going through.

'This is what the postie faced for the next week,' he captioned the image.

He also filed a complaint with Australian Post who issued a swift response that states drivers can operate on nature strips as it is owned by the local council.

'Our posties are the only ones who are allowed to drive on your nature strip, given they are given that permission by your local council who are the owners of that section of land between your property boundary and the road,' it said.

'For efficiency, posties are required to ride from letterbox to letterbox whenever possible, rather than riding back down the driveway and onto the road to access the next address.'

'I only mention this because the damage in your photos is not unexpected following heavy rain, albeit on the [worse] end of the spectrum,

It comes as a woman made an identical complaint in the same private Facebook group on the exact same day. Like the male homeowner, the woman shared photos of the lawn next to her letter box which had tyre marks

It comes as a woman made an identical complaint in the same private Facebook group on the exact same day.

Like the male homeowner, the woman shared photos of the lawn next to her letter box which had tyre marks.

'How to get your postie to stay off the Lawn,' she said.

Many people also slammed the woman with similar arguments claiming it was council land, not hers, and that it would be impossible for the driver to get to her mailbox without getting off his bike due to where her mailbox is positioned.

'Posties have every legal right to ride on the footpath, they are the only ones allowed to. How can they deliver, if they card you'll whinge,' a woman responded.

'Use your brain before you put the letterbox in that spot would be the first thing,' said a member.

One commented: 'You're not very bright. Look where your letterbox is. How do they access it then??'

An Australia Post spokesperson responded to the complaints, telling Daily Mail Australia: 'Australia Post works hard every day to deliver letters and parcels to millions of Australians, and in line with our community service obligations we are required to deliver to letterboxes, located on the boundary of each address, where it is safe to do so.'

'This means our posties will travel between one home and another, including on footpaths and nature strips, in every corner of our country.'

'We will always work with the local community to ensure we minimise any damage, however factors such as extremely wet weather can mean that grassed areas are heavier than normal, and where damage has occurred while providing this essential service we apologise.'
Police have released dashcam footage showing idiot motorists putting lives at risk with risky overtaking, driving on the wrong side of road and jumping red lights.

In the video you can see the moment when a black Range Rover overtook a car by driving on the wrong side of the road, narrowly missing an oncoming vehicle.

The first bit of footage in the montage shows a silver car driving on the pavement and layby to overtake traffic in a scary manoeuvre.

A silver Range Rover was also caught on camera driving in the middle of the road between separation lines around a bend before manoeuvring back seconds away from crashing into a car.

By sandwiching itself between two cars going the opposite way, a dashcam shows how a Mercedes white van dangerously overtook oncoming traffic.

In the first video, a silver car is seen driving on the pavement and layby to overtake traffic in a scary manoeuvre

In a heartstopping moment a silver ford was caught overtaking a vehicle by driving on the wrong lane inches away from an oncoming van

A silver Range Rover was caught on camera driving in the middle of the road between separation lines around a bend before manoeuvring back seconds away from crashing into an oncoming car

While a traffic light jumper was caught on camera by another vehicle recklessly cutting off drivers.

The second video shows a black Range Rover overtaking a car by driving on the wrong side of the road and narrowly missing an oncoming vehicle.

In another horror video a driver had to slam on his brakes after a speeding blue BMW overtook a van by driving on the wrong side of the road in front of oncoming traffic.

In a heartstopping moment a silver ford was caught overtaking a vehicle by driving on the wrong lane inches away from an oncoming van.

The video ends with a driver busy on his phone as he drives off.

The second video shows a black Range Rover overtaking a car by driving on the wrong side of the road and narrowly missing an oncoming vehicle

A Mercedes white van made a dangerous overtake by sandwiching itself between two cars going the opposite way

A traffic light jumper was caught on camera by another vehicle recklessly driving in front of oncoming traffic

A white van is shown riskily overtaking other vehicles

The video ends with a driver busy on his phone as he drives off

In 2020, 1,516 people were killed on UK roads, with 1,460 deaths recorded in Britain and 56 recorded in Northern Ireland according to Brake.org.

Cumbria Police released the dashcam footage on twitter, encouraging others to submit any footage of reckless driving to their website.

The force said in a post on Twitter: 'We want to make Cumbria's roads safer by educating road users to try and change behaviour and prosecuting those that take risks.

'If you are concerned about something you have seen on our roads, you can submit footage to us via our website.'
Former Liberal Party adviser and alleged rape survivor Brittany Higgins has had her life threatened, along with her partner's and their dog's in a shockingly violent series of messages.

The person making the threat from a fake Instagram account used a picture of Archibald Prize winning artist Craig Ruddy, who died from Covid-19 in January.

'I've copped a lot of abuse and numerous death threats since speaking publicly about my experience in Parliament House,' she said on Monday night on Twitter.

'However, targeting my partner and threatening to chop up my little cavoodle is a whole new low. Please be better everyone.'

A man using a fake Instagram account has threatened to kill Brittany Higgins (left) and her partner David Sharaz (right)

Brittany Higgins revealed

Ms Higgins' partner, David Sharaz, had earlier tweeted that 'Someone on Instagram just messaged me threatening to kill me, Brittany and our dog.

'None of this is okay,' said Mr Sharaz, who in Februrary resigned from his job dealing with federal government clients saying he could no longer continue in the role.

The messages sent to Mr Sharaz said 'I'll bury you both. I will kill you both when you least expect it.'

When Mr Sharaz asked the person making the threats 'Do you know where I am?' they replied 'Yes.'

'I'm going to chop Kingston (Ms Higgins' cavoodle) up into little pieces.

'I will follow you home from work and destroy you all. Bye for now.'

Within minutes of Ms Higgins' message being posted to Twitter, many responded with sympathy and advice.

Brittany Higgins is pictured with her dog Kingston. Both of their lives have been threatened in the latest attack on Ms Higgins

'No point telling Twitter folk. Report immediately to the police,' one said.

'How you cope is kinda beyond me,' another said.

Another commended Mr Sharaz for how he handled the threat.

'Good work David on asking "do you know where I am" - when they said Yes, they actually gave you what you needed for the police to take this as a serious and legitimate threat,' they said.

Brittany Higgins and her partner David Sharaz are pictured with their dog Kingston

Advocate for survivors of sexual assault Brittany Higgins' cavoodle dog Kingston is pictured

A month ago, Ms Higgins responded to bombshell texts sent by the then South Australian deputy premier to an assault victim with just two words - 'just wow'.

Dan van Holst Pellekaan was been accused of victim blaming following his response over the SA Employment Tribunal's decision to uphold the sacking of well-known Metropolitan Fire Service firefighter Ramon Kruger.

The deputy leader sent text messages to firefighter Kim Quinn, urging Ms Quinn to 'spare a thought' for the perpetrator and that it would be 'terrible if the impact was too great for him to deal with'.

Mr Kruger was sacked following a December 2020 disciplinary committee finding that he had 'behaved in an intimidating manner' towards Ms Quinn.

Mr van Holst Pellekaan subsequently lost his seat in the South Australian election on March 19.

Advocate for survivors of sexual assault Brittany Higgins (pictured left) and partner David Sharaz (right) at the National Press Club in Canberra, Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Ms Higgins came to the public's attention in February 2021 when she alleged she had been raped on March 22, 2019 in then-Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds' office in Parliament House.

She has since become an advocate for survivors of sexual assault.

Last month the ACT's chief justice warned the more the public talk about Ms Higgins' alleged rape, the more likely the prosecution will be halted.

Brittany Higgins (left) with her partner David Sharaz. Their lives, and the life of their dog, has been threatened through social media messages

Bruce Lehrmann, who is accused of raping Ms Higgins, has pleaded not guilty.

Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said those with an interest in the case risk being held in contempt of court by prejudicing a trial before the jury hearing the matter in June.

'The court strongly urges anyone with an interest in these proceedings to bear those matters in mind and to be careful about the words they publish between now and the 6th of June,' she told the ACT Supreme Court.

'To put it in blunt terms, the more people keep talking about this case the greater the risk the prosecution will be stayed.'
A Sacramento County sheriff has hit out at California state laws, saying they 'treat criminals like victims' in the wake of the mass shooting on Sunday April 3 which claimed the lives of six people.

Sheriff Scott Jones made the statements last night after it emerged last week that one of the suspects in the shooting, 27-year-old Smiley Martin, was released from prison in February after serving less than half of a 10-year sentence.

Jones argued in an interview with Fox News that incidences like Sacramento's mass shooting on April 3 will continue as long as California's lax laws on criminality remain.

'Every crime has a victim and these victims are racking up... If we don't change the way California and the rest of this nation treats criminals, then this is only going to be a continuing trend,' the sheriff said.

'The best predictor of future behavior is past conduct, and violent people, they're going to be violent when they get out, and that's what we've seen here.'

Martin was incarcerated in 2017 for punching and whipping his girlfriend with a belt while she was hiding in her closet, but was granted his freedom despite the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office warning he 'should not be released as he poses a significant, unreasonable risk of safety to the community.'

The 27-year-old was also arrested as a teenager in 2013 for being in possession of an assault rifle and two magazines that he tried to discard when police made contact with him, and later received a two-year stretch in connection with a series of robberies prior to his arrest and incarceration for assaulting his partner.

'As we start treating criminals like victims and victims like criminals, it's entirely predictable what is going to happen, and we're seeing it play out,' Jones declared.

Sacramento sheriff Scott Jones has hit out at California state laws, alleging they 'treat criminals like victims' in the wake of the mass shooting on Sunday April 3 which claimed the lives of six people

This Feb. 6, 2022, booking photo provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shows Smiley Allen Martin, two days before he was released to Sacramento County probation for his sentence on charges of corporal injury and assault likely to cause great bodily injury. Martin was arrested Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in connection with a mass shooting that killed six people in Sacramento

Witness video showed rapid gunfire of at least 76 shots ringing out over the course of 54 seconds as people screamed and ran for cover

Jones made particular reference to Proposition 57, a part of California state law which grants offenders more opportunity to benefit from 'credit-earning opportunities' based on the demonstration of good behavior and progress towards rehabilitation.

Under proposition 57, some inmates can also have their sentenced dramatically reduced and win early parole provided they can demonstrate their release 'would not pose an unreasonable risk of violence to the community'.

The progressive law has been praised by some as a way to encourage the rehabilitation of offenders rather than pure punishment.

But the approach has incurred heavy criticism from many, and has been cited as a major contributing factor to rising violent crime rates in California as criminals are spared long sentences and released early despite demonstrating a history of violence.

California corrections spokeswoman Dana Simas said Martin had received a number of pre-sentencing and post-sentencing 'credits', which enabled his early release something only supposed to be granted to 'non-violent' inmates.

'In the late 80s and early 90s violent crime in California and across the country was so bad that it gave rise to things like three strikes, gang enhancements, gun enhancements,' Jones continued.

'That has led, at least in California, to violent crime being reduced over the last two or three decades. But people have a short memory, and they say, ''Well, since we aren't as violent anymore, we don't need these things'' without realizing... these things actually reduce violent crime.'

Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32 (L), and Johntaya 'Jojo' Alexander (R), were both caught up in the April 3 shooting in Sacramento

Melinda Davis, 57 (L) was sleeping rough in the center of the Californian state capital, and was among those who died in Sunday's shooting in downtown Sacramento. Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21 (R), was gunned down in front of her best friend

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

The shooting broke out at 2.01am on Sunday, April 3 in downtown Sacramento after a brawl broke out on 10th Street

Smiley Martin, 27, appears in the video holding a black handgun which he pointed towards the camera. He says little throughout the 38-second clip but other men can be heard in the background. Law enforcement wiped the video from his Facebook account after his arrest

What are woke laws that are affecting crime figures? Beverley Hills police chief Mark Stainbrook recently hit out at three specific California state laws, citing them as contributing factors to rising crime rates in the state. 'I think this is a confluence of about 10 years of laws and policymaking starting with Prop 47, then AB 109, and Prop 57 which essentially decriminalized many of the crimes in California,' Stainbrook said in December. Supporters of the laws say they are bringing about a more progressive and rehabilitative approach to crime and punishment, while their detractors say they are simply too lax and give career criminals more freedom to enact violence and cause mayhem. Proposition 47 Proposition 47 was passed by California voters in November 2014. It made some 'non-violent' property crimes, where the value of the stolen goods does not exceed $950, into misdemeanors. It also made some 'simple' drug possession offenses into misdemeanors, and allows past convictions for these charges to be reduced to a misdemeanor by a court. Under California law, if two or more person's conspire to 'cheat and defraud any person or any property, by any means which are in themselves criminal' they can face no more than one year in county prison, a fine of $10,000 or a combination of the two. AB 109 Signed into law in 2011, the purpose of AB 109 was to reduce the state's prison population. The legislation sought to achieve this by either sending inmates convicted of less serious felonies to county jails, or putting them under the supervision of county probation officers. Proposition 57 Proposition 57, a part of California state law introduced in November 2016, grants offenders more opportunity to benefit from 'credit-earning opportunities' based on the demonstration of good behavior and progress towards rehabilitation. Under proposition 57, some inmates can also have their sentenced dramatically reduced and win early parole provided they can demonstrate their release 'would not pose an unreasonable risk of violence to the community'. Advertisement

It comes after Beverley Hills police chief Mark Stainbrook blamed a series of recent California state laws for spiraling crime in Los Angeles, in particular smash-and-grab robberies.

'I think this is a confluence of about 10 years of laws and policymaking starting with Prop 47, then AB 109, and Prop 57 which essentially decriminalized many of the crimes in California,' Stainbrook said in December.

Smiley Martin is a career criminal who was released from prison in February just four years into a 10-year sentence for felony gun and robbery convictions.

The decision, made by California's Department of Corrections (CDCR), was even made over the strenuous objections of the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office, which submitted a letter saying that the man 'displayed a pattern of criminal behavior' and posed a 'significant' danger to the community.

A letter from the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office to the Board of Parole Hearings on April 29, 2021, asked for the state DOC to deny Smiley's request for early release from prison 'as he poses a significant, unreasonable risk of safety to the community.'

In the letter, Danielle Abildgaard, the deputy district attorney, states that Smiley '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 states.

'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.'

Despite this request, Smiley Martin was released in February, California corrections spokeswoman Dana Simas said, citing pre-sentencing credits for the early release.

'Prior to reaching a CDCR facility, Martin had already received 508 days of pre-sentencing credits, and received a variety of additional post-sentencing credits,' the spokesperson wrote in an email.

'He was released to Sacramento County probation in February 2022.'

According to the Sacramento County DA's office, of the 4,070 inmates who were sentenced in Sacramento and released between January 2019 and May 2021, more than 1,300 served less than half of their sentence.

Police have thus far arrested three people in connection with the shooting - Smiley Martin, his younger brother Dandrae Martin, 26, and Daviyonne Dawson, 31.

'Detectives are continuing to investigate this crime and identify additional suspects,' police said.
A former chief economic adviser to Vladimir Putin has said the barbaric invasion of Ukraine could be stopped in a month if the West imposed a 'real embargo' on Russian energy.

Dr Andrei Illarionov said the Kremlin 'did not take seriously' Europe's threats to reduce energy usage while continuing to buy Russian oil and gas.

Oil and gas revenues last year made up 36 per cent of Russia's government spending, meaning an embargo would seriously hamper Kremlin finances.

Dr Andrei Illarionov said the Kremlin 'did not take seriously' Europe's threats to reduce energy usage while continuing to buy Russian oil and gas

The EU currently imports 40 per cent of its gas and 27 per cent of its oil from Russia.

Dr Illarionov told the BBC if the West 'would try to implement a real embargo on oil and gas exports from Russia... I would bet that probably within a month or two, Russian military operations in Ukraine, probably will be ceased, will be stopped'.

He added: 'It's one of the very effective instruments still in the possession of the Western countries.'

The EU on Friday banned Russian coal imports among other products, but has yet to touch oil and gas imports from Russia.

Last week, the bloc's top diplomat Josep Borrell said Europe is paying Putin a billion euros a day for his energy.

Dr Illarionov, who now lives in the US, said Putin could suffer the current financial hit unless further sanctions are imposed.

The invasion could be stopped if Europe imposed a proper embargo on Russian gas and oil, an expert claimed. Pictured: Mariupol

He said: 'His territorial ambitions, his imperial ambitions, are much more important than anything else, including the livelihood of the Russian population and of the financial situation in the country... even the financial state of the his government.'

Experts say the Russian economy could shrink as much as 15 per cent with current sanctions, with an estimated 20million people living in poverty.

Dr Illarionov believes that number could triple now, while the Centre for Strategic Research says two million jobs could be lost this year.

The EU's executive is drafting proposals for an EU oil embargo on Russia, the foreign ministers of Ireland, Lithuania and the Netherlands said today, although there is still no agreement to ban Russian crude.

'They are now working on ensuring that oil is part of the next sanctions package,' Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said of the European Commission as he arrived for a meeting with his EU counterparts in Luxembourg.

'The European Union is spending hundreds of millions of euros on importing oil from Russia, that is certainly contributing to financing this war. We need to cut off that financing ... the sooner that can happen the better,' Coveney added.

A woman cries as she tries to find a body of her son among debris of a residential building destroyed during Russia's invasion in the town of Borodianka

His Dutch and Lithuanian counterparts also said they were open to looking at ways at targeting Russian oil, which makes up about a quarter of the EU's crude imports, as a means to pressure Russia to halt the shelling of Ukrainian cities.

'We are looking at all other (sanctions), including energy,' Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said, a position echoed by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who has said an EU oil embargo must happen 'sooner or later'.

The European Parliament last week voted for an embargo, although its decision is not binding.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on April 5 that she was considering additional sanctions, including on oil imports, based in part on proposals from EU governments.

Those ideas include imposing tariffs on Russian oil, or a ban on some oil products, according to EU diplomats.

Any oil embargo rests on both the technical details of the scope and phase-in time of such a move and the support of the EU's 27 member states.

Energy dependence varies widely across the bloc, with countries such as Bulgaria almost totally dependent on Russia oil. Hungary has said it cannot support an oil embargo.

Germany's position, as the EU's biggest economy, will be crucial. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, arriving in Luxembourg, called for a 'coordinated plan to completely phase out fossil fuels' from Russia, but EU diplomats have said Berlin is not actively supporting an immediate embargo.

The United States and Britain have banned Russian oil, hoping to cut off a significant source of revenue for Moscow.

The decision is harder for Europe's economy due to its dependency and could push up already high energy prices.
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Furious locals at a Yorkshire fishing village are 'heartbroken' as they accuse city-dwelling staycationers of 'killing' their community by snapping up 'all but five' properties to use as second homes and holiday lets while house prices 'go through the roof'.

Robin Hood's Bay, an idyllic seaside spot around six miles south of Whitby in the North York Moors National Park, surged in popularity among locked-down Britons who were discouraged from taking foreign holidays during the Covid crisis.

Most properties have since been gobbled up as second homes or holiday lets by urban outsiders 'within hours of being listed', with rocketing prices  in some cases, almost doubling in the past eight years  now preventing many families from getting their foot on the housing ladder.

Angry residents have blasted the 'absolute nightmare' trend of staycationers buying local homes, and are now calling for 'more balance', warning that those who have lived in Robin Hood's Bay for decades are seeing the community dwindle.

Katie Wallis, who works at her boyfriend's mother's sweet store, vented she is finding it impossible to find a property for her and her partner.

The frustrated 26-year-old added: 'The problem is there's becoming so few locals now there's hardly enough people to help run the shops and restaurants. I think it's just at its capacity  there's too many tourists to locals ratio.

'Everything's just gone rocket high. For people like me and my boyfriend  trying to get our first property is ridiculous. Even renting is hard; a flat in Whitby the size of this shop will cost you 600 a month.

All but five properties have since been snapped up as second homes or holiday lets by urban 'outsiders', with rocketing prices now preventing many young families from getting their foot on the housing ladder

Katie Wallis (left) and Phil Hammill (right) have described mounting local concern

Robin Hood's Bay, located six miles south of Whitby in the North York Moors National Park

Robin Hood's Bay surged in popularity among locked-down Britons discouraged from taking foreign holidays by the Government during the Covid crisis

Furious residents have described the trend as 'an absolute nightmare' and are now calling for 'more balance', warning that those who have lived in Robin Hood's Bay for decades are seeing the community dwindle

A map showing the most sought-after second home towns for British city dwellers, with Salcombe, Falmouth, St Ives, Brixham and Newquay in the South West all within the top six in demand

3K for a week in a CARAVAN in Cornwall and 4,500-A-NIGHT to stay at seven-bed house in Windsor: Fury over 'obscene' prices for holiday rentals as staycation firms are accused of 'exploiting' families this summer Those dying for a staycation in Cornwall could fork out 3,292 for seven nights in August in a two-bedroom caravan close to Newquay Landlords have been blasted for charging 'totally obscene' prices for their holiday homes in popular destinations in the UK. Councillors slammed homeowners after it emerged they were charging up to 71,000 for a week's staycation last summer. They warned the 'extortionate, eye-watering' costs are designed to attract a 'certain kind of holidaymaker' and price out 'hard working people'. It comes after a father of three from Yorkshire revealed a three-bedroom property in St Ives in Cornwall for a week would set him back 10,232-per-night. The advert for the mobile home claimed it could sleep six people, with one bathroom for them to share. It also listed a swimming pool, hot tub and TV among the amenities Conservative councillor Paul Nickerson was using booking site Vrbo, which had other holiday homes listed for sky high prices last July. A week at a caravan park in Newquay would have set a tourist back 3,000 while a stay at a five-bedroom house near Windsor would have been 33,000, according to the website. It also listed an Old Rectory in the Cotswolds at 16,000 for seven days as well as a four-bedroom townhouse in Devoran, Cornwall at 4,000 for the same time period. Advertisement

'It's hard for me because I want them to come here but at the same time I do want to live here. I think there's enough holiday cottages and I don't think you can have more people.'

One disgruntled woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, said housing issues were 'killing' Robin Hood's Bay.

She said: 'Everyone who owns a business wants it to be a tourist spot but everyone who doesn't own a business doesn't want that. It's made house prices ridiculous and there's now no young families and no children.'

The woman, who has lived in the village since the 1960s, said it was a genuine village back then, whereas now it was more like Beamish, a reference to the open museum in County Durham which tells the story of bygone life in northern England.

Adding that there was a division between the locals and those profiting off the tourists, she said: 'It's wrong to say because we're all tourists wherever you go so you've got to be accommodating.

'But if you come again in a few weeks you'll see how the tourists are parked across everyone's drive and the ambulances can't come round. There's two sides to it.'

She said that the community has changed since she first moved, saying that 'everybody got on with everybody back then'.

She added: 'But tourism is the train you can't stop. It's beautiful and it's lovely here and we're not knocking tourism because a lot of people depends on it but not everyone does. And that's what's sad.'

The woman estimated that the population was now a 70:30 split between holiday homes and villagers.

She said: 'It's heartbreaking. I love it otherwise I wouldn't live here but there's been a big change in the last two years. If you're not fast enough you can't buy a house and if you're a young couple you won't earn enough money.

'How are you going to be able get a mortgage for a 350,000 little three-bedroom house?'.

Becca Oliver, who was born and raised in the village and works at The Old Drapery clothing store, said she bought her detached three-bedroom house in the top end for 225,000 eight years ago, adding that a nearby bungalow sold recently for 420,000.

'I think housing's quite a contentious issue in the village, isn't it?', Miss Oliver said. 'In the last few years I can't see how local families can afford properties around here because the prices are so high and people from London or wherever can afford it but local people can't.

'It's pushing people out and it's worrying in terms of the school and things like that. Are we going to lose those sort of things?

'It's finding that balance. I'm not slating holiday makers because we need them and we love having them but it's about finding that balance for both. We have a great community with lovely people and we don't want to lost that.'

Asked if she felt the village was achieving that balance currently, she said: 'No, it's not quite right.'

Phil Hammill, who runs a gift store with his partner Jessica Hogarth, said that the recent change in property ownership had been 'noticeable'.

'There's been a big shift of holiday homes being bought. A lot of places aren't even going online or to estate agents and people aren't even seeing them,' he said.

Residents say that in the bottom area of the village it is believed that as few as five properties have long-term occupants.

The top end of the village, which is blighted with parking issues during the busier months, has a greater number of residents, but the problems faced in the village are still keenly felt.

The trend of second homeowning appears to have spiked during the pandemic, with second homeowners in Wales facing a 300 per cent tax hike next year in a bid to stop locals being priced out of the country's property market.

Mark Drakeford's government declared it is increasing the maximum level that local authorities can set council tax premiums on second homes and long-term empty properties by up to four times.

Michael Gove launches a tax crackdown on second-home owners who 'pretend' to let their properties out to holidaymakers Second-home owners who 'pretend' to let their properties out to holidaymakers face a tax crackdown from Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove. The Mail on Sunday can reveal Mr Gove is threatening to hit them with new bills which could run to over 1,000 a year, to stop them abusing a tax loophole. His officials say the crackdown will benefit destinations including the Lake District, Devon and Cornwall by encouraging tourism. Under current rules, second-home owners in England can avoid paying council tax by saying they intend to let their properties out to other holidaymakers and so qualify as small businesses. However, the vast majority of the 65,000 such 'holiday lets' in England can also then benefit from business rates relief of 100 per cent depending on the properties' value. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) also says that there is currently 'no requirement' to produce evidence that a second home has actually been let out  not just left empty. Advertisement

It means that, from April 2023, councils will be able set the premium at any level up to the maximum, depending what is appropriate for their local circumstances. Some may choose to apply different rates for second homes and long-term empty dwellings.

Currently, the maximum premium councils can charge is 100 per cent  so the new policy constitutes a possible tax rise of 200 per cent.

Ministers claimed the change is intended to provide a clearer demonstration that the properties concerned are being let regularly as part of genuine holiday accommodation businesses that are making a substantial contribution to the local economy.

However, one homeowners' group has furiously branded the move 'morally indefensible'. Jonathan Martin, a spokesman for the Home Owners of Wales Group, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: 'Where do they think we're going to get this 300 per cent from?

'I can't afford it, that's for sure and I'm quite sure a lot of other people can't afford it. It's just astounding.'

The measures are part of a wider move to address the issue of second homes and lack of affordable housing facing many communities in Wales, as set out in the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru in 2021.

Official figures show there were 24,873 second homes in Wales registered for council tax purposes in January 2021.

But the number could be much higher, depending on the exact definition of a second home, officials warned.

This is because this number does not include holiday units, like AirBnbs and holiday lets, which are registered for businesses rates rather than those under second homes.

Gwynedd has the highest number of second homes at 5,098  20 per cent of all second homes in Wales.

This is followed by Pembrokeshire with 4,072, Anglesey with 2,112 and Ceredigion with 1,735, according to council and Welsh government figures for 2020. In Llanengan, near Abersoch in Gwynedd, nearly 40 per cent of all homes were second homes, according to figures from 2016.

Under the broader definition of second homes to include holiday lets, these made up 46 per cent of homes in Abersoch, 43 per cent in Aberdyfi and 34 per cent in Beddgelert.

And the coastal village of Abersoch sees its population of 600 skyrocket to 30,000 in the summer.

Campaigners are concerned that second homes are causing a rise in house prices in seaside and rural communities which is pricing out locals.

Pictured: Coloured houses overlooking the harbour in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Pictured: A row of coloured houses along the coast in Beaumaris on the Isle of Anglesey

Tide turns for 'doomed' seaside village: House prices as much as TRIPLE in a year along Welsh coastline... despite fears 1,300 homes could be swept away by flooding The tide has turned for a seaside village deemed to be 'doomed' as house prices have tripled along the Welsh coastline - despite fears some 1,300 homes could be swept away by flooding. Families feared the worst when it was warned that hundreds of properties would eventually be swallowed by waves in Fairbourne, because the government is to stop repairing sea defences. But people are now flocking to buy houses and bungalows in the picturesque village with panoramic views over the sea. The tide has turned for a seaside village deemed to be 'doomed' as house prices have tripled along the Welsh coastline - despite fears some 1,300 homes could be swept away by flooding Property site Rightmove says that in the past year, prices shot up by some 35 per cent in some areas. It comes against warnings that sea walls and barriers in 48 areas round the coastline will only be maintained for the next 15 years before they are left to be battered by high tides. But that has not stopped the stampede of people making the most of the sea views. Most purchasers are thought to be cash buyers as few lenders will offer mortgages in a place with a finite lifespan. Advertisement

The Welsh Housing Justice Charter campaign group said it receives calls from nurses, teachers, firefighters and those working on lifeboats who could not afford to live near where they work and volunteer.

But some second homeowners said they feel 'discriminated against' and called on councils to halt tax increases on second homes.

Others said they feel like they are being scapegoated for what they branded Welsh government failures on affordable homes.

In the 2022-23 tax year, nine authorities will charge a premium  from 25 per cent in Conwy and Ceredigion, 50 per cent in Anglesey, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Powys, and 100 per cent in Gwynedd, Pembrokeshire and Swansea.

Both Pembrokeshire and Gwynedd have the largest number of second homes that are subject to a premium, at 3,746 and 3,794 respectively.

Mr Martin, who lives in Altrincham and has a second home in Gwynedd, said most of the group visit their homes regularly.

He added: 'They love Wales, they love Welsh people, they love the Welsh language, they love the Welsh culture. That's why they have a home there.'

He also criticised the timing following the pandemic and amid the rising cost of living.

'I think the biggest threat to the Welsh government will be that we've been advised it's absolutely unlawful,' he claimed.

'So I don't know where we go from that but we'll have to have a big discussion as a group. We're financially able to take on the Welsh government if they forced this through without further acquiescence with us.'

Welsh Tories accused Mr Drakeford's ministers of 'punishing aspiration and investment'.

Janet Finch-Saunders, who speaks for the Welsh Conservatives on housing, accused Labour of 'pandering to their nationalist coalition partners and punishing aspiration and investment in Wales'.

She raged: 'The housing crisis is a direct result of years of successive Labour-led governments failing to provide opportunities and build enough houses, with housebuilding falling below levels before devolution.'

Finch-Saunders added there were 'more empty homes in Wales than there are second homes' and this was not being addressed by ministers.

She called on the administration to 'get a grip' and 'address the housing shortage in Wales'.

Climate change minister Julie James said: 'We want people to be able to live and work in their local communities, but we know rising house prices are putting them out of reach of many people, exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis we are facing.

'There is no easy answer or quick-fix solution. This is a complex problem that requires a wide range of actions.

'We continue to carefully consider further measures that could be introduced, and these changes are the latest steps we are taking to increase the availability of homes and ensure a fair contribution is made.'

Finance minister Rebecca Evans added: 'These changes will give more flexibility to local authorities and provide more support to local communities in addressing the negative impacts that second homes and long-term empty properties can have.

Pictured: A row of white seaside cottages in Moelfre, Anglesey, Wales

Pictured: A view of coloured houses overlooking Tenby harbour in Pembrokeshire

'They are some of the levers we have available to us as we seek to create a fairer system.'

The criteria for self-catering accommodation being liable for business rates instead of council tax will also change.

At the moment, properties that are available to let for at least 140 days and that are actually let for at least 70 days will pay rates rather than council tax.

But from next April, the threshold will increase for properties available to let for at least 252 days and actually let for at least 182 days in any 12-month period.

Sian Gwenllian MS said: 'It is clear that we as a country are facing a housing crisis. So many people cannot afford to live in their local areas, and the situation has worsened during the pandemic.

'These changes will make a difference, enabling councils to respond to their local circumstances and start to close the loophole in the current law. It's a first but important step on a journey towards a new housing system that ensures that people have the right to live in their community.'
Serbia, a Russian ally, received a powerful Chinese anti-aircraft system in a covert operation this weekend despite Western worries that weapons buildup in the Balkans during the Ukraine conflict may jeopardize the region's fragile stability.

According to media and military experts, several Chinese Air Force Y-20 cargo planes landed at Belgrade's civilian airport early Saturday, delivering HQ-22 surface-to-air missile systems for the Serbian military.

China Delivers Anti-aircraft Missiles to Russian Ally

At Belgrade's Nikola Tesla airport, Chinese transport jets with military symbols were photographed. Serbia's defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment right away.

Experts saw the transfer of missiles across the borders of at least two NATO member nations, Turkey and Bulgaria, as a symbol of China's expanding global reach. "The Chinese demonstrated their power," according to Aleksandar Radic, a Serbian military specialist, as per PBS.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Saturday that he will reveal "the newest glory" of the Serbian military on Tuesday or Wednesday, implying that the medium-range system will be delivered in 2019.

He had previously claimed that NATO nations, who constitute the majority of Serbia's neighbors, are refusing to let the system's delivery planes pass over their territory due to concerns over Russia's actions against Ukraine.

Despite voting in support of UN resolutions condemning Russia's brutal attacks in Ukraine, Serbia has failed to join international sanctions on its allies in Moscow or openly denounce the Russian forces' obvious atrocities.

Read Also: UN Ousts Russia From Human Rights Council as Official Estimates Higher Figures in Brutal Invasion of Ukraine

China Accelerates Nuclear Missile Silos

Meanwhile, China is hastening the building of more than 100 missile silos capable of housing nuclear warheads capable of reaching the United States, ostensibly to discourage American forces from engaging in a future fight over Taiwan, according to the country's authorities.

Although Beijing has accelerated its nuclear weapons growth in recent months, the government insists that its strategy is to merely keep the arsenal sufficient to protect the country's security interests.

Intelligence experts and private-sector businesses estimate China's nuclear arsenal to be in the "hundreds," significantly fewer than the United States or Russia, which each have around 4,000.

Pentagon sources said if China keeps expanding its technology at its current rate it will have slightly over 1,000 nuclear weapons by 2030. According to the Wall Street Journal, Chinese military leaders fear their nuclear weapons are too "outdated" to operate as a effective deterrence against an American assault.

This acceleration has alarmed American military leaders and security analysts, who fear that China may be ready to launch a "surprise nuclear strike" against the United States. According to satellite photographs acquired in January, the most sensitive work on the Chinese silos has been done, according to American intelligence experts.

The remaining 45 temporary coverings that had been placed over each of the suspected missile silos had been removed, according to photos taken from above a missile silo field in Yumen, a rural location in China's northern Gansu province.

Two smaller silo fields in western China appear to be in the early phases of development, according to Matt Korda, a senior research associate for the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists in Washington.

The silos at each of the locations are purportedly capable of hosting the DF-41, a new long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland. In the year 2020, it was placed into service.

Military analysts claim that China is focusing more on its capabilities to respond to nuclear assaults. According to the analysts, Beijing is developing an early-warning system that can identify approaching missiles with the help of Russia.

The country also launched a satellite in February 2021 that is said to be the first blueprint for a space-based missile detection system.

Furthermore, China is claimed to be developing sophisticated weaponry capable of carrying nuclear bombs, such as hypersonic missiles, against which analysts claim the US has "proved defenses." These advancements and heavy weaponry may also provide China with a higher chance of retaliating if it struck first in a nuclear attack, Daily Mail reported.

Related Article: Fourth Wave Scare: China Ramps up Medical, Military Personnel in Shanghai To Test 25 Million Residents for COVID-19

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Ministers face a fight with unions over plans to cut back on Britain's ballooning civil service - as they aim to slash many of the roles created to deal with Covid and Brexit.

The Treasury has vowed to reverse a recent boom in public sector jobs - prompted by the pandemic and the UK's departure from the EU - over the next three years.

It has now been revealed, in order to meet that aim, up to 40,000 roles could go among pandemic-related staff in the Department of Health and among those working on Brexit.

'Those are the areas where we're looking to reduce headcount,' a government source told the Telegraph.

The size of the civil service has ballooned during Brexit and the Covid pandemic - with the number of staff rising by almost 7% in 2021 alone

Simon Clarke, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, last month bemoaned how the number of civil service staff had increased by more than a fifth (23%) from 2015/16 and by almost 7% in 2021 alone.

He said this was 'something that's impossible to justify long-term, and something we're determined to reverse'.

There are currently 485,000 civil servants in the UK.

In June 2016, when the EU referendum took place, there were 384,000 civil servants - the smallest number since the Second World War.

Mr Clarke has promised to reduce the current frontline civil service headcount to pre-pandemic levels by 2024/25.

However, the civil service union has accused ministers of being 'fixated' on numbers.

They added an expanded Whitehall machine was needed due to newly-increased demands - such as Covid-created backlogs and powers moving permanently from Brussels to Westminster after Brexit.

Simon Clarke, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has vowed to bring the number of civil servants back down to 'sustainable levels'

FDA general secretary Dave Penman has accused ministers of being 'fixated' on numbers and said resources needed to match with 'what the civil service is committed to do'

'Governments expand and contract all the time,' FDA general secretary Dave Penman said.

'But it's whether they match resources with what the civil service is committed to do.

'It's disappointing the Chief Secretary to the Treasury is fixated on this increase over the last six years, which is due to civil service demands increasing.'

In a speech to the Institute of Economic Affairs in March, Mr Clarke said that Covid had shown ministers 'that some parts of Whitehall remain resistant to change and that it's sometimes easier to expand the state than it is to remodel or streamline it.'

But he promised the government was 'alert to that' and - through 'efficiencies' and 'more streamlined processes' - would 'bring civil service headcount down to sustainable levels for the longer term'.

'The reality is that some growth in the civil service was required to deliver Brexit and our Covid response.

'But over the next spending review I want to see headcount levels fall back towards where they were before what were very much out-of-the-ordinary events.'
Jurors have begun a fourth day of deliberations in the trial of a man charged with murdering schoolboy Rikki Neave in 1994.

James Watson, 40, is accused of strangling the six-year-old in woods in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, leaving his naked body posed in a star shape.

He was arrested more than 20 years later after DNA on Rikki's discarded clothes was matched to him.

James Watson, 40, is on trial for the murder of six-year-old Rikki Neave at the Old Bailey in London. He denies killing the youngster and dumping his body in woods near the victim's home in Peterborough in November 1994

Watson, of no fixed abode, has denied murder.

Jurors at the Old Bailey have been deliberating on a verdict since around noon last Wednesday

Today, Mrs Justice McGowan sent the jury of 12 men and women out to continue trying to reach a verdict.

Watson was arrested more than 20 years later after DNA on Rikki's discarded clothes (including this jacket) was matched to him
The first European leader to meet Russian President Putin since he launched the war on Ukraine has said it will be 'good to tell him' that 'he has lost this war'.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer is set to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday following his visit to the war-torn Bucha over the weekend, as well as having spoken to the leaders of Turkey, Germany and the European Union.

He decided on the trip after meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky in Kyiv on Saturday to 'show solidarity within the framework of Austria's neutrality', a statement from the chancellor's office said.

The visit is not an EU-mandated trip, but the chancellor is said to have informed key EU leaders beforehand.

Austria's foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg said the meeting, which will be one-on-one without media opportunities, is meant to tell the Russian president the truth about the war in Ukraine.

He says the Chancellor is taking 'very clear messages of a humanitarian and political kind' to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Nehammer believed it was necessary to 'leave no stone unturned' in trying to alleviate the brutal conditions faced by Ukrainians and is taking a 'very clear political message', Schallenberg added, and said that Putin is 'doing everything wrong that can be done wrong'.

'It makes a difference to be face to face and tell him what the reality is, that this president has de facto lost the war morally', Schallenberg said upon his arrival for a meeting with EU counterparts in Luxembourg.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer is set to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday following his visit to the war-torn Bucha over the weekend (pictured), as well as having spoken to the leaders of Turkey, Germany and the European Union

'It should be in his own interest that someone tells him the truth. I think it is important and we owe it to ourselves if we want to save human lives.'

Schallenberg said ahead of a meeting with his EU counterparts in Luxembourg that 'we don't want to leave any opportunity unused and must seize every chance to end the humanitarian hell in Ukraine.'

He added that 'every voice that makes clear to President Putin what reality looks like outside the walls of Kremlin is not a wasted voice.'

He insisted that Austria has done everything to ensure that the visit isn't abused, 'and I think he [Putin] himself should have an interest in someone telling him the truth and really finding out what's going on outside.'

Nehammer will also push for 'humanitarian corridors' to evacuate civilians trapped in places such as the besieged city of Mariupol, and for 'international humanitarian organisations to be able to conduct their work, the foreign minister said.

Austria's foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg said the meeting, which will be one-on-one without media opportunities, is meant to tell the Russian president, pictured on April 5, the truth about the war in Ukraine

Austria's top diplomat said he was 'extremely shocked' by the crimes being discovered in Ukraine.

He and other foreign ministers met with the top prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, early Monday. He said he stressed the need to hold all of those responsible to account: 'There cannot be anybody outside or above the law, not even the president.'

Nehammer was also expected to raise alleged war crimes in Bucha and other devastated areas around Kyiv, where Ukrainian authorities say more than 1,200 bodies were found after Russian forces withdrew.

Moscow denies accusations its troops committed war crimes in Ukraine.
JK Rowling hosted some of the country's most prominent feminists and women's activists for a self-confessed boozy lunch to support the 'Respect My Sex' campaign.

The Harry Potter writer, 56, posted a series of pictures to her 14million-follower Twitter feed giving a glimpse of the incredible meeting at The River Cafe in Fulham.

Guests included Professor Kathleen Stock, who resigned from her University of Sussex job after being accused of transphobia and Helen Joyce, who penned Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality.

The co-founder of Sex Matters - which has united with other causes under the slogan 'Respect my Sex if you want my X' banner - Maya Forstater was also there.

They were joined by MP Rosie Duffield and veteran activist and campaigner at Get The L Out- Lesbian NOT queer campaign group Lianne Timmermann.

Ms Rowling said: 'There was a lunch and I'm not saying I've only just sobered up enough to type this tweet but at the same time, I'm not not saying that.

'It was me getting them drunk, to be honest. I do remember being authoritatively told I'm only 66% straight.

'Watch this space for further developments.'

A spokesman for The River Cafe, which specialises in Italian food in the converted Thames Wharf industrial storage facility by the River Thames at Hammersmith, said it does not comment on customers.

Event featured women campaigners and activists as well as some who had been 'cancelled'

JK Rowling with Labour MP Rosie Duffield at the event, which was held in London yesterday

JK Rowling with Liane Timmermann, activist and campaigner at Get The L Out- Lesbian NOT queer campaign

Ms Rowling with Allison Bailey, the barrister suing LGBTQ+ charity Stonewell and her chamber

Journalists at the lunch joked about JK Rowling being assessed as being 'only 66% straight'

SNP MP Joanna Cherry QC thanked Ms Rowling for organising the event and guests there

And posting a picture with Ms Duffield, Ms Rowling signalled the event was for the 'Respect my Sex' campaign.

She added: 'Two ex-single mums now united for womens rights.'

SNP MP Joanna Cherry QC, who was also a guest, wrote: 'I had the best day yesterday. Thank you JK Rowling for bringing together so many of the women whove helped sustain each other through difficult times.'

As more photographs appeared online, the attendees revealed some of the conversations at the event.

Ms Rowling said: 'I was assessed as only 66% straight.'

Journalist and guest Julie Bindel then quipped: 'There's a lot you can do on 34%.'

Then Ms Rowling responded: 'Ill need dinner, mind. Im not a pushover.'

The gathering - which happened yesterday in London - of the campaigning women prompted some predictable reactions from some on Twitter.

Many of them have been subjected to death threats over their opinions or cancelled by woke zealots.

Prof Stock resigned from her academic post at the University of Sussex after being accused of transphobia by some students.

Ms Bailey is currently suing LGBTQ+ charity Stonewell and her London chambers over claims she was 'silenced' for her views on transgender issues.

And Helen Joyce, the writer of Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality, has accused broadcasting and book industries of trying to 'cancel' her.

Businesswoman Angela Wild has also spoken out about how she had been sent 'death and rape threats on a daily basis' by transgender rights activists over her t-shirts and badges campaigning for womens sex-based rights.

Activists Miss Forstater, Caroline Ffiske and Heather Binning urged voters to question politicians over their stance on issues such as the definition of a woman.

The exact location of the event has been revealed as The River Cafe, in Fulham

The River Cafe specialises in Italian food in the converted Thames Wharf industrial storage facility by the River Thames at Hammersmith

Ms Rowling with Angela Wild, who makes t-shirts and badges campaigning for womens sex-based rights

MP Rosie Duffy with Joanna Cherry QC, Member of Parliament (MP) for Edinburgh South West

Women's rights groups have banded together to call on voters to question politicians over their views on the contentious topics of sex and gender identity, using the slogan, 'Respect my Sex if you want my X'. Pictured (left to right): Caroline Ffiske of Women Uniting, Heather Binning (Women's Rights Network) and Mayra Forstater (Sex Matters)

The campaign, which uses the slogan 'Respect my Sex if you want my X' has been described as 'the most significant womens movement since the Suffragettes.

On Saturday, it received the backing of Rosie Duffield, a Labour MP who has faced accusations of transphobia for saying only women have a cervix.

The campaign urges prospective councillors to reveal their stance on transgender issues before ballots are cast.

It comes after a number of senior Labour figures struggled to answer questions on the topic.

This includes party leader Sir Keir Starmer who refused to say if women could have a penis and women and equalities spokesman Anneliese Dodds who struggled to define what a woman is.

Mumsnet readers have praised the three women behind the fantastic campaign'.

Bellinisurge wrote: This issue needs as much sunlight and mainstream coverage as possible. I fear [for] trans people who deserve support and healthcare. Just not undermining womens support and healthcare in order to get it.

Slothtoes wrote: Oh my god. This really is the tide turning... Call to action from voters. Brilliant, brilliant campaigning by Maya and colleagues. Thank you. Please let this not fall apart by becoming a left v right issue with voters.

It comes amid a continuing debate over trans issues - especially in sport.

Boris Johnson jumped two-footed into the row on Wednesday as he said biological males should not be allowed to compete in female-only sports events.

The Prime Minister also said that parents should have 'involvement at the very least' in decisions made by children to alter their gender.

He made his weightiest comments so far on the issue as he faced a Tory split over a ban on conversion therapy.

The PM backs making the 'abhorrent' practice of trying to force gay people to become heterosexual illegal.

But he has refused to extend the proposed ban on the practice to trans people - despite opposition from backbench MPs and the Scottish Tories.

Speaking during a visit to a hospital in Welwyn Garden City, the Prime Minister was asked about the therapy before launching into his views on trans people in general.

He said: 'I don't think that it's reasonable for kids to be deemed so-called Gillick-competent to take decisions about their gender or irreversible treatments that they may have. I think there should be parental involvement at the very least.'

And he added: 'I don't think that biological men should be competing in female sporting events'.

He continued: 'We will have a ban on gay conversion therapy, which to me is utterly abhorrent. But there are complexities and sensitivities when you move from the area of sexuality to the question of gender. There, I'm afraid, there are things that I think still need to be worked out.'
A convoy of Russian tanks has been picked off one by one in the Donbas in the latest blow to the Kremlin, footage appears to show.

The video allegedly shows an ambush from Ukraine's 54th Separate Mechanised Brigade targeting the invading tanks in Donetsk.

Russian forces are focusing their offensive in the eastern Ukrainian region after suffering heavy losses in major central cities, but they are still meeting fierce resistance.

A column of Russian tanks has been picked off one by one in the Donbas in the latest blow to the Kremlin, footage appears to show

The video allegedly shows artillery fire from Ukraine's 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade targeting the invading tanks in Donetsk

The footage shows the tanks exploding into fireballs while they are stationed on a rural road.

The video was shared by Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian non-profit raising funds for troops resisting the brutal invasion.

They wrote: 'Such a fate awaits every Kremlin assassin who comes to "liberate" Ukraine.'

The brigade added: 'Somewhere in the territory of Donetsk region, two tanks of occupiers were destroyed and a few more are burning.'

Russian forces are focusing their offensive in the eastern Ukrainian region after suffering heavy losses in major central cities

The footage shows the tanks exploding into fireballs while they are stationed on a rural road

The video was shared by Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian non-profit raising funds for troops resisting the brutal invasion

Separate footage today shows Ukrainian troops cheering and celebrating after they shot down a Russian drone with a British-made missile.

Video shows a Ukrainian soldier firing the laser-guided missile that travels at more than three times the speed of sound at the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Ukraine.

The UK-made Starstreak missile took down the Russian Orion drone in Ukraine, prompting cheers from the Ukrainian troops.

One soldier could be seen swearing at the wreckage with his middle finger as it tumbled from the sky.

Video shows a Ukrainian soldier firing the British-made missile that travels at more than three times the speed of sound at the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The soldier could be seen swearing at the wreckage with his middle finger as it tumbled from the sky

The UK-made Starstreak missile took down the Russian Orion drone in Ukraine, prompting cheers from the Ukrainian troops

What are Starstreak missiles? The Starstreak high-velocity surface-to-air missile is designed to defend against conventional air threats like fixed wing fighter planes and helicopters. It is made in Belfast by the company Thales Air Defence. The missile has a range of more than 7km and carries a three dart payload. The Starstreak system is a shoulder-mounted missile that travels at more than three times the speed of sound to take down low-flying enemy aircraft It uses a laser beam guidance system which the manufacturer says is 'immune to all known countermeasures'. The weapon can be launched from lightweight land, sea or air platforms and can be unleashed as soon as a target is detected - there is no wait for 'lock on'. It accelerates to a speed of more than Mach 3 - approximately 2,300mph - in a 'fraction of a second'. Once hitting full speed it releases its three 'hittiles' which are then guided to the target. It is a man-portable air-defence system - known by the MANPADS acronym. The missiles are similar to the US-made Stinger which is already being used by Ukrainian forces. Advertisement

Ukrainian soldier Yuriy Kochevenko, who posted the footage online, thanked Britain for supplying the missile system, adding that Kyiv uses the 'support of allies effectively'.

Britain is supplying and training Ukrainian troops in the use of the high-velocity anti-air missiles as well as providing body armour, helmets and combat boots.

Video shows the Ukrainian soldiers, believed to be from the 95th Air Assault Brigade, downing the drone on April 9, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said.

They can be heard jubilantly celebrating as they watched the drone tumble from the sky, with one shouting: 'There's contact, we destroyed the sh**.'

Soldier Kochevenko said: 'Successful combat use of Starstreak man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) in the Ukrainian-Russian war.

'Air defence destroyed the Russian UAV Orlan. This is the greeting of Ukrainian paratroopers to Boris Johnson.

'Thank you Britain. We use the support of allies effectively, send more of it. For our freedom and yours!'

Photos from the scene show the destroyed remains of the Russian drone, which is designed for visual, radar or radio reconnaissance with the possibility of long-term patrol of an area.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Facebook that Ukrainian soldiers on April 10 downed another Russian Orlan-10 drone using the Starstreak missile system.

The military wrote: 'In Kharkiv region, the air defense unit of a separate airborne assault brigade with British-made MANPADS 'Starstreak' successfully destroyed another Russian UAV 'Orlan-10'.'

The downing of the Russian drones comes after Mr Johnson revealed Britain is to send Ukraine more weapons worth 100million and will work to get more tanks to Kyiv in the face of Russian war crimes.

He pledged high-tech supplies including more Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank rockets and drones as he hosted a joint press conference with German chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday.

Photos from the scene show the destroyed remains of the Russian drone, which is designed for visual, radar or radio reconnaissance with the possibility of long-term patrol of an area

Photos show inside the Russian drone that was shot down by Ukrainian troops

The wreckage from the Russian drone can be seen lying in a field in Ukraine

The mass killing of civilians in Bucha, near Kyiv, have been widely condemned by the West as war crimes with piles of bodies showing signs of torture and execution pictured after it had been recaptured by Ukrainian forces.

But officials have now revealed that even greater damage was done by Putin's thugs in Borodyanka, northwest of Kyiv and about 15 miles from Bucha.

Boris Johnson did not rule out considering arming Ukraine's resistance against Russian troops with tanks from former Warsaw Pact nations. Czechia has already sent some T-74 tanks east.

Mr Johnson said: 'I'm in principle willing to consider anything by way of defensive weaponry to help the Ukrainians protect themselves and their people.

'I think it's important that we should be giving equipment that is genuinely useful and is operable by Ukrainians, that's our consideration.'

The talks came amid anger at the EU and Germany in particular for being slow to end their energy dependence on Russia.

Mr Johnson was said to have previously criticised the EU's 'embarrassing' dependence on Putin's oil and gas that has seen it continue to pay billions since the invasion.

Mr Scholz told the event in Downing Street: 'We are doing all we can and we are doing a lot.

He said this will be achieved through offshore and onshore wind, solar and investment into its grid, but he acknowledged it would take 'approximately 20 years'.

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.

He said that banning oil imports from Russia would be discussed when EU foreign ministers meet on Monday.
Human smugglers are using social media to lure American teenagers into helping them transport illegal immigrants into the United States from Mexico.

The teens, some as young as 13 years old, are contacted by online recruiters offering hundreds of dollars per migrant they drive across the southwest border.

The smugglers convince the teen drivers they are unlikely to face legal consequences for smuggling the migrants, mainly Mexican adults, into the U.S. because they are minors.

Around one in four drivers caught smuggling migrants last year near Sunland Park, New Mexico, an area of high recruitment due to its proximity to the border, were children, most U.S. citizens living locally.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has also arrested teen drivers from communities from Texas and California. They argue the growing trend of underage smugglers has resulted in an 'increase in erratic driving by inexperienced drivers, often observed exceeding posted speed limits, and driving against oncoming traffic'.

Teen drivers also tend to flee at high speeds when officers try to stop them, leading to pursuits by Border Patrol agents and crashes.

Human smugglers are using social media to lure American teenagers into helping them transport illegal immigrants into the United States from Mexico

The teens, some as young as 13 years old, are contacted by online recruiters offering hundreds of dollars per migrant they drive across the southwest border

Around one in four drivers caught smuggling migrants last year near Sunland Park, New Mexico, an area of high recruitment due to its proximity to the border, were children. The migrants enter the US at Mt. Cristo Rey where there is no border barrier

Santi, 17, is one of several teens recruited by smugglers to pick up migrants less than a mile from the Mexican border and take them to nearby El Paso, Texas.

The high schooler, who asked to be identified only as Santi and that his vehicle details not be disclosed because ferrying migrants is illegal, recalled a cloudy night in which he worked as a driver for a smuggling group out of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Santi said he sat in his car outside shops in Sunland Park, monitoring a pulsing blue dot on his cell phone, which pings every 15 seconds.

He is parked about 900 feet west of a white and green U.S. Border Patrol pickup. The migrants are hiding in the desert around 1,000 feet south.

Santi and the migrants share their locations as a contact of the American side of the border messages instructions.

'It's a good day for pickups,' the teen recalled, noting the cloudy sky. He said U.S. agents in helicopters struggle to see migrants through clouds and strong winds may stop their drones from flying.

The smugglers, meanwhile, push migrants across rocky Mount Cristo Rey where there is no border barrier. When the parked Border Patrol truck drives off down McNutt Road, Santi heads toward a migrant rendezvous.

Santi has transported migrants for a year and has been stopped by Border Patrol but never charged. He knows the stakes will be higher once he is 18.

'I don't want to go to jail for this,' he said.

The smugglers convince the teen drivers they are unlikely to face legal consequences for smuggling the migrants, mainly Mexican adults, into the U.S. because they are minors

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents argue the growing trend of underage smugglers has resulted in an 'increase in erratic driving by inexperienced drivers, often observed exceeding posted speed limits, and driving against oncoming traffic'

Mexican youth have long guided migrants into the U.S., but now Border Patrol is seeing an influx in American children aiding with illegal smuggling as well.

Gerardo Galvan, the patrol agent in charge of the Sunland Park area, noticed the rise in juvenile drivers in 2021 after a 14-year-old fled agents and crashed into a Border Patrol van.

Gerardo Galvan (pictured), the patrol agent in charge of the Sunland Park area, noticed the rise in juvenile drivers in 2021. He said: 'They're told that if they go fast enough we're going to stop pursuing them'

'They're told that if they go fast enough we're going to stop pursuing them,' Galvan said.

Galvan said he was working with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Las Cruces, New Mexico, to charge juvenile drivers.

The office of the federal defender in Las Cruces represented four minors for migrant smuggling in the first few months of 2022 after six cases in all of 2021, according to Assistant Federal Public Defender Amanda Skinner.

Unless the child has been in trouble before, the majority of juvenile cases result in probation until the age of 21, she said.

'We don't typically see higher-ups charged. The vast majority of our cases are drivers,' said Skinner.

Sunland Park Mayor Javier Perea sees no easy fix to the juvenile driver problem.

'The last thing we want to do is criminalize our youth,' said Perea, whose town provides work opportunities for teenagers and is planning an outreach program to deter drivers.

'We don't want our youth to become, you know, scarred or to have consequences that prohibit them from serving in the military service if that's a path they want to proceed into the future, or being able to get certain jobs into the future that can get them out of poverty if they're in poverty. So it does have an effect in the community.'

Unless the child has been in trouble before, the majority of juvenile smuggling cases result in probation until the age of 21

Migrants, who were detained trying to cross into the United States undetected, wait to be searched by United States Border Patrol agents in Sunland Park, New Mexico in Sept. 2021

Title 42 was enacted by Trump to try and protect US from COVID Title 42 was enacted by then-President Donald Trump in March 2020, as COVID began to surge across the United States. The policy allows border patrol agents to deny entry to migrants without considering their asylum claims if they have been in a country where a communicable disease  such as COVID  is rife. It has been used more than one million times during Donald Trump's and Joe Biden's presidencies, with its continuation under the Biden administration infuriating left-wing Democrats. Already deeply controversial, the policy was lambasted by top Democrats when it emerged Ukrainian refugees fleeing their war-torn country to Mexico were being turned away at the US southern border under Title 42, despite Biden's promise to welcome them 'with open arms'. But immigration experts told DailyMail.com that although Title 42 has left thousands of refugees in danger in Mexico, there is no plan for an effective and fair replacement system  meaning a pileup of tens of thousands of desperate asylum seekers at ports of entry is likely in border cities like Tijuana, south of California and Reynosa, across the border from Hidalgo, Texas. Advertisement

The young drivers, whom locals jokingly call Ubers, see the smuggling as an easy way to get ahead in Sunland Park, a working-class town with three times the national poverty rate where a third of residents are under 18 and many children live with grandparents.

'We are a low-income community. And then when they're presented with an opportunity, well, it's easy money,' the mayor added.

'You know, you're not going to get in trouble. It makes it easy for someone to, I think, take that opportunity and, you know, risk their future.'

For activists like Irma Cruz, teen drivers are caught between the multi-billion-dollar human smuggling business and the U.S. government's policy to 'militarize' the border as a deterrence.

'They're easy prey, and they're being used,' said Cruz, campaign director for Border Network for Human Rights, an immigration advocacy group that also educates border residents on civil rights.

Of greatest concern are incidents such as when an El Paso 18-year-old crashed his sedan crammed with 10 people after being chased by Border Patrol in 2020. Four local teens and three migrants were killed.

The American Civil Liberties Union and U.S. lawmakers are calling on Border Patrol to only chase suspects at high speed if they believe a violent felony has been committed.

'If Border Patrol itself knows that such a high percentage of the drivers of these vehicles in particular areas are children being recruited in this way, then that should hedge against them conducting these types of dangerous vehicle pursuits,' said ACLU lawyer Shaw Drake.

Galvan said agents attempting to stop a vehicle did not know whether the driver was a child or adult.

He said agents are not to engage in pursuits around schools and in residential areas at busy times of day, and must receive permission from a supervisor to continue a chase.

The young drivers, whom locals jokingly call Ubers, see the smuggling as an easy way to get ahead in Sunland Park, a working-class town with three times the national poverty rate

Projectiles thrown from Mexico hit a Border Patrol vehicle while a Douglas Station, Arizona agent was on patrol over the weekend. The agent was unharmed

Meanwhile, the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden expects another record-breaking year for migrant arrests on the southwest border as Title 42, a COVID-era policy that blocked most asylum claims, is set to lift in May.

CBP predicts that when Title 42 is dropped, the number of apprehensions will jump to 18,000 per day from the current record-breaking number of 8,000 each day.

Other estimates say that the number of migrants crossing into the U.S. from Mexico will triple.

Title 42 was initially implemented under then-President Donald Trump in March 2020 as a response from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the emergence to COVID-19 pandemic.

The policy has been used by both the Trump and Biden administration to instantly expel migrants at the border without hearing asylum claims.

Both presidencies have defended the process in court.

Since Biden took office in January 2021, CBP has encountered more than 2.2 million migrants and the border  and that number could as much as triple with the end of Title 42 next month

Roughly 100 migrants from Cuba, Colombia and Nicaragua crossed the Rio Grande into Eagle Pass, Texas last Thursday

President for the National Border Patrol Council Brandon Judd told DailyMail.com in an interview last week that the whole process for expulsion with Title 42 takes about 15 minutes.

Even with Title 42 in place, there has still been a mass amount of migrants arriving at the southern border since Biden took office, with around 2.2 million apprehensions since February 2021.

The CDC announced last Friday that it will end Title 42 on May 23. This immediately sparked fears from both sides of the aisle, including from Biden's team, that a huge influx of migration will ensue.

Democrats lament that there are no alternative policies in place or ready for implementation to quell the migration surge if Title 42 is dropped.
A family court judge has ruled that a couple whose adult son who was born through surrogacy in the US are his legal parents under English law, in what has been proclaimed a 'groundbreaking' victory.

Solicitor Jade Quirke, based with law firm Russell-Cooke, said Mrs Justice Theis's ruling is the first of its kind, adding that no such ruling had been made in relation to an adult child before.

In a written ruling published online after a private family court hearing in London, Mrs Justice Theis said the people involved could not be identified in media reports of the case.

Referring to the couple as Mr and Mrs X and to their son as Y, the judge said the couple's son was born in America in 1998 after they made a surrogacy arrangement there.

The couple visited the surrogate mother in the US during her pregnancy and returned to the UK when their son was a few days old.

However, the couple only realised last year that they were only their son's legal parents under US law, and made an application for a parental order which would make them their son's legal parents in Britain.

Mrs Justice Theis has ruled that a couple whose adult son who was born through surrogacy in the US are his legal parents under English law

What are the legal rights of parents and surrogates? According to gov.uk, if a person uses a surrogate, they will be the child's legal parent at birth. If the surrogate is married or in a civil partnership, their spouse or civil partner will be the child's second parent at birth, unless they did not give their permission. When a child is born through surrogacy, the intended parents (IPs) should apply to the family court for a parental order. The parental order transfers legal parenthood from the surrogate (and her spouse or civil partner) to the IPs. It can only be made with the surrogate's consent. The process takes place after birth and involves the family court, and a court-appointed social worker. This provides a valuable safeguard for the best interests of the child. Parental order applications are typically heard by magistrates. They will be heard by a High Court judge if the child is born overseas or there are questions over whether the parental order criteria are met. The vast majority of surrogacy cases in England and Wales are straightforward and it is rare that a parental order to transfer parenthood to the IPs is not considered in the best interests of the child. If there is disagreement about who the child's legal parents should be, the courts will make a decision based on the best interests of the child. The intended parents and surrogate can record how they want the arrangement to work in a surrogacy agreement. Surrogacy agreements are not enforceable by UK law, even if you have a signed document with your surrogate and have paid their expenses. Source: Gov.uk Advertisement

Mrs Justice Theis said indicated the surrogate mother had not objected to the order, but it was first time a judge based in England or Wales had been asked to consider making a parental order for a 'person who is now an adult'.

The judge said she had therefore had to consider the provisions of 2008 the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.

Miss Quirke said many people could be in a similar position to the couple.

'This ruling is an important victory for parents of children born through surrogacy, especially in cases that have taken place overseas historically and where legal parenthood has not been resolved here in the UK,' she said.

'The brave decision of Mr and Mrs X to proceed with a parental order application for their child, despite the fact no such order had ever been granted in relation to an adult child, has yielded a ground-breaking result which has come as an enormous relief to their family.

'The hope is that this ruling will raise greater awareness of the importance of resolving legal parenthood following historic surrogacy and give confidence and encouragement to others who are in a similar position to Mr and Mrs X, to urgently consider their legal position to ensure that their family unit is legally secure.

'In all likelihood there are many parents in the UK who for one reason or another have not secured parental orders for their children over the years.

'What this ruling shows is that the law can accommodate differences in parents' circumstances, in order to put the welfare and security of children and families first.'

According to gov.uk, if a person uses a surrogate, they will be the child's legal parent at birth.

If the surrogate is married or in a civil partnership, their spouse or civil partner will be the child's second parent at birth, unless they did not give their permission.

When a child is born through surrogacy, the intended parents (IPs) should apply to the family court for a parental order.

The parental order transfers legal parenthood from the surrogate (and her spouse or civil partner) to the IPs. It can only be made with the surrogate's consent.

The process takes place after birth and involves the family court, and a court-appointed social worker. This provides a valuable safeguard for the best interests of the child.

Parental order applications are typically heard by magistrates. They will be heard by a High Court judge if the child is born overseas or there are questions over whether the parental order criteria are met.

The vast majority of surrogacy cases in England and Wales are straightforward and it is rare that a parental order to transfer parenthood to the IPs is not considered in the best interests of the child.

If there is disagreement about who the child's legal parents should be, the courts will make a decision based on the best interests of the child.

The intended parents and surrogate can record how they want the arrangement to work in a surrogacy agreement.

Surrogacy agreements are not enforceable by UK law, even if you have a signed document with your surrogate and have paid their expenses.

It comes as figures show almost two-thirds of applications from single people to become the legal parent of a surrogate child have been from men.

In a written ruling published online after a private family court hearing in London, Mrs Justice Theis said the people involved could not be identified in media reports of the case (pictured, file image of the Central Family Court in London)

Since the law changed three years ago to provide singletons with the same surrogacy rights as couples, 82 applications were made by single 'intended parents', according to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. Of those, 54 were from men.

Surrogacy experts said the figures echo anecdotal evidence of a growing interest among single men  both gay and straight  in parenting alone.

But campaigners warned that however well-intentioned, the trend threatened to erode family values and could be detrimental to children in the long term.

According to the official figures for parental orders from singletons, 30 out of 38 applications in 2019 were from men, they accounted for 12 out of 20 the following year and 12 out of 24 in 2021.

Alan White, a trustee of the support group Surrogacy UK, said: 'Most of the single men who ask us about surrogacy are in their late 20s and 30s.

'They have supportive families and are ready to start their journey to parenthood, but haven't found the right person to share it with yet.'

Frank Young, of the think-tank Civitas, said: 'The evidence shows that children do better in families with two parents.'

Julie Bindel, a feminist campaigner, said: 'There are questions to be asked why single men, all of a sudden, want babies that they will be the sole parents for, when traditionally they have passed on the lion's share of caring responsibilities for children to women.'

But Natalie Smith, an advisory board member at Surrogacy UK, said: 'It's sexist that people don't think a man can have the desire to become a parent or the skills to become a parent.'
Paranoid media tycoon Robert Maxwell used microphones hidden inside a lamp to listen to the conversations of his wife and children, a BBC documentary has revealed.

The heavily-indebted owner of the Daily Mirror, who was found dead in 1992 after apparently falling from his yacht, snooped on those closest to him at his family's home Headington Hill Hall, in Oxfordshire.

The tycoon had nine children with his wife Elisabeth, including daughter Ghislaine and sons Kevin, Ian and Philip.

After his death and the collapse of his business empire, Mrs Maxwell was forced to sell everything inside the family home.

More than 600 lots were eventually sold via auction house Sotheby's in January 1993.

The possessions had been tipped to sell for 300,000 but sold for more than 200,000 above that figure.

In tonight's episode of the BBC's House of Maxwell, antique dealer Malcolm Gordon spoke of the moment that he found two microphones hidden under the shade of an antique lamp that was in the sale and which was bought for 402.

He said: 'I came across this lamp, but what happened of course, when I lifted that [the shade], I saw that and realised that they were two microphones.

'He was recording everything that was said about him.

'This was actually in his own family home. So he wanted to know exactly what his sons thought of him, his wife thought of him. And it tells you the true story of the man.'

Paranoid media tycoon Robert Maxwell used microphones hidden inside a lamp to listen to the conversations of his wife and children, a BBC documentary has revealed. Pictured: Maxwell with his wife Elisabeth and daughter Ghislaine (left) in 1990

After Maxwell's death, it emerged he had 460million from his own companies' pension funds.

The revelations quickly led to the collapse of the tycoon's business empire and the need for Mrs Maxwell to sell off her husband's possessions.

Maxwell had rented his plush Oxfordshire home from Oxford City Council.

The contents of his home that were sold by Sotheby's also included fridges and freezers, TVs and video recorders, paperweights and books, oil paintings and antique furniture, including Maxwell's mahogany desk.

Also up for grabs was Maxwell's Military Cross and other medals that he won for his service for Britain during the Second World War.

In tonight's episode of the BBC's House of Maxwell, antique dealer Malcolm Gordon spoke of the moment that he found two microphones (pictured) hidden under the shade of an antique lamp that was in the sale and which was bought for 402

The heavily-indebted owner of the Daily Mirror, who was found dead in 1992 after apparently falling from his yacht, snooped on those closest to him at his family's home Headington Hill Hall, in Oxfordshire

The tycoon had nine children with his wife Elisabeth, including daughter Ghislaine and sons Kevin, Ian and Philip

Recalling the scenes at Sotheby's, Mr Gordon said: 'The place was absolutely packed. There were no seats available, people were standing around the back.

'Basically, they all wanted a bit of Maxwell memorabilia. He was a notorious man and by then everyone knew what had happened.'

Maxwell's yacht, the Lady Ghislaine, was cruising off the Canary Islands, south-west of Spain, when the tycoon went missing in November 1991.

His body was recovered soon afterwards, sparking news headlines around the world.

The official ruling at his inquest said he died from a heart attack, combined with accidental drowning.

Mr Gordon (pictured) said: 'I came across this lamp, but what happened of course, when I lifted that, I saw that and realised that they were two microphones.'

Mr Gordon added: 'This was actually in his own family home. So he wanted to know exactly what his sons thought of him, his wife thought of him. And it tells you the true story of the man'

The interior of Robert Maxwell's home, Headington Hall, before its contents were sold at auction. Seen above is the tycoon's dining table, which was tipped to sell for up to 15,000

However, experts had been unable to agree on his cause of death. Whilst murder was officially ruled out, his son Ian said it was 'highly unlikely' he had taken his own life.

Some suspected he may have slipped into the water while urinating over the side of his yacht.

As well as bugging the conversations of his own family, the tycoon listened in to the conversations of his employees when he suspected them of disloyalty.

The contents of the tapes are revealed in the BBC's new documentary.

The employees, whose words were voiced by actors to protect their identities, could be heard panicking about Maxwell's whereabouts as his business stood on the brink of collapse.

One was heard saying, 'we're f***ed' when a colleague said he did not know where the tycoon was.

Maxwell's daughter Ghislaine was convicted in December of grooming and trafficking underage girls for her ex-boyfriend, the padeophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Downing Street has rejected calls by NHS chiefs for the return of Covid restrictions in England amid record infection rates.

A No10 spokeswoman today insisted there would be no change to the current rules and 'our living with Covid plan still stands'.

They added Covid was now being managed like any other respiratory illness thanks to vaccines and drugs.

Last night the NHS Confederation accused ministers of 'abandoning any interest in Covid whatsoever' and called for 'mitigating actions' to tackle record infection rates.

The group, which acts as a representative for hospitals and ambulance trusts, wants to promote mask-wearing in crowded spaces and outdoor mixing.

The plea came just weeks after all Covid restrictions were scrapped or downgraded to guidance in England as part of the Government's hands-off strategy.

The Downing Street spokeswoman said: 'There is no change to our guidance and our living with Covid plan still stands.

'Thanks to a combination of vaccination and treatment and our better understanding of the virus we are now able to manage it as we do with other respiratory infections, so that remains the case with our approach.'

Meanwhile, Sajid Javid slammed China's 'disturbing' Zero Covid strategy and hailed the UK's approach in what appeared to be a response to the NHS' demands.

The NHS Confederation accused the Government of 'abandoning any interest in Covid whatsoever' as hospitals are set to deal with a 'brutal Easter as bad as any winter'

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)

The easing of rules in England has coincided with infection rates spiralling to the highest levels seen throughout the pandemic, with one in 13 people estimated to be infected at the start of the month.

Health bosses say the situation  fuelled by rising Covid rates and staff sickness  is impacting its ability to tackle the record backlog of patients needing care.

Millions of patients have already been told to stay away from busy A&E units unless they are genuinely dying, while ambulance services have urged some to make their own way to hospital.

The number of virus-infected patients in hospital last week breached 20,000  the highest since February 2021. Although, figures also show thousands aren't primarily ill with the virus.

Sajid Javid slammed China's 'disturbing' Zero Covid strategy and hailed the UK's approach in what appears to be a response to the NHS' demands. He tweeted a video of residents in Shanghai screaming from high-rise flats in protest of the draconian lockdown there

England's outbreak has PEAKED, massive testing survey suggests England's Covid resurgence has finally peaked  even though more people are currently infected than ever, the country's most respected surveillance report suggests. Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysts estimate 4.1million people in England had Covid in the week ending April 2. Although the highest toll recorded since the pandemic began, it's only 0.5 per cent higher than last week. Experts today hailed the figures as the 'first sign infections have plateaued'. In the worst-hit parts of the country  Plymouth, Torbay and South Hams  up to one in 10 people were carrying the virus, according to the testing survey. ONS bosses admitted that 'while infections remain high', cases 'may no longer be increasing in some parts of the UK'. Experts say England's latest surge was driven by the more transmissible version of Omicron, scientifically named BA.2. Ministers also admit that ditching the final Covid restrictions last month also fueled the uptick. The ONS figures, based on swabs of 100,000 people, suggest that the downturn seen in the official numbers over the past week is genuine and not entirely down to the end of mass testing. Scientists and Tory MPs want the daily updates scrapped because they are now almost meaningless. Advertisement

Asked about the NHS Confederation's view that NHS leaders felt abandoned by the Government, No10 said: 'We are incredibly grateful to NHS staff who worked flat out throughout the pandemic and continue to do so in the face of Covid backlogs.'

The NHS 'is clearly under pressure' but the health and care levy will provide additional funding alongside 10billion 'to recover services and relieve Covid pressures', it added.

'But we are alive to the pressures that they are facing,' the spokeswoman said.

It came as the Health Secretary tweeted a video of Chinese residents screaming from high-rise flats after being confined to their homes for days in locked-down Shanghai.

Mr Javid branded China's virus elimination policy as a 'dangerous fallacy' and praised the UK's 'learning to live with Covid' approach.

The tweet, shared this morning, came at the same time as the NHS Confederation's demands for Covid curbs to be reintroduced.

'Disturbing reports from countries still enforcing "Zero Covid" show this dangerous fallacy for what it is,' Mr Javid wrote.

'Proud that the UK has led the world in learning to live with Covid. Freedom, with responsibility, should always be the default.'

China's biggest city today entered its third week of a brutal lockdown. But it has failed to stop or even slow the spread of the Omicron variant in the city.

This morning a record 25,173 new cases were reported by local officials, up from the previous record of 23,937 yesterday.

Infected Shanghai residents are taken to remote quarantine sites and children under seven have been separated from their parents.

Two volunteers per apartment building are allowed to shop outside each day for a maximum of two hours.

Starving locals have also been spotted storming supply points, breaking barriers in the street and scuffling with enforcers.

China is still doggedly trying to eliminate Covid but the ultra-infectious Omicron and BA.2 variants have broken through Beijing's super-strict curbs due to subpar Chinese vaccines and a lack of natural immunity.

Part of the problem is that China's homegrown vaccines have been shown to offer barely 50 per cent protection against falling ill with Covid  compared to up to 90 per cent from Pfizer or Moderna  and are thought to be virtually useless against Omicron.

Beijing has refused to turn to a more effective Western-made vaccines, which are more expensive and difficult to store and distribute than China's own, which use traditional technology.

Mr Javid's defence of the UK approach came hours after Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, slammed it.

'The brutal reality for staff and patients is that this Easter in the NHS is as bad as any winter,' Mr Taylor said.

Confederation boss Matthew Taylor said: 'NHS leaders report a clear disconnect between the Government's Living with Covid plan and the realities at the NHS front line'

'But instead of the understanding and support NHS staff received during 2020 and 2021, we have a Government that seems to want to wash its hands of responsibility for what is occurring in plain sight in local services up and down the country.

'No10 has seemingly abandoned any interest in Covid whatsoever.

'NHS leaders and their teams feel abandoned by the Government and they deserve better.'

'Mitigating actions'  including not meeting people indoors and wearing masks in crowded spaces  were needed to prevent the spread of the virus, the group said.

It also said the Conservatives needed to have a 'public information campaign' to ask people to stay away from A&E unless they have an emergency.

Overcrowded A&E rooms are suffering from staff shortages, with data showing up to three per cent of staff in the NHS have coronavirus.

And delays to ambulance handovers, which are supposed to take 15 minutes, are at their highest level this year, with a quarter of patients forced to wait for at least 30 minutes to be admitted.

The organisation said that in the last week alone 20 emergency departments in England have been forced to turn patients away as they issued 'diverts' due to being too full.

Trusts across Yorkshire last week claimed the pressures left them with no choice but to prioritise patients in 'genuine, life-threatening situations'.

And Dr Derek Sandeman, chief medical officer at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System, last week pleaded with families to take their Covid-infected relatives home to free up beds as trusts battle a 'perfect storm' of pressures.

The NHS Confederation also questioned whether plans to tackle the record backlog of care are realistic.

One in nine people in England were waiting for routine treatment  such as joint replacement and cataract surgery  or diagnostic tests by the end of January.

Meanwhile, ministers should reconsider asking the NHS to foot the bill for Covid tests for staff  estimated to cost the NHS 'several hundred million pounds' which is being taken away from patient care.
The typist who drew up Oskar Schindler's lists of Jewish workers to be spared from the Holocaust died on Friday aged 107.

Mimi Reinhardt was hired by German businessman Schindler in October 1944 to keep track of his small army of employees.

Schindler was able to save more than 1,300 Jews from Nazi murder by employing many more than he could afford - and ensuring they avoided nearby death camp Auschwitz.

By typing up Schindler's lists, Reinhard took part in the factory owner's plot to save 1,300 Jews

Reinhard, seen here in a photo of her as a young woman held by her son Sasha Weitman, was employed by Schindler during one of his so-called recruitment drives for workers, which were guises for sparing Jews from the gas chambers

The factory owner, who was played by Liam Neeson in the 1993 Steven Spielberg classic, kept a careful relationship with SS region chief Amon Goeth.

Goeth enjoyed shooting Krakow-Paszow concentration camp inmates from the balcony of his villa.

Memorably played by Ralph Fiennes in the Oscar-winning film, Goeth eager to send the 'Schindlerjuden' (Schindler's Jews) to death camps.

A proud ladies' man, Schindler (right) was more than happy to hire more typists than needed

Liam Neeson played factory owner Schindler in the 1993 classic, which won seven Oscars

Schindler tactfully avoided this by insisting they were essential for his enamel factory in Zablocie, Krakow.

He claimed the factory was instrumental for the Nazi war effort, but in fact he made sure nothing of value to Germany was produced there.

Goeth was hanged for his crimes in 1946. After fleeing to Argentina after the war, Schindler died penniless in Germany in 1975.

Reinhard was employed by Schindler during one of his so-called recruitment drives, which were guises for sparing Jews from the gas chambers.

She had learned shorthand in Vienna in 1933, making her suited to the typist role.

Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler (left) interviewing an attractive young typist (right) like Mimi

Mimi had been lucky to escape death two years earlier after being found to have false papers in 1942.

Reinhardt later recalled it was Amon Goeth who spared her as he wanted to rebel against orders from above stating she should be killed.

Mimi commented: 'A mass grave was dug, but then he changed his mind . . . He would kill us at his time.'

Schindler said he needed many more employees than he could afford in order to save lives

Reinhardt was tasked with typing the lists of Schindler's Jewish employees spared from death

Reinhardt is not directly depicted in Spielberg's film, with trusty right-hand man Itzhak Stern (played by Ben Kingsley) taking on many of her responsibilities.

But Schindler's team of typists is portrayed in a humorous scene in which Schindler hires every one who auditions for him.

Born just outside Vienna, Reinhardt was a Jew and found herself in Poland at the time of the Nazi occupation.

She told Israeli newspaper Haaretz an SS officer once bragged to her that he had stripped and murdered a child.

Reinhardt was traumatised by her experience of the war and tried her best not to relive it.

She told the newspaper: 'After the war, I had a feeling that one part of my life had ended, that it wasnt me any more, and that I was starting anew. It was as though my life had started after the war.'

SS menace Goeth, pictured on a horse at the Krakow-Paszow concentration camp in 1943

Goeth's villa at Paszow (pictured in 2010) was the site of many crucial deals with Schindler

Though all Schindlerjuden were invited to the premiere of Schindler's List, she chose not to attend.

But she did later watch the film, saying she found the experience very difficult.

Reinhardt moved to New York after the war with her husband Albert, who was a hotel manager before the war.

After he died in 2002, she moved to Israel to live closer to son Sasha.

Aged 92, she began a new phase of her life and won bridge competitions among residents of her Tel Aviv assisted-living complex.

Reinhardt also enjoyed surfing the web, photographer Gideon Markowicz recalled.

Granddaughter Nina wrote to relatives: 'My grandmother, so dear and so unique, passed away at the age of 107. Rest in peace.'
Scientists have found a way to make human skin cells act as if they were 30 years younger than they actually are, a feat that could address the diseases that humans suffer from as a result of the aging process.

While it is not the mythical fountain of youth that many people would love to gain access to, it is a beginning to help many people worldwide. Scientists found a way to engineer human skin cells, resetting them to a much more youthful state in terms of certain molecular measurements.

Making Human Skin Cells Younger

Currently, the research is still in its very early stages, but the technique used by scientists could play a major role in efforts to produce rejuvenating medicine that could undo some of the damaging consequences of human bodies getting older.

The research is particularly notable because the skin cells were reprogrammed to be biologically younger while retaining some of the functionality that made them skin cells in the first place. Scientists used a process that builds on the Nobel Prize-winning work of Shinya Yamanaka in 2007, as per Science Alert.

At the time, Yamanaka was able to turn normal cells with a specific function into stem cells that were able to develop into any type. However, this meant that the cell itself would lose its specific density.

Read Also: Astronomers Detect a Powerful Space Laser From Five billion Light-Years Away Originating From the Vastness of Space

The researchers from the Babraham institute's epigenetics research program in the UK published the study in the journal eLife. Postdoctoral researcher Diljeet Gill, who conducted the work while being a Ph.D. student, said in a statement that the results of the study were a big step forward in the understanding of cell reprogramming.

According to CTV News, he said that the team was able to prove that cells can be rejuvenated without losing their function and that the process looks to restore some function to old cells. Furthermore, the researchers saw a reverse in aging in genes associated with diseases was promising for the future of their work.

Origin of the Technique

The scientists also said that they can do the same thing they did to the skin cells to other tissues in a human's body. The eventual aim of the research is to figure out and develop treatments for age-related diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and neurological disorders.

Professor Wolf Reik, the head of the team, said in an interview that he was hoping the technique could later be used to keep people healthier for longer as they get older. He added that scientists have been dreaming about this kind of thing for so long and noted that many common diseases worsened with age.

Reik added that due to being in the early stages there were still several scientific issues that researchers needed to overcome before it gets approved for clinics. However, he said that the demonstration of cell rejuvenation was a critical step forward.

The technique originated from human attempts to clone a sheep that led to the creation of Dolly, the cloned sheep. Researchers at the Roslin Institute just outside Edinburgh developed a method that turned an adult mammary gland cell of a sheep into an embryo, BBC reported.



Related Article: Alzheimer's Study Reveals 42 Genes Linked to Increased Risk for Brain Disease [Full Details]

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The Project Host Waleed Aly slammed Anthony Albanese for fumbling during an interview and questioned how well the Labor leader knows his own plan for government.

The hard hitting jibe on Monday night came after the Labor leader was earlier asked if he knew Australia's unemployment rate and the cash rate set by the Reserve Bank.

Mr Albanese did not know the answer to either of them - unemployment is 4 per cent and the cash rate has been 0.1 per cent for 18 months.

Labor's shadow education minister Tanya Plibersek was a guest on The Project and bore the brunt of Aly's attack, but put up a fierce defence of her party's leader.

Project Host Waleed Aly (pictured) slammed Anthony Albanese on Monday night, questioning how well the Labor leader knows his own plan for government

'That gaffe from Anthony Albanese ... has dominated headlines today. Do you think it's important that the alternative Prime Minister knows the unemployment rate and cash rate?' Aly asked.

Ms Plibersek replied with a line that will probably get trotted out a few more times over the next six weeks until the election day of May 21.

'Well, election campaigns are a test of leadership, not a test of memory,' she said. 'Anthony has said that he should have known.'

Ms Plibersek, who like Mr Albanese is on the left of the Labor Party, was clever enough to use the question as an opportunity to have a dig at the government.

'I think it's actually worth asking what sits underneath the unemployment rate as well. We've got right now about a million Australians who want more hours of work,' she said.

'They don't show up in the unemployment rate. So we've got a plan to deal with unemployment. Yes, we want to see full employment in Australia, but we also want to deal with insecure work.'

Ms Plibersek said there are many Australians who are desperate for more hours of work who can't get them, 'and the reason that they are struggling is because this government is quite happy for people to have low-paid, insecure work.

'They've said it themselves - low wages are a design feature of (the Coalition's) economic infrastructure. Labor in contrast wants to see secure wages,' she said.

Aly pushed back, though, asking 'how well (does Labor) know your own plan? Can Australians trust that you really are across it?'

Labor's shadow education minister Tanya Plibersek (pictured) has strongly defended Anthony Albanese after a major gaffe on the first full day of the federal election campaign

'One hundred per cent,' Ms Plibersek replied. 'We've got a plan to make sure that two people doing the same job get the same pay - same job, same pay.

'We've got a plan to make sure gig economy workers get paid decently, that casual work is properly defined.'

She said Labor would ensure the Fair Work Commission focussed on secure employment when making its decisions.

'We've got a government that still has a 14 per cent gender pay gap and we know that there is much more that we could be doing to see women's wages go up,' said Ms Plibersek.

She said Labor in power would make companies with more than 250 staff to publicly disclose their gender pay gap.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese (pictured) was asked on Monday if he knew Australia's unemployment rate and the cash rate set by the Reserve Bank. He didn't know either

Ms Plibersek then turned the conversation to cost of living pressures.

'If you talk to Australians in the street today, as I have been doing up here in Brisbane, what they're telling me is that the cost of everything is going up but wages are not keeping pace with that.

'That's what they want an answer to. How are we going to fix this problem of low wages with rising cost of living.'

The Project host had one final go at pinning Ms Plibersek down on Mr Albanese's gaffe.

'What if he had been asked to comment on, "Where would you like the unemployment rate to be a year from now?" If he didn't know the starting point, how could he give a reasonable answer to that question,' he asked.

Labor's Tanya Plibersek said that though unemployment is low, there is a lot of underemployment in Australia. Pictured in an employee arranging vegetables on display inside a Woolworths in Brisbane

She repeated that running for government 'is not a memory test'.

'Election campaigns are about a plan for the future ... Wages have gone backwards under this government, the price of living is going up,' Ms Plibersek said.

'We have a plan to make sure more Australians have more secure jobs that when they work hard and the economy is going well, they actually see a pay rise.'

Finally giving up on the gaffe angle, Aly asked 'what is Anthony Albanese's weakness?'

'Well, he is an all-round charming fellow. I couldn't think of a single (weakness),' replied the ever loyal Ms Plibersek.
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A 'cold and calculating' terrorist refused to stand in the dock on 'religious grounds' as he was today found guilty of stabbing Sir David Amess to death with a 20 Argos knife - with the jury taking just 18 minutes to reach its verdict.

Ali Harbi Ali, 26, admitted to carrying out the attack and plotting to kill other MPs including Michael Gove but denied murder on the basis he was 'protecting' other Muslims in Syria - a claim that was rejected by the court.

Sir David's family - sat almost within arm's length of the Old Bailey dock - remained silent throughout as the jury foreman read out the unanimous guilty verdicts.

London-born Ali, who did not dispute much of the 'overwhelming' evidence, will be sentenced on Wednesday for murder and preparing acts of terrorism.

The school drop-out secretly plotted his murderous act of terrorism for many years despite being referred to Prevent.

He is the latest in a string of Islamist terrorists to have been referred to the controversial anti-terror programme only to go on to carry out a murderous attack in recent years.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: 'Sir David Amess was a beloved colleague, public servant and friend who championed the city of Southend in everything he did.

'My thoughts today remain with Julia, the Amess family and all those who knew and loved him.'

Islamic State fanatic Ali Harbi Ali, 26, seen in a mugshot released today (left) and in a sketch from court today, right - where he refused to stand up while hearing his verdict for 'religious reasons'

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

Brendan Cox, the widower of murdered MP Jo Cox, said Ali's crimes had only achieved a much wider awareness of the 'decency' of Sir David and the causes he championed.

Why was Ali allowed to give evidence despite admitting to killing? By Duncan Gardham for MailOnline Even though Ali admitted the killing, he denied murder, and was therefore allowed to give evidence in his defence. He claimed that he had been acting to defend 'the Muslims' in Syria but, following legal argument, the judge ruled that he had no defence in law. Mr Justice Sweeney told them: 'Having considered the defendant's account, taken at its height, in his favour, I direct you as matter of law, the killing was neither in lawful self-defence, nor in the lawful defence of another, nor in the prevention of a crime. 'No other defence arises. Nevertheless, the defendant is in your charge and it remains for you to be sure that all three elements of the offence have been proved.' Advertisement

In a statement on Twitter, he said: 'The terrorist who killed Sir David Amess has been found guilty of his murder. There was no other possible verdict. Like the killing of Jo, all it has achieved politically has been to allow millions of people to learn about David's decency & the causes he cared about.

'The terrorist will rot in jail and die in ignominy. David's name will be remembered, especially by the people of Southend who he served.

'Terrorists may cite different ideologies. But what unites them is their desire for infamy, their cowardly attacks on the unarmed and the total failure to advance their cause. All of my thoughts & love are with David's family today.'

In response to the guilty verdict, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey tweeted: 'Good. Justice delivered though we will never have Sir David back.'

The 26-year-old Islamic State fanatic carried out his attack at the veteran MP's constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on October 15 last year.

Ali told the trial he had no regrets about the murder, defending his actions by saying Sir David deserved to die because he had voted in Parliament for air strikes on Syria in 2014 and 2015.

The court heard that Ali became known to authorities around this time as his school performance plunged and he was referred to the Government's Prevent strategy, but continued plotting in secret.

The so-called 'lone wolf' sent a manifesto on WhatsApp to family and friends seeking to justify his actions around the time of the attack, and told Sir David he was 'sorry' before plunging the knife into him, causing the politician to scream.

The Tory backbencher died at the scene.

Knife-wielding Ali was later apprehended by two police officers armed only with batons and spray. They have since been handed bravery awards.

Ali (seen after his arrest) told the Old Bailey trial he had no regrets about the murder, defending his actions by saying Sir David deserved to die as a result of voting in Parliament for air strikes on Syria in 2014 and 2015

Unarmed officers who tackled terrorist are given bravery award The two unarmed police officers who tackled Sir David Amess's murderer Ali Harbi Ali have been given a bravery award, Essex Police said. Pc Ryan Curtis and Pc Scott James were awarded the Merit Star - Essex Police's highest accolade since 2020 - in a private ceremony in November. The pair recalled the moment they arrived on the scene at the Belfairs Methodist Church. Pc James said: 'No one knew if there were any other members of the public inside with the attacker. At this point we knew there was no option other than for Ryan and I to go inside without Taser or firearms support. 'We couldn't stand outside if there was a chance other people were getting attacked and we also wanted to get paramedics inside the building as soon as possible to save Sir David. 'Our biggest fear that day was that there were other defenceless people inside with Sir David waiting for the police to come through the door - so any fears we had were put to one side.' Pc Curtis told of the moment Ali walked towards them holding the murder weapon. In a statement through Essex Police, he said: 'Once we got inside, we shouted at the suspect to drop the weapon and he refused and then he started walking towards us with the knife. 'We didn't know what he was going to do, we knew he might attempt to attack us, but we had to stop him getting past us as there were other members of the public outside. We carried on shouting at him and trying to persuade him to stop and eventually he dropped the weapon allowing us to arrest him.' Pc Curtis added: 'We are not heroes - we did what any other officer would have that day. We only wish we could have done more and we continue to think of both Sir David and his family.' Advertisement

Essex Police Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: 'They've basically gone in armed with a stick - something that appears smaller than a deodorant can - to deal with a man that has just committed an absolutely heinous act, still armed with that knife.

'I think it's an astounding act of bravery.'

Director of Public Prosecutions Max Hill QC said the murder was 'the most appalling tragedy', particularly for the Amess family, and an 'attack on democracy'.

He said: 'I'm obviously pleased that at the end of what must have been a very difficult trial for Sir David Amess's family, justice has been served and this individual will now pay the price for his crimes.'

The court heard that 'model student' Ali had become self-radicalised in 2014, going on to drop out of university, abandoning ambitions for a career in medicine.

Ali, who came from an influential Somali family and said he had a childhood 'full of love and care', considered travelling to Syria to fight but by 2019 had opted for an attack in Britain.

He bought a 20 knife from Argos six years ago which he carried in his bag throughout summer 2021 as he 'scoped out' possible targets, jurors heard.

He carried out reconnaissance on the Houses of Parliament but found police there were 'armed to the teeth'.

Ali researched MPs online including Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

He staked out the west London home of Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove six times and wrote detailed notes on how he might get to him.

Scenarios included mingling with media, bumping into him jogging, ringing his doorbell, and causing a scene to 'lure' him out.

Ali rejected the plan after Mr Gove split up with his wife and was thought to have moved out of the family home.

The attacker later told police: 'It was... so convenient to go to that address but I just, I don't know why I didn't do that one.'

Ali, from Kentish Town, north London, was also spotted lurking outside Finchley MP Mike Freer's constituency office, jurors were told.

By September last year, Ali had settled on Sir David as an easy target after seeing his upcoming surgery in Leigh-on-Sea on Twitter. He made an appointment through the MP's office, falsely claiming he was moving to the area and was interested in churches.

Ali is also accused of preparing acts of terrorism by targeting MPs Michael Gove and Mike Freer between May 1 2019 and September this year

On the morning of October 15, he was caught on CCTV as he made his way by foot and train to Essex.

Within minutes of meeting Sir David, Ali pulled out a 12in carving knife and stabbed him more than 20 times.

He waved the bloody knife and threatened to kill the MP's two female aides and a couple who had arrived for their own appointment.

Sir David's assistant Julie Cushion told jurors that Ali appeared 'self-satisfied' after the killing.

In police interview, he spoke calmly about his terror plot and admitted allegiance to the so-called Islamic State group.

He told officers that Sir David immediately suspected a 'sting', having been duped into talking about a fake drug called 'cake' in the television series Brass Eye.

Ali went on: 'I felt like one minute I was sat down at the table talking to him and the next he was, sort of, dead.

'But, yeah, it's probably one of the strangest days... of my life now, you know?'

Jurors were told Ali had no mental health issues and he accepted much of the evidence against him.

Sir David was killed five years after Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox was murdered in her constituency.

His death led to renewed concern around the safety of MPs.

How Prevent failed to stop David Amess killer: Islamist 'lone wolf' Ali Harbi Ali was able to secretly plot his murderous act for years despite being referred to 'politically-correct' anti-terror programme

David Amess's killer Ali Harbi Ali secretly plotted his murderous act of terrorism for years despite being referred to Prevent - in yet another failure for the controversial anti-terror programme.

The 26-year-old Londoner radicalised himself by consuming extremist material online before he fatally stabbed Conservative MP Sir David Amess.

The Met said Ali 'spent some time' in Prevent before coming out of it 'by his own admission'.

A long overdue review of Prevent is currently being carried out by former Charity Commission chair William Shawcross. It has previously been criticised for a 'politically correct' focus on right-wing terrorism rather than its more dangerous Islamist equivalent.

Ali is the latest of a series of Islamist terrorists in recent years to have been referred to the government's flagship anti-terror programme only to go on to carry out an attack.

Khairi Saadallah, 27, fatally stabbed friends James Furlong, 36, Dr David Wails, 49, and Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39, in a Reading park in June 2020.

Prevent officials were warned he could carry out a 'London Bridge-style attack', but he was assessed and found to have 'no fixed ideology', the Independent reported.

Another terrorist referred to Prevent was Sudesh Amman, who stabbed two people in Streatham, south London, last February. However, a panel decided his case did not require intervention.

Usman Khan, 28, who stabbed two young graduates to death after a prisoner rehabilitation event on London Bridge, had come into contact with Prevent officers who had 'no specific training' in handling terrorists, an inquest heard.

Parsons Green bomber Ahmed Hassan was also referred to the anti-terror scheme 20 months before he planted a device on the Tube that injured 50 people during rush hour in 2017.

Reading attacker Khairi Saadallah, 27, (left) was assessed by Prevent officials but found to have 'no fixed ideology', according to reports. Sudesh Amman, who stabbed two people in Streatham, south London, last February. However, a panel decided his case did not require intervention

Usman Khan, 28, (left) who stabbed two young graduates to death after a prisoner rehabilitation event on London Bridge, had come into contact with Prevent officers who had 'no specific training' in handling terrorists, an inquest heard. Parsons Green bomber Ahmed Hassan was also referred to the anti-terror scheme 20 months before he planted a device on the Tube that injured 50 people during rush hour in 2017

Professor Ian Acheson, Senior Advisor to the Counter Extremism Project, said today: 'We know Ali had contact with Prevent services in 2016. The inquest to follow must be allowed to look into the performance of that system in forensic detail and see what can be done to improve it.

'Far too many people who have contact with Prevent and our prisons go on to commit acts of heinous violence. We must do everything we can to turn these actions into 'never' events.

'The worst thing we can possibly do now is think that the brutal slaying of David Amess by a man with a twisted ideology is just the price we pay for an open society.'

Recent attacks by Islamist terrorists who had been referred to Prevent SOUTHEND - October 15, 2021: Tory MP Sir David Amess was fatally stabbed outside Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea near Southend while attending a constituency surgery. Ali Harbi Ali, 26, was referred to Prevent seven years ago. READING - June 20, 2020: Khairi Saadallah, 27, fatally stabbed friends James Furlong, 36, Dr David Wails, 49, and Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39, in a knife attack at a town centre park. He later admitted the murders and was sentenced to a whole life order in prison. The Reading Refugee Support Group warned Prevent officials he could carry out a 'London Bridge-style attack'. However, he was found to not have a 'fixed ideology, the Independent reported. STREATHAM - February 2, 2020: Sudesh Amman was shot dead by police after stabbing two people on a busy street in the south London area of Streatham while wearing a fake suicide vest. He was referred to Prevent but the panel decided his case did not require intervention. LONDON BRIDGE - November 29, 2019: Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, were stabbed to death by Usman Khan, 28, at a prisoner rehabilitation event. A man and two women were also injured before Khan, who was released from prison on licence in December 2018, was shot dead by armed officers on the bridge. An inquest heard his Prevent officers had 'no specific training' in handling terrorists. PARSONS GREEN - September 15, 2017: Ahmed Hassan's homemade bomb partially exploded on a London Underground rush hour train, injuring more than 50 people. He was sentenced to life with a minimum jail term of 34 years. He was referred to Prevent 20 months before he planted the bomb. Advertisement

A long overdue review of Prevent is currently being carried out by former Charity Commission chair William Shawcross

It is expected to conclude that the programme is being undermined by activists who are opposed to its very existence being allowed to decide if individuals need to be deradicalised.

Some authorities in the southeast of England have even appointed Prevent coordinators who are against the strategy entirely, sources told the Times.

Sir William is set to call on the Home Office to appoint Prevent coordinators directly rather than leaving it down to local councils.

Prevent officials have also being accused of diverting too many resources towards suspected far-right extremists despite Islamist radicals posing a 'far greater threat'.

Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and senior adviser at the Counter Extremism Project, said the official narrative that the far-right is the fastest growing threat is a 'comfort blanket' obscuring the 'patently more potent threat of Islamist extremism'.

'The body count does not lie,' he said.

Following his conviction, Detective Chief Superintendent Dominic Murphy, said Ali had been involved with the Prevent deradicalisation programme in 2014.

He said: 'By Ali's own admission, and through our thorough investigation, we've identified that Ali was subject to Prevent in 2014.

'He spent some time in Prevent and then came out of Prevent and by his own admission, carried on his activity in secret over many years, forming his plan and conducting reconnaissance and focusing his efforts on many MPs.

'We say he was the true example of a committed terrorist and exactly the type of people that we should be focusing our efforts on.'

Mr Murphy said Ali did not engage with anyone else as part of the plot and conducted the attack entirely alone.

'By his own admission, he spent an awful lot of time on the internet as part of his radicalisation journey and his research into conducting this attack,' he said.

Mr Murphy, from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, declined to speculate on whether there were any missed opportunities to stop Ali.

He said the issue would be examined in more depth at any future inquest into the death Sir David.

After Ali launched his attack in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, he was apprehended by two officers armed with batons, the Old Bailey had heard.

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 walking along Whitehall, (left) and near to Portcullis House (right) on CCTV footage released by police

Mr Murphy said: 'The Essex officers that attended on that day showed immense bravery, challenging an armed terrorist at the scene of a crime.'

The senior officer hailed the members of public who called 999 while remaining 'extremely calm' in 'very harrowing circumstances'.

In his police interview, Ali went on to give a detailed account of his terrorist activities to officers who 'did an amazing job'.

On the wider investigation that followed, he said: 'It would be tempting to think this was a relatively simple investigation, given that he was at the scene and armed with a knife.

'But every investigation into a terrorist is really complex, very, very detailed, and needs to be methodical. And that is what has happened here.'

Despite Ali's apparent confession to police, he had pleaded not guilty to murder and preparing acts of terrorism.

Giving evidence, he appeared unrepentant and said he killed Sir David to stop him 'harming Muslims' in Syria.

Mr Murphy said: 'I've worked in counter-terrorism for 16 years, I found Ali Harbi Ali's behaviour in court to be quite disgraceful and disrespectful to his victims.

'I think it's a measure of him as an individual and I'm pleased to say that on his conviction, he'll be hopefully spending a considerable amount of time in prison.'

Ali said he had an 'interest in Christianity' and wanted to discuss the 'solutions' to declining church attendances

He went on: 'I hope Ali Harbi Ali's conviction will help the family (of Sir David) to bring some closure to the dreadful events that have happened.

'It's important to remember that Ali Harbi Ali's attack was an attack against democracy.

'Sir David was helping the community of Essex at the time of his murder and so I hope this trial helps to bring some closure for the family.'

Paying tribute to the veteran parliamentarian, he said: 'If ever there was an example of a committed public servant, Sir David is that example, with a loving family and committing his life to the communities of Essex.'

Before the killing, Ali had rejected an earlier plan to attack other MPs at the Houses of Parliament.

He even scoped out the west London home of Cabinet Minister Michael Gove on repeated occasions after arming himself with a knife.

Mr Murphy declined to give details of MPs' reaction on being told they were targets, but said they co-operated 'fully' with the police investigation.

He added: 'We provided them with some advice, support and guidance.'

Mr Murphy said counter-terrorism police would continue to work with governments and media and internet firms to prevent others being radicalised online.

He also appealed to the public to remain vigilant and report any concerns.

'Policing in counter-terrorism is about working closely with the public, and the friends and families of those that might be vulnerable to radicalization.'

He added that 'public vigilance' played a key role in disrupting terrorism.

Anyone with concerns can contact the website actearly.uk.

From football-loving aspiring doctor to terrorist who murder David Amess: How Ali Harbi Ali descended down spiral of self-radicalisation after watching videos of ISIS and Bashar al-Assad's brutal Syrian regime

Vivek Chaudhary for MailOnline

The killer of Sir David Amess was a football-loving aspiring doctor who descended down the spiral of self-radicalisation after watching ISIS propaganda and Bashar al-Assad's brutality in Syria.

Ali Harbi Ali, 26, grew up in Croydon, South London with his mother and three siblings, where neighbours described him as a 'happy boy' who often played football in the street.

Ali attended Parish Church Junior and Infant school - now Minster Junior - in Croydon, which was a short walk from his home, and he is thought to be one of the first Muslim pupils in the Christian School.

He was later joined there by his two sisters and brother with teachers recalling that Ali and his siblings all took part in Christian practice, despite their Muslim faith.

Ali Harbi Ali, 26, was born in Britain and grew up in Croydon, South London with his mother and three siblings, where neighbours described him as a 'happy boy'. He is seen while younger, left; and travelling to Southend to murder Sir David (right)

Prosecution of Nazi-obsessed terrorist who murdered Jo Cox helped Crown build a 'strong case' against Ali The prosecution of MP Jo Cox's killer helped bring a 'strong case' when tragedy struck for a second time, Max Hill QC has said. The Director of Public Prosecutions reflected on the murders of two MPs in five years as veteran Conservative Sir David Amess's killer was brought to justice. Mr Hill said: 'I think it's inevitable that, today of all days, we think back to the tragic murder of Jo Cox. 'And we reflect on the fact that this is the second time in five years that we've seen such an attack at the heart of our democracy, although I do want to emphasise these cases are extremely rare.' Jo (pictured) was shot and stabbed by far-Right fanatic Thomas Mair six years ago as she walked to a meeting with constituents. She was just 41 The experience of prosecuting Thomas Mair for Ms Cox's murder in November 2016 proved useful in preparing the case against Ali Harbi Ali six years later. Batley and Spen Labour MP Ms Cox was stabbed and shot by far-right extremist Mair in Birstall, West Yorkshire, just days before the Brexit referendum in June 2016. Southend MP Sir David was stabbed by Islamic State fanatic Ali at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, last October in twisted revenge for a vote on Syrian air strikes. Even though the ideology was different, there were some striking similarities between the two defendants. Both were home-grown terrorists who chose to strike at the heart of British democracy. Both were found guilty following Old Bailey trials in which the vast majority of the evidence against them went unchallenged. Mr Hill said: 'I think it's very rare that we see crimes committed exactly in these circumstances. 'By definition, any previous experience of a similar case is going to help both investigators and prosecutors when building a strong case in court.' In his first court appearance, Mair's extremist views were clear when he stated: 'My name is death to traitors, freedom for Britain.' And, on his arrest, Ali calmly described to police his long-running plot to kill Government minister Michael Gove before launching his frenzied attack on Sir David, whom he regarded as an easier target. The experience of prosecuting Thomas Mair for Ms Cox's murder in November 2016 proved useful in preparing the case against Ali Harbi Ali six years later, England's top prosecutor said As in Mair's case, the lack of a positive defence nevertheless meant the prosecution had to prove Ali's guilt 'without question'. Mr Hill said: 'In this country, we afford everybody who wants it the guarantee of a fair trial and this individual, just like anybody else, was entitled by his own choice to plead not guilty. 'Our job was to prove without question that he was guilty, not only of this murder, but of the preparation for terrorism, which went on for many months before this atrocity. 'We can never control what a defendant may say, at the start, middle or end of the investigation process.' Ms Cox's killer was simply charged with her murder, but in Ali's case a terrorism offence was included to reflect his long-running plot to target an MP. Mr Hill confirmed that whatever the charge, both atrocities were clearly acts of terrorism. He said: 'Here we were in no hesitation that this was an act of terrorism, just as was the case in the tragic murder of Jo Cox.' Advertisement

One teacher said: 'They were quite happy at a Christian school and took part in our regular worship.

'Ali wasn't a high-flyer, but was a hard-working child, especially good at maths. We had plenty of naughty boys, but he wasn't one of them.

'I would never have said he was on course for anything other than a positive outcome. He wasn't an isolated child and engaged with his classmates.'

Teachers and former pupils described him as a 'bright' and 'likeable' boy who enjoyed playing chess and football.

Ali stayed on at school, intending eventually to study medicine, but his work and attendance went downhill in the last two years, and he achieved three A-levels with D and E grades.

He enrolled at City University for a degree in radiotherapy but dropped out in September 2016 for 'personal reasons', jurors heard.

Ali's father, Harbi Ali Kullane was a former media adviser to a former prime minister of Somalia and is considered one of the leading figures in the British-Somali community.

Mr Kullane did not live with his family in London but divided his time between the UK, Kenya and Mogadishu, the Somali capital, where he and his family are well known.

He is also said to have played a pivotal role in anti-extremism programmes in Mogadishu and according to reports, had faced death threats from the Al-Shabaab terror movement, which controls parts of Somalia for his opposition to them.

Following Ali's arrest, Mr Kullane spoke of his shock at the killing of David Amess saying that it had left him 'very traumatised.'

Ali's family are well respected within the British-Somali community with friends describing them as 'liberal, open minded' and not 'particularly religious.'

They also enjoy extensive contacts amongst powerful politicians from within Somalia

At the time of his arrest, Ali was living with an aunt and two cousins in Kentish Town, North London while his father stayed with his sister just a few miles away in Wood Green, North London.

Despite having never been in trouble with police before, the court heard how he had been self-radicalised from 2014.

Ali considered travelling to fight in Syria but by 2019 had settled on an attack in Britain.

His plans were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

The following year, Ali set about researching various MPs as potential targets, carrying out repeated reconnaissance on the Houses of Parliament.

He focused on two particular MPs, visiting Government minister Michael Gove's west London home and Finchley MP Mike Freer's constituency office.

Ali switched his attention to Sir David after finding out about his constituency meeting on Twitter.

He went to meet him in Leigh-on-Sea armed with a 20 carving knife he had bought in preparation from Argos some six years before.

According to witnesses, Ali wanted to be shot and killed by armed police after killing Sir David so he could die a 'martyr'.

On his arrest, he admitted it was a terrorist attack, saying 'I guess yeah, I killed an MP.'

The defendant, who described himself as a 'moderate Muslim', said it was in 'revenge' for UK support for air strikes in Syria.

Ali told police he had got instructions on how to carry out a knife attack from watching ISIS videos.

He had also downloaded images of the ISIS executioner known as 'Jihadi John', along with words encouraging 'lone wolf' attacks.

He showed no remorse for the killing, saying it was 'justified', but expressed concern for the impact on his family.

Ali said: 'Most of the worry today has, sort of, been about my family, how they're taking it, how they're affected by it, y'know?

'The only reason I dropped the knife in front of the police officer was 'cos my sister was on the phone crying her eyes out.'

He said he became radicalised after watching videos of brutality carried out by Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Prosecutor Tom Little QC described Ali as a 'committed, fanatical, radicalised Islamist terrorist'.

He said the defendant committed a 'cold and calculated murder' because of a 'warped and twisted and violent ideology'.

Ali had denied preparing for terrorist acts and murder, although his legal team declined to cross-examination witnesses and did not contest the basic facts.

Jurors were also told Ali had no mental health issues that would affect the case.

Ali was described by a former neighbour in Croydon as 'just a normal lad.'

The resident said: 'He seemed like a nice kid. He was just a down-to-earth kid who went to school and came back again.'

However, Ali had not lived in south London for years and his family are thought to have left the area in the wake of the atrocity.
A 17-year-old boy has died and another teenager taken to hospital after they were both stabbed in a horror knife fight at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

Confronting footage captured at the annual event on Monday night shows a group of young men punching and kicking one another as families watch on in horror.

The teenager, who was stabbed in the chest, was taken to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition but died despite the efforts of paramedics on the scene.

A 16-year-old boy stabbed in the leg has been taken to the same hospital in Sydney's west where he remains in a stable condition.

A teenage boy died after a stabbing at Sydney's Royal Easter Show on Monday night (pictured, another boy is arrested at the scene)

In another video, paramedics were seen performing CPR on the teenager with reports the show-goer was being injected with blood to keep him alive

Footage from the incident appears to show two young men surrounded by a group of others throwing a series of punches and kicks at one another.

The taller of the pair tries to send his knee into the other's head as he is driven backwards before landing a series of punches in his abdomen.

The smaller teenager retaliates by driving him backwards into a set of garbage bins before the taller one is joined by another man who also begins to swing his fists.

In another video, paramedics were seen performing CPR on one teenager with reports the young man was being injected with blood to keep him alive.

First responders were called to the Easter Show just after 8pm on Monday, with riot squad vehicles also pictured at the scene.

In a statement, NSW Police said the fight had started at the carnival ride section.

'A male was arrested nearby a short time later and will be taken to Auburn Police Station.'

Confused show-goers were seen filing out of the Sydney Showground as dozens of police officers cordoned off sections of the venue

Police and paramedics were called to the Easter Show just after 8pm on Monday, with riot squad vehicles also pictured at the scene

In a statement, NSW Police said the fight had started at the carnival ride section. Pictured is the scene on Monday night

Confused show-goers were seen filing out of the Sydney Showground on Monday night as police officers cordoned off sections of the venue to investigate.

Anyone who witnessed the incident has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers or the Auburn Police.

The fatal brawl comes after last year's Easter Show saw an all-out brawl erupt among terrified families with two people stabbed.

An 18-year-old man, who had a cuts to his shin, was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital. While a 17-year-old boy was treated by first-aid providers for cuts to his legs.

The popular family event, which sees thousands attend, drew controsversy on Sunday after a picture circulated of a young boy unrestrained on a ride.

Shocked onlookers managed to alert the ride operators moments before the unrestrained boy (pictured far right) was flung into the air

Four-year-old Tristan Curtis had not been locked into place as the ride took off, prompting screams from the crowd for the operator to stop the ride.

The operator stopped the ride but it was another onlooker who had to step in and rescue the boy.

Shane McGrath, a senior manager of the Royal Easter Show, described the incident as a 'training issue' and said he would ensure it wouldn't happen again.

The ride was closed on Monday. Show organisers have launched an urgent investigation into the incident.

'The safety of patrons at the Show is paramount and we have shut down the kids' Free Fall ride following a reported issue with a harness,' a show spokeswoman said.

'The safety systems of the ride functioned well to prevent any injury occurring and the ride will not operate again until a full investigation has been completed and the ride has been approved by specialist engineers.
Ukrainian marines are preparing for a 'last battle' to control the southern port of Mariupol after being surrounded by invading Russian forces.

The 36th marine brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces said on Facebook that anyone whose limbs have not been torn off will be ordered to fight, and battles are currently being carried out by cooks, drivers and musicians.

They said today: 'Today will probably be the last battle, as the ammunition is running out.

'It's death for some of us, and captivity for the rest,' it added, saying it had been 'pushed back' and 'surrounded' by the Russian army.

It said it had been defending the port for 47 days and 'did everything possible and impossible' to retain control of the city.

Ukrainian marines are preparing for a 'last battle' to control the southern port of Mariupol after being surrounded by invading Russian forces

Service members of pro-Russian troops drive armoured vehicles during Ukraine-Russia conflict on a road outside Mariupol

Russian forces have said that fighting has recently centred around the city's Azovstal iron and steel works and in the port.

Pro-Russia rebel leader Denis Pushilin later claimed on Monday that separatist forces in eastern Ukraine have seized Mariupol, saying: 'Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is already under our control.' His claims could not be immediately verified.

The Ukrainian marines earlier said that is where 'the enemy gradually pushed us back' and 'surrounded us with fire, and is now trying to destroy us.'

The brigade said around half of its men are wounded.

'The mountain of wounded makes up almost half of the brigade. Those whose limbs are not torn off return to battle.'

'The infantry was all killed and the shooting battles are now conducted by artillerymen, anti-aircraft gunners, radio operators, drivers and cooks. Even the orchestra.'

The marines complained over a lack of support from Ukraine's military leadership: 'No one wants to communicate with us anymore because we've been written off.'

A view shows the building of a theatre destroyed in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol

Mariupol has seen the most intense fighting since the Kremlin launched its attack on Ukraine, with the city being virtually razed to the ground.

Thousands of civilians are thought to have died in the city.

Evacuees have spoken of harrowing conditions of hunger and cold, with civilians hiding in basements.

Over the weekend, ongoing strikes hampered evacuations in and around Kharkiv in the northeast, and 11 people were killed, including a seven-year-old child, regional governor Oleg Synegubov said.

'The Russian army continues to wage war on civilians due to a lack of victories at the front,' he said on Telegram.

In Dnipro, an industrial city of around one million inhabitants, Russian missiles rained down on the local airport, nearly destroying the facility and causing an unknown number of casualties, local authorities said.

The Russian defence ministry said it had destroyed a Ukrainian S-300 anti-aircraft system supplied by 'a European country' in a hangar south of Dnipro, as well as 10 Ukrainian tanks, five self-propelled guns and five rocket launchers in the Donetsk region.

Mariupol has seen the most intense fighting since the Kremlin launched its attack on Ukraine, with the city being virtually razed to the ground

Gaiday said a missile strike on a railway station in the city of Kramatorsk on Friday, which killed 57 people, had left many afraid to flee. Russia has denied involvement in the strike.

Gaiday again urged people to leave the region, with five humanitarian corridors agreed for Monday.

'You are alive because a Russian shell has not yet hit your house or basement - evacuate, buses are waiting, our military routes are as secure as possible,' he wrote on Telegram.

Over the weekend, nearly 50 wounded and elderly patients were transported from the east in a hospital train by medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the first such evacuation since the Kramatorsk attack.

Electrician Evhen Perepelytsia was rescued after he lost his leg in shelling in his hometown of Hirske.

'We hope that the worst is over - that after what I've been through, it will be better,' said the 30-year-old after arriving in the western city of Lviv.

On Monday, the Chairman of the Board of Ukrainian Railways, Alexander Kamyshin, said another railway station in the east had been attacked overnight.

'They continue to aim at the railway infrastructure,' he wrote.
Senator Ted Cruz has signed an open letter to Yale Law School, calling on administrators to punish a woke mob of protesters who disrupted a debate on free speech last month.

The letter, addressed to Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken and three associate deans, was sent on Thursday. It references what Cruz and his hundreds of co-authors authors described as the 'deeply disturbing incident' that took place on campus on March 10. That saw a group of some 120 students shouted down and threatened a conservative panelist during a free speech debate.

It read: 'Instead of engaging with the panelists, a shocking number of Yale Law students hurled constant insults and obscenities at them and tried to prevent them from speaking and being heard.

'Our nation desperately needs the next generation of attorneys, legislators, judges, and Supreme Court justices to be marked by the character and values that undergird the American legal profession and a free society.'

The letter also called on Yale to punish the mob of students for their 'physical intimidation and menacing behavior.'

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Senator Ted Cruz last week signed an open letter to Yale Law School, demanding that administrators punish protesters who disrupted last month's free speech event. The Texas Republican is scheduled to visit the campus on Monday night

Cruz, a Republican from Texas, is scheduled to visit Yale Law School at the invitation of the school's William F Buckley Jr program on Monday night to record an episode of Verdict, the political podcast that he co-hosts.

The lawmaker is set to be met with his own protests - but has asked them to remain civil, and says he welcomes questions afterwards from people who disagree with his views.

When Cruz's visit was announced last week, progressive Yale Law students signaled their intention to stage another protest, arguing that the outspoken right-wing lawmaker should not be given a platform.

They claimed to be offended by Cruz's remarks on transgenderism and his support for the theory that Donald Trump's 2020 presidential election win was 'stolen.'

Besides Cruz, the letter to the leadership of Yale Law School was signed by Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, nine sitting members of the House of Representatives, five governors and 26 state attorneys general

The open letter sent to the leadership of Yale Law School argued that the protesters who derailed last month's discussion featuring attorney Kristen Waggoner by hurling 'constant insults and obscenities' at her and other panelists violated the school's' free speech policy, which bars any protest that 'interferes with speakers' ability to be heard and of community members to listen,' reported Yale Daily News.

Besides Cruz, the letter was signed by Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, nine sitting members of the House of Representatives, five governors and 26 state attorneys general, along with a mishmash of various conservative leaders, including former Trump cabinet member Dr Ben Carson, and the president of the Heritage Foundation.

The signatories contended that Yale Law School administrators have failed to adequately discipline the 120 students who took part on last month's raucous protest, during which one student was heard shouting at the female speaker: 'I'll fight you, b****!'

'Yales statement in response to these media reports defended the student disruptors and grossly downplayed the chaos they wrought,' the letter stated. 'Paradoxically, the statement also cites the universitys supposed bedrock commitment to free speech.'

On March 10, some 120 students disrupted a panel discussion featuring a conservative Christian lawyer. Protesters hurled profanities and shouted threats

The panel featured conservative Christian Kristen Waggoner (right), who was threatened with, 'I'll fight you b*tch,' among other obscenities

Appealing directly to Dean Gerken, the authors of the missive urged her 'to take concrete action to correct the course of Yale Law School. Our nation desperately needs the next generation of attorneys, legislators, judges, and Supreme Court justices to be marked by the character and values that undergird the American legal profession and a free society.'

Waggoner, a Christian conservative lawyer from the right-wing non-profit group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), was invited to debate Monica Miller, a liberal from the American Humanist Association, about freedom of speech at Yale Law School last month.

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 Us Supreme Court, but protesters were outraged by the ADF's successful Supreme Court defense of a Colorado baker who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding.

The purpose of the March 10 discussion, which was hosted by the Federalist Society, was to illustrate that a conservative Christian and a liberal atheist could find common ground on free speech issues.

Video from the event showed students threatening the guest speakers and staff, berating Waggoner, who was ultimately escorted by police officers out of the building along with the other panelist. Protesters were heard chanting 'protect trans kids' and 'shame, shame' throughout the law school campus.

Students and professors claimed the protesters were so loud that they disrupted classes, exams and faculty meetings.

Dean Gerken later issued a statement, claiming that the protesters had been 'spoken to' about their 'unacceptable' conduct during the event, but argued that the foul-mouthed display had not actually broken the school's free speech rules.

Waggoner and Federalist Society President Zack Austin both criticized the Yale Laew School rabble-rousers, while US Court of Appeals Judge Laurence Silberman recommended in an email sent to all federal judges in the nation that they consider whether students involved in the protest should be 'disqualified for potential clerkships.'

The authors of the April 7 open letter urged Dean Gerken to condemn the behavior of students who took part in the March 10 protest and take 'appropriate disciplinary actions in keeping with Yales free speech policies.'

They also called on the administrator to commit to inviting diverse speakers to campus, and to retract her initial statement addressing the fracas.

'What happened at Yale Law School on March 10, 2022 was disgraceful. But it creates an opportunity for you to send a clear message to the country about the importance of free speech and civil discourse,' the signatories contended.

Some Yale Law students pushed back against the conservative narrative, arguing that the letter signed by Cruz and others was nothing more than a partisan attack aimed at silencing protesters.

'I may have disagreed with some protesters approaches, but its absurd to frame what happened as a "woke mob" or censorship of any form,' student Rachel Perler told the Yale Daily News in an email. 'Censorship is really not the same as freedom from any pushback or criticisms by the groups ADF wants to criminalize  queer and transgender students.'

The letter was made public just days before Senator Cruz's scheduled appearance at Yale Law School after an invite by the William F. Buckley Jr. program in partnership with the Young America's Foundation's Irving Brown Lecture Series.

Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah (right), also signed the letter, which demanded that Yale Law School enforce its policies aimed at protecting free speech

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.

The sold-out event is expected to draw protests, raising concerns that it would be a repeat of the March 10 fiasco.

Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken said in a statement last month that the protesters had not broken the school's free speech rules

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.
Sabina Nessa's sister has accused Home Secretary Priti Patel of using the murdered teacher's name 'for publicity' and said the attack has left her family 'scared to walk the streets alone'.

Jebina Yasmin Islam said the impact of the killing has been 'horrendous' for her family who she claimed would have been treated better if they had been a 'normal British white family'.

Referring to senior politicians, she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'They've not said nothing. Priti Patel has done a tweet on Friday and I was not happy about it because all of a sudden she's using my sister's name for publicity reasons.

'And to be honest she has no right.'

Koci Selamaj, an 'evil' sexual predator, was jailed for at least 36 years for the murder of Ms Nessa.

The 36-year-old travelled to London from the south coast to carry out the premeditated attack on a random woman on September 17 last year.

On Friday, Selamaj refused to go to the Old Bailey and was jailed for life in his absence.

Sabina Nessa's sister Jebina Yasmin Islam accused Home Secretary Priti Patel of using the murdered teacher's name 'for publicity' and accused the government of a lack of support

Ms Nessa was attacked and killed by Koci Selamaj, an 'evil' sexual predator, who was last week jailed for at least 36 years

In her interview on Monday morning, Ms Islam said she had had support from the Royal Borough of Greenwich and MP Clive Efford but 'higher up people' had been 'useless'.

'I think its just down to our ethnicity to be honest', she added.

'And I feel like if we were a normal British white family we would have been treated equally, I guess.'

Asked today about the impact Ms Nessa's murder has had on her family, Ms Islam said: 'The impact has been horrendous. Its been traumatising going into court several times, seeing him there the first two times.

'I think the Government should do something quick because I dont want no other family to go through what we are.

'Its a bad dream. Thats how I explain it all the time.'

Albanian national Koci Selamaj, 36, used 'extreme violence' to kill teacher Ms Nessa, 28, whose body was uncovered underneath a pile of leaves in Cator Park, London

Appearing on Good Morning Britain, Ms Islam said the 'surreal and heartbreaking' incident has left her and her sisters 'scared to walk the streets alone'.

She added: 'You would never have thought that your young 28-year-old sister was brutally taken away.

'If she was ill we could have had some time to spend time with her, make memories, but her life was taken away without a second thought and out of nowhere.

'It has impacted on us a lot. It has impacted myself and my sisters who are scared to walk the streets alone now.'

When asked about Selemaj receiving a minimum of 36 years for the murder of Ms Nessa, Ms Islam said 'life should mean life', adding: 'He's taken my sister's life without a second thought, so he should have all of his rights taken away because he didn't turn up to court on Thursday and Friday, and if you've taken a life you should serve until you die in prison - a tougher sentence.'

Asked about Selamaj not attending his sentencing, Ms Islam said: 'I was frustrated. We were like, "He is such a coward, not facing up to what he has done".

'It made me angry because I wanted him to hear our impact statement to show how much hurt he's caused my family.'

Asked if the court should have the power to force someone to attend, she said: 'Definitely. I think it's so important, the fact that they should be able to make the murderer, the perpetrator, come into court and listen.'

Selamaj strangled Ms Nessa (pictured) in undergrowth and removed her tights and underwear in what was suspected to be a sexually-motivated attack, prosecutors said

She added convicts should not have the freedom to say they do not want to attend court.

Ms Islam also claimed newspapers treated her sister's murder 'differently' to the murder of Sarah Everard, who was killed by serving police officer Wayne Couzens, and said it was 'maybe down to her ethnicity'.

Garage worker Selamaj targeted 28-year-old Ms Nessa as she walked through Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east London, to meet a friend at 8.34pm on September 17.

CCTV footage captured the moment he ran up behind her and hit her over the head 34 times with a 2ft metal traffic triangle.

He carried her unconscious body up a grassy bank and out of view.

He then pulled up her clothes, removed her tights and underwear, and strangled her before covering her body in grass.

Ms Nessa, who taught a year one class at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford, was found nearly 24 hours later near a community centre in the park.
Calling a middle-aged woman 'good girl' in the office is sexual harassment, a tribunal has ruled.

An employment tribunal judge said 'language evolves over time' and though the term may have seemed 'harmless once, it is now 'demeaning'.

Employment Judge Gary Tobin's warning about sexist language in the workplace came as a British female executive successfully sued a 3billion company over the remarks.

Frances Fricker, 39, is now in line for compensation after she was repeatedly called 'good girl' by boss Giuseppe Ajroldi despite objecting to it, the tribunal heard.

Sales manager Mr Ajroldi's 'condescending' behaviour 'degraded and humiliated' accounts executive Ms Fricker who complained that she was an 'independent woman'.

Frances Fricker, 39, has won her sexual harassment tribunal after being called a 'good girl' by her 'condescending' boss over two years at 'toxic', male-dominated consultancy firm Gartner

Sales manager and boss Giuseppe Ajroldi repeatedly called Ms Fricker a 'good girl', despite having been told by her that she found the phrase 'condescending', as well as making 'unwanted sexual advances' towards her, the tribunal heard

The tribunal heard 'controlling' Mr Ajroldi also mocked Ms Fricker's weight by saying she looked 'fat' in photos and once tried to kiss and touch her on a business trip.

When she complained to bosses at international business consultancy firm Gartner, she was told she had flirted back to Mr Ajroldi.

Now, after being forced into resigning, mother Ms Fricker is in line to win compensation after suing Gartner for sexual harassment.

The tribunal heard Mr Ajroldi was part of a 'toxic' and male-dominated culture at Gartner, which has a Europe headquarters in Egham, Surrey, and an office in London.

After joining Gartner in September 2017, Mr Ajroldi, pestered Ms Fricker into changing the profile picture on her LinkedIn profile, telling her, 'You are beautiful... for once trust your manager'.

He also showed her photos from her Facebook profile and would 'laugh' and tell her 'she looked fat' - even once '[puffing] out his cheeks' and 'pretending to be overweight', making her feel 'degraded and humiliated'.

The panel heard Mr Ajroldi also 'frequently' referred to Ms Fricker as a 'good girl', which she responded to on one occasion with a 'facepalm' emoji alongside the female gender symbol.

She added 'I'm an independent woman for goodness sake', to which Mr Ajroldi 'played dumb' and replied 'good girl is not appropriate*?'.

After telling him the phrase was 'just a little condescending' he hit back saying 'sorry, I didn't want to offend an independent woman'.

The tribunal heard Mr Ajroldi used the patronising phrase twice more that month in February 2018, with Ms Fricker telling him: 'I'm not even going to respond.'

After he promised not to call her the name again she answered his original question, and Mr Ajroldi replied: 'Ok, thanks good girl.'

In August 2018 Mr Ajroldi 'insisted' in joining Ms Fricker on an overnight business trip and was rebuffed after making 'unwanted sexual advances' towards her including attempting to 'kiss and touch' her in her hotel room.

He apologised the following morning and Ms Fricker told him explicitly that this behaviour 'needed to stop'.

But the following month she felt 'shocked, disgusted and threatened' after Mr Ajroldi suggested it would be 'funny' if he organised a date with her 'disguised as someone else' on a dating app she used.

She later raised a grievance against Mr Ajroldi but was told managers regarded Mr Ajroldi's behaviour as 'reciprocal' and that she had 'participated in the behaviour'.

Mr Ajroldi later left the company - but was not sacked - but Ms Fricker was still harassed by other male colleagues, including being called an 'oxygen thief'.

She resigned in October 2019, telling bosses: 'The continued bullying, victimisation and less favourable treatment I've received as a result of a previous harassment grievance, not creating a safe environment to work in, forcing me to work in a hostile environment and not sporting a reasonable request to move into a different team to allow me to perform well is the final act and one I can no longer tolerate.'

Employment Judge Gary Tobin said the extent of such a 'discriminatory' culture was 'rare' in his experience, and added language which may once have appeared 'harmless' now had a different meaning.

The tribunal heard that managers at Gartner had said they regarded Mr Ajroldi's behaviour as 'reciprocal'. Pictured: Gartner consultancy firm headquarters in Egham, Surrey

Judge Tobin said: 'We are an experienced Tribunal and note that documentary evidence indicating such a discriminatory culture is rare.

'The harassment started slightly at first with comments, particularly about the her appearance and her standing (i.e. good girl) which then escalated into inappropriate advances.

'Language evolves over time. Words and phrases that might once have seemed harmless are now regarded as racial, homophobic and sexist slurs.

'Some phrases, whilst not regarded as taboo, are generally regarded as inappropriate in the workplace.

'Referring to a woman in her late-30s with a school-age child as a girl is demeaning.

'We find Ms Fricker was sexually harassed and treated less favourably because of her rejection of the harassment.'

Ms Fricker's claims of constructive unfair dismissal also succeeded, though other complaints of sex discrimination and victimisation failed.

Compensation will be determined at a later date.

A corporate spokesperson for Gartner said: 'We are extremely disappointed in the ruling of the UK Employment Tribunal.

'We do not believe the evidence supports the ruling and we are currently determining potential next steps, including whether we will appeal this decision.

'At Gartner, we are committed to creating an inclusive culture where every associate feels safe, respected and empowered to do their best work.'
President Joe Biden on Monday will again press Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a harder stance on Russia's war in the Ukraine.

At the top of the meeting, he told Modi he looks forward to 'our continued consultation and dialogue' and noted the two countries care about the same 'global concerns.'

Biden thanked Modi for India's humanitarian support for the Ukraine.

'The United States and India is going to continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilizing effects of this Russian war. And I'm looking forward to our discussion today,' Biden said.

Biden and Modi's virtual meeting comes as India - a member of The Quad alliance along with the United States - has remained neutral in the conflict.

Modi, however, defended his country's position, saying he has spoken both with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, urging them to hold talks for a cease fire.

'I spoke several times on the phone to the presidents of both Ukraine and Russia. I not only appealed for peace, but also suggested that there be direct talks between President Putin and the president of Ukraine,' Modi said.

He also condemned the mass killings in Bucha, Ukraine. He noted India has seen medicine and other humanitarian assistance to the Ukraine.

The first few minutes of the two leaders virtual call were made public before journalists were ushered out and the conversation continued behind closed doors.

India continues to buy oil from Russia, purchasing at least 13 million barrels of Russian crude oil since Putin invaded Ukraine in late February despite pressure from the U.S. to scale back its purchases.

As the war in the Ukraine enters its seventh week and Russia shifts its campaign to the eastern front, India's neutralilty has raised concerns in Washington and earned praise from the Russians.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised India this month for judging 'the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.'

And the situation has become a test for the Biden administration, which has tried to keep U.S. allies in lockstep against Putin's aggression.

President Joe Biden will again press Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a harder stance on Russia's war in the Ukraine in virtual call

President Joe Biden meets virtually with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second left, and Indian Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh, second right

India's neutrality on the Russia-Ukraine war has been a test for President Joe Biden's administration

The call comes after India abstained when the U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers have engaged in war crimes.

Ukraine will be one of the main topics, according to the Biden administration.

'President Biden will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russia's brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilizing impact on global food supply and commodity markets,' Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Sunday.

The announcement of the call from Modi's government made no mention of the Ukraine. It merely said the two leaders wold discuss 'global issues of mutual interest.'

Biden and Modi last spoke in March. The president recently said that only India among the Quad countries was 'somewhat shaky' in acting against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

India alone of the four Quad nations - the others are United States, Japan and Australia - it has not imposed sanctions on Russia.

India also isn't alone in buying Russian energy. Several European allies - such as Germany - have continued to do so despite public pressure to end the purchases.

After the virtual call, a senior administration official said 'we haven't asked India to do anything in particular' on Russian oil purchases.

The U.S. has banned all Russian energy contracts.

'We know that not all countries will be able to do what we've done,' the official said. 'We know that India is not a major consumer of Russian oil, its current imports are about one to 2% of its total energy imports.'

Daleep Singh, U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economics, who visited India recently, said the United States will not set any 'red line' for India on its energy imports from Russia but does not want to see a 'rapid acceleration' in purchases.

He also said the United States was ready to help India diversify its energy and defense supplies.

The war in the Ukraine is reaching its seventh week

The U.S. has considered sanctions on India for its recent purchase of advanced Russian air defense systems. Moscow is India's biggest supplier of defense equipment.

Biden and Modi's call also will precede the 'U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial' meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, India External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and India Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, the White House said.
A University of Buffalo student said she was 'hunted down' by a woke mob screaming 'no justice, no peace,' after she invited prominent black Republican Lt. Col. Allen West to speak on how he overcame racism.

Therese Purcell, president of the Young Americans for Freedom, a campus club that organized the event, said she and her fellow members only wanted to bring these open dialogues of racism to campus.

But protests erupted after the filled-to-capacity event, leading to an angry mob that chased Purcell, leaving her afraid of what would have happened if she wasn't able to hide from them.

She shared terrifying footage of the incident online, and says it left her fearing for her life, Fox & Friends First reported.

'I realized I was the target for these protesters, and about 200 of my fellow students started hunting me down on campus, started chasing me,' she said.

Purcell said she heard the angry crown screaming, 'go get her, go get her, go capture her, the girl in the red dress.'

Therese Purcell, president of the Young Americans for Freedom, a campus club that organized the event at the University of Buffalo student said she was 'hunted down' by a woke mob screaming 'no justice, no peace'

Protests erupted at an event on the University of Buffalo Thursday featuring black Republican Lt. Col. Allen West, who spoke on how he overcame racism. But the event was cut short after an angry mob yelled ay West and chased students

Purcell said the threats escalated as protesters began screaming 'no peace,' and 'banging on the walls,' which prompted police to escort West out of the building

Students inside the building began protesting and yelling during the Q&A session

Purcell barely escaped the mob as she was pulled into the bathroom by a friend, where they called 911.

But Purcell added that even inside the bathroom, she heard the mob yelling that the need to 'find her.'

'I'm very afraid of what would have happened if I hadn't been able to avoid them,' she said.

'I don't think they were going to do anything remotely peaceful,' Purcell told Fox & Friends First on Monday. 'They were a very angry mob, and they were clearly saying that they were trying to chase me, that they wanted to capture me.'

Purcell spoke out Monday about the terrifying moment she says she was 'hunted down' which made her afraid for her life.

Tensions rose during the Q&A session just following a speech made by Lt. Col. Allen West at Thursday night's event called, America Is Not RacistWhy American Values are Exceptional.

Former Florida congressman and Texas gubernatorial candidate Allen West (pictured at a Palm Beach County Republican Party event in 2011) needed a police escort last week after hundreds of students showed up to protest the event

Lt. Col. Allen West: Decorated military veteran and former Florida congressman Former Florida congressman and Texas gubernatorial candidate Allen West was previously a member of the U.S. House, representing Florida's 22nd Congressional District from 2011 until 2013. West was the first black Republican elected from Florida since Reconstruction. Most recently, West ran for Governor of Texas, but lost in the Republican primary on March 1, 2022. West was born in a black-only hospital grew up in the same inner-city Atlanta, Georgia neighborhood as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was third of four consecutive generations in his family to serve in the United States Armed Forces. After graduating from the University of Tennessee and earned his master's degree from Kansas State University. West also earned a master of military arts and sciences degree from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff Officer College in political theory and military history and operations. West says he wants to leave behind a legacy of 'being one who honored his oath to the constitution and safeguarded individual rights, freedoms, and liberty,' according to Ballotpedia. Advertisement

Purcell said students inside the building began protesting and yelling - along with hundreds of others who had gathered outside the event.

'While they were screaming that we were trying to silence black voices, we were actually trying to bring this conversation to campus,' Purcell said. 'But instead of asking questions, they resorted to violence.'

Purcell said the threats escalated as protesters began screaming 'no peace,' and 'banging on the walls,' which prompted police to escort West out of the building.

West, 61, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, and former chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, was escorted out of the event surrounded by police - but was met with even more protesters.

Purcell, who was with West, said there were hundreds of protesters screaming at them and she quickly became separated when the mob got in between her and the police who were protecting West.

She said that's when she decided to turn around and walk peacefully back to her car. But the mob began to target her, urging one another to 'capture' her.

Purcell said the mob moved on to hunt down other members of the club and claims they physically assaulted one of the board members by kicking and punching him.

'I didn't think it was going to be as controversial to say on an American campus that American values are a good thing,' Purcell said.

'American values are worth protecting. I don't think they like Colonel West's message that he did experience racism but he overcame that, and he decided not to be a victim and that America gave him that equality of opportunity that many other countries don't.'

'I think these people like to see themselves as the victim, and his message fundamentally challenged that,' she continued.

West joined Fox & Friends on Sunday to discuss the controversy surrounding his recent visit, stating that the students involved in the campus protests just 'want to be victims.'

West said his background of being born in a blacks-only hospital and raised in the same Atlanta neighborhood as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. warrants his opinion on race and American exceptionalism

'If you want to talk about race and American exceptionalism, why shouldn't a black man that was born 61 years ago in a blacks-only hospital, that rose through the ranks to become a lieutenant colonel when his dad was a corporal in the segregated Army, became a member of the United States House of Representatives,' West said on the show Sunday.

'But these kids want to be victims. They don't want to hear that. They're very militant, they're very radical, and I'm glad that we exposed them.'

West was previously a member of the U.S. House, representing Florida's 22nd Congressional District from 2011 until 2013. He was the first black Republican elected from Florida since Reconstruction.

Most recently, West ran for Governor of Texas, but lost in the Republican primary on March 1, 2022.

The University at Buffalo Police Department told 7News that it is investigating reports of harassment filed following the campus event.

The University of Buffalo issued a statement on Friday, confirming that the school is also conducting a thorough review of the protests.

'These events do not define who we as a university are, nor do they define who we aspire to be,' said Barbara Ricotta, UB's dean of students.

'As a university community, we will continue to strive to be a place where all students can express themselves, be heard and live their lives in a welcoming and safe environment that values diversity and inclusion.'
Mysterious chalk markings are being scrawled on homes in a Stoke on Trent street amid fears they are part of a secret 'Da Pinci code' used by burglars or dog-nappers.

The circles and circles with a diagonal line which have been drawn in white chalk are sparking fear among families that live in Beville Street, Fenton.

There has been some disagreement about whether the so-called 'Da Pinci Code' markings indicate 'nothing worth stealing' or are a reference made by utility workers to where the 'water supply' is located.

The method has been associated with burglaries and linked to dog thefts according to a safeguarding agency and some police forces.

But West Mercia Police have long claimed this is a myth as utility workers are also known to leave signs on walls to indicate an area has been checked for potential issues like a gas leak or to earmark where a water pipe is located.

Whatever they mean, residents in Stoke on Trent are 'keeping an eye' out for thieves after being 'worried' by the markings.

The circles and circles with a diagonal line which have been drawn in white chalk (seen here) are sparking fear among families that live in Beville Street, Fenton

Nick Taylor lives in one of the homes that has been marked (a white circle with a line through it) in Beville Street

Nick Taylor, 39, who lives in one of the homes that has been marked in Beville Street said it has left him feeling 'worried'.

He added: 'I've heard about people doing it. It's usually done for dogs.

'My doorbell picks up on anyone who walks outside my house, so I will have a look through my doorbell footage for anyone suspicious.

'I'll be keeping an eye out and I'll wash the mark off and have a look up the street.'

Chelsea Coleman's property, in Beville Street, has also been marked.

The 28-year-old said: 'It's peculiar. A lady messaged me a few weeks ago about people using chalk to mark houses.

'I never saw anyone do it. I'm a bit creeped out. I'll just be keeping an eye out.

'Touch wood, we've lived here since 2005 and had nothing other than two bikes stolen last year.

'I work from home, so I'd see them if they tried to break in as I'm home all the time.

'Maybe it's just a utility company because it's on almost every house.'

George Millward's property in Beville Street has not been marked with the chalk, but he says everyone in the street is keeping an eye out.

The 85-year-old said: 'I've been told it's burglars. We don't have one on our house, but one or two have got them.

'I'm not worried about it because I've got nothing for them to pinch. But everyone is keeping more of an eye out. We always do, me and the wife.

'I hope it's just something innocent. The police have been informed by a woman up the road.

'She told the police about it after she had a marking appear.'

George Millward's property in Beville Street (pictured) has not been marked with the chalk, but he says everyone in the street is keeping an eye out

The Safeguarding Hub - which shares home protection advice and information across the UK - previously said: 'Between us, we have a fairly extensive knowledge of burglary.

'We have spent many hours speaking to distraught victims, visiting crime scenes and dealing with burglars.

'We have actually seen and experienced these symbols being used by criminals.

'This is not to say that this is a common practice between bands of thieves, for most burglars work alone.

'We do not want to scaremonger and we can say confidentially that the use of these symbols is very rare.

'But, if you are a caregiver to an elderly or vulnerable person and spot strange marks outside their home, do you really want to dismiss it out of hand without just ensuring that the symbol is legitimate?'

While the symbols may not be cause for concern, they should be reported to police on the non-emergency 101 number.

Elsewhere in the country, they have been dubbed the 'Da Pinci Code' with signs for 'nothing worth stealing', 'wealthy' and 'good target'.

Chelsea Coleman's property, in Beville Street, has also been marked (a white circle pictured)

In Desborough, Northamptonshire in 2021, Gemma Smallbones, said after a man claiming to be a salesman from energy company called to her home, she noticed the markings.

While in 2013, Salford police urged people to come forward after they believed they were being used to mark the addresses of elderly people.

And Plumstead police in London Tweeted in 2019 that the symbols can mean 'too risky', 'nothing worth stealing' and 'previously burgled'.

A triangle symbol is used to show a single woman lives in the property on her own, or vertical lines could imply a house has obvious valuables inside.

Also keep an eye out for letters 'M' which tells other burglars to strike in the morning, whereas 'N' means a night-time intrusion.

A West Mercia Police spokesman told The Sun then: 'We are aware of messages circulating again on social media purporting to be describing the 'criminals code' of paint or chalk markings left outside properties, identifying future potential targets for thieves and burglars.

'However, there is no actual evidence to link these symbols to anything other than completely innocent and easily explainable activities.'

The Institute of Highway Engineers said: "The markings usually refer to the position of cables and pipes below the surface and often marked out in advance of proposed works.

"They can indicate depth, owner and direction."

The various meanings include indicating power lines, flammable material, water, drains or possible excavations routes.

The five circles does not mean a family is wealthy, but instead shows how many cables are inside a cable duct.

The two rectangles illustrate that there is potential movement of a manhole, rather than the occupants being nervous and afraid.

An 'X' in a box stands for 'water' and does not mean that a house with that marking is a good target, while an 'X' in a circle shows the position of a proposed new lamppost instead of a property that's not worth stealing from.
Princess Diana's biographer claims that Prince Harry despises the Duchess of Cornwall and that he may exacerbate his estrangement with the royal family by 'going after her and Prince Charles in his planned memoirs.

Tina Brown, 68, stated the Duke of Sussex, 37, has never made peace with Prince Charles and Camilla's relationship and does not want Camilla to become Queen, in an interview with the Telegraph Magazine ahead of the release of her new book, The Palace Papers.

Prince Harry is "Very Angry" at Camilla

She went on to say that Prince Charles' estranged son, who lives in California with his wife Meghan Markle, 40, and their daughters Archie and Lilibet, will certainly express his dissatisfaction in his memoirs, which are due out later this year.

Brown, who formerly worked as the editor-in-chief of Tatler and the editor of Vanity Fair, claimed Harry never warmed up to Camilla. The author quotes an anonymous courtier in her new book as saying that when Harry was finally persuaded to be in the same room as Camilla, he would remain mute and give her venomous stares.

Prince William has learned to accept his father's relationship with Camilla. Still, the Duke of Sussex is 'very furious' that the Duchess of Cornwall will become Queen Consort when Prince Charles ascends to the throne.

The Duke of Cambridge is allegedly outraged over his brother's persistent assaults on the Royal Family. Prince William and Harry's relationship first became strained in the months leading up to Megxit and has progressively deteriorated in the months following.

He was especially enraged by how his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, had been singled out. Since Harry and Meghan stood aside from royal responsibilities, they have only been pictured together twice: at the burial of their grandpa, the Duke of Edinburgh, in April last year and at the installation of a statue in honor of their mother, Princess Diana, last summer.

Tina told the Daily Telegraph that the feud with Harry was bad for the royal family because Harry, together with Kate, is the only one who can keep Prince William grounded and prevent him from becoming pretentious.

It comes after Prince Harry's author said that Prince Harry only wants to speak favorably about the Queen in his biography. Harry's choice to work covertly with Pulitzer Prize-winning ghostwriter JR Moehringer on what his publishers characterized as the ultimate account of the events, adventures, losses, and life lessons that have helped form him has alarmed the Royal Family, Daily Mail reported.

Read Also: Dianne Bashor and Philanthropic Advisor, David Malcolm, Support the San Diego Symphony

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Are Absent at Prince Philip's Memorial Service

The Sussexes were not present for Prince Philip's memorial ceremony earlier this month. The Queen claimed to be saddened that her grandson turned down an invitation but could not persuade him to reconsider.

The Home Office has refused to grant Prince Harry access to Met Police security on the same scale as working members of the Royal Family, resulting in a conflict. The prince is ready to pay for such a service for his family whenever they visit Britain after stepping down in March 2020 and moving overseas.

However, he believes that there would be a significant security risk without it. The book has the potential to be a massive cash cow for the Sussexes, but it comes at a price.

Following their departure from their responsibilities, Harry and Meghan Markle heightened tensions by participating in a series of television interviews in which they discussed their royal lifestyles.

In particular, the contentious Oprah Winfrey interview, which took place shortly before the Duke of Edinburgh's death last spring and in which Meghan Markle claimed an anonymous senior royal made racially inappropriate remarks about her then-unborn baby Archie. She also said that Kate Middleton made her weep during the wedding preparations, as per Mirror.

Related Article: Queen Elizabeth Death: Top Secret Files About Her Majesty's Demise Plan Leaked, Prompting Urgent Probe

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Boris Johnson travelled by car, helicopter, military plane and train for his top secret visit to Kyiv where he dined on chicken soup with Volodymyr Zelensky.

Downing Street has revealed more details of the dramatic trip, when the PM became the first leader of a G7 nation to go to the Ukraine capital since the Russian invasion.

Mr Zelensky heaped praise on Mr Johnson after his five-hour stop in Kyiv on Saturday, saying the UK's leadership would 'go down in history'.

The premiers have struck up a close relationship, speaking nearly daily on the phone since the crisis erupted.

Mr Johnson has been eager to visit Kyiv for weeks, but was thwarted by security concerns until Russian troops were pushed back.

The complexity and risks involved in the journey were underlined as No10 revealed that the PM departed the UK on Friday night, but did not return until Sunday morning.

Boris Johnson and Volodymyr Zelensky were handed ceramic cockerels by a woman in Kyiv. They have become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance since one survived bombing in Borodianka

Mr Johnson and Mr Zelensky during their walkabout in Kyiv on Saturday

A video emerged showing Mr Johnson on the train from Poland into Ukraine, shedding light on how the high-risk visit was conducted

The spokeswoman said that 'operational concerns' meant it was still not possible to go into 'too much detail' about the arrangements, but Mr Johnson travelled by car, helicopter, military plane and train to get to Kyiv and back.

He recorded a video on board a Ukrainian train crossing the border from Poland, praising the bravery of staff.

Mr Johnson initially met Mr Zelensky for an hour, followed by a 30-minute walk to Independence Square.

'On arrival in Kyiv, the PM and President Zelensky met for an hour  this was a meeting just with the two of them. They then went on a 30-minute walk together to Independence Square,' the spokeswoman said.

'You'll have seen some of the footage  he met with Ukrainians and passed the memorials that have been put up to victims of the war.'

After returning, they held a further full bilateral meeting over dinner, she added.

The pair had a starter of goats cheese salad and chicken soup, followed by a main course of roast beef and cherry dumplings for dessert.

Asked who accompanied the Prime Minister on the visit, the spokeswoman said: 'It was a very small delegation. I believe it was one member of his private office and then security.'

She said Mr Johnson was in Kyiv for 'around five hours'.

'In terms of the entirety of the visit, he left on Friday evening and he travelled overnight, and he arrived back in the UK on the Sunday morning,' she said.



The PM's presence was intended to be kept secret until he had left the war zone. However, it was mistakenly announced in a mid-afternoon tweet on Saturday by Ukraine's embassy to the UK, which posted a picture of the leaders chatting with the caption 'Surprise' and a winking face emoji.

Mr Johnson praised the Ukrainian troops' staunch resistance that has 'defied odds' in rebuffing Russia's advance towards the capital of Kyiv

A cockerel designed by 20th Century Ukrainian artist Prokip Bidasiuk famously survived intact on a kitchen cabinet after bombing in Borodianka, and has come to represent the resistance

The Ukrainian government explained the symbolism of the cockerels presented to Mr Johnson and Mr Zelensky

Details of the meeting had not been made public prior to the image's release. The Embassy of Ukraine to the UK was one of the first to share the picture, writing: 'Surprise' with a winking face emoji (pictured)

Asked about his 'emotional response' to seeing the destruction, she referred to a previous statement in which the Prime Minister praised the 'heroism' of Ukrainians in the face of Russian aggression.

She said the visit had been in planning for 'several weeks' but the final decision was taken on the advice of security officials on the day of travel.

Mr Johnson was presented with a ceramic cockerel as he walked through the streets of Kyiv with Mr Zelensky.

The premier seemed confused about the meaning of the gift in footage, querying whether it was used for pouring wine.

But it has become symbolic of the resistance after a photograph of one intact on top of a kitchen cabinet amid devastation from Russian bombing.

Asked if the Ukrainian president had explained the significance of the item, and whether it would be placed in the Downing Street office, she said: 'I understand that he took that back with him to Chequers, so he has that.

'And yes, he is aware that it has become a famous symbol of resistance.'

At a joint appearance with Mr Zelensky, Mr Johnson said 'the Ukrainian people are a lion, and you are its roar' as he vowed to send Ukraine 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems to help with the battle against Russia.

Mr Zelensky said: 'The leadership of the united kingdom, in providing our country with all the necessary assistance in terms of defence, as well as leadership in sanctions policy, will go down in history forever.'
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Johnny Depp's $100million defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard kicks off today in Fairfax, Virginia with jury selection.

The two actors were brought into the courthouse in secrecy after Judge Penney Azcarate ordered deputies to stop the proceedings becoming a media circus.

Neither were seen until they appeared in an internal video feed, sitting on opposite sides of the oak-paneled courtroom, Depp, 58, wearing a grey suit and Amber, 35, wearing a black suit jacket and white blouse. The judge also issued an order banning either party from giving autographs or fraternizing with fans.

Judge Azcarate began by grilling the pool of 60 potential jurors about what they knew of the rancorous three-year defamation case.

'We need to find out what you know and whether you can be a fair, impartial juror,' she told the hearing, which was closed to the public. 'What you hear about this case must be limited to what you hear within the four walls of this courtroom.'

The majority of prospective jurors said they had heard snippets about the case, seen photos or had read a handful of articles but all said they could keep an open mind.

Johnny Depp is seen leaving Fairfax County Court House in Virginia Monday at the end of the first day of his $100million defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard

Depp, who wore a gray suit for the first day of trial, has blamed his ex-wife for damaging his reputation after she labeled him an abuser in a 2018 op-ed

The 58-year-old Hollywood star was flanked by his legal team as he left the court

Depp waved to his fans from the back of a black SUV while leaving the Fairfax County courthouse after jury selection Monday

Actress Amber Heard departs court Monday after jury selection in Fairfax, Virginia

The highly anticipated trial is expected to last five or six weeks

One man told the court he was familiar with Depp but had never heard of Amber Heard.

Asked if he was a fan of Depp, he laughed and replied: 'Not really, I've seen his movies.'

Another possible juror read out loud a text message his wife had sent him earlier that morning.

'Amber is Psychotic, Johnny was set up. Nobody pays attention to spousal abuse when the husband is the victim  lol,' he said, laughing.

The message solicited a roar of approval from dozens of Depp fans who had turned up hours earlier to snag a place in the overflow room, dwarfing the handful of reporters.

Asked if he could set aside his wife's 'definitive' opinions, he said he could and joked: 'She tends to exaggerate.'

Fans began gathering outside the courthouse at 5am, the majority there to show support for Depp.

'I love him dearly. I've been a fan for 36 years, I've met him many times,' gushed Yvonne de Boer, who made the pilgrimage from Los Angeles to Virginia.

'I want to be hear from him, to hear him speak his truth. We want him to know he's not alone.'

The former flames are preparing to square up over a December 2018 op-ed Heard penned for the Washington Post declaring herself a domestic violence survivor.

Johnny Depp's $100million defamation trial against ex wife Amber Heard began today in Virginia with jury selection

The actor is seen walking out of the Fairfax courthouse with his team of high-powered attorneys

The former flames are preparing to square up over a December 2018 op-ed Heard penned for the Washington Post declaring herself a domestic violence survivor

Johnny Depp & Amber Heard's names are shown on court docket screen at Virginia Court House

Fans began gathering outside the courthouse at 5am, the majority there to show support for Depp

The Judge issued an order banning either party from giving autographs or fraternizing with fans

After lengthy delays due to the Covid pandemic, the former flames finally lock horns in Fairfax County, Virginia where the Washington Post servers that published the disputed op-ed are based

The article did not mention Depp by name but the veteran actor sued for $50 million, claiming he was booted from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise because of the 'clear implication' he was the abuser.

Debbie Debowski, a member of fan group the 'Johnny Depp Culprits', flew in from Houston.

The two actors were brought into the courthouse in secrecy after Judge Penney Azcarate (pictured) ordered deputies to stop the proceedings becoming a media circus

'I want Johnny to know how much his fans love him. He's just a normal guy, he's gentle and sweet. It's inconceivable that he could behave the way Amber said he did.'

Natasha Miller drove from Reno, Nevada to hear the Pirates of the Caribbean actor speak in person.

'He's lost work, people's perception of him has changed,' she told DailyMail.com.

'I don't think that he did the things that she said he did. I don't buy it. I've heard the audio tapes, she straight up admits hitting him.

'I'll be here until the trial is over. He's the chief, I'll go where the chief goes. He's been my favorite everything for 28 years, ever since I saw him in Benny & Joon. He's a brilliant man.'

Kayla Gauthier, 19, travelled to the trial with her mom to join a crowd of around 30 supporters.

'He's my favorite person. I was raised on his films. He's my hero,' she beamed, proudly showing off her Edward Scissorhands t-shirt.

The couples attorneys will make their opening statements tomorrow morning after a jury of seven people and four alternatives was sworn in late Monday.

Both sides were each allowed to strike off five potential jurors from a panel of 21 before the final 11 were agreed upon.

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp - whose divorce was finalized in January 2017 - are seen together in California the previous year

Not all the supporters were there for Johnny, one group showed up with signs of support for Amber Heard

Fans traveled from around the country to show support for Johnny Depp, calling for 'Justice For Johnny'

'I want Johnny to know how much his fans love him. He's just a normal guy, he's gentle and sweet. It's inconceivable that he could behave the way Amber said he did,' one fan said

'He's lost work, people's perception of him has changed,' one fan told DailyMail.com. 'I don't think that he did the things that she said he did. I don't buy it. I've heard the audio tapes, she straight up admits hitting him'.

Amber Heard's lawyers face Johnny Depp supporters outside Fairfax County Court as they enter court Monday

Depp's attorney Camille Vasquez had asked the pool whether any of them were members of the #MeToo movement against sexual abuse and harassment.

She also asked people about their links to the entertainment industry, law enforcement, whether they had been victims of abuse and whether they had 'a strong opinion of people who use crude or foul language.'

Heard's attorney Elaine Bredehoft asked potential jurors if they had a problem believing a husband could rape or abuse his spouse and whether they felt it was OK for a person to smash things up while drunk.

'Amber Heard has had relationships with both men and women, some would refer to this as bisexual,' she went on, asking if anyone would have 'difficulty' with that. Nobody in the pool indicated an issue.

Bredehoft also asked jurors if they had opinions about the Washington Post newspaper and the Daily Mail. One woman said of the Post: 'It just doesn't reflect my values.'

The case resumes at 10am Tuesday.

Depp's suit claims Heard presented the world with a 'hoax' account of the infamous May 21, 2016 dust up that brought the couple's tumultuous marriage to an end, complete with faked injuries and crocodile tears.

He further alleges that his ex-wife was the actual 'perpetrator' of the violent bouts that scarred their relationship, including a notorious incident in Australia where she allegedly severed his finger with a vodka bottle.

Heard has countersued for $100 million, claiming vengeful Depp has waged a years-long smear campaign, using media allies and internet trolls to silence her and derail her acting career.

She stands by her claim that Depp hurled a phone in her face and viciously battered her during the fateful 2016 fight despite LAPD officers deciding there was no grounds to investigate.

The officers are among dozens of possible witnesses slated to give evidence either in person or via video link over the next six weeks, including Hollywood actors Paul Bettany, James Franco and Ellen Barkin.

This photo shown in court from May 2016 of Amber Heard with an apparently bruised cheek, which has been referred to as an exhibit

Another photo shown to court shows a mark below her eye in an alleged attack Heard claims was her ex-husband's final act or violence towards her

Another intriguing name is Elon Musk whom Depp has accused of having an affair with Heard while they were still married, an accusation the Space X mogul has denied.

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp's caustic relationship February 3, 2015 Johnny Depp and Amber Heard marry in a private civil ceremony at their LA home, four years after they met as co-stars on the set of The Rum Diary. The couple celebrate with a lavish reception on an idyllic private island in the Bahamas that Depp bought in 2004 for $3.6 million. April 21, 2015 Heard breaches Australia's biosecurity laws when she and Depp fail to declare their two Yorkshire terriers when they arrive Down Under on a private jet for the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Heard admits falsifying quarantine documents and is placed on a $1,000 one-month good behavior bond. May 23, 2016 Heard files for divorce after 15 months of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. Four days later a judge issues a temporary restraining order against Depp over domestic violence allegations. Pictures of Heard's alleged injuries hit the tabloids but the LAPD finds no evidence of a crime. August 16, 2016 Depp and Heard reach a $7 million divorce settlement which the actress promises to give to charity. Their marriage was 'intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love,' the former lovers say in a statement. 'There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm'. December 18, 2018 The Washington Post publishes an op-ed by Heard, an ambassador for women's rights at for the American Civil Liberties Union, urging support for women who suffer domestic violence. 'Two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out,' reads the headline. March 1, 2019 Despite not being named in the article, Depp files a $50 million defamation suit in Fairfax Circuit Court, Virginia saying it implied he was an abuser and got him fired from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Depp dismisses Heard's abuse allegations as a 'hoax' and claims he was actually the victim of her violence. August 10, 2020 Heard countersues for $100 million, claiming vengeful Depp and his lawyer Adam Waldman targeted her with a vicious smear campaign, using media allies and internet trolls to amplify false stories about her and derail her acting career. November 1, 2020 Depp faces an uphill battle to save his reputation after he loses a libel battle with a British tabloid that labeled him a 'wife beater'. A judge in London's rules that The Sun's 2018 article was 'substantially true' and that the father-of-two had attacked Heard a dozen times, causing her to fear for her life on three occasions. April 11, 2022 After lengthy delays due to the Covid pandemic, the former flames finally lock horns in Fairfax County, Virginia where the Washington Post servers that published the disputed op-ed are based. The trial is expected to last six to seven weeks and celebrities tipped to give evidence include James Franco, Paul Bettany and Ellen Barkin. Advertisement

But as DailyMail.com revealed last week, the world's richest man will likely swerve proceedings because he's not a Virginia resident and therefore can't be compelled to give evidence.

Depp is fighting an uphill battle to salvage his reputation after Britain's High Court ruled against him last year when he sued The Sun newspaper for calling him a 'wife beater'.

After weeks of testimony, Mr Justice Nicol concluded that the outlet's 2018 article was 'substantially true' and that the father-of-two had attacked Heard a dozen times, causing her to fear for her life on three occasions.

The London court also heard a trove of shocking texts Depp had sent to Avengers star Bettany, vowing: 'Lets burn Amber.'

'Let's drown her before we burn her !!!,' he wrote in November 2013. 'I will f**k her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she's dead.'

Sources close to Depp say he never contemplated settling or dropping the US case and is desperate for a second bite of the cherry in Virginia where the London result will be kept from jurors.

Armed with a battery of highly-paid lawyers - including Kathleen Zellner of Making a Murderer fame - he's confident of tipping the balance with additional evidence that didn't feature in the 'wife beater' case.

DailyMail.com has led the world in revealing much of the material over the past two years, from explosive audio recordings to bombshell depositions and police videos.

The cache includes bodycam footage from LAPD officers who visited the ex-couple's LA apartment on the night of the blowout 2016 fight.

Heard claims that her ex-husband assaulted her before smashing up their $1.5 million home  but his lawyers will argue the videos don't show any trace of damage.

Depp's team will also cast doubt on photos of Heard's injuries by calling upon forensic pathologists and computer experts to explain how the wounds don't match up with the abuse described by the Aquaman actress.

And they may also confront Heard with audio recordings in which she talks about hitting Depp and questions whether anyone would believe he was a domestic violence victim.

'I can't promise I won't get physical again. God I f**king sometimes get so mad I lose it,' she says in one clip, previously published by DailyMail.com.

'Tell the world Johnny Depp, a man, I'm a victim too of domestic violence  see how many believe or side with you,' she adds in a second.

Heard's promise to give away her entire $7 million divorce settlement, splitting it between the ACLU and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, will also come under the microscope.

DailyMail.com previously revealed that Depp's lawyers subpoenaed both organizations last year to find out if they ever got the money.

They will tell jurors that the hospital got $100,000, rather than the promised $3.5 million, while the ACLU received just $450,000.

Another $500,000 came from someone named 'Elon', who Depp's lawyers will say is Elon Musk.

Heard insists she will honor her pledge - but hasn't been able to do so thus far because of the spiraling cost of her legal war with Depp.

Insiders believe the couple have each spent upwards of $20 million to date.

Depp and Heard met on the set of The Rum Diary in 2011, married four years later  then split in a little over a year amid a slew of blood curdling domestic violence allegations and tabloid headlines.

After finalizing their divorce in early 2017 the feud appeared to have fizzled until Heard published her December 2018 op-ed, headed: 'I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out.'

The article prompted Depp to file for defamation in Virginia, where the Washington Post's servers and several of its offices are based, stating: 'Ms. Heard is not a victim of domestic abuse; she is a perpetrator.'

Heard's counterclaim argues that it's both true that she suffered years of abuse at the hands of her 'monster' ex and that it's her right to talk about it under the First Amendment.

Her lawyers will argue that various media statements made by Depp's longtime ally and lawyer Adam Waldman branding her a liar and calling her claims a hoax were false, defamatory and designed to wreck her career.

She's also accused Depp and Waldman of harassing her on Twitter, promulgating smear stories and using fake accounts and Russian 'bots' to amplify negative coverage, demanding twice as much in damages from her former husband.

According to confidantes it's not about the money, however, it's about Heard 'reclaiming her voice' and her ability to advocate for abuse victims.

If she succeeds, three-times Oscar-nominated Depp, the globally-famous star of more than 50 Hollywood movies grossing $10 billion, could lose his entire fortune as well as what's left of his reputation.

But there's no turning back now, according to his rep.

'This case being brought to trial is proof that the court acknowledges the notable amount of preliminary wins, evidence and witnesses in support of Johnny,' the spokeswoman said.

'To decline the opportunity to clear one's name and allow someone taking advantage of the system to walk away with zero repercussions would be careless and set a dangerous precedent for similar situations in the future.'
There are new fears in Russia that an historian who robbed the graves of 29 young girls and lived with their mummified corpses will be released from custody.

Anatoly Moskvin, 55, turned the dead girls into 'dolls', dressing them in stockings, clothes and knee-length boots.

He also applied lipstick and face make-up on the corpses.

The highly-educated bodysnatcher - an expert on cemeteries and former military intelligence translator - marked the birthday of each of his dead victims in his bedroom in chilling rituals.

Until now, courts have repeatedly refused to release him, but psychiatric medics are now reported to insist there is no medical reason to keep him in secure accommodation.

Parents of the dead children have pleaded to keep him behind bars for the rest of his life, fearing he will return to his sinister old habit which saw him living with some children's remains for up to ten years.

But multiple reports including by Vesti and Komsomolskaya Pravda say a new diagnosis aims to end his incarceration in a special hospital which has lasted for more than ten years.

He is to be categorised as 'incapacitated' which means he could live with friends or relatives or in a care institution which does not lock him up, they say.

Anatoly Moskvin, 55, turned the dead girls into 'dolls', dressing them in stockings, clothes and knee-length boots. He also applied lipstick and face make-up on the corpses

Moskvin has told the authorities he wants to marry his girlfriends and work as a foreign languages tutor.

He has consistently refused to apologise to the families of his victims.

The move to recommend freeing him in Nizhny Novgorod has been met by incredulity.

The corpse of murder victim Olga Chardymova, aged ten, was one of the 29 he dug up and turned into mummified dolls, some with music boxes wedged in their chests.

Her mother Natalia Chardymova, 50, did not realise that on her regular visits to her daughter's graveside, the coffin was empty because Moskvin had stolen Olga's corpse for his sick collection.

Though 26 bodies were found in his home at the time of his arrest, it is believed he had dug up an astonishing 150 graves before he was finally apprehended. Pictured: A head of one of the corpses covered in wax

'This latest news about releasing him is certainly not good,' said Natalia.

'I am also very afraid that he will go back to his old ways. I have no faith in his recovery. He's a fanatic.

'And it will be very hard for us, God forbid, to go through those events one more time - exhumation and reburial - if he again finds the place she was reburied.

'My health is failing me, and I don't think I can face this. I do not want tragic events. Life is tough anyway now.'

She has consistently opposed his release and said 'this creature brought fear, terror and panic into my life' with his 'grotesque' abuse of the dead children.

'I would be happy to know he will spend his life in the hospital,' she said.

Her mother Natalia Chardymova, 50, pictured did not realise that on her regular visits to her daughter's graveside, the coffin was empty because Moskvin had stolen Olga's corpse for his sick collection

He was arrested a decade ago after it emerged he had dug up corpses of girls aged between three and 12 in order to mummify them

Online commenter Anna Perova said: 'I'm shocked if they release him.'

'His doctors [making the new diagnoses] can't all be idiots to release him,' said Dmitry Kharitonov.

Lyubov Pautova also mocked the move.

'Let's release all mad people and be afraid. Society needs them so much,' she said.

'There are plenty of people on the rune who we still need to catch. And here is one we caught who is to be released.'

The grave robber has refused to apologise to the victims, saying in 2020: 'These girls are girls.

'There are no parents in my view.

Moskvin was detained in 2011, and confessed to 44 counts of abusing graves of girls aged three to 12. In Soviet times, he worked as a translator for military intelligence in the Red Army, and later wrote several history books (one of the dolls at Moskvin's flat)

Investigators were alerted to his horrific collection of bodies, which he had dressed up like dolls and positioned around his home, after Moskvin's parents made a visit

'I don't know any of them.

'Besides, they buried their daughters, and this is where I believe their rights over them finished

'So no, I would not apologise.'

Earlier he told the parents: 'You abandoned your girls in the cold - and I brought them home and warmed them up.'

Moskvin was detained in 2011, and confessed to 44 counts of abusing graves of girls aged three to 12.

In Soviet times, he worked as a translator for military intelligence in the Red Army, and later wrote several history books.

His mother Elvira, 83, said: 'We saw these dolls but we did not suspect there were dead bodies inside. We thought it was his hobby to make such big dolls and did not see anything wrong with it.'

She claimed after a 2020 decision against releasing him that the court was biased against her son who was 'not able to be in society, work, or get married'.

Investigators were alerted to his horrific collection of bodies, which he had dressed up like dolls and positioned around his home, after Moskvin's parents made a visit
A self-confessed member of ISIS who pleaded guilty to running the organization's communications for five years has taken the stand in federal court to identify British national El Shafee Elsheikh as a fellow jihadist.

Prosecutors called Omer Kuzu, 26, to testify Monday morning as the Virginia trial of 33-year-old Elsheikh draws ever nearer to a close.

Kuzu's dramatic appearance as a brief but key witness had been shrouded in secrecy for security reasons.

This morning he raised his hand and pointed to Elsheikh where he sat, describing his clothing and identifying him as a fellow fighter whom he had met under a nom de guerre between 2014 and 2017, while Kuzu himself was a member of ISIS.

He also confirmed that a picture of Elsheikh was the image of the man he had met all those years ago.

Jurors in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia Monday heard testimony from ex-ISIS member Omer Kuzu (pictured) who pleaded guilty to terror charges last September

Kuzu (pictured during his testimony) took the stand and pointed to and identified defendant El Shafee Elsheik (pictured in white Monday) 33, who is accused of participating in an ISIS torture cell responsible for the deaths of four Americans

For his part Kuzu, an American citizen from Texas, was captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces in March 2019 and returned to the US by the FBI.

At the time he was described as, 'an American citizen radicalized on American soil.'

In September 2020 he pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and he remains in federal custody.

Elsheikh stands accused of being one of three ISIS members, known by their captives as 'the Beatles' for their British accents and involved in the taking of 26 hostages and the murders of US journalists James Foley and Steven Stoloff and relief workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller.

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

French photographer and former hostage Didier Francois took the stand immediately after Kuzu.

He spent 10 months in captivity in Syria and has spoken publicly of the unimaginable horrors he witnessed during that time.

During his testimony Monday, Francois told jurors how he had spoken with Foley and Kassig the day before his own release in April 2014.

He recalled the guilt that he felt on knowing that his own release was imminent while theirs was barely a remote prospect.

He said: 'It's difficult. You feel guilty of being freed and leaving behind you hostages that you know the fate might dreadful and they knew it too.

'We were speaking about how you might face such a situation and we could not reassure then because we knew that it might not be okay at all.'

According to Francois, Kassig was, 'really trying to face death.'

'He was an amazingly strong character  very lively and trying to focus on how you face death,' he said. 'He was very strong. He was trying to gather all the strength to be able to face death with pride.'

As for Foley, Francois said the American was keen that he should convey a message to his mother  that he 'loved his God' and that he was strong in his faith and beliefs.

During his testimony jurors were shown portions of the execution videos of British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning  brief awful images of each man, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, kneeling in the desert while Mohammed Emwazi 'Jihad John' stands by their side threatening vengeance and death.

Former French hostage and journalist Didier Francois (second from left) was the second witness to testify for the prosecution Monday. He is seen alongside fellow hostage and French photographer Edouard Elias (far left), Nicolas Henin (second from right), who holds his children, and Pierre Torres (far right) at the military airbase in Villacoublay, near Paris, April 20, 2014

Francois was asked if he recognized the men. He answered: 'Of course' and quietly named them before describing images of Haine's execution and Henning's beheaded body.

The pictures were not shown in court but will be available for jurors to view should they choose to.

Dismissing Francois after his brief testimony Judge TS Ellis III told him he was now free to return to France should he wish and added: 'Good luck to you.'

The final witness of the day, a Yazidi woman who was held hostage alongside Kayla Mueller told how she slept next to the terrified American in the squalid house in which the aid worker was made a sex slave to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Speaking through an interpreter Lea Mulla recalled how she was kidnapped and taken hostage by ISIS fighters when they came to her village in August 2014.

For Mulla it was the beginning of a hellish time during which she was taken to Syria, frequently moved, beaten and threatened by her captors and picked as one of many young Yazidis to become the brides of ISIS soldiers.

Mulla was just 15 when she found herself sharing a prison cell with Mueller whom she recalled as kind and with whom she tried to communicate even though their captors forbade other hostages to talk to the 26-year-old American.

According to Mulla the women were moved multiple times before arriving in a location she knew only as the Dirty House where they were raped, enslaved and terrorized by their captors who showed them videos of the beheadings of several other hostages.

She told how Baghdadi would come in the night and take Mueller, returning her shaken and terrified in the morning. Mulla said that Mueller told her she had been raped and threatened with murder if she tried to escape.

Ultimately Mulla did escape, scrambling through a small window and climbing over a wall under cover of darkness.

She said that Mueller was too terrified of being beheaded if captured to join her but that she helped her and another young Yazidi in their bid by keeping their secret and telling them the right time to go.

Mueller had just one request of the girls before they fled, Mulla said, She told me to tell the world, to tell the US, that theres a young girl by this name thats been kidnapped by ISIS.

Mulla vowed that she would and kept her promise to Mueller, speaking to Americans forces following her own successful escape.

Muellers family sat, visibly upset, as Mulla delivered her testimony in soft, halting tones, barely audible despite the courts silence.

Earlier, forensic audio, speech and phonetics expert Dr Richard Rhodes took the stand and told jurors that there was very strong [evidence] to support his conclusion that incriminating voice messages he had been given to analyze had been recorded by Elsheikh.

The messages were recovered from Elsheikhs brothers phone and recorded on the messaging app Telegram. According to prosecutors they were in a mixture of English and religious Arabic and included references to putting heads on pikes.

Dr Rhodes compared the messages to a recording of an interview with Elsheikh conducted by Metropolitan Police in London in May 2009.

According to the expert there were no significant differences and some very distinctive features in the voice in both recordings that led him to conclude it was the same man.

The prosecution is expected to rest tomorrow having told the Judge that they plan to call two further witnesses.

After two weeks of intense testimony, the judge advised Assistant US Attorney Dennis Fitzpatrick to reconsider the strategy, warning that additional witnesses may be cumulative and ill advised.

Fitzpatrick pushed back and though he agreed to take the courts words to heart, insisted that tomorrows witnesses  believed to include a final released hostage  will shed new light on the governments case.

Court will resume Tuesday morning.

Carl Mueller, left, and Marsha Mueller, right, parents of Kayla Mueller who was killed by Islamic State militants, arrive at the Albert V. Bryan Federal Courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, Monday

Bethany Haines, the daughter of ISIS victim David Haines, arrives at court as the prosecution continues its arguments on Monday

The Albert V. Bryan Federal Courthouse is seen during the trial of IS member El Shafee Elsheikh

Eight former hostages have testified so far at the trial, but in a quirk of the case - none of the captives have been asked so far to formally identify their alleged captor in court.

That's because the 33-year-old Elsheikh and the other alleged 'Beatles' took pains to conceal their identities.

The former hostages said they were frequently blindfolded and their captors wore ski masks at all times with only a slit for the eyes.

'They always tried to protect themselves,' Edouard Elias, a French photographer held prisoner by IS from June 2013 to April 2014, told the court Friday.

'With other guards I could get some information, but not with them,' Elias said. 'I just saw that one had a darker skin, that's all.'

The kidnappers also had a 'rule' whenever they entered the cells where the prisoners were held.

'We had to kneel down with our face toward the wall and never look them in the face,' said Federico Motka, an Italian aid worker who was held for 14 months, longer than any other hostage.

'We had to cover our face,' said Frida Saide, a former Doctors Without Borders (MSF) worker who was held for three months.

Nicolas Henin, a French journalist, told the court the hostage-takers apparently believed that 'as long as they were masked they were protected from prosecution.'

'This was maybe a stupid idea,' Henin said.

Despite the precautions taken, prosecutors are confident they can prove to the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Elsheikh, a former British citizen, was one of the 'Beatles.'

Elsheikh and another alleged 'Beatle,' Alexanda Amon Kotey, were captured in January 2018 by a Kurdish militia in Syria while attempting to flee to Turkey.

They were turned over to US forces in Iraq and flown to the United States to face charges of hostage-taking, conspiracy to murder US citizens and supporting a foreign terrorist organization.

Elsheikh is charged with the murders of American freelance journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid workers Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig and suspected of the kidnapping of nearly 20 other Westerners.

Kotey pleaded guilty in September 2021 and is facing life in prison.

Elsheikh, who pleaded not guilty, is not expected to testify at his trial but prosecutors have been using his own words against him.

Victims (from left to right): Slain American James Foley covering the civil war in Aleppo, Syria in 2012. 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

After his capture, Elsheikh gave interviews to several media outlets and prosecutors have played excerpts from those interviews for the jury.

In the interviews, Elsheikh acknowledged interacting with the hostages but claimed he did no more than ask them for information -- email addresses, for example -- so the kidnappers could open ransom negotiations with their families.

Elsheikh also sought to deflect responsibility on another member of the 'Beatles,' Mohamed Emwazi, the IS executioner known as 'Jihadi John' who was killed by a US drone in Syria in November 2015.

His lawyers have seized on the question of identification in mounting his defense.

In opening arguments, they acknowledged he was an IS jihadist but insisted he was not one of the 'Beatles' and it was a case of 'mistaken identity.'
Tierzah Mapson, 29, was sentenced to five years in prison for the plot to kill her ex and his new wife

Three Oklahoma sisters have been jailed for a plot to kill one of their exes and his new wife.

Tierzah Mapson, 29, Elisa Mapson, 25, and Charis Mapson, 33, were sentenced to between five and ten years in prison for their attempt to kill Tierzah's ex-partner and his new wife after a custody battle in 2018.

The sisters lured the unnamed man and his new partner to a church in Alabama under the ruse of handing off Tierzah's young daughter to them.

Instead, prosecutors say they shot into the couple's truck, wounding the man in the shoulder.

Tierzah's Ford truck was seen at the scene of the crime but when she was questioned, she told police it had been stolen by a stalker.

When an indictment was filed against her the following year, she fled Oklahoma for California. She was arrested in 2019 at a campsite.

Now, all three have been sentenced; Tierzah was given a 60-month sentence for conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and discharging of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, two counts of interstate domestic violence and two counts of interstate stalking.

Elisa and Charis were sentenced to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and discharging of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and two counts of stalking.

It's unclear why the two sisters were given harsher sentences than Tierzah. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for clarification on Monday.

Tierzah and the unnamed man had been sharing custody of their young daughter.

Tierzah was living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and he was living in Florida. The girl was five-years-old.

Sisters Elisa (left) and Charis (right) were sentenced to up to ten years in prison for the plot

On June 18th, 2018, the sisters convinced the couple to meet them at a rural convenience store in Eldridge, Alabama.

They had arranged a time to meet, but there was no sign of Tierzah or the child when the couple arrived.

She texted him saying: 'Sorry, a little while longer. (Child) got sick and puked,' to make him wait.

The couple drove their truck behind a church but were then shot at from behind. A bullet pierced through the trunk and struck the man in the shoulder.

Police later found to-do lists on Tierzah's phone that included shopping for 'disguises' and 'ladder, climbing rope, binoculars.'

She wrote a reminder for herself to buy luck beads, and said: 'Write down what to text [victim].'

On the day of the shooting, the sisters exchanged more than 150 messages.
President Joe Biden's sister said on Monday that Donald Trump was 'intent' on bringing her family down and insisted Hunter Biden is not a problem for the clan, even as he's facing a rapidly-intensifying federal tax fraud probe.

Valerie Biden Owens, 76, defended her nephew against criticism over his foreign business dealings by insisting there was no '"there" there' since before the 2020 presidential election.

She sat for an interview with CBS Mornings while promoting her new memoir 'Growing Up Biden.'

Owens, a longtime Joe Biden confidante and his closest political adviser, also told host Gayle King that she believes her 79-year-old big brother was the 'right person' to run for president again in 2024 despite his advanced age.

But while standing by him and playing a key role in every one of his campaigns, Owens revealed that the 'only race' she had reservations about was his 2020 bid against Trump.

'The only race that I wasn't enthusiastic about Joe getting involved in was the 2020 presidency because I expected, and was not disappointed, that it would be ugly and mean,' Owens said.

'And it would be an attack on my brother, Joe, personally and professionally, because the former president is very intent on bringing my brother down.'

King pressed, 'What's that got to do with Hunter?'

Valerie Biden Owens repeatedly tried to avoid talking about her nephew Hunter Biden's business dealings during an interview with CBS Mornings about her new memoir

Owens said she was 'grateful' Hunter Biden could 'walk through hell' with his drug addiction (pictured: Hunter Biden, Joe Biden and Valerie Owens in August 2016)

'Well, I assumed from the beginning that the former president and his entourage would attack my brother by going and attacking family,' Owens explained.

It comes as Republicans in Washington renew calls to investigate Hunter Biden over his business dealings in Ukraine and China, some of which occurred when his father was Barack Obama's vice president.

Details of Hunter Biden's foreign ties were first revealed in October 2020 when the New York Post reported on the contents of a laptop he allegedly left in a Delaware computer shop. It contained a tranche of email correspondences with overseas business partners and raised questions about how much, if any, knowledge and participation the now-president had in the affairs.

Trump and his allies used the laptop to hammer Biden during the 2020 presidential race but the lack of coverage from mainstream media guaranteed the story would have little overall effect on the general voting populace.

The ex-president believed Hunter Biden would be the 'weakest link' in his Democratic opponent's campaign, Owens claimed on Monday.

She attempted to pivot the conversation to her nephew's well-documented struggle with addiction, praising his ability to 'walk through hell' and added that there was no 'family in this country who hasn't tasted it or felt' having a relative battle addiction.

King reminded her that the issue was with Hunter Biden's business dealings.

Those include accusations of lying against both Hunter Biden and his father from former business partners like Tony Bobulinski.

The laptop, which the New York Times recently authenticated long after right-wing media outlets were blasted for reporting about it, contains compromising and embarrassing images of Hunter Biden

Valerie Biden Owens says the only political campaign of her brother's she was unsure of was his 2020 presidential bid  because she feared Trump and his allies would attack their family.



President Biden's sister now says she'll support him should he seek another term in 2024. pic.twitter.com/yq5PoDLf7o  CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) April 11, 2022

'There hasn't been a "there" there since it was mentioned in 2019 or whenever it first was,' Owens said curtly.

Asked about whether her brother should mount another presidential bid, she answered: 'Yes. I think my brother is the right person at the right time for all the right reasons.'

The president has made clear that so far he intends to run for a second term, despite concerns from left-wing operatives, progressive groups and even some of his supporters. If he ran and won, he would be 81 years old when taking the oath of office.

'When you look at a president or any leader, what you look for is temperament, empathy, character, integrity, and accomplishments. And that makes Joe a great leader, and he should continue,' Owens said.

The details of Hunter Biden's laptop have found their way into the news cycle again recently after the New York Times and Washington Post both reported on its contents.

Owens is one of her big brother's closest confidantes and has been involved in every one of his political campaigns

As recently as this time last year, it was dismissed as Russian disinformation despite being authenticated by the New York Post and later DailyMail.com.

GOP lawmakers have accused mainstream media of suppressing the story in an effort to tip the scales against Trump in 2020.

Hunter Biden was asked about the laptop in his own CBS interview from April 2021, where he was promoting his memoir 'Beautiful Things.'

'I really don't know what the answer is. That's the truthful answer,' the recovering drug addict said when asked about the contents of the hard drive.

'Of course' it could have really been his, he added, despite not remembering leaving it at the Delaware shop.

'There could be a laptop out there that was stolen from me. There could be that I was hacked. It could be that it was Russian intelligence. It could be that it was stolen from me,' Hunter Biden said.

Meanwhile, a federal probe into his business dealings has picked up speed in recent weeks.

Prosecutors have gathered information on Hunter Biden's foreign business ties, including payments from Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

A grand jury has also been hearing from former business associates about his income and other cashflow, the Associated Press reported late last month.

The White House has sought to distance itself from the investigation to avoid the appearance of interfering, maintaining the president has no contact with the Justice Department whatsoever about the case.

A Senate GOP report from 2020 found that Biden himself had done nothing wrong.

Chief of Staff Ron Klain told ABC's This Week earlier this month that the president is 'confident' his son 'didn't break the law.'
Footage has emerged purporting to show the murder scene of a Ukrainian woman allegedly held captive and raped by soldiers under the command of Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov.

The clip, shared on Telegram and Twitter by Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko, showed the inside of a house where Tetiana Zadorozhniak is thought to have been slaughtered in the town of Makariv, 30 miles from Kyiv, last month.

According to residents of the town, Tetiana was dragged out of her home by Kadyrov's men as she waited to evacuate the town with her friend before being held captive in a nearby house and abused.

After days of torture, one of the soldiers raped her for a final time before cutting her throat and unceremoniously dumping her lifeless body in a shallow grave, local residents said.

Witnesses claimed that the Chechen soldier who raped and killed Tetiana was later executed by other officers.

The harrowing incident is thought to be one of the latest examples of brutality enacted upon helpless civilians during Russia's war in Ukraine as the conflict approaches its seventh week.

The clip, shared on Telegram and Twitter by Ukrainian Interior Ministry advisor Anton Gerashchenko, showed the inside of a house where Tetiana Zadorozhniak (pictured with godchildren) is thought to have been slaughtered in the town of Makariv, 30 miles from Kyiv, last month

Bloodstained sheets were filmed at Tetiana's supposed murder scene, while footage also shows rooms in the house where contents had been smashed and thrown about. The camerawoman could be heard sobbing as she described the scene

A building is shown severely damaged by the attacks of Russian forces in the Makariv region near Kyiv on April 10, 2022 in Marakiv, Ukraine

The soldier who raped and killed Tetiana is believed to be a Chechen soldier under the command of Ramzan Kadyrov (pictured) - head of the Chechen Republic and a friend of Putin

In his Telegram post, Gerashchenko said Tetiana had lived in her house in Makariv since 2012 with her husband, who had died from Covid in the early days of the pandemic, and their dog Reeny.

The official claimed Tetiana was killed on March 15, after days of being kept in captivity and abused.

'When Chechens from Kadyrov batallion entered the village, Tetiana was waiting for her friend to leave together,' he said.

'One of the occupants took her to the next house where he raped her and then cut her throat... No one could help her because the locals were locked up in basements by Russians.'

The video accompanying Gerashchenko's post showed the inside of the house where Tetiana is thought to have been killed.

Bloodstained sheets could be seen in rooms where contents had been smashed and thrown about, and the camerawoman can be heard sobbing as she describes the scene.

Residents who said the Chechen soldier who murdered Tetiana was later executed by his comrades admitted they did not know why the occupiers would kill one of their own.

The offender was believed to be under the command of Kadyrov - head of the Chechen republic and friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

One woman speculated that soldiers who stumbled upon the scene were simply disgusted by the rapist's conduct.

However, recent intelligence cited by the Ukrainian ministry of defence suggested that troops involved in the torture and massacre of civilians in Bucha weeks ago were redeployed to the front lines, in the hope they would be killed and therefore unable to testify in any future war crime tribunals.

In a later post, Gerashchenko said he had a personal contact who knew Tetiana and had returned to her house to find Reeny waiting patiently outside the house for her slain owner.

In his Telegram post, Gerashchenko said Tetiana had lived in her house in Makariv since 2012 with her husband, who had died from Covid in the early days of the pandemic, and their dog Reeny (pictured waiting outside the couple's house after Tetiana was killed)

'Reeny doesn't know [Tetiana was murdered] and still waits for her. No one took care of Reeny during the month of occupation,' Gerashchenko said

'This is Reeny, 9 years old. Her human Tetiana we wrote about was brutally murdered. Reeny doesn't know and still waits for her. No one took care of Reeny during the month of occupation,' the Ukrainian official wrote.

Makariv, the town in which Tetiana's brutal final days were spent, was named over the weekend as the site of yet another mass civilian slaughter committed by Russian forces retreating from areas around Kyiv weeks ago.

The bodies of well over 100 civilians have been found so far in the town since Ukrainian troops managed to recapture it in late March, with more bodies yet to be discovered.

'As of yesterday, we have found 132 civilians who have been shot dead by the Russian orcs,' Vadym Tokar, Makariv Village Head, told Ukrainian TV on Friday.

He added that 40 per cent of the town had been destroyed, saying it would not be possible to restore many of the buildings.

Buildings are shown destroyed or severely damaged by the attacks of Russian forces in the Makariv region near Kyiv on April 10, 2022 in Marakiv, Ukraine

Pictured: A booby trap using a Russian F-1 grenade fastened to a pair of doors is seen in Makariv, in an image shared on social media by a local official

Pictured: An image shared by Ukraine's Territorial Defence Forces shows the body of a teenage boy by the side of the road just north of Makariv. According to the officials, his hands and feet had been bound and he'd been shot in the back

Meanwhile, horrifying stories of torture and rape of Ukrainian civilians similar to that of Tetiana have emerged in recent days as the survivors of such ordeals begin to reveal their stories.

Natalya, 33, whose name has been changed, recently told of how a Russian commander and another soldier came to her family's home in a small village near Kyiv after dark on March 9 and shot dead her husband Andrey, 33, in the front yard.

Moments later, Natalya heard footsteps in the house, which Andrey had built years earlier, and saw the Russian commander - who told her his name was Mikhail Romanov - and a younger soldier dressed in black.

Natalya shouted to her four-year-old son Oleksii, whose name has also been changed, to stay hidden in the boiler room, where the family had been sheltering from the shelling in their home in Shevchenkove, a village just outside Kyiv.

The mother told The Times the younger soldier pointed a gun to her head and spat: 'You'd better shut up or I'll get your child and show him his mother's brains spread around the house.'

Natalya was then raped over several hours by the two soldiers whilst a gun was pointed to her head, and she could hear her son sobbing in the boiler room.

'[The younger soldier] told me to take my clothes off. Then they both raped me, one after the other,' Natalya told the newspaper. 'They didn't care that my son was in the boiler room crying.

'They told me to go shut him up and come back. All the time they held the gun to my head and taunted me, saying: "How do you think she sucks it? Shall we kill her or keep her alive?"'

Women with children are seen outside the main railway station in Przemysl, southeastern Poland, near the Polish-Ukrainian border, as refugees from Ukraine wait to get on buses to other destinations in Poland (file photo: There is no suggestion that any of these women were the victims of the gang-rape)

A Ukrainian woman who was gang-raped repeatedly for hours by drunk Russian soldiers whilst her four-year-old son hid crying in a boiler room, just moments after they shot dead her husband, has spoken for the first time of the horror she endured. Pictured: Russian soldiers are seen on a tank in Volnavakha district in the pro-Russian separatists-controlled Donetsk, in Ukraine

After hours of the Russian soldiers taking it in turns to rape Natalya, the men left but within 20 minutes they returned and raped her again.

The soldiers came back to the family's home for a third time to rape Natalya, but this time they were so intoxicated that they were stumbling.

They eventually fell asleep, giving Natalya time to run to her son, who was huddled inside the dark boiler room, and flee their home.

'While I was opening the gate my son was standing next to his father's body but it was dark and he did not understand it was his father,' Natalya recalled. 'He said: "Will we get shot the same as this man here?"'

Natalya, who has since fled to the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil with her son, said the four-year-old still does not know his father has died, and she can't bare to tell him just yet.

Natalya's horrific ordeal is being investigated by Ukraine's prosecutor-general Iryna Venediktova, the country's first official investigation into alleged rape committed by Russian soldiers.
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Islamic State fanatic Ali Harbi Ali, 26, seen in a mugshot released today

David Amess's killer Ali Harbi Ali secretly plotted his murderous act of terrorism for years despite being referred to Prevent - in yet another failure for the controversial anti-terror programme.

The 26-year-old Londoner radicalised himself by consuming extremist material online before he fatally stabbed Conservative MP Sir David Amess.

The Met said Ali 'spent some time' in Prevent before coming out of it 'by his own admission'.

A long overdue review of Prevent is currently being carried out by former Charity Commission chair William Shawcross. It has previously been criticised for a 'politically correct' focus on right-wing terrorism rather than its more dangerous Islamist equivalent.

Ali is the latest of a series of Islamist terrorists in recent years to have been referred to the government's flagship anti-terror programme only to go on to carry out an attack.

Khairi Saadallah, 27, fatally stabbed friends James Furlong, 36, Dr David Wails, 49, and Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39, in a Reading park in June 2020.

Prevent officials were warned he could carry out a 'London Bridge-style attack', but he was assessed and found to have 'no fixed ideology', the Independent reported.

Another terrorist referred to Prevent was Sudesh Amman, who stabbed two people in Streatham, south London, in February 2019. However, a panel decided his case did not require intervention.

Usman Khan, 28, who stabbed two young graduates to death after a prisoner rehabilitation event on London Bridge, had come into contact with Prevent officers who had 'no specific training' in handling terrorists, an inquest heard.

Parsons Green bomber Ahmed Hassan was also referred to the anti-terror scheme 20 months before he planted a device on the Tube that injured 50 people during rush hour in 2017.

Reading attacker Khairi Saadallah, 27, (left) was assessed by Prevent officials but found to have 'no fixed ideology', according to reports. Sudesh Amman, who stabbed two people in Streatham, south London, last February. However, a panel decided his case did not require intervention

Usman Khan, 28, (left) who stabbed two young graduates to death after a prisoner rehabilitation event on London Bridge, had come into contact with Prevent officers who had 'no specific training' in handling terrorists, an inquest heard. Parsons Green bomber Ahmed Hassan was also referred to the anti-terror scheme 20 months before he planted a device on the Tube that injured 50 people during rush hour in 2017

The UK's flagship anti-terror strategy is being undermined by a politically correct emphasis on right-wing extremism over more dangerous Islamist radicalism, critics have said - as a review prepares to overhaul the 'broken' system

Professor Ian Acheson, Senior Advisor to the Counter Extremism Project, said today: 'We know Ali had contact with Prevent services in 2016. The inquest to follow must be allowed to look into the performance of that system in forensic detail and see what can be done to improve it.

'Far too many people who have contact with Prevent and our prisons go on to commit acts of heinous violence. We must do everything we can to turn these actions into 'never' events.

'The worst thing we can possibly do now is think that the brutal slaying of David Amess by a man with a twisted ideology is just the price we pay for an open society.'

Four recent attacks by Islamist terrorists who had been referred to Prevent SOUTHEND - October 15, 2021: Tory MP Sir David Amess was fatally stabbed outside Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea near Southend while attending a constituency surgery. Ali Harbi Ali, 26, was referred to Prevent seven years ago. READING - June 20, 2020: Khairi Saadallah, 27, fatally stabbed friends James Furlong, 36, Dr David Wails, 49, and Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39, in a knife attack at a town centre park. He later admitted the murders and was sentenced to a whole life order in prison. The Reading Refugee Support Group warned Prevent officials he could carry out a 'London Bridge-style attack'. However, he was found to not have a 'fixed ideology, the Independent reported. STREATHAM - February 2, 2020: Sudesh Amman was shot dead by police after stabbing two people on a busy street in the south London area of Streatham while wearing a fake suicide vest. He was referred to Prevent but the panel decided his case did not require intervention. LONDON BRIDGE - November 29, 2019: Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, were stabbed to death by Usman Khan, 28, at a prisoner rehabilitation event. A man and two women were also injured before Khan, who was released from prison on licence in December 2018, was shot dead by armed officers on the bridge. An inquest heard his Prevent officers had 'no specific training' in handling terrorists. PARSONS GREEN - September 15, 2017: Ahmed Hassan's homemade bomb partially exploded on a London Underground rush hour train, injuring more than 50 people. He was sentenced to life with a minimum jail term of 34 years. He was referred to Prevent 20 months before he planted the bomb. Advertisement

The Shawcross Review into Prevent is expected to conclude that the programme is being undermined by activists who are opposed to its very existence being allowed to decide if individuals need to be deradicalised.

Some authorities in the southeast of England have even appointed Prevent coordinators who are against the strategy entirely, sources told the Times.

Sir William is set to call on the Home Office to appoint Prevent coordinators directly rather than leaving it down to local councils.

Prevent officials have also being accused of diverting too many resources towards suspected far-right extremists despite Islamist radicals posing a 'far greater threat'.

Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and senior adviser at the Counter Extremism Project, said the official narrative that the far-right is the fastest growing threat is a 'comfort blanket' obscuring the 'patently more potent threat of Islamist extremism'.

'The body count does not lie,' he said.

Following his conviction, Detective Chief Superintendent Dominic Murphy, said Ali had been involved with the Prevent deradicalisation programme in 2014.

He said: 'By Ali's own admission, and through our thorough investigation, we've identified that Ali was subject to Prevent in 2014.

'He spent some time in Prevent and then came out of Prevent and by his own admission, carried on his activity in secret over many years, forming his plan and conducting reconnaissance and focusing his efforts on many MPs.

'We say he was the true example of a committed terrorist and exactly the type of people that we should be focusing our efforts on.'

Mr Murphy said Ali did not engage with anyone else as part of the plot and conducted the attack entirely alone.

'By his own admission, he spent an awful lot of time on the internet as part of his radicalisation journey and his research into conducting this attack,' he said.

Mr Murphy, from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, declined to speculate on whether there were any missed opportunities to stop Ali.

He said the issue would be examined in more depth at any future inquest into the death Sir David.

After Ali launched his attack in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, he was apprehended by two officers armed with batons, the Old Bailey had heard.

Mr Murphy said: 'The Essex officers that attended on that day showed immense bravery, challenging an armed terrorist at the scene of a crime.'

The senior officer hailed the members of public who called 999 while remaining 'extremely calm' in 'very harrowing circumstances'.

In his police interview, Ali went on to give a detailed account of his terrorist activities to officers who 'did an amazing job'.

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 walking along Whitehall, (left) and near to Portcullis House (right) on CCTV footage released by police

Ali refused to stand up in the dock today for 'religious reasons' as a jury foreman read out unanimous guilty verdicts

On the wider investigation that followed, he said: 'It would be tempting to think this was a relatively simple investigation, given that he was at the scene and armed with a knife.

'But every investigation into a terrorist is really complex, very, very detailed, and needs to be methodical. And that is what has happened here.'

Despite Ali's apparent confession to police, he had pleaded not guilty to murder and preparing acts of terrorism.

Giving evidence, he appeared unrepentant and said he killed Sir David to stop him 'harming Muslims' in Syria.

Mr Murphy said: 'I've worked in counter-terrorism for 16 years, I found Ali Harbi Ali's behaviour in court to be quite disgraceful and disrespectful to his victims.

'I think it's a measure of him as an individual and I'm pleased to say that on his conviction, he'll be hopefully spending a considerable amount of time in prison.'

Ali (seen after his arrest) told the Old Bailey trial he had no regrets about the murder, defending his actions by saying Sir David deserved to die as a result of voting in Parliament for air strikes on Syria in 2014 and 2015

He went on: 'I hope Ali Harbi Ali's conviction will help the family (of Sir David) to bring some closure to the dreadful events that have happened.

'It's important to remember that Ali Harbi Ali's attack was an attack against democracy.

'Sir David was helping the community of Essex at the time of his murder and so I hope this trial helps to bring some closure for the family.'

Paying tribute to the veteran parliamentarian, he said: 'If ever there was an example of a committed public servant, Sir David is that example, with a loving family and committing his life to the communities of Essex.'

Before the killing, Ali had rejected an earlier plan to attack other MPs at the Houses of Parliament.

He even scoped out the west London home of Cabinet Minister Michael Gove on repeated occasions after arming himself with a knife.

Ali said he had an 'interest in Christianity' and wanted to discuss the 'solutions' to declining church attendances

Mr Murphy declined to give details of MPs' reaction on being told they were targets, but said they co-operated 'fully' with the police investigation.

He added: 'We provided them with some advice, support and guidance.'

Mr Murphy said counter-terrorism police would continue to work with governments and media and internet firms to prevent others being radicalised online.

He also appealed to the public to remain vigilant and report any concerns.

'Policing in counter-terrorism is about working closely with the public, and the friends and families of those that might be vulnerable to radicalization.'

He added that 'public vigilance' played a key role in disrupting terrorism.

Anyone with concerns can contact the website actearly.uk.
A cable car accident in India has left three dead while dozens more were trapped for 24 hours after three carriages collided midway to a mountain pilgrimage site.

Around 48 people were travelling along a steep incline leading up to the Trikut hills in eastern Jharkhand state when three cars crashed into one another late Sunday.

Authorities called in the air force to winch stranded pilgrims out of their carriages with helicopters and drop food and water to others awaiting rescue.

Terrifying footage shows a woman bloodied and in a daze after her trolley crashed.

One cable car passenger looked dazed and horribly wounded after her vehicle crashed mid-air

The doors were broken and splattered with her blood. She was hoisted down from the car and carried to safety as a crowd watched on.

A technical fault is being blamed for the three-way collision but details remain scarce.

The ropeway manager and three other employees at India's highest vertical cable car, close to tourist hotspot the Baba Baidyanath Temple, reportedly fled the scene.

Indian air force helicopters were deployed to pull stranded people out of the vehicles after more than 24 hours inside.

Two people who jumped from their cable cars were seriously injured, officials said.

Horrific footage shows the poor woman being valiantly aided by rescuers caring for her

Rescuers have managed to retrieve 20 people in the past day out of the 48 trapped.

Temperatures hit highs of 39 degrees earlier today and fell to 22 degrees last night.

Chief response force commander Vinay Kumar Singh told NDTV that drones are bringing food and water to stranded people.

Members of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police are also on the scene.

The rescuers carry the severely injured woman to safety (left) as a crowd watches on (right)

Fellow rescuer Manjunath Bhajantri said: 'The situation is completely under control. Some people are still stuck in the cable cars in the ropeway, and they are being rescued. All tourists are being evacuated safely.'

Local villagers are also helping out, he added.

The 766-metres-long track runs almost 400 metres above ground and has 25 cable cars. Each sits four tourists.

Local MP Nishikant Dubey said he told Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jharkhand Chief Secretary Sukhdeo Singh, requesting deployment of [National Disaster Response Force] teams.

"I thank the Union Home Minister for taking cognisance of the matter immediately," he said.

The cable car is India's highest vertical track, so rescuers had to take the trolleys to points closer to the ground in order to retrieve stranded and injured crash victims

The tragic accident follows another cable car crash last year in the Italian Alps, which killed 14 people.

Wires carrying the 15 sightseers snapped, sending the cable car careening down the track at more than 60mph before falling 65ft.

There was just one survivor, five-year-old Israeli boy Eitan Biran.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov today said Russian forces will launch a renewed offensive on Kyiv, despite Vladimir Putin moving his troops away from the Ukrainian capital.

Kadyrov said Russian troops will launch further attacks against Kyiv, the besieged port of Mariupol and 'all other' Ukrainian cities after Putin's men have taken control of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in eastern Ukraine.

It comes amid warnings from British intelligence chiefs that Putin's troops could use white phosphorous munitions in Mariupol as fighting there intensifies, with Ukrainian forces saying they are preparing for the 'last battle' in the city.

The Chechen leader vowed to launch their offensive on Kyiv and other cities, despite Russian troops retreating from the area to focus their assault on eastern Ukraine.

'There will be an offensive... not only on Mariupol, but also on other places, cities and villages,' Kadyrov said in a video posted on his Telegram channel.

'Luhansk and Donetsk - we will fully liberate in the first place ... and then take Kyiv and all other cities.'

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov today said Russian forces will launch a renewed offensive on Kyiv, despite Vladimir Putin moving his troops away from the Ukrainian capital

Rescuers carry the body of a woman, who was found inside a building that was destroyed by Russian shelling, amid Russia's Invasion of Ukraine, in Borodyanka, Kyiv region, on Monday

Kadyrov, who has often described himself as Russian President Vladimir Putin's 'foot soldier,' said there should be no doubt about Kyiv.

'I assure you: not one step will be taken back,' Kadyrov said.

Russia has deployed Chechen fighters, reputed to be particularly fierce, in Mariupol. Capturing the city on the Sea of Azov would give Russia a land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine and annexed eight years ago.

Tens of thousands of Russian troops are also heading to the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk  known collectively as the Donbas.

The Kremlin is seeking a victory there to justify its 'special military operation', which has failed to capture any major cities. According to Western officials, Russian commanders believe the Donbas represents their best chance of success.

They have retreated from other areas, including around Ukraine's capital city Kyiv, to focus their efforts there. But Ukrainian forces are determined to push them back.

Russia is believed to be seeking a link between occupied Crimea and Moscow-backed separatist territories Donetsk and Lugansk in Donbas.

Kadyrov has been repeatedly accused by the United States and European Union of rights abuses, which he denies.

Moscow fought two wars with separatists in Chechnya, a mainly Muslim region in southern Russia, after the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union.

But it has since poured huge sums of money into the region to rebuild it and given Kadyrov a large measure of autonomy.

Residents carry their belongings near buildings destroyed in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict, in the southern port city of Mariupol on Sunday

Russia on Monday continued its shelling of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, but battling Ukrainian forces repulsed several assaults and destroyed Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery equipment, the UK's MoD said.

The MoD warned that Russia's 'continued reliance' on unguided bombs in Ukraine increases the risk of further civilian casualties as the weapons decrease their ability to discriminate when targeting and conducting strikes.

Zelensky on Sunday warned Ukrainians to brave for a Russian onslaught in the country's east within days, as he vowed that his forces will 'respond'.

Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukraine in the eastern Donbas region since 2014 and parts of the region are under Moscow's control.

'Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state,' Zelenksy said in his nightly address on Sunday. 'They can use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs.

'But we are preparing for their actions. We will respond.'

Lugansk governor Sergiy Gaiday warned that the region could suffer as badly as Mariupol, a besieged port city that even pro-Russian authorities say has been 70 percent ruined by fighting.

'The battle for Donbas will last several days, but during these days our cities may be completely destroyed,' Gaiday said.

In a later Telegram message, he said Russian troops knew that 'there is no surviving critical or any other infrastructure in our area'.

'Therefore, every shelling of the housing stock is a deliberate terrorist attack.'

Ukraine is believed to have tens of thousands of soldiers in the east, the majority of its military force, ahead of what is believed to be a decisive battle in the war.

Firefighters conduct work on debris after shelling hit residential areas at the Leninsky district's Yelenovka village of the pro-Russian separatists-controlled Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, on Sunday

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are preparing for a 'last battle' to control the southern port of Mariupol, besieged by Russians since the invasion, marines in the city said Monday.

'Today will probably be the last battle, as the ammunition is running out,' the 36th marine brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces said on Facebook.

'It's death for some of us, and captivity for the rest,' it added, saying it had been 'pushed back' and 'surrounded' by the Russian army.

It said it had been defending the port for 47 days and 'did everything possible and impossible' to retain control of the city.

Russian forces have said that fighting has recently centred around the city's Azovstal iron and steel works and in the port.

The marines said that is where 'the enemy gradually pushed us back' and 'surrounded us with fire, and is now trying to destroy us.'

The brigade said around half of its men are wounded, adding: 'The mountain of wounded makes up almost half of the brigade. Those whose limbs are not torn off return to battle.'

'The infantry was all killed and the shooting battles are now conducted by artillerymen, anti-aircraft gunners, radio operators, drivers and cooks. Even the orchestra.'

Rescuers search for bodies under the rubble of a building destroyed by Russian shelling in Borodyanka, Kyiv region, on Monday

The marines complained over a lack of support from Ukraine's military leadership: 'No one wants to communicate with us anymore because we've been written off.'

Mariupol has seen the most intense fighting since the Kremlin launched its attack on Ukraine, with the city being virtually razed to the ground. Thousands of civilians are thought to have died in the city.

A US defence expert told Sky News that the next three weeks will 'determine the outcome of the war' in Ukraine.

He said that whilst Putin's troops had 'reassessed their objectives in the war' to focus on eastern Ukraine, their 'major problem' is whether they can 'reconstitute enough combat power' to take on a 'very experienced' Ukrainian force there.

The US defence expert said: 'The next three weeks will be decisive. It will determine the outcome of the war.

'If we in the West can increase our sense of urgency in supplying the Ukrainians, wrapped up to the level of the Berlin Airlift, the Ukrainians can really come out of this with a victory.'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Russia will not pause its military operation in Ukraine for subsequent rounds of peace talks.

Russian officials say peace talks with Ukraine are not progressing as rapidly as they would like, and have accused the West of trying to derail negotiations by raising war crimes allegations against Russian troops in Ukraine, which Moscow denies.

Speaking in an interview with Russian state television, Lavrov said he saw no reason not to continue talks with Ukraine but insisted Moscow would not halt its military operation when the sides convene again.

Lavrov said that President Vladimir Putin had ordered to suspend military action during the first round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in late February but that Moscow's position had changed since.

'After we became convinced that the Ukrainians were not planning to reciprocate, a decision was made that during the next rounds of talks, there would be no pause (in military action) so long as a final agreement is not reached,' Lavrov said.
Incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen will square off in an anticipated close presidential election runoff on April 24.

With 96 percent of the votes counted for Sunday's first round, Macron, a pro-European economic liberal, garnered 27.41% of the votes, and Le Pen, a far-right nationalist, got 24.03%.

Except for Eric Zemmour, other major contenders accepted defeat in the face of the results. Zemmour asked voters to reject the far-right in the second round of the presidential race.

Macron will have to strive hard to win over frustrated voters after five years in power, in which his aggressive approach has enraged many. On the other hand, Le Pen's image was softened and became less extreme, which worked to her advantage, per Al Jazeera report. Hence, given the current situation, he can't assume that voters will rally behind a traditional anti-far-right candidate.

Though the incumbent president leads the race as of now, he admitted that the second round of the election for the French government's top seat is going to be a tough one- and Le Pen is up for the challenge.

French Election Predictions

Macron already faced Le Pen in the presidential runoff five years ago. But all opinion polls show the leader of the National Rally is much closer this time to a potential win.

Ifop pollster Francois Dabi said his company's runoff prediction of Macron with 51% and Le Pen with 49% was the closest they'd ever been, per BBC report. According to an Elabe poll, the disparity is 52 % to 48 %, and an Ipsos poll suggests it is even wider.

According to Elabe pollsters, one in four young voters supported the president, while more than one in three 18-24 year-olds chose Jean-Luc Melenchon.

Marine Le Pen was most popular among those aged 35 to 64, while the president was most popular among those aged 65 and up.

Read Also: Russia-Ukraine War: Authorities Found 132 Tortured Bodies in Ditch Near Petrol Station in Town of Makariv

Macron, Le Pen Vie for Presidency

The duel will begin on Monday, according to a report from the Associated Press. Macron is visiting an underprivileged district of northern France, near Le Pen's electoral bastion of Henin-Beaumont, where a majority of voters backed her.

Le Pen's National Rally officials will plan their strategy on Monday, as the lady contender summed the runoff as "a fundamental choice between two opposing visions of the future" for the voters.

President Macron stated that he would be visiting several French provinces. He had been missing from most of the political campaign before Sunday's first round, focusing a large portion of his time on diplomatic efforts over the Ukraine conflict.

Macron has criticized Le Pen for promoting a risky platform of racist and destructive policies. Le Pen wants to remove certain Muslims' liberties, such as the right to wear headscarves in public, and dramatically decrease immigration from outside Europe.

Meanwhile, Le Pen's allies aim to capitalize on public outrage at Macron's policies, which are perceived mainly to benefit the wealthy.

The election results will have far-reaching geopolitical implications as Europe strives to control the devastation inflicted by that war between Russia and Ukraine.

Macron has been a major supporter of the European Union's sanctions against Russia, while Le Pen has expressed concern about their impact on French living standards. Macron is known as a strong proponent of NATO and has close relations with the EU's 27 countries.

Related Article: US Official Claims Russia 'Planned' War Crimes in Ukraine, Including Attacks on Civilians

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At least 72 people, including members of President Joe Biden's cabinet, senators and top federal staffers, have tested positive for covid following last weekend's white-tie Gridiron dinner.

Biden wore a face mask as he arrived back at the White House on Monday after spending the weekend in Wilmington, Del.. He removed it as he walked from Marine One to the Oval Office.

He tested negative for covid ahead of his arrival, the White House said.

'Ahead of the president's arrival at the White House, he tested negative for covid-19,' the Biden administration said in a statement. The White House has said the testing strategies for the president haven't changed despite the spike in case loads in the D.C. area and in Biden's circle.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was one of the latest dinner attendee to announce he tested positive, which came on his 100th day in office.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, who also attended the dinner, announced Monday she was positive with mild symptoms.

Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria, who also attended the dinner, has tested positive for covid. Luria, who is vaccinated and boosted, is experiencing mild symptoms.

Gridiron Gridiron Club President Tom DeFrank said Sunday that the group had reported 72 cases out of the hundreds of people who attended.

The dinner, one of Washington's most exclusive events, was held in person on April 2 after a two-year hiatus. It attracted 630 guests this year. There was a vaccine requirement to attend.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert for the government, told ABC's This Week on Sunday that he believes people should determine their own levels of risk and that those 'who run big dinners, who run functions like the White House correspondents' ball or, thinking back, the Gridiron Dinner, are going to have to make a determination looking at the CDC guidelines and seeing where the trends are.'

President Joe Biden wore a face mask when he arrived back at the White House on Monday after spending the weekend in Wilmington, Del.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams attended the Gridiron and is one of the at least 72 people who have tested positive for covid after attending

Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria, who also attended the dinner, has tested positive for covid. Luria, who is vaccinated and boosted, is experiencing mild symptoms

Three members of Biden's cabinet tested positive after attending the Gridiron dinner.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who has been fully vaccinated and boosted, tested positive Friday. Fellow Cabinet secretaries Attorney General Merrick Garland and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, tested positive last week after they attended the annual event.

Several lawmakers who attended the private, invitation-only dinner, also tested positive, including Democratic Reps. Joaquin Castro and Adam Schiff, and Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who announced her positive test after she voted on the Senate floor to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to become the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.

Closer to President Biden, several senior staff and his sister tested positive for covid: Vice President Kamala Harris' communications director Jamal Simmons; first lady Jill Biden's press secretary, Michael LaRosa; and Valerie Biden Owens all attended the dinner.

The White House, meanwhile, acknowledged on Friday that Biden could get covid.

White House communications director Kate Bedingfield told CNN that it's certainly possible Biden, 79, will get covid at some point, but noted that he's vaccinated and double boosted so a severe case is unlikely.

The admission comes as more people with access to the president - including cabinet officials, lawmakers and his sister - have tested positive for the virus.

'We take precautions to ensure that the president is protected. But I do think its important to note that, you know, it is possible he will test positive for covid at some point,' Bedingfield said Friday morning. 'The president is vaccinated and double-boosted and so, protected from severe covid.'

'The president is certainly living his life. Just as, as you say, all Americans across the country are while taking precautions,' she noted.

So far the president has avoided infection.

'The protocols to protect the president are pretty strong. The president is vaccinated. He is doubly boosted. He got his fourth shot,' Fauci told ABC News on Sunday. 'And most of the time, people who get anywhere near him need to be tested. So we feel the protocol is a reasonable protocol.'

The White House lifted its face mask policy after the case rate went down for the Washington D.C. area.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who did not attend the dinner, tested positive for covid on Thursday. She attended events at the White House on Tuesday and Wednesday with Biden.

Biden was not deemed a close contact to Pelosi because, the White House said, he did not meet the CDC guidelines of being within six feet of her for more than 15 minutes.

'It did not meet that bar,' White House press secreary Jen Psaki said of Biden and Pelosi's time together.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is one of the three cabinet secretaries who attended the Gridiron and later tested positive for covid

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, who also attended the dinner, announced Monday she was positive with mild symptoms

The tightening circle of positive cases around the president led to the repeated questions to Psaki about his safety and health.

Pskai said there were no plans to change covid protocols or reinstate a face mask policy for the White House.

'We expected there to be ups and downs and increases,' she said of the case rate.

She said there were no plans to test the president daily. Biden tested negative for covid on Wednesday evening and is tested regularly.

'That would be a decision made by his doctor, but that is not deemed to be necessary at this point,' Psaki said.

The past week has seen an uptick in positive tests - particularly among people who have access to Biden, leading to the questions about the policies in place to keep the 79-year-old from getting infected.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki insisted President Joe Biden was not a close contact with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has tested positive for covid, despite the hugs and kiss on the cheek they shared - above Biden and Pelosi at a Tuesday event at the White House

Psaki said there were strict policies in place at the White House to protect the president and other principals.

'We have incredibly stringent protocols here at the White House that we keep in place to keep the president safe. to keep everybody safe. Those go over and above CDC guidelines,' she said.

She noted that senior staff are tested regularly and that anyone meeting with the president is tested.

'If you're going to see him in person, whether you're traveling with him or you're meeting in the Oval Office, you will be tested,' she noted.

Biden did not attend the Gridiron dinner. Psaki said no decision has been made yet as to whether he will attend the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, which is at the end of April.

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.
An eight-year-old boy was rushed to hospital after an adder bite caused his hand to swell up 'five times the normal size'.

Jake Closier was on a day trip to the beach when he was attacked by the venomous snake.

He was with dad Kenny, 33, and mum Sophie, 32, at popular beauty spot Hemsby beach in Norfolk, when the snake launched at him while he played in the sand dunes.

Sophie initially thought the bite was from a harmless grass snake but realised something was wrong when Jake's hand went 'completely hard'.

Sophie, from Camden Town, London, said: 'We were talking a family walk along the beach to look for the seals and were heading towards Winterton.

'My son was running around on the beach in the sand dunes and he fell over and was bit by the venomous snake.

'He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

Jake Closier, 8, had his hand bitten (pictured) by an adder on a Norfolk beach causing it to swell up to nearly 'five times the normal size'

Jake (pictured) has been left traumatised after a snake bit his hand, his mum was worried he might've died

Jake's mum Sophie took a picture of the adder (pictured) that bit her son's hand to show to the doctors

She continued: 'I wasn't aware that there were any venomous snakes in the UK that were wild. There were no warning signs on the beach or sand dunes.

How to spot an adder An adult female adder, also known as the European viper The adder is the UK's only venomous snake, so you may want to know how to spot one. It is a relatively small, stocky snake that prefers woodland, heathland and moorland habitats. They can be identified by their greyish colour if male and reddish-brown colour if female. Adders have a dark and very distinct zig-zag pattern down its back, and red eyes. Adders hibernate from October, emerging in the first warm days of March, which is the easiest time of year to find them. Advertisement

'I noticed that my son had been bitten and managed to take a quick snap of it on my phone.

'I've had domestic snakes before and I have been bitten several times by non-venomous snakes when they were babies. It is nothing worse than a hamster bite.

'My first thought was that he has been bitten by a grass snake, so we walked to a medical centre in case he needed a tetanus jab.

'Within about 30 seconds, I checked his finger and it went completely hard and I could see a puncture wound.

'I googled what the snakes were in Norfolk and straight away it said there were adders in the area.

'That's when I panicked because it finally clicked what type of snake had bitten Jake.

'We ran away from the sand dunes and knocked on resident's door so we could get an address for the ambulance.

'At this point, I did not know how serious the bite was.

'Luckily, a man drove us to the hospital as we were told we'd be waiting eight hours for an ambulance.'

Jake was rushed to James Paget University Hospital in Great Yarmouth after last Tuesday's bite where doctors inserted an anti-venom drip into his veins.

His mum was worried that her son, who was throwing up from the venom, could end up going into anaphylactic shock.

Jake had to have an X-ray to make sure there were no snake teeth left in his hand

Sophie added: 'We had to hospital within half-an-hour, by this time his hand had swelled to about five times the size of a normal hand

What to do if you are bitten by an adder Around 100 people get bitten by adders in Britain every year, but no one has died from one since 1975. The adder is not normally a danger to humans, except to very young, ill or old. It is more likely to slither way than bite a human, unless trodden on or picked up. If bitten, medical attention should be sought immediately The worst effects of the snakes bite are normally nausea and drowsiness, severe swelling and bruising around the bite. For some a snake bite can trigger a severe reaction, known as anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. Advertisement

'His hand was the swelled and hard, we thought it was going to burst. The puncture wound was black. He was vomiting and sweating.

'The venom had shrunk his veins so they couldn't get the anti-venom into him properly. They somehow managed to get it in him within the hour.

'He was on the anti-venom for an hour and then had to have a flush and was on hourly observations for his heart rate, breathing and circulation.

'He had to have regular ECG scans too. He even had to have X-rays to check there were no snake teeth left in his fingers.'

After being observed for 24 hours, Jake was allowed to return home but is now suffering from 'constant nightmares' and refuses to walk on grass.

Sophie said that people should be 'aware of the threat' of venomous snakes.

Adders are the only venomous snake in England and it remains rare for them to bite people, according to the Woodland Trust.

Sophie added: 'Jake could have died from it. It was so scary.

'The following day, the venom had already gone through his body so we had got over the risk of him losing his life.

'There was still a danger he could have lost his fingers, hand or arm because he developed fluid retention in the tissue.

'His was in so much pain after they tried to stop the poison getting to the heart. That took about four days to go.

'We just want to warn people about adders when they are on sand dunes. Just look what can happen.'
A court has jailed a former convict for the rape and murder of a female US ex-marine in Russia after he gave her a lift from a grocery store.

Catherine Serou, 34, a law student in Nizhny Novgorod, had messaged her mother saying: 'Im riding in a car with a stranger. I hope Im not being abducted.'

Her body was discovered in a forest on the edge of the city following a massive search operation by law enforcement and volunteers after she went missing.

Alexey Popov, 43, was sentenced to 24 years in a strict regime penal colony for raping the 'smiling and laughing' American.

He struck her with his fists and fatally stabbed her twice in the neck with his fishing knife. He was also convicted of robbing Serou, who had previously carried out research in Britain for her masters degree.

Popov, who had previous convictions for rape, sexual assault, hooliganism and robbery, initially confessed to interrogators in 2021, before changing his mind and altering his story.

He was showed an Investigative Committee crime reconstruction video of how he killed her.

Alexey Popov (pictured), 43, was sentenced to 24 years in a strict regime penal colony for raping the 'smiling and laughing' American

Catherine Serou (above), 34, a law student in Nizhny Novgorod, had messaged her mother saying: 'Im riding in a car with a stranger. I hope Im not being abducted.'

Despite this, he denied the charges and told the court he had been attacked by the former US marine, who had served in Afghanistan, and fought back.

The court rejected his testimony. A video showed her alive for the last time as she went to a store for a weekly shop.

He told the court: 'She was hitchhiking, and I almost knocked her down.'

He gave her a lift and 'we chatted a bit. She was smiling, laughing. We talk about how people live in different countries. She said that our people are lazy, stupid, not talented...'

She 'started yelling at me' and behaved 'very impudently, just doing what she wanted'.

Serou had come to Russia for 'exciting adventures' as a mature student.

A video showed her alive for the last time as she went to a store for a weekly shop

He struck her with his fists and fatally stabbing her twice in the neck with his fishing knife

He was also convicted of robbing Serou, who had previously carried out research in Britain for her masters degree

Popov had previous convictions for rape, sexual assault, hooliganism and robbery

Russian friends claimed she had killed enemies in the war zone but 'did not like to speak about it'.

The American had served with Cherry Point Marine Corps from 2006 to 2011, and was originally from New Orleans.

She had two degrees from the University of California Davis, before going on to study at Nizhny Novgorod State University.

Police found that her cell phone signal had been traced to the village of Lindo-Pustyn, some 15 miles north of Bor, the suburb of Nizhny Novgorod where she lived.

As the hunt was underway, her mother said: 'She is a marine, she has got survival skills. And so I think that if anybody can survive it, she can.'

Serou was a former US Marine and graduate student who was studying law at a university in the Nizhny Novgorod region, just over 250 miles east of Moscow

Local volunteer groups handed out and posted missing person posters asking for Serou's safe return

A Russian friend, Alexander Tokarev, 32, said: 'You went through a war, crossed the ocean, found good friends, all to die here, near Nizhny Novgorod, without any reason.'

The dead womans sister Marie-Clair Serou had complained that the family could not get visas to attend the trial.

'I worry that this man might kill other women if he is released,' she had said.

'It is very important that he never be able to kill anyone. He must spend the rest of his life in prison, away from the women he might harm.'

Tokarev told NTV: 'I believe that [Popov] is an absolutely nasty, awful, and deceitful person.

'He has no remorse.'
Up to 80 Channel migrants landed in Britain today as people-smugglers take advantage of clear skies and calm waters.

UK officials escorted two small boats of men, women and children into Dover Harbour, Kent at around 7.30am, following a two-week break in crossings due to strong winds and bad weather.

The last crossing, on March 28, saw 386 people make the perilous journey across the 21-mile Dover Strait in 12 boats.

According to the latest official Home Office figures, at least 4,550 people have crossed the Channel so far this year.

Border Force union bosses have warned that this year could see at least 60,000 people arrive in the UK by small boats.

While today saw the first successful crossing in some time, a group of migrants reportedly attempted to row the length of the Channel on Sunday but were rescued by the French Navy after getting into difficulty, and returned to the port of Calais.

Young children amongst a group of people thought to be migrants as they are brought in to Dover, Kent, by Border Force officers, March 28, 2022

According to the latest official Home Office figures, at least 4,550 people have crossed the Channel so far this year. Border Force union bosses have warned that this year could see at least 60,000 people arrive in the UK by small boats

A group of people thought to be migrants are helped by Coastguard officers after being brought in to Dover, Kent, March 4, 2022

A young child amongst a group of people thought to be migrants after being brought in to Dungeness, Kent, onboard the RNLI Lifeboat, March 24, 2022

According to the Maritime Prefect, a patrol from the Gendarmerie Operations and Intelligence Centre reported the departure of a boat from Cran Poulet beach, northern France, on Sunday.

The French regional operation surveillance and rescue centre CROSS in Griz Nez engaged the public service patrol boat (PSP) Cormoran to intercept the migrants.

The crew then picked up 11 stranded people from the boat before dropping them off at the port of Calais where they were taken care of by the border police.

A spokesperson for the Maritime Prefect of the Channel said: 'They are all safe and sound thanks to the efficiency and responsiveness of the actors acting daily for the action of the State at sea and the safeguard of human life: the CROSS Gris-Nez, the maritime prefecture and the operations center maritime forces, the French Navy, the maritime gendarmerie, sea users, as well as State units patrolling the sea daily.

'The maritime prefect of the Channel and the North Sea warns anyone who plans to cross the Channel about the risks involved.

'This maritime sector is one of the busiest areas in the world, the weather conditions are often difficult there (120 days of wind greater than or equal to force 7 on an annual average for example), it is therefore a particularly dangerous sector, especially during winter where the water temperature drops.'

A migrant is brought into the Port of Dover onboard by a Border Force agent, after being rescued while crossing the Channel, March 15, 2022

A group of people thought to be migrants are are guided up the beach after being brought in to Dungeness, Kent, March 24, 2022

Border Force officials helping migrants at the port of Dover, March 28, 2022

More than 3,000 migrants crossed the Channel by small boat last month  the highest monthly figure since November 2021, when 6,869 people made the treacherous journey.

According to official Home Office figures, 3,075 people arrived on British soil in March  more than the total number of people who made the journey in January, February, March and April combined last year, and over triple the 831 who arrived in the entirety of March in 2021.

This level of small boat crossings was not seen on a monthly basis until the height of summer in 2021.

A total of 28,526 migrants crossed the Dover Strait last year  significantly higher than the 8,410 who arrived in 2020  but the number of crossings is expected to increase over the coming weeks as Spring brings warmer weather and calmer conditions at sea.

Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, Tom Pursglove MP, said: 'The rise in dangerous Channel crossings is unacceptable.

'Not only are they an overt abuse of our immigration laws but they also impact on the UK taxpayer, risk lives and our ability to help refugees come to the UK via safe and legal routes. Rightly, the British public has had enough.

'Through our Nationality and Borders Bill, we're cracking down on people smugglers and fixing the broken system by making it a criminal offence to knowingly arrive in the UK illegally and introducing a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for those who facilitate illegal entry into our country.'
Energy provider Con Edison said a manhole cover explosion in Times Square Sunday that sent throngs of tourists running for their lives was caused by an underground power cable failure - though nobody was injured as a result of the blast.

'We can confirm that a manhole exploded in the Times Square area this evening due to cable failure, and another manhole was smoking,' the company said in a statement. 'At this time, there have been no customer outages, and no reports of injuries or property damage.'

Videos from the the scene show pedestrians dashing through the Crossroads of the World just before 7 p.m. - with one nearby resident saying the blast shook her 'whole apartment.'

In a video posted to social media, a young woman films herself as crews respond to the manhole fires. The explosion is then heard and she begins to run.

'What the f***?' What the f*** was that?'

FDNY officials also found elevated carbon monoxide levels at 229 West 43rd Street after the blast. High levels of the odorless and colorless gas, which can lead to brain damage or death, were likely caused by the entrapped manhole fires.

Firefighters were in the process of 'venting and mitigating the cellar and sub-cellar of the location' before they handed the scene over to utility companies by 9 p.m.

The explosion rattled an already jittery city that has seen crime skyrocket since the start of the pandemic. Overall crime is up 44.13 percent across the city from this time last year, with shooting victims up 14.5 percent.

Pedestrians run for their lives in Times Square on Sunday evening after a loud blast was heard

Video from the 24/7 EarthCam in the area shows Duffy Square packed with people on Sunday

The crowd quickly empties out of the Crossroads of the World after the inexplicable blast

One young woman who was recording the fire trucks in the area hears a loud bang and takes off running with the crowd nearby. Fire officials said they found three manholes on fire in the area. The cause of the fires was unknown

Overall crime in the city has risen 44 percent in the first three months of the year and police are now saying that hundreds of repeat offenders have been arrested at least three times

The blast took place as crowds were gathering outside theaters for Broadway shows in the popular tourist hub.

One video shows fearful crowds running down the sidewalk as others join in without knowing what's really happening.

'I dont know what it is but,' a man says in one video 'What is it? I heard something.'

The blast was likely caused by three manhole fires reported in the area, the FDNY said.

The cause of Sunday's fires has not been determined.

Footage from the 24/7 EarthCam above Duffy Square - site of Times Square's iconic red steps - shows a crowd lingering in the area just before 7pm when, suddenly, groups of people start running in one direction.

The square is partially emptied out by the time the panic dies down a few seconds later.

One nearby resident tweeted: 'Feeling relieved. With it being the start holy week, I was very scared. When I say my whole apartment shook, my goodness! Hoping to get more details on the manhole explosion. Two in two years. Wild.'

The city's fire department was assisting utility companies in finding out the cause of the manhole fires that led to the blast. The scene was turned over to the utility companies by 9pm.

The loud blast came as a shock to visitors of the city's most popular tourist destination as crime rates continue to rise in the Big Apple.

On Saturday, a 17-year-old was arrested and charged in the Friday slaying of a 16-year-old girl, who was described as a 'beautiful soul' by her family.

Jeremiah Ryan, 17, was charged with murder, attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon by the NYPD in the killing of Angellyh Yambo, 16, near her Bronx school.

Angellyh Yambo, 16, (pictured in 2020) was walking home with two others around 2pm on Friday when she was struck in the chest with a bullet

'Last night, we were able to bring in Jeremiah Ryan and place him in custody,' NYPD Chief Timothy McCormack said at a press conference Saturday, adding that the boy is working with police.

'We have two families that are completely destroyed right now - our victim's family and our shooter's family,' McCormack said.

Police were investigating whether the shooting suspect, who has no criminal record, was using a so-called 'ghost gun' - a homemade firearm that can be built with parts bought online and lacks a serial number normally used to trace it. They said a total of six rounds were fired .

Yambo was walking home with two friends at around 2pm on Friday when she was struck in the chest with a bullet, having been caught in the crossfire of two reported criminals on opposite sides of the street when an argument broke out between them.

She was rushed to Lincoln Medical Center after emergency personnel were seen performing chest compressions on her in the street as blood pooled around her. Yambo could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Meanwhile, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced a plan to give judges more power over bail for repeat offenders and to pursue more cases against minors after she admitted New Yorkers' trust in safety has 'shattered.'

Hochul, 63, who has recently announced she will be running for a full term as governor, announced on Thursday that judges will have more discretion over bail for repeat offenders or those charged with gun trafficking.

Hochul, 63, who has recently announced she will be running for a full term as governor, announced on Thursday that judges will have more discretion over bail for repeat offenders or those charged with gun trafficking

She admitted that bail 'has been an issue,' and the new measure includes expanding the defendants' gun-related history, including previous gun use and the severity of the crime, when considering bail. T

he new law would also amend the current statutes on illegal gun trafficking, setting the number of illegal firearms needed for bail at three, down from 10.

'For the first time, [we are] going to allow judges to set bail for gun charges that we previously subject only to release.

'Also, adding factors that a judge must consider - as I mentioned, some problematic loopholes on Raise the Age and discovery, and making Kendra's Law more effective. All in the interests of making a safer and more just New York,' she said.
Rishi Sunak posed for 'vanity snaps' on a trip to the Treasury's new northern base today - but ducked media questions about the row over his family's tax status.

The Chancellor headed for the campus in Darlington, with his official photographer posting a series of glossy images on the department's Flickr feed.

But while Mr Sunak took part in a question and answer session with staff, there was no access for journalists wanting to grill him on the furore. Labour said the PR stunt 'beggars belief' and showed how out of touch Mr Sunak had become.

The criticism came as Boris Johnson signed off on his sleaze adviser probing whether Mr Sunak had declared his financial interests properly.

Mr Sunak had asked for the peer - who previously cleared Mr Johnson over 'Wallpapergate' - to get involved saying his 'overriding concern' is to demonstrate he had behaved correctly.

A Downing Street spokeswoman insisted today that the premier still backs his Chancellor, but dodged giving a timetable for when the probe might be complete.

Meanwhile, Keir Starmer sought to turn up the heat by demanding assurances that other top members of his government had not been 'making use of schemes to reduce their own taxation'.

Rishi Sunak visited Darlington today, where he held a Q&A with staff at the Darlington Economic Campus, in a bid to show that he was getting on with his job Chancellor

Mr Sunak's official photographer posted a series of glossy images on the Treasury's Flickr feed

Mr Sunak's billionaire heiress wife, Akshata Murty, was revealed to have had non-dom status. It meant she legally avoided paying a huge UK tax bill - estimated to be as much as 4.4m last year - by paying 30,000 a year to register as based in India

Tories have warned that Mr Sunak's ambitions of becoming PM have been 'scuppered' by the revelations about his billionaire heiress wife Akshata Murty having non-dom status, and that he held a US green card while running the Treasury.

There has also been criticism that the Chancellor's response of launching an aggressive leak inquiry was 'petulant and naive'.

No10 has batted away calls for Mr Sunak to publish his tax returns, or for public disclosures about the tax status of other ministers - although they are meant to declare arrangements to senior civil servants.

A Labour source said of the photographs of Mr Sunak in Darlington: 'It beggars belief that Rishi Sunak is carrying on with his taxpayer-funded vanity photoshoots without a care in the world. For this out of touch Chancellor it's a case of 'cost of living crisis? What cost of living crisis?'

Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Mr Sunak's predecessor as Chancellor, revealed over the weekend that he himself held non-dom status for six years while he was a banker.

He was said to have been entitled to the status because his father was born in Pakistan.

Mr Javid dramtically quit as Chancellor in February 2020 - to be replaced by Mr Sunak - following a row with Boris Johnson about which aides he could have in the Treasury.

Speaking on a visit to Sunderland today, Sir Keir continued his attack on the PM over the non-dom row and said that 'to appoint one Chancellor with suspect tax affairs is sloppy, to appoint two is a habit'.

'While he insists on making working people pay more taxes, the Prime Minister owes it to the public to confirm his Cabinet are not finding ways to pay less,' he said.

'The scale of the Chancellor's hypocrisy is difficult to swallow against the backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis.

'We now know that the Health Secretary - the former chancellor - also knows his way around a tax-reduction scheme.'

The Labour leader added: 'Boris Johnson needs to bring this saga to a close and confirm that no other sitting Conservative minister is doing or has done anything to reduce their own personal tax bill, while they preside over the biggest tax hike in 70 years.'

Sir Keir also said that no one would be allowed to serve in government under him if they held non-dom status, as he stressed there were not any non-doms in his shadow cabinet.

'We would have an absolutely fair system and I would expect all members of my cabinet to pay their full taxes in this country,' he said.

'It's a shame we can't say the same about the Prime Minister.'

Letft, Rishi Sunak's letter to the PM. Right, Mr Sunak and Akshata Murthy pictured together at the British Asian Trust at British Museum earlier this year

Boris Johnson has been urged to give an assurance that other top members of his government had not been 'making use of schemes to reduce their own taxation'

Mr Johnson continued to give his fulsome support to Mr Sunak today, with his deupty spokeswoman stressing that the PM maintained his full confidence in the Chancellor.

She also confirmed Mr Johnson had accepted Mr Sunak's request for an investigation by Lord Geidt, the Prime Minister's independent adviser on ministerial interests.

The controversy over Mr Sunak's family finances deepened further when it emerged both he and his spouse have held US green cards - with the Chancellor still holding his for more than 18 months while in charge of the Treasury.

Mr Sunak gave his green card up in October 2021, shortly before his first official trip as Chancellor to the US.

His team said that all laws and rules were followed and full taxes paid where required while Mr Sunak held the status.

The chancellor himself visited Darlington today, where he held a Q&A with staff at the Darlington Economic Campus, in a bid to show that he was getting on with his job as Treasury boss.

Although Labour have gone on the attack over the non-dom row, Sir Keir's party are still mired in confusion over whether they would abolish the status.

The party vowed to scrap the centuries-old provision - intended to attract wealthy people to the UK - under Jeremy Corbyn.

But Sir Keir's shadow ministers have been at odds in recent days over whether the party still believes non-dom status should be scrapped.

The policy is said to be 'under review' by shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves.
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The apartment unit belonging to one of the two men arrested last week for impersonating Homeland Security agents was searched by Metro Police Department (MPD) officers last year, but the cops left without taking any action.

Arian Taherzadeh's unit 708 was searched by officers with the Metro Police Department on February 26, 2020, according to an incident report exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com.

The new revelation comes as a second motion for detention filing showed more images of items and paraphernalia seized from the five units belonging to Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and his fellow-defendant Haider Sher-Ali, 35.

The additional images include more body armor with 'POLICE' lettering as well as a dynamic entry kit, cigars and more firearms with high-capacity magazines.

MPD's incident report from February of last year states: 'On the listed date and time MPD members responded to 949 First Street SE in reference to a 'person with' call for service.'

A person living adjacent to the Tishman Seyer-owned luxury building in Navy Yard, Crossing DC, noted that they witnessed 'three subjects handling rifle style firearms inside of an apartment building across from his own.'

'RP-1 provided MPD members images of the subjects handling what appeared to be firearms,' the report notes.

While it is clear that Taherzadeh was one of the three individuals involved, it is not clear who the other two people were  although sources claim the other imposter DHS agent Ali was involved.

The police report from MPD notes that all three subjects were 'stopped in the lobby' of Crossing DC and 'were fully cooperative with the investigation.'

'MPD members were given consent to enter SUB-1's apartment and inspect the alleged firearms,' it notes. 'Investigation revealed that the firearms that were seen were airsoft guns.'

Taherzadeh's unit on the seventh floor was the one searched by MPD, DailyMail.com can confirm.

It is now known that while Taherzadeh was in possession and use of airsoft guns, he also had a slew of real firearms in his apartment unit at Crossing DC.

The agency report status is listed on the public incident as 'Pending/Inactive'.

Surveillance footage of the incident was viewed by DailyMail.com.

It showed an extensive 'plain view' search by MPD, ending with the officers walking out of the apartment without anything seized or any action taken against Taherzadeh or the other two subjects of the 911 call.

A Magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia will hear the second part of the federal prosecution's motion for detention on Monday afternoon after the initial hearing was cut short on Friday.

The initial motion for detention of the two men who were arrested last Wednesday for impersonating federal agents includes a slew of damning evidence, including images showing several different passports, visas and IDs.

A police report obtained by DailyMail.com shows that Metro Police Department officers searched last year the apartment of one of the individuals posing as a DHS agent after a resident from an adjacent apartment building in Navy Yard called to report seeing firearms. The police determined that the firearms were airsoft weapons, according to the report

New images released by the U.S. attorney in the District of Columbia shows that the two men impersonating DHS agents had a dynamic entry kit on top of their access to residents' personal information and door access codes

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

Law enforcement found during their search of Ali and Taherzadeh's five units illegal high capacity magazines for their handguns. They released images in an additional motion for detention filed on Monday ahead of a hearing on holding the two individuals until their hearing

Prosecutors are urging the court to detain Ali and Taherzadeh as they await trial on a case alleging they impersonated Homeland Security agents and used that guise to cozy up to Secret Service agents and others working in government.

Both men's respective counsels filed on Monday motions of opposition to Taherzadeh and Ali's detention.

Ali's representation accused federal prosecutors of 'reckless innuendo' that they claim caused 'immense reputational harm' to the defendant accused of posing as a federal agent with DHS.

They also suggested that the case has nothing to do with some 'wide-ranging plot to infiltrate law enforcement or even the White House.'

One argument by the government is that Ali is a flight risk and has the means and ability to flee to several different countries  further supported by his multiple visas and travel history.

Regarding Taherzadeh, prosecutors are concerned he could intimidate witnesses or tamper with evidence, which he has already admitted to doing.

Social media accounts for Ali are still up, though it appears many images  especially on Facebook  have been removed.

Taherzadeh's accounts, on the other hand, seemed to have been deleted. Several residents were friends with the defendant on Facebook and Instagram and can no longer find his account when they search for it.

Just after an interaction Ali had with a U.S. Postal Inspector at Crossing DC in March, which eventually led to the duo's arrest last week, Taherzadeh started deleting law enforcement material from his social media, he told investigators.

'They are not law enforcement agents, and they are not involved in sanctioned covert activities,' the motion for detention filed Friday claims. 'Neither Defendant is even employed by the United States government.'

'But their impersonation scheme was sufficiently realistic to convince other government employees, including law enforcement agents, of their false identities,' the memorandum added.

Taherzadeh told law enforcement in an interview after being taken into custody on Wednesday that Ali was the one funding their lavish lifestyle and seemingly endless stream of gifts, but claimed he wasn't aware where the money was coming from.

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.

FBI agents went floor-to-floor questioning residents of Crossing DC over the weekend. If residents were not home, the above note was left to report any information known on Ali and Taherzadeh

The images of the detention motion also show that cigars were obtained during the search and seizure

Secret Service agents assigned to details for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' residence are among those being investigated for accepting lavish gifts and partying with Taherzadeh and Ali, who alleged they were agents with the Department of Homeland Security.

At least one of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) agents receiving free rent from Taherzadehand Ali was assigned to the detail protecting Harris' residence at Number One Observatory Circle at the Naval Observatory, sources at the building told DailyMail.com.

Another, sources claim, was on the presidential protective detail and regularly traveled with President Biden on Air Force One.

The new information comes after an affidavit released Wednesday revealed that one of the witnesses in the case is a secret service agent that worked on First Lady Jill Biden's protective detail.

Ali, according to Taherzadeh, was the one able to gain access codes and a list of tenants in the Crossing DC apartment complex  owned by upscale real estate firm Tishman Speyer.

'With respect to Ali, Taherzadeh stated that Ali had obtained the electronic access codes and a list of all of the tenants in the apartment complex,' the memorandum notes. 'Taherzadeh further stated that Ali was the individual that funded most of their day-to-day operation but Taherzadeh did not know the source of the funds.'

Just after the interaction with a Postal Inspector in March, which eventually led to the duo's arrest, Taherzadeh said that he started deleting law enforcement material from his social media.

Images from the raid Wednesday of a unit on the 7th floor where Taherzadeh was residing allegedly for free showed agents recovered 'three current copies of Taherzadeh's Washington D.C. driver's license, passport, United States Special Police  Special Investigations Unit business cards, a USSP police badge, and several identification and credit cards.'

'In addition, law enforcement recovered the business card of a USSS Agent referenced in the complaint affidavit,' the motion added.

Images from the raid Wednesday of a unit on the 7th floor where Arian Taherzadeh was residing allegedly for free showed agents recovered 'three current copies of Taherzadeh's Washington D.C. driver's license, passport, United States Special Police  Special Investigations Unit business cards, a USSP police badge, and several identification and credit cards'

A memorandum supporting a motion for detention of Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Sher-Ali, 35, shows that the men had a slew of garb in their luxury DC apartment units, including fraudulent police garb

Two passports and multiple visas from Ali show that he has traveled to Pakistan, Egypt, Qatar, Iran and Turkey

Images also show a slew of firearms, including rifles, that were stashed around the units

During an arraignment Thursday afternoon, details emerged that there could be connections between Ali and the Pakistani Intelligence Service.

Two of his passports were found during a raid of his unit on the 6th floor of Crossing DC.

'Ali's expired passport contained several visas authorizing foreign travel,' the Friday memorandum notes. 'For instance, this passport contained two visas authorizing travel from the Islamic Republic of Iran.'

'The Government has identified at least four entry/exit stamps from Mashhad International Airport in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan, Iran.'

It goes on: 'In addition, the Ali's passport contained two thirty-day visas from Pakistan and one visa for travel to Egypt.'

Images of these visas and passports corroborate the claims made in the memorandum for detention of Taherzadeh and Ali.

Customs and Border Protection records show that Ali traveled through Doha, Qatar in November 2016, May 2019 and July 2019. He also went through there in October 2019 and returned from Istanbul, Turkey.

Firearms recovered from unit 708, where Taherzadeh had a three bedroom unit supposedly for free

Taherzadeh validated in an interview with law enforcement that the claim in the affidavit from one witness that 'he did in fact shoot someone, identified in the complaint as Witness 1, with an Airsoft gun' during a 'recruitment' process to his fake agency to test the individuals reaction and pain tolerance. Pictured is a number of airsoft ammunition recovered from Taherzadeh's apartment

Recovered from Ali and Taherzadeh's units in Crossing DC were several articles of clothing with logos and claims of being law enforcement

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.

A regional manager for Tishman Speyer, the owners of the building where Taherzadeh and Ali's apartments were raided on Wednesday, had set up a meeting to speak with DailyMail.com on Friday morning  but the individual pulled out at the last minute.

Just a mile from the Capitol and three miles from the White House, Taherzadeh and Ali were conducting an operation where they posed as agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)  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 government request for detention notes that following Taherzadeh's arrest Wednesday, he voluntarily interviewed with law enforcement.

'During he (sic) course of this interview, Taherzadeh admitted, among other things, that: (1) he had falsely identified himself as a member of the Department of Homeland Security; (2) he had falsely identified himself as a former United States Army Ranger.

He also admitted to interviewers that a Sig Sauer 229 found in the raid belonged to him and was in his possession, but said that while the Glock 19 firearm was in his possession, it belonged to Ali.

The memo goes on to note Taherzadeh admitted: '[H]e offered to provide a USSS agent with an assault rifle; he provided free apartments to two USSS agents for approximately one year; he had provided a 'doomsday bag,' generator, flat screen television, two iPhones, a drone, a gun locker, a Pelican case, and a mattress to agents and officers of the USSS.'

Taherzadeh also validated the claim in the affidavit from one of the witnesses that 'he did in fact shoot someone, identified in the complaint as Witness 1, with an Airsoft gun' during a 'recruitment' process to his fake agency to test the individuals reaction and pain tolerance.

Regarding the discovery of several weapons, the memo notes: 'First, Taherzadeh is not permitted to possess a firearm.'

It described that Taherzadehw as charged in July 2013 with Strangulation Resulting in Wounding, which is a Class 6 Felony, and one count of Assault and Battery on a Family Member, a Class 1 Misdemeanor.

The person he faced the assault and battery charge against was his wife, noted only as 'M.H.' in the court document.

The two are said in the affidavit released Wednesday 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'.

One item recovered was a machine to create Personal Identification Verification (PIV) cards and passport photographs

Ali, according to Taherzadeh, was the one able to gain access codes and a list of tenants in the Crossing DC apartment complex  owned by upscale real estate firm Tishman Speyer. Ali was also apparently funding the luxury lifestyle and seemingly endless stream of lavish gifts

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.

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 and are not responding to media or tenant requests for more information. 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.'
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Harrowing photographs have emerged of a wife crying and collapsing in grief after the body of her husband, who was murdered by Russian soldiers, was exhumed from a shallow grave near their home.

The grieving widow could be seen collapsing on the ground next to her husband's body, which was placed on a blue sheet, in the village of Andriivka, near Kyiv, on Monday.

The woman, who has not been identified, could be seen crying as she was held up by Ukrainian police officers in the village where 40 people have been killed by Russian soldiers.

Her husband, who was murdered by Russian soldiers before they were driven out by Ukrainian forces, was pictured lifeless - still wearing his jeans and striped top.

The harrowing photographs were taken after an AFP photographer was invited to the village to record the events.

Harrowing photographs have emerged of a wife crying and collapsing in grief after the body of her husband, who was murdered by Russian soldiers, was exhumed from a shallow grave near their home

The grieving widow could be seen collapsing on the ground next to her husband's body, which was placed on a blue sheet, in the village of Andriivka, near Kyiv, on Monday

The woman, who has not been identified, could be seen crying as she was held up by Ukrainian police officers in the village where 40 people have been killed by Russian soldiers

A communal worker exhumes a body of the husband who was buried near his house in Andriivka village on Monday

The heartbroken wife is among dozens of civilians in Andriivka who have lost their loved ones at the hands of Russian troops.

Among them is the family of 23-year-old Anton Ischenko, who was murdered and mutilated so badly by Vladimir Putin's men that his relatives were forced to identify his dead body by his clothes.

'He was a very nice boy, very clever - he recited poetry,' Anton's grandmother Tetiana told the BBC.

'Maybe if he had gone to fight somewhere else, he would have returned her in one piece,' Tetiana said as tears rolled down her face.

'When my husband told the Russians, 'Take me instead,' they pointed a machine gun at him and said, 'Go home - or we will take you both'.'

Tetiana, who has only now been able to bury her grandchild, added: 'We wanted to bury him separately and with a priest, not just in a mass grave,' she says. 'I had two daughters, so he was our boy. We only had one boy.'

The heartbroken wife is among dozens of civilians in Andriivka who have lost their loved ones at the hands of Russian troops

Communal workers exhume the body of a killed civilian buried in the yard of his house in Andriivka on Monday

Residents in the village of Andriivka have seen bloody battles and their houses and buildings destroyed. After the Russian troops retreated to refocus their efforts on eastern Ukraine, some civilians are beginning to return, or emerge from bomb shelters.

Grigoriy Klymenko, who remained in the village to be with his bedridden 90-year-old mother, said the Russians are 'animals'.

'Humans don't behave like this. My parents told me about the war and the fascists didn't even do such things.'

Next door, Leonid Koval and his son's home was destroyed by Russian troops. 'I don't know what they were looking for,' he said as he broke down in tears. 'They just destroyed everything. I have no words to describe what they did.'

Ukraine and Western leaders have accused Russian forces of committing atrocities against civilians in devastated areas around Kyiv that were under Russian occupation, including the town of Bucha.

Communal workers exhume a body of a man buried near his house in Andriivka village

Ukrainian authorities say over 1,200 bodies have been found in the area so far and that they are weighing cases against '500 suspects', including Putin and other top Russian officials.

In Bucha on Monday, the work of exhuming bodies from a mass grave in a churchyard resumed after more than 400 dead civilians were discovered. The majority had been gunned down.

Galyna Feoktistova waited for hours in the cold and rain in hopes of identifying her 50-year-old son, who was shot and killed more than a month ago, but eventually she went home for some warmth. 'He's still there,' her surviving son, Andriy, said.

In Buzova, a village in the Kyiv region, Ukrainian officials said the bodies of 50 people, all of whom were shot at close range, were discovered on a road. Another mass grave with dozens of bodies were also found in the village.

Taras Didych, head of the Dmytrivka community that includes Buzova and several other nearby villages, told Ukrainian television that some of the bodies were found in a ditch near a petrol station. The number of dead is yet to be confirmed.

Residents look at destroyed Russian tanks outskirts of Buzova village, west of Kyiv, on Sunday

A mother reacts as police members exhume the body of her son, who according to the head of the village was killed by Russian soldiers, from a well at a fuel station in Buzova, on Sunday

Oleg, 56, mourns for his mother Inna, 86, killed during the war against Russia in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday

'Now, we are returning to life, but during the occupation we had our 'hotspots', many civilians died,' Didych said.

The bodies of 132 civilians were also found shot dead in Makariv, a town in Kyiv Oblast and about 30 miles west of the capital at the weekend. All died from bullet wounds, the town's mayor said.

Roughly 40 per cent of the town has been destroyed, according to reports, which came after Ukrainian troops recaptured it from Russian occupation on March 22. Officials have been counting the dead ever since.

Similar scenes have been found in the nearby town of Bucha, where more than 400 dead civilians were discovered. The majority had also been gunned down.

The mass killing of civilians Ukraine have been widely condemned by the West as war crimes with piles of bodies showing signs of torture and execution were pictured in Bucha after the city had been recaptured by Ukrainian forces.

But officials have now revealed that even greater damage was done by Putin's thugs in Borodyanka, northwest of Kyiv and about 15 miles from Bucha.

Russian forces are now turning their focus to the Donbas region in the east, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian troops were preparing 'even larger operations'.

Russia is believed to be seeking a link between occupied Crimea and Moscow-backed separatist territories Donetsk and Lugansk in Donbas.

The death toll of Vladimir Putin's force has risen to 19,500 according to Kyiv estimates.

Russia has only admitted 1,351 of its troops have died fighting in Ukraine since Putin invaded on February 24, a fraction of the figure estimated by Ukraine's armed forces.

The catastrophic death toll comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky defended his criticism of NATO and the UN, saying he has had enough of diplomacy with Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky told CBS 60 minutes on Sunday: 'When you are [working] at diplomacy, there are no results. All this is very bureaucratic. That's why the way I'm talking to them is absolutely justifiable. I don't have any more lives [to give]. I don't have any more emotions.

'I'm no longer interested in their diplomacy that leads to the destruction of my country. A lot of countries have changed their mind about Ukraine and about our people. But I think we've paid too high price for that.'

It comes amid warnings from British intelligence chiefs that Putin's troops could use white phosphorous munitions in Mariupol as fighting there intensifies, with Ukrainian forces saying they are preparing for the 'last battle' in the city.

While strictly not considered a chemical weapon, the substance burns fiercely and can cause horrendous injuries, and its use on civilians constitutes a war crime.

Britain's Ministry of Defence today said Russian forces prior use of phosphorous munitions in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine 'raises the possibility of their future employment in Mariupol as fighting for the city continues'.

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its 47th day, evidence of Russian troops committing war crimes continues to mount.

In the southern port of Mariupol, Ukrainian marines are preparing for a 'last battle' for control after being surrounded by invading Russian forces.

The 36th marine brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces said on Facebook that anyone whose limbs have not been torn off will be ordered to fight, and battles are currently being carried out by cooks, drivers and musicians.

They said today: 'Today will probably be the last battle, as the ammunition is running out.

'It's death for some of us, and captivity for the rest,' it added, saying it had been 'pushed back' and 'surrounded' by the Russian army.

It said it had been defending the port for 47 days and 'did everything possible and impossible' to retain control of the city.

Ukrainian marines are preparing for a 'last battle' to control the southern port of Mariupol after being surrounded by invading Russian forces

Service members of pro-Russian troops drive armoured vehicles during Ukraine-Russia conflict on a road outside Mariupol

Russian forces have said that fighting has recently centred around the city's Azovstal iron and steel works and in the port.

Pro-Russia rebel leader Denis Pushilin later claimed on Monday that separatist forces in eastern Ukraine have seized Mariupol, saying: 'Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is already under our control.' His claims could not be immediately verified.

The Ukrainian marines earlier said that is where 'the enemy gradually pushed us back' and 'surrounded us with fire, and is now trying to destroy us.'

The brigade said around half of its men are wounded.

'The mountain of wounded makes up almost half of the brigade. Those whose limbs are not torn off return to battle.'

'The infantry was all killed and the shooting battles are now conducted by artillerymen, anti-aircraft gunners, radio operators, drivers and cooks. Even the orchestra.'

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov today said Russian forces will launch a renewed offensive on Kyiv, despite Vladimir Putin moving his troops away from the Ukrainian capital.

Kadyrov said Russian troops will launch further attacks against Kyiv, the besieged port of Mariupol and 'all other' Ukrainian cities after Putin's men have taken control of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in eastern Ukraine.

It comes amid warnings from British intelligence chiefs that Putin's troops could use white phosphorous munitions in Mariupol as fighting there intensifies, with Ukrainian forces saying they are preparing for the 'last battle' in the city.

The Chechen leader vowed to launch their offensive on Kyiv and other cities, despite Russian troops retreating from the area to focus their assault on eastern Ukraine.

'There will be an offensive... not only on Mariupol, but also on other places, cities and villages,' Kadyrov said in a video posted on his Telegram channel.

'Luhansk and Donetsk - we will fully liberate in the first place ... and then take Kyiv and all other cities.'

Rescuers carry the body of a woman, who was found inside a building that was destroyed by Russian shelling, amid Russia's Invasion of Ukraine, in Borodyanka, Kyiv region, on Monday

Kadyrov, who has often described himself as Russian President Vladimir Putin's 'foot soldier,' said there should be no doubt about Kyiv.

'I assure you: not one step will be taken back,' Kadyrov said.

Russia has deployed Chechen fighters, reputed to be particularly fierce, in Mariupol. Capturing the city on the Sea of Azov would give Russia a land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine and annexed eight years ago.

Tens of thousands of Russian troops are also heading to the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk  known collectively as the Donbas.

The Kremlin is seeking a victory there to justify its 'special military operation', which has failed to capture any major cities. According to Western officials, Russian commanders believe the Donbas represents their best chance of success.

Russia also issued a fresh warning against the prospect of Nordic nations Sweden and Finland joining NATO today, describing the military alliance as a 'tool of confrontation'.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters today that the possible accession of Sweden and Finland to the NATO military alliance would not improve the situation in Europe.

'We have repeatedly said that the alliance remains a tool geared towards confrontation and its further expansion will not bring stability to the European continent,' Peskov said.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov (pictured left, with Putin) told reporters today that the possible accession of Sweden and Finland to the NATO military alliance would not improve the situation in Europe

Alexander Stubb, who headed Finland's government in 2014 and 2015, said last week the country could decide to join the military alliance as soon as May

It comes days after former Finnish prime minister Alexander Stubb said his nation is likely to submit a formal application to join the security bloc 'within weeks' despite Moscow lawmaker Vladimir Dzhabarov warning it would mean 'the destruction of the country'.

Meanwhile, Sweden's ruling party formally began debating the possibility of launching a bid for membership today, a move which would signal a complete role reversal in policy for the Scandinavian kingdom that has remained militarily neutral for decades.

Finland, which has a long border with Russia and was invaded by the Red Army in 1939, has never been a member of the defence alliance, preferring instead to organise its own protection.

But since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, opinion polls commissioned by Finnish media outlets have shown a swift U-turn in public opinion with the majority now favouring joining.

Alexander Stubb, who headed Finland's government in 2014 and 2015, said last week the country could decide to join the military alliance as soon as May.

He said: 'In the beginning of the war I said that Putin's aggression will drive Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership.

'I said it was not a matter of days or weeks, but months. Time to revise: Finland will apply within weeks, latest May. Sweden to follow, or at the same time.'
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States that imposed the harshest lockdowns had the most devastating impact on the public, the most wide-ranging study into Covid restrictions in the US to date has found.

New York, California, New Jersey and Illinois were panned for their pandemic performance after bringing in draconian measures to shut their citizens in their homes.

Those states' Democrat Governors' policies caused high death rates, ruined children's education and destroyed businesses due to the severe curbs on freedom, researchers found as they slapped them with an F-grade.

Nine out of the ten worst responses to the pandemic were in blue states, the report said, with only Republican-run Maryland bucking that trend and coming seventh last.

Meanwhile places that allowed their residents more freedom as coronavirus swept across the country appeared to fair better over the last two years.

Florida fared sixth, with its Governor Ron DeSantis condemned in the early days of the pandemic for what critics claimed was a reckless desire to reopen too quickly.

Utah, Nebraska, Vermont, Montana and South Dakota were also praised by analysts for their pandemic response which did not cause more Covid deaths. Maine was the only Democrat-run state in the top nine best responses, and came eighth.

The Republican-led areas - which dominated nine out of the top ten places in the study - have seen their economies remain strong and unemployment figures stay steady due to fewer restrictions.

The report, by the National Bureau of Economic Research and Committee to Unleash Prosperity, said shutting down during the pandemic was 'by far the biggest mistake governors and state officials made'.

It judged states on their economy, education and mortality and compiled a comprehensive list showing how they now stand as coronavirus dies down.

The bombshell study comes amid fears coronavirus restrictions may be phased back in as cases of the virus creep up, with Philadelphia bringing back its indoor mask mandate only a month after lifting it.

This map shows states in a darker color performed better during the pandemic than ones in lighter colors, including New York and New Jersey. It is based on data investigating how each state's economy, education rates and mortality fared during COVID

This DailyMail.com map shows the ranking of how states and DC fared overall, as well as the party each state's governor belongs to. Democrat-led states are blue, with GOP states in red. DC, which came second last, was lead throughout the pandemic by Democrat Mayor Muriel Bowser

South Dakota (left, Governor Kristi Noem) was one of the states that performed well in the study, while California (right, Governor Gavin Newsom) was judged poorly

Florida fared sixth, with its Governor Ron DeSantis (pictured) condemned in the early days of the pandemic for what critics claimed was a reckless desire to reopen too quickly

Pictured: The National Bureau of Economic Research compiled a comprehensive list showing how the states now stand as coronavirus dies down

Co-founder Steve Moore told Fox: 'Shutting down their economies and schools was by far the biggest mistake governors and state officials made during Covid, particularly in blue states.

'We hope the results of this study will persuade governors not to close schools and businesses the next time we have a new virus variant.'

New York, California, New Jersey and Illinois were joined in the bottom ten for overall performance by New Mexico, Maryland, Nevada, Connecticut and Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

New Jersey, District of Columbia, New York, New Mexico, California, and Illinois were all branded with an F grade for their responses to the pandemic - with New Jersey slapped with a score of zero out of a possible 100.

Democrat-lead New Jersey fared worst in the US New Jersey's COVID response has been branded the worst in the United States by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Democrat Governor Phil Murphy was hailed for declaring a state of emergency just four days after the first case hit the stat on March 4, and imposed stringent lockdown measures. But New Jersey was hit extremely hard by nursing home deaths - with 8,000 of the state's 33,000 COVID deaths among those living or working in such facilities. Critics say Murphy failed to respond with sufficient speed or flexibility to the pandemic. Supporters defended him by citing the Garden State's close proximity to New York, which became the US's first major COVID epicenter due to its status as a global travel hub. That surge in cases, combined with draconian lockdown measures meant many New Jersey residents experienced the worst of all worlds. They were hit by high infections and deaths, but were also forced to endure very long closures of local businesses that tanked their economy, and lengthy school closures blamed for setting local children back badly. Advertisement

Economy

To work out the economic situation in each state the researchers looked at unemployment figures and the local GDP.

They found New Jersey, New York, Hawaii, Massachusetts and California were the bottom five for the former category, while Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Delaware and Pennsylvania were last for their GDP.

Across the two factors, the authors - Phil Kerpen, Stephen Moore and Casey Mulligan - said: 'Hawaii and Nevada came in last by far because of the overwhelming impact the global shutdown of tourism had on them, and energy-heavy states similarly had disproportionate unemployment rises with the collapse of global demand.'

They found New Jersey, New York (pictured, former governor Cuomo), Hawaii, Massachusetts and California were the bottom five for the former category, while Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Delaware and Pennsylvania were last for their GDP

To work out the economic situation in each state the researchers looked at unemployment figures and the local GDP. They found New Jersey, New York, Hawaii, Massachusetts and California were the bottom five for the former category, while Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Delaware and Pennsylvania were last for their GDP

ECONOMY: This map shows how each state's economy fared during the pandemic - the darker the blue, the better the state fared. The ranking takes into account factors such as unemployment levels - which were directly impacted by COVID lockdowns, as well as gross domestic product - output - which was affected by lockdown measures. Montana, South Dakota and Utah were among states which fared best.

Education

For education, the report looked at the percentage of students attending classes through the pandemic, with schools working on a hybrid system given half a score.

District of Columbia came in last place for this, followed by California, Oregon, Maryland, Washington and Hawaii respectively.

The report said: 'School closures may ultimately prove to be the most costly policy decision of the pandemic era in both economic and mortality terms.

'One study found that school closures at the end of the previous 2019-2020 school year are associated with 13.8 million years of life lost.'

It added: 'Unlike mortality or economic outcomes, closing public schools was entirely under the control of policymakers. Almost all private schools were open.'

District of Columbia came in last place for this, followed by California, Oregon (pictured, governor Kate Brown), Maryland, Washington and Hawaii respectively

EDUCATION: This chart shows the percentage of children that remained in school throughout the pandemic. States which went all-remote had their attendance scores halved as a weighting measure. Those states which didn't force their schools to close to in-person lessons fared best, with Wyoming scoring a perfect score of 100 per cent. Arkansas and Florida were close behind, obtaining a score of 98.6 per cent and 96.2 per cent respectively.

District of Columbia came in last place for this, followed by California, Oregon, Maryland, Washington and Hawaii respectively

Death rates

Meanwhile for mortality the authors focused on two areas - Covid-associated deaths reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and all-cause excess mortality.

On average across these two categories, Arizona came bottom of the list in 51st, with New Mexico, Mississippi, Nevada and New York also bringing up the rear.

The report said: 'There is no clear pattern in which states had high and low mortality, although we note one major study from researchers found that lockdowns increased all-cause mortality to a statistically significant extent.

'Whether or not political leaders can be considered responsible for mortality outcomes is therefore unclear, although advocates of a ''focused protection'' strategy have suggested that sheltering the high-risk could reduce overall mortality  an approach adopted by Florida.'

The majority of states painted as using a poor policy to deal with the pandemic were Democrat led, while the Republican governors mostly came out of the study well.

Overall, Utah was the standout performer over the last two years, followed by Nebraska, Vermont, Montana and South Dakota in the top five across the board.

Florida, New Hampshire, Maine, Arkansas and Idaho came in sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth in the study respectively.

But economically, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Mississippi and Idaho topped the list for their handling of the coffers over the pandemic. But they were closely followed by Utah, Kentucky, Georgia, Vermont and Missouri.

Many of the same states also faired well for its handling of children's education amid Covid, with Wyoming - which took home a 100 per cent average in the study - Arkansas, Florida, South Dakota and Utah taking the top spots.

The rest of the ten leading states in this category were Nebraska, Montana, Texas, North Dakota and Louisiana respectively.

Yet when the researchers looked at each states' Covid deaths, the top order was shuffled, with Vermont coming out in first.

It was followed by Hawaii, Maine, Oregon, New Hampshire, Washington, Utah, Alaska, Minnesota and Virginia respectively.

The document highlights for the first time how the different methods used to combat Covid in Democrat and Republican states has impacted on their people now the pandemic is subsiding.

Democrat areas generally brought in tighter restrictions meaning their citizens had fewer freedoms and were often locked up at home.

Meanwhile Republican states were mostly looser rules on traveling, social distancing and going to school for children.

The report concluded: 'The study verifies other studies which have found that locking down businesses, stores, churches, schools, and restaurants had almost no impact on health outcomes across states.

'States with strict lockdowns had virtually no better performance in Covid death rates than states that remained mostly open for business.'

It went on: 'The economy and education components were likely influenced by decisions made by policymakers, but it is unclear if that is the case for the mortality component.

COVID DEATHS: This chart shows how many people per 100,000 died from coronavirus in all 50 states, as well as Washington DC. Democrat states including NY were among the worst, despite the harshest lockdowns

ALL DEATHS: Another map looks at all excess deaths per state per 100,000 people. COVID has been blamed for killing people indirectly, thanks to missed medical diagnoses and suicides. This map showed that those states in palest blue fared best, while those with the darkest colors fared worse. This is one of the measures where the GOP's light lockdown measures were blamed for directly harming people, but draconian California fared no better

'One possible exception is nursing home policies, which may explain why several states, especially New York and New Jersey, performed poorly on mortality metrics.'

It added: 'Using other methods, several studies have also found little health benefit of closing schools or businesses. Several studies find low COVID-19 transmission rates in schools.'

Ousted New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was originally praised for his pandemic handling but later panned for the nursing home crises that hit the state.

Last month state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said said his Department of Health had deliberately undercounted the number of Covid care home deaths by more than 4,000.

Cuomo, who resigned over sexual harassment claims in August, is said to have known full-well about the undercount in May 2020.

But he is alleged to have continued to exclude the figures from his official totals of around 9,000 deaths until February 2021, when the mortality figure suddenly jumped above 13,000. He faces a federal investigation into nursing home deaths, which is ongoing.

Co-founder Steve Moore told Fox : 'Shutting down their economies and schools was by far the biggest mistake governors and state officials made during Covid, particularly in blue states.' Pictured: This graph shows how locked-down economics also had closed schools

The report said: 'School closures may ultimately prove to be the most costly policy decision of the pandemic era in both economic and mortality terms.' Pictured: Open schools and health by state

The report found that the health of people in the state did not depend on whether the economy was locked down during the pandemic

The study comes amid fears coronavirus restrictions may be phased back in as Philadelphia announced it was bringing back its indoor mask mandate only a month after lifting it as Covid cases creep up.

The eastern Pennsylvania city will reimpose its mask mandate starting on April 18, Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole announced during a briefing.

Officials also revealed Covid cases had jumped to 149 per day, an 86 per cent jump over the past two weeks, though nowhere near the peaks reached during the winter Omicron surge.

The city also reported 46 current hospitalizations related to the virus. Philadelphia Public Health said on Twitter Monday the city will now enter 'Level 2: Mask Precautions', as triggered by the recent increase in cases.

Philadelphia will reimpose its mask mandate starting on April 18, Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole (pictured) announced during a briefing

After a week to adjust, all indoor public places like schools, businesses, restaurants and government buildings will be required to use masking indoors.

Jim Kenney, mayor of Philadelphia, said: 'Philadelphia's COVID-19 response levels allow us to be clear, transparent and predictable in our response to local conditions.

'Given the rise in cases, we're moving to Level 2 on April 18 to prevent higher case rates. Our city remains open; we can still go about our daily lives and visit the people and places we love while masking in indoor public spaces.'

But case figures are not considered to be a reliable metric when judging the state of the pandemic by many federal level officials.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed its metrics earlier this year, now valuing hospitalizations over all else when recommending mask orders on certain populations.

According to the CDC, Philadelphia County, which includes the city, is one of the 95 per cent of counties considered to have 'low' Covid risk and not recommended to wear masks indoors.

Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert, said this week Americans should decide for themselves how they want to deal with the pandemic going forward based on the amount of risk they are willing to accept.

He told ABC's This Week on Sunday: 'There will be - and we've said this many times even in our own discussions between you and I, that there will be a level of infection.

'This is not going to be eradicated and it's not going to be eliminated. And what's going to happen is that we're going to see that each individual is going to have to make their calculation of the amount of risk that they want to take in going to indoor dinners and in going to functions.'

COVID 'stealth' variant is fueling rise in cases in HALF of US states with infections up 25% up on last week - but White House pandemic chief says Americans should not be 'excessively concerned'

Covid cases are starting to rise once again in parts of the U.S. after nearly three months of declines coming off of the massive winter Omicron surge - but health officials say it's not a cause for concern because hospitalizations and deaths remain low.

Dr Ashish Jha, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator who also served as dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told NBC's TODAY and MSNBC's Morning Joe on Monday morning that despite recent case rises in more than half of U.S. states, Americans do not have reason to be 'excessively concerned' about the current pandemic situation.

According to most recent data, daily Covid cases have increased over the past two weeks in 26 U.S. states. Cases are increasing nationwide as well, with data from Friday, April 8, reporting an average of 36,204 daily infections - a 25 percent jump from the previous week.

Raw case figures are not particularly high, though, and Jha also says that hospitalizations are currently the lowest they've been at any point of the pandemic.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, also said this week that Americans will have to start to decide for themselves how they would like to live with the virus and that it could not be eradicated.

Daily Covid infections are now rising in 26 US states after months of sharp declines around the country

Jha points to the BA.2 'stealth' variant as responsible for the recent increase in cases.

Dr Ashish Jha, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, said that he is not very concerned with America's current Covid situation despite cases rising in more than half of states

'It is incredibly contagious, even more contagious than the original subvariant of Omicron, and it caused a substantial spike in cases in Europe,' he said to Morning Joe, referring to case spikes suffered by the UK, Denmark and other European nations upon the sub-variant's discovery earlier this year.

The stealth variant is causing slight case upticks across America, though the case rises have not been anywhere near as dramatic as the ones seen nationwide when the Omicron variant first arrived in late December and early January.

New York is suffering the largest increase, with cases up 60 percent over the past two weeks in the empire state. Mississippi (57 percent jump in infections over past two weeks), Kansas (41 percent) and Oregon (40 percent) have experienced sharp increases as well.

The strain earned the 'stealth' moniker from its ability to avoid some types of virus surveillance practices, and it is believed to only be detectable by genomic sequencing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported last week that the strain now makes up 72 percent of sequenced Covid cases in the U.S. - overtaking the BA.1 strain that dominated much of the winter.

Like it's predecessor, the strain is more mild than other versions of the virus. It causes hospitalization and death at a much lower rate than other variants.

'The thing that we care most about, people getting really sick, hospitalizations, deaths, they remain really low. We have fewer people in the hospital right now than at any point in the pandemic,' Jha said.

According to most recently available data, 15,058 Americans are in the hospital with Covid every day, an 18 percent drop over the past two weeks. Many of these people may not have a severe case of the virus, as the figure also includes people who are hospitalized for another condition and test positive for the virus while present.

Deaths are down as well, with the nation recording 551 daily Covid deaths as of Friday, with last week being the least deadly for the virus since August 2021.

Because of this, Jha is not particularly concerned about America's current Covid situation.

'I don't think this is a moment where we have to be excessively concerned,' he told TODAY.

'...We should not let this infection run wild, we should watch it carefully and keep it under control. At the same time we don't have to let it dictate our lives anymore.'

He is not the only major U.S. official to show less concern for Covid in recent days. Fauci, who serves as director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease, said over the weekend that the virus will never be 'eradicated', but instead people will have to decide from themselves how much risk they want to take living alongside it day-to-day.

'There will be - and we've said this many times even in our own discussions between you and I, that there will be a level of infection,' Fauci told ABC's This Week on Sunday.

'This is not going to be eradicated and it's not going to be eliminated. And what's going to happen is that we're going to see that each individual is going to have to make their calculation of the amount of risk that they want to take in going to indoor dinners and in going to functions.'

Officials are still recommending Americans to get the Covid vaccines as soon as they can if they have not already, as the jabs are mostly responsible for the declining hospitalizations and deaths in the country.

Per most recent data from the CDC, 89 percent of American adults have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 75 percent fully vaccinated. Nearly half of adults have received an additional booster shot, and a second booster dose became available to those 50 and older earlier this month.

'There are still a lot of Americans that are not yet vaccinated or boosted, and when they get [infected] the consequences are still quite substantial,' Jha said.
San Francisco Police officers were left baffled recently when they pulled over a self-driving taxi and it took off on them.

In a video posted earlier this month that went viral over the weekend, an autonomous Cruise driverless car can be seen being pulled over by police officers during a nighttime stop.

The officer reportedly approached the vehicle because its headlights were off. He attempted to open the driver's door, evidently shocked that there wasn't anyone inside the car.

When he walks back to the police car, the Cruise car drives off further down the road and it is once again pulled over.

'Ain't nobody in it, this is crazy,' a man can be heard saying in the video posted on April 1.

'Are you serious? How does that happen? I'm going to have to watch this,' another dumbfounded bystander adds.

After the incident, Cruise, a General Motors autonomous subsidiary that introduced the driverless cars earlier this year in the Golden City, said police contacted a twenty-four-seven-functioning line for such instances.

The company also said that the vehicle operated as expected and no citations were issued by authorities.

'...our AV yielded to the police vehicle, then pulled over to the nearest safe location for the traffic stop, as intended. An officer contacted Cruise personnel and no citation was issued,' the company said in a statement.

'We work closely with the SFPD on how to interact with our vehicles, including a dedicated phone number for them to call in situations like this.'

In a video posted on April 1, San Francisco Police officers are left baffled when they attempt to stop a self-driving car and it drives off. San Francisco Police officers reportedly approached the vehicle because its headlights were off

When the officer walks back to the police car, the Cruise car drives off further down the road and it is once again pulled over

After the incident, Cruise, an General Motors autonomous subsidiary that introduced the driverless cars earlier this year in the Golden City, said police contacted a twenty-four-seven-functioning line for such instances

The company also said that the vehicle operated as expected and no citations were issued by authorities

Twitter users rushed to share their opinions about the bizarre incident. Some blamed the company, saying the situation could have ended up badly for a pedestrian.

'Hook up a photocell to the lights. Maybe Radio Shack can set you up, Twitter user Lars Larson advised.

Another user commented: 'The car didn't seem to communicate to the officers it's intention to drive on. And what if a [civilian] needed to stop your car for some reason? How would you resolve this issue in the future?'

'The company should have been cited for no headlights and then again for blocking the roadway. It never did make it out of the lane of travel. It just kind of pointed itself towards the curb and stopped,' Shaun also Callahan said.

Autonomous vehicle taxis have been up and running in San Francisco since February.

General Motors and Cruise employees tested out the service for weeks, before it was officially introduced. The cars each have unique monikers, including 'Tostada,' 'Disco' and 'Sourdough.'

In a February blog post, Interim Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt said the company is the first to offer driverless taxis in a major US city and that the milestone triggered a $1.35 billion investment from Softbank, which had already put $900 million into the company.

Cruise self-driving cars are allowed to operate only on select roads from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., at speeds of up to 60 mph

Vogt said the additional capital will allow the company to grow its workforce and scale up the driverless technology in San Francisco and into other cities.

Cruise says it is the only autonomous vehicle company permitted to offer rides to the public in driverless cars.

The cars are allowed to operate only on select roads from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., at speeds of up to 60 mph.

They're not allowed to operate during heavy fog or heavy rain.
A new study by Indian researchers published in the American Chemical Society's Omega journal indicates that SARS-CoV-2 likely has long-term impacts on male fertility.

While the virus is well-known to affect the respiratory system, it also damages other tissues in the body. This gives rise to many of the symptoms summarized under "long Covid", and which can range from heavy fatigue to mental health issues.

Recent evidence now suggests that male reproductive biology is also impacted by Covid, reducing fertility.

Comparing Semen Samples, Scanning for Proteins

Firuza Parikh and Rajesh Parikh at Jaslok Hospital and Sanjeeva Srivastava at the Indian Institute of Technology analyzed semen samples from 17 men who had recently been infected with COVID-19 and a control group of 10 men who never had the virus. The men were between 20 and 45 years of age and had no prior history of infertility.

The research team took a particularly close look at the levels of semen proteins that affect male fertility, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Their results showed that men who had recently recovered from Covid had a significantly reduced sperm count and motility, as well as more abnormally shaped sperm. The analysis of fertility proteins showed that, compared to the healthy men, they also had 27 proteins at higher levels and 21 proteins at lower levels.

Many of the proteins known to be related to male reproductive functions were found at much lower than normal levels. Semenogelin 1 and prosaposin, for instance, were reduced by over 50% in men who had suffered from COVID-19.

The researchers conclude that even a mild infection with COVID-19 can significantly reduce fertility in men. They note that research at a larger scale - with a bigger group of subjects in various stages of recovery - needs to be carried out to fully understand the phenomenon.

COVID-19 vaccination does not cause infertility

Some evidence that COVID could impair male fertility was already presented last year, in a study led by researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The same study also found that vaccination had no effect on fertility, either in men or in women.

The research team led by Dr. Amelia Wesselink analyzed data from a pregnancy survey that followed more than 2,000 women trying to conceive without the help of fertility treatments. The study was funded by NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The women - and their male partners - answered a wide range of questions related to their income, education, lifestyle, and medical history, including their Covid vaccination status. The results showed that neither partner's vaccination status had an effect on the couple's likelihood to conceive.

Further research on Covid and fertility

Further studies suggest that Covid may also reduce erectile function. A recent analysis published in the International Journal for Impotence Research indicates that the coronavirus can cause erectile dysfunction in a multitude of ways - either through cardiovascular damage, direct damage to the testicles, or psychological stress.

Furthermore, scientists have highlighted far-reaching links between Covid and fertility in both men and women. One surprising result has been that pre-existing fertility issues may actually increase the risk for experiencing severe forms of Covid.

This is the case, for instance, for women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder and one of the most common causes for female infertility.

A study published in BMC Medicine found that women suffering from PCOS are at a higher risk for severe Covid, partly due to the lower vitamin D levels in their blood.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A 56-year-old man has died after being stabbed in both legs in a 'targeted' attack outside his Bronx apartment in New York City on Sunday afternoon, the latest in a string of sickening acts of violence across the city.

Antonio Iglesias was attacked outside his apartment in the Bronx on Saturday at 2.30pm.

According to NYPD officials, two men approached him on a scooter. One hopped off the vehicle, approached him and stabbed him repeatedly in both legs before fleeing.

The man was taken to the hospital but could not be saved.

Police do not yet know what the motive for the attack was but sources told DailyMail.com on Monday the building where Mr. Iglesias lived - 1212 College Avenue in Concourse Village - is known for drugs.

The attack is the latest violent act in a spate of random and gang related killings all over the city that are terrorizing residents.

Antonio Iglesias was attacked outside his apartment in the Bronx on Saturday at 2.30pm. He later died in the hospital

Crime across New York is spiraling out of control; for the week ending 28th of March, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny, grand larceny auto are all up.

Crime in all of those categories combined is up 44 percent compared with the same week in 2021, while crimes on the subway and buses are up by 65.2 percent.

New Mayor Eric Adams has vowed to crack down on crime across the board but he is yet to have an impact.

Part of his plan was to put a team of designated cops on the subway to tackle the crime there.

The stabbing on Sunday was the latest brutal instance of crime in the Bronx.

On March 27, two men jumped out of a parked car to rob a 30-year-old woman walking back to her apartment.

Crimes across all of the city are up this week compared with the same week in 2021

She was wearing a $30,000 watch which they snatched from her wrist.

Although murders have ticked down 9 percent, other crimes are well up, with shooting incidents rising 14 percent, burglary up 31 percent, and grand larceny auto soaring 81 percent.

'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.

Without naming names or getting into specifics, 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.

New York City's crime wave is continuing despite Mayor Eric Adams' promise of a crackdown

In an emotional statement, Sewell recounted numerous recent shootings of children in the city, including the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Kade Lewin last week in Brooklyn.

Sewell insisted that '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 last year.

The commissioner said that the murder clearance rate stood at 89 percent for the year -- higher than any year-end rate.
Two Texas police dispatchers are lucky to be alive after narrowly avoiding being struck by an out-of-control Tesla being driven by a man who had reportedly fallen asleep behind the wheel.

The heart-stopping incident took place last Wednesday in Hamlin - a city of 2,000 people in the suburbs of Abilene - and was caught on surveillance video.

In the footage, two female 911 operators are seen having a smoke break outside the local police department on South Central Avenue at around 1.20pm.

Two Hamlin, Texas, police dispatchers are seen having a smoke break on Wednesday afternoon, just moments before a crash

Ten seconds after the 911 operators went inside the building, this blue Tesla jumped the curb and sped down the sidewalk

Police said the driver of the car hit the corner of City Hall with the Tesla (pictured)

Just 10 seconds after the women reenter the building, a blue Tesla jumps the curb and speeds down the sidewalk, passing through the exact spot where the dispatchers had just stood, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

The Tesla hit the corner of City Hall and toppled all the pillars holding up the awnings of five nearby businesses, reported Fox 29.

Police Chief Bobby Evans said that the driver of the runaway electric car was heading home to New Mexico when he had fallen asleep behind the wheel.

Hamlin is located about 400 miles east of the Texas-New Mexico state border.

The heart-stopping incident took place along South Central Avenue in Hamlin

Police said the driver was heading home to New Mexico when he had fallen asleep behind the wheel

The out-of-control vehicle left a trail of destruction after knocking down the pillars holding up the awnings of five businesses

The driver has not been named, and it is unclear at this time whether he will face any charges stemming from the crash.

The two police dispatchers and the Tesla driver escaped unharmed.

Hamlin Police Chief Bobby Evans told DailyMail.com on Monday that the dozy motorist has been issued a citation for excessive speed and allowed to continue on his way.

Describing the moment of impact, Evans said 'it sounded like an explosion. He added that the two dispatchers were left shaken up by their very close call.
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Covid cases continued to plummet today as Downing Street rejected calls by NHS chiefs for the return of masks amid record infection rates.

Another 91,304 new positive cases were recorded over the last three days, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data showed  down 36 per cent on the 143,382 posted last Monday.

Experts say official case counts are almost meaningless now that free swabbing has been scrapped for the majority of people. Tory MPs have called the Government to ditch the updates altogether.

Ministers are now relying on Britain's main testing survey  which swabs random people  to get an accurate picture of the Covid situation. It showed more people were infected than ever a week ago but found the latest wave had peaked.

In another promising sign, today's data suggests Covid pressures on hospitals is easing, with admissions flat across the UK. There were 2,534 admissions on April 5 - the most recent date - which was up just 2 per cent in a week.

There were also 348 Covid deaths registered over the past three days, up 66 per cent on the previous week. The death count reflects the surge in cases weeks ago, due to the lag between infection and severe illness.

It comes after the NHS Confederation last night accused ministers of 'abandoning any interest in Covid whatsoever' and called for 'mitigating actions' to tackle record infection rates.

But a No10 spokeswoman today insisted there would be no change to the current rules and 'our living with Covid plan still stands'. They added the virus is now being managed like any other respiratory illness thanks to vaccines and drugs.

Infections are currently estimated to be at their highest ever level by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which uses hundreds of thousands of random swabs rather than relying on people coming forward for tests. The ONS data suggested infections may already be peaking, however

As part of the Government's 'Living With Covid' plan, ministers have already ditched the weekend updates to the statistics dashboard. Figures for Saturday, Sunday and Monday are now lumped together.

Today's update saw another 301 virus deaths logged in England over the last three days, nearly double the 152 recorded last Monday.

Fatalities fell 34 per cent to 25 in Scotland, rose 85 per cent to 13 in Wales and fell 30 per cent to nine in Northern Ireland.

England's outbreak has peaked, massive testing survey suggests England's Covid resurgence has finally peaked  even though more people are currently infected than ever, the country's most respected surveillance report suggests. Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysts estimate 4.1million people in England had Covid in the week ending April 2. Although the highest toll recorded since the pandemic began, it's only 0.5 per cent higher than last week. Experts today hailed the figures as the 'first sign infections have plateaued'. In the worst-hit parts of the country  Plymouth, Torbay and South Hams  up to one in 10 people were carrying the virus, according to the testing survey. ONS bosses admitted that 'while infections remain high', cases 'may no longer be increasing in some parts of the UK'. Experts say England's latest surge was driven by the more transmissible version of Omicron, scientifically named BA.2. Ministers also admit that ditching the final Covid restrictions last month also fueled the uptick. The ONS figures, based on swabs of 100,000 people, suggest that the downturn seen in the official numbers over the past week is genuine and not entirely down to the end of mass testing. Scientists and Tory MPs want the daily updates scrapped because they are now almost meaningless. Advertisement

But day-to-day coronavirus counts can fluctuate heavily, and the fatality figure relates to people who have died within 28 days of testing positive.

Separate data suggests up to a third of all Covid deaths are now 'with' the virus, as opposed to 'from' it.

A similar situation has emerged in hospitals. More than half of 'Covid' patients in hospital are primarily being treated for other reasons, like a broken leg, other data shows.

Critics say that the rise in so-called 'incidental' figures, driven by the sheer prevalence of the now-dominant BA.2, is skewing the Government's daily coronavirus statistics.

Omicron's milder nature and sky-high immunity rates, from the vaccination drive and repeated waves of infections, have drastically blunted the threat the virus poses. Government data suggests it is now no deadlier than the flu.

But with more than 20,000 Covid-infected patients in hospitals in England, the NHS Confederation, which acts as a representative for hospitals and ambulance trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, wants to reintroduce mask-wearing in crowded spaces and outdoor mixing.

The plea came just weeks after all Covid restrictions were scrapped or downgraded to guidance in England as part of the Government's hands-off strategy.

The Downing Street spokeswoman said: 'There is no change to our guidance and our living with Covid plan still stands.

'Thanks to a combination of vaccination and treatment and our better understanding of the virus we are now able to manage it as we do with other respiratory infections, so that remains the case with our approach.'

Meanwhile, Sajid Javid slammed China's 'disturbing' Zero Covid strategy and hailed the UK's approach in what appeared to be a response to the NHS' demands.

The easing of rules in England has coincided with infection rates spiralling to the highest levels seen throughout the pandemic, with one in 13 people estimated to be infected at the start of the month.

Health bosses say the situation  fuelled by rising Covid rates and staff sickness  is impacting its ability to tackle the record backlog of patients needing care.

Millions of patients have already been told to stay away from busy A&E units unless they are genuinely dying, while ambulance services have urged some to make their own way to hospital.

The NHS Confederation accused the Government of 'abandoning any interest in Covid whatsoever' as hospitals are set to deal with a 'brutal Easter as bad as any winter'

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)

Sajid Javid slammed China's 'disturbing' Zero Covid strategy and hailed the UK's approach in what appears to be a response to the NHS' demands. He tweeted a video of residents in Shanghai screaming from high-rise flats in protest of the draconian lockdown there

The number of virus-infected patients in hospital last week breached 20,000  the highest since February 2021.

What IS the current state of play in the NHS? What has been said? The NHS Confederation has said that very high rates of Covid infections are having a 'major impact' on the health service, which is facing pressures it would see in a 'bad winter' well into spring. The membership body, which represents healthcare organisations, called on the Government to reconsider its Living with Covid plan as it said ministers risk 'abandoning' the NHS if they do not take action. So how many patients with Covid are being treated? The number of people in hospital in the UK with Covid looks to have levelled off just above the peak reached at the start of the year. A total of 20,331 patients were recorded on April 7, according to the latest Government figures. This is broadly unchanged on the previous few days and is slightly above the January 2022 peak of 20,050. But it is well below the record high of 39,256 that was reached during the second wave of the virus in January 2021. There is a similar trend in England, where patient numbers stood at 16,366 on April 8  again, largely unchanged on recent days and just below the January 2022 peak of 17,120. Different patterns are evident across the regions, with patient levels rising in the Midlands, falling in south-west England and plateauing elsewhere. But are all of these people being treated for Covid? Nearly three in five hospital patients in England who have tested positive for Covid are being treated primarily for something else  the highest level so far. The proportion of patients who are in hospital 'with' Covid rather than 'for' it has been rising steadily since the end of last year, when the figure stood at around 25 per cent. But all patients who test positive for coronavirus have to be treated separately from other people in hospital, adding to pressures faced by NHS staff who are trying to clear a record backlog of routine treatment. What about the situation elsewhere in hospitals? Many parts of the NHS are feeling the strain of current pressures. As well as dealing with large volumes of Covid patients, there are high rates of staff absences due to the virus, full hospitals and severe demands on emergency care. Too many ambulances are waiting longer than they should to 'hand over' patients at hospital  this leads to queues of ambulances outside hospitals and longer waiting times for people in the community who have called 999 for emergency medical help. In the week commencing March 28, 21,432 delays of half an hour or longer were recorded across all hospital trusts in England. There are troubles inside hospitals too, as many A&E departments struggle to see, treat and admit or discharge patients in their target timeframes. The NHS Confederation said that in the last week alone 20 emergency departments in England have been forced to turn patients away as they issued 'diverts' due to being too full. Meanwhile, the NHS is expected to deal with the backlog of care, with more than six million people waiting for hospital treatment in England alone. The NHS Confederation called into question whether targets to tackle the record backlog are realistic in the current environment. What about NHS workers? Data published on April 7 showed staff absences at NHS hospitals in England due to Covid-19 are at their highest level since late January, with numbers continuing to climb in most regions. Absences averaged 28,560 a day in the previous week  the equivalent of 3 per cent of the workforce  up from 27,571 the week before, though still below the 45,736 (5 per cent of the workforce) reached in early January. What does the NHS Confederation want the Government to do? It called for stronger messages to the public on how to reduce transmission, including wearing the best possible face masks, and urging people to get vaccinated. There also needs to be medium-term plans put into place, including better ventilation in public spaces, it added. The NHS Confederation has also urged ministers to reconsider asking the NHS to foot the bill for Covid tests for staff  estimated to cost the NHS 'several hundred million pounds' which is being taken away from patient care. Advertisement

Although, figures also show thousands aren't primarily ill with the virus.

Asked about the NHS Confederation's view that NHS leaders felt abandoned by the Government, No10 said: 'We are incredibly grateful to NHS staff who worked flat out throughout the pandemic and continue to do so in the face of Covid backlogs.'

The NHS 'is clearly under pressure' but the health and care levy will provide additional funding alongside 10billion 'to recover services and relieve Covid pressures', it added.

'But we are alive to the pressures that they are facing,' the spokeswoman said.

It came as the Health Secretary tweeted a video of Chinese residents screaming from high-rise flats after being confined to their homes for days in locked-down Shanghai.

Mr Javid branded China's virus elimination policy as a 'dangerous fallacy' and praised the UK's 'learning to live with Covid' approach.

The tweet, shared this morning, came at the same time as the NHS Confederation's demands for Covid curbs to be reintroduced.

'Disturbing reports from countries still enforcing "Zero Covid" show this dangerous fallacy for what it is,' Mr Javid wrote.

'Proud that the UK has led the world in learning to live with Covid. Freedom, with responsibility, should always be the default.'

China's biggest city today entered its third week of a brutal lockdown. But it has failed to stop or even slow the spread of the Omicron variant in the city.

This morning a record 25,173 new cases were reported by local officials, up from the previous record of 23,937 yesterday.

Infected Shanghai residents are taken to remote quarantine sites and children under seven have been separated from their parents.

Two volunteers per apartment building are allowed to shop outside each day for a maximum of two hours.

Starving locals have also been spotted storming supply points, breaking barriers in the street and scuffling with enforcers.

China is still doggedly trying to eliminate Covid but the ultra-infectious Omicron and BA.2 variants have broken through Beijing's super-strict curbs due to subpar Chinese vaccines and a lack of natural immunity.

Part of the problem is that China's homegrown vaccines have been shown to offer barely 50 per cent protection against falling ill with Covid  compared to up to 90 per cent from Pfizer or Moderna  and are thought to be virtually useless against Omicron.

Beijing has refused to turn to a more effective Western-made vaccines, which are more expensive and difficult to store and distribute than China's own, which use traditional technology.

Mr Javid's defence of the UK approach came hours after Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, slammed it.

'The brutal reality for staff and patients is that this Easter in the NHS is as bad as any winter,' Mr Taylor said.

'But instead of the understanding and support NHS staff received during 2020 and 2021, we have a Government that seems to want to wash its hands of responsibility for what is occurring in plain sight in local services up and down the country.

'No10 has seemingly abandoned any interest in Covid whatsoever.

'NHS leaders and their teams feel abandoned by the Government and they deserve better.'

'Mitigating actions'  including not meeting people indoors and wearing masks in crowded spaces  were needed to prevent the spread of the virus, the group said.

It also said the Conservatives needed to have a 'public information campaign' to ask people to stay away from A&E unless they have an emergency.

Overcrowded A&E rooms are suffering from staff shortages, with data showing up to three per cent of staff in the NHS have coronavirus.

And delays to ambulance handovers, which are supposed to take 15 minutes, are at their highest level this year, with a quarter of patients forced to wait for at least 30 minutes to be admitted.

The organisation said that in the last week alone 20 emergency departments in England have been forced to turn patients away as they issued 'diverts' due to being too full.

Trusts across Yorkshire last week claimed the pressures left them with no choice but to prioritise patients in 'genuine, life-threatening situations'.

And Dr Derek Sandeman, chief medical officer at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System, last week pleaded with families to take their Covid-infected relatives home to free up beds as trusts battle a 'perfect storm' of pressures.

The NHS Confederation also questioned whether plans to tackle the record backlog of care are realistic.

One in nine people in England were waiting for routine treatment  such as joint replacement and cataract surgery  or diagnostic tests by the end of January.

Meanwhile, ministers should reconsider asking the NHS to foot the bill for Covid tests for staff  estimated to cost the NHS 'several hundred million pounds' which is being taken away from patient care.
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Tory MP Imran Ahmad Khan has been expelled from the party after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy at a house in 2008 - as it is revealed he tweeted in support of press freedom on the day he tried to gag the media from reporting his name.

A court heard that the 48-year-old Tory had been invited to celebrate the Catholic schoolboy's sister's 21st birthday at her home as 'friend of a friend' before dragging his victim upstairs, pushing him onto a bed and asking him to watch porn before the attack.

Khan appeared wearing a dark suit holding a walking stick and showed no emotion when hearing his guilty verdict this afternoon. He had previously denied sexual assault and accused his traumatised victim of lying  but jurors heard how he had also drugged and assaulted an aid worker in Pakistan nearly three years after attacking the boy.

He was today suspended from the Conservative Party 'with immediate effect' following the conviction.

It can now also be revealed that the disgraced MP tweeted in support of press freedom on the day he tried to gag the media from reporting his name over the charge of sexual assault.

The Catholic teenager, now in his late 20s, told a jury he was left feeling 'scared, vulnerable, numb, shocked and surprised' after the future politician touched his feet and legs, coming within 'a hair's breadth' of his privates, as he tried to sleep in a top bunkbed.

He said he wasn't 'taken very seriously' when he made the allegation to the Conservative Party press office days before Khan was elected as the MP for Wakefield in West Yorkshire in the December 2019 general election, Southwark Crown Court was told.

The victim made a complaint to police days after Khan helped Prime Minister Boris Johnson win a large Commons majority by taking Wakefield in the so-called 'red wall' that had formed Labour's heartlands in the Midlands and northern England.

No further action had been taken because the youngster did not want to make a formal complaint. However, the victim told jurors 'it all came flooding back' when he learned Khan was standing in the 2019 election.

Khan, who is gay and a Muslim, had also made a lewd comment about the boy's older brother who was wearing a kilt. A court heard he asked if he was wearing the kilt like a 'true Scotsman' lifted it up to see if he was wearing underwear.

The judge, Mr Justice Baker, said he will sentence Khan on a later date.

Suspended Conservative MP Imran Ahmad Khan has today been convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy after forcing him to drink gin and tonic at a house party in Staffordshire in 2008

A court heard that the disgraced 48-year-old dragged the Catholic teenager upstairs, pushed him onto a bed and asked him to watch pornography before the attack

Khan tweeted in support of press freedom on the day he tried to gag the media over the sex assault charge It has also emerged that Khan tweeted in support of press freedom on the day he tried to gag the media from reporting his name over a charge of sexually assaulting a schoolboy. He attempted to stop key details of the case - including the age of his victim, his own homosexuality, and even his fondness for a gin and tonic - coming into the public domain. The disgraced Wakefield MP was thwarted in his bid for secrecy unprecedented in a case not involving national security following two expensive legal challenges from media organisations. The full details of how the story finally came to be told can be reported for the first time after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy after a party in 2008. The victim came forward days after Khan was elected in 2019 and gave three video-recorded interviews to police - two in December 2019 and one in February last year, when he drove almost 200 miles from his home during the pandemic's second wave. Khan was sent a questionnaire by Staffordshire Police rather than being interviewed under caution at a station because of 'Covid protocols in place at the time', providing written answers on May 7, 2020. Neither Staffordshire Police nor the Crown Prosecution Service informed the media or the public when Khan was charged by postal requisition - the point at which suspects in criminal cases are routinely named. His first appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court by videolink on June 3 last year did not appear on the public or press lists. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring granted the MP an interim anonymity order ahead of another unlisted hearing, which the CPS refused to confirm was taking place as well as what charge Khan was facing. On June 17 last year, the day Khan argued in court he should be granted anonymity, he retweeted then foreign secretary Dominic Raab's message about 'press freedom' in Hong Kong. Khan had previously spoken in the Commons against Extinction Rebellion's efforts to 'constrain press freedom' after the protest group blocked a newspaper printing press. His lawyers said that as a serving MP there were concerns about his safety and argued he should not be named in court because it would breach his right to life (Article 2), protection from 'inhuman or degrading treatment' (Article 3) and right to a private life (Article 8) under the European Convention of Human Rights. The application included statements from former British diplomat and intelligence officer Richard Barrett and former senior RAF officer Afzal Ashraf, a letter from DUP MP Jim Shannon on House of Commons paper and openly available information about Ahmadi Muslims. But a risk assessment by West Yorkshire police counter-terrorism security advisers concluded that there was 'no objective threat to defendant's life that would arise from being named as the defendant in these allegations'. Rejecting Khan's application, Mr Goldspring noted the MP's earlier attempts to prevent the press reporting the victim was a minor gave 'insight into the defendant's real concerns'. 'Damage to reputation is not a ground for making of an order, open justice is and should remain a corner stone of democracy and the rule of law,' he said. Khan was given until 4pm the following day to challenge the decision in the High Court before the order automatically expired. However, Khan's lawyers instead sought a review of the decision by the Old Bailey's most senior judge Mark Lucraft QC at a hastily arranged hearing, where his name was listed as 'IK'. The judge told Khan he did not have jurisdiction to change the decision and would have agreed with the Chief Magistrate even if he did, meaning the charge against Khan could be reported for the first time. The publicity prompted a second complainant - who said Khan performed a sex act on him in Pakistan in 2010 - to come forward. Prosecutor Sean Larkin QC said during legal argument it was a 'mere technicality' the MP was not charged with a further offence because it was outside the jurisdiction before a change in UK law. On the first day of his trial, Khan's name appeared only as asterisks on the public Southwark Crown Court list and he launched another bid for reporting restrictions, of which journalists had no prior warning. His lawyer Gudrun Young QC said the court had been informed weeks earlier, but both the judge and prosecutor said they had only been notified the day before the trial. Khan argued that as an Ahmadi Muslim, both the consumption of alcohol and homosexuality are strictly prohibited within his faith, and the reporting of those matters would expose him to 'a risk to his safety both here and abroad'. The 'evidence' ran to more than 200 pages, including claims a bullet was found in his constituency office in January 2020, dozens of tweets, including one of a noose, and reference to the murders of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess. High Court judge Mr Justice Baker made a temporary order, meaning the prosecution opening could not be fully reported, to allow the media time to make representations. Key parts of the complainant's evidence could not be reported live, but the order was lifted at the end of the second day of the trial - at which Khan was allowed to sit outside the dock because the court's microphones did not work - after news organisations instructed counsel at an estimated cost of 4,000. Advertisement

Khan will be thrown out of the House of Commons if he is handed a prison sentence of more than a year, or otherwise could be subject to a petition to oust him in the recall process.

Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party called for Khan's immediate resignation as an MP following the verdict.

A party spokesman said: 'Imran Ahmad Khan should immediately resign so a by-election can take place and the people of Wakefield can get the representation they deserve.'

The judge released Khan on bail, telling him: 'You have been convicted by a jury of this offence of sexual assault and you will have to be sentenced in due course.

'I make it clear that all sentencing options, including immediate custody, are being considered by the court.'

Tory MPs Crispin Blunt and Sir Peter Bottomley, the father of the House of Commons, attended court today, while a third, Adam Holloway, earlier provided a character statement used as part of Khan's defence case.

Khan was born in Wakefield, where he attended the independent Silcoates School. He went to university at the Pushkin Institute in Russia and graduated from King's College in London with a bachelor's degree in war studies.

The 48-year-old worked for the UN as a special assistant for political affairs in Mogadishu before entering Parliament.

Khan's 15-year-old victim told a court that he 'vividly' remembered the gin bottle Khan took to the party, the smell of the spirit in the glass tumbler, and the fizz of the bubbles as he was forced by Khan to drink the cocktail.

He said Khan also watched him do pull-ups, asked him to watch pornography and told him he was 'good looking' in a 'love whisper' in his ear, which was 'disgusting and really slimy'.

The victim said he pretended to be asleep in the top bunkbed before Khan reached through the wooden bars to touch his feet.

'He was drunk because I could hear his heavy breathing,' he said.

The complainant said the 'slow caressing' continued as Khan 'worked his way around the bed' and 'up my leg', despite him telling the MP to stop.

He said he 'froze', adding: 'I freaked out and jumped out of the bed and ran as fast as I could.'

The boy's brother, who was 18 at the time, told jurors he was also the victim of an 'assault' when Khan asked if he was wearing his kilt like a 'true Scotsman' - referring to the tradition of wearing the garment without underwear - before lifting it up with both hands.

During legal argument, prosecutor Sean Larkin QC said it was a 'mere technicality' that Khan had not been charged with a second sexual assault of a man at a guesthouse in Pakistan, where the MP was working on a Foreign Office-funded project.

The alleged victim, then in his mid-20s, said Khan performed a sex act on him in his sleep after offering him a sleeping pill as they shared a room following an evening of drinking whiskey and smoking marijuana.

The man told jurors he reported the November 2010 incident to the British High Commission and the Foreign Office but did not want to go to police in Pakistan because of Khan's 'powerful connections' in the military and government.

He came forward as a witness after hearing Khan had been charged with sexual assault following the MP's failed bid to gag the press from reporting his name.

It is understood a charge could not be brought because the alleged assault took place outside the jurisdiction before a change in the UK law.

Khan claimed the sexual activity was consensual.

It has also emerged that Khan tweeted in support of press freedom on the day he tried to gag the media from reporting his name over a charge of sexually assaulting a schoolboy.

He attempted to stop key details of the case  including the age of his victim, his own homosexuality, and even his fondness for a gin and tonic  coming into the public domain.

The disgraced Wakefield MP was thwarted in his bid for secrecy unprecedented in a case not involving national security following two expensive legal challenges from media organisations.

The full details of how the story finally came to be told can be reported for the first time after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy after a party in 2008.

The victim came forward days after Khan was elected in 2019 and gave three video-recorded interviews to police  two in December 2019 and one in February last year, when he drove almost 200 miles from his home during the pandemic's second wave.

Khan was sent a questionnaire by Staffordshire Police rather than being interviewed under caution at a station because of 'Covid protocols in place at the time', providing written answers on May 7, 2020.

Neither Staffordshire Police nor the Crown Prosecution Service informed the media or the public when Khan was charged by postal requisition  the point at which suspects in criminal cases are routinely named.

His first appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court by videolink on June 3 last year did not appear on the public or press lists.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring granted the MP an interim anonymity order ahead of another unlisted hearing, which the CPS refused to confirm was taking place as well as what charge Khan was facing.

On June 17 last year, the day Khan argued in court he should be granted anonymity, he retweeted then foreign secretary Dominic Raab's message about 'press freedom' in Hong Kong.

Khan had previously spoken in the Commons against Extinction Rebellion's efforts to 'constrain press freedom' after the protest group blocked a newspaper printing press.

His lawyers said that as a serving MP there were concerns about his safety and argued he should not be named in court because it would breach his right to life (Article 2), protection from 'inhuman or degrading treatment' (Article 3) and right to a private life (Article 8) under the European Convention of Human Rights.

Khan was found guilty by a jury at Southwark Crown Court today after around five hours of deliberations

Conservative Party press office did not take 'very seriously' the allegation that Khan had sexually abused 15-year-old boy when 'victim' told them about it days before 2019 election, court hears A court was told that the Conservative Party press office did not take 'very seriously' allegations that a 15-year-old boy was sexually assaulted by Khan before he stood as an election candidate. The then-teenager did not want to make a formal complaint at the time but told Southwark Crown Court 'it all came flooding back' when he discovered Khan was standing to become the MP for Wakefield in West Yorkshire in the December 2019 general election. Giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court, the victim's parents both broke down in tears as they told how their son was left 'inconsolable' and 'shaking' after the incident at a house in Staffordshire. He went to police days after Khan helped Prime Minister Boris Johnson win a large Commons majority by taking the constituency in the so-called 'red wall' that had formed Labour's heartlands in the Midlands and northern England. But the alleged victim, who voted Labour, told a jury that his complaint was 'not motivated by political reasons'. 'If it was, I would've done it before the general election,' he said. 'I also contacted the Tory press office, trying to inform them what had happened. I wasn't taken very seriously.' He continued: 'I explained that Imran Khan was running for MP and had just sort of been hurriedly put through. I explained this and said 'He sexually assaulted me when I was a child, when I was 15'.' He said the woman he spoke to sounded 'shocked' and passed him on to someone else who sounded more 'stern' and asked if he had any 'proof'. 'I said 'Yes, there's a police report' and she said 'Well...', and that was it. I said 'I'm going to the police', and she said 'Well, you do that'.' Advertisement

The application included statements from former British diplomat and intelligence officer Richard Barrett and former senior RAF officer Afzal Ashraf, a letter from DUP MP Jim Shannon on House of Commons paper and openly available information about Ahmadi Muslims.

But a risk assessment by West Yorkshire police counter-terrorism security advisers concluded that there was 'no objective threat to defendant's life that would arise from being named as the defendant in these allegations'.

Rejecting Khan's application, Mr Goldspring noted the MP's earlier attempts to prevent the press reporting the victim was a minor gave 'insight into the defendant's real concerns'.

'Damage to reputation is not a ground for making of an order, open justice is and should remain a corner stone of democracy and the rule of law,' he said.

Khan was given until 4pm the following day to challenge the decision in the High Court before the order automatically expired.

However, Khan's lawyers instead sought a review of the decision by the Old Bailey's most senior judge Mark Lucraft QC at a hastily arranged hearing, where his name was listed as 'IK'.

The judge told Khan he did not have jurisdiction to change the decision and would have agreed with the Chief Magistrate even if he did, meaning the charge against Khan could be reported for the first time.

The publicity prompted a second complainant  who said Khan performed a sex act on him in Pakistan in 2010  to come forward.

Prosecutor Sean Larkin QC said during legal argument it was a 'mere technicality' the MP was not charged with a further offence because it was outside the jurisdiction before a change in UK law.

On the first day of his trial, Khan's name appeared only as asterisks on the public Southwark Crown Court list and he launched another bid for reporting restrictions, of which journalists had no prior warning.

His lawyer Gudrun Young QC said the court had been informed weeks earlier, but both the judge and prosecutor said they had only been notified the day before the trial.

Khan argued that as an Ahmadi Muslim, both the consumption of alcohol and homosexuality are strictly prohibited within his faith, and the reporting of those matters would expose him to 'a risk to his safety both here and abroad'.

The 'evidence' ran to more than 200 pages, including claims a bullet was found in his constituency office in January 2020, dozens of tweets, including one of a noose, and reference to the murders of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess.

High Court judge Mr Justice Baker made a temporary order, meaning the prosecution opening could not be fully reported, to allow the media time to make representations.

Key parts of the complainant's evidence could not be reported live, but the order was lifted at the end of the second day of the trial  at which Khan was allowed to sit outside the dock because the court's microphones did not work - after news organisations instructed counsel at an estimated cost of 4,000.
Russia issued a fresh warning against the prospect of Nordic nations Sweden and Finland joining NATO today, describing the military alliance as a 'tool of confrontation'.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters today that the possible accession of Sweden and Finland to the NATO military alliance would not improve the situation in Europe.

'We have repeatedly said that the alliance remains a tool geared towards confrontation and its further expansion will not bring stability to the European continent,' Peskov said.

It comes days after former Finnish prime minister Alexander Stubb said his nation is likely to submit a formal application to join the security bloc 'within weeks' despite Moscow lawmaker Vladimir Dzhabarov warning it would mean 'the destruction of the country'.

Meanwhile, Sweden's ruling party formally began debating the possibility of launching a bid for membership today, a move which would signal a complete role reversal in policy for the Scandinavian kingdom that has remained militarily neutral for decades.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov (pictured left, with Putin) told reporters today that the possible accession of Sweden and Finland to the NATO military alliance would not improve the situation in Europe

Alexander Stubb, who headed Finland's government in 2014 and 2015, said last week the country could decide to join the military alliance as soon as May

In Sweden, the ruling centre-left Social Democrats have historically opposed NATO membership but the more than six-week conflict in Ukraine has reignited debate in the Scandinavian kingdom. The party, led by Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson (pictured right with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen), are said to have begun discussing the possibility of joining NATO today

Finland, which has a long border with Russia and was invaded by the Red Army in 1939, has never been a member of the defence alliance, preferring instead to organise its own protection.

But since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, opinion polls commissioned by Finnish media outlets have shown a swift U-turn in public opinion with the majority now favouring joining.

Alexander Stubb, who headed Finland's government in 2014 and 2015, said last week the country could decide to join the military alliance as soon as May.

He said: 'In the beginning of the war I said that Putin's aggression will drive Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership.

'I said it was not a matter of days or weeks, but months. Time to revise: Finland will apply within weeks, latest May. Sweden to follow, or at the same time.'

Stubb's comments came just one day after Russian lawmaker Vladimir Dzhabarov said it is not likely 'the Finns themselves will sign a card for the destruction of their country', threatening a repeat of the Ukraine invasion which was sparked in part by its desire to join NATO.

In Sweden, the ruling centre-left Social Democrats have historically opposed NATO membership but the more than six-week conflict in Ukraine has reignited debate in the Scandinavian kingdom.

A policy reversal for the party, which ruled for an uninterrupted 40 years between the 1930s and 1970s, would be historic and could pave the way for Sweden to apply to join NATO.

The party, led by Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, are said to have begun discussing the possibility of joining NATO today, with the issue expected to be a central to parliamentary elections scheduled for September 11.

Sweden is officially non-aligned militarily, although it is a NATO partner and abandoned its position of strict neutrality after the end of the Cold War.

Having initially stressed that non-alignment had 'served Sweden's interests well,' Andersson recently conceded that she was ready to discuss the policy and in late March said she 'did not rule out' a bid to join NATO.

Moscow lawmaker Vladimir Dzhabarov said Finland would be asking for 'the destruction of their country' by joining NATO

The debate, open to all party members, will be 'a broader discussion than the question of a yes or no to NATO membership,' said Tobias Baudin, Social Democrats secretary general.

The 'security policy dialogue' should be completed before the summer, he said.

Support for NATO membership has almost doubled since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, jumping to around 50 percent in Sweden and 60 percent in Finland, according to opinion polls.

Conservative Ulf Kristersson, leader of Sweden's right-wing opposition, has already announced his intention to file a membership application if he were to command a parliamentary majority after September's elections.

The far-right Sweden Democrats, the third-largest party in the 2018 elections, has also touted the idea of membership, after previously being opposed.

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.

Polling shows there is a majority of support in Finland for joining the alliance, rising 34 points in months to a 62 per cent popularity.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin (L) meets with Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin (R) in Helsinki on April 8. Finland's government is said to be weighing up a move to join NATO despite historically neutral status

Finnish foreign minister Pekka Haavisto told reporters last week that Finland will clarify next steps in the coming weeks regarding a possible decision to seek NATO membership

Nordic military expert Carl Bergqvist said: 'Finland emerged from World War II with two experiences. First, that the country was ill-positioned to receive any outside help in the event of war, and that it therefore would always be dependent on its own capabilities to defend its interests and independence.

'Second, that it would have to carefully balance its own interests with the interests of the Soviet Union/Russia owing to their long land border.'

The prospect of Finland and Sweden joining NATO was part of the discussion between foreign ministers from the military alliance in Brussels last week, according to a senior US State Department official.

'Obviously this is going to be those countries' choices to make,' said the official, briefing reporters on the condition of anonymity.

'The alliance's open door remains open and there was discussion about that potential candidacy,' the official said.

Finnish foreign minister Pekka Haavisto told reporters last week that Finland will clarify next steps in the coming weeks regarding a possible decision to seek NATO membership.
An MS-13 gangster's moll dubbed Little Devil has been convicted of luring four young men to their deaths at a machete massacre on Long Island.

Leniz Escobar, 22, was found guilty of each of her six charges after just 16 minutes of juror deliberation deliberation on Monday.

She faces life behind bars at her sentencing later this year.

Escobar stared blankly and stiff-shouldered as the verdict was read.

She was 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 last week in Central Islip, New York.

In a video of a jailhouse call released last Thursday Escobar said that she 'was really happy' with what she'd done.

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

Friends and family of Leniz Escobar leaving the courthouse in Central Islip, Long Island, following Monday's conviction

Escobar's cousin, Sindy Escobar (left), told reporters last week that Escobar came from a troubled past. The moll now faces up to life behind bars for the murders she orchestrated

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.'

A family friend of Escobar gave an emotional statement in Spanish to reporters outside the court house on Monday

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.'

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 March 21st, 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 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.'
President Joe Biden's newly-appointed COVID-19 czar Dr. Ashish Jha acknowledged extending the federal mask mandate on public transportation is 'on the table' on Monday.

The nationwide pandemic-era health rule is set to expire on April 18.

The newly-minted Biden official's caution comes despite the White House pivoting to a more adaptive approach on the pandemic, encouraging Americans to assess their 'individual risks' and readying to drop the Trump-era Title 42 expulsion policy.

Bipartisan lawmakers have stood up to oppose the Biden administration lifting the policy on May 23, which allows border agents to turn asylum-seekers away regardless of their status in the name of mitigating COVID-19's spread.

Speaking with NBC News' Today on Monday morning, Jha, who has been one of the leading scientific voices throughout the pandemic, was vague about the mask mandate's future.

He said it was up to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky to determine what to do when the rule expires next week.

'Yeah I -- look. This is a CDC decision, and I think it is absolutely on the table,' Jha admitted.

Last month, the chief executives of the U.S.'s largest airlines urged Biden to drop the mask mandate, citing among other reasons the 'persistent and steady decline of hospitalization and death rates' from coronavirus.

Dr. Ashish Jha, one of the leading scientific voices through the pandemic, was recently tapped to be the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator

Meanwhile, the federal government is so far definitively dropping another pandemic-era policy, Title 42, which progressive activist groups and human rights advocates have been demanding since he took office last year. They say it is inhumane and claim it has little effect on overall COVID cases in the U.S.

The CDC, which is leading the decision on masks, is also the driving force behind Title 42. The White House has insisted in the past Title 42 is a 'public health policy' rather than 'immigration.'

But senators on both sides of the aisle are attempting to cobble out legislation that would pump the breaks on Biden's decision to roll it back next month, before they believe the Department of Homeland Security would be ready to handle an expected surge in migrants at the southern border.

The CDC said in announcing it was lifting the order that the expulsion policy was 'no longer necessary to protect the public health.'

Three GOP-led states -- Arizona, Louisiana and Mississippi -- are suing to block the White House from letting Title 42 expire.

Immigrant advocacy groups have said the policy does little to impact the spread of COVID-19, something that is countered by Republican governors in Florida, Ron DeSantis, and Greg Abbott in the border state of Texas.

Democratic Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema warned the federal government was not prepared 'in a way that is both safe for our border communities and respects the humanitarian crisis that is coming,' according to Axios.

He said the CDC would follow 'evidence and science' in its decision on whether or not to keep the mask mandate. Meanwhile the same agency has moved to lift another pandemic policy, Title 42, by May 23 (pictured: Migrants from Central and South America stand in line as they await to be processed by border patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico, in Roma, Texas, U.S., April 9)

Title 42, issued under Donald Trump, allows border agents to turn migrants away on the spot in the name of slowing the spread of COVID

And despite scientists' concerns about an oncoming possible COVID wave fueled by Omicron subvariant BA.2, White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci encouraged Americans to personally assess situations for COVID risks, suggesting the government is planning for a smaller hand in Americans' day-to-day in the pandemic.

The new strain briefly caused chaos in Europe and forced the Chinese city of Shanghai into a total lockdown.

'This is not going to be eradicated and it's not going to be eliminated,' Fauci said on ABC's This Week on Sunday.

'And what's going to happen is that we're going to see that each individual is going to have to make their calculation of the amount of risk that they want to take in going to indoor dinners and in going to functions.'

Despite that, Jha said Monday that the CDC would have to look to the 'science' on whether the mask mandate should stay in place.

'I know the CDC's working on developing a scientific framework for how to answer that. We're going to see that framework come out in the next few days, and based on that we're going to want to be guided by this decision,' he said.

The federal mandate to wear masks on planes, trains and in transit hubs is set to expire on April 18 without intervention

'Throughout the entire pandemic, we've wanted to make decisions based on the evidence and science. And that is what I expect we'll do again this week.'

Several high-profile figures in Washington, DC tested positive for the virus in recent weeks, fueling concerns it could reach the 79-year-old president.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Senators Susan Collins and Raphael Warnock and members of Vice President Kamala Harris' staff are just a few of the officials who caught COVID despite being vaccinated and boosted.

Medical experts have warned that parts of the U.S. could be in the midst of a new wave now, but with a significant drop-off in testing since winter, it's impossible to tell the scope.

Jha said Monday that such a surge was 'expected' given what happened in Europe weeks ago, but added he was 'not overly concerned right now.'

'The good news is, we're coming off still very low infection numbers. Hospitalizations right now are the lowest they have been in the entire pandemic,' the top doctor explained.

But he said, 'We've got watch this very carefully. I never like to see infections rising. I think we've got to be careful, but I don't think this is a moment where we have to be excessively concerned.'
A terrified Georgia mother had the presence of mind to use a phone location device to help police track down her nine-year-old son after her car was stolen with the boy inside.

Jerrica Moore, 31, ducked into the Goodwill store in Atlanta last week, leaving her child in the car for a quick second while she ran an errand.

But that was all the time accused carjacker Darius White, 38, needed jump into the running vehicle and take off.

Lucky for the quick thinking mom, her son's phone was equipped with a geolocation feature that allowed law enforcement to zero in on his abductor.

Bodycam video of the incident shows Moore approach an Atlanta police officer in his patrol car on April 4, when the theft took place. She then takes her phone and zooms in on the app's geolocating map.

'They're tracking the car to South Jordan,' the officer calls in over the radio.

Georgia State Police, who assisted in the hunt, quickly locate the car and ram it off the road, disabling it and allowing the boy to escape out of the back window.

White remained in the car until he was dragged out by cops, complaining all the while that police had jeopardized his life by hitting the vehicle.

The nine-year-old boy was rescued without harm after the 60 minute ordeal.

Darius White, 38, was apprehended after he was discovered fleeing in the stolen car.

Darius White is pictured in his mugshot after being arrested by officers

The officer behind the camera then jumps out of his squad car, draws his gun and apprehends White.

The video then cuts to the body camera of a different officer who runs to the distraught boy.

The officer embraces the boy and tells him 'You did a good job, you did a good job.'

'I was scare,' the boy says. 'I was scared.'

"You did a good job, you did a good job," the officer on camera can be heard telling the boy as he embraces him.

The nine-year-old boy was shaken but unharmed after the chase.

Fulton County released a statement on the carjacking shortly after it happened, praising the officers for finding the child

Police Pilot Leroy Champion was one of the officers involved in the chase.

'For me, personally, anytime a kid is involved, your tense level gets up a little bit,' he said. 'You do everything you can to try to find that person. You fly, fly, fly, go get fuel, then fly, fly, fly.'

White was apprehended and the boy rescued within 60 minutes of the mother's call.

The boy, his mother, and all officers were not harmed in the chase.
Analysts have speculated that Elon Musk's roller coaster journey as Twitter's largest shareholder could be part of a ploy to stage a hostile take-over of the company, while others claim the social media platform may just be a fun distraction for the billionaire.

Musk revealed he last week that he had become Twitter's largest shareholder, with a 9.2 percent stake in the company, on March 14.

One day after he disclosed his stake, platform CEO Parag Agrawal announced the Tesla co-founder had been invited to the join the company's board of directors, a seat he gladly accepted.

By accepting the board seat, Musk was limited in how much of the company's shares he could own, with a 14.9 percent cap. However, on Sunday Parag announced the SpaceX CEO formally declined his board seat.

Musk, 50, signed the new filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Monday indicating he had declined his board seat.

The document stated Musk could 'express his views' about Twitter's policies and services to the board or on social media. He could also purchase additional shares or sell Twitter stock, if he saw fit.

The usually vocal tech tycoon has not commented on his decision to forgo board membership.

Here, DailyMail.com explains what the world's most unpredictable tycoon might have in store for his latest purchase...

Analysts have speculated that Elon Musk's roller coaster journey as Twitter's largest shareholder could be part of a ploy to stage a hostile take-over of the company

Is Elon Musk planning a hostile take-over?

Wall Street analysts allege Elon Musk's declining a seat on Twitter's Board of Directors - which he had previously indicated he was excited to join - could open the door for the Tesla CEO to buy more stock and organize a takeover of the company.

'This weekends changeup spares the company from having to deal with a renegade director tweeting about board-level discussions. That would have been untenable,' Don Bilson, of Gordon Haskett Research Advisors, told CNBC Monday.

'The flip side to this is Twitter must deal with a wildcard investor that already owns 9 percent of the company and has the resources to buy the remaining 91 percent. As volatile as Musk is, we could see a move like that made shortly. Or we could never see it all,' he added. 'I dont think anything is off the menu with this guy.'

'This is clearly going to be an unfriendly situation,' Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives echoed. 'Instead of Musk in the board room in the corner just saying nay or agreeing on certain board candidates, I think now it really goes to the point that in the coming days I think well start to see if hes going to go more hostile, more active  thats what the Streets focused on.'

Analysts allege that Agrawal's statement coupled with Musk rejection of board membership suggests the billionaire may be seeking more control over the company

Twitter user @IvanTheK shared Parag's statement, alleging his warning about 'distractions ahead' was a 'key sentence'

'This is clearly going to be an unfriendly situation,' Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives (pictured) argued during a SquawkBox interview on Monday. 'Instead of Musk in the board room in the corner just saying nay or agreeing on certain board candidates, I think now it really goes to the point that in the coming days I think well start to see if hes going to go more hostile, more active'

Musk, who is currently Twitter's largest shareholder, filed an amended 13D form with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday indicating he may 'express his views' about Twitter's policies and services to the board or on social media.

The form also said Musk 'may engage in discussions with the Board and/or members ... potential business combinations and strategic alternatives, the business, operations, capital structure, governance, management, strategy of the Issuer and other matters concerning the Issuer.'

'The Reporting Person may express his views to the Board and/or members of the Issuers management team and/or the public through social media or other channels with respect to the Issuers business, products and service offerings,' the filing added.

Musk's filing came just hours after Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal announced Sunday night the billionaire had declined his invitation to join the platform's board board of directors. Agrawal said the board would still 'remain open' to Musk's input, while also warning: 'There will be distractions ahead but our goals and priorities remain unchanged.'

'Elon switched his paperwork last week from passive to activist investor. Hes no longer bound by the agreement that caps the amount of Twitter he can own. He seems mad,' longtime technology reporter and author Alex Kantrowitz argued. 'Only getting more interesting from here.'

On Monday, Musk filed an amendment to his previous 13D SEC filing which declared his intentions to be an active investor. The new filing allows him the acquire additional shares of the company or sell all or a portion of his shares, if he pleases. However, the document states Musk has 'no present plans or intentions' to do so

Musk's filing came just hours after Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal announced Sunday night the billionaire had declined his invitation to join the platform's board board of directors. Agrawal said the board would still 'remain open' to Musk's input, while also warning: 'There will be distractions ahead but our goals and priorities remain unchanged'

Jason Miller, former Trump spokesman and CEO of rival social media platform Gettr, told DailyMail.com Musk probably realized that the culture is so embedded in Twitter that it can't be changed: 'It is like getting a rental car from a driver who smoked. You can't get rid of the smell.'

'The entire culture is fundamentally broken,' Miller said, and criticized their constant political discrimination, censoring of conservative voices including Jake Posobiec and Juanita Brodderick and continually choosing 'winners and losers' in the free speech.

He did admit, however, that there is no predicting what Musk might do next and whether he will be hands off when it comes to Twitter.

Loup Ventures Managing Partner Gene Munster, however, said he believes 'he majority of the drama is over,' arguing it would've been a smarter decision for Musk to go for a takeover immediately if he planned to do so.

The analyst also claimed he doesn't believe Musk wants to dedicate his time to a Twitter takeover.

Loup Ventures Managing Partner Gene Munster, however, said he believes 'he majority of the drama is over,' arguing it would've been a smarter decision for Musk to go for a takeover immediately if he planned to do so

Other analysts allege Musk's promise to be vocal about the company could impact the value of Twitter stock. Twitter stocks have surged since mid-March when Musk purchased his stake

'Understand that there is something that is important to him around free speech and I think he wants to move that forward. Understand that he sees that as an opportunity as big as electrification and as big as space travel,' Munster said. 'But ultimately I think that this just, its just one too many things on the plate for him to take over.'

Other analysts allege Musk's promise to be vocal about the company could impact the value of Twitter stock.

'While it remains unclear what Mr. Musks priorities are, we do expect his tweets will receive increased attention, which could drive share price volatility,' KeyBanc analysts told the news outlet.

Despite the speculation, Musk's SEC filing states he 'has no present plans or intentions' to buy additional stock or sell his current shares, however he 'reserves the right to change his plans at any time, as he deems appropriate'.

How much would it cost to buy enough shares to take over?

In order for Elon Musk to takeover Twitter, he would need to purchase a majority stake in the firm or enough shares to override 50 percent of the vote.

The Tesla CEO, who is Twitter's largest shareholder, currently holds a 9.2 percent stake in the social media platform. He owns 73.4 million shares, valued at approximately $3.4billion.

Twitter currently has 800.64 million outstanding shares, according to Yahoo Finance. Musk would need to obtain at least an additional 40.8 percent stake in the company to become the majority shareholder.

The SpaceX CEO - the world's richest person with a $302billion net worth - would need to purchase roughly 400.32 million additional shares, valued around $15.3billion, to own 50 percent of the company.

Musk would need to purchase roughly 400.32 million additional shares, valued around $15.3billion, to own 50 percent of Twitter

On Monday, Twitter stock recovered quickly after falling more than 8 percent in premarket trading as news emerged that Musk was refusing to take a seat on the company's board of directors. The social media giant's share price was up more than 2.8 percent as of Monday afternoon, to $47.51 after closing at $46.23 Friday

Musk 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 last week.

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 Monday, Twitter stock recovered quickly after falling more than 8 percent in premarket trading as news emerged that Musk was refusing to take a seat on the company's board of directors.

The social media giant's share price was up more than 2.8 percent as of Monday afternoon, to $47.51 after closing at $46.23 Friday.

Musk became Twitter's majority shareholder after he acquired 73.5 million shares of the platform. An SEC form filed last week (pictured) revealed that Musk began purchasing Twitter stock on January 31 and continued to buy shares during every trading session through April 1

What changes is Musk demanding?

Elon Musk vowed to 'make significant improvements' to Twitter last week after he revealed his large stake in the social media platform and his intention to join the board of directors.

The tech tycoon, before reversing course on the board seat, sent out a number of tweets over the weekend referencing potential changes at Twitter.

Many of them, such as his proposal for an ad-free Twitter or turning the social media company's San Francisco headquarters into a homeless shelter, have since been deleted.

On Saturday, Musk had suggested changes to the Twitter Blue premium subscription service, including slashing its price, banning advertising and giving an option to pay in the cryptocurrency Dogecoin.

On April 5, Elon Musk vowed to 'make significant improvements' to Twitter after revealing his large stake in the social media platform and intention to join the board of directors

He also tweeted: 'Delete the w in twitter?'

And the billionaire even asked his 80 million followers: 'Is Twitter dying?'

Musk then posted a few cryptic tweets late Sunday, including one showing a meme that said: 'In all fairness, your honor, my client was in goblin mode.'

He then followed his post with another meme reading: 'Explains everything.'

Early Monday morning he tweeted an emoji of a smiling face, with a hand over its mouth - supposedly an expression of rapture, a smirk, a shy smile, or indicating happiness. He then deleted it.

The second tweet about deleting 'w' saw Musk give two options without no as an answer, with 55.8 percent saying 'yes' and 44.2 percent 'of course' of 445,158 votes to-date

Musk, who describes himself as a 'free speech absolutist,' has been highly critical of Twitter and its policies as of late, arguing he doesn't think Twitter is living up to free speech principles - an opinion shared by followers of Donald Trump and a number of other conservative political figures who've had their accounts suspended for violating Twitter content rules.

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.

Then, last Monday, after revealing his stake in Twitter, Musk asked his followers: 'Do you want an edit button?,' referencing a feature that many users have requested.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal shared the post, writing: 'The consequences of this poll will be important. Please vote carefully.'

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

Last Monday, after revealing his stake in Twitter, Musk asked his followers: 'Do you want an edit button?,' referencing a feature that many users have requested

What do Twitter staff say about the prospect?

Twitter employees are seemingly agitated by the roller coaster surrounding Musk's involvement in the company, with one researcher on Monday saying it was 'the drama that keeps on giving.'

'My drafts folder deserves agency representation at this point,' Global Head of Partners Lara Cohen said.

'Cant wait to discuss this with my passionate, hard-working, and dedicated colleagues that show up to work every day, even if its not in an office,' Ej Samson, who works in the company's marketing department, wrote.

Twitter researcher Matt DeMichiel simply shared an image of cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants face planting in the sand.

A Twitter staff researcher called the situation surrounding Musk a 'drama that just keeps giving'

Ej Samson, who works in the company's marketing department, appeared eager to discuss the situation with his coworkers

Global Head of Partners Lara Cohen made a seemingly snarky remark about the situation, saying: 'My drafts folder deserves agency representation at this point'

Twitter researcher Matt DeMichiel simply shared an image of cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants face planting in the sand

However, employee conversation surrounding Musk's involvement with Twitter has included messages of both serious uneasiness and mockery.

After news broke of the Tesla CEO's $3billion investment in the platform, Cohen took to Twitter saying: 'Good morning to our new overlord!'

DeMichiel shared a meme featuring rapper Drake that seemingly implied Musk would move the company's focus from growth, product innovation and sustainability to ways to further financial success.

'Elon Musk just (temporarily at least) made me a lot of money. And I still dislike him,' added Haraldur Thorleifsson, a Twitter team lead, referencing how news of Musk's stake and board membership prompted a nearly 30 percent surge in the company's stock value.

Michael Sayman, a company product lead, took to the platform to share a meme allegedly depicting the next company board meeting.

The post featured a group attending a meeting with Wario, the antagonist in Nintendo's Mario series, sitting at the head table. The meme was captioned: 'Twitter's next board meeting'.

DeMichiel, who shared the Drake meme, also responded to a commenter asking if employees were required to include Musk on all work-related communications.

He answered: 'That and all email signatures have to link to Tesla's website.'

Although most responses featured targeted sarcasm, EJ Samson, a member of the platform's marketing team, issued a more neutral response, questioning Musk's role at the company.

Retweeting a poll the SpaceX CEO had posted asking if users wanted an edit button, Samson replied, via meme: 'What is happening?'

Lara Cohen, the company's Global Head of Partners, compared Musk to a feudal lord last week after news broke that he had become the platform's largest shareholder

Company researcher Matt DeMichiel last week shared a meme featuring rapper Drake that seemingly implied Musk would move the company's focus from growth, product innovation and sustainability to ways to further financial success

DeMichiel also responded to a commenter asking if employees were required to include Musk on all work-related communications

Haraldur Thorleifsson, a Twitter team lead, last Monday referenced how Musk's stake and board membership prompted a surge in the company's stock value

Michael Sayman, a company product lead, last Monday compared Musk to Wario, the antagonist in Nintendo's Mario series

EJ Samson, a member of the platform's marketing team, last Monday seemingly questioned Musk's role at the company

Musk himself took a seemingly laissez-faire attitude about his role at the company, telling his followers last Thursday morning 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 seemed to imply that sale spearheaded his success and allowed him to become Twitter's largest shareholder.

Elon Musk took to Twitter last Thursday morning to inform his more than 80 million followers that social media platform's next board meeting was 'going to be lit'

Musk also shared a meme last Thursday showing how the sale of Zip2 in 1999 caused a domino effect that led to his involvement at Twitter

Who is backing Musk?

Elon Musk seemingly had the support of Twitter's founder, Jack Dorsey, current CEO Parag Agrawal and the majority of the company's board of directors.

Agrawal announced Musk's board membership on the social media last Tuesday, alleging the billionaire brings 'great value' to the company.

'I'm excited to share that we're appointing @elonmusk to our board! Through conversations with Elon in recent weeks, it became clear to us that he would bring great value to our Board,' Agrawal wrote.

'He's 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!'

Elon Musk seemingly had the support of Twitter's founder, Jack Dorsey, current CEO Parag Agrawal and the majority of the company's board of directors

Jack Dorsey (bottom left) is pictured during a video chat with Elon Musk (right), Catherine Wood (center left) and Steve Lee (top left) in July 2021

Musk responded to the CEO, saying: 'Looking forward to working with Parag & Twitter board to make significant improvements to Twitter in coming months!'

Other board members seemed receptive to Musk - who has 80 million Twitter followers - joining their ranks, with several issuing welcome messages online, including Dorsey.

'Im really happy Elon is joining the Twitter board! He cares deeply about our world and Twitters role in it,' Dorsey tweeted. 'Parag and Elon both lead with their hearts, and they will be an incredible team.'

Board chair and Salesforce Co-CEO Bret Taylor echoed the sentiment, saying: 'Welcome to the Twitter board, @elonmusk! We are all excited to work with you and build the future of Twitter together.'

Twitter board members, including founder Jack Dorsey, seemed excited about Musk's appointment

Several, including Omid Kordestani, the board's executive chairman and a current member, posted messages of welcome to the platform

Board chair and Salesforce Co-CEO Bret Taylor said they were excited to work with Musk

Taylor's post was retweeted by fellow board members Mimi Alemayehou, Senior Vice President for Public-Private Partnership at Mastercard; Martha Lane Fox, Founder and Chairperson of Lucky Voice Group; and Stanford University professor Dr. Fei-Fei Li.

Omid Kordestani, the board's executive chairman and a current member, wrote: 'Welcome @elonmusk!'

The four remaining board members - Former World Bank President Robert Zoellick, Invoia Capital general partner Patrick Pichette, 1stdibs.com Inc. CEO David Rosenblatt, and Egon Durban, Co-CEO of Silver Lake - did not publicly comment on Musk's appointment to the board.

Republican lawmakers and social media users alike also issued their support for the Tesla CEO, calling on him to restore former President Donald Trump's Twitter privileges.

Anger among conservative social media users first spilled over when Twitter and Facebook permanently suspended Trump's accounts early last year following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In response to his suspension, Trump launched his own platform, Truth Social, which seemingly mirrors the Twitter interface.

Republican lawmakers and social media users alike are calling on Elon Musk to reinstate former President Donald Trump 's Twitter account now that the tech mogul has became the social media platform's largest shareholder and a member of its board of directors. Musk and Trump are pictured at the White House in February 2017

Numerous Trump supporters and GOP lawmakers have urged Musk to get the ex-president back on the platform, now that he seemingly holds significant weight in the company.

'Dear Elon Musk, bring back President Donald J. Trump,' tax expert Julio Gonzalez tweeted last Tuesday.

'Musk joining the Twitter board is the first step in the right direction. Bring back Trump!' echoed British broadcaster and former politician Nigel Farage.

They also accused the social media network's woke leadership of 'censorship' including 'shadow banning,' which supposedly restricts a user's reach without their knowledge or appearing to do so.

'Twitter used to be an open field of free thought,' television host Pete Hegseth said last Tuesday on Fox & Friends, according to Mediaite. 'Now the blue checkmarks like groupthink leftists police that thought and the corporate types at Twitter have been happy to enforce it.'

He added: 'They pushed off Donald Trump. They pushed off a lot of conservatives. If he were to open that up, it opens up the conversation in America.'

'The Left has determined that speech is violence. Thats their argument on so many of these things. If [Musk] attempted to bring Donald Trump back, which he should, the target is gonna be even bigger on his back.'

Calls for Trump's reinstatement first came on last Monday after news broke of Musk's shareholder status.

'Now that [Elon Musk] is Twitters largest shareholder, its time to lift the political censorship. Oh and BRING BACK TRUMP!' outspoken pro-Trump Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) tweeted at the time.

Errol Webber, a Republican running for a California House seat, argued that Twitter should 'give everyone who has been banned a second chance,' including Trump.

'@ElonMusk is now the largest shareholder of Twitter. Time to get this platform back to its former glory,' Webber wrote. 'Step one - bring back President Trump! Step two - give everyone who has been banned a second chance. Step three - end all forms of political and other censorship.'

Conservative author and national security expert Brigitte Gabriel called for Trump's return to the platform last Monday

Journalist Glenn Greenwald took to Twitter last Tuesday alleging Democrats were afraid of Trump returning to the platform

Errol Webber, a Republican running for a California House seat, argued last Monday that Twitter should 'give everyone who has been banned a second chance,' including Trump

Last Tuesday, tax expert Julio Gonzalez called on Musk to bring back Trump

Republican Study Committee Chair Rep. Jim Banks was among the first elected officials to praise Musk's purchase last Monday

British broadcaster and former politician Nigel Farage argued Tuesday that Musk joining the board was the 'first step in the right direction' for Twitter

Pro-Trump Rep. Lauren Boebert last Monday demanded that Musk use his money invested in the company to push for a reversal of Donald Trump's permanent suspension

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) questioned last Monday if freedom of speech would return to the platform now that Musk has the largest shareholder

Another Trump ally, former Treasury Department official Monica Crowley, also sounded off

Former Trump Treasury Department official Monica Crowley said: 'He should demand the end of political censorship, company-wide reform, and the reinstatement of President Trump.'

Republican Study Committee Chair Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) posted last Monday, 'If [Elon Musk] can clean up Twitter and stop online censorship, Im all for him taking over the whole damn thing.'

'Will the new majority shareholder return freedom of speech to Twitter?' questioned Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). 'It will require courage [because] the regime is heavily investing in a certain industry and threats will undoubtedly come. Yet the freedom of speech restored will enable us all to defeat them.'

'Great job Elon Musk! Now reinstate President Trump!' author Brigitte Gabriel applauded.

'Dems & liberal activists groups have spent years co-opting the censorship power of tech billionaires and expressing gratitude to Google and FB execs for censoring their enemies off the internet,' journalist Glenn Greenwald tweeted. 'Now theyre petrified a billionaire who wont censor for them may take over Twitter.'
Russia's Vladimir Putin may yet be humiliated in his scramble to declare a victory in Ukraine by the symbolically important 9 May - even as he prepares to double or even treble his number of forces in the eastern Donbas region.

Following his troops' failure to capture Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other parts of the country's north after more than six weeks' of fighting, the Russian president has withdrawn some of his forces.

Mr Putin is now beginning to redeploy some of those troops towards the Donbas, parts of which are already controlled by Russian-backed separatist groups.

He is said to be eyeing a battlefield win in eastern Ukraine within the next month, so that it will coincide with Russia's annual military parade in Red Square on 9 May.

The date marks the Nazis' surrender in the Second World War.

However, although they noted Mr Putin would desire some form of victory by that date, Western officials have cast doubt on his hopes of doing so.

They have said there is an 'incredibly important' window for the West to increase support for Ukraine as Russia takes time to prepare a new offensive.

Ukrainian soldiers pictured as they talk to each other at a Ukrainian frontline in Donbas, Ukraine today

Ukrainian soldiers in Donbas pictured today. Russia's Vladimir Putin prepares to double or even treble his number of forces in the eastern region

Ukrainian soldiers in Donbas. Western officials also predicted that, when Russia does launch a new phase of an offensive in Donbas, its forces will have to open up large logistical lines that could be vulnerable to potential attack by Ukrainian forces

A Ukrainian soldier is pictured at a Ukrainian frontline in the eastern region of Donbas, Ukraine on April 11

Military personnel pictured talking each other at a Ukrainian frontline in Donbas, Ukraine today

Ukrainian soldiers pictured walking through a Ukrainian frontline in Donbas, Ukraine on April 11, 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin is now beginning to redeploy some of his troops towards the Donbas region, parts of which are already controlled by Kremlin-backed separatist groups

A Ukrainian rocket launcher shells Russian troops' position in the Donbas region. Western officials said new Russian logistical lines could become vulnerable to potential attack

One official said: 'I would imagine that, at outside estimates, what you're looking at is a force which is probably the Russians looking to double or even treble the amount of force that they bring into that Donbas area.

'But I would note that that is going to take some considerable time to bring them up to that sort of number.

'And even when they bring themselves to that number, there is a question over how effectively they can bring those forces into the battle.

'It is a little simplistic to think of three to one or two to one, because actually it is around how you can bring the force to bear at the point of decision which is really important.

'The Russians have shown themselves to be not very effective in this invasion as to being able to use their numerical advantage effectively to actually bring about a decisive engagement.'

A dummy with Russian President Vladimir Putin's face on a Ukrainian frontline in Donbas, Ukraine pictured today

Ukrainian soldiers pictured walking together through a Ukrainian frontline in Donbas, Ukraine on April 11

It is estimated that 37 to 38 Russian battalion tactical groups are now 'non-combat effective' - up by almost 10 on last week's estimate. Pictured, Ukrainian soldiers in Donbas

Ukrainian soldiers pictured today as they talk amongst each other at a Ukrainian frontline in Donbas

Ukrainian soldiers in Donbas. The total Russian force available is about 90 battalion tactical groups, with between 700 and 1,000 troops said to be contained in each one

Russia's annual military parade in Red Square on 9 May marks the Nazis' surrender in the Second World War

Mr Putin is said to be eyeing a victory in Ukraine to coincide with the yearly display of Russian military power

It was also said to be unclear how Russia was going to overcome 'morale issues' within their forces, with a number of troops unwilling to fight and refusing to engage in operations.

Western officials also predicted that, when Russia does launch a new phase of an offensive in Donbas, its forces will have to open up large logistical lines that could be vulnerable to potential attack by Ukrainian forces.

They also noted that Russian forces were continuing to commit some of the 'tactical and doctrinal errors' seen during earlier stages of their assault on Ukraine.

It is estimated that 37 to 38 Russian battalion tactical groups are now 'non-combat effective' - up by almost 10 on last week's estimate.

The total Russian force available is about 90 battalion tactical groups, with between 700 and 1,000 troops said to be contained in each one.
No, Bill Gates will not give you $5000, $1000, $245, or even just $1 for forwarding an email. Yet thousands, if not millions, have still forwarded the email hoax that circulated and evolved for over two decades.

The viral chain email is under a content type called a "giveaway" email hoax. The central theme of the various iterations of the hoax is that Microsoft developed a beta of an email tracing program or tracking system and that Bill Gates will hand out cash to those who will forward the email.

Origin of the Bill Gates Chain Email Hoax

The email claimed to be written by Bill Gates himself was first sent around November of 1997. The exact date is still unclear, but there are different copies of the email dated November 18, November 21, and November 24 of 1997.

But a more important question would be: who started the hoax?

Theresa Heyd wrote in her book "Email Hoaxes" that the now-defunct Glires.com website traced the original email to a computer science student from Iowa named Brian Mack. It was not supposed to be malicious at first and was simply a private joke among friends that got way out of hand. This "origin story" was corroborated by Wired in 2004.

This is the original email:

"Hello everybody,

My name is Bill Gates.

I have just written up an e-mail tracing program that traces everyone to whom this message is forwarded. I am experimenting with this and I need your help. Forward this to everyone you know and if it reaches 1000 people everyone on the list will receive $1,000 at my expense.

Enjoy.

Your friend,

Bill Gates"

Looking at the original text, it does seem understandable that it's just a private joke. It doesn't seem credible and little to no effort was put into it. But obviously, in hindsight, it became a widespread email hoax.

So if this simple chain email widely circulated, how would an elaborate version become more viral? The answer is "easily."

Read More: Microsoft Reveals It Has Disrupted Cyberattacks by Strontium on Ukraine

The Bill Gates Email Hoax Variations and Virality

Over the years, the email hoax giveaways became more believable. They included more details of the tracing program or tracking system, included the Microsoft Team as a signee, and adds some computer jargon the general population wouldn't understand. There is even a version that has Walt Disney Jr. as the sender.

Basically, the variations added more elements of reliability. But three things remained constant: Microsoft is implementing a beta test, they need people's help in forwarding the message, and that Bill Gates will personally give them some cash for their efforts.

Here is an example of one of the hoax's variants:

"Dear friends: please do not take this for a junk letter. Bill Gates is sharing his fortune. If you ignore this, you will repent later. Microsoft and AOL are now the largest Internet companies, and in an effort to make sure that Internet Explorer remains the most widely used search engine program, Microsoft and AOL are running an e-mail beta test. When you forward this e-mail to friends, Microsoft can and will track it (if you are a Microsoft Windows user?) For a two-week time period, for every person that you forward this e-mail to, Microsoft will pay you $245.00. For every person that you sent it to, that forwards it on, Microsoft will pay you $243.00, and for every third person that receives it, you will be paid $241.00. Within two weeks, Microsoft will contact you for your address, and then send you a check.

Regards,

Charles S. Bailey

General Manager, Field Operations"

Notice how more formal the language is and that a certain general manager Charles S. Bailey is now the one sending the email. This may be an attempt to make it more official and more real because why would the almighty Bill Gates personally email people?

Nevertheless, there were a number of these variations and the Bill Gates giveaway hoaxes continued to circulate for two decades. Maybe even now there are still some out there. Fraud Prevention Unit has a 2017 article about the Bill Gates email hoax so it still persisted at least until 2017.

Bill Gates and Microsoft Response

The good news is that as early as 1999, Microsoft debunked the credibility of these emails and Bill Gates himself sent out a personal advisory in 1998.

"That's what makes electronic junk mail and e-mail hoaxes so maddening. The 'free' distribution of unwelcome or misleading messages to thousands of people is an annoying and sometimes destructive use of the Internet's unprecedented efficiency," Bill Gates said expressing his displeasure at the spam emails

The bad news is, why are they still spreading? Are some people just too gullible? Maybe we'll never know. But with more people becoming more computer literate today, email hoaxes and spam may finally disappear.

As to the motivations behind the originators and makers of chain email hoaxes, Heyd said that no precise information exists. As opposed to hackers and scammers, originators of email hoaxes don't really have a concrete motivation like money, feeling of power, and peer recognition.

Our best guess is maybe it's just for the giggles.

Related Article: WhatsApp Information Stealing Malware Baits Users Into Phishing By Voice Message
An Idaho judge found 'cult mom' Lori Vallow fit to stand trial for the murders of two of her children after she was placed in a mental hospital last year.

Fremont County District Judge Steven Boyce ordered court proceedings against Vallow to continue, saying she had restored competency.

The decision on Monday comes almost ten months after Vallow was committed to a psychiatric facility.

Lori Vallow, 48, and her husband, Chad Daybell, 53, are charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder, among other crimes.

The charges are in relation to the deaths of 7-year-old Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, 17-year-old Tylee Ryan - two of Lori Vallow's kids - and Chad Daybell's first wife, Tammy Daybell.

The children's bodies were found in Chad Daybell's backyard in Idaho in 2020 after they were last seen in September 2019. Tammy Daybell was killed in October 2019, two weeks before Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell married, authorities said.

Vallow is also charged in Arizona with conspiring to kill her former estranged husband, Charles Vallow, with the help of her now-deceased brother, Alex Cox.

Their indictments allege that the couple became convinced that their victims were zombies who had been possessed by dark spirits and could only be released through death.

Vallow will transferred from the custody of Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to the Fremont County Sheriff's Office. She will be arraigned on April 19 at the Fremont County Courthouse.

The Seventh Judicial District Court in Fremont County, Idaho, ruled Lori Vallow mentally fit almost ten months after she was committed to a psychiatric facility (File photo)

Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, left, and Tylee Ryan, right, were last seen in September 2019. Their bodies were eventually discovered buried on the Daybell's property after a nine month search

Daybell had been confined to a state hospital in the care of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare since June 8, 2021, after Judge Boyce found her incompetent to stand trial following a psychological assessment performed by a clinical psychologist.

Her stay at the psychiatric facility was extended several times before her competency was restored Monday.

Vallow is accused of killing two of her children, JJ and Tylee, with the help of her husband Chad Daybell.

Tylee and JJ vanished in September 2019, leading to a nationwide hunt. Their bodies weren't found until the following June.

The whole saga began in 2019, when Charles Vallow was killed by Lori Vallow's brother, Alex Cox.

A police investigation in Arizona uncovered computer documents that indicated Charles Vallow discovered his wife was having an affair with Chad Daybell just weeks before his death.

Charles Vallow confronted Lori Vallow in a text message, and then reached out to Tammy Daybell to let her know that their spouses were cheating.

The investigators didn't determine if Tammy Daybell ever read the email from Vallow or deleted it without reading. Eleven days after Charles Vallow sent the email, he was shot to death by Cox, who argued self-defense.

At the time, Charles Vallow was seeking a divorce, saying Lori Vallow believed she had become a god-like figure who was responsible for ushering in the biblical end times. Cox died in December 2019 of an apparent blood clot in his lung.

A police investigation in Arizona uncovered computer documents that indicated Charles Vallow discovered his wife was having an affair with Chad Daybell just weeks before his death (Lori and Charles are pictured at their wedding in 2006)

Lori Vallow (left) and Chad Daybell(right) were said to have extreme religious beliefs. Detectives believe that the couple's 'belief system, lust and greed' also led to the deaths of Tylee Ryan, JJ Vallow and Tammy Daybell

Shortly after Charles Vallow's death, Lori Vallow and the children moved to Idaho, where Chad Daybell lived.

He ran a small publishing company, putting out many fiction books he wrote about apocalyptic scenarios loosely based on the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He also recorded podcasts about preparing for biblical end times, and friends said he claimed to be able to receive visions from 'beyond the veil.'

He was married to Tammy Daybell, who died in October 2019. Authorities grew suspicious when Chad Daybell married Lori Vallow just two weeks, and Tammy Daybell's body was exhumed.

Although the autopsy results have never been publicly released, but Tammy Daybell's son, Garth Daybell said last year authorities told him they believe his mother died by asphyxiation.

Then in November 2019, police began searching for Tylee and JJ in after relatives raised concerns.

Police say the Daybells lied to investigators about the children's whereabouts before quietly leaving Idaho. They were found in Hawaii months later.

Tylee was last seen September 8, 2019, when she went to Yellowstone National Park with her mom, her brother and Cox, court documents say.

JJ and Tylee are seen smiling and hugging while standing on a boardwalk in front of a thermal feature at Yellowstone National Park in Idaho on September 8, 2019 with their uncle Alex Cox. It would be the last time that Tylee was seen alive

Before marrying Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell was married to Tammy Daybell, who died in October 2019. Authorities grew suspicious when Chad Daybell married Lori Vallow just two weeks, and Tammy Daybell's body was exhumed. Although the autopsy results have never been publicly released, but Tammy Daybell's son, Garth Daybell said last year authorities told him they believe his mother died by asphyxiation

It's not clear what happened to her, but police say the next day, Cox's cellphone data shows he made a trip to Chad Daybell's property and was near where the children's bodies were found.

Also on September 9, 2021, investigators say Chad Daybell texted Tammy Daybell, reportedly telling her that he decided to burn some plants and also had shot a raccoon, which he buried in an area of the property where the family had previously buried dead pets, according to the court documents.

The detective said in the documents that he was suspicious because raccoons are normally nocturnal and the text said the animal had been shot during the day.

Lori Vallow's longtime best friend, Melanie Gibb said she was told Tylee was attending school at a nearby college, though investigators later found the teen had never been enrolled.

Gibb also said JJ's behavior appeared to be typical, despite his mother claiming he was acting strangely.

The last time Gibb saw JJ was September 22, 2019, at Lori Vallow's apartment. Cox left with his nephew for his apartment nearby, Gibb told police, and when they returned, JJ appeared to be asleep, with his head on Cox's shoulder.

Tylee was last seen on September 8, 2019 while JJ was last seen with his uncle Alex Cox on September 22. Their bodies were found in Daybell's backyard in June 2020

In this Tuesday, June 9, 2020, file aerial photo, investigators search for the human remains of JJ and Taylee at Chad Daybell's residence in the 200 block of 1900 east, in Salem, Idaho

The next morning, Gibb said JJ was gone and Lori said Cox had taken him for a while.

An analysis of Cox's cellphone records that day show that his phone pinged at locations on Chad Daybell's property once again.

It was those cellphone records that led police to the bodies of the children, police has said.

Daybell met Vallow in 2018 and the two quickly became close, according to investigators. Within a short time they were traveling to meet each other, and at one point Daybell wrote a steamy short story for Lori Vallow based on two characters who, like thm, met at a religious conference.

By May of 2019, Lori Vallow was looking at gemstones online similar to the ones that would later be in their wedding rings.

Daybell and Vallow communicated with each other using code names or pet names like Lili, Bubby, Raphael and sometimes eschewed standard text messaging, instead using 'burner' phones or messaging systems inside of a popular karaoke phone application, according to computer and phone files found by investigators.

As their relationship grew, so did their cult-like religious beliefs, according to investigators.

Several family members and friends interviewed by detectives described them as having a strange doomsday-focused belief system, and some of the friends acknowledged adopting the beliefs as well.

At times as many as 10 people were part of the loose religious group that met to pray, drive out evil spirits and seek revelations from 'beyond the spiritual veil.'

Though the beliefs Vallow's friends described to detectives were loosely based in theology from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they veered into the extreme.

An arraignment for Lori Vallow has been scheduled for April 19, after she was restored competency on Monday.

Daybell sits in prison awaiting trial, currently scheduled for January 2023.

Prosecutors have sought the death penalty. They have cited the fact that all his alleged crimes were committed for remuneration  life insurance and social security payments  as aggravating circumstances.
An alleged emissary for Joaquin El Chapo Guzmans former righthand man has been captured in Colombia and is now awaiting to be extradited to the United States after an unsuccessful attempt to bribe cops.

Brian Olguin was taken into custody after authorities raided the apartment he was renting in the high-end Cali neighborhood of Ciudad Jardin on Friday, the Colombian National Police said in a statement.

He attempted to bribe the arresting officers with $265,000 in exchange for his release, but was unable to do so.

Olguin was identified as being a member of the Sinaloa Cartel and is facing drug trafficking charges in the Southern District Court of California.

The 38-year-old had a Red Notice issued by the INTERPOL in 196 countries.

Brian Olguin was taken into custody in Cali, Colombia, on Friday. Authorities identified him as an alleged member of the Sinaloa Cartel and emissary for the family of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman who was in the South American country to coordinate cocaine shipments to Central America

Brian Olguin reportedly tried to bribe the Colombian police with $265,000 so that he could be released. He is awaiting extradition to the United States to face drug trafficking charges

Brian Olguin had a Red Notice issued by INTERPOL in 196 countries. The alleged member of the Sinaloa Cartel was taken into custody in Cali, Colombia, on Friday

Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada (pictured), who co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel with El Chapo, is still at large

Olguin had traveled to the South American nation in February to arrange meetings with dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, traveling throughout the departments of Cauca, Narino and Valle del Cauca, where he was arrested in the capital, Cali.

The purpose of the trip was to establish routes to smuggle cocaine into Central America for the Sinaloa Cartel cell that is led by the organization's co-founder Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada.

The U.S. is offering a $15 million reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Zambada, who has never been arrested.

The Drug Enforcement Administration alerted its counterparts in the Andean nation. Authorities spotted him on surveillance cameras as he walked through the arrivals terminal accompanied by a woman at Jose Maria Cordova International Airport in Medellin before the boarded a vehicle and headed towards the southern Colombia.

Colombian authorities had Olguin under surveillance for about to weeks after investigators discovered that the woman had posted a photo on her Facebook page that showed the pair kissing in front of a monument, according to El Tiempo newspaper.

Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel

Brian Olguin is escorted by Colombian authorities following his arrest in Cali, Colombia, on Friday

Investigators were able to track his whereabouts to Cali, where he regularly visited several bars and restaurants located in exclusive neighborhoods.

Authorities were able to place an undercover agent as the condominium doorman the night of Olguins capture at the apartment complex.

Olguin had a security team made up of Mexican nationals who alerted him at all times of any impending police activity.

He called the lobby desk after he was made aware that a group of uniformed cops had entered the building. However, he was advised that it was only part of a routine visit and that he had nothing to worry about.

Instead, the agents secured all of the building exits while a second team of officers was at his apartment door ready to pounce on him before he was arrested without incident.
Up to 26 slave labourers were held inside a terraced house as a Romanian crime family who lured the victims to the UK with the promise of construction work, free food and accommodation face jail.

The victims were told they would earn 50 a day, but were instead crammed into east London slums run by 'big boss' Vasile Dragoi, 62, and his family - with wages withheld and each individual presented with bogus bills.

Their identification documents were also seized and any victims who challenged the family were threatened by Vasile and his sons - Ion Dragoi, 26, Marian Podianu, 44, and 34-year-old Florinel Dragoi.

In order to hide the number of people living in the properties during local council inspections, bunk beds were hidden in the loft, a court heard.

The Crown Prosecution Service says this included up to 26 in a single terraced house.

Vasile, his sons and Ion's wife Alexandra Ciocodan were all convicted of conspiracy to arrange or facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation and conspiracy to convert criminal property following a 16-week trial at Southwark Crown Court.

Vasile Dragoi (left) was identified by police as the head of the family, while one of his three sons Marian Podianu (right) has also been convicted

Ion Bogdan Dragoi (left) and his wife Alexandra Ciocodan are facing jail after being convicted following a 16-week trial

Florinel Dragoi is one of three sons said to have threatened the victims when they spoke out about the family's criminal offences

Beds squeezed into a room in Mitcham Road, East Ham, east London - where the victims had to sleep

Bunk beds were squeezed into loft spaces to avoid the attention of the council during inspections. Pictured: A room at a property in Ladysmith Road

Iam McLoughlin, prosecuting, told the court that Vasile was the head of the family and ran the criminal enterprise.

He said: 'Witness statements refer to him as the big boss and there was a flavour of orders being issued to others within the group.

From the evidence it is apparent he took a leading role in the recruitment of individuals and arranged travel from Romania to the UK.

The prosecutor added that the family ran a network of construction companies, with one firm alone turning over 675,000 between 2016 and 2018.

Mr McLoughlin continued: 'You can see there is a huge spike of income at the time the Crown alleges that they were involved in criminality, Mr McLoughlin said.

This was not ad hoc. There was systematic recruitment of workers in Romania, travel arranged, housing for victims.

The victims were housed in properties on Dickens Road, Forest Gate and on Ladysmith Avenue and Mitcham Road in East Ham, east London.

Judge Michael Hopmeier told the court: I tell you what is an aggravating feature in my view, its that they were doing it to their own countrymen.

Maybe that is because it is easier because they know the culture, they speak the same language.

'Plus they are in a position of advantage because they know how things work in England.

He continued: 'These were victims, people who were exploited for money. I saw them, heard them.

Bunk beds in Mitcham Road. The CPS says up to 26 slave labourers were held in one of the properties

It was planned, it was executed and it would have continued had it not been disrupted.

Vasile, of Derbyshire; Marian Podianu, of Upton Park Road, East Ham; Florinel Dragoi, also of East Ham; Ion Dragoi of East Ham, and his wife Ciocodan, of East Ham, were all convicted of conspiracy to arrange or facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation between 1 January 2017 and 20 October 2017.

They were also convicted of conspiracy to convert criminal property between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2017.

Judge Hopmeier is due to sentence the family at the same court on Tuesday.

Paul Goddard, from the CPS, said: 'These individuals used their position to prey on and exploit many economically vulnerable workers who could not stand up to them.

'They benefited from their victims hard work in the construction industry promising good rates of pay to entice them to the UK before reneging on those promises and keeping most of the wages for themselves.

'The modern slavery exploitation of adults is abhorrent and the CPS will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.'
Russia was behind a 2010 plane crash that killed 96 including the Polish leader Lech Kaczynski, a Warsaw government panel has claimed.

The latest report today released by the special commission alleges that the April 10, 2010 crash was caused by an intentional detonation of planted explosives.

The plane crash killed Mr Kaczynski, the first lady and 94 other members of the government and armed forces as well as many other prominent Polish figures.

Commission head Antoni Macierewicz today told a news conference that their deaths were caused by an 'act of unlawful interference by the Russian side.'

WARSAW, POLAND: Polish Senior Speaker and former Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz (pictured) today presents a report of a special sub-commission investigating the cause of the Smolensk air disaster, which alleges that the crash happened because of an intentional detonation of planted explosives

Pictured: Mr Macierewicz (pictured) shows a previous report alleging the Smolensk crash was an assassination in Warsaw, Poland in March 2016 (file image)

Mr Macierwicz, who in 2015-2018 served as defense minister in Poland's right-wing government, added: 'The main and indisputable proof of the interference was an explosion in the left wing  followed by an explosion in the plane's centre.'

And he denied that there were any mistakes made by Polish pilots or crew members, despite there being bad weather at the time of the crash.

The new report repeats numerous previous allegations made by the commission, appointed by the government whose key figure is the main ruling Law and Justice party leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the twin of the late president.

Commission head Antoni Macierewicz told a news conference that their deaths were caused by an 'act of unlawful interference by the Russian side. Pictured: Lech (left) who was killed in the crash and twin Jaroslaw Kaczynski (right)

Yesterday, Polish President Andrzej Duda stood at Pilsudski Square to place a candle at the monument to the victims of the plane crash.

It was part of the ceremonies commemorating the 12th anniversary of the crash.

Wreaths and flowers were laid at monuments and memorials across Poland in memory of those killed.

Yesterday, Polish President Andrzej Duda (pictured) stood at Pilsudski Square to place a candle at the monument to the victims of the plane crash

Wreaths and flowers were laid at monuments and memorials across Poland in memory of those killed. Pictured: Poland's deputy prime minister and key politician, Jaroslaw Kaczynski (centre), pays respect to his twin, the late President Lech Kaczynski yesterday

Today's new report comes as Russia's war unleashed on Poland's neighbouring country Ukraine rages on and amid current tense relations between Moscow and Warsaw.

Poland is supporting Ukraine in its battle against Russia and is calling for tough sanctions on Moscow after its February 24 invasion of Ukraine.

The latest report once again drums up hostility toward Russia among some Poles, chiefly supporters of the nationalist government, in what seems to be an effort to consolidate the voter base of the Law and Justice party, which was founded by the Kaczynski twins in 2001.

Today's new report comes as Russia's war unleashed on Poland's neighbouring country Ukraine rages on and amid current tense relations between Moscow and Warsaw. Pictured: Mr Macierewicz today presents his report at a special sub-commission investigating the cause of the Smolensk air disaster in April 2010

Additional suspicions are fuelled by Russia's refusal to return the wreckage, which has made Poland's investigation more complex.

There were two separate earlier reports by Polish and Russian experts on aviation incidents.

These said that the crash on approach in dense fog to the Smolensk airport, which did not have sophisticated aviation equipment, was caused by human errors made in poor weather conditions.

Both earlier reports found no proof of foul play.
Some of former President Donald Trump's most vocal allies are grumbling over his decision to back Dr. Mehmet Oz in the May 17 Republican Pennsylvania Senate primary.

Conservatives on Twitter were quick to point out that Oz previously expressed support for Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationally, and dedicated an episode of his long-running television show to transgender children.

'This is not very conservative, Doc!' commented Jack Posobiec of Human Events, a Pennsylvania native, sharing vintage footage of Oz's episode on transgender kids.

Posobiec also called Oz the 'Romney of PA' and highlighted an Oz tweet from 2018 in which the television personality says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should partake in a gun violence study.

Trump had originally backed Sean Parnell, who pulled out of the race amid a custody dispute with his ex-wife, with a judge finding her abuse allegations credible.

Parnell started criticizing Trump's endorsement of Oz in the hours following the statement's release.

Conservatives are grumbling over former President Donald Trump's (left) decision to back Dr. Mehmet Oz (right) in the May 17 Republican Senate primary

Human Events' Jack Posobiec, a Pennsylvania native, tweeted out footage of a vintage Dr. Oz episode that focused on transgender children

Posobiec also highlighted an Oz tweet from 2018 that suggested the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should conduct a study on gun violence

'You're not America First. You're not a conservative. You're not even from Pennsylvania. Hell no,' Parnell tweeted, sharing Oz's tweet announcing Trump's endorsement.

Conservative pundit Erick Erickson blasted Trump's inner circle for giving him bad advice.

'It's like Donald Trump's staff is sabotaging Trump by convincing him to make the worst possible endorsements,' Erickson tweeted Saturday night, shortly after Trump made his choice of Oz public.

While Trump backing a fellow TV personality isn't surprising, it is when some of Trump's former top aides - including Hope Hicks and Stephen Miller - are helping Oz's rival, Pennsylvania Senate hopeful David McCormick, with his campaign.

Rep. Mo Brooks, an Alabama Republican who lost Trump's Senate endorsement when he encouraged a Trump rally audience to move on from the ex-president's false 2020 election fraud claims, also criticized the pick.

'This is happening because Trump's surrounded himself by staff who are on McConnell's payroll & hostile to the MAGA agenda,' Brooks said. 'Everybody telling Trump who to endorse in primaries works for The Swamp.'

'They played him. Again,' Brooks said.

Trump's previous selection for Pennsylvania Senate, Sean Parnell, quickly came out against his endorsement of Oz

Pundit Erick Erickson tweeted Saturday night: 'It's like Donald Trump's staff is sabotaging Trump by convincing him to make the worst possible endorsements'

The Pennsylvania-based Washington Examiner writer Salena Zito interviewed grassroots Republican activists about Trump's decision to back his fellow TV personality, and they were not impressed.

'President Trump was very out of sync in picking Oz,' Dave Ball, the chairman of the Washington County Republican Party, told Zito. 'I'd like to know who it is who lives in Pennsylvania that knows the voters well told Trump to pick Oz.'

'I think that President Trump very, very seldom does anything that's not thought out and doesn't have a very reasoned and logical basis, but, for whatever reason, in this particular instance, he chose to ignore all of that and endorse Oz,' Ball added.

Ball told Zito he had been fielding calls from conservatives grumbling about Trump's pick.

'People have been calling me all day and asking, "What the hell was he thinking?"' Ball said.

Trump made the announcement Saturday evening in the run-up to his North Carolina rally.

The ex-president said Oz would do well in traditionally Democratic Pittsburgh and Philadelphia 'where other candidates will just not be accepted.'

Rep. Mo Brooks, an Alabama Republican who lost Trump's Senate endorsement when he encouraged a Trump rally audience to move on from the ex-president's false 2020 election fraud claims, also criticized the pick

'I have known Dr. Oz for many years, as have many others, even if only through his very successful television show. He has lived with us through the screen and has always been popular, respected, and smart,' Trump said in a statement. 'He even said that I was in extraordinary health, which made me like him even more (although he also said I should lose a couple of pounds!),' Trump added.

Trump also predicted Oz would be a hit with female Republican voters.

'Women, in particular, are drawn to Dr. Oz for his advice and counsel,' Trump said. 'I have seen this many times over the years. They know him, believe in him, and trust him.'

Zito found that wasn't necessarily the case.

Nottingham township resident Heather Wilhelm told The Washington Examiner writer that she wouldn't be voting for Oz - despite being a Trump supporter.

Wilhelm suggested other conservatives would follow suit.

'In talking to other conservative voters in my cricles, there hasn't been a lot of support for Dr. Oz,' Wilhelm said. 'I think maybe the people Oz attracts are moderate voters,' she added.
A dad murdered his wife and three children before leaving their corpses to rot in their Disney town home because he thought the world was ending, a court heard.

In opening statements Monday, prosecutors argued that the December 2019 crime was carried out after Anthony Todt, 46, and his wife made a murder-suicide pact to 'pass over' to the other side together at their home in Celebration, Florida, before what they believed was an impending apocalypse.

'Everybody needed to die in order to pass over to the other side together because the apocalypse was coming,' Assistant State Attorney Danielle Pinnell told jurors in Osceola County Court.

Todt has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of animal cruelty in the killings of Megan Todt, 42, and their children, Alek, 13, Tyler, 11, and Zoe, 4. The family's dog Breezy was also killed.

The victims were drugged with Benadryl, suffocated, stabbed and left to rot for two weeks inside their Celebration, Florida home, a town near Disney World.

Anthony Todt now stands trial for the murders of his wife and three children, two years after their decomposed bodies were found in Florida home

Todt pleaded not guilty to the murders of Megan Todt, 42, and their children, Alek, 13, Tyler, 11, and Zoe, 4. The family's dog Breezy was also killed

In opening statements, the prosecution told the jury how #AnthonyTodt killed his wife, three children and family dog in Florida in December 2019. @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/xoyK9xALHp  Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) April 11, 2022

Assistant State Attorney Danielle Pinnell (pictured) told jurors in opening statements Monday that Todt made a pact with his wife to 'pass over' together before the apocalypse

Federal authorities and Osceola County Sheriff's deputies found the victims' decomposing bodies on January 13, 2020, when they went to the home to arrest Todt on insurance fraud charges related to his physical therapy business.

Authorities were first alerted to the family's disappearance just after Christmas 2019 when family members requested a wellness check at the Florida home. Todt, a physical therapist, worked in Connecticut and spent weekends in Florida with his family.

A 911 call heard in court Monday that one of Todt's sisters stating that Todt believed the world was ending in late December 2019, so deputies should check on the family.

When deputies went to the Celebration house to arrest Todt on insurance fraud charges related to his business, they discovered the horrific scene.

'The bodies were discolored, black and blue,' Special Agent Michael Phelps testified in court on Monday.

Todt drugged his wife and children with Benadryl (pictured) before stabbing them to death several times and leaving them to rot in their Celebration home for two weeks

The bed where police found the decomposing bodies of Megan Todt and her daughter, Zoe

The victims, who were found wrapped in blankets, were killed by 'unspecified violence' combined with overdoses of Benadryl, the Orange-Osceola County Medical Examiner's Office concluded. All had sustained stab wounds except for the 4-year-old.

Emily Seda, a forensics supervisor at the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, testified on Monday that a cherry-flavored liquid Benadryl bottle was found in a trash can. The bottle had Todt's fingerprints on it, she said. Boxes and and bottles of Benadryl were also found in the house prosecutors said.

Special Agent Phelps told the court Monday that Todt was mumbling as authorities searched the house, and told police he consumed the Benadryl in an attempt to die by suicide.

During the search, 'Anthony could barely stand and appeared to be shaking,' according to an arrest affidavit.

The victims' decomposing bodies were found inside their Celebration, Florida, home two weeks after they were fatally stabbed to death

The victims were drugged with Benadryl, suffocated, stabbed and left to rot for two weeks inside their Celebration, Florida home, a town near Disney World

Special Agent Phelps told the court Monday that Todt was mumbling as authorities searched the house, and told police he consumed the Benadryl in an attempt to die by suicide

In three police interviews following the murders, Todt confessed to killing his family, which prosecutors reviewed in court on Monday.

Pinnell told jurors how Todt described to investigators that he killed Zoe first while she was sleeping, stating that he 'rolled over on top of her until she suffocated.'

Pinnell said that Todt then told investigators that he killed his two sons by suffocating them and stabbing them.

'He was afraid that if something didn't go the way that he wanted Tyler Todt would escape,' Pinnell told jurors.

Pinnell went on to say that Todt told investigators that his wife then stabbed herself twiceand when that didn't work, he suffocated her with a pillow. Lastly, Todt allegedly claimed he suffocated the family dog.

Six months after confessing to the murders, Todt claimed his wife was responsible for for the grisly crime, telling his father in a jail letter that she is the one who drugged their children with a 'tainted Benadryl pudding pie.'

Todt's defense team deferred their opening statements on Monday. The trial continues.
Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska has revealed the last time she was able to see her husband in person while opening up about how Ukrainian women are dealing with the war in their country.

On the day of the invasion, the First Lady remembers being woken up between 4-5am by a loud noise, which she later learned was an explosion.

It was the last time she saw her husband in a suit, she said. After then, it was all military.

'It started,' was all Zelensky said, according to an interview with Vogue.

Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska opened up about the plight of Ukrainian women suffering under Russian occupation. She revealed she has only been able to speak with her husband over the phone since the first few days of the war.

The president's office soon became a military facility in the opening days of the war, separating president Zelensky from his family.

Since that day, they have spoken only by phone.

Asked what she said to her nine-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter, the First Lady explained: 'There is no need to explain anything to children. They see everything, as does every child in Ukraine. Surely, this is not something that children should see  but children are very honest and sincere. You cant hide anything from them.'

She spoke of the patriotism embedding itself within Ukrainian youths because of the war, who she said would grow up to be patriots and defenders of their homeland.

When it comes to children, the best strategy is the truth, she added.

Ukraine's president Zelensky has been separated from his wife since the opening days of the war. She said the opening missile strikes was the last time she saw him wear a suit. Now, Zelensky has since swapped his formal wear for military gear, which he is rarely pictured without.

The First Lady said Vladimir Putin had set out to divide the people of her country, but that such a task was impossible with Ukrainians.

'When one of us is tortured, raped, or killed, we feel that we all are being tortured, raped, or killed,' said the Ukraine's First Lady. 'We do not need propaganda to feel civic consciousness, and to resist.

'It is this personal anger and pain, which we all feel, that instantly activates the thirst to act, to resist aggression, to defend our freedom.'

She described how Ukraine had become a country of volunteers: with artists, restaurateurs and hairdressers all working together to help their brothers in arms.

Thousands of women have had to give birth in bomb shelters, like the one in Mariupol, because of the conditions they are living under.

Many women have risked their lives while fleeing occupied cities on foot, taking their children without the help of their husbands, brothers and fathers - who all had to stay and fight the invaders.

As the cities become de-occupied, the world is realising what those women were fleeing, she said. Bucha, and other villages around Kyiv, have been liberated after Russian forces retreated, revealing mass graves of slaughtered civilians.

Russia previously ignored humanitarian corridors and bombed civilians fleeing occupied cities, many of them women and children.

Some four million Ukrainian women and children have migrated to other countries, starting their lives all over again far away from home.

She said she was infinitely grateful for the countries which had taken in Ukrainians fleeing the war with Russia, but added her voice to the call for the enforcement of a no-fly zone - with the hope of preventing Russian rocket attacks on civilian areas.

The First Lady launched a Telegram channel inviting Ukrainians to share their war experiences, using the messages as a way of documenting the history of their country so that their personal stories can be remembered.

A woman reads a book as residents find shelter from shelling in a metro station, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, April 11, 2022

Officials exhume the bodies of civilians who died during the Russian attacks, from mass graves in Bucha, Ukraine on April 11

A family mourns a relative killed during the war with Russia, as dozens of black bags containing more bodies of victims are seen strewn across the graveyard in the cemetery in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv
The family of the Miami man stabbed to death by his OnlyFans star girlfriend say they do not believe her claim that she was acting in self-defense when she stabbed him in the shoulder, and are demanding that she be charged with his murder.

Christian Obumseli, 27, was stabbed to death by his girlfriend Courtney Clenney, 25, on Sunday April 3rd. She called 911 after stabbing him in the shoulder at the One Paraiso Building - a luxury skyscraper in Edgewater, Miami.

Clenney, who also goes by Courtney Tailor, told police she was acting in self-defense and that she though Obumseli was going to hurt her.

She was taken into custody under Florida's Baker Act, which protects people at risk of suicide or mental health crisis, but is now free again and over the weekend, she was seen attempting to have a drink in a bar with her father before being confronted by a stranger.

Obumseli's family from Austin, Texas, is demanding answers. They do not believe she was acting in self-defense, and are at a loss over why she has not been arrested.

Christian Obumseli's family do not believe that he was threatening to harm his girlfriend, OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney, when she stabbed him in the shoulder on April 3. He later died of his injuries

At a press conference over the weekend, his cousin Karen Egbuna said the family are not buying Clenney's story. 'We have no cause to believe that this was a case of self defense. 'He is one of the youngest in the family, he is loved, he is kind, he is caring, he is soft spoken the idea that this was somehow warranted, is unthinkable,' she said

OnlyFans star Courtney Clenney, who also goes by Courtney Tailor, has not been charged

Courtney is shown on April 3rd, after stabbing Obumseli on the balcony of their home

At a press conference over the weekend, his cousin Karen Egbuna said the family are not buying Clenney's story.

'We have no cause to believe that this was a case of self defense.

'He is one of the youngest in the family, he is loved, he is kind, he is caring, he is soft spoken the idea that this was somehow warranted, is unthinkable,' she said.

We have no cause to believe that this was a case of self defense. He is one of the youngest in the family, he is loved, he is kind, he is caring, he is soft spoken the idea that this was somehow warranted, is unthinkable Karen Egbuna, Obumseli's cousin

She added that he comes from a 'good, strong' family and has never been prone to violence.

The Miami Police Department is refusing to comment on why Clenney has not been charged.

A spokesman on Monday would only say that the investigation is ongoing.

Obumseli's family is also raising money for him via GoFundMe.

On their page, they say he was the victim of a 'heinous act of violence.'

'Christian Toby Obumseli was murdered in Florida a week before his 28th birthday. It is unconscionable to make sense of our new reality.

'That someones selfish act ripped Christian away from this world. It is not enough to say we are shocked and hurting--We are utterly devastated.

On Friday, Clenney was spotted at a Miami hotel bar trying to have a drink with her father. She has not been charged

Clenney and her father were chased out of the bar by the woman who said she had 'just killed her boyfriend'. Her attorney says they were trying to pick up a drink and go to the beach

The couple's friends have given conflicting reports on who was abusive. Some said that they never saw Obumseli becoming violent with Courtney, but that they had seen her 'hit' him before

The young couple had recently moved together from Austin, where they met, to Miami

Obumseli's family has raised more than $72,000 on a GoFundMe page to help pay for his funeral and to bring his body home to Texas

'His murder leaves many unanswered questions and creates a void that can never be fixed or filled. Not even with time.

'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,' it reads.

The family is asking for donations to help them pay for transporting his body back to Texas and for funeral arrangements.

Clenney's attorney has claimed that she was the victim of 'emotional abuse and human trafficking'

Clenney was spotted at the lobby bar of the Grand Beach Hotel on Friday, trying to have a drink with her father.

An unidentified woman recognized her and chased her out, filming their altercation on her phone.

Her attorney, Frank Preito, has insisted that she was the victim of domestic abuse and that she might have been trafficked.

He has not clarified if he meant she was trafficked by Obumseli, or someone else.

He defended her outing with her father, telling FOX: 'Courtney was seated at a table in the hotel lobby area where there is also a bar. Courtneys father was standing there trying to order a drink to take outside so they could be in private on the beach.'

'Courtney is a victim of physical, emotional and mental abuse at the hands of Mr. Obumseli,' and said that the firm is 'also investigating whether Courtney was the victim of human trafficking.'

'Mr. Obumseli was in the act of committing a forcible felony that tragic evening last Sunday. He had previously gained access to Courtney's apartment without permission on several occasions in the days leading up to that night,' he said.

'Courtney acted in self-defense; the investigation by both the City of Miami Police Department and the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office will conclude such.'

The couple's friends have given conflicting reports on who was abusive.

Some said that they never saw Obumseli becoming violent with Courtney, but that they had seen her 'hit' him before.

After his death, fresh, X-rated content appeared on her OnlyFans page.

It's unclear if she had pre-planned it to go live before stabbing him.
Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has called upon all those who did not vote for Emmanuel Macron to join with her in the upcoming runoff vote to help her take the presidency.

'Those who did not vote for Macron are destined to join me, I count on all French voters,' said Marine Le Pen, according to Le Parisien.

'We are very close, I can win this presidential election,' she said.

Le Pen is set to face off against sitting French president Macron on 24 April 2022 after Sunday's result saw her win 23.1% of the vote, shortly behind Macron's 27.8%.

The next two weeks promise a rematch of the 2017 election, which saw Macron win the runoff race.

Rassemblement National (RN) presidential candidate Marine Le Pen is set for a rematch against French president Emmanuel Macron on April 24 with only a handful of percentage points between them

Le Pen has been softening her image in the years since 2017, attempting to persuade voters she is no longer the 'big bad wolf of politics'. Her message has been aimed at disenfranchised workers more likely to be affected by the cost of living crisis, a problem which has grown in the years since Macron was elected in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic

Marine Le Pen narrowly nudged ahead of Jean-Luc Melenchon in the first round of voting

Marcon, head of the La Republique en Marche party, has also been reaching out to disenfranchised workers, pictured here on a construction site during a one-day campaign visit in Hauts-de-France region

The blue-collar battleground: Macron will start his campaign for the second round visiting former mining heartlands in Le Pen's industrial heartlands of northern France

Throughout the campaign, Le Pen has been visiting markets in towns and villages to meet with working class voters where the gilets jaunes protests were sparked, pushing the narrative that Macron has divided France and she is the one to unite it.

While many of the losing candidates told their supporters not to back Le Pen in the second round, including far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, her populist message focusing on the cost of living crisis is resonating across the political spectrum.

She said she is no longer the 'big, bad wolf' of politics, and has been positioning herself as a unifying and benign figure, posing for selfies with a teenager in a headscarf and sharing photos of her pet Bengal cats.

An Ifop survey in March showed that fewer than half of all French now found her 'scary'.

Marine Le Pen was all smiles today after securing the second most votes in the first round of the French election (sitting beside party chairman Jordan Bardella)

Emmanuel Macron arrived in Hauts-de-France in the north of the country to continue his election campaign today

In her speech on Sunday, she painted herself as a unifying figure, who would heal France's 'fractures' and halt the 'chaos' supposedly brought about by Macron, a former banker who she said embodied the 'power of money' and worked for the few.

It is a far cry from her fiery performances in the last two elections in which she made a number of high-profile blunders, learning from her mistakes to play down her relationship with Vladimir Putin and fiercely condemning his invasion of Ukraine.

Last week, pollster Brice Teinturier from Ipsos found that more people would expect an improvement in their own situation and the country's if Le Pen were elected instead of Macron.

The pair are equally as trusted on the cost of living crisis, and 19 per cent would vote deliberately to stop Macron in a second round, compared to 18 per cent for Le Pen, showing the dissatisfaction with the current president.

Macron will start his campaign for the second round visiting former mining heartlands in Le Pen's industrial heartlands of northern France in an early indication of how the blue-collar workforce will be a major election battleground.

With 12 candidates in the first round whittled down to two, now they must seek to appeal to the circa 50 per cent of voters who had other first-choice preferences.

In past elections at national, regional and municipal levels, left- and right-wing voters have historically united to block the far right from power, a phenomenon known as a 'republicain front'.

While all mainstream candidates, including those of the conservative Les Republicains and Socialist party, endorsed Macron for the runoff on Sunday night, it is not clear their voters will follow.

Moreover, their low single-digit scores were so pitiful that their support may carry little weight.

Analysts say the left-wing vote could likely be split, with a third going to Macron, a third going to Le Pen and a third abstaining.

The Le Pen-Macron head-to-head is a repeat of the 2017 presidential election, when the first-round results were 24.01 per cent for Macron, and 21.03 per cent for Le Pen.

Macron then went on to beat Le Pen with a resounding 66 per cent in the second round.

But experts say this election will be very different with voters disillusioned after five years of the centrist president's globalist and pro-European policies, with Le Pen seeking to unite voters with her anti-Macron message.

Le Pen poses for a selfie with supporters during a campaign rally in Perpignan last week

The National Rally leader has softened her image in this election, sharing photos of her pet cats with supporters

'Either from the right or left, the real debate now will be between globalism on one side and difference of national identity on the other side.'

Marine took over as leader of the Front National in 2011 from her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, and she has since been trying to 'de-demonise' the party which its critics have accused of being racist and associated with Holocaust denial.

It has since been rebranded as National Rally and in 2015 Marine threw Jean-Marie out of the party he co-founded in the 1970s for repeating his view that the Holocaust was a mere 'detail' of World War II.

Marine Le Pen Cost of living: Lower VAT on fuel and energy from 20% to 5.5%. Income tax for under-30s scrapped as well as the TV licence fee, while highways would be renationalised Immigration: Ban the Muslim headscarf from public spaces, hold a referendum on immigration to prioritise native French people for jobs, housing and healthcare Europe: Dropped previous promises to leave the EU and euro, but wants to cut EU budget contributions. Wants French law to take primacy over EU law Pensions: Drop the pension age to 60 for those who started work before the age of 20 Foreign policy: Condemned Russia but wants to maintain an alliance on 'certain substantive issues'. Pull out of NATO's integrated command structure Advertisement

Emmanuel Macron Cost of living: Remove all tax on inheritance valued less than 150,000, abolish TV licence fee Immigration: Reform the asylum system to make it more efficient, long-stay permit is only given to people who pass a French language exam and are professionally successful Europe: Strengthen the EU and its armies, increase the continent's energy autonomy, fill the gap left by Angela Merkel as de facto EU leader Pensions: Raise the pension age from 62 to 65 to keep the pension system afloat. Minimum pensions would be raised to 1,100 a month Foreign policy: Took a leading role in negotiations with Vladimir Putin Advertisement

But in a rare show of support, Jean-Marie congratulated his daughter last night on a 'remarkable campaign' as he predicted her election victory.

This election, her campaign has been quietly professional without major gaffes, and she has appeared more presidential than her far-right challenger, the controversial commentator Eric Zemmour, who received seven per cent of the vote.

But she did suffer a blow in January when her niece Marion Marechal, considered a likely successor as party leader, publicly backed Zemmour.

Marine's emotional response on TV in which she described raising Marion as a baby saw her poll numbers rise while Zemmour's fell.

Macron, a former finance minister, will likely target Le Pen's economic programme after she vowed to lower the retirement age to 60, scrap income tax for the under-30s and reduce VAT on energy from 20 per cent to 5.5 per cent.

Marine took over as leader of the Front National in 2011 from her father Jean-Marie Le Pen (pictured together)

The current president has been vocally pro-EU despite a growing anti-European sentiment in France, hammering Britain over Brexit and playing hardball over fishing rights.

While Le Pen has dropped previous promises to leave the EU and the euro, she still wants to cut French budget contributions to the bloc and pursue a more isolationist European policy, that has endeared her to many voters.

Le Pen won 33 per cent of the votes in the northern industrial Hauts-de-France region.

Left-wing candidates won a combined 27-28 per cent of the vote in the area. How the left's votes are redistributed nationally will be a key factor in the second-round vote's outcome.

But it has been her focus on the cost-of-living issues troubling millions that has helped her tap into a widespread discontent towards rulers as she has toured towns and villages across France.

She said voters were making a choice between two opposite visions of France: 'one of division, injustice and disorder imposed by Emmanuel Macron for the benefit of a few, the other a rallying together of French people around social justice and protection.'

Today, defeated candidates, including Valerie Pecresse of the conservative Republicans, and Anne Hidalgo, of the Socialists, immediately told their voters to back Mr Macron.

It is common for the French to unite in a so-called 'Republican Front' when an extremist candidate reaches the second round.

Left-wing candidate Melenchon came close to pipping Le Pen on Sunday, with 22.2 per cent of the vote  just 1.2 per cent behind Le Pen.

Melenchon has also told his supporters to vote against Ms Le Pen in the next round.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tore into Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill during her Monday news briefing, accusing them of acting in bad faith when attacking the Biden administration for the crisis at the southwest border.

It comes as some Democrats in Congress have begun to break from the party line and join virtually every Republican in opposition to President Joe Biden allowing a pandemic-era expulsion policy, Title 42, to expire on May 23.

During her press briefing, Psaki acknowledged the immigration system was 'broken' months after Biden's first year in office saw at least 1.78 million border encounters between Customs and Border Patrol agents and migrants.

But she said Republicans in Congress were attempting to 'politicize' it and exploit the crisis rather than work to find meaningful solutions.

Various polls have consistently shown Americans are mostly dissatisfied with how Biden handles immigration. It has been a pillar of Republicans' bid to retake the Congressional majority in November's midterm elections.

'It has been a longstanding open invitation -- any Republican who wants to work with us on immigration reform, you're invited,' Psaki told Fox reporter Jacqui Heinrich on Monday.

'Let's have a conversation. We have not seen an expression of that interest across the board.'

The Biden official didn't answer when asked whether the White House was embracing a strategy of waiting for Republicans to ask for a seat at the table rather than extend and invitation to them.

Within the Biden administration, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, there 'has been a longstanding open invitation -- any Republican who wants to work with us on immigration reform, you're invited'

'We'd have conversations with Democrats and Republicans all the time, Jackie, but I think it's clear what we're seeing from Republicans is an effort to politicize this and not fix what we all recognize is an outdated and broken system,' Psaki said.

Title 42 was enacted under Donald Trump and allows border agents to turn asylum-seekers away regardless of their status in the name of mitigating COVID-19's spread.

Immigrant advocacy groups have said the policy is 'inhumane' and does little to impact the spread of COVID-19. They've been urging Biden to lift it for much of his presidency, reminding him of his campaign promise to roll back Trump's harsh immigration policies.

Meanwhile Republicans like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have blasted the White House for its decision to allow Title 42 to expire on May 23

The White House has on multiple occasions tried to deflect that criticism by deferring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and pointing out it was technically a 'public health policy' and not an immigration rule.

But the CDC, responsible for the policy, said that it was 'no longer necessary to protect the public health' in its announcement lifting the order on April 1. Prior to then the Biden administration had fought in court to keep it in place.

Democrats' refusal to consider an amendment keeping Biden from lifting Title 42 sunk an entire $10 billion COVID pandemic aid package after weeks of bipartisan negotiations. Every Republican in the Senate voted to block the legislation.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blasted the White House moving to lift the policy as an 'outrageous decision.'

He warned on Fox News Sunday that it 'will produce a gusher far beyond the open border we already have, produce a gusher of additional people coming in.'

'Totally inconsistent, by the way, with them asking us for $10 billion for vaccines and therapeutics,' McConnell added, harkening back to the aid package.

Three GOP-led states -- Arizona, Louisiana and Mississippi -- are suing to block the White House from letting Title 42 expire.

But senators on both sides of the aisle are attempting to cobble out legislation that would pump the breaks on Biden's decision to roll it back next month, before they believe the Department of Homeland Security would be ready to handle an expected surge in migrants at the southern border.

In addition to migrants traveling from Central and South America, Ukrainians fleeing Russia's attack on their homeland have also come to the southwest border hoping to get into the United States (pictured: Refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine await processing of their applications at the Unidad Deportiva Benito Juarez along the border with the United States in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico on on April 9)

The Department of Homeland Security said last month, before the CDC announcement, that it was preparing for an influx of as many as 18,000 migrants per day once the order was lifted (pictured: Vehicles wait to enter the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) San Ysidro Port of Entry along the US-Mexico border in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico on April 9, 2022)

Democratic Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema warned the federal government was not prepared 'in a way that is both safe for our border communities and respects the humanitarian crisis that is coming,' according to Axios.

Last last month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told reporters it was bracing for a scenario where as many as 18,000 migrants are encountered at the border per day, once Title 42 was lifted.

Psaki was asked about White House's plan if that many people try to cross the border each day by Fox's Peter Doocy at a press briefing late last week.

'I don't know where you're basing your specific numbers on, Peter, but what I would tell you --' she began before Doocy cut her off by reading a report on the DHS statement.

Pointing out the language of the projection, Psaki said, 'Well, "up to," and we'll see what happens.'

Since Biden took office in January 2021, CBP has encountered more than 2.2 million migrants and the border  and that number could as much as triple with the end of Title 42 next month

Trump blasted Biden's decision in a campaign-style Save America rally in Selma, North Carolina over the weekend.

'With last weeks announcement that the Biden administration will rescind the crucial Title 42 protections I put into place to quickly remove illegal aliens ... Biden is willfully opening the floodgates to a tidal wave of illegal immigration the likes of which the world has never seen before,' the former president said.

On Sunday, Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar became the eleventh Democrat in Congress to break from the White House and sign onto the bill fighting to keep Title 42 in place.

'We all believe in immigration reform, but we don't want chaos at the border. We want law and order at the border,' Cuellar told Fox News.

Bills keeping Title 42 in place have the backing of six Democrats in the House and five in the Senate.

Cuellar said his party was 'going to be hit hard by the Republicans' if its members do not 'stand up and do the right thing.'
Sailors on board one of the three Chinese fishing vessels escorted in the Gulf of Aden by guided-missile frigate Yueyang (Hull 575) attached to the 40th Chinese naval escort taskforce unfurl China's national flag when the escort voyage terminates in western waters of the Gulf of Aden on April 4, 2022. (Photo by Hu Weinan)

BEIJING, April 11 -- At 5 p.m. on April 4, local time, three Chinese fishing vessels arrived at the terminal of their escorted journey in the west of the Gulf of Aden under the escort of the guided-missile frigate Yueyang (Hull 575) attached to the 40th Chinese naval escort taskforce. This merchant ship escort mission lasted more than 56 hours with a voyage exceeding 590 nautical miles. So far the Chinese naval escort taskforces have provided escort for 1482 batches of Chinese and foreign ships in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia since the mission started in 2008.

The three fishing vessels being escorted this time are small in tonnage and low in freeboard. During the escort, vigilance methods including helicopter air patrol and photoelectric radar monitoring were used to ensure the safety of the escorted vessels.

Sun Lin, leader of the Chinese fishing vessels, expressed his gratitude through radio: "We feel safe and relieved to be escorted by the Chinese warships, and we are proud of our motherland."

Guided-missile frigate Yueyang (Hull 575) attached to the 40th Chinese naval escort taskforce escorts Chinese fishing vessels in the Gulf of Aden. (Photo by Liu Youquan)

Guided-missile frigate Yueyang (Hull 575) attached to the 40th Chinese naval escort taskforce escorts Chinese fishing vessels in the Gulf of Aden. The photo shows a ship-borne helicopter from the frigate Yueyang patrols over the surrounding waters. (Photo by Hu Weinan)

Guided-missile frigate Yueyang (Hull 575) attached to the 40th Chinese naval escort taskforce escorts Chinese fishing vessels in the Gulf of Aden. The photo shows one of the escorted vessels. (Photo by Song Kangfei)
Have you ever heard of police officers pulling over a self-driving vehicle?

A video of officers from the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) pulling over a General Motors (GM) Cruise Chevrolet Bolt seemingly due to the self-driving vehicle not having its headlights on at nighttime recently went viral, Per The Verge.

Although authorities were left confused by the event, no citation was issued.

Cruise Chevy Bolt Pull Over Details

According to The Verge's report, the video shows an SFPD officer pulling over a GM Cruise Chevrolet Bolt and trying to open the self-driving vehicle's door. After some unsuccessful attempts to open the car's door, the officer heads back to their cruiser.

It was at this point that the self-driving Cruise vehicle began to drive away in what seemed to be the perfect start to a police chase. Instead of actually running away, it pulled over and turned on its hazard lights farther down the road, right after crossing an intersection.

The officer then drove up behind the vehicle like before and hovered around it along with an accompanying officer seated in the cruiser's passenger seats. The officers were presumed to be trying to figure out how to turn its headlights back on. One of them can be seen being in contact with someone over the phone while trying to figure out how to turn on the car's headlights.

Read More: Nissan is Planning to Release Its First Solid-State Battery EV  When Will It Happen?

Another SFPD officer came to the scene, but like the first two officers, they seemed to be just as confused.

The video was previously recorded by Instagram user b.rad916 on April 2 but only began to circulate and go viral after 9to5 Mac Publisher Seth Weintraub shared it on his personal Twitter account on April 9, per Engadget.

Cruise's Response On The Pull Over

Cruise spokesperson Aaron Mclear, in a reply to The Verge's inquiry regarding the incident, said the vehicle in the video drove farther down the road to find a safer location to pull over in, which is something that wouldn't go down so smoothly if a person, not an AI, was driving the vehicle.

Mclear also added that SFPD officers did not pull the vehicle over for not having its headlights on and that Cruise has since fixed the issue.

A post from Cruise's official Twitter page addressing the incident mentioned that an SFPD officer contacted the company's personnel and that no citation was issued.

"We work closely with the SFPD on how to interact without vehicles, including a dedicated phone number for them to call in situations like this," Cruise's tweet said.

Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, previously opened its driverless cars to the public on February 1, 2022, per company CEO Kyle Vogt's blog post on Cruise's official website. However, the company uses these cars as a shuttle service for its San Francisco-based employees since 2017, according to a separate report from The Verge.

The Chevy-Bolt-turned-Cruise vehicle could have been a traffic hazard as it was driving around the city without its headlights on at night, which is a concerning issue if Cruise doesn't fix it. Cruise vehicles are only allowed to drive on the streets from 10 PM to 6 AM, which is a period that makes having functional headlights a necessity.

Related Article: GM Cadillac Unleashes Super Cruise To Take Down Tesla's Autopilot
Bristol university students barricaded the door to an event in a desperate bid to 'cancel' controversial speaker Yaron Brook who backed the Muslim immigration ban in Europe and the US.

The 60-year-old Ayn Rand Institute chairman was invited to the university by the Liberty Society to talk about the causes of war in relation to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

But no sooner had the event started, the door was barricaded by protestors who played loud music through speakers, banged on doors and chanted - which caused it to be cut short slightly.

The protesters have since accused Mr Brook of having 'hateful' and 'sinister' politics due to his views on US imperialism, Islam and Palestine. Brook has previously advocated for a ban on Muslims immigrating into the USA and Europe on the basis that the western world is 'at war with radical Islam'.

He also supports Israel in its conflict with Palestine, which lead to the deaths of 5,600 Palestinians and 250 Israelis between 2008 and 2020, according to data published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

This is not the first time that a speaker at the university has been targeted by activists. The university is currently being sued by Raquel Rosario Sanchez over claims that the institution failed to protect her from harassment and bullying.

It is alleged she was targeted over her involvement with campaign group Woman's Place UK after trans rights activists protested against a talk she was holding and labelled her a 'terf' (trans-exclusionary radical feminist).

Bristol university students barricaded the door to an event in a desperate bid to 'cancel' controversial speaker Yaron Brook (Pictured) who backed the Muslim immigration ban in the US and Europe

Student Action Bristol, which organised the protest against Mr Brook, declined to be interviewed, but in the aftermath of the event they claimed they had 'no choice' but to block him from speaking.

In a statement posted on social media, they wrote: 'Yaron Brook represents a sinister politics, one which harms the most vulnerable students in our university.

'He wears a suit and speaks the language of power - but his ideas are no different to those of Tommy Robinson or Nick Griffin. Should he or his kind attempt to speak at the university again, we will be back and in greater numbers.'

But Mr Brook told Bristol Live that he does not agree with the attempt to 'silence' him, and says the students should have tried to engage him in a debate instead.

He said: 'I completely accept the fact that people have a right to protest, they don't like what I have to say.

'They don't like me, they don't like something I've said in the past, that's fine. What I don't think is acceptable, and what I don't think the university should allow, is the disruption of an event.

'Students have put a lot of time and effort into organising an event, I came out from London to do the event. To disrupt it, to attempt to stop an event from happening and to attempt to silence a speaker should be unacceptable and there should be ways to deal with it by security and police.

'We invited them in to ask questions but they didn't want to come in under those terms. Their whole goal was to silence me and I think that's unacceptable.'

Mr Brook also denied having 'hateful' views on Israel or on Islam, and said that the claims that the protesters have made about him are 'ridiculous'.

He said: 'Is it out of the mainstream to be pro-Israeli? I guess it is in UK universities, but that's a little nuts and a little crazy. I'm pro-Israel and I think the Palestinians have been betrayed by their leadership, and have gone down a path that is not in their interest.

'I think it's sad what's happening in Israel and among the Palestinians and I think Israel is in the right in the conflict. I don't think my views on Islam are that out of the mainstream and I don't think my views on Islam are that radical.

'I'm not particularly fond of any religion, I'm hugely critical of Christianity and Judaism and Islam. And in the context of 9/11, I've said things about jihadism or totalitarian Islam that are pretty harsh, but they deserve it given their terrorist activities.

'But Islam? My views on Islam qua religion? They don't know what my views on Islam qua religion is.'

The 60-year-old Ayn Rand Institute chairman was invited to the university by the Liberty Society to talk about the causes of war in relation to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. But no sooner had the event started, the door was barricaded by protestors, who played loud music through speakers, banged on doors and chanted - which caused it to be cut short. Pictured: Bristol University

And he added: 'The fact is, my views are not mainstream, but if we only accept mainstream views I think we'll be doing a huge disservice to the culture in which we live, and I think particularly the universities where were supposed to be challenged, we're supposed to be thinking a bit outside of the box.'

Following the event, Mr Brook wrote on Twitter: 'Tonight a group of Leftist students tries to Cancel me at Bristol University in the UK. In spite of their threats and the obnoxious noise they created my talk on the Roots of War proceeded as planned. I will not let thugs intimidate me into silence.'

Some other students at the university have criticised the activists' decision to try and 'cancel' the event. Eshaan Badesha, who is the treasurer of the university's Labour Club society, says that he 'despises' Mr Brook's views but did not agree with the protest.

The 20-year-old said that, while he might have supported direct action if Mr Brook had been invited to speak publicly, such as at a rally, he does not support trying to shut down debate at a private event.

He said: 'If the SU thought it was acceptable to have then we don't think we should allow students not to have their right to have that speaker talk. The difference would have been if he was there to give off the views that he has before on things like American foreign policy, Islamic extremism.

'But in this sense he was there as a libertarian promoting his philosophy and promoting his view on the Ukraine crisis, and I feel like that was perhaps a step too far, to try and no-platform him. The issue we have as well is, the people attending that event might not necessarily know that much about him, and they might have gone in good faith to learn more about his views.

Student Action Bristol, which organised the protest against Mr Brook, declined to be interviewed, but in the aftermath of the event they claimed they had 'no choice' but to block him from speaking (file image)

'When they see people on the so-called left perhaps trying to shut down the views of someone like that, it's only going to consolidate the views they already hold. Ideally our politics, as members of the Labour Club, our views are that we're trying to bring people on a journey and tell them, 'this is what we stand for'.

'When you go to places where there's a private event, and a small group of people tells them, 'we're going to no-platform your speaker' and they intimidate those members who aren't as aware, are you actually benefiting your cause there? Because now all the news is going to be not about Yaron Brook and his awful views, it's going to be about a bunch of students causing security problems, and it doesn't actually help the cause that you're fighting for either.'

And, following the event, the Liberty Society wrote a lengthy statement on its Facebook page condemning the actions of the students. It said: 'The UoB Liberty Society aims to provide an environment which facilitates the free exchange of ideas, and hosting external speakers is one way of doing so.

'The society does not necessarily endorse the views of our speakers and we encourage debate and discussion between students. We are saddened to write this statement but do so as attempted censorship on campus is no longer looming in the shadows but is vividly on display in one of the most prestigious universities in the world.'

A spokesperson for Bristol SU said: 'As a charity we are bound to uphold the law and allow freedom of expression, even where our views may differ from the speakers invited.'

A University of Bristol spokesperson said: 'We are aware that a protest took place at an event last week held by the Liberty Society. The University adheres to the principles of free speech and all views, including those that can be difficult to hear for some, should be able to be expressed and heard with tolerance and mutual respect.

'The University respects the right to protest, however we recognise that we also have a duty to ensure this is carried out in a safe manner which doesn't endanger others. Our Security Team were in attendance to ensure that the event was conducted safely. They identified that around 12 protestors were sitting in front of a fire exit from the room where the event was taking place and that they had linked arms and wouldn't move.

'This was carefully managed by our Security Team. Due to the health and safety issues associated with such actions the Police were called to attend and the protestors were escorted out of the building after the event.

'We understand that the event went ahead as planned. If any individuals felt personally threatened, or have concerns about any aspect of the event, we would encourage them to report this.'
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Monday said he was 'rather pessimistic' about the chances of diplomacy after being the first European leader to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin since the start of Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine.

Describing Putin as having 'massively entered into a logic of war', Nehammer told reporters: 'If you're asking me whether I am optimistic or pessimistic, I'm rather pessimistic.'

'Peace talks are always very time-intensive while military logic says: "Don't spend too much time and go directly into battle",' he added.

However, he said he spoke to European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after the meeting and said he had impressed on them the 'need for more such meetings' to directly express European outrage at Russia's actions.

While Nehammer said there was 'very little interest on the Russian side in a direct meeting' with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he said the one glimmer of hope was Putin's continued interest in the Istanbul peace talks.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer became the first European leader to meet Vladimir Putin on Monday after planning a closed-door face-to-face with the Russian president

In an earlier statement Nehammer had said his meeting between the two men, which took place at Putin's residence outside Moscow, was not 'a visit of friendship'.

Nehammer described the conversation as 'direct, open and hard'.

The Austrian government had requested the meeting be held behind closed doors with no joint pictures or statements from the two leaders.

'I mentioned the serious war crimes in Bucha and other locations and stressed that all those responsible have to be brought to justice,' Nehammer said.

Russia denies its forces have committed war crimes.

On the topic of sanctions Nehammer said he had 'told President Putin very clearly that the sanctions will remain and be intensified as long as people keep dying in Ukraine'.

Nehammer also told Putin of the 'urgent' need for humanitarian corridors 'to bring water and food into besieged towns and (to) remove women, children and the injured'.

'I will now inform our European partners about the conversation and discuss further steps,' he said.

Nehammer's trip to Moscow followed a visit to Kyiv on Saturday where he held talks with Zelensky.

The first European leader to meet Russian President Putin since he launched the war on Ukraine said previously it will be 'good to tell him' that 'he has lost this war'.

He decided on the trip after meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky in Kyiv on Saturday to 'show solidarity within the framework of Austria's neutrality', a statement from the chancellor's office said.

The visit is not an EU-mandated trip, but the chancellor is said to have informed key EU leaders beforehand.

Austria's foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg said the meeting, which will be one-on-one without media opportunities, is meant to tell the Russian president the truth about the war in Ukraine.

He says the Chancellor is taking 'very clear messages of a humanitarian and political kind' to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Nehammer believed it was necessary to 'leave no stone unturned' in trying to alleviate the brutal conditions faced by Ukrainians and is taking a 'very clear political message', Schallenberg added, and said that Putin is 'doing everything wrong that can be done wrong'.

'It makes a difference to be face to face and tell him what the reality is, that this president has de facto lost the war morally', Schallenberg said upon his arrival for a meeting with EU counterparts in Luxembourg.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer is set to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday following his visit to the war-torn Bucha over the weekend (pictured), as well as having spoken to the leaders of Turkey, Germany and the European Union

'It should be in his own interest that someone tells him the truth. I think it is important and we owe it to ourselves if we want to save human lives.'

Schallenberg said ahead of a meeting with his EU counterparts in Luxembourg that 'we don't want to leave any opportunity unused and must seize every chance to end the humanitarian hell in Ukraine.'

He added that 'every voice that makes clear to President Putin what reality looks like outside the walls of Kremlin is not a wasted voice.'

He insisted that Austria has done everything to ensure that the visit isn't abused, 'and I think he [Putin] himself should have an interest in someone telling him the truth and really finding out what's going on outside.'

Nehammer will also push for 'humanitarian corridors' to evacuate civilians trapped in places such as the besieged city of Mariupol, and for 'international humanitarian organisations to be able to conduct their work, the foreign minister said.

Austria's foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg said the meeting, which will be one-on-one without media opportunities, is meant to tell the Russian president, pictured on April 5, the truth about the war in Ukraine

Austria's top diplomat said he was 'extremely shocked' by the crimes being discovered in Ukraine.

He and other foreign ministers met with the top prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, early Monday. He said he stressed the need to hold all of those responsible to account: 'There cannot be anybody outside or above the law, not even the president.'

Nehammer was also expected to raise alleged war crimes in Bucha and other devastated areas around Kyiv, where Ukrainian authorities say more than 1,200 bodies were found after Russian forces withdrew.

Moscow denies accusations its troops committed war crimes in Ukraine.
A woke Ohio college has continued to refuse to pay a $33 million defamation settlement to a family-run bakery it tried to destroy after falsely accusing it of racism.

Oberlin College was ordered by Ohio's state appeals court to pay Gibson's Bakery the sum on April 1, but continues to contest the payout, and says it is considering its options.

The bakery was wrongly accused of racism after calling the police on three Oberlin black students for shoplifting a bottle of wine in November 2016. Gibson's first won its case against Oberlin in 2019.

One of its workers - Allyn Gibson - was even attacked by the three shoplifters after refusing to hand over a fake ID, and demanding they hand over the stolen wine.

That trio were later convicted - but not before Oberlin went along with its students' union's claim that their arrests had been as a result of racial profiling.

Shockingly, the college's then dean of students, Meredith Raimondo, helped circle the wagons, and even distributed leaflets accusing Gibson's of racial profiling in an attempt to destroy the 137 year-old business.

The arrogant academic even texted another dean to share her desire to unleash another woke mob on an academic who blasted Oberlin's bullying of Gibson's.

She wrote: 'F**k him. Id say unleash the students if I wasnt convinced this needs to be put behind us.'

Despite her disgraceful lies and bullying, the 52 year-old was allowed to stay with the college, and stepped down at the end of 2021 to take up a position at Oglethorpe College in Georgia.

Former Dean of Students and Vice President Meredith Raimondo stoked protests against Gibson's Bakery following the shoplifting incident, even though the claims were found to be totally false. She has since been blamed for much of the behavior that has seen Oberlin ordered to pay $35 million for defamation, with Raimondo since moving to a college in Atlanta

Jonathan Aladin, Endia Lawrence (center) and Cecilia Whettstone (right) were all convicted of shoplifting from Oberlin - but the woke college still accused the family-run business they stole from of racism, and boycotted them

Gibson's Bakery, a town of Oberlin stalwart since 1885, was accused of racism by the Oberlin College after an employee accosted a black shoplifter

A Student Senate resolution condemning the Gibson's was emailed to all students and was posted in a display case at school's student center, where it remained for a year.

Oberlin College officials ordered its campus food provider to stop buying bakery items from Gibson's.

The appeal court's decision is the latest chapter in a years-long battle between the private liberal arts college and the bakery that has been run by the same family in the town of Oberlin since 1885.

Gibson's found itself plunged into a firestorm On November 9th, 2016, the day after Donald Trump was elected president.

The drama began a black Oberlin student, Jonathan Aladin, was caught attempting to steal a bottle of wine from the bakery by a white employee, Allyn Gibson.

Gibson chased Aladin down the street and, according to witness accounts reported by the The New York Times, put the man in a choke-hold before two of the student's friends - Endia Lawrence and Cecelia Whettstone - intervened and a brawl ensued.

The next day Oberlin students held protests outside Gibson's accusing the bakery of racially profiling Aladin.

Aladin, Lawrence and Whettstone, would later plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of attempted theft and aggravated trespass, and themselves said Gibson's actions were not racially motivated.

But Oberlin - led by dean Raimondo and many students - had already decided to punish Gibson's for the imaged transgression.

The protests led to a severe loss in Gibson's Bakery business, including the loss of a vital contract the bakery had held with the school for years.

It had suffered frequent thefts in the run-up to the incident which saw it accused of racism.

Gibson's Bakery sued Oberlin College and one of its administrators -- Meredith Raimondo -- in 2017 for loss of business.

In 2019, Oberlin College was found guilty, due largely to evidence against Raimondo who had distributed fliers during the protests accusing the bakery of a longtime history of racial profiling and offered students up to $100 in compensation for protest supplies.

Allyn Gibson, son of the owner of Gibson's Bakery, got into a brawl with shoplifters upon confronting them

In 2019 Oberlin College was found guilty and ordered to pay Gibson's Bakery $40 million in damages, which was reduced to $25 million and $6 million in legal fees.

The unrepentant college has dragged the case out for so long that two of the plaintiffs died while waiting for the cash.

David Gibson died in November 2019 at age 65. Allyn Gibson, the father of the bakery worker who was attacked, died in February this year. He was 93.

The college and Raimondo appealed that sentence, but it was upheld this month.

After this month's ruling, Oberlin admitted that it is still refusing to pay the cash to the family business it tried to ruin.

And the college issued a mealy-mouthed statement when contacted by DailyMail.com on Monday, saying: 'Oberlin is obviously disappointed that the appeals court affirmed the judgment in its ruling. We are reviewing the Courts opinion carefully as we evaluate our options and determine next steps.

'In the meantime, we recognize that the issues raised by this case have been challenging, not only for the parties involved in the lawsuit, but for the entire Oberlin community.

'We remain committed to strengthening the partnership between the College, the City of Oberlin and its residents, and the downtown business community. We will continue in that important work while remaining focused on our core educational mission.'
Stephen Moore is co-author of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity's Final Report Card on State Responses to Covid-19, which measured and compared how states handled the pandemic, based on three metrics: the economy, education, and mortality from the virus. These results have also been published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

It's been more than two years since the deadly coronavirus pandemic hit the United States, and public health officials are still wrestling with the appropriate responses, as the CDC reports that Covid cases are up 25% over last week.

'This is not going to be eradicated and it's not going to be eliminated,' said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on ABC's 'This Week' on Sunday. 'What's going to happen is that we're going to see that each individual is going to have to make their calculation of the amount of risk that they want to take in.'

We couldn't agree more. Allow individuals and states to make the best decisions for themselves.

America cannot return to lockdown policies  for no other reason than that they hurt people more than they helped. And now, we have the data to prove it.

Our comprehensive Covid Performance Index of the 50 states and Washington DC analyzed the results of government policies across the country to determine what worked and what didnt.

Our bottom-line conclusion: The strictest economic and societal lockdowns did not save lives, but they did have severe consequences.

In 2020, the U.S. economy declined by more than in any year in 75 years.

Tens of millions of jobs were lost in 2020 and even today total employment is about two million below the pre-Covid peak in January 2020.

And our children suffered. Missed school days and poor-quality remote learning have caused significant learning loss for entire generations of students with long-lasting personal and societal costs.

Our comprehensive Covid Performance Index of the 50 states and Washington DC analyzed the results of government policies to determine what worked and what didn't. (Above chart shows study results) The 'Combined Score' in the third column from the left combines the three metrics (economy, education and mortality from virus). The 'Economy rank' is shown in the sixth column from the left. The 'Education rank' is shown is the eight column. The 'Covid mortality rank' is shown in the 10th column.

But strikingly, these negative impacts were not distributed evenly across the country.

The Covid Performance Index makes this clear.

We ranked each state on three metrics: the economy (unemployment and economic output in the state), education (days of schools missed by children), and mortality (Covid death rate adjusted for age).

We assigned letter grades to the states based on their Combined Score performance, based on the three metrics. The full results are published at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

First, there were some geographical trends.

The states on the far West Coast and the Northeastern states tended to have worse outcomes.

The Mountain states and the Southern states tended to have adopted more effective strategies, though there many exceptions.

One outlier is Hawaii  the island state  that was able to most effectively isolate its population by restricting travel to the state and thus keeping infection rates low.

Second, there were trends that reflected the political leanings of the state governments.

Red states fared far better than blue states, although there were exceptions, such as Vermont (a blue state near the very top of the ratings) and Arizona (a red state, which ranked poorly).

But overall the picture is clear: The poorest performing states opted for heavy-handed lockdowns that wreaked havoc on local economies, while still suffering very high death rates from the virus.

Utah, Nebraska, Vermont, Montana, South Dakota and Florida (the state that was often pilloried by the media when the beaches were opened) had the best records of keeping their citizens safe while keeping their schools and businesses open and their workers fully employed.

All those states received an A.

On the opposite side of the scale were New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, California and Illinois.

School children in these low-ranking states also suffered the largest educational losses.

All of those states received an F.

California and Florida may present one of the clearest comparisons.

Florida ranked 22nd among states as measured by Covid deaths per 100,000, when controlled for the age and metabolic health of the population. California ranked 18th in the same measure. Unemployment in Florida averaged 2.1% (ranking 15th in the nation). Joblessness in California averaged 4.8% (ranking 47th in the nation). Florida ranked 2nd in the nation for the most days of in-person learning (with hybrid learning weighted half). California ranked 50th in that measure  nearly dead last.

Neither state was hit by the first wave of Covid-19 cases giving them the ability to plan and adjust their policies.

California choose longer lasting lockdowns, while Florida opted to open their society more quickly.

The health results were about comparable. But when it came to the economy and education the numbers diverge dramatically.

Florida ranked 22nd among states as measured by Covid deaths per 100,000, when controlled for the age and metabolic health of the population.

California ranked 18th in the same measure.

Florida ranked 34th and California 33rd in all cause excess deaths (these are the number of deaths above expected seasonal baseline levels).

That's where the similarities end.

School children in these low-ranking states also suffered the largest educational losses.

We measured employment by looking at the cumulative months of unemployment from April 2020 to December 2021, and adjusted these numbers for the composition of industries in those states.

Unemployment in Florida averaged 2.1% (ranking 15th in the nation).

Joblessness in California averaged 4.8% (ranking 47th in the nation).

Florida's GDP shrank by 1.5% (ranking 14th in the nation).

California contracted by 2% (ranking 21st in the nation).

The decline of half of a percent of GDP in California is about $20 billion in lost output.

And maybe most shockingly, Florida did a far better job keeping children in public schools.

Florida ranked 2nd in the nation for the most days of in-person learning (with hybrid learning weighted half).

California ranked 50th  nearly dead last.

As stated above  studies show that schooling is critical to both individual and societal well-being.

One study found that school closures at the end of the previous 2019-2020 school year are associated with 13.8 million years of life lost.

An National Institute of Health analysis found that life expectancy for high school graduates is 4 to 6 years longer than high school dropouts.

The OECD estimates that learning losses from pandemic era school closures could cause a 3% decline in lifetime earnings, and that a loss of just one third of a year of learning has a long-term economic impact of $14 trillion.

There will certainly be more waves and variants of Covid in the months and years ahead, and other pandemics will arrive in the future.

So, it is critical that we learn the lessons of what interventions worked and which didn't.

Several policy recommendations can be made based on these state-by-state rankings.

First, our results offer further confirmation to the findings of many other academic studies, including the widely-reported Johns Hopkins University study (which found a reduction in death rates of 0.1%) that economic lockdowns had a negligible impact on reducing deaths.

Second, the states with very high death rates  like New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Michigan  had high rates of nursing home deaths.

Stephen Moore is co-author of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity's Final Report Card on State Responses to Covid-19

We suggest that if these states had adopted a 'protect the vulnerable' strategy (which focuses protection on those most at risk to Covid), rather than strict lockdowns and stay at home orders, death rates could have been lower.

Third, lockdowns of businesses, churches, schools, restaurants, and stores had a severe a long-lasting negative impact on the economy of a state  both in terms of high unemployment and lost economic output  relative to its neighbors.

As of March 2022, two years after state lockdowns began, states with the most draconian lockdowns still have persistently higher unemployment and job losses than states with weak or no lockdowns.

Fourth, school closures were correlated with very small reductions in a state's overall death rate.

But shutting down schools to in-class instruction in favor of online learning had severe negative effects on the academic and social progress of kids from the ages of 5-18 with almost no offsetting health benefit to these kids.

Two years ago, when this killer virus appeared, politicians and the public were panicked, and we didn't know what we were dealing with or how to stop the spread.

Now we have hopefully learned policy lessons, but unfortunately, we've had to learn the hard way.

Let's never do that again.

In the future, a 'protect the vulnerable' policy is likely to lead to better health outcomes while keeping businesses open, kids in school, and workers earning paychecks.
A chilling photo has emerged of a male brandishing a knife at Sydney's Royal Easter Show, reportedly just moments before a teen was allegedly stabbed to death during a wild brawl in front of shocked onlookers.

The adult carnival ride section of the Show will be closed on Tuesday after a 17-year-old boy was fatally stabbed in the chest there on Monday night.

Confronting footage captured by shocked witnesses shows two teenagers punching and kicking one another as families watched on.

A photo was circulated online shortly afterwards showing a male at the Show appearing to hold a large knife in his right hand.

'Really, a stabbing at the Easter show! This is just disgraceful at a family event,' one man posted.

A17-year-old boy has tragically died after being fatally stabbed in the chest at the Sydney Royal Easter Show on Monday night (pictured, paramedics at the scene)

Confused show-goers were seen filing out of the Sydney Showground on Monday night as dozens of police officers cordoned off sections of the venue to continue investigations

The 17-year-old boy was rushed to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition, where he later died, despite the efforts of paramedics who arrived on the scene at about 8pm.

A 16-year-old boy who had been stabbed in the leg was taken to the same hospital in Sydney's west, where he remained in a stable condition.

A 15-year-old was arrested nearby a short time later and was taken to Auburn Police Station, where he was questioned.

No charges had been laid as of Tuesday morning.

In mobile photo footage, which was posted to social media, two males can be seen exchanging a series of punches and kicks.

The taller of the pair tried to send his knee into the other's head as he was driven backwards before landing a series of punches in his abdomen.

The smaller of the fighters retaliated by driving his rival backwards into a set of garbage bins before another man came to the assistance of the taller fighter, and also began throwing punches.

Shocked witnesses can be heard on the video screaming in horror.

'When paramedics arrived, one of the patients was in cardiac arrest after having suffered a traumatic chest wound,' NSW Ambulance Inspector Mark Whittaker said.

'Paramedics performed CPR and a number of other critical interventions at the scene before loading the patient for transport to Westmead Hospital, and unfortunately, despite best efforts, he couldn't be resuscitated.'

Police and paramedics were called to the Easter Show just after 8pm on Monday, with riot squad vehicles also pictured at the scene

A 15-year-old boy arrested at the scene was still being question by police on Tuesday morning

Show goers were moved out of the carnival area as officers cordoned off the vicinity and established a crime scene.

The Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales has expressed its shock and sadness over the incident

'The RAS has advised the adult carnival at the Sydney Royal Easter Show will remain closed on Tuesday, 12 April, while police continue investigations following the incident,' a statement read.

'The RAS confirmed all other aspects of the show will remain open on Tuesday.

The RAS does not tolerate or condone any violence or anti-social behaviour and we join with NSW Police and the wider community in condemning this appalling behaviour and unnecessary loss of life.'

Early Tuesday morning, the show organisers took to social media to announce the adult carnival area will be closed on Tuesday.

'Any ticket holders who no longer want to attend the show on Tuesday due to the closure of the adult carnival will be able to use their ticket on any other show day,' the post read

'If ticket holders cannot attend on another day, they cam contact Ticketmaster to request a refund.'

Celebrating its 200th anniversary this year, the Sydney Royal Easter Show is an institution as a family event, dating back to 1823.

The adult carnival section of the Royal Easter Show will be off limits to visitors on Tuesday

Tens of thousands of revellers flock to the showground every year to enjoy the rides and famous showbags that surround the ongoing original purpose of the show - displaying animals and country produce.

However, in recent years the annual event has become the scene of violence.

The fatal stabbing comes after the 2021 Easter Show saw an all-out brawl erupt among terrified families with two people stabbed in the chaos.

An 18-year-old boy was treated for lacerations to his shin while a 17-year-old boy was treated for lacerations to his lower legs, luckily neither injury proving fatal.

The annual show is held for around two weeks over the Easter period and was first held in 1823. Pictured is show-goers enjoying a carnival ride on Monday

Tens of thousands of keen attendees made the most of the hot weather and descended on the Sydney Showground for some family fun

There were also reports of gangs of youths wreaking havoc on the final night of last year's Show.

Dozens of teenagers were filmed by onlookers running away from police in a series of confronting videos uploaded to TikTok.

In another shocking video, a group of at least 20 men were seen brawling on the middle of the promenade inside the showground.

A third video taken by a bystander showed an officer from Auburn Police Area Command pointing his pepper spray at a group of out of control youths.

Despite the hot weather and overall cheer, just hours later the showground would become the back drop of a fatal stabbing

The fatal brawl came just hours after a four-year-old autistic boy was left unrestrained on a popular kids' ride.

Tristan Curtis was on the 'Free Fall' ride on Sunday afternoon when horrified onlookers rushed to alert operators that his restraint had not locked into place.

Photos circulated online show Tristan on the ride with the restraint - which should be locked downward before the ride begins - still open above his head. Other children sitting next to him all had their restraints firmly secured.
Republican Rep. Liz Cheney raised nearly $3 million during the first fundraising quarter of 2022, as she fights off a Trump-backed GOP primary opponent vying for her Wyoming House seat.

Politico Playbook reported Monday morning that Cheney raised an 'eye-popping' $2.94 million in the first three months of the year, bringing her total haul for the cycle to around $10 million, with $6.8 million on hand.

The fundraising numbers were revealed on the heels of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie saying Sunday that Cheney 'wanted' to be removed from her House leadership position to make herself an anti-Trump martyr.

Republican Rep. Liz Cheney raised nearly $3 million during the first fundraising quarter of 2022, as she fights off a Trump-backed GOP primary opponent vying for her Wyoming House seat

'Look, my view has always been Liz Cheney wanted to be kicked out,' Christie, a Republican, said on ABC's This Week. 'Remember, the first time she made the statements she made, she was re-elected to her leadership position. It's only when she continued after that. That looks like somebody who wanted to make a point and wanted to be kicked out.'

'Whatever it is, it wasn't like she was looking to protect her position,' Christie continued. 'And the first time that Republicans inside that caucus had a chance to vote on Liz Cheney, they voted to keep her - overwhelmingly'

In February 2021, Cheney survived a secret vote to remove her from her No. 3 position in the GOP House Conference over her decision to join Democrats and vote in favor of the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump, which was over his role in inciting the January 6 insurrection.

In May, however, Cheney was ousted and replaced by New York Rep. Elise Stefanik.

Playbook reported that Cheney outraised Stefanik with her most recent haul.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Sunday on ABC's This Week that Rep. Liz Cheney 'wanted' to lose her leadership position in the House conference to become an anti-Trump martyr

Stefanik announced Thursday that she had raised around $2 million in 2022's first fundraising quarter.

More recently Cheney was censured by the Republican National Committee when members gathered at a meeting in February in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Cheney, along with Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, were punished by the RNC over their involvement in the January 6 House select committee.

Kinzinger has announced his retirement from Congress after this term.

In September, Trump officially endorsed one of Cheney's Republican rivals: Harriet Hageman.

However, there's a more diehard Trump supporter in the race, Wyoming state Sen. Anthony Bouchard.

Hageman was previously a never-Trump Republican.

Bouchard was always a Trump supporter, however the Casper Star-Tribune reported that the state lawmaker 'had a relationship with and impregnated a 14-year-old girl,' when he was 18.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Harriet Hageman (pictured), but that didn't clear the GOP primary field with state Sen. Anthony Bouchard remaining in the race

He was removed from legislative committees last month over that revelation.

The Wyoming House race could shape up similarly to the 2017 Alabama Senate special election.

In that race, Trump initially backed Sen. Luther Strange, who was appointed to fill Jeff Sessions' Senate seat prior to the special election.

The Trumpier candidate, however, was Judge Roy Moore, who ended up in a run-off race with Strange, which Moore won.

Moore, however, became ensnared in a sex scandal, amid accusations that as a man in his 30s pursued relationships with teenage girls.

That led to a surprise win by Democrat Doug Jones.

Despite pressure from Trump and his allies, Wyoming legislators didn't change the registration rules for the state's August primary, which allows same-day party registration, enabling the daughter of the former vice president to attract Democratic and independent voters.

Cheney also doubled the amount of dollars Hageman brought in during the first quarter, Politico said.

If Hageman and Bouchard split the MAGA primary vote, Cheney would likely be on her way to a fourth term in the heavily red Wyoming.
Average energy bills could rise to as much as 5,000 a year if the war in Ukraine continues to disrupt gas supplies, ministers have been warned.

Ofgem is understood to have privately told ministers that the price cap is likely to rise to at least 2,400 when it is next reviewed in October.

But a Whitehall source said the energy regulator had also warned that the cap could jump to more than double that in the worst-case scenario. The source said the situation was so 'volatile' that an increase to 5,000 could not be ruled out.

Although that is the most extreme prediction, the fact officials expect another substantial hike in the cap in the autumn will horrify families struggling with the most recent increase to 2,000.

Sources said Rishi Sunak would 'inevitably' have to offer more financial help if energy prices rose again significantly

Last October the energy price cap rose to 1,277, before jumping to 1,971 this month as the war in Ukraine and the global recovery from the pandemic sent gas prices soaring

'It is early days  we are only two months into the six-month forecast period  but the initial indications we have had are that the price cap will rise again in October,' the source told the Daily Mail.

'The central projection is for another 20 per cent rise to around 2,400. But because the situation is very volatile the range is very wide  it could be anywhere between 1,500 and 5,000, depending on the extent to which the war affects gas supplies.'

The source said Rishi Sunak would 'inevitably' have to offer more financial help if energy prices rose again significantly. The Chancellor has already agreed a 200 energy 'rebate' to counter the 700 rise in the price cap this month.

However, critics say this is not enough, pointing out that the cash will have to be repaid to the Treasury anyway via a 40 surcharge in bills for each of the next five years. 'If the cap goes up again in the autumn, we will inevitably have to do more,' the source said.

Another jump in energy bills will heighten concern about the impact of surging prices.

Millions of households living in council tax bands A-D will also get a 150 rebate that does not have to be repaid.

The next price cap will be set by Ofgem in August and come into force in October.

At the weekend, money saving expert Martin Lewis warned that Britain could face 'civil unrest' unless ministers stepped in to help households facing a stark choice between heating and eating. In March last year, the energy price cap stood at just 1,042.

Last October it rose to 1,277, before jumping to 1,971 this month as the war in Ukraine and the global recovery from the pandemic sent gas prices soaring.

Boris Johnson last week announced a new energy security strategy designed to bring down prices in the medium term.

But Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng admitted it would have no impact on bills for at least three years because of the time taken to install new power generation.

The next price cap will be set by Ofgem in August and come into force in October.

M&S makes value wow Marks and Spencer has become the latest grocer vowing to keep prices down for shoppers coping with the cost of living. The 138-year-old retailer no longer wants to be seen as only a luxury option, expanding its choice of supermarket-style goods. It launched a 'Remarksable' value range in 2019 and has since ploughed in 100million to offer low prices on products such as minced beef, milk and bananas. And yesterday, it slashed prices across the value range. In a letter to customers, incoming chief executive Stuart Machin promised to maintain the brand's high quality products while offering 'a great everyday price'. Outlining new lower prices for Remarksable products including milk, bread, beef and spaghetti, he said M&S was 'investing in the value of everyday items families buy week-in week-out, without compromising the quality'. Advertisement

Ofgem declined to comment on price cap projections, but a source said current forecasts were subject to 'considerable uncertainty'.

Conservative former minister Robert Halfon warned that a doubling of the energy price cap would cause 'mass destitution'.

'It's crushing people  they can't afford it as it is, and we'll just create mass destitution if we don't do something,' he said.

'We're going to have to do a lot more.'

Craig Mackinlay, of the Net Zero Scrutiny Group of Tory MPs, said such a hike would be 'way beyond the reach of most families'.

'I don't know how people will cope  people aren't going to cope very well on 2,000 a year, let alone 5,000.'

He urged the Chancellor to scrap VAT and environmental levies on energy bills.

Tory backbencher Nigel Mills said Mr Sunak would have to step in by the autumn to help struggling families, but cautioned: 'There's no way we can take this pain away from everybody.'

Mr Mills told BBC Radio 4's World at One: 'What I think we do need to make absolutely sure we focus on is that those that have the least  those who are on out-of-work benefits or sick benefits or the state pension  have got enough to pay for the very basic standard of living that we expect them to be able to have.'

Tonight, a government spokesman said: 'We do not recognise these grossly exaggerated figures. Any prediction of the price cap level, which is set by Ofgem and not the Government, is highly speculative.'
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Russia is feared to have unleashed chemical weapons on Mariupol after reports Ukrainians were targeted by a toxic agent dropped from a drone, as Liz Truss vowed to hold Putin to account over the potential attack.

Unverified reports from the besieged southern port city's Azov regiment said a 'poisonous substance of unknown origin' was released on Monday, causing breathing issues, 'respiratory failure' and 'vestibulo-atactic syndrome'.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said her department is working with partners to verify the claims, which pro-Russian separatist forces have denied.

She tweeted: 'Reports that Russian forces may have used chemical agents in an attack on the people of Mariupol. We are working urgently with partners to verify details.

'Any use of such weapons would be a callous escalation in this conflict and we will hold Putin and his regime to account.'

Armed forces minister James Heappey added today: 'There are some things that are beyond the pale, and the use of chemical weapons will get a response and all options are on the table for what that response could be.'

President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted last night that the Russians might deploy chemical weapons, although he fell short of saying they had definitely been used in Mariupol.

The alleged attack came just hours after a pro-Russian general in Donbas appeared to promote the idea of using chemical weapons, telling state media it would 'smoke the Ukrainian moles out of the underground'.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Parliament tweeted to say it has received reports of Russian forces firing 'nitric acid' in the Donetsk region as it warned local residents to wear 'protective face masks soaked in soda solution'. It is not clear if the incidents are linked.

It follows a warning from the Ministry of Defence suggesting that Russia could turn to the use of a deadly phosphorus bombs amid attempts to finally break heroic resistance in Mariupol.

While strictly not considered a chemical weapon, the substance burns fiercely and can cause horrendous injuries, and its use on civilians constitutes a war crime.

Mariupol has seen the most intense fighting since the Kremlin launched its attack on Ukraine and has suffered more than 10,000 civilian deaths to date, according to its mayor Vadym Boychenko.

He also warned the toll could rise beyond 20,000 and claimed Russian forces are bringing mobile cremation equipment into the city to dispose of bodies.

A picture released by the Azov Regiment claiming to show troops destroying Russian tanks and vehicles in Mariupol

A theatre destroyed by Russian shelling in Mariupol on Sunday, a city that has been the focal point of Russian aggression since the outset of the war

Emergency workers remove debris of a building destroyed in the course of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, in the southern port city of Mariupol on Sunday

Russian President Vladimir Putin is understood to be preparing to double or even treble his number of forces in the eastern Donbas region

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured) has pleaded for more Western aid, saying his forces need heavier firepower to resist the coming onslaught and push Russian forces back

An armoured vehicle of pro-Russian troops is seen in the street of Mariupol as a fire rages in the background

Graves of civilians killed during Ukraine-Russia conflict are seen next to apartment buildings in Mariupol on Sunday

Service members of pro-Russian troops pictured driving an armoured vehicle in the besieged city of Mariupol

Russian troops 'hiding bombs in washing machines and car boots' as they retreat from Kyiv Russian troops are understood to have hidden bombs in washing machines and car boots as they retreated following a failed attempt to take the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Interior minister Denys Monastyrsky claimed Russian forces were targeting the homes of government employees, The Times reports. He said: 'Wherever the occupiers stayed overnight, they would set up tripwires  both at the doorstep and by the fences, he told Ukrainian television. 'Our people are now also finding explosives in houses and apartments where Ukrainian police officers, rescuers, and military servicemen live.' It comes after Ukrainian officials discovered more than 1,200 bodies in mass graves in villages in the Kyiv region on Sunday. The UN said 4,232 civilian casualties had been recorded in Ukraine to date, with 1,793 killed and 2,439 injured. And Ukraine's prosecutor Venediktova confirmed 1,222 bodies had been found in the region around Kyiv alone so far. With most of the towns and villages around Kyiv now seized back, discoveries of mass graves and civilian casualties have triggered a wave of international condemnation, in particular over deaths in the town of Bucha, northwest of the capital. Advertisement

The mayor's comments emerged as Russia claimed it destroyed several Ukrainian air-defence systems in what appeared to be a renewed push to gain air superiority and take out weapons described as crucial ahead of what is expected to be a broad new offensive in the east.

Capturing Mariupol, the main eastern port, would allow Moscow to link troops advancing from the east with those from Russian-annexed Crimea in the south and shift their focus to a new attempt to encircle the main Ukrainian force in the east.

Ukrainian marines have already said they are preparing for a 'last battle' to control Mariupol after being surrounded by invading Russian forces.

The 36th marine brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces said on Facebook that anyone whose limbs have not been torn off will be ordered to fight, and battles are currently being carried out by cooks, drivers and musicians.

They said earlier today: 'Today will probably be the last battle, as the ammunition is running out.

'It's death for some of us, and captivity for the rest,' it added, saying it had been 'pushed back' and 'surrounded' by the Russian army.

It said it had been defending the port for 47 days and 'did everything possible and impossible' to retain control of the city.

The troops last stand has so far denied the strategically significant city on the south coast to the Russians.

Should Moscow take control, as is now expected, the Kremlin will hold the entire coast along the Sea of Azov and much of the Black Sea.

For weeks the fall of Mariupol has seemed inevitable, yet the Ukrainians have clung on to parts of the city centre. Since early March food supplies have been scarce, melted ice has been the only source of fresh water and there has been no heating or electricity.

The city has effectively been cut off from the rest of the country.

the commanding officer of the 36th Marine Brigade suggested the government in Kyiv could have done more to support his soldiers, adding: Weve done everything possible and impossible to retain control.

But nobody wants to communicate with us anymore because we have been written off. The razed city has seen the most intense fighting of the war.

Last night Denis Pushilin, leader of the breakaway Donetsk region, said: Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is already under our control. Now the operation will be intensified.

His claims could not be independently verified.

Putin's invasion stalled on several fronts as it met stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces, who prevented the Russians from taking the capital and other cities.

And the failure to win full control of Ukraine's skies has hampered Moscow's ability to provide air cover for troops on the ground, limiting their advances and exposing them to greater losses.

With their offensive in many parts of the country thwarted, Russian forces have relied increasingly on bombarding cities - a strategy that has left many urban areas flattened and killed thousands of people.

To date, Kyiv estimates it has killed 19,500 Russian troops, though the Kremlin has only admitted to 1,351 deaths in the conflict.

Residents carry their belongings near buildings destroyed by Russian troops, in the southern port city of Mariupol on Sunday

Emergency workers remove debris of a building destroyed by Russian shelling on Sunday

Graves of civilians have been dug next to apartment buildings in Mariupol, where more than 10,000 have died according to the city's mayor

A heavy armoured vehicle is destroyed amid surrounding buildings in Mariupol

The catastrophic death toll comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky defended his criticism of NATO and the UN, saying he has had enough of diplomacy with Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky told CBS 60 minutes on Sunday: 'When you are [working] at diplomacy, there are no results. All this is very bureaucratic. That's why the way I'm talking to them is absolutely justifiable. I don't have any more lives [to give]. I don't have any more emotions.

'I'm no longer interested in their diplomacy that leads to the destruction of my country. A lot of countries have changed their mind about Ukraine and about our people. But I think we've paid too high price for that.'

Ukrainian officials have also accused Russian forces of committing atrocities, particularly in the Kyiv region where mass graves were discovered outside a church in Bucha yesterday.

In Buzova, a village in the Kyiv region, Ukrainian officials said the bodies of 50 people, all of whom were shot at close range, were discovered on a road. Another mass grave with dozens of bodies was also found in the village.

Russia on Monday continued its shelling of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, but battling Ukrainian forces repulsed several assaults and destroyed Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery equipment, the UK's MoD said.

The MoD warned that Russia's 'continued reliance' on unguided bombs in Ukraine increases the risk of further civilian casualties as the weapons decrease their ability to discriminate when targeting and conducting strikes.

An airstrike on a train station being used by civilians trying to escape the area also killed 57 people last week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded for more Western aid, saying his forces need heavier firepower to resist the coming onslaught and push Russian forces back.

Mr Zelensky said on Sunday that the coming week could be crucial and that Western support - or the lack thereof - may prove decisive.

'To be honest, whether we will be able to (survive) depends on this', Mr Zelensky said.

'Unfortunately, I don't have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need.'

His plea came as Putin is understood to be preparing to double or even treble his number of forces in the eastern Donbas region.

Following his troops' failure to capture Kyiv and other parts of the country's north after more than six weeks' of fighting, the Russian president has withdrawn some of his forces.

Putin is now beginning to redeploy some of those troops towards the Donbas, parts of which are already controlled by Russian-backed separatist groups.

He is said to be eyeing a battlefield win in eastern Ukraine within the next month, so that it will coincide with Russia's annual military parade in Red Square on 9 May.

The date marks the Nazis' surrender in the Second World War.

However, although they noted Mr Putin would desire some form of victory by that date, Western officials have cast doubt on his hopes of doing so.

They have said there is an 'incredibly important' window for the West to increase support for Ukraine as Russia takes time to prepare a new offensive.
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Conservative ex-Justice Minister Crispin Blunt has been slammed by all sides of Westminster after he leapt to the defence of Tory MP Imran Ahmad Khan and described his conviction for sexually assaulting a boy, 15, as an 'international scandal' and 'dreadful miscarriage of justice'.

Wakefield MP Khan, 48, was found guilty on Monday of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy at a house in 2008. He was expelled from the Tory party following the verdict.

However, Conservative MP Blunt, who came out as gay in 2010, slammed the verdict in a stunning statement posted on his website.

He said the sexual assault conviction would have 'dreadful wider implications for millions of LGBT+ Muslims around the world' and claimed the prosecution's argument relied on 'lazy tropes about LGBT+ people'. He also called for the convicted sex offender to be reinstated to public service.

Blunt's comments triggered fury with Labour condemning his defence of Khan and Anneliese Dodds, Labour Party chairwoman and shadow equalities secretary, labelling them 'disgraceful'.

She called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Tory chairman Oliver Dowden to 'take action' against the former prisons minister and 'distance their party from his comments'.

Meanwhile, four members of a cross-party LGBT+ group that Blunt chairs quit in protest, with one urging him to resign from his role.

Labour's Chris Bryant and Kate Osborne and the SNP's Stewart McDonald and Joanna Cherry all stood down from the group over Blunt's comments.

In his statement, Blunt, the MP for Reigate said: 'I am utterly appalled and distraught at the dreadful miscarriage of justice that has befallen my friend and colleague Imran Ahmad Khan, MP for Wakefield since December 2019.

'His conviction today is nothing short of an international scandal, with dreadful wider implications for millions of LGBT+ muslims around the world.

'I sat through some of the trial. The conduct of this case relied on lazy tropes about LGBT+ people that we might have thought we had put behind us decades ago.

Former Youth Justice Minister Crispin Blunt (pictured) jumped to the defence today of Tory MP Imran Ahmad Khan, who was expelled from the party after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy at a house in 2008

A court heard that the disgraced 48-year-old dragged the Catholic teenager upstairs, pushed him onto a bed and asked him to watch pornography before the attack

Suspended Conservative MP Imran Ahmad Khan has today been convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy after forcing him to drink gin and tonic at a house party in Staffordshire in 2008

Labour's Chris Bryant (left) and Kate Osborne (right) and the SNP's Stewart McDonald and Joanna Cherry have stood down from the all-party parliamentary group on global LGBT+ rights, which Tory MP Blunt leads

SNP MP Stewart McDonald (left) is one of four MPs to resign. He was joined by fellow SNP MP Joanna Cherry (right)

A flurry of resignations from the all-party parliamentary group on global LGBT+ rights were announced on Monday night after Crispin Blunt's comments about convicted sex offender Khan

'As a former Justice Minister I was prepared to testify about the truly extraordinary sequence of events that has resulted in Imran being put through this nightmare start to his Parliamentary career.

'I hope for the return of Imran Ahmad Khan to the public service that has exemplified his life to date.

'Any other outcome will be a stain on our reputation for justice, and an appalling own goal by Britain as we try to take a lead in reversing the Victorian era prejudice that still disfigures too much of the global statute book.'

A court heard 48-year-old Khan had been invited to celebrate the 21st birthday of a 15-year-old Catholic schoolboy's sister at her home as a 'friend of a friend' before he dragged the child upstairs, pushed him onto a bed and asked him to watch porn before sexually assaulting him.

Khan appeared wearing a dark suit holding a walking stick and showed no emotion when hearing his guilty verdict this afternoon. He had previously denied sexual assault and accused his traumatised victim of lying  but jurors heard how he had also drugged and assaulted an aid worker in Pakistan nearly three years after attacking the boy.

Khan tweeted in support of press freedom on the day he tried to gag the media over the sex assault charge It has also emerged that Khan tweeted in support of press freedom on the day he tried to gag the media from reporting his name over a charge of sexually assaulting a schoolboy. He attempted to stop key details of the case - including the age of his victim, his own homosexuality, and even his fondness for a gin and tonic - coming into the public domain. The disgraced Wakefield MP was thwarted in his bid for secrecy unprecedented in a case not involving national security following two expensive legal challenges from media organisations. The full details of how the story finally came to be told can be reported for the first time after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy after a party in 2008. The victim came forward days after Khan was elected in 2019 and gave three video-recorded interviews to police - two in December 2019 and one in February last year, when he drove almost 200 miles from his home during the pandemic's second wave. Khan was sent a questionnaire by Staffordshire Police rather than being interviewed under caution at a station because of 'Covid protocols in place at the time', providing written answers on May 7, 2020. Neither Staffordshire Police nor the Crown Prosecution Service informed the media or the public when Khan was charged by postal requisition - the point at which suspects in criminal cases are routinely named. His first appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court by videolink on June 3 last year did not appear on the public or press lists. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring granted the MP an interim anonymity order ahead of another unlisted hearing, which the CPS refused to confirm was taking place as well as what charge Khan was facing. On June 17 last year, the day Khan argued in court he should be granted anonymity, he retweeted then foreign secretary Dominic Raab's message about 'press freedom' in Hong Kong. Khan had previously spoken in the Commons against Extinction Rebellion's efforts to 'constrain press freedom' after the protest group blocked a newspaper printing press. His lawyers said that as a serving MP there were concerns about his safety and argued he should not be named in court because it would breach his right to life (Article 2), protection from 'inhuman or degrading treatment' (Article 3) and right to a private life (Article 8) under the European Convention of Human Rights. The application included statements from former British diplomat and intelligence officer Richard Barrett and former senior RAF officer Afzal Ashraf, a letter from DUP MP Jim Shannon on House of Commons paper and openly available information about Ahmadi Muslims. But a risk assessment by West Yorkshire police counter-terrorism security advisers concluded that there was 'no objective threat to defendant's life that would arise from being named as the defendant in these allegations'. Rejecting Khan's application, Mr Goldspring noted the MP's earlier attempts to prevent the press reporting the victim was a minor gave 'insight into the defendant's real concerns'. 'Damage to reputation is not a ground for making of an order, open justice is and should remain a corner stone of democracy and the rule of law,' he said. Khan was given until 4pm the following day to challenge the decision in the High Court before the order automatically expired. However, Khan's lawyers instead sought a review of the decision by the Old Bailey's most senior judge Mark Lucraft QC at a hastily arranged hearing, where his name was listed as 'IK'. The judge told Khan he did not have jurisdiction to change the decision and would have agreed with the Chief Magistrate even if he did, meaning the charge against Khan could be reported for the first time. The publicity prompted a second complainant - who said Khan performed a sex act on him in Pakistan in 2010 - to come forward. Prosecutor Sean Larkin QC said during legal argument it was a 'mere technicality' the MP was not charged with a further offence because it was outside the jurisdiction before a change in UK law. On the first day of his trial, Khan's name appeared only as asterisks on the public Southwark Crown Court list and he launched another bid for reporting restrictions, of which journalists had no prior warning. His lawyer Gudrun Young QC said the court had been informed weeks earlier, but both the judge and prosecutor said they had only been notified the day before the trial. Khan argued that as an Ahmadi Muslim, both the consumption of alcohol and homosexuality are strictly prohibited within his faith, and the reporting of those matters would expose him to 'a risk to his safety both here and abroad'. The 'evidence' ran to more than 200 pages, including claims a bullet was found in his constituency office in January 2020, dozens of tweets, including one of a noose, and reference to the murders of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess. High Court judge Mr Justice Baker made a temporary order, meaning the prosecution opening could not be fully reported, to allow the media time to make representations. Key parts of the complainant's evidence could not be reported live, but the order was lifted at the end of the second day of the trial - at which Khan was allowed to sit outside the dock because the court's microphones did not work - after news organisations instructed counsel at an estimated cost of 4,000. Advertisement

He was today suspended from the Conservative Party 'with immediate effect' following the conviction.

It can now also be revealed that the disgraced MP tweeted in support of press freedom on the day he tried to gag the media from reporting his name over the charge of sexual assault.

The Catholic teenager, now in his late 20s, told a jury he was left feeling 'scared, vulnerable, numb, shocked and surprised' after the future politician touched his feet and legs, coming within 'a hair's breadth' of his privates, as he tried to sleep in a top bunkbed.

He said he wasn't 'taken very seriously' when he made the allegation to the Conservative Party press office days before Khan was elected as the MP for Wakefield in West Yorkshire in the December 2019 general election, Southwark Crown Court was told.

The victim made a complaint to police days after Khan helped Prime Minister Boris Johnson win a large Commons majority by taking Wakefield in the so-called 'red wall' that had formed Labour's heartlands in the Midlands and northern England.

No further action had been taken because the youngster did not want to make a formal complaint. However, the victim told jurors 'it all came flooding back' when he learned Khan was standing in the 2019 election.

Khan, who is gay and a Muslim, had also made a lewd comment about the boy's older brother who was wearing a kilt. A court heard he asked if he was wearing the kilt like a 'true Scotsman' lifted it up to see if he was wearing underwear.

The judge, Mr Justice Baker, said he will sentence Khan on a later date.

Khan will be thrown out of the House of Commons if he is handed a prison sentence of more than a year, or otherwise could be subject to a petition to oust him in the recall process.

Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party called for Khan's immediate resignation as an MP following the verdict.

A party spokesman said: 'Imran Ahmad Khan should immediately resign so a by-election can take place and the people of Wakefield can get the representation they deserve.'

The judge released Khan on bail, telling him: 'You have been convicted by a jury of this offence of sexual assault and you will have to be sentenced in due course.

'I make it clear that all sentencing options, including immediate custody, are being considered by the court.'

Anneliese Dodds, Labour Party chairwoman and shadow equalities secretary, labelled Mr Blunt's comments about Khan's conviction as 'disgraceful'.

She called on the Prime Minister and Tory chairman Oliver Dowden to 'take action' against the Reigate MP and 'distance their party from his comments'.

A Tory spokesman, when asked whether the party agreed with Mr Blunt's view, reiterated that Khan had been expelled from Boris Johnson's party.

'Our view is pretty clear,' he added.

Tory MPs Crispin Blunt and Sir Peter Bottomley, the father of the House of Commons, attended court today, while a third, Adam Holloway, earlier provided a character statement used as part of Khan's defence case.

Khan was born in Wakefield, where he attended the independent Silcoates School. He went to university at the Pushkin Institute in Russia and graduated from King's College in London with a bachelor's degree in war studies.

The 48-year-old worked for the UN as a special assistant for political affairs in Mogadishu before entering Parliament.

Khan's 15-year-old victim told a court that he 'vividly' remembered the gin bottle Khan took to the party, the smell of the spirit in the glass tumbler, and the fizz of the bubbles as he was forced by Khan to drink the cocktail.

He said Khan also watched him do pull-ups, asked him to watch pornography and told him he was 'good looking' in a 'love whisper' in his ear, which was 'disgusting and really slimy'.

The victim said he pretended to be asleep in the top bunkbed before Khan reached through the wooden bars to touch his feet.

'He was drunk because I could hear his heavy breathing,' he said.

The complainant said the 'slow caressing' continued as Khan 'worked his way around the bed' and 'up my leg', despite him telling the MP to stop.

He said he 'froze', adding: 'I freaked out and jumped out of the bed and ran as fast as I could.'

The boy's brother, who was 18 at the time, told jurors he was also the victim of an 'assault' when Khan asked if he was wearing his kilt like a 'true Scotsman' - referring to the tradition of wearing the garment without underwear - before lifting it up with both hands.

During legal argument, prosecutor Sean Larkin QC said it was a 'mere technicality' that Khan had not been charged with a second sexual assault of a man at a guesthouse in Pakistan, where the MP was working on a Foreign Office-funded project.

The alleged victim, then in his mid-20s, said Khan performed a sex act on him in his sleep after offering him a sleeping pill as they shared a room following an evening of drinking whiskey and smoking marijuana.

The man told jurors he reported the November 2010 incident to the British High Commission and the Foreign Office but did not want to go to police in Pakistan because of Khan's 'powerful connections' in the military and government.

He came forward as a witness after hearing Khan had been charged with sexual assault following the MP's failed bid to gag the press from reporting his name.

It is understood a charge could not be brought because the alleged assault took place outside the jurisdiction before a change in the UK law.

Khan claimed the sexual activity was consensual.

It has also emerged that Khan tweeted in support of press freedom on the day he tried to gag the media from reporting his name over a charge of sexually assaulting a schoolboy.

He attempted to stop key details of the case  including the age of his victim, his own homosexuality, and even his fondness for a gin and tonic  coming into the public domain.

The disgraced Wakefield MP was thwarted in his bid for secrecy unprecedented in a case not involving national security following two expensive legal challenges from media organisations.

The full details of how the story finally came to be told can be reported for the first time after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy after a party in 2008.

The victim came forward days after Khan was elected in 2019 and gave three video-recorded interviews to police  two in December 2019 and one in February last year, when he drove almost 200 miles from his home during the pandemic's second wave.

Khan was sent a questionnaire by Staffordshire Police rather than being interviewed under caution at a station because of 'Covid protocols in place at the time', providing written answers on May 7, 2020.

Neither Staffordshire Police nor the Crown Prosecution Service informed the media or the public when Khan was charged by postal requisition  the point at which suspects in criminal cases are routinely named.

His first appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court by videolink on June 3 last year did not appear on the public or press lists.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring granted the MP an interim anonymity order ahead of another unlisted hearing, which the CPS refused to confirm was taking place as well as what charge Khan was facing.

On June 17 last year, the day Khan argued in court he should be granted anonymity, he retweeted then foreign secretary Dominic Raab's message about 'press freedom' in Hong Kong.

Khan had previously spoken in the Commons against Extinction Rebellion's efforts to 'constrain press freedom' after the protest group blocked a newspaper printing press.

His lawyers said that as a serving MP there were concerns about his safety and argued he should not be named in court because it would breach his right to life (Article 2), protection from 'inhuman or degrading treatment' (Article 3) and right to a private life (Article 8) under the European Convention of Human Rights.

Khan was found guilty by a jury at Southwark Crown Court today after around five hours of deliberations

Conservative Party press office did not take 'very seriously' the allegation that Khan had sexually abused 15-year-old boy when 'victim' told them about it days before 2019 election, court hears A court was told that the Conservative Party press office did not take 'very seriously' allegations that a 15-year-old boy was sexually assaulted by Khan before he stood as an election candidate. The then-teenager did not want to make a formal complaint at the time but told Southwark Crown Court 'it all came flooding back' when he discovered Khan was standing to become the MP for Wakefield in West Yorkshire in the December 2019 general election. Giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court, the victim's parents both broke down in tears as they told how their son was left 'inconsolable' and 'shaking' after the incident at a house in Staffordshire. He went to police days after Khan helped Prime Minister Boris Johnson win a large Commons majority by taking the constituency in the so-called 'red wall' that had formed Labour's heartlands in the Midlands and northern England. But the alleged victim, who voted Labour, told a jury that his complaint was 'not motivated by political reasons'. 'If it was, I would've done it before the general election,' he said. 'I also contacted the Tory press office, trying to inform them what had happened. I wasn't taken very seriously.' He continued: 'I explained that Imran Khan was running for MP and had just sort of been hurriedly put through. I explained this and said 'He sexually assaulted me when I was a child, when I was 15'.' He said the woman he spoke to sounded 'shocked' and passed him on to someone else who sounded more 'stern' and asked if he had any 'proof'. 'I said 'Yes, there's a police report' and she said 'Well...', and that was it. I said 'I'm going to the police', and she said 'Well, you do that'.' Advertisement

The application included statements from former British diplomat and intelligence officer Richard Barrett and former senior RAF officer Afzal Ashraf, a letter from DUP MP Jim Shannon on House of Commons paper and openly available information about Ahmadi Muslims.

But a risk assessment by West Yorkshire police counter-terrorism security advisers concluded that there was 'no objective threat to defendant's life that would arise from being named as the defendant in these allegations'.

Rejecting Khan's application, Mr Goldspring noted the MP's earlier attempts to prevent the press reporting the victim was a minor gave 'insight into the defendant's real concerns'.

'Damage to reputation is not a ground for making of an order, open justice is and should remain a corner stone of democracy and the rule of law,' he said.

Khan was given until 4pm the following day to challenge the decision in the High Court before the order automatically expired.

However, Khan's lawyers instead sought a review of the decision by the Old Bailey's most senior judge Mark Lucraft QC at a hastily arranged hearing, where his name was listed as 'IK'.

The judge told Khan he did not have jurisdiction to change the decision and would have agreed with the Chief Magistrate even if he did, meaning the charge against Khan could be reported for the first time.

The publicity prompted a second complainant  who said Khan performed a sex act on him in Pakistan in 2010  to come forward.

Prosecutor Sean Larkin QC said during legal argument it was a 'mere technicality' the MP was not charged with a further offence because it was outside the jurisdiction before a change in UK law.

On the first day of his trial, Khan's name appeared only as asterisks on the public Southwark Crown Court list and he launched another bid for reporting restrictions, of which journalists had no prior warning.

His lawyer Gudrun Young QC said the court had been informed weeks earlier, but both the judge and prosecutor said they had only been notified the day before the trial.

Khan argued that as an Ahmadi Muslim, both the consumption of alcohol and homosexuality are strictly prohibited within his faith, and the reporting of those matters would expose him to 'a risk to his safety both here and abroad'.

The 'evidence' ran to more than 200 pages, including claims a bullet was found in his constituency office in January 2020, dozens of tweets, including one of a noose, and reference to the murders of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess.

High Court judge Mr Justice Baker made a temporary order, meaning the prosecution opening could not be fully reported, to allow the media time to make representations.

Key parts of the complainant's evidence could not be reported live, but the order was lifted at the end of the second day of the trial  at which Khan was allowed to sit outside the dock because the court's microphones did not work - after news organisations instructed counsel at an estimated cost of 4,000.
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The killer of Sir David Amess was dismissed as a terrorist threat by experts just months before he bought a knife to hunt down MPs, it can now be revealed.

Ali Harbi Ali, 26, is facing a life sentence after jurors took just 18 minutes to convict him yesterday of the cold and calculating murder of the MP and a plot to assassinate other politicians.

After an extraordinary seven-day trial at the Old Bailey, it can now be revealed Ali was discharged by the Governments flagship de-radicalisation Prevent scheme just months before he bought a 20 foot-long carving knife as he started planning a terrorist atrocity in Britain.

The shameless killer boasted to jurors he managed to fool counter-terrorism experts into dismissing him as a risk after just one meeting.

Now the Daily Mail can reveal Alis own mother suspected her son had joined the Islamic State terror group, but was too afraid to report him. According to his aunt, Alis father never took the issue seriously until his son committed murder.

The revelation poses new questions about how the home-grown terrorist managed to slip through the net.

Yesterday experts said the case had exposed failures of Prevent on the eve of a review by former Charity Commission chairman William Shawcross. In 2014, the teenager was referred by a teacher to the programme, which aims to stop people being drawn into violence.

At the time, Ali said he had pretty much already radicalised myself as he spurned an offer to study medicine to spend more time in his bedroom musing on IS execution clips.

Family and friends claimed Ali was watching extremist videos online, including those by notorious hate preacher Anjem Choudary, who last night issued an extraordinary press release defending Alis actions.

After his referral, Ali was sent for intensive support under the Channel counter-terrorism programme, overseen by a panel with expertise in de-radicalisation. But he was discharged in mid-2015 after it was decided he did not pose a terror threat. It meant he was not referred to MI5.

The killer of Sir David Amess, Ali Harbi Ali, 26, (Pictured after his arrest) was dismissed as a terrorist threat by experts just months before he bought a knife to hunt down MPs, it can now be revealed. He told the Old Bailey trial he had no regrets about the murder, defending his actions by saying Sir David deserved to die as a result of voting in Parliament for air strikes on Syria in 2014 and 2015

Conservative MP for Southend West Sir David Amess (left), pictured with his wife Julia Arnold (far left) and his four daughters

Bodycam footage released from police officers ordering terrorist Ali Harbi Ali to the ground in Belfairs Methodist Church

Emergency services at the scene near the Belfairs Methodist Church in Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, where Conservative MP Sir David Amess was killed last October

An email from Ali to Sir David Arness. Ali said he had an 'interest in Christianity' and wanted to discuss the 'solutions' to declining church attendances

Why was Ali allowed to give evidence despite admitting to killing? By Duncan Gardham for MailOnline Even though Ali admitted the killing, he denied murder, and was therefore allowed to give evidence in his defence. He claimed that he had been acting to defend 'the Muslims' in Syria but, following legal argument, the judge ruled that he had no defence in law. Mr Justice Sweeney told them: 'Having considered the defendant's account, taken at its height, in his favour, I direct you as matter of law, the killing was neither in lawful self-defence, nor in the lawful defence of another, nor in the prevention of a crime. 'No other defence arises. Nevertheless, the defendant is in your charge and it remains for you to be sure that all three elements of the offence have been proved.' Advertisement

During his trial, the fanatic bragged about outwitting experts by hiding his twisted ideology. He said: Ever since I had a visit from the police in 2014, winter time, I kept shut and never spoke about that again or even politics stuff.

He recalled meeting a Channel expert: They asked me about Twitter accounts and how I felt about the Government and booked me in to speak to someone. There were supposed to be two meetings but they were happy enough with the first one and I didnt hear anything after.

Alis ambitions grew from wanting to travel to Syria and join IS into planning to kill one of hundreds of MPs who voted for air strikes in Syria in 2014-15. He bought a knife in 2016 and within three years he was regularly carrying it in a rucksack.

Ali initially planned to target Cabinet minister Michael Gove, staking out his home six times and formulating a plan with options such as bump into him jogging, best outcome.

He carried out research on 12 MPs and settled on Sir David Amess as he openly advertised his surgeries.

Ali met Sir David on October 15 last year at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, and stabbed him more than 20 times. The murderer was stopped by heroic officers wielding only batons.

Yesterday Ali refused to stand in the dock when he was convicted, muttering about religious grounds.

The killing came more than five years after Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered by a Right-wing terrorist.

Her husband Brendan Cox yesterday said: Like the killing of Jo, all it has achieved politically has been to allow millions of people to learn about Davids decency and the causes he cared about. Boris Johnson said: Sir David Amess was a beloved colleague, public servant and friend who championed the city of Southend in everything he did. My thoughts today remain with [his widow] Julia, the Amess family and all those who knew and loved him.

Ali is the latest Islamist terrorist to carry out an attack after being referred to Prevent. Khairi Saadallah, 27, fatally stabbed three men in a Reading park in June 2020. Prevent officials were warned he could carry out a London Bridge-style attack but he was found to have no fixed ideology.

Usman Khan, 28, who stabbed two graduates to death on London Bridge in 2019, had come into contact with Prevent officers with no specific training in handling terrorists.

Professor Anthony Glees, a security expert from the University of Buckingham, said: Sir Davids killer has not been the only person whos managed to play footsie with the Prevent people, even though he absolutely fitted the identikit picture of someone who risked turning to terrorism.

Yet he was still given the benefit of the doubt. This has got to stop.

Sam Armstrong, of the Henry Jackson Society counter-terrorism think-tank, said: When an avowed terrorist who spent years plotting a terror attack was discounted by Prevent, you have to ask questions about whether it continues to achieve its stated aim to tackle terrorism.

A Home Office source said: Prevent is an important tool but it is right that we are carrying out the review to ensure it is working as it should. Ali will be sentenced tomorrow.

Killers family suspected hed joined Isis... but were afraid to report him

As children, there was nothing that made Ali Harbi Ali and his siblings stand out from their peers.

Attending a junior school linked to a church in Croydon, Ali would cheerfully sing along with the hymns and join in assemblies designed to imbue the pupils with Christian values.

They were quite happy at a Christian school and took part in our regular worship, recalled a teacher, who did not want to be identified.

Ali wasnt a high-flyer, but was a hard-working child, especially good at maths. We had plenty of naughty boys, but he wasnt one of them. He was a good boy, polite and friendly, and readily joined in with the other children.

By the time Ali neared his A-levels, he was regarded as a model student with every chance of embarking on a career in medicine  in other words, a young man with the world at his feet.

Which makes the 26-year-olds transformation into a bloodthirsty Islamic State-supporting murderer who stabbed MP Sir David Amess to death all the more shocking.

And, for those tasked with preventing similar tragedies occurring in the future, all the more worrying.

Islamic State fanatic Ali Harbi Ali, 26, seen in a mugshot released today (left) and in a sketch from court today, right - where he refused to stand up while hearing his verdict for 'religious reasons'

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

Ali is also accused of preparing acts of terrorism by targeting MPs Michael Gove and Mike Freer between May 1 2019 and September this year

Prosecution of Nazi-obsessed terrorist who murdered Jo Cox helped Crown build a 'strong case' against Ali The prosecution of MP Jo Cox's killer helped bring a 'strong case' when tragedy struck for a second time, Max Hill QC has said. The Director of Public Prosecutions reflected on the murders of two MPs in five years as veteran Conservative Sir David Amess's killer was brought to justice. Mr Hill said: 'I think it's inevitable that, today of all days, we think back to the tragic murder of Jo Cox. 'And we reflect on the fact that this is the second time in five years that we've seen such an attack at the heart of our democracy, although I do want to emphasise these cases are extremely rare.' Jo (pictured) was shot and stabbed by far-Right fanatic Thomas Mair six years ago as she walked to a meeting with constituents. She was just 41 The experience of prosecuting Thomas Mair for Ms Cox's murder in November 2016 proved useful in preparing the case against Ali Harbi Ali six years later. Batley and Spen Labour MP Ms Cox was stabbed and shot by far-right extremist Mair in Birstall, West Yorkshire, just days before the Brexit referendum in June 2016. Southend MP Sir David was stabbed by Islamic State fanatic Ali at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, last October in twisted revenge for a vote on Syrian air strikes. Even though the ideology was different, there were some striking similarities between the two defendants. Both were home-grown terrorists who chose to strike at the heart of British democracy. Both were found guilty following Old Bailey trials in which the vast majority of the evidence against them went unchallenged. Mr Hill said: 'I think it's very rare that we see crimes committed exactly in these circumstances. 'By definition, any previous experience of a similar case is going to help both investigators and prosecutors when building a strong case in court.' In his first court appearance, Mair's extremist views were clear when he stated: 'My name is death to traitors, freedom for Britain.' And, on his arrest, Ali calmly described to police his long-running plot to kill Government minister Michael Gove before launching his frenzied attack on Sir David, whom he regarded as an easier target. The experience of prosecuting Thomas Mair for Ms Cox's murder in November 2016 proved useful in preparing the case against Ali Harbi Ali six years later, England's top prosecutor said As in Mair's case, the lack of a positive defence nevertheless meant the prosecution had to prove Ali's guilt 'without question'. Mr Hill said: 'In this country, we afford everybody who wants it the guarantee of a fair trial and this individual, just like anybody else, was entitled by his own choice to plead not guilty. 'Our job was to prove without question that he was guilty, not only of this murder, but of the preparation for terrorism, which went on for many months before this atrocity. 'We can never control what a defendant may say, at the start, middle or end of the investigation process.' Ms Cox's killer was simply charged with her murder, but in Ali's case a terrorism offence was included to reflect his long-running plot to target an MP. Mr Hill confirmed that whatever the charge, both atrocities were clearly acts of terrorism. He said: 'Here we were in no hesitation that this was an act of terrorism, just as was the case in the tragic murder of Jo Cox.' Advertisement

Born in Southwark in February 1996, Ali is the eldest of four children. His father, Harbi Ali Kullane, was a former adviser to the prime minister of Somalia who moved to the UK from Mogadishu, marrying wife Jamila in London.

But the couple split when Ali was young, with his father dividing his time between London and east Africa.

Ali grew up in a three-bedroom 1980s terrace house in Croydon with his mum, brother and two sisters. His family was full of love and care, Ali would tell police, adding: I had a big wider family that used to come round and help. I dont recall any bad memories from that time.

Ali attended Parish Church Junior and Infant School  now Minster Junior  in Croydon, followed by Riddlesdown Collegiate School in Purley, the old school of model Kate Moss.

For his first five years there, he was said to have excelled academically. He was smart, especially in sciences, one former friend recalled. I remember him scoring well on science tests consistently. I can only assume he wanted to do medicine to help people, which is exactly the kind of person he was.

He added: I dont recall ever seeing him angry. Frustrated about something trivial like any other kid, yeah, but never angry. The conversations I can remember having with him were about the edgy kinda rock that teens typically love, video games  that kind of stuff.

He was very sweet, and just welcoming in general. Whenever I think of him, I just see the happy, dorky kid and teen that everyone liked. Its unthinkable that hed so much as instigate a scuffle, yet alone kill someone.

But as Ali approached his A-levels, his attendance and school work declined sharply  despite having been offered a place to study medicine at St Georges. As he would later admit to police, he was turning towards extremist views.

By that time, I pretty much already radicalised myself, he told them, his indoctrination apparently having occurred largely via the internet.

ThE radicalisation did not go unnoticed by teachers, who referred Ali to Prevent, the early-intervention scheme designed to turn people away from the risk of supporting violence. Scotland Yard has admitted Ali spent some time in the scheme, but said any failings would be examined at the inquest into the death of Sir David.

Ali passed his A-levels with two Ds and an E, much worse than expected. He stayed on until 2015 so he could re-sit biology. He then got a place to study radiotherapy at City University but attended for only six months before officially dropping out at the beginning of his second year.

On September 22, 2016, he emailed a lecturer claiming a mixture of recurrent illness, Eid and family problems had kept him out of university for two weeks. I have had the opportunity to think on the reasons of why I took on the course and if it is something I want to continue with, he added. I came to the conclusion that I no longer want to continue with it. I want to pursue a different direction in life.

By then, Ali had moved out of the family home in Croydon, to live with his aunt and cousins in Kentish Town, north London, in order to be closer to university. But sources close to the investigation told how Alis family said they did not realise he had dropped out of university and were not aware of what he was doing for the next five years.

A source in Kenya said: He never shared the right information with his family. So after leaving his mums it seems he never wanted people to know about him.

It appears that it was only following the murder that his relatives become fully aware of the extent of his radicalisation.

One of Alis aunts in Nairobi said: Ali was motivated by Islamic extremism. Ive spoken to my sister in London several times about her son Alis character and conduct. She told me that he was under the influence of his friends who are connected to Islamic extremism

She suspected her son had joined the Islamic State group through one of his friends early [last] year but she was scared to report it to police.

Instead, she informed Alis father, Harbi Ali Kullane, who never took the issue seriously until his son committed murder.

Alis family are well-off financially and they are well-educated people. Ali is an intelligent and quiet boy but he has been inspired by Islamists linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State.

Alis aunt described him as a loner who didnt socialise very much, adding: Ali would always be seen with Muslim scholars and used to spend most of his time in mosques and places where they preach about Islam.

A close relative in Kenya added: We believe Ali wanted to join the Islamic State group in 2016. Some of his friends in London were members of the terrorist organisation and had travelled to Syria via Turkey. Family and friends say Ali started to watch extremist videos online, including those posted by hate preacher Anjem Choudary.

After his arrest, searches of his mobile phone and laptop devices found images of terrorist attackers and inspirational IS propaganda.

Ali Harbi Ali, 26, was born in Britain and grew up in Croydon, South London with his mother and three siblings, where neighbours described him as a 'happy boy'. He is seen while younger, left; and travelling to Southend to murder Sir David (right)

One phone had been used since 2016 to receive messages that appeared to be official IS propaganda and communications via a channel on the encrypted Telegram app. A video on the device showed a man in a black turban and holding an assault rifle, giving a sermon to a circle of masked men in a field, that ended with them chanting: Islamic State!

With his hopes of travelling abroad having come to nothing, by 2019 Ali had settled on an attack in Britain. But his plans were disrupted by the pandemic in 2020.

Having bought a 20 knife from Argos, he carried it in his bag throughout the summer of 2021 as he scoped out possible targets, jurors heard. He carried out reconnaissance on the Houses of Parliament but found police there were armed to the teeth.

Ali researched MPs online, including Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove.

By September last year, Ali had settled on Sir David as an easy target after seeing his upcoming surgery in Leigh-on-Sea on Twitter. He made an appointment through the MPs office, falsely claiming he was moving to the area and was interested in churches.

On the morning of the murder, Ali went to pray at Al-Risaalah mosque in Holloway, north London. Mosque manager Abdi Warsame said: He used to pray at the mosque sometimes. His aunt was at the mosque on the day of the murder and she ran away when she heard about what happened. She was on the phone and then she just ran out.

We were all shocked we couldnt understand why he would do that.

As for Ali, he showed no remorse. In court, Tom Little QC, prosecuting, asked him: 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? You are utterly shameless about that? Ali replied: I wouldnt use the word shameless, but I dont feel any shame.

You regret nothing? Mr Little asked. Nothing, Ali said. If I thought there was something wrong, I wouldnt have done it.
Scientists have recently begun spying on Europe's most active volcano using an unusual new surveillance device: fiber-optic cables.

Researchers revealed how they utilized a technology known as distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) to pick up seismic signals that traditional sensors missed.

Fiber Optics Being Used as a Surveillance Device for Mount Etna

Mount Etna, an active volcano on Sicily's east coast, is Europe's highest active volcano with a top elevation of about 10,900 feet (3,320 meters). As Europe's most active volcano, Mount Etna is one of the most thoroughly monitored volcanoes on Earth.

However, scientists have recently begun spying on Mount Etna using an unusual new surveillance device: fiber-optic cables. In a paper published on March 31 in the journal Nature Communications, researchers revealed how they utilized a technology known as distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) to pick up seismic signals that traditional sensors missed. This technology could aid in the improvement of the early warning system used by residents in the surrounding areas of Italy.

How Does Scientists Used Fiber Optics To Detect Volcanic Activity

According to Ars Technica, Fiber optics transfer signals from point A to point B in the form of light pulses. However, if the cable is disrupted by an earthquake, a little portion of the light is reflected back to the source. Scientists employ an "interrogator" to measure this, which fires a laser through the fibers and analyzes the results. Researchers can discern disturbances at various lengths along the wire because they know the speed of light.

Read Also: Mount Etna Spewing Lava, Where To Watch Online (Video)

Other volcanic events were also identified by the cable. They were either missing or barely recognized by traditional sensors. It recorded degassing events, which occur when the volcano emits a plume of water vapor and other gases such as carbon dioxide. As Ars Technica reported, the researchers believe these pulses are caused by the flow of gas or liquid at depth, which causes degassing events.

One of the many advantages of DAS compared to traditional sensors is that it is easier to maintain.

Ariel Lellouch, a geophysicist who uses the technology at Tel Aviv University but was not involved in this study, said, "One of the main benefits of DAS that often tends to be overlooked is that DAS can pick up things in a lot of frequencies."

An infrared sensor, on the other hand, only detects low-frequency sounds.

"The fiber just lays there, compared to traditional sensors that need telemetry, and sometimes they need batteries and you need to replace them," Lellouch added.

Meanwhile, Marco Aloisi, a student at Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology who particularly studies Mount Etna but was not involved in the research, said that DAS could be used to supplement existing volcanic monitoring methods. Because of the large number of people that reside nearby, Mount Etna is closely monitored, with over 200 monitoring stations. However, this necessitates a large amount of human effort, and the less time humans spend near an active volcano, the better.

"The real challenge is having many human resources and a reliable technology to allow a continuous operation of the entire system," says Aloisi.

Related Article: Scientists From New Zealand Have Created a More Advanced Volcano Alert System
With her due date fast approaching, heavily pregnant Anastasia Dulkai had hoped she would be safely in England by now.

But the mother-to-be is one of thousands of desperate Ukrainians left in the lurch by delays to the UK's refugee visa scheme.

At 33 weeks pregnant, she faces the prospect of giving birth in a war zone if her application is not completed by the Home Office soon.

Women are advised not to fly after 35 weeks, leaving the first-time mother a small window in which to escape.

The 32-year-old and her mother-in-law had hoped to travel to the UK after fleeing Kyiv when their neighbourhood was hit by missiles.

But she is 'extremely nervous', having not heard anything since Joanne and Andrew Bingham, both 58, applied to sponsor them almost two weeks ago.

Anastasia Dulkai, 32, pictured with her husband Anton Chmyr, is now 33 weeks pregnant and stranded in Ukraine while awaiting her UK refugee visa

Mrs Bingham, who lives near Leatherhead, Surrey, said: 'The clock is ticking - with each passing day I know they're getting more stressed.

'The stress could very well cause the baby to come prematurely, and they'll have to have it at home with no medical help or support. It's just such a horrible situation.'

The Binghams first met the family when they employed Mrs Dulkai's mother-in-law Alla Chmyr, 58, as their nanny while living in Ukraine.

Mrs Bingham said: 'My husband Andrew and I lived in Ukraine for four years just around the turn of the millennium when Andrew had a job running a sunflower-processing plant in Donetsk.

'Our son Myles had just been born, so we hired Alla, a local nanny, who became like a member of our family.'

The families have stayed in touch ever since.

After the Russian invasion, Mrs Chmyr's husband Misha joined the Ukrainian army, leaving her with their family  including their son Anton and his wife Mrs Dulkai  in the capital.

But they were forced to leave after close shelling and fled to Khust in western Ukraine.

Anastasia's mother in law Alla Chmyr (left) with sponsor Joanne Bingham (right) pictured in around 2000 when Mrs Bingham's family lived in Ukraine

Mrs Bingham said it was only when they told her they had to leave their homes that she found out Mrs Dulkai was pregnant.

'This was about the same time that we saw reports about the Russians bombing maternity wards, so they were rightly massively anxious about Anastasia and her baby,' she said.

Mrs Bingham submitted the visa application form by March 31 after much stress and confusion.

'I was utterly staggered at how slow and laborious [the process] was,' she said.

'All the forms were in English, and Anna and her family speak minimal English, so going back and forth to fill in the endless pages took days.

'The supposed helpline was utterly useless...There was nowhere in the forms to add any extenuating circumstance, so we could not explain that this woman is 33 weeks pregnant.'

Mrs Bingham has been told by the local council she will need an 80 gas certificate to pass the home inspection but has had no updates on her application.

'It's an absolute disgrace and we need to act quickly to save all these poor people,' she added.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has been forced to apologise over delays to the visa scheme.

Figures last week showed that just 1,200  less than 3 per cent of refugees who have applied under the scheme  have arrived in the UK.

A government spokesman said: 'We continue to process visas for the Homes for Ukraine scheme as quickly as possible, but accept progress has not been quick enough.'
The California woman who gained national notoriety for wrongly accusing a black teenager of stealing her cellphone and then attacking him at a trendy Manhattan hotel - earning her the nickname 'SoHo Karen' - avoided being thrown in prison after striking a deal with prosecutors.

Miya Ponsetto, 23, from Simi Valley, agreed to plead guilty to a hate crime for the December 2020 incident at the Arlo Hotel in exchange for two years' probation, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Monday.

She accused 15-year-old Keyon Harrold Jr, the son of famed jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold, of stealing her phone. She had in fact left it in her Uber.

Ponsetto pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment in the second degree as a hate crime, said Bragg, the progressive prosecutor who has been criticized for pursuing light sentences for felonies.

She avoided jail but was sentenced to probation, and will be required for two years to abide by the terms of her California probation stemming from a separate case.

She must also continue counseling, and avoid committing further crimes.

If she complies, she will after two years have her charges reduced from felony to aggravated harassment in the second degree, a class A misdemeanor.

If not, she could be sentenced to four years in state prison.

'Ms Ponsetto displayed outrageous behavior,' said Bragg.

'As a black man, I have personally experienced racial profiling countless times in my life and I sympathize with the young man victimized in this incident.

'This plea ensures appropriate accountability for Ms Ponsetto by addressing underlying causes for her behavior and ensuring this conduct does not reoccur.'

Miya Ponsetto is pictured on Monday in court in Manhattan. She was sentenced to two years probation but avoided jail time for the hate crime

Ponsetto, 23, is pictured in court on Monday for her sentencing

The 23-year-old from California was ordered to keep attending counseling and avoid further encounters with law enforcement for two years, after which she can have her charges reduced to a misdemeanor

Ponsetto is pictured leaving court on Monday with her legal team

Ponsetto was initially unrepentant, telling Gayle King: 'I feel sorry that I made the family go through, like, all of that stress. But at the same time, it wasn't just them going through that. 'I don't feel like this one mistake does define me'

Ponsetto was initially charged with assault following the hotel scuffle, but was in June arraigned on three new counts: unlawful imprisonment as a hate crime, aggravated harassment and endangering the welfare of a child

Ponsetto was dubbed 'SoHo Karen' after she was seen in a video (left) falsely accusing African American jazz artist Keyon Harrold's son Keyon Jr (right) of stealing her iPhone at the Arlo Hotel on December 26

Ponsetto's actions inside the boutique hotel were filmed by Grammy-winning African American jazz artist Keyon Harrold (right) as she approached his son, Keyon Jr. (left)

Keyon Harrold Jr (left) posted a photo of him and his father on November 18, 2021, celebrating his dad's 54th birthday

The teenager is seen in Washington Square in Manhattan in a photo posted to Instagram in April 2021

Harrold Jr (far left) posted a photo on Instagram on Wednesday, celebrating his uncle, Grammy-nominated Robert Glasper (far right)

Ponsetto's attorney said on Monday he was grateful to Bragg.

'Miya Ponsetto has been leading an exemplary life since this incident with the young man close to a year and a half ago,' said Paul D'Emilia.

'We are appreciative of the district attorney's thoughtful and empathetic approach to finding an acceptable conclusion  especially in light of the unreasonable pressure brought to bear by many voices not familiar with the more granular details of what occurred that evening.'

D'Emilia described the encounter as an 'unfortunate misunderstanding' and said the misdemeanor harassment charge to which she will plead if she stays out of trouble 'more realistically reflects her actions that night at the Arlo Hotel.'

He added: 'It is Ms Ponsetto's wish that Keyon Harrold accepts her regrets and apology for her behavior that evening, and that all involved can move forward with added insight and compassion.'

Keyon's concerned father, Grammy-winning African American jazz artist Keyon Harrold, told TMZ in March 2021 that he and the boy's mother Kat Rodriguez were forced to find a trauma therapist for their son following the attack.

He said his son has been left 'seriously traumatized' and made to feel like a criminal, and is asking his parents: 'Why me?'

Harrold said he has taught his son to have 'dignity' and an 'ego' as a young black man but the assault has left Keyon racked with self-doubt.

'I have tried to instill dignity in my son. I'm trying to build his ego, because for so long egos of black men have been shattered,' said Harrold.

He added that he often stays in hotels with his son because of his work as a musician.

But Keyon is becoming fearful of going to hotels due to concerns that the same thing will happen again and someone will accuse him of a crime.

'He wonders if he's good enough to own an iPhone, or whether he's out of place at a nice hotel,' Harrold said.

The teen's family filed a civil lawsuit against Ponsetto and the hotel, alleging racial profiling. The case is pending.

The lawsuit lists Ponsetto as a defendant, as well as Arlo Soho hotel, its owner company Quadrum Hospitality Group, hotel manager Chad Nathan and others.

The lawsuit alleges violation of New York City Human Rights Law and New York State Human Rights Law, and also accuses her of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false imprisonment, negligence, and loss of service.

The hotel and its management group are also accused of negligent hiring, with the lawsuit claiming Nathan 'had a history of racially prejudiced behavior and misconduct.'

Keyon Harrold Sr., right, is joined by attorney Ben Crump, center, and Katty Rodriguez as he speaks to reporters during a news conference to announce the filing of a lawsuit against Arlo Hotels and Miya Ponsetto in March 2021

Attorney Ben Crump, Attorney Paul Napoli along with the Keyon Harrolds father Keyon Harrold Sr and mother Katty Rodrigeuz announce the filing of a law suit against the Arlo Hotel

The new civil suit dives into the altercation from the vantage point of the Harrold family.

'On the day after Christmas, Keyon Harrold and Keyon Harrold, Jr. headed to a restaurant in the lobby of the Arlo Soho Hotel, where they had been staying, in order to have brunch.

'As soon as they entered the lobby, they were suddenly confronted and racially profiled by defendants Chad Nathan and Miya Ponsetto.'

The lawsuit then accuses Ponsetto of chasing and tackling Harrold Jr. after she 'disregarded all of the other non-African American individuals in the lobby.'

Nathan allegedly helped detain Harrold Jr. while hotel security guards stood idly by.

After the attack, Harrold, a Grammy-winning musician, called the police to report what had just occurred.

'As a result of defendants actions, Plaintiffs have suffered loss and injury, including but not limited to physical and emotional pain and suffering, great mental distress, shock, fright, economic loss, humiliation, embarrassment, emotional distress, feelings of racial stigmatization, an increased sense of vulnerability, and unlawful deprivation of their protected rights to exercise and enjoy equal treatment....'

The lawsuit is seeking damages, as well as attorney's fees and costs, but does not list a desired dollar amount.

The boy's mother Katty Rodrigeuz announce the filing of the law suit in March 2021

Attorney Ben Crump flashes the family's lawsuit at the press during the announcement in March 2021

Ponsetto has a long history of run-ins with the law.

On February 28, 2020, Ponsetto was charged with public intoxication after she, her mother and another person were involved in a physical altercation at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills.

On May 29, 2020, and again on October 10, 2020, she was charged in Los Angeles with DUI.

Police were called last May after witness saw her leave a Malibu supermarket 'clearly intoxicated' as she drove away in a vehicle.

Officers responding to a 911 call found her with open containers of alcohol and marijuana in the car. She was also charged with driving with a suspended license.

In the October incident, police responding to a 911 call found Ponsetto in a gas station parking lot, again in a physical altercation with her mother.

The car she had been driving was abandoned at a nearby intersection.

As an officer tried to place her in cuffs, she resisted, and he was seen wrestling her to the ground.

Ponsetto is pictured in her booking photo from January 8, 2021

'I'm not even touching you,' she is heard shrieking. 'You are asking for literally a lawsuit. I didn't do anything to you.'

She was also charged with driving with a suspended license and resisting arrest.

In September 2020, a judge sentenced Ponsetto to summary probation for three years after she pleaded no contest to driving under the influence.

In January 2021, a California judge dropped a misdemeanor count of public intoxication against Ponsetto, related to the February 2020 arrest at the Peninsula.

Her mother, Nicole Ponsetto, pleaded no contest to battery on a police officer and public intoxication in the same incident.

She was sentenced to to 100 hours of community service and entered a 12-month diversion program.

The bystander reports seeing Ponsetto and her mother arguing before getting in a car and driving off

'Soho Karen' Miya Ponsetto was filmed by a bystander hitting out at officers while she was arrested for her DUI in October 2020, months before she went viral

Miya Ponsetto remained defiant after the attack at the hotel just months later, telling Gayle King in early 2021 that she only regretted making the boy 'feel inferior.'

She also denied that race played a role in the incident because she is a 'woman of color.'

'I wasn't racial profiling whatsoever. I'm Puerto Rican,' Ponsetto said.

'I'm, like, a woman of color. I'm Italian, Greek, Puerto Rican.'

Ponsetto did offer a roundabout apology to the boy, saying: 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart.'

She added: 'He is honestly - he's 14? That's what they're claiming? Yeah.

'I'm 22. I've lived probably just the same amount of life as him. Like, honestly. I'm just as a kid at heart as he is.

'I feel sorry that I made the family go through, like, all of that stress. But at the same time, it wasn't just them going through that.

'I don't feel like this one mistake does define me.

'I consider myself to be super sweet. I'm a 22-year-old girl... how is one girl accusing a guy about a phone a crime?'

The CBS sit-down was marked by Ponsetto, wearing a black cap emblazoned with the word 'Daddy,' snapping at King and telling her: 'Alright Gayle, enough' as she was pressed on the incident, and told she was 'old enough to know better.'

Ponsetto remained unapologetic during ensuing media interviews, telling Gayle King that she only regretted making the boy 'feel inferior'

Ponsetto is pictured, sitting next to her lawyer, speaking to Gayle King about the December 2020 incident

NYPD were searching for Ponsetto after the December 2020 attack, and eventually arrested her in LA

Miya Ponsetto, 23, also known as 'SoHo Karen,' is pictured during a court hearing in November

Ponsetto, who was charged after falsely accusing a black teen of stealing her cell phone inside a boutique hotel last December, appeared at Manhattan Supreme Court in November

She was joined by lawyer Paul D'Emilia, who later said his client was 'grossly overcharged'

In November 2021, Ponsetto, asked about the Arlo Hotel incident, said: 'I just wish I had apologized differently.'

Ponsetto's attorney, Paul D'Emilia, informed the court during the November status hearing that she has been seeing a therapist and trying to schedule anger management classes.

Speaking to DailyMail.com outside the courtroom in November, D'Emilia said he believed his client was 'grossly overcharged'.

'She was charged with crimes that were greatly enhanced, if I could say that,' he said.

'We don't feel those charges are appropriate, but hopefully there's something that we can reach that will be satisfactory to everybody.'

Ponsetto's actions inside the boutique hotel were filmed by Grammy-winning African American jazz artist Keyon Harrold as he approached his son, Keyon Jr.

In the recording, Ponsetto is seen pushing and grabbing at the father and son, allegedly even scratching Keyon Sr.'s hands as she attempted to snatch his cell phone, wrongly believing it to be hers.

Ponsetto, who lives in Los Angeles, was initially charged with assault and was permitted to fly back to California on bail, where she remains.

She was arraigned via video conference in June 2021 with three new counts: unlawful imprisonment as a hate crime, aggravated harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.

Ponsetto was flown from her California home in January 2021 and charged

Ponsetto claimed in interviews she'd been stopping everyone in the hotel lobby during the search for her missing phone.

'I was approaching the people that had been exiting the hotel - because in my mind, anybody exiting might be the one trying to steal my phone,' she said.

Moments after the hotel scuffle, an Uber driver returned the missing phone to Ponsetto.

Harrold and Keyon Jr.'s mother, Kat Rodriguez, staged a rally in Manhattan shortly after the incident alongside their attorney Ben Crump and the Reverend Al Sharpton.

'When I saw this story, I thought about how I was one of those kids whose father never took him anywhere for Christmas, never had brunch with my father,' Sharpton said.

'And for this black man to take his black son, put him in a hotel during a pandemic, and spend Christmas with him, raising him, and to be assaulted because of the color of their skin, I wanted to stand with this man and this woman who provided for their son, and they're being criminalized for it.

'The arrogance and audacity of this woman.'
Vladimir Putin launched a mass purge of 150 security officials last night as he prepared for a final military offensive in Ukraine.

The officers from the FSB security service  successor to the KGB  have been removed from their jobs and some have also been arrested.

The desperate Russian president is hunting for traitors after Western intelligence agents obtained his countrys battle plans before the invasion. He is also looking for others to blame after his military push fell short of a quick victory.

It emerged last night that Colonel General Sergei Beseda, head of the FSBs foreign intelligence unit, has been moved to Moscows high-security Lefortovo prison after being on house arrest.

Colonel General Sergei Beseda, head of the FSBs foreign intelligence unit, has been moved to a high security prison as it emerges that 150 security officials have been removed in a purge

Putin is said to be tightening his grip on the security services, the successor to the KGB, as he prepares for a military push into Ukraine's Donbass region in an attempt to save the campaign

Officially, the 68-year-old spy chief is being investigated for embezzlement, but it is understood the Kremlin is blaming him for leaks that have crippled Russias war effort.

The probe is being led by Russias military counter-intelligence service as Putin seeks to block the Wests information pipeline.

Other FSB officials have also been detained for supposedly reporting false information to the Kremlin about the real situation in Ukraine before the invasion, the investigative website Bellingcat reported.

They are said to have filed reports that convinced Putin Russian troops would be welcomed as liberators and that Ukrainian forces would offer scant resistance.

Russias military campaign has never recovered from the Kremlins planning assumptions being so inaccurate.

The Kremlin is understood to blame elements within the FSB for leaks which it thinks may be compromising its military efforts. The security services are also blamed for many incorrect assumptions leading to casualties in Ukraine, such as Russian troops being welcomed

FSB officials have also reportedly been detained for supposedly reporting false information to the Kremlin about the real situation in Ukraine before the invasion, said Bellingcat

Hours before Putins tanks rolled into Ukraine in late February, the British Ministry of Defence published maps showing where the armoured columns were heading.

Since then, UK and US intelligence officers have continued to pass accurate assessments of Russian objectives to the Ukrainians.

They have also enabled Ukraines lethally effective assassination programme targeting Russian army generals and senior officers. Their deaths have left their military units in disarray.

Now, with Russia facing a hugely embarrassing defeat, Putin has begun a Stalinist expulsion of those he considers responsible.

In the past seven weeks Russian forces have suffered a succession of defeats. They were also forced to withdraw from around Kyiv after failing to break through the capital citys defences.

Only a routing of Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine can restore any military credibility to Russias war effort.

It emerged last night that Putin is likely to treble the numbers of Russian troops in the Donbas region in a desperate attempt to salvage a face-saving victory there.

According to Western officials, he intends to trap outnumbered Ukrainian fighters in a deadly pincer movement.

The manoeuvre requires Russian troops moving north from the besieged port city of Mariupol to join up with units pushing south from Izyum.

Last night an official said: As and when Mariupol does fall, if that is what happens, Russian forces would be free to join those attacking from Izyum. Ukraine will face a pincer movement.

The scale of the [Russian] force is yet to be seen. But it is estimated it could be a doubling or trebling of force in Donbas.

Ukrainian soldiers are seen at a Ukrainian frontline in Donbass. It emerged on Sunday that Putin is likely to treble the numbers of Russian troops in the Donbas region in an attempt to seize the whole area before attempting peace talks

Putin intends to trap outnumbered Ukrainian fighters in a deadly pincer movement, cutting them off from the rest of the army and volunteer forces, according to Western intelligence

This could take some considerable time and even then there is the question of how effectively they bring those forces into the battle.

It is a little simplistic to think of a two to one or a three to one advantage. It is more about whether they [the Russians] bring their force to bear at the point of decision, to use their numerical advantage to bring about a decisive engagement [against the Ukrainians].

The fall of Mariupol has been long predicted by many, yet still the Ukrainian forces there continue to fight bravely and effectively. There has also been a humanitarian crisis there for some time.

Western officials believe that Russian battalion tactical groups (BTGs), each with up to 1,000 troops, are heading towards Donbas to reinforce forces already stationed there.

While Moscow has lost nearly 40 BTGs in the fighting so far, as many as 90 remain committed to the Kremlins special military operation.

Russia already holds most of the territory in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions but the Kremlin is seeking to seize the whole area before any further peace talks.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin would not halt its march for any new discussions, accusing Kyiv of failing to reciprocate in previous sessions.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said he sees no reason not to continue with peace talks despite speculation from Western intelligence services that Russia is attempting to improve its military position in Ukraine before negotiating further

Mr Lavrov told state television that he saw no reason not to continue with talks. And although Putin had ordered a suspension of military action during a first round in February, Moscows position had changed, he said.

A decision was made that during the next rounds of talks, there would be no pause [in military action] so long as a final agreement is not reached, he added.

A Western official said: Operations are taking place in Donbas now in a bid to force the issue. How will these redeployed forces be brought into the fight?

There is a tension between the military priorities of regrouping and coordinating ones forces and the political imperative of getting things going.

Some degree of success [in Donbas] may be desirable after more than 40 days of failure. There is a clear intent to reinforce Russias presence in and around Donbas.

Regardless of these reinforcements, it is unclear how Russia will overcome morale issues. It was low to begin with but morale is much lower now.

Russian troops are becoming difficult to lead and ineffective. We have seen many are unwilling to fight.

There will be opportunities for Ukraine to disrupt their operations and there is a window for the UK to support Ukraine militarily and economically.
Bucha has come to epitomise the horrifying war crimes perpetrated in Ukraine.

The images which emerged from this town around 35 miles north-west of Kyiv at the beginning of this month gave the world its first glimpse of the viciousness of the Russian army.

The Ukrainian troops who liberated it from the Russians discovered the decomposing bodies of civilians by the roadside.

Many had apparently been lined up with their hands tied behind their backs and shot at point-blank range. Other corpses were found mutilated or burnt.

And as Ukrainian soldiers painstakingly clear mines and booby-traps from the streets of Bucha, new atrocities are being uncovered every day.

At times, it feels like we are reliving the horrors of the 1940s, when Nazi and Russian troops alike embarked on orgies of blood-letting in Ukraine, the sort of behaviour many of us assumed we would never see again, certainly not in the 21st century.

It is already clear that such horrors are not limited to Bucha, but this once charming town, with a pre-war population of 37,000, has become a symbol of the cruelty and brutality inflicted by the occupying Russians.

And, while some of the images emerging from towns like Bucha are almost too distressing to view, we must not avert our gaze.

We must appreciate precisely what is happening and learn the terrible lessons of a history so recent that the blood stains of the victims are still visible.

Its why my colleagues and I have compiled a detailed account of three separate war crimes, to document the slaughter, and unravel the Kremlins absurd denials.

Case One: Shooting of Dmytro Stefianko

Dmytro Stefianko was killed on March 26 after leaving his mother's home in Bucha to look for supplies with another ma

Dmytro left his mothers home in Bucha at 10am on March 26 to join a friend in search of supplies.

But after crossing some nearby railway tracks, the pair encountered half a dozen Russian troops at a crossroads.

With the help of eye-witnesses, we have managed to piece together what happened next.

After being challenged by the soldiers, the two men fled in fear of their lives. One of the Russians opened fire with an RPK machine gun, peppering the street with bullets and injuring Dmytro.

A shell casing we found at the scene confirms the weapon used, and bullet holes in the fence show where the shooting happened.

While his companion escaped uninjured, Dmytro had taken a bullet to his buttock and was dragged back by the soldiers.

According to witness Oleg Shylo, who was being held by the troops nearby, Dmytro was then shot dead at the side of the road.

Oleg confirmed the identity of the victim after being shown a photo of him later.

Dmytros body eventually ended up in a mass grave next to St Andrews Church in Bucha, where he was laid to rest alongside more than 100 other civilians.

Like him, many had been shot. It will take months to formally identify them all and contact their families.

Case Two: Execution of five men in a cellar

Five bodies were found with their hands tied behind their backs in the cellar of a children's camp, situated on the edge of a large park in Bucha

While the individual stories of summary executions are shocking, they arent the whole story. Russian soldiers repeatedly engaged in more orchestrated murders involving multiple victims at the same location.

One such massacre took place in the cellar of a Soviet-era childrens camp, on the edge of a large park in Bucha. The bodies of five men were found with their hands tied behind their backs.

After the forensic teams had finished their work, we were allowed into the cellar and found a shell casing and bullet that indicated the men were probably shot with armour-piercing 5.45mm rounds from an AK47.

The angle of the bullet holes in the wall suggested the men were kneeling on the floor when they were executed, by a gunman or gunmen standing above them.

Our inquiries revealed that they were a group of everyday tradesmen, including a plumber and a door-installer. Hardly battle-hardened fighting men.

But they had decided to stay in Bucha and help organise the evacuation of other civilians rather than saving themselves, and their bravery proved to be their undoing.

Dmytro Shulmeister was identified as one of the victims by his sister Tatiana when she viewed a grim video of the scene online and recognised his face

The sister of one of the men, Dmytro Shulmeister, spoke for the first time to ITV News about her grief on learning of her brothers death, which was confirmed when she viewed a grim video of the scene online and recognised his face.

Their activities soon brought them to the attention of the occupying Russian forces, she says, who eventually captured, tortured and killed them.

The date of the shooting is unknown.

Through her tears, Tatiana Shulmeister told us: They were kept in that basement, got tortured and brutally abused, and after all that they got executed.

My brother, he didnt even close his eyes. I can still see his eyes in front of me.

He was such a brave man, he was not afraid and did not understand what for Even when being viciously executed he did not close his eyes.

Case Three: Eight men tortured and killed

Two miles to the south of the childrens camp is the site of another mass killing. This time at least eight were murdered and the final death count may be still higher.

The bodies of the men  all bearing signs of torture  were found to the side of a building next to a builders yard in a residential area.

One man had had his fingernails removed and his hands are bound behind his back. Another had been beaten across his back and had his feet tied together with electrical cable.

All appeared to have been shot. We have talked to one witness who not only saw what happened, but also survived it.

The man, who is too afraid to be named, describes how local residents were rounded up by Russian troops and the men of fighting age were segregated from the others.

He managed to prove hed fought in Afghanistan as a Soviet soldier and one of the troops took pity on him because his father had also served there.

One of the eight men, Anatoly Prykhidko, was born in 1983 and may have been targeted because he was with Ukraines territorial defence forces

This proved to be the difference between life and death. He told us how he was then separated from the men designated for execution.

The condemned were led away with their shirts pulled over their heads. He saw them taken around the side of the building and shortly afterwards heard gunshots.

We have managed to identify one of the eight men shot outside the building. He is Anatoly Prykhidko who was born in 1983 and may have been targeted because he was with Ukraines territorial defence forces.

A witness who saw his body told us his cheek had been cut out, there were multiple stab wounds to his torso, and hed been shot through the chest.

The three atrocities we have investigated all bear the hallmarks of a degree of orchestration by the Russian army, which precludes this all being the work of a few rogue units.

I asked Ukraines prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, about how high up the culpability for these war crimes goes. She was blunt in her response.

Of course it was ordered for them to kill civilians because we see gunshots. Thats what you see here in Bucha and other small cities, small villages occupied in Kyiv region, she told me.

Actually you see its not only war crimes, its crimes against humanity. President Putin is the main war criminal of the 21st century. Of course he is responsible for all of this.

What I have seen in Ukraine over the last few weeks will stay with me forever. But we must see this in all its horror, learn from it and hold those responsible to account.
Schools must teach social justice and embed black history across the whole curriculum, the largest teaching union said yesterday.

The National Education Union (NEU) said it would prevent further incidents like the one involving Child Q, a black schoolgirl who was wrongly strip-searched.

At its annual conference, the union rallied against new Government guidance which mandates political impartiality in schools.

It said it was not possible to present a balanced view of imperialism, colonialism and racism in the classroom.

The NEU resolved to distribute its own guidance to its 500,000 members, which will support them to teach issues of social justice.

In addition, it will lobby ministers to force all schools to use materials and resources which reflect the black contribution to society.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has repeatedly been dragged into rows over the UK school curriculum, saying pupils should not be taught a one-sided view of history. Schools must teach social justice and embed black history across the whole curriculum, said the National Education Union

The union believes black perspectives should be embedded in every subject  not just history  as part of its drive to decolonise the curriculum.

A motion on Child Q said the union extended its full solidarity to her and added: This humiliating and degrading sexist and racist treatment must not be repeated.

The education system as a whole must be decolonised before it can truly be anti-racist.

Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary, said: The curriculum must look to the future, but to do this it must speak accurately about the past in relation to black British history and about Britains colonial past.

It comes after schools were accused of indoctrinating children with Left-wing ideology by pushing a woke agenda.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi intervened in February, issuing guidance saying pupils should not be taught a one-sided view of history and current affairs.

However, delegates vowed to fight it in a series of motions passed at yesterdays conference in Bournemouth.

One motion accused the Government of censoring educators and suppressing critical debate about topics such as imperialism and empire.

It committed the NEU to issue union guidance on teaching issues of social justice in schools, which supports members.

The National Education Union has called on the government to take action after it emerged a black schoolgirl who was wrongly strip-searched. The NEU advocates teaching social justice in schools to prevent similar episodes

The union will also lobby exam boards to show diversity in course content and test papers.

Earlier this year, education watchdog Ofsted failed a private school, the American School in London, in an inspection after it imposed a woke agenda which breached political impartiality rules.

Welbeck Primary in Nottingham has boasted about encouraging ten-year-olds to write letters criticising Boris Johnson.

And Brighton and Hove Council wanted teachers to tell children as young as seven they were not racially innocent as part of divisive white privilege lessons.
I own a leasehold flat in London, above some commercial premises, and an application has been made to install a daytime dog kennel right underneath my flat.

We're in the process of complaining, what legal objections can we raise?

We speak to some legal experts about the best way to raise objections about a new daytime dog kennel being installed at a block of flats

MailOnline Property expert Myra Butterworth said: Being a leasehold can be fraught with difficulties.

A good starting point in most cases where issues arise at your property is to begin by carefully reading through the details of the lease.

In this case, some of the points you need to look our for in your lease include something called a covenant of quiet enjoyment, which outlines how a freeholder cannot interfere with your use of the property as a residential space.

However, such covenants may be qualified in some way, meaning that you may have to find another way of objecting to the new kennels.

This may mean using a legal principle called 'derogation from grant', for example. (Scroll down for more information on this.)

We speak to two legal experts about some of your options, to help stop a daytime dog kennel being run from beneath your flat.

Liam Spender, a trustee of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, and a senior associate at Velitor Law, said: The first question is what, if anything, is already there and what is the nature of it.

For example, if there is already a supermarket there, you would not expect it to cause a lot of noise during the day as a supermarket is relatively quiet as far as commercial premises go.

Liam Spender is a trustee of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership

It is all to do with the basis on what the character of the building was, or was intended to be, when you bought.

If you bought on the basis that the block is primarily residential use and it is relatively quiet, with only light commercial use then that is one thing.

But if the freeholder then decides to put in a concert venue in the basement, then that is clearly another thing. It engages a legal principle called derogation from grant.

It means you can't give with one hand and take with the other.

So if I give you a 999 year lease of a piece of land, I can't then box that same land in so that it is impossible for you to get to it. That would be a derogation from grant.

In this case, it means the freeholder can't change the character of the building so that the tenants have to put up with yapping dogs all hours of the day.

Legal experts say the landlord can't change the character of the building in a way that forces tenants to put up with yapping dogs all hours of the day

In virtually all leases on flats, there is also a covenant of quiet enjoyment, which says that the landlord cannot interfere with your use of the property as a residential space.

Stephen Gold, ex-judge and author, explains: Planning permission may be needed for the kennels. This will depend on the present use of the premises. If required, you can object on noise and disturbance grounds.

A licence from the local authority will be required under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. I do not consider that you could object on noise and disturbance grounds.

If the kennels go ahead, it may be possible for you to bring county court proceedings on the ground that the noise from the kennels amounts to a legal nuisance.

It may well become a nuisance if the noise interferes with your reasonable use and enjoyment of the flat.

The court would take account of the nature of the area.

Noise that is classified as a nuisance in a leafy residential road in the suburbs may well not be classified as a nuisance in the middle of Soho.

Stephen Gold is a retired judge and author of 'The Return of Breaking Law'

If satisfied that a nuisance had been proved, the court could grant an injunction which prevented future use of the premises as kennels or required the business to take certain steps to minimise the noise.

Alternatively, it could order the business to pay you compensation.

Courts are more flexible these days in awarding compensation as against an injunction where the nuisance is at the lower end of the scale of seriousness.

The sooner you puts the business on notice, by writing to them, that you intend to bring proceedings if the kennels go ahead, the stronger your quest for an injunction.

As an alternative to or in addition to proceedings against the business, you might have a claim against your landlord who I understand also owns the premises intended to be used as kennels.

The claim would arise if, in your lease, the landlord had covenanted (promised) that you would have peaceful enjoyment of his flat.

This is a common covenant in residential leases. It means that the tenant would have 'undisturbed and peaceful habitation' of where they lived.

The degree and nature of noise that could amount to a legal nuisance could also amount to breach of such a covenant - again leading to an injunction or compensation. You should check your lease.

If you have the benefit of a covenant for peaceful enjoyment, you should immediately inform your landlord that the noise emanating from the intended kennels business would constitute a breach of it and that, if it proceeded, you would have to take the landlord to court to put a stop to it.

Stephen Gold is an ex-judge and author of 'The Return of Breaking Law' published by Bath Publishing. For more on service charges, go to breakinglaw.co.uk
A 'strong' solar storm could mean the Northern Lights will be seen from the UK early this week, according to experts.

The phenomenon, also known as the aurora borealis, could be visible under clear skies in far northern England and Northern Ireland in the evenings from Sunday to Tuesday, says the Met Office.

The Northern Lights are created by disturbances in Earth's magnetosphere caused by a flow of particles from the sun, and are usually concentrated around the Earth's magnetic poles.

The Met Office said the solar storm stems from a coronal mass ejection (CME)  a massive expulsion of plasma from the sun's corona (its outermost layer).

Other potential effects of the solar storm, caused by the CME, are power grid fluctuations and orientation irregularities for spacecraft in the form of 'increased drag' on low-Earth orbiters.

Solar storms lead to the Northern Lights, a natural light display in Earth's sky. Pictured are the Northern Lights in Grotfjord, Norway

WHAT IS A SOLAR STORM? A solar or geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere - the area around Earth controlled by our planet's magnetic field. A solar storm occurs when there is a very efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding Earth Earth's magnetosphere is created by our magnetic field and protects us from most particles the sun emits. But when a CME or high-speed stream arrives at Earth it buffets the magnetosphere. If the arriving solar magnetic field is directed southward it interacts strongly with the oppositely oriented magnetic field of the Earth. The Earth's magnetic field is then peeled open like an onion allowing energetic solar wind particles to stream down the field lines to hit the atmosphere over the poles. Source: NASA Advertisement

In the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a G3 warning for April 10, referring to a 'strong' storm that can affect power systems and spacecraft operations, including orientation issues.

NOAA said a G3 geomagnetic storm was observed at 1:10am EDT (6:10am BST) on April 10, leading to changes in the interplanetary magnetic field.

In the northern hemisphere, there's a chance auroral activity resulting from the storm will last from Sunday to Tuesday (April 10 to April 12).

'Enhancements in the auroral oval are possible over the next couple of days,' the Met Office says.

'Aurora may be visible under clear skies across Scotland and perhaps parts of far northern England and Northern Ireland on the night of 10th into 11th April.

'The aurora oval is expected to gradually decline later on 11th and during 12th April, with aurora sightings becoming less likely.'

In the southern hemisphere, the aurora is also likely 'under clear skies across high latitudes' on the night of April 10-11, and will likewise gradually decline from April 11-12.

Solar activity is surpassing values predicted by NOAA and other weather agencies; in fact, measures of solar activity have been higher than expected since around late 2020.

In the Earth's north, the Northern Lights are officially known as the aurora borealis, while in the south, the event is called aurora australis.

The aurora has fascinated Earthlings for centuries, but the science behind it has not always been understood.

Earth has an invisible forcefield, the magnetosphere, that protects us from dangerous charged particles from the sun.

The magnetosphere is the area around Earth controlled by the planet's magnetic field.

Solar activity is surpassing values predicted by NOAA and other weather agencies. Pictured is a graph showing predicted values for sunspots, a measure for solar activity in (red), with actual values in blue

G3 (Strong) Geomagnetic Storms were observed at 1:10am EDT (6:10am BST) on April 10, says the NOAA

AURORA: A STUNNING NATURAL DISPLAY The Northern and Southern Lights are natural light spectacles triggered in our atmosphere that are also known as the 'auroras'. There are two types of aurora: aurora Borealis, which means 'dawn of the north', and aurora australis, 'dawn of the south.' The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth's atmosphere. Usually the particles, sometimes referred to as a solar storm, are deflected by Earth's magnetic field. But during stronger storms they enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles, including hydrogen and helium. These collisions emit light. Auroral displays appear in many colours although pale green and pink are common. Advertisement

Science communicator and author Marty Jopson explains: 'Whilst it shelters us, it also creates one of the most impressive phenomena on Earth  the Northern Lights.'

'When the deadly solar winds meet Earth's magnetosphere, some of the charged particles get trapped, and are propelled down the Earth's magnetic field lines straight towards the poles.

'And when they reach Earth, they strike atoms and molecules in our atmosphere, releasing energy in the form of light.'

The problem is disruption to our magnetic field creates solar storms that can affect satellites in orbit, navigation systems, terrestrial power grids and data and communication networks.

'Harmful space weather has affected Earth before, but as we become increasingly reliant on systems and technologies vulnerable to the Sun's outbursts, future solar impacts could be even more disruptive,' says the European Space Agency (ESA).

As well as CMEs, such solar events include solar flares  explosions on the Sun that happens when energy stored in 'twisted' magnetic fields is released.

NASA explains: 'There are many kinds of eruptions on the sun. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections both involve gigantic explosions of energy, but are otherwise quite different.

'The two phenomena do sometimes occur at the same time  indeed the strongest flares are almost always correlated with coronal mass ejections  but they emit different things, they look and travel differently, and they have different effects near planets.'

The stunning display of lights we see in the night sky, both in the northern and southern hemispheres, are caused by wild activity on the surface of the Sun

A solar or geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere - the area around Earth controlled by the planet's magnetic field - often caused by CMEs. Pictured, a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun, as captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite on June 17, 2015

Particles from the solar events can travel millions of miles, and some may eventually collide with the Earth.

According to Royal Museums Greenwich, most of the particles are deflected, but some become captured in the Earth's magnetic field.

They're accelerated down towards the north and south poles into the atmosphere  which is why an aurora best seen when nearer the magnetic poles.

'These particles then slam into atoms and molecules in the Earth's atmosphere and essentially heat them up,' said Royal Observatory astronomer Tom Kerss.

'We call this physical process "excitation", but it's very much like heating a gas and making it glow.'
In its position 2.8 billion miles away from the Sun, it's no surprise that Neptune is one of the coldest planets in the Solar System, with average temperatures of -373F (-207C).

Now, a new study has revealed that the ice giant may be even colder than we originally thought.

Researchers from NASA analysed thermal infrared images of Neptune from multiple observatories over almost 20 years.

Their analysis revealed that average temperatures in Neptune's stratosphere unexpectedly dropped by roughly 14F (8C) between 2003 and 2018.

Dr Michael Roman, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Leicester and lead author on the study, said: 'This change was unexpected. Since we have been observing Neptune during its early southern summer, we would expect temperatures to be slowly growing warmer, not colder.'

Researchers from NASA analysed thermal infrared images of Neptune from multiple observatories over almost 20 years. Their analysis revealed that average temperatures in Neptune's stratosphere unexpectedly dropped by roughly 14F (8C) between 2003 and 2018

Neptune: The most distant planet in our solar system Dark, cold, and whipped by supersonic winds, ice giant Neptune is the eighth and most distant planet in our solar system. More than 30 times as far from the Sun as Earth, Neptune is the only planet in our solar system not visible to the naked eye and the first predicted by mathematics before its discovery. In 2011 Neptune completed its first 165-year orbit since its discovery in 1846. NASA's Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have visited Neptune up close. It flew past in 1989 on its way out of the solar system. Source: NASA Advertisement

In the study, the researchers studied thermal infrared images from a range of observatories, including the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and Gemini South telescope in Chile, the Subaru Telescope, Keck Telescope, and the Gemini North telescope, all in Hawaii, and NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

The images revealed that between 2003 and 2018, temperatures in Neptune's stratosphere  the second layer of the atmosphere as you move upward  dropped by 14F (8C).

Like Earth, Neptune experiences seasons.

However, while Earth takes 365 days to complete an orbit around the sun, Neptune takes over 165 years.

This means that seasons on the icy giant change much more slowly, lasting over 40 Earth-years each.

Dr Glenn Orton, Senior Research Scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and co-author of the study, said: 'Our data cover less than half of a Neptune season, so no one was expecting to see large and rapid changes.'

While the thermal data revealed that temperatures across the stratosphere had dropped from 2003 to 2018, surprisingly, the opposite was true for Neptune's south pole from 2018 to 2020.

In the study, the researchers studied thermal infrared images from a range of observatories, including the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and Gemini South telescope in Chile, the Subaru Telescope, Keck Telescope, and the Gemini North telescope, all in Hawaii, and NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope

The images revealed that between 2003 and 2018, temperatures in Neptune's stratosphere  the second layer of the atmosphere as you upward  dropped by 14F (8C)

There, the stratosphere actually warmed by roughly 20F (11C)  something that has never been observed before.

The researchers are currently unsure what is causing these temperature changes.

'Temperature variations may be related to seasonal changes in Neptune's atmospheric chemistry, which can alter how effectively the atmosphere cools,' Dr Roman explained.

'But random variability in weather patterns or even a response to the 11-year solar activity cycle may also have an effect.'

Like Earth, Neptune experiences seasons. However, while Earth takes 365 days to complete an orbit around the sun, Neptune takes over 165 years. This means that seasons on the icy giant change much more slowly, lasting over 40 Earth-years each

The Sun follows an 11-year cycle, during which its activity and sunspots vary. Previous research has suggest that Neptune's visible brightness fluctuates based on this cycle, and the new study reveals a possible link between the planet's temperatures too

The Sun follows an 11-year cycle, during which its activity and sunspots vary.

Previous research has suggested that Neptune's visible brightness fluctuates based on this cycle, and the new study reveals a possible link with the planet's temperatures too.

The team now hopes to use the James Webb Space Telescope to further observe the temperature and cloud patterns on Neptune.

Professor Leigh Fletcher, co-author of the study, added: 'The exquisite sensitivity of the space telescope's mid-infrared instrument, MIRI, will provide unprecedented new maps of the chemistry and temperatures in Neptune's atmosphere, helping to better identify the nature of these recent changes.'
It is well known that the moon's near side looks a lot different to the pockmarked far side we never see.

While the nearside is dominated by the vast, dark-coloured remnants of ancient lava flows, the opposite is virtually devoid of such features.

Why the two sides are so different is one of the moon's most enduring mysteries, but now scientists think they have an explanation.

They believe it relates to a massive impact 4.3 billion years ago near the moon's south pole which sent a huge plume of heat through the lunar interior.

That plume would have carried certain materials  a suite of rare-Earth and heat-producing elements  to the moon's nearside, which in turn would have contributed to the volcanism that created the volcanic plains we see today.

A huge impact 4.3 billion years ago, which formed the South Pole-Aitken basin, melted the moon's mantle and carried elements to the nearside, which would have produced lava flows, according to a Brown University-led study

It would have sent a huge plume of heat through the lunar interior (pictured) and caused lava

WHAT IS THE 'DARK SIDE' OF THE MOON? The far side of the moon - colloquially known as the dark side - actually gets as much light as the near side but always faces away from Earth. The far side of the Moon was first observed in 1959, when the Soviet Luna 3 spacecraft returned the first images. In 1968, astronauts aboard the Apollo 8 spacecraft were the first humans to set eyes on the far side in person as they orbited the moon. Since then, several missions by NASA and other space agencies have imaged the lunar far side. That includes NASAs Deep Impact spacecraft, which imaged the far side from a distance of 31 million miles (49m km) in 2008. This relatively unexplored region is mountainous and rugged, making a successful landing much harder to achieve. China's Chang'e-4 mission that landed in January 2019 was the first to touch down on the surface of the far side. Advertisement

'We know that big impacts like the one that formed SPA [South PoleAitken basin] would create a lot of heat,' said Matt Jones, a PhD candidate at Brown University and the study's lead author.

'The question is how that heat affects the moon's interior dynamics. What we show is that under any plausible conditions at the time that SPA formed, it ends up concentrating these heat-producing elements on the nearside.

'We expect that this contributed to the mantle melting that produced the lava flows we see on the surface.'

The Brown University-led study was carried out with researchers from Purdue University, the Lunar and Planetary Science Laboratory in Arizona, Stanford University and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The differences between the near and far sides of the moon were first revealed in the 1960s by the Soviet Luna missions and the US Apollo program.

While the differences in volcanic deposits are plain to see, it is hoped that future missions would also reveal differences in the geochemical composition as well.

The nearside is home to a compositional anomaly known as the Procellarum KREEP terrane (PKT)  a concentration of potassium (K), rare earth elements (REE), phosphorus (P), along with heat-producing elements like thorium.

KREEP seems to be concentrated in and around Oceanus Procellarum, the largest of the nearside volcanic plains, but is sparse elsewhere on the moon.

Some scientists have suspected a connection between the PKT and the nearside lava flows, but the question of why that suite of elements was concentrated on the nearside remained.

This new study provides an explanation that is connected to the South PoleAitken basin, the second largest known impact crater in the solar system.

For the study, the researchers conducted computer simulations of how heat generated by a giant impact would alter patterns of convection in the moon's interior, and how that might redistribute KREEP material in the lunar mantle.

KREEP is thought to represent the last part of the mantle to solidify after the moon's formation.

As such, it likely formed the outermost layer of mantle, just beneath the lunar crust.

Models of the lunar interior suggest that it should have been more or less evenly distributed beneath the surface.

But this new model shows that the uniform distribution would be disrupted by the heat plume from the SPA impact.

According to the model, the KREEP material would have ridden the wave of heat emanating from the SPA impact zone like a surfer.

The nearside is home to a compositional anomaly known as the Procellarum KREEP terrane (PKT)  a concentration of potassium (K), rare earth elements (REE), phosphorus (P), along with heat-producing elements like thorium (pictured)

The giant South PoleAitken basin has a low concentration of elements such as thorium and titanium on the far side of the moon (right) but a high concentration across the nearside (left)

As the heat plume spread beneath the moon's crust, that material was eventually delivered en masse to the nearside.

The team ran simulations for a number of different impact scenarios, from dead-on hit to a glancing blow.

While each produced differing heat patterns and mobilised KREEP to varying degrees, all created KREEP concentrations on the nearside, consistent with the PKT anomaly.

The researchers say the work provides a credible explanation for one of the moon's best-kept secrets.

'How the PKT formed is arguably the most significant open question in lunar science,' Jones said.

'And the South PoleAitken impact is one of the most significant events in lunar history. This work brings those two things together, and I think our results are really exciting.'

The new study has been published in the journal Science Advances.
They may be considered an eco-friendly way to generate energy, but wind turbines pose a major threat to migrating birds, which are at high risk of colliding with the giant blades while in flight.

Now a new study has identified the collision 'hotspots' where migrating birds such as owls, swans and eagles are most at risk of being killed by turbines or power lines.

The researchers have produced a map, revealing that birds are more likely to get too close to turbines and power lines on key migration routes, on the coast and at key breeding grounds.

Many such spots lie in Mediterranean regions including the South of France, Southern Spain and the Moroccan coastline  such as around the Strait of Gibraltar.

They are also vulnerable in Eastern Romania, on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt and along Germany's Baltic coast.

Researchers say in light of their findings that power lines should not be built in places where birds risk colliding with turbines as they migrate.

New map identifies the collision 'hotspots', where migrating birds such as owls, swans and eagles are most at risk of being killed by turbines or power lines

Researchers used GPS data to work out where migrating birds fly at 'danger height', said to be 15 to 135 metres (50 to 443ft) above wind turbines and 10 to 60 metres (33 to 197ft) above ground near power lines

Collision hotspots for migrating birds The researchers have produced a map, revealing that birds are more likely to get too close to turbines and power lines on key migration routes, on the coast and at key breeding grounds. Many such spots lie in Mediterranean regions including the South of France, Southern Spain and the Moroccan coastline  such as around the Strait of Gibraltar. They are also vulnerable in Eastern Romania, on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt and along Germany's Baltic coast. Advertisement

For the study, researchers led by a team from the University of East Anglia (UEA), looked at GPS data from 65 bird tracking studies to work out where they fly at 'danger height', said to be 15 to 135 metres (50 to 443ft) above wind turbines and 10 to 60 metres (33 to 197ft) above ground near power lines.

The GPS data collected related to 1,454 birds from 27 species  mostly large soaring ones such as white storks.

'The use of high precision GPS devices allow us to study birds' movements in huge detail,' said Phil Atkinson, project supervisor from the British Trust for Ornithology

'Birds do not respect country boundaries and power lines and wind turbines impact migratory birds across their annual cycle, especially for large soaring birds such as raptors and storks.'

Exposure to risk varied across the species, with the Eurasian spoonbill, European eagle owl, whooper swan, Iberian imperial eagle and white stork among those flying consistently at heights where they risk colliding with infrastructure.

The researchers said development of new wind turbines and transmission power lines should be minimised in these high sensitivity areas, and any developments which do occur will likely need to be accompanied by measures to reduce the risk to birds.

'We believe it is the first time GPS tracking data from multiple species has been used in this way,' said lead author Jethro Gauld, a PhD researcher at UEA.

Close-up of the Iberian section of the map shows hotspots in Southern Spain and the Moroccan coastline  such as around the Strait of Gibraltar

Collision hotspots were also identified in Eastern Romania and on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, along important migration routes

The researchers analysed the movements of 1,454 birds from 27 species - mostly large soaring ones such as white storks (pictured)

How do wind turbines work? Wind turbines operate on a simple principle - the energy in the wind turns propeller-like blades around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the main shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity. They work in the opposite way to a fan, instead of using electricity to make wind, like a fan, wind turbines use wind to make electricity. There are two main types of wind turbine that operate on the same basic principle. Off-shore ones are larger and tend to create more energy and are often built in large groups, known as wind farms. These provide bulk power to the National Grid. Advertisement

'We know from previous research that there are many more suitable locations to build wind turbines than we need in order to meet our clean energy targets up to 2050.

'If we can do a better job of assessing risks to biodiversity, such as collision risk for birds, into the planning process at an early stage we can help limit the impact of these developments on wildlife while still achieving our climate targets.

'Our results will help achieve this and in doing so provide better outcomes for people and wildlife.

'Our maps can also help target measures to reduce risks where previously built developments are already causing problems.

'They highlight the areas where existing energy infrastructure is already providing a source of collision risk for these birds.

'It is therefore a key conservation priority for additional measures to reduce collision risk are implemented in these vulnerability hotspots.

'Such measures can include marking power lines to make them more visible and implementing systems to allow shutdown of wind turbines during periods of high bird traffic.'

The academics acknowledge that transitioning to net zero by 2050 is essential if catastrophic climate change is to be avoided.

Onshore wind capacity in Europe is expected to be four times higher in 2050 than it is today, and countries in the Middle East and North Africa, such as Morocco and Tunisia, also have targets to increase the share of electricity supply from onshore wind.

Exposure to risk varied across the species, with the Eurasian spoonbill, European eagle owl, whooper swan, Iberian imperial eagle and white stork. Pictured: a juvenile osprey tagged in central Italy

Onshore wind capacity in Europe is expected to be four times higher in 2050 than it is today, as the world attempts to transition to net zero by 2050

High voltage power lines are also expected to be five times more powerful by the middle of the century.

However, they warn building new wind farms poses a threat to birds and say policymakers should do as much as possible to make sure they are built away from migration hotspots.

'Our maps can also help target measures to reduce risks where previously built developments are already causing problems,' Mr Gauld said.

'They highlight the areas where existing energy infrastructure is already providing a source of collision risk for these birds.

'It is therefore a key conservation priority for additional measures to reduce collision risk are implemented in these vulnerability hotspots.

'Such measures can include marking power lines to make them more visible and implementing systems to allow shutdown of wind turbines during periods of high bird traffic.'

The findings were published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

High voltage power lines are also expected to be five times more powerful by the middle of the century

The news comes after Boris Johnson shelved plans to double or even treble the number of wind turbines in the countryside, and approved plans for up to seven new nuclear reactors instead.

The Prime Minister is said to have rejected ambitious targets presented by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to double the UK's onshore output to 30GW by 2030.

Instead, Tory opposition in the party's shire England heartlands and within the Cabinet means that new atomic power sites in rural areas will now get Government backing.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has also publicly opposed new wind farms in favour of new nuclear sites.

Asked if planning laws should be relaxed to allow for more onshore wind, he told Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: 'I don't favour a vast increase in onshore wind farms, for pretty obvious reasons - they sit on the hills there and can create something of an eyesore for communities as well as actual problems of noise as well.

'So I think for reasons of environmental protection, the way to go with this is largely, not entirely, but largely off-sea.'
Netflix's new documentary, "Return to Space," stars SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk.

This Netflix documentary marks the two-year anniversary of America's triumphant return to crewed spaceflight on the International Space Station.

In the documentary "Return To Space," Elon Musk and his entire SpaceX team chronicle their achievements as they prepare to launch a historic NASA mission on May 30, 2020, to deliver astronauts to the International Space Station from American soil after nine years.

The first crewed SpaceX mission is called Demo-2, which was designed to transport NASA veteran astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to orbit for approximately two months.

Netflix's Return to Space by Elon Musk

Netflix's "Return to Space" is a documentary that follows Demonstration Mission 2, or Demo 2, of SpaceX in 2020. SpaceX, after numerous years of attempting to build a reusable rocket, has successfully built Falcon 9 to the perfection they desire.

It can be seen in the documentary that SpaceX came from humble beginnings. SpaceX spent four years building its first Falcon rocket, but after test-launching Falcon 1, the rocket exploded into pieces, shattering the spacecraft after four years of effort spent on building it.

SpaceX not only failed once but also failed consecutively, exploding three space rockets. The first thing the host says is that Demo-2 is the last thing that NASA needs to do to make sure that SpaceX can send people to the International Space Station on a regular basis.

NASA Astronaut Doug Hurley

NASA astronauts boarded the Crew Dragon of SpaceX, one of whom is astronaut Doug Harley. In the year 2000, Douglas G. Hurley was selected to be an astronaut for NASA.

Hurley served as the spacecraft commander on the first crewed mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon, which launched on May 30, 2020, and safely returned to Earth on August 2, 2020. This explains the highlight of Hurley in the Return to Space documentary.

This mission heralded the beginning of a new era in human spaceflight, with crewed missions to the International Space Station launched from American soil on commercially built and owned spacecraft for the first time.

Hurley graduated with honors from Tulane University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. Prior to joining NASA, he served in the United States Marine Corps as a fighter pilot and test pilot.

Apparently, Doug Hurley is now a retired NASA astronaut. Doug Hurley recently announced his retirement from NASA after 21 years of service. According to NASA, his last day with the company was July 16, 2021. Hurley retired after having been in space for a total of 93 days at this point.

Read Also: #SpaceSnap: NASA Perseverance Rover Looks Back at Wheel Tracks

NASA Astronaut Bob Behnken

NASA astronaut Bob Behnken is another crew member among the spaceflights featured in the documentary.

Both Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken were selected as astronauts by NASA in 2000. "Return to Space" describes Behnken as a brilliant mechanical engineer.

It was after the space shuttle Columbia broke apart that Colonel Behnken trained on how to be a member of the International Space Station crew. He also worked on the last Hubble servicing mission as a mission specialist on the STS-400 launch-on-need rescue flight.

"Return to Space" will allow viewers to see his recent return journey to the International Space Station, where he participated in the Crew Dragon certification test flight, which was completed by SpaceX.

NASA astronaut Bob Behnken served as a Joint Operations Commander on the first crewed flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon, the Demo-2 mission, which can be seen in the documentary.

According to NASA, during his ten spacewalks, he has accumulated a total of 93 days in space and 61 hours of extravehicular activity time. Besides that, he has also done a lot of other things related to human spaceflight, like serving as NASA's Chief Astronaut from 2012 to 2015.

Furthermore, in this documentary, with images of early SpaceX rockets bursting into roiling fireballs, tears of anticipation, and nervous preparation, this documentary shows the behind-the-scenes of the pivotal step in the evolution of commercial spaceflight.

"Return to Space" also shows the unfortunate disasters that have been experienced throughout the years, such as the Challenger explosion in 1986 and the Space Shuttle Columbia.

This documentary is a must-see for anyone interested in space travel, astronomy, science, and STEM enthusiasts. It also gives a close-up look at the SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft, as well as a list of fun pre-launch superstitions.

Related Article: Life on Mars? NASA Discovers Abundant Water Source In The Red Planet
The psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms helps to open up depressed people's brains and stop them getting stuck in a negative pattern of thinking, a new study has suggested.

Researchers said psilocybin  found in the mushrooms  made the brain more flexible, working differently from regular antidepressants, even weeks after use.

It is not the first time the drug has been suggested as a way to tackle depression, but the authors of the latest study believe their findings indicate that it could be a real alternative approach to treatments.

They said patterns of brain activity in depression can become rigid and restricted, and psilocybin could help the brain to break out of the rut in a way traditional therapies cannot.

However, the experts at Imperial College London cautioned that patients with depression should not attempt to self-medicate with psilocybin.

The psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms helps to open up depressed people's brains and make them less fixed in negative thinking patterns, a study has suggested (stock)

HOW CAN MAGIC MUSHROOMS TREAT DEPRESSION? Psilocybin is one of several psychedelic drugs that have recently reemerged from the shadows with promises to treat mental illnesses and addictions. Portrayals in stone carvings and rock paintings that predate recorded history suggest people discovered the hallucinogenic powers of 'magic' mushrooms as early as 9000 BC. The fungi were once the centre piece of religious ceremonies. In 1959 a chemist at the pharmaceutical company Albert Hofmann identified and separated out the psychoactive compound in mushrooms, known as psilocybin. Psilocybin is a similar shape to the 'feel good' neurotransmitter serotonin and binds to some of the same receptors in the brain. It appears in brain scans to treat depression by making the amygdala more responsive to emotions. And patients are better able to process these feelings and feel relief from their symptoms weeks later. Other research suggests the drug 'resets' neural circuits that create negative feedback loops in patients' brains. Advertisement

Professor David Nutt, head of the Imperial Centre for Psychedelic Research, said: 'These findings are important because for the first time we find that psilocybin works differently from conventional antidepressants  making the brain more flexible and fluid, and less entrenched in the negative thinking patterns associated with depression.

'This supports our initial predictions and confirms psilocybin could be a real alternative approach to depression treatments.'

The paper's senior author Professor Robin Carhart-Harris, former head of the Imperial Centre for Psychedelic Research who is now based at University of California, San Francisco, said: 'The effect seen with psilocybin is consistent across two studies, related to people getting better, and was not seen with a conventional antidepressant.

'In previous studies we had seen a similar effect in the brain when people were scanned whilst on a psychedelic, but here we're seeing it weeks after treatment for depression, which suggests a "carry over" of the acute drug action.'

Psilocybin is one of a number of psychedelics being explored as a potential therapy for psychiatric disorders.

The new findings are based on analysis of brain scans from around 60 people receiving treatment for depression, led by Imperial College London's Centre for Psychedelic Research.

The team behind the study believes it may have untangled how psilocybin works on the brain.

The results, taken from two combined studies, reveal that people who responded to psilocybin-assisted therapy showed increased brain connectivity not just during their treatment, but up to three weeks afterwards.

Researchers suggest the findings indicate that psilocybin  found in magic mushrooms  could be a real alternative approach to depression treatments (stock image)

This opening up effect was associated with people reporting improvements in their depression.

According to the researchers, similar changes in brain connectivity were not seen in those treated with a conventional antidepressant  escitalopram  suggesting the psychedelic works differently in treating depression.

They said their findings are a promising advance for psilocybin therapy, with the effects replicated across two studies.

But the authors caution that while the findings are encouraging, patients with depression should not attempt to self-medicate with psilocybin, as taking magic mushrooms or psilocybin in the absence of trial conditions may not have a positive outcome.

The study has been published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Chelsea will be without Romelu Lukaku for their Champions League clash at Real Madrid on Tuesday, boss Thomas Tuchel has confirmed - but he has been given a lift after Cesar Azpilicueta tested negative for Covid and will be available.

The Blues travel to the Santiago Bernabeu facing a difficult task after losing their home leg 3-1 last week - with Karim Benzema netting a hat-trick on a miserable night for the reigning European champions.

Lukaku featured in that game - earning the wrath of Tuchel and Chelsea supporters after being guilty of missing a sitter following his introduction in the second half.

Romelu Lukaku will miss Chelsea's trip to Real Madrid as he struggles with an achilles injury

The Belgian has struggled to make an impact since his 95m move from Inter Milan last year

His bad luck continued at the weekend when he was ruled out of Chelsea's trip to Southampton after picking up an achilles problem - and that is still an issue as the team head to Madrid.

Despite Lukaku being unavailable for the Madrid game, there was better news on Azpilicueta, who also missed the Southampton clash having tested positive for Covid prior to kick-off.

Thomas Tuchel told the media: 'The injury situation is that Callum Hudson-Odoi is still out, Ben Chilwell of course still out.

'Romelu will not travel with us due to his pain in the achilles. Azpilicueta is in the group. He has tested several times negative and Ross Barkley is sick, he will not travel. Everybody else is in the squad.'

Lukaku missed the trip to Southampton but Chelsea won 6-0 at St Mary's regardless

Timo Werner (C) and Mason Mount stepped up by grabbing a brace each in the romp

However, Chelsea didn't need him on the south coast this weekend as they romped to a 6-0 victory at St Mary's, with Mason Mount and Timo Werner stepping up to score a brace each, while Kai Havertz was also on target.

Lukaku has struggled to make an impact this season since his big 95million move from Inter Milan last summer - making a promising start initially by netting on his debut before falling away and suffering with a series of injuries.

He has scored just five Premier League goals this term and his last domestic strike came all the way back in December against Brighton.
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Saying a little prayer is appropriate at this pint-sized chapel.

The Little Chapel on Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, is one of the world's smallest chapels, measuring just 16ft by 9ft.

The bijou place of worship, tucked away in Les Vauxbelets valley, feels magical and otherworldly, and not just because of its size, but thanks to the thousands of seashells, pebbles, and pieces of broken china that adorn it. They create a mosaic effect that could keep the eyes busy for days.

The Little Chapel was the third chapel on Guernsey conceived by a monk from France called Brother Deodat Antoine, who died without seeing his creation completed

The bijou place of worship, tucked away in Les Vauxbelets valley, feels magical and otherworldly, and not just because of its size - 16ft by 9ft - but thanks to the thousands of seashells, pebbles, and pieces of broken china that adorn it. Pictured is MailOnline Travel's Sadie Whitelocks exploring the dinky construction

Iridescent mother of pearl shells are dotted around the exterior and interior and shimmer in the sun and small stained-glass windows cast a rainbow of colour on the floors, which have been fashioned out of smooth pebbles.

It's impossible not to be wowed by the jewel-box-like aesthetics.

Despite how busy the decor is, however, the atmosphere inside is one of total tranquillity.

The mosaic-like decor 'could keep the eyes busy for days', reveals Sadie

In 1977, a committee was established to restore the chapel and today it falls under the care of The Little Chapel Foundation. Public donations are used to keep it intact. Pictured left is Sadie during her visit

The Little Chapel was the third chapel on Guernsey conceived by a monk from France called Brother Deodat Antoine, who died without seeing his creation completed.

Brother Deodat was part of a Catholic religious order called The Brothers of the Christian Schools, which dispersed in 1904, explains thelittlechapel.gg, when the French government banned faith schools.

Many in the order left France to practice their faith in exile, with one group heading to Guernsey and buying Les Vauxbelets, where they built an estate containing 'a large wooden hut, a stone building and a farm'.

Brother Deodat arrived in Guernsey in December 1913 and was struck by the idea to create a mini version of the grotto and basilica at Lourdes in France.

The upshot was a dinky chapel measuring just 9ft long by 4.5ft wide, but he pulled it down after it received 'caustic criticism'.

Chapel No.2, reveals thelittlechapel.gg, was built during the First World War and was big enough for four worshippers. But in 1923, we learn, this one was destroyed by Brother Deodat as well when the plump Bishop of Portsmouth visited and failed to fit through the door.

Brother Deodat arrived in Guernsey in December 1913 and was struck by the idea to create a mini version of the grotto and basilica at Lourdes in France

Brother Deodat's first chapel measured just 9ft long by 4.5ft wide, but he pulled it down after it received 'caustic criticism'

Brother Deodat's second chapel, reveals thelittlechapel.gg, was built during the First World War and was big enough for four worshippers. But in 1923, we learn, this one was destroyed by Brother Deodat as well when the plump Bishop of Portsmouth visited and failed to fit through the door. The third and final chapel took decades to finish

Brother Deodat was still determined to create his mini basilica, though, and worked on a third and final chapel - the Little Chapel that exists today - for years, carefully decorating it with broken china and pebbles.

It was nearly finished when the Second World War broke out in 1939, but Brother Deodat was forced to return to France due to ill health.

After his departure, the care of the Little Chapel was entrusted to a fellow monk, Brother Cephas, who continued to decorate the building until his retirement in 1965.

In 1977, a committee was established to restore the chapel and today it falls under the care of The Little Chapel Foundation.

Public donations are used to keep it intact.

The chapel is open from 9am to 4pm throughout the summer and there is no entry charge.

More information can also be found at www.visitguernsey.com/see-and-do/things-to-do/the-little-chapel.
They're the only successful couple from this year's season of Married At First Sight.

But there may be trouble in paradise for Olivia Frazer and Jackson Lonie, with the pair displaying vastly different levels of affection for one another on social media.

Olivia gushes over her boyfriend in her recent Instagram uploads, but Jackson instead prefers to post about his 'love for the boys and beer', reports news.com.au.

Hmm! There may be trouble in paradise for MAFS couple Olivia Frazer and Jackson Lonie, with the pair displaying vastly different levels of affection for one another on social media

Teaching assistant Olivia, 28, wrote in her most recent post: 'From first sight to my last breath, I'll be loving him.'

By contrast, 30-year-old Jackson declared on his Instagram page: 'I love beer, beery beer beer down in my tummy.'

It comes after the couple recently revealed their plans to start a family together.

Worrying: Olivia gushes over her boyfriend in her recent Instagram uploads, but Jackson instead prefers to post about his 'love for the boys and beer'

The lovebirds told New Idea last week they are already thinking about marriage and kids after shacking up together on the NSW Central Coast.

'Babies are definitely on the brain,' Olivia told the magazine.

However, she said they will go travelling and legally tie the knot before having kids.

'We want to travel, buy a house, and make our marriage legal before we're ready for a bub,' she explained.

Jackson said he already has 'dad jokes' at the ready.

Next steps: It comes after the couple recently revealed they plan to start a family together

The pair announced at the final reunion dinner party they had moved into a 'beach shack' on the Central Coast.

'We've got some pretty big news. We've moved in together. Official as of yesterday,' plumber Jackson told his MAFS co-stars.

Olivia said she was thrilled when Jackson agreed to leave his home in Melbourne so they could start a new life together on the coast.

But despite this big move, she revealed Jackson had not yet 'dropped the L-bomb'.

However, she said she did not want to scare him off by pressing the issue.
Karl Stefanovic has told friends he regrets putting his Queensland mansion on the market and is now relieved it failed to sell at auction.

The five-bedroom, five-bathroom home in Sunshine Beach, Noosa, went under the hammer in March, but there were no takers willing to meet the $7.5million reserve.

The Today show host, 47, and his wife Jasmine, who are based in Sydney, will now use the property as a weekender, reports The Australian.

Millionaire's getaway: Karl Stefanovic has told friends he regrets putting his Noosa mansion on the market and is now relieved it failed to sell at auction. The five-bedroom home in Sunshine Beach (pictured) went under the hammer in March but failed to meet its $7.5million reserve

The Stefanovics plan to spend two weekends a month at their luxury getaway.

Purchased in 2019 for $3.5million, Karl has reportedly told friends he 'loves the place' and is now only prepared to sell if he can get 'silly money'.

'Karl has been very sanguine about selling,' a friend told the newspaper. 'The prospect of losing it has crystallised his belief he needs to spend more time there.'

Karl had hoped to sell for $7.5million because of the property boom in the area, but it looks like the reserve price was a little too optimistic.

Holding on: The Today host, 47, and his wife Jasmine, who are based in Sydney, will now use the property as a weekender, reports The Australian. (The Stefanovics are seen here in 2017)

When announcing the listing of the multi-storey home in early March, Karl explained he and Jasmine weren't spending enough time at the house to justify ownership.

The Stefanovics spent an estimated $1million renovating the property, which overlooks Sunshine Beach, adding a 'teenage retreat', a bathroom and a wine cellar.

Offering stunning ocean views, other features include a three-car garage, a swimming pool and outdoor entertaining area.

Stylish: Purchased in 2019 for $3.5million, Karl has reportedly told friends he 'loves the place' and is now only prepared to sell if he can get 'silly money'. (Pictured: one of the bedrooms)

Luxury: The Stefanovics spent $1million renovating the property, which overlooks Sunshine Beach, adding a 'teenage retreat', a bathroom and a wine cellar. (Pictured: the living room)

The house is just 200 metres away from the beach.

Karl and Jasmine have strong links to Queensland and often celebrate important holidays with their families in Noosa.

The Channel Nine presenter studied journalism in the Sunshine State and started his career in Rockhampton. Meanwhile, Jasmine's family still lives in Brisbane.
Bachelor Nation's Clayton Echard denied claims that he cheated on his partner, Susie Evans, in a set of videos that were shared to his Instagram Story on Saturday.

The 28-year-old media personality was faced with claims of infidelity when a TikTok user claimed that he had flirted and spent a night with her in New York City.

The medical sales representative took to his Story to dispel the rumors and clarify that he had not made the trip and assert that he was the victim of false accusations.

Shooting them down: Bachelor Nation's Clayton Echard denied claims that he cheated on his partner, Susie Evans, in a set of videos that were shared to his Instagram Story on Saturday; he is seen in December of 2021

Echard began the video by stating: 'I can't even believe I'm addressing this, this is ridiculous, but let's just make this as easy as possible.'

He proceeded to show how his phone's settings to prove that he was not in New York City at any time in the recent past.

The media personality went on to show how he was at a gym in Arizona at the time that the alleged affair occurred.

Echard also captioned his videos with a short message that read: 'People that make these false accusations should be held accountable. Trying to gain clout by ruining a relationship is embarrassing and extremely immature.'

Allegations: The 28-year-old media personality was faced with claims of infidelity when a TikTok user claimed that he had flirted and spent a night with her in New York City; he is seen with Evans in

Speaking his mind: Echard also captioned his videos with a short message that read: 'People that make these false accusations should be held accountable. Trying to gain clout by ruining a relationship is embarrassing and extremely immature'

The former Bachelorette contestant subsequently shared a text conversation between him and the individual who made the allegations against him, and she notably sent him a message that read: 'Your proof isn't proof lmao.'

The medical sales representative went on to describe how it would have been impossible to travel to New York City to see her during the time period she gave in her video.

Echard had also sent her a message that read: 'Good luck, Sasha. Hope you learn a valuable lesson through this. Not all publicity is good publicity.'

Several of the media figure's friends, including numerous personalities from Bachelor Nation, expressed their support for him after the videos were posted to his account.

Letting her know: Echard had also sent her a message that read: 'Good luck, Sasha. Hope you learn a valuable lesson through this. Not all publicity is good publicity'

According to Us Weekly, Evans responded to the allegations with a comment that was left on an Instagram post on Sunday.

The media outlet reported that the videographer wrote: 'Lmao I know that man loves the s*** out of me. He would never.'

Echard and his partner, 28, initially met during the 26th season of The Bachelor, which ended last month.

The sales representative was previously a contestant on the 18th season of The Bachelorette, which premiered last October.

On screen: Echard and his partner, 28, initially met during the 26th season of The Bachelor, which ended last month; he is seen in

The media figure gave the final rose to Evans during The Bachelor's most recent finale, although she rejected his engagement proposal.

However, she later revealed that they had reconciled and were working on their relationship in a slower manner.

Echard spoke about his romance with Evans during an interview with Us Weekly, where he noted that he and his partner were fully invested in strengthening their connection.

'We're gonna give this every chance that we can. We love each other. And as of right now, we're both very, very happy,' he said.

Making an effort: Echard spoke about his romance with Evans during an interview with Us Weekly, where he noted that he and his partner were fully invested in strengthening their connection

The medical sales representative also gushed about his girlfriend, whom he greatly admired.

'I want to give her everything because she absolutely deserves it because she is like somebody that I've never met,' he stated.

Evans also spoke about their then-planned move to Virginia Beach, where they plan to work on their relationship.

She stated: 'he was ready to uproot and figure out [what's] next for him and he's totally on board to come to Virginia Beach. So, we're gonna give it a shot.'
Nigella Lawson has revealed how the early deaths of her mother and sister influenced her views on ageing.

The celebrity chef, 62, told New Idea that worrying about getting older seems 'odd' to her having lost loved ones who died before their time.

'My mother died at 48 and my sister died at 32, so to mind about getting older would be slightly odd,' she told the magazine.

Perspective: Nigella Lawson (pictured on January 22, 2016 in Sydney) has revealed how the early deaths of her mother and sister influenced her views on ageing

'I'm much more concerned with my health and keeping mobile. It might sound corny, but if you're well, then that really is the most important thing,' she added.

Nigella lost her mother Vanessa Salmon in 1985 to liver cancer. Her sister Thomasina died from breast cancer eight years later, in 1993.

This wasn't her only experience with grief, as her first husband, journalist John Diamond, was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1997 and died in March 2001.

Wise: The 62-year-old (seen here in her twenties) told New Idea that worrying about getting older seems 'odd' to her having lost loved ones who died before their time. 'My mother died at 48 and my sister died at 32, so to mind about getting older would be slightly odd,' she said

The MasterChef Australia star, who is known for her age-defying appearance, said she doesn't focus too much on ageing.

'You can't get too stressed about it because it's going to happen,' she said.

But she admitted she is sometimes reminded of her age when she looks at her hands and thinks to herself: 'Oh, my God!'

'But what are you going to do? It's just life,' Nigella added. 'Since you can't change it, there's no point in focusing on it too much.'

Family: Nigella lost her mother Vanessa Salmon in 1985 to liver cancer. Her sister Thomasina died from breast cancer eight years later, in 1993. (The Lawson family is pictured here in 1965)

Loss: This wasn't her only experience with grief, as her first husband, journalist John Diamond, was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1997 and died in March 2001. (They are pictured in 2000)

Nigella is in Australia for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. There are rumours she could also film a guest role for MasterChef while in the country.

The celebrated food writer told Good Housekeeping last month she just wants to live in the moment.

'I now understand how important it is to stay in the moment and not worry about all the things that could go wrong,' she told the magazine.

'At this point in my life, if something is making me happy, I don't want to chip away at it thinking, 'Oh, this is going to end,' because that feels ungrateful.'
Operation Mincemeat (12A)

Rating:

The remarkable story of Operation Mincemeat, the covert Second World War scheme to dupe the Germans into thinking Allied invasion forces would land in Greece rather than Sicily, has been told before on the big screen, in the 1956 film The Man Who Never Was.

But back then, not all the details were known of an extraordinary act of subterfuge, one said to have changed the course of the war.

For example, official secrecy still surrounded the true identity of a corpse which was dressed in naval uniform and allowed to wash up on the coast of neutral Spain, carrying fake papers which British intelligence chiefs hoped would fall into the hands of German spies. As they duly did.

Johnny Flynn, Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen pictured in the new film Operation Mincemeat

However, we now know the body was that of Glyndwr Michael, a Welshman with mental health problems living down and out in London, who died after eating rotting food laced with rat poison.

John Madden's new film, inspired by Ben Macintyre's bestselling book of the same name, dramatises an astonishing sequence of events, starting with three intelligence officers, Ewen Montagu (Colin Firth), Charles Cholmondeley (Matthew Macfadyen) and a certain Lieutenant-Commander Ian Fleming (Johnny Flynn), cooking up their plan to deceive Hitler.

Once a corpse of the right age has been found and given a new identity  no longer a Welsh tramp but Major William Martin, a heroic Royal Marines officer  Montagu and his team, which also includes the formidable Hester Leggett (Penelope Wilton) and MI5 secretary, Jean Leslie (Kelly Macdonald), begin the meticulous process of giving him a back story, including a sweetheart, Pamela.

They know the Germans will check the dead man's credentials. Every detail must be watertight.

The fierce head of Naval Intelligence, Admiral Godfrey (Jason Isaacs), thinks the plan idiotic.

But Winston Churchill (Simon Russell Beale, sensibly eschewing an impersonation) is willing to do anything that might stop the Nazis from anticipating the 1943 Sicily landings.

If they're ready and waiting, he grunts ominously, then 'history herself will avert her eyes from the slaughter'.

Simon Russell Beale as Winston Churchill and Jason Isaacs as Admiral Godfrey in Operation Mincemeat

And so the scheme unfolds, with the connivance of British consulate staff in Spain, and in the hope that an autopsy there will not reveal how 'Bill Martin' really died.

Moreover, the deception also depends on the Germans thinking that the British are desperate to get the papers back, unseen.

A splendidly prosaic ruse, placing a tiny eyelash in one of Bill's letters, helps to determine whether it's been read. The 'fate of the free world' hangs on this intricate game of bluff and counter-bluff.

Madden, the director, has impressive form in depicting a certain kind of Englishness; his credits include The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011).

He's a master of period drama, too, with Mrs Brown (1997), Shakespeare in Love (1998) and Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001) under his belt.

This mostly absorbing film represents another firm tick in an illustrious career, even if Michelle Ashford's screenplay at times falls into the trap of characters enlightening the audience rather than each other.

The Sicily landings are 'the largest amphibious assault the war has seen', says one naval man to another, who, I think we can safely assume, already knows.

Lorne Macfadyen, Paul Ritter, Matthew Macfadyen and Colin Firth pictured in Operation Mincemeat

Nor was I at all convinced by an unnecessary sub-plot, designed to crank up tension between Montagu and Cholmondeley, who are both chastely in love with Leslie (a rather stiff performance by Macdonald) in frightfully repressed 1940s fashion. See also David Lean's Brief Encounter (1945).

Yet there is so much gripping detail in Operation Mincemeat that none of that really matters. However much dramatic licence has been taken, one incontrovertible fact remains: That this is an astounding true story.

You'll notice, if you've read Macintyre's excellent book, that some of the more outlandish particulars have even been tempered to make them more credible.

Those who knew the real Cholmondeley, who 'gazed at the world through thick pebble spectacles, from behind a remarkable moustache six inches long and waxed into magnificent points', would not necessarily recognise him in the perfectly dishy Macfadyen, who nevertheless does his best to present as hapless and lovelorn.

There is one other sumptuous ingredient that this film shares with The Man Who Never Was: The corpse needed transporting from London to Scotland, where it was put on a submarine bound for Spain, in double-quick time.

To that end, they used a top British racing driver, St John Horsfall (Mark Bonnar), to get it there.

When Ian Fleming, dashingly played by Flynn and sporadically used here as a narrator, later came to create James Bond, he more than anyone must have known that truth is at least twice as strange as fiction.

Operation Mincemeat opens across the UK on Friday
Matthew Perry was spotted looking fit on Friday, while visiting a friend in Pacific Palisades with a mystery brunette female companion.

The actor, 52, who is best known for playing Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom Friends, rocked a slimmed-down frame and sported a smattering of salt and pepper facial hair.

Perry, who has previously battled addictions to Vicodin, methadone, amphetamines and alcohol through the years and had two stints in rehab, appeared to be in good spirits during the outing.

Looking good! Matthew Perry rocked a slimmed-down frame on Friday, while visiting a friend in Pacific Palisades (Pictured right 0n Sep 25 2021)

Mystery beauty: The actor, 52, who is best known for playing Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom Friends, arrived with a mystery brunette female companion

The four-time Emmy nominee wore a long-sleeve plaid shirt over a grey T-shirt and black sweatpants.

He finalized the look with a pair of white converse shoes, and donned round sunglasses atop his head.

Meanwhile his female companion - who bore a close resemblance to his ex-fiancee, Molly Hurwitz, 30 - looked summer ready in a nude crop top and Daisy Duke shorts that showed off her toned legs.

Brunette stunner: The brunette beauty bore a close resemblance to his ex-fiancee, Molly Hurwitz, 30, whom he split from in June of 2021

She was spotted holding a McDonald's bag, while Matthew carried a cup from the fast food chain.

The stunning brunette shielded her eyes with a pair of black sunglasses, and wore her long tresses curled and cascading down her back.

The two were spotted standing outside of a large wooden gate as they punched in a code on the key pad.

Casual look: The four-time Emmy nominee wore a long-sleeve plaid shirt over a grey T-shirt and black sweatpants

Cool guy: He finalized the look with a pair of white converse shoes, and donned a pair of round sunglasses atop his head

The actor called off his engagement to Hurwitz - a literary manager - in June of 2021.

'Sometimes things just don't work out and this is one of them. I wish Molly the best,' he said in a statement to PEOPLE at the time.

Perry and Hurwitz began dating in 2018 and got engaged in November 2020.

Last year the actor sparked concern after his appearance on Friends: The Reunion, on HBO Max, about the famous show, which was on-air for 10 seasons on NBC, from 1994 to 2004.

Fans noticed Perry's slurred speech in promos, which was later addressed as due to an 'emergency tooth procedure' performed on the day of filming.

Summer ready: Matthew's beautiful companion looked summer ready in a nude crop top and Daisy Duke shorts that showed off her toned legs

McDonald's lunch: She was spotted holding a McDonald's bag, while Matthew carried a cup from the fast food chain

Meanwhile critics noted there was 'palpable unease' on set of the reunion. 'The special ultimately declines to discuss any of his troubled experience explicitly, but it nonetheless lingers around the margins with palpable unease,' Variety critic Caroline Framke wrote.

'When his castmates talk about staying in touch with each other, he cracks a joke about how he doesn't hear "from anyone" so dryly that it's impossible to tell if it's actually a joke,' she added.

In the cheery 104-minute special, Perry also told his co-stars how he felt every night 'like I was going to die if they didn't laugh,' and acknowledged that 'it wasn't healthy, for sure.'

Cute look: The stunning brunette shielded her eyes with a pair of black sunglasses, and wore her long tresses curled and cascading down her back

Getting in: The two were spotted standing together outside of a large wooden house gate

The Massachusetts-born, Ottawa-raised actor's confession lead Emmy winner Lisa Kudrow - who played Phoebe Buffay - to respond with concern that the cast 'never knew that.'

Perry will be speaking out about his story in more detail as he announced that his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, will be out this year.

'The highs were high, the lows were low. But I have lived to tell the tale, even though at times it looked like I wouldnt. And its all in here,' the Whole Nine Yards star shared on his Instagram in regards to the book.

The memoir is set to hit the shelves on November 1.
Kourtney Kardashian appeared on Instagram on Sunday to share a roundup of photos with her 169 million followers.

The oldest of the Kardashian siblings, 42, wrote in the caption, 'week in the life,' with multiple emojis.

The Poosh founder started off the photo collection with a previously shared picture of her and her fiance Travis Barker in a Las Vegas wedding chapel.

New post: Kourtney Kardashian appeared on Instagram on Sunday to share a roundup of photos with her 169 million followers

Also included in the lineup were pictures from the reality TV star's Camp Poosh event held in Palm Springs last week.

The couple wore matching his and hers hooded sweatshirts that said 'est. 2022 Camp Poosh Palm Desert, CA, USA.'

The two took their coordination to the next level by matching their jeans as well, with both in the same of light wash denim.

They also matched their sneakers, both opting for pairs of black and white Chuck Taylor-style sneakers.

Life outtakes: The oldest of the Kardashian siblings, 42, wrote in the caption, 'week in the life,' with multiple emojis

In one of the two images the fiances shared a kiss while sitting in a chair at the event.

Kardashian sat on her soon-to-be husband's lap and held his head in her hands while he simultaneously wrapped his arms around her.

They wore their hoods over their heads, obscuring their faces with the headwear.

In the second capture they stood side by side with Travis affectionately holding his lady's lower back.

Flashback: Included in the lineup were pictures from the reality TV star's Camp Poosh event held in Palm Springs last week

Chat: Another photo showed the two lovebirds in conversation with friend, public relations guru Simon Huck

Another photo showed the two lovebirds in conversation with friend, public relations guru Simon Huck.

They stood in a doorway appearing to be in deep discussion as Kourtney flaunted her figure in a skintight snakeskin mini dress.

The fashionista added a cropped leather motorcycle jacket and wore her dark bob in a textured half-up, half-down style.

The in-demand drummer wore a black blazer with silver-toned studs throughout and crossed his arms.

Loving partner: The slideshow continued with a snapshot of the two walking together in a hallway as Travis wrapped an arm around Kourtney

The slideshow continued with a snapshot of the two walking together in a hallway as Travis wrapped an arm around Kourtney.

It was taken during their recent trip to Las Vegas for the 2022 Grammy Awards ceremony, where Travis performed.

The rockstar sported a leather biker jacket that said 'What are you staring at a*****e,' and his partner wore a black moto jacket as well.

Kourtney's had a feminine flair, as hers was embellished with heart-shaped studs along the back.

Cute: In another outtake the duo sipped a tall smoothie from a shared cup with two straws

In another outtake the duo sipped a tall smoothie from a shared cup with two straws.

Both wore black sunglasses as Travis held the beverage and Kourtney held the straw carefully in her mouth.

Her dark hair was pulled into an imperfect low ponytail with loose pieces falling out in the front.

The musician wore a red graphic t-shirt as they sat inside a restaurant.

Perspective: Kourtney posted an artful snap of one of her red-manicured hands partially shown as she rested it on a notepad

Hot ride: More photos, which were previously shared in the former Keeping Up with the Kardashians star's Stories, included arbitrary shots of places and things

More photos, which were previously shared in the former Keeping Up with the Kardashians star's Stories, included arbitrary shots of places and things.

One was an artful snap of one of Kourtney's red-manicured hands partially shown as she rested it on a notepad.

It was taken at Hollywood's legendary Chateau Marmont and it rested on a nightstand.

In pencil there was a message that read, 'Dial "0" for anything.'

Kourt also shared a capture of a restaurant called Naked Ramen. It had a group of tall palm trees in the background.

The entrepreneur also documented a cheeky image of a wood door with the number 69 on it.

Additional post: Kourt also shared a capture of a restaurant called Naked Ramen. It had a group of tall palm trees in the background
Have you thought about using billboard advertisements to promote your business? If so, you might be wondering if they're worth it.



The answer is simple: It depends on your business's budget and advertising needs.

It's important to have an understanding of how expensive and effective this marketing method is. Let's take a closer look at what all business owners should know about billboard advertisements.

How Much Do Billboard Advertisements Cost?

Billboard advertisements can be a great way to draw attention to your business. In addition to conveying a clear message about your goods or services, you'll be able to send potential customers to your business website or storefront. But how expensive are they?



There are several factors that will determine the overall cost of your billboard advertisement:

Size. Standard billboard size measurements are 20' H x 60' W and 16' H x 60' W. The larger the billboard, the higher the price.

Geographic location. This is one of the biggest determining factors of how much you'll spend on billboard advertising. The more traffic the billboard sees, the higher it will be to rent advertising space. For a billboard in a rural area, you can expect to pay anywhere from $750 to $1,500 a month. A billboard in New York City will range from $3,000 to $20,000 a month, while a Times Square billboard can cost $5,000 for one day or $25,000 for three days.

Digital vs. physical billboards. Physical or traditional billboards tend to be slightly less expensive than digital billboards. Physical billboards generally start at $750 and may cost $14,000 or more a month, depending on location. Digital billboards, on the other hand, usually range from $1,500 to $15,000 or more a month.

Another expense to take into consideration is billboard advertisement design. This may cost between $150 and $500 an hour and will depend on whether you opt for physical or digital displays.

Are Billboards an Effective Marketing Strategy?

Since billboard advertising can be so expensive, you might be wondering if it's worth it. The good news is that it has been found to be very effective.



According to Forbes, one study found that 7 out of 10 people often look at billboard advertisements when they pass them. This includes both physical and digital formats. More than half of people reported visiting restaurants they found on these displays, while over 25% of people claimed to make note of websites or phone numbers they saw on the advertisements.



While billboards can be a large expense, they've been found to have a large return on investment (ROI). Business.com reports that billboard advertisements have a 497% ROI. So, for example, if your monthly budget was $1,500, this means you could earn $7,455 - or $5,955 in profit.

How to Make Billboards Work for Your Business

Billboards can be an effective advertising strategy for many types of businesses, but it's important to utilize them correctly.



For starters, it's important to give some thought to location. Be sure to choose an area that sees a lot of traffic to maximize your potential reach. It's also ideal to opt for a billboard that isn't too far away from your business if you have a storefront. The study mentioned by Forbes notes that one out of four people reported visiting a business immediately after seeing a billboard advertisement.



It's also important to give some thought to your design. You should work with your billboard advertisement designer to make sure the message you want to convey is clear and to the point. Be sure to include website information, an address to a physical storefront, and/or a phone number so potential customers are able to seek out your products or services.



These are just some things to take into consideration when it comes to billboard advertising. Whether you have a large or small business, this marketing method can be an effective way to increase brand awareness and help your business grow.
Gentleman Jack

Rating:

SAS: Who Dares Wins

Rating:

Now we know what people used to do before they were constantly looking at their smartphones.

Suranne Jones, as Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack (BBC1), couldnt stop consulting her pocket watch.

Every time she stood up, sat down or crossed her legs, she pulled out the watch and flipped it open. At first I assumed she was obsessively punctual, but by the end of the hour I was beginning to wonder if she was getting Victorian text messages.

Hang on, Ive just realised. She was looking at Tick Tock videos.

Anne is forever in a tearing rush. She strides along, coat tails flapping and cane swinging, while others scurry to keep up. All day long, she is dashing about on Important Business.

Suranne Jones, as Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack (BBC1), couldnt stop consulting her pocket watch

The trouble with this period drama, based on the 1830s diaries of the stridently lesbian Miss Lister, is that its hard to care about her fiscal affairs.

Shes having new pits dug for coal mines on her Yorkshire estate, shes planning to turn her townhouse into a hotel, shes bossing the servants about or discussing auction bids with her lawyer.

No doubt all this is true to the spirit and the content of the diaries, but 190 years later its hard to feel it matters very much.

We care much more about her romance with the timid but wilful Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle), an overgrown adolescent who is hopelessly besotted.

Anne is forever in a tearing rush. She strides along, coat tails flapping and cane swinging, while others scurry to keep up. All day long, she is dashing about on Important Business

Miss Walker loves Anne in a thousand ways, though its their physical relationship that is most important to her. By contrast, La Lister is not so much passionate as practical in the bedroom  she wants to discuss property and finance even when, so to speak, getting down to business matters.

The chief problem with Gentleman Jack is that our mannish heroine, who appears in every scene, is simply not very likeable. She bullies people. She bulldozers every conversation.

She wrangles with the frail Miss Walker about her will so often that I am beginning to suspect her of mercenary intent.

Their relationship is starting to look less like a sapphic love affair and more like an exercise in coercive control and manipulation. When Anxious Anns ferocious aunt, played with gusto by Stephanie Cole, accuses Miss Lister of isolating the poor girl from her family, she is making a good point.

The shows creator, Sally Wainwright, expects us to take Anne Listers side, but I cant see why we would.

Sacking a footman for insolence, she tells him: If youre still on the premises in 20 minutes, I shall shoot you. Then she marches into her study and loads a pistol. Whats so admirable and feminist about that? Its the sort of thing wicked George Warleggan in Poldark would do.

Bullying and violent threats are the first resort of special forces instructors Rudy Reyes, Jason Fox and pals, on SAS: Who Dares Wins (C4).

The military men are putting 20 recruits through a facsimile of an SAS training camp in the Jordan desert. This involves gruelling workouts for the wannabe commandos, while their tormentors stand on a wooden stage in tight T-shirts, bellowing scripted insults such as: Welcome to the slaughterhouse, little lambs!

But with arms truculently folded or thumbs tucked into their belts, theres an undeniable resemblance to male strippers at a hen night. Rudy and Foxy look like cut-price Chippendales. They even have the names for it.

I keep expecting Joe Cockers rasping voice to launch into You Can Leave Your Hat On, or Alexander Full Monty Armstrong to leap out and disrobe. Gawd forbid.

Quick wit of the weekend: Lee Mack dished out the patter on The 1% Club (ITV) like hed been hosting quizes all his life. He even teased contestants about their names. Polly? he said. Put the kettle on. You had to feel sorry for the lad called Attila Annus . . .
She is over 30 weeks into her pregnancy.

And Bachelor star Snezana Wood (nee Markoski) was simply glowing as she enjoyed a stroll with her hunky husband Sam and their daughter Charlie, two, last week.

The mother-of-three, 41, showed off her growing baby bump in tight black leggings teamed with a cropped sweater.

Not long to go now! Pregnant Bachelor star Snezana Markoski showed off her large baby bump in tight activewear as she went for stroll with hunky husband Sam Wood and their daughter Charlie last week

She accessorised with a designer handbag and crisp white sneakers.

Makeup free, she flaunted her pregnancy glow and shielded her eyes with sunglasses.

The happy couple were smiling and laughing as Sam carried their daughter and Snezana walked the family's chocolate Labrador.

Bumping along nicely! The mother-of-three, 41, showed off her growing baby bump in tight black leggings teamed with a cropped sweater

Growing and glowing! Makeup free, she flaunted her pregnancy glow and shielded her eyes with sunglasses

Last month, the happy couple packed on the PDA in a series of intimate Instagram selfies.

The beauty donned a stretchy white frock as she posed with Sam inside their chic Melbourne home.

Snezana added statement gold jewellery and perspex heels to the chic ensemble, and hammed it up for the camera alongside Sam, 41.

Designer: Snez accessorised with a designer handbag and sunglasses

Her brunette tresses were styled out and in loose waves, and her makeup was ultra glamorous, consisting of defined brows, winged eyeliner and a matte nude lipstick.

Fitness trainer Sam covered up his muscular physique in an all-black ensemble and gazed adoringly at his stunning wife.

Alongside the PDA-filled snaps, Snezana joked online: 'We started off ok. Not sure what happened after the first two pics.'

Happy families! The happy couple were smiling and laughing as Sam carried their daughter and Snez walked the family's chocolate Labrador

Baby on the way! The influencer announced she was expecting her fourth child in November

She followed with a series of solo mirror selfies, where she placed a tender hand on her growing baby bump.

Snezana recently admitted that every time she finds 'balance' in her life she 'falls pregnant' again.

Speaking on her husband Sam's The Wood Life podcast, the media personality said that while Sam considers her a 'superwoman', she hasn't yet mastered the art of time management and is prone to 'little breakdowns' on occasion.

So happy: Last month, the happy couple packed on the PDA in a series of intimate Instagram selfies

The look of love: Fitness trainer Sam covered up his buff physique in an all-black ensemble and gazed adoringly at his stunning wife as they posed inside their chic Melbourne home

Beauty: Snezana's shoulder-length brunette tresses were styled out and in loose waves, and her makeup was ultra glamorous, consisting of defined brows, winged eyeliner and a matte nude lipstick

Asked by Sam how she balances motherhood with work, Snezana admitted: 'Every time I feel like I'm starting to get the balance, I fall pregnant or something happens and it just blows that up into the air!'

Snezana, who shares daughters Willow, three, and Charlie with Sam, and is also mother to 16-year-old Eve from a previous relationship, said she has to 'find her feet' all over again whenever she has a child.

'I never have the perfect balance. Things are changing, situations are changing in your life and you just have to keep moving with them and just do your best basically,' she explained.

Family: Speaking on her husband Sam's The Wood Life podcast, Snezana said that while Sam considers her a 'superwoman', she hasn't yet mastered the art of time management and is prone to 'little breakdowns' on occasion. Pictured: the Woods with their daughters Willow, three, Charlie, two, and Eve, 16

'Sam always calls me superwoman, but that doesn't mean I've got these impeccable time-management skills and I'm well balanced and I'm getting everything done like the way I'm meant to,' she added.

Snezana added that she still has 'breakdowns and little meltdowns' from time to time, but it's 'kind of how you get through those things' that matters.

The influencer announced she was expecting her fourth child in November.

She shared the news during The Bachelorette season finale, proudly showcasing her growing baby bump on Instagram.

'Filled with joy to share that we are expecting another little girl,' Snezana wrote in the caption, adding, 'Baby number 4.'

Snezana and Sam met on the third season of The Bachelor in 2015.

The couple got engaged just six months later and married at a gorgeous ceremony in Byron Bay in 2018.
Bob Odenkirk and the team behind Better Call Saul opened up about their show's series finale at PaleyFest in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The actor, 59, opened up about what he wanted to see from his character during the show's final season.

'I always wanted the character to grow and I campaigned for that over the years,' he told The Hollywood Reporter. 'My argument to Vince Gilligan was that sometimes people do learn the right lessons from trauma and challenge in life. They dont always become Walter White. And Im going to leave it to you to find out whether that is what happened.'

Nearing the end: Bob Odenkirk and the team behind Better Call Saul opened up about their show's series finale at PaleyFest in Los Angeles on Saturday

Better Call Saul follows lawyer Saul Goodman who first appeared in Breaking Bad as a criminal consultant to Bryan Cranston's Walter White and Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman.

Because of the character's long history, showrunner Peter Gould said it was a difficult process to figure out exactly how his arc should come to an end.

'We had no idea how we were going to wrap it up until season five, and if you watch season five closely, later on youll see the clouds start to part during season five, and I wouldnt say an ending but we had an image for where we could go,' Gould told the outlet.

Team effort: Much of the show's creative team attended the event together

Growth: 'I always wanted the character to grow and I campaigned for that over the years,' Odenkirk told The Hollywood Reporter

'As it worked out we came pretty close, but there were a lot of nuances that were very hard won this season.'

Gould also admitted it's been a slow sad goodbye with the show wrapping up as the cast and crew have fought through so much together.

'Weve been through near-death experience, deaths in the family, births, marriages, divorces  its been a ride with everything that can happen in human life just about,' he explained. 'Bit by bit the group is scattered to the four winds so its a very long, slow, painful goodbye to the group, but I like to think as many of us as possible are going to work together again.

'After Breaking Bad I thought I would never have an experience as rewarding, fun and creatively fertile as Breaking Bad, and this show for me has been just as good, for me maybe even a little bit better.'

Subtweet: The actor, 59, subtweeted the official Better Call Saul account which revealed that Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston would make an appearance in the show

Correction: He later corrected his spelling mistake with the tweet, 'I was so excited and misspelled a word...see if you can figure out which one. Love, Bob'

The team's appearance at PaleyFest coincided with the announcement that Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul would return to their roles from Breaking Bad during the show's sixth season.

Odenkirk quoted a tweet from the official Better Call Saul account that revealed the news. The original post read, 'They're coming back. #BetterCallSaul,' with a photo of the dynamic duo sitting in the front seat of the car.

The Nobody actor tweeted out his excitement which read, 'Kaboom! Lets do rhis [sic].'

He later corrected his spelling mistake with the tweet, 'I was so excited and misspelled a word...see if you can figure out which one. Love, Bob.'

The first two episodes of Better Call Saul's final season are set for release on Monday, April 18.

Better Call Saul's final season will be available only on Stan in Australia on April 19.
Brent Vitiello and Ella Ding have sparked rumours they're more than just friends after they were both partnered with other people on Married At First Sight.

But it seems the pair won't be rushing into an exclusive relationship anytime soon.

Brent, 34, is preparing to travel to America, while Ella, 28, is still recovering from her break-up with Mitch Eynaud, reports Yahoo Lifestyle.

Revealed: The real reason why Married At First Sight's Brent Vitiello and Ella Ding (pictured) aren't dating exclusively, despite growing 'really close' since filming the show

'Brent is planning on spending some time in America soon and exploring possible work opportunities there,' an insider said.

'Now their season [of MAFS] is airing in the States, he's slowly gaining an American following and has connections in LA and New York he is planning on meeting with.'

MAFS Australia started airing in the U.S. on the Lifetime network late last month.

Meanwhile, Ella doesn't want to rush into a new relationship following her split from Mitch, who dumped her after filming the reunion in January.

Reasons: Brent, 34, (pictured) is preparing to travel to America, while Ella, 28, is still recovering from her break-up with Mitch Eynaud, reports Yahoo Lifestyle

It comes after Ella and Brent took their friendship to the next level by meeting each other's parents as they hosted a joint birthday party at Eros Sydney on Saturday.

Photos obtained by Daily Mail Australia show Brent and his parents, Lana and Rino, posing alongside Ella and her mother, Belinda, for a group picture.

On Tuesday, Brent did little to quell speculation they were dating when he told New Idea the pair had grown 'really, really close' since filming wrapped.

Celebrations! It comes after Ella and Brent met each other's parents as they hosted a joint birthday party at Eros Sydney on Saturday. Pictured with Brent's father Rino (right)

The venue manager revealed he and Ella both agreed they should have been matched in the experiment, but stopped short of confirming they were dating.

'Me and Ella have spoken. We are really, really close,' Brent said.

'We've had the conversation that if we had been matched, things would've turned out amazingly and we were a lot more suited.'

He said they hadn't taken things beyond a friendship just yet because Ella was still healing after her split from ex-'husband' Mitch Eynaud.
Kodak Black didn't bother being romantic as he tried to woo Jada Pinkett Smith in a bizarre Instagram Live video from earlier this weekend.

The 24-year-old rapper  who could barely be seen in the dark clip  said Jada, 50, was 'out of pocket' and urged her to 'come f*** with me' at the start of his video.

He also seemed to criticize her for staying married to Will Smith, 53, while alluding to her admission about carrying on a relationship with another man while she was married to the Oscar winner.

Presumptuous: Rapper Kodak Black, 24, said in an Instagram Live clip from this weekend that Jada Pinkett Smith, 50, should leave her husband Will Smith, 53, to be with him instead; seen in 2017

'That s*** you doing ain't real, bro. You got a n***a who love you,' he said.

He added that Will had 'been with you all the years,' before urging her to 'Come f*** with Kodak.'

'That's what you need to do, 'cause you just on some bulls***,' he continued, adding that she didn't 'deserve Will Smith.'

'You deserve me!' he said.

Kodak  who was born Dieuson Octave but later changed his legal name to Bill Kahan Kapri  also appeared to criticize Jada's late friend, the rapper Tupac Shakur.

Calling her out: Kodak urged Jada to 'come f*** with me' and seemed to allude to her admission that she carried on a relationship with another man while married to Will

Gross: He added that Will had 'been with you all the years,' before urging her to 'Come f*** with Kodak'

Controversy: Jada and Will have been in the news after he slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards in late March; seen March 27

He said that Tupac was 'gangster' enough compared to himself and seemed to shade him for attending the Baltimore School for the Arts, which was where he met Jada, who was also a student there.

'Long live that boy Tupac, God bless his soul,' he began, before saying that 'Tupac wasn't all the way cut, wasn't all the way gangster his whole life.'

In his garbled message, he mentioned that the legendary rapper went to 'school,' and Kodak criticized him for 'dancing.'

The Zeze rapper appeared to suggest that Jada's remembrances of her departed friend were a betrayal to her husband, whom he complimented.

'So stop playing Will Smith like that,' he said. 'Will Smith a stand-up man with integrity. He knows who he is.'

Lashing out: Kodak also shaded Jada's late friend Tupac Shakur for not being 'gangster' enough. He mentioned that he attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, though that's where he met his classmate Jada; Tupac and Jada seen in 1996

Although it's not clear why Kodak was fixated on Jada, she and her husband have been in the news since late last month, when Will slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars after he made a joke referencing Jada's shaved head, which is an attempt to cover up bald patches from alopecia.

The shocking act of violence was widely condemned, and the Academy later banned Will from attending the Oscars ceremony for 10 years, after he had already resigned from the organization.

His marriage was also back in the spotlight due to a recently resurfaced 2018 clip from Jada's Red Table Talk show, in which she confessed to her husband that she 'never wanted to get married.'

The moment: Will's shocking act of violence was widely condemned, and the Academy later banned him from attending the Oscars for 10 years, after he resigned from the organization; seen March 27

Throwback: Jada has also been featured in a resurfaced Red Table Talk clip in which she confessed to her husband that she 'never wanted to get married'

The couple decided to tie the knot to appease her mother after she got pregnant with her first child Jaden, but Jada and Will both agreed that marriage was 'the right call' for them.

Still, the Collateral star said she was miserable during her wedding because she was three-months pregnant and 'sick.'

Jada said, 'And I was so upset that I had to have a wedding  I was so pissed I went crying down the freaking aisle. I cried the whole way down the aisle.'

Will didn't mind, though, as he had always dreamed of a cozy domestic life.

'There wasn't a day in my life that I wanted anything other than being married and having a family,' he admitted. 'From literally five years old, I was picturing what my family would be.'
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Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage and Riko Shibata put on a loved-up display while holding hands at a screening for his upcoming new film The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent in New York City on Saturday evening.

For the event, held at the Regal Essex Crossing, the 58-year-old National Treasure actor rocked a shiny black velvet suit, a button-down and leather loafers.

Meanwhile, his 26-year-old pregnant wife, who he wed at the Wynn Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas last year, looked beautiful in a kimono-inspired dress adorned with flowers on purple stripes.

Happy couple: Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage and Riko Shibata put on a loved-up display while holding hands at a screening for his upcoming new film The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent in New York City on Saturday evening

She wore her long dark tresses in a sleek updo and accessorized with a pair of white and gold sneakers and an embroidered purse.

The soon-to-be parents, who have a nearly 32-year age gap, appeared in high spirits as they enjoyed a fun night out just months after confirming they are expecting their first child together.

In January, their rep told People the pair are 'elated' about their little one on the way.

Baby on board: Meanwhile, his 26-year-old pregnant wife, who he wed at the Wynn Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas last year, looked beautiful in a kimono-inspired dress adorned with flowers on purple stripes

Looking good: For the event, held at the Regal Essex Crossing, the 58-year-old National Treasure actor rocked a shiny black velvet suit, a button-down and leather loafers

Getting ready: They also revealed they've already picked out his or her's name; Akira Francesco, if it's a girl, and Lennon Augie, for a boy

They recently revealed they've already picked out his or her's name; Akira Francesco, if it's a girl, and Lennon Augie, for a boy, the April issue of GQ.

'Augie was my father's nickname. And my uncle [Francis Ford Coppola] has decided to change his name to Francesco,' he told the outlet.

'I think it's so sweet. It's like a little edamame. A little bean,' he said of his baby-to-be, while looking at a two-month ultrasound on his phone.

Star-studded cast: While at the screening, Cage and Shibata mingled with his The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent costars, including Lily Sheen and Neil Patrick

Handsome: Harris, 48, cut a dapper figure in a classic black tuxedo and white dress shirt

Dapper: The How I Met Your Mother completed his look with a pair of shiny black loafers

While at the screening, Cage and Shibata mingled with his The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent costars, including Lily Sheen and Neil Patrick.

Sheen, 23, who is the daughter of Kate Beckinsale and her ex Michael Sheen, looked absolutely beautiful in a green off-the-shoulder gown and her golden blonde hair in loose waves.

Harris, 48, cut a dapper figure in a classic black tuxedo and white dress shirt.

All together: Kristin Burr, Sheen, Harris and Cage pictured with Mike Nilon and Kevin Turen

Beaming: Burr, Sheen, Harris and Cage all posed for a group photo

Radiant: Sheen, 23, looked absolutely beautiful in a green off-the-shoulder gown and her golden blonde hair in loose waves

Glamorous: Film producer Kristin Burr rocked a long black dress with a zipper down the front and a pair of gold boots

Pritika Swarup, Josh Lucas, Kristin Burr and Pedro Pascal were among the celebrities on the star-studded guest list

Their highly-anticipated action-comedy scored rave reviews after premiering at at SXSW in Austin, Texas, last month.

After screening to the first wave of critics, the film earned a rare 100 per cent fresh rating through the first wave of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

Their have been 27 reviews posted at the time of publication, all writing positive things about Cage's latest project.

On the red carpet: Cage and Pascal posed for a picture together ahead of the screening

Classic: Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal looked handsome in a white suit

Sharp: Pascal completed his look with a pair of black wide-brimmed glasses

Siblings: Pascal posed for a picture with his sister Lux Pascal

The film is slated to open in theaters April 22, centering on Cage playing a version of himself, who has come upon financial troubles.

He agrees to appear at the birthday party of a billionaire superfan for $1million, but he's really there as a CIA informant since the superfan (Pedro Pascal) is a drug kingpin.

Variety's Owen Gleiberman calls the concept of Cage playing Cage, 'a conceit we get used to in seconds' and calls it 'a gift that keeps on giving.'

Daring: Lux turned heads in her plunging black suit with nothing underneath

Working hard: Lux is a Chilean actress, known for La Jauria (2019), and transgender activist

Effortlessly chic: Lindsey Kroning cut a casual figure in dark-wash jeans, brown boots, a patterned blouse and gold necklace that spelled her name

He adds the film is a 'commercial comedy that has a delirious good time poking fun at Nicolas Cage, celebrating everything that makes him Nicolas Cage.'

Cage did actually have financial problems which lead to him taking on practically every role he could, with Gleiberman calling him, 'the superhero of slumming.'

The Hollywood Reporter's John DeFore calls the film a, 'romp aimed at cultists who have sought out the Crazy Cage performances and forgiven the misfires in between.'

Rave reviews: Last month, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent at SXSW in Austin, Texas, scored rave reviews

Nic as Nic: The film is slated to open in theaters April 22, centering on Cage playing a version of himself, who has come upon financial troubles

However, he adds that the story, 'loses some of its wild-card flavor as it approaches the end' and calling the action beats 'generic.'

RogerEbert.com'sya E. Gates revealed she was a Cage fan since she was 11 years old, adding that director Tom Gormican and his co-writer Kevin Etten, 'understand the connections fans have with cage.'

'Even amidst all this meta-commentary on contemporary filmmaking, the mechanics of Hollywood, and the emotional heft of fandom, Cage the man always knows what is expected of Cage the myth,' she adds.

Gift: Variety's Owen Gleiberman calls the concept of Cage playing Cage, 'a conceit we get used to in seconds' and calls it 'a gift that keeps on giving'

Celebrate: He adds the film is a 'commercial comedy that has a delirious good time poking fun at Nicolas Cage, celebrating everything that makes him Nicolas Cage'

Romp: The Hollywood Reporter's John DeFore calls the film a, 'romp aimed at cultists who have sought out the Crazy Cage performances and forgiven the misfires in between'

Prior to the release of his latest film, Cage displayed plenty of heart in Pig, which was released in July, and also received a Rotten Tomatoes high score of 97 per cent.

He stars in the independent drama as a former world-class chef Robin Feld, who has retreated from society and lives in a shack in the woods outside Portland, Oregon, after suffering a personal tragedy years earlier.

Cage lives off the land and provides pricy truffles to local restaurants, which he's able to obtain thanks to a truffle pig that he's tightly bonded to.
Departing Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell has spoken about former host Sam Armytage's decision to quit the show in March last year.

Pell, 39, who is being promoted to a new role at Channel Seven in Los Angeles, told TV Tonight that Armytage, 45, perhaps wasn't suited to life in the spotlight.

He also revealed the pair were close like 'brother and sister', but still 'fought like cats and dogs over the creative process' behind the scenes.

Having his say: Departing Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell (left) has spoken about former host Sam Armytage's (right) decision to quit the show in March last year

'She did really well in a field that maybe she never really wanted to go into. In some ways she's the anti-TV presenter,' Pell said of Armytage.

'She doesn't even really love the idea of being in the limelight. She's a country girl who likes a quiet life, but this very busy life found her and she killed it.'

Pell praised Armytage's 'exceptional' talent and said she made a huge contribution to Sunrise during her tenure as co-anchor from 2013 to 2021.

Praise: Pell, 39, who is being promoted to a new role at Channel Seven in Los Angeles, said Armytage, 45, perhaps wasn't suited to life in the spotlight, but nonetheless 'killed it'

The Seven executive said Armytage found herself 'very famous very quickly', which perhaps wasn't easy for her.

Pell also found himself 'dragged into some of that', and acknowledged there was a great deal of interest in their personal and professional relationship.

Armytage quit Sunrise in March last year, saying she wanted to spend more time in the country with her new husband Richard Lavender.

Not easy: The Seven executive said Armytage found herself 'very famous very quickly', which perhaps wasn't easy for her

Armytage said last month she couldn't be happier since swapping busy Sydney life for a quieter existence in Bowral with her husband.

'I met a divine and decent man, sweeter than the sweetest rose,' she told New Idea of her marriage to Lavender.

'I found the love of my life at 42. How lucky am I? And I realised you do not find the happy life, you make it.'

'I met a divine man': Armytage said last month she couldn't be happier since swapping busy Sydney life for a quieter existence in Bowral with her husband Richard Lavender (left)

During the same interview, Armytage described her role at Sunrise as a 'highly scrutinised, high-adrenaline, high-pressure job'.

On her final day at Sunrise, Armytage fired off a parting shot at the 'bullying' media.

Things took a serious turn at the end of the broadcast when she broke down in tears and accused 'some aspects of the media' of treating her unfairly.

'I do want to say that I never fully understood some of the scrutiny and the snarkiness and the bullying from some aspects of the media,' she said.

Tough gig: During the same interview, Armytage described her role at Sunrise as a 'highly scrutinised, high-adrenaline, high-pressure job'. (Pictured on her last day)

'But today we move on from that, because there is a new chapter starting and it has been overwhelmingly a good experience in my life.'

She continued: 'Most of all, I thank all of our viewers. You are just wonderful people. There are so many lovely people. So many more lovely ones than the nasty ones.'

Since quitting Sunrise, Armytage has filmed a guest role on Farmer Wants a Wife and has also been recording a podcast for Stellar magazine.
America's Got Talent judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergra, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel showed their playful sides on Sunday on social media.

Heidi, 48, shared several snaps on Instagram of the judges goofing around on a couch amid auditions for the upcoming 17th season of the NBC talent show.

'Whats happening,' Heidi wrote as a caption for her roughly 9.2 million followers.

Thumbs up: America's Got Talent judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergra, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel showed their playful sides on Sunday on social media

Heidi wore a pastel pantsuit with a pink top and trousers and orange jacket as she reclined across the laps of Simon, 62, and Sofia, 49, as Howie, 66, leaned in smiling.

Simon in another photo gave two thumbs up as Sofia in a strapless black dress and heels draped her hand over his shoulder as Heidi and Howie beamed in the background.

Heidi wore sunglasses as she flashed a peace sign while standing on the couch hovering over Simon who laid back with his arms crossed.

Simon was wearing a wrist cast in the social media photos after recently breaking his arm in an electric bike crash in his hometown of London.

Good times: Heidi, 48, shared several snaps on Instagram of the judges goofing around on a couch amid auditions for the upcoming 17th season of the NBC talent show

Pastel pantsuit: Heidi wore a pastel pantsuit with a pink top and trousers and orange jacket

Wrist cast: Simon was wearing a wrist cast in the social media photos after recently breaking his arm in an electric bike crash in his hometown of London

Peace out: Heidi wore sunglasses as she flashed a peace sign while standing on the couch hovering over Simon who laid back with his arms crossed

It was the second major e-bike crash for Simon in less than two years. In August 2020, he broke his back after crashing his e-bike in the courtyard of his house in Malibu, California.

Following his second accident, the television personality told MailOnline that he was 'feeling better.'

Simon has eight-year-old son Eric with his fiancee Lauren Silverman, 44.

Good question: 'Whats happening,' Heidi wrote as a caption for her roughly 9.2 million followers

Coming soon: Season 17 of America's Got Talent will premiere on May 31 on NBC

Season 17 of America's Got Talent will premiere on May 31 on NBC.

Sofia earlier shared a selfie on Sunday on Instagram from auditions that Howie photobombed.

She also posted photos of the cast on the couch for her roughly 25 million followers with a caption reading, 'We r ready to play!'

Play time: also posted photos of the cast on the couch for her roughly 25 million followers with a caption reading, 'We r ready to play!'

Phone camera: The AGT judges showed their playful sides as auditions continued

Balancing act: Sofia kept her balance in the back with an arm and a leg raised

Sofia additionally shared an AGT clip on her Instagram Stories showing herself dancing.

A banner sign from her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia, hanging from the balcony apparently inspired her to start dancing.

Pennsylvania native Dustin Tavella, 35, won season 16 of AGT last September performing as a magician.

Dance moves: The Modern Family star additionally shared an AGT clip on her Instagram Stories showing herself dancing

Hometown sign: A banner sign from her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia, hanging from the balcony apparently inspired her to start dancing

Talent show: The upcoming 17th season will include the return of the whole crew from season 16

Selfie bombed: Sofia earlier shared a selfie on Sunday from auditions that Howie photobombed

Staying loose: Cowell kept it comfy in a tight grayish-blue shirt and loose-fitting sweatpants with a pair of Ray-Bans on

The stars were also spotted heading into America's Got Talent on Sunday.

Cowell kept it comfy in a tight grayish-blue shirt and loose-fitting sweatpants with a pair of Ray-Bans on.

Klum brought a bit more pizazz with her ensemble that consisted of a long multi-colored robe and tall platform boots.

Mandel wore a simple black and gold track suit into the taping for the show.

Splash of color: Klum brought a bit more pizzaz with her fascinating ensemble
Miranda Tapsell has spoken about her 'fears' for her four-month-old daughter Grace in the May issue of Marie Claire Australia, on sale from Thursday, April 14.

The 34-year-old Indigenous actress appears on the cover alongside her infant daughter for the latest issue of the magazine.

Miranda looked ethereal in a cream dress with puff sleeves as she cradled a sleeping Grace, while a pop of red lipstick added an element of glamour.

Concerned parent: Miranda Tapsell has spoken about her 'fears' for her four-month-old daughter Grace in the May issue of Marie Claire Australia , on sale from Thursday, April 14. Pictured with her mother, Barbara (right)

'I have a lot of fears for Grace's future. There's a lot of potential danger on our doorstep that I have no control over, including the rate of incarcerated Aboriginal youth and the number of Indigenous deaths in custody,' she told the publication.

'I often feel like the dad in Finding Nemo - constantly worried - and I know that feeling is never going to go away, so I'm going to have to find a way to deal with it.'

She added: 'All I want is for my daughter to be safe, that's what I fight for. I want my daughter to be able to walk into a shop without being followed by security and asked to hand over the contents of her bag, like I was.'

'I have a lot of fears for Grace's future. There's a lot of potential danger on our doorstep that I have no control over,' she said

Miranda welcomed Grace in December with her husband of four years, James Colley.

'Christmas has come early for us as we welcome our Grace Birri-Pa Purnarrika Colley. Birri-Pa is Larrakia for Butterfly, Purnarrika is Tiwi for Water Lily,' she wrote on Instagram at the time.

'Grace has entered the world adored by her mum and dad, as well as all her aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and so many more. We are extremely grateful, overjoyed and so, so tired.'

Mum and Dad: Miranda welcomed Grace in December with her husband of four years, James Colley (right)

In an interview with The Australian Women's Weekly in December, Miranda revealed she and James had been trying to conceive for 18 months before she finally fell pregnant with Grace.

'I'd spent so long as a young woman learning about contraception and how not to get pregnant, that learning how to fall pregnant was a real shift,' she said.

'It's not as easy as people think. I got disheartened, it was like, "No, I'm not pregnant this time. Not this time either." So, I was at the point where I was quite pessimistic.'
Britney Spears rocked a plunging orange minidress on a rare outing with her fiance Sam Asghari while arriving to Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday.

As she prepared to board a private jet in a pair of colorful sneakers, the 40-year-old pop star looked at ease as her man walked right behind her.

The mother-of-two rocked a pair of reflective black sunglasses, a delicate gold necklace, and gorgeous four-carat round-cut diamond engagement.

Traveling: Britney Spears rocked a plunging orange minidress on a rare outing with her fiancee Sam Asghari while arriving to Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday

The Grammy winner, who regularly documents her workout routine on how she maintains her toned figure through dancing and running on a treadmill, oozed confidence as she displayed her toned legs.

Her man, 28, looked relaxed after their recent tropical vacation as he sported a navy blue polo shirt, white shorts and a pair of espadrilles.

For the past week, she's shared a number of picturesque snaps from their dreamy getaway in Mexico, including shots of her partner, who she referred to her 'husband.'

Glowing: As she prepared to board a private jet in a pair of colorful sneakers, the 40-year-old pop star looked at ease as her man walked right behind her

Handsome: Her man looked relaxed after their recent tropical vacation as he sported a navy blue polo shirt, white shorts and a pair of espadrilles

Additionally, she shared a photo of herself swimming in the buff with her assistant Vicky to Instagram on Wednesday afternoon.

'Me naked in the pool and my assistant @vickyt holding me like a baby,' the Toxic hitmaker captioned a slideshow of snaps of them. 'BAHAHAHAHA.'

The musician posted a sultry video of herself rolling in the sand while listening to the song Chris Isaak's 1995 hit Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing.

Glamorous: The mom-of-two rocked a pair of reflective black sunglasses, a delicate gold necklace, and gorgeous four-carat round-cut diamond engagement

Looking good! Spears wore her bright blonde hair in loose waves that cascaded past her shoulders

Vacation mode: For the past week, she's shared a number of picturesque snaps from their dreamy getaway in Mexico, including shots of her partner, who she referred to her 'husband'

In the recording, she can be seen dancing sensually before removing her bikini top in front of beach goers.

'Baby Did a Bad Thing PART 2!!!' she captioned her post, shared with her more than 40.2 followers.

Throughout the video, a few bypassers can be seen walking on the beach and pausing to look at her.

Naked: Spears surprised fans by sharing a photo of herself swimming in the buff with her assistant Vicky to Instagram on Wednesday afternoon

Working it! Spears appeared to be having a great time while rolling around in the sand on the beach in her latest Instagram post on Wednesday

A man, dressed in all black, that fans presume is her bodyguard can be in the background looking at his feet and doing the best he can to respectfully look away.

Still, Spears fans flooded her comment section to talk about the 'dude in the background.'

'That man standing there, awkwardly, is whom everyone is wishing they were right now,' one fan commented, while another wrote: 'The guy in black was shooketh to see Britney Spears flash him.'

Baring all: As laid in the sand, listening to the song Chris Isaak's 1995 hit Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing, her assistant recorded her dancing sensually before removing her bikini top in front of beach goers
Whether you are a fresh high school graduate or an adult looking to further your education, a degree in business is always a great idea if you want to start your own company in the future. Not only will you have a solid degree under your belt (which makes it easy to find a job if things don't pan out), but you will also have a deep understanding of just how exactly a business works.

Business Administration

A degree in business administration is a great idea if you're looking for a blanket degree that will cover a lot of fields. Business administration, in short, is managing an organization's resources, time, and employees. With this, you will also learn many important aspects of business such as accounting, finance, marketing, human resources and information technology. You will learn different skills like communication, effective leadership, strategizing, and presenting, all of which are incredibly applicable in a small-business setting. The best part of a business administration degree is its versatility; you can use your degree to run your own business, work in an office setting, or even work in different fields such as fashion, the arts, technology, and even music. The opportunities are endless with a degree in business administration.

Accounting

A degree in accounting is great if you work well with numbers and formulas. If you are particularly skilled in problem solving, have a knack for paying strict attention to detail, and have strong organizational and planning skills, then accounting may be perfect for you. Getting a degree in accounting opens up many opportunities to pursue different careers including becoming a certified public or management accountant, an auditor, or a management analyst. The best part of an accounting degree is that it is incredibly applicable to your small business; you will have a strong understanding of how things work monetarily and will save a lot of money by not having to hire an extra employee to do your taxes. Plus, if your small business does not turn out exactly how you hoped, you can easily pursue another career.

Product Design

If your small business revolves around creating some sort of tangible good, then pursuing a degree at a product design school may be perfect for you. By getting a degree in product design, you will learn how to combine art, technology, science, and critical thinking in order to create extraordinary products or services. You will have an incredibly valuable and transferable degree, with the opportunity to pursue many different careers in different fields such as color and material design, design research, and even exhibition design. The best part of a degree in product design is how applicable it is to entrepreneurship; your degree focuses entirely on how to create products and services that appeal to the ever-changing market of consumers.

Computer Science

Computer science degrees are easily one of the most popular degrees to pursue right now and with great reasoning- the market and employment rate for computer science graduates is expected to rise by 12% by 2028. A degree in computer science covers a vast variety of topics, including data science, computer engineering, managing IT systems, programming, and even graphic design depending on the classes that you take. All of these skills are extremely applicable in many settings, and for a small business owner, a degree in computer science may be helpful to build and code websites and organize business data. Specializing in graphic design will also help you learn how to correctly and effectively market your product to the public. Getting a degree in computer science means that you have the skills necessary to stay in the job market for years, which is incredibly important especially if your small business does not take off.

Economics

Economics is another applicable degree idea for someone interested in pursuing a small business. For one, getting an education in economics will teach you how to analyze data and predict trends that will prove to be beneficial in the competitive business market. A degree in economics can be applied in many different fields such as banking, insurance, investing, and finance, all of which are not only applicable to a small business but also can help you find jobs on a larger scale. The salaries for those that pursue a degree in economics tend to be high and the job market for economists is ever-increasing, meaning that it will probably be quite easy to find a job if necessary. Furthermore, economics can prove to be beneficial in your own personal finances and help you learn more about the business around you.
Married At First Sight's Justin Fischer was spotted enjoying a cosy night out with The Bachelor star Emma Roche in Sydney over the weekend.

The 43-year-old millionaire, who was unsuccessfully paired with Carly Bowyer on MAFS' fifth season in 2018, couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he arrived at the North Bondi Fish restaurant with Emma, 34, on Saturday night.

The pair put on a tactile display, with Justin placing a protective hand on his date's back at one stage.

Something to tell us? Married At First Sight's Justin Fischer (right) was spotted enjoying a cosy night out with The Bachelor star Emma Roche (left) in Sydney over the weekend

It's unclear if the pair are dating or just friends.

When contacted by Daily Mail Australia, Emma confirmed that the pair 'hung out at dinner' but added that she's 'not saying anything else'.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Justin for further comment.

Emma, who appeared on Dr Matt Agnew's season of The Bachelor in 2019, looked stunning in a pink chiffon dress, which she teamed with silver heels.

The Irish beauty wore dewy makeup to accentuate her striking features, including a matte lip and a touch of bronzer, and styled her hair in a beach wave.

More than friends? Justin placed a protective hand on his date's back at one stage

Date: The 43-year-old millionaire couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he arrived at the North Bondi Fish restaurant with Emma, 34, on Saturday night

Pretty: Emma looked stunning in a light pink chiffon dress, which she teamed with gold heels

Meanwhile, Justin kept things casual in a grey T-shirt, black leather jacket and jeans.

In January, Daily Mail Australia revealed Justin had been charged with two counts of assault, one of those involving a woman.

The divorced father of two was charged late last year with two counts of assault along with the offence of stalking and intimidation.

The offence of intimidation or stalking carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment in NSW.

Laid-back look: Justin kept things casual in a grey T-shirt, black leather jacket and jeans

Justin appeared in court on December 26 and was remanded on bail to a date this year, where a formal plea will be entered.

Along with the charges, he was issued with an interim AVO on behalf of Andrew and Natalia Burton, the two alleged victims of the claimed assault.

Court documents supplied to Daily Mail Australia refer to these claims.

It's unclear what the background is to these criminal charges or what the relationship is between Justin and the Burtons.

Justin has been ordered not to 'assault or threaten' the pair, 'stalk, harass or intimidate them or intentionally or recklessly destroy any of their property'.

Claim to fame: Justin appeared on the 2018 season of Married At First Sight

This isn't the first time the unlucky-in-love MAFS star has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons.

In 2019, it was reported that Justin had been banned from managing companies for three years.

He was disqualified by The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) after acting as the 'shadow director' for two Queensland companies that went into liquidation.

ASIC found that Justin did not act in the best interests of the failed companies, which owed $543,000 to creditors.
Christine Chiu showed off her stellar style as she attended The Daily Front Row Fashion Awards.

The producer turned heads in a plunging green and blue dress at the star-studded event in Los Angeles.

Christine wowed as she showed off her perky cleavage in the bright number, which boasted clear halter straps.

Style maven: Christine Chiu showed off her stellar style as she attended The Daily Front Row Fashion Awards

The former Dancing with the Stars contestant bared a bit of her midriff in the dress' cutout detailing at the midsection.

Her toned back was also exposed in the fashion piece, which transitioned from blue to green in an ombre effect.

The Bling Empire star rounded out the getup with a pair of open-toe heels with a tinted blue strap.

She wore her lengthy, dark locks in loose spiral curls that were styled in a side part and arranged to fall down her back and over one shoulder.

Stunner: The producer turned heads in a plunging green and blue dress at the star-studded event in Los Angeles

Hot: Christine wowed as she showed off her perky cleavage in the bright number, which boasted clear halter straps

She kept one of her ears exposed, showing off her dazzling chandelier earrings, which were embellished with emerald stones.

The Netflix sensation coordinated her other jewelry pieces as well, opting for large statement-making rings.

The jewels played off her aqua and emerald themed look, commanding attention with huge, colorful gems.

Christine carried a small blue Balenciaga purse as she walked the step-and-repeat at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Accessory: with huge, colorful gems. Christine carried a small blue Balenciaga purse as she walked the step-and-repeat at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills

All glammed up! Chiu showed off her glowy look as she headed to the awards ceremony

The beauty took to Instagram to document some of her getting ready process before the sixth annual awards show.

She shared a video as she got her hair done and used a plasma lip compound device on her pout.

She called it her 'fave glam secret' and tagged Ulta Beauty.

Christine showed her 726,000 followers that she looks gorgeous even with rollers in her hair.

Behind the scenes: The beauty took to Instagram to document some of her getting ready process before the sixth annual awards show
Brie Larson wrapped up their weekend by attending The Daily Front Row's 6th Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards with hairstylist Bryce Scarlett

The 32-year-old actress hit the red carpet with Scarlett at the event, held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

The Captain Marvel star joined her personal hairstylist - whose other clients include stars such as Margot Robbie, Natalie Portman and Gigi Hadid - as he was honored as Hair Stylist of the Year, with Larson presenting the award.

Brie and Bryce: Brie Larson wrapped up their weekend by attending The Daily Front Row's 6th Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards with hairstylist Bryce Scarlett

Larson hit the red carpet in a glittering spaghetti strap Celine gown that fell to the floor for her Sunday night look.

She accessorized with diamond earrings and a number of rings as she hit the red carpet with her hairstylist.

Scarlett opted for a slightly-unbuttoned white dress shirt under a tan suit coat, brown belt dark blue pants and brown loafers.

Brie's look: Larson hit the red carpet in a glittering spaghetti strap gown that feel to the floor for her Sunday night look

Her appearance comes a day after Vin Diesel announced on Instagram that Larson will join Fast 10.

'Yeah yeah yeah you see this angel over my shoulder cracking me up, you say to your self  thats captain Marvel. Clearly there is love and laughter in this image,' Diesel began.

'What you dont see however, is the character you will be introduced to in Fast10. You have no idea how timeless and amazing she will be in our mythology,' he added.

Announcement: Her appearance comes a day after Vin Diesel announced on Instagram that Larson will join Fast 10.

'Beyond her beauty, her intellect her Oscar, haha is this profound soul who will add something you might not have expected but yearned for. Welcome to the FAMILY Brie,' he concluded.

Larson also shared the same image of her and Diesel on her Instagram Sunday, stating, 'Excited doesnt even begin to explain how I feel about joining the Fast family.

'Thank you for welcoming me in with so much kindness and excitement, @vindiesel,' she concluded.

Excited: Larson also shared the same image of her and Diesel on her Instagram Sunday, stating, 'Excited doesnt even begin to explain how I feel about joining the Fast family

Larson recently wrapped production on her highly-anticipated Captain Marvel sequel dubbed The Marvels.

She'll be joined by returning Marvel Cinematic Universe stars Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, who stars in the Disney Plus series Ms. Marvel, debuting June 8.

The actress is also attached to star in the upcoming TV series Lessons in Chemistry.

Wrapped: Larson recently wrapped production on her highly-anticipated Captain Marvel sequel dubbed The Marvels
The stars were out at The Daily Front Row's 6th Annual Fashion Awards at The Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills on Sunday.

Among the many celebrities on hand for the event was longtime supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio.

The annual event celebrates visionaries who make the intersection between fashion and Hollywood the most stylish place to be.

Star-studded: Alessandra Ambrosio was among the many high-profile people to attend The Daily Front Row's 6th Annual Fashion Awards in Beverly Hills on Sunday

Ambrosio, who turns 41 tomorrow, looked chic decked out in an asymmetrical white dress that was paired with a cream jacket and thigh-high black boots.

The legendary Victoria's Secret Angel accessorized her fashionable look with a black heart-shaped purse, chunky silver earrings and sparkling rings on her fingers.

The Brazilian-born beauty added a pop of color to the cream-toned ensemble by wearing lavender nail polish.

Rounding out her overall look, the mother of two had her brunette tresses slicked back into a ponytail with a center part.

Stylin': Ambrosio, who turns 41 tomorrow, looked chic decked out in an asymmetrical white dress that was paired with a cream jacket and thigh-high black boots

Ladies night: Ambrosio stopped to strike a pose with model Behati Prinsloo

This years event honored Brandon Maxwell, Russell James, Elizabeth Stewart, Barbie, Michael Fisher, Etienne Ortega, Maeve Reilly, Bryce Scarlett, Paris Hilton, and Adam Ballheim.

Some of the other high-profile people who attended the festive evening included the likes of Christina Aguilera, Behati Prinsloo, Emrhys Cooper, Russell James, Shay Mitchell, Tiffany Haddish, Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly, Brandon Maxwell, Larsen Thompson, Elizabeth Stewart, Brie Larson, Zoey Deutch, Manasvi Mamgai and Delilah Belle Hamlin, among many others.

Beforehand, Ambrosio took to her Instagram page and shared a couple of videos taken during her ride to the event with hairstylist Laura Polko and Brazilian YouTuber Matheus Mazzafera.

The festivities: The annual event celebrates visionaries who make the intersection between fashion and Hollywood the most stylish place to be

Earlier on Sunday, Ambrosio posted a photo and video of her kids enjoying a 'Sunday Funday' that included an afternoon of swimming with family and friends.

The proud mom also promoted her Instagram Live event on Monday, which is partly her birthday celebration.

'The countdown is on! Come celebrate with me and my friend @stewartshining on IG Live TOMORROW, at 3:30pm PST!' she wrote.

'Well be giving away 11 signed copies of our book Alessandra by Stewart Shining to guests with the best questions! Add your question below for a chance to win a book!'

Party time: Beforehand, Ambrosio took to her Instagram page and shared a couple of videos taken during her ride to the event with Brazilian YouTuber Matheus Mazzafera

Party time: Ambrosio's ride to the event also included hairstylist Laura Polko

Family time: Earlier on Sunday, Ambrosio posted a photo and video of her kids enjoying a 'Sunday Funday' that included an afternoon of swimming with family and friends

Happy Birthday Live: The longtime supermodel also promoted her Instagram Live event on Monday, which is partly her birthday celebration
She married millionaire property developer Jake O'Neil on Thursday at the heritage-listed Carthona mansion in Darling Point, Sydney.

And it seems like celebrations are far from over for Lou Hay and her new husband, as she revealed on Monday that the pair are currently enjoying a 'staycation' in the city to celebrate their recent nuptials and her birthday.

The heiress shared a series of clips from onboard a superyacht to Instagram, revealing the pair had sailed around the Sydney Harbour Bridge to watch the sunset.

The celebrations continue! Lou Hay and her new husband Jake O'Neil are currently enjoying a 'staycation' to celebrate their nuptials and her birthday. Pictured on their wedding day on Thursday at the heritage-listed Carthona mansion in Darling Point, Sydney

She then showed off a fresh bouquet of red flowers no doubt given to her by Jake, and a modest heart-shaped birthday cake surrounded by a selection of berries.

Lou then shared a picture of herself in bed with a view of the city from Sydney's ultra-luxurious Crown hotel, captioned: 'Little birthday staycation with the husband'.

She then posted another photo of the gorgeous view from their window, captioned: 'We'll just be here if you need us...'

Life of luxury: Lou shared a series of short clips from the superyacht to Instagram, revealing the pair had sailed in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge to watch the sunset

Cute: Lou also shared a modest heart-shaped birthday cake surrounded by a selection of berries

What a life! Lou then shared a picture of herself in bed with a view of the city from Sydney's ultra-luxurious Crown hotel, captioned: 'Little birthday staycation with the husband'

This is the fourth day of celebrations for the happy couple.

On Saturday, they invited close friends and family to enjoy a ritzy dinner at Justin Hemmes' restaurant Bert's Bar and Brasserie in Newport.

Lou, the daughter of late Donald Hay who founded cleaning products manufacturer Hayco in 1983, looked glamorous in a pink feathered dress with a waterfall design for the big event.

Celebrations: Lou looked glamorous in a feathered dress as she continued wild wedding celebrations at Justin Hemmes' ritzy Sydney restaurant on Saturday

The bride added a pair of metallic heels to her ensemble and opted for a glamorous makeup look, while wearing her hair down.

Meanwhile, Jake looked dapper in green trousers, a white buttoned shirt and a beige blazer.

At the establishment, the tables were beautifully decorated with floral arrangements and ornate place cards.

After enjoying a meal with their family and friends, the couple couldn't wipe the smiles off their faces as they cut a cake.

Beauty: The bride added a pair of metallic heels to her ensemble and opted for a glamorous makeup look, while wearing her hair down

Meanwhile, Lou stunned in a tulle wedding dress on Thursday as she exchanged vows with the second-eldest son of millionaire superyacht broker and Rose Bay marina owner Denis O'Neil.

Her wedding gown featured a strapless design, an embellished jewel bodice, a flowing train and romantic sheer sleeves.

The socialite wore her long dark hair loosely over her shoulders, and her makeup consisted of lashings of mascara and soft pink lipstick.

Jake, meanwhile, looked dapper in a classic black suit and bow tie.

Newlyweds: After enjoying a meal with their family and friends, the couple couldn't wipe the smiles off their face as they cut a cake

Stunning: The tables were beautifully decorated with floral arrangements and ornate place cards

Lou, who has already changed her surname on her social media accounts to O'Neil, shared a series of stunning images from their big day on Instagram on Friday.

Lou and Jake got engaged in June last year.

The brunette beauty, a content creator, took to Instagram to share with her 28,000 followers that O'Neil had gotten down on one knee in a Sydney cafe surrounded by family and friends.

'This morning... Heart is exploding,' she wrote at the time.

Wedding bells: Lou stunned in a tulle wedding dress as she exchanged vows with the second-eldest son of millionaire superyacht broker and Rose Bay marina owner Denis O'Neil

'Bride tribe': For the intimate ceremony, Lou had her sister Simmie Hay, sister-in-law-to-be Poppy O'Neil Tzaneros (middle right), Deborah Symond O'Neil (far left), Alyce Tran, Caroline Tran, Hermione Underwood and India Banks as her bridesmaids

Lou previously lived between Hong Kong and London with her long-time Norwegian fiance Nicolai Asplin.

The then-couple moved back to Sydney in 2020, where they threw a lavish engagement party at Bondi's Icebergs, before breaking up within weeks.

She said at the time that the relationship 'had run its course'.

Lou then reunited with Jake, who she had previously dated years earlier in high school.

Sadly, the fashion blogger's father Donald passed away in July 2019 from melanoma at age 76.
Kara Del Toro left little to the imagination when she stepped out in a tight gown with a plunging neckline at The Daily Front Row Fashion Awards on Sunday.

The model, 28, donned a glittery black dress with mesh netting on the sides that revealed the skin near her waist.

Del Toro's gown had a deep, plunging neckline which accentuated her impressive chest.

Showing off her assets: Kara Del Toro left little to the imagination when she stepped out in a tight gown with a plunging neckline at The Daily Front Row Fashion Awards on Sunday

The Texas native's long blonde hair was tied behind her and fell in two distinct strands toward her shoulders and upper back.

With her hair tied out of her face, the model's diamond earrings were left clearly visible.

Her eyebrows were perfectly groomed, and her mascara was applied well, ending in a sharp point on the outskirts of her eyes.

Sparkle: The model, 28, donned a glittery black dress with mesh netting on the sides that revealed the skin near her waist

Low-cut: Del Toro's gown had a deep, plunging neckline which accentuated her impressive chest

Once inside the event, Del Toro stopped for a few snaps with fellow model Carmella Rose who also opted for a revealing ensemble.

Rose, 26, wore a long black dress slit in multiple places down the front and down the side of the leg to reveal her well-tanned skin.

The California native's brown hair was tied back into a bun and she walked on a pair of tall high heels.

Double trouble: Once inside the event, Del Toro stopped for a few snaps with fellow model Carmella Rose who also opted for a revealing ensemble

Also not scared to bare some skin: Rose, 26, wore a long black dress slit in multiple places down the front and down the side of the leg to reveal her well-tanned skin

She held a small gold clutch tightly in her left hand.

The Daily Front Row Fashion Awards is an annual award ceremony put on by the popular fashion industry publication The Daily Front Row to celebrate big names in the modeling and fashion industry.

This year's ceremony, held in Beverly Hills, featured stars like Del Toro, Megan Fox, Alessandro Ambrosio, Behati Prinsloo and many more.
Paris Hilton looked effortlessly elegant in all black as she attended the Daily Front Row Fashion Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The 41-year-old heiress was joined by her mother Kathy Hilton, 63, who was supporting her as she received the coveted Fashion Entrepreneur award for her many fashion ventures.

Paris cut a chic figure in her outfit, which was well-tailored to hug her curves.

Honoree: Paris Hilton, 41, looked chic in a black blazer dress as she joined mother Kathy Hilton, 63, at the Daily Front Row Fashion Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, where she was being honored

The Simple Life star's Area blazer dress buttoned up to just below her bust, and it was accented with lustrous slim satin shawl lapels.

The look was slightly imposing thanks to its padded shoulders.

Paris' outfit only reached down to the top of her thighs, highlighting her long, toned legs.

She perfectly matched the all-black item with a shiny set of pointy-toed pumps, and she added some extra sparkle to her look with a diamond necklace around her throat.

Back in black: The Simple Life star's Area blazer dress buttoned up to just below her bust, and it was accented with lustrous slim satin shawl lapels. The look was slightly imposing thanks to its padded shoulders

Legs for days: Paris' outfit only reached down to the top of her thighs, highlighting her long, toned legs. She perfectly matched the all-black item with a shiny set of pointy-toed pumps

Although Paris' outfit looked fairly reserved and business-like from the front, she turned around on the red carpet to reveal a more striking backside.

The blazer featured a drooping cut-out revealing her exposed back, which was only covered with horizontal jeweled strands, along with a thicker spine running down the center.

The occasional DJ stood out with her gorgeous blond locks, which were swept to the side with thick, wavy strands falling to the side of her impeccably made-up face, while the rest of her hair was tied up in a high ponytail that was turned up at the bottom.

Kathy complemented her daughter with a black blazer decorated with lovely floral embroidery.

Surprise: She turned around to show off a drooping cut-out revealing her back, which was only covered with horizontal jeweled strands, along with a thicker spine running down the center

Flower power: Kathy complemented her daughter with a black blazer decorated with lovely floral embroidery

Rubbing elbows: Paris and Kathy mingled with celebrities at the award ceremony, including Christina Aguilera, who looked edgy in a green leather blazer, and hair and makeup artist Etienne Ortega

She kept the rest of her look muted with a black blouse and slacks with slits at the bottom, and she wore black heels decorated with sparkling silver star and moon designs over the toes.

Paris and Kathy mingled with some celebrities at the award ceremony, including Christina Aguilera, who looked edgy in a green leather blazer with peaked lapels, and the hair and makeup artist Etienne Ortega, who wore a ski cap and a double-breasted pinstripe suit.

Paris was being honored at the ceremony for her fashion ventures, and last month she launched her latest, the Iconic Tracksuit collection.

'Since the 2000s, tracksuits have been iconic  Over the years I have collected hundreds of tracksuits, and I am so excited to now launch my own Iconic Tracksuit collection,' she shared on Instagram late in March. 'Ive enjoyed every aspect of the design process, from choosing and testing the softest velour fabrics, to ensuring all the finishings, details, and embellishments were just right.'

Paris posed in a bubblegum pink velour tracksuit from her collection to launch the line.

New venture: Paris was being honored at the ceremony for her fashion ventures, and last month she launched her latest, the Iconic Tracksuit collection
Doctor Who's Karen Gillan led the celebrations at New York City's Tartan Week on Saturday while wearing a cropped red kilt.

The 34-year-old Scottish native paid homage to her home country in the stateside parade, sporting a Clan McQueen kilt as she stepped out as Grand Marshal of the event.

Karen waved a Scottish flag at the parade as she paired the above-the-knee kilt with a white band T-shirt, layering with a leather aviator jacket while flashing her legs, adding a pair of chunky boots.

Celebrations: Doctor Who star Karen Gillan, 34, led the celebrations at NYC's Tartan Week in a red kilt as she paid homage to her Scottish roots

The beauty had her copper in a soft wave as she beamed for snaps at the bustling event, which was back for the first time in two years - after being postponed due to Covid-19.

The event usually takes place every year, with the 22nd Annual New York Tartan Day Parade seeing Karen joined by an abundance of tartan-clad bagpipers and drummers from the USA.

Karen, who now lives in the Los Angeles, took to Instagram to display her joy to be fronting the parade, posting a series of snaps from the day.

Missing home: The Scottish native sported a Clan McQueen kilt as she stepped out as Grand Marshal of the event

Annual: The event takes place every year, with the 22nd Annual New York Tartan Day Parade seeing Karen joined by an abundance of tartan-clad bagpipers and drummers from the USA

In the carousel of shots, Karen was seen marching in the parade with other attendees as she led the way with a banner, before stopping for a sweet pic with a fitting Scottish Terrier.

In the caption, the actress explained her joy to attend the event, writing: 'Such an honor and an absolute BLAST to be the Grand Marshal for this years Tartan Day Parade in New York City.' (sic)

She was joined at the day by a host of pals, posting another snap which showed a specially-made whisky that they were gifted for the occasion.

Cute! The actress stopped for a sweet pic with a fitting Scottish Terrier at the bash

Honoured; In the caption, the actress explained her joy to attend the event, writing: 'Such an honor and an absolute BLAST to be the Grand Marshal for this years Tartan Day Parade in New York City' (sic)

Showing gratitude, Karen wrote: 'I got to have my best friends march with me. Most from Scotland. Some from America. One from France.

'We were kindly gifted a bottle of whisky made especially for us! Scottish lassies wont ever turn away a good dram'.

According to the event's webpage, it all began in 1999, when 'two pipe bands and a small but enthusiastic group of Scottish Americans, led by Grand Marshal and Academy Award-winning actor Cliff Robertson, marched from the British Consulate to the UN in the first New York City Tartan Day Parade.

Traditional: Karen was gifted a specially-made whisky for the occasion

'Since then, the annual NYC Tartan Day Parade has brought together thousands of people from across NYC, the United States, and Scotland by providing meaningful connections through the celebration of Scottish heritage and culture.

'Organized by the National Tartan Day New York Committee, the Parade plays an integral role in marking National Tartan Day (April 6), a day declared by the U.S. Senate in 1998 to officially recognize the outstanding achievements and contributions made by Scottish Americans to the United States.

The parade featured a giant Loch Ness Monster float, a legend which hails from Inverness - Karen's hometown.

But the parade was just one of the many events held in New York last week for the Scottish celebrations, as on Wednesday, Edinburgh-born Tony Singh, who has been awarded an MBE, treated the city to a host of Scottish cuisine.
In January 2021, she publicly confirmed in a string of angry tweets that her marriage with estranged husband Ioan Gruffudd had broken down.

And on Sunday evening, Alice Evans, 53, shared a makeup-free but heavily edited selfie to her Instagram as she detailed occasionally seeing her true self coming back.

The actress admitted: 'A big shock takes a while to get over!' as she touched on having been 'fooled' and thinking about what she 'did wrong' while coming to terms with the split.

Let me take a selfie: On Sunday evening, Alice Evans, 53, shared a makeup-free but heavily edited selfie to her Instagram as she detailed occasionally seeing her true self coming back

Alice wrote alongside her selfie: 'The real me. Almost 18 months later. No make up, just a bit of help erasing the flaky patches.

These things change slowly, i'm afraid ( unless you're on one of those Home Maintenance shows. Those girls seem to move from partner to partner with greatest of ease and procreate like rabbits.) I hand it to them!

But me? No. A big shock takes a while to get over and necessitated a lot of thinking. Waft I did wrong, what I can improve.

'Because you know at the end of the day: Fool me once, shame on.. shame on.. what is it? Godamnit! YOU FOOLED CAN CANt GET FOOLED AGAIN! Ya get it!! Now take this goddamn microphone off before it strangles me.

Candid! The actress admitted: 'A big shock takes a while to get over!' as she touched on having been 'fooled' and thinking about what she 'did wrong' while coming to terms with the split

'Apologizes. This was meant to be a serious and sensitive post. And it still is, I took a picture of myself almost every day since it happened to see if I could see 'me' coming back

'Occasionally I do! But I guess not today! Love to ALL OF YOU.'

102 Dalmatians star Alice announced her split from Welsh actor Ioan in a series of angry tweets last January. He subsequently a new romance with Bianca Wallace, 29, in October.

Alice dramatically quit Twitter recently after slamming Bianca over a perceived 'lack of empathy'.

The ex: In January 2021, she publicly confirmed that her marriage with estranged husband Ioan Gruffudd had broken down (Pictured together in June 2018)

Just last month, Alice claimed that she and her daughters 'will be homeless in two months', amid her legal battle with her ex.

The actress shared the update as she alleged that her children, Ella, 12, and Elsie, eight, will be losing 'the only house they have ever known.'

Taking to Instagram, the mother-of-two shared a candid photo before explaining her situation to her followers.

Alongside a photo she penned: 'Rough, rough day today. The girls and I found out we are going to lose the only house they have ever known. In two months we will be homeless.'

'I hesitated about sharing, because when your ex has paid good money to have you gagged and you risk jail by speaking out. (Communist China, anyone?) it gets really scary.

Family: Last month, Alice shared a candid photo to Instagram before explaining that she and her daughters are facing homelessness (Pictured with Ella, 12, and Elsie, 8, in 2018)

Heartbreaking: She penned: 'The girls and I found out we are going to lose the only house they have ever known. In two months we will be homeless'

'But driving home tonight after hacking dropped both girls at different play dates/ parties, arranged to pick them up, been told how much they'll miss me and that they can't wait to have 'family day at home' tomorrow, I feel the tears starting again. Tears of fear. Tears of the possibility of breaking their hearts.

'They love this house. It wouldn't be the end of the world. We can find a condo to rent somewhere I'm sure.

'Just feeling wistful tonight! Bear with me, I'll be back! I promise!'

Alice's update follows the news that she applied for legal and physical custody of her children following her legal battle with her ex-husband, Ioan.

Exes: Alice's update follows the news that she applied for legal and physical custody of her children following her legal battle with her ex-husband, Ioan

In court documents obtained by People, the actress asked that visitation rights be granted to Ioan.

She also requested 'spousal support, termination of the court's ability to award spousal support to Gruffudd, and for her attorney fees to be paid by her estranged husband', while citing 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for their split.

The 102 Dalmatians star previously asked the court to determine the rights to their family home in Los Angeles.

Ioan had been married to Alice for 14 years before he filed for divorce in March last year, later applying for a restraining order in February 2022.

Alice and Ioan's representatives have been contacted for comment by MailOnline.

Shock: The 102 Dalmatians star had asked the court to determine the rights to their family home in Los Angeles (L-R: Elsie and Ella)

It comes after the actress laid into his new girlfriend Bianca in a series of abusive texts, calling her a 'vixen' and telling him she has 'your nuts stuck in her veneers' - according to a bombshell court filing.

The Welsh actor submitted 113 pages of abusive text messages, emails and social media posts as he applied for a restraining order against his ex, claiming she threatened to do to him 'what Amber Heard did to Johnny Depp' and paint him as a drug-addicted abuser.

In his court filing, Ioan claims he told Alice he wanted out of the marriage in August 2020 and since then, she has harassed him with hundreds of unanswered text messages, abusive emails and social media posts - many of which he included in the filing.

Family drama: She is also requesting 'spousal support, termination of the court's ability to award spousal support to Gruffudd'

One message read: 'If you throw me out of the house, I will call all the tabloids in the UK. There is NO going back now though. I just think you should know what you've gotten yourself into. You think you have a bad reputation now? Lol!

'You think once it's over I will stop talking? I am going to dedicate the rest of my life to spreading awareness of what you have done,' she said in one text.

She went on to allege that he'd told her of times castmates bought cocaine, and that he never gave her sexual pleasure. 'Your face and body now look hideous to me. I am starting on dating apps...,' one text read, while in another she writes: 'I have no idea why the hell I fell in love with you.'

At other times she appears apologetic, writing: 'I'm sorry I sent ranting texts last night, I'll try really hard not to do it any more.' But the messages quickly revert again to being abusive, but then quickly flips back to insulting him.

In a written statement, Ioan claims she verbally threatened to tell the media he had abused her and do 'what Amber Heard did to Johnny Depp'.

Back then: In court documents, the actress asked that visitation rights be granted to Ioan

'Alice told me verbally multiple times that she would do to me what Amber Heard did to Johnny Depp.

'Alice threatened to tell people I had abused her and our daughters; she threatened to call the police on me if I did not comply with her demands; she threatened to tell people I am a drug addict and put me in prison; she threatened to write a fake diary that reflected an abused victim, and to have the diary published; and she threatened to destroy my mother.

'Alice told me she would win, and everyone would believe her over me.'

In her response in court, Alice said she had 'never threatened' him with slanderous statements or harassed him. Her representatives have not responded to requests for comment about the texts and emails contained in the lawsuit.

New woman: Ioan had been married to Alice for 14 years before he filed for divorce in March. Their messy split centres around his new relationship with Bianca Wallace (pictured)

In the declaration, Ioan goes on to claim Alice had already made 'false and harassing' posts about him on social media', as well as sending 'hundreds' of abusive emails, texts and video calls.

Dozens of messages were included in the court documents, in which Alice appeared to criticize the star for not working.

'It' embarrassing now that everybody is telling me you are done. That nobody wants to [employ] you. That Dom West is at the top of the lists because he 'did the right thing'. And by the way it doesn't matter what is really going on in the relationship, for god's sake. It's about appearances. Jesus Christ think of Cary grant and Rock Hudson.

'Why on EARTH do you think Tom Cruise and John Travolta went to such extents? I'm increasingly angry that you have sabotaged your career. Insanely angry. I GAVE UP my career for this.

Bombshell: Texts from Alice to Ioan include many about their kids, custody agreements and her ranting about other portions of their lives

At odds: In her court filing, Alice said she that had never 'threatened or harassed' Ioan. Her attorneys and reps have not commented on the texts that were submitted

'And you throw it away because you feel a stronger connection to [your parents] than you do to your own brethren? It's just so confusing. . . You KNOW your Mum is a mental case. Why on earth do you want to give up everything we've established for the sake of somebody who doesn't even love you?'

She added: 'Your face and body now look hideous to me. I am starting on dating apps ( not had the balls to actually go live yet) because I want to find a man who really loves me after being deprived of that for 20 whole years.

'I am convinced I still have time, and my personality will shine through. I have no idea why the hell I fell in love with you. Biggest mistake if my life. ( except for the kids)'

The actor claimed she had also turned on his new girlfriend, Bianca, such as by publishing private information about her.

He continued: 'It was extremely upsetting and stressful for me to continuously receive these types of hostile and aggressive text messages from Alice. On July 22, 2021, I blocked Alice's phone number on my phone.'

Serious: Alice is also requesting 'for her attorney fees to be paid by her estranged husband', while citing 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for their split

One of the examples appeared to show Alice saying: 'Dude your film with Bianca is the most embarrassing thing I have EVER seen in Deadline. . . You have left a family you were providing for. You had SPECIFICALLY asked this loving family to wait for you while you worked abroad. We did.

'Then you met the most psychopathic succubus ever minnow to man, and fell for her. even Prince Harry... whatever. No NO NO NO nO.

'Find some financing then make whatever film you want. But don't take away everything you have because some vixen has your nuts between her veneers. PS: There is already betting on how long until she leaves you! PROPER BETTING! Now THAT'S famous.'

Alice rejected all the claims made by Ioan in the restraining order application.

She wrote: 'I believe that Petitioner is filing this request merely as a ploy to gain some sort of advantage over me in our divorce proceedings.

'As Petitioner has not seen our children for over 8 months, I believe he is trying to set some type of record that I am a horrible mother.'

Alice and Ioan confirmed their split in a series of furious tweets posted in January 2021.

She has since documented every toxic turn in their subsequent divorce proceedings across social media, and repeatedly slated him for being in a relationship with Bianca Wallace.
Anneka Rice put on a radiant display as she hosted charity event Ukraine Unplugged at London's White Eagle Club on Sunday.

The 63-year-old showed her support for the war-torn country by wearing the country's flag colours to the event.

Anneka sported a coat with yellow and blue panelling, with a stitched 'A' on the left side and a shoulder pad design.

Charity: Anneka Rice, 63, showed her support for Ukraine in a blue and yellow panelled coat as she hosted charity event Ukraine Unplugged in London on Sunday

She wore the coat over a black, scoop neck top and black trousers, cinching her waist with a black belt.

Anneka added brown heeled boots to the ensemble, accessorising with a blue beaded necklace.

The presenter looked radiant at the event, with a red-lip and a glowing makeup look, as her bleach blonde locks neatly fell alongside her jaw.

Glowing: The presenter looked radiant at the event, with a red-lip and a glowing makeup look, as her bleach blonde locks neatly fell alongside her jaw

Support: Anneka sported a coat with yellow and blue panelling, a stitched 'A' on the left side and a shoulder pad design

She hosted the event alongside TV presenter Penny Smith, which raised funds for the charity Choose Love, in support of their work with Ukrainian Refugees.

The night brought together stars of stage and screen to entertain the audience - including actors Allan Corduner, John Dagleish and Janie Dee.

The supportive event comes as conflict is ongoing between Russia and Ukraine, with many charities stepping up to help refugees in the trying climate.

Centre stage: Anneka hosted the event alongside TV presenter Penny Smith, which raised funds for the charity Choose Love , in support of their work with Ukrainian Refugees

Raising funds: The supportive event comes as conflict rages on between Russia and Ukraine, with many charities stepping up to help refugees (L-R Johnny Flynn, Lillie Flynn, Ray Mears, Penny Smith and Anneka Rice)

Many famous faces attended the bash, most wearing blue and yellow as they stood in solidarity - while a large Ukrainian flag hung on the stage.

Charity work is nothing new for Anneka, as the appearance follows the news that she is set to return to her eponymous Challenge Anneka show.

The nineties classic involved the presenter doing a series of challenges - usually to raise money for charity.

During his column in The Sun, Rod McPhee revealed that Anneka is in talks with Channel 5 for the return of the show, which ran from 1989-1995 on BBC1.

Solidarity: Many famous faces attended the bash, most wearing blue and yellow as they stood in solidarity - while a large Ukrainian flag hung on the stage
Choosing the right physician to work at your practice is a harrowing process. There are several factors to consider, a lot of red tape to cut through in order to find someone that is the perfect fit for the team you're trying to build.

It can be daunting, sifting through a list of applicants and struggling to find someone up to the task. It's easy to get overwhelmed and make the mistake of bringing a physician that doesn't add value to your business.

Breaking the process down into parts can make it less overwhelming. There are three essential steps in a hiring process that contribute to choosing the best person for the job.

Step One: Do a Thorough Search

There are plenty of places to look for physicians. Start by doing a physician job search at Practicematch.com. From there you can simply post your job and let Physicians find you or you can reach out to qualified candidates who may or may not be looking for a job. You may find a physician who wasn't necessarily searching for a job, but saw your job listing and made them consider making a move.

You can advertise your open position on social media. In the medical field, networking is very important. You may reach doctors who know of other doctors looking for a job.

Be diligent, and detailed. Make a list of non-negotiables; values and skill sets that you'd like your employee to possess. Consider the area they're in, and if their commute would be ideal. Offer a competitive salary and good benefits. This will help you stand out against other facilities.

Finding the right person for the job can take quite a while, so make sure that your staff can handle your current patient demographic without this new team member. You don't want to be swamped with work while you do your search. This can contribute to overloading the new hire once they arrive, or hiring the wrong person out of desperation or burnout.

Your business deserves the best of the best, and it's out there, it just takes a thorough search and rigorous drive to find them.

Step Two: Interview Your Applicants

Once you've compiled a list of qualified physicians, it's time to interview.

Interviewing candidates is a great way to ensure you're choosing the right person for your team. You get to meet them face-to-face and get a feel for their personality and work ethic. You get a deeper understanding of the physician: what drives and inspires them.

Ask about their interests, hobbies, and motivations. Ask them why they believe they'll be a good fit for your organization. Look for value, and evaluate their listening skills when you're telling them about your practice. Choose the candidate that wants to enrich the community; someone that seeks to aid and rehabilitate their patients.

Allow your interviewees time to answer each question. Give them a chance to show you who they are, and how they'll be a positive addition to your business. You're building a lengthy relationship with your physician, make sure it's a healthy one.

Evaluate their skillset, and ask them about their strengths and weaknesses. You want to make sure your potential employee has the experience and expertise you're looking for. You can ask them to bring references from previous employers so you can get a proper glimpse of how they conduct themselves in the workplace.

You want someone that's passionate about what they do; someone that sees longevity in your business. Ask your applicants where they see themselves a few years down the road. You want to implement the job into their future. Allow them to see themselves as the missing puzzle piece you've been searching for.

Step Three: Extend Your Offer

You've done your research, you've interviewed incredible applicants, and now it's time to make a selection.

Your perfect fit may be clear as day, or there might be a few candidates that are qualified for the job. It's a big decision. You need to be sure you're making the right one.

Hiring the best physician involves three key factors: skill, potential, and character. Your physician needs to be good at what they do, a valuable asset, and a perfect addition to your team.

Once you've made your choice, it's time to extend your bid. The job offer should include a competitive salary, ample benefits, and any other incentives you'd like to provide. Do everything in your power to make sure you're their first choice.

Reach out by phone and email so your applicant knows you're interested. If they miss one point of contact, you're present in another. Put a time limit on the offer, this will help them come to a decision on whether or not they want to accept it.

Once your applicant has accepted the offer, you can begin the onboarding process. Collect their info, complete any necessary new-hire evaluations, and schedule an orientation. They can also come into the office before their first day of work so they can meet their team members and get an official tour of their workplace.

The community you build is just as important as the demographic it's meant to serve. You want quality, character, and substance. These things can ensure the success and longevity of your practice.
Helen Flanagan has revealed that all three of her children are ill with scarlet fever after cases of the infection skyrocketed in the north west of England.

The Corrie actress, 32, is mother to Matilda, six, Delilah, three, and son Charlie, 13 months, with former Celtic player Scott Sinclair.

Scarlet fever is a contagious infection that mostly affects young children but is easily treated with antibiotics.

Under the weather: Helen Flanagan revealed that all three of her children - Matilda, six, Delilah, three, and son Charlie, 13 months - are ill with scarlet fever

Poorly: Taking to Instagram on Monday, Helen shared a snap of Delilah napping on the sofa while she battled with the infection

A main symptom of scarlet fever is a rash of small, raised spots while some also suffer with flu-like symptoms, including a high temperature, a sore throat and swollen neck glands.

Taking to Instagram on Monday, Helen shared a snap of Delilah napping on the sofa while she battled with the infection.

She penned: 'All the kids have Scarlet Fever. Glad to know what it is after Delilah not been herself and the medicine to treat it.'

Helen told fans: 'All the kids have Scarlet Fever. Glad to know what it is after Delilah not been herself and the medicine to treat it'

Parents have been warned to be on their guard for chickenpox and scarlet fever as cases rise among children across the country.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued the warning to parents after nearly 3,500 cases of scarlet fever were reported between September 2021 and March 2022 in England.

One school in Manchester was forced to send a letter to parents following an outbreak of the virus, prompting the UKHSA to monitor infection rates in the north west.

What is scarlet fever? Scarlet fever is usually mild, but highly infectious, prompting UKHSA to warn parents to be vigilant. Symptoms of scarlet fever include a sore throat, headache and fever with a pink or red rash on the skin.

Early treatment is important as it helps to reduce the risk of complications such as pneumonia and the transmission of infection. Those diagnosed with scarlet fever should stay at home until at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment.

Those infected should practice good hygiene including hand washing and not sharing utensils.

Rare symptoms of scarlet fever can arise when it circulates at the same time as other skin infections, including chickenpox.

One rare complication can include septicemia, an infection in the blood, which can potentially be fatal.

Parents who suspect their child has scarlet fever should seek medical advise via their GP or by calling 111 Advertisement

The news about Helen's children falling ill follows after she attended Ladies Day at Aintree on Friday with her mum, Julia.

The actress looked chic in a classic brown wrap dress from Never Fully Dressed while at the iconic horse racing event in Liverpool.

Helen carried her belongings in a soft pink suede Dior handbag and accessorised with a netted fascinator in a similar shade.

The soap star boosted her height with a sparkling pair of strappy gold stilettos and completed her look with a gold wristwatch and a pretty pink manicure.

Helen's mum, Julia, commanded attention in a stunning blue bubble wrap frock, which was also from Never Fully Dressed.

She strolled around in silver heels, and held a beaded white clutch bag in her hand, while tying everything together with a bold blue fascinator.
He earned a name for himself after playing Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid franchise.

And almost four decades on from the debut film, Ralph Macchio, 60, showed off his youthful features as he attended the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in Santa Monica on Sunday.

The actor, who was 22 when he took on the leading role in the acclaimed films, paid homage to the trilogy that shaped his career as he stood for photos wearing a T-shirt baring the face of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) - his fictional karate mentor.

Defying age: The Karate Kid's Ralph Macchio, 60, showed off his youthful features almost four decades after starring in the martial arts drama as he attended the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in Santa Monica on Sunday

Ralph was all smiles at The Barker Hangar as he stood on the orange carpet, opening his suave jacket to give a better look at the nod to the 1984 classic.

The New York native teamed his tee with black jeans and smart shoes, posing with American actress Peyton List, 24, for a series of snaps before the film stars joined forces on stage at the prestigious awards.

Ralph was also accompanied by wife Phyllis Fierre, after the pair celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary last week.

Flashback: Ralph earned a name for himself after playing Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid franchise (pictured right in the first film, 1984)

High spirits: The film star paid homage to the trilogy that shaped his career as he stood for photos wearing a T-shirt baring the face of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) - his fictional karate mentor

Orange carpet: The New York native teamed his tee with black jeans and smart shoes

Big names: Ralph posed with American actress Peyton List, 24, for a series of snaps before the film stars joined forces on stage at the prestigious awards

Lasting love: Ralph was also accompanied by wife Phyllis Fierre, after the pair celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary last week

The story of The Karate Kid follows Daniel as he is taught the martial art to help defend himself and compete in a tournament against his bullies.

The film also stars Elisabeth Shue as Daniel's love interest Ali Mills and William Zabka as her ex-boyfriend - and one of Daniel's bullies - Johnny Lawrence.

It was directed by the late John G. Avildsen - the Academy-Award winning director of Rocky.

Plot: The story of The Karate Kid follows Daniel as he is taught the martial art to help defend himself and compete in a tournament against his bullies (Ralph and Pat pictured 1984)

Onscreen romance: The film also stars Elisabeth Shue as Daniel's love interest Ali Mills

Love triangle: William Zabka (left) took on the role of Ali's ex-boyfriend - and one of Daniel's bullies - Johnny Lawrence

Ralph played Daniel for three instalments - The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989), but did not reprise the role in The Next Karate Kid (1994).

A remake set in China and focusing on kung-fu was released in 2010, adopting a similar storyline but different characters.

Cobra Kai is a follow-up series which started in 2018 and is set three decades after the original films. It features some of the original cast-members, including Ralph and William.

Last year, the 2022 Chinese remake of the 2010 Karate Kid film was announced.
She's no stranger to showing off her famous figure.

And Kim Kardashian took to Instagram once again to flaunt her curves in a pink silk co-ord on Sunday.

The 41-year-old SKIMS CEO posed in front of an idyllic palm tree backdrop in Hawaii for the sizzling snap, sporting a skimpy hot pink bra that accentuated her toned stomach.

Stunning: Kim Kardashian took to Instagram once again to flaunt her curves in a pink silk co-ord on Sunday in front of an idyllic palm tree backdrop in Hawaii

Her lithe legs were on full display in a pair of matching hot pink shorts, while she held a flower lei in her hand.

Her raven tresses were styled in a two long braids, while she wore a sweet white flower tucked behind her ear.

She appeared to go makeup free for the scorching photo, allowing her tan and natural beauty do the work.

Getting in the spirit: Captioning the stunning shot, she simple wrote: 'Aloha'

Captioning the stunning shot, she simple wrote: 'Aloha'.

On Saturday, Kim 'screamed' and 'kinda freaked out' after her legal professor Sam Arlen Farkas informed her that her baby bar exam essay was selected to be the 'model answer' after getting 'the highest score.'

Kardashian passed the test on December 13 after failing it three times, and she aims to eventually pass the California State Bar in 2024 without attending college or law school.

'Kinda freaking out!' On Saturday, Kim 'screamed' after her legal professor Sam Arlen Farkas informed her that her baby bar exam essay was selected to be the 'model answer' after getting 'the highest score'

'You are an inspiration to us all': Kardashian passed the test on December 13 after failing it three times, and she aims to eventually pass the California State Bar in 2024 without attending college or law school (pictured with Farkas on December 13)

Legacy: The criminal reform advocate is following the footsteps of her late father - OJ Simpson defense attorney Robert Kardashian Sr. (M, pictured in 1995) - who died, age 59, from esophageal cancer in 2003 when she was only 22

The criminal reform advocate is following the footsteps of her late father - OJ Simpson defense attorney Robert Kardashian Sr. - who died, age 59, from esophageal cancer in 2003 when she was only 22.

Last Thursday, Kim donned a Thierry Mugler silver gown to attend The Kardashians premiere at Goya Studios in Hollywood alongside her boyfriend since October, SNL star Pete Davidson.

'He's supportive. I'm just so happy he's here,' Kardashian told E! News' Daily Pop.

First public event together! Last Thursday, Kim donned a Thierry Mugler silver gown to attend The Kardashians premiere at Goya Studios in Hollywood alongside her boyfriend since October, SNL star Pete Davidson (L)

'They were both invited by [chairwoman Anna Wintour] separately': Instead, Hollywood Life is predicting the coy couple will finally make their relationship 'red carpet official' at the gilded glamour-themed Met Gala in Manhattan on May 2 (pictured September 13)

'He's here to support me. It's my thing. I don't think it's his thing to be all up here [one the red carpet] with me.'

Instead, Hollywood Life is predicting the coy couple will finally make their relationship 'red carpet official' at the gilded glamour-themed Met Gala in Manhattan on May 2.

'Kim has been invited to the Met Gala and wants nothing more than for Pete to go with her as her date,' an insider told the mag.

'It's really hard with Kanye': Fans can expect West - not Davidson - to appear in the 40-episode reality TV spin-off The Kardashians premiering this Thursday on Hulu, Disney+ internationally, and Star+ in Latin America

'They were both invited by [chairwoman Anna Wintour] separately, as they have been in the past. Kim and Pete are ready to make their grand debut as a couple and they feel that the Met Gala is the perfect place to do it.'

Fans can expect Kanye West - not Davidson - to appear in the 40-episode reality TV spin-off The Kardashians premiering this Thursday on Hulu, Disney+ internationally, and Star+ in Latin America.

Kim vowed to Variety last month that viewers will see 'how we met and who reached out to who and how it happened and all the details that everyone wants to know.'
Lucy Watson celebrated seven years with her husband James Dunmore on Sunday, posting a snap the following day to mark the occasion.

In the sweet post, Lucy added a cosy shot of the pair, lying on a sun lounger with their arms entangled.

The 31-year-old showed off her toned figure as she lay in a barely-there bikini, with a shirtless James behind her in swimming trunks as he wrapped a supportive arm over her torso to meet her hand.

Congrats! Lucy Watson, 31, celebrated her anniversary with James Dunmore, 33, as she showed off her taut figure in a cuddled up bikini snap on Monday

Sweet: In the caption, Lucy explained that 'time flies', writing: 'Yesterday marked 7 years together / pretty crazy how time flies'

The post covered up their faces, focusing on their loved-up body language in the beachy pic - with the pair's engagement and wedding rings on display.

In the caption, Lucy explained that 'time flies', writing: 'Yesterday marked 7 years together / pretty crazy how time flies'

The post was shared with Lucy's 1.2million Instagram followers as she and James enjoy a Seychelles getaway.

Long-standing: The pair celebrated seven years together, after tying the knot in Greece last year

Back in the day: James and Lucy met on Made in Chelsea in 2015, with a romance instantly beginning (pictured 2015)

And the seven year mark wasn't the only milestone they celebrated during the holiday, as James turned 33 last week - honouring the day with a sunset beach trip on the gorgeous island.

Lucy has been sharing a slew of snaps from the getaway, as they enjoy a stay at the lavish Four Seasons Resort Seychelles.

Sunday marked the couple's last night on holiday, ending on a high with the happy celebration of seven years.

Time away: The post was shared with Lucy's 1.2million Instagram followers as she and James enjoy a Seychelles getaway

The pair met on Made In Chelsea in 2015 while both appearing on the reality show - with an instant connection forming.

It came after Lucy had been on the show since 2011, broadcasting a a string of failed romances with notorious co-stars such as Spencer Matthews, Jamie Laing and Andy Jordan.

Her luck turned around when James joined the show, with the pair sealing their relationship six years later with a gorgeous beach wedding in Greece, after James popped the question in 2020.

It came after Lucy had been on the show since 2011, broadcasting a a string of failed romances with notorious co-stars such as Spencer Matthews, Jamie Laing and Andy Jordan (pictured on Made in Chelsea with Spencer Matthews circa 2013)
Miguel Herran has revealed that he was caught up in a horrific house fire that destroyed his apartment and forced him to jump out of his bedroom window to escape.

The Spanish actor, who is best known for playing Rio in the Netflix show Money Heist, was heard sobbing and exclaiming 'I can't believe it', as he filmed the damage in an Instagram video on Friday.

Miguel, 25, revealed the blaze started at his home in Avila, Spain during the night and he awoke to 'the sound of my house burning.'

Money Heist's Miguel Herran caught up in terrifying house fire: Tearful Netflix star's home was destroyed after shock blaze that forced him to flee from his bedroom window in the night

Shocking: The Spanish actor, who is best known for playing Rio in the Netflix show Money Heist, was heard sobbing and exclaiming 'I can't believe it', as he filmed the damage

While firefighters were quick to tackle the blaze, Miguel revealed that much of his home had been ruined by the fire, with the ceiling in his kitchen and living room having fallen through and his possessions charred.

He shared: 'Thanks to everyone, especially the Avila firefighters and the security of my urbanization.

'The losses have been material and as a good friend of mine says, first world problems'

Horrific: Miguel, 25, revealed the blaze started at his home in Avila, Spain during the night and he awoke to 'the sound of my house burning'

Miguel is quoted in local reports as saying: 'It caught me when I was asleep and I woke up with the sound of my house burning. I escaped through the window of my room.'

Avila is a city in Spain and is the capital of Avila province, which is located north-west of the capital Madrid, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) away.

It is currently unclear what caused the blaze. MailOnline has contacted Miguel's representatives for further comment.

Heartbreaking: While firefighters were quick to tackle the blaze, Miguel revealed that much of his home had been ruined by the fire

Miguel found international fame with his role in Spanish Netflix series Money Heist, entitled La casa de papel in Spain.

The series followed an unusual group of thieves who pulled off the biggest heist in Spanish history, stealing 2.4 million from the Royal Mint of Spain.

The show spanned five seasons on Netflix and was the most-watched non-English language series ever until 2021's Korean hit Squid Game.

The series received several awards including the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series at the 46th International Emmy Awards.

It officially wrapped up in December, but a spin-off titled Berlin is already in the works, with a release date of 2023.

The blockbuster series is also getting an official Korean remake.
Congratulations are in order for Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness.

The Australian actor, 53, penned a gushing tribute to his wife, 66, on Monday as they celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary together.

He also marked the milestone by sharing a loved-up Instagram selfie of the couple posing on a beach.

Congratulations! Hugh Jackman, 53, penned a gushing tribute to his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, 66, on Monday, as they celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary together. He also shared a sweet image of the pair together on a beach to Instagram. Both pictured

'Today I celebrate 26 years of marriage to my extraordinary wife,' began Hugh, as he shared the tribute to Instagram.

'Every single day is filled with so much laughter, joy and backgammon!!!! Deb you light up my life. I love you with all my heart!'

Hugh and Deborra-Lee got married on 11 April 1996, just one year after meeting.

So lovely: 'Every single day is filled with so much laughter, joy and backgammon! Deb you light up my life. I love you with all my heart!' the actor wrote. Pictured: The couple on their wedding day in 1996

The pair met on the set of Australian drama Corelli, with Hugh saying he knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with Deborra-Lee after just two weeks.

They have two adopted children: Oscar Maximilian Jackman, 21, and Ava Eliot Jackman, 16.

Hugh previously told People that the secret to their happy marriage was 'making time for each other and 'always learning' from one another.

Milestone: The pair met on set of Australian drama Corelli, with Hugh saying he knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with Deborra-Lee after just two weeks

The Logan star said they consciously 'reset' their marriage, which means they don't grow apart like many longtime couples do.

'We're always learning and humans change so you have to, you gotta reset all the time,' he said.

'I'm always reeling in how funny she is and how amazing she is and how smart she is. The longer it goes on the better it gets.'

Happy couple: Hugh previously told People that the secret to their happy marriage was 'making time for each other and 'always learning' from one another

The Greatest Showman actor told NBC's Today show last year that their marriage 'doesn't feel like work'.

He said: 'People often say, "Oh my god, marriage is so much work." There are some things you've got to live by, but it doesn't feel like that.'

'It's been one of the best things in my life,' the X-Men star added.

Sweet: Last year, Hugh shared photos from their 1996 wedding day alongside a heartfelt tribute to Deborra-Lee as they celebrated their 25th anniversary

Elsewhere, the Broadway actor called his wife the 'most optimistic person' in his life.

'Deb is the lightest, most optimistic person I've ever met in my life. Like, if you ever want to play who's the happiest person in the room, Deb wins,' he said.

Last year, Hugh shared photos from their 1996 wedding day alongside a heartfelt tribute to Deborra-Lee as they celebrated their 25th anniversary.

'Being married to you, Deb, is as natural as breathing. From nearly the moment we met... I knew our destiny was to be together,' he wrote

'Being married to you, Deb, is as natural as breathing. From nearly the moment we met... I knew our destiny was to be together,' he began.

'In our 25 years - our love has only grown deeper. The fun, excitement and adventure more exhilarating; the learning even greater.

'I'm forever grateful to share our love, our life - and, our family together. We've only just begun. Deb, I love you with all my heart!'

Easy: The Greatest Showman actor told NBC's Today show last year that their marriage 'doesn't feel like work'. He said: 'People often say, "Oh my god, marriage is so much work." There are some things you've got to live by, but it doesn't feel like that'

In August 2019, the Broadway star revealed the 'simple but powerful choice' he made as a young man that safeguarded his marriage.

He was quoted in the book Father Hood: Inspiration for the New Dad Generation as saying: 'Before we had kids, Deb and I made a pretty simple but powerful choice to look each other in the eye at every crossroads in life.

'Those crossroads are sometimes big, sometimes they're small, sometimes you don't even realise they're crossroads until you look back.'
Keeping Up with the Kardashians alum Kim Kardashian has shared details of a conversation she had with Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson when they both attended the American-themed Met Gala in Manhattan on September 13.

'I ran into Pete Davidson at the Met,' the 41-year-old mother-of-four confessed in the first episode of her Hulu spin-off The Kardashians.

'And I was like, "I am so scared [to host the NBC sketch show on October 9]. I don't know what I signed up for." And he's like, "Can you read cue cards? You're good. You're good."'

'I ran into Pete Davidson at the Met': Keeping Up with the Kardashians alum Kim Kardashian (L) chatted to Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson (R) when they both attended the American-themed Met Gala in Manhattan on September 13

Kim and the 28-year-old girl-crazy comedian went on to share their first kiss during an Aladdin-themed skit, and he later gifted her their costumes and props on Valentine's Day.

Technically, Kardashian first met Pete at Kid Cudi's 35th birthday dinner on January 30, 2019 while still married to her estranged third husband Kanye 'Ye' West.

Speaking of the Costume Institute benefit, Hollywood Life is predicting the coy couple will finally make their relationship 'red carpet official' at the gilded glamour-themed gala in Manhattan on May 2.

'Kim has been invited to the Met Gala and wants nothing more than for Pete to go with her as her date,' an insider told the mag.

The 41-year-old mother-of-four confessed in the first episode of her Hulu spin-off The Kardashians: 'I was like, "I am so scared [to host the NBC sketch show on October 9]. I don't know what I signed up for." And he's like, "Can you read cue cards? You're good. You're good"'

A whole new world! Kim and the 28-year-old girl-crazy comedian went on to share their first kiss during an Aladdin-themed skit, and he later gifted her their costumes and props on Valentine's Day

Happier times: Technically, Kardashian first met Pete at Kid Cudi's 35th birthday dinner on January 30, 2019 while still married to her estranged third husband Kanye 'Ye' West

Full circle: Hollywood Life is predicting the coy couple will finally make their relationship 'red carpet official' at the gilded glamour-themed Costume Institute benefit in Manhattan on May 2

'They were both invited by [chairwoman Anna Wintour] separately, as they have been in the past. Kim and Pete are ready to make their grand debut as a couple and they feel that the Met Gala is the perfect place to do it.'

Kim and Davidson made their first public appearance as a couple at The Kardashians premiere at Goya Studios in Hollywood last Thursday, but did not pose together on the red carpet.

'He's supportive. I'm just so happy he's here,' Kardashian gushed to E! News' Daily Pop.

Did not pose together on red carpet: Kim and Davidson made their first public appearance as a couple at The Kardashians premiere at Goya Studios in Hollywood last Thursday

Kardashian gushed to E! News: 'He's supportive. I'm just so happy he's here. He's here to support me. It's my thing. I don't think it's his thing to be all up here [one the red carpet] with me'

'He's here to support me. It's my thing. I don't think it's his thing to be all up here [one the red carpet] with me.'

Fans can expect the 44-year-old rapper-designer - not the 6ft3in funnyman - to appear in the 40-episode reality TV spin-off premiering this Thursday on Hulu, Disney+ internationally, and Star+ in Latin America.

The half-Armenian beauty vowed to Variety last month that viewers will see 'how we met and who reached out to who and how it happened and all the details that everyone wants to know.'
Kim Kardashian's boyfriend Pete Davidson supported her at the premiere of her new Hulu series The Kardashians on Thursday in LA, arriving together holding hands.

And in a new interview, the mother of four opened up about her romance with the 28-year-old funnyman.

Kim, 41, said their romance came out of the blue, revealing that it was 'the last thing that I was really planning on, in an interview with Hoda Kotb for her Making Space podcast.

Lovebirds: Kim Kardashian's boyfriend Pete Davidson supported her at the premiere of her new Hulu series The Kardashians on Thursday in LA, arriving together holding hands. And in a new interview, the mother of four opened up about her romance with the funnyman; pictured together on April 7 at the premiere of The Kardashians in LA

The businesswoman said of her surprising romance with Pete: 'I think that, you know, sometimes things happen when you just least expect it. It was the last thing that I was really planning on.'

Kim added: 'And so when it did happen, we were kind of, like, "Oh my God, I wasn't planning on this. And this isn't even what I was thinking of." And it just makes it that much sweeter and so much more fun.'

The stunning brunette, who filed for divorce from husband Kanye West, 44, in February 2021, said that she 'definitely took my time' finding love again.

'I took, you know, 10 months or something before I dated or talked to anyone. And I just wanted that time to really figure out and go through the motions. "Am I making the right decision? How do I feel about this?"

Kisses: Kim, 41, said their romance came out of the blue, revealing that it was 'the last thing that I was really planning on, in an interview with Hoda Kotb for her Making Space podcast

Kim continued: 'So once I went through all of the motions, I finally was, like, "OK, guys, I am so ready to meet someone." And I randomly did.'

On her getting their relationship under wraps, the star said: 'I do think that I am holding, you know, a little bit more close to my heart on certain aspects of my relationship with Pete, and it feels good just to know that, like, we have this connection and we have our little bubble of a relationship world that we live in that, like, not a lot of people know about.'

The gorgeous star said that she doesn't put her guard up when it comes to love, despite her divorce.

'We all know someone that's been through a really hard time in relationships and everyone's been OK and everyone comes out OK. So you just have to, like, let yourself go and open yourself up to receive something and just be a good person and you'll get that back.'

She recalled a sweet moment that happened with Pete one day prior to the podcast: 'We were driving in the car yesterday and I just, like, looked at him and I was like, "Thank you." And he was like, "What?" And I was like, "For running errands with me, like, this is so much fun just to, like, go to a doctor's appointment or go to the dentist and just, like, run errands. I'm having so much fun."

Rumors of a possible romance with Pete were first sparked when the two kissed during an early October Saturday Night Live skit as she played Princess Jasmine and he portrayed Aladdin, and while initial reports claimed they are just friends, fans believed something more significant was brewing.

Weeks later, she was spotted at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California for the theme park's annual Halloween event with a group of friends, including Pete, her sister Kourtney and Kourtney's new fiance, Travis Barker.

Where it all started: Rumors of a possible romance were first sparked when the two kissed during an early October Saturday Night Live skit as she played Princess Jasmine and he portrayed Aladdin, and while initial reports claimed they are just friends, fans believed something more significant was brewing

Getting serious: Pete and Kim appeared on Saturday Night Live together in October

Pete and Kim reportedly enjoyed a private rooftop dinner at Campania in Staten Island in November, followed by a group outing at club Zero Bond the following night.

Kim and Pete were seen sweetly holding hands in November while celebrating his birthday in Palm Springs, California, as seen in Dailymail.com exclusive photos.

She went Instagram official with Pete in March, marking the first time she has shared him on her Instagram page.

Last week, Pete arrived holding hands with Kim to the premiere of her Hulu series The Kardashians in LA.

Adorable: She went Instagram official with Pete in March, marking the first time she has shared him on her Instagram page

It is the first romantic partner for the reality star since she filed for divorce from estranged husband Kanye, 44, in February 2021.

Kanye, who has now legally changed his name to Ye, was briefly linked to model Irina Shayk, Instagram model Vinetria, 22 and actress Julia Fox, 33 and now Kim K clone/Instagram model Chaney Jones, 24.

Kim shares four children North, eight, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, two, with Kanye.

Family first: Kim and estranged husband Kanye West are parents to: North, eight, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, two

Kanye has been taking shots at Pete for months, with his latest being a disturbing depiction of the comedian being buried alive.

In March, an LA judge ruled Kim legally single as they sort out custody; she originally filed for divorce February 2021.

Sooner after, text messages allegedly sent by Pete to Kanye were also leaked, in which the comedian appeared to call Kim 'the best mother I've ever met,' before taunting her ex with a photo of himself in bed, which he said showed him, 'In bed with your wife.'

Twinning: Kim and Pete were seen sweetly holding hands in November while celebrating his birthday in Palm Springs, California, as seen in Dailymail.com exclusive photos; Pete's trousers are from Kim's holiday collection of lounge wear, which they were both been seen wearing the day before in a Instagram photo of the pair posted by hip-hop legend Flavor Flav, at Kris's compound

Supportive boyfriend: Last week, Pete arrived holding hands with Kim to the premiere of her Hulu series The Kardashians in LA
The son of Melissa Lucio, the Texas woman who is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection in 16 days for the murder of her daughter, has said his mother was 'shocked' and 'amazed' to receive the support of Kim Kardashian.

Kardashian has urged Texas Governor Greg Abbott to spare the life of Lucio, a domestic violence victim scheduled to be executed on April 27 in Texas for the murder of her daughter Mariah in 2007, after she 'falsely' pleaded guilty to beating her two-year-old daughter to death following hours of police interrogation.

'When I shared with my mother about Kim Kardashian supporting her and advocating for her, she was just shocked,' Lucio's son John Lucio told TMZ.

The son of Melissa Lucio, the Texas mother who is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection for the murder of her daughter in 16 days, has said his mother was 'shocked' and 'amazed' to receive the support of Kim Kardashian Pictured: Lucio holds her daughter Mariah, while one of her other daughters, Adriana, stands next to them in this undated photograph

'She couldn't believe it and she was amazed by it and of course she has many hundreds of supporters also relying the message to her, she's just in awe and she's very, very faithful in all the support that she's receiving in this moment, I mean Kim Kardashian being an advocate for her has really uplifted her spirits.

'I mean my mother, she wouldn't even have the words for... My mother would love to thank her and... she's appreciated for her... from the bottom of our hearts we thank her so much for coming into the picture and helping out an innocent woman, a woman that was convicted of murdering her child, I mean a woman of poverty.

'In 15 years she's been incarcerated, I mean it's came to the last days and Kim Kardashian came into the picture, it's just amazing. We would just love to tell her, thank you, we love her. We appreciate everything she's doing for my mother.'

Lucio maintains she is innocent and her lawyers contend Mariah died from injuries from a fall down the 14 steps of a steep staircase outside the family's apartment in the South Texas city of Harlingen.

Standing up for her: Kim has urged Texas Governor Greg Abbott to spare the life of Lucio, a domestic violence victim scheduled to be executed on April 27 in Texas for the murder of her daughter Mariah in 2007, after she 'falsely' pleaded guilty to beating her two-year-old daughter to death following hours of police interrogation; pictured April 2022

During over five hours of relentless questioning, Lucio more than 100 times denied fatally beating the toddler to death. But worn down from a lifetime of abuse and the grief of losing her daughter, her lawyers say, the Texas woman finally acquiesced to investigators at 3am in the morning on February 17 2007.

'I guess I did it,' Lucio said when asked by police if she was responsibly for some of Mariah's injuries. Her lawyers say that statement was wrongly interpreted by prosecutors as a murder confession.

Kardashian, who has been an outspoken advocate of criminal justice reform in recent years, has urged Gov. Abbott to grant Lucio clemency after she 'falsely pleaded guilty' following hours of police interrogation.

'It's stories like Melissa's that make me speak so loud about the death penalty in general and why it should be banned when innocent people are suffering,' Kardashian said.

Lucio dabs tears from her eyes as she is sentenced to death on July 10, 2008, in Brownsville, Texas

Lucio's lawyers argue that her statement of 'I guess I did it' after hours of interrogation was taken as a murder confession  tainting the rest of the investigation into Mariah's death, with evidence gathered only to prove that conclusion, and helping lead to her capital murder conviction.

Lucio, who has been on death row for more than 14 years, had been sexually assaulted multiple times, starting at age 6, and had been physically and emotionally abused by two husbands. Her lawyers say this lifelong trauma made her susceptible to giving a false confession.

As her April 27 execution date nears, Lucio's lawyers are hopeful that new evidence, along with growing public support  including from jurors who now doubt the conviction and from more than half the Texas House of Representatives  will persuade the state's Board of Pardons and Paroles and Gov. Abbott to grant an execution reprieve or commute her sentence.

'Mariah's death was a tragedy not a murder... It would be an absolutely devastating message for this execution to go forward. It would send a message that innocence doesn't matter,' said Vanessa Potkin, one of Lucio's attorneys who is with the Innocence Project.

After reading about Lucio's case, Kardashian tweeted: '[Melissa] has been on death row for over 14 years for her daughter's death that was a tragic accident.

Pictured: Lucio smiles as she holds one of her sons, John, in this undated photograph

Kim Kardashian has urged Texas Governor Greg Abbott to spare the life of Lucio, who is due to be executed in 22 days, after she 'falsely' pleaded guilty to beating her two-year-old daughter to death following hours of police interrogation

'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 be stopped, but police made her words out to be a confession.'

'She is scheduled to be executed on April 27 in Texas,' Kardashian added as she urged the public to sign a petition by the Innocent Project in an effort to press Gov. Abbott to stop Lucio's execution.

Kardashian also posted a letter signed by Lucio's children last week, in which they asked Texas Governor Abbott to 'spare the life' of their mother.

'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,' Kim tweeted.

'Please spare the life of our mother': Kardashian also posted a letter signed by Lucio's children last week, in which they asked Texas Governor Abbott to 'spare the life' of their mother

'So heartbreaking': Kim tweeted as she posted the letter signed from Lucio's children last week

Lucio's lawyers say jurors never heard forensic evidence that would have explained that Mariah's various injuries were actually caused by a fall days earlier. They also say Lucio wasn't allowed to present evidence questioning the validity of her confession.

The Texas Attorney General's Office maintains evidence shows Mariah suffered the 'absolute worst' case of child abuse her emergency room doctor had seen in 30 years.

'Lucio still advances no evidence that is reliable and supportive of her acquittal,' the office wrote in court documents last month.

The Cameron County District Attorney's Office, which prosecuted Lucio, declined to comment.

Lucio would be the first Latina executed by Texas 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.

In their clemency petition, Lucio's 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.

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 family's life, but there was never an accusation of abuse by any of her children, Potkin said.

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 wasn't responsible,' Lucio said.

Her lawyers say Lucio's sentence was disproportionate to what her husband and Mariah's father, Robert Alvarez, received. He got a four-year sentence for causing injury to a child by omission even though he also was responsible for Mariah's care, Lucio's lawyers argue.

Kardashian, who has been an outspoken advocate of criminal justice reform in recent years, has urged Gov. Abbott to grant Lucio clemency after she 'falsely pleaded guilty' following hours of police interrogation

In 2019, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Lucio's 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, 'despite the difficult issue of the exclusion of testimony that might have cast doubt on the credibility of Lucio's confession.'

Three jurors and one alternate in Lucio's trial have signed affidavits expressing doubts about her conviction.

'She was not evil. She was just struggling... If we had heard passionately from the defense defending her in some way, we might have reached a different decision,' juror Johnny Galvan, who sentenced Lucio to death, wrote in an affidavit.

Galvan on Sunday wrote in the Houston Chronicle claiming he was misled and pressured to return a vote in favor of the death penalty during Lucio's trial.

He wrote he was wrong to succumb to 'peer pressure' and change his vote from a life sentence to the death penalty, saying the jurors would 'be there all day' if he hadn't done so.

'There were so many other details that went unmentioned. It wasn't until after the trial was over that troubling information was brought to life,' Galvan wrote.

'If I had known all of this information, or even part of it, I would have stood by my vote for life no matter what anyone else on the jury said.'

Galvan added: 'I did not know that her long history of physical and sexual abuse made her vulnerable to falsely confess when subjected to aggressive interrogation tactics on the night of her daughter's death.

'No one took us through the interrogation to show us how many times she asserted her innocence (over 100) or how she repeated the same words the interrogators fed to her. No evidence was presented of that and it would have mattered to me.'

In a letter last month to the Board of Pardons and Paroles and to Abbott, 83 Texas House members said executing Lucio would be 'a miscarriage of justice.'

'As a conservative Republican myself, who has long been a supporter of the death penalty in the most heinous cases... I have never seen a more troubling case than the case of Melissa Lucio,' said state Rep. Jeff Leach, who signed the letter.

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 Lucio's clemency petition two days before the scheduled execution, Rachel Alderete, the board's director of support operations, said in an email. A spokeswoman for Abbott's office did not return an email seeking comment.

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 victimized again if his son was executed.

Lucio's supporters have said her clemency request is similar in that her family would be retraumatized if she's executed.

'Please allow us to reconcile with Mariah's death and remember her without fresh pain, anguish and grief. Please spare the life of our mother,' Lucio's children wrote in a letter to Abbott and the board.
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Brooke Burke has stayed in top shape even though she turned 50 last year, is overseeing a workout empire and is a mother to four kids.

It all comes down to juggling career with her private life, she told DailyMail.com this week, as she shared her five minute workouts that have helped her stay toned.

The Dancing With The Stars winner explained that if one does five minutes workouts six times a day, that is a 30 minute workout per day which certainly is better than nothing.

Fit female post 40: Brooke Burke, seen left in a San Lorenzo Bikinis two-piece, has stayed in top shape even though she turned 50 last year, is overseeing a workout empire and is a mother to four kids. It all comes down to juggling work and private life, the Tru Niagen spokesperson told DailyMail.com this week, as she shared her five minute workouts

Anyone can do this: The Dancing With The Stars winner explained that if one does five minutes workouts six times a day, that is a 30 minute workout per day which certainly is better than nothing

'It sounds like a joke but time is our biggest demon,' shared the mother of four.

The Wild On! host has Neriah, 22, and Sierra, 20, with ex-husband Garth Fisher, a plastic surgeon, and Heaven, 15, Shaya, 14, with ex-husband Dave Charvet of Baywatch fame.

'If you do a five minute workout six times a day, you have a 30 minute workout under your belt which does make a difference.'

The brunette bombshell - who is the spokesperson for Tru Niagen which increases NAD+, a coenzyme central to cellular metabolism - also shared how a five minute workout looks and when to squeeze one in.

Chipping away at her curves: 'It sounds like a joke but time is our biggest demon,' she shared. 'If you do a five minute workout six times a day, you have a 30 minute workout under your belt which does make a difference'

Red hot workout: 'One of the first things you can do is stretch in bed after you wake up,' offered the Malibu resident. 'Once you open your eyes just stretch your arms and legs out. Then turn your legs from side to side. After five minutes of this your are getting the blood flowing and have more mobility.'

'One of the first things you can do is stretch in bed after you wake up,' offered the Malibu resident.

5 MINUTE WORKOUTS 'If you do a five minute workout six times a day, you have a 30 minute workout under your belt,' said Burke. - stretch in bed after waking up - do lunges by a desk at work - sculpt arms by lift light weights while watching TV - strengthen calf muscles by flexing when talking on a cell phone - crisscross arms, giving them a 20-second tug on each side when in line at the grocery store - reach up arms and stretch from side to side when waiting for the microwave Advertisement

'Once you open your eyes just stretch your arms and legs out. Then turn your legs from side to side. After five minutes of this your are getting the blood flowing and have more mobility.'

Another five minute workout can be done at a desk.

'So many people work at desks for 10 hours a day, and it can make your stiff,' Burke began.

'It's good to get up from your chair and just do a few lunges, reach up above your head, do a squat. After five minutes of that your mood will improve.'

And another tip is to get off that sofa when watching TV at home.

'It's so easy to get up and do a few stretches when you are taking in your favorite show. Just move around, stretch your arms out, do a lunge, it will wake you up a bit.

'Even just walking in place while lifting light dumbbells is energizing.'

Other places to do those quick five minute stretches is when in line at the grocery store, when waiting for the microwave to do its job, and also when talking to a friend on the phone.

In the past Brooke has talked up her 10 Minute Workout on her app Brooke Burke Body.

Burke has been known for staying in great shape all year round no matter what.

'I am a year round wellness person,' said the star. 'People want to ramp up their workouts for summer so they can look good in a bikini but I create a lifestyle for all year round.'

She added that is for her soul as well as her shape.

'It's about how you feel, it's about body confidence, and not so much about how you look in a swimsuit. When you look better outside, you feel better inside.

From then to wow: On the left the model was seen in 2001 at an FHM event in Los Angeles; on the right the star is posing for a selfie at home in TomboyX underwear, adding she did not use any filters

'What's scary is the other side of not working out,' added the former Playboy cover girl.

She also has been taking Tru Niagen for the past five years. It increases cellular metabolism.

'There is so much in one capsule,' said Brooke. 'It's the one supplement I never skip because it makes me feel good, and it supports my journey with healthy aging.'

Tru Niagen increases levels of NAD+, which is critical to generating energy within the trillions of cells throughout your body, according to the website.

'These levels decline not only with age but also with physiological stress on your body. Without NAD+, your cells can't function properly, and neither can you,' it was added.

And there is also Tru Niagen Immune which has immune-boosting ingredients such as vitamin D, C, and zinc and NAD+ support for the optimal maintenance and function of aging cells. NAD+ is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a coenzyme central to cellular metabolism.

Brooke is engaged to businessman Scott Rigsby and they are planning a 2023 wedding.
Top graduates are usually spoilt for choice in terms of their prospective employers as soon as they leave the academic system - so if you're looking to attract the best young talent to your company you'll need to offer some extremely attractive employment benefits.

With that said, here are some of the employment benefits an employer should take into consideration;

Student Loan Repayment

About 44 million Americans have some form of student debt with the average debt sitting at about $30,000 - leaving Americans stuck in a loop of constantly seeking student loan refinancing.

An employer offering student loan repayment sets them apart from the pack as it is rare to find employers offering such a benefit.

Employee benefits involving student loan repayment could either be through monthly or annual payments towards the student loan, these payments are usually made directly to the lender. This is an incentive while recruiting because it encourages long-time retention.

Professional Development Opportunities

Many graduates fresh to the job market are looking for opportunities to learn while they work, this involves activities like mentorships, internships, in-house certification, and even opportunities to further their education while they work.

Some employers cover tuition costs for their employees to take courses in universities to further their knowledge in their field of study.

Employers offering professional and educational development opportunities stand-out to top graduates as it shows they are interested in the growth and development of their staff.

Remote Work

Remote work has proven to be a viable option for corporate entities following the Coronavirus pandemic as it allows employees to work in their preferred environment.

The fact that remote work allows individuals to work from literally anywhere in the world makes it an attractive prospect to many top graduates - so much so that some of the best young talents in the job market are actively filtering their opportunities for remote work opportunities.

Flexible Schedules

Employers now offer employees flexible schedules meaning you have the option to choose your own working hours.

For instance - instead of being confined to a 9-5 working window, you have the option of choosing to begin your work day in the afternoon or even in the evening from say 11-7 and whatnot.

Being offered flexible working hours foster's great mental and physical health as it allows individuals to work on their own terms on any given day and this, in turn, contributes towards workplace productivity.

If employees are able to structure their working hours in a way that best suits them it ensures better health and a good mindset to completing tasks in the workplace.

Unlimited Paid Time-Off

Paid time-off refers to a period of time when you are not working but receive pay regardless.

With paid time off, you're usually allocated a specific amount of time per year you're able to get paid without working - however companies typically limit the number of days paid off you can take annually.

However, with unlimited paid time off employers do not restrict the number of days an employee can take off from. You are allowed to take as much time as you need as paid leave as long as it doesn't disrupt business.

One of the reasons why top graduates constantly seek unlimited paid time off as a benefit is the fact that it allows them to enjoy a well optimized work-life balance that grants them the freedom to be able to spend time with family, attend important life events and get paid on sick leaves.

Offering the right employee benefits would help your company attract, recruit and retain the top graduates in the market.
She recently returned to her native London after an extended time in Miami.

And Kimberley Garner enjoyed a relaxing stroll with her pet pooch Sasha as she stepped out in Kensington on Monday.

The swimwear designer, 31, showcased incredibly toned pins as she slipped into a pair of form-fitting lycra leggings and an oversized sweater.

Low-key: Kimberley Garner, 31, showcased her toned legs in form-fitting lycra leggings for a relaxing stroll with her pet pooch in Kensington on Monday

She still made sure to put on a stylish display in the comfortable sage colored coordinate that she paired with some nude loafers.

The former Made In Chelsea star went fresh faced for her outing as she shielded her eyes with some circulare black tinted sunglasses.

Kimberly's pet cocker spaniel trotted alongside her as she clutched onto her bubblegum pink lead.

Stunning: The former Made In Chelsea star went fresh faced for her outing

Casual: She still made sure to put on a stylish display in the comfortable sage colored coordinate that she paired with some nude loafers

Relaxing: She shielded her eyes with some circulare black tinted sunglasses as she made the most of the sunshine

Cute: Kimberly's pet cocker spaniel trotted alongside her as she clutched onto her bubblegum pink lead

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.

Busy: 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

Success: 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 continued: '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.

'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.'
Billie Eilish has joined forces with Nike to release a brand new pair of Air Force 1s and line of apparel.

Eilish, 20, announced the collaboration in a video posted to her Instagram account on Monday, where she showcased the new 'reimagined' sneakers and line of attire.

'so excited to announce my new @nike air force 1 and apparel collection,' Billie posted. 'It was an honor to reimagine the originals while making them my own & i cant WAIT for them to be yours. the collection launches april 24th on store.billieeilish.com and april 25th on the nike SNKRS app.'

New kicks! Billie Eilish has joined forces with Nike to release a brand new pair of Air Force 1s and line of apparel

The video showed Billie lounging about her house and outside in a range of neutral apparel which were designed with the iconic Nike swoosh.

Her new Air Force 1s, called 'Mushroom' and priced at $170, were a pair of off-white sneakers with an array of velcro straps fastened over the show laces.

The shoes were designed with 'sustainability in mind', according to a description of the trainers on Nike's website.

'As a young, modern creative, Billie Eilish loves and respects the classics  including sneaker icons like the Air Force 1. For her own Air Force 1, she remixed the classic by choosing environmentally preferred materials.

Dropping soon! Eilish showed off her new pair of off-white sneakers, called 'Mushroom'

Checkmate! The video showed Billie lounging about her house and outside in a range of neutral apparel which were designed with the iconic Nike swoosh

Coming soon: Billie's new sneakers will be available for purchase at the end of the month

A step in the right direction: The shoes were designed with 'sustainability in mind', according to a description of the trainers on Nike's website

'The Nike Grind midsole blends in with the tonal mushroom-colored upper, which itself is made with a synthetic nubuck material made from post-consumer recycled content for a super soft look and feel  all designed with sustainability in mind. Capturing Billies signature oversized style, five chunky mid-foot straps  inspired by the Alpha Force Low and Air Trainer 3  cover the laces, giving the silhouette a unique and bold look,' the description reads.

This is not Billie's first collaboration with Nike.

Last year, she teamed up with Nike to release two pairs of sneakers - a lime green pair of Air Jordan 1s and a taupe pair of Air Jordan 15s.

Billie's collection will be released April 24 on her website and on the Nike SNKRS app on April 25.

A shoe in! Her new Air Force 1s, called 'Mushroom' and priced at $170, were a pair of off-white sneakers with an array of velcro straps fastened over the show laces

Homebody: Eilish lounged about in her home in the comfortable attire
They've jetted to Los Angeles to shoot even racier content for their fans.

And Lottie Moss and Megan Barton Hanson continued to turn up the heat in another saucy image from their lingerie shoot on Monday.

The model, 23, and the Love Island star, 28, displayed their jaw-dropping figures in in racy 3D printed lingerie from artist Nusi Quero - while appearing to lean in for a kiss.

Wow: Lottie Moss and Megan Barton Hanson continued to turn up the heat in another saucy image from their lingerie shoot on Monday

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 placed a hand on Lottie's leg.

Lottie meanwhile posed up a storm in her pink design, with strategically-placed hearts ensuring she didn't quite bare all.

Lottie cheekily captioned the snap: 'Its giving 80s porn shoot and I  it.'

Earlier this week the Brit models filmed themselves as they posed in the busty ensembles.

Wow! Earlier this week the Brit models filmed themselves as they posed in the busty ensembles

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

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'.

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'
Monica Dolan has told how she has found other people were more sympathetic towards her charactrer Anne Darwin than she is in the new Canoe Man series.

The actress, 53, stars as Anne in ITV's The Thief, His Wife And The Canoe while Eddie Marsan stars as her husband John who faked his own death in an insurance scam.

Speaking to Radio Times, Monica said she thinks Anne's tragedy was that she tried to please everyone and was incapable of making clear decisions.

Candid: Monica Dolan has told how she has found other people were more sympathetic towards her charactrer Anne Darwin than she is in the new Canoe Man series

With much of the show centering around whether or not Anne should be forgiven for her inolvement in her husband's crime, Monica said: 'I can't think of anything that divides people more than forgiveness.

'I found that other people were more sympathetic to Anne than I was. She was very good at her job and her secretarial work involved people management.'

She added: 'Her tragedy was that she avoided decisions and tried to please everyone. But you can't go through life not making a decision. Not making a decision is a decision.'

Monica said she thinks Anne's defense of 'martial coercion' was never going to work but added that she thinks her sentence of six years and six months was a long one.

Role: The actress, 53, stars as Anne in ITV's The Thief, His Wife And The Canoe while Eddie Marsan stars as her husband John who faked his own death in an insurance scam

Monica, who previously played serial killer Rosemary West, said she looks at her characters in a 'clincal way', especially those who are based on real people.

The Darwins' jaw-dropping deception tricked insurers, police and even their two sons into believing the ex-prison officer had died in a North Sea accident.

The couple started a new life in Panama but the tale unravelled when John came back from the dead in 2007 claiming to have suffered amnesia.

They were jailed for the fraud and the extent of the parents' deception shocked the world.

Real life: Monica said she thinks Anne's tragedy was that she tried to please everyone and was incapable of making clear decisions (the real John and Anne Darwin pictured in 2006)

The show explores the extent of Anne's culpability and how much she was forced to go along with her husband's plan.

Anne's inner monologue narrates the story, while Eddie Marsan plays narcissistic John with a glint in his eye.

The script, at times funny, gives Anne a sympathetic hearing without shying away from the incredible hurt she inflicted on her loved ones.

The sons, Anthony and Mark, are shown supporting their supposedly widowed mother for years, throwing wreaths into the North Sea in front of Anne's home where their father was hiding next door.

Sad: The sons, Anthony and Mark, are shown supporting their supposedly widowed mother for years, throwing wreaths into the North Sea in front of Anne's home where their father was hiding next door

When the sons visit her in Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool, John listens to their conversations through the dividing walls.

Writer Chris Lang wanted the audience to debate among themselves just how much to blame Anne.

The final of four episodes shows her efforts to rebuild her family life in a way John - remarried and living in the Philippines - has not.

Her attempts at reconciliation and her obvious feelings of guilt - in counterpoint to John - give the story a fresh twist.

Lang said: 'Good people do bad things. Let's try and understand, let's try and forgive because if her sons could forgive her, I would hope that we can as well.'

Shocking: The Darwins' jaw-dropping deception tricked insurers, police and even their two sons into believing the ex-prison officer had died in a North Sea accident

Marsan said even the crew were divided by what they made of Anne.

During her trial at Teesside Crown Court, she used the unusual defence of marital coercion, claiming her domineering husband had forced her to go through with the massive deception.

It failed, but some observers have said that in a post-Me Too world, her explanation would get a more sympathetic hearing.

Marsan said: 'There's a generational interpretation of the story. The older female members of the crew felt that she should have taken more responsibility and the younger ones felt that she was a victim.'

Dolan hoped the audience will 'yo-yo' in their feelings towards Anne, saying: 'We can feel guilty but still do things.'

The Thief, His Wife And The Canoe airs on ITV on Sunday April 17 at 9pm.

The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now.
Antonio Banderas attended the Maria Santisima de Lagrimas y Favores procession at San Juan Bautista church during Malaga Holy Week on Monday.

The Spanish actor, 61, was joined by his investment banker girlfriend Nicole Kimpel, 40, before carrying a life-size model of Jesus Christ as returned to his home city to join the Catholic processions in the lead-up to Easter.

Now a resident of LA, he annually returns to his church brotherhood Tears and Favours to take part in the traditional marches that take place throughout Spanish towns and cities to mark the most important festival in the Catholic calendar.

Here he is! Antonio Banderas attended the Maria Santisima de Lagrimas y Favores procession at San Juan Bautista church during Malaga Holy Week on Monday where he to carried a life-size model of Jesus Christ

The processions takes place each Easter in Spain, with penitents wearing gowns and conical hoods - a tradition that was meant to maintain their anonymity.

They carry life-size effigies of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary through city streets accompanied by dramatic drum beats and mournful music.

While Malaga is a popular city to watch the processions - particularly due to its famous star - by far the most visited city for the Catholic celebration is Seville, in Andalucia, where the medieval centre is packed out with faithful penitents from different church brotherhoods.

Tourists line the streets as scheduled processions weave their way through the city from early morning until late at night.

Homecoming: The Spanish actor, 61, (far left) was joined by his investment banker girlfriend Nicole Kimpel, 40, (second from left) as returned to his home city to join the Catholic processions in the lead-up to Easter

Good sport: He annually returns to his church brotherhood Tears and Favours to take part in the traditional marches that take place throughout Spanish towns and cities

Each cofradia (brotherhood) is represented with different coloured robes and the masks were historically to provide anonymity for those looking to pay penance.

Despite soaring temperatures - particularly in southern Spain - the faithful struggle under their heavy costumes, swaying as they carry huge floats between them and sometimes even walking barefoot.

There are more than 50 church brotherhoods in Seville, some dating as far back as the 13th century and each procession carries a statue of Christ, depicted from varying Bible scenes. The Virgin Mary is also always pictured in mourning for her son.

Interesting: The processions take place each Easter in Spain, with penitents wearing gowns and conical hoods - a tradition that was meant to maintain their anonymity

Wow! They carry life-size effigies of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary through city streets accompanied by dramatic drum beats and mournful music

While some processions are noisy affairs, with bands accompanying the penitents, one of the most famous is El Silencio, which is conducted without any musical accompaniment.

Up to a million visitors head to Seville for Holy Week (known as Semana Santa in Spanish), collecting programmes of the varying processions and following them through the city.

While Seville is the most famous place to visit in Spain, it is followed closely by Malaga and Toledo.

In Latin America, where the Catholic processions are also an important festival on the calendar, the most famous city to witness colourful processions is Antigua, the colonial city and former capital of Guatemala.

Last year, Nicole revealed Antonio's 'greatest' 60th birthday gift was recovering from coronavirus.

The actor contracted the respiratory disease last August, weeks before he reached the milestone birthday, and though Nicole ensured they marked the special day, it didn't feel right to do anything lavish.

Speaking to Hello! magazine, she said: 'We celebrated because every year of life is something to celebrate.

'But this wasn't really the year for parties. The greatest gift was his quick recovery.'

Nicole admitted she was 'frightened' about how ill Antonio could have got with COVID-19 due to his age, and is perplexed as to why she managed to stay clear of the disease, despite being in close contact with her partner.

Smitten: Nicole insisted she isn't in love with Antonio the movie star, adding: 'It's the person behind the actor who I fell in love with, who I'm still in love with (pictured in February 2020)

She said: 'We suffered the same doubts as everybody who caught the virus. At the start, you're frightened because you don't know how badly you'll be affected.

'In Antonio's case, his main symptoms were severe muscle aches and fatigue, and he bore up well He's a very strong man and he's in great physical shape.

'It's a difficult virus to decipher  you don't know why some people get it and not others. We were in close contact because I was caring for him, but I didn't catch it.'

While she lives in Spain away from her family, Nicole insisted being with the Puss in Boots star is all that matters.

She said: 'I miss my family because I don't spend as much time with them but my place is at Antonio's side and that makes up for everything.

Power couple: In June last year, Antonio revealed he still speaks to his ex-wife Melanie Griffith all the time and says she will always be part of his 'family' (pictured in 1995)

'Home is where my love is, which is what most defines me, so my home is here in Malaga.'

And Nicole insisted she isn't in love with Antonio the movie star, adding: 'I'm in love with Jose Antonio Dominguez, which is Antonio's real name.

'It's the person behind the actor who I fell in love with, who I'm still in love with and who I know, every day when I wake up, that I want to share my life with.'

In June last year, Antonio revealed he still speaks to his ex-wife Melanie all the time and says she will always be part of his 'family'.

Although the former couple divorced in 2015, they have remained close and Antonio says Melanie, 63, will always be part of his life because they shared so many 'wonderful years' and have their 'wonderful daughter' Stella, 24, together.

Their girl: Antonio said Melanie will always be part of his life because they shared so many 'wonderful years' and have their 'wonderful daughter' Stella, 24, together (pictured)

'I think we are both reluctant to bury 20 years of marriage,' he said on El Break de las 7. 'We are human beings, we make mistakes and that is the human condition.'

The Zorro actor added, 'You have to leave the egos aside and not want to prove that you are right or find who's guilty of what.

'Because it may be both or neither of you. There is a moment when things are over and you have to accept it.

'The life I had with Melanie was beautiful,' said the actor who fell for the daughter of Tippi Hedren of The Birds fame when they co-starred in the 1996 movie Two Much with Daryl Hannah.

'We had 20 wonderful years during which we gave our best and lived wonderful moments that I will not forget,' added the star who welcomed daughter Stella, now 24, with Melanie in September 1996.

'We had a wonderful daughter that we both love and that is the end result of our relationship, the most beautiful thing we have ever done together.'

Melanie has two other children, daughter Dakota, 31, with Don Johnson and son Alexander, 35, with Steven Bauer.

Antonio - who married the Working Girl star in 1996 - insists he is still very close to his stepchildren and they are still a big part of his life.

The Spanish hunk is pleased that he and Melanie have been able to maintain a friendly relationship for the sake of the children, even though they are all adults.

He said: 'Our children, all of them, are very grateful we manage to do it all in a civil manner'.
Lincoln, NE (68508)

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Shehbaz Sharif, president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N, has been elected as the new prime minister of Pakistan. He became the 23rd PM of Pakistan. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq presided over the proceedings of the house after PTI members decided to boycott the election of new PM.

Shehbaz Sharif, with 176 votes in his favour, was unanimously elected as the PM of Pakistan. He was asked to occupy the PMs chair and address the house.

Here are four highlights from his first speech as PM of Pakistan:

THE NATION IS BLESSED

Photo: AFP

The first thing Shehbaz Sharif said was that in the history of Pakistan this is the first time that a no-confidence motion was passed. Truth has won, he said. He said that it is a special day for the country. He said the nation is blessed because even Pakistan Rupee jumped eight rupees from Rs 190 to Rs 182 in comparison to the USD. He also thanked the Supreme Court of Pakistan for letting truth prevail.

THE LETTER DRAMA

Shehbaz, wasting no time, spoke on the alleged controversial letter which former PM Imran Khan kept quoting, claiming that there was a foreign conspiracy to oust him. Shehbaz said that this was a drama going on for past one week. It was a drama, lie and fraud, he said. He said he has not seen any such letter.

Speaking more on it, Shehbaz said that in the first session of the parliament, he will make sure that in-camera proceedings take place regarding this letter in the presence of all important bureaucrats.

READY TO RESIGN IF CLAIMS FOUND TRUE

Shehbaz said that he, along with his party, demands an impartial discussion on this alleged letter. He further said that if an iota of evidence emerges that points towards an influence from a foreign country, he will resign. I hold you God and you Speaker sir as witness, that if this happens, I will resign and go back, he said.

MET PPP CHAIRPERSON IN MARCH

Bilalwal Bhutto Zardari (L) and Shahbaz Sharif (R). Photo: Reuters

Shehbaz said that he met Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari in March 2022 and discussed about the possibility of a no-confidence motion. He further said that a meeting was called by his brother Nawaz Sharif, and in that meeting, it was decided that they should move ahead with the motion. And this is how on March 8, 2022, we moved the no-confidence motion, he said.
Life insurance is insurance that pays out when the insured passes away or after a specific time. Why should a bucket list item for entrepreneurs be getting life insurance? There are many reasons why this is a smart move.

Below, we'll share the many benefits of getting life insurance, as well as what to look for to determine the best life insurance companies, the best whole life insurance, and the ideal amount of coverage for you.

The Benefits of Life Insurance

Some benefits of life insurance include tax-free payouts, help with retirement, and help with living expenses for dependents. Below, we will look at each of these in detail.

#1 - Life Insurance Offers Tax-Free Payouts

As entrepreneurs, tax deductions or tax-free payouts are always a good thing. When the insured passes away while the life insurance policy is still active, their beneficiaries get a tax-free payout. They're not even required to report this money when they file.

#2 - Life Insurance Can Help With Retirement

Policies like whole life insurance accumulate cash value and can be taken out to help with retirement. Many entrepreneurs don't have the luxury of retiring, but life insurance can help you get to that point.

#3 - Life Insurance Covers Living Expenses for Dependents

Because the payout money is tax-free, life insurance can help cover living expenses for dependents. This money can help with bills, student loans, and other outstanding debts.

Life insurance is perfect for entrepreneurs that are needing extra help to care for themselves and their families. It is also a great benefit to off your employees if you have any.

The Best Life Insurance Company Characteristics

Determining the best life insurance company boils down to these three characteristics. Let's look at each trait in detail.

#1 - Excellent Customer Satisfaction Rating

Having an excellent customer satisfaction rating is a telltale sign that the insurance company is a good one. Trust people's opinions and experiences, and you will not be disappointed in this case. It will help you so much in the long run.

#2 - Ease of Access for Life Insurance Quotes

Some insurance companies give you the option to get life insurance quotes through their website. Others require that you talk to an agent. Regardless of how they do it, the best insurance companies will make getting a quote easy and accessible.

#3 - Low Premiums

When you have quotes from different insurance providers, compare them and see which has the lowest premiums. The one that does is probably the best of all of them.

Finding the best life insurance company is not an exact science, but these indicators should let you know which one to go with when buying life insurance.

The Best Whole Life Insurance and Coverage for Entrepreneurs

There are three main types of whole life insurance: traditional whole life, universal life, and variable universal life. Out of these three, traditional whole life insurance is the best for entrepreneurs.

Universal and variable universal life insurance options aren't bad, but they're not the greatest. These policy types have varied premiums and don't accrue cash value the way whole life insurance does.

Experts recommend that coverage should be roughly seven to 10 times the amount of your annual salary. That might be difficult to calculate for entrepreneurs because their yearly salary isn't consistent, but it's a good rule of thumb to use.

The Importance of Getting Life Insurance

As the CEO of your business, you have a lot on your shoulders. It's important to get life insurance, especially as an entrepreneur, because it can help you in so many ways. As stated previously, you can withdraw some of that money to help you retire, and it will significantly help your family should something happen to you.



About The Author: Peyton Leonard writes and researches for the life insurance comparison site, TopQuoteLifeInsurance.com. As an entrepreneur herself, Peyton cares about helping others succeed in their businesses.
Seattle, WA (98195)

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Motivating your staff can have a transformative effect on your business. When staff are motivated, they will show up to work every day ready to give it their all. They'll also be more creative, more open to learning new things, and less likely to leave. By creating a positive work environment, you will not only achieve excellent results, but you will also reduce your recruitment costs over time.

To increase motivation, you have to create the conditions for your team to do their best work, and this all starts with management. You have to lead by example and put in place the systems, rewards and support needed to really motivate individuals to give it their all. If you're looking for some tried and tested methods to help motivate your staff, try these 7 powerful tips.

1. Recognise achievement

If you set goals for your staff, this can't be the end of the conversation. You need to be willing to step up and recognise their accomplishments when they achieve great things.

So when an employee gains a new qualification, smashes an achievement goal, or sets a new sales record, you need to be there to celebrate their achievement. Creating an atmosphere of positive reinforcement is better than reprimanding individuals for not achieving their goals.

2. Offer rewards

Some individuals are motivated by the promise of reward. This could mean personal bonuses, extra time off work or office perks such as free food. Once you know which of your team are motivated by rewards, you'll know how to tap into their competitive spirit.

Offering rewards can help to keep workers motivated when morale is lacking. It can help to turn a difficult day, week, or month around and help to push team members over the finish line. It's important to remember that motivation won't be consistent and often comes in ebbs and flows. This means you need to work hard to keep it topped up. Alongside monthly rewards, consider offering awards at random times to help bolster morale.

3. Be consistent

When creating a motivational environment, your staff need to know what they can expect, and this means you need to be consistent. If something is worthy of a reward one week, you need to be willing to recognise it every week.

While staff will recognise that not everything is going to be fun and games all the time, they will expect some level of consistency if they are to remain motivated to continually achieve excellence.

4. Share the bigger picture

It can be hard when you feel like a small cog in a big machine. It's difficult to get excited and motivated when you aren't kept in the loop on the bigger picture. Sharing the big picture planning is one of the easiest ways to motivate your staff to want to achieve bigger and better things.

In short, it's easier to stay motivated when you know what you are working towards. Including your team in monthly catch up meetings or looping them into email threads from upper management will ensure that they feel included and valued as part of the wider team.

5. Lead from behind

You might have heard that you should lead by example, but the best leaders lead from behind. This means that you're in the trenches with your team and working with them to achieve the collective goals.

Leading from behind means that you are aware of the struggles within the team and the daily challenges that they face. This puts you in a better position to provide support, encouragement and feedback.

6. Create the right conditions

One of the simplest ways to motivate workers is to allow them to create the conditions that are best suited to their working style. Some people thrive in a busy team environment while others appreciate the focus that comes from working alone.

Trusting your team to work in the time and place that suits them best is one of the simplest ways to motivate your team. Offering flexible working - both in terms of the hours that your team works and the location - demonstrates a great deal of trust. When a person feels trusted to achieve, rather than being micromanaged, they are more likely to achieve great things.

7. Prioritise health

Motivation isn't endless, and your team needs to rest and recharge regularly. The simplest way to prioritise health is to make sure your team always takes a lunch break away from their desk. You could also provide healthy snacks to encourage them to step away from their desks and get moving throughout the day.

It's also important to protect mental wellbeing by ensuring that workers do not feel obliged to work outside of office hours. By making it clear that you want your team to achieve great things, but that you'll be there to help them along the way, you're far more likely to achieve desirable results.
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BEIJING (AP)  The manufacturing hub of Guangzhou closed itself to most arrivals Monday as China battles a major COVID-19 surge in its big eastern cities.

Shanghai has taken the brunt of the rise, with another 26,087 cases announced on Monday, only 914 of which showed symptoms. The city of 26 million is under a tight lockdown, with many residents confined to their homes for up to three weeks and concerns growing over the effect on the economy of China's largest city.

The financial hub has seen international events canceled because of the crackdown, and local football club Shanghai Port has been forced to withdraw from the Asian Champions League because travel restrictions prevented it from attending games in Thailand.

No such lockdown has yet been announced for Guangzhou, a metropolis of 18 million northwest of Hong Kong that is home to many top companies and China's busiest airport. Just 27 cases were reported in the city on Monday.

However, primary and middle schools have been switched to online after an initial 23 local infections were detected last week. An exhibition center was being converted into a makeshift hospital after authorities said earlier they would begin citywide mass testing.

Only citizens with a definite need" to leave Guangzhou can do so, and only if they test negative for the virus within 48 hours of departure, city spokesperson Chen Bin said in a social media announcement.

China has stuck to its zero-COVID strategy of handling outbreaks with strict isolation and mass testing, despite complaints in Shanghai over shortages of food and medical services.

China's government and the entirely state-controlled media are growing increasingly defensive about complaints over the COVID-19 prevention measures, censoring content online and rebuking foreign critics.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Sunday said China had lodged solemn representations with the U.S." after the State Department advised Americans to reconsider traveling to China due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws and COVID-19 restrictions, particularly in Hong Kong, Jilin province and Shanghai. U.S. officials cited a risk of parents and children being separated.

China was strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the U.S. sides groundless accusation against Chinas epidemic response, Zhao said.

Despite that, and indications the hardline policy is being dictated by head of the ruling Communist Party Xi Jinping, China has rejected any notion that its response is political in nature. Xi has demanded social stability above all else in the runup to a key party congress later this year at which he is expected to bestow on himself an unprecedented third-term as party leader.

The English-language China Daily acknowledged that Shanghai's measures are far from perfect," and pointed to the firing last week of three local officials for failing in their duties. But it said that shouldn't become an excuse to politicize the event and blame China.

Zhao issued a further defense of China's virus controls on Monday, saying they have proven to be effective and in line with its national conditions and needs, and have made an important contribution to the global fight against the epidemic."

Shanghai has brought in thousands of additional health workers from other cities, provinces and the military. Despite the large number of cases, no new deaths have been reported in the Shanghai wave, possibly because the omicron variant is less deadly than older variants.

City authorities also say they have secured daily supplies for residents, following complaints about deliveries of food and other necessities.

Residents have resorted to group buying of groceries because they are not allowed to leave their buildings, with only partial success in obtaining needed items.

Officials say they will begin relaxing restrictions beginning with areas where no new infections have been detected for two weeks. Residents will be allowed to move around their districts while remaining socially distanced.

A second category will be allowed to move around their neighborhoods, while others will remain isolated in their homes.

Chinese club Shanghai Port has been forced by the citys COVID-19 lockdown to withdraw from the Asian Champions League, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said Monday.

Due to travel restrictions in the city, Port was unable to make the trip to Thailand for six Group J games.

Its first game was scheduled on Saturday against Vissel Kobe of Japan.

The AFC acknowledged the travel restrictions faced by Shanghai Port FC as a result of the recent lockdown measures enforced in Shanghai, the AFC said in a statement.

The capital, Beijing, has seen relatively few restrictions, although the Erjiefang neighborhood including the famed 798 art district has been cordoned off and classified as high risk after eight infections were reported there over the past two weeks.

China is facing one of its worst local outbreaks since the pandemic began. China is still mostly closed to international travel, even as most of the world has sought ways to live with the virus.
UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. (AP)  When the coronavirus pandemic first hit the U.S., sales of window coverings at Halcyon Shades quickly went dark. So the suburban St. Louis business did what hundreds of other small manufacturers did: It pivoted to make protective supplies, with help from an $870,000 government grant.

But things haven't worked out as planned. The company quit making face shields because it wasn't profitable. It still hasn't sold a single N95 mask because of struggles to get equipment, materials and regulatory approval.

So far, it has been a net drain of funds and resources and energy," Halcyon Shades owner Jim Schmersahl said.

Many companies that began producing personal protective equipment with patriotic optimism have scaled back, shut down or given up, according to an Associated Press analysis based on numerous interviews with manufacturers. Some already have sold equipment they bought with state government grants.

As COVID-19 was stressing hospitals and shuttering businesses in 2020, elected officials touted the need to boost U.S. production of protective gear: All this stuff should be made in the United States and not in China, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in remarks echoed by others.

Yet many manufacturers who answered the call have faced logistical hurdles, regulatory rejections, slumping demand and fierce competition from foreign suppliers. On April 1, Florida-based American Surgical Mask Co. became one of the latest to close.

Im just done with the fight, CEO Matt Brandman told the AP.

After the initial scramble for PPE subsided, many industry newcomers faced difficulty selling products. Government agencies sometimes wanted huge quantities at tough-to-meet deadlines. Hospital systems tended to contract with established suppliers. Retail sales waned after every virus surge.

At the end of the day, when everybody said they wanted American-made, nobodys buying, not even the state, said Tony Blogumas, vice president of Green Resources Consulting, a rural Missouri firm that received an $800,000 state grant but has sold only a few thousand masks. Were kind of upset about the whole situation.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson also is disappointed. His administration divided $20 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds among 48 businesses for the production of masks, gowns, sanitizer and other supplies. Parson hoped to seed a permanent field of manufacturers.

Im still a firm believer in that  that we need to be making PPE here in this state, Parson said. Unfortunately, a lot of entities went right back to where they were getting it before.

The onset of the pandemic revealed that the U.S. was highly dependent on foreign countries for protective gear. When China limited exports because of its own battle against COVID-19, U.S. stockpiles plummeted. Prices skyrocketed as federal officials, governors and health care systems competed for supplies.

Though federal stockpiles have been replenished, shriveling domestic production has raised concerns that state governments, medical facilities and others could again get stuck scrambling for gear during a future pandemic.

The AP identified more than $125 million in grants to spur production of pandemic supplies made to over 300 business in 10 states  Alabama, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Ohio. Its possible that grants were awarded in additional states, but there is no central clearinghouse to track them.

In November 2020, Alabama awarded one of the single largest grants  nearly $10.6 million from federal pandemic relief funds  to HomTex Inc. The company was to equip a new Selma facility to make 250 million surgical masks and 45 million N95 masks annually. The plant returned $1.8 million of the state grant and has yet to make anything due to a lack of customers.

I cant produce product that I cant sell, HomTex President Jeremy Wootten said.

Other companies also had trouble living up to political hype.

In October 2020, New York announced eight grants that then-Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, now the governor, said were "a model for how we build back better for the post-pandemic future. Those included $800,000 for newly formed Altor Safety and $1 million for startup firm NYPPE.

But NYPPE's equipment wasn't ready until February 2021, by which time the market had changed, President Connor Knapp said.

So Knapp tapped the brakes on his plans. NYPPE still hasn't sold any N95 masks because it lacks regulatory approval. It just recently scaled up production of surgical masks, after obtaining a U.S. Food and Drug Administration certification that came with its purchase of Altor Safety.

Some PPE manufacturers point to federal regulations as part of the reason for their struggles. Three-ply masks need FDA approval to be marketed for medical use  an important designation for building a long-term customer base.

That process can be time-consuming. Facing delays, Angstrom Manufacturing in Missouri ended up buying another business that already had FDA approval, President Chris Carron said. By then, it was fall 2021  a year after it received a state grant.

Companies need approval from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to market products as N95 respirators, which filter at least 95% of airborne particles.

During the first two years of the pandemic, NIOSH approved 30 new manufacturers  more than seven times the typical number during a similar pre-pandemic period, according to agency data. Some applications remain pending, while numerous others were denied.

Halcyon Shades' N95 certification was rejected in October because its samples didn't have head straps attached. While the company works on another application, its equipment sits idle inside the clear plastic-sheet walls of a clean room specially built to shield materials from airborne contaminants. Partially finished masks remain paused on a conveyor belt, waiting to be deposited into a cardboard box.

Without federal approval, "were just dead in the water, said Schmersahl, the company owner.

Progress reports filed with the Missouri Department of Economic Development show that nearly all its PPE grant recipients faced challenges by July 2021, especially with sales.

Patriot Medical Devices, which received $750,000 from Missouri, hired nearly 100 people as it cranked out millions of masks during a COVID-19 surge in late 2020 and early 2021, CEO Rick Needham said. Fewer than 10 employees remain.

We felt it was our patriotic duty to do something to help solve the problem, Needham said. But, he added, Its frankly a little bit of a dysfunctional business model at this point.

Ohio awarded $20.8 million to 73 businesses to manufacture pandemic-related supplies, according to state data. Of 60 businesses that complied with a recent reporting deadline, more than one-third no longer produced PPE by the end of 2021.

Cleveland Veteran Business Solutions, which received a $500,000 grant to get into the PPE business, made about 5 million surgical masks beginning in August 2020. It ultimately halted production in the face of cheaper imports and sold its machines this year, co-founder Taner Eren said.

It was surprising and disappointing strategically that there wasnt support for a local PPE manufacturing industry," Eren said.

The business was among several dozen that banded together to form the American Mask Manufacturer's Association with the goal of sustaining the industry. The group's membership has dwindled as more and more go out of business.

Association organizers say the industry has reached a critical point. They want the federal government to treat PPE manufacturers like the nation's defense industry  entering into long-term contracts to perpetually replenish a stockpile for future pandemics or emergencies.

If the federal government doesnt come in and help support the U.S. manufacturing base, its almost certainly going to go back to China, and well be just as vulnerable as we were in early 2020 and 2019, said Brent Dillie, the association chairman and co-founder of Premium-PPE, a Virginia manufacturer started during the pandemic that has shed about two-thirds of its roughly 300 employees.

Infrastructure legislation signed by President Joe Biden took a step toward bolstering domestic suppliers. Effective in February, it required new contracts for PPE purchased by the departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to run for at least two years and be awarded to U.S. producers  unless theres not sufficient quantity and quality at market prices.

The health and veterans departments said they havent bought anything yet. Homeland Security hasnt answered the APs questions. Documents show the government solicited bids due Dec. 6 for up to 381 million U.S.-made surgical masks over three years for its stockpile. No deal has been announced.

Other documents show the government is looking to contract with three major suppliers  3M, Moldex, and Owens & Minor  for a total of $115 million in U.S-made N95 masks over three years. A justification document says noncompetitive contracts are necessary to preserve capacity for future coronavirus surges or emergencies.

The Biden administration also formed a task force of experts from federal agencies, health care providers, PPE manufacturers and distributors to develop a national strategy for ensuring a resilient public health supply chain. Its work is expected to extend for years.

Some manufacturers said they can't wait long for a federal life preserver.

Dentec Safety Specialists is wrapping up a contract to supply 125,000 rubber reusable respirators and 500,000 filtration cartridges from its Kansas facility for the national stockpile, said President Claudio Dente. It needs more orders soon to prevent layoffs, he said.

I thought that COVID would really change the mindset of the people, the governments and manufacturing," Dente said. But he added: The general marketplace is reverting back to their old ways -- meaning looking to buy product from China."
Thank you for reading!

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SS Rajamouli, Ram Charan and Jr. NTR came together along with producer Jayantilal Gada in Mumbai celebrate the success of RRR. (By Arrangement)

SS Rajamouli, Ram Charan and Jr. NTR came together along with producer Jayantilal Gada in Mumbai to celebrate the success of RRR in an event befitting the grand scale of the film. Media personnel from across India were present on the occasion, and Rajamouli and the stars answered a variety of questions from them. Here are a few of the insights they gave:

Rajamaouli Garu, you are an exuberant storyteller! Would you mind if we add fantasy to that tag?

Rajamouli: As long as you like my films, you can put any tag you like on me!

Comparison is inevitable. Both Baahubali and RRR are A grade films. But which one is closer to your heart?

Rajamouli: It is very difficult to judge. At this point of time I am so attached to RRR that if you ask to name the best film, not only from my own filmography but from all the movies I have watched since early childhood, I would say RRR. Maybe, in the next six to eight months, once the euphoria dies down, I may be able to give the right answer.

With Baahubali 1 and 2 and now RRR having broken so many records, will there be pressure on you to bring an even more wonderful story next time, and outdo box-office expectations?

Rajamouli: Well let me put it this way  what we always do is make our next film the best possible. The numbers are not in our hands. Many factors contribute to numbers  the holidays around the release, the distribution, how strong the exhibitors areThough the numbers are important, the love and appreciation of the audience are what is pivotal to us. There has been a lot of appreciation from all types of audiences for Baahubali and RRR. Significantly, what I have noticed this time is that even Western audiences are appreciating RRR. The overwhelming appreciation for RRR from Western audiences has gladdened our hearts. Going forward, I will keep in mind that I have to give my best to wider audiences.

Ram Charan, what is your view on Superstardom? Has RRR changed your perception of it?

(Twitter)

Ram Charan: Superstardom for me is waking up at 5 A.M., reaching the location at 7 A.M. and giving the shot at 7.30 A.M, then returning home to spend an hour with the family before hitting the gym, going to bed, and doing the same thing when you wake up the next day. It might sound boring, but this boring routine is what brings you success. I have to keep working hard throughout to be able to give my best and sustain in the industry.

You seem to have hogged the accolades!

Ram Charan: I dont believe that at all; not even for a second. I think we both have excelled, and Taraka was fantastic. I enjoyed working in RRR, getting such an opportunity was great, and what I take back is my journey with Bheem, my journey with Taraka which I will never ever forget. A big thanks to Rajamouli for giving me that role. I love every bit of it.

Which is your favourite scene?

Ram Charan: Undoubtedly, its the one on the misunderstanding between me and Ram.
The Hussaini Alam police was requested to deploy a team to monitor the situation. Hussaini Alam inspector G. Naresh Kumar said that police personnel in civilian clothes had been posted in the area.  DC file image/P. Surendra

HYDERABAD: Two mobile phones were stolen on average from the Mecca Masjid every day, according to complaints from the people. Some of the thefts were reported during the meeting with the mosque head that follows the Taraweeh prayers during Ramzan.

Many people took to Twitter to complain about this issue and asked for more police personnel to be posted. One or two mobile phones are being stolen daily from #MeccaMasjid. The police department should deploy a crime team in #Mecca_Masjid. There are incidents of mobile theft during people's meeting with Imam Sahib after Taraweeh prayers (sic), said a user.

The Hussaini Alam police was requested to deploy a team to monitor the situation. Hussaini Alam inspector G. Naresh Kumar said that police personnel in civilian clothes had been posted in the area.

Though we are making announcements through the public address system and installing banners to caution the people, the public should also be cautious about their belongings, he said. Mecca Masjid superintendent Abdul Khadeer Siddiqui was unavailable for comment.
It may be recalled that in 2020 and 2021, residents from several localities in the city were subject to severe hardships due to water inundations, caused by rains. (Representational Image/ DC)

Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has revised the Strategic Nala Development Plan (SNDP) proposals and enhanced the estimated project cost from Rs 858 crore to Rs 985.45 crore. It also released GO No 13 (12.01. 2022).

In its bid to complete all SNDP works prior to the onset of monsoon, the civic body has appointed three chief engineers.

It may be recalled that in 2020 and 2021, residents from several localities in the city were subject to severe hardships due to water inundations, caused by rains. In order to address this problem, the corporation divided SNDP works and handed them over to three chief engineers.

Prior to the decentralisation, all works were with SNDP Officer on Special Duty (OSD) C. Vasantha, which was delaying the execution.

The city has been divided into eight zones. One chief engineer will monitor LB Nagar, Secunderabad and Khairatabad zones, besides the municipalities of Pedda Amberpet, Badangpet, Jalpally and Meerpet, which bore a major brunt of the flash floods in the last two years.

Authorities have been asked to lay special focus on the nala connecting Bandlaguda and Nagole apart from the two-way bifurcation of flood water from Saroornagar lake to Chaitanyapuri nala. Despite the two-way solution, authorities said that areas surrounding Saroornagar lake would be inundated, albeit with minimal property damage, when compared to the previous years.

Chief engineer (projects) M. Devanand has been given SNDP works in Charminar zone and all other works related to nalas that do not come under the purview of SNDP. The current chief engineer C. Vasanta will handle the works at Kukatpally and Serilingampally zones and Nizampet, Kompally, Peerzadiguda, Boduppal municipalities apart from the Hussainsagar surplus nala and Neknampur lake works.

The work was distributed as Vasanta could not even complete the tender process till last August whereas the GO related to it was released four months before in April. Irked by the delay, Municipal administration and urban development minister K.T. Rama Rao convened a review meeting and decided to decentralise all desilting works.

A senior GHMC official said that the works in all six zones under it and two zones covering municipalities within the outer ring road (ORR) are being monitored regularly by Rama Rao.

Of the total 60 works proposed under SNDP, about 30 are in progress. Tender process has been completed for 28 works and there are no takers for two works citing legal disputes. He said that the corporation has already addressed major stagnation points and the city would face minimal urban flooding even if the rainfall is 20 cm in a single day.
New Delhi/Islamabad: With Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif tipped to take over as Pakistans new Prime Minister Monday after the National Assembly formally elects him when it meets in the afternoon, the Indian government is cautiously optimistic that relations between the two neighbouring nations could improve in the coming months.

Observers in New Delhi feel Mr Shehbaz Sharif might tread cautiously on ties with India due to the hawkish position adopted on the Kashmir issue by his political rival, former PM Imran Khan, in the past three years. Mr Sharif also raked up the Kashmir issue on Sunday, saying that while Pakistan wants peace with India, lasting peace was not possible without a resolution of the Kashmir issue.

Mr Sharif on Sunday nominated himself for the PMs post after the unceremonious ouster of Imran Khan, who has called on his supporters to join him on the streets in protest against an imported government. The process of electing the new Leader of the House began Sunday after Mr Khan was removed through a no-confidence vote, the first PM in the history of Pakistan to be sent home after losing the trust of the House.

The joint Opposition -- a rainbow of socialist, liberal and radically religious parties -- nominated Shehbaz Sharif, 70, for the PMs post while ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was named by Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as its candidate.

Mr Khans successor will be elected at a special session of the National Assembly that has been called at 2 pm on Monday. In the House of 342, the winner will need 172 votes to become the new Prime Minister.

Former President and Pakistan Peoples Party co-chair Asif Ali Zaradri had proposed Mr Shehbaz Sharifs name for PM at a joint Opposition meeting. It is learnt that Mr Zardaris son and top PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto is likely to be appointed the new foreign minister.

On ties with India, the restoration of both trade ties and full-fledged diplomatic relations at the level of high commissioners are expected to be the key indicators in case the new government in Islamabad decides to test the ground. Mr Sharif is believed to have the support of Pakistans powerful military that has successfully implemented a ceasefire at the Line of Control with Indian troops from February last year.

Mr Sharif, who was earlier chief minister of Pakistans most populous and politically-important Punjab province, is also seen as an extremely efficient administrator and a pragmatist whose focus will be to revive Pakistans ailing economy. He is the younger brother of former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, but unlike his older brother, who is now virtually in exile in London, Shehbaz Sharif is seen to be trusted by the military establishment. Interestingly, Pakistan Army chief, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, whose second three-year term is due to end later this year, had recently sounded a conciliatory note publicly about ties with India and a resolution of the Kashmir issue through dialogue. Speculation has been rife of continuing the Track 2 engagement between intellectuals from both nations, with a recent round believed to have taken place a few weeks ago in a Middle Eastern country.

Since the Indian and Pakistani armies implemented a ceasefire at the LoC in February last year, which has successfully been maintained so far, there was hope political ties would improve in view of the widespread perception that the Pakistan Army was in favour of going forward with the momentum and improving ties with India. But it did not happen as the Imran Khan government refused to engage with India and instead set a precondition that New Delhi first reverse its move taken in August 2019 of revoking Article 370, which conferred special status on Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistan governments demand was seen as untenable by New Delhi, as many in Pakistan advocated resumption of trade ties with India that were crippled since August 2019. However, the Pakistan government did not budge.

It may also be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone on a surprise though brief visit to Lahore in December 2015, when Nawaz Sharif was PM, and was seen to have a good rapport with him. Nawaz Sharif was later forced to quit as PM and subsequently moved to London for medical treatment. Given the fast-paced political developments in Islamabad on Saturday night, New Delhi is waiting and watching keenly.

For Shehbaz Sharif, it will be a real challenge to shepherd the motley herd that includes four Independents and allow Parliament to complete its five-year term that ends in August 2023. Before filing his nomination, he offered special thanks to those who stood up for the Constitution. He then added, while addressing the National Assembly on Sunday: I don't want to go back to the bitterness of the past. We want to forget them and move forward. We will not take revenge or do injustice; we will not send people to jail for no reason, law and justice will take its course.

A petition has meanwhile been filed in the Islamabad high court seeking to prevent Imran Khan and his former ministers from leaving the country. The court will hear the petition on Monday. The Federal Investigation Agency has put its immigration staff at all international airports on high alert with a directive to stop any official linked to the Imran Khan government from travelling abroad without a no-objection certificate.
In 2015, the government had proposed to develop six junctions around KBR National Park by building multi-level flyovers under the Strategic Road Development Programme. (DC)

Hyderabad: The GHMC will be required to spend around Rs 3,000 crore to dig its proposed 1.38-km tunnel under the KBR Park junction. After conducting a pre-feasibility study, civic body officials said that the corporation should spend about 15 times more towards land acquisition, digging the rocky terrain and to construct the tunnel 10 metres below the road surface.

Way back in 2015, the government had proposed to develop six junctions around KBR National Park by building multi-level flyovers under the Strategic Road Development Programme. This required felling of more than 1,300 trees for widening roads.

To facilitate this, it proposed to modify the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) and finalised reduction of the parks walkway to between three metres and 29.8 metres from the present 25 metres to 35 metres from its boundary.

Five years later, in 2020, the Union ministry of environment and forests cleared the proposal while an expert committee of the ministry sought a detailed report after conducting a public hearing over the draft notification.

The Centre said the corporation should not touch trees inside the parks first boundary wall as it was under the ESZ and those out of the second boundary wall were not.

Citing this, the GHMC officials decided to construct four flyovers at the KBR junction at Jubilee Hills checkpost junction (level two) and at Road No. 45 junction (level one).

The official said that only four of six skyways would be constructed. The corporation decided to construct flyovers at Maharaja Agrasen junction (Road No. 12) and Cancer Hospital junction (Road No. 10). The estimated cost to execute the skyways would be Rs 322.92 crore.

Overall the corporation has to translocate 800 trees for the project. In case the tunnel is not dug, it has to translocate 270 trees on the 1.38 km stretch.

A senior GHMC official, requesting anonymity, said that during the pre-feasibility test the corporation concluded that it involved an expenditure of Rs 3,000 crore to execute the project. There was a need to provide ventilation and emergency exits as a contingency plan. The latter implied that they had to acquire expensive lands opposite the parks stretch.

"For a tunnel to be viable it should be at least 5 km long. The KBR Park tunnel does meet any of the requirements, If constructed it could be the most expensive project in the city. We will be hiring a consultant to prepare the DPR. If the project is found not viable, the corporation will be left with no other option but to translocate 270 trees in the 1.38 km stretch," the official added.
although the overall international travel was subdued during the lockdown, the airport at Shamshabad added flights to Chicago and Maldives, besides London. (Facebook)

Hyderabad: With an overwhelming increase in the annual passenger footfall from 12 million to 34 million in its integrated domestic and international terminal, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has emerged as the fourth busiest airport in the country.

A feature of RGIA, which is presently connected to 70 domestic destinations, has been that although the overall international travel was subdued during the lockdown, the airport at Shamshabad added flights to Chicago and Maldives, besides London.

Transfer traffic has increased from nine per cent in 2015 to 26 per cent this year.

According to airport data, there is an earnest interest among the people of Telangana to visit holiday destinations like Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan, Mauritius, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and New Zealand.

Incidentally, RGIA is the only airport in the country where all ten domestic airlines operate.
Lotte Card headquarters in central Seoul / Courtesy of Lotte Card

By Anna J. Park



As Lotte Card has been posting impressive growth and annual earnings over the past couple of years, market rumors about its possible M&As have continued to spread in the investment banking industry lately.



However, MBK Partners, the largest shareholder of the card company since 2019, has denied the rumors that it is considering its sale. Rather, the private equity firm stressed that it is more focused on Lotte Card's successful digital transformation than ever.



"Actually, MBK Partners hasn't yet considered the sale of Lotte Card on the M&A market for the time being. Also, it's not true that any proceedings or negotiations are currently ongoing regarding the sell-off of the card company," an official from the private equity firm told The Korea Times.



"With Lotte Card's solid growth and earnings, MBK Partners is now placing its priority in supporting the card company's ongoing digital transformation process, aiming to successfully turn it into a digital financial platform," the official explained, adding that Lotte Card's employees have been passionately putting their best efforts into shaping up the company with an ownership mindset.



The private equity firm bought a 59.83 percent stake in Lotte Card in 2019 and has since been focusing on raising its corporate value by enhancing its profitability. Under MBK Partners' ownership, Lotte Card's annual net profit has increased by five times to 241.4 billion won last year from 51.7 billion won logged in 2019.



Yet, the official didn't deny that there is currently a lot of market interest in the card company's potential sale. With Lotte Card taking 10.3 percent of the local credit card market, there are many would-be buyers aiming to strengthen their market dominance.



As of the end of last year, Shinhan Card took up 20.9 percent of the local card market as the country's top player, followed by Samsung Card with 18.5 percent, Hyundai Card with 16.9 percent and Lotte Card with 10.3 percent. Woori Card and Hana Card's market shares stood at 9.2 percent and 7.3 percent, respectively.



Based on the current status of each player in the local card industry, market watchers speculate that Woori Financial Group and Hana Financial Group would be most likely to take an interest in the potential sale of Lotte Card, if they wish to strengthen their card subsidiaries' market positions.



Given that Woori Financial Group already holds a 20 percent stake in Lotte Card as its second-largest shareholder, some watchers say its card business could rise to the country's No.2 position with nearly a 20 percent market share in the local credit card industry, if it acquires Lotte Card.



However, an official from Woori Financial flatly denied the speculation, saying: "There have been no discussions or considerations about a possible M&A deal, as of now." The official added that the financial group's current priority is placed more on any potential acquisition of a brokerage company, rather than a card company.



Hana Card is also mentioned as a strong potential would-be buyer of Lotte Card, if it were to ever be put up for sale. If it acquires Lotte Card, its market share will rise to 17.6 percent, making it the country's third-largest card business.



"While there have been many media reports about Hana Card's interest in the potential acquisition of Lotte Card, there's nothing we can confirm about the issue," an official from Hana Financial Group said.


Prof. Gali Vinod Kumar, dean, faculty of law at the college, said they had requested the varsitys executive council to approve the installation of the statue. (DC)

Hyderabad: Trouble is brewing at the Post Graduate College of Law, Osmania University (OU), over the installation of a statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, ahead of the birth anniversary celebrations of the father of the Constitution on April 14.

After the college management approved the statue installation, the OU Registrar refused permission for the same and warned of strict action if any statue was installed.

A small bust of Dr Ambedkar was unofficially installed by students in front of the college in 2016.

The college management recently decided to officially replace it with a 7-foot-tall statue in a seated position and spent Rs 3.5 lakh on it. However, when the Registrar was notified of the decision, he sent a circular stating that the varsity had decided not to permit installation of any statue on the campus.

Prof. Gali Vinod Kumar, dean, faculty of law at the college, said they had requested the varsitys executive council to approve the installation of the statue.

The council too has not approved the decision because of misguidance by the VC. Dr Ambedkar is a national figure, and another reason for his statue to be here is that OU had bestowed an honorary doctorate on Dr Ambedkar in 1953, Prof. Vinod Kumar said.

The Registrars circular has not gone down well with the students too, who are also supporting installation of the statue. I will invite all student organisations and we will visit the VC once again and try our level best to convince him. Otherwise, the students will do what they had done in 2016, Prof. Kumar said.
HYDERABAD: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) decided to conduct huge public meeting in Warangal end of April month.

AICC former president, MP Rahul Gandhi agreed to attend the Warangal meeting as requested by the Congress leadership. Tentatively, the visit of Rahul Gandhi to state is scheduled for two days. AICC and TPCC have been coordinating to finalise the dates between April 25 to 27.

After MP A.Revanth Reddy took the charge as TPCC president, the party aspired to conduct a meeting with Rahul in Warangal last December. Due to various reasons, the meeting was not materialised. TPCC has been conducting a series of agitation programmes against the anti-people policies of TRS and BJP governments at state and centre.

TPCC conducted public meetings in various districts on farmers, students, unemployed youths, Dalits, tribals and other issues so far. Highlighting the negligence of state and central government in paddy procurement, Congress planned to conduct public meeting.

Demanding rollback of skyrocketing of petrol, diesel and gas cylinder prices, party will conduct the meetings. Agitation programmes will be conducted in all Assembly constituency headquarters on April 12.

On the same day, the TPCC delegation will meet the Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan and urge her to initiate steps to open paddy purchasing centres to ensure the minimum support price for paddy.

Revanth directed party leaders to visit all the villages between April 15-20 to agitate on fuel, gas prices, power tariff and paddy issue.
HYDERABAD: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president and MP A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday alleged that the TRS government allocated government land worth Rs 2,000 crore to private persons at Shaikpet in Hyderabad. Who is the gang leader, behind this land parcel allotment, he questioned. Is it possible to hand over valuable land worth Rs 2,000 crore to private persons without the knowledge of Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao? he questioned.

In an exclusive report published in these columns the suspicious allotment of government land to S.N. Cooperative society was exposed. Reacting to the development, Revanth Reddy demanded immediate cancellation of the layout permission given to survey number 327 at Shaikpet. Government land should be protected, he said.

The Congress chief said that chief secretary Somesh Kumar, GHMC commissioner Lokesh Kumar would not have not dared to allot the prime government land to the private persons without directives from the Telangana Chief Minister Office (CMO). Revanth Reddy said that the people of Telangana state want to know, who is the kingpin behind the allotment of valuable government land.

Revanth Reddy reportedly directed Congress leaders to go through the land scam in Shaikpet and are planning to launch an agitation over the issue. It has turned out to be a sensational report in realty sector and political circles as the prime government land was allotted to private persons under suspicious circumstances.

Reacting to the paddy procurement issue, the Congress leader criticised the TRS and BJP governments stating that the state and Centre are politicising the issue. They are doing "Galli to Delhi (street to national capital) politics on paddy, despite making arrangements for the procurement, he said. Taking it as an advantage, traders are duping the farmers, he alleged. TRS and BJP will have to get ready to experience the anger of farmers soon, Revanth Reddy said on Twitter.
The Imran Khan pantomime may have ended in Pakistan, but the fat lady is yet to sing. He was handheld by the Army into power, calculating that as a pan-Pakistan figure he could marginalise if not eliminate the two national political parties that have intermittently ruled the country since the death of military dictator Gen. Zia-ul Haq in an aircrash in 1988. Another Army chief, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, tried to run Pakistan but was eventually forced to concede political space to the Bhuttos Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Sharif family-controlled Pakistan Muslim League (N).

The assassination of a resurgent Benazir Bhutto and the security forces action against Lal Masjid sealed Gen. Musharrafs fate. Whether the Army was complicit or simply negligent over Benazirs death has not yet been established. But Benazir also was unwilling to listen to their advice about curtailing public meetings. The truth lies probably somewhere in between as she was beginning to assert her independence, seeing the public response to her on her return from exile.

Like Indias Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is the handmaiden of the party in power at the Centre, in Pakistan the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) does that job. The NABs task was made easier with the Panama Papers revelations. Imran Khan was happy to act as the flag- bearer of the anti-corruption crusade, combined with Islamism and nationalism.

But populism-based politics has two problems. Rabble rousing is fine if economic arguments are used or if neighbours like India are baited. But when it starts questioning the countrys basic foreign policy consensus, which also has the Armys endorsement, the political leader is treading on dangerous territory. And second, the leader often gets carried away.

Imran Khan misread US-Pakistan relations and the recent developments in Afghanistan as the United States withdrew its troops, clearing capture of power by the Taliban. It is unknown how much the Pakistan Army was involved in the US-Taliban deal, but the presence of the ISIs director-general in Kabul to oversee the allotment of portfolios was shocking. In particular, the installation of a Haqanni scion as the interior minister created tremors regionally. Did Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Pakistan Army chief, and Imran Khan quarrel over the ISI D-Gs role in Kabul, before the known differences over his future deployment?

Imran Khan had exulted in the Talibans victory, saying in August 2021 that they have broken the shackles of slavery. The Wall Street Journal wrote: That a US security partner would say this out loud certainly raises eyebrows. The view already existed in the United States, and especially in the US Congress, that a key obstacle to Americas success in Afghanistan was the unrelenting Pakistani support to the Taliban. The Pakistan Army, which has been playing a double game since 2001, did not want their Prime Minister boasting about it. Imran Khan thought that America-bashing would position him as a fearless and independent leader of Pakistan. It seems his sponsors in the Army did not concur.

After Afghanistan, Imran Khan tried aligning Pakistan firmly with the China-Russia axis. His presence alongside Russias President Vladimir Putin as Russian soldiers invaded Ukraine on February 24 was optically and strategically dangerous. It assumed Russia would succeed quickly in capturing Kyiv and replacing the Volodymyr Zelenskyy government. The unity of the Nato alliance and the European resolve to impose severe sanctions on Russia and Russian entities and individuals challenged this assumption. Even the Chinese were unwilling to openly extend full support. Having upset the US, Pakistan faced the danger of retaliation when its economy was under stress. A sign of this was China rolling over a $2.5 billion commercial loan, after an earlier similar relief of $2 billion.

The Pakistan Army observed that Ukraine was becoming an irritant in India-US relations, as India had refused to condemn Russia. New Delhi even welcomed Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. An opening thus arose for Pakistan to regain US goodwill. Imran Khan, on the other hand, raised the bogey of American meddling to destabilise his government. Pakistans Army chief Gen. Bajwa had to publicly contradict his Prime Minister and reaffirm that Pakistan wished to keep excellent relations with both China and the United States.

Gideon Rachman, in his book The Age of the Strongman, delves into the success globally of populists. He writes: To varying degrees, they all claim to speak for the common man, while undermining institutions, stoking nationalism and cultivating a personal style of politics, if not an outright personality cult.

Imran was only following in the footsteps of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the original Pakistani populist. Clearly, the Pakistani Army realised that its puppet had snapped the strings. It also calculated that with Imran still in play, neither of the traditional parties may get a majority.

The Pakistan Army was always closer to Shehbaz Sharif than his older brother Nawaz. His becoming Prime Minister, besides his son Hamza becoming chief minister in Punjab, would be a fresh start between the Army generals and the Sharif family. Nawazs heir and ambitious daughter Maryam may put up with this arrangement till the next election. At the moment, the Sharifs and the Bhutto-Zardaris will be happy to bring some governance back to Punjab and Pakistan. They would feel that Imrans appeal may fade with normality being restored to politics.

But the protests in Pakistan and even Dubai over Imrans ouster indicate that he still has support among the people. How wide and deep it is and whether only Gen. Bajwa opposes him or theres a consensus in the Army about sidelining him would determine his political trajectory. In keeping with South Asian vendetta politics, its possible Imrans image of clean politics may be challenged when the NAB turns attention to the whispers about his spiritual guide-cum-wife being involved in Punjab corruption. The new Pakistan Prime Minister has a full domestic and foreign agenda.

Abroad, Islamabad may pick up Gen. Bajwas floated proposals about an incremental revival of India-Pakistan relations. But it remains to be seen if the Narendra Modi government decides relations with Pakistan cant be permanently frozen. In any case, it will be diplomatically astute to not keep pushing Pakistan into Chinas arms. The designation of Hafiz Saeeds son as a terrorist is a positive step. But the BJP cannot ignore the domestic dimension of such outreach. The Muslim baiting, now reaching a fever pitch in Karnataka, will need to be curbed. Otherwise, another opportunity will come and go. Only rarely do political cycles synchronise between two historically divided nations. The next few weeks will show if the willingness exists on both sides to normalise relations.
Supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of dismissed Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, take part in a rally in his support in Peshawar on April 10, 2022. (Abdul MAJEED / AFP)

Lahore: Imran Khan has thanked his supporters for their participation in rallies held across Pakistan and abroad to protest against his ouster as prime minister and the formation of a "US-backed regime" in Islamabad.

Protest rallies were held in different Pakistani cities after 9 pm on Sunday and continued for several hours on the call of Khan.

"Thank you to all Pakistanis for their amazing outpouring of support & emotions to protest against US-backed regime change abetted by local Mir Jafars to bring into power a coterie of pliable crooks all out on bail. Shows Pakistanis at home & abroad have emphatically rejected this," Khan tweeted on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, ousted prime minister Khan tweeted that "today marked the beginning of a freedom struggle" against what he said was a "foreign conspiracy of regime change" in Pakistan.

In an attempt to galvanise his supporters, he said "it is always the people who protect their own sovereignty and democracy."

The charged PTI supporters, including women and children, showed their solidarity with Khan during the rally in Lahore that started at 9 pm on Sunday and lasted till 3 am on Monday.

Big gatherings were also reported from other parts of the Punjab province, including Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Vehari, Jhelum and Gujrat districts. Islamabad and Karachi also witnessed major gatherings of PTI supporters.

Protests were also held abroad, including in Chicago, Dubai, Toronto, and the UK against Khan's ouster.

PTI's local leadership was leading the protest. The charged workers and supporters of the party were chanting slogans against the US, which Khan claims to be behind the ouster of his government.

They were also shouting slogans against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif, who is expected to be elected as the new prime minister on Monday; Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Ali Zaradri and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for allegedly plotting against Khan's government at the behest of the US.

Most placards carried by the protesters read "Imported government not acceptable."

Former federal minister and PTI senior leader Shireen Mazari said in a tweet: "Such amazing scenes from across Pak and from abroad --- Pakistanis have rejected US instigated regime change. Two of my favourite individual placards! #ImportedGovernmentRejected #RevolutionBlackedOut."

Despite the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Government's hectic efforts to avoid voting on the no-confidence motion against Khan, the joint Opposition succeeded in its month-long efforts to oust Khan from the Prime Minister's office as 174 members of the 342-member National Assembly voted against him after a day of high drama.

Khan, 69, became the first premier in the country's history to be sent home after losing the trust of the House.

In a live address to the nation last week, Khan discussed a 'threat letter' and termed it as part of a foreign conspiracy to remove him as he was not acceptable for following an independent foreign policy. He named the US as the country behind the threat letter against his government.

The US State Department has firmly rejected Khan's remarks over Washington's role in an alleged foreign conspiracy to oust him from power.

America also asserted that it did not send any letter to Pakistan on the current political situation in the country as it sought to refute allegations of America's involvement in the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led government.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Shehbaz Sharif, 70, and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) vice-chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi are in the race for Pakistan's PM chair after the ouster of Imran Khan in a no-confidence vote by the joint Opposition.

The process of electing the new leader of the House began on Sunday after Khan was removed from office through a no-confidence vote, becoming the first premier in the country's history to be sent home after losing the trust of the House.

Track live updates of Pakistan political crisis here

As Pakistan's National Assembly is set to convene today to elect a prime minister, here are the key things to know about the two front runners:

Shehbaz Sharif

> Shehbaz Sharif is a tough administrator with a penchant for quoting revolutionary poetry.

> He is the younger brother of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was dismissed and then jailed on corruption charges in 2017 and is currently in Britain after being released from prison two years later for medical treatment.

Also Read  Imran Khan supporters stage protests across Pakistan against his ouster as PM

> He is a seasoned politician in his own right, however, having served for years as chief minister of Punjab province, the Sharif family's power base, and as the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N).

> The 70-year-old jointly inherited the family's steel business as a young man and was first elected to provincial office in 1988.

> During his stints as chief minister in the years that followed, he presided over a series of big-ticket infrastructure projects, including Pakistan's first Metrobus service. Officials were reportedly kept on their toes by workaholic Sharif's habit of surprise visits to government offices, which he would inspect, clad in a favoured safari suit and hat.

> Critics say he did little to address the province's core issuesincluding the need for civil service, health and agricultural reformsand instead focused on vote-grabbing projects, such as distributing laptops to students or offering subsidised taxis to the jobless.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi

> Qureshi, who served as Foreign Minister of the country for two terms from 2008 to 2011 and 2018 to 2022, began his political career in 1985 when he was elected as a member of the Punjab Assembly from his hometown Multan.

> In 1986, Qureshi joined Pakistan Muslim League and associated himself with former prime minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif. He later joined the faction of PML led by Nawaz Sharif.

> Qureshi served as the Minister of Planning & Development in Nawaz Sharifs cabinet in 1988 and as the Finance Minister of Punjab in 1990. He left PML for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in 1993.

Also Read  Shehbaz Sharif says India, Pakistan must resolve Kashmir issue to bring about peace

> In 2006, Qureshi was seriously considered to be a Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2008 elections, however, he was handed over the post of Foreign Minister.

> As a Foreign Minister, Qureshi had to deal with significant foreign relation issues like Mumbai Terror Attacks of 2008 and the Raymond Davis fiasco, which became a reason for Qureshi to be dropped from the Cabinet. He joined the PTI in 2011 and has since remained a significant part of the party.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Imran Khan has thanked his supporters for their participation in rallies held across Pakistan and abroad to protest against his ouster as prime minister and the formation of a "US-backed regime" in Islamabad.

Protest rallies were held in different Pakistani cities after 9 pm on Sunday and continued for several hours on the call of Khan.

"Thank you to all Pakistanis for their amazing outpouring of support & emotions to protest against US-backed regime change abetted by local Mir Jafars to bring into power a coterie of pliable crooks all out on bail. Shows Pakistanis at home & abroad have emphatically rejected this," Khan tweeted on Sunday.

Thank you to all Pakistanis for their amazing outpouring of support & emotions to protest against US-backed regime change abetted by local Mir Jafars to bring into power a coterie of pliable crooks all out on bail. Shows Pakistanis at home & abroad have emphatically rejected this  Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 10, 2022

Earlier on Sunday, ousted prime minister Khan tweeted that "today marked the beginning of a freedom struggle" against what he said was a "foreign conspiracy of regime change" in Pakistan.

In an attempt to galvanise his supporters, he said "it is always the people who protect their own sovereignty and democracy."

Follow latest updates on Pakistan political crisis here

The charged PTI supporters, including women and children, showed their solidarity with Khan during the rally in Lahore that started at 9 pm on Sunday and lasted till 3 am on Monday.

Big gatherings were also reported from other parts of the Punjab province, including Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Vehari, Jhelum and Gujrat districts. Islamabad and Karachi also witnessed major gatherings of PTI supporters.

Protests were also held abroad, including in Chicago, Dubai, Toronto, and the UK against Khan's ouster.

PTI's local leadership was leading the protest. The charged workers and supporters of the party were chanting slogans against the US, which Khan claims to be behind the ouster of his government.

They were also shouting slogans against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif, who is expected to be elected as the new prime minister on Monday; Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Ali Zaradri and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for allegedly plotting against Khan's government at the behest of the US.

Most placards carried by the protesters read "Imported government not acceptable."

Also Read | Imran Khan supporters stage protests across Pakistan against his ouster as PM

Former federal minister and PTI senior leader Shireen Mazari said in a tweet: "Such amazing scenes from across Pak and from abroad --- Pakistanis have rejected US instigated regime change. Two of my favourite individual placards! #ImportedGovernmentRejected #RevolutionBlackedOut."

Despite the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Governments hectic efforts to avoid voting on the no-confidence motion against Khan, the joint Opposition succeeded in its month-long efforts to oust Khan from the Prime Ministers office as 174 members of the 342-member National Assembly voted against him after a day of high drama.

Khan, 69, became the first premier in the countrys history to be sent home after losing the trust of the House.

In a live address to the nation last week, Khan discussed a 'threat letter' and termed it as part of a foreign conspiracy to remove him as he was not acceptable for following an independent foreign policy. He named the US as the country behind the threat letter against his government.

The US State Department has firmly rejected Khan's remarks over Washington's role in an alleged foreign conspiracy to oust him from power.

America also asserted that it did not send any letter to Pakistan on the current political situation in the country as it sought to refute allegations of America's involvement in the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led government.

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has claimed that a Bangladesh national they arrested recently in Assam tried to build a base of Al-Qaeda in Indian Sub-continent (AQIS), a wing of global terror group in eastern India.

The NIA said this came to light after the arrest of Saiful Islam, a Bangladesh national, in western Assam's Barpeta district in March. "Saiful Islam had entered India illegally and was working as an Arabic teacher at Dhakaliapara Masjid in Barpeta. He was actively motivating impressionable youths to join Jihadi outfits and work in Ansars (sleeper cells) for carrying out subversive activities and for establishment of a base for AQIS in eastern India," the NIA said in a statement.

Islam alias Haroon Rashid alias Md Suman, a resident of Atadi village in Bangladesh's Naryanganj district, was leading an active module of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), affiliated to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Sub-Continent (AQIS), operating in Barpeta district of Assam, the NIA said claiming that they disrupted the module of the terror outfit in the district.

Barpeta is a Muslim-dominated district.

The case was initially registered on March 4 and was re-registered by NIA on March 22.

As part of investigation into the case, the NIA on Sunday conducted searches in 11 locations in Barpeta and neighbouring Bongaigain districts in Assam. "During searches conducted at the premises of accused persons, incriminating documents and other materials have been seized. Further investigation in the case is on," said the NIA.

Police and other investigative agencies has stepped up action against alleged network of Islamic fundamentalist groups in Assam since BJP-led government assumed office for the second consecutive term in May last year.

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A minor girl died after she was allegedly gang-raped at a birthday party in Hanskhali in West Bengals Nadia district, police said on Sunday.

The girls family claimed that the main accused is the son of a Trinamool Congress panchayat member, who has been arrested for further investigation, they said.

The parents of the minor, a student of Class 9, lodged a complaint against the accused at Hanskhali police station on Saturday, four days after the incident.

According to the complaint, the girl went to the residence of the accused on Monday afternoon to attend his birthday party, but she returned home in an ailing condition and died soon after.

Read | Eight, including 2 juveniles, held for raping 16-yr-old

Our daughter was bleeding profusely and had severe abdominal pain after she came back from the party at the residence of the local TMC leader's son, and before we could take her to hospital, she died.

"From the sequence of events and after talking to the people present at the party, we are sure she was gang-raped by the accused and his friends, the girls mother told reporters.

She also alleged that a group of people forcibly took the minors body for cremation even before her death certificate was issued.

Reacting to the development, senior TMC leader and the states Minister of Women and Child Development, Sashi Panja, said the ruling party has zero tolerance for abuse of minors and women.

There should not be any politics over the incident. Police will do everything possible to investigate and take further action, she said.

Meanwhile, opposition BJP has called for a 12-hour bandh in Hanskhali in protest against the incident.

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A pact to share information on space activities is to be signed by the US and India during the 2+2 meeting of their diplomatic and defence leaders in Washington on Monday, according to the State Department.

The Space Situational Awareness Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aims to protect the satellites of the two countries.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin for the Fourth 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue that will finally take place after being postponed in December 2021.

It will kick off ceremoniously on Monday at 9 a.m. (6.30 p.m. IST) with an honour cordon to welcome Rajnath Singh to the Pentagon for a meeting with Austin.

Also Read | Modi, Biden to hold virtual talks on Monday as India, US try to narrow differences on Russia

At the same time over at the State Department, Blinken will meet Jaishankar, according to the schedule for the 2+2 circulated by the US.

The 2+2 meeting takes place under the cloud of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the divergent approach to it by India and the US.

But before the meeting, President Joe Biden will hold a virtual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at which the Russian invasion of Ukraine will figure, according to the White House.

At a briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said: "President Biden will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russia's brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilizing impact on global food supply and commodity markets."

Also Read: Biden expects Ukraine to be 'a central' item in 2+2 Quad discussions

India has tried to stay neutral on the Russian invasion given its dependence on Moscow for vital defence supplies and abstained on eight Ukraine-related votes at the UN.

The US, which is leading the global response to the invasion prefers India to take a stronger stand against Russia.

But the 2+2 will focus on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, where the two countries are strategically more aligned.

The formal 2+2 meeting of the ministers and the secretaries will be held at the State Department with the opening press statements that will be live-streamed at 2 p.m. on Monday (11.30 p.m. IST).

It will be followed by the signing of the Space Situational Awareness MOU.

The four are scheduled to hold a news conference at 4.45 p.m. (2.15 a.m. Tuesday IST), which is also to be live-streamed.

Read | Biden wants India to oppose Russian war, says White House

Concluding the 2+2 meeting, Blinken will hold a working dinner for the other 2+2 leaders at 6 p.m. (3.30 a.m. Tuesday IST).

The 2+2 meetings held since 2018 alternate between the two capitals and its fourth edition, which was to have been held in December, was postponed because of the visit of Russian President Vladimir to New Delhi that month.

This year's event will celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and the US, the State Department said.

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The Potala Palace, a landmark in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, features a mural that illustrates a historic marriage between the Han and Tibetan ethnic groups.

The mural depicts ancient Tibetan officials standing in a row, holding their hands in front of their chests, to welcome Wencheng, a princess of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The princess traveled to Tibet to marry Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century.

Similar to the mural, many other relics in Tibet have helped further uncover cultural communication and integration between the plateau region and the rest of China.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
NongHyup Bank headquarters in Seoul / Yonhap



By Lee Min-hyung



NongHyup Bank started work on a blockchain system to deal with the introduction of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), the lender said Monday.



The bank plans to build the blockchain-powered platform, so it can play a proactive role after the Bank of Korea (BOK) introduces its own CBDC sometime in the near future. Under the platform, NongHyup will test whether it can help circulate the CBDC and enable transactions made with the digital currency.



For the establishment of the digital platform, the bank has teamed up with LG CNS. The bank is also scheduled to launch an electronic wallet service soon.



The pilot test will also be carried out on a broad scale by encompassing emerging blockchain-related areas such as non-fungible tokens and stablecoins, according to the bank.



"Establishing the system is one of our key strategies for digital transformation," NongHyup Bank Vice President Lee Sang-rae said. "We are going to keep expanding our digital finance infrastructure, so we can meet the demands of customers from all age groups."



The Korean central bank is speeding up its research drive into the CBDC. Since last August, the BOK has been doing technical research on the CBDC. The test will be conducted for 10 months until June this year. The central bank will test digital asset transactions and cross-border payments under its CBDC system.



As the CBDC is also set to be circulated by conventional financial firms such as banks, major commercial banks are in a rush to deal with the looming CBDC era.



Other commercial lenders such as KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan and Woori have also built their own digital asset platforms, so they do not fall behind in the expected financial paradigm shift.


Scores of Jawaharlal Nehru University students affiliated to the All India Students Association staged a protest near Delhi Police headquarters here on Monday and demanded the arrest of ABVP activists for their alleged role in the violence at the varsity.

Two groups of students had clashed at the university's Kaveri Hostel here on Sunday allegedly over serving of non-vegetarian food in the mess on Ram Navami, with police saying six students were injured in the incident.

All India Students Association (AISA) activists alleged that some students were detained and taken to the Tughlaq Road Police Station.

There was no immediate reaction from the police on the allegations.

"Our protest is going to continue. People who attacked the students are repeat offenders and so is the JNU administration. Protest at PHQ (police headquarters) was to ensure accountability by Delhi Police and ensure that justice happens. There will be more protests today," Sai Balaji, AISA president, said.

The protesting students had gathered near the police headquarters demanding the arrest of RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya VidhyartHi Parishad (ABVP) members.

"Women protesters were manhandled and their clothes were pulled by male security personnel. Several have been injured by the Delhi Police. We have been detained inside the Tughlaq Road Police Station," AISA activist Neha said.

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In a stern message to anti-national elements, authorities have sacked principal of Kashmir Law College for his alleged secessionist and terror links

Hussain, who retired as head of the Department of Law in the Central University of Kashmir (CUK) a few years ago, is seen as a hard-line ideologue of separatist organizations. Before joining the CUK, he was teaching at Kashmir University and prior to that he also worked as assistant professor for five years at International Islamic University, Malaysia.

After his retirement from the CUK, he was appointed as principal of the private Kashmir Law College in Srinagar. According to local media reports, the management of the College sacked Hussain from the post of principal with immediate effect on the directions from the government.

Sources said authorities are also considering invoking relevant provisions of pension related laws against Prof Hussain. The laws authorize the government to forfeit pension when there is credible evidence of acting as a covert ideologue of secessionist and terrorist networks to justify violence and separatist politics projecting it as moral and desirable.

Read | It is no longer 'glamorous' to become terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir: Lt Gen Pandey

In 2016, Prof Hussain along with hardline separatist (late) Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Booker Prize winner author Arundhati Roy and others reportedly participated at a convention titled  Azadi  The Only Way at Press Club of India in New-Delhi, where he delivered an anti-India speech.

Reportedly anti-India slogans were also raised at the convention for which Delhi Police had registered an FIR under sections - 124 A (sedition), 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 149 (unlawful assembly).

A senior police officer told DH that Prof Hussain despite drawing a huge salary and other perks from the government was spitting venom against the Indian state throughout his career. He would subtly preach anti-India narrative to students in the universities and also spit venom on his social media handles, he revealed.

Sources said the administration has started a discreet process of ascertaining full details of the antecedents and past activities of Prof Hussain.



He was secretly in touch with elements of secessionist and terrorist networks to assist them in building up and sustain a false narrative that no good can happen until J&K is part of India and the work and agenda of secessionists and their armed wings are legitimate and therefore required to be supported in various forms, they alleged.

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A fiery exchange of words has broken out between the SDLP and People Before Profit (PBP) over the current Ukraine-Russia war.

Cllr Brian Tierney of the SDLP and Cllr Shaun Harkin of PBP  who are both running as candidates in next month's Assembly Election  have fired verbal shots across the bow to each regarding the latter's stance on sanctions against Russia.

The SDLP man accused PBP of abandoning the principle of international solidarity by not supporting sanctions against Vladimir Putin's regime in Moscow while Cllr Harkin has responded by slamming Cllr Tierney's party of selective solidarity and having previous on looking the other way with regard to other worldwide conflicts.

Branding PBP as a disgrace for their stance, Cllr Tierney said: Given all that has happened in Ukraine in the last few weeks and months it is hard to fathom how anyone could react with anything other than solidarity with (Ukraine President) Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his people who have shown such courage in the face of unwarranted Russian aggression.

The decision by the leadership of People Before Profit to oppose sanctions in the face of evidence of war crimes in Bucha, Kharkiv and across the region is, frankly, a disgrace.

Its particularly appalling that at a time when ordinary Irish people on both sides of the border are doing everything they can to raise humanitarian aid and get help to those fleeing Russian aggression that People Before Profit have chosen to act towards the Ukrainian President in this way.

People from right across this island, including my party colleague Paul Doherty, have travelled to Ukraine to help respond to the humanitarian crisis unfolding.

Instead of lecturing people being shot in their streets about the international order, People Before Profit would be better offering some help.

This is the true face of a party that claims to want to help people on our island, but has delivered little. People Before Profit supported the Brexit that has caused huge political upheaval on our island without a thought for the impact it would have on local communities.

In Derry, its representatives couldnt even be bothered to turn up to protect families from a rates increase despite the current costs crisis and now it seems theyre more interested in debating society politics, than the people suffering unimaginable hardships as a result of Putin's monstrous crimes.

Cllr Harkin hit back by labelling the SDLP as being unhinged and self-serving and insisted that PBP have consistently opposed war wherever it has taken place.

He said: The SDLP are becoming increasingly unhinged. Given the massive humanitarian response across Ireland and the world to the plight of Ukrainian refugees it's exceptionally self-serving for the SDLP to imply they are the only ones who care.

Cllr Shaun Harkin of People Before Profit: "Why is the SDLP so quiet when it comes to solidarity with Palestinians crushed by Israeli apartheid's permanent war?"

People Before Profit have a consistent anti-war record whether it's opposing Putin's barbarism in Ukraine, Chechnya, and Georgia or the US/British destruction of Iraq.

A consistent anti-war position opposes warmongering by all the big military powers.

Why is the SDLP so quiet when it comes to solidarity with Palestinians crushed by Israeli apartheid's permanent war or Yemenis on the receiving end of the savage Saudi war backed by the US and Britain?

The SDLP had no problem cheerleading for war profiteers Raytheon. They backed up the DUP's effort to criminalise solidarity with Palestine in Stormont. They're silent on NATO's role in ramping up militarisation of Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

The SDLP's reactionary political partners, Fianna Fail, are attempting to utilise the suffering of the Ukrainian people to undermine Irish neutrality.

Fianna Fail, and it appears the SDLP too, want to fully align the South with NATO's military objectives. This is the opposite of international solidarity.

Ordinary people in Russia are crucial to stopping Putin's war on Ukraine and to toppling his billionaire dominated regime.

This is the kind of international solidarity NATO/EU masters of war have no interest in.
Mauritanias small population and low economic output has limited the countrys ability to develop sustained growth in the telecom sector.

Relatively low disposable income has restricted growth in the use of services, and thus of revenue which telcos can hope to gain from subscribers. In turn, this has impacted on their ability to invest in network upgrades and improvements to service offerings. This has been reflected in the repeated fines imposed against them by the regulator for failing to ensure a good quality of service. There are also practical challenges relating to transparency and tax burdens which have hindered foreign investment.

However, financial support has been forthcoming from the government as well as the World Bank and European Investment Bank. Their efforts have focussed on implementing appropriate regulatory measures and promoting the further penetration of fixed-line broadband services by improving the national backbone network, ensuring connectivity to international telecom cables, and facilitating operator access to infrastructure. Much progress has been made to improve internet bandwidth capacity, including the completion of a cable link at the border with Algeria, and the connection to the EllaLink submarine cable. In addition, the final stage of the national backbone network was completed in December 2021, which now runs to some 4,000km.

Mauritel maintains a virtual monopoly in the fixed-line sector, and there is little stimulus for new market entrants. Penetration of fixed telephony and broadband penetration is very low and is expected to remain so in coming years, though growth is anticipated following improvements to backbone infrastructure and the reduction in access pricing.

Most voice and data services are carried over the mobile networks maintained by the recently rebranded Moov Mauritel, Mattel, and Chinguitel.

Key Developments:

Last section of Mauritanias 4,000km fibre backbone network is completed;

Mauritania improves international bandwidth through connecting to the EllaLink submarine cable system;

Regulator awards LTE licenses to Moov Mauritel, Chinguitel, and Mattel;

MNOs again fined for poor QoS;

Mattel secures satellite backhaul connectivity for remote areas;

Report update includes ITU data for 2020, operator data for Q3 2021, updated telecom Maturity Index and charts, assessment of the global impact of the pandemic on the telecoms sector, recent market developments.

Get a Full Copy of this Report

Developing Telecoms market report summaries are produced in partnership with BuddeCom, the worlds largest continually updated online telecommunications research service.

The above article is a summary of the following BuddeCom report:

Report title: Mauritania - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Edition: February 2022

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

Number of pages: 105

Companies mentioned in the report: Moov Mauritel, Mattel, Chinguitel, Sudatel, Expresso Telecom, Tunisie Telecom

Single User PDF Licence Price: US$890

For more information or to purchase a copy of the full report please use the following link: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Mauritania-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?r=83
Nepals regulator has warned the countrys internet service providers to end the unnecessary price war in the for high speed fixed broadband services.

Nepalitelecom.com reported that the price war started in June 2021 when CG Net launched a 120Mbps connection at a price that significantly undercut its rivals, prompting them to respond with speed boosts and tariff drops of their own, with 1Gbps speeds made available in January this year.

However, the price war does not appear to have benefited consumers, with customers complaining of unstable connections and speeds significantly lower than those advertised. This has led to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) issuing a warning to operators over arbitrary prices.

Speaking to representatives of the Internet Service Providers Association of Nepal (ISPAN), the NTA described the price was as unnecessary and noted that ISPs must have their tariff proposals approved before they can offer new packages.

TeleGeography reports that the NTA has acknowledged the concerns of ISPs, pledging to create a sub-committee that will aim to address short and long-term issues holding back the development of the sector.
The combined industrial revenue of China's telecommunications sector rose 9% year-on-year to 258.6 billion yuan ($40.72 billion), a pace 3.2 percentage points faster than the same period last year, said the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

According to official data from MIIT, the sector posted steady expansion in the first two months of the year, with emerging businesses such as big data and cloud computing logging rapid growth.

The Chinese official media Xinhua quoting the Ministry revealed that the emerging businesses, such as big data, cloud computing, internet data centres, and the Internet of Things, registered rapid expansion. The emerging business revenue of China's three telecom giants -- China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom, surged 34.1% year on year to 50.8 billion yuan.

In breakdown, the revenue for cloud computing services soared 124.6% year on year, while that for big data and Internet of Things surged 58 percent and 21.9%, respectively, the report said.

"Steady progress was also made in the construction of 5G base stations. By the end of February, China's 5G base stations topped 1.5 million in number, with 81,000 built in the first two months of the year," noted the report.

Incidentally, China's telecommunications industry registered rapid growth in business revenue in 2021. The combined business revenue in the telecom sector rose 8% year on year to 1.47 trillion yuan (about 232.43 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021, with the growth rate up 4.1 percentage points from 2020, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
MTNs Nigeria business  which constitutes its largest market in Africa  has been very much in the news in recent days, mainly thanks to the approval by the Central Bank of Nigeria of a licence for MTN's Mobile Money (MoMo) Payment Service Bank in the country.

Earlier this year MTN Nigeria revealed that its mobile money service had attracted 9.4 million active users since launching in August 2019. In fact the fin24 news service reports that the volume of transactions performed through the service rose by 167% to 137.5 million in the 2021 full financial year. Based on this healthy platform MTN Nigeria is now extending its services to wider banking operations.

More details on the companys plans for its banking operations are expected to be announced next month.

The company also made headlines after it suspended around 19 million mobile numbers in Nigeria last week. This followed a government directive to bar outgoing calls from unregistered phone lines. This in turn following a long-running saga in which mobile phone providers were told to add identification numbers (NINs) to every SIM card registered in the country or block the SIMs.

The registration deadline has been extended many times since December 2020 when It was first announced with an optimistic deadline of the end of that year.

Nigeria is MTNs biggest market, contributing about 35% of group revenues, and the blocking of unregistered numbers will probably have an impact on group revenues, though MTN seems to think it will be a modest one.
China's ZTE Corporation has been ranked first for the shipments of Passive Optical Network (PON) Optical Network Terminal (ONT) devices in the year 2021, said a report.

According to the report titled Broadband Access & Home Networking Quarterly Report 4Q21 by DellOro Group, ZTE constantly bolsters foundational capabilities in the fixed broadband field, developing innovations in technologies and solutions to help global customers achieve business success.

The report said that in terms of technological innovation, ZTE has recently released an AX11000 Wi-Fi 6E 10-Gigabit-capable Symmetric Passive Optical Network (XGS-PON) ONT featuring superfast speeds for gigabit broadband applications.

Besides, ZTE's ZXHN F8648P is the industrys first PON ONT to pass the EasyMesh? R3 certification and is well-positioned to lead the development of multi-access point (AP) home networking technology, the report noted.

In terms of solution innovation, ZTE has launched a suite of Mesh+ solutions that combine mesh networking with Wi-Fi 6, Cloud Wi-Fi, and Fibre To The Room (FTTR) technologies to deliver an ultimate home connectivity experience. Moreover, ZTEs FTTR solution, Power over Fibre (PoF) solution, and Omni-OTN received high scores from Lightwave Innovation Reviews, demonstrating the companys competitive advantages in the optical networking sector.
Philippines-based Alliance Towers revealed it will cut back on its targeted 500 tower build-out plan down to 200 this year due to the pandemic.

The companys chief operating officer Alvin Tolentino told a media briefing the towers will be for the Philippines' three operators Dito Telecommunity, Smart Communications and Globe, reported Business World.

The company will spend around PHP40 billion (US$767m) over the next 10 years, said CEO Sherwin Hing. Tolentino said Alliance struck a deal with Globe only recently to construct towers in Visayas and Mindanao.

More than 40 towers were built for Dito and Smart during the pandemic according to CEO Sherwin Hing, and 80% of Alliances towers currently connect Globe.

The Philippines revamped its network sharing rules in 2020 when Dito became the third operator in the Southeast Asian market, a move to boost coverage as the nations data demand rises.

Business Mirror reported, that Alliance is also looking to foreign investors and joint ventures to go full speed ahead in the capital intensive space of tower construction.
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REDMOND  The land beneath the Marriott Redmond Town Center, at 7401 164th Ave. N.E., sold last week for $28.5 million, according to King County records.

The seller was AB FH Redmond Owner LLC, associated with AllianceBernstein and Fulcrum Hospitality, which acquired the entire property, hotel and land, in 2018 for over $65 million.





. . .




By Yi Whan-woo







The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) is reaching out to major Australian energy and mining companies to provide Korea with a stable supply of resources as well as more financing opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region.







The state-run bank said Monday its CEO Bang Moon-kyu met executives of Santos, Australia's leading oil and gas producer, last week.







They discussed ways to bolster a development project involving Santos and SK E&S, an energy subsidiary of SK Group, in the Barossa gas field off Australia's northern coast.







The project is worth $5.6 billion, through which Korea wants to ensure a stable supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) amid the recent instability in LNG prices.







Bang also visited the construction site of North East Link (NEL), a tunneling project to build twin, three-lane tunnels approximately six kilometers in length connecting the Metropolitan Ring Road and the Eastern Freeway in Australia's southeastern state of Victoria.







NEL is Victoria's biggest road project so far. The state plans to spend 100 billion Australian dollars ($74.3 billion) between 2021 and 2051 on infrastructure construction.







Accordingly, the Eximbank CEO met Victoria's Minister for Economic Development Tim Pallas and executives from Capella Capital, an industry leader in the infrastructure sector. They discussed possible measures to expand Korean businesses' participation in related projects in the future.







Bang also met executives from Hancock Prospecting, a mining firm that has formed a partnership with Korean steel giant POSCO on manufacturing of low-carbon steel materials.







He visited the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) and the National Australia Bank (NEB), too. Among the topics covered were kangaroo bonds, or debts issued in the Australian market by foreign firms and denominated in the Australian currency.







The Eximbank CEO expressed optimism that bilateral business cooperation is expanding over infrastructure projects in Australia.







"Eximbank will continue to provide support for the Korean companies and help their sales campaigns," he said in a press release.


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SEATTLE  The Downtown Cookhouse building, at 3810 Airport Way S., sold for $5.9 million, according to King County records.

The seller was Morse Randall Properties LLC, which acquired the property in 2014 for $2 million.





. . .
Harrisonburg, VA (22801)

Today

Occasional rain. High 51F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low around 40F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Defence ministry decides to indigenise 101 more weapons and platforms

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday released the third positive indigenisation list of 101 items, comprising major equipment/platforms. The list, notified by the Department of Military Affairs, ministry of defence (MoD), lays special focus on equipment/systems, which are being developed and likely to translate into firm orders in the next five years.

These weapons and platforms are planned to be indigenised progressively with effect from December 2022 to December 2027. These 101 items will, henceforth, be procured from local sources as per provisions of Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020.

Thursdays development follows issue of first list (101) and second list (108) that were promulgated on 21 August 2020 and 31 May 2021, respectively. Import substitution of ammunition, which is a recurring requirement, has been given special emphasis. This reflects the growing confidence of the government in the capabilities of domestic industry that they can supply equipment of international standards to meet the demand of the armed forces. It is likely to stimulate the potential of indigenous research and development (R&D) by attracting fresh investment into technology and manufacturing capabilities. It will provide ample opportunities to the domestic industry for understanding the trends and future needs of the armed forces.

The third list comprises highly complex systems, sensors, weapons and ammunitions like Light Weight Tanks, Mounted Artillery Gun Systems (155mmX 52 Cal), 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, Loitering Munitions. Their details are available on the MoD website.

Addressing the audience on the occasion, the Rajnath Singh 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. He exuded confidence that this new list will prove to be crucial in the development of the domestic industry and take research and development and manufacturing capacity of the country to a higher level.

This third positive indigenisation list has been prepared after in-depth consultations with all stakeholders, such as Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Department of Defence Production (DDP), Service Headquarters (SHQs) and private industry. Rajnath Singh assured that, similar to the previous two lists, the time limit given in the third list will also be adhered to. He said, the defence ministry and the service headquarters will take all necessary steps, including handholding of the industry, even as he reiterated the governments endeavour to create an ecosystem that ensures self-reliance in defence manufacturing and encourages exports.

The DRDO, too, pitched in to strengthen local manufacturing by signing 30 Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreements with 25 industries. Defence minister handed over the agreements pertaining to the 21 technologies developed by 16 DRDO laboratories spread across the country. These technologies include Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG), developed by a DRDO Young Scientist Lab (DYSL- QT, Pune), 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, CBRN UGVs, Mine Barriers, Fire Fighting Suits, Boots for Anti Mine, 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 have been signed in last two years.
India bans 22 fake YouTube channels flaring malicious content

The ministry of information and broadcasting on Monday announced a ban on 22 YouTube channels spreading wild rumours having malicious and anti-national content. I&B ministry said 18 of the blocked channels were based in India, while four were based in Pakistan.

Screenshots of the banned channels shared by the ministry showed banners like India likely to be nuked , India and Russia to fight the United States, India finally joined the war, killed 15,000 American soldiers, Ukraine war leads to Bharat Bandh, Declaring World War.

The banned Pakistani channels included DuniyaMeryAagy (4,28,000 subscribers, 11,29,96,047 total views), Ghulam NabiMadni (37,90,109 total views), Haqeeqat TV (40,90,000 subscribers, 1,46,84,10,797 total views), Haqeeqat TV 2.0 (3,03,000 subscribers, 37,542,059 total views).

All the Indian channels that were blocked Monday were in Hindi. One sensational graphic even claimed India will be destroyed by NATO. Most of the graphics were war images containing photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Joe Biden, and Pakistan PM Imran Khan.

Although the ministry has blocked YouTube channels before citing security concerns, what makes this instance different is that this is the first time it has blocked Indian YouTube channels.

The total number of YouTube channels blocked so far is 78  the ministry banned 20 in December and another 35 in January, both times citing security concerns.

Speaking to the media outside Parliament on Tuesday, information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said: This time we blocked Indian news channels. We have blocked 56 channels that were operating from Pakistan in the past and we wont shy away from taking such decisions in the future as well.

One graphic that carried Modis photo said Indian Rafale planes enter Pakistani airspace, drop 750 bombs in 10 minutes. Another one, also with a photo of Modi, read India conducts air attacks in Russia; destroys several places.

The cumulative viewership of these channels came close to 260 crore, according to the ministrys statement. ARP news (4,40,68,652 total views) led the list with the highest number of fake news items, followed by KisanTak (36,54,327 total views).

The blocked Indian YouTube channels were using templates and logos of certain TV news channels, including images of their news anchors, to mislead the viewers to believe that the news was authentic, the statement read

False thumbnails were used, the ministry stated, and the title and thumbnails were changed frequently to help make the content go viral.

Fake news monitoring is done either through the nodal officers within the ministry or through intelligence agencies.
gettyimagesbank



By Lee Min-hyung



As Shinhan Bank starts to issue real-name bank accounts for corporate clients' cryptocurrency trading, more capital is expected to flow into the market in line with the incoming administration's deregulatory stance on the industry, officials said Monday.



Up until recently, banks affiliated with crypto exchanges did not issue bank accounts for companies over fears of possible money laundering and the years-long regulatory market circumstances here.



But Shinhan decided recently to issue real-name accounts for some of its corporate clients, so they can make crypto transactions via its affiliated exchange, Korbit. The lender said it has started doing so, as part of a pilot program, under which some members of the Korea Digital Asset Trust (KDAC) can receive the accounts after the lender finishes a review of them. Shinhan Bank invested in KDAC in January 2021 to tap into the digital asset custody market, with a long-term plan to attract more capital from corporate clients.



The latest decision by Shinhan is expected to bring a ripple effect across the crypto industry at a time when the incoming Yoon Suk-yeol administration is giving deregulatory signals for the market.



Cryptocurrency exchanges have for years had to walk on eggshells due to the government's tight regulatory guidelines. This limited the amount of capital they and their affiliated banks could attract from corporate investors.



Industry officials expected more exchanges to make a similar decision after Yoon's inauguration next month, as he is expected to pursue deregulatory policies in line with the global boom in the crypto industry.



"It is crucial for the crypto market to attract corporate clients for game-changing growth in the industry here," an official said. "If they expand investments into the crypto market, this will help enhance the overall image of crypto trading which many people here still consider speculative."



As of the end of 2021, the number of corporate clients using local crypto exchanges reached 4,426, according to data from the Financial Services Commission. The figure falls far short of the 15.25 million retail investors registered during the same period.



But exchanges have had to offer corporate clients only limited trading services, as they have not been allowed to purchase cryptocurrencies with cash via the local exchanges. But retail investors have been able to do so by receiving real-name bank accounts from the exchanges' affiliated lenders.



Another financial industry official said it will take more time until an ecosystem is established for more companies to actively invest in crypto trading here, due to the lack of regulatory guidelines.



"Shinhan's latest move is to verify whether opening accounts for corporate clients' crypto trading comes with any possible risks of money laundering, and this is simply a pilot program for the time being," the official said. "It depends on how much the incoming administration eases regulatory hurdles on the issue."


Jasper, IN (47546)

Today

Overcast. High near 65F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds early will give way to generally clear conditions overnight. Low 46F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
"Imagination" is needed in order to ensure that Ukrainians arriving into Ireland from the war in their country are provided with suitable accommodation, Dundalk Sinn Fein TD Ruairi O Murchu has said.

Deputy O Murchu said he had been speaking to Minister Roderic OGorman in the last number of days and had urged upon him the importance of ensuring that housing capacity is ramped up as quickly as possible. He said that he spoke to Minister OGorman about the possibility of payments for people who are offering rooms for Ukrainians, within the Louth area, and spoke to him about the increased costs associated with it.

Deputy O Murchu commented: "Huge imagination is needed to ensure that we can provide decent accommodation to those who are coming from Ukraine. The situation there continues to force people to flee their homes and they are coming here looking for our help. I spoke to Minister OGorman in the last few days and I have raised this with An Taoiseach last week. The problem is that we are trying to provide accommodation in the midst of a massive housing crisis, where we have failed to deliver homes for years.

He continues, "the government needs to look at everything. I have been told about homes that were offered as accommodation for Ukrainians that were turned down by the authorities because there was only one bathroom and there were initial difficulties with council tenants who offered rooms, which hopefully have been resolved now.

Surely a proper home is better than some of the alternatives? While there will be a need for transitionary, short-term solutions, of course, and I am aware that Louth County Council have been looking at all available places, not just their own stock, including former health settings. Holiday homes may also need to be looked at."

The Louth TD added, "I welcome the fact the government is speaking to representatives of the construction industry. We need creative build solutions that can be delivered quickly, not only for the people who are fleeing here, but also for the housing crisis which has blighted this State for years. The Taoiseach has indicated that there may be a small payment for those who are opening their homes to Ukrainians fleeing the war. This needs to be facilitated as soon as possible."
Karla Finocchio, 55, sits in her truck as she describes her days being homeless living in her truck, Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, in Phoenix.
Carmen Briones holds a photo of her and her husband, Riley Briones Jr., on Feb. 22, 2022, in Anthem, Arizona. Riley Briones' attorneys are asking a federal appeals court for another chance to argue his sentence should be cut short based on improvements he's made behind bars since being convicted in the 1994 death of Brian Patrick Lindsay when Briones was 17.
Michigan Office of the Governor, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the state during a speech in Lansing, Mich. on Oct. 8, 2020.




Korea's Defense Minister Suh Wook has reiterated Seoul's stance against the provision of any lethal arms to Ukraine during last week's phone talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, his office said Monday.







Suh repeated the position in response to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov's request for anti-aircraft weapons in their phone call on Friday.







"Suh had explained that there are limits in providing lethal weapon systems to Ukraine, given our security situation and its potential impact on our military's readiness posture," Boo Seung-chan, the spokesperson for the defense ministry, told a regular press briefing.







Korea has provided Ukraine with non-lethal military supplies worth 1 billion won ($804,100), such as bulletproof helmets and blankets, as well as medical items in March.







Ukraine has been requesting humanitarian and military support, reportedly including rifles, anti-tank missiles and other weapons, from several countries as it struggles to repel Russian invaders.







Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, plans to deliver a video speech to Korea's National Assembly later in the afternoon amid expectations that he will renew calls for weapons support. (Yonhap)






Bucharest Stock Exchange publishes today ESG reporting guidelines, developed with EBRD support

Guidelines steer issuers non-financial reporting to address investor ESG expectations

In 2021, EBRD invested 546 million in Romania. Total commitments top 9.5 billion.

Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) has published its first environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting guidelines for listed companies, developed with the technical assistance of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The shift towards green and sustainable assets depends critically on additional and more detailed ESG data to inform investors decision-making. As a result, reporting has become an essential tool for measuring how companies manage climate and sustainability risks. Taking actions to mitigate global challenges such as climate change, supply chain risks or biodiversity loss has never been more critical.

The ESG Reporting Guidelines for issuers were prepared in cooperation with sustainability consultancy Steward Redqueen and are intended to be a crucial tool for companies that are determined to contribute to Romanias low-carbon transition. The Guidelines also provide clear and comparable information to investors and ensure that they are well placed to comply with forthcoming EU reporting requirements under the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and the Corporate Sustainable Reporting Directive (CSRD).

Now, more than ever before, BVB, like all the other stock exchanges around the world, needs to align with global trends giving ESG criteria more prominence in the decision-making process of capital allocation. Launching todays ESG Reporting Guidelines with the support of our partners from the EBRD and the sustainability consultancy company, Steward Redqueen, certainly represents a step forward in our commitment to encourage the development of sustainable investments frameworks and green financing platforms. In recent years, the Romanian capital markets development has accelerated, demonstrating its high potential. Certainly, the improvement of the ESG reporting of the listed companies to which these ESG Reporting Guidelines will also contribute, will support the transition of the Romanian economy to a green economy, stated Radu Hanga, President of BVB Board of Directors.

BVB launched the first ESG-focused initiative on the Romanian capital market in 2020, aiming to promote responsible investing and highlight the importance of ESG standards among local capital market participants. At the beginning of this year, we published the first ESG scores for nine of the companies listed on BVB. With the launch of the ESG Reporting Guidelines, BVB continues its initiatives to support the implementation of ESG standards at the local level and to provide support to issuers in implementing these standards in their own reporting. The guide provides valuable information to listed companies to guide them in aligning with the expectations of their investors and partners in terms of ESG reporting. We want to show our appreciation towards our partners from the EBRD and the sustainability consultancy company, Steward Redqueen, for their support in developing this guide, which certainly represents a practical and coherent approach aimed at supporting the BVB issuers, stated Adrian Tanase, BVB CEO.

We are committed to continuing our support for the country in its transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy in line with the EU sustainable finance agenda. In 2021, 83 per cent of our investment in Romania was in line with our Green Economy Transition approach and we continue to evolve our unique business model, which combines investment, policy dialogue and advisory to promote a green transition. The leadership of our partner, BVB in developing these ESG Reporting Guidelines for listed companies was key to the success of this approach, said Harry Boyd-Carpenter, EBRD, Managing Director, Climate Strategy & Delivery.

BVB has a powerful role in facilitating the flow of ESG information between companies and investors by fostering transparency, providing guidance, services and awareness-raising to their clients and wider stakeholders.

The EBRD also helped the Warsaw Stock Exchange and the Macedonian Stock Exchange to develop and publish ESG reporting guidelines. In 2021, the EBRD invested 546 million in Romania. Since cooperation began in 1993, the Bank has committed more than 9.5 billion to 485 projects in the country, with substantial grant funding mobilised to date.
EBRD agrees a risk-sharing facility of up to 20 million with ProCredit Bank

EU and government to provide a 10 per cent grant under the Albania Agribusiness and Tourism Support Facility

Project signed during the EBRD Presidents visit to Albania

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), ProCredit Bank Albania, the European Union (EU) and the government of Albania are stepping up their support for companies in the countrys agribusiness and tourism sectors under the Albania Agribusiness and Tourism Support Facility (AATSF).

The EBRD has committed to a risk-sharing facility of up to 20 million to ProCredit Bank Albania, which will provide loans to eligible firms in the agribusiness and tourism sectors.

The new package of support for the Albanian agribusiness and tourism sectors was signed during EBRD President Odile Renaud-Bassos first visit to Albania. The signing took place in presence of the Governor of the Bank of Albania, Gent Sejko.

The AATSF is a framework aimed at improving access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in partnership with a number of commercial banks in Albania. The framework includes a 10 per cent investment grant for sub-borrowers in the agribusiness and tourism sectors, funded by the government of Albania and the EU. Borrowers will receive the grant retroactively once their investments have been completed and verified. The facility will also benefit from a government-backed, first-loss risk-cover mechanism.

ProCredit Bank Albania signed its first agreement with the EBRD, for 30 million, under the Albania Agribusiness Support Facility (AASF), as it was known then, in July 2016. A leader in financing the agribusiness sector, with the EBRDs support, it will now be able to lend an additional 20 million under the blended finance facility, for a total of 50 million.

During the signing ceremony, Frida Krifca, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: Agriculture is one of the most important sectors to the economic development of Albania. We believe that production and processing facilities now have adequate space and potential to grow, with the right access to loans and financing to boost their production capacities and employment and add value to the economy.

Mirela Kumbaro, Minister of Tourism and Environment, said: Small, medium and big investors have re-invented the way they do business, with a greater focus on the agritourist industry and geographical expansion, not only near the coast and in the mountains, but in the developing areas of river, forest and culinary tourism. This signing is, therefore, an important event, as ProCredit joins the two other banks in the programme. Tourism is, without doubt, the future of Albania.

Ekaterina Solovova, the EBRDs Head of Albania, said: The AATSF, with the support of the government of Albania and the EU, has been addressing the finance gap in the sector since 2016. The new EBRD risk-sharing package also supports the green economy transition, by helping ProCredit Bank Albania finance higher-performance, energy-efficient technologies in those sectors.

Mirsad Haliti and Diamant Ibrahimi, Members of the Management Board of ProCredit Bank Albania, added: We are pleased to enhance further our cooperation with the EBRD in pursuing the objectives of our development-oriented bank. We are thankful to the government of Albania and the EU for supporting the project.

Up to 180 million has been allocated to date under the AATSF for specialised credit lines and risk-sharing facilities through local partner banks. Since its launch in 2016, more than 70 million in loans have been committed, benefiting more than 6,100 local agribusiness SMEs. More recently, the facility was extended to include tourism SMEs. The AATSF complements the EUs Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance for Rural Development (IPARD).

In addition to financing instruments, the EBRD is providing technical assistance to both financial institutions and sub-borrowers through its Advice for Small Businesses programme in Albania.

The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Albania, focusing on the sustainable development of the private sector, building on the strong entrepreneurial spirit in the economy, enhancing the commercialisation of infrastructure projects, and promoting sustainable energy and environmentally sound investments. To date, the Bank has invested 1.8 billion in 125 projects across the country.




Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Won In-choul held talks with a top North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) official in Seoul on Monday to discuss the war between Ukraine and Russia, as well as bilateral security cooperation, his office said.







During the talks with NATO Military Committee Adm. Rob Bauer, Won stressed Korea's participation in the global efforts to "maintain world peace and bring swift resolution to the crisis in Ukraine," the JCS said in a press release.







Bauer expressed his gratitude for Korea's "proactive support for the efforts in Ukraine," while voicing hope to strengthen cooperation between Seoul and NATO through "sustained military exchange," according to JCS.







The two sides agreed that North Korea's continued nuclear and missile development is a "grave threat not only to the Korean Peninsula but also to regional and world peace," it added.







Bauer's trip to Korea reciprocated Won's visit to the NATO committee in Brussels in November. (Yonhap)






Remote working has changed since March 2020 to a new normal for many.

Caroline Crowley, Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser in Bandon has seen a rise in enquiries, particularly from UK resident individuals relocating to West Cork and working remotely for their overseas employers. The rise of queries has prompted her to provide a free webinar along with HR Consultant Claire Lehane for both employees and employers concerned about tax and HR implications while working across borders.

The webinar will take place online tomorrow at 12 noon and people can register for free on Eventbrite or by visiting www.caroline-crowley.com.

During the pandemic many employees who relocated inadvertently established a tax residency in Ireland, exposing themselves to negative tax consequences as a result of becoming an Irish tax resident.

Speaking ahead of the event, Caroline Crowley said, Once employees cross borders, they can trigger multiple tax consequences. The aim of this event is to inform employees and also employers on the necessary requirements they need to know when it comes to submitting Irish and UK income tax returns and managing their local tax obligations.

This event will review the tax consequences where an employee is working exclusively in Ireland or where they return to their employer's country and operate a hybrid working model.

HR Consultant Claire Lehane will also discuss the HR requirements that employees and employers must be aware of in order to comply with local employment legislation when working remotely in Ireland for an overseas company.

Register free on Eventbrite:

Tax Sense: with Caroline Crowley and Claire Lehane. Tickets, Tueday, April 12, at 12 noon on Eventbrite
Dozens of new jobs are to be created in Carrigaline following the 29 million buyout of Edpac, a manufacturer of data centre cooling equipment, by The Munters Group.

Irish-owned Edpac was acquired by the global leader in air treatment and climate solutions earlier this year. The company is actively hiring and has announced the creation of 30 new jobs within 12 months.

Munters CEO Klas Forsstrom welcomed Ministers Simon Coveney and Michael McGrath to the manufacturing site in Carrigaline, to mark the full transition to The Munters Group following the recent acquisition.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney TD welcomed the announcement.

Based in my hometown and constituency, I am particularly delighted to see how Edpac has grown through the years to become a globally competitive organisation," he said.

"The merger with Munters will further solidify the companys continued success, and todays jobs announcement is a strong indication that the new ownership see the value of the talent and team here in Carrigaline, and are committed to investing and supporting the innovation here.

Headquartered in Sweden, Munters provides data centre cooling solutions in North America. Forsstorm acknowledged that the deal with Edpac further strengthens its presence in Europe.

The European data center market is a prioritized segment for Munters and the acquisition is a significant step in our growth strategy, he said. Our competencies and experiences from the North American market will provide EDPAC with opportunities for further profitable growth.

"We foresee synergies by expanding our data center offering to Europe and by coordinating technology development and establishing unified processes. We are excited to welcome EDPAC to Munters.

"EDPAC brings an attractive, differentiated customer base and high-quality products.

Electricians, operators and project managers are among the roles that are currently being recruited at the manufacturing facility in Cork.
Kenneth Fox

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has slammed what he called corrosive anti-EU diatribes from opposition TDs and MEPs who blamed the Union for Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking at a commemorative event to mark the dead leaders of the 1916 Rising, Mr Martin strongly defended Irelands place in Europe.

As the Irish Examiner reports, he said: As a country, we have to stop indulging the corrosive anti-EU sentiment of far too many in our politics, he said.

One-third of Irelands MEPs are reliable votes for attacking the EU and defending its opponents.

The recent shameful diatribes blaming the EU for Putins aggression are not new," Mr Martin said.

"Look back on the record, and you will see one party and a range of other self-described radicals attacking everything the EU does.

"Sometimes they claim that they are just calling for reform, but the bottom line is that they have constantly misrepresented and distorted the European Union and attacked our partners, he said.

With the exception of a handful of courageous journalists, they have not been held to account and have got away with their constant what about claims where Europe is to blame for everything, he said.

We do not belong to a military alliance, but we are not neutral in the face of this aggression.

Anyone who indulges in talking about both sides is failing the basic moral challenge of calling out clear evil, he added.

In contrast, he said his party is a proudly pro-EU party. It was the final political act of our revolutionary founders to set our country on a European course.

He said Ukraines struggle is Irelands struggle.

That is why we will continue to host people fleeing the conflict. We will continue to support their freely elected president and government.

"We will never accept the idea that Russia has a right to control any part of Ukraine, he said.

There can be no more frozen conflicts  where brute force imposes partitions on countries and is used to destabilize regions, he added.

For far too long we have ignored the real differences between parties on where they stand on Irelands place in the world, the Taoiseach said.

This year we mark 50 years of our membership of the European Union  a membership which has directly enabled prosperity and peace on this island, he added.
David Atkins on Twitter: @DavidOAtkins

David Atkins work at Washington Monthly can be found HERE.

Davids remarkable Twitter thread that inspired this episode is here (read the whole thing including the CODA):

You are watching in real time as mainstream conservatism warms itself up to embracing QAnon's "liberals are pedophiles" doctrine wholesale. The reasons are simple: 1) QAnon has been the main pipeline to making GOP crossover voters; and 2) it justifies any fascist "response." /1  David Atkins (@DavidOAtkins) March 31, 2022

Kelly House and Jonathan Oosting at Bridge Michigan: Sister-in-law: Ex-MI House Speaker Lee Chatfield sexually assaulted me as teen

Ryan Cooper and Alexander Sammon at The American Prospect: How Republican Rep. John Rose Found His Wife

David Atkins at Washington Monthly: Forget January 6. Republicans Have Another Plan to Subvert Democracy.

Chris Savage can be found on Twitter at @Eclectablog.

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Support the pod by becoming a Patreon donor HERE!

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Music clips

Intro and transition music: Tell Me What I Want to Hear by Mike Wagner/Total Strangers

Outro music: Complain (from the movie Bob Roberts) by David Robbins & Tim Robbins
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investigating whether the Louisiana state departments of Environmental Quality and Health illegally discriminated against black residents in permitting decisions regarding two chemical plants and a grain export terminal.

Petitions to the EPA seeking an investigation allege the state departments failed to provide proper notice and comment opportunities to residents and also failed to review, renew, or strengthen air pollution requirements in a manner that discriminated against Black residents of the area.

The Denka Performance Elastomers and the proposed Formosa Plastics Sunshine plant are part of what is known as Cancer Alley for its high concentration of air pollution and highest in the nation prevalence of cancer.

Next month, Sharon Lavigne, founder of Rise St. James and one of the activists leading the fight against environmental racism in Cancer Alley, will receive Notre Dames Laetare Medal. Why would they put the [Formosa Plastics Sunshine] plant over here? Because they knew that people werent going to speak up, Lavigne, a lifelong member of St. James Catholic Church, told Notre Dame. And they were right. The people werent going to speak up. Thats when God touched me and told me to fight  and thats what I did.

For a deeper dive:

NOLA.com, AP, E&E; Lavigne: AP

For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, sign up for daily Hot News, and visit their news site, Nexus Media News.






Philippines implements measures to stabilise pork supply in light of war in Ukraine



A comprehensive set of measures were being implemented to ease the impact of the war in Ukraine on the Philippines' economy.

Since neither Russia nor Ukraine is a major trading partner of the Philippines, the country is not expected to be directly impacted. However, to reduce the impact of secondary effects on energy and food prices, the Economic Development Cluster (EDC) of the Philippine cabinet recommended taking appropriate measures.

These measures also cover pork, entailing:

- Expanding supply and reducing prices of pork by extending the lower tariff of 15% in quota and 25% out quota with minimum access volume (MAV) of 200,000 tonnes (MT) until December 2022;

- Accelerating release of imported pork from cold storage;

- Removing all non-tariff barriers for pork.

Concerning raw materials, measures include:

- Increasing supply and reducing price of corn by lowering the MFN tariff to 5% in quota and 15% out quota with MAV of four million tonnes until December 2022;

- Importing more feed wheat and producing more cassava as feeds substitute;

- Expanding sources of wheat.



- Philippine News Agency




UK secures market access for pork to Chile, Vietnam could be next

The UK will be able to export pork products to Chile in an agreement valued at GBP 20 million (~US$26 million; GBP 1 = US$1.30) over the first five years, following market access for UK pork to Mexico, the UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board reported.

27 pork processing sites in the UK will be able to commercially export the meat to Chile. Exporters will enjoy tariff rates under the Most-Favoured-Nation tariff of 6%, subject to conditions.

Chile's pork consumption is projected to rise over the next few years, reaching 26.8 kg per capita by 2029. Local production has remained stagnant in 2021, with the country boosting impots due to growing demand for pork.

The UK pork industry is also working to open market access to Vietnam. Pork is highly favoured in Vietnam and demand has outstripped domestic production.

African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks have also resulted in Vietnam increasing pork imports in 2021.

Dr Phil Hadley, AHDB International Market Development Director said both markets offered potential for the UK's pork industry.

He said opening market access for UK pork to Chile, and getting access into Mexico, will provide UK swine farmers and processors with a valuable market and boost the industry.

Discussions are ongoing to expand UK's pork offerings to Mexico to offal, after getting market access in September 2021. This is projected to be valued at GBP 50 million (~US$65 million) for the pork industry over the first five years of trade.

- UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board




Nigeria to receive genetically enhanced tilapia through agreement





WorldFish has signed an inclusive legal agreement with Premium Aquaculture Limited (PAL) to transfer genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT) fry to Nigeria.

The transfer will kickstart a new domestic industry in Nigeria for tilapia farming, leading to improved livelihoods as well as food and nutrition security among the Nigerian population.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are collaborating with WorldFish and PAL on this endeavour with the aim of having WorldFish/PAL GIFT tilapia in Nigerian fish markets by late 2023.

Elaborating on the agreement, WorldFish project leader for the Bill and Melinda Gates Project Dr. Colin Shelley said: "This agreement reflects WorldFish's ambitions for future growth and investment in the African continent and its confidence to impact at scale to support small-scale aquaculture producers charter their pathway out of poverty."

On the importance of fish to Nigeria, WorldFish project advisor Dr Rohana Subasinghe said: "Fish is critically important to Nigeria for food and nutritional security, foreign exchange, employment and livelihoods. Yet, a steep change in supplies and distribution is necessary over the next 20 years to realise its full potential."

Recognising the importance of using an improved variety of tilapia to support the necessary growth of the tilapia sector, Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development recently made an official request to WorldFish to transfer GIFT  a Nile tilapia variety genetically improved through decades of selective breeding by WorldFish  from Malaysia to Nigeria and to assist in creating a GIFT seed industry in the country.

WorldFish's GIFT has been distributed to many developing nations.

Several studies have identified socio-economic benefits arising from farming GIFT, including improved rural income and employment.

WorldFish Nigeria country manager Dr. Sunil Siriwardena said: "In partnership with BMGF and USAID, WorldFish is investing in an R&D programme that will provide the foundation for establishing a sustainable private sector-based GIFT seed and grow-out industry in Nigeria.

"This programme is designed to (prepare and bio-securely transfer GIFT from Malaysia to Nigeria; establish a GIFT breeding population for disease-free broodstock/seed dissemination and; establish a healthy GIFT seed industry/business and GIFT-seed-based smallholder out-grower business/industry in Nigeria."

GIFT fry will be transferred from WorldFish's headquarters in Malaysia to PAL's, secured quarantine facility in Nigeria's Ogun State under a robust environmental risk management programme and strategy.

PAL, a subsidiary of Stallion Group, is the largest tilapia producer in Nigeria.

On the impact of the collaboration between PAL and WorldFish, the former's senior manager, Govinda Raju, said: "This technical collaboration is poised to propagate and disseminate WorldFish's 17th generation fast-growing strain of GIFT tilapia in Nigeria. We are highly confident that it will boost tilapia production in the country as well as farmers' income."



- The Fish Site




Netherlands requests for biggest amount of EU private storage aid for pork

The European Union's private storage aid for pork came into force in March and according to the data, as of March 30, aid had been requested for a total of 12,356 tonnes, with the Netherlands as the member state that has requested aid for the largest volume, with 3,855 tonnes.

This is followed by Spain with 2,995 tonnes. Denmark requested 2,320 tonnes while Germany asked for 2,320 tonnes. Other countries requesting aid are France (423 tonnes), Belgium (277 tonnes) and Sweden (171 tonnes).

The largest volume of applications is for 60 days of storage, with a total of 8,363 tonnes, followed by 1,657 tonnes for 150 days, 1,581 tonnes for 90 days and only 756 tonnes for 120 days.

- Pig333




Brazil exported a record 200,000 tonnes of beef in March 2022

Brazilian industry group Abrafrigo said the country exported 203,490 tonnes of beef in March 2022, 28% higher year-on-year and a new record for the month, Reuters reported.

Abrafrigo said sales revenue increased 57% in the period to US$1.12 billion, another record for March citing government data.

In a statement, Abrafrigo said average beef prices increased from $4,415 per tonne in 2021 to $5,319 per tonne.

March numbers were only lower than exports in September and August 2021.

Brazilian beef exports totalled 545,751 tonnes in the first quarter of this year, 33% higher compared to the same period last year. Revenue jumped 60% to US$2.9 billion.

One of Brazil's key export markets is Chile. Exports to Chile reached 188,236 tonnes in the quarter, 30.6% higher compared to 2021.

The industry group said beef exports to China reached 275,300 tonnes and US$1.66 billion when sales to Hong Kong are also accounted for. This was a share of 50.45% and 57.11% of the total volume and revenue.

The US was the next biggest importer with 69,799 tonnes, 395% higher compared to the year prior, followed by Egypt with 47,706 tonnes, 262% up compared to 2021.

- Reuters
Ambassador of Rwanda to Korea Yasmin Amri Sued, fifth from right, takes part in a ceremony commemorating the 28th anniversary of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda at Yongsan Art Hall in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Embassy of Rwanda in Korea





By Kwon Mee-yoo







The Embassy of Rwanda in Korea held a ceremony in Seoul, Thursday, commemorating the 28th anniversary of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, to support the survivors of the genocide and to ensure that such an atrocity can never happen again in Rwanda or elsewhere in the world.







The ceremony began with a candle lighting, symbolizing remembrance and resilience of Rwandans, led by Rwandan Ambassador to Korea Yasmin Amri Sued and Gabonese Ambassador to Korea Carlos Victor Boungou, who is also the dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Korea. Foreign missions in Korea who took part in the hybrid ceremony virtually also joined by turning on electric candles.







After screening a video testimony of the survivors of the genocide, Uwase Belinda, a Rwandan living in Korea recited a poem she wrote on the tragedy titled "Our Remarkable Rwanda."







"Peacefully and harmoniously is how we lived. Every day we share together felt like a gift. ... Until one day, we forgot we were one. Division grew upon us. ... There are deaths, leaving so many holes and empty voids to be filled. But that was not the end for the people of Rwanda. In fact, it was just the beginning. When all help was lost, we decided to come together," Uwase recited.







Rwandan Ambassador Amri Sued gave an explanation of what happened and how the country then pursued the path of reconciliation.







"Twenty-eight years ago, Rwanda had a population of 7 million people. On April 7, the genocide against the Tutsi started. One hundred days later, more than a million children, women, men (and) elders were killed for being Tutsi," she said.







"The genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi taught us about resilience and helped us to seek in ourselves the strength to overcome even when it may seem impossible. Forgiveness and justice became the backbone of our reconciliation.







"The Rwandan spirit, our cultural identity, cement our resolve to continue to build a renewed country. The youth of Rwanda will be the one to carry on the current achievements and deliver the Rwanda we all want."







Gabonese Ambassador Boungou noted the United Nations and the African Union's recognition of the genocide.







"As citizens of Rwanda are commemorating this anniversary around the world, the entire planet is standing in solidarity with the Republic of Rwanda. On this solemn occasion, we stand together as one, as we remember, as we unite and as we renew," Ambassador Boungou said.







Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon shared his ties with Rwanda as he had stayed in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, for six months in 2014 as a municipal advisor.







"Rwanda is a country that suffered a divide caused by genocide but overcame the difficult times with reconciliation and coexistence. I hope Koreans could learn from Rwanda's journey to reconciliation," Oh said.







Yeo Seung-bae, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs in Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also sent a video message in commemoration of the 1994 genocide, emphasizing international solidarity for peace, learning from Rwandan people's efforts for reconciliation and unity.







"Even at this moment of remembering the Rwandan genocide 28 years ago, innocent lives are being victimized by violence and use of force in some parts of the world, such as Ukraine and Yemen. The genocide in Rwanda teaches us the violence was never be justified in any circumstance. International community should strengthen its solidarity against cruelty and double down on it to resolve for peace," Yeo said.






Lower pig numbers expected for Canada this year

Canada's swine sector will see slaughter levels recover in 2022 even as diseases may result in slightly smaller pig numbers amid high losses.

This year's piglet numbers is forecast lower than 2021 due to porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) and processing issues.

Additionally, concerns about global supplies and access to feed and fertiliser, coupled with the ongoing impacts from last year's drought, could see precarious feed conditions persist for some time.

Exports of live hogs are revised upwards as a result of ongoing processing disruptions in Eastern Canada.

Olymel is proceeding with cessation of a slaughter line at its Princeville facility which will displace an estimated 702,000 head per year. Additionally, the company will reportedly be ceasing a second slaughter shift at its Yamachiche plant in April 2022, as it focuses on increasing its value added output by repurposing workers to fabrication shifts. Ultimately, this leads to Olymel purchasing 1.2 million fewer hogs per year. In the interim, this will impact Ontario and Quebec producers.

Early reports suggested that some hogs will end up in Manitoba and others in Ontario and Quebec plants. However, producers will be looking to the United States for exports and depending on the market, reductions in production could eventually occur.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecast that 2022 feeder exports to the US will remain stable for 2021 feeder exports.

Manitoba will continue as the main supplier of feeder hogs but additional animals in Eastern Canada will be exported as a result of the Olymel slaughter reduction.

Manitoba will keep a larger number of feeders as a result of a net gain in finishing spaces but weanling production will still outpace slaughter capacity and longstanding relationships between Canadian producers and US finishers will support continued movement of weanlings for finishing in the US.

Slaughter ready exports are forecast down 13% from 2021 on the expectation that the Quebec backlog of slaughter ready hogs will be cleared by the end of Q1 2022 but that higher slaughter exports will still be supported as Quebec and Ontario hogs are displaced by slaughter reductions at Olymel.

Carcass weights for 2022 are forecast to decline by 3% as carcass weights were heavier due to issues such as labor shortages, supply chain issues and a plant strike. However, 1% growth in slaughter is forecast for 2022, as capacity utilisation improves at some plants despite Olymel's cutback.

Pork exports are expected to reach 1.485 million tonnes in 2022. Canada has seen significant declines in export volume to China due to COVID-19 restrictions and the recovery of the Chinese herd.

As Olymel looks to focus more on value added product, it will be seeking to increase exports of those products in 2022. Canada will continue to look to Asian markets for increased export activity and value.

Pork imports are forecast to decline by 1% in 2022 as domestic demand is stagnant and storage stocks are at historic highs.

However, imports continue to be supported by consumer preference for specific cuts. The US will remain the dominant source market for imports.



- USDA
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Emily Hernandez is pictured on Jan. 6, 2021, on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C., holding a piece of the sign that once marked the office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. A federal judge on Monday, April 11, sentenced Hernandez to 30 days in federal prison. Prosecutors had originally sought a prison sentence of 45 days.
"Stop hating Russians" is written on the sign of this participant of a pro-Russian demonstration in Frankfurt, Germany, Sunday, April 10, 2022. The police accompanied the rally with several hundred units. The demonstration was announced under the motto "Against agitation and discrimination of Russian-speaking fellow citizens/Against war - for peace".
Ora Mixon's funeral service will be noon, May 7th, at the Round Island Creek Mission Center. Interment will be in the Thatch Mann Cemetery. Visitation was 5-6 p.m. May 6th at Royal Funeral Home in Athens.
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As it does from time to time, Amazon has launched a sale on both Fire HD tablets and Kindle devices, with most items at the second-best prices we've seen so far. One of the best deals is on the Fire HD 8 tablet, now available for $50 instead of $90, for a savings of $40 or 44 percent off.

You'll also find the Fire HD 8 Plus at $60 (normally $110) for the 32GB model and $90 (normally $140) for the 64GB variant. Finally, the Fire HD 10 Plus now starts at $100 for the 32GB model or $120 if you require more storage.

There's a lot to like about the Fire HD 8 tablet, provided you're okay without direct support for Google apps. It includes Alexa support, a USB-C port for faster charging, solid build quality, 32GB of storage that can be upgraded via a microSD card slot, a relatively sharp 1,280 x 800 display, 2GB of RAM, a 4,850 mAh battery and a quad-core chip that offers decent performance.

The Fire HD8 Plus boosts RAM to 3GB, includes wireless charging and comes with a 9W charger in the box. And the Fire HD 10 gives you a 10-inch 1080p display, 32GB of upgradeable storage, 2GB of RAM, an 8-core processor and a battery that allows for up to 12 hours of reading with fast USB-C charging.

Engadget

Several Kindle tablets are also on sale at the second best prices we've seen. The regular ad-supported model is on sale for $55, a discount of $35 from the regular $90 price. You can also pick up the Kindle Kids Edition with the "Rainbow Birds Cover" for $65 instead of $110, a savings of 41 percent.

The latest Kindle models offer a lot for the money, including an LED-lit screen, weeks of reading time and a touch interface. The Kids Edition adds some perks, like one of four colorful cases, a two-year worry-free guarantee and a year of complimentary access to the company's FreeTime Unlimited service.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
TV screens show Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy giving a virtual speech to the National Assembly, in Seoul, April 11. Yonhap



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged South Korea on Monday to provide his country with arms to help it fight Russia's military.



Zelenskyy made the request in a video address to South Korean lawmakers that came hours after Seoul's Defense Ministry confirmed it had rejected a Ukrainian request for anti-aircraft weapons during a call between the countries' defense ministers last week. The ministry cited the South Korean government's principle of limiting its military help to Ukraine to non-lethal supplies.



''The Republic of Korea has tanks, ships and various equipment that can block Russian missiles and we would be grateful if the Republic of Korea could help us fight back against Russia,'' Zelenskyy said, using South Korea's formal name.



''If Ukraine is able to receive such weapons, it will not only help us save the lives of our ordinary citizens but also provide Ukraine an opportunity to survive as a nation, and also help prevent other countries from being attacked by Russia,'' said Zelenskyy, whose comments were dubbed over by a translator during the televised speech.



Joining U.S.-led international sanctions against Moscow, South Korea has already banned the export of strategic materials to Russia and ended transactions with key Russian banks and sovereign wealth funds.



Zelenskyy thanked South Korea for those efforts but said sanctions alone haven't been enough to meaningfully stop the Russian aggression.



''Russia doesn't care how many people die,'' he said.



Zelensky highlighted Russia's takeover of Mariupol, where he said at least tens of thousands of citizens were likely killed. He briefly stopped his speech to play a graphic video showing buildings hit by rockets, Russian tanks firing as they rolled through destroyed streets and people wailing over dead relatives at overwhelmed hospitals. He said Ukrainian forces haven't been able to enter Mariupol since the start of March and that Russian forces have cut off humanitarian shipments.



''This war is far from over,'' Zelenskyy said. ''Russia is aiming to end Ukraine's independence and separate the country. It is trying to eliminate the culture and language of the Ukrainian nation.'' (AP)








Elon Musk will no longer join Twitter's board of directors, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal revealed in a tweet. Last week, it was reported that Musk would join as a Class II director following his purchase of 9.2 percent of the company's shares, but he has now decided against the move.

"We announced on Tuesday that Elon would be appointed to the Board contingent on a background check and formal acceptance," said Agrawal. "Elons appointment to the board was to become officially effective 4/9, but Elon shared that same morning that he will no longer be joining the board. I believe this is for the best. We have and will always value input from our shareholders whether they are on our Board or not. Elon is our biggest shareholder and we will remain open to his input."

Musk's Twitter stock purchase was worth $2.89 billion when it was revealed by the SEC, but some recent reports questioned whether he revealed his stake early enough. Joining the board would have restricted Musk's purchases to 14.9 percent of common stock during his tenure and for 90 days afterward.

It's not clear why Musk decided not to join Twitter's board, especially since he seemed to be full of ideas on how to change the social media network. Most recently, he tweeted out the idea of giving verification checkmarks to paid Twitter Blue subscribers and suggested that Twitter convert its San Francisco office to a homeless shelter since "no-one shows up anyway." He also ran a poll asking users if Twitter should add an edit button, and just a day later, the company confirmed it would do just that.

Musk also recently tweeted a photo of himself smoking cannabis on the Joe Rogan podcast on Spotify in 2018, stating the next board meeting was "going to be lit." When his joining the board appeared imminent, Agrawal offered to address any employee concerns in a Q&A session with Musk. Musk appears to have removed some of his Twitter-related tweets, like the poll and homeless shelter ones, over the last few hours.
Sonos has acquired Mayht , a Dutch startup best known for co-creating a Bluetooth speaker powered by light . Mayht specializes in an audio technology called Heartmotion. The company claims to have reinvented the core of speaker driver to allow for speakers that can be up to 10 times more compact than other models without sacrificing sound quality or bass output. And its that expertise Sonos is paying approximately $100 million to secure for itself.

Mayhts breakthrough in transducer technology will enable Sonos to take another leap forward in our product portfolio, said CEO Patrick Spence, adding the acquisition would help the company accelerate its product roadmap.

Notably, Spence said the deal also gives Sonos access to intellectual property that will help it further differentiate itself from its competitors. The company is currently in the middle of a bitter legal battle with Google over speaker patents . At the start of the year, the US International Trade Commission found that the search giant had infringed on Sonos intellectual property, creating a situation where Google downgraded the functionality of some of its devices to circumvent an import ban.

Sonos promised to share more details about its acquisition of Mayht during its Q2 earnings call in May.
OKLAHOMA CITY  Pregnancy likely would amount to a death sentence for her, says Erin Ward.

Ward, of Oklahoma City, suffers from a rare health condition and said while shes married, if she gets pregnant, the related hormone surge would give her cancer.

So on a recent Tuesday, she stood outside the Oklahoma Capitol with more than 100 others, urging Oklahoma lawmakers not to restrict her right to abortion access and to ensure there continues to be safe, effective access for everyone.

I dont feel like thats worth a death sentence, she said. And people who want to take away safe abortion access are literally telling me that I deserve to die for whatever choices Ive made in my life. Thats freedom for some people, and freedom for everybody else to suffer.

But as Ward rallied outside, Oklahoma lawmakers inside the Capitol were pushing through what critics said would be one of the most restrictive abortion access bills in the nation, and which proponents said would offer the strongest protections of life of any state.

Anticipating landmark Supreme Court decision, states moving to restrict access to abortion Oklahomas Legislature passed a bill that if signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt would make performing an abortion a felony in the state punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

The measure, which is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt, criminalizes abortion except to save the life of the mother. Providers could face a felony charge and up to a decade in prison.

It is one of a number of Republican-led measures moving through legislative chambers that abortion rights advocates say could alter the landscape for Oklahoma women as well as Texas women seeking abortion access.. The bills create a total ban, rely on a womans menstrual cycle to create the equivalent of a 30-day ban, and mimic a similar six-week ban that was passed in Texas.

Supporters and critics alike agree that if signed into law, Oklahomas legislation would amount to one of the strictest regulations in the country, even surpassing a controversial law in Texas that has driven thousands of abortion-seekers to surrounding states.

The ultimate goal is to protect all unborn life, said Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, who added that the bills advanced by the state Senate this year were strong protections of life.

I believe deeply in the value and dignity of every human life, and so do the vast majority of my colleagues and the vast majority of Oklahomans, and we will continue to push that envelope as far as we possibly can, Treat said.

Oklahomas restrictions at any level would be devastating and affect every single person whos seeking care in Oklahoma, said Emily Wales, interim CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which runs clinics that offer abortion services in Oklahoma City and Tulsa as well as a clinic in Little Rock and two in Kansas.

The goal is certainly to do as much damage to the citizens of Oklahoma as Texas has done to its citizens. And if they can, I think theyre going to try to get away with doing even more, she said.

Kansas has its own state constitutional protection for abortion access, but theres an amendment on the August ballot there that seeks to remove that, Wales said.

Wales also said abortion has been a polarizing issue for a long time, but as politicians have passed more and more restrictions, patients and providers have adapted. Courts until recently also have stopped much legislation from taking effect.

Wales said studies and polls continue to show that Americans dont like government interfering in their private medical decisions, and only recently has the reality of anti-abortion legislation started to hit home for many women since Texass Heartbeat Act took effect Sept. 1. The law bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

Planned Parenthood Great Plains health centers saw more than 1,100 patients from Texas from September to December 2021, with the overwhelming majority traveling to Oklahoma. During the same time in 2020, those centers saw just 50 patients from Texas.

Its hard to capture what the patient need has been, Wales said. Weve increased accessibility. Weve increased hours. Weve increased physician coverage, but we still have patients who are knocking on our doors, who are calling at all hours trying to get in to get care, but we just cant keep up with demand.

Now their clinics are fielding questions from Texas patients about why they have fewer rights there than in neighboring Oklahoma.

Its a terrible conversation, she said. Its one that we cant explain. I also think to some extent of the awful restrictions were seeing now, and the patients in crisis. The speaks to what the goal has long been for anti-abortion politicians.

Supporters and critics alike, meanwhile, are waiting for a much anticipated U.S. Supreme Court ruling later this year that could potentially overhaul the nations abortion regulations. Anti-abortion advocates hope that justices will shift the power to states to craft their own abortion rules, thereby creating a sort of patchwork system where state lawmakers could enact near-total bans.

Oklahoma also has a trigger bill that would allow pre-Roe v. Wade statutes to take effect should the nations highest court overturn it this summer.

The patients who are coming to us now in Oklahoma from Texas will just be pushed further out, Wales said. Now well have Texans plus Oklahomans who are going to Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Illinois.

State Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, authored two anti-abortion legislative bills. He also authored a bill last year that was signed into law by Stitt that takes a physicians license away if they perform an abortion. That one is being challenged in the courts.

Olsen said hes not concerned about the perception of government intervening in abortion access. He said the term health care is a misnomer when used for abortion.

Because when you come in, you have a baby thats still alive, Olsen said. And when the woman leaves, theres a dead baby. This is something that kills a living being. It has nothing to do with health. It has more to do with death than anything else.

He said if the U.S. Supreme Court ruling goes favorably and leaves abortion regulation to the states, then his laws will take effect.

If it does not, then we got to go back to the drawing board and see what our best approach might be, he said. At this juncture, I dont know what that might be if the ruling goes unfavorably.

Y Gonzalez, of Edmond, said its frustrating watching abortion regulations sweeping across Oklahoma and much of the country.

Gonzalez, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, was attending the abortion rights rally outside the state Capitol and carried a poster that read, Keep your rosaries off my ovaries.

I cant fathom how much people, especially cisgendered males, want to regulate our bodies, Gonzalez said. It is not your body.
Marvel Studios certainly knows how to get the fans fired up for their upcoming projects and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is no exception.

With the second Doctor Strange, only a couple weeks away from its theatrical release on May 6th, Marvel Studios took to their Instagram page to post some new character poster art featuring old and new faces which will appear in the film. The characters include each of the featured characters head shots engulfed in an ominous mystical red haze, similar to the same energy we've seen when Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) uses her powers in past properties.

Featured in the poster series is the titular Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), The aforementioned Scarlet Witch, new character America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), Wong (Benedict Wong), Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and Stephen's love interest Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams).

If you are looking for Easter Eggs in the artwork, it seems to be slim pickings unlike past posters which displayed bits and pieces of images which fans poured over in hopes of finding a spoiler or two in the shattered visual mayhem. With these, the only oddity one might notice is that certain characters, namely Doctor Strange, Wanda, and America have their right eyes covered by the red clouds, where the other characters are full face shots of the actors staring directly at you. This could be nothing more than a coincidence of sorts, but knowing the MCU it could be some deeper meaning that we will discover when the movie is released.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6th.
MOROCCO AND SPAIN  The leaders of Morocco and Spain announced a new phase in bilateral relations at the conclusion of a meeting on Thursday (7 April) that marked the end of a nearly year-long diplomatic chill between the two nations. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was Moroccan King Mohammed VIs guest for the Iftar, the meal eaten by Muslims after sunset during Ramadan, and held a press conference afterwards detailing what the two leaders had agreed in their talks. Regarding Ceuta and Melilla, the two Spanish autonomous cities that sit between the Mediterranean and Moroccan territory, the governments decided on a gradual normalization of border controls for the passage of people and goods. The summit declaration said that maritime travel between Morocco and Spain will resume immediately and that Spain recognizes the importance of the question of Western Sahara for Morocco, as well as the serious and credible efforts of Morocco in the framework of the United Nations to find a mutually acceptable solution. The statement went on to reiterate that Madrid regards the Moroccan autonomy plan, first proposed in 2007, as the most serious, realistic, and credible basis to resolve the decades-long dispute over Western Sahara, the former Spanish colony. The Moroccan and Spanish governments also pledged to address issues of mutual interest through efforts to achieve consensus, eschewing unilateral measures.

The Foreign ministry of Spain has published on its website, for the first time in 47 years, a map showing undivided Morocco including the Sahara.

The new map adopted by the Spanish Foreign department no longer shows the Sahara separated by dotted lines from the rest of the Moroccan territory. This means that Madrid recognizes the Moroccanness of the Sahara.

ALGERIA  Thanks to being a major source of gas, Algeria dances between support for strategic partnership with Europe and strategic partnership with Russia. Algeria is one of our great strategic partners, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has repeatedly stated at a press conference. Algerias respect for gas supply contracts has always been very scrupulous. It is almost a hallmark of the Algerian government, he added in response to journalists questions about the fracture in relations with Algeria. Weeks earlier, the Algerian government withdrew its ambassador to Spain, following statements of support for Moroccos Sahara plan by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. But if the foreign ministers words are anything to go by, relations with the Maghreb country could not be better. Also Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi will visit Algeria on Monday (11 April) to sign a new gas supply deal, as Rome strives to reduce its dependence on Russian fuel following the invasion of Ukraine. It is the latest in a series of moves made by European countries to secure alternative fuel sources as they seek to cut Russia off from the global economy in punishment for the war. Italy buys about 30bn cubic meters of gas a year from Russia, 40% of its total consumption. An Italian government official said the Trans-Mediterranean pipeline  which carries gas from Algeria to Italy via Tunisia  is only operating at two-thirds of its capacity of 33bn cubic meters per year, giving Italy the scope to rapidly step up its purchases from Algeria. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Draghi has stressed the need for Italy to urgently diversify its energy supplies, especially given the risk that Russia could retaliate against EU sanctions by shutting off the flow of gas to Europe. Diversification of our energy supplies is something to aim for regardless of what happens with Russian gas supplies in the immediate future, Draghi told lawmakers last month.

TUNISIA - Tunisian President Kais Saied last week moved to dissolve parliament after it voted to repeal his decision to freeze democratic institutions and rule by decree. Since then, MPs have been interrogated, and justice minister Leila Jeffal has requested the public prosecutor initiate arrest proceedings against the lawmakers who participated in the session, accusing them of forming a criminal association to endanger the state and cause chaos on the Tunisian territory. There is a high level of public fear, Ahmed Gaaloula, former minister from the Ennahda party and current advisor to Speaker Rachid Ghannouchi, told the press, as Tunisias fragile democracy faces growing threats from an increasingly autocratic president. But while the United States has announced that future financial support for Tunisia will be conditional on the restoration of democratic institutions, and Turkeys President Recep Erdo?an has described the dissolution of parliament as a blow against the people, the European Union has been silent. Instead, the European Commission recently announced that it would lend Tunisia 450 million in budget support this year. Gaaloul believes that geopolitics has contributed to the EUs silence, pointing out that President Saied did not want to vote against Russia in the United Nations and that supplies of Algerian gas to Europe, which EU states want to increase, go through Tunisia. I cannot understand why the EU has taken this stance, he said. It is true that the EU considers that Tunisia is on its doorstep and they do not want to lose Tunisia. However, Gaaloul points out that the amount of financial support on offer from the EU to Tunisia will not solve the economic crisis in the country.
Global tech supply chains are fragile and withstand shock after shock. After the Covid-19 pandemic and the assault against Huawei, the Russian invasion of Ukraine underlines once more the importance of the geopolitics of technology for governments and companies. What can be done to reduce our vulnerabilities and cultivate our strengths? Technology interdependence is a double-edged sword. Europe can target Russian procurement of semiconductor technology in cooperation with the United States and G7 countries. But Russia can retaliate by cutting access to neon gases and palladium, causing severe damage to the value chain. The case is a telling example for a European problem that goes beyond the semiconductor industry.

Europe faces a long-term resilience and competitiveness challenge, for which it has two main tools to act: industrial policies and controls over technology transfers. In other words, Europe has offensive and defensive options to cultivate its technological power. On the offensive side, government intervention to support Europes industrial strengths is indispensable. On the defensive side, it requires government regulation to prevent forced or intangible technology transfers, especially to military end-users.

In this new situation of weaponization of tech supply chains, Europe is navigating the US-China rivalry. The European Union is fine-tuning its defensive toolbox to prevent unwanted transfers of European technology to China  but the scope of such instruments goes beyond this country of concern alone. Europe has most often adjusted to US decisions to cut Chinas access to specific technologies on the basis of a shared transatlantic risk assessment. In some cases, however, especially in sectors such as aeronautics or cutting-edge electronics, the extraterritorial application of US measures is perceived in Europe as unfair US commercial practice.

But the EUs moves are all country-agnostic. Therefore, they are not meant to specifically target China and its efforts to acquire European technology. However, Chinas practice of state capitalism, Xi Jinpings ambitions for Chinas global leadership status, the risk of war in East Asia and the US-China rivalry have been the main driving force behind Europes change of approach. The EUs improved defensive toolbox and the relaxation of state aid restrictions in support of the semiconductor industry are welcome moves. It is worth noting how sharply they contrast with the EUs long-standing belief in the guiding force of the market for innovation and investment.

But Europes toolbox of defensive measures is far from complete and still contains exploitable loopholes. The weaknesses of the European semiconductor sector are real. It is now time to take the new European logic further. The two policy papers by Mathieu Duchatel put forward concrete recommendations to strengthen existing mechanisms, with the firm conviction that Europe would benefit from further learning from good practices elsewhere and engaging in deepened cooperation with allies and friends, where acting alone proves to be insufficient.

On top of that, Europe is now aware that the problem of forced or intangible technology transfers goes well beyond issues of unfair competition from China: this is about positioning Europe in a global environment defined by the US-China contest for global supremacy and by Chinas global leadership ambitions. Moreover, it is clear and transparent that China has a specific appetite for technologies that might directly serve its military projects. The EU and its member states have significantly improved their defensive toolbox to better monitor transactions and address risks. This toolbox ranges from investment screening and export control to adjusting the rules governing international scientific cooperation. But limits and loopholes do persist.

Building on the analysis, the author lays out eight recommendations to address existing gaps and advocates for a more balanced cooperation framework with the US and Japan for tech transfer controls. As the EU and member states work to increase the efficiency of their control policies, including by working with the US and Japan, it is important to note that no control policy will by itself stop Chinas drive for technology acquisition. Common and coordinated approaches by the EU, Japan and the US are therefore important to reduce the risks of loopholes being exploited, especially when it comes to emerging technologies, for which a common (and evolutive, with regular updates) control list appears to be a crucial step.

The regular complaints coming from Europe and Japan regarding the commercial advantages that the US Department of Commerce provides to US companies by using extraterritorial export control is a major issue of trust between the US, the EU and Japan. A trilateral framework for technology transfers controls should not ignore this issue. Only by reducing differences and mistrust on that question can the three parties work together on an agenda of technological competition with China centered on preserving military superiority and coming to terms with Chinas active competition to demonstrate the superiority of its Leninist system and state capitalism over liberal democracies. In this competition, controls over technology transfers will play a role but not the decisive one  innovation and the capacity to industrialize R&D will be more crucial.

Overall, the EUs approach to managing tech transfers has already undergone significant change. Like counterparts in the US and Japan, European policymakers and regulators constantly reinforce and expand the toolbox of defensive mechanisms. However, more effort is needed because keeping up with the fast-paced technological innovation in the private sector is a huge challenge. Placing trust in market-based mechanisms and openness is in the EUs DNA. Everywhere else, export/investment controls and industrial policies are instruments to enhance international competitiveness. In parallel, Europes preference for multilateral diplomacy is challenged by the return of bipolar competition  building an efficient multilateral system for regulating technology transfers seems an overly ambitious task. For Europe, adjusting to these realities is a matter of strategic relevance in the international system.

Europe in the New Geopolitics of Technology  Policy Papers by Mathieu Duchatel  Institut Montaigne.

The Policy Papers can be downloaded here
Commentary From Crisis Management Expert Edward Segal, Bestselling Author of the Award- Winning Book "Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies " (Nicholas Brealey)

Flanked by two truck cabins, President Joe Biden spoke last Monday on the south lawn of the White House about his administration's efforts to strengthen U.S. supply chains by creating more jobs in the trucking industry.

Biden said that " since I took office, we've begun to turn things around. In fact2021 was the best year for trucking employment since 1994. There are now 35,000 more trucking jobs than there were before the pandemic.''

Driver Shortage Contributes To Supply Chain Challenges

Food Logistics pointed out "The trucking industry's driver shortage has been top of mind for fleets for years. It's a situation that contributed to supply chain challenges during the pandemic, with the American Trucking Association (ATA) estimating 2021's driver shortage topped 80,000 drivers.

"Experts worry that if the current trend continues, the trucking industry could need more than 160,000 drivers by 2030."

New Federal Apprenticeship Program

Ron Greene is vice president of business development at the Overhaul Group, a supply chain risk management company. He said that a new driver apprenticeship pilot program that allows drivers from ages 18-21 to be licensed to cross state lines "will likely provide some relief to the driver shortage problem by giving young adults the opportunity to earn a middle-class living in an entry-level position.

"Also, trucking companies are starting to get better at attracting younger drivers through incentives and programs tailored to the younger generations. For example, there are companies helping drivers edit TikTok videos to make them better and more professional," Greene noted.

Improving The Appeal Of Truck Driving

To help make truck driving more appealing, there have been proposals and recommendations to help improve working conditions, offer better benefits and increased use of technology.

Pierre-Antoine Tricen is the North America director of Nomadia, a scheduling and route mapping software company. He said that "Making truck driving more appealing is a nice short-term goal, but it does not solve the main problem. The ongoing supply chain issues are not just rooted in the ports and trucks.

"The exponential increase in demand for everyday supplies (appliances, hardware and building materials specifically) is what continues to drive demand and price spikes. The utter collapse of the service industry has been one, if not the reason for that particular shift in spending. Lean inventory philosophies did the rest," Tricen observed.

"I think the administration should heavily focus on subsidizing automated solutionsincluding robotics, self-driving trucks, communication and AI. While these are not short-term solutions, they will set the precedent for a better infrastructure in the futurewhich is what the U.S. and the inherent supply chain industry desperately need," he said.

Adapting To The Driver Shortage

Jorge Lopera is vice president and head of global strategy at logistics company FarEye. He recalled, "Over the last few years, the resiliency of our supply chains [has] been rigorously tested due in no small part to the driver shortage. That said, companies have not remained stagnant and simply hoping to fill the jobs. They've flocked to technological solutions that allow them to do more with less, and that's certainly what we'll continue to see even as more driver positions are filled.

"It's important to know that the road to supply chain recovery is not solely dependent on bringing driver levels back to pre-pandemic numbers. While certainly helpful, new delivery mechanisms (drone, cargo, and parcel, as examples) are being given more attention and their adoption is being accelerated against prior forecasts.

"These investments can't and won't go to waste as businesses work [to] continue to adapt to the driver shortage," Lopera concluded.

Trucking Industry Insights

The fact sheet from the White House touched on the following issues that contribute to the truck driver shortage crisis.

Impact Of Trucks

Trucking moves 72% of goods in America and is a lynchpin in the goods movement supply chain.

Increased Costs

Trucking costs grew more than 20% last year as a surge in demand for goods caused by the pandemic confronted a decline in trucking employment that preceded the pandemic.

Driver Turnover

The low supply of drivers is driven by high turnover and low job quality. Turnover in trucking routinely averages 90% for some carriers and drivers spend about 40% of their workday waiting to load and unload goodshours that are typically unpaid.

Many truckers are not directly employed and operate as independent small businesses, bearing the burden of leasing, gas, insurance and maintenance costs themselves. These financial burdens cause many to leave the profession.

Demographics

Trucking draws on an older, heavily male workforcethe median age is four years higher than the overall workforce and almost 90% of the industry is menwhich adds to its recruiting challenges. ###
The Kennedy-Nixon debates changed the course of the 1960 Presidential election. (Public domain photo.)

The Republican National Committee's recent decision to prohibit the GOP's presidential nominee from participating in debates sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates is not only a break from tradition, but means the end of presidential debates between Democratic and Republican candidates, said political expert William S. Bike in a recent article on Medium.com.

"Most likely thanks to the Republicans' decision, Presidential debates are as dead as the front-porch campaign or the back-of-the-train whistle-stop stump speech," said Bike, who is the author of a how-to book on all aspects of political campaigning, Winning Political Campaigns.

See the article at https://billbike.medium.com/gop-decision-likely-means-end-of-presidential-debates-97b2261c6f54

In the article, Bike looks at the history of Presidential debates, and analyzes how they have changed the course of history several times.

Containing "everything a candidate, campaign worker, or activist needs to know to conduct a political race," Winning Political Campaigns is written in an easy-to-read, easy-to-use alphabetical format. The book "provides essential tools, practical pointers, and valuable advice about running campaigns successfully," writes Fran Ulmer, former Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, in her foreword to the book. It is particularly useful for low-profile, grassroots, or local campaigns.

Winning Political Campaigns was written by William S. Bike, an award-winning journalist and public relations professional. Bike is senior vice president of ANB Communications, a Chicago-based writing and public relations firm that has consulted for several political campaigns and public policy organizations. Bike also is an international award-winning political editor of a community newspaper and activist in community grassroots politics.

Covering everything from advertising to building alliances, proper business practices, campaign literature, candidate behavior, media, voter contact, debating, fundraising, strategy, and more, Winning Political Campaigns is extremely thorough and detailed, yet easy to use. Real-life examples are drawn not only from the political world, but also from the worlds of sport, higher education, history, and more.

Particularly useful are appendices including a sample itinerary for a political event, an event planning checklist, media terms, a sample news release and direct mail piece, and more.

Winning Political Campaigns is available as a Kindle book for only $9.99 on Amazon at https://tinyurl.com/ykp23z4c
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A Fredericksburg couple has sued a Boerne real estate broker for fraud over the sale of their Hill Country ranch.

Bruce Williams and his wife, Linda Davis, allege the broker made false representations and failed to disclose material facts in last years sale of the roughly 2,700-acre White Cross Ranch in Kerr County to a partnership affiliated with the broker.

The couple seeks more than $1 million in damages from real estate broker Harold Trip duPerier III, his brokerage, the duPerier Texas Land Man, and other entities.

The defendants have denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit an attempted shakedown by an opportunistic pair of plaintiffs who seek in excess of $1 million more than the $7.25 million they have already been paid from the sale of the White Cross Ranch.

In a statement, the duPerier Texas Land Man said it has tried to resolve the dispute amicably and without the cost of litigation, but to no avail.

The duPerier Texas Land man brokers and agents strive to be the best professionals in the ranch sales business, it said Monday. Its unfortunate the sellers are unhappy with the results of their transaction.

Williams and Davis in June 2020 signed a listing agreement with the duPerier Texas Land Man to sell the ranch. The companys website says its client list consists of movie stars, CEOs, music stars and other influential customers.

On ExpressNews.com: Trophy animals abound in Texas, but hunters are staying home

The couple listed the ranch, which they bought in 2010, for $8 million. At least a portion of the ranch has been used as hunting grounds for native wildlife and imported exotic animals.

Henry McDonald, a New Mexico ranch owner, submitted an offer and after some negotiating, agreed to buy White Cross Ranch for $7.25 million at the end of 2020.

In January 2021, Williams and Davis were advised that another buyer wanted to purchase the ranch for the same price.

According to the defendants response to the lawsuit, the purchase contract expressly named Henry McDonald and/or his assigns as the buyer. The defendants add that the sales contract did not contain a prohibition on assignments. The contract instead explicitly contemplated that McDonald could assign his rights under the contract to any party.

DTB Investments L.P. stepped in as the buyer.

Williams and Davis became curious about DTB and conducted their own research, their lawsuit says. They discovered that duPerier was the principal of DTB. State corporate records show duPerier is the manager of DTBs general partner.

The defendants confirmed that duPerier had an interest in the partnership and that he was buying the ranch for his family to enjoy, the suit says. Although plaintiffs were concerned that this information was not disclosed, based on the defendants representations, they decided to proceed with the closing as scheduled.

The Docket: Local crime and courtroom news, delivered to your inbox weekly

After the deal closed in February 2021, Williams and Davis said they learned that DTB had negotiated to purchase the assignment from McDonald for $571,500.

Defendants failed to disclose that the actual purchase price of the property was $7,821,500  the original purchase price plus the price for the assignment, the couples suit says.

The representation that duPerier bought the ranch for his family to enjoy was false, Williams and Davis complaint adds. They say the intent was to utilize the property for development purposes and sell it for a profit, citing DTBs March 2021 purchase of the 4,837-acre YO4 Ranch just to the north of White Cross Ranch.

In August, DTB sold 1,000 acres of White Cross Ranch to RRCT Ltd. of Kerrville. The couple believes the land was sold for a substantially higher price than DTB bought it from them six months earlier.

The following month, the suit adds, DTB sold the remaining roughly 1,700 acres of White Cross Ranch and the YO4 Ranch to Will-O Ranch LP  another partnership affiliated with duPerier.

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At the end of last year, Will-O Ranch sold the 1,700 acres and about 857 acres of the YO4 Ranch to Austin-based 4B Ranch Partners LLC. Again, Williams and Davis believe the land was sold for a substantially higher price than what DTB bought it for earlier in the year.

We trusted and relied upon the DuPerier entities as our fiduciaries, Williams and Davis said in an emailed statement. They owed us the highest duties known in the law. They misled, misrepresented and failed to disclose information to us, their clients, for the sole purpose of lining their own pockets.

Besides the fraud claim, Williams and Davis are suing duPerier, his firm and partnerships, and one of his agents who handled the White Cross Ranch sale for breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and violations of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

The defendants say the lawsuit is baseless. They add in their answer that the plaintiffs were aware of  and acquiesced to  many of the actions they now complain about.

The suit originally was filed in February in Kendall County, but was removed last month to state District Court in San Antonio.

pdanner@express-news.net
The Hill Country's strong German heritage comes from immigrants who settled in the area seeking sanctuary from political or religious persecution.

They brought their traditions and language to the region. One way that legacy is kept alive is in the names of some of the Hill Countrys cities.

Hill Country Headlines: Get top stories from the region sent to your inbox

The Express-News used David P. Greens Place Names of San Antonio and Edward Callarys Texas Place Names to find out how Boerne, San Marcos and other Hill Country cities got their names.

Boerne: In 1849, German colonists settled about a mile west of the present Hill Country city of Boerne along the north side of Cibolo Creek. These settlers initially named their community Tuseculum  the name of the Roman estate of orator Marcus Tullus Cicero. But several years later, the communitys founders changed the name to honor the German author and publicist, Karl Ludwig Borne. Borne died in 1837, never having stepped foot on American soil.

Robin Jerstad

Comfort: This unincorporated community about 20 minutes northwest of Boerne was settled by German Freethinkers from New Braunfels and Fredericksburg in 1852. The community was laid out by Ernst Hermann Altgelt, a German-born lawyer and real estate investor who lived in San Antonios King William neighborhood. There are several theories as to how Comfort got its name, including its association with the German phrase genulicher platz, or a comfortable place to settle.

Dripping Springs: According to Texas Place Names, the name Dripping Springs was apparently chosen in the mid-1850s by Indiana Nannie Moss for the Glen Ross springs that dripped from overhead limestone formations. The Milk House Branch Spring is often mentioned as the primary source of the name.

Trish McCabe-Rawls/Fredericksbur/San Antonio Express-News

Fredericksburg: Founded in 1846 by German immigrants, the city is named after Prince Frederick of Prussia.

Gruene: Named for Heinrich Gruene, who kept a general store, established a school and managed a dance hall (the same legendary Gruene Hall). A banking, ginning and shipping center in the 1900s, Gruene began to decline by the 1920s after boll weevil beetles infested local crops. The mercantile store and rail depot shuttered with the onset of the Great Depression. Gruene remained a virtual ghost town until the 1970s.

Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News

Kerrville: This Hill Country city was initially named Brownsborough, a shingle maker and the areas first settler. Brown requested that the name be changed to Kerrsville. The s was later dropped.

New Braunfels: Now one of the fastest-growing cities in America, this Hill Country city gets its name from royalty. In 1844, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels was appointed to lead a German emigration company. He led a major group of German immigrants into Texas and settled along a fertile tract near the confluence of the Comal and Guadalupe rivers the following year. He named the site Neu Braunfels, after his familys home in west central Germany. Braunfels is translated as brown rocks.

San Marcos: The name San Marcos was given to the Hill Country river by Spanish explorers in 1689. Its unclear why, according to Texas Place Names. The city is named after the San Marcos springs and the river.

Spring Branch: Perhaps best known by recreation seekers for nearby Canyon Lake, this German-settled town is named for a spring-fed creek that flows into the Guadalupe River.

Tom Reel/Staff photographer

Wimberley: This city is named after Pleasant Wimberley, who arrived in Texas from North Carolina. He established the compound known as Wimberly Mills, which included a cotton gin and a gristmill.

timothy.fanning@express-news.net
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol / Yonhap



President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday expressed his condolences over the passing of retired U.S. Army Col. William E. Weber, a highly decorated Korean War veteran noted for his dedicated efforts to help the American people remember the 1950-53 conflict.



"The Korea-U.S. alliance is a history of heroes who fought for freedom," Yoon said in a Facebook posting, while paying his respects to the U.S. veteran. "I will remember their patriotism and humanity."



Weber reportedly passed away at his residence in Maryland on Saturday (local time). He was 97.



During the war, Weber served as a member of the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team and joined key missions, including the Incheon Landing Operation, to repel North Korean invaders. He lost his right arm and right leg in a battle in Wonju, 132 kilometers east of Seoul, in 1951.






Cats and dogs aren't the only pets Americans love.

Google Trends on Monday shared a map with USA Today that shows the most searched pet in each state, excluding cats and dogs. April 11 is National Pet Day.

Among the most popular pets in the country are bearded dragons and sugar gliders. In Texas, the guinea pig is the most searched for on Google. It is also the most searched in 20 other states.

On ExpressNews.com: These are the most popular dog names in San Antonio

Guinea pigs are small social animals that can be adopted from rescue shelters or purchased at pet stores.

Chincillas, a rodent slightly larger than a squirrel, were the most searched for animal in 15 states. The bearded dragon was the most googled in 11 states, mainly across the South.

The most searched animal in Montana and Colorado was the sugar glider, a small gliding possum. The hamster was the most searched animal in New Mexico.

Malak.Silmi@express-news.net
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden asked India's Narendra Modi on Monday not to accelerate the buying of Russian oil as the U.S. and other nations try to cut off Moscow's energy income following the invasion of Ukraine. The Indian prime minister made no public commitment to refrain from Russian oil, a source of tension with the U.S.

Meeting by video call, Biden told Modi that the U.S. could help India diversify its sources of energy, according to press secretary Jen Psaki. Even though India receives little of its oil from Russia, it stepped up recently with a major purchase as other democracies are trying to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The president also made clear that he doesnt believe its in Indias interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy or other commodities, Psaki said.

At a separate State Department news conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar pointedly suggested that Europe, not India, be the focus of Washington's concern about energy purchases from Russia.

I suspect, looking at the figures, probably our total purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon, he said.

While Biden and Modi ended their session with Biden saying they committed to strengthening their relationship, White House officials could not say if India stood with them in fully condemning Putin, saying the choice ultimately rested with Modi's government. The two leaders will meet in person May 24 in Tokyo for a summit of the Quad, a coalition that also includes Australia and Japan.

At the State Department news conference, Blinken appeared to seek to cajole India into taking a stronger stance on the conflict in Ukraine, appealing to the countrys interest in upholding the international rules-based order and pointing out that resource-stretched Indians may be affected by both energy and food shortages caused by the war.

Russias aggression stands in stark contrast to the vision that the United States and India share for a free and open Indo-Pacific, and Russias actions are having a profound impact not just in Europe and Ukraine, but around the world, for example, causing food insecurity and rising prices, Blinken told reporters after the meetings concluded.

Indias neutral stance in the war has raised concerns in Washington and earned praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who lauded India this month for judging the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.

Biden opened the video conversation by emphasizing the defense partnership between the two countries and by saying the U.S. and India are going to continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilizing effects of this Russian war" on food and other commodities.

The root of our partnership is a deep connection between our people, ties of family, of friendship and of shared values, the U.S. president said.

Modi on Monday called the situation in Ukraine very worrying, and he noted that an Indian student lost his life during the war. He said he has spoken with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appealing to both of them for peace. India has condemned the killings uncovered in the city of Bucha and has called for an independent investigation.

A senior U.S. official described the Biden-Modi exchange as warm and productive, though the official stressed that India would make its own decisions on how to respond to Putin. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the meeting.

Biden and Modi discussed how to manage the risks of global instability regarding food, humanitarian relief and climate change, and Modi candidly shared his views about some of the tight links between Russia and China that raise concerns, the official said.

Also Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met in person with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Austin appealed to India to act together with fellow democracies, a form of government based on the popular consent of the people that stands in contrast to autocracies such as China and Russia.

Now more than ever, democracies must stand together to defend the values that we all share, Austin said.

India has refrained from some efforts to hold Russia accountable for its invasion. India abstained when the U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the U.S. and Ukraine have called war crimes.

The vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.

India continues to purchase Russian energy supplies, despite pressure from Western countries to avoid buying Russian oil and gas. The U.S. has also considered sanctions on India for its recent purchase of advanced Russian air defense systems.

Last month, the state-run Indian Oil Corp. bought 3 million barrels of crude from Russia to secure its needs, resisting entreaties from the West to avoid such purchases. India isnt alone in buying Russian energy, however. Several European allies such as Germany have continued to do so, despite public pressure to end these contracts.

Indian media reports said Russia was offering a discount on oil purchases of 20% below global benchmark prices.

Iraq is Indias top supplier, with a 27% share. Saudi Arabia is second at around 17%, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 13% and the U.S. at 9%, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

___

Sharma reported from New Delhi. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
Update April 11:

The Bexar County Medical Examiner on Monday identified the man who was shot and killed in front of a home on the East side early last Friday as 66-year-old Clarence Jones.

Officials said Jones died from multiple gunshot wounds, and his cause of death was listed as a homicide.

Original:

A man was killed and a woman was hospitalized following a shooting outside of an East Side home early Friday morning, San Antonio police said.

Police responded to reports of a shooting in the area of Belmont Place and Gevers Street in the Jefferson Heights area at around 1:45 a.m. and found a vehicle still running with numerous bullet holes parked in the driveway.

Inside, police found a 66-year-old man in the driver's seat suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police on the scene said a 52-year-old woman in the passenger seat was also shot multiple times and was transported to the hospital. It was unclear where she was found, and her condition is unknown.

Officials said 75 bullet casings were found in the street and around the house.

An 18-year-old man who had been hit in the hip by a bullet showed up at the hospital later. He told police he was walking on Polaris Street in the area of scene when he was shot by an unknown suspect.

Police did not say how the two shootings may have been connected.

Multiple subjects were in the home's backyard and questioned. No charges have been filed.

The investigation is ongoing.

taylor.pettaway@express-news.net
An alleged drug cartel boss known as El Huevo made his first court appearance in San Antonio on Monday under heavy security.

The feds say Juan Gerardo Trevino Chavez, 39, was part of the bloody Zetas cartel before he took the reins and he rebranded it as the Cartel del Noreste, or Northeast Cartel. They also allege he ordered or induced the deaths of many people.

Trevino, clad in orange jail garb with his legs shackled and hands cuffed, stood mostly silent as his appointed lawyer told U.S. District Judge Fred Biery that Trevino waived arraignment to the U.S. charges he faced  waiving arraignment is akin to entering a not guilty plea.

Prosecutors made public more pieces of indictments against him that had been partially sealed, one of them since 2014.

The 2014 case names Trevino among two-dozen Zetas members or Zetas affiliates, accusing them of conspiring to send or transport numerous marijuana and cocaine shipments north from Piedras Negras, Mexico, to San Antonio and Dallas and elsewhere since 2006. Most of the defendants have already pleaded guilty and are serving prison terms in the U.S.

A second indictment, handed down in 2019, names him as the leader of the Cartel del Noreste, or CDN.

CDN is the successor cartel to the Zetas, the 2019 indictment states. CDN was established by Juan Gerardo Trevino Chavez and other members of his family after Miguel Trevino Morales, aka Zeta 40, and Omar Trevino Morales, aka Zeta 42, who were the leaders of the Zetas, were arrested in Mexico.

Before becoming cartel boss, Juan Trevino was a trafficker, enforcer, weapons procurer, and for a short time, leader of a plaza  a drug marketplace and smuggling point  for the Zetas.

In furtherance of the conspiracy, the defendant ordered, counseled, commanded, induced, procured, and caused the death of many people, the 2019 indictment said.

If convicted, he faces 10 years to life in federal prison.

guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland
Courtesy of the Bexar County District Attorney's Office

A man who failed to appear for his murder trial stemming from a 2018 confrontation that led to a fatal shooting at a West Side taqueria was arrested in Mexico and returned to San Antonio.

Francisco Javier Velasquez, 37, had been free on a $100,000 bond while awaiting his August 2021 trial in the 437th District Court, according to the Bexar County District Attorneys Office.
GALVESTON  Before the Battleship Texas can berth on Pelican Island for repairs, the company making those repairs must bring in a new dry dock. And to get the dry dock in place, the company must ensure the Galveston Ship Channel is deep enough.

A dredging contract approved by the Galvestons Wharves Board of Trustees revealed Gulf Copper Dry Dock & Rig Repair plans to have as much 495,000 cubic yards of material dredged from the ship channel to make room for the new dry dock.

This was a very important step to finally getting the ship to Galveston for repairs, said Craig Marston, general manager of Gulf Copper.

The company spent the past year working on studies and applications to arrange the dredging agreement, Marston said.

Gulf Copper will pay up to $356,400 for the dredging, according to port documents.

Gulf Copper, a shipyard on Pelican Island, announced in October it planned to purchase a dry dock and be the site for the restoration of the USS Texas, the WWI-era battleship and floating museum on display at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in La Porte.

The ship could be in the Galveston shipyard for as long as a year, officials said. The Battleship Texas Foundation, which operates the ship, hasnt yet announced where the ships final destination would be after its restoration work is complete.

Jennifer Reynolds, Photo Editor / Galveston County Daily News

But a large and vocal contingent of locals, including members of Friends of the Texas, are advocating the ship make its permanent home in Galveston, port city of the Republic of Texas and the Texas Navy.

The dredging project will be done in cooperation with the Port of Galveston, which has approved a cost-sharing agreement with the company to complete the dredging project.

Under the agreement, the port will pay $111,600 for the removal of 155,000 cubic yards of material. Gulf Copper will pay $356,400, according to port documents.

If the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is doing the dredging work, removes less than the amount in the contract, Gulf Copper and the port might be reimbursed, officials said.

Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

The dredging project is scheduled to be completed by mid-July, according to the port. The Battleship Texas Foundation said it planned to move the ship to Galveston by July.

The dredging agreement isnt for benefit of the Texas alone, officials said. Its in the ports interest to help tenants on projects that will improve their business prospects, port attorney Tony Brown said.

Hopefully, theyll get more business and generate more revenues, and the port will share in it as provided in the lease, Brown said.

Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

The port also needed to sign off on the agreement because the Army Corps requires public entities to be a sponsor of its projects, Brown said. Gulf Copper couldnt enter into an agreement on its own.

Although the port was getting the dredging project in line, the foundation was making it own preparations. Last weekend, the foundation opened the ship for tours for a final time before closing the ship for good until repairs are complete.
A Sunday afternoon standoff on the West Side ended peacefully with the arrest of a 22-year-old man.

Officials on Monday identified the man as Nathan Barraza.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said well over a dozen personnel including deputies and SWAT worked together to take Barraza into custody without incident.

Residents in the 1000 block of Star Glade were evacuated after the sheriff's office said it received a call around 2 p.m. that a man, later identified as Barraza, was in the backyard of a house with a weapon.

Bexar County Sheriff's Office

Salazar said deputies responded to the same house on Saturday after receiving a call about a physical altercation involving Barraza and a family member. Barraza allegedly assaulted a family member with a weapon, the sheriff said.

According to the sheriff's office, the 22-year-old barricaded himself in the house on Saturday, but negotiators were unable to make contact with him.

Salazar said Barraza was not a threat to the community at that time, and deputies backed out of the area, and family members agreed to stay somewhere else.

The sheriff said a deputy remained in the area to make sure the situation did not re-escalate.

But on Sunday morning, deputies returned after receiving a call that Barraza was in the backyard brandishing the weapon.

Negotiators did establish communication with the man, but "probably due to the ingestion of a narcotic" communication broke down, Salazar said.

With the use of a robot, SWAT was able to enter the house and take Barraza into custody without incident, Salazar said.

Bexar County Sheriff

He was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Barraza is being held on a $75,000 bond.

Bexar County Sheriff
Jessica Phelps

I am thrilled beyond belief at the current impetus to (finally) begin the long overdue improvements in the quality of life of teachers. I owe a great deal to those who have inspired me throughout my educational journey, from elementary school to medical school. I remember nearly every one of them and why they were important in my development.

There is another group that deserves our attention equally. A group that has faced even more challenges than teachers have during the last two-plus years, and that is nurses. Nurses have suffered even more burnout and career dissatisfaction than teachers. Their rate of contracting COVID-19 and related illnesses is the highest of any professional group. And they face the similar disproportionate impact of administrative burden on employment-related conditions.
The Senate got it right.

In this bitterly polarized age, it is not often that we can commend a group of politicians with unwavering confidence, but this was one of those times.

On Thursday, the Senate approved Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, 53-47, a move that represents a triumph for justice.

When she is sworn in this summer, she will become the first Black woman in the history of our highest court.

I think her being in this position shows that its possible, Stacie Dukes, a Black student at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, told NPR: We can do anything. The sky is the limit.

As we celebrate her confirmation, it is important to note that Jackson is a sterling nominee, regardless of her race and gender.

You are a person that is so much more than your race and gender  you are a Christian, you are a mom, you are an intellect, you love books, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., the only Black member of the 22-member Senate Judiciary Committee, told the nominee during the hearings.

We wholeheartedly agree.

Jackson, who earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard, is brilliant and accomplished. In addition to clerking for the man she is replacing, Justice Stephen Breyer, she served as a circuit judge in Washington, D.C. She also spent almost three years as a public defender, giving her a unique and necessary perspective of the poor and disenfranchised.

In an ideal world, there would have been no need to point out how she transcends her race and gender, but as these hearings again proved, our world is far from ideal. She faced a tough, sometimes senseless grilling from Republicans. Senators whose eyes are fixed on the next election cycle asked mini-campaign-rally questions for their base that have nothing to do with the qualifications of the nominee.

Do you agree with this book  that babies are racist? Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, asked, holding up a copy of Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi.

Jackson paused.

Senator, she said, sighing, I do not believe that any child should be made to feel as though they are racist, or as though they are not valued, or as though they are less than, that they are victims, that they are oppressors.

Such books, Jackson said, dont come up in my work as judge, which I am respectfully here to address.

She was right, but it doesnt take a detective to discover the motive behind these questions: Condemning racism in this polarized era has become as controversial as practicing it. Consider the furor created by critical race theory, a concept few people can define, much less identify.

Jackson survived 1,500 questions in more than 20 hours with poise and equanimity, and our nation should be glad she did. Her confirmation was aided by three Republicans who voted for her  Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. The pity is that the other 47 senators did not join them.

Justice is supposed to be blind.

In my view, the role the Constitution clearly assigns to the Senate is to examine the experience, qualifications and integrity of the nominee, Collins said in a statement. It is not to assess whether a nominee reflects the ideology of an individual senator or would rule exactly as an individual senator would want.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., praised Jacksons confirmation, calling it a wonderful, joyous and inspiring day for the Senate, Supreme Court and United States of America.

Even in the darkest times, there are bright lights, he said Thursday on the Senate floor. Today is one of the brightest lights. And let us hope its a metaphor, an indication of many bright lights to come.

Ketanji Brown Jacksons confirmation is a historic and inspiring moment America should celebrate.




A U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is scheduled to enter the international waters of the East Sea later this week, informed sources here said Monday, in an apparent show of force to deter possible North Korean provocations.





The USS Abraham Lincoln strike group will stay in the waters for about five days in what would be the first such entry there since November 2017, according to the sources.





The move comes amid concerns that Pyongyang could engage in provocative acts, such as the launch of another intercontinental ballistic missile or a nuclear test, in time for its major political events later this month.





The North is set to celebrate the 110th birth anniversary of its late founding leader Kim Il-sung on Friday and the founding anniversary of the North Korean People's Revolutionary Army on April 25.





Col. Lee Peters, the spokesperson for the U.S. Forces Korea, refused to comment on the planned carrier operation in the East Sea.





"As a matter of operational security, we do not discuss future U.S. military missions or operations," he said in a statement.





In November 2017, the U.S. sent three flattops  USS Ronald Reagan, USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt  to the East Sea operational area, called the Korea Theater of Operations (KTO), in an unprecedented display of force against North Korea.

(Yonhap)






A VIA rapid public transit plan to move more people more quickly along San Pedro Avenue in San Antonio is well overdue, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said.

The clock has been ticking on transit in San Antonio for the better part of our lifetime, Nirenberg said last week as representatives of VIA Metropolitan Transit briefed City Council on plans for the advanced rapid transit system.

The VIA bus system will receive more funding starting in 2026 after San Antonio voters in 2020 approved giving the agency an extra 1/8 cent sales tax  amounting to another $40 million per year for transit. That local money helped VIA secure federal funding for its new line along San Pedro, said Jeffrey Arndt, VIAs president.

The north-south rapid line will replace the existing service on San Pedro and could be up and running by 2027. The goal is to run more buses on dedicated lanes at a higher frequency  10 to 15 minutes between buses.

It would connect the San Antonio International Airport with downtown and the Roosevelt Park and Mission Concepcion areas.

The line will cost about $320 million to build. It will be fully funded through both VIA and the Federal Transit Administration. Albuquerque, Indianapolis and Cleveland have such advanced rapid transit lines, Arndt said. Houston voters approved a similar plan in 2019 that has so far led to at least one rapid route, although it has underperformed.

VIAs budget is primarily made up of local sales tax revenue. The transit system receives a 5/8 cent sales tax to fund its services. In 2026, it will receive another 1/8 cent  an amount currently budgeted for the SA: Ready to Work program that will later be redirected to VIA. The city itself funds VIA at $10 million a year, about 2.8 percent of the transit systems annual budget.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios rapid bus plans get initial federal funding approval

While most council members lauded VIAs plans and said they were excited to see it move forward, they still had concerns. District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry said the driving public needs to know if they will lose lanes for cars on San Pedro to dedicated bus lanes.

VIA is doing that analysis now, Arndt said  although its likely it could take a lane from cars in some places. Arndt said its important for San Antonio to think about how many people its moving along its streets, not just cars.

East Side Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez supports the north-south line but wanted to know why it was chosen over an east-west line.

Its a bit disappointing that my constituents will need to wait a little longer for the same access, he said.

An east-west rapid transit route is a priority for VIA as soon as the agency has the funding, Arndt said. The idea is for such a line to follow Commerce and Houston streets. The transit agency moved forward with the north-south line first in part because San Pedro has fewer engineering challenges since its a wider street.

McKee-Rodriguez also wants to talk about putting more money toward VIA in the future. San Antonios transit system lags far behind Austin, Dallas and Houston in funding, as the city hasnt dedicated the full 1-cent-per-dollar sales tax allowable for it. VIA has instead received the 5/8 cent sales tax.

One of the immediate challenges VIA faces is attracting and retaining a workforce. The system currently has fewer buses on roads than it would like to because it needs more drivers. Arndt said theyre in the middle of a heavy recruitment program and have signed the citys Ready to Work pledge.

Of VIAs riders, 57 percent use the bus system to get to work. The vast majority of riders  93 percent  rely on VIA for their transportation.

Arndt expects about 7,000 or more daily riders on the San Pedro line by the time it launches in 2027. By 2040, VIA anticipates it will carry 13,500 daily riders.

The existing route on San Pedro currently carries about 4,073 daily riders, still well down from the impact of COVID-19. In 2019, the route had about 7,104 daily riders.

Reducing the amount of time riders have to wait in between buses makes the transit system appealing to a significantly larger pool of residents, Arndt said.

I think its a game-changer in our city, said District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda.

megan.stringer@express-news.net
A Texas district attorney said Sunday that he will ask a judge to dismiss a murder charge against a woman over a self-induced abortion.

Lizelle Herrera was arrested Thursday in Rio Grande City, a community of about 14,000 people along the Mexico border, after a Starr County grand jury indicted her on March 30 for murder for allegedly causing the death of an individual ... by self-induced abortion."

District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez said Sunday that his office would move to dismiss the charge on Monday.

In reviewing this case, it is clear that Ms. Herrera cannot and should not be prosecuted for the allegation against her, Ramirez said in a statement.

Ramirez went on to say, It is my hope that with the dismissal of this case it is made clear that Ms. Herrera did not commit a criminal act under the laws of the State of Texas."

Authorities haven't released details about what Herrera allegedly did, and Ramirez didn't immediately respond to an email Sunday seeking further information about the case. From his statement Sunday and a previous statement put out by a Starr County Sheriff's Office official, it wasn't clear if Herrera was accused of giving herself an abortion or assisting in someone else's self-induced abortion.

In a tweet Sunday, Planned Parenthood called the decision Such NEEDED news."

While the charges against Lizelle have been dismissed, we know the fight against the criminalization of pregnancy outcomes has only just begun, said Alexis McGill Johnson, Planned Parenthood's president and CEO.

A leading Texas anti-abortion group said it understood the decision, saying that state law provides only civil remedies, not criminal ones.

ABORTION BAN: Women are finding other means to abortion despite Texas crackdown

The Texas Heartbeat Act and other Pro-Life policies in the state clearly prohibit criminal charges for pregnant women. Texas Right to Life opposes public prosecutors going outside of the bounds of Texas prudent and carefully crafted policies, said Texas Right to Life spokeswoman Kimberlyn Schwartz.

Herrera was released Saturday from the Starr County jail after posting a $500,000 bond.

The indictment alleged that Herrera, on Jan. 7, did then and there intentionally and knowingly cause the death of an individual ... by self-induced abortion.

In confirming the indictment Saturday, sheriff's Maj. Carlos Delgado said no further information would be released until Monday because the case was still under investigation.

Texas law would exempt Herrera from a criminal homicide charge for aborting her own pregnancy, University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck said.

(Homicide) doesnt apply to the murder of an unborn child if the conduct charged is conduct committed by the mother of the unborn child, Vladeck said.

A 2021 state law that bans abortions in Texas for women who are as early as six weeks pregnant has sharply curtailed the number of abortions in the state. The law leaves enforcement to private citizens who can sue doctors or anyone who helps a woman get an abortion.

ABORTION LAW: Texas high court ends months-long challenge to 6-week abortion ban

The woman receiving the abortion is exempted from the law.

Another Texas law prohibits doctors and clinics from prescribing abortion-inducing medications after the seventh week of pregnancy and prohibits the delivery of the pills by mail.

Medication abortions are not considered self-induced under federal Food and Drug Administration regulations, Vladeck said.

You can only receive the medication under medical supervision, according to Vladeck. I realize this sounds weird because you are taking the pill yourself, but it is under a providers at least theoretical care.

Associated Press writers Ken Miller in Oklahoma City and Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, contributed to this report.
Exclusive contracts that only allow dairy producers to sell milk to one buyer should be broken up to encourage direct selling, farmers said at an industry workshop.

At a recent event coordinated by the Food Ethics Council, producers agreed that exclusive contracts between individual farmers and processors were "restrictive and unfair".

One person said: No farmer should be obliged to sell 100% to one dairy. Its outrageous, anti-competitive and shouldnt be allowed. We need to break the 100% supply rule.

The Food Ethics Council is working with farmers to help drive change across the sector as part of a three-year project involving a series of workshops and dialogues on ethics and fairness.

The most recent discussion workshop was held on 7 April at Dairy Tech UK, one of the sectors biggest showcase events.

One producer who participated is already direct selling and has set up their own farm store, which has proved successful to date, allowing them to employ several people locally and become a hub for the community.

Another farmer, producing on a larger scale, said that while he doesnt have capacity to get involved in vending machines or selling direct himself, if there was an artisan cheese producer nearby hed like to have the freedom to be able to sell them milk.

However, he said he was currently prevented from doing so because of the contract his business is locked into.

Food Ethics Council executive director, Dan Crossley said giving dairy producers more control over who they are allowed to sell to would benefit the sector and local communities.

"We also know that many dairy farmers want to take positive steps to promote on-farm biodiversity, restore soil health and reduce climate impacts, but arent being given enough support from government.

"Some are acting anyway, but there is untapped potential to do so much more with better targeted incentives.

Another key area discussed at the workshop was the question of how subsidies could support more agroecological approaches in dairy.

While some dairy farmers said they would like to get involved in transitioning to agroecological schemes, at the moment very few are participating as the current offering of subsidies and incentives isnt attractive.

There was an appetite amongst farmers attending the workshop to do more on the net zero and biodiversity agendas, but the incentives to do that on-farm are also lacking.

For larger dairy farms, some felt that the subsidies on offer were not enough of an incentive to make it worth their while.
The US imported more than 3 million worth of red meat from the UK in January  almost double the amount shipped in the same month last year.

According to the latest figures from HMRC, exports of pork rose almost 50% to 592 tonnes, valued at 1.8 million  up from 1.2 million in January 2021.

Beef shipments increased from a modest 22 to 220 tonnes  worth a healthy 1.3 million.

Market access was granted in March 2020, following the USs longstanding ban on UK beef  introduced in the wake of the BSE outbreak in 1996.

However, the AHDB has warned that UK beef exports would slow this year as the US beef import quota had been filled.

Senior export manager for the Americas, Susana Morris said: The figures for January are very encouraging and our pork exports to the US continue to grow.

"Unfortunately, we are expecting our beef exports to decrease in the year ahead, as exporters now face a tariff of 26.4 per cent, making it very difficult for the UK to compete on cost.

Lamb from the UK could soon compliment the pork and beef export figures, with the first commercial shipments expected to commence later this year.

The US remains a key target market for exporters, with industry work ongoing to raise the profile of pork, beef and lamb from the UK to buyers across the country.

Last month, more than 40 key influencers in America got to sample pork and beef from the UK at an AHDB-organised meat and cheese tasting event in Los Angeles.

Guests also got to meet with exporters to learn about Britains high animal welfare standards and traceability.

Ms Morris said this was the first time the AHDB had organised a tasting event in the US: "We were delighted with the reception and feedback from our American guests.

We had a great deal of interest from buyers, chefs and butchers, who were shown cuts of red meat that differ to those in the US.

"They were also extremely interested in the UKs high animal welfare standards and our hormone-free meat  all of which makes our red meat appetising to American consumers.

The following week, AHDB attended the first-ever SIAL America food and drink show to fly the flag for beef, pork and cheese from the UK.

Held in Las Vegas, the event attracted importers from across the US, as well as food service companies, distributors, retailers and wholesalers.

Ms Morris said: We know that the US presents many opportunities for our red meat exporters, so AHDB is committed to showcasing our products to buyers across the US.

"We will continue to attend trade shows and host our own activities in this market, to help build on these impressive export figures in the year ahead.
UK researchers have won nearly half a million pounds in funding for a project seeking to improve knowledge exchange between rural businesses and communities.

The Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI), based at Gloucestershire University, secured the funding from Horizon Europe  an EU research programme.

The team is looking at how rural and farming businesses can innovate, exploring new approaches to sourcing and analysing rural information and data.

In turn, researchers want to aid rural planning in the UK and Europe, while considering the opportunities and challenges of climate change, demographic shifts and digitalisation.

The work will complement CCRIs research role in the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE) in England.

Janet Dwyer, Professor of Rural Policy, said: [We] are delighted to have secured funding from the Horizon Europe programme for RUSTIK to help support the research we are carrying out jointly with our partners in Europe.

We will be working with Gloucestershire Rural Community Council and Torridge District Council in North West Devon as partners among a suite of 10 Living Labs across Europe, researching rural diversity and societal transformations."

She added: Our fieldwork in the UK will be linked to a network of other sites across Europe providing opportunities to experiment and share ideas, and generate lessons and recommendations for practice and for policy.

"This will help to improve access to better quality rural information for businesses and communities.

The full consortium involves 31 partners across Europe and is led by the Institute for Rural Development Research in Frankfurt, Germany.
Warrenton, VA (20186)

Today

Periods of rain. High around 50F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch..

Tonight

Steady light rain in the evening. Showers continuing late. Low 39F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo speaks during a meeting of the chiefs of regional prosecution offices in Seoul, April 11. Yonhap



Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo on Monday publicly opposed the ruling Democratic Party's push to deprive the prosecution of its investigative power, saying he will have no reason to remain in the job if the proposed reform is realized.



The DP has been pushing for what it calls a "complete deprivation of the prosecutorial investigative right" as part of efforts to reform the powerful law enforcement agency that has long been accused of abusing its power for political purposes.



Ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on May 10, the liberal party is widely seen as quickening steps to complete its reform centered on weakening the state prosecution and eventually stripping it of its authority to investigate.



"There will no longer be any meaning in me carrying out my duties as prosecutor general if the prosecution's investigative power is abolished," Kim said during opening remarks at a meeting of the chiefs of regional prosecution offices held to oppose the reform.



"I will not cling to my post, nor will I evade any responsibilities," he said.



Kim also claimed that abolishing the prosecution's investigative power will compromise the country's ability to respond to serious crimes.



"Changing the criminal justice procedures overnight may bring extreme chaos ... a revision of important systems like this needs sufficient prior discussion, based on public understanding," he said.



"The Supreme Prosecutors Office and I will carry out our do-or-die efforts, based on the opinions of prosecutors, to safeguard the (current) criminal justice procedures for the people," Kim added.



In a first reform measure, the prosecution was forced to give up the investigative right for all but six major crimes, including corruption and election crimes, last year, with police and the newly established Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials taking over other investigations.



The DP, which holds 172 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, is set to hold a plenary party meeting Tuesday to determine the timing of a legislative bid on removing the prosecution's investigative power entirely and leaving it only with the authority to prosecute. (Yonhap)




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GUANGZHOU, China, April 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 131st Canton Fair will be held online from April 15-24. The top trading event in China is once again ready to open its arms to the world.

China's "Two Sessions" have already concluded in Beijing, yet topics on the innovation-driven development strategy are still much discussed among China's chemical industry. As a pillar of the national economy, China's chemical industry is large in scale, long in the industrial chain, concentrated in capital and technology, and massive in driving effect. However, the demand for high-end chemical productions, pronouncedly the new chemical materials, has greatly outrun the supply, making China dependent on imports of superconducting chemical materials featuring high strength, high heat resistance, high ultra-purity, super-fine, high wear resistance.

Thanks to the implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan Development Guideline for Petroleum and Chemicals and the Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035, China's basic chemicals industry reaches a tipping point for crucial changes, and high-end, green chemical products become a new trend. A number of key technologies for new chemical materials and high-end chemicals, such as POE and environmental-friendly catalysts, have been developed and obtained patents, breaking foreign monopolies.

The Canton Fair is a world-renowned comprehensive trading event, bringing together Chinese chemical brands and global buyers. The past sessions have witnessed a large number of transactions on high value-added chemical products, special products and brand products, such as silicone, adhesives, special coatings, and plastic products, which buyers favor. Chemical manufacturers with strong R&D and innovation capabilities are thriving with considerable turnover.

Accelerated industrial upgrading is also bringing new opportunities to China's chemical industry. According to CINIC, China's petrochemical industry reported a revenue of RMB14.45 trillion in 2021, up 30% year-on-year; total profits of RMB1.16 trillion, up 126.8%; total imports and exports of US$860.08 billion, up 38.7% compared with last year.

Maggie Pu, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Canton Fair, says that Canton Fair has been promoting "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" to the international arena. As with the "Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality" strategy, this year's Canton Fair will continue to encourage chemical exhibitors to showcase more of their latest "green chemicals" and "high-end intelligent" products, enabling global buyers to share opportunities in China and benefits of green development.

Visit https://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en-US/register/index#/foreign-email for more opportunities.
GUANGZHOU, China, April 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 131st Canton Fair is set to open this April, and preparatory work for the Fair is well underway.

"Since establishing the New Energy section at the 116th Canton Fair, the development of China's new energy industry is moving at breakneck speed," Alan Liu, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Canton Fair, tells the journalist. As China attaches significant importance to clean energy development, unprecedented opportunities are provided for enterprises at home and abroad.

Energy is fundamental for human survival and development. In the early days of the founding of the PRC, the industry developed slowly due to insufficient energy productivity and low production levels. At that time, China needed to import basic commodities for lighting in daily life and furnace coke used in the iron and steel industry.

With rapid development over 70 years, China has grown into the largest energy producer across the globe. From importing energy products to the "dual carbon," goal, from a country short of oil to a "world hydropower kingdom", the Canton Fair has witnessed the extraordinary course of China's energy industry transition.

To reach climate and sustainable development goals, China proposed the targets of peak carbon by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 and made it clear that during the 14th Five Year Plan period, a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system would be built to control the total amount of fossil fuel used and shift to renewable energy. It has become a consensus among Chinese energy companies to focus on advanced technologies and innovation capabilities.

The recent games in Beijing have also become a vivid sample of China's transition toward carbon neutrality. A series of green power supply projects, represented by the Zhangbei VSC-HVDC project, ensured these games were the first to be 100 percent supplied by green power. It is expected to reduce standard coal burning by 128,000 tons and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 320,000 tons. At night, the glittering "Ice Ribbon" has left a deep impression on the global audience.

Alan Liu says, the Canton Fair will encourage and attract more green enterprises to participate, promote the full-scale green development of the exhibition, create a new model of a zero-carbon exhibition hall, set a green benchmark in the exhibition industry, and serve the national "dual carbon" strategy.

Visit https://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en-US/register/index#/foreign-email for more opportunities.
BERGEN, Norway, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BerGenBio ASA (OSE:BGBIO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel, selective AXL inhibitors for severe unmet medical needs, today announces the appointment of Cristina Oliva, MD as Chief Medical Officer (CMO), effective 25 April 2022. Cristina joins the senior leadership team heading up clinical development of BerGenBio's selective AXL inhibitor programs.

Cristina is a Board-certified oncologist and brings over 20 years of senior clinical development experience across large pharmaceutical, biotechnology and Clinical Research Organizations (CROs). Most recently Cristina was Vice President, Oncology and Head of Oncology Centre of Excellence at IQVIA Ltd, where she led the development of decentralized trials and established and led the IQVIA Oncology Global Scientific Advisory Board. Prior to her role at IQVIA, Cristina held senior positions leading oncology development programs for Nordic Nanovector, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline and Eli Lilly.

Martin Olin, Chief Executive Officer of BerGenBio, commented: "I'm delighted to welcome Cristina as our new Chief Medical Officer. Cristina's leadership experience within oncology drug development across big pharma, biotech and CRO environments will be instrumental in executing BerGenBio's development strategy for our AXL inhibitor programs, including our most advanced program bemcentinib, currently in phase II trials."

On her appointment as Chief Medical Officer at BerGenBio, Cristina Oliva, MD, commented: "BerGenBio is on the frontier of developing novel, highly selective AXL inhibitors for the treatment of severe diseases such as oncology and respiratory infections. I'm very excited to join BerGenBio at this critical phase and look forward to working with the senior leadership team to help further advance its AXL inhibitor programs."

Contacts:

For BerGenBio: Martin Olin CEO, BerGenBio ASA

ir@bergenbio.com

Rune Skeie, CFO, BerGenBio ASA

rune.skeie@bergenbio.com

International Media Relations

Mary-Jane Elliott, Chris Welsh, Lucy Featherstone

Consilium Strategic Communications

bergenbio@consilium-comms.com

+44 20 3709 5700

About BerGenBio ASA

BerGenBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative drugs targeting AXL as a potential cornerstone of therapy for aggressive diseases, including immune-evasive, therapy resistant cancers. The company's proprietary lead candidate, bemcentinib, is a potentially first-in-class selective AXL inhibitor in a broad phase II clinical development programme focused on combination and single agent therapy in cancer and COVID-19. A first-in-class functional blocking anti-AXL antibody, tilvestamab, is undergoing phase I clinical testing.

BerGenBio is based in Bergen, Norway with a subsidiary in Oxford, UK. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: BGBIO). For more information, visit?www.bergenbio.com

Forward looking statements

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, which as such are not historical facts, but are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. These assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this announcement by such forward-looking statements.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/bergenbio-asa/r/bergenbio-strengthens-its-leadership-team-with-appointment-of-cristina-oliva-as-chief-medical-office,c3543733

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JERUSALEM, April 10 (Xinhua) -- A group of Israeli researchers has designed wearable smart sensors to help monitor the process of vaccine trials, Tel Aviv University (TAU) in central Israel said on Sunday.

The researchers said that wearable sensors can better help vaccine developers make early identifications of abnormal reactions and therefore improve the process of the trials.

The new method is better than the current practice in vaccine trials, which is primarily based on self-reported questionnaires and may lead to biased results, it added.

The TAU said the study was conducted between Jan. 1 and March 13, 2021, during the mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Israel.

The researchers gave chest-patch sensors to 160 adult participants to monitor them and use a mobile application for collecting the information the sensors updated automatically every day.

The research monitored heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, blood and pulse and mean arterial pressure, heart rate variability, stroke volume, cardiac output and index, systemic vascular resistance and skin temperature.

The team identified a significant discrepancy between subjective self-reports about side effects and objective physiological measurements, even finding significant abnormal reactions from some self-claimed asymptomatic participants. 
Park Joo-sun, center, chief of the preparatory committee for the inaugural ceremony of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, gives a briefing on his panel's preparations for the event at the office of the presidential transition committee in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap





By Kang Seung-woo







President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration ceremony will not feature a performance by K-pop sensation BTS, his transition team said Monday, citing budget constraints and an intention to promote national unity instead of glitz during the event.







The prospect of the K-pop sensation performing at the May 10 ceremony faced a backlash from fans critical of the incoming president attempting to use the boy band for political purposes.







In addition, it remains to be seen if former President Park Geun-hye will attend the event, although Yoon is trying to rebuild relations with her. In 2016, Yoon was the lead prosecutor of an investigation into Park's corruption allegations that eventually led to her impeachment, ouster from office and imprisonment in 2017.







"It is true that we considered a performance by BTS at the inauguration ceremony, but the president-elect wanted the event to focus on national unity by featuring children, young people, the disadvantaged and lesser known stars, so we decided not to invite BTS," Park Joo-sun, who leads the presidential inauguration preparation committee, said during a press briefing.







He also said a limited budget for the inauguration ceremony prevented the committee from inviting the global phenomenon.







There was lingering criticism that Yoon was trying to use the superstars to boost his approval ratings that are relatively lower than those of his predecessors one month ahead of his inauguration.







Earlier this month, Park hinted during a radio interview that BTS may perform at the inauguration ceremony and officials of Yoon's transition team also visited Hybe, the band's agency, raising expectations that the boy group will be featured next month.







However, in the wake of unexpected protests from some BTS fans who called for the committee not to use the band for political purposes, the transition committee took a step backward, saying a performance was not being planned for the inauguration ceremony.







In response to the criticism, Park disagreed, saying that that an inauguration ceremony for a president is not a political event, but a national ceremony held in accordance with the law.







Along with BTS, attention is on whether former President Park will attend, after Yoon embarked on a national tour, Monday, which will include meeting her, today, in Daegu.







"I think that the president-elect is expected to formally invite her to the inauguration ceremony," the committee chief said.







"According to the result, we will then take the next step."







Yoon has repeatedly stated his wish to visit Park, saying he feels "great sorrow" for the investigation on a political and emotional level, though he was doing his job.







The former president recently moved into her new home in Daegu after being released from prison under a presidential pardon and subsequently from a hospital.







Yoon's inauguration ceremony is also expected to feature some foreign guests.







"Former and incumbent minister-level officials have indirectly expressed their intention to participate in the event," Park said.







According to Rep. Park Jin of the main opposition People Power Party, who led the ROK-U.S. Policy Consultation Delegation to Washington, the U.S. government also plans to send a senior official to the inauguration.






LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 11, 2022 / Anglo Pacific Group PLC (the "Company" or "Anglo Pacific") (LSE:APF)(TSX:APY) announces the publication of its Notice of Annual General Meeting (the "AGM Notice") and Form of Proxy for the 2022 Annual General Meeting on the Company's website, www.anglopacificgroup.com.

Annual General Meeting

After two years of holding virtual annual general meetings, the Company is pleased to announce that the 2022 Annual General Meeting will be held in person at The Geological Society, Burlington House, London, W1J 0BG, United Kingdom on Thursday 12 May 2022 at 11:00am.

A hard copy version of the AGM Notice and the Form of Proxy will be sent to those shareholders who have elected to continue to receive paper communications on 13 April 2022. Shareholders who have not elected to continue to receive paper communications, will be sent a notification of the availability of these documents on the Company's website by post or, where they have elected, by email.

Anglo Pacific will submit to the UK National Storage Mechanism a copy of its AGM Notice in accordance with LR 9.6.1R. The documents will shortly be available for inspection through the National Storage Mechanism at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism and through SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

For further information:

Anglo Pacific Group PLC Marc Bishop Lafleche - Chief Executive Officer Kevin Flynn - Chief Financial Officer +44 (0) 20 3435 7400 Website: www.anglopacificgroup.com Berenberg +44 (0) 20 3207 7800 Matthew Armitt / Jennifer Lee / Detlir Elezi Peel Hunt LLP +44 (0) 20 7418 8900 Ross Allister / Alexander Allen / David McKeown RBC Capital Markets +44 (0) 20 7653 4000 Farid Dadashev / Marcus Jackson / Jamil Miah Capital Market Communications Limited (Camarco) +44 (0) 20 3757 4997 Gordon Poole / Owen Roberts / Charlotte Hollinshead

Notes to Editors

About the Company

Anglo Pacific Group PLC is a global natural resources royalty and streaming company. The Company's strategy is to become a leading natural resources company through investing in high quality projects in preferred jurisdictions with trusted counterparties, underpinned by strong ESG principles. It is a continuing policy of the Company to pay a substantial portion of these royalties and streams to shareholders as dividends.

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: Anglo Pacific Group PLC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696833/Anglo-Pacific-Group-PLC-Announces-Notice-of-2022-Annual-General-Meeting
KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announces that Mirastar, KKR Real Estate's industrial and logistics platform in Europe, has acquired four UK logistics assets, located in Harlow, for 160m from TPG, a leading global alternative asset management firm, and Stoford.

The four newly-built Grade A freehold assets, totaling 370,000 square feet, are located in Harlow, Greater London, and let to low-risk covenants. The assets have strong ESG performance and are recognised with BREEAM "Very Good" ratings across all four buildings. The UK continues to see sustained rental growth in the logistics sector with ongoing undersupply and strong occupier demand, and the Harlow portfolio is well-situated, capable of being used for national distribution as well as last mile distribution within Greater London.

The transaction is KKR's second from its pan-European Core+ Real Estate strategy, following the acquisition of four freehold logistics assets totaling 45,000 square meters in the Netherlands in January. KKR's Core+ strategy targets high quality, substantially stabilized assets with long-term value growth potential. KKR is an active investor in logistics real estate across Europe and as of Q4 2021, KKR Real Estate owns over 1.6 million square metres of logistics assets across Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

Ian Williamson, Managing Director and Head of Core+ Real Estate in Europe at KKR, said: "We're delighted to announce our first UK acquisition for KKR's Core+ strategy for Real Estate. High-quality logistics assets are one of the main investment themes for our Core+ strategy in Europe and this marks the second successful transaction in just three months since the platform was launched last year. The combination of protection on the downside and optionality on the upside is compelling."

Diederik Schol, Principal in KKR's European Real Estate team added: "We're pleased to continue growing our industrial logistics portfolio in the UK with the addition of this high-quality portfolio in an important national distribution hub. The portfolio we have acquired contains well-located, high-quality assets with strong ESG credentials, and serves a structurally growing sector where there is an ongoing supply demand imbalance."

Michiel Celis, Business Unit Partner with TPG Real Estate, said: "We, alongside our partner Stoford, acquired the site in 2018 and successfully developed this prime logistics park on time and on budget. The buildings all have strong ESG credentials and are fully let on long leases to a roster of high-quality tenants, including Amazon and Wincanton. We have been very pleased with the excellent work from our partners at Stoford, and we wish KKR and Mirastar success in the future."

Ekaterina Avdonina, CEO and Co-founder at Mirastar, said: "We are excited to expand on our investments with KKR. The Harlow Icon Park is a rare modern logistics park within the M25 which was completed in the last two years. This acquisition complements the growing Core+ logistics portfolio".

Angus Huntley, Director at Stoford, said: "We are very pleased to have completed the successful sale of four highly specified logistics units at the Harlow Icon Park. We and our partners at TPG have significantly invested in repositioning the site since our acquisition in 2018, by demolishing the existing buildings and developing three speculative new units and one pre-let. We have asset managed the scheme throughout to ensure that the site has remained operational for existing tenants."

TPG is selling the assets out of the TPG Real Estate platform, which invests across multiple strategies including private equity, core plus, and commercial debt and has an AUM of $13 billion. Since its inception in 2009, TPG Real Estate's dedicated opportunistic real estate equity investment platform, TPG Real Estate Partners (TREP), has built a differentiated investment portfolio comprised primarily of real estate-rich platforms and portfolios located in the United States and Europe, with $6.1 billion of assets under management.

KKR Capital Markets arranged debt financing for the acquisition.

KKR's Real Estate team was advised by Osborne Clarke (legal), Savills (technical due diligence), Nova Ambiente (environmental), Gerald Eve (buy-side commercial), Simpson Thacher Bartlett LLP (financing legal), Arcadis (ESG), Deloitte (tax) and Gibson Dunn (legal).

TPG Real Estate was advised by Gateley (legal), Deloitte (tax), DTRE and M1 (sell-side commercial).

-ends-

Media Enquiries

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR's insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

About TPG

TPG is a leading global alternative asset management firm founded in San Francisco in 1992 with $114 billion of assets under management and investment and operational teams in 12 offices globally. TPG invests across five multi-product platforms: Capital, Growth, Impact, Real Estate, and Market Solutions and our unique strategy is driven by collaboration, innovation, and inclusion. Our teams combine deep product and sector experience with broad capabilities and expertise to develop differentiated insights and add value for our fund investors, portfolio companies, management teams, and communities.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220411005074/en/

Contacts:

KKR: UK

Alastair Elwen Sophia Johnston

Finsbury Glover Hering

+44 20 7251 3801

KKR_LON@finsbury.com



TPG: UK

Alex Jones, Michael Russell, Daniel Oliver

Greenbrook

+44 207 952 2000

tpg@greenbrookpr.com
These clinical studies conducted in Germany will contribute to the dossier for phase 3 studies in China

BioChaperone Combo targets the premix insulin market, which accounts for 65% of insulin used in China

Combo targets the premix insulin market, which accounts for 65% of insulin used in China The agreement for BioChaperone Combo includes future maximum payments of $50 million subject to the achievement of upcoming development milestones and double-digit royalties on sales to be paid to Adocia by Tonghua Dongbao

Regulatory News:

Adocia (Euronext Paris: FR0011184241 ADOC) (Paris:ADOC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of innovative therapeutic solutions for the treatment of diabetes and other metabolic diseases, announced today the final approval by the German (BfArM) regulatory authorities to conduct three clinical studies on BioChaperone Combo ("BC Combo").

Tonghua Dongbao is financing the entire program which will be conducted by Adocia, with no impact on Adocia's cash in hand.

"We are pleased that this innovative drug is one step closer to the millions of Asians patients whose survival is ensured by insulin", said Dr. Chunsheng Leng, Chairman and CEO of Tonghua Dongbao. "Adocia's insulins are fully in line with national policies that encourage the development of innovative biologics, as well as with Tonghua Dongbao's business expansion strategy not only in China but also in major Asian territories covered by our agreement.

"We are delighted about the accelerated development for this innovative product, based on our proprietary BioChaperoneplatform," said Olivier Soula, Adocia's Deputy Managing Director R&D Director. "BC Combo, a combination of rapid-acting (lispro), and long-acting (glargine) modern insulins, provides better glycemic control compared to Premixes, easy-to-use insulins that are widely used throughout the world.

Adocia has demonstrated the clinical benefits of this new combination, notably the reduction of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia compared to "premix" insulins (insulin with both a rapid-acting and long-acting profile), while maintaining the simplicity of use of a single injection1

China is the country with the largest number of people with diabetes, with more than 140 million patients, or 1 in 10 people2. China is also one of the largest users of the premix class, which accounts for 65% of the Chinese market by volume3

The program is taking place in Germany and has been validated by the Chinese authorities to ensure its admissibility in the subsequent development stages.

About BioChaperoneCombo

BioChaperone (BC) Combo is a fixed combination of two gold standard insulins: long-acting insulin glargine (as contained in the commercial product Lantus) and rapid-acting insulin lispro (as contained in the commercial product Humalog). Many patients worldwide prefer to use fixed combinations of long and rapid-acting insulins rather than two separate products (simplicity, reduced number of daily injections).

BC Combo offers a number of advantages over traditional premixes: it reduces the level of postprandial hyperglycemia and the risk of hypoglycemia, and provides better 24-hour basal control.

BC Combo was licensed to Tonghua Dongbao in 2018 in exchange for USD 40 million upfront fee. The agreement also includes future maximum payments of $50 million subject to the achievement of future development milestones and double-digit royalties on sales to be paid to Adocia by Tonghua Dongbao.

BC Combo is patent protected until 2038.

About Tonghua Dongbao

Tonghua Dongbao Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, is a pharmaceutical company in Jilin Province, China, specializing in the R&D, manufacturing and commercialization of insulins as well as other diabetes treatment products. Founded in 1985, Tonghua Dongbao was the first Chinese company which developed and commercialized insulins. Till now it has advanced a pipeline consisting of insulins insulin analogs, GLP-1RA, novel drugs, etc., for diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Currently Tonghua Dongbao has more than 2,700 employees and a turnover of approximately US$500 million. It has been listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange since 1994, with a market capitalization of US$3.3 billion.

About Adocia

Adocia is a biotechnology company specializing in the discovery and development of therapeutic solutions in the field of metabolic diseases, primarily diabetes and obesity. The company has a broad portfolio of drug candidates based on three proprietary technology platforms:

1) The BioChaperone technology for the development of new generation insulins and products combining insulins with other classes of hormones; 2) An oral peptide delivery technology; 3) An immunoprotective biomaterial for cell transplantation with a first application in pancreatic cells transplantation for patients with "brittle" diabetes.

Adocia holds more than 25 patent families and was ranked 4th and 7th in the French National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) ranking of SMEs on the number of patents filed, in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

Based in Lyon, the company has approximately 125 employees. Adocia is listed on the EuronextTM Paris market (Euronext: ADOC; ISIN: FR0011184241).

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Adocia and its business. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that Adocia considers as being reasonable. However, there can be no guarantee that the estimates contained in such forward-looking statements will be achieved, as such estimates are subject to numerous risks including those which are set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of the universal registration document that was filed with the French Autorite des marches financiers on April 20, 2021 (a copy of which is available at www.adocia.com), in particular uncertainties that are linked to research and development, future clinical data, analyses, and the evolution of the economic context, the financial markets and the markets in which Adocia operates.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Adocia or not considered as material by Adocia as of this day. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause that actual results, financial conditions, performances, or achievements of Adocia be materially different from those mentioned in the forward-looking statements.

This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy Adocia's shares in any jurisdiction.

1 Meiffren, G, Herbrand, T, Anastassiadis, E, et al. Better glycaemic control with BioChaperone glargine lispro co-formulation than with insulin lispro Mix25 or separate glargine and lispro administrations after a test meal in people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2019; 21: 1570- 1575. https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.13685

2 International Diabetes Federation

3 IQVia 2020

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220411005370/en/

Contacts:

Adocia

Gerard Soula

CEO

contactinvestisseurs@adocia.com

Tel: +33 4 72 610 610

www.adocia.com

Ulysse Communication

Adocia Press and Investors Relations

Pierre-Louis Germain

plgermain@ulysse-communication.com + 33 (0)6 64 79 97 51

Margaux Puech Pays d'Alissac

mpuech@ulysse-communication.com +33 (0)7 86 16 01 09

Bruno Arabian

barabian@ulysse-communication.com +33 (0)6 87 88 47 26
As well as extending the reach of our comprehensive contract quality management and auditing services for our clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical devices, nutrition and healthcare industries and also for regulatory authorities and academia, we intend to consolidate and expand our UK auditor directory with experienced auditors in all the GxPs and CSV, as well as to offer further development training to those auditors building up their portfolios. We believe this will particularly aid our UK, USA and APAC sponsors. Our UK office will be a base for both in-house and contract auditors, similarly to our operations in Munich HQ (2011) and in Vienna (2021).

Dr. Barbara Heumann, owner of the GXP Engaged group of companies, spoke today at the office opening in London, about her delight at extending the group's services: "We provide our clients with the support needed to give them efficient oversight of their development activities from pre-clinical to post-marketing, from ad-hoc consultancy to set-up of complete QM systems, from single audits to full management and execution of annual audit programmes, from ad-hoc consultancy to complete inspection readiness programmes our services can be provided flexibly, efficiently and quickly to the extent needed."

UK company director, Jakki Welburn, continued: "We look forward to extending our UK QM professionals database, currently consisting of 17 highly experienced contract auditors. Our company success lies in the quality and experience of our QM professionals, most of whom we have worked with for many years and we already have a company-wide, stringent, qualification and onboarding process to build on, allowing us to carefully select our staff with documented tools and processes to ensure high standards."

Summing up, Barbara concluded: "Our clients choose GXP Engaged Auditing Services for our personal touch and global reach. We have over 90 QM professionals in over 60 countries and our tailored QM approach gives our sponsors the support they need in the regulatory area. Our new UK office will certainly foster this exceptional sponsor relationship."

For more information, please see www.GXP-Auditing.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220411005349/en/

Contacts:

Barbara Heumann

+ 49 177 8876135

Barbara.Heumann@GXP-Auditing.com or Jakki.Welburn@GXP-Auditing.com
Issuer: 4TEEN4 Pharmaceuticals GmbH / Key word(s): Study



11.04.2022 / 11:00

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



Dipeptidyl Peptidase 3 release is a fatal clinical pathway in severe COVID-19 patients resulting in organ dysfunction and short-term mortality

New COVID-19 trial conducted by University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf is implementing a biomarker-guided therapy using DPP3 and bio-ADM for patient enrollment

Targeted intervention for specific activated pathways in COVID-19 patients is crucial to ensure treatment success

Hennigsdorf/Berlin, Germany, April 11, 2022- 4TEEN4 pharmaceuticals GmbH announces today that its biomarker DPP3 will be used in a biomarker-guided trial in severe COVID-19 as communicated by the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) and SphingoTec GmbH. The study will be using two biomarkers, bioactive adrenomedullin (bio-ADM) and dipeptidyl peptidase 3 (DPP3), for patient stratification and inclusion criteria for the use of Adrecizumab (1). This revolutionary approach could serve as a precision medicine strategy in patients with severe COVID 19 infection.



Similar to Sepsis, patients with severe COVID-19 infection undergo several life-threatening clinical pathways. Loss of endothelial function is a major pathway contributing to worsening lung function. Another concurrent pathway is the uncontrolled release of DPP3 due to cell injury resulting in loss of organ function and hemodynamic instability (1,2).



Both clinical pathways can be detected by specific biomarkers, bioactive Adrenomedullin (bio-ADM) for the loss of endothelial function and Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP3) for the loss of heart function. A thorough understanding of the heterogeneity of COVID 19 will enable the administration of the right intervention and could potentially make a difference between life and death (1,2).



Adrecizumab, a new drug candidate to treat endothelial barrier dysfunction, is under development for the treatment of septic shock and it is currently investigated in hospitalized COVID-19 patients (3,4). The trial will follow a biomarker-guided therapy approach treating only patients with endothelial barrier dysfunction (bio-ADM positive). Patients with high DPP3 levels indicate the use of different therapeutic options and will not be enrolled (3,4).



DPP3 is a novel biomarker developed by 4TEEN4 pharmaceuticals and out-licensed to SphingoTec GmbH. It is available on a point of care platform for rapid testing. In several studies with critically ill patients such as septic shock, cardiogenic shock, burn shock, severe surgeries, and COVID-19, high DPP3 levels have been associated with reduced cardiac output, multiple organ failure, circulatory shock, and short-term mortality. DPP3 mediates the degradation of Angiotensin II, a hormone important for hemodynamic balance and cardiac function. This inactivation leads to hemodynamic instability, resulting in short-term organ dysfunction (4,5).



To treat patients with high DPP3 and circulatory failure, 4TEEN4 Pharmaceuticals develops an anti-DPP3 therapy that restores cardiac function, hemodynamic stability and improves survival. The drug candidate anti-DPP3 antibody, Procizumab, already demonstrated efficacy in preclinical models and will enter the first-in-human clinical trial by the end of 2022.

Dr. Andreas Bergmann, founder, and CEO of 4TEEN4 mentioned: "We are developing Procizumab as a targeted therapy to be available for critically-ill patients suffering from organ dysfunction due to high DPP3 levels and provide them with a treatment option for hard-to-treat diseases such as septic shock, cardiogenic shock, and COVID-19"













References Simon T-P et al. Prognostic Value of Bioactive Adrenomedullin in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19 in Germany: An Observational Cohort Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2021, 10, 1667. doi.org/10.3390/jcm10081667 Laterre PF, et al. Safety and tolerability of non-neutralizing adrenomedullin antibody adrecizumab (HAM8101) in septic shock patients: the AdrenOSS-2 phase 2a biomarker-guided trial. Intensive Care Med. 2021 Nov;47(11):1284-1294. doi: 10.1007/s00134-021-06537-5. Karakas, M et al. Targeting Endothelial Dysfunction in Eight Extreme-Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19 Using the Anti-Adrenomedullin Antibody Adrecizumab (HAM8101). Biomolecules 2020, 10, 1171. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10081171 van Lier et al 2020, Promotion of vascular integrity in sepsis through modulation of bioactive adrenomedullin and dipeptidyl peptidase 3, J. Intern. Med., DOI: doi.org/10.1111/joim.13220 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05156671 Magliocca, A.; Omland, T.; Latini, R. Dipeptidyl peptidase 3, a biomarker in cardiogenic shock and hopefully much more. Eur. J. Heart Fail. 2020, 22, 300-302.



About 4TEEN4

At 4TEEN4 we are dedicated to improving critically ill patient lives who suffer from hemodynamic instability, end-organ hypoperfusion, and multiple organ failure with our first-in-class humanized monoclonal antibody" Procizumab" targeting human dipeptidyl peptidase 3 (DPP3).

4TEEN4 licensed its novel biomarker DPP3 for diagnostic purposes in critical care conditions.

4TEEN4 Pharmaceuticals GmbH ("4TEEN4") was established in 2013 in Hennigsdorf near Berlin, Germany, by Dr. Andreas Bergmann, CEO of 4TEEN4, as part of his Medicine4Future Initiative.

For further information please visit www.4teen4.de



About DPP3

Dipeptidyl peptidase 3 is an active enzyme that, when released into the blood, inactivates angiotensin II, a hormone that is important for hemodynamic balance as well as cardiac function. This inactivation leads to hemodynamic instability and consequently to cardiac dysfunction. The DPP3 release is a newly identified disease mechanism explaining short-term organ failure in critically ill patients. Early identification of DPP3 release may allow better patient stratification and earlier therapy escalation to improve outcomes.



About Procizumab

Procizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody in preclinical development specifically binding circulating Dipeptidyl Peptidase 3 (DPP3). It will be a first-in-class drug that targets and modulates DPP3 as an essential regulator of cardiovascular function. Procizumab has an innovative mode of action, relevant to acute diseases. Massive cell death and release of DPP3 into the bloodstream lead to degradation of its substrates, including angiotensin II and enkephalin, which are responsible for cardiac and renal function regulation. Procizumab inhibits the activity of DPP3, thereby reducing bioactive peptide degradation, stabilizing hemodynamics, cardiovascular function, and potentially increasing survival chances e.g., in cardiogenic and septic shock. Preclinical studies of Procizumab in models of cardiovascular failure showed instant efficacy.



Press contact

Leen Alsaka Amini

Tel: +49 (0) 176 64322 193

PR@4teen4.de



Investor contact

Dr. Karine Bourgeois

Tel: +49 (0) 162 2145536

bourgeois@4teen4.de

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WIETMARSCHEN-LOHNE, Germany, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pivoton becomes part of the zvoove Group - Accelerated expansion of zvoove's market leadership in the European market for temporary staffing software - Excellent prospects for Pivoton's customers and employees.

The zvoove Group is joining forces with Pivoton Software B. V., one of the largest providers in the market for temporary staffing software in the Netherlands. As a result, zvoove is expanding into another European country with its software for temporary staffing providers. "The Netherlands is one of the most important markets for temporary staffing companies worldwide. The merger has a high strategic value for us and further expands our European market leadership," explains zvoove CEO Oliver Muhr. "At the same time, our customers in Germany and Switzerland will benefit from the transaction, as we now have even more temporary staffing market experts within Europe which are driven to deliver further competitive advantages via innovative software to our customers."

Pivoton has a long history of success in the Netherlands and is one of the leading SaaS providers in the Dutch market for temporary staffing software. Pivoton's SaaS software packages allow customers to establish fast, highly efficient and legally compliant processes from recruiting to billing and payment of employees, which, complemented by other services from Pivoton and its ecosystem of partner companies, bring significant competitive advantages to customers. The company stands for quality, efficiency, innovation and connectivity. The head office is located in Ede, the Netherlands.

As the newest business unit, Pivoton benefits from the strength of the zvoove Group. "The merger opens up excellent prospects and new opportunities for Pivoton's employees and customers. This strengthens our position in the market enormously and we are excited by this growth opportunity," affirms Pivoton CEO Paul van den Bosch. Pivoton CTO Bart Hemmer adds: "By joining forces with zvoove, we can now invest even more and offer our customers further competitive advantages through additional innovation and software offerings."

About zvoove

The zvoove Group develops and sells innovative software solutions for temporary staffing, facility management and the event industries. With more than 3,000 customers and 330 employees, zvoove was formed as the result of the merger of LANDWEHR, rhb, prosoft, BackOffice, and Leviy. The company is located in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Contact zvoove

zvoove Group GmbH

von-Humboldt-Str. 2

49835 Wietmarschen-Lohne

press@zvoove.com

+49 (0) 5908 938-0

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1653643/zvoove_Group_GmbH_Logo.jpg
Not for release or distribution in the United States or through any U.S. newswire service

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 11, 2022 / Sarama Resources Ltd. ("Sarama" or the "Company") (TSX-V:SWA) wishes to provide an update on its proposed dual listing on the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX"). Sarama is pleased to confirm that the Public Offer period (during which applications to subscribe for new securities can be submitted to the Company) has closed, with applications in excess of the upper $8m limit, and Sarama has submitted its application for admission to the ASX.

The ASX IPO market remains buoyant and the ASX has advised it will process the application as per its usual course of business and the Company anticipates relevant approvals being completed in a timely manner.

For further information contact:

Andrew Dinning or Paul Schmiede

e: info@saramaresources.com

t: +61 (0) 8 9363 7600

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.

ABOUT SARAMA RESOURCES LTD

Sarama Resources Ltd (TSX-V: SWA) is a West African focused gold explorer and developer with substantial landholdings in south-west Burkina Faso. Sarama is focused on maximising the value of its strategic assets and advancing its key projects towards development.

Sarama's 100%-owned(3) Sanutura Project is principally located within the prolific Hounde Greenstone Belt in south-west Burkina Faso and is the exploration and development focus of the Company. The project hosts the Tankoro and Bondi Deposits which have a combined mineral resource of 0.6Moz gold (Indicated) and 2.3Moz gold (Inferred)(1).

Together, the deposits present a potential mine development opportunity featuring an initial, long-life CIL project which may be established and paid for by the significant oxide mineral resource base.

Sarama has built further optionality into its portfolio including an approximate 470km exploration position in the highly prospective Banfora Belt in south-western Burkina Faso. The Koumandara Project hosts several regional-scale structural features and trends of gold-in-soil anomalism extending for over 40km along strike.

Sarama also holds an approximate 18% participating interest in the Karankasso Project Joint Venture ("JV") which is situated adjacent to the Company's Sanutura Project in Burkina Faso and is a JV between Sarama and Endeavour Mining Corp ("Endeavour") in which Endeavour is the operator of the JV. In February 2020, an updated mineral resource estimate of 709koz gold(2) was declared for the Karankasso Project JV.

The Company's Board and management team have a proven track record in Africa and a strong history in the discovery and development of large-scale gold deposits. Sarama is well positioned to build on its current success with a sound strategy to surface and maximise the value of its property portfolio.

FOOTNOTES

Current mineral resource estimate for Sanutura Project - 9.4Mt @ 1.9g/t Au for 0.6Moz Au (Indicated) plus 52.7Mt @ 1.4g/t Au for 2.3Moz (Inferred), reported at cut-off grades ranging 0.2-1.6g/t Au, reflecting the mining methods and processing flowsheets assumed to assess the liklihood of the mineral resources to have reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction. The effective date of the Company's mineral resource estimate is November 16, 2021. For further information regarding the mineral resource estimate refer to the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report Sanutura Project, South-West Burkina Faso", dated February 7, 2022 and prepared by Paul Schmiede, Rindra Le Grange and Fred Kock. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama. Ms Le Grange and Mr Kock are employees of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and Orway Mineral Consultants Pty Ltd respectivley and are considered to be independent of Sarama. The technical report is available under Sarama's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Karankasso Project current mineral resource estimate - the current mineral resource estimate for the Karankasso Project of 12.74Mt @ 1.73g/t Au for 709koz Au (effective date of December 31, 2019) was disclosed on February 24, 2020 by Semafo Inc ("Semafo", since acquired by Endeavour Mining Corp. "Endeavour"). For further information regarding that mineral resource estimate, refer to the news release "Semafo: Bantou Project Inferred Resources Increase to 2.2Moz" dated February 24, 2020 and Semafo: Bantou Project NI43-101 Technical Report - Mineral Resource Estimate" dated April 3, 2020. The news release and technical report are available under Semafo's and Endeavour's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The mineral resource estimate was fully prepared by, or under the supervision of Semafo. Sarama has not independently verified Semafo's mineral resource estimate and takes no responsibility for its accuracy. Semafo, and now Endeavour, is the operator of the Karankasso Project JV and Sarama is relying on their Qualified Persons' assurance of the validity of the mineral resource estimate. Additional technical work has been undertaken on the Karankasso Project since the effective date but Sarama is not in a position to quantify the impact of this additional work on the mineral resource estimate referred to above. The Government of Burkina Faso has processed the requisite documents to facilitate the grant of the new, full-term Tankoro 2 and Djarkadougou 2 Exploration Permits (the "Permits") and subsequently issued the invitation to pay the permit issuance fees (the "Fees") and the Fees were paid within the requisite 10-day timeline. Following the payment of the Fee, the issuance of the Permit's arrete and related paperwork becomes an administrative process during which time the Company may undertake work on the Tankoro 2 and Djarkadougou 2 Properties. The Company expects the arretes and related paperwork to be issued in due course. The properties, hosting the Tankoro and Bondi Deposits respectively, were formerly known as Tankoro and Djarkadougou, but have been renamed as part of the process of re-issuing the respective Permits.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

Information in this news release that is not a statement of historical fact constitutes forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the Company's plans and timing to list on the ASX and the associated gross proceeds, the number of shares (CDIs) to be issued and pricing, statements regarding the Company's future exploration and development plans, the potential for the Sanutura and Karankasso Projects to host economic mineralisation, the potential to expand the present oxide component of the existing estimated mineral resources at the Sanutura Project, the potential for the receipt of regulatory approvals and the timing and prospects for the issuance of the arretes for the Tankoro 2 and Djarkadougou 2 Exploration Permits by the Government of Burkina Faso. Actual results, performance or achievements of the Company may vary from the results suggested by such forward-looking statements due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such factors include, among others, that the business of exploration for gold and other precious minerals involves a high degree of risk and is highly speculative in nature; mineral resources are not mineral reserves, they do not have demonstrated economic viability, and there is no certainty that they can be upgraded to mineral reserves through continued exploration; few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; the actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents.

There can be no assurance that any mineralisation that is discovered will be proven to be economic, or that future required regulatory licensing or approvals will be obtained. However, the Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Company's ability to carry on its exploration activities, the sufficiency of funding, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold and other precious metals, that the Company will not be affected by adverse political events, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain further financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Sarama does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws.

QUALIFIED PERSONS' STATEMENT

Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the preparation of the mineral resource estimate for the Sanutura Project is based on information compiled or approved by Paul Schmiede. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a Fellow in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Paul Schmiede has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Paul Schmiede consents to the inclusion in this news release of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the metallurgical testwork at the Bondi Deposit is based on information compiled or approved by Paul Schmiede. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a Fellow in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Paul Schmiede has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Paul Schmiede consents to the inclusion in this news release of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to tank-based and oxidative metallurgical testwork and mineral processing is based on information compiled or approved by Fred Kock. Fred Kock is an employee of Orway Mineral Consultants Pty Ltd and is considered to be independent of Sarama Resources Ltd. Fred Kock is a Fellow in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Fred Kock consents to the inclusion in this news release of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to exploration activities at the Sanutura Project is based on information compiled or approved by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Guy Scherrer consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the quotation of the Karankasso Project's mineral resource estimate and exploration activities is based on information compiled by Paul Schmiede. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a Fellow in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Paul Schmiede has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Paul Schmiede consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Paul Schmiede and Sarama have not independently verified Semafo's (now Endeavour's) mineral resource estimate and take no responsibility for its accuracy.

SOURCE: Sarama Resources Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696860/Sarama-Resources-Provides-Update-on-Dual-Listing-on-The-Australian-Securities-Exchange
Participants want their investments to be aligned with their values

According to the Schroders 2022 U.S. Retirement Survey, 74% of defined contribution plan participants who lack or don't know if they have ESG investment options in their plan, said they would or might increase their contribution rate if offered ESG options. This is up from 69% who said the same in 2021.

The vast majority (87%) of plan participants said they want their investments to be aligned with their values. They also see ESG as a driver of performance: 78% said they believe companies that are socially responsible (ESG focused) will have better results over time than companies not socially responsible.

"The message is clear: defined contribution plan participants want ESG options. And this year, even more participants are telling us that ESG may be a catalyst to save more for retirement. This is a compelling reason to believe that ESG could become a significant factor in improving participant retirement readiness while offering an opportunity to maximize risk-adjusted returns for participants," said Deb Boyden, Head of U.S. Defined Contribution at Schroders.

Of the 31% of 401k plan participants who knew their plan offered ESG options, nine out of ten invested in those options, and almost three-quarters (73%) estimate they allocate 50% or more of their assets to socially responsible choices.

"When choosing investments options for a defined contribution plan, companies should seek products that meet participants' investment goals and align with their investment priorities and values," said Marina Severinovsky, Head of Sustainability, North America at Schroders. "While ESG is most often associated with climate or decarbonization, according to our 2022 U.S. Retirement Survey, the top ESG issues for US investors are actually social in nature focused on workers and communities. It's vital that plan sponsors keep this in mind as the regulatory landscape evolves and more ESG options find their way onto 401k menus."

Where Participants Want Impact

Asked to determine which ESG segments they would like their investments to make an impact on, plan participants that currently invest in ESG or would if they had the option, said:

Employee welfare/living wage 51%

Climate change/global warming/carbon reduction 39%

Human rights 36%

Biodiversity (pollution, deforestation, clean water) 30%

Diversity and inclusion 22%

No specific area 17%

About the Survey

The Schroders 2022 U.S. Retirement survey was conducted by 8 Acre Perspective among 1,000 U.S. investors nationwide ages 45 -75 fromFebruary 17 February 28. 2022. The survey included 317 respondents with employer-provided defined contribution retirement plans.

Note to Editors

For trade press only. To view the latest press releases from Schroders visit: http://ir.schroders.com/media

Schroders plc

Founded in 1804, Schroders is one of Europe's largest independent investment management firms by assets under management. As at 31 December 2021, assets under management were 731.6 billion (871.3 billion; $990.9 billion). The founding family remain a core shareholder, holding approximately 48% of the firm's voting shares. Schroders has continued to deliver strong financial results. It has a market capitalisation of over 8 billion and employs over 5,500 people across 37 locations.

Schroders has benefited from the most diverse business model of any UK asset manager by geography, by asset class and by client type. Schroders offers innovative products and solutions across their five business areas of solutions; institutional; mutual funds; private assets alternatives; and wealth management. Clients include insurance companies, pension schemes, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations. They also manage assets for end clients as part of their relationships with distributors, financial advisers and online platforms. Schroders' Wealth Management offering reflects their strategic ambition to provide wealth management and financial planning services to clients across the wealth spectrum.

Schroders' strategic aims are to grow the asset management business, build closer relationships with end clients and expand their private assets and alternatives business. Schroders' purpose is to provide excellent investment performance to clients through active management. The business channels capital into sustainable and durable businesses to accelerate positive change in the world. Schroders' business philosophy is based on the belief that if we deliver for clients, we deliver for Shareholders and other stakeholders.

Important Information: All investments involve risk, including the loss of principal. The views and opinions stated are those of the individuals quoted and are subject to change. This document does not purport to provide investment advice and the information contained is for informational purposes and not to engage in any trading activities. Reliance should not be placed on the views and information in the document when making individual investment and/or strategic decisions. Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. ("SIMNA Inc.") is registered as an investment adviser with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and as a Portfolio Manager with the securities regulatory authorities in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan. It provides asset management products and services to clients in the United States and Canada. Schroder Fund Advisors LLC ("SFA") markets certain investment vehicles for which SIMNA Inc. is an investment adviser. SFA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SIMNA Inc. and is registered as a limited purpose broker-dealer with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and as an Exempt Market Dealer with the securities regulatory authorities in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. SIMNA Inc. and SFA are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Schroders plc, a UK public company with shares listed on the London Stock Exchange. Further information about Schroders can be found at www.schroders.com/us or www.schroders.com/ca.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220411005188/en/

Contacts:

Jennifer Manser O'Rourke, Head of Corporate Communications, North America

+ 1 212 632 2947

jennifer.manser@Schroders.com
Funds expected to support ramp up of sales network, increase product marketing and enhance the Sharps Finder 2.0

Company executing on initial phase of commercialization of the Melzi Sharps Finder, a U.S. FDA registered device designed to locate lost needles and objects during surgery

Exit strategy focused on targeting global medical device suppliers for potential acquisition with potential for regional licensing/distributor agreements

RENO, NV / ACCESSWIRE / April 11, 2022 / Melzi Surgical ("Melzi" or the "Company"), a surgical device company dedicated to creating innovative technologies that improve patient outcomes while reducing hospital expenses, announced today that it has closed its Series A financing for a total of over $4.0 million. Proceeds from the financing will be used to ramp up the Company's sales network, increase product marketing, build inventory for sales pipeline, enhance Sharps Finder 2.0, and FDA qualify product for expanded applications.

"Our team continues to execute on our primary initiative which is driving commercialization and adoption of the Melzi Sharps Finder, which ultimately provides hospitals with a solution for locating needles and objects lost during surgery - a large and growing problem. The closing of our Series A is a noteworthy accomplishment in bolstering those efforts and positioning us to make greater strides moving forward. Our easy-to-use device, backed by a robust intellectual property portfolio, has been designed to be seamlessly implemented in operating rooms to resolve lost surgical sharp events. To-date, the data and feedback we have received from surgeons using the device are encouraging and we believe we are well-positioned to build momentum throughout the United States. Our initial phase of commercialization is progressing as planned and we are taking deliberate and strategic steps to ensure Melzi is poised to become the solution in operating rooms for helping surgical teams locate lost sharps and therefore improve patient outcomes," commented Reid Rutherford, Chief Executive Officer of Melzi.

Over 390,000 sharp objects are lost during surgery each year in the United States.1 The Melzi Sharps Finder is a sterile, single-use sharps detection device and can be used in robotic, laparoscopic, and open procedures. When a sharp is lost or miscount is identified, surgeons can activate the Sharps Finder to assist with the search in the surgical area. The use of the Melzi Sharps Finder is intended for preventing retained surgical sharps, reducing search time and resources during lost sharps events and minimizing risks to patients, hospitals and staff.

The Melzi Sharps Finder was designed by surgeons who understand how frustrating and time-consuming it can be to search for surgical needles and sharps. The use of an adjunct technology, like Melzi Sharps Finder, can bring patient safety, time, financial, and risk benefits. In a lab study, testing results show 13mm, 17mm, and 26mm needles detected at 95% reliability rate. Additionally, in two recently conducted evaluations of the Melzi Sharps Finder where time to locate (TTL), accuracy, and the time to decide (TTD) were recorded. All of the results from the evaluations were statistically significant.

Melzi is currently leveraging a network of surgical leader champions in key markets and a regional sales distributor network of contractors to establish early adoption. The Company is working towards its planned aggressive national rollout and expansion of distributor network in order to grow awareness and adoption and ultimately drive sales in the United States. In an effort to propel Melzi to its next stage of growth, the Company is actively participating in both surgical and operating room staff conferences and events.

The Company is in various ongoing stages of discussions with leading global medical devices suppliers for its potential acquisition and regional licensing/distributor agreements. For more information about Melzi and the Melzi Sharps Finder, please visit melzisurgical.com.

1North American Lost Sharp Events: 390,000. Retained Surgical Items: A Changing Landscape. Journal of Patient Safety, 2020, Weprin, et al.

About Melzi Surgical

Melzi is a surgical device company dedicated to creating innovative technologies that improve patient outcomes while reducing hospital expenses. The Company's lead product, the Melzi Sharps Finder, is a U.S. FDA registered device designed to locate instruments, needles, broken pieces and fragments, or sharp objects ("sharps") that have been lost inside a patient during surgery. The Melzi Sharps Finder is an easy-to-use hand tool capable of working in a 5mm trocar for laparoscopic and robotic surgeries and can also be used in open surgery. In a lab study, testing results with the Melzi Sharps Finder show detection of 13mm, 17mm, and 26mm needles with a 95% reliability rate.

The use of an adjunct technology, like the Melzi Sharps Finder, can bring patient safety, time, financial, and risk benefits. The Melzi Sharps Finder is currently indicated for use in gastroenterology and urology surgeries.

For more information about the Company, please visit melzisurgical.com

Investor Contact:

Jenene Thomas, JTC Team

T: (US): +1 (833) 475-8247

E: melzi@jtcir.com

Business Development Contact:

Allen McClinton, Melzi Surgical

T: 650-272-8987

E: allen@melzicorp

SOURCE: Melzi Surgical

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696840/Melzi-Surgical-Announces-Closing-of-its-Series-A-Financing-with-Proceeds-of-Over-40-Million
Plug Zen's cost-effective, scalable platform and its wireless adaptability make it the preferred Level 2 charging station for New York City's EV infrastructure needs.

DETROIT, MI / ACCESSWIRE / April 11, 2022 / Plug Zen, a Black-owned, game-changing innovator in EV charging platforms, is bringing its unique charging solution to the New York International Auto Show on April 13 with a news conference at its booth on Level 1 in the Javits Center, in New York City. Plug Zen will host an exhibit through April 24.

PLUG ZEN NEWS CONFERENCE SCHEDULE AND RECEPTION

WHEN: April 13, 2022, 1:35 to 1:50 p.m.

WHERE: Plug Zen booth, 1618 on Level 1, Javits Center, 429 11 th Avenue, NY 10001

Avenue, NY 10001 WHAT: Prototype and product presentation

RECEPTION FOLLOWS with food and drinks

CONTACT Shaun Wilson to schedule an interview with Kwabena "Q" Johnson during the show at swilson@cadencellcus.com

"Cities and states across the U.S. are challenged to deliver the infrastructure needed to meaningfully advance adoption of electric vehicles," said Kwabena Johnson, Plug Zen founder and president, and an experienced auto industry innovator. "Only Plug Zen will deliver a cost-effective, made-in-America way to eliminate driver range anxiety and accelerate EV up-take."

A recent analysis of EV-friendly metropolises by Storage Cafe found that among the 100 top cities cited, infrastructure and associated range anxiety downgraded city ratings, even among those with high numbers of EV ownership. While the path to greener transportation includes several elements, EV charging options are paramount.

Mr. Johnson formed Plug Zen specifically to address infrastructure issues. Its charging platform is tailored for multi-housing and work-place applications - where many city dwellers spend most of their time - and for fleet owners and operators. Additionally, Plug Zen platforms can charge up to 10 vehicles simultaneously and easily adapt to wireless functionality: an industry first.

"We are in the startup phase and raising funds for initial prototype and pilot testing. We're also lining up suppliers and manufacturers with the goal of producing Plug Zen's suite of charging products in Detroit," said Mr. Johnson. "EV charging is expected to quickly grow into a multi-billion dollar business category. And it's the right thing to do environmentally. For these two reasons we are attracting a lot of interest."

Among those investing is the Brown Venture Group. Their mission is to help tech founders who are Black, indigenous or people of color, also known as "BIPOC," get on the playing field and score.

"We are serious about helping these talented creators win at implementing and enhancing their business models," said Jerome Hamilton, general partner at BVG.

"In 2021, we made 12 investments in this innovative group of entrepreneurs because we believe that a rising tide raises all ships."

About Plug Zen

Plug Zen was founded in Detroit, in 2020 by Kwabena Johnson and is among a handful of Black-owned companies in the United States focused on developing, manufacturing and distributing cost-effective EV charging solutions. Its products are designed to deliver a competitive advantage to all potential stakeholders in the EV equation, including automakers, fleet operators, property owners, employers, municipalities and utility companies. Plug Zen is unique because its EV charging products will be scalable, upgradeable to wireless, able to charge up to 10 vehicles simultaneously and manufactured in Detroit, Michigan. Plugzen.us

About Brown Venture Group

Launched in 2018, Brown Venture Group, LLC, is a venture capital firm exclusively for Black, Latinx, and indigenous technology startups. Brown Venture Group is writing a new playbook for both those interested in launching a minority-owned technology startup and those interested in investing in new technologies. For more information go to brownventuregroup.com.

CONTACT

Shaun Wilson

+13135307860

swilson@cadencellcus.com

SOURCE: Plug Zen

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696576/From-Motown-to-Manhattan-Plug-Zen-Showcasing-its-Next-Gen-Electric-Vehicle-Charging-Solution-at-the-New-York-International-Auto-Show
Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su, center in blue tie, walks in to attend a regular meeting of the National Council of Representative Judges at the Judicial Research and Training Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Yonhap



By Lee Hae-rin



Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su is facing cronyism allegations, for favoring his close associates in personnel affairs of the judiciary.



A group of delegate judicial officers across the country, the name of which would translate into English as the National Council of Representative Judges, submitted an official letter to the National Court Administration of the Supreme Court requesting an explanation for Kim's alleged bias in hiring. The top court responded by saying it does not see any problems.



The court administration told the judges in a written reply that "Kim's personnel matters follow former practices and pose no particular problem."



However, the administration's response failed to convince judges and could lead to additional questioning and debates at the council's regular meeting, held at the Judicial Research and Training Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Monday.



Previously, the council had submitted a questionnaire about the cronyism allegations against Kim to the court administration.



According to the judges, several of Kim's close associates, especially those who are from the same research association as Kim, have received special benefits, including serving one year more than the common practice of two years as chief justice and being appointed to courts in Seoul after serving in regional courts outside the capital.



Also, the judges demanded Kim's explanation for nominating Jeong Hyo-chae as the chief justice of Incheon District Court without a recommendation, which is against the judiciary official management policy Kim introduced last year.



Kim's personnel practices have led to criticisms among judges for leading to political bias in the legislative branch.



The National Council of Representative Judges was established in 2017 in response to a corruption scandal involving then-Chief Justice Yang Seung-tae. Delegates are elected by judges across the country.



Chief Justice Kim was the council's first president and it is the first time for the council to raise a complaint against him.



Meanwhile, the current administration has faced criticisms for biased hiring in the judicial and administrative branches, favoring officials from a progressive research group and lawyers' association.



For example, three key figures of the judicial administrative branches, including Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su, National Election Committee Chairperson Noh Jeong-hee and Constitutional Court President Yoo Nam-seok, are all from the research group, while the members of this group and association account for 2 percent to 10 percent of over 3,000 judges in the country.



A total 117 out of 123 representative judges will attend today's conference online or in person.



Chief Justice Kim attended the meeting this morning and said in his greeting speech, "I ask of you to be the driving force to establish judges' independence by staying vigilant to many deterrent factors against it and seeking means of improvement."



Kim did not answer the judges' questions on the cronyism allegations, and an official from the court administration in charge of the questioning is likely to respond instead.


- Skin clearance and itch, key signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis, were significantly improved with lebrikizumab treatment in combination with TCS

BARCELONA, Spain, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At 16 weeks, 70 percent of patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) receiving lebrikizumab combined with standard-of-care topical corticosteroids (TCS) achieved at least 75 percent improvement in overall disease severity (EASI-75*) in the ADhere trial, as announced today by Almirall S.A. (BME: ALM) and presented at the 4th Annual Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) Conference. Lebrikizumab, an investigational IL-13 inhibitor, also showed improvements in itch, sleep interference, and quality of life when combined with TCS compared to placebo plus TCS.

"Dermatologists and patients with atopic dermatitis call for effective treatment options that achieve skin clearance and control the debilitating symptoms of the disease, such as itch, as well as improving quality of life," stated Dr. med. Andreas Pinter, Director of Clinical Research at the University Hospital in Frankfurt/Main (Germany) and one of the investigators of the ADhere trial. "Data from ADhere, one of the five global studies in the lebrikizumab Phase 3 program, together with the exciting data reported in March from the two monotherapy studies ADvocate 1 and ADvocate 2, reinforce the potential of this new treatment to become a valuable treatment for patients with atopic dermatitis."

Lebrikizumab is a novel, monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds to the interleukin 13 (IL-13) protein with high affinity to specifically prevent the formation of IL-13Ra1/IL-4Ra (Type 2 receptor) which blocks downstream signaling through the IL-13 pathway.1-5 IL-13 plays the central role in Type 2 inflammation in AD.6,7 In AD, IL-13 underlies the signs and symptoms including skin barrier dysfunction, itch, infection and hard, thickened areas of skin.8

At 16 weeks, 70 percent of patients taking lebrikizumab plus TCS achieved an EASI-75 response compared to 42 percent taking placebo plus TCS. Among patients taking lebrikizumab plus TCS, 41 percent achieved clear or almost clear skin (IGA) at 16 weeks compared to 22 percent of patients taking placebo plus TCS. Differences between patients receiving lebrikizumab in combination with TCS and placebo with TCS were observed as early as four weeks for EASI-75.

Patients treated with lebrikizumab plus TCS also achieved statistically significant improvements across key secondary endpoints including skin clearance and itching, interference of itch on sleep, and quality of life measures, compared to placebo with TCS. Clinically meaningful differences were observed as early as four weeks for itch, interference of itch on sleep, and quality of life measures.

Safety results were consistent with prior lebrikizumab studies in AD. Patients taking lebrikizumab plus TCS, compared to placebo plus TCS, reported a higher frequency of adverse events (lebrikizumab plus TCS: 43%; placebo plus TCS: 35%). Most adverse events were mild or moderate in severity and nonserious and did not lead to treatment discontinuation. The most common adverse events for those on lebrikizumab were conjunctivitis (5%) and headache (5%).

"We are pleased to announce the latest data from the lebrikizumab study combined with topical corticosteroids that support its potential in atopic dermatitis. These data suggest that lebrikizumab can be combined with topical corticosteroid treatment, and are a further step in our commitment to deliver innovative therapies that make a meaningful difference to patients. We look forward to continuing to announce exciting new milestones leading up to potential approval in the EU," commented Karl Ziegelbauer, Ph.D., Almirall S.A.'s Chief Scientific Officer.

Almirall recently announced 16-week data from the ongoing ADvocate studies, and an encore presentation of results was presented at RAD 2022. Additionally, longer term data from the ADvocate studies will be disclosed in coming months.

"We look forward to seeing the full results from our broader Phase 3 program and continuing to advance lebrikizumab for people with atopic dermatitis worldwide," said Lotus Mallbris, M.D., Ph.D., vice president of global immunology development and medical affairs at Eli Lilly and Company.

Almirall has licensed the rights to develop and commercialize lebrikizumab for the treatment of dermatology indications, including AD, in Europe. Lilly has exclusive rights for development and commercialization of lebrikizumab in the United States and the rest of world outside Europe.

*EASI=Eczema Area and Severity Index, EASI-75=75 percent reduction in EASI from baseline to Week 16

About ADhere and the Phase 3 Program

ADhere is a 16-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, global, Phase 3 study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab in combination with TCS in adult and adolescent patients (aged 12 to less than 18 years of age and weighing at least 40 kg) with moderate-to-severe AD. In the study, patients' AD symptoms were inadequately controlled by TCS with or without topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCI). The study was designed to be more reflective of clinical practice and patients were provided with mid-potency TCS (triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% cream), and low-potency TCS (hydrocortisone 1% cream, for use on sensitive skin areas) which could be tapered, stopped or resumed at the patient's discretion.

The primary endpoints were measured by an Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) score of clear (0) or almost clear (1) skin with a reduction from baseline and at least 75 percent change in baseline in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75) score at 16 weeks. EASI measures extent and severity of the disease. Key secondary endpoints were measured by EASI, the Pruritus Numeric Rating Scale, Sleep-Loss due to Pruritus and the Dermatology Life Quality Index.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted lebrikizumab Fast Track designation in AD in December 2019. The lebrikizumab Phase 3 program consists of five key global studies including two monotherapy studies (ADvocate 1 and 2), a combination study (ADhere), as well as long-term extension (ADjoin) and adolescent open label (ADore) studies.

About Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD), or atopic eczema, is a chronic, relapsing skin disease characterized by intense itching, dry skin and inflammation that can be present on any part of the body.9 AD is a heterogeneous disease both biologically and clinically and may be characterized by a highly variable appearance in which flares occur in an unpredictable manner.10

Moderate-to-severe AD is characterized by intense itching, which leads to an itch-scratch cycle that further damages the skin.11 Like other chronic inflammatory diseases, AD is immune-mediated and involves a complex interplay of immune cells and inflammatory cytokines.8 People living with AD often report symptoms of intense, persistent itch which can be so uncomfortable that it can affect sleep, daily activities and social relationships.

About Lebrikizumab

Lebrikizumab is a novel, investigational, monoclonal antibody designed to bind IL-13 with high affinity to specifically prevent the formation of the IL-13Ra1/IL-4Ra heterodimer complex and subsequent signaling, thereby inhibiting the biological effects of IL-13 in a targeted and efficient fashion. IL-13 is the central pathogenic mediator of AD, promoting type 2 inflammation that drives skin barrier dysfunction, itch, skin thickening and infection.6,8

About Almirall

Almirall is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on skin health. We collaborate with scientists and healthcare professionals to address patient's needs through science to improve their lives. Our Noble Purpose is at the core of our work: "Transform the patients' world by helping them realize their hopes and dreams for a healthy life". We invest in differentiated and ground-breaking medical dermatology products to bring our innovative solutions to patients in need.

The company, founded in 1943 and headquartered in Barcelona, is publicly traded on the Spanish Stock Exchange and is a member of the IBEX35 (ticker: ALM). Throughout its 79-year history, Almirall has retained a strong focus on the needs of patients. Currently, Almirall has a direct presence in 21 countries and strategic agreements in over 70, with about 1,800 employees. Total revenues in 2021 were 836.5 million euros.

For more information, please visit almirall.com

1 Moyle M, et al. Exp Dermatol. 2019;28(7):756-768.

2 Ultsch M, et al. J Mol Biol. 2013;425(8):1330-1339.

3 Zhu R, et al. Pulm Pharmacol Ther. 2017;46:88-98.

4 Simpson EL, et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018;78(5):863-871.e11.

5 Okragly A, et al. Comparison of the Affinity and in vitro Activity of Lebrikizumab, Tralokinumab, and Cendakimab. Presented at the Inflammatory Skin Disease Summit, New York, November 3-6, 2021.

6 Tsoi L, et al. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2019;139(7):1480-1489.

7 Ratnarajah K, et al. Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. 2021;25(3):315-328.

8 Bieber T. Allergy. 2020;75(1):54-62.

9 Weidinger S, Novak N. Lancet. 2016;387:1109-1122.

10 Langan SM, et al. Arch Dermatol. 2008;142:1109.

11 Yosipovitch G, et al. Curr Allergy Rep. 2008;8:306-311.

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Regulatory News:

The shareholders of Etablissements Maurel Prom S.A. (the "Company") (Paris:MAU) are hereby informed that an Ordinary and Extraordinary General Shareholders' Meeting will be held on first notice of meeting on Tuesday, 17 May 2022, at 3 p.m., at 9 avenue Hoche, 75008 Paris, France.

Important Note Covid-19 Pandemic:

In the context of the global Covid-19 pandemic, we remind those shareholders who would like to physically attend the General Shareholders' Meeting that their attendance will be subject to observance of the sanitary measures applicable at the time the General Shareholders' Meeting is held.

The attendee conditions in the General Shareholders' Meeting may evolve in accordance with the mandatory sanitary and/or legal requirements. Shareholders are therefore invited to regularly consult the page dedicated to the 2022 General Shareholders' Meeting on the Company's website: https://www.maureletprom.fr/fr/investisseurs/assemblees-generales

Availability of the Shareholders General Meeting's preparatory documents

The notice of meeting including the agenda and draft resolutions proposed to the General Shareholders Meeting was published in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires ("BALO"), on 11 April 2022. Such notice and the related report of the Board of Directors are available on the Company's website (www.maureletprom.fr, section "Investors", sub-section "General Meeting 2022").

The preparatory documents for the Shareholders General Meeting referred to in Article R. 22-10-23 of the French Commercial Code are available, within the time period provided for in the applicable regulation, on the Company's website, at the abovementioned address. In addition, the preparatory documents for the Shareholders General Meeting referred to in Articles L. 225-115, L. 225-116 and R. 225-83 of the French Commercial Code are available, within the time period provided for in the applicable regulation, at the Company's registered office (51, rue d'Anjou, 75008 Paris).

As from the notice of meeting, shareholders may request that the Company send them the documents and information referred to in Articles R. 225-81 and R. 225-83 of the French Commercial Code, up to the fifth day before the meeting (inclusive), i.e. Wednesday 11 May 2022. Requests should be sent preferably by email to ir@maureletprom.fr (otherwise by post to the Company's head office at 51, rue d'Anjou 75008 Paris, France or by request sent to CACEIS Corporate Trust, Service Assemblees Generales, 14, rue Rouget-de-Lisle, 92862 Issy-les Moulineaux Cedex 9). It is recalled that holders of bearer shares will have to prove they are shareholders by providing a certificate of account registration.

Finally, please note that any shareholder able to prove its status can attend the General Meeting in person, grant a proxy or vote by post. The applicable rules for attending the General Meeting are described in particular in the notice of meeting published in the BALO. This document is available on the Company's website (www.maureletprom.fr, website section "Investors", sub-section "General Meeting 2022").

For more information, visit www.maureletprom.fr

This document may contain forward-looking statements regarding the financial position, results, business and industrial strategy of Maurel Prom. By nature, forward-looking statements contain risks and uncertainties to the extent that they are based on events or circumstances that may or may not happen in the future. These projections are based on assumptions we believe to be reasonable, but which may prove to be incorrect and which depend on a number of risk factors, such as fluctuations in crude oil prices, changes in exchange rates, uncertainties related to the valuation of our oil reserves, actual rates of oil production and the related costs, operational problems, political stability, legislative or regulatory reforms, or even wars, terrorism and sabotage.

Maurel Prom is listed for trading on Euronext Paris

CAC All-Tradable CAC Small CAC Mid Small Eligible PEA-PME and SRD

Isin FR0000051070/Bloomberg MAU.FP/Reuters MAUP.PA

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220411005734/en/

Contacts:

Maurel Prom

Press, shareholder and investor relations

Tel: +33 (0)1 53 83 16 45

ir@maureletprom.fr

NewCap

Financial communications and investor relations/Media relations

Louis-Victor Delouvrier/Nicolas Merigeau

Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 98 53/+33 (0)1 44 71 94 98

maureletprom@newcap.eu
Regulatory News:

Aelis Farma (ISIN code: FR0014007ZB4 ticker: AELIS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specialized in the development of treatments for brain diseases (the Company ), announces today the publication of an initiation report by ODDO BHF, one of Europe's leading independent financial services companies specialising in research, execution and advisory.

In the initiation report, published on April 7, 2022, ODDO BHF initiates the coverage of the stock with a buy recommendation and values the company at 25 euros per share.

Next financial event:

Annual General Meeting: June 28, 2022

About ODDO BHF

ODDO BHF is an independent Franco-German financial services group, with a history stretching back over 170 years. It was created from the alliance of a French family-owned business built up by five generations of stockbrokers and a German bank specialising in Mittelstand companies. With 2,500 employees (1,300 in Germany and Switzerland and 1,200 in France and Tunisia), and more than 125 billion euros in assets under management, ODDO BHF operates in three main businesses, based on significant investment in market expertise: private banking, asset management and corporate and investment banking. The Group has a specific ownership structure as 65% of its capital is held by the Oddo family and 25 by employees. This "partnership" ethos guarantees the long-term involvement of its teams. In 2020, ODDO BHF generated net banking income of 624 million euros, and at 31 December 2020, the Group had over 940 million euros of shareholders' equity.

For more information: www.oddo-bhf.com

About AELIS FARMA

Founded in 2013, Aelis Farma is a biopharmaceutical company that is developing a new class of drugs, the Signaling Specific inhibitors of the CB1 receptor of the endocannabinoid system (CB1-SSi). These new molecules hold great potential in the treatment of many brain diseases. CB1-SSi were developed by Aelis Farma on the basis of the discovery of a new natural defense mechanism of the brain made by the team of Dr. Pier Vincenzo Piazza, CEO of the Company, when he was Director of the Inserm Magendie Neurocentre in Bordeaux. For these discoveries, Dr. Piazza was awarded the Grand Prix of Inserm, and the Grand Prix of Neurology of the French Academy of Sciences, which are among the most prestigious French awards for medicine and neurology.

Aelis Farma is developing two first-in-class drug candidates that are at the clinical stage, AEF0117 and AEF0217, and has a portfolio of innovative CB1-SSi for the treatment of other diseases associated with dysregulation of CB1 receptor activity.

AEF0117, which targets the disorders due to excessive cannabis use (addiction and psychosis), has demonstrated efficacy in a phase 2a clinical trial and will enter a phase 2b clinical trial in the United States in 2022. Aelis Farma has an exclusive option license agreement with Indivior PLC, a leading pharmaceutical company in the treatment of addiction, for the development and commercialization of AEF0117 for disorders due to excessive cannabis use. As part of this agreement, Aelis Farma received $30 million (option payment). If Indivior exercises the license option at the end of the phase 2b, Aelis Farma will receive a $100 million license fee (potentially in 2024) and up to $340 million in additional payments contingent on the achievement of development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on net sales of AEF0117 ranging between 12% and 20%.

AEF0217, which targets various cognitive disorders including those associated with Down syndrome, is progressing successfully in its phase 1/2 program and could provide the first proof of efficacy in early 2023. This compound has undergone an extensive preclinical proof-of-concept program using highly innovative and highly predictive tests to assess cognitive functions. In this context, AEF0217 has demonstrated its ability to completely reverse deficits in several models of cognitive disorders such as Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome, as well as in models of certain cognitive deficits associated with aging.

Based in Bordeaux, within the Inserm Magendie Neurocentre, Aelis Farma has a team of 24 highly qualified employees and has benefited from investments from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Bpifrance, regional funds ACI, NACO and Aqui-invest and IRDI Capital Investissement.

For more information: www.aelisfarma.com

Avertissement

Prospective Data

Some information contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, not historical data. These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions about Aelis Farma's current and future strategy and the environment in which Aelis Farma operates. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results or other events, to differ materially from those described or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those set out and detailed in Chapter 3 "Risk Factors" of Aelis Farma's registration document approved by the Autorite des marches financiers on 14 January 2022 under number I.22-003.

These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and Aelis Farma expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any updates or corrections to the forward-looking statements included in this press release to reflect any change in expectations or events, conditions or circumstances on which any such forward-looking statement is based. Forward-looking information and statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond Aelis Farma's control. Actual results could differ materially from those described in, or implied or projected by, forward-looking information and statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220411005750/en/

Contacts:

AELIS FARMA

Pier Vincenzo Piazza

Co-founder and CEO

contact@aelisfarma.com

NewCap

Dusan Oresansky/Marine de Fages

Investor Relations

aelis@newcap.eu

+33 1 44 71 94 92

NewCap

Nicolas Merigeau

Media Relations

nmerigeau@newcap.fr

+33 1 44 71 94 98
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 11, 2022) - Wealth Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: WML) (OTCQB: WMLLF) (SSE: WMLCL) (FSE: EJZN) (the "Company" or "Wealth"), announces that it has entered into an assignment and assumption agreement with Storex Capital Investments Corp., an arm's length private British Columbia corporation (the "Assignor"), whereby the Assignor assigned to the Company (the "Assignment") all of its rights under a property option agreement (the "Option Agreement") with third party underlying vendors (the "Vendors") that are at arm's length to the Company. Pursuant to the Option Agreement, Wealth will be assigned the right to acquire a 100% interest (the "Option") in the Ignace REE property located 65 km east of the town of Ignace, Ontario, in the Thunder Bay Mining Division (the "Property").

Figure 1. Location Map of the Property (2021).

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4437/120075_4fd9070864452b5f_002full.jpg

The Property consists of two (2) claim groups, with the east claim group consisting of 131 cells measuring approximately 2,600 hectares, and the west claim group consisting of 70 cells measuring approximately 1,400 hectares. The Property is strategically located 65 km east of Ignace, Ontario, and 25 km northeast of Trans-Canada Highway 17, and is easily accessible through several logging roads which provide access to the Property (see Figure 2 below).

Figure 2. Regional Location and Access (2021).

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

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The claims comprising the Property are contained within the Winnipeg River Terrance, which is also host to Ardiden Ltd.'s Seymour Lake Lithium project. Ardiden Ltd. reported a mineral resource estimate (JORC Code [2012]) for the Seymour Lake Lithium Project of 4.80 Mt @ 1.25% Li2O and 186 ppm Ta2O5 in March 2019 (see Ardiden Ltd. website at www.ardiden.com.au). The Georgia Lake pegmatite field (see Figure 3 below) also hosts Rock Tech Lithium Inc.'s Georgia Lake lithium deposit, for which Rock Tech Lithium Inc. announced its intention to develop a lithium sulphate production facility in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Readers are cautioned that the Company has no interest in or right to acquire any interest in the aforementioned properties, other than the Property, and that the mineral deposits, and the results of any mining thereof, on adjacent or similar properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on the Property or any potential exploitation thereof.

Figure 3. Northwestern Ontario Regional Geology (2021).

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4437/120075_4fd9070864452b5f_004full.jpg

Figure 4. Lake Sediment Sampling of the Property (2021).

To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4437/120075_wealthmineralsfigure4.jpg

Figure 5. Rare-Earth Element Anomalous Clusters (Ontario Geological Survey 1995).

To view an enhanced version of Figure 5, please visit:

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Figure 6. Rare-Earth Element Anomalous Clusters (Ontario Geological Survey 1995).

To view an enhanced version of Figure 6, please visit:

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In 1995 the Ontario Geological Survey carried a high-density lake sediment sampling program in English River area. These sediments were analyzed for 60 various rare-earth elements and two prominent areas with highly anomalous rare-earth elements are the focus of the Property (see Areas 1 and 2 in Figure 4). Anomalous samples are defined as elemental concentrations exceeding the 95th percentile while "strongly elevated" is defined as exceeding the 90th percentile. The largest dots on Figure 5 are those exceeding the 98th percentile.

Table 1. Area 1 Sampling Reports (Ontario Geological Survey 1995).

To view an enhanced version of Table 1, please visit:

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Table 2. Area 2 Sampling Reports (Ontario Geological Survey 1995).

To view an enhanced version of Table 2, please visit:

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In addition to the data in Tables 1 and 2, the Ontario Geological Survey 1995 noted highly anomalous lithium levels in Area 1, with samples showing up to 217 ppm Li.

Readers are cautioned that the above-mentioned samples are selective and likely biased by nature and therefore are not necessarily representative of the overall grade and extent of any mineralization that could occur on the subject areas of the Property. These results are historical in nature and may not accurately indicate the extent or grade of mineralization present on the Property. Although the Company believes the source of the historical information to be generally reliable, such information is subject to interpretation and cannot be verified with complete certainty due to limits on the availability and reliability of raw data and other inherent limitations and uncertainties.

Commercial Terms

In consideration for the Assignment, the Company has agreed to issue an aggregate of 4,200,000 common shares in its capital (the "Consideration Shares") to the Assignor as follows:

Date Number of Consideration Shares Within five business days of satisfaction of the closing conditions 200,000 April 22, 2022 500,000 October 22, 2022 500,000 April 22, 2023 500,000 October 22, 2023 1,000,000 April 22, 2024 1,500,000 Total: 4,200,000

The Consideration Shares will be issued at a deemed issuance price of $0.27 per Consideration Share, and will be subject to a four month and one day hold period in Canada. In order to acquire a 100% interest in the Property, the Company will also be required to make the remaining payments outlined below to the underlying vendor:

Date Cash Number of Common Shares April 12, 2022 $21,000 200,000 April 12, 2023 $30,000 200,000 April 12, 2024 $36,000 -- Total: $87,000 400,000

The Company will be responsible for all exploration costs and activities during the option period and there are no minimum exploration commitments. Upon the exercise of the Option by the Company, the underlying Property owner will retain a 1.5% net smelter returns royalty (the "Royalty"), of which 33.33% (being 0.50%) percent of the Royalty can be repurchased from the underlying owner for $500,000 and thereafter, the Company shall have the right of first refusal to purchase the Royalty from the underlying owner should it wish to sell, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of or deal with the Royalty.

All payments in respect of the Option are optional. However, if the Company fails to fulfill its obligations, the Option will terminate, and the Company will not retain any interest in the Property. The Assignment is subject to certain conditions, including satisfactory completion of due diligence by the Company, corporate approvals and the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Qualified Person

John Hiner, Licensed Geologist and Registered Member of SME (Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration), a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis of this news release and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Hiner is independent of the Company.

About Wealth Minerals Ltd.

Wealth is a mineral resource company with interests in Canada, Mexico and Chile. The Company's main focus is the acquisition and development of lithium projects in South America.

The Company opportunistically advances battery metal projects where it has a peer advantage in project selection and initial evaluation.

Lithium market dynamics and a rapidly increasing metal price are the result of profound structural issues with the industry meeting anticipated future demand. Wealth is positioning itself to be a major beneficiary of this future mismatch of supply and demand. In parallel with lithium market dynamics, Wealth believes other battery metals will benefit from similar industry trends.

For further details on the Company readers are referred to the Company's website (www.wealthminerals.com) and its Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of

WEALTH MINERALS LTD.

"Hendrik van Alphen"

Hendrik van Alphen

Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Marla Ritchie

Phone: 604-331-0096 Ext. 3886 or 604-638-3886

E-mail: info@wealthminerals.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 news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, the closing of the Assignment and the exercise of the Option, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that the Company will receive all necessary approvals in connection with the Assignment, market fundamentals will result in sustained Lithium demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of the Property in a timely manner, the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development, construction and continued operation of the Company's projects and its ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, requirements for additional capital, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development activities, actual results of exploration activities, including on the Property, the estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the fact that the Company's interests in the Property is an option only and there is no guarantee that such interests, if earned, will be certain, the timing and amount of estimated future production, the costs of production, capital expenditures, the costs and timing of the development of new deposits, requirements for additional capital, future prices of copper, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, lack of investor interest in future financings, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals (including of the TSX Venture Exchange), permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, title disputes, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents, approvals or authorizations, the timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, and risks related to joint venture operations, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the company's continuous disclosure documents. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/120075
OTCQX: SHWZ

NEO: SHWZ

DENVER, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Schwazze, (OTCQX: SHWZ) (NEO: SHWZ) ("Schwazze" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that Justin Dye, Chairman & CEO and Nancy Huber, CFO will participate in the following conferences and events.

Cantor Fitzgerald 2nd Annual Virtual Cannabis Conference - April 12-14, 2022

Justin Dye, Chairman & CEO is scheduled to participate in a panel discussion entitled, "Emerging MSOs" on Tuesday, April 12 at 1:50 pm ET. Management will also be participating in one-on-one investor meetings throughout the conference. For more information, please contact your Cantor Fitzgerald representative.

NobleCon 18, Hard Rock Casino & Hotel - April 19-21, 2022

Justin Dye, Chairman & CEO is scheduled to present at NobleCon18 - Noble Capital Markets' Eighteenth Annual Investor Conference at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida, on Thursday April 21, at 11:00 am ET in the Seminole Ballroom A. Management will also be participating in one-on-one investor meetings throughout the event. For more information, please contact your Noble Capital representative.

VID Forum - 11:00 am ET - Live Town Hall - April 26, 2022

Justin Dye, Chairman & CEO will present to investors in a live VID Forum Town Hall. Management will field Q&A from investors and interested parties after their presentation. Please sign up here to register.

A.G.P.'s Spring Virtual Consumer Cannabis Conference - May 3, 2022

Management will be participating in one-on-one investor meetings throughout the Conference. For more information, please contact your A.G.P. representative.

About Schwazze

Schwazze (OTCQX:SHWZ, NEO:SHWZ) is building a premier vertically integrated regional cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico and will continue to take its operating system to other states where it can develop a differentiated regional leadership position. Schwazze is the parent company of a portfolio of leading cannabis businesses and brands spanning seed to sale. The Company is committed to unlocking the full potential of the cannabis plant to improve the human condition. Schwazze is anchored by a high-performance culture that combines customer-centric thinking and data science to test, measure, and drive decisions and outcomes. The Company's leadership team has deep expertise in retailing, wholesaling, and building consumer brands at Fortune 500 companies as well as in the cannabis sector. Schwazze is passionate about making a difference in our communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and doing our part to incorporate climate-conscious best practices. Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. was Schwazze's former operating trade name. The corporate entity continues to be named Medicine Man Technologies, Inc.

Schwazze derives its name from the pruning technique of a cannabis plant to enhance plant structure and promote healthy growth.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements may be preceded by the words "plan," "will," "may,", "predicts," or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control and cannot be predicted or quantified. Consequently, actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own or in collaboration with third parties; (ii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iv) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; (v) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates; (vi) our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy in Colorado and outside the state, (vii) our ability to consummate the acquisition described in this press release or to identify and consummate future acquisitions that meet our criteria, (viii) our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and realize synergies therefrom, (ix) the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, (x) the timing and extent of governmental stimulus programs, (xi) the uncertainty in the application of federal, state and local laws to our business, and any changes in such laws, and (x) out ability to satisfy the closing conditions for the private finding described in this press release. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.

Investors, Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations, Joanne.jobin@schwazze.com, 647 964 0292; Media, Julie Suntrup, Schwazze, Vice President | Marketing & Merchandising, julie.suntrup@schwazze.com, 303 371 0387
Boca Raton, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - April 11, 2022) - Phyto Partners , a venture capital private equity fund focused on the neurowellness megatrend, will be participating in the Benzinga Psychedelics Capital Conference, which will take place on April 19 at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

Larry Schnurmacher will be speaking at 12:00pm ET on April 19th. Interested parties can register to attend here.

Members of the Phyto Partners management will also be holding one-on-one investor meetings throughout the day.

"We're glad to welcome the burgeoning psychedelics industry into Benzinga's growing ecosystem of events. We've seen cannabis businesses raise hundreds of millions of dollars at our Cannabis Capital Conferences and it's our pleasure to open this possibility to businesses working to develop and establish psychedelics as the new paradigm-shift in mental health treatment," said Chief Zinger Jason Raznick.

To register and access please follow this link.

About Phyto Partners

Phyto Psyche is a venture capital private equity investment fund focused on the emerging Brain Health Mega Trend

About The Benzinga Psychedelics Capital Conference

The premier gathering of psychedelic entrepreneurs and investors in North America is debuting in Miami.

The debut of the Benzinga Psychedelics Capital Conference will gather the biggest players in the psychedelics industry on April 19 in Miami. Attendees can expect a full day of company presentations, insider panels and networking.

The Benzinga Psychedelic Capital Conference is guaranteed to offer participants a chance to connect with the people driving the psychedelics industry forward. Join live in Miami or online anywhere to participate in this Psychedelics industry conference with top industry players.

For further information:

Larry Schnurmacher

Managing Partner

5615426090

larry@phytopartners.com
Herzliya, Israel and Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 11, 2022) - Innocan Pharma Corporation (CSE: INNO) (FSE: IP4) (OTCQB: INNPF) (the "Company" or "Innocan"), is pleased to report the "accepted for publication" of a Case Report Article describing subcutaneously injected liposomal cannabidiol (CBD) formulation used as a compassion therapy for pain management in a dog. The final article will be published in the Frontiers Veterinary Scientific Journal, a leading and renowned journal with readership of 25M.

In the Case Report a 14-year-old dog that was treated with Innocan novel liposomal cannabidiol (CBD) analgesic formulation based on Innocan's LPT platform. The dog was cachectic and had a testicular neoplasia, hip and elbow osteoarthritis and severe pain. The dog was treated with canine osteoarthritic supplement and additionally with Innocan LPT liposomal CBD injectable formulation. The dog was monitored using an activity monitoring collar (PetPace), owner wellbeing questionnaire, pain interactive visual analogue scale (iVAS), blood work and CBD plasma concentrations. A week from the injection and up to 3 weeks afterwards the dog had improved owner and iVAS pain scores, and increased collar activity scores. CBD was quantified in plasma for 28 days. In conclusion, subcutaneous liposomal CBD produced quantifiable CBD plasma concentrations for 28 days that may be an effective additional treatment as part of multimodal pain management in dogs.

Frontiers is a leading science platform publisher. The journal is led and peer-reviewed by editorial boards of over 100,000 top researchers. Covering more than 900 academic disciplines, it is one of the largest and highest-cited publishers in the world. It strives to continuously empower the academic community with innovative solutions that improve how science is published, evaluated, and communicated to researchers, innovators and the public.

Prof. Chezy Barenholz of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem said, "Having our article accepted to publication in a leading veterinary journal proves once again the importance of Innocan's scientific backbone. I am pleased to see the ongoing recognition of our work."

"Following our expansion to veterinary, Innocan is being praised and recognized like never before", said Iris Bincovich, CEO of Innocan and added "We aspire to hit the markets soon, and are working tirelessly to ensure our growth and commercialization."

Innocan's relationship with The Hebrew University

Innocan Pharma Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, has entered into a worldwide exclusive research and license agreement with Yissum Research and Development Company ("Yissum"), the commercial arm of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, with respect to the design, preparation, characterization and evaluation of hydrogels containing CBD (or other cannabinoids) loaded liposomes. The research and development initiative is led by Professor Chezy Barenholz, head of the Membrane and Liposome Research Department at The Hebrew University, which is the inventor of over fifty-five patent families, two of which underlie Doxil, an FDA-approved drug for breast cancer treatment. This unique liposome platform technology may have a wide range of applications, such as epilepsy, pain relief, inflammation and central nervous system disorders. A patent was filed covering this technology on October 7, 2019.

About Innocan

Innocan Pharma is a pharmaceutical tech company that focuses on the development of several drug delivery platforms containing CBD. Innocan Pharma and Ramot at Tel Aviv University are collaborating on a new, revolutionary exosome-based technology that targets both central nervous system (CNS) indications and the Covid-19 Corona Virus using CBD. CBD-loaded exosomes hold the potential to help in the recovery of infected lung cells. This product, which is expected to be administered by inhalation, will be tested against a variety of lung infections.

Innocan Pharma signed a worldwide exclusive license agreement with Yissum, the commercial arm of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, to develop a CBD drug delivery platform based on a unique-controlled release liposome to be administered by injection. Innocan Israel plans, together with Professor Barenholz, to test the liposome platform on several potential conditions. Innocan Israel is also working on a dermal product that integrates CBD with other pharmaceutical ingredients as well as the development and sale of CBD-integrated pharmaceuticals, including, but not limited to, topical treatments for the relief of psoriasis symptoms as well as the treatment of muscle pain and rheumatic pain. The founders and officers of Innocan Israel each have commercially successful track records in the pharmaceutical and technology sectors in Israel and globally.

For further information, please contact:

For Innocan Pharma Corporation:

Iris Bincovich, CEO

+972-54-3012842

info@innocanpharma.com

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Caution regarding forward-looking information

Certain information set forth in this news release, including, without limitation, information regarding research and development, collaborations, the filing of potential applications with the FDA and other regulatory authorities, the potential achievement of future regulatory milestones, the potential for treatment of conditions and other therapeutic effects resulting from research activities and/or the Company's products, requisite regulatory approvals and the timing for market entry, is forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Innocan's control. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Innocan, including expectations and assumptions concerning the anticipated benefits of the products, satisfaction of regulatory requirements in various jurisdictions and satisfactory completion of requisite production and distribution arrangements.

Forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this news release. The key risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: general global and local (national) economic, market and business conditions; governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities; and relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, customers, business partners and competitors. There are also risks that are inherent in the nature of product distribution, including import / export matters and the failure to obtain any required regulatory and other approvals (or to do so in a timely manner) and availability in each market of product inputs and finished products. The anticipated timeline for entry to markets may change for a number of reasons, including the inability to secure necessary regulatory requirements, or the need for additional time to conclude and/or satisfy the manufacturing and distribution arrangements. As a result of the foregoing, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this news release concerning the timing of launch of product distribution. A comprehensive discussion of other risks that impact Innocan can also be found in Innocan's public reports and filings which are available under Innocan's profile at www.sedar.com.

Readers are cautioned that undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may vary materially from the forward-looking information. Innocan does not undertake to update, correct or revise any forward looking information as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/120074
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 11, 2022) - PetroCorp Group Inc. (TSXV: PCG.H) ("PetroCorp" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding letter of intent dated April 7, 2022 (the "Agreement") with First Lithium Minerals Inc. ("First Lithium") and QL Minerals Inc. ("QL"). Pursuant to the Agreement, PetroCorp will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of First Lithium and QL in exchange for common shares of PetroCorp (the "Transaction").

About First Lithium Minerals Inc.

First Lithium is a mineral exploration company focused on the OCA Lithium Project comprised of approximately 8,900 ha of wholly-owned mineral exploration concessions located in the salars of Ollague, Carcote and Ascotan in the Antofagasta Region of Northern Chile within the cordilleran sector bordering Bolivia.

About QL Minerals Inc.

QL is a mineral exploration company which holds a 100% interest in 39 claims located in the township of Senneville, Quebec, Canada. The property was acquired from Xander Resources Inc. in November 2021. Recent examination by Xander Resource's geologists suggests the possibility of lithium on the claim group as the claims are in proximity to the La Corne Batholith, two existing lithium mines and a developing lithium prospect by Great Thunder Gold.

Summary of Transaction

Below is a summary of the terms of the Transaction:

PetroCorp shall complete a consolidation (the " PetroCorp Consolidation ") of its common shares on an approximate one (1) new share for 81.96721311 old shares basis, which shall result in approximately 8,201,063 post-PetroCorp Consolidation shares outstanding.

") of its common shares on an approximate one (1) new share for 81.96721311 old shares basis, which shall result in approximately 8,201,063 post-PetroCorp Consolidation shares outstanding. First Lithium shall complete a consolidation (the " FLM Consolidation ") of its common shares on a one (1) new share for 2.5 old shares basis, which shall result in approximately 29,643,712 post-FLM Consolidation shares outstanding.

") of its common shares on a one (1) new share for 2.5 old shares basis, which shall result in approximately 29,643,712 post-FLM Consolidation shares outstanding. First Lithium shall convert approximately $3,200,000 of debt (to a maximum of $3,750,000) at a price of $0.225 per common share for a total of 14,222,222 post-FLM Consolidation shares, with such final amount to be agreed to between First Lithium, QL and PetroCorp. This amount may increase prior to the completion of the transaction due to normal business activities of the company which will require periodic funding in order to maintain ongoing operations.

The FLM Subscription Receipts and QL Subscription Receipts (see below under Private Placements) shall automatically convert into post-FLM Consolidation shares and QL shares, respectively.

PetroCorp shall issue one post-PetroCorp Consolidation share for: (i) each post-FLM Consolidation share, including the shares issued upon automatic conversion of the FLM Subscription Receipts; and (ii) each QL share, including the shares issued upon automatic conversion of the QL Subscription Receipts. There are expected to be 2,900,000 QL shares outstanding prior to the automatic conversion of the QL Subscription Receipts.

Private Placements

First Lithium has recently completed a private placement of 8,070,000 subscription receipts (the "FLM Subscription Receipts") at an issue price of $0.25 per subscription receipt for gross proceeds of $2,017,500. First Lithium intends to raise up to an additional $5.5 million through the issuance of FLM Subscription Receipts prior to completion of the Transaction. Upon satisfaction of the escrow release conditions, which includes among other things, the completion of the Transaction and subsequent listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange and the completion of the PetroCorp Consolidation and FLM Consolidation, each FLM Subscription Receipt will automatically convert, without additional payment or any further action on the part of the holder, into one post-FLM Consolidation share.

QL has recently completed a private placement of 1,980,000 subscription receipts (the "QL Subscription Receipts") at an issue price of $0.25 per subscription receipt for gross proceeds of $495,000. Upon satisfaction of the escrow release conditions, which includes among other things, the completion of the Transaction and subsequent listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange and the completion of the PetroCorp Consolidation and FLM Consolidation, each QL Subscription Receipt will automatically convert, without additional payment or any further action on the part of the holder, into one QL share.

Conditions to Closing the Transaction

A listing statement of the Company will be prepared and filed in respect of the Transaction. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the listing statement, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including, but not limited to, receipt of regulatory approval, compliance with applicable securities laws, and the receipt of all requisite shareholder approvals.

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Lindzon, President and Chief Executive Officer of PetroCorp Group Inc.

E Mail: andrew@ashlin.ca

Rob Saltsman, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Lithium & QL Minerals Inc.

Tel: (416) 402-2428 or at rob@paigecapital.ca

Forward-Looking Information

Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Transaction, the completion thereof and the use of proceeds. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including the receipt of all necessary regulatory and shareholder approvals. Although management of the Company have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/120116
ZURICH, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Invictus Capital has been at the forefront of innovation in the digital asset space since its inception in 2017. The team launched the world's first tokenised crypto index fund, Crypto20, and now has a five-year track record as a pioneer and trusted player in the digital asset industry.

Since then, Invictus has broadened its horizons to offer an array of products designed for a community of compliant investors with long-term investment horizons. To that end, the company has welcomed increasing regulatory oversight in the digital asset space. Invictus believes that its early entry into the regulated arena will protect its investors from regulatory challenges, and expertly position the fund to benefit from the growing influx of institutional investment.

The Invictus investor base has also repeatedly expressed the need for assurances around fund security and legal ownership of the underlying fund assets. A traditional fund structure with third-party oversight addresses these concerns and "future-proofs" the Invictus index funds for these long-term investors.

All open-ended Invictus funds will have the same oversight as any other regulated mutual fund within the Cayman Islands. In addition, the funds will benefit from annual independent external audit and daily fund valuation by a licensed third-party administrator.

This secures all Invictus funds for the long term, allowing for tax and estate planning. This well-understood fund structure also enables the team to keep building, unencumbered by regulatory changes during this time of flux in the digital asset industry.

Invictus Capital has combined this regulatory upgrade with a migration of its tokenised fund shares from the Ethereum network to Polygon. This will mean that all fund shares will exist as tokens on the Polygon network only, representing a legal share of ownership in the assets of the relevant funds. This also means that all investor transactions will cost substantially less than on Ethereum, allowing for cost-effective transacting, such as investing, staking, sending, receiving, and redeeming.

"We are committed to a future of digital assets and accelerating the ease of integration to bridge traditional banking to the digital asset ecosystem, ' says Haydn Hammond, Executive Director, Invictus. Missing regulation has always been a concern for any company in the crypto space, and previously obtaining this kind of regulated structure was not possible for any crypto asset manager, concludes Hammond.

About Invictus Capital:

Invictus Capital are leaders in blockchain driven asset management. Invictus established the world's first tokenised crypto index fund, and has now designed and deployed a regulated and tokenized mutual fund, another first, and a pioneering step in building an enduring bridge between traditional finance and the digital asset industry.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1794832/Invictus_Capital.jpg
PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / April 11, 2022 / Aberdeen Standard Global Infrastructure Income Fund (NYSE:ASGI), a closed-end management investment company, announced that it has increased its monthly distribution from US $0.1083 per share to $0.12 per share, commencing with the distribution payable on April 29, 2022 to shareholders of record as of April 22, 2022 (ex-dividend date April 21, 2022).

Increase in Distribution Rate

The Fund intends to maintain the increased monthly distribution level of $0.12 per share for at least the next 12 months unless there is significant and unforeseen change in market conditions.

In approving the increase in distribution rate, the Board of Trustees considered, among other things, the Fund's strong positive performance since inception. As of March 31, 2022 the cumulative total return since inception of the NAV of the Fund was 27.31% and the market price total return was 11.10%. The Board also considered the Fund's ability to sustain the distribution policy and that the increased distribution may assist in narrowing the discount to NAV at which the Fund's shares tend to trade. This increase will bring the distribution yield more in line with the initial distribution yield that was announced in August 2020.

The Fund seeks to provide a high level of total return with an emphasis on current income by investing in both public and private infrastructure equity investments around the world.

The Fund distributes monthly all or a portion of its net investment income, including current gains, to common shareholders. The Fund relies on exemptive relief from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that allows the Fund to distribute long-term capital gains as frequently as monthly in any one taxable year. The distributions will be made from net investment income, net realized capital gains and, to any extent necessary, return of capital.

The policy is expected to provide a steady and sustainable cash distribution to Fund shareholders that may help reduce any discount to NAV at which the Fund's shares trade. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve these results. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of the distributions or the terms of the Fund's policy.

IRS and SEC Distribution Disclosure

Under U.S. tax rules applicable to the Fund, the amount and character of distributable income for each fiscal year can be finally determined only as of the end of the Fund's fiscal year. However, under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and related Rules, the Fund may be required to indicate to shareholders the source of certain distributions to shareholders.

The following tables set forth the estimated amounts of the sources of the distributions for purposes of Section 19 of the 1940 Act and the rules adopted thereunder. The tables have been computed based on generally accepted accounting principles. The tables include estimated amounts and percentages for the

current distributions to be paid as well as for the cumulative distributions paid relating to fiscal year to date, 10/01/2021-03/31/2022 from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short-term capital gains; net realized long-term capital gains; and return of capital. The estimated compositions of the distributions may vary because the estimated composition may be impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities and currencies.

Estimated Amounts of Current Distribution per Share Fund Distribution Amount Net Investment Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains* Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital ASGI $0.1200 $0.0096 8% $0.0060 5% $0.1044 87% - -

Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year to Date Cumulative Distributions per Share Fund Fiscal Year* to Date Distribution Amount Net Investment Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains* Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital ASGI $0.7698 $0.0616 8% $0.0385 5% $0.6697 87% - -

*includes currency gains

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The final determination of the source of all distributions for the current year will only be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. After the end of each calendar year, a Form 1099-DIV will be sent to shareholders for the prior calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The following table provides the Fund's total return performance based on net asset value (NAV) over various time periods compared to the Fund's annualized and cumulative distribution rates.

Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information Fund Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ending 03/31/2022 Current Fiscal Period's Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV Cumulative Total Return on NAV Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV ASGI 15.52%3 5.63% 7.07% 2.81%

1 Return data is net of all fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund's dividend reinvestment plan.

2 Based on the Fund's NAV as of March 31, 2022.

3 The Fund launched within the past 5 years; the performance and distribution rate information presented reflects data from inception (July 29, 2020) through March 31, 2022.

At the end of each calendar year, a Form 1099-DIV will be sent to shareholders, which will state the amount and composition of each fund's distributions and provide information with respect to their appropriate tax treatment for the prior calendar year. You should not draw any conclusions about any of these Funds' investment performance from the amount of the distributions.

While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market.

Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Fund may distribute any long-term capital gains more frequently than the limits provided in Section 19(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder. Therefore, distributions paid by the Fund during the year may include net income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains and/or a return of capital. Net income dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, while generally taxable at ordinary income rates, may be eligible, to the extent of qualified dividend income earned by the Fund, to be taxed at a lower rate not to exceed the maximum rate applicable to your long-term capital gains. Distributions made in any calendar year in excess of investment company taxable income and net capital gain are treated as taxable ordinary dividends to the extent of undistributed earnings and profits, and then as a return of capital that reduces the adjusted basis in the shares held. To the extent return of capital distributions exceed the adjusted basis in the shares held, capital gain is recognized with a holding period based on the period the shares have been held at the date such amount is received. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the terms of the distribution policy. The final determination of the source of all distributions will be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The payment of distributions in accordance with the Stable Distribution Plan may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets. A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's net asset value per share. The Stable Distribution Plan may also negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution. The Fund's Board of Trustees has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Stable Distribution Plan at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the Stable Distribution Plan may affect the Fund's market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances.

The amounts and sources of distributions for tax reporting purposes will depend on the Fund's investment experience during its fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. The Fund is subject to U.S. corporate, tax and securities laws. Under U.S. tax accounting rules, the amount of distributable income for each fiscal year depends on the dividend and interest income received, the actual exchange rates during the entire year between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which the Fund assets are denominated, and on the aggregate gains and losses realized by the Fund during the entire year. Therefore, the exact amount of distributable income for each fiscal year can only be determined as of the end of the Fund's fiscal year, September 30. However, under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, the Fund is required to estimate and disclose the source of each distribution to shareholders. This estimated distribution composition may vary from quarter to quarter because it may be materially impacted by future realized gains and losses on securities and fluctuations in the value of the currencies in which Fund assets are denominated. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report distributions for federal income tax purposes.

Circular 230 disclosure: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Treasury, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

In the United States, abrdn is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: abrdn Inc., Aberdeen Asset Managers Ltd., abrdn Australia Limited, abrdn Asia Limited, Aberdeen Capital Management, LLC, abrdn ETFs Advisors LLC and Aberdeen Standard Alternative Funds Limited.

Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. A Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that a Fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

If you wish to receive this information electronically, please contact Investor.Relations@abrdn.com

For More Information Contact:

abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds

Investor Relations

1-800-522-5465

Investor.Relations@abrdn.com

www.aberdeenasgi.com

SOURCE: Aberdeen Standard Global Infrastructure Income Fund

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696989/Aberdeen-Standard-Global-Infrastructure-Income-Fund-Announces-Increase-in-Distribution-Rate-of-Monthly-Distribution-Expected-To-Be-Maintained-for-at-Least-the-Next-12-Months
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol raises his arms to greet citizens at a traditional market in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday. Joint Press Corps



President-elect underscores expertise over diversity



By Nam Hyun-woo



President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has announced the first round of his Cabinet member picks, mostly from a group of people who helped his presidential campaign.



Yoon said he chose the nominees based on their capabilities and expertise. But he also faces criticism for failing to reflect more diversity in the gender, birthplace and age of the nominees.



According to Yoon's aides, the average age of eight ministerial nominees announced Sunday was 60.5, with three being in their 50s and five being in their 60s. None were in their 20s or 30s and only one woman  gender equality minister nominee Kim Hyun-sook  was included in the announcements.



Of them, four were born in the Gyeongsang provinces and one was born in Daegu. The two regions are traditional conservative strongholds and no one from the Jeolla provinces, a liberal stronghold, was selected. Three others were from Seoul, Jeju and North Chungcheong Province.



In Korean politics, a nominee's hometown is often considered when selecting high-ranking government officials. As a result, presidents have given jobs to candidates from various parts of the country to seek a balance between regions. However, Yoon did not take this practice into account, as he said he only considered expertise and capability.



"I didn't take into consideration the nominees' hometowns or gender," Yoon said. "I believe the standards for selecting and screening high-ranking officials should be viewed from the general public's point of view."





Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport nominee Won Hee-ryong answers reporters' questions as he enters his office at the government complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Joint Press Corps



Among the nominees, former Jeju Province Governor Won Hee-ryong's nomination as the land, infrastructure and transport minister was relatively unexpected, because he was rumored to be tapped as the presidential chief of staff and his career has been somewhat distant from real estate or transport policies.









Won is a former prosecutor and a three-term lawmaker. He was elected as Jeju governor in 2014 and served two terms until he ran in the main opposition People power Party's (PPP) presidential primary last year.



Yoon said Won introduced "innovative land development and real estate policies" during his tenure as Jeju governor, and proposed fresh policy ideas such as a new express train network surrounding Seoul during the presidential campaign.



Won's nomination is interpreted as Yoon's intention to appoint a minister with political leverage to institute a stronger drive in addressing the country's real estate issue. Soaring apartment prices in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and the imbalance in the real estate markets of the capital and other regions are the key reasons for the current Moon Jae-in administration's defeat in the last presidential election.



However, civic groups and liberal blocs are accusing Won of being an inappropriate candidate.



A federation of Jeju-based civic groups opposing the construction of a second Jeju Airport released a statement Monday demanding Yoon to withdraw his nomination of Won.



"Despite the obvious opposition among Jeju residents on the second Jeju Airport, Won ignored these voices and attempted to carry out the project," the statement read. "Jeju residents have no trust in him."



The project of building the second Jeju Airport has been the subject of heated debate among Jeju residents. In order to address the highly congested traffic around Jeju International Airport, the land ministry announced the project in 2015. But groundbreaking has yet to begin due to concerns over potential damage to the environment.



During a meeting with reporters, Won said Monday that he does not think the real estate market can be stabilized with "a number of government measures" and vowed to do his best to "reflect the market principles and experts' opinions."





Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo enters his office in Jongno District, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Research and consulting firm Gartner Inc. Monday said that worldwide PC shipments dropped 7.3% in first quarter of 2022, hurt largely by sharp drop in Chromebook shipments.



Worldwide PC shipments totaled 77.5 million units in the first quarter, a 7.3% decrease from the first quarter of 2021, according to preliminary results by Gartner. A sharp drop in Chromebook sales significantly contributed to the overall market decline, the research said.



'After an unprecedented Chromebook surge in 2020 and early 2021, driven by demand from the U.S. educational market, Chromebook growth has tempered,' said Mikako Kitagawa, research director at Gartner. 'It was a challenging quarter for the PC and Chromebook market to achieve growth, as this time last year the PC market registered its highest growth in decades.'



Excluding Chromebooks, the worldwide PC market grew by 3.3% year over year. Besides lower Chromebook sales, slowed consumer demand contributed to the market's downward trend, as consumer spending shifted away from devices.



Business PCs, however, saw growth in the first quarter of 2022 as hybrid work and the return to offices created demand for desktop devices.



Lenovo was the top vendor with a 23.6% worldwide market share. The company shipped 18.3 million units in the quarter, down 12.6%. HP Inc. came in at second with 20.5% market share after shipping 15.9 million units in the first quarter, down 17.8%.



Dell market share rose to 17.7% from 15.7% last year, as its shipments rose 5.0% to 13.7 million units. This quarter marked Dell's sixth consecutive period of growth, achieved in part due to the company's relatively minor presence in the declining Chromebook and consumer PC segments.



Apple continued its momentum to start this year, led by the popularity of the M1-based Mac devices. The company shipped 7 million units, up 8.6%. In the first quarter Apple introduced Mac Studio, a M1-based premium desktop model, driving sales among PC users who require high processing power.







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Renewal represents a continued reliance on Calian domain expertise

Calian supports four different streams of activities: administration, training, instruction and e-learning development

OTTAWA, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 11, 2022 / Calian Group Ltd. (TSX:CGY), a diverse products and services company providing innovative healthcare, communications, learning and cybersecurity solutions, was awarded a contract renewal by Department of National Defence for Canadian Defence Academy (CDA) and Military Personnel Generation Group (MPGG). The contract has an initial value of CAD$8.8M. For over twelve years, CDA and MPGG have trusted Calian to help solve their most complex military training challenges: onboarding new recruits efficiently, staging realistic exercises, delivering high-calibre training and adapting to offer e-learning.

Onboarding New Recruits Efficiently

The administrative processes involved in turning civilians into military members are complex and numerous. Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School (CFLRS) must be able to rely on a professional team of highly competent administration support personnel in order to run smoothly. Calian sources the right personnel - individuals capable of learning rapidly about recruit training, handling a large workload and working efficiently as a member of a busy team.

Staging Realistic Exercises

Fidelity and realism are critical to military training scenarios. The more realistic an exercise, the more prepared the training participants will be. With the support of Calian, Military Personnel Generation Training Group (MPGTG) is able to achieve a level of fidelity and realism that was previously unattainable, and in turn, training participants are able to achieve the highest level of readiness.

Delivering High-Calibre Training

Calian specialized military occupational trades training solutions are used at CFLRS, Canadian Forces College, Canadian Forces Logistics Training Centre, Canadian Forces Fire and more. The instructors delivering these training solutions are skilled communicators and range from nationally renowned academics, to retired general officers, to former Deputy Ministers and ambassadors.

Adapting to Offer E-Learning

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, e-learning is now a crucial need for every institution dedicated to training and education. Calian training management and programming solutions are highly adaptable. Instructors who deliver these solutions are renowned by MPGTG for their energy, creativity and innovation, regardless of the course format - online or in-person.

"Solving complex customer challenges is what Calian does best," said Donald Whitty, President, Learning, Calian. "Our innovative military training solutions - whether delivered online or in-person - are vital to the mission-critical needs of the Department of National Defence."

"We are incredibly proud of our strong, continuing relationship with the Canadian military," said Kevin Ford, Calian CEO. "Calian has been and will continue to be a trusted partner of Department of National Defence, and for that we are appreciative."

The contract extends until January 31, 2024, with two one-year options.

About Calian

www.calian.com

We keep the world moving forward. Calian helps people communicate, innovate, learn, stay safe and lead healthy lives with confidence. Every day, our employees live our values of customer-centricity, integrity, innovation and teamwork to engineer reliable solutions that solve complex problems. That's Confidence. Engineered. A stable and growing company for 40 years, we are headquartered in Ottawa with offices and projects spanning North American and international markets. Visit calian.com to learn about innovative healthcare, communications, learning and cybersecurity solutions.

Product or service names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Media inquiries:

pr@calian.com

613-599-8600 x 2298

Investor Relations inquiries:

ir@calian.com

DISCLAIMER

Certain information included in this press release is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Such statements are generally accompanied by words such as "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar statements. Factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of price competition; scarce number of qualified professionals; the impact of rapid technological and market change; loss of business or credit risk with major customers; technical risks on fixed price projects; general industry and market conditions and growth rates; international growth and global economic conditions, and including currency exchange rate fluctuations; and the impact of consolidations in the business services industry. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, please see the Company's most recent annual report and other reports filed by Calian with the Ontario Securities Commission. Calian disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No assurance can be given that actual results, performance or achievement expressed in, or implied by, forward-looking statements within this disclosure will occur, or if they do, that any benefits may be derived from them.

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Tel: 613.599.8600  Fax: 613-592-3664  General info email: info@calian.com

SOURCE: Calian Group Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696986/Canadian-Defence-Academy-and-Military-Personnel-Generation-Group-Renew-Contract-with-Calian
Edo, Inc., a US based data, measurement, and analytics software company, raised $80m in funding.

The strategic growth investment was made by Shamrock Capital.

The company intends to use the funds to scale its business in outcome measurement for Convergent TV by growing its team, further enhancing its Ad EnGage Convergent TV analytics platform, and expanding its partner network of data sources.

Founded in 2015 by Edward Norton and Dr. Daniel Nadler, Edo is a data, measurement, and analytics software company that informs media, creative and audience advertising investments across all Convergent TV platforms by measuring and optimizing for what triggers consumer behavior. The company is an innovative leader in applying data science software and behavioral metrics to help its clients  marketers, TV networks, and agencies  generate greater value from their creative efforts and media decisions.

With offices in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco, EDO counts leading global brands, media networks, and creative, marketing and research professionals among its roster of clients, including NBCUniversal, IBM, Subway, Royal Caribbean, New Balance, Amazon Studios, Fox, Nissan, SoFi, TaylorMade, Kia, Univision, Paramount, Hyundai, CBS, Toyota, Discovery, Warner Bros., Tracfone and Patron.

In addition to Shamrocks strategic growth investment, EDO will expand its Board of Directors, which currently consists of Norton, Nadler, and investor Jim Breyer, to include three new members: Shamrock Capital Partner Laura Held and Vice President Alicia Zhu, and EDO President & CEO Kevin Krim.

FinSMEs

11/04/2022
Gotrade, a Labuan, Malaysia-based investing platform that allows users to trade fractional shares of U.S. stocks and ETFs, raised $15.5m in Series A funding.

The funding round was led by Velocity Capital Fintech Ventures with participation from MUFG, BeeNext, Kibo Ventures, as well as returning investors LocalGlobe, Social Leverage, Picus Capital and Raptor Group.

Founded in 2019 by Rohit Mulani, Norman Wanto and David Grant, Gotrade is a mobile app-based stock investing application that enables users to invest as little as $1 in fractional shares of U.S. stocks on a commission-free platform. It has over 500,000 users from over 140 countries in its first year. Users have transacted over $400 million to date across more than 5 million trades.

The company intends to use the funds to grow its team of 40 and launch localized versions of its product in various markets, starting with Southeast Asia. Launching local versions of Gotrade will allow the company to start offering its product in local languages with local deposit methods across the region, which the company expects will unlock significant further growth.

In conjunction with its Series A funding, Gotrade announced the launch of Gotrade Indonesia, in partnership with local broker Valbury, the Jakarta Futures Exchange and the state-backed Futures Clearing House of Indonesia.

FinSMEs

11/04/2022
LionBird, a Tel Aviv, Israel- and Chicago, IL-based venture capital firm investing in pre-scale digital health companies, closed LionBird III, at $85m.

The fund was supported by 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. Founded in 2012, the firm has invested in more than 30 founding teams across the U.S. and Israel, 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 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 LionBirds second fund, and Gal Noyman-Veksler, PhD, a healthcare AI business executive and a venture experienced behavioral researcher, who was promoted from principal. They join partners Ed Michael, Chaim Friedman, and Jonathan Friedman.

FinSMEs

11/04/2022
White Star Capital, a multi-stage technology venture capital investment platform that backs founders building global businesses, announced the first close of its second Digital Asset Fund (DAF II).

The new $120m fund, which will continue to invest in crypto-networks and early-stage blockchain-enabled Web3 businesses, with a focus on DeFi and Gaming, is backed by major institutional investors and corporations including Ubisoft as an anchor LP.

The Digital Asset Fund (DAF II) will deploy between $1 million and $7 million in token and equity investments into 20 to 25 companies with a core focus in North America, Europe, and Asia. The fund is run by Managing Partner Sep Alavi and is supported by Eddie Lee and Luke Xiao in New York, Florent Jouanneau in London, Sanjay Zimmermann in Toronto, and Dimitri Nitchoun in Paris.

Since raising its first Digital Asset Fund in 2020, White Star Capital has invested in 20 companies across seven countries including Ledn, ALEX, Multis, Paraswap, Exlusible, and Rally, just to name a few.

White Star Capital operates out of New York, Paris, London, Montreal, Toronto, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Guernsey.

FinSMEs

11/04/2022
DSM Food Specialties

Our aim is to help customers succeed in their markets through strong innovation, exceptional application expertise and insight into the many, ever-changing needs of consumers worldwide.

For food, beverage and supplement manufacturers we offer the comprehensive resources needed to provide customized solutions. Scientific excellence aside, that means a deep knowledge and understanding of markets, consumers and the defining trends in our industry. Namely:

A sharp focus on health benefits: Consumers across the world want to look and feel better. The empowerment and awareness of consumers from India to Indiana is a defining trend in food and beverage nutrition, which we meet through our family of nutritional ingredients and products.



Taste is a key qualifier: If a product doesnt taste good it doesnt stand much chance of success. As the worlds tastes and preferences evolve and expand, we are increasingly helping customers innovate, with exciting, authentic and regional flavors and ingredients provided in a streamlined and efficient way.



The drive for convenience: Despite the trend for health foods, time-pressed consumers are looking to buy more processed and convenience food than ever. DSM is committed to helping customers address the need for fast, high-quality products.



Food safety and quality: Our ingredients are based on solid scientific evidence and application knowledge based on decades of experience in our markets. Were well aware that food safety and compliance is paramount for growing and ambitious food brands.
By Jonas von Oldenskioeld



My seven-year-old daughter recently asked me a big question: What is insurance?



Coming from someone who's spent their entire professional life in the industry, there's not just one straightforward answer. Strictly speaking, the insurance industry protects against the financial impacts of premature death, injury, loss of property or earning power, legal liability, or other unexpected events. However, the industry's overall contribution to the economy goes much further, playing a pivotal role in building resilience as societies develop.



Take the issue of climate change, for example. The most recent U.N. climate report indicates that over 3 billion people are highly vulnerable to global warming today. While the insurance industry is neither a direct polluter nor a climate change mitigation policy setter, it is nonetheless one of the critical pillars of a more sustainable future.



Over 40 straight days of rain might sound like something out of the Bible. Korea is no outlier in facing rising natural catastrophe risk. But that was the reality of summer 2020 here in Korea. That year alone, extreme weather caused 1.2 trillion won ($986 million) of property damage nationwide. Undoubtedly, the direct impacts of climate change are a significant aspect of the liability side of an insurer's balance sheet. Furthermore, research conducted by the Swiss Re Institute shows that in a worst-case climate change scenario, the Korean economy could shrink by 12.8 percent by the middle of this century as a result.



Such losses aren't always insured and can leave businesses and individuals financially devastated and struggling to recover. Globally natural catastrophes caused economic losses of $270 billion in 2021 alone, of which a mere $111 billion was covered by insurance. There are multiple reasons for this, including coverage costs and the difficulty of accurately modelling and pricing climate change risks to calculate insurance premiums.



Insurers can help mitigate the impacts of climate change by investing in and refining tools and technologies that measure climate-related risks and supporting government and private sector efforts to invest in greener infrastructure and energy sources.



What has been happening in Korea is very inspiring. The bold pledge of the Moon administration last October for COP26 in Glasgow to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 2018 levels by 2030 put the country at the forefront of the region's efforts to confront climate change. Much of the focus in this effort will be on energy and industrial policy, but achieving this target will require greater buy-in from the business community and society as a whole. It will involve costs, but the costs of doing nothing will be much higher and more widespread.



There is a high degree of public support for renewable energy in Korea, but building wind and solar farms come with a high degree of uncertainty. Recognizing and proactively addressing some of the risks around renewable energy will be key to financing projects identified as green under the evolving K-Taxonomy framework, and translating Korea's Green New Deal vision into reality on the ground.



As renewable energy generation continues to grow, so does the financial risk posed by the inherent volatility of the resources that make it possible. But Korea's experience shows how insurers can support the transition to a low carbon economy by giving governments and businesses the confidence to adopt new technologies in green infrastructure.



The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) increased renewable energy requirements for power producers with more than 500 megawatts of capacity to 12.5 percent by the end of 2022, up from the previous target of 10 percent. To meet this target, Korea's offshore wind farm industry will need to undergo an unprecedented expansion. The insurance industry not only provides risk assessment and management support for such projects; we also have a wealth of experience gained from working on similar initiatives around the world and are committed to sharing that knowledge with our partners in Korea.



At Swiss Re, we played an active role in developing the Offshore Code of Practice (OCoP), a best practices guide for risk management in offshore wind farms. We have been able to apply that experience to support the Korean offshore wind farm industry, starting in 2014 by providing risk management services to the Tamra offshore wind farm on Jeju, the first commercial project of its kind in the country. We were also the leading reinsurer providing risk management solutions across the entire lifecycle of the Southwest Offshore Wind Project, from construction through to operation.



However, the industry also needs to look ahead and find new solutions to help protect against mounting risks. In the case of renewable energy, which is often directly affected by the volatility of the weather, something called "parametric insurance" has been shown to be an excellent complementary tool in other countries to strengthen financial tolerance against weather variability.



Parametric insurances are based on independently verifiable and unambiguous parameters, such as measured wind speed, triggering a predefined payment quickly, simply and without lengthy adjustments. Such solutions are not permitted under the current system in Korea but could be an essential tool to secure broad financial support for investments in renewable energy.



These examples show how, by offsetting the risks involved in making these necessary investments in our future, the insurance industry can foster the development of renewables and help Korea meet its ambitious energy goals.



Therefore, the next time I get asked what insurance is, my answer will be that the insurance industry's job is to help reduce the financial harm caused when bad things happen. But I'll also explain that we ensure new things better so that the future can be built with more confidence and fewer concerns about risks. In the face of climate change, both of these roles have become more relevant than ever.



Jonas von Oldenskiold is a principal officer at the Korea Branch of the Swiss Re and chair of the Insurance Committee of the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK).






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MONDAY

"Resilience and Self-Care for Caregivers," 2 p.m. Mondays, April 11 through May 16, Zoom. Learn self-care skills to dramatically improve your overall mental, physical and emotional health. Small group format facilitated by J. Anna Looney. Sponsored by Samaritan Evergreen Hospice. Free registration: 609-468-2270 or cmbmannalooney@gmail.com.

TUESDAY

Academy for Lifelong Learning, 1:30 p.m., online. Matthew Graham, associate professor of the Oregon State University Micro-Femto Energetics Lab, will present "Capturing Electron Physics in the Twinkling of an Eye." How can we best harvest photocarriers in emerging nanomaterials to enable higher solar efficiencies and faster optoelectronics? The lab develops novel spectroscopy methods that resolve electron dynamics with both micron spatial resolution and femtosecond time-resolution. ALL invites nonmembers to attend one or two classes at no charge to see if they are interested in becoming a member; email admin@academyforlifelonglearning.org if you are interested in doing that for this class.

Corvallis Community Band spring concert, "Blossom by Blossom, Spring Begins," 7:30 p.m., LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th St. Conducted by artistic director Jim Martinez, the program will include pieces celebrating spring and the renewal of live performances by the band. Featuring the debut of a commissioned number by local composer Rob Birdwell. The concert is free, and no tickets are required. Information: 541-740-7882.

WEDNESDAY

Academy for Lifelong Learning, 1:30 p.m., online. Jacki Hedlund Tyler, assistant professor of history and director of social studies at Eastern Washington University, will present "The Origins of Settler Colonialism in the Pacific Northwest." The settlement of Oregon by white colonists was neither an organic process nor a natural extension of the United States. Hedlund Tyler will draw on research from her book, "Leveraging an Empire: Settler Colonialism and the Legalities of Citizenship," to address the formation of Oregon as a settler colony, and the forced removal of American Indians from their traditional lands. ALL invites nonmembers to attend one or two classes at no charge to see if they are interested in becoming a member; email admin@academyforlifelonglearning.org if you are interested.

THURSDAY

Academy for Lifelong Learning, 9:30 a.m., online. David Fenner, adjunct faculty, Middle East Center at the University of Washington, will present "Afghanistan: The Graveyard of Empires?" Fenner will explore the long and contentious history of Afghanistan, reaching as far back as the attempted conquest of this mountainous region by Alexander the Great, bringing the discussion right up to todays tragic headlines. ALL invites nonmembers to attend one or two classes at no charge to see if they are interested in becoming a member; email admin@academyforlifelonglearning.org if you are interested.

"A State of Immigrants: A New Look at the Immigrant Experience in Oregon," 6 p.m., online. This panel talk will feature authors of this recently released report, which documents actions of immigrants and the adoption of public policies and community level strategies in Oregon that are helping immigrants and refugees achieve social, civic, cultural and economic integration. Free. Information: Daniel.Lopez-Cevallos@oregonstate.edu.

Items for this calendar are pulled from the user-generated calendar that runs on our websites. For further information, write to jane.stoltz@lee.net.

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New PPP floor leader should prioritize dialogue, compromise



Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, one of the closest confidants of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, was elected the floor leader of the soon-to-be ruling People Power Party (PPP) Friday. He overwhelmingly defeated Rep. Cho Hae-jin, a three-term lawmaker, with 81 votes to 21.



Kweon, 61, won the party's internal election, as the majority of PPP lawmakers endorsed him as well-suited to build a harmonious relationship with the executive branch at the beginning of Yoon's term in office. The four-term lawmaker, who has been friends with the president-elect since childhood, is tasked with leading his party, which has only 110 out of the 300 legislative seats, against the Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) 172 seats.



His most pressing tasks will include gaining legislative approval for Yoon's Cabinet nominees, passing an extra budget bill for small merchants hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and other legislative issues related to the incoming Yoon administration such as government reorganization plans. That's why he vowed to devote himself to strengthening cooperation with the opposition parties upon being elected as floor leader. There is no doubt that he should try his utmost to achieve a political breakthrough through dialogue and compromise no matter how tough and recalcitrant the soon-to-be opposition DPK is.



What's more important, however, is to prevent his party from being a rubber stamp for decisions made by the presidential office. In fact, rumors are already circulating that the PPP will be subservient to the incoming administration, given Kweon's special relationship with the president-elect. Apparently aware of this, Kweon said, "I will spare no bitter words toward Yoon to keep him in check. I'll continue to speak candidly to him." It is imperative for the PPP and the presidential office to establish a healthy relationship so that checks and balances can be maintained based on better communication and confidence. Kweon, for his part, should help guide the nation on the right track by conveying public opinion to the new head of state candidly.




Nation_world

AP

COVID could be surging in the US right now and we might not even know it

Tribune News Service A sign alerts drivers to the COVID-19 testing and vaccination site in Pembroke Pines, Fla., last month.

The rise of COVID-19 cases in some regions of the U.S., just as testing efforts wane, has raised the specter that the next major wave of the virus might be difficult to detect. In fact, the country could be in the midst of a surge right now and we might not even know it.

Testing and viral sequencing are critical to responding quickly to new outbreaks of COVID-19. And yet, as the country tries to move on from the pandemic, demand for lab-based testing has declined and federal funding priorities have shifted. The change has forced some testing centers to shutter while others have hiked up prices in response to the end of government-subsidized testing programs. People are increasingly relying on at-home rapid tests if they decide to test at all. But those results are rarely reported, giving public health officials little insight into how widespread the virus truly is.

Theres always more spread than we can detect, said Abraar Karan, an infectious-disease physician at Stanford University. Thats true even more so now than earlier in the pandemic.

Despite groundbreaking scientific advances like vaccines and antivirals, public health experts say the U.S.s COVID-19 defenses appear to be getting weaker as time goes on, not stronger.

Were in a worse position, said Julia Raifman, an assistant professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University School of Public Health. Weve learned more about the virus and how to address it, and then we havent done what we need to do to address it.

In late February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began relying on hospital admissions and ICU capacity to determine community-level risk. That was a change from relying on COVID-19 case counts and the percentage of positive tests, which are widely considered a better snapshot of how much virus is circulating in a given community. Several states, including Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada and Ohio have now completely stopped reporting daily COVID-19 data to the CDC, making it more difficult to gauge the progression of the pandemic in those states.

According to the CDC, the majority of the country is still considered low risk. Public health experts argue this is misleading, though, given hospitalization and death generally occur days to weeks after initial infection. Without widespread testing, that could make it impossible to detect a surge until its too late to do anything about it.

CDC is understating and downplaying cases, said Gregg Gonsalves, an infectious-disease expert at Yales School of Public Health. Their alarm bells wont go off until we see a rise in hospitalizations and deaths, which are lagging indicators.

Transmissible variant

Though omicron tends to cause milder symptoms for healthy, vaccinated people, its transmissibility led to such a huge spike in cases that it caused hospitalization rates to break previous pandemic records. The variant was also responsible for a record number of children going to the hospital. Black people were hospitalized at twice the rate of white people during the surge in New York. Vaccines are extremely effective at preventing severe disease if not always at preventing cases, one of the reasons metrics shifted toward hospitalizations to judge the state of the virus. But failing to track cases creates a blind spot. Experts say it is critical to continue to track them in order to protect vulnerable communities and respond to new waves of the virus before the health system gets overwhelmed.

In recent weeks, cases have started to tick up in places like New York, Massachusetts and in Chicago, but conflicting public messaging has caused confusion. National leaders have largely declared victory over the virus, but some local governments are starting to again urge caution. New York City delayed lifting a mask mandate for kids under 5 years of age because of rising cases, and the citys health commissioner recommended New Yorkers return to masking indoors.

Still, even in New York things look vastly different than during the start of prior surges. Gone are the days of long testing lines and sold out antigen tests. And all over the country, pop-up testing centers, once a pandemic mainstay, are starting to disappear. Though state-run testing facilities have continued to operate in some regions, people without health insurance are facing high prices. And as of March 22, the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration is no longer accepting reimbursement claims from health providers for COVID-19 testing, either.

At the same time, at-home rapid testing has increased. The problem is, the CDC does not require people to report positive at-home test results, so its rare the results of at-home tests are factored into public health data.

We are probably underestimating the number of infections we are having now because many of the infections are either without symptoms or minimally symptomatic and you will miss people that do it at home, Anthony Fauci, the top medical adviser to President Joe Biden, told Bloomberg TV on Wednesday.

In New Jersey, for example, Stacy Flanagan, the director of health and human services for Jersey City, said that in the last three months she has had just two people call to report positive at-home tests. Cases are continuing apace in the city with an average of 64 new cases per day, according to health department data. Thats almost double the number of daily cases reported a month ago.

Weve heard from only a handful of conscientious people who call us and say, Ive done a home test and its positive, said Dave Henry, the health officer for more than a dozen towns in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Public health experts are left to piece together data from a variety of sources. For Rick Bright, a virologist and CEO of the Rockefeller Foundations Pandemic Prevention Institute, that means using the CDC data as well as a number of other sources to understand COVID-19s spread. Unfortunately, we still have to go to a handful of sites to try to patch together whats really happening across the country.

Other metrics such as wastewater surveillance and even air sampling might eventually become helpful alternatives in understanding how much virus is circulating in a community. For weeks, sewer data has shown cases are increasing in some regions of the U.S.foreshadowing the uptick in positives that places like New York and Massachusetts are now seeing.

In the nations capital, more than 50 people who attended the elite Gridiron Club dinner April 2 have tested positive for the coronavirus, the Washington Post reportedat least 8% of those who attended. The list of the infected includes the U.S. attorney general, the commerce secretary, aides to Vice President Kamala Harris and first lady Jill Biden, and the sister of the president.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who didnt attend the dinner, has also tested positive, raising concern about time she spent in proximity to President Joe Biden prior to her diagnosis.

Home testing

The White House maintains there is enough data about COVID-19 in circulation to catch the next surge. Tom Inglesby, senior policy adviser for Bidens COVID-19 Response Team, said the CDC gets 850,000 lab-based test results every day, which he believes is sufficient to detect trends in the positivity rate and variant prevalence.

It is true that there is a larger shift now to switch to over-the-counter testing. Thats definitely happening, Inglesby said during a panel discussion. There are various efforts underway to try to assess whether people might be willing to voluntarily report some fraction of those tests that are being performed at home. One biotech company, Ellume, has rolled out an at-home test and app that automatically reports positive tests to the CDC through a secure, HIPAA-compliant connection.

Meanwhile the CDC has pledged to ramp up its wastewater surveillance efforts. The agency does not yet have data from sites in every state, so even getting access to some of the sampling already underway could be useful. Environmental surveillance, like many other tools to track COVID-19, might be at risk without additional funding from Congress. On April 5, lawmakers reached an agreement to reallocate $10 billion to pandemic preparedness, which press secretary Jen Psaki said would fund the most immediate needs such as antivirals and tests. But that bill has yet to clear the Senate.

The information we are getting from the CDC is going to be less reliable, more spotty and lose momentum, Bright said. Theres really big concerns about the lack of sustainable financing to keep the momentum going and finish the job for the surveillance were building for pandemic prevention.

There could be a lesson from the 1918 flu pandemic. After cases started to go down after the first two waves of the influenza virus, public sentiment shifted and many health measures were lifted. But in 1919, at the tail end of the pandemic, a fourth wave hit New York City, causing deaths to spike higher than they had during prior waves, according to a government-funded study.

These late waves of the pandemics are sometimes the deadliest because people have given up, said Gonsalves from Yale.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Gettysburg, PA (17325)

Today

Periods of rain. High 52F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch..

Tonight

Cloudy. Periods of light rain early. Low 42F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
By Deauwand Myers





Russian President Vladimir Putin thought his modernized military would make quick work of Ukraine, since Russia has better military technology and more troops at its disposal than its smaller neighbor. He thought he could topple the democratically-elected Ukrainian government and install a puppet regime loyal to the Kremlin.



Finally, Putin believed that NATO and the West in general would be in disarray, too afraid to speak in one voice and unwilling to apply maximalist pressure on Russia, mainly diplomatic isolation and painful economic sanctions.



On every single calculation, Putin was emphatically wrong. The Russian national security apparatus, and indeed vaunted Russian intelligence, were woefully misinformed, and the beating Russian forces are receiving exposes surprising weaknesses in senior leadership.



Which begs another question: if Russia is being defeated through conventional and asymmetric means by a much smaller, weaker military like that of Ukraine, how much worse would Russia perform against a superpower like America or China?



Speaking of China, Chinese President Xi Jinping is a lot like Putin. They both were betrayed by their communist governments.



They both use the state's vast reach to quell political dissent, through violence or the threat of violence (though by any measure, Putin deploys outright murder in ways Xi, as of yet, does not. Xi prefers imprisonment and "re-education").



They both believe their respective countries were brutalized and humiliated by poor leadership at home and the West's interference. Most fundamentally, besides their mutual disdain for democracy and the West, they seek the return of a paternalistic fantasy from a bygone, glorious past, where Russia was the Soviet Union and where China was arguably the center of the civilized world.



Like Putin, Xi has made strides in consolidating political power (in Xi's case, through jailing perceived political rivals, violent imprisonment and cultural genocide of the Chinese Muslim minority population in China's northwest, granular control of Chinese citizens in their daily lives through a massive, dystopian, state surveillance apparatus, and most obviously, in both men's cases, abolishing term limits of the presidency itself).



China has conjured man-made islands along the South China Sea, illegally of course, and just like any authoritarian regime, lied, in this case about never militarizing said islands, which China did in short order nonetheless.



But Xi, ruthless as he is, doesn't have the same level of disregard for human life Putin so readily displays, nor would Xi like to stomach seeing countless numbers of his countrymen and women die in a needless war. As much as Xi demands unification with Taiwan, the democratic island nation is far more prepared for a conflict with its huge neighbor in ways Ukraine was not.



Taiwan has an advanced military. Taiwan has diplomatic and military relations with America. Japan, with one of the best navies on earth, has unofficially pledged to intervene should China decide to take Taiwan by force. Further, China suffers the same problems Russian forces have. Though recently modernized, neither military has had a sustained conflict by which to practice and hone their skills and integrate control and command like America has. The result for Russia is a humiliating, slow-burning defeat for the whole world to see.



Moreover, the Taiwanese, particularly younger generations, despise the idea of becoming part of China. The brutal Chinese crackdown of recently-returned Hong Kong is just one of many reasons the vast majority of Taiwanese would never submit to Chinese rule.



And consider, Xi, and China more broadly, want the aura of legitimacy by the international community. Putin suffers no such affliction and cares much less about the general welfare of the population than Xi.



Xi sees the consequences of warring with a determined foe in blood and treasure and international standing. The diplomatic, economic, and military costs of unilaterally invading a sovereign country, as seen in the case of Russia, would be exceedingly high.



The decoupling of world markets arguably began because of COVID-19. Russia's conflict with Ukraine is accelerating that process. Imagine what the world's response would be if China invaded Taiwan: catastrophic, for all parties, but particularly China.



There are many countries making all the things we like besides China and if world markets cut off China from commerce, trade, and banking, the Chinese Communist Party could very well cease to be. Xi is more pragmatic than Putin. For all his bluster, I don't see Xi invading Taiwan in an unprecedented third term of his presidency.



There are always lessons to be learned in failure. (Mr. Putin must be very wise by now). Xi sees how Russia has fared thus far in Putin's bloody war of choice, and he doesn't want his legacy to be tarnished with the damage or destruction of his party or his policies just for nationalistic ego. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a lesson for Xi, one he most likely will absorb.





Deauwand Myers (deauwand@hotmail.com) holds a master's degree in English literature and literary theory, and is an English professor outside of Seoul.


Gillette, WY (82718)

Today

Decreasing cloudiness and windy. High 69F. Winds WSW at 25 to 35 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 38F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
A model car decorated by Samsung Electro-Mechanics' multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) for vehicle powertrains / Courtesy of Samsung Electro-Mechanics



By Baek Byung-yeul



Samsung Electro-Mechanics is expanding its multi-layer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) lineup, as the company developed a new MLCC for automotive powertrains that performs well at high temperatures, the IT component arm of Samsung Group said, Monday.



The company said it developed 13 types of MLCCs for automotive powertrains with guaranteed use under temperatures up to 150 degrees Celsius.



Powertrains require high reliability for internal components as internal temperatures can rise to 150 degrees Celsius during transmission of power to the internal combustion engine of a traditional engine-powered car or the motor of an electric vehicle (EV).



As MLCCs that can guarantee operations at 150 degrees Celsius had been manufactured only by some Japanese makers such as Murata and TDK, the industry view is that Samsung Electro-Mechanics, the world's second-largest MLCC maker, is paving its way into the fast-growing automotive MLCC sector.



With the successful development of the new MLCCs, a company spokesman said, "Samsung Electro-Mechanics will step up its efforts to expand its market share by increasing its product competitiveness with an extended lineup of automotive components."



An MLCC is a core component of electronics in devices including smartphones, controlling the stable flow of current within electric circuits. With more cars adopting electronic equipment, MLCC makers are now putting more focus on the automotive MLCC market.



The electrification of vehicles has fueled the demand for smaller, high-performance and high-reliability MLCCs. Industry data estimates the automotive MLCC market to grow at a compound annual rate of 9 percent thanks to the increasing number of sensors and electric control units for EVs.



Samsung said the new MLCCS come in various sizes and capacitances, ranging from what it calls the 3225 size which is 3.2 millimeters in width and 2.5 millimeters in length with a high-capacitance of 22 microfarads, the smaller 1608 size.



"Automotive products used in extreme environments are more difficult to develop than products for IT devices, and among them, powertrain applications are the most difficult," said Kim Doo-young, head of the Component Solution Unit at Samsung Electro-Mechanics.



"Samsung Electro-Mechanics will further expand our presence in the automotive MLCC market by using differentiated materials and manufacturing techniques, such as in-house development of dielectric materials."


Matthew Sartorius is the new chief operations officer at the Abrazo Community Health Networks Arrowhead campus. (Abrazo Community Health Network/Submitted)
Trondheim, 11 April 2022: The Annual General Meeting of NORBIT ASA will be held on Wednesday 4 May 2022 at 4:00 pm at the companys headquarter in Stiklestadveien 1, 7041 Trondheim, Norway.

Shareholders who are not able to physically attend the meeting, are encouraged to submit a proxy form prior to the meeting.

Attached please find the following documents:

The notice of the general meeting, including the proposed resolutions and attendance and proxy forms

The proposal from the nomination committee for the general meeting

The guidelines for remuneration to the senior executives

The board of directors report on salary and other remuneration for leading personnel for 2021

The proposed new instruction to the nomination committee

The proposed new articles of association

All documents to be processed in the meeting, including access to electronic registration and proxy, will be made available at the companys website www.norbit.com .

To access the electronic system for notification of attendance, reference number and PIN code must be stated.

For more information, please contact:

Per Jrgen Weisethaunet, CEO, +47 959 62 915

Per Kristian Reppe, CFO, +47 900 33 203

About NORBIT ASA

NORBIT is a global provider of tailored technology to selected niches, solving challenges and promoting sustainability through innovative solutions, in line with its mission to Explore More. The company is structured in three business segments to address its key markets: Oceans, Connectivity and Product Innovation & Realization (PIR). The Oceans segment delivers tailored technology solutions to global maritime markets. The Connectivity segment providing wireless solutions for identification, monitoring and tracking. The PIR segment offers R&D services, proprietary products and contract manufacturing to key customers.



NORBIT is headquartered in Trondheim with manufacturing in Norway, has around 400 employees and a worldwide sales and distribution platform.



For more information: www.norbit.com

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

Attachments
LONDON, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Financial Times Private Wealth Management (PWM) magazine recently hosted a virtual panel discussion on the impact of global risks on countries with Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes.



As part of its PWM Perspectives series, the four-part panel discussion shares the views and insights of notable experts from major due diligence investigation agencies including Karen Kelly, director of strategy and development at Exiger; Eddy Leviton, chief operating officer at Fact WorldWide and Heyrick Bond Gunning, chief operating officer at S-RM.

The panel, moderated by Yuri Bender, editor in chief Professional Wealth Management magazine, shone a spotlight on due diligence processes amid rising geopolitical risks.

More and more savvy investors, entrepreneurs and families are looking for legitimate ways to protect and grow their wealth and investments amid rising uncertainty throughout the world. These people are looking for safe and trusted plan B routes that will ensure that their longevity should the environment change for the worst in their home countries.

Obtaining an alternative citizenship by contributing financially to another countrys economic or social needs is one way to do this. There is growing attention being given to countries who offer citizenship by investment and how they verify credentials of families and entrepreneurs looking to secure a new citizenship.

Speaking on the verification process, Karen Kelly, director of strategy and development at Exiger says When a country is considering bestowing citizenship to an investor it requires a very in depth look at that investor  who they are, what their background is and where their funds are coming from. A third piece of that is engaging a third-party expert to ensure the veracity of all the information supplied.

Due diligence mainly involves a number of processes with the main ones being document verification, checking if an applicant has criminal convictions and hits on sanctions lists or watch lists around the world, checking whether the applicant is subject to litigation or judgements, verifying the applicants source of wealth and the applicants reputation  a process that spans more than a 10 year period. The due diligence process does not only make use of available online resources and cross-referencing different databases but also makes use of on the ground intelligence who are able to ask face-to-face questions.

All this information is then submitted in report format by the intelligence agency to the client, which is the host country.

Heyrick Bond Gunning, chief operating officer at S-RM emphasised that continuous monitoring is key to a robust due diligence programme. Peoples circumstances change and what we as intelligence agencies do is provide countries evidence of a snapshot in time. Lifetime monitoring is something CBI Units are now doing to stay on top of any potential challenges and issues that may arise.

This new layer of ongoing monitoring has become a key pillar of CBI Units in Caribbean jurisdictions, which are setting global best practices when it comes to advancements in due diligence processes.

This is especially true now, proactive countries in the Caribbean are now looking at past approved applicants to see who may cause issues in the future ahead of potential sanctions.

With growing negative attention on CBI countries, many CBI units are acutely aware of the work they need to do maintain the reputation and integrity of their CBI offerings.

Funds from CBI programmes often provide a vital source of income for some countries, especially in times of crisis  as is often the case for Caribbean countries devastated by hurricanes  these countries value the investment that goes into their economies, and the benefits to their people.

To that end, Caribbean nations offer some of the most rigorous due diligence checks when compared to some countries in Europe. The due diligence standards in the Caribbean region are some of the most effective in minimising perceived and actual security risks.

Host countries who are transparent and follow proper due diligence processes also positively impact their own brand and reputation in the international market.

Caribbean nations have been known to take a risk-based approach and are actively involved throughout the whole process.

Countries are particularly proactive in engaging their regional and international law enforcement and intelligence partners for information sharing agreements and are increasingly mandating that immigration and marketing agents who bring on applicants carry out certain minimum Know Your Customer due diligence processes.

Chief operating officer at Fact WorldWide, Eddy Leviton adds by saying countries who offer citizenship by investment are offering high levels of due diligence, with some using two diligence agencies to cross check information.

They know that the reputational risk to their brand and their programmes is so high, that they are making sure that due diligence is of the highest standards.

As custodians of the citizenship by investment industry, we have made a concerted effort to support and guide governments to put extra attention on due diligence processes as this is the cornerstone of success for the programmes and a prerequisite to gaining trust of the international community, says Paul Singh, Director at CS Global Partners  a leading citizenship planning firm.

Caribbean countries offer some of the most robust due diligence processes in the industry as some of their citizenship by investment programmes have been around for decades, as is the case with St Kitts and Nevis Programme which was established in 1984 and that of Dominica which was established in 1993.

These countries realise the importance of protecting and enhancing not only their reputation in the international community but also ensuring that their citizens and applicants know that they are investing in reputable and trusted brands for their businesses and families.

Professional Wealth Management, from the FT Group, is the premier resource for private banking and mutual fund coverage in Europe, Asia and beyond.



Watch the series here: https://video.pwmnet.com/

pr@csglobalpartners.com

www.csglobalpartners.com

+447824029952
Dublin, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Kuwait Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Kuwait is an emerging IT hub in the Middle Eastern region. Under the initiative Vision 2035, Kuwait aims to be a "financial and commercial" center in the Middle Eastern region. Government agencies and private sectors switch to digital platforms, which enhance the development of cloud, colocation, and managed facilities, thereby boosting the data center market growth.



The rise in the number of internet users will increase data generation, generating a high data traffic. Rapid development in network connectivity, increased support from government bodies, and high adoption of cloud, big data, and IoT services have been strong drivers for the growth of the Kuwait data center industry.

KUWAIT DATA CENTER MARKET SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS

In Kuwait, the adoption of VRLA battery-based UPS systems dominates the market with over 90% share. Most data centers are equipped with N+1 redundancy UPS systems that can be increased up to 2N redundancy as per client requirements.



In Kuwait, the market is dominated by greenfield construction and is also witnessing the development of on-premises modular data center construction.

VENDOR ANALYSIS

In July 2020, Ooredoo and Batelco partnered to launch "Global Zone Kuwait" which will offer an ecosystem platform to support the digital transformation in the country.



IT Infrastructure Providers

Arista Networks

Broadcom

Cisco Systems

Dell Technologies

Fujitsu

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

Hitachi Vantara

Huawei Technologies

IBM

Juniper Networks

NetApp

Oracle

Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors

AECOM

EGEC

Marafie Group

Egis

Support Infrastructure Providers

ABB

Airedale International Air Conditioning

Alfa Laval

Caterpillar

Cummins

Eaton

Honeywell International

Johnson Controls

Legrand

Rittal

Schneider Electric

STULZ

Vertiv Group

Data Center Investors

Ooredoo

Gulf Data Hub

Kuwait Telecommunication Company (STC)

Zajil Telecom

MARKET ENABLERS

Cloud Adoption boosting Data Center Demand

Big Data, IoT & AI driving Data Center Investments

Migration from On-premises Infrastructure to Colocation & Cloud Services

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THIS RESEARCH?

Market size available in the investment, area, power capacity, and the Kuwait colocation market revenue.

An assessment of the data center investment in Kuwait by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators.

Data center investments in the area (square feet) and power capacity (MW) across cities in the country.

A detailed study of the existing Kuwait data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about the Kuwait data center market size during the forecast period.

Snapshot of existing and upcoming third-party data center facilities in Kuwait

Facilities Covered (Existing): 6

Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 01

Coverage: 2 Cities

Existing vs. Upcoming (Data Center Area)

Existing vs. Upcoming (IT Load Capacity)

Data center colocation market in Kuwait

Market Revenue & Forecast (2021-2027)

Retail Colocation Pricing

The Kuwait data center landscape market investments are classified into IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecast.

A comprehensive analysis of the latest trends, growth rate, potential opportunities, growth restraints, and prospects for the industry.

Business overview and product offerings of prominent IT infrastructure providers, construction contractors, support infrastructure providers, and investors operating in the industry.

A transparent research methodology and the analysis of the demand and supply aspect of the market.

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Existing & Upcoming Third-Party Data Centers in Kuwait

5+ Unique Data Center Properties

Data Center It Load Capacity

Data Center White Floor Area Space

Existing Vs Upcoming Data Center Capacity by Cities

Cities Covered

Kuwait City

Subahiya

Chapter 2 Investment Opportunities in Kuwait

Data Center Investments

Investment by Area

Investment by Power Capacity

Chapter 3 Data Center Colocation Market in Kuwait

Colocation Services Market in Kuwait

Retail Colocation

Colocation Pricing (Quarter Rack, Half Rack, Full Rack) & Add-Ons

Chapter 4 Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Market Trends

Market Restraints

Chapter 5 Market Segmentation

It Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

Electrical Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

Mechanical Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

General Construction Services: Market Size & Forecast

Chapter 6 Tier Standard Investment

Tier I & Ii

Tier Iii

Tier Iv

Chapter 7 Key Market Participants

It Infrastructure Providers

Construction Contractors

Support Infrastructure Providers

Data Center Investors

Chapter 8 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vaz4mn

Attachment
Dublin, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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.

Water purification has become the need of the hour as UN records more than 4 billion cases of diarrhoea every year due 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.



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.

Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market Key Players Perspective:



Some of the Key players in this market that have been studied for this report include: CP Kelco Oil Field Group, Huntsman Corporation, Croda International PLC, Weatherford International, Stepan Company, Enviro Fluid, Rimpro-India, Evonik Industries AG, Flotek Industries and others



Market Research and Market Trends of Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market

Researchers at the Yale University have developed a nanocoagulant material for the treatment of water contaminants. This new nanotechnology based water treatment system was inspired by the sea organism named, Actinia that captures its prey using its tentacles. This treatment method is highly novel, as it significantly removes contaminants in a single coagulative action, without the need for multiple treatment processes. Creating an efficient and easy-to-operate technology to remove all contaminants from water is key to addressing global water scarcity.

Based on World Health Organization, there are an estimated 1.7 billion cases of childhood diarrhoeal disease every year as a result of lack of safe drinking water and sanitation. Researchers in India have recently come up with a solution to this problem with a water treatment system using nanotechnology. This water treatment technology uses composite nanoparticles that emit silver ions which result in destroying contaminants. The researchers claim that this kind of water treatment systems using nanotechnology, will have a vital role in the future water treatment system market.

Havells India recently entered the Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems market, with one of its key products named Havells Max 100% RO & UV. This new product claims to include 7 purification segments including UV and RO treatment processes. As new players enter the water purification market segment in developing countries like India confirms the theory that increasing urbanization pan India, would lead to an increase in demand for Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems in the future.

Fairey Industrial Ceramics Limited trading as Doulton Water Filters.

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)

6.1. Segment type Size and Market Share Analysis

6.2. Application Revenue and Trends by type of Application

6.3. Application Segment Analysis by Type

6.3.1. Filtration Methods

6.3.1.1. Mechanical Filters

6.3.1.2. Activated Carbon Filters

6.3.1.2.1. Block Form

6.3.1.2.2. Granular Form

6.3.1.3. Bio-sand Filters

6.3.1.4. Cartridge Filters

6.3.2. Reverse Osmosis Systems

6.3.3. Distillation Systems

6.3.4. Disinfection and Oxidation

6.3.4.1. UV Radiation

6.3.4.2. Ozonization

6.3.4.3. Chlorination

6.3.5. Ion Exchange

6.3.5.1. Anion Exchange

6.3.5.2. Cation Exchange

6.3.6. Air Stripping/Aeration

6.3.6.1. Packed Tower Aeration

6.3.7. Others



7. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems - By End User (Market Size -$Million / $Billion)

7.1. Residential

7.2. Non-Residential

7.2.1. Educational Institutions

7.2.2. Commercial

7.2.3. Healthcare

7.2.4. Industrial



8. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems - By Design (Market Size -$Million / $Billion)

8.1. Personal water bottle with filter

8.2. Pour through filter with pitcher

8.3. Faucet Mounted Filter with diverter.

8.4. Counter top manual fill system.

8.5. Counter top system connected to sink faucet.

8.6. Plumbed into sink faucet.

8.7. Plumbed into separate tap

8.8. Replacement Filters

8.9. Flow-Through Units

8.8. Others



9. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems - By Applicable Standards/Regulations (Market Size -$Million / $Billion)

9.1. NSF International

9.2. ANSI (American National Standards Institute)

9.3. US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

9.4. JWPA (Japan Water Purifier Association)

9.5. Others



10. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems - By Geography (Market Size -$Million / $Billion)

10.1. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market - North America Segment Research

10.2. North America Market Research (Million / $Billion)

10.2.1. Segment type Size and Market Size Analysis

10.2.2. Revenue and Trends

10.2.3. Application Revenue and Trends by type of Application

10.2.4. Company Revenue and Product Analysis

10.2.5. North America Product type and Application Market Size

10.2.5.1. U.S.

10.2.5.2. Canada

10.2.5.3. Mexico

10.2.5.4. Rest of North America

10.3. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems - South America Segment Research

10.4. South America Market Research (Market Size -$Million / $Billion)

10.4.1. Segment type Size and Market Size Analysis

10.4.2. Revenue and Trends

10.4.3. Application Revenue and Trends by type of Application

10.4.4. Company Revenue and Product Analysis

10.4.5. South America Product type and Application Market Size

10.4.5.1. Brazil

10.4.5.2. Venezuela

10.4.5.3. Argentina

10.4.5.4. Ecuador

10.4.5.5. Peru

10.4.5.6. Colombia

10.4.5.7. Costa Rica

10.4.5.8. Rest of South America

10.5. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems - Europe Segment Research

10.6. Europe Market Research (Market Size -$Million / $Billion)

10.6.1. Segment type Size and Market Size Analysis

10.6.2. Revenue and Trends

10.6.3. Application Revenue and Trends by type of Application

10.6.4. Company Revenue and Product Analysis

10.6.5. Europe Segment Product type and Application Market Size

10.6.5.1. U.K

10.6.5.2. Germany

10.6.5.3. Italy

10.6.5.4. France

10.6.5.5. Netherlands

10.6.5.6. Belgium

10.6.5.7. Spain

10.6.5.8. Denmark

10.6.5.9. Rest of Europe

10.7. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems - APAC Segment Research

10.8. APAC Market Research (Market Size -$Million / $Billion)

10.8.1. Segment type Size and Market Size Analysis

10.8.2. Revenue and Trends

10.8.3. Application Revenue and Trends by type of Application

10.8.4. Company Revenue and Product Analysis

10.8.5. APAC Segment - Product type and Application Market Size

10.8.5.1. China

10.8.5.2. Australia

10.8.5.3. Japan

10.8.5.4. South Korea

10.8.5.5. India

10.8.5.6. Taiwan

10.8.5.7. Malaysia



11. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market - Entropy

11.1. New product launches

11.2. M&A's, collaborations, JVs and partnerships



12. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market Company Analysis

12.1. Market Share, Company Revenue, Products, M&A, Developments

12.2. CP Kelco Oil Field Group

12.3. Huntsman Corporation

12.4. Croda International PLC

12.5. Weatherford International

12.6. Stepan Company

12.7. Enviro Fluid

12.8. Flotek Industries



13. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market -Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/j7lcqs
English Italian

The Red Dot Design Award, one of the worlds largest design competitions, has recognized the STEYR Terrus CVT tractor as a winner in the Product Design category. The Red Dot Label has become established internationally as one of the most sought-after marks of quality for good design.



London, April 11, 2022

STEYR, a regional agricultural brand of CNH Industrial (NYSE: CNHI / MI: CNHI), has been awarded the prestigious 2022 Red Dot Design Award for its Terrus CVT Tractor, the latest in a series of accolades for this vehicle. The award is determined by an international design jury who, this year, evaluated a record number of international entries from companies and design studios. As a winner in the Product Design category, the Terrus CVT will feature in the next edition of the Red Dot Design Yearbook and will be present in the winners area of www.red-dot.org.

The new Terrus CVT tractor combines style and function, blending a bold and rugged exterior design with a premium interior focused on operator comfort and ergonomics. In the cab, a passenger seat can also serve as an office table and the all-new Multicontroller III armrest is customizable to user preference or application requirements, making operation more intuitive, more enjoyable, and ultimately more productive.

The Red Dot Design Award honors the outstanding design work carried out by the CNH Industrial Design team and is the latest recognition of the Companys continued excellence in industry leading style and quality.

CNH Industrial (NYSE: CNHI / MI: CNHI) is a world-class equipment and services company. Driven by its purpose of Breaking New Ground, which centers on Innovation, Sustainability and Productivity, the Company provides the strategic direction, R&D capabilities, and investments that enable the success of its five core Brands: Case IH, New Holland Agriculture and STEYR, supplying 360 agriculture applications from machines to implements and the digital technologies that enhance them; and CASE and New Holland Construction Equipment delivering a full lineup of construction products that make the industry more productive. Across a history spanning over two centuries, CNH Industrial has always been a pioneer in its sectors and continues to passionately innovate and drive customer efficiency and success. As a truly global company, CNH Industrials 37,000+ employees form part of a diverse and inclusive workplace, focused on empowering customers to grow, and build, a better world.

For more information and the latest financial and sustainability reports visit: cnhindustrial.com

For news from CNH Industrial and its Brands visit: media.cnhindustrial.com

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Fabian Anna Angelini North America United Kingdom Tel. +1 312 515 2249 Tel. +44 (0)7725 826 007



Email: mediarelations@cnhind.com

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Pune, India, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Europe CRO services market size was USD 16.97 billion in 2021. The market is projected to grow from USD 19.68 billion in 2022 to USD 35.91 billion by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.0% during the forecast period. This information is published by Fortune Business Insights, in its report titled, Europe CRO Services Market, 2022-2029.

Speedy technological progressions and rising urbanization in European nations are motivating numerous biotech and pharmaceutical corporations to subcontract their research development to numerous contract research establishments. This is likely to bolster the Europe CRO services market share value.

Key Industry Development

December 2021: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. finalized the procurement of Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC. This attainment boosted the prime facilities and services of the company.





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Report Scope & Segmentation :

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022-2029 Forecast Period 2022 to 2029 CAGR 9.0% 2029 Value Projection USD 35.91 billion Base Year 2021 Market Size in 2022 USD 19.68 billion Historical Data for 2018-2020 No. of Pages 78 Segments covered By Service Type, By Application, By End User, By Country/Sub-Region Growth Drivers Increasing competition in the market and shortage of skilled professionals are the major factors expected to negatively impact the Europe CRO services market growth. Increase in the number of clinical trials, and increase in demand for novel and effective drug due to the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases were the key factors responsible for the growth of the market.





Robust Foundation for Biotechnology in Europe to Define Market Growth

Europe has numerous developed research establishments, medical centers, and hospitals that offer a concrete base for sourcing and creating scientific and clinical inventions. For example, according to an article by Germany Trade and Invest, in 2019, roughly 500 pharmaceutical corporations were based in Germany, which involved domestic corporations as well as subsidiaries of international firms. Moreover, the existence of these recognized companies is predicted to fuel the Europe CRO services market growth in the region.

Report Coverage

The report offers a rounded review of the Europe CRO services market along with ongoing trends and impending anticipations to predict company revenue. A detailed review of any future prospects, jeopardies, competitions, or fueling aspects is also presented in the report. A thorough and methodical regional review is presented in the report. The COVID-19 effects have been described in the report to aid investors and entrepreneurs to perceive the jeopardies better. The prime players in the market are acknowledged, and their notions to boost the market growth are mentioned in the report.





Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this Market:

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Oncology Segment to Dominate during Forecast Period

Based on service type, the Europe CRO services market is segmented into discovery, pre-clinical, clinical, and laboratory services.

Based on application, the market is segmented into oncology, CNS disorder, cardiology, infectious diseases, metabolic disorder, and others. The oncology segment held a dominant market share in the year 2021 owing to the high prevalence of different types of cancer diseases. The segment held a 26.9% market share in 2021 and is projected to expand at a considerably high CAGR during the forecast period.

The market by end-user can be segmented into pharmaceutical and biotech companies, medical devices companies, academic and research institutes, and others.

By country or sub-region, the market is segregated into the U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, and the rest of Europe.

Procurements Commenced by Pivotal Players to Endorse Market Growth

The dominating players in the market continually choose to apply effective tactics to spur their brand value as well as endorse the market growth of the product with facing the lowest imaginable hurdles. One such proficient stratagem is procuring other companies and hence fortifying a profit for both the involved companies. Pivotal companies in the market often make important announcements concerning few business moves, which impact the market in an affirmative or adverse manner. Players procure corporations, unveil novel products, involve in collaborative agreements, and also sign deals with government bodies, and so on.





Quick Buy - Europe CRO Services Market:

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The Report Lists the Key Companies in the Global Market

Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific )(U.S.)

Medpace Holdings, Inc. (U.S.)

Parexel International Corporation (Ireland)

IQVIA (U.S.)

Laboratory Corporation of American Holdings (U.S.)

Charles River Laboratories (U.S.)

PHASTAR (U.K.)

Oy 4Pharma Ltd (Finland)

PSI (Switzerland)





Table of Contents

Introduction Market Scope Market Segmentation Market Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Key Industry Developments The Regulatory Scenario in Europe COVID-19 Impact on the Contract Research Organization Market Overview of Biometric Contract Research Organization (CRO) Services in Europe: Key Players and Services

Europe CRO Services Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2018-20289 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Service Type Discovery Pre-Clinical Clinical Laboratory Service Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Oncology CNS Disorder Cardiology Infectious Disease Metabolic Disorder Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End-User Pharmaceutical and Biotech Companies Medical Device Companies Academic and Research institutes Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Country Germany UK France Italy Spain Scandinavia Rest of Europe



ToC Continued





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Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung departed for the United States on Monday to attend a global auto show and check on the automaking group's business in the North American market, sources said.







Chung's latest visit, accompanied by top Hyundai officials, marks his third trip to the country in about two months, reflecting his keen attention to the American market where Hyundai has been faring far better than its foreign competitors despite the continued automotive chip supply issues.







Chung is expected to attend the New York International Auto Show 2022, set to kick off later this week, where Hyundai Motor will present its Palisade SUV and the partly revised version of the Telluride SUV built by its smaller affiliate Kia, according to the sources familiar with the matter.







Chung traveled to Las Vegas in January to attend the Consumer Electronics Show and reportedly made an unofficial trip to the U.S. in February.







Hyundai sold more than 1.48 million vehicles in the United States last year, a record high that placed the South Korean automaker in the fifth spot in terms of U.S. sales and that also trumped Honda for the first time in 35 years.







In the January-March period of this year, Hyundai sold 322,593 vehicles in the U.S., driven by robust sales of its premium brand Genesis, offsetting the concerns over the auto chip supply shortages. (Yonhap)






Dublin, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "South Korea Digital Freight Forwarding Market: Prospects, Trends Analysis, Market Size and Forecasts up to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The country research report on South Korea digital freight forwarding market is a customer intelligence and competitive study of the South Korea market.

Moreover, the report provides deep insights into demand forecasts, market trends, and, micro and macro indicators in the South Korea market.

Also, factors that are driving and restraining the digital freight forwarding market are highlighted in the study. This is an in-depth business intelligence report based on qualitative and quantitative parameters of the market. Additionally, this report provides readers with market insights and detailed analysis of market segments to possible micro levels. The companies and dealers/distributors profiled in the report include manufacturers & suppliers of digital freight forwarding market in South Korea.



Segments Covered

The report on South Korea digital freight forwarding market provides a detailed analysis of segments in the market based on deployment mode, transportation mode, function, and end users.



Segmentation Based on Deployment Mode

Cloud

On-premises

Segmentation Based on Transportation Mode

Air

Land

Sea

Segmentation Based on Function

Regulatory and Compliance Management

Shipping Management

Warehouse Management

Segmentation Based on End Users

Transportation and Logistics

Automotive

Healthcare

Manufacturing

Retail

Government

E-commerce

Others

Highlights of the Report

The report provides detailed insights into:

1) Demand and supply conditions of digital freight forwarding market

2) Factor affecting the digital freight forwarding market in the short run and the long run

3) The dynamics including drivers, restraints, opportunities, political, socioeconomic factors, and technological factors

4) Key trends and future prospects

5) Leading companies operating in digital freight forwarding market and their competitive position in South Korea

6) The dealers/distributors profiles provide basic information of top 10 dealers & distributors operating in (South Korea) digital freight forwarding market

7) Matrix: to position the product types

8) Market estimates up to 2027



The report answers questions such as:

1) What is the market size of digital freight forwarding market in South Korea?

2) What are the factors that affect the growth in digital freight forwarding market over the forecast period?

3) What is the competitive position in South Korea digital freight forwarding market?

4) What are the opportunities in South Korea digital freight forwarding market?

5) What are the modes of entering South Korea digital freight forwarding market?



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nzmifd
New York, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Modified Starch Market by Raw Material, End-User, Form And Region - Global Forecast to 2027" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p04716219/?utm_source=GNW

These processes are used to change the properties of native starch, such as its freeze-thaw stability, acid or alkali resistance, and shear stability to meet industrial requirements. Modified starches are used for functions such as thickening, stabilizing, binding, and emulsification. Apart from food products, it is also used in a wide range of non-food applications and the animal feed industry.



Asia Pacific is projected to witness the growth of 3.4% during the forecast period.

The modified starch market in Asia Pacific is growing at a CAGR of 3.4% due to the rising demand in large economies, such as China, India, Japan, and other Southeast Asian countries. The industrial organization and technology of modified starch processing are changing rapidly in Asia Pacific. Unlike other regions where starch is processed almost entirely by large companies, in Asia Pacific, modified starch processing is done by small and medium-sized firms. Historically, native starch has been largely used for food products in the Asia Pacific region. The industrial applications and technologies involved in modified starch processing are changing rapidly in the Asia Pacific countries. Modified starch is increasingly being demanded by various industries in the region and these industries are incorporating modified raw material of starches in their manufacturing processes and products.



The corn modified starch dominates the market with 60.5% of total market share in terms of value.



The corn modified starch dominates the market with 60.5% of total market share in terms of value in 2021. The North American modified starch market is dominated by corn starch due to its low price. Similarly, in Europe, the market is almost equally distributed among wheat, potato, and corn. In the Asia Pacific countries, however, the focus is on cassava, along with potato and corn. In some cases, the modified starch industry is likely to choose based on the cost factor of the starch over the quality or ingredient due to cost considerations.



Modified starches are used to remove the constraints of food applications.

In food, the aim of modified starches is to remove the constraints of food applications (for example, in cooking, freezing/thawing, canning, or sterilization) and make the ingredients compatible with modern food processing.Modified starches are used, for example in food products that need to be microwaved, freeze-dried, cooked at high temperatures, or baked and fried so that the texture of such foods does not change during the cooking process.



Modified starches are used in chips, canned soups, cheese sauces, powder-coated foods (cocoa-dusted almonds), and candies.Starch is a binder used especially for sauces or soups, but it is not stable and releases water after long storage in the fridge.



The common objective of most of these transformations is to limit the natural tendency of the starch to remove the water.During the cooking of soup, for example, the native starch is hydrated in contact with water.



The starch granules expand and the viscosity of the solution increases, giving it a particular texture.



Break-up of Primaries:

 By Company Type: Tier 1  40.0%, Tier 2- 30.0%, Tier 3  30.0%

 By Designation: Managers  40.0%, CXOs  25.0%, and Executives- 35.0%

 By Region: Europe - 30%, Asia Pacific  50%, North America - 10%, RoW  10%



Leading players profiled in this report:

 Archer Daniel Midlands Company (US)

 CARGILL (US)

 Ingredion Incorporated (US)

 Tate & Lyle (UK)

 Avebe U.A. (The Netherlands)

 Royal Ingredients Group (The Netherlands)

 Roquette Freres (France)

 Emsland (Germany)

 Grain Processing Corporation (US)

 AGRANA (Austria)

 SMS Corporation (Thailand)

 Global Bio-Chem Technology Group Company Limited (Hong-Kong)

 SPAC Starch Products (India) Ltd. (India)

 Qindao CBH Co., Ltd. (China)

 Tereos (France)

 KMC (Denmark)



Research Coverage:

The report segments the modified starch market on the basis of function, modification type, raw material, form, application and region. In terms of insights, this report has focused on various levels of analysesthe competitive landscape, end-use analysis, and company profiles, which together comprise and discuss views on the emerging & high-growth segments of the global modified starch, high-growth regions, countries, government initiatives, drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges.



Reasons to buy this report:

 To get a comprehensive overview of the modified starch market

 To gain wide-ranging information about the top players in this industry, their product portfolios, and key strategies adopted by them

 To gain insights about the major countries/regions in which the modified starch market is flourishing

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04716219/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
Portland, OR, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the Asia-Pacific skin care products market generated $61.25 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $105.66billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 5.4% from 2021 to 2030. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the top investment pockets, top winning strategies, drivers & opportunities, market size & estimations, competitive scenario, and wavering market trends.

Surge in female population across the globe, rise in the preference of female toward innovative beauty products, emergence of modern trades, increase in concerns about beauty and appearance among women, exponential growth in income level, and rise in demand for skin care products from working professionals across the globe is expected to drive the growth of the Asia-Pacific skin care products market. On the other hand, presence of animal origin in the skin care product ingredients is expected to curb the growth to some extent. However, rise in the popularity of energizing and anti-ageing skin care products is expected to create immense opportunities in the industry.

Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Asia-pacific Skin Care Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/16257?reqfor=covid

COVID-19 Scenario:

The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a negative impact on the growth of the Asia-Pacific skin care products market, owing to the prevalence of lockdowns in various countries across the globe. Lockdowns led to the closure of salons and spas in the majority of countries. In addition, home seclusion and preventative health trends further aggravated the growth of the market.

However, surge in inclination toward at-home beauty treatments will positively impact the growth of the market.



The report offers a detailed segmentation of the Asia-Pacific skin care products market based on product type, age group, demographic, distribution channel and region.

Based on product type, the face care segment generated the highest market share in 2020, garnering nearly half of the total market. The body care, on the other hand, is expected to cite the fastest CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period.

Based on demographics, the female segment generated the majority share in 2020, contributing to nearly three-fifths of the total market. The male segment, on the other hand is expected to exhibit the fastest CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period.

Download Sample Copy of Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/16257

Based on age group, generation x segment held the lions share in 2020, garnering nearly half of the total market. The generation z segment, on the other hand, is expected to cite the fastest CAGR of 6.41% during the forecast period.

The key players of the market analyzed in the Asia-Pacific skin care products market report include L'Oreal S.A., Beiersdorf AG, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Inc., Avon Products, Inc.

Colgate-Palmolive Company, Revlon, Kao Corporation, SHISEIDO COMPANY.

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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.


United States, Rockville, MD, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fact.MRs image guided surgery devices market report forecasts strong expansion, expecting an incline of 8.4% CAGR across the 2022-2032 assessment period. As per the report, the market is estimated to reach a valuation of US$ 16.1 Bn by the end of 2032.



Advancements in technological innovation is continuing to revolutionize medical care. This not only enables early diagnosis but provides for safer and more efficient treatments options as well. Increased utilization of robotics and other advanced techniques has become the latest trend in image guided surgery that is helping the market in moving forward. Robotics CT-guided spine surgery and orthopedics have also evolved and advanced in recent years.

Adoption of image guided surgery devices is rising due to increasing applications and better patient outcomes. Usage of these devices in neurosurgical procedures has come a long way, as minimally-invasive surgeries have become a standard of care in neurosurgery.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Image Guided Surgery Devices Market"

41 Tables and

167 Figures

170 Pages

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Image guided surgery devices have played a major role in surgical procedures for various reasons, such as accessing deep tumors during meningioma surgery, showing tumour location situated deep in the critical neurovascular structures, and creating an optimal craniotomy for superficial lesions. These devices improve visualization of the operative field to help avoid critical brain structures, in both, pre-operative and post-operative planning. It results in improving patient outcomes by decreasing the risk of surgical errors and reducing operating, hospitalization, and recovery time.

The key strategy of major players in the market is to launch new products to gain maximum revenue.

In October 2021, Medtronic received CE Mark for the Hugo robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system, which was then authorized to be sold across Europe.





To learn more about Image guided surgery devices market, you can get in touch with our Analyst at

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Key Takeaways from Market Study

Devices, under product category, dominated the global market with a revenue share of nearly 75% in 2021.

With nearly 29% market share, application of image guided devices in neurosurgical procedures topped the global market in 2021.

Hospitals dominated the end user segment in 2021 with nearly 3/4 revenue share.

North America contributed the largest to the global market with 44.9% share, by value, in 2021.

Increasing incidence of cancer and innovation in devices will boost sales of image guided surgery devices over the coming years, says a Fact.MR analyst.

Competitive Landscape

Prominent manufacturers of image guided surgery devices are involved in acquiring other big brands and their segments.

In September 2021, Stryker acquired Gauss Surgical. Gauss Surgical, a medical device company, developed Triton, which is an artificial intelligence-enabled platform for monitoring blood loss during surgery in real time.





Other key players such as Alcon have been partnering with various surgical centers and surgeons of institutes such as The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) to collect and provide high-quality performance outcomes and databases related to cataract surgeries.

Get Customization on this image guided surgery devices market Report for Specific Research Solutions at

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Key Segments Covered in Image Guided Surgery Devices Industry Research

Image Guided Surgery Devices Market by Product: Image Guided Surgery Devices Computed Tomography (CT) Scanners Ultrasound Systems Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Endoscopes X-ray Fluoroscopy Devices Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Devices Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) Devices Image Guided Surgery Software

Image Guided Surgery Devices Market by Application: Cardiac Surgery Neurosurgery Orthopedic Surgery Gastroenterology Surgery Urology Oncology Surgery Others (ENT, Dental, Pulmonary surgery)

Image Guided Surgery Devices Market by End User: Hospitals Ambulatory Surgical Centers Clinics Academic & Research Institutes

Image Guided Surgery Devices Market by Region: North America Image Guided Surgery Devices Market Latin America Image Guided Surgery Devices Market Europe Image Guided Surgery Devices Market East Asia Image Guided Surgery Devices Market South Asia Image Guided Surgery Devices Market Oceania Image Guided Surgery Devices Market Middle East and Africa (MEA) Image Guided Surgery Devices Market







To understand how our report can bring difference to your business strategy, Purchase a copy of this report at https://www.factmr.com/checkout/4814

More Insights Available

Fact.MR, in its new offering, presents an unbiased analysis of the image guided surgery devices market, presenting historical demand data (2017-2021) and forecast statistics for the period of 2022-2032.

The study divulges essential insights on the market based on product (devices [ computed tomography scanners, ultrasound systems, magnetic resonance imaging, endoscopes, X-ray fluoroscopy, positron emission tomography (PET), and single-photon emission computed tomography] and software), application [cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, gastroenterology surgery, urology, oncology surgery, and others {ENT, dental, and pulmonary surgery}), and end user (hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, clinics, and academic & research institutes), across seven major regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East & Africa).

Fact.MRs Domain Knowledge on Healthcare

Our healthcare consulting team guides organizations at each step of their business strategy by helping you understand how the latest influencers account for operational and strategic transformation in the healthcare sector. Our expertise in recognizing the challenges and trends impacting the global healthcare industry provides indispensable insights and support - encasing a strategic perspective that helps you identify critical issues and devise appropriate solutions.

Check out more studies related to Healthcare Industry, conducted by Fact.MR:

What are the Reasons for the Proliferation of the Swab Sticks Market? - Rising occurrence of numerous infectious illnesses across the world pushes up market demand for swab sticks due to their convenience of sample collection for testing.

Key Drivers Stimulating Biobanking Industry Expansion - The growing trend of personalized medicines to reduce mortality rates caused by chronic diseases is fuelling demand for biobanks for the effective storage of numerous biospecimen, ranging from blood to tissues, cells, and nucleic acids.

What Market Trends are Set to Drive Surgical Mesh Consumption?- Because of the noticeable difference they bring to the table, surgical netting is most commonly employed in hernia repair surgery. Traditional hernia repair operations are carried out by sewing the hole with no extra support to the tissues.

Whats Mainly Driving Demand for Cardiogenic Shock Treatment Drugs & Devices? - Cardiogenic shock management necessitates a collaborative effort involving organizational methodologies, accurate diagnosis using equipment such as electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, coronary angiography etc., and therapeutic management to preserve blood flow.

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SAN FRANCISCO, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prime Lab is excited to launch an Automatic Indexer Deployment Utility for NEAR Protocol that allows developers to deploy their own Production Ready Indexer 82% faster!

Whether being a new dApp or a seasoned publisher, developers and builders on the NEAR protocol have a need for reliable & verifiable blockchain data. Running an Indexer node enables them to maintain a reliable & verifiable "Source of Truth" for blockchain data.

Current Public Solutions

The near-indexer-for-explorer repository available in the NEAR GitHub org provides users with a basic Indexer project that can be deployed to start their own indexer. However, it requires developers to have experience and knowledge of Postgres Databases, Cloud Architecture, Docker, and a high-level understanding of using Cargo.

Prime Lab Improved Solution

Prime Lab provides a Terraform-based solution that enables developers and makers on NEAR to deploy the near-indexer-for-explorer project AND all of the infrastructure, databases, security group settings, backups, etc. needed to ensure their project is up and running quickly.

Further information about the Automated Indexer Deployment can be found here.

About Prime Lab

Prime Lab is generating mass consumer adoption on the NEAR blockchain by empowering builders and businesses to build Near-powered applications in minutes not months.

Further information about Prime Lab can be found at primelab.io

For all media inquiries please contact Andre Botelho at andre.botelho@primelab.io

Related Images











Image 1: Automatic Resource Deployment









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
Washington, D.C., April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today UNCF (United Negro College Fund) announced the appointment of six leading corporate executives to join its board of directors, effective immediately.

Leaders from the following companiesAlaska Air Group, Citigroup, Chevron, ExxonMobil, General Motors and Intel Corp.will join top executives from companies including Wal-Mart, Goldman Sachs, KKR and Procter & Gamble to empower UNCF to support its member historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and their students to achieve ever-higher levels of success.

UNCF and HBCUs have experienced unprecedented donations and recognition of our important mission during the past two years. Today we take a major step forward to continue that momentum in aggressively growing a Board that will deliver increased leadership, funding and resources for all our UNCF-member institutions, said UNCF Board Chairman Milton H. Jones, Jr. We are thrilled to welcome this impressive group of diverse, experienced and talented corporate leaders to join in our progress as we support our member institutions and the students they serve.

We have a great deal at stake as we move forward to generate the resources HBCUs and UNCF-member institutions will need to remain viable and effective amid an uncertain economy, said UNCF President and CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax.

I applaud Chairman Jones for building an energetic and engaged Board of corporate leaders to deliver on the funding and resource needs for our schools, ultimately leading toward the establishment of a UNCF Capital Campaign. We encourage all companies, large and small, to join in this campaign to support the future of Black education.

Other corporate and institutional members of the UNCF board are from Booz Allen Hamilton, NetApp, U.S. Bancorp, Peachtree Providence Partners, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, WPP, Wells Fargo & Co., The Dominion Asset Group, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and ArrowMark Partners.

Newly Appointed UNCF Board of Directors

Vladimir Jean-Fritzner Galiothe, Managing Director, Equity Solutions Trading, Citigroup

Vladimir Jean-Fritzner Galiothe heads Citigroups Americas Strategic Equity Solutions (SES) trading desk. In this role, he manages a team of talented individuals that focus on pricing, modeling, trading and risk management of bespoke derivatives.

Galiothe leads the team as they manage a portfolio of complex non-linear payoffs providing services to the full spectrum of Citigroups clients from corporations, private equity funds, institutional investors and private bank clients. SES specializes in equity accumulation, hedging, monetization and merger-and-acquisition-related strategies tailored to the client's specific objectives (economic, legal, speed of execution, etc.).

Galiothe joined Citigroup in 2001 after graduating from The University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science degree, from the Wharton School. Galiothe has spent his entire 20 years trading derivative products in equities and for a short time in fixed income as well.

In addition to his role as a senior trader, Galiothe is a founding member of the Underrepresented Minority Senior Advisory Council in Markets. The primary objective of this committee is to build a long-term framework to help Citigroup be a leader in the recruitment and retention of diverse talent.

Galiothe is also a founding member of the ICGs Black Leaders for Tomorrow (BL4T) initiative. BL4T is an ICG wide initiative sponsored by Paco Ybarra, Ray McGuire and Diane Arber to enhance our attraction initiatives, raise visibility of Black talent, expand development programs to support the unique needs of our Black colleagues and improve the culture of inclusion to increase engagement and retention.

Galiothe is also the current co-head of the Citigroup Markets Steering Committee. The steering committee consists of markets and human resource professionals who have the responsibility of making all decisions that impact the work lives of junior talent in the markets division at Citigroup.

Galiothes passion for helping others extends beyond Wall Street. He is also a benefactor of Equator Faith Mission, an organization focused on building and maintaining schools, health clinics and churches in his native country of Haiti, in addition to his other philanthropic efforts.

Gerald Johnson, Executive Vice President, Global Manufacturing and Sustainability, General Motors

Gerald Johnson leads GMs Global Manufacturing, Manufacturing Engineering, Labor Relations and Sustainability organizations. He is responsible for approximately 94,800 employees representing more than 118 sites on four continents in 13 countries.

He is a member of Chairman and CEO Mary Barras Senior Leadership Team, and in January 2020, he was appointed to the GM PAC Board and Steering Committee. He is also a founding member of GMs Inclusion Advisory Board. The goal of the board is to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within GM through words, deeds and culture; and ultimately help GM become the most inclusive company in the world.

Previously Johnson served as vice president of GMNA Manufacturing and Labor Relations, a position he held since August 2017. Before that, he served as vice president of Operational Excellence, where he worked to develop and execute an enterprise-wide cultural transformation with a focus on process discipline, continuous improvement and waste elimination.

Johnson started at General Motors in 1980, at the Fisher Body Plant in Euclid, Ohio. He earned a bachelors degree in industrial administration from Kettering University and a masters degree in manufacturing operations from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is on the Kettering University Board of Trustees. He has served as a mentor to many young professionals, as well as played an active role in community organizations. In March 2022, he was elected to UNCFs Board of Directors.

He was named BEYAs 2021 Black Engineer of the Year, the organizations top honor. In addition, the Manufacturing Leadership Council named him 2020 Manufacturing Leader of the Year for his work on GMs COVID-19 emergency response building ventilators, manufacturing masks and implementing return to the workplace safety protocols used at GM and shared with suppliers and businesses globally. Johnson was also Automotive News All Stars 2021 sustainability executive of the year.

In March 2021, Johnson was elected to Caterpillar Inc.s Board of Directors and serves on the companys Public Policy and Governance Committee.

Ben Minicucci, Chief Executive Officer, Alaska Air Group

Ben Minicucci serves as CEO of Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. The combined airlines carry more than 45 million guests a year on 1,300 daily flights to 115 destinations throughout the United States and to Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica.

Under the leadership of Minicucci and his team, Alaska is focused on low fares, profitable growth of the route network and creating an airline people love.

During Minicuccis 17-year career with Alaska, he has contributed via various roles of increasing responsibility, becoming CEO on March 31, 2021.

In 2016, he was promoted to president of Alaska Airlines, and was also named CEO of Virgin America upon Alaska's acquisition of the airline in December 2016 until the airlines merged under a single operating certificate in January 2018. He oversaw the integration of Alaska and Virgin Americas operations, processes and work groups. As president of Alaska, Minicucci was responsible for both operations and commercial functions. He led the execution of the companys strategic plan including a focus on Alaskas network, flight schedule, sales, revenue management, safety and operations, marketing and real estate.

In 2009, he was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer. During this time, he directed the implementation of a customer service-guiding framework, which empowers employees to deliver personal and kind-hearted experiences to guests, recognizing their unique circumstances instead of being bound by rigid company policies.

In 2007, Minicucci was named vice president of Seattle operations. He implemented an operational management process called the turn timeline which dramatically increased Alaskas on-time performance and reliability.

Minicucci joined Alaska in 2004 as staff vice president of maintenance.

Before joining Alaska, Minicucci spent seven years serving in a variety of roles at Air Canadas technical operations and, ultimately, vice president of heavy maintenance. He served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 14 years prior to joining the private aviation sector.

Rhonda Morris, Chief Human Resources Officer, Chevron

Rhonda Morris is the chief human resources officer (CHRO) of Chevron, a leading, integrated energy company. Morriss focus is on creating an environment where employees have access to opportunities and resources to achieve their full potential, while helping to achieve the companys aspirations.

A key member of Chevrons Executive Leadership Team, Morris reports directly to the chairman and CEO and has responsibility for shaping and driving Chevrons people and culture strategy, including workforce planning, leadership succession, learning and talent, diversity and inclusion and total rewards.

Morris distinguished career in human resources is enhanced by years of business acumen developed through various positions in global marketing and international products, including a key operational role as the profit and loss leader for Chevron Products in Europe, where she made strong contributions to Chevrons international downstream business.

During her CHRO tenure, Morris has become a sought-after thought leader on numerous subjects related to life, race and leadership. She helped launch the tremendously popular, Leading in the B-Suite series on LinkedIn with Adam Bryant, an author and former New York Times reporter and editor, which seeks to advance the conversation about race in corporate America. She is the first African American female corporate officer at Chevron and has received several distinguished honors and awards, including the National Diversity Institutes 2021 Most Influential African American in Business; the San Francisco Business Times 2019 Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business; and Black Enterprises 2019 Most Powerful Women in Corporate America.

She serves on the board of Techbridge Girls, a non-profit organization that excites, educates and equips girls from low-income communities to achieve economic mobility and better life opportunities. Morris is also a member of the HR Policy Association Board of Directors, the Bishop O'Dowd High School Board of Regents and the BetterUp Advisory Growth Council, a group of leading business, academic and human resources experts shaping the future of work.

She previously served on the boards of the Oakland Athletics Community Foundation, A Better Chance; the Math Engineering and Science Association at the University of California at Berkeley; the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management; and the East Bay Agency for Children.

A native of northern California, Morris earned a B.A. from the University of California-Davis and an MBA from Boston University. She resides in Oakland, Calif., with her husband and teenage daughter.

Tara Parker, Global Talent Management and Diversity Manager, ExxonMobil

Tara Parker is talent management and diversity manager for ExxonMobil Corporation, a position she assumed in 2020. She has responsibility for the design and implementation of a wide range of talent solutions and enterprise-wide talent initiatives, including building organizational capabilities and skills through training and development as well as growing workforce diversity through recruiting, internship and mentoring programs.

Parker joined Exxon U.S.A. in 1986 as a facilities engineer in Houston, Texas. With over a 35-year career with ExxonMobil, she has extensive experience in facilities and reservoir engineering, operations management, large project development and execution, and talent management.

Prior to her current role, Parker was vice president for unconventional and heavy oil project delivery in ExxonMobil Global Projects Company. Parker has extensive project management experience, joining ExxonMobil Development Company in 2003, leading projects around the globe and holding positions of increasing responsibility including technical manager for Nigerian Deepwater projects, construction execution manager, production projects manager and senior project manager roles on Scarborough LNG and Iraq West Qurna 1.

In 2016, Parker was named Upstream Facilities engineering manager, overseeing engineering for ExxonMobils global upstream interests and projects. In 2017, Parker joined ExxonMobil Environmental and Property Solutions where she was responsible for delivering world-class environmental solutions to remediate former industrial sites, generating shareholder and community value.

Parker earned a bachelors degree in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University in 1985.

Parker serves on the Texas A&M University Chemical Engineering Advisory Council and is a member of the board of directors of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory school in Houston, Texas.

ExxonMobil offered Parker as an excellent candidate for consideration to serve on UNCFs Board of Directors. She was elected to the board March 2 following the March 3 retirement of her ExxonMobil colleague Andrew Swiger, who served on the board for 13 years.

Safroadu Yeboah-Amankwah "Saf, senior vice president and chief strategy officer, Intel Corp

Yeboah-Amankwah leads Intels global strategy office, which includes Intel Capital, a division responsible for venture capital, investment, and mergers and acquisitions.

A profound evolution in computing is opening a much larger opportunity with implications for every aspect of our business, said CEO Bob Swan. Saf has strong experience in strategy and international markets, a deep technical background, and he knows Intel well.

Yeboah-Amankwah joined Intel from McKinsey & Co., where he was a senior partner and global head of the Transformation Practice for the Telecom, Media and Technology (TMT) practice, based in Washington, DC. He was also the global lead of Client Capabilities for the TMT practice. Previously he served as managing partner for South Africa and head of McKinseys TMT and Digital practice for Africa, among other roles.

Recent focal points for Yeboah-Amankwah have included the expansion of technology into Africa, noting a $300 billion potential as Africas digital economy expands, as well as supporting technology transformations of telecoms, financial instructions, agricultural operations, as well as mergers and acquisitions. His former profile at McKinsey listed his expertise mostly across finance, operations, mergers and acquisitions, with a focus on technology.

Yeboah-Amankwah received both his bachelors and masters degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He is a former UNCF board member.

For more information about UNCFs board, click here.

###

About UNCF

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nations largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20% of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.

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PENNGROVE, Calif., April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cannabis Clearwater LLC - a global cannabis compliance company with cannabis consultants, has hired start-up veteran, Don Hawley as its new consulting CFO. Don has over 35 years of global finance and operation management experience as well as start-up early-stage strategic planning. Don is partner with the group CFOs2Go (https://www.2goadvisorygroup.com) and he will oversee CCWs $3 million fundraising in an initial seed funding round to start a cannabis laboratory service. "We need a veteran CFO to help prepare for and raise the funding we need to achieve our goals," said CEO Matt Hayashi. In addition, Cannabis Clearwater met its 2021 objective of becoming a lead auditor in ISO 9001 in cannabis manufacturing.

"As certain regulatory issues and compliance challenges are being ironed out on the national level, we feel this is the time to initiate funding for our lab," said Board of Director Brian Martin.

In addition, CCW has named Farai Brian Kwaramba, Ph.D., as its new consulting Science Advisor. Dr. Kwaramba has over 13 years of building and managing scientific laboratories and integrated enterprises, including building laboratories in the cannabis space. Dr. Kwaramba has led transformational programs across seven high technology industries that include, pharmaceuticals, food manufacturing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, cosmeceuticals, nutraceuticals, and regulatory affairs. "Dr. Kwaramba will be an integral part of CCW's team to achieve success and make CCW profitable," said Hayashi.

This press release includes certain "forward-looking statements" that represent our current judgment about possible future events. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Cannabis Clearwater LLC and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Cannabis Clearwater LLC disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Cannabis Clearwater is a registered trademark of Cannabis Clearwater LLC.

Investor Contact: Don@cannabis-clearwater.com

Media Contact: Lacey@cannabis-clearwater.com

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Atlanta, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- John K. Tien, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), met with Georgia State University students and faculty April 8 during a visit to Atlanta arranged by the World Affairs Council of Atlanta.

At the World Affairs Council of Atlanta, our mission is to connect Atlanta with global leaders and world-class ideas, said Rickey Bevington, President of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta. Were honored to host Deputy Secretary Tien for a forum that showcases Georgia State Universitys impressive fintech and cybersecurity talent pipeline.

The invitation-only, off-the-record conversation was attended by members of Georgia States cybersecurity, fintech, and military-connected communities, including researchers, students, and administrators from the university administration, the J. Mack Robinson College of Business, the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, the College of Arts & Sciences, the Georgia Fintech Academy and the Military Outreach Center.

Georgia State is engaged in multiple initiatives to address the growing need for a highly-skilled national cybersecurity workforce and to prevent the development and progression of cybercrimes, including through its Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group, as part of the National Science Foundations CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program, and as National Centers of Academic Excellence for Cyber Defense Research and Cyber Defense Education designated by the National Security Agency and DHS.

Tien was sworn in as Deputy Secretary of DHS in June 2021. Prior to becoming the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Tien spent ten years serving in senior executive roles in the critical infrastructure financial services sector as a managing director at Citigroup. He previously served in the Obama, George W. Bush, and Clinton administrations. He is an alumnus of the U.S. Military Academy who retired as a colonel.

The World Affairs Council of Atlanta is a nonpartisan, membership, grant-supported organization affiliated with Georgia State University and the Robinson College of Business. Its mission is to provide a forum for informed discussion of the global affairs that impact Metro Atlanta and support the citys transformation into an international economic hub.

The J. Mack Robinson College of Business, BDO, and the American Transaction Processors Coalition (ATPC) cosponsored the event.

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CORAL GABLES, Fla., April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The University of Miamis Climate Resilience Academy, which will officially launch on Earth Day, April 22, constructs a novel functional academic framework that is collaborative at its core and highlights the University as a loadstar for leading positive hemispheric and global change to address issues of the climate crisis, sustainability, and resilience.



As one of the nations top research institutions located in a community considered ground zero for experiencing serious impacts from climate change, especially in the area of sea level rise, the University of Miami is uniquely positioned to be a driver for solutions that will benefit society.

Our Climate Resilience Academy will educate the next generation of scientists and advocates as we help deliver solutions to climate change, its impacts, and related stressors in partnership with industry, government, universities, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders, said President Julio Frenk.

The concept of resilience is foundational to the history and mission of the University, Frenk added. Far from just a byword, resilience is first and foremost how our people face the inevitable element of change.

The formation of the new academy was propelled to fruition through a $5 million commitment from Eric T. Levin, a former University trustee and the former president of the Universitys Citizens Board, which represents business leaders throughout South Florida. The gift is part of the Universitys fundraising campaign, Ever Brighter: The Campaign for Our Next Century. The most ambitious in the Us history, the campaign is set to conclude in 2025 when the University celebrates its centennial.

Quickly following the April 22 Earth Day launch, the University will host a symposium on April 25 to showcase ongoing climate resilience research, begin its search for a founding executive director to oversee the academy, and fine-tune plans for a new academic resilience course to be featured in the fall semester.

Jeffrey Duerk, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, highlighted the academys unique design and its timeliness and value for the University and the South Florida community.

The academyour first at the Universityis best described as an interdisciplinary functional structure that will bring together experts both from within the University and others through partnerships and relationships to ensure the necessary expertise to solve challenges that are by their very nature interdisciplinary. Modeled after the National Academy of Medicine and National Academy of Engineering, the Climate Resilience Academy brings together our best and brightest from across the University to not just pursue research but to gather and deploy their collective knowledge, Duerk said.

Climate and climate resilience is certainly an immediate interdisciplinary challenge, he added, suggesting that the University is ideally suited to lead the effort to address it.

If you look across our units, schools, colleges, and programs, there is a consistent theme of being at ground zero for climate change and the impacts of thatfrom the Rosenstiel Schools incredible expertise in terms of climate change, weather, and hurricanes to the College of Engineerings expertise in civil engineering and new technologies to the School of Architectures knowledge of building environments, Duerk pointed out, emphasizing that the expertise and interest crisscross the University like a thread.

He noted in particular that University interest in migration as a global issueand Miamis own history as a magnet for so many immigrant groupsmay prove invaluable as the next migration crisis may well be propelled by climate change, both from continent to continent but also within more focused geographic regions where the Universitys departments of sociology, anthropology, history, and political science have deep expertise.

Whats unique is when you stand high enough and look down on the University, this thread is fairly easy to trace throughout in terms of our understanding, appreciation, research, and scholarship on topics related to climate and climate resilience, Duerk said.

The provost said the new academy aligns seamlessly with the Universitys aspirations to be hemispheric, excellent, relevant, and exemplary, and will deepen its dedication to support the local community.

This new academy will make our expertise more overt and accessible and, most importantly, increase the awareness that the University not only harbors extensive expertise but also the profound desire to assist South Florida in finding solutions to pressing problems, Duerk emphasized.

The provost pointed out that the academy will focus on three intersecting thematic platforms of researchinfrastructure and environment; human and societal health; and economic development.

Levin has leveraged his experience as a financial strategist, investor, and consultant to offer his thoughts on establishing the academy and sharing information on what areas of focus and expertise potential partners in the private sector are hoping the University can address.

Climate change is a big problemthe challenge of our lifetimeand its imperative to get others involved and be collaborative to tackle these big problems, Levin said.

According to Levin, the University wanted to put its stake in the ground in terms of being a leader in this area, and the academy will not only focus the Universitys efforts in this area, but get business, government, nonprofits, and other universities involved in this endeavor.

Rodolphe el-Khoury, dean of the School of Architecture, and Sharan Majumdar, professor in the Rosenstiel Schools Department of Atmospheric Sciences, led the planning process that established the foundations of the academy and defined its mission while building a team of collaborators within and beyond the University.

"South Florida is particularly stressed by climate change, and we are a living lab even if we dont want to be, Majumdar noted. Rising sea levels, changes in weather patterns, and extreme heat, are affecting the health of humans and society, our living environment, and the economy.

Building resilience to tackle these large and difficult problems needs experts across many disciplines to develop a unified, collaborative approach, and the Climate Resilience Academy will do this by bringing together the diverse talents of our students, researchers, and faculty across our schools and colleges, he added.

The academy also serves to bring new talent to the University. It is meant to identify areas of potential growth and support academic units in mounting searches for joint faculty appointments that defy conventional disciplinary and departmental boundaries. Figuratively speaking, it is a United Nations for interdisciplinary and interinstitutional efforts, facilitating appointments, brokering deals, mounting big proposals, and shepherding complex projects that break the silos, remarked el-Khoury.

Majumdar and el-Khoury recognized Levins generous gift and University leadership for the vision to develop the initiativeespecially during the turbulent pandemic period.

It has been an incredibly fulfilling experience to co-lead this stage of the academy's development together with Dean el-Khoury and inspiring to hear everyones keen ideas and interests in resilience, and their eagerness to train future generations of students and build partnerships to address these important local and global issues," Majumdar said.

David Kelly, academic director of the sustainable business masters degree program and co-chair of the Sustainable Business Research Cluster, noted the economic benefits the academys efforts will yield.

Companies are increasingly focused on adaptation and resilience to climate change, and the academy will work together with companies and municipalities to ensure that the most evidenced-based adaptation and resilience strategies are implemented, said Kelly.

His own research has documented the substantial returns from resilience infrastructure investmentsa business development that will benefit the local economy and potentially the University through its many resilience-related projects already underway.

Our research at the Climate Resilience Academy will use big data, causal inference, and other advanced statistical techniques to measure the economic impact of resilience investments, which will help direct limited resilience dollars to the most productive uses, said Kelly, also one of the principal instructors for the resilience course to be offered in the fall.

Amy Clement, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the Rosenstiel School, serves on the advisory board for the academy and is one of a large cohort of faculty members who will collaborate to teach the fall class.

The academy is part of a national trend where universities are recognizing that there are problems that are immediate and cant be solved by looking through the lens of any one discipline, Clement said. Climate is one of those, and Miami is one of those cities where theres no more delaying with the impacts of climate that are already here.

Through her research, Clement has had extensive interaction with the public sector, nonprofits, and governments.

Governments, in particular, have been very engaged because theyre the ones being tasked to do something about sea level rise, monitor and understand these trends and technologies better, and generate new designs for infrastructure, among other areas, she said.

Those are all things that we could be responsive to at the University if we have the right frameworkand thats where the Climate Resilience Academy comes in, Clement pointed out. The University has an important role in figuring this out because theres no playbook for itthis is an unprecedented change that were experiencing in an unprecedented time.

Clement highlighted that students will benefit from the internship opportunities offered through the academy partnerships. These partnerships will deliver very tangible internship opportunities, she said. Students are being nurtured for internships in a private and public sector that is waiting for them at the end of this academic chain.

Ali Habashi, assistant professor of professional practice in the School of Communication; Derin Ural, associate dean of college affairs in the College of Engineering; and Sonia Chao, associate dean of research and co-director of the master of professional science in urban sustainability and resilience in the School of Architecture serve as the co-chairs of the education committee tasked with developing the innovative, problem-based, multidisciplinary first-year course to be offered in the fall that will empower students to become resilient themselves and enable them to spark change in society.

The class will include an hour per week of asynchronous, pre-recorded lectures and approximately 2.5 hours of synchronous, problem-driven and discussion-based classes. It also will provide a multifaceted approach to building resilience that will include flipped learning.

Whereas we already had a great awareness of resilience due to the multiple achievements in many of our schools and colleges, what this course does so handsomely is to help students understand that resilience is actually dependent on multiple factors that have to be layered onto each other in order to effectively consider how to drive positive change, explained Chao.

Ural noted that course development was informed by a range of existing classes, such as Chaos introductory course for the urban sustainability and resilience masters degree program, as well as other innovative academic modalities offered at the University. The resilience class will become part of the Universitys PETAL initiative, or platform for excellence in teaching and learning.

The pandemic has presented the growing need to be resilient, as individuals, as families, as communities, and especially as a University, Ural said. This class is designed so that students will be ready for these challengesthey will be resilient as human beings and resilient in their communities.

Contact:

Megan Ondrizek

University of Miami

m.ondrizek@umiami.edu

3052843667

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/06d9ba6c-c252-4e83-87ff-27475b29b8ee
Arlington, Va., April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Experts from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and their work will be highlighted at several sessions during the annual American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, being held April 21-26, 2022, in San Diego, California and virtually. AIR is a Platinum sponsor of the event.

AERA is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning, and its annual meeting is one of the largest gatherings of education researchers, policymakers and practitioners. The theme for this years conference is Cultivating Equitable Education Systems for the 21st Century, with a focus on bridging opportunity gaps and fostering equity for all students amid multiple crises, including the pandemic and systemic racism.

AIR experts will present at several sessions on a wide variety of topics, including social and emotional learning and school disciplinary practices, educational equity, college and career readiness, special education, English language learners, and many others. Several sessions featuring AIR staff and their work are listed below, and a full listing is available in our AERA program booklet.

AIR will be sharing information about AERA on social media, including the @AIRInforms Twitter account, using the hashtag #AIRatAERA. Visit the AERA conference website to learn more about the annual meeting and see a full listing of sessions.

National Council on Measurement in Education

The National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) will also hold its annual meeting April 21-24 in San Diego. NCME is a professional organization for individuals involved in assessment, evaluation, testing and other aspects of educational measurement and generally holds its annual meeting at the same time and location as AERA.

AIR experts will present at several sessions on a range of topics, including methodology, international assessments, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and more. Some of these sessions are highlighted below. See the NCME section of AIRs AERA program booklet to view a full list of sessions featuring AIR staff and work.

For more information on the NCME conference and a full listing of sessions, visit the NCME conference website.

Select Sessions Featuring AIR Experts

(All times are Pacific Daylight Time)

AERA

Thursday, April 21

8:00 - 9:30 a.m.

Paper: School Climate Assessments: Measuring the Conditions That Support Students Social and Emotional Competencies

AIR Presenters/Authors: Juliette Berg, Anne Diffenderffer and David M. Osher

Location: Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, Floor: North Tower, Ground Level, Pacific Ballroom 23

Symposium Session: Assessing Competencies for Social and Emotional Learning: Conceptualization, Development and Applications

11:30 a.m.  1:00 p.m.

Paper: Are Student Needs-Targeted Funds Allocated to the Schools that Need Them the Most? Voices from the Field?

AIR Presenters/Authors: Drew Atchison, Iliana Brodziak de los Reyes, Caitlin Kearns, Jesse D. Levin and Alejandra Martin

Location: Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, Floor: North Building, Lobby Level, Rancho Santa Fe 2

Symposium Session: School Finance Policy, Equity and Resource Allocation: Evidence from K12 and Higher Education

4:15  5:45 p.m.

Paper: Examining the Efficacy of Restorative Practices on School Safety and Student Outcomes

AIR Presenters/Authors: Amelia Auchstetter, Roger Jarjoura, Christina LiCalsi, Andrew P. Swanlund and Melissa Yisak

Location: San Diego Convention Center, Exhibit Hall B

Symposium Session: Evaluation and Instructional Interventions in Schools

Friday, April 22

8:00  9:30 a.m.

Paper: Entrance to Four-Year College STEM Majors: Motivation, STEM Course-Taking, NAEP Mathematics Performance and Social Networks

AIR Presenters/Authors: Yifan Bai, George W. Bohrnstedt, Markus Broer, Darrick Yee, Jizhi Zhang and Xiaying Zheng

Location: Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, Floor: North Building, Lobby Level, Marriott Grand Ballroom 6

Symposium Session: Does NAEP Predict Student Postsecondary Preparedness?

11:30 a.m.  1:00 p.m.

Paper: Engaging Dual Language Learner Families in Their Child's Early Education

AIR Presenter/Author: Iliana Brodziak de los Reyes

Paper: Instructional Practices to Support Young Dual Language Learners

AIR Presenters/Authors: Deborah J. Holtzman and Lisa Jean White

Paper: Professional Development for Teachers of Young Dual Language Learners

AIR Presenter/Author: Rebecca Bergey

Location: Manchester Grand Hyatt, Floor: 2nd Level, Harbor Tower, Harbor Ballroom C

Symposium Session: Supporting Dual Language Learners, Their Families and Their Teachers: A Statewide Study of Learning Across Systems

2:30  4:00 p.m.

Paper: Impacts of Attending a Deeper Learning Network High School on College Enrollment and Degree Completion

AIR Presenters/Authors: Catherine Sousa Bitter, Elaine Yang and Kristina Lillian Zeiser

Location: San Diego Convention Center, Exhibit Hall B

Roundtable Session: College Access, Choice and Transitions

Saturday, April 23

11:30 a.m.  1:00 p.m.

Paper: Are Technical High Schools Worth the Investment? A Cost-Benefit Analysis

AIR Presenter/Author: Mary Smith

AIR Session Chair: Katherine Hughes

Location: Manchester Grand Hyatt, Floor: 3rd Level, Seaport Tower, Torrey Hills A

Symposium Session: New Evidence on the Effectiveness of Career and Technical Education

2:30  4:00 p.m.

Paper: Preservice Predictors of Teacher Candidates' Employment and Earnings Inside and Outside of Public Schools

AIR Presenters/Authors: Dan Goldhaber and Roddy Theobald

AIR Session Chair: Roddy Theobald

Location: Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, Floor: North Building, Lobby Level, Rancho Santa Fe 2

Symposium Session: Teacher Recruitment, Preparation and Workforce Diversity



Paper: How Do the Outcomes of Middle-Skilled Adults Compare?

AIR Presenters/Authors: Emily Pawlowski and Jaleh B. Soroui

Location: Manchester Grand Hyatt, Floor: 3rd Level, Seaport Tower, Hillcrest CD

Paper Session: Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies Studies of Adult Literacy and Education

Sunday, April 24

11:30 a.m.  1:00 p.m.

Invited Speaker Session: Quantitative Methods for Rigorous Equitable Research

AIR Chair and Moderator: Sarah Peko-Spicer

AIR Panelist: Jessica Heppen

Location: San Diego Convention Center, Floor: Upper Level, Ballroom 6F

2:30  4:00 p.m.

Paper: The Relationship Between Algebra Skills, NAEP Performance and Postsecondary Outcomes

AIR Presenter/Author: Burhan Ogut

Location: Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, Floor: South Building, Level 3, Palomar

Paper Session: Predictors of Academic Achievement: Evidence From NAEP

4:15  5:45 p.m.

Paper Session: Now or Never: The Possibilities of Critical Race Theory to Promote Equity in Education Pedagogy and Practice

AIR Discussant: Sarah Mae Olivar

Location: Division Virtual Rooms, Division G: Social Context of Education Virtual Paper Session Room

Monday, April 25

9:45  11:15 a.m.

Paper: Classroom Management and the School-to-Prison Pipeline

AIR Presenter/Author: David M. Osher

Location: SIG Virtual Rooms, SIG-Classroom Management Virtual Paper Session Room

Symposium Session: Recent Research on Classroom Management: The Latest Edition of the Handbook of Classroom Management



Paper: Incorporating Economic Evidence in Systematic Reviews in Education

AIR Presenters/Authors: Joshua R. Polanin and Ryan Williams

AIR Session Chair: Joshua R. Polanin

Location: SIG Virtual Rooms, SIG-Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Virtual Paper Session Room

Paper Session: Maximize Capacities of Systematic Reviews: New Tools and Approaches That Can Help

2:30  4:00 p.m.

Paper: Successes and Challenges Implementing Equitable High School Pathways for College and Career Readiness

AIR Presenter/Author: Lynn T. Mellor

Location: San Diego Convention Center, Exhibit Hall B

Roundtable Session: Centering Equity and Social Justice in Policy Design and Implementation

Tuesday, April 26

8:00  9:30 a.m.

Paper: Special Education Teacher Preparation, Literacy Instructional Alignment and Reading Achievement for Students With High-Incidence Disabilities

AIR Presenters/Authors: Dan Goldhaber, Kristian Holden and Roddy Theobald

Location: Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, Floor: South Building, Level 1, Leucadia

Paper Session: Effective and Equitable Literacy Instruction

NCME

Friday, April 22

11:30 a.m.  1:00 p.m.

Coordinated Paper Session: Digital-transitions, Device-effects and Disadvantage in Large-Scale Assessments

AIR Session Organizer: Martin Hooper

Paper: Analyzing PIRLS 2016 to Explain Differences in Online and Offline Reading Scores

AIR Presenter/Author: Martin Hooper

Paper: Does Device-Type Matter?: Analysis of Tablet and PC Use on TIMSS

AIR Presenters/Authors: Yifan Bai, Martin Hooper and Fusun Sahin



Location: Westin San Diego Gaslamp: Del Mar

Saturday, April 23

9:45  11:15

What Lies Beyond? Process Data iSmart Tool

AIR Presenters/Authors: Ruhan Circi and Juanita Hicks

Location: Westin San Diego Gaslamp, La Jolla

Session: Software Demonstrations

1:15  2:45 p.m.

Measuring High School Curriculum: How Do Different Methods Compare?

AIR Presenters/Authors: Ruhan Circi, Burhan Ogut and Darrick Yee

Location: Westin San Diego Gaslamp, California Ballroom C

Session: eBoard Session



About AIR

Established in 1946, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of education, health and the workforce. AIR's work is driven by its mission to generate and use rigorous evidence that contributes to a better, more equitable world. With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR has offices across the U.S. and abroad. For more information, visit www.air.org.




Korea's antitrust regulator said Monday it has given a warning to Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Group's de facto leader, over allegations that he has submitted falsified data about the group's affiliates.







The chiefs of large business groups are required to submit to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) every year details about affiliates governed by them and their family members and information of executives and shareholders of corporate units.







In 2018-2019, Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, submitted documents in which companies governed by the group's outside directors were omitted from Samsung affiliates, according to the FTC.







The FTC said the omission did not affect its move to designate Samsung as a large business group on its antitrust watch list. But due to the falsified data, it took more than a year to put affected companies under the wing of Samsung's affiliates.







Large business groups with assets exceeding 5 trillion won ($4 billion) are required to publicly file their business information, and those with 10 trillion won in assets or more are banned from making equity investments among affiliates or offering loan guarantees to each other. (Yonhap)


HARTSVILLE, S.C., April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoco (NYSE: SON), a leading global sustainable packaging company, today announced promotions among its senior operational leadership which are aligned with the Companys strategy to simplify its operating structure to improve efficiency and effectiveness, according to Howard Coker, President and Chief Executive Officer. The appointments are effective immediately.



Rodger Fuller has been named Chief Operating Officer, continuing to report to Coker. Fuller, who was previously Executive Vice President, Global Consumer and Industrial, has 36 years of operational leadership experience and will be charged with driving an increased focus on centralization and standardization for the Companys largest integrated businesses.

Sean Cairns has been named President of Sonocos Global Rigid Paper and Closures organization, including operations in Americas, Europe and Asia, reporting to Fuller. Cairns joined Sonoco in 2008 and was previously Division Vice President and General Manager of Sonocos Consumer Products, Europe. During his tenure he has grown Sonocos European Consumer business from less than $70 million to nearly $425 million in 2021.

James Harrell has been named President of Global Industrial Paper Packaging, reporting to Fuller, and has responsibility for all of Sonocos Industrial businesses globally. Harrell was previously Vice President, Industrial Americas, and has 37 years of experience with Sonoco, including running the Companys Industrial operations in the Americas and Europe.

Also reporting to Fuller is Russell Grissett, who will continue to lead Sonocos Global Flexible Packaging business as President and has more than 28 years of operating and commercial leadership with Sonocos Consumer businesses.

Jeff Tomaszewski has been named President of Sonocos Diversified Businesses, reporting to Coker. In this position, Tomaszewski will be responsible for maximizing performance and profitability in the Companys diversified businesses, primarily in the All Other group of businesses, where fewer opportunities exist to realize the benefit of strong centralization. Tomaszewski joined Sonoco in 2002 and previously was Vice President, North America Consumer and Global Rigid Paper and Closures since 2020.

Sonoco previously announced that Ernest Haynes was named President of Sonocos new Metal Packaging business, reporting to Coker. Haynes has 25 years of experience with Sonoco and was previously Vice President, Rigid Paper and Closures, North America.

About Sonoco

Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE: SON) is a global provider of consumer, industrial, healthcare and protective packaging. With net sales of approximately $5.6 billion in 2021, the Company has 20,500 employees working in approximately 300 operations in 32 countries, serving some of the worlds best-known brands in some 85 nations. Sonoco is committed to creating sustainable products, services and programs for our customers, employees and communities that support our corporate purpose of Better Packaging. Better Life. The Company ranked first in the Packaging sector on Fortunes Worlds Most Admired Companies for 2022 as well as being included in Barrons 100 Most Sustainable Companies for the fourth consecutive year. For more information, visit www.sonoco.com .

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On March 25th and 26th, 2022 StreamCoin and MeiTalk accomplished another milestone  the conclusion of the highly-successful World Live Streamers Conference (WLSC). WLSC was organized by TNC Group and took place at the Dubai Festival Arena, UAE. The conference saw over 30,000 attendees from around the world, including visitors from the USA, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Pakistan, and more.

The conference entertained Web 3.0 enthusiasts as it showcased companies based on futuristic technology. Among the many, StreamCoin, alongside MeiTalk, held the limelight as a Platinum Sponsor for the conference.

Michael Ein Chaybeh, CEO of StreamCoin, was given the honor of welcoming the attendees at the conference during his keynote speech. Michael also formally introduced MeiTalks Alpha version, wherein he walked the audience through MeiTalks many features. Among these features, one that intrigued the audience was MeiTalks Producer Lounge.

Michael also took the opportunity to introduce StreamCoins latest developments including StreamCoins utility token, GaStream (GSTRM). He also went on to give insights on the companys upcoming Stream Chain (Mainnet 1.0 and 2.0) and the Stream NFT Marketplace. During the conference, he also participated in a panel discussion where he advocated the increasing adoption of NFTs.

Visitors at the MeiTalk booth got the chance to experience the multi-streaming feature of MeiTalk. Influencers that visited the booth experienced the multi-casting feature of MeiTalk as major events of the conference were live-streamed onto various prominent platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and Twitch. Attendees of the conference were also astounded by the convenience for minting video NFTs on the Stream NFT Marketplace. The company's future plans consist of integrating the Stream NFT marketplace with MeiTalk.

StreamCoin also entertained the attendees by installing a VR game section. Winners of the VR game were announced at the end of each day and were rewarded with STRM.

Toward the end of the first day, Michael presented the MeiTalk Top 100 Influencer Awards. Meanwhile, the second day of the conference concluded with the TNC Miss SuperTalent of The World 2022 Grand Finale.

Michael expressed his thanks to all partners and participants who made WLSC a success:

On behalf of the entire StreamCoin team, I would like to thank everyone for the generous support that you have given to us. The amount of appreciation that we have been receiving from our visitors  not to mention the invitations for partnerships from other companies and investors  bears testament to the success of our efforts to pave the way for the future of live streaming.

As StreamCoins ICO is in its third and final phase, the conference has presented better opportunities for the team to connect with investors who are looking to take part in revolutionary projects within the blockchain space. The ICO will end on April 30, 2022.

Media Contact:

Company: StreamLive

Email Id: social@stream-coin.com

Contact Person : Michael Ein Chaybeh

Location : Dubai, United Arab Emirates





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 any recommendation. Readers are encouraged to do there own research.Newsroom: socials.submitmypressrelease.com
Beverly Hills , April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Louis Llanes says he wants to help as many people as possible turn their piece of wealth into peace of mind.

Listen to the full interview of Adam Torres with Louis Llanes on the Mission Matters Money Podcast.

How did you get started on this journey?

Llanes says his journey began with a fascination with economics and finance when he found a book on microeconomics in a small home he was renting from his grandfather. His education led him to a degree in finance, an MBA, his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designations.

Hes been immersed in the realm of finance for many years and is still captivated by the subject. His career path has been wide ranging from trading private hedge funds to private wealth management for a large bank, to starting his own financial advisory firm, Wealthnet Investments.

Financial Freedom Blueprint

After working with a wide range of clients, including CEOs and companies over the years, Llanes noticed trends across questions people were always asking, so he decided to answer those common questions through his book titled Financial Freedom Blueprint.

His book covers seven steps to accelerate the path to prosperity and increase the readers probability of financial success. He notes that no one needs a finance background to understand it; he wrote it so nearly anyone could get something beneficial from its pages.

Wealthnet Investments, LLC

Wealthnet Investments is a registered investment advisory firm, based in Colorado. Llanes started it after working in nearly every aspect of the financial world and having a desire to help independent investors not only create wealth, but keep it for long term success.

At Wealthnet, he notes, the team first seeks to understand the specific requirements and vision of each client. Their process is based on a belief that they should provide ten times what the client is paying them. To make that happen, they follow the seven steps outlined in the book to put each client on the path to success.

Each Thursday, Louis hosts his podcast, The Market Call Show, and discusses problems faced by two kinds of people; high-income individuals who arent yet financially independent, and people who are nearing retirement and want to know how to make money to sustain them through the next chapter.

What's next for you and your firm?

Llanes says he and Wealthnet will continue to provide clients with excellent advice and service through investment management and planning for their futures. He sees a great need for financial literacy in our schools and is currently in local high school classrooms where he stresses the importance of understanding the basics of finance. He is also giving away his book, free, to students to help them learn about finance and investments to further their success in the future.

Here are 4 ways Louis can help you with YOUR investing and financial planning:

Listen to his Market Call Show Podcast

One of his favorite things to do is to talk with smart people about investing, financial planning, and how to live a full life. He shares this on his podcast the Market Call Show. To listen in  Click here

Try the new RISK NUMBER SCORECARD

Everyone has a risk number. Lets find yours. This tool can help you find YOUR personal risk number to have a peaceful investment journey  Click here

Read the Financial Freedom Blueprint: 7 Steps to Accelerate Your Path to Prosperity

If youre ready to accelerate your path to prosperity, Financial Freedom Blueprint lays out a proven system for planning and investing to secure your financial independence.  Click here

You can also get a personalized signed hardcover copy  Click here

Work with Louis one-on-one

If you would like to talk about planning and investing for your future.  Click here

Also please check these out:

Wealthnet Investments

Media Appearances & Interviews with Louis

Speaking





Media Communications

Inquiries: adamtorres@missionmatters.com

Publicist for Adam Torres and Mission Matters Media KISS PR Brand Story PressWire

Brand Publicity Partners KissPR.com

For more details, visit Kisspr.com. KISS PR Digital PR & Marketing powers the Mission Matters Business podcast with brand storytelling. T: 972.437.8942

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USA, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- What do major international companies like Facebook, Google, Amazon, Tesla have in common? Each one has turned to Latin America to scale their remote development teams.

For businesses across the United States and Canada, finding great remote talent can be a long and frustrating process. And given the recent labor shortage of the Great Resignation, hiring the best tech talent is harder than ever before.

At Coderio Group , they are on a mission to transform the remote workforce with access to the most talented tech professionals in Latin America. And only 5 years into their existence, they have already made a tremendous impact.

With a roster of over 10,000 pre-qualified developers, they have a robust stable of talent to augment any staff within the United States and Canada.

Staff augmentation is one of our key lines of business, explains Joaquin Quintas , CEO of Coderio Group. We specialize in providing top remote talent from Latin America to firms across America to work on any type of software system development project that the client is working on.

Because of their extensive onboarding process with professional developers, Coderio can match the right talent to their client companies within days  shortening the exhaustive search process and enabling companies to connect with only the best candidates for the position.

We have had a lot of success as a result of our exceptional staff and the premium service we provide, Quintas says. Our agile process gives our clients the ability to set up a completely remote squad (with a delivery team 100% dedicated to them) in less than 3 weeks.

Some of the key advantages to working with Latin American talent, Quintas says, is that remote workers are in the same time zones as all major American companies, and every developer speaks fluent English, making communication easy. And, of course, anyone who wants to join Coderio must undergo an extensive interview process, including two formal interviews and various skills assessments.

As a result, Coderio offers only the very best tech professionals, ensuring that companies get the help they need fast  and backed by trusted experts.

We offer a wide range of talents, from single individuals to entire assembled work teams, Quintas says. Coderio is a tech company, we develop software for our clients and we help them manage their remote teams.

Coderio Group has grown rapidly over the past 4 years, enabling remote workers to enter into different business lines and industries  and at the same time, empowering client companies to achieve impressive goals that may have been unreachable with staff augmentation.

We are helping Fortune 500 companies scale fast with expert nearshore software engineering teams, Quintas says. Our IT experts work on the backend, the front end, in architectures, ecommerce development, even entire teams migrating cores to the cloud.

With a full suite of staffing solutions available to companies across the United States and Canada, Quintas explains that Coderio is addressing a growing need for top-level IT talent to both launch new projects and support important initiatives. And with each developer or team they match with a client company, they take another step toward fulfilling their mission.

Nowadays, there is a need for developers from Latin America to work for companies in the United States, Quintas says. Latin America has the top talent in the industry, so we provide those developers to them in an easy and transparent way.

About Coderio Group

Coderio Group is dedicated to helping companies scale fast and jump-start their businesses with expert nearshore software engineering teams. With commercial headquarters in Miami, FL, and development centers in several countries from LatinAmerica, they work with international client companies in the United States, Canada, and Europe.



To learn more about Coderio, please visit www.coderio.co . Coderio will also be present in the upcoming eMerge Americas event in Miami on April 18-19.






A rendering of a fundamentals lab, which will be equipped with several hospital beds, inside Endicott Colleges new Cummings School of Nursing and Health Sciences, which is expected to open in the fall of 2023.
LAGRANGE [mdash] Anna Marie Eash, 71, LaGrange, died at 3:35 a.m., Thursday, May 5, at Parkview LaGrange Hospital. She was born Feb. 20, 1951 in LaGrange, to Chris J. and Mary W. (Lambright) Knepp. On July 13, 1988 in LaGrange, she married Daniel L. Eash. He died April 27, 2014. Surviving ar
People receive food from a church in the town of Borodyanka, about 40 miles northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 10. AP-Yonhap



Eight Korean pharmaceutical companies will donate medicine, medical supplies and health supplements to Ukraine that's been devastated by Russia's invasion, a pharmaceutical association said Monday.



The Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association said its eight member companies offered to donate medical goods worth 3 billion won ($2.43 million) at the request of Global Life Sharing, a Seoul-based nonprofit group that provides medical support to war- and poverty-stricken areas.



The companies are Kyung Dong Pharmaceutical, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Dongkook Pharmaceutical, Il Yang Pharmaceutical, Genu Pharma, Firson, Hana Pharm and Hanmi Pharmaceutical.






Governor Youngkin Announces Safe and Sound Task Force to End Practice of Kids Sleeping in Local Government Offices

RICHMOND, VA  Governor Youngkin announced today that he has launched an initiative aimed at creating safe housing placements for children in foster care. As today marks the start of Child Abuse Prevention month, the "Safe and Sound Task Force" will bring together government agencies, the Virginia League of Social Services Executives and other community partners to end the practice of children sleeping in local departments of social services, hotels and emergency rooms.

"It is unacceptable that last year over 150 children in foster care spent the night in places that just simply are not meant for kids. When this challenge came to our attention, my administration knew we had to act swiftly to ensure that every child has a safe place to belong," stated Governor Youngkin. Beyond the immediate need, we hope Virginians from all walks of life will step up to help children in foster care."

Over a six-month period in 2021 (February 1-July 30, 2021), 163 children were displaced for at least one night in unsuitable sleeping arrangements. This phenomenon occurs because of a dire shortage of foster homes, kinship family placements, and beds in group homes and residential treatment centers.

These youth ranged in age from 7-17 years. Social workers or law enforcement personnel stay overnight with children who are displaced, creating an undue burden on already overworked staff. This greatly exacerbates the existing workforce shortages in the child welfare and criminal justice systems.

Janet Kelly will serve as the Special Advisor for Childrens Issues and convene state and local government agencies, residential facilities and hospitals, and community partners to collaboratively seek immediate solutions to this crisis. The Task Force objectives include finding safe placements for kids who are currently displaced, ensuring a reservoir of safe placements for kids who may need them in the future, and eventually making recommendations that go upstream to address policy and systemic changes.

The Virginia Department of Social Services and the Virginia League of Social Services Executives raised this ongoing issue in July 2021, and since then Eric Reynolds, the Director of the Office of the Children's Ombudsman, and several state agencies have worked to identify some of the root causes.

"While there are a number of issues that created this untenable situation, it will require collaboration and creativity at both the local and state levels to solve it. We are grateful to every child welfare worker who has worked to the best of their ability to ensure these kids are safe and we look forward to working together with them to end this practice," stated Secretary of Health and Human Resources John Littel. "I appreciate how swiftly Governor Youngkin reacted to this information and for providing the leadership necessary to end this practice."

The current situation involves children in foster care who are often inappropriately placed in emergency departments and other non-licensed settings without mental health treatment or qualified professional support, said Andrew Crawford, The Virginia League of Social Services Executives (VLSSE) President and Director, Bedford County Department of Social Services. The Virginia League of Social Services Executives is committed to addressing the continuing crisis associated with placement of children in foster care with behavioral and mental health needs. Local Departments of Social Services look forward to collaborating with the Governor, our state partners and our private sector professionals to find solutions for Virginias most vulnerable children.

# # #
TEHRAN, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Iranian lawmakers on Sunday demanded the United States provide a legal guarantee that prevents future U.S. governments from quitting a possible agreement aimed at salvaging the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), state TV reported.

"The U.S. needs to provide (Iran) with a necessary legal guarantee that it will not withdraw from the JCPOA again, and this issue must be held up by the country's decision-making institutions, including congress, in a totally legal form, so that there would be no obstacle to the implementation (of the agreement) in future," said a statement signed by 250 Iranian lawmakers.

The United States should also ensure that the sanctions lifted would not be reimposed, and Iran should have the right to export its oil to any country in any agreed-upon amount, and Iran should be able to receive revenue from exported oil through the international banking system, the statement added.

Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in Austria's capital Vienna between Iran and the remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, namely China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany, to revive the deal.

In May 2018, the U.S. government under former President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the deal and unilaterally re-imposed sanctions on Iran. In response, Iran gradually dropped parts of its commitments under the agreement from May 2019. 




Won Hee-ryong, nominated to lead the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, speaks to reporters at the entrance to Gwacheon Government Complex, Monday. Yonhap



By Lee Kyung-min



Former Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong is coming under fire after being nominated to lead the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport despite lacking relevant expertise, according to critics, Monday.



The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said the nomination is an apparent reward for spearheading a smear campaign for President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Party, mostly by raising corruption allegations against the ruling party's defeated presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung.



Won accused Lee, a former Gyeonggi governor and Seongnam mayor, of being deeply involved in a land and commercial district development project to the amount of over 1 trillion won ($810 million) in Daejang-dong in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, saying that Lee helped a construction firm and six key figures related to the firm to net 404.4 billion won, or 68.4 percent of 590 billion won, in dividends from the project.



"The nomination of Won shows President-elect Yoon lacks principles in policy directives, a concerning choice and far from selecting figures that are deemed as the best fit for the daunting tasks they face," DPK floor leader Park Hong-keun said.






From left are seen Korea Chamber of Commerce Chairman Chey Tae-won, Federation of Korean Industries Chairman Huh Chang-soo, Korea Enterprises Federation Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik, and Korea International Trade Association Chairman Koo Ja-yeol.



By Kim Hyun-bin



Korea's four major business lobbying groups are competing to become the leading private-sector economic partner of the incoming Yoon Suk-yeol administration as they seek to build a closer network with members of the Presidential Transition Committee through the promotion of attractive policy proposals, industry watchers said Monday.



The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), the Korea Enterprises Federation, and the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) are offering to host the president-elect's first U.S. state visit, which will be Yoon's first overseas business trip following his inauguration.



"The FKI and the KCCI are competing to organize a business forum for when Yoon visits the U.S., as the chosen organization is likely to be selected as the main economic delegation," an official from one of the groups said.



The FKI has been the most active ahead of Yoon's inauguration in order to restore its once leading status, tarnished under the Moon Jae-in government for its involvement in the corruption scandal that led to the impeachment and imprisonment of former President Park Geun-hye.



The FKI was the first to submit a policy proposal to the transition committee and also hosted a luncheon meeting with President-elect Yoon and heads of the lobby groups. It also took a favorable stance regarding the incoming administration's controversial presidential office relocation to Yongsan. The group has been emphasizing its strong connections and networks around the globe to the new government.



"We are trying to provide assistance to the Yoon transition team as we have the largest number of global networks among the lobby groups. We have connections with a total of 31 countries that we have built relations with over the past 40 years, including the U.S. and Japan," an FKI official said.



However, some industry officials are skeptical about the FKI taking a lead role.



"The top four conglomerates  Samsung, Hyundai, SK, and LG  left the organization; and also a reduction in staff from 200 to 80 will make it difficult for it to act as a representative business lobby," an industry official said.



The KCCI is trying to solidify its role as a representative organization by emphasizing that it is the largest economic organization, having both major conglomerates and mid-size enterprises as members. The KCCI has been emphasizing its strong communication platform which could act as a bridge between the government, companies and the public.



"Regardless of which entity becomes the government's economic delegation, we have submitted a Korea-U.S. economic policy agenda to the transition team and that is under review," a senior KCCI official said.



The Korea Enterprises Federation is expanding its contact points with the new government by promoting greater worker flexibility and the easing of corporate regulations. The government plans to focus on undoing what it says were policies biased toward labor promoted by the Moon Jae-in administration.



President-elect Yoon visited KITA first among the lobby groups after the election. He also attended the "Meeting with Youth Trade Representatives" held by KITA.


Air Products has awarded thyssenkrupp nucera a contract for the supply of alkaline water electrolysis technology for a 10 metric ton per day facility to produce green liquid hydrogen in Casa Grande, Arizona. Under this contract, thyssenkrupp nucera will deliver two of their large-scale alkaline water electrolysis standard modules.

Based on its world-leading chlor-alkali electrolysis and decades of experience in industrial large-scale electrolysis applications, thyssenkrupp nucera has developed a modularized and cost-efficient solution for large scale hydrogen production. (Earlier post.) To simplify the construction of new hydrogen plants and keep costs down, it offers electrolyzers in prefabricated skid-mounted modules that can be added up to several hundred megawatts up to gigawatt scale.

Project activities have been initiated, and the facility is expected to be on-stream in 2023. The gaseous hydrogen will be converted to liquid hydrogen using Air Products proprietary technology. The production site will also include a terminal for Air Products to distribute the product for the mobility market in California and other locations in the US.





thyssenkrupp nucera electrolyzer assembly

This second joint project with our Strategic Partner Air Products signed within the last few months shows that the needed fast implementation of sector coupling needs sustainable, long-term partnerships and a new understanding of how to co-develop business cases and projects together. The combination of our reliable engineering and best-in-class technology with Air Products speed, strategic investment and build-own-operate model, will be the differentiator on this new hydrogen marketwhich we create now. Denis Krude, Chief Executive Officer at thyssenkrupp nucera

The United States plays a crucial role in thyssenkrupp nuceras hydrogen business strategy. With a local office in Houston, Texas, thyssenkrupp nucera builds its company organization as a globally operating network that is close to customers.

The United States will be an important frontrunner for showcasing the direct link between green hydrogen production and demand centers, creating a strong self-sustaining domestic hydrogen market. Arizona offers the perfect conditions for low-price renewable energy whereas California has set the right regulations to massively decarbonize their transportation sector. Heavy duty transportation is a feasible and cost-efficient business case for green hydrogen application already today if the renewable power prices are low. Dr. Christoph Noeres, Head of Green Hydrogen at thyssenkrupp nucera

Through several regulations California has taken steps aggressively to decarbonize its transportation sectorthe largest emissions sector in its economythrough conversion to zero-emission vehicles. The state has also set a goal that all drayage trucks be zero-emissions by 2035 and heavy-duty vehicles convert to zero-emissions vehicles by 2045.

For heavy-duty applications, hydrogen fuel cells offer faster refuel times, longer range, and larger payloads, while also performing better in extreme climate conditions than battery-electric solutions. Hydrogen as a transportation fuel most closely mirrors the traditional transportation fueling experience.

thyssenkrupp nucera is a joint venture with Industrie De Nora, and has extensive in-depth knowledge in the engineering, procurement, and construction of electrochemical plants and a strong track record of more than 600 projects with a total rating of more than 10 gigawatts already successfully installed.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan gives an update about the ongoing talks with Russia at a press briefing at the White House in Washington, Jan. 13. The Biden administration will send more weapons to Ukraine to prevent Russia from seizing more territory and targeting civilians. AP-Yonhap



The United States is committed to providing Ukraine with "the weapons it needs" to defend itself against Russia, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday as Ukraine seeks more military aid from the West.



Sullivan said the Biden administration will send more weapons to Ukraine to prevent Russia from seizing more territory and targeting civilians, attacks that Washington has labeled war crimes.



"We're going to get Ukraine the weapons it needs to beat back the Russians to stop them from taking more cities and towns where they commit these crimes," Sullivan said on ABC News' "This Week".



Moscow has rejected accusations of war crimes by Ukraine and Western countries.



Speaking later on NBC News' "Meet the Press", Sullivan said the United States was "working around the clock to deliver our own weapons . . . and organizing and coordinating the delivery of weapons from many other countries."



"Weapons are arriving every day," Sullivan said, "including today."



The United States has sent $1.7 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion on Feb. 24, the White House said last week.



Weapons shipments have included defensive anti-aircraft Stinger and anti-tank Javelin missiles, as well as ammunition and body armor. But U.S. and European leaders are being pressed by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to provide heavier arms and equipment to engage Russia in the eastern region of the country, where Russia is expected to intensify its military efforts.



In excerpts of an interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes" that will air later on Sunday, Zelenskyy expressed skepticism that the United States would deliver the weapons he said are needed.









Whether Ukraine can beat back the Russian incursion "depends on how fast we will be helped by the United States. To be honest, whether we will be able to survive depends on this," Zelenskyy said.



"I have 100% confidence in our people and in our armed forces, but unfortunately I don't have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need."





People wait for transportation during evacuation of civilians in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, April 10. AP-Yonhap
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JOHANNESBURG (AP)  The corruption trial in South Africa of former President Jacob Zuma has been postponed again on Monday pending the outcome of the ex-leader's appeal to get the state prosecutor removed from his case.

Zuma was not present in the Pietermaritzburg High Court due to a medical emergency, his lawyer Dali Mpofu told the court.

His legal representatives requested that the start of the trial be postponed until the Supreme Court of Appeal decides on Zuma's effort to have state prosecutor Billy Downer removed from the case. Zuma accuses Downer of bias against the ex-leader.

The case is set to resume on May 17.

The delay is the latest of many as it has been nearly 17 years since Zuma was first charged with corruption, fraud and money laundering related to South Africas controversial 1999 arms deal.

He is charged alongside French arms manufacturer Thales, which is accused of paying bribes to Zuma through his former financial advisor Schabir Shaik, who was convicted on related charges in 2005.

South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority opposed the application for the postponement, accusing Zuma of delaying tactics to prevent the start of the trial.

While Zuma has publicly said he wants his day in court, he has over the years launched numerous legal actions that have delayed the start of the trial.

Delivering his judgment on Monday, High Court Judge Piet Koen said while the delay of the trial could lead to frustrations, the current delay was unavoidable as the court had to await the Supreme Court of Appeal's decision.

Zuma, 79, is currently on medical parole on a 15-month prison sentence following his conviction last year of contempt of court for defying a Constitutional Court order to appear before a judicial commission investigating corruption during his presidential term from 2009 to 2018.

Zuma was imprisoned in July last year which set off days of rioting in the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces in which shops, warehouses and factories were looted and many burned. More than 300 people died in the unrest.

About three months later Zuma was released on medical parole, for an undisclosed health condition. A subsequent court judgment ruled the medical parole was invalid, but his lawyers are appealing that judgment.
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PARIS (AP)  French President Emmanuel Macron declared Monday that he wants to convince" a broad range of French voters to back his centrist vision, kicking off a two-week battle against far-right challenger Marine Le Pen ahead of the country's presidential runoff vote.

Le Pen, meanwhile, is ready for the fight, eager to highlight rising prices for energy and food that have hit poorer households especially hard recently as Macron has focused his efforts on seeking a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine.

The two candidates came out on top in Sunday's first-round presidential vote, setting up an April 24 replay of their duel in 2017. Macron trounced Le Pen five years ago in the presidential runoff but all opinion polls show the leader of the National Rally is much closer this time to a potential win.

The outcome of the French presidential election will have wide international influence as Europe struggles to contain the havoc wreaked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Macron has strongly backed European Union sanctions on Russia while Le Pen has worried about their impact on French living standards. Macron also is a firm supporter of NATO and of close collaboration among the EU's 27 members.

Macron headed Monday to an economically depressed area of northern France where a majority of voters had chosen Le Pen, close to her electoral stronghold of Henin-Beaumont.

I'm here, and I'm determined to fight," the 44-year-old president said during his visit to the town of Denain, adding that he has heard the concerns of people who struggle to find a job and earn more money.

They need to be reassured, he said.

For her part, Le Pen met with National Rally officials to plan her strategy for the runoff and visited a cereal producer in the Burgundy region to speak about rising prices and making strong, urgent decisions to protect the purchasing power of the French." The topic has been at the core of her campaign this year, but Macrons team argues that, due to the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, France does not have the financial means to meet Le Pen's campaign promises.

Macron said he wants to court those who voted for the "extremes" or opted to stay at home. He met with residents in Denain, many of whom criticized his proposed pension changes, which include raising the minimum retirement age from 62 to 65.

Denain Mayor Anne-Lise Dufour-Tonini told reporters she will vote for Macron 'with no hesitation" in the second round, but intends to push for him to adopt more leftist proposals."

Many of the 10 presidential candidates who were defeated in the first round Sunday encouraged voters to choose Macron in the second round, including conservative candidate Valerie Pecresse and the Green and Socialist candidates. Pecresse warned of the chaos that would ensue if Le Pen was elected.

Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who came in third in Sunday's vote, urged voters not to choose Le Pen, implicitly suggesting that just staying at home could be an option too.

Le Pen was backed by the other far-right candidate who was defeated, former TV pundit Eric Zemmour.

On her third attempt to become Frances first woman president, Le Pen was rewarded Sunday for her years-long effort to rebrand herself as less extreme. Macron is not buying it, however, accusing Le Pen of pushing a dangerous manifesto of racist, ruinous policies. Le Pen wants to roll back some rights for Muslims, banning them from wearing headscarves in public, and drastically reduce immigration from outside Europe.

Macron and Le Pen are to debate on national television next week.

Our focus is now on the project and the values, said Sen. Francois Patriat, a member of Macrons party.

Le Pen's camp, meanwhile, is hoping to capitalize on anger at Macron over policies seen as favoring the rich.

Now everything is possible, said Aurelien Lopez Liguori, a councilor with Le Pen's party in the southern city of Sete, adding that, compared with 2017, now Macron has a record, a bad record.

French Minister for European Affairs Clement Beaune told the AP that only five years ago Le Pen was proposing  must not forget it  to leave the euro, to break Europe when Brexit and Frexit were trendy.

Le Pen has dropped earlier threats to pull France out of the EU and abandon the shared euro currency if elected, but some of her proposals, including setting up a national border control, are contrary to EU rules.

With all first-round votes counted Monday, Macron had 27.8% support, Le Pen captured 23.1% and Melenchon was third with close to 22%.

___

John Leicester and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed.

___

Follow all AP stories on Frances presidential election at https://apnews.com/hub/french-election-2022
Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media

GREENWICH  The International School at Dundee hosted its fifth annual Greenwich Color Challenge on Saturday.

The 1.5-mile course began and finished at the ISD fields and took participants through obstacles, a foam pit and color stations where kids and adults got dusted with safe and washable powder as they ran past. The fun continued with games, bubbles, prizes and food at the finish line.
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Prosecutors revealed Monday evening that they offered plea deals to three former Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting the murder of George Floyd, but said at a hearing that the defendants rejected them.

Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill held the hearing mostly to consider whether he has the authority to allow live video coverage of the upcoming trial set to begin in June for former Officers Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng. They're charged with aiding and abetting both manslaughter and murder when former officer Derek Chauvin used his knee to pin Floyd, a Black man, to the pavement for 9 1/2 minutes on May 25, 2020. Kueng knelt on Floyds back, Lane held his legs and Thao kept bystanders back.

Lead prosecutor Matthew Frank did not disclose details of the plea offers in open court but said they were identical and were made March 22 after a jury convicted the three in a separate trial in February on federal civil rights charges stemming from Floyds death, according to pool reports from inside the courtroom.

Lanes attorney, Earl Gray, said it was hard for the defense to negotiate when the three still dont know what their federal sentences will be. The judge in that case has not set a sentencing date, and all three remain free on bail.

Cahill told Frank to file the offers for the record after the jury is seated for the upcoming trial, which is expected to take around eight weeks, including three for jury selection.

Cahill took the rare step of allowing live audiovisual coverage of Chauvin's murder trial last year, making an exception to the normal rules of Minnesota courts. He cited the extenuating circumstance of the need to balance protecting participants from COVID-19 against the constitutional requirement for a public trial.

Now that the U.S. has entered a new phase of living with the coronavirus, Cahill must decide whether to allow the same sort of access for the trial of Thao, Lane and Kueng. He did not rule during their pretrial hearing, and said he won't until after the Minnesota Judicial Council  a panel of leading judges and court administrators  meets Thursday to discuss the issue.

Attorney Leita Walker, who represents a coalition of media organizations, including The Associated Press, urged Cahill to allow video coverage again, saying it's the most reasonable way to ensure public and media access to the trial. She said the public got to watch Chauvin's trial, and that interest remains high because both involve Floyd's death. The killing, which was recorded on video, sparked protests around the world and a national reckoning on race.

The public is just not going to understand why they got to watch that one gavel to gavel and they wont be able to watch this one, Walker said.

But Cahill questioned Walkers assertions that he has the authority to make another exception and that the pandemic is still an extenuating circumstance.

COVID-19 is less of a pandemic and more of an endemic issue now, Cahill said.

Cahill noted that while he has publicly said he now believes the legal presumption should be to allow televised trials, he pointed out that thats not the rule yet. Im still sworn to uphold the law, he said.

Defense attorneys said they still oppose audiovisual coverage of the upcoming trial, and renewed concerns about the willingness of witnesses to testify.

Minnesota court rules generally require the consent of all parties for audiovisual coverage of trials, with fewer restrictions for sentencings. Chauvins trial was the first in Minnesota to be entirely televised, from jury selection to his murder conviction to his sentencing to 22 1/2 years in prison. People worldwide tuned into the livestreams.

I think livestreaming that trial enabled people here and around the world to see the inner workings of a system that was handling one of the most important trials of our time, Suki Dardarian, senior managing editor and vice president of the Star Tribune of Minneapolis, which is part of the media coalition, said before the hearing.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellisons office initially opposed having cameras in the court for Chauvin's trial, but now supports them for the other officers' upcoming trial.

The Chauvin trial demonstrated the benefits of robust public access to this important case and proved that the Court could successfully navigate the concerns animating the States initial opposition to audio and video coverage, prosecutors wrote last week. The Courts commendable transparency inspired public confidence in the proceedings and helped ensure calm in Minneapolis and across the country.

Due to federal court rules, live video coverage was not allowed for the first trial of Thao, Lane and Kueng this year, when all three were convicted of violating Floyd's civil rights. Nor was it allowed for Chauvin's federal case in which he pleaded guilty to civil rights violations. But it was allowed in the December state court trial of former Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter in the death of Daunte Wright, who was killed one year ago Monday.

An advisory committee to the Minnesota Supreme Court is considering whether to allow more video coverage of criminal proceedings. It's due to release its report by July 1.

Cahill, in a letter to the committee, said he had opposed cameras in criminal cases before, but that his experience in Chauvin's case changed his opinion, and he now believes they should be presumptively allowed, subject to the trial judge's discretion.

Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu, who presided over Potter's trial, told the Star Tribune in an interview that both the Potter and Chauvin trials convinced her that cameras can be present without being disruptive.

I forgot they were even there," Chu told the newspaper.
File photo / Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media

GREENWICH  Authorities have identified a man who was struck and killed on the tracks by a Metro-North train at the Greenwich station Sunday morning as a New York City resident.

The MTA Police have identified the deceased in yesterdays incident as Tyrell Kelvin Grant, 26, of Manhattan, Aaron Donovan, a spokesman with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said Monday.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Families with transgender teens sued the state of Alabama in federal court on Monday to overturn a law that makes it a crime for doctors to treat trans youth under 19 with puberty blockers or hormones to help affirm their gender identity.

The two lawsuits  one on behalf of two families and another on behalf two families and the physicians who treat their children pose legal challenges to legislation signed into law Friday by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey.

Transgender youth are a part of Alabama, and they deserve the same privacy, access to treatment, and data-driven health care from trained medical professionals as any other Alabamian," Tish Gotell Faulks, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama, said in a statement. Faulks added that lawmakers are using children, as, political pawns for their reelection campaigns. Ivey and legislators face primaries next month.

Unless blocked by the court, the Alabama law will take effect May 8, making it a felony for a doctor to prescribe puberty blockers or hormones to aid in the gender transition of anyone under age 19. Violations will be punishable by up to 10 years in prison. It also prohibits gender transition surgeries, although doctors told lawmakers those are not performed on minors in Alabama.

The level of legislative overreach into the practice of medicine is unprecedented. And never before has legislative overreach come into pediatric examination rooms to shut down the parent voice in medical decision making between a parent, their pediatrician and their child, Dr. Morissa Ladinsky, a medical provider and a plaintiff in one of the lawsuits, told The Associated Press in an interview.

Ivey signed the legislation Friday, a day after it was approved by the Alabama Legislature. At a campaign stop Monday, the governor invoked religion when asked about her decision to sign the legislation.

If the good Lord made you a boy at birth, then you are a boy. If the good Lord made you a girl at birth, then you are a girl, she said. We should especially focus our efforts on helping these young people become healthy adults just like God wanted them to be rather than self-induced medical intervenors.

Asked if the law would survive a court challenge, she replied, Well wait and see.

The two lawsuits were filed by advocacy groups on behalf of families with transgender children, as well as by two medical providers. The children were not identified in the lawsuits because of their age,

I know that I am a girl and I always have been, one of the 15-year-old plaintiffs said in a statement provided by the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama. Even before I learned the word transgender or met other trans people, I knew myself."

In one of the lawsuits, parents described their fears that their transgender daughter, called Mary Roe" in the suit, would harm herself or try to commit suicide if she loses access to the puberty blockers she began taking last year. For Mary to be forced to go through male puberty would be devastating; it would predictably result in her experiencing isolation, depression, anxiety, and distress," the lawsuit states.

Similar measures have been pushed in other states, but the Alabama legislation is the first to lay out criminal penalties for doctors.

In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the states child welfare agency to investigate as abuse reports of gender-confirming care for kids. And a law in Arkansas bans gender-affirming medications. That law has been blocked by a court, however.

Ivey also signed a separate measure that requires students to use bathrooms that align with their original birth certificate and prohibits instruction of gender and sexual identity in kindergarten through fifth grades.
As Connecticut gets ready to issue its first adult-use, non-medical cannabis licenses, theres a growing push to unionize workers in the industry.

Connecticuts adult-use cannabis law requires cannabis establishments to enter into so-called labor peace agreements as a condition of getting a final license. That means unions have an easier task of organizing because the companies remain neutral.

In exchange for employers not interfering with organizing campaigns, workers agree not to engage in strikes, protests, or other work stoppages.

That doesnt ensure unionization, said Mark Espinosa, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 919, which represents about 7,000 retail employees in Connecticut. That just give us the ability to go in there and talk to employees.

Last month, UFCW, which represents tens of thousands of unionized cannabis workers across the country, held a press conference outside the state Capitol in Hartford to promote its newly formed cannabis apprenticeship programs and to underscore how the burgeoning industry can be a source of good paying union jobs.

At least one potential operator, Luis Vega, CEO Of Nautilus Botanicals and an existing hemp farmer in the state, who joined UFCW at its press conference last month, has committed to entering into a labor agreement with the union if his application for a cultivator license is approved. And this week, Espinosa said, an existing medical operator in the state is allowing UFCW representatives to give a presentation to his employees.

The owner has agreed to let us come in there and talk freely to the employees, he said.

Connecticut is one of a growing number of states that have passed cannabis laws that give a boost to unionization efforts. But legal challenges could be on the horizon.

Critics of the labor peace agreements say they can lead to higher labor costs. They also question whether a 1976 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which prohibits states from regulating certain labor-management relations in private industry, preempts the state initiatives that have passed.

The Connecticut Medical Cannabis Council, which represents the four current medical operators in the state, testified against the requirement for labor peace agreements when the adult-use cannabis bill came up for a public hearing in the General Assembly last year.

The council said, any effort to coercively mandate such agreements as a condition of licensure would be unnecessary and unwelcomed by employers and would also be subject to serious constitutional uncertainty and challenge, creating the potential for court interference and disruption in the states licensure and operation of cannabis establishments.

Espinosa said the union is anticipating that the possibility of court challenges to Connecticuts law.

The employer who says yeah, I did it for my licensing, could take a different stance once its all done, he said. Were going to have to be prepared for that.

But for now, Espinosa said the focus is on talking to as many workers as possible about the benefits of joining UFCW including job training, wage increases, and strong benefit packages. He pointed to UFCWs success in organizing cultivation and dispensary workers in Massachusetts, which has also legalized recreational cannabis, and Rhode Island, where medical marijuana is legal. The cannabis industry, which has a younger workforce, is an ideal target for UFCW, Espinosa said.

There is a whole different level of expectations that workers have in terms of relationships with bosses, with employers, he said.

julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com
The Bullets Wireless Z2 is the latest pair of in-ear wireless earbuds from OnePlus. Unlike many of the company's recent launches, the Bullets Wireless Z2 return to the neckband design that the company started with in 2018. The Bullets Wireless Z2 is an entry-level product and is currently only sold in India.

Design

The Bullets Wireless Z2 design is largely identical to that of the Bullets Wireless Z Bass Edition. The neckband terminates in two chunky columns that have the cables jutting out their ends.

The left column houses the controls for volume and media playback. The middle button is a bit overworked here; you can press it once to play/pause your music or answer/end your calls. Press it twice to skip to the next song and thrice to go back to the previous one. Press and hold the button to initiate pairing.

The buttons have a nice clicky feel and work reliably. However, they are a bit too far apart, so you have to hunt around for them before you find the one you are looking for. Even if your thumb does land on a button, it's difficult to tell which one it is without sliding it up and down to place it among the trio. It would have been better if all three buttons had fit within the width of the thumb.

The chunky design of the Bullets Wireless Z2 can be a bit irritating. It's not particularly large but still feels like it takes up too much space around your neck. It's also one of the heavier models I've used and I can always feel its presence around my neck.

The build quality and finish of the headset is very good. The rubber feels pliant and durable, and the plastics all have a quality feel. The rubber for the cables is also striated. The headset is also IP55 rated, so it can survive being splashed with water.

Comfort

The Bullets Wireless Z2 is a comfortable headset. The ear tips are made out of soft rubber and have the oval design found on the OnePlus Buds Pro and Buds Z2. They fit the ears well and can stay there for hours without being uncomfortable.

As mentioned before, the only annoyance is the neckband hanging around your neck, which is just a tad thicker and heavier than it should have been.

Software

The Bullets Wireless Z2 do not have a dedicated companion software. On OnePlus phones, you do get a dedicated info screen for them but there's nothing here to adjust. Also, even though you can see the firmware version here, there isn't any way to actually update it.



OnePlus software

Performance

Audio quality

The Bullets Wireless Z2 have relatively large 12.4mm drivers. They connect over Bluetooth 5.0 and support SBC and AAC codecs.

The tonality of the sound is similar to OnePlus' recent products, with neutral-leaning mids and treble and over-the-top bass.

The bass response on the Bullets Wireless Z2 is garish. It has an exaggerated upper and mid-bass response, which can be overbearing. The bass is tolerable when listening at lower volumes but becomes genuinely fatiguing at higher volumes, not to mention obnoxious and overpowering over the rest of the frequency response.

It's not that this doesn't work for some tracks or genres. Indeed, some music can sound significantly more exciting when you throw this much bass at it. But sometimes you just want to lie down and listen to some relaxing tunes or a podcast, which can be difficult to do when the speakers are constantly in party mode.

This is a shame because the mid-range is actually quite good. Vocals have a smooth and mellow timbre that's very pleasing to listen to. Instruments have a similarly pleasant tonality to them, with everything from the piano to the guitar coming through quite well.

To top it off, the treble performance is great as well. It shares some of the mellowness of the mid-range so there's no unwanted harshness or sibilance at the cost of some air and brilliance. However, it still comes across as detailed and articulate without being dark or muddy.

In terms of technical performance, Bullets Wireless Z2 have a moderate level of resolution and detail in the sound. This usually comes down to the choice of drivers used rather than the codec, although a higher bit rate codec couldn't have hurt. Imaging and soundstaging were unobjectionable and offered some space and directionality to the sound that made the overall presentation pleasant to listen to.

The Bullets Wireless Z2 get sufficiently loud, with the maximum volume being uncomfortable to listen to on all but the quietest of recordings.

Microphone

The microphone performance on the Bullets Wireless Z2 is good. There is audible compression when speaking even in quiet environments but voices still sound relatively clear with good tonality. In noisier environments, the AI scene-model algorithm does a good job of reducing ambient sounds and prioritizing the voice, which sounds fairly similar to speaking in quiet environments.

Latency

OnePlus claims a latency of minimum 94ms when paired with select OnePlus phones, although it fails to mention which exact OnePlus phones, how the headset achieves this lower latency, and what the latency is with other devices.

During my testing, the latency performance was good for watching videos as the delay was barely noticeable when paired with an iPhone. Latency on Android was notably higher when using AAC and the audio also took longer to sync when unpausing or skipping but was fine when using SBC.

Latency in applications was poor. Games and music apps demonstrated notable delay, with apps like piano players having almost half a second of latency after a key was pressed. As usual, I would recommend wired audio if latency is important to you or if you want to use the microphone while gaming.

Connectivity

The Bullets Wireless Z2 had minor connectivity issues during my testing. When testing with Apple Music on an iPhone XR, there would be moments where it would sound like the player would skip or rush past certain segments of the track, especially at the beginning. Adjusting volume on the iPhone would also occasionally result in pauses in sound.

With a OnePlus 10 Pro, the phone would frequently lose sync between audio and video while watching YouTube videos, and it would take several seconds before the two synced again.

It's hard to say who's at fault here, as neither phone demonstrates these issues with other headsets nor does the Bullets Wireless Z2 have these issues with other devices.

Aside from that, there were no other problems with connectivity.

Battery

The Bullets Wireless Z2 has exceptional battery life. During my battery drain test, the headset ran continuously for 28.5 hours, which is very close to the 30 hours claimed by OnePlus. After a ten-minute charge, the headset went on for 20.4 hours, which is just over the 20 hours claimed by the company. With normal use, the headset should last well over a week on a single charge.

Conclusion

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 are priced at INR 1999, which is only about $26. For that price, you are getting a good product overall, with good build quality, comfort, and microphone performance. The battery life, in particular, is excellent.

Where the headset disappoints is in audio quality. OnePlus went from making balanced-sounding headsets to obnoxious bass cannons over the past few releases, and the Bullets Wireless Z2 is perhaps the worst offender. It's like they figured out a while back that people like bass and haven't stopped turning that knob since even though it's starting to get silly. I would gladly recommend a Non-Bass Edition if they ever were to make one because I don't have any major complaints about the sound otherwise.

But of course, if that's your preference, then you will find plenty to like with the Bullets Wireless Z2.
Congress is currently weighing legislation that would expand access to health care for National Guard members and military reservists, and local lawmakers want to throw in their support.

The Healthcare for Our Troops Act of 2021 would expand coverage of the military TRICARE Reserve Select insurance plan to guardsmen and reservists who are not on active duty status at no cost.

Sen. Tony Ada introduced Resolution 290, which would express the Legislatures support on behalf of more than 2,600 members of the Guard and Reserves here.

Under the current law, National Guard and reserve service members who are federal employees in their civilian capacity are ineligible to enroll, Ada said during a public hearing for the resolution on Monday.

This creates confusion and coordinating benefits for service members and their families and prevents service members from establishing continuity of care and treatment as they deploy or transition in or out of federal government.

An estimated 130,000 guardsmen and reservists do not have health care insurance under the current disjointed system of third party health contractors and periodic health assessments, he added.

According to Sen. Telena Nelson, a member of the National Guard, an estimated 16% of all guardsmen have no health insurance.

Sen. Pedo Terlaje, a veteran, supports the measure, which he said could help to shore up some of the problems faced by residents who were not on active duty.

Only active personnel can be afforded services on the dental clinic on base, and not part-time soldiers, he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses members of the South Korea Parliament via video link at the National assembly in Seoul, Monday. AP-Yonhap



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday asked Korea to provide military hardware support to help his country's fight against Russian aggression.



Zelenskyy made the request in a virtual address before Korean lawmakers, saying Ukraine needs various military technologies, including planes and tanks.



"The Republic of Korea can help Ukraine," he said. "Korea has the military hardware that can stop Russia's vessels and missiles." (Yonhap)
The Guam Bureau of Womens Affairs held a news conference Monday to voice strong opposition against Bill 291, which states abortions cannot be performed after detection of a fetal heartbeat.

The bill, modeled after a law in Texas, was described as an unconstitutional attempt to shame and stigmatize women by closing off access to healthcare.

This bill is an attempt to control womens bodies, said Director Jayne Flores. The late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said that if you cant trust a woman, if she cannot make decisions about what happens within her own work realm, within her own body, then she is not a fully functioning, equal person in our society. Its not a pro-life bill.

Dr. Annie Bordallo said that although technology has gotten better in detecting a fetal heartbeat, there are still big gaps in the definition of abortion.

Bordallo said the constitutional right to privacy is at the very basis of similar bills.

Nobody has access to know what I talked to the patient about except the patient, so how is somebody else going to be able to access that information? Is this going to allow the court system to break federal HIPPA laws by giving us a subpoena to these records? said Bordallo.

Expand access

Former senator Regine Biscoe Lee said that if this bill passes, it will limit the islands access to healthcare. She said efforts should be put more toward expanding access, as well as to other critical issues such as work environment, sexual assault and family violence.

Carlotta Leon Guerrero, special assistant to the governors office, said the Legislature should also put collective efforts on the Child Protective Act, which creates within the jurisdiction of the Family Court procedures to safeguard, treat and provide permanent planning for children who have been threatened with harm.

Leon Guerrero said theres a greater need for outreach to immigrant populations to encourage and educate them on healthcare.

There has been no abortion provider on Guam since the last provider, Dr. William Freeman, retired in 2018.

The bureau posted an online petition that had almost 1,000 signatures opposing the bill.

The bureau will also be writing letters to the senators to not only vote against this bill, but to consider the reason it was introduced.
GCA Trades Academy presented 56 level completion certificates to Guam Department of Education high school students on Saturday, and the academys summer program is now open for registration.

During the ceremony Saturday, student received certificates after completing courses in the core curriculum and construction craft laborer, levels 1 and 2.

The GCA Trades summer program will allow students to earn credits toward high school graduation.

Registration will close on May 31.

The core curriculum class will include basic safety, introduction to construction math, introduction to hand tools and power tools, and introduction to construction drawings and materials handling.

The construction craft laborer class will allow students to learn about different trades, such as carpentry, masonry, ironworking, electrical, welding heavy equipment and cranes.

Classes will be held at the GCA Trades Academy Tiyan Facility from June 13 through Aug. 8.

Students may contact 671-488-5244 or email liza@gcatradesacademy.org for registration.

This summer program is administered by the Guam Department of Education Federal Programs Divisions, and funded by the U.S Department of Education Consolidated Grant to the Outlying Areas.
Recently retired chief planner for the Bureau of Statistics and Plans Lola E. Leon Guerrero will be stepping back on board to serve as the bureaus acting director.

Leon Guerrero began working at the bureau in 1991 as a planner, before retiring as chief planner in March.

According to a release from the Office of the Governor, former bureau Director Tyrone Taitano has been appointed as infrastructure coordinator for the newly established Office of Infrastructure Policy and Development.

The office was created by Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero through executive order and provided with $950,000 in American Rescue Plan funds, according to the latest report on the funds provided to the Legislature.

As chief planner, Lola ensured Guams resources were effectively maximized for the benefit of future generations. Our administration appreciates her return to public service and trusts her ability to help strengthen our plans for Guams recovery, the governor said in the release.

The new office is a temporary entity, according to the release, meant to ensure the maximum benefit from federal funds invested for Guam, rapidly and efficiently implement infrastructure projects, and fast track the spending of federal money for economic recovery.

The governor stated that the federal government made a substantial amount of funding available for infrastructure upgrades.

The Biden Administration has requested states and territories to appoint a single infrastructure coordinator tasked with ensuring our investments have lasting benefits for Guams future, Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio stated.

American Rescue Plan money

The governor has shifted around some of the spending priorities for the over $570 million in rescue plan funds, based on the latest report.

About $22 million for the construction of a new Guam Memorial Hospital was reallocated, and an additional $2 million was allocated for increased nurse pay. The Prugraman Salappe, which now provides assistance to residents in paying for gas, was provided $12 million.

Around $1 million in rescue plan money was shifted away from the Department of Public Works, along with $1.9 million moved away from the Department of Revenue and Taxation, for information technology and contractual needs.

The governors office has stated that the allocation of rescue plan money is fluid, and subject to change over time.
Anita P. Arriola is joined by other authors of this letter: Ellen Bez; Annie Bordallo; Mariana Cook-Huynh; Lisa Dames; Moneka De Oro; Jayne Flores; Regine Biscoe Lee; Carlotta Leon Guerrero; Stephanie Lorenzo; Michelle Voacolo; Vanessa Williams and Kiana Yabut.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero signs Bill No. 158-36 (LS), also known as the Birada Act, at the Ricardo J. Bordallo Governors Complex in Adelup on Thursday, April 7, 2022.
A Hong Kong national security police officer, left, and a worker carry boxes of evidence from the offices of Stand News in Hong Kong, in this Dec. 29, 2021, file photo. A veteran Hong Kong journalist was arrested by national security police on Monday for allegedly conspiring to publish "seditious materials," a police source and local media said. AFP-Yonhap



A veteran Hong Kong journalist was arrested by national security police on Monday for allegedly conspiring to publish "seditious materials," a police source and local media said.



The arrest is the latest blow against the local press in Hong Kong which has seen its media freedom rating plummet as Beijing cracks down on dissent.



Allan Au, a 54-year-old reporter and journalism lecturer, was arrested in a dawn raid by Hong Kong's national security police unit, multiple local media outlets reported.



A senior police source confirmed Au's arrest to AFP on a charge of "conspiracy to publish seditious materials."



Police have yet to release an official statement. Au was a former columnist for Stand News, an online news platform that was shuttered last December after authorities froze the company's assets using a national security law.



Two other senior employees of Stand News have already been charged with sedition.



National security charges have also been brought against jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai and six former senior executives of Apple Daily.



Once Hong Kong's most popular tabloid, Apple Daily collapsed last year when its newsroom was raided and assets were frozen under the security law.



Soon after Stand News was shut down, Au began to write "good morning" each day on his Facebook to confirm his safety.



One of the city's most experienced local columnists, he was a Knight fellow at Stanford University in 2005 and earned a doctorate from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.



In 2017 Au published a book about censorship in Hong Kong entitled "Freedom Under 20 Shades of Shadow."



Au spent more than a decade working for RTHK, Hong Kong's government broadcaster, running a current affairs show.



But he was axed last year after the authorities declared a shake-up that began transforming the once editorially independent broadcaster into something more resembling Chinese state media.



National security offence



First penned by colonial ruler Britain in 1938, sedition was long criticized as an anti-free speech law, including by many of the pro-Beijing local newspapers now praising its use.



By the time of the 1997 handover, it had not been used for decades but remained on the books.



It was dusted off by police and prosecutors in the wake of massive and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.



Over the last two years sedition has been wielded against journalists, unionists, activists, a former pop star and ordinary citizens.



Sedition is currently separate from the sweeping national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020.



But the courts treat it as a national security offence, which means that bail is often denied for those charged.



Next month Hong Kong is expected to get a new Beijing-anointed leader, former security chief John Lee who oversaw the police response to the 2019 democracy protests and subsequent crackdown.



Asked on Monday whether Au's arrest would worsen press freedom, Lee declined to comment, saying that all investigations should be carried out independently. (AFP)






Haiti - USA : 88 Haitian boat-people repatriated by the US Coast Guard





Sunday, April 10, 2022, the crew of the vessel THETIS (WMEC-910) of the United States Coast Guard repatriated safe and sound, 88 Haitian migrants (62 men and 26 women) intercepted Tuesday, April 5 north of Sagua La Grande (Cuba ) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36362-haiti-news-zapping.html aboard an excessively overloaded sailboat which was also taking on water.



"We ask families in the United States not to encourage their loved ones in Haiti to make this dangerous journey," said Lt. Connor Ives, law enforcement officer in Coast Guard District 7, noting "The risk of loss of life is great on these dangerous boats."



Number of migrants intercepted by the US Coast Guard in the past 6 years:



Fiscal year 2022 partial (Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022)

3,060 Haitian migrants



Fiscal year 2021 (Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021)

1,527 Haitian migrants



Fiscal year 2020 (Oct. 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2020)

418 Haitian migrants



Fiscal year 2019 (Oct. 1, 2018 to Sept. 30, 2019)

932 Haitian migrants



Fiscal year 2018 (Oct. 1, 2017 to Sept. 30, 2018)

609 Haitian migrants



Fiscal year 2017 (Oct. 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2017)

419 Haitian migrants



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36362-haiti-news-zapping.html



S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Diaspora Covid-19 : Daily Bulletin #752





GLOBAL SITUATION 2019-2022:

Epidemiological situation:

Monday April 11, 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 499,213,329 cases (+550,881 in 24 hours ), the day before (+797,100)



Number of infected countries: 225



*Healings: 448,794,611 people have been cured of Covid-19 worldwide (+5,119,264 US health authority adjustment impact), the day before (+10,218,618 US health authority adjustment)

*Deaths: 6,203,461 people have died of Covid-19 worldwide since the start of the pandemic (+1,240 in 24 hours), the day before (+2,859)

*Active cases (minus deaths and recoveries) worldwide is currently 44,215,257 cases (-4,569,623 US health authority adjustment impact), the day before (-9,424,377 US health authority adjustment)



Average cure rate in the world: 89.90% (+)



Average mortality rate in the world: 1.24% (=)



World: Number of daily confirmed cases





(Day-1)



Vaccination: 11.46 billion doses of vaccine injected (+30 million doses injected. Updated April 10, 2022 (latest data available).



HAITI:

Warning: The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) did not make available daily data on the Covid-19 situation in Haiti after April 6, 2022. As a result, the data below on the situation in Haiti is the latest available.



According to the Ministry of Public Health, +10 new cases of Covid-19 and its variants have been confirmed in Haiti as of April 6, 2022 (latest partial data available ) for a total of 30,585 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 (+8 cases as of April 2, 2022).



Healings: 29,082 (+107)



Cure rate: 95.08% (+)



Deaths: 835 deaths (+2) (West +2)



Death rate: 2.73% (+)



5th Wave (Omicron Dominant):

Total of the 5th wave (beginning of December 27, 2021) 4,591 confirmed cases and 69 deaths



Screening since the start of the pandemic: 191,478 tests (+1,242 in 4 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: 744 (+3); Petion-ville 624 (+0); Port-au-Prince 407 (+0); Tabarre 288 (+0); Cross-Bouquets 242 (+1)



Confirmed cases by department (2022 / 2021 / 2020):

West: 2022: 2,563 cases; (2021: 9.890); (2020: 6,945 cases)

North: 2022: 269 cases; (2021: 664); (2020: 677 cases)

Center: 2022: 230 cases; (2021: 1.001); (2020: 508 cases)

Artibonite: 2022: 188 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: 216 cases; (2021: 891); (2020: 262 cases)

North West: 2022: 263 cases; (2021: 383); (2020: 229 cases)

Grand'Anse: 2022: 176 cases; (2021: 861); (2020: 176 cases)

Nippes: 2022: 39 cases; (2021: 249) (2020: 149 cases)



Cumulative deaths by department (2022-2021):

West: 296 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: 135 deaths (+1)

60-69 years: 187 deaths

70-79 years: 184 deaths (+1)

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): 82,062,989 cases (+9,747 in 24 hours), the day before (+18,504)

*Healings: 79,908,520 healings (+4,256,839 US health authority adjustment), the day before (+9,339,788 US health authority adjustment)

National Cure Rate: 87.37% (+)

*Deaths: 1,012,151 deaths (+20 in 24 hours), the day before (+466)

National death rate: 1.23% (=)

*Active cases (minus deaths and recoveries): 1,142,318 (-4,247,112 US health authority adjustment), the day before (-9,321,750 US health authority adjustment)



USA: Trend active cases: (minus recoveries and deaths)





(Day-1)



Vaccination: 565.46 million doses of vaccine injected since December 14, 2020, date of the first injection in the United States (+340,000). Update April 10 (latest data available).



DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:

Confirmed cases since March 1, 2020: 578,531 cases (+47 in 24 hours) the day before (+68 in 24 hours). First case (March 1, 2020)

Healings: 574,035 healings (+72 in 24h), the day before (+67)

National Cure Rate: 99.22% (+)

Deaths: 4,375 deaths (+0), previous (+0)

Death rate: 0.75% (=)

Positivity rate over 4 epidemiological weeks: 0.82% (-)

Active cases: (excluding deaths and recoveries) 121 cases (-25 in 24 hours) the day before (+1)



Dominican Republic: Number of daily confirmed cases:





(Day-1)



TOP 5 Provinces with the most new cases in the last 24 hours:

Santiago: + 12 new cases in 24 hours ()

Distrito Nacional: +11 new cases in 24 hours (-)

La Altagrafcia: + 10 new cases in 24 hours (-)

Santo Domingo: +9 new cases in 24 hours (-)

Samana: + 2 new cases in 24 hours (-)



Vaccination: 15.54 million doses of vaccine injected since February 16, 2021, date of the first injection in the Dominican Republic (+20,000 doses injected). Update April 7, 2022 (latest data available).



QUEBEC:

Warning: Quebec health authorities no longer update data on the Covid situation on weekends. The figures below are therefore the latest available.



Confirmed cases since the first case (February 27, 2020): 992,649 (+3.572 in 24 hours), previous (+3.777)

Healings: 947,016 people (+3,161 in 24 hours) previous (+1,894)

Cure rate: 95.40% (=)

Deaths: 14,512 (+30 in 24h) previous (+26)

Death rate: 1.46% (-)

Active cases: (excluding death and recovery) 31,121 cases (+381 in 24 hours), previous (+1,855)



Quebec: Trend of daily confirmed cases





(average weekly trend)



Vaccination: 18,818,996 doses of vaccine injected since December 14, 2020, date of the first injection (+35,199 doses in 24 hours), latest data available - MSSS as of April 8, 2022)



FRANCE:

*Confirmed cases since the first case (January 24, 2020): 26,947,375 26,839,721 cases (+107,654 cases in 24 hours), previous (+141,690)

*Healings: 24,018,051 healings (+24,134), previous (+81,196)

National Cure Rate: 89.12% (-)

Deaths: 143,288 (+45 in 24h), previous (+87)

Death rate: 0.53% (=)

Active Cases: 2,786,036 (+83,475 in 24h), previous (+60,407)



France: Trend of active cases: (minus recoveries and deaths)





(day 1)



Vaccination: 142.17 million doses of vaccine injected since December 27, 2020, date of the first injection in France (+70,000 doses injected). Update April 10, 2022 (latest data available)



Previous bulletin : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36393-haiti-diaspora-covid-19-daily-bulletin-751.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






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Haitians 2nd asylum seekers in Mexico

The number of asylum seekers in Mexico set a new record between January and March 2022, 29,574 people (+32%) compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

Honduras is the country of origin of the largest number of Honduran migrants 6,697, followed by Haiti with 5,682 Haitians.



The mining sector, paying off for the DR and Cuba

"The mining sector in the Dominican Republic brings the economy of this country 1.6 billion US dollars per year. For Cuba, the world's fifth-largest nickel producer, these revenues exceed $2 billion. It is time for Haiti to adopt an avant-garde mining policy that can help its development," declared the former deputy of Petion ville Jerry Tardieu.



Mambo Euvonia funeral

Saturday April 9, 2022, the funeral of Mambo Euvonie Georges Auguste, former Secretary General of the "Konfederasyon Nasyonal Vodouyizan Ayisyen" (KNVA), who died on March 23 from cancer https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36253-haiti-voodoo-the-mambo-euvonie-georges-auguste-died-rain-of-reactions.html , took place at the premises of the National Bureau of Ethnology.



Improving the working conditions of police officers

As part of the improvement of the working conditions of the police, at the initiative of Frantz Elbe, Acting Director General, of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), the Police Station of the Plaine du Nord has been completely rehabilitated. Other construction, rehabilitation and renovation works of police stations, sub-police stations and police branches are continuing in order to create a working environment more conducive to the well-being of police officers across the various police jurisdictions of the country.



Bars : Partnership between PAP and Paris

The Federation of Bars of Haiti (FBH) thanks the Batonniere of the Paris Bar Julie Couturier and all her team for her welcome on the sidelines of the training of trainers organized with the support of the Embassy of France in Haiti for the benefit of 5 lawyers representing the Bars of the jurisdictions of the Courts of Appeal of Hinche, Cap Haitien, Gonaives, Les Cayes and Port-au-Prince. This is the first implementation of the partnership agreement signed a few months ago with the Paris Bar / Paris Bar Association.



"Livres en folie" will find its audience

Saturday April 9 Frantz Duval, the editor-in-chief of Le Nouvelliste, announced on social networks that "on June 16, 2022, Livres en folie will find its audience. A 1st since 2019. The guests of honor Louis Philippe Dalembert and Pierre Raymond Dumas will have 1st place. There will also be signature authors and tributes. The online sale will be available before and after June 16."



HL/ HaitiLibre


















By Ishani Sarkar | Published on 2022/04/10

One of the many reasons K-Dramas have achieved the overwhelming success they now enjoy is their portrayal of human feelings and emotions on a scale so grand that it allows viewers to identify themselves with the characters and even live vicariously through them. K-Dramas create a fantasy that you do not want to get out of, and in most cases, it's the romances that keep us hooked. Here are my picks for the top 10 K-Dramas to make your heart flutter!

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"She Was Pretty"

"She Was Pretty", starring Park Seo-joon, Hwang Jung-eum, and Choi Si-won is the perfect representation of the reason why romantic comedies are as beloved as they are: they make you laugh, cry and swoon at the same time. This drama traces the heartening story of childhood best friends finding their way back to each other and learning to love themselves in the process. "She Was Pretty" is undoubtedly a must-watch!

Where to Watch Powered by JustWatch

"Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo"

One of the most wholesome, exciting, and loveable K-Dramas of all time, "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo", starring Nam Joo-hyuk and Lee Sung-kyung can brighten up the dreariest of days. The characters have a way of endearing themselves to viewers, making the watching experience truly unforgettable.

Where to Watch Powered by JustWatch

"Strong Woman Do Bong-soon"

If you like a kick of action with your romance, "Strong Woman Do Bong-soon" is the drama for you! Starring Park Bo-young as a supergirl and Park Hyung-sik as her lovestruck boss, this drama will leave you in fits. At the same time, a crime thriller lurks behind it all, which is enough to keep you hooked. "Strong Woman Do Bong-soon" is a complete package if I've ever seen one.

"Touch Your Heart"

Tired of tricky detours, love triangles, and unnecessary tropes, "Touch Your Heart" is here to rescue you with the loveliest, most unproblematic romance ever! Starring my favourite screen couple Lee Dong-wook and Yoo In-na, this drama will fill your heart with happiness. "Touch Your Heart" is the stuff dreams are made of.

Where to Watch Powered by JustWatch

"Dali and Cocky Prince"

From unique and colourful characters to realistic and healthy relationships, "Dali and Cocky Prince" is modern romance done right. There's much to learn from this drama as it shows us that love is accepting your significant other at their best and worst. Kim Min-jae-I and Park Gyu-young are unforgettable as Jin Moo-hak and Kim Dal-ri, which makes us wish for a second season even more.

Where to Watch Powered by JustWatch

"Her Private Life"

"Her Private Life" is the kind of drama that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. It will reaffirm your faith in love, romance, and soulmates as you dream about someone like Seong Deok-mi (played by Park Min-young) or Ryan Gold / Heo Yoon-jae (played by Kim Jae-wook) entering your life. The love triangle will tug at your heartstrings but it will all be worth it in the end.

Where to Watch Powered by JustWatch

"When the Camellia Blooms"

"When the Camellia Blooms", starring Gong Hyo-jin and Kang Ha-neul is most definitely one of the finest romance dramas of the last decade as well as the standard for romantic comedies to come. Oh Dong-baek (played by Gong Hyo-jin) is the emblem of inner strength and beauty whereas Hwang Yong-sik (played by Kang Ha-neul) is the poster child of non-toxic masculinity and feminism. This is the K-Drama we all need and deserve.

Where to Watch Powered by JustWatch

"Coffee Prince"

"Coffee Prince" is one of those evergreen K-Dramas that never gets old. Starring Gong Yoo as Choi Han-gyeol and Yoon Eun-hye as Ko Eun-chan, "Coffee Prince" was a major frontrunner in the Hallyu Wave. As a matter of fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that "Coffee Prince" paved the way for the global success of K-Dramas. To this day, it remains unrivaled as one of the most charming K-Dramas of all time.

Where to Watch Powered by JustWatch

"Thirty But Seventeen"

A healing drama through and through, "Thirty But Seventeen" is like a dose of joy when you're feeling down. It is almost addictive just how enchanting and comforting it is. Starring Shin Hye-sun and Yang Se-jong in the leading roles of Woo Seo-ri and Gong Woo-jin respectively, this drama romanticizes slow and patient love and that is exactly what makes it so memorable.

Where to Watch Powered by JustWatch

"Mr. Queen"

The second Shin Hye-sun starrer and the only historical drama on this list, "Mr. Queen" is as perfect as it gets. Kim Jung-hyun is spectacular as King Cheoljong and Shin Hye-sun kicks it out of the park with her dual role as Kim So-yong and Jang Bong-hwan. Together, they give us a romance that transcends space, time, and gender. K-Dramas like this truly come along once in a lifetime.

Where to Watch Powered by JustWatch

By Ishani Sarkar
Residents line up for the first round of mass COVID testing in the Jingan district of western Shanghai, April 1. Shanghai reported more than 25,000 new coronavirus infections as authorities began on Monday to shape an exit plan from a lockdown of its 25 million residents. AP-Yonhap



China's financial center of Shanghai reported more than 25,000 new coronavirus infections as authorities began on Monday to shape an exit plan from a lockdown of its 25 million residents, many of them chafing at the human cost of such quarantines.



Some areas are struggling to find food and medicine after spending more than three weeks locked down in China's battle to contain its biggest COVID-19 outbreak since coronavirus was first discovered in central Wuhan in late 2019.



As it tries to get parts of the city moving again, the government has divided residential units into three categories.



These consist of 7,624 areas that are still sealed off, while a group of 2,460 is subject to "controls" after a week of no new infections, and 7,565 "prevention areas" that have been opened up after two weeks of no positive cases.



City government official Gu Honghui said Shanghai would make "dynamic" adjustments to the residential classification system as he vowed greater efforts to minimize the impact of curbs on ordinary people living in China's most populous city.



"We also hope all citizens and friends will continue to support and cooperate with the city's epidemic prevention and control work," Gu told a news briefing.



Those living in "prevention areas" can now move around their neighborhoods, but must observe social distancing and could be sealed off again if there are new infections, he added.



However, a "dynamic clearance" policy remains Shanghai's "best option", said Liang Wannian, the head of the National Health Commission's working group on COVID-19.



It was misleading to characterize Omicron as "big flu" and lowering China's guard would expose its huge elderly population to risk, especially as the virus mutates, Liang said on a visit to the eastern city.



"If we lie flat, the epidemic would just be a disaster for these kinds of vulnerable people," the People's Daily newspaper of the ruling Communist Party quoted Liang as saying.



The city faces pressure not only to curb local transmissions but halt the spread to other regions, he added.



Shanghai added 25,173 new asymptomatic infections on Sunday, up from 23,937 the previous day, although symptomatic cases edged down to 914 from 1,006. (Reuters)




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SOUTH Central Ambulance Service has sent enough vital medical equipment to Ukraine to maintain a field hospital for up to two weeks.

This could potentially help save hundreds of military and civilian lives in the country.

A team of staff have volunteered their free time in recent weeks to co-ordinate a collection of decommissioned supplies and equipment from across bases in Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex.

The equipment includes traction splints, neck collars, back boards, tourniquets, stretchers, blankets, blast and field dressings, decompression needles, chest seals, bandages, haemostatic agents to stop bleeding and cannulas for types of intravenous access.

The supplies filled one full lorry and will be going directly to field hospitals to enable some of the most severely injured soldiers and civilians to be kept alive for up to 24 hours while they await emergency surgery in hospital.

The official number of civilian casualties recorded since the Russian invasion began on February 24 is 1,232 killed and 1,935 injured but the actual figures are likely to be considerably higher.

Kate Ellis, a paramedic team leader in Oxfordshire who has been helping to co-ordinate the SCAS response, said: The response we have seen throughout the organisation has been incredible and we have now ramped it up further with the donation of medical supplies and equipment which we know are so desperately needed in the conflict zones.

This will help to ensure people can receive care for up to 24 hours while they await emergency surgery in hospital, meaning there is the potential for this work to help save hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.

We estimate our volume of supplies will be able to supply one field hospital for up to two weeks and some of the equipment, such as the long boards and extrication devices, is of course reusable.

In addition, another two lorries were loaded with additional donations from staff, members of the public, community groups and businesses from across the south as part of a large-scale donation effort co-ordinated from Didcot.

Ten heavy goods vehicles packed with clothing, food and drinks, blankets, toiletries, baby products, first aid equipment and medicines have now been sent. The latest three loads left on Saturday.
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THE Slovenian ambassador to the UK visited Henley to see a tribute to her country.

Simona Leskovar was taken to Gillotts Corner Field, off Greys Road, where a linden tree gifted by the Slovenian embassy has been planted.

She also admired a traditional Slovenian hay rack, known as a kozolec, which was donated to Henley by the British Slovene Society.

Both gifts were made to celebrate Slovenia-UK friendship day and to promote Henleys twinning with the Slovenian town of Bled.

The linden tree is a historical symbol of Slovenia, often planted to mark special occasions. It forms a key part of Slovenian identity, as does the hay rack, which is a large wooden structure traditionally used for drying grass and crops.

The ambassador was accompanied by Henley Mayor Sarah Miller, embassy staff, members of the British Slovene Society, town councillors Glen Lambert and Donna Crook and members of the town councils parks staff.

Ms Leskovar said: Its lovely to be here. Henley reminds me of Slovenia as its such a nice rural place. Its a privilege to meet people here and the Mayor. Its amazing that you have something Slovenian here that the people of Henley can see. Slovenia is the only country in the world that has love in its name and we extend that love to Henley today.

The Mayor responded: Id like to thank Simona and members of the embassy for coming to Henley on this beautiful spring day to see the hay rack in all its glory. We look forward to welcoming them and anyone who wants to come in the summer for the big picnic.

Id like to personally thank the embassy for the gift of the tree. Thank you for coming.

Henley values your friendship and continued support and we look forward to continuing this.

The ambassador and the Mayor shared a brief hug before Mrs Leskovar presented Councillor Miller with a flag bearing the leaf of a linden tree.

Mrs Leskovar then thanked parks staff Joe Pestles and Karl Bishop who helped to install the hay rack.

Steven Bennett, chairman of the Henley Bled Twinning Association, said: Its good to see the ambassador here.

Theres nowhere in the UK that has a hay rack like this. Its something that sets us apart.
IT has been 100 years since Howard Carter and his team of archaeologists discovered and excavated the tomb of the young king Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor (the ancient city of Thebes), in Egypt.

The discovery in 1922 was the first time a fully intact mummy given a royal burial had been found.

Alongside the king was an array of ritual objects and artefacts including food, weapons and jewellery, which revealed much about the time when he lived and the way he was treated.

It is estimated that King Tut died at the age of 19 in the year 1323 BC. To mark the centenary of the excavation, curators Professor Richard Bruce Parkinson and Dr Daniela Rosenow are digging deeper into the archives to create a forensic account of the details in a new exhibition.

They have delved into the material and records kept by Carter, looking at photographs, letters, plans, drawings and diaries now held at the Griffith Institute at the University of Oxford.

The exhibition provides an insight into what went on during the dig, including the documentation and observation of Tutankhamuns tomb, as well as the stories behind some of the other members of the archaeological team.

Tutankhamun: Excavating the Archive opens in the Treasury at the Weston Library in Broad Street, Oxford, home to the Bodleian Librarys special collections, on Wednesday and runs until Sunday, February 5, 2023. Admission is free.

There will be a lecture by Dr Katja Broschat called Glass from the tomb of Tutankhamun, on Friday, April 29 in the lecture theatre at the Weston Library from 5pm to 7pm.

A book accompanying the exhibition is also available to buy from the Bodleian Libraries bookshop, priced at 30.

For more information, see visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/

tutankhamun-excavating-the-archive
MENDELSSOHNS Elijah is a magnificent oratorio too seldom heard.

Perhaps a tale of peasants, failing harvests, hunger and the worship of false deities does not appeal.

How fortunate we were then that despite covid-induced last-minute changes among the soloists, the performance by the Henley Choral Society in the chapel of the Oratory School, Woodcote, on Saturday could go ahead.

The work opens unconventionally with Elijahs great curse upon Israels erring people. Last-minute Elijah stand-in, baritone James Geidt, warns in richly sonorous tones of drought that will come if the people do not turn from idolatrous worship of Baal to God.

Mendelssohns Overture, played by the Henley Sinfonia, follows, capturing perfectly the surging echoes of Elijahs curse.

With no change of heart and the people suffering the foretold drought, the choir opens with the arresting Help, Lord, dispelling any audience concerns that they might struggle to be heard above the Sinfonias large ensemble.

Indeed the choir throughout came across with commendable clarity.

The prophet Obadiah, sung here by tenor Edward Hughes  with rich tones in one of the many glorious airs of this melodic work  gently chides the fickle people: If with all your hearts ye truly seek Me, thus saith our God.

An angel, the soprano Elinor Rolfe Johnson, another last-minute but excellent replacement, advises Elijah to flee the peoples wrath. But Elijah is called upon to restore the dying son of a widow, sung with fitting passion by Johnson, and leading the choir into the beautiful Blessed Are The Men Who Fear Him.

King Ahab (Hughes) challenges Elijah to contest the authority of Baal.

Ever fickle, the people call Baal in the plaintive, Baal, we cry to thee.

Elijah wins, sending a young boy to scan the heavens for rain clouds. The boy is sung by Eleanor Vockins, whose elegant young voice announces the gathering clouds. The rivers flow and the choir concludes the first part with the resounding Thanks Be To God.

As the audience chatted in the interval, one heard either astonished excitement from those who didnt know the work, or great praise from those who did.

Part two opens with the soprano aria Oh, Hadst Thou Heeded, leading to the stirring chorus Be Not Afraid.

Enter Queen Jezebel, sung dramatically to terrific effect by Swedish mezzo-contralto Mae Heydorn, reminding the people that Elijah closed the heavens. A trio of angels sings the lovely Lift Thine Eyes. Elijah departs for Mount Horab and the people at last sense the presence of God, Behold The Lord Passed By.

The work concludes with the glorious Then Shall Your Light Break Forth.

Despite the vicissitudes of covid, choir, soloists and orchestra were brought together splendidly by their conductor, Peter Asprey in this bravura production of Elijah: a fitting finale to his six years of work with Henley Choral Society.

The societys next concert will be at St Marys Church in Henley on Saturday, June 18.

J M Edwards
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Jimmy McMinn, Sr., 85, of Greenville, passed away peacefully in his home on May 5, 2022. Jimmy was born on July 17, 1936, to Thomas J. and Mary McMinn. Jimmy was a Christian man who loved to play golf and fish. He met and married the love of his life, Elizabeth Burkhart, on March 2, 1958. He
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, we've all known individuals who have done more than their share to help their neighbors and communities with food, comfort, care, companionship and dozens of other needs. If you know of such a person, you can nominate them to be featured in our upcoming H
Ground vehicles and canisters for the THAAD missile system are produced in Camden.
Uniontown, PA (15401)

Today

Occasional rain tapering to a few showers late. High around 55F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 41F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.
East China's Jiangsu Province is lending a helping hand to Shanghai to fight COVID-19.





By 6 p.m. Sunday, the province had received 7,406 people transferred from Shanghai for quarantine.





Local authorities say Jiangsu will prepare 30,000 quarantine rooms to aid Shanghai's fight against the COVID-19 resurgence.





Professionals are stationed at each quarantine site to provide mental health services.





Free psychological assistance services hotlines remain open 24 hours a day.





Shanghai reported 914 new locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and 25,173 local asymptomatic cases on Sunday.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service




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Andrew van der Feltz is global senior director of business development for Expedia Group Media Solutions. His team works closely with agencies, destination marketing organizations, hotel and airline partners on advertising opportunities and campaigns across the portfolio of Expedia Group brands. Prior to joining Expedia, Andy was the director of business development and operations at the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) since April 2011. Prior to this, he also worked at NBTC in the London office as country manager for the UK and Ireland. He started his career at NBTC as marketing manager, after his role as an international marketing manager at VisitScotland. Andy studied Marketing and French in Scotland, continued his postdoc education at the Institute of Marketing in Edinburgh, and attended the Executive Educational Programme in General Management at the London Business School.
Pent-up demand has many business travelers eager to hit the road, but they wont be alone. Theyll share the road with leisure travelers, for whom the prospect of seeing the people and places they missed during the pandemic is proving impossible to resist.

The surge in leisure demand has helped drive hotel rates close to pre-pandemic highs for some hotel brands. Sunny fourth-quarter hotel earnings pushed forecasters to speed up projections for full recovery. Commercial real estate service CBRE in March revised its recovery timeline for the U.S. hotel industry from 2023 to 2022projecting rate, occupancy and revenue per available room to reach 2019 levels this year.

Globally, domestic leisure travel is driving the recovery in most markets, similar to patterns emerging in North America. That said, overall performance recovery will be somewhat slower, according to hotel industry data firm STR, with full recovery in the Middle East not expected until 2023, Europe in 2024 and Asia-Pacific in 2025. But particularly in Europe, rate will rise firstbefore occupancy and RevPARled by the U.K., which already has seen rates bounce close to pre-pandemic highs, according to the researcher.

As is the case in the U.S., the hotel industry in the U.K. and Europe has been buffeted by macroeconomic challenges, including supply chain and labor shortages, which are expected to continue even after governments ease two years of travel restrictions and corporate travel gets a jumpstart in 2022. The result of increased labor and supply costs, say many industry observers, will be higher rates passed along to corporates but potentially decreased on-site services as well. Business travelers and travel buyers will need to adapt.

Read the full article at businesstravelnews.com
On 17th March 2022, EHL Hospitality Business School launched a new masters degree in Hospitality Management: the MSc in Hospitality Management (MIHM). As part of its mission to redefine hospitality leadership and management for the new generation, EHL has developed a hospitality masters degree that addresses the changing face of the industry, based on new customer needs and expectations, developments in technology and innovation, and a greater demand for soft skills in managerial leadership. In brief, an agile masters program that brings hospitality ideas to life within the ever-changing parameters of todays world.

MiHM preparing the new generation for tomorrows hospitality world

"Hospitality is an exciting industry, and it is on the cusp of revolution. It is navigating great change from shifting demands and new technologies. Hotels and other hospitality businesses across the globe are changing their operating models, and fast. At the same time, the sector is facing a shortage of skilled labor. We see the current evolving environment as a huge opportunity for new, skilled managers to drive the industry forward. This Masters program seeks to find and train those talented leaders," - Stefan Guldenberg - Program Director and Adjunct Professor.

The Master of Science in Hospitality Management program trains learners to step into a management role in today's hospitality setting. It guides them through service management principles and specialist industry best practices, putting their previous studies and experience into action through rigorous research and a 12-week professional placement.

Students are taught service business design, talent management, financial controls, customer centricity and leadership skills. Every topic is explored through a hospitality lens, giving a sharper perspective of the ever-changing industry parameters. There are also courses in critical thinking, academic research and writing to prepare for a successful completion of their capstone thesis.

What you should know about the MIHM program

1. A program that balances hands on experience with academic research

The MSc in Hospitality Management is a full time masters degree course spread over three semesters and is taught in English uniquely at EHL Campus Lausanne. It is aimed at encouraging learners to build on their previous experience, introducing them to advanced hospitality management strategies and challenging them to balance academic research for their thesis with practical hands-on application during their 12-week professional immersion.

2. Full immersion & specialization

The small, interactive on-site classes give students the chance of full immersion into the unique EHL hospitality culture, cultural diversity as well as the vast industry network that the school is famous for. The MIHM program includes a rich variety of modules ranging from entrepreneurship skills to talent management, alongside a variety of field trips, guest speaker sessions and personalized side classes leading to extra certification.

But what makes the MIHM really unique is its specialization track where learners have the choice of two academic routes in their second semester: F&B management, or hospitality finance, real estate and consulting. These routes enable students to develop a professional specialization in parallel with extensive knowledge of hospitality management.

Food and beverage in hospitality - Specialization option 1

Learners are invited to explore innovation in F&B concepts and service, and learn how to manage operations cost-effectively without compromising on quality. Students also take part in a culinary business field trip and the EHL F&B concept week to broaden their awareness. Modules also include a look at interior deign, innovation for new experiences and new dining concepts.

There will be additional professional certifications which are currently in the planning stages and will be confirmed soon.

Hospitality finance, real estate and consulting - Specialization option 2

This specialization focuses on learning how to manage a hotel as an investment that delivers value to all stakeholders. Students gain an understanding of financial consulting, private equity and mergers and acquisitions from a hospitality point of view, as well as training in feasibility analysis, valuation of real estate, portfolio and asset management.

There will also be professional certifications that learners can opt to take part in. These will be confirmed soon.

3. How the are semesters laid out

The first semester covers general hospitality and management skills. Modules include business logics, service economics, customer-centricity, effective people management, key soft skills in leadership to name but a few.

The second semester introduces the specialization track where students chose from the two main options listed above. Each route focuses on the expertise needed for different hospitality management roles and explores the challenges affecting key functions. Semester two is also when the writing of the capstone thesis begins.

The third semester is the only one not on campus; it involves a paid 3-month immersion in a company where students are helped to find a professional context in which to apply and develop their formation through real-life experience and insights. This professional immersion, part of the capstone thesis, exposes the students to life in a management role and the challenges faced on a day-to-day basis. Not only does the experience provide vital insights and context for their research, but it also increases the learners' attractiveness to employers and enables them to build a network in the industry. The immersion phase also helps gain industry-recognized professional certifications while studying, helping graduates stand out when applying for roles.

After the professional immersion stage, students have one more month to complete and present their capstone thesis. This applied research project invites learners to address a managerial complexity in the hospitality sector. The research is an opportunity to demonstrate the professional, interpersonal and leadership skills that students have developed as they apply critical thinking to their chosen topic. Students work closely with a faculty supervisor during the capstone thesis.

4. Career prospects

Depending on the specialization track, graduates of the MIHM program have the choice of entering not only hospitality-related sectors but also finance, real estate and consulting. The horizons are certainly broad since the MIHM is a program aimed at learners with ambitious career plans in mind.

The MSc in Hospitality Management primes graduates for a successful career in the service sector. It prepares for entrance into the industry with all-encompassing managerial skills, equipping graduates with a deeper understanding of leadership, service business design, innovation and talent management to succeed with agility in different hospitality functions.

Learning agility and soft skillsToday's hospitality managers need to navigate seasonal fluctuations, 24/7 customer-facing service, high-value premises, and a breadth of talent to manage. The MSc in Hospitality Management explores fundamental business principles alongside highly sought-after soft skills. Learn what operating with agility really means. The program teaches the nuances of talent management, marketing, revenue strategies, logistics and customer centricity for an industry where change is ever present. It gives the tools to analyse data, trends and stakeholder values to make good decisions in fast-changing situations; a complete training to become an effective and affective leader in today's hospitality landscape.

"Our Master in Hospitality Management brings together long-standing principles for hospitality success with the fresh thinking that will progress the industry into its next evolution. We have designed the program to let innovative ideas come to the fore, both from our industry guest speakers and our course participants. Your research thesis will take current ideas further and feed into the hospitality principles of the future."

"I believe the EHL Master in Hospitality Management is the best route to secure a middle management role, and to succeed in it. The program is designed with this exact purpose in mind  to train you with the skills you need to thrive in the mission-critical roles that the industry needs right now," - Dr Stefan Guldenberg - Program Director and Adjunct Professor.

About EHL Group

EHL Group encompasses a portfolio of specialized business units that deliver hospitality management education and innovation worldwide. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Group includes:

EHL Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne is an ambassador for traditional Swiss hospitality and has been a pioneer in hospitality education since 1893 with over 25,000 alumni worldwide and over 120 nationalities. EHL is the world's first hospitality management school that provides undergraduate and graduate programs at its campuses in Lausanne, Singapore and Chur-Passugg, as well as online learning solutions. The university of applied sciences is ranked n1 by QS World University Rankings by subject and CEOWorld Magazine, and its gastronomic restaurant is the world's only educational establishment to hold a Michelin Star for a third consecutive year.

EHL Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality has been one of the leading hospitality management colleges for hotel specialists for over 50 years. The College delivers Swiss-accredited federal diplomas of vocational education and training and of higher education in its 19th century spa-hotel in Chur-Passugg, Graubunden, to Swiss and international students from 30 countries.

EHL Advisory Services is the largest Swiss hospitality advisory company specializing in service culture implementation, business consulting, as well as the development and quality assurance of learning centers. EHL Advisory Services has offices in Lausanne, Beijing, Shanghai and New Delhi and has delivered mandates in more than 60 countries over the past 40 years.

www.ehlgroup.com

Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne

Communications Department

+41 21 785 1354

EHL

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Our focus at Expedia Group Media Solutions has always been to help travel partners stay agile, and this has been especially important the past two years as the industry has looked for ways to inspire travel shoppers during an evolving pandemic landscape. Thats why we recently hosted a series of virtual Insights Summitseach with a focus on specific super regionsto help travel marketers plan their rebuild strategies.

At each webinar, we shared exclusive insights from Expedia Group first-party search and booking data, findings from our custom research, and concrete examples of how travel marketers in each region have been able to implement data and trends into their campaigns. In this post, we summarize some of the key takeaways you can apply to your own marketing objectives.

Travel Recovery Trend Report reveals the resilience of the industry

Throughout the pandemic, weve released a quarterly Travel Recovery Trends Report that summarizes key travel behavior based on the data we collect from shoppers as they search and book on our sites. During this series of webinars, we covered the findings from our Q4 2021 report. The top trends covered highlight how:

Travel search volumes were up 70% year-over-year

Global search windows lengthened with border re-openings

Travelers searched further out for international trips

Big city destinations led the top 10 bookings in each region

Domestic travel continues to dominate the vacation rental market

All of these trends reveal that travel shoppers are continuing to make plans to satisfy their pent-up appetite for travel. To drill down further, check out our blog post summarizing the reports findings, or download the report directly. In a few weeks well also be releasing the latest learnings in our next installment: the Q1 2022 Travel Recovery Trend Report. Be sure to subscribe to our blog so you dont miss out.

Traveler values and expectations looking ahead

At Expedia Group, not only do we look at the hard data to glean trends and insights, but we also regularly complete custom research studies to try to understand consumer sentiment and attitudes toward relevant topics. Earlier this year Expedia Group launched the Traveler Value Index: 2022 Outlook, which summarized the results of a global survey of 5,500 adults in eight countries. Here are some of the highlights we shared:

81% of travelers plan to take at least one vacation with family and friends in the first half of 2022

54% of travelers plan to spend more on trips than they did pre-pandemic

3 in 5 travelers are willing to pay additional fees so their trip is more sustainable

Over 1/3 of travelers expect to book an international trip in the next 6 months

Promotions will entice bookings

To read a summary of the reports findings, check out this blog post, or download the report directly.

Many travel shoppers plan to use loyalty points to pay for travel

Another finding from the report that we shared during the webinars is that 40% of travelers plan to use loyalty points for at least part of a trip in 2022. We recognize the value of customer loyalty, and it has become core of where Expedia Group is heading with personalization for travelers. In fact, last fall we announced a new loyalty program that combines all rewards across Expedia Group brands. Our travel partners and marketers would be wise to take advantage of this loyalty trend and reach these loyal customers.

Successful marketing campaigns can make a difference

We also highlighted several successful campaigns relevant to each region, to demonstrate how our partners can work with us to reach the right traveler at the right time. For example, during the Asia Pacific webinar, we shared how Destination New South Wales took advantage of Australians appetite for travel by working with us to launch a campaign called Feel New South Wales. The aim was to target domestic travelers in other states, to raise awareness and appeal of Sydney and New South Wales as a holiday destination.

For our North American audience, we shared how Mississippis state tourism board, Visit Mississippi, also sought to inspire domestic travelers. To achieve this, the organization worked with our award-winning Creative Partnerships team on a custom campaign that used a new advertising solution, the Concierge platform  which allows travel shoppers to create custom, bookable itineraries for their trip. Since its launch, the campaign has generated millions of impressions and thousands of clicks.

These are just a couple of examples. You can learn about our other successful marketing campaigns on our blog, or by reading case studies on our website.

Now is the time to reach eager travelers

With travel coming back in full force, now is the time to advertise. At Media Solutions, we have the tools and the experience to help you with that. Its important to increase your brands visibility, have a strategy in place to reach international travelers, stretch your budget with industry partnerships, and take advantage of smart targeting and reporting capabilities.

Reach out to our team of digital media experts to learn more. You can also watch the on-demand recordings of our virtual Insights Summits for more insights (North America and Latin America | Asia Pacific | Europe, the Middle East, and Africa), or download the latest Travel Recovery Trend Report to learn how your brand can capture and drive demand on the continued road to recovery.

Download the Report.

About Expedia Group Media Solutions

Expedia Group Media Solutions, the advertising organization of Expedia Group, offers industry expertise and digital marketing solutions that allow brands to reach, engage and influence its qualified audience of travelers around the world. Through its vast network of leading travel brands and global points of sale, Expedia Group Media Solutions provides marketing partners with proprietary data-driven insights about traveler behaviors during every stage of the purchase journey, along with dynamic advertising solutions, to deliver strategic campaigns and measurable results. For more information, visit www.advertising.expedia.com.

 2022 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. CST: 2029030-50

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WASHINGTON - Texas top medical institutions are vying to become home to a new federal research institution that would distribute billions of dollars to help discover cures and treatments for the worlds most intractable diseases.

From MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to Southwestern Hospital in Dallas, the states leading medical institutions are making the case that Texas and its booming health care sector are a better choice than more established research centers such as Boston and New York to house President Joe Bidens Advanced Research Projects Agency-Health, or ARPA-H

The headquarters would direct the spending of billions of dollars a year toward what the Biden administration describes as, transformative high-risk, high-reward research, with the aim of finding cures to cancer, Alzheimers and a variety of infectious diseases.

Naturally people think about the East and West coast because of the size, said Bill McKeon, president of Texas Medical Center in Houston. But twice a week I get a call from VIPs who can go anywhere, and theyre trying to find a way to get into MD Anderson, Baylor or Methodist.

The Biden administration already has $1 billion in appropriations to launch ARPA-H and set up a new headquarters, while awaiting action from Congress on an additional $5 billion funding request. If that funding is approved, a decision on the location is expected within the next six months.

So far, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has only said ARPA-H will not be located at the National Institutes of Health headquarters, the governments largest research agency with a budget of more than $45 billion, which is located outside Washington.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Game-changing 37-acre biomedical research campus hits construction milestone near Texas Medical Center

McKeon along with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner are making the case for Houston, which claims the worlds largest medical complex in Texas Medical Center, housing not only MD Anderson, Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann and the Baylor College of Medicine, but also 18 other hospitals.

Their counterparts in Dallas, Austin and San Antonio are each making the case for their cities and medical facilities, including the University of Texas-Austin and the San Antonio Military Medical Center, the Defense Departments largest health care institution.

But wherever it lands, the priority is getting ARPA-H in Texas, said Thomas Graham, spokesman for the Coalition for Health Advancement and Research in Texas, through which the four cities are working together.

Whether Biden would be willing to locate a major federal institution in a Republican-controlled state with a reputation for challenging federal laws and regulation  including the landmark Affordable Care Act  remains to be seen. The Texas coalition is already making its case to the Office of Science and Technology Policy, with assistance from Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyns office.

Our staff has engaged on their behalf with OSTP and asked that the process for selecting a site be fair and transparent, a spokesman for Cornyns office said.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

The winning of the headquarters would not necessarily mean any more research funding for Texas  the money would be distributed to scientists around the country. But housing ARPA-H would inevitably mean a reputational boost that could help grow the states biotechnology sector, said Jon Mogford, chief operating officer of Texas A&M Health and a former top official at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, on which ARPA-H is modeled.

It brings attention and prestige and helps with the viewing of a problem in a different way which helps everyone around it, he said. It attracts consultants, and then youll have companies popping up around them, which creates an entire ecosystem.

Stiff competition

Texas will likely face stiff competition, including from San Francisco and Boston. Boston and its neighbor, Cambridge, Mass., are home to Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, leading research hospitals and one of the worlds largest and most successful biotech clusters. San Francisco and nearby Silicon Valley, home to Stanford University, have turned their computer expertise into a major draw for biotech startups looking to be the medical version of Google or Facebook.

Rep. Anna Eshoo, D- Calif., who introduced legislation to create ARPA-H last year, has suggested the agency be located in northern California, the home of Silicon Valley. And medical institutions across the country are likely to make their pitch too, Graham said.

Im confident Silicon Valley wants it, Cambridge wants it, Graham said. Im unaware of other organized efforts, but Ive seen states mentioned.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Construction starts for Levit Green, life sciences district near Texas Medical Center

Texas pitch revolves around the sheer size of its medical sector, comprising 13 medical schools and four top tier cancer centers, with $3.5 billion in research spending at Texas universities, according to a presentation by the Coalition for Health Advancement and Research in Texas.

ARPA-H is designed to replicate the successes of DARPA, which was created in the late 1950s and has been credited with discoveries that contributed to the development of everything from personal computers to the internet to Covid-19 vaccine. Biden proposed an equivalent agency for health care last year, following his call as vice president for a moonshot to expedite a cure for cancer after his son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015. Earlier this year, Biden set the goal of halving cancer deaths over the next 25 years.

Now the administration wants to pump billions of more research dollars into curing a disease that has long confounded medical researchers.

In an appropriation hearing last month, Becerra described ARPA-H as an opportunity for researchers to think out of the box without fear of failure, saying the agency would report directly to him, not to NIH  the thinking being that existing bureaucracy might hinder the breakthrough discoveries for which administration officials are hoping.

We need to make sure its not anchored or tethered to doing things an older way, he said.

Life sciences hubs

Over the past two decades, Texas has worked to position itself as a biotech and medical hub. In 2007, Texans voted to create of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, which now has a $6 billion annual budget. Houston, Dallas and San Antonio are looking to build biomedical districts, bringing together medical institutions and technology firms to build their reputations as life sciences hubs.

Texas Medical Center has already begun the construction of a new 30-acre research campus named TMC3, which would welcome the addition of ARPA-H, McKeon said. The facility would house academic research labs alongside for-profit businesses, along with a 500-room hotel and conference center. with construction expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Its full steam ahead, he said. Even before ARPA-H came along, it was always about how we put all the assets in one place to accelerate commercialization.

james.osborne@chron.com
At Teslas Austin-area gigafactory on Thursday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk  wearing a black cowboy hat and sunglasses  told employees, the news media and Harrison Ford that the company would begin manufacturing the long-delayed Cybertruck at the plant next year.

The billionaire made the announcement during the $1.1 billion facilitys grand opening, with Dr. Dres Still D.R.E. blasting in the background.

We cant wait to build this here, Musk said. Sorry for the delay. But youre going to have this next year, and its really going to be great.

The stainless-steel electric truck was originally slated to hit the market in 2021.

On HoustonChronicle.com: All-private crew trains in Houston before planned launch to International Space Station

Musk said the factory where itll be assembled is the size of three Pentagons.

In January, Musk told analysts on an earnings call that the automaker had already been building Model Y SUVs there since late last year. He said at the time that Tesla couldnt make the Cybertruck yet because of a lack of parts.

Tesla moved its headquarters to the Austin area last year from Palo Alto, Calif.

The plant sits on 2,200 acres off State Highway 45 and U.S. 130, east of Austin city limits and near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Last year, Musk took to Twitter to say the company would invest more than $10 billion in Giga Texas over time and create at least 20,000 jobs.

Californias great and we were continuing to expand there, but we ran out of room, he said Thursday. We need a place where we can be really big, and theres no place like Texas.

Just before last nights Cyber Rodeo event, Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted support for Musks move to Texas:

Two years ago, I told @elonmusk that Texas moves at the speed of business. Tonight, @Tesla officially opens their new Gigafactory in Austin. This mile-long Gigafactory was built in just under a year and a half. Only possible in the Lone Star State.

Jay Janner, MBR / Associated Press

The celebration was an invite-only spectacle that treated party goers to a carnival, food trucks, a mechanical bull and a petting zoo, the Austin American-Stateman reported. The company opened sections of the plant to show off Teslas being built.

The company is investing in workforce initiatives, our schools, and local challenges, Austin Mayor Steve Adler tweeted Thursday night. Working with [Austin Community College], its creating middle-skill jobs that will enhance thousands of lives. This is a golden opportunity coming to life.

Inside the plant, Musk shared a stage with Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen, and said the company has started deliveries of Texas-made Model Y SUVs and plans to produce half a million more in a single year.

Tesla also plans to ramp up production of its 4680 battery cells at the plant  the large, cylindrical cells that the company says will provide more power to electric vehicles at a lower cost.

We think, over time, this will be the biggest cell factory in the world, Musk said.

In February, Colorado River Project LLC, an affiliate of Tesla, filed for a building permit to expand the plant to make cathodes, a key component for the lithium-ion batteries. As of Friday, the project was pending city approval.

Tesla expects to release its Full Self-Driving beta software to North American customers this year. The optional add-on allows the vehicle to perform some driving tasks, such as changing lanes and parking. But it still requires a human driver to take the wheel in case the software malfunctions.

On HoustonChronicle.com: SpaceX announces a new series of missions that will culminate in Starships first crewed flight

In addition to starting production of the Cybertruck next year, Musk said company plans to produce a roadster, a semi-truck and hopefully the first version of Teslas artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robot called Optimus in 2023.

The initial version of Optimus, which stands 5ft. 8 in. and has a screen for a face, uses the same chips and sensors found in the self-driving feature. It will do anything that humans wont want to do, he said.

It will transform the world to a degree even greater than the car, Musk said. Everyones going to make sure its safe  no Terminator stuff or that kind of thing.

eric.killelea@express-news.net
A hybrid workplace is emerging as the new normal for office workers post pandemic. But how will splitting their time between their pajamas and their pumps impact the way employees work? Can cubicles cut it anymore now that employees have grown accustomed to lounging on their patio or taking a walk on a lunch break?

In this podcast episode of Looped In, co- hosts Marissa Luck and Rebecca Schuetz talk with two thought leaders at global architecture firm Genslers Houston office  Dean Strombom and Vince Flickinger- about how companies are rethinking their physical space in the pandemic. Hint: Its not just about reducing real estate footprints.
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The partners of the new Patterson Park Patio Bar call their new project a treehouse on the trail, a new multi-level patio bar at 2205 Patterson snug on the White Oak Bayou Trail.

Opening April 13, the built-from-the-ground-up project, reminiscent of a modern Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, marks a new venture from longtime restaurateurs and a new generation entering the Houston hospitality scene. Patterson Park is the brainchild of Lonnie and Candice Schiller (Houstonians know them from the original Cafe Annie, The Grove on Discovery Green, and Cafe Express) in partnership with their daughter and son-in-law Caroline and Brendan Murphy.

LEES DEN: New wine bar opens in lounge space above the former Benjy's in Rice Village

Patterson Park is intended to appeal to the citys outdoor drinking and dining culture. The 9,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor space boasts a 5,000-square-foot outdoor deck. The dog-friendly space was designed for socializing, game-playing, and sports-watching with more than 40 oversize HDTV screen, as well as arcade and board games. The drinks menu will offer two dozen brews on tap and a variety of cocktails; food will come from a rotating list of Houston food trucks.

Alex Montoya Alex Montoya Assorted cocktails available at Patterson Park, a new multi-level bar along White Oak Bayou Trail.

The interior and exterior spaces are a collaboration between designer Candice Schiller, principal at H3D Hospitality Design, along with artist Caroline Murphy, and architect Craig Schuster or Schuster Inc.

Patterson Park is a concept that weve been thinking about as a family for a long time, and we are thrilled to bring our vision for a neighborhood hangout to life on this uniquely-situated piece of property along White Oak Bayou Trail, Brendan Murphy said. We invite our guests to come as they are to enjoy refreshing cocktails, bask in the picturesque scenery, and socialize in an environment befitting Houstons diverse community, rich culture, and unique charm.

Patterson Park will be open Monday through Wednesday 2 p.m. to midnight, Thursday and Friday 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday noon to midnight. Happy hour will be weekdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Bike riders will receive 10 percent off their tabs.

Greg Morago writes about food for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter. Send him news tips at greg.morago@chron.com. Hear him on our BBQ State of Mind podcast to learn about Houston and Texas barbecue culture.
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Bellaire is finally moving forward on a large plat of land in the city, announcing the approved plans for the development of Bellaire Place.

Located where Chevron at one time employed more than 900 people, Bellaire Place will be a mixed-use office, dining, retail and entertainment site found in other developments around the greater Houston area. The process to decide what to do at the Bellaire property has been an on-going issue for more than five years.

The road to Bellaire Place, at the site of the former Chevron campus, has been a long and often arduous one, Bellaire Mayor Andrew Friedberg said in a blog post. Which is as it should be; for the project to be a success it must be mutually beneficial for both the developer and the community.

SLS Properties will develop the 30-acre property located at 4800 Fournace Place along the West Loop. SLS purchased the campus in September of 2018.

Aside from the obvious shot in the arm to our tax base, which will ease the burden on residential taxpayers, itll be nice to have more options to keep our local spending dollars right here in Bellaire, Friedberg said. Its a big step forward in fulfilling the commercial redevelopment objectives emphasized in our Comprehensive Plan, and will feature new businesses and amenities more compatible with our community character than the technical research park that preceded it.

Danny M. Sheena of SLS Properties is looking forward to developing the property.

It has been a long road to obtain Bellaire zoning approval for the new development, Sheena said. We are very excited to now have the ability to attract amazing tenants.

It will take a few months to obtain and finalize tenant leases. It will take additional months to prepare construction plans and obtain Bellaire building permits.

Groundbreaking is anticipated for the first or second quarter of 2023, Sheena said.

We look forward to bringing an exciting new destination for family fun to the Bellaire community and surrounding areas, he said.

The two existing building on the site are already occupied, Sheena said.

We obtained zoning for a new parking garage back in November 2018 to support the two existing office buildings, he said. We completed construction of the new L parking garage in April 2021.

The existing 10- and six-story office buildings and the new parking garage sit on approximately a 10-acre area.

According to Sheena, the recently approved zoning (Phases I, II and III) are for development of the remaining 20-acre vacant land area.

Harris County Appraisal District valued the property at $24.1 million in 2018 and upped the property value at $37.8 million in 2021. The property value appraisal is pending for 2022.

In a previous statement, Friedberg said, Redevelopment of the former Chevron property, the only contiguous open parcel of its size in our landlocked city, is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for positive and beneficial growth. Its rife with possibilities for exciting new amenities that will enhance our quality of life and reinvigorate our economic base.

The office buildings are designed to never go down, SLS Properties reported. The office buildings also have a state-of-the-art fitness center, a full-service cafeteria, an auditorium and numerous conference rooms.

For more information about the Bellaire Place property, go to www.slsproperties.net.

rkent@hcnonline.com
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Despite more than $20,000 damage to several monuments, officials with the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Park are ensuring those who want to visit and honor fallen loved ones can still do that with the recent placement of temporary memorials.

The Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission has placed a temporary memorial over each monument complete with the names, photos and famous quotes from different people.

We are raising funds, we have received some dollars, retired United States Marine Corp Cpl. and former County Judge Jimmie Edwards III. Edwards also serves as the chairman for the MCVMC. We do have some insurance that will help as well.

On yourcouriernews.com: Man charged with $20K in damages to Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Park

In early March, the Conroe Police Department arrested and charged Conroe man Gary Meistad with a class B misdemeanor criminal trespass and a state jail felony for criminal mischief for allegedly causing the damage to the park that honors the countys fallen soldiers.

Meistad remains at the Montgomery County Jail.

Conroe police officials were able to identify Meistad who can be seen kicking and pulling the memorial down on surveillance video.

It is our intention that he never see the light of day, Edwards said.

Edwards has led the charge since 2017 to move the memorial from downtown Conroe and expand it to the corner of Interstate 45 and Texas 105. After losing his legs during his Vietnam tour, the memorial has become a passion to honor all those who have or are currently serving the county.

Edwards calls the park a gift to the nation and welcomes all veterans from across the country to be recognized at the park.

To donate to the commission to repair the memorial, visit https://mcvetmemorialpark.org/.

cdominguez@hcnonline.com
Four leaders and energy experts shared insights into the past, present and future of the Texas power grid during a recent panel discussion at the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce.

Discussions included what happened during February 2021s massive winter storm that resulted in widespread extended power outages, what is currently being done to fix the situation and where Texas energy climate is heading.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Fort Bend Rainbow Room provides a ray of light for children and adults in crisis

The winter storm occurred toward the end of the bill filing period for the 87th Texas Legislature, which met from January 2021 to May 2021. Texas Rep. Jacey Jetton (R-Sugar Land) said committees were quickly formed to make changes and pass some legislation to improve the power grid.

He said he is proud of the Legislatures efforts to reform ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) and the Public Utility Commission and to improve winterization and weatherization of energy systems so that the power grid can produce well in the hot summer months and be prepared for winter storms.

Were having a hot summer, no matter what, every year, Jetton said. How do we make sure that theyre able to be efficient during those time periods but also prepared for winter storms when they hit?

He hopes the 88th Texas Legislature set to begin in January 2023 will focus on improving infrastructure because he said 1,000 people move to Texas each day: improving roads and water and making sure the power grid can withstand the states extreme weather months.

Edward Hirs, energy fellow at the University of Houston and co-founder of Zero Carbon Cycle LLC, said he predicted the failure of the Texas power grid in 2013. Eight years later, the state was within 5 minutes of the entire grid collapsing and staying down likely for months.

The nation, Hirs said, should worry less about a nuclear weapon coming from Russia than electrical facilities going down and leaving 26 million people without power.

This is devastating, he said.

Hirs said blackouts in 2011 should have led to changes that would have helped to prevent the failure in 2021. He added that the Texas energy market has been open to manipulation since its beginning.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Sugar Land City Council moves ahead with Riverbend drainage project; work to begin in May

We predicted how this would come out, Hirs said. Its not a free and competitive market. Its got restricted entry, restricted information, which the representative was just talking about. Pricing is controlled by ERCOT.

He said the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs and the Yale Program on Climate Change Communications found 75 percent of voters support reforming the energy landscape, both Republicans and Democrats. How the changes will be funded is the real question.

Bill Barnes is the senior director of regulatory affairs for NRG Energy, ERCOTs largest market participant. He said while there were indicators during the winter storm that there would be some failures, numerous issues combined for a much larger impact on the grid.

The main problems, Barnes explained, were natural gas availability and delivery, frequency issues with wind energy and weatherization issues.

We now all have a much deeper appreciation of what a reliable grid is. And we should have always had that, I think, Barnes said. But this was a pretty stark reminder of how important electricity is, how important a resilient grid is.

Mark Flathouse, Fort Bend County emergency management coordinator, said while the county is experienced at dealing with hurricanes and flooding, the winter storm heavily impacted the Office of Emergency Management.

But what it did was open up our eyes in emergency management statewide, all the way from the governor down to Texas Department of Emergency Management, TDEM; all the way down to ours and even local cities and businesses, Flathouse said.

He emphasized the need for the countys coming emergency operations center. Officials hope to open the 24,000-square-feet facility in Richmond before hurricane season starts.

When people lose power for long periods of time during extreme weather events, Flathouse said 60 percent of the population can get by. Others cannot. Hospitals usually have generators, but small assisted living facilities often do not and lose the ability to give oxygen to their residents. So emergency management is working on those kinds of protocols.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Sugar Land residents, businesses can apply to serve on the Legislative Citizens Task Force

Flathouse added that many Municipal Utility Districts lack generators and had to send out boil-water notices to residents. If cell phone towers go down, getting those notices out proves difficult.

County emergency management has been trying something new by partnering with nonprofits like Attack Poverty to address sheltering issues by providing warming centers during winter weather events and cooling centers during summer events. Flathouse said it has gone well.

The Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management is also working with MUDs, levy improvement districts, Sugar Land and other larger cities, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prevent cyberattacks.

Flathouse said, But because of the connections that we have developed since last years event, we are sitting at the table talking about what happens if the power grid or cyber or anything like that impacts, what are we doing with all of our infrastructures within Fort Bend County?  The bottom line here is communicate.

tracy.maness@hcnonline.com
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Bestselling-author Stephanie Land knows all to well the struggles of being a single mom trying to make ends meet because shes been there.

Land is the author of Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mothers Will to Survive which has been adapted in into the popular Netflix series Maid.

Lands memoir offers a unique and essential perspective from the frontlines of struggle as a single mom navigating the poverty trap. Lands testimony exposes the physical, economic and social brutality that domestic workers face, all while radiating a parents hope and resilience.

Her story is the perfect fit for the April 22 Community Assistance Center Legacy Awards as the organization assists single moms, families and homeless communities facing similar struggles weekly in Montgomery County.

Land is the featured speaker for the event that begins at 10:30 a.m. at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott.

On YourConroeNews.com: Community Assistance Center celebrates 40 years

Community Assistance Center is a non-profit, social service agency providing resources to meet basic needs and improve quality of life for our neighbors in Montgomery County. CAC provides case management and assistance services such as food, clothing, emergency shelter, rental and mortgage assistance, utilities, and education to promote self-sufficiency. During its last fiscal year, CAC provided services to over 22,563 residents of Montgomery County through its various programs and services.

The organization began as Montgomery County Emergency Assistance in 1981 seeking to help those in crisis in the county. The group celebrated 40 years at the 2021 Legacy Awards Luncheon.

The past two years have been challenging to say the least, and I am humbled by the generous support of our community and the tireless efforts of the CAC team in helping people make it through these unprecedented times, said Community Assistance Center President Jennifer Landers. The Legacy Luncheon is one of our major annual fundraising events that CAC relies on to provide revenue to continue the critical work we do in providing basic needs assistance, case management services and promoting self-sufficiency for those in need of a hand up.

The April 22 will serve as a fundraiser for the organization and will recognize local community members who serve as champions for the nonprofit organization by making significant contributions to our Montgomery County neighbors in need.

Those being recognized are Legacy Award recipient Scott Perry, Faith Partner recipient The Woodlands Methodist Church, Community Partner recipient Keep Us Fed Montgomery County and Distinguished Service recipients Mike and Julie Medved.

On YourConroeNews.com: Community Assistance Center announces 2022 award recipients

Community is the core of our organization. CAC values the overwhelming support from our partners Scott Perry, Mike and Julie Medved, the entire Missions Team at The Woodlands United Methodist Church, and the resolute team of Keep Us Fed to make a significant impact on the lives of our neighbors who are struggling through grim times, Landers said.

Maid is one of the most watched series on Netflix starring Margaret Qualley, Andie MacDowell and Nick Robinson.

Today, Land is a passionate advocate for single mothers and people who have experienced systemic poverty.

Land graduated from the University of Montana in 2014 with a degree in English and currently works as an author and public speaker. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Salon, The Nation, and many other outlets. Her her second book, Class, is expected to release sometime this year.

Tickets are available at www.cac-mctx.org/event/2022-legacy Further information about this event or CAC can be found by connecting with Courtney Frost, Development Coordinator, by phone at 936-494-4407 or by email at courtney@cac-mctx.org.

Follow the CAC Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CACMCTX and their website to learn more about CAC. www.cac-mctx.org.

shernandez@hcnonline.com
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A criminal investigation into a since-canceled vaccine outreach contract singed Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgos office on Monday, with two current Hidalgo aides and a former one being indicted on charges of misuse of official information and tampering.

Wallis Nader and Alex Triantaphyllis, who work for Hidalgo, face one felony count on each of the charges. Aaron Dunn, who recently left her office, faces the same charges. The three were identified in Texas Rangers search warrants amid accusations they steered a vaccine outreach contract to a politically connected vendor by giving her early access.

The indictments were revealed in court records that were later removed from a public website. They mark the first time anyone in Hidalgos administration has been accused of criminal activity involving her office. They also come as the rising Democratic political star looks to fend off a Republican challenge for a second term in the fall.

Lawyers for two of the aides maintained their innocence Monday as the charges were made public.

Aaron Dunn is innocent  he has been an honest public servant, said attorney Dane Ball, who represents Dunn.

A lawyer for Triantaphyllis, Hidalgos chief of staff, said he believes coming court proceedings will shine a light on the lack of wrongdoing.

These charges against my client are unsupported by a full and objective review of the facts and the voluminous evidence in this case, lawyer Marla Poirot said in a statement. In his service to Harris County, Alex has made the people the top priority and worked to ensure that taxpayer resources are utilized as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Naders lawyer could not be reached for comment. The three defendants are expected to appear in 351st District Court on Tuesday.

On HoustonChronicle.com: What to know about Lina Hidalgo, as the investigation into Harris County offices continues

Records about the indictments and warrants being issued for the trios arrests were made available around noon Monday on the Harris County District Clerk's website, but not documents elaborating on the charges. Asked about the omission, the clerk's office declined to share the indictment  and later removed the six cases from its website.

On any indictment, if the defendant is not in custody or under bond at the time the indictment is presented, the indictment is not made public and the entry in the courts record relating to the indictment is delayed until the capias is served and the defendant is placed in custody or under bond, wrote a spokesman for the district clerk, Al Ortiz, in an email.

Ortiz did not reply to follow-up questions.

Hidalgo, addressing the indictments Monday night, lauded the ethics of the indicted staffers as well as herself, though she has not been accused of any wrongdoing. She previously blamed partisan politics for the dispute and criminal investigation.

I think that theres been enough questioning of the accusations, Hidalgo said. Thats been clear already for the people who have looked at this in-depth. Theres a serious misunderstanding of the facts.

She declined to comment on the indictments without having seen the document. Her staff, meanwhile, will continue to work for her in light of the charges.

"I have not seen anything to suggest that they're doing anything but good work, she said. They're going to remain on my staff.

In the months leading up to the indictments, the Texas Rangers  at the request of Harris County District Attorney Kim Oggs office  investigated communications within Hidalgos office and identified three staffers in search warrants who may have inappropriately communicated with the owner of Elevate Strategies, Felicity Pereyra, weeks before she submitted a bid on the outreach project. The commissioners court voted 4-1 last June to award the $11 million contract to Pereyras firm.

Hidalgo canceled the contract in September after Republican commissioners accused her of steering the work toward a Democratic firm with no public health expertise. Pereyra had previously assisted the 2015 Houston mayoral campaign of Democrat Adrian Garcia, the current Precinct 2 commissioner, and worked on Democrat Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign.

The investigation resulted in four search warrants used to enter the Harris County Administration Building at 1001 Preston, seize phones and computers from the homes or offices of the staffers and obtain Google records about documents used to outline the vaccine outreach contract.

The three aides, Hidalgo and three others were identified as having had their Google accounts searched in connection to the documents.

CONTRACT PROBE: Warrants detail communications between Hidalgo employees, vendor in controversial COVID-19 vaccine contract

In the search warrants, Texas Rangers investigator Daron Parker detailed employee conversations with the vendor ahead of the opening of the bids and how it appeared to be a misuse of information and a violation of county ethics rules.

The employees later signed documents stating they followed county ethics guidelines.

All three made and presented false statements in a governmental record and committed tampering with governmental record, Parker alleged.

According to lawyers for Hidalgo and the aides, the three staffers did not view Pereyra as a potential vendor while planning the contract. The lawyers contend that investigators conflated conversations that the aides had with Pereyra about a data-focused job  which was separate from the vaccine outreach project.

One of the documents outlining the outreach contracts scope of work was sent to Pereyra by mistake, they assert. Another was sent as part of an unrelated project. Records outlining text messages, emails and other communications among the aides were shared with the Chronicle to provide context.

Representatives of the district attorneys office declined to discuss the charges. The DA, Ogg, is a Democrat in her second term.

The indictments further inflame a scandal that the 31-year-old Hidalgo is aiming to overcome by November, when voters will decide whether to grant her a second four-year term.

Harris County has heavily favored Democrats at the top of the ticket in recent years, but Republicans see Hidalgo as uniquely vulnerable this year, with Democrats across the country bracing for a wipeout in midterm elections.

Hidalgos re-election bid carries immense weight for Democrats in Harris County and across the state. If Republicans were to regain control of the county judge seat, they would likely reclaim a majority on commissioners court after a single term of Democratic control.

Outside Harris County, Democrats desperately want to preserve the political career of an elected official viewed as a rising star in the party and potential candidate for statewide office. Her efforts to combat COVID-19 in the nations third most-populous county and clashes with Republican state leaders have drawn national attention.

Since taking office in 2019, Hidalgo has refused political donations from county contractors, attempting to position herself above a system in which firms seeking county business frequently cut campaign checks to members of commissioners court. But Hidalgos eventual Republican opponent will have plenty of ammunition to counter that image thanks to the vaccine contract investigation, said Houston political analyst Nancy Sims.

I think that this presents a tough challenge for her, because shes presented herself as the very ethical county judge and aimed to try to change county politics, Sims said. And now to have your top aides indicted is unfortunate.

Alexandra del Moral Mealer, a former Army captain and one of two Republicans in a runoff to determine Hidalgos GOP opponent in November, said the charges were an ethical, moral and political indictment of Hidalgo and called for her to resign.

We are all waiting to see if more indictments are coming, Mealer said in a statement. Lina Hidalgo has lost the moral authority to lead the county.

Attorney Vidal Martinez, Mealers opponent in the May 24 runoff, tweeted that he would provide leadership with honesty and transparency if elected county judge.

As Republicans took aim at Hidalgo over the charges, Democratic county commissioners defended her and her team.

During her time in office, Judge Hidalgo has gone out of her way to hold herself and her staff to the highest ethical standards, Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said in a statement. From recent press reports we have seen, there are still too many unanswered questions about the facts of the Elevate contract investigation for us to pass judgment. These public servants have earned the benefit of the doubt until the system plays out and the facts prevail.

Garcia, the Precinct 2 commissioner, similarly offered caution.

I am aware of the latest developments with regards to legal accusations against staff in another office, Garcia said. I caution anyone from coming to any conclusions before all parties have had an opportunity to present their facts.



Note: This story has been updated to correct the time that records about the indictments and warrants being issued were made available.

nicole.hensley@chron.com

jasper.scherer@chron.com
Jay Jordan

A man already on the run for assaulting a family member was charged Sunday with the murder of his grandmother in northwest Harris County.

Chad Maydwell was charged with capital murder for allegedly killing his grandmother, 80-year-old Juduth Maydwell, at her home in the 16100 block of Golden Sands Drive, according to the Harris County sheriff's office.
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Rice University has reinstated its classroom masking policy amid a rise in COVID-19 cases on campus.

After several months of daily positive tests remaining in the single digits, around 145 people tested positive over several days last week, according to the university.

Undergraduates accounted for more than 90 percent of those cases, with about half occurring in two residential colleges, vice president for administration Kevin E. Kirby wrote in an April 7 letter to faculty, staff and students. Parties hosted by Rices residential colleges  known as publics  have also been canceled through the end of the semester, according to university spokesman Doug Miller.

More on HoustonChronicle.com: Rice University expands debt-free financial aid

Rice only lifted its indoor masking policy in mid-March, allowing vaccinated people to go without facial coverings after the omicron variant ebbed. Unvaccinated people were still required to wear masks, though a smaller number of people were affected: As of November, more than 90 percent of the Rice community was vaccinated.

Since the winters surge, Houston has seen an uptick in cases of the BA.2 omicron subvariant. But overall, daily case averages and testing positivity rates continued to decline, according to data from the Texas Medical Center.

Most people who tested positive at Rice last week reported it through self-administered antigen tests, said Kirby, who is also the chair of the universitys Crisis Management Advisory Committee. A majority have symptoms, but administrators have not heard of any serious illnesses.

Masks will again be required in classrooms for all people, except for lecturing instructors, Kirby said. Indoor eating is allowed, but at half the occupancy.

samantha.ketterer@chron.com
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Kateryna Krezhenstouska was sleeping in her seventh-floor apartment in the capital city of Ukraine when the bombing began.

The mother at first thought it was a dream. But when she went to the window to peer into the early morning darkness of her beloved hometown of Kyiv, another explosion struck.

Wake up, she told her husband. War (has) started.

The Russian military invasion of Ukraine launched by President Vladimir Putin in late February upended life for millions of residents. The Krezhenstouska family was forced to abandon school and work, seek shelter below ground amid the threat of indiscriminate missile strikes, and eventually, make the painful decision to separate.

Many women and children have fled from Ukraine to nearby European countries. But Krezhenstouska embarked on a five-day journey with her 12-year-old daughter to stay with a close friend in the Houston area. Meanwhile, her husband and 19-year-old son stayed behind to defend the country.

One part of my heart really stayed there, Krezhenstouska, 44, said during an interview Wednesday at her friends Bellaire home. Its really hard.

Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

READ MORE: After rescuing thousands during Harvey and other disasters, Houston nonprofit turns to Ukraine

More than 4.3 million Ukrainians have fled their homeland since late February, according to the United Nations, and many more have been forced to move within the countrys borders. Most refugees have sought shelter in neighboring European countries such as Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.

The Biden administration last month announced that the United States plans to accept 100,000 Ukraine residents fleeing from war, although plans for admission remain underway. Some refugees who made their way to Mexico are seeking asylum at the southern border of California, according to media reports.

New York, Illinois and California are home to the largest share of the countrys 345,000 Ukrainian immigrants, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Roughly 6,100 immigrants from Ukraine live in Texas, including 1,200 in Harris County.

EDITORIAL BOARD: Houstons ready for Ukrainian refugees. Were waiting on Biden.

Light at the end of the tunnel

In the weeks that followed the initial explosion, Krezhenstouska said, bombs dropped closer and closer to home. She and her family spent nights sleeping in the basement of their building and days sheltering underground in a neighborhood metro station, constantly assessing risk and weighing options that ranged from bad to worse.

Meanwhile, as reports of destruction and despair in Ukraine circulated the globe, Yana Kristal called and texted Krezhenstouska every day from Houston. She offered a way out of the war zone: Come to Texas.

Kristal, a native of Ukraine, first met Krezhenstouska at a birthday party when they were 6 years old, crystalizing a friendship that has spanned decades and continents.

In Ukraine, the girls often hung out all day, then returned home and immediately called each other to keep chatting for hours.

When Kristal moved to the U.S. at age 12, the friends kept in touch, visiting each other on multiple occasions over the years. Kristal now works in the oil and gas industry.

Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

RUSSIA WAR: Getting medicine into Ukraine has been nearly impossible. One Houston doctor is still trying

At first, Krezhenstouska resisted her friends offer to come to Texas. She wanted to stay in the city where she was born, a 1,500-year-old city with a population of roughly 3 million, larger than the city of Houston. Everything she had in life  her family, her friends, her career as a real estate agent  was in Ukraine.

The possibility of escaping to safety in Houston, however, remained in the back of her mind as the war worsened.

Yana was like a light at the end of the tunnel, Krezhenstouska said.

Nearly three weeks after the war began, a bomb dropped particularly close to Krezhenstouskas apartment.

Everything (was) shaking, she said. Its really scary because you cant do anything.

She and her husband decided they would try to save her youngest of two children. She messaged her friend in Houston: Were packing a small backpack and getting ready to leave.

Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Ukrainian men who are fit for military service, including Krezhenstouskas husband, Roman, and son, Nikita, were banned from leaving the country. Even so, she said, both wanted to stay to fight to protect their homeland.

Krezhenstouskas mother, too, did not want to leave her apartment. She was happy that her daughter and granddaughter were escaping to a safe place, but told her daughter: Im born in Kyiv and I die in Kyiv.

MORE: Houston-based medical technology company donates 10,000 bandages to Ukraine military

As the grandmother stayed behind, Roman Krezhenstouska in mid-March drove his wife and daughter and his elderly parents and their cat to the Polish border under the cover of darkness. They wore all black to escape attention and spent 12 hours driving through deserted countryside marked by abandoned vehicles, scorched tanks and military equipment.

Polish people welcomed them at the border with free food and beverages, Krezhenstouska said, and a man with a disability helped them cross into Poland. Because of the influx of Ukrainian refugees, hotels had no available rooms, and train stations were crowded and noisy.

Her mother-in-law and father-in-law made their way to Germany while Krezhenstouska set her sights on getting to the U.S.

Friends from across the globe coordinated to find a family to shelter Krezhenstouska and her daughter at their home in Krakow for two days, giving them food, toys, chargers and anything else they needed.

Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

EDUCATION: Texas A&M System to offer free tuition to Ukrainian students

The kind, generous strangers quickly became friends with their Ukrainian guests. The families spoke a combination of three languages  Ukrainian, Russian and English  to communicate with each other, pulling up the Google Translate app on their phones when they needed help finding a word.

After days of travel, the Krezhenstouskas boarded a flight with one stop from Warsaw to Houston.

They were questioned by U.S. customs officials at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, causing Kristal to worry that her guests would be denied entry to the country. Eventually, the women had a tearful, late night reunion at the airport after the Ukrainians were permitted to enter with a tourist visa that they had obtained before the war for a different trip.

The visa was valid for 10 years and allows Krezhenstouska to remain in the country for a period of six months, she said.

Its like a bad dream

Two weeks later, Krezhenstouska and her daughter now spend their days in a Bellaire neighborhood with large homes, blooming green trees and friendly neighbors pushing strollers. The only hint of their pilgrimage is a blue-and-yellow sign that stands in Kristals front yard to show support for Ukraine.

Each morning, Krezhenstouska rises early to wake up her daughter for school. Alisa has been enrolled at Trafton Academy to give her a normal place where she can socialize with kids her age. Someone gave her blue-and-yellow bracelets that now dangle from her wrist.

Her mother, meanwhile, cannot work in the country on the tourist visa. Kristal organized a GoFundMe to help support her friends that has raised nearly $20,000.

For now, Krezhenstouska spends her days learning English and checking in with her husband, son, mother and friends back home through messenger apps. If someone does not immediately reply, she wonders whether they are alive.

Roman and Nikita were placed on a waiting list when they tried to join the Ukrainian territorial defense force. In the meantime, Roman told his wife, he drives neighbors to the supermarket where food is in short supply. He walks the dog on empty streets that used to bustle with trolleys, laughter, barking dogs  the din of a modern city with lots of coffee shops, malls and millions of people.

Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Now, there is only destruction and unnerving silence.

RELATED: Youths recital benefiting Ukraine draws emotional response

After facing fierce resistance, Russia recently completed a withdrawal from around Kyiv and was expected to redeploy its troops to other parts of the country for now.

Krezhenstouska hopes the war ends soon so she can return home to her family. She said she still struggles to believe that Russia invaded Ukraine, a neighboring country with cultural ties and family members living on both sides of the border. President Joe Biden has called Russias killing of civilians a war crime.

Its like a bad dream, its awful dream, she said.

The mother said she thinks Russia will never win because the opposition in Ukraine is too strong  people will fight to the end.

I saw their eyes and I understand  its impossible, she said.

anna.bauman@chron.com
Unless they were constituents in his far West Texas congressional district in recent years, most Texans may not be familiar with Will Hurd. Some might recall a Facebook video stream he made in 2017 with fellow Texas U.S. House member Beto O Rourke, when the two rented a van and drove from San Antonio to Washington, D.C., after a snowstorm grounded flights. (Will and Betos Excellent Adventure, it was dubbed.)

Otherwise, the San Antonio-area Republican made few headlines during three terms representing the vast 23rd Congressional District, which stretches from the San Antonio suburbs to El Paso. Hurd decided not to seek re-election in 2020.

He and his Democratic congressional travel buddy are out of office for the moment, although both are hoping their hiatus is relatively brief. ORourke, of course, wants to be governor of Texas; Hurd wants to be president, maybe. One mans dream may be as unlikely as the others, and yet Hurd bears watching, as anyone who got through the lengthy Atlantic magazine profile of him this month will tell you.

The piece, headlined The Revenge of the Normal Republicans, by Tim Alberta, who keeps an eye on conservative politics, portrays a smart, thoughtful, future-oriented politician who is serious about governance. The 44-year-old Texan is a refreshing contrast to the panderers, petty demagogues and political provocateurs who reign these days, in Washington and in Austin. Hes a cut above the small-minded, cynical elected officials who deign to represent us. They are the unfortunate rule; Hurd is one of the exceptions.

What impresses us most about Hurd isnt that hes normal, or the new normal  whatever normal means. Its that hes got ideas. Real ideas. Not shiny objects mass-produced in ALECs conservative think tank factory. Not another counterfeit of a hateful policy Florida passed several months prior. Not the latest dictates of Republican primary voters in a perverse game of Simon Says.

Actual ideas for potential solutions, conjured up by a man still earnest enough to believe his fellow Americans still care to find them.

A Texas Aggie who was class president during his senior year, a retired CIA officer and the lone African American Republican in the House during his six-year tenure, hes a conservative, to be sure, but hes focused on solving real problems, not concocted ones.

We should note that were not endorsing Will Hurd  mainly because hes not running for anything at the moment. We are endorsing the spirit, perhaps audacity, of men and women who run for public office with ideas about how to get things done, public servants from either party who are determined to heal the painful political sclerosis that grips this nation today. Agree with them or not, theyre at least making an effort.

In Albertas words, here is a sampling of real problems, as Hurd sees them: Quantum computing has the potential to break every form of encryption that guards our money and our secrets. Artificial intelligence could cut the service-based workforce in half  every two years. Biomedical advances will force questions about the ethics of rewiring our brains and halting the degradation of human cells. In the meantime, China will continue its siege of the American economy  swiping our intellectual property, snatching up our real estate, sabotaging our investments  while Russia will intensify its decades-old campaign to delegitimize our systems of government and turn Americans against one another.

(By golly, we just cant figure how transgender athletes, school-library books and critical race theory did not make the list.)

In his new book, American Reboot, Hurd recalls the nadir of his time in Congress, the record-setting, 35-day shutdown of the federal government over border policy in early 2019. In Hurds view, both parties were more interested in scoring political points than solving the problem. No one from either party ever asked the Texas lawmaker his opinion, despite the fact that he is a national-security expert who represented a longer stretch of this countrys border with Mexico than anyone else in Congress.

Of course, they might have figured that coyotes dont vote  neither the animals nor the criminals. But Alberta figures they didnt ask because they knew Hurd would not tell them what they wanted to hear. He would offer ideas, potential solutions, including the mass streamlining of legal immigration for both high-skilled workers and low-skilled laborers; the construction of a cutting-edge virtual wall utilizing cameras and fiber-optic cables to monitor illegal crossings; the granting of citizenship to millions of Dreamers; the surge of funding to local agencies dealing with a mass influx of asylum seekers. . . .

As usual, braying voices drowned out potential solutions.

So, nothing gets done, Hurd tells Alberta. Because politicians would rather use [immigration reform] as a bludgeon against each other, as opposed to solving a problem that most Americans, Republicans and Democrats, agree on the solutions to.

Hurd maintains that enough normal people exist to change the flawed trajectory of American politics. Clustered within the range of the middle, they are the people who, in his words, are tired of being presented with binary choices when it comes to big, complicated questions.

If he decides to run for president in 24 or beyond, Hurd insists hell find those voters, even though its easier for candidates to continue relying on the party base. Look, if youre a left-wing nut or a right-wing nut, youre probably not going to smell what Im cooking, he tells Alberta. But most people arent nuts. They want to solve problems. They want to make this century an American century. They are normal people who want normal leaders.

Hurds optimism is contagious, and yet its easy to be skeptical. His party is slated to win big this fall by relying on a Trumpian playbook of fear, grievance and cynical disinformation  in addition to President Bidens unpopularity. Resurgent Republicans in Congress will be able to stymie Bidens agenda but will likely lack a vision of their own to offer. Sclerosis will continue.

It's notable that Hurd is on the sideline these days, while manifestly un-serious firebrands such as Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia are ascendant.

Given that fact, its only reasonable to ask: Who needs Will Hurd? Or, for that matter, who needs any wide-eyed believer in American democracy who still thinks competence and sanity can prevail over the politics of duplicity and the radicalizing of YouTube algorithms?

The answer, of course, is that we do; the nation does. Either Hurd or someone like him. Someone who understands that politics is important, but its not religion. Someone who understands that self-governance requires our serious and sustained attention, but its not a holy war intent on destroying the opposition. Its an imperfect effort by an imperfect people seeking to govern themselves. Its an ongoing experiment  and always will be. Zealots need not apply.

We have to hope that one day Hurds normal people  Republican, Democrat and independent; liberal and conservative  will reassert themselves. Grown weary and disgusted with the ideologues, the would-be demagogues and the manipulators of misinformation, they will re-engage. Sharing in self-government, they will seek the common good. They may even come to personify the subtitle to Will Hurds book: An Idealists Guide to Getting Big Things Done.
As if Texas women needed another reason to fear that our state is descending into a Wild West rendition of the dystopian The Handmaids Tale, the prosecutors down in Starr County were quick to oblige.

Lizelle Herrera spent three days in jail for what Starr County District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez determined Sunday was not actually a crime.

Of course, the absence of a crime apparently hadnt stopped hospital staff from reporting Herrera to law enforcement back in January for what was described by the indictment as a self-induced abortion. Nor did it stop the DA from bringing the case before a grand jury, nor the resulting indictment, arrest and inexplicable $500,000 bond for a murder charge the DA now concedes does not apply in Herreras case.

In reviewing applicable Texas law, the DA wrote in a release Sunday declaring his intention to file a motion to dismiss Monday, it is clear that Ms. Herrera cannot and should not be prosecuted for the allegation against her.

Notably  despite the zealous catalog of anti-abortion laws on the Texas books  it appears that few apply to the pregnant individual. For pregnant people, the rule in the state of Texas has essentially always been, since the beginning of criminalization of abortion, that the pregnant person can not be prosecuted, Elizabeth Sepper, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin told the Texas Tribune.

Yet, public details of the case are few. We dont know, for instance, whether Herrera was the person who attempted a self-inducted abortion or whether she was charged with assisting someone else seeking an abortion.

The very uncertainty surrounding the case reflects the hostile climate of criminalization around abortion in this state and likewise suggests which Texans will be most vulnerable to prosecution and punishment.

Low income people of color cannot walk into a hospital safely and know that they will be able to be honest with their medical providers and give them information that might save their life because they might go to jail for it, Rockie Gonzalez, the founder and board chair of La Frontera Fund, told MSNBC on Sunday. The abortion fund in the Rio Grande Valley organized a protest and legal effort that gained national attention on the case.

It is a relief that Herrera is now free but her arrest is still shameful, an unsurprising but disturbing consequence of laws such as Senate Bill 8, passed in 2021 as one of the most expansive attacks on abortion rights. The law authorizes individuals to report any person or organization they suspect of helping a pregnant person get an abortion after six weeks. That law, though, exempts the pregnant individual from being sued.

As we wrote in September, The only thing clear today is that in the State of Texas, land of personal freedom, women have lost jurisdiction of our bodies.

And even clearer today: The burdens of this criminalizing climate will affect every pregnant person, but especially those without the resources to seek care outside of Texas.
Regarding Editorial: Congress shouldnt shrug off responsibility to vaccinate the world, (April 5): With another wave of COVID-19 infections threatening to head our way just as we were beginning to breathe a sigh of relief, I find the Senates decision to cut funding for the COVID-19 global vaccination effort to be short-sighted.

COVID-19 doesnt recognize national boundaries, and to be truly safe in our home country, the U.S. must step up to ensure that COVID-19 is controlled in every nation.

Billions of people remain unvaccinated. Assuring wide distribution of affordable and effective vaccines such as Corbevax, developed by the team at Texas Childrens Hospital led by Dr. Peter Hotez and Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi, can save millions of lives.

As Dr. Hotez reminds us, big projects like vaccinating the world only get done when the U.S. takes the lead. We must fight COVID-19 everywhere in order to win the fight at home once and for all. This pandemic is truly a case where we can and must help ourselves by helping others.

Claudia Morgan, Houston

Ballot troubles

Regarding Nearly 25,000 mail ballots were rejected in Texas primaries, fueled by confusion over new restrictions, (April 6): Mine was one of the 25,000 rejected mail ballots in the recent primary. I did send in an application with both my driver's license number and last four digits of my Social Security number because I had seen an alert in the Chronicle. No way I remember which was used when I registered.

I received the party primary ballot that I requested. I signed the outer envelope over the seal. What I didn't do was reenter the registration number(s) under the flap.

I have received a ballot for the May runoff. However it is only for the two tax propositions and not for the party runoff elections. OK, I didn't vote in the party primary, but I had requested a ballot on my original application. Why wasn't this runoff ballot included? I am eligible and had expressed my preference on my application.

I will vote in person in the runoff. I will vote unhappy with those who have created this mess.

Tom Malloy, Tomball

The obfuscation by the state and Sen. Paul Bettencourt continues. Would Sen. Bettencourt please admit the governing statute as drafted is the problem because it specifically directs the voter to fill in the mail-in ballot application and the carrier envelope in a manner that does not comport with the enforcement provisions of the same statute? If I am misreading the statute, explain the language, if not, quit the obfuscation regarding an unenforceable statutory voting requirement.

I had to laugh out loud when I read, 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. It is in the tedious details that we, as citizens, must demand our right to vote not be abolished in the state of Texas.

Mary Cook, Houston
Merck Foundation provided more than 63 scholarships of one-year Diploma and two-year Master Degree to doctors in many underserved and critical medical specialties in Mauritius such as: Diabetes, Endocrinology, Oncology, Reproductive and Sexual Care, Respiratory care, Acute and Critical Care, Cardiovascular preventive Medicine, Pediatric emergency and neonatal care and more.

Merck Foundation conducted their 2nd edition of Health Media Training for the Mauritian Media Representatives in partnership with Media Trust Board, Mauritius; Merck Foundation announces Call for Applications for More than Mother Awards and Diabetes and Hypertension Awards for Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, students and new potential talents in these fields with the aim to sensitize the communities about critical social and health issues.

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 HONBLE 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.

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 HONBLE 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 masters 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.

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 HONBLE 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 Mr. 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:

Merck Foundation Africa Media Recognition Awards More Than a Mother 2022, in partnership with Media Trust Board, Mauritius

Merck Foundation Fashion Awards More Than a Mother 2022, in partnership with Fashion & Design Institute, Mauritius

Merck Foundation Film Awards More Than a Mother 2022, in partnership with Mauritius Film Development Corporation

Merck Foundation Song Awards More Than a Mother 2022

Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 2022 Diabetes & Hypertension, in partnership with Media Trust Board, Mauritius

Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 2022 Diabetes & Hypertension, in partnership with Fashion & Design Institute, Mauritius

Merck Foundation Film Awards 2022 Diabetes & Hypertension, in partnership with Mauritius Film Development Corporation

Merck Foundation Song Awards 2022 Diabetes & Hypertension

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Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has faced scrutiny after the Texas Rangers raided her offices in March as part of an investigation into a COVID vaccination outreach contract.

Since the raid on administrative offices, Houstonians have been searching for answers.

With three Harris County staffers now facing criminal charges, Google shows that many around Houston are asking about Hidalgo and the raid over the controversial $11 million contract. Here's what we know.

What does Lina Hidalgo do, and is she a real judge?

Hidalgo is Harris County's chief executive  an elected position titled "county judge" even though it has no role in adjudicating cases or law enforcement. The history of the name goes back to the Republic of Texas, where the position was originally known as a "chief justice" and was appointed by the Congress of the Republic of Texas, according to the Texas State Historical Assocation.

As county judge, Hidalgo has influence over the county's budget for funding law enforcement and county courts. She also serves as the county's emergency manager.

Hidalgo, who was elected in 2018 in a county-wide vote, serves alongside four county commissioners elected from their respective county precincts. She is seeking a second term this fall as the Democratic nominee.

Why were Hidalgo's offices raided?

On March 11, the Harris County district attorney's office and the Texas Rangers, the state's law enforcement agency, executed search warrants on county administrative buildings, including the downtown Preston Street building that houses Hidalgo's main office, Dylan McGuinness reported.

The raid, in which the agencies seized phones and computers on a warrant signed by a judge, was part of an investigation into a controversial $11 million contract for vaccine outreach that was rescinded in September, after accusations that Hidalgos office steered it to a political consultant with ties to local Democratic elected officials. In November, the Harris County district attorneys office issued subpoenas related to the contract.

The search warrant affidavits, released on March 18, revealed the Texas Rangers had begun investigating possible misuse of information, providing false statements and tampering, Nicole Hensley reported.

According to the affidavits, the investigation is focused on several county employees under Hidalgo's office  including chief of staff Alex Triantaphyllis, policy director Wallis Nader and former senior adviser Aaron Dunn  for exchanging text messages with Elevate Strategies founder Felicity Pereyra months before the county issued a request for proposals for the vaccine outreach contract Elevate eventually won, Hensley reported.

Pereyra previously worked on the 2015 Houston mayoral campaign of Precinct 2 commissioner Adrian Garcia and assisted Hillary Clinton with her 2016 presidential campaign. Elevate's proposal was chosen over a $7.5 million bid from UT Health by a 5-member reviewing committee that included Triantaphyllis and two other staffers from Hidalgos office.

During a break in a March commissioners' court meeting, Dug Begley reported that Hidalgo declined to address the ongoing criminal investigation in detail, stating that the warrants provided only one side of the story.

What I can say is this, I followed the law, Hidalgo said to reporters March 22.

Hidalgo's lawyer, Eric Gerard, said in a statement that the affidavits contained a "misleading storyline" and was "the latest act of political theater from a politically motivated investigation." Lawyers for Hidalgo and her aides say one of the documents was sent by mistake and another was sent as part of an unrelated project.

On April 7, another search warrant emerged, showing Texas Rangers ordered Google to seize records from seven people  including Hidalgo herself.

Dunn, Nader and Triantaphyllis now each face charges of misuse of official information and tampering, according to district clerk records. Lawyers for the three could not be reached for comment.

Is Hidalgo popular?

Hidalgo, who is running for a second term as county judge, won the support of just over 75 percent of Democratic voters in the Texas primary elections on March 1.

However, overall turnout for the primary, the nation's earliest, was low. Just under 160,000 Democrats voted, representing 6.4 percent of Harris Countys 2.5 million registered voters, compared to 183,507 Republican primary voters, or around 7 percent of the electorate.

Where did Hidalgo grow up?

Hidalgo was born in Colombia in 1991. After spending her childhood in Colombia, Mexico and Peru, she emigrated to the U.S. in 2005.

Hidalgo attended Seven Lakes High School in Katy, where she graduated in 2009.

Where did Hidalgo go to college?

Hidalgo earned a bachelor's in political science from Stanford University in 2013. Two years later, she enrolled in a joint law program at New York University and a masters program in public policy at Harvard University.

Why did Hidalgo run for county judge?

Hidalgo has previously said she decided to run for local government after the 2016 presidential election of Donald Trump. She put her graduate studies on hold to return to Texas in the summer of 2017, hoping to identify an office to seek.

Hidalgo ultimately ran against longtime incumbent Ed Emmett, with a platform focused on flood control, criminal justice reform, and increasing accountability. She defeated Emmett by fewer than 18,000 votes, becoming the county's first-ever woman and Latina to be elected to the position.

Do you need a law degree to be a county judge in Texas?

County judges do not need to have a law degree or be a practicing attorney, according to Texas law.

Instead, a candidate must be a U.S. citizen age 18 or older who has lived in Texas for 12 consecutive months and in the county for 6 consecutive months. They also must be registered to vote in the county.

How can I contact Hidalgo?

According to Harris County's website, residents can contact Hidalgos office with general comments by email at judge.hidalgo@cjo.hctx.net or by phone at (713) 274-7000.

Reporting by Zach Despart, Nicole Hensley, Dug Begley, and Olivia Tallet contributed to this report.

charlie.zong@chron.com
As the political ties of Virginia Ginni Thomas get more national attention, her role is hardly a surprise in Texas political circles.

The conservative activist who is married to Justice Clarence Thomas has spent decades donating to, endorsing and even working for some of the biggest names in Texas politics.

Ginni Thomas has come under fire recently for attending the Jan. 6, 2021 rally in Washington, D.C. before the crowd stormed U.S. Capitol. And the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot has since uncovered more than two dozen text messages between Ginni Thomas and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows between the November 2020 election and the attack on the Capitol. Her messages at one point warned that Joe Biden and the left were attempting the greatest Heist of our History.

In a recent interview with the Washington Free Beacon, she denied any conflict of interest between her own advocacy and her husbands work on the U.S. Supreme Court.

We have our own separate careers, and our own ideas and opinions, too. Clarence doesnt discuss his work with me, and I dont involve him in my work, she told the publication.

Now, CNN is reporting on her activities when she was a fixture in efforts to influence the White House during the Trump presidency.

She has waded into Texas politics over the years.

As recently as February, Ginni Thomas, a Nebraska native, was sending campaign donations to U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin. Roy received a $500 check from her in February after getting $250 from her back in September, according to Federal Election Commission records show. Since 2018, she has contributed a total of $1,150 to him.

Shes also a big fan of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. In 2015, she appeared in a two-minute endorsement video for Cruz, touting him as a principled conservative.

Whats great about Ted Cruz is we dont have on-the-job-training problems with Ted Cruz, she says in ad, which the Cruz campaign released three months before the Iowa Caucus that Cruz would go on to win. He has seen and assessed and been part of the battles in Washington, D.C.

And in the early 1990s, she worked as a policy adviser for former U.S. Rep. Dick Armey, a North Texas Republican who rose to become House Majority Leader, the second-highest-ranking position behind Speaker Newt Gringrich in the 1990s.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com
A 26-year-old woman was arrested and jailed in South Texas last week over a self-induced abortion just months after the state banned most abortions and weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court could roll back 50 years of federal abortion protections.

The timing of the now-dropped murder charge amid such seismic policy shifts could be pure coincidence. But on Monday, legal scholars and abortion rights advocates said the implications of Lizelle Herreras ordeal could not be more timely.

Ms. Herreras case is a terrific example of exactly what we expect to happen, said Lynn Paltrow, executive director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women, a group that has defended women in abortion-related criminal cases. You cant continue to say over and over again that abortion is murder and not expect that police and prosecutors are going to not treat it as murder.

Many details of Herreras arrest remained unknown Monday. Prosecutors never publicly released the criminal indictment or the exact allegations, and in a brief statement Sunday, Starr County District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez said his office was moving to dismiss the charge  a direct reversal from its previous stance. Ramirez did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

The incident was first reported to police by a local hospital in January.

In reviewing this case, it is clear that Ms. Herrera cannot and should not be prosecuted for the allegation against her, Ramirez said in the statement. Herrera had been arrested Thursday and released from jail Saturday after posting $500,000 bail.

Though Herrera was indicted by a grand jury, Texas homicide law and anti-abortion statutes exempt pregnant women from criminal liability. And the states leading anti-abortion advocates say they oppose arresting pregnant women for abortions they induce themselves.

BACKGROUND: What to know about Texas new abortion law

But abortion researchers warn that as Texas and other states further restrict abortion access, more and more pregnant women will be driven to seek out the procedure themselves, leading to potential criminal investigations. In the past, abortion-related criminal cases have disproportionately affected women of color and poor women.

When you dont have anybody else to punish, do you just punish no one and let the abortion happen? Or do you punish the woman? asked Mary Ziegler, a law professor at Florida State University who has studied the anti-abortion movement. I dont know what the states going to do with that, but thats going to be the scenario sometimes. And I think this is sort of a harbinger of that debate to come.

Texas virtual abortion ban, Senate Bill 8, which was passed last year by Republican lawmakers and prohibits abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, is not enforced using criminal prosecution but rather civil lawsuits filed by citizens. The law also specifically exempts pregnant people and targets instead only those who aid or abet an abortion, such as a doctor or a family member who provides transportation.

Another Texas law passed last year shortening the time frame doctors have to prescribe abortion medications from 10 weeks to seven weeks also focused on punishment of the provider, not the patient.

IN-DEPTH: Women are finding other means to abortion despite Texas crackdown

Throughout Texas history, courts have said abortion criminalization laws cannot be used against pregnant women and instead have focused on those who help facilitate an abortion, said Elizabeth Sepper, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

Part of the understanding in the state of Texas, in the courts from the late 1800s onwards, is both that a pregnant person cant aid and abet their own abortion but also a sort of paternalistic view of women as not really the agents of the abortion and also in some ways the victims of the criminal abortion, Sepper said.

But if Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case that legalized abortion in 1973, is overturned by the high courts now conservative majority, Texas and other states would be free to reverse course. Sepper noted that members of the Legislature have proposed laws that would make the penalty for an abortion capital punishment.

Support the woman

There hasnt been much political interest in prosecution of the mother among anti-abortion activists, who generally find that not a productive mechanism, said Joshua Blackman, a professor at the South Texas College of Law.

For many years, the pro-life movement adopted a mantra that you support the woman, and throwing women in jail is not the way to do that, so the focus turned on those providers or those who perform abortions, Blackman said.

John Seago, legislative director for Texas Right to Life, criticized the charges against Herrera.

The Texas Heartbeat Act and other pro-life policies in the state clearly prohibit criminal charges for pregnant women, he said. Texas Right to Life opposes public prosecutors going outside of the bounds of Texas prudent and carefully crafted policies.

Farah Diaz-Tello, senior legal counsel for the abortion rights group If/When/How, which has been involved in Herreras case, said criminal cases such as hers often arise when somebody misunderstands their obligations with respect to patient confidentiality versus mandatory reporting.

I think that frequently they are just not sure whether or not something involving a self-induced abortion falls into a category that they need to report, she said of doctors and other medical staff. And it turns out they do not.

One of the things that we do as an organization is try to help health care providers understand their role in protecting patients private medical information, so that they dont get swept up in the criminalization, Diaz-Tello said.

taylor.goldenstein@chron.com

jeremy.blackman@chron.com
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After charging a woman with murder over a self-induced abortion, forcing her to spend three days in jail and drawing national attention, Starr County officials announced Sunday they would change course and move to dismiss the case.

Lizelle Herrera was arrested Thursday and held in jail on a $500,000 bond, court records show. She was released on bail Saturday, according to jail records and a local abortion fund. The district attorney had presented the possible murder charge to a grand jury last month, leading to her indictment and arrest, before his Sunday announcement.

In reviewing applicable Texas law, it is clear that Ms. Herrera cannot and should not be prosecuted for the allegation against her, Gocha Allen Ramirez, the district attorney in Starr County, said in a news release.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Woman facing murder charge shouldn't be prosecuted

Few details on the case have been made public, including how the abortion was performed and how far along the pregnancy had been. Ramirezs news release said a hospital reported the January abortion to the Starr County Sheriffs Department, prompting the criminal investigation and murder indictment.

Its also unclear under which statute Herrera was charged. Texas law exempts a pregnant person from being charged with murder or any lesser homicide charge for an abortion. The pregnant person is also typically excluded from lesser criminal charges if abortion laws are broken, as state laws instead target the provider.

For pregnant people, the rule in the state of Texas has essentially always been, since the beginning of criminalization of abortion, that the pregnant person can not be prosecuted, said Elizabeth Sepper, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

Herreras lawyer, Calixtro Villarreal, declined to comment on the case Sunday.

Herreras arrest, first reported by The Monitor in McAllen, quickly became national news, in part because Texas lawmakers recently passed a law to prohibit abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. But that law, which went into effect in September, doesnt have any criminal repercussions. Instead, enforcement of the law can only be carried out by private citizens who may sue abortion providers and anyone involved in helping someone get an abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected.

Last year, Texas also narrowed the window in which physicians are allowed to give abortion-inducing medication to patients from 10 weeks to seven weeks into pregnancy and banned mailing such drugs. But again, pregnant patients are not subject to criminal enforcement under the new law, according to statute. Accused providers would face possible lower-level felony charges, which carry a maximum punishment of two years in state jail.

Dana Sussman with the National Advocates for Pregnant Women said that because of the recent anti-abortion laws in Texas, Herreras arrest was unconstitutional but somewhat expected.

What the laws in Texas and elsewhere claim to be doing is criminalizing the provision of certain types of care, she told The Texas Tribune on Friday. But what we know is the reality from our cases, and from what weve seen in the past and were currently seeing, is that the people who actually experienced pregnancy will also face criminalization.

Sepper, who specializes in gender and health law, said there have been cases in other states of anti-abortion prosecutors seeking to expand criminalization against people who had abortions, for instance on child neglect charges. She said it appeared Starr County officials knew what message this might send to other people capable of becoming pregnant in the area, to tell them that they could face criminal consequences.

Despite pursuing a murder charge originally, Ramirez said Sunday he hoped his dismissal will make clear that Ms. Herrera did not commit a criminal act under the laws of the State of Texas.

Although with this dismissal Ms. Herrera will not face prosecution for this incident, it is clear to me that the events leading up to this indictment have taken a toll on Ms. Herrera and her family, he said.

Jason Beeferman contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP)  An arbitrator has ruled that two Buffalo police officers didn't violate the department's use-of-force guidelines when they pushed a 75-year-old protester to the ground in June 2020 during racial injustice protests following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The episode drew national attention when a news crew captured video of Martin Gugino being shoved by officers Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski in downtown Buffalo, as crowd control officers in riot gear cleared demonstrators for an 8 p.m. curfew.

Gugino, pushed backward, started bleeding after hitting his head on the pavement and spent about a month in the hospital with a fractured skull and brain injury.

In a decision Friday, arbitrator Jeffrey Selchick wrote, Upon review, there is no evidence to sustain any claim that Respondents (police officers) had any other viable options other than to move Gugino out of the way of their forward movement.

The level of force used by the officers was justified because Gugino refused to comply with orders to leave the scene and was acting erratically, and walked directly in front of McCabe, according to Selchick.

The use of force employed by Respondents reflected no intent on their part to do more than to move Gugino away from them, he wrote.

McCabe and Torgalski were suspended without pay and arrested within days of the incident, but last year a grand jury declined to indict them and charges were dropped.

NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here.

An attorney for Gugino, who has sued the city, told the Buffalo News that the ruling has no bearing on the lawsuit.

We are not aware of any case where this arbitrator has ruled against on-duty police officers, so his ruling here on behalf of the police was not only expected by us, but was certainly expected by the union and city who selected and paid him, Melissa Wischerath told the newspaper.

Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said in a statement he will reinstate the two officers to duty on Monday, the newspaper reported.

Email messages seeking comment were left Sunday with an attorney representing the city, which argued for the disciplinary charges, and with the Buffalo police union.
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About two months after some brands of powdered baby formula were recalled due to reports of illness and two deaths, the shortage has worsened.

In mid-February, Abbott Nutrition, a medical device company that manufactures Similac infant formulas as well as PediaSure, Pedialyte and other products, initiated a voluntary recall of potentially affected formulas manufactured in its Sturgis, Michigan, facility after it was linked to bacterial infections, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

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Since then, baby and infant formula has continued to be in low supply. As people struggle through the shortage, one member of Pennsylvanias congressional delegation is stepping in.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, arguing there were reports of illness related to Abbott Nutrition infant formula five months before the recall, officials said Monday in a news release. The letter was also signed by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio.

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Parents, caregivers and the greater public rely upon the FDA to ensure infant formula on the shelves in our grocery stores and food pantries is safe to consume and supports healthy growth, the senators said in the letter. It is unacceptable that FDA was made aware of complaints and positive cases related to the Abbott Nutrition facility months before Abbott finally issued its voluntary recall of potentially contaminated infant formula, yet failed to alert the public, immediately initiate an inspection or demand Abbott issue an immediate recall of these infant formula products.

Below, find more information about the baby formula shortage:

Why is there a baby formula shortage?

Pandemic-related shortages have affected baby formula over the past two years, but the February recall made the shortage worse.

About 30% of formula was out of stock as of mid-March in 24 states across the U.S., according to market research firm Datasembly. Only between 2% and 8% of baby formula products were out of stock the first seven months of 2021.

What products were recalled?

The FDA is advising consumers not to use Similac, Alimentum or EleCare powdered infant formulas if the first two digits of the code are 22 through 37; and the code on the container contains K8, SH or Z2; and the expiration date is 4-1-2022 (APR 2022) or later.

Find more details on the recall here.

Why were they recalled?

There were four consumer complaints related to Cronobacter sakazakii or Salmonella newport, both bacterial infections, in infants who had consumed powder infant formula manufactured in the facility, according to the FDA. Agents found the evidence of the former in the plants non-product contact areas.

Cronobacter sakazakii can cause fever, poor feeding, excessive crying or low energy as well as other serious symptoms. So far, two deaths have been linked to powdered baby formula since September.

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Last month, federal safety inspectors said Abbott failed to maintain sanitary conditions and procedures at the Michigan manufacturing plant, according to an Associated Press report.

Who else is affected?

Although parents and caregivers may see the lack of baby formula at grocery stores, they are not the only ones feeling the effects of the shortage.

Hospital systems also use formula, and many across the country have voiced their concerns over the shortages. However, Lehigh Valley Health Network spokesperson Brian Downs said the shortage isnt affecting the network.

There are difficulties getting certain products on occasion, but overall, we have been able to get what we need with minimal substitution, sometimes of another brand, he said.

The Morning Call has also reached out to St. Lukes University Health Network for comment.

Area nonprofits, like The Kindness Project, have felt a strain from the shortage.

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About 30 cans of Similac formula were donated in recent months, said Jenae Holtzhafer, the Emmaus nonprofits founder and executive director. But the cans had to be pulled because they were part of the February recall.

We had to take it off the shelves, which definitely is a hit until we can get it replaced, she said. So far, we are still able to serve our families as needs arise, but we will feel much better once we get that stock replenished.

The foster closet provides clothes, shoes, hygiene products and other essentials to help ease the costs to foster families around the region.

Foster families have been visiting the organization in absolute desperation looking for certain types of formula, Holtzhafer said, adding theyve limited distribution to one can per family per visit.

We have also put a call out to the community via social media if we are able to find the needed formula on Amazon, she said. Its sometimes available there if its not in the stores locally. However, it often comes with an additional cost.

Have purchase limits been put in place?

At least one retailer has put limits on the amount of formula that can be purchased at one time.

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Walgreens shoppers are limited to three infant and toddler formulas per transaction to help improve inventory, a company spokesperson confirmed Monday.

Due to increased demand and various supplier challenges, infant and toddler formulas are seeing constraint across the country, she said. "  We continue to work diligently with our supplier partners to best meet customer demands.

It does not appear that any other major retailer has placed purchase limits on formula.

What can parents and caregivers do?

Business Buzz Daily The daily update for the Lehigh Valley business person. >

Officials at the Infant Nutrition Council of America have been reassuring parents and caregivers that there is enough infant formula available to meet their needs.

Manufacturers have increased production, and are working with retailers and government agencies to help ensure availability and continued access to infant formula, according to the organizations website. Parents and caregivers should communicate with their infants pediatrician if they have questions about infant feeding methods, especially if they are considering a major change in their infants nutrition routine.

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The council cautioned residents against stockpiling formula and buying it from irreputable retailers.

What else did Casey and Browns letter say?

In the letter, Casey and Brown asked why the FDA did not inspect Abbott Nutritions Sturgis facility in 2020.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic and public health emergency impacted the FDAs ability to oversee and ensure the safety of infant formula?, they asked. Did you make a remote records request? Would any authorities have enabled more effective FDA oversight and facilitated the FDAs ability to meet its obligations?

Read the full letter here.

Morning Call reporter Molly Bilinski can be reached at mbilinski@mcall.com.
Hudson, NY (12534)

Today

Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 57F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 40F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
Miquel Estrella, killed by police a week ago, was remembered on Sunday with a march, speakers and vigil in downtown Pittsfield on Sunday evening. PreviousNext

'No Justice No Peace': Community Marches For Miguel Estrella



Family and friends are demanding answers about the fatal shooting. At right is his sister, Elina Estrella.

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  A crowd of nearly 200 marched on Sunday afternoon from Persip Park to City Hall and Park Square chanting "No justice no peace" and "Justice for Miguel," who was killed by police more than a week ago.

Miguel Estrella's family is demanding answers to the fatal shooting that is under investigation by State Police.

Police say the 22-year-old city man was in a state of distress when he was shot while wielding a knife last month.

"Miguel didn't need guns, he needed help, Miguel didn't need the police, he just needed help, anybody from the fire station could have just sat down and had a conversation but instead they sent guns and crooked a** officers," Estrella's older brother Corey Johnson said.



"Justice for Miguel, justice for his mother, who came here from [the Dominican Republic,] believed in this place, said, 'I want to take my children and give them better opportunity,' how crazy is it that Miguel was deeply involved in your community, in our community, working for Habitat for Humanity, his mother feeding the homeless, and he got killed by the police."

The group stopped at different times along the march for people to speak. Marchers held signs, including a banner that read "Miggy's World," and some wore shirts that said "Justice for Miggy."

The event also recognized Daniel Gillis, who was killed by Pittsfield Police Officer Christopher Colello in 2017 after police said he advanced on them while distraught with a knife.



Elina Estrella, Miguel's sister, said the wanted to turn the event into a positive by demanding change and making sure that it does not happen again.



"We just want answers," she said, asking whether proper protocol was used when responding to her brother.



Estrella's mother, Marisol Estrella, described him as a marvelous person who gave her hope when he walked into her house with a smile and said, "Yo mommy."



She recognized the many other mothers whose children have been killed by police.

Dubois Thomas, neighborhood revitalization director at Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, said the city's system killed Estrella and the people are responsible for changing that.



Estrella had volunteered with Habitat and Thomas said he helped with creating affordable shelter for about six families in the community. A small housing frame that Estrella built was wheeled around the march and participants were encouraged to sign it.



"Miguel joined the Habitat family many years ago, he was a 15-year-old volunteer at the ReStore, and even that early, his natural leadership skills were clear," Thomas said. "He was eager to learn more, he was willing to do what it takes, knowing that the road to becoming an electrician was very long, but he was still determined even after the pandemic hit,"

"Miguel was a rock, a reliable team member who kept our builds going."



NAACP member Kamaar Taliaferro said Police Chief Michael Wynn had responded to the killing of George Floyd in 2020 by saying if the city's police training does not resonate with residents, it needs to be changed.



"I did not know Miguel personally but I know this city," he said. "And I know how this city treats its young men of color, enough is enough."



Marisol Estrella, Miguel's mother, raises her hand at Park Square as she addresses the crowd.

"We need to acknowledge the culture of policing, the systems that police operate with, they were built on ideals of white supremacy, anti-Blackness," she said.



"The racialized history of this country includes policing, this is historic trauma that is triggered by recent acts of police violence, the police have only continued to perpetuate this trauma, causing racial trauma for communities of color."



Speaker Michael Hitchcock argued that the city's police budget can support additional mental health workers to respond to people in crisis nonviolently.



In the fiscal year 2021, the Pittsfield Police Department's budget was $11,516,231.



"I got to tell you the police budget is very inflated and I think we can and should afford to make these changes without them," he said. "Eleven million dollars for what? To be brutalized, terrorized, and occasionally murdered?"

The Police Department does work with mental health and substance abuse counselors; one had gone off shift about an hour and half before the shooting. Police had been called along with ambulance personnel but Estrella reportedly refused treatment. Police responded again just minutes later.

Pittsfield attorney Rinaldo Del Gallo was seeking signatures for a petition to have the Pittsfield Police equipped with body cameras and dashboard cameras.



"Video footage greatly assists in the preservation of the truth with respect to police encounters," the petition read. "It neither favors the citizen interacting with the police nor the police officers themselves  it neutrally captures what actually occurred."
COVID-19 Fund Partners Award Grants to 'Help the Helpers'

A Becket Athenaeum staff member reads to children. The Athenaeum was one of 23 organizations to receive funding

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Berkshire United Way, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Northern Berkshire United Way, and Williamstown Community Chest agreed to Help the Helpers with grants from the Berkshire County COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.

These Help the Helpers grants will ensure that over 380 frontline professionals in nonprofits across Berkshire County are seen, appreciated, and celebrated, said Berkshire United Way President and CEO Tom Bernard. The proposals we received were well thought out and focused on the unique needs of each organization and team. Im grateful to our partners who stepped up and recognized the value and impact of each proposal we received.

Local nonprofits were invited to apply for 16 grants of $500 each to be used toward staff well-being activities. After seeing 23 applications come in, the partners stepped up to fund the gap and award grants for all 23 proposals, ranging from projects focused on team building and staff recognition to wellness and other activities.

In total $11,500 was given out. Click here to see how the grants are being used.

Earlier this year, Berkshire United Way and Northern Berkshire United Way awarded eight childcare programs $500 each to show appreciation for their staff, thanks to funding from United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley through the Childcare Relief Fund.
Fans of Big Macs, Chicken McNuggets and Egg McMuffins will soon have a new restaurant to be lovin it in Upper Saucon Township.

A new McDonalds eatery, featuring a two-lane drive-thru, self-ordering kiosks and seating capacity for 42 customers, is set to open 11 a.m. Thursday at 6690 Short Drive, according to franchise owner James McIntyre.

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The first 50 customers will receive a free Big Mac every week for a year, and free coffee will accompany any breakfast purchase during the month of April.

A new McDonalds eatery, featuring a two-lane drive-thru, self-ordering kiosks and seating capacity for 42 customers, is set to open 11 a.m. Thursday at 6690 Short Drive in Upper Saucon Township. (Ryan Kneller/The Morning Call)

The newly constructed restaurant will operate next to a new Wawa gas station and convenience store at the southwest corner of Route 309 and Passer Road.

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A few homes, the former Truly Fine home furnishings store and the former Peppercorn Pub-turned apartment building were razed to make way for the new development.

The new eatery will be the fifth area McDonalds for McIntyre and his wife, Karen, who together operate under the Jamren McDonalds business name. The couple also owns McDonalds locations in Hellertown, Easton, Quakertown and Milford Township.

Im a second-generation McDonalds operator, James said. My dad was in it before me. I started in 1996, and then I bought my first restaurant in 2008.

The McIntyre family aims to support local communities, schools and charities through cooperative fundraising efforts.

Business Buzz Daily The daily update for the Lehigh Valley business person. >

At their newest restaurant, just north of Coopersburg, theyre already planning several fundraisers and partnerships, including a Southern Lehigh High School mens lacrosse fundraiser, 4-8 p.m. April 27, where 20% of all sales go to the team; a National Superhero Day event, April 28, where local firefighters, police officers, EMTs, teachers and veterans receive a free combo meal; a Southern Lehigh Cross Country Booster Club fundraiser, 4-8 p.m. May 23, where 20% of all profits benefit the club; a Saucon Valley Youth Lacrosse fundraiser, 4-8 p.m. June 14, where 20% of sales go to the program; and a food drive partnership with Betty Lous Pantry, a ministry of Southern Lehigh area churches, where customers who bring in a designated food item will receive a free food item from McDonalds.

A new McDonalds eatery, featuring a two-lane drive-thru, self-ordering kiosks and seating capacity for 42 customers, is set to open 11 a.m. Thursday at 6690 Short Drive in Upper Saucon Township. (Ryan Kneller/The Morning Call)

Jamren McDonalds, in coordination with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and Southern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce, broke ground on the new eatery in November.

Construction took about four months, and the restaurant has been hosting open interviews for approximately 60 full- and part-time positions.

The Upper Saucon McDonalds, which will be open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, also will host a ribbon-cutting celebration with the Southern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 26. The Southern Lehigh High School Marching Band is set to perform.

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Additionally, the new McDonalds restaurant is planning to offer $3 Big Macs during Southern Lehigh Restaurant Week, April 24-30.

We love working with Jim and his team in other communities across the Lehigh Valley and have seen the tremendous impact he has had for various organizations through their fundraising efforts and partnerships, said Jessica ODonnell, executive vice president of Affiliated Chambers and Northern Tier for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber. Naturally we are excited to be bringing this community-centric organization into another close-knit municipality to see the dynamics grow and prosper.

McDonalds, founded by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald in 1940 in San Bernardino, California, is the worlds leading global foodservice retailer with more than 39,000 locations in 119 countries, including more than two dozen locations throughout the Lehigh Valley region. Approximately 93% of McDonalds restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business owners.
Reporter Loknath Dalei was allegedly assaulted and mistreated by police officers from Nilagiri police station on April 6, for his prior reporting on the districts alleged corruption. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned by the journalists assault and urges the authorities to expedite their investigation into the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

According to India Times, Loknath Dalei, a reporter for Kanak TV in Balasore, attended Nilagiri police station regarding about a minor motorcycle accident on April 4. At the station, the journalist was confronted by the Inspector, Droupadi Das, who proceeded to assault him.

"The police made me sit for five hours. When I tried to get in touch with my friends, the local police officer thrashed me and I fell down. I almost fainted. Later on Wednesday evening, I was admitted to the Balasore district hospital," Dalei said in a statement to The Telegraph.

Dalei fell unconscious after the attack and was sent to the Balasore District Hospital that evening, where he was chained by police officers and left without a bed.

Nearly seven guards carrying guns are guarding me [to the hospital]. On Thursday morning, two constables came and put iron shackles on my leg as if I would flee from the hospital, Dalei said.

The journalist claims he was targeted for previous reports he had published on the police districts alleged corruption.

Photos and videos of Daleis condition went viral on social media, with Indias Minister of Education and Skill Development, Dharmendra Pradhan, condemning the actions of the police officers.

Following public outcry, the Balasore Superintendent of Police, Shri Sudhansu Sekhar Mishra, informed reporters that an investigation into the incident would be undertaken, and that strict action will be taken against those found guilty.

The IFJ said: The assault on Loknath Dalei by police officials is completely unjustified and another example of the authorities blatant disregard for working journalists in India. The IFJ calls for a swift investigation into the incident and calls on the Indian government to better to safeguard journalists across the country.
Uttar Pradesh police have arrested three journalists in the states Baila district after they broke the news about a school exam question leak. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Indian affiliate, the Indian Journalists Union (IJU), urge the Indian authorities to immediately release the journalists.

Journalists Ajit Ojha and Digvijay Singh, associated with Hindi daily Amar Ujala, and Manoj Gupta of Rashtriya Sahara, were arrested on March 30 for their reporting on the leak of a Class 12 English paper, scheduled to take place the same day.

The paper was leaked alongside the answer key of a Class 10 Sanskrit subject scheduled for March 29. Both Uttar Pradesh Board examinations were cancelled in 24 of the states 75 districts.

The local administration accused the three journalists of being involved in a scheme to lead the papers, and they were arrested along with over 30 others in connection with the case.

Uttar Pradesh Police filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the journalists at Ballia police station. The charges include cheating and dishonesty inducing delivery of property, under the Indian Penal Codes Section 420, unauthorised possession and disclosure of question papers, under Uttar Pradeshs Public Examination Act, dishonestly receiving stolen computer resource or communication device, under Section 66B of the Information Technology Act.

Following the arrests, local journalists held a protest in front of the Ballia police station demanding the reporters immediate release. Members of the Working Journalists of India deemed the arrest a strategy to hide the administrations failure and organized demonstration in GPO Park in Hazratganj, Lucknow on April 7.

Ojha and Singh argued on social media that their arrests were retaliation for their critical reportage. Singh claimed to be held for not revealing his source to police, while Ojha also said that policemen vandalised his office and harassed his colleagues.

Cases are commonly filed against journalists in India under various pretences. In March, Fahad Shah, editor of The Kashmir Walla, who has faced multiple charges since his initial arrest on February 4, was sentenced under Jammu and Kashmirs Public Safety Act.

IJU President, Geetartha Pathak, said: "Indian Journalists Union (IJU) expresses grave concern at the arrest of three journalists, Ajit Kumar Ojha, Digvijay Singh and Manoj Gupta of Balia district of UP, for reporting on the question paper leak. The IJU condemns the arrests of journalists for doing their duties.

The IFJ said: There is an unmistakable trend in the Indian authorities silencing of critical voices by filing false cases against journalists and media workers. The IFJ condemns the arrests of Ajit Ojha, Digvijay Singh and Manoj Gupta and calls on Indias national and state administrations to allow the media to work safely and independently.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has rescinded the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Amendment Ordinance, which included new regulations to prosecute journalists. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Pakistan affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), welcome the court's decision to overturn the PECA Amendment Ordinance and congratulate Pakistans media on this historic victory.

On April 8, the PECA Ordinance, originally issued in February 2022, was deemed unconstitutional by the IHC. Justice Athar Minallah, Chief Justice of the IHC, stated that the ordinance breaches Article 19 of the Constitution, which ensures the right to freedom of speech, as well as Articles 9 and 14.

The four-page order stated that free speech, protected under Article 19 of the Constitution, and the right to receive information, protected under Article 19-A of the Constitution, are essential for a society's development, progress, and prosperity, and that their suppression under the PECA ordinance was unconstitutional and contrary to democratic values.

The criminalisation of defamation, protection of individual reputations through arrest and imprisonment and the resultant chilling effect violates the letter of the Constitution and the invalidity thereof is beyond a reasonable doubt, the ruling stated.

The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022, and promulgation thereof is declared as unconstitutional, invalid beyond reasonable doubt and it is, therefore, struck down, the court added.

The court also ordered the Interior Ministry to investigate the actions of officers from the Federal Investigation Agency's Cyber Crime Wing, which had resulted in widespread abuse of power and significant infringement of individuals' fundamental rights.

A number of journalist associations, including the PFUJ, the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) and some senior journalists of the country, had filed a petition to repeal the PECA ordinance through senior Pakistani lawyer, Munir A Malik.

The courts verdict has been widely welcomed by media stakeholders. The AEMEND President Azhar Abbass declared it a major step towards restoring freedom of speech in Pakistan. However, despite welcoming the decision, he maintained that freedom of speech and press freedom must still be greatly improved in Pakistan.

Much more needs to be done to have complete freedom for journalists and civil society. A free and independent media is essential for sustained democracy and rule of law, Abbass said.

PFUJ President G M Jamali and Secretary General Rana Muhammad Azeem said PFUJ welcome the decision of Islamabad High Court to strike down Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Amendment Ordinance 2021 and congratulated Pakistans media fraternity for this great victory.

The IFJ said: This landmark overturning of the PECA Ordinance is a significant step toward restoring freedom of expression and press in Pakistan. However, there is dire need to increase efforts to ensure that all Pakistani journalists and media workers enjoy unfettered independence. Long-term democracy and the rule of law require a free, independent, and responsible media.
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KKR, a leading global investment firm, and Shriram General Insurance Company (Shriram General Insurance, SGI or the Company), a leading general insurance company backed by Indian financial services conglomerate Shriram Group and pan-African financial services group Sanlam, today announced the signing of definitive agreements under which, subject to the receipt of the necessary regulatory approvals, KKR will acquire a 9.99% stake in Shriram General Insurance.



KKRs investment will position Shriram General Insurance for continued growth in Indias fast-growing general insurance industry.



Founded in 2008, Shriram General Insurance is a joint venture between Shriram Capital, the holding company for Shriram Groups financial services business and Sanlam Limited, a leading pan-African financial services group. The Company adopts a customer-centric approach toward business and is focused on nurturing homegrown talent and maximizing technology to meet the needs of underserved segments of the economy. Today, it is one of Indias leading general insurance companies.



KKRs investment builds on strong tailwinds in the Indian general insurance industry and SGIs continued expansion into new segments and investment in its digital capabilities to meet the evolving needs and preferences of Indian consumers.



Anil Kumar Aggarwal, the Managing Director and CEO of Shriram General Insurance, said, We are delighted to welcome KKR as our investor, and look to benefit from their global insurance expertise, as well as significant experience taking Indian companies to the next level. We look forward to collaborating closely to strengthen Shriram General Insurances offerings to Indian consumers and achieve continued success.



Gaurav Trehan, Partner and CEO of KKR India, said, Shriram General Insurance has been one of the standout performers in Indias fast-growing general insurance industry, and continues to build on its record by developing new capabilities, channels, and products to meet the growing needs of Indian consumers. We are truly excited to work with the Shriram Group and SGIs high-quality management team to achieve their vision of serving their customers, and look forward to sharing our experience to take the company to new heights.



KKRs investment in Shriram General Insurance builds on its track record and significant experience in India, including in the financial services sector. Some of KKRs investments in the sector have included Housing Development Finance Corporation, a leading housing finance company, SBI Life Insurance, a joint venture between the State Bank of India and BNP Paribas Cardif, Max Life, one of Indias largest private life insurance players, through Max Financial Services, and Five-Star Business Finance, a leading lender to small businesses.



Since setting up its Mumbai office in 2009, KKR has made more than 20 investments in India with more than a dozen active portfolio companies today.


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This interview has been edited for clarity. A condensed version can be found in the Kaimins print edition on campus and around Missoula, or in the PDF version on our website. Or, you can hear Bodnar in his own words on the Kaimin Cast wherever you get your podcasts.
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At a recent event, Oscar-winning Musician AR Rahman spoke about India's 'north-south' divide. During his speech, he added that unity is what could make India more powerful.

At the event, AR Rahman was being presented the 'The Icon' award for his unparalleled contribution to the Indian music industry and for representing India on the global platform.

Instagram

While accepting the award, Rahman delivered a speech. Recalling an encounter with a Chinese man seven years ago, he said the man praised north Indians and their 'charming movies.'

Agencies

However, he was deeply disappointed as he wondered if the man had watched south Indian movies.

Talking about the same, the music director said he was "deeply disturbed" over the remarks. Rahman went on to add,

Instagram

"South India-north India (divide), I think India is India. For me, it doesn't matter. Somebody does good here, and north Indians benefit, somebody does good there, we benefit, the borders are broken. It is very easy to divide people through art and movies. This is the time to unite, celebrate differences...this is the time to show more unity so that we can be more powerful and we can lead the world."



Later, at the event, when asked about a "Central Minister's" remarks that "Hindi should be the link language," which hinted at Amit Shah, Rahman said, "Tamil is the link language."

Rahman's speech drew mixed reactions on social media:

@arrahman Sir your speech is simple but profound. A woman of color I am and I endorse it. https://t.co/jnUGmksNhy  Kalpana Suren (@kalpana_suren) April 11, 2022

Screengrab



For the uninitiated, the language debate started after Amit Shah said Hindi should be accepted as an alternative to English and not to local languages.

The Quint/Representational image

Presiding over the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee, Amit Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided that the medium of running the government is the official language. This will definitely increase the importance of Hindi.

After Shah's remarks, Rahman had an image posted by Mr. Rahman in the Tamil language.

The image shared by Rahman was an artistic depiction of a white saree-clad woman in the center against a background of red. The image was subtle yet a powerful reference to mother Tamil and opposition to the imposition of Hindi.

Rahman's post led to mixed reactions on social media.

(To get the latest updates from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.)
National award-winning actress Priyamani, who won hearts with her performance in 'The Family Man,' says it's okay to be a plus-size person.

Rooting for the cause of body positivity, she slammed trolls saying that they feel 'they have the authority to say what they want to say' in a new interview.

Instagram

The actor reinstated that social media is 'just a part' of your life and not your whole life.



Instagram

Talking about being a plus-size person, Priyamani spoke to Zoom and said,

"I would not say go for a heavy workout. But being happy is of utmost importance. It is okay even if you are a plus-size person. Focus on what is needed rather than just browsing on your phone and doing nothing. Shell some time out to do what you love and positively take care of your health. Engage in a light workout or do some household chores to get the body moving."

She divulged details of being trolled on social media. She said she blocks all the trolls.

Talking about social media and how she chooses to stay sane, Priyamani added,

Instagram

"Social media is just part of your life and not your life. I like to show only what I want to show to the fans. If they like me for that good, it's okay even if they don't. Trolls feel that they have the authority to say what they want to say. Some people might take it very seriously. Social media is tricky. You don't have to show everything to your fans and followers. Sometimes even I enjoy a few memes they make about me. I share it and have a good laugh, but a few comments are too harsh to digest at certain times. I straight away bock such trolls."



Priyamani, an actress who has done incredible work in the south, has appeared in several films in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.

Priyamani/Instagram

She rose to enviable fame when she played Manoj Bajpayee's onscreen wife in the hit web series The Family Man. The actor was last seen in the Telugu action-drama Narappa. The movie starred Venkatesh Daggubati and Karthik Rathnam in the lead roles.

(To get the latest updates from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.)
(Content TW: The article contains graphic details of a suicide, which could be triggering for some readers.)

An Uttar Pradesh power department employee died by suicide after a senior official asked him to "send his wife for a night" if he wanted a transfer.

Gokul Prasad, a power lineman at the Palia power station of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) in Lakhimpur Kheri, accused a junior engineer (JE) of harassment.

A distressed Gokul poured diesel over himself outside the junior engineer's office in Lakhimpur and set himself on fire. He was transferred to a higher medical facility in Lucknow, where he succumbed to major burn injuries.



Representational Image

Before setting himself on fire, the UP man recorded a video against Junior Engineer.



He mentioned that Junior Engineer and his touts demanded his wife in return for the transfer. He said, "I also complained to the police station, but nothing happened."

Gokul Prasad, 45, was deployed as a lineman in the power department for the past 22 years.

iStock

Gokul's family members have also issued a complaint against the accused and corroborated his claims.



Gokul's wife spoke to reporters and said her husband was under immense tension because of the JE he was working with.

Representational Image/iStock

Gokul had even complained to him at Palia police station, but no action was taken.

The deceased man's wife added that no one came forward to help him. She said, "The junior engineer stood there and watched."

iStock (Representational image)

SSP Sanjeev Suman noted on Monday, "A lineman who immolated himself died during treatment in Lucknow. A video recorded by the lineman has surfaced in which he was leveling allegations against a senior."



Officials in Lakhimpur Kheri said that the JE, identified as Nagendra Umar, and another department employee were suspended, and a departmental probe was launched against them. The police are now investigating the matter.

(With agency inputs)

(For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.)




After growing green leafy vegetables, and other kinds of plants in space, astronauts on the International Space Station are going to grow meat in microgravity.

Representational Image: Aleph Farms

Also Read: Scientists 3D Print World's Most Expensive Lab Beef Without Killing A Cow

This is one of the many scientific experiments carried out by three novice astronauts recently launched to the orbital observatory -- Canadian investor and philanthropist Mark Pathy, US entrepreneur Larry Connor, and ex-Israeli Air Force pilot Eytan Stibbe.



These three were a part of NASAs first-ever space tourism mission where each individual has paid a whopping $55 million for their seat.

The astronauts are going to observe culturing of bovine cells based on tech by Israeli food-tech company Aleph Farms (with Hollywood star Leonardo Di Caprio as one of its key investors).

Scientists are looking to produce steak by just multiplying and differentiating the beef cells as part of a natural process. For this process, bovine cells are grown in bioreactors where they multiply into cellular mass. This turns them into different cell types such as muscle cells fat cells, collagen cells etc.

Unsplash

Also Read: Singapore Becomes 1st Country To Allow Lab-Grown Meat Sale For Human Consumption



Using these cells, the meat is grown to make it feel just like the real thing. If the process is successful in space, it could allow astronauts to develop their own food in space and help them sustain themselves for long-duration exploration missions.



Dr Zvika Tamari, head of space research at Aleph Farms said in a statement to the Daily Mail, The mission is eight days long so that is what we will test. It will be very interesting to see what happens to our process, in terms of cellular growth in microgravity. Various reactions at a cellular level have been observed in many different studies, some multiplying more, some less, and some differentiating more, some less. So it will be very intriguing to see what happens.

Keep visiting Indiatimes.com for the latest science and technology news.
Joining the NFT craze and taking it to newer heights is another teenager who has become a millionaire by selling her digital art as NFTs.



Meet Nyla Hayes, a 13-year-old digital artist who has become a multimillionaire by selling her dinosaur-inspired' portraits of long-necked women as NFTs. She was also named Time magazines first Artist-in-Residence in October 2021, which was created to celebrate artists who are advancing their careers through NFTs.

Her most expensive NFT was sold for 4 ETH, or about $11,737 in August 2021, and in total her art has been reportedly sold for nearly $7 million.

Today.com

Also Read: This Indonesian Students '$3 NFT Selfies' Are Now Worth Millions!



The Dinosaur Inspired Artwork

13-year-old Hayes work depicts women, some famous and some as unknown as it gets.

She had reportedly told NBC I love drawing women from all around the world because I really like different cultures and different backgrounds.

From Lucille Ball to Michelle Obama, the teenager has made 3,000 original portraits and shares many of them on Instagram, where she has more than 20,000 followers at present.

But why the dinosaur inspired NFTs? It's because Nyla Hayes loved brontosaurus dinosaurs as a little girl. She thought they were fascinating and strong and she even gave them the nickname long neckies.

As she continued to cultivate her love of drawing, the 13-year-old is now a multimillionaire, according to Today.com.

She has been selling her work as NFTs on social media and through an NFT website that trades in bitcoin. Last month itself, Nyla Hayes Long Neckie Lady portrait was reportedly sold on Instagram for $6,621.70. The month before that, i.e. in February 2022, she had sold another artwork for nearly $4,000.

Also Read: After Raising Over $70Million For NFT Game Pixelmon, Founder Calls Artwork Reveal A 'Mistake'

Support From Family

13-year-old Hayes has been able to soar to such amazing heights with the support of her mother, Latoya, and an uncle who introduced them to the blockchain.

Teenager Hayes describes her mom as her right hand, adding that Honestly, when I first heard about NFTs I was kind of like, I honestly dont know about this, but Ive been wanting to put my art out for a while, so it was a good platform to do it.

Her mother had reported told Today.com I could see how passionate she was about her art, and I just thought like, if I could support her in any way. Thats exactly what Im going to do.

Also Read: Worlds First NFT Superyacht Sold For $12 Million, To Be Built In Canada Within 36 Months

For the latest and interesting financial news, keep reading Worth. Click here.


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I should know better than to look to the Hacker News crowd for wisdom. Recently someone on HN asked an interesting question: Have you ever switched clouds? Being HN, the responses werent nearly as interesting. In fact, relatively few people responded to the question at all, preferring instead to champion running their applications in private data centers. Others offered advice tuned to small shops not larger enterprises.

Yet despite the noise, there was a little signal in the thread. If you want to get the most of any particular cloud, youre going to need to buy into its services, which, of course, complicates migration. Oh, and if you think you can build a better cloud than the hyperscalers, you might be missing the point.

Show me the credits

Once companies have elected to build on a particular cloud, what prompts them to move? Reading through the HN responses, credits are a prime motivator. Its unclear how much such a honeypot appeals to larger enterprises, but for a certain demographic, migration can be motivated by enough Google Cloud [or Azure or AWS] credits to make a switch worthwhile. Unfortunately, this simplistic kind of cost/benefit analysis overlooks all the hidden costs of running in the cloud, as David Linthicum has detailed.

As GitLab apparently discovered, credits may encourage migration but they dont necessarily pay for it. As described in the HN comment, At GitLab, we went from AWS to Azure, then to Google Cloud. Why move off AWS in the first place? Money was an issue, but not because AWS was inherently more expensive. Rather, it was a problem with the setup: Like most companies, very little attention was paid to the costs, setup, etc. [when starting with AWS]. The result was that we were basically setting money on fire. Along came an offer for free Azure credits that would save us something like a years worth in bills (quite a bit of money at the time).

Sounds great, right? Moving over was rather painful and  we burned through the free credits very fast. The company then decided to move to Google Cloud (for unexplained reasons), and found that migration was, again, a challenging process.

What did the commenter learn from the experience? Looking back, if I were to start a company, Id probably stick with something like Hetzner or another affordable bare metal provider. Cloud services are great if you use their services to the fullest extent possible, but I suspect for 90% of the cases, it just ends up being a huge cost factor without the benefits making it worth it.

To me, this is the exact wrong lesson.

Still not understanding cloud

If you read through the entire thread, youll find a lot of self-confident assertions that do-it-yourself cloud (on Hetzner or other dedicated server hosters) is the way to go. (Here and here and here.) As they say, public cloud is slower and more expensive than your own server by a huge margin. Except that it isnt. This idea that IT pros can easily out-cloud the cloud is wrong and beside the point.

Cloud has never really been about saving money. Its about maximizing flexibility and productivity. As one HN commenter points out, I work on a very small team. We have a few developers who double as ops. None of us are or want to be sysadmins. For our case, Amazons ECS [Elastic Container Service] is a massive time and money saver. How? By removing sysadmin functions the team previously had to fill. Yes, most of the problems we had before could have been solved by a competent sysadmin, but thats precisely the pointhiring a good sysadmin is way more expensive for us than paying a bit extra to Amazon and just telling them please run these containers with this config. 

Hes doing cloud right.

Others suggest that by moving to serverless options, they further reduce the need for sysadmins. Yes, the more you dig into services that are unique to a particular cloud, the less easy it is to migrate , no matter how many credits a provider throws at you. But, arguably, the less desire youd have to migrate if your developers are significantly more productive because theyre not reinventing infrastructure wheels all the time.

One company explicitly tried to avoid lock-in to any particular cloud. We developed our product from the first commit to be deployed on 3 (!) clouds: AWS, Azure, IBM. How so? By sticking to the least common denominator which was FaaS/IaaS ([AWS] Lambda, [Amazon] S3, [Amazon] API [Gateway], Kubernetes). Sounds simple, right? It was certainly not easy. We also ignored tools that couldve helped us greatly [if wed stayed with] a single cloud in order to be multicloud. Was it worth it? Moving between clouds, given shared features, is possible, but is definitely not a couple clicks or couple of Jenkins jobs away. Moving between clouds is a full-time job. Finding how to do that little VM thing you did in AWS, now in Azure, will take time and learning. And moving between AWS IAM and Azure [Active Directory] permission? Time, time, and time.

Multicloud isnt easy to pull off, in other words, and neither is migration. Does that mean neither is ultimately worth it? Not necessarily. As Miles Ward, CTO of SADA (a key Google Cloud partner), describes it, there can be compelling reasons to jump to another cloud. For so many, its just ease of use and efficiency to get things done; for others, its attention and partnership; for a third cohort, its absurd cost advantages; and a fourth, its performance and reliability. As such, when customers see gaps in one or many of those four areas  they move.

Ward is probably right: There can be compelling reasons to migrate. Just be sure to do a full analysis of the total cost of ownership of the move, which needs to go well beyond cloud X is offering me $50,000 in credits. In addition, before you decide to roll your own cloud, its worth factoring in the costs associated with managing all your own infrastructure.
Infrastructure automation software company Puppet has been acquired by Perforce for an undisclosed amount. Perforce is responsible for a suite of popular developer and devops tools, most notably Helix.

Puppet's 500 employees, brand, and software suite will continue to work as a standalone business unit within Perforce for now.

Founded in Portland, Oregon, in 2005, Puppet rose to fame in the early days of infrastructure as code, alongside the likes of Chef, Ansible, and Salt. It has since pivoted into broader infrastructure automation and compliance tools.

This acquisition means that all four of those companies have been acquired in the past eight years, after Red Hat purchased Ansible in 2015, VMware acquired SaltStack in 2020, and Chef was purchased by Progress for $220 million in 2020.

The most popular infrastructure orchestration tools today tend to reside with the cloud vendors themselves, such as AWS CloudFormation, Google Cloud Deployment Manager, or Microsoft Azure Resource Manager, while the open source Hashicorp Terraform is also a highly popular option for automating infrastructure deployment.

"Similar to Puppet, Perforce has an incredible customer base and is a trusted devops leader delivering digital creation and planning, developer productivity tools, and automated testing and quality. The missing link? Puppets sweet spot: infrastructure as code," Puppet CEO Yvonne Wassenaar wrote in a blog post.

The deal is expected to close in May.
PHNOM PENH, April 10 (Xinhua) -- World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Cambodia Li Ailan said on Sunday that Cambodia's successful vaccine rollout has saved lives, stabilized the health system and contributed to the kingdom's economic recovery.

"Cambodia has achieved the impressively high COVID-19 vaccination coverage of the primary doses at the very early stage," she wrote on social media. "The successful vaccine rollout helped save many lives, protect health and contribute to economic recovery."

Li urged people to receive their booster dose if it is their turn.

"A booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine is essential in Cambodia to help protect you and your loved one as it helps increase your immunity, reduce the risk of getting severe diseases, and enjoy your social functions in a safer way," she said. "The Omicron virus is still here with us."

Meanwhile, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen decided to lift a mask mandate for four provinces as a trial after there were no new cases or very few infections in those provinces.

In an audio message released publicly, Hun Sen said the provinces are Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, and Stung Treng in the northeast and Preah Vihear in the northwest.

"For the people in the four provinces, they can decide by themselves whether to wear masks or not, but outside the four provinces, wearing masks is still mandatory," he said.

The Southeast Asian nation has so far administered one dose of COVID-19 vaccines to 14.84 million people, or 92.8 percent of its 16 million population, the health ministry said, adding that of them, 14.09 million, or 88 percent, have been fully vaccinated with two required shots.

Also, some 8 million, or 50 percent, have taken a third dose, and 1.21 million, or 7.5 percent, have got a fourth dose, the ministry said.

Most of the vaccines used in the country's inoculation drive are China's Sinovac and Sinopharm.

With its high vaccination rates, Cambodia has fully resumed its socio-economic activities and reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers without quarantine since November last year. 
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At their March Board Meeting, downtown development district Rio Nuevo announced plans to fund and advance multiple real estate projects. The announcements come as Rio Nuevo reports it is back to pre-pandemic sales tax revenue and is seeing strong requests for new construction downtown.
top story

Projects Include Expanding Native American Health Care and Job Training, Increasing Access to STEM Experiences for Students, Support for Students with Disabilities, and Economic Development for the African American Community
An insurer has been upheld in its denial of coverage in a first ruling on Covid-19 business interruption insurance by a New York appellate court.

The appeals court upheld a New York county courtand said it agreed with various other New York state and with federal courts that loss of use suffered by a restaurant is not the direct physical loss or damage needed to trigger commercial property insurance coverage.

The court agreed with the insurer that the Covid-19 viruss alleged presence on the restaurant property did not constitute physical loss or damage as required under a commercial all-risk general property policy, which included business interruption coverage.

[T]he impaired function or use of its property for its intended purpose is not enough to trigger coverage, the First Department appeals court concluded.

The April 7, 2022 ruling in Consolidated Restaurant Operations, Inc. (CRO) v. Westport Ins. Co. was the first time an appellate court in New York has addressed whether business interruption due to COVID-19 is caused by direct physical damage to property, although the courts have previously addressed the phrase direct physical loss or damage in other contexts involving insurance.

In April 2020, plaintiff CRO claimed it had suffered direct physical loss or damage to its property because the actual or threatened presence of the virus in and on its property (i.e. the ambient air and internal surfaces) eliminated the functionality of the restaurants for their intended purpose. CRO is a franchise firm with restaurants in the U.S. and United Arab Emirates, including III Forks, Cantina Laredo, El Chico, Silver Fox, Black Oak Grill, Luckys Cafe, Cool River and Good Eats.

In July 2020, Westport Insurance denied the claim. The Westport policy insured all risks of direct physical loss or damage to insured property as well as associated time element losses, or business interruption loss. Westport denied the claim on the grounds that the actual or suspected presence of the virus did not constitute physical loss or damage to the property within the meaning of the policy.

CRO argued that the physical droplets and respiratory particles that transmit the virus are so resilient that they cannot be entirely eradicated from property. The absence of a virus exclusion was further evidence that coverage in the COVID-19 context is available under its policy, CRO further argued.

The insurer countered that plaintiffs property had not undergone any physical change, let alone damage, due to the virus. Assuming the virus was present, Westport contended that the plaintiff did not identify any aspect of its property, any item, or even a single knob or table that was physically altered by the presence of Covid-19.

CRO also claimed that the term physical loss or damage to property, as used in its policy, covering all-risk, is ambiguous because the word physical is undefined and maintained that its claim that the virus particles physically impacted its property was entirely plausible.

A county Supreme Court agreed with the insurer and dismissed the complaint on the basis that the plaintiff had not sustained any physical loss or damage within the meaning of its policy and prevailing New York law. Now the appellate court has affirmed.

Where a policy specifically states that coverage is triggered only where there is direct physical loss or damage to the insured property, the policyholders inability to fully use its premises as intended because of COVID-19, without any actual, discernable, quantifiable change constituting physical difference to the property from what it was before exposure to the virus, fails to state a cause of action for a covered loss, the court stated.

The property must be changed, damaged or affected in some tangible way, making it different from what it was before the claimed event occurred. If the proffered facts do not identify any physical (tangible) difference in the property, then the complaint fails to state a cause of action the ruling stressed.

The court added that if it were to accept that an economic loss without any attendant physical, tangible damage to the property is sufficient, it would render the term physical in the policy meaningless. Phrased differently, under the terms of plaintiffs policy, the impaired function or use of its property for its intended purpose, is not enough, the court concluded.

Amicus briefs in the case were filed by The Restaurant Law Center, New York State Restaurant Association, New York City Hospital Alliance, The Chefs Warehouse Inc., United PolicyHolders, New York State Trial Lawyers Association as well as the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

The appellate court noted that the pandemic has engendered a great deal of litigation in New York and throughout the country concerning what a direct physical damage or loss entails, for purposes of commercial property insurance policies.

Federal courts applying substantive New York law have uniformly held that assertions that COVID-19 causes physical damage to property because it is contagious and hard to clean fail to state a basis for coverage where the policy requires direct physical loss or damage to the property.

Likewise, in a case applying New York law, the Second Circuit also rejected the plaintiffs claim that it had suffered a physical event within the meaning of its policy because the facts did not show direct physical loss or physical damage to the plaintiffs property and the policy did] not extend to mere loss of use of a premises.

While these decisions are not binding on this court, their analysis of New York law is persuasive and we adopt their reasoning, the appeal court said.

Other federal courts throughout the country, not applying New York law, but rather standard principles of insurance contract interpretation, have reached the same conclusion, that the terms direct and physical as it relates to damage or loss to property requires a direct physical loss of property, not simply the inability to use it.

Several trial level New York courts have also dismissed complaints with alleged facts similar to those in the CRO complaint.

Topics COVID-19 New York Restaurant
A man prosecutors said was a leader of a conspiracy that involved bribing 911 operators, hospital workers, and police officers to obtain the confidential information of tens of thousands of New York and New Jersey motor vehicle accident victims, has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Jelani Wray of Brooklyn, New York, was also ordered to forfeit $2,200,000 and pay a fine of $250,000, according to Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Williams said Wray previously pled guilty on October 12, 2021, to making payments of bribes and gratuities to an agent of a federally funded organization.

After the U.S. Attorney charged Wray and 26 other defendants in November 2019, officials said 25 of the defendants pleaded guilty and the remaining two had their prosecutions deferred. Wray is the sixteenth defendant sentenced; 10 defendants have been sentenced to serve time in prison. To date, the defendants have also been ordered to pay approximately $5 million in forfeiture from this scheme.

Prosecutors said Wray received millions of dollars in illegal profits from his involvement in the various aspects of this scheme. In addition to corrupting 911 operators, hospital workers and police officers, the scheme deprived injured car accident victims of a choice in medical providers and attorneys and subjected them to unwanted medical treatments. The scheme resulted in the submission of millions of dollars in false medical reimbursement claims, officials said.

According to the allegations in the Indictment and court documents, the scheme took place in New York and New Jersey from about 2013 through 2019. As part of the scheme, Wray personally bribed and arranged for others to pay bribes to obtain confidential information of motor vehicle accident victims. Using this information, Wray and his co-conspirators contacted victims and steered them to clinics and lawyers handpicked by Wray and his associates. These clinics and lawyers then paid Wray and his associates kickbacks for these referrals, which they distributed to co-conspirators as payments and bribes.

According to court documents, Wray concealed his bribery of the 911 operators by providing them with prepaid burner phones, using encrypted messaging applications to communicate with them, and by assigning them code names.

Source: Department of Justice, U.S. Attorneys Office, Southern District of New York

Topics Auto Fraud
Leading investor advisers have recommended shareholders at Generali back the proposal by the Italian insurers outgoing board to hand CEO Philippe Donnet another term at the helm, documents showed on Saturday.

In reports issued by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis ahead of an April 29 general meeting to name a new board at Generali, the two proxy advisers urged shareholders to support the slate of board nominees put forward by the outgoing board.

Rebel Generali Investor Could Mount Legal Challenge if Bid to Remake Board Fails

The boards proposed reappointment of Donnet has been challenged by Italian tycoon Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone, who owns more than 9% of Generali and is its second biggest shareholder behind investment bank Mediobanca.

Mediobanca backs Donnet, while Generalis third-biggest investor, Italian eyewear billionaire Leonardo Del Vecchio, has sided with construction magnate Caltagirone.

The tussle for control of Europes No.3 insurer threatens the stability of a group that is a cornerstone of Italys financial system and a major holder of its public debt.

Glass Lewis said it did not believe Caltagirones alternative plan for Generali made a compelling case to suggest the group had suffered from poor operational performance, missed targets or subpar investor returns.

We believe the Dissidents central strategic thesis ultimately tilts from the attractively ambitious to the disconcertingly optimistic, it said in the report, of which Reuters saw a copy.

In pledging to grow Generalis earnings per share in coming years roughly twice as fast than envisaged by Donnets plan, Caltagirone has put forward a veteran Generali executive, Luciano Cirina, as his own CEO candidate.

The dissident plan is indeed more ambitious than the companys, but it appears unclear if Caltagirones offers a superior path after considering factors like execution skills, feasibility, and risk, ISS said.

In terms of governance, Caltagirone has been 14 years on the board and his accusations appear strangely timed after such a long tenure, it added.

(Reporting by Stephen Jewkes and Gianluca Semeraro; editing by Valentina Za)

Topics Generali Life Assurance (Thailand) Plc.
Societe Generale said on Monday it had agreed to sell its stake in Rosbank and the Russian lenders insurance subsidiaries to Interros Capital, a firm linked to billionaire Vladimir Potanin, lifting the French banks share price.

Russias invasion of Ukraine has triggered financial sanctions from the United States, Europe and Britain, prompting Western companies to sell their Russian assets.

Rosbank will join the business empire of Potanin, who is the biggest shareholder in Norilsk Nickel, the worlds largest producer of palladium and refined nickel.

Potanins holding company had owned Rosbank from 1998, before SocGen bought a stake in 2006 and merged it with its other Russian operations in 2010.

While he has not been sanctioned by the European Union, Potanin has been sanctioned by the government of Canada over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow describes as a special military operation.

SocGen had previously flagged the risk of a write-off on its Rosbank stake.

Shares in Frances third-largest bank rose by as much as 8% on Monday after it said it would end its more than 15-year Rosbank holding, amid mounting pressure to cut ties with Russia.

SocGen did not disclose what Interros Capital was paying for the stake but said the deal would allow it to exit Russia in an an effective and orderly manner and ensure continuity for Rosbanks employees and clients.

Interros said in a statement that the deal should be closed in the next couple of weeks after all necessary approvals from regulatory bodies are received.

SocGen said the deal would result in a write-off of about 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) and an exceptional non-cash item, but have no impact on SocGens capital ratio.

The write-off will be largely offset by the deconsolidation of its 15.4 billion euro exposure to Russia and by an unspecified payment including the repayment of subordinate debt by Interros Capital, SocGen added in a statement.

SocGen first acquired a stake Rosbank in 2006 with an option to buy a majority holding in 2008. The Russian bank was fully merged with SocGens other Russia operations in 2010.

The Rosbank deal will dent SocGens CET 1 capital ratio by about 20 basis points, it said, adding that the ratio would remain comfortably above the companys guidance.

($1 = 0.9192 euros)

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel; editing by David Goodman)

Topics Russia
A Boeing Co. 757 cargo jet operated by DHL broke in two after skidding off the runway at Juan Santamaria International airport in Costa Rica.

The crew reported hydraulic problems with the 22-year-old aircraft after takeoff and made an emergency landing, according to a statement Friday from DHL. The two pilots escaped without serious injury and the company has launched an investigation to determine what happened, the company said.

DHL 757 crashes after making an emergency return landing at San Jose Juan Santamaria Airport in Costa Rica. Injuries currently unknown.

MonumentalCR pic.twitter.com/NxoMIeO6PG

 Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) April 7, 2022

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board will assist in the investigation under an international treaty allowing participation by the country where the plane was manufactured. An NTSB investigator and technical experts from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration will be traveling to Costa Rica, NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said.

Multiple videos posted on social media purported to be of the landing showed an aircraft in DHLs yellow livery touching down and rolling along the runway. It then made an abrupt right turn as what appeared to be smoke trailed its left main landing gear.

The jet spun about 180 degrees and its tail went down an embankment. Photos showed the tail section snapped off from the main fuselage.

A DHL Boeing 757 cargo violently skidded off runway and has boken in two parts https://t.co/ioPTw7Lr7G

 AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) April 7, 2022

Airport fire and rescue crews were on scene within less than a minute, according to one video, and it didnt appear that the planes fuel ignited.

Data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24 show the jet took off from Juan Santamaria Airport and initially headed north before abandoning its original course around 10 minutes into the flight.

The pilots then swung the aircraft back south before entering a holding pattern for around 20 minutes, presumably to dump excess fuel that could ignite in a crash landing.

The aircraft then descended in a north easterly direction before the crash landing at the airport.

We are pleased to report that the crew were physically unharmed in the incident, DHL, owned by Deutsche Post AG, said in a statement. One crew member underwent medical checks as a precaution.

The website Aviation Accidents shows two other incidents involving DHL aircraft during last 10 years. In 2012, an Airbus A300-B4 skidded off the runway after landing due to a fault with its nose gear steering, investigators found.

In 2016, a B737-400 operated by ASL Hungary on behalf of DHL landed short of the runway at Bergamo Orio al Serio airport in Milan and lost its landing gear and both engines after clipping a perimeter fence.

Photograph: A DHL cargo plane is seen after emergency landing at the Juan Santa Maria international airport due to a mechanical problem, in Alajuela, Costa Rica, on April 7, 2022. Photo credit: Ezequiel Becerra/AFP/Getty Images

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Aviation Aerospace
Chile is suing mines operated by BHP, Antofagasta and Albemarle over alleged environmental damage caused by their operations in the northern Salar de Atacama salt flats, a court said late on Thursday.

The State Defense Council (CDE) launched its legal action in the environmental court over the pace of extraction from the Monturaqui-Negrillar-Tilopozo aquifer  an important source of ground water  it said had impacted the fragile ecosystem.

Chile is the worlds top copper producer and a major source of lithium used in electric vehicle batteries.

Increased exploitation caused serious, permanent and irreparable deterioration of the aquifer, of the Tilopozo plains, of the fauna, and of the life systems and customs of the Peine Indigenous Community, the First Environmental Court said, citing the lawsuit.

The extraction of various amounts of water by the sued mining companies would have caused damage that was foreseeable, since they were aware of the maximum limit of descent that the aquifer could have, it added.

Antofagastas Zaldivar copper mine said in a statement on Friday that it had extracted water in accordance with what was allowed in its permits, adding that there was no evidence of environmental damage.

Escondida, the worlds largest copper deposit controlled by BHP, said it is fully convinced that it has acted in accordance with its obligations and that it had technical studies showing there was no deterioration in the Tilopozo area of the aquifer.

Albemarle, one of the main lithium miners in Chile, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Chiles leftist President Gabriel Boric has made environmental protection a key focus of his administration, including rights over water, since taking office in March.

In March, Chiles environmental watchdog SMA fined Escondida for exceeding the maximum level allowed for water extraction since 2005. Also last month, the SMA filed charges against Albemarle for irregularities in its operation at the salar.

The CDE, a state body answerable to Boric, is demanding that the environmental damage be made good and that the mining firms take steps to ensure such events are not repeated.

The use of water in the Atacama has become an important regulatory issue for lithium miners, who use brine to extract the light metal that is a critical component in the manufacture of batteries. Chile is the worlds no. 2 producer of the battery metal.

(Reporting by Fabian Cambero; editing by Adam Jourdan, John Stonestreet and Bill Berkrot)

Photograph: Access road and panoramic view of Atacama Salt Lake (Salar de Atacama) and San Pedro de Atacama village at the Atacama Desert, Chile. Photo credit: Bigstock

Topics Lawsuits Pollution Mining
A judge has ordered the demolition of the deteriorating Packard auto plant in Detroit, finding that it had become a public nuisance.

Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Brian Sullivan wrote in an order that the plants Peruvian owner, Fernando Palazuelo, and his company, Arte Express Detroit, must remove all rubbish and debris from the sprawling site and demolish all buildings and structures on the property, which covers several blocks on Detroits east side.

The March 31 order declared that the more than 30 parcels owned by Palazuelo are a public nuisance which interfere with common rights enjoyed by the general public by significantly threatening the publics health, safety and welfare.

Demolition and abatement work has to start within 42 days of Sullivans order, with clean up completed within 90 days. If the work is not completed, the city is authorized to have it done, with Palazuelo possibly being responsible for the costs which are expected to be in the millions of dollars.

The order comes after Palazuelo failed to appear at a March 24 trial.

Judge Sullivans order brings us a step closer to finally addressing the dangerous and blighted portions of the Packard Plant Mr. Palazuelo has done virtually nothing with since he bought it out of foreclosure in 2013, other than amass more than a million dollars worth of unpaid drainage bills, property taxes and blight tickets, Detroit Acting Corporation Counsel Chuck Raimi said Wednesday.

Raimi said Palazuelo has until April 21 to pull permits for demolition of his portions of the plant.

If he doesnt meet this requirement, the city will consider its options, which include doing the demolition itself and pursuing both his company and him personally for the considerable cost of that work, Raimi said. The city fully intends to rid the community of this massive blighted complex once and for all.

Built in the early 1900s, the Packard plant was designed by Albert Kahn. The company became a dominant luxury carmaker in the United States in the late 1920s, and by the 1940s had 36,000 employees.

The last auto was made there in the mid- to late-1950s and the various buildings eventually were used as warehouses, other manufacturing and small industrial projects.

The city claimed the bulk of the Packard property in 1994 after former owners failed to pay back taxes. Over time, the site became one of the most blighted areas in the city as tires, thousands of shoes, old televisions and other trash was illegally dumped in and around the various buildings.

Palazuelo bought the Packard property in 2013 for $405,000 at a Wayne County tax foreclosure auction. He said then that his plans were to restore and reopen the 40-acre complex as a mixed-use commercial, residential and cultural development.

Palazuelo told The Associated Press in 2014 that the total redevelopment cost should be near $350 million. It would be paid with rent he receives from his projects in Lima, he said.

But he was unable to assemble the necessary financing for the project and in 2016 asked the City Council to approve a 12-year tax freeze.

The AP sent an email Wednesday to a Palazuelo representative seeking comment from the developer. A voicemail and email also were left for an attorney listed on Sullivans order as representing Palazuelo.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation
Following a three-week trial, a Delaware judge began hearing closing arguments Wednesday in the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy case.

Judge Laura Selber Silverstein must decide whether to approve a reorganization plan the BSA negotiated over the past two years. It would compensate tens of thousands of men who say they were sexually abused as children in Scouting, while allowing the Boy Scouts to continue as an ongoing enterprise.

The Boy Scouts, based in Irving, Texas, petitioned for bankruptcy protection in February 2020 in an effort to halt hundreds of individual lawsuits and create a settlement trust for abuse victims.

Although the organization faced 275 lawsuits at the time, more than 82,000 sexual abuse claims have been filed in the bankruptcy case.

The reorganization plan calls for the Boys Scouts, its 250 local councils, and certain insurance companies and troop sponsoring organizations to contribute some $2.6 billion in cash and property into a compensation fund for abuse victims.

In return for those contributions, and the assignment of insurance rights to the compensation fund, those contributing parties would be released from further liability.

The plan faces opposition from several non-settling insurance companies, as well as the U.S. bankruptcy trustee, who acts as a watchdog in Chapter 11 cases to ensure compliance with bankruptcy laws. The insurance companies contend that the procedures for distributing funds to abuse claimants would violate their rights under policies they issued and would allow payment of claims that would not win damages in civil lawsuits.

The trustee, meanwhile, has argued that the proposed liability releases for non-debtor third parties  including the local BSA councils, insurers and troop-sponsoring organizations  violate the due process rights of abuse claimants and are not authorized under the bankruptcy code.

Wednesdays arguments did not address those issues but instead mostly involved supporters defending the plan as having been developed in good faith, and the trust distribution procedures as appropriate. Opponents of the plan will present counterarguments Thursday.

Attorneys for the Boy Scouts began Wednesday by acknowledging why the BSA sought bankruptcy protection and explaining the steps it has taken to improve youth protection measures.

Its a tragic part of the past of Scouting. Our organization is deeply sorry, BSA attorney Michael Andolina said of decades of child sexual abuse.

The Boys Scouts and its supporters maintain that the judge must make several specific findings for the plan to be confirmed. Among them is that the plan was proposed in good faith, and that the procedures for compensating victims provide for a fair and equitable settlement of their claims. They also are asking the judge to find that the proposed starting claim values for various types of abuse _ ranging from penetration to abuse that involves no physical contact _ are based on, and consistent with, the BSAs pre-bankruptcy abuse settlements and litigation results.

But Silverstein pushed back repeatedly on plan supporters, questioning what provisions of the bankruptcy code would apply to the findings they seek. She noted that she is not being asked to approve any specific claim settlement, as is often done in bankruptcies, and suggested that the plan supporters arguments instead involve treatment of claims, which is a different issue with a different approval standard.

Theres no good way to resolve 82,000 claims,  but whats this trust supposed to do  and why do I have to find that its consistent, or fair, or equitable? she asked.

Silverstein also wondered if she could reject the plan if she thought the BSAs pre-bankruptcy history of handling abuse claims wasnt fair or appropriate.

I dont know that any one of the settlements that the debtors entered into prepetition were fair, she said.  I have no facts to make a finding like that.

Under the plan, the Boys Scouts and its roughly 250 local councils would contribute up to $786 million in cash and property and assign certain insurance rights to the victims fund. The BSAs two largest insurers, Century Indemnity Co. and The Hartford, would contribute $800 million and $787 million, respectively, while other insurers have agreed to contribute about $69 million.

The organizations former largest troop sponsor, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church, would contribute $250 million for abuse claims involving the church. Congregations affiliated with the United Methodist Church have agreed to contribute $30 million.

Abuse claimants also would be allowed to sue insurance companies and local troop-sponsoring organizations, such as churches and civic groups, that do not enter into settlements within one year of the reorganization plan taking effect.

As it presently stands, the compensation fund would total more than $2.6 billion, which would be the largest aggregate sexual abuse settlement in U.S. history. The average recovery per claimant, however, would be significantly less than in other settlements of sex abuse scandals involving large numbers of victims.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Confronting the pandemics lasting shadow, President Joe Biden on April 5 ordered a new national research push on long COVID, while also directing federal agencies to support patients dealing with the mysterious and debilitating condition.

Biden assigned the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate an urgent new initiative across federal agencies, building on research already under way at the National Institutes of Health.

He also directed federal agencies to support patients and doctors by providing science-based best practices for treating long COVID, maintaining access to insurance coverage, and protecting the rights of workers coping with the uncertainties of the malaise. Of particular concern are effects on mental health.

Long COVID is the catch-all term for a hydra-headed condition whose symptoms can include brain fog, recurring shortness of breath, pain and fatigue. Rough estimates are that it affects as many as 1 in 3 people who recover from COVID-19, although the severity and duration of symptoms vary. Despite intense investigation, the causes of long COVID are not well understood and treatment largely focuses on helping patients cope with their symptoms as they try to rebalance daily routines.

The White House also acknowledged that long COVID appears to be a disability, meaning that patients could be entitled to the protection of federal laws that prohibit discrimination based on health conditions and call for accommodations to allow people to lead productive lives.

The administration recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in new members of the disability community and has had a tremendous impact on people with disabilities, said a White House overview.

Some independent experts praised the administration for its comprehensive plan but noted the lack of a timeline for results.

This is a very important move on the part of the Biden administration to acknowledge that long COVID is real, that it is a significant threat, and that much more needs to be done, said Dr. Leana Wen, a former Baltimore health commissioner and commentator on the pandemic. The emphasis on treatment for long COVID, and recognizing that this could be a source of ongoing disability, are long overdue.

A prominent advocate for COVID patients sensed a breakthrough.

This is the first effort that truly comports with the needs of people who are suffering, said Diana Berrent, founder of Survivor Corps, a support group that connects patients with government and private researchers.

Advocates have been clamoring for the government to create a command center for long COVID, she added. Up until now, that hasnt existed.

I see this as a global, comprehensive approach to an extremely thorny issue that has previously received a scattershot approach, Berrent said.

Medical research thus far has led to theories about what causes long COVID, but no single root. One theory revolves around lingering infection or virus remnants that may trigger inflammation in the body. Another possibility involves autoimmune system responses that mistakenly attack normal cells. Researchers are also investigating the role of tiny clots.

The White House said Bidens order will expand and build on a $1 billion research study already underway at NIH, called the RECOVER Initiative. One goal is to speed signing up 40,000 people with and without long COVID into the study. Around that effort, Health and Human Services will coordinate a government-wide research plan on long COVID.

HHS will also deliver a report to the nation on long COVID later this year. Millions of Americans may be struggling with lingering health effects, said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. COVID is having effects long after the actual virus has escaped us.

Bidens order puts a major focus on treatment. An HHS unit called the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality will investigate best practices and get useful guidance to doctors, hospitals and patients. The Department of Veterans Affairs, which already has 18 facilities running long COVID programs, will serve as an incubator of ideas and strategies. The administration is seeking $20 million from Congress for centers of excellence to develop templates for care.

Dr. Fernando Carnavali of Mount Sinais Center for Post-COVID Care in New York, said he understands complaints that the government hasnt made enough progress on long COVID.

For our culture today, which needs answers yesterday, its just hard, Carnavali said. In chronic disease, in general its not how it works. We have other examples, from HIV, answers did not come right away.

Finally, the administration said its plan will provide direct support for patients by safeguarding access to insurance coverage and extending the umbrella of civil rights protections to people with long COVID. In keeping with Bidens focus on reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health care, part of the emphasis will be on minority communities that have borne a high toll from COVID-19.

Federal health programs, which can serve as a model for private insurance, will look for ways to make sure that treatments for long COVID are covered and paid for. The administration is working to make long COVID care as accessible as possible, said a White House overview of Bidens plan.

___

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner contributed to this report.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics COVID-19
Eleven people were injured in a major collision the night of April 8 in Austin, Texas, involving pedestrians and two vehicles, one of which hit a food truck, authorities said.

Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services tweeted that two of the victims sustained potential life-threatening injuries. Seven others sustained non-life-threatening injuries requiring medical evaluation. The other two didnt require hospitalization.

The collision occurred in a popular area near downtown Austin where there are frequently several food carts stationed.

Jennifer Dunn, an employee at a nearby restaurant, told The Associated Press that a group of 25 people had just left to get ice cream at a food truck a few feet away when patrons inside the restaurant heard a loud boom.

Dunn said several members of the group then ran back inside injured and asking for help. Dunn said she and others ran to the scene where several people, including the drivers, appeared severely hurt.

We work in the restaurant industry, so we are used to helping, Dunn said. I have been doing this for a long (time), so have the servers and we just wanted to help.

Austin is the Texas state capital and home to the flagship campus of the University of Texas.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Auto Texas
Appeal courts handed a down potentially costly ruling for auto insurers in Florida, along with some further clarity on the maximum medical costs insurance companies can choose to pay after an accident.

First, the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals last week deviated from its own previous decision and found that a settlements consent judgment, not only a court verdict, can be considered an excess judgment that can be used as grounds for a bad-faith claim against the insurance company.

In Erika McNamara vs. GEICO, the court found that its 2019 opinion in Cawthorn vs. Auto-Owners Insurance Co., relied on by the lower federal court and state courts to bar some bad-faith claims, was in error.

We now hold that Cawthorn misinterpreted Florida law and that a consent judgment can qualify for excess judgment status, Judge Kevin Newsome wrote for the panel of judges in the April 5 opinion. Accordingly, we reverse the district courts decision and remand for further proceedings.

The Tampa-area case began in 2017, after McNamara, while driving Willard Warrens vehicle, caused an accident that seriously injured Deborah Bennett. Warren held a GEICO insurance policy that covered up to $100,000 per person. Bennett and GEICO said they made an effort to settle, but could not come to an agreement, the court explained.

Bennett later sued Warren and McNamara, and GEICO provided a defense attorney. Bennett eventually offered to settle with Warren for $470,000 and with McNamara, the driver, for $4.7 million. GEICO had to consent that the settlement would not mean that the insured had breached the terms of the policy by accepting the settlement. GEICO agreed and the court blessed the settlement.

Warren and McNamara then promptly sued GEICO for bad faith, aiming to recover the damages they owed over and above the limits of $100,000 auto policy. They argued that the insurer had breached its fiduciary duty by failing to settle Bennetts case early on, within the policy limits.

The federal district court in Hillsborough County stood on the Cawthorn decision and held that the consent judgment was not a qualifying excess judgment and thus did not prove a bad-faith claim against GEICO.

But after reviewing the appeal argument, the 11th Circuit agreed with the insured.

Under Florida law, it doesnt matter that these judgments resulted from stipulated settlements instead of verdicts, the opinion reads. Because Warren and McNamara were subject to excess judgments, they could prove causation in their bad-faith case.

The judges noted that the Cawthorn opinion was an unpublished opinon, which may be cited as persuasive, but is not to be considered binding precedent. Plus, Cawthorn did not properly analyze Florida law, the court said, citing other opinions that had been published.

If, on Cawthorns reasoning, an excess judgment must always result from a factfinders verdict, what of pre-trial summary judgments entered against policyholders? the 11th Circuit panel asked. Are they, too, deprived of excess-judgment status simply because they dont follow a full-blown trial and result in a verdict? That cant possibly be the law.

To embrace a rule requiring only a verdict as the basis of an excess judgment would incentivize more litigation, the court reasoned.

In a decision by a state appellate court, handed down the next day, Floridas 1st District Court of Appeals found that an Allstate Fire & Casualty personal injury protection auto policy did not create an ambiguity.

In Physicians Medical Centers vs. Allstate, the result of a 2009 automobile accident, the medical center argued that differing sections of the PIP policy said different things, creating confusion and allowing Allstate to pick and choose which reimbursement method to use.

After the accident, the injured motorist assigned benefits to Physicians Medical. Allstate paid only half of the $1,262 bill the doctors sent, basing the amount on the Medicare fee schedule, as outlined by Floridas PIP law at the time. Physicians sued Allstate for breach of contract.

An endorsement in the policy noted that Allstate would pay 80% of reasonable expenses for medically necessary treatment, in keeping with the no-fault auto insurance or PIP law. But later in the policy, a provision reads that the insurer may refuse to pay for medical expenses it deems unreasonable or unnecessary.

The trial court asked the appeals court to decide if the clauses created ambiguity. Some court rulings have found that the unreasonable and unnecessary clause did, in fact, create ambiguity, while others found the opposite.

The DCA sided with Allstate. The insurer correctly concluded that court rulings only require that the carrier notify the provider when it chooses the permissive fee schedule as explained in the PIP statute. Allstates policy language complied with that mandate, the court said.

The decision could help put to rest lingering questions about Floridas no-fault law, and how insurers can determine medical reimbursement. It came four months after Floridas Supreme Court found in a case involving State Farm Insurance that reimbursement methodologies outlined in the statute are not mutually exclusive, and that an insurer may use a hybrid of the two methods.

Topics Claims
Ten families are suing CSX Transportation for up to $450 million over flooding that killed 20 people in Tennessee last year, claiming a clog underneath the railroad giants bridge in rural Waverly allowed a deadly tidal wave to form.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday in circuit court in Humphreys County claims the bottlenecked culvert and the earthen railbed supporting CSXs elevated tracks formed a man-made dam, impeding the normal flow of Trace Creek. When the railbed collapsed, it released a a torrent of millions of gallons of water during the August 2021 floods, the lawsuit says.

In a statement, CSX declined to comment on specifics of the lawsuit, but called the rain in August 2021 an an unprecedented and extraordinary event, while offering their most heartfelt thoughts to the families affected. The company said its track and related infrastructure are maintained and regularly inspected in accordance with CSX policies, which meet or exceed federal regulations.

More than 500 homes and 50 businesses suffered damage, as gushing water swept people away and left others stranded on trees, in attics and on rooftops. The National Weather Service said nearly 21 inches (53 centimeters) of rain fell in 24 hours in nearby McEwen, a 24-hour total precipitation record for the state of Tennessee.

The lawsuit claims CSX knew its culvert regularly plugged up with debris and could turn its tracks into a dangerous dam because the company experienced the problem elsewhere, including in New York state, where floods occurred in July 2021 and state officials threatened to sue in 2019 over a culvert issue.

The lawsuit also names nearby residents James and Sherry Hughey as defendants, alleging they let CSX use their property as a basin for water that would pool behind the tracks and to store debris they removed from the culvert on the creek bank, which the next heavy rain would wash back into the creek, blocking the culvert again.

Inevitably, without the free flow of water through the Culvert, the pressure of millions of gallons of water diverted from the rain-swelled Trace Creek caused a sudden failure of CSXs Railbed Dam, releasing a deadly wall of water into the heart of Waverly, the lawsuit says.

A voicemail left with a number listed for James Hughey was not immediately returned.

The families who sued include some who lost loved ones in the rush of water. The lawsuit claims CSX had ample warning from meteorologists about an impending deluge of rain and even saw part of a railbed in nearby McEwen collapse from stormwater earlier on the day of the floods.

The lawsuit alleges that CSXs only action in response to the washout of its tracks near McEwen was to protect its own economic interests by suspending its train operations around Waverly.

This initial washout near McEwen occurred hours before the Railbed Dam near the Trace Creek Bridge catastrophically failed, which, again, afforded CSX hours to act to remove any debris clogging the Culvert; and, if this task proved too great, more than sufficient time to pick up a phone and warn Waverlys police and emergency responders of the imminent danger facing the community, the lawsuit says.

One of the plaintiffs, Matthew Rigney, said in a news release that he managed to find his two older kids when 7 feet (2.1 meters) of water crashed into his house, but his 7-month-old twins drowned.

Every day since, Ive been wracked with guilt that I couldnt protect them, but I believe that guilt should rest with CSX, Rigney said.

The city of Waverly and its residents are still grappling with the aftermath of the floods.

State officials are moving forward with plans to relocate Waverly Elementary and Waverly Junior High, which suffered damage during floods but luckily, not on a school day.

Humphreys County commissioners have said they wont push to rebuild a low-income public housing complex near the creek after families testified that they dont want to go back.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced a study of the creek in the wake of the floods.

And the U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to study whether improvements through the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program could help curb flooding in Trace Creek in Humphreys County, and specifically in Waverly.

Photo: The aftermath of flooding in Waverly, Tennessee, on Aug. 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Flood Tennessee
Island Holdings Inc. named Robert Bruhl chief investment officer and executive vice president.

Bruhl oversees the companys treasury portfolio and will be responsible for optimizing current investments, refining investment strategies and initiatives, and identifying opportunities for both long- and short-term growth.

Bruhl was most recently president of DR Horton Hawaii, the local subsidiary of the national homebuilder. He spent 18 years at DR Horton, originally starting as director of acquisitions.

The Island Holdings family of companies is comprised of Island Insurance, Atlas Insurance Agency, Pyramid Insurance Centre, Pacxa and Tradewind Capital.

Builders & Tradesmens Insurance Services Inc. in California named Cole Bogue vice president of surety.

Bogue will oversee account management of clients with complex coverage needs, while managing the success of all bond products.

Before joining BTIS, Cole was president for CA Contractors Insurance Services in Sacramento.

BTIS is a managing general agency focused on serving small businesses with insurance services and is part of the Amynta Group.

Topics California
FAIZABAD, Afghanistan, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan security forces killed seven armed men in northern Badakhshan province on Monday, provincial head of Information and Culture Qari Maazudin Ahmadi said.

The security forces after discovering a hideout of the armed opponents in the Maidan area of Kohistan district attacked it Monday morning, killing seven armed men on the spot and injuring two others, the official added without providing more details.

Although the Taliban-run government has denied the presence of any armed opposition group in war-torn Afghanistan, U.S. military officials reportedly claimed that hardliner outfits such as al-Qaida and Daesh or Islamic State exist in the country. 
Adan Deniz, 43, a contractor from Santa Clarita, California, was arraigned today on 21 felony counts of forgery, theft by false pretense, and workers compensation insurance fraud after allegedly creating fraudulent certificates to secure jobs and underreporting payroll by over $425,000 to save thousands on insurance premiums.

The California Department of Insurance began an investigation after a licensed insurance agent reported they had received a copy of a fraudulent certificate of insurance, which reportedly had been issued in the agents name, and contained a forgery of his signature.

The investigation reportedly showed that Deniz created the alleged fraudulent certificate and nine other fraudulent certificates of insurance between May of 2018 and July of 2020.

Each of the certificates reportedly contained false information about insurance coverage, as well as a forged signature from a licensed insurance agent. Deniz submitted the fraudulent certificates to his clients and to government agencies to convince them he had the required insurance coverage, according to investigators.

These fraudulent certificates enabled Deniz to unfairly secure several lucrative plumbing jobs and government permits related to those jobs, which he would have otherwise been unable to secure, according to the CDI.

Investigators also reportedly found that Deniz underreported his companys payroll from July of 2016 through July of 2019. A review found he allegedly underreported payroll by $426,750 in order to avoid paying $52,269 in insurance premiums to the State Compensation Insurance Fund.

The case is being prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office. Deniz is scheduled to return to court on May 25.

Topics California Fraud Workers' Compensation Contractors
EXPRESSES GRATITUDE  On a recent trip to Tawas City, Megan Schreiber, the United States director of Haitian Christian Outreach (HCO), visited Ascension St. Joseph Hospital to express her gratitude for their medical donation to a Haitian community hospital. Pictured with Megan is Scott Spiridigliozzi, CRNA, at Ascension St. Joseph Hospital, who helped coordinate the effort.
Last year, an Examiner reader told me he'd once read an article I'd written about Cuba some years before and, as he and his wife were planning the holiday of a lifetime there, he'd be grateful if I could send him a copy. Sure, I said, but which article? I'd written a few in 2009 and I should warn him that they might be dated. However, Cuba being Cuba, he might well encounter little change. I selected him a piece I'd written about the farthest east, farthest from Habana town on the island and sent it. When he returned from Baracoa in January this year, he said almost nothing had changed.

Columbus, whom I wrote about last week, established the first town there, having sailed from La Gomera in the Canaries. Many Gomeros have migrated to Cuba and many have stayed there. Here in Gomera, the Health Service is largely run by Cuban-trained doctors.

Baracoa was for me

We fell in love with Baracoa. My brother had said in an email, I hope youve found the Cuba you hoped to find. From the moment I set foot on the long curving beach and saw the tall palms and coconut groves in the distance beyond the Boca de Miel (the mouth of the River of Honey) and then saw the clear sparkling waters of the river with blue herons fishing the shallows, I knew Id found it. Baracoa, this town of 80,000 in Oriente province in the far southeast of Cuba  literally at the end of the island of Cuba  was for me.

Oriente is the Cuba one might dream of, laid-back, replete with nature, crystal-clear rivers, dense jungles, a thousand varieties of trees, the Humboldt National Park wherein can be found the tiniest bird in the world (2.5 inches) the smallest frog (big as your thumbnail), manatees, dolphin-like creatures near extinction, and people who are as warm as the weather sunny is the best word. There is little or no hustling and, in any case, everything is cheap. When one refuses the proffered bicycle taxi, the driver simply says Thats okay or, maybe, Otro dia, another day.

It isnt just the town but its proximity to nature and the warm, Caribbean Sea.

There are no beach umbrellas or beach cafes; the beach is as nature made it, a two-kilometre curve of sand with a tideline of coconut husks, sea shells, exotic seed pods and occasional tree trunks, a mosaic of interest with only the odd plastic bottle or old shoe. On the entire stretch there are no more than half a dozen other beach-wanderers. The fringe of mangroves and coconut palms offers shelter from the sun and divides the beach from the river where the blue herons, green herons (beautiful birds with a grey-blue cap and a cowl the colour of red wine) and tricoloured herons that dash in and out of the shallows are wonderful to watch. Big, blue kingfishers dive from the trees.

Most engaging of all is human life along the river. Children play along the banks. Fishermen cast small nets in the shallows. A barefoot boatman poles residents and the occasional foreigner across the short stretch of water to a hamlet of two dozen wooden houses, the homes of fishermen and coconut farmers. He is tall, good-looking and touching seventy. He wears a straw hat with a faded baseball cap underneath. There is mighty fun when the boat fills up with women, all chatter and banter. A luxuriant hillside covered in royal palms forty feet tall is the backdrop. It is the kind of tropical scene one might see in a dream.

Cuba's first town

Cuba was Columbuss second landfall in the New World. He thought he had arrived in China and sent two officers ashore to greet the Chinese king. Instead, they met the local Amerindian people, the Taino, who graciously introduced them to their sacred herb, tobacco. The Spaniards became instantly addicted. Columbus planted a cross and sailed away. Twenty years later, Baracoa became Cubas first town.

One can walk through the town centre in five minutes and then be in streets where chickens roam and cockerels crow. These are not, and never were, slum streets, albeit many homes are in disrepair, among them fine old colonial houses with columns and colonnades. If the Irish are fearless with paint, the Cubans would win the Venice Biennale for colour. The combinations are beautiful in the sunlight and striking at night.

Cubans are, in general, a people blessed with fine physiques and good looks, dressed in clothes that look like they have come straight from the laundry. The streets are impeccably clean.

The Miel, the honey river, isnt the only one entering the sea nearby; weve spent afternoons beside sparkling watercourses in deep jungle, yet only fifteen minutes from a road. No traffic noise; in Cuba, even the main roads are all but trafficless. In our self-contained room and terrace in a private house two minutes from the town centre, we are woken by cockcrow. The bay lies before us and a hillside of palms, breadfruit trees and mangoes behind. Baracoa is a place one could stay for some time. Maybe forever.
A Ukrainian woman who fled the war has said she felt duty-bound to volunteer at a new advice centre for refugees arriving in Northern Ireland.

Galyna Valvenkina left her home in Zhytomyr, a city about 80 miles west of the capital Kyiv, 10 days after the Russian invasion.

Ms Valvenkina and her husband, who is originally from Derry, spent a week travelling across Europe before reaching Dublin.

Now living in Northern Ireland, the teacher is volunteering at the first Ukrainian assistance centre to open in the region.

Ian Snowden and Sharon Sinclair at the centre in Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)

The Belfast City Council-owned facility on Linenhall Street in Belfast, which offers a one-stop-shop service for refugees looking for information on how to access key services, is one of several that will operate across Northern Ireland.

We escaped war, we stayed 10 days there but then it started, these unbearable sirens, constant sirens, we had to rush to the cellar, said Ms Valvenkina.

So, we decided we would go to Northern Ireland because my husbands brother lives here and my husband is from Derry. We used to live here. So thats why were here.

She said she felt compelled to offer to help at the advice centre.

Im here because its my duty to help my people in Ukraine, she said.

Im a teacher, I speak Ukrainian, Russian, English. So, when my sister-in-law told me and asked me if I could go, I said of course, so thats why Im here volunteering to translate and interpret.

Volunteer Ukrainian interpreter Galyna Valvenkina (Liam McBurney/PA)

Ms Valvenkina said her journey out of Ukraine was like something from a Second World War movie.

It was a terrible journey, she said.

We used the evacuation trains, they were packed with women and children, thousands and thousands. It took us one week to get from Zhytomyr to Dublin.

But people were helpful and supportive. We were met by volunteers from the church at the Ukrainian border and they gave us shelter. Then we crossed the border and Polish volunteers were extremely helpful. They gave us shelter and food and everything.

It was all free trains, but they were packed with people. It was like some terrible film about the Second World War, seriously.

Ms Valvenkina said an overriding priority motivated all those fleeing her homeland.

They just want to be safe, she said.

The Red Cross is helping to operate the new advice centres. As well as Belfast, facilities are opening in Ballymena, Newry and Craigavon.

Sharon Sinclair, the Northern Ireland director for the Red Cross, said they were expecting people arriving from Ukraine to be deeply traumatised by what they have experienced.

Ms Sinclair said it was the largest refugee crisis of this century.

We know this is a very traumatised group of people, she said.

We expect high levels of trauma in almost everyone coming in, so its important that they first of all just have a quiet and restful time to settle in while dealing with practical things and then to have their health needs met and other very basic things.

Ian Snowden, head of the Ukrainian support team in Northern Ireland, said around 300 people from Ukraine had already arrived to stay with family members.

He said 660 Ukrainians were awaiting visas to come to Northern Ireland via the other entry option  the UKs visa sponsorship scheme.

I think that as time goes past and more people are applying through that sponsorship scheme, we will expect to see that number would go up quite a lot, he said.

Mr Snowden said around 90 visas had been issued so far but only 10-12 people had arrived through the sponsorship scheme to date.

He said the centres would perform an important role.

The idea of these centres are that theyre a one-stop-shop, where recently arrived Ukrainian persons or their family members or their sponsor that they are living with here in Northern Ireland can come and get advice and help, he said.
Magdalena Persinska wants to come home to Midleton.

I have been searching for sometime to buy a house near Midleton Town as I wish to move back to Midleton from Poland, she wrote in a submission to Cork County Council. I have been finding it extremely difficult to secure a new home for my family as there is nothing available to buy which came as a big shock.

Magdalena has specifications for the type of home she wants. In her submission, she wrote:

I would like to buy a new build A rated house near town and short walk to shops etc.

Magdalenas submission is one of 230 received by the council appealing to rezone a 24-acre parcel of land in Midleton in the forthcoming Cork County Development Plan. Various sources familiar with local government describe this volume of submissions in favour of a rezoning as unprecedented and highly unusual.

The public often engages in the planning system, usually to oppose, when permission is sought for a particular development. It is very rare that such engagement happens over a residential rezoning at the time of formulation of a five-year county development plan. The council has also received 140 submissions opposing the rezoning.

Despite hundreds of submissions in its favour, local Sinn Fein councillor Danielle Twomey says she has yet to 'meet one member of the community that is in favour of this site being zoned residential'. File picture: David Keane

The row over the proposed rezoning at Broomfield on the outskirts of the town goes to the heart of issues around planning and the housing crisis.

The site is earmarked to provide 270 homes, mostly semi-detached houses. Those who are opposed claim that the site is wholly unsuitable and that such a development will have a major negative impact on traffic volumes in particular in the locale, despite the close proximity to a train station.

The developer, Tim Murray of Castle Rock Homes, says there is a campaign afoot to block the rezoning, based on nothing more than Nimbyism, a term used to describe opposition by residents to proposed developments in their local area. Nimby is an acronym for not in my back yard. Mr Murray asks:

Do you not realise what it is like to be without a home? This is the ultimate Nimbyism.

He cites one resident in the adjoining housing estate which Castle Rock built a few years ago.

This woman who made a submission opposed to the rezoning was in there for five or six months and she was saying no more houses should be built, that the traffic was awful, it was a nightmare to get to school and back in the morning.

We videoed the [school] run. It was 11 minutes. A couple of mornings it was up to 15 minutes, yet she said the traffic was terrible.

Mr Murrays company also issued legal correspondence to the local residents association, claiming that the company had been libelled in a Whatsapp group.

The focus of the furore is the field beyond this fence at Blossom Hill near the Broomfield housing estate in Midleton, Co Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan

Im a director of the company which I have a responsibility to protect, he says. That person wrote stuff that was lies and defamatory. I believe she was misled into writing it. She is not a native English speaker.

Those who oppose the rezoning include local resident and Green Party councillor Liam Quaide: Its obvious from talking to councillor colleagues that there has been a strong lobbying push to overturn the greenbelt rezoning of the large Broomfield site, he says.

In my view, this represents developer-led planning which would leave an adverse legacy for the community.

Broomfield was historically meant to have town centre components but this land was later zoned for residential use. What we are now left with is a series of housing estates without green spaces, play areas, cafes, or other social amenities.

In a circular issued by Castle Rock about the proposed rezoning, Mr Quaide was referenced: Green councillor who lives in Broomfield cited biggest concern as traffic congestion. (he has two cars and lives 5 minutes walk from the train station).

The circular also referenced comments made by a Sinn Fein councillor  but the rezoning is opposed by most councillors in the area, including one of the two Fine Gael members.

What sets this rezoning apart is the huge volume of input from the public.

The initial vote last summer was to overturn the green belt zoning. This was reversed in December when a large majority of councillors on Cork County Council voted to revert to greenbelt. Then, in the public consultation phase up until the end of February, the submissions flowed in.

Rezoning the field as residential could have been regarded as a done deal, but local Green Party councillor Liam Quaide said he helped make people aware that the greenbelt status could be lost.

The large volume of submissions favouring the greenbelt was unusual as, ordinarily, the vote in December would have suggested this was a done deal anyway.

However, Liam Quaide says he made people aware of the possibility that the greenbelt status could be lost due to major lobbying by the developer.

I did go around to people and make them aware of what was happening, he says.

Ive been very public about this throughout and there was a template submission on literature I handed out. I think its the duty of a public rep to make people aware. This [lobbying by the developer] was driven by commercial interests as opposed to the interests of the community.

Thats a very different story to local residents whose quality of life will be directly impacted making a decision.

The submissions flow in... If such a volume submitting in favour of retaining greenbelt was unusual, then the volume submitting to rezone the land as residential was unprecedented. The housing crisis, on the face of it, could be responsible for such a high degree of engagement. However, if those desperately seeking a home were moved to make their voices heard, it would usually be when homes are actually being built, rather than at the zoning stage. For instance, there are plans in place for nearly 800 homes to be built in the Midleton area, yet it is this rezoning that has attracted by far the most engagement. The heartfelt submission from a Magdalena Persinska urging Cork County Council to let the housing development in Midleton go ahead. There are some interesting features in the submissions. A number cite a Business Post article published in January under the headline No Increase In Number Of New Build Homes To Purchase In 2022. One of these was made by a James Kelleher whose address, like all others, was redacted. As a person playing exorbitant rent and desperate to get on the property ladder can you begin to imagine how desperate we are? Please note our horror at your decision not to allow the construction of houses in Broomfield Midleton. This submission, that of Ms Persinska, and a number of others all coincidentally quoted the wrong amendment reference number for the site in question. The correct reference is 4.3.3.15 but the number quoted was 4.3.15. Another feature of many of the submissions is that they are addressed to the secretary of the planning department, yet such an office is not mentioned in the literature available to inform the public how to make a submission. Most of the submissions are from prospective first-time buyers, but at least one is from a downsizer. A number of submissions in favour of the land being zoned as residential cited a 'Business Post' article, including this one from a James Kelleher which mistakenly used the reference number '4.3.15'. Two people named Anne Sweeney made submissions, one against rezoning, one in favour of it. In her submission dated February 11, Mrs Anne Sweeney wrote: I have been looking for a while now to downsize from my current home and buy in the Midleton area. I would love an opportunity to buy a newly built 2-bedroom house where I can walk to town, shops and meet friends to socialise.

In conversation with the Irish Examiner, Tim Murray mentioned that some of the homes in the development he would like to build on the site would be suitable for downsizers.

The other unusual feature of the submissions favouring the residential rezoning is that the vast majority were hand delivered to Cork County Council rather than provided online. A spokeswoman for the council said the Planning Acts encourage as many submissions as possible from a wide range of groups and individuals.

It would not be possible to check the validity of each submission received, she said. If a specific issue is raised in writing about a specific submission then it is considered by the council.

Mr Murray says he had nothing to do with the submissions that were made favouring the rezoning he is seeking.

I didnt organise anything, he says. We have 200 people on a waiting list to buy a house in Broomfield. Anybody who rang us, we told them about the campaign to stop this. I made a submission myself.

Local government that isn't quite local The council executive, including the planning department, has recommended the rezoning but ultimately it is in the hands of the elected members of Cork County Council. Passage West-based Independent councillor Marcia Dalton says she is uncomfortable with the anomaly of councillors voting on local issues far distant from their home turf. File picture: Dan Linehan In that respect, the parcel of land in Midleton is the perfect illustration of one shortcoming in the system of local government. All 55 members get to vote on the issue, irrespective of how far removed they are from the East Cork town. For instance, a councillor who might live at the extremity of the western Beara peninsula has the same vote on a zoning located at the eastern tip of the county as would the local representative in that area. In this respect, councillors are, to a large extent, not answerable to the voters. Independent councillor for the Carrigaline area, Marcia Dalton, says that the system always struck her as highly inappropriate. I would find myself voting on areas that I know nothing about, she says. Councillors based 150km away on the Beara peninsula have exactly the same say on the fate of a field in Midleton as the six local representatives  who have voted five to one in favour of the green belt. In a party structure, you would assume that the party would sit down with those in the area in question and inform colleagues, but nothing beats living in an area so we know whats good for a place and what isnt, what to fear and what not to fear. "I dont know Castletownbere as I do Passage West, where I live.

Last December, in voting to return the Broomfield site to greenbelt, the council voted 31 in favour, 17 against with four abstentions.

The East Cork area has seven councillors, Liam Quaide (Green), Danielle Twomey (SF), Susan McCarthy (FG), Michael Hegarty (FG), Mary Linehan-Foley (Ind),Noel Collins (Ind) andAnn-Marie Ahern (FF).

The motion to zone the land as greenbelt was proposed by Sinn Feins Danielle Twomey and seconded by Fine Gaels Susan McCarthy. Of the six who represent the area, only one, Fine Gaels Michael Hegarty, voted against the green belt zoning. He has been on Cork County Council since 1985. Mr Hegarty describes himself as pro-development.

When asked whether in his long experience he had even seen such a volume of submissions from the public on a rezoning, he said that things have changed.

Its a different process [today], totally different, he says. It is quite a substantial number. I suppose people didnt take too much interest prior to this on whats happening in a village or town but I have to say there are people crying out for it.

Michael Hegarty is the sole local councillor who voted to zone the land as residential but suggests there was an orchestrated campaign against it. File picture: Billy MacGill

I would say there was a campaign orchestrated to be anti it, and that drove it as regards the submissions in favour.

He says he has not been contacted by Mr Murray.

I wouldnt know him nor the sky above him, Mr Hegarty says. I was contacted by his agent.

The last entry on the lobbying register for Castle Rock Homes dates from August 2017, but Tim Murray told the Irish Examiner he has been meeting councillors on this issue and will be registering his lobbying next month as per regulations. He says that the opposition to his plans is as a result of a campaign by five or six people who, he claims, are spreading misinformation.

Danielle Twomey, the councillor who proposed the green belt status last December, says that she has yet to meet one member of the community that is in favour of this site being zoned residential.

We should not be piling houses on top of houses in the wrong area and at the detriment of the residents currently living there, she says.

Two submissions came from people named Anne Sweeney, one on either side of the debate. Like James Kelleher and many others, a Mrs Anne Sweeney cited the council's reference number as '4.3.15'.

The crucial vote on the matter is scheduled for April 25. This will be preceded by a private meeting, from which the press and public are excluded, on April 14. Tim Murray says he is hopeful rather than confident that the considerable vote against his rezoning last December will be overturned.

It will be one or two votes each way, he says. The councillors in Midleton will have to account to the people if there are not new houses built in the town for the next couple of years.
Germany may have to discard three million doses of expired Covid-19 vaccine by the end of June.

Health ministry spokesman Hanno Kautz told reporters in Berlin that not many doses have been destroyed so far, though he couldnt give an exact figure.

But Mr Kautz said that we have more vaccine available at the moment than is being used and than we can donate. He added that the UN-backed programme to distribute shots to poorer countries, COVAX, isnt currently accepting donations.

76% German population fully vaccinated

There is certainly a danger of vaccine being discarded, Mr Kautz said. However, he added that it recently emerged that the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine can be stored for longer than previously thought, so German officials now believe that three million doses may have to be discarded or destroyed by the end of June  down from a previous estimate of 10 million.

Germanys vaccination programme has slowed considerably, with an average of only 33,000 shots administered per day over the past week  compared with over 1 million at times when the countrys booster campaign was in full swing in December.

Some 76% of the population has been fully vaccinated and 59% also have received a booster. Officials arent satisfied with the vaccination rate, particularly among older people, but the German parliament last week rejected a proposal to require all people 60 and over to get inoculated.
The Australian Information Industry Association is urging the next government to create a new cabinet level Minister of Government Services and the Digital Economy.

The AIIAs proposed agency will ensure that Australia is a leading digital government by 2025 and then a leading digital economy by 2030.

The AIIA says there is now a need to better align and coordinate the various digital economy initiatives under one Minister and one portfolio.

The current Digital Economy Minister  the minister AIIA suggested  has already been coordinating digital economy initiatives and policy and arguing for important budget initiatives. AIIA says the having a Digital Economy Minister has been a solid step but the next opportunity is that the Minister should have focus and broaden the scope of digital accountabilities within that portfolio.

The new responsibility will entail overseeing tech regulation, which must pursue productivity of the economy. It will see the creation of a Council of Technology Regulators which AIIA has previously called for.

Red tape will plague the digital economy  from cyber to technology regulation  which needs to be addressed and coordinated.

Technology is an essential driver to economic growth that will create employment opportunities, improve services, and enable us to be globally competitive. Now is the time for the government to recognise the opportunities that the technology sector will provide and ensure the right processes and systems are in place to make this a reality. The Federal Government has important and achievable goals to be a leading digital government and digital economy. To do this, the AIIA calls for a Minister for Government Services and Digital Economy, explains AIIA CEO Ron Gauci.

The new proposed AIIA portfolio must incorporate strategic domestic procurement policies to ensure it is aligned with the government's policy and direction.

This must include critical AI and Quantum strategies, tech commercialisation and incentives policies.

The portfolio would sit inside the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Its expanded responsibility includes:

1. Government digitisation services and whole of government architecture that is the role of the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA to remain and keep this responsibility but report to Minister)

2. Digital Identity and data sharing programs that the DTA supports

3. The work of the Digital Economy Taskforce

4. Tech Regulation including cyber regulation for non-critical industries (as defined by CI SoNS)

5. The work of the Modernising Document Execution Taskforce and e-invoicing initiatives

6. The AIIA policy of the Made in the Australia Office that supports using government procurements to assist SME capabilities and create long term strategies to support Australian tech procurements

7. Government SME procurement reform and policies

8. Consumer Data Right policies

9. Coordinating role for digital skills initiatives

10. Critical liaison path between industry and defence around critical technologies initiatives

11. Quantum and AI strategies

12. Minister to have a direct say in whole of government commercialisation and incentives strategy including R&DTI, AI and quantum commercialisation and patent box and look for innovation in program delivery

AI and Quantum Computing offers Australia massive economic growth opportunities. Having a minister solely focused on supporting and delivering national strategies for key digital growth areas such as these is a must. Location for these industries is irrelevant, Australia can lead the world, from our cities and our regions, comments Gauci.

Australias capabilities in the ICT sector must be prioritised by our next government. Streamlining strategic domestic procurement policies and critical technologies is needed to support Australias ICT sector, both large providers and SMEs. It is important Australias domestic capabilities in the sector are supported and recognised, we have seen in the past two years that we cant rely on other countries to supply services and talent to fill our shortages, says Gauci.

The skills shortage in the ICT sector is a significant challenge for the next Government to address. Reforming the Australian Curriculum to prioritise the Digital Economy is a way to address skills in the long term, whilst reskilling, upskilling and immigration will play key roles in the short and medium term to improve the shortage being experienced. A Government Services and Digital Economy Minister will need to work with the Cabinet to drive reform to support this and ensure the digital economy can continue to support all economic sectors to improve productivity and growth, recommends Gauci.

Earlier this month, the AIIA has recently released their Federal Government Pre-Budget and Pre-Election Policy Submission 2022, detailing 24 key recommendations to support Australias tech sector to grow and support the Australian economy, selected recommendations include:

Australias Skills Agenda: including recommending reforming the Australian Curriculum to prioritise the Digital Economy and Industry 5.0 capabilities for primary and secondary school students.

Emerging Critical Technologies: Includes a Quantum Strategy to be executed within 12 months, which notes additional funding and establishes a National AI Commercialisation Hub.

Domestic Capability: Establish a Made in Australia Office within the DPM&C.

Commercialisation Agenda: Undertake urgent work to support commercialisation off the back of government-assisted research. Create a separate R&D software tax incentive and expand the limited scope of the proposed patent box.
As the 2022 Federal election nears, the Australian Computer Society has urged all political parties and candidates to underscore the importance of the tech sector and its contribution to Australias economy and society during the campaign.

The recommendation to highlight how the tech sector is beneficial to the economy follows the release of Australian Computer Societys (ACS) Election Platform last month proposing $1 billion programs to boost diversity in the IT sector, improve technology education, help reskill existing workers, and to encourage businesses to invest in digital technologies and training.

ACS president Dr Nick Tate says building the nations digital skills must be a priority whoever leads the government.

The Redspice cybersecurity package in last weeks Federal budget underscores the critical role the sector plays in keeping Australia secure, Dr Tate says.

Dr Tate adds that the pandemic has shown how technology is essential in keeping the industry and economy moving. The plans to build an advanced manufacturing and space industry will need a digitally literate workforce.

Our annual Digital Pulse survey forecasts an annual shortfall of 60,000 IT workers and that gap is only going to widen as our need for cybersecurity specialists and other technology professionals increases.

Addressing this shortfall is necessary to ensure Australias continuing security and prosperity which is why our Election Platform last month focused on boosting the supply of digitally skilled workers across the nation, including the regions.

We urge all parties and candidates running to consider our Election Platform to ensure the continued strength of our economy and to deliver the jobs of the future to all Australians.

On 11 April, ACS will be holding an election debate in Canberra to discuss the 2022 Election Platform which featured the following nine measures:

1. A program to boost the technology professions diversity and inclusion  Diversity trainee scheme - $500 million for a trainee program aimed at women and groups not well represented in the IT sector. The program would provide employees a subsidy of $20,000 for 5,000 places a year over five years.

2. Encouraging Digital Technology education in schools - A $100 million program to boost the resources and support for school teachers to implement the Australian Curriculum Digital Technologies framework.

3. Boosting the workforce's digital skills - Up to $10,000 per employee tax credit program for businesses providing staff vocational technical training, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

4. Strengthen the National Cybersecurity strategy - To protect Australian cyber infrastructure from foreign and domestic threats, mandate Australian government agencies and suppliers to be compliant with the Essential Eight Maturity Level 2.

5. A crackdown on spam and scams - A $100m program to eliminate online scams and text messages coupled with stronger requirements for telecommunications operators.

6. Boost Australias regional digital economy - A $500m dollar program to support regional councils and local groups to provide hubs aimed at improving the digital literacy of their communities and local businesses.

7. Establish a Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology - Create a Commonwealth Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology within the Department of Parliamentary Services to advise MPs and Senators regarding science and tech matters.

8. Create a Cabinet-level Digital Economy portfolio - ACS calls on the next Federal Government to establish a Cabinet-level Digital Economy portfolio to streamline and co-ordinate legislation and regulation.

9. Establish a commission to evaluate the needs of tomorrow's workforce - ACS proposes an Australia 2040 Commission to evaluate the effects of technological change on the workplace, educational needs and the demands of future society.
A student poses for a photo with a traditional paper work made for the Bengali New Year in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 10, 2022. The Bangla New Year is usually celebrated amid festivities every year on April 14. (Xinhua)

Students pose for a photo with traditional paper works made for the Bengali New Year in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 10, 2022. The Bangla New Year is usually celebrated amid festivities every year on April 14. (Xinhua)

A student paints traditional paper works for the Bengali New Year in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 10, 2022. The Bangla New Year is usually celebrated amid festivities every year on April 14. (Xinhua)

Students paint murals on the walls of Dhaka University's Fine Arts Institute for the Bengali New Year in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 10, 2022. The Bangla New Year is usually celebrated amid festivities every year on April 14. (Xinhua)

A student paints a traditional paper work for the Bengali New Year in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 10, 2022. The Bangla New Year is usually celebrated amid festivities every year on April 14. (Xinhua)

A student poses for a photo with traditional paper works made for the Bengali New Year in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 10, 2022. The Bangla New Year is usually celebrated amid festivities every year on April 14. (Xinhua)

Students make traditional paper works for the Bengali New Year in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 10, 2022. The Bangla New Year is usually celebrated amid festivities every year on April 14. (Xinhua)

A student poses for a photo with traditional paper works made for the Bengali New Year in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 10, 2022. The Bangla New Year is usually celebrated amid festivities every year on April 14. (Xinhua)
TAFE Gippslands new IT teacher Ms Sarah Duck will be taking the training courses in 2022

Tafe Gippsland partners with Aussie Broadband to promote the return of information technology training.

An accredited vocational training course  Certificate III in Information Technology  will be a nine-month course set to begin this April at Tafe Gippslands Yallourn campus.

Tafe Gippsland director educational delivery Linda Austin welcomed the training course and the partnership with Aussie Broadband to support students enrolling in the vocational training course.

This is a Free Tafe course offered face-to-face with one day online, and it focuses on customer service, web development, programming and editing computer software, with graduates very likely to be highly valued and sought after by employers.

Austin says the institute was very fortunate to have a partner to support this vocational training stream.

Aussie Broadband learning and development manager Claire Morrisey says they were excited to partner with Tafe Gippsland.

As a Morwell-founded and based tech company, Aussie Broadband has been campaigning to bring certificate-level IT courses back to the Gippsland region for several years, Morrissey says.

We're also excited to continue partnering with Tafe Gippsland as they expand their IT offerings, and help IT students see what they can be.

Morrisey says graduates of the courses will be able to help different industries.

We're thrilled that Tafe Gippsland is starting this journey with their Cert III in IT and, in our increasingly digital world, IT literacy has never been more important across Gippsland and right across the national and international digital learning environment.

The first course begins with Term 2 on Wednesday 27 April 2022. Enrolments are still open and you can secure your place by calling Tafe Gippsland on 1300 475 146 or going to thewebsite.
Professional services firm KPMG Australia has named Martijn Verbree as its new national cyber lead, and appointed three new cyber partners to the firm  Stuart Mort, Natasha Passley and Gergana Winzer.

KPMG says Martijn Verbree will be responsible for the firms fast-growing cyber team which provides specialist services to clients across a wide variety of industries. He replaces Gordon Archibald, who is taking on the new role of cyber futures and technology lead and will drive cyber strategy development, innovation and thought leadership.

Archibald will also be responsible for directing investment to next-generation technology solutions and services focusing on accelerating the development of services across digital, platform, data analytics and AI.

Martijn Verbree returned to KPMG Australia from KPMG UK in January this year, where he led the cyber security team in the corporates consulting group, focusing on delivering cyber and risk transformations for some of the firms largest clients.



He has more than two decades of experience as a technology and cyber security leader. Previously, he worked for KPMG Australia, leading a specialist group of cyber security professionals, and was european director for Australian startup Localz between 2014 and 2016.



Martijn Verbree commented: Im thrilled to step into this important role in one of the priority investment areas of the firm, at a time when Cyber continues to top challenges list at board rooms across the country. Over 100 new cyber team members have joined this fast growing team in the last six months. As well as bringing together the diverse ranges of competencies across the firm, my goal will be to evolve our whole-of-firm approach to cyber, drawing upon the large range of expertise within KPMG.

We are delighted to be adding some exemplary leaders to our cyber team, which now numbers 14 partners and hundreds of specialists  and we expect to continue to grow our team through 2022.

The new Cyber partners are:

Stuart Mort

Stuart Mort has 25 years of international technology experience and was previously chief technology officer  cyber and ICT solutions for Optus Enterprise. He joins from Law In Order, where he was chief security officer and global head of consulting. Previously, he spent 13 years at Oracle in Singapore and Sydney, where he was vice president (global CISO) - global information security, heading cyber security for APAC, EMEA and the Americas, and acting as the global lead for investigations and the forensics team. He is a contributing author to CRC Press The Computer Science and Engineering Handbook, the co-author of the London Stock Exchanges Risk Management Guide and has sat on the editorial board of The International Journal of Computer Forensics.

Natasha Passley

Natasha Passley has 20 years experience across the financial services industry in Australia and the UK, and joins KPMG from IAG, where she was executive manager  cyber strategy, architecture and consulting, a senior member of the security leadership team. She has also held technology leadership roles at Deutsche Bank, the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the Royal Bank of Scotland. Natasha was highly commended in The Most Outstanding Woman in Cyber Security Australia category at the AWSN & CSO industry awards in 2020, won the Cyber Leadership Institute Best Cyber Strategy award in 2020, and is a mentor for security through ISACA. She joined the firm in March 2022.

Gergana Winzer

Gergana Winzer joins KPMG from Unisys, where she was industry director cyber security  Asia Pacific. A passionate advocate and thought leader for cybersecurity, Gergana is a past-president of the ICT Sydney chapter of AIBC and ISACA and is a board member at AISA. She has been nominated for the 2021 Australian Women in Security Awards and Most Outstanding Woman in Security in 2020 and won the Cyber Leadership Institute Community award in 2020. She joined the firm in February 2022.
A report accusing China of conducting attacks on India's power grid has been attributed to a cyber-security firm named Insikt Group, by the British website, The Register.

But no such firm exists; Insikt Group is a part of the threat intelligence firm Recorded Future which has been funded in part by the CIA's investment arm, In-Q-Tel. The report in question is here.

I pointed this out in the comments section for the article  after first identifying myself as a technology journalist and elaborating on why I was making the comment  and left my comment there.

A while later, I found that the comment had been deleted. That was two days ago and it looks like The Register wants to hide the fact that it was pushing a report from a CIA-sponsored unit.

Or perhaps it did not want to have mud on the face of its reporter, Laura Dobberstein.

The Register report in question.

I rarely comment on the articles put up by other technology journalists, and when I do, I always identify myself. I did this once with the American website, Ars Technica, but the editors there demonstrated a more civilised approach than The Register.

This is the second time that Recorded Future is making this claim; the first time was in 2021. However, at that time the claim was extremely tenuous; as I: "Recorded Future takes more than one step backward, citing characteristics of other China-related groups (related? linked?) before saying: 'Despite some overlaps with previous groups, Insikt Group [the fancy name for its research wing] does not currently believe there is enough evidence to firmly attribute the activity in this particular campaign to an existing public group and therefore continues to track it as a closely related but distinct activity group, RedEcho'."

The "research" that Recorded Future publishes seems a little too cute at times. Just before the summit of the Koreas in 2018, the company published a blog post about North Korean activities in cyber space.

Another report, issued just before former US president Donald Trump was due to pronounce on the Iran nuclear deal  he cancelled it  claimed that Iran would retaliate by stepping up its online attacks. Nothing of the sort happened.

Both the North Korean attack report and the Iran one were sent to iTWire prior to publication; we ran the former, but then I thought the second one looked just too much of a coincidence. So I held off.

The Register has long thrived on a reputation for being upfront in its reporting. But after this incident, and this one too, one is inclined to take that claim with a pinch of salt. Or maybe a whole kilo.
Today

Partly cloudy early. Mostly sunny skies with gusty winds developing later in the day. High 101F. SW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.

Tonight

Mainly clear skies. Gusty winds early. Low 68F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.

Tomorrow

Sunny skies with gusty winds developing later in the day. High near 90F. Winds WSW at 25 to 35 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
No one ever knows wholl make history at the Kentucky Derby, but citing data from the Kentucky Derby and other sources, Stacker features 10 jockeys with the most Derby wins. Click for more.
WASHINGTON, April 11 (Xinhua) -- As the United Nations (UN) General Assembly voted to expel Russia from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), why hasn't the United States been kicked out of the UNHRC for war crimes that aren't at all allegations, but are well-documented facts? a recent op-ed published by Eurasia Review asked.

The U.S. invasion of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya are illegal, as these countries posed no immediate threat to the United States. However, the U.S. operations were never sanctioned by any UN Security Council Vote, said the article published on Saturday, which was written by Dave Lindorff, a Philadelphia-based journalist and columnist.

"The United States is directly responsible for 363,000 civilian deaths -- many of them children -- in the years since September 2001, most of them in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in numerous other illegal bombings of other countries targeted in what the U.S. government has called the War on Terror," the author said. 
Johnson City, TN (37604)

Today

Cloudy with periods of light rain. High 58F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Showers in the evening, then cloudy overnight. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning is extended for the following rivers in Missouri...Kansas... Elk River near Tiff City affecting McDonald County. Spring River near Waco affecting Jasper County. Spring River at Carthage affecting Jasper County. Spring River above Baxter Springs affecting Cherokee County. ...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Missouri... Shoal Creek near Joplin affecting Newton and Jasper Counties. For the Spring River Basin...including Baxter Springs, Waco, Carthage...Moderate flooding is forecast. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Many flood deaths occur in vehicles. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov. The next statement will be issued Saturday evening at 845 PM CDT. && ...FLOOD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL EARLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Moderate flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Spring River at Carthage. * WHEN...Until early Sunday afternoon. * IMPACTS...At 14.0 feet, moderate flooding occurs at the gage site. The levee system closes due to flood waters affecting the north central industrial section of Carthage. Flood waters affect low lying areas and country roads north and west of Carthage along the river. Kellogg Lake Park floods and is closed. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 7:45 PM CDT Friday the stage was 14.2 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to fall below flood stage early tomorrow afternoon and continue falling to 5.0 feet Wednesday evening. - Flood stage is 10.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
ZAGREB, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Croatia announced on Monday to expel 18 Russian diplomats and six members of administrative and technical staff because of the Russian military operation in Ukraine.

The Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs has informed the Russian ambassador to Croatia about the reduction in the number of diplomatic, administrative and technical staff of the Russian embassy in Zagreb.

"It was requested that 18 diplomats and six members of the administrative and technical staff of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Croatia leave the Republic of Croatia," the ministry said in a statement.

Croatia has thus joined Poland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and other European countries to expel Russian diplomats, the statement said, calling for "an urgent cessation of military activities and the withdrawal of Russian troops from the entire territory of Ukraine, as well as the urgent provision of evacuation routes for the population and the delivery of humanitarian aid." 
Saint Joseph School seventh grader Grace Lu, far right, won the logo design contest for Marys Refuge, a maternity home expected to open in September in Martinsburg. Presenting her award on April 1 at the school are Kim Roche, left, executive director of Marys Refuge, and Jean Ridley, a donor who helped judge the entries from Saint Joseph Schools middle schoolers.




SINT-NIKLAAS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Robots join waiters at a restaurant in Belgium's Sint-Niklaas.

KettyBot and BellaBot have now become the darlings of the restaurant with their cute cat-like features and diversified functions.

The robots are designed and manufactured in China.

By using robots, the restaurant cuts costs and saves labor.

The robots could also cheer customers by cracking jokes and interacting with people.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Opinion Columnist

Chris Powell has worked for the Journal Inquirer since 1967, first as a reporter, then as an editor, and now as a columnist. He was managing editor from 1974 until retiring from that position in 2018.
04/08/2022

Four JSU students recently participated in the Southeast Regional Model Arab League Conference at Converse University in Spartanburg, SC, where they represented the country of Jordan and served on Social, Political and the Heads of State councils.

Delegates included political science major Benjamin Marazzi, who was recognized as the Outstanding Delegate for Heads of State, as well as political science senior Hillary Fuller, junior public relations major Ellejae Reynolds and senior secondary education major Harrison Parker.

The Southeast Regional Model Arab League simulation is held each March in Spartanburg, SC, though this marked the first year the event has been held in person since 2019 due to the pandemic. Delegates role play one of 22 nations that are members of the official Arab League founded in Cairo, Egypt in 1945.

JSU has participated in the event, under the supervision of Dr. Lori J. Owens, since 1999  making the university one of the longest participating members in the Southeast Regional Model Arab League. Scores of JSU students have engaged in this hands-on learning exercise and went on to successfully earn their law degree or secure a position in business, education or the non-profit sector.

According to Dr. Owens, model simulations such as Model Arab League or Model UN provide an opportunity for students to learn more about a particular region or country and develop diplomatic and negotiation skills they can utilize in various facets of their lives.

JSU is currently recruiting for a Model UN Team for Fall 2022 to compete in Atlanta in November 17-19. JSU first participated in Model UN in 2015. A virtual Model UN information session will be held on Thursday, April 14, at 4:30 p.m. and an in-person session on Thursday, April 21, at 4:30 p.m. in Martin Hall, Room 234. Contact Dr. Owens at ljowens@jsu.edu to register.
French police officers and forensic doctors arrived in Ukraine Monday to help investigate alleged Russian war crimes after hundreds of civilian bodies were discovered in towns around Kyiv, Paris said.

The French interior and justice ministries said they had sent the team to prevent the impunity of acts constituting war crimes following the killings that shocked the world.

Russia immediately accused the team of bias and trying to tarnish Moscows reputation.

The French ministries said the detectives would provide concrete support to Ukrainian and international jurisdictions to probe the killings.

In agreement with the Ukrainian authorities, it may also contribute to the International Criminal Court investigation.

The experts will help in identification and collection of evidence, they said.

Frances ambassador to Ukraine posted a photograph on Twitter of the uniformed officers standing by a mobile laboratory van in the western city of Lviv.

Proud to welcome to Lviv the detachment of technical and scientific gendarmes who came to assist their comrades in investigations of war crimes committed near Kyiv, Etienne de Poncins said.

France is the first to provide such help. They will start work tomorrow.

Ukraine says it found 1,222 bodies in areas in the Kyiv region from where the Russian army recently retreated.

It has vowed to find and identify those behind civilian killings and has called for international help in doing so.

 Forensic doctors and DNA lab 

The ministries said the team is made up of two forensic doctors and about 15 gendarmes from the National Gendarmerie Criminal Research Institute (IRCGN), experts in crime scene and victim identification.

The officers are skilled in DNA sampling and processing fingerprints and will set up a chain of examination and identification of bodies.

They are equipped with a DNA lab that will allow them to do rapid genetic analysis.

Paris also aims to coordinate contributions of EU member states and agencies to investigate possible war crimes in Ukraine, the ministries said.

Russias defence ministry said it could not count on an impartial investigation because the French experts were biased.

The aim of the mission was to cover up numerous war crimes committed by the Ukrainians and fabricate accusations against the Russian forces, it added.

Ukraines prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said Sunday that Kyiv was probing 5,600 alleged war crimes involving 500 suspects from Russias government and military.

Images of the dead civilians in towns such as Bucha and Irpin near Kyiv have shocked the world.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he has created a special mechanism to investigate Russian crimes in Ukraine, which includes national and international experts.

Frances President Emmanuel Macron has said there are clear indications of Russian war crimes near Kyiv.

Moscow denies this, with President Vladimir Putin accusing Ukraine of staging the civilian deaths.
Croatia will expel 24 Russian diplomats and embassy staff over the war in Ukraine, its foreign ministry said on Monday, following a wave of similar moves across Europe.

The foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to Croatia to voice the strongest condemnation of the brutal aggression against Ukraine and numerous crimes and to demand that 18 Russian diplomats and six administrative staff leave Croatia.

Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman last month accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of war crimes in Ukraine and voiced hope that his autocratic regime will not last long.

The Russian embassy in Zagreb slammed his remarks as absolutely unacceptable.

Croatia is a member of both NATO and the European Union. As an EU country, it imposed sanctions against Moscow after Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24.

EU nations have expelled dozens of Russian diplomats for alleged spying or national security reasons, amid outrage over allegations of killings of Ukrainian civilians by Russian troops.

Moscow denies the allegations. The Kremlin has slammed the expulsions as a short-sighted move and warned of retaliatory steps.
KIEV, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted Sunday that he had a phone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss defense and financial support for Ukraine.

In their talks, the pair also touched upon the sanctions against Russia over its conflict with Ukraine.

Moscow and Kiev have conducted several rounds of peace talks to seek a political settlement to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, which has intensified over the past month. 
US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a virtual summit Monday, clouded by US frustration over New Delhis neutral stance on Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The South Asian nation has tried to walk a tightrope between maintaining relations with the West and avoiding alienating Russia, and has not imposed sanctions over the conflict.

New Delhi has raised concerns in Washington in particular by continuing to buy Russian oil and gas, despite pressure from Biden for world leaders to take a hard line against Moscow.

President Biden will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russias brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilizing impact on global food supply and commodity markets, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Sunday.

The call will take place at 11:00am (1500 GMT), the White House said.

The state-run Indian Oil Corp. has bought at least three million barrels of crude from Russia since the start of the invasion on February 24, in defiance of an embargo by Western nations.

Biden and Modi failed to reach a joint condemnation of the Russian invasion when they last spoke in early March at a meeting of the so-called Quad alliance of the United States, India, Australia and Japan.

And India abstained when the UN General Assembly voted last week to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in war crimes.

 Shaky response 

The United States has already warned that any country that actively helps Russia to circumvent international sanctions will suffer consequences.

Yet this has not deterred India from working with Russia on a rupee-ruble payment mechanism to enable existing trade obligations in the wake of sanctions imposed on the Kremlin.

Biden said on March 21 that India was an exception among Washingtons allies with its shaky response to the Russian offensive.

In the Cold War, officially non-aligned India leaned towards the Soviet Union  in part due to US support for arch-rival Pakistan  buying its first Russian MiG-21 fighter jets in 1962.

According to experts, Russia remains Indias biggest supplier of major arms and India is also Russias largest customer.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who met with Modi in New Delhi in early April, lauded India for its approach to the conflict, and in particular for judging the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.

Biden and Modi are also expected to talk about ending the Covid-19 pandemic, countering climate change, and bolstering security and democracy in the Asia-Pacific region, where India is seen as a critical counterweight to growing Chinese power.

The last confrontation between the Chinese and Indian militaries on the Line of Control, on the border of Tibet and the Indian region of Ladakh, flared up as recently as June 2020.

And on Thursday, India claimed to have thwarted a cyberattack launched by Chinese hackers against its power grid.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will also hold a U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial meeting Monday with Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh.
Ukraine braced Monday for what could be the imminent fall of Mariupol to Russia as President Volodymyr Zelensky said he believed tens of thousands of people had died in Moscows assault on the strategic port.

With the war grinding toward its seventh week, Ukrainian forces said they were also bolstering their positions in the east ahead of an anticipated massive Russian onslaught.

Austrias chancellor meanwhile became the first European leader to visit Moscow since the Russian invasion, saying he raised alleged war crimes in devastated areas around Kyiv that had been under Russian occupation.

Ukrainian authorities say over 1,200 bodies have been found in the area so far and that they are weighing cases against 500 suspects, including President Vladimir Putin and other top Russian officials.

Seven bodies were found Monday under the rubble of two multi-storey buildings in Borodianka, Kyiv region, the state emergency service said in Telegram, bringing the total to 19.

French investigators arrived in Ukraine to help probe suspected Russian atrocities in the area, as the European Union earmarked 2.5 million euros ($2.7 million) to the International Criminal Court for future Ukraine cases.

Russia is believed to be trying to connect occupied Crimea and Moscow-backed separatist territories Donetsk and Lugansk in Donbas and has laid siege to Mariupol, once a city of more than 400,000 people.

Today will probably be the last battle, as the ammunition is running out, the 36th marine brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces said on Facebook.

Its death for some of us, and captivity for the rest, it added, saying it had been pushed back and surrounded by the Russian army.

A pro-Russia rebel leader, Denis Pushilin, said separatist forces had already taken control of the citys port, in comments reported by the RIA Novosti news agency.

Speaking to South Koreas National Assembly by video link in an appeal for military assistance, Zelensky said Russia had completely destroyed the city and burned it to ashes.

At least tens of thousands of Mariupol citizens must have been killed, he said.

Russian forces are also turning their focus to the Donbas region in the east, where Zelensky said Russian troops were preparing even larger operations.

They can use even more missiles against us But we are preparing for their actions. We will answer, Zelensky said.

Lugansk governor Sergiy Gaiday warned that the region could suffer as badly as Mariupol.

 War on civilians 

Over the weekend, further strikes hampered evacuations in and around Kharkiv in the northeast, killing 11 people including a seven-year-old child, regional governor Oleg Synegubov said.

The Russian army continues to wage war on civilians due to a lack of victories at the front, he said on Telegram.

In Dnipro, an industrial city of around one million inhabitants, Russian missiles rained down on the local airport, nearly obliterating the facility, local authorities said.

Gaiday said a missile strike on a railway station in the city of Kramatorsk on Friday, which killed 57 people, had left many afraid to flee.

He again urged people to leave the region, with five humanitarian corridors agreed for Monday.

You are alive because a Russian shell has not yet hit your house or basement  evacuate, buses are waiting, our military routes are as secure as possible, he wrote on Telegram.

Russia has denied carrying out the strike.

Over the weekend, nearly 50 wounded and elderly patients were transported from the east in a hospital train by medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the first such evacuation since the Kramatorsk attack.

Electrician Evhen Perepelytsia was rescued after he lost his leg in shelling in his hometown of Hirske.

We hope that the worst is over  that after what Ive been through, it will be better, said the 30-year-old after arriving in the western city of Lviv.

 EU talks sanctions 

On the diplomatic front, EU foreign ministers were meeting Monday to discuss a sixth round of sanctions, with concerns that divisions over a ban on Russian gas and oil imports could blunt their impact.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said his meeting with Putin was not a visit of friendship, adding that he mentioned the serious war crimes in Bucha and other locations.

US President Joe Biden meanwhile will hold virtual talks on Monday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, just weeks after saying New Delhi had been shaky in its response to the invasion.

A US spokeswoman said the two leaders would consult on ways to offset the destabilising impact (of the war) on global food supply and commodity markets.

Russia was responsible for an escalating global food crisis because of its bombing of wheat stocks and preventing ships from carrying grain abroad, the EUs top diplomat Josep Borrell said Monday.

The World Bank warned Sunday that Ukraines economy would collapse by 45 percent this year  far worse than it predicted even a month ago  while Russia would see an 11-percent decline in GDP.

The World Trade Organization meanwhile cautioned that the war could almost halve global trade growth this year.

 Prevent one massacre 

Despite Kyivs allegations of Russian atrocities, Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Sunday told NBCs Meet the Press he was still open to negotiating with Moscow.

If sitting down with the Russians will help me to prevent at least one massacre like in Bucha, or at least another attack like in Kramatorsk, I have to take that opportunity, he said.

Bucha  where authorities say hundreds were killed, some with their hands bound  has become a byword for the brutality allegedly inflicted under Russian occupation.

More than 4.5 million Ukrainian refugees have now fled their country, the United Nations refugee agency said  90 percent of them women and children.

At least 183 children have died and 342 were injured in Ukraine in 46 days of the Russian invasion, the prosecutor generals office said on Telegram.

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Meta
Lithuanias prime minister on Monday toured the war-shattered Ukrainian town of Borodianka near Kyiv as rescue crews found more bodies under the rubble after Russias occupation.

No words could possibly describe what I saw and felt there, witnessing only a tiny part of all the evidence of war crimes, the crimes against humanity that Russia committed in Ukraine, premier Ingrida Simonyte said in a statement.

The images of the ruined Ukrainian towns and cities, and the testimonies of the survivors, reveal the real face of Russia.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal posted pictures of him showing Simonyte the ruins of bombed-out apartment buildings in the small town some 50 kilometres (30 miles) northwest of the Ukrainian capital.

Borodianka is one of the painful wounds on the body of Ukraine, he wrote on Telegram.

The legacy of the occupation by the Russian barbarians is terrifying.

The Lithuanian statement said Simonyte discussed the possibility of sending a forensic and war crime investigation team to Ukraine.

We will bring to justice all those responsible for these atrocities, Shmygal wrote.

Borodianka, which had a population of around 13,000 prior to the war, was occupied by Russian forces for several weeks before their retreat late last month.

Ukraines emergency service said rescue workers trawling through the rubble of two apartment blocks uncovered another seven bodies on Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned last week that the destruction in Borodianka was much more horrific than the situation in the nearby town of Bucha.

Violence in the town of Bucha, where authorities say hundreds were killed  including some found with their hands bound  has become a byword for allegations of brutality inflicted under Russian occupation.

Simonyte is the latest in a stream of foreign leaders to visit Kyiv since Russian forces were pushed back as the West looks to show its support for Ukraine in the face of Moscows onslaught.

Lithuania, along with its ex-Soviet neighbours Estonia and Latvia in the Baltics, has been leading calls inside the European Union for the bloc to impose tougher measures against Russia.

As always, you can count on Lithuanias strong voice in support of further strengthening of the EU sanctions on Russia, Simonyte said.

All Russian banks must be disconnected from SWIFT, imports of Russian energy must stop, and any business ties with Russia must eventually cease.
Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, a key figure in the countrys 2011 revolution, has obtained British citizenship from inside prison, his family said Monday.

The family has appealed to British authorities to seek consular access to visit him in jail.

Abdel Fattah, along with his sisters Mona and Sanaa, gained UK citizenship through their mother, maths professor Laila Soueif, who was born in London in 1965.

As a British citizen, Abdel Fattah also requests he be allowed to communicate with the familys lawyers in the UK so that they can take all possible legal measures regarding not only the violations he has been subjected to, but all the crimes against humanity he has witnessed during his imprisonment, according to a statement released by Abdel Fattahs sisters.

The news comes 10 days into a hunger strike which Abdel Fattah began on April 2, the first day of Ramadan, in protest at his prison conditions, according to his sister Mona Seif.

For two and a half years, he has been kept in a cell without sunlight, with no books, no exercise. His visitations have been cut to one family member, for 20 minutes a month, through glass, with not a moment of privacy or contact, the statement said.

Egypt has released several political prisoners who hold a second nationality in recent years.

Abdel Fattah was sentenced in December to five years in prison after he was convicted along with two others of broadcasting false news.

He had already been in pre-trial detention in Cairos Tora prison since September 2019.

Abdel Fattah has spent much of the past decade behind bars, having also been arrested under former presidents Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled in the revolution, and Mohammed Morsi.

Rights groups say Egypt is holding a total of some 60,000 political prisoners, many facing brutal conditions and overcrowded cells.
President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual summit Monday, clouded by US frustration over New Delhis neutral stance on Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The South Asian nation has tried to walk a tightrope between maintaining relations with the West and avoiding alienating Russia, and has not imposed sanctions over the war.

New Delhi has raised concerns in Washington in particular by continuing to buy Russian oil and gas, despite pressure from Biden for world leaders to take a hard line against Moscow.

India said ahead of the talks the meeting would be about strengthening the allies comprehensive global strategic partnership, while Washington spotlighted Russias brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilizing impact.

The more pointed US statement suggested that a resolute Biden would press Modi to take a stronger line on Moscow during the call.

Biden began the meeting however by saluting the deep connection between the two countries and said he wanted to continue their close consultation over the war, as Modi appeared alongside him on a large screen.

The Indian leader said the two countries were natural partners, describing the Ukraine crisis as very worrying and recalling that India supported talks between Ukraine and Russia while delivering medical assistance to Kyiv.

Biden and Modi failed to reach a joint condemnation of the Russian invasion when they last spoke in early March at a meeting of the so-called Quad alliance of the United States, India, Australia and Japan.

 India shaky on Russia? 

New Delhi abstained when the UN General Assembly voted last week to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in war crimes.

The United States has already warned that any country that actively helps Russia to circumvent international sanctions will suffer consequences.

Yet this has not deterred India from working with Russia on a rupee-ruble payment mechanism to circumvent banking sanctions, while taking advantage of discounted oil prices offered by Russian producers.

Meanwhile state-run Indian Oil Corp. has bought at least three million barrels of crude from Russia since the start of the invasion on February 24, in defiance of an embargo by Western nations.

Biden said on March 21 that India was an exception among Washingtons allies with its somewhat shaky response to the Russian offensive.

In the Cold War, officially non-aligned India leaned towards the Soviet Union  in part due to US support for arch-rival Pakistan  buying its first Russian MiG-21 fighter jets in 1962.

According to experts, Russia remains Indias biggest supplier of major arms and India is also Russias largest customer.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who met with Modi in New Delhi in early April, lauded India for its approach to the conflict, and in particular for judging the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.

 Growing Chinese power 

Biden and Modi are also expected to talk about ending the Covid-19 pandemic, countering climate change, and bolstering security and democracy in the Asia-Pacific region, where India is seen as a critical counterweight to growing Chinese power.

The last confrontation between the Chinese and Indian militaries on the Line of Control, on the border of Tibet and the Indian region of Ladakh, flared up as recently as June 2020.

Biden was flanked by his defense and foreign ministers and their Indian counterparts, who were due to meet later Monday in person for the annual 2+2 Dialogue, launched in 2018 to deepen cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides, who are expected to discuss Ukraine and China, are aiming eventually to take bilateral trade from the $113 billion registered in 2021 to $500 billion.

But another point of contention is likely to be Indias purchase of Russias S-400 missile defense system, which contravenes a US prohibition on countries from signing defense deals with Russia, Iran or North Korea.

The US sanctioned China in 2018 for buying the system but has not committed to doing the same for India.
President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a candid exchange of views on the Ukraine crisis at a virtual summit Monday, but the United States appeared to have made little progress in wooing India away from its neutral stance on Russias invasion.

It is important that all countries, especially those with leverage, press Putin to end the war, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters after the virtual summit, which was followed by an in-person meeting with his Indian counterpart and the defense ministers from both countries.

And its also important that democracies stand together and speak with one voice to defend the values that we share, Blinken said after the talks, described by one US official as warm and productive.

Biden made no major demands of India, a key strategic ally in US plans to contain growing Chinese power in the Asia-Pacific region, and there was no indication of significant progress toward a unified posture on the Ukraine conflict.

But White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Biden made clear that he does not believe its in Indias interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities.

 Tightrope 

Modi has tried to walk a tightrope between maintaining relations with the West and avoiding alienating Russia, but has raised concerns in Washington by continuing to buy Russian oil.

In his talks with Biden, he merely said the situation was very worrying and recalled his support for talks between Russia and Ukraine, which Washington views with skepticism.

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar showed a hint of annoyance when he told reporters asking about Bidens push for India to cut energy imports from Russia that probably our total purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon.

Biden has been pressuring world leaders to take a hard line against Moscow, although a US official said there was no concrete ask and concrete answer on energy imports.

India has to make its own decisions about how it approaches this challenge, said Blinken, noting however that India has made very strong statements  condemning the killing of civilians in Ukraine and was providing significant humanitarian assistance.

Failing to win over such a key ally to its cause, Washington appears instead to be heaping on the pledges of friendship to prevent India from gradually slipping into the Russian camp, with Moscow actively courting it.

Biden began the meeting by saluting the deep connection between the two countries and said he wanted to continue their close consultation over the war.

Biden and Modi failed to reach a joint condemnation of the Russian invasion when they last spoke in early March at a meeting of the so-called Quad alliance of the United States, India, Australia and Japan.

 India shaky on Russia? 

And New Delhi abstained when the UN General Assembly voted last week to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in war crimes.

The United States has already warned that any country that actively helps Russia to circumvent international sanctions will suffer consequences.

Yet this has not deterred India from working with Russia on a rupee-ruble payment mechanism to circumvent banking sanctions, while taking advantage of discounted oil prices offered by Russian producers.

Meanwhile India has bought at least three million barrels of crude from Russia since the start of the invasion on February 24, despite an embargo by Western nations.

Biden said on March 21 that India was an exception among Washingtons allies with its somewhat shaky response to the Russian offensive.

In the Cold War, officially non-aligned India leaned towards the Soviet Union, in part due to US support for arch-rival Pakistan.

According to experts, Russia remains Indias biggest supplier of major arms and India is also Russias largest weapons buyer.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who met with Modi in New Delhi in early April, lauded India for its approach to the conflict, and in particular for judging the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Monday said he was rather pessimistic about the chances of diplomacy after being the first European leader to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin since the start of Moscows military campaign in Ukraine.

Describing Putin as having massively entered into a logic of war, Nehammer told reporters: If youre asking me whether I am optimistic or pessimistic, Im rather pessimistic.

Peace talks are always very time-intensive while military logic says: Dont spend too much time and go directly into battle, he added.

However, he said he spoke to European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after the meeting and said he had impressed on them the need for more such meetings to directly express European outrage at Russias actions.

While Nehammer said there was very little interest on the Russian side in a direct meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he said the one glimmer of hope was Putins continued interest in the Istanbul peace talks.

In an earlier statement Nehammer had said his meeting between the two men, which took place at Putins residence outside Moscow, was not a visit of friendship.

Nehammer described the conversation as direct, open and hard.

The Austrian government had requested the meeting be held behind closed doors with no joint pictures or statements from the two leaders.

I mentioned the serious war crimes in Bucha and other locations and stressed that all those responsible have to be brought to justice, Nehammer said.

Russia denies its forces have committed war crimes.

On the topic of sanctions Nehammer said he had told President Putin very clearly that the sanctions will remain and be intensified as long as people keep dying in Ukraine.

Nehammer also told Putin of the urgent need for humanitarian corridors to bring water and food into besieged towns and (to) remove women, children and the injured.

I will now inform our European partners about the conversation and discuss further steps, he said.

Nehammers trip to Moscow followed a visit to Kyiv on Saturday where he held talks with Zelensky.
Russia was poised Monday to take the strategic city of Mariupol and unleash a massive offensive in eastern Ukraine, as fresh diplomatic efforts with Moscow to broker a peace offered little hope of de-escalation.

With the war grinding toward its seventh week, Austrias leader said he had raised alleged Russian atrocities as he became the first European leader to visit President Vladimir Putin since the invasion began.

Ukraine says more than 1,200 bodies have been found in devastated areas around Kyiv, with authorities pursuing 500 suspects including Putin and other top Russian officials.

Seven bodies were found Monday under the rubble of two multi-storey buildings in Borodianka, in the Kyiv region, the state emergency service said, bringing the total to 19.

French investigators arrived in Ukraine to help probe suspected war crimes, as the European Union earmarked 2.5 million euros ($2.7 million) to the International Criminal Court for future Ukraine cases.

Russia is believed to be trying to connect occupied Crimea and Moscow-backed separatist territories Donetsk and Lugansk in Donbas and has laid siege to Mariupol, once a city of more than 400,000 people.

Today will probably be the last battle, as the ammunition is running out, the 36th marine brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces said on Facebook.

It is death for some of us, and captivity for the rest, the brigade added, saying it had been pushed back and surrounded by Russian troops.

Appealing to South Koreas National Assembly for military assistance, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky told lawmakers Russia had completely destroyed the city and burned it to ashes.

At least tens of thousands of Mariupol citizens must have been killed, he said.

Russian forces are turning their focus to the Donbas region in the east, where Zelensky said Russian troops were preparing even larger operations.

 Logic of war 

Weekend strikes hampered evacuations in and around Kharkiv in the northeast, killing 11 people including a seven-year-old, the regional government said.

Russian missiles nearly obliterated the airport of Dnipro, an industrial city of one million around 200 kilometres (125 miles) to the south, according to local authorities.

Lugansk governor Sergiy Gaiday said a missile strike Friday on a railway station in the eastern city of Kramatorsk that killed 57 people had left many afraid to flee.

You are alive because a Russian shell has not yet hit your house or basement  evacuate, buses are waiting, our military routes are as secure as possible, he wrote on Telegram.

Russia has denied carrying out the strike, as well as involvement in any other war crimes.

The US defence department reported a Russian convoy that had been observed heading for Izyum, an hours drive north of Kramatorsk, saying it appeared to be a mix of personnel-carriers, armored vehicles and possible artillery.

On the diplomatic front, EU foreign ministers met Monday to discuss a sixth round of sanctions, with concerns that divisions over a ban on Russian gas and oil imports could blunt their impact.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said his meeting with Putin at the Russian leaders residence outside Moscow was not a visit of friendship, adding that he mentioned the serious war crimes in Bucha and other locations.

He added that he was rather pessimistic about the chances of diplomacy, describing Putin as having massively entered into a logic of war.

US President Joe Biden held virtual talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, just weeks after saying New Delhi had been shaky in its response to the invasion.

There were conversations about how to mitigate the destabilising impacts of Putins war, including on food supply, where India is in a position to assist, a US official said.

 Prevent one massacre 

The EUs top diplomat Josep Borrell said Russia is responsible for the escalating global food crisis because of its bombing of wheat stocks and preventing ships from carrying grain abroad.

And the World Trade Organization cautioned separately that the war could almost halve global trade growth this year.

Despite Kyivs allegations of Russian atrocities, Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told US news network NBC on Sunday he was still open to negotiating with Moscow.

If sitting down with the Russians will help me to prevent at least one massacre like in Bucha, or at least another attack like in Kramatorsk, I have to take that opportunity, he said.

Bucha  where authorities say hundreds were killed, some with their hands bound  has become emblematic of the brutality allegedly inflicted under Russian occupation.

More than 4.5 million Ukrainian refugees have now fled their country, the United Nations refugee agency said  90 percent of them women and children.

At least 183 children have died and 342 were wounded in Ukraine in 46 days of the Russian invasion, the prosecutor generals office said on Telegram.

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A man works in a field at the Beit Qad Experimental Station in the West Bank city of Jenin, Palestine, March 30, 2022. Facing a mounting wheat crisis, a government-run Seed Bank in West Bank has been racing against the clock to provide hundreds of local farmers with tons of improved wheat seeds in hope of greater yields.

(Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

by Sanaa Kamal

RAMALLAH, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Facing a mounting wheat crisis, a government-run Seed Bank in West Bank has been racing against the clock to provide hundreds of local farmers with tons of improved wheat seeds in hope of greater yields.

The Palestinian territories have been suffering from a shortage of supply and soaring local wheat and flour prices, both the main source of imports, since the outbreak of Russia-Ukraine conflict two months ago.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Palestinians depend entirely on the imports of wheat both in terms of food and animal feed, with 35,000 to 40,000 tons of imports annually to cover the demand of each.

"Every country in the world has its own (food) stock. But the Palestinians do not have that 'luxury'," Sameh Jarrar, the director of the Plant Genetic Resources Department in the Seed Bank at the Ministry of Agriculture, told Xinhua.

Jarrar added that Palestinians have been making every effort to garner sufficient local alternatives to food imports in case the conflict would not end soon.

The Seed Bank was established by the ministry in the 1980s under the supervision of a local advocacy group, where a total of 2,000 varieties of wild and domestic seeds are stored to preserve the genetic resources of indigenous plants in the Palestinian territories against the risk of extinction in climate change.

"We rely on two sources to store these seeds: the first is internal, and it is usually collected by the original wheat seeds through a work team affiliated with the ministry, and an external source obtained from international and Arab institutions," Jarrar said.

What distinguishes those improved varieties in the bank is that they can better withstand the varying climates and can germinate as quickly as possible, which would help narrow the shortage gaps, he added.

Researchers would work with local farmers to grow the varieties in test fields on promoting yields, climate resilience, and genetic diversity, according to Mohammed Abed, director of the 750,00-hectare Beit Qad Experimental Station for field crops.

Wheat, barley, and legumes are the main produce of the government-run test fields.

"We carry out the preservation by planting the varieties annually, multiplying them and renewing the bank from time to time," Abed said.

"We annually provide some 50 tons of improved seeds to farmers, who world cultivate them and put the yield on sale in local markets," he said.

However, things do not seem easy primarily because "Israel controls much of the arable Palestinian lands in the West Bank and has imposed restrictions on Palestinian farmers' access to the lands," according to Ahmed Rabaia, a local agricultural expert.

"In 2010, there were about 25,000 dunams (2,500 hectares) producing about 45,000 tons, which constituted between 10 to 15 percent of consumption. Due to Israeli violations, we have only 18,000 dunams left and those produce only about 30,000 tons, and this amount constitutes between five to six percent of consumption," Rabaia added.

"At a time when we do not know when the Russia-Ukraine conflict will end, it is necessary to search for other sources such as Egypt, Canada, and Australia to reduce the risks that we may be exposed to in the future in order to obtain wheat at low prices that do not affect the Palestinian consumers," he explained. 

An agricultural engineer works at the Seed Bank in the West Bank city of Jenin, Palestine, March 30, 2022. Facing a mounting wheat crisis, a government-run Seed Bank in West Bank has been racing against the clock to provide hundreds of local farmers with tons of improved wheat seeds in hope of greater yields.

(Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

An agricultural engineer shows a handful of seeds at the Seed Bank in the West Bank city of Jenin, Palestine, March 30, 2022. Facing a mounting wheat crisis, a government-run Seed Bank in West Bank has been racing against the clock to provide hundreds of local farmers with tons of improved wheat seeds in hope of greater yields.

(Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

People work in a field at the Beit Qad Experimental Station in the West Bank city of Jenin, Palestine, March 30, 2022. Facing a mounting wheat crisis, a government-run Seed Bank in West Bank has been racing against the clock to provide hundreds of local farmers with tons of improved wheat seeds in hope of greater yields.

(Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

A man works in a field at the Beit Qad Experimental Station in the West Bank city of Jenin, Palestine, March 30, 2022. Facing a mounting wheat crisis, a government-run Seed Bank in West Bank has been racing against the clock to provide hundreds of local farmers with tons of improved wheat seeds in hope of greater yields.

(Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)
FILE - Talk show host David Letterman attends the Statue of Liberty Museum opening celebration in New York on May 15, 2019. The longtime host of "The Late Show with David Letterman" thanked the staff of the Rhode Island Hospital's emergency department in a video Thursday April 7, 2022. Letterman said that he was treated at the hospital after an injury while visiting Providence with his son last summer. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
Conservative leadership hopeful Pierre Poilievre, left, drew crowds of about 1,000 people in both Kelowna and Vernon on the weekend. He also got the endorsement of North Okanagan-Shuswap Tory MP Mel Arnold, who previously hadn't indicated who he was backing in the leadership race.
The Kenosha County Archaeological Society will host a program at the Kenosha Public Museum on "Effigy Mounds of Madison and the Four Lakes Region."

It will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 16 at the museum, 5500 First Ave.

Dr. Robert Birmingham, former Wisconsin state archaeologist, will present the program of the mounds and the ancient peoples who built them. Effigy mounds are representations of spiritual figures which can take many shapes, such as bears, panthers, thunderbirds and more. They are sculptured and built in the earth.
Over a decade ago, educator Kim Hufferd-Ackles found herself with limited options after her daughter was diagnosed with autism.

She believed public and private schools in the area lacked the support structures complex learners like her daughter needed to thrive, and Hufferd-Ackles worried shed be left struggling.

I couldnt figure out the right school for her, Hufferd-Ackles said. Through no fault of the schools, some kids fall through the cracks.

So Hufferd-Ackles decided to make such a school, and on Sunday, Open Wings Learning Community in Kenosha marked its 10-year anniversary.

The event, hosted at The Tabernacle, 7951 36th Ave., invited teachers, parents and students both past and present to celebrate the occasion. Activities included tours, an art show, item raffles, carnival games, face painting and more, all capped off with the cutting of a birthday cake.

Hufferd-Ackles said the event celebrated more than just an anniversary.

Its a true victory, Hufferd-Ackles said. Weve shown our unique model is effective in teaching students and launching them into the next chapter of their lives.

One of the strengths of Open Wings model is its low teacher to student ratio, Hufferd-Ackles said. In most public school classrooms, a teacher may have to work with 20 or more students. At Open Wings, a classroom of five to eight students is paired with a teacher and an associate teacher, allowing more personal and individualized care.

That model works wonders, according to both students and parents.

Positive feedback

Ever since Ive been here Ive loved it, said 11-year-old Elric Meyer. My other schools would treat me like Im not normal.

Jaxson Thomas, face half covered in face paint, gave a succinct endorsement.

I think its magical, Thomas said, before running off to do more activities.

Jaxsons mother Autumn said he had always struggled in public schools, but quickly turned around after coming to Open Wings.

It was a total transition, Autumn Thomas said. Hes really striving and doing really good.

Other parents had similar stories, and also talked about the more welcoming environment at Open Wings, where calls home were a regular occurrence and other parents were less empathetic to their experiences.

Pediatrician Michelle Snyderman, who joined the schools board two years ago, said she was looking forward to the next 10 years for Open Wings. To Snyderman, the school offers services that are missing elsewhere in the community.

We dont know where to send them to get them a better experience, Snyderman said. This place just turns them around.

Anthony Rowe, part of Open Wings online education team, had worked under Hufferd-Ackles previously at a school in Illinois. When he learned about her new school, he grew interested in its more empathetic approach to children with complex learning needs.

I was always curious what they were doing here, Rowe said. The patience the staff show in helping these kids adjust is otherworldly.

Continues to grow

When Open Wings began in 2012, Hufferd-Ackles said they had just six students. Today, thats grown to 46, with 15 new students applying to join next year, an unusually high number according to Executive Director Alicia Johnson.

Its really expanded in the last couple of years, Johnson said.

They now teach up to 10th grade, with many hoping theyll expand their high school education. That includes Hufferd-Ackles, who also said she wants to have multiple campuses to expand the school even more.

I really want the community to know about our school, Hufferd-Ackles said. Our school really works for kids.

Although Open Wings has many neurodiverse learners, including students living with ADHD, autism and Apraxia, among others, Hufferd-Ackles said all students are welcome. Often, parents will send their children together to keep them in the same school.

More information on Open Wings can be found at their website, openwingslearning.org.

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WGTD (91.1 FM) is owned and operated as a public service of Gateway Technical College and is an affiliate of Wisconsin Public Radio. For an updated schedule, go online to wgtd.org. WGTD 91.1-FMs Morning Show airs 8:10 to 9 a.m. weekdays. Guests this week include:

Today: Justine Cowan, author of The Secret Life of Dorothy Soames: a Memoir. Cowan always had a difficult relationship with her mother, who was quite cold, distant, and demanding. Cowan eventually discovered that her mother had been raised in Londons infamous Foundling Hospital, which was a place for illegitimate children. Cowans fascinating memoir chronicles her quest to learn as much as she could about her mother as well as her grandmother.

Tuesday: Writer and teacher Sidik Fofana, author of Stories from the Tenants Downstairs. He is visiting Carthage College next week.

Wednesday: Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College. With him will be Tatjana Bicanin, Executive Director of Building Our Future.

Thursday: Nan Calvert, pays her monthly visit to the Morning Show to talk about the environment. With her will be Kathleen Thompson to talk about Mushrooms.

Friday: No Morning Show broadcast because of Good Friday (Check out the podcast version of the program. The Morning Show with Greg Berg is available via Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, etc.)

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The fire erupted in the church building in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 13, 2019, gutting the historic sanctuary built in 1947 and flooding the basement as firefighters eventually brought the flames under control.
MOSCOW, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Kremlin said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer was "short according to current standards."

"The conversation was short, short according to current standards," Russia's RIA Novosti reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The meeting reportedly lasted 90 minutes.

When asked to comment on the statement of the Austrian chancellor about lack of optimism after the meeting, Peskov said he is unaware of the results of the negotiations.

Nehammer said in a statement released after the meeting that it was "very direct, open and tough."

In an earlier statement on Monday, Peskov noted the closed-door meeting would cover the situation in Ukraine and other "questions raised by the Austrian side."

The spokesman said it would be a closed-door meeting without a joint press conference. 
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Malpractice claims and disciplinary actions are unfortunate realities for too many physicians. A 2016 survey of physicians revealed that 34 percent of them had been sued, and 16.8 percent had been sued more than once. By the time a doctor is 54 years old, there is almost a 50 percent chance that they will have been sued. Disciplinary actions are far less common, but a comprehensive review of Illinois physicians licensing board data in 2021 showed that 3.2 percent of Illinois doctors had had a disciplinary action. Current estimates are that 2 to 8 percent of physicians will be subjected to some disciplinary action over the course of their careers.

There are excellent articles and resources that discuss how to survive these events from a practical perspective  dont discuss details with anyone, look at your practices and procedures to see if you can be more defensive or protective moving forward, etc.  but few that discuss the emotional side. The vast majority of physicians experience emotional distress due to a claim or disciplinary action. Many report disruptions in their personal and family lives. Given how long and drawn out these processes can be, the distress can last for months or years, and can continue even after a positive resolution or vindication. For some physicians, the symptoms are very similar to those of PTSD, with sleep disturbances, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, feelings of detachment, worthlessness, and withdrawal from others.

When I work with physician clients facing malpractice claims or disciplinary action, I start simply by encouraging them to talk about it. Doctors often translate the attorneys advice not to discuss the details of the case as not discussing the case at all with anyone, but keeping this to yourself is profoundly unhelpful. Silence amplifies feelings of isolation and compounds many of the emotional reactions that doctors in these situations experience. Processing the event or situation with a professional counselor alleviates the isolation: It helps remove some of the shame the person feels; it can help diffuse the intense emotions the person attaches to the situation; and, we can begin to identify other areas which might be helpful to explore. The confidentiality protections of counseling help to provide a space for this work that often cannot be found with friends, family, or colleagues.

Many physicians experience intense shame around malpractice and disciplinary issues. If they are at fault, the shame can revolve around having made an error or struggling with a substance use issue. But even when the claim is unfounded, shame is still very prominent because of the very real fear of being thought of as a bad doctor, or knowing that family, colleagues, or patients might think poorly of you. Doctors tend to be perfectionists, and being accused of making a mistake can feel threatening or excessively vulnerable. Many physicians understandably perceive these claims or investigations as questioning their integrity. Some respond with justified anger. And for many doctors, there is grief  over the loss of autonomy; loss of respect and standing; loss of sense of safety and trust in patients and systems; loss of confidence; and sometimes loss of relationships or positions. These reactions are normal and human, but if they are not processed and explored in healthy ways, they can lead to prolonged negative emotional and physical effects.

If the physician is at fault or disciplined, medical directors or licensing boards might require practice changes, supervision, and education. I work with physicians on self-forgiveness and acceptance. I emphasize that to be human is to be imperfect. We find ways to manage their fears of making future mistakes and work through any guilt or shame. We address any underlying issues, like alcohol abuse or mental illness, that might have contributed to the situation.

Malpractice claims and disciplinary actions are painful, often extended events that cause suffering for physicians. Emotional support is just as important for quality of life and moving forward as legal support is. I encourage every physician who experiences distress around these issues to seek counseling.

Vickie Mulkerin is a family physician and owner, White Coat Counseling, LLC.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
A Kilkenny man is starring in a new National Dairy Councils media campaign  From the Ground Up  which is back on TV, encouraging people to take pride in Irish dairy and demonstrating the passion and commitment of the farmers that make it happen.

New 20 and 30 spots feature NDC Farmer Ambassadors Eamon Sheehan from Kilkenny, along with Shane Fitzgerald and Louise Crowley explaining how they take care of the environment, employ sustainable farming practices (and why its important) - and how dairy farming is central to Irelands national heritage.

Eamon Sheehan, NDC Farmer Ambassador from Kilkenny and campaign spokesperson, added:

Very often it feels as if farming  and dairy farming in particular - is completely misunderstood and under-valued. We are the driving force behind quality products that people want to purchase and are a key part of a healthy, modern lifestyle - the demand for which just keeps increasing  and yet, as an industry, what were doing in the area of sustainability simply isnt recognised.

The NDCs From the Ground Up campaign  which I was glad to take part in  tells the true farmers story, the story of Irelands dairy food producers. I hope that when people see it, theyll spare a bit of time to think about what it says, and why its so important  not just to us as farmers, but to the country as a whole.

The campaign will be on TV nationally throughout April, May and June. Zoe Kavanagh, Chief Executive of the National Dairy Council, believes that  because of the increasingly public debate around dairys sustainability  now is the time to get people on board with the farmers, to show their support:

Dairy farming has been going on in Ireland for over 4,000 years and its a part of our national identity. Our grass-fed family farming system is ideally suited to the Irish climate and such is its place in Irish society that our research shows around one in four people know a dairy farmer personally.

However, there is a disconnect between those who buy and consume Irish dairy  75% of people believe buying Irish is important  and what our farmers are doing to address the issue of sustainability, particularly when it comes to climate action, thereby guaranteeing their future and that of their families.

Our From the Ground Up media campaign aims to bridge that gap, encouraging pride, greater understanding and a level of responsibility for our national dairy industry. If we dont support Irish dairy  have a sense of ownership and involvement  then the industrys future, and the future of our 18,000 family dairy farms and the 60,000 jobs that Irish dairy supports is uncertain.
Photo taken on March 10, 2022 shows the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

Lavrov said that Moscow will never play a subordinate role in the current world order.



MOSCOW, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday that Moscow prefers to continue its negotiations with Kiev.

Despite Ukraine's inconsistency and tendency to reject its own proposals, Russia prefers to continue the negotiation process, said the minister during an interview with the Rossiya 24 broadcaster.

The Russian top diplomat further explained that Moscow will be patient and persistent throughout the negotiations, however, will never play a subordinate role in the current world order.

"Russia, with its history ... its traditions, is one of those countries that will never occupy a subordinate position. We can only be members of the international community on equal terms, under conditions (that guarantee) the indivisibility of security," Lavrov said, adding that these principles were agreed upon and then ignored by the West. 
UNITED NATIONS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday called for the practice of true multilateralism in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and in post-pandemic recovery.

During the pandemic in the past two years, over 6 million people have lost their lives. The lesson is profound and deserves serious reflection, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

"Nothing is more valuable in this world than human lives. A people-centered approach is the most important tenet that guides all our decisions," he told a Security Council meeting on COVID-19 and vaccines.

"At the global level, cooperation in solidarity is the most powerful weapon to defeat the pandemic, and is as effective in tackling other global challenges. Under these unprecedented circumstances, we must work together to build back better with a conviction stronger than ever that we are in a global community with a shared future," he said.

The world is still confronted with multiple challenges. A scant few countries are still holding on to their Cold War mentality, drawing lines of distinction based on ideology, provoking renewed bloc confrontation, imposing unilateral sanctions without scruple, weaponizing economic interdependence, and forcing countries to choose sides, he noted.

"This is plunging the international community into division and pushing the world into the quicksand of grave risks and uncertainties. These irresponsible actions are harmful to others as they are to those countries themselves, and must be categorically rejected," Zhang said.

The need for true multilateralism is even greater in today's world. In the post-pandemic period, all countries should strengthen their solidarity under the banner of the United Nations, respect one another, trust others and be trustworthy, show goodwill, cooperate for mutual benefit, and work together for a better future, he said.

The world is now in the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Humanity is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But the pandemic is not over yet, and the world must not lower its guard, he said.

Countries must work hard and work together to build immunological barriers. Globally, the target of 70 percent vaccination coverage is far from being achieved. It is imperative to scale up vaccine assistance and supply to leave no country behind and no one forgotten, said Zhang.

The public health systems in developing countries must be strengthened, he said.

The root cause of the bottlenecks in the last mile of vaccine access in developing countries is the long-standing problem of inadequate public health systems. In order to better prevent and respond to the next pandemic when it arrives, the international community should look far ahead, and help developing countries vigorously strengthen their public health systems. The Security Council should work with other bodies and take a pragmatic approach and tangible measures to bring hope to the countries in conflict, he said.

There is also a need to inject fresh momentum into post-pandemic recovery and socio-economic development. The pandemic is responsible for a slowdown or even recession in many economies, and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda faces even more daunting challenges. The global political and security upheaval of late, the soaring prices of energy, food and other commodities, and a new upsurge in trade protectionism have added to the woes of many developing countries that were already struggling to cope, said Zhang.

"The more challenging external environment highlights the importance and the urgency of development for developing countries. This is something that the international community must take very seriously. And the United Nations should act swiftly and take solid and effective measures to both address the current crisis and explore long-term solutions so that the world can see new hope on the horizon," he said. 
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Mostly sunny skies. High 74F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Partly cloudy in the evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers after midnight. Thunder possible. Low 57F. Winds SE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
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ABUJA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday formally declared his aspiration to run for president in next year's general election in the most populous African country.

In a video posted on his official Twitter handle, Osinbajo said he hopes to achieve the aim on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Osinbajo said he is aiming to ride on the opportunity of serving the country for seven years "as vice president under a true Nigerian patriot, a servant of the nation in war and peace, and a man of integrity, President Muhammadu Buhari."

"We have, together, worked through some of the most difficult times in the history of our nation, but we have remained focused on securing the country, providing infrastructure, and growing our economy," he said.

Osinbajo said his aspiration to run for president was also borne out of the need to complete the work he started with Buhari in 2015, noting the work included radically transforming the security and intelligence architecture, completing the reform of the justice system, focusing on adequate remuneration and welfare of judicial personnel, among others.

"I have visited our gallant troops in the northeast and our brothers and sisters in the IDP (internally displaced persons) camps. I have felt the pain and anguish of victims of violent conflicts, terrorist attacks, flooding, fire, and other disasters," he said. "I stood where they stood and sat where they sat."

"I know their hopes, aspirations, and fears; and I believe that those hopes and aspirations are the seeds for the great Nigeria that we all desire," he added.

Osinbajo, a professor of law, was elected alongside Buhari in 2015 to pilot the affairs of the west African country. The duo was re-elected in 2019 on the platform of the APC. 
Georgia coroner discovers bodies of his parents and son at scene of apparent robbery, officials say
A man has been arrested and charged in connection with the burial of both his mother and sister inside plastic containers in the backyard of their suburban Chicago home, according to police.
JEFFERSON CITY  The Coroner Standards and Training Commission is set to meet for the first time on Tuesday, nearly two years after Gov. Mike Parson signed House bill 2046 into law.

The omnibus bill created the commission to establish training requirements for each county coroner, but it hasn't been able to meet yet because of vacant seats on the board. The board can now meet on Tuesday because it has reached a quorum of appointed positions by Parson.

Nearly two years later, some of the advocates behind the bill said this long of a wait to get things started is unacceptable.

Jay Minor is one of the people who has been working toward statewide coroner reform for years prior to Parson signing the bill.

"We wanted to make it our goal that this didn't happen anymore," Minor said. "But for all these years, it's still happening. Even right now, here and today."

Minor has been fighting for his son Jayke's justice since 2011, when Jayke died. A 2018 Target 8 investigation detailed a flawed autopsy from the Howard County coroner, who ruled his cause of death to be a drug overdose solely due to Jayke's history.

Minor said waiting to get the bill passed was long enough.

"Time is definitely not on the people's side from keeping this from happening," Minor said. "It's a law now, so everything should fall into place and be done, but it's just taking too long."

TWO COMMISSION POSITIONS STILL VACANT

It took more than a year for Parson's team to appoint the first three board members, and then, it took another five months to appoint another two. The board can now meet because it has reached a quorum, but it currently has two vacant seats: the child pathologist and the medical examiner.

Kelli Jones, a spokesperson for Parson, said there's "no timeline" to fill those two positions.

"We have several other boards that need appointees," Jones said in an email to Target 8.

Jones said Parson's team averages seven to 10 appointments a month for the more than 200 boards and commissions across the state.

"We rely on stakeholders and other interested parties for assistance in identifying potential candidates to serve," Jones said in an email.

STATE COLLECTS NEARLY A HALF A MILLION FOR FUNDING TRAININGS

Even without a full commission, there has been a timeline set to collect money for the training the commission will deem necessary. The Missouri Coroners' and Medical Examiners' Association will be given any appropriated funds to lead necessary trainings.

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Appropriated funds for the trainings come from money collected from death certificates. Written into HB 2046, the law states that $1 from each death certificate in the state will be collected to fund the training.

Through a Sunshine request, Target 8 obtained how much money the state has already collected for this fund. As of March 28, for both Fiscal Year 2021 and 2022, the state had collected a total of $476,312.87, which includes interest.

Debby Ferguson, a state coroner training reform advocate and Minor's fiance, said there's no reason the state should have the time to collect money for the training, but not the time to appoint positions for the commission.

"It's alarming to me that the fees have been collected," Ferguson said. "That's done, so why hasn't this board been put together?"

MOVING FORWARD

The requirements to become a coroner in the state of Missouri remain sparse. You can qualify to be a Missouri coroner if you:

are a U.S. citizen,

are over the age of 21,

have lived in the state for more than a year,

have lived in the county for more than six months.

It's the county medical examiner who needs to be a physician "duly-licensed to practice by the state board of the healing arts." But, that position still is open on the Coroner Standards and Training Commission.

"You can't have a board on a skeleton crew," Ferguson said. "When the law passed, we thought it was in good hands, but I'm not so sure it was now."

On the agenda for its first meeting, Lisa Cox, the Department of Health and Senior Services spokesperson, said the commission will select a chairperson and develop a tentative plan of action.

The problem Minor sees with the group meeting without all its positions filled is that there are two viewpoints missing.

"We didn't put in all this time and work to have a half-assed board," Minor said.

Sid Conklin will serve as one of the coroners on the commission. He currently is the Randolph County coroner. He said although it took months for his own appointment to go through, and almost two years for the board to finally meet, he wants to hit the ground running.

"I think up to date training, revisit everything that's been done or taught," Conklin said.

Cox said the Coroner Standards and Training Commission will meet at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Courtyard by Marriott in Columbia. This meeting aligns with the Missouri Coroners' and Medical Examiners' Association spring training that also runs this week at that location.
VLADIVOSTOK, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Russian government will allocate 387 million rubles (about 4.8 million U.S. dollars) to produce Mir-19, a new anti-coronavirus drug developed by Russian scientists.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree on the allocation of the funds, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers said on Sunday.

The funds will be allocated to the state-owned Institute of Immunology of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, which is the developer of this drug. The money will be used to upgrade and purchase the necessary equipment.

Mir-19 was registered by the Ministry of Health of Russia on Dec. 22, 2021. The drug can prevent and treat coronavirus infection via pulmonary or intranasal administration. It stops the virus from replicating and prevents the most severe forms of the disease, as well as pneumonitis and acute respiratory distress syndromes. 
Lee Ka-jin's "Eternity" (2022) is one of 13 pieces to be shown at the "Hidden Colours: Korean Contemporary Ceramic Art" exhibition in Belgium and France from May to September. Courtesy of Korea Ceramic Foundation





By Kim Rahn







An exhibition of Korea's ceramics will be held in Europe starting in May to showcase the nation's contemporary ceramic art, according to the Korea Ceramic Foundation, Monday.







The foundation said it will hold the traveling exhibition titled "Hidden Colours: Korean Contemporary Ceramic Art" from May 14 to June 12 in Belgium and from June 25 to Sept. 4 in France.







Jeong Kwan's "What to Value" (2022) / Courtesy of Korea Ceramic Foundation

Eleven artists' works with a modern interpretation of traditional ceramics and techniques will be on display.







The Belgium event will be held as a part of the Ceramic Art Andenne, with Korea being selected as the guest country of the 2022 show to mark the 120th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Belgium in 2021.







The triennial, launched in 1988, has become a renowned international contemporary ceramic art event.







In the guest country section, 10 Korean artists  Lee Eun-bum, Park Sung-wook, Ahn Ji-in, Jang Seok-hyun, Yoo Eui-jeong, Kim Sun, Jeong Kwan, Ju Se-kyun, Lee Ka-jin and Park Jong-jin  will exhibit 13 pieces, while Oh Jei-sung, who participated in the "artist in residence" program, will have a separate event.







After the exhibition in Belgium finishes, the ceramic works will be moved to another show in La Piscine museum in Paris.







"We expect the traveling exhibition will provide an opportunity for Korean artists to advance into the overseas art market and for the country to promote its ceramic art across the world," the foundation said in a statement.


North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second from left, is seen at a groundbreaking ceremony for a greenhouse farm in South Hamgyong Province's Hamju County in a screen capture of Korean Central Television's broadcast on Feb. 19, 2022. Yonhap



Economic sanctions, COVID risks loom over reclusive state



By Kim Bo-eun



HONG KONG  North Korea is steadily restoring trade with China after bilateral commerce dived in 2020 and 2021 as the reclusive state closed its border to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.



Trade with China totaled $318 million in 2021, down by 41 percent from the previous year and by 90 percent from levels before the pandemic, according to China Customs data.



Last year's total was the lowest with its northwestern neighbor since Kim Jong-un assumed leadership in December 2011.



But after mainly relying on shipping routes over the two years, railway transport resumed in January, with $60.9 million worth of trade crossing the border in February.



"Trade is still 80 percent less than what it was before North Korea decided to close its borders in 2020," said Soo Kim, a former U.S. Central Intelligence Agency analyst specializing in North Korea, who now works for the U.S. think tank, RAND Corporation.



"So we should not read too optimistically into these upticks until we start to see a gradual and consistent increase in the trade figures over time."



But despite the plunge in trade with its economic lifeline, North Korea was able to survive with increased agricultural production in 2021.



Its economy, though, remains vulnerable to shocks such as coronavirus-induced trade contractions and economic sanctions, data showed.



Agriculture is estimated to account for around a quarter of North Korea's economy, but its rudimentary agricultural infrastructure leaves it highly vulnerable to weather.



Given the moderate conditions last year, agricultural output grew, but North Korea relies on imports for key items for farming, such as equipment and fertilizers, and restrictions on trade continue to expose the economy to risks.



A combination of sanctions imposed due to the regime's weapons programs and border controls amid the pandemic led to a plunge in imports of machinery, industrial parts and raw and subsidiary materials.



This is seen to be weighing on the economy and is set to have longer term effects on production in heavy as well as light industries.



This comes at a time North Korea is in dire need of new investments in machinery, as existing equipment is outdated and in need of repair, according to reports.



Industrial machinery is included on the list of items that are banned from being imported into North Korea.



"Based on trade data, it is presumable that North Korea is focusing on normalizing agricultural production and preventing the spread of Covid-19, and that other industrial production is weak," a Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) report on 2021 North Korea-China trade stated.







While resumption of trade with China bodes well for North Korea, analysts pointed out developments would need to be observed for some time.



"North Korean exports did not increase much, spelling trouble since they must be losing foreign exchange," said William Brown, an expert on North Korea's economy, formerly with the US government.



"For the economy to become sustainable, they need to develop export industries, difficult with all the sanctions but possible."



The KIEP report said North Korea's poor amount of exports reflects the difficulties it has in industrial production, and its failure to develop new export items after strengthened sanctions were applied on its exports in 2018.



North Korea's scale of exports is insignificant and items are few, with the imbalance of imports to exports seen as a core problem for North Korea.



Under sanctions, the economy currently exports items such as watch parts and wigs, according to KIEP.



"North Korea is in a deep industrial recession, brought on by the UN sanctions that stopped much of their exports, especially to China, and by the virus induced border closures which have stopped needed imports. This makes them vulnerable to shock, either of a real or financial nature," added Brown, who is a professor at University of Maryland Global College.



"But with production down, there is no surplus to invest, so the prognosis is very poor unless they reform and improve their efficiency levels  that is, making more with less."



Kim Jong-un's market policies have not been consistent, but the incumbent leader has been more permissive than his father Kim Jong-il, and North Korea's economy has benefited from increased market activity by its population, a research paper from the Korea Development Institute said.



Marketization has been tolerated within the boundaries of a state-run economy and the regime is seen to have turned a blind eye to citizens earning income from second jobs over the past decade, which had burgeoned with North Koreans making substantial income from activities outside their official job with the state.



"It is interesting that most of the jobs bringing in high income in North Korea are related to market activities. In fact, only 2 per cent of respondents replied that they made the most money from official jobs," said the Korea Development Institute report.



"If agricultural activities and cattle feeding are regarded as official jobs, 5 percent of respondents worked in non-market activities from which the largest income derived. In contrast, 95 percent of respondents chose market activities as their main source of income. This corroborates the findings in current literature on North Korea's marketization."





A freight train stands at Dandong Railway Station in Liaoning Province, China, on April 17, 2021. Yonhap
The "Slava Ukraine" exhibition held at 4log Artspace in southeastern Seoul supports Ukraine through art. Courtesy of 4log Artspace



By Kwon Mee-yoo



From concerts and exhibitions to protests for peace, Koreans have been showing a great deal of support for Ukraine amid Russia's invasion.



Some 40 artists and groups teamed up for the "Slava Ukraine" exhibition in support of Ukraine. Held at the 4log Artspace in southeastern Seoul, the display runs until April 16 and aims to show solidarity with Ukraine by protesting against violence in an artistic way.



"After the Russia-Ukraine War began, I personally campaigned against war by conveying the disaster of the war through social media. As I looked for more active ways to support Ukraine, I thought of hosting an exhibition since I am a curator and artist," Kim Hye-jin, a curator who organized the exhibit independently, told The Korea Times via email.



"My grandfather is a Korean War veteran, who died during the war, and it made me sympathize more with Ukrainians suffering from the war."



Korean and international artists from Germany, India, Japan and Peru present a wide range of works with an anti-war theme and art pieces that are in the colors of blue and yellow to show solidarity with Ukraine. One of the notable works is "Kiss of Victory" by Mariia Chernozhukova, a Ukrainian artist based in Korea, evoking memories of Ukraine, which has endured over a month of Russia's invasion.



"When I contacted the artists, most of them were appreciative for the opportunity to support Ukraine through art," Kim said.



"Many people who heard of the exhibit are purchasing the art in order to support Ukraine. I hope more people visit the exhibition, empathize with Ukraine and participate in fundraising for Ukraine."



The Ukrainian Embassy in Seoul provided photos and videos of the country on Kim's request, and Kim displayed the photos along with the art at the gallery in order to give a glimpse into the horrors of war.









"In support of Ukraine, the full amount of the sales of the exhibit will be donated to Ukraine through the embassy," Kim said.





Curator Kim Hye-jin, right, gives a tour of the exhibition to artist Mariia Chernozhukova, left, and Yulia Kaplan, center, third secretary at the Embassy of Ukraine in Korea, at the "Slava Ukraine" exhibition held at 4log Artspace in southeastern Seoul. Courtesy of 4log Artspace
By Kwon Mee-yoo





Israeli President Isaac Herzog exchanged congratulatory letters with President Moon Jae-in on Sunday to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.







"Both of our nations created a dynamic economic miracle and fostered robust democratic governance, despite severe security challenges, and with no natural resources other than determination, hard work, and our peoples' belief in themselves," Herzog wrote in the letter looking back on the milestones and achievements in bilateral relations since 1962, according to the Israeli embassy in Seoul.







The Israeli president also noted some of the achievements in bilateral relations.







"Israel and Korea signed a Free Trade Agreement, Israel's first in Asia and Korea's first in the Middle East. Israel and Korea were among the first countries in the world to swap COVID vaccines, showing the world a new, effective mechanism for running the global health economy," he wrote.







Herzog also shared his vision to further deepen and strengthen the scope and diversity of cooperation between the two countries.







"I look forward to develop ways in which Korea and Israel will yet deepen the very friendly and vibrant relations we enjoy," he wrote.







The Embassy of Israel in Korea added that it will host a wide range of cultural and academic programs throughout 2022 to celebrate the anniversary.







"The local audiences in Korea can enjoy exquisite Israeli art, music and culture in contemporary dance, jazz and rock music and theater. The Israel Embassy is organizing a major academic conference on Israel-Korea relations including a lecture by an Israeli Nobel laureate," the embassy said in a statement.


NATO foreign ministers meet, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, April 7. Reuters-Yonhap



Russia has made a "massive strategic blunder" as Finland and Sweden look poised to join NATO as early as the summer, The Times reported on Monday, citing officials.






Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley / AFP-Yonhap





Taiwan will have to fight for itself in a conflict with mainland China, though its informal but close ally the United States is expected to provide arms and other aid to the self-ruled island, according to military experts.



As tensions in the Taiwan Strait have mounted in recent years, discussions have centered on the likely U.S. reaction to an attack on the island from the mainland.



The consensus is that the U.S. would not send its forces in.



This was underlined at a U.S. Senate's armed services committee hearing on Thursday, when U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Mark Milley suggested that the best defense of Taiwan would be by the Taiwanese.



"We can certainly help them, as is being done in Ukraine, for example, and a lot of lessons are coming out that China is taking seriously," he said. But he also stressed the best deterrence was to "make sure the Chinese know it is a very difficult objective to take."



Beijing considers Taiwan its territory that must be brought under control by force if necessary. Relations between the two sides have deteriorated since the election in 2016 of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party.



To try to force the island's government towards unification talks, Beijing has ramped up pressure on Taipei by sending warplanes almost daily and staging war games nearby.



That has been the extent of the military action so far but the Russian invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the concern over whether the Americans would come to the island's rescue should Beijing attack Taipei.



At a seminar in Taipei on Thursday, analysts said the war in Ukraine had taught Taiwan that even a small power could resist invasion from a much bigger one, particularly with the use of small weapons like the U.S.-made handheld Javelin and Stinger missiles.



But the events in Ukraine had also made clear to Taiwan that the U.S. would never send forces to help the island fight the People's Liberation Army, they noted.



They all agreed that the possibility of the U.S. sending troops to help Taiwan was almost zero as indicated by the White House's refusal to send forces to help Ukraine, promising only weapons and other aid.





U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the White House complex, Washington, Feb. 22. AP-Yonhap



"President (Joe) Biden used the reason that it would trigger a world war to refuse to send troops to Ukraine," said Max Lo, executive director of the Taiwan International Strategic Study Society, a Taipei-based think tank.



Lo said that if direct intervention could lead to a U.S.-Russia war and therefore a world war, the same would be the case with China, given that all three countries had nuclear arms.



"Under this logic, the U.S. is unlikely to send forces to help Taiwan should a cross-strait conflict erupt," he said.



He said the U.S. only gave Ukraine simple weapons plus intelligence and satellite communications aid. This not only helped Ukraine deter the Russian aggression, but also conveniently brought NATO allies to its camp and significantly weakened Russian national strength through international sanctions.



"For its part, the U.S. is the biggest winner in the Ukraine war. It is therefore quite obvious the U.S. would apply this model in aiding Taiwan in the event of a cross-strait conflict," he said.



Alexander Huang Chieh-cheng, a professor of international relations and strategic studies at Tamkang University in New Taipei City, told the seminar that many people in Taiwan expected the U.S. to help defend the island, given Washington's repeated assurances of its security commitment to the island.



"But the Ukraine experience told us that in reality, the U.S. would not send troops to help," he said.



Huang said the U.S. had pledged to "help defend Taiwan" but that was open to interpretation  whether it meant sending aid in the general sense or sending troops in the specific term.



And the interpretation hinged on several factors, including legitimacy, geopolitics, and methods of the defense.



In terms of legitimacy, if the United Nations found it necessary to defend Taiwan or any domestic laws like the U.S.' Taiwan Relations Act which required defense assistance for the island, the U.S. and other like-minded countries, including Japan, would do so.



Similarly, if a PLA attack on the island undermined the political and economic interests  such as energy supply lines  of neighboring or other countries, the U.S. and its allies, especially Japan, would help defend Taiwan.



Huang said now that the U.S. had used the method of sending aid without dispatching troops to help Ukraine, it could do the same to Taiwan.



He said there was also a question over how effectively the U.S. and other countries could work militarily with Taiwan, given the language barrier and the absence of regular joint drills.





Chinese and Taiwanese flags are displayed alongside a military airplane, in this April 9 illustration. Reuters-Yonhap
The rate of school pregnancies during the just ended Covid 19 lockdown period is shocking with at least five schools getting an average of 20 pregnant girls each.

The report is for 2021 and 2022 lockdown periods.

Zvishavane District AIDS Coordinator, Dennis Jaravani told a stakeholders meeting held at White hospital nurses boardroom two weeks ago that Mabasa Secondary under Chief Masunda recorded the highest number of pregnancies with 23 dropping out of school.

Dambudzo Secondary School under Chief Mapanzure sits at number two with 22 pregnant pupils.

Chivizina High school under Chief Mazvihwa had 20 girls and is number 3; number 4 is Chenhunguru Secondary School under Chief Masunda with 18 girls and on number 5 are two schools, Ngomeyebani Secondary School under Chief Masunda and Korogwe under Chief Mupakami which are both tied at 17 pregnancies.

On number 7 is Rubweruchena under Chief Mazvihwa which had 16 pregnant pupils and Mandava High in Zvishavane Urban reported 14 pregnancies. Zvishavane High had the least with only 2 pupils getting pregnant.

A Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education report in the hands of The Mirror says there was a total of 231 teenager pregnancies in Zvishavane District and the majority are from rural schools.

Teenage pregnancies is one of the key challenges we faced during the period under review and there is need to engage the Ministry of Education for a programme to avert such in future , he said.

Zimbabwe National Network for People Living with HIV (ZNNPt) focal person Tracy Manjengwa said there is need to educate the girl child on pregnancies.

Girls are having sex to prove to their partners that they love them. They are also having sex for material things. They should be taught that love is not all about sex , she said. Masvngo Mirror
BLACKPINK member Jennie debuts her new hair color on social media. Is this her way of teasing a group comeback soon?

Keep on reading for all the details.

BLACKPINK Jennie Flaunts New Hair Color on Instagram

On April 10, Jennie sparked a frenzy among BLINKs after debuting a new hair color. On her Instagram, the idol showed off her hair dyed orange! This was shocking to fans, as Jennie had only dyed her hair shades of brown. There are rare times she only dyed her bangs or wore a wig, but she was most loyal to her brown or black hair.

Jennie shared the inspiration behind her hair on Instagram Stories. The "SOLO" songstress shared two images of Leelo (played by Milla Jovovich) from the sci-fi film "The Fifth Element."

Is BLACKPINK Jennie Hinting at Group Comeback?

Following the reveal of her new hair color, people believe Jennie is hinting at a BLACKPINK comeback. In K-pop, idols usually dye their hair when they are preparing for a recent comeback era. However, while most idols try to hide their hair, Jennie confidently flaunts her new look.

People believe Jennie will dye her hair fully blonde for the BLACKPINK comeback. This is because her hair is the same shade of orange people will brow hair experience during the first bleaching stage. People speculate Jennie will continue to bleach her hair further and go blonde or dye her hair another bright color.

However, others believe Jennie might maintain her orange hair, and the photos from her Instagram Story may be hints at BLACKPINK's concept.

People are hopeful that this new hair color means BLACKPINK is preparing for a promotion and is not done just for a magazine shoot or a collaboration with a brand. Some believe it could be the latter, as Jennie showed off her Calvin Klein apparel in the same post.

BLACKPINK's last comeback was "Lovesick Girls" in October 2020. It has been over a year since BLACKPINK made a comeback, and if October passes without any new music, it will mark BLACKPINK's second year without a comeback.

Their last musical release was in August 2021 and is the Japanese version of "THE ALBUM."

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

For more K-Pop news, always keep your tabs open on KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Alexa Lewis
Former Gugudan member Sejeong surprised (G)I-DLE's Yuqi by sending her a private message.

Keep on reading to know what she said.

(G)I-DLE Yuqi Reveals Former Gugudan Member Sejeong Sent Her a Private Message

Recently on April 9, (G)I-DLE member Yuqi revealed through her social media that she received a heartwarming message from former Gugudan member-turned-actress, Sejeong (Kim Sejeong), back in October 2021.

According to Yuqi, the encouraging message Sejeong privately sent was during a time when Yuqi was in China and was having a difficult time.

In the private message Yuqi shared on her Instagram Story, Sejeong had said:

"Yuqi-ssi~ Although we don't know each other and are not that close... I am being nosy after seeing the story that you posted. I know that Yuqi is a person who will do well just by holding on. When you do something in vain, it bothers you, right? If you just hold on like this, the time will pass and it will be a time to look back. If you laugh in a bleak way, thinking that you have something to learn from this ridiculous situation. You will grow and nod your head even though it is bittersweet. It is strange learning, isn't it? I know that you are having a difficult time, but you still have the strength to overcome it. By the time you look back on yourself, it will be around the time to go back up and shine again. Yuqi, even though it is difficult, you will feel better soon. Cheer up. You are always doing well! I am always rooting for you."

After reading Sejeong's unexpected message, Yuqi couldn't help but praise the former Gugudan member, and even wondered if she is an angel.

(G)I-DLE Yuqi Touched by Sejeong's Message

"I really didn't know how to look for DMs, but I saw this for the first time today. Sejeong unnie sent me a message, so I wondered how she could have known me... I was so excited. Aren't you really an angel? This is a message from last year, but I really to leave everyone in the world know. Sejeong unnie a really an angel. I am touched, what to do. I will work really hard. Thank you so much for giving me the strength and I will always support you. You are the best," Yuqi said as a response to show her appreciation for Sejeong.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: (G)I-DLE Yuqi Relationship 2022 - Truth Behind Dating Rumors With GOT7 Jackson

Not long after, Yuqi held a Naver V LIVE broadcast where she talked about the message she got from Sejeong.

During the V LIVE broadcast, Yuqi revealed she initially didn't know how the DMs on Instagram worked, and she herself has never checked it, which was the reason she never saw Sejeong's message up until recently.

She also added that she really appreciated Sejeong's encouraging message, as they didn't know each other at the time. "I don't know how to explain my feelings when I saw her message. I really want to thank her," Yuqi said.

What are your thoughts on Sejeong's message?

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Will Gugudan Reunite in the Future? Former Member Kang Mina Responds to Question

For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Robyn Joan
Following BTS' first Las Vegas concert weekend, ARMYs are calling out other fans after the members were seen nearly get injured at the exciting event.

Keep on reading to know more.

ARMYs Nearly Injure BTS Members During 'Permission to Dance On Stage' Las Vegas Concerts

Back on April 8 local time, BTS kicked off the Las Vegas leg of their "Permission to Dance On Stage" concerts at the Allegiant Stadium. Just like their previous concerts, BTS is performing for four nights at the "city that never sleeps," with the seven-member group concluding their April 8 and 9 shows.

As always, "Permission to Dance On Stage" has been the talk of the town, with thousands of ARMYs taking to social media to talk about the exciting event. Concert goers have also shared numerous photos and videos of the BTS members on stage and interacting with fans.

However, one part of the concert has fans criticizing ARMYs at the concert for their actions.

As part of their concert, members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook get to go around the venue by hopping on a cart which moves them around the stadium and returns them to the stage.

While both BTS and fans are given the opportunity to see each other up close, ARMYs at the venue began throwing toys and flowers, among other things, to the members as they pass by. In fact, some of the items almost hit the members and were able to dodge the flying item at the last second. However, some members weren't as lucky.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Here's Why BTS Is Not Invited in South Korea's Presidential Inauguration in May

NAH THAT ALMOST HIT JIN look at how much stuff is on the cart this is ridiculous pic.twitter.com/hMQG6LtapZ  erica  (@capitxnEO) April 10, 2022

In some of the videos that has been circulating online, some show Jin almost getting hit in the face, but was able to duck and avoid the item in time. Videos of the other members getting hit by flowers and other unidentified items were also shared.

In fact, one video showed Jimin losing his smile for a few seconds after his hand, which was covering his face, got hit by a flower bouquet

Please please stop throwing things at them! Today Jimin, Jin, and Yoongi almost got hit by the flower bouquet and plushies you threw. We dont want any more injury to the boys.



pic.twitter.com/fAF91xLPUQ  Ren  (@rensspace) April 10, 2022

In addition, the members' carts were filled with toys and flowers, which could be dangerous as the members might accidentally step on them and get injured.

ARMYs Beg Fellow Fans to Stop Throwing Items at BTS During Concerts

After seeing the videos shared, ARMYs, especially those who did not attend the concerts, became furious and have condemned the act of throwing items at the members without their consent.

Over on Twitter, numerous fans urged other fans to attending the concerts to stop throwing items at the members, especially as many of them were unaware that they were about to get hit. In addition, they stated that items should only be thrown when a member approves of a fan doing so.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: HYBE Drops Official Statement on BTS Military Enlistment - Will Jin Serve in 2022?

Its about time ppl stop throwing flowers at the tannies its really disrespectful and not to mention it could hurt them because of the speed with which they are thrown  Yoongi almost got hit here on the face, and there was a video showing Jin being almost hit too. STOP THIS. pic.twitter.com/kA8GK8LnpV    | Jimin Ost  (@bufftansupremac) April 10, 2022

Many are also particularly worried about Jin, as the random items being thrown at him could hit his injured hand. Back in March, Jin had to undergo surgery on his left hand to repair his damaged extensor after sustaining partial damage to the tendon on his left index finger.

Since then, Jin has been wearing a cast and limiting his movements to avoid aggravating his left hand and ensuring its satefy, which his doctor notes could cause additional surgery if it was injured once again.

Meanwhile, BTS will be continuing with their "Permission to Dance On Stage" concerts in Las Vegas on April 15 and 16 local time.

For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Robyn Joan
About 200 abortion rights demonstrators gathered outside the Old Courthouse in St. Louis, for a rally on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. Speakers warned that Missouri will likely pursue a restrictive abortion law similar to Texas.
A SHURUGWI man allegedly murdered his friend for snatching his girlfriend after he found him at the womans home on Friday night.

Speaking to H-Metro, Midlands police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the incident.

Zimbabwe Republic Police is investigating a case of murder where a man was stabbed to death over a girlfriend in Shurugwi.

Hardlife Mudzingwa, aged 30, and Blessing Mxotshwa, aged 30, of Village 14 Tokwe 3 Valley, Shurugwi, were friends.

Hardlife, the suspect in this case, discovered that they were in love with the same woman, aged 24.

On Friday at around 7.50pm, it is alleged that Mudzingwa visited his girlfriend at her home and she refused to open the door for him.

This did not go down well with the suspect who forcibly gained entry, through a broken dining room window, and discovered that she was with Blessing Mxotshwa.

An argument arose between the suspect and Blessing Mxotshwa.

The suspect produced a knife and stabbed Blessing Mxotshwa once on the neck and fled the scene, said Inspector Mahoko.

The police have appealed to the public to assist them with information that could lead to the arrest of Hardlife Mudzingwa who is still at large. H Metro
The following is a press release from the Montana Environmental Information Center:

Meagher County, MT  Montanas Smith River moves closer toward protection from foreign-owned Sandfire Resources (SFR.V) proposed 1,888-acre Black Butte Copper Mine following a ruling in Montana district court. The court found that the states review of the mine did not adequately address serious concerns over the safety and environmental impacts of the proposed mine, which would produce roughly 12.9 million tons of acid-generating waste, threatening the water quality and trout populations in the beloved river and one of its major tributaries. The mine would also require massive water diversions, impacting existing water rights.

The courts decision is good news for the Smith River and the thousands of Montana families, like mine, that love this river, said Bonnie Gestring, Northwest Program Director for Earthworks. Too many mines in Montana have unnecessarily polluted our rivers and streams. We cant let that happen to the headwaters of the Smith River. The courts ruling echoes our grave concerns about the potential harm from the proposed mine.

In June 2020, Montana Trout Unlimited, Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC), Trout Unlimited, Earthworks, and American Rivers filed the lawsuit in state district court challenging the mines operating permit approved by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), alleging that DEQ failed to conduct a thorough environmental analysis and that the agency ignored over 12,000 public comments opposing the mine. The coalition is represented by the nonprofit environmental law firm Earthjustice.

Montana's Smith River is renowned for its spectacular scenery, towering limestone canyons, and world-class trout fishery. The Smith River is the only permitted recreational river in Montana, featuring an unparalleled 59-mile stretch with only one public put-in and one take-out point for boaters. The Smith River and its tributaries provide crucial habitat and spawning grounds for regional trout fisheries and water for downstream agricultural lands.

Although Sandfire has begun site preparation, it cannot begin to excavate mine tunnels until it receives separate approval from the Department of Natural Resources Conservation to divert large volumes of water to dewater the mine. That action is also being challenged.

Were pleased the judge agreed that the Black Butte Copper Mine poses unacceptable risks to water quality and wild trout in Sheep Creek and the Smith River, said Scott Bosse, Northern Rockies director for American Rivers. There are some places that are too special and too environmentally sensitive to mine, especially when the mine relies on untested technologies. The headwaters of the Smith River are one of them.

The facts of this case have been clear to us for the better part of a decade. We are glad to see that this court agreed that the Black Butte Copper Mine threatens to pollute and dewater some of the most important clean water sources of the Smith River, said David Brooks, Montana Trout Unlimited. This is a win for trout, clean water, sacred Native American lands, and Smith River lovers for generations to come.

In Montana, clean water matters for our economy, our environment, and our way of life. The courts decision recognizes and affirms that principle, stated Derf Johnson, Clean Water Program Director with the Montana Environmental Information Center. With this proposal, the risks are just too great for the river and the folks that depend on it.

This is a significant step toward securing protections for Montanas beloved Smith River, said Benjamin Scrimshaw, associate attorney for Earthjustices Northern Rockies office. The ruling echoed our concerns over the safety and environmental impacts of Sandfires proposed mine, which would jeopardize the water quality, recreation opportunities, and trout populations in the river. Montanans across the state have spoken out about this proposed mine and its potential impacts. We are happy the court recognized the threat it poses as well.

The final order is available here.
Shocking atrocities in Ukraine, allegedly at the hands of Russian forces, have amplified calls to pursue war crimes charges against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Former President Barack Obama, pictured here, in Glasgow, Scotland, on November 8, 2021 fights against disinformation, taking a years long private fascination into the open as he makes addressing the issue a key pillar of his post-presidency.
Abel Rosas is a visionary chef in the most literal sense. He actually draws out his dishes before he cooks them.

People who attend the second annual Lake Geneva Bacon Fest will soon taste Rosas vision for the event.

Bacon Fest is Saturday and Sunday, May 14 and 15, at Flat Iron Park, 201 Wrigley Drive, Lake Geneva.

Organizers of the event include the City of Lake Geneva and Wisconsin Valley Media Group, the parent company of the Lake Geneva Regional News.

At Bacon Fest, Rosas will be serving Pork Belly Taco and Smoke Candied Bacon.

Kelly Wells, marketing and events manager for Wisconsin Valley Media Group, was lucky enough to sample the bacon dish, which she said was next level.

Ive never tasted bacon with such a unique flavor, she said. I found out after my taste test that it was the rosemary. Chef Abel has a knack for coming up with the most creative spins on the most basic food items. His dishes are the epitome of what Bacon Fest is all about.

Last year, Rosas took third in the quarter finals of the worldwide Favorite Chef competition.

Originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, Rosas came to the U.S. in 2008. Previously, he worked in the kitchens of the Grandview Restaurant, Simple Cafe and Oakfire.

Now, Rosas owns Elena In-Home Catering and serves as contract corporate chef for Isotropic Networks. He is also culinary consultant for Food Revolution Wisconsin, a new Isotropic initiative.

My passion for cooking combined with what were doing at Isotropic with Food Revolution Wisconsin has really inspired me to want to participate not only in Bacon Fest, but also in other events that are happening around Lake Geneva this summer, Rosas said. Youll be seeing a lot of me.

In the following Q&A, Rosas discusses his inspiration, one of the dishes he has planned for Bacon Fest and why we will be seeing more of him in the area.

Note: The following was edited.

Resorter: You were inspired to become a chef by your grandmother, Elena Gomez. How has her influence brought you to where you are today?

Abel Rosas: My grandmother was blind, but she loved to cook. She would do everything by smell and touch and taste. She was amazing. Her drive inspired me to chase my dream of doing something on my own. I knew I had to be patient as I learned to cook, just like my grandmother. That combination of drive and patience has given me the tools I need to grow into my own business and to direct my vision for the future.

Resorter: You have an interesting way of designing new dishes. How do you come up with them?

Abel Rosas: I start with a blank sheet of paper. I draw a plate on the paper then start to sketch out a vision for what I want to appear on the plate. From there, I go to my kitchen and I begin to experiment. I test and fail and repeat until I get it exactly the way I envisioned it in my sketch. Repetition is key. Its the mother of all skills. I think of it like taking a vision, a dream, and bringing it to life. For reference, I use the Bible Flavors and the Bible Sauces to help establish the foundations for everything I cook.

Resorter: What will you be creating for Bacon Fest?

Abel Rosas: Candied Rosemary Bacon. The inspiration came from a dinner that the team at Isotropic had in Washington D.C. The idea of something so simple was very exciting to me. I had just seen a show on the combination of sweet and savory, and this was my chance to bring it to life. I ran out and got a smoke gun, I loaded up on rosemary, I got thick cut bacon and went into the test kitchen until I perfected it. I tested it with the Isotropic team and even brought some over to Kelly (Wells) to test in the office. People are going to love it. Im also going to be offering a 48-hour sous vide cooked Pork Belly Taco. Again, people are going to love it.

Resorter: What do you think you will enjoy most about Bacon Fest?

Abel Rosas: Im looking forward to sharing my passion and love for what were doing every day. Im excited to show people what were doing and to talk about where were going. Lake Geneva and Wisconsin have a lot to offer. We have so many amazing resources around us here. I want to help bring it all to life to a broader audience.

In addition to numerous specialty bacon dishes, Bacon Fest also includes more diverse food offerings plus live music.

Vendors include American Made BBQ-Pig Roast, Fiddlesticks On Wheels, Jammin Concessions, Lake Geneva Pie Company, Leftys Too, MM&E BBQ, Pig Tailz, Rustic Oven Wood Fired Pizza, Smilin Dawgs, Sweet Caroline MKE, Sweet Treats Candy & Sweets, The Baker House, Ultimate Confections and the pantry, which is also operating the cash bar at the event. Beer, wine and hard seltzer will be served.

Mid City Grill and Waterford Bee Company will also be at the event.

On May 14, Bacon Fest hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Hours May 15 are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The May 14 music schedule: Lake Geneva House of Music Varsity, noon to 1:30 p.m.; the Judson Brown Duo, 2 to 3 p.m.; Miles Over Mountains, 7 to 9 p.m.

On May 15, the Amazing Farm Boys perform from noon to 1:30 p.m.; Lara Bell Band from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m.; and the MilBillies from 5 to 7 p.m.

Tickets are $5 per person.

Visit baconfestwi.com to purchase tickets and for more information.

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.
Are you ready for your mouth to water?

For this years spring Restaurant Week, set for April 23-May 1, the chefs around Lake Geneva are changing things up.

This years event will showcase the specialties of participating restaurants at promotional pricing, giving visitors and residents the chance to enjoy the distinct flavors of the Lake Geneva areas culinary scene.

For Lake Genevas Restaurant Week this year, the Waterfront menu includes your choice of baby back ribs, a BBQ salmon bowl, or brisket mac and cheese, followed by vanilla creme Brule for $19 over lunch, which runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

At the Geneva Inn, you can choose from crab and lobster roll, chicken marsala, Weiner Schnitzel or Kimchi fried rice, followed up by your choice of tiramisu or a chewy Ganache brownie topped with confectioners sugar and vanilla bean whipped cream. The three-course dinner also includes your choice of soup or salad for $39.

At Harpoon Willies you can get a chicken parmesan sandwich or loaded sweet potatoes fries with cheese, chili and barbeque pork for $14. At the Lookout Bar and Eatery in Delavan, you can get a two-course Reuben wong burger made with corned beef followed by Door County cherries jubilee cheesecake for $20 for lunch. Or have a three-course dinner for $39 that includes a salad with blue cheese and candied pecans along with seared chili maple salmon and cheese cake for dessert.

It is the seventh year VISIT Lake Geneva is hosting Restaurant Week.

This year, the chefs wanted to showcase the dishes that define their restaurants, a concept we loved given the strong foodie reputation of Lake Geneva, and we think customers will eat it up, too, said Stephanie Klett, CEO of VISIT Lake Geneva.

Nearly 30 restaurants are participating this year, offering lots of favorites to choose from for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

There will be a mix of dine-in and takeout options, and depending on the weather, customers will be able to take advantage of outdoor seating with great views to any one of the trio of lakes in the area  Geneva Lake, Lake Como and Delavan Lake.

Along with all that tastiness, diners will also receive a ballot at the end of their meal to vote for a local charity theyd like to see receive a cash award.

The top vote-getter will receive $5,000 and four runners-up will collect $1,000 each, thanks to a generous donation from this years Charity Check sponsor, Titos Handmade Vodka.

Descriptions of all the charity nominees can be accessed via the event website, www.visitlakegeneva.com/lake-geneva-restaurant-week. The winning charities will be announced May 5.

Klett said participating restaurants will spell out the value pricing and savings right on the menu.

Establishments taking part in Restaurant Week are 240 West, Avant Cycle Cafe, The Baker House, Barrique Bistro & Wine Bar, Bean + Vine, Cafe Calamari, Crafted Italia, Flat Iron Tap, Ginos East Lake Geneva, Grand Cafe, The Grandview Restaurant, Harpoon Willies, Hunt Club Steakhouse, Lookout Bar & Eatery, Lake City Social, Magpies Den and Pen, Next Door Pub, Oakfire Pizzeria Napolitana & Bar, Pier 290, Popeyes On Lake Geneva, Privato Pizza Bistro & Lounge, Sopra, Smokeys BBQ, Harborside Cafe & Bar, Tuscan Tavern & Grill, Turf.Smokehouse, Turtle Lake Tap & Grill and Waterfront Restaurant.

The culinary adventure doesnt stop at the restaurants. Local breweries, wineries, sweet shops, and culinary-centric stores also running Restaurant Week specials.

Heres your chance to do a little shopping between all that munching, said Klett.

Lake Geneva School of Cooking is also offering a cooking class for Restaurant Week.

For a rundown of specialties from participating restaurants, chef profiles, and even recipes, go to VISITs Restaurant Week site.

More can be found on VISIT Lake Genevas Facebook page and Instagram profile.

VISIT Lake Geneva, the communitys Chamber of Commerce and official Visitor & Convention Bureau, works to share the wonders of Lake Geneva with travelers from far and wide in search of natural beauty with a feel of the seaside, a place where family traditions can be made, and genuine warmth that makes them feel welcome time and time again.

The central storyline of Lake Geneva, admired as the Newport of the West and the Hamptons of Chicago revolves around pristine Geneva Lake, the historic mansions that circle it, and the many resorts, restaurants and boutiques that give the community a seacoast-style appeal all its own.

For more, go to www.VisitLakeGeneva.com.
Two high school seniors were recently recognized as recipients of the Good Citizen Program sponsored by the Samuel Phoenix Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Drew Cronin, daughter of Patrick and Katherine Cronin, of Walworth, is the 2022 Big Foot High School winner.

Anna Wollaeger, daughter of Christopher and Joanne Busch, of Lake Geneva, is the 2022 Badger High School Good Citizen.

The students were honored during a program at the Geneva Lake Museum. They were selected based on qualities of leadership, dependability, service and patriotism in their respective schools and communities.

As Good Citizen recipients, they both participated in a timed Essay Contest titled: Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It: How do the qualities of a Good Citizen Help Support our Nation?

Wollaeger is the winner of the essay competition, with her essay sent to the DAR State Essay Competition. She received a $100 gift card, with a pin.

Cronin also received a gift card and pin for her participation.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote patriotism, preserve American history and support better education for our nations children.

Its members are descendants of the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War.

With more than 165,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the worlds largest and most active service organizations.

For information see DAR.org.
Republicans could hold six of Wisconsins eight House seats next year under the states new district maps, but Democrats could capitalize in future years on a surprising change: The GOP now holds only a 2-point advantage in the district once held by Paul Ryan.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court earlier this year ruled that Gov. Tony Evers maps best align with the courts previous ruling that the states next 10-year maps include minimal changes to existing boundaries, meaning the new boundaries dont differ all that much from previous districts. Five of the states eight congressional districts are currently held by Republicans.

Some of the most significant changes were made to the 1st Congressional District, which is currently held by Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville. For the first time since 1990, the district no longer includes Waukesha County, an area that has often leaned Republican, while it added the Milwaukee suburb of Cudahy, as well as Whitewater and Beloit to the west.

The University of Virginia Center for Politics Sabatos Crystal Ball estimates that former President Donald Trumps 2020 support in the district drops from 54% under the previous map to 50% with new boundaries.

While there were minimal changes to the 3rd Congressional District, the departure of Democratic Rep. Ron Kind, who has done well in a district that Trump carried in the last two presidential elections, could leave that seat open to a potential GOP victory. Former President Barack Obama carried Kinds district by nearly 11 points in 2012.

I think we will end up with a 6-2 split after the 2022 elections, and that really owes to the political context of this year, said UW-La Crosse political science assistant professor Anthony Chergosky. I think if this were a different political context then we could end up with a 5-3 or even a 4-4 split.

That just shows the extent to which these maps are favorable for Republicans, he added. A 4-4 split is possible but it would take an exceptionally good year for Democrats to pull that off. Of course we know thats a combination of the way the lines are drawn as well as the geographic clustering of Democratic voters in Madison and Milwaukee.

All told, Evers map moves a little over 322,000 people into new congressional boundaries, meaning almost 94.5% of the states residents remain in their current district, according to the governors office.

A Marquette Law School analysis of the new maps  using the results of the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections and the 2018 gubernatorial election as a baseline  found the 1st Districts Republican margin falls from a 10-point Republican lean to a 2-point GOP advantage.

Thats by far the biggest change in partisan composition of the eight congressional districts.

While Steils district is more competitive, Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabatos Crystal Ball, said the first-term congressman is expected to fare well this fall, due in part to challenges often faced by the party in the White House. That could change down the road if the political environment favors the Democratic Party.

You could imagine maybe at some point over the course of the decade that Democrats could challenge Bryan Steil, but I dont think its going to be a problem in the context of 2022, Kondik said. In an environment like 2022, its going to be hard for Democrats to challenge in really any Trump-won district outside of maybe the ones they already have if they have strong incumbents in those districts.

Districts to watch

Sabatos Crystal Ball rates the 1st District as likely Republican, while the 3rd District is considered to lean Republican. The states other six districts are considered safe for their respective party.

Regardless of what the final congressional district map looks like, I am running for re-election to the 1st Congressional District to continue my work to get our way of life back, stop rising costs and cut runaway spending, Steil said in a statement.

Democratic candidates Albert Namath and Ann Roe are currently running in the Aug. 9 primary to face Steil in the Nov. 8 general election.

Kondik said Wisconsins 3rd District is a very prime Republican pickup target due in large part to Kinds decision not to seek another term. The districts overall boundaries have seen little change and the Marquette Law School analysis found the new maps maintain the districts 2-point GOP lean.

That incumbent factor is now gone, said Preya Samsundar, Midwest regional spokesperson for the Republican National Committee. Depending on the district, depending on the congressman in the seat, that cushion in terms of guaranteed points that you can expect differs, but that cushion for Democrats is now gone. Its why the third district is one of the top five districts for Republicans to flip this cycle and one of the top five races to watch on a national level.

For Kind, who has held his seat since 1997, its a sentiment hes heard before.

If I had a nickel for every time Ive heard Republicans say, This is the year were going to take Ron Kind out and turn the district Republican, Id be a very rich man, Kind said. For 26 years theyve taken a run at me and the Super PACs have taken a run at me and Ive always been able to carry the district. With the right candidate, Democrats can hold on to the seat.

Kind has endorsed state Sen. Brad Pfaff, D-Onalaska, in the race for his seat this fall. Pfaff will face fellow Democrats Rebecca Cooke, Brett Knudsen, Deb McGrath and Mark Neumann in the primary. Republican candidates running for the seat include Denise Hurless and Derrick Van Orden.

The states six other districts  the Democratic-leaning 2nd and 4th districts, and the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th districts, which lean Republican  maintain their large partisan makeups, according to the Marquette Law School and Sabatos Crystal Ball.

From a good government standpoint, you could say that its a win to go from one competitive district to two competitive districts, but were still left with three quarters of our districts being utterly uncompetitive and that is a huge concern for me, Chergosky said.

Final maps?

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Democratic governors legislative maps last month, kicking the matter back to the state court. The federal justices also accepted Evers congressional boundaries, denying a request from the states Republican congressional lawmakers seeking to block those boundaries.

Congressional Republicans have filed a motion for reconsideration with the states high court on the congressional boundaries, but UW-Madison Law School associate professor Robert Yablon said its highly likely the governors maps will stand for the Nov. 8 election.

I just dont expect that at this really late stage, as were approaching the April 15 date for nomination petitions to start circulating, that (the court) is going to change course now, Yablon said.

The state Supreme Court is expected to rule any day on legislative boundaries, but it remains to be seen whether the court returns with Evers maps backed by additional evidence, shifts over to boundaries drawn by legislative Republicans or others, or pursues a new avenue.

With the U.S. Supreme Courts focus on districts in the Milwaukee area and Evers maps already determined by the state court to most closely follow the least-change guidelines, Mel Barnes, staff counsel with Law Forward, said its possible the new maps dont end up being much of a departure from the governors previous boundaries.

I cant imagine that the court would be eager to tinker with that after making this decision and considering all the evidence, so one thing they also could decide to do is make some changes in the Milwaukee area, but leave the rest of the state intact from the original maps proposed by the governor, Barnes said.

No matter what maps the state Supreme Court chooses, Yablon said its almost certain that the matter will see additional litigation.

Whats more, Marquette Law School Poll director Charles Franklin said another possible scenario still out there is that lawmakers could simply revisit the redistricting process if a Republican governor is elected this fall and returns the state to full GOP control.

The Legislature and the governor can redistrict any time they want, Franklin said. Theres nothing problematic from a legal point of view of doing redistricting more than once during a decade.
HARARE lawyer Tawanda Takaindisas car was sold by a mechanic, without his consent, after he had taken the vehicle for repairs.

The mechanic, Tinashe Chipondwa, appeared before Harare magistrate Yeukai Dzuda and was not asked to plead.

The court heard that two years ago, Takaindisa Law Chambers, represented by Takaindisa, gave Chipondwa a Benz Viano, whose gearbox required attention.

Chipondwa promised to fix the vehicle within a month.

In December 2020, Takaindisa made a follow-up on the vehicle and Chipondwa advised him he had sourced spare parts from the UK, and they were still in transit.

The court heard that Takaindisa was satisfied with the explanation and even advised the mechanic to take his time as he wanted a perfect job on the car.

Takaindisa went back to check on the vehicle, after some time, as the firm wanted to dispose of the car.

However, Chipondwa became evasive.

Takaindisa later found out that Chipondwa had sold the car, without its registration book, violating their trust agreement.

The car was recovered from the buyer and is currently held as an exhibit. H Metro
New Delhi, Apr 11 (PTI) The impression that judges appoint judges in India is wrong and the selection is done through a lengthy consultative process where many stakeholders are involved, Chief Justice N V Ramana said on Monday, defending the Collegium system.

The decisions of the Supreme Court on judicial appointments are aimed at sustaining people's faith and trust, he said and asserted that he doesn't think the selection process can be more democratic than it is now.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Named for First Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Memorial Award.

"There is an impression that in India judges appoint judges. It is a wrong impression and I want to correct that.

"The appointment is done through a lengthy consultative process. Many stakeholders are consulted. The Executive is one of the key stakeholders," he said at an event here.

Also Read | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Green Colour Variant Goes Official in India; Check Prices, Features & Specifications.

The CJI said that interpretation of the Constitutional provisions regarding the appointment of judges had to be undertaken by the Supreme Court only when it felt that there was an executive overreach.

"'In doing so, the Supreme Court followed the basic structure doctrine," he said.

The Supreme Court had in October 2015 struck down as unconstitutional the NJAC Act which gave a major role to the executive in appointing judges to the higher judiciary.

The ambitious National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014 was brought in by the NDA government at that time to replace the over two-decade-old collegium system.

Citing the process of appointment of judges to high courts, the CJI said, "Once the proposal is made by a high court, concerned state government, Governor, the Government of India will examine the proposal before it is sent to the Supreme Court.

"The top three judges of the Supreme Court consider the proposal based on inputs given by all the stakeholders. We take the opinion of the Consultee Judge in the Supreme Court also. Many people may not be aware of this," the CJI said.

Ramana said the Constitution of India mandates the separation of powers between the three organs of the State where the Judiciary is mandated to review executive and legislative actions and that is why the independence of the judiciary is non-negotiable.

"It is the courts that uphold fundamental rights and the rule of law. People will trust the Judiciary only if it acts independently. The decisions of the Supreme Court on judicial appointments are aimed at sustaining people's faith and trust,'' he said.

Elaborating on the appointment process, Ramana said the Consultee Judge is the one who hails from that State or had earlier worked in that High Court. Only after taking into account a wide range of opinions from diverse sources, the collegium forms its opinion. Most of the time, it is a unanimous opinion.

"I don't think a selection process can be more democratic than this. Here, I want to emphasise the fact that it is the Government which finally appoints the judges in the name of the President of India, Head of our State.

"As I said earlier, sustaining people's faith in the Judiciary is the guiding principle," he said.

Justice Ramana was speaking at the '2nd Comparative Constitutional Law Conversation' along with United States Supreme Court Judge Justice Stephen Breyer.

The event was organised by Society for Democratic Rights, New Delhi and the Georgetown University Law Centre, Washington D.C. on the topic Comparative Approaches of Supreme Courts of World's Largest Democracies.

PTI PKS

(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 11 (ANI): Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala, Binoy Viswam has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to reconsider the decision to provide booster doses to those aged above 18 years at a cost of around 375 rupees.

He said that the nationwide COVID vaccination drive can only be justified by the free availability of vaccines in public healthcare institutions that can be accessed by millions of people who may not be able to afford private vaccination.

Also Read | Haryana: Dead Body of Young Man With Injury Marks Found in Gurugram.

Viswam in his letter to the Prime Minister said, "I urge the government to re-consider the same in the interest of the ordinary citizens of the country and their well-being. While a provision for private access to the vaccine booster dose may be kept, it can only be justified by the free availability of vaccines in public healthcare institutions that can be accessed by millions of people who may not be able to afford private vaccination."

Private vaccination centres on Sunday began the administration of the precautionary "third" dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, also known as the booster dose, for the 18-plus population.

Also Read | West Bengal Bypolls 2022: Litmus Test for Trinamool Congress, BJP As Asansol and Ballygunge Go for Bypolls on April 12.

The age cap for the booster shot came at a time when another highly transmissible XE variant of the coronavirus is being reported. However, the official confirmation of the existence of this particular variant is yet to come.

The CPI MP further in his letter stated that the government has decided to provide booster doses for all those above the age of 18 and between 60 at around 375 rupees from the pockets of the people will lead to the failure of the drive. "The privatization of the vaccination drive is ill-planned, disastrous and could invariably lead to the failure of the intended programme," he added.

"The most vulnerable people to the Covid-19 virus are those who work outside with maximum contact of people, this includes daily-wage workers, street vendors, industrial workers, students, and those commuting through public transportation to work. The policy to pay for the booster dose, dis-incentivizes these groups as the cost of vaccination could be a significant cost to the day-to-day expenses of this class" he said in the letter to PM Modi.

The CPI Rajya Sabha MP said, "The Government policy for booster doses caters only to the affluent classes who can afford the vaccine while discriminating against those who may not be able to afford the same."

"This discriminatory implementation of the vaccination drive is another example of the Government's concern for the common citizens of the country who are already reeling under the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the sharp price rise that is occurring at present. The government rather than standing by the interest of the ordinary citizens, is giving an opportunity to two companies to gain extraordinary profits and loot the country," he added.

The CPI MP urged the Prime Minister to reconsider the decision in the interest of the ordinary citizens of the country and their well-being. (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 11 (PTI) After the Enforcement Directorate (ED) examined senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge in connection with a money laundering probe, the party's whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore on Monday accused the government of "harassing" the Dalit leader and said that he would not surrender like BSP supremo Mayawati did.

He said the government is "harassing" Kharge and "wants to insult Dalit leaders".

Also Read | Punjab: Man, Kin Booked for Abducting, Raping 22-Year-Old Girl.

Kharge is a fighter and "he won't surrender like Mayawati ji", Tagore tweeted.

Addressing an event in Delhi last week, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that the Congress had reached out to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, offering her the chief minister's post for contesting the Uttar Pradesh polls together, but she did not respond.

Also Read | Ramzan 2022 Time Table: Sehri and Iftar Timings for 10th Roza of Ramadan on April 12 in Mumbai, Delhi, and Lucknow.

"...She gave a clear passage to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Why? (Because of) the CBI, the ED and Pegasus," Gandhi had claimed.

The ED examined Kharge here on Monday in connection with its money laundering probe against the party-promoted Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which publishes the National Herald newspaper, officials said.

The 79-year-old Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha was summoned to appear before the federal agency with regard to the probe, following which he deposed before it.

His statement has been recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as the agency wants to understand some issues in the investigation, officials said.

Kharge is stated to be an office-bearer of Young Indian and AJL and hence his questioning in the case was necessitated, officials said.

The ED has been probing AJL and the role of various Congress leaders under the anti-money laundering law since 2016 after taking cognisance of a CBI FIR.

(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 11 (ANI): A high-level Central team, comprising senior officers of the Government of India and Cabinet Ministers, visited the 'Palli Panchayat' in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, informed the officials.

The team, led by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, visited the venue ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally on April 24.

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"The choice of Palli Panchayat as the venue of the national level Panchayati Raj Diwas indicates the high priority given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Jammu and Kashmir and the Modi government's focus to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the Union Territory," said Singh.

He also informed that there will be an attempt to exhibit Drone Technology in agricultural farming, Aroma Mission and Purple Revolution Floriculture mission, modern uses of bamboo, wastewater management, etc during the event.

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A team of senior Jammu and Kashmir officers, led by Additional Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, also interacted with the Central team at the site of the programme at Palli Panchayat.

A solar plant in the Palli Panchayat is being set up in a record time of 20 days. The 500 kilovolts (KV) solar plant is being installed on a total area of 6,408 square metres and will provide clean electricity and light to 340 houses in the Panchayat, thus making it the first Carbon Neutral Panchayat under the Government of India's "Gram Urja Swaraj Programme," said Singh.

The latest scientific innovations, which are applicable for rural development and upgraded agricultural farming, would be showcased during the Panchayati Raj Diwas.

"Panchayati Raj Diwas" this year is being organised by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, the Department of Biotechnology and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Deoghar (Jharkhand), Apr 11 (PTI) At least one person has died while 48 others lay trapped mid-air in a row of 12 ropeway trollies that collided with each other at Trikut hills, close to Baba Baidyanath Temple, in Jharkhand's Deoghar district, a senior official said on Monday.

According to the official, 10 tourists sustained serious injuries in the collision that occurred around 4.30 pm on Sunday, and one of them died late in the night.

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Two airforce choppers have arrived for evacuation, he said.

"All efforts are being made to airlift the tourists to safety. An NDRF team working since Sunday night has rescued 11 people. Locals, too, are helping with the rescue operation. Ten people have sustained serious injuries in the incident, of which one of them died late last night," Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri told PTI over phone.

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Asked about the reason that led to the accident, the DC said the entire district machinery was at present involved in the evacuation exercise, and a probe would be initiated only after the operation got over.

Prima facie it seemed that a technical snag caused the accident, the DC maintained.

He also said that the ropeway was being run by a private company.

Operators running the system fled the area shortly after the accident.

The Trikut ropeway, according to the Jharkhand tourism department, is India's highest vertical ropeway with a maximum lens angle of 44 degrees.

The ropeway, situated around 20 km from Baba Baidyanath Temple, is around 766-metre-long, while the hill is 392-metres-high.

(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 11 (PTI) A day after clashes broke out at the Jawaharlal Nehru University's Kaveri Hostel mess allegedly over serving of non-vegetarian food, the security guards on Monday were asking students to show their identity cards to enter the hostel.

According to a student, who did not wish to be identified, the security guards were even asking residents to show ID cards.

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"A guest can enter the hostel without any bar till 11pm, but today they are asking guests for IDs and to enter their names in the register," he said.

Inside the hostel mess, a few shards of glass were lying on the floor, reminiscent of the incident that happened on Sunday night.

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Behind the hostel mess, there is an open area where a tent was erected and a puja was performed on the occasion of Ram Navami. The place still had the hawan kund' kept there.

Two groups of students on Sunday had clashed allegedly over the serving of non-vegetarian food in the hostel mess.

The JNU Students' Union (JNUSU), which is led by Left-affiliate outfits, has alleged that the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) supporters attacked the students while opposing the serving of non-vegetarian food in the Kaveri Hostel mess on the Hindu festival.

The ABVP, however, denied the charge and claimed that "Leftists" obstructed a 'puja' organised at the hostel on Ram Navami. Both sides had accused each other of pelting stones and injuring their members.

Meanwhile, a student at the university, who was injured during the clashes on Sunday, alleged that ambulances were not allowed to enter the varsity campus and she had to take an auto to reach the hospital.

Several purported videos of the violence surfaced on social media, with one of them showing a student, Akhtarista Ansari, bleeding from the head.

Ansari who is pursuing Masters in sociology at JNU said that on Sunday, at about 8pm, when she got to know about the violence, she immediately rushed to Kaveri Hostel and saw that the "ABVP goons" were brutally attacking the students with stones and rods.

"Women students were sexually harassed by the ABVP members present there. I was attacked on my head with a heavy stone.

"Despite being injured, they did not allow the ambulance to enter inside. So, I took a backside route and hired an auto to reach the hospital," she alleged.

"I got myself treated at AIIMS and I sustained around four stitches to my head," she told reporters.

Prabhanshu Kajla, a PHD student who was also injured in the violence at Kaveri Hostel, said, "They (ABVP supporters) snatched phones of students and manhandled us. Security guards were also attacked. They beat me up once.

"I then rushed to Godavari dhaba, where they came in groups following me and thrashed me their again brutally. My friend Harender, who was coming from the other side, was also attacked with a wiper," he alleged.

He added that he received five-six stitches to different parts of the body.

Another victim who is a female from the RSS-affiliate ABVP alleged that she was attacked by a group when she was going to the library around 8 pm after the Ram Navami puja on the Kaveri lawn.

"Suddenly, some people started abusing me and they attacked me with knives, stones and sticks. They harassed me physically. When I opposed, they started beating me up and injured me in my right arm, back and legs...," she alleged.

(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 11 (PTI) US President Joe Biden on Monday conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he was looking forward to seeing him in Japan on May 24 during a summit of the leaders of the Quad or Quadrilateral coalition.

Biden said this in his opening remarks at a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Named for First Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Memorial Award.

"It is always good to see you. I am looking forward to seeing you in Japan on May 24," the US President said.

Japan will host the summit of the Quad leaders that is expected to hold extensive discussions on ways to further enhance cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The Quad comprises India, Japan, the US and Australia.

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"When I visited Washington in September last year, and about which you just mentioned, you said that the India-US partnership can contribute in solving many global problems," Modi said in his opening remarks.

"I totally agree with you. As the world's two largest and oldest democracies, we are natural partners," Modi said.

He further added: "And the progress that has been made in our relations over the last few years, the new momentum that has been created, perhaps it was something difficult to imagine, even a decade ago from today."

In March last year, Biden hosted the first-ever summit of the Quad leaders in the virtual format that was followed by an in-person summit in Washington in September for which Prime Minister Modi had travelled to the US.

The Quad has been focusing on cooperation in areas such as producing vaccines, connectivity projects, facilitating the mobility of students, and looking at promoting startups and technology collaboration.

The foreign ministers of the Quad grouping held extensive talks in Melbourne in February.

The Quad has been focusing on cooperation in areas such as producing vaccines, connectivity projects, facilitating the mobility of students, and looking at promoting startups and technology collaboration.

(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 11 (PTI) Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday met the new team of the party's Punjab unit and discussed with it the roadmap to strengthen the organisation in the state.

He also asked the team's members, including newly appointed Congress Punjab chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warrin, to ensure the state's development and fight for its rights.

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"My congratulations and best wishes to the newly appointed team of Punjab Congress. Discussions took place on the development of Punjab and taking forward the fight for the rights," Gandhi said in a Facebook post.

Besides Warrin, the state unit's working president Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Pratap Singh Bajwa and deputy CLP leader Raj Kumar Chhabbewal were also part of the meeting with Gandhi.

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Later, talking to reporters, Warring said that discipline should be maintained within the organisation and no leader should speak against the party.

"No one should speak against the party. Such action will not be tolerated and stern action will be taken. Discipline should be foremost in the party and anyone indulging in such activities should be ousted from the party," he said.

The new Punjab Congress chief also said those who had spoken out of turn against party leaders four months ago, should no longer do it, and that no such activity will be tolerated.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Raipur, Apr 11 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has pitched for Rahul Gandhi once again taking charge as Congress president, even as he asserted that the party follows a democratic process and anyone willing to contest for the post is free to do so.

Sonia Gandhi is currently the interim president of the Congress. She assumed the charge after Rahul Gandhi resigned from the position after the party suffered its second consecutive defeat in parliamentary elections in 2019.

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"The dates for the Congress organisational elections have been announced and those who want to contest are free to file nomination. I believe that Rahul Gandhi should take charge as Congress chief," Baghel told PTI in an interview.

His remarks come as the Group of 23 leaders has called for a revamp of the party organisation. The demands for change in the Congress have increased in the wake of the party's poor performance in the recently held assembly elections.

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The party had lost Punjab to the Aam Aadmi Party by a big margin.

Speaking about the debacle in the recent assembly elections, Baghel said, "Elections come and go, we shouldn't be disheartened by it. We should move ahead."

Last month, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) decided Sonia Gandhi would continue to lead the party until the election for the post of Congress president is held.

Sonia Gandhi had also said she was ready "to make every sacrifice" in the interest of the party.

While reposing full faith in her leadership, the CWC urged her to effect immediate corrective changes to strengthen the party and meet the political challenges ahead of the next round of elections.

With the Congress organisational polls being underway, the party would have a new party president between August 21 and September 20 this year and thereafter, elections to the CWC would be held by October at the All India Congress Committee Plenary session.

Sonia Gandhi who took over the reins of the party again as interim president had also offered to quit in August 2020 after an open revolt by a section of leaders, referred to as G-23, but then too the CWC had urged her to continue.

In August 2020, twenty-three senior Congress leaders had written a letter to Sonia Gandhi requesting immediate and active leadership, organisational rejig.

In the letter, they sought an overhaul within the party in view of frequent failures in Lok Sabha and state elections. The leaders' demand intensified over time and senior party leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal, continued to defy the party's stand on several occasions.

(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 11 (PTI) Telecom regulator Trai on Monday recommended a 35 per cent cut in the reserve price for prime 5G spectrum frequencies in 3300-3670 MHz band, at Rs 317 crore per MHz.

Releasing its much-awaited recommendations, Trai said that all available spectrum in the existing bands of 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz and the new spectrum bands of 600 MHz, 3300-3670 MHz and 24.25-28.5 GHz, will be put to auction.

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"To provide flexibility to the telecom service providers, block size of 10 MHz for 3300-3670 MHz band and 50 MHz for 24.25-28.5 GHz band recommended. Spectrum to be assigned in a contiguous manner," Trai said in a statement.

In all, the reserve price across various bands works out to be nearly 39 per cent lower than that suggested last time, sources said.

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For the prime 5G frequency of 3300-3670 MHz band, all-India reserve price adds up to Rs 317 crore per MHz, which is over 35 per cent lower than the Rs 492 crore/MHz suggested by Trai last time.

The base price for coveted 700 Mhz band works out to be Rs 3,927 crore per Mhz, which is 40 per cent lower than that proposed last time.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said that for the long-term growth and sustainability of the telecom sector, infusing liquidity and encouraging investment, the telecom service providers should be allowed easy payment options, including part payment with flexibility of moratorium.

The spectrum auctions are slated to be conducted in 2022, to facilitate the rollout of 5G mobile services within 2022-23, by private telecom providers. The next generation 5G will usher in ultra high-speeds and spawn new-age services and business models.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
THE second phase of the mobile voter registration exercise began on a low note yesterday in different parts of the country with very few people turning up.

Zimbabwe is expected to hold general elections in 2023.

The voter registration exercise will run until April 30. In the first phase in February, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) registered 81 724 new voters.

NewsDay visited several voter registration centres in Harare yesterday and found that teams from Zec spent the day chatting as few people turned up to register.

The commission deployed two teams per constituency out of the 210 constituencies under the current blitz.

Zec spokesman Jasper Mangwana told NewsDay that the low voter turnout could be attributed to lack of interest.

To be honest with you, I am not so sure what is happening. Some people are not interested in voting, remember voting is not mandatory, Mangwana said.

He said they were expecting more new voters after the issuance of identity documents by the Registrar-Generals Office which also is conducting an exercise to provide key documents such as birth certificates and national identity cards.

We sent our voter educators on the ground last week and they informed people that we were coming to those constituencies. We are carrying out radio programmes at community radio stations, including Radio Zimbabwe.

We have been assisted by the RG in terms of identity documents and we are expecting many people to come and register to vote, especially those in the rural areas, now that they have access to identity documents, Mangwana said.

The voter registration blitz was initially scheduled for December last year, but was postponed following concerns that the majority of potential voters did not have identity documents. Newsday
New Delhi [India], April 11 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, accompanied by his deputies Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday to discuss various matters related to the development of the state.

"Met Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak. Discussed various matters related to the development of the state. Their commitment towards public and country will lead the state towards new milestones of development," tweeted PM Modi.

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UP CM Yogi Adityanath also took Twitter to extend greetings and thanked PM Modi for giving time to meet the UP leadership.

"Made a courtesy visit to the architect of New India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today. His guidance always fills you with positive energy. Thank you very much respected Prime Minister for giving your valuable time!" tweeted Yogi.

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The delegation also met President Ram Nath Kovid and Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday.

This is the first visit of Adityanath to the national capital after he was sworn in as the Chief Minister for the second consecutive term.

In the recently held Assembly polls, the results for which were announced on March 10, the Bharatiya Janata Pary got an absolute majority in the 403-member Assembly by winning 255 seats with its allies Apna Dal (Sonelal) and the Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (Nishad) bagging 12 and six seats respectively. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Raipur, Apr 11 (PTI) Accusing the BJP of using religion for political gains, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has said the use of 'bhagwa' (saffron colour) to win votes is an "insult" to seers and also alleged that the party's thinking and principles are similar to that of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

Baghel said his Congress party has always worked to unite people and alleged that it is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has used the name of Lord Ram to divide people.

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The Congress seems to be seeking to beat the BJP at its Hindutva game in Chhattisgarh which will go to assembly polls next year.

On Sunday, the chief minister inaugurated the revamped Shivrinarayan temple as part of the state government's ambitious Ram Van Gaman Tourism Circuit that is being developed to "preserve the memories of the exile period of Lord Ram".

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"Before 1975, the RSS never talked about Ram Mandir. When they realised that they can get votes by raking up the name of Ram, they used it. Now, they have become big Ram devotees. Congress has always worked to unite people.

"But the BJP has used Ram's name to divide people. The saffron colour is the symbol of supreme sacrifice. Bhagwa is adopted by those who make supreme sacrifice. They (BJP) are using bhagwa to win votes. It is an insult to seers. BJP wants to embrace freedom fighters but not their teachings and ideals," Baghel told PTI in an interview.

The Congress has always worked for the development and growth of Indian tradition, he said, alleging that the BJP's thinking and principles are similar to that of dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. "They are influenced by Mussolini," he alleged.

Targeting the RSS, the ideological mentor of BJP, the Congress leader said, "It is not our tradition to wear half pants and black cap and play drums. BS Moonje met Mussolini and brought his thinking here. Nehru did not meet Mussolini despite the latter's requests."

Baghel went on to allege that the RSS brought "aggressive Hindutva" here, saying that it believes in "destroying everyone whose thinking does not match theirs".

"The Communists' and our thinking do not match, we move forward by taking Indian tradition forward," the chief minister also said.

In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress had won 68 seats in the 90-member Assembly while the BJP secured 15 seats.

(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 11 (ANI): After Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan, the United States said that they support the upholding of constitutional democratic principles and a democratic Pakistan is critical to US interests.

"We support the peaceful upholding of constitutional democratic principles. We don't support one political party over another. We certainly support the principles of rule of law and equal justice under the law," the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a press briefing.

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Psaki said that the US values its cooperation with Pakistan, and always viewed a prosperous and democratic Pakistan is critical to its interests

"We value our long-standing cooperation with Pakistan, and always viewed a prosperous and democratic Pakistan is critical to US interests that remain unchanged regardless of who leadership is in terms of future policymaking to predict at this point in time, obviously we stay in close touch with them at a range of levels," she added.

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Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan on Monday evening hours after being elected by the National Assembly of the country.

Prime Minister-elect Shehbaz Sharif was administered the oath by the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani after President Arif Alvi fell ill.

Shehbaz Sharif, President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former leader of the Opposition, was elected the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan by the National Assembly of the country earlier today.

"Mian Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif has secured 174 votes," announced PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq, who was chairing the session after the resignation of Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri ahead of the vote.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khans, who sought to link the opposition's move to oust him through a no-trust vote with "foreign conspiracy" and named the United States in some of his speeches, was voted out of power by the Pakistani Parliament.

However, the United States rejected his allegations. Imran Khan also gave calls for people to take to the streets while the joint opposition remained steadfast in its objective of defeating him. (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, April 11: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan decided to tender his resignation as a member of the National Assembly ahead of the election for the new prime minister of Pakistan. This development comes after Imran Khan said that he will not sit in the assemblies with 'thieves'.

"The man who has 16 billion and 8 billion rupees of corruption cases, whoever selects and elects the Prime Minister can not be a big insult to the country. We are resigning from the National Assembly," Imran Khan was quoted as saying by PTI's official Twitter account.

Confirming the decision, Pakistan's former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that sitting in the assembly would strengthen the Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif and therefore it has been decided to submit their resignation from the National Assembly. Pakistan: PTI Members Walk Out of Assembly Session To Elect New Prime Minister.

"Imran Khan supported my suggestion during the parliamentary party meeting," he said and added that Khan would visit Peshawar on Wednesday. "Imran Khan will give a call to people every Sunday to come out against the foreign conspiracy," Rasheed said.

PTI Member of National Assembly (MNA) Murad Saeed was the first member of the party who submitted his resignation to the Speaker of the National Assembly, as per ARY News. Earlier in the day, the PTI held a parliamentary party meeting at the Parliament House in Islamabad, reported Radio Pakistan. The meeting was chaired by Imran Khan.

The Pakistani Parliament is going to elect the country's new Prime Minister today after Khan was ousted after a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly. Pakistan Political Crisis: Massive Pro-Imran Khan Protests Staged Across Major Cities in Country.

The voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was held in the country's National Assembly late on Saturday night, with 174 members recording their votes in favour of the motion that ousted the Imran Khan government.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lahore, Apr 11 (PTI) A large number of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) supporters held a protest rally in Lahore's Liberty Chowk against the ouster of former prime minister and party chairman Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition.

The charged PTI supporters, including women and children, showed their solidarity with Khan during the rally that started at 9 pm on Sunday and lasted till 3 am on Monday.

Also Read | Pakistan Political Crisis: Nomination Papers of Shehbaz Sharif, Shah Mahmood Qureshi Approved as Parliament Set to Elect New PM Tomorrow.

Big gatherings were also reported from other parts of the Punjab province, including Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Vehari, Jehlum and Gujrat districts. Islamabad and Karachi also witnessed major gatherings of PTI supporters.

Protests broke out in different cities after 9 pm on Sunday and continued for several hours on the call of Khan.

Also Read | Rajnath Singh Arrives in Washington DC to Attend India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

Earlier on Sunday, ousted prime minister Khan tweeted that "today marked the beginning of a freedom struggle" against what he said was a "foreign conspiracy of regime change" in Pakistan.

In an attempt to galvanise his supporters, he said "it is always the people who protected their own sovereignty and democracy."

In another tweet, Khan posted an aerial view of the Lahore rally and said he never saw such a big crowd. "Never have such crowds come out so spontaneously and in such numbers in our history, rejecting the imported govt led by crooks," Khan said.

PTI's local leadership was leading the protest. The charged workers and supporters of the party were chanting slogans against the US, which Khan claims to be behind the ouster of his government.

They were also shouting slogans against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif, who is expected to be elected as the new prime minister on Monday; Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Ali Zaradri and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for allegedly plotting against Khan's government at the behest of the US.

Most placards being carried by the protesters read "Imported government not acceptable." This (Imported government not acceptable) was also a top trend in Pakistan with over 2.7 million tweets till early hours of Monday.

Former federal minister and PTI senior leader Shireen Mazari said in a tweet: "Such amazing scenes from across Pak and from abroad --- Pakistanis have rejected US instigated regime change. Two of my favourite individual placards! #ImportedGovernmentRejected #RevolutionBlackedOut."

She also complained of Pakistani media for not giving proper coverage to massive protests across the country, especially in Lahore and Karachi.

The PTI has thanked the masses to come out on roads in the support of Imran Khan to reject foreign intervention. "Shukriya (thanks) Pakistan! We're a nation that stands against any foreign intervention, we're a nation which stands with @ImranKhanPTI," the PTI said in statement posted on its Twitter account.

Despite the PTI government's hectic efforts to avoid voting on the no-confidence motion against Khan, the joint Opposition succeeded in its month-long efforts to oust Khan from the prime minister's office as 174 members of the 342-member National Assembly voted against him after a day of high drama.

Khan, 69, became the first premier in the country's history to be sent home after losing the trust of the House.

PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry had also called on the people to stage protests after Isha prayers while speaking to the media in Islamabad earlier in the day.

He said that Khan not leading a massive movement would amount to a "betrayal with the country's politics and Constitution".

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington, Apr 11 (PTI) India and US on Monday held the fourth 2+2 Ministerial during which the two sides discussed contemporary developments, including Ukraine, and reviewed their collaboration in the Indo-Pacific, amidst China's rising military manoeuvring in the region.

The 2+2 was attended by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and their Indian counterparts S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh respectively.

Also Read | India-US 2+2 Dialogue: EAM S Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Hold Separate Bilateral Talks with US Counterparts.

"We have had separate meetings with our State and Defence counterparts respectively. We have of course, benefitted from the guidance provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden through the virtual summit at which we were all present," Jaishankar said in his opening remarks.

He said the 2+2 format is intended to promote a more integrated approach to Indo-US partnership.

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"And this has become increasingly relevant as the scope and intensity of our engagement steadily increases. We can truly assert that there is virtually no domain on which we are not cooperating with each other. The nature of our opportunities and challenges are such that they are more effectively addressed through a cross-cutting dialogue," he said.

As the two sides meet for the fourth time, they can take satisfaction at the extent of progress that they have made, he said.

"Whether it is our USD 160 billion trade account, our 200,000 students, our highest recorded investment levels or our rapidly growing energy trade, the yardsticks to measure our growing closeness tell their own story," Jaishankar said.

"Our collaboration has grown well beyond its bilateral scope and now has a visible impact on global issues as well. It could be addressing the Covid challenge, taking climate action, ensuring maritime security or promoting critical technologies, what India and the US do together will make a difference," he said.

The minister said that a significant focus of the bilateral engagement pertains to the Indo-Pacific. "We have seen particularly over the last year both an elevation and an intensification of the Quad. Our achievements have a larger resonance," he said, referring to the four-nation grouping comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia.

China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.

The two sides also discussed contemporary developments, including Ukraine, Afghanistan, the Gulf and the Indian subcontinent.

Earlier, in a separate meeting at the Pentagon, Singh and Austin reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral defence cooperation and the regional security situation.

(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 11 (ANI): Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Parliament House on Monday to chair Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary party session at 12 pm (local time), reported local media citing sources.

The schedule and venue of the PTI parliamentary party session have been changed and now it will be held at the Parliament House.

Also Read | Pakistan Political Crisis: Nomination Papers of Shehbaz Sharif, Shah Mahmood Qureshi Approved as Parliament Set to Elect New PM Tomorrow.

Pakistani Parliament is also going to elect the country's new Prime Minister on Monday after Imran Khan was ousted from the PM post in a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly.

PTI is also going to stage peaceful protests across the country after Isha prayer. The parliamentary party session could not be held today due to the participation of the lawmakers in today's protest, reported ARY News.

Also Read | Rajnath Singh Arrives in Washington DC to Attend India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

Moreover, nomination papers of Pakistan joint opposition candidate Shehbaz Sharif and PTI's Shah Mahmood Qureshi have been approved for the Prime Minister's election.

Earlier, Former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif submitted the nomination papers for the top seat. The nomination papers have been approved for the PM's election.

Shehbaz Sharif is most likely to become the next Prime Minister of the country. According to sources, PML-N has collected more than one nomination paper for the election from the NA secretariat. The nomination papers will go under scrutiny at 3:00 pm and a list of the candidates will be displayed after scrutiny.

The National Assembly session to elect the new premier will now be held at 2:00 pm on Monday (tomorrow), contrary to a previous schedule of 11:00 am.

Security measures ahead of the Prime Minister's election are set in place. Strict security is in place around the D-chowk. Furthermore, roads leading to Parliament will be opened after the election of the new premier, as per the news channel.

The voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government began in the country's National Assembly late on Saturday night where 174 members have recorded their votes in favour of the resolution that ousted the Imran Khan. (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 11 (ANI): Ahead of the National Assembly session for the election of the Prime Minister on Monday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar has instructed all the party lawmakers to ensure their attendance in the House to support the party's candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi, reported Samaa TV.

Notably, the National Assembly session to elect the new premier will now be held at 2.00 pm (local time) today.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Death Toll From Missile Strike in Kramatorsk Train Station Attack Rises to 57.

Nomination papers of Pakistan's joint opposition candidate Shehbaz Sharif and PTI's Shah Mahmood Qureshi were approved for the Prime Minister's election on Sunday.

Further, security measures ahead of the Prime Minister's election have been tightened. Strict security is in place around the D-chowk. Furthermore, roads leading to Parliament will be opened after the election of the new premier, as per the media reports.

Also Read | Pakistan Political Crisis: Massive Pro-Imran Khan Protests Staged Across Major Cities in Country.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the PTI will take the final decision regarding the resignations of its members from the assemblies on Monday, reported ARY News.

"A parliamentary party session will be held on Monday in which PTI will take a final decision regarding the resignations. Everything will be done as per Imran Khan's directives and his decisions will be accepted by all of us," the media outlet quoted Qureshi as saying during its news programme on Sunday.

Qureshi also confirmed the presence of PTI chairman Imran Khan in the Parliament today, adding that he will also take part in the voting process for the election of the Prime Minister.

The voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was held in the country's National Assembly late on Saturday night, with 174 members recording their votes in favour of the motion that ousted the Imran Khan government. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad, April 11: Shortly after being elected as Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif on Monday in his inaugural speech at the National Assembly announced a parliamentary probe into the "foreign conspiracy" to topple Imran Khan's government and offered to resign if there is a shred of evidence to prove the allegation.

"As the elected Prime Minister, I announce that a briefing be given to the security committee of the National Assembly on-camera in which Army leadership, DG-ISI, Foreign Secretary and the diplomat who wrote the 'letter' is present," Sharif said, adding that, "we should not delay it as the entire country should know," Prime Minister-elect Shehbaz Sharif said. He further said that he would resign from his position if even a shred of evidence is found proving the "foreign conspiracy" allegations.

"I say it on behalf of all our members that I will resign if a shred of evidence is found that it was a foreign conspiracy, that we got support from a foreign power, if our involvement is proved anywhere, I say it with you as witness Mr Speaker that I will resign that very second and go home," Sharif said. Shehbaz Sharif Set To Be New Pakistan PM; Know About the Man Who Will Take Charge of Pak.

Imran Khan had accused the US of interfering in Pakistan's politics and plotting to oust his regime citing an alleged "threat letter" that was sent to Pakistan carrying the exchanges between Pakistani diplomats and US officials.

The new Prime Minister at the beginning of his speech said, "Today's day is an important day for all Pakistanis, as today the people have shown a 'selected' Prime Minister the way back home by the way of constitution and law."

"Today, the almighty has saved Pakistan and the 22 crore people of the country. This is the first time when the vote of no-confidence motion was successfully passed. The people of this country will celebrate this day," Sharif further said.

He also talked about the historic Supreme Court judgement of April 7, saying that the rejection of the "doctrine of necessity" by the Pakistan Supreme Court should be commemorated every year. "No one in future will be able to use the 'doctrine of necessity' in future," Sharif said.

Pakistan's Supreme Court in a historic judgement on Thursday had called for the convening of the session of the National Assembly "not later than 10:30 AM on Saturday" after setting aside the April 3 ruling of the Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri against the no-confidence motion on "Constitutional grounds".

Declaring the ruling of the Deputy Speaker "to be contrary to the Constitution and the law and of no legal effect", the Court set aside all the subsequent steps taken, including the dissolution of the National Assembly, while also restoring Prime Minister Imran Khan and all the Federal Ministers to their respective positions as of April 3. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Says, 'I Call Upon PM Modi To Come and Resolve Kashmir Issue'.

The court also fixed the Saturday session with the conditions that the session cannot be prorogued unless the motion is voted upon, and in case Imran Khan loses the no-trust vote, the next PM had to be elected in the same session.

Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former leader of the Opposition, was elected the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan by the National Assembly of the country on Monday.

Ahead of the voting, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators resigned en masse from the National Assembly and walked out of the National Assembly after a speech by former Foreign Minister and PTI candidate for prime ministerial post, Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

The younger brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was set to grab the top post after former Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was ousted from power following the no-confidence motion against the regime.

(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 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with President Joe Biden virtually on Monday to further deepen ties between India and the US and discuss a range of issues including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate crisis, global economy and Indo-Pacific.

"President Biden and Prime Minister Modi will discuss cooperation on a range of issues including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, countering the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Sunday (local time).

Also Read | Pakistan Political Crisis: Nomination Papers of Shehbaz Sharif, Shah Mahmood Qureshi Approved as Parliament Set to Elect New PM Tomorrow.

Both the leaders will also advance ongoing conversations about the development of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and delivering high-quality infrastructure.

President Biden will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russia's brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilizing impact on global food supply and commodity markets, the White House Press Secretary said in a statement.

Also Read | Rajnath Singh Arrives in Washington DC to Attend India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

According to the statement, Biden last spoke to Prime Minister Modi with other Quad Leaders in March.

"This meeting will precede the US-India 2+2 Ministerial between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh of India," it 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)
A California woman dubbed SoHo Karen for ambushing a Black teenager in a hotel lobby and falsely accusing him of stealing her iPhone  a disturbing caught-on-camera attack that went viral  pleaded guilty Monday to hate crime charges.

Miya Ponsetto, 23, wore a beige jacket and pants to her hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court for unlawful imprisonment as a hate crime and other related charges in the Dec. 26, 2020, attack.

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Miya Ponsetto pleading guilty to hate crime charges in Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday. (Curtis Means POOL)

Ms. Ponsetto displayed outrageous behavior, said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. As a Black man, I have personally experienced racial profiling countless times in my life and I sympathize with the young man victimized in this incident.

This plea ensures appropriate accountability for Ms. Ponsetto by addressing underlying causes for her behavior and ensuring this conduct does not reoccur.

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Miya Ponsetto (Ventura County Sheriff's Office)

The Los Angeles woman attacked the 14-year-old son of Grammy-winning jazz musician Keyon Harrold Sr. in the lobby of the Arlo Hotel on Hudson St. near Canal St., tackling the teen to the ground and demanding he hand over the phone.

He didnt have it, and it became clear Ponsetto had left it in an Uber car when the driver returned it to her a short while later.

But the boys outraged father posted his cell phone recording of the unsettling encounter, sparking accusations of racism and calls for Ponsetto to be charged.

Assistant prosecutor Sarah Marquez said Harrold and his son agreed to Ponsettos case resolution.

If she doesnt commit any crimes for two years and continues to attend counseling, the court will let her withdraw her felony plea  leaving only a misdemeanor aggravated harassment conviction. Ponsetto must also continue to abide by her probation in California on separate public intoxication, drunk driving and motor vehicle charges.

Her lawyer declined to let her address reporters questions outside the courthouse.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

We obviously are happy and relieved that this ordeal is over for both Mr. Harrold and Ms. Ponsetto, said lawyer Paul DEmilia. Ms. Ponsetto is thankful for the thoughtfulness and the empathy that the DAs office showed. It was an unfortunate incident on that night, and hopefully it wont be repeated.

Miya Ponsetto appears in Manhattan Criminal Court on Nov. 8, 2021. (Barry Williams for New York Daily News)

Harrold in May filed suit against the hotel, Ponsetto, and Arlo hotel manager Chad Nathan. According to the artists lawyers, the hotel staff aided and abetted the attack by demanding the boy surrender the phone he was carrying.

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In this case racial profiling spiraled into a violent and frightening assault against an innocent African-American child, reads the lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Harrold did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a Gayle King interview in the attacks aftermath last year, Ponsetto bumbled through an explanation for her actions.

I was approaching the people that had been exiting the hotel because in my mind, anybody exiting is probably the one, might be the one that is trying to steal my phone, she said.

I admit, yes, I could have approached the situation differently, or maybe not yelled at him like that and made him feel, you know, maybe some sort of inferior way, making him feel as if I was, like, hurting his feelings, because thats not my intention.
Washington, April 11: President Joe Biden said on Monday that the US and India will "continue our close consultation" on how to manage the "destabilising effects" of the Russian war in Ukraine as he held a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to further deepen ties between the two countries.

"I'm looking forward to our discussions today. Mr Prime Minister (Modi), our continued consultation and dialogue are key to ensuring the US and India relationship continues to go deeper and stronger...," Biden said in his opening remarks.

The meeting comes at a time when the crisis in Ukraine has worsened and a White House statement on Sunday said that President Biden will continue "our close consultations on the consequences of Russia's brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilising impact on global food supply and commodity markets." 'Killing of Innocent Citizens in Bucha Concerning; Urged Russia and Ukraine To End War', PM Narendra Modi Tells Joe Biden (Watch Video).

"I want to welcome India's humanitarian support for the people in Ukraine who are suffering a horrific assault, including a tragic shelling in a train station last week that killed dozens of innocent children and women and civilians attempting to flee the violence," Biden said.

The United States and India will "continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilising effects of this Russian war," Biden added.

The virtual meeting comes in the midst of some disquiet in Washington over India's position on the Ukraine crisis as well as its decision to procure discounted Russian oil.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lviv, Apr 11 (AP) Ukraine's president warned his nation Sunday night that the coming week would be as crucial as any in the war.

"Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

Also Read | Pakistan Political Crisis: Nomination Papers of Shehbaz Sharif, Shah Mahmood Qureshi Approved as Parliament Set to Elect New PM Tomorrow.

He accused Russia of trying to evade responsibility for war crimes.

"When people lack the courage to admit their mistakes, apologize, adapt to reality and learn, they turn into monsters. And when the world ignores it, the monsters decide that it is the world that has to adapt to them. Ukraine will stop all this," Zelenskyy said.

Also Read | Rajnath Singh Arrives in Washington DC to Attend India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

"The day will come when they will have to admit everything. Accept the truth," he said.

He again called on Western countries, including Germany, to provide more assistance to Ukraine. During talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelenskyy said he discussed "how to strengthen sanctions against Russia and how to force Russia to seek peace."

"I am glad to note that the German position has recently changed in favour of Ukraine. I consider it absolutely logical," Zelenskyy said. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Businesses used to complaining about the sclerotic pace of Saudi Arabia's policymaking now struggle to keep up. Ride-hailing apps are a case in point https://t.co/l3cLNdUtr4 Bloomberg (@business) April 11, 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.)
After being elected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif in an address to the National Assembly said that Pakistan wants good ties with India but it cannot happen without a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir question. "We will raise the issue of Kashmir on every international platform," Sharif said. He also said that he will advise PM Modi to understand that there is poverty on both sides. "I call upon Modi to come and resolve the Jammu and Kashmir issue and then let's fight poverty together," the newly elected Pakistan PM said.

Check tweet:

I'll advise PM Modi to understand that there is poverty on both sides. I call upon Modi to come and resolve the Jammu and Kashmir issue and then let's fight poverty together: Newly elected Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif  ANI (@ANI) April 11, 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.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated newly elected Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif. PM Modi, said "India desires peace & stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges & ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people."

Pakistan Muslim League leader Shehbaz Sharif takes oath as the newly-elected Prime Minister of Pakistan. Earlier in the day, Sharif was elected as the 23rd prime minister of the country after Imran Khan was voted out during the no-confidence motion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates newly elected Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif. India desires peace & stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges & ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people, tweets PM Modi pic.twitter.com/Xkr4CkENWG  ANI (@ANI) April 11, 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.)
Beijing, April 11: China is expediting efforts to expand its nuclear arsenal as Beijing is seriously concerned about the threat posed by the US, a media report said.

According to The Wall Street Journal report, the Chinese leadership made a strategic decision to beef up the country's nuclear deterrence long before the current conflict in Ukraine.

However, the latest events in Europe, as well as the increasingly confrontational rhetoric between Beijing and Washington over Taiwan, have prompted an acceleration of the programme, RT reported.

As further proof of its claims, the report also cites satellite imagery of more than 100 suspected missile silos in one of China's western regions, where increased activity has been detected, RT reported. The newspaper surmises that these facilities could hold China's new long-range DF-41 missile, which was put into service in 2020.

This type of missile can carry a nuclear warhead and is capable of reaching the US mainland, the report noted. China Plane Crash: China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 With 133 Onboard Crashes in Guangxi Province; Here's What We Know So Far.

According to the sources cited in the Journal report, the Chinese authorities now suspect that Washington's endgame is the toppling of the Chinese Communist Party, and that the US might be willing to take greater risks to stop China's rise. Additionally, Beijing is reportedly concerned that Washington could deploy its nukes should a military conflict break out over Taiwan.

The report concludes by citing a retired Chinese military official, who said that "no matter how the situation develops in the future, the world will be more confrontational", meaning that "China definitely needs to maintain nuclear deterrence".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 11, 2022 02:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Islamabad, April 11: Massive protests were staged across major cities of Pakistan against the ouster of former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a vote of no-confidence called by the country's opposition.

The protests on Sunday night took place from about 9.30 p.m. in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Malakand, Multan, Khanewal, Khyber, Jhang, Quetta, Okara, Abbottabad , Bajaur, Lower Dir, Shangla, Kohistan, Mansehra, Swat, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Nowshera, Dera Ghazi Khan and Mandi Bahauddin, reports Dawn news. Taking to Twitter late Sunday night, Khan thanked the thousands of protesters who came out in his support.

"Thank you to all Pakistanis for their amazing outpouring of support & emotions to protest against US-backed regime change abetted by local Mir Jafars to bring into power a coterie of pliable crooks all out on bail. Shows Pakistanis at home & abroad have emphatically rejected this," he said. Pakistan Political Crisis: Imran Khan Calls His Party's Core Committee Meeting to Announce Future Course of Action.

On Sunday evening before the protests were staged, the former premier had tweeted: "Pakistan became an independent state in 1947; but the freedom struggle begins again today against a foreign conspiracy of regime change. It is always the people of the country who defend their sovereignty & democracy."

In capital Islamabad, the protest started from the city's Zero Point, leading to traffic snarl at the Srinagar Highway, reports Dawn news. Meanwhile, a large number of Khan's supporters, including women and children, turned up at the Peshawar Press Club and chanted slogans against the opposition.

In Lahore, a rally moved towards the city's Liberty Chowk, with people sloganeering against the US. The protest in Karachi was held on the Rashid Minhas Road where a large number of supporters were in attendance.

Besides Pakistan, protests were also staged in Dubai and London's Hyde Park. Khan has become the first Prime Minister in the history of Pakistan to be ousted through a no-confidence vote after 174 members in the 342-strong National Assembly on Sunday voted in favour of removing him from the post.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 11, 2022 10:41 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Mexico has become widely popular with the invention of tequila, festive celebrations, and its delicious cuisine, which several restaurants around the world have adopted.

But nothing beats experiencing Mexico's food and culture first-hand. It can give you whatever you are looking for during a vacation from its ancient ruins, cocktail drinks, and gorgeous beaches.

But before you travel to Mexico, here are some travel safety guidelines to keep in mind for a hassle-free getaway.

READ NEXT: Cuba Travel Guide: Here's What You Need to Know Before Visiting the Caribbean Country

Mexico Travel Safety Guidelines

The U.S. State Department has issued a "Level 3" travel alert for Mexico, advising travelers to reconsider traveling to the country.

The State Department said violent crime such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery, is widespread and common in Mexico.

The department noted that the U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to Americans in many areas of Mexico since travel by U.S. government employees to certain areas is prohibited or restricted. It added that local emergency services are also limited outside the state capital or major cities.

Due to crime and kidnapping, the State Department advised tourists not to travel to Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas. The department said violent crime and gang activity are widespread in Colima and Coahuila, with U.S. citizens being victims of kidnapping.

The State Department advised those who want to travel to Mexico to keep companions and family back home informed about their travel plans.

If separated from a travel group, send your GPS location to a friend and take a photo of the taxi number or license plate if taking a taxi alone. One is also advised to exercise increased caution when visiting local bars, nightclubs, and casinos.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently moved Mexico's travel advisory rating down to Level 3 from Level 4. Although there is still a high level of COVID-19 cases in the country, Mexico remains open to tourists.

There are health screenings at airports, but there is no need to provide a negative PCR test or quarantine on arrival. However, most resorts ask travelers to fill out health questionnaires.

Tourist Attractions in Mexico

Aside from Mexico's stunning beaches and warm weather, the country is also famous for its rich cultural heritage.

Mexico has an abundant record of the ancient Aztec and Mayan sites, as well as historic colonial sites, with some designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, ensuring that they will remain unchanged for years to come. According to PlanetWare, the Mayan ruins are found in Guanajuato, Chichen Itza, and Uxmal.

Mexico also prides itself on its popular beach destinations, such as the Pacific coastal city of Puerto Vallarta. It first became a popular destination for North America's social elite and has become extremely popular among foreigners. Many parts of Puerto Vallarta remain untouched by modern development.

Mexico also has an archeological site that houses the largest pyramid in the world. The Great Pyramid of Cholula, also known as Tlachihualtepetl, was built in four stages, which started 2,300 years ago.

According to Touropia, much of the pyramid is now overgrown and appears to be a natural hill topped by a Catholic church.

One of the most historically and culturally significant attractions in Mexico is the ancient Mayan city of Uxmal. It has the Magician's Pyramid, the tallest of the pyramids at Uxmal.

Mexico also has a bursting nightlife at the beach with Zipolite. It is known for Avenida Roca Blanca, a street just off the beach that offers bars, shops, and cafes.

READ MORE: Chile Travel Guide: Tourist Attractions and Safety Tips to Know Before Your Trip to the 'Country of Poets'

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Mexico City Vacation Travel Guide - From Expedia
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday reiterated the need of his home country for additional weapons, as Ukraine continues to face Russia in a war.

Speaking to Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes, the Ukrainian president claimed that other countries should send them more weapons and look at it like they were defending themselves and their people, New York Post reported.

"They need to understand this; if they don't speed up, It will be very hard for us to hold on against this pressure," Zelenskyy underscored.

Zelenskyy also called on the other countries to impose stronger economic sanctions against Russia, claiming that President Vladimir Putin's country has sidestepped some of the sanctions imposed by other countries.

"Because we've found some things in sanctions that are easy for financial experts to circumvent. Russia has been circumventing them, and this is absolutely true. The Western world knows it. This shouldn't be allowed," Ukraine's president pointed out.

Zelenskyy also expressed his belief that Russia's aggression will not stop from invading Ukraine. The president emphasized that when the Russian forces further invade their country, Putin's soldiers will be closer to Europe.

President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that when this happens, Russia would become stronger and less predictable, per the Post.

READ NEXT: Joe Biden to Announce New Ghost Gun Rule and Recommend New ATF Director

The U.S. Responds to Ukraine's Plea for Weapons

On Sunday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the U.S. is shipping off weapons to Ukraine to help its forces defend their homeland from the Russian forces, Business Insider stressed.

In an interview with NBC's "Meet The Press," Sullivan underscored that they are working around the clock to deliver weapons to Ukraine.

The national security advisor also mentioned that he and Chairman Milley spent two hours on the phone with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the chief of Ukraine's armed forces to talk about the weapon system the officials are seeking from the U.S.

"Weapons are arriving every day, including today... Some have been delivered, others are in the process of being delivered," Sullivan underscored.

The national security advisor then assured that they will work aggressively to give Ukraine what it needs in strengthening its forces on the battlefield.

Weapons Provided by the U.S. to Ukraine

On Thursday, a memo from the U.S. Department of Defense circulated by the White House claimed that the United States committed more than $1.7 billion in security assistance and $2.4 billion since President Joe Biden took office, according to Independent.

The memo also provided specific counts of weapons that were already sent by the U.S. to Ukraine.

Among the weapons were 1,400 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 7,000 small arms, 50 million rounds of ammunition, and 5,000 Javelin tank weapons.

In addition, 45,000 sets of body armor and helmets and laser-guided rocket systems, night vision thermal imaging devices, and other items were also provided.

The U.S. is not the only country that gave weapons to Ukraine.

On Friday, Slovakia transferred the S-300 air defense system to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's country. The Czech Republic also gave tanks, howitzers, infantry fighting vehicles, and multiple rocket launchers.

READ NEXT: U.S. Gas Prices Poll: Americans Blame Vladimir Putin, Gas Companies for Scary Oil Price Hike

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Volodymyr Zelenskyy's full 60 Minutes interview in Ukrainian - From 60 Minuutes
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The accused killer of Jam Master Jay argued in new court papers Monday that the feds improperly waited 18 years to charge him even though was in their sights as a suspect since 2003.

Ronald Washington, 58, says that the nearly two-decadelong delay in bringing charges for the 2002 Queens killing of Run-DMC DJ Jason Mizell has made it too difficult to mount a defense.

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The government has known about the crime since 2002 and has been convinced that Mr. Washington committed the murder since at least 2006. This uniquely long preindictment delay violates fundamental conceptions of justice and due process, wrote defense attorney Susan Kellman in a motion to dismiss the indictment in Brooklyn Federal Court.

Ronald Washington, seen here in custody at an East Meadow, L.I. lockup, says prosecutors waited too long to charge him. (Susana Bates/New York Daily News)

The feds dont have new evidence of Washingtons guilt, Kellman wrote. Prosecutors already had proof above and beyond a preponderance of guilt in the Mizell murder when Washington was sentenced in a separate robbery case in Brooklyn in 2008, the feds told a judge at the time.

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The government then waited another 14 years to charge Mr. Washington with this murder. The government knew or should have known that Mr. Washingtons ability to present an effective defense would have to deteriorate with each passing year, she wrote.

The feds havent yet responded to the motion.

Washington is charged along with Karl Jordan, 38, of plotting to shoot the musician in the head inside his Merrick Blvd. studio in Jamaica on Oct. 30, 2002. Jordan is accused of pulling the trigger.

Jam Master Jay (Vince Bucci/HANDOUT)

The duo was furious at Mizell after he cut them from a cocaine distribution deal at the last minute, prosecutors said.

Mizell became a star in the early 1980s as part of Run-DMC, along with Joseph Run Simmons and Darryl DMC McDaniels.

His killing remained a mystery until 2020, when the feds announced the arrests of Washington and Jordan.

The pairs trial is set for February 2023.
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Going backward: Work remains to end landfill negotiations

Photo courtesy of Karen Hauck Members of the Seven Mile Creek Neighborhood Association picketed April 1 at Seymour Town Hall before a Seven Mile Creek Landfill Siting Committee meeting. Neighbors have consistently advocated for protection and compensation related to a landfill expansion proposed by GFL Environmental.

EAU CLAIRE  Seven Mile Creek Landfill expansion negotiations appear far from resolved.

After reviewing the latest offer from landfill owner GFL Environmental, town of Seymour homeowners and a local committee believe the owner must bring better proposals for progress to occur.

I think everybody now is on the same page in terms of knowing that its GFL that needs to come to the table, said Jessica Janssen, chairwoman of the Seymour Town Board.

Janssen is also a member of the Seven Mile Creek Landfill Siting Committee, which held its latest meeting April 1. During the meeting, committee members and residents said language in GFLs most recent property value protection proposal fell short.

Its fair to say that the language moved us backward when we thought we were closer on some of the core parts of it, said Anders Helquist, Landfill Siting Committee attorney.

Homeowners and the committee should have the chance to discuss their concerns with GFL during an open meeting later this year, a date for which has not been set. That meeting will also allow GFL to explain their positions to the neighbors directly, Helquist said.

Janssen looks forward to hearing GFLs explanations and hopes progress can occur.

We just need (GFL) to move because were not going to, Janssen said.

Issues with offer

Property value protection for Seymour homeowners near the landfill is one of the main areas of disagreement in ongoing local control negotiations between GFL and the siting committee. Property value protection, also referred to as property value guarantees, ensures that homeowners receive fair market value in a sale. Homeowners do not currently receive property value protection.

Last October, GFL attorney Timm Speerschneider wrote that GFL and the siting committee were much closer to reaching a property value protection plan agreement. That does not seem to be the case now.

Helquist called the companys latest offer unacceptable. Issues include the company potentially determining the list price of a home and having list price reductions after a certain amount of time.

There are a lot of parts of the plan where GFL can arbitrarily reduce the purchase price or control the sale process that doesnt provide enough certainty for the landowners, Helquist said.

GFL proposed that property value protection apply to a maximum of five properties per year, which Helquist said is not acceptable.

GFL also removed the deed restriction that would limit the corporation from expanding landfill operations if it buys a nearby property. The deed restriction is a critical component of this plan, and GFL erased it, Helquist said.

Kathy Campbell, a Landfill Siting Committee member, was disappointed with the offer and thinks the committee and landfill owner are a long way from a deal.

GFL needs to take responsibility for the economic impact that this huge expansion is going to make on the neighborhood, town and the county, Campbell said. The landowners in the 1-mile radius of the landfill need a fair agreement that addresses the problems they face today and will continue to grow with each expansion. Otherwise were just kicking the can down the road.

GFL, a private Canadian company that has owned the landfill since 2020, is proposing to expand the landfill from 10.56 million to 14.64 million cubic yards over the course of six years. Expansion cannot start until local control negotiations, which began in 2019, are settled.

More cumbersome

Seven Mile Creek Neighborhood Association member Roxanne Backowski cited numerous problems with GFLs offer, including which properties are eligible for protection.

The proposal is more complicated and more cumbersome, which is really disappointing, Backowski said. Its going backward.

The neighborhood association is a group of about 100 residents who live near the landfill. Neighbors want protection for more than 100 properties within 1 mile of the landfill. In a January siting committee offer, about 80 properties within three-fourths of a mile would be eligible to receive property value protection. GFL preliminarily agreed to about 20 properties being eligible.

Neighbors also asked for clearer language in the property value protection plan. Janssen agreed that the plan must be comprehensible to the people affected; otherwise they may opt out of it.

Lets make it so (residents) actually understand what theyre getting, Janssen said. If they dont, then why are we doing all of this?

Neighborhood association members say they have consistently advocated for compensation and protection comparable to existing agreements at other GFL-owned landfills in Wisconsin.

Campbell wondered why it is taking GFL so long to make what she believes is a fair offer.

I find it hard to understand why they are unwilling to do better here and think that were going to take little or nothing and be satisfied, Campbell said.

Part of the process

April 1 was the first meeting as a committee member for Campbell, who lives about a half-mile from the landfill and is a neighborhood association member. She said it was helpful to be a part of the process and to have an opportunity to share experiences were living with when decisions are being made about us.

Helquist said the siting committee is receptive to residents views.

The communitys concerns continue to be the committees concerns, Helquist said.

Several neighborhood association members spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Backowski, who lives about a mile west of the landfill, commented on properties eligible for annual sociological payments, which compensate people for detrimental impacts caused by living near a landfill such as noise, odor and litter.

In the committees latest proposal, some properties located more than three-fourths of a mile east of the landfill along hauling routes are eligible for payments, but nearly all properties located more than three-fourths of a mile west of the landfill are not. Backowski questioned how this was determined, noting that most garbage truck traffic occurs west of the landfill.

Helquist said the list of properties that qualify to receive annual pay isnt finalized.

A couple residents brought up questions or issues they had with the list, so the committee will explore those, Helquist said.

We still care

About 10 residents picketed before the committee meeting, holding signs with messages like, Protect our property values! and Treat us fairly!

Backowski said the picketing was not intended to antagonize committee members but to let them know that residents near the landfill have an active stake in negotiations and will continue to voice their concerns.

We dont want to alienate the committee, Backowski said. We want to work together, and theyre our representation  It was just to show that we still care about this issue.

Janssen appreciated the respectful input.

The residents didnt come and yell at us, Janssen said. They were all like, Look, we know you guys are really trying to work on this, and here are the things that we still see could maybe use a little more work.

Campbell and Janssen said residents gave helpful comments, such as asking if protection and compensation can transfer to future property owners. One mentioned the importance of legal precedent, saying that if Seven Mile Creek Landfill negotiations conclude with what neighbors view as unfair compensation, it could set a standard for homeowners near other landfills.

What I heard overwhelmingly was (residents) making sure that we really thought through the criteria and the basis for anything that were proposing, that were looking through all the details, Janssen said.

Next steps

April 1 was the siting committees first meeting since late October. A date has not been set for its next meeting.

Helquist anticipates that the committee will meet again to review more information and then set up an in-person meeting with GFL.

Depending on how that discussion (with GFL) goes, the committee will then need to assess whether it thinks a voluntary agreement can be reached, Helquist said.

If a voluntary agreement seems unlikely, mediation or arbitration are options. Both of those entail a third party becoming involved in the outcome.

Negotiations began about three years ago. Despite the lengthy process, Backowski said neighborhood association members will continue advocating for protection and compensation.

As much as wed like to get this wrapped up, were also not willing to accept the offers as is, Backowski said.

Helquist concurred.

I know GFL wants to move things forward, but the committee wants to make sure that the neighbors continue to have involvement in this process, Helquist said.
It all started with a cat named Yogurt.

An American Army sergeant working in Ukraine before the Russian invasion heard mewing outside his barracks one cold night. It was a cat, and he couldnt ignore its suffering. The sergeant and his barracks mates named the cat Yogurt.

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Before the Russians arrived, the sergeant and other Americans were ordered out of the country  and they feared theyd have to leave Yogurt behind.

The sergeant contacted Paws of War, a Long Island nonprofit that for years has helped animals belonging to US troops overseas. He said, I have a cat here I have to leave, recounted Robert Misseri, Paws of Wars founder.

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Volunteer Cristina Tutunaru with foster puppies Kyiv and Odessa. (Courtesy Cristina Tutunaru)

Paws of War brought the cat to America. And Yogurt is now with the sergeants family in Florida  right on time for National Pet Day on Monday.

Russias invasion of Ukraine, which started Feb. 24, has given Paws of War a new mission: Helping dogs, cats, goldfish and other pets displaced by the violence.

Among the ways the Nesconset-based organization aids animals is by providing their owners with the paperwork so they can keep traveling with their pets and feeding animals left behind with no one to look after them.

Paws of War relies on volunteers at the borders of Ukraine in Romania and Poland to purchase and deliver supplies, assist refugees animals and meet with heartbroken Ukrainians surrendering their beloved pets before they continue their uncertain journeys.

Cristina Tutunaru is one of 20 to 30 Paws of War volunteers who have been working with Ukrainian rescue groups.

Dogs at a shelter fostering pets of Ukrainian refugees. (Courtesy Cristina Tutunaru)

We have been very busy at the Ukrainian border, she said. In a humanitarian tent, we help refugees that are traveling with their pets. We verify their documents so they can travel.

An on-site veterinarian helps pets and their owners with the necessary paperwork. We even vaccinate them, Tutunaru said. Most of them need crates because they are crossing the border with their pets in cardboard boxes and bags.

Footage and photos of Ukrainians fleeing their country or taking cover underground often feature pets.

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We had a girl walk in with a goldfish bowl. They were traveling for two days, said Misseri. People there are really close to their animals.

Ukrainian people really, really love animals. They share their food and their bed with them, said Tutunaru.

Dozens of dogs and cats left behind are being taken care of by Ukrainians who remained in the country. (Courtesy Cristina Tutunaru)

Pet fostering is a big part of the Paws of War mission.

Most who are staying in Romanian territory are surrendering their animals temporarily to local shelters and volunteers who are able to take in their animals, said Tutunaru, who lives in Bucharest.

Tutunaru recently took in a pair of 2-month-old puppies named Kyiv and Odessa.

They were found by a Ukrainian woman when they were only 2- or 3-days old, Tutunaru said. Their mother was lying dead next to them.

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Im very, very happy we managed to get them here to safety, and Im sure we will find a good family for them.

For Ukranians arriving in the United States with their pets, assistance at Paws of War awaits. We are going to be providing anything they need for their animals, said Misseri.

One of the tents set up by Paws of War at the Ukrainian border to assist refugees and their pets. (Courtesy Cristina Tutunaru)

Recently the group took on a new task  feeding animals that have been left behind in war-torn Ukraine.

People who fed feral colonies  theyre gone. People who fed strays  theyre gone, said Misseri. Theres no way to tell at this point whats a stray and whats an abandoned animal. There are packs of 40 to 50 dogs just wandering around.

Tutunaru said some of the families who remained in Ukraine started taking in pets left behind by those who forced to flee without their furry friends.

Some families have 20 dogs and 40 cats. Its very sad, most of these people are modest, with modest living conditions but they are very pet friendly.

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Automatic feeding stations, constructed this week, are being placed in two Ukrainian cities, Cernauti and Izmail, for the animals without homes.

Feeding stations with food and water for strays in Ukraine are being placed this week by volunteers with Paws of War. (Courtesy Robert Misseri)

Theyre makeshift  a PVC pipe that is gravity fed. Theyre five-, six-feet tall and theyre strapped onto poles. The food keeps dispensing. Theres one for water and one for food, said Misseri.

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The group is still figuring out how much food and water they will need, how often they will need to be refilled, and how far apart to place them. For volunteers traveling over borders to help the animals, the trips can take six hours.

No animals from Ukraine are at the Long Island shelter yet, but Misseri expects to see some arriving within a few weeks.

For now, Ukrainian cats are welcome in the United States, but not their canine counterparts. The issue with Ukrainian dogs is that rabies is considered a problem there.

The fact that the dog was in Ukraine makes it difficult, said Misseri, citing a new Centers for Disease Control ruling. Cats yes  cats, no problem.

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Between feeding pets, giving them vaccines, finding foster homes, giving out animal carriers, Misseri estimates the group has helped hundreds of animals.

Were trying to increase that so we can help several hundred every single week, he said. Right now everything were getting, were spending on Ukraine.

There are many NGOs that are helping people but very few think about the animals, said Tutunaru. We are in tears every time we come from Ukraine... We will continue to do this as long as necessary.
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140 new jobs have been announced for two Industrial Development Agency (IDA) Ireland client companies at the Kildare Innovation Campus.

An Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Leo Varadkar TD, today announced that the new jobs would be based at Nikon Precision Europe (NPE) and MGS Manufacturing, as he attended the launch of Kildare Innovation Campus (KIC) in Leixlip this morning.

In addition, a 7 million investment will be put into MGS Manufacturing: this will go towards a 20,000ft extension to the plant located on the campus, housing ISO class-eight cleanrooms, new offices, injection moulding machines, precision measurement laboratory and warehousing space.

Over 1,000 people are currently employed on the site, originally developed by Hewlett Packard, and its new owners vision is for the campus to accommodate potentially in excess of 4,000 jobs over the next ten years in a variety of fields.

These include: life sciences, innovation, and technology, including biotech, med-tech, pharmaceuticals, quantum computing, data analytics, photonics, AI, and robotics, among others.

'A REAL BEACON'

Commenting on the announcement, An Tanaiste said: This is great news for Kildare and also for Irelands overall offering for foreign direct investment.

"This campus will act as a real beacon, attracting jobs and investment to Kildare, where companies can expect to find a wealth of talent and a network of other global leading companies: the news that MSG is creating 100 new jobs and Nikon is creating 40 is a fantastic boost and I hope a sign of things to come.

He added: "Congratulations to the management teams who have worked so hard to create these jobs and to all involved in making the Kildare Innovation Campus a reality."

Welcoming the initiative, Allan Shine, the CEO of County Kildare Chamber, said that todays announcements illustrate that the county is the location of choice for potential business enterprise in the region: "Our proximity to Dublin City, its airport and port, rail and motorway networks, ensures that Kildare is the most accessible county in Ireland.

"Kildare Innovation Campus can now attract leading Irish and international science and technology companies, and with its new investors and the companies it will engage with, will create a cohesive cluster, facilitating collaboration around science and technology with cutting edge innovation."

'FAST GROWING KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY'

Speaking on behalf of the owners, Iwan Iwanow, a partner at Kildare Innovation Campus, said: "The campus is being developed with an ESG-focussed, long-term investment view.

"The overall vision for the Campus is to re-establish the widely recognised importance of the former Hewlett Packard site as a major scientific and technological hub, thereby contributing to the fast growing knowledge economy which characterises Kildare and its neighbouring counties."

He added: "We chose to invest in Kildare Innovation Campus for that reason as well as the exceptionally high quality of the local talent pools, potential for collaboration with third level education bodies, and its connectivity to key transport nodes.

Martin Shanahan, IDA, Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar TD and Iwan Iwanow, Kildare Innovation Campus. Pic Supplied by Sam Rowe.

"We look forward to establishing the Campus through a phased development programme as a major hub for science, innovation, and knowledge-based industries over the next ten years: with todays launch we are now ready and open for engagement with interested parties in this regard."

Planning advisor, Gavin Lawlor, Director at Tom Phillips and Associates, further said; "The campus is an exciting new development which seeks to capitalise on north Kildares long association with science, innovation, and technology... it will be redeveloped in line with a new masterplan which will see the expansion of facilities and companies on-site in the science and technology sectors.

He elaborated that the ambition for the site is that the companies located there will be 'synergistic.'

NEW PUBLIC ROAD

According to Mr Lawlor, the campus will also be designed to accommodate the provision of two instrumental pieces of public infrastructure, a new public road and a new pedestrian and cycle overpass of the M4.

"The new public road has been an ambition of Kildare County Council over multiple Local Area Plans for Leixlip.

"In this regard, the masterplan will include the new public road to connect the Celbridge Road (at the campus' entrance) to the M4 Interchange Junction 6.

He continued: "The new road will be delivered entirely by the owners as part of the initial phase of development.

The masterplan will also seek planning permission for the delivery of a pedestrian and cycle overpass of the M4, linking the Wonderful Barn at Leixlip to Castletown Demesne in Celbridge.

This will help to achieve an objective set out in the 2020 Leixlip LAP and the future Greater Dublin Cycle Network.

"We are currently working with Kildare County Council, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, and other key stakeholders to agree the funding and delivery of the new bridge, and the campus have confirmed that they will contribute substantially to this important piece of community infrastructure."

Upon completion, Mr Lawlor added that the new overpass will facilitate new linkages between Celbridge, Leixlip (via Castletown House), the campus and the nearby Wonderful Barn, providing a unique off road facility that he said 'maximises safe pedestrian and cycle links and sustainable transport between the two towns.'

Maynooth University has also indicated that it would explore opportunities for collaboration and activity at the campus.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, the EU has been united in its condemnation of Russia for grossly violating international law, undermining European and global security and stability and causing unnecessary loss of life and human suffering.

As the full scale of Russian atrocities in Ukraine became clear, President von der Leyen condemned the dreadful murders that have been uncovered in Bucha and other areas Russian troops passed through and vowed that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes must not go unpunished. The EU has set up a Joint Investigation Team with Europol assisting the Ukrainian authorities to collect evidence and investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity.

By now, over 11 million Ukrainians are either internally displaced or are seeking shelter abroad. Over 4.3 million people - mainly women and children, have fled Ukraine. Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia are already hosting almost 4 million people. All EU Member States need to continue showing solidarity by accepting refugees under relocation. Although far from the frontlines, Ireland moved quickly to suspend visa obligations for Ukrainians and is already hosting over 19,000 refugees. The Irish authorities are preparing to host thousands more refugees by Easter weekend.

Ukrainian refugees entering the EU are supported by the first-ever activation of the Temporary Protection Directive. This gives refugees a "temporary protection" status that enables them to live, settle and work in the EU. However, all of this will cost significant amounts of money. The EU has made 17 billion Euro available to give immediate liquidity to EU Member States, including Ireland, who are hosting refugees.

The EU is leading transatlantic efforts to impose severe costs on Russia in the form of sanctions, with five sweeping waves of sanctions already implemented against Russia. As President von der Leyen observed Sanctions are running deep into the Russian economy and drying out the resources to finance the war  so our efforts should be on enforcing these sanctions, and on preventing circumvention and evasion.

The EU has already provided significant humanitarian relief during the Ukraine crisis, with over half a billion Euro already committed as humanitarian aid. On Saturday 9 April, President von der Leyen convened the Stand Up For Ukraine pledging event in Warsaw. The goal of the event was to mobilise governments, institutions, artists, companies and individuals to raise funds and support for Ukrainians. With no end to the conflict in sight, it is essential to provide additional resources to cover the needs of internally displaced people within Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees said President von der Leyen.
LETTER FROM BEIRUT

Kuwaiti playwright Sulayman Al-Bassam and Syrian actress Hala Omran in the play 'I Medea' in Beirut, January 28, 2022. JOSEPH EID / AFP

Winter has been kind to "I Medea," the latest play by Sulayman Al-Bassam. The Kuwaiti-British author's reinterpretation of the Medea myth won awards in Carthage (Tunisia) and Cairo and was applauded in Beirut. But the play has been less fortunate in Kuwait: Canceled in spring 2020, during the early days of coronavirus, it was not allowed on stage at the gigantic Sheikh-Jaber-Al-Ahmad Cultural Center (JACC) on the three evenings it was scheduled for in late March.

The institution was inaugurated in 2016 and also houses a 2,000-seat theater-opera venue. Despite the cancelation, the JACC praised its native son, the "internationally renowned playwright and director." Speaking over the phone, Mr. Al-Bassam condemned an implicit ban: "Complications accumulated. When you make the act impossible, that is silent censorship. What is the use of such a facility, which, moreover, costed a staggering amount of money, if national artists are not produced there?" In the small emirate, where speech is freer than among its Gulf neighbors, the press has seized on the debate on creative freedom and the role of state cultural platforms.

An intensely rich production, touching on the intimate and the collective, divorce, racism, devouring ambition and rebellion, "I Medea" is a powerful assault on conformism and authoritarianism. In particular, authoritarianism adopts the guise of a perverted power, where endless cynicism blends corruption and religious practices to socio-political ends. The French-Syrian actress Hala Omran plays an indomitable Medea and Mr. Al-Bassam plays Jason, Creon and himself as the author.

He revisits works from the classical repertoire  Shakespeare, as Mr. Al-Bassam had done earlier in his career  adapting them to the contemporary situation. "Sylayman pursues a highly critical work on a political level," said Ibtihal Al-Khatib, a Kuwaiti academic and liberal activist. "He represents Medea, a woman sentenced as a criminal in ancient Greece, as a refugee who loses her identity and her femininity in the face of politics. It's a powerful story, one that resonates."

A ridiculed court verdict

Mr. Al-Bassam did not give in. The play was staged on Sunday, March 27 by Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah, a private cultural organization headed by Sheikha Hussah Al-Sabah, a patron of the arts and member of the ruling family.

But a day before performing at this venue, Mr. Al-Bassam had to endure the visit of a committee of censors sent by an official body. Pressed not to make waves by these moralizers, the playwright instead turned up the level of insolence during the play. He ridiculed a recent verdict that had exonerated the defendants (including a former prime minister) in a resounding case of embezzling public funds. It proved to be a highly applauded improvisation.

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Both of the two finalists of the 2022 presidential elections insisted that the second round would be "a new election" full of promises. Marine Le Pen probably did not expect the wind to change so quickly. In the Bois de Vincennes just outside Paris, on Sunday evening, April 10, the rematch had a taste of deja vu: Ms. Le Pen, candidate of the Rassemblement National (RN) party, delivered a speech as in 2017, on the same podium, with the same reference to "the people" written on her lectern. But she appeared deprived of the assets particular to the campaign of 2022, on which she counted. Now in the front line, without the smokescreen represented by Eric Zemmour, facing Emmanuel Macron with both feet in the arena, she delivered a speech with no depth, where the desire to fight seemed anesthetized by the rhetoric  she praised the "great national and popular coming together."

Cautious, the RN candidate did, however, have reasons to rejoice. With 23.15% of the vote, she beat her own first-round score of 2017 (21.3%) and captured at least 430,000 additional votes, despite ruthless competition from Eric Zemmour. "She managed to reach out to additional demographics," said Jean-Philippe Tanguy, her deputy campaign manager. The nationalist and sovereigntist far right has a total of more than 32.5% of the vote, including Eric Zemmour (7.05%) and Nicolas Dupont-Aignan (2.07%). But Marine Le Pen also benefited from the tactical vote of this camp in the first round and has no obvious momentum for the second.

In the night of Sunday to Monday, RN party officials were looking for signs of consolation. "Three months ago, we were being buried," regional councilor Gilles Pennelle recalled. "Money difficult to find, signatures at the last moment, Zemmour and betrayals ... and she has made it to the next round," said Louis Aliot, the RN mayor of Perpignan (south). "Marine has run an effective campaign, adapted to the context. There is a mouse hole size chance, it can be done."

More on this topic Subscribers only Macron and Le Pen dominate first round of French election, sweeping aside historic parties

Holding both ends

However, she only just made it. As the votes were counted, the gap narrowed with Jean-Luc Melenchon (21.95%). The successes in the overseas territories achieved by the leader of "Les Insoumis" (France Unbowed), who won by a large margin in Guyana, Martinique and Guadeloupe, had been a bad omen for Marine Le Pen. His speech on Sunday evening was a real blow for the RN. "We must not give a single vote to Mrs. Le Pen," Jean-Luc Melenchon repeated four times, drawing a clear line between the nature of the far-right project and that of Emmanuel Macron: "As long as life goes on, the fight goes on."

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A LIMERICK businessman has been praised after returning a significant sum of money to a customer who had left it in his shop by accident.

Pascal King, who runs two branches of Hangers dry cleaners in the city centre and Castletroy Town Centre, took delivery of an elderly woman's jacket.

As he does every time, he checked the pockets before the garment went in for cleaning.

However, he was astonished to find in one pocket, a wallet stuffed full of 50 notes totalling 1,600.

Money it turns out the pensioner needed for her fuel payment, and was desperately hunting around her home for.

"Everything is checked and double checked to make sure not just for valuables, but for things that would damage a load - the likes of ink, the likes of tissues. We'd always check and double check," Pascal explained.

Upon finding the sum of money, he contacted the customer who had left the jacket in with him. It turns out the woman who had dropped it off was doing so on behalf of her elderly neighbour.

Taking up the story, the woman - who asked not to be identified - said: "A week ago, an elderly neighbour in her late 80s, asked me to drop in a coat to be dry cleaned into Castletroy Hangers. I got a phone call at 7pm that evening from Pascal, and he said some money had been left in the pocket. I just said, sure grand, i'll collect it next week."

However, given the significant sum involved, Pascal asked her to come and collect it as soon as she could.

"I went to my neighbour and explained to her she had left money in her pocket. She was actually looking for it. She couldn't find where it was and needed it for her home heating oil. So I collected it the following morning and gave it back to her. She was relieved as you can imagine," the woman added.

She praised Pascal's "honesty and goodness" and bought the businessman a box of buns and tin of sweets to say thank you to him.

He said: "What goes around comes around. I'd hate to think if I was on the receiving end, someone wouldn't return it to me - it could be me next week! I was delighted to be able to give it back. I actually checked that pocket, and felt something bulky in the coat pocket. I thought it was a packet of tissues, and it turned out to be a wallet. When I opened it, I found 1,600 inside of it."

Surprisingly, Pascal says he would regularly find large sums of money left by accident in pockets when they leave suits and other clothes in for dry cleaning.

"I found 700 in a pair of trouser pockets not too long ago! There was a well-known accountant, and we were cleaning his suit and checked his coat pockets when he was at the counter, and when the presser was pressing his suit, she felt some bulk in the lining of the suit jacket. She found 400! Both he and I had checked the pockets and neither he or I found it. I had a lady in the other day, and she was cleaning a school skirt for her daughter, and there was a 50 note inside it. She came in to pay for her dry cleaning and was 42 richer going out the door," he said.

One of the other common things he finds left in pockets is the Best Man's speech from a wedding!

"That's a regular one," he laughed, "Once they are done and dusted, they're forgotten about!"
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This Little Devil is facing a hell of a prison sentence.

An MS-13 associate known as Diablita, who lured four unsuspecting men to their deaths in a park on Long Island, was found guilty at trial Monday.

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Leniz Escobar, 22, along with Keyli Gomez convinced five young men to meet them in a park in Central Islip where members of MS-13 were lying in wait, prosecutors proved at trial.

Leniz Escobar, aka Diablita. (US Attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York)

The MS-13 members targeted the victims because they had been photographed flashing MS-13 signs despite not actually being in the gang, evidence showed. The MS-13 members suspected the victims were members of the rival 18th Street Gang and took the photos as an insult. The punishment was death.

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The young men were labeled as chavalas of MS-13, the word the gang uses for targets.

Gomez testified that she and Escobar  who was 17 at the time  drove the men to a wooded area of the park on April 11, 2017.

Waiting at the park were MS-13 members, including Sergio Vladimir Segovia-Pineda, who testified for the prosecution.

Segovia-Pineda told jurors how his weapon in the quadruple killing was a chisel. He said he chased down and stabbed one of the victims while watching other MS-13 associates hack and bash the other victims to death with knives, machetes, an axe and wooden clubs.

Gomez and Segovia-Pineda both pleaded guilty in the case prior to their testimony.

There is not one single piece of evidence that this was going to be anything other than a multiple murder from the start, and that the defendant was the lure, Assistant U.S. Attorney Justina Geraci said during closing arguments at the trial.

A man walks past police tape near a crime scene in Central Islip, N.Y., Thursday, April 13, 2017. Police say the bodies of four apparent homicide victims have been found in a Long Island park. (Seth Wenig/AP)

One victim fled and escaped, but the other four, Justin Llivicura, 16, Michael Lopez, 20, Jorge Tigre, 18, and Jefferson Villalobos, 18, were killed.

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The gang members left their victims bodies in the woods, where they were discovered the next day.

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Four individuals took the train and who knows when theyll be back, got me? Escobar said to her MS-13 affiliated boyfriend in a recorded phone call in the days after the murders, adding in another call that she was happy for this to happen.

In this April 13, 2017 file photo, emergency personnel walk near the crime scene where four bodies were found in Central Islip, N.Y. (Seth Wenig/AP)

Defense attorneys for Escobar tried to argue she didnt know what was going to happen in the woods and that she only admitted to the crime to her boyfriend out of fear of MS-13.

She just witnessed a horrible, violent crime. She... was terrified that MS-13 would try to kill her because she was a witness, said Jesse Siegel, Escobars lawyer.

Jurors didnt buy it and found Escobar guilty of murder and racketeering among other charges, meaning she faces life in prison when sentenced.

More than a dozen MS-13 associates have been charged in connection with the killings, prosecutors said.

Escobar has been held responsible for the crucial role that she willingly played in orchestrating one of the most vicious and senseless mass murders in the district in memory, said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace. The defendant showed utter disregard for human life by leading the victims into a killing field, to their slaughter, to enhance her stature with her fellow cold-blooded murderers within the MS-13 gang.
MUMBAI : Three new proposals by Indian asset managers to launch so-called metaverse funds, focusing on investments in metaverse, blockchain and internet of things (IoT) technology themes, may face regulatory hurdles.

If any fund has an underlying which is not recognized as a security under the Sebi Act, the regulator will not clear it. Since the funds will be open for retail investors, Sebi cannot allow investments into unregulated assets/underlying," said a person directly aware of the regulators thinking.

A similar proposal last year to invest in crypto had to be withdrawn. Invesco Mutual Fund had proposed to launch Invesco CoinShares Global Blockchain ETF Fund of Fund. The new fund offer was later withdrawn, considering that Indias rules on crypto investments were still evolving. Invesco had then said such a launch would be premature.

In December, Sebis top brass advised mutual funds against any fund offerings on crypto since the regulatory framework was still evolving.

While its good that such new products in mutual funds are coming to the market for investors, it will boil down to how Sebi perceives it. We will not be surprised if these offerings go down the Invesco route. There is also the possibility that the regulator may delay giving its observations. Sebi will also scrutinize what will be real underlying in such a case. We will have to see how Sebi reacts to this or if the regulator comes up with new guidelines for fund houses," said a partner at a leading law firm.

According to its offer papers, Navis Metaverse ETF Fund of Fund (FoF) will invest in overseas ETFs, which provide exposure to companies that benefit from advances in the field of metaverse. Aditya Birlas blockchain and virtual digital assets (VDAs) ETFs FoF will be investing in the units of global ETFs focused on the global blockchain theme (including VDAs). Navi has also proposed to launch an IoT ETF fund of fund.

The metaverse is a digital space where people can socialize, work and play. ETFs focussing on the metaverse may be a portfolio of firms involved in developing the metaverse. Globally, there are already such ETFs. Navis fund of fund proposes to invest in these ETFs. Navis FoF will be benchmarked against Solactive Metaverse Theme Index, which comprises firms such as Apple Inc. and Meta Platforms.

According to its scheme information document, Aditya Birlas new fund can invest in overseas ETFs, including Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF and Siren Nasdaq NexGen Economy ETF.

Sebi has approved similar concepts in the past and has no policy/track record of disallowing this theme...Since blockchain is a growing concept with actual applications in real world businesses, we are confident Sebi will see it positively. This fund proposes to invest in an overseas ETF investing in these assets," said Abhishek Singhal, head, passive and alternative strategies, Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund, in an emailed response.An email sent to a spokesperson for Navi was not answered till press time.

Navis internet of things ETF feeder fund will invest in units of overseas ETFs, which provide exposure to companies that benefit from the broader adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. It will be benchmarked against the Indxx Global Internet of Things Thematic Index.

Metaverse has the potential of fundamentally revisiting settled legal principles around conduct, and liability challenges with regulating AI (artificial intelligence) will resurface with metaverse-run outlets," said Anu Tiwari, partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.

In metaverse funds, the ultimate investment will be in a firm. Any company which will have an outlet in the metaverse is setting up an outlet in what it does, which can include selling cars or burgers, games, and importantly the underlying asset will be the company," Tiwari said. This poses the second regulatory hurdle, which involves a cap on overseas investment limits. If these funds are seen purely as overseas funds and not so-called metaverse funds, they will likely breach the overseas investments limit of up to $1 billion per mutual fund.
NEW DELHI : The Centre-run Alliance Air will deploy the made-in-India Dornier 228 aircraft on 12 April, Tuesday for the first time on the Dibrugarh-Pasighat route, the Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed on Monday.

Alliance Air had signed an agreement with the government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to lease two 17-seater Dornier 228 aircraft.

The first Dornier 228 plane was received by Alliance Air on 7 April. Till date, Dornier 228 planes are used by the armed forces only.

Its first flight will be on Tuesday between Dibrugarh in Assam and Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh to boost connectivity in the northeastern states, the airline said in a statement.

Alliance Air said it will be India's first commercial airline to fly Indian-made aircraft for civil operations.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, there will also be inauguration of first flying training organisation at Lilabari, Assam, it mentioned.

Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will be present on the occasion of Dornier 228's first flight and the flying training organisation's opening.
Southeastern Louisiana Universitys School of Nursing is now offering a bachelor of science in nursing-doctor of nursing practice nurse executive leadership track.
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A Texas district attorney said he will not prosecute a 26-year-old woman arrested in the state for an alleged self-induced abortion. Starr County District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez said in a statement Sunday that he filed a motion to dismiss a murder charge against Lizette Herrera. Herrera was arrested last week, and her bond was set at $500,000.

In a statement explaining the arrest, Starr County Sheriffs Office claimed Herrera was charged after intentionally and knowingly causing the death of an individual by self-induced abortion.

But Ramirez said that after looking into the case, he determined it was not a criminal matter. In reviewing applicable Texas law, it is clear that Ms. Herrera cannot and should not be prosecuted for the allegation against her, Ramirez said.

Rockie Gonzalez from the La Frontera Fund, a Rio Grande Valley abortion fund that mobilized in support of Herrera, told Texas Public Radio: What is alleged is that [Herrera] was in the hospital and had a miscarriage and divulged some information to hospital staff, who then reported her to the police.

According to University of Texas School of Law Professor Steve Vladeck, however, the murder charge wouldnt have stuck. [Homicide] doesnt apply to the murder of an unborn child if the conduct charged is conduct committed by the mother of the unborn child,' Vladeck told the Associated Press.

Last year Texas passed a separate law, SB 8, which allows private individuals to sue for up to $10,000 anyone who helps a person obtain an abortion after six weeks gestation, which is before many even know they are pregnant. The pregnant person, though, cannot be sued.

Since the law was enacted, people in the state seeking an abortion have struggled to access the reproductive care they need, and those who have the resources and ability are traveling out of state to obtain medical care. A number of groups are challenging the law. In November, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments from Texas abortion providers, the state, and the federal government regarding SB 8.
Webb County issued a notice regarding mail-in ballots and significant changes made to the procedures this week.

According to the Texas Tribune, over 12% of mail-in ballots were rejected in Texas during the March primary election. The countys notice highlights the importance of understanding the changes made to ensure local mail-in ballots are counted.

Some of the changes included are in the application, the requirements on the ballot carrier envelope and new options to correct problems for ones ballot.

Those who qualify for a mail-in ballot include:

Individuals 65 and over on Election Day.

Individuals who are sick or have a disability and affirmatively indicate on the application they have a sickness or physical condition that prevents (them) from appearing at the polling place on election day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or injuring (their) health.

Individuals who are confined in jail, but otherwise eligible to vote.

Individuals who will be outside of their county during Early Vote and Election Day.

Individuals who are expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day.

The county stated that a new law -- the result of most of the rejected ballots -- requires mail-in voters to include in their application or mail-in ballot their Texas Drivers License number, their Texas state ID number, last four digits of their social security number or an election ID certificate number.

The Texas Tribune reported that despite the lack of evidence of widespread irregularities in previous elections, the Republican-led Senate Bill 1 was enacted to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat. However, the report added that previous frequent mail-in voters who did qualify were also being hampered.

According to Webb County, aside from the application, the ballot carrier envelope will also require pieces of information before sealing the security flap.

Just like you did on the application, you must put an ID number  your Texas Driver License, Personal ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security Number  in the space provided under the security flap of the envelope, the county wrote.

In the case where an individual may need to make corrections, the new law allows mail-in voters to correct the ballot within six days after the election day.

Adding a phone number or e-mail address to your carrier envelope is the best way for county officials to contact you regarding any issues with your ballot, the county concluded. The Early Voting Ballot Board will reach out if you provide your contact information on your mail ballot materials.

Data by the Texas Tribune indicates out of the 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, or 12.9% and 11.8%, respectively.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Farms that rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake on the California-Oregon border, along with a Native American tribe fighting to protect fragile salmon, will both receive extremely limited amounts of water this summer as a historic drought and record-low reservoir levels drag on in the U.S. West.

More than 1,000 farmers and ranchers who draw water from a 257-mile-long (407-kilometer) river that flows from the Upper Klamath Lake to the Pacific Ocean will have access to roughly one-seventh the amount they could get in a wetter year, a federal agency announced Monday. Downstream salmon will receive about half the water theyd get if the reservoir was full.

It's the third year in a row that severe drought has impacted farmers, fish and tribes in a region where there's not enough water to satisfy competing demands. Last year, no water at all flowed through the Klamath Reclamation Project's main irrigation canal, and thousands of downstream juvenile salmon died without reservoir releases to support the Klamath River's health.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the irrigation project, announced $15 million in relief for affected farmers and $5 million for Native American tribes as a result of its decision and warned farmers not to take water beyond what was ordered or risk further irrigation reductions and legal action. The agency decides the allocations each year, taking into account court rulings that require certain lake levels to support two federally endangered fish species.

Across the American West, a 22-year megadrought deepened so much last year that the region is now in the driest spell in at least 1,200 years  a worst-case climate change scenario playing out in real time, a study found last month.

Inflow to the Upper Klamath Lake is at a record lows, water managers said, and water allocations could drop further if drought conditions worsen this summer.

We wish we had better news today. Obviously there are no winners in this critical year as all interests are suffering  fisheries, farmers tribes and waterfowl alike  but given the current hydrology that we have to work with, we did the best job we could, said Ernest Conant, the bureaus regional director.

Irrigators reacted with shock and anger to the news and said they werent sure they could survive another growing season without adequate water supplies. The amount of water available is less than 15% of what the farmers need, said Ben DuVal, president of the Klamath Water Users Association, who operates a farm in Tulelake, California.

We have 170,000 acres (68,800 hectares) that could be irrigated this year, and were ready to get to work, he said. On a single acre, we can produce over 50,000 pounds (22,700 kilograms) of potatoes, or 6,000 pounds (2,700 kilograms) of wheat. This year, most of that land will not produce any food because the government is denying water for irrigation.

Klamath River water that is dammed in the Upper Klamath Lake is the linchpin of the nearly 200,000-acre (80,940-hectare) Klamath Reclamation Project, a major agricultural powerhouse of more than 1,000 farms and ranches. Today, farmers there grow everything from mint to alfalfa to potatoes that go to In N Out Burger, Frito-Lay and Kettle Foods.

But the reservoir water is also source of conflict among competing demands, and amid historic drought in the carefully managed river basin there hasn't been enough water to go around in recent years. Before 2020, the last time water allocations reached such a boiling point in the Klamath Basin was in 2001, when the U.S. government sent federal marshals to the area during a drought year and farmers threatened to breach the head gates.

Under the law, the lake's water must be kept at a certain level to protect its sucker fish, a key species to the heritage of the Klamath Tribes in southern Oregon. This year's water decision order irrigators to keep the lake's water above a certain level for sucker fish spawning in April and May and then at a different level for the remainder of the summer  but even at those levels, the lake will not meet federally mandated minimums for the spring months.

Farmers can start drawing the limited water on Friday.

But federally threatened coho salmon that live in the lower Klamath River, below the reservoir, also need pulses of water from the lake to keep at bay a deadly parasite that thrives in warm and slow-moving water. The salmon are revered by the Yurok Tribe, Californias second-largest Native American tribe.

One so-called flushing flow of water that's about half the normal amount  and half what farmers will get  will be released Friday also.

Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers said the fact that salmon, sucker fish and waterfowl are competing for the region's water was a direct sign of the ecological collapse brought by water withdrawals." He said the Yurok would never stop working to save the salmon.

Although we are gratified that the river is afforded minimal protections under this plan, it is no time for celebration. Salmon runs will continue to suffer under these conditions, and as climate change intensifies, such protections will become increasingly important, Myers said.

The slashed water allocations to the Klamath Reclamation Project also will impact two national wildlife refuges in the region that are replenished with irrigation runoff. The refuges host tens of thousands of migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway. Last year, environmentalists and farmers used pumps to combine water from two stagnant wetlands into one deeper one to prevent another outbreak of avian botulism like the one that killed 50,000 ducks in 2020.

Hundreds of domestic wells impacted by the increased groundwater pumping have also gone dry since late last summer.
WASHINGTON (AP)  A federal jury convicted a former Virginia police officer of storming the U.S. Capitol with another off-duty officer to obstruct Congress from certifying President Joe Bidens 2020 electoral victory.

Jurors on Monday convicted former Rocky Mount police officer Thomas Robertson of all six counts he faced stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, including charges that he interfered with police officers at the Capitol and that he entered a restricted area with a dangerous weapon, a large wooden stick.

His sentencing hearing wasn't immediately scheduled.

Robertsons jury trial was the second among hundreds of Capitol riot cases. The first ended last month with jurors convicting a Texas man, Guy Reffitt, of all five counts in his indictment.

Robertson didnt testify at his trial, which started last Tuesday. Jurors deliberated for several hours over two days before reaching their unanimous verdict.

One juror, who spoke to The Associated Press only on condition of anonymity, said as she left the courthouse, I think the government made a really compelling case and the evidence was fairly overwhelming.

Defense attorney Mark Rollins said Robertson will appeal the jury's verdict. "While Mr. Robertson disagrees with the jurys decision, he respects the rule of law," Rollins said in a statement.

A key witness for prosecutors in his case was Jacob Fracker, who also served on the Rocky Mount police force and viewed Robertson as a mentor and father figure. Fracker was scheduled to be tried alongside Robertson before he pleaded guilty last month to a conspiracy charge and agreed to cooperate with authorities. Fracker testified Thursday that he had hoped the mob that attacked the Capitol could overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Robertson was charged with six counts: obstruction of Congress, interfering with officers during a civil disorder, entering a restricted area while carrying a dangerous weapon, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted area while carrying a dangerous weapon, disorderly or disruptive conduct inside the Capitol building, and obstruction. The last charge stems from his alleged post-riot destruction of cellphones belonging to him and Fracker.

During the trials closing arguments Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Risa Berkower said Robertson went to Washington and joined a violent vigilante mob because he believed the election was stolen from then-President Donald Trump. He used the wooden stick to interfere with outnumbered police before he joined the crowd pouring into the Capitol, she said.

The defendant did all this because he wanted to overturn the election, Berkower said.

Rollins conceded that Robertson broke the law when he entered the Capitol during the riot. He encouraged jurors to convict Robertson of misdemeanor offenses but urged them to acquit Robertson of felony charges that he used the stick as a dangerous weapon and that he intended to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote.

There were no plans to go down there and say, Im going to stop Congress from doing this vote, Rollins said.

Fracker testified that he initially believed that he was merely trespassing when he entered the Capitol building. However, he ultimately pleaded guilty to conspiring with Robertson to obstruct Congress.

Under cross-examination by Rollins, Fracker said he didnt 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 didnt need for it to be said out loud.

Robertson and Fracker drove with a neighbor to Washington on the morning of Jan. 6. Robertson brought three gas masks for them to use, according to prosecutors.

After listening to speeches near the Washington Monument, Fracker, Robertson and the neighbor walked toward the Capitol, donned the gas masks and joined the growing mob, prosecutors said. Robertson stopped to help his neighbor, who was having trouble breathing. Fracker broke off and entered the building before Robertson, but they reunited inside the Capitol.

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 the U.S. Army veteran was using the stick to help him walk because he has a limp from getting shot in the right thigh while working as a private contractor for the U.S. Defense Department in Afghanistan in 2011.

Jurors saw some of Robertsons vitriolic posts on social media before and after the Capitol riot. In a Facebook post on Nov. 7, 2020, Robertson said being disenfranchised by fraud is my hard line.

Ive spent most of my adult life fighting a counter insurgency. (Im) about to become part of one, and a very effective one, he wrote.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi told jurors that Robertson was charged for his actions, not his political beliefs. Wagner also said Robertson should be judged by his actions, not his words.

The town fired Robertson and Fracker after the riot. Rocky Mount is about 25 miles south of Roanoke and has roughly 5,000 residents.

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 250 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors.

Robertsons trial is one of four so far for Capitol riot defendants. Two others had their cases decided by bench trials before the same judge.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden convicted New Mexico elected official Couy Griffin last month of illegally entering restricted Capitol grounds but acquitted him of engaging in disorderly conduct. On Wednesday, McFadden acquitted another New Mexico man, Matthew Martin, of all four charges that he faced.
Bob Daemmrich, Photojournalist

The Laredo Chamber of Commerce announces Texas Secretary of State John B. Scott as the Keynote Speaker for the 2022 Vision Conference on April 26 of this year. Mr. Scott was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to serve as the 114th Texas Secretary of State on October 21, 2021. Secretary Scott has over 33 years of experience as an attorney, having successfully tried over 100 lawsuits and handled cases at the United States Supreme Court, Supreme Court of Texas, as well as state and federal appellate and district courts, winning historic courtroom victories.

Previously, Mr. Scott served as Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation for then-Attorney General Greg Abbott, overseeing all civil litigation, including over 22,000 lawsuits involving Texas. Scott was subsequently appointed the first Chief Operating Officer of the Health and Human Services Commission, overseeing its 56,000 employees, and its over $50 billion biannual budget. After returning to private practice, Governor Abbott appointed Scott as the Chair of the Board for the Department of Information Resources (DIR), where he developed the strategic plan for technology and security at Texas executive branch agencies and boards.
LONDON (AP)  Britain sanctioned two leading Bosnian-Serb politicians Monday, accusing them of encouraging ethnic hatred and jeopardizing the peace accord that ended the civil war in Bosnia-Herzegovina more than 25 years ago.

Milorad Dodik and Zeljka Cvijanovic will be hit with asset freezes and travel bans in the first sanctions the U.K. has leveled in Bosnia. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine had emboldened the pair to further erode the international rules based system in the Western Balkans.

These two politicians are deliberately undermining the hard won peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina,'' Truss said in a statement. Encouraged by Putin, their reckless behavior threatens stability and security across the Western Balkans.''

U.K. authorities say the pair have have used their positions to push for the de facto secession of Republika Srpska  one of two semi-autonomous regions that comprise the federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina  in direct contravention of the countrys constitution.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday imposed its own sanctions on seven more people from the Western Balkans.

Dodik has for years advocated separating the Bosnian Serb mini-state from the federation and uniting it with neighboring Serbia. He is the Bosnian Serb member of Bosnias tripartite presidency, which also includes representatives of the Bosnian Muslim and Croat communities.

Secession would violate the Dayton Accords, the 1995 U.S.-sponsored agreement that ended Bosnias civil war, which killed more than 100,000 people and left millions homeless. The agreement established two separate governing entities in Bosnia  one run by Bosnias Serbs and the other controlled by the countrys Bosniaks and Croats.

The two entities are linked by joint institutions, and all actions taken at a national level have to be reached by consensus among the three ethnic groups.

U.S. authorities had previously sanctioned Dodik, accusing him of corrupt activities that threaten to destabilize the region. The Americans allege that he used his leadership position to accumulate wealth through graft and bribery.

Cvijanovic, the president of Republika Srpska, the Serb entity, has proposed legislation to transfer powers from the national government to her mini-state, British authorities said. She has also glorified war criminals and denied acts of genocide during the civil war, they said.

The top international official in Bosnia, Christian Schmidt, described the decision to impose sanctions on Dodik and Cvijanovic as reasonable and thanked the British government for its commitment to Bosnias stability and security.

Dodik and Cvijanovic missed every opportunity to get back into constructive dialogue for the benefit of the people in this country,'' said Schmidt, who heads the U.N.'s Office of High Representative in Bosnia. They will have to bear the consequences of their words and deeds, and the U.K. sanctions are the continuation of the consequences that started in January with the U.S. sanctions.

The practical impact of Monday's actions is unclear. Both Dodik and Cvijanovic said they don't have assets in the U.K.

All they (British) say are lies. They are old manipulators and enemies of the Serb people. I told them so many times before, said Dodik. They are helpless in their feud with Putin, and they accuse the two of us now of acting on orders from Putin."

Andi Hoxhaj, an expert in corruption in the Western Balkans at Warwick Law School, described the new sanctions as appropriate.'' The lack of a clear European Union strategy to integrate the Western Balkans has created a vacuum that has allowed Russia and China to undermine democracy and pursue their own goals in the region, he said.

However, with the ongoing war in Ukraine, there is a policy shift to sanction individuals that undermine peace and democracy in fragile states, and this attempt is to address that, Hoxhaj said.

In addition to its January action against Dodik, the U.S. on Monday added seven more individuals and a Hungary-based company to the list of people from across the Western Balkans who have been sanctioned for corrupt and destabilizing activities.

The people designated today constitute a serious threat to regional stability, institutional trust, and the aspirations of those seeking democratic and judicious governance in the Western Balkans, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson said in a statement.

The list includes various figures from Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro.

The most prominent people targeted by the new U.S. sanctions are an ex-president of the former joint state of Serbia and Montenegro, Svetozar Marovic, former North Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and Gordana Tadic, a one-time chief prosecutor in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The sanctions mean that any property they own in the U.S. will be frozen and business transactions with U.S. companies are banned. The individuals from Bosnia-Herzegovina and North Macedonia, along with their immediate family members, are also barred from traveling to the U.S.

The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior, the Department of Treasury said.
South Africa: Mchunu emphasises department stance against corruption

Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, says there is no chance that any activity associated with the department currently and in future, concerning fraud and corruption and will go unpunished.

Both [the] ministry and the department have a zero-tolerance policy towards fraud and corruption and will pursue disciplinary action and ensure consequence management in all cases where there is evidence of fraud and corruption, without fear or favour, Mchunu said.

Mchunus remarks follow an article in the Daily Maverick, accusing the ministry and the department of blatantly disregarding reports by the former Ministers Disciplinary Advisory Committee.

The article, which is based on reports from a whistle-blower, also implied that the Ministry and the department are failing to ensure consequence management in respect of fraud and corruption cases by both senior and junior departmental officials.

Mchunu has disputed the report, noting that it is not only an outright lie but a complete twist of information."

Instead of being frustrated as alleged in the article, the whistle-blower is strongly advised to either hand over the files to him, approach the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) who are already investigating a number of corruption cases within the department, report the crimes that they have information on, or to approach the police to open cases. Failure to report a crime or expose criminality is a crime in itself, Mchunu said in a statement on Monday.

Responding to the reports in question, Mchunu said the reports were compiled by the Disciplinary Advisory Committee formed during the previous Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Ministers tenure. This was to advise the then Minister and acting Director-General on disciplinary actions required, pertaining to all wrongdoings.

There is no such thing as a Ministerial Advisory Committee producing forensic reports that the journalist writes about. The Disciplinary Advisory Committee did not include officials of the department and comprised of Ministerial appointees, whose primary function was to advise the former Minister.

These appointments were therefore linked to the term of office of the former Minister, which came to an end on 05 August 2021. A formal statement was issued on 20 September 2021, addressing the alleged disbandment of the various Ministerial committees, Mchunu highlighted.

According to the Minister, the reporter submitted a set of questions, requesting him and the Director-General, Dr Sean Phillips to respond.

The Director-General responded in writing, whilst the Minister requested a virtual meeting with the reporter and the interview was held last week.

The Minister said the journalist misrepresented what he said by alleging that no formal hand-over ever took place between the former Minister and him.

During the interview, the Mchunu further explained that the alleged forensic reports were never handed over to him.

He added that various matters are at various stages of investigation by the SIU, ranging from the Giyani Pipeline Project to the War-On-Leaks Programme.

The reporter was alerted to another investigation where five disciplinary referrals had been made and 45 administrative action applications had been made for placing the implicated entities and individuals on the National Treasury database of restricted suppliers.

I want to state publicly that there is no chance that any activity associated with the department currently and in future concerning corruption and fraud will go unpunished or be overlooked.

We are really hard at work, focused on ensuring that all the citizens of the Republic of South Africa are given access to clean water and sanitation services, and we will not be deterred by such articles, the Minister said.- SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-04-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Not all heroes wear capes. But when Josh Aryeh visits sick kids, a mask and cape are mandatory.

As the founder of Smiles Through Cars, Aryeh, 35, dons a Batman costume, revs up the engine of an exotic automobile, and criss-crosses Gotham nearly every day  pulling up to the bedsides of children battling life-threatening illnesses or other traumatic situations.

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This is my full-time job. Its priceless, it really is, when you see these children, he said.

Hometown Hero Josh Aryeh, 35, dressed as Batman in Hewlett, L.I, New York, February 2022. (Shawn Inglima/for New York Daily News)

Aryeh says that several factors came together like pieces of the puzzle to lead him to officially start the organization in 2018.

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Growing up on Long Island, hed always had a passion for exotic cars, and used to borrow them from friends in exchange for small errands. But one day about 15 years ago, he realized he could use that enthusiasm for something even more meaningful.

I said, the same way that I grew up loving these exotic cars, there have to be some sick and underprivileged children that have that same desire, he remembers.

After calling different charities, Aryeh finally found someone to visit: a wheelchair-bound 8-year-old girl from Queens who was battling stage four cancer. He borrowed a bright yellow Lamborghini from a friend and drove to her home to surprise her.

Hometown Hero Josh Aryeh's Maserati in Hewlett, L.I. (Shawn Inglima/for New York Daily News)

This was one of those moments that changed the rest of my life, Aryeh said, recalling how the little girls enormous smile made her mother weep tears of joy.

I said, If I could have such a big impact, I want to do this more often.

Around 2015, Aryeh first donned the Batman suit to pay homage to Lenny Robinson, a Maryland man who would dress as the Caped Crusader to bring moments of joy to sick children. Robinson died when his custom Batmobile broke down on an unlit stretch of highway and he was struck by a car and killed.

Even though I never met him, what he was doing was such an amazing thing. I wanted to try to continue his legacy, said Aryeh, who was nominated for a Daily News Hometown Hero award in the extraordinary citizen category.

Aryeh now estimates that hes visited around 50,000 children throughout the five boroughs, working in conjunction with local organizations, hospitals, and the NYPD. Hes taken families on trips, participated in toy giveaways, led road rallies, and been there at some of the toughest moments  treatments, surgeries, funerals.

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But if theres anyone who holds a special place in his heart, its 6-year-old Chrisbelle Bella Escano, who as a toddler survived retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer, and has been receiving visits from Aryeh for four years now.

Hometown Hero Josh Aryeh, 35, right, talking with Chrisbelle Escano, 6, left, inside a Lamborghini in Hewlett, L.I. on Feb. 24, 2022. (Shawn Inglima/for New York Daily News)

On a recent Thursday afternoon, Aryeh surprised Bella and her 11-year-old brother Christian. Thinking they were headed for a doctors appointment, the siblings instead ended up on a suburban Long Island cul-de-sac with an electric blue Lamborghini purring their way. Their eyes lit up in awe and delight when they saw who was inside.

Hes family, he really is, said Bellas mother Yessenia Gomez, 49. Im a single mother of three, so its kind of hard to manage. Hes just been, like, I dont have words.

Behind a costume, I feel like kids open up to other things that theyre going through. ... Its almost like, Im part of this team, and I have no other choice but to fight, Gomez added.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

She feels really loved, I can tell, said Christian, as Aryeh showed Bella some of the cars cool features. She gets so excited to see Josh  Im happy to see her smiling.

Hometown Hero Josh Aryeh, 35, right, giving gifts to Chrisbelle Escano, 6, center, and Christian Escano, 11, left, in Hewlett, L.I., in February 2022 (Shawn Inglima/for New York Daily News)

Now in full remission, Bella says seeing Aryeh still makes her feel like Im Wonder Woman. Cause I am.

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Just as Batman has become a phenomenon around the world, Aryeh is hoping to expand his organization to reach kids everywhere.

In 10 to 15 years, I would want this to be a globally-recognized organization. The main thing we do is be empathetic for them, to put ourselves in the shoes of the families going through it.

*****

Do you know a Hometown Hero? Every Monday, the Daily News will run a weekly feature in print and online profiling a Hometown Hero in several categories  first responders (police officers, firefighters, EMTs), health care workers, transit workers, educators and extraordinary citizens  nominated by our readers.

For more information on how to nominate someone for a Daily News Hometown Heroes award, go to nydailynews.com/new-york/hometown-heroes.
The district attorney's office in a Texas border county said Sunday it would dismiss the case against Lizelle Herrera, a 26-year-old who was arrested on murder charges after what authorities said was a "self-induced abortion."

The case had confounded activists on both sides of the abortion debate because, although Texas has taken measures to restrict access to abortion, it was not clear which legal statute Herrera was alleged to have violated. Texas law also explicitly exempts a woman from a criminal homicide charge for aborting her pregnancy.

In a statement made to the Associated Press last week, the Starr County Sheriff's Office merely stated that Herrera was charged after "intentionally and knowingly causing the death of an individual by self-induced abortion."

On Sunday, the district attorney's office stated that this was "not a criminal matter."

"In reviewing applicable Texas law, it is clear that Ms. Herrera cannot and should not be prosecuted for the allegation against her," District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez wrote.

The case was brought to the attention of the sheriff's office by a hospital, according to Ramirez's statement.

Calixtro Villarreal, Herrera's attorney, declined to comment when reached by phone Sunday.

Texas enacted a law in September that bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, using a novel legal strategy that empowers private citizens to enforce the law through civil litigation.

But that law does not appear to have applied in this case. Herrera faced a criminal charge, not a lawsuit. Additionally, that law does not allow lawsuits to be filed against the person who had an abortion, only those who helped facilitate it.

"If [prosecutors] are literally charging her with murder under Texas law, it's likely they either forgot about the exception for murder or they have some other theory for why this could apply," Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law who specializes in the federal courts and has closely followed the Texas abortion ban, said Saturday.

Abortion rights organizations quickly mobilized to support Herrera. The Frontera Fund, a group that raises money for Texas patients to access abortions, organized a rally Saturday morning outside the Starr County jail and raised awareness of the case on social media.

"This arrest is inhumane," Rockie Gonzalez, founder of the Frontera Fund, said in a statement Saturday. "We stand in solidarity with you Lizelle, if you are reading this, and we will not stand down until you are free."

Herrera's arrest came as Republican-led states across the country pass a flurry of antiabortion legislation ahead of a Supreme Court decision this summer that could overturn or significantly weaken Roe v. Wade, the case that has protected the constitutional right to abortion for nearly 50 years.

Her case could be an early sign of what is to come if Roe is overturned, Vladeck said.

When prosecutors charged Herrera, they may have been thinking of a pre-Roe abortion ban that is still on the books in Texas, Vladeck added, but has not been in effect since 1973 because it is unconstitutional under Roe.

Nine states still have pre-Roe bans, which could come back to life depending on what the Supreme Court decides in June.

"We could see more of this," Vladeck said.
This US airport has reclaimed its title as the world's busiest
Louis J. Valery entered into eternal life on May 5, 2022 in his home in Venice, Florida. Born September 14, 1932, in Lockport, NY, Louis was the son of Joseph (Casey) and Frances (Enzinna) Valery Louis spent most of his life in Lockport, NY. He was a member of the first graduating class at t
As the crisis in the pig industry worsens, Longford IFA is seeking support for its Pig Stability Proposal which has been submitted to Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue TD.

The pig industry is suffering substantial losses for eight months now and the war in Ukraine has compounded the crisis with a dramatic increase in raw material price and availability for the entire farming sector.

Longford IFA Chairperson Gavin White said approximately 40,000 people are employed by the pig sector within the segments of direct, indirect and induced employment.

The IFA, alongside the Irish Grain and Feed association and Meat Industry Ireland has submitted a Pig Stability Proposal to the the Minister McConalogue.

Mr White said, "We are asking for a co funded (50/50) Long Term Loan from Government, which will be repaid by a statutory levy on a per pig structure."

He added, "Negotiations are ongoing with Department of Agriculture and feedback from the team involved is not good. We need as much support as possible to save our industry.

"Kildare street funding is the only option for the pig sector. Without Government support, this time next year we will be joining the sugar beet sector as part of history.

"Our pig slurry will be no longer available to local farmers to aid grass growth. Pig manure as a fertiliser is currently valued at 10.46 per m3 when there is a requirement for N, P and K and when the availability of the N to the crop is 50%. This translates into 48 per 1000 gallons."

IFA National Pigs Committee Chair Roy Gallie is calling on processors to deliver a very significant price increase for pig farmers.

Pig farmers have been haemorrhaging money since September 2021 and losses have risen to 40 per pig sold, he said.

Since the introduction of the IFA's DNA scheme, the Irish pig price has been at the European average. We are currently 30c/kg below it. Farmers need an immediate price increase given the very serious crisis in the sector, he said.

Mr Gallie is calling on all processors to announce a 30c/kg rise tomorrow to restore the Irish pig market to the European average level.

Meanwhile, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue TD met with the IFA last week to discuss the ongoing market issues in the pig sector.

Minister McConalogue said: "I am acutely aware of the challenges facing our pig sector and I am working to help support farm families and their businesses as much as possible. The industry is undoubtedly under pressure and I, and the rest of the Government, have acted to support pig farmers throughout this challenging period.

"Recently, I announced the Pig Exceptional Payment Scheme (PEPS), with a fund of up to 7 million. The maximum payment under this scheme is 20,000. Payments have started issuing to applicants. I have also met with the banking sector regarding the current situation.

I have also met with the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) on the possibility of developing a suitable instrument to manage market volatility."

Minister McConalogue continued: "I thank the IFA for engagingly so constructively throughout this very difficult period for pig farmers.

"I have received the joint proposal for emergency funding that the IFA, the meat industry and the feed companies have submitted which and I have been examining it closely. I have committed to working with the sector to explore all avenues to offer support for this really important industry.

"Our pig farmers have always been remarkably resilient but I am fully aware of the challenges facing the sector at the moment."
Irish homeowners are being warned against pouring a number of substances down their sinks as part of a new project from Clean Coasts and Irish Water.

Clean Coasts and Irish Water is partnering with Edward Hayden to ask people to Rethink the Sink and never pour fats, oils and greases (FOGs) from the Easter roast down the sink.

Instead, collect FOGs into a heatproof container (egg cartons, tins and jars are egg-cellent choices!), allow them to cool and empty into the bin.

Edward Hayden along with other celebrity chefs and well-known personalities from around Ireland are participating in this years Easter Think Before You Pour campaign including Kevin Dundon, Gina Daly, Lilly Higgins, JP McMahon, Guy Sinnott and Mark Murphy as well as well-known food blogger, Niamh OSullivan.

Think Before You Pour is operated by Clean Coasts in partnership with Irish Water and appeals to the public not to pour FOGs down the kitchen sink, as a B&A survey reveals that approximately 4 out of 10 people admit to doing so.

"FOGs may seem like liquid when poured, but they cool and harden as they travel along the pipes and can cause blockages in our homes, businesses, the public sewer network and wastewater treatment plants and can even lead to overflows of sewage in our communities and pollution in rivers, on beaches and in the ocean," a statement read.

"When FOGs combine with wipes and other sewage-related litter such as hair and dental floss that shouldnt be flushed down the toilet, fatbergs can form. Irish Water clears hundreds of blockages including fatbergs from the wastewater network every week."

Well-known Kilkenny chef Edward Hayden said: This Easter I am delighted to be working with Clean Coasts and Irish Water on the Think Before You Pour campaign. It is so important that we dispose of fats from cooking correctly. If they are poured down the sink they can lead to blockages and fatbergs. An easy solution is to simply pour the fats into a container once they are cooled and throw the contents in the bin. Trays and pans can be wiped with a kitchen towel to get any extra fatty residues before washing.

Donal Heaney, Wastewater Operations Lead, Think Before You Flush Ambassador for Eastern and Midlands Region added: Irish Water is delighted to be teaming up with Clean Coasts and chefs from all around Ireland for the Rethink the Sink Easter campaign. Last year we responded to approximately 10,000 customer notified blockages along the wastewater network, which were leading to sewer overflows.

"Removing fatbergs and blockages from our public sewers and cleaning up sewer overflows is a dirty job with nasty consequences but so easy to prevent. We are reminding the public to Think Before You Pour this Easter, not to use the kitchen sink as a bin and to help us safeguard the wastewater network and local environment by collecting cooled fats, oils and greases and disposing of them in their bin.

Speaking about the campaign, Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager, Clean Coasts said: The prevention of blockages in our wastewater systems by fats, oils and greases is something everybody can engage in. Simply by being more conscious of our behaviour at the sink, and by making small changes, we can all have a positive impact on our natural environment. I would encourage and remind everyone to Think Before You Pour this Easter.
Local News, Business & Finance

By Chris Boyle Published: April 11 2022

This mentorship opportunity will match REALTORS with mentees, many from historically marginalized communities, to help them learn the fundamentals of the real estate industry.

Long Island Board of REALTORS (LIBOR) has teamed up with National Association of REALTORS (NAR) to help our neighbors find a future in Real Estate and provide inspiring mentors to help make that dream a reality. The NAR Spire 2022 Mentorship Program is a groundbreaking new initiative created to drive inclusivity in the real estate industry through mentorship and education.

This mentorship opportunity will match REALTORS with mentees, many from historically marginalized communities, to help them learn the fundamentals of the real estate industry, foster education, empower serious consideration of real estate as a career path and encourage and promote the development of generational wealth through property ownership.

Long Island Board of REALTORS is excited to be a part of the NAR Spire mentoring program and encourage individuals in our diverse communities to consider careers in real estate, said LIBOR CEO Tessa Hultz. This innovative initiative aims to drive diversity and inclusivity in the real estate industry while helping to eliminate barriers to homeownership for all.

Mentees will receive exposure designed to go beyond the traditional day-to-day business operations in real estate, including marketing, appraisal, IT, property management, and financing guidance along with live educational events, networking, one-on-one mentorship meetings, and a tailored online platform.

For mentors, NAR Spire provides a platform to play a leadership role in addressing inequity, plus the chance to network with peers, expand their influence and increase their impact in the industry.

As an experienced REALTOR, this is your opportunity to give back to your industry, and to remember the mentor who invested in your career, said LIBOR President Kevin Loiacono. By becoming a NAR Spire mentor, you are paying it forward and helping to shape the success of the next generation of real estate.

NAR Spire was launched in 2021 with nine pilot regions across the U.S.: Chicago; Memphis; Raleigh and Durham, N.C.; Rochester, N.Y.; Trenton, N.J.; Seattle; Washington, D.C.; and the state of Maryland. As the facilitator of the mentor program, NAR will provide resources and tools to help participants collaborate on defining expectations, setting objectives and an action plan, and completing a formal mentoring agreement.

LIBOR invites those who are interested in a career in real estate and may have thought it was beyond their grasp, to learn about the many paths that are available for them in the industry. The Association also encourages REALTORS who are interested in sharing their experiences, helping mentees unlock their potential, increasing diversity in real estate, and expanding their influence across the industry to apply to the NAR Spire program.
Crime, National & World News

By Long Island Published: April 11 2022

New York Attorney General Letitia James today applauded U.S. President Joe Bidens new federal regulations to crack down on ghost guns.

New York Attorney General Letitia James today applauded U.S. President Joe Bidens new federal regulations to crack down on ghost guns. These regulations are significant steps in addressing gun violence that is plaguing communities across New York and the country, and Attorney General James previously called on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to regulate ghost guns under federal law.

Dangerous ghost guns exist for only one purpose  to put guns into the hands of those who are legally prohibited from owning a firearm, said Attorney General James. In New York, we have taken significant action to crack down on gun violence, taking more than 2,700 guns off our streets and shutting down websites that sell ghost guns in New York. But our efforts can only go so far if these untraceable weapons are not effectively regulated at the federal level. Ghost guns are just as dangerous as traditional firearms, and with the nomination of Steve Dettelbach to serve as director of the ATF, Americans can feel confident in the federal governments commitment to gun safety. I thank President Biden for his unwavering dedication to this issue, and I look forward to working with him to keep our communities safe.

Attorney General James has taken significant action to support gun safety measures. In August 2021, she joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general in urging DOJ to finalize regulations that would make clear that ghost guns are firearms under federal law. In December 2021, Attorney General James vowed to defend a New York state law that restores the ability of the state and localities to bring civil liability actions against firearm manufacturers and sellers for their own bad conduct. Attorney General James continues to defend New York states gun licensing protection law at the U.S. Supreme Court against a lawsuit in the case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.

Attorney General James has taken numerous other actions to ensure that New York state has the right to protect its residents from gun violence, including filing a number of amicus briefs defending states gun safety laws; suing the Trump administration for making dangerous 3D-printed gun files more accessible on the internet; stopping companies from selling online, incomplete ghost gun pieces to New Yorkers that could be easily assembled into illegal assault weapons; and taking more than 2,700 firearms off the streets through dozens of gun buyback events and other efforts; among other efforts.
Local News

By Ls Cohen Published: April 11 2022

Mostly, it has to do with the post office.

Ever since Dutch explorer Adriaen Block mapped out Long Island - he was the first European to recognize it as an actual island - and called it Lang Eylant, place names here have undergone some drastic and interesting changes. The early settlers roamed around asking the First People what they called specific areas and those names stuck - kind of.

According to On This Site, a project to preserve and create awareness of culturally significant Native American locations on Long Island by Shinnecock artist Jeremy Dennis, Sewanhacky, Wamponomon and Paumanake are some of the original names for Long Island. In his history of New England, Rev. William Hubbard called Long Island, Mattanwake. And in other sources it is called Meitowax and Metoac, among other names.

Just like the island itself has gone by different names, so have the towns and regions within it. Geography is an evolutionary thing and place names change depending on who settles the area, politics and change of ownership. In some cases place names change simply because they fall out of favor.

Also, the post office had a lot to do with it as you will soon see.

Below in no particular order are a number of places on Long Island that you might recognize but had very different names in the past.

Hampton Bays - This hamlet used to be called Good Ground, making the old graveyard known as Good Ground Cemetery either very eerie or slightly ironic.

Port Jefferson - Once known as Drowned Meadow and for good reason. The salt marshes on the harbor at the northern end of the village would flood with the tides twice a day. Probably not a good advertisement for real estate agents, the name was changed in 1836 to Port Jefferson - and yes, its named after President Thomas Jefferson. Before all that, the villages original name was Sowasset, a Native American term for either "place of small pines" or "where water opens.

Lindenhurst - When it was settled by Germans it was called Breslau. Official history says that the Native Americans called the area Neguntatogue, which means, forsaken land. (No wonder that name didnt stick.) In 1891 the villages name was changed to Lindenhurst for no apparent reason. Also, Pat Benatar is from Lindenhurst, which has nothing to with any of this but is a cool fact.

Brentwood - A Utopian movement was the inspiration for the towns original name of Modern Times. According to the Brentwood Library, on March 21, 1851 the colony was established on 750 acres of land by pre-hippies Josiah Warren and Stephen Pearl Andrews. In 1864, it was renamed Brentwood after the town of Brentwood, Essex, in England.

Lloyd Neck - Europeans first called this place Horse Neck when they got here. Then in 1711, Henry and Rebecca Lloyd came to live on a 3,000-acre parcel of fallow land owned by Henry's family. One presumes that the Lloyds had something to do with changing the name. The Matinecock Native Americans called the land Caumsett meaning place by sharp rock and sold the acreage to early settlers in the 1600s. Those settlers called it Horse Neck because Huntington farmers would graze their horses there. Thats a thing you know now.

Holtsville - First called Waverly. In 1843, the Long Island Rail Road opened Waverly station, now Holtsville Station. Oddly, they renamed the place after Joseph Holt, the guy who became postmaster general under President James Buchanan in the 1800s. As with many places, when the post office came to town, another New York State town had the name already and they had to pick another one so they chose Holt; probably just because he was the postmaster general at the time and they were pressed for time - and not very creative. The avenue that cuts through the hamlet is still named Waverly Avenue.

Manorville - Once called Punk's Hole. Kind of a cool name. Why they change these things, we will never know.

Wantagh - Used to be named Jerusalem because of the Quakers. They settled and farmed the land at the time and liked what they liked. Here is where it gets interesting. According to official history, the railroad arrived in South Jerusalem in 1867 and named the communitys depot Ridgewood Station. If this next part sounds familiar, thats because it is. The U.S. Post Office refused to recognize the area because a town named Ridgewood already existed in Western Queens County. So, in 1891, the members of the Congregational Church held a contest to rename the village and "Wantagh" was chosen. Wantagh was a Sachem of the Montauk Indians. What they did not know at the time is that many generations later, Wantagh would frequently top the list of place names you can only pronounce if youre from Long Island, which is cool.

Barnum Island - This little island is where the village of Island Park is located, just north of Long Beach. The previous name for Barnum Island was Hog Island because according to a newspaper article from 1901, it was used as pasture land for swine, probably so people wouldnt get it confused with Horse Neck (see Lloyd Neck above). The island was also once known as Jekyll Island with one or two Ls depending on the source. Contrary to popular belief, it is not named for P.T. Barnum. According to reports, Sara Ann Barnum, the widow of Peter C. Barnum, wealthy owner of a clothing company, bought the island and sold it to Nassau County where a poor farm and a smallpox hospital were established. The island was named in honor of Sara Ann.

Island Park - Kind of like the sequel to Barnum Island. When new owners came in to develop Barnum Island they gave it a new name. Its also known for being a party place in the summer.

Mineola - Mineola sounds like the name of a tiny cereal bar but unfortunately its not. Back in 1858, the land was called Miniolagamika, which means "a pleasant village." Since the people had foresight and did not want to make the list of places you can only pronounce if you're from Long Island (see: Wantagh) the name was shortened to Mineola. They just chopped off the gamika.

Selden - Once called Westfield, a very nice name that sounds like it was in the novel The Great Gatsby. And, here we go again. In 1853, the town of Westfield was forced to change because they wanted their own post office and (yeah, you guessed it!) the name Westfield was already taken and apparently the post office just gets to make these decisions for a whole town. So they named it after a famous New York judge and lieutenant governor Henry Selden - who you never heard of until just now. We are just going to link to his Wikipedia page so you can read more about Judge Selden (weve given up at this point.)

Centereach - According to this dental office in the area (go figure, a dentist has the most comprehensive historical account of the history of the hamlet of Centereach), it was once named West Middle Island and then it was called New Village. So, are you sitting down? The reason why Centereach changed its name from New Village is because they wanted their own post office and - surprise surprise - the name New Village was already taken. Of course, the post office said no!

So, because they were located in the center of Long Island, they called it Centereach, which is kind of a stroke of creative genius, really. The dentist says that the name Centereach is believed to have been derived from the phrase center reached- a reference to the hamlets central location on Long Island. To be totally honest, its one of the few times this really worked out for the better because New Village is a boring name anyway (no offense to the people of the old New Village.)

Sayville - Named thus because of a clerical error. They wanted to be called Seaville but there was a typo on the original application. Officials said, what the hey! and just kept calling it Sayville, which at this point just sounds normal to us. Editors note: Seaville sounds like the place where Popeye was born.

Malverne - Okay, strap in because this story has a little bit of everything!

The official village website says that the true history of Malverne goes back further than anyone knows. Located on the south shore of Long Island, our village has quite possibly existed for millions of years. More than 10,000 years ago, much of Long Island was covered by glaciers. When the ice began to melt, it formed lakes, brooks, ponds, and streams. The glaciers also transported millions of tons of sand and gravel towards the oceans, building up what is now our south shore. Malverne rests upon this bed of sand and gravel.

In the interest of time, we are going to fast forward from the ice age to the turn of the 20th century when some guys came out from the city and built houses there around 1911. It used to be called Norwood but because the post office is the most ornery department in all of the United States Government they confused it with other towns in New York State, leading to frequent misdelivery of mail. So, of course they had to change the name.

They wanted to name it Lynmouth but Lynbrook already existed at the time and lets face it, from what we have already learned, the post office would have probably just given all their mail to Lynbrook out of pure spite.

They settled on Malvern, named after this hip spot in England that was known for its green spaces and annual George Bernard Shaw festival. Village history goes on to tell us that there were several other Malverns in the world. The largest is a suburb of Melbourne, Australia Only our Malverne, however, is spelled with the final e  and how we got that e is a mystery which has never been solved. Are you thinking what were thinking? Yeah, they probably added the extra e because all their mail was getting delivered to Australia.

So ends the epic tale of how Malverne got its name.

Carle Place - Named after some dude Carle who had a pretty big house there. Used to be referred to as Carles place. They dropped the apostrophe s because he moved - probably.

Half Hollow Hills - Used to be called Half Way Hollow Valley because it was halfway between the ocean and the Long Island Sound. Half Way Hollow Valley is a mouthful and we suspect the post office was somehow involved when they dropped the Way and changed Valley to Hills. (Our lawyers made us add this: The post office part is just a guess so dont quote us in your research paper kids. Were just making it up as we go along here.)

Dix Hills - There is a historical marker that reads Here was located the wigwam of Dick Pechegan and the fields that he planted. Named after Mr. Pechegan, they eventually shortened it to Dicks Hills. And then changed Dicks to Dix and no one knows why but we can all just take our best guess and leave it at that.

Bohemia - Used to be called Lakeland but in a move that surprisingly has zero to do with the post office, it was renamed Bohemia after a region in the Czech Republic when Czech immigrants came to town to establish a life in the countryside. There is still a Lakeland Avenue.

Ronkonkoma - As if Ronkonkoma wasnt hard enough to pronounce, it used to go by the names Rockconcomuck and Raconkamucik.

Melville - Changed from Sweet Hollow. Not to take anything away from current Melville residents but, really? I mean Sweet Hollow is a totally rad name. It sounds like the name of a field where they make butter or where Hobbits live with bunny rabbits.

Lynbrook - This is cool. So it used to be called Pearsall's Corners after some guy who owned property in the village back in the 1800s. But, in 1894 people came from Brooklyn to live there and said, you know what? We miss the old neighborhood. Lets switch it up and call it Lyn-brook. Get it? Before that Lynbrook has the distinction of having gone through 10 name changes. Ten! Pearsallville and Pearsalls are on the list. So the Pearsall family at one time had a really good lobbying organization but then lost in a rumble with the Brooklynites.

Deer Park - Used to be called Huntington South. Boring! So they searched and searched for a new name and found that some dude called the place a deer park in his diary because there were deer there - as opposed to literally everywhere else on Long Island.

Shirley - Although it never happened, at one time, according to a report from 1987 in the New York Times, the folks in Shirley wanted to change the name to Floyd Harbor. According to historical accounts, the town's namesake Walter T. Shirley was a real estate developer who bought and divided 10,000 acres of undeveloped land into homes and sold them off. The development was originally known as Mastic Acres.

East Rockaway - Used to be called Clinktown, which is just so much fun to say and makes everyone LOL. There are two stories on why it was called Clinktown. One history says that the name came from a boat construction technique known as clink-building. Another says its from a Native American man by the name of Clink who lived there. Who cares why! This is my official petition to change it back.

Glen Cove - Used to be called Musketa Cove but since Musketa sounded too much like mosquito they changed it to Glen Cove because the village is located in a glen and they wanted to attract the tourists from the city. There is also a local legend that the name came from a suggestion to name it after a pretty Scottish spot called Glen Coe.

Lawrence - Once called Rockaway Neck, it was renamed for three bros who arrived there in the 1850s and had this idea to turn what was pretty much farmland into high-end housing for the rich city folk. When you are the guys who build up a place on Long Island you get to name the town after yourself (see: Levittown).

Cedarhurst - Nee Ocean Point. The village took its name from the grove or hurst of cedar trees near the village post office when it incorporated. Its first mayor in 1910 was Horatio P. Vandewater.

Mount Sinai - So, we really cant end this list unless we have one final tale of how the post office made people change the name of their town.

Way back in 1644, when the land now known as Mount Sinai was purchased from the Native Americans living there for the bargain price of foure cotes, foure payre of stockeing. too chestes of powder, tenn bares of led. sixe howse. tenn hatchetts and tenn knives, mens size cotes, foure sherts, 3 pekle kettles, they called it Old Mans. (Just try buying a house in the area now for less than five sherts!)

The people decided in 1840 that they needed one of those new post office thingys they had been hearing so much about from their neighbors in New Village. To their absolute shock, the postal folks said Old Mans was not a proper name for a town. No the problem wasnt that there was another town named Old Mans, confusing the nascent postal carriers, it was the name was NOT PROPER. Taking it all in stride that the post office would just demand a name be changed after 200 years, the Old Mans people obliged because they didnt want to be the only Long Island town without a post office. So they changed the name to Mt. Vernon. Problem solved.

Hold your horses, Old Mans, the post office said. Seems theres this other town in New York also called Mt. Vernon.

The people of New Mt. Vernon said, So? Who cares? Theyre like a six days walk from here. Maybe two days on a fast horse. All the way upstate.

But, the post office said, Hard no.

They used Old Mans again while they thought of a new name. Since Selden was already taken by the New Villagers, they had to find yet another name. This next bit comes straight from the Mount Sinai School Districts history page. The name Mount Sinai was chosen by its first postmaster, Charles Phillips. Legend has it that Phillips took the bible and a knitting needle, closed his eyes, opened up the bible and pointed the needle. The name closest to the needle would become the name of the area served by the first post office.

This, dear reader, is how the post office did things back in the 1800s and how Mount Sinai got its name.

Think of all the ways this could have gone wrong because the people living in Jericho would have been pissed.

Jericho - Speaking of, in 1692 the name was changed from Lusum to Jericho.
Cops caught in lies are rarely punished by their NYPD bosses, a civil rights group says in a new report that urges the department to take officers false statements more seriously.

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Some 181 officers gave false statements in 144 cases investigated by the Civilian Complaint Review Board from 2010 to 2020, according to an analysis by LatinoJustice. Of the 169 officers whose cases have been fully resolved, not one cop was fired, which the NYPD says in its Patrol Guide is a potential penalty.

Only five cops were disciplined for not telling the truth, with the department each time branding the false version of events as misleading and docking each offender 15 to 30 vacation days, according to the LatinoJustice report, Shielded From Accountability: How NYPD Officers Get Away with Lying to the CCRB.

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The cases covered in the report represent just over 1% of the roughly 15,000 misconduct complaints filed with the Civilian Complaint Review Board in the period covered by the LatinoJustice study.

The problem isnt that a large number of officers lie to the CCRB, said Andrew Case, senior counsel for LatinoJustice. The problem is that the department ignores and excuses those officers who do lie.

LatinoJustice found that 84 cops were disciplined in the cases it studied  but the punishment was for the circumstances that led up to the alleged lies, and not the lies themselves.

For example, an officer LatinoJustice determined lied about an unjustified street stop might not have been punished for dishonesty  but might have been punished for the street stop itself.

Eighty-one cops LatinoJustice believes lied got command discipline for the underlying offenses that got them in trouble in the first place. Command discipline might lead to the loss of a few vacation days, or a letter of instruction. Three other cops who escaped punishment for lying were suspended for other infractions, LatinoJustice found.

The cases involved cops and complainants of all races.

The NYPDs refusal to take action when its officers lie has serious consequences, LatinoJustices report said. Officers who learn that there are no consequences for lying will continue to do so. People who are never told that an officer testifying against them is known as a liar cannot receive fair trials.

(Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News)

The low number of formal allegations of lying indicate that the CCRB adheres to strict standards before substantiating any allegation and recommending discipline, LatinoJustice says.

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It must collect evidence that the statement is false, the statement is material, and the statement is intentional, said Case. The recommendation has to be approved by a board panel, including a member nominated by the Police Commissioner.

Defense and civil rights lawyers have long maintained that police officers are too rarely disciplined for giving false statements, much less criminally charged with official misconduct even when there is strong evidence.

In more than half the cases covered by the LatinoJustice report, an officers testimony was refuted by recorded video or audio. In most of the remaining cases, the accused cop was contradicted by NYPD documents or by other cops involved in the incident, the report says.

The cases cited in the report include that of Officer Todd Craven, who was involved in a 2013 Staten Island incident in which Irving Mizell, 53, went into cardiac arrest and died shortly after he was arrested for allegedly violating an order of protection meant to keep him apart from his girlfriend.

The medical examiners office ruled the death accidental and said alcohol and a Valium were contributing factors  but Mizells family accused police of excessive force.

Craven told CCRB he didnt use any force in the incident  but video showed him punching Mizell in the upper body three times.

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Craven then claimed he was just tapping Mizell, who had gone limp and was not standing on his own, so he would cooperate by walking. Craven was suspended and lost 15 vacation days for using excessive force, but he wasnt punished for his false statement.

(Theodore Parisienne / for New York Daily News)

In another case listed in the report, CCRB concluded that Detective James Baez and Detective John Slavinsky in 2014 arrested a man for possessing heroin after an illegal search  which they allegedly tried to cover up by claiming that the suspect put the drugs in plain view by throwing them to the ground.

The NYPD only disciplined Slavinsky. He was docked five vacation days for mishandling the search.

If these officers testified about other searches in later cases, those defendants were denied a fair trial because they were not provided information about the officers history of manufacturing false reasons to give themselves authority to search, the report said.

One the few cops disciplined for not telling the truth was Officer Wael Jaber, who was accused in November 2017 of repeatedly hanging up on a woman who called Brooklyns 77th Precinct stationhouse for assistance. At one point, the woman said, Jaber identified himself as Officer Wing.

Jaber was eventually suspended 30 days, docked 15 vacation days and placed on probation. LatinoJustice believes the penalty was only that harsh because by the time the NYPD ruled against Jaber, he had already made headlines along with his partner, Officer Wing Hong Lau.

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Weeks later, in December 2017, Jaber and Wing were sent to the home of Tonie Wells in Crown Heights after Wells called 911 to say her boyfriend was going to kill her. Once at the scene, they never even got out of their car. and aAn hour after they left, Wells was found dead.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

LatinoJustice said that because of the publicity surrounding Wells death  which made the front page of The News  the NYPD imposed a more severe than usual penalty against Jaber for hanging up on the woman in November 2017.

The NYPD disciplined him for discourtesy and refusing to provide his name and shield number by imposing a 30-day suspension, a loss of 15 vacation days, and one month of probation, the LatinoJustice report says.

In the incident that led to Wells death, Jaber and Wing were suspended for 30 days without pay, and then placed on probation for a year. Jaber is still an NYPD officer, the LatinoJustice report said.

LatinoJustice wants the citys district attorneys to identify any hearing or trial in which any of these officers testified to determine of anyone convicted of a crime on the basis of their testimony was treated unfairly. Also, the group says, all the officers in its report who are still with the department should be fired.

The report also says the Legislature should make all police disciplinary records publicly available.

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In a statement to The News, the NYPD said the report was rife with inaccuracies and falsehoods.

The report by Latino Justice, an advocacy organization, is by no means an objective examination of the facts. It is rife with inaccuracies and fundamental misunderstandings of the processes between CCRB and the NYPD. Among the many falsehoods in the report is the assertion that an officer denying an allegation to avail themselves of due process is itself a false statement. Another basic error is to blame the NYPD for failure to act on cases that have not been turned over by CCRB due to CCRBs delays in completing investigations or failures to move forward with prosecutions.
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(Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers on AIM in London on Monday.

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AIM - WINNERS

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Argos Resources Ltd, up 28% at 2.50 pence, 12-month range 0.68p-3.50p. Falkland Islands government extends the second term of the company's PL001 licence from May 1 to December 31 with no additional work commitments.

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Quadrise Fuels International PLC, up 12% at 2.19p, 12-month range 1.52p-6.35p. Signs phased commercial development agreement with Utah-headquartered Valkor Technologies LLC to commercialise Quadrise's MSAR and bioMSAR technology at Valkor's projects. Valkor will deliver a crude oil sample from a heavy oil asset in Utah to Quadrise. Quadrise will then perform analysis and testing on the sample to confirm that it is suitable to produce MSAR and bioMSAR. Quadrise intends to grant Valkor exclusive terms over the deployment of QFI technology in Utah.

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Poolbeg Pharma PLC, up 7.0% at 6.37p, 12-month range 5.10p-12.90p. Notes "number" of new investors expressing interest in acquiring up to GBP1.6 million of company's shares which are currently locked-up and held in trust by Croft Nominees Ltd as a result of the distribution in specie from Open Orphan PLC in June last year. New investors have committed to buy up to GBP1.6 million of the distribution in specie shares on or around April 26 at 5.9p per share. "There is strong demand from these new investors in acquiring shares in the company, with the largest individual investor being an experienced life science investor. This is a clear vote of confidence in the company's prospects as it enters an extremely exciting phase of its development with its first human challenge clinical trial due to commence in June 2022 with multiple value inflection points expected in 2022 and beyond," company explains.

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AIM - LOSERS

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Mothercare PLC, down 3.2% at 10.50 pence, 12-month range 10.10p-19.35p. Will not be making first instalment of the deficit repayment contributions due for its pension schemes due to reduced cash generation as a result of suspending its Russian business. "The Trustees have responded and the discussions have commenced with the provision of forecasts and information to the Trustees and their advisors," company says. In better news, sees earnings for financial 2022 ahead of the current market expectations, although business has been hit by the pandemic. For year ended March 26, guides for net worldwide sales of GBP385 million. Adjusted Ebitda to be between GBP11.5 million and GBP12 million. Looking ahead, has completely excluded Russia from its forecasts given the uncertainty around the reopening of the stores in the country. Guides for GBP6 million hit from Russia war.

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By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
MEXICO CITY, April 11 (Reuters) - Brazil's Nubank, Latin America's star fintech, is fueling its expansion in Mexico and Colombia with the investment of a $650-million line of credit, the digital bank said Monday.

The new funds are a three-year credit line in Mexican and Colombian pesos, financed by Morgan Stanley, Citigroup Inc, Goldman Sachs, and HSBC, institutions that were underwriters of Nubank's initial public offering (IPO) in December 2021.

Backed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Nubank said the funding will go towards technology and product development, growth of its customer base and hiring.

While the majority of Nubank's products are developed and designed in-house, the company has recently looked into partnerships, said Nubank Chief Executive David Velez, citing its in-app marketplace in Brazil where customers can shop at retailers, and its insurance products in alliance with provider Chubb.

"We are constantly evaluating possibilities to broaden our product offering," Velez told Reuters.

Founded in 2013 to offer consumers a no-fee credit card, Nubank briefly became Latin America's most valuable listed bank ahead of Brazil's Itau Unibanco Holding. Nubank's shares have since fallen and Itau's have strengthened, moving Itau back to the top spot as the region's most valuable listed bank.

Nubank offers credit cards in both Mexico and Colombia and operates under the name "Nu". The digital bank closed the year with more than 1.4 million customers in Mexico and 114,000 customers in Colombia.

"Our priority is to keep developing this product to expand our customer base and launch more features," he added.

Nubank's presence in Brazil, where it offers clients services including credit cards, savings accounts, investments, insurance and personal loans, gives an "interesting idea" of where the firm is headed in Mexico and Colombia in the next five to 10 years, Velez said without offering more details.

Velez previously told Reuters that Nubank is preparing to launch checking accounts in Mexico this year, after it received regulatory approval for its acquisition of local lender Akala.
AMSTERDAM, April 11 (Reuters) - Dutch gas network operator GasUnie on Monday said it has signed a heads of terms agreement with Vopak NV and HES International BV to develop an ammonia terminal at Rotterdam Port, part of plans to develop the Netherlands "green" hydrogen infrastructure.

The companies declined to comment on the potential cost of the ACE Terminal project, which they said would be operational in 2026 pending approvals and final investment decisions. Green hydrogen is hydrogen made using renewable energy.

The move follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding last week by the Port of Rotterdam and Chariot Ltd to set up supply chains to import green hydrogen and ammonia to Rotterdam from Mauritania.

A spokesperson for GasUnie, which has been tasked by the Dutch government with re-purposing parts of the country's natural gas network into the "backbone" of a new hydrogen network, said the terminal could be compared with the nearby GATE liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Rotterdam.

GasUnie and Vopak own GATE as a joint venture, which has capacity to 12 billion cubic meters, (bcm) with plans announced last month to expand to 17 bcm as quickly as possible.

GATE originally cost around $1.1 billion to build in 2011.

"Our investment program for the next seven years is 7 billion euros, and of that, 4 billion euros is targeted toward hydrogen development," the GasUnie spokesperson said.

Sketches published by Vopak showed plans for storage facilities, facilities to "crack" or convert ammonia into hydrogen, and a connection to GasUnie's network of hydrogen-bearing pipes.

"It looks like HES has the terminal assets, and GasUnie the pipelines and land/sea connections, whereas Vopak will bring in its knowledge of ammonia ... (as it is already) operating six ammonia terminals worldwide," ING Analyst Quirijn Mulder wrote in a note on the plan. (Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Will Dunham)
Harland & Wolff Group Holdings PLC - Belfast-based offshore construction company - Says its subsidiary, Harland & Wolff Belfast Ltd, has ben awarded a dry dock contract for two cruise ships from P&O Cruises and Cunard. The ships will occupy the Belfast drydock for 33 days. Company says the ships mark "another milestone" in its "re-activation strategy". Harland & Wolff does not disclose the financial details of the contract.

Chief Executive John Wood says: "Our facilities are ideally placed to capitalise on these types of large projects whilst we continue servicing our smaller but regular clients. We have now secured contracts in four out of our five markets; commercial, cruise & ferry, renewables and energy - we now hope to complete the final milestone of securing a defence contract in the near future."

Current stock price: 22.00 pence

12-month change: down 49%
(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Monday and not separately reported by Alliance News:

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Scottish Oriental Smaller Companies Trust PLC  Asia focused investment trust - Says net asset value total return for the six months to February 28 is minus 2.8%, performing better than the MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Small Cap Index which is down by 4.5% during the same period. NAV per share falls 4.7% to 1,204.90 pence at the end of February, from 1,264.54p at the end of August. Its portfolio is most notably lifted by exposure to Taiwanese companies, with key detractors being its holdings in India and Indonesia. Having paid out a dividend of 11.5 pence for the previous financial year ended August 31, it says it is "too early to make a forecast of the distribution for the current financial year". Looking ahead, it forecasts Covid restrictions in China and Hong Kong will hurt the outlook for these regions, but that demand in other countries in Asia will continue to recover, especially in Indonesia and the Philippines.

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WANdisco PLC - Sheffield-based data-management software company  Says following a strong influx of orders for its LiveData Migrator product, bookings in the first quarter of the year are USD5.8 million, multiplied year-on-year from USD1.1 million. Ending remaining performance obligations for the period are around USD14 million, over triple that of USD4.2 million in the first quarter of 2021. Says company is "well placed to capture significant market opportunities in high-quality IoT-driven deals and expand into new verticals" into the second half.

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Treatt PLC - Bury St Edmunds-based natural extracts and ingredients supplier  Says revenue in its half-year ended March 31 is up 9% year-on-year to GBP66.3 million from GBP60.8 million, as its order book grows in excess of 15% with a "particularly strong pipeline in healthier living, citrus and coffee categories". Expects operating profit and margin to be weighed in its second half, as beverage consumption trends return to normal seasonality. Half-year results will be announced on May 10.

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Avingtrans PLC - provides components and systems for the energy, medical and industrial sectors - Wins two new nuclear contracts worth USD7 million for its Hayward Tyler division to be completed by June of next year, with South Korean customer Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power. HT will provide critical nuclear safety-related spare parts to reactors in South Korea. Contracts are of "strategic significance", and show how the potential for HT in the South Korean market, Avingtrans says.

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Tiger Royalties and Investments PLC - mining royalty and streaming - Says net portfolio value as of March 31 is 0.20 pence per share, an increase of 11% from 0.18 pence per share at the end of December. Current cash funds at March 31 are GBP22,052.37. Tiger Royalties will next update on quarterly NPV at some point following June 30.

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Cizzle Biotechnology Holdings Plc - London-based diagnostics developer  Enters into further 12-month research agreement with the University of York to develop potential applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy, to incorporate Cizzle's proprietary biomarker for cancer detection. Collaboration will begin on June 25, and follows a collaboration announced last September to develop and validate molecular tools for cancers diagnosis and therapy.

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Fox Marble Holdings PLC - London-based marble producer  Suspends shares as it arranges GBP400,000 funding by way of a convertible loan note to fund the acquisition of Eco Buildings Group Ltd. Says proposed acquisition will be classed as reverse takeover. Fox Marble will change its name to Eco Buildings Group PLC, as well as re-organise its capital and undertake significant capital expansion. The marble company says any benefits from a successful legal conclusion in the Republic of Kosovo will be structured to only be distributed to current shareholders of Fox Marble. "The Fox Marble business unit within the enlarged group will continue to grow its own business as previously and additionally benefit from supplying its processed marble to the housing manufactured and installed by the Eco Buildings unit," says Chief Executive Officer Christ Gilbert. Shares will resume trading on the publication of an admission document, or until acquisition negotiations are terminated.

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STM Group PLC - Isle of Man-based pensions and insurance administrator  Says its application to appeal the judgement of the Court of Appeal in the Adams vs Carey case has been declined, is informed by the Supreme Court. The 2018 case relates to an investment made in 2012 prior to its acquisition of Carey UK Pensions LLP in 2019. "A condition of the acquisition was the indemnity on any claims in the Adams v Carey case, with the benefit of significant existing professional indemnity cover held by the vendors. The decision therefore does not directly impact STM's exposure in this case, but it will have implications for the financial services industry more broadly," the company says.

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Prospex Energy PLC - investment company focused on European gas and power projects  Pays EUR2.2 million in consideration and working capital to become 100% owner of UOG Italia Srl, a subsidiary of UOG Holdings PLC. Prospex now holds 37% working interest in the Podere Gallina License, with its ownership of UOG Italia and pre-existing 17% share from its subsidiary PXOG Marshall Ltd. United Oil & Gas says as a result of the sale, it exits the Italian market and is no longer liable for EUR800,000 investment into Selva gas development.

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By Elizabeth Winter; elizabethwinter@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Louisiana... Mississippi River At Red River Landing affecting West Feliciana, East Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee Parishes. For the Lower Mississippi River...including Red River Landing... Minor flooding is forecast. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/lix. Click on the Rivers and Lakes menu for forecasts and observations. The next statement will be issued when updates are needed. && ...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL FRIDAY, MAY 27... * WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Mississippi River At Red River Landing. * WHEN...Until Friday, May 27. * IMPACTS...At 51.0 feet, All river islands along the reach from Red River Landing to Baton Rouge will be inundated. Recreational camps and river bottom farm land will be under water. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 7:00 PM CDT Friday the stage was 48.5 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to drop briefly below flood stage this weekend before rising above flood stage Tuesday. The river will crest near 51.0 feet Friday, May 20. - Flood stage is 48.0 feet. - Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of 52.4 feet on 02/14/2010. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
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Lycoming College students in the course, "Vietnam War at Home and Abroad," had the opportunity to welcome guest speaker Walter T. Steinbacher, a Vietnam War veteran from the Williamsport area. Sarah Silkey, Ph.D., professor of history and department chair, invited him to speak after connecting with him in 2019 when she helped to publish his memoir, "Point Man Up: One Marine's Memories of Vietnam."

Throughout the semester, my students have been reading firsthand accounts of the conflict in Vietnam, said Silkey. Mr. Steinbachers visit provided an invaluable opportunity for my students to meet someone who served in the war, and more importantly, ask questions.

Steinbacher left home and joined the Marines in 1965 where he was then assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines, 5th Marine Division, a division that had been disbanded after World War II. He left the following year for Vietnam where he served for 15 months as a point man and radio operator for patrols from September 1966 to June 1967. His experience and testimony of the war gave students one perspective of what a war without a front looked like.

Students in the course read excerpts from Steinbachers memoir and were encouraged to bring questions, such as how his experience shaped him. Vietnam cemented my love for the human race, he responded. Apart from working on his farm, Steinbacher enjoys humanitarian work. After being wounded in action and sent home, he worked with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, served as a union leader, and built a career with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry. While earning his associates degree in forestry, Steinbacher began writing about his love of nature and his experiences in Vietnam.

After drafting his memoir, Steinbacher found Silkey who connected him with student Sarah Bain 20, a history major. She served as a copy editor, helping to reorganize book chapters and conducting research to verify dates, names, and locations. Silkey then formatted the manuscript and connected him to a publishing company.

As we near the 50th anniversary of the American withdrawal from Vietnam, there remains a lot of interest in understanding the Vietnam War, said. Silkey. There are a limited number of veterans, activists, and leaders from the period who are available to speak to their experiences. As an educator, I believe it is important to provide a space for their voices to be shared with the next generation.

Lycomings history department offers an intensive and enriching curriculum that helps students cultivate valuable insights about current events through a deep knowledge of the past. More information about history studies at Lycoming College can be found at https://www.lycoming.edu/history/.
Two Buffalo cops have been cleared of wrongdoing for shoving a 75-year-old demonstrator to the ground during a George Floyd protest, leaving the activist hospitalized for weeks afterward with a fractured skull and a brain injury.

The incident, captured on a viral video during a June 2020 demonstration over Floyds death beneath a Minneapolis police officers knee, sent Martin Gugino tumbling to the pavement as police enforced a local curfew.

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But arbitrator Jeffrey Selchick concluded Friday that Officers Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski were justified in their actions.

Martin Gugino, pictured, was shoved to the ground during a Black Lives Matter protest in Buffalo, when he was apparently shoved to the ground by an emergency response officer. When Gugino fell, he appeared to hit his head on the cement, causing bleeding.

There is no evidence to sustain any claim that [the officers] had any other viable options other than to move Gugino out of the way of their forward movement, wrote Selchick. The use of force employed by [the officers] reflected no intent on their part to do more than to move Gugino away from them.

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Buffalo police did not return an email about whether Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia followed through on his plan to reinstate both officers to duty Monday.

A phone call to Gugino was also not returned, but his lawyer said the finding will have zero effect on the mans pending lawsuit against the city of Buffalo.

We are not aware of any case where this arbitrator has ruled against on-duty police officers, attorney Melissa Wischerath told the Buffalo News. So his ruling here on behalf of police was not only expected by us, but was certainly expected by the union and the city who selected and paid him,

The video spread like wildfire via social media, with the officers both seen pushing the elderly man after he ignored their orders to move. The pair, initially arrested and suspended without pay, were cleared last year by a grand jury that declined to indict the officers.
Mankato, MN (56001)

Today

Sunshine and a few clouds with gusty winds developing during the afternoon. High 72F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Cloudy. Low 53F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.
The deadline to file your taxes in the United States is fast approaching and some of you may need to apply for an extension in the event that you still don't have all the information you need in order to prepare a tax return.

There are those who believe that by filing a tax extension you are handed a postponement on when you should pay your taxes, but this is actually incorrect, as late filing penalties may be imposed on you for each month your return is not filed.

Hence, it is advisable to file your taxes by Tax Day in the event all your paperwork is ready, even if you can't pay all or part of your taxes.

How to file an extension for taxes?

Firstly, it has to be noted that the deadline for filing federal taxes is Monday, April 18, 2022. The reason behind this is because of the Emancipation Day holiday in Washington, DC, which takes place three day earlier, on April 15.

"By law, Washington, D.C., holidays impact tax deadlines for everyone in the same way federal holidays do," explains the IRS' website.

"The due date is April 18, instead of April 15, because of the Emancipation Day holiday in the District of Columbia for everyone except taxpayers who live in Maine or Massachusetts.

"Taxpayers in Maine or Massachusetts have until April 19, 2022, to file their returns due to the Patriots' Day holiday in those states. Taxpayers requesting an extension will have until Monday, October 17, 2022, to file."

To file for tax extension, you simply need to go to the IRS website or e-File Form 4868 or Form 2350 for free on eFile.com.

Bear in mind that getting an extension does not impact upon the date that you have to pay the IRS, which means that you will still have to pay an estimated amount in order to avoid any penalties.
Correction Commissioner Louis Molinas head of security was drunk behind the wheel in 2020 when she crashed into another car, sending it into a tree on a Long Island highway and then fleeing the scene, the Daily News has learned.

Captain Davelle Williams, 38, is serving as Molinas confidential assistant in charge of his security team, despite pleading guilty to drunk driving. Her high-profile assignment comes with a vehicle issued by the Department of Correction.

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Williams record also includes the loss of 10 days pay for filing an inaccurate and incomplete report on a use-of-force incident, the Correction Department confirmed. That case, involving an incident in 2020, was resolved on March 10. A disciplinary case related to her DWI is pending.

The captain has filed a lawsuit against the department alleging her previous supervisors discriminated against her by labeling her chronic sick and insisting she return to work.

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Capt. Williams highlighted in the Corrections Department Instagram account for Women's History Month.

David Fullard, an associate professor at SUNY-Empire State College who served 29 years in the DOC and retired as a captain, says the appointment sends the wrong message.

Basically you tell people dont break the law and if you get caught up in nonsense you may not be eligible for special assignments, said Fullard, who served in a range of units, including training and investigations.

What message does it send to the officer and captain who is trying to do the right thing, and then they see someone who didnt do everything right and they got the special post?

The confidential assistant job involves arranging the transportation of the commissioner and handling sensitive information, Fullard said.

Its not like there arent other people you can choose from. It makes it look hes doing a favor for a friend, he added.

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Williams appointment follows the controversial transfer last week of Assistant Deputy Warden Wayne Prince to run the unit that oversees staff sick leave and absences. Prince got the job despite being under internal investigation for stealing time. The Correction Department is reeling from a staffing crisis in which more than 1,400 correction officers are out sick at any given time, fueling dysfunction at the jails.

D.O.C Commissioner Louis Molina (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News)

After The News reported on Princes new duties, Molina ordered a job listing be posted calling for applicants. Prince will be moved when a replacement is named.

On Wednesday, asked about the Prince transfer, Mayor Adams said he was not aware of the pick but praised Molinas leadership of the jails.

I support him 100% because hes going to fix Rikers, Adams said.

The Correction Department has praised Williams despite her DWI. She was featured in a DOC Instagram post as part of the agencys Womens History Month celebration.

I am proud as a woman to be a part of an agency that has historically led the city in creating pathways [for] women to be in uniform leadership, Williams said in the post.

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Williams began serving as Molinas top security aide shortly after he became commissioner on Jan. 1. Sources said Molina and Williams previously worked together in 2016 when the commissioner ran the DOC unit ensuring compliance with court orders in a class action lawsuit that has resulted in federal oversight of the jails.

I believe in the power of redemption and second chances and was fully aware of this captains mistakes, as I was equally aware of her dedication and hard work. She fulfilled her obligations to the court and I stand behind her as a member of my team, Molina said in a statement.

Neither Williams nor her lawyer, Matin Emouna, responded to requests for comment from The News.

Williams wound up on the wrong side of law on July 17, 2020 after leaving a Correction Department retirement party, according to an accident report obtained by The News. She was driving on the Southern State Parkway in Nassau County about 9:20 p.m. near Exit 13 in Hempstead when she collided with a 2018 Honda Accord, according to a crash report. The Honda went off the road and crashed into trees. Williams then fled the scene, according to the report.

New York Department of Corrections (Mark Woodward/New York Daily News)

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The driver of the Honda, Richard Estrella, chased Williams car and got her to pull over, according to the report. A passenger in the Honda suffered a shoulder injury and was treated at the scene.

Williams told cops she had changed lanes, heard a boom and didnt know what happened. She claimed to have had two glasses of wine at the retirement party.

Williams failed a sobriety test and had .12 blood alcohol level, over the legal limit of .08. She was arrested and charged with drunken driving.

In June, she copped to the drunk driving charge. Nassau County prosecutors sought a sentence of 30 days in jail and three years probation.

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But Judge Joseph Gerardi ruled he would dismiss the case as long as she is not rearrested. He ordered her to complete an impaired drivers program and suspended her drivers license for six months. He also ordered a breathalyzer device be installed in her car for a year.

On Jan. 4, three days after Molina took office, Gerardi granted Williams request for the breathalyzer device to be removed. Williams had already been assigned a DOC vehicle on Dec. 21, 2021, the agency confirmed.

Williams also sued the city for discrimination in 2020. In court papers, she claimed that Warden Sherma Dunbar unfairly criticized her after she was hurt in a use-of-force incident and removed from interacting with detainees.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Williams filed the lawsuit and then went out sick with COVID from March 29 to April 20, 2020, claiming she was unable to type or write.

On May 11, 2020, Williams was labeled chronic sick due to her alleged ailment continuing to keep her out of work, court papers show. She argued in the suit that the label unfairly affected her chances at a promotion and violated her civil rights.

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In its response, the city described Williams allegations as trivial and argued she failed to prove her career was damaged.

The case remains pending even as Williams now sits at the elbow of the commissioner.

Williams lawyer in that case, Matthew Madzelan, did not have immediate comment.
A long-sought DNA match led to the cold-case arrest Friday of a suspect in the 1990 Memorial Day weekend sexual assault of a young woman later found dead behind a Jersey Shore restaurant, authorities said.

Jerry Rosado, 62, of Millville, N.J., was busted in the latest twist in a contentious decades-old investigation that followed the death of 20-year-old college student Susan Negersmith, who traveled south from Carmel, N.Y., to vacation with friends in Wildwood, N.J.

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Her partially clothed body was found in a rear storage area behind the eatery on May 27, 1990.

Countless law enforcement professionals and prosecutors have worked on resolving this case over the last 32 years and their collective dedicated effort, in conjunction with the improvements in DNA Technology and Genetic Genealogy Analysis, has led to this long-overdue arrest, said Jeffrey Sutherland, the Cape May County, N.J., prosecutor.

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A press release announcing the arrest noted the investigation was ongoing and urged anyone with information on the case to contact authorities. A DNA profile found on the victims body had led to suspects of interest over the years but no arrests until Rosado was declared a match and arrested Friday, authorities said.

Susan Negersmith (Cape May County Prosecutor's Office)

The lingering probe began after the New Jersey State Medical Examiner initially concluded Negersmiths death was the result of acute alcohol poisoning and exposure despite evidence suggesting she was the victim of a rape and murder. A semen sample was even recovered from the slain woman by state police.

Her father, after a battle lasting more than five years, managed to get the death reclassified as a homicide by bringing in outside experts who contested the earlier findings, leading to a 1995 New Jersey autopsy that found two small fractures in the cartilage around the larynx  injuries consistent with a strangulation death.

Sue died fighting for her life, her dad told the Daily News in 1994. And if we have to, well die fighting for her.

Rosado, who lives about 40 miles north of Wildwood, was charged with second-degree assault. He faces a sentence of five to 10 years in prison if convicted.
A man was fatally stabbed in front of his Bronx apartment building Sunday, police said.

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Antonio Iglesias, 56, was arguing with his attacker outside the building on College Ave. near E. 168 St. in Concourse Village about 2:30 p.m., cops said.

A blood trail is seen in the doorway of 1212 College Ave. in the Bronx after a fatal stabbing Sunday afternoon. (Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News)

The argument turned violent, with the assailant repeatedly stabbing Iglesias in his leg.

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Medics rushed the mortally wounded man to Lincoln Hospital, but he could not be saved.

A man at the grisly scene described Iglesias as a kind-hearted neighborhood staple.

He used to take in homeless people and feed them, sometimes they used to even stay over, said a neighbor, who only gave his name as Mike. Hes lived here for a while. Everybody knows him.

Iglesias  who police say had numerous arrests dating back to the early 1980s  was working to overcome his troubles with substance addiction.

He was just trying to make it, said a friend, who asked not to be named. Everybodys shocked that it happened. Youre here today, gone tomorrow.

Police are still searching for the stabber, who they believe knew the victim.
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Attention, Bollywood fans! The big wedding day is getting closer and closer with Bollywood's lovebirds Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt set to tie the knot.



Now, having seen the grand Bollywood wedding of Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif not so long ago, one can rest assured that it's going to be one of the most talked-about events in the near future.

After all, it is the Milan of the Kapoor and Bhatt Khaandaan, two of the most iconic families in the Bollywood industry, with so much history behind both of them.

 Instagram/Alia Bhatt

Now, with such a big event just days away, here are a few important updates that you should know about the upcoming lavish wedding.



1. The Wedding Will Have 200 Bouncers

 Istock

Alia and Ranbir, along with their guests are VVIPs and it's felt that they need complete protection from unforeseen forces.



This is why, according to reports, the wedding will be properly secured by trained personnel, with Mumbai's best security force - the 9/11 Agency being hired for the event.

Around 200 bouncers have been called for the wedding by the agency.

2. Pre-Wedding Festivities To Be Held At RK Studios

 Instagram/Alia Bhatt

Unlike the Vicky-Katrina event that was organized in the luxuries of Rajasthan, the main functions of the wedding will happen at the RK Studios and Ranbir Kapoor's Vastu residence in Bandra.



There have already been videos and pictures of RK Studios being lit up for the event.

All the pre-wedding festivities like Mehendi, Sangeet, and Cocktail will be organized at RK Studios.

3. There Will Be Drones

 Istock

Alia's brother Rahul Bhatt, while speaking to reporters said that they will be using drones as part of countermeasures. Roving Patrol Officers will also be attending each guest at the event.



We knew Vicky and Katrina's wedding too had some crazy procedures but this one surely takes the cake as well.

4. English-Speaking, Non-Smoking Security Guards

 Istock

Ah, this is interesting.



According to Rahul, there will also be a strict profile check for the security guards patrolling the event.

"They wanted that the personality of the guards should be good and that everyone looks impressive. They must be diplomatic, speak English, be polite and non-smokers," said Rahul.

Fancy!

5. Only 28 Guests

 BCCL

One of the most important elements of the wedding is its guests.



Well, while it was earlier reported that there will be around 40-45 people attending the ceremony, according to Rahul, the list is a lot less than the original number.

Rahul said that the guest list will consist of only members of the Kapoor and Bhatt families, with there also being reports of Brahmastra keymen Karan Johar and Ayan Mukerjee getting the invite.

Source: India.com
The Bollywood industry, with all its money, fame, and glamour, is a very competitive place to be. This means that there is a lot riding on and as a result, there may be fragile egos and flared tempers at any given time.



Unfortunately, some Bollywood stars have come to the receiving end of it and have gone through the humiliation of being slapped in public.

1. Salman Khan

 Instagram/Salman Khan

Salman is known to take no nonsense from anyone, however, in 2009, a daughter of a Delhi businessman barged into the Tiger 3 actor's private party and slapped him in front of everyone.



It was also reported that the girl also abused Sushmita Sen and Sohail Khan at the same party. However, Salman kept a cool head and the girl was escorted out by his bodyguards.

2. Ranbir Kapoor

 Instagram/Ranbir Kapoor

Unfortunately, this incident too involved Salman, however, according to reports, Ranbir was at the receiving end of this one.



Ranbir, who is all set to get married to Alia Bhatt at the moment, was reportedly in a renowned pub in Mumbai along with Salman.

As per reports, the incident occurred before Ranbir's Bollywood debut, with the actor getting into a war of words with Salman, after which the Pathan actor ended up slapping him.

It was later reported that Salman's father Salim Khan called a truce with Ranbir's late father Rishi Kapoor.

3. Sunny Deol

 Prime Video

Imagine going up against the Dhai-Kilo Ka Haath of Sunny Paaji!



Well, according to reports, Soha Ali Khan and Sunny Deol had been shooting for a sequence of Ghayal Once Again, which was a sequel to the 1990 blockbuster Ghayal.

It was reported that there was a slapping scene in the film with Soha and Sunny.

According to reports, Soha ended up getting too involved in the character and ended up slapping Sunny, leaving the actor shocked.

4. Shah Rukh Khan

 Twitter

One of the most infamous Bollywood clashes included Shah Rukh Khan slapping Farah Khan's husband Shirish Kunder.



It was reported that Shirish pushed SRK to the edge before King Khan took the step of pulling his hair and slapping him.

According to reports, things were so bad that Sanjay Dutt had to intervene to pull a stop.

5. Amrita Rao

 Instagram/Amrita Rao

On the sets of Pyaare Mohan (2006) Esha Deol and Amrita Rao got into an altercation with the former slapping the latter.



Later, while speaking to TOI, Esha said, "Yes, I slapped Amrita. One day after pack-up, she abused me in front of my director, Indra Kumar, and my cameraman and I thought that was totally out of line. To protect my self-respect and dignity, in the heat of the moment, I slapped her. I have no regrets because she totally deserved it for her behaviour towards me at that point in time."

6. Gauhar Khan

 Instagram/Gauhar Khan

The Big Boss star is a big social media presence, however, it was while shooting for a show that she had to undergo a horrible encounter.



According to reports, Gauhar was once slapped in an interview by one of her fans.

It was reported that the man was disgusted that Gauhar had been wearing a short dress and went past the security to assault the actress.
On Sunday afternoon, two student factions clashed against each other on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in Delhi. According to reports, the conflict allegedly arose over an issue of meat being served in the hostel canteen during Ram Navami.

The incident took place at Kaveri hostel at 3:30 in the afternoon, with 6 students so far reported to be injured in the clashes.

 Twitter

According to the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU), members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) assaulted the mess secretary and tried to deter the staff from serving non-vegetarian food in the hostel.



Responding with their own version of events, the ABVP, the student wing of the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, claims the conflict occurred when members of the Left-aligned student faction tried to stop Pooja proceedings from being organized in the hostel.

Accusations of pelting stones and injuries to their members have been alleged by both sides.

According to the police that had been summoned to the campus, the violence that had arisen has now subsided. In his quote to the PTI, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Manoj C said, "There is no violence as of now. A protest was held which is over. We are all positioned here with our team. On the request of the university, we have come here. We are trying to maintain peace,"

 Twitter

There still are protests happening in the vicinity of the campus albeit in a smaller capacity. A student of the prestigious institution also hints that the blame falls squarely at the ABVPs feet.



Speaking to ANI, JNU Student Sarika said, "In the afternoon today, a message went viral on social media that ABVP members are not allowing non-veg food inside the campus. The mess usually prepares non-veg food items on weekends. However, ABVP members did not let this food to be prepared.

The JNUSU has also claimed that the ABVP implemented "muscle power and goondaism" to create a ruckus within the campus. Regarding the same, the student body alleged in a statement, "They were forcing and attacking the mess committee to change the dinner menu and exclude the usual non-vegetarian items in it for all students." It further added, JNU and its hostels are meant to be inclusive spaces for all and not one particular section.

These allegations by the JNUSU have been refuted by the ABVP outrightly.

In their response, they said, "Some common students had organised a pooja and havan programme on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami at 3:30 PM at Kaveri hostel. They continued, This pooja was joined by a large number of common students of JNU. The Leftists came to object, obstruct and prevent the pooja from happening. They have created a false ruckus on the issue of 'Right to Food' (Non-Vegetarian Food),"

Meanwhile, JNU has issued a statement in the case:

JNU issues statement accepting that few students tried to create problems in Hawan. pic.twitter.com/8Mj6BWgDRq    (@indiantweeter) April 11, 2022

Such events with their tendency to polarise people have naturally created a furore on Twitter, with people taking sides as to whos to blame for this fresh incident of violence.

Here are some of the people who blame the ABVP for instigating the clash.

ABVP goons attacked JNU students inside the campus for eating Non-Veg.

Do anyone have any doubt where this country is heading to?.#Islamophobia_in_india pic.twitter.com/xbB8zUB1BM  Aysha Renna (@AyshaRenna) April 10, 2022

Do remember that in the last campus attack, ABVP specially carried acid to specifically target the women students who were against them.  Shivam Bahuguna (@JanusBlinked) April 10, 2022

The same bunch attacked Najeeb. Then they created ruckus and unleashed violence on 5th Jan. And today again.



What was common in these three incidents ?



They went unpunished.



Who are they ?



ABVP.  Aishe () (@aishe_ghosh) April 10, 2022

Sangh terror unleashed in JNU. ABVP criminals are brutally beating up and pelting stones against students in the presence of Delhi Police. The lumpens are terrorising the University because students resisted their attempts to impose a ban on non-vegetarian food. pic.twitter.com/ihrUdtiyrQ  Nikhil Mathew (@NikhilMathew_) April 10, 2022

Hindutva goons are beating up people on the streets, ABVP is assaulting students in universities. Next could be your colony, your locality, your house.



Sabka time aayega  Shreya (@s_shreyatweets) April 11, 2022

While there are some who are firm that ABVP is the innocent party here.

More power to ABVP students. They are fighting against one of the most extremist ideology and that too on their home ground.  Vijay Patel (@vijaygajera) April 10, 2022

#JNU student Divya was greviously injured with a broken glass bottle as she arrived to attend the #RamNavami havan on the JNU campus.

#ABVP students were subjected to lewd abuses by AISA & SFI goons.



And with that, the pseudo-secular brigade has gone into hibernation!!



1/2 pic.twitter.com/tiHi5hMN1Y  Priti Gandhi -   (@MrsGandhi) April 10, 2022

Fact about #JNUViolence



Leftists were unable to digest students performing Havan on the auspicious occasion of Shri #RamNavami inside JNU premises so started agitation and then violence on the nam of non-veg food.

Thier hate against Hindus&ABVP resulted in violence #jayshreeram pic.twitter.com/bocNg2ci0h  Er.Arjun Tiwari (@arjuntiwaribjp) April 11, 2022

The Statement of #ABVP in #JNU about today's incident!!



Will the Leftist lobby stop circulating just one photo/story (of one side only)



Kabhi toh besharmi se peeche raho!



Hindu girls & boys have too been inflicted injuries..



Fir rst you make ruckus & then play victim-card pic.twitter.com/Iexf08lqHM   Yadav (@SSRjune14) April 10, 2022

Such incidents of senseless violence have become increasingly common across the country. But in this case here, who do you think is to blame?
Do you remember the craze there was (and for many people still is), when Game Of Thrones was released? The American fantasy show filled with blood, drama, sex, thrill and mystical phenomena was an instant hit among the audience and for good reason.

At least until the finale was released...

But looks like we have another show in our midst that is just as magnificent and captivating as Game Of Thrones, and with a better and more fitting finale too!

The Last Kingdom.



Better than Game of Thrones.



That's the tweet. pic.twitter.com/WmsCgUBZir  Arun (@ArunS) April 6, 2022

Netflixs The Last Kingdom is being hailed as the next big thing after the HBO show, Game Of Thrones.

The historical drama is a British show that is based on Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories novels. It follows the life of Uhtred whose family is killed and hes been raised as a Dane since then.

While the show has enjoyed a cult hit status, it never really went as viral as Game Of Thrones. However, it seems like that is about to change as fans claim that the show might be one up over the GOT franchise.

| Netflix drama, The Last Kingdom, has been hailed one of the best series in history after its epic series finale  and it has even been compared to the likes of Game of Thrones.



Watch below: pic.twitter.com/8oyLsJQC1Q  LADbible (@ladbible) April 8, 2022

As of now, the Netflix show became the most streamed show in the last week with about 1.423 billion minutes watched across its entire 46 episodes.

Well deserved. What a phenomenal series and ending.



Original Series

1. The Last Kingdom (Netflix), 1.423 billion minutes viewedhttps://t.co/NRT82I27bU  The Bearded Crank (@beardedcrank) April 8, 2022

Fans have also taken to Twitter to get the show the recognition it deserves as they drop comments like, The Last Kingdom. What a show. Almost had me in tears, the last scene of the final episode. Anyone who hasnt watched this show is genuinely missing out. 10/10 from me.

It's way better than Games of Thrones.

The Last Kingdom is brilliant.

Absolutely brilliant.

The story.

The acting.

The cinematography.

The music.

The sets.

The choreography.

And everything.

Uhtred and his band of merry supporters are just brilliant.

And I must say I love Finan. https://t.co/awUEZ1N0Ah pic.twitter.com/LqwwHDxg6B  Tash Pow (@peekaboo_jen) April 8, 2022

A lot of people haven't watched this series. The Last kingdom is better than Vikings and GOT. And yes I have watched all of them. pic.twitter.com/z7g9h5k3WX  Joe (@De_Josh_) April 5, 2022

The Last Kingdom is my favorite series, recently claimed best in history Its also the subject of one of my favorite paintings pic.twitter.com/kbUSXpfp0Q  Gwen Cortes (@GwenSCortes) April 8, 2022

The Last Kingdom. Man, this series is just hella good.  Mildenze Lowen (@mildoooot) April 11, 2022

The Last Kingdom is so underrated  5eyenco (@5eyenco) April 6, 2022

Idk how Im just now hearing about The Last Kingdom.



This show is soooooo damn good! Season 5 just dropped not too long ago and Im really shocked on how little this show is talked about.  Merc (@merc_show) April 8, 2022

Another user wrote, A lot of people haven't watched this series. The Last Kingdom is better than Vikings and GOT. And yes I have watched all of them.

Looks like we have our weekend binge plans sorted!
BUTLER [ndash] Funeral services for Mary Shirley Cooper of the Snell Community will be Saturday, May 7, 2022, at 11 a.m., at the Chapel of Bumpers Funeral Home in Butler, Ala. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at Rest Haven Memorial Gardens in Butler, Alabama. 
A 16-year-old Las Vegas student allegedly beat his teacher into unconsciousness during a conversation about grades, according to police.

The student, identified as Jonathan Eluterio Martinez Garcia by the Las Vegas Journal Review, met with his Eldorado High School teacher Thursday afternoon to to talk about his grades, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department announced Friday.

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At some point, the suspect got violent and began punching the victim and strangled her until she lost consciousness, police said in a statement.

Martinez Garcia fled the scene and another school employee eventually found the woman in her classroom.

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She was rushed to the hospital with multiple injuries, but in stable condition.

A student allegedly attacked a teacher at Eldorado High School in Las Vegas.

Martinez Garcia was eventually captured and charged with attempted murder, sexual assault, battery with intent to commit sexual assault, first-degree kidnapping and robbery.

I am devastated, and the (Clark County School District) family hurts for the teacher assaulted at Eldorado High Schoo. Our hearts are heavy because of the violence committed against her, and we pray for her full recovery, Superintendent Jesus Jara said in a statement to families.

While this incident is now in the hands of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, rest assured that this suspect will be held to account for his actions. Let me say again, unequivocally, violence will not be tolerated at Clark County Schools or against our students or staff.
David Fourqurean, left, ANR extension agent of McLean County, and Vicki Shadrick, ANR extension agent of Webster County, host an episode of Kentucky Ag Matters on March 25 at the Kentucky Soybean Association office in Princeton.
The Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame has announced that Keith Cain, former Daviess County sheriff, and longtime educator Harold Mike Robinson will be in its 2022 induction class.

Established in 2010, the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame honors veterans who have continued to serve their communities, counties and state through public service and volunteerism following their military service. The 29 members of the 2022 induction class will bring the total number of Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame inductees to 216.

Cain, who retired as sheriff in December, after nearly 48 years in law enforcement, said he was honored to be inducted.

I am humbled, and I am honored, but I am humbled by the fact that I know some of the previous inductees; Mr. (Larry) Hager, who was Owensboros first inductee in the inaugural hall of fame ceremonies, I know his story. And I know the story of many others, and it is indeed humbling to know that you are going to be listed among those.

Cain said he will accept the honor on behalf of all the veterans who have not been recognized for their individual contributions because they have not had a public role in the community the way he has for decades.

Sometimes we get recognized when others that just live their lives quietly ... never seeking recognition, never seeking anything, it is those people that I am aware of that I know, that I will accept the honor on their behalf, he said.

Cain, a native of Daviess County, enlisted in the U.S. Marines at 17 years old, before he graduated from high school. He completed his recruit training at Paris Island, South Carolina, before attending advanced infantry training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where he received orders that he was to be sent to Vietnam with the First Marine Division in 1970.

Primarily, what our mission was, was to recon those areas along what was called the Ho Chi Minh Trail and spot enemy troop movements and call that in for airstrikes or assaults by infantry units, Cain said.

After returning from military service, Cain said he felt he was lacking something in his life.

I just missed to camaraderie that was the Marine Corps, he said. I missed that sense of purpose of being part of something bigger than myself, of living a life, if you would, of significance.

Cain felt he might be able to find that again with a career in law enforcement.

I found a home there, and I found that purpose that I was lacking in my life, Cain said. What initially was an opportunity and a job became a way of life and a home.

Robinson spent nearly 40 years as an educator and administrator in Daviess County and Rockport, Indiana, before retiring in 2012. Robinson, also a Vietnam veteran, was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1968.

I was drafted the month after I graduated from college into the Army, Robinson said.

After completing basic training, Robinson attended noncommissioned officer candidate school, where he was trained in all types of weaponry. He was then asked to stay for another three-month term to help train the next group of troops. After a 30-day leave, he reported to Fort Dix, New Jersey, to await his next assignment.

When you went to Fort Dix, you could either go to Germany or Vietnam, Robinson said. I thought, okay maybe there is a chance that I am going to go to Germany, but I didnt. I went to Vietnam.

Robinson said that while he did not support the war in Vietnam, he felt it was his patriotic duty to support his country.

I am named after my uncle who was killed in World War II, and so I wasnt going to disgrace the family, he said. I am a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and I am a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, how could I dishonor our family by not serving my country?

Robinson said he is proud of what he was able to achieve in his post-military career as an educator.

I always felt like I always wanted to give back, he said. I was a person that always wanted to be in everything. I played everything, did everything that I could from Boy Scouts to 4H to sports, and after I grew up I got into education, and that is a giving back in a sense, and I wanted to continue to do that.

Ceremonies for the 2022 Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be at the Lexington Griffin Gate Marriott Resort and Spa in Lexington. There will be a flag ceremony Thursday, July 28 and a dinner and induction ceremony during the weekend of Aug. 26-27.

For more information about the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame, visit www.kyveterans.org.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Ukrainian forces dug in while Russia lined up more firepower Sunday and tapped a decorated general as war commander ahead of a potentially decisive showdown in eastern Ukraine that experts said could start within days with a full-scale offensive.

The outcome of that confrontation could determine the course of the war, which has flattened cities, killed untold thousands and isolated Moscow economically and politically. Questions remain about the ability of Russia's depleted and demoralized forces to conquer much ground after their advance on the capital, Kyiv, was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders.

Britains Defense Ministry reported Sunday that the Russian armed forces were trying to compensate for mounting casualties by recalling veterans discharged in the past decade.

Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official said Russia appointed Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, one of its most seasoned military chiefs, to oversee the invasion that Moscow refers to as a special military operation." The official was not authorized to be identified and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The new battlefield leadership comes as the Russian military prepares for what is expected to be a large, focused push to expand control in the country's east. Russia-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donbas region since 2014 and declared some territory there as independent republics.

Dvornikov, 60, gained prominence as head of the Russian forces that were deployed to Syria in 2015 to shore up President Bashar Assads regime amid the country's devastating civil war. Russian authorities do not generally confirm such appointments and have said nothing about a new role for Dvornikov, who received the Hero of Russia medal, one of the countrys highest awards, from President Vladimir Putin in 2016.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking Sunday on CNN's State of the Union," played down the significance of the appointment.

What we have learned in the first several weeks of this war is that Ukraine will never be subjected to Russia, Sullivan said. It doesnt matter which general President Putin tries to appoint.

Western military analysts say Russia's assault was increasingly focusing on a sickle-shaped arc of eastern Ukraine  from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, in the north to Kherson in the south.

Newly released Maxar Technologies satellite imagery showed an 8-mile (13-kilometer) convoy of military vehicles headed south to the Donbas, recalling images of a convoy that got stalled on roads to Kyiv for weeks before Russia gave up on trying to take the capital.

On Sunday, Russian forces shelled government-controlled Kharkiv and sent reinforcements toward Izyum to the southeast in a bid to break Ukraine's defenses, the Ukrainian military command said. The Russians also kept up their siege of Mariupol, a key southern port that has been under attack and surrounded for nearly 1  months.

A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said Russia's military used air-launched missiles to hit Ukraines S-300 air-defense missile systems in the southern Mykolaiv region and at an air base in Chuhuiv, a city not far from Kharkiv.

Sea-launched Russian cruise missiles destroyed the headquarters of a Ukrainian military unit stationed farther west in the Dnipro region, Konashenkov said. Neither the Ukrainian nor the Russian military claims could be independently verified.

The airport in Dnipro, Ukraines fourth-largest city, was also hit by missiles twice on Sunday, according to the regional governor.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed for stronger military and political support from the West, including NATO members that have funneled weapons and military equipment to Ukraine but denied some requests for fear of getting drawn into the war.

In a late-night video message, Zelenskyy argued that Russias aggression was not intended to be limited to Ukraine alone. The entire European project is a target, he said.

That is why it is not just the moral duty of all democracies, all the forces of Europe, to support Ukraines desire for peace, Zelenskyy said. This is, in fact, a strategy of defense for every civilized state.

The Ukrainian leader also thanked British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Saturday. Zelenskyy said they discussed what help the United Kingdom will provide to the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, especially to rebuild the Kyiv region.

Ukrainian authorities have accused Russian forces of committing war crimes against civilians, including airstrikes on hospitals, a missile attack that killed 52 people at a train station and other violence that came to light as Russian soldiers withdrew from the outskirts of Kyiv.

Zelenskyy said that when he and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke by phone Sunday, we emphasized that all perpetrators of war crimes must be identified and punished.

A day after meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced that he will meet Monday in Moscow with Putin.

Nehammer aims to encourage dialogue between Ukraine and Russia and to address war crimes" during the meeting, the Austria Press Agency reported. Austria, a member of the European Union, is militarily neutral and not a member of NATO.

Ukraine has blamed Russia for killing civilians in Bucha and other towns outside the capital where hundreds of bodies, many with their hands bound and signs of torture, were found after Russian troops retreated. Russia has denied the allegations and falsely claimed that the scenes in Bucha were staged.

Maria Vaselenko, 77, a resident of Borodyanka, said her daughter and son-in-law were killed, leaving her grandchildren orphaned.

The Russians were shooting. And some people wanted to come and help, but they were shooting them. They were putting explosives under dead people," Vaselenko said. Thats why my children have been under the rubble for 36 days. It was not allowed to remove bodies.

In Mariupol, Russia was deploying Chechen fighters, reputed to be particularly fierce. Capturing the city on the Sea of Azov would give Russia a land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukriane eight years ago.

Residents have lacked food, water and electricity since Russian forces surrounded the city and frustrated evacuation missions. Ukrainian authorities think an airstrike on a theater that was being used as a bomb shelter killed hundreds of civilians, and Zelenskyy has said he expects more evidence of atrocities to be found once Mariupol no longer is blockaded.

The Institute for the Study of War, an American think tank, predicted that Russian forces will renew offensive operations in the coming days from Izyum, a town southeast of Kharkiv, in the campaign to conquer the Donbas, which comprises Ukraine's industrial heartland.

But in the view of the think tank's analysts, The outcome of forthcoming Russian operations in eastern Ukraine remains very much in question.

Elsewhere, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Ukraine was able to rotate staff at the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear plant for only the second time since Russian forces seized the facility early in the war.

The nuclear agency said the situation around Chernobyl, site of a 1986 nuclear disaster, remained far from normal after Russians departed at the end of March. Ukrainian officials told the agency Sunday that laboratories for radiation monitoring at the site were destroyed and instruments damaged or stolen.



Anna reported from Bucha, Ukraine. Yesica Fisch in Borodyanko, Robert Burns and Calvin Woodward in Washington, and Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.



Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
I learned from an outside source in early 1971 about a possible job opening at the Ohio County Times-News in Hartford.

Not sure if I wanted to move away from the daily newspaper business in favor of the weekly version, I drove to Ohio County to find out.

It was earlier determined that anybody taking the job of editor at the Times-News would have to live in Ohio County.

That requirement went against the rest of my family. My bride had a good job in Owensboro and did not drive, and my children went to a Catholic school, something that was not available in Ohio County.

Thanks to a new and understanding employer, that requirement was lifted, and I took the job.

That put me in the position of being the only male employee to go along with six very wonderful ladies.

And thats what this column is all about.

Over the next 46 1/2 years the female employment changed a little from time to time, but the quality didnt. A rural county that had two newspapers in Hartford and one in Beaver Dam settled into one, and we were the survivors.

The Times-News not only grew in several areas, it also opened itself up to the festival business, and with the full support of the residents of the county  and the full involvement of the newspapers staff  it perhaps became the biggest annual event in the countys history.

Profits from the festival went into the creation of the Times-News Childrens Fund, from which more than 500 new winter coats were provided to the countys needy youngsters, along with annual Christmas parties in Hartford and Fordsville.

The Octoberfest, its huge barbecue, parade and downtown sidewalk sales, continued for several years, as did the employees priceless involvement, until the newspapers management decided time had taken its course and turned the event over to a nonprofit organization.

That effort, however, was short-lived, and the festival went to the City of Hartford, which also failed in its effort to save the popular event.

I was retired from the newspaper when that decision came, and it was met with a lot of regret by myself and those fine ladies who worked for all of those years to make it such a great success.

I retired from the newspaper at the age of 84, and and all of my classy journalism partners also are in retirement. But that didnt put an end to our long relationship. Just last Tuesday, we again gathered at a Hartford restaurant where we shared a meal, a lot of love and some strong memories.

Were all a little older  well, some of us a lot older  but were still good buddies.

And about that long-ago question dealing with my doubts about running a newspaper in Ohio County? Forget it!

Yes, I was a Catholic and a Democrat, and Ohio County was loaded with Republicans and not enough Catholics to do much about raising the population. And that didnt matter.

It was my responsibility to work with all of the countians  including the many great non-Catholics  and everything worked out just fine.
Russias invasion of Ukraine has disrupted the supply of almost half of the worlds sunflower oil exports, forcing companies to turn to less desirable alternatives such as palm oil in products ranging from potato chips to cookies.

Thousands of products, also including ready meals and even wrapping paper, use sunflower oil. Prices are surging and the ingredient will only become more scarce from the summer as Ukrainian farmers may struggle to grow and export the crop.

Sunflower oil prices have gone up 1,000%, but it is less about the price as the oils are often only a small constituent part of the products, said Richard Walker, the managing director of U.K. grocery chain Iceland Foods. The real challenge is getting your hands on it.

Walker said 450 products Iceland Foods sell are affected and while many can use alternatives, such as rapeseed oil, the grocer will have no choice but to regrettably use palm oil in about 30 to 40 products. This is a reversal of a high-profile pledge the grocer made in 2018 to remove all palm oil from its own-brand lines over concerns about its links to forest destruction.

I just dont know how long this will go on for, Icelands Walker said, adding that it would only use sustainably-grown palm oil. The only alternative to using palm oil under the current circumstances would simply be to clear out our freezers and shelves of a wide range of staples.

Wm Morrison Supermarkets said they too will have to use sustainable palm oil in some products when they are unable to switch to appropriate alternatives which is often rapeseed oil.

Russias invasion has caused a humanitarian disaster in Ukraine and disrupted trade in foods across the world, sending wheat and corn prices to the highest in a decade. Ukraine is a key supplier of grains to countries in the Middle East. Meat prices are also under pressure as the cost of the feed used for cattle and pigs rises.

Ukrainian farmers are pressing ahead with spring planting, but will face challenges as they grapple with shortages of workers, fuel and fertilizers. Russia has blocked Ukraines ports, cutting off the traditional export route. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that Russian troops are targeting agriculture, placing land mines in farms and destroying machinery.

Where sunflower oil exists as an ingredient in products, retailers will be substituting it with other safe oils, such as rapeseed oil, Andrea Martinez-Inchausti, Deputy Director of Food at the British Retail Consortium, said. For food like potato chips which use sunflower oil as a key ingredient, retailers will add information on substitute oil onto existing labels, she said.

For pre-packaged sandwiches, sellers are having to put up signs explaining some ingredients may have changed because the packages were printed in advance, according to the British Sandwich & Food to Go Association. Philippines-based Monde Nissin said its substituting U.K.-sourced rapeseed oil for sunflower oil in its meat alternatives.

Companies using sunflower oil for frying have been replacing it with palm oil, soybean oil and rapeseed oil, industry group Fediol said. Andrew Crook, president of the U.K.s National Federation of Fish Friers, said his own shop in Euxton in northwest England has seen prices for 20-liter sunflower oil drums rise to 40 pounds ($52) from 30 pounds in the past two weeks. They typically go through eight or nine a week and might have to switch to palm oil at some point, though he values sunflower for its nice, clean taste.

That raises concerns that higher food prices and the need to search for supplies further afield will water down Europes food standards and push companies to opt for ingredients that may be more harmful to the environment. Palm oil and soy have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years over their role in deforestation, prompting plans for EU import curbs.

Rapeseed oil is seeing the highest increase in demand, according to Hemeline Macret, head of oilseed market analysis at Strategie Grains. Its used for food already and palm oil is not very popular because of its bad image. Soybean oil isnt used in many food recipes because its often made from genetically modified soy, she said.

The war is exacerbating an already strained supply chain, with transportation snarls and harvest setbacks pushing food prices to record highs. Soaring costs for basic foods in import-dependent Middle Eastern and North African countries are putting peoples resilience at a breaking point, according to the United Nations World Food Programme.

If this war doesnt stop soon, supply disruptions could last from now to 2023, Hemeline Macret said.
In summer 2020, The New York Times coordinated a nationwide project to document the lives of Americans out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved collaborating with 11 other local newsrooms around the U.S. The Messenger-Inquirer was the only newspaper from Kentucky in the collaboration. The resulting collection of stories was published Oct. 23, 2020, in the New York Times print edition and at nytimes.com/outofwork. The following list is the Messenger-Inquirer's local unemployment coverage from that time period; read more by clicking the "New York Times Project" header. Click on "Out Of Work In America" to go to the full
Former presidential and mayoral candidate Andrew Yangs attempt at bringing together the nations divided political factions on Monday was undercut by the example he used to illustrate his point.

Lincoln won the presidency on the brand new Republican ticket in 1860 with 39.8% in a four-way race, Yang tweeted Monday morning. He took a Democrat, Andrew Johnson as his running mate in 1864.

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Lincoln won the presidency on the brand new Republican ticket in 1860 with 39.8% in a four-way race. He took a Democrat, Andrew Johnson as his running mate in 1864.  Andrew Yang (@AndrewYang) April 11, 2022

Yang followed that tweet with several calls for Americans to put aside bipartisanship, including a tweeted quote from the 16th president, declaring With malice toward none, with charity for all.

But on Twitter, it was Yangs reference to Andrew Johnson  who has not been treated kindly by history  that became a flashpoint for heated discussion.

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Johnson undermined Reconstruction, held back progress on basic civil rights, and got himself impeached. Historians regularly rank him among the worst U.S. presidents, tweeted political strategist Aaron Heurtas. Its a sterling example of why you shouldnt add your ideological opponents to your ticket.

Andrew Yang (Liz Hafalia/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

A comprehensive poll of historians published by Siena College Research Institute ranked Johnson dead last on its most recent rundown of president rankings, which listed the North Carolina conservative two spots below Donald Trump. After being impeached in the House of Representatives, Johnson escaped expulsion in the Senate by a single vote. Johnson became the nations 17th president after Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865. The White House homepage describes him as an old-fashioned southern Jacksonian Democrat of pronounced states rights views who was one of the most unfortunate of Presidents.

[ Lara Trumps Abraham Lincoln quote was a fake ]

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

One Twitter user wrote to Yang that Lincoln putting Johnson on the ticket was followed by a civil war that eventually led to the nation coming together, but not until after four years of bloodshed, including the assassination of Lincoln, had come to pass. Northeastern Illinois University political science professor William D. Adler also questioned Yangs interpretation of history.

You do know that was a disaster, right? You are familiar with what Johnson did as president, right? he tweeted. RIGHT?????

Yang, a former Democrat, launched the Forward Party political action committee in October, which aims to offer voters an alternative to the Democratic and Republican parties. The Schenectady native came to business-world prominence as CEO of Manhattan Prep, which prepares students for graduate school. He was also reminded that the Republican Party was established in 1954, making it arguably not brand new when Lincoln became president.

[ My closing argument: Andrew Yang explains why he thinks hed make the best mayor of New York ]

Despite the pushback, Yang tweeted late Monday afternoon, Who will be the Abraham Lincoln of today?

Whether or not that would be Yang was also debated. One commenter recommended the actor who played Lincoln in the 2012 Stephen Spielberg film bearing the former presidents name shouldnt be overlooked.

Daniel Day Lewis was like...really, really good...just sayin, the joker tweeted.

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Yang has not responded to a request for comment.
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Miami, FL (33127)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear skies early giving way to clouds and a few showers after midnight. Low near 75F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
SEBEWAING -- If you were seeking an expert to discuss the small town of Sebewaing, Paula Nicholas may be the ideal person. After all, she has lived in this Huron County town for over six decades.

Paula has lived in Sebewaing since she was only one year old.

She is the daughter of Leona (Onie) and Omar (OJ) Buss. Paula's mom had actually been raised in the area and had lived there most of her young life. After she was married, the couple moved out of the area to find work before eventually returning in 1949.

When the couple returned to town, OJ and his brother-in-law Robert Euler joined forces to purchase a local dry cleaning business from Jacob Kling, and renamed it Euler's Cleaners.

Over the next few decades the partners would own several businesses, including a laundromat they built in the early 1960s before later changing directions and buying Dufty's Tavern.

Paula remembers her dad was well known in the community. He liked being around people, and he was a funny guy.

"He liked to talk," she said. "In fact, when he was a kid they called him Polly (the parrot) because he liked to talk so much."

Paula said Sebewaing was a different town when she was growing up. She attended school in Sebewaing and graduated from Sebewaing High School in 1966. Her graduating class had somewhere in the area of 80-86 students.

She made it perfectly clear this was before Sebewaing and Unionville joined together to form one school system. Even though the schools combined, the school's population is much smaller now.

She has many fond memories of her home town.

"Sebewaing was noted for all its Christmas lights," she said. "People would come here just to see our lights."

Paula said she has many vivid memories of gifts given to residents and visitors in the Christmas drawings. Toys were given to the children while adults won gifts suited for them. All of these items were given through the local merchants.

One of her fondest memories was Pitchers Five and Dime, which sold penny candy, yarn and craft items for adults, and many toys for the kids.

"We all wanted to go in there and look," Paula said.

She went on to say parents could do most of their Christmas shopping in that one store.

Layher Jewelry Store was another of the well-known stores in town.

"They had everything," she said. "It was all top brand names."

She remembers the Layher family lived in an apartment above the store, but it was a common practice for merchants in that era.

"We had Rummel's Grocery Store, and it was there for years," she continued. "We had a hardware store, and Olin Yackle had a shoe repair and hobby shop in town. If you took shoes in there, you'd better plan to stay a good half hour. Olin did a lot of talking."

He was also a merchant who lived above his business.

Paula continued listing shops which were in business when she was a youngster. There were two dentists, a men's clothing store and a women's clothing store. There were two barber shops in town, and numerous women had beauty salons in their homes.

The town had a car dealership, and there was Normans. Normans was very popular, and people came from around the county to shop there.

"We had everything we needed," Paula said. "There wasn't much need to go elsewhere."

Things began to change. Several factories closed including Acme Roll and Sebewaing Industries. Residents began to leave the area to find jobs, and the town began to shrink in size. But she feels things are in the process of changing for the better.

"People have begun to work hard to bring Sebewaing back," she said. "There is a group of people trying to do this. Our mayor (president) Julie Epperson is really trying. She wants to move the town forward."

Paula went on to discuss some of the things happening in town. Investors are in the process of trying to open a dental parts store. It is not a dentist office, but a manufacturer who will make dental items. It is being constructed in the former Normans building.

One of Sebewaing's newer additions is an antique store, complete with sportsman's museum built into the shop. Plus, the store boasts an ice cream parlor. Jason Eberlein and family are in the process of renovating an old building which could be the site for new a business.

In addition, Sebewaing is in the process of creating a dog park. They feel there is a need for campers and visitors to have a place to exercise their pets. She doesn't think the entire plan is etched in stone, but it looks like it will be created at an old factory site. This would be across the downtown bridge on the north side of town.

Whether it's a dog park or new businesses, several people have ideas on how to help Sebewaing grow.

"All these people have a common thought; Sebewaing can be brought back," Paula said.

When Paula talked about her life after high school she began by discussing the most wonderful man in her life, Lloyd Nichols.

She met Lloyd when she was a junior in high school and they fell in love. She graduated in June 1966, and they were married a month later. However, Lloyd was in the military and he shipped out that same summer, spending 13 months, 10 days in Vietnam before returning home.

The couple left Sebewaing when he was discharged from the military. They moved to Oxford while he worked at Pontiac Motors. They later moved to Caro, but they moved back to Sebewaing when he got a job at Saginaw Steering Gear in Sebewaing.

The couple purchased her parents' home on Center Street. Lloyd drove to work in Saginaw, often being part of a car-pool. He continued at the factory until his retirement. The couple had four children, all boys. Their first son, Christopher, was born while Lloyd was in Vietnam. Their younger children included Brian, David and Aaron.

Paula had worked at the family cleaners when she was a teenager. She came back to work there while Lloyd was in Vietnam. After she and her husband moved permanently back to Sebewaing, she worked as an EMT for over 20 years with the Sebewaing Township Ambulance service.

She also worked at the local newspaper, the Sebewaing Blade. During this time, Lloyd continued to work in Saginaw as a tool and die maker. She said that he spent a considerable amount of time on the job.

"He worked a lot of six day weeks and he worked a lot of overtime," she said.

Christianity and her church are important to her and a big part of her life. She said there were several good churches in her community. These include Emmanuel Lutheran Church. The church is the largest in the area and it operates a large Christian school.

New Salem Lutheran Church is another Lutheran church operating on the other side of town. It had a K-8 school, but that is now closed. A Catholic Church sits on M-25. According to Paula, the church has recently joined with others to create a large church.

Paula pointed out that her family was very involved with a local church. As soon as they arrived in Sebewaing, her parents joined the Evangelical United Brotheran Church. Later, the church combined with a Methodist church and became the United Methodist Church.

She went on to say her parents were married in that church, as were she and Lloyd.

"I love my church," she said. "It's a giving church. It has a food pantry that is open to residents of Huron and Tuscola counties."

She said it is a small food pantry compared to some in the bi-county, but she is proud nonetheless

"I'm proud of that pantry," she said.

Paula went on to say her church partners with a local group, Caring and Sharing.

"They use our church building to collect items and wrap packages," she said. "I'm proud our church has done this."

Somehow, during that time of working and raising children, she has found time to work at her church and to volunteer on a variety of projects. In the past, the church had an after-school program for area children. It was a one day per week program where the kids could have some fun, eat, do crafts and hear a Christian message. Unfortunately, the program has been suspended during the ongoing pandemic.

"We like to operate in the community," she said. "For years, we've made a float for the Christmas Parade and the Sugar Festival Parade. For years, Lloyd and I worked on the committee that built the floats. The last couple years, I drove the car that pulled the float."

She went on to say she and her husband had also worked at the concession stand in the park during the Sugar Festival through the church. If this wasn't enough, she was the church secretary for more than 17 years.

"We went through five pastors during that period of my life," she said.

She isn't sure what the future holds for her, and she said she doesn't have any plans.

"I wish I did, but I don't," she answered.

Sadly, the death of her husband in 2017 has changed her life greatly. Previously, she enjoyed traveling. In fact, she and Lloyd visited her long-time pen pal in Australia a few years ago.

"I used to love traveling, but not by myself," she said.

She continues to work with her church.

"I've been active in the church for years and I can't see that ending," she said.

"The boys and my grandchildren are the center of my life," she continued, but said this has also changed during this pandemic.

Before COVID-19, she would attend many of her grandson's and granddaughter's high school games. Due to heavy restrictions, she was able to get tickets to only two games this year.

She practices a regular exercise regimen at Scheurer Health Center in Sebewaing.

"I go a couple times each week," she said. "You've got to keep the body going or it falls apart."
LONDON (AP)  A leading Egyptian pro-democracy activist who has been imprisoned for more than 3 1/2 years has obtained a British passport, his family announced Monday. The move is likely meant to pressure Egyptian authorities to release him.

Alaa Abdel-Fattah, an outspoken dissident, rose to prominence with the 2011 pro-democracy uprisings that swept the Middle East and in Egypt toppled long-time President Hosni Mubarak. The 40-year old activist spent most of the past decade behind bars and his detention has become a symbol of Egypts return to autocratic rule.

He was first sentenced in 2014 after being convicted of taking part in an unauthorized protest and allegedly assaulting a police officer. He was released in 2019 after serving a five-year term but was rearrested later that year in a crackdown that followed rare anti-government protests.

In December, Abdel-Fattah was sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of spreading false news. Abdel-Fattah separately faces charges of misusing social medial and joining a terrorist group  a reference to the banned Muslim Brotherhood, which authorities declared a terrorist organization in 2013.

Last year, Abdel-Fattahs family and his Egyptian lawyers accused prison authorities in Cairos Tora Prison of torturing him and denying him basic legal rights. They also called for prosecutors to investigate the claims.

Abdel-Fattahs family said in a statement Monday that he gained British citizenship through his mother, Laila Soueif, a math professor at Cairo University who was born in London. The family said they sought a British passport for Abdel-Fattah as a way out of his impossible ordeal.

The family called for an investigation into alleged rights violations against Abdel-Fattah since his arrest in September 2019. Also, they requested that he be allowed to communicate with the family lawyers in the United Kingdom and that he be allowed consular visits in prison.

Abdel-Fattah began a hunger strike earlier this month to protest alleged violations against him and other detainees in the Tora prison complex, his family said.

This is a British citizen detained unlawfully, in appalling conditions, simply for exercising his basic rights to peaceful expression and association, Daniel Furner, one of the family lawyers, told The Associated Press.

The U.K. Foreign Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Obtaining a Western passport could be a way for Abdel-Fattah to be freed. A handful of activists with dual nationality were forced to relinquish their Egyptian citizenship in recent years as a condition for their release, a legal maneuver that allows authorities to deport foreigners accused of crimes.

The government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, a U.S. ally with deep economic ties to European countries, has been relentlessly silencing dissenters and clamping down on independent organizations for years with arrests and restrictions. Many of the top activists involved in the 2011 uprising are now in prison, most under a draconian law passed in 2013 effectively banning all street protests.

Abdel-Fattah has been detained several times before under different governments for lobbying for civil rights on social media and in public. An influential blogger, he hails from a family of political activists, lawyers and writers. His late father was one of Egypts most tireless rights lawyers. His sisters  also British citizens  are also political activists and his aunt is the award-winning novelist Ahdaf Soueif.

Separately, the death of a well-known economics researcher who had disappeared two months ago was met with anger among activists and academics Monday.

Ayman Hadhoud was pronounced dead in the government-run Abbasiya Mental Health Hospital in Cairo, the Interior Ministry said in a statement Sunday. The circumstances surrounding his death were vague.

The ministry said in a terse statement that Hadhoud was detained Feb. 6 for allegedly attempting to break into an apartment in the upscale Zamalek district of Cairo and exhibited irresponsible behavior.

The ministry, which oversees the police, said Hadhoud, 48, was sent to the hospital. It did not elaborate further.

Local media reported that Hadhoud, a critic of government economic policies, had been detained early in February. His brother, Omar, was quoted as saying that a police officer told him that he was detained by the National Security Agency.

Hadhoud's family knew unofficially that Hadhoud was in the hospital in eastern Cairo a few days after he was forcefully disappeared, the brother said. A death certificate released Monday said Hadhoud died March 5 in Abbasiya.

Activists and academics have taken to social media to denounce Hadhoud's death and many have called for an investigation. Prosecutors ordered a forensic autopsy of his body to determine the cause of death.

The government-appointed National Council for Human Rights issued a statement on Hadhouds mysterious death, urging prosecutors to address all concerns raised on his alleged forced disappearance.

Torture and abuse by police are not unusual in Egypt. In 2016, Giulio Regeni, an Italian doctoral student, was found dead the side of a Cairo road with his body had been brutalized, raising suspicion of police involvement. Italy accused police officers of killing him, a charge that Egypt denied.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  The University of Southern California is suing two YouTube performers who the school says created panic after barging into classrooms to film prank videos for their channels.

Court documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times claim the pair caused terror and disruption during three classroom takeover incidents in the university's Mark Taper Hall of Humanities.

The YouTubers, Ernest Kanevsky and Yuguo Bai, are not USC students. They could not be reached for comment Monday, and it was unclear whether they have attorneys who could speak on their behalf.

A judge on Friday issued a temporary restraining order banning the pair from USC's downtown Los Angeles campus.

In the latest incident, on March 29, Kanevsky and Bai interrupted a lecture on the Holocaust while pretending to be a member of the Russian Mafia and Hugo Boss, a known manufacturer of Nazi uniforms during World War II, according to court documents.

Students ran from the classroom  in some cases tripping over seats and leaving behind laptops and backpacks  in an attempt to flee what reasonably appeared to them as a credible threat of imminent classroom violence, the court filing says.

The university's lawyers said the pair's conduct amounts to both a public and private nuisance" that caused students to experience fear and emotional distress.

In September, Kanevsky, Bai and an associate entered a data science lecture and allegedly used physical intimidation to force the professor out of the classroom before taking over the lectern and subjecting the students to insults and demeaning behavior, court documents say.

In addition to the restraining order, the suit seeks unspecified compensatory damages, along with attorneys fees and other related costs.

Kanevsys YouTube channel has more than 111,000 subscribers and his videos have received more than 8.3 million views, the Times reported. The channel features prank videos at universities, in gyms and restaurants, on the beach and in other locations.
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SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged South Korea on Monday to provide his country with arms to help it fight Russia's military.

Zelenskyy made the request in a video address to South Korean lawmakers that came hours after Seouls Defense Ministry confirmed it had rejected a Ukrainian request for anti-aircraft weapons during a call between the countries defense ministers last week. The ministry cited the South Korean governments principle of limiting its military help to Ukraine to non-lethal supplies.

The Republic of Korea has tanks, ships and various equipment that can block Russian missiles and we would be grateful if the Republic of Korea could help us fight back against Russia, Zelenskyy said, using South Koreas formal name.

If Ukraine is able to receive such weapons, it will not only help us save the lives of our ordinary citizens but also provide Ukraine an opportunity to survive as a nation, and also help prevent other countries from being attacked by Russia, said Zelenskyy, whose comments were dubbed over by a translator during the televised speech.

Joining U.S.-led international sanctions against Moscow, South Korea has already banned the export of strategic materials to Russia and ended transactions with key Russian banks and sovereign wealth funds.

Zelenskyy thanked South Korea for those efforts but said sanctions alone haven't been enough to meaningfully stop the Russian aggression.

Russia doesn't care how many people die," he said.

Zelensky highlighted Russias takeover of Mariupol, where he said at least tens of thousands of citizens were likely killed. He briefly stopped his speech to play a graphic video showing buildings hit by rockets, Russian tanks firing as they rolled through destroyed streets and people wailing over dead relatives at overwhelmed hospitals. He said Ukrainian forces havent been able to enter Mariupol since the start of March and that Russian forces have cut off humanitarian shipments.

This war is far from over, Zelenskyy said. Russia is aiming to end Ukraines independence and separate the country. It is trying to eliminate the culture and language of the Ukrainian nation.
K. Bagwell / Contributed photo

MIDDLETOWN  Joseph D. Marino, judge of probate for the District of Middletown, has announced his intention to seek re-election in November for a 10th term.

The Middletown Probate District serves the communities of Cromwell, Durham, Middlefield and Middletown. With a population of over 75,000 people, the Middletown court is the fourth busiest by workload in the state of Connecticut, according to a press release.
HAMDEN A former student is suing Quinnipiac University over what she alleges was the schools decision to expel her based on her need for disability accommodations,.

Alexandra Faulkner alleges in a U.S. District Court lawsuit that when she was in the universitys physician assistant program, she was penalized for her Ukrainian culture, criticized for her need for disability accommodations, ignored when she attempted to complain about unfair and discriminatory treatment by her superiors during clinical rotations, subjected to retaliation and harassment before ultimately being dismissed from the program.

A spokesperson for Quinnipiac University said the university does not comment on pending litigation.

In the lawsuit, filed by Faulkners attorneys Felice Duffy of Duffy Law LLC in New Haven and Andrew Miltenberg of Nesenoff & Miltenberg in New York, Faulkner is described as a qualified individual with a disability according to federal and local laws.

Miltenberg said in a statement that Faulkner has experienced significant damages and wants to prevent similar situations in the future.

Since arriving in this country from Ukraine, Ms. Faulkner has worked hard to better herself, live the American Dream and dedicate herself to caring for others, Miltenberg said. With this lawsuit, Ms. Faulkner hopes to hold Quinnipiac University accountable and protect other students from experiencing this type of treatment.

Faulkner had been clinically diagnosed with depression and anxiety before her family emigrated from Ukraine in 2004. Her anxiety and depression cause her to experience a variety of side effects, including rapid heart rate, muscle spasms, fatigue, headaches, changes in appetite, difficulty sleeping and brain fog, resulting in a decreased ability to think clearly or concentrate, according to the lawsuit.

She was enrolled in Quinnipiac University program for the 2016-17 academic year.

In the fall of 2018 she began clinical rotations at the Hospital of Central Connecticut. These clinical rotations are subject to site visit and performance evaluation.

Faulkner alleges in the suit that her perceptor made incorrect, misrepresentative, and extremely negative comments about her and her performance, including a comment that she said indicated her culture was part of the reason for his negative evaluation.

The negative evaluation caused her to fail that round of clinical rotations. She was sent to the Academic Progression and Retention Committee for a disciplinary hearing where members voted to suspend her for five months, according to the lawsuit.

She and her husband continued to unsuccessfully pursue her discrimination claim, reaching out to a number of Quinnipiac officials, including the schools chief diversity officer, then-dean of the school of health sciences, provost and president.

She returned to the program in May 2019, but was required to attend psychotherapy sessions with her mental health provider due to the declining state of her mental health at this time. She sought and received disability accommodations from Quinnipiac, including being able to leave early for therapy appointments, having time and a half on exams, and being able to take exams in a separate location, according to the lawsuit.

Faulkner claims in the lawsuit that the universitys associate director of the office of student accessibility told her the particular program she was in was notoriously difficult to work with when it came to accommodating students disabilities and accommodation requests.

In September 2019, Faulkner began her clinical rotation at Mount Carmel Internal Medicine and Geriatrics. She claims in the lawsuit that she was assured the school had notified the necessary staff there of her disability accommodations, particularly her ability to leave at 4 p.m. twice a week to attend her psychotherapy appointments.

The lawsuit alleges this was not the case, and when her preceptor at this facility did learn of her accommodations, she made snide and condescending statements about Faulkners need for mental health treatments.

The suit alleges her preceptor also assigned her to clerical duties that were inconsistent with the lessons she was required to learn in the program.

This all culminated with Faulkner failing her clinical rotation due to a scathing evaluation from her preceptor who seemingly went to great lengths to denigrate Ms. Faulkner not only as a clinician, but as a person. The lawsuit also claims the preceptor has a disdain for Faulkner as an individual with mental health disabilities.

She was sent to another disciplinary hearing with the Academic Progression and Retention Committee. Fearing the committee would once again ignore her claims of discrimination, she requested an open hearing, which she claims should have been allowed according to the universitys graduate student handbook.

The university denied this request, and claimed the handbook had recently been changed, according to the lawsuit.

The student body was never made aware of any revision to the handbook, despite university policy mandating that the students would be notified of any changes to the handbook, the lawsuit states.

The suit then says the university forced Faulkner to jump through hoops in order for her to take a leave of absence for her mental health disabilities, after they further deteriorated following her second disciplinary hearing. She was ultimately never able to rejoin the program.

In June 2020, after paying her remaining tuition balance, Faulkner was informed of her dismissal from the program, according to the lawsuit.

Faulkner is seeking to be reinstated in the program, as well as reimbursed for all expenses connected to the alledged discrimination. Shes also suing the school for emotional damages, the loss of educational and career opportunities and other damages.

Raga Justin contibuted to this report.
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NEW YORK (AP)  Many New Yorkers just want their city to feel orderly, functional and fun again after two years of plague and social disruption. Their new mayor, Eric Adams, has promised to deliver.

The question is, can the Democrat who pledged to bring back New Yorks swagger gain momentum in the face of repeated setbacks?

Adams' optimism remained high even as he marked his 100th day as mayor Sunday by going into quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.

A hands-on politician and nightlife enthusiast, Adams, 61, caught the virus after a whirlwind week typical of his persona and time in office: He had attended the Gridiron dinner in Washington, gone to a New York gala, posed with Robert de Niro at a film festival, attended the Yankees opener and a slew of events in the state Capitol.

Im going to continue to try to be as visible as possible as we get through COVID and many of the other crises that were facing, Adams said Monday, promising to resume his busy schedule after recovering from the virus.

In his first 100 days in office, Adams has projected an aggressive confidence as hes implemented policies aimed at combating an image of New York City as hobbled by the pandemic and beset by rising crime.

He dropped many COVID-19 precautions and is reluctant to bring them back, even as virus cases have steadily risen.

Hes ordered homeless encampments removed from public spaces, despite complaints from activists that the sweeps are inhumane.

Over the objection of progressives, Adams, a former police captain, brought back an NYPD anti-gun unit disbanded by the previous mayor, saying that with better oversight it will shed its past reputation for using excessive force.

Critics say Adams is embracing the worst tendencies of previous mayors known for their heavy-handed approaches to policing and social services.

Adams says he doesnt like chaos, as Saturday Night Live noted in his first days in office. Instead, he is seeking to harness the city's tangly dynamism.

That is what I think our failure is in our city ... We have thrown up our hands and said this city is not manageable. That is just not true," he said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, prior to testing positive for COVID-19.

He said he starts every morning poring over a series of spreadsheets filled with data on his key initiatives.

When inspecting his efforts to clear tents and makeshift shelters set up by homeless people, Adams scrolls through hundreds of color-coded rows listing individual encampments reported to the city  some that the mayor has phoned in himself.

He checks to see if the entries are shaded blue by someone in his administration, indicating city workers have posted notices theyre about to clean the area. He checks to see that the blue entries are later turned yellow, coded as a successful cleanup. If too many days pass and the colors dont change, hell make a call to find out why.

At a news conference last month, he said the city cleared 239 encampments in its first 12 days. Although the city didnt offer data about how many people were living at the encampments, only five accepted offers to move to a shelter.

Adams said he thinks the number will grow, as it did with efforts to reach out to homeless people in the subway system.

The mayor also checks daily spreadsheets laying out data on crime, the citys sprawling transit system, affordable and supportive housing units, and hires and promotions in his government.

He likened himself to an airline pilot who sits down and checks his instruments before taking off, calling the city a complex piece of machinery.

You have to constantly inspect what you expect, or its suspect, Adams said, using one of his favored catchphrases.

Adams, a former New York City police captain, state lawmaker and elected borough president of Brooklyn, had to deal with unrelenting crises in his first month in office.

A fire ripped through a high-rise apartment building, killing 17 people; a baby was wounded by gunfire; two police officers were fatally shot while responding to a call; a woman was pushed to her death in front of a subway train by a stranger.

Outside of 9/11, I dont know if another mayor was just inundated with so much at one time, Adams remarked.

Crime, which has risen in cities across the U.S., has become one of his chief concerns.

Its by far the thorniest issue Adams took on, said Jon Reinish, a Democratic political strategist in New York City. But 100 days is still early, Reinish said, and a better barometer of progress would be a year into the administration.

I think that he has navigated that well so far, but Rome wasnt built in a day, he said.

New York Citys elected public advocate Jumaane Williams, a progressive Democrat who serves as a city ombudsman, praised Adams for partnering with him on issues like food insecurity, Black maternal health and summer jobs for young people. But he said hes concerned about too much emphasis on policing and not enough focus on mental health.

Adams, who is Black, points out that he spoke out about racist and unjust practices in the department while he was an officer. He says police can learn from the mistakes of the past while using new tools like body cameras to stay accountable  but the city also cant go back to the days of high rates of violent crime.

I know I dont want to go back to the violence or the abuse. Some people only talk about not going back to the abuse, he said.

Critics have also called Adams' actions to clear homeless encampments short-sighted, especially when some people living on the street say they dont feel safe in the citys shelters and theres not enough affordable housing to provide a long-term solution.

It sounds to me like were doing the last thing first, Williams said.

Adams contends its inhumane to accept that people sleep on the street, and defends his plan by pointing to to a city law guaranteeing a right to space in a shelter for any homeless person who needs it.

But he also notes that when an encampment is cleared, It is just unbelievable how visually, it just changes your mindset of your neighborhood. And that is part of the goal. Because were dealing with an actual problem and the perception of a problem.

Perception, he said is also why hes posting photos and videos on social media of himself shoveling snow during snowstorms or is seen meeting people all over the city and hitting up restaurants, night clubs and glitzy events.

We have to get the city back up and operating and many New Yorkers are starting to do so. And they need to see me in the process, he said. As I deal with the crises, I also have to be on that red carpet. Because Broadway is a major economic driver for our city.
A Florida man who was discovered living with the decomposing bodies of his family and pet dog murdered them to save them from the upcoming apocalypse, prosecutors argued Monday.

Anthony Todt, 46, was found at his home in Celebration on Jan. 13, 2020 when Osceola County deputies and FBI agents were executing an arrest warrant on federal health care fraud stemming from a physical therapy practice he operated in Connecticut.

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Todts sister had also asked for a wellness check after not hearing from the family since the day after Christmas.

This 2020 booking photo released by the Osceola County Sheriff's Office shows Anthony Todt. (AP)

Inside the home, authorities were greeted with a foul order and found the bodies of Todts wife and children, and the family dog, wrapped in blankets in Todts bedroom.

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An autopsy on his children, 4-year-old Zoe, 11-year-old Tyler and 13-year-old Alek, his wife, 42-year-old Megan Todt, and family dog Breezy found toxic amounts of Benadryl and stab wounds.

Todt has already pleaded not guilty four counts of first-degree murder and one count of animal cruelty.

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Assistant State Attorney Danielle Pinnell told the jury Todt was concerned about Tyler because the boy was faster than his siblings and potentially could have escaped.

Todt later told detectives he and his wife had agreed to kill the children and themselves to avoid an approaching calamity.

The white, two-story house where Anthony and Megan Todt lived with their three children remained a crime scene Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, the day after four bodies were found inside. (Grace Toohey/TNS)

Everybody needed to die in order to pass over to the other side together because the apocalypse was coming, Pinnell told jurors.

He allegedly told detectives his wife stabbed herself but did not die.

The defendant told law enforcement that Megan did that to herself, and as best as she tried, that didnt work, Pinnell said. And so the defendant took a pillow and suffocated Megan Todt as well.

In jailhouse writings since his arrest, Todt has claimed his wife poisoned the children in their deserts and then stabbed them.

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The defense plans to make an opening statement after the prosecution rests.
A U.S. Coast Guard video shows Key West crews returning nearly 90 migrants to Haiti on Sunday, according to the military branch.

At least four children wearing orange life jackets  including an infant in a baby car seat  are seen on video being escorted from the Coast Guard Cutter Thetis to a Haitian boat.

The youths are part of a group of 88 migrants that were repatriated after being detained Tuesday approximately 18 miles north of Sagua La Grande, Cuba, the Coast Guard announced in a news release. They were all found in good health, the military branch reported.

A Coast Guard airplane crew alerted Key West staff of a "grossly overloaded vessel," according to the agency. When the crew arrived on scene, they reported the boat also was taking on water.

According to the Coast Guard, there were 62 male and 26 female migrants on the vessel. The military branch did not say how many of them were minors.

"We ask families in the U.S. not to encourage their loved ones in Haiti to make this dangerous journey," said Lt. Connor Ives, Coast Guard District Seven enforcement officer. "The risk for loss of life is great on these unsafe vessels."

The Coast Guard tallies the number of migrants detained by fiscal year, which begins in October and ends in September of the next year. Since Oct. 1 of last year, the military branch has detained 3,060 Haitian migrants, a nearly 51% increase compared to the last fiscal year when 1,527 were detained.

Here are the number of Haitian migrants detained by the Coast Guard in recent fiscal years:

1,527 Haitian migrants in Fiscal Year 2021

418 Haitian migrants in Fiscal Year 2020

932 Haitian migrants in Fiscal Year 2019

609 Haitian migrants in Fiscal Year 2018

419 Haitian migrants in Fiscal Year 2017

On March 11, nearly 200 migrants were returned to Haiti by the Coast Guard after their overloaded sailboat ran aground behind a wealthy North Key Largo resort in the Upper Florida Key.

______

2022 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
MYKOLAIV, Ukraine -- With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy telling compatriots to brace for a fateful week, Western military officials warned Monday that Russian forces will likely resort to even more brutal tactics against civilians in a looming offensive in the country's south and east.

Nearly seven weeks into a war in which the Kremlin has attained virtually none of its strategic objectives, Russian President Vladimir Putin was expected Monday to hold his first face-to-face talks with a European leader since launching the Feb. 24 invasion. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced the planned meeting, declaring that Russia's "war of aggression" must cease.

Austria is a member of the European Union, which has imposed stringent sanctions against Russia, but is militarily neutral and not a member of NATO -- a status that in the past has allowed it to maintain closer links with Moscow. But Nehammer, who met over the weekend with Zelenskyy, has demanded a war-crimes investigation against Russia, which has denied its troops have committed atrocities against civilians.

European leaders, meanwhile, signaled that more sanctions against Moscow may be in the works. But the bloc is running out of ways to try to force Putin to break off the biggest ground war in Europe in decades, which has triggered the continent's largest refugee crisis since World War II. More than 4.5 million Ukrainians have fled the country, according to the latest U.N. figures, and around another 7 million are internally displaced.

"Sanctions are always on the table," the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, told reporters as he headed into a meeting on Monday with the bloc's foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

The U.S., for its part, was stepping up diplomatic efforts to bring more countries into the anti-Russia coalition. President Joe Biden was to hold a virtual meeting Monday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India is a U.S. ally, but has not imposed any sanctions against Russia. Among a four-nation group of allies known colloquially as the Quad -- the U.S., Japan, Australia and India -- Biden has previously described India as the only "somewhat shaky" country regarding Ukraine.

With a ferocious new phase of the war considered all but certain, Ukrainian civilians continued to try to escape from what is expected to become the next main battleground, the country's eastern industrial heartland and its southern seacoasts.

Even with nearly another 3,000 people fleeing those areas on Sunday, according to Ukrainian officials, the pace of the exodus has been slowed by fear of more attacks like the one on a railway station last week in the eastern city of Kramatorsk, whose death toll has risen to at least 57.

Origin APNews

Zelenskyy said Monday that Russia's ongoing assault on the southern port of Mariupol had "destroyed" the city and left tens of thousands of people dead. Mariupol is almost completely cut off, and the figure could not be independently confirmed.

"Despite this, the Russians are not stopping their offensive," the Ukrainian leader told South Korea's parliament in the latest in a series of near-daily video addresses to lawmakers around the world to drum up support and plead for more weaponry for his beleaguered country.

Since the start of the war, Moscow's forces have sought to capture Mariupol in order to establish a land corridor between Russian-controlled areas of the east and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized eight years ago.

A British military intelligence assessment on Monday warned that Russia may resort to the use of phosphorus weapons in its bid to finally secure control of the city, and said civilians in many areas were imperiled by the invaders' use of indiscriminate firepower.

"Russia's continued reliance on unguided bombs decreases their ability to discriminate when targeting and conducting strikes, while greatly increasing the risk of further civilian casualties," the assessment said.

Artillery strikes rocked several eastern cities early Monday. Air-raid sirens also wailed in the southern city of Mykolaiv, near the Black Sea, where a massive blast reverberated late Sunday. The regional governor, Vitaliy Kim, said in a video posted Monday that it was a missile strike that caused no deaths.

In his overnight video address, Zelenskyy said Russia was trying to evade responsibility for war crimes such as the reign of terror visited on areas outside Kyiv during a monthlong occupation before abandoning the bid to swiftly seize the capital city and topple the Ukrainian government.

Investigators and Ukrainian forces have been on the ground daily in satellite towns outside Kyiv, recovering bodies of civilians, many killed execution-style and thrown into mass graves. Forensic specialists from France arrived Monday to help with the preservation of evidence. Ukrainian officials say the count of fatalities in those outlying areas has surpassed 1,200.

"We are doing everything we can to bring to justice every bastard who came to our land under the Russian flag and killed our people, who tortured our people, destroyed our cities, looted and tormented," Zelenskyy said.

He added that the coming week will be as "tense" as any in the course of the war, as Russian forces prepare to stage "even larger operations in the east of our state."

In laying groundwork for that offensive, Russian missile strikes destroyed the central city of Dnipro's airport in a missile strike on Sunday, Ukrainian officials acknowledged. But Ukrainian forces have also repulsed several assaults in eastern regions, "resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery equipment," the British military assessment said.

Russian forces kept up unrelenting strikes on the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest. The regional governor, Oleh Sinegubov, wrote on the messaging app Telegram that 11 people, including a child, died in bombardment on Sunday, with Russia "again attacking peaceful civilians."

Fears over the fate of Ukrainian civilians were heightened with word over the weekend that Russia has appointed a military chief notorious for atrocities in Syria to oversee the Kremlin's war effort. The appointment of Gen. Aleksandr Dvornikov, Western officials say, suggests that the deliberate targeting of civilians, a hallmark of Russia's war strategy, is likely to continue.

Adding to the sense of menace, the notorious Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has been leading fighters in Ukraine from his Russian republic, declared Monday that he was a loyal "foot soldier" to Putin and suggested that Ukrainian cities faced devastation if resistance to the Russian assault continues.

"Don't let Kyiv be destroyed, Kharkiv and other cities," Kadyrov, who has been sanctioned for human rights abuses, wrote in a Telegram post that also mentioned Mariupol and the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Russia's military setbacks since the start of the invasion have been plainly visible, but more detail is emerging about the nature of its losses. The British Broadcasting Corp. reported more than 20% of the military personnel confirmed dead were officers, including specialists like fighter pilots and veteran commanders.

Bulos reported from Mykolaiv and King from Warsaw.

2022 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A wildfire at Joint Base San Antonio's Camp Bullis that ravaged nearly 3,000 acres of the installation's training area over the weekend had been 50% contained as of Sunday, according to a base press release.

No injuries or damage to occupied buildings has been reported, and evacuations for the surrounding community were lifted Sunday after 150 households had been told to leave their homes the day before.

The cause of the brush fire -- known as the Training Area 23 fire -- at JBSA, which includes Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base and Randolph Air Force Base, is under investigation.

Origin APNews

Read Next: VFW Posts Are Dying. They Need Hesitant 9/11 Vets to Fill the Void.

The blaze began at roughly 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the installation's demolition range within Camp Bullis, which consists of more than 27,000 acres of training areas and wildlands in northern San Antonio.

Approximately 85 firefighters are on the ground battling the flames, JBSA deputy fire chief Scott Ridenour said during a press conference Sunday afternoon.

Fire departments from JBSA and the surrounding community, including the cities of Leon Springs, Bulverde and Shavano Park, are still actively working to contain the fire.

A photo of the fire perimeter shared by the Bexar County, Texas, Facebook page illustrates the scale of the blaze.

***With evacuation orders lifted and increased containment, we ask you follow Texas A&M Forest Service and/or Joint Base... Posted by Bexar County, Texas - Government on Sunday, April 10, 2022

But the Training Area 23 fire is not the only blaze to impact a military base in the Lone Star State this year. The Crittenberg Complex fire burned more than 33,000 acres near the Army's Fort Hood at the end of March into early April.

"The potential for large, significant wildfires across West Texas and South Texas will remain through early May," Wes Moorehead, Texas A&M Forest Service fire chief, said in a press release.

Above normal temperatures, high wind speeds and low humidity in the area likely contributed to the critical fire weather, the statement continued.

Some San Antonio residents asked Bexar County on Facebook whether donations for responders were needed, but officials said that personnel have all the supplies they need at this time.

Although no individual event can be attributed to climate change, scientists warn that wildfires will become more prevalent in the region as the frequency of drought increases with dry vegetation acting as kindling to flames.

-- Jonathan Lehrfeld is a fellow at Military.com. Follow him on Twitter @lehrfeld_media.

Related: National Guard Troops Were Dispatched to Famous Texas Ranches with Private Security as Part of Border Mission
In the fall of 2010, the Indiana Air National Guard took on the task of replacing its old, 1990s-era F-16 Fighting Falcons at the Fort Wayne airfield with a fresh fleet of A-10 Warthogs.

The A-10, a larger aircraft at 53 feet, 4 inches long with a 57 foot, 6-inch wingspan, has been in service with the U.S. military since the 1970s. It was used extensively in Iraq and Afghanistan, providing close-air support for troops as it lumbered above at a max speed of 420 miles per hour.

But under the latest Air Force budget proposal, nearly two dozen of the Indiana Air National Guard's A-10s would be retired and the 122nd Fighter Wing would bring on new aircraft --

F-16s. Again.

Read Next: All of Tyndall Air Force Base's Remaining F-22s Would Be Retired Under Latest Budget Proposal

"We're taking 21 A-10s out, and we're replacing them with F-16s. That's going to happen in Indiana, and we think that should not be controversial," Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told reporters late last month.

Indiana National Guardsmen with the 122nd Fighter Wing have lovingly embraced the A-10 aircraft over the last decade. The unit's Warthogs, known for their signature "brrrttt" noise emitted from 30 mm Gatling-style guns and their ability to keep flying despite taking heavy gunfire, have been deployed to Afghanistan, eastern Europe and southeast Asia.

But now, the Indiana Air National Guard is more than ready to part with the aging A-10 fleet. While some lawmakers, like those from Arizona, have been quick to condemn any retirement of the aircraft or suggest offloading them to Ukrainian pilots untrained on A-10s, Indiana's delegation in Washington has been angling to replace the Warthogs with F-16s again in hopes that it could eventually lead to more modern aircraft coming to the Hoosier State.

The Air Force has spent years trying to remove the A-10 from service, claiming the rising cost of maintenance would impede acquiring newer aircraft like the F-35A Lightning II that continues to claim an outsized portion of the service's acquisition budget.

"The A-10 is a wonderful airplane. It's done incredible things for our nation," Air Force Lt. Gen. David Nahom, the service's plans and programs chief, told the House Armed Services Committee's tactical air and land forces subpanel last year. "But we have to start repurposing some of the resources out of the A-10 into some modern capabilities. ... If we don't reduce the A-10 slightly this year, we run into extreme problems."

When the Indiana Air National Guard received the A-10s in 2010, there was immediate excitement among the state's military community. But it didn't take long for Hoosier State politicians to start angling for the F-35 Lightning.

In 2015, then-Gov. Mike Pence announced that 18 F-16 Falcons would be introduced to the 122nd Air Wing to replace some of the A-10s.

"The F-16 is a perfect bridge mission to the Joint Strike Fighter, which Indiana is determined to bring to Fort Wayne," Pence said in a news release at the time.

In 2017, U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., sent a letter to Senate and House Appropriations Committees asking them to fund new wing sets for A-10s nationwide, calling the aircraft "essential to the Air Force's ability to meet combatant commander requirements around the globe."

But only a year later, in a letter to then-Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson, Young pointed out the service branch "confronts a significant challenge in maintaining A-10 readiness" and added that the "Fort Wayne community would eagerly welcome the return of F-16s."

Young said in that letter he believes the F-16 is a natural fit in Fort Wayne because of the existing infrastructure and that many of the personnel know maintenance on that fighter jet well. He told Military.com in an emailed statement Monday that he supports the retirement of the A-10 and that the Indiana National Guard welcomes the transition, too.

"For years, I have advocated for the 122nd Fighter Wing to be authorized to move forward with their desire to transition from the A-10 to the F-16," Young said. "I was glad to see this included by name in the President's Budget, and I will be aggressively advocating for this to be preserved in the upcoming NDAA and Appropriations process."

The Indiana National Guard's adjutant general provided Military.com with a statement via email saying his airmen are flexible and ready to train on aircraft they receive.

"Our Hoosier National Guard airmen stand ready for any mission the Air Force and Pentagon task us with," said Maj. Gen. Dale Lyles, Indiana National Guard adjutant general. "Airmen with the 122nd Fighter Wing excel at fielding and flying any type of aircraft, from the P-47 in the '40s to the F-4 in the '80s to the F-16 in the '90s to the A-10 today."

-- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.

Related: Lawmakers Move Once Again to Rescue A-10 Warthog from Retirement
WASHINGTON  A 57-second video posted by the Russian government last month caught the attention of scientists and diplomats, but not in a way that inspired optimism about the future of global cooperation in outer space.

In it, Russian cosmonauts floated about the International Space Station, hugging and waving goodbye to an American astronaut. Then they entered their portion of the complex and sealed airlock doors behind them. With the video blasting a Russian song, "Farewell," CGI took over and depicted the cosmonaut's segment detaching from the station and drifting away (to the applause of Russian ground controllers).

The dark yet jaunty satirical video, depicting what would be the certain demise of the station, presaged more serious threats to an endeavor that has come to symbolize post-Cold War cooperation in space.

It is also a further sign that friction with the Kremlin, most recently aggravated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has seeped into space, exacerbating tensions over the rules of behavior there and halting negotiations over space weapons at a time when the battlegrounds of war are moving to the edges of Earth's atmosphere.

"The whole world is sort of readjusting to this whole notion of not just competition, but possible and even unintentional confrontation with other big powers" over how they use space, said Jessica West, a senior researcher with Project Ploughshares, a peace research group based in Canada.

Space has long been a barometer of the U.S.-Russia relationship. Cold War competition pushed Moscow and Washington toward new human feats in the 1960s, including the U.S. moon landing in 1969. Anxiety over President Reagan's "Star Wars" defensive weapons program drove arms negotiations in the 1980s that presaged the end of the Soviet Union.

The 1998 space station agreement  which also includes the European Union, Japan and Canada  signaled a new era of shared advancement in the post-Cold War period. For more than two decades, the jointly operated station has been spinning around Earth.

That space detente was waning long before Russia invaded Ukraine in February, and the U.S. and its allies targeted Moscow's space industry in a raft of economic sanctions. For two decades, Russian President Vladimir Putin has pushed for an aggressive expansion of his country's space weapons program.

American officials have alleged, starting in 2009, that the Kremlin was developing anti-satellite missiles and more recently an anti-satellite mobile laser.

Russia launched what it described as an inspector satellite in 2017, prompting deep skepticism from American officials over what they labeled the craft's "abnormal behavior," suggesting it may also have a military use. Two years later, Russia placed a satellite within close range of a U.S. spy satellite, prompting concerns of an unintentional confrontation between the two military powers.

In November, Russia tested a missile that struck a satellite and blasted it into more than 1,500 large pieces of debris, any chunk of which could doom manned and unmanned commercial and military spacecraft, including the crew of the space station, which was forced to take shelter.

The U.S. and its allies sharply criticized Russia over the test, with Vice President Kamala Harris calling it an "irresponsible act [that] endangered the satellites of other nations as well as the astronauts on the International Space Station."

Meanwhile, the Trump and Biden administrations have ratcheted up efforts to counter competition from Russia and China in space. This was underscored by Trump's decision to start a new branch of the military, the Space Force.

The new military branch is one of his few legacies that Biden has embraced, with the White House submitting a recent budget request of $24.5 billion for the Space Force, a bump of about 40% over the prior year. That's almost as much as the $26 billion Biden requested for NASA, which predates Space Force by more than 60 years.

Those lingering tensions have complicated attempts to rewrite international rules on space debris, and the invasion of Ukraine has led U.S. officials to put on ice any direct talks between Washington and Moscow over space-related issues.

"We see no need for those discussions while they are in conflict with the Ukrainians," Eric Desautels, acting deputy assistant secretary of State for emerging security challenges and defense policy, said in a recent interview hosted by the National Security Space Association, a nonprofit that encourages cooperation between government and industry.

Desautels said that Russia and China would like a future treaty that constrains the U.S. from placing space-based missile defenses in orbit. One of the biggest stumbling blocks is defining defensive weapons versus those with offensive capabilities. The U.S. argues that commercial actors could be caught up in more restrictive rules, even if their work lacks a military intent.

Complicating potential negotiations are a raft of economic sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukraine war. The U.S. has taken intentional aim at the Russian space industry, with Biden vowing on the day of the invasion that U.S. sanctions were designed, in part, at degrading "their aerospace industry, including their space program."

The economic crackdown against Russia has prompted a series of threats from its space officials. The head of Russia's space program, Dmitry Rogozin, tweeted on April 2 in Russian that "the restoration of normal relations between partners in the International Space Station and other joint projects is possible only with the complete and unconditional lifting of illegal sanctions."

Even before the Ukraine invasion, Moscow had indicated that it may leave the partnership in the next few years  citing safety concerns with aging metal  as it signs new agreements with China on space exploration and lunar research. The station, which has also become a rental hub for billionaire space tourists, is set to retire by 2030.

Zhanna Malekos Smith, a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Russia has created "strategic fog" with its mixed signals over the space station pact. But she pointed to signs of hope, including the March 30 return from the station of American astronaut Mark Vande Hei, who traveled back to Kazakhstan with two cosmonauts  Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov  in a Russian capsule.

When Shkaplerov handed control of the station to astronaut Thomas Marshburn a day earlier, he said that whatever problems existed on Earth  "in orbit, we are like one crew."

West, the researcher with Project Ploughshares, said the invasion of Ukraine has accelerated and reframed many of the conversations around the militarization of space, including the interplay between civilian and government interests. Satellites, in particular, connect so much of the modern world while helping militaries coordinate troop movements and pinpoint missile strikes.

It's a dramatic change in mindset compared with a ground war, where "you're either in a war zone or you're not," she said.

She pointed out that other countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, France, India, China, Russia and Japan, have moved toward creating more formalized space commands, like Space Force, a recognition that the battlefield has shifted.

They are all coming to the conclusion that space is not just for exploration. It's also a new front line.

___

2022 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
SEOUL, South Korea  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged South Korea on Monday to provide his country with arms to help it fight Russia's military.

Zelenskyy made the request in a video address to South Korean lawmakers that came hours after Seouls Defense Ministry confirmed it had rejected a Ukrainian request for anti-aircraft weapons during a call between the countries defense ministers last week. The ministry cited the South Korean governments principle of limiting its military help to Ukraine to non-lethal supplies.

The Republic of Korea has tanks, ships and various equipment that can block Russian missiles and we would be grateful if the Republic of Korea could help us fight back against Russia, Zelenskyy said, using South Koreas formal name.

If Ukraine is able to receive such weapons, it will not only help us save the lives of our ordinary citizens but also provide Ukraine an opportunity to survive as a nation, and also help prevent other countries from being attacked by Russia, said Zelenskyy, whose comments were dubbed over by a translator during the televised speech.

Joining U.S.-led international sanctions against Moscow, South Korea has already banned the export of strategic materials to Russia and ended transactions with key Russian banks and sovereign wealth funds.

Zelenskyy thanked South Korea for those efforts but said sanctions alone haven't been enough to meaningfully stop the Russian aggression.

Russia doesn't care how many people die," he said.

Zelensky highlighted Russias takeover of Mariupol, where he said at least tens of thousands of citizens were likely killed. He briefly stopped his speech to play a graphic video showing buildings hit by rockets, Russian tanks firing as they rolled through destroyed streets and people wailing over dead relatives at overwhelmed hospitals. He said Ukrainian forces havent been able to enter Mariupol since the start of March and that Russian forces have cut off humanitarian shipments.

This war is far from over, Zelenskyy said. Russia is aiming to end Ukraines independence and separate the country. It is trying to eliminate the culture and language of the Ukrainian nation.
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The Orioles have selected the contract of right-hander Spenser Watkins, manager Brandon Hyde announced to reporters Monday (Twitter link via Nathan Ruiz of the Baltimore Sun). Baltimore also recalled right-hander Alexander Wells from Triple-A Norfolk and placed righty Dean Kremer on the 10-day injured list due to an oblique strain. Outfielder DJ Stewart was optioned to Norfolk last night, so Watkins and Wells will fill the vacancies created by that move and by Kremers placement on the IL. Baltimores 40-man roster had previously been at 39 players, but its now full following Watkins selection.

This will be the second straight season that the 29-year-old Watkins has logged big league time in Baltimore. The longtime Tigers farmhand made his big league debut in Baltimore last year after signing a minor league deal in the 2020-21 offseason. Watkins had solid numbers in eight Triple-A games (six starts), pitching to a 3.53 ERA with a 20.4% strikeout rate and a 7.5% walk rate in that time.

The big leagues were another story, however. Opponents jumped on him for 49 runs in just 54 2/3 innings  an 8.07 ERA. Watkins started off his big league career with just three runs through his first 16 1/3 innings, and he closed out the 2021 season with a more solid stretch of three runs allowed in his final 7 2/3 frames. The middle stretch of games proved brutal, however, as he served up 43 runs in 31 innings over seven starts and one relief appearance. Watkins has a 3.86 ERA in 625 1/3 innings at the minor league level, and hell now aim to carry some of that success over in his second go-around in the Majors.

As for the 25-year-old Wells, he signed with the Os as an international free agent out of Australia back in 2015. He, too, made his MLB debut in Baltimore last season and experienced a rough set of results, serving up 32 runs in 42 2/3 innings (6.75 ERA). As with Watkins, Wells has considerably better numbers in the minors, where hes pitched to a 2.87 ERA in 529 2/3 innings. That includes a 3.29 ERA in 54 2/3 Triple-A frames last year. Wells has punched out just 19.6% of his minor league opponents in his career, but he also boasts an outstanding 3.9% walk rate.
Controversial media personality Afia Schwarzenegger has cast doubts about whether fast-rising Ghanaian rapper Black Sherif will ever win a Grammy.

According to her, the Kweku the traveler hitmaker has what it takes to win the international award.

In a recent interview with blogger Zionfelix, Afia Schwar noted that Grammy Awards winners from other countries have home supporters rallying behind them.

This she said may fail the young rapper since some home industry players envy the success of others.

Referencing the success of Nigerian artists at the international awards scheme, she stated that it is so because they have the entire nation rallying behind them.
Last Week Tonight host John Oliver finished what he started with OAN Sunday by celebrating the conspiracy pushing cable channel being dropped by DirecTV last Monday.

This was a big week for OAN, though not in a good way, as one of their anchors explained, Oliver said on his show.

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He then cut to OAN anchor Dan Ball telling viewers that after last Monday, a certain satellite provider would no longer carry the station.

Ah yes, The hallmark of a great news network  bringing you hard hitting news stories without specifics because they make the anchor sad.

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John Oliver (HBO)

Oliver then expressed his distaste for AT&T, which owns DIRECTV and controlled HBO  Olivers network  until a deal consummated last week changed that arrangement.

The Last Week Tonight host introduced the segment about OANs demise by calling it less consequential that other events in the news.

[ John Oliver admits hes no Joe Rogan, nor does he plan to be when Last Week Tonight returns to HBO ]

Oliver, who has taken aim at OAN in past programs, noted that OAN is suing DirecTV and AT&T. Last Week Tonight is cited in that suit due to several pejorative comments about OAN made by Oliver. It didnt seem to faze the TV host, who on his show Sunday night doubled down by calling the station an intellectually bankrupt organization full of opportunistic grifters.

Perhaps I am sorry for taking joy in their misfortune and kicking them when the are so clearly down, he said. But on the other hand, perhaps I am not.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

Oliver told the Daily News in February that he felt zero remorse when he learned DirecTV was planning to drop OAN, but had no doubt something equally dubious would rise to take its place.

Its Whac-a -Mole, he said. As soon as someone realized that people will drink 100 proof Fox News, someone else is going to manufacture it for them. Because at the end of the day, America is nothing if not a country that honors supply and demand.

[ Fox News celebrates a quarter-century of ... whatever it is theyre doing over there ]

Oliver said in February that he had no sympathy for the individuals employed by OAN, the people who watch it, or anyone at all connected to the outlet.

He also suggested that supporters of outlets like OAN, who believe that networks banishment constitutes a threat to free speech, take another look at the U.S. Constitution.

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The framers were pretty clear about what they had in mind  (its not that) media outlets have access to some form of cable television on which you can sell shady advertising.

[ OAN troubles include growing staff loss: report ]

Broadcasting issues aside, OAN finds itself in the crosshairs of a pair of lawsuits filed by a pair of election technology companies seeking billions of dollars in damages. Those companies, Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, take issue with the networks reporting on alleged voting machine irregularities, which have not proven true. OANs coverage is supportive of former president Donald Trump.

OAN can still be watched on streaming services including KlowdTV and Verizon FIOS, according the networks website.
Fast rising rapper, Mohammed Ismail Sharif, known in showbiz as Black Sherif, has been sued by Shadrach Agyei Owusu, the Chief Executive Officer of Waynes Chavis Consult for alleged breach of contract.

This suit comes on the back of claims that Black Sherif had neglected his investor after he injected funds into his career.

Black Sherif was reported to have signed a distribution deal with Empire Music without the consent of his investor, who purportedly has a business management contract with him. The contract allegedly requires Black Sherif to conduct all his activities through the investor who came on board to help the artiste.

In the writ of summons dated 11th April 2022, and sighted by citinewsroom.com, the plaintiff, Shadrach Agyei Owusu, is asking the court to prevent Black Sherif from performing at events without his consent.

He is also seeking from the court an order of injunction to restrain the Defendant/Respondent, his agents, assigns, workmen and associates from performing at events or entering into agreements to perform at events or otherwise exploit his music and image without recourse to the Plaintiff.

Agyei Owusu is also demanding for an order for the preservation of all funds accrued from Black Sherifs online streams.

Shadrach also wants a receiver to take the proceeds of all funds that will accrue from the activities of the defendant.

This comes at a point when Black Sherifs latest song Kwaku The Traveller is topping global charts, making him the most sought-after artiste in Ghana in recent times.

Watch the video below to understand how the whole issue started:

citinewsroom
A Disability Inclusion Retreat with selected members of parliament open on Saturday with the aim of giving the disability caucus in parliament an opportunity to better understand disability issues.

Dr Clement Apaak, Chairman of the Disability Caucus in parliament and member of parliament for Builsa South, who described the retreat as insightful, said: As a nation we havent done much in addressing challenges that persons with disability face, we have only been paying lip service.

The two-day retreat organized by Ghana Somubi Dwumadie, a four-year disability programme with a specific focus on mental health and Sight Savers Ghana, a non-governmental organization with support from UK-Aid, discussed the disability concept and context in Ghana.

The retreat brought together selected members of parliament and civil society players in the disability sector as well as officials from the National Council on Persons with Disability.

Ms Rita Kusi Kyeremaa, Executive Director of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD) said the United National Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD) described disability was an evolving concept, saying there is no single definition of disability.

She said interim findings from the Ghana Statistical Service 2021 census indicate that about eight per cent of persons with disabilities live in Ghana.

The eight per cent means that about 2,098, 138, she said and added that even though the figure may not be accurate, it shows a sharp increase in the number of persons with disabilities compared with the statistics for persons with disabilities in the 2010 population and housing census.

Ms Kyeremaa thus called on the members of parliament to develop interest in disability issues and help formulate good policies that enhance the lives of persons with disabilities

Mr Alexander Bankole Williams, Advocacy Chairman of the GFD Advocacy committee, explaining the social model of disability, said disability is created by the social environment which excludes people with impairment from full participation as a result of attitudinal, environmental and institutional barriers.

The social models indicates that it is the structures or things we fail to put in place in society that disables a person not the impairment, he added.

Adding his voice to the call for the full implementation of Ghanas Inclusive Education Policy, Mr Williams said that every child is educatable within a mainstream educational setting.
Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon. Alan Kyerematen, together with a few patriots, have visited the Aliu Mahama's family residence to extend their condolences following the passing of the former Second Lady, the late Hajia Ramatu Aliu Mahama.

The former Second Lady of Ghana died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Thursday, April 7, 2022 after battling some illness.

Mr. Kyerematen described the late Hajia Ramatu as a likeable woman and a mother of all. Recounting her days as Second Lady of the Republic, he said her gentle and graceful nature was evident in all she did as she opened her doors to all in society."

He added, "her calming influence will be sorely missed in our body politic. She and her husband have been a good inspiration to many. May her soul Rest in eternal Peace."

The late Hajia Ramatu Mahama was Ghana's Second Lady between 2001 and 2008 when her late husband, Aliu Mahama, served as Vice President in the two-term government of the former President, John Agyekum Kufuor.

She died at the age of 70 and would have turned 71 in October this year.

A son of the late couple, Farouk Aliu Mahama, is the current Member of Parliament for the Yendi constituency

The family is yet to officially announce the funeral and burial arrangements for the late former Second Lady.

Meanwhile, the family has opened a book of condolence in her honour.
A 10 bedroom dormitory with its ancillary facilities has been completed and handed over to the Bolgatanga Senior High School (Big Boss).

The facility which took two years to complete was constructed by Abera Construction Limited, at a total cost of 5.5 million Ghana cedis.

Receiving the keys to the facility, the Headmaster of Big Boss in charge of administration, Cletus Zoot said the facility has come at a good time to help solve the accommodation challenges of the school.

He added that battling the huge number associated with the double-track system, it will help ease the pressure. The facility he stated, has the capacity of accommodating 600 students. He added that the school had already taken delivery of 300 bunk beds.

Mr. Zoot said the school which takes about 1,000 fresh students had received 700 students from the ongoing computerised placement. He, therefore, appealed for a fence wall around the school to help block intruders and criminals.

The Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu who performed the official handing over, charge the school to return to its days of excellent academic performance.
The Ghana Developing Community Association (GCDA), has held a days workshop to assess a three months trans-humans (mobility of livestock) and improve the livelihoods of border communities pilot project.

The project has been carried out along the Burkina Faso Ghana border called SAPSOC. SAPSOC is Reinforcing Social Creation in Northern Ghana through Peaceful and Coherent Development of the Aro-Pastoral Sector.

The project is being funded by the commonwealth Development Office, United Kingdom through their working partner from France Acting for Life (A4L). The workshop brought together Immigration Officers, Traditional Rulers, Community and Farmer Based Organizations (CBOs &FBOs), MoFA among others.

Speaking in an interview with ModernGhana News in Bolgatanga, the Executive Director of GCDA Alhaji Osman Abdul Rahman said the workshop was to validate it achievement so far as an organization, working with the communities, Districts, and Municipal Assemblies.

He added that they are currently operating in Bongo and Bawku West Districts as a pilot trying to engender peaceful co-existence and coherence among the different stakeholders. Mt Rahman stated that several engaments have been held for the different stakeholders who have an interest in the mobility of the livestock across the borders, to dialogue in order to arrive at common grounds.

He indicated that though the focus is on livestock, there are other issues like terrorism associated with the mobility of livestock and many others hence, the need for stakeholder dialogue to address it. The GCDA Manager disclosed that they are equally focusing on women's income generation and have trained some women groups on rice, gari, groundnuts, shea-butter and the construction of community dams among others.

Mr. Rahman stated that Tarns-humans (mobility of livestock) is an age-old tradition and is based on the nature of the climate in the northern part where livestock is produced but does not have enough to feed. However, he said laws regarding livestock movement in other countries are very restricted and effective but in the case of Ghana the story is difficult. He added that, sometimes, some of the headsmen become victims of terrorism.
MR. PAUL KWARTENG

11.04.2022 LISTEN

Mr. Paul Kwarteng, a former business development officer with the Atebubu-Amantin office of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), has urged farmers in the municipality and the country at large to rise up to the emerging world economic challenges posed by the covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.

According to Mr. Kwarteng 35 who is now into commercial maize production, challenges brought about by the pandemic include; a surge in prices due to a lack of access to raw materials, low levels of production and high transportation costs among others leading to job losses and incomes for that matter.

He said the Russia-Ukraine war also added to the adverse effects of covid-19 seriously derailing efforts at economic recovery.

Russia and Ukraine are both noted for their contribution to the worlds economy in terms of oil and wheat production. Forty percent of natural gas supplies to the European market is sourced from Russia whiles the two countries combined supply 30% of the worlds wheat needs. Sanctions imposed on Russia has caused hikes in the prices of fuel, fertilizer and food the world over. The devastating effects of the war has also caused Ukraines inability to supply the world with its noted agriculture produce like maize, wheat, potatoes sunflower seed etc, he added.

Mr. Kwarteng who holds a first degree in economics and entrepreneurship however sees some opportunity coming with the challenges which farmers can take advantage of to better their lot.

Sanctions on Russia means they cannot access markets in Europe and elsewhere while Ukraine cannot even think about food production due to the invasion. The forecast of famine in countries like Sudan and the humanitarian needs of Ukrainian refugees among others offers opportunities for increased food production for internal consumption and export, he stated.

Quoting a Programme Based Budget Estimates for the Atebubu-Amantin Municipality (2019), he said a total of 22,261 hectares of arable land is available in the municipality only 3,167.67 hectares of which have been put to use.

He added that vast land abounds in the municipality which farmers and other investors in agriculture can take advantage of.

He stressed that although inputs like fertilizers and other chemicals have their costs rising, increasing food prices will make investments in crops such as rice, maize, beans, cowpea, cassava and pepper lucrative.

He therefore called on investors to take a good look at this opportunity as a way of creating not only wealth for themselves and the country but also opening the much-needed job avenues for the teeming unemployed youth in the country.
Former Finance Minister, Seth Terkper has expressed doubt over government's ability to meet the revenue target of GH100 billion, despite the implementation of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy) law.

The implementation of the E-levy, which is expected to commence in May 2022, was originally expected to help bring in about GH6.9 billion this year to shore up government's revenue.

The total projected revenue for 2022 of a GH100 billion, represents a 39% increase over the revised revenue target of GH72 billion in 2021.

In an interview with Citi Business News, Mr. Terkper noted that the target for this year is too ambitious.

The estimate for 2021 was GH72 billion. When the 2022 budget was presented, it changed to GH 70 billion. The Bank of Ghana's MPC report suggests that the revenue the country could generate in 2021 was GH67 billion. If it is GH67 then we have fallen short of the original target by about GH 5 billion.

So the question that comes up is if all that the GRA could bring is G 67 billion in 2021, and we are expecting to collect about GH30 billion more that represents about half of what GRA brought in last year. So you will agree with me that this year's target is ambitious, and it includes the E-Levy, he added.

citinewsroom
The West Africa Pharma Healthcare Exhibition that is slated to take place from 27-29 April 2022 in Ghana at the Accra International Conference Centre, has been launched.

The event aimed at bringing stakeholders manufacturers, exporters, importers, hospitals, etc under one umbrella to have discussions and do business.

Thomas James, WAPHC Project Director said the event is in line with the mission of the government and the president to build a robust healthcare system infrastructure in the country that facilitates every stakeholder in the industry and people of the country.

According to him, the exhibition will provide an opportunity for the local manufacturers, hospitals, and importers to have direct interaction with manufacturers from India, Turkey, the USA, Egypt, South Africa, etc.

He urged Ghanaians, and health practitioners to visit the Accra International Conference Centre to part take in the event.

The expo is organised by WEGVORAUS, India based exhibition organisation creating business promotion avenues through a holistic approach to enable and catalyze the growth of business and relations. The expo is organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Health of Ghana, with the support of all key stakeholders organisations and associations in the country like the ghana national chamber, an association of Ghana industries, Ghana Medical Association, African Chamber of Youth Development, Association of Health Service, Administrators of Ghana, Pharmaceutical Importers and Wholesalers Association of Ghana, Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Private Health Facilities Association of Ghana and others.

The event will bring together over one hundred, manufacturers, exporters, wholesalers, hospitals, and influential decision-makers in the West African Region in Ghana, hosting about 100 exhibitors from India, Turkey, the USA, Egypt, Italy, Ghana, and other countries and with over 5000 visitors from Ghana and West Africa.

The event will have seminars and conferences running concurrently for two days of the event, to bring and discuss thoughts ideas innovations, and issues related to the sector to the government ministries, departments, and agencies along with the suggestions and ways forward to discuss and improvise the sectors.

According to Mr. Joe Fifi Yamoah Jr., Executive Secretary of Pharmaceutical Importers and Wholesalers Association of Ghana, this is an opportunity for wholesalers, and manufacturers in the country to partner with foreign manufacturers in order to establish factories in this country.

Adding that when this is done it will reduce the cost involved in the importation of medicines and other medical equipment.

"We import over 70% of medicine into the country, during COVID it wasnt easy sourcing medicine from partners and manufacturers outside the which made it different for us as an association.

"Though most of our members are working hard to enter into local manufacturing. In 2020 we brought a pharma pack to Dawa Which I believe most of us are aware of. The government of Ghana is supporting this agenda to ensure Ghana becomes a pharmacticuel hub in the sub-region. The role of exporters and manufacturers can never be overlooked."

Emphasizing that, the program seeks to give the members an opportunity to have a direct discussion with the manufacturers. He lauded wegvorous for bringing such an important exhibition to Ghana during these trying times in the country.

Mr. Abulais Yaro Haruna Pro, Association of Ghana, in his remarks expressed his excitement about the opportunity presented to Ghana to host a pharma and healthcare exhibition

This West African Pharma and Healthcare exhibition is an opportunity for us in Ghana and West Africa to meet and have interaction, and collaboration in areas that deal with our healthcare industry as a sector.

Mr. Frank-Torblu Richard General Secretary, Private Health Facilities Association Ghana commended the organizers for hosting an important exhibition in Ghana, adding that the program was long overdue.
11.04.2022 LISTEN

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has denied claims that he travelled in hired private jets as deputy minister.

According to Mr Ablakwa, his accuser is hallucinating as he is more than willing to share his passports and travel records with the media for independent verification.

His denial in a Facebook post is in response to Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, who has accused Mr Ablakwa of also travelling in private jets following his [Ablakwas] incessant fights against President Akufo-Addos luxurious travels around the world in an expensive private jet.

Mr Ablakwa has for some months now exposed the cost involved in President Akufo-Addos travels abroad onboard the luxurious private jet and has called on him to stop the profligate travels at the expense of the taxpayer but his calls have fallen on deaf ears.

Below is Mr Ablakwas post denying ever travelling in a private jet:

No amount of demented rants will change the incontrovertible fact that I have never chartered a private jet in my life, neither have I ever flown in one.

So are the hallucinations about an obviously fabricated high frequency of travels when I served as Deputy Minister  an even more puerile and inane effusion.

I am more than willing and happy to share my passports and travel records with the press for independent verification.

It is so absurd how I can be widely considered for many years as one of the most visible MPs always physically working in my beloved constituency, literally every week, and at the same time be described as the most travelled NDC politician who is hardly present in Ghana  some people really need our prayers.

The politics of lies, illogic and concoctions will always leave you embarrassed. What happened to the blatantly vicious fabrications that I owned filling stations? These days the schizophrenic liars have quickly abandoned that and are now cooking fresh fabrications for their gullible audience.

Its a pity how the dotards dont even seem to realize that they arent helping the case of the President  they are clearly telling Ghanaians that we know what our President is doing is terribly wrong but he should be spared and allowed to continue to wickedly dissipate our taxes on lavish sky baths because the messenger is equally guilty.

In any case, what does this say about the uselessness of your government if as you say you have evidence that a poor Deputy Minister could afford US$10,000 to US$18,000 in hiring luxury executive jets and yet you arent investigating him, you havent charged him and you certainly arent prosecuting him?

What a joke from pathetic poltroons!

I shall remain focused in the service of God and Ghana; without fear or intimidation, and above all in pure truth and good conscience.

The support and encouragement of many well-meaning and patriotic Ghanaians across the political divide is deeply appreciatedthat, keeps me going.

God bless you all, manifoldly.

classfmonline.com
11.04.2022 LISTEN

The Ghana Police Service has confirmed the arrest of four suspects involved in the attacks on Nkroful Magistrate Court, Esiama Police Divisional Headquarters, and Ellembelle District Assembly.

According to an official statement on the Facebook page of the security service, the suspects were arrested by the Western Regional Police Command.

Four people have been arrested on Thursday, April 7, 2022 by the Western Regional Police Command in connection with the attacks on the Nkroful Magistrate Court, the Esiama Police Divisional Headquarters, and the Ellembelle District Assembly, parts of the Police statement reads.

Meanwhile, the Police have identified twenty-two others said to be part of the gang that staged the attack.

The Western Regional Police Command is currently pursuing the suspects who are on the run.

Find more in the Police statement below:

Four Suspects Arrested in Connection with Attacks on Nkroful Magistrate Court, Esiama Police Divisional Headquarters and Ellembelle District Assembly.

Four people have been arrested on Thursday April 7, 2022 by the Western Regional Police Command in connection with the attacks on the Nkroful Magistrate Court, the Esiama Police Divisional Headquarters and the Ellembelle District Assembly.

The four (4) suspects, Richard Tetteh, Kwame Gorkeh Miah, Michael Anyimiah, and Cosmos Gadekor were among a group of people who rioted at the District Magistrate Court, Nkroful on 1st April, 2022 to demand the release of their colleagues who were standing trial at the Court. The group also attacked the Ellembelle District Assembly and threatened to assault the District Chief Executive.

The four suspects were among the group that also stormed the Esiama Police Station, vandalized the rooms and caused damage to vehicles parked at the station, 2 buses and 1 Toyota Hilux Pickup.

The Police have identified twenty-two others, currently on the run and are pursuing them to be arrested and brought before the law.

While we count on the help and support of every well-meaning inhabitant of our country, we assure you that we will not relent on our efforts to ensure that law and order prevails in our society.
A 3-year-old Pennsylvania girl died late Sunday after being swept down a North Carolina waterfall and out with the current.

The body of Nevaeh Jade Newswanger was found around 1 a.m. Monday after getting trapped in an area by the Whitewater Falls, where she was visiting with her family, according to the Jackson County Sheriffs Office.

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Emergency crews from Jackson, Transylvania, Haywood, Henderson and Oconee counties responded to the scene but were unable to find her until it was too late.

Nevaeh Jade Newswanger was found dead at Whitewater Falls early Monday. (Shutterstock)

Its unclear how exactly Nevaeh fell into the waterfall.

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First and foremost our prayers are with the Newswanger family as they grieve the loss of this precious young child, Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall said in a statement.

With the onset of spring weather, we need to be reminded of the dangers associated with many scenic areas of the region such as waterfalls. While beautiful to view from a safe distance, venturing out closer to the falls for any reason brings tremendous danger. Always remain at a distance, follow safety precautions and warnings that are in place, and view waterfalls from designated viewing areas.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Nhyiaeso, Dr. Stephen Amoah has made a humble plea to Ghanaians, begging Ghanaians to bear with government in the midst of the economic crisis.

Not only Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia but also President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has admitted the economic mess the country finds itself in.

Amid the agitations from Ghanaians, Dr. Stephen Amoah has called for calm.

Speaking to TV3, the lawmaker assured that We [government] are working on the crisis and we are giving hope to Ghanaians.

The Nhyiaeso MP while expressing optimism in the leadership of government to solve the problems, called on Ghanaians to bear with government through these difficult times.

Insha Allah, with the work of HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ghana will go back to its stable stage and we will see the growth graph.

"So we beg Ghanaians, we know these are hard times but they should bear with us. We share the pain with them, we all buy fuel at high prices, it is a fact but it is not a useless and hopeless situation, Dr. Amoah indicated.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo attributes the economic challenges to the Coronavirus pandemic that has affected every country in the world.

He has assured that his government is putting in place the necessary measures to lead the country on a path of growth and development.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor

11.04.2022 LISTEN

FixTheCountry Movement convener, Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor is set to speak on his arrest and treason felony charges today, Monday, April 11, 2022.

The activist with a huge following was arrested two months ago at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) when he arrived from a trip abroad.

The arrest followed his comments on Facebook where he indicated that he would stage a coup in the country should the Parliament of Ghana give approval to the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).

After spending weeks in Police custody, Oliver Barker-Vormawor was finally granted bail last month.

In a post on his social media page today, he has disclosed that he will deliver his first public statement on his arrest later tonight.

Today Monday 11 April at 7:30pm, I will be delivering my first public statement regarding my arrest for Treason Felony.

It will be exactly two months after I was arrested.

The statement will be streamed live on @Ghfixthecountry and on our FB & YouTube pages, Oliver Barker-Vormawor has announced.
India has offered booster shots to all above 18 years as it widened a campaign to vaccinate its 1.4 billion people against Covid-19. Experts praised the move and said it will also ease hurdles Indians face while travelling abroad.

The 10 April rollout was hailed by experts who said boosters will lead to milder infection among the elderly and ease the strain on hospitals, overwhelmed by a savage virus surge that killed 180,000 people last summer.

Welcome move

It is very important to vaccinate them with the third dose so that we see less number of hospitalisations, said Suneela Garg, advisor to the policy-making Indian Council of Medical Research.

Some 24 million health and frontline workers and people over 60 who earlier qualified for boosters had taken their third jab ahead of Friday's much-awaited announcement.

But the authorities stipulated boosters would no longer be free and will be available only at private facilities.

Pricing will become an issue and is likely to have a bearing on access and the data will show in the coming few weeks or months, prominent epidemiologist Rajib Dasgupta told RFI.

But the expert welcomed the announcement and said it would help some of those planning overseas trips.

Travel is one need and the booster is required, he added.

The government has not specified the cost but some media reports said the AstraZeneca vaccine which accounts for 90 percent of jabs given locally could be priced at seven Euros a shot.

The announcement also came after the government dismantled health restrictions from 31 March in India, which has reported 43 million infections and 520,000 Covid deaths.

Visa bumps

MPs had also pushed for boosters, but some argued the stipulated gap of nine months was unfair conditions.

The long wait for boosters could deny travel to some European countries which stipulates the gap between shots must be shorter to qualify for visas, experts say.

The announcement is welcome and we are sure these issues would also be untangled soon, added tour operator Vikash Kaushisk.

India last month resumed international flights, halted in March 2020 because of Covid restrictions.

Dipping cases

Infections dipped from a peak of 400,000 a day last May to some 1,100 daily cases now. India attributes it to the 1.85 billion vaccine doses given since rolling out the world's biggest health drive in January 2021.

But only 1.6 percent of adults have so far received boosters, according to official data on 5 April.

I actually think we have done a brilliant job with vaccination, scientist Gagandeep Kang said as she called for stepped-up action.

On 16 March, India began inoculating children between 12 and 14, three months after it invited 40 million teens to vaccination centres.

Sixty-five percent of adult Indians were fully vaccinated by 2021-end.

Stock surplus

Indian states were holding stocks of over 1.7 billion doses and the local manufacturer of the Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine has promised to rev up production.

Serum Institute, which has so far produced 1.9 billion doses, had pressed for boosters for all adults.

We've appealed to the government as everyone who needs to travel needs to take the booster dose, Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla was quoted as saying recently.

Researchers have predicted the return of the pandemic in June and warned the surge may last four months, longer than the three previous waves in India.

But scientists estimate 80 percent of India's 1.4 billion people have sufficient antibodies against the virus either through vaccination or by infection.
The Chief Executive Officer of Engineers & Planners Ltd, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama on Sunday dispatched trucks loaded with various food items to Tamale, Kumasi and parts of Greater Accra.

The items included 2,400 bags of rice, 600 bags of sugar, 200 cartons of milk and 200 boxes of Lipton.

The food items will be distributed to the Muslim communities in the three cities as part of the business moguls yearly ritual of supporting the Muslim communities in the holy month of Ramadan.

Fasting in Ramadan involves abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual relations from dawn to sunset.

This year's Ramadan commenced on April 3 and will end in a month time.

Ramadan takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims believe the Koran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during this month.
A TYPICAL maxim about a liberalised business environment is that, It is not the business of government to do business but to create an enabling business for private enterprise to thrive.

In the 1980s, Ghana's adoption of the World Bank's Structural Adjustment Program ushered us into a consistent liberalisation of the economy. Government's main focus has been to achieve a stable macroeconomic framework, provide infrastructure and public goods as well as other public services that enhance the business environment.

Many commercial entities that used to be owned and managed by the state have either been divested or converted into limited liability corporations. This is a policy proof that the country's governing philosophy has largely been in favor of liberalisation, regardless of which regime has been in power.

The ease of doing business is deemed a major indicator of whether the efforts to liberalise the business environment have been successful or not. How do laws, regulations and institutional arrangements of the government and civil service shape daily economic activity? What are the outcomes of regulatory measures? How clear and transparent are procedures for accessing public services?

Although Ghana has made strides to ensure relative ease of doing business, more needs to be done. One area that needs to be looked at is the red tape in the civil service. The work of the civil service and other public service organisations is characterised by official routine and procedure.

Although the routine and procedure are supposed to ensure efficiency and prevent corruption, they end up breeding complexity and delay. The civil service, thus, becomes a hindrance to the private sector, instead of being a facilitator.

For many years, the World Bank's Doing Business Report provided quantitative data on business regulations across 190 countries. Areas assessed included starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes and trading across borders. The report also evaluated enforcing contracts, resolving insolvency and labour market regulation.

Per the 2018 report, the last one before the exercise was discontinued, Ghana's ranking improved from 120 to 114. Considering that the report ranks the business environment of 190 countries, position 114 makes the country woefully uncompetitive.

As a nation, it is time to take a serious look at addressing the bottlenecks embedded in our civil service bureaucracy. We must craft a framework that will streamline systems and procedures for a more efficient delivery of government services. Various governments in Ghana have sought to reform the public service through the Public Sector Reforms Secretariat under the Office of the President. Despite this, the objective of smoothening the delivery of public services has been piecemeal and not far-reaching enough. What is required is a more comprehensive framework, enabled through an Act of Parliament, with an entity that is solely responsible for cutting the red tape.

Enacting the Ease of Doing Business and Anti Red Tape Act in Ghana is the way forward to making services rendered by the civil service less cumbersome and more efficient. It will make the business environment more friendly, reduce corruption and quicken economic growth. It will also improve the overall competitiveness of the economy. The body to be set up must have the authority to reform institutions, with the view to making them more efficient and friendly to the business community as well as the citizenry.

In 2016, CEO Network Ghana launched the Ghana CEO Summit. The summit has carved a reputation as the foremost business conference for topmost CEOs, heads of state, diplomats and policymakers. We have always leveraged the summit's platform to advocate for major policy enactments and business leadership models.

As the sixth edition of the summit beckons, we are determined to challenge policy makers to give serious attention to cutting the red tape in the delivery of public services. The quest to get the nation to enact the Ease of Doing Business and Anti Red Tape Act will be a major call to action at the 2022 summit, which is to be held on Monday, May 30, at Kempinski Hotel in Accra.

Among many others, the summit will feature a plenary session that will discuss the economy and ease of doing business. The discussion will focus on the building blocks that must be strengthened to substantially improve the business environment. Economic outlook, regulatory reforms, corruption eradication, public sector leadership and technology are some of the building blocks that will be explored.

In the fourth industrial revolution era, convenience is not a matter of preference but a matter of course. Cutting the red tape will help the nation create a more business-and-people-friendly environment. We cannot fit in global trends if our civil service machinery is laborious and cumbersome.

The author is a Management Consultant and an Executive Advisor to Topmost CEOs.
11.04.2022 LISTEN

There are about one hundred and sixty-eight or so students at the Nursing and Midwifery Training College at Ashanti Mampong who are confirmed to be subjected to academic discrimination, mistreatment and utter disrespect at the hands of not only the principal of the school, Ms Gifty Helena Dwamena Amoah, but Honourable Kwaku Ampratwum Sarpong, the Member of Parliament for Mampong Constituency who doubles as the Deputy Foreign Minister in the ruling New Patriotic Party led by His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Tried as some of the students had in conjunction with my periodic online publications highlighting and conveying their miserable situation to the attention of the Ghanaian public, no responsible official in Ghana seems prepared to go to their aid, but to totally neglect their complaints that have the potential to truncate their future career.

I travelled down to Ghana in February 2022 for a good number of reasons, among those was to listen to the complaints and or, witness the plight of some of the affected students first-hand.

I called at the visitors post of their hostel on Saturday, 12th March 2022. I had the opportunity to meet and interview some of the students whose names are hereby withheld, in order not to expose them to any further discrimination, victimization, molestations and denigration, were their identities revealed.

I have a duty of care towards them. I have the obligation to ensure their safety and protection hence withholding their identities for now.

From what I established, some of the affected students have literally been sacked from the school but without their knowledge or any official notification to them, or their parents or guardians. A good number of them have also been demoted.

Their accommodations in the hostels where they lodge are privately rented by them individually. The many hostel blocks I saw are said to be privately owned by some unknown individuals.

They are currently not allowed to attend classes or lessons on the school campus. They are not allowed to attend the school dining hall.

Their Academic Officer, Mr Paul Antierafa, a perceived confidant of the principal, is alleged to have threatened the students with police arrest should they ever be seen, or step foot, on the school campus. How is this possible? What authoritarian power is this? And, who bestowed that power on him?

From the above, could any wise person dispute the fact the students have been sacked? Living in privately rented accommodations in student hostels in Mampong with a ban on them from entering the school premises is not any different from living in their various towns far away from Mampong. This is because their purpose for being in Mampong is not achievable in terms of their current situation, thus, barred from classes and the school campus.

The students are in Mampong to pursue a career in nursing and midwifery but they are disallowed the attendance of classes and or, sitting for exams. They are prohibited from stepping foot on the school campus. Is their current circumstance in Mampong any different from them living in their various hometowns doing nothing? No!

From the paper trail evidence gathered, the students did pass their higher level examinations after being allowed there without sitting any examinations because of the impact of Covid-19 pandemic and for the avoidance of escalation of the fatal infection. This is contrary to the falsehoods in dissemination and perpetration by Mr Kwaku Ampratum Sarpong, the MP, to disparage the students, if not to irredeemably tarnish their reputation to purposefully cost them their future career.

To go out publicly to accuse the students of poor academic performance hence the situation in which they find themselves as against the permissible, acceptable and credible evidence I saw when I met some of them, indicates the level of malevolence the MP has towards them for reasons yet to be uncovered but only best known to him.

I learnt the students were given amnesty to proceed to their next higher levels or classes without sitting for any end of semester or year examinations, contrary to normal requirement or practice before students are promoted to their next higher classes. This is all because of the Covid-19 pandemic that impacted very badly on not only the worldwide education but economy.

The ravages of Covid-19 pandemic on the worldwide education and economy were enormous. Therefore, there was no way that students could physically attend classes, then finally sit for examinations before promotions without exacerbating the infection the world leaders were trying harder to contain.

In England where I reside, the final year students at every level, especially sixth formers, were graded by their tutors using their accumulated class performances, etc., upon which their National Examination Board and the government had agreed to accept for their promotions. See the web links below for further proof and better explanation.

Therefore, for the principal of the school to end up sacking the students or demoting them without having the decency to notify them, or their parents, backed by the MP who goes on the tangent of soiling their reputation on air, threaten to cause their arrest should they step foot on the school campus, is too harsh, to say the least. This act amounts to an infringement on their human rights and the rule of law.

Subsequently, I shall plead for the personal intervention of His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to ensure that the complaints and the plight of the affected students are looked into professionally, humanely, fairly and firmly, because the Health Minister and his Deputy have exceedingly let them down.

Some of them did call on the Health Minister, Honourable Kwaku Agyemang Manu, in Accra with their credible evidence upon which the Minister directed them to go back to Mampong and attend classes. However, they were chased out of classes. When they reported their predicament back to the Minister, he has since gone silent on it, leaving the students to their miserable fate.

Why has the Minister suddenly become incapacitated and seems to have licked back his sputum, concluding from the unfolding events?

I had the chance to come by the Deputy Health Ministers WhatsApp contact while in Ghana. I sent her a message and she replied thus, Acknowledged. Will make sure we going to be fair firm and frank. Thanks. I have reproduced in this publication exactly what she wrote without any additions or omissions.

She wrote this on 24th March 2022, and at 15:27 hours (3:27 pm). Until today, Monday, 11th April 2022, herself and her boss have done absolutely nothing about it. How long is it going to take them to sit up to sort out the complaints by the students? Are they waiting until it is too late to do anything about it and the career of the students completely ruined?

All the stakeholders the students have consulted so far, including the paramount chief of Mampong, Nana Osei Bonsu, have proved themselves incapable of resolving the case, although in the midst of the abundance of credible evidence presented to them by the students. What is going on in Ghana, if I may ask?

The last resort is to convey the plight of the students to the attention of His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Hopefully, as a lawyer and the father of the nation, he will be discerning enough to examine the situation and the evidence to be provided by both the students and the principal of the school to render a fair judgment to this case under discussion.

For further information and better particulars, the president and all responsible persons interested in fairly and firmly resolving this case under discussion could contact one of the affected students on the phone number hereby provided, 0553193511.

Could Eugene Arhin please ensure this publication gets to His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as without his personal intervention, the affected students can never see justice?

Rockson Adofo

Monday, 11 April 2022
TABCON Development Consultants, experts in the energy sector, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) towards the construction of a 65MW Hybrid-Hydro-Solar Renewable Energy facility that will feed into the electricity supply in the Bono region.

This project is to promote value-added agriculture due to its irrigation component. It will also boost eco-tourism and nature conservation in the region while creating increased local employment by accelerating the industrialization of the Tain and Wenchi Districts, and the Bono Region at large.

The eighty-five-million-dollar ($85m) project initiated by TABCON Development Consultants and its partners which include the German government and the Volta River Authority (VRA) is a large door opened for research that is expected to lead to more publications that will ensure that UENR achieves its target of one thousand Scopus indexed journal articles.

Project components

The project comes in three main components namely; building a hybrid solar-hydro renewable energy farm, developing Eco-Tourism, Nature Conservation and Value-added Agriculture and lastly the development of the Nkoranza Regional Airport and Aero City for Tourism and Evacuation of Value-Added agricultural products to markets.

Speaking at the brief MoU signing ceremony in Sunyani, the Vice-Chancellor of UENR, Prof. Elvis Asare-Bediako observed that the proposed project epitomizes the much-needed collaboration between industry and institutions of higher learning for the benefit of students.

The collaboration between the University and TABCON ENERGY is just apropos because the two bodies lives revolve around energy. The University will provide all the research that would make this collaboration a living one. This technical project collaboration is the first of its kind between an academic institution and industry in the history of UENR and it must be applauded and appreciated, Prof. Asare-Bediako said.

SDG 4

He added that that was also in direct consonance with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4 which calls for ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, the expected role of UENRs technical expertise on this project is to provide technical knowledge to serve on the Joint Project Management Team on the TABCON Energy.

Faculty will be expected to assist TABCON Energy in managing all technical feasibility, planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance phases of the project. It will also be a learning curve for staff, he added

Benefits

Some benefits of this project to UENR and the project-bearing community, Prof. Asare-Bediako states, are human resource identification, training, employment, and research as well as sourcing training in the areas of Sustainable Renewable Energy Generation and Management, Renewable Energy Storage Systems, Afforestation and Wildlife Programme. Additionally, he indicated that the project will build a strong Research and Development in the Optimization of Solar/Hydro Power System, Energy Storage Systems and Value-Added Agriculture.

The CEO of TABCON Energy, Dr. Paul Kwaku Tabiri, for his part, expressed his happiness that the partnership has been solidified to kick-start the project.

Dr. Tabiri noted that the partnership between TABCON Energy and the University of Energy and Natural Resources would boost the generational capacity of the countrys energy mix. He added that it will also provide the platform for Ghana to know the generational benefits of the project.

He stressed that the project seeks to practicalize the staffs expertise to build the dam, which would also create an opportunity for more research works and publications on the project based on the data that would be generated.

More on the project

TABCON ENERGY LIMITED is a Development Consulting Company operating in the Renewable Energy Sector in Ghana. Established in 1989, this company is led by Dr. Paul Kwaku Tabirih as the Chief Executive Officer.

TABCON ENERGY is poised toward generating electrical power on the Tain River and its adjacent lands located in the Wenchi Municipal of the Bono Region of Ghana.

The University of Energy and Natural Resources has a full-blown School of Energy whose mandate is to spearhead research into energy and its related issues.

Since this project is geared toward the generation of electricity, UENRs robust Electrical Engineering team is ready to work hand-in-hand with TABCON to see this project through.

In fact, this project encompasses several disciplines of UENR  from engineering, natural resource management through to environmental management. The UENR-TABCON collaboration is therefore one with solid foundations.
Some police officers have been deployed to the Wesley College of Education in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti Region over the Colleges of Education Non-Teaching Staff Association of Ghanas (CENTSAG) strike.

The police were deployed to the college's campus after management complained to the Suame police command that the striking workers were allegedly harassing and causing disturbances in the school.

The striking workers had earlier prevented casual workers from using their offices, especially the kitchen to cook for the sandwich students.

The local leadership of the association was, however, invited to the Suame police station over the alleged disturbances.

The local Financial Secretary for the association, Mr. Nteko Enuameh, told Class News regional correspondent, Elisha Adarkwah that the management unlocked their offices, especially the kitchen for the casual workers to use, resulting in their decision to prevent the casual workers from accessing the offices.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Ghana's Dancing Pallbearers have pledged to donate $250,000 of the proceeds from the Coffin Dance meme recently auctioned to war-torn Ukraine.

On Saturday, April 9, 3F Music came out on top in the bidding round, purchasing the 10-second meme for $1,046,079.54 (327.00ETH) in one of the historic Non-Fungible Token (NFT) auctions.

This was after the video meme was minted by the dancing pallbearers team on April 7.

According to the leader of the pallbearers, Benjamin Aidoo, the money will be donated to Ukrainian charities to help mitigate the hardship brought about by the ongoing war with Russia.

Taking to social media, Benjamin Aidoo also congratulated the Dubai-based music production company on winning the bid.

The Foundation, Come Back Alive, is said to receive the donation from the Ghanaian group.

Also, in a tweet, the Foundation pledged to make judicious use of the financial support coming its way.

In 2020, the group of young men managed to turn funerals into rather hearty transitions.

Videos went viral depicting the men demonstrating their casket-carrying skills by orchestrating a choreographed routine, lifting and lowering the casket, and even sitting on the floor if need be.

---DGN online
The much-postponed corruption trial of South Africa's ex-president Jacob Zuma ran into fresh legal delays and health problems on Monday as he launched a new procedural battle on the eve of his 80th birthday.

Zuma faces 16 counts of fraud, graft and racketeering over the purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and equipment while he was vice president in the 1990s.

The closely-followed trial started in May 2021 after repeated postponements as Zuma's legal team battled to have the charges dropped.

It was expected to resume with witness testimony on Monday in the southeastern city of Pietermaritzburg.

But Zuma's attorney said his defendant was unable to attend on health grounds, and then successfully filed a request for a further postponement.

"There was a medical emergency which took place in the past few hours," his lawyer Dali Mpofu announced in court, giving no further details.

His spokesman later said that Zuma had been admitted to hospital for medical tests.

Zuma's defence asked the High Court to postpone the case to allow him to exhaust his options of appeal in a complaint against the lead prosecutor, Billy Downer.

In October, Zuma asked for Downer to be dropped from the case, accusing him of bias. He contended Downer leaked confidential documents to the media.

But the Supreme Court of Appeal last month ruled against him, saying the petition had "no reasonable prospect of success."

Downer argued in court on Monday that the application for another postponement was another "delaying tactic."

It "erodes the public's confidence in the system of justice because it's yet another postponement in the long-running series of postponements," he warned.

Mpofu denied this, saying Zuma "has consistently done everything he can for this trial to proceed."

Judge Piet Koen granted a postponement to May 17 to let the appeal process "take its due course."

But, he warned, "the future progress of the trial must be managed properly."

Tainted image

Zuma was president from 2009 to 2018, but was forced to step down by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) as graft scandals surrounding his government brewed into a political storm.

Last year he was given a 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court after refusing to testify before a panel probing financial sleaze and cronyism that proliferated under his presidency.

His jailing sparked riots that descended into looting and left more than 350 dead in the worst violence since the advent of South Africa's democracy.

He was released on health grounds two months into the term.

The French defence giant Thales, the other defendant in the trial, has been charged with corruption and money laundering. Both it and Zuma deny any wrongdoing.
Stella Moris girlfriend of Julian Assange is escorted by police after speaking to the media outside the Old Bailey in London on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. A British judge has rejected the United States' request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges, saying it would be "oppressive" because of his mental health. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange was likely to commit suicide if sent to the U.S. The U.S. government said it would appeal the decision. (Frank Augstein/AP)
The Greater Accra Zango Chief, Sarki Alhaji Yahya Hamisu Bako has commended an Islamic Cleric and Philanthropist, Mallam Alhassan Ango for the support and generosity he rendered to many people in the Muslim Communities in Ghana during the month of Ramadan.

The Accra Zango Chief on his Facebook wall on April 8th, 2022 posted the picture of Mallam Alhassan Abokin Ango and commended him for his immense contribution to the community.

He described the philanthropist as an illustrious son of the soil (ZANGO) who is generous during this period of fasting to the people of Zango and Accra at large.

Sarki Yahya Hamisu Bako appealed to all resourceful persons and philanthropists to help the needy during this blessed month of Ramadan.

Alhaji Mallam Alhassan Abokin Ango has for years supported Muslims within the Zangos and the Greater Accra during every Ramadan with packages of assorted items including rice, corn dough, cassava dough, cornflour, sugar, spaghetti, cooking oil, red oil, groundnut paste, milk and Lipton Tea. The items were distributed to hundreds of people within the Sabon Zango vicinity and some parts of Accra.

The philanthropist has been described as one of the illustrious sons of Zango who has in diverse ways supported most of the youth and the needy within the Zango community and beyond. Mallam Alhassan Abokin Ango is also a philanthropist who takes care of hundreds of needy especially the aged and has also been the pilar of many people due to his philanthropic gestures.
The Chief Executive Director for the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Prof. Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi has expressed disappointment in President Akufo-Addo over his governments handling of corruption allegations against public officers.

According to the co-founder of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has not done enough to tackle corruption in the country since coming into power.

I think coming into constitutional rule, freeing the airwaves, lifting media censorship have all been an important contribution to the fight against corruption and in the promotion of transparency in government affairs.

I like for instance, the work that CHRAG has done in the past [not necessary in the present]. I am a big supporter of the idea of the Special Prosecutor and I also applaud the passage of the right to information legislation.

I see all of these as conditions where we can sustain and deepen the fight against corruption. I am, however, disappointed, especially in the current administration for its handling of allegations of corruption against its own members, Prof. Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi told Asaase Radio in an interview.

He said in fighting corruption, the ruling government must show good leadership by dealing with its own appointees or officials when they are accused of engaging in the canker.

We have continued with the practice of being more proactive when it comes to accountability for members of the former administration and curdling, protecting, and sometimes even rewarding those that are in government today that against whom allegations of corruption have been made.

I would like to see in the Akufo-Addo government an example of a Mallam Issah in the Kufuor administration. I would like to see an example of Abuga Pele Im yet to see that in the current government and that disappoints me, Prof. Gyimah-Boadi added.
At a just ended nationwide multi-stakeholder dialogue on business registration and certification, youth-own SMEs called on government to ensure services provided by business support institutions such as Registrar General Department (RGD), Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, (DVLA) are effectively decentralized.

By extension, they called on the government to ensure the offices or services of these regulatory agencies are extended to the various districts for easy access and cost-efficiency. This call comes at the back of a survey that the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs undertook. The survey report revealed that most SMEs in Ghana are not able to register their business or acquire other business-related certifications, licenses, or permits because of the associated high costs and inaccessible offices or services.

The survey report presented by the Chamber's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Sherif Ghali, revealed that more youth-own SMEs are formalizing (registering) their businesses. However, they are faced with challenges such as; high cost, cumbersome procedures, extorsion, unbearable turnaround time, rampant system downtimes, poor customer service, inaccessible offices, middlemen (Goro boys), fraud, unfriendly online portals, and Lack of coordination between agencies.

The dialogue sessions were held in the Ashanti, Northern, Western, and Greater Accra Regions by the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs and its Partner, SNV Ghana, under the European Union-funded GrEEn Project.

Stakeholders deliberated on solutions to challenges SMEs faced in the business registration and certification process. It also offered stakeholders the opportunity to reflect on intriguing findings from the survey on the business regulatory environment in Ghana.

Similarly, Cyber security was a prime area for discussions as SMEs were taken through cyber security measures to ensure their operations are safe within cyberspace.

An interesting area of discussion was the introduction of Participants to the concepts of green business, circular economy, eco-inclusive business modules, and the need to transition to green.

The dialogue sessions brought together about 250 stakeholders, including; SMEs, accademia, and the public agencies (RDG, GRA, FDA, MASLOC, GEA, GSA).

Subsequently, the chamber is expected to engage the Government and Parliament on the recommendations from the SMEs. It will also embark on advocacy actions and run more sensitization programs on cyber security, green economy, and business registration.

---Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs
11.04.2022 LISTEN

Bishop Gideon Titi-Ofei, Founder of Accra Business School(ABS), has announced a new programme, Information Technology Education Centre (ITEC), which he says will equip learners with modernised computer skills to make them adapt to recent digitization trends.

According to Bishop Titi-Ofei, the programme was a diversification from the schools discipline which would take effect from September 2022 where three degree/postgraduate courses in Computer Science would be offered from the Institute of Technology Carlow in Ireland.

He said this during the school's 12th congregation, where 329 students were awarded various degrees including Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science Accounting and Finance, Bachelor of Science Administration as well as UK Level 6 and 7 Extended Diploma.

"We decided to collaborate with the Institute of Technology Carlow in Ireland to launch these three powerful Computer Science programmes.

"The programme is aimed at assisting the government to grow the digital economy of the country and we believe that for our digital initiative to become successful we need well educated IT personnel.

"This is another strategic aspect of our strategy to strengthen the international credentials of ABS by enabling Ghanaian students to secure globally recognised degrees from the UK, Ireland, among others," Bishop Titi-Ofei said.

He also urged graduates at the 12th congregation to go out there and be good ambassadors of the school and also take advantage of the new digitization trends being instituted by the government.

ABS is a prestigious Christian Business School accredited to offer a range of globally recognised postgraduate and professional programmes in Christ-centred scholarly environments that integrate faith and learning.
At last, Osun State College of Education, Ilesa (COEILESA), has been upgraded to a full-fledged University of Education. The approval was announced by the State Governor, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, recently.

Well, let it be on record that Governor Oyetola has by this singular act done wonderfully well. Founded almost five decades ago, through a law (Edict) signed on December 1, 1977, by the Brigadier David Jemibewon-led administration; and being the first College of Education in the old Oyo State, the upgrade of the-then Oyo State College of Education, Ilesa to a university is not only well-deserved and long overdue but also a prudent political response to the peoples yearnings. Far from being a political move, COEILESA has made a name for itself. Therefore, that it was upgraded to a university with a clear speciality has again shown the kind of premium the Oyetola-led administration places on education in Osun State. For the avoidance of doubt, its also a response to the peoples institutional capacity requirement in Osun but, of course, specifically, in Ijesaland! Indeed, these are important factors which the governors traducers will always want to recklessly gloss over.

If we may ask, what does the PDP want from Governor Oyetola regarding COEILESA? To reverse this laudable step taken in favour of education, particularly, in Ijesaland, a land also renowned for its ancient military prowess, agricultural ingenuity and modern commercial innovativeness? Well, maybe the naysayers have forgotten that the Teacher College was initially affiliated to the prestigious university of Ibadan until October 1985, when it transferred its allegiance to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife! Maybe they have also forgotten that the University of Affiliation has been responsible for the academic moderation and quality control of the now-upgraded College! Maybe they have forgotten that, even as we speak, COEILESA remains among the top 20 Teacher Colleges in Nigeria, and that it can boast of not only imposing, modern architectural edifices which dot its landscape but also first-rate academic and administrative staff!

When University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife) was established in 1961, the goal at the time was to create a world-class institution that would drop the toga of colonialism, accommodate indigenous knowledge acquisition approach; and, above all, outshine University of Ibadan (UI), bequeathed to us by the British.

As we well know, Ijesas, by nature, value education and they place a high premium on their childrens education. That has become a non-ambiguous norm and preference of their Ijesaness and there is nothing anybody can do about it! Perhaps the more reason they will never forgive the late Bola Ige for not doing the needful while he held sway as governor of the old Oyo State. Had he upgraded the College at the time, the matter would have long been rested. Sadder still, I doubt if the sub-ethnic group has forgiven the late Deputy Leader of Afenifere for his inability to create another University of Ife in Ijesaland. The Cicero of Esa Oke missed that excellent opportunity and the people are yet to get over that unforgettable pass.

For a fact, it is nauseatingly embarrassing that some people would advance adverse criticisms against a process thats not only in national interest but also a project on which the governor has undertaken a feasibility assessment and how the carefully-planned process would meet educational challenges and the future needs of the state in terms of need for professional teachers. Unfortunately, the core room of the opposition, presently, is Ede, Osun State. When the chips are down, Ilesa is likely to feel slighted and  short-changed. Even so, government need not feel disturbed about naysayers.

For all we care, since the psychology of the opposition is that of a drowning man grasping at straws, to say that thats not what the PDP is going through, especially, as Osun governorship election is drawing nearer, is to be economical with the truth. Whats more? Technically speaking, Nigerias major opposition party is yet to have a candidate for the July 16, 2022 exercise. Till date, the controversy surrounding its candidate remains a bad baggage. So, it cannot but be agitated. Thats the truth! Besides, we are in Nigeria and we will always find individuals indulging in crass criticism. Not that they have something better to offer; its because they will always criticise, just for the sake of criticism. However, it is advisable the party tames the principalities and powers troubling its destiny before nosing, lazily, into another partys internal affairs.

PDPs excuse that KPMGs involvement is for charging five per cent of the entire project cost as well as creating an avenue to siphon money out of Osun has again demonstrated the limitation of the oppositions knowledge, level of understanding and exposure in life. Otherwise, itd have known that upgrading a foremost institution of COEILESAs stature and status to a university is serious business. More than the creation of a university, it is a process that requires fiscal planning and discipline. Beyond being an avenue for corruption centre is its sustenance and survival. In other words, announcing the upgrade, as it were, is as important as sustaining the structure. So, it is a business for serious-minded people! Finally on this, COEILESA has been upgraded to a university; and Ijesas as a whole are happy. So, whats all the fuss about?

While commending Oyetolas administration for the bold step of enhancing the image of Ijesaland, more still need to be done; and more can still be achieved! All over the world, universities are established, not merely to beautify the geographical topography of the society. Rather, their existence is to engage in a symbiotic relationship with the society. To this extent, the nature of the relationship between the gown and the town in this project must be of mutual benefit: the business world must benefit from the developed economic and commerce ideas from the university, while the university enjoys research grants and largesse donations from the corporate organisations.

Without being economical with the truth, most universities abroad, these days, strive to survive on their own. Government subventions have become a secondary source of income. Thats the trend globally! Apart from what comes from the alumni associations and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), the interlink between the university and the business world is such that the former sells ideas to the latter and the latter pays the former handsomely for its services. In some climes also, professors success stories are measured by the achievements of their students. Sad that these are some of the areas which have not yet been seriously explored in Nigeria!

Taken together, history will be kind to Ilesa Varsity if it can keep a digital tab on its graduates. How do I mean? It must be seen to be integrating into, and impacting positively on the society. Broadly speaking, it must not be seen as only appearing on the geographical landscape of Ijesaland but also changing the topographical outlook of this homeland we chose. After all, but for American politics which has succeeded in limiting the capacity of IITA, the Research-for-Development (R4D) organisation would have transformed Ibadan in Oyo State into an agricultural Eldorado.

Take it or leave it: a university environment that is supposedly blessed with the best of professors in architecture and engineering but overtaken by erosion can be likened to a Kaduna State that is about the most militarily fortified in the country but now home to terrorists and armed banditry.

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Osun State!

*KOMOLAFE wrote in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State ( [email protected] )
An article authored by Kofi Thompson, Managing Editor of the National Review Newspaper with the title; President Nkrumah Despised Baffuor Akoto - But Never Hated Ashantis has been chanced on. The said article has been published by Modern Ghana, an online news website, and as well, shared on their official Facebook wall.

After a careful diagnosis of the article which sought to clarify a pronouncement by Otumfuo Osei Tutu, the King of the Asante Kingdom during his address of some issues raised by the Dormaahene, at the first Asanteman Council Meeting for the year, the article has been found to be packed with numerous distortions of historical facts.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu, during his address of the Asanteman Council Meeting, acknowledged that, even though Kwame Nkrumah did not like them [Asantes], the Bono Ahafo region created out of the Western Ashanti at that time, did not alter the existence of the traditional arrangement, therefore, the creation of the Bono region cannot affect the traditional autonomy of the Asante Kingdom.

The author in his article sought to create the impression that, Kwame Nkrumah and his CPP government never hated Asantes, but rather, it was Okyeame Baffuor Osei Akoto, the godfather of Otumfuo Osei Tutu, he despised due to his senseless acts of terrorism. This notion he created is wrong, of which, I seek to use this as an opportunity for clarification.

First of all, it is imperative to note that, the National Liberation Movement (NLM), the Party which brought about the political paradigm shift, changed the political dimension of Gold Coast, and gave Kwame Nkrumah and his CPP government a formidable opposition was formed by Okyeame Baffuor Akoto in September, 1954, so it was practically impossible for the NLM to partake in the 1951 and June 1954 general elections of Gold Coast as quoted by the author. This as a result corroborates the perception of concoction and distortion meant to misinform the populace clouding the motive behind the article. Despite the fact that, the NLM lost the 1956 general elections; the elections to determine the constitutional path for Gold Coast before she was handed independence, the Partys performance was still very impeccable. Note, It became the first opposition party to snatch secured seats of the CPP, in addition to, a pull of the greatest number of popular votes since 1951. Through the political dexterity of Okyeame Akoto and the performance of the NLM, Okyeame Baffuor Akoto was able to create a great political opposition force against Kwame Nkrumah by bringing all the then opposition political parties together which eventually spurred Kwame Nkrumah to disband the opposition political parties out of fear of being taken out through the ballot.

More over, Kwame Nkrumah hated Asantes as rightly opined by Otumfuo Osei Tutu because, after the 1951 general elections, the first in Africa to be held under universal suffrage, Kwame Nkrumah continuously pursued numerous agenda that had the tendency to diminish Asantes economic, political and historical relevance in Gold Coast.

It is worthy to note that, with cocoa being the major export of Gold Coast produced mainly in Asante, and the economic welfare of Asante as a whole tied to cocoa, Kwame Nkrumah was very aware that, a freeze of the price of cocoa at a lower price compared to the world market price would weaken the economic influence of Asantes, yet he pushed a bill that froze the price of cocoa at 72 shillings instead of 150 shillings per load. At that time, Gold Coast was the major producer of cocoa in the world.

In Kwame Nkrumahs desperation to undermine the political and historical influence of Asanteman, he influenced and considered a petition by various Brong chiefs for governments recognition of a separate Brong-Kyempim Council. To further debilitate the political influence of Asante, during the Representational reform in 1953 which was to provide for allocation of seats to the 1954 legislative assembly, Asante was allocated 21 seats instead of the 30 seats she rightly deserved. The mischievous aspect is that, the 21 seats representing 20% reflected a decline from her initial 25% share of seats in the 1951 Assembly. In addition, in order for Kwame Nkrumah to get a stronger hold of Asanteman under his manipulation, Kwame Nkrumah selected his preferred CPP candidates for all the 21 seats in Asante for the 1954 legislative assembly elections despite the disapproval of the local constituencies.

Again, the authors assertion that Okyeame Baffuor Osei Akoto was just a barbarian who engaged in senseless acts of terrorism is not factual. It was rather Kwame Nkrumah who was a tyrant who believed in the suppression and intimidation of political opponents, a one-man rule and the autocratic form of government, instead of the Rule of Law. In fact, Okyeame Baffuor Akotos actions were never barbaric, but rather, they were actions which continuously stood against authoritarianism, and through that, influenced all the constitutions and the democracy we enjoy today as a Nation.

In fact, Kwame Nkrumah provoked all the violence due to his undemocratic activities, and that, the many violence that erupted in the many parts of Asante and elsewhere between 1954 and 1957 were just defensive retaliations by the NLM to the many attempts by Kwame Nkrumah to intimidate and suppress the activities and development of opposition parties in Gold Coast.

It is suffice to note that, right after the formation of the NLM in September, 1954, as part of the plans to suppress the rapid growing movement, Twumasi-Ankrah, CPP Asante regional propaganda secretary, suspected to be under the direct orders of Kwame Nkrumah, started a commotion in the central party office of NLM which eventually led to the stabbing and death of E.Y Baffoe, the NLM Propaganda Secretary in October, 1954. Similar attempts by Kwame Nkrumah and his CPP led government to suppress opposition led to the death of two NLM members at Kumasi Zongo and Kwasi Ampofo, a Prince of the Akyem Abuakwa stool and a staunch NLM member in January and May, 1955 respectively. More over, two key leaders of the Muslim Association Party in Kumase, Alhaji Amadu Baba; Serikin Zongo and Mallam Alhaji Alfa Lardan; head of the Zongo Volunteers were deported under the Deportation Act of August, 1957, on the spurious grounds that they were not Ghanaian citizens.

Due to the autocratic nature of Kwame Nkrumah, between 1951 and 1966, he continuously pushed in place Bills and Constitutional amendments meant only to intimidate political opponents, and suppress the existence of opposition parties and the rule of law. They included the Avoidance of Discrimination Act, 1957, Prevention Detention Act (PDA), 1958, Deportation Act of 1957, Elimination of the Powers of the Chieftaincy, Declaration of Ghana as a One-Party State, among others.

The aforementioned facts and the many others go on to corroborate the chest held facts that, Kwame Nkrumah was an authoritarian and hated Asantes. And that, all the sacrifices and activities that Okyeame Baffuor Akoto embarked on during the course of his political life were just to resist and fight against the infringement of human rights, autocratic rule, and through that, spur for the deepening of democracy and the rule of law of the Nation.

Hhhmm, May God be praised always

Nana Kwadwo Akwaa

([email protected])
11.04.2022 LISTEN

Adopting electronic forms of trade documents could cut costs and boost profits following the Covid-19 pandemic

Widespread acceptance of digital trade documents could generate an additional US$1.2 trillion in trade by Commonwealth countries by 2026, a report has found.

The analysis covers each economy in the 54 Commonwealth nations and presents a picture of the potential for cost reductions and trade increases if digital trade documents are accepted in the same manner as their paper equivalent.

The report from the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda found that widespread use of digital trade paperwork could increase trade by Commonwealth countries by an additional US$1.2 trillion through the impact of cost reductions and greater access to trade finance.

Developing economies across the spectrum - emerging, small states and least developed countries - see the greatest reduction in costs from these changes.

Kirk Haywood, Head of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda, said: The Covid-19 pandemic has left deep economic scars across the globe, and while countries are now looking to rebuild, many are likely to struggle for years to come.

Commonwealth trade is set to grow by an average of just 0.2 per cent a year between 2021 and 2026. Of the 20 countries with the slowest growth projections, six of these are emerging African economies and only seven are not SIDS.

It is vital that viable opportunities to boost trade are explored and acted upon if all member nations are to see increased prosperity.

Commonwealth leaders have already committed themselves to the goal of increasing Commonwealth trade to US$2 trillion by 2030. This report clearly illustrates how the adoption of digital trade paperwork across the Commonwealth can help us reach this goal.

In the current challenging fiscal environment, such regulatory interventions can support post-Covid recovery without relatively large government expenditure. The UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records provides a good starting point for countries looking to undertake such interventions.

Trade costs are currently prohibitive for many countries across the Commonwealth. For four Commonwealth economies (Vanuatu, Tonga, Gambia, and Papua New Guinea) costs are higher than 100 per cent of the revenues received from trade, while another 34 economies are burdened with costs that exceed 50 per cent of their revenues.

These figures come from costs associated with border crossing and transport alone. Adding raw materials, production, sales, and distribution costs means more countries are likely to find exporting prohibitive.

Moving toward paperless trade will cut these costs, helping to open new markets and stimulate trade where previously very little existed.

For all Commonwealth economies, accepting electronic documents will bring significant improvement in trade from two factors:

Reduction in trade costs, which enables more exporters to access trade routes. Improvement in access to finance, which has the effect of creating markets, especially for MSMEs who are currently excluded because they are unable to access traditional forms of trade finance because of due diligence costs involved.

There are challenges associated with moving to an electronic trade system.

Paper forms of trade documents such as bills of lading, bills of exchange, promissory notes, warehouse receipts, guarantees and standby letters of credit are overwhelmingly used across the world.

An estimated four billion paper-based documents are being processed at any one point in time around the world according to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

The non-standardised and manual nature of a bill of lading makes border processes complex for the exporter.

Additionally, lower levels of digital literacy pose a major challenge for some groups.

The Commonwealth Secretariat is working to address the digital divide across member states through the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda  a platform for countries to exchange best practices and experiences in trade and investment to prompt domestic reform.

Specific targets for action were also outlined in the Declaration on the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment made by Commonwealth Heads of Government in April 2018.

Notes to Editors
The Executive Director for the Media Foundation for West Africa (WFWA), Mr. Sulemana Braimah has questioned the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government why it fails to pay National Service personnel.

In a post on his Twitter page, Mr. Braimah argues that the treatment by President Akufo-Addo's government is an act of gross injustice.

These young men and women are offering National Service. They're to be paid GHC559 or $74 a month. For several months, gov't has failed to pay them this little monthly allowance that they use for transportation, feeding, etc. WHY?

The treatment of national service personnel by the Akufo-Addo gov't is an act of gross injustice. How can a gov't that is able to afford so much waste, fail to pay those young Ghanaians the monthly paltry allowance of GHC559, for several months?

The cost of just 1 hour of the luxurious Charter Presidential Jet can pay the monthly allowance of 185 National Service personnel. Yet for several months, service personnel have not been paid their paltry monthly allowance of GHC559 ($74), a series of posts on the Twitter page of Sulemana Braimah reads.

Several University graduates undergoing their national service continue to cry over unpaid allowances.

While some NSS personnel are said to be owed two months' arrears, others are reportedly owed more.
Agence France-Presse was the first international agency on the scene in Kramatorsk to cover the attack on the train station that killed more than 50 people on Friday 8 April.

AFP photo, video and text journalists were the only agency reporters providing images and testimony during the first few hours, documenting the horror at the station.

A policeman moved between the debris, picking up phones and putting them in a box, one of them ringing out incessantly, recounted AFP reporter Herve Bar in his powerful scene piece. Video journalist Maryke Vermaak and photographers Fadel Senna and Anatolii Stepanov filed rare independent images immediately picked up by major international media.

Photographer Anatolii Stepanov is based in Kramatorsk. The rest of this experienced multimedia team has been based there for several days after working in Kharkiv and Kyiv. Herve Bar has been sent on a special assignment from Bogota, where he heads the bureau. Maryke Vermaak is based in New Delhi and Fadel Senna in Rabat.

By harnessing our broad international network to cover the war in Ukraine, now nearing its seventh week, AFP now has a team of around 30 people in Ukraine, a mix of special correspondents, experienced local staff and critical logistics personnel.

This network also enabled AFP to be the first to break the news on April 2 of the mass killings in Bucha, our news alert on at least 20 bodies lining a street in the town setting the agenda for the news cycle. The scene piece from our The Hague bureau chief Danny Kemp, photos from Ronaldo Schemidt (Jerusalem), and video from Nicolas Garcia (Montevideo) were seen around the world, and sparked international condemnation.

AFP has mobilised its entire reporting and editing network to cover the war in Ukraine, including a specialised reporting unit spread across Warsaw and Paris.

---AFP
The Member of Parliament for the Ada Constituency Ms. Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah has donated items, including bags of rice, mattresses, cooking oil, and street lights among others to be distributed among the Ada Tidal Waves victims and the communities.

This donation is a relief for you but that is not to say our problems are over. I am once again using this opportunity to call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ensure that the Ada Sea Defence project continues in earnest, she stated during the presentation monitored by Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Ada at the weekend.

Ms. Cudjoe-Ghansah in an interview with newsmen after presenting the items to the Chiefs and people of Azizakpe, one of the affected communities stated that the items were to aid the residents in their moment of calamity.

The Azizakpe is also the last island community in the District where the Volta River meets the Atlantic Ocean.

She assured the residents that through Parliament, she would pursue a permanent solution to the menace noting that, the street lights would end the darkness in the various areas.

I am hurt by the nature of devastation of the constituents by the tidal waves and could not sit and watch them perish by the disaster hence the support to aid alleviate their sufferings, she said.

The MP bemoaned the devastating effects of the ravaging sea on coastal and island communities adding that the coastal flooding currently; "happening to us is as a result of climate change.

She reiterated the need for the government to urgently continue the Ada Sea Defence project.

Nene Daniel Toku IV, the Chief of Azizakpe expressed the gratitude of the residents to the MP adding, "this comes at a time that my people are grappling with accommodation and other challenges because our homes have been submerged.

"We have been struggling for a place to lay our heads due to the devastation caused by the sea.

We have been crying and appealing for support and have been in the hope that the powers that seat on the decision table will heed our calls so for MP to come in at this time, I am sure it is the greatest of a relief for us, we are grateful," he said.

He noted that the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) of the Ada East District Assembly came to assess the area and damage caused but has not returned to them yet for support.

"NADMO came here so we are still looking up to them to fulfill its promise of providing a temporal accommodation for the victims. Im of the hope that iitione soon to give this person a decent place of living," he added.

The Ada tidal wave displaced thousands of residents in Coastal and Island communities which include Azizakpe, Azizanya, Kewunor, Kewuse, Pediatorkope, Kpetsupanya, Alorkpem, Ayigbo, Lolonya, Agblabanya, and Anyamam.

Properties worth millions of Ghana Cedis have also submerged under the sea with no help in sight for the residents.
A new COVID vaccination and testing site is coming to a part of Queens where the infection rate is more than twice as high as in the rest of the borough, Rep. Carolyn Maloney said Sunday.

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NYCHAs Astoria Houses will host a special facility for residents to get jabbed and tested as of Thursday, Maloney told the Daily News.

Testing and vaccination saves lives, and the residents of Astoria Houses have suffered from a lack of access to COVID-19 vaccines and tests, she said.

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Theres only one vaccination site within a half-mile of the 24 buildings of the Astoria Houses, and its not accessible via public transit, Maloney said.

Residents are forced to walk, and this is not a practical option for many of the senior residents who occupy a large part of this population, she said.

In the 11102 ZIP code where the Astoria Houses are located, the COVID case rate is about 32,000 per 100,000 people, Maloney said.

A repurposed shipping container will provide COVID vaccines and testing at the Astoria Houses in Queens starting Thursday, April 14, 2022. (Courtesy Rep. Carolyn Maloney)

Thats compared with 13,350 per 100,000 people in Queens overall and 12,600 for every 100,000 Manhattanites.

No one has acted to correct it, and thats what Im doing, Maloney said. The death rate is higher, sickness is higher and we need to address it, and thats what this health unit will do.

A 40-foot-long repurposed shipping container will house the vaccination and testing site, the congresswoman said. Partners in the project include NYCHA, which is providing electricity, the city and state governments, and several nonprofits.

Maloney, who is facing a tough Democratic primary this year, said politics played no role in her announcement.

I would be working on it before the primary, after the primary and obviously years before the primary, Maloney said, pointing to funding she got in 2016 for a health care center at the Queensbridge Houses.

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Maloney is tapping federal funds for the new facility, though she did not provide a figure. The site is set to be open every Tuesday and Thursday until at least March 2023.

She added that she supports a $10 billion package of COVID funding that is stalled in Congress.

The U.S. will not be prepared for a next big wave of COVID if Congress does not approve the cash, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief White House medical adviser, said Sunday.

Absolutely, we should pass more money for COVID, Maloney said. New York has been the epicenter of the epicenter.
Mr. Edwin Provencal, BOST Managing Director

11.04.2022 LISTEN

The Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) on Monday insisted that it made a pre-tax profit in 2020.

The company has called on the stakeholders to discard misleading reports purportedly linked to the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA).

The BOST management has reiterated that it achieved a profit before tax of GHS9,844,673 versus an estimated GHC30million in 2020 as against a loss of GHS158,478,676 in 2019.

The positive net profit before tax attained in 2020 implies a massive turnaround of the operational fortunes of the company, Mr. Edwin Provencal, BOST Managing Director stated during a media engagement to refute the purported loss of GHC400 million being speculated in a session of the media.

According to BOST MD the management of the company has taken notice of a series of publications making the rounds on several online portals suggesting that contrary to an announcement that BOST has made an operating profit, a purported report from SIGA indicates BOST has incurred losses to the tune of GHC400 Million.

Mr Provencal explained to newsmen as monitored by Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema that during a presentation in Accra, when he took his turn at the maiden weekly media engagement series for State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) explained that the profit was attained in 2020 through the efforts and sacrifices of staff, management, and the board.

The programme, organised by SIGA, was aimed at enabling the SOEs CEOs share success stories with their various stakeholders and the citizenry.

Mr Provencal reiterated that though BOST Management budgeted to make a loss of GHC86 million, we did not only get to zero, but we crossed zero and made GH31 million profit.

The BOST MD said the strategy was to enhance operational excellence and aggressively promote businesses.

We think there is good opportunity for BOST. We think BOST can work and we know it can work because weve seen things turning around.

The thing about government institutions is that when government institutions work very well, we create a private sector drive, because the private sector depends on the government, he emphasised.

We, by this publication, seek to correct the erroneous impressions created by the publication and wish to set the record straight, he said.

He said BOST is profitable the purported report of the GHC400 million losses is not accurate, to measure the profitability and operational efficiency of a business one must determine whether the underlying operations (core business) of the company are profitable.

Mr Provencal explained unpaid tax obligations over the five-year period to date, the reduction in the value of its shares at GOIL Company Limited, and forex difference on dollar-denominated loans may turn the profit before tax into a net loss for the period.

This enhanced performance was driven by extensive operational efficiency initiatives including, but not limited to massive repair works of our storage tanks, pipelines and marine assets, replacement of outmoded parts across the facilities of the company in the last two years supported by improved marketing and customer service, he said.

Mr Provencal, therefore, reiterates the fact that BOST is on its way to becoming a profitable state-owned enterprise and nothing will derail the resolve of management and staff to achieve this.
The German Cooperation (GIZ) has expressed its readiness to support Ghana government in the manufacturing of vaccines beginning 2024.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the State of the Nation Address on March 30, announced that a strategy has been developed by the Vaccine Manufacturing Committee to begin the first phase of domestic and commercial production of vaccines.

The said implementation of the strategy would result in the establishment of a National vaccine Institute in Ghana.

Speaking at a program to commemorate 2022 World Health Day under the theme Two years of Covid-19 management in Ghana: lessons and interventions towards a better Ghana, the development cluster Coordinator of GIZ Ghana, Gerald Guskowski said the German Government will continue to support the Government of Ghana in all endeavour.

As a provider of international cooperation services, GIZ on behalf of the Ghana Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has taken the lead role to support vaccine manufacturing in Ghana; through our cooperation with Government of Ghana and the Presidential Vaccine Manufacturing Committee, we are glad to be supporting Ghana's 10-year development roadmap intended to transform the country into a Pan-African Vaccine Manufacturing hub. We are happy to be partnering with other development sector partners such as the European Union as well as private sector partners so that Ghana can start vaccine production in 2024, he said.

The Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr. Nsiah Asare says Government will not hesitate to close the country's land borders if the data suggest that more Covid-19 cases are being recorded through the borders.

Government on March 27 announced the reopening of the country's land and sea borders as part of measures to ease its restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the virus.

The land borders had been closed for 2 years since Ghana recorded Covid-19 cases. Addressing participants, Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare says government is monitoring closely the Covid cases

The situation is a bit calm not only in Ghana but across the sub-region that's the reason for opening the borders for the past few days. We are watching, in case something happens we will not feel shy to go back to the restrictions, he noted.

citinewsroom
The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 deals with, among other things, the admissibility and inadmissibility of evidence before court in a trial, including the examination of witnesses and the evidentiary value of documents produced before the trial court.

One such provision which forms part of the Evidence Act is Section 9 , which deals with admissible facts which are necessary to explain or introduce relevant facts such as the place or date of the offence, the name or identity of parties, other circumstances, and so on.

Section 9 of the Evidence Act and Section 54A of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 deal with the procedure and legality of a test identification parade, though the former does not explicitly mention the same.

Section 9 of the Evidence Act makes the test of identification admissible and a relevant fact in the court of law, and section 54A of the Code states in simple words that when the identification of an accused by the witness is considered necessary for investigation of such an offense in which the accused is under arrest, then the court having jurisdiction may, on request made by the officer in charge of the police station, direct the accused so arrested to make himself available for identification by the witness(es) in such manner as the court may deem fit.

What is a test identification parade?

In all criminal cases, two important questions have to be answered:

1. Whether the alleged offence was committed?

2. If yes, then who committed the alleged offence?

Section 9 of the Evidence Act read with section 54A of the Code relates to the procedure to answer the second question, that is, who committed the alleged offence, and its admissibility in a court of law.

The idea of identification satisfies two needs:

1. To satisfy the investigating agency, before sending the case for trial to a court, that the person arrested for the offence, who was not previously known to the witness, was one of those who committed the offence.

2. To prima facie satisfy the court that the accused was the offender of the crime committed.

The whole idea of the test identification parade is for the witnesses who claim to have seen the culprits at the time of occurrence, to identify such person(s) in midst of other persons without any aid or any other source. It is done to test the veracity of the claim of the witness.

The entire identification parade is not meant for the court but to aid the officers in conducting the investigation.

When a first information report is lodged against unknown persons, a test identification parade in terms of section 9 of the Evidence Act is held for the purposes of testing the capability of the witness to identify persons who were previously unknown to them that they claim to have seen committing the alleged offence.

Generally, the test identification parade is conducted in cases of murder and dacoity, and offences under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, when such an offence is committed in presence of an eye witness who claims and agrees to identify such person during the test identification.

On the other hand, in cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, test identification parade is not held or is immaterial as the accused person is apprehended/arrested in the presence of panch witnesses. Therefore, the entire exercise of conducting the identification parade will be futile.

Legal value of test identification parade

High Courts and even the Supreme Court has held time and again that the test identification parade does not form a substantive piece of evidence in the eyes of law. Moreover, it is important to note that failure to hold an identification parade does not make the identification in front of the court as inadmissible.

What forms part of a substantial piece of evidence is the identification of the accused persons before the court by a witness and that prior identification or un-identification during a test identification parade is immaterial as long as the witness identifies the accused before the trial Court. The test identification parade only forms a corroborative piece of evidence in the eyes of law.

In the writers personal opinion, this position of law needs to change for a simple logical reason that when the witness identifies the accused person(s) before the trial court, it is only that one accused person or the set of persons accused of committing offence under trial, who is present in the court; therefore, it becomes very easy and rather straight-forward for the witness to identify the accused person. However, the test identification parade is conducted under a specific set of rules, procedure and guidelines laid down under Indian criminal law.

Procedure for conducting test identification parade

The judicial magistrate or civil judge is specifically directed not to associate themselves with test identification parades. The same is evident from the order in the Government Circular, Home Department, No. MIS. 1054/84588, dated April 22, 1955, which is reproduced below:

In the Judgment delivered by the Supreme Court in Ramkishan vs. Bombay State AIR 1955 SC 104, it has been held that the statements made before police officers by witnesses at the time of identification parades are statements to the Police, and as such are hit by Section 162 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898. In view of that ruling, it is necessary that such parades are not conducted in the presence of Police Officers. The alternative is to take the help of the Magistrates or leave the matter in the hands of panch witnesses. There would be serious difficulties in panch witnesses conducting parades successfully.

In regard to Magistrates, it is not feasible to associate Judicial Magistrates with such parades. The only practicable course, therefore, is to conduct the parades under Executive Magistrates and Honorary Magistrates (not doing judicial work). Government is accordingly pleased to direct that the Police Officers concerned should obtain the help of Executive Magistrates and Honorary Magistrates in holding identification parades.

The guidelines adopted for the conduct of a test identification parade is not exhaustive but illustrative and has been adopted from principles enumerated by British legal writer J.F. Archbold in his treatise  Pleading, Evidence & Practice in Criminal Cases .

Some of the important principles for a better understanding of the subject are reproduced below:

 The officer conducting investigation of the concerned offence must not take part in the identification parade.

 The parade should be arranged by an officer who is not a police officer.

 Once the parade begins, the entire procedure must take place in the presence of the accused who is proposed to be identified, including every instruction given to the witness.

 The witness must be prevented from seeing the accused or a photo of the accused before identifying them, otherwise the entire veracity of the parade is lost.

 The accused should be placed among persons (if practicable, eight or more) who are as far as possible of the same age, height, general appearance (including standard of dress and grooming) and position in life. Two suspects of roughly similar appearance should be paraded with at least twelve other persons. Where, however, the two suspects are not similar in appearance or where there are more than two suspects, separate parades should be held using different persons on each parade.

 All members of a group of more than two accused persons should not be paraded together. There should be more parades than one, each including not more than two accused persons. Two suspects of obviously dissimilar appearance should not be included in the same parade. Identification numbers should be concealed.

 The suspect should be allowed to select his own position in the line and should be expressly asked if they have any objection to the persons present with them or the arrangements made. They should be informed that if they so desire, they can have their advocate or a friend present at the identification parade.

 The witnesses should be introduced one by one and, on leaving, should not be allowed to communicate with witnesses waiting to see the persons paraded. The accused should be informed that they are free to change their position after each witness has left.

 The witness is generally asked to touch the person whom they are to identify so as to eliminate any possibility of error or vagueness in identification. However, if the witness is nervous, they can choose to point towards the person and in the event the witness is unable to identify, it is open for them to say the same. The fact that the witness has identified a particular person or has not identified anybody or has wrongly identified any person other than the suspect has to be recorded by the executive magistrate.

 If any request is made by a witness, for example, to see the suspect with their hat on or off, or to see the person walk or to hear the person speak, and there being no objection to the person paraded as asked for, the incident should be recorded.

On similar lines, the Government of Maharashtra has laid down certain rules and guidelines for conducting TI parade. In order that the proceedings of the identification parades are recorded properly and in conformity with the judicial requirements, the Maharashtra governments Home Department issued Circular No. PRO-2460/16653 IX , dated August 16, 1963, and laid down the following procedure for writing up of a memorandum:

The Executive Magistrate/Honorary Magistrate should commence to write the memorandum. It should include

(a) the place at which and the date on which, parade is being held and the time at which it was commenced;

(b) the names, ages, occupations and the full addresses of the two them on respectable persons;

(c) the names and the approximate ages of the persons standing in the parade, mentioning clearly, one below the other, in numerical order their positions in the parade (which positions they should not be allowed afterwards to alter);

(d) the fact that no persons, other than those, in the parade and the two respectable persons, were allowed to remain in the room and that all police officers and constables were asked to withdraw; and

(e) that respectable person so and so fetched the accused from the lock-up, and that the identifying witnesses were in a different room, so that they could not see him being brought from the lock-up.

Other procedural aspects are similar to that of the principles laid down by Archbold in his treatise.

After all the identifying witnesses have thus been exhausted one after the other, the memorandum should be wound up by stating the time at which it was concluded. Then the memorandum should be read over and explained to the respectable persons in language which they understand.

After the memorandum is completed, the executive magistrate/honorary magistrate should make the following endorsement at the end: Identification Parade was conducted by me personally with the help of the two respectable witnesses, namely Shri  and Shri. whose signatures have been obtained in token of what transpired in their presence. They shall sign below this endorsement and put the date below their signature.

There shall be another endorsement to the following effect:

We read above memorandum (or it was explained to us) and it depicts the correct State of affairs as stated in the memorandum. This shall be signed by the two respectable persons with whose help the identification parade was held.

The magistrate himself should also sign every sheet of the memorandum. Any corrections, overwriting or alterations in the memorandum should be affixed with an initial by the magistrate. The memorandum should then be handed over to the police officer concerned.

The most important facet of the identification conducted by the executive magistrate is that at the time of hearing of the concerned case, the magistrate who held the parade and wrote out the memorandum may be called as a witness to give evidence. In that case, they should state exactly what happened. They have the right to refresh their memory by referring to the memorandum, which they had themself prepared.

Therefore, as indicated in its name, the procedure tests the memory of the witness during identification.

Does the evidentiary value of test identification parade need to change?

Considering the aforesaid guidelines and the utmost care and concern mandated to ensure transparency and veracity of the identification process, it is the writers personal opinion that the result of the test identification parade should be treated as good and admissible evidence as compared to the identification of an accused person before the trial court, where none of the above procedures are followed and the witnesses are susceptible for being tutored. Further it is fairly easy to identify an accused in court since they are the only one or the only group that occupies the box meant for the accused person in court, as against in the parade wherein they are to be identified from a group of similarly placed persons.

It is equally important if the witness fails to identify the accused person during the test identification parade that the same must have a direct bearing on the merits of the trial since the same directly goes to the root of the matter.

However, the current legal position is quite contrary since if the witness fails to identify a person during the parade but later on identifies them before the trial court, it is considered to be a valid identification.

Moreover, it is also pertinent to note that the test identification parade is to be held as soon as possible by the investigating authorities after the arrest of the accused person, before the accused person is produced before the trial court, since once the accused person is produced before a trial court, the test identification conducted thereafter shall lose its significance.

There have been many cases where if the identification parade has been delayed, courts have held them to valueless. However, if the police is able to explain the delay and give a reasonable explanation for the same, then the delay will not be considered fatal for the case of the prosecution.

Thus, the entire procedure of conducting test identification parade forms an important part of the investigation conducted by the investigating authorities.

Though it is an important procedure, the same is not considered to be a substantial piece of evidence and is merely used as a formality, which does not have a major bearing on the evidence recorded by the courts in the course of the trial.

The test identification parade forms a crucial part of the investigation, which has great impact on the fate of the case. However, the current position of law does not give due importance to the said procedure.
Nicola Peltz's half up, half down bridal hair was inspired by Claudia Schiffer.

The 27-year-old actress tied the knot with Brooklyn Beckham, 23, at a star-studded ceremony in Palm Beach, Florida over the weekend, and Nicola's hairstylist, Adir Abergel, has revealed the bride sent him pictures of the 51-year-old model from the 90s for inspiration.

Speaking to Vogue, he said: "Shes been sending me all of these rad images of early Claudia Schiffer  including pictures of her with bangs  so they inspired us, plus the dress, which is just beautiful.

Adir - whose famous clients include Kristen Stewart, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Lily James - also revealed that 50s' and 60s' pinup Brigitte Bardot's half ponytails were also a reference point

He added: It was all about keeping her hair beautiful, soft and smooth.

Think luxe, polished texture, but with fullness and movement to it.

The hair was prepped with a hydrating Virtue Restorative Mask in the week leading up to the nuptials to ensure her wavy locks lasted through the humid weather conditions in Florida.

He explained: Nicola actually has quite wavy hair  it has a lot of texture in it  so to make sure its protected from the humidity Ive had her using the Virtue Restorative Mask all week.

One thing Id say to all brides is that one of the most important parts of good hair is to ensure it is super-hydrated before the big day arrives.

As for Nicola's makeup, they opted for a natural look.

Her make-up artist Kate Lee told the fashion bible: "We decided on a very fresh, natural look  barely-there but with a few interesting details that will pop under the veil.

The intention was to accentuate her natural features, while adding a few modern, not-so-traditional details.

Nicola wowed in a custom-made Valentino gown with a floor-trailing veil and lace gloves.
Members of the royal family have paid tribute to Prince Philip to mark the first anniversary of his death.

The Duke of Edinburgh died on 9 April 2021 at the age of 99 and a video montage was shared on social media to mark the first anniversary of his passing on Saturday (09.04.22).

The footage is accompanied by a reading of 'The Patriarchs - An Elegy' by the poet Simon Armitage and shows Philip at various points of his life, including when he was a child, his wedding to Queen Elizabeth and the births of the couple's four children.

The poem was originally published on the day of the duke's funeral last year and pays tribute to his distinguished career in the Royal Navy.

It reads: "On such an occasion to presume to eulogise one man is to pipe up for a whole generation - that crew whose survival was always the stuff of minor miracle, who came ashore in orange-crate coracles, fought ingenious wars, finagled triumphs at sea with flaming decoy boats, and side-stepped torpedoes."

Philip's generation is described in the poem as "husbands to duty", "great-grandfathers from birth" and "last of the great avuncular magicians".

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall also paid tribute to the duke on social media with some family photos.

A post on the Clarence House Twitter page read: "Remembering The Duke of Edinburgh today, one year after his passing."

Queen Elizabeth is said to have marked the first anniversary of her husband's death privately at Windsor Castle.

Philip was remembered at a memorial service at Westminster Abbey last month and his friend David Conner, the Dean of Windsor, described the late royal as a "remarkable man" who was committed to "down-to-earth" causes.

He said: "Certainly, he could show great sympathy and kindness. There is no doubt that he had a delightfully engaging, and often self-deprecating, sense of humour.

"It is quite clear that his mind held together both speculation and common sense. Moreover, nobody would ever doubt his loyalty and deep devotion to our Queen and to their family."
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Billionaire Elon Musk, one of Twitter's biggest shareholders, is reversing course and will no longer join the company's board of directors, less than a week after being awarded a seat.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal announced the news, which followed a weekend of Musk tweets suggesting changes to Twitter, including making the site ad-free. Nearly 90% of Twitter's 2021 revenue came from ads.

Elon's appointment to the board was to become officially effective on 4/9, but Elon shared that same morning that he would not be joining the board, Agrawal wrote in a reposted note originally sent to Twitter employees. I believe this is for the best.

Agrawal didn't offer an explanation for Musk's apparent decision. He said the board understood the risks of having Musk, who is now the company's largest individual shareholder, as a member. But at the time it believed having Elon as a fiduciary of the company, where he, like all board members, has to act in the best interests of the company and all our shareholders, was the best path forward," he wrote.

It was just a week earlier that regulatory filings revealed Musk had swiftly amassed a slightly bigger than 9% stake in the social media platform. The mercurial billionaire had been buying shares in almost daily batches starting Jan. 31. Only Vanguard Group's suite of mutual funds and ETFs controls more Twitter shares.

Twitter quickly gave Musk a seat on the board on the condition that he not own more than 14.9% of the companys outstanding stock, according to a regulatory filing.

Now that Musk has backed out of the deal, he's free to build a bigger stake in Twitter, perhaps to try to take over the company or to push for a new slate of directors to change its direction.

If you want to take over a company, youre usually in a better position to not be on its board, said Harry Kraemer, clinical professor at Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management.

Thats because a board members responsibility is to get the best value for all the company's shareholders.

Going on a board has a very specific responsibility to make sure youre not doing something in your own personal interest, said Kraemer, also a former chairman and CEO of Baxter International.

In a regulatory filing Monday, Musk said he had no preset plans or intentions about how to use his influence on Twitter but that he may discuss with its board and management his thoughts on potential business combinations, strategy and other matters. He added that he may express his views through social media or other channels.

If Musk had taken a board seat, it may have discouraged him from rocking the boat too much, said Chester Spatt, a finance professor at Carnegie Mellon University and former chief economist at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Theres an old cliche about keeping somebody inside the tent, Spatt said. There were advantages to having him constrained a bit.

While Musk has been one of Twitters loudest critics, the sudden withdrawal from the board, which became official Saturday, could signal that relations between Musk and Twitter will become more acrimonious.

At some point he could throw the directors out, he could replace the board, Spatt said.

In a letter to employees announcing Musk's departure, Agrawal wrote that, There will be distractions ahead, but our goals and priorities remain unchanged.

Shares of Twitter Inc., which jumped nearly 30% after Musks stake became public last week, were 2.8% higher on Monday after swinging between gains and losses through the morning.

Musks 81 million Twitter followers make him one of the most popular figures on the platform, rivaling pop stars like Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga. But his prolific tweeting has sometimes gotten him into trouble with the SEC and others.

Musk and Tesla in 2018 agreed to pay $40 million in civil fines and for Musk to have his tweets approved by a corporate lawyer after he tweeted about having the money to take Tesla private at $420 per share. That didnt happen but the tweet caused Teslas stock price to jump. Musk's latest trouble with the SEC could be his delay in notifying regulators of his growing stake in Twitter.

Musk, before reversing course on the board seat, sent out a number of tweets over the weekend referencing potential changes at Twitter.

Many of them -- such as his proposal for an ad-free Twitter or turning the social media companys San Francisco headquarters into a homeless shelter -- have since been deleted.

Musk then posted a few cryptic tweets late Sunday, including one showing a meme saying, In all fairness, your honor, my client was in goblin mode, followed by one saying Explains everything. Another, later tweet was of an emoji with a hand over its mouth.

Musk has described himself as a free speech absolutist and has said he doesnt think Twitter is living up to free speech principles  an opinion shared by followers of Donald Trump and a number of other right-wing political figures whove had their accounts suspended for violating Twitter content rules.

Twitter's CEO and many of its board members had publicly praised Musk last week, suggesting they might take his ideas seriously. But the company had made clear that as a board member he could not make day-to-day decisions or change policies, such as overturning the Trump ban.
ST. LOUIS (AP)  St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has reached an agreement with the Missouri Office of Disciplinary Counsel in which she acknowledges mistakes in her handling of the prosecution of former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens but won't face severe penalties for those mistakes.

The joint stipulation agreement was announced Monday at the outset of a disciplinary hearing before a three-person panel. In the agreement, Gardner concedes that she failed to produce documents and mistakenly maintained that all documents had been provided to Greitens' lawyers in the 2018 criminal case.

The agreement states that Gardner's conduct was negligent or perhaps reckless, but not intentional.

It calls for a written reprimand. A more severe punishment  suspension or disbarment  would likely cost Gardner her job because state law requires elected prosecutors to hold active law licenses.

The panel would still need to sign off on the agreement and make a recommendation within 30 days to the Missouri Supreme Court, which ultimately decides punishment. It's unclear when the court might make a final decision.

Gardner, a 46-year-old Democrat, is St. Louis first Black female circuit attorney and is one of several progressive prosecutors elected in recent years with a focus on creating more fairness in the criminal justice system. She told the panel Monday that the mistakes were due to the fast-moving nature of the Greitens case.

"Yes, we had a process. But unfortunately, that process came up short, she said, adding that her office has taken the case as a lesson moving forward.

The 2018 prosecution of Greitens played a pivotal role in his eventual resignation. Greitens is now attempting a political comeback and is a leading contender for the Republican nomination for a Senate seat, despite recent allegations of abuse by his ex-wife.

Gardner represents the worst of establishment and dishonest officials who use their unfettered power to target innocent and law-abiding individuals, from the governor of Missouri to police officers to everyday citizens," Greitens said in a statement. The people of Missouri deserve better.

The brash former Navy SEAL officer with presidential aspirations was a year into his first term when news broke in January 2018 of an affair three years earlier with his St. Louis hairdresser. The woman alleged that Greitens took a compromising photo and threatened to use it as blackmail if she spoke of their relationship.

There was a victim, someone saying they had been attacked, Gardner's lawyer, Michael Downey, said in an interview.

But neither the FBI nor St. Louis police seemed inclined to investigate, Downey said. Gardner's in-house investigator was away on military duty.

So Gardner hired private investigator William Tisaby, a former FBI agent. The investigation led to Greitens' indictment on one felony count of invasion of privacy. Greitens claimed he had been the victim of a political witch hunt.

Jury selection had just begun when Gardner dropped the charge after a judge ruled she would have to answer questions under oath from Greitens attorneys over her handling of the case. She said that it put her in an impossible position of being a witness in a case she was prosecuting.

Meanwhile, Gardner filed a second charge accusing Greitens of tampering with computer data for allegedly disclosing to his political fundraiser a list of top donors to a veterans charity he founded, without the charitys permission.

Under investigation by lawmakers as well, Greitens resigned in June 2018, and Gardner agreed to drop the criminal charges.

Attention then turned to how Gardner and Tisaby handled the investigation. In 2019, Tisaby was indicted on six counts of perjury and one count of evidence tampering. He pleaded guilty last month to misdemeanor evidence tampering and received a suspended sentence of one year of probation.

The case stemmed from Tisabys statement that he had not taken notes during an interview with the woman when a video later showed that he had, and his statement that he hadnt received notes from the prosecutors office before he interviewed the woman when a document later showed that he had.

Greitens' attorneys raised concerns about Gardner's failure to correct the record on Tisaby's statements, and whether she concealed evidence.

Downey said any mistakes were unintentional, the result of Gardner's heavy workload during the Greitens investigation.

Gardner has had plenty of clashes during her leadership of the circuit attorney's office.

Last summer, charges were dropped in three murder cases in one week because prosecutors failed to show up in court or werent prepared after months of delay, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The newspaper also cited Circuit Court data showing that about one-third of felony cases were dismissed  triple the percentage of her predecessor.

Gardner contends that her reforms have made the city safer and the criminal justice system more equitable. She has expanded a diversion program and stopped prosecuting low-level marijuana possession, helping to significantly reduce jail overcrowding.

Gardner has often been at odds with police, especially in 2019, when she placed dozens of officers on an exclusion list, prohibiting them from bringing cases. The list was developed after a national group accused the officers of posting racist and anti-Muslim comments on social media.

In 2020, Gardner filed a lawsuit accusing the city, a police union and others of a coordinated and racist conspiracy aimed at forcing her out of office. The lawsuit alleged violations of the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, which was adopted to thwart efforts to deny the civil rights of racial minorities.

Downey, in a court filing, said the ethical complaints involve "another attempt by Ms. Gardners political enemies  largely from outside St. Louis  to remove Ms. Gardner and thwart the systemic reforms she champions.

Greitens had remained largely out of sight until Sen. Roy Blunt's announcement in March 2021 that he would not seek a third term. Republican leaders worry that Greitens could win the primary but lose to a Democrat in the general election, forfeiting what should have been a surefire GOP seat.

In a court filing last month in a child custody case, Sheena Greitens accused her ex-husband of being physically abusive to her and their children. Eric Greitens called the allegations completely fabricated and baseless."
UNITED NATIONS  Nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion and the United Nations has verified the deaths of 142 youngsters although the number is almost certainly much higher, the U.N. childrens agency said Monday.

Manuel Fontaine, UNICEFs emergency programs director who just returned from Ukraine, said having 4.8 million of Ukraines 7.5 million children displaced in such a short time is something he hadnt seen happen so quickly in 31 years of humanitarian work.

Ukraines U.N. ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, claimed Russia has taken more than 121,000 children out of Ukraine and reportedly drafted a bill to simplify and accelerate adoption procedures for orphans and even those who have parents and other relatives.

Most of the children were removed from the besieged southern port city of Mariupol and taken to eastern Donetsk and then to the Russian city of Taganrog, according to Kyslytsya.

Fontaine said that of Ukraines refugee children, 2.8 million are displaced within Ukraine and 2 million more are in other countries.



KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:

 Mariupol mayor says siege has k illed more than 10K civilians

 Biden, Modi to speak as US presses for hard line on Russia

 Ukrainian nuns open their monastery doors to the displaced

 US doubts new Russian war chief can end Moscows floundering

 Analysis: War, economy could weaken Putins place as leader

 Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage



OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., who was twice sickened in incidents he suspected were poisonings, has been detained in Moscow by police, another prominent opposition figure said Monday.

Ilya Yashin said on Twitter that Kara-Murza was detained Monday near his Moscow residence. It was unclear whether he had been charged.

Kara-Murza was hospitalized with poisoning symptoms twice, in 2015 and 2017. A journalist and associate of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was shot and killed in 2015, and oligarch-turned-dissident Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Kara-Murza nearly died from kidney failure in the first incident. He suspects he was poisoned but no cause has been determined.

Kara-Murza was taken to a hospital with a sudden, similar illness in 2017 and put into a medically induced coma. His wife said doctors confirmed that he was poisoned.



PARIS  Societe Generale has announced it is ending its Russian activities -- making it the first big Western bank to announce its quitting Russia.

SocGen is also selling its entire stake in Rosbank to a company linked to a Russian oligarch, costing the French bank some 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion).

Rosbank is a heavyweight in the Russian banking sector, and Societe Generale was the majority shareholder.

After several weeks of intensive work, the bank said in a statement, it had signed an agreement with Russian investment fund Interros Capital to sell all of its stake in Rosbank as well as its insurance subsidiaries in Russia.

Interros is one of the largest funds in the country, which holds assets in heavy industry and metallurgy.'



MILAN  Italian Premier Mario Draghi secured a deal Monday for more natural gas imports across a Mediterranean pipeline from Algeria, in the latest push by a European Union nation to reduce dependence on Russian energy following its invasion of Ukraine.

Draghi told reporters in the Algerian capital after meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune that an agreement to intensify bilateral cooperation in the energy sector along with the deal to export more gas to Italy are a significant response to the strategic goal of quickly replacing Russian energy.

Russia is Italys biggest supplier of natural gas, representing 40% of total imports, followed by Algeria, which provides some 21 billion cubic meters of gas via the Trans-Mediterranean pipeline.

The new deal between Italian energy company ENI and Algerias Sonatrach would add up to 9 billion cubic meters of gas from Algeria, just eclipsing Russias current 29 billion cubic meters a year. The increased flows will start in the fall, ENI said in a statement.



LVIV, Ukraine  The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol tells The Associated Press that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the southeastern city since the Russian invasion in February.

Mayor Vadym Boychenko told The Associated Press by telephone Monday that corpses were carpeted through the streets of our city and that the death toll could be more than 20,000.

Boychenko also said Russian forces have brought mobile crematoria to the city to dispose of the bodies and accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to disguise the carnage.

The mayor had previously claimed 5,000 dead. He explained that these data were on March 21, but thousands more people were lying on the streets, it was just impossible for us to collect them.



WASHINGTON  The Pentagons latest assessment is that Russia is gearing up for, but has not yet begun, an intensified offensive in the Donbas.

A senior U.S. defense official said the Russians are moving more troops and materiel toward that area and are focusing many of their missile strikes there. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. military assessments.

The official said a lengthy convoy of vehicles that is headed south toward the eastern city of Izyum contains artillery as well as aviation and infantry support, plus battlefield command-and-control elements and other materials.

The official said the convoy appeared to originate from the Belgorod and Valuyki areas in Russia, which are shaping up as key staging and marshalling grounds for the Russian buildup in the Donbas.

The official said the Russians also are bolstering their presence in the Donbas by deploying in recent days more artillery southwest of the city of Donetsk.

 By Robert Burns



VIENNA  Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer says his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow was very direct, open and tough.

In a statement released by his office after the meeting, Nehammer said Monday his primary message to Putin was that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose.

Nehammer was the first European leader to meet Putin in Moscow since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February.

The Austrian leader stressed that the Monday trip was not a friendly visit, but rather his duty to exhaust every possibility for ending the violence in Ukraine.

Nehammers Moscow visit comes after a trip on Saturday to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In his conversation with Putin, Nehammer said he raised the issue of serious war crimes committed by the Russian military in the Ukrainian city of Bucha and others. All those who are responsible will be held to account, he added.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.



UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. childrens agency says nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion, and the United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured though these numbers are likely much higher.

Manuel Fontaine, UNICEFs emergency programs director who returned from Ukraine last week, told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that of the 3.2 million children estimated to have remained in their homes nearly half may be at risk of not having enough food, and attacks on water system infrastructure and power outages have left an estimated 1.4 million people in the country without access to water.

He said the situation is worse in cities like Mariupol and Kherson in the south, which have been besieged by Russian forces where children and their families have spent weeks without running water, sanitation or a regular supply of food.

Hundreds of schools and educational facilities have been attacked or used for military purposes, Fontaine said. Others are serving as shelters for civilians.

He said school closings are affecting the education of 5.7 million school-age children and 1.5 million students in higher education.



SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina  Relatives of the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica are worried that the history is repeating itself in the war in Ukraine.

Hundreds of women who lost their sons, husbands and other relatives in the 1995 massacre of some 8,000 people in the eastern Bosnian town, on Monday demanded that all those who committed war crimes be brought to justice.

An association of the relatives of the Srebrenica victims, the Mothers of Srebrenica, has been active in keeping the memory alive of the Bosnian Serb execution of the Bosniak men and boys  who are mostly Muslim  in the late months of the 1992-95 War in Bosnia.

Sehida Abdurahmanovic says we spent all these years working to prevent this Srebrenica (killings) from happening to anyone else. But, she adds, we are really sad to say, but in todays Europe its happening again - Srebrenica is happening again.



LONDON  The World Bank says Ukraines economy will shrink by 45% this year because of Russias invasion, which has shut down half of the countrys businesses, choked off imports and exports, and damaged a vast amount of critical infrastructure.

Unprecedented sanctions imposed by Western allies in response to the war, meanwhile, are plunging Russia into a deep recession, lopping off more than a tenth of its economic growth, the Washington-based lender said in a report Sunday.

The report said economic activity is impossible in large swathes of areas in Ukraine because productive infrastructure like roads, bridges, ports and train tracks have been destroyed.

Ukraine plays a major role as a global supplier of agricultural exports like wheat but thats in question now because planting and harvesting have been disrupted by the war, the report said. The war has cut off access to the Black Sea, a key route for exports, including 90% of Ukraines grain shipments.



WARSAW, Poland  The mayor of Warsaw says a disputed compound administered by Russias diplomatic mission is being taken over by the city and will be made available to the Ukrainian community.

Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was at the site Monday and said that a bailiff had entered the two apparently empty buildings, dubbed spyville by Warsaw residents, to check their condition and to mark them as seized by the Town Hall.

It is very symbolic that we are closing this procedure of many years now, at the time of Russias aggression on Ukraine, Trzaskowski said on Twitter.

Russias Embassy, which had the tall apartment blocks built in the 1970s, has been refusing court orders to pay lease or to hand it over. Once busy, the buildings became empty in the 1990s, after Poland shed its communist rule and dependence from Moscow and after the Soviet Union dissolved.

Ever since, Poland has been saying that lease on the plot of land had expired and demanded it be returned.



BUDAPEST, Hungary - Hungary plans to modify its natural gas contract with Russian energy company Gazprom in order to satisfy a demand by President Vladimir Putin that Russian gas be paid for in rubles.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told a news conference on Monday that the subsidiary of Hungarys energy group MVM, CEE Energy, would pay its gas bills in euros to Russias Gazprombank, which would convert the payments into rubles and transfer them to the gas provider Gazprom Export.

Putin, in retaliation over sanctions against Russia by the European Union, has demanded that countries pay for Russian gas in rubles or risk having their supply shut off.

While Hungary has voted with the European Union on most sanctions against Russia, it has lobbied heavily against blocking Russian energy imports, arguing that would cripple its economy.

Szijjarto said that modifying Hungarys contract with Gazprom ensured the countrys energy supply while staying in line with the EUs sanctioning policy.



COPENHAGEN, Denmark  The Danish Health Authority said Monday it will buy 2 million iodine tablets in case of a nuclear accident in our immediate area.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that it is important to be prepared, while the war in Ukraine shows that the world is unpredictable, the health authority said, adding it had based its recommendation on advice by the Danish Emergency Management Agency as well as impact calculations for the risk of a nuclear incident in Denmarks immediate area.

The tablets would cover the risk group which includes those up to age 18, health and emergency personnel under the age of 40, and pregnant and breastfeeding women.



BUCHAREST, Romania  The Republic of Moldova received on Monday in Luxembourg a questionnaire from the European Commission to assess the small countrys readiness to become a European Union member, authorities said.

A period of hard work is ahead starting today, Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu wrote online.

The former Soviet republic of around 2.6 million people is one of Europes poorest nations. Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova has pushed to accelerate joining the EU since Russia launched its attacks on Ukraine in late February.

Becoming a EU member will take years and be contingent on reforms, including cleaning up widespread corruption.



VILNIUS, Lithuania  Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on Monday became the latest Western leader to visit Ukraine to express support to the nation under Russian attack,

Today, my visit in Ukraine started in Borodyanka. No words could possibly describe what I saw and felt here, Simonyte wrote on Twitter. She also posted photos of her looking at the at the blackened hole in a high-rise apartment building in Borodyanka, northwest of Kyiv.

During the unannounced visit, she is expected to meet with the Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy, who plans to address the Lithuanian parliament on Tuesday.



BRATISLAVA, Slovakia  Slovakia has denied its S-300 air defense missile system it transported to Ukraine has been destroyed by the Russian armed forces.

Our S-300 system has not been destroyed, Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakias Prime Minister Eduard Heger said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.

She said any other claim is not true.

Earlier on Monday, the Russian military said it destroyed a shipment of air defense missile system provided by the West on the southern outskirts of the city of Dnipro.

The Russian side said Ukraine had received the air defense system from a European country that he didnt name. Last week, Slovakia said it has handed over its Soviet-designed S-300 air defense systems to Ukraine, which has pleaded with the West to give it more weapons, including long-range air defense systems.



COPENHAGEN, Denmark  Latvia has arrested a citizen of Belarus, who is suspected of spying for Belarusian special service by allegedly gathering information about the Baltic countrys Armed Forces and critical infrastructure facilities, news report said Monday.

The Baltic News Service, the regions main new agency, said Latvias State Security Service (VDD) and the Military Intelligence and Security Service detained the man in February.

The Belarusian suspect had been secretly filming and taking photos, BNS said, adding that the state security service had seized technical equipment and data carriers.

Latvian public broadcaster LSM said criminal proceedings were initiated on Feb. 15.
LVIV, Ukraine  Ukraines president warned his nation Sunday night that the coming week would be as crucial as any in the war.

Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

He accused Russia of trying to evade responsibility for war crimes.

When people lack the courage to admit their mistakes, apologize, adapt to reality and learn, they turn into monsters. And when the world ignores it, the monsters decide that it is the world that has to adapt to them. Ukraine will stop all this, Zelenskyy said.

The day will come when they will have to admit everything. Accept the truth, he said.

He again called on Western countries, including Germany, to provide more assistance to Ukraine. During talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelenskyy said he discussed how to strengthen sanctions against Russia and how to force Russia to seek peace.

I am glad to note that the German position has recently changed in favor of Ukraine. I consider it absolutely logical, Zelenskyy said.



KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:

 US: Russia's new battlefield commander has history of brutality

 Ukraine digs in to fight Russias looming eastern offensive

 Ukraine churches display faith, hope and charity amid wreckage

 Analysis: War, economy could weaken Putins place as leader

 Biden, Modi to speak as India avoids hard line on Russia

 Zelenskyy, in AP interview, says he seeks peace despite atrocities

 Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

The president of the European Commission said the questionnaire she handed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during her visit to Kyiv represents a very important step forward.

Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union that Ukraines response will enable her to decide whether to recommend the nation as a candidate to join the European Union.

The process normally takes years, but she has said Ukraines application could take just weeks to consider. She said Ukrainians belong to our European family, without any question.

Yesterday, somebody told me: You know, when our soldiers are dying, I want them to know that their children will be free be and be part of the European Union, von der Leyen said. They are in an extraordinary situation, where we have to take unusual steps.

One thing is clear for me: After this war, when Ukraine will be rebuilt, when we support Ukraine in reconstructing this country, this will be accompanied by reforms. So, it is an extraordinary way to shape the country and to go down the path towards the European Union.



Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is providing investigative support to efforts to document war crimes in Ukraine, and he said Russian President Vladimir Putin is responsible.

It is clear that Putin is systematically targeting civilians, whether its hospitals or train stations or maternity wards. This is one of the reasons why Canada was one of the first countries to call on the International Criminal Court to look into Putins war crimes, Trudeau said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union.

Canadian investigators, Trudeau said, are building up the case for people to recognize that not only was this a terrible mistake to violate the sovereignty of another country and create massive global instability thats impacting energy and food prices around the world, but it is also a series of war crimes that Putin is deliberately committing that he needs to be held to account for.

Asked if the crimes amount to genocide, Trudeau said it remains to be determined.

The stories of what Russian soldiers are doing, not just the murder of civilians, but the systematic use of sexual violence and rape, to destabilize and have the greatest negative impact on Ukrainian people as possible is absolutely unforgivable and unacceptable, Trudeau said. And thats why the global community is going to and is responding so strongly.



Its almost Easter in Ukraine, where faith, hope and charity are on display at a trio of churches on the far edges of the capital.

Sunday services were held in Bucha even as bodies were being removed from a mass grave in the churchyard. In Makarov, the faithful were moved to tears at the sight of crosses scattered in broken glass. And in Borodyanka, a church was untouched near where Russian attacks ripped open a high-rise. Thats where donations are bringing help to elderly people who stayed while others fled Russian occupation.

Ukrainian authorities said weeks ago that at least 59 spiritual sites were damaged. On the day when Pope Francis called for an Easter truce in Ukraine to make way for a negotiated peace, church visitors invoked God in recalling their survival.

Each person who was leaving, from any place, Makarov, Bucha, Hostomel or from Andriivka, the neighboring village which was destroyed to the ground; each one, even those who did not know the Lords Prayer, he was speaking to God with his own words, said Alona Parkhomenko in Makarov, where the church exterior was speckled with bullet holes and the priest warned of falling glass.



WASHINGTON  Russias newly appointed battlefield commander in Ukraine made his reputation crushing resistance to Syrian President Bashar Assad during that countrys devastating civil war.

Russian forces led by Gen. Alexander Dvornikov destroyed whole cities while dropping barrel bombs that targeted civilians. With Moscow supporting Assad, the war in Syria has killed more than 350,000 people.

Lt. Col. Fares al-Bayoush, a Syrian army defector, said Sunday he expects a similar scorched-earth strategy under the commander in Ukraine. Speaking by telephone from Turkey, al-Bayoush said he believes the aim of naming Dvornikov as Ukraine war commander is to cause widespread destruction in many places at once.

He has very good experience in this policy, al-Bayoush said. This commander is a war criminal.



KYIV, Ukraine -- The mayor of Kyiv and his brother said the visit of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to their capital shows who Ukraines real friends are at this critical time. But they understand if security concerns keep U.S. President Joe Biden from visiting for now.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir have been professional boxers and now outspoken defenders of Ukraine. Interviewed Sunday on ABC News This Week with George Stephanopoulos, they said they expect Russias military to return and target Kyiv again. And when they do, they said they cant defend Ukraine with their fists  they need weapons.

Wladimir Klitschko also pleaded for the world to isolate Russia economically, saying every cent that Russia is getting, theyre using for weapons to kill us.

Vitali Klitschko said everyone was shocked when the Russians who pushed on Kyiv retreated after killing hundreds of civilians during their occupation. He called it genocide to kill women, children, old people and teenagers for no reason.

To defend Ukraine now, the mayor said, is to defend democracy and peace in Europe.



WILMINGTON, Del.  The White House said President Joe Biden will press Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a hard line against Russias Ukraine invasion. Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the leaders plan a virtual meeting on Monday.

Indias neutral stance in the war has raised concerns in Washington and earned praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who lauded India this month for judging the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.

India abstained when the U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations of war crimes. India continues to purchase Russian energy despite Western pressure to avoid buying Russian oil and gas. And the U.S. has considered sanctions on India for its recent purchase of advanced Russian air defense systems.

Psakis statement says Biden will discuss how Russias war against Ukraine is destabilizing the global food supply and commodity markets, and the need to strengthen the global economy while upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity.



BERLIN -- Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday.

The Austria Press Agency reported that Nehammer told reporters in Vienna on Sunday that he plans to make the journey. It follows a trip on Saturday to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

APA reported that Nehammer aims to encourage dialogue between Ukraine and Russia and also address war crimes in his meeting with Putin.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

Nehammer said he was taking the trip on his own initiative, and that he had consulted with the European Unions top officials. He said that he also informed Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.



BERLIN -- The U.N. nuclear watchdog said Ukraine said the staff at the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear plant has been rotated for the first time in three weeks after Russian troops left the area.

The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency has expressed concern about the well-being of the workers since the Russian military took control of the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster at the beginning of the war.

The agency said Ukraine informed it on Sunday that it has now rotated the staff, but the situation remains far from normal. They had to be transported to and from the site by water, with the Pripyat River being the only way for people living in the city of Slavutych to currently reach the plant.

The IAEA said Ukraine has informed it that analytical laboratories for radiation monitoring at the site were destroyed, with analytical instruments stolen, broken or otherwise disabled. The automated transmission of radiation monitoring data has been disabled.



KYIV, Ukraine  The governor of the region that includes Ukraines fourth-largest city, Dnipro, says the airport was hit twice by missile attacks on Sunday. The Ukrainian military command said Russian forces also keep shelling Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, and have kept up their siege of Mariupol, the key southern port city that has been under attack for nearly six weeks.

The Russian Defense Ministry says its air-launched missiles hit Ukraines S-300 air defense missile systems in two locations, while sea-launched cruise missiles destroyed a Ukrainian units headquarters in the Dnipro region. Neither sides military claims could be independently verified.

The Pentagon said Russia has a clear advantage in armored forces for its next phase in its war on Ukraine. Press secretary John Kirby said Friday that the Russians spread themselves too thin to take the capital, but now theyre more focused on a smaller region, and still have the vast majority of their combat power. A major effort by Ukrainian defenses and more Western assistance will be needed to push them back.



WASHINGTON  A senior U.S. official said Russia has appointed a new commander to oversee its war on Ukraine.

The official speaking on condition of anonymity said Russia has turned to one of its most experienced military officers, Gen. Alexander Dvornikov. U.S. officials say the 60-year-old general has a record of brutality against civilians in Syria and other theaters of war.

The White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told CNN on Sunday that this general will just be another author of crimes and brutality against Ukrainian civilians. And he said no appointment of any general can erase the fact that Russia has already faced a strategic failure in Ukraine.

The new battlefield leadership comes as Russia gears up for what is expected to be a large and more focused push to expand Russian control in the Donbas after failing to conquer the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Sullivan reiterated support for the Ukrainian government, saying the United States is determined to do all it can to help Ukrainians resist this general and the forces he commands.

 Robert Burns and Hope Yen



KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines border guard agency says that about 2,200 Ukrainian men of fighting age have been detained so far while trying to leave the country in violation of martial law.

The agency said Sunday that some of them have used forged documents and others tried to bribe border guards to get out of the country.

It said some have been found dead while trying to cross the Carpathian mountains in adverse weather, without specifying the number.

Under martial law, Ukrainian men between 18 and 60 are barred from leaving the country so that they can be called up to fight.



WARSAW, Poland  Sirens have sounded in some Polish cities to mark the anniversary of a 2010 plane crash that killed the countrys president, despite protests that their sound would be unnecessarily traumatic for refugees from the war in Ukraine.

The sirens early Sunday were intended to add to the significance and the plaintive character of observances honoring the late President Lech Kaczynski, the first lady and 94 other prominent Poles killed 12 years ago in the crash of the presidential plane in Russia. Kaczynski was the twin of Jaroslaw Kaczynski  the leader of the main governing Law and Justice party.

Provincial governors ignored calls not to use the sirens out of concern for refugees from neighboring Ukraine, traumatized by air raid alarms. Authorities sent text messages to refugees phones that the sirens would mean no danger.



KYIV, Ukraine  The Ukrainian military says Russia has been beefing up its forces and trying to probe Ukrainian defenses.

The Ukrainian military command said Sunday that the Russian troops have continued attempts to break Ukrainian defenses near Izyum, southeast of Kharkiv. It reported that Russia was sending reinforcements to Izyum while continuing the shelling of Kharkiv.

The military added that the Russians also continued their attempts to take control of Mariupol, the Sea of Azov port that has been besieged by Russian forces for nearly 1  months.

After Russias attempt to capture Kyiv and other big cities in northeastern Ukraine quickly failed, Ukrainian and Western officials expect Moscow to launch a new offensive in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces for eight years.



KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he focused on the need to track down perpetrators of war crimes in a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Zelenskyy said on Twitter that in Sundays call we emphasized that all perpetrators of war crimes must be identified and punished.

Ukraine has accused Russia of atrocities against civilians in Bucha and other places near Kyiv, where hundreds of slaughtered civilians, many with their hands bound and signs of torture, were found after Russian troops retreated.

Zelenskyy also said he and Scholz discussed anti-Russian sanctions, defense and financial support for Ukraine.



VATICAN CITY  Pope Francis has opened Holy Week with a call for an Easter truce in Ukraine to make room for a negotiated peace, highlighting the need for leaders to make some sacrifices for the good of the people.

Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass before crowds in St. Peters Square for the first time since the pandemic, Pope Francis called for weapons to be laid down to begin an Easter truce, not to reload weapons and resume fighting, no! A truce to reach peace through real negotiations.

Francis did not refer directly to Russias invasion of Ukraine, but the reference was clear. He has repeatedly denounced the war and the suffering brought to innocent civilians.



HELSINKI  Finland says that a shipment of art works from Russian museums has been returned to Russia after it was seized under European Union sanctions against Moscow.

Finlands customs service said late Saturday that the Foreign Ministry granted a special permit to return the consignment with a total insured value of around 42 million euros ($46 million). It said that trucks carrying the art works from the Hermitage Museum and the Pavlovsk State Museum in St. Petersburg, among others, left Finnish territory on Saturday afternoon.

The shipment was seized at the Vaalimaa border crossing at the beginning of April. The works were en route to Russia after loan to museums in Europe and Japan. Experts say that art works loaned from Russia typically travel overland via Finland.

Russia has demanded the return of all works on loan to unfriendly nations that imposed sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.



KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said more civilians were expected to leave Mariupol Sunday in their personal vehicles.

Evacuations were also planned from Berdyansk, Tokmak and Enerhodar in the south and Sieverierodonetsk, Lysychansk, Popasna and Rubizhne in the east.

Mariupol, a strategic port city on the Sea of Azov, has been besieged by Russian forces for nearly 1  months, cut from food, water and power supplies and pummeled by relentless bombardment that has killed at least 5,000, according to local officials.

Ukrainian authorities have urged civilians in the east to evacuate in the face of an imminent Russian offensive. They accused Russia of killing 52 people on Friday at the train station in the eastern city of Kramatorsk as they were preparing to evacuate.



GENEVA -- The U.N. refugee agency says the number of people who have left Ukraine since the beginning of the war has reached 4.5 million.

A regular update Sunday of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees online portal on numbers of refugees fleeing Ukraine since Feb. 24 brought the total to some 4.504 million.

About 2.6 million of those fled at least initially to Poland and more than 686,000 to Romania. However, UNHCR notes that there are very few border controls within the European Union and it believes a large number of people have moved on from the first country they arrived in.



LONDON -- Britains Ministry of Defense said Russias armed forces are seeking to respond to mounting losses by boosting troop numbers with personnel who had been discharged from military service since 2012.

In an intelligence update on Twitter, the ministry also said Sunday that the Russian militarys efforts to generate more fighting power also include trying to recruit from Trans-Dniester, a breakaway region in Moldova that borders Ukraine.

Russia maintains some 1,500 troops in the region, which is not internationally recognized.



KYIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told The Associated Press on Saturday that he is committed to seeking peace despite Russian attacks on civilians that have stunned the world.

He said no one wants to negotiate with people who tortured their nation  as a man, as a father, I understand this very well. But he said we dont want to lose opportunities, if we have them, for a diplomatic solution.

Zelenskyy said hes confident Ukrainians would accept peace despite the horrors they have witnessed in the war. But meanwhile, Russian troops are regrouping for an expected surge in fighting in eastern Ukraine, including the besieged port city of Mariupol that Ukrainian defenders are battling to retain.

So Zelenskyy renewed his plea for countries to send more weapons. He says they have to fight for life -- not for dust when there is nothing and no people. Thats why it is important to stop this war.
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris tested negative for COVID-19 on Monday as a mini-outbreak continued in permeate D.C. circles.

The president took a test before returning to the White House from his home in Delaware, where he spent the weekend, and its been five days since Harris had close contact with someone who later tested positive for the highly contagious virus, a spokesperson said.

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Biden and Harris have avoided contracting COVID even as several members of the administration and a raft of high-powered lawmakers have tested positive.

Vice President Kamala Harris (left) and President Joe Biden (right) (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Attorney General Merrick Garland were among the power players who tested positive last week.

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Pelosi tested negative on Monday meaning she can stop isolating by the end of the week.

Most of the latest D.C. cases have been extremely mild or even completely asymptomatic. That is not surprising to doctors since almost all of the victims have been vaccinated and boosted, giving them significant protection against more serious disease.

The White House conceded for the first time that Biden faces the real possibility of contracting COVID as the BA.2 subvariant of omicron spreads quickly.

Six more House lawmakers have tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend and on Monday, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.)

I've tested positive for COVID-19. After not feeling well over the weekend, I took an at home and PCR test. I am home quarantining and recovering.



Please stay safe, everyone.  Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) April 11, 2022

The mini-outbreak comes even as cases, hospitalizations and death remain low as the omicron wave ebbs.

But public health officials warn that BA.2 could spark a new surge of the virus nationwide, especially since relatively few people are taking precautions like wearing masks or social distancing.
WARSAW (AP)  A disputed compound in the Polish capital of Warsaw administered by Russias diplomatic mission is being taken over by the city and will be made available to the Ukrainian community, the mayor said Monday.

Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was at the site early Monday and said a bailiff had entered the two apparently empty, fenced buildings, nicknamed Spyville by Warsaw residents, to check on their condition and to mark them as seized by the city.

Trzaskowski said Warsaw was getting back the compound unlawfully occupied by Russia. Last month he said Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine added urgency to the decades-long procedure.

It is very symbolic that we are closing this procedure of many years now, at the time of Russias aggression against Ukraine, Trzaskowski said on Twitter.

Ukraine's ambassador, Andrii Deshchytsia, told Polands state news agency PAP that Ukraine will file to lease the compound, which could be used for a school or a Ukrainian culture center.

One of Trzaskowski's proposals for the 100-odd apartments there is to accommodate war refugees from Ukraine. More than 2.6 million of them have crossed into Poland since the Russian invasion began.

Photos from the inside the buildings were published later Monday by the Onet.pl news portal. They showed peeling paint, broken glass on the floor and torn-out flooring.

Russias Embassy, which had the tall apartment blocks built in the 1970s on land obtained from the city, has been refusing court orders to pay to lease the land or hand it over.

Once busy, the buildings became empty in the 1990s, after Poland shed its communist rule and Soviet Union's dominance in 1989, and after the Soviet Union itself dissolved in 1991.

Ever since, Poland has been saying that the contract for the lease of the plot of land had expired and demanded that it be returned. But its gates remained closed and guarded.

Russias diplomatic and business missions have much more property in Poland than Poland has in Russia, which is in violation of reciprocity rules, according to Polands Foreign Ministry.



Follow AP stories on developments in the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
HELENA, Mont. (AP)  Federal officials say they'll no longer pay for services at Montana's state psychiatric hospital following staffing shortages and other problems that were blamed in patient deaths and a violent assault last month involving two unsupervised patients.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services notified Montana State Hospital administrator Kyle Fouts that after Tuesday it will end Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements for all new patients admitted to the facility in Warm Springs. Payments for services to patients admitted prior to Tuesday will continue for 30 days.

State and federal officials could not immediately provide details on how much money the psychiatric hospital receives. The hospital is overseen by the state Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Four patients died from October through February, three because of COVID-19 and another after frequent falls.

Another patient died in August 2021 after staff ignored her complaints that she couldnt catch her breath. CMS found hospital officials did not properly investigate her death , and later notified the state that it was at risk of losing federal payments.

Federal investigators returned last month following an assault that left a female patient with severe injuries.

The move to end reimbursements was first reported by the Montana State News Bureau.

The hospital had about 142 patients as of early April.
Ill probably have to pick and choose my hobbies, Ginearosa Carbone says, expecting medical residency to take up more free time than medical school. Carbone  left, with mother Mary Ann, mayor of Sand City  just graduated from University of Minnesota-Duluth, where she also found time to form a band and write a novel.
April 11, 2022 The Reasons For And Dangers Behind The War In Ukraine The war in the Ukraine continues but the propaganda hysteria around it seems to have calmed down a bit as reality is setting in. This gives room from more sane voices to be heard by the public. I will start with the Russian ones. The Russian ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, was interviewed by Newsweek. He explained Russia's political and judicial reasoning behind the war: "The special operation in Ukraine is the result of the unwillingness of the Kiev regime to stop the genocide of Russians by fulfilling its obligations under the international commitments," Antonov told Newsweek. "The desire of the NATO member states to use the territory of a neighboring state to establish a foothold in the struggle against Russia is also obvious."

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To Russia, Antonov said that the [Maidan] revolution was a "bloody coup d'etat instigated by the West" in which "ultranationalist ideas came to power in Kiev." He said that policies viewed by Moscow as hostile such as the removal of Russian as a national language and the rehabilitation of nationalist Ukrainian figures such as Stepan Bandera, who collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II, had "taken root in Ukraine under external administration."

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Antonov argued that it was the "nationalist frenzy and revanchist sentiments of the Kiev regime" that resulted in the effective death of the Minsk deals as Ukraine chose "the path of rapid militarization" with help from abroad. "The NATO member countries have commenced a military exploration of Ukraine," Antonov said. "It was flooded with Western weaponry while President Vladimir Zelensky announced Kiev's plans to acquire nuclear weapons which would threaten not only neighboring countries, but also the entire world."

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"In this context, Russia had no other choice but to recognize the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics," Antonov said. "Then, in accordance with Chapter VII, Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, with the authorization of the Federation Council of Russia and in execution of the Treaties of Friendship and Mutual Assistance with the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin made a decision to begin a special military operation." "Its aim is to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine in order to reduce military threats posed by the Western states that are trying to use the fraternal Ukrainian people in the struggle against the Russians," he added. Sergey Karaganov is a high level Russian political scientist and commentator who is also a presidential advisor in Moscow. He was interviewed (in English) by the Italian Corriere Della Sera Sergey Karaganov: We are at war with the West. The European security order is illegitimate An excerpt: How can an attack be justified on such grounds? For 25 years people like myself have said that NATO expansion would lead to war. Putin said several times that if it came to Ukraine becoming a member of NATO, there would be no Ukraine anymore. In Bucharest in 2008 there was a plan of quick accession of Ukraine and Georgia to NATO. It was blocked by the efforts of Germany and France, but since that time Ukraine has been integrated into NATO. It was pumped up by weaponry and its troops were trained by NATO, their army getting stronger and stronger day by day. In addition we saw a very rapid increase of neo-Nazi sentiment especially among the military, the society and the ruling elite. It was clear that Ukraine had become something like Germany around 1936-1937. The war was inevitable, they were a spearhead of NATO. We made the very hard decision to strike first, before the threat becomes deadlier. I recommend to read the whole Karaganov interview to better understand the Russian thinking. "It was clear that Ukraine had become something like Germany around 1936-1937," said Karaganov. The 'western' public has difficulties to understand that. But it is the prevailing Russian view and when analyzing the developments in the Ukraine over the last years with Russian history in mind one can easily come to the same conclusion. It is also what the Canadian Russia expert Patrick Armstrong had mentioned as the most important item after he had read Putin's speeches at the start of the war: Had I been at home I would have read Putins speech earlier and understood sooner. What he is talking about is what the Soviet Union tried to do from 1933 onwards: namely to stop Hitler before he got started. This time Russia is able to do it by itself. In other words, Putin feels that he is making a pre-emptive attack to stop June 1941. This is very serious indeed and indicates that the Russians are going to keep going until they feel that they can safely stop. The Russian view is not really that far fetched. Here is a recent news agency video of officials of the Ukrainian Security Service SBU in front of a destroyed house seemingly praying with a priest for the deceased.

bigger Note the fascist Right Sector patch the official carries on his arm and back. The SBU has become a kind of Gestapo tasked with eliminating opposition elements in Ukraine. The UN's OHCHR, the OSCE, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International have all reported about the SBU's many crimes. There is also an 'SS Galizien' patch on the officers back which refers to the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Galician) which fought with Nazi-Germany against the Soviet Union. Like many other SS division the 1st Galician was involved in serious war-crimes but later mostly whitewashed. After the war many of its surviving officers fled to Canada and to the United States. The offspring of those officers and other immigrants from the Ukraine played a noticeable role in lobbying for the war. That has been successful as the U.S. had chosen to support extreme elements in Ukraine in opposition to peace. This has, as Aaron Mate writes, moved president Zelensky from an election campaign position of finding peace with Russia to becoming a war maniac: On a warm October day in 2019, the eminent Russia studies professor Stephen F. Cohen and I sat down in Manhattan for what would be our last in-person interview (Cohen passed away in September 2020 at the age of 81).

...

"Zelensky ran as a peace candidate," Cohen explained. "He won an enormous mandate to make peace. So, that means he has to negotiate with Vladimir Putin." But there was a major obstacle. Ukrainian fascists, Cohen warned, "have said that they will remove and kill Zelensky if he continues along this line of negotiating with Putin His life is being threatened literally by a quasi-fascist movement in Ukraine." Peace could only come, Cohen stressed, on one condition. "[Zelensky] cant go forward with full peace negotiations with Russia, with Putin, unless America has his back," he said. "Maybe that wont be enough, but unless the White House encourages this diplomacy, Zelensky has no chance of negotiating an end to the war. So the stakes are enormously high."

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Although Trump's impeachment failed to remove him from office, it succeeded in cementing the proxy war aims of its chief proponents: rather than support Zelensky's peace mandate, Ukraine would instead be used to "fight Russia over there." I had earlier quoted an interview with Dmytro Yarosh, then the leader of the fascist Right Sector, who just a week after Zelenski had become president threatened him with death should he try to make peace with the eastern Ukrainian rebels. Yarosh later became an advisor to the chief general staff of the Ukrainian military. He is the main person behind the ongoing nazification of the Ukrainian military. As ambassador Antonov has said the war in Ukraine is not only about the Ukraine. Richard Falk, Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University, is correctly pointing out the two levels of the war we see: It is not that the empathy for Ukraine or support for Zelenskys national resistance is misplaced, but that it has the appearance of being geopolitically orchestrated and manipulated in ways that other desperate national situations were not, and thus gives rise to suspicions about other, darker motives. This is worrisome because these magnified concerns have acted as a principal way that the NATO West has gone out of its way to make the Ukrainian War about more than Ukraine. The wider war is best understood as occurring on two levels: a traditional war between the invading forces of Russia and the resisting forces of Ukraine as intertwined with an encompassing geopolitical war between the US and Russia. It is the prosecution of this latter war that presents the more profound danger to world peace, a danger that has been largely obscured or assessed as a mere extension of the Russia/Ukraine confrontation.

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If this two-level perception is correctly analyzed in its appreciation of the different actors with contradictory priorities, then it becomes crucial to understand that in the geopolitical war the US is the aggressor as much as in the traditional war on the ground Russia is the aggressor. Falk concurs with professor John Mearsheimer who fears that the larger U.S. Russia conflict hidden behind the war in Ukraine may lead to widening of the conflict into a potential nuclear war. Summarizing Mearsheimer's recent talk with Katrina vanden Heuvel and ambassador James Matlock, the former CIA analyst Ray McGovern writes: Speaking at an April 7 webinar, Mearsheimer was, true to form, "offensively realistic". He explained: (1) the root cause lies in the April 2008 NATO summit Declaration that Ukraine (and Georgia) "will become members of NATO"; and (2) that Russia sees this as an "existential threat" and therefore "must win" this one. For President Joe Biden and the Democrats, even though Ukraine poses zero strategic threat to the U.S., a Russian "win" would be, politically, a "devastating defeat", says Mearsheimer. In that sense, the conflict is a "must-win" for the US as well. Underscoring the obvious, he noted it is impossible for both sides to "win"  at least not in current circumstances.

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Noting that US academics and policy makers dont believe NATOs designs on Ukraine represent an existential threat to Russia, Mearsheimer is as blunt as his courteous mien permits. "What people in Washington believe is irrelevant. What matters is what Russia believes." He rejects the "mainstream" view that Putins Russia is motivated by expansionist aims, and asks the savants in Washington to put concrete evidence behind their claims. Moreover, "There is no evidence in what Putin has said that he wants to make Ukraine part of Russia," Mearsheimer adds. Towards the end of a talk with Gonzalo Lira former Marine officer and UN Inspector Scott Ritter disputes the potential for escalation. The Pentagon, he says, knows the real situation on the ground and that the Ukrainian army will lose the war. Neither NATO, nor the U.S. nor single countries like Poland have their forces configured in a way that would allow them to successfully wage war against Russia. They would need more time to get ready than Russia will need to win the war in Ukraine. Ritter predicts that the Pentagon will overrule any escalation the Ukraine warmongers in the State Department and National Security Council may plan and that those responsible for the current mess, Victoria Nuland, Anthony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, will get silenced or removed after the midterms. I hope he is right. Posted by b on April 11, 2022 at 16:33 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page 
If you want to step-up your regular hot cross bun - have we got a treat for you!

The internet is going wild for hot cross bun chips, which have been best described as an Easter-themed churro. Cut into sticks, then coated in cinnamon and sugar, these baked little bun sticks then turn into crispy churro-like treats in the airfryer, and taste excellent with some chocolate dipping sauce, or maybe yoghurt if you're trying to be (a little) healthier.

Watch how to make one below, or check out the full recipe below:
WASHINGTON  President Biden spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday with a focus on how Russias war in Ukraine has destabilized the food supply in parts of the world and about the clear distance between the U.S. and India on whether Russia should be punished for the invasion.

Biden opened the video conversation by emphasizing the defense partnership between the two countries and by saying the U.S. and India are going to continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilizing effects of this Russian war.

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President Joe Biden meets virtually with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, Monday, April 11, 2022. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

The root of our partnership is a deep connection between our people, ties of family, of friendship and of shared values, the U.S. president said.

Indias neutral stance in the war has raised concerns in Washington and earned praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who lauded India this month for judging the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.

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Modi on Monday called the situation in Ukraine very worrying, and he noted that an Indian student lost his life during the war. He said he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appealing to both of them for peace. India has condemned the killings uncovered in the city of Bucha and has called for an independent investigation.

A senior U.S. official described the Biden-Modi exchange as warm and productive, though the official stressed that India would make its own decisions on how to respond to Putin. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the meeting.

President Joe Biden pauses as he meets virtually with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, Monday, April 11, 2022. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Biden and Modi discussed how to manage the risks of global instability regarding food, humanitarian relief and climate change, and Modi candidly shared his views about some of the tight links between between Russia and China that raise concerns, the official said.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that the two leaders would also discuss strengthening the global economy and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.

Also Monday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met in the morning in-person with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken was to meet later with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

India has refrained from some efforts to hold Russia accountable for its invasion. India abstained when the UN General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the U.S. and Ukraine have called war crimes.

The vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.

India continues to purchase Russian energy supplies, despite pressure from Western countries to avoid buying Russian oil and gas. The U.S. has also considered sanctions on India for its recent purchase of advanced Russian air defense systems.

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Last month, the state-run Indian Oil Corp. bought 3 million barrels of crude from Russia to secure its needs, resisting entreaties from the West to avoid such purchases. India isnt alone in buying Russian energy, however. Several European allies such as Germany have continued to do so, despite public pressure to end these contracts.

Indian media reports said Russia was offering a discount on oil purchases of 20% below global benchmark prices.

Iraq is Indias top supplier, with a 27% share. Saudi Arabia is second at around 17%, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 13% and the U.S. at 9%, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
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BERLIN (AP)  A German Cabinet minister resigned Monday after it emerged that she went on a long vacation shortly after devastating floods which left over 100 people dead last year in the state where she was then a senior official.

Anne Spiegel quit her post as minister for families and women, citing political pressure as she became the first member of Chancellor OIaf Scholz's government to step down. An emotional apology on Sunday had failed to stem calls for her to go.

Spiegel joined Scholz's Cabinet in December. Before that, she was the environment minister and deputy governor of Rhineland-Palatinate state. That was the region worst hit by floods in July that nationwide killed more than 180 people - 134 of them in Rhineland-Palatinate's Ahr valley.

Regional officials have faced questions over their handling of the floods. On Sunday, the state government confirmed a report by the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that, 10 days after the floods, Spiegel went on a four-week family vacation in France  though it stressed that she had been reachable throughout. The national opposition leader, Friedrich Merz, called on Scholz to dismiss Spiegel.

In a hastily arranged appearance on Sunday evening, Spiegel offered an apology but didn't address the calls to go.

It was a mistake that we went on vacation for so long, and that we went on vacation, and I apologize for this mistake," she said. She added that her children hadn't dealt well with the coronavirus pandemic, that her husband needed to avoid stress after suffering a stroke, and that her family had needed a vacation.

On Monday, Spiegel issued a terse written statement saying that she had decided today because of the political pressure to step down.

I am doing this in order to protect my office, which faces big political challenges, she added.

Spiegel is a member of the environmentalist Greens, the second-biggest party in Scholzs governing coalition.

Party co-leader Omid Nouripour said her resignation was right ... as difficult as this decision was. He said a successor will be named very soon.

Last week, the environment minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, the other German state that was badly hit by the floods, resigned after it emerged that she only briefly interrupted a vacation on the Spanish island of Mallorca when the disaster hit. The departed minister, Ursula Heinen-Esser, is a member of Merz's center-right party.
The Midland Police Department reported Monday that its officers are investigating a deceased male.

MPD reported that around 1 p.m. members of the Midland Police Department were dispatched to the vicinity of State Highway 349 in Midland in regard to a deceased male.

The male was identified as 25-year-old Nathaniel Machuca, according to MPD. The cause of death is unknown, and MPD reported it is investigating if foul play is suspected.

An autopsy was requested and the next of kin has been notified. The investigation is ongoing.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who is seeking re-election, reacts on stage after the announcement of the partial results in the first round of the 2022 French presidential election in Paris, France, April 10, 2022.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, with corpses that were carpeted through the streets.

Speaking by phone Monday to the Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko said Russian forces brought mobile cremation equipment to Mariupol to dispose of the bodies, and he accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage.

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A man walks with a bicycle next to a truck that carries black bags with corpses of people killed during the war with Russia and exhumed from a mass grave for investigations in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 11, 2022. (Rodrigo Abd/AP)

Russian forces have taken many bodies to a huge shopping center where there are storage facilities and refrigerators, Boychenko said.

Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned, he said.

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The mayors comments emerged as Russia claimed that it destroyed several Ukrainian air-defense systems in what appeared to be a renewed push to gain air superiority and take out weapons Kyiv has described as crucial ahead of an expected broad new offensive in the east.

In one strike, Moscow said it hit four S-300 launchers near the central city of Dnipro that had been provided by a European country it did not name. Slovakia gave Ukraine just such a system last week but denied it had been destroyed. Russia previously reported two strikes on similar systems in other places.

The failure to win full control of Ukraines skies has hampered Moscows ability to provide air cover for troops on the ground, limiting their advances and likely exposing them to greater losses.

Road workers load a destroyed Russian tank onto a platform in the village of Andriyivka close to Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 11, 2022. Andriyivka was occupied by the Russian troops at the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war and freed recently by the Ukrainian army. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

With their offensive in many parts of the country thwarted, Russian forces have relied increasingly on bombarding cities  a strategy that has left many urban areas flattened and thousands of people dead.

Ukrainian authorities accuse Russian forces of committing atrocities, including a massacre in the town of Bucha outside Kyiv, airstrikes on hospitals and a missile attack that killed at least 57 people last week at a train station.

In Bucha on Monday, the work of exhuming bodies from a mass grave in a churchyard resumed.

Galyna Feoktistova waited for hours in the cold and rain in hopes of identifying her 50-year-old son, who was shot and killed more than a month ago, but eventually,she went home for some warmth. Hes still there, her surviving son Andriy said.

In Mariupol, about 120,000 civilians are in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications, the mayor said.

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Only those residents who have passed the Russian filtration camps are released from the city, Boychenko said. Improvised prisons were organized for those who did not pass the filtering, while at least 33,000 were taken to Russia or to separatist territory in Ukraine, the mayor said.

Meanwhile, the U.N. childrens agency said that nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion began. The United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured, though the actual numbers are likely much higher.

Elsewhere, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks that were very direct, open and tough.

In a statement released by his office, Nehammer said his primary message to Putin was that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose. Nehammer said he also raised the issue of war crimes committed by the Russian military and said those responsible will be held to account.

A boy walks by unexploded Russian shells in the village of Andriyivka close to Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 11, 2022. Andriyivka was occupied by the Russian troops at the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war and freed recently by the Ukrainian army. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

In other developments, the head of the separatist rebel government in Donetsk said Ukrainian forces have lost control of the port area of Mariupol.

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Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is now under our control, Denis Pushilin, president of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, told Russian state television, according to Russian news agencies. The claim could not immediately be confirmed.

The mayor said fighting continues.

It is difficult, but our heroic military holds on, Boychenko said. There are fights in the port. Yesterday, our heroic warriors knocked out several positions of equipment and, accordingly, rebuffed the infantry.

Russia has appointed a seasoned general to lead its renewed push in the eastern Donbas region, where Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014 and have declared independent states.

The Pentagons latest assessment is that Russia is gearing up for an intensified offensive there as more troops and materiel move toward the area.

A senior U.S. defense official said a lengthy convoy is headed toward the eastern city of Izyum with artillery, aviation and infantry support.

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More artillery is being deployed near the city of Donetsk, while ground combat units that withdrew from around the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas appear destined for refitting and resupplying before they position in Donbas, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. military assessments.

Both sides are digging in for what could be a devastating war of attrition.

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Russian forces will likely try to encircle the Donbas region from the north and the south as well as the east, said retired British Gen. Richard Barrons, co-chair of the U.K.-based strategic consulting firm Universal Defence & Security Solutions.

The ground in that part of Ukraine is flatter, more open and less wooded  so the Ukrainian ambush tactics used around Kiev may be less successful, Barrons said.

In a video address to South Korean lawmakers on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically requested equipment that can shoot down Russian missiles.

In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks from Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 10, 2022. (AP)

But those armaments could increasingly come under attack as Russia looks to shift the balance in the 6-week-old war.

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Questions remain about the ability of depleted and demoralized Russian forces to conquer much ground after their advance on Kyiv was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders.

Britains Defense Ministry said Monday that Ukraine has already beaten back several assaults by Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions  which make up the Donbas  resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery.

Western military analysts say Russias assault increasingly is focusing on an arc of territory stretching from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, in the north, to Kherson in the south.
Passengers check in for a Southwest Airlines flight at Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Florida on Oct. 11, 2021.
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VIRGINIA  The Cass County Board is scheduled to meet in regular session at 7 p.m. today at 100 E. Springfield St.

Among the items on the agenda are:
Duncan_Andison / Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Jacksonville Public Library board of trustees is scheduled to meet in regular session at 5 p.m. today at the library, 201 W. College Ave.

Among the items on the agenda are:
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A Chapin Police officer seriously wounded when a multi-county pursuit erupted in gunfire remains in the hospital, but his condition is stable, officials said Monday.

Police Chief Steven Helmich was shot March 26 as he and other officers approached a car that had crashed after a traffic stop in Meredosia turned into a pursuit through Morgan and Pike counties and into Brown County.

Chapin Village President Rex Brockhouse said Monday that Helmich was shot twice and was flown to a trauma-care hospital in critical condition. It was the first time the officer's identity and specifics about the extent of his injuries were made public.

Illinois State Police are continuing the investigation into the events that unfolded that night, beginning when a Meredosia Police officer initiated a traffic stop and the driver fled the scene. A pursuit involving multiple law enforcement agencies went through Pike County and into Brown County, where the driver crashed about 11:14 p.m. on Illinois Route 107, north of County Road 410 North, according to police reports.

As officers approached the disabled vehicle, the driver fired on officers, according to state police. Officers returned fire and the driver surrendered.

Daniel B. Payne, 29, of Greenbrier, Tennessee, was treated for injuries suffered in the crash and then charged with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer. He was being held in Schuyler County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

Payne is scheduled to appear April 20 in Brown County court for a preliminary hearing.

Helmich, 39, of Jacksonville, has been with Chapin Police since joining as a patrol officer in September 2016. He subsequently was promoted to sergeant and became chief of police in January. He has been a part-time officer with South Jacksonville Police since November 2017.

The Jacksonville native is a 2001 Jacksonville High School graduate and enlisted in 2002 in the Illinois National Guard. He was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2005 to 2006 and to Egypt in support of the Multinational Forces Observer from 2010 to 2011, according to the Illinois National Guard, for which he is a master sergeant and assistant inspector general.

Helmich is a member of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 125, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Central Illinois Association of Law Enforcement Executives.
JERSEYVILLE  City officials have contracted with PGAV Planners for its downtown master plan.

Last year, Jerseyville began turning a community-shared vision into priorities and plans to revitalize the citys historic downtown. The goal is to reimagine and re-energize Jerseyvilles downtown as a vibrant, family- and pedestrian-friendly, inclusive and welcoming regional destination for shopping, dining, entertainment, and cultural experiences.

Based in St. Louis, PGAV Planners provides urban planning, financial development analysis, economic development planning and municipal advising.

Jerseyville City Council members last week unanimously approved the initial draft of a master plan proposed by PGAV for a reimagined Historic City Center District.

The district has its commercial center stretching along State Street/U.S. 67. It's generally bordered by Liberty and Jefferson streets to its west and east, Carpenter Street/Illinois 16 to the south, and Mulberry Street to the north. It includes the Jersey County Courthouse, the First Baptist Church and the Jerseyville (Carnegie) Public Library. It also pushes slightly north past Mulberry Street to include the Cheney Mansion, home to the Jersey County Historical Society.

Kevin Stork, Jerseyvilles Commissioner of Accounts and Finance, said the plan helps define a vision that is "fluid and continually adapting.

"It lays a groundwork for the city moving forward," he said. "With this plan, we are trying to create and identify as many opportunities for our citizens as we can, both in terms of quality of life and in livelihood. Things to do for them and their family, jobs, and entrepreneurship opportunities are all a part of it.

The plan identifies 15 themes, including landscape design, connectivity and walkability, activated alleys, pedestrian amenities, public parking, civic branding, wayfinding, public art and connectivity, public art and history, explore-play-learn, outdoor dining and patios, outdoor lighting, technology, land use and development, and economic development.

Some work has already begun, such as City Center Park, downtown parking and greenspace. More improvements will come as the city moves through the three phases proposed in the master plan, he said.

He noted the city's recently begun facade improvement grant program for businesses that helped restore and renovate the marquee at Stadium Theater.

The facade improvement grant program can help a business become accessible from both sides as well, he said. An example of this is with TCAD [Tonsor Custom Awards & Decal] and Linns Shoes. With its redesign and improvement, shoppers can now access TCAD from its alleyway rear entrance of the same building that houses Linns Shoes and its State Street entrance.

"Were also planning to develop the alleyways that run behind the commercial buildings along State Street," he said. "We want to encourage businesses to look at ways to improve the design of their backside facade that can also provide public entrances to their buildings from the alley side. We are looking for ways to make access to these establishments easier for downtown visitors walking from city parking areas to destinations throughout the district.

Stork said ayfinding signage has also begun popping up to help guide visitors in Jerseyvilles City Center District. Lighted kiosks are a part of guiding visitors as well, as is the recently launched Explore Jerseyville mobile app. He added that banners, street lighting, canopies and a consistently identifiable look will provide a positive welcome while recognizing Jerseyvilles historic past.

More greenspace and major improvements to the citys existing parks, along with expanding parking, are also part of the proposed plan, as are infrastructure improvements throughout the district.

I think its important to note that new and expanding parking will help alleviate the traffic congestion we already experience in Jerseyville, said Stork. It will help greatly, offering safer options for visitors to downtown, and potentially re-routing traffic patterns from the main route through the district to a block or so over.

Stork said no increase in property taxes is being considered as part of the effort.

We are looking instead at grant opportunities primarily, and investments from the private sector. And at some point, we may look at implementing a sales tax that would specifically support the plans projects and vision," he said. "If a sales tax is implemented, it would be paid on each purchase made, by everyone and not only by Jerseyville residents.
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Visions of the United States breaking up into smaller countries belong largely in dystopian fiction, according to most Americans. State Policy Networks State Voices poll found that two-thirds of registered voters oppose the idea of splitting the union into several smaller countries, with 54% in strong opposition. Voluntarily disbanding the union is not a cause with a ready-made following.

However, if you look ahead a few decades, the idea may gain traction. The same poll highlighted one group where 51% support the idea of breaking up America into smaller nations of like-minded people. This odd-group-out is Generation Z  which comprises voters age 18 to 25 and continues to expand as more of the cohort grows into voting age. This generation, like every other, will get their turn at the helm to pursue ideas and policies once considered foreign and radical to their elders.



And when this generation is solidly in the political drivers seat, things will look much different than they do today. Generation Z offers a stark contrast to older, more conservative voters. According to Pew Research Center, they are more likely to want government to do more to solve problems, are less likely to believe in American exceptionalism and have far more progressive views on gender and family.



But this doesnt mean Generation Z is in lockstep with todays Democrats. Unlike older liberals who are content to boost spending within existing programs and systems, Generation Z is ready for change that is continuously blocked or ignored at the federal level. Three-quarters want to see regulations changed to allow greater use of telehealth, more than half support school choice programs, and 73 percent want to see the country completely rethink American education.



A vast departure from business-as-usual combined with a desire to break up the union might make those outside this youngest cohort anxious about the future of America. But instead of the end of the American experiment, the views of the youngest voters may offer an opening to restore it.



Americans under 25 are drawn to the idea of several smaller Americas with lines drawn based on political ideology so they can live under more of the types of policy they prefer. Generation Z gravitates toward the idea of breaking up the United States because they have been led to believe the policy governing their lives has to come from Washington, and for most, those one-size-fits-all policies just dont work.



What this generation doesnt realize is that America is already designed for smaller communities to govern themselves, if we are able to reduce the influence and control of the federal government in Washington. By original design, the states were meant to craft the policy that governed citizen life, and it was expected to differ from state to state  as did the will of the people. It was later considered a strength that different states could experiment with unorthodox policies and programs, a feature likely to be of key importance to a generation that wants a radical departure from the status quo. But heavy-handed federal government makes it nearly impossible for the states to live up to this design.



The underlying principles of federalism  or a system of government where power is shared between national and state governments  have not been well-explained to todays young adults. If those ideas are communicated, we could see a resurgence of support for a system of government that allows communities of like-minded individuals to govern themselves.
New York has managed to overcome the worst during the pandemic, proving the naysayers wrong, and for that, we can partly thank the small businesses who have kept our city up and running. But despite this recent comeback, a new threat looms overhead. Small businesses across all five boroughs are being pummeled by retail theft, and its putting us, as well as our employees and customers, in considerable danger. We need to address this spike in crime before more New York businesses are forced to close.

The numbers tell part of the story. The NYPD reports that grand larceny is up 56% year to date across the city. Burglary is up 30.8%. Petty larceny, 38%.

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However, New Yorkers must also understand what this feels like from the perspective of someone who operates a small business. I opened the doors of my first boutique in 1989. Working in retail for three decades, theft has become something that Im unfortunately all too familiar with. However, the times have certainly changed.

Back in the late 80s, my stores neighborhood was a breeding ground for criminal activity. We faced routine shoplifters, and the police suggested that we do more to protect our merchandise. At the time, that just meant shifting clothing hangers around in a way so thieves wouldnt be able to rip clothes right off the rack. While it worked then, it certainly wouldnt do much today. Retail theft has become more brazen, violent and organized.

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A Police Officer is seen inside a Verizon Store in Midtown Manhattan after an apparent robbery in 2022. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News)

My two stores in NoMad have seen a jaw-dropping spike in theft incidents. While the COVID-19 pandemic brought out the best of New Yorkers, it also brought out the worst. In recent years, my stores have dealt with burglars that break in and make out with hundreds of dollars of merchandise: handbags, jewelry and cash.

As a result, Ive had to retrain my employees so they can be prepared for violent offenders. I would prefer to hire security guards at both of my stores. My employees are there to serve customers  and should not be focused on dealing with thieves and the constant threat of these criminals.

Like many other retailers across the city, I am grappling with unpaid rent and having to hire additional staff just to combat the crime. For a small business owner such as myself, these prices are debilitating. Although my business may be better off than others, hiring security guards is still off the table.

Rent is just half of the problem. When criminals break into one of my stores and shatter my door, Im left to foot a $2,600 bill. Although I do have insurance, I usually just eat the costs and move on. Filing claim after claim would mean higher premiums and usually result in loss of coverage. I need insurance in case my stores are wiped clean, which sadly given the current climate could easily happen.

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Businesses across the city and of all different industries are being targeted. According to the NYPD, we havent seen a crime wave like this since 1995. Just from January through September, there were more than 26,000 complaints for shoplifting  6,000 more than the previous year. No wonder businesses are being forced to keep their products under lock and key, something that Al Sharpton can attest to firsthand.

New York retailers desperately need help, especially after surviving a pandemic that almost shut our city down for good. We need common-sense solutions that treat retail theft as a serious crime.

In Washington, Congress is considering the INFORM Consumers Act. It aims to curb retail theft by requiring e-commerce platforms to vet their third-party sellers and prevent thieves from selling stolen products online. The criminals who rob my stores are no longer turning only to the streets to sell my clothing  theyre likely ending up on sites like Amazon and Facebook Marketplace.

And right here in New York State, lawmakers are considering legislation that would establish a retail crime task force. To stop these criminals, law enforcement officials and retailers must work hand in hand. I hope that Albany sees the merits of this measure and passes it this year.

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Our citys retailers need answers, as retail theft will likely remain an issue for decades to come. While we may not have a silver bullet to stop the latest crime spike, there are different ways we can go about preventing these violent, organized robberies.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of New York City. Whether it was the bodega at the corner or the pharmacy a few blocks away, we have kept this city alive. But we are now in serious need of help. New York needs to take on retail theft before its too late for us, and for our city. And for a small business, there is no such thing as a petty crime.

Koenigsberger owns The Thrifty Hog and Noir et Blanc.
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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 now-U.S. Supreme Court Justice 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 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 non-criminal 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 is in our society. (The same could be said of the multitude of Republican lawyers on the U.S. Senate Judiciary committee who took jabs at Ketanji Brown Jackson.)

A couple of 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.
Watertown, SD (57201)

Today

Windy and becoming cloudy in the afternoon. High near 70F. Winds SSE at 25 to 35 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

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Windy at times with rain likely. Thunder possible. Low 53F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Italian premier says Algeria to boost natural gas exports View Photo

MILAN (AP)  Italian Premier Mario Draghi secured a deal Monday for more natural gas imports across a Mediterranean pipeline from Algeria, marking the latest push by a European Union nation to reduce dependence on Russian energy following its invasion of Ukraine.

After meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Draghi told reporters in the Algerian capital of Algiers that an agreement to intensify bilateral cooperation in the energy sector along with the deal to export more gas to Italy are a significant response to the strategic goal of quickly replacing Russian energy.

Others will follow, Draghi said.

Russia is Italys biggest supplier of natural gas, representing 40% of total imports, followed by Algeria, which provides some 21 billion cubic meters of gas via the Trans-Mediterranean pipeline.

The new deal between Italian energy company Eni and Algerias Sonatrach would add up to 9 billion cubic meters of gas from Algeria by 2023-24, just eclipsing Russias current 29 billion cubic meters a year. The increased flows will start in the fall, Eni said in a statement.

Europe is trying to cut its reliance on Russian natural gas imports quickly, with leaders recognizing that their payments help fund Moscows war. At the same time, there is concern Russia might turn off the taps in reprisal for sanctions, a threat that would have devastating effects on the European economy. Natural gas is used to generate electricity, heat and cool homes, and power industry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already sought to have gas payments be made in rubles, in an apparent bid shore up the currency. A loophole allows countries to pay a designated Russian bank in dollars and euros as set out in contracts.

The tiny Baltic state of Lithuania, a former Soviet republic, recently cut itself off entirely from Russian gas imports, the first of the European Unions 27 nations using Russian gas to break its energy dependence on Moscow.

Lithuania has been planning that move for years, and the task is more difficult for economic powers like Germany and Italy, which have gotten most of their natural gas from Russia.

The EU plans to reduce Russian gas imports by two-thirds by the end of the year and eliminate them before 2030 through steps like conservation, wind and solar development, and alternative sources. The 27-nation bloc has reached a deal with the United States to receive more boatloads of liquefied natural gas, or LNG.

Germany, which gets about 40% of its gas from Russia, has announced plans to quickly build two LNG terminals and reached an agreement with Qatar for LNG supplies. Poland is expanding an LNG terminal to receive deliveries from Qatar, the U.S., Norway and others. It has been reducing dependence on Russian oil through contracts with Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and Norway.

Germany and Italy also are pushing for more renewable energy.

The deal between Italy and Algeria is the first concrete result of missions by Italys foreign minister to energy-producing nations to secure alternate sources, also including Azerbaijan, Qatar, Congo, Angola and Mozambique.

Draghi is traveling with Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, the energy transition minister, Roberto Cingolani, and the CEO of Italian energy company Eni, Claudio Descalzi.

Eni announced a significant oil and gas discovery in Algeria last month and said it would work with Algerian partner Sonatrach to fast-track its development for the third quarter of this year. Eni has operated in Algeria for more than 40 years.
President Joe Biden View Photo

President Biden delivered remarks on the latest steps the U.S.A. is taking to put pressure on Russia.

Biden was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words:

Id like to  I have to briefly address the horrifying reports of the atrocities taking place in Ukraine and the steps the United States is taking to respond in close coordination with our Allies and our partners.

And Im sure youve seen the pictures from Bucha and out  just outside of Kyiv: bodies left in streets as Russian troops withdrew, some shot in the back of the head with their hands tied behind their backs; civilians executed in cold blood; bodies dumped into mass graves. The sense of brutality and inhumanity left for all the world to see unapologetically. Theres nothing less happening than major war crimes.

Responsible nations have to come together to hold these perpetrators accountable. And together with our Allies and our partners, were going to keep raising the economic cost and ratchet up the pain for Putin and further increase Russias economic isolation. (Applause.)

Folks, the steps weve already taken are predicted to shrink Russias gross domestic product by double digits this year alone. Just in one year, our sanctions are likely to wipe out the last 15 years of Russias economic gains. And because weve cut Russia off from importing technologies like semiconductors and encryption security and critical components of quantum technology that they need to compete in the 21st century, were going to stifle Russias ability and its economy to grow for years to come. (Applause.)

Folks, this is the United States, and were taking additional steps in lockstep with our Allies and partners to raise the economic pressure on Putin.

First, the United States will impose full blocking sanctions on Sberbank, by far the largest financial institution in Russia, and Alfa Bank, its largest private bank. Were locking down any accounts, any funds that those banks hold in the United States. Theyll not be able to touch any of their money. Theyll not be able to do any business here.

And, second, Im going to sign an executive order thats going to ban any new U.S. investment in Russia  more than 600 private sector companies. (Applause.)

Folks, corporate America is stepping up, a change. From McDonalds to Exxon, theyve left the Russian market on their own accord  600 of them. Think about that. The private businesses choosing to leave Russia rather than risk being associated with Putins brutal war.

And this ban on investment is going to make sure that new money cannot come in to Russia to replace whats left so that the Russian economy doesnt feel the loss  and the loss of these businesses for the long term.

Third, were adding more critical state-owned enterprises to the list of fully blocked Russian companies. These companies are major revenue generators owned by Russia and the government, which Putin uses to fund himself and enable his war in Ukraine.

Theyll also be cut off from doing any business with the United States. They will not be able to access or use any assets they have in the United States.

And, fourth, we, along with our European allies, are adding the names to the list of Russian elites and their families that we are sanctioning. Did you see these yachts were  that are being picked up?

No  no, think about it. Think about the  the incredible amounts of money these oligarchs have stolen. These yachts are a hundred  millions and millions of dollars.

Look, these oligarchs and their family members are not allowed to hold on to their wealth in Europe and the United States and keep these yachts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, their luxury vacation homes, while children in Ukraine are being killed, displaced from their homes every single day.

And, finally, were continuing to supply Ukraine with the weapons and resources to defend their country. Last Friday  (applause)  last Friday, we announced millions in funding to procure new equipment for Ukraine  advanced drones, laser-guided rocket systems.

Yesterday, I signed another package to send more Javelins missiles  those shoulder-mounted missiles that can take out tanks and armored vehicles  (applause)  to keep getting an uninterrupted supply to the Ukrainian military.

You know, we wont be able to advertise every piece of security we give because our Allies and partners are supplying to Ukraine through us, but advanced weapons and ammunition are flowing in every single day.

And as you may have seen yesterday on television, when the Secretary of Defense was being cross-examined by one of our  how can I say it?  our congresspersons  (laughter)  saying, What have you done? And he basically looked at him and said, What the hell do you think weve done? Why do you think theyre able to fight? Weve trained them and weve given them the weapons. Thats whats happening. (Applause.)

Look, thanks to the bravery, the grit, and the fight-  the fighting spirit of the Ukrainian people, Russia has already failed in its initial war aims. Russia wanted to take Ukraines capital city of Kyiv and topple its democracy and elected government.

Today, Kyiv still stands, and that government still presides. This fight is far from over. (Applause.)

And heres the point: This war could continue for a long time, but the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the fight for freedom. And I just want you to know that.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
A jury was selected Monday for the trial in actor Johnny Depps $50 million defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard.

Seven jurors and four alternates were chosen for the civil trial in Virginia.

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Mondays court proceedings in Fairfax come three years after Depp sued Heard, claiming she defamed him in a 2018 op-ed for the Washington Post.

Heard, who accused Depp in 2016 of physical and verbal abuse, wrote in the essay she felt the full force of our cultures wrath for women who speak out, without naming her ex-husband.

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Depp, who denied the abuse accusations, argued in his lawsuit the op-ed depends on the central premise that Ms. Heard was a domestic abuse victim and that Mr. Depp perpetrated domestic violence against her.

Some fans of Depp gathered outside the courthouse, with more than a dozen women holding signs and pirate flags to support the Pirates of the Caribbean actor.

Raylyn Otie drove five hours to show her support but was unable to get a glimpse of Depp.

Im so disappointed. I came to give him flowers to show some support, she said.

The scene also attracted a long line of people who hoped to secure a courtroom spot to watch the hearing.

Johnny Depp (left) and Amber Heard (AP)

Both Depp, 58, and Heard, 35, are expected to testify during the trial, which could last for weeks. Heard previously lost a motion to have the trial moved to California. The Washington Posts online stories are published through a server in Fairfax County.

Opening statements were expected to start Tuesday, with actors James Franco and Paul Bettany, and multi-billionaire Elon Musk set to testify.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Judge Penney Azcarate, who is overseeing the trial, is limiting access, however, and barred both actors from posing for photographs or signing autographs on the courthouse grounds.

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Depp previously lost a libel lawsuit in the United Kingdom against the media company that publishes British tabloid The Sun over an article that painted him as a wife beater. A High Court judge ruled the claims were substantially true. Depps bid to appeal was rejected last year.

Heard, who is known for movies such as Pineapple Express and Aquaman, wrote in an Instagram post that she hopes both she and Depp can move on after the defamation trial.

I have always maintained a love for Johnny and it brings me great pain to have to live out the details of our past life together in front of the world, Heard wrote. At this time, I recognize the ongoing support Ive been fortunate to receive throughout these years, and in these coming weeks I will be leaning on it more than ever.

Heard and Depp, who met on the set of the 2011 comedy-drama film The Rum Diary, were married from 2015 to 2017.

Depp is a three-time Oscar nominee known for films including Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland.

With News Wire Services
Jailed Egypt activist becomes UK citizen in push for freedom View Photo

LONDON (AP)  A leading Egyptian pro-democracy activist who has been imprisoned for more than 3 1/2 years has obtained a British passport, his family announced Monday. The move is likely meant to pressure Egyptian authorities to release him.

Alaa Abdel-Fattah, an outspoken dissident, rose to prominence with the 2011 pro-democracy uprisings that swept the Middle East and in Egypt toppled long-time President Hosni Mubarak. The 40-year old activist spent most of the past decade behind bars and his detention has become a symbol of Egypts return to autocratic rule.

He was first sentenced in 2014 after being convicted of taking part in an unauthorized protest and allegedly assaulting a police officer. He was released in 2019 after serving a five-year term but was rearrested later that year in a crackdown that followed rare anti-government protests.

In December, Abdel-Fattah was sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of spreading false news. Abdel-Fattah separately faces charges of misusing social medial and joining a terrorist group  a reference to the banned Muslim Brotherhood, which authorities declared a terrorist organization in 2013.

Last year, Abdel-Fattahs family and his Egyptian lawyers accused prison authorities in Cairos Tora Prison of torturing him and denying him basic legal rights. They also called for prosecutors to investigate the claims.

Abdel-Fattahs family said in a statement Monday that he gained British citizenship through his mother, Laila Soueif, a math professor at Cairo University who was born in London. The family said they sought a British passport for Abdel-Fattah as a way out of his impossible ordeal.

The family called for an investigation into alleged rights violations against Abdel-Fattah since his arrest in September 2019. Also, they requested that he be allowed to communicate with the family lawyers in the United Kingdom and that he be allowed consular visits in prison.

Abdel-Fattah began a hunger strike earlier this month to protest alleged violations against him and other detainees in the Tora prison complex, his family said.

This is a British citizen detained unlawfully, in appalling conditions, simply for exercising his basic rights to peaceful expression and association, Daniel Furner, one of the family lawyers, told The Associated Press.

The U.K. Foreign Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Obtaining a Western passport could be a way for Abdel-Fattah to be freed. A handful of activists with dual nationality were forced to relinquish their Egyptian citizenship in recent years as a condition for their release, a legal maneuver that allows authorities to deport foreigners accused of crimes.

The government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, a U.S. ally with deep economic ties to European countries, has been relentlessly silencing dissenters and clamping down on independent organizations for years with arrests and restrictions. Many of the top activists involved in the 2011 uprising are now in prison, most under a draconian law passed in 2013 effectively banning all street protests.

Abdel-Fattah has been detained several times before under different governments for lobbying for civil rights on social media and in public. An influential blogger, he hails from a family of political activists, lawyers and writers. His late father was one of Egypts most tireless rights lawyers. His sisters  also British citizens  are also political activists and his aunt is the award-winning novelist Ahdaf Soueif.

Separately, the death of a well-known economics researcher who had disappeared two months ago was met with anger among activists and academics Monday.

Ayman Hadhoud was pronounced dead in the government-run Abbasiya Mental Health Hospital in Cairo, the Interior Ministry said in a statement Sunday. The circumstances surrounding his death were vague.

The ministry said in a terse statement that Hadhoud was detained Feb. 6 for allegedly attempting to break into an apartment in the upscale Zamalek district of Cairo and exhibited irresponsible behavior.

The ministry, which oversees the police, said Hadhoud, 48, was sent to the hospital. It did not elaborate further.

Local media reported that Hadhoud, a critic of government economic policies, had been detained early in February. His brother, Omar, was quoted as saying that a police officer told him that he was detained by the National Security Agency.

Hadhouds family knew unofficially that Hadhoud was in the hospital in eastern Cairo a few days after he was forcefully disappeared, the brother said. A death certificate released Monday said Hadhoud died March 5 in Abbasiya.

Activists and academics have taken to social media to denounce Hadhouds death and many have called for an investigation. Prosecutors ordered a forensic autopsy of his body to determine the cause of death.

The government-appointed National Council for Human Rights issued a statement on Hadhouds mysterious death, urging prosecutors to address all concerns raised on his alleged forced disappearance.

Torture and abuse by police are not unusual in Egypt. In 2016, Giulio Regeni, an Italian doctoral student, was found dead the side of a Cairo road with his body had been brutalized, raising suspicion of police involvement. Italy accused police officers of killing him, a charge that Egypt denied.

By DANICA KIRKA

Associated Press
A boat suspected of smuggling immigrants from Mexico overturned Sunday in California, killing one man, and three others were rescued, authorities said.

The 30-foot boat of the type known as a panga was spotted capsized shortly before 1 a.m. near the Ocean Beach pier in San Diego, authorities said.

Three men were rescued and taken to the hospital in stable condition, said Lt. Ric Stell of the San Diego Lifeguard Service.

Several other people may have made it to shore and fled, authorities said.

It wasnt clear how many people had been aboard the boat, a low-slung open fishing-type boat often used for smuggling. The seas were high, with 8-foot waves, authorities said.

Another boat was spotted near Point Loma at around 3 a.m. and the U.S. Border Patrol arrested all 15 people aboard were arrested for allegedly trying to enter the U.S. illegally, KNSD-TV reported.

Last Monday, 72 people were taken into custody after three panga boats were spotted in Point Loma, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol told the station.

We have seen that smugglers are bringing in larger groups and putting them in more remote and dangerous areas, Alfonso Martinez, deputy chief of the Border Patrol in San Diego, told the station.
BOISE, Idaho (AP)  An Idaho judge ruled Monday that a mother accused of conspiring to kill her children, her estranged husband and a lover's wife is now mentally competent to stand trial on some of the charges in Idaho.

Daybell and her new husband, Chad Daybell, face numerous charges in the complicated case involving allegations of bizarre spiritual beliefs involving zombies and doomsday predictions.

Prosecutors have said that Lori and Chad Daybell espoused the religious beliefs in an effort to encourage or justify the murders.

The case against her had been hold for months after Judge Steven Boyce ordered her committed to a mental facility so she could undergo treatment in an effort to make her mentally fit enough to assist in her own defense.

Boyce's new order said Lori Vallow Daybell is restored to competency and is fit to proceed in the Idaho murder case. He did not provide other details about her treatment or mental condition.

She is scheduled to be formally arraigned in court next week and both Lori and Chad Daybell are set to stand trial together early next year.

Tare charged withconspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Lori Daybell's children 7-year-old Joshua JJ Vallow, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as Chad Daybell's first wife, Tammy Daybell.

Lori Daybell is also charged in Arizona with conspiring to kill her former estranged husband, Charles Vallow, with the help of her now-deceased brother, Alex Cox.

Chad Daybell has pleaded not guilty to the charges and Lori Daybell has not yet had an opportunity to enter a plea. Chad Daybell's attorney, John Prior, declined to comment on the case. Lori Daybell's attorney, Jim Archibald, did not immediately respond to voice and email messages requesting comment.

An indictment said Chad and Lori Daybell in 2018 while still married to other people began espousing an apocalyptical system of religious belief.

Lori Daybells brother Alex Cox shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in suburban Phoenix, according to an indictment in Arizona.

Cox asserted the shooting was in self-defense, and he was never charged. At the time, Charles Vallow was seeking a divorce, saying his wife believed she had become a god-like figure responsible for ushering in the biblical end of times. Cox later died of an apparent blood clot in his lung.

Shortly after Charles Vallow's death, Lori Daybell  who then had the last name Vallow  and her children moved to the rural eastern Idaho community of Rexburg, near where Chad Daybell lived. At the time, Chad Daybell was married to Tammy Daybell. She died in October of 2019, and her obituary said the death was from natural causes.

Authorities grew suspicious, however, when Chad and Lori Daybell got married just two weeks later, and investigators had Tammy Daybell's body exhumed for an autopsy. Authorities have not released her cause of death.

Police began searching for Lori Daybell's youngest two children in November after relatives raised concerns. The Daybells quickly left town, and were found months later in Hawaii without the children.

Investigators later found the bodies of JJ and Tylee buried in Chad Daybell's yard back in Idaho. They have not disclosed causes of death but court documents said Tylees body was partially burned.

Friends of the Daybells told investigators that the couple believed people could become zombies if they were possessed by evil spirits, a state in which their soul was trapped in limbo, according to police reports. The couple reportedly believed that the only way to rid a person of a zombie was for their body to die, according to police reports.

A friend of the couple, Melanie Gibb, told investigators that Lori Daybell referred to her youngest children as zombies, and police in Arizona said the couple exchanged text messages saying that Tammy Daybell had been possessed by a dark spirit.
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Smoke is bringing out a lineup of 2000s hit musicians to celebrate seven years in the downtown area. T.I. and Baby Bash are some of the first headliners announced for the party. Fatman Scoop will host the evening.

The popular downtown bar announced the concert on Monday, April 11. The show is scheduled for Wednesday, April 20. Tickets are now on sale via Eventbrite. Prices starts at $40 for presale general admission. General admission will eventually be $55. There are also VIP table options for $900. Doors open at 4:20 p.m. on the day.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden asked India's Narendra Modi on Monday not to accelerate the buying of Russian oil as the U.S. and other nations try to cut off Moscow's energy income following the invasion of Ukraine. The Indian prime minister made no public commitment to refrain from Russian oil, a source of tension with the U.S.

Meeting by video call, Biden told Modi that the U.S. could help India diversify its sources of energy, according to press secretary Jen Psaki. Even though India receives little of its oil from Russia, it stepped up recently with a major purchase as other democracies are trying to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The president also made clear that he doesnt believe its in Indias interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy or other commodities, Psaki said.

At a separate State Department news conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar pointedly suggested that Europe, not India, be the focus of Washington's concern about energy purchases from Russia.

I suspect, looking at the figures, probably our total purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon, he said.

While Biden and Modi ended their session with Biden saying they committed to strengthening their relationship, White House officials could not say if India stood with them in fully condemning Putin, saying the choice ultimately rested with Modi's government. The two leaders will meet in person May 24 in Tokyo for a summit of the Quad, a coalition that also includes Australia and Japan.

At the State Department news conference, Blinken appeared to seek to cajole India into taking a stronger stance on the conflict in Ukraine, appealing to the countrys interest in upholding the international rules-based order and pointing out that resource-stretched Indians may be affected by both energy and food shortages caused by the war.

Russias aggression stands in stark contrast to the vision that the United States and India share for a free and open Indo-Pacific, and Russias actions are having a profound impact not just in Europe and Ukraine, but around the world, for example, causing food insecurity and rising prices, Blinken told reporters after the meetings concluded.

Indias neutral stance in the war has raised concerns in Washington and earned praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who lauded India this month for judging the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.

Biden opened the video conversation by emphasizing the defense partnership between the two countries and by saying the U.S. and India are going to continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilizing effects of this Russian war" on food and other commodities.

The root of our partnership is a deep connection between our people, ties of family, of friendship and of shared values, the U.S. president said.

Modi on Monday called the situation in Ukraine very worrying, and he noted that an Indian student lost his life during the war. He said he has spoken with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appealing to both of them for peace. India has condemned the killings uncovered in the city of Bucha and has called for an independent investigation.

A senior U.S. official described the Biden-Modi exchange as warm and productive, though the official stressed that India would make its own decisions on how to respond to Putin. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the meeting.

Biden and Modi discussed how to manage the risks of global instability regarding food, humanitarian relief and climate change, and Modi candidly shared his views about some of the tight links between Russia and China that raise concerns, the official said.

Also Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met in person with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Austin appealed to India to act together with fellow democracies, a form of government based on the popular consent of the people that stands in contrast to autocracies such as China and Russia.

Now more than ever, democracies must stand together to defend the values that we all share, Austin said.

India has refrained from some efforts to hold Russia accountable for its invasion. India abstained when the U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the U.S. and Ukraine have called war crimes.

The vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.

India continues to purchase Russian energy supplies, despite pressure from Western countries to avoid buying Russian oil and gas. The U.S. has also considered sanctions on India for its recent purchase of advanced Russian air defense systems.

Last month, the state-run Indian Oil Corp. bought 3 million barrels of crude from Russia to secure its needs, resisting entreaties from the West to avoid such purchases. India isnt alone in buying Russian energy, however. Several European allies such as Germany have continued to do so, despite public pressure to end these contracts.

Indian media reports said Russia was offering a discount on oil purchases of 20% below global benchmark prices.

Iraq is Indias top supplier, with a 27% share. Saudi Arabia is second at around 17%, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 13% and the U.S. at 9%, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

___

Sharma reported from New Delhi. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
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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.
The Texas Historical Commission recently gave praise to how H-E-B, the state's most loved grocery chain, began its company in a Facebook post last weekend. The government agency shared a photo of the April 1945 store opening at Nogalitos Street in San Antonio.

In the post, the organization wrote about how Howard Edward Butt was born on April 9, 1895, in Tennessee. When Howard and his family moved to Kerrville, his mother Florence opened a small grocery store in 1905.

Butt started in the family business by delivering groceries in a baby carriage, then a little red wagon, and later by horse and buggy. He managed the store while finishing school, graduating as valedictorian of Tivy High School in 1914, according to the Texas Historical Commission.

After serving in World War I, Butt took over store operations, the post stated. In 1921, he implemented a cash-and-carry system rather than the traditional credit and delivery method. The organization noted how attempts to add stores in the Hill Country failed. However, the business successfully added locations in the Rio Grande Valley under the name H. E. Butt Grocery Company, moving its headquarters to Harlingen and later Corpus Christi.

In 1936, the company acquired the Harlingen canning company to provide Texas-grown, Texas-packed goods. In the 1930s and 1940s, H-E-B opened stores in the larger cities of Corpus Christi, Austin, and San Antonio.

Headquartered now in San Antonio since 1985, H-E-B is a THC Texas Treasure Business Award recipient, one of the largest privately held companies in the U.S., and one of the largest private employers in Texas, according to the post.

"Following his mother's example, he and his wife Mary Elizabeth Butt became involved with philanthropic giving and charitable activities across Texas," the Texas Historical Commission added.

Today, HEB serves families all over Texas and Mexico with more than 420 stores and over 145,000 partners (employees), according to H-E-B. The company's commitment to excellence has made H-E-B one of the nation's largest independently owned food retailers, with annual sales of $34 billion.
A pile of dust from the surface of the moon, billed by the auction house Bonhams as both the first lunar sample collected by humanity and the only Apollo sample that can be legally sold, is going up for sale on April 13and this sprinkling may fetch more than $1 million.

It represents that whole long plight, said Adam Stackhouse, a specialist at Bonhams. Getting to the moon, taking a piece and coming back with it. Its just kind of mind-blowing.

NASA has long argued that something as historically significant as a piece of the moon belongs to the public sphere, and the agency has fought many battles to keep lunar samples out of the hands of private individuals. NASA has won most of those fights, but this particular tiny sample has escaped the agency. The story of how that happened is a long one, spanning more than five decades, several states, multiple lawsuits, and at least one case of mistaken identity.

The dust that Bonhams will sell started in the hands of Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon, who collected the lunar sample as a central part of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission.

Bonhams

We were told: Save the Moon rocks first, Mike Mallory, a member of the Apollo 11 Navy frogman recovery team, and the person in charge of collecting the rock, reportedly said. We only have one bag of rocks. We have lots of astronauts.

Armstrong gathered about one kilogram of dust in a Teflon bag attached to the end of a two-and-a-half foot long aluminum handle, and described the surface of the moon to the command center in Houston: The surface is fine and powdery, I can kick it up loosely with my toe. It does adhere in fine layers, like powdered charcoal, to the sole and sides of my boots.

Once the Apollo mission was complete, most of the artifacts were sent to the Smithsonian, including the moon rock. But due to an inventory error, the BBC reports, one boxthe one containing the bag that held the lunar dustwas left at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

According to Rebecca Heilweil, writing for Vox, there was no real plan for the bag, which was assigned a $15 value and sent to the Cosmosphere and Space Center, a private museum in Hutchinson, Kansas.

It might have stayed in Kansas in perpetuity, but Max Ary, the museums president and cofounder came under investigation in the early 2000s. The bag, labeled Lunar Sample Return Bag, Flown Mission Unknown according to The Wall Street Journal, turned up in a search of Arys garage a few years before he was tried and convicted for auctioning off items held at the Cosmosphere that were actually on loan from NASA.

Items in Arys collection were seized by the government and sold by the U.S. Marshals in 2015the bag with moon dust was mistakenly included. It took three auctions, the Houston Chronicle reported in 2017, before anyone bid on the lot that included the bag, but it was eventually purchasedalong with a headrest from the Apollo command module and a launch key for a Soviet spacecraftby Nancy Lee Carlson of Chicago for all of $995.

Carlson, who the Chicago Tribune reports figured the bag had been used in a space flight, sent the sample to NASA for testing, and when the agency realized what it had, refused to return it, saying at the time, This artifact, we believe, belongs to the American people and should be on display for the public.

Carlson sued, and a judge ruled that though the bag perhaps should not have gone up for auction, since Carlson bought the bag legally, she could keep it. Sotheby's sold the bag itself to an unnamed buyer in 2017 for $1.8 million, 48 years to the day after it had been used by Armstrong.

But there may not have been much moon dust left in the bag.

During the testing process at NASA, carbon tape was used to remove particles of dust from the inside of the bag. An agency curator would later testify, according to Bonhams, that there was no moon dust left in the bag when it was sold, though its not clear if the buyer who spent the $1.8 million knew that at the time.

The dust that was removed was placed on aluminum discs, which NASA hung onto even after the agency was ordered to return the bag to Carlson. When Carlson learned that NASA still had some of the dust, she sued once again, and NASA settled, returning nearly all of the discs. It is those discs that will be on the auction block at Bonhams.

Bonhams

A chance to own a piece of the moon is rare. Yes, there are meteorites that fall to earth, but other than that, choices are limited to Apollo samples, a few Soviet samples (one of which sold to an anonymous buyer for nearly $855,000 in 2018) and 3.8 pounds that a Chinese mission brought back just a few years ago. Most of it is not available for purchase.

Stackhouse, the Bonhams specialist, said that interest in the auctionwhich also includes many other items, such as a fragment from Sputnik I and a photograph signed by Buzz Aldrin is fueled in part by the recent billionaire space race, but also by its rarity, and the sheer excitement over what the moon dust sample represents.

Its that collective effort that brought us to a height beyond what a single person could ever do, Stackhouse said. There are so many factors that make it really intriguing.

The end of the very long road for the first lunar sample comes, of course, at the same time that NASA is turning its attention back to the moon. The Artemis mission aims to put a new generation of astronautswomen and people of color among themon the surface of the moon by 2025, to establish a long-term human presence by the end of the decade, and finally to send people to Mars in the 2030s.

With Artemis, which NASA says will serve as an unparalleled and inspiring example of what humanity can do when it comes together to achieve a common goal for the common good, the agency is echoing some of the early excitement of space exploration exemplified by the interest Armstrong's first lunar samples.

If this capsule history of our progress teaches us anything, it is that man, in his quest for knowledge and progress, is determined and cannot be deterred, said President John F. Kennedy said when he spoke about sending astronauts to the moon at Rice University in 1962. The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join in it or not, and it is one of the great adventures of all time, and no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in the race for space.

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the date of the auction. It is April 13, not April 9.
Courtesy of SAHA/NRP Group

A new $58 million amenity-rich, affordable apartment community called The Scott at Medio Creek has opened its doors to residents on the Southwest Side. The 324-unit affordable housing complex at 9130 Excellence Drive is the product of a partnership with the San Antonio Housing Authority and the NRP Group, according to a news release.

The Scott offers one- to four-bedroom units that will serve a community of families working in sectors like the grocery, retail, and hospitality industries. The complex also comes with a business center, community center, clubhouse, fitness center, and a resort-style pool area.
Queen Elizabeth II spoke about symptoms of COVID-19 during a recent video call, weeks after her own brush with the virus.

Her comments came during a virtual event in which she commemorated the official opening of the Queen Elizabeth Unit at Royal London Hospital.

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Video of the engagement, which was shared Sunday on the Royal Familys official Twitter page, showed Queen Elizabeth telling a patient that shes glad hes getting batter after a battle with COVID-19.

It does leave one very tired and exhausted, doesnt it? the queen said of the virus. This horrible pandemic.

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Queen Elizabeth II (AP)

Queen Elizabeth, 95, tested positive for COVID-19 on Feb. 20. Buckingham Palace said the British monarch was experiencing cold-like symptoms, and she canceled several engagements the following week as she recovered.

She returned to work in early March by hosting virtual audiences, and held her first in-person meeting on March 7 when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Windsor Castle.

The Queen Elizabeth Unit at Royal London Hospital was constructed in just five weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Typically it would take five months to accomplish such a feat, hospital personnel told Queen Elizabeth during the call.

Queen Elizabeth celebrated the 70th anniversary of her monarchy in February. She turns 96 on April 21.
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

For Naked Capitalism readers, the claim that Covid is Airborne (Ten scientific reasons in support of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2) is at the very least familiar, and for many (for example, me) is as true as any claim can be true[1].

In this post, Im going to use the recent Gridiron Club superspreading event to show what our political class really thinks about airborne transmision (since the Gridiron Club is a fine sampling of the national political class. Spoiler alert: None of these people should be anywhere near policy). But first, I want to look briefly at Japan, so we can set a baseline by seeing what a society that takes airborne transmission seriously would look like (and what a political class that did its homework[2] would look like).

Japans Recognition of Airborne Transmission

From the British Medical Journal (March 2022), How Japan survived covid-19:

Among the reasons cited are a public willingness to adhere to measures, as well as Japans early adoption of the 3Cs (avoiding close contact, closed spaces, and close conversations)built on the countrys traditional approach to infectious disease controlthat anticipated what scientists now understand of the airborne nature of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. In addition, facemasks were prevalent even before the pandemic, and most experts think a culture of politeness while travelling on public transportsuch as distancing and a hesitancy to talk aloud on the phonehelped limit virus transmission, even as the countrys vast train and subway systems continued to be crowded during the peak hours. Japans low obesity rate has also been posited as a factor.

Here is a poster showing the 3Cs:

Readers will remember caes of superspreading events in the Skagit Valley Choir, a Guangzhou restaurant, and an Oslo nightclub on Christmas Eve. In all cases, the venues were 3Cs violators.

Its worth taking a moment to understand why only the aerosol theory of transmission can give an accont of superspreading events. From CNN:

Everybody in a room together [i.e., in a closed space] is constantly breathing air that just came out of the lungs of other people at the Gridiron. And depending on the ventilation rate, it could be as much as 3% or 4% of the air youre breathing just came out of the lungs of other people at the G, [ Joseph Allen, director of the Healthy Buildings Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health] said. He describes this as respiratory backwash. Normally, thats not a problem, right? We do this all the time. Were always exchanging our respiratory microbiomes with each other.

As I have urged: Breathing is a social relation. Back to Allen:

But if someones sick and infectious  those aerosols can carry the virus. Thats a problem.

There are two other theories of transmission: Fomites and droplet, but only aerosol transmission gives an account of superspreading events. Imagine I carry a cigarette into a crowded room. Now imagine there is Covid virus on the surface of the cigaratte (the fomite). How would I create a superspreading event? Well, by touching everyone in the room with the cigarette. Seems unlikely. Now imagine Im transmitting Covid from my nose, and I have smokers cough. I cough, and droplets spray into the air but, being heavy enough, fall to the ground within a small radius around me. How would I create a superspreading event? By coughing next to a large number of people within that small radius. Again, unlikely. Now imagine Im transmitting Covid from my nose by breathing tiny particles (aerosols) that float and linger in the air:\

Marina Jabsky, an industrial hygienist with the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, explained how to think about it. If youve ever been in the same room as somebody whos smoking, regardless of how far apart form them youre standing, youre gonna smell the smoke, right? Because the air particles will expand to fill the space , Jabsky said.

Thats why only aerosol tranmission can give an account of superspreading events like that at the Gridiron Club, to which we now turn.

The Debacle at the Gridiron Club

The Gridiron Club is the oldest and among the most prestigious journalistic organizations. Its 65 active members represent major newspapers, news services, news magazines, and broadcast networks. Membership is by invitation only and was historically almost exclusive to prominent newspaper men, including newspaper Washington bureau chiefs. They hold an annual soiree, where the invited are chosen from the A-List of the political class, including many Administration officials. Comedic sketches about life in the political class are prepared and performed. From the Post:

The hours-long dinner, which featured lighthearted speeches and political skits performed by journalists, including one with performers dressed as the coronavirus.

The last two Gridiron shingdigs were cancelled due to the pandemic, so a return to normalcy this year was a big thing for them, as it indeed turned out to be: Of the approximately 630 attendees, 72 (as of this writing) caught Covid. 11%. Thats impressive.

First, well look at the Gridiron Superspreading Events from the perspective of the 3Cs and aerosol transmission generally, Then, well look at the question of personal risk. Finally, well ask the sort of questions a sociologist might ask.

First, the Gridiron was clearly a Closed space, a Crowded place, and a Close contact setting. In addtion, attendees were also singing, known to increase risk (as from the Skagit Valley choir). From Politico:

Eating, talking loudly and even singing indoors have proven to greatly increase the risk of viral spread during the pandemic. At the Gridiron dinner, attendees sat together in close proximity for hours, eating, drinking, talking over each other  even joining hands at the end to sing Auld Lang Syne. That scenario means infected individuals were releasing lots of virus into the air, said Marr. And  given that weve seen a lot of cases out of here, its likely the ventilation was not sufficient.

Second, an interesting detail:

About half of the cases appeared to have been clustered at three tables [the Washington Renaissance Hotel] said, and the club was taking steps to notify anyone who sat next to or across from the infected guests.

This reminds me strongly of the Korean restaurant study where airflow from ceiling airconditioners blew the virus from the index case to three other cases at a 6.5 meter distance. So I would want to understand the airflow round those three tables. (Its possibile one of the masked servers could be at fault, of course. I would want to understand how servers were shuffled between tables. And surely they were tested as well.)

Third, attendees did not mitigate 3C risks by masking. From WaPo:

The dinner was supposed to reflect a return to normalcy after being canceled the past two years because of the pandemic. Few guests wore masks or observed social distancing, according to people in attendance. Only the serving staff was consistently masked throughout the evening. While organizers asked attendees to show their vaccination cards at the door, there was no requirement to be tested.

Fourth, attendees were not required to show a negative test:

A-list guests were asked to show proof of vaccination but not negative tests.

Now lets turn to the concept of personal risk. WaPo gives the current propaganda line:

Administration officials and many experts have said that, more than two years into the pandemic, individuals now have the tools they need to decide what level of risk theyre willing to tolerate  and that every social interaction, large or small, comes with a nonzero risk of covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

Take that as read. Lets see how brain genius Anthony Fauci performed his personal risk calculation:

Fauci, who said he has not tested positive [was he tested?], said he abided by CDC guidelines when deciding to attend the dinner. He said he made a personal decision that the risk of attending was low for three reasons: He is vaccinated and boosted

Neither vaccination nor boosting prevents transmission, so if the goal is to avoid a superspreading event, Faucis risk calculation is already worthless.

 there was a requirement for proof of vaccination to enter the dinner

Ditto. And Fauci didnt even ask if there was a requirement to test negative?

and D.C. is classified as having a low burden of disease by the CDCs metrics. That classification also means individuals can go unmasked in indoor settings.

This is idiotic (and shows how CDCs metrics encourage people to be idiots, assuming Fauci believes this stuff). You dont get infected in a county; you get infected in a venue. I would bet money the CO 2 level in that room was high (which means that people are breathing each others air, hence the superspreading event). I would bet further that none of the attendees, includiing Fauci and Walensky, even know what a CO 2 monitor is, or that its a good proxy for shared air (you exhale CO 2 , hopefully not with the virus, but maybe so). These people arent competent to judge their own risks, let alone impose their views on others.

And speaking of risks, theres always the question of how to account for the presence of sociopaths:

So @NYCMayor was at the Gridiron dinner, a superspreader w/ 67 cases and  He knew his was exposed, but he attended the @ReelAbilities Film Fest maskless, exposing hundreds of vulnerable people with disabilities. Now he's suddenly canceled all his events, inc. @MeetThePress pic.twitter.com/jA99SXVIsd  Brooklyn Cybele (@brooklyncybele) April 10, 2022

Finally, lets consider the Gridiron Superspreading Event as a sociologist might, and ask a few questions.

First, how many of the masked servers caught Covid?

Does anyone know if there is any data on how many people working the Gridiron event (ie, servers, custodial staff, security, etc) have COVID now? How many of their family members? How many coworkers not at the event but worked next to someone who didnt yet know they had covid?  Dr Ellie Murray, ScD (@EpiEllie) April 10, 2022

Second, who was the index case?

Third, will an epidemiological study be made?

Will there be a CDC epi investigation of the Gridiron outbreak? After all guest list and those who worked the event was fixed  this makes some aspects of it easier (and can yield good information). Plus, CDC director was there as well.  Lakshmi Ganapathi (@Lakshmi_RKG) April 11, 2022

Id guess the answers would be Well never know, Well never know, and No respectively. Which is remarkable, were science a consideration for our public health establishment, since the Gridiron Superspreading event would give us some good information on one-way masking, at the very least.

Conclusion

Since both Fauci and Walensky were present, I have to think that they both regard the Gridiron Clubs arrangements as a paradigm for normalcy. Vax-only is the strategy  the political class seems to believe either that vaccination prevents transmission, or that transmission is not important without hospitalization[3] and non-pharmaceutical interventions like masks are to be ruthlessly discarded or ignored (as with Japans successful 3Cs model or ventilation generally). Only aerosol transmission can give an account of a superspreading event, and Fauci and Walensky have nothing to say about it. Finally, for all the chin-stroking about personal risk, Faucis own assessment of his personal risk is sloppy and deluded. Neither Fauci nor Walensky should be within a mile of public health policy, and yet theyre running the show. Its passing strange. Of course, you do have to savor the schadenfreude that the Beltways big Return to Normal event was as spectacular superspreader event that infected a chunk of the national political class, and may yet infect more. Mildly, of course. I mean, it would be a damn shame if it were anything worse.

NOTES

[1] Here is are two articles on why WHO and CDC took so long to use the word airborne (Nature; Time). Both are good but much too charitable.

[2] Assuming them not to be sociopathic and democidal, a decreasingly tenable position.

[3] An idea so sociopathic I find it hard to get my mind around it.
Tonight, Ill be putting up two posts with Speculating in the headline. Each will provide some information which I hope is accurate, will make some additional observations, and then hopefully readers will provide even better information and ideas and correct any mistakes your humble blogger has made. This post, on where China goes after its clearly messed up Shanghai lockdown, is the more speculative of the two.

From the tea leaves I can read, China has no intention of backing down on its zero Covid policy. Since Covid containment and lockdowns are the responsibility of municipal and regional governments, the slow implementation of the lockdown, which has led to an embarrassing and potentially dangerous num and even worse, Shanghai citizens suffering unnecessarily due to a failure to organize adequate food provision and emergency medical care to the quarantined is a huge administrative failure. But it is Shanghais failure. And that raises the interesting question of what the Xi regime will do about it.

Shanghai is so big and so West-connected that it was hard to imagine word of what was happening not getting out. For instance, via -email last week:

Wife has been in touch with multiple of her old classmates in Shanghai. This is apparently not going well at all in Shanghai. Many of her friends are reporting all kinds of elderly family members starving and dying of medical neglect in their homes. If you are going to have a lockdown you should provide food and care, this is apparently not being done at all. She has shown me dozens of videos of random people having meltdowns in the street. Unlike last year, the PLA is nowhere to be found to arrest them. The angst is growing exponentially by the hour. It does not help that the leaders of Shanghai have been caught on film living it up in Beijing and other places. My wife informs me that Xi has hated these leaders for a long time. And this may very well be used for their execution.

Yesterday, in Links, Lambert featured several tweets about Shanghai, including some by Eric Feigl-Ding, including of hungry Shanghai citizens arguing with police and the police admitting they didnt have good answers, particularly about where to get food even if they were let loose.

This section, further down in a tweetstorm Lambert featured, seems accurate:

Shanghaiese will not starve in their homes- the powers that be are well aware of it. The only reason they have not taken to the streets in greater numbers is the population is highly educated, well invested in the current system, and aware that doing so will make things worse.  Naomi Wu  (@RealSexyCyborg) April 9, 2022

So in the next few weeks, if there is no major progress, we are faced with the possibility of civil unrest caused by scarcity- either from lockdowns, or by a shortage of workers able to deliver supplies due to illness.  Naomi Wu  (@RealSexyCyborg) April 9, 2022

If you dimly recall the pace of the official response in Shanghai when Covid cases were rising, it was the classic neoliberal because commerce line, that Shanghai was too big a port and too much activity depended on it to have a hard lockdown. And the central government initially appeared to waffle, allowing for dynamic zero Covid and some local experimentation.

It also seems reasonable to surmise that one of the reasons that Shanghai officials so botched food distribution is they were confident that they were too big to be locked down and thus had not prepared. Of course, one obstacle is that nearly all the food the Chinese eat ex rice or other starches is fresh. But hunger makes things like MREs and ramen noodle packs a lot more appealing.

The Shanghai experiment having been a bust, the authorities in Beijing are making it clear that the Western let er rip approach is a bad idea and China is sticking to an apparently tightened up dynamic zero Covid. Global Times is an English language house organ and editorializes more (both formal editorials and pieces splain official views) than Xinhua. For instance:

The last article is a good statement of the current Chinese position. Key sections:

Experts say the Omicron strain might be 10 times harder to contain than Delta. It means that to safeguard life and health, more efforts must be made. Previously, when dealing with the spread of Omicron, South Chinas Guangdong Province, East Chinas Shandong Province, North Chinas Hebei Province, as well as Jilin and other regions have taken strict prevention and control measures, such as quarantine, management, lockdown, and screening, which have led the situation to a positive trend. Practice has repeatedly shown that the key to winning the battle against the epidemic is to adhere to the general dynamic zero-COVID policy without hesitation and unswervingly implement the guidance to cope with the ravaging virus.

Stop for a second. Notice the obvious absence of Shanghai from this list. Continuing:

It is worth noting that some specious voices have come out at the critical juncture when Chinas epidemic prevention and control is facing difficulties. They advocated that the Omicron is a big flu and that countries such as the US and the UK are successfully coexisting with the virus. In public opinion, they have tried to create a prosperous scene that Western countries have completely gotten rid of the interference of the epidemic, and they even regarded this as a victory of the Wests herd immunity. But these arguments are utterly groundless, morally and scientifically. Due to Omicrons strong infectivity, fast transmission and reduced toxicity, some arguments such as Omicron is just a big flu have been widely circulated. But overseas data shows that Omicron can generate a higher mortality rate than Delta during the epidemic. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently said several countries are now seeing their highest death rates since the beginning of the pandemic. The basic national condition of China is that there are 267 million people aged 60 and above and more than 250 million children. The figure combined surpasses 500 million. Such a gigantic group of seniors and children determines that we must not lie flat in any form, but must stick to the dynamic zero strategy, take the initiative in the epidemic fight, and be strict in epidemic control. Only by doing so can we fundamentally avoid a large-scale rebound. As a matter of fact, coexisting with the virus in countries like the UK and the US is nothing but a passive lying flat in preventing and controlling the epidemic. The so-called herd immunity essentially means to drive out a large number of the vulnerable people with low immunity. This is a cruel social Darwinism Practice has proved that dynamic zero-COVID policy is the best choice for China to fight the epidemic. The severer the epidemic, the more important it is to fully and accurately adhere to the dynamic zero-COVID policy. It is worth emphasizing that some places are causing complexities to peoples normal lives, precisely because they have not implemented the dynamic zero-COVID policy, resulting in a series of problems.

Um, this sure doesnt sound like China is changing its stance despite the Shanghai debacle. It does come short of accusing Shanghai officials of being captured by the West and favoring profit over lives. But perhaps accusations like that are being made privately and even in some corners of Chinese social media.

Global Times curiously does not mention morbidity risk, that the social Darwinist approach is backfiring. Covid may be clearing out the weak, but is it also damaging the once robust. If anything community-wide health levels are not rising and may be falling.

Naomi Wu gives an update.

So Shanghai is locked down and cases are still going up.

1. Everyone is still in surgical masks- local government could distribute KN95s, won't.

Even though COVID was first declared airborne in China, and our scientists *know* it's airborne, average Chinese still think droplets. https://t.co/JvSK9ZjR4O  Naomi Wu  (@RealSexyCyborg) April 11, 2022

And she mentions why Covid can spread faster in China than some other settings:

2. Chinese plumbing does not have traps- and this has made fecal aerosol transmission an issue. Cooking range hoods without roof fans are another issue- great breakdown on indoor transmission routes here:https://t.co/iLidcI7WWD  Naomi Wu  (@RealSexyCyborg) April 11, 2022

This observation suggests that when Covid gets going in an apartment building, it will be hard to tamp out, particularly now that masking discipline has fallen.

Needless to say, China has a big uphill battle in Shanghai, but at least they are still fighting. By contrast, it becomes more and more clear here in the West that they really are trying to kill us. From scientist GM:
Conventional wisdom says that Emmanuel Macron will beat Marine Le Pen in the second round of French Presidential elections on April 24. Having said that, Macron is exposed to some risks that could set him back and propel Le Pen to an unexpected win. French and EU readers, who are almost certainly better informed, are encouraged to correct me as I work though some of the issues.

On a very simpleminded basis, a development that may dim Le Pens prospects is that the momentum she had been showing appears to have stalled out as the first round closed. Le Pen has been taking ground against Macron in recent weeks, as this FiveThirtyEight tally shows:

The penultimate poll showed Le Pen lagging Macron by 3%-4% in the runoff and one right before the balloting started, from polling firm Elaba, of over 1800 voters, showed an only 1% gap, at 26% for Macron versus 25% for Le Pen. This is the actual tally:

So Le Pen was more than 4 points behind Macron, which was at the low end of pre-election poll averages. Admittedly this deviation is still well within sampling error, but those who hoped for a French version of shy Trump poll respondents will be disappointed.

However, other factors make clear that Le Pen is very much a real contender. The first is that the the rabidly anti-immigrant Zenmours voters have no where else to go and were certain to back Le Pen independent of his endorsement. Center-right Pecresse recommends that her fans vote for Macron. Pecresse has been making anti-immigrant dog whistles, so I would not expect all of her supporters to go for Macron.

YouGov, which recall was the one pollster to predict that the Brexit referendum would succeed, and has continued to be very reliable in the UK, finds only a 2% margin for Macron in a second round, which New Statesman called a statistical dead heat. YouGov also looked at how voters for the other candidates are likely to break in the second round. One key finding is that a substantial proportion of Melenchon voters would back Le Pen in a second round. From New Statesman:

However, YouGov projected that Zenmour would come in at 13% when he garnered only 7% while it forecast Melenchon at only 16%, versus the 22% he scored yesterday. Even though YouGov anticipates Melenchon voters will split 55% Macron v. 45% Le Pen, thats way short of the pretty much 100% of Zenmour followers going for Le Pen.

New Statesman nevertheless argues that Macron has topped out, while Le Pen has more potential headroom:

All our data suggests the second round is now too close to call, said Paul Hilder, the founder of Datapraxis. Le Pens reserves  people on the fence for the second round, but who think Macron would be worse  are more positive about her and could mobilise more easily, while Macrons supposed reserves  many left voters amongst them  mostly hate him too. He is close to his ceiling, but she has room to grow. Whatever happens, this will be the best result ever for the French far right.

Now consider the wild cards:

The debate. At the end of the first round in 2017, Le Pen did better against Macron than she did yesterday, less than 3% behind then versus over 4% now. But she had a disastrous debate performance and got only 34% in the second round. Le Pen has allegedly greatly improved since then as a politician. But from what I can tell from the press, she still gets prickly when asked about Putin,1 and if she defaults to that in a debate, its pretty sure to hurt her.

Sounds of energy pain from Germany. France gets less than 20% of its gas from Russia, so immediately, its biggest exposure is to diesel shock, which will still hit fishermen, truckers, and commuters with long drives. However, Germanys tiered energy emergency scheme calls for businesses to suffer cutbacks early on and some major firms are warning of large, permanent losses. A big slowdown in Germany would have to pull France down too. Loud warnings that dark economic times are coming soon to Germany could cool already tepid enthusiasm for Macron.

French NATO officials or diplomatic types being captured by Russia or found dead at the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol.

Everything in Mariupol is a bit fuzzy but from the best I can infer, about 4000 Ukrainian troops remain and they have been pushed back into the industrial areas of town near the port, with the biggest holdout group at the enormous Azavstal iron and steel works. Macron had called Putin twice about a humanitarian evacuation, the second time on March 29. Putin agreed, on the condition that any armed forced members lay down their arms. That was a non-starter.

In the meantime, Ukraine has attempted a number of helicopter rescues of the factory, with if I am counting correctly, five shot down. At this point, helicopters and helicopter pilots are scarce resources for Ukraine, so whoever they are trying to extract from the factory is high value. There was a crazy-sounding report yesterday, except it did come from the Russian Ministry of Defense and the MoD strikes me as too unimaginative to have come up with the I am maniac message from a cargo ship attempting to evacuate members of the Azov Battalion from the steel factory.

Now what does this have to do with France? There are reports and images of one of the downed helicopters having two dead men with French ID. The rumor is that there are other furriners in that factory. A Russian Duma deputy winked and nodded that 100 might be a good number, that they were NATO instructors, and there were daily negotiations with them about their exit. Clearly there is a fundamental impasse if these talks have been going on that long.

If these non-Ukraine operatives are indeed NATO employees, as opposed to mercenaries, this would put a lot of egg on the face of NATO and the individual countries that sponsored them. It would also explain why Russia has not stormed the factory. These targets would have huge value to them alive, both as a discussion topic at the UN Security Council and later in Russias planned war crimes trials.

And if these trapped men of mystery are captured before the election and are French and operating in some sort of official capacity, that wont help Macron.

So stay tuned! A lot can happen in the next two weeks.

________

1 Putin said something taken as nice about her, Shes a woman of her convictions (mind you, the same could be said of Russias current number one enemy Victoria Nuland) and a Russian bank lent Le Pens campaign money, which is widely depicted as tantamount to Putin lending her money, when Putin is not personally responsible for every action taken in Russia.
(Natural News) Alberta provincial health officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw faced her fourth straight day of questioning in an Alberta courtroom on Thursday as an unprecedented civil suit against the provinces COVID restrictions continues.

(Article by Harley Sims republished from TNC.news)

Lawyers with the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) have zeroed in on Hinshaws use of certain language  including non-believers, conspiracy theory, naysayers, new normal  and social justice commitments, as well as a highly publicized incident from October that saw Hinshaw apologize for initially blaming the death of a 14-year-old on COVID when he had actually died of brain cancer.

The long-delayed trial began this week, with JCCF lawyers representing a number of churches and individuals  including a gym owner  who had filed a constitutional challenge in Dec. 2020.

At that time, the plaintiffs had filed for an injunction against Albertas restrictions  including lockdowns involving their businesses, places of worship and family gatherings  pending this trial.

A different judge had struck down that petition, ruling the governments health measures to be in the publics best interest.

The timeframe of the challenge is important, as it means that health orders brought in after the summer of 2021  including Albertas vaccine mandates and passports  are not within its purview. Neither is the hindsight of new research since, narrowing the relevance to what Hinshaw allegedly knew or believed at the time she imposed her health orders.

Court of Queens Bench Justice Barbara Romaine is presiding over the hearing.

The suit is one of many currently ongoing against the federal and provincial governments over violations of Charter and other rights under COVID, including travel restrictions, vaccine requirements and lockdowns.

The lawsuit states that the Alberta government had violated rights to peaceful assembly, to travel, to conduct a business to earn a living, to visit family and friends, to have visitors in ones own private residence and to worship.

Select individual rights and freedoms have been constitutionalized in this country for a reason, the JCCF wrote. Not merely because living in a free society is convenient, because of the recognition that the activities, experiences and endeavours those rights protect are what make life truly worth living.

The JCCFs lawyers have been cross-examining Hinshaw on her 206-page affidavit detailing pandemic statistics, timelines and decision-making frameworks.

Hinshaw testified that it can take months to distinguish people who died from COVID from people who died with it. When asked whether the number of people who died from COVID is actually lower than what was reported, Hinshaw answered, its part of the ongoing checking process.

Questions also arose around the slippery slope of socialized medicine  in addition to social justice considerations in Hinshaws decision-making  with lawyer Leighton Grey asking her why she hadnt asked people to get their weight under control when evidence showed that obesity  along with many other conditions  was a major contributing factor to COVID hospitalizations.

You never told Albertans they could reduce their risk of COVID-19 by reducing the amount that they ate, said Grey. You never said, You know, it would really help you, it would really help your health, if you would get your weight under control.

Replying that obesity is not something that can be changed in a short time, Hinshaw then faced questions over restrictions involving children and young people, whom evidence showed were at next to no risk from the pandemic.

Hinshaw admitted that COVID-19 infection is not a significant risk to people under the age of 19.

On Tuesday, Grey invited Hinshaw to explain to the court why she had used the term non-believers to describe people who did not go along with her COVID recommendations.

Hinshaw defined non-believers as those who adopted beliefs that would lead to behaviours that would put themselves and others at risk. When asked about her use of conspiracy theory and naysayers to describe people who held different opinions from government doctors, she replied that a small number of individuals with a differing opinion does not change the consensus.

The fourth day of questioning brought up the inevitable issues of cabinet privilege and confidentiality, with the judge deciding to ask Hinshaw three questions in camera (or behind closed doors) about what the Alberta government had recommended or directed in terms of health orders.

The Rebels Sheila Gunn-Reid, who has been live-tweeting the case from court all week, summarized the questions, concluding that we may or may not get to know what Hinshaws answers are until the judge rules.

With Alberta one of the first provinces to remove almost all its pandemic restrictions  including even its vaccine mandate for already-hired healthcare workers  the appearance of a public health official in provincial court sets a precedent for accountability, especially with civil suits against other government doctors.

In comparison, British Columbia provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is not currently expected to take the stand until Apr. 17, 2023.

Several constitutional challenges against pandemic restrictions have been launched in B.C., including one by public servants suspended or terminated over vaccine mandates that is scheduled to begin on May 16.

Two others by the JCCF in B.C.  both of which name Henry  include one on behalf of fired healthcare workers and another on behalf of churches and individuals affected by bans on in-person worship.

Read more at: TNC.news
(Natural News) What made Barack Obamas effort to implement universal healthcare via his Obamacare fiasco so evil was that he knew that all Americans, at some point in their lives, require medical care.

By implementing a full-on, government-controlled healthcare system, Obama knew how that would have given central planners nearly complete control over American citizens.

Now, the next phase of that authoritarian plan is coming into view: Controlled citizens finances.

According to Reclaim The Net, the Bank of England has announced that it has partnered with the Digital Currency Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with the objective being to conduct joint research into developing a central bank digital currency.

An important point to note regarding this research partnership is the fact that the Bank of England has made it clear that it currently has no intention of launching its own CBDC at the current time. The work being conducted between the bank and MIT is purely for research purposes, the report notes.

However, the bank has conducted research into the topic before, having previously released a paper on the topic of creating a national digital currency. The DCI then noted ways that the plan could eventually come to fruition.

In addition, the Bank of England has also worked with HM Treasury in the past, forming a panel to study how a central bank digital currency could be created and how it would likely function. The committee studied a number of issues related to the subject, while also examining ways that the currency could be utilized throughout the United Kingdom.

A key conclusion that was reached by the committee was the insight that a national digital currency could have some distinct advantages. At the same time, it is a matter that needs to be thoroughly researched to determine when there is a need for it, Reclaim The Net noted, adding:

In recent years, there has been massive interest in the topic of CBDCs. The Bank of England is far from the first central bank to look into this topic. Central banks in countries such as South Africa, Australia, the Bahamas, and Singapore have all engaged in CBDC projects and made significant progress. A few of these banks have already launched a national digital currency.

The report went on to note that the DCI at MIT has also partnered with other major banks and financial institutions to examine the implementation of a national digital currency. They include the Bank of Canada, which also partnered with MIT for a CBDC study, as well as the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, which has been involved in an analysis dubbed the Hamilton Project, which was launched in 2020.

These efforts at creating a national digital currency should be viewed as nothing short of governments seeking to gain even more leverage and control over their citizens.

Consider that with currency  dollars, silver and gold coins, etc.  the government has no way of knowing how much you have at any given time. While existing in our modern society requires financial tools like having a bank account, a checking account, and/or a debit card, citizens can still stash hard and fiat currency for later use in their homes and Uncle Sam has almost no way of knowing how much is being stashed.

But if all hard currency and fiat money are replaced by a 100-percent digital alternative, the government will literally know how much money citizens have at any given time. Worse, if a citizen gets out of line  like, say, protesting at the Capitol Building on Jan. 6  that same government can deem you an enemy of the state and freeze your assets like the Biden regime has done to Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

Digital currency is not about developing a modern financial instrument, it is about control and we should resist it.

Sources include:

NaturalNews.com

ReclaimTheNet.org
(Natural News) The Walt Disney Company has apparently made it a habit to hide the truth about pedophile employees at its various businesses who molest and assault children.

In 2014, it was reported that a 36-year-old Disney Cruise Line steward by the name of Ahmed Sofyan held a 13-year-old girl in an unoccupied cabin and molested her. Sofyan was charged with two counts of molestation and one count of false imprisonment for these crimes.

At the time when the story was released, an ex-Disney Cruise officer by the name of Dawn Taplin came forward to reveal that a similar instance of child molestation had occurred two years before the Sofyan incident, but that it was covered up by Disney.

Taplin claimed that Disney authorities, much like the mafia, told her to keep quiet about the attempted child rape or else. She came forward anyway, wanting to do the right thing and because she was present on the cruise ship where the incident occurred.

It was the year 2012 when a Disney cruise ship employee was caught on camera molesting an 11-year-old girl in an elevator, Taplin revealed. The incident should have been reported to the authorities, but Disney higher-up told security on the ship to keep it under wraps.

Taplin ended up interviewing the young victim herself after she and her grandmother reported the crime to Guest Services. Having served as a police officer for 17 years before being hired by Disney, Taplin said she found the surveillance footage disturbing.

Disney waited until after ship was outside U.S. jurisdiction to report child molestation to foreign authorities

According to reports, the molestation occurred while the cruise ship was still docked at Port Canaveral in Florida. Passengers were still boarding the ship at the time, and as recalled by Taplin they werent going anywhere for another two hours or so.

Since the ship was technically still on land, Taplin notified the ships second-in-command and offered to call her contact at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Taplin received a much different response, however, than she was expecting.

I was ordered not to make any phone calls, do anything at all. Nothing. Period, Taplin recalled. Just keep your mouth shut.

If a crime is committed while youre hooked up anywhere here, it is an American, it is a United States, it is a Florida crime.

Several hours later, the ship departed as planned and the suspected perpetrator, Milton Braganza, was still on board. Other children were potentially put at risk, in other words, by Disneys decision to protect its own reputation rather than pursue justice.

The Disney Cruise Line waited until the next day after the cruise ship had already left U.S. waters to report the incident to Port Canaveral police, which then passed it on to the U.S. Coast Guard, which then passed it on to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

In my professional and personal opinion, I think they wanted to get outside the United States limits and get him off the ship in the Bahamas and just leave it alone, Taplin said.

Once the ship arrived in Nassau, Braganza confessed to the act, but the childs grandmother chose not to prosecute. It remains unclear as to why nothing was done to prosecute Braganza.

Braganza was later flown back to his home country of India at Disneys expense. The company both arranged and paid for his flight back home.

Taplin said she believes that Disney wouldnt have gotten away with it if they were Americans. About a week later, she resigned from her position after working for the Disney Cruise Line for nine months.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek, meanwhile, has vocally opposed Floridas anti-grooming legislation, which aims to protect children from sexual predators like the ones who work on Disney Cruise Line ships.

More related news can be found at Evil.news.

Sources include:

100percentfedup.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Ecuador has ruled that individual wild animals have specific legal rights, including the right to exist, in a landmark case that makes it the first country to grant such rights.

The 7-2 ruling elevating the legal status of nonhuman animals arose from the case of a woolly monkey called Estrellita. She was taken from the wild illegally and lived with the family of librarian Ana Beatriz Burbano Proano from the time she was one month old.

Estrellita lived with the family for 18 years as a pet, learning to communicate with them using sounds and gestures, and she even took on their customs. However, because owning wild animals is illegal in Ecuador, authorities seized Estrellita in 2019. They brought her to a zoo, where she died a month later after suffering a sudden cardio-respiratory arrest.

Prior to learning of her death, Burbano filed a court case to get the monkey back, citing the distress she would have been experiencing after being abruptly taken from the only life she had ever known.

The case presented scientific evidence of the social and cognitive complexity of the woolly monkey species to argue that the monkey deserved the right to bodily liberty and that the environmental authority should have protected Estrellitas rights by examining her specific circumstances before placing her in the zoo.

Ultimately, the court ruled that both the authorities and Burbano had violated the monkeys rights. Burbano violated Estrellitas rights by taking her from the wild in the first place, while the authorities didnt consider her needs before they relocated her. In addition, the court proposed that Ecuadors Ministry of the Environment create new legislation and procedures to better uphold wild animals constitutional rights moving forward.

In its 7-2 ruling, the court wrote: The domestication and humanization of wild animals are phenomena that have a great impact on the maintenance of ecosystems and the balance of nature, as they cause the progressive decline of animal populations.

Although it is considered a groundbreaking ruling, it is not the first time that an Ecuadorian court has ruled in favor of nature. In 2008, it became the first country in the world to officially recognize the rights of nature at the constitutional level; Estrellitas case was the first to apply this law to wild animals. A landmark ruling in the country last year found that mining activities in a protected cloud forest were a violation of the rights of nature.

Ecuadorian environmental lawyer Hugo Echeverria stated: While rights of nature were enshrined in the constitution, it was not clear prior to this decision whether individual animals could benefit from the rights of nature and be considered rights holders as a part of nature. The court has stated that animals are subject of rights, protected by rights of nature.

Ruling stops short of equating animals to humans

It is important to note that the ruling does not equate animals to human beings. However, it does extend them the rights to exist, flourished and evolve within the context of ecological processes such as predation and other biological interactions between species.

Harvard University law professor Kristen Stilt told the media: What makes this decision so important is that now the rights of nature can be used to benefit small groups or individual animals. That makes rights of nature a far more powerful tool than perhaps we have seen before.

The court also noted that animals have an individual value that is not related to their usefulness to human beings and that wild species and their individuals have the right not to be hunted, fished, captured, collected, extracted, kept, retained, trafficked, traded or exchanged.

Sources for this article include:

EcoWatch.com

ScienceAlert.com
(Natural News) Are federal law enforcement agencies fighting crime or promoting it? According to veteran pro-life activist Randall Terry, the authorities are actually the bad guys.

Both the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) targeted pro-lifers, he says, who discovered and reported fetal remains outside a Washington, D.C., abortion clinic.

Instead of going after the criminal perpetrators who left the remains of murdered unborn children on the street, the DoJ and the FBI instead went after the whistleblowers who reported it.

These people contacted local authorities and then suddenly the DoJ comes in with the FBI to arrest them, Terry stated at an April 5 press conference.

The indictment had come almost a month earlier. The DoJ under Trump was not prosecuting these cases. So somebody wanted to show their pro-abortion-bona fides at the Department of Justice and dug up a case that was two years old.

While it cannot be said for certain that the arrests of the nine pro-life activists occurred because of their discovery of the murdered babies, Terry says that at the very least, the DoJ and the FBI fast-tracked them in retaliation for it.

Probably the speed at which it happened  a month earlier is the indictment and then suddenly when these babies are found, I think somebody at the DOJ and the police coordinated, Terry said. Thats my gut. But I could be wrong.

Murdering babies is virtuous in the new America

Pro-life activist Terrisa Bukovinac says that she and fellow pro-lifer Lauren Handy were the ones who discovered the fetal remains of about 115 aborted children on March 25 outside the Surgi-Clinic abortion facility in D.C.

Upon arrival we saw a truck labeled Curtis Bay Medical Waste Services parked outside, she revealed.

We approached the driver who was about to load two large boxes with biohazard symbols onto his truck. We asked him if he knew what was in the boxes, and after he said no, we told him: Dead babies.'

Bukovinac says the driver was visibly shaken after that and confirmed the boxes were from Washington-Surgi. She added that herself and Handy were also given one of the boxes from the driver after Handy told him they planned to give the dead children inside a proper funeral and burial.

Since they were unable to find a pathologist or medical specialist to examine the bodies, Bukovinac and Handy decided to contact the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department as well as the Chief Medical Examiners Office through Steve Cooley, their legal counsel.

It appears that some of the fetuses were the result of late term abortion(s) or possibly live birth abortions, Cooley wrote in a March 29 letter.

The purpose of this communication is to advise appropriate authorities of this situation and request an investigation and forensic examinations be undertaken as required by applicable law.

The very next morning, Handy and eight other pro-life activists were arrested by the FBI for a pro-life rescue that took place at the same abortion clinic back on Oct. 22, 2020.

It turns out that this particular abortion mill is run by someone named Cesare Santangelo, who has an extensive history of medical malpractice.

Remember, if it was 1942 or 1943 and a German photographer or videographer made it into Auschwitz or Dachau and took footage of what was happening in those facilities and did not show it, that photojournalist would be a collaborator with the Nazis and with the killers, Terry says.

And that is what has become of so much media in America today. Collaborators by hiding the truth. And it is repugnant, is an offense against God and a treachery against these victims.

The latest news about the abortion racket can be found at Abortions.news.

Sources for this article include:

LifeSiteNews.com

NaturalNews.com
Actor Sam Elliott apologized on Sunday for ripping Jane Campions The Power of the Dog in a podcast last month.

I said some things that hurt people, and I feel terrible about that, Elliott said while serving on a panel for Deadline focused on 1883, the Paramount drama he stars in.

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Sam Elliott attends the LA Special Screening of "All The Bright Places" at the ArcLight Cinemas Hollywood on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) (Willy Sanjuan/Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)

He had called the since Oscar-winning Power of the Dog a piece of s--t while being interviewed on the WTF podcast hosted by Marc Maron. He also compared the characters to Chippendales dancers, running around in chaps and no shirts, he said. Theres all these allusions to homosexuality throughout the f--king movie.

Benedict Cumberbatch, who stars in the film, spoke obliquely of a very odd reaction to the film, during a conversation related to the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), the British equivalent of the Oscars.

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The movie led the Oscars with 12 nominations that included best picture, best actor for Cumberbatch and best director for Campion, leading the number of nominations. Campion won for best director.

Elliott revised that earlier assessment in the Deadline panel, calling Campion a brilliant director and apologizing to the cast and the gay community.

I wasnt very articulate about it. I didnt articulate it very well, Elliott said in his first public comments since then, according to Deadline. And I said some things that hurt people and I feel terrible about that. The gay community has been incredible to me my entire career. And I mean my entire career, from before I got started in this town.

I told the WTF podcaster that I thought Jane Campion was a brilliant director, and I want to apologize to the cast of The Power of the Dog, brilliant actors all, Elliott said on the Deadline panel. And in particular Benedict Cumberbatch. I can only say that Im sorry, and I am. I am.
(Natural News) A leading Republican senator is railing on President Joe Biden following reports that his administration is considering yet another moratorium on student loan repayments long after financial hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have passed.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) noted on Twitter that the payment freeze is an insult to responsible Americans who pay their debts and their bills, The Hill reported.

President Bidens perpetual student loan payment moratorium is an insult to every American who responsibly paid debts, Cotton wrote in a tweet. Theres no free lunch: this reckless move puts taxpayers on the hook for billions.

President Bidens perpetual student loan payment moratorium is an insult to every American who responsibly paid debts. Theres no free lunch: this reckless move puts taxpayers on the hook for billions.  Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) April 5, 2022

The Hill added:

The Biden administration is expected to announce an additional extension of the pause on student loan payments this week, multiple sources told The Hill. The extension would prolong the moratorium on federal student loan payments and interest growth past the current expiration date, which is set for May 1.

The last time the moratorium was extended was in December. It was first enacted under former President Trump in March 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, and has since been extended five times.

The student loan pause was first implemented in an effort to provide relief to Americans who had difficulties making payments.

There is literally no reason to put taxpayers on the hook for what is actually more than a trillion dollars in loan debt because the employment situation in America today is far better than it was just a year ago when the country was still recovering from pandemic-related closures and shutdowns.

The current unemployment rate in the U.S. is 3.6 percent  it was 3.4 percent in February 2020, right before Americans were lied to and told that we needed just two weeks to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. So in other words, the country is essentially at full employment, and in fact, employers are actually competing for workers.

The excuse that there arent enough jobs to go around and Americans are at risk of starving if they pay their loan is bunk. But not only that, allowing Americans who have student loans to go without paying them sends the wrong signal to society as a whole  that youre somehow not responsible for your own debts.

Former Fox News host and current top-rated podcaster Megyn Kelly blasted the Biden regime and far-left Democrats like one-trick pony Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York for continuing to allow Americans to be irresponsible with their student loans.

During an interview on her Tuesday podcast, she spoke with Ruthless podcast hosts Comfortably Smug, Josh Holmes and Michael Duncan about Novembers midterm elections and how she believes Republicans should do well, while also going on to address the administrations student loan moratorium.

Everythings free, we should go back to our socialist roots and then the Democrats wont be facing a blood bath in November, Kelly said. Didnt you guys have someone pay for your college?

I remember being a bouncer at a college dive bar and bouncers are the guys who have to clean the bathrooms, Smug said.

I dont think thats true, Smug, Kelly joked. I feel like somebody took advantage of you.

Everyone else in this country has always figured out a way to budget for their education and again its progressivism masquerading as compassion, Smug continued. No its not  its a handout to the wealthiest, liberal, coastal. Its like the liberal coastal elite embodied.

Kelly shared a personal story  about how her father died at 45 years of age when she was still in high school and her two older siblings were already in college. She said her mother struggled to help them pay for their education, adding that they each also had to take out loans they eventually repaid.

So, do I think now that I wouldve been better if the federal government had stepped in? she asked. It wouldve been nice but I dont think the neighbors should have to pay for my college education. My mom made a sacrifice. We took out loans too but we paid them back!

Sources include:

USAFeatures.news

TheHill.com
(Natural News) A former federal prosecutor has made an admission that very likely will confirm what most rational Americans already believed: That our ruling elites, if they are in the club approved by the deep state, are simply not subject to the same laws and rules as ordinary Americans or those who are deemed unworthy of being accepted, such as Donald Trump and anyone who worked for him.

Former Utah U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman said this week that first son Hunter Biden very likely would have been indicted on several charges before the 2020 election if he were anybody else, following a report that an investigation into his overseas business ventures was a long way from being over.

In an interview with Fox & Friends, Tolman said that the U.S. attorney in Delaware  the Bidens home state  has had this case for a long time, and yet, nothing has been done.

Anybody else in this country, we would have seen these indictments probably before the election, Tolman admitted.

In addition, the former federal prosecutor noted that testimony from former Hunter Biden business partner Tony Bobulinski, as well as various emails and materials found on a laptop he abandoned at a Wilmington, Del., computer repair shop in 2019, raises possibilities that President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, first brother James Biden, and others facilitated their ability to take large amounts of money from countries  and to be able to hide that from the government and to hide what they were buying.

Now the executive director of Right on Crime, a project of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a nonprofit group, Tolman also said that officials were afraid to see, maybe, access that was given to the vice president at the time, who was Joe Biden.

Asked if he were still a federal prosecutor whether he would go after President Biden, Tolman responded: I would be issuing  months ago, I would have issued search warrants.

I would have requested [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] warrants to uncover what was happening with China, he said. I would have put together, you know, a team of people.

The New York Post continued:

Joe Biden has repeatedly denied any involvement in his sons business affairs and said during the presidential debate on Oct. 22, 2020, My son has not made any money in terms of this thing about  what hes talking about China.

Tolmans remarks came in the wake of a Washington Post report that said it had authenticated emails from the infamous Hunter Biden laptop  which the New York Post first reported and brought to light a month before the election, in October 2020  including some that involved a deal the first son pursued with the CEFC China Energy conglomerate for which he was paid nearly $5 million.

But the Post was not the first legacy media outlet in recent weeks to do an about-face and admit that the materials found on Hunter Bidens laptop, the contents of which were first reported by the New York Post in October 2020, were indeed legitimate. Earlier last month, The New York Times also reported that the materials had been verified (though they were deemed real more than a year ago by then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe of the Trump administration.

And NBC News has since reported that a federal tax probe Hunter Biden admitted he was the center of after his dad became president has expanded to include potential allegations he violated federal lobbying laws on behalf of foreign companies.

NBC News said that several witnesses testified before a federal grand jury in February, but despite that, the investigation is a long way from being complete.

The Bidens are filthy with corruption and our government knows it. And when the deep state is finished with Joe Biden, the hammer will drop.

Sources include:

NYPost.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Researchers have looked to the biblical story of Noah and his ark to safeguard the Earths flora and fauna. But instead of gathering two of every animal, a new solar-powered ark will store frozen seed, spore, sperm and egg samples obtained from 6.7 million Earth species. This ark will not be resting on Mount Ararat, but within the moons enormous underground lava tubes.

University of Arizona researcher Jekan Thanga is the foremost mind behind the project. He and his group of undergraduate and graduate students outlined the lunar ark concept in a paper presented during the IEEE Aerospace Conference 2021. Thangas group dubbed the concert as a modern global insurance policy.

The idea of humans staying on the moon has been around for hundreds of years. However, it is not exactly a hospitable and eventful place for humans to stay in. It does not have water or breathable air, and surface temperatures can hit as low as -25 degrees Celsius (-15 degrees Fahrenheit.) On the other hand, these qualities make the moon an ideal place for storing samples that need to stay very cold and undisturbed for centuries.

Furthermore, scientists discovered a network of about 200 lava tubes just beneath the moons surface in 2013. This network of lunar lava tubes measures about 100 meters in diameter and could provide shelter from solar radiation, micrometeorites and surface temperature changes. These structures were first formed billions of years ago and have remained untouched since that moment. The lava tube discovery renewed the space communitys enthusiasm for the lunar ark concept.

Thanga remarked that Earth is naturally a volatile environment. The aerospace and mechanical engineering professor further explained: As humans, we had a close call about 75,000 years ago with the Toba super-volcanic eruption  which caused a 1,000-year cooling period. [According] to some, [this aligned] with an estimated drop in human diversity. Because human civilization has such a large footprint, if it were to collapse  that could have a negative cascading effect on the rest of the planet.

Creating this lunar ark requires more than gopher wood and pitch

Thanga added that climate change is another looming concern. Many dry places will go underwater if sea levels continue to rise. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, which holds hundreds of thousands of seed samples, is among the areas Thangas team fears becoming submerged. The Svalbard vault stores the seeds to protect against accidental loss of biodiversity. Because of this, Thangas team is of the opinion that storing samples on another celestial body protects against biodiversity loss if in case an event causes total annihilation on Earth.

The professor added that while building the ark is no small feat, it is not as overwhelming as it may sound. Its not crazy big. We were a little bit surprised about that. (Related: Solar power 24/7: China plans to build first solar power station in space and beam power to Earth.)

The researchers presented their model for the underground lunar ark during the conference. A set of solar panels on the moons surface would provide electricity. Access to the facility would be provided by multiple elevator shafts. Inside the ark, Petri dishes would be housed in a series of cryogenic preservation tubes. An additional elevator shaft for goods would be utilized to transport construction material for underground base expansion projects.

Preserving seeds in sub-zero temperatures requires a temperature of -180 degrees Celsius (-292 degrees Fahrenheit), while cells require a lower temperature of -196 degrees Celsius (-320 degrees Fahrenheit.) Two hundred fifty rocket launches would be needed to transport about 50 seed and cell samples from each of the 6.7 million Earth species.

However, the extremely cold temperatures on the moon and the equally cold samples stored there could undermine the integrity of the lunar arks metal components. To avoid this, the scientists have taken advantage of the extreme temperatures through a phenomenon called quantum levitation. In quantum levitation, a material that transfers energy without losing heat floats above a powerful magnet. Both the magnet and the material are locked together at a fixed distance, so the material follows the magnet wherever it goes.

Thanga remarked that under the phenomenon, both the magnet and the superconductor material are locked in place by  invisible strings. He added: When you get to cryogenic temperatures, strange things happen. Some of it just looks like magic, but is based on tried and laboratory-tested physics principles at the edge of our understanding. Thangas team included quantum levitation in their lunar arks design, making shelves float above metal surfaces and having robots navigate through the facility above magnetic tracks.

Aside from these, more research needs to be done in relation to the lunar ark. These include studying how to build and operate the ark, investigating how lack of gravity may affect the preserved seeds and laying out a plan to communicate with authorities on Earth.

Doctoral student Alvaro Diaz-Flores Caminero is a member of Thangas team, where he leads the projects thermal analysis. He commented: What amazes me about projects like this is that they make me feel we are getting closer to becoming a space civilization, and to a not-very-distant future where humankind will have bases on the moon and Mars. (Related: Goodbye Earth? Astrophysicist claims humans can move into a space colony in 15 years.)

Visit Space.news to read more about plans to build structures on the moon.

Sources include:

ScienceDaily.com

News.Engineering.Arizona.edu
(Natural News) Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott have officially joined Democrat Senators Jack Reed and Angus King to establish a National Red Flag Risk Protection Order, which essentially takes away guns and ammunition from people based on unfounded accusations.

In the April 4 episode of Steel Truth, Project 21s Mike Hill told host Ann Vandersteel that the risk protection order requires the accused to prove their innocence and that they are not a threat to themselves or anyone else. So it turns our Constitution on its head. It violates the Second Amendment. And it also says that you are guilty until proven innocent, he said.

With so many things going right now, many cant defend themselves from unconstitutional legislation. Hill said it is important not to keep quiet about the matter. This is simply another march, the long march of trying to take away our Second Amendment rights, which are so vital, so important.

In just last year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) published a model extreme risk protection order legislation to make it easier for states to adopt red-flag laws if they wish to do so. The laws were supposed to allow family members or law enforcement to petition for a court order to temporarily ban people in crisis from accessing firearms.

The DOJ also announced last year that it would issue a comprehensive report on firearms commerce and trafficking, as well as annual updates necessary to give policymakers the information they need to help address firearms trafficking.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which is under the DOJ, sought to revoke the licenses of dealers the first time they violate the federal law. This pertains to transferring a firearm to a prohibited person; failing to run a background check; falsifying records such as those in the firearms transaction form; failing to respond to an ATF tracing request; and refusing to permit the ATF to conduct an inspection in violation of the law.

Now what we must do is make sure that our right to protect ourselves, a right to bear arms is not infringed. Right not only to protect us from those who would attack us and our belongings, such as a criminal, but also from a government which is overreaching and becoming tyrannical, Hill said about the order. (Related: It is the right and duty of all Americans to REFUSE to comply with unconstitutional gun laws.)

Some states enact permitless carry measures

Meanwhile, Georgia, Ohio and Indiana have moved to abolish requirements for background check and license to carry a handgun in public, with six other states  Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, Tennessee, Texas and Utah  enacting permitless carry measures. Many others are expected to follow such plans.

Called Constitutional carry or permitless carry, it has been criticized by police and gun control advocates, who argue that removing permits poses safety risks to citizens and law enforcement officers.

Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, said: Theres a reason law enforcement officers overwhelmingly oppose permitless carry. It makes their jobs harder and puts their lives  and the lives of the people theyre sworn to protect  on the line.

However, momentum toward permitless guns is unmistakable as new laws give Americans access to firearms.

Texas already went permitless in June last year when Governor Greg Abbott and others gathered at the Alamo for the signing of the bill. Government is coming to take your guns. Texas will not let that happen, Abbott said.

Indiana now allows anyone 18 or older to carry a handgun in public unless they have a felony conviction, facing a restraining order from a court or have a dangerous mental illness. (Related: GUNPOINT TYRANNY: Democrat tyrants in Virginia threaten to use the National Guard to enforce draconian new gun laws.)

Follow Guns.news for more information about the Red Flag Risk Protection Order and other gun-related updates.

Watch the April 4 episode of Steel Truth below. Catch new episode of the program from Monday to Friday at 9:30-10:30 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

More related stories:

Do Virginia Democrats realize they are only disarming THEMSELVES by passing more gun laws? Patriots refuse to comply guess who will hold all the guns when the uprising begins?

Californias anti-gun Marxists are considering softening gun crime laws because more persons of color are violating them.

Californias wave of mass shootings the result of rising gang lawlessness, not gun ownership; gun bans FAIL to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.

Sources include:

Brighteon.tv

WhiteHouse.gov

TheGuardian.com
(Natural News) The corporate-controlled media is still at it trying to steer public sentiment against ivermectin as a viable remedy for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19).

The Wall Street Journal published a fake news article the other day claiming that ivermectin does not reduce Fauci Flu hospitalizations, citing a study that supposedly made this conclusion.

What the Journal conveniently failed to reveal, however, is that the study has a hidden author who set out to undermine ivermectins efficacy and fool people into believing that it is ineffective and possibly unsafe.

On March 8, the Frontline Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) Community praised Phil Harper, a documentary director and producer, for trying to get to the bottom of who this unnamed individual might be.

Since early 2021, there has been a witch hunt taking place against ivermectin, and millions of people have suffered needlessly  many of them also died  because of it.

Entitled, Ivermectin Didnt Reduce Covid-19 Hospitalizations in Largest Trial to Date, the fake news piece from the Journal aims to solidify in gullible peoples minds the idea that Tony Fauci and Rochelle Walensky were right all along.

Digging a little deeper, however, reveals that the headline is false. Not only is the study not the largest trial to date to conclude that ivermectin does not work, but it also did not conclude that the drug provides no benefits.

Putting aside the possible intention to mislead, it is impossible for a study to definitively prove that no effect exists, explains The Defender. This is what is referred to in science as the null hypothesis, meaning an intervention has no effect.

It is entirely possible that a study may demonstrate no measurable effect. It is quite a different thing to prove that that same intervention will not have an effect under any circumstances  To put it flatly, one cannot prove that something doesnt exist.

At least 81 other studies show that ivermectin is safe and effective

Sarah Toy, the author of the Journal piece, also failed to mention that at least 81 other studies, all with a combined number of participants exceeding 128,000, came to a much different conclusion than this latest research.

Those studies collectively determined that ivermectin is, in fact, effective 65 percent of the time.

Another 22 studies involving nearly 40,000 people also found that when it comes to hospitalizations, ivermectin helps to prevent them at least 39 percent of the time.

The Wall Street Journal did not cite the study that was the focus of its article, because the study hasnt yet been published, The Defender further revealed. Yet Toy assured readers the study has been accepted for publication in a major peer-reviewed medical journal.'

Another thing not mentioned in Toys piece is the fact that all of the participants in this latest study were drawn from one of 12 clinics in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil. All of them had underlying comorbidities (i.e., obesity) that make them already at risk for severe disease.

The dosing regimen was unspecified and COVID diagnosis was made through rapid testing only, The Defender further added.

The reality, and the truth, is that ivermectin is an extremely safe and highly effective remedy for covid, especially when taken early at therapeutic doses. It is safer than most over-the-counter drugs that one can buy at the local pharmacy, and yet the American government does not want anyone to be allowed to have it.

The claim that it supposedly does not work is not a valid reason to deprive the public of the freedom to at least try it, but that is what fake news pieces like Toys aim to accomplish: the removal of all health freedom.

The latest news about fake news plandemic propaganda can be found at Propaganda.news.

Sources for this article include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

NaturalNews.com
A photographer prepares to take pictures of the annual Geminid meteor shower on the Elva Hill, in Maira Valley, near Cuneo, northern Italy on December 12, 2015. (Photo : Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

A high amplitude light beam was discovered radiating from the farthest extent beyond interplanetary space ever.

It's a form of inextensible astronomical particle known as a megamaser, and its radiation has journeyed a staggering 5 billion lumens to be seen here on Earth. The researchers that found it with the MeerKAT communications satellite in South Africa dubbed it Nkalakatha - an isiZulu term that means huge tyrant.

The Power Space Laser of Megamaser

A spectrometer is an electromagnetic version of a transmitter (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation).

The finding of the study has been approved for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and is accessible on the public service arXiv.

According to astrophysicist Marcin Glowacki of the Curtin College station of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in Australia, it is astonishing that experts already discovered a career high megamaser with just one evening of monitoring.

A photon beam, instead of generating light energy, stimulates and amplifies electromagnetic and radiation frequencies. The mechanisms that magnify photons in an astronomical repeater are ubiquitous; celestial bodies, meteors, mists, even stars may all make diode lasers.

As one might have imagined, a megamaser is a photon beam with a lot of energy. In most cases, these discharges are created by an entity that is gone utterly nuts in certain manner; for example, powerful supermassive black holes can generate megamasers.

Once the findings from the first evening of a 3,000-hour study arrived, Glowacki and his colleagues discovered the trace of a particularly unique sort of megamaser, brilliant in frequencies magnified by activated hydroxyl atoms, comprised with one hydrogen bond plus one oxygen atom. Hydroxyl megamasers have a well-known technique of synthesis. They are released by galaxy clusters that are in the midst of colliding with some other universe and are exploding with star creation as a consequence.

The magnetic relations of this humongous occurrence condense star-forming propane, resulting it to crumble rapidly into baby constellations. The origin of the megamaser discovered by Glowacki with his associates is a cosmos known as WISEA J033046.26275518.3 which is now recognized as Nkalakatha.

In a seat down interview of ScienceAlert with University of Colorado astronomer Jeremy Darlin, he explained that whenever two nebulae crash, such as the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy, lightning bolts burst out from the encounter and may be observed at cosmic extremes.

Also read: Scientists Craft a New Message for Any Intelligent Extraterrestrials, Should They Send It?





Megamaser's Light Spotted 5 Billion Light-Years from Earth

The hydroxyl megamasers operate like brilliant light sources signaling that a crash of cosmos is forming newborn constellations and fuelling enormous black voids.

The MeerKAT investigation was not intended to find megamasers. Seeking at the Distant Universe with the Meerkat Array (LADUMA) is exploring for a 21-centimeter frequency produced by impartial hydrogen in the interstellar Medium, distorted (redshifted) by the Known universe development.

The frequencies of a hydroxyl megamaser, on the other hand, are 18 centimeters; when change from time to time, they are much lengthier, and that redshifted emission was detected by the observatory network. Because the location of heavens has been widely examined in other frequencies, tracing the radiation to a source cosmos was rather simple.

Nkalakatha shines strongly in visible frequencies and features a long tail on one edge that shines intensely in electromagnetic spectra, most certainly as a byproduct of magnetic contact between the various now-merged cosmos.

The researchers have so far scheduled further studies of the interesting item, and they anticipate finding several more megamasers as the study proceeds.

Related article: A 'Canyon of Fire' Erupted Out of the Sun's Atmosphere




Cyclone Fili is approaching New Zealand and is expected to make landfall on North Island on Tuesday, April 12.

Meteorological authorities in the country issued several storm warnings for heavy rain and severe gales. Storm-force winds also pose a threat to coastal areas as the storm will likely intensify.

Cyclone Fili

Met Service weather forecaster Raveen Das told Morning Report that several coastal areas may receive at least 100 mm. of rainfall in 24 hours, as cited by Radio New Zealand.

This is possible as Cyclone Fili is moving in a southeastward pattern over the South Pacific Ocean from New Caledonia.

In addition, Met Service meteorologist David Miller stated that the chance of Fili hitting the South Pacific country from Tuesday to Thursday, April 14 is growing, as per Stuff.co.nz news.

Miller added that Cyclone Fili may bring uncertainty on its path in the coming days.

Regardless, North Island is still likely to be hit by the storm, says Miller.

Also Read: Scientists Develop New Model for Tropical Cyclone Forecasting for Disaster Preparedness in the Pacific

Devastation in New Caledonia

Last week, Fili formed as a tropical cyclone near New Caledonia and was initially forecasted to reach Category 2 or even severe Category 3 in strength, according to Weather Watch, as cited by The New Zealand Herald.

Cyclone Fili brought massive flash floods and caused blackouts in New Caledonia in recent days.

The main road connecting the main island to the northern and southern regions was submerged in flood. More than 3,000 houses were left without electricity.

This prompted the elevation of rescue alert levels for 16 districts in the northern territory.

Storm Warning

After leaving New Caledonia and passing through its capital Noumea, the weakened state of Cyclone Fili has still raised concerns about its potential damage and disruption in New Zealand, especially in the Tairawhiti Gisborne, which was recently hit by major flooding due to torrential rain.

As other areas are at risk, local authorities issued rain warning notices in the Coromandel Peninsula, the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua, Gisborne, and Hawke's Bay in North Island, as per New Zealand's 1 News.

Large waves pose the greatest threat in these locations.

In addition, strong wind warnings have been issued for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, the Coromandel, and Gisborne. From Monday, April 11, a front is reportedly expected to bring heavy rainfall in Fiordland and Westland.

Potential Disruption

Furthermore, Fili is expected to cause a storm surge in coastal areas, causing inland flooding. Maritime services surrounding the North Island are also likely to be disrupted.

Gusty winds and the heavy downpour of rain may also cause some possible delays, cancellations, or diversions of domestic flights and international flights across New Zealand, including at the Auckland Airport on North Island.

Cyclone Season

The formation of storms in the Pacific Ocean are common. In the South Pacific, several tropical cyclones hit New Zealand approximately between November and April each year.

These weather events are also associated with thunderstorms but tornado outbreaks in the country are reportedly rare.

The worst storm in New Zealand occurred in 1968 when Cyclone Giselle caused widespread flooding and damage, killing more than 50 people.

Related Article: New Zealand Raises Red Alert in Canterbury, Prompts Evacuation as Heavy Rains Continue
From 2005 to 2018, a global team of scientists used space-based measurements from instruments onboard NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) satellites to try to fill data gaps in air quality for 46 prospective megacities in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

The authors discovered significant annual increases in pollutants directly hazardous to the health of up to 14% for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and up to 8% for fine particles (PM2.5) across all cities, as well as significant annual increases in PM2.5 precursors of up to 12% for ammonia and up to 11% for reactive volatile organic compounds.

The 'Airpocalypse'

The scientists blamed the rapid deterioration of air quality on rising industry and residential sources, such as road traffic, trash burning, and increased use of charcoal and fuelwood.

"Open burning of biomass for land clearance and agricultural waste disposal has overwhelmingly dominated air pollution in the tropics in the past, but our analysis suggests we're entering a new era of air pollution in these cities, with some cities experiencing rates of degradation in a year that other cities experience in a decade," said lead author Dr. Karn Vohra (UCL Geography), who took part in the study as a Ph.D. student at the University of Birmingham, as per ScienceDaily.

According to the report, the overall total number of people dying earlier as a result of elevated pollution grew the highest in cities in South Asia, notably Dhaka, Bangladesh (population 24,000) and Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Surat, Pune, and Ahmedabad in India (totaling 100,000 people).

According to the researchers, while the number of deaths in African tropical cities is currently lower as a result of improvements made in healthcare across the continent, which has resulted in a decrease in overall premature mortality, the worst impacts of air pollution on health will most likely occur in the coming decades.

Nine of the world's ten cities with the worst air pollution are in India, because of a microscopic particle called PM2.5.

According to a new WHO database released today, Ahmedabad is at the top of the list, with Delhi coming in third.

The top 10 list of the worst areas for a bigger but still dangerous pollutant, PM10, is more diversified, including settlements in Bahrain, India, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia.

Both pollutants are produced by a combination of fossil fuel combustion in automobiles and power plants, as well as agriculture and natural sources such as desert sand.

Chinese cities, which once topped rankings of the world's most polluted cities, have significantly improved their air quality, as per NewScientist.

Also Read: New Study Suggests Mopping Can Cause Air Pollution

Health Consequences of air pollution to people

It increases the risk of respiratory ailments, heart disease, and lung cancer.

Air pollution has been related to detrimental health consequences in both short and long-term exposures.

People who are already sick, such as children, the elderly, and the destitute, are more vulnerable to the effects.

Fine PM2.5 particles, which penetrate deep into the pulmonary airways, are the most health-damaging pollutants.

Particulate matter is produced in large amounts by sources such as diesel automobiles and coal-fired power plants.

PM2.5 particles (particles with a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers) are known as "fine" particles, and they pose the greatest health danger.

Fine particles can lodge deeply in the lungs due to their tiny size (about 1/30th the breadth of human hair).

Related article: Air Pollution Causes 7 Million Deaths Yearly, Prompting WHO to Strengthen Guidelines
Near Lazy Mountain, Alaska, a fog of mystery prompted social media conspiracy theories on Thursday.

A macabre rising sliver of a cloud with finger-like trails has been explained as a meteor, Russian missile, plane disaster, and UFO.

Alaska State Troopers stated that a rescue team assigned to look for a wreck on Lazy Mountain discovered nothing odd.

Mysterious fog

The appearance of a gigantic worm-like cloud over Alaska's Lazy Mountain this week sparked conspiracy theories and prompted an inquiry and explanation by Alaska State Troopers.

It occured around 7 a.m., and the trail of smoke was photographed on Thursday, April 7, and it resembled anything from a falling meteor to a burnt airplane.

There was speculation of an explosion, a crashed UFO, and a Russian weapon tied to the ongoing battle over Ukraine on social media.

Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center were alerted to rumors of a probable jet accident.

"No complaints of overdue aircraft or ELT activations indicating an aircraft crash have been received," According to Alaska State Troopers, as per The Bellingham Herald.

A rescue crew in a helicopter conducted a mission around the Lazy Mountain region this morning and found nothing odd and no traces of wrecked aircraft.

Social media users soon started poking holes in that narrative, with some speculating on a government cover-up of a UFO crash and/or covert weapons testing.

"It appears to be a meteor. I'm curious as to where it landed," Cassi Joi wrote on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook page,

According to further inquiry, a huge commercial airplane was flying in the region at the time the photographs and video were shot.

On its route to JFK airport in New York, the plane was called and reported regular flight operations.

Troopers believed the photographs and videos show a vivid contrail from a commercial airplane mixed with the rising sun, resulting in a one-of-a-kind atmospheric scene.

Also Read: Mysterious Alien Phenomenon: Bizarre Footage Shows 'Cloud-Cloaking' UFO

UFO clouds

Meanwhile, another mysterious-looking cloud formation is the favorite among conspiracy theoriests.

Lenticular clouds are formed when strong, wet winds blow over difficult terrain, such as mountains or valleys, according to meteorologists, as per the National Geographic.

The wind may cool as it passes over huge features, causing it to condense into disk-shaped clouds that form perpendicular to the airflow direction.

Because of their height and form, when the clouds are photographed, they quickly go viral.

Another allusion to their form is the Latin word lenticular, which means lens-like.

Lenticular clouds, which may develop in various regions across the world, have been related to several previous accounts of UFO sightings.

Hole-punch clouds, created by tiny snowstorms in thin, subfreezing cloud layers, have been blamed for other UFO encounters.

Mountain waves in the air are apparent as lenticular clouds. These waves, on the other hand, can occur outside of clouds and even when no clouds are present.

They may produce very powerful gusty winds at one location while still air is only a few hundred meters distant from the ground.

Because of the turbulence that lenticular clouds produce, powered aircraft pilots avoid flying near them.

Glider pilots, on the other hand, enjoy them because they can predict where the air will rise based on the shape of the clouds.

Related article: Truth or Hoax: Strange "Hole-Punch Clouds" Made By UFO?
Tropical Storm Agaton, internationally known as Tropical Storm Megi, made landfall in the Philippines, bringing heavy rain and strong winds.

Although Megi has reportedly weakened based on the latest updates, the storm still poses a threat to the country's major islands of Visayas and Mindanao.

Tropical Storm Agaton

Megi formed in the western Pacific Ocean as a low-pressure area last week.

After making its entry into the town of Guiuan, Calicoan Island, on Sunday, April 10, Megi became the first storm in the Philippines this year.

The tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) and gust winds of up to 90 kph as of Monday, April 11.

In addition, it was last seen over the coastal waters of Mayorga, Leyte.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) stated that Megi has "slightly weakened" but forecasted it is due to make its second landfall on the eastern coast of Leyte, as cited by local news site ABS-CBN News.

Also Read: 20 Left Dead by Typhoon Goni as it Ravaged the Philippines

Related Incidents

Storm-related incidents have been reported in some parts of the central and southern Philippines as Megi continues to pass through the country in a slow phase.

The exact date and time of its exit point is not yet clear at this time.

In the Visayas, the commercial vessel MV Mika Mari 1 docked at the Consuelo Port in Camotes Island in Cebu port was submerged in water.

All 14 crew members of the ship have managed to escape and there were no reported casualties.

However, the ship was carrying more than 5,000 liters of diesel fuel and 68 liters of lube oil.

The sinking was due to large waves and strong winds brought by Tropical Storm Megi (Agaton), according to Capt. Alvin Dagalea of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Cebu Station, as cited by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

In Mindanao, one person died due to torrential rain and flash floods in Davao de Oro or Compostela Valley in the Davao Region.

The Davao de Oro provincial government has declared a state of calamity until further notice.

Rainfall forced residents in low-lying areas to evacuate the region, as per CNN Philippines.

In addition, Megi has caused agricultural damage in the region worth 150 million ($2.8 million).

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals

Hurricane-like winds are the greatest threat to the current tropical storm.

As a result, the local weather agency Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) issued several Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals (TCWS) Signals No. 1 and No. 2 in some parts of Visayas, Mindanao, and an area in the southern Luzon island, as cited by ABS-CBN News.

The following areas are under TCWS Signal No. 2:

Eastern Samar

Southern Samar

Biliran

North-Central Leyte

Northern Dinagat Islands

Other areas affected by TCWS Signal No. 1 include southern Masbate, northern Samar, southern Leyte, northern Cebu, Surigao del Norte, and the rest of the Dinagat Islands.

Typhoon Season

The occurrence of storms in the Philippines is usually prevalent during the typhoon season, which spans from July to November each year.

The eastern coastal areas of the country are the most vulnerable sites since most storms from the western Pacific Ocean make landfall in these locations.

The impact of storms in the Philippines can range from moderate to severe, especially in low-lying and mountainous areas due to flooding and landslides.

Communities near the eastern waters are also vulnerable to storm surges.

In 2013, Super Typhoon Yolanda (internationally called Super Typhoon Haiyan) caused the largest storm surge in the Philippines, with up to four meters of ocean waves hitting the city of Tacloban in Leyte; destroying most of its structures and killing thousands of people.

Related Article: Super Typhoon Yolanda Kills Estimated 10,000 in Philippines, [Videos] [Update]
TALLAHASSEE  After inking $2.4 billion in settlements with prescription drug manufacturers, distributors and retailers, the state is set for a courtroom showdown with Walgreens over its role in the opioid epidemic.

A long-awaited trial in the case kicked off Monday in Pasco County, among the areas of Florida that suffered most in the epidemic that former Gov. Rick Scott declared in 2017 as a public health emergency.

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The lawsuit, filed by the state attorney generals office in 2018, accused five of the nations largest opioid manufacturers and four distributors of causing the crisis responsible for killing 15 Floridians each day. The state later named Walgreens Co. and CVS Pharmacy Inc. and CVS Health Corp. as defendants in the case.

In advance of the jury trial, Florida reached settlements with all of the defendants except Walgreens. Attorney General Ashley Moodys office announced two weeks ago that the state had struck deals totaling more than $870 million with CVS and two drug manufacturers, leaving Walgreens as the lone holdout in the case.

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Pasco Circuit Judge Kimberly Sharpe Byrd on April 4 oversaw jury selection for the trial, which will take place in New Port Richey.

The trial comes after Florida has signed six settlement agreements totaling about $2.4 billion, according to Moodys office. The settlements are with AmerisourceBergen Corp.; Cardinal Health, Inc.; McKesson Corp.; Johnson & Johnson, Inc.; Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.; CVS Pharmacy, Inc.; Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd.; and Allergan-affiliated companies.

In the lead-up to the trial, lawyers for Moodys office and Walgreens have bickered over expert witnesses, document production and the kind of information jurors should be allowed to scrutinize.

Walgreens lawyers argued that the state should not be allowed to compare prescription opioid drugs to tobacco products. Florida reached a multibillion-dollar settlement with the tobacco industry in the 1990s because of the health-related impacts of smoking.

Obviously, the tobacco industry is a lightning rod for peoples emotions everywhere, but certainly in Florida. People have very, very strong feelings about the tobacco industry and the way it conducted itself, Walgreens attorney Kaspar Stoffelmayr told Byrd during an April 1 video hearing. If you want to present the jury with evidence about why opioids are a serious problem in the community, youve got to present them with evidence about the problems caused by opioids.

Its not proper to try and gussy that up with evidence about harms related to tobacco, environmental pollution, and anything else, he said.

But Daniel Paul Johnson, an attorney who represents the state, argued that tobacco comparisons are highly relevant to the case.

It can hardly be disputed that both opioids and tobacco products are highly, highly addictive. Both increase your chance of disease and death. Both have been deceptively marketed, he said, asking Byrd to reserve ruling on any tobacco objections until the trial.

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Byrd granted the states request, with a caution.

I do think there could be some issues in making tobacco comparisons that might outweigh whatever value youre trying to use it for. I do think theres other comparisons you could probably make, she said.

The state and Walgreens also squabbled over how much information jurors should receive about the retail chains finances and earnings.

It is irrelevant for many reasons, including the fact that Walgreens overall finances go far beyond the state of Florida, Walgreens attorney Jordan Golds said.

Courts have been wary to admit evidence about defendants wealth because of the well-accepted understanding that jurors have a tendency to disfavor the rich, Golds said.

But Minsuk Han, who represents the state, told Byrd that the state should be allowed to discuss Walgreens overall business, including its number of stores and employees.

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The magnitude and the nationwide scope of Walgreens operation are relevant, not only to their knowledge of the opioid epidemic, but also to their possession of extensive distribution and dispensing data important to preventing diversion of opioids, Han argued.

Again, Byrd said she would defer ruling on the issue until it comes up as objections during the trial.
Bioluminescence is one of the most spectacular features of nature, and it has also paved the way to be integrated into our modern lighting technology.

Now, a town in France is subject to ongoing lighting through bioluminescence from bacteria.

Light from Bacteria

The French town of Rambouillet became a site of a lighting experiment by the Glowee company which presented its bioluminescence project at the La Lanterne performance hall last year.

The purpose of the company's project was to light street furniture, shops, monuments, and public roads, as per the website of the Rambouillet Town Hall.

Currently, the project continues as the tree-lined Place Andre Thome et Jacqueline Thome-Patenotre, just across the La Lanterne will be illuminated with light soon, and it will be most visible during evening hours.

The project took off after a contract was signed in September 2021 between Rambouillet and the company with the objective of creating a bioluminescent public site for two years.

Last year, a COVID-19 vaccination center in the town was reportedly among the first to experience the lighting technology as a blue light emanated from cylindrical tubes.

Other bioluminescence experiments are also underway in France, including at the Charles de Gaulle Airport or Roissy Airport that is serving Paris, as per the BBC.

Also Read: Bioluminescence in Deep-Sea Fishes Breeds Species Diversity

What is Bioluminescence?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Ocean Service (NOS), bioluminescence is a light produced and emitted by a living organism.

This is made possible as a result of chemical reactions of energy taking place in the creature's body.

Bioluminescent creatures can be mostly found in marine ecosystems, from the seafloor all the way to the ocean surface.

A bioluminescent organism is not as rare as one might think, and a number of animals consist of bioluminescent species, said the NOAA - NOS.

Although the purpose of this biological feature is still a mystery, the US ocean agency emphasized bioluminescence is used as a means to detect, evade, warn, or lure predators, as well as a method to communicate with other members of their species.

Bioluminescent Creatures

The said chemical reaction responsible for producing bioluminescence involves two unique chemicals: luciferin and luciferase or photoprotein, as per the National Geographic.

Luciferin is said to be the actual compound that produces light during the process.

However, the variation in bioluminescent color is caused by the arrangement of the molecules of luciferin.

To name a few, bioluminescence is found among the animal kingdoms such as algae, bacteria, crustaceans, fish, jellyfish, sea stars, sharks, and worms.

Some of the most notable members of this category are the anglerfish, railroad worm, comb jelly, firefly squid, brittle star, hatchet fish, fireflies, foxfire, glow worms, and bioengineered mice, as per the National Geographic.

Potential Lighting Technology

The ongoing project in Rambouillet highlights the potential lighting technology from bioluminescence and the possibility of harnessing it to light towns and cities.

This is especially useful in remote areas of the world; as well as in communities where power lines are unable to reach, resulting in a permanent state of a power outage.

Related Article: Evolution of Bioluminescence May Be Surprisingly Predictable
California will be the site of the world's largest wildlife overpass as it will allow wild animals in the Santa Monica mountains to safely travel over a dangerous 10-lane highway.

Called the Wallis Annenberg wildlife crossing, the unprecedented green bridge will stretch up to 210 feet long and 165 feet wide.

World's Largest Wildlife Bridge

Drivers in the area may soon see the safe passage of mountain lions and other fauna, including lizards, snakes, and toads; nocturnal animals are also welcome to cross if they want to.

The wildlife bridge will be built above 101 Highway in proximity to California's largest city.

With almost a decade in the making, the wildlife overpass will reportedly create a corridor between two parts of the Santa Monica mountains.

The project is spearheaded by Beth Pratt, an urban ecologist of the National Wildlife Federation.

Pratt stated that she felt relieved that mountain lions will now be given a chance in the future, as per The Guardian.

The ecologist was responsible for persuading transportation officials about the project and for bringing together both stakeholders and donors for it to push through.

Also Read: Utah Bridge Provides Safe Wildlife Passage

Wallis Annenberg Project

With a budget of $90 million USD, the official ceremony to mark the beginning of the construction will take place on Earth Day on April 22.

Construction of the wildlife bridge will occur mostly every night and is expected to be completed by early 2025.

Local authorities, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, commended the effort as a primary example of a public-private partnership.

The project's fund ratio is estimated to be 60% private donations with the rest coming from public funds.

Unlike other wildlife overpasses or underpasses made of cement and steel, Wallis Annenberg will be nature-oriented and be designed that will be integrated into the environment of the Santa Monica Mountain range, according to the bridge's landscape architect Robert Rock, as cited by The Guardian.

Animal Crossing in California

The project came as large number of mountain lions in several areas are being killed by crossing the dangerous freeways of California.

Crossings such as the 405 Freeway, Malibu Canyon Road, and the 118 Freeway have been the site of most deaths of the big cats, as per the Los Angeles Times.

The LA Times also added that the Santa Ana and Santa Monica Mountain ranges are surrounded by life-threatening highways and growing infrastructural development.

Importance of Wildlife Bridges

The National Geographic highlighted that wildlife crossings and tunnels specifically designed for faunas can mitigate the environmental impact of highways.

These green bridges are often covered with native vegetation to resemble the crossing is still part of the natural habitat and invite animals to pass.

During the 1950s, the first concept was first developed in France and eventually spread to the Netherlands, resulting in the creation of over 600 wildlife bridges to help protect badgers, elk, and other mammals.

With the Dutch holding the title for the world's longest animal crossing, the upcoming wildlife overpass in the United States will soon make a groundbreaking new record.

Related Article: Bears Find New Mates by Using Man-Made Wildlife Crossings
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UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. (AP)  When the coronavirus pandemic first hit the U.S., sales of window coverings at Halcyon Shades quickly went dark. So the suburban St. Louis business did what hundreds of other small manufacturers did: It pivoted to make protective supplies, with help from an $870,000 government grant.

But things havent worked out as planned. The company quit making face shields because it wasnt profitable. It still hasnt sold a single N95 mask because of struggles to get equipment, materials and regulatory approval.

So far, it has been a net drain of funds and resources and energy, Halcyon Shades owner Jim Schmersahl said.

Many companies that began producing personal protective equipment with patriotic optimism have scaled back, shut down or given up, according to an Associated Press analysis based on numerous interviews with manufacturers. Some already have sold equipment they bought with state government grants.

As COVID-19 was stressing hospitals and shuttering businesses in 2020, elected officials touted the need to boost U.S. production of protective gear. Yet many manufacturers who answered the call have faced logistical hurdles, regulatory rejections, slumping demand and fierce competition from foreign suppliers. After the initial scramble for PPE subsided, many industry newcomers had difficulty selling products.

At the end of the day, when everybody said they wanted American-made, nobodys buying, not even the state, said Tony Blogumas, vice president of Green Resources Consulting, a rural Missouri firm that received an $800,000 state grant but has sold only a few thousand masks. Were kind of upset about the whole situation.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson also is disappointed. His administration divided $20 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds among 48 businesses for the production of masks, gowns, sanitizer and other supplies. Parson hoped to seed a permanent field of manufacturers.

Im still a firm believer in that  that we need to be making PPE here in this state, Parson said. Unfortunately, a lot of entities went right back to where they were getting it before.

The onset of the pandemic revealed that the U.S. was highly dependent on foreign countries for protective gear. When China limited exports because of its own battle against COVID-19, U.S. stockpiles plummeted. Prices skyrocketed as federal officials, governors and health care systems competed for supplies.

Though federal stockpiles have been replenished, shriveling domestic production has raised concerns that state governments, medical facilities and others could again get stuck scrambling for gear during a future pandemic.

The AP identified more than $125 million in grants to spur production of pandemic supplies made to over 300 business in 10 states  Alabama, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Ohio. Its possible that grants were awarded in additional states, but there is no central clearinghouse to track them.

In November 2020, Alabama awarded one of the single largest grants  nearly $10.6 million from federal pandemic relief funds  to HomTex Inc. The company was to equip a new Selma facility to make 250 million surgical masks and 45 million N95 masks annually. The plant has yet to make anything due to a lack of customers.

I cant produce product that I cant sell, HomTex President Jeremy Wootten said.

Some PPE manufacturers point to federal regulations as part of the reason for their struggles. Three-ply masks need FDA approval to be marketed for medical use  an important designation for building a long-term customer base. Companies need approval from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to market products as N95 respirators, which filter at least 95% of airborne particles.

During the first two years of the pandemic, NIOSH approved 30 new manufacturers  more than seven times the typical number during a similar pre-pandemic period, according to agency data. Some applications remain pending, while numerous others were denied.

Halcyon Shades N95 certification was rejected in October because its samples didnt have head straps attached. While the company works on another application, its equipment sits idle, with partially finished masks paused on a conveyor belt.

Without federal approval, were just dead in the water, said Schmersahl, the company owner.

Progress reports filed with the Missouri Department of Economic Development show that nearly all its PPE grant recipients faced challenges by July 2021, especially with sales.

Ohio awarded $20.8 million to 73 businesses to manufacture pandemic-related supplies, according to state data. Of 60 businesses that complied with a recent reporting deadline, more than one-third no longer produced PPE by the end of 2021.

Dozens of businesses banded together to form the American Mask Manufacturers Association with the goal of sustaining the industry. But the groups membership has dwindled as more and more go out of business.

Association organizers say the industry has reached a critical point. They want the federal government to treat PPE manufacturers like the nations defense industry  entering into long-term contracts to perpetually replenish a stockpile for future pandemics or emergencies.

If the federal government doesnt come in and help support the U.S. manufacturing base, its almost certainly going to go back to China, and well be just as vulnerable as we were in early 2020 and 2019, said Brent Dillie, the association chairman and co-founder of Premium-PPE, a Virginia manufacturer started during the pandemic that has shed about two-thirds of its roughly 300 employees.
PLEASANT VIEW, Colo. (AP)  With his hands stuffed deep into his pockets, Landan Wilson looks down at the ground and scuffs his boot back and forth against the loose blades of alfalfa hay scattered on the dirt.

Its early March, and Wilson is standing inside a massive storage shed on his familys farm a few miles west of Pleasant View, in an often-forgotten corner of southwestern Colorado. Normally this time of year, this shed, and another just like it, are both full of hay bales the Wilsons will sell to dairy operations in New Mexico and Texas. This year, the sheds are empty.

In 2021, the persistent drought that scientists believe is the driest 22-year stretch in the past 1,200 years hit this part of the state harder than just about anywhere else. Farmers and ranchers with junior water rights along the Dolores River, the regions main source of water, got around 10% or less of what theyre used to receiving. Whats more, last years difficult conditions piled onto an equally dry 2020  and the outlook heading further into spring and summer has many in the local agricultural community deeply concerned.

Everyone from family farmers to people living in town to the farm and ranch operation run by the Ute Mountain Ute tribe rely on the Dolores River.

The waterway originates high in the San Juan Mountains near Lizard Head Pass and cuts 240 miles northwest across Colorado before hitting the Colorado River in eastern Utah. In a normal year, water users in southwest Colorado utilize about 250,000 acre-feet of Dolores River water. Last year, there was only about 110,000 acre-feet of runoff available, 60% of which went to senior water users. (An acre-foot is the amount of water it takes to cover an acre in a foot of water, or about 326,000 gallons.)

Wilson, a fourth-generation farmer, grew up in this part of Colorado. Describing the business, he explains that his fathers side of the family was originally from Iowa, but resettled in Montezuma County, down by the Four Corners, in the early 1900s. I dont know why they did that, Wilson, 27, says in a tone that sounds only half-joking. Things are more green and lush in Iowa, and more productive.

The Wilsons use their allotment of Dolores water to irrigate about two-thirds of their 1,800 acres, growing mostly alfalfa. Normally, the farm produces enough hay that theyre still shipping out a crop to buyers in March. But their last shipment went out about six months ago; there wasnt enough water to grow any more than that. Its a pretty serious situation, Wilson says.

With less hay to sell, the Wilsons had to think about how they could cut costs. They decided not to use any fertilizer this past growing season because fertilizer is expensive. Other farmers have had to take on more debt or get rid of excess equipment to try to generate some additional cash flow, whatevers needed to get by. We tried to kind of plan for worst-case scenario, Wilson says. Then, who knows, you might come smelling like a rose or you might be screwed over.

The result on his farm was the two empty sheds.

All of this has Wilson worried. Its been serious enough that these days hes started to wonder whether he chose the wrong profession. He started in this business by helping his dad on the farm as a kid. He doesnt recall his father talking too much about water shortages back then. In 2017, Wilson decided he enjoyed the work so much that he went all in and started farming with his family full time.

Now, he feels like he only just barely got started, and that as this part of Colorado has been getting drier its making the work more challenging. He tries to stay optimistic, but thats hard to do when things are rough financially.

You know, Im still living with my parents, Wilson says. Thats not something I want to admit. I wanted to do this as a career, but it kind of has me second guessing things.

 A dry project

In 1968, Congress authorized the Dolores River Project, a federal Bureau of Reclamation project that stores and delivers water to irrigators and municipalities in the San Juan and Dolores River basins. More than 30 years later, in 2000, the project was considered fully completed, right about the time the most recent long-term drought began to set in.

They looked at the records when they designed these projects, and the last 20 years are unlike anything in the record, said Ken Curtis, general manager of the Dolores Water Conservancy District, which operates the Dolores Project. The project, which stores water in McPhee Reservoir, the third largest reservoir in the state, serves about 75,000 irrigated acres and around 20,000 people rely on it for drinking water.

There have been some good years during this most recent two-decade stretch, but the yo-yoing from decent to bad or worse and then back again makes things particularly trying. Some of the studies indicate we may be a little bit more on the leading edge with some of these problems, Curtis said. But its hard to predict.

What is tangible is the fallout from last year. The spring was hot and dry and the monsoon season never came. Normally, the water district operates on about $2.6 million in annual fees from customers who pay $40 an acre-foot. Curtis had to make do with almost $1 million less last year.

Its a self-sustaining system when theres water. The district delivers it to farmers and ranchers who pay fees that then go back to support the operation of the district. But without enough water that cycle is disrupted. Not only are farmers paying less in fees because theyre receiving less water, Curtis said, some have struggled to pay the bill for what water they did get.

Curtis was forced to cut costs and pull money out of reserves. The district recently let an open position go unfilled and theyre waiting to replace some equipment for another few years, hoping things turn around.

At the moment, this years outlook could go either way. A few March storms dropped some much-needed snow; snowpack in the region is at 93% of average, according to NRCS SNOTEL data. But snowpack isnt everything. The things that got us, Curtis said, were the hot dry springs with the dry soil.

The soil conditions in southwestern Colorado are the driest in the state, and the dry soil sponges off valuable spring runoff. Although statewide snowpack was either at or slightly below 100% of average the past two years, runoff was significantly lower than expected. McPhee reservoir contained about 100,000 acre-feet to start 2019; in 2020 it was only about 10,000 acre-feet.

Dealing with another year like last year would be tough for Eric White, whos been farming pretty much his whole life. Like Wilson, he started with his father and has been doing it on his own for the past 18 years. In 2021, out of 770 irrigated acres, he got one cutting of alfalfa from roughly 215 acres and the yield was about half of what it usually is on a first cut.

White worries about the long-term financial impact if the region doesnt get a better water year soon. Is our land going to be worth what we paid for it? he asked. Hes worried about what he has invested in infrastructure costs, too; a center-pivot sprinkler, for instance, can run up to $140,000.

Curtis, the general manager of the water district, hopes the community can adapt to whatever the conditions are this year and beyond. He thinks back to 2015, which was looking like it might be a dry year until it rained so much in May that the system recovered 50% of its supply in one month. They call it Miracle May.

Theyre looking at long-term trends being negative, but its hard to say how that plays out year to year, Curtis said. It could be more extremes  ups and downs. Is that death by 1,000 cuts? Or can we adapt?

 Senior and junior

Don Schwindt started growing alfalfa in southwest Colorado in the 1970s. Hes made a living that way ever since. Thats my business, he said. I dont know how to do anything else.

The elevation and climate conditions in this part of the state allow farmers to grow high-quality hay, making it particularly desirable. Schwindt has put his hay on trucks bound for California, Florida and everywhere in between. Hes even heard of his crop showing up at a market in Peru because someone wanted it to feed to their prize horses.

Schwindt has had to deal with bad water years in the past  1977 was one of the worst. Last year, however, didnt impact him the way it did some others. Schwindt holds rights that are senior to the rights held by other users, which puts him closer to the front of the line to draw water. Schwindts water comes from the Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company, a private mutual ditch company that has those senior rights. That setup has him leaning toward optimism. It was good, Schwindt said of his 2021. I expect a good year this year.

Schwindt knows his good fortune has likely made others envious. At the same time, he said, he knows he doesnt operate in a vacuum, and that if you pull out one too many agricultural blocks the entire communitys Jenga tower will topple. Weve got to be careful, he said.

He warned of the potential consequences of not being able to grow enough food locally, sending too much of that production overseas. You look at whats happening in Ukraine today, Schwindt said, and you think what will happen to us if weve got all our food coming from somewhere else on an ocean because we were too shortsighted to save the beauty of what weve learned to produce in this nation.

Just beyond Schwindts property, obscured by a hill, lies the Ute Mountain Ute reservation. The water story there is a different one.

Simon Martinez is in charge of running a large farm and ranch operation thats been going for more than 20 years. In 2020, because of the carry-over water from the previous year stashed in McPhee reservoir, the 7,700-acre irrigated operation enjoyed a mostly full supply. Last year, the farm, which has junior water rights, received only about 10% of a full allotment. We can discuss all day if its climate change, Martinez said. Its definitely weather related.

The Ute farm has 110 center-pivot sprinklers, all of which were put to use in 2020. Last year, they only ran about 15. That impacted how much alfalfa they could plant. They had to turn away multiple, long-standing customers and lay off employees because there wasnt enough work.

Hay production was one problem. Corn was another. The tribe couldnt grow enough corn to satisfy the needs of its Bow & Arrow cornmeal operation, which it sells both locally and online. They had to purchase corn from elsewhere in the U.S. to keep up with production  everything is still milled, stored and processed on the reservation. The Bow & Arrow brand corn products include blue, yellow and white cornmeal, as well as corn flour and polenta, all of which is certified non-GMO.

This spring has Martinez worried again. Hes trying to plan for how to handle another 10% year  just in case. Hes running out of time to decide on what fields he can count on putting into production. If the corn volume falls short again, he said the farm has a good enough reputation with its partners that whatever seed they dont use they can send back and recoup that cost.

All of this translates to jobs.

How do you keep 30 people employed? Martinez said. It was never an issue to pay a bill that was due. Now, we have to be very observant of what we do.

Martinez currently sits on the Dolores Water Conservancy District board and is working closely with Curtis on trying to understand and plan for how much water to expect this year. Curtis doesnt have the answer yet, but hes hopeful it will be better than last year. Looking at the most recent predictions in late March, he said hes hoping 2020 could end up with closer to 50% supply. But hes still waiting on another storm or two.

Surviving in this business, Curtis said, requires a certain amount of optimism, and the team running the Ute farm doggedly clings to hope.

Theyve done a good job of building a successful operation, Curtis said. I just need to find them some water.
New Castle, PA (16103)

Today

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 56F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 38F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
This photo shows ghost guns on display at the headquarters of the San Francisco Police Department in San Francisco in November 2019. The Biden administration is expected to release its long-awaited ghost gun rule within days.
Widespread adoption of genetic testing has made previously fantastical discoveries a more common occurrence.

Genetic testing has been used to find a murderer from a decades-old Orange County cold case, identify the biological parents of an adopted Florida woman with a falsified birth certificate, and figure out which dogs kept pooping in an Orlando high-rise.

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Genetic tests allow scientists to observe some or all of a living things genes, which are small sections of DNA that tell the bodys cells what to do. Along with perks from at-home test kits such as identifying people who dont pick up after their dogs, clinical genetic testing explains whether people are at higher risk of certain diseases. Some genetic mutations inevitably cause a disease to occur, while some just increase a persons risk of that disease.

AdventHealth Central Florida is testing people for the latter type of mutation through WholeMe, a population genomics research study started in 2019. If a dangerous mutation is found, participants are referred to genetic counselors and preventative resources to help lower their risk through lifestyle changes, said Dr. Wes Walker, director of genomics and personalized health for AdventHealths Central Florida Division.

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One of the goals of the study is to really learn how to do population genomics, because we feel its absolutely going to be an essential part of medical care going forward, Walker said. It really is going to  I think  transform early detection and early risk identification, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

The program has looked for mutated genes linked to high cholesterol, heart attacks and certain cancers in participants spit. About 7,000 people have participated over the last several years.

Starting this May, a new batch of participants can enroll in a phase of the study that tests for mutations in 11 genes linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.

In partnership with health intelligence company Sema4 and led by Rebecca Essner, a senior research scientist in AdventHealths genomics and personalized health program, this study will enroll patients as they schedule their annual mammograms at participating sites in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. Genetic testing will be provided to select patients alongside their mammograms. Free genetic counseling and follow-ups are offered as well. Essner said she hopes to recruit 6,000 participants in total.

Researchers will study the prevalence of genetic mutations within specific breast cancer risk groups. Theyll also track how many people made follow-up appointments and lifestyle changes after learning they had a dangerous mutation.

This is also a test drive of a future where genetic testing is part of standard care, Essner said.

Were really looking at not having them come for a separate visit, but trying to incorporate that as part of their visit while theyre on campus, Essner said. For convenience and to be able to let people see those two things as equal: you get your screening mammographies for preventative reasons; you get genetic testing for preventative reasons.

In some ways, the future is here. AdventHealth for Children has already implemented rapid genome sequencing  which looks at all a childs genes. Results may help to help determine appropriate care for critically ill babies and children in intensive care with unexplained medical conditions.

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Insurance does not commonly cover genome sequencing, though over the past decade the price of sequencing the human genome has dropped dramatically thanks to advancements in technology, and its expected to become even cheaper. Eventually, AdventHealth hopes to keep an electronic medical record that combines genetic and clinical data for many of its patients, Walker said.

Sema4s artificial intelligence technologies can analyze this data in order to identify and eventually predict patterns in disease development, or even the way a patient may respond to medication, Sema4 said in a May news release.

AdventHealth is in the process of implementing a systemwide electronic medical record now.

Dr. Steven Bleyl, a medical geneticist and chief medical officer of Genome Medical, noted there are some challenges that need to be overcome before genetic testing becomes commonplace in the doctors office.

One challenge is that few people that need genetic testing get it. Fewer than 1 in 5 women meeting National Cancer Comprehensive Network criteria have been tested for mutations linked to breast or ovarian cancer, a 2017 study from University of California-Los Angeles found.

It takes a really long time for any new technology to really make its way into physician widespread adoption, Bleyl said.

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Many doctors didnt learn about how to interpret genetic tests or when to give them in medical school. Incorrectly interpreting genetic results can cause doctors to order unnecessary and inappropriate screening, imaging or procedures, harming patients, he said.

The guidelines on how to act on someones genetic information are complex and not always available to primary care providers or specialists downstream from that, Bleyl said. The harm Im talking about could just be in cost but certainly you wouldnt want someone to have a medical procedure that wasnt indicated based on genetic results.

Another concern that may hold some people back from genetic testing is fear their results could get into the wrong hands, Bleyl said, though he said the risk of a data breach is extremely low if tests are done by a doctor.

HIPAA protects genetic information gathered in a health care setting, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act provides extra protection against genetic discrimination for things such as health insurance and employment, though not life insurance or disability insurance.

AdventHealth Central Floridas webpage dedicated to WholeMe, wholemeflorida.com, notes in the unlikely event there is an unintended disclosure of information that can be used to identify you, it can affect your insurability, family relationships or other legal rights.

The website states data will be kept in a confidential data repository that meets HIPAA security standards.

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ccatherman@orlandosentinel.com
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Anthony Todt reacts as photos of the bodies of his family are made public during the first day of his trial at the Osceola County Courthouse, Monday, April 11, 2022. The Connecticut physical therapist is accused in the killings of his wife, children and dog, at their Central Florida home. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)

Anthony Todts youngest child was the first to die, Assistant State Attorney Danielle Pinnell told jurors Monday morning.

The defendant ... went into Zoe Todts room while she was asleep, Pinnell said. He took the time to sit with her and then he rolled over on top of her until she suffocated.

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In a confession that jurors will hear during his trial, Todt told detectives he next went to the boys bedroom, where his eldest son was sleeping, Pinnell said during her opening statement. After suffocating and stabbing Alek, Todt went to the playroom where 11-year-old Tyler was sleeping on a sofa.

The defendant was more concerned about Tyler Todt because Tyler was the fastest, the prosecutor said. He was afraid that if something didnt go the way that he wanted, Tyler would escape.

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Todt shook his head as Pinnell described his interrogation by law enforcement, in which Todt confessed to killing 4-year-old Zoe; his two sons Alek, 13, and Tyler; then his wife 42-year-old Megan Todt and the family dog Breezy at their Celebration home.

The white, two-story house where Anthony and Megan Todt lived with their three children, as it appeared Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, the day after four bodies were found inside. (Grace Toohey/TNS)

After he was found living with the decomposing bodies of his wife, children and dog and arrested in January 2020, Anthony Todt told detectives he and his wife had an agreement to kill their family, prosecutors said.

Everybody needed to die in order to pass over to the other side together because the apocalypse was coming, Pinnell told jurors at the Osceola County Courthouse.

Todt, a 46-year-old Connecticut physical therapist, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of animal cruelty in the 2020 killings of his wife, kids and pet.

He has pleaded not guilty.

Jurors, who were sworn in last week, did not hear from Todts defense before testimony began Monday.

Orange-Osceola Public Defender Robert Wesley told Circuit Judge Keith Carsten the defense would be deferring its opening statement, meaning Todts attorneys will wait to present theirs until after the state rests its case.

Pinnell in her opening said Todt told detectives that after he suffocated and stabbed Tyler, he suffocated Breezy. Todt claimed his wife stabbed herself in the abdomen, she said.

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The defendant told law enforcement that Megan did that to herself, and as best as she tried, that didnt work, Pinnell said. And so the defendant took a pillow and suffocated Megan Todt as well.

Jurors later heard from deputies with the Osceola County Sheriffs Office, who tried to reach the Todts at their Reserve Place home after relatives said they hadnt heard from the family since Dec. 26.

Im wondering if somebody can do a wellness check on my brother and his family, Todts sister, Chrissy Caplet, told dispatchers on an audio recording played for jurors. Theyve been really sick for probably like the past week and a half, and I cant seem to get a hold of them.

Images of Megan Todt, 42, and her children, 13-year-old Alek, 11-year-old Tyler and 4-year-old Zoe from a 2020 funeral service held in her hometown parish in Montville, Conn.

Authorities discovered Todts slain family Jan. 13, 2020 while serving a warrant to arrest him on federal health care fraud charges related to his Connecticut physical therapy business.

Osceola deputies and FBI agents who swarmed the home on Reserve Place found the door unlocked and smelled a foul order. Body camera footage played for jurors showed deputies speaking to Todt, who told them his wife was sleeping and yelled out, Megan!

Michael Phelps, a federal law enforcement officer, told jurors authorities found the bodies of Todts wife, children and dog wrapped in blankets in the master bedroom.

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The bodies were discolored  black and blue, he said.

During cross-examination, Assistant Public Defender Azalia Carliz Romero-Sanchez asked Phelps if Todt was shaking and mumbling during his initial encounter with law enforcement.

Yes, some of the things he was saying werent coming out clearly, he said.

After his arrest, Todt was involuntarily committed under Floridas Baker Act because authorities said he made comments about harming himself and said he had ingested Benadryl pills. Carsten has ruled that Todts jurors will not learn of his commitment during the trial.

The victims had stab wounds and toxic amounts of Benadryl in their bodies, according to autopsy reports. Investigators said they were killed weeks before their bodies were discovered.

As prosecutors showed photos of the victims covered in blankets and clutching rosaries in their hands, Todt appeared to be wiping tears from his eyes.

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Emily Seda, a forensics supervisor at the Sheriffs Office, told jurors she processed the crime scene and found empty bottles and boxes of Benadryl and its generic equivalent scattered throughout the house and in the trash. Seda testified she processed fingerprints on those items, as well as two knives found in the bedroom.

Crime scene photos show investigators found several empty containers of Benadryl and a generic equivalent in a trash bin outside the Todt family's home.

Erin West, a crime scene manager, said fingerprints on the Benadryl boxes matched Todts. West told jurors some other print results were inconclusive, though she could not exclude Todt.

Romero-Sanchez asked West during cross-examination if Megan Todts fingerprints had been compared to any of the prints found.

I did not compare Megan Todt to any of the exhibits, West said.

Although Todt initially confessed to the killings, he has since blamed his wife for the slayings in jailhouse writings. Todt claimed she took her life after poisoning the children with a tainted dessert and stabbing them in their sleep.

Witness testimony will resume Tuesday morning at 9 a.m.

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mcordeiro@orlandosentinel.com
A case series published in the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report describes ten patients with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant infections within 90 days of a previous Delta variant infection.

Study: Notes from the Field: SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Infection in 10 Persons Within 90 Days of Previous SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Infection  Four States, October 2021January 2022. Image Credit: Jarun Ontakrai / Shutterstock.com

Defining early reinfections

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination protects against infection SARS-CoV-2 and hospitalizations related to severe outcomes of the disease. A previous SARS-CoV-2 infection protects against reinfection by the Alpha (B.1.1.7) and Delta (B.1.617.2) variants.

In late December 2021, the SARS-Cov-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant became predominant in the U.S. Since then, several breakthrough infections have been reported.

There remains a lack of understanding on the incidence of reinfections within 90 days of a previous infection. Some individuals have prolonged viral shedding, wherein the viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) is detected in the oral and nasal samples, even after recovery. Thus, a positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test within 90 days of the previous infection could be due to prolonged viral shedding or a genuine case of reinfection. Therefore, there remain technical challenges to recording and characterizing early reinfections.

About the study

In the current study, ten patients from four different states had confirmed Omicron variant infections within 90 days of a previous Delta variant infection. The variants were confirmed by whole genome sequencing (WGS).

The SARS-CoV-2 infection was considered early reinfection when a WGS test result confirmed a different variant as compared to the first infection. The sample also had to be collected less than 90 days after the first WGS-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Five cases were confirmed through Vermonts passive WGS surveillance system by the Vermont Department of Health case investigators. Vermonts passive WGS surveillance system sequences the highest percentage (15.8%) of total state cases nationwide.

Three cases were identified by university researchers through a longitudinal respiratory disease surveillance study and reported to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. One case was identified through the Washington testing guidance for K-12 schools and reported to the Public Health  Seattle & King County. This case was suspected as an early reinfection in a student at a school sporting event.

Another case in a long-term care facility resident was identified through Rhode Island screening protocols for hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Study findings

In all ten patients, the first infection was by a Delta variant identified by WGS and the reinfection was by the Omicron variant.

The median age of the patients was 11 years. Eight patients were below 18 years of age, one was an older long-term care facility resident between 65 and 74 years old, and one was a healthcare worker between 25 to 39 years old. The study participants were 50% male and 50% female.

The intervals between first and subsequent sample collections were between 23 to 87 days, with a median of 54.5 days. One patient, who was a healthcare worker from Vermont, had received two doses of a messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine six to ten weeks before the first infection.

Comparably, two patients between five to 11 years old from Vermont had received a single dose of a mRNA COVID-19 vaccine between the two infections. The remaining patients were unvaccinated. In Wisconsin, one patient's reinfection was transmitted to two other household contacts causing reinfections.

Nine patients were symptomatic during the first infection with a median duration of nine days that ranged from zero to 20 days. Available data suggested that six patients were symptomatic during reinfection, with a median duration of five days that ranged from zero to ten days.

Conclusions

For the rapid identification of reinfections with distinct variants and the detection of novel variants, public health surveillance and longitudinal research should be expanded and include SARS-CoV-2 WGS. Limited capacity for strain identification and WGS thwarts the possibilities of testing first and reinfection samples from the same person.

Furthermore, due to home testing kits, samples are not available for strain testing. As a result, early reinfections are not commonly identified.

Implications

The current report highlights the potential limitations of infection-induced immunity against novel variants. Most of the patients identified in this study may have been at an increased risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection because of their unvaccinated status.

Additionally, the high rates of close contact in schools, as well as the higher frequency and intensity of exposure in healthcare and crowded settings, may have increased the risk further. Thus, vaccination remains the safest route to prevent future SARS-CoV-2 infections.
A new chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell product had an acceptable safety profile and showed early signs of efficacy as a monotherapy and in combination with an mRNA vaccine in patients with solid tumors, according to preliminary data from a phase I/II clinical trial presented during the AACR Annual Meeting 2022, held April 8-13.

CAR T-cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment options for hematologic malignancies, but its application for solid tumors has been challenging.

One of the main limitations is that most of the proteins present on solid tumors that could be used as targets are also found at low levels on normal cells, making it difficult to specifically direct the CAR T cells against tumor cells and spare healthy ones. Other challenges include the limited persistence of CAR T cells observed in solid tumors and their difficulty reaching the tumors and penetrating the center of the mass." John Haanen, MD, PhD, presenter, medical oncologist, Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam, Netherlands

Haanen and colleagues are conducting a first-in-human open label, multicenter clinical trial to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of a previously developed CAR T-cell product that targets CLDN6, a tumor-specific antigen widely expressed in various solid tumors but silenced in healthy adult tissues. This therapy was tested in preclinical models in combination with a CLDN6-encoding mRNA vaccine (CARVac) that favors the expansion of the CAR T cells. As Haanen explained, this combined treatment, called BNT211, resulted in expansion of the transferred CAR T cells and higher persistence in the blood, which in turn improved tumor cell killing.

The investigators recruited patients with relapsed or refractory advanced, CLDN6-positive solid tumors to test the CLDN6 CAR T-cell therapy alone and in combination with CARVac.

The trial included two parts in which increasing doses of CLDN6 CAR T cells were given as monotherapy (Part 1) and in combination with CARVac (Part 2), following lymphodepletion to reduce the number of T cells present in the body and make room for the transferred CAR T cells. In Part 2, CARVac was administered every two or three weeks up to 100 days after the CAR T-cell transfer, and one patient received maintenance vaccinations every six weeks. Overall, 16 patients had been treated at the time of this reporting.

Approximately 40 percent of patients developed manageable cytokine release syndrome without any signs of neurotoxicity. Other adverse events included cytopenia (low blood cell count) and abnormal immune responses, all of which were resolved. Administration of CARVac resulted in transient flu-like symptoms that lasted up to 24 hours. "CLDN6 CAR T treatment and CARVac appeared to be safe, with only limited and manageable adverse events," said Haanen.

Among the 14 patients who were evaluable for efficacy, at six weeks after infusion, four patients with testicular cancer and two with ovarian cancer experienced a partial response (PR), with an overall response rate of nearly 43 percent. Among the study participants who had a PR, four patients received CAR T cells as a monotherapy and two patients were treated with the CAR T-CARVac combination. The disease control rate was 86 percent. In all evaluable patients, deepening of initial partial responses was observed at 12 weeks after infusion. This resulted in one complete response that continues six months after infusion.

"It is remarkable that most of the patients with testicular cancer showed clinical benefit at dose level 2, and the responses we have observed can be deep, including one ongoing complete remission," said Haanen.

"The infusion of CLDN6 CAR T, alone or in combination with CARVac, is safe and holds promise for patients with CLDN6-positive cancers," Haanen added. "CLDN6 was never targeted before with cellular therapy, but in our study, this approach is already showing efficacy that may be better than the data from other CAR T trials in solid tumors."

However, Haanen cautioned that these data are very early, with few patients having been treated, so no major conclusions can be drawn at this time.

The study was sponsored by BioNTech SE's subsidiary BioNTech Cell & Gene Therapies GmbH. NKI received research grants from BioNTech. Haanen is on the scientific advisory board of BioNTech. Financial compensation goes to NKI.
Scientists have developed several pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions to contain the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which is caused by the rapid outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). For example, the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines has been instrumental in the prevention of severe illness and deaths worldwide.

In Africa, owing to poor vaccination coverage, the intensity of severe infection and death due to SARS-CoV-2 infection remains high. Additionally, the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants has reduced the efficacy of available vaccines and therapeutics, which are based on the spike protein of the original virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified these SARS-CoV-2 variants as variants of concern (VOC) and variants of interest (VOI).

Study: Unsuppressed HIV infection impairs T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and abrogates T cell cross-recognition. Image Credit: Vecctor-3D / Shutterstock.com

HIV and COVID-19

The effect of COVID-19 in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is not clear. In one study based on small sample size, researchers report that people living with HIV (PLWH) exhibited similar COVID-19 outcomes compared to healthy individuals.

However, a larger epidemiological study has contradicted the previous report and identified increased hospitalization and death rates due to COVID-19 among PLWH as compared to HIV-negative individuals.

One previous study revealed that prolonged shedding of high titers SARS-CoV-2 and the emergence of many mutations were found in individuals with advanced HIV and antiretroviral treatment (ART) failure. Scientists have stated that both B-cells and T-cells play important roles in providing protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Interestingly, studies have shown that T-cell responses can offer protection even in the absence of humoral responses. This implies that in an individual with inherited B-cell deficiencies or hematological malignancies, T-cells will play an important role in their recovery from SARS-Cov-2 infection.

Previous reports have indicated that COVID-19 severity is related to a weak SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4 T-cell polyfunctionality potential. Several studies have also shown that messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines can stimulate Th1 and Th2 CD4+ T-cell responses, which can be correlated with post-boost CD8+ T-cell responses and neutralizing antibodies. Thus, scientists have expressed the need for more insights regarding T-cell-mediated protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

About the study

In sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of HIV is high; thus, it is important to determine the effect of HIV in individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. Understanding the disease outcome in this patient population will help researchers and policymakers formulate effective strategies to protect them from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A new study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server evaluates the impact of HIV infection on the quality and epitope specificity of SARS-CoV-2 T-cell responses during the first and second waves of COVID-19 in South Africa. In this study, scientists investigated the antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses in a cohort of SARS-CoV-2- infected individuals with and without HIV infection.

Herein, flow cytometry was used to estimate T-cell responses following peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) stimulation with SARS-CoV-2 peptide pools. The researchers also measured T-cell immunodominance hierarchies and determined the possibility of SARS-CoV-2 escape from T cell recognition through culture expansion.

Study findings

The first COVID-19 wave in South Africa was dominated by the wildtype D614G strain of SARS-CoV-2, whereas the second wave was dominated by the Beta variant. PBMCs were utilized to evaluate the effect of HIV infection on SARS-CoV-2 specific T-cell responses and determine T-cell cross-recognition.

Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 protein targeting by T cell responses among HIV negatives, suppressed and viremic donors: The magnitude of (a) CD4+ T and (b) CD8+ T cell responses targeting SARS-CoV-2 proteins among study groups. P-values for differences among the groups are *<0.05; as determined by the Mann-Whitney U test. (GraphPad Prism version 9.3.0)

Impaired SARS-CoV-2 specific T-cell responses were identified in individuals with unsuppressed HIV infection. The researchers observed a low count of CD4+ T-cells, with hyperimmune activation, found to be related to reduced SARS-CoV-2 specific T-cell responses.

The scientists also determined spike mutations in the Beta variant, which caused abrogate recognition by memory T-cells raised against epitopes of the original SARS-CoV-2 strain. Likewise, immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant epitopes poorly cross recognized corresponding original SARS-CoV-2 strain epitopes, thus demonstrating the ability of certain SARS-CoV-2 variants to escape T-cell recognition.

Individuals with unsuppressed HIV infection were found to exhibit poor responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, HIV-induced immune defects such as low CD4+ T-cell counts, higher HIV plasma viral loads, and increased immune activation conferred reduced SARS-CoV-2 responses.

HIV-seronegative individuals exhibited robust CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein compared to the PLWH. Furthermore, reduced T-cell cross-recognition was observed between the two COVID-19 waves, which was more prominent in people with unsuppressed HIV infection.

The impact of HIV markers of diseases progression on SARS-CoV-2 T cell immunity. (a) CD4+ T cell activation graphed based on the frequency of CD38/HLA-DR co-expressing cells. (b) Correlation between CD4+ T cell activation and absolute CD4 counts. (c) Correlation between CD4+ T cell activation and HIV plasma viral load. (d) CD8+ T cell activation measured by CD38/HLA-DR. (e) Correlation between CD8+ T cell activation and absolute CD4 counts. (f) Correlation between CD8+ T cell activation and HIV plasma viral load.

Conclusions

Unsuppressed HIV infection significantly impairs T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and reduces T-cell cross-recognition. These findings explain the increased vulnerability of PLWH to severe COVID-19, as well as highlight their susceptibility to infection with emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Many neurological disorders like Parkinson's, chronic depression and other psychiatric conditions could be managed at home, thanks to a collaborative project involving researchers at the University of Queensland (UQ).

Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) Professor Peter Silburn AM said his team, together with Neurosciences Queensland and Abbott Neuromodulation have developed a remote care platform which allows patients to access treatment from anywhere in the world.

"By creating the world's first integrated and completely wireless remote care platform, we have removed the need for patients to see their doctor in person to have their device adjusted," Professor Silburn said.

Electrodes are surgically inserted into the brain and electrical stimulation is delivered by a pacemaker which alters brain function - providing therapeutic relief and improving quality of life.

This digital platform allows clinicians to monitor patients remotely, as well as adjust the device to treat and alleviate symptoms in real time.

We have shown that it is possible to minimize disruption to patients' and carers' lifestyles by increasing accessibility to the service, saving time and money. There are no cures for many of these conditions which often require life-long treatment and care, so for those people the device would be a game-changer." Professor Peter Silburn, Queensland Brain Institute

He said the system also fostered increasingly personalized treatment and data-driven clinical decisions, which could improve patient care.

"During the study, we established the platform safety, security, usability and effectiveness and optimized its features using patient feedback in a biodesign process," Professor Silburn said.

"In the initial weeks of a limited market release, we conducted 858 remote care sessions and maintained a robust and high success rate."

While the team started working on this digital health solution before COVID-19, the pandemic elevated the need for remote care platforms, particularly for older people and those living in remote areas with increased travel difficulties.

"Through the pandemic patients have become more familiar with telemedicine and far more willing to adapt to platforms that connect them remotely to their healthcare teams,'' Professor Silburn said.

The researchers are confident the technology could be adapted for many other conditions in the future.

"As we discover more about the biomarkers in brain-related disorders, we will refine neuromodulation systems to improve treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders like depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia, and Tourette's syndrome, to name a just a few," Professor Silburn said.

The digital health platform for remote neuromodulation systems has regulatory approval and launched in Australia in October 2021.

It has also been adopted in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration Service and the European CE-Mark.

Professor Silburn and QBI Director Professor Pankaj Sah and Associate Professor Terry Coyne will present at a series of information sessions for patients and carers living with Parkinson's Disease, Dystonia, Essential Tremor and Tourette's Syndrome in regional Queensland in the coming months.
Thought Leaders Dr. Arthur Roach Director of Research Parkinson's UK

In recognition of World Parkinson's Day, we speak to Dr. Arthur Roach, Director of Research at Parkinsons UK, about the current Parkinson's landscape including misconceptions, latest research, and the future of the disease.

Please can you introduce yourself and tell us about your role at Parkinsons UK?

Im Arthur Roach, Director of Research at Parkinsons UK. My background is in pharma and biotechs. Now Im bringing that expertise to the charity which is taking a pioneering approach to the search for a cure.

The jewel in the crown of our research strategy is the Parkinsons Virtual Biotech, the drug development arm of Parkinsons UK, which was created to find new, better treatments and a cure, faster. Its a bold approach that were taking to plug the gap in the drug development pipeline. We take the most promising research breakthroughs and provide the investment and expertise to see if we can develop them into plausible drug treatments. If we can de-risk the science, we hope we can encourage the big pharmas to come in and take it on.

And to make sure were never short of exciting and promising breakthroughs, we provide traditional research grants, bettering our understanding of Parkinsons, its causes, and possible treatments.

Parkinsons UK is a charity working together for everyone living with Parkinsons. Please can you tell us more about your missions, aims, and the work you are involved with?

Put simply, our mission is to find a cure. We cant do that alone. We need researchers, fundraisers, partners, and volunteers. Everyone.

People with Parkinsons desperately need new and better treatments, and thats why they are the heart of all that we do. There are 145,000 people diagnosed with Parkinsons in the UK. They shape our research priorities, the symptoms where treatments can make the biggest difference. They review our plans to ensure that they align with those priorities and are partners in research, for instance designing trials that meet the participants needs. And they take part in these groundbreaking trials.

Right now, in our Virtual Biotech we have projects on the go at the discovery through to early clinical development stages. We prioritize arrangements that allow us to be agile and responsive. We fund a pipeline of over 40 project grants including nine Virtual Biotech projects, carefully monitoring the progress of each, increasing our investment to fuel progress, or pulling back if a project stops or stalls.

Our current Virtual Biotech projects include:

Vivifi Biotech is driving forward planning for the further development of glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), which has the potential to slow, stop or even reverse Parkinsons. Previous trials were inconclusive, despite positive effects reported by trial participants and seen in brain imaging. Were designing a trial to finally determine if GDNF could be a viable new therapy. This is something the Parkinsons community is championing and we are proud to be leading.

Project Galaxy explores whether therapies to dampen inflammatory responses in the brain could slow or stop Parkinsons progression. Based on a successful pilot project, we have recently allocated 2.9 million in further funding. It is our first-homegrown project and has grown from an idea into a vibrant initiative that has the potential to run for several years.

We are funding two trials that could address some of the most disturbing symptoms of Parkinsons. The first is a world-first phase two clinical trial exploring the potential of cannabidiol (CBD) for treating psychosis in people with Parkinsons. The trial focuses on understanding what dose of cannabidiol treatment will have the best therapeutic effect for treating hallucinations. The other is a trial looking at whether ondansetron, an anti-sickness drug, can be repurposed to treat visual hallucinations.

What is Parkinson's? Play





Parkinsons is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world. Why is this and can you tell us more about what Parkinsons is?

In short, Parkinsons is what happens when the brain cells that make dopamine start to die. To complicate matters, there are over 40 symptoms, from tremors and pain to anxiety. Some are treatable, but the drugs can have serious side effects.

Despite Parkinson's being the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, we still dont fully understand its causes. Age is the biggest risk factor but there are lifestyle and environmental risk factors as well as genetic factors that all play a role in the development of Parkinson's. Theres research ongoing into all these areas to help us better understand.

We estimate that Parkinson's affects over 1 million people in the UK - either as someone with a diagnosis or as the family member or friend as someone living with the condition. Everyone wants to see a cure  or at least a treatment that will stop or reverse it. However, those living with Parkinsons for a number of years can see that this is not going to come suddenly  it is something that will come together over some years. The race to find a cure is actually more of an Iron Man triathlon than a sprint.

Despite Parkinsons being an increasingly common neurological condition, there are over 40 symptoms, and every individual's experience is different. Why does this, therefore, make studying Parkinsons and developing treatments challenging?

Three main elements make studying the condition difficult - its complexity, the lack of representation in research, and the fact that there is still so much that we do not know about the brain.

While there are more than 40 symptoms, not everyone will have all of them, and they wont appear in the same order or manifest in the same way for lots of people. This means that the treatment - or more accurately the combination of treatments - that works for one person, wont work for everyone. And the symptom that is the number one research priority for some people, wont even be a concern for others living with the same diagnosis.

We also know that there is a lack of diversity amongst those taking part in Parkinsons research and this holds us back. Parkinsons affects people of all ethnicities but we struggle to involve people from Black, Asian or mixed heritage in research studies. So we have formed a steering group for this work made up of people with Parkinsons and research professionals from Black, Asian, and mixed heritage backgrounds. This year, we are creating a clear plan with concrete activities to drive forward racial representation in research.

And finally, perhaps the biggest challenge that we face, is that there is still a great deal that we dont know about the brain - how it works, or how it declines. We have limited tools to understand what goes on in the brain - sometimes we can study brains donated to research in the The Parkinson's UK Brain Bank,, sometimes in studies in live people. Specifically for Parkinsons, we dont know why dopamine-producing cells die. It sounds simple, but we really need to increase our overall understanding of the brain.

But there is hope. Those involved in Parkinsons research have a real conviction that transformative therapies, in the shape of disease-modifying drugs, gene therapy, growth factors, and repurposed drugs, along with potential biomarkers, offer a beacon of hope in the race to a cure. The job of decoding Parkinsons, which may have at least five subtypes, remains an intellectual and logistical challenge but the passion to provide a better future for ten million people worldwide remains intense.

Image Credit: Kotcha K/Shutterstock.com





Every year, the world recognizes World Parkinsons Day on the 11th of April, aiming to help raise awareness surrounding this condition. Why is it important to highlight this condition and increase the publics awareness?

Not enough people understand what its like to live with Parkinsons. They dont know its a serious condition and they dont realize that treatments are limited. People with Parkinsons want to be treated better by society, they want people to stand beside them as they fight for better healthcare and rights, and to help fund the search for a cure. But if no one understands Parkinsons, that cant happen.

Its time we start open conversations to demystify and humanize Parkinsons. And if we can get more people interested in neurological research, thats another bonus!

Currently, not enough people worldwide understand Parkinsons. What do you believe to be some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding Parkinsons and why is it important to challenge them and share accurate information?

Given that even researchers and scientists dont fully understand Parkinsons, I can see how the general public are confused. The main misconceptions that we hear about from the community are around symptoms. Too many people think that its just a tremor because this is the most commonly recognized symptom, but its so much more than that, and not everyone will have a tremor. Accusations of being drunk or uninterested due to facial masking are also common for people living with the condition.

Then there are misconceptions about who is affected by Parkinsons - its often seen as an older persons condition and statistically, they do make up the majority of people with a diagnosis. But Parkinsons doesnt discriminate, it can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, race, or ethnicity. As a charity, we work to challenge these misconceptions and increase understanding of the condition.

How can people get involved and help to raise awareness this World Parkinsons Day?

This World Parkinsons Day were aiming to raise awareness of the condition by talking about Parkinsons. By having open and honest conversations about the reality of the condition and where we are in terms of research and support, hopefully through speaking about Parkinsons more people will come to understand this is a serious condition that cannot currently be cured.

Driven by the Parkinsons community, buildings across the UK will be lighting up blue on Monday 11 April to start conversations about Parkinsons. Additionally, there will be a selection of poems on our website written by people affected by the condition. These are ideas that the community have developed to help them start these really important conversations. And as Parkinsons affects everyone differently, there will be millions of unique conversations to have - from people with the condition and their loved ones to the researchers finding a cure.





What advice would you give to a family member, friend, or partner of someone diagnosed with suffering from Parkinsons? How can they educate themselves to better understand the condition?

Knowledge is power and youre not alone. In the UK, visit our website (parkinsons.org.uk) or call our helpline - 0808 800 0303 to speak with an adviser who can answer your questions or point you in the right direction. We have a variety of local groups where people can go and meet other people affected by the condition and ask them their questions, or just find new friends.

Are there any upcoming projects that Parkinsons UK is involved in?

I have already mentioned some of our cutting-edge research projects, such as the planning for a GDNF trial, CBD, and ondansetron. And we are constantly evaluating candidates for our next Virtual Biotech project. At the moment we are looking at possible projects on three continents, which aim to slow, prevent or delay Parkinsons by completely novel mechanisms.

What do you hope the future of Parkinsons will look like? Are you hopeful that with continued innovation we will see new treatments available for those with Parkinsons?

Yes, I certainly am hopeful.

There is a group of novel mechanisms being tested now in Phase 2 clinical trials of a number of small molecules and antibodies. Many of these are based on recent genetic discoveries. Moreover, we are getting better at testing new treatments in clinical trials for Parkinsons, so I believe that some of these will show their worth sooner rather than later. At first, their effectiveness may be clear but modest, however, work will immediately follow on how to optimize these treatments, and how to combine them in the best way, tailored to individuals.

This is an exciting time, and if we and other stakeholders keep our foot on the accelerator there will be new treatments. And, some of these maycome directly out of Parkinsons UKs Virtual Biotech!

Where can readers find more information?

All the latest from the Parkinsons Virtual Biotech can be seen on its website: https://www.parkinsonsvirtualbiotech.co.uk/. Whilst information about our research grants and our quarterly research magazine Progress can be found on the main Parkinsons UK website.

About Dr. Arthur Roach

Dr. Arthur Roach oversees Parkinsons UKs growing research programme. Dr. Roach has over 25 years experience directing research in Parkinsons and other neurodegenerative conditions at universities, hospitals, and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

With more than two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Roach leads on the pioneering Parkinsons Virtual Biotech, led by the charity, which is plugging the funding gap in drug development and fast-tracking the projects with the greatest scientific potential to transform the lives of people with Parkinson's.

He is Founder and President of the Geneva Pharma Network, and before taking up the position of Parkinsons UK Research Director was Founder and Program Leader at CHORD Therapeutics in Geneva. Prior to this he was Senior Director of Neurodegenerative Disease Research and Disease Area Team Leader for Parkinsons disease at Merck Serono, where his work led to a patent filing for use of safinamide in Parkinsons. Previously, he held positions at DuPont Pharmaceuticals Company and Bristol-Meyers Squibb Pharma in the US, and Allelix Biopharmaceuticals in Canada.
It has been estimated that 1.7 million people die from Tuberculosis (TB), and more than 10.4 million new cases are reported every year worldwide. The global 'End TB' strategy aims to eliminate the disease by 2030. However, realizing this goal would be challenging if there were to be a gap in treatment adherence to prescribed medication.

Background

In the context of TB and HIV coinfection, non-adherence to the medication has been associated with the incidence of drug resistance, prolonged infection, unsuccessful treatments, and death. Africa experiences a severe shortage of healthcare workers, making delivering proper healthcare difficult.

The recent application of digital adherence technologies (DATs) has helped improve healthcare services substantially. In 2017, the World Health Organization recognized the use of video-based directly observed therapy (VDOT) as an appropriate alternative to DOT for monitoring TB treatment. VDOT has played an important role in monitoring the adherence to TB treatments, as it enables health providers to monitor patients' medication intake activity directly through synchronous or asynchronous recording. One of the key advantages of VDOT is that it overcomes the challenges of geographical locations by presenting an opportunity to healthcare providers to reach out to individuals in remote areas.

Asynchronous VDOT requires human effort to review videos and determine the medicine intake practices of individuals. However, the task of manual review is often monotonous and can get repetitive. There is a high risk of inaccurate assessment owing to human fatigue when the workload is extremely high. This is the reason why the application of artificial intelligence (AI) could be a logical step to obtaining a better result.

Researchers have stated that the application of AI in the healthcare domain has the potential to transform several clinical practice areas, such as medical imaging. This technology has significantly enhanced the efficacy of care delivery by appropriately arranging workflows in the healthcare system. One of the key advantages of utilizing AI has been faster delivery of care and optimal management of limited resources.

Previous studies have shown that modern computer vision techniques in combination with deep learning convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) could be applied in developing medical videos, medical imaging, and clinical deployment. Scientists expressed that deep learning techniques could be utilized to effectively and efficiently monitor TB. However, implementation of deep learning methods has been limited due to a lack of access to large, well-curated, and labeled datasets. Additionally, the lack of technical skillset required to develop deep learning models in most healthcare professionals makes the application of deep learning in the healthcare setting difficult.

A new study

A new pilot study, available on Preprints with The Lancet*, has focused on determining the technical feasibility of applying AI to analyze a raw dataset of videos from TB patients taking medications. This study was conducted by a multidisciplinary team led by a public health physician specializing in TB medication adherence and three computer scientists specializing in deep learning models. In this study, researchers aimed to develop an AI system that can evaluate medication adherence and non-adherence activities of TB patients based on their visual attributes obtained from videos, such as facial gestures and jaw-drop.

In this study, researchers used a secondary dataset containing 861 self-recorded medication intake videos of 50 TB patients. These videos were intended for VDOT. The study cohort consisted of both male and female patients between 18 and 65 years with a confirmed diagnosis of TB. All the patients attended public clinics in Kampala, Uganda, and their socio-demographic characteristics were recorded.

Key findings

Researchers tested several deep learning models and found that the 3D ResNet performed effectively at an AUC of 0.84 and a speed of 0.54 seconds per video review. They observed a diagnostic accuracy ranging from 72.5% to 77.3%, which is comparable to or higher than the expert clinical accuracy of doctors

In this study, all the DCNN models exhibited comparable discriminative performance to state-of-the-art performing deep learning algorithms. This finding supports the utility of deep learning models in the binary classification of medication video frames to predict adherence. Scientists stated that this is an important step for building more effective models with relevant applications.

Conclusion

One of the study's limitations is the inability to incorporate all the recommended methodological features for clinical validation of AI performance in real-world practice. However, the authors stated that the high performance of the deep learning models, especially the 3D ResNet model, emphasizes the power of AI tools in monitoring medication in a drug efficacy trial. Scientists stated that the classification accuracy of DCNN models in medication adherence should be improved along many dimensions in the future, including the open-sourcing of large labeled datasets to train the algorithms.

*Important notice

Preprints with The Lancet publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
The Federal Governments National Obesity Strategy 2022-2032 is better late than never however it lacks clear direction and disregards an existing model that was ripe for implementation, says a leading social health expert.

Dr Michelle Jones from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work. Image Credit: Flinders University

Dr Michelle Jones from Flinders University says the plan, released last month by the Health Ministers Meeting, appears to have taken on board some of the lessons learned from the Obesity Prevention and Lifestyle (OPAL) Program; an Australian, State and local government funded program piloted in South Australia that was starting to make some real change within local communities before funding was withdrawn.

For almost ten years the OPAL program was run in South Australia, with the program designed to encourage local communities to implement strategies that improved the eating habits and physical activity levels of children through their families and the community, says Dr Jones, who has extensively evaluated the OPAL program over a number of years.

The integrative context-process-outcome evaluation of the program found it was working, with a demonstrated reduction in childhood obesity through modifying environments. However, one of the biggest issues was the sustainability of the program, as without ongoing funding not all of the activities could be maintained. Dr Michelle Jones, Flinders University

The OPAL Program was funded by Australian, State and local governments and implementation of the program occurred locally, responding to identified local need, including community programs to encourage healthy eating and environmental upgrades to promote physical activity, such as walking trails, bike paths and play equipment.

While this new framework addresses the importance of creating supportive, sustainable and healthy environments, its missing some key pillars of the OPAL program that enabled its success and begs the question: where will the money come from? says Dr Jones.

With OPAL, there was an existing model the Australian government could have implemented and made a commitment to funding to ensure its longevity but instead we get a piecemeal approach and no clear understanding of who will coordinate the strategy and who will pay for it.

Dr Jones also highlighted other shortcomings in the 10-year plan, including its over reliance on individual responsibility and a lack of legislation that would help bridge the advertising divide between big fast food manufacturers and local food suppliers.

Obesity prevention is not as simple as telling people to lose weight or get out and exercise. This ignores the socio-economic factors that underpin peoples health and underestimates the impact of the advertising industry and its ability to influence peoples choices, says Dr Jones.

We currently have big food companies, especially fast food, able to advertise at any time of day and target children and at the same time representatives of fruit and vegetable growers cant match this advertising buying power; this imbalance could be changed through legislation, rather than hopeful thinking.

The health impacts of obesity are more far-reaching than alcohol and smoking, both of which are heavily restricted in terms of advertising. We should have laws that say what ads can be shown when, how food is packaged to children, and we should be subsidising our local fresh food suppliers to help them to advertise and ensure people are nudged into making healthier food choices.

The National Obesity Strategy 20222032 can be found here: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/national-obesity-strategy-2022-2032
A recent report posted to the Research Square* preprint server illustrated that inadequate population immunity exacerbated the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron BA.2 sublineage outbreak in Hong Kong.

Background

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is known for its rapid person-to-person transmission, the tendency for causing severe illness, and the generation of mutants that evade population immunity. Although the strict non-pharmaceutical COVID-19 measures imposed by nations worldwide have limited SARS-CoV-2 spread, these measures have led to undesirable socioeconomic and mental health implications.

Forecasting the intensity of future COVID-19 waves is a critical part of developing public health preparedness strategy. Tracking protective immunity in the population against the SARS-CoV-2 variants imparted by COVID-19 or its vaccination could aid the ability to estimate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the public health system. SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance employing neutralizing antibody (NAb) evaluations is beneficial for determining the amount of protective immunity in a community.

The serosurveillance assessments in Hong Kong conducted by the authors of the present study have reported that less than 1% of serum samples obtained from the population were SARS-CoV-2-positive before March 2021. Nonetheless, the COVID-19 seropositivity rates began to hike from April 2021.

About the study

In the current serosurveillance investigation, the scientists profiled 1800 serum specimens retrieved from the clinical biochemistry laboratory of the Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, procured between January and December 2021 for COVID-19 positivity using a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT). The sVNT had a strong correlation with the conventional live virus neutralization test (cVNT) against the SARS-COV-2 ancestral strain.

Furthermore, the sVNT-derived SARS-CoV-2-positive serum samples were further analyzed using a cVNT to assess the NAb titers against the SARS-CoV-2 ancestral strain and Omicron BA.2 and BA.1 sublineages. The authors evaluated the current serosurveillance findings with the genomic and epidemiological data of the fifth SARS-CoV-2 wave in Hong Kong, which had surpassed one million COVID-19 patients by March 18, 2022.

The researchers collected roughly the same number of anonymized serum specimens depending on the availability from each 10-year age cohort ranging from zero to nine to 80 years old. In total, 300 serum specimens were selected and tested randomly at each two-month timepoint from January/February to November/December 2021. The specimens with inadequate serum volume were excluded from the analysis.

Results and discussions

The study results showed that even though the COVID-19 cumulative two-dose vaccine uptake rate in Hong Kong had surpassed 60% by November 2021, just 30% of the research population had a SARS-CoV-2-positive sVNT. Furthermore, the NAb titers against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 and BA.1 sublineages were detected in only 7.3% and 2.3%, respectively.

In the sVNT results, the SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity rate was remarkably comparable with the COVID-19 two-dose cumulative vaccination rate in the 20 to 29 and 10 to 19-year age cohorts. On the other hand, older individuals had a significant disparity between SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and the sVNT seropositive rates, which the researchers believe was due to a lower immune response in this age cohort.

Another factor influencing the low SARS-CoV-2 seropositive rate in older people was their COVID-19 vaccine preference. More than half of the study population aged 60 years opted for the CoronaVac vaccine. CoronaVac recipients reported lower seropositive rates than BNT162b2 recipients in a head-to-head analysis. Furthermore, the seropositive rate for CoronaVac vaccinees dropped faster than for BNT162b2 recipients. These findings support the advice of the World Health Organization that older people should receive three CoronaVac doses.

Older people displayed the lowest rates of COVID-19 protective immunity. None of the persons in the 80-year-old age group had a SARS-CoV-2-positive sVNT, and just 12% of the 70 to 79-year-old age cohort had detectable NAb titers against BA.2 or BA.1. Additionally, none of the participants in the 70-year-old age category had detectable NAb titers against the Omicron BA.2 or BA.1 sublineages. The case-fatality rate in the 80 years cohort was 9.2% in the fifth SARS-CoV-2 wave in Hong Kong.

Since SARS-CoV-2 incidence in Hong Kong was very low due to the elimination strategy, the NAb titers detected by either cVNT or sVNT in most subjects were possibly induced by COVID-19 vaccination instead of by viral infection. As expected, no serum specimens in the zero to nine years age cohort were SARS-CoV-2-positive in the sVNT since COVID-19 vaccination for this group was not initiated in Hong Kong during the study period.

In November/December 2021, there was a decline in seropositive rates, accompanied by a low vaccination uptake rate after September, indicative of the waning effect of vaccine-induced SARS-COV-2 protection. Further, BA.2 NAb titers were usually higher than BA.1 NAb titers in the test subjects.

Altogether, the absence of protective immunity against the Omicron BA.2 sublineage, particularly among the elderly, probably contributed to Hong Kong's devastating fifth COVID-19 wave, which expanded rapidly in February 2022 and overwhelmed the medical system.

Conclusions

The study findings illustrated that older persons had significantly lower frequencies of NAb seropositivity against the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 sequence than younger people. The rate of NAb seropositivity rises in lockstep with the vaccine uptake rate in the general population. Yet, older people have a substantially lower NAb seropositivity rate than the vaccination uptake rate.

Further, the NAb seropositive frequencies against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant were much less than those against the ancestral viral strain in all age categories. The case-fatality rate in the 80 years or older cohort was unusually high during the fifth COVID-19 wave in Hong Kong, which was dominated by the Omicron BA.2 sublineage.

On the whole, the present work implies that in Hong Kong, the catastrophic SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 outbreak was caused by the absence of protective immunity in the community, specifically among the susceptible elderly populations, and emphasizes the significance of the ongoing protective immunity surveillance against the evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants.

*Important notice

Research Square publish preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers examined the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine uptake and hesitancy among people with chronic or severe health conditions.

Studies reported that one in every three individuals aged 16 years or above has a chronic condition. These medically vulnerable people are at an elevated risk of COVID-19-related severe complications and death. The most effective defense against the COVID-19 pandemic has been vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since its advent, COVID-19 vaccination has significantly impacted public health. Health care workers and vulnerable populations were first prioritized, and gradually, the vaccination program was expanded to cover different population groups.

Nonetheless, several countries faced challenges in vaccinating people, and vaccine hesitancy grew significantly, including among the susceptible population. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified vaccine hesitancy as one of the top threats to public health. As with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, reports have suggested that up to half of the general population is skeptical about vaccination with regional variability.

Study: Serious underlying medical conditions and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Image Credit: FrankHH / Shutterstock

About the study

In the present study, researchers evaluated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine intent, uptake, and hesitancy to understand the general and disease-associated beliefs among individuals with diabetes, cancer, and multiple sclerosis (MS).

The study was conducted in four Australian states with a 4.9 million catchment population. The survey commenced on June 30, 2021, and ended on October 5, 2021, a period that witnessed varying lockdowns and rollout of vaccines.

Eligible participants were aged 18 years or higher and had either past or current diagnoses of MS, diabetes, or solid organ/hematological malignancy. Demographic factors such as age, education, gender, household income range, and clinical parameters like time since diagnosis and current treatment were surveyed.

The Oxford COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy scale, a measure of vaccine uptake willingness, was adapted with minor modifications in which a higher score was indicative of greater hesitancy. Of the 14-item Oxford COVID-19 vaccine confidence and complacency scale, 11 items were adapted for the present study, with higher scores reflecting a negative vaccination attitude. A disease-influenced vaccine acceptance scale 6 (DIVAS-6) evaluated vaccine-related views originating from concerns regarding underlying conditions and treatment of patients.

Demographic and individual scale item differences were evaluated through chi-square tests and independent sample t-tests. Logistic regression analysis determined if the scales could predict vaccination status, and linear regression analysis was performed to assess if the Oxford scales' total and subscale scores could predict vaccine acceptance.

Survey timeline for each health service and participant group, with Australian State Government COVID-19 lockdowns embedded in the study site survey period. Yrs = years; MS = multiple sclerosis; ATAGI = Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation; TGA = Therapeutic Goods Administration. Australian Government Vaccine Rollout Phase population group eligibility: Phase 1A rollout = Quarantine and border workers, health care workers, aged and disability residents and staff; Phase 1B rollout = Adults aged 70 years and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 55 years and over, Adults with underlying medical conditions, other critical and high-risk workers; Phase 2A rollout = Adults aged 50 years and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years and over.

Findings

4,683 responses were analyzed after removing duplicate, incomplete or ineligible responses. Of these, 3,560 responses were from cancer patients, 842 from diabetic people, and 281 from MS patients. Breast cancer (27.7%) was the most common type, and more than half of the cancer patients were currently receiving treatment. Type 2 diabetes was most common (66.2%) among diabetic patients, and more than 98% of them were currently receiving treatments.

Over 81% of the participants had received at least one SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, similar to the national average. No statistically significant differences were found in vaccine uptake among the disease types. Around 90% of participants mentioned that they had or would accept the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, 5.8% said they were unsure, and 4.3% were hesitant. About 52% of non-vaccinated participants expressed willingness to be vaccinated, and 22.7% expressed hesitancy. The non-vaccinated subjects scored significantly higher on the Oxford hesitancy scale regardless of disease type.

Similarly, non-vaccinated respondents had higher scores on the confidence and complacency scale, highlighting a negative attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination. Overall, 60.6% of participants were worried about SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 69.9% of respondents felt that vaccination was necessary due to the presence of underlying medical conditions.

Many participants (44%) had concerns about the efficacy of vaccines due to the underlying condition, while 39.6% (or 25.7%) raised concerns over the effect of vaccines on their disease (or treatment). Non-vaccinated subjects scored higher on the DIVAS-6 total and subscale scores, reflecting higher complacency for SARS-CoV-2 infection, concerns over vaccine efficacy, and the effect of vaccines on their health condition or treatment.

Conclusions

The authors observed that the underlying health conditions significantly influenced the uptake and attitude towards COVID-19 vaccines. The type and degree of concerns were shared across the three disease groups. Given the intrinsic vulnerability, vaccination hesitancy was lower in the studied cohorts than in the general population. Overall, the study population exhibited a high vaccination rate and expressed positive intent to vaccinate, which was influenced by their concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on their underlying medical conditions.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Two Central Florida teens have been arrested after a third teen died last week in what police said was the result of two of them shooting one another while wearing a form of body armor.

Joshua Vining, 17, was arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child with a firearm in the shooting death of Christopher Leroy Broad Jr., 17, according to the Belleview Police Department.

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A third teen, Colton Whitler, 16, was arrested for providing false information to law enforcement. Both Vining and Whitler were charged as adults, police said.

Belleview officers responded to a shooting on April 3 on 52nd Court in the Marion County city, where Broad was found shot inside a residence. He was transported to a hospital, but died of his injuries, police said.

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Investigators found evidence that showed Vining had shot Broad, police said. The two had been taking turns shooting at each other while wearing a vest that had in it a form of body armor, police said.

Police said Whitler was a witness to the shooting and had misled officials about who had shot Broad.

Jail records show the two teens were booked into the Marion County Jail on Thursday, and released Friday after posting bond.
Clinical trials represent one the largest investments of collective resources in science. These studies, which recruit participants and rigorously evaluate new interventions and therapeutics, aim to advance scientific knowledge and improve patient treatment. Including diverse and representative patient populations in clinical trials is essential to accurately predict how well therapies will work in the real world.

For several decades, the United States has taken steps to try to increase enrollment of minority populations in clinical trials, but its remained unclear if these initiatives have improved representation. A new study led by investigators from Brigham and Womens Hospital examined two decades worth of data from over 20,000 clinical trials and looked for changes over time. The team found that less than half of trials reported race/ethnicity data. Among those that did, minorities remained underrepresented, but there were improvements among certain groups over time. Results are published in Lancet Regional Health The Americas.

While we found some improvement in trial diversity, minorities overall remained underrepresented relative to their U.S. populations. Our data show that, with investments and initiatives, we can address underrepresentation in clinical trials, but these improvements have been unequal, and we need to think more broadly about why that is and what best practices should look like. Brandon Turner, Corresponding Author, MD, Department of Radiation Oncology.

Turner and colleagues analyzed detailed trial records from ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of privately and publicly funded clinical studies, from March 2000 to March 2020. They aggregated data from trials representing over 4.7 million people and compared race/ethnicity data to U.S. Census population demographics.

According to the authors, the new study represents the largest analysis of race/ethnicity enrollment in clinical trials, allowing them to tease apart relationships for specific minority populations and explore possible mediators like trial funding and design. The team found that fewer than 44 percent of trials report any race/ethnicity data, but that this percentage had improved rapidly over the past few years. Among the 8,871 trials that did report race/ethnicity details, minorities were underrepresented. White enrollment exceeded the U.S. census of white people in the U.S. population (79.7 percent versus 72.4 percent). About 10 percent of trials reported 100 percent white enrollment.

When the team analyzed the five most commonly reported race/ethnicity groups (White, Hispanic/Latino, Black, Asian [including Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian], and American Indian [including Alaskan Native]), the biggest gaps were seen in Hispanic/Latino and Asian participants. Overall, Black enrollment was not statistically below U.S. population representation, but about 21 percent of trials reported 0 Black enrollees.

Industry-funded studies appeared to have the greatest gaps in enrolling minority participants.

This is troubling because industry-funded trials often feature drugs and devices with great promise for translation to patients in the clinic, said Turner.

The authors note that while ClinicalTrials.gov represents the largest repository for clinical trial data, it is incomplete  many trials are not registered and many more never report results.

From the data we do see, reporting and enrollment is poor, but its improving, and, from a policy perspective, this should be encouraging, said Turner. Its important to examine these data and learn from the patterns that emerge; we cant improve what we dont measure.
The rare blood clot side-effect associated with some COVID-19 vaccines could be the result of genetics, new research has found, paving the way for a potential genetic screening test.

Image Credit: Flinders University

Vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), a rare disorder causing thrombosis (blood clotting) and thrombocytopenia (low blood platelet counts), was early in 2021 linked to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, leading the Australian government to restrict its rollout to those aged over 65. It is also associated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine Janssen, although the vaccine is not currently included in Australias vaccination program.

Now, a new study by Professor Tom Gordon, Dr Jing Jing Wang and colleagues from Flinders University and SA Pathology, may help to explain whats causing the rare side effect. The study has been published on the pre-print server medRxiv and has yet to be peer reviewed.

The researchers looked at five unrelated people who had all experienced the clotting complication, finding all of the patients had unusually structured antibodies against a protein called platelet factor 4 (PF4), which is involved in blood clotting.

Additionally, all five had a specific version of a gene responsible for producing these antibodies.

We knew previously that PF4 was directly involved in the clotting disorder, and we knew that aberrant antibodies against PF4 are responsible, but what we dont know is how and why some people develop them. By unravelling the amino-acid sequences of this antibody using a process called antibody proteomics, we were able to find that in all five unrelated patients the antibodies had originated from the same basic amino-acid sequence. Dr Wang, Lead Author, College of Medicine and Public Health and SA Pathology, Flinders University.

The researchers then found that all of the patients carried a specific variant of one gene, called IGLV3-21*02, most commonly occurring in people of European descent.

The other specific amino acid sequences of these antibodies from each patient were derived from separate basic sequences but had all evolved to carry very similar properties, making them very potent attackers of the PF4 protein. Together, this suggests that it is the combination of a variant in a gene and the evolution of this antibody towards targeting the PF4 protein in a destructive manner, which is leading to this harmful side-effect. Professor Gordon, Research Team Leader, College of Medicine and Public Health and SA Pathology, Flinders University.

While the reason why only a tiny proportion of human vaccine recipients have this antibody requires further research, the authors say identifying the gene could make it possible to produce a genetic screening tool to identify patients who are at risk of this severe complication.

"It also provides a unique opportunity for targeted, specific therapy development aimed at neutralising this highly damaging but very specific antibody," says Dr Wang.

Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is mediated by a stereotyped clonotypic antibody by Jing Jing Wang, Bridie Armour, Tim Chataway, Alexander Troelnikov, Alex Colella, Olivia Yacoub, Simon Hockley, Chee Wee Tan and Tom Paul Gordon has been published on the pre-print server medRxiv. DOI: 10.1101/2022.03.28.22272975.

The authors declare no competing financial interests. Jing Jing Wang is supported by a Flinders University DVCR Fellowship and Flinders Health & Medical Research Institute COVID-19 Research Grant.
Kent McCoskey was brutally beaten inside of his New Albany home on Sunday evening. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family pay for expenses related to the incident.
(Newser)  Among environmental researchers and government regulators, its already common knowledge that gas appliances produce emissions that are potentially harmful to humans, including nitrogen oxides, toxic particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and even formaldehyde. Thats why furnaces and water heaters are required to be vented outside the building. Researchers are also aware of links between homes with gas stoves and increased risks of asthma and other health problems. While stoves are by no means the only sources of indoor air pollution, they do appear to be far worse than previously known, according to a new study, per Canadas CBC News.

A research team led by chemist Tara Kahan of the University of Saskatchewan measured pollution levels in homes after a gas stove was used. Not only did levels of nitrogen oxide pollutants sometimes exceed Health Canada guidelines for a one-hour exposure, but the pollutants often lingered for a couple of hours," Kahan tells the CBC. "It really took a long time to go away. All of the researchers were pretty horrified. Per the Conversation, the problem is compounded in modern homes, where better insulation means more accumulation of household pollutants. Ventilation can help, so turn on the hood, and use the back burners when possible because the hood captures more fumes from there.

Many hoods are not vented to the outside and simply recirculate pollutants through the indoor environment, so opening a window never hurts. Human health isnt the only concern. Gas-burning appliances also release methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. As the CBC reported earlier this year, research shows stoves release high amounts of methane, even when not in use. Overall, emissions from US gas stoves each year are equivalent to emissions from 500,000 cars. Thus, experts cited by the CBC are keen on switching to electric appliances whenever possible. Furthermore, many major cities across the US will soon impose bans on gas stoves in new construction. (Read more cookstoves stories.)
(Newser)  While much of the coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine has focused on the destruction and carnage, there've also been some more "poignant [glimpses] of what people have lost and left behind," per Irish broadcaster RTE. Case in point: 11-year-old Andrii Sidorov, who had to abandon his beloved Lego collection when he and his dad, Igor Sidorov, fled Kyiv in February. Per the Washington Post, the two, along with Andrii's 8-year-old brother, left Ukraine for Vienna on Feb. 23, the day before the war started, while the boys' two older teen brothers stayed behind, as did their mom, to fight against Russia. From Vienna, the trio made their way to Ireland, which the Post notes has waived visa requirements for Ukrainians and taken in more than 5,500 refugees.

But while the Sidorovs found physical safety in their new home in Galway, Andrii missed his thousands of Legos, which had served as his favorite way to pass the time practically since the time he'd learned to walk. And so Sidorov headed online to some local Facebook groups to ask if anyone had any spare Legos they could give to his son. "We left all our Lego in Ukraine. Help me please!" he pleaded in his post. "We need any [Lego], any size and color in any quantity." Just one day later, sets both used and new started pouring in to the hotel where the Sidorovs are staying, while some generous parties from as far away as Canada have been inquiring on how they can send even more, per Brick Fanatics.

"There is Lego all around me," Sidorov tells the Post, which notes nearly 50 sets have so far arrived. "In the reception [area], in the room, everywhere." As Sidorov contemplates his family's futurehe says he's not sure if they'll return to Ukraine one day or remain in Ireland for goodat least he's happy to now see his young Lego creator now "always smiling." One of Andrii's first builds with his new Legos: an Irish flag, which he posted a picture of on Instagram. "Glory to Ireland!" the grateful boy wrote in his post (Andrii also has a YouTube channel where he documents his creations). "Thanks to this great and incredibly friendly country! Thanks to all these wonderful and very kind people with very big hearts!" Meanwhile, the Lego Foundation itself has made a $16 million donation to help support families in Ukraine, per RTE. (Read more uplifting news stories.)
(Newser)  New York City Mayor Eric Adams tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, his 100th day in office, a spokesperson said. The first-term Democrat woke up with a raspy voice and took a PCR test that came back positive, spokesperson Fabien Levy said in a statement. Earlier in the day, Levy had tweeted that Adams had taken a rapid test that came back negative but took the additional test to be sure, the AP reports. Adams has no other symptoms but has canceled all public events for the week and will be taking antiviral medications and working remotely, Levy said.

New York City has been experiencing a steady resurgence in virus cases over the past month. It's now averaging around 1,800 new cases per daynot counting the many home tests that go unreported to health officials. That's triple the number in early March, when the city began relaxing masking and vaccination rules. Adams' past week was busy: The mayor attended the annual Gridiron Club dinner in Washington last Saturday, after which dozens of attendees tested positive. He also delivered remarks at the National Action Network convention on Wednesday and attended that night's gala, appeared in-studio on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Thursday before joining Robert De Niro at the ReelAbilities Film Festival. He went to the New York Yankees' opening day Friday and was in Albany on Saturday.

(Read more Eric Adams stories.)
(Newser)  On Saturday, Julian Lennon gave a public performance of his father's iconic hit "Imagine" for the first time ever. Accompanied by guitarist Nuno Bettencourt and a host of candles, the 59-year-old son of John Lennon and first wife Cynthia "presented the cover version of his father's ode to peace" during the Stand Up for Ukraine fundraiser, per the New York Post. Although he once said he would never sing the song unless it was the "end of the world," Lennon wrote in notes accompanying the performance that "the War on Ukraine is an unimaginable tragedy. As a human, and as an artist, I felt compelled to respond in the most significant way I could."

It was a "stunning" performance, according to NBC's Today, which adds that Lennon wrote that as a "result of the ongoing murderous violence" and the plight of refugees, he is "calling on world leaders and everyone who believes in the sentiment of IMAGINE to stand up for refugees everywhere!" The performance, available on YouTube, was part of a wider social media rally by Global Citizen to provide "accommodation and economic security" for displaced Ukrainians. The organization says the campaign has netted over $10 billion in pledges and loans. (Pink Floyd has also done its part for Ukraine, releasing its first original music in 28 years.)
(Newser) 

More than a month after a WTF podcast in which he referred to it as a "piece of s---" full of homosexual allusions and cowboys "running around in chaps and no shirts," actor Sam Elliott has apologized to the director and cast of Power of the Dog. Per Deadline, Elliott would also like everyone to know that "I told the WTF podcaster that I thought Jane Campion was a brilliant director, and I want to apologize to the cast ... brilliant actors all. I can only say that Im sorry and I am. I am." It marked his first public comments on the situation.

Despite any praise he might have given the Australian director, Elliott also took a personal swing at her in the March 1 WTF podcast, asking "What the f--- does that woman from down there know about the American West?" Campion, who won a Best Director Oscar for the effort, did not take kindly to it, telling Deadline shortly afterward, "I think it's really unfortunate and sad for him because he's really hit the trifecta of misogyny and xenophobia and homophobia. Plus, he's not a cowboy, he's an actor."

Elliott insisted during a Deadline TV event on Sunday that he feels genuinely terrible, noting that "the gay community has been incredible to me my entire career. I'm sorry I hurt any of those friends ... and anyone else by the words that I used." Faith Hill, Elliott's costar on Paramount's 1883 series, stepped to his defense at the event, praising his "amazing character" and the way he always goes "out of his way to apologize to anyone who he thought he's offended." Per Rotten Tomatoes, both Power of the Dog and 1883 get high marks from critics and audiences alike. (Read more Sam Elliott stories.)
(Newser)  For Johnny Depp, it's been a "surreal" few years," and that time has been extended for him and Amber Heard as their legal battle continues. The two face off in a trial that starts Monday, this time over a defamation lawsuit brought by the 58-year-old actor against his 35-year-old ex-wife, whom he says "devastated" both his career and his reputation after she penned a December 2018 op-ed in the Washington Post about being "a public figure representing domestic abuse." The New York Times notes that the trial in Fairfax County, Va., which could last six weeks, will be televised, and that both parties are set to testify, "all but guaranteeing that they will become a public spectacle." More on what's to come:

Heard's initial allegations: In 2016, a year after the couple were married, Heard was granted a temporary restraining order against Depp after she alleged "emotional, verbal, and physical abuse" against her by her husband. The two divorced in 2017, and Heard dropped the restraining order after a reported $7 million settlement.

In 2016, a year after the couple were married, Heard was granted a temporary restraining order against Depp after she alleged "emotional, verbal, and physical abuse" against her by her husband. The two divorced in 2017, and Heard dropped the restraining order after a reported $7 million settlement. Depp's side: In his $50 million suit filed in March 2019, Depp not only claims her WaPo op-ed hurt his career and reputationhe also denies Heard's allegations of abuse, calling them an "elaborate hoax", as well as says Heard had been physically abusive toward him during their time together. Heard has filed a $100 million counterclaim, parts of which are still in motion, saying Depp and his legal team tried to ruin her by claiming she'd perjured herself, per the Washington Post.

In his $50 million suit filed in March 2019, Depp not only claims her WaPo op-ed hurt his career and reputationhe also denies Heard's allegations of abuse, calling them an "elaborate hoax", as well as says Heard had been physically abusive toward him during their time together. Heard has filed a $100 million counterclaim, parts of which are still in motion, saying Depp and his legal team tried to ruin her by claiming she'd perjured herself, per the Washington Post. UK trial: In a Depp libel case overseas against a UK tabloid, a British judge in 2020 found "overwhelming evidence" that Depp had assaulted Heard multiple times over the course of their marriage, which lasted from 2015 to 2017 (a more complete timeline of their relationship can be found here). How much that case plays into this one is up in the air.

In a Depp libel case overseas against a UK tabloid, a British judge in 2020 found "overwhelming evidence" that Depp had assaulted Heard multiple times over the course of their marriage, which lasted from 2015 to 2017 (a more complete timeline of their relationship can be found here). How much that case plays into this one is up in the air. Other celebs: Depp and Heard aren't the only two stars who might take the stand. On Heard's potential list of witnesses are ex-boyfriend Elon Musk, as well as actor James Franco, said by Heard to have asked about bruises on her face after an alleged incident with Depp. Actor Paul Bettany is also anticipated to make an appearance, due to texts between himself and Depp over Heard.

Depp and Heard aren't the only two stars who might take the stand. On Heard's potential list of witnesses are ex-boyfriend Elon Musk, as well as actor James Franco, said by Heard to have asked about bruises on her face after an alleged incident with Depp. Actor Paul Bettany is also anticipated to make an appearance, due to texts between himself and Depp over Heard. Implications: The Times calls the proceedings "one of the most high-profile examples of defamation cases that have arisen from the #MeToo era," with attorneys, academics, and lawmakers all watching the outcome closely "to see where the law settles after such a period of turbulence," according to a law professor at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law.

(Depp says he's been "canceled" because of all this.)
(Newser)  Since March 1, the city of Shanghai has reported more than 130,000 COVID cases, no deaths, and a single severe case. These statistics stand out "compared with outbreaks elsewhere," reports the Wall Street Journal. For example, Hong Kong has seen deaths sharply rise recently, despite following a similar model to mainland China, which in March reported its first COVID death in over a year. Per the Journal, there are various reasons why COVID death rates can vary from one place to another, including "diverging methods for ... recording pandemic data," but the basic virus-containment policy in China's second-largest city may be a key differentiating factor.

In addition to high vaccination rates, Dr. Wu Zunyou of the Chinese CDC credits efforts to "detect and curb outbreaks at an early stage," plus the fact that they treat all patients, including mild cases. The "various measures" include testing all residents and quarantining all positive cases in facilities staffed by exhausted medical workers. Plus, as of early April, Shanghai is on a full citywide lockdown, marking the return to a harsh and unwelcome policy that began early in the pandemic. Indeed, the US on Sunday advised Americans to rethink travel to China, citing COVID-19 restrictions and a risk of "parents and children being separated," reports the AP.

A week into the sudden lockdown, some residents worry they will starve or suffer from lack of access to medicine. The Daily Beast reports on videos of Shanghai residents screaming for help from their apartments. Pet care is another major concern. On Friday, per CNN, video emerged of a COVID worker beating a corgi to death in the street after its owner tested positive, apparently for fear the pet could be a vector. The incident prompted outrage on Chinese social media, with some suggesting something "once considered unthinkable within the country: that China's zero-COVID battle had gone too far." (Read more Shanghai stories.)
A ride operators was injured trying to retrieve a persons hat at a Florida county fair on Friday.

Davontai Lee, 28, was taken to the hospital after a fair rides metal floor closed trapping him at the Clay County Fair, according to a report on First Coast News based in Jacksonville.

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Officials were able to free him after 15 minutes. He was one of several operators of the ride, and witnesses said he was attempted to retrieve another persons hat when the flooring moved into place pinning him, the station reported.

The station reported officials stated the ride was functioning fine, and it remained open over the weekend. The injured man told the station he was in pain and shock, but declined to be interviewed.

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Police told the station the incident remains under investigation.

It follows a deadly incident on a thrill ride at ICON Park in Orlando in March.

In that case, 14-year-old Tyre Sampson on vacation from St. Louis died after falling from the Orlando Free Fall drop tower.

That ride remains closed indefinitely as authorities investigate.

Read more at FirstCoastNews.com.
(Newser)  That new No. 1 ranking for Scottie Scheffler looks even better in a Masters green jacket. Two months after Scheffler finally broke through for his first PGA Tour victory, he capped off a most incredible 56-day stretch by making his fourth win the biggest of them allthe Masters by three shots over Rory McIlroy for his first major. Even as a junior, he was wearing long pants in stifling Texas heat because he wanted to look the part of a tour pro he always wanted to be. Winning the Masters was beyond his hopes. "I never made it this far. It was just a dream of being here and competing," Scheffler said in Butler Cabin, moments before Hideki Matsuyama helped him into the green jacket. "I can't put into words what it means that I'll be able to come back here for a lifetime."

The only stumble came at the end when Scheffler needed four putts from 40 feet before he could claim his first major, and that only mattered in the record book. He closed with a 1-under 71 for a three-shot victory over McIlroy, who holed out from the bunker on the final hole for a record-tying final round of 64. McIlroy could only hope that Sunday pressure at Augusta National might get to Scheffler. No chance. Not on Sunday. Not the last four days. Not the last two months. McIlroy was the runner-up. Cameron Smith closed with a 73 and tied for third with Shane Lowry, who birdied the 18th for a 69.

Scheffler joined Ian Woosnam in 1991 as the only players to win a majorthe Masters in both casesin their debut at No. 1 in the world, reports the AP. Everyone should have seen this coming. He won the Phoenix Open in a playoff on Super Bowl Sunday. He followed that with a comeback win at Bay Hill to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He rose to No. 1 in the world by winning the Match Play two weeks ago in Texas. And now this. Scheffler, who finished at 10-under 278, won $2.7 million from the $15 million prize fund. That brings his total to $8,872,200 over his last six starts. (The AP has many more details here.)
(Newser)  Two big names from the Trump administration have struck lucrative deals with Saudi Arabia for their investment funds. The New York Times reports that Jared Kushner received $2 billion from the nation's Public Investment Fund for his firm Affinity Equity and that former Treasury chief Steven Mnuchin got $1 billion for his Liberty Strategic Capital. The Trump White House, and Kushner in particular, had strong ties to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the Times story raises questions about conflicts of interest:

"Ethics experts say that such a deal creates the appearance of potential payback for Mr. Kushners actions in the White Houseor of a bid for future favor if Mr. Trump seeks and wins another presidential term in 2024."

The Kushner deal is notable because the Saudi fund's own screening panel raised all kinds of red flags. Among them were "the inexperience of the Affinity Fund management" and the potential "public relations risks" given Kushner's previous role as adviser to Donald Trump when Trump was president. As Axios notes, "these are massive investments to bestow upon first-time private equity funds." (Read more Jared Kushner stories.)
(Newser)  A long-unsolved murder of an Army private in Georgia may have been cracked. Authorities in Georgia have charged Marcellus McCluster, 64, with killing Rene Dawn Blackmore in 1982, when she was a private at Fort Benning, reports Fox 8. The 20-year-old Blackmore vanished while returning to her barracks on the night of April 29, 1982, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Her sweater and wallet turned up a month later on the side of the road in Cusseta, less than 20 miles from Fort Benning. Her remains were found in June of that year by a logging road, and authorities say she was killed by a shotgun blast.

The 64-year-old McClusterwho is already in prison on an unrelated murder conviction from 1983actually surfaced as a suspect within a year of Blackmore's death, per the New York Times. However, the case stalled, and no charges were filed. A special cold-case unit made up of retired investigators reexamined the case with Army investigators and others, though the team has not yet specified what led to the new charges. There is no expiration date on that kind of evil, said Kimberly Schwartz, an assistant district attorney for the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, at a news conference announcing the development. (Read more cold cases stories.)
(Newser)  Vladimir Putin has made a point to rattle his nuclear sabre amid the invasion of Ukraine. In the eyes of many, it's a big reason why the US in particular and the West in general will not intervene directly on the field of battle. "This war might prove the greatest stimulus to nuclear proliferation in history," is how Washington Post columnist David Ignatius put it in an earlier assessment. Now, a report in the Wall Street Journal suggests the prediction already is coming true. The story, based on accounts from "people with knowledge of the Chinese leaderships thinking," says Beijing is moving quickly to ramp up its nuclear arsenal.

Specifically, work has sped up on 100 suspected missile silos in western China that could theoretically house nuclear missiles able to reach the US, according to the report by Alastair Gale. The nugget is based on analysis of satellite images. A key point made by Gale: "The Chinese nuclear effort long predates Russias invasion of Ukraine, but the USs wariness about getting directly involved in the war there has likely reinforced Beijings decision to put greater emphasis on developing nuclear weapons as a deterrent." That is, the US might be hesitant to intervene on, say Taiwan, in the same way it is hesitant to intervene on Ukraine. Read the full story. (Read more China stories.)
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Boater Tried to Save Man in Water, Then 'Had to Shoot Him'

911 calls released from woman whose husband had to fend off drunk attacker, say police
(Newser)  Mimi Reinhard, a secretary in Oskar Schindler's office who typed up the list of Jews he saved from extermination by Nazi Germany, has died in Israel at the age of 107. Reinhard died Friday and was laid to rest Sunday in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv, her son Sasha Weitman confirmed, per the AP. She was one of 1,200 Jews saved by German businessman Schindler after he bribed Nazi authorities to let him keep them as workers in his factories. The account was made into the acclaimed 1993 film Schindler's List by Steven Spielberg.

Reinhard was born Carmen Koppel in Vienna in 1915 and moved to Krakow, Poland, before the outbreak of World War II. After Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, she was confined to the Krakow ghetto before being sent to the nearby Plaszow concentration camp in 1942. Reinhard's knowledge of shorthand got her work in the camp's administrative office, where, two years later, she was ordered to type up the handwritten list of Jews that were to be transferred to Schindler's ammunition factory. "I didn't know it was such an important thing, that list," she told an interviewer with Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, in 2008.

"First of all, I got the list of those who were with Schindler already in Krakow, in his factory," she said. "I had to put them on the list." Later she put her own name, and the names of two friends. She said that although she worked in Schindler's office toward the end of the war, she had little personal contact with him. "He was a very charming man, very outgoing," she recalled, decades after the war. "He didn't treat us like scum." After the war, she made her way to the United States, where she lived until immigrating to Israel in 2007 at the age of 92. (The girl in the famous "red coat" scene from the movie is helping Ukrainian refugees now.)

(Read more Schindler's List stories.)
(Newser)  Republican Charles Grassley is favored to win his eighth term in the Senate no matter which Democrat he faces in the upcoming election. But his path to victory may have just gotten easier because of a court ruling against Democratic frontrunner Abby Finkenauer, reports CNN. A judge in Iowa ruled that the former congresswoman is ineligible to be on the Democratic primary ballot because of a challenge from Republicans to three signatures, reports the Des Moines Register. Like all candidates, Finkenauer had to provide 5,000 signatures, including at least 100 from 19 different counties. A state panel certified her signatures, but two Republicans filed a formal challenge, per the Hill.

They argued that three of the signatures were not properly dated, and Polk County District Judge Scott Beattie agreed with them in Sunday night's ruling. "The Court takes no joy in this conclusion," Beattie wrote. "This Court should not be in the position to make a difference in an election, and Ms. Finkenauer and her supporters should have a chance to advance her candidacy. However, this Courts job is to sit as a referee and apply the law without passion or prejudice. It is required to rule without consideration of the politics of the day." Because of the ruling, Finkenauer no longer meets the 19-county requirement.

"This misguided, midnight ruling is an outrageous and partisan gift to the Washington Republicans who orchestrated this meritless legal action," Finkenauer said in response. Her team is assessing how to formally respond. That could be a legal appealwhich would have to be resolved by April 15 in order to make ballot-printing deadlinesor a decision to mount a write-in campaign. Two other Democrats already are competing in the Democratic primary. The Republicans who challenged the signatures are former GOP county elections officials, notes the AP. (Read more Charles Grassley stories.)
(Newser)  Wolfgang Beltracchi, notorious forger of 20-century art, had standards. "I have to create something beautiful," he said. "I want to make people happy." With their prison sentences served, Beltracchi and his wife and forgery partner, Helene, have discussed their life of art crimes with Jeannette Fischer, a psychoanalyst and author based in Switzerland who's written a book about them, Psychoanalyst Meets Helene and Wolfgang Beltracchi, due to be released this spring. The Beltracchis reasoned that the art market was fraudulent to begin with, the Guardian reports. "In their view, they were cheating those who made a living by cheating others," Fischer said.

Also, the couple said, it was fun. "We got a kick out of it," Beltracchi said. "We got rich." Selling hundreds of fakes, they fleeced the art market out of millions of dollars. Beltracchi learned to paint helping his father restore paintings as a child in Germany. He copied a Picasso when he was 12. He married Helene Beltracchi in 1993, after telling her what he did for a living. He took her surname, and she became his business partner. They liked the money, but that was only part of the attraction. Fischer points out that the Beltracchis didn't buy cool stuff with their wealth. "They bought liberty and free time," she said, adding, "free space to go to museums, to look after the children, to pursue their passion for research."

They relished in the entire process of creating the forgeries. "I got to paint, and we enjoyed doing the research too. Forgery was a way of combining all these things," Beltracchi said. "And I got to sit around the pool for days, reading and daydreaming and sleeping." They'd travel to where the real art was painted at the same time of year in a search for authenticity, Helene Beltracchi said. Their forgeries fooled experts and even the artists' relatives; one Max Ernst fake sold to a collector for $7 million, per the Guardian. The scheme fell apart when an analysis showed Wolfgang Beltracchi used a pigment not available to Heinrich Campendonk when he painted Red Picture with Horses in 1914. In 2011, a court in Germany sentenced him to six years in prison and Helene Beltracchi to four. (Steve Martin was fooled.)
(Newser)  With gas prices still near record highs after a surge earlier this year, stickers blaming President Biden have become a common sight at gas pumps across the countrybut one Pennsylvania man ended up in the back of a squad car after getting caught in the act. Thomas Richard Glazewski, 54, was arrested after clashing with officers who were called when he allegedly placed stickers on the pumps at a convenience store in Lancaster, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Video posted on Facebook by bystander Aaron Philips shows Glazewski swearing at officers as they struggle to force him into the back of a police car.

"This guy stuck stickers on a gas pump, got yelled at by a clerk for doing so and went crazy afterwards," Philips said. Glazewski has been charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, harassment, and criminal mischief, reports Lancaster Online. Police said Glazewski, who is due in court on April 26, was treated for self-inflicted injuries he sustained in the back of the police vehicle. A convenience store worker told officers that the stickers, which featured an image of Biden and the words "I did that," had been sprayed with a coating that made them difficult to remove. (Read more gas prices stories.)
(Newser)  The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, with corpses that were "carpeted through the streets." Speaking by phone Monday to the AP, Mayor Vadym Boychenko also said Russian forces brought mobile cremation equipment to the city to dispose of the bodies, and he accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage.

Mariupol's residents have lacked food, water, and electricity since Russian forces surrounded the city, and survivors have described horrific scenes. "Mariupol is a graveyard now. All the neighborhoods are covered in the graves of civilians," an evacuee named Anna told the BBC last week. "It was terrifying. People were sourcing water from a well." Yulia, another evacuee, said, "People are having mental breakdowns. There is a woman we knew who hanged herself. People are being buried in the streets."

Russia claimed Monday that it destroyed several Ukrainian air-defense systems in what appeared to be a renewed push to gain air superiority and take out weapons Kyiv has described as crucial ahead of an expected broad new offensive in the east. In one strike, Moscow said it hit four S-300 launchers near the central city of Dnipro that had been provided by a European country it did not name. Slovakia gave Ukraine just such a system last week but denied it had been destroyed. The Pentagon said it had seen no evidence to support Russias claims.

(Read more Mariupol stories.)
SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga.  Georgias wildlife agency is asking residents to report sightings of an invasive lizard that can pose a threat to native species.

The state Department of Natural Resources is trying to locate and remove South American tegus from Georgia before the lizards can thrive in greater numbers. So far, the states only known wild population has been found in Toombs and Tattnall counties in southeast Georgia.

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Wildlife officials hope to stop the black and white lizards from spreading further. They can grow up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) long and weight up to 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms), and have a wide-ranging appetite that favors eggs of turtles, alligators and ground-nesting birds.

They can live almost anywhere and eat almost anything, Daniel Sollenberger, a DNR wildlife biologist, said in a news release.

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We are focusing our efforts to accomplish two goals: document the extent of where tegus occur in the wilds of southeast Georgia and remove those animals as soon as we can after they are detected, Sollenberger said. With area residents, hunters and other folks helping us keep an eye out for and controlling tegus, we are cautiously optimistic we can control this population.

In a file image, a young, exotic tegu lizard is held by a wildlife technician for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. (Emily Michot/Miami Herald/TNS)

Officials arent sure how tegus got introduced into the wild in Georgia, but they are commonly kept as pets.

Last year the DNR removed a single tegu that was spotted on a game camera and later captured in a trap. Seven were collected, both dead and alive, in 2020.

Wildlife officials warn if tegus become established in the wild, they will be nearly impossible to eradicate. Wild populations have also been found in South Carolina and Florida. Trapping at one site along Everglades National Park can yield hundreds of the lizards each season.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrains effective foreign policy, thanks to the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and his visions, has charted an approach for the kingdoms diplomacy based on moderation and balance.

This was emphasised by Representatives Council Speaker Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal as she commended the role of Bahrains diplomatic corps, which further consolidated relations with friendly countries.

Speaker Zainal was speaking as she received in her office yesterday the Bahraini Ambassador to the US, Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa. They discussed ways of promoting cooperation to achieve the desired goals and highlight the civilisational accomplishments brought about under the comprehensive development march led by HM the King.

The Ambassador lauded the continuous parliamentary efforts to serve the nation and citizens and highlight the kingdoms democratic approach and rich human rights record. He expressed constant keenness to further deepen constructive partnership with the legislative branch to serve joint national goals.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) joined a virtual meeting organised by the European Union (EU) to assist Ukrainian refugees. European Commission President Ursula Gertrud Von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent the invitation to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in appreciation of his support of humanitarian needs.

RHF Secretary General Dr Mustafa Al Sayed said that Bahrain aims to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian refugees of various nationalities without discrimination, taking into account their humanitarian situation.

This support comes through RHFs works, under the guidance of His Majesty the King and with the support of the esteemed government headed by His Royal Highness Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and under the supervision of His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs, in coordination with the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees Dr Al Sayed stressed that RHFs participation to explore the best possible ways to provide humanitarian aid for the refugees.
When the foreign ministers of four Arab countries, the US, and Israel gathered a couple of weeks ago for the first time, they did not sit in Israels capital, Jerusalem, or its military headquarters in Tel Aviv. The historic ministerial for Egypt, the UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Israel and the US took place in the Negev deserts Sde Boker.

The secluded kibbutz, where Israels first prime minister David Ben-Gurion lived out his last years and is now buried, symbolizes to Israelis the grit, innovation, and social solidarity necessary to build a modern state. By choosing that spot, the six countries were showing their readiness to confront shared challenges through those same traits. The eighteen months since the signing of the Abraham Accords among Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan (which did not send a representative) have demonstrated that the benefits of cooperation extend far beyond security and survival to include long-term prosperity for all the people of the region.

What we are doing here is making history, building a new regional architecture based on progress, technology, religious tolerance, security, and intelligence cooperation, said Israels Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, echoing Ben-Gurions assertion that history is made, not written. Lapid was not alone. The ministers agreed to form working groups on health, food security, energy, tourism, security, and education. Israel, though historically poor in natural resources, has emerged in recent years as a world leader in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Start-Up Nation Central, the non-profit I lead, which is dedicated to strengthening the Israeli innovation ecosystem and promoting it around the world, regularly tracks and reports on the constantly growing and maturing Israeli high-tech industry and has a first-hand view of how it impacts Israels international relations. We see how the same attributes that drove Israelis to excel in innovation  ingenuity, agility and a willingness to take risks  make it a magnet for foreign governments, investors, and corporations. Long established in cybersecurity and fintech, Israels innovation ecosystem is now well-positioned to help tackle some of the major threats of our times.

Hundreds of companies are active in the fields of healthtech, agrifood-tech, and climatetech, helping provide solutions to problems all over the world. But Israelis cant do it alone. Innovation cannot exist without collaboration: whether among scientists, entrepreneurs, companies, or countries. Theres no way of achieving any of our goals by working in independent silos. We look forward to the day that we can conduct business, design research programs, and exchange tourists with the hundreds of millions of people who live in countries we cannot yet visit or even call on the phone.

The Abraham Accords afford us the opportunity to show the value of those partnerships. They are a striking example of what we call Innovation Diplomacy  leveraging innovation as a frictionless channel to tackle shared challenges and achieve common goals. The Abraham Accords are making the lives of people across your countries more peaceful, more prosperous, more vibrant, more integrated, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in his closing remarks of the Negev summit.

Theyre allowing governments to focus their energies and attentions on the issues that are actually affecting the lives of our citizens and making them better. I applaud Mr. Blinken for his words and call on the US and regional leaders to build on the promise presented at the historic summit by developing a regional forum that focuses on finding technological solutions to our shared challenges. In his speech, Bahrains Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani stressed that together the participating nations were greater than the sum of all their parts.

We need to establish genuine, sustainable coexistence and interdependence between participants, building genuine networks of cooperation and trust to advance our common security and prosperity. By doing so, we will demonstrate to the whole region what can be achieved by working together and show how, collectively, we can overcome shared regional challenges and seize opportunities in a way that would not  possible individually, he said. In the interest of future generations, we must not waste any more time.

(Avi Hasson is the CEO of Start-Up Nation Central, a non-profit organization that addresses the Israeli innovation ecosystems most pressing needs and broadcasts its strengths to the world. Prior to that, he served in a wide range of private and public roles in the tech industry, including as Israels Chief Scientist. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Daily Tribune)
Agencies | Riyadh

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait said on Thursday that they will return their ambassadors to Lebanon in response to Lebanese government's pledges to boost co-operation and strengthen ties with Gulf. In October, George Kordahi, Lebanons former information minister, made offensive public comments against Saudi Arabia.

In response, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors to Lebanon, and asked their citizens to return to the country. Riyadh also requested the departure of Lebanon's ambassador to the kingdom within 48-hours. Kordahi later resigned from his post.

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said the crisis was due to a political setup that reinforced the dominance of Iran-backed Hezbollah. The kingdom also banned all imports from Lebanon. The kingdom stressed the importance of Lebanon's return to its Arab allies, and that peace and security prevail in the country, according to a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement carried by the state news agency.

This (step) has been taken in response to the calls and appeals of the moderate national political forces in Lebanon, the ministry said. Kuwait's foreign ministry issued a similar statement, stressing that its decision came as a response to "Lebanon's compliance with the terms of the Kuwaiti-Gulf initiative".

Lebanons prime minister had committed last week to take all necessary measures to boost co-operation with Saudi Arabia and the GCC, and stop all political, military and security activities that harm them, Riyadh said.
Agencies | Islamabad

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Pakistans Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif is likely to be elected the new prime minister of Pakistan on Monday after the ouster of Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote by the joint Opposition. Pakistans National Assembly will convene to elect a prime minister on Monday. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Sharif, 70, and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) vice-chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday filed their nomination papers for the post.

The process of electing the new leader of the house began on Sunday after Khan was removed from office through a no-confidence vote, becoming the first premier in the countrys history to be sent home after losing the trust of the House.

The Opposition had mustered 174 votes to oust Khan. If they can repeat it on Monday, Sharif will be the next prime minister of Pakistan.



Meanwhile, the Cabinet division on Sunday de-notified 52 members of the federal Cabinet after the historic vote of no-confidence by the joint Opposition.

The nomination papers of Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president have been accepted by the National Assembly Secretariat after objections raised by the PTI were rejected.

Qureshis nomination papers were also accepted.

Senior PTI leader Babar Awan challenged Sharifs candidature, saying that the PML-N chief faced several court cases.

In 2019, the National Accountability Bureau arrested Shehbaz and his son, Hamza Sharif, accusing them of money laundering.

Meanwhile, the PTI is mulling withdrawing its lawmakers from the National Assembly and launching a movement against the new upcoming government, which is likely to be headed by Sharif, who has served as the Chief Minister of Punjab three times.

Khan chaired a meeting of the core committee of his party.

The core committee has recommended to Imran Khan that we should resign from the assemblies. We are starting from the National Assembly. If our objections against Shehbaz Sharifs nomination papers are not (entertained), we will submit the resignations tomorrow, PTI leader and former minister Fawad Chaudhry told reporters after the party held a core committee meeting at the residence of Khan.

As the PTI core committee remained indecisive whether to go for en masse resignations of its lawmakers or not, the party chairman called the parliamentary party meeting at the Parliament House at 12 noon on Monday to make a final decision.

Whether Qureshi will contest the election for the premiership or will resign along with other MNAs of the PTI and its allies depends on the outcome of the PTI parliamentary meeting.

In the house of 342, the winner would need 172 votes to become the new prime minister.

Meanwhile, a large number of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) supporters held a protest rally at Lahores Liberty Chowk against the ouster of Khan.

Big gatherings were also reported from other parts of the Punjab province, including Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Vehari, Jhelum and Gujrat districts. Islamabad and Karachi also witnessed major gatherings of PTI supporters.

Protests broke out in different cities after 9pm on Sunday and continued for several hours on Khans call.

In the UK, PTI and PML-N supporters confronted each other during a rowdy demonstration outside Avenfield apartments, the residence of the Sharif family in London.

Khan in his first comments since his ouster tweeted: Pakistan became an independent state in 1947; but the freedom struggle begins again today against a foreign conspiracy of regime change. It is always the people of the country who defend their sovereignty & democracy.

Before filing the nomination, Sharif offered special thanks to those who stood up for the Constitution!

I dont want to go back to the bitterness of the past. We want to forget them and move forward. We will not take revenge or do injustice; we will not send people to jail for no reason, law and justice will take its course, he said while addressing the National Assembly early Sunday.

Khan has been claiming that the Oppositions no-trust motion against him was the result of a foreign conspiracy because of his independent foreign policy. He has named the US as the country behind the conspiracy, a charge denied by Washington.
Nikkei - Apr 30

No sooner had Okinawa crossed a tourism milestone than the coronavirus pandemic closed Japan's borders. Now, as the leading Japanese resort destination looks to make a comeback, it needs to find ways to bring in more cash and not just more visitors.
Mako Komuro, the former princess who left Japan after marrying her college sweetheart in October, has been making use of her background in art history through curating work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which is colloquially referred to as the MET.

Its not uncommon for royals  or former royals  to work as a curator or in an art gallery. For example, in the U.K., Princess Eugenie, the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, has been the director of a contemporary art gallery in London since 2015.

But a source well-versed in the matter said that Komuro is not on staff at the MET, suggesting that she is simply volunteering.

Komuro has been involved with an exhibition of hanging-scroll paintings inspired by the life of Ippen (1239-1289), a monk who traveled around Japan during the Kamakura Period (1192-1333) introducing Buddhism to the masses by chanting prayers while dancing.
Japan has cancelled the purchase of about 40 million Astrazeneca Plc COVID-19 vaccine doses it agreed to buy last year, a health ministry official said in parliament on Monday.

The contract allowed the government to cancel a portion of the supply if it was unneeded, the official said in response to lawmakers' questioning. Japan had originally agreed to buy 120 million of the shots, with the bulk made domestically by Daiichi Sankyo Co. and other local partners.

About Astrazeneca 200,000 doses have been supplied to local governments in Japan, while 63 million doses have donated overseas, the official added. Japan has predominantly relied on the mRNA-type vaccines developed by Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc for its COVID inoculations and boosters so far.
KYIV, Ukraine  The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, with corpses that were carpeted through the streets.

Speaking by phone Monday to The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko also said Russian forces brought mobile cremation equipment to the city to dispose of the bodies, and he accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage.

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Russian forces have taken many bodies to a huge shopping center where there are storage facilities and refrigerators, Boychenko said.

Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned, he said.

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The mayors comments emerged as Russia claimed that it destroyed several Ukrainian air-defense systems in what appeared to be a renewed push to gain air superiority and take out weapons Kyiv has described as crucial ahead of an expected broad new offensive in the east.

In one strike, Moscow said it hit four S-300 launchers near the central city of Dnipro that had been provided by a European country it did not name. Slovakia gave Ukraine just such a system last week but denied it had been destroyed. Russia previously reported two strikes on similar systems in other places.

The failure to win full control of Ukraines skies has hampered Moscows ability to provide air cover for troops on the ground, limiting their advances and likely exposing them to greater losses.

With their offensive in many parts of the country thwarted, Russian forces have relied increasingly on bombarding cities  a strategy that has left many urban areas flattened and killed thousands of people.

Ukrainian authorities accuse Russian forces of committing atrocities, including a massacre in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv, airstrikes on hospitals and a missile attack that killed at least 57 people last week at a train station.

In Bucha on Monday, the work of exhuming bodies from a mass grave in a churchyard resumed.

Cemetery workers prepare the coffin for a person killed during the war with Russia, as dozens of black bags containing more bodies of victims are seen strewn across the graveyard in the cemetery in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 11, 2022. (Rodrigo Abd/AP)

Galyna Feoktistova waited for hours in the cold and rain in hopes of identifying her 50-year-old son, who was shot and killed more than a month ago, but eventually she went home for some warmth. Hes still there, her surviving son, Andriy, said.

In Mariupol, about 120,000 civilians are in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications, the mayor said.

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Only those residents who have passed the Russian filtration camps are released from the city, Boychenko said. He said improvised prisons were organized for those who did not pass the filtering, while at least 33,000 were taken to Russia or to separatist territory in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the U.N. childrens agency said that nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion began, and the United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured, though the actual numbers are likely much higher.

Elsewhere, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks that were very direct, open and tough.

In a statement released by his office, Nehammer said his primary message to Putin was that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose. Nehammer said he also raised the issue of war crimes committed by the Russian military and said those responsible will be held to account.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

In other developments, the head of the separatist rebel government in Donetsk said Ukrainian forces have lost control of the port area of Mariupol.

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Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is now under our control, Denis Pushilin, president of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, told Russian state television, according to Russian news agencies. The claim could not immediately be confirmed.

The mayor said fighting continues.

It is difficult, but our heroic military holds on, Boychenko said. There are fights in the port. Yesterday, our heroic warriors knocked out several positions of equipment and, accordingly, rebuffed the infantry.

Russia has appointed a seasoned general to lead its renewed push in the eastern Donbas region, where Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014 and have declared independent states. Both sides are digging in for what could be a devastating war of attrition.

Russian forces will likely try to encircle the Donbas region from the north and the south as well as the east, said retired British Gen. Richard Barrons, co-chair of the U.K.-based strategic consulting firm Universal Defence & Security Solutions.

The ground in that part of Ukraine is flatter, more open and less wooded  so the Ukrainian ambush tactics used around Kiev may be less successful, Barrons said.

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As to the outcome, its finely balanced right now, Barrons said. If the Russians learned from their previous failures, concentrated more force, connected their air force to ground forces better and improved their logistics, then they might start to overwhelm the Ukrainian positions eventually, although I still think it would be a battle of enormous attrition.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for more Western aid, saying his forces need heavier firepower. In a video address to South Korean lawmakers on Monday, Zelenskyy specifically requested equipment that can shoot down Russian missiles.

But those armaments could increasingly come under attack as Russia looks to shift the balance in the 6-week-old war.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the military used cruise missiles to destroy the four launchers Sunday on the southern outskirts of Dnipro. He said the military also hit such systems in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions.

The Russian claims could not be independently verified.

Residents stand outside their apartments as shops burn after a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, April 11, 2022. (Felipe Dana/AP)

The Pentagon said it had seen no evidence to support Russias claims. A senior U.S. defense official said Russia did conduct an airstrike Sunday on the airport in Dnipro, destroying some equipment, but the official said the U.S. has seen no indication that an air-defense system was knocked out.

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Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakias prime minister, denied Monday that the S-300 system it sent Ukraine had been destroyed. She said any other claim is not true.

Questions remain about the ability of depleted and demoralized Russian forces to conquer much ground after their advance on Kyiv was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders.

Britains Defense Ministry said Monday that Ukraine has already beaten back several assaults by Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions  which make up the Donbas  resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery.

Western military analysts say Russias assault increasingly is focusing on an arc of territory stretching from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, in the north, to Kherson in the south.

A residential area in Kharkiv was struck by incoming fire on Monday afternoon. Associated Press journalists saw firefighters putting out the fire and checking for victims following the attack, and saw that at least five people were killed, including a child.

Oleh Synyehubov, the regional governor of Kharkiv, said earlier Monday that Russian shelling had killed 11 people over the last 24 hours.

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Anna reported from Bucha, Ukraine. Robert Burns in Washington, and Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.
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BETHEL  The tragedies unfolding in Ukraine since late February have spurred a local florist to try and help those affected by the ongoing Russian invasion.

I had to do something, said Alices Flower Shop owner Kathleen Menichelli. I sit every night and see all the horrendous pictures of whats happening in Ukraine, and I felt like I had to try to do something to help.

After racking her brain for several days, Menichelli came up with a fundraising idea that incorporates her area of expertise  flowers  and supports the World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit thats been providing tens of thousands of meals to Ukrainian people.

Menichelli named the fundraiser Sunflowers Feed Ukraine.

Chef (Jose) Andres World Central Kitchen is doing so much to feed people inside Ukraine and on the border  and since sunflowers are Ukraines national flower, I decided to take something that I do and turn it into a fundraiser, she said.

Menichelli has placed buckets of sunflowers at her store and other local businesses for people to take in exchange for $5 donations  100 percent of which goes to support the World Central Kitchen.

I personally pay for the sunflowers, so everything thats donated goes to the charity  nothings taken out, said Menichelli, whose Sunflowers Feed Ukraine campaign has raised more than $500 over the last couple weeks.

Sunflower buckets can not only be found at her Menichellis flower shop at 30 Grassy Plain St., but at Molten Java on Greenwood Avenue and UK Gourmet on Stony Hill Road as well.

Menichelli said Klickers hair salon in Newtown has asked to participate and she will be setting up a bucket of sunflowers there  but shes looking to get even more businesses involved.

If I could find companies or other businesses to do it, that would be great, she said. I would be thrilled if a company would put a bucket of sunflowers out in their lobby for employees to buy, or if a restaurant could hold something like a Saturday fundraiser.

In addition to the sunflower bucket donations, Menichelli has started selling flower arrangements through her flower shops website to support the cause.

The very first arrangement is an arrangement of sunflowers with a blue bow. Its a $60 bouquet and if you send that to someone, $10 gets donated, she said. We put a little tag on there to let people know that a $10 donation was made to World Central Kitchen with the purchase of the bouquet.

Menichelli said she started Sunflowers Feed Ukraine to not only help those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but as a way to combat the sense of hopelessness that can arise when events like the ones unfolding there happen.

You can get so overwhelmed by tragedy that youre almost paralyzed to do anything, and we cant do that. We have to help, she said. I think people are looking for something  anything  that they can do to help, so Im hoping that this is a way that we can reach people.

Sunflowers Feed Ukraine donations to the World Central Kitchen can also be made online at https://donate.wck.org/team/414480.

Two New Milford women have started a similar fundraising effort. Denise Trach and Mikki Harkin have been making postcards, paired with packets of sunflower seeds, and selling them to raise money for charities supporting Ukraine.
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BETHEL  The towns efforts to improve its downtown streetscape have run into a bit of a snag due to a handful of property owners who have been reluctant to get on board.

With $1.5 million in anticipated grant funding, the town is looking to continue building sidewalks on Wooster Street as part of its ongoing improvement project to make downtown more walkable, accessible and safer.

The grant money has been pending for a couple years now, but we have been notified that we should begin getting ready to proceed, so were taking the steps now to get that underway, First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker said Thursday.

After installing sidewalks along Wooster Street several years ago, Knickerbocker said the town is looking to tackle the rest of the street  but several property owners are holding up the process.

For the last six months or so, Knickerbocker said Bethels town attorney has been writing letters requesting easements from every Wooster Street property owner whose property does not already have a sidewalk.

There was some sidewalk work done a few years back, but easements are needed for every property where we need to extend the sidewalk the rest of the way, he said.

According to Knickerbocker, there are six properties on the street whose owners have either refused or ignored the towns requests for small easements needed to complete the sidewalk work.

Because of the shape of the property and where the property lines fall, its not possible to redesign the sidewalk to stay entirely within the towns legal right of way, he said, noting that anywhere from a few inches to a foot is needed from the properties to construct the sidewalk.

This situation is holding up the $1.5 million grant and preventing us from making those public safety improvements.

Even though they would be compensated for the easements, Knickerbocker said some of the property owners dont want to grant them because theyd be responsible for clearing snow on the town-installed sidewalk.

Under our local ordinances  and almost every town in Connecticut is the same way  property owners are responsible for clearing snow, and theyre responsible if somebody hurts themselves because its not cleared, he said. Thats the way it works, and its very common in all of the northeast states.

In an effort to move forward with the sidewalk improvement work, the Board of Selectmen voted Tuesday to have the town commence condemnation proceedings to obtain permanent sidewalk easements for six Wooster Street properties.

Knickerbocker said the condemnation proceedings involve getting appraisals from two different appraisers for the six properties  a process he said is already underway  and then proving to a judge that the sidewalk project is in the interest of public safety and good for the town.

The judge will make a decision to order the property to be turned over at a fair price  and then it gets recorded in the deed and the town can proceed with the sidewalk project, he said.

Efforts have been underway to make downtown Bethel safer and more attractive through sidewalk improvements for the last seven to eight years.

Weve been applying for every grant we possibly can get our hands on to improve sidewalks and doing everything we can to put sidewalks in where they make sense, where they dont exist, and fix up the ones that are in bad shape as much as we possibly can, Knickerbocker said.

The Wooster Street sidewalk improvements are part of the towns Commercial Center Improvement Plan. The second phase of the plan calls for the development of a recreational one-mile walking loop in Bethels commercial center and includes the addition and connection of sidewalks on Wooster Street and Durant Avenue, according to Bethels 2014 Town Commercial Center Improvement Plan.
While Oviedo has a population of over 40,000 residents, its city council has been straining to get input from them, council members and staff say.

Residents lack of participation comes as the city council weighs how to fund the Fire Assessment District, which would be an annual tax based on property size.

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The district was created on Feb. 21 with little feedback from residents. If passed by the City Council, residents could pay upwards of $200 per 2,125 square foot, according to documents. At a March 28 work session, no residents attended, and the council didnt reach a consensus on how to assess the fire fee. The council may discuss the fire assessment at its next work session, April 25.

Councilmember Natalie Teuchert said that though there are multiple ways for people to get involved, Oviedo doesnt draw in much citizen engagement.

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Its a constant struggle, I think, for all municipalities of trying to get as much input as possible, Teuchert said.

According to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey, only 23% of Americans had contacted an elected official that year, with 10% of Americans saying theyd attended a local government meeting in the same time period.

In Oviedo, most local government meetings have sparse audiences. In March, residents attended and spoke during the citizen comment portion at two meetings, according to city documents.

Across Oviedos social media platforms  Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and neighborhood-oriented site Nextdoor  posts have reached about 38,000 accounts over the past year, according to Oviedo communications manager Stephanie Wilken.

Nearly 40% of the citys March Facebook posts, which were mostly informational graphics about upcoming council meetings, lack likes, comments or shares despite the account having 14,000 followers. Across the citys YouTube live streams of its nine March meetings, the viewership averaged about 54 views a meeting.

Wilken said that while her job primarily deals with providing information, her goal is to encourage residents to take action such as reaching out to elected officials or attending council meetings.

Im only city staff, Wilken said. At the end of the day, the elected and appointed officials are the ones working for them. My main goal is to help residents understand that they can email, call, or show up to meetings and speak to their elected officials. Thats their opportunity to provide input that will create change.

Not all residents are confident in their ability to enact change. Others disagree on how much their input impacts their local officials actions.

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Todd Chamelin, who has lived in Oviedo for 22 years, said hes unsure of the extent the local government takes citizen input.

You never know if a town really cares about what the people have to say, Chamelin said.

Chamelin suggested town hall meetings be held in popular gathering places to make council members more accessible to the public.

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Juan Gomez, a resident of 14 years, said its a residents duty to be proactive in city government.

If people want to be involved, show up to the meetings, Gomez said. Show up, find out, log in, read the pages.

Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek said residents hold more power than they realize.

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Whatever Im thinking, I put it out there even if I know that my opinion could evolve, Sladek said. People are like, Didnt you think this? Well, I did until your feedback made me change my mind.

Teuchert said that she strives to be accessible so the community develops according to what her constituents want.

Different age groups communicate in different ways, Teuchert said. We gotta get all the different points of views to make sure were growing in the right direction.

This story is part of a partnership between the Orlando Sentinel and UCFs Nicholson School of Communication and Media.
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DANBURY  The school district is launching a program designed to better connect with families and make the schools more inviting.

Danbury is looking for parents to participate in the CT Welcoming Schools initiative, which will see families and educators partner to study how each school could be more accessible to the community.

This program was born out of the desire to improve family involvement in our schools, Anne Mead, director of family, school and community partnerships, said at a Board of Education subcommittee meeting this week. The initiative makes families feel welcomed to celebrate the diversity of their school communities and set unique goals to improve how inviting their school appears to be in the community, which ultimately if you have a welcoming school and families feel part of the school, then students will soar in their academics.

Danbury is working with the Capitol Region Education Council, which received a federal grant to run the program. Known as CREC, the council has already trained 77 school employees, including principals, assistant principals, social workers and secretaries, to participate, Mead said.

Someone from every school attended the training sessions, Superintendent Kevin Walston said.

It speaks volumes about our principals and their liaisons about how engaged they are and how committed they are to making sure their schools are welcoming for our parents and our kids, he said Wednesday to members of the Community Relations subcommittee.

Each school is creating its own team that will study four areas: the physical environment, written materials, how welcoming the staff is, and school wide practices and policies. The council will lead these teams through their work and help them create a report for the schools.

Two to three parents are needed to participate at each school. They must commit about three hours. Interested parents should contact their principals to participate.

This type of program is used nationally, Mead said.

We feel very, very comfortable in using it and getting the feedback from our CREC folks as to what needs to be done in their schools, she said. This will both support how welcoming our schools are and improving how our schools appear, as well as will inform school improvement plans.

Connecting with families

Mead said the latest initiative is just one way the district is working to connect with families.

It's part of this bigger picture of: how do we welcome families into our schools? Mead said.

This work starts even before students enroll.

Noting that some families were struggling to get appointments for required medical physicals and vaccinations, the district has partnered with RVNAhealth, formerly called the Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association, to offer clinics for children, Mead said. These clinics are held twice a month and generally serve 14 to 20 kids each session who need full health school physicals in order to start school, she said.

In the fall, some Danbury children had been unable to start school because their parents faced long wait times for appointments at local health care facilities.

Now, RVNA provides several nurses and a doctor to give the children a full physical exam, as well as a bag of goodies, including books and food, Mead said. A social worker sees the children, too.

Theres a comprehensive physical for these children, she said. Then we make sure they receive their vaccinations and whatever else they need and are ready to start school.

After a COVID-19 hiatus, Danbury is bringing back its Play to Learn Playgroups for children from birth to age 5. These free programs offer guided free play, literacy and math creative activities, and a family component with resources, according to a message to families.

The playgroups are held from 10 to 11 a.m. and begin next Wednesday at 17 Cottage St.

Danbury has also added family liaisons at each school. Theyve been trained on the Welcoming Schools protocol, too.

The last two years didnt do us a lot of good in being able to engage with families in person, so families are happy to be back, Mead said. We're also doing some major training upcoming with teachers as well to help them partner with families.
Contributed / Connecticut State Police

NEWTOWN  Connecticut State Police said they are investigating after a driver was found unresponsive following a motor vehicle crash on Interstate 84 over the weekend.

Around 9:53 p.m. on Sunday, troopers out of Troop A in Southbury were notified about a crash on the westbound side of the highway near Exit 10, a state police spokeswoman said Monday.
"The combined Boliden and Norden teams are very pleased with the results from this follow up drill program, which continues to outline broad zones of copper mineralization surrounding high-grade copper veins at Burfjord," stated Patricio Varas, Executive Chairman. "This drill program has identified copper zones situated within the copper endowed and broadly altered Burfjord Anticline and confirms our theory that these rocks have the potential to host a sizeable mineral discovery on the property. The large exploration program approved by Boliden for 2022 is an endorsement of our joint belief that Burfjord has real potential for finding a significant deposit".

Only limited exploration has taken place at Burfjord in the modern era before Norden Crown's recent reconnaissance drill programs. The best historical drill intercept consists of 7 metres @ 3.6% copper1 and was obtained from the Cedarsgruve (mine) area in the northern portion of the claim block. Previous drilling by Norden Crown2 at Burfjord returned compelling results including an intercept of 32 metres averaging 0.56% copper and 0.26 g/t gold (including 3.46 metres of 4.31% copper and 2.22 g/t gold) at shallow depths below a cluster of historical mine workings3.

Overview of the Burfjord Project

The Project, located in the Kafjord Copper Belt near Alta, Norway, is highly prospective for Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG) and Sediment Hosted Copper mineral deposits which contribute significantly to copper production globally.

Burfjord is comprised of six exploration licenses totaling 5,500 hectares. Within the license area, during the nineteenth century, copper mineralization was mined from over 30 historical mines and prospects developed along the flanks of a prominent 4 x 6-kilometre fold (anticline) consisting of interbedded sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Many of the rocks in the anticline are intensely hydrothermally altered and contain sulphide mineralization.

Hole From To Length Cu Au Co ID Metres Metres Metres % g/t ppm BUR-21-002 74.00 85.90 11.90 0.24 0.02 51 BUR-21-002 128.40 132.00 3.60 0.29 0.02 33 BUR-21-002 179.80 193.70 13.90 0.19 0.03 71 BUR-21-002 186.00 190.00 4.00 0.27 0.04 89 BUR-21-003 164.90 195.00 30.10 0.28 0.04 59 Incl. 164.90 176.00 11.10 0.46 0.05 39 Also Incl. 191.50 193.60 2.10 1.01 0.16 329 BUR-21-004 141.30 158.50 17.20 0.34 0.04 57 Incl. 141.30 143.40 2.10 0.94 0.09 75 Also incl. 155.25 158.50 3.25 0.79 0.10 39 BUR-21-004 182.30 207.00 24.70 0.24 0.04 160 Incl. 200.20 203.60 3.40 0.47 0.08 114 BUR-21-004 219.00 229.00 10.00 0.12 0.02 32 BUR-21-005 74.50 76.50 2.00 0.76 0.06 93 BUR-21-005 82.10 85.30 3.20 0.13 0.02 79 BUR-21-005 115.40 118.50 3.10 3.81 0.31 179 Incl. 117.15 118.50 1.35 8.67 0.69 332 BUR-21-006 69.35 78.15 8.80 0.51 0.17 77 BUR-21-006 131.50 136.90 5.40 0.22 0.02 74 Incl. 135.50 136.90 1.40 0.46 0.03 99 BUR-21-006 153.60 158.95 5.35 0.19 0.27 266 Incl. 154.70 155.85 1.15 0.46 1.06 41 BUR-21-007 155.90 15.00 3.10 0.22 0.03 34 BUR-21-008 177.65 184.10 6.45 0.17 0.02 29 BUR-21-008 187.95 193.70 5.75 0.10 0.03 28 BUR-21-008 212.00 232.15 20.15 0.10 0.01 32 BUR-21-009 42.80 63.90 21.10 0.17 0.01 47 Incl. 53.00 63.90 10.90 0.26 0.02 33 BUR-21-009 104.00 108.40 4.40 0.27 0.02 83 Incl. 105.20 108.40 3.20 0.34 0.03 97 BUR-21-009 152.00 162.00 10.00 0.39 0.03 33 Incl. 156.00 162.00 6.00 0.62 0.05 35 Also incl. 158.00 160.00 2.00 1.59 0.14 39 BUR-21-009 193.50 208.40 14.90 0.21 0.02 22 BUR-21-009 246.10 255.20 9.10 0.39 0.07 70 BUR-21-011 75.00 87.00 12.00 1.27 0.09 21 *Lengths reported as seen in drill core. True widths are estimated at 85-100% of reported lengths. No significant results were obtained from BUR-21-001 and BUR-21-010.

Table 1. Burfjord drill intersects

Hole Depth Azimuth Inclination Grid Northing Easting Elevation ID Metres Degrees Degrees WGS 84 Metres BUR-21-001 271.50 80 -50 UTM zone 34N 7743021 545358 510.3 BUR-21-002 399.00 140 -50 UTM zone 34N 7742897 547120 565.2 BUR-21-003 300.00 110 -45 UTM zone 34N 7743054 547221 557.6 BUR-21-004 254.70 130 -45 UTM zone 34N 7742804 547021 590.9 BUR-21-005 300.50 120 -50 UTM zone 34N 7743122 546877 485.9 BUR-21-006 299.80 120 -45 UTM zone 34N 7743280 547387 528.6 BUR-21-007 229.00 300 -45 UTM zone 34N 7743361 547706 563.8 BUR-21-008 363.70 300 -45 UTM zone 34N 7743682 547945 538.5 BUR-21-009 272.50 35 -46 UTM zone 34N 7744951 548120 448.0 BUR-21-010 194.50 90 45 UTM zone 34N 7745590 547052 411.2 BUR-21-011 139.50 150 -45 UTM zone 34N 7747456 547181 533.9 BUR-21-012 154.50 150 80 UTM zone 34N 7747494 547157 529.5

Table 2. Burfjord 2021 drill collar information

The high-grade copper gold veins at Burfjord, that were historically mined at cut- off grades of 3-5% copper, are surrounded by envelopes of stockwork veins or disseminations of copper mineralization extending tens to hundreds of metres laterally into the host rocks. Norden Crown believes this mineralization has economic potential and represents an attractive bulk tonnage exploration drilling target. Copper bearing veins in the area are dominated by ferroan carbonate, sodium-rich minerals, and iron-oxide minerals (magnetite and hematite), but also contain the economically important minerals chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite in addition to cobalt-rich pyrite as generally coarse-grained (often 0.5 centimeter to multi-centimeter scale) disseminations in the veins. The sodium-rich (highly saline) styles of alteration and mineralization at Burfjord are also host to geochemically elevated levels of rare elements. Discrete zones of cobalt and nickel mineralization are also present at Burfjord.

Burfjord Joint Venture Terms

Norden Crown entered into an option agreement (the "Agreement") with Boliden in respect to Burfjord (see June 10, 2020 News Release). In order to earn its 51% interest in the Project, Boliden must fund 100% of the exploration programs by spending US$6 Million over the next four years. Work on the exploration programs is directed by a join Norden-Boliden Technical committee.

About Norden Crown Metals Corp.

Norden Crown is a mineral exploration company focused on the discovery of Zinc, Copper, Silver, Gold, Cobalt and Nickel deposits in exceptional, historical mining project areas spanning Sweden and Norway. The Company aims to discover new economic mineral deposits in known mining districts that have seen little or no modern exploration. The Company is led by an experienced management team and technical team, with successful track records in mineral discovery, mining development and financing.

Quality Control, Quality Assurance and Core Handling Protocols

Drill core is logged and prepped for sampling before submittal to ALS in Mala, Sweden where it is cut, bagged, and prepped for analysis. Accredited control samples (blanks and accredited standards) are inserted into the sample intervals regularly. Samples are dried (if necessary), weighed, crushed (70% < 2mm), and rotary split into two fractions. One is retained (coarse reject) and the other is pulverized to 85% < 75m. Pulps are analyzed by ultra-trace ICP-MS (ME-MS61) and ICP-AES (Au-ICP22). Over detection limit samples are reanalyzed using ore grade four acid digestion ((+)-OG62) and in the case of high-grade copper (Cu-OG62).

References

Source: NGU Deposit Factsheet, Deposit Area 1943-010, 1997. Norden Crown's property reviews have confirmed the geologic setting and occurrence of mineralization on the Project and considers the historical exploration data to be relevant as reported in public disclosures and government reports. See news release dated March 20, 2019 . Intercept reported as seen in drill core. The true width is estimated at 85-100% of the reported interval.

Qualified Person

Daniel MacNeil, P.Geo, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has read and approved all technical and scientific information related to Burfjord contained in this news release. Mr. MacNeil is Vice President Exploration for Norden. Mr. MacNeil has verified the data disclosed in this press release, including the sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information. Mr. MacNeil has not verified historic assay information at Burfjord.

On behalf of Norden Crown Metals Corp.

Patricio Varas, Chairman and CEO

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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forwardlooking statements". Forwardlooking 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. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements relating to future outlook and anticipated events, such as the successful completion of the exploration program (consisting of diamond drilling, mapping, prospecting, outcrop sampling, airborne magnetic and ground electromagnetic geophysical surveys) and Norden Crown's belief in the economic potential and attractiveness of Burfjord as a bulk tonnage target as discussed herein, the dates the various segments of the exploration program will commence, the duration of various segments of the exploration program, the anticipated timing of the results of the exploration programs described herein and the planned uses of the resulting data. Although Norden Crown believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such material risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability of the various contracted entities to complete their duties within the time expected by the Company; inclement weather conditions that may impede, delay or stop all or part of the exploration program; the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic or other pandemics or epidemics; mechanical breakdowns of equipment used in the exploration programs, changes in economic conditions or financial markets; the ability of Norden Crown to obtain the necessary consents required to explore, drill and develop the projects and, if obtained, to obtain such consents in a timely fashion relative to Norden Crown plans and business objectives for the projects; the general ability of Norden Crown to drill test its projects and find mineral resources; if any mineral resources are discovered or acquired, the Company's ability to monetize any such mineral resources; and changes in environmental and other laws or regulations that could have an impact on the Company's operations. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable beliefs, estimates and opinions of Norden Crown management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Norden Crown undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

SOURCE Norden Crown Metals Corp.

For further information: Please visit the Company website at www.nordencrownmetals.com or contact us at +1.604.922.8810 or [email protected]
The occasion of Ram Navami witnessed communal breakouts in 5 states across the nation. From New Delhi to Gujarat to West Bengal, Ram Navami processions were disrupted. One death has been reported from Gujarats Anand district, while there are reports of stone-pelting, burning of shops, arrests, and many sustaining injuries.

In West Bengals Bankura, ruckus broke out during a Ram Navami procession when people tried to break the barricading done by the police. When the police tried to stop it, it is alleged that some people from the crowd started pelting stones. After this, the police had to lathi-charge to drive away the crowd. So far 17 people have been arrested in this case.

In Gujarats Sabarkantha, some miscreants pelted stones on a Ram Navami procession, leading to a huge uproar. Several vehicles and shops were set on fire. In another similar incident in Gujarat, one person died in the Anand district following communal clashes. The police have arrested more than 15 people for creating a ruckus.

There was a huge uproar in Khargone city of Madhya Pradesh as well. There was arson in the city, in which 4 houses were completely gutted. Reports are rife that the tensions started after miscreants objected over the DJ during the procession of Ram Navami.

Dozens of people were injured in an attack in Jharkhand after some people from other community asked not to raise slogans near the graveyard. By the time someone could understand something, some people involved in the procession started pelting stones.

In Delhis JNU, on the other hand, a controversy started after two groups of students clashed over the stopping non-veg food on Ram Navami and obstructing worship leading to stone pelting, in which a total of 6 students were injured.
KCRs daughter and TRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavita has alleged that the centre is not procuring paddy from Telangana farmers and has refused the purchase, thus flouting the promise.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is leading a protest in the national capital today demanding a one nation-one paddy procurement policy. Telangana Rashtra Samithi party MPs, MLCs, MLAs and other elected representatives of the urban and local bodies are also protesting against the Central government. KCR has been joined by BKU leader Rakesh Tikait. TRS has alleged that the Centres paddy procurement policy is discriminatory and affects around 61 lakh farmers and their families.

KCRs daughter and TRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavita, who is in Delhi to protest against the Centres paddy procurement policy, spoke to the media and said that their farmers are not getting the right price and request the Central government to procure their crop. Demanding a common procurement policy, she said that Rakesh Tikait had earlier talked to CM KCR over agricultural issues and has come to support them today.

Speaking about the state of farmers across India, she said earlier said that the whole country knows that if farmers once again sit on the streets of Delhi, then the central government will have to bow down and eventually listen to the farmers. She added that the central government should not once again create a situation of confrontation with the farmers.

Accusing the Centre of anti-Telangana policies, KCRs daughter expressed that the farmer does not belong to any state but the whole country and the government should not discriminate between state and state.
Ahead of the meet, Singh met U.S. aerospace & defense majors Boeing and Raytheon. He exhorted the companies to take advantage of policy initiatives in India to steadily march from Make in India towards Make for the World.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will hold a virtual meeting today, along the sidelines of the India-US 2+2 dialogue. The two Leaders will review ongoing bilateral cooperation and exchange views on strengthening global strategic partnership, Covid-19 pandemic, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, upholding free and open Indo-Pacific, bolstering security in Indo-Pacific, Russia-Ukraine war and its consequences, mitigating the wars impact on global food and countering climate crisis.

A statement issued by US Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, The Leaders will advance ongoing conversations about the development of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and delivering high-quality infrastructure. President Biden will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russias brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilizing impact on global food supply and commodity markets.

The virtual interaction between the two leaders will precede the fourth India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, which will be led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Dr S. Jaishankar on the Indian side and their US counterparts, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue is scheduled for a duration of 5 hours in Washington. It will start at 11.30 pm IST and last till the wee hours of Tuesday morning India time.

Ahead of the meet, Singh met U.S. aerospace & defense majors Boeing and Raytheon. He exhorted the companies to take advantage of policy initiatives in India to steadily march from Make in India towards Make for the World.
Pakistan is all set to elect its new Prime Minister today. Leader of opposition Shehbaz Sharif all set to become Pakistans next prime minister.

After the ouster of Imran Khan, Pakistan is all set to elect its new Prime Minister today. Leader of opposition Shehbaz Sharif all set to become Pakistans next prime minister. He will be filing PMs nomination when the Parliament sessions starts at 2:30 pm today. Reports are rife that Shehbaz Sharif can become the PM and Bilawal Bhutto can become the foreign minister of Pakistan. Imran Khans party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, on the other hand, has nominated Shah Mahmood Qureshi as their prime ministerial candidate.

Ahead of filing his nomination, Shehbaz Sharif said that the new cabinet will be formed in consultation with opposition parties. Talking about India-Pakistan ties, Shehbaz raked up the Kashmir Issue as well and said that Pakistan wants peace with India but peace would not be possible without the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

On the sidelines, Islamabad High Court will hear the petition of Imran Khan today. Imran Khan and his cabinet members have been requested to be put on the Exit Control List (ECL) to prevent them from going abroad. Meanwhile, Pakistan President Arif Alvi has decided not to resign after consulting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party (PTI) leadership. According to reports, Alvi has been advised to continue discharging his constitutional duties.

Meanwhile, massive protests rocked several cities of Pakistan on Sunday in support of Imran Khan. Slogans were also raised against the Opposition. The protests came after Imran Khan raked up the foreign conspiracy angle once again by tweeting that Pakistan became an independent state in 1947 but the freedom struggle begins again today against a foreign conspiracy of regime change. He added that it is always the people of the country who defend their sovereignty and democracy.
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NEW HAVEN  The new biotech tower being built on College Street is still more than a year and half away from completion, but one of Connecticuts home grown health science companies, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, has already committed to taking space in the building.

Officials at Alexion, which is now a part of global pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, have not said how much space the company will occupy in the tower at 101 College St. But a company spokesperson said the move represents an expansion in Alexions research capabilities, doubling the companys lab floor space in the city.

Alexion already has 500 employees as well as lab space at 100 College St., which is directly opposite the construction site for the new biotech tower, The company, which develops drugs to treat patients with rare diseases, is recruiting to fill 50 open positions in New Haven, according to the spokesperson.

More than half of those positions are in research and development, she said.

Once Alexion moves into the new space at 101 College, the spokesperson said the company anticipates further hiring to expand its research and development capabilities in New Haven. But she declined to say how many additional jobs might be added after the current round of hiring.

Mike Piscitelli, New Havens economic development administrator, called Alexions announcement exciting and said it shows how the citys real estate market is adjusting to pandemic-related changes.

With strong performance in growing economic sectors such as the life sciences, together with continued demand for housing, the real estate market is adjusting in part through conversions to med/lab and innovation space as well as conversion to residential use, Piscitelli said. We are all inspired by the science behind new job growth at Arvinas and Quantum-SI, which is relocating and expanding to Winchester Works as well as the conversion of multiple floors at 55 Church St. to support the new Elm City Bioscience Center.

Arvinas, another New Haven-based biotech, signed a 10-year lease to occupy about 160,000 square feet in the 525,000-square foot tower in early May 2021. Arvinas is based in the citys Science Park complex.

Yale University announced in late May 2021 it had signed a lease for 125,000 square feet of space across three floors in the biotech tower. The university also is providing financial backing for a biotech incubator to be located at the site.

Garrett Sheehan, president and chief executive officer of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, said the expansion demonstrates the growing potential that the bioscience industry, a critical component of Connecticuts economy, sees in the New Haven region and its regional talent pool.

The expanded lab space at 101 College St. will be key to address the concerns over lab space in the state and we are enthusiastic of the work that will be conducted in the new space, Sheehan said.

He said Alexion is participating in the Student Program to Ready Interns for Next Generation Talent, which is actively recruiting candidates for Summer 2022 paid internships. The goal of the program is to provide over 100 paid opportunities in the life-science industry this summer to students attending Connecticut colleges and universities, as well as students with ties to Connecticut, according to Sheehan.

Alexion was founded in New Haven 30 years ago and after a stint based in Cheshire, the companys headquarters returned to the Elm City early in the last decade.

But company officials announced in September 2017 that Alexion was relocating its headquarters operations to Bostons Seaport District. That move was completed during the summer of 2018.

AstraZeneca announced in December 2020 it was acquiring Alexion in a $39 billion deal. That acquisition was completed last July.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
The Florida Legislature bears so little resemblance to a democratic institution that the majority partys leaders can always make it do what they want. If a bill fails to pass, it usually means that the Senate President and House Speaker opposed it, couldnt agree or simply didnt care.

This spring, they cared enough about Republican Party culture wars to enact highly controversial bills restricting abortion and suppressing teaching about racism and LGBTQ issues. They cared enough about the victims of the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside to rename part of Collins Avenue 98 Points of Light Way. But they didnt care enough to protect millions of living Floridians from dying in the same ghastly manner, torn to pieces or buried under tons of concrete.

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That failure must be rectified  now, not next year. The special session the governor called for April 19-22 should be expanded from congressional districting to include the life-or-death issue of condo safety. One mass tragedy was one too many.

Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls have the legal power to call a special session coinciding with DeSantis, or they could persuade him to expand the agenda.

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No legislator opposed condo safety at any stage of the process. There were unanimous Senate and House votes. Still, reform legislation requiring regular re-inspection of Floridas aging condos died in limbo between the two houses on adjournment.

Milestone inspections

Milestone inspections would have been required when a building is 30 years old and every 10 years thereafter. For those within three miles of the coastline, inspections would be required at 20 years and every seven years afterward. Saltwater corrosion is thought to have contributed to the Surfside tragedy.

More than 900,000 of Floridas 1.5 million condo units are at least 30 years old and some 582,000 are older than 40 years, the same age as Champlain Towers South when it crumbled last June, according to a staff report on the legislation. Its estimated that those over-30 units house more than 2 million people.

The legislation failed because of one major difference between the House version (HB 7069) and the Senates (SB 1702), which was grafted onto the House bill March 10, four days before the session ended.

Both bills required periodic safety inspections as well as recurring reserve studies to calculate what sums of money condo and co-op associations should put aside for repairs and maintenance. Current law requires them to budget for that, but it is toothless because it also allows them to waive the required set-asides. The House bill addressed that by forbidding unit owners from waiving reserve requirements or spending the money for other purposes. The weaker Senate bill allowed those foolhardy practices to continue.

Condo associations often vote to defer saving money for major maintenance only to find themselves facing large assessments when the urgency of a repair cant be postponed any longer. That was the apparent situation at Champlain Towers South, where repairs had just commenced when it collapsed.

An elusive compromise

The Senate could have acted on both bills as early as Feb. 24. They remained on the calendar while the sponsors, Rep. Daniel Perez, R-Miami, and Sen. Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, tried to work out differences. They couldnt. Both supported some flexibility in the reserve requirements, Bradley said, but we couldnt agree on what that should look like.

Florida Sen. Jennifer Bradley speaks during a legislative session at the Florida State Capitol, Monday, March 7, 2022, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (Wilfredo Lee/AP)

The Legislature passed a periodic inspection bill in 2008 but repealed it two years later. Two counties, Broward and Miami-Dade, have local periodic inspection requirements for multi-family structures. The city of Boca Raton passed regulations requiring inspections soon after the Surfside tragedy as well, but high-rise dwellers elsewhere remain unprotected.

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The question is, for how long?

Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

Perez, vowing to refile a strong House bill next year if hes re-elected, contends that accepting the Senates version this year would have made it less likely to add tough reserve requirements in a subsequent session. Bradley disagrees. She agrees that theyre necessary, however, because kicking the can down the road creates more problems later.

Both legislators are right. Bradley believes her bill was good enough to pass. Perez is correct that the Houses stronger reserve language would be difficult to pass separately. Its that familiar situation, with perfect being the enemy of good and the result being nothing at all.

Given the unprecedented unanimity on every other feature, the Senate version is good enough for the moment. Its passage should come with some sort of provision compelling the Legislature to deal with the reserve issue during the 2023 session. That could be done by including House language on that point with a delayed effective date of, say, 2024. That would direct everyone to the need for a compromise.

Once re-inspections become mandatory statewide, the results will be available to the insurance companies that underwrite the structures and insure condo board members against personal liability.

Lending and insurance industries have a significant stake in this. Recent reports indicate that they are paying attention to it. So should their regulators. An insurance company that renews a policy on a building it knows to be unsafe would be jeopardizing its solvency along with the lives of the people who live there.

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The 2022 session left millions of lives in jeopardy. Now is the time to fix that  not later.

The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board includes Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson, Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick and El Sentinel Editor Jennifer Marcial Ocasio. The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney, and Anderson. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com.
Members of the Judiciary Committee approved two multimillion-dollar settlements Monday  one dealing with the prevalence of hepatitis C among those in the states prisons and jails and one involving the abuse of a patient at Whiting Forensic Hospital.

Lawmakers are required to vote on any settlement greater than $2.5 million. The rest of the legislature can vote on both settlements, but if they dont do so before the end of the session, both are automatically approved. Three-fifths of each chamber would have to reject the settlements in order for them to be tossed.

The first settlement involved the abuse of William Shehadi Jr., a patient at Whiting Forensic Hospital found not guilty by reason of insanity whom state employees physically and mentally abused. Video captured via surveillance cameras in Shehadis room substantiated many of the allegations made by a whistleblower in March 2017, resulting in a dozen people being fired and some serving prison time, Peggy Chapple, the deputy attorney general, told lawmakers Monday.

Shehadi continues to suffer post-traumatic stress and emotional distress from the abuse, Chapple said, the extent of which is difficult to quantify because, How much of his mental health issues are the result of the abuse versus underlying mental health conditions?

Legislators in the Judiciary Committee approved a $9 million settlement for the Shehadi family.

We believe that the settlement is a fair and just settlement for the state despite the fact that we recognize its a large amount of money, but given the egregious nature of the allegations in this case, and some of the sustained findings in the case, we feel that its a fair settlement, Chapple said.

Chapple did not field questions from lawmakers for long, but Republicans did note the amount.

Nine million dollars is a lot of money for a settlement, said Rep. Tom ODea, R-New Canaan.

Im confident that this is the absolute best figure that we could have achieved in settlement, and I think the risk of exposure to the state for a greater number if its tried to a jury is one that we dont want to take, said Linsley Barbato, deputy associate attorney general.

Others questioned the scope of the abuse. Rep. Doug Dubitsky, R-Chaplin, said he recalled reading media reports that 50 state employees were arrested, disciplined or fired in the aftermath of the abuse.

That sounds like a systemic issue that envelops an entire facility, Dubitsky said. Is it possible that they were all committing acts against this one guy, and that there arent other people and we dont have other claims potentially out there?

Chapple said there were a dozen people who were determined to be abusing Shehadi, but there could have been others who knew what was going on but didnt report it. She noted that all 12 former employees were arrested.

So 12 employees were arrested for abuse of this one person and none of those 12 employees were implicated in abuse of any other patient at Whiting? Just this one guy? Dubitsky asked.

Barbato said the Attorney Generals Office was not aware of any other instances of abuse.

Lawmakers are also considering a bill that would address systemic issues raised by the CVH Whiting Task Force, which was formed in the aftermath of the patient abuse scandal. Legislators indicated a hope that, taken together, the bill and the settlement would result in significant changes that ensure no other patients suffer like Shehadi.

Shehadis abuse resulted in two lawsuits: one directed at the state, the other against 12 of the forensic nurses and treatment specialists who the suit charges carried out the abuse. Chapple said that per the terms of the settlement, the state will no longer be on the hook for other potential settlements or the costs of lawyers fees for the former state employees named in the civil suits.

So that will effectively put an end to all litigation involving Mr. Shehadi, said Chapple.

Thats a huge window of potential liability that is also extinguished by acceptance of this settlement, Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, said before voting yes on the Senate resolution. We are not looking at a proud moment in Connecticut at all, and the best we can draw from this is that we learn from it as to how to care for those who lack mental capacity to face justice.

The other settlement involved screening and treating people in the states prisons and jails for hepatitis C. Lawmakers approved a settlement in the lawsuit last session, but a federal judge threw the agreement out because it was too broad and could have prevented prisoners from suing the state for any reason whatsoever.

The Department of Correction announced in 2019 that it would begin testing and treating the incarcerated for hepatitis C, a cost that Commissioner Angel Quiros later estimated amounted to about $18.7 million annually.

The agreement basically calls for continued treatment and testing for hepatitis C for all inmates existing or who enter DOC facilities, to the extent that they agree to such testing and treatment, Chapple said, indicating there are additional reporting requirements on the number of incarcerated who have been tested and who have tested positive. Those reporting requirements would expire in August of this year.

The lawyers for the incarcerated represented in the class action lawsuit would get $112,500. Ken Krayeske, one of those lawyers, said that to date 918 incarcerated people have been cured of hepatitis C. He also said lawmakers should bind the DOC by statute to the terms of the settlement so they continue to test and treat the incarcerated for the infection and not simply back out once the settlement expires in August.

The legislature should force them to do this. This is a simple measure, Krayeske said. That we even had to force a class action lawsuit and go to battle over this for the past four years demonstrates the lack of compassion that society in general has for people who are incarcerated.

During the committee meeting, Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, plugged a bill he co-sponsored this session that would require the DOC to provide necessary and appropriate medical and mental health care for the incarcerated. Doing so could cut down the number of lawsuits the state faces because of substandard prison medical care, lawsuits that are ultimately footed by taxpayers.

I think that if we spend the money up front, we will probably not have to spend it later, Anwar said. Sometimes we dont have to pay after if we do the standard of care initially.
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NEW HAVEN  The ladies at the Dixwell/Newhallville Senior Center were back playing Rummy 500, talking, laughing, smiling, razzing and getting ready to play some Bingo right after lunch Monday  barely missing a beat  except for one thing.

None of this has happened for the past couple of years since the city temporarily closed its three senior centers in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There also was a visit Monday by Mayor Justin Elicker  who at one point during the visit was moved to song  and a bunch of reporters, photographer and TV cameras that came with him.

So what have the ladies, and a few gentlemen, at the Dixwell/Newhallville Center, which reopened last week in an all-new location in the new Dixwell Community Q House, been doing all this time?

Sitting in the house, looking out the window, said Alice Johnson, who will turn 92 on April 24.

We were locked up in the house, said Doris Rogers, 79, who was sitting at a nearby table, talking with her friend Gladys McCullough, also 79.

Were very happy to be back at the senior center, said McCullough, who still works as a companion aide. Having the center back open gives you something to do, she said. Get yourself out of the house!

Isabelle Harris, 88, who is retired from jobs at Yale-New Haven Hospital, Yale University and the Board of Education  was thrilled to be back out at the center.

Its wonderful! she said. Ive been waiting a long time for this.

She said its been hard being cut off from regular communication with friends. But with the senior center back open, You have somewhere to go, she said. ...This is really wonderful.

In addition to a brand new building, the center, which reopened last week along with the Atwater Senior Center in Fair Haven and the East Shore Senior Center, has an all-new director in newly appointed Department of Elderly Services Acting Director Tomi Veale, who started work Monday.

Elicker and Veale, who formerly worked in the citys Youth Department, both said the city is working on getting all three senior centers back open five days a week as soon as possible.

Moments later, out in a hallway, Elicker said, Theres really a feeling of (rejoicing) in the room. People are excited to be back together ... Today looks like a fresh start. They want to be together. They want to do activities.

Johnson, who was thrilled at the new digs in the Q House, said, Theyve moved us from this place to that place over the years and we finally have a home.

So how did Elicker end up singing for the seniors?

He sort of piggy-backed on the gospel vocal talents of Miss Rosa White, who sang a gospel number, One More Time, for the assembly crowd just before the mayor got up to speak.

Is it good to be back? Elicker asked, with a little bit of a preacher in his voice.

Yeah!!! the crowd responded.

It it good to be BACK? Elicker repeated.

YEAH!!! the crowded chanted back at him.

I feel like Im up here on the pulpit, Elicker joked.

He then told the seniors that society needs more respect  and if anybody needs respect, its our seniors. You have served our community  and your community for many years, he said. We need so many more people who have done the things that you have done.

He said the situation at the Q House, where the senior center has moved in close proximity to programs for children, is something the city would like to use as a model elsewhere to create a community that cares and is compassionate.

Veale said, Im excited to join this great department and Im excited to be working with you all.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
ATLANTA (AP)  A lawyer representing critics of Georgias election system said state officials have erected a series of roadblocks to voting through their policies and practices. An attorney for the state countered that the critics are trying to prove democracy failed" the state, but they lack the evidence to prove it.

The statements came Monday as a trial got underway in a federal lawsuit that initially called for a broad overhaul of Georgias election system. The scope of the suit was considerably narrowed when some allegations were addressed by changes in state law and others were dismissed by the court. The lawsuit was filed in 2018 by Fair Fight Action, an organization founded by voting rights activist and Democratic candidate for Georgia governor Stacey Abrams, just weeks after Abrams narrowly lost her first bid for governor.

The bench trial  which means there's no jury  is being presided over by U.S. District Judge Steve Jones and is expected to last four or five weeks. Jones has said he doesn't expect to rule before the state's May 24 primary.

During her opening statement, Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, an attorney for Fair Fight and the other plaintiffs, evoked the image of U.S. Rep. John Lewis marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 1965 to fight for voting rights. The congressman, who died in July 2020, had planned to be the plaintiffs' first witness at trial, Lawrence-Hardy said.

Voting is also a bridge. It is the most basic path to democracy, she said. Because of the actions of state election officials, she said, eligible voters in Georgia face roadblock after roadblock as they try to get to that path.

The secretary of state and State Election Board have made it difficult for Georgians to register to vote, stay registered and cast a ballot that will count, she said.

When Abrams ended her 2018 bid to become governor, she said that under the watch of her victorious Republican opponent, former Secretary of State Brian Kemp, democracy failed Georgia. That's a hypothesis that Fair Fight and its allies have been trying to prove ever since without success, state lawyer Josh Belinfante said.

State officials take very seriously any claims of disenfranchisement or burdens on the right to vote, Belinfante said. The plaintiffs fall short of proving their hypothesis in part because they overlook the hard work of everyday Georgians, the election workers who toil under difficult conditions and just want to get it right, he said.

The lawsuit initially said state election officials grossly mismanaged the 2018 election in a way that disenfranchised some citizens, particularly low-income people and people of color. The issues remaining for the trial have to do with the state's exact match policy, the statewide voter registration list and in-person cancellation of absentee ballots. The plaintiffs allege violations of the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Under the exact match policy, information from voter registration applications is checked against information held by the state Department of Driver Services. The flawed matching methods used by the state inevitably produce erroneous results, Lawrence-Hardy said. Critics of exact match have long said data entry errors or differences as minor as a missing hyphen can trigger a non-match and that naturalized citizens can also be wrongly flagged if records are outdated. The problems disproportionately affect people of color, naturalized citizens and residents of certain counties, Lawrence-Hardy said.

Evidence will show that 98% of Georgians have had no problem with the policy and the other 2% can vote after showing a photo ID, which every voter is required to do, Belinfante said. The exact match policy has also become less stringent as a result of litigation and a 2019 law, he said.

Lawrence-Hardy also alleged that the statewide voter registration database is full of errors, and state efforts to clean the voter rolls of ineligible voters too often result in the erroneous deletion of eligible voters' registration or critical information being incorrect. Belinfante acknowledged some unfortunate mistakes but said there's no evidence that the state deliberately disenfranchises voters.

The lawyer for the plaintiffs argued that counties have different processes for canceling an absentee ballot if someone chooses to vote in person instead, and some subject voters to unnecessary burdens. State officials are aware of these problems, which can cause voters to be turned away or forced to cast a provisional ballot, she said.

Belinfante said a 2019 law clarified the process for canceling an absentee ballot at a polling place and poll worker manuals have been updated.

Lawrence-Hardy told the judge that, over the course of the trial, he will hear from people who experienced trouble voting, as well as from experts who have studied voting in Georgia.

Belinfante said the judge will hear from very few people who were unable to vote in 2018 and even fewer who had problems in 2020. Election officials will testify about ongoing measures to ensure the integrity of the state's voting system and improve the voter experience, he said.

Fair Fight filed the lawsuit along with Care in Action, a nonprofit that advocates for domestic workers. Several churches have also joined as plaintiffs.
ANTIOCH, N.C. (AP)  A North Carolina sheriff's office K-9 was killed in an exchange of gunfire between deputies and a suspect hiding in a crawl space under a home, officials said.

Law enforcement responded to a report of an armed robbery involving the theft of a vehicle on Saturday afternoon in Granville County, WRAL-TV reported. They found the vehicle that was stolen, but not the man accused of stealing it.
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NEW HAVEN  The Rev. Joseph M. Elko, administrator of St. Martin de Porres Roman Catholic Church, has been placed on administrative leave because of a claim of sexual abuse that allegedly occurred in the 1990s.

In an email Monday, David Elliott, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Hartford, said the news was announced at Masses this weekend. The church is located at 136 Dixwell Ave.
Philadelphia became the first major U.S. city to reinstate its indoor mask mandate on Monday after reporting a sharp increase in coronavirus infections, with the city's top health official saying she wanted to forestall a potential new wave driven by an omicron subvariant.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases have risen more than 50% in 10 days, the threshold at which the citys guidelines call for people to wear masks indoors, said Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, the health commissioner. Health officials believe the recent spike is being driven by the highly transmissible BA.2 subvariant of omicron, which has spread rapidly throughout Europe and Asia, and has become dominant in the U.S. in recent weeks.

If we fail to act now, knowing that every previous wave of infections has been followed by a wave of hospitalizations, and then a wave of deaths, it will be too late for many of our residents, said Bettigole, noting about 750 Philadelphia residents died in the wintertime omicron outbreak. This is our chance to get ahead of the pandemic, to put our masks on until we have more information about the severity of this new variant.

Health inspectors will begin enforcing the mask mandate at city businesses on April 18.

Most states and cities dropped their masking requirements in February and early March following new guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that put less focus on case counts and more on hospital capacity. The CDC said at that time that with the virus in retreat, most Americans could safely take off their masks.

Philadelphia ended its indoor mask mandate March 2, and Bettigole acknowledged it was wonderful to feel that sense of normalcy again.

Confirmed cases have since risen to more than 140 per day  still a fraction of what Philadelphia saw at the height of the omicron surge  while only 46 patients are in the hospital with COVID-19. The CDC says community spread in Philadelphia remains low, a level at which the agency says that masking can be optional.

The restaurant industry pushed back against the city's reimposed mask mandate, saying workers will bear the brunt of customer anger over the new rules.

This announcement is a major blow to thousands of small businesses and other operators in the city who were hoping this spring would be the start of recovery, said Ben Fileccia, senior director of operations at the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association.

PolicyLab at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia said Friday that while it expects some increased transmission in the northern U.S. over the next several weeks, hospital admissions have remained low and our team advises against required masking given that hospital capacity is good.

Bettigole said requiring people to mask up will help restaurants and other businesses stay open, while a huge new wave of COVID-19 would keep customers at home. She said hospital capacity was just one factor that went into her decision to reinstate the mandate.

I sincerely wish we didnt have to do this again, Bettigole said. But I am very worried about our vulnerable neighbors and loved ones.

In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams has paused his push to unwind many of the citys virus rules as cases have risen, opting for now to keep a mask mandate for 2 to 4-year-olds in city schools and preschools. But Adams, a Democrat who has said New Yorkers should not let the pandemic run their lives, has already lifted most other mask mandates and rules requiring proof of vaccination to dine in restaurants, work out at gyms or attend shows.

Adams was asked at a virtual news conference Monday afternoon if he was considering reimposing the New York City mask mandate in light of Philadelphias decision. The mayor said he would listen to his team of medical doctors for their advice on whether to bring back any restrictions. Adams himself tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.

New York City is now averaging around 1,800 new cases per day, about three times higher than in early March when New York began easing rules. That does not include the many home tests that go unreported to health officials.

The latest outbreak has struck many high-profile officials in Washington, including Cabinet members and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut. Some universities have reinstated mask mandates.

D.C. health officials say they have no immediate plans to change virus protocols, but they reserve the right to change course down the road.

___

Rubinkam reported from northeastern Pennsylvania. Associated Press reporter Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this story.
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NEW HAVEN  Philadelphia native Shem Adams has a big dream  to someday spread his love of Philadelphia cheesesteaks and other Philly goodies from coast to coast.

But right now he has his sights set on New Haven, and thats about to happen after seven years of planning.

Adams has owned Phillys - A Taste of Philadelphia in Norwich for 11 years, with a food truck for catering and a satellite location in Dodd Stadium, where the Norwich Sea Unicorns play.

He is about to open his second stand-alone restaurant in a Yale-owned storefront at 1008 Chapel St., a couple of doors over from Claires Corner Copia  and right across the street from Yales Old College.

Adams, who managed to obtain the web address eatcheesesteak.com, plans a grand opening, God willing, for right around May 1. But hes likely to quietly open as soon as he can get his final approvals from the city fire marshal and health department, he said.

A third store will follow later in May up in Bennington, Vt.

Why New Haven for his first step beyond Norwich?

I think this is the heartbeat of Connecticut, Adams said outside his new place, where he held a special preview for invited guests Thursday evening. This is the closest Ive come to something that feels like Philly.

Adams joked that we give you Philly  without the disrespect!

Phillys  A Taste of Philadelphia will offer a variety of real-deal Philly eats, including cheesesteaks made from high-quality ribeye cuts (also offering chicken steaks), with wiz, American or provolone cheese, offered with or without onions, sweet or hot peppers or mushrooms, among other accoutrements.

Before opening the Norwich store, Adams went down to Philadelphia and spent some time with Abner Silver, the late owner of Jims South Street Philadelphia Steaks & Hoagies, one of Phillys most iconic joints, who graciously walked me through it and showed me everything Adams needed to do things right, he said.

The New Haven Phillys also will offer treats ranging from wings and a variety of signature topped fries, including Buffalo fries and honey teriyaki fries, nachos, some breakfast sandwiches and  surprise!  Connecticut-style hot lobster rolls.

As it turns out, two members of the Phillys investment team, which Adams has been working with for the past seven years, are former owners of the Lenny & Joes Fish Tale in New Haven, which served lobster rolls. It was their suggestion to add them to the menu, he said.

Lobster rolls may not be pure Philadelphia, but they are popular items along the Connecticut shoreline.

Phillys in New Haven, with its slick red and blue signage, looks larger and more established than the little shop in Norwich. Thatsno mistake, Adams said.

Adams has aimed since he opened to look like something that might someday be franchised  which has been his ultimate goal. Its designed to look like Ive already got 13 of these, he said.

I didnt want to start off looking like a mom-and-pop (joint), Adams said. I wanted everyone to come in and say, Who owns this? I wanted all the branding and artwork to look expensive.

He got a big push almost by accident 11 years ago when a customer showed up late at night, right as Phillys in Norwich was about to close. Adams invited the man in and made him a sandwich.

The man  Wayland Benbow of Durham, who used to be a leasing director for Subway and had outfitted 4,000 locations for one of the worlds largest fast-food operations  liked what he ate, and what he saw. Hes now helping to guide Phillys growth.

Hes the brain of this, Adams said. Im the heart.

Phillys also got a big push from another Connecticut heavy-lifter, Daym Drops, the onetime freelance YouTube food reviewer who now has made it big-time with shows on Netflix and the Travel Channel. His glowing review of Phillys  which he later followed-up with a second glowing review  put it on maps well beyond Connecticut.

Daym Drops is expected to make an appearance at the New Haven Phillys later in May, Adams said.

Phillys landlord, Yale University, seems pretty happy to add the eatery to the downtown mix, if the reaction of Lauren Zucker, associate vice president for New Haven affairs and university properties, is any indication.

We are delighted to celebrate the continued growth of downtown New Haven by bringing Phillys, a black-owned small business known for their delicious, affordable and high quality cheesesteaks, to New Haven, Zucker said. Yale Universitys community investment program supports independently-owned businesses, creating jobs for New Haven residents and expanding the citys tax base.

Correction: This story has been updated to clarify that Daym Drops hosts his food reviews on YouTube, Netflix and the Travel Channel.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
North Haven Police / Contributed

NORTH HAVEN  There were several incidents of stolen vehicles and attempted thefts late last week and over the weekend, according to police.

A gray Honda was taken from a Christine Road home on Friday, police said. The victim told officers the car was unlocked with the keys inside it.
Since that fateful week in March of 2020, students throughout Florida and the greater United States have been dealing with challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from college closures and graduations put on hold, the pandemic brought an even bigger challenge: mental health. How have colleges and universities adapted? How are they utilizing their resources to help curtail the ongoing physical and mental toll of COVID on students?

To understand the impact of this pandemic on college students mental health, I want to break down some statistics and relate them to what Im experiencing at my school, Rollins College.

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In 2020, Active Minds surveyed college institutions and found that 80% of college students report that COVID-19 has negatively impacted their mental health.

Self-care routines and daily schedules have been interrupted for students since the start of this pandemic because 76% have trouble maintaining a routine, 73% struggle to get enough physical activity, and 63% find it challenging to stay connected with others.

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As the percentage of inactive and distressed students increases, there is more pressure on educational institutions to do more to help. How are colleges using existing services to support the growing mental-health crisis? As we move towards an endemic stage of COVID, what lessons can we learn from the way we treated mental-health concerns in 2020 and 2021? What resources and outlets helped students the most and allowed them to get back in the swing of things? What more can be done?

The statistics above mimicked the culture of the Rollins campus during the height of the pandemic. Learning virtually was not easy, and was a feat in itself. But, students triumphed through each semester knowing that one day COVID would be a distant memory.

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But, as the pandemic raged on, more and more students began utilizing our Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). They wanted more promotional activities and events to target mental-health needs, and they sought the understanding of faculty due to the taxing nature of the pandemic and its impact on academic performance.

Through regularly surveying the student body, the Rollins College Wellness Center listened to student feedback and applied it to the delivery and promotion of their services. For example, offering telehealth for counseling appointments, using Instagram as a direct way to promote services and offer resources, and having multiple departments throughout the college share these tools and options with students as well.

As a Wellness Ambassador, not only do I plan and implement wellness initiatives and collaborate with faculty, staff, and students in programming that enhances student well-being, but I consistently engage with the student body. This revamp of the Wellness Center helped; however, I believe the stigma on mental health and its influence on academics prevails in many instances.

For one, we expect professors to take on the role of counselor or therapist, yet Boston University research shows less than 30 percent of faculty have received training from their academic institutions, even though 70 percent say they are eager to strengthen their support for students experiencing mental or emotional health challenges. This is an area we can make great strides in if we can improve the positive interactions and communication between students, faculty, and the administration.

I have great empathy for the students who are concerned about attendance policies, the overwhelming drag of the semester and the need for understanding by their teachers. The Wellness Center, faculty, students and administrators need to be on the same page to make continuous improvements in tackling mental-health issues. Mental-health services need to continue to pivot and adapt to safeguard the evolving mental health needs of the student body.

We have done a great job at supporting the mental health of our students during these two years of COVID. We have made improvements like 24 hours, 7 days a week access to counselors, wellness apps, and peer support. All colleges and universities need to continue prioritizing mental health by surveying and monitoring students needs and seeking out any disparities resulting from this or any global crisis that is beyond our control.

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Sendy Neika Sejourne of Kissimmee is a Health Services Leadership & Management major at Rollins College.
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WEST HAVEN  Yevgeniy and Kristina Bizyayev and their three young sons received a West Haven welcome Monday in City Hall, with toys, cash and pizza.

The family is a long way from their home in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which invading Russian troops began shelling for three days before the family began the long journey of escaping. Kristina said the situation escalated quickly: things were quiet until one morning they were awakened around 6 a.m. by bombing.

The family quickly sought refuge in an underground parking lot, where they stayed for about three days before making the journey west for the country of Moldova.

Some volunteers helped us to have food and a shower, Kristina said.

The couple continued westward with sons Daniel, Adam and Leonell to Romania, Austria and then Germany. Kristina said they responded to a post on a bulletin on ukrainetakeshelter.com, a Harvard student-run temporary housing resettlement site. Kristina, an internet marketer, has a familiarity with the internet and the family has traveled to the United States for business in the past.

After responding to a bulletin on Ukraine Take Shelter, the family learned they would be connected with West Haven resident Gaye Hyre.

Five family members stayed in Germany as the United States-bound Ukrainian family landed in New York City on Thursday. The Bizyayevs have family already in Boston and New York City, who they intend to reunite with soon.

Im the waystation, Hyre said.

Hyre, who has a vacant bedroom in her home from a daughter attending college, said as soon as there was speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin would order troops into Ukraine, she knew it was going to happen. Therefore, she felt it was imperative for her to do whatever she could.

If we dont do for each other, whos going to? she said. This is a nation of refuge.

At a brief reception in the City Clerks office to welcome the family Monday, Executive Assistant to the Mayor Lou Esposito welcomed them to our fair city.

We have a big heart and we hope you enjoy yourself, he said.

Before the pizzas arrived  six pies donated by Zuppardis Apizza  a Connecticut Public Radio reporter asked the family if theyd ever tried clams on pizza. The couple gently scrunched their noses.

By next week, officials hope to enroll eldest son Daniel in first grade at Forest Elementary School.

He will receive intensive language support, said West Haven Public Schools ESL Coordinator Raffaela Fronc. Well use small groups with kids who dont speak English well.

Fronc said the district accepts numerous English learners each year from different countries, so it is not unusual for the school system.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
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BRANFORD  U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and administrators with the Small Business Administration visited Stony Creek Brewery on Monday to highlight legislation and funds that helped keep Connecticuts small businesses open during the pandemic.

Ed Crowley, the owner of Stony Creek Brewery, said his business was shuttered for a few months when the pandemic began and slowly began to reopen under the governors orders but lost a lot of revenue.

When the business reopened, it pivoted to becoming a restaurant, something Crowley said was unique for someone that had been in the beer industry for 46 years.

Every other business struggled during this COVID two-year period and we suffered along with them, Crowley said. Many of them are good friends of ours that have survived. Unfortunately, many of those did not survive and we hope that they get back into some type of brewing capacity.

Crowley said the business received a 504 loan, money from the Paycheck Protection Program and most recently, the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the SBA.

Without these three products, the 504, the PPP and the EIDL loan, it would have been very, very difficult for a brewery this size, to survive, he said, even for a family-run business thats well-run with the volume his company produces.

The business applied for the EIDL loan back in October 2021, and as recently as six weeks ago Crowley said he felt he was getting nowhere as far as the application process. Then he made a few phone calls and connected with SBA Connecticut District Director Catherine Marx, who he called a superhero.

Its been a difficult two years and unimaginable business plans shutting down the hospitality industry, shutting down the restaurants and yet organizations like the Stony Creek not only survived, but they are going into new direction, and theyre supporting their communities, Marx said.

Crowley said making payroll every two weeks was a grind and if it wasnt for Marx and Mike Vlacich, the regional administrator for the SBA, the business would not be where it is today.

As I told all of our team members, we wouldnt be here today, we wouldnt be looking to add about 14 new full-time positions in brewing hospitality side, getting ready for the summer months, Crowley said.

Blumenthal said his role in the saga of helping the brewery receive the loan was to be a pain in the neck, which he said he does sometimes when government needs to respond more quickly and fully to the needs of constituents.

The senator praised the SBA for its work with PPP, EIDL and the restaurant revitalization program over the last two years, adding the federal government has poured trillions into the economy, with a lot of that money going toward small businesses.

The reason is, small businesses are our economic backbone, Blumenthal said. They are literally the economic springboard to recovery because they are the major source of new jobs and they not only employ people, but they bring people together.

Blumenthal said he hopes when the Senate goes back to work in a few weeks it will add $48 billion into the restaurant revitalization program to replenish the program and help restaurants and breweries that missed out on the first round of funding.

Vlacich said there are 355,000 small businesses in Connecticut and that $14 billion came into the state in pandemic aid and grants. More benefits may become available to small businesses through the $6 trillion in infrastructure aid passed by the federal government, Vlacich said.

In order to build that better America, we have to support our main streets and this is step one, getting companies like Stony Creek back on their feet and thinking about the future and growing your business. Thats why were here and were going to continue moving forward, Vlacich said.

Crowley is remaining hush on how his business is growing apart from the 14 new positions, but did hint at possibly expanding the business footprint.

Were currently in all of the New England states. We have never ventured into the great city of New York, Crowley said. That could be on the horizon. And if it is, we need bodies, great bodies that are going to help us sell Stony Creek beer out into the city, in the five boroughs.

And I am sworn to secrecy, but I can tell you the plans are very, very exciting, Blumenthal chimed in.

christine.derosa@hearstmediact.com
The Command Center building on the Nike complex in Cambria was built with two-foot concrete walls to protect against a nuclear strike. The building has been vacant for 40 years. (Benjamin Joe / staff)
Alissa Hunt, 11, of Pendleton, is all smiles as she holds an award-winning white bantam chicken in the poultry barn during the 2008 Niagara County Fair.
Nancy Jean Kohler Fundinger, 82, formerly of North Tonawanda, NY, passed away April 30, 2022. More information at kygers.com.
President Muhammadu Buharis Personal Assistant on Digital and New Media, Tolu Ogunlesi, had mocked Peter Obi over his Presidential ambiti...

President Muhammadu Buharis Personal Assistant on Digital and New Media, Tolu Ogunlesi, had mocked Peter Obi over his Presidential ambition.

Ogunlesi said left for Obis supporters, Buhari will just hand over to him on May 29, 2023.

In a tweet, Ogunlesi suggested that those supporting the Presidential aspirant feel he is the best candidate to succeed Buhari.

Left to HE Peter Obis SUPPORTERS there should be no election in 2023. On the morning of May 29, PMB should just place a call and say, PO, where are you? Meet me at Eagle Square, Im ready to hand over. See you soon, Incoming, he tweeted.

The former Anambra State Governor recently joined the 2023 Presidential race.

With the declaration of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, some Nigerians had opined that Obi was the best candidate to face the Vice president during the 2023 elections.

On Monday, Osinbajo officially declared his intentions to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Vice President made his intentions known after a consultative meeting with some governors elected under the APC last night at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Ibrahim Almustapha, a member of the House of Representatives, says the security challenges confronting the country are signs of Nigerias ...

Ibrahim Almustapha, a member of the House of Representatives, says the security challenges confronting the country are signs of Nigerias greatness.

Speaking with NAN on Sunday, Almustapha, who represents Wurno/Rabah federal constituency in Sokoto, said many countries passed through challenges before they became great.

Almustapha said Nigeria would turn out great if it could overcome its challenges.

To me, I see most of these challenges, especially the security challenges facing the country, as a sign of greatness. Many great nations passed through lots of challenges on their way to greatness, he said.

I believe the same situation is applicable to Nigeria and once we are able to overcome them, Nigeria will certainly become great in every aspect of human endeavours  in terms of economy, infrastructure, power and all others.

What we need is to come together as a nation with sincerity, towards tackling the challenges. Nigerians who are fond of celebrating bad news and negativity should stop.

Those supplying information and logistics to bandits and armed robbers should stop and those entrusted with the task of fighting them should be more sincere.

Almustapha said the APC has performed better than the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since it took over power in 2015.

I think the APC has performed very well especially when compared with the PDP years, he said.

I can comfortably tell you that the APC will win the 2023 general election with landslide victory.
A former aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, on Monday, said Vice President Yemi Osinbajos presidential declaration sp...

A former aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, on Monday, said Vice President Yemi Osinbajos presidential declaration speech was emptier than the West Africa Examination Council certificate of the President, Muhammadu Buhari.

This as he also challenged Osinbajos supporters to list any achievement that could earn him (Osinbajo) the presidential seat.

Osinbajo on Monday officially declared his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election.

He made the declaration in a short broadcast shared via his Twitter handle after months of intense speculations.

But reacting to the declaration on Monday, Omokri challenged the vice presidents supporter to point out specific achievements listed by Osinbanjo in his declaration speech.

In a series of tweets on his Twitter handle, Omokri said he was ready to give $1000 to any supporter who is able to list the vice presidents achievements.

He wrote, He Osinbajos declaration speech was emptier than Buharis WAEC certificate! He talked for almost 7 minutes and could not name one tangible achievement. Only promises. After 8 years. Name one promise and its fulfilment from that speech, and I will pay you $1000.

Can you name a specific achievement Osinbajo listed in his declaration speech and get $1000? Not promises. I refer to achievements. For instance, I promised this in 2015, and I delivered this in 2022. I need one Osinbajo supporter to respond and get $1000.
Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, on Monday said the South East region of the country should be allowed to produce the next Pre...

Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, on Monday said the South East region of the country should be allowed to produce the next President of Nigeria.

Obi said for the sake of equity, justice and respect for the South-East zone, an Igbo indigene must be allowed to rule the nation.

Obi, who is a presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stated this during a meeting with delegates and leaders of the party in Ogun State on Monday.

Speaking at the party secretariat in Okemosan, Abeokuta, Obi urged party leaders not to allow money and sentiments influence their votes during the primaries.

The former governor said he remained committed to building a better Nigeria that every citizen would be proud of.

Obi, who was in company with Dr. Doyin Okupe, said the nation was in crisis, claiming he remained the best candidate to take Nigeria out of the doldrums.

His words, Let me assure you that my commitment is to build a better Nigeria, my desperation is to see Nigeria better than it is today. We cannot continue the way Nigeria is today.

What we want to say is that a nation must be built on fairness, must be built on equity, must be built on respect for each other and we in the South East are saying we too should be allowed to serve and I assure you that that opportunity will change Nigeria.

No country with 33 per cent unemployment and 65 per cent underemployment will survive. 60 per cent of the unemployed and underemployed are among the youths, the most productive population of the country and at their young age are doing nothing.

Today, our nation is owing people pension, they dont pay peoples gratuity. Our schools are closed, our universities have been closed now and nobody is saying anything. There are 15 million out-of-school children, and the drug prevalence among our youths today is the highest in the world. We must change the situation.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, on Monday, urged South Korea to help Ukraine fight Russia amid the ongoing war between both neighbo...





Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, on Monday, urged South Korea to help Ukraine fight Russia amid the ongoing war between both neighbouring countries.





Recall that the war between Ukraine and Russia started in February this year.





As of today, several casualties have already been recorded as a result of the war.





Addressing the South Korean parliament in Seoul via an online video link today, Zelensky asked for weapons to aid Ukraines defence against Russia.





Ukraine needs support for its military, including planes and tanks, Zelensky told South Korean lawmakers according to CNN.





South Korea can help Ukraine. South Korea has various defense systems that could defend against Russian tanks, ships, and missiles.





We would be grateful if South Korea could help us to fight Russia. If Ukraine can have these weapons, they will not only save the lives of ordinary people, but they will save Ukraine.
Why not just ban all library books?

School libraries are a real problem  and they always were (Osceola schools pull four books for review, give parents library options for kids, April 8). When I was in elementary school back in the 1960s, on Library Day the boys in my class would always make a beeline for the encyclopedias. They would hunch over those books in animated conversation. They were looking at pictures of naked women in the form of Greek and Roman statues.

Clearly, the answer is to remove offensive pornographic and other material from school libraries. Well need to start with the encyclopedias, obviously. Then all art books and books on mythology because you just never know what images kids might come across. And dont even get me started on National Geographic!

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Then we need to consider that according to Superintendent Debra Pace, We must ensure school is a safe space for learning for all students. Well need to ask students (or, more to the point, their parents, since students are obviously not capable of making their own decisions about appropriate reading material) what their triggers are. For example, my child has OCD. One of her triggers is rabies; I wouldnt want her to come across Old Yeller or Their Eyes Were Watching God.

To quote the dad from The Croods, And then one day she saw something new  and died! I do not want that to happen to my child.

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Library isnt the problem, online is

I would like to suggest parents who want to ban books from school libraries may want to monitor what their children are reading online instead, since more children are being influenced by online material (Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) than books from their school libraries. There is more inaccurate information, outright lies and conspiracy theories online (which have led to the divisive atmosphere of the country today) than in books from school libraries. Schools are meant to teach students to be intellectual thinkers. Banning books of any kind prevents that from happening.

Jim Malcolm Winter Park

Winter Parks charm must be part of prosperity

In respond to Betsy Gardner Eckberts April 4 guest column: Winter Park finding new path to economic recovery, prosperity.

Thank you to the Winter Park Chamber for asking the questions and producing a valuable feedback loop in its recent prosperity scorecard. To properly round out this scorecard, Id like to propose one more question:

What is the Chambers de facto policy on charm  the golden goose which drives our current prosperity as well as our long-established brand, over 135 years in the making? Is there a cohesive agreement to protect, enhance and advocate for benchmarks which maintain that intimate and desirable charm factor?

What is the appropriate scale and context for new urban development ventures? Should traffic impacts be assessed on the front end (vs. laid on the table as an afterthought)?

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Most importantly, what new innovations and ideas can our business community bring from other communities across the country  like Greenville, S.C., and Lexington, Ky.?

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All boats rise with healthy curiosity and true partnership. Thats not just prosperity  thats leadership.

Charley Williams Winter Park

Gaetzs words werent worth reading

Id like to comment on the April 10 guest column by Congressman Matt Gaetz (Close tax loophole that benefits Disney, others) by saying that I did not read the April 10 guest column by Congressman Matt Gaetz. He has chosen to become a clown as a political strategy, and I do not take clowns or their views seriously. As soon as I saw his name, I moved on.

Ill keep listening to legitimate conservatives (the few that remain), but the Republicans should know that even if they have a strong argument to make on a serious issue, they no longer have standing with serious, intelligent adults.

Cal Massey Flagler Beach
Terrorists who attacked an Abuja-Kaduna train and killed eight people have released a fresh hostage video showing their victims in an unid...

Terrorists who attacked an Abuja-Kaduna train and killed eight people have released a fresh hostage video showing their victims in an unidentified location suspected to be a forest.

WATCH VIDEO BELOW...

The Chief Executive Officer of Nigerias Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Ali-Hassan, who was recently released was flanked by other abductees in the new video.

The masked terrorists wore military uniforms and stood behind the abductees in the video released on Sunday.

Some of the captives were seen calling on the government to come to their rescue.

One of them is a lady who identified herself as a student of Kaduna State University.

Another man said he was on his way to Kaduna for eye treatment when he was abducted.

The attack on the train between Abuja and Kaduna on March 28 saw the terrorists detonate a bomb on the track and open fire on the train.

As of Monday, April 4, the whereabouts of 168 passengers are still unknown, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation.

In a statement last Sunday, the NRC said of the 362 passengers on board the train when it was attacked, 186 had been confirmed safe.

Of the 362 validated passengers on board the attacked AK9 train service on March 28, 186 persons on the manifest are confirmed to be safe and at their various homes, it said.

The NRC said of the remaining 176 passengers, eight have been confirmed dead, leaving the whereabouts of 168 still unknown.

In the first video, the speaker said they decided to release Ali-Hassan out of compassion as a Ramadan gesture, and his advanced age.

Although the speaker claimed no ransom was paid for Ali-Hassans release, family sources said they had to pay money to the captors.

The masked men do not claim affiliation to any group but the recording closely resembles propaganda videos by terrorist groups waging a more than 12-year insurrection in Nigerias northeast.

The opening prayer in Arabic by one of the men is the same as in all previous propaganda videos by terrorist groups. The positioning of the gunmen with the hostage is also similar.
Yoruba Nation freedom fighter, Sunday Igboho, has blamed his agitation on the state of things in Nigeria. Igboho said he would not h...

Yoruba Nation freedom fighter, Sunday Igboho, has blamed his agitation on the state of things in Nigeria.

Igboho said he would not have embarked on agitation if the Nigerian government had developed the country like the Benin Republic.

He noted that agitations would have been non-existent if the Nigerian government had ensured the protection of Nigerians like the Benin government had done with its citizens.

Igboho disclosed this during a conversation with the leader of the Ilano Omo Oodua, Prof Banji Akintoye, and his deputy, Prof Wale Adeniran in Cotonou, Benin Republic.

The freedom fighter insisted that security operatives in the Benin Republic are not as corrupt as their Nigerian counterparts.

He said the current President of Benin Republic, Tallon, has been able to ensure adequate security of his citizens, unlike the Nigerian government.

According to Igboho: What was the cause of my coming out and running around to go demand a better country?

If Nigeria were to be like the Benin Republic of today, what would have made me come out? If our country, Nigeria were like Benin, I would have no reason to agitate because theres nothing that I want, that God hasnt given me.

I have been visiting Benin Republic since 1996; at that time, the police were always at checkpoints collecting bribes from motorists, but when the incumbent President got into power, he eradicated the act.

In those days, although numerous police officers were always on the streets, stealing and killings were prevalent, but the new President brought that to a halt, and he made a law that DPOs would be held accountable for the actions of thieves operating within their jurisdictions.

He increased the salary of the police personnel. Benin Republic police officers are paid three times more than Nigerian police officers. There are no more police checkpoints here in Benin, and no matter how far you travel, youll not be accosted by thieves on the highway.

Stressing that the Benin Republic has not experienced a blackout or lacked water for seven months, he said the President investigates projects himself.

If we have such a government in Nigeria, no one will agitate. Citizens will be happy in a country where the government provides stable power supply, adequate security, and adequate water supply, because that is a good government, he said.

The Yoruba Nation agitator has been incarcerated since last year in Cotonou, Benin Republic.

Security operatives picked up Igboho at an airport in Cotonou while attempting to travel to Germany.

He had fled Nigeria to Cotonou after the Department of State Services, DSS, declared him wanted.
The Walt Disney Co. donated $125,000 to the Republican Party of Florida at the beginning of this years legislative session, according to new filings with the state.

That session ended last month with Disney as public enemy number one for many Republicans after CEO Bob Chapek announced his opposition to the so-called dont say gay bill.

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Chapek paused all political donations in Florida in March after taking heat from LGBTQ groups for his relative silence on the bill, which was later signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The law prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in grades kindergarten through three or in a manner that is not age appropriate for higher grades. Republicans say it protects parents rights, but opponents have criticized it as intentionally vague and targeting the gay community.

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Before this year, Disney had given about $55 million to Republicans, Democrats and political committees in the state over the past 28 years, including about $5 million in 2020 and more than $2 million in 2021, state records show.

The company had also given more than $100,000 to the Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC since 2019.

Before the pause this year, in addition to the Florida GOP contribution Disney also gave $25,000 to the Florida Democratic Legislative Campaign.

Its political committee contributions, however, tilted right. The company gave $25,000 to the political group Conservatives for a Better Florida, $25,000 to the conservative group Advancing Florida Agriculture and $10,000 to Republican state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis affiliated group Treasure Florida.

In the weeks after Chapeks announcement, in which he apologized to employees and promised to oppose similar bills in other states, the company has been a target of Republican ire.

DeSantis said he was receptive to changing Disneys self-governing Reedy Creek district in Central Florida, while two GOP congressional candidates joined protesters at Walt Disney World on Saturday.

Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Helen Aguirre Ferre, executive director for the state GOP, also could not be reached.
The clatter of hatchets on shells fell silent as the boxy metal fishing boat drifted in a slow circle on Adams Bay, near the fishing port of Empire, Louisiana.

Yet the just-harvested oysters that the crew had been roughly separating and sorting remained the center of attention, and the subject of increasingly excited talk between the oyster boat captain and his visitors.

A small skiff had pulled up alongside, and up to the oyster boat climbed Dana Honn, chef at Carmo, and Lindsay Allday and Jeff Spoo, oyster sommelier and shucker (respectively) at Sidecar Patio & Oyster Bar.

Mike Bianchini and his crew of two fellow Plaquemines Parish natives welcomed the visit, not just for a break, but for a chance to do something thats rare in their realm: meet the restaurant people who serve the product they work hard to obtain.

They talked about what they do  about salinity, seasonality and place  right where it all happens. They all ate oysters out of hand, tossing the shells back over the side with a plop.

I love it, it helps them and it helps us, said Bianchini, after putting his boat back in motion, directing its cagelike dredge to haul up more oysters from the swallow waters.

People normally dont see this part of it; they dont see anything about it at all at the restaurant, he said. They dont see all the hard work that goes into it.

The waterborne visit was part of a New Orleans-based program called Chefs on Boats. Its a growing effort to connect restaurant professionals with the people who harvest their seafood, with the aim of building better understanding and stronger allies as Louisianas hardworking coast grapples with historic change.

From brigades to boats

The project represents an evolution of Chefs Brigade, a nonprofit effort that formed rapidly in 2020 as the pandemic was closing restaurants and imperiling hospitality businesses.

The grassroots group began paying otherwise idled restaurants to cook for first responders, health care workers and others as the pandemic fight raged. By the time it concluded, the program had supplied 3.7 million meals.

Along the way, Chefs Brigade co-founder Troy Gilbert had built a network across the restaurant industry.

We had 90 restaurants in the program that I was talking to once a week, and it blew my mind to discover the disconnect they had from the seafood industry, said Gilbert.

In New Orleans, we consider ourselves a maritime people, but we built all these barriers to the water around us and theres a disconnect, including with chefs, he said. It just made sense for us to do this.

While its called Chefs on Boats, the program is aimed at restaurant people across the board, from line cooks to managers and bartenders.

These people can be the ambassadors for our seafood, said Gilbert. When they put a plate of delicious oysters down in front of someone from out of town, they have that chance to tell them where it came from, whats at stake on our coast.

Navigating change

The goal of Chefs on Boats is to literally get people on boats to see firsthand the work of fishermen and the challenges facing Louisianas coastal environment from land loss and climate change.

For that work, Gilbert found a uniquely qualified collaborator.

Food and restaurant news in your inbox Every Thursday we give you the scoop on NOLA dining. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Richie Blink is a boat captain who grew up in a fishing family in Empire. At 35, hes already seen remarkable changes to the coast from the times when he first set out on boats and romped through the marshes here as a kid.

He started his business Delta Discovery Tours to share the story of the coast, revealing both the loss and the potential for renewal.

His clientele includes students, scientists, journalists and even tourists out for something different from the conventional swamp tour.

For his Chefs on Boats outings, Blink takes visitors to the estuaries on each side of the Mississippi River, which offer a stark contrast.

In a small Lafitte skiff hes named New Delta, he shows areas that were once dense marsh and now have changed to nearly open water. Then, on the other side of the river, he shows areas where soil-laden waters continue to build new land, flowing through small gaps in the river levee across a swiftly growing marshland.

Building new freshwater diversions to direct river water into dwindling marsh areas is a big part of the states Coastal Master Plan. That brings the potential to build new land, but also is poised to disrupt fishing grounds and the communities built around them.

That was top of mind aboard the New Delta. When Blink cut the engine to drift quietly in a lush alluvial landscape, the culinary pros on board talked about the future of Louisiana seafood.

Weve got to get people understanding the changes that are happening and about the ways to take advantage of new opportunities, because there will be those, too, said Honn, whose Warehouse District restaurant is a model of local, sustainable seafood sourcing.

Too often, Honn said, restaurant people who earn their living through Louisianas seafood heritage have no relationship to the people who make it tick.

Its shocking how little information is provided to people in the culinary field and how much they want to learn, he said. Theres a gap, and this (program) is a step in the right direction.

Small boat, bigger aims

Chefs on Boats is small-scale by design, with outings limited to the half dozen or so people who can fit on Blinks skiff. That means they can visit and spend one-on-one time with the fishermen.

Since starting last year, its made over a dozen trips, taking about 60 restaurant professionals out.

Gilbert has bigger plans for the program.

Hes now working with environmental organizations on action items that restaurants can take to be better stewards of Louisianas environment. That might start with serving a more diversified and sustainable local catch and could extend to the types of cleaning supplies they use.

Gilbert believes the program could be expanded with additional boats, and maybe even brought to other regions where seafood and culinary heritage intersect.

At the end of another tour, Blink expressed his own persistent optimism about the regions future, even for all the degradation hes seen in his home community of Plaquemines Parish.

These waters, the seafood industry, the fishing families, its part of Louisiana culture that makes us who we are, Blink said. It looks like its going away but theres still that can-do spirit, and I think that will get us through these challenges.

For more information about Chefs on Boats, see chefsonboats.org.

+44 From boat to New Orleans table -- and fast: How fishermen, chefs chart a new seafood path When the Marisa Jolie pulled up to her dock on Bayou Terrebonne just after sunrise June 27, Lance Nacio and his crew unloaded the red snapper 
Its time to dust off those plush ears and fluffy tails, yall. The boozy bunnies that bounced through the Marigny each Easter-eve from 2009 to 2019 went into hibernation during the COVID 19 quarantine. But the Bunarchists have risen from the ashes of the pandemic and plan to bar hop anew on Saturday, April 16. As always, youre invited.

Co-founder Dan Sheridan said the $10 tickets to the event, which benefits the Louisiana SPCA, are selling swiftly this year. Past hops have drawn between 300 and 400 participants, but he predicts that the 2022 reunion hop may be bigger than ever.

Sheridan said that the NOLA Bunarchy was inspired by a similar romp in far-away Detroit, but it swiftly took on a glittery New Orleans vibe. The most devoted Bunarchists begin crafting their costumes as soon as Carnival is over, he said.

Though Sheridan and his wife, Andrea Bacon Sheridan, inaugurated the pre-Easter bar hop while living in New Orleans, theyve since relocated to upstate Michigan, where they organize the anarchy from afar. Sadly, this year, business obligations will prevent the Sheridans from attending the New Orleans event.

At 6 p.m., the rabble of thirsty rabbits will assemble at Luna Libre, 3600 St. Claude Ave.

By 7 p.m., the group will have rambled to the Saturn Bar at 3067 St. Claude Ave., accompanied by a rolling DJ.

The Bunarchists will nest at the St. Roch Tavern, 1200 St. Roch Ave., from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The crawl will conclude with a dance party at the AllWays Lounge, kicking off at 10 p.m.

Tickets are available online at noomoon.net or in person at Pop City, 940 Decatur St.
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A passenger on a Carnival cruise in the Gulf of Mexico had a medical emergency Saturday night and was flown to a hospital in New Orleans, officials said.

The 60-year-old man was on Carnival Valor about 2 miles south of Venice when he had stroke-like symptoms, according to the Coast Guard. A helicopter was sent to the ship and the Coast Guard crew hoisted him onboard, they said.

They flew him to Tulane Medical Center, where his vitals were stable as of Sunday afternoon.
The fate of the old white house near the Mississippi River levee had been tested many times before, so when the path of Hurricane Ida shifted toward the Gulf Coast, Mercedes Bourgeois thought shed remain in it. Far from the flood-prone subdivisions on the south side of LaPlace, the single-story house first built in the 1950s was no stranger to natural disaster.

Hurricane Betsy (1965): The worst one... We were without power for about a month.

Hurricane Ivan (2004), and then Katrina and Rita (2005). Hurricane Gustav (2008): The first one I experienced without my husband, the 84-year-old widow said. And who in St. John the Baptist Parish could forget about Hurricane Isaac (2012)?

This time, the storm was coming and I said: I'm not going to leave my house,  Bourgeois said.

But each day before landfall the outlook got steadily worse as Ida slingshotted toward the Louisiana coast. Finally, her children intervened.

They grabbed me up and I just left, she said. The next day when I came (back) here, it was just horrible.

Parts of the roof were destroyed. One of the front doors was blown off the hinges. A tangle of woody debris was everywhere.

Recovery may take Bourgeois longer than most, since she didnt have homeowners insurance, a safety net that, on her fixed income, has long been too expensive for her to afford. She is but one of the thousands of St. John the Baptist Parish residents still wrestling with the aftereffects of last years storm. The parish saw an outsize share of its homes damaged by Idas winds and floodwaters, a Times-Picayune analysis of state insurance and census data shows.

More than three out of every four  exactly 82%  of the homes occupied in the parish filed an insurance claim for wind damage, the analysis shows. That was more than any other parish in the state closely affected by Ida. And its likely an undercount, because of the many people like Bourgeois who did not have the extra financial protection.

The analysis makes clear the disproportionate effect the storm, which tracked just west of New Orleans, had on a number of smaller parishes. More than half of the occupied housing units in St. Charles, St. James, Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes were damaged.

Other parishes in the region, namely Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany produced tens of thousands more insurance claims after Ida. However, the claims filed accounted for a much smaller share of the housing stock.

St. John is unique for another reason. More than half, or 58%, of the 7,000 households with policies in the National Flood Insurance Program have also filed an insurance claim, a separate analysis of flood claims data found. Most of those claims were concentrated in LaPlace, where close to three-fourths of the residents live and flood risk is the highest. The floodwaters came from the surge Ida pushed into the subdivisions near Interstate 10, which saw similar flooding in 2012s Isaac.

No other parish experienced flood damage on the same scale, the data suggests. The next closest, by comparison, is Tangipahoa Parish, where 10% of the 10,000 flood policyholders have filed claims, the data shows.

A FEMA official said the data could change as more people file claims, though its now been more than seven months since Ida passed. The numbers give the clearest view yet of the damage done and what it might take to recover.

Our biggest concern for a homeowner is flooding again, said St. John Parish President Jaclyn Hotard, noting that the federal government has finally allocated the $1.3 billion for the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Hurricane Levee project, which aims to protect LaPlaces rear flank.

Of course, it cant come soon enough, because until its built we dont have that flood protection, Hotard said. We know this levee is coming. However, between now and 2024, when it's expected to be complete, could this happen again?

Long term recovery

The $1.7 billion in hurricane relief money set aside by the federal government for the state thus far will go a long way in getting communities back to normal. State officials say they expect the funds to begin flowing to residents close to a year after the storm.

Thats a lot sooner than the lengthy wait victims of Hurricanes Laura and Delta faced after those storms crippled the Lake Charles area in the fall of 2020. State officials expect to launch long term housing programs for those storms this spring.

Its already moved a lot faster for Ida because the appropriation came months instead of a year after the disaster, said Pat Forbes, executive director for the states Office of Community Development.

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While the Laura folks are going to be pushing up close to two years since their storm before the federal process lets the money get out the door. For Ida, thats going to be closer to a year.

FEMA has been offering relief aid for housing assistance, while the federal Small Business Administration has provided low-interest disaster loans. But the new funding announced on March 22 would flow from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department to the state.

Forbes said the main priority for the money is to fill unmet needs, particularly those of renters and homeowners. He said the states action plan for Ida will resemble those created for previous storms, allowing officials to swiftly make the money available to those who need it.

We know it's critical that we get the money out quickly, Forbes said. Well do everything that we can to make that happen.

Filling the void

Meanwhile, churches and other nonprofits have stepped in to fill the void in St. John.

More than 1,000 volunteers funneled into hurricane-damaged communities this week to repair houses for people in need. The Tupelo, Mississippi-based group named Eight Days of Hope has organized the effort once or twice a year since Hurricane Katrina.

Stephen Tybor III, the groups CEO and executive director, said some 28 families will get a new roof and another 30 families will have their entire house repaired over eight days.

They have a need that cant be met by FEMA or insurance companies because of either the lack of or not having the right insurance, Tybor said.

The group will be based out of New Wine Christian Fellowship, a church in LaPlace that has been organizing smaller groups of volunteers since immediately after the storm.

This is kind of like a steroid shot, Tybor said.

One Friday in March, Mercedes Bourgeois turned to New Wine to help do what an insurance company mightve done. She isnt a member, but the pastor is an old family friend, she said.

Through the church, about a half-dozen college students from Farmington, Maine were helping to repair some of the damage to her home. But because its all volunteers, she said finishing could take months.

As the volunteers neared the end of their work day, Bourgeois was outside, studying the remains of a downed cedar tree that her father planted in 1974. There was only a short length of trunk left; the tree was snapped in half by Ida. The roots were still clinging to the ground, desperate for new life.

A burly man who had been leading the students from Maine shook the uprooted stump, saying they should have had it dug up and hauled away.

Hurricane season starts in about two months, and some forecasters have already predicted that there could be as many as 19 named storms and 9 hurricanes in 2022.

In due time, Bourgeois figures she will be thrust back into a familiar cycle: Fleeing from danger. Surveying damage. Struggling to rebuild.

Does it ever become too much to bear?

Ive got to the point where I cant worry about it anymore, Bourgeois said. Theres not a thing you can do about it.

Editor's note: This story was updated April 11 to correct the name of the office Pat Forbes oversees.
The proposal from Gov. John Bel Edwards administration to tighten rules for nursing home hurricane evacuations would prohibit state records about how well those plans are executed from being released publicly.

Officials who work under Edwards helped craft House Bill 933 in response to the horrific evacuation of seven southeast Louisiana nursing homes to an old pesticide warehouse for Hurricane Ida. The state Health Department was forced to rescue more than 800 elderly and medically vulnerable people from the warehouse in Tangipahoa Parish in September. Fifteen people died in the aftermath, with at least five deaths attributed to the evacuation.

The bill, carried by state Rep. Joe Stagni, R-Kenner, aims to create more accountability by requiring nursing homes to submit an after-event report each time they evacuate or experience problems while sheltering in place for a natural disaster.

The reports would provide details on how a nursing homes emergency plan held up in the face of a hurricane or other weather event. The Louisiana Nursing Home Emergency Preparedness Review Committee would use them to adjust evacuation and shelter-in-place regulations moving forward.

Yet the bill calls for the after-event reports to be kept out of the public record. Nursing home residents, their families, media outlets and others would not be able to access them, even if there was reason to think a facilitys emergency response had gone awry.

Scott Sternberg, an attorney with the Louisiana Press Association, questions why the reports would be kept confidential. Nursing homes are privately owned and operated but rely almost exclusively on public funding through the Medicaid and Medicare programs.

The entirety of the report being withheld is extremely concerning, Sternberg said. (Being transparent) would inspire confidence in the nursing home industry and in the Legislatures ability to manage the industry.

The legislation would also impose more stringent requirements and deadlines for nursing homes to submit their emergency response plans to the state. It formalizes the process for parish emergency operations staff and state health officials to provide feedback on those plans to nursing homes and allows for more inspections of evacuation sites.

Who approves the plans?

One notable element missing from the bill is that it does not clarify which government officials are ultimately responsible for approving the nursing home emergency plans  a question that has come up repeatedly since nursing home owner Bob Dean took residents from his facilities to the Tangipahoa warehouse.

Dean told the Louisiana Department of Health he intended to evacuate his facilities to the warehouse months before Ida hit in August. He listed the warehouse as an evacuation site in emergency plan documents he submitted to the Health Department and parish emergency operations staff in March 2021.

Yet the warehouse didnt have enough bathrooms to accommodate the hundreds of people sent there. There was no kitchen equipment or cots available. During the evacuation, state inspectors found nursing home residents lying on air mattresses on the ground in smelly, overcrowded conditions. Many of them were in soiled clothing and didnt have enough to eat.

Lawmakers were aghast the Health Department hadnt pushed back on plans to use the warehouse as a nursing home evacuation site in the first place.

It just doesnt seem like an appropriate place for people who are medically fragile to be housed, state Rep. Thomas Pressly, R-Shreveport, told health officials in September.

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The Health Department responded to criticism by saying the agency is required to review nursing home evacuation plans, but it is not responsible for approving them  an answer that left lawmakers frustrated.

(Nursing homes) have to have evacuation plans but no one has to approve them, state Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Gonzales, said at a September hearing. What is the purpose of a mandated plan that can say anything, apparently, if no one has to approve it?

Though Stagnis bill doesnt make any government official answerable for the evacuation plans, it includes language that shields the state and its employees from lawsuits over botched nursing home evacuations and emergency responses.

Nursing homes could get more input on laws

Two other lawmakers have filed legislation to place someone with responsibility over the nursing home emergency plans, even if the bill backed by the Edwards administration does not. Rep. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, requires the state Health Department to approve the plans in House Bill 291. Sen. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, mandates that parish emergency operations officials approve them in Senate Bill 167.

Stagnis bill, which the Edwards administration backs, likely has an advantage that Edmonds and Talbots proposals do not though. Leaders in the nursing home industry helped put together the Stagni proposal, and its not clear if they support what Edmonds or Talbot has suggested.

The Stagni legislation is based on unanimous recommendations from the Nursing Home Emergency Preparedness Review Committee, which includes nursing home owners. The panel is made up of a state transportation official, a disability rights advocate, five state health officials, five local emergency operations officials and five members of the nursing home industry, including the executive director of the Louisiana Nursing Home Association.

Getting eldercare bills through the Legislature is nearly impossible without the support of the Louisiana Nursing Home Association. Nursing home owners are among the biggest campaign donors to state-elected officials in Louisiana. They contributed $400,000 to Edwards first gubernatorial campaign in 2015, according to a 2017 investigation by The Advocate.

Nursing home owners are also lawmakers. Sens. Fred Mills, R-Parks, and Bob Hensgens, R-Abbeville  as partial owners of nursing homes  sit on the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, which has to approve any nursing home-related bills that go through the Legislature.

Under Stagnis bill, the nursing home industry would increase its influence over nursing home evacuation policy. The legislation expands the Nursing Home Emergency Preparedness Review Committee from 17 to 24 members and increases the number of nursing home industry representatives from five to nine. Stagnis proposal calls for that committee to help draft new laws and regulations on nursing home evacuations and shelter-in-place policies moving forward.

If Stagnis legislation is approved, the new nursing home evacuation plans wont be fully vetted and finalized until May 2023 at the earliest, meaning they wont be in place for next hurricane season, which starts June 1 and goes through November.

The Louisiana Department of Health still needs to create the minimum requirements for evacuation sites, evacuation transportation and other aspects of the homes emergency preparedness through the states rule-making process.

The penalties that nursing homes will face for not complying with any of the new state rules havent been determined yet.
The New Orleans coroner identified three men killed during a bloody Friday, kicking off a weekend of violence that saw 18 shot in the greater New Orleans area, six fatally.

Kenneth Faggin, 63, was identified as the man shot dead in the 1200 block of Sumner Street in the Algiers area mid-day on Friday. Neighbors who did not wish to be identified due to their fear of retaliation described him as a friendly man who laughed easily and detailed cars with his brother.

The coroner identified Darren Deal, 28, as the man shot multiple times and killed Friday night at around 10:27 p.m. in the West Lake Forest area. He was pronounced dead on the scene in the 6800 block of Tara Lane. Authorities declared Deal dead there.

Ronnell Owney, 31, was the man slain in a double shooting in Central City at about 9:25 p.m. Friday. Owney and another victim were wounded at the intersection of South Claiborne Avenue and First Street. Owney was shot multiple times, and the other man, whose identity was not released, was shot once. Emergency Medical Services took them to a hospital. Owney died from his wounds.

In 2015, Owney pleaded guilty in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court to being a member of 3-N-G, a violent street gang linked to murders of 10 people, including toddler Keira Holmes and rapper Renatta "Magnolia Shorty" Lowe.

Drew Broach, Ramon Vargas and Helen Freund contributed to this report.
The average price of gas in Louisiana is down around 26 cents from one month ago, data show.

A gallon of regular, unleaded gas will cost drivers in the state around $3.90 as of Monday, AAA reports. One year ago, that price sat at $2.59.

Plaquemines Parish currently has the highest average in the state at $4.15 per gallon.

One industry analyst told the Associated Press that oil prices continue to "yo-yo," causing gas prices to fluctuate. The war in Ukraine has also contributed to uncertainty in the market.

President Joe Biden tapped into the nation's strategic petroleum reserve earlier this month to help combat record-high oil prices.

Lower gas prices in recent weeks are in part due to reduced demand.

This price plunge, however, is not indicative of further declines, according to the AP.

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Price comparisons

Baton Rouge

Today: $3.90

One month ago: $4.19

One year ago: $2.57

Lafayette

Today: $3.88

One month ago: $4.20

One year ago: $2.59

New Orleans
Relatives and friends are grieving the loss of a Mississippi woman who was shot and killed in Terrytown Sunday night.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office identified her as Morgan Tyrone, 24. Tyrone, of Pascagoula, was pronounced dead at the scene of shooting, which occurred in the 300 block of Friedrichs Road (map).

"Morgan was a very, very caring person," her cousin, Tanner Tyrone, 16, said Monday. "A lot of people knew Morgan, and everybody has taken a hit."

The shooting was reported about 10:30 p.m., according to Capt. Jason Rivarde, a Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office spokesperson. Deputies found Tyrone inside a van that was parked near a residence.

Investigators released no other information, including a suspected motive for the killing.

Those who knew Tyrone were stunned by her death and awaiting any information about what might have happened.

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Family friend Lindsey Broadus called Tyrone an amazing, bright, beautiful, ambitious and strong person.

"There was never a dull moment with her," Tanner Tyrone said.

"There was nobody like Morgan," he added.

Morgan Tyrone's death was the second homicide investigated by the Sheriff's Office over the weekend. Israel Scott, 38, was shot while driving on Ames Boulevard in Marrero Saturday evening.

Scott drove for another mile before crashing his vehicle into at least three other cars near the intersection of Ames and Rue Louis Phillippe. He died of his injuries after being taken to the hospital. No arrests have been made in the case as of Monday afternoon.

Anyone with information about the deaths of Morgan Tyrone or Israel Scott is asked to call the Sheriff's Office investigations bureau at 504-364-5300. The public can also call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-7867. Callers do not have to give their names or testify and can earn a reward of up to $2,500 for information that leads to an indictment.
TALLAHASSEE  House and Senate leaders say they are waiting on Gov. Ron DeSantis to draw a new congressional district map next week when they convene for a special session, rather than run the risk of having their staffs work on one he might reject.

At this time, Legislative reapportionment staff is not drafting or producing a map for introduction during the special session, Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, and House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, said in a joint statement to their members released Monday.

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The governors office didnt return a request for comment.

With the candidate qualifying deadline of June 17 approaching, and no new maps to consider, time is running out. And it appears that the Legislature has either abdicated its role to the governor or set the stage for a stand-off.

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There is one possibility that their statement is exactly what it says it is, and they will wait for the governor to provide a map and pass it along party lines, said Matt Isbell, an elections data analyst and political consultant.

Another possibility is that they are negotiating behind the scenes to come up with a compromise that DeSantis can present and look like the hero, he said.

Either DeSantis will resubmit the plan he submitted earlier during session, or a compromise will emerge, Isbell predicted.

Its entirely unclear to me, Isbell said. It is truly stunning to see.

DeSantis wields enormous power over the Legislature. In an unprecedented move, DeSantis flexed his muscle when he provided his own plan during the regular session that would eliminate what he called a racially gerrymandered district that spans North Florida.

But the Legislature approved a congressional map contrary to his wishes, which he then vetoed as promised, saying it didnt absolve the Legislature from doing its job.

DeSantis also provided a seven-page analysis that outlined his reasons why he didnt think it passed constitutional muster and ordered a special session starting April 19, making it clear that he thought the majority Black congressional district 5 should be eliminated. That could set up a possible stand-off between himself and the Legislature.

We are awaiting a communication from the Governors Office with a map that he will support, Simpson and Sprowls said. Our intention is to provide the Governors Office opportunities to present that information before House and Senate redistricting committees.

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Legislative leaders and DeSantis have all said they dont want the lines to be drawn by the courts.

DeSantis has shown his willingness to primary candidates who defy him, making it clear he would support Rep. Cord Byrd over the leaderships choice of Rep. Clay Yarborough for a Duval Senate seat.

And hes said he was holding off on endorsing Simpson for Agriculture Commissioner at the same time Chuck Nadd, a military veteran from Winter Park, announced his candidacy.

DeSantis also is delaying approval of the state budget, where he wields the threat of the line-item veto over legislative priorities and hometown projects.

Now theyre all saying were just going to do what were told, said Cecile Scoon, president of the League of Women Voters of Florida. You dont have one branch that usurps the power of the other branches.

Whatever the outcome, a court challenge is likely from voting rights advocates, Isbell said. Two lawsuits have already been filed asking the courts to intervene in the event a map cannot be agreed upon by the Legislature and DeSantis. The state suit has been dropped after several litigants were allowed to join the federal suit.

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Even then, whatever map the Legislature approves next week will be the one used for the upcoming elections, he predicted, because of the tight timeline to qualifying.
If everything had gone to plan, 29-year-old Harmonese Pleasant would have given birth to a baby girl right around now, considering her due date was April 9.

Instead, Pleasant's child with New Orleans trumpeter Kermit Ruffins entered the world early after Pleasant was shot in front of their Treme home on March 25. A few days after the shooting, Pleasant and her daughter were recovering, Ruffins said on social media, but the newborn still had three bullet fragments in her tiny body, according to a report from WWL.

The motive for the shooting is unclear and has baffled Ruffins, who could not be reached for comment but said on social media Friday they "don't have the slightest idea" why Pleasant was in the line of fire.

But for those who study trauma closely in New Orleans, it was not a surprise. Pregnant women are injured more in the city than most other places, according to a growing body of data, including the number of pregnant patients in need of care for violent injuries in New Orleans.

No one is immune to gun violence, said Dr. Sharven Taghavi, a trauma surgeon and assistant professor at Tulane University School of Medicine. We need to act as a community, we need to do something. Otherwise, we will all one day be a victim.

Pregnant women face violence in New Orleans at 3 times national average

Between 2008 and 2021, 148 women arrived at University Medical Center, the citys only level-one trauma center. They had injuries severe enough for trauma activation, which is when doctors and nurses swarm an injured body trying to assess and repair the damage.

Many of those trauma visits are a result of accidents. But a large number of them  about one-third  are what trauma surgeons call penetrating trauma, when an injury is caused by an object that pierces the skin.

Of those, most are gunshot or stab wounds, according to Dr. John Tyler Simpson, a fourth-year surgical resident at Tulane University conducting an analysis of traumatic injuries in pregnancy. Violent injuries requiring trauma care occur in 28% of pregnant trauma patients at University Medical Center, about three times the rate of the national average.

Those are just the women who make it to the hospital. Louisianas death rate for pregnant women is already higher than the national average. In a recent analysis from Louisiana researchers, homicide  not car accidents or common blood pressure conditions like preeclampsia  is the most common cause of pregnancy-related deaths, occurring in about 13.4% of maternal deaths during 2016 and 2017. Compared to non-pregnant women of the same age in Louisiana, the risk of homicide doubles during pregnancy, according to the study.

Two lives at stake

Sometimes in these situations, one trauma patient becomes two, when an injury penetrates the uterus in a way that requires delivery of the baby. About 4% of the time, the mother dies after arriving to the hospital, the analysis found. Always, it is an emotionally and physically draining experience for the patient and care team with two potential lives at stake.

Taking care of a pregnant patient makes a complicated problem even more complicated by a huge margin, said Dr. Patrick McGrew, a trauma surgeon at UMC who also worked on the analysis.

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Pregnant women have physiological differences that make trauma care more complicated  the uterus is taking up space it normally wouldnt, and there are higher risks of blood loss and clotting, said McGrew. And statistically pregnant trauma patients are more likely to have longer stays and require intensive care and ventilation, even though theyre typically young and healthy prior to the trauma.

Medical guidelines stipulate that the life of the mother is prioritized. If the mom isnt doing well, the baby has a much lower chance of survival. In about 1 in 10 cases, the fetus doesnt make it, according to the UMC analysis. Giving the family that news is heart-wrenching, said Taghavi, recalling a case from several years ago.

We really couldn't do anything to help the fetus until we were sure that mom was okay, said Taghavi. In the end, we ended up losing the baby and later had to deliver.

Preventing violence

Taghavi is a co-investigator of a new violence prevention initiative created by Tulane University called the Center for Youth Equity, a collaboration between community organizations aimed at preventing youth exposure to violence. It is one of five new centers funded by the CDC with newly available federal funding, which until recently was not available for gun research.

One goal of the center is to research how to reduce community rates of gun violence starting in hospitals, said Julia Fleckman, the associate director of the Violence Prevention Institute at Tulane. But the root of gun violence runs deep, and New Orleans' high rate of shootings among pregnant women and unintended victims is a reflection of overall community violence.

People don't just shoot people or experience firearm violence in a vacuum, said Fleckman. There's a lot of structural and social issues that lead to that point and some of those primary drivers we're thinking about are housing instability, access to mental health services, financial security.

New Orleans' high levels of poverty and natural disasters increase the likelihood of distress, experts said. Combined with a lack of gun policies in Louisiana that require background checks or safety measures, thats a recipe for firearms injuries to ripple out across the city, said Fleckman, leading to more interpersonal violence, community violence and unintentional injuries.

More guns, more violence

A recent study out of California showed that simply living with a gunowner increased the likelihood of homicide nearly three times. And the risk fell almost entirely to women  almost 85% of homicide victims living with gun owners during the 12-year study were women.

Domestic violence is often the cause of violence among pregnant patients, trauma surgeons said. Interpersonal violence is normalized, said Fleckman, often exacerbated by a legacy of violence.

You're hurt and hurt the people closest to you, said Fleckman. That's how that works.

In 2017, Louisiana had the second-highest rate of female homicide behind Alaska.

It's intergenerational, and you see that really in New Orleans, said Fleckman. How does that pass down? We've got to disrupt that in some way.
At least 18 people were shot in New Orleans over the weekend, authorities said Monday. Of those, six have died.

It's been at least 10 years since New Orleans had more shootings in a 72-hour period.

Two of the homicides were at the Oakmont apartment complex in Algiers, according to preliminary reports from New Orleans police. Another three shootings were reported elsewhere in Algiers.

There's no indication any of the Algiers shootings are connected, but they all remain under investigation, NOPD spokesman Aaron Looney said Monday.

The shootings were reported by police in a 72-hour-period from 7 a.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Monday. There were 15 calls for service related to a shooting during the period, which is tied for the most shooting incidents in the last 10 years, according to an analysis of NOPD's call log, which goes back a decade. The other busiest periods were in April 2021 and May 2021.

Looney acknowledged there was a "high call volume" over the weekend, but declined to comment about what might be causing the increased violence.

"We're actively investigating these shooting incidents and working very hard to find those responsible and bring them to justice," he said Monday.

Can't see this map? Click here.

Here's what we know so from police about the weekend's gun violence.

1 injured in Village de l'Est

A 37-year-old man was shot early Monday at the edge of the Village de l'Est area, police said.

The shooting was reported to police around 1:30 a.m. in the 4600 block of Alcee Fortier Boulevard (map). Two unidentified men approached the 37-year-old and opened fire, police said, hitting the man. The two shooters fled and the injured man was taken to a hospital for treatment.

His condition was not available Monday.

Shot while driving

A 31-year-old woman was shot while riding in a vehicle Sunday night in the 7th Ward, police said.

The shooting was reported to police at 9:03 p.m.

The woman was in the vehicle with her friends in the 1600 block of North Claiborne Avenue, police said, when they heard gunshots. She was shot at least once and taken to a hospital, where her condition was not immediately available.

Woman shot in Little Woods

A 25-year-old woman was shot early Sunday in the Little Woods area, New Orleans police said.

The shooting was reported to police around 3 a.m. Sunday at Bullard Avenue and Hayne Boulevard. The woman was riding in the area when she heard gunshots and realized she had been shot, police said. Authorities didn't say if she was in a vehicle or on a bike.

She went to a hospital for treatment, and her condition was not available Monday.

14-year-old shot

A 14-year-old was injured in a shooting Saturday night in the Desire area, police said.

The shooting was reported to police just before midnight near the intersection of Morrice Duncan Drive and Abundance Street. The teen was in a vehicle with two other people when police say an unidentified man approached and opened fire.

The teen was hit and taken by paramedics to a hospital. His condition was not available Monday.

2 shot in Gert Town

Two men were injured in a shooting Saturday night in Gert Town, police said.

The shooting was reported at 7:39 p.m. in the 8100 block of Palmetto Street. The men were shot multiple times and taken by paramedics to a hospital. Their conditions were not available Monday.

2 shot in Central City

Two men, ages 36 and 38, were injured in a shooting Saturday afternoon in Central City, police said. The shooting was reported to police at 5:07 p.m.

The men were standing near the intersection of South Prieur Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard when four unidentified people drove up and started shooting, police said. The two men ran, but the vehicle followed, with the people inside opening fire again. This time, police said, they hit the two men.

There was no description of the shooters or the vehicle.

1 killed in Algiers

A man was killed in a shooting around noon Saturday in the 2100 block of Cobblestone Lane, police said.

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The man was found on the ground in a parking lot, police said. He had been shot multiple times and died at the scene. No other details were immediately available, including a possible motive or a description of a suspect.

No other details were immediately available, including his name or age.

1 killed in Algiers

A man was killed in a shooting early Saturday in Algiers, police said.

The shooting was reported to police at 4:18 a.m. in the 3700 block of Herschel Street, police said.

Police said someone approached the man and opened fire, hitting him several times. The injured man was taken to a hospital, where he later died. His name and age have not been released.

1 killed in West Lake Forest

A man was killed in a shooting Friday night in the West Lake Forest area of the city, police said.

Darren Deal was 28, according to the coroner.

The shooting was reported to police at 10:27 p.m. in the 6800 block of Tara Lane, police said. Deal had been shot multiple times and died at the scene.

1 injured, 1 killed in Central City

A man was killed and another injured Friday night in Central City, New Orleans police said.

The shooting was reported to police around 9:30 p.m. near First Street and South Claiborne Avenue.

Police said an unidentified person opened fire at the location, hitting one man multiple times and the other once. Both men were taken by paramedics to the hospital, where one of the man died later. Ronnell Owney was 31, according to the coroner.

The other man's condition was not immediately available.

1 injured in Algiers

A 27-year-old man was injured in a drive-by shooting Friday night in Algiers, police said.

The shooting was reported to police at 8:13 p.m. in the 800 block of Lamarque Street.

Someone in a vehicle approached and opened fire, hitting the man. He went in a private vehicle to a hospital, where his condition was not immediately available.

1 injured in Gentilly

A man was injured in a shooting in Gentilly Friday night, police said. The injury was reported to police at 7:21 p.m.

The man was walking near the intersection of Paris Avenue and Senate Street, when police say the man heard gunfire. He realized he had been shot and went in a private vehicle to a hospital. His condition was not available Monday.

Woman killed in Algiers

A woman was killed Friday in a shooting in Algiers, police said.

Her name and age have not been released.

The shooting was reported to police at 1:06 p.m. in the 2200 block of Cobblestone Lane. The woman had been shot once and died at the scene, authorities said.

1 injured in 7th Ward

A 28-year-old man was injured Friday in a shooting in the 7th Ward, New Orleans police said.

The shooting was reported to police just after noon at the intersection of Touro and North Prieur street, authorities said. The man went in a private vehicle to a hospital, where his condition was not available Monday.

1 killed in Algiers

A 63-year-old man was killed in a shooting Friday morning in Algiers, police said. Kenneth Faggin died from his injuries, according to the Orleans Parish Coroner's Office.

The shooting was reported to police around 11:20 a.m. in the 1200 block of Sumner Street. Police said they found Faggin on the sidewalk. He had been shot multiple times and died at the scene, police said.

Neighbors who did not wish to be identified due to their fear of retaliation described him as a friendly man who laughed easily and detailed cars with his brother.

Anyone with information about any of these crimes is asked to call Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111.

Staff writer Missy Wilkinson contributed to this story.
When Zay Sussmann was in eighth grade and attending a high school fair, Jonathan Johnson stood out among the other presenters. With a 3D printer as a prop, he told students about the tech certifications they could earn at his school, and that he hoped to send students into the real world with high-paying job offers.

Sussmann, who said she never had extra money growing up, was hooked. After a year at Eleanor McMain Secondary School in New Orleans and some time homeschooling, Sussmann did her senior year at the Rooted School, through which she was hired at Ochsner Health System's internal services team. The steady paycheck has given her a measure of financial freedom: Now 19, she said she has begun to save for the future, possibly for college without incurring debt, or for a house.

"We're so tired of living just for another check, and I don't have to do that," Sussmann said.

A variety of pathways

Rooted School is an open enrollment charter high school that aims to prepare its students for financial freedom through a variety of pathways. After graduation, Sussman embarked on a year-long fellowship at Ochsner, mostly working remotely in its information services department, doing customer service work and troubleshooting tech issues.

She was a member of Rooted's first graduating class. Students there take typical high school classes - mathematics, history, English and the like - but also spend two hours a day learning technological skills ranging from coding to graphic design. The school hopes its 180 students graduate with five to 10 certifications, making them attractive hires right out of high school.

"We want kids to cross the graduation stage with a job offer in one hand and a college acceptance letter in the other," said Kaitlin Karpinski, the head of school.

On a recent weekday morning, Karpinski walked down the brightly lit hall of Rooted classrooms that fill a wing on the campus of Southern University at New Orleans. She greeted students by name. In a digital media class, students' heads were buried in their computers as they worked on design projects. In another classroom, Shamil Person used the Adobe Illustrator tool to design an advertisement for her jewelry business.

Of Rooted Schools first graduating class of 38 students, in 2021, most who wanted to go to college went with ample scholarships to schools such as Tulane, Villanova and Case Western Reserve, said Johnson, the school's founder and CEO. Those who wanted to enter the workforce got jobs as well, with a $32,000 minimum base pay.

Seven graduates participated in the school's Green Balloon Fellowship - Sussman at Ochsner, others at Entergy, Lucid, Square Button, Revelry and Align. Fellows are supported with coursework before they begin their jobs and mentorship from Rooted staff.

Industry partners have told Rooted leaders that with the rapid pace of technological change, they want to see students certified with as many programs as possible, Karpinski said.

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The roots

A former Teach for America corps member who came to New Orleans in 2010, Johnson founded Rooted School in 2017. He said he began to think more about education and wealth during his second year teaching, when one of his students who sold drugs out of financial necessity was shot to death. That student would have gone to college had his life not been cut short, Johnson said.

Johnson likened New Orleans to a tale of two cities, with a $40,000 annual household income gap between Black and White residents. A 2016 Institute for Policy Studies report found it would take 228 years for the average wealth of Black families to catch up to the average wealth of White families nationally after years of racist policies. It's a statistic that's often repeated at Rooted.

With the burgeoning tech sector in New Orleans, Johnson hoped to bridge the gap to high-paying jobs that don't necessarily require an expensive college degree.

So Johnson and his team dreamed up the Rooted School, as a shift from the college or bust mentality, where the only path to financial freedom was to get the four-year degree, he said. For many students, even those who do qualify for college, making $35,000 at age 18 would set them up for a lifetime of economic success and upward mobility without college debt, Johnson said. And if graduates earn that salary at 18, he said, they could make substantially more by 35. That could be put toward sending their own children to college or building up generational wealth.

Path for the future

As her fellowship year comes to an end, Sussmann hopes to continue working at Ochsner or another comparable job, keep saving money and get a college degree. She has her sight set on climbing the career ladder, maybe as a software engineer, secure in her financial future.

"I didn't even know what freedom was until I started working at Ochsner," she said.

To Johnson, helping students in this way could be the key to preventing violence like what happened to his student who was killed. He hopes to expand the Green Balloon Fellowship to more students and partner companies.

Models show we can lift people out of poverty, and faster  . You accelerate the timeline that a person is able to be upwardly mobile," Johnson said.
A Lacombe pastor accused of mistreating juveniles for taping shut the mouths of three 13-year-old boys at his church-affiliated school said the boys chose to have their mouths taped rather than be suspended from Lakeside Christian Academy.

The Rev. John Raymond, who was arrested Thursday and booked with three counts of cruelty to juveniles, posted a message on the Slidell school's website Sunday disputing police claims that he had wrapped packing tape around the students' heads and that they were having trouble breathing.

The statement also noted that five students were disciplined in the incident, and while the parents of three sought criminal charges, two others did not and support his actions. Those two are still students at the school and one of their parents works there, according to Raymond's statement.

Raymond is known for his political activity, serving on both the Republican State Central Committee and the the parish Republican Parish Executive Committee. A former contestant on the reality show "Survivor," he made an unsuccessful run for a Slidell-area House seat and was a vocal opponent of a proposed casino near Slidell.

Differing accounts

The Slidell Police Department said that Raymond, 60, wrapped the packing tape around the students' heads and that it was in place for about 45 minutes. It had to be cut off with scissors, which was painful for the students, according to a Slidell police news release.

In his statement, which Raymond described as the "whole truth" about the March 17 incident, he wrote that the boys had been disruptive in class with incessant talking, driving their teacher to the point of tears and threats to quit her job. The school's principal insisted that Raymond, as headmaster and disciplinarian, had to address the issue, he said.

Slidell police declined to comment on Raymond's statement or say if the investigation was continuing.

According to the statement, Raymond brought the boys into a hallway, told them they couldn't disrespect their teacher or prevent other students from learning and that he wanted to give them another chance.

"At this time, I pulled out a roll of clear Scotch packing tape and said, 'Im going to give you a choice. We can either go downstairs and call your parents and you can wait in the lobby to be suspended, or you can get tape on your mouth and learn how to be quiet during class,'" according to his statement.

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Students make choice

Raymond said the students all chose tape, and he said he made sure it didn't touch their noses or interfere with their breathing. He also said that he asked them if they were in any pain or having trouble breathing and that all shook their heads.

When he told the principal how he had handled the situation, she said she was not comfortable with it, the statement said.

"I said, 'Well theyre not in pain, so let them sit it out for about 10 minutes to learn their lesson.' She said, 'How about two minutes?' I said, 'Thats fine with me,'" he said.

None of the students indicated that they felt discomfort, according to the statement. He estimated that their mouths were taped for less than 10 minutes.

When a complaint was filed about two weeks later, Raymond said he left a voice message for Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal asking if a detective could contact him so he could give a statement.

"Unfortunately, my call was never returned, and I was not contacted until after the arrest warrant had been issued two days later," the statement said.

Zero tolerance bullying policy

Police said they became involved after being contacted by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services with a report of potential child abuse.

Raymond, founder of K-12 grade private school, wrote that the school has a zero-tolerance bully policy.

"This means students cannot bully each other or bully the teachers," he wrote. "We are serious about protecting both our students and our teachers."
Residents of a cluster of Bedouin communities in the occupied West Bank have vowed to stick to their land and resist an order by Israel's top court to evict them. The order came after a more than two-decade legal struggle by Palestinians to remain in their homes in Masafer Yatta. Israel has argued that the residents only use the area for seasonal agriculture and that they had already rejected compromise offers giving them occasional access to the land. The Palestinians say that if implemented, the Israeli Supreme Court's ruling opens the way for the eviction of all 12 communities that have a population of 4,000 people.
Washington, DC  Legislation aimed at decriminalizing marijuana nationally was approved by the US House of Representatives last week, but it was done without support from Republicans.

Not a single Republican US representative from Pennsylvania voted in favor of HR 3617, known as the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act.

All nine of Pennsylvanias Democrats in the US House voted for the legislation, which passed 220-204. All but two voting Democrats in the US House backed the measure, while only three Republicans did.

Whats Next for the MORE Act?

The chances of the bill becoming law are slim since it is unlikely to garner the 60 votes needed to pass the US Senate. Legislation removing marijuana from the list of federally-controlled substances met a similar fate in 2020 when it passed the House but died in the Senate.

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have already legalized recreational marijuana, and many voters across the country have supported measures to decriminalize marijuana.

If states are the laboratories of democracy, it is long past time for the federal government to recognize that legalization has been a resounding success and that the conflict with federal law has become untenable, said the bills sponsor, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-New York), chairperson of the House Judiciary Committee.

Despite state sanctioned sales of recreational marijuna, most dispensaries nationwide remain largely reliant on cash and unable to use traditional banking networks. That is because federal law still designates marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, defined by the Drug Enforcement Agency as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, and the businesses that sell them as illegal.

Due to continued opposition from the GOP-controlled state Legislature, the recreational use of marijuana remains illegal in Pennsylvania, though possession of small amounts has been decriminalized in some cities and smaller towns throughout the state, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Erie, Lancaster, Bethlehem, Harrisburg, State College, and Upper Darby.

Each of Pennsylvanias neighboring states have decriminalized marijuna with the exception of West Virginia. Medical marijuana use in Pennsylvania was legalized in 2016.

What is the MORE Act?

The bill would remove marijuana from the federal governments list of controlled substances, allow some convictions on cannabis charges to be expunged, and press for sentencing reviews at the federal and state levels. It also calls for a 5% tax on marijuana and marijuana products that would gradually increase to 8% over five years. That money would be used for grant programs focused on job training, legal aid, substance abuse treatment, and loans to help disadvantaged small businesses get into the marijuana industry.

Democrats said the MORE act is a necessary step in correcting the disproportionate negative impact the federal prohibition on marijuana has had on minority communities.

According to an ACLU study, Black Americans were nearly four times more likely than white Americans to be arrested for marijuana possession, even though they use it at similar rates. Black Pennsylvanians were three times more likely to be arrested.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that thousands of inmates would be released earlier than under current law, saving about $800 million over a 10-year period. Overall, the federal deficit would be reduced by nearly $3 billion over the next decade.

The Full Pennsylvania Roll Call

Brendan Boyle (D-Philadelphia) Yea

Matt Cartwright (D-Lackawanna) Yea

Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery) Yea

Mike Doyle (D-Allegheny) Yea

Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia) Yea

Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) Nay

Chrissy Houlahan (D-Chester) Yea

John Joyce (R-Blair) Nay

Fred Keller (R-Snyder) Nay

Mike Kelly (R-Butler) Nay

Conor Lamb (D-Allegheny) Yea

Dan Meuser (R-Luzerne) Nay

Scott Perry (R-York) Nay

Guy Reschenthaler (R-Allegheny) Nay

Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Delaware) Yea

Lloyd Smucker (R-Lancaster) Nay

Glenn Thompson (R-Centre) Nay

Susan Wild (D-Lehigh) Yea

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Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - Gambian President Adama Barrow's National Peoples Party (NPP) won Saturday's legislative election but fell short of an overall majority in the National Assembly, according to preliminary results announced by the Electoral Commission
NREL Senior Research Fellow Honored for International Leadership and Innovation in Energy Chemistry

NREL Principal Engineer on Fuel and Performance Robert McCormick examines a biodiesel sample in the Fuel Chemistry Laboratory. Photo by Pat Corkery, NREL

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Senior Research Fellow Bob McCormick was recently recognized with one of the highest honors by the American Chemical Society (ACS): the Henry H. Storch Award in Energy Chemistry for his research on alternative and low-carbon fuels, including the chemistry of fuel-engine interactions. The award recognizes distinguished contributions to fundamental or engineering energy-related research and development, as well as education, that addresses the world's energy and chemical challenges.

McCormick is a world-renowned researcher in fuel properties and engine technology. In 2001, he came to NREL and has spent most of his career studying the chemistry of fuel engine interactions, specifically focusing on alternative low-carbon fuels.

While alternative fuels have become a top priority for the nation in the last couple years, the study of low-carbon fuels began decades ago. At a high level, the field involves working to understand how low-carbon fuels impact engines and answering questions like why some fuels work differently than others, explaining how different fuels do not blend together, and understanding why some fuels oxidize in storage and others do not. At the core of these investigations is one thing: molecules.

McCormick's work brought a significant amount of rigor and insight to the concept of unearthing the molecular structure of fuel and the associated field. In 1998, he began experimenting with applying computational chemistry and quantum mechanics-based calculations to molecular structure and reaction intermediates to explain engine functions.

"We found that while the macroscopic properties of low-carbon fuels might be the same as those of petroleum fuels, the microscopic differences in molecular makeup between the two can cause them to function differently," McCormick said.

One of many notable outcomes of this work was the discovery of why biodiesel crystallized in cold weather when petroleum did not. McCormick worked with NREL Senior Scientist Gina Fioroni to determine that impurities could exist in biodiesel, which could cause intermittent cold weather filter plugging, a problem that plagued the biodiesel industry.

"One crystal would form and then rapidly convert to a more stable crystal form, which would need to be heated to a much higher temperature in order to re-dissolve, causing the crystals to persist in the fuel and plug filters," McCormick said. "The solution to this was changing the biodiesel fuel quality standard to limit the impurities that exhibit this behavior."

This groundbreaking discovery, along with McCormick's work on biodiesel storage stability, led to the passing of ASTM quality standards for biodiesel blends in 2006 and 2007 that improved the ease of use of biodiesel and ultimately expanded the market from less than 100,000 gallons to over 3 billion gallons today. The innovative approach also opened the door to developing a scientific and engineering foundation for the biofuels industry, which now impacts transportation across the board, from cars and trucks to boats and planes.

"Bob's trailblazing research to support the development of low-carbon, alternative fuels provided a pivotal foundation for NREL's broader transportation decarbonization strategy," said NREL Associate Laboratory Director Johney Green.

In addition to pioneering a new industry, transforming the study of fuels and combustion, and publishing over 140 papers, McCormick was instrumental in the development of the U.S. Department of Energy Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Co-Optima) Program, which brought together national laboratories, universities, and stakeholders to advance engine and fuel research.

"Since coming to NREL, Bob has built his Fuels and Combustion Science group from the ground up," said NREL Vehicle Technologies Laboratory Program Manager and Co-Optima co-founder John Farrell. "His passion and expertise has ignited others' interest in this work, proving an essential ingredient to launching a successful multi-lab consortium like Co-Optima."

When asked about the most satisfying part of his work, McCormick answered that he finds "mentoring people and helping them understand the larger impact of his group's research niche and the set of problems we are trying to solve" incredibly rewarding. "When it comes down to it, seeing someone I mentored come up with their own ideas and pursue their own research successfully is the reason I come to work," he said.

And while McCormick's legacy as a scientist is impressive, his impact on peers is just as pronounced as his research. Known for thinking outside of the box while prioritizing a collaborative and team-focused approach that allows for open exchange and exposure to new thoughts and ideas, one of McCormick's greatest strengths is challenging his peers to lead and approach problems in a fundamentally different way.

"Bob's expertise in fuel chemistry and engine technology has contributed to lower-emitting engines, which is truly 'saving the planet,'" Fioroni said. "The best part is working alongside someone that places value on making sure everyone can contribute to that effort."

Learn more about the ACS Henry H. Storch Award and NREL's sustainable transportation and mobility research.
'We can dream together': SU, R-MA sign agreement to increase opportunities for students
Dr. Daniel Alexander, cardiologist and electrophysiologist at Winchester Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, holds a tiny Watchman FLX device implant that is placed in the heart using a minimally invasive endovascular procedure. The implant helps prevent stroke in certain patients with atrial fibrillation.
Conakry, Guinea (PANA) - The US has donated 300,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine to Guinea in the fight against COVID-19, according to a press release from the US embassy on Monday
Theres a little town in Central Indiana that has big ties to one of the biggest names and biggest tragedies of Hollywoods golden era. James Dean spent most of his childhood living in Fairmount, Indiana  first in town as a small child and later just outside of town on the farm of his aunt and uncle, Marcus and Ortense Winslow, following his mother's death.

Born in the nearby city of Marion, Deans family moved to Fairmount shortly after his birth. He lived there until age 5, when his family moved to Santa Monica, California. After his mother died at the age of 29, Dean was sent back to Fairmount to live on the Winslow farm. He was 9 at the time and lived there until his graduation from Fairmount High School in 1949. The farmhouse is still there, but is a private residence where a relative of Deans resides.

Dean was an athlete and actor in his days at Fairmount High, and right after graduation, he moved back to California, where he attended Santa Monica City College and later UCLA as a theater major, where he performed in Shakespeares "Macbeth."

His first acting gig was in a Pepsi-Cola commercial, and he soon started getting bit parts in Hollywood films. In 1952 he moved to New York and acted in around 30 live television dramas and made his Broadway debut in the play See the Jaguar.

While starring in his second Broadway play, he was tapped to play the leading role of Cal Trask in John Steinbecks classic book East of Eden. Later that year he starred in his iconic role as Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause. His final film, released after his death, was in Edna Ferbers Giant with Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson.

Dean was killed in an auto collision in California at the age of 24. He has remained the young, handsome leading man that draws tens of thousands of visitors to Fairmount each year to see the sites that played a significant part in his life and to pay respects as his simple, unassuming headstone in a cemetery just down the road from the farm where he spent his teen years. Dean received two posthumous Academy Award nominations.

On our day in Fairmount, I visited almost of the sites that are part of the James Dean Trail. A listing can be found at showmegrantcounty.com of sites along the trail. I also picked up a souvenir map at the James Dean Gallery that differed a little and gave a little background on Deans life. There are about a dozen sites to visit in Fairmount and a couple more in neighboring Marion  the James Dean Birth Site Memorial and his mother's gravesite.

If planning out a day in Fairmount to follow the James Dean Trail, Id recommend making the James Dean Gallery the first stop  even though you may pass others on your way into town. Here youll see the private collection of David Lehrer that includes rooms full of memorabilia, a gift shop, a little theater that shows about 20 minutes of footage from Deans television appearances playing in a loop, and a collectibles room.

Housed in a large, historic home that was built for a local doctor in 1903, the gallery is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. year round and theres friendly, knowledgeable staff that can answer any questions you might have and fill you in on the citys big annual event  a festival honoring Dean held in late September around the time of his Sept. 30 death. It includes a huge car show, street fair, bands playing 1950s music, a James Dean look-a-like contest and more. By starting at the James Dean Gallery, you can get background on Deans career and life and find out more about the area before you venture out on the trail.

From there, you can see his boyhood home, the church he attended as a child, the site of his old high school, the motorcycle shop where he bought his first cycle, the church where his funeral was held and his burial site. Theres a bust on display on Main Street that is the twin of one that resides in California, made by artist Kenneth Kendall. A local park houses the actual stage removed from the old Fairmount High School before demolition where Dean performed. Beside it is the municipal water tower that has an image of Dean painted on it.

I spent a lovely two days in the area (lots of history and good food was involved) and will share more in an upcoming column.

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HAMMOND  A man arrested after a pursuit ended with his capture and the death of his companion during a shootout with police in 2021 plans to plead guilty in federal court to a firearms charge, records show.

Kevin Von Isom, 24, of Chicago, was on parole in Illinois on Jan. 10, 2021, for an armed robbery conviction when he was taken into custody after a foot pursuit in Munster, according to court records.

The driver in the pursuit, Mark Bivins, 28, of Lansing, was shot to death by police after Bivins fired shots at them.

Von Isom initially was charged in Lake Criminal Court with a felony firearms count and misdemeanor counts of resisting law enforcement.

Lake County prosecutors dropped their charges last month because the U.S. attorney's office took over prosecution of Von Isom, court filings show.

In a proposed plea agreement filed last week in U.S. District Court in Hammond, Von Isom pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

He could face up to 10 years in prison, but federal prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence at the bottom of the applicable federal guideline range. Von Isom agreed to forfeit two firearms, records show.

Von Isom admitted he was riding in a car driven by Bivins when police in Dyer tried to stop them for an undisclosed traffic violation.

According to state court records, Bivins led police on a pursuit into Munster, where he hit a curb near Columbia and Calumet avenues and wrecked.

Both men took off running toward a business area northwest of the intersection. When an officer caught Isom in the 9800 block of Valparaiso Drive, Bivins began firing at the officer, court records state.

Isom fell to the ground and was taken into custody, documents state.

Bivins continued to shoot at officers, who fired back and killed him in the 500 block of Progress Avenue. Police found two .45-caliber semi-automatic handguns on the ground near Bivins' body, records say.

Police obtained a search warrant for the Charger, which previously belonged to Bivins' relative. Officers recovered a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine, a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun, a third gun, Isom's cellphone, several gun magazines, ammunition, paperwork for Bivins, and a green backpack containing about 99 grams of suspected marijuana and nearly 9 grams of suspected cocaine, records state.

A hearing for Von Isom to formally enter his plea had not yet been scheduled in federal court.

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CROWN POINT  Attorneys for Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. asked a special judge Monday to certify an interlocutory appeal of his previous decision not to dismiss the sheriff's criminal indictment.

Martinez was indicted by a Lake Criminal Court grand jury in January on a felony charge of resisting law enforcement and misdemeanor reckless driving.

He is accused of driving at speeds of up to 50 mph over the speed limit on Taft and Main streets in Crown Point and Merrillville in September and not stopping for two Crown Point officers, who were chasing his unmarked Jeep Trackhawk with their lights and sirens activated.

The chase ended when the driver, later identified in court records as Martinez, turned on his own emergency lights and the officers backed off without stopping him, Crown Point police said.

The sheriff denied the charges and said the indictment doesn't prohibit him from holding office. He pointed out he's not accused of political corruption.

Martinez's trial is currently set to begin Aug. 15. If convicted of a felony, the sheriff would be automatically removed from office.

Special Judge Jeryl Leach issued an order last month denying Martinez's motion to dismiss his case.

Martinez's attorneys, Paul Stracci and Michael Woods, accused Special Prosecutor Stanley Levco and an Indiana State Police commander of unduly influencing "the neutral and detached atmosphere" of the grand jury proceedings.

The alleged imposition on the grand jurors' will or independent judgment was so "flagrant" that a dismissal of the indictment is required, the defense attorneys said.

Special Prosecutor David Thomas said during a hearing that his co-counsel, Levco, went the extra mile to ensure the grand jury proceedings against Martinez were fair.

Levco and Thomas had not filed any written responses to Martinez's motion seeking an interlocutory appeal, nor had Leach scheduled a hearing.

Stracci and Woods wrote the sheriff will sustain substantial harm if the issue is not settled ahead of a trial. If convicted, Martinez could lose his public office or his right to own a firearm and ammunition.

"While our Supreme Court and Court of Appeals have previously addressed various issues of undue and prejudicial influence upon a grand jury, none square completely with the unique circumstances of this case," the defense attorneys wrote.

If the issue is not determined on interlocutory appeal, the case "will almost certainly proceed to trial," the defense said.

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Indiana's former chief legal officer is leading a fake prosecution of Dr. Anthony Fauci as part of a pay-to-play "grand jury" experience set to be broadcast online five nights this week.

Curtis Hill, a Republican who served as Indiana attorney general from 2017 to 2020, is lead prosecutor for "America's Grand Jury," a mock legal hearing with no actual authority that claims it will "uncover evidence to help lawmakers determine if an official grand jury should be convened."

"America's Grand Jury is the official template for attorney generals (sic) and prosecutors on any level to not have any excuses not to prosecute Fauci and his bandits," proclaims the AmericasGrandJury.com website.

But unlike an actual grand jury, where citizens are randomly selected to help decide whether an individual should be indicted for alleged crimes, Hill's grand jury requires individuals pay a fee to become an "official juror."

For $25 a "juror" can watch the proceedings from 7 to 9 p.m. Region time Monday through Friday and participate in all polling and voting.

A juror who wants to chat online with other jurors must pay $50. For $100, a juror gets a T-shirt and can join post-hearing video calls with the prosecution team. Paying $250 gives a juror access to behind-the-scenes video and a hat.

Hill also is offering more personalized experiences for people willing to cough up four or five figures to become a "VIP juror," with a portion of the proceeds going to anti-vaccine groups and unspecified other "pro-freedom organizations."

For $2,500, a VIP juror can spend one night with a guest live in the Nashville, Tennessee, studio where the webcast is produced, along with participating in the nightly post-hearing wrap-up reception with prosecutors and witnesses  "plus some cool America's Grand Jury swag."

A VIP juror who forks over $5,000 can spend three nights in the studio with two guests. For $10,000, a person can buy in-person studio access for up to eight people on all five nights of the webcast.

During the nightly shows, Hill and his team are scheduled to present "real-world evidence" investigating whether Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, colluded with pharmaceutical companies, the "mainstream media," and "big tech" to incite public panic by falsifying the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They'll also look at whether Fauci promoted "unnecessary, ineffective and harmful" vaccines over other COVID-19 treatment options; organized "unlawful" lockdowns, mask and vaccine mandates; and hid vaccine injuries to increase drug company profits.

Fauci is just the beginning, however. "America's Grand Jury" is preparing to conduct similar sham hearings in the summer against Hunter Biden, the son of the president, and in the fall against Hillary Clinton, the former Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. secretary of state.

None of the individuals identified by Hill as potential criminals will have a chance to respond to the allegations made during the presentations.

Though that won't really matter because Hill and "America's Grand Jury" have no legal authority to indict Fauci or anyone else for anything  a fact disclosed in tiny print at the bottom of the website.

Such legal impotence is a significant change for Hill, who served as Elkhart County prosecutor from 2003 to 2016, followed by four years as Indiana attorney general.

In 2020, Hill was denied the opportunity to compete for a second term after being defeated at the Republican State Convention by Todd Rokita, a Munster native, for the GOP attorney general nomination.

Records show Hill's political star dimmed considerably after he was accused of drunkenly groping four women, including a Northwest Indiana lawmaker, at an Indianapolis bar during a party celebrating the adjournment of the 2018 General Assembly.

Hill repeatedly denied any misconduct in connection with the incident, and a special prosecutor opted not to file charges against Hill.

However, the Indiana Supreme Court took the unprecedented step of suspending Hill's law license for 30 days in May 2020 after the five Republican-appointed justices unanimously concluded Hill's multiple acts of misdemeanor battery violated the Professional Conduct Rules for Hoosier attorneys.

Hill recently was named a senior fellow at the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), an organization founded by Star Parker that offers distressed communities constitutional and capitalistic solutions to poverty.

His work at CURE is focused on developing a "charter city" that would, similar to charter schools, operate with minimal state or federal rules and regulations.

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CHESTERTON  An overnight fire Monday hot enough to warp structural steel left a local trucking company with more than a million dollars in damages, according to town officials.

Eight local fire departments responded to the blaze shortly before 2 a.m. at the Odyssey Specialized Logistics facility at 116 E. County Road 1100 North, Chesterton Fire Chief Eric Camel said.

The fire was contained to the middle portion of the building, which houses a shop, Camel said. But there was smoke damage to an adjacent office area.

The business was closed at the time of the fire, and no one was injured in the blaze, he said. Firefighters spent three hours putting out the fire, which could be seen from a distance in the overnight darkness.

The nearby stretch of 1100 North was closed during the firefighting efforts between Ind. 49 and Dickinson Road, officials said.

Camel and other firefighters were still on the scene later Monday morning clearing debris from inside the building as smoke could still be seen wafting out of the structure.

The chief has reportedly requested the assistance of the Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office in the investigation. Foul play is not suspected, Camel said.

Camel said he appreciated the help of fellow firefighters from Portage, Burns Harbor, Porter, Valparaiso, South Haven, Beverly Shores and Washington Township.

"This was a good stop," he said, crediting the cooperative effort with preventing more damage to the building. "This could have been a total loss."

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Members of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus, including six Northwest Indiana lawmakers, are set to participate in several virtual and in-person town hall meetings over the next few months.

The legislators plan to speak about the accomplishments and failures of the 2022 Indiana General Assembly, discuss ideas for new state laws to consider enacting next year and answer questions from constituents on community issues.

"These town halls give legislators the opportunity to share the important work were doing with our communities and allow voters to have a voice in the legislative process," said state Rep. Robin Shackleford, D-Indianapolis, black caucus chairwoman.

The two virtual town hall meetings both start at 5 p.m. Region time on April 20 and July 27.

Individuals can register for the meetings by selecting Indiana Black Legislative Caucus under the "Members" tab at indianahousedemocrats.org, and then clicking "Events."

The in-person town hall meeting in Northwest Indiana is set for 11 a.m. July 23 at Indiana University Northwest in Gary.

Additional in-person town halls are scheduled for April 30 in Indianapolis, May 14 in Evansville and June 25 in South Bend.

Black caucus members hailing from Northwest Indiana are: state Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, vice chairman; state Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond, chaplain; state Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary; state Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary; state Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary; and state Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago.

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Former Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly officially was recognized by Pope Francis on Monday as the new United States ambassador to the Holy See.

The Hoosier Democrat presented his ambassadorial credentials to the leader of the Roman Catholic Church during a meeting at the Vatican to become the 12th American representative to the tiny city-state that is headquarters for a religion practiced by some 1.3 billion people around the world.

Donnelly is a Catholic and the first person from Indiana to serve as United States ambassador at the Vatican.

He was nominated for the post in October by Democratic President Joe Biden, the second Catholic president in American history, and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in January.

"My family and I are proud to be members of the Catholic faith, and through my years of public service, the church has been a core part of my life and my values," Donnelly said.

Donnelly begins his job during the holiest week in the Christian year as believers commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and celebrate Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Looking ahead, Donnelly said his goals as ambassador include strengthening the relationship between the United States and the Holy See, especially both countries' commitments to defending human rights and religious freedom, combating human trafficking, caring for the environment and advancing peace and security around the world.

"As U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, I will do all I can to ensure that the United States and the Vatican work together to advance human rights and dignity," Donnelly said.

Donnelly is living in Rome, Italy, with his wife, Jill, while he represents the United States at the Vatican. He said he hopes to enjoy many visits from his two children and new grandchild while overseas.

The former Granger resident earned his bachelor's and law degrees in South Bend at the University of Notre Dame, one of the premier Catholic higher education institutions in the world.

Donnelly represented Indiana in the U.S. Senate from 2013 to 2019. He lost his 2018 reelection bid to U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., and has since worked at the Washington, D.C., law and lobbying firm Akin Gump and as a professor at Notre Dame.

Prior to his Senate tenure, Donnelly served as congressman for eastern Porter County, LaPorte County and north-central Indiana from 2007 to 2013 and spent four years as a governing board member for Marian High School, a Catholic institution located in Mishawaka.

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GARY  Roman Catholics have a reason for calling this Holy Week.

This is the center of the year, the holiest of weeks, said the Rev. Martin J. Dobrzynski, pastor at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Schererville and director of the Office of Worship for the Catholic Diocese of Gary.

The three days making up the Sacred Triduum  Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday  represent the whole essence of our faith, the essence of our salvation. Jesus suffering, death, and resurrection are the whole basis of our faith, Dobrzynski said.

The four-county Gary diocese has an estimated 170,000 Catholics in 66 parishes. This week, those parishes prepare for diocesan and local events that reflect different cultures and go back to the early Christians.

Starting with Palm Sunday, the faithful received palms and heard the passion of Jesus Christ in the Gospel. Bishop Robert J. McClory led a procession Sunday from SS. Monica and Luke Parish down Seventh Avenue to Holy Angels Cathedral.

While at SS. Monica and Luke, the Rev. Michael Surufka, a Franciscan friar who serves there and at the cathedral, said the faithful are joining our journey with Jesus today. We literally walk with Jesus today ... all the way to the tomb.

At the cathedral, McClory said that Palm Sunday shows Jesus as true God and true man, from his welcome in Jerusalem to his suffering and death.

This duality, McClory noted, provides a place for ones suffering. When people are hurting, the bishop said, Jesus is right there with us.

The bishop stated that he is eager to welcome the entire faith community to Holy Week and Easter services. McClory said parishes are reporting a substantial increase in attendance and participation at Mass during Lent, coming off the pandemic.

This is a hopeful and encouraging sign, McClory said, that people are reconnecting in person with their faith community.

The tradition of processing and distributing palms, Dobrzynski said, dates back to St. Cyril of Jerusalem, a fourth-century bishop who introduced the practice to recall Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

In another centuries-old custom, churches on Holy Thursday may observe a washing of the feet at the evening Mass of the Lords Supper. Again, Dobrzynski said, the intent was to follow what Jesus did, when he commanded his followers to wash one anothers feet in this notion of service.

According to the bishop, Holy Week provides the faithful with an opportunity for a mini-retreat through various liturgies to prepare for Easter.

I encourage people to attend as many of these services as they can and set aside some intentional time with the Lord, in prayer and service, he said.

McClory will join with his fellow clergy and the community Thursday for the Chrism Mass at the cathedral. The 10:30 a.m. Mass, which will be livestreamed, features the blessing of the oil of the sick and oil of the catechumens and consecration of sacred chrism. Also at that Mass, diocesan priests renew their priestly promises.

Later that evening, churches around the diocese hold the Mass of the Lords Supper.

This leads into Good Friday, a commemoration of Jesus death on the cross. While Catholics traditionally mark Fridays in Lent through the Stations of the Cross, this Friday takes on a more special meaning, marked by veneration of relics of the true cross.

McClory will lead the Stations, 14 episodes in Jesus suffering and death, at noon at the Shrine of Christs Passion in St. John. Dobrzynski's parish will pray the Stations outdoors at the church cemetery.

The Hispanic community marks Good Friday with the Via Crucis Viviente, Living Way of the Cross. Church members reenact each station during a prayerful procession through local streets.

Among local churches holding a Via Crucis are Our Lady of Guadalupe in East Chicago, St. Francis Xavier in Lake Station, both at 1 p.m., and St. Paul in Valparaiso, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The Holy Saturday or Easter vigil service begins with the outdoor lighting of the holy fire, symbolic of Jesus light, Dobrzynski said.

Holy Saturday also welcomes those entering the Catholic faith as they receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist.

Dobrzynski noted that early Christians treated the Triduum as one day. People came to church, went home, then returned to church. For those unable to attend Holy Week services, the priest suggested the following:

 Remember the Last Supper at the Thursday meal.

 Maintain silence, including technology, from noon to 3 p.m. on Good Friday.

 Prepare for Easter by fasting on Good Friday and Holy Saturday until the Easter vigil.

There are many ways to bring your faith home, Dobrzynski said. It is, after all, a faith that has endured through the ages.

McClory encourages Catholics to prepare our hearts to have a great conclusion to Lent through a wonderful Holy Week that guides us into our joyous celebration of Easter.

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GARY  News that police were responding Sunday to a report of a dead body in a relatively remote area of the city's Aetna section drew a large crowd, but the "body" ultimately was determined to be a life-sized silicone female doll, officials said.

Residents and police have been searching for the past week for 23-year-old Ariana Taylor, whose vehicle was found crashed into a ravine April 3 not far from where the doll was found Sunday.

After initially releasing information that a body had been found in a grassy area near Lake Street and 15th Avenue, Gary police said the "body"  which had been wrapped in a sheet  had been uncovered and determined to be a doll.

The investigation began about 2:40 p.m., when police were called to the area for a report of a body in a grassy area, officials said.

The Lake County coroner's office said a NIPSCO employee doing work in the area called 911.

"The investigation turned out to be a false alarm," Coroner David Pastrick said in a news release.

Police shut down 15th Avenue east to Lake Street and Lake Street south from a bridge over Interstate 80, near 13th Place. Emergency vehicles' flashing lights could be seen in the distance, near where 15th and Lake Street intersect.

Dozens of people gathered near 15th Avenue and Clay Street, where police had blocked off the road, awaiting news about the investigation.

Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said investigators were aware of Taylor's disappearance and took all necessary steps to preserve potential evidence, avoid contaminating a possible homicide scene and follow proper crime scene investigation procedures.

"The body was wrapped completely in a sheet and off the side of the road partially covered," he said. "Because of the close proximity to the scene of the missing girl, everybody was overly cautious to preserve any potential forensic evidence such as hair or fibers or DNA on the sheet."

The sheet was not touched or removed until detectives, evidence technicians and Lake County coroner's investigators responded and photographed the scene, he said.

"Once the body was removed from the scene to an environment where the sheet could be removed properly with preservation of evidence in mind, it was found to be a doll," Martinez said.

After learning what they had found was a doll, police closed their case, officials said.

The search for Taylor continued.

Taylor, of Calumet Township, was last seen April 2, police said.

Authorities found the Chevrolet Trailblazer she was known to drive crashed at the bottom of a ravine the morning of April 3 off Interstate 65 and the I-80 overpass. A passerby had noticed the vehicle and called police.

Taylor was first reported missing the evening of April 3, police said.

Whoever was driving the Chevrolet was not located, despite extensive searches by multiple law enforcement agencies on foot, with a drone, K-9s, officers on horseback and the Lake County Sheriff's Department helicopter, authorities said. Residents also searched unsuccessfully for Taylor.

Gary police took jurisdiction of the missing persons case Tuesday, and Mayor Jerome Prince issued a call late last week for anyone with information about Taylor to come forward.

Taylor was described as 5 foot 6 and 200 pounds. 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.

Anyone with information about her last known whereabouts is asked to call Detective Sgt. Mark Salazar at 219-881-1209 or 911. To remain anonymous, call 866-CRIME-GP.

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The East Carolinian has created a forum that centers around topics within the community where readers can express their experiences and concerns. With Valentine's Day coming up, do you think the ECU community and the City of Greenville is doing all they can to make people feel loved and supported?

Survey
GARY  Community Civility Counts will hold its 6th annual World Civility Day event April 27.

The Gary Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event, announced what is being termed a "stellar lineup of speakers." The program starts with civility-themed activities during the day at the Dean and Barbara White Community Center in Merrillville.

The workshops and activities begin at 9 a.m. and extend to 3 p.m.

The event culminates with the evening awards dinner held at the Avalon Manor in Hobart starting at 6 p.m. The keynote speaker is Robert A. Rohm, Ph.D.

Community Civility Counts started as an initiative of the Gary Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Committee, and it has expanded to include many partners both locally and nationally.

The event was launched in 2015 at a news conference held in the Gary Chamber boardroom.

Workshop speakers include the Rev. Dr. Janette Wilson, national executive director for PUSH for Excellence Inc., and Art Norman, a fixture on WMAQ-Channel 5 newscasts.

Wilson serves as the senior advisor to the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.

She was awarded a doctorate of divinity from the United Theological Seminary and ordained by the Rev. Clay Evans.

Wilson has spent her adult life as a civil rights activist, using her negotiation skills as a practicing attorney, her investigative skills as an environmental scientist and her conscience as a Christian to aid minorities in receiving social justice and economic parity.

Wilson serves as a member of the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, Rainbow PUSH Coalition Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Norman has had 25 years of broadcast experience, including his signature segment, "Art Norman's Chicago," which airs biweekly at 5 p.m. on NBC 5.

His stories feature extraordinary people making a difference in their communities across the Chicago area.

In addition, Norman does a technology-based segment called "The Weekend Web" in which he reviews the latest gadgets and gizmos.

Norman also is a frequent NBC News ambassador, making appearances at many community events.

Currently, he is the vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists, serving 10 years ago as its president.

Norman is also a spokesman for the United Negro College Fund and serves as the on-air host for their telethon.

Keynote speaker Dr. Robert A. Rohm has been a teacher, director of curriculum development and school principal.

Rohm has spoken for numerous schools, churches, businesses and international companies.

Rohm is known as "the most invited back speaker" because people enjoy his talks so much, according to his resume.

He has authored over 20 books and training programs including the top sellers, "Positive Personality Profiles," "Who Do You Think You Are Anyway?" and "A+ Ideas for Every Student's Success."

Community Civility Council is offering program sponsorships ranging from early bird, $650 per table or $700 for a table of 10, to $1,000, $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000 sponsorships.

VIP tickets, which include full-day access and dinner, are $90; dinner tickets are $70; and workshop tickets are $30 per adult and $15 per student.

For information on sponsorships, workshops and dinner reservations contact the Gary Chamber of Commerce at 219-885-7407; Church Hughes at 219-746-6339 or chughes@garychamber.com; or Jan Bowden at 219-730-7767 or jbowden@garychamber.com.

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MICHIGAN CITY  The Michigan City Sustainability Commission has helped the city attain SolSmarts silver designation for being a solar-friendly community.

Commission Chair Nancy Moldenhauer made the announcement at last week's City Council meeting. The commission was established by ordinance in 2019 to focus on environmental protection.

To achieve the honor, the city installed solar panels on four municipal buildings; supported solar panel installations by homes and small businesses in partnership with Solar United Neighbors Indiana; coordinated with organizations to train individuals in solar array installation via Soul Power; and created a link on the Sustainability Commissions website to help residents and others learn about getting started with solar.

The SolSmart program is funded by the U.S. Department of Energys Solar Energy Technologies Office.

Other Indiana communities to be honored under the program include Elkhart County, Goshen, Marshall County, Plymouth and South Bend receiving gold; Carmel and Indianapolis, silver; and Nappanee and Zionsville, Bronze.

Laura Henderson, a member of the Sustainability Commissions SolSmart project team, complimented Building Commissioner Sue Downs and the citys planning and inspection department for their efforts.

Tristan Bogart, a Michigan City High School student and Sustainability Commission member, said the silver designation advances the use of solar technology and begins a conversation about clean air and a healthier life.

The Sustainability Commission is working with the parks department to explore installation of solar electric vehicle chargers and workstations at Washington Park, Moldenhauer said. The electric vehicle chargers could be put in the parking lot in front of the zoo. The federal government is helping the city evaluate options.

Theyll provide us with a menu of different ways to do this that well consider, Moldenhauer said, so the city can have a plan in place to pursue grants when they become available.

The city has already received two free electric vehicle chargers, an $18,000 value, with federal help.

In the past year, Solar United Neighbors has formed two solar energy co-ops for Northwest Indiana to help homeowners and small businesses get reduced prices for installation of solar energy panels and related equipment.

Eight installations have resulted from that first co-op so far, Moldenhauer said.

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Dance is perfectly capable of saying something all by itself, but music can help. Sung lyrics are more perilous, introducing the threat of literalism, yet the combination of dance and words, handled right, can heighten meaning. One example: Robert Garlands intensely affecting Higher Ground, which had its New York premiere this week when Dance Theater of Harlem returned to New York City Center.

Garland, the companys resident choreographer, has chosen six songs from the 1970s catalog of Stevie Wonder. This was a period in which Wonders musical genius was exploding, his astonishing creativity fueled by outrage at racial injustice, which he addressed directly in his lyrics. Just the titles of Garlands first three selections convey the gist: Look Around, You Havent Done Nothin, Heaven Is Ten Zillion Light Years Away.

That social commentary, soulful and funky, is what the dance is about. The dancers look around, form circles and chains, point fingers and fall backward. As in the music, there are signs of strength and hope. When the Jackson Five add their voices to sing doo-doo-wop, Garland offers a dance equivalent, all rolling hips and shoulders. When Wonder sings of opening your heart to feel the spirit, Garland has the dance language for the gospel lift.
However  and this isnt made clear until after the nail-biting hard-drive-unlocking business is over and done with  Prince really did hide billions in untaxed cryptocurrency on those drives, and really didnt anticipate that Dave would act swiftly enough to retrieve them before he could have them relocated. So he sits there, watching an I.T. guy reduce all those cold-storage devices to paperweights. The loss staggers him, quite literally  on a security camera after their expensive game of chicken, Dave sees Princes knees buckle as he waits to get on the elevator. But $3.5 billion is the cost of taking Chuck off the board permanently, as it seems to have done when Dave orders him arrested (and Karl booted from the building), so be it.

But Prince, Chuck and Kate arent the only smooth operators in that room. Theres also Dave, who, it turns out, has her own scheme up and running. Visiting Chuck in jail, she produces a real warrant, backdated to before Chucks initial seizure of that cold-storage drive, which gives that seizure a legal imprimatur. She wants Prince to believe that Chuck is off the board whereas, in fact, he will be working with Dave under cover of disgrace to put Prince out of commission once and for all.

Its the perfect cover story for Chuck, a man who will stop at nothing to defeat his enemy. Why would Prince worry anymore when his Ahab appears, for all intents and purposes, to be underwater?

Indeed, Prince ends the episode by admitting his enormous financial loss to his people but toasting them in celebration of their battle scars anyway. He does this despite the fact that his sexual relationship with his employee Rian  a continuing thing, as it happens  has been disclosed to the companys brain trust. Rian refuses the payoff proffered by Scooter and Wags, asserting that she can be trusted to keep schtum.

Prince, for his part, does trust her. He makes this clear during a disturbing speech to her  disturbing to us, not to him  about how there are people that things happen to and people who make things happen, and you need to land on which one you want to be. This pep-talks her out of her fear that shell become the next Monica Lewinsky or Rielle Hunter.

But the rest of the speech leaves me with a queasy feeling indeed. When you decide what you want to feel, he continues, that is the true source of power. When you get there, people will see what you want them to see on your face. Most people never figure this out. The ones that do? They get to run the world.
Jordan Mooney, better known as simply Jordan, a glowering, beehived Valkyrie in rubber and spiked heels who became an avatar of punk style when she presided over the transgressive London boutique that hatched the Sex Pistols and other provocations, died on April 3 in Seaford, East Sussex. She was 66.

Her brother, Roger Rooke, said the cause was bile duct cancer.

Ms. Mooney was just 19 in 1974 and working as a shop girl at Harrods, but she was already a presence when she walked into the store Sex, at 430 Kings Road, with a peroxide bouffant, green makeup and belted Mackintosh.

You were like a little icon, her new boss, the designer Vivienne Westwood, told her years later, adding, Id never seen anything like you before.

With its puffy pink vinyl sign out front, seditionary manifestoes, rubber and leather fetish wear and T-shirts emblazoned with fragments of text from S&M novels, among other slogans, the store was also something not seen before. It was a laboratory for its proprietors: Malcolm McLaren, an art school dropout and music impresario, and his girlfriend, Ms. Westwood, who made the clothes to her own skewed, wildly original and sometimes problematic vision  they might include swastikas, or photographs from pornographic journals.
By not joining Twitters board, Mr. Musk will also no longer be bound by a previous agreement he had signed with the company. Under a standstill agreement last week, he had pledged not to purchase more than 14.9 percent of Twitters stock and not to take over the company. That suggests Mr. Musk could now keep adding to his stake in the company.

A spokesman for Twitter declined to comment beyond Mr. Agrawals post. In a tweet on Sunday night, Mr. Musk did not directly address the situation with Twitters board but posted an emoji of a hand over a face.

Mr. Musk, the leader of the electric carmaker Tesla and the rocket maker SpaceX, is famously mercurial. He has often tossed off jabs on Twitter, trolling short-sellers of Tesla and insulting his critics. In 2018, after he mused about taking Tesla private in a tweet and inaccurately claimed he had secured funding for the transaction, he was fined $40 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Musk later said he disagreed with the S.E.C.s decision.

When Twitter revealed in an S.E.C. filing on Monday that Mr. Musk had bought the stake in the company, the news was greeted with fanfare. As a prolific Twitter user, Mr. Musks investment appeared to be a vote of confidence in the company, sending its stock soaring that day by more than 25 percent.

Mr. Musk's purchases of Twitter stock also came at a delicate time for the company. Twitter has been going through a transition since Jack Dorsey, a company founder, stepped down as chief executive last year. Mr. Agrawal, the chief technology officer, was appointed in his place.

Twitter then announced on Tuesday that Mr. Musk would become a new Twitter director with a term on the board that was set to have started on Saturday.

Mr. Agrawal and Mr. Dorsey both made public comments welcoming Mr. Musk to the board. Mr. Musk would bring great value to our board, Mr. Agrawal tweeted, adding that there had been conversations between the company and Mr. Musk in recent weeks.
WASHINGTON  President Biden came into office promising to dismantle what he described as the inhumane immigration policies of President Donald J. Trump. But for much of Mr. Bidens presidency so far, the White House has been divided by furious debates over how  and whether  to proceed in the face of a surge of migrants crossing the southwest border. And the internal battles have not been limited to the immigration agencies.

In a meeting last summer, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Mr. Bidens top aides that it was not clear there was still a public health rationale for keeping the border shut to most migrants, according to three people who attended or were briefed on the discussion.

The Trump administration had seized on Title 42 of the public health code to justify turning away most migrants at the border. When Mr. Biden took office, he said he would not apply the policy to unaccompanied minors, a change from the prior administration. In practice, many families were also let into the United States in spite of the policy.

But by last summer, the coronavirus, including the Delta variant, was already spreading wildly throughout the country. Top C.D.C. officials said it was not clear that keeping out migrants, including asylum seekers, would do much to prevent the spread of a variant already inside the United States.
Residents have swarmed the police officers who enter their neighborhoods wearing white protective suits. They have shouted out their windows, demanding to be given supplies. Others have banged pots and pans in protest.

As a lockdown in Shanghai enters its second week, some residents are buckling under the strict measures ordered by the government to try to eliminate the coronavirus. It is a sign of the toll two years of zero-Covid policies have taken on the Chinese people.

Weve already cooperated with you for 10 days, residents in one suburban district in Shanghai shouted at police officers, according to a video widely shared on Chinese social media. The name of the town, Gucun, which is in the citys Baoshan district, was visible in the background.

We just want to eat, is that so hard? they yelled.

Shanghai, home to about 25 million people, has been under a citywide lockdown since early April because of a surge in Omicron coronavirus cases. On Saturday, the city recorded nearly 25,000 new cases. It is a sharp contrast to the approach in much of the world, where most nations have abandoned pandemic precautions and are hoping vaccination rates will limit the severity of future outbreaks.
The popular Fearless Girl sculpture will continue to stand outside the New York Stock Exchange after city officials voted on Monday to extend the sculptures temporary permit for 11 months. This decision comes with the stipulation that the city, the owner of the sculpture and the artist return in six months with a process for deciding the artworks ultimate fate.

While the vote has resolved worries in the short term, critics continue to question how the bronze sculpture circumvented the citys normal public art process for five years. Critics also question why its sponsor, State Street Global Advisors, an asset management firm, they say, tried to sideline the sculptures creator in discussions about the sculptures future. (The artist is in an ongoing legal dispute with State Street.)

To overcome cynicism about growing corporate power, New York City must defend its public spaces, Todd Fine, a historian who rallied support for the statue, said in an interview. The decision today was a victory for basic fairness and for artist rights.

State Street said in a statement Monday, We are appreciative that the Fearless Girl statue will remain at her current location in front of the New York Stock Exchange, adding that given the outcome of the hearing, it would work together with the Department of Transportation, PDC and the artist regarding our desire to keep the Fearless Girl statue at her current location for an extended period.
LOS ANGELES  The Museum of Contemporary Art, with its enviable collection, has long been a symbol of Californias flourishing arts scene, and it helped spur the resurgence of a once barren patch of downtown Los Angeles. But waves of management upheaval have damaged its reputation and raised questions about its prospects at a time when arts groups all over the country are struggling to regain their footing after the disruptions of the pandemic.

Now, the future of MOCA  which once set the pace here and in much of the country in collecting and displaying contemporary art  rests on a somewhat unlikely savior: Johanna Burton, who was named director in September amid the latest spasm of organizational turmoil.

Her path to becoming the museums first female director since its founding in 1979 was unusual. Burton was brought on Sept. 3 as executive director to deal with what the museums board saw as the management shortcomings of her predecessor, Klaus Biesenbach, a high-profile figure in the museum world who seemed to personify the flashy intersection of the arts and Hollywood. The plan was for them to share duties. But in less than two weeks he quit to run a museum in Berlin and Burton was given the top job. In a recent interview Burton said her most urgent priority  and biggest obstacle  was ending the turbulence that has plagued the museum for over a decade.

Youre putting your finger on something that I think actually is one of my prime concerns, which is  as unsexy as this sounds  really prioritizing stability, she said in her office overlooking the museum plaza and Grand Avenue. Its what the museum needs. Its what the staff needs. People love MOCA. Ive had lots of conversations with people who just want to see it do well and they believe in it. But I think that the lack of stability has also led to maybe the lack of a cohesive picture of what the institution does.
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The Boston Symphony Orchestra announced on Monday that it was canceling a four-city tour of Europe because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus in Europe and the United States.

The orchestra said the tour, which was to have included stops next month in Germany, Austria and France, was not feasible because of the potential for the virus to disrupt travel. The orchestra has recently reported a surge in cases among players and members of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.

Given the ongoing presence of Covid, brought home by its unfortunate impact on a significant number of our own artists, we must keep as our first priority the health and safety of everyone involved with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Gail Samuel, the orchestras president and chief executive, said in a statement. Sadly, the only prudent and responsible course of action is, with deep regret, to cancel the European tour.

Many classical music ensembles hoped to resume global tours this year after the long hiatus brought by the pandemic. But the persistence of the Omicron variant has continued to complicate plans.
A month of terror in Bucha

A mother killed by a sniper while walking with her family to fetch a thermos of tea. A woman held as a sex slave, naked except for a fur coat and locked in a potato cellar before being executed. Two sisters dead in their home, their bodies left slumped on the floor for weeks.

These are the scenes documented by Times reporters and photographers who spent more than a week in Bucha, the city on Kyivs outskirts that was occupied by advancing Russian troops for a month.

The war, now in its seventh week, is set to escalate in the east. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that tens of thousands of Russian troops were poised for a major assault in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine.

The Pentagon confirmed that Russia was sending hundreds of military vehicles, including infantry and combat helicopter support units, and artillery to eastern Ukraine.
Russias attacks on Ukrainian civilians and soldiers in recent days have made clear that its withdrawal from northern Ukraine is more an attempt to reset Vladimir Putins invasion than a full retreat. The focus now is on the battle for eastern Ukraine, where Russian forces have deployed brutal tactics.

Russia struck a train station crowded with civilians in Kramatorsk in the eastern part of the country on Friday, killing at least 50 people and wounding many more. In a video of the scene, one woman shouted, There are so many corpses, there are children, there are just children!

Russia has also reorganized its command in Ukraine. The general now in charge of the invasion reportedly ordered strikes on civilian neighborhoods during a brutal Russian campaign in Syria.

Analysts expect Russia to carry out a major offensive toward Dnipro, a city that is a strategic target in east-central Ukraine. Yesterday, Russian strikes rained down on the airport there, wounding rescue workers.
Peril for civilians fleeing Ukraine

Russian forces attacked civilian areas in eastern Ukraine yesterday as terrified residents fleeing westward joined an exodus of thousands, heeding warnings by the authorities that Russian troops were preparing a major assault. Follow the latest updates.

Analysts predict Russian troops will carry out a major offensive stretching from Dnipro to Izium, a city almost 150 miles northeast where fighting has already been heavy, U.S. military officials said. Satellite images showed hundreds of military vehicles moving through the town of Velykyi Burluk toward Izium on Friday.

To shore up its offensive, Russia has appointed Gen. Aleksandr Dvornikov as the top battlefield commander in Ukraine. Dvornikov oversaw Russian forces in Syrias civil war, during which he was accused of ordering strikes on civilian neighborhoods.

Leaders: Britains prime minister, Boris Johnson, made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Saturday and walked through the streets with Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky. The Austrian chancellor, Karl Nehammer, who also visited Ukraine over the weekend, said he would meet with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, in Moscow today.
A slew of companies have announced plans to stop business in Russia over the last several weeks, and many of them are now sharing what those decisions may cost them.

Some companies had limited exposure to Russia and signaled that the expected losses were not significant. JPMorgan Chases chief executive, Jamie Dimon, told shareholders that the bank wasnt worried about the impacts from leaving Russia. For energy giants like BP and Shell, the financial hit  while large  accounts for just a small fraction of their profits.

Announcing its quarterly earnings, Goldman Sachs, which in March was the first big American bank to say it would exit Russia, reported about $300 million in losses related to the war in Ukraine. Bank of America and Citigroup said they had set aside sums of money to account for potential losses linked to Russia.

Here are some of the expected effects that companies have disclosed:
Pacific Gas & Electric agreed on Monday to pay $55 million in penalties and costs to settle civil cases brought by prosecutors over wildfires across six Northern California counties.

The agreement allows PG&E to avoid criminal prosecution for causing last years Dixie fire  the second-largest blaze in California history  and the Kincade fire in 2019. The settlement includes tens of millions of dollars in payments to local organizations, schools and government agencies, and it will fund an independent safety monitor for the life of the five-year civil judgment.

Prosecutors said they had pursued a civil action against PG&E to gain more benefits for victims than criminal prosecution would have allowed. The maximum criminal fines in the Dixie fire  which burned 963,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,300 buildings across Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Shasta and Tehama counties  were $329,417.

This settlement avoids both a bankruptcy and inordinate delay for the Dixie fire homeowners and renters  particularly those without insurance, Michael L. Ramsey, the district attorney for Butte County, said in a statement.
Psychedelic compounds like LSD, Ecstasy and psilocybin mushrooms have shown significant promise in treating a range of mental health disorders, with participants in clinical studies often describing tremendous progress taming the demons of post-traumatic stress disorder, or finding unexpected calm and clarity as they face a terminal illness.

But exactly how psychedelics might therapeutically rewire the mind remains an enigma.

A group of neuroscientists in London thought advanced neuroimaging technology that peered deep into the brain might provide some answers. They included 43 people with severe depression in a study sponsored by Imperial College London, and gave them either psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, or a conventional antidepressant; the participants were not told which one they would receive. Functional magnetic resonance imaging, which captures metabolic function, took two snapshots of their brain activity  the day before receiving the first dose and then roughly three weeks after the final one.

What they found, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, was illuminating, both figuratively and literally. Over the course of three weeks, participants who had been given the antidepressant escitalopram reported mild improvement in their symptoms, and the scans continued to suggest the stubborn, telltale signs of a mind hobbled by major depressive disorder. Neural activity was constrained within certain regions of the brain, a reflection of the rigid thought patterns that can trap those with depression in a negative feedback loop of pessimism and despair.

By contrast, the participants given psilocybin therapy reported a rapid and sustained improvement in their depression, and the scans showed flourishes of neural activity across large swaths of the brain that persisted for the three weeks. That heightened connectivity, they said, resembled the cognitive agility of a healthy brain that, for example, can toggle between a morning bout of melancholia, a stressful day at work and an evening of unencumbered revelry with friends.
A year and a half after New Jersey residents voted to legalize cannabis, the state on Monday gave seven medical-marijuana companies approval to start selling their products to all adults, opening the door to the first legal marijuana sales in the New York City region within a month.

In a meeting held by videoconference, the five-member Cannabis Regulatory Commission ushered in a seismic cultural change, making New Jersey the second state on the East Coast to fully authorize sales of cannabis to all adults.

For years, the states medical-marijuana dispensaries had been permitted to sell cannabis only to buyers with permission from a doctor to use the drug as medicine.

Recreational adult-use sales are permitted to start as soon as each of the seven companies pays upward of $1 million in fees associated with the expanded licenses and satisfies other bureaucratic requirements to gain final approval.
Two Buffalo police officers who shoved a 75-year-old man to the ground during a protest in 2020 have been cleared by an arbitrator, who said the use of force was absolutely legitimate because the man, who was hospitalized with a head injury, was not an innocent bystander.

The 41-page ruling from the arbitrator, Jeffrey Selchick, was issued on Friday. It came nearly two years after a widely viewed video taken by WBFO, a local radio station, showed the two officers, Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski, shoving the man, Martin Gugino, who was attending a protest in June 2020 after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The video, which fueled outrage during a summer of unrest over police violence, shows Mr. Gugino stagger backward and land hard on the sidewalk, with blood immediately leaking from behind his right ear. His lawyer, Melissa D. Wischerath, said he was hospitalized for about a month and suffered a fractured skull, a brain injury and hearing loss.

Last year, a grand jury declined to indict the two officers, who had been facing felony assault charges.
These are complex problems, and they will require complex solutions. As such, we cant afford to focus on our sexual and reproductive lives with a single-issue lens. We must consider the ways in which all social justice issues intersect and affect the way we are able to make decisions about our bodies and the creation of our futures.

One hurdle toward achieving that goal is that for decades, white-led reproductive rights organizations were the default, and the experiences of those leaders are not the same as the experiences of people of color. Thats why reproductive justice organizations  groups like SisterSong, focused on grass-roots organizing campaigns, promoting policy change and providing education for our communities  have been calling for changes in leadership and representation. We have made progress on that front, but we need to build on it.

What we need is a culture shift.

My experiences navigating my sexual identity and reproductive health inspired me to become an activist and organizer, but for many years the organizations I was part of were led by white men.

It wasnt until much later that I learned about a group of Black women who called themselves Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice. In 1994 it took out an ad in The Washington Post and Roll Call to proclaim to the world that our reproductive freedom cannot be boiled down to a single issue. When I was introduced to the reproductive justice movement, it was the first time I was exposed to Black women leading and owning their stories and bodies, and that was powerful.

Their work was the road map that grounded my own.

In my state, Georgia, Black women-led organizations have led the charge in pushing back against unjust laws that disproportionately affect our communities and challenge our autonomy, from voting rights to abortion access. People of color dont have the privilege of focusing on only one issue  everything is connected. Reproductive justice has always been more than just being pro-choice. To be pro-choice you must have the privilege of having choices.

The fight for reproductive justice must be led by those most affected. To build collective power, we need a deeper investment in B.I.P.O.C.-led organizations. We also need to normalize sharing our abortion stories, whether we had one or held the hand of someone at a clinic. And we need to work to elect, appoint and confirm officials who are aligned with reproductive justice values. Its not enough to just show up when an anti-abortion law reaches the Supreme Court  we need to bring that energy to our local school boards, state legislatures, attorneys general offices and every election.

It is our duty to hold everyone accountable at every level, every day, because our lives depend on it. And because Roe might soon be gone. But we can imagine a better world, one in which we have not just the minimum, but stand at the mountaintop: true reproductive justice.
I exchanged emails about the degree of financial globalization with Geert Bekaert of Columbia Business School. He wrote that firms are still financing themselves in international capital markets, there are still massive capital flows across countries and financial market returns still seem highly interconnected.

China, in particular, is more embedded in the global economy than ever, despite efforts by the U.S. government to decouple the American economy from Chinas. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, China was the No. 1 recipient of foreign direct investment in the first half of 2021, with the United States second and Britain third. The O.E.C.D.s information is consistent with what Bekaert argues. If there is any slackening of financial globalization, he wrote to me, its in the financial flows among the developed economies.

Assaf Razin, an economist at Tel Aviv University in Israel, told me, Globalization is always getting reorganized, and it had to go through disruptions, but the disruptions didnt really move it away from the trends. Like Bekaert, Razin said that the rise of China has been and remains a driving force in the globalization of trade and investment.

Alicia Garcia Herrero, a senior fellow at Bruegel, a think tank based in Brussels, was the most skeptical person I interviewed about globalization. For one thing, she said, China is reducing its reliance on foreign parts for the products it makes. Its still dependent on trade, but more of the value of what it sells is being generated at home, she said. China has faced criticism from other countries, including the United States, for its Made in China 2025 self-sufficiency initiative and has played down use of the phrase in recent years. But Garcia Herrero said the effort continues.

She added that in financial statements and calls with analysts, more company executives are saying they want to emphasize safety and reliability in their sourcing, switching from just in time to just in case.

Thats true, but it doesnt mean globalization is passe. International migration and travel, which are another form of globalization, are still on the rise. And if countries reshore production, they may need more immigrants to do the additional work, especially if they have low population growth, Garcia Herrero said. While companies and countries are trying to wean themselves off overdependence on distant suppliers, especially ones in possibly unfriendly countries, it doesnt mean its all coming home, Kleintop said. What was once made in China might be supplied instead by Mexico, for example, he said.
Tree advocates have seized on that uncertainty to point out that removing 41 mature trees from a cityscape with a dwindling tree canopy is a permanent solution to what may well be a temporary problem. Birds move around, Judson Newbern, a volunteer with the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps, pointed out in an interview. Are we going to cut down every tree in Nashville where they roost in the future? This is just not a sustainable solution for the city. The nonprofit would like to find a way to deflect the birds and persuade them to select another roost site  by covering the symphonys trees in netting, for example, or by turning off the lights that attract purple martins.

But bird advocates point out that such attempts would be far more stressful to the birds than it would be to remove the trees now, before they get here. Some of the birds would inevitably get tangled in the netting, panicking the others, and frantic birds are more likely to crash into windows and buildings. Disrupting the roost holds a lot of potential downsides for the purple martins, Mr. Cook said.

Few situations involving wild animals in cities lend themselves to simple solutions: If a coyote starts killing neighborhood pets, for example, some residents will propose killing the coyote. Others will argue for keeping pets indoors. As divergent as they are, both answers represent the simplest possible  and least permanent  solutions to a problem that is much bigger than a single territorial coyote.

When human activity intrudes farther and farther into wildlife habitat, many animals will die, and many will move on. But some animals will adapt to live among us, and not all their adaptive strategies will be convenient. When the purple martins first established a roost at the Nashville Symphony, the response from both the symphony and conservationists was a model for making room for wildlife. It was also a stopgap response to an unusual and seemingly temporary circumstance. And stopgap measures will no longer suffice.

The fact that a vast flock of purple martins has made Nashvilles symphony center its staging ground for the fall migration isnt a Nashville problem. Its a human problem. Every day the planet becomes more crowded, and every day these human-wildlife conflicts worsen. When the goal is coexistence, then the simple answers on either end of the spectrum  get rid of the birds; leave the birds alone  wont serve either species for the long term.
Mr. Davison, a product developer for a technology company, has a method for finding bioluminescence. First he studies satellite imagery to identify algal blooms off the coast. Then he combs through other indicators, such as wind direction and tidal patterns, to predict where waters may glow.

Hes an exception, though. Other photographers mainly rely on a mix of luck, intuition and the occasional tip from neighbors who spot sparks of blue during walks on the beach.

If Im perfectly honest, probably eight out of 10 times I capture it is either by chance or just a gut feeling that it might be around, said Grant Birley, 48, who works in the orthopedics industry and often stops to photograph bioluminescence during his two-hour commute along the coastline of New Zealands North Island. Its not an educated guess at all.

One source of intelligence is a private Facebook group that was created two years ago for people in the Auckland area to discuss sightings of bioluminescence. It now has more than 7,000 members and welcomes about 2,000 new ones each summer, said Stacey Ferreira, one of the groups administrators.

Ms. Ferreira said she created the group so that others could tick the beautiful phenomenon off their bucket lists, as she did in 2020. Its been great! she wrote in an email. People from every background have joined  talented photography enthusiasts, bioluminescence researchers, scientists, families and everyone in between.

Shots After Dark

For bio chasers, finding the glow is just the start of the process of capturing a memorable image. After arriving at a beach, they typically set up tripods in the surf and spend hours shooting, sometimes in near-total darkness, as blue patches flicker intermittently across the shore. Sometimes the flicker dies off after a few minutes, and they head home empty-handed.
When Twitter put up a warning message atop a Russian government post denying civilian killings in Bucha, Ukraine, last week, Chinas state media rushed to its defense. On Twitter @mfa_russias statement on #Bucha got censored, wrote Frontline, a Twitter account associated with Chinas official English-language broadcaster, CGTN.

In a Chinese Communist Party newspaper, an article declared that Russians had offered definitive evidence to prove that the lurid photos of bodies in the streets of Bucha, a suburb of Ukraines capital, Kyiv, were a hoax.

A party television station in Shanghai said Ukraines government had created the grisly tableaux to win sympathy in the West. Obviously, such evidence would not be admissible in court, the report said.

Only a month ago, the White House warned China not to amplify Russias campaign to sow disinformation about the war in Ukraine. The Chinese efforts have intensified anyway, contradicting and disputing the policies of NATO capitals, even as Russia faced renewed condemnation for the killings in Bucha and other atrocities in recent days.
Twitter has always suffered more than its fair share of dysfunction, said Jason Goldman, who was on Twitters founding team and served on its board of directors in the past. But at least we werent being actively trolled by prospective board members using the product we created.

The filing followed a week of high-stakes drama between the billionaire and the company. Last Monday, Twitter revealed that Mr. Musk had accumulated stock, now worth more than $3 billion, in the company. A day later, he was invited onto Twitters 11-person board and agreed to not own more than 14.9 percent of the company or take it over. Then on Sunday, Twitter abruptly said all of those bets were off and that Mr. Musk would not become a director.

What exactly went on between Mr. Musk, who has more than 81 million followers on Twitter, and the companys executives and board members is unclear. But it leaves Twitter  which has survived founder infighting, boardroom revolts and outside shareholder ire  with an activist investor unlike any other.

Mr. Musk, who also leads the electric carmaker Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX, is known for being unpredictable and outspoken, often using Twitter to criticize, insult and troll others. By no longer joining the board, he liberated himself from corporate governance rules that would have required him to act in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.

Mr. Musk leaned into that freedom after his decision was communicated to the company on Saturday morning. He proclaimed on Twitter that he was in goblin mode and suggested changes such as removing the w from the companys name to make it more vulgar and opening its San Francisco headquarters to shelter the homeless. He later deleted some of the posts.
Lombes Lava was commissioned by the Bush Theater in London, and debuted there in July 2021. Ronke Adekoluejo starred in the one-woman show, directed by Anthony Simpson-Pike. In reviewing the work for The Guardian, Kate Wyver praised Adekoluejos indefatigable charisma, writing that she controls the stage with such ease, oozing charm and confidence.

But under the bright joy of Adekoluejos performance, Wyver wrote, fury rumbles in Lombes text.

With hindsight, she takes us through incidents and aggressions from her life, each one being pushed into the pit of her stomach, gnawing at her, getting heavier as she carries the cumulative weight, Wyver wrote.

Lava, which Andrzej Lukowski of Time Out London characterized as a freeform poetic eruption, tells the story of a British Congolese woman who discovers a tale of quiet rebellion when she has to renew her British passport and wonders why her South African passport  a country she is also a citizen of  does not carry her first name. It takes place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, during the time of Mobutu Sese Sekos dictatorship; post-apartheid South Africa; Ireland; and London.

It was gratifying to be able to celebrate Black people in fullness, said Lombe, who wrote the play in the summer of 2020, and to uplift us when so many people were feeling the opposite when they walked in.

Along with Lombe, the nine other finalists for the Blackburn Prize were honored. They received $5,000 each, and included Zora Howard, who was honored for her play Bust. One of Howards previous works, Stew, was a finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Drama.
A small number of U.S. colleges and universities are reinstating mask policies, citing coronavirus outbreaks on campus. The moves come at a time when the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant, known as BA.2, has become the dominant version among new U.S. cases, which are ticking up.

The nation was averaging more than 31,000 new coronavirus cases a day as of Sunday, according to a New York Times database  a 3 percent increase from two weeks ago. New York City and Washington, D.C., have seen sharper increases, though the figures there remain well below earlier peaks. Several prominent officials and some Broadway stars have recently tested positive. With new cases low but rising sharply in recent days, the city of Philadelphia announced on Monday that it will reinstate an indoor mask mandate a little more than a month after lifting it, becoming the first major U.S. city to do so.

During the winter surge driven by another form of Omicron, the BA.1 subvariant, some universities shifted to pandemic policies aimed at living with the virus rather than trying to keep it off campus completely  policies like using quarantines and social distancing when outbreaks occur, rather than canceling in-person instruction altogether. As the numbers of new cases decreased, some colleges and universities further loosened precautions like surveillance testing programs, despite criticism from public health experts.

Now, while some universities like Harvard are letting professors decide for themselves which rules to follow in their classrooms, others are imposing new campuswide mask rules:

American University said on Monday that it would start requiring masks in all campus buildings, including medical facilities and the schools shuttles, beginning on Tuesday. Professors will be able to remove their masks in classrooms while teaching.

Columbia University said on Sunday that students would have to wear non-cloth masks in classrooms for the remainder of the spring semester, through May 2, based on the current situation and in an abundance of caution. Last week, Barnard College, a womens undergraduate college affiliated with Columbia, reinstated its indoor mask rule.

Georgetown University announced last week that masks would be required inside any campus buildings until further notice because of campus Covid outbreaks, particularly among undergraduate students.

George Washington University said Monday that its mask mandate would return and stay in place through commencement, the schools student newspaper reported. Officials quoted in the report cited the universitys seven-day positivity rate, which is nearing 2 percent after remaining close to 1 percent for much of the semester.

Johns Hopkins University said last week that it would require masks indoors, along with twice-weekly testing of students, and noted that nearly 100 of its more than 5,000 undergraduate students had tested positive since April 1.

Rice University reinstated its mask requirement for classrooms, regardless of vaccination status. Those who are unvaccinated must continue to wear a mask in other indoor areas as well.

Adeel Hassan contributed reporting.
But even with the rise of disposable utensils, a niche community of knife enthusiasts is flourishing, and its members have opinions about the idea of a hardened wood knife.

Yao-Fen You, a senior curator at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, said she is picky about her knives. She learned how to use a cleaver around the age of 5 and now owns about 10 kitchen knives, one of them a Miyabi Koh stainless steel knife, costing her about $130.

I am skeptical, Ms. You said of a knife made of wood, which contracts and expands. That tends to be the problem with wood handles. I like the feel of them, but they will deteriorate over time.

Dr. Li, the University of Maryland professor who helped create the hardened wood, has heard such concerns. Natural wood utensils, like chopsticks, spoons and cutting boards, are widely used in kitchens, he said, and while they do degrade, they can also last a long time. With proper maintenance, he said, he expects hardened wood utensils to last longer than natural wood items. Hardened wood knives can also be resharpened just like steel knives, he said.

Which is better for the environment?

Its complicated.

Dr. Li argued that the production of metal and alloy-based hard materials is energy intensive and leads to a heavy carbon footprint. However, a typical knife uses less than a pound of stainless steel, according to Chris Pistorius, a co-director at the Center for Iron and Steelmaking Research at Carnegie Mellon University. He said a steel knifes climate impact was tiny, and its ability to be recycled was a major advantage.

To really assess if a hardened wood knife is better for the environment would require a life-cycle analysis, said Jesko von Windheim, a professor at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. Its a cradle-to-grave analysis that conducts carbon accounting along the way, he said.

Sometimes products appear more environmentally sustainable on the surface but may not actually be, depending on their production process and how theyre disposed of, he said.
With new coronavirus cases low but rising sharply in recent days, the city of Philadelphia announced on Monday that it will reinstate an indoor mask mandate a little more than a month after lifting it, becoming the first major U.S. city to do so.

This is our chance to get ahead of the pandemic, said Cheryl Bettigole, the citys health commissioner, in a news conference. She acknowledged that the average number of daily new cases, currently at 142, is still nowhere near what it was at the beginning of the year, when the Omicron variant was pushing the seven-day average to nearly 4,000.

But she said that if the city failed to require masks now, knowing that every previous wave of infections has been followed by a wave of hospitalizations, and then a wave of deaths, then it will be too late for many of our residents. Over the past week, the city reported that the number of residents who had died of Covid-19 passed 5,000.

The mandate will go into effect next week. A spokesman for the citys health department said it would end when case numbers and rates go beneath a certain threshold.
WASHINGTON  President Biden on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India not to increase his countrys reliance on Russian oil and gas, officials said, part of a global effort by the United States to maintain economic pressure on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Mr. Biden also emphasized growing defense cooperation with India in a virtual meeting with Mr. Modi  a line U.S. officials have increasingly highlighted in the hopes of convincing New Delhi to come off the fence over Russias invasion.

In the meeting between the two leaders, Mr. Biden offered to help Mr. Modi acquire oil and other energy from other sources. The United States and its allies have been working for months to deprive President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia of the financial resources generated from the sale of oil and gas around the world.

But Mr. Biden stopped well short of pressuring India to stop buying Russian oil, which amounts to about 1 percent of its imports. And American officials said the president did not ask India to condemn Russia by name for the brutal military campaign against its neighbor, a step that India has been unwilling to take since the beginning of the invasion.
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We have to consult with our allies and partners on what makes most sense as a mechanism moving forward, he said. Obviously, the I.C.C. is one venue where war crimes have been tried in the past, but there have been other examples in other conflicts of other mechanisms being set up.

But setting up other venues would raise its own obstacles. Among them, while the United Nations Security Council in the past helped establish special international courts to handle conflicts in places like Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, Russia can veto any Council resolution seeking to establish a tribunal for Ukraine.

There are reasons to doubt that Mr. Putin and other senior Kremlin officials responsible for the war may ever stand trial, so long as they remain in power and ensconced in Russia. Still, war-crimes indictments, human rights specialists say, serve a naming and shaming function even without trials  and can inhibit defendants ability to travel abroad.

Another possibility is a nations court with jurisdiction over war crimes on Ukrainian soil. Germany, for example, has war-crimes and crimes-against-humanity laws that cover the world. Prosecutors there said in March that they had started gathering evidence of deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and two former ministers filed a complaint there last week asking prosecutors to charge Russian officials.

Ukraines own prosecutor general has asked for international help in gathering evidence. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in recent days that administration officials were working on a multinational effort to shore up Ukraines efforts, while also holding discussions with European counterparts.
Uniformity is more than the mere outward expression of unity with the team; it is a tool that constantly reminds each Marine of the team to which they are committed and a signal to other Marines of the depth of that commitment, the Marine Corps said in response to Captain Toors first request for an accommodation in June. Tampering with that commitment, it warned, could cost lives.

Second, the Marine Corps has said, beards might hinder Marines physical ability to do their duties by keeping them from safely wearing gas masks.

That is why Captain Toor and other Sikhs currently cannot wear beards when deployed in any of 39 countries that are considered potentially hostile, including Algeria, Israel, Turkey, Uganda and Cuba.

Col. Kelly Frushour, a Marine spokeswoman, said the risks in foreign deployments could change rapidly. Accordingly, Marines in a combat zone must be prepared to don a gas mask at any time with little or no notice, she said.

In their suit, the Sikhs counter that the Marine Corps routinely deploys men to combat zones who have permission to wear beards because of medical conditions or because they are part of Special Operations units. And the corpss beard rules would require the Sikhs to shave even in countries where the risk of chemical attack is so low that Marines deployed there are not equipped with gas masks.

The Army made similar safety arguments against a Sikh soldier in 2015, but relented in 2016 after the soldier sued. About 100 Sikhs currently serve in the Army and Air Force wearing full beards and turbans, and many have been deployed to combat zones. In interviews, they have reported no issues.

The American military now grants more religious exemptions to uniform and grooming standards than ever before, allowing hijabs for Muslim women, long hair for a small Christian sect, and beards for a few practicing Norse Heathens. But the Marine Corps has for generations fought changes after other branches embraced them. It was the last service branch to allow Black men to enlist, and it balked at a 2015 mandate to allow women to serve in combat.
TOKYO  Late in February, just days after the Russian invasion, Ukraine asked Japan to ship an assortment of military equipment, from antitank weapons and ammunition to electronic radar and bulletproof vests.

It seemed an all but futile request. Japan, which has forsworn combat since the end of World War II, had not sent military materiel to another country in the midst of fighting a war in more than 75 years.

But within a week, the Japanese government had modified its rules governing military exports. And in early March, the countrys Self-Defense Forces loaded up a Boeing KC-767 tanker aircraft with bulletproof vests and helmets, bound for the battlefields of Ukraine.

Although it could not compare with the airlift of arms sent by American and European officials, the military aid marked a decisive moment in Japans evolution away from the pacifist identity it has embraced since the United States pushed to insert a clause renouncing war into Japans postwar Constitution.
PARIS  A day after Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader, emerged as his challenger for the final round of Frances presidential election in less than two weeks, President Emmanuel Macron immediately set about on Monday to build the dam.

Dams are the mainstream French voters who, time and again, have put political differences aside in the second round and voted for anyone but a Le Pen in a so-called Republican front to deny the far right the presidency.

But after Sundays first round, when 32 percent of French voters supported candidates on the extreme right  a record  the dam may be more precarious than ever.

Mr. Macron, widely criticized for a listless campaign, moved quickly Monday to shore it up, directly challenging Ms. Le Pen and her party, the National Rally, in the economically depressed north where she dominated Sunday.


Salt Lake City Needs PR for Aqueduct Project Wed., May 4, 2022 The Salt Lake City Water District wants to tap a firm to communicate and engage with decision makers, key stakeholders and members of the public regarding replacement of
Offaly homeowners are being warned against pouring a number of substances down their sinks as part of a new project from Clean Coasts and Irish Water.

Clean Coasts and Irish Water is partnering with Edward Hayden to ask the people of Offaly to Rethink the Sink and never pour fats, oils and greases (FOGs) from the Easter roast down the sink.

Instead, collect FOGs into a heatproof container (egg cartons, tins and jars are egg-cellent choices!), allow them to cool and empty into the bin.

Edward Hayden along with other celebrity chefs and well-known personalities from around Ireland are participating in this years Easter Think Before You Pour campaign including Kevin Dundon, Gina Daly, Lilly Higgins, JP McMahon, Guy Sinnott and Mark Murphy as well as well-known food blogger, Niamh OSullivan.

Think Before You Pour is operated by Clean Coasts in partnership with Irish Water and appeals to the public not to pour FOGs down the kitchen sink, as a B&A survey reveals that approximately 4 out of 10 people admit to doing so.

"FOGs may seem like liquid when poured, but they cool and harden as they travel along the pipes and can cause blockages in our homes, businesses, the public sewer network and wastewater treatment plants and can even lead to overflows of sewage in our communities and pollution in rivers, on beaches and in the ocean," a statement read.

"When FOGs combine with wipes and other sewage-related litter such as hair and dental floss that shouldnt be flushed down the toilet, fatbergs can form. Irish Water clears hundreds of blockages including fatbergs from the wastewater network every week."

Well-known Kilkenny chef Edward Hayden said: This Easter I am delighted to be working with Clean Coasts and Irish Water on the Think Before You Pour campaign. It is so important that we dispose of fats from cooking correctly. If they are poured down the sink they can lead to blockages and fatbergs. An easy solution is to simply pour the fats into a container once they are cooled and throw the contents in the bin. Trays and pans can be wiped with a kitchen towel to get any extra fatty residues before washing.

Donal Heaney, Wastewater Operations Lead, Think Before You Flush Ambassador for Eastern and Midlands Region added: Irish Water is delighted to be teaming up with Clean Coasts and chefs from all around Ireland for the Rethink the Sink Easter campaign. Last year we responded to approximately 10,000 customer notified blockages along the wastewater network, which were leading to sewer overflows.

"Removing fatbergs and blockages from our public sewers and cleaning up sewer overflows is a dirty job with nasty consequences but so easy to prevent. We are reminding the public to Think Before You Pour this Easter, not to use the kitchen sink as a bin and to help us safeguard the wastewater network and local environment by collecting cooled fats, oils and greases and disposing of them in their bin.

Speaking about the campaign, Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager, Clean Coasts said: The prevention of blockages in our wastewater systems by fats, oils and greases is something everybody can engage in. Simply by being more conscious of our behaviour at the sink, and by making small changes, we can all have a positive impact on our natural environment. I would encourage and remind everyone to Think Before You Pour this Easter.
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Ali Harbi Ali repeatedly stabbed Amess in an attack last October for what he said was revenge for the lawmakers support for airstrikes on Syria.
Prince Harry allegedly despises Camilla Parker Bowles and he may take aim at his father Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall,..

HNGN 11 Apr 2022
British military intelligence said there was evidence of "disproportionate" attacks on civilians after Russia pulled out of parts of northern Ukraine.
Russian gas and oil are by far the most significant exports Moscow sells to Germany. Yet other important raw materials are also under the spotlight because of the war in Ukraine.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, more than 300,000 people have fled to Germany. Some Ukrainian refugees have even found shelter with Russian families living in Germany. DW visited one to see how it was working out.
Karl Nehammer is the first European leader to visit Moscow since the conflict in Ukraine began. According to the Kremlin, the two leaders may also discuss issues relating to gas supply.
Anne Spiegel went to France for four weeks as the state for which she was deputy governor, Rhineland-Palatinate, was reeling from heavy floods. Almost 200 people died in last year's environmental disaster.
The Polish capital has seized an abandoned Russian diplomatic compound after decades of legal dispute. Authorities say the site, which some Poles say was used for spying, will be handed over to the Ukrainian community.
Hundreds have gathered outside Downing Street to protest against the government's decision to exclude transgender people from a ban on conversion therapy.
Match of the Day 2's Alan Shearer analyses the key incidents from Manchester City v Liverpool, a game he describes as 'a joy to watch.'
A Disney heir has publicly come out as transgender and said they should have done more to speak out against Florida's controversial 'Don't Say Gay' bill.
Some of those who survived the Buchenwald concentration camp now face a second war in Ukraine. Germany barred Russian delegates from attending the ceremonies this year after one survivor was killed.
Sweden's Social Democratic Party has previously been opposed to joining the military alliance. Russia's war in Ukraine may change that.
Riot police descend upon Rennes city centre after demonstrations turned violent following the announcement of the results in the first round of France's presidential election.
Several dozen people marched Sunday from the iconic Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City to the Russian embassy to protest against the war in Ukraine.
Shehbaz Sharif is the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif, who was prime minister three times before. His victory was secured when members of the opposition party of ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan resigned.
The Duchess of Sussex will join Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in The Hague for the first few days, says a spokesperson for the couple.
Austria's Chancellor urged Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine in the first face-to-face meeting between an EU leader and the Russian president since the invasion began.
The carnival ride section at Sydney's Royal Easter Show has been closed and is now a crime scene after a teen was stabbed to death after a fight broke out.
(MENAFN - Jordan News Agency) Ottawa, Apr. 11 (Petra) - Canada said on Monday that it was imposing sanctions on companies in the Russian defence sector and that it was studying options for ...
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called the economic sanctions imposed on Russia a dangerous game that will bite back at an over-eager west.
Here's the latest for Monday April 11: First found of French election leads to Macron-Le Pen rematch; Ukraine's President says Russia is mobilizing for new offensive; Biden to speak with India's Prime Minister; Wildfire in Texas.


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Because Long Island is trying to steal Staten Island's party boat, here are your end-of-day links: Empty Manhattan, another luxury skyscraper that sways in the wind, Little Ukraine history, Al Pacino's Shrek phone case, baby-naming consultants and more. [ more  ]
The ouster of Prime Minister Imran Khan in a parliamentary no-confidence vote early Sunday set Pakistan on an uncertain political path, with his supporters taking to the streets in protest and the political opposition preparing to...
A showdown looms in Ukraine as Russia appointed a new military commander and looked to concentrate its attacks on the eastern part of the country, while Ukraine's president said his troops will hold their ground, and urged Western...
China sent anti-aircraft missile to a Russian ally in Serbia in a covert operation despite the United States' concern over weapons buildup amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
MADISON, Wis. -- A new Wisconsin law will require naturopathic doctors in the state to be licensed and regulated. It will also let them prescribe drugs. The law was signed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers Feb. 4 after it cleared both houses of the state Legislature with bipartisan support. The measure calls for the licensing and regulation to be carried out by a Naturopathic Medicine Examining Board that will be established. The 
Blue Ocean Corporation, a Super Brand organization having interests in professional training, events, consulting, and recruitment across the Middle East, was recently honored with the 'Best Workplaces in the UAE 2022' title at a grand awards ceremony in Dubai's FIVE Palm Jumeirah Hotel. The recognition was awarded to Blue Ocean by Great Place to Work, the global authority recognizing high-value and best workplaces from all over the world. Blue Ocean 
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Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II toured Sanford on Monday to see the progress made since the dam failure two years ago and talk to the local officials about the "Building Michigan Together Plan" that resulted in $200 million in state support for the area.

It was Gilchrists seventh visit to Sanford. He talked about on one visit having water up to his neck after the dam breach and he is six-foot-five-inches tall. He also recalled digging out a bathroom with his hands.

During this visit he started at Porte Park and walked a distance to the Sanford Dam.

Gilchrist said he was impressed with how far Sanford has come in its recovery so far, with activities taking place in Porte Park, businesses re-opening and new business making a home in the village.

We call it Sanford Strong for a reason, Gilchrist said.

The bipartisan "Building Michigan Together Plan" includes some of the largest infrastructure investments in Michigan history, including $200 million to repair dams in Midland and Gladwin counties, $3 million to Midland County to create a water management plan related to flooding, and $6.8 million for lake dredging and dam emergency spillway project in Clare County, according to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Gilchrist stated he is also looking forward to how far the village will advance with the addition of the recent bipartisan funding.

Sanford Village President is thankful Midland and Gladwin counties received the funding. She said it was also important to note that there was bipartisan support to help Sanford.

I was really important we got the money, Porte said. When both parties are diligent in supporting the recovery, thats the thing we need. We need the unified work to support the recovery.

Four Lake Task Force Communications Consultant Stacy Trapani noted how thankful the area was to be included in the "Building Michigan Together Plan."

Were fortunate to have someone of his caliber here representing the governors office, taking a keen interest in the dams in our community, Trapani said. Were looking forward to collaborating with him as we rebuild the dams.

The $200 million was a game changer for the community, Trapani said. That funding allows construction to continue as scheduled and makes removes some of the financial burden from the local community.

The plan also includes another $40 million to address the repair, renovation, or elimination of dams statewide. The plan will protect clean drinking water and begin dozens of new road and bridge projects, build more affordable housing, expand high-speed internet, improve state and local parks to enhance tourism, and support tens of thousands of jobs.

The Building Michigan Together Plan makes bold, bipartisan investments in the kitchen-table issues that matter most to Michigan families, including clean water, smooth roads, fast internet, and beautiful parks, said Whitmer in a press release. This bill will make a real difference in our communities, support tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, and set up Michigans economy for decades of success. It is a testament to what is possible when we put Michiganders first.

Smallwood and Secord Lakes are expected to return in 2024, Sanford Lake in 2025 and Wixom Lake in 2026.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Its hard to imagine Dwayne The Rock Johnson taking a break. Perhaps he might skip leg day at the gym.

But apparently, the hard-working entertainer likes to unwind. The Fast and Furious actor is now taking it slow in a relaxing rental in Kailua, HI.

There's no place like these islands," the actor, who spent part of his childhood in nearby Oahu, told Travel + Leisure. "They are alive. And the mana is realit's strong and powerful. You get lost in time when you're over here. In New York and L.A., it's a nonstop treadmill. But you come out here and you just lose track of time.

The jet-setter has found the perfect place to spend his downtime. Hes landed in a luxury estate thats reportedly hosted Beyonce and JAY Z, Jessica Simpson, and Eddie Vedder. Its said to be down the block from where former President Barack Obama vacationed.

Lets take a tour and see what it's like to vacation like a megastar.

Heavenly hideaway

The oceanfront home last changed hands in 2018 for $15,651,750. That's a big discount from the initial list price of $24,950,000.

It comes with 600 feet of white-sand beach, lush landscaping, and natural rock wallsprivacy that's perfect for the megastar.

Hawaiian rental home Realtor.com

The lot of 1.5 acres includes a five-bedroom, five-bathroom main villa and a three-bedroom guesthouse. Combined, they offer 15,000 square feet of living space.

The layout highlights indoor-outdoor living, with massive sliding doors and large windows. There's also a cabana with an outdoor living space, bar, and kitchen.

Living room Realtor.com

The main house includes a chefs kitchen, dining room, home theater, and game room.

Home theater Realtor.com

Covered outdoor living area Realtor.com

Bedroom Realtor.com

The spectacular backyard includes a pool area, complete with a hot tub and waterfall, all with ocean views.

Pool Realtor.com

Beverly Park property

When the superstar is stateside, he has another luxe property to enjoy. A year ago, the former wrestler picked up a knock-out estate in the prestigious Beverly Park enclave of Beverly Hills, CA, for $27.8 million.

If youre in the market for a property that Johnson once inhabited, you could rent his former digs for $125,000 a month. That French country-style Beverly Hills estate offers 11,478 square feet of living space, including eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms; a guesthouse; and a pool.

The post Take a Look Inside Dwayne 'The Rock Johnson's Hawaiian Vacation Rental appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
Funeral service for Rodger Duncan, 79, of Forest Hill passed away on Mon., April 25, 2022 in Forest Hill. Viewing will be held on Fri., May 6 at Emanuel Funeral Home of Palestine from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Funeral will be held on Sat., May 7 at Providence Baptist Church in Montalba at 11 a.m. wi
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The UN Population Fund says it received 789 phone calls on its counselling hotline in Libya last week for psychosocial support and legal consultation
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Abdelhamid Al-Dbaiba stressed here Monday the need for the 5+5 Joint Military Commission to stay away from politics so it can complete its mission with "a high degree of impartiality and professionalism"
Logistics company Ninja Van has automated its 21,000m2 hub in Cabuyao City in the Philippines with fully integrated measurement and sortation systems.

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The automation of the center is expected to create faster, more efficient deliveries to keep up with growing customer demand. The installed double-deck crossbelt sorter simultaneously measures, weighs, photographs and sorts parcels at an estimated throughput rate of 20,000 units per hour. In addition, the belt provides real-time parcel data and shares updates to shippers on their parcel status. The crossbelt sorter increases the companys receiving capacity by 300% and has increased the number of parcels processed per hour by 400%.

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Vin Perez, chief operating officer at Ninja Van Philippines, said, The addition of new sortation systems in our Cabuyao hub is part of our continued efforts for operational excellence. With this, we can ensure on-time deliveries and better customer service that are in line with the customer-first agenda that we are pushing at Ninja Van Philippines. The crossbelt sorter is ideal for a company like Ninja Van Philippines given our high throughput needs. This will increase the accuracy and efficiency of our sorting process so that we can fulfill more deliveries in the least amount of time.
Photo: (Photo : Getty images )

Experts warn that drug-resistant bacteria are increasing as many bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics designed to kill them, turning simple infections into potential killers, 7News reports.

Health experts are concerned about simple illnesses like urinary tract infections (UTI). The disease is so common that it infects half of all women and one in 20 men in their lifetimes. However, the strains of bacteria and microbes that can cause UTIs are developing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Research says this causes the drugs designed to kill them to become ineffectual.

Tracking the antimicrobial resistance

AMR happens when bacteria and other microbes become resistant to the drugs designed to kill them, mainly through abuse or misuse of the drugs.

There are two ways drug-resistant bacteria can be transmitted - through hospitals and communities.

A CSIRO news release said in its recent study that patients who contracted drug-resistant UTIs in the community were more than twice likely to die from infection in hospitals than those without resistant bacteria.

The study involved 21,268 patients across 134 Queensland hospitals who acquired infections in the community.

Over the past years, antimicrobial resistance in hospital settings has been researched. The recent CSIRO study is the first time community transmission has been studied.

Wozniak said that tracking the drug-resistant infections in the community is crucial in knowing how far antimicrobial resistance is spreading and how best to mitigate it.

Dr. David Hansen, the CEO of the CSIRO's Australian e-Health Research Centre, said that tracking the drug-resistant infection in the community is critical to understand better how the antimicrobial resistance is spreading and how to mitigate it. The magnitude of antimicrobial resistance needs to be understood to mitigate it effectively.

However, he admits that tracking the community resistance is challenging as it involves not just one pathogen or disease but several strains of bacteria.

Read Also: Eight-Year-Old Hero Brother Saves Baby Sister From Choking, Claims He Learned It From Nickelodeon

Fighting AMR

According to Dr. Teresa Wozniak of CSIRO, many standard medical procedures and life-saving surgeries will become increasingly life-threatening without effective antibiotics. The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is one of the greatest threats to global health, food security, and development today.

CSIRO recommends simple ways to reduce AMR:

Wash your hands. Keeping the hands clean is an inexpensive way to prevent the spread of all types of bacteria, including AMR.

Keep the environment clean. Other than hospitals, make sure the home is clean. Taking off shoes at the door can help reduce harmful bacteria from the environment.

Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly. Food is often exposed to bacteria. Reduce the risk of ingesting resistant bacteria from the fruits and vegetables by washing them before eating.

Do not misuse antibiotics and dispose of unused antibiotics properly.

When taking antibiotics, follow the doctor's prescription or packet instruction and take it only when appropriate and necessary. Never use other people's antibiotics. If you have extra antibiotics, dispose of them at the local pharmacy.

Related Article: Grammy Winner Jon Batiste Reveals He Secretly Got Married After Partner Received Leukemia Diagnosis
French airport operator Vinci Airports has renovated the central atrium at Las Americas International Airport in the Dominican Republic.

These renovation works form part of the airports 14m (US$15m) modernization plan, which is intended to improve the passenger experience. The renovated atrium has been designed to offer modern commercial opportunities and an improved gastronomic experience. In addition, the outbound migration and security services have been relocated and modernized to improve airport processes.

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Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic, and Nicolas Notebaert, CEO of Vinci concessions and president of Vinci Airports, inaugurated the work. Notebaert said, The recovery of air traffic in Las Americas Airport demonstrates the effective cooperation between Vinci Airports and the public authorities of the Dominican Republic. Along with our 250 airline partners, we will keep supporting touristic development. Modernizing Las Americas airport is an important step in our long-term commitment.
Athens International Airport in Greece has opened a 1,250m2 business lounge in its Schengen area with the airline Aegean.

The lounge was designed by architectural firm K-Studio to combine functionality, comfort and hospitality by incorporating the airlines brand identity and traditional Greek architecture. The architects used natural light and the lounges airside view to create modern, comfortable surroundings. The firm focused on marble, terrazzo, glass and wood materials to consolidate this impression.

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The business lounge will be open to all business class and Miles+Bonus Gold passengers and members of the Star Alliance network. The lounge includes a media area, social area, quiet area, meeting rooms, recliners, two cafeterias, a restaurant and a wine bar. As the Aegean business lounge aims to serve as a platform to promote Greekness, all warm and cold dishes and wines offered will be mainly sourced from Greek producers.
Aspecial court on Monday took cognisance of the CBI's supplementary charge sheet filed in connection with Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP Chopper scam against ex-Defence Secretary and CAG Shashi Kant Sharma, and four retired officials of Indian Air Force.

After taking cognisance of the charge sheet, the Delhi's Rouse Avenue court issued summons to all the accused and fixed April 28 as the next date of hearing.

On September 19, 2020, the CBI, had filed a supplementary charge sheet against 15 accused, including Michel and accused-turned-approver Rajiv Saxena, in connection with the alleged corruption in the VVIP chopper deal.

The CBI had earlier filed a charge sheet in this case on September 1, 2017 against the then IAF chief S.P. Tyagi and 11 other accused.

On January 1, 2014, India cancelled the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and on charges of paying kickbacks amounting to Rs 423 crore.
I will be resolving all of the alleged contradictions from the web page entitled 194 CONTRADICTIONS, New Testament. Its perpetually striking to observe how many of these are obviously not logical contradictions, and how very easy they are to refute (many being patently and evidently absurd). A few here and there do seem to be genuinely perplexing (at first glance) and require at least some thought and study and serious examination (they save my patience). But all are ultimately able to be (in my humble opinion) decisively resolved. Readers can decide whether I succeed in my task or not, in any given case. My biblical citations are from RSV. The words from the web page above will be in blue.

See further installments:

Refutation of 194 Biblical Contradictions (#1-25) [4-5-22]

Refutation of 194 Biblical Contradictions (#26-50) [4-6-22]

Refutation of 194 Biblical Contradictions (#51-75) [4-7-22]

Refutation of 194 Biblical Contradictions (#76-100) [4-8-22]

Refutation of 194 Biblical Contradictions (#101-125) [4-8-22]

Refutation of 194 Biblical Contradictions (#126-150) [4-9-22]

Refutation of 194 Biblical Contradictions (#151-175) [4-11-22]

*****

176) Paul teaches not to steal. Eph.4:28.

Paul admits to stealing. 2 Cor.11:8.

Commentaries on the second passage:

The intensity of St. Pauls feelings, smarting under base calumny and ingratitude, reveals itself by the passionate expression which he here uses. . . . It is meant rather ironically than literally. (Pulpit Commentary) Paul thus strongly expresses the fact that he had accepted from other churches more than their share, that he might not draw on the Corinthians. (Vincents Word Studies)

In other words, he was being sarcastic and non-literal. Of course, Paul wouldnt rob anyone. Again, our skeptic is eager to disgustingly besmirch Paul and anyone else in the all-important effort to attack the Bible. He has failed miserably in his task.

177) Paul was assured that he would not be hurt. Acts 18:9,10.

Paul was often physically abused. 2 Cor.11:23-27.

The Acts passage is about how Paul wouldnt be harmed in Corinth only. God told him: no man shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city (18:9). Is our skeptic unable to properly understand English sentences? This is a ridiculously clueless supposed contradiction: beyond and below the usual rock-bottom quality of this collection.

178) Paul states that the law is necessary. Rom.3:31.

Paul states that the law is not necessary. Rom.6:14.

I dealt with these general questions of the law in #41 and #151-154. No need to repeat myself.

179) Jesus said to go and baptize. Mt.28:19.

Paul said he was not sent to baptize. 1 Cor.1:17.

Division of labor. Pauls specialty was evangelism and dealing with hard-nosed unbelievers. He could assign others to baptize new converts. Its not difficult to do. No biggie and no contradiction.

180) Paul said he was not sent to baptize but to preach. 1 Cor.1:17.

Paul baptized. 1 Cor.1:16.

Patience, patience; almost done! This is the flip side of #179. As Paul indicated in 1 Corinthians 1:16, he baptized one household, as an exception to his rule, and couldnt remember baptizing anyone else.

181) Jesus said that he did not come to abolish the law. Mt.5:17-19.

Paul said otherwise. Eph.2:15.

More questions about the law. See #41 and #151-154.

182) Jesus said that God did not condemn the world. Jn. 3:17.

Paul said that God did condemn the world. Rom.5:18.

Jesus did not talk in John 3:17. It was John or whoever wrote the Gospel bearing his name. Nor did he make this blanket statement. Rather, He said something more specific: For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. It was specifically about why He sent Jesus.

Paul sort of says this in Romans 5:18, but the leading thought is that the fall of man and our rebellion was our fault, not Gods, just as a convicted murderers wicked act is his fault, not that of the judge who sentences him.

In light of all this, no contradiction can be drawn from the above passages.

183) Those present at Pauls conversion stood. Acts 9:7.

They fell to the ground. Acts 26:14.

Why couldnt it be both things in sequence?: they initially fell to the ground, and then got up and stood there speechless. Perfectly possible . . . See also my reply to #184 below.

184) Those present at Pauls conversion heard a voice but saw nothing. Acts 9:7.

Those present at Pauls conversion saw a light but heard nothing. Acts 22:9.

Acts 9:3-7 Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. [4] And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? [5] And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; [6] but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do. [7] The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Acts 22:6-9 As I made my journey and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. [7] And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? [8] And I answered, Who are you, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting. [9] Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. Acts 26:14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, `Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.

The Catholic Encyclopedia (Acts of the Apostles) disposed of this objection way back in 1907:

It is urged that the three accounts of the conversion of St. Paul . . . do not agree. . . . There are many solutions of this difficulty. . . . Pape and others give to the eistekeisan the sense of an emphatic einai, and thus it could be rendered: The men that journeyed with him became speechless, thus agreeing with 26:14. Moreover, the three accounts can be placed in agreement by supposing that the several accounts contemplate the event at different moments of its course. All saw a great light; all heard a sound from Heaven. They fell on their faces in fear; and then, arising, stood still and speechless, while Paul conversed with Jesus, whose articulate voice he alone heard. In Acts 9:7, the marginal reading of the Revised Edition of Oxford should be accepted: hearing the sound. The Greek is akoyontes tes phones. When the writer speaks of the articulate voice of Christ, which Paul alone heard, he employs the phrase outer phrase, ekousan phonen. Thus the same term, phone, by a different grammatical construction, may signify the inarticulate sound of the voice which all heard and the articulate voice which Paul alone heard.

185) Shortly after his conversion, Paul went to Damascus where he spent some time with the apostles. Acts 9:19.

Paul went to Damascus three years later and saw only Peter and James. Gal.1:18,19.

186) Shortly after his conversion, Paul went to Damascus and then to Jerusalem. Acts 9:18-26.

Shortly after his conversion, Paul went to Arabia, then to Damascus, and then, 3 years later, to Jerusalem. Gal.1:17,18.

This is clearly another instance of compression, or telescoping. Luke employs it in Acts 9, which is his narrative of Pauls conversion and his meeting the apostles: just as he did in his Gospel, chapter 24, and Paul does not in Galatians 1. But in Acts 22:17, Paul himself uses the same technique of compression, during his trial.

He recounts his conversion, then (desiring to condense the story for whatever reason) skips right over the three years in Arabia at Acts 22:17 and starts talking about being in Jerusalem and the initial skepticism that he had converted, after persecuting Christians. Paul does it one place and not in another (which is perfectly fine). This is how ancient literature works. And no doubt there are analogous examples in our time as well. Steve Diseb explains the literary technique of compression:

Do this: Think about telling a story to a friend about something that happened to you that would take at least 5 minutes to tell. Now, imagine telling the same story if you only had 10 seconds. What details would you take out? How would you tell the story differently? This idea helps us to understand whats called telescoping (or compression) and why we see some variations in the same events written about by different Gospel writers. Simply, telescoping/compressing means telling a shortened version of an event with selective information. Sometimes the Gospel writers (and other ancient writers) varied story length, shortening or lengthening the same episode like a telescope. Some of the writers give a fully extended version of the story, while other writers shortened their version, compressing it like a telescope. When compressing, the author may take shortcuts in telling the story by omitting information. (The Joy & Angst of Four Gospels  Part 6  Narrative Creativity: Telescoping & Compressing, God From the Machine, 3-17-15)

187) In Damascus, the governor attempts to seize Paul. 2 Cor.11:32.

In Damascus, the Jews attempt to seize Paul. Acts 9:22,23.

Both did, in cahoots:

(1) . . . Damascus was under the immediate control, not of the Governor of Syria, but of a governor or an ethnarch; (2) . . . the ethnarch was appointed, not by the Roman emperor, but by Aretas (the name was hereditary, and was the Greek form of the Arabic Haret), the King of the Nabathan Arabs, who had his capital at Petra, who was the father of the first wife of Herod Antipas . . .; (3) . . . the ethnarch lent himself to the enmity of the Jews, and stationed troops at each gate of the city to prevent St. Pauls escape. (Ellicotts Commentary for English Readers)

188) The holy spirit forbids preaching in Asia. Acts 16:6.

Paul preaches in Asia anyway. Acts 19:8-10.

Norman Geisler answers this:

Paul was only forbidden immediately. God had a more strategic route for the Gospel through Europe first (Acts 16:9). Eventually, however, the Gospel got to Asia and to every place through Pauls converts in Europe (cf. 1 Thes. 1:7) and by Paul himself (Acts 19:10, 22, 26; 20:4, 16, 18; 1 Cor. 16:19). So, the prohibition was only temporary, not permanent. (Acts 16:16  Why Did the Holy Spirit Forbid Paul to Preach in Asia . . .?, Defending Inerrancy, 2014, from a 1992 book)

189) Paul said he would not be a servant of Christ if he tried to please men. Gal.1:10.

Paul said that he tried to please men. 1 Cor.10:33.

It denotes what takes place on the apostles side through his endeavour, namely, to be the servant of all, and to be all things to all men (1 Corinthians 9:19 ff.); not the result of his endeavour, as if he actually did please all (see on Galatians 1:10); . . . (Meyers NT Commentary) Pauls universal compliance is qualified by its purpose,  , in the light of which the verbal contradiction with Galatians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 2:4, is removed; there is nothing in his power that P. will not do for any man, to help his salvation (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:22 b). (Expositors Greek Testament)

190) Paul says that he was the chief of all sinners. 1 Tim.1:15.

He who commits sin is of the devil. Children of God cannot sin. 1 Jn.3:8-10.

Rehash of #155 in the previous installment. I John habitually uses proverbial language, meaning that that it utilizes statements of general truths that nevertheless sometimes admit of exceptions. I explained this about 1 John in greater detail in my reply to #29 in my second installment.

191) Paul said that Jesus is the judge. 2 Tim.4:1.

Paul said that God is the judge. Heb.12:23.

Paul said that the saints would judge. 1 Cor.6:2.

Rehash of #166 from the previous installment.

192) Paul said that Jesus was the Son of God. Rom.1:3,4.

Paul said that Jesus was just a man. Heb.7:24.

Rehash of #171 from the previous installment. I guess thats why this list is near its end: if the writer can only repeat himself.,

193) Do not boast. Lk.18:14.

Do not be proud. Rom.11:20; 1 Pet. 5:5.

Paul proudly boasts. 2 Cor.11:16-18; Gal.2:9-11.

So-called super-apostles had found their way to Corinth. These parasitic charlatans had followed in the wake of the Lords servant and were siphoning off glory from God and discrediting Paul in order to inflate the appearance of their self-importance. If it had only been about his reputation, Paul wouldnt have wasted his ink. But these men were not only maligning Paul, they were distorting the gospel. They were maligning Paul in order to distort the gospel. The situation demanded that Paul call these imposters out and contrast their doctrine, character and labors with his own. But it was tortuous for him: I am talking like a madman (2 Corinthians 11:23). Reluctantly Paul cataloged revelations he had received, suffering he had endured for the gospel and the church, and how he had never financially benefitted from the Corinthians. (Paul: I Am Content with Weakness, Jon Bloom, Desiring God, 8-1-10)

We recognize in the English language that boasting, like pride can have different meanings. Were proud of our children; we boast about our wife becoming a manager of a business, etc. Thats how Greek is, too. Paul was being semi-sarcastic, but with a very serious point underneath, as always.

194) Jesus commends the church at Ephesus for discerning the lying apostles. Rev. 2:1,2.

Paul was the apostle to Ephesus. Eph.1:1.

Paul was a genuine apostle. Many call themselves by that title, but are false apostles. Thats all the refutation this ultra-silly objection requires. 0 for 194 . . . E for effort, and an E- for content.

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It so happens that there is another complete answering of this same list, from the Unam Sanctam Catholicam web page [part one / part two / part three]. I found out about it early on but decided not to draw any of my answers from it. This means we have two comprehensive replies from orthodox Catholics. I totally agree with that series conclusion as to what is required to refute these charges: some knowledge of Christian theology, an unbiased application of linguistics, and pure common sense.

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Practical Matters: Perhaps some of my 4,000+ free online articles (the most comprehensive one-stop Catholic apologetics site) or fifty books have helped you (by Gods grace) to decide to become Catholic or to return to the Church, or better understand some doctrines and why we believe them.

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PayPal donations are the easiest: just send to my email address: apologistdave@gmail.com. Youll see the term Catholic Used Book Service, which is my old side-business. To learn about the different methods of contributing, including 100% tax deduction, etc., see my page: About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong / Donation Information. Thanks a million from the bottom of my heart!

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Photo credit: mohamed hassan (2-22-21) [public domain / Pxhere.com]

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Summary: A Bible skeptic has come up with 194 alleged biblical contradictions (usually recycled from old lists). I am systematically going through the list and refuting each one.
Why Do We Need a Death Certificate?

The IRS may disagree, but the death certificate is arguably the most important legal document in existence. It's the only legal proof that someone has died. The State uses it to stop social security payments, pensions and other benefits. Families use it to settle their affairs.

Since the reporting of death began in 1900, the information required on the death certificate has helped monitor and reflect how society is changing. Forty years ago, for example, at least two states, New Hampshire and Oklahoma didn't include ethnicity on their death certificates. In the 1970s, states began requiring information about whether an autopsy was performed. In 1987, HIV/AIDS was added as a new classification of disease. More recently, check boxes have appeared asking for information about graduate-level education, and whether a woman is pregnant at the time of death.

Is There One Standard Form?

Although states can offer their own variations, most comply with the U.S. Standard Death Certificate issued by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The agency last revised the form in 2003 and California, Idaho, New York City and State, and Montana, were the first to use it. Since then, 27 other states have followed suit and the CDC hopes that by 2013 all states will be using the form, which complies with the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases, helping to unify global health reporting.

What's the Most Important Part?

Beyond standard details such as age, race, gender, education, time and place of death, the most valuable documentation is cause and manner of death. It's also the most prone to error.

Health professionals commonly complain that if they see "cardiac arrest" written as the cause of death, it's often a catchall, meaning the physician couldn't determine the cause of death.

The CDC publishes a physician's handbook to help navigate the form.

In Part I, the certifier must describe the immediate cause of death -- the conditions and sequence of events that led up to the death. In Part II, they must also list the underlying causes of death over time. This can be something that happened in the hours before a person died, or be a condition revealed in the medical history from several years ago. And because there's often confusion and ambiguity, certifiers can use words like "probable" or "presumed" to qualify their decisions but they must always fill out the underlying causes.

Who Signs It?

According to the National Association of Medical Examiners about 20 percent of all death certificates are signed by a coroner or a medical examiner. Since autopsy rates have plummeted in hospitals, death investigators now perform the majority of the nation's autopsies, which remain a vital barometer for revealing causes that might otherwise have been missed. In 2007, the latest data available from the CDC, 201,000 autopsies were performed, accounting for just 8 percent of all deaths.

Others who can sign a death certificate include a primary physician, an attending physician, a non-attending physician, a medical examiner, a nurse practitioner, a forensic pathologist or a coroner, but it varies according to state law. In Texas, for example, a justice of the peace can sign. Typically, deaths have to be recorded with local health departments within 72 hours of the death, and to the state within five to seven days.

Where Does the Data Go?

Once information is recorded by a clerk at the State Vital Statistics office, it is purchased by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) -- the division of the CDC responsible for compiling mortality data. The information is then used by a host of government agencies, as well as the private sector, to direct funding and future prevention policies.

The NCHS has been collecting mortality data since 1979, but Dr. Robert Anderson, head of the division, says the states are often slow to deliver. And sometimes the agency lacks the funds to pay for all the information a state can provide. Budget cuts in 1995 forced the CDC to stop collecting data on the number of autopsies being performed. Although the process began again 2003, it left an eight-year gap in vital records.

Getting a Death Certificate Changed

Other errors arise when an autopsy reveals that the original diagnosis on a death certificate was incorrect. This often happens when an autopsy has been requested because families, the courts, insurance companies or other interested parties are in dispute over how someone died. But getting that information amended on the death certificate, which is required by law, and reported back to the mortality division at the CDC can take months, sometimes years, and in some cases is never recorded as a matter of record.

The CDC is about to close its mortality file on all deaths in 2008, with around 4,000 cases still "pending investigation," because amendments did not arrive from the states in time. Once the CDC close the file, Anderson says, those "pending" cases go on the permanent record as "unknown."
When the National Academy of Sciences released its 2009 report on death investigation in America, it estimated that fewer than 500 physicians nationwide were practicing forensic pathology full-time -- not nearly enough, the blue ribbon panel suggested, to meet the country's health or criminal justice needs.

With roughly 500,000 deaths per year referred to a coroner or medical examiner for preliminary investigation, the National Association of Medical Examiners says twice that number of forensic pathologists is needed to provide competent service and ensure that pathologists are not performing more than the 250 to 350 autopsies per year its guidelines recommend.

What does a forensic pathologist do?

According to the College of American Pathologists, forensic pathologists are experts in investigating and evaluating cases of sudden, unexpected, suspicious and violent death, as well as other specific classes of death defined by state laws. Most serve the public as a coroner or a medical examiner, or by performing autopsies for those officials. Others are in private practice, and may also work as contract pathologists on a fee-for-service basis.

Why So Few?

Like most medical subspecialties, forensic pathology takes years of training -- typically, four years of medical school, followed by three to four years of training in anatomical or clinical pathology.

Training also entails a one-year fellowship at an approved medicolegal investigation facility, often a medical examiner's or coroner's office, where fellows are expected to perform between 200 and 300 autopsies a year as part of their accreditation. To become board certified -- which is considered the gold standard in death detective credentials -- you must pass a written and practical exam set by the American Board of Pathology and be re-certified every 10 years.

In all, 47 residents enrolled in 39 accredited forensic pathology programs in 2010 -- low compared with many other medical subspecialties and barely on the radar of the roughly 6,000 students who go into internal medicine in the U.S. every year.

Part of the problem, experts say, is there isn't enough material support or direct connections to pathology departments in medical schools and training hospitals, where students could get more exposure to the work of forensic pathology and become more interested in pursuing it as a subspecialty.

There are workplace challenges, too, says Dr. Vincent DiMaio, a retired forensic pathologist and former chief medical examiner in San Antonio, Texas, who has spent 40 years in the profession. "The salaries are not competitive and the facilities are often terrible when you compare them to working in a hospital setting."

Even though the study found that forensic pathologists doing medicolegal death investigations earned between $150,000 and $180,000 per year, it doesn't match even the entry-level salaries of those going into hospital pathology work.

And few would dispute it is unpleasant work: dissecting dead people, working with decomposed bodies, not to mention the psychological stress of dealing with grieving families.

But on that last point, the stress factor, DiMaio points out, "Anybody who's been in forensic pathology going on a couple of years, you don't need psychological counseling. You've gotten out of the business if you can't handle the psychological stress.

"You get used to everything in the end," he says.
A conversation with Paul Taylor -- by Mark Schapiro. (Schapiro reported for FRONTLINE's "Why America Hates the Press." He also writes this week (10/21/96) in SALON'S"Media Circus" on the ABC/John Stossel reporting flap. ) Paul Taylor, Washington Post political reporter for fifteen years, was slated to oversee its political coverage in '96. Instead, he quit to start the Free TV for Straight Talk Coalition, a group which persuaded the networks to donate airtime for Bob Dole and Bill Clinton to speak directly to Americans in two-to-five minute segments during the final weeks of the '96 campaign. (Treated in the U.S. as a radical idea, in every other developed democracy it's standard procedure, not even a subject of public debate.) Outside of Washington, Taylor is perhaps best known as the reporter who popped the question about adultery that forced Gary Hart out of the presidential race in 1988. We avoided that well-trodden path (at my behest, not his), and instead talked from his home in Bethesda, Maryland about his disillusionment with political journalism and his new role as insider-turned-press-critic, a switch that doesn't happen very often. Here's our conversation........ Mark Schapiro: YOU'VE BEEN AT THE TOP OF AMERICAN POLITICAL JOURNALISM. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FROM THE OUTSIDE? Paul Taylor: The main actors in this great exercise of democracy--the candidates, the journalists and the public--are not working very well together. They wind up bringing out the worst in each other. Instead of getting nourishing campaigns, we get campaigns in which the dominant form of communication is the thirty second attack ad, the seven second sound bite, with candidates who'd rather claw each other's eyes out rather than offer affirmative visions of what they want to do in the country. You have journalists who want to point out the artifice, and the voters who get discouraged and drop out of the system. No one actor is any more responsible than any other, but I would love for that vicious cycle to get broken... my notion is to offer some free time to candidates. Let them talk directly to the voters. I do think journalits have been guilty over recent years of not allowing that to happen, of insisting that everything a candidate says is immediately seized upon, analyzed, scrutinized...My solution is not less analysis, but more direct information from candidates. I've heard candidates complain to me, 'the public never hears what we say anymore, all they get is the spin'. I think that's a legitimate worry. To me the remedy is to have a healthier, more nourishing discourse in the campaign, and better, more balanced form of journalism that naturally follows. BETTER IN WHAT SENSE? RONALD REAGAN WAS QUITE SUCCESSFUL IN GOING OVER THE HEADS OF WASHINGTON JOURNALISTS TO SPIN QUITE A MASTERFUL PORTRAIT OF HIMSELF INDEPENDENT OF JOURNALISTIC SCRUTINY. PT: Are there people in the modern era able to breakthrough on their own terms? Yes there are. Some in the newsroom did let the president for a period of time get away with it. But I don't have a great many fears that a charismatic leader will come and strip away the power of the press to scrutinize....Do I fear that the poor voters will be spun to death? The voters aren't fools, they bring their own filtering mechanisms. . IS THE PRESS INSERTING ITSELF MORE ACTIVELY PARTLY AS A REACTION TO THE REAGAN ERA? PT: Not really. I think it's a reaction to a long term trend of cynicism on the one hand, and a reaction to the particular dynamics of broadcast journalism. News and public affairs have become profit centers, so part of the way to bring in the profits is to make sure you have compelling personalities delivering the news or the punditry. So you have an investment in a George Will or a Sam Donaldson or Dan Rather. Those personalities become more important than what they're punditing about. I think that dynamic is a problem. Go back to the sixties and seventies, the earlier years of television journalism. You had fewer pundits, anchors who tended to recede more. You had longer sound bites from the politicians. That relationship has changed steadily over the past two decades. The average sound bite of presidential candidates on the network evening news this year was seven seconds. In 1968, it was 43 seconds. Something has changed. AND PUNDITS AND COMMENTATORS ARE FILLING THAT GAP? PT: For every one minute a candidate talks, you have six minutes of commentary and analysis. Commentary and analysis is good for a democracy, an expression of a free press, rah rah rah. But at some point, enough already. If you do that to the exclusion of letting citizens hear also from the candidates, the balance is out of whack. At some point you're just in the way... and television is an extraordinarly powerful medium. It tends to deconstruct and demystify, it tells the masses how the sausage is made, which can lead to disenchanment. WHAT IS WRONG WITH, 'SHOWING HOW THE SAUSAGE IS MADE'? GOING BACK TO NIXON, FOR JUST ONE EXAMPLE: HE BUILT UP A MYSTIQUE AROUND HIMSELF. THEN WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN FOUND OUT HOW THE SAUSAGE IS MADE. SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T TASTE VERY GOOD. PT: Or in other countries in Africa, where leaders have maintained their mystique quite successfully and are taking their publics down a sinkhole. So I understand, that it goes back to a comment by (former Israeli Prime Minister) Shimon Peres, who said, 'television has made dictatorship impossible, but democracy unbearable'. Some of that is right. I go back to the South African experience, or the successful presidents in our own history, Roosevelt in particular. Yes it can be abused, but a little bit of mystery in the dynamic between leader and follower can be healthy. WHY? YOU'RE SUGGESTING THERE'S A VALUE TO MAINTAINING A CERTAIN MYSTIFICATION OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS, AND POLITICAL LEADERS. PT: Because sometimes leaders have to ask followers to accept some level of faith and trust that it's going to be okay. If you're able to put your leader up on a pedestal, not blindly but with some reason, and that leader is helped by some level of mystification by the office and the act of politics. If you have enlightened leadership it becomes a very effective tool. Things would be better if people, knowing how the sausage is made, were able to say, 'okay, but the sausage still tastes pretty good'. WHAT TURNED YOU OFF TO POLITICAL JOURNALISM? PT: We're stuck in these campaigns that don't deliver a nourishing discourse. I was frustrated. I felt I was in a box. I couldn't figure out how to write my way out of that box. Rather than feeling lousy at the end of a campaign, I thought, 'This isn't the grand noble adventure that originally attracted me to the field'. WAS THAT 'BOX' CREATED BY WHAT YOUR EDITORS EXPECTED OF YOU, OR BY THE NATURE OF WHAT POLITICAL FIGURES THEMSELVES WERE SAYING? PT: A little of both. If you have a campaign that's driven by soundbites and attack ads, you've got to write about them. The tendency then is to write about who's the spin doctor and who's the ad-maker and let's watchdog the ads. There's value to all those things, but on another level you begin to accept those as the most important political reality. From my persective, it became increasingly dreary. And then in terms of what editors expect, the way it works in newsrooms, you've got a whole culture of newscraft that mixes analysis with commentary, this sort of sneering tone. That is increasingly what is prized and valued. I was writing in that voice. At first it didn't bother me that much, it was part of the sport of it, the challenge of it, but over the years I found myself hoping that I was never a cheap shot artist. But you push the edge of the envelope because its where you get your professional kudos. I thought that maybe I could get my professional kudos in some other way. I stopped in 1990, started a family and children's beat for a couple of years, then went over to South Africa in 1992. YOU REPORTED FROM THERE DURING THE HISTORIC CHANGES. WERE YOU INSPIRED BY THE WAY THE PRESS OPERATED IN SOUTH AFRICA? PT: Not particularly from the press, but very much from the drama that was occurring in this country's history. The country had dug itself into such a deep hole, and the accepted wisdom was that the only way change would come was from a big race war. But by and large very smart leadership was able to convince black and white constituents, somewhat reluctant constituencies, to talk their way rather than shoot their way into power. That was really a thrilling thing to be able to observe and report on. For me, the key ingredient was trust. Here was a moment in South Africa, where politicians stood up and said, 'heh this is the way we're going to do it'. Mandela stood up with the black population, most of whom wanted to shoot their way into power, they wanted that psychological validation. And de Klerk stood up and said to whites, 'you know what fellas, we've got to give it up. It ain't working anymore'. They were scared out of their wits. And that was true statemsanship, moral leadership of the highest quality. It fired my faith in the human spirit--we can get it right. And it reminded me that if you have a country willing to invest a certain level of faith and trust in its leadership, you can accomplish a lot. That helped engender this sort of reformer thing in me... I saw the potential for politics to be more uplifting. WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOUNDS LIKE A FAILURE OF AMERICAN POLITICAL LEADERS AS MUCH AS THE PRESS. PT: Our political system, it seems to me, is in a defensive crouch. Although given the cynical political sea that our political leadership has to swim in, I don't hold them exclusively responsible. Everyone's partly to blame, part of a vicious cycle, where there are no rewards from trying to call for political sacrifice in our current political environment. Its a dysfunctional triad between citizens, journalists and the candidates--everybody's an accomplice. Everybody behaves rationally given the way the political landscape is arrayed before them. SO YOU'RE TRYING TO CHANGE AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT OF THIS PICTURE? PT: Yes, I'm trying to break into this vicious cycle in at least one place--in the belly of the beast, where candidates communicate to citizens on television. Let' s make it easier for better communcation to happen, and hope that it begins to move things in a healthier direction. The solution I believe in is free airtime for candidates. I think that offers the greatest potential to trigger a lot of other healthy reactions, improving the information flow, increasing voter participation. Maybe not overnight, but over time improve the atmosphere of political discussion. IN MANY WAYS THIS CAMPAIGN IS BEING FOUGHT ON THE ISSUES. KEMP GOES INTO FERVENT DETAIL ABOUT SUPPLY SIDE ECONOMICS. GORE TRIES TO EXPLAIN GOVERNMENT LIKE A TEACHER. YOU HAVE CLINTON AND DOLE, WHOSE DIFFERENT VISIONS FOR THE COUNTRY ARE PRETTY CLEAR....AND THEY GET BELITTLED IN THE PRESS... PT: ...And the other part of the {debate} coverage-'Jesus we had a serious discussion of issues. But there was no blood on the floor, it was boring'. RIGHT. SO THE QUESTION IS: DO PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT TO SEE THE CANDIDATES, UNFILTERED? PT: You're describing the problem, and we've got to sail into a pretty stiff prevailing wind in another direction. At the moment it is hard to interest the mass public. The figures of viewership on the conventions, the debates, on political coverage is down down down. The judgement is that it's a boring campaign and people don't really care. I don't think our response should be let's walk away from it. I think our response should be, let's try to find new forms to draw people in. And thats what my approach is all about. THERE ARE OTHER APPROACHES BEING TRIED AROUND THE COUNTRY TO STRENGTHEN POLITICAL COVERAGE--IN NORTH CAROLINA, FOR EXAMPLE, THE NEWSPAPERS ARE COORDINATING THEIR POLITICAL COVERAGE AROUND CERTAIN ISSUES THEY PERCEIVE AS BEING MOST IMPORTANT TO THE PUBLIC. PT: I was a little discomfited by this group think. If the net result is a number of papers getting together to decide what important issues are and publishing them in a joint effort to explicate those issues, something is off kilter. Let' s not forget, we are led by people who seek office, and the back and forth of a campaign is important and should be covered. IN CITIES LIKE CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA AND TULSA, OKLAHOMA, THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF A NEW 'PUBLIC JOURNALISM', IN WHICH LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS ARE TAKING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN TRYING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS OF THE COMMUNITY. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS APPROACH? PT: My feelings are, about 90% of what I understand to be public journalism--getting better connected to communities that journalistic organizations serve, finding out what's on their minds and reporting about it--is just good, old fashioned journalism. Knocking on people's doors, talking to them, then writing about it, that's what good journalism is all about. But there's an element of public journalism which says that in addition to that, maybe we as a newspaper or television should take a more proactive role. If we've discovered crime is the most important issue in our community, let' s try to do something about it. Hold a forum, bring together the business people, the community people, the police and let' s see if we can come up with an action plan to solve this big issue. I think that raises some problems, for the obvious reason that who's gonna report about this? Say if instead of everybody coming together and agreeing on a ten point plan, they starT throwing furniture at each other? Well, how are you going to report that if you have a stake in having brought everybody together? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER THE ELECTIONS? PT: After the election, I'm hoping to expand on getting candidates direct tv access to the voters by taking the campaign to the state and local races--where the discourse is even worse than it is in presidential campaigns. The pay-off to Paul Taylor's campaign for free tv timeslots for Dole and Clinton to speak directly to Americans began October 18th, 1996. That night, and on every weeknight through November 1st, the candidates will have two-to-five minute segments to talk about issues facing the country. WHERE/WHEN: CNN's Inside Politics; C-SPAN; PBS at 7:57 p.m; CBS Evening News; NBC's Dateline ; and Fox in various prime-time slots. Check with your local stations for dates and times.
The conveniences of modern life also come with downsides. One drawback that can have an outsized impact on a person is digital stalkingthe use of your digital footprint to keep tabs on you online and in the real world.

But you can take steps to minimize that risk. You dont need to go to extreme lengths to maintain your privacy, either. Basic precautions will set you up well for the future, like turning off public sharing for social-media posts.

But you can go even further to increase your security measures to prevent cyberstalkingand most people concerned about digital stalkers will want to do so. Vulnerabilities can overlap. For example, social media can reveal facts that can make stalking you digitally and physically easier. And having the same user name across all apps and services could make finding you on the web and discovering one of your long-forgotten accounts with a weak password much simpler. (Both can lead to further intrusion into your life.)

This article breaks everything down for you, with bolded text that highlights key action items. Use it as a checklist to shore up your defenses.

Quick privacy tips As you read through this article, you can use an incognito or private browsing window (right-click on these links and choose Open link in incognito window or Open in private window) if you feel that your computer might not be secure from an in-home threat. Also, digital stalking can lead to real-world danger. If you believe youre at risk, dont stop after implementing these tips. Resources for people experiencing stalking, domestic abuse, and other violence exist, and you can consult with them and local groups (as well as local law enforcement or your national police force, e.g., the FBI) to get further help. And keep a paper trail if you believe someone is stalking and/or threatening you. Write down incidents of concern and take screenshots (or video) as much as possible.

Ways people can monitor your online activity

Your profile is set public

Your public posts on social media are viewable by anyone. They dont need an account to see what youve shared. PCWorld

Your social media accounts or other apps and services may be broadcasting all of your posts or information for anyone to view. Remove the information or set your privacy level to friends-only (at minimum) to keep those deets away from prying eyes. Unfortunately, you cant always predict which companies will do this, so you may have to comb through a lot of apps and websites for a thorough lockdown.

Also, when youre tagged or otherwise named in other peoples public posts, someone can see into your life. You can change your settings to block others ability to tag you.

Your user name

Many people use the same user ID across all services. To avoid someone following you around the internet, mix it up. Use a unique login name for some services, if not all of them. If you use a password manager, youll be able to easily keep track of your user IDs.

Through your friends

Not only can other peoples public posts divulge specifics about your life, but your friends on websites or apps can also become a vulnerability. You wont always know who they know, and what ends up getting shared indirectly.

You can minimize this risk by limiting your posts reach to trusted individuals, removing people you dont know well from your friends list, and/or simply not sharing as much online.

Account infiltration

If someone can access your accounts, they can dig into all the personal info stored in them. Soumil Kumar / Pexels

Another person can access your account if you have a weak, leaked, or shared password, or through any linked third-party services that have been compromised. Lets say that you use Facebook to log into other websites. If someone gains access to your Facebook account, that could open up access to a ton of other sites as well.

At its most benign, you might find yourself with a freeloader on your Netflix account. But even in that case, that person can still see your viewing habits and some of your billing details, as well as your email address and possibly phone number, too. Such data can allow deeper digging into your life and snooping on personal messages or email if your security is weak overall. Your financial information, intimate conversations, and private photos could end up exposed.

To root out a spy, check your account activity. Many major services (Gmail, Facebook, etc.) show a list of IP addresses and the devices associated with them, as well as the time and date of the access. You can figure out your IP address by typing whats my ip into Google or another search engine. (Your phone may have a different IP address than your PC if you use its cellular data connection.)

If you see any unknown IP addresses, log out that device or end its session. Also change your password as well to something strong and random. A password manager (even a good free one) will make that simple. Enable two-factor authentication to raise your security level even further, and limit third-party access to your accounts. Even if you dont see any suspicious activity, you can still go through these steps to ensure you (and only you) have account access.

Physical access to your device(s)

Incognito windows in Chrome are a way to keep people with access to your device from knowing your browsing history. The same mode exists in other browsers too but are named differently. PCWorld

Checking IP addresses in your account activity will tell you when people outside your home are monitoring you, but not necessarily when someone inside your home is doing the watching. You might catch them that way on their own devices, but not when they use yours.

Maybe you dont have a screen lock on your phone or an account password on your PC. Or perhaps youve shared that info in the past with a housemate, friend, or family member and never changed it. They can then have a look at any website or app youre logged into. No need for the passwords to those accounts.

Keep people out by adding an authentication method to the deviceor changing your existing credentials. If thats not an option, log out of websites and applications when youre not using them. For web browsing, you can also use an incognito window in Chrome, InPrivate window in Edge, or a private window in Firefox to avoid leaving a history of what sites you visit.

A private browsing session wont prevent someone on your home network from being able to see your traffic requests, though. To cover that completely, youll need to use a VPN. Alternatively, you can use your phones cellular data connection.

Remote access to your PC

TeamViewer is a popular app that grants remote control of your computer to someone else. TeamViewer

Checking account activity logs also wont reveal if someone is monitoring you via remote access to your PC. It not only allows them to see everything you do in real time, but also control your computer.

If someone doesnt have physical access to your devices, youll usually have to click a malicious link for them to gain remote access. So dont click on any links you dont recognize. Also run regular, thorough antivirus and antimalware scans on your PC. If you use Chrome, check your Chrome Remote Desktop settings as well to make sure no one has unauthorized access your PC. (And be sure that the Google account you use to sign into Chrome is secure.)

Someone with physical access to your devices may surreptitiously set up remote access software without your knowledge. One easy way to do this is turning on Remote Desktop, a feature built into Windows 10 Pro and Windows 11 Pro, or Apple Remote Desktop, the equivalent for macOS. Go into your settings to revoke access to unrecognized accounts or turn off the feature completely.

Third-party software alternatives for Remote Desktop and Apple Remote Desktop also exist. You can look for these by scanning through the installed apps on your PC. In Windows, type Apps & features into the Start menu or search bar, then start looking at the list of apps. On a Mac, open the Applications Folder. (Check both the one tied to the system, and the one tied to your user account.) Obvious remote-access software includes TeamViewer, but you can Google the name of any program you dont recognize. Uninstall any monitoring apps that dont belong on your system.

Ways people can monitor your physical location

You can leak information on your current physical location or even usual haunts through what you share online, either knowingly or not. Heres how to plug that.

Social media

Even if you dont share a lot of written information, check-ins that identify your location can reveal more than you intend. Same for photos, which we cover in the next section. PCWorld

Public posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram that tag or mention a location are a dead giveaway of where youre at or where you like to visit. You can also give away your locale through sharing photos with landmarks or details recognizable to whomever is viewing the photo.

To solve this problem, lock down your posts. You can make your account private on Instagram and Twitter, and on Facebook, you can choose to limit who you share posts with. Make them Friends-only at minimum, or even more restricted if youre connected to people you dont know well. (You dont know who they know, much less who may try to use them to get to you.)

Alternatively, you can just stop tagging or mentioning where youre at. If you must, wait until after youve departedand limit the habit to places youre only visiting once, rather than spots you frequent. You can also change your settings to block others from tagging you in photos or locations by default.

Also be mindful of what you share. Youre not required to disclose your home address, workplace, education, or other identifying details. (You may need to share a phone number for two-factor authentication, but you can use a Google Voice number that cant be easily traced to you.) Only reveal information when absolutely necessary and keep it as general as possible.

This picture on Instagram not only advertises the general location, but also has clear landmarks that help pinpoint an exact spot. PCWorld

Photos

Photos shared online can betray your location in two ways. You have geotagging enabled for photos you take on your phone, or youve taken a photo with enough background details to reveal where you are. (Or both.)

You can either turn off geotagging entirely for your photos, or before posting a photo, run it through an app that strips its metadata (including location and the device used to take the snap). If you only need to remove location data, try Adobe Photoshop Express on Android; on iOS, try Snapseed. (Dont reverse these recommendations, even though the apps exist for both platforms.) Youll open your existing file, then save/export it. In your Photos app, you can look at the info of the copied photo to verify that the GPS data is gone.

As for what you take shots of, be mindful of whats in the background behind you before you post a photo. You may not be able to eliminate all clues to where you are, though, so being careful about whom you share the photo with is also a strategy.

Other apps and services

Similar to social media, your settings in some apps and services can broadcast your usual haunts or habits. For example: Fitness apps that track your route when running or biking may make that public information by default. A travel app that blasts your itinerary to the wide internet. A calendar thats set to public. Websites that allow anyone to see your wish lists and favorites.

Even Venmo can reveal the people who you interact with most, if you leave your transactions publicand if their settings are less lax than yours, it can again spill insight into your life youd rather keep private.

Take the time to go through the settings of your apps and services. Verify that your details arent public at minimum, and consider locking down any extraneous information. Share only the minimum with friends as necessary (e.g., they probably dont need to know your exact run route for fitness challenges, only that you did eight miles). To really go private, dont neglect old accounts you use rarely or have abandoned.

Public record

Filing a change of address form in the U.S. can reveal your old and new address to data brokers. Ethan Hoover / Unsplash

Your home address is easier to find than you might think. Past ones, too. At least, thats true in the United Stateseven if youve never filed a change of address form with the U.S. Postal Service or bought a house, businesses you patronize may have shared your info with data brokers. That includes banks and other highly personal services.

Restricting this info can take a little elbow grease, but it is possible. First, perform a search on Google and other search engines for your name to see what kind of details immediately turns up. (You may need to add your location if you have a common name.) If you see any people-search sites come up (like whitepages.com, spokeo.com, etc.), look for your listing. If you find one, you can use the sites opt-out process to get it removed.

Unfortunately, many people-search sites exist, and it can be a bit of a game of whack-a-mole trying to keep yourself off them. To reduce such work in the future, opt out of data sharing across all of the services you use, including financial institutions like banks. You generally can just call and talk to customer service to have this done. California residents should get a yearly notice that allows you to change your data-sharing preferences.

Domain registration

Do you have a website with your own domain? If your domain registrar doesnt offer private registration (or you didnt turn on the feature), your name, address, phone number, and email address can be found by anyone.

The fix is simple. If your registrar offers private registration, turn it on. Your registrar will substitute their own contact info for yours, and forward you any incoming messages from people trying to get in touch about your domain.

If your registrar doesnt offer private registration, move to one that does. We have a curated list of the best domain registrars that you can reference.

Bluetooth trackers can be used to keep tabs on peoples locations. IDG

A Bluetooth tracker is a small physical object that can be placed on items to ensure they dont go lost. Thats their intent, at leastbut they can be used for stalking, too. Because the person would need to have access to your car, bike, bag, or other belonging, this form of monitoring your movements relies on at least an initial moment of close proximity.

Apple AirTags are the most potentially dangerous of the Bluetooth trackers, due to how many Apple devices are available for a tracker to ping off of and thus establish your location and route of movement. But Tile, Chipolo, and other trackers work in a similar fashion.

Our sister site Macworld has a full rundown of Apples steps to thwart stalking, as well as a guide on how to avoid being tracked via an AirTag. It explains in more detail how to use Apples built-in apps and tools to scan for trackers in your vicinity (even if you have an Android device). Tile also offers the ability to scan for unknown trackers, but not all other vendors do.

Unfortunately, you must have a smartphone or tablet in order to perform this kind of scan. Otherwise, you have to hope that you can hear an Apple AirTags beeping, which signifies a lost tag. Other Bluetooth trackers unfortunately do not have this feature.

If you have reason to believe someone might place a tracker on you, in your stuff, or on your car, you may want to begin regularly checking your stuff for anything that doesnt belong.

Phone location

On iOS, anyone youre sharing your location with appears in People tab of the Find My app. PCWorld

Your phone may be betraying your location to your friends and familyor anyone deemed as such in your settings.

If you have location settings on (this allows your cell phone to share your GPS location with apps, which is necessary when using a map app, ride sharing, or allowing an app to check into a place), its possible for select contacts to track you in real time if you allow it. In theory, only you should have control over this, but if someone has had physical access to your phone, they can grant permission to themselves or others too.

Its a sword that cuts two ways: Useful if you need to keep track of your aging relative who sometimes gets lost going home on public transit, but dangerous if its a person who shouldnt have that info.

On iPhone, you can check to see who has this level of access in your Find My app. On Android, sharing is done through Google Mapsclick on your profile icon, then go to Settings > Location Sharing.
A Tamale High Court, presided over by Justice Richard Kogyapwa, last Friday remanded in police custody a 34-year-old man for unlawful possession of fire arms.



The plea of the accused, Mohammed Issah alias "waters", was not taken and he is to reappear on April 25.



Prosecuting, the Northern Regional Chief State Attorney, Salia Abdul-Quddus, prayed the court to remand the accused in police custody to enable him to assist with further investigations.



However, counsel for the accused, Ibrahim Yussif, prayed for bail but the bail application was dismissed by the court.



Facts



The facts, as presented before the court, are that on Thursday, April 8, this year the suspect was arrested at a snap check point at Pigu on the Tamale-Bolgatanga Highway during a routine police intelligence operations.



He was believed to have smuggled the arms from Togo through Cinkasse and on his way to the regional capital, Tamale.



The police conducted a search in the vehicle and retrieved six 9mm Calibre Bruni pistols which were concealed in a package he covered with a smock.



Police also retrieved one dagger in his possession



Commendation



Meanwhile, the Police Administration, in a statement, commended the Northern Regional Police Command, especially the team that was involved in this operation, for their diligence.



While assuring the public of its resolve to ensure a safe and secure environment for all, the police have urged the public to continue to assist them with leads to enable them to fight crimes.









Source: graphiconline.com









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The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) has conferred an honorary Doctor of Science degree on the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong.



He was honoured in recognition of his outstanding contributions to environmental sanitation and higher education in Ghana and beyond.



The Chairman of the Council of the UHAS, Justice Victor J.M. Dotse of the Supreme Court, and the Vice-Chancellor of UHAS, Professor John Owusu Gyapong, together with decorated Dr. Siaw Agyepong with the honours last Saturday at the second session of the 6th UHAS Congregation at Ho, Volta Region.

Some 692 students were awarded degrees in various academic disciplines at the event.



After receiving the honours, Dr. Siaw Agyepong thanked God for his life, stressing that he was very humbled by the honour done him by the university.



I also want to thank the UHAS Council Members, my wife, Mrs. Adelaide Agyepong, my children, management and staff of the Jospong Group of Companies and everyone who has invested in my life, he expressed.



He disclosed that his group will present a cheque of US Dollars 100,000 to the UHAS to set up an award scheme for research.



A citation accompanying the honour said: The University of Health and Allied Sciences is, therefore, proud to be associated with you and delighted to honour you this 9th day of April 2022, with the Honorary Doctor of Science degree (honoris) causa) for your excellent leadership; for your innovative business solutions that continue to add value to the everyday lives of Ghanaians; for your service and care to countless communities all over Africa, and for the integrity in which you walk as you represent us globally.



It continued your contributions to environmental sanitation and higher education in Ghana and beyond are unmatched in scope, and have been accurately described as phenomenal.



The citation said over the years your visionary leadership has brought us the Jospong Group of Companies, which has earned you global recognition for job creation that has improved thousands of household incomes.



Further, it also described Dr. Siaw Agyepong as the embodiment of the UHAS core values of Excellence, Innovation, Integrity, Service and Care.



Earlier, in a brief motivational speech, Dr. Siaw Agyepong admonished the graduates to put God first in all their endeavours and chosen careers.

However, he cautioned that the pull him syndrome and other demonic forces were still operational in the country.

Practically, God has been my strength, he asserted.



Again, he encouraged the students to look as far as they can see, using how God blessed Abraham enormously to buttress his point.



He told the graduates to always leverage and treasure the opportunities they have and those that will come their way.



Be ready to learn, explore and also teach others, stressing that from today watch things twice. he charged the students.



A former student of the Royal Technical Institute at Nungua in Accra, Dr. Siaw Agyepong studied for the City and Guilds of London Certificate, which he completed in 1990, graduating with an Electrical Engineering Technician (Part II) Certificate.



He became a Chief Executive Officer at the age of 25, and helped to transform his mothers exercise-book business into Jospong Printing Press in 1995. He has proven to be a visionary leader with a remarkable knack for recognising business opportunities and building strategic partnerships to implement his vision.



In 2006, Dr. Siaw Agyepong revolutionised waste management in Ghana with the introduction of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, now a leader in the waste management space of the country.



He is the founder and Executive Chairman of JGC with 60 subsidiaries, with core staff members of over 6000, 55000 operatives, and creating over 250000 job opportunities for people of different ages, genders and cultures.



Dr. Siaw Agyepong is an international conference speaker on private sector development, waste management, wastewater management, and the impact of sanitation on public health.



He has held and continues to hold various positions and serve on boards in a number of public, private and international institutions, including being a member of the Annual New Year School Corporate Advisory Team of the University of Ghana, and; Vice-Chairman of the Enterprise Development the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He also serves as an advisory biard member of the Harvard Centre for African Studies and is a member of the Veritas Society.



He is currently the President of the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA).



For his enormous contributions in the environmental sanitation space, Dr. Siaw Agyepong has won several awards. In 2008, former President John Agyekum Kufuor conferred on Dr. Siaw Agyepong the Award of the Order of the Volta, which was followed by the Best Entrepreneur of the Year 2010 by the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana.



The University of Ghana, Legon in 2013 also conferred the Platinum Vessel Award on him in recognition of his meritorious selfless services and contribution to national development.



Other awards won by Dr. Siaw Agyepong are Most Influential African Business Leader of the Decade (2021); CEO of the Decade (2021); Induction Into the Hall of Fame 2021, and; Entrepreneur of the Year 2021.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Mr. Kwame Darkwah, Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) Coordinator of the Volta River Authority (VRA), said the authority regularly undertakes inspections and maintenance of the Akosombo dam to expand its life span.



He said aside from the internal examinations conducted by the Authority, there were other international bodies and experts who assessed the facility every five years or less and provided comprehensive instructions to ascertain the status of the facility.



Mr. Darkwah said this during a workshop at the Ada-East District Assembly on EPP and Environmental Management Plan (EMP).



He was responding to questions raised by some participants at the workshop on plans in place in case of damage.



He added that people who visited the facility for excursion purposes would attest to the fact that the place looked new and safe, saying, we had a visitor from International Centre for Hydropower (ICH) and the facilitators were amazed how we have kept the facility over the years.



The EPP Coordinator, however, indicated that should the unforeseen happen, the VRA had outlined measures to cater for the needs of the victims and property.



He added that safe havens had also been mounted at various points to accommodate victims and support them with some relief items until they permanently got accommodation.



Ms. Akosua Owusu-Efaa from the Engineering Service Department of VRA said EPP identified potential conditions and specified pre-planned activities to be followed to minimize property damage and loss of lives.



She said the plan specified the roles and responsibilities of parties in case of any eventuality.

Source: GNA









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Spare parts and tyre dealers along the Abossey Okai stretch of road where the Abossey Okai Interchange is currently under construction are counting their losses after last Fridays torrential rains that fell in some parts of Accra.



The about an hour downpour flooded the shops of retailers and shop owners around the Abossey Okai road and its environs.



The flood, which entered the shop and businesses of these shops owners and businessmen particular those in the tyres and the batteries business, has destroyed thousands worth of goods.



When the Daily Graphic interacted with some of the affected shop owners they said they were now at a loss as to how to recover their losses and how to get their shops back into business.



Im The Daily Graphic sighted some of the affected places, including Samir Engineering and Trading, Samnit Enterprise and the Korle-Bu Battery Center where the flood had taken over their offices and shops it was, therefore, impossible for both shoppers and workers to enter these shops.



The residents blamed the construction of the new overpass and flyover by the Brazilian construction firm, Queiroz Galvao Construcao, as the main cause of the incessant destruction of their goods which would be thousands of cedis.



They claimed that the construction of the overpass had destroyed the existing drainage system and had uplifted the ground to make the rains difficult to move freely; hence, causing the rains to enter their shops so easily.



When the Daily Graphic contacted the Resident's Engineer, Mr Owusu Sekyere-Antwi expressed that they will be reconstructing the drains but failed to reveal the time frame within which they will do it.









Source: graphiconline.com









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At least one person has died while dozens remain stranded mid-air in a row of 12 ropeway trollies that collided with each other in Jharkhand's Deoghar district, reported news agency PTI quoting a senior official. The accident occurred on Sunday afternoon at Trikut hills near Baba Baidyanath Temple.

Several tourists have sustained serious injuries and the rescue operation is still on, according to the PTI report.

Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said that a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been working since Sunday night to rescue the trapped tourists and two helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been involved in the operation which is now on for almost 20 hours.

"All efforts are being made to airlift the tourists to safety. An NDRF team working since Sunday night has rescued 11 people. Locals, too, are helping with the rescue operation. Ten people have sustained serious injuries in the incident, of which one of them died late last night," PTI quoted Bhajantri as saying.
Organisations that engage graduates who have not completed their one-year mandatory national service will be prosecuted and blacklisted from receiving national service personnel.



The National Service Scheme (NSS) has, consequently, opened a window of opportunity for all those who have not undertaken their service to do.



A statement signed by the Executive Director, Mr Osei Assibey Antwi, and issued by the NSS in Accra said those who also missed the opportunity to do their service in the past could enrol for the 2022/2023 service from today to Thursday, June 30, 2022.



Eligibility



It mentioned those eligible as previous applicants who started but were not able to complete the service, private applicants who were qualified and wished to apply and graduates who studied abroad.



The statement directed such people to submit their application letters at any of the regional offices of the scheme or the headquarters in Accra.



All applications must include letters requesting PIN codes or reactivation of PIN codes, certified true copies of school certificates or transcripts, evidence of deferment letters (if applicable), attestations or introductory letters from the institutions attended, copies of the



Ghana Cards and copies of students ID cards for checks and proof of study abroad for foreign students, it said.



Make Accra Work initiative



In another development, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey, last Friday paid a working visit to the headquarters of the NSS to acquaint himself with operations there.



He announced that a Make Greater Accra Work Secretariat was to be set up at the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to be a fulcrum for ensuring discipline in the region, particularly the capital city.



In line with that, her said, the RCC was considering signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the NSS for the posting of persons to the secretariat when established.



A call centre would also be set up at the secretariat, as well as metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) in the region, he said.



He said activities to be undertaken at the centre would include receiving calls, queries and real time pictures from ordinary citizens on poor sanitation practices and alerting the appropriate officials for action.



Mr Quartey commended Mr Antwi and his team for the visionary and dynamic leadership injected into the scheme and said its mobilisation for deployment to deployment for employment and skill provision were in tandem with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos objective of providing the youth with skills that would turn them into global industrial leaders.



Pledge



For his part, Mr Antwi pledged his support to the regional ministers initiative, saying his outfit was ready to engage in the areas of monitoring, education and compliance, adding that a framework was being worked out on how to factor in the right numbers for the initiative.



He said the scheme was steering away from its traditional mandate of mobilising graduates for deployment and moving towards deployment for employment.









Source: graphiconline.com









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Christians all around the world yesterday marked Palm Sunday to honour Jesus Christs triumphant entry into Jerusalem.



Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter and marks the first day of Holy Week.



While this was a joyful, special occasion for his followers, this event took place towards the end of his days on earth before being crucified.



Members of St Augustine Anglican Church, Nungua North in possession on Plam Sunday Photo Seth Osabukle

Children from the Redemption congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Comm 9,Tema on the street during Easter sunday Photo Victor A. Buxton

Church members from the Presbyterian church of Ghana on the street singing during Easter sunday

As such, Christians have been implored to avail themselves and heed to the leadings of the Holy Spirit as he was the one given to them to be their helper and be with them forever.



They were to do so by remaining obedient to God, his word and making a conscious effort to pray always.



Pastor Isaac Nana Boakye, Church of Pentecost (CoP)New Bortianor District, said this in the sermon at the Broadcasting English Assembly in Accra when the church marked the day.



He said the Holy Spirit enabled Christians live by dwelling in the individual believers and enabling them to live a righteous and faithful life.



Pastor Boakye stated that the Holy Spirit who was the third personality of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) was promised by Jesus before his ascension.



And I will pray the Father that he will give you another Helper that he may abide with you forever (John 14: 16, New King James Version), he cited.



The New Bortianor District Pastor indicated that it was imperative for Christians not to forget that the Holy Spirit who had replaced Jesuss physical appearance here on earth, had been assigned to be with us forever.



He underscored that it was the Holy Spirit alone who knew the destination of believers for which reason they had to seek his direction and inspiration in all they do.



He has your personal file so without him your file is lost, he stated, adding that he is your google map.



Pastor Boakye highlighted that Christians did not need experience, standards or anything, but to yield to the Holy Spirit whenever and at whatever points in their lives because the holy spirit is that one person who can reveal the mind of will of God.



At aDeeper Life Bible Church,Pastor Silas Sam Gyan, who spoke on the theme, The Marriage and the Family of Heavenward Believers, encouraged believers not to be only carnal in their selection of a life and reiterated their need to heed to leadings of the Holy Spirit.



He entreated them to set up and stick to godly principles in order to prevent divorces which were rampant in todays world.



ANITA ANKRAH reports that at the End Time Revival Centre at Adenta, Pastor Francis Nyarko, Head pastor of the church, urged members to let go of their pasts and move on.



He said believers were free from their sins when they apologised to God and truthfully turned over a new leaf.



Pastor Nyarko who was speaking on the theme Fellowship, an indispensable requirement for a healthy church, however admonished members not to sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth rather be encouraged and express same to others as the end time was near.

Source: The Ghanaian Times









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The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested one Mohammed Iddi, 35, for possessing firearm on board a Toyota Hiace Mini bus at Pigu Police barrier near Savelugu in the Northern region.



The police conducted a search in the vehicle and retrieved six 9mm Calibre Bruni pistols which were concealed in a package he covered with a smock.



Police also retrieved one dagger in his possession.



He was arraigned before the Tamale High Court.



Salia Abdul-Quddus, Northern Regional Chief State Attorney in court prayed for the accused person to be remanded into Police custody to assist in investigations.



The accused was charged with one count of possession of firearms without lawfu excuse.



He was remanded into Police custody to reappear on April 25, 2022.

Source: Daily Guide









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The applicant is asking the apex court to declare that the government is in breach of articles 15(1), (2), 13(1) and 35(4) of the 1992 Constitution for not taking urgent steps to ensure that children receive special protection against exposure to physical and moral hazards as enshrined in the Constitution of Ghana, 1992.



Mr. Bright Appiah confirmed the story and said the writ was filed to address national security threat child streetism posed to the nation, to give meaning to childrens right to education and ensure children in Ghana are given proper care like others in advanced democracies.



Checks with the court registry indicated the writ was filed on March 3, 2022.



The plaintiff said he initiated the instant action in his capacity as a registered organisation interested in upholding the respect for and compliance with the Constitution, 1992 and the rule of law, and in ensuring that the rules in question do not infringe the letter and spirit of the 1992 Constitution.



In his writ to invoke the original jurisdiction of the highest court of the land, the applicant further prayed the court to state whether on a true and proper interpretation of clauses (1) (c)and (d) clauses (2), (3) and (4) of article 28 of the Constitution and clauses (1) and (2) of article 15, clause (1) of article 13 and clause (4) of article 35 of the Constitution, the current conditions of Children living on the streets in Ghana are inconsistent with the said provisions.



The applicant whose work seeks to protect and safeguard the social, educational and constitutional rights is asking the court for a number of reliefs and declaration.



Among them were declaration that the Government of Ghana is in breach of

articles 25(a), 28 (1) (a), (d), (2) (3) (4), 13(1) and 37 of the 1992 Constitution for not taking urgent steps to ensure that children receive special protection against exposure to physical and moral hazards, do not engage in work that constitutes a threat to their health, education or development and that children are not deprived of medical treatment, education or an social or economic benefit.



Mr. Appiah, therefore, urged the court to make an order directed at Government of Ghana to establish Child Protection Units in cities where child is at high levels.



He wants an order directed at Government of Ghana to define by law penalties for family members, local government units and schools which do not guarantee the observance of children in street situation rights.



An order directed at Government of Ghana to define by law penalties for child exploitation for begging or other forms of economic exploitation, to punish all those who may try to benefit or gain money from childrens work.



An order directed at Government of Ghana to improve the Law on healthcare by defining by law the provision of free primary health services to all poor children, children living in street situation or children in emergency situations.



An order directed at Government of Ghana to provide rules and procedures to be followed for the provision of free basic medical services to poor children, children in street situation or children in emergency situations and the agencies that can ask for this help on behalf of children.



An order directed at Government of Ghana to implement mechanisms to control and enforce the legal framework guaranteeing education for all children.



An order directed at Government of Ghana defining by law the facilitation procedures related to school enrollment of children in street situation and their provision with the necessary didactic material.



An order directed at Government of Ghana to submit to the court, not later than three months from the date of final judgment, a plan of action detailing all the steps, strategies, and measurable targets by which the defendants undertake to obey and perform the orders contained in the reliefs the applicant is seeking.



An order directed at Government of Ghana to submit to the Court, two years from the date of final judgment and thereafter, every six months until the expiry of the three-year plan of action, a report particularising all the steps taken, and targets met in obeying the orders of the court.





Source: thebftonline









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Mrs Barbara Asempa, Catechist of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Redemption Congregation in Tema Community Nine, has cautioned Christian youth against claiming peoples worth with prayers without working towards getting their own.



Mrs Asempa said this on Palm Sunday when she preached on the topic, Suffering for a purpose, and charged the youth, if you dont work hard, you cant make it. Stop claiming peoples cars and houses without work, it does not work like that.



She said it was unfortunate that Christians of today only had the faith that Christianity was only about prosperity and instant miracles, saying, that was not what the Bible said as the scriptures proved that all the great people such as Abraham, Paul, Ruth, and the rest suffered before becoming achievers.



She noted that like a woman who goes through the pains of labour and rejoices upon seeing her baby without remembering the earlier ordeal, Christians must go out prepared to suffer for the Lord, and God would lift them up and make a way for them.



She urged Christians to allow themselves to pass through the needed difficulties if they wanted to reach the top.



Mrs Asempa said, just as gold is taken through painful and difficult processes to clean the impurities out of it and make it spackle and expensive, so must Christians like Christ, be prepared to go through such hardships.



You cannot live this Christian life without going through fire, if you want to sparkle like gold, then go through the process gold goes through, she emphasized.



She indicated that even though Christ was ushered into Jerusalem joyously, he knew the suffering ahead of him but chose to go through it nonetheless to ensure the eternity of mankind, therefore Christians must be prepared for the sufferings ahead and be willing to go through to secure their future.



Members of the Church on Palm Sunday joined Christians worldwide to mark the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem by singing of hosanna and waving of palm fronds.



The church auditorium was also decorated with weaved palm branches which welcomed worshippers and reminded them that the Easter celebrations had begun.



The Redemption Congregation will from Monday observed the Passion Week with evening church services to prepare them for the Good Friday and Easter services as Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the pillar of the religion.





Source: GNA









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Mr Dennis Tawiah, the Chief Executive Officer of Akwaabauk, a renowned Ghanaian international event company, says they will support the government's effort to attract more tourists to Ghana.



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo earlier on Monday launched the "Destination Ghana" campaign aimed at attracting a million tourists from the United Kingdom, Europe and the rest of the world, annually to Ghana.



The campaign which is under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Ghana High Commission UK and the Ghana Tourism Authority was aimed at building on the success of Ghana's "Year of Return '' campaign which attracted many tourists to Ghana.



According to Mr Tawiah, his outfit was determined to support the agenda of the government in highlighting the vast tourist attractions and investment opportunities in Ghana.



"The plan of the government is to promote Ghana Tourism and make Ghana the number one country in Africa to visit and we are determined in supporting the government to make this a reality.



"Ghana has a rich cultural heritage and has gained the reputation of being the place to do business in Africa and also having enjoyable breaks, especially in December where we organise some programmes.



"Our 'December in Ghana' programmes demonstrates our commitment to making Ghana a destination of tourism and this initiative would further encourage us to do more considering the target of one million tourists annually," he said.



The launch of "Destination Ghana" was attended by Ghanas Minister for Tourism, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, Ghana Tourism Authority CEO, Mr Akwasi Agyemang and Ghanas High Commissioner to the UK, Mr Papa Owusu Ankoma, British High Commissioner to Ghana, Madam Harriet Thompson and other key government and private sector industry stakeholders.





Source: GNA









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The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, will attend the 2022 Memphis in May International Festival, in the United States of America (USA) which is devoted to honouring the culture and heritage of Ghana.



In the 45-year history of the festival, the friendly and diverse city of Memphis,Tennessee, devotes the festival to a different country and culture every year, and this year, the festival is honouring the culture and heritage of Ghana.



A statement from the organisers, dated April 7, 2022, said, Already there is a great deal of excitement and anticipation for the salute to Ghana, the sixth African nation honoured by Memphis in May International Festival."



The festival focuses on contributing to the economic growth of the community, fostering civic pride, promoting awareness of Memphis heritage and building international relationships.



"The Asantehenes visit to Memphis will highlight some of Ghanas culture and traditions as part of the Memphis in May International salute to the Republic of Ghana, Memphis organisers stated.



Delegation



The statement indicated that this would be the first time a King had visited Memphis during the festival.



It said Otumfuo would lead a contingent of paramount chiefs representing all regions under the Asante Kingdom, divisional chiefs, princes, and stool attendants of the Golden Stool for the five-day visit from May 3 to May 9, 2022.



"We are truly honoured to welcome the Asantehene to Memphis, Tennessee. James L. Holt, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Memphis in May International Festival, said.



E ON 3 Group/KGL facilitate



Otumfuo's participation in the international festival is being facilitated by the E ON 3 Group, an Accra-based business solutions provider, which was given the authorisation by the Bank of Ghana to mint the Otumfuo Commemorative Gold Coin, the KGL Group and the KGL Foundation.



The celebration of Ghana at the festival has been authorised by the Government of Ghana and is being coordinated through the Embassy of Ghana in the United States.



Engagements



Highlights of Otumfuos visit include meeting with government and business officials and visit to areas of attraction and cultural importance.



Otumfuo Osei Tutu will also attend Ghana Live Riches and Rhythms performance at the Orpheum Theatre on May 5 and the Black Star Black Tie Gala on May 6, which will celebrate his 72nd birthday.



The Asantehene will also address local college students.



"The royal visit to Memphis will be commemorated with the King conducting a traditional Durbar Ceremony on historic Beale Street on Saturday, May 7," the statement.



Commemorative gold coin



The Otumfuo Commemorate Gold Coin will be presented to the City of Memphis and the organisers of the festival.



The Mayor of Memphis, Jim Strickland, will receive the coin on behalf of the city while the CEO of the Festival organising committee, James L. Holt, will receive it on behalf of the organisers.









Source: graphiconline.com









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The disability caucus in Parliament needs to be more vibrant, we need to do more advocacy, be very visible and be heard, Mr Moses Anim, Member of Parliament for Trobu Constituency said on Sunday.



He said there were a lot of accessibility issues faced by persons with disability in Ghana that needed to be addressed and there was a need for members of Parliament to update themselves with such issues to speak openly about them.



Mr Anim said this at a disability retreat organised for selected members of Parliament who have formed the disability caucus to advocate for people with disabilities in Ghana.



The two-day retreat organized by Ghana Somubi Dwumadie, a four-year disability programme with a specific focus on mental health and Sight Savers Ghana, a non-governmental organization with support from UK-Aid and the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD), discussed the disability concept and context in Ghana, accessibility on the built environment and access to services.



The retreat brought together selected members of Parliament and civil society players in the disability sector as well as officials from the National Council on Persons with Disability



Dr Clement Apaak, Chairman of the Disability Caucus in Parliament and member of Parliament for Builsa South said: We need to adopt a radical approach to issues of accessibilityat this point, we shouldnt be telling contractors what to do with regards to accessibility.



Ms Abla Dzifa Gomashie, Member of Parliament for Ketu South and a member of the disability caucus suggested that members should become more visible by making statements on the floor of Parliament.



We the members of Parliament can end the cycle of advocacy on disability by rising up to speak, saying, to be disabled did not take away from ones capabilities.







Source: GNA









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President Akufo-Addo on Monday was interviewed on the BBCs Focus on Africa show where he spoke about the Electronic Transaction levy (E-levy), the economy, the countrys tourism sector and others.



It may be recalled that in 2016, the then President John Mahama also had a similar interview which generated a lot of criticism and debate in the country especially the bit on corruption.



Former Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan on Wednesday's edition of Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' sought to do a comparison between the two interviews.



According to him, "the difference is clear. The President was in his elements; he was animated despite how the journalist (Peter Okwoche) was asking the questions...and so there's no doubt; if you compare this to what we saw some time ago, the difference is so huge"



Listen to him in the video below





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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UK prime minister, Boris Johnson made a surprise visit to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine on Saturday, April 9 to pledge support and show solidarity towards the country in its war against Russia.



Footage shared by the Ukranian embassy to the UK, President Volodimir Zelensky and Boris Johnson's official Twitter handles showed the pair meeting and sitting across a table from each other, their respective flags on the far side.



Johnson was wearing a dark suit and Zelensky a khaki overall, his signature attire in public appearances since the Russian invasion began February 24. Reports in UK say that the visit was intended to be kept secret until the Prime Minister had flown out of the war zone but bis arrival was mistakenly announced in a mid-afternoon tweet by Ukraines embassy to the UK, which posted a picture of him chatting with Zelensky, with the caption: Surprise.



UK Security officials gave the green light to the visit after the exhausted and battered Russian forces which have tried to encircle Kyiv were withdrawn by Putin.



During the meeting Johnson praised the Ukrainian troops' staunch resistance that has 'defied odds' in rebuffing Russia's advance towards the capital of Kyiv.



'I think that the Ukrainians have shown the courage of a lion, and you Volodymyr have given the roar of that lion,' he said. 'The Russians believed Ukraine could be engulfed in a matter of days and that Kyiv would falls in hours to their armies. How wrong they were'.



Ukraine last night heaped praise on Johnson, with its Parliament declaring: We are strengthening our union of democracies. Be brave, like Boris. Be brave, like Ukraine. Discussing about civilian bodies in Ukrainian towns, Johnson said the atrocities committed by Moscow's forces had 'permanently polluted' Putin's reputation.6x

'What Putin has done in places like Bucha and Irpin is war crimes that have permanently polluted his reputation and the reputation of his government,' the Prime Minister added.



After their meeting in a undisclosed building, the pair flanked by heavy security walked through the streets of Kyiv, greeted civilians and even posed for pictures as they visited a memorial center.



Johnson's visit makes him the first G7 leader to visit Kyiv since Putin launched his invasion, and follows trips to Kyiv by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Friday and the visit of the Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer earlier on Saturday.





Watch the videos below

A Downing Street spokesperson: "The PM has travelled to Ukraine to meet President Zelenskyy in person, in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people" https://t.co/5gNM2kDprq via @haynesdeborah  Liveuamap (@Liveuamap) April 9, 2022

Johnson: How are you? Zelensky: You know how I am pic.twitter.com/87NBEiVosQ  Yalda Hakim (@BBCYaldaHakim) April 9, 2022









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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is likely to "even larger operations in the east of our state", urging citizens to prepare for a fresh round of assault amid the ongoing war.

In his latest nightly video address, the President said: "They can use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs... But we are preparing for their actions. We will respond."

Zelenksy's warning came after General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Sunday evening that Russia was trying to prepare for an offensive operation in the eastern Donbas region.

"Russia keeps on regrouping, increasing the management system and logistics of troops. The Russian occupying forces are moving battalion tactical groups from the Eastern and Central military districts to the Belgorod, Voronezh and Kursk regions bordering Ukraine," Ukrayinska Pravda quoted the General Staff as saying in a statement.

It also claimed that Russian troops were facing a number of problems, including a lack of spare parts and certain types of artillery ammunition, as well as issues in the system of storage and supply of material and technical facilities.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate said that Russia has stepped up its "mobilisation" campaign in the Donbas region and started to draft men who are not eligible for conscription, the BBC reported.

According to the military intelligence service, several mobile brigades are operating in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, where they stop men and issue them with a summons to come to a military enlistment office.

Earlier, the UK's Ministry of Defence said in its latest public intelligence update that Russia was trying to boost troop numbers with personnel discharged since 2012.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday, April 4, 2022, discussed the performance of his administration during an interview on BBC's Focus On Africa programme.



Even though various issues discussed have generated some level of discussion in the country, some are however focussing on the posture and line of questioning of the host of the show, Peter Okwoche.



Some pundits in the political arena and on social media have described Peter as fearless and bold; daring to ask thought-provoking questions. They've gone further to compare him to some Ghanaian journalists who have had the opportunity of interviewing the President and other leaders in the country.



Dear Ghana Journalist, in every interview, be a PETER OKWOCHE. Be fearless, one wrote on Facebook.



Meanwhile, the National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, says President Akufo-Addo sought to peddle falsehood but it was exposed by Peter Okwoche.



Reacting to this on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', the Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako shot down claims that Ghana lacks journalists in the likes of Peter Okwoche.



"There's also a certain attempt to attack the integrity of sections of the Ghanaian media...they claim the guy (Peter) asked hard questions which we couldn't ask...it's unfair to say that because the BBC host asked one or two solid questions which the President couldn't answer properly and so it means sections of the Ghanaian media are useless...and they've included me and Kwami Sefa Kayi in the list" he indicated.



According to him, "it's not as if the Ghanaian media don't ask critical questions"



Listen to him in the video below





Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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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.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health reads his notes as he holds a news conference regarding the lifting of most mask mandates for indoor settings in Ontario at Queen's Park in Toronto on Wednesday, March 9, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
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As the Pakistan National Assembly (NA) convenes on Monday to elect a new Prime Ministter after PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi their nomination papers, the PTI seems divided over its erstwhile decision of en masse resignations by its lawmakers.

While the cabinet division de-notified 52 members of the federal cabinet, 25 federal ministers, four ministers of state, four advisers to the Prime Minister and 19 special assistants, after Sunday's historic vote of no-confidence by the joint opposition against former premier Imran Khan, Sharif having bright chances to make it to the top slot said the new cabinet would be formed only after consultation with all allies, reports Dawn news.

As the PTI core committee remained indecisive in a meeting chaired by Khan on Sunday whether to go for en masse resignations of MNAs or not, the party chairman called the parliamentary party meeting at the Parliament House on Monday to make a final decision.

Whether Qureshi will contest the election for the premiership or will resign along with other MNAs of the PTI and its allies depends on the outcome of the PTI parliamentary meeting.

However, the PTI decided to give a tough time to the upcoming government through street protests if the PML-N won the contest in the parliament.
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James Rann Wins the 2022 UKIPT London 1,100 Main Event (86,569)

April 11, 2022 Christian Zetzsche Contributor

The United Kingdom and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) has determined a champion for the first time in nearly five and a half years. The event marked the return of PokerStars' sponsored regional tours at one of its most iconic locations, the Hippodrome Casino, in the heart of London. The 2022 UKIPT London 1,100 Main Event attracted a field of 645 entries and the biggest slice of the 619,200 prize pool was split among the final three finishers, who cut an ICM deal.

James Rann was the shortest stack by a small margin when the trio shook hands but ran(n) the best when it mattered from thereon. He defeated Lukas Dimsa in heads-up play to claim the top prize of 86,569 while his opponent from Lithuania cashed for 80,282. Third-place finisher Rickie Vedhara walked away with 80,204 for his efforts after taking part in a live MTT after a break of seven years in which he solely focused on cash games.

For Rann, it was the first live MTT win on European soil. Coincidentally, his first-ever live cash came back in 2010 and was in a UKIPT Main Event in Edinburgh. Start-of-the-day chip leader Joshua Boulton had to settle for fourth place while PokerStars ambassador Ben Spragg bowed out in 15th place (5,920).

2022 UKIPT London 1,100 Main Event Final Table Results

Place Winner Country Prize (in GBP) 1 James Rann United Kingdom 86,569* 2 Lukas Dimsa Lithuania 80,282* 3 Rickie Vedhara United Kingdom 80,204* 4 Joshua Boulton United Kingdom 40,960 5 Alexios Zervos Greece 31,511 6 Julien Sitbon France 24,242 7 Kully Sidhu United Kingdom 18,644 8 Lorenc Boci Albania 14,341 9 Antoine Saout France 11,028

*the final three players agreed to an ICM deal and played for the trophy plus 8,732 to the winner

James Rann

The return of the UKIPT, which last took place in November 2016, was a thorough success. Poker players from near and far headed to the former theatre at Leicester Square to join the series from April 1-10, 2022.

In the most expensive tournament of the festival, the 2,200 High Roller, a record-setting field of 131 entries for the tour was set and the marquee event followed suit in similar fashion. Lola's, the new tournament room on the ground floor, was bustling with action throughout all starting days of the 1,100 Main Event.

The Action of the Final Day

Only 16 players out of the 645-entry strong field returned for the final day and among them was the aforementioned Spragg, who was one of the short stacks. He ensured one pay jump thanks to the early elimination of Robert Boon but would then fall short against Antoine Saout soon after, to finish in 15th place.

It didn't take long to whittle down the field to then final ten, with Joshua Boulton doing the bulk of the work to reduce the number of hopefuls. By the time the final table bubble took place, Rickie Vedhara was among the shorter stacks but scored back-to-back double ups against Julien Sitbon and Saout to leap into second place. Boulton then knocked out cash game player Dongze Hao in a large pot to enter the final stage with two times as many chips as his nearest follower.

UKIPT London Final Table

Saout was left short after the previous clash with Vedhara and sent the remainder of his stack over in the same direction moments after the action resumed. The eventual heads-up opponents James Rann and Lukas Dimsa doubled through Boulton prior to the final table and Rann did so again with aces versus nines when all had combined to a single table. It was just a small dent in the stack of Boulton at the time and he made up for it by knocking out Lorenc Boci and Kully Sidhu.

A third double for Rann through Boulton came in spectacular fashion when his king-jack suited went runner runner for a flush. Sitbon was left short after paying off Alexios Zervos' value bet and he was eliminated by Vedhara in the next hand. The Greek was the next to bow out after he doubled Dimsa and the Lithuanian finished the job a short while later.

The next major setback for Boulton was a significant one as Vedhara took the lead, while Dimsa stayed alive against Rann. Ultimately, Boulton's run good ceased to exist and he ultimately fell in fourth place. Once the chips were nearly even in three-handed play, the trio agreed to ICM numbers and Rann dominated the action to claim the trophy and largest payday.

That wraps up the PokerNews live coverage for the first UKIPT series in more than five years. The next two spots of the tour have also been confirmed already. In May 2022, the Bonnington Hotel in Dublin will be hosting the second UKIPT stop of the year while the series then heads to Malta for the Summer Poker Festival in June 2022.
Aiken County Public School District has some newly named Stars of Public Education.

The school district recently announced the faculty members who were named to the honor courts for the 2022-23 Principal of the Year, Assistant Principal of the Year, Teacher of the Year, First Year Teacher of the Year, and Giving Even More members. All of these faculty members are now finalists for the school district's Principal of the Year, Assistant Principal of the Year, TOY, FYTOY and GEM awards, according to a news release from the school district. The overall award winners will be announced on Thursday, May 12 at the Stars of Public Education event at Aiken High School.

For a principal to become a Principal of the Year finalist they had to be nominated by an ACSPD employee and must have worked as a principal at an ACPSD middle school or high school for at least three years, or an ACPSD elementary school for at least five years. The nominee must also be planning to return to the position for the 2022-23 school year.

The 2022-23 Principal of the Year honor court members are Shunte Dugar (New Ellenton Middle STEAM Magnet School), Michael Truitt (J.D. Lever Elementary School) and Kimbra Meek (North Augusta Middle School).

The other Principal of the Year nominees are Dr. Jason Holt (Aiken High School), Denise McCray (Aiken Intermediate School), Lisa Fallaw (East Aiken School of the Arts), Michelle Padgett (Graniteville Elementary School), Dr. Ryan Ashley (Kennedy Middle School), John Metts (Millbrook Elementary School); Patricia Wilson (North Augusta Elementary School), Callie Herlong (Ridge Spring-Monetta Elementary School) and Charlene Heard (Warrenville Elementary School).

The Assistant Principal of the Year honorees were nominated by ACPSD employees. They have worked as an assistant principal at an ACPSD middle school or high school for at least three years, or an ACPSD elementary school for at least one complete school year or longer.

The 2022-23 Assistant Principal of the Year honor court members are Jasmine Scott (Schofield Middle School), Jennifer Kolmar (South Aiken High School) and Patrick Newsome (Warrenville Elementary School).

The other Assistant Principal of the Year nominees are Kimmerie Allen (Belvedere Elementary School), Anna Beth Harbeson (East Aiken School of the Arts), Kippy Kelly (J.D. Lever Elementary School), Carla Dupert (Kennedy Middle School), James Dziczkowski (Midland Valley High School), Kristie Brooks (Midland Valley High School), Valerie Collins (Millbrook Elementary School), Kyle Blankenship (New Ellenton Middle STEAM Magnet School), Lindsey Hager (North Augusta Elementary School) and Kristin Risher (North Augusta High School).

ACPSD Superintendent King Laurence commended the principals and assistant principals for all of their hard work.

The principals and assistant principals in Aiken County are among the best administrators in the state, commented Laurence. These dedicated professionals strive to give their all to their students, staff, families and community members on a daily basis, and we are so proud of the work they are doing in our schools.

As for the teacher of year, First Year Teacher of the Year, and Giving Even More honor court members, Chief Officer of Human Resources and Administration Jennifer Hart said the school district is very appreciative of the faculty members who were named finalists.

We are incredibly proud of our Stars of Public Education honor court nominees, Hart said. These employees work tirelessly to provide premier educational experiences for our students, continue to improve their own skills, and support their colleagues.

The Teacher of the Year honor court includes Sharon McCain (Ridge Spring-Monetta Elementary School), Kim Mitchell (Aiken Elementary School), Shamari Moody (Jackson STEM Magnet Middle School), Stephanie Prandy (Kennedy Middle School) and Rhett Sherman (Hammond Hill Elementary School).

The honor court for First Year Teacher of the Year features Danielle Altringer (South Aiken High School), Bryan Hadden (Belvedere Elementary School), Anna Keistler (Mossy Creek Elementary School), Emily Lockridge (North Augusta Middle School) and Vivian Martin (Graniteville Elementary School).

The Giving Even More honor court includes Randi Mitchell (Mossy Creek Elementary School), Shannon Boatwright (Jefferson Elementary School), Hope Mullins in the Division of Human Resources and Administration, Ashley Bodine in the Division of Instruction and Tfifany Palmer (Kennedy Middle School).
COLUMBIA  A historic building in downtown Columbia that was converted to apartments near a sculpture of a large fire hydrant has been sold for $17.45 million.

The Land Bank Lofts building at 1401 Hampton St. was sold recently by Heritage Land and Development, according to Marcus & Millichap, a commercial real estate firm.

The National Register of Historic Places-listed building is a location that visitors to Columbia will remember because its parking lot is the site of the "Tunnel Vision" mural by artist Blue Sky.

Blue Sky's "Busted Plug" sculpture also remains in the parking lot. The 40-foot-tall hydrant has been donated to the city with the idea that it would be relocated, but no decision on a new site has been made.

The buyer of the 113-unit property was Xsite Capital Investment, a Maryland-headquartered real estate investment company.

"The downtown Columbia rental market demands some of the highest rent in South Carolina," Drew Babcock, an investment specialist for Marcus & Millichap in Columbia, said in a statement.

We were able to generate interest in this property from all over the country and even attracted investors based overseas," Babcock said.

The building was constructed in 1924 as the Federal Land Bank Building, one of 12 nationwide, and was increased from three stories to five in 1935.

It operated to extend credit for investment in rural areas, especially to smaller banks.

For decades, it served as the headquarters for AgFirst, a cooperative extending credit, technical support and other services to rural lenders.

Conversion of the space was launched in 2015 after AgFirst relocated to the office tower at 1901 Main St.
With the country's main suicide hotline transitioning to a three-digit number in the coming months, South Carolina's mental health organizations are worried the state will not be able to handle an increased number of calls.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which consists of over 200 local and state-funded crisis centers across the country, will start using that three-digit number, 988, in July.

And while many are excited for the upcoming transition, some are worried the state will not be able to handle the expected jump in call volume once the 988 number opens.

"When this thing goes live, it's going to be a lot more people calling," said Bill Lindsey, executive director of the South Carolina National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Currently, Mental Health America of Greenville County is the only crisis center in the state taking calls that will come in on the new line. And according to Executive Director Jennifer Piver, the organization has the infrastructure to handle over 200,000 calls a year, but lacks the funding to hire additional crisis intervention specialists who take the calls.

According to an annual report, there were 29,856 calls from South Carolina to the crisis Lifeline in 2020. But only 41 percent of those callers reached a line operator in South Carolina, a number that is sure to decrease if state funding is not allotted for more crisis intervention call centers.

"We want to make sure our (residents) get to folks who know the resources, cultures and laws in South Carolina," said Jennifer Butler, a program manager at the Office of Suicide Prevention for the S.C. Department Mental Health.

According to Matt Taylor, director of network development for the Greenville center, call-takers there expect to receive between 6 million and 12 million calls, chats and texts within the first year of the 988 transition.

In order for the center to handle the influx of calls after the change, it would need state funding, which would require new legislation or a budget proviso allocated to the S.C. Department of Mental Health.

"Funding is needed to establish an additional call center and fund (the Greenville location) as our existing call center," Butler said.

But the deadline for a bill to cross from one chamber of the General Assembly to the other this year was the first week of April  effectively ruling out the possibility of additional funding in the immediate future.

Still, "Our hope is that people will realize that this is very similar to 911, it's an emergency service and funding isn't negotiable," Piver said. "We've got to make this happen."

Residents in need of help are encouraged to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 until the 988 number goes live on July 16.
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 74F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.
PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif was on Monday elected as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan with 174 lawmakers voting in his favour after the MNAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf boycotted the election, Dawn reported.

Earlier, PTI MNAs had walked out of the Assembly, with Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who was the party's candidate for the top post, announcing that they would be resigning en masse from the National Assembly.

PML-N's Ayaz Sadiq presided over the session after Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri said his conscience did not allow him to conduct the session.

Announcing the results, Sadiq reminisced that he had also chaired the session during which PML-N supremo and Shehbaz's elder brother, Nawaz Sharif, was elected as the Prime Minister.

"And today, I have the honour of chairing the session for Shehbaz Sharif's election," he said.

"Mian Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif has secured 174 votes," he announced, adding: "Mian Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif has been elected as the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan."

As soon as Sadiq announced the results and said Shehbaz is the new Prime Minister of Pakistan, lawmakers began shouting slogans in favour of Shehbaz and Nawaz.

The Speaker asked Shehbaz to move to the seat of the Prime Minister in the House and he shifted to the treasury benches amid cheers, with other members of the former joint opposition following suit.

Shehbaz said it is the first time in Pakistan's history that a no-confidence motion against a Prime Minister has been successful.

"And good has prevailed over evil," he said.

Shehbaz added that it is a "big day" for the entire nation when a "selected" Prime Minister has been sent packing in a legal and constitutional manner.

He said the US dollar's value declining by Rs 8 signified the "happiness of the people".

The newly-elected Prime Minister also thanked the Supreme Court for burying the doctrine of necessity forever.

"In the future, no one will be able to rely on it," he said, Dawn reported.
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South Carolinas chief justice has stripped former Greenwood judge Curtis Clark of his job presiding over foreclosures, just days after The Post and Courier reported that his family repeatedly won dozens of properties at real estate auctions he ran.

Chief Justice Donald Beattys April 11 order instructs court officials not to assign Clark to oversee any new foreclosure cases. It also requires them to identify every case hes already been tapped to hear so that they can be referred to someone else.

Clark has acted for decades as Greenwood Countys foreclosure judge in everything but title. Because the county doesnt have a sitting master-in-equity judge, attorneys are appointed to fill that role on a case-by-case basis. Clark is almost always tapped for the job, court records show.

Beattys order shuts down the flow of cases indefinitely. It states that Clark cannot be appointed to hear foreclosure cases until further notice.

The decision came just over a week after a Post and Courier Uncovered investigation revealed that Clarks wife and children had purchased dozens of properties at foreclosure auctions he presided over. Property records also showed that some of the real estate purchased by the family  33 acres of undeveloped land near his home  was later gifted to him.

What's more, the newspaper found that when state officials asked Clark under oath about his wifes participation at his foreclosure auctions, he failed to mention that she had won property at them. The states judicial screening board, which was then considering him for reelection as master-in-equity judge in neighboring Abbeville County, did not follow up.

Clark told the newspaper that he previously had concerns about having his family bid at auctions but he did not ask the states judicial ethics panel for advice. He ultimately decided on his own that they were allowed to participate, just as any other member of the public. His attorney, Desa Ballard of West Columbia, said he still does not plan to request an advisory opinion.

Even so, after the article was published on April 3, Clark opted to have another attorney oversee foreclosure auctions scheduled to take place the next day.

In a written statement April 11, Ballard sought to downplay Beattys order, saying the chief justice routinely reassigns judges as he sees fit.

"Mr. Clark is a man of the highest integrity. As such, it was the prudent thing to step aside when Mr. Clarks conduct was questioned, especially since his family was made the source of inappropriate speculation," Ballard said. "Mr. Clark has not engaged in any misconduct, nor has he communicated with anyone regarding the unwarranted inferences about how he has done his job in the past."

Under South Carolinas court rules, judges are supposed to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, an especially high standard intended to preserve the publics trust in the courts impartiality. Legal ethicists contacted by The Post and Courier said the sales threatened to run afoul of that rule.

The newspaper investigated the Clark familys participation in foreclosure sales as part of Uncovered, its initiative to shine light on questionable government conduct and voids in oversight. The project is being done in partnership with 18 community newspapers, including The Index-Journal of Greenwood.
Robby Levesque has been a consistent volunteer at the shelter for months now and spends time walking the dogs, helping bathe them and assisting with laundry as needed.
There have been contradictions about our local government's strategy on COVID-19 testing and limitations for those who have come in close cont Read more
Lawmakers are poised to discuss Resolution 291-36 on Thursday. Sen. Chris Duenas, along with Sens. James Moylan, Tony Ada, Frank Blas Jr., Joanne Brown and Telo Taitague, introduced the resolution to end the two-year-long public health emergency initiated by the arrival of COVID-19 in Guam.

But ahead of those discussions, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero is reaffirming that ending the emergency would jeopardize federal food assistance.

"As I discussed in Executive Order No. 2022-09, the (Families First Coronavirus Response Act) conditions the provision of emergency allotments under (the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) not on the existence of any emergency ... but rather on the issuance of an emergency declaration based on an outbreak of COVID-19," Leon Guerrero wrote to Moylan on Saturday in response to an April 7 letter from the senator.

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Moylan had called attention to social media posts that criticized Duenas and spread what he called "misinformation" about the adverse impacts of ending the emergency, including the loss of $2.3 million in benefits for SNAP clients.

"I am not certain if your administration is spreading these negative graphics on social media and other communication platforms which attack one of my colleagues through misinformation," Moylan wrote to the governor. "I do hope that your office not only corrects this but also advises those behind this farce to end playing these negative games and to stick with the facts."

Both Moylan and Duenas have looked at Hawaii as an example of ending emergency mandates while still maintaining federal assistance. Specifically, they've highlighted the proclamation by Hawaii Gov. David Ige, who had declared an emergency on March 24 "for the limited purpose" for administering emergency SNAP allotments.

"Hawaii has removed all the unnecessary mandates while keeping the much needed aid for their people intact. I see no reason why our island can't do the same," Duenas stated in his own release on April 4.

Moylan, meanwhile, recommended that Leon Guerrero review Ige's proclamation and draft an order that ensures SNAP funding is maintained even if lawmakers end Guam's emergency declaration.

But the governor told Moylan that not only is she is familiar with Ige's proclamation, she is also familiar with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which requires a public health emergency declaration by the secretary of Health and Human Services and the issuance of an emergency declaration by a state, both based on an outbreak of COVID-19, for emergency SNAP allotments.

"I cannot speak to the considerations Governor Ige took into account when structuring Hawaii's relevant public health emergencies, but I can speak to the factors I take into account in structuring Guam's," the governor stated. "My actions have always been guided by science, fact, and data. I do not play political games with the lives of our people."

An emergency declaration based on food insecurity would not comply with the requirements of the FFCRA, according to the governor, who said she "cannot risk the loss" of the SNAP benefit.

She also stressed that the emergency declaration does not have to end for restrictions, including mask mandates, to be lifted.

The governor's latest order does set conditions for the gradual lifting of restrictions. Outdoor mask restrictions is set to be lifted by April 19 if Guam maintains a low risk level, and Adelup has said that indoor masking may no longer be required by May 5.

Resolution 291 underwent a public hearing on March 30.

Duenas has said he plans to move into the Committee of the Whole and invite medical professionals, Guam National Guard officials, Guam Homeland Security and fiscal representatives from the administration "to place on record" concerns they may have with ending the emergency declaration.

However, he has stated in a prior release that even if the Guam emergency is lifted, "nothing prevents the governor of Guam from declaring another emergency based on specific concerns."

The Guam Daily Post has asked Adelup if terminating the emergency would still impact SNAP benefits if the governor declares another emergency. The administration did not immediately respond.
NASA has released a stunning image snapped by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope of the barred spiral galaxy Messier 91.

Messier 91 is located approximately 56 million light-years away in the constellation of Coma Berenices.

This galaxy was discovered in 1781 by the French astronomer Charles Messier who described it as nebula without stars, fainter than Messier 90.

Messier 91 resides in the Local Supercluster and is part of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies.

Also known as M91, NGC 4548, IRAS 12328+1446, and LEDA 41934, it is classified as a barred spiral galaxy.

While Messier 91s prominent bar makes for a spectacular galactic portrait, it also hides an astronomical monstrosity, Hubble astronomers said.

Like our own Galaxy, Messier 91 contains a supermassive black hole at its center.

A 2009 study using archival Hubble data found that this central black hole has a mass between 9.6 and 38 million solar masses.

The new image of Messier 91 is made up of observations from Hubbles Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) in the ultraviolet, near-infrared, and optical parts of the spectrum.

Five filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.

This observation is part of an effort to build a treasure trove of astronomical data exploring the connections between young stars and the clouds of cold gas in which they form, the researchers said.

To do this, we used Hubble to obtain ultraviolet and visible observations of galaxies already seen at radio wavelengths by the ground-based Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).

Observing time with Hubble is a highly valued, and much sought-after, resource for us, they explained.

To obtain data from the telescope, we first have to write a proposal detailing what they want to observe and highlighting the scientific importance of their observations.

These proposals are then anonymized and judged on their scientific merit by a variety of astronomical experts.

This process is incredibly competitive: following Hubbles latest call for proposals, only around 13% of the proposals were awarded observing time.
You no doubt recall that the Navy Seals who executed Osama bin Laden also made off with a treasure trove of al Qaeda documents. Whatever happened to them? The Telegraph recounts the story:

With their strict 30-minute deadline almost up, the Seals requested more time on the ground because they had found a whole s ton of computers and electronic gear on the second floor. Permission was granted, and during the next 18 minutes more than 470,000 files were recovered, including nearly 6,000 Arabic pages of internal al-Qaeda communiques that were never intended for public consumption. But for the Seals courageous efforts during those perilous additional minutes, writes Nelly Lahoud, the Bin Laden papers would never have come to light.

The papers have now been declassified and analyzed. There is no shocking news, but much that is of interest. In a handwritten note, bin Laden explained how he got the idea for 9/11:

In the note he explains that he had been reading a news report about the disgruntled pilot al-Batouty who deliberately crashed EgyptAir Flight 990 from New York to Cairo off the New England coast, killing 217 people, on October 31 1999. Turning to his associates, Bin Laden asked: Why didnt he crash it into a financial tower?

One important inference is that, contrary to the claims of Taliban apologists, Mullah Omar and the Talibans leaders were in on the 9/11 attacks in advance:

Most commentators have assumed that the Taliban leader Mullah Omar did not know about 9/11 in advance. We learn, however, from Bin Ladens handwritten notes, that consultation with other [Jihadist] groups, including the Taliban, preceded the international attacks al-Qaeda orchestrated from Afghanistan. The bombings in East Africa in 1998, for example, were supported by everyone. Moreover, Lahoud suspects that al-Qaedas assassination of Ahmed Shah Massoud, a Taliban enemy, on the eve of 9/11 was not a coincidence, but a quid pro quo for Mullah Omar approving the attack on America.

Bin Laden and the Taliban miscalculated by underestimating the likely response to the 9/11 attacks by the U.S. government:

The miscalculation by al-Qaeda and its allies was not to anticipate that America would respond by launching a full-scale war on Afghanistan. The worst they had envisaged, writes Lahoud, was limited US airstrikes.

Where could they have gotten that idea? From Bill Clinton.

The bin Laden papers indicate that al Qaeda wanted to pull off more spectacular attacks after Tora Bora, but was unable to do so:

[F]rom 2004, Bin Laden worked tirelessly to rebuild his shattered organisation and at the time of his death was planning another spectacular: a coordinated attack on supertankers carrying oil to the United States. He hoped to choke off a third of Americas oil supply, thus producing an economic meltdown and public protests that would lead to a change in US foreign policy.

But al Qaeda no longer had the resources to do much. Bin Ladens grandiose self-image found no counterpart in reality.

The American response to 9/11 was a great policy success that now is taken too much for granted. We would be living in a very different world if stateless terrorist groups had been able to execute major attacks over the last 20 years, as opposed to sporadically inspiring forlorn ideologues to carry out one or two man operations. The fact that we have not seen a repeat of 9/11let alone multiple repeats, or something worseis a credit to George W. Bush and his administration, and to American intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

More at the link, including how bin Laden and his family escaped detection for so long, and how the CIA protected the source of its intelligence on bin Ladens whereabouts.
Daniel Schmidt is a University of Chicago freshman and senior editor at the Chicago Thinker. He is one of the Alinskyite gadflies who turned up at the Institute of Politics/Atlantic Disinformation Conference last week. Schmidt posed a good question to Anne Applebaum that turned the theme of the conference back on itself (tweet below). Schmidt now recounts his story in the Compact column The question Anne Applebaum refused to answer.

WATCH The Atlantics @anneapplebaum refuse to answer @RealDSchmidt's question about Hunter Bidens laptop during @UChicagos Disinformation and the Erosion of Democracy conference! pic.twitter.com/1OgXBBiiI0  The Chicago Thinker (@ThinkerChicago) April 6, 2022

At the conference Schmidt asked Applebaum if she thinks the media acted properly in blowing off the New York Posts reporting on the Hunter Biden Files as Russian disinformationa claim we now know to be completely false. In a profoundly stupid answer, Applebaum professed herself uninterested in the laptop. You see, it had nothing to do with Joe Biden.

Schmidt recalls:

In 2020, two tech giants, Facebook and Twitter, had throttled the Posts expose on Hunters business dealings, which implicated one of two major-party presidential nominees, and the media had uncritically echoed the false assertion of 50 former spies that this reporting was a Russian information operation. And yet here was Applebaum, nearly two years later at an event dedicated to combatting disinformation, claiming she didnt find any of this to be interesting.

Schmidt observes:

Back when the Hunter Files were a live crisis for the Biden camp, Applebaum published a lengthy essay in The Atlantic that aimed to discredit the reporter who broke the laptop story. So if she doesnt find the story interesting, why did shealong with the entirety of the corporate media apparatusdedicate so much time and effort to trying to legitimate censorship of the Posts reporting?

Applebaums essay ranges beyond the New York Post reporting that received the most attention. Im not sure the subject of her essay can fairly be described as the reporter who broke the laptop story, but that is a bullseye through the heart.

NOTE: Reading Applebaums essay, I infer that the reporter who Schmidt credits with breaking the story of the Hunter Biden Files is Matthew Tyrmand. Applebaum links to Laura Ingraham tweets at the top of her essay. The tweets cite Tyrmand. Tyrmand had received a set of 26,000 emails from an imprisoned former associate of Hunter Biden of emails Applebaum trashes Tyrmand. Applebaum proceeds to trash Tyrmand. Peter Schweizer also received the same 26,000 emails at the same time. Applebaum describes Peter as Tyrmands collaborator and absurdly disparages him as well. From speaking with Peter today I was given to understand that both Peter and Tyrmand were each given access to the gmail account of Bevan Cooney. You would never know from reading Applebaums essay, but Peter has been on Hunter Bidens case since his 2018 book Secret Empires and his early 2020 book Profiles in Corruption. Peter mentions the Cooney emails in his October 2020 New York Post column on the Biden family business:

We gain further insight into the operations of Biden Inc. in emails provided to us by Bevan Cooney, a former business associate of Hunter Biden. Cooney, who is currently in prison for his role in the Indian Bond Scheme that is sending Hunter Biden business partner Devon Archer also to jail, shared 26,000 emails that show what Hunters role was in their business ventures. The Biden name was considered currency for their foreign business ventures, and was a direct  pipeline to the Obama-Biden administration. Deals involving Hunter benefited from the Biden lift, the help that the name would provide in overseas dealings.

Peters New York Post column is accessible here. Peters October 2020 Breitbart column based on the Cooney emails is accessible here.
Stan Evans liked to joke that back in 1964, young conservatives had to get over the Goldwater defeat without grief counselors. This was no exaggeration in 2016, when administrators at campuses across the country rushed to comfort students (and many tearful faculty) the morning after Donald Trumps surprise victory, with long, lugubrious campus-wide emails sharing the pain of the campus community, and listing the emotional support resources the campus would make available for everyone to cope. This tableau was repeated after George Floyds death in 2020, and after the modern-day Pearl Harbor, the January 6 insurrection.

And yet after Trumps defeat in 2020, there was no similar concern for the well-being and emotional health of conservative students on campus. No offers of grief counseling, no reassuring messages of sympathy for the emotional trauma of Trumps defeat. (Nor were there any riots at Hillsdale College.)

Why not? It is a mistake to attribute this asymmetry of concern for left-leaning versus right-leaning students simply to the ideological or partisan bias of university administrators, or just virtue-signaling, though both motivations likely play some part. The real reason is much worse: administrators know that conservative students dont need grief counselors. The slobbering solicitude for the tender emotional state of left-leaning students on campus implicitly recognizes that liberal students are fragile crybabies. Administrators calculate, correctly, that if they dont emote and offer counseling and cuddling resources to fragile leftist students, they risk campus breakdown or worse. It seldom seems to lead to any reflection about how so many students got this way, or the large role modern American education, from kindergarten through college, has played in generating this fragility.

The cowering defensiveness of cowardly college administrators finds a whole new frontier just now in resistance to campus climate surveys. Colleges and universities have been conducting such surveys for a while now, and most of them arent very good for a bunch of reasons. They often find, however, growing numbers of students say they self-censor on campus, or do not think free speech exists on campus. This fits with several general surveys of students from the Knight Foundation and other outside organizations, all of which tend to make clear the reality of the intellectual climate on campuswe now have a university climate that would have made East Germany proud. More than 30 years ago, Abigail Thernstrom memorably described our colleges and universities as islands of repression in a sea of freedom. It has only gotten worse since then.

Suddenly some universities are trying to block further campus surveys because they are fearful that the same parental and political backlash against ideological education we are seeing in K-12 might soon spread to higher education. In Wisconsin, administrators are trying to block a Student Perceptions of Campus Free Speech Survey because, as the Chronicle of Higher Education reported, Others on campus have raised questions about the surveys potential misuse by Republican legislators. Now why would they fear that Republican legislators would misuse the surveys findings, unless there is a well-founded expectation that any survey will reveal the rigid speech-chilling conformity of a university that emanates exclusively from the left?

A similar scene is playing out in Florida, where the state legislature has requested the states public universities conduct a campus viewpoint diversity survey:

Last year, Floridas Republican Legislature passed a bill requiring all public colleges to distribute an annual survey of political beliefs in order to assess the status of intellectual and viewpoint diversity on campuses across the state. The measure was motivated, in part, by conservative beliefs that institutions of higher education favor a liberal ideology. It used to be thought that a university campus was a place where youd be exposed to a lot of different ideas, said Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, at a news conference where he signed the bill into law. Unfortunately, now the norm is really, these are more intellectually repressive environments.

A union is urging faculty, staff, and students not to cooperate with the survey, saying in a news release: Floridas government has no right to know the thoughts, feelings, or political or religious beliefs of anyone, including the higher education community. This is pretty rich coming from the very same people who want to require faculty to sign diversity loyalty oaths for hiring and advancement. As has been obvious for a long time, diversity on campus today does not include much diversity of thought.

As with Wisconsin, the real reason for the resistance to these surveys is that everyone knows what they will find. We have reported repeatedly here on Power Line about faculty hiring ads with a clear leftist ideological bent, the subtext of which is always conservatives need not apply.

Thomas Sowell has been asking for years: Whenever a college faculty member or administrator brags about their diversity, ask them how many Republicans they have in their sociology department. Actually, Republican legislators in Florida, Wisconsin, and elsewhere should hold hearings with college presidents, deans, provosts, and individual department chairs and ask them a whole series of questions exactly along this line.
We followed the death of Amir Locke in the course of a no-knock raid by the Minneapolis Police Department here (February 7), here (February 9), and here (February 11). The Minneapolis police were in search of a murder suspect sought by the St. Paul police. Locke was an innocent victim of the raid when he pulled a gun on the officers and Officer Mark Hanneman shot him three times, as can be seen in the bodycam footage released following the raid.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension conducted an investigation of the incident. This past Wednesday the Hennepin County Attorneys Office and the Minnesota Attorney General issued a joint report summarizing the results investigation and announced that no charges would be brought. The County Attorneys press release links to the 44-page report and related materials.

The report arrived at the reasonable conclusion that the circumstances are such that an objectively reasonable officer in Officer Hannemans position would have perceived an immediate threat of death or great bodily harm that was reasonably likely to occur, and an objectively reasonable officer would not delay in using deadly force.

I sought to present the facts and withhold judgment until all relevant facts were in with one exception. I stand by my judgment that you can see why the Minneapolis police might have wanted a no-knock warrant and that, apart from the murder suspect himself, the culprit at the heart of the tragic chain of events leading to the death of Amir Locke is Minnesotas pathetic criminal justice system.

As of Friday, The Minneapolis Police Department is officially prohibited from executing no-knock search warrants. The city posted a press release announcing the new policy, with details here.

The coverage of this incident by the Minnesota media has been superficial at best. There may be good tactical alternatives to no-knock warrants. If not, it would be good to know. If so, one would never know it from reading the Minnesota media. We are also left to wonder if the Biden Department of Justice will resist the temptation to insert its nose into the case. One can only hope so.
A review of the law prohibiting female genital mutilation (FGM) in Ekiti State has provided punitive measures for medical doctors and nurses who engage in the illicit practice.

Such practitioners will lose their operational licenses and risk two years in jail.

Local and unorthodox practitioners of the harmful practice would also face two years in prison with an option of a N200,000 fine if found guilty.

The law, tagged Ekiti State Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Provision Law, was first enacted in 2019 as a drastic measure to deal with ancient practice.

Despite the law and enlightenment campaigns, the state government is still grappling with defiance from adherents of the tradition.

Olukemi Akinleye, the Coordinator of Ekiti State programme on the Eradication of FGM, said on Saturday that the state government is now going hard on those involved.

She spoke at a workshop organised by Hacey Health Initiative, held in Iyin-Ekiti, Irepodun/ Ifelodun Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

Mrs Akinleye appealed to Ekiti residents to collaborate with the government for increased awareness to stamp out FGM that had brought shame to the state.

The Anti-FGM Law had been in existence since 2002, but was in 2019 integrated into the GBV Prohibition Law, she said.

The government is now more severe about the implementation and those still practising the harmful custom will be punished .

In the law, any medical staff found culpable of cutting female genitalia, is to forfeit his license and go to two years imprisonment with an option of N200,000 fine.

Why should any doctor or nurse lose his license because of FGM that cant fetch him more than N3,000? The law is in place and now being forcefully implemented to punish those disobeying governments order that FGM must stop in Ekiti.

Ekiti is topping the chart of states still practising FGM in the South-west, with an index of 57.9 per cent, according to the World Health Organisation.

Ekiti State is a honourable state, land of honour and cant be found to be leading in FGM and having the highest teenage pregnancy indices in the Southwest said Ms Akinleye.

This is largely due to lack of sex education and this is what we are trying to correct.

A lot of homes had been disorganised as a result of long-term infections from FGM causing barrenness, marital crisis and increased domestic violence. Our people must stop this at all cost.

She described as unfounded; the myths being peddled around that female gender, whose genitals were not cut, would be promiscuous and suffer stillbirths, saying the reverse was the case.

A representative of Hacey Health Initiative, Bamidele Oyewumi, said the organisation is determined to partner the state government in sensitising the locals on the evils inherent in FGM to safeguard the life of the citizens.

In 2013, Ekiti had a prevalence rate of 72 per cent, but dropped to 57.9 per cent in 2019. The figure, however, has not improved its standing as it has already overtaken Osun State, which hitherto occupied the number one spot.

According to UNICEF, five states in Nigeria: Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Osun and Oyo, are leading in female genital mutilation.

UNICEF, in a report, said nearly three million girls and women would have undergone female genital mutilation in the last five states.

UNICEF said the prevalence of FGM is highest in the South-east with 35 per cent, followed by South-west with 30 per cent and lowest in the North-east with 6 per cent.

The Fund submits that female genital mutilation remains widespread in Nigeria, with about 19.9 million survivors.

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Nigeria accounts for the third highest number of women and girls who have undergone female genital mutilation.

While the national prevalence of female genital mutilation among women in Nigeria aged 15 49 dropped from 25 per cent in 2013 to 20 per cent in 2018, prevalence among girls increased from 16.9 per cent to 19.2 per cent within the same period.
The National Industrial Court in Lagos has ordered the telecom giant, Airtel, to pay about N160 million to Abdul-Hakeem Olasewere, an employee wrongfully dismissed by the company on Christmas eve, 2013.

Justice J. D. Peters, in his judgment on April 7, said the termination of Mr Olaseweres employment by Airtel is wrongful and without any justifiable basis.

He frowned at the decision of the company to fail to provide a reason to throw its former employee into the job market during a festive period.

It is against the international best practice as well as international labour standard to lay off a performing staff without justifiable reasons, said the judge.

At the global level, termination of employment at will and without reason is no longer fashionable or acceptable.

We must bear in mind that no nation can be an island to herself and any nation that seeks to do so will be doing so at her own peril.

Therefore, the need to ensure that the Nigerian labour jurisprudence is in tandem with what is obtainable at the international scene found reflection in the National Industrial Court Act, 2006.

The suit

According to Mr Olasewere, Airtel employed him in 2008. After a series of promotions, he rose to the position of VP, Operations and Support.

He said he had consistently ranked as one of Airtels top managers of human resources and was only two steps away from the position of Chief Executive Officer in the managements organisational chart. To his surprise, however, he said he received an internal communication in November 2013 informing him he had been removed as VP, Operations and Support and made VP Special Projects Site Optimisation.

According to him, the new role was a reduction in responsibility, as he was not responsible for any senior and general managers or external human capital but reported only to the Chief Executive Officer.

Mr Olasewere said on November 11, 2013, the companys Chief Technology Officer and Director of Human Resources summoned him to a meeting where they told him that some Integrated Site Maintenance (ISM) vendors had sent in some petitions against him and the evidence was damning. They further told him that he needed to step aside for three to four days for a proper investigation to be carried out.

Mr Olasewere said they did not communicate to him after ten days and he wrote to request for a meeting for disclosure of the allegations against him. He said the company informed him that there was at least one petition bordering on wrongful dismissal and another allegation of improper conduct unbecoming of someone in his position.

Mr Olasewere said they summoned him to another meeting on December 12, 2013, with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Finance Officer, SCM Director, and Jubril Saba of the Human Resources Department. He said he, again, requested the disclosure of the allegations against him but they again refused same.

On December 24, 2013, Mr Olasewere said the company terminated his employment without notice.

According to him, the termination of his employment was accentuated by malice, pre-meditated and a deliberate attempt and machination of Mr. Segun Ogunsanya (the CEO) to oust any possible likely successor to the office of the Chief Executive Officer in the event of the impending expiration of his contract of employment.

Mr Olasewere sought a declaration that the termination of his employment is wrongful and an order for the payment of N1.3 billion as special damages.

He also sought an order for the payment of N100 million as general damages for the breach of the contract of employment and disciplinary policy and procedure, among others.

The defence

In its defence, Airtel said it is not under any contractual obligation to state the reason, cause or the basis for the termination of its employees employment.

The company also maintained that the reassignment of Mr Olasewere to a new role does not amount to demotion, victimization or disciplinary sanction.

It further stated that in the unlikely event the court holds that Mr Olaseweres employment was wrongfully terminated, the only remedy available to him is the award of salary for the period of notice which he has already been paid. It noted that the former employee was to repay N4.9 million, the outstanding sum after the remuneration due him were deducted from a N13.2 million car loan.

The judgment

In his judgment, Mr Peters noted that the Airtel management failed to give Mr Olasewere a fair hearing before his sack.

This court has found the termination of the employment of the Claimant wrongful, said the judge.

Not only is the termination wrongful, the conduct of the Defendant as exemplified or represented by its CEO Mr. Segun Ogunsanya is despicable and a stain on the corporate image of the Defendant to have allowed personal ambition and self-serving interest to overshadow the overall interest of the entire corporate entity.

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From the pleadings and evidence led by the parties, I see also some elements of fraudulent activities being covered by those who wanted the Claimant out of the Defendant by all means. Whether it is called fraud or corruption, it amounts to one and the same thing.

The judge also lambasted Airtel for doing everything possible to frustrate the subpoena issued to its CEO, Mr Olusanya.

The only plausible inference available to the court is that the Defendant was afraid of the evidence of Mr Segun Ogunsanya as it would have worked against it if allowed to be heard.

Accordingly, I hold that the evidence of the Claimant on allegations of malice leading to the termination of his employment remains intact, unchallenged, and uncontroverted.

The judge awarded N100 million exemplary damages against Airtel. He also awarded Mr Olasewere his two years salary amounting to N60 million as general damages for the wrongful termination of his employment without justifiable basis.

He further awarded and ordered Airtel to pay the former employee N1 million as the cost of the litigation.

He, however, ordered the Claimant to pay N4.9 million being the outstanding balance of his Vehicle Purchase Loan.

All the sums of money due and payable under this judgment both to the Claimant and the Counter claimant shall be paid with interest at the rate of 20% per annum from the date of this judgment until final liquidation, he added.
Gunmen have again razed the country home of the Imo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Cyprian Akaolisa. The house is located at Obibi Awo, Idemili in Orsu Local Government Area the state.

The gunmen had attacked the same community last year to set fire on one of Mr Akaolisas houses and that of his aged father.

The commissioner, who confirmed the attacks, said the latest attack was more devastating as the gunmen reduced the houses to rubble.

The incident, PREMIUM TIMES learnt, happened on Saturday night.

Mr Akaolisa in a statement on his Facebook wall lamented that the local government has been overun by criminals masquerading as freedom fighters.

His statement reads: The Igbo are hardworking people who through their years of toils put up structures and leave developmental strides in their communities of origin.

Through my many years of struggle, I have managed to put a block on another to build a befitting house for my family. My aged father also has a house he built through his sweats.

Today, the both buildings are in rubbles and ashes  our fellow Igbos burnt them.

Firstly, last year, these arsonists burnt my country home in Obibi, Awo-Idemili, Orsu LGA of Imo State for no just cause.

This year again, they returned and this time, they perfected the complete burning of even the blocks/bricks.

And last night, to my utter consternation, they leveled my fathers house. This is a house my father built by himself  the life-toil of an aged man.

In other words, I wish to put on record that my family house is completely destroyed. This was after they used a truck to cart all the properties: fridges TVs, bed/foams, generator sets and other household materials.

The commissioner noted that such acts are driving away investors from the South-east.

What are my crimes, who did I offend? And what were my fathers offences? And I dare ask, where is the Igbo spirit? This is a direct affront on the aku ruo ulo spirit. Who will invest in Ala Igbo nay Orsu LGA today under this type of atmosphere? he said.

He said the attacks on his properties were part of the larger series of attacks by armed persons in the local government.

The above are acts of arson ongoing in my LGA of Orsu. The complete burning of our LGA Secretariat, the house of my colleague  Chief Prince Ford Ozumba, the Hon Commissioner, Imo State Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity, the House of Hon. Ekene Nnodumele, the member representing Orsu State Constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly.

There are also houses of other political leaders which have been razed in my area so far. Other ungodly acts are the sacking and carting away of all the Police presence & armouries in Orsu LGA, the kidnapping and killing of well-to-do individuals and security operatives. This attendant scare has become a daily phenomenon in my Local Government Area.

Today, these gunmen (Codenamed Umu Oma, under the guise of freedom fighters) have continued to demand huge sums of money from mourning families who wish to bury their loved ones and the likes. It is now strictly business.

These gunmen have almost made a god of themselves, killing and carniballising at will, in my area but believe me, they will not succeed with our voices up and collaborative efforts.

Where is the Igbo spirit, umunne m? It is unfortunate that majority of those who forment these troubles are not indeginous to Orsu but have garnered collaborators and enablers among the locals either through fear, persuasion, financial inducements and made to swear to devilish oats of secrecy

It is time to synergize and put an end to the siege in Orsu LGA and liberate our people who are worse hit by the economic downturn occasioned by the ravaging insecurity. For the enablers and cheerers, It is time for the needed retrospect, soul-searching to interrogate the process so far by weighing the gains and loses, he said.

The security situation in the South-east continues to worsen with attacks on security agencies, high profile individuals and government facilities.

The Nigerian government has blamed the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group that seeks to create an Independent Biafran country from the South-east and parts of the South-south, for the attacks.

The group has, however, denied responsibility for most of the attacks.

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The IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is currently on trial for treason in Abuja.
Gunmen, suspected to be bandits, have attacked and killed some locals and razed down many houses in four villages of Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the attackers stormed the villages on Sunday afternoon, shooting sporadically and setting properties belonging to the locals on fire.

A resident of the area, Danladi Dukup, told NAN that some people lost their lives while others sustained various degrees of injuries.

He said that many of the villagers have fled their homes for safety following the invasion.

Ishaku Takwa, the media officer of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), a military task force maintaining peace in Plateau and environs, confirmed the attack to journalists on Sunday in Jos.

Mr Takwa, who did not confirm the number of persons killed or injured, said that troops of the task force have been deployed to the area to restore normalcy.

This attack is coming barely 24 hours after the abduction of the wife and daughter of the states Commissioner for Environment.

(NAN)
Masked gunmen, on Monday, killed a passenger and set a sienna vehicle ablaze at the popular Holy Ghost roundabout, Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigerias South-east.

The gunmen, said to be members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) enforcing the suspended Monday sit-at-home order, also snatched away a minibus during the attack.

The incident happened at about 6:30 a.m.

When PREMIUM TIMES visited the scene of the attack, some bus drivers and makeshift traders were seen discussing the attack in hushed tones.

There was no security operative in the area, as of 2:45 p.m.

A tanker driver, Anthony Ezeke, who witnessed the incident, told PREMIUM TIMES that the gunmen stormed the area in a convoy of three Toyota Camry vehicles.

He said the masked gunmen set the Sienna vehicle ablaze after pouring Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, on it.

They (gunmen) were shouting at some of the drivers there for coming out on a sit-at-home day. Suddenly, a Sienna vehicle went into flames. The passengers and driver ran away. I have told my Oga that I will not be working on Mondays again, Mr Ezeke said.

A bus driver, who also witnessed the attack, but asked not to be named, told this newspaper that the gunmen killed a passenger who was negotiating the fare with the Sienna driver.

He said the gunmen ordered the passenger, who was to travel to Abakiliki, the Ebonyi State capital, to lie down, but he hesitated to prompt the hoodlums to shoot him.

Driver was not killed, he ran away. But the gunmen snatched a minibus from another driver. They were wearing masks, he said.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the gunmen had issued warnings to the Sienna drivers to stop operating on Mondays.

The police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, did not respond to calls and text messages seeking comments from him.

Gunmen attacks in the South-east have increased in recent times.

IPOB, a group seeking the creation of an independent State of Biafra which they want to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south, has been accused of being responsible for the deadly attacks across the two regions.

Photo: The Sienna vehicle razed by gunmen on Monday

Credit: Chinagorom Ugwu/PREMIUM TIMES
Former governor of Lagos State and presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu, on Monday, said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is not his son.

Mr Tinubu spoke shortly after a meeting with twelve All Progressives Congress (APC) governors at the Kebbi State Governors Lodge, Abuja.

The meeting was held hours after Mr Osinbajo declared his intention to also run for president.

It is widely held that the former governor and national leader of the APC played a major role in Mr Osinbajos emergence as President Muhammadu Buharis running mate in 2015.

The vice president had served as attorney general and commissioner for justice while Mr Tinubu was governor of Lagos State.

Reacting to Mr Osinbajos declaration to run for president, Mr Tinubu said: I dont have any son grown up enough to make such declaration.

The fact that we have people in our party that express desire to lead the party into the highest office in the electoral contest shows how much this our party has resonated with Nigerians and our party members.

On the purpose of meeting with the APC governors, the former Lagos Governor said it was merely to seek collaboration, support and encouragement concerning his presidential bid.

My mission here is to seek collaboration, support, and encouragement of my party, the APC, for my ambition to become the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a replacement for President Muhammadu Buhari after his tenure, he said.

Some of the governors at the meeting were Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Gboyega Oyetola of Osun, Mala of Yobe, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Bagudu, who is the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), said Mr Tinubu informed them of his plan to run for president.

He briefed us on his reasons, thinking, and message. The governors graciously listened to him to digest everything he said. He acknowledged the role of the governors in the last convention of the party by helping in the evolution of the leadership that is acceptable and widely acknowledged by all party members.

Before indicating his plan to contest for the presidency, Mr Osinbajo had on Sunday met with some APC Governors at the Presidential Villa.
Page Content

Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunication (TEATT), the honourable Roger Lawrence, received the support of the Council of Ministers (COM) on Thursday last week for his initiative to reduce gasoline prices and alleviate some of the financial burdens presently being felt by residents at the pump.





Lawrence's fuel price relief proposal includes reducing Government's earnings on the fuel price build-up to reflect pre-COVID-19 amounts. Lawrence said, "Doing this will ensure the Government continues to earn fairly and at the same time bring some economic relief to the people of our Country. The Ministry of TEATT continues to monitor the global and local fuel price changes and expects St. Maarten's gasoline price to rise to NAF 2.822 shortly.





Lawrence has collaborated with his colleagues, the Minister of Justice, and the Minister of Finance, to enact the necessary legislative changes. He said he was pleased with the support of his colleagues. "To implement the proposed fuel price relief, the Finance and Justice ministries would need to enact changes within our legislation to reduce the amount of money the Government collects in the revenue for gasoline through import duties."

Now that the proposal has received the support of the COM, the next step is to quickly submit a draft legislation for its approval.





Minister Lawrence said he "shares the concern of many citizens about the rising gas prices." He explained that his goal is to return the revenue amount collected by Government to the figures for 2019. He explained that based on a fixed percentage paid on fuel per liter, the actual dollar amount paid to Government naturally increases each time the fuel price increases. The Government receives Turn Over Tax (TOT) and Import Duty from the fuel price build-up, and today, that amounts to a combined NAF 0.539 cents per litre. The new proposal from the Ministry of TEATT will reduce the Government's duty revenue by approximately 14%. The aim is to keep these changes in effect until global fuel conditions become more favourable for the local market to experience relief.





To motivate the approach for fuel price reduction, Lawrence said, "The island's economy has not fully recovered and there is still evidence of the negative economic impact of COVID-19. COVID-19 also compounded an already slow to recover economy post-hurricane Irma and Maria of 2017." He admitted that the island is doing much better economically than it did a year ago but emphasized on the need to continue to provide relief where possible for the average citizen."

On March 22nd, 2022, St. Maartens Government was forced to adjust the maximum fuel prices on petroleum products upward as developments regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine resulted in global fuel prices rising to record high numbers. As the cost of fuel is expected to continue increasing, this counteractive measure from the Ministry of TEATT will mitigate the impact on the local economy and support residents.





PHOTO CUTLINE: L to R: Minister of Justice Hon. Ana Richardson, Minister of TEATT Hon. Roger Lawrence, and the Minister of Finance Hon. Ardwell Irion
A group of gunmen has raided several villages in Gassol and Karim Lamido local government areas in Taraba State in Nigerias troubled northeast region, the Daily Trust Newspaper is reporting.

The newspaper reports that the gunmen particularly attacked Kambari town, a community close to neighbouring Plateau State. Dense forests surround the difficult to reach town and nearby communities, which make them havens for the gunmen.

The gunmen have reportedly attacked police facilities in the area, forcing personnel to abandon their posts. There are reports that the gunmen are raping young girls and women in the invaded communities. The report claimed that the bandits were also abducting residents.

Following the attacks on towns and villages in the area, residents in six towns and villages  Gwammo, Wurno, Tungan Kaya, Gidan Kawoyel, and Ali Kwala  have fled their homes to relatively safe communities nearby.

Residents of nearby communities such as WuroJam, Karar, Shika, Amar, Zip, WuruJam, Illela and Maigemu are worried the gunmen will raid their communities next.

An unnamed resident told the newspaper that residents are fleeing to the relatively safe Mutumbiyu town and other places as the activities of the gunmen worsen.

A resident of Kambari town said the town is now the operational base of the gunmen. According to the bandits, the gunmen are suspected to be from Zamfara and Katsina states.

There is no presence of police and vigilante in Kambari. Terrorists are in total control of the town and they move freely with their arms, he said.

A former resident of the area, who moved to Mutumbiyu town, said it is no longer safe to stay in the town.

We are under siege; we need the government to intervene by sending soldiers to chase out the terrorists because they are regrouping every day and also recruiting our young men, he said.

Soldiers confront gunmen

According to the report, soldiers were deployed to the Gassol town to kick out the gunmen and in the ensuing firefights, several of the gunmen were killed.

A resident of Gassol town, Rabiu Saidu, told Daily Trust that the deployment of soldiers in Gassol district has brought relief to the people.

He told the newspaper the soldier are forcing the gunmen to make quick retreats and many of them have moved out of the town.

Mr Saidu then called on the authorities to deploy soldiers to Kambari and other communities across the Benue River, which are under constant attacks by the gunmen.

The chairperson of Karim Lamido council, Markus Hamidu, did not answer calls or reply SMS sent to him on the issue.

The police spoke person of Taraba command, Usman Abdullahi, told Daily Trust he was not aware of any such attack.

If it is true that terrorists have taken over Kambari town or any other village, why didnt residents inform the police? he said.

Though Taraba State is in the troubled North-east region, it has been spared the Boko Haram insurgency.

However, the agrarian state is a bloody theatre of pastoralists and farmer clashes. Violent communal clashes between Jukun and Tiv natives also plagued the state.

The report that the gunmen are suspected to be bandits, who have sacked several communities, killed thousands and abducted and displaced even more people in the Northwest, if true, would leave Nigerian authorities worried as it will mean an escalation of the still intractable conflicts in many parts of the country.
The new National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) bill if signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, will boost the agencys performance and address its longstanding funding problems, NHRCs executive secretary, Tony Ojukwu, has said.

The signing of the bill will help to shore up Nigerias human rights records, given that the commission would do more to deliver on its statutory mandate, a statement issued on Monday by the commission quoted Mr Ojukwu as saying.

Mr Ojukwu added that the bill would address the issue of insufficient powers and funding that had hampered the commissions effective operation and functioning since its inception in 1995.

The bill will address the issue of inadequate powers and funding that have hindered the effective operation and functioning of the Commission since its establishment in 1995, Mr Ojukwu said.

The NHRC Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2022 seeks to repeal the existing NHRC Act 2004 amended in 2010.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Senate had passed the bill on April 5 but cannot immediately ascertain when the House of Representatives passed it.

The NHRC, in its statement signed by its public affairs official, Fatimah Agwai-Mohammed, quoted Mr Ojukwu as imploring Mr Buhari to expedite the signing of the bill into law.

Mr Ojukwu said signing of the bill by the President will be one of the giant achievements of the present administration in the area of human rights promotion and protection in the country.

He added that once signed by the President, the law will maintain Nigerias National Human Rights Commissions grade A position as rated by the Global Alliance of Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) in recognition of its compliance with the Paris Principles.

Although the NHRC is statutorily on the first-line charge in the national budget, insufficient funds has often hampered its operations.

For instance, PREMIUM TIMES reported how the funding problem, last year, crippled the #EndSARS panel which the commission set up to probe complaints of police brutality.

Optimistic that the new bill when Buhari signs it into law will address the funding problem, Mr Ojukwu lauded both the Senate and the House of Representatives for the passage of the bill.

Salient provisions

The chairperson, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Bamidele Opeyemi, while introducing the bill for passage by the Senate on April 5, said it makes specific provisions for the establishment of the National Human Rights Fund to fund the operations of the commission.

It also, according to Mr Bamidele, provides for effective means of sustaining contributions to the fund.

He noted that the idea behind it was to reposition and streamline the institutional framework of NHRC for improved performance.

A virile and enduring democratic value system cannot be fully entrenched in Nigeria if we do not have an independent and incorruptible human rights institution with adequate funding mechanisms free from unnecessary interference from the Government, Mr Bamidele said.
The police in Osun say they are investigating the alleged extra-judicial killing of a telephone technician, Afolabi Abiola, in Osogbo.

Police Spokesperson Yemisi Opalola said on Monday in Osogbo that Olawale Olokode, Commissioner of Police in Osun, directed the investigation to unravel the circumstances leading to the alleged killing.

The commissioner assured they would make the outcome of the investigation public at the end of the exercise.

The commissioner of police uses this medium to inform the people of Osun, especially youths that investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of Abiola is on-going.

He promises to make the outcome of the investigation public.

He urges everyone to believe in the police and to allow justice to take its course, as he would meet with the state government and Civil Society Organisations to do justice to the matter.

Mr Olokode urges youths, individuals or groups still planning to embark on a protest over the matter to shelve the plan, Ms Opalola said.

Protests had erupted in Osogbo on Friday over the alleged shooting of Mr Abiola by a police officer.

The protesters, who claimed the police officer shot and killed Mr Olamide for refusing to part with a bribe, blocked vehicular movement at the Olaiya Junction in Osogbo.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt the police officer, who is from Housing Estate Police Station, Ring Road, shot the deceased in the presence of his girlfriend.

The protest followed a statement by Ms Opalola that Mr Abiola (whom the police alleged to be an armed robber), died in a hospital from police gunshot to his leg in the process of arrest.

The police reaction came four days after the shooting took place.

The protesters demanded that the Inspector-General of Police should remove the Commissioner of Police in Osun, Mr Olokode whom they accused of shielding officers in his command.

They alleged the officers were carrying out extrajudicial killings and committing other rights abuses in the state.

Oluwasegun Idowu, the spokesperson of the Osun Police Watch, alleged that police officers shot Mr Abiola on his leg in front of his house at the Capital Area, Osogbo, around 12.30 a.m. on April 3.

Mr Idowu said the deceaseds friend, Matthew, is currently in police detention while his girlfriend, also arrested, had been released.

He lamented that police in the state had failed to give details as to the reason for shooting Abiola or the whereabouts of the corpse.

On Saturday, the Osun State government said it is awaiting police investigation into the recent killing of the technician.

Abiodun Ige, the Special Adviser on Security to the governor, said the commissioner of police in the state had assured an investigation into events that led to the killing of Mr Olamide.

We will await the outcome of the smooth run of the investigation before we can make further comments as a government.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will, on May 30, re-arraign a former National Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, on money laundering charges involving the alleged diversion of N400 million from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA).

Mr Metuh was earlier jailed for seven years over the charges, but his conviction was set aside and a fresh trial was ordered by the Court of Appeal in Abuja in December 2020.

The former PDP spokesperson is expected to be re-arraigned before Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered on Monday from Court 8 that hearing notices had already been issued, though it could not confirm if lawyers to the parties had been communicated.

NAN reports on February 15 that the retrial of the ex-PDP spokesperson had been reassigned to Mr Nwite, the new judge in the Abuja division.

Before the reassignment, the matter was previously with Obiora Egwuatu until his transfer to the Abuja division of the court.

Mr Egwatu had fixed October 14, 2021, for Mr Metuhs re-arraignment after the Court of Appeals decision which nullified the trial courts judgment.

The scheduled hearing was, however, stalled due to the judges absence. The judge was said to have gone for the judges seminar in Lagos State.

The court, therefore, rescheduled the re-arraignment for February 15. But a check by NAN that day showed that the case was not listed.

However, NAN later gathered that the matter had been reassigned to Mr Nwite.

Background

EFCC had, in January 2016, arraigned Mr Metuh for money laundering involving N400 million which was said to have been illegally transferred to him from the ONSA account by then National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

He allegedly received the money from ONSA to fund PDPs presidential election campaign in 2015.

The court convicted him and his firm, Destra Investment Limited, on February 25, 2020.

While the judge, Okon Abang, jailed Mr Metuh for seven years, he ordered that the convicted company be wound up and its assets forfeited to the federal government.

But the Court of Appeal, in its decision delivered on December 16, 2020, set aside the proceedings leading to Mr Metuhs conviction.

A three-member panel of the appellate court led by Stephen Adah based its decision on the premise that the trial judge allegedly exhibited bias against him and his legal team.

The court ordered the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to reassign the case to another judge apart from Mr Abang for a retrial.

Following the Court of Appeals judgement, a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Nkeonye Maha, on December 24, 2020, granted an N250 million bail to Mr Metuh and permission to travel abroad pending the commencement of his retrial.

EFCC, in January 2021, appealed against the Court of Appeals decision. The appeal by EFCC is still pending at the Court of Appeal.

NAN
Human Rights lawyer, Mbasekei Obono, on Monday, asked the National Assembly to remove sections of the states criminal and penal codes that outlaw blasphemy.

Mr Obono made the appeal following the sentencing of one Mubarak Bala, an atheist, by a court in Kano for making a post on Facebook considered to be blasphemous against Islam and Prophet Mohammed.

Mr Bala, who had been held in custody for two years without charges, pleaded guilty to an 18-count charge on April 5, 2022.

Mr Bala is the president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria. He was arrested at his home in Kaduna State on April 28, 2020, and then brought to Kano where he was charged and sentenced.

Mr Obono said the growing trend of sentencing young Nigerians under the pretext of blasphemy must be discontinued.

He said several others have been sentenced using the same pretext. He said those sentenced were merely exercising their rights to the freedom of thought and religion.

Omar Farouq who was 13, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for blasphemy in Kano. The conviction was later upturned on appeal. Yahaya Sharif-Aminu was sentenced to death for blasphemy, and Abduljabbar Nasiru-Kabara is still facing trial.

Mubarak Bala has been convicted and sentenced to 24 years imprisonment for blasphemy.

The denial of freedom of thoughts is a denial of mental autonomy. Mental autonomy is greatly needed for a thriving democracy and nation-building, the right lawyer wrote in the petition, he said.

The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides in section 10 that Nigeria is a secular state. The implication of section 10 is that there is no official religion binding on Nigeria. Also, the constitution as a common standard for human rights, adopted Article 18 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR), Articles 2 and 8 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights among other international instruments that guarantee the right to freedom of religion, thought and conscience.

By contrast and in a manner that contradicts the supremacy of the constitution, Sections 204 Criminal Code Law and Sections 210 Penal Code Law both criminalise public insult on a class of peoples religion. It is these laws in both northern and southern Nigeria that state governments depend on to violate the rights of people to freely express themselves.

This petition is therefore written to request an amendment of the Criminal and Penal Code laws of Nigeria by the National Assembly and the constitution to guarantee people the right to free expression of thoughts. The idea that only a class of people are permitted to express themselves while others cannot austerely impair their rights to human dignity. The amendment should encompass the right to reveal ones thoughts, the right not to be penalized for ones thoughts and the right not to have ones thoughts manipulated.

Denying an individual the freedom of thought is a denial of self-esteem, self-respect and grandeur. This is why freedom of thought is protected under international human rights law. It is one of the cardinal principles of a growing democracy. We need laws that will guarantee citizens the ability to think freely because depriving any person of such rights is to completely deprive them of their humanity and existence, he said.
Director-general of Ikeoha Campaign Organisation (ICO), Charles Asogwa, said the group has uncovered a plot by enemies of peace to block Ike Ekweremadu from contesting the 2023 governorship election in Enugu State.

Mr Asogwa said this in a statement on Sunday in Enugu.

ICO is the campaign organisation of the former deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu. Ikea is his traditional title.

The lawmaker has indicated his intention to run for governor of the state in 2023 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Asogwa said the campaign organisation has in its possession a court document seeking to halt Mr Ekweremadus governorship bid on grounds of zoning arrangement in the state.

Their festival of lawlessness has seen the State House of Assembly, Local Government Council Chairmen, Town Unions, and lately the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, and, in fact, almost every institution that our people hold in high reverence, needlessly dragged into and ridiculed by their reckless 2023 plots, he said.

In the suit marked E/254/2022 and seen by PREMIUM TIMES, Oforma Mbannaji, the applicant, contended that the PDP in the state has zoned the governorship ticket to Enugu East Senatorial District.

Mr Mbannaji, an indigene of Iji Nike, in Enugu East District, maintained that the former deputy senate president was conspicuously present and also signed the resolution supporting the zoning arrangement during an expanded PDP caucus meeting in 2013.

Mr Ekweremadu hails from Mpu in Aninri Local Government Area, Enugu West District of Enugu State.

In the suit, the applicant asked the court for an interlocutory injunction preventing Mr Ekweremadu from purchasing the partys nomination form until the case has been determined.

The suit filed by the applicants counsel, Peter Aneke, will be heard by a judge, Harold Eya of Enugu State High Court, on April 28.

But Mr Asogwa said the suit was another display of unmitigated and unconscionable desperation by people hell-bent on ridiculing and desecrating all institutions of democracy in a bid to stop the governorship aspiration of Mr Ekweremadu.

The Nigerian judiciary should therefore watch the unfolding events in Enugu very closely, for democracy is gravely imperilled when the rule of law is reduced to the rule and unholy schemes of some men, who found themselves in power.

We wish to restate that no amount of intimidation, attacks, and detention of the supporters and political associates of Senator Ekweremadu, appointment and election of known deadly thugs and cultists into state and local government offices, nocturnal meetings and fetish practices, procured press conferences and publications, and certainly no amount of frivolous court processes can stop an idea which time has come, Mr Asogwa added.

Zoning controversy

There has been controversy over zoning arrangements in the state. Although several political stalwarts in the state have thrown their weight behind the arrangement, it has received knocks from some quarters.

Mr Ekweremadu, who has been in the Nigerian Senate for 19 years, had insisted that there was no zoning agreement in the state.

The lawmaker, a member of the PDP, had also described zoning as a political treachery.
The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has frowned at the suggested payment of at least 75 per cent lump sum to retiring workers under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The suggestion was made in the Pension Reform Amendment Bill currently before the National Assembly.

PenComs Director-General, Aisha Dahir-Umar, said the suggestion implies that a retiring worker can decide to take 100 per cent of the money in his or her Retirement Savings Account (RSA).

Mrs Dahir-Umar noted that the suggestion was based on a misunderstanding of the concept of pension payment under the CPS.

She said the proposed amendment also contravened the 1999 Constitution, which guaranteed the right to pensions for all public officers.

That suggestion also converts the CPS into a Provident Fund and leaves such a retiree with no periodic pensions, contrary to the requirement of Section 173 of the 1999 Constitution, she said.

Mrs Dahir-Umar expressed her views in a presentation at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Pensions.

The hearing focused on a Bill for an Act to amend Section 1(c) and Section 7(2) of the Pension Reform Act 2014.

A copy of her presentation was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

Section 7 (1) (a) of the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014 allows for only 25 per cent of the retirement saving to be paid as a lump sum to a retiree.

This is provided that the amount left after the lump sum withdrawal is sufficient to fund a programmed withdrawal or annuity over 10 years or the expected lifespan of the retiree.

According to Mrs Dahir-Umar, the provision of monthly pensions is central to the objective of mitigating old age poverty under the CPS.

She explained that the PenCom retirement benefits payment template ensured that the RSA had enough balance and should be sufficient to provide at least 50 per cent of the retirees terminal pay as monthly pensions.

She noted that it was the residue after this provision was made that could be taken as a lump sum.

It is inaccurate to suggest that there is a fixed lump sum for all retirees; rather the lump sum is determined after securing a minimum replacement ratio of 50 per cent of last pay as monthly pensions, she said.

The PenCom boss observed that the proposed amendment would amount to leaving only 25 per cent to be spread for pensions thus resulting in meagre monthly pensions.

It is doubtful if the 25 per cent balance in a retirees RSA, after deduction of 75 per cent lump sum would be adequate to reasonably cater for his livelihood in old age.

It is important to note that the payment of 75 per cent of RSA balance as a lump sum upon retirement is not obtainable in other jurisdictions operating the CPS.

This is due to its resultant effect of rolling back the principal objectives of the CPS.

The objective seeks to provide a pool of pension funds that are invested for the benefit of retirees throughout their retirement life and not just immediately upon retirement, Mrs Dahiru-Umar stressed.

She added that PenCom supports the improvement of living conditions of retirees as evidenced by the periodic pension enhancement for retirees under the programmed withdrawal mode.

She suggested that the remedy for the agitation for the payment of at least 75 per cent lump sum lies in the implementation of the provision of Section 4(4) (a) of the PRA, 2014 dealing with payment of additional benefits upon retirement.

It provides that `notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Act, an employer may agree on payment of additional benefits to the employee upon retirement,

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Through this provision, employers may establish Gratuity or End of Service Benefit Schemes that are to be managed by licensed Pension Funds Administrators for the exclusive benefit of employees at retirement.

These funds are usually separate from the RSA balances of employees and are paid directly to them at retirement.

Ultimately, this would considerably enhance the amount available to employees as retirement benefits, Mrs Dahiru-Umar added.

(NAN)
The police in Osun have confirmed the killing of Gbenga Ogbara, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Atakumosa East Central Local Government Area of the state.

Yemisi Opalola, the police spokesperson in the state, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Osogbo that suspected gunmen killed the chairman at around 12.00 a.m. in his sitting room.

Ms Opalola, a superintendent of police, said the body of the chairman had been deposited at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Wesley Guild, Ilesa.

According to her, a police investigation is ongoing on the matter.

She said they had deployed police officers to the area.

The criminals will not escape justice, the spokesperson said.

NAN learnt that the gunmen stormed the residence of the late APC chairman in Igangan, his hometown, around 12.00 a.m and shot him dead.

It was also learnt that the gunmen also wounded the deceaseds wife, Ruth, and his child. They are currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Ilesa.

APC factions

It was gathered that the killing might be politically motivated, as the governorship election in the state is less than three months away.

The two factions of the APC in the state  The Osun Progressives loyal to former governor Rauf Aregbesola and a second group loyal to Governor Gboyega Oyetola  have frequently engaged each other in violent clashes.

It is still unclear which of the groups Mr Ogbara belonged to.

Reacting to the killing, the Osun State government said it had tasked security operatives to fish out the perpetrators and ensure justice.

A statement issued on Monday in Osogbo by Ismail Omipidan, the chief press secretary to Mr Oyetola, urged residents and citizens not to take the laws into their own hands.

As a government, we are resolved to do everything possible to protect citizens from actual and potential threats.

To this end, we have ordered security beef up around the Igangan area.

We have also directed security operatives to launch an extensive manhunt so as to fish out those responsible for the killing of the late APC chieftain.

Government enjoins all citizens to be peaceful and to be law-abiding as all efforts shall be made to protect them and their property at all times, the statement read.

(NAN)
The Nigeria government on Monday received 3,002,400 doses of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccines from the government of Italy.

Speaking at the handover ceremony in Abuja, the executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, said the donation was in line with the global call for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Mr Shuaib said the donation is also a reflection of the commitment of the Italian government and European delegates to the global efforts in halting the pandemic which has claimed millions of lives.

He said the rollout of the J&J vaccine across the country has rapidly improved vaccination coverage.

He noted that the donated vaccines will be judiciously utilised, saying the country has instituted accountability in the COVID-19 vaccination programme to ensure efficient use of all available resources.

The donation of COVID-19 vaccines by the Italian government is the second to Nigeria in the last five weeks. The Japanese government on March 2 donated 859,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to Nigeria through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, COVAX.

Vaccination so far

Mr Shuaib said over 13 million eligible persons in Nigeria have been fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus and 23 million others have received their first dose.

As of today the 11th of April 2022, we have fully vaccinated 13,588,718 persons which is approximately 12.2 per cent of our total eligible population.

Meanwhile 23,012,700 others have received their first dose which represents 18 per cent of the total eligible population, he said.

He said the agency has intensified technical support to all states to ramp up the vaccination coverage.

Mr Shuaib said states are being supported to finalise their micro plans which will further strengthen accountability in the utilisation and management of available resources and increase uptake based on locally acceptable methods and standards.

Speaking at the event , WHO country representative in Nigeria, Walter Mulombo, said the Italian government has been at the forefront of COVID-19 response through funding and equitable distribution of vaccines.

Mr Mulombo said this donation marks another remarkable example of global solidarity in action to end the pandemic.

He said the J&J vaccines arrived at the right time after the re-launching of the optimised SCALES strategy.

He said the SCALES 2.0 is aimed at providing an opportunity for the single dose COVID-19 vaccine to be rolled out in the states.

He said available data shows that the introduction of the single-dose vaccine has provided the opportunity for more eligible persons to become fully vaccinated.

He urged all eligible Nigerians who are yet to be vaccinated or who are due for their second or booster dose to avail themselves of current opportunities to receive their COVID-19 vaccines.
The Court of Appeal has ordered Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, and others to suspend the execution of the judgement of the Federal High Court which struck down section 84 (12) of the newly amended Electoral Act.

Mr Malami, had shortly after the Federal High Court in Umuahia, Abia State, delivered the judgement on March 22, foreclosed possible appeals by vowing to promptly enforce the verdict.

But the Owerri Division of the Court of Appeal has now issued an order putting the execution of the High Courts decision on hold, The Nation newspaper reports

According to the newspaper, a three-member panel of the appellate court led by Rita Pemu, made the order in a ruling granting a request by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to be joined as a party to the appeal challenging the March 18, 2022 judgement of the Federal High Court.

The appellate court, in its ruling, ordered parties to refrain from taking steps capable of frustrating pending appeal against the contested judgement.

Upon reading the application herein filed on 23-3-2022 with an affidavit in support sworn to by John Eronini on the same date and after hearing DC Denwigwe SAN for the applicant and Chief Emeka Ozoani SAN for the 1st respondent, order is hereby granted as follows;

Leave is hereby granted the applicant (PDP) to appeal as person interested in this appeal CA/OW/87/2022.

Due to the exigencies of this appeal and its Constitutional colorization, there is need to hear this matter expeditiously.

Accordingly, the Appellant is hereby given up to Tuesday 12th of April, 2022 to file its notice of Appeal and the parties are to file their respective briefs of arguments within three days from the date of service of the notice and record of Appeal on the respondents.

There shall be a further three days given to the appellant to file a reply.

Parties should desist from taking any step to frustrate the hearing of the appeal.

The matter is adjourned to the 4th of May, 2022, for the hearing of the appeal.

Fresh hearing notice to be issued on the 2nd to the 12th respondents.

Apart from the PDP, the National Assembly had also vowed to appeal against the verdict.

Another suit on the matter is still pending at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The judge, Inyang Ekwo, fixed April 28 for hearing in the case.

Background

The division of the federal court in Umuahia, Abia State, had on March 18, nullified Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act  a decision that sits well with President Muhammadu Buharis earlier protest against the controversial legal provision.

The novel statutory provision had prohibited political appointees from voting as delegates in party conventions or congresses for the election or nomination of candidates.

In her verdict, the judge, Evelyn Anyadike, held that the section was unconstitutional, invalid, illegal, null, void and of no effect whatsoever and ordered the AGF who was the sole defendant in the suit, to forthwith delete the said Subsection 12 of Section 84 from the body of the Electoral Act, 2022.

She anchored her decision on the grounds that the provision conflicted with the constitutional provision that already gives political appointees who intend to contest in an election to resign at least 30 days to the election.

She held that sections 66(1)(f), 107(1)(f), 137(1)(f) and 182(1)(f) of the 1999 Constitution already stipulated that government appointees seeking to contest elections are only to resign at least 30 days before the election.

Many lawyers have faulted this reasoning, arguing that political appointees are not part of the category of persons required by the constitution to resign at least 30 days to the election.

Mr Malami was picked as the sole defendant in the suit filed by Nduka Edede, a member of the Action Alliance (AA), a fringe political party in Nigeria.

The AGF has shown extra-ordinary interest in ensuring the striking down of the section 84(12) of the Electoral Act, which would have forced him out of office early for him to realise what is believed to be his ambition to contest the 2023 governorship election in Kebbi State, his home state.

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The President has another option regarding selecting persons of high quality and caliber as ministers at least for the key finance and economic portfolios.

by Raj Gonsalkorale

"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell the truth."- Oscar Wilde

The Jathika Vimukti Peramuna (JVP) has surfaced as the saviour that can lift the country out of the morass it has got into. Their analysis of the past and factors that have contributed to the current situation are compelling, quite comprehensive, and well-articulated. However, as most other analysts and political parties, they, like the others, are short on detail as to what specific measures they are offering to get out of the morass. Many, including the JVP, lives in the past and have not offered specificities but general slogans that are flaunted via sections of the media, the social media, sections of the clergy, both Buddhist and Christian.

Talking of the past, there are things that haunt many politicians and political parties. The JVP too has some skeletons they have hidden in cupboards and what some people seem to have hidden from their minds as well. The country experienced two violent uprisings of the JVP in 1971 and in 1988/1989. In particular, the second uprising of the JVP in the late eighties was more violent and inhuman. Those who lived through that period knows how violent it was. No doubt, some measures taken by the then government to quell that uprising were equally inhuman. More than 40,000 people were reportedly killed during that uprising, killed by the JVP and/or by a State apparatus. Some politicians who were part of that administration are still around and some have risen to great heights in the political arena.

The present-day would-be saviors, the JVP, needs to be remorseful and repentant about their violent campaigns to unseat the governments of the time and apologise to the Nation and the families of those killed during their two violent uprisings if they are to be treated with some regard and a semblance of respect. The Sunday Observer of 1st June 2014 reported that quote for the first time in its history, the JVP had tendered an apology to the people over 6,000 deaths that occurred due to JVP activities during the 88-89 insurrection. Addressing a meeting in London recently, JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake had expressed regret over the killings for which his party was responsible during the 1988-89. But one has to understand that 1988-89 uprising was no coincidence. There were developments that led to unfortunate incidents occurred during the 88-89 period, Anura Kumara had said. He added that the 88-89 uprising occurred due to oppressive behavior of the then UNP government, led by the late President J.R. Jayewardene. This feeble regret is not an apology, and it did not display any remorse for the violent activities of the JVP. The caveat that the uprising was a consequence of the oppressive behavior of President J R Jayewardene cannot be taken as any kind of justification for the wanton killing of thousands of innocent people

Perhaps those who are well aware of the dismal past of the JVP could be given masks so that they could hide behind them and let the people know the truth if they are genuinely concerned about the country and its future. Of course if they had guts, they would have told the truth without hiding behind masks. If the country accepts the violence of the JVP without any remorse or repentance on their part, a repetition of that violence will be more than possible. It is ironic that the LTTE is still a banned organization in Sri Lanka (and elsewhere), while the JVP is not, although both attempted to seize power in the country or section of the country by violent means.

It is important for the public to be more discerning and question whether there are Wolves in Sheeps clothing, and whether those who attempted to seize power by violent means, would do that again, and whether the organized campaigns being carried out now, as opposed to the spontaneous people protests, are a means to that end.

Critiques of a government are very necessary in a democracy. That is the right, and the privilege that democracy presents to the people. Criticism however needs to be realistic and constructive.

Realistic because of the very nature of democracy where there is no straight line to power and governance. People and forces that influence a democracy are many and varied, and politicians have to tread a fine line and be very good at doing balancing acts through compromises, which however cannot be unethical, immoral and corrupt. Constructive because it is easy to be destructive. Criticism levelled purely in pursuit of power for powers sake is easy, firstly because such criticism is free in a democracy, with no responsibilities attached, and because it is divisive, where one can compete in an arena of divisiveness even with more destructive criticism. Such approaches could easily lead to anarchy and provide opportunities for violent means to take power.

It needs to be constructive for the opposite reasons. Responsibility must precede or at least accompany the freedom to criticize. Constructive criticism fosters unity and elevates the public to look towards the future rather than the past, learning lessons from the past.

The spontaneity of recent protests by ordinary people from all walks of life is a novel and welcome experience for the country and it could be regarded as an evolution in the countrys democracy. On the other hand, organised protests where protestors are reportedly carted in buses from place to place are an insult and an affront to the many ordinary folk who have participated in spontaneous protests.

The President and the government have been shaken, possibly even beyond repair by these spontaneous protests. However, they are neither fools nor gullible not to distinguish between the two types of protest. The voice of the ordinary people was heard, and the entire cabinet resigned.

The President has belatedly, but welcomingly appointed persons of highest quality, competence, and integrity to a committee to advise him on measures to take to overcome the economic crises faced by the government, including discussions with the IMF on a rescue package. A new Central Bank Governor of impeccable credentials has been appointed, and a new Secretary Finance who is equally well regarded and qualified has taken office. The critical vacancy for the post of Finance Minister is yet to be filled, although it is learnt that Dr Harsha de Silva from the SJB has been sounded out. Dr De Silva or the equally competent Eran Wickremaratne should be considered, and both should give serious thought to accepting the Finance Minister portfolio for the sake of the country. They and the SJB could put forward their conditions to the President and discuss and negotiate these with the President. Resignation of the President cannot be one of them as that would invite even greater instability, even anarchy, and open opportunities for questionable entities to profit from such opportunities taking the country even to a worse situation than where it is in now.

The President has another option regarding selecting persons of high quality and caliber as ministers at least for the key finance and economic portfolios.

He could request a few National list MPs from his own party to resign and appoint the selected persons as MPs and then appoint them as Ministers. The critical need of the hour is to rescue the countrys economy and to restore confidence amongst lenders, investors, banks, and international agencies. Sri Lanka needs to find immediate measures to augment the depleted foreign exchange reserves so that essentials like food, medicine, gas, diesel, kerosine are not in short supply now or ever. Power cuts have to become a thing of the past, irrevocably. Cost of living support needs to be provided to people, especially the vulnerable. It may be possible to do this with a mixed bag of tax increases to boost revenue, such as a tax increase for bigger companies, high income earners, re introduction of the withholding tax, and reduction in expenditure by closing all loss-making State enterprises, coupled with friendly country assistance and an IMF bailout package to boost foreign currency reserves. Besides these measures, taking steps to increase exports, offering incentives for tourists and for remittances from those working overseas, and incentives for import substitution industries should be actively pursued.

A multi-party consensus on economic reform is needed to ensure that the measures do not become political foot balls. That could have been achieved within a multi-party cabinet.
The spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos, Seye Oladejo, has criticised Vice President Yemi Osinbajo over his decision to throw his hat into the ring for the partys ticket ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

Mr Oladejo, in a statement in Lagos on Monday, said the vice president has merely exercised his constitutional right to contest.

There is no problem. We knew he was going to declare. They should allow us to go to the primary. Let him come and face Asiwaju (Tinubu), said Mr Oladejo, who declared his interest to contest for the House of Representatives, last weekend.

Mr Osinbajos declaration on Monday pits him against his former boss and political benefactor, Bola Tinubu.

Mr Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, announced his interest in the countrys number one seat last January.

Mr Tinubu is widely believed to be instrumental in the emergence of Mr Osinbajo, a Law professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as Muhammadu Buharis running mate in 2015.

I am not worried at all. We acknowledge his constitutional right to contest. We also observed keenly how he struggled to paint his role in the past eight years in gold, Mr Oladejo continued.

At a time l thought I was listening to a dirge until I realized it was a political declaration in a living room. Nigerians will have something to say about the scorecard in the fullness of time. The last time I checked, the Vice President was in charge of the economy.

The only demand is for us to go to primary. Let us see how much support Osinbajo can garner from the party members. This is someone who could not even win his polling booth.

Im not aware of any change in political relevance and popularity since the last elections. I want to congratulate him for finally summoning the courage to throw his hat to the ring.

We know that Nigerians at this time need a prepared president who has paid his dues in enthroning democracy, mentoring potential leaders and being an intestine helper to numerous people aside from being the reference point for good governance in Nigeria.

Mr Osinbajos declaration to run for president did not surprise many. Over the past weeks, he had traversed the country holding consultations with notable politicians.

But it angered a lot of Mr Tinubus loyalists who accused him of betrayal.

A few hours after his declaration, social media accounts sympathetic to Mr Tinubus cause began trending Judas, an apparent reference to the Biblical Judas who betrayed his master, Jesus.

Jagaban Borgu@JideSGroup

This is the week that Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ in the Christian calendar. That this declaration is coming this same week is not a mere coincidence. May God be with Tinubu in Pilates Court when he shall face the Peoples verdict on whether to pardon him or nail him.

On Monday, Mr Tinubu publicly declined to speak on the vice presidents declaration.

Mr Oladejo maintained that Mr Tinubu enjoys a lot of support across Nigeria.

There are a lot of people who will come out to support him all over the country; even more in the North than South. So, we will be ready, he said.

We know Osinbajo is just a pawn on the chessboard of some game-masters.

The message in the fact that this declaration came during the Holy Week is definitely not lost on all and sundry.
Ultimately, though, prioritising outcomes over opportunities is not a benign socialist attribute. It lies at the core of totalitarianism. When the Soviet Union enquired of Boris Pasternak, On whose say so are you a poet?, it was a question that Dmitri Shostakovich had already included in his prison suitcaseAnd one that Osip Mandelstam answered through his death in the gulag. Man, free and independent ought to make his own choices, so long as these do not hurt others.

In the two months since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, talking heads the world over have been busy. It has not helped that the externalities of this war have implications across mankinds lived experiences. It is not just likely to change how wars will be fought in future (the armoured tank looks like past its sell-by date), it has implications for the global financial architecture that should see the plumbing sprout leaks in the immediate future.

The poles in most of the argument have alternated between the macabre and the strategic. At one end, we find Mr Vladimir Putin, who either believes or would prefer that onlookers believe that he has not led Russia into a war with Ukraine in which thousands of Ukrainians, including women and children have died and are still dying. But is, instead, peddling the myth of a special operations in Ukraine, designed to rid the latter of Nazis. Unlike the fable around his little green men in the 2014 invasion of Ukraine, this new lie cannot explain the thousands of lives Russia has equally lost in Ukraine in the last two months.

Explaining the rationale for the invasion has been no less easy  and so the poles of this conversation have been more antipodean. Forgetting that there was a point at which Vladimir Putin suggested Russia might join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as part of the process of its post-Soviet normalisation, a very vocal local cohort have blamed NATOs expansion into previously Soviet states  provoking Russia in the process  for the invasion. According to this perspective, Mr Putin is simply correcting the Wests intrusion into Russias sphere of influence.

Nonetheless, it is self-evident that Vladimir Putins Russia may be justified in its claim to the old Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) sphere of influence, only if we deny to other former Soviet states a right to that patrimony. An argument that no ex-Soviet state may now make, giving the great show of inter-state solidarity that was a hallmark of the defunct USSR. Additionally, it could be argued that by renouncing the USSR heritage, as most former east European states now firmly aligned with the West have, these new states have foresworn any claim to their Soviet inheritance. Still, it is doubtful if this then is enough basis for Russias current overarching claims.

the experience of most of its satellite states was ugly: the hunger from famines brought about by the de-kulakisation process; the violent suppression of local expression on a daily basis  gulags in Siberia that make rendition to Guantanamo Bay look like a tea party  and 1956 Hungary and 1968 Czechoslovakia. These experiences explain why as soon as they were rid of the USSR in 1991, most former Soviet satellite states sought the reassurance of strong relationships with the West.

For in the end, the USSR was about socialising the means of production, as it was totalitarian. And the experience of most of its satellite states was ugly: the hunger from famines brought about by the de-kulakisation process; the violent suppression of local expression on a daily basis  gulags in Siberia that make rendition to Guantanamo Bay look like a tea party  and 1956 Hungary and 1968 Czechoslovakia. These experiences explain why as soon as they were rid of the USSR in 1991, most former Soviet satellite states sought the reassurance of strong relationships with the West. No one really voluntarily returns to slavery.

This is the explanation of Ukraines resilience in the war against Russias much mightier army. The shocking incompetence with which the Russian military high command has prosecuted the war is another reason for sane folks to avoid associating with the country. Unable to fight effectively, it was never going to protect its peoples best interest, not to talk of those of its allies. Besides, despite its talk about its Soviet heritage, no two states could be more different  one socialist, the other led a pretend capitalist economy led by oligarchs.

Yet in many ways, Russia shares as much in common with the old USSR. In the latter years of that socialist experience, it was common to hear the argument that government should focus on the equality of opportunities, rather than of outcomes. Presumably because socialists, in collectivising agricultural practices and otherwise expropriating the bourgeoisie, purported to aim at prosperity for all: From each according to her ability and to each according to his need. And because the desired outcomes, laudable, though they were (and still are) resulted simply in the collectivisation of misery.

Ultimately, though, prioritising outcomes over opportunities is not a benign socialist attribute. It lies at the core of totalitarianism. When the Soviet Union enquired of Boris Pasternak, On whose say so are you a poet?, it was a question that Dmitri Shostakovich had already included in his prison suitcase, which he packed every night before going to bed awaiting the secret polices visit. And one that Osip Mandelstam answered through his death in the gulag. Man, free and independent ought to make his own choices, so long as these do not hurt others.

This is Ukraines argument, today.

Uddin Ifeanyi, journalist manque and retired civil servant, can be reached @IfeanyiUddin.
The Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has rated a Turkish firm in Nigeria, VKS Nigeria Construction Ltd one of the best construction companies in the world.

VKS is handling the construction of the new Smart Terminal building at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo.

The company recently built in Uyo a 21-storey, smart building called Dakkada Tower for the Akwa Ibom Government.

They have constructed other magnificent buildings and highways in Akwa Ibom.

Governor Emmanuel, while inspecting projects at the Victor Attah International Airport on Friday, said VKS is an outstanding construction company in the world because of its resource capacity, approach to projects and commitment to protecting the environment.

Mr Emmanuel said the company has a reputation of adhering and sometimes going beyond procurement demands, by not relying totally on government payments before delivering on projects they have signed on to.

We have never rated VKS low. They are one of the best in the world, Mr Emmanuel said.

When you talk about capacity, it is not just in the ability of civil, electrical or mechanical engineers to work. It is how friendly the contractors are; friendly in the sense that there are certain contractors that it is only money for hand, back for ground.

But here we have a contractor that has the capacity to bring in materials without sitting on your neck to get cash for each item. For the years they have worked, we have seen that VKS has that capacity across the globe to mobilise and also get things done with ease.

A lot of containers you have seen here are not yet paid for by the state government. We have over 58 containers on ground. We are trying to work on how to pay and they trust us that this is one state and leadership that we can create money. We dont need to pay in cash, but we can create money, the governor said.

Governor Emmanuel said VKS has a credible attitude and approach to contracts which is shown in the high quality of work they have delivered since the company came into the state.

He said that is why his administration is comfortable with VKS.

It is unfortunate they dont advertise. That is why a lot of people do not know them but I find them so easy, so comfortable to work with because of their attitude and their approach. They work as if they are from here. That attracts us a whole lot.

These people can invest up to N10 billion in this project without asking me for a dime. That shows trust, capacity and collaboration for the development of the people. I think I am happy with them.

Governor Emmanuel expressed delight over the quality and level of work executed by VKS at the airport terminal building.

Airport building best in Africa

The governor said the terminal building will stand out as the best in Africa  in terms of smartness, functionality, security, safety among variables  when completed.

Honestly, from what I have seen here the contractors have exceeded my expectation, they are quite ahead of schedule. You can say it is at 85 percent completed. The materials on ground can guarantee the expected delivery date.

A lot of people dont understand what we have put in here, these are technical details that can facilitate certain aspects of economic growth in the state, Mr Emmanuel said.

VKS has completed the major structural works at the terminal building, said the Project Manager of VKS Nigeria Construction Limited, Mr Ziya Sungur.

He said what was remaining is the furnishing, with the required fittings for smart operations.
The police in Zamfara State said they have rescued 39 people abducted by bandits, during a clearance operation in the Karanya forest of the Kaura Namoda area.

The spokesperson of the police, Mohammed Shehu, in a statement, said those that were rescued were abducted from various communities in Maru and Bungudu local government areas of the state.

The rescued victims include eight males, 15 females including nursing mothers and 16 children, he said.

The achievement was because of the ongoing clearance operation by the joint police and military at Dabar Magaji camp in Kadanya forest, stretching between Kaura Namoda and Maradun local government areas.

Victims have been medically treated by the joint police and state government medical teams and later debriefed by the police detectives and will be handed over to the officials of the two areas for reuniting the victims with their families, he added.

The police also said they arrested 10 other suspects committing various crimes among whom were four members of the outlawed Yan Sakai Group.

Yan Sakai is a vigilante group operating in communities across the North-west region. They are mainly made up of local hunters who work with security personnel to protect their communities from bandits raiding rural communities and farms.

Among the 10 arrested were three suspects arrested in connection with the abduction of two persons at Fakon Idi area in Talata Mafara and two suspects arrested for breaking into a house and stealing mobile phones in Gusau.

He added that members of the group were arrested by troops attached to operation Hadarin Daji.

They were suspected of invading of Dogon Kade market where marketers including Fulanis were attacked and harassed. This type of situation aggravates reprisals attack from bandits killing and abducting innocent people.
A consultant doctor at Premier Hospital, Adeniyi Akinseku, on Monday told a coroner that Peju Ugboma did not die of natural causes.

Mr Akinseku testified in the ongoing coroners inquest into the circumstances of the death of Peju Ugboma, the Lagos-based chef at Ogba in Lagos.

He is one of three doctors that the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Nigeria (MDPCN) said established a prima facie case of professional misconduct against, in the events leading to Mrs Ugbomas death.

Mrs Ugboma died days after undergoing fibroid surgery at the hospital in April 2021. She was the founder of a pastry company, I Luv Desserts.

Premier Hospitals lawyer, Abimbola Akeredolu, tendered in evidence some documents of the doctor clocking in and clocking out to show that he didnt desert his patient post-operation.

She also tendered the operation logbook and the certification of the human resource person who issued the documents.

Cross-examination

Was her death natural? Oluwaseun Akinde, a state lawyer, asked the surgeon during cross-examination.

I will not say it is natural, the witness replied.

Mr Akinseku said the medical team that carried out the operation did a lot of things that we should have done. We kept supporting the system.

He said the deceased died of multiple organ failure, adding that she might have had covid-19 or reacted to the vaccine.

He, however, said that while they did not envisage her death, something went wrong.

The doctor, who has been practising since 2005, said before the operation, there were clinical sessions where he discussed with the deceased the options, risks and complications.

He said it is not their practice to insist that a patient follow a particular procedure.

Earlier in the proceedings, while being cross-examined by the hospitals lawyer, the doctor explained that he met the mother-of-two on March 12, and she told him she wanted a hysterectomy.

The doctor said he offered her hormonal therapy, but she refused because she had a clear mind of what she wanted when she came in.

Speaking about the extent of her bleeding before the surgery, he said she used six to eight sanitary pads a day.

In response to suggestions that the medical team did not seek the deceaseds consent before carrying out the surgery, the witness said on the scheduled day, the deceased introduced him to her husband and he took them through the procedure.

Then I gave the consent form to her to sign, and she insisted I should give it to her husband. I gave it to the husband, and he signed it, he said.

What do you think finally took her from us? the lawyer asked.

Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC), he said.

How did you come about the diagnosis?

On Saturday (morning) when I saw her, she had developed jaundice. Nobody should develop jaundice after surgery, Mr Akinseku answered.

And that can only come from the blood she has been given.

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The doctor said no matter how effectively blood is screened, some patients would still react.

He noted that further examination showed that the liver was deranged and it suggests that there is an ongoing chronic condition.

He stressed that there was some damage before surgery in the liver and kidney and for it to be evident post-surgery, means that 80 per cent of damage had been done.

He added that the deceased also had hyperkalemia and she was set for dialysis.

He said that at the time his patient developed medical complications, the decision to take her back into the theatre could not have been done because she was medically induced, not surgically induced.

Pre-existing condition

During questioning by Nigerias consumer protection agency boss, Babatunde Irukera, the doctor testified that the procedure lasted for three hours and 40 minutes, because of the patients previous history of surgical procedures.

He noted that the pre-existing conditions werent seen before surgery.

But during the deceaseds husbands testimony, he had said that the surgery was elective and his wife had no pre-existing condition.

Mr Irukera tendered the deceaseds liver medical report done in January 2021, but the doctor said the test wasnt complete because a full liver profile test wasnt done.

He added that a comprehensive test was expensive.

He, however, noted that a liver test wasnt required pre-surgery.

Reflection

The doctor said that after the fatal surgery, he took some time off to reflect.

I took some days off, about two weeks. I was emotionally distraught, he said.

I had to analyse and know what happened and know if the fault was from me. He added he has never lost any elective patient.

He said it is not normal to lose an elective patient.

The coroner fixed May 9 and 23 for further hearing.
This is the second high-level honor awarded to Dr. Bourla this year. Earlier in January, Albert Bourla was announced as the Laureate of the 2022 Genesis Prize, also known as the "Jewish Nobel". The Prize recognizes Bourla's leadership in delivering a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine in record time, which saved millions of lives in the midst of the pandemic, as well as his commitment to his Jewish identity and the State of Israel.

The President of Israel Isaac Herzog will present the Genesis Prize to Dr. Bourla at a ceremony in Jerusalem on June 29.

Born in Thessaloniki, Greece, Dr. Bourla was raised in a family of Holocaust survivors. His parents were among the few left alive among the city's ancient Jewish community almost completely wiped out by the Nazis. Dr. Bourla asked The Genesis Prize Foundation to direct his $1 million prize award to projects aimed at preserving the memory of the victims of the Holocaust in Thessaloniki.

"Two important awards announced this year  Greek and Jewish  attest to the extraordinary achievement of Dr. Bourla and the Pfizer team, which he led during the worst public health crisis in over 100 years," said Stan Polovets, Founder and Chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation. "Taking great risks, they gave the world a life-saving vaccine in record time  months rather than years. We look forward to celebrating Dr. Bourla and this historic achievement in Jerusalem in June."

About the Genesis Prize

The Genesis Prize is a global award that celebrates Jewish achievement and contribution to humanity. As the 9th Genesis Prize Laureate, Dr. Bourla follows filmmaker and philanthropist Steven Spielberg, who was awarded the Genesis Prize in 2021, and the legendary human rights activist Natan Sharansky, the 2020 Laureate.

All previous Laureates have re-gifted their award to philanthropic causes about which they are passionate. Since inception in 2013, The Genesis Prize has raised matching funds, leveraging the annual $1 million award into philanthropic initiatives totaling $45 million, with grants going to 197 nonprofit programs in 31 countries, directly impacting the lives of tens of thousands of people.

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SOURCE The Genesis Prize Foundation
CHICAGO, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new research report, the "Ammunition Market by Application (Defense, Civil & Commercial), Caliber (Small, Medium, Large), Product (Bullets, Aerial Bombs, Artillery Shells, Mortars), Component, Guidance Mechanism, Lethality (Lethal, Less-lethal), Region - Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global Ammunition Market size is projected to grow from USD 24.3 billion in 2021 to USD 29.1 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 3.7% from 2021 to 2026. The factors such as the increase in the geopolitical tensions, territorial conflicts, and political unrest across the globe; rising military expenditure, leading to modernization and upgradation of armed forces change in the nature of warfare modernization programs undertaken by military forces in major economies, militarization of police forcesare driving factors assisting the growth of the ammunition market. Apart from its use in defense forces, ammunition also sees increasing importance in civil and commercial applications such as sporting, hunting, and self-defense, among others.

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COVID-19 has affected the ammunition market growth to some extent, and this varies from country to country. Industry experts believe that the pandemic has not affected the demand for ammunition in defense applications. However, due to continuous lockdown and social distancing measures, there has been a decrease in the demand for ammunition in civil and commercial applications. For instance, hunting and sporting activities (which are a major driving factor for civil and commercial applications) have been reduced significantly. According to an industry expert, the demand for ammunition is not expected to be affected to a great extent since ammunition is a key component of the frontline infantry. However, according to the International Monetary Fund, global GDP is expected to drop by approximately 3.0% in 2020. This would adversely impact the revenue generated from taxes. When taxes drop, governments are placed under tremendous pressure; the effect of which will be seen in the subsequent years. Since all initial budgets by countries were announced, voted, and passed in 2020 before the pandemic, none of the current budgets consider the economic impact of COVID-19. It is estimated that budget cuts and the real impact would reflect only once draft budgets for 2021 are released.

Modernization programs undertaken by military forces is driving the growth of the defense applications

The defense segment of the ammunition market has been classified into military and homeland security. The growth of the defense segment of the ammunition market can be attributed to the increased spending of countries on military modernization programs, as well as the rise in terrorist activities and civil disturbances in several parts of the world. The five top and biggest spenders were the US, China, India, Russia, and UK. The countries together accounted for 62% of world's military expenditure.

This expenditure in 2021 increased approximately by 4.0% in Europe, by 2.5% in Asia and Oceania, with 3.9% in the Americas, and by 5.1% in Africa. However, military spending in the Middle East region decreased by 7.2%. The increase of military expenditure was largely due to the fact that most countries in the world experienced severe economic downturns in 2021 related to the Covid-19 pandemic, while military expenditure continued to rise overall to safeguard the nations from internal as well as external threats.

Based on caliber, the small caliber segment of the ammunition market is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Based on caliber, the ammunition market has been segmented into small, medium, large, and others. The small caliber segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth of this segment can be attributed to increased use of small caliber ammunition by military and homeland security personnel, owing to less lethality of this ammunition. Moreover, open online marketplaces for small arms and ammunition and increased procurement of small caliber ammunition by the defense and homeland security sectors to curb rising instances of armed conflicts are also contributing to the growth of this segment.

Since the COVID-19 crisis, a significant reduction in demand is being observed in civil and commercial applications across the world. Civil & commercial applications consist of hunting, sporting, self-defense, and others. A reduction in demand for hunting and sporting applications for small caliber ammunition has been observed due to the continuous lockdown regulations and social distancing measures. Small caliber ammunition is majorly used in civil & commercial applications, and therefore this dip in demand is set to affect the overall ammunition market to some extent during the forecast period.

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Bullets segment of the ammunition market is projected to witness the highest CAGR owing to increasing focus on upgrading of air force inventory by armed forces

Based on products, the ammunition market has been segmented into bullets, aerial bombs, grenades, artillery shells, and mortars. The bullets segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR. In recent years, an increasing focus has been observed to upgrade land as well as air force inventory across the globe due to multiple reasons such as geopolitical tensions and air force applications. For instance, the US has ongoing F-35 fighter aircraft programs. Whereas the Indian air force is looking for multi-role aircraft to strengthen their armed forces, and hence new aircraft procurements will lead to an increased demand for related ammunition in the coming years. Hanwha Corporation (South Korea) and General Dynamics Corporation (US) manufacture aerial bombs for applications.

The North American market is projected to contribute the largest share from 2021 to 2026

The ammunition market in the North American region has been studied for the US and Canada. Major factors that are expected to drive the growth of the market in the region include rising instances of terrorism, which have led to increased use of ammunition by armed forces and a growing number of drug cartels in Central America

North American countries are awarding a number of contracts to major players of the ammunition market for the delivery of ammunition, thus driving the growth of the ammunition market in the region. For instance, In July 2020, Northrop Grumman Corporation secured a contract from the US Army to deliver the next-generation airburst cartridge for the 30mm XM813 Bushmaster Chain Gun. The Bushmaster Chain Gun will be installed on the Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV). Also, the company has secured a contract worth USD 93 million from the US Army for the manufacture of multipurpose munition technology for destroying targets such as lightly armored infantry fighting vehicles. The munitions are expected to be compatible with the M4A1 rifle.

The ammunition market is dominated by a few globally established players such as Northrop Grumman Corporation (US), CBC Global Ammunition (Brazil), BAE Systems (UK), Thales Group (France), and General Dynamics Corporation (US), among others.

Related Reports:

Small Arms Market by End-Use Sector (Defense, Civil & Commercial), Type (Pistol, Revolver, Rifle, Machine Gun, Shotgun), Caliber (5.56MM, 7.62MM, 9MM), Technology, Cutting Type, Firing Systems, Action, & Region - Global Forecast to 2025

Less Lethal Ammunition Market by End User (Law Enforcement, Military, Self Defense), Product (Rubber Bullets, Bean Bag Rounds, Plastic Bullets, Paintballs), Weapon Type (Shotguns, Launchers), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023

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Surge in funding of R&D activities for cancer gene therapy along with the rising in the prevalence of cancer and supportive government regulations drive the growth of the global cancer gene therapy market.

PORTLAND, Ore., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Cancer Gene Therapy Market by Therapy (Gene Induced Immunotherapy, Oncolytic Virotherapy, Gene Transfer), by End User (Hospitals, Diagnostic centers, Research Institutes): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030." According to the report, the global cancer gene therapy industry generated $1.4 billion in 2020, and is expected to reach $11.4 billion by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 23.3% from 2021 to 2030.

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Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities

Surge in funding of R&D activities for cancer gene therapy along with the rising in the prevalence of cancer and supportive government regulations drive the growth of the global cancer gene therapy market. However, high cost involved in gene therapy and unwanted immune responses restrain the market growth. On the other hand, advancements in gene-induced immunotherapy research are projected to present new opportunities in the coming years.

Covid-19 Scenario

During the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been significant decline in diagnosis of six major types of cancer such as breast, colorectal, lung, pancreatic, gastric, and oesophageal cancers. This led to reduction in revenue of the global cancer gene therapy market revenue.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other organizations recommended the postponement of cancer screening and other elective surgeries. However, therapies and surgeries were conducted in emergency situations in a secure environment.

The gene induced immunotherapy segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on product, the gene induced immunotherapy segment accounted for the highest market share in 2020, holding around two-fifths of the global cancer gene therapy market, and is expected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. This is due to rise in the advancement of gene-induced immunotherapy research. However, the oncolytic virotherapy segment is expected to manifest the highest CAGR of 23.7% from 2021 to 2030, owing to rise in awareness about these products and cancer gene therapy.

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The hospitals segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on end user, the hospitals segment contributed to the highest market share in 2020, accounting for more than half of the global cancer gene therapy market, and is projected to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to increase in healthcare awareness, rise in the number of hospitals, and surge in geriatric and bariatric populations. However, the diagnostic centers segment is projected to manifest the largest CAGR of 24.5% from 2021 to 2030, owing to rise in funding provided for R&D activities of cancer gene therapy.

North America to maintain its dominance in terms of revenue by 2030

Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2020, contributing to around two-fifths of the global cancer gene therapy market, and is expected to maintain its dominance in terms of revenue by 2030. This is due to significant investments in research and advancements in technology and increase in healthcare awareness in the region. However, Asia-Pacific is projected to portray the fastest CAGR of 24.9% during the forecast period, owing to presence of a large population base, government initiatives to improve healthcare infrastructure, and rise in healthcare expenditure.

Leading Market Players

Bristol Myers Squibb Co.

Novartis

Amgen Inc.

Glaxosmithkline PLC

Kayropharma Therapeutics

Gilead Sciences

Adapta Immue

Genulex Corporation

SynerGene Therapeutics

Shanghai Sunway Biotech

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"With this new funding, Glasswing International's work will endeavor to ease the cycle of violence in the most vulnerable communities in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala by democratizing access to mental health care," said Anna Verghese, Executive Director of The Audacious Project. "Our goal is to match bold ideas with catalytic resources, and we're proud to support Glasswing in this work."

Every year The Audacious Project  a collaborative funding initiative catalyzing big, bold solutions to the world's most urgent challengesbrings together some of the most trusted names in philanthropy to select ideas with the potential to create global change. Supporters who make Glasswing's Audacious project possible include: Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies; Galaxy Gives; MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett; Oak Foundation; The Patchwork Collective; Pivotal Ventures; Reed Hastings and Patty Quillin; Seagrape Foundation; and other anonymous donors.

"We are incredibly grateful for the support of The TED/Audacious Project community, and to those who have supported our work over the past 15 years," said Celina de Sola, Salvadoran co-founder and president of Glasswing International. "For communities that are regularly exposed to so much violence, it is critical that frontline workers - like teachers, doctors, and law enforcement - be trained to understand and address the impacts of trauma on themselves and those they serve, and equip individuals with the tools to cope and begin to recover. We believe that communities can pave their own paths to healing with this kind of knowledge and skills."

Over the last 20 years, violent crime has reached crisis proportions in Central America, disrupting millions of lives and holding back social and economic development. The challenge is most extreme in countries like El Salvador and Honduras. Traumatic events  including experiencing or witnessing violence  are linked to chronic physical and mental health problems, diminished educational and economic outcomes, and an increased likelihood to be revictimized. Trauma and violence have also led to a loss of talent as these dangers forced hundreds of thousands of young people to flee the region.

Despite high levels of violence and trauma, there are extremely few mental health supports in communities to mitigate its effects in this region. Mental health is stigmatized, and the limited services that do exist are underfunded.

With The Audacious Project grant, over the next five years, Glasswing will integrate self-care and trauma-informed practices in over 2,000 institutions - including schools, police precincts and healthcare facilities - in 25 of the highest-risk municipalities in the Northern Triangle.

The project is expected to reduce negative effects of trauma for trained individuals and those they interact with, including improved emotional regulation and coping skills for all trained individuals, increased protective factors for students at participating schools, and a reduction in violence, a core contributor to and consequence of trauma. This includes reduced rates of teacher stress and peer-to-peer violence in participating schools, reduced rates of reinjury among hospital patients, higher levels of emotional regulation among police officers, and an increased overall perception of safety in the community.

For more information on Glasswing's Audacious project, visit: www.audaciousproject.org/grantees/glasswing-international and https://glasswing.org/ouraudaciousproject/

Media Contact:

Jaime Horn

[email protected]

202-308-8810

About Glasswing International

Founded in 2007, Glasswing International is a non-profit organization that addresses the root causes of poverty and violence through education and health programs that empower youth and communities, and strengthen public systems. Its cross-sector approach creates partnerships with international and local governments, businesses, NGOs, and civil society. Since its founding, Glasswing International has impacted the lives of over 1.5 million individuals in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States.

The Audacious Project

Launched in April 2018, The Audacious Project is a collaborative funding initiative that's catalyzing social impact on a grand scale. Housed at TED, the nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, and with support from leading social impact advisor The Bridgespan Group, The Audacious Project convenes funders and social entrepreneurs with the goal of supporting bold solutions to the world's most urgent challenges. The funding collective is made up of respected organizations and individuals in philanthropy, including the Skoll Foundation, Virgin Unite, The Valhalla Charitable Foundation, ELMA Philanthropies and more. The Audacious Project works with the Science Philanthropy Alliance to identify and vet high-quality basic science projects. Each year The Audacious Project supports a new cohort. The 2021-2022 recipients are The Center for Tech and Civic Life, ClimateWorks: Drive Electric, Code for America, Glasswing International, The International Refugee Assistance Project, myAgro, Noora Health, The Tenure Facility, and Woodwell Climate Research Center.

SOURCE GLASSWING INTERNATIONAL USA
TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V): LIT

Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE): OAY3

OTCQB Venture Market (OTC): PNXLF

VANCOUVER, BC, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp. (TSXV: LIT) (FSE: OAY3) (OTC: PNXLF) ("Argentina Lithium" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an option agreement with a local vendor to earn a 100% interest in three granted mine concession properties totalling 5411 hectares in the Salar de Antofalla in Catamarca Province, Argentina (the "Option").

Argentina Lithium's Antofalla North project includes both 100% held and optioned properties (see News Release dated August 4, 2021). With this new Option the Company now controls 14,987 hectares of mining leases in the salar, distributed between the adjacent provinces of Salta and Catamarca.

"Our team has identified the Antofalla Salar as one of the most prospective undeveloped lithium brine basins in Argentina, and we are aggressively consolidating our land position in Antofalla North. With these new acquisitions, Argentina Lithium's properties extend from a half kilometre north of Albemarle concessions, towards the north for approximately 27 kilometres. We have begun the permitting process, in order to explore this salt flat with advanced geophysical imaging and drill testing," stated Nikolaos Cacos, President and C.E.O.

Located in the famed Lithium Triangle, the geological environment at the Salar de Antofalla is similar to other salars in the region where lithium and potash are found, and the project is located approximately 25 km west of Argentina's largest lithium producing operation at Salar de Hombre Muerto. The Salar de Antofalla is over 130 km long and varies between 5 km and 10 km in width, with reported basin depths exceeding 500 m.

The southern boundary of the Antofalla North project is situated approximately 500 metres north of properties controlled by global lithium producer Albemarle Inc. Albemarle has stated that it believes the lithium resource on its property has potential to rank amongst the largest in Argentina1. [Investors are cautioned that this information is taken from the publicly available sources, has not been independently verified by the Company and it is not known if this resource conforms to the standards of NI 43-101. Furthermore, proximity to a discovery, mine, or mineral resource, does not indicate that mineralization will occur at the Company's Project, and if mineralization does occur, that it will occur in sufficient quantity or grade that would result in an economic extraction scenario.]

There has been no significant historical exploration work on the new optioned properties. The Option provides the Company with coverage to protect its mineral rights in the area of the provincial boundary between Salta and Catamarca and extend its holdings 4.6 km southwards to within 500 metres of Albemarle Corporation's property boundary; a portion of the northern part of the optioned properties may overlap a third party concession in the provincial boundary area.

Option Agreement Details

Terms of the option include cash payments totaling US$2,800,000 over four years, including mandatory commitments totalling US$180,000 in the first twelve months. The option also includes annual exploration expenditure commitments of $500,000 in year one, followed by $1.5M in year two, $2.0M in year 3 and $3.0M in year 4. The vendor retains a 2% Net Smelter Royalty ("NSR") which can be repurchased for US$3M.

Qualified Person

David Terry, Ph.D., P.Geo. is the Company's Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. The contents of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Dr. Terry.

About Argentina Lithium

Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp is focused on acquiring high quality lithium projects in Argentina, and advancing them towards production in order to meet the growing global demand from the battery sector. The management group has a long history of success in the resource sector of Argentina, and has assembled a first rate team of experts to acquire and advance the best lithium properties in the "Lithium Triangle". The Company is a member of the Grosso Group, a resource management group that has pioneered exploration in Argentina since 1993.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Nikolaos Cacos"

_______________________________

Nikolaos Cacos, President, CEO and Director

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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.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, statements about the Company's plans for its mineral properties; the Company's business strategy, plans and outlooks; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; and future exploration and operating plans are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and, even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of COVID-19; risks and uncertainties related to the ability to obtain, amend, or maintain licenses, permits, or surface rights; risks associated with technical difficulties in connection with mining activities; and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company's public disclosure documents for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, unless required pursuant to applicable laws. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties.

_____________________________ 1 https://www.albemarle.com/news/albemarle-signs-agreement-for-exclusive-exploration-and-acquisition-rights-to-lithium-resource-in-argentina. Accessed 04/22

SOURCE Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp.
Macrons race to win a second term in office has been less glamourous. He started his campaign late. He has also done little campaigning compared to his rivals.

by Victor Cherubim

President Emmanuel Macron faces 12 other rivals this weekend (Sunday 10 April, 2022) as polls open for the first round of the 2022 French Presidential election.

This will determine the countrys political framework for another 5 years.

In the case of Macron, the Left think, Hes on the right; the Right think, Hes on the left.

But, what Macron was in 2017, and what he is now has changed. Some of his sheen has worn off French voters, particularly since his negotiations with President Putin for a peace deal in the Ukraine war. He is still the forerunner but in the last week, in a diminished position compared to 2017, the youthful, unknown candidate with charisma.

Macrons race to win a second term in office has been less glamourous. He started his campaign late. He has also done little campaigning compared to his rivals. He has been wanting to focus on showing himself as being a peace-maker in Ukraine, even trying hard to get to speak to President Putin, while. Putin had other interests?

The First Round of this race is taking place on Sunday 10 April, with the two top candidates, going head to head on 24 April 2022, if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote.

Marine Le Pens campaign trail

Would you believe, Marine Le Pen, the ultra-Far Right, National Rally Party candidate, is contesting at her third attempt at the Presidential race? She has narrowly taken the lead in the polls? This is according to the latest poll from Atlas Politico, a Brazilian pollster. But according to other pollsters, the election, it is too tight to call?

Marine Le Pen has been visiting a lot of small towns and villages around France, drawing in crowds. Perhaps, proximity to voters is a very important in French Presidential elections?

Why dont French Presidents get re-elected?

Some say, French Presidents rarely get re-elected. Presidents in office are at a disadvantage.

The French perhaps, seem to change power every five years, to keep their Presidents in check?

France has had 8 Presidents since 1958, the beginning of the Fifth Republic. Only 3 of them managed to win re-election for a second term.

Three presidents, Charles de Gaulle, Francois Mitterrand, and Jacques Chirac, were elected to second terms. Two presidents, Valery Giscard d'Estaing, and Nicolas Sarkozy, were defeated in the second round. Sarkozy aimed to be a candidate again in 2016, but was defeated in his party's primary. There are also Presidents like Francois Hollande, who end up terrible in poll ratings, which they dont even try for a second term.

Eric Zemmour - the political outsider

Eric Zemmour has a far right following with his denunciation of Muslims, Black People and almost anyone from an immigrant background. He self-proclaims, he is the disciple of Charles de Gaulle. He states,it is no longer the time to reform France, but to save it. Strangely, his support has dwindled since the invasion of Ukraine. He says, He is the only one who can take on and defeat Macron. But being a political outsider, people are wanting to rely on the known candidate who they can trust, to defeat Macron.

To add to his challenge, Marion Marechal, Marine Le Pens niece, has defected from her Aunts National Party (NR Party) to join, Eric Zemmours Reconquete Party.

Jean-Luc Melenchon and the Far Left

Far Left candidate, Jean-Luc Melenchon ran in 2017.He complains, in fact warns,that Macron and Le Pen, have a lot in common, particularly on the economic front. None of them want price freeze; none of them want retirement at 60.

Key issues at the Presidential Election

The key issues of concern for the 2022 Presidential election are:

1. Security, a serious concern in Europe..

2. Cost of Living.

3. War in Ukraine and immigration.

4. Health Care.

5. Wages.

This election according to observers, is too close to call.

This is especially as most Presidential Elections over recent times in France, are decided on the second round of voting.

We are told Marine Le Pen, is open to admit Leftists, if she wins the Presidency. She has been canvassing the Working Class vote vigorously? While President Macron is too much with those in the Middle Class, but a classic disadvantage, many voters view him as arrogant? Melenchon is wanting at best, to get on to the second round of the race?

Thus a Marine Le Pen win is not impossible. But, Macron has a slight edge, we are now told?

We need to wait and see what really happens on 24 April 2022?




LONDON, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the DRC) and the Republic of the Congo have today announced their intention to adopt cryptocurrency and blockchain based solutions to drive future economic progress. Layer one proof-of-stake blockchain, The Open Network (TON) is the leading contender to become the blockchain to power this. The DRC has also confirmed that it is considering a new national stablecoin, built on the TON blockchain.

TON has been engaging with all three countries independently for some time and has taken the lead to deliver cryptocurrency and blockchain solutions for each nation. These countries will each undertake a phased transition to adopting cryptocurrency as a central pillar of their economic structures.

The future use of cryptocurrency will ensure that both banked and unbanked individuals will be better able to engage in the economy. This in turn will act as a powerful economic stimulus. In the DRC, for instance, as of 2019 12.4 million people had an account with a financial institution, whereas over 40 million have access to mobile phones or other internet enabled devices, demonstrating the significant potential for cryptocurrency.

The TON blockchain was designed to process millions of transactions within seconds. It's ultra-affordable, user-friendly and fully scalable. With TON being a decentralized platform, it will provide control and certainty for citizens, removing the possibility of interference. In addition, TON anticipates that applications will be uniquely integrated with the Telegram app to provide users with a seamless, accessible experience.

Speaking about the potential partnership, the Congolese Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, Leon Juste Ibombo, commented: "The Republic of the Congo has been on this path for a number of years, having encouraged and witnessed the widespread adoption of mobile payments across the country. This is the next step in that journey and we believe that TON is the right partner to facilitate this. This will be an invaluable, practical instrument for the growth and creation of wealth, both for the government and our people alike."

The Minister for Digital Economy for the Democratic Republic of Congo, Desire Cashmir Eberande Kolongele, added: "We are proud to take this pioneering step, embracing new economic instruments to power our future economy. This marks the beginning of our journey to adopting cryptocurrency as a financial instrument within the DRC, and with the support of TON as a partner we aim to increase our nations exposure to modern financial tools. We are also enthusiastic to commence considering the launch of a national stablecoin on the TON blockchain, democratizing access to our financial system for millions of unbanked and underbanked citizens. The ability to integrate applications with the Telegram platform, and reach mobile users, makes TON the obvious choice as we step boldly into the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain."

Minette Libom Li Likeng, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications for Cameroon, said: "The partnership with TON can play a fundamental role in the digital ecosystem of Cameroon for boosting the payment solutions and financial inclusion via CAMPOST, the public postal operator."

Steven Yun, Founding Member of TON Foundation, remarked: "There is an unbounded potential for these three countries to benefit from the adoption of cryptocurrency with our blockchain as the foundation. It's fantastic that TON's value is recognized, both in terms of its technology and utility. We're excited to embark on this journey to building strong and long-lasting partnerships."

This announcement follows the adoption of Bitcoin by El Salvador as legal tender, and it is anticipated that new stablecoins will be developed for Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo, in addition to the DRC, to provide confidence and assurance to citizens.

About The Open Network (TON)

The Open Network (TON) is a third-generation Proof-of-Stake blockchain originally designed in 2018 by the Durov brothers, the founders of Telegram Messenger. Later, it was handed over to the open TON Community, which has been supporting and developing it ever since.

TON was designed for lightning-fast transactions. It's ultra-cheap, user-friendly, and fully scalable. True to its predecessor, it aims to develop unique integrations with the Telegram app to provide its users with a seamless blockchain experience in a portable and familiar format.

TON is managed by community of non-commercial developers and supporters (the TON Foundation).

SOURCE The Open Network (TON)
"With locations across northern New Jersey, our urgent care centers round out Englewood Health's capacity to care for our communities," said Warren Geller, president and CEO of Englewood Health. "We offer physician office visits, emergency medicine, hospital care, and urgent care."

He adds, "With the addition of our urgent care location in Fair Lawn, we strengthen our ability to provide quality care for every member of the family, at every stage of life."

At Englewood Health Urgent Care at Fair Lawn, healthcare providers care for patients with non-emergent illnesses and injuries; pre-employment, school, and camp physicals; lab tests; and X-rays.

"We are committed to ensuring that our patients have access to quality urgent care in their local communities," said Stephen Brunnquell, MD, president of the Englewood Health Physician Network. "In addition to benefitting our patients, urgent care is an important resource for physicians, who can direct their patients to urgent care when health services are needed outside of normal practice hours."

He adds, "Urgent care does not replace your regular physician appointments. It fits in, when needed, as one part of an accessible, convenient, and comprehensive network of medical care options."

Urgent Care in Fair Lawn is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Englewood Health accepts most insurance plans. The latest information is posted at englewoodhealth.org/urgent.

Patients can also call Englewood Health Urgent Care at 201-222-1234 with questions.

In addition to Urgent Care at Fair Lawn, Englewood Health has urgent care facilities in Cresskill, Englewood, and Jersey City. Walk-in appointments for primary care needs are also available at Englewood Health Physician Network Primary Care of Cliffside Park.

About Englewood Health

Englewood Health is one of New Jersey's leading hospitals and healthcare networks. Composed of Englewood Hospital, the Englewood Health Physician Network, and the Englewood Health Foundation, the health system delivers nationally recognized care in a community setting to residents of northern New Jersey, New York, and beyond. The hospital, founded in 1890, consistently earns high marks for clinical excellence and patient safety. Englewood Hospital holds the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade 'A' and is nationally recognized for nursing excellence, earning a fifth consecutive designation by the Magnet Recognition Program in 2021. Areas of clinical excellence include cardiac surgery and cardiac care, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, spine surgery, vascular surgery, and women's health, as well as bloodless medicine and surgery. Englewood Health is an affiliate of Hackensack Meridian Health. The hospital offers an internal medicine residency program affiliated with Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, as well as a vascular surgery fellowship, pharmacy residency program, podiatry residency program, and a radiography training program. Englewood also serves as a training site for surgery, pathology, emergency medicine, anesthesiology, critical care medicine, and other medical and surgical subspecialties. Englewood Health is continually expanding services and enhancing access through the Englewood Health Physician Network, a coordinated network of more than 500 office-based and hospital-based providers at more than 100 locations in six counties in New Jersey and New York. Through the main acute-care facility, physician network, hospital outpatient departments offering imaging services in local communities, and a variety of community health and wellness programs, Englewood Health delivers a healthcare experience that puts patients at the center. For additional information, visit www.englewoodhealth.org

CONTACT: Office of Communications, 201-894-3499, [email protected]

SOURCE Englewood Health
State Bar of Wisconsin members can receive a discount for remote online notarization services

TAMPA, Fla., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- eNotaryLog (eNL) is excited to announce its affinity membership in the State Bar of Wisconsin marketplace. With over 37 states having remote online notarization (RON) laws and secure identity verification part of our digital-first world, it's a natural fit to provide an online notarial solution to Bar members.

As the first to offer, State Bar of Wisconsin members receive a discount on online notary services on the eNotaryLog platform, which is on the list of Approved Technology Providers for remote online notarization maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

"With a focus on simplifying the digital signing process coupled with a high level of security around the transaction, eNotaryLog is committed to the legal industry," said Strategic Account Executive Diana Jansen. "We help attorneys move their current, paper-based systems to secure online workflows."

State Bar of Wisconsin members can access the Membership Discount Programs on the Bar website to get started and view additional details in the InsideTrack newsletter .

About eNotaryLog, LLC

eNotaryLog provides nationwide remote online notarization (RON) and electronic signature solutions through its cloud-based digital services platform. The RON platform is MISMO-certified, SOC 2 compliant, and audited by leading global law firm and fintech advisor DLA Piper. With its secure technologies and RON-certified in-house notaries, consumers and businesses can notarize documents anytime and anywhere for time-saving convenience. Companies can also leverage APIs for direct integration and use their notaries to provide a convenient and seamless client experience.

From online notarization of life's essential documents to standalone electronic signature services and other emerging legal technologies, eNotaryLog focuses on simplifying digital document execution.

Contact:

Heather Payne

(855) 225-5808

[email protected]

SOURCE eNotaryLog
Continues market leadership in Colombia, Latin America's only country with universal health coverage for medical cannabis

Market leader in the Colombian medical cannabis market, with Q1 2022 volume sales exceeding 21,400 units , up 280% YoY and more than 40% of all 2021

, up YoY and more than of all 2021 New clinic continues Khiron's unique patient acquisition and retention strategy, adding more than 20% of patient capacity to existing network

of patient capacity to existing network Located in El Ensueno shopping mall in Bogota , adjacent to various insurers referral centers. In Q1 2022, more than 85% of all patients receiving Khirons medical cannabis products in Colombia were covered by insurance programs

, adjacent to various insurers referral centers. In Q1 2022, more than of all patients receiving Khirons medical cannabis products in were covered by insurance programs Opens its first retail pharmacy, fully licensed to dispense High and Low THC medical cannabis products to patients outside the Companys own clinic network

TORONTO, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Khiron Life Sciences Corp. ("Khiron" or the "Company") (TSXV:KHRN)(OTCQX:KHRNF)(Frankfurt:A2JMZC), a global medical cannabis leader with core operations in Latin America and Europe, is pleased to announce the opening of a new Zerenia clinic location and a new retail pharmacy in Colombia.

Following the announcement at the beginning of the year by the Government of Colombia on mandatory insurance coverage for medical cannabis products, Khiron opens a new clinic location in the city of Bogota, with a maximum annual capacity of 40,000 consults per year. The new clinic, located in El Ensueno shopping mall in Bogotas fastest growing districts with more than 850,000 people, will allow the Company to continue is market leadership in Colombia and offer more services to existing and current patients.

In addition, the Company has opened its first retail pharmacy location within this shopping center. This pharmacy will allow the Company to sell medical cannabis products to patients outside its own ZereniaTM network and dispense High and Low THC medical cannabis to insurance companies in the country.

Alvaro Torres, Khiron CEO and Director comments, "Khiron has become a clear leader in the Colombian medical cannabis market because of its unique go-to-market strategy, anchored in our ZereniaTM clinic model. This new expansion within Bogota capitalizes on the Colombian government's decision on mandatory insurance coverage, and we aim to get closer to our patients and insurers, to improve quality of life. With our new retail pharmacy, we aim to be able to offer more access to patients outside our clinic network and to provide a dispensing alternative to insurers, thereby increasing our market leadership within Colombia. As we continue to grow, our leadership is expanding to Latin America and Europe, thanks to our ability to generate evidence, offer high quality products, and create an excellent patient-focused healthcare service that improves quality of life".

About Khiron Life Sciences Corp.

Khiron is a leading integrated international medical cannabis company with core operations in Latin America and Europe. Leveraging medical health clinics and proprietary telemedicine platforms, Khiron combines a patient-oriented approach, physician education programs, scientific expertise, and high-quality product portfolio, to drive prescriptions and brand loyalty with patients worldwide. The Company has a sales presence in Colombia, Peru, Germany, UK, and Brazil and is positioned to commence sales in Mexico. The Company is led by Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Alvaro Torres, together with an experienced and diverse executive team and Board of Directors.

Visit Khiron online at investors.khiron.ca

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/khiron-life-sciences-corp/

Cautionary Notes

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Khiron undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of Khiron, its securities, or financial or operating results (as applicable). Although Khiron believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, such forward-looking statement has been based on expectations, factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Khiron's control, including the risk factors discussed in Khiron's Annual Information Form which is available on Khiron's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and is made as of the date hereof. Khiron disclaims any intention and has no obligation or responsibility, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the 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 press release.

SOURCE Khiron Life Sciences Corp.
"We are honored to have two distinguished titans of industry join us for our Spring commencement exercises to share their career success and words of wisdom with our graduates," said President Thomas K. Hudson, J.D. "Mrs. Duckett has strategically climbed the corporate ladder to serve as CEO three times over, from Chase Auto Financing to Chase Consumer Banking and now TIAA. Dr. Wilkes, our native son, has broken barriers to become the first African American to hold his title at the Department of Agriculture. We are grateful to have both of these history-makers join us for this auspicious occasion."

Commencement Event Protocols:

This is a non-ticketed event.

There will be no processional for graduates.

There will be spaced seating among the graduates.

About Thasunda Brown Duckett, MBA

Thasunda Brown Duckett leads TIAA, a Fortune 100 provider of secure retirements and outcome-focused investment solutions to millions of people working in higher education, healthcare and other mission-driven organizations. As CEO, Duckett leads a company whose mission is defined by financial inclusion and opportunity  goals and values she has upheld throughout her career.

Duckett joined TIAA after serving as Chief Executive Officer of Chase Consumer Banking, where she oversaw a banking network with more than $600 billion in deposits and 50,000 employees. Previously, she was the CEO of Chase Auto Finance, one of the leading U.S. providers of auto financing, and National retail sales executive for Chase Mortgage Banking, where she managed 4,000 mortgage bankers. Earlier in her career, she was a director of Emerging Markets at Fannie Mae, where she led the implementation of national strategies designed to increase homeownership among Black and Hispanic Americans.

Duckett serves on the boards of NIKE, Inc., Brex Inc., Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Sesame Workshop, National Medal of Honor Museum, Economic Club of New York, University of Houston Board of Visitors and Dean's Advisory Board for the Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business. She is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Jack and Jill of America Inc. She founded the Otis and Rosie Brown Foundation in honor of her parents to recognize and reward people who use ordinary means to empower and uplift their community in extraordinary ways. She is passionate about helping communities of color close achievement gaps in wealth creation, educational outcomes and career success.

Duckett grew up in Texas and lives in Connecticut with her husband and four children.

She holds a bachelor's degree in finance and marketing from the University of Houston and an MBA from Baylor University.

About Homer Wilkes, Ph.D.

Homer Wilkes, Ph.D., a native of Port Gibson, Mississippi, currently serves as Under Secretary for the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment, where he oversees the work of the U.S. Forest Service. He previously served as the director of Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Restoration Team, where he was responsible for overseeing the rebuilding of the Ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico after the BP Oil Spill of 2010. He has also served as the acting associate chief of USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Washington, D.C.

Wilkes' tenure with the United States Department of Agriculture spans over 41 years. During his tenure he has served as state conservationist for Mississippi; chief financial officer for NRCS in Washington, D.C.; and as deputy state conservationist for Mississippi.

Wilkes proudly served as naval supply officer in the United States Navy Reserves from November 1984  April 2007.

He received his bachelor's degree, MBA, and Ph.D. in urban higher education from Jackson State University. Also, he successfully completed the USDA Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program (SES CDP) through American University's Key Executive Leadership Certificate in Public Policy.

Wilkes and his wife, Kim, currently reside in Ridgeland, Miss. They have three sons: Justin, Austin, and Harrison. He enjoys restoring classic automobiles in his spare time.

About Jackson State University

Jackson State University, founded in 1877, is a historically black, high research activity university located in Jackson, the capital city of Mississippi. Jackson State's nurturing academic environment challenges individuals to change lives through teaching, research and service. Officially designated as Mississippi's Urban University, Jackson State continues to enhance the state, nation and world through comprehensive economic development, healthcare, technological and educational initiatives. The only public university in metropolitan Jackson, Jackson State is located near downtown, with five satellite locations throughout the area. For more information, visit www.jsums.edu.

SOURCE Jackson State University
As Illumina's Chief Public Affairs Officer, John will be the company's top strategic adviser and decision maker on government affairs and public policy matters. In this role, he will have strategic oversight for Illumina's global government affairs and public policy operations, its Corporate Social Responsibility efforts, all patient advocacy initiatives, and the privacy and ethics office. The goal of aggregating these functions under John's leadership is to combine and amplify the voices of Illumina's critical advocacy groups to drive meaningful change for patients.

"John's deep, global government affairs and public policy experience are invaluable as we work to increase patients' access to genomics around the world," said Francis deSouza, Chief Executive Officer. "As Illumina's impact is increasingly felt in clinical healthcare, it is critically important to actively engage with key government and industry stakeholders on how the power and impact of genomics can better serve patients on a global scale."

Frank will directly advise the company's leadership, including its executive team and Board of Directors, offering expertise and ongoing assessment of the geopolitical and policy implications impacting Illumina's business strategies.

"The face of healthcare is rapidly changing, and I'm delighted to become part of a company at the forefront of that change," said Frank. "We are just beginning to understand the power of the human genome and the profound opportunities ahead. I'm looking forward to joining a group of leaders dedicated to making a difference worldwide."

A veteran government affairs and public policy leader, Frank most recently spent 20 years with Microsoft as Vice President of United Nations Affairs and International Organizations reporting to Microsoft President Brad Smith. Prior to that, Frank led Microsoft's European Union Government Affairs team and held numerous leadership positions focused on digital trust and security, digital crime, competition law and compliance issues. Frank began his career at Microsoft as a Senior Attorney in 1994, then led Microsoft's legal and corporate affairs group for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Prior to joining Microsoft, John practiced law in San Francisco with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. He holds a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School and a bachelor's degree in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University.

About Illumina

Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as the global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the research, clinical, and applied markets. Our products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture, and other emerging segments. To learn more, visit www.illumina.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

Investors:

Salli Schwartz

858.291.6421

[email protected]

Media:

Adi Raval

202.629.8172

[email protected]

SOURCE Illumina, Inc.
DUBLIN, April 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Kuwait Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Kuwait is an emerging IT hub in the Middle Eastern region. Under the initiative Vision 2035, Kuwait aims to be a "financial and commercial" center in the Middle Eastern region. Government agencies and private sectors switch to digital platforms, which enhance the development of cloud, colocation, and managed facilities, thereby boosting the data center market growth.

The rise in the number of internet users will increase data generation, generating a high data traffic. Rapid development in network connectivity, increased support from government bodies, and high adoption of cloud, big data, and IoT services have been strong drivers for the growth of the Kuwait data center industry.

KUWAIT DATA CENTER MARKET SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS

In Kuwait, the adoption of VRLA battery-based UPS systems dominates the market with over 90% share. Most data centers are equipped with N+1 redundancy UPS systems that can be increased up to 2N redundancy as per client requirements.



In Kuwait, the market is dominated by greenfield construction and is also witnessing the development of on-premises modular data center construction.

VENDOR ANALYSIS

In July 2020, Ooredoo and Batelco partnered to launch "Global Zone Kuwait" which will offer an ecosystem platform to support the digital transformation in the country.



IT Infrastructure Providers

Arista Networks

Broadcom

Cisco Systems

Dell Technologies

Fujitsu

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

Hitachi Vantara

Huawei Technologies

IBM

Juniper Networks

NetApp

Oracle

Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors

AECOM

EGEC

Marafie Group

Egis

Support Infrastructure Providers

ABB

Airedale International Air Conditioning

Alfa Laval

Caterpillar

Cummins

Eaton

Honeywell International

Johnson Controls

Legrand

Rittal

Schneider Electric

STULZ

Vertiv Group

Data Center Investors

Ooredoo

Gulf Data Hub

Kuwait Telecommunication Company (STC)

Zajil Telecom

MARKET ENABLERS

Cloud Adoption boosting Data Center Demand

Big Data, IoT & AI driving Data Center Investments

Migration from On-premises Infrastructure to Colocation & Cloud Services

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THIS RESEARCH?

Market size available in the investment, area, power capacity, and the Kuwait colocation market revenue.

colocation market revenue. An assessment of the data center investment in Kuwait by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators.

by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators. Data center investments in the area (square feet) and power capacity (MW) across cities in the country.

A detailed study of the existing Kuwait data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about the Kuwait data center market size during the forecast period.

data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about the data center market size during the forecast period. Snapshot of existing and upcoming third-party data center facilities in Kuwait

Facilities Covered (Existing): 6

Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 01

Coverage: 2 Cities

Existing vs. Upcoming (Data Center Area)

Existing vs. Upcoming (IT Load Capacity)

Data center colocation market in Kuwait

Market Revenue & Forecast (2021-2027)

Retail Colocation Pricing

The Kuwait data center landscape market investments are classified into IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecast.

data center landscape market investments are classified into IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecast. A comprehensive analysis of the latest trends, growth rate, potential opportunities, growth restraints, and prospects for the industry.

Business overview and product offerings of prominent IT infrastructure providers, construction contractors, support infrastructure providers, and investors operating in the industry.

A transparent research methodology and the analysis of the demand and supply aspect of the market.

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Existing & Upcoming Third-Party Data Centers in Kuwait

5+ Unique Data Center Properties

Data Center It Load Capacity

Data Center White Floor Area Space

Existing Vs Upcoming Data Center Capacity by Cities

Cities Covered

Kuwait City

Subahiya

Chapter 2 Investment Opportunities in Kuwait

Data Center Investments

Investment by Area

Investment by Power Capacity

Chapter 3 Data Center Colocation Market in Kuwait

Colocation Services Market in Kuwait

Retail Colocation

Colocation Pricing (Quarter Rack, Half Rack, Full Rack) & Add-Ons

Chapter 4 Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Market Trends

Market Restraints

Chapter 5 Market Segmentation

It Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

Electrical Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

Mechanical Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

General Construction Services: Market Size & Forecast

Chapter 6 Tier Standard Investment

Tier I & Ii

Tier Iii

Tier Iv

Chapter 7 Key Market Participants

It Infrastructure Providers

Construction Contractors

Support Infrastructure Providers

Data Center Investors

Chapter 8 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cr0x6s

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
Read the 120-page report with TOC on "Meal Vouchers and Employee Benefit Solutions Market Analysis Report by Application (Meal vouchers and Employee benefits) and Geography (Europe, South America, APAC, North America, and Middle East and Africa), and the Segment Forecasts,2022-2026". Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders. Track key industry opportunities, trends and threats. Information on marketing, brand, strategy and market development, sales, and supply functions. https://www.technavio.com/report/report/meal-vouchers-and-employee-benefit-solutions-market-size-industry-analysis

Meal Vouchers and Employee Benefit Solutions Market: Drivers & Challenges

The tax benefits of meal vouchers are one of the key drivers supporting the meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions market growth. Companies, organizations, or employers who provide meal vouchers, food coupons, or prepaid meal cards as part of employees' salary structure are exempt from tax in most countries worldwide. For example, in 1976, the Federal Government of Brazil launched the Workers' Food Program (Programa de Alimentacao do Trabalhador - PAT), in which companies or employers were asked to pay for employees' food provisions in exchange for tax relief. These benefits and tax exemptions had helped the market to grow exponentially in the past and will drive growth during the forecast period as well.

However, the data privacy and security issues are some of the factors hindering the meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions market growth. Businesses have benefitted significantly from technological innovations and digitization, but with benefits and opportunities come risks as well. Data theft is one major threat to the market. Mobile apps and cards offered by vendors collect and store the personal information of employees and personnel of business partners. Many vendors use commercially available security technologies to safeguard this personal data. However, any vulnerability in the servers or mobile apps could pose a threat to privacy and may impact the businesses of the major players in the market. Such threats will challenge the meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions market growth during the forecast period.

To know about more drivers & challenges - Download a free sample now!

Some of key Meal Vouchers and Employee Benefit Solutions Players:

The meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying growth strategies such as acquiring smaller and regional food and catering service providers to compete in the market.

Alelo

Axis Bank Ltd.

Cinqo Group

Edenred SA

Electrum Fintech Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Emburse Inc.

Hrmony GmbH

ICICI Bank Ltd.

Monizze NV SA

One Obopay Mobile Technology India Pvt. Ltd.

PayPal Holdings Inc.

Set Corporate Services Inc.

Sodexo Group

SPENDIT AG

SWILE SAS

UniCredit SpA

Up Group

VA Tech Ventures Pvt Ltd.

VR Beneficios

Zaggle Prepaid Ocean Services Pvt. Ltd.

Meal Vouchers And Employee Benefit Solutions Market: Segmentation Analysis

Application Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2021-2026)

Meal vouchers - size and forecast 2021-2026

Employee benefits - size and forecast 2021-2026

Geography Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2021-2026)

Europe - size and forecast 2021-2026

- size and forecast 2021-2026 South America - size and forecast 2021-2026

- size and forecast 2021-2026 APAC - size and forecast 2021-2026

North America - size and forecast 2021-2026

- size and forecast 2021-2026 Middle East and Africa - size and forecast 2021-2026

To know about the contribution of each segment -Grab an Exclusive FREE Sample Report

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Meal Vouchers And Employee Benefit Solutions Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 4% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 16.69 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 3.16 Performing market contribution Europe at 39% Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Alelo, Axis Bank Ltd., Cinqo Group, Edenred SA, Electrum Fintech Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Emburse Inc., Hrmony GmbH, ICICI Bank Ltd., Monizze NV SA, One Obopay Mobile Technology India Pvt. Ltd., PayPal Holdings Inc., Set Corporate Services Inc., Sodexo Group, SPENDIT AG, SWILE SAS, UniCredit SpA, Up Group, VA Tech Ventures Pvt Ltd., VR Beneficios, and Zaggle Prepaid Ocean Services Pvt. 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 Content:

1. Executive Summary

2. Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 01: Parent market

2.2: Market Characteristics

3. Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 02: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 03: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2020

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025

Exhibit 04: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 05: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 06: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 07: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4. Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five Forces Summary

Exhibit 08: Five forces analysis 2020 & 2025

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

4.4 Threat of new entrants

4.5 Threat of substitutes

4.6 Threat of rivalry

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 09: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Application

5.1 Market segments

The segments covered in this chapter are Meal vouchers and Employee benefits.

Exhibit 10: Chart on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 11: Data Table on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Application

Exhibit 12: Chart on Comparison by Application

Exhibit 13: Data Table on Comparison by Application

5.3 Meal vouchers - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 14: Chart on Meal vouchers - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 15: Data Table on Meal vouchers - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 16: Chart on Meal vouchers - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 17: Data Table on Meal vouchers - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Employee benefits - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 18: Chart on Employee benefits - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 19: Data Table on Employee benefits - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 20: Chart on Employee benefits - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 21: Data Table on Employee benefits - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Application

Exhibit 22: Market opportunity by Application ($ million)

6 Customer Landscape

6.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 23: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

7 Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 24: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 25: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 26: Chart on Geographic comparison

7.3 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 27: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 28: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 29: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 30: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.4 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 31: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 32: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 33: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 34: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 35: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 36: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 37: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 38: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 39: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 40: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 41: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 42: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 43: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 44: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 45: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 46: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.8 Brazil - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 47: Chart on Brazil - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 48: Data Table on Brazil - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 49: Chart on Brazil - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 50: Data Table on Brazil - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.9 France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 51: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 52: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 53: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 54: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.10 Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 55: Chart on Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 56: Data Table on Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 57: Chart on Italy - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 58: Data Table on Italy - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.11 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 59: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 60: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 61: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 62: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.12 Spain - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 63: Chart on Spain - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 64: Data Table on Spain - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 65: Chart on Spain - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 66: Data Table on Spain - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 67: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.1.1 Tax benefits of meal vouchers

8.1.2 Growing employment rates

8.1.3 Active participation of banks

8.2 Market challenges

8.2.1 Data privacy and security issues

8.2.2 Alternative ways to save on tax

8.2.3 Advocacy against meal voucher companies

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 68: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

8.4.1 Shift toward digital meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions

8.4.2 Rise in venture capital investment in employee benefit solution

8.4.3 Strategic partnerships with meal kit delivery vendors

9. Vendor Landscape

9.1 Competitive scenario

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 69: Vendor Landscape

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 70: Landscape disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 71: Industry risks

10. Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 72: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 73: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 Alelo

Exhibit 74: Alelo - Overview

Exhibit 75: Alelo - Product / Service

Exhibit 76: Alelo - Key offerings

10.4 Axis Bank Ltd.

Exhibit 77: Axis Bank Ltd. - Overview

Exhibit 78: Axis Bank Ltd. - Business segments

Exhibit 79: Axis Bank Ltd. - Key offerings

Exhibit 80: Axis Bank Ltd. - Segment focus

10.5 Cinqo Group

Exhibit 81: Cinqo Group - Overview

Exhibit 82: Cinqo Group - Product / Service

Exhibit 83: Cinqo Group - Key offerings

10.6 Edenred SA

Exhibit 84: Edenred SA - Overview

Exhibit 85: Edenred SA - Business segments

Exhibit 86: Edenred SA - Key offerings

Exhibit 87: Edenred SA - Segment focus

10.7 Emburse Inc.

Exhibit 88: Emburse Inc. - Overview

Exhibit 89: Emburse Inc. - Product / Service

Exhibit 90: Emburse Inc. - Key offerings

10.8 Monizze NV SA

Exhibit 91: Monizze NV SA - Overview

Exhibit 92: Monizze NV SA - Product / Service

Exhibit 93: Monizze NV SA - Key offerings

10.9 Sodexo Group

Exhibit 94: Sodexo Group - Overview

Exhibit 95: Sodexo Group - Business segments

Exhibit 96: Sodexo Group - Key offerings

Exhibit 97: Sodexo Group - Segment focus

10.10 SPENDIT AG

Exhibit 98: SPENDIT AG - Overview

Exhibit 99: SPENDIT AG - Product / Service

Exhibit 100: SPENDIT AG - Key offerings

10.11 Up Group

Exhibit 101: Up Group - Overview

Exhibit 102: Up Group - Product / Service

Exhibit 103: Up Group - Key offerings

10.12 VR Beneficios

Exhibit 104: VR Beneficios - Overview

Exhibit 105: VR Beneficios - Product / Service

Exhibit 106: VR Beneficios - Key offerings

11. Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.1.1 Market definition

11.1.2 Objectives

11.1.3Notes and caveats

11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 107: Currency conversion rates for US$?

11.3 Research Methodology

Exhibit 108: Research Methodology

Exhibit 109: Validation techniques employed for market sizing?

Exhibit 110: Information sources

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NEW DELHI, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The study undertaken by Astute Analytica foresees a tremendous growth in revenue of the Global Mental Health Market from US$ 384.85 Bn in 2021 to US$ 560.33 Bn by 2030. The market is registering a CAGR of 4.43% over the forecast period 2022-2030. The market is majorly driven by factors such as increase in prevalence of mental disorders and rising geriatric population.

Market Snapshot:

Mental disorders are characterized by a combination of abnormal thoughts, perceptions, emotions, behavior, and relationships with others. Mental disorders include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses, dementia, and developmental disorders including autism. According to World Health Organization, depression is one of the leading causes of disability and suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds. In recent years, there has been increasing acknowledgement of the significant role mental health plays in achieving global development goals, as illustrated by the inclusion of mental health in the Sustainable Development Goals.

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Market Dynamics

Drivers:

The growing impetus of the market is attributed to factors such as increase in prevalence of mental disorders and rising geriatric population. Mental health conditions are increasing worldwide. Mainly because of demographic changes, there has been a 13% rise in mental health conditions and substance use disorders in the last decade (to 2017). According to the World Health Organization, mental health conditions now cause 1 in 5 years lived with disability. Around 20% of the world's children and adolescents have a mental health condition, with suicide the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds. Approximately one in five people in post-conflict settings have a mental health condition. Mental health conditions can have a substantial effect on all areas of life, such as school or work performance, relationships with family and friends and ability to participate in the community. Two of the most common mental health conditions, depression and anxiety, cost the global economy US$ 1 trillion each year. Despite these figures, the global median of government health expenditure that goes to mental health is less than 2%. Moreover, Covid-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown in countries across the globe have further escalated the mental health disorders in Individuals. Furthermore, rising geriatric population is also accelerating the market demand. It is estimated that between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world's population over 60 years will nearly double, from 12% to 22%. According to the World Health Organization, over 20% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental or neurological disorder (excluding headache disorders) and 6.6% of all disability among people over 60 years is attributed to mental and neurological disorders.

Restraints:

Prescription drugs, residential treatment, and outpatient mental health treatment make up the majority of the costs for mental health treatment. Therefore, the rise in cost of mental health programs is hindering the market growth.

Opportunities:

Surging digitalization and growing smartphone & internet penetration are expected to increase the utilization of mental health apps across the globe. Further, Covid-19 have increased the chances of medical professionals and patients adopting mental health apps. In addition, shifting trends from traditional methods of care to patient-centric and personalized care are supporting the adoption of mental health apps. Thus, growing investments in digital mental health is projected to present a lucrative opportunity for market expansion.

Regional Analysis of the Global Mental Health Market:

North America dominates the Global Mental Health Market in 2021 and is projected to continue its dominance over the forecast period. An estimated 26% of Americans, aged 18 and older, suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder in a given year. Many people suffer from more than one mental health disorder at a given time.

dominates the Global Mental Health Market in 2021 and is projected to continue its dominance over the forecast period. An estimated 26% of Americans, aged 18 and older, suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder in a given year. Many people suffer from more than one mental health disorder at a given time. The United Kingdom is the highest shareholder country in Europe mental health market in 2021. This is due to a rise in adoption of advanced technologies and an increase in awareness of mental health among individuals. Based on mental disorders, mood disorders have the highest share in the mental health market of Europe in 2021.

is the highest shareholder country in mental health market in 2021. This is due to a rise in adoption of advanced technologies and an increase in awareness of mental health among individuals. Based on mental disorders, mood disorders have the highest share in the mental health market of in 2021. Asia Pacific holds the highest compound annual growth rate in the Global Mental Health Market over the forecast period. This is due to rising disposable income and growing mental health awareness among the population. China holds the highest share in the mental health market of Asia Pacific . This is due to the rising geriatric population in China . Based on treatment techniques, the psychological intervention technique has the highest market share in 2021.

holds the highest compound annual growth rate in the Global Mental Health Market over the forecast period. This is due to rising disposable income and growing mental health awareness among the population. holds the highest share in the mental health market of . This is due to the rising geriatric population in . Based on treatment techniques, the psychological intervention technique has the highest market share in 2021. Brazil is the highest shareholder country in South America mental health market in 2021 and also registers the highest CAGR over the projection period. Based on patient age, adults have the highest share in the mental health market of South America . Further, based on mental disorders, the mood disorders segment holds the highest market share in 2021.

is the highest shareholder country in mental health market in 2021 and also registers the highest CAGR over the projection period. Based on patient age, adults have the highest share in the mental health market of . Further, based on mental disorders, the mood disorders segment holds the highest market share in 2021. South Africa holds the highest share in the Middle East & Africa mental health market. The South African market is also registering the highest CAGR over the forecast period. Based on treatment techniques, the psychological intervention segment has the highest share in the MEA market. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) holds the highest share under the psychological interventions segment in 2021

Impact of COVID-19

Covid-19 pandemic has escalated mental health disorders among individuals. Pandemic and the associated lockdown led to financial insecurity, unemployment, and lack of social connections among individuals, which led to a significant and unprecedented worsening of population's mental health. Furthermore, increased rates of mental ill-health issues and lack of treatment, medications, and support services had a negative impact on market growth. However, many countries are today investing in innovative digital and telecommunication solutions to address the mental health needs of their citizens, which is expected to propel the market growth over the forecast period.

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Report Attribute Details Market Size Value in 2021 US$ 384.85 Billion Market Outlook for 2030 US$ 560.33 Billion Expected CAGR Growth 4.43% from 2022  2030 Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 2022-2030 Top Market Players Acadia Healthcare, The MENTOR Network, Universal Health Services, Inc., Behavioral Health Network, Inc., CareTech Holdings PLC, and Promises Behavioral Health among others Segments Covered By Mental Disorders, By Treatment Techniques, By patient Age, 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

The key players in the Global Mental Health Market are Acadia Healthcare, The MENTOR Network, Universal Health Services, Inc., Behavioral Health Network, Inc., CareTech Holdings PLC, and Promises Behavioral Health among others.

Segmentation Overview

The following are the various segments of the Global Mental Health Market:

By Mental Disorder segment of the Global Mental Health Market is sub-segmented into:

Mood Disorders



Anxiety Disorders



Personality Disorders



Psychotic Disorders



Eating Disorders



Trauma-related Disorders



Substance Abuse Disorders



Others

By Treatment Techniques segment of the Global Mental Health Market is sub-segmented into:

Intervention Counselling



Individualized Therapy



Group Therapy



Family Counselling



Discharge Planning



Psychological Intervention



Cognitive Behavioral Therapy



Dialectical behavior therapy



Medication evaluation & therapy



Psychotherapy



Trauma Therapy



Dual diagnosis treatment

By Patient Age Group segment of the Global Mental Health Market is sub-segmented into:

Pediatric



Adult



Geriatric

By Region segment of the Global Mental Health Market is sub-segmented into:

North America



The U.S.





Canada





Mexico



Europe



Western Europe





The U.K.







Germany







France







Italy







Spain







Rest of Western Europe





Eastern Europe





Poland







Russia







Rest of Eastern Europe



Asia Pacific



China





India





Japan





Australia & New Zealand

&



South Korea





ASEAN





Rest of Asia Pacific



Middle East & Africa



UAE





Saudi Arabia





South Africa





Rest of Middle East & Africa

&

South America



Argentina





Brazil





Rest of South America

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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.

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Bloomwell Group Examines U.S. Cannabis Consumers'

Perceptions of European Cannabis Market in New Survey-

PLUS: 8 in 10 Americans Say the U.S. Should Export Cannabis to Europe

FRANKFURT, Germany, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "green rush" in Europe has commenced, and Americans are ready to invest their time, travel plans and money into the cannabis market across the pond, according to a new study.

Today, Bloomwell Group , a Germany-based holding company for medical cannabis companies, released the results of its 'European Cannabis Market Survey,' which examined American cannabis consumers' expectations for, and opinions of, this burgeoning sector abroad, including the demand for cannabis tourism, investment opportunities, trade and more.

SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS

The vast majority of respondents  80 percent  agreed that "cannabis companies are attractive investment options," while 61 percent shared that they "would invest in European cannabis stocks."

Respondents also reported positive sentiments regarding cannabis tourism, an evolving issue in Germany, which only recently legalized adult-use cannabis after several years of expanding its medical market. Experts predict adult-use cannabis to come online by 2024, but regulators have not yet determined tourism policies. However, more than 66 percent of the Americans surveyed said they "would visit a cannabis dispensary or social consumption lounge" in Germany.

THE STATE OF EUROPEAN CANNABIS

The European cannabis industry has made unprecedented strides in the past year: Luxembourg decriminalized cannabis ownership and is hoping to legalize the market; Malta has decriminalized possession; the Netherlands launched Europe's first-ever commercial cannabis cultivation pilot program; and Switzerland is also running a pilot project.

But the crown jewel of European cannabis is Germany, which is celebrating its medical market's 5-year anniversary while paving the way to becoming the adult-use capital of Europe . According to a BDSA report from this month, international sales will exceed ~$10 billion in 2026. The bulk of that new legal spending will be driven by Germany (contributing ~$3 billion by 2026).

"Germany has 82 million inhabitants  that's more than Canada and California, two of the current biggest cannabis markets on the globe. Therefore, when Germany opens up for adult-use cannabis, it will become the biggest market in the world," said Bloomwell Group CEO and Co-founder Niklas Kouparanis. "The future language for cannabis will be German."

THE AMERICAN CONNECTION

The survey also addressed how the U.S. can potentially benefit economically from licensed cannabis markets in Europe. According to renowned economist Justus Haucap , Germany will have a demand of 400 tons of cannabis annually after legalization. To help meet that dramatic demand, 80 percent of Americans polled say that the "U.S. should export cannabis to Europe," a practice that would potentially increase domestic revenue.

Additional key survey findings include:

Awareness: More than half of respondents (52 percent) said they are "aware that Germany will most likely become the largest legal cannabis market within the next three years."

More than half of respondents (52 percent) said they are "aware that will most likely become the largest legal cannabis market within the next three years." Travel: 65 percent of Americans surveyed said they "would travel to a city or country to experience its licensed cannabis market," while 44 percent said that they would travel to Germany specifically for cannabis tourism. As a bonus, nearly 75 percent polled said Pretzels, a Deutschland specialty, are a "satisfying 'munchies' food."

65 percent of Americans surveyed said they "would travel to a city or country to experience its licensed cannabis market," while 44 percent said that they would travel to specifically for cannabis tourism. As a bonus, nearly 75 percent polled said Pretzels, a Deutschland specialty, are a "satisfying 'munchies' food." Global Legalization: An overwhelming majority  87 percent  said that cannabis should be legalized worldwide.

The promising survey results coincide with recent Bloomwell Group milestones that also illustrate global confidence in the European and German cannabis markets: the company closed a seed funding round of over $10 million USD; Curaleaf's Boris Jordan is a lead investor and board member.

METHODOLOGY

This survey was conducted online using Survey Monkey among a national sample of 845 people spanning across U.S. geographic regions and income levels. All of the respondents identified as cannabis consumers. The survey sample was weighted to reflect the gender distribution and the age distribution across the 18-60+ age brackets in the U.S.

About Bloomwell Group

Frankfurt-based Bloomwell Group acts as a holding company for medical cannabis businesses, and is also positioned to hold and oversee companies in Germany's upcoming licensed adult-use cannabis market. It is the largest cannabis company in Germany with more than 240 employees. Bloomwell Group's mission is to build, acquire and invest in ESG healthcare and cannabis companies along the entire value chain, excluding cultivation. In doing so, Bloomwell Group relies on patient and/or consumer-centric direct approaches to set up a strong and revolutionizing streamlined patient and consumer journey. The company is poised to transform healthcare, as well as cannabis consumption and cannabis-enhanced lifestyles for the better. The combination of natural medicines, cannabis and digitization is a journey that combines historic roots with 21st century tools. The green revolution in healthcare and a new international cannabis regulatory regime starts now and Bloomwell is leading the charge. For more information, visit: www.bloomwell.eu

Contact: Alex Rush

718.664.3517

[email protected]

SOURCE The Bloomwell Group
A delegation from the U.S. Department of State visited Sri Lanka from April 3-8, 2022, to review U.S.-funded demining projects in Kilinochchi, Jaffna, Vavuniya, and Muhamalai. The United States contributed $8.3 million to demining efforts in Sri Lanka in 2021, resulting in many communities gaining safe access to land for housing, sanitation, and agricultural activities. Over the coming year, the U.S. government will provide an additional $7 million to assist Sri Lankan communities affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance.

Speaking of U.S. demining work, U.S. Ambassador Julie J. Chung said, I am very proud of the long-standing U.S. support to demining efforts in Sri Lanka. We have invested over $86.3 million in demining since 1995, and those funds  together with contributions from international partners and local implementers  have protected Sri Lankans living in the affected area and enabled so many hard-working people to return home to farm, fish, and feed their families safely.

While in Sri Lanka, the U.S. delegation met with officials from the National Mine Action Center (NMAC) and the Regional Mine Action Office (RMAO) in Kilinochchi to discuss close cooperation between the U.S. and Sri Lanka on demining and the important role that this work provides to community development. During their trip to the North, the delegation visited local and international implementing partner organizations, including the Delvon Association for Social Harmony (DASH), the Skavita Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Project (SHARP), the Hazardous Area Life-support Organization (HALO Trust), and the Mines Advisory Group (MAG).

The United States remains the worlds single largest financial supporter of global conventional weapons destruction efforts. In Sri Lanka, from 1995 to 2021, the United States invested more than $86.3 million for demining assistance for operations, equipment, education, training, and capacity-building. The U.S. support contributed towards clearance efforts in nine districts affected by landmine contamination and helped enable Batticaloa District to be declared mine-impact free in 2017.

To learn more about U.S. assistance to the demining efforts in Sri Lanka and around the world, please visit U.S. Department of States To Walk the Earth in Safety report.
NEW YORK, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock"), an operationally focused private equity firm, today announced that one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Prefere Resins Group ("Prefere" or the "Company") from Silverfleet Capital. Prefere is a pan-European leader of adhesive resins and formulations used in engineered wood and insulation products, industrial applications and other specialty materials. The Company is headquartered in Erkner, Germany and employs over 600 people globally at a number of manufacturing, sales and research and development facilities.

"We are excited to partner with Prefere, a leader in the resins industry," said Michael T. Koike, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to working closely with the management team to further grow into underpenetrated markets and expand the Company's product portfolio, while maintaining the Company's commitment to delivering high-quality products and superior customer service."

"Prefere is a frontrunner in the conversion to bio-based sustainable resin technologies," added R. Scott Spielvogel, Managing Partner of One Rock. "We look forward to continuing to drive innovation, advancing on these sustainability initiatives and establishing the Company as a global market leader."

"One Rock's expertise in the chemicals space closely aligns with the Company's strategic focus, capabilities and industry leadership position," said Elmar Boeke, Chief Executive of Prefere. "As we embark on our next chapter, we are excited to collaborate and leverage the firm's strategic and operational expertise as we continue to scale our offerings."

Completion of the transaction, which is expected in the summer of 2022, is subject to applicable regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC

One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.

ABOUT PREFERE RESINS GROUP

Headquartered in Erkner, Germany, Prefere is a leading European manufacturer of phenolic, specialty urea and, melamine resins as well as high quality derivatives of methanol-(C1)-chemistry. The Company employs over 600 people largely based in Europe and North America where it operates a number of high-quality manufacturing and R&D facilities. The Company serves high-growth sub-sectors within construction, insulation, coatings, and various industrial and specialty niches. For more information, visit www.prefere.com.

MEDIA CONTACT

Hallie Erlich

Prosek Partners

[email protected]

SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC
Latino's For America First Co-Founder, Bianca Gracia, has been brought on as the Chief Strategist focusing on the Spanish Conservative Market

SARASOTA, Fla., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The America Project, founded by Patrick Byrne, General Flynn and Joe Flynn, is a 501c4 non-profit dedicated to election integrity, is expanding its staff to include a key political veteran.

Bianca Gracia, Co-founder of Latinos for America First, will serve as TAP's Chief Strategist going into the 2022 and 2024 election cycles. Gracia, a former Democrat who was inspired by President Trump's historic campaign in 2016, left the Democrat party nearly two decades ago when she realized the party didn't align with her America First beliefs.

Bianca Gracia

Gracia is a regular commentator on Fox News and Steve Bannon's War Room broadcast, where she continues to advocate for President Trump's legacies and policies. As part of her role as TAP's Chief Strategist, Gracia will focus on the Spanish conservative market in places like Florida and Texas, along with other areas in America where conservative Hispanic populations are on the rise. This will include everything from educating voters about how to document irregularities in the voting process, promoting Hispanic community involvement and media training.

"To work alongside the Flynns and Patrick Byrne is a great honor. What they have planned through The America Project to educate the American people on voter fraud and attacks on our election integrity will be crucial if we intend on saving the nation from the corruption of the political establishment on both sides of the aisle," stated Gracia.

To learn more about TAP or schedule interviews with Gracia, contact Kristin Davis at [email protected] 212-920-9918

SOURCE The America Project
Key Market Dynamics:

Market Driver

Market Challenges

The growing demand for combining mobility and document solutions is driving the portable printer market growth. Employees that work remotely in a warehouse should be able to print labels by connecting the portable printer with their mobile device. Hence, vendors are offering solutions that help employees connect their mobile devices such as laptops with portable printers. For instance, Brother Industries offers A6 or A7 Mobile Printers that can be connected to mobile devices such as tablets, smartphones, and laptops to produce high-quality printouts. These printers are portable and lightweight and are perfect for employees who need to work outdoors, which, in turn, will drive the market growth during the forecast period.

The growing focus of enterprises toward paperless work is challenging the portable printer market growth. The increased penetration of wireless communications and smart devices has enabled the seamless exchange of information among end-users. These solutions have become increasingly popular among commercial and enterprise end-user segments. For instance, in conference rooms and classrooms, the presence of smart devices such as interactive whiteboards, surface displays, and interactive flat panels have reduced the need for hard copies and printing. To minimize the use of paper, many end-user segments are encouraging paperless solutions and go-green initiatives. All these factors have a negative impact on the revenue growth of the global portable printer market.

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The portable printer market report is segmented by application (transportation and logistics, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and others), technology (thermal, inkjet, and impact), and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa).

By application, the transportation and logistics segment will have significant market share growth during the forecast period. In this segment, portable printers are used for various applications such as printing pallet labeling, warehouse labeling, and others.

By technology, thermal technology is considered ideal for mobile printing due to its flexibility, low-maintenance, high print quality output, and durable nature. Thermal printers are reliable, as they enable printing in extreme heat and cold situations.

APAC will be the leading region with 34% of the market's growth during the forecast period. China and Japan are the key countries for the portable printer market in APAC.

View our sample report for additional insights into the contribution of all the segments, and regional opportunities in the report.

Some Companies Mentioned

BIXOLON Co. Ltd.



Brother Industries Ltd.



Canon Inc.



Citizen Systems Japan Co. Ltd.



CognitiveTPG



Fujitsu Ltd.



Honeywell International Inc.



HP Inc.



Lexmark International Inc.



Oki Electric Industry Co. Ltd.



Polaroid Film B.V.



Printek L.L.C.



SATO Holdings Corp.



Seiko Epson Corp.



Star Micronics Co. Ltd.



Toshiba Tec Corp.



Zebra Technologies Corp.

To gain access to more vendor profiles with their key offerings available with Technavio, Click Here

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Portable Printer Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 18.11% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 8.15 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 16.88 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 34% Key consumer countries US, China, Japan, Germany, and UK Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled BIXOLON Co. Ltd., Brother Industries Ltd., Canon Inc., Citizen Systems Japan Co. Ltd., CognitiveTPG, Fujitsu Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., HP Inc., Lexmark International Inc., Oki Electric Industry Co. Ltd., Polaroid Film B.V., Printek L.L.C., SATO Holdings Corp., Seiko Epson Corp., Star Micronics Co. Ltd., Toshiba Tec Corp., and Zebra Technologies Corp. 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.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Application



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Technology



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 18: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 20: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 21: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 22: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 23: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 24: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Application

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 25: Chart on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 26: Data Table on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Application

Exhibit 27: Chart on Comparison by Application



Exhibit 28: Data Table on Comparison by Application

5.3 Transportation and logistics - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 29: Chart on Transportation and logistics - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 30: Data Table on Transportation and logistics - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 31: Chart on Transportation and logistics - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 32: Data Table on Transportation and logistics - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Retail - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 33: Chart on Retail - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: Data Table on Retail - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 35: Chart on Retail - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 36: Data Table on Retail - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Manufacturing - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 37: Chart on Manufacturing - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 38: Data Table on Manufacturing - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 39: Chart on Manufacturing - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 40: Data Table on Manufacturing - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.6 Healthcare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 41: Chart on Healthcare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 42: Data Table on Healthcare - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 43: Chart on Healthcare - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 44: Data Table on Healthcare - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.7 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 45: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 46: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 47: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 48: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.8 Market opportunity by Application

Exhibit 49: Market opportunity by Application ($ million)

6 Market Segmentation by Technology

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 50: Chart on Technology - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 51: Data Table on Technology - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Technology

Exhibit 52: Chart on Comparison by Technology



Exhibit 53: Data Table on Comparison by Technology

6.3 Thermal - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 54: Chart on Thermal - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 55: Data Table on Thermal - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 56: Chart on Thermal - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 57: Data Table on Thermal - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.4 Inkjet - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 58: Chart on Inkjet - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 59: Data Table on Inkjet - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 60: Chart on Inkjet - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 61: Data Table on Inkjet - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.5 Impact - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 62: Chart on Impact - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 63: Data Table on Impact - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 64: Chart on Impact - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 65: Data Table on Impact - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.6 Market opportunity by Technology

Exhibit 66: Market opportunity by Technology ($ million)

7 Customer Landscape

7.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 67: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

8 Geographic Landscape

8.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 68: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 69: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

8.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 70: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 71: Data Table on Geographic comparison

8.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 72: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 73: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 74: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 75: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 76: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 77: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 78: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 79: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 80: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 81: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 82: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 83: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 84: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 85: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 86: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 87: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 88: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 89: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 90: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 91: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 92: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 93: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 94: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 95: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.9 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 96: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 97: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 98: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 99: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.10 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 100: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 101: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 102: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 103: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 104: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 105: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 106: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 107: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.12 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 108: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 109: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 110: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 111: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 112: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

9.1 Market drivers

9.2 Market challenges

9.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 113: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

9.4 Market trends

10 Vendor Landscape

10.1 Overview

10.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 114: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

10.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 115: Overview on factors of disruption

10.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 116: Impact of key risks on business

11 Vendor Analysis

11.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 117: Vendors covered

11.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 118: Matrix on vendor position and classification

11.3 BIXOLON Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 119: BIXOLON Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 120: BIXOLON Co. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 121: BIXOLON Co. Ltd. - Key offerings

11.4 Brother Industries Ltd.

Exhibit 122: Brother Industries Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 123: Brother Industries Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 124: Brother Industries Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 125: Brother Industries Ltd. - Segment focus

11.5 Canon Inc.

Exhibit 126: Canon Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 127: Canon Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 128: Canon Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 129: Canon Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 130: Canon Inc. - Segment focus

11.6 Fujitsu Ltd.

Exhibit 131: Fujitsu Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 132: Fujitsu Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 133: Fujitsu Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 134: Fujitsu Ltd. - Segment focus

11.7 Honeywell International Inc.

Exhibit 135: Honeywell International Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 136: Honeywell International Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 137: Honeywell International Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 138: Honeywell International Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 139: Honeywell International Inc. - Segment focus

11.8 HP Inc.

Exhibit 140: HP Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 141: HP Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 142: HP Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 143: HP Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 144: HP Inc. - Segment focus

11.9 Seiko Epson Corp.

Exhibit 145: Seiko Epson Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 146: Seiko Epson Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 147: Seiko Epson Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 148: Seiko Epson Corp. - Segment focus

11.10 Star Micronics Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 149: Star Micronics Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 150: Star Micronics Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 151: Star Micronics Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 152: Star Micronics Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

11.11 Toshiba Tec Corp.

Exhibit 153: Toshiba Tec Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 154: Toshiba Tec Corp. - Product / Service



Exhibit 155: Toshiba Tec Corp. - Key offerings

11.12 Zebra Technologies Corp.

Exhibit 156: Zebra Technologies Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 157: Zebra Technologies Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 158: Zebra Technologies Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 159: Zebra Technologies Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 160: Zebra Technologies Corp. - Segment focus

12 Appendix

12.1 Scope of the report

12.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 161: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 162: Exclusions checklist

12.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 163: Currency conversion rates for US$

12.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 164: Research methodology



Exhibit 165: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 166: Information sources

12.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 167: 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 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
Local Partners Kick Off Development with Groundbreaking for One of the First Establishments in Hartford; Cannabis Dispensary Franchise Now Developing in 10-Plus U.S. Markets

SIOUX FALLS, S.D., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Unity Rd., the national cannabis dispensary franchise from Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB), announced today that the brand's first partners in South Dakota have received approval from Hartford, a suburb of Sioux Falls and the state for a registration certificate to operate a medical cannabis establishment in the South Dakota Medical Cannabis Program. Local entrepreneurs, B.J. Olson and Adam Jorgensen officially broke ground on their Hartford medical cannabis establishment at 404 West Opal Lane on February 25, 2022 and anticipate the shop will open this summer.

Prior to partnering with Unity Rd., Olson was a multi-unit franchisee in the technology repair space and has an impressive entrepreneurial background that spans across various industries including wireless technology, retail and clothing. Jorgensen has also spent the past 20-plus years in the wireless technology industry, where he led and supported sales teams at two Fortune 50 companies.

"Partnering with Unity Rd. was a given for us," explained Olson. "Though I have a deep entrepreneurial background and experience in retail, I know operating a cannabis establishment adds a significant level of intricacies to navigate. Unity Rd. paves a path for entry into the cannabis industry and offers us the knowledge, resources and support we need to thrive compliantly in our market."

Olson and Jorgensen are true believers in the power of cannabis, both directly experiencing the medicinal benefits of the plant first-hand.

"Educating our community about cannabis is our top priority. We want to make sure our neighbors have the best experience possible with the plant." Jorgensen added. "Our Unity Rd. shop will be their go-to local resource they can rely on to find the right products."

With state and city approval, the medical cannabis establishment will be one of first of three in Hartford. South Dakota residents began applying for medical cannabis patient cards on November 8, 2021, and currently there are a few hundred card holders in the program. As the state continues to award cultivation and registration certificates simultaneously, Unity Rd. is assisting Olson and Jorgensen in keeping close contact with cultivators in the new cannabis market. The team anticipates that initial crops will be harvested and tested throughout the summer.

Expansion into South Dakota marks 11 states, from coast-to-coast, where Unity Rd. has signed agreements with dedicated entrepreneurial groups who are in various stages of development.

"Unity Rd. represents the intersection where local business ownership meets cannabis," said Mike Weinberger, chief franchise officer at Unity Rd. "As we continue to rapidly grow in new markets across the U.S., we search for passionate partners such as B.J. and Adam to bring onto our team, who understand the benefits of cannabis first-hand and want to tap their entrepreneurial backgrounds into a complex, yet budding industry."

Unity Rd. offers one of the safest routes for cannabis entrepreneurs interested in staking their claim in an industry that is bursting with potential. The dispensary franchise's time-tested Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and experienced team, with a combined 200-plus years in cannabis and franchising, guide franchise partners through every operational function of the business, whether it be securing a license or assisting with cash flow, product selection or changing regulations.

Industry newcomers have deemed Unity Rd. the go-to franchise opportunity for entering and navigating the complex cannabis industry. The marijuana dispensary franchise is actively seeking qualified partners who would benefit from the systems, processes, and ongoing support the franchise offers. Currently, Unity Rd. has multiple agreements signed with 20 entrepreneurial groups.

To learn more about the Unity Rd. franchise opportunity, contact [email protected], call 720-923-5262 or visit unityrd.com.

ABOUT UNITY RD. :

Unity Rd.is bridging the two previously disconnected worlds of cannabis and franchising. The industry trailblazer is the first to bring the cannabis dispensary franchise model to the United Stateswith duality of prowess in both industries to back it up. Built up from a collective 200 years in the legal cannabis industry and franchising, the company helps eager operators enter the complex industry with ease. The marijuana franchise pioneer offers its partners the knowledge, resources and ongoing support needed to compliantly and successfully operate a dispensary. Launched in 2018, Unity Rd. has signed multiple agreements with 20 entrepreneurial groups across the country who are developing the brand across 10-plus states. In 2021, Unity Rd. became the first member of its kind to join the International Franchise Association (IFA), solidifying its position as the first true cannabis dispensary franchise in the U.S. The franchise was also named one of the "Best Cannabis Companies to Work For" in the dispensary category for Cannabis Business Times' 2022 and 2020 lists. For more information, visit unityrd.com.

ABOUT ITEM 9 LABS CORP.

Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB) is a vertically integrated cannabis operator and dispensary franchisor delivering premium products from its large-scale cultivation and production facilities in the United States. The award-winning Item 9 Labs brand specializes in best-in-class products and user experience across several cannabis categories. The company also offers a unique dispensary franchise model through the national Unity Rd. retail brand. Easing barriers to entry, the franchise provides an opportunity for both new and existing dispensary owners to leverage the knowledge, resources, and ongoing support needed to thrive in their state compliantly and successfully. Item 9 Labs brings the best industry practices to markets nationwide through distinctive retail experience, cultivation capabilities, and product innovation. The veteran management team combines a diverse skill set with deep experience in the cannabis sector, franchising, and the capital markets to lead a new generation of public cannabis companies that provide transparency, consistency, and well-being. Headquartered in Arizona, the company is currently expanding its operations space by up to 640,000 square feet on its 50-acre site, one of the largest properties in Arizona zoned to grow and cultivate flower. For additional information, visit item9labscorp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, risks and effects of legal and administrative proceedings and governmental regulation, especially in a foreign country, future financial and operational results, competition, general economic conditions, proposed transactions that are not legally binding obligations of the company and the ability to manage and continue growth. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those indicated. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make in this news release include the introduction of new technology, market conditions and those set forth in reports or documents we file from time to time with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to revise or update such statements to reflect current events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Media Contact:

Marisa Beaumont

Fishman PR

[email protected]

847-945-1300

Investor Contact:

Item 9 Labs Corp.

[email protected]

800-403-1140

SOURCE Unity Rd.
Over 1,000 projects made with yarn created for the chance to win big

DALLAS, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Great Yarn Challenge (TGYC), a first-of-its-kinds virtual yarn competition, launched its inaugural campaign this year and brought together thousands of crafters who competed for the chance to win prizes and awards for their fiber skills. Participants entered a series of challenges designed to inspire creativity and imagination, making things like sweaters, wall hangings and toys.

"We're blown away by the creativity of everyone who participated in the very first TGYC and are so thrilled that we received over 1,000 submissions," said CYC's Executive Director Jenny Bessonette. "We're proud of the winners who challenged themselves to create truly unique projects made of yarn."

TGYC brought together many familiar faces and influencers within the online yarn community. Maurice Greene, an MMA fighter known as " The Crochet Boss ", partnered with Warm Up America! to hand out over 550 hats to people in need in his local Albuquerque community. Famed crochet prodigy Jonah Larson , who shot to international fame in 2019 for his stitching prowess, worked with yarn company Yarnspirations to promote Warm Up America! and another cause close to his heart - helping those in the rural village where he was born through Roots Ethiopia .

The winners for TGYC were announced on March 24 in a special closing ceremony . One participant was chosen as the winner for each challenge and one participant was chosen as the overall TGYC winner. Elisa Berman submitted a crochet blanket depicting the day her brother got engaged and won the Spruce Up Your Space challenge. Genna Brocone submitted a punch needle pet portrait for a humane society charity auction and won the Babies & Fur Babies challenge. Amanda Schuck submitted crochet hot air balloons that she installed in her front yard and won the Yarn in the Wild challenge.

Amanda Skinner submitted a cardigan with the words "Knit/Purl/Yarn/Love" knitted throughout and won the Just Wear It challenge. Jeannie Swift submitted a 7" by 9" Warm Up America! section representing the state of New Hampshire and won the Stitch Your State challenge. Hollie Soave submitted a story about her creation of the The Knitting Club at William & Mary College, which is still going strong today, and won the Stitch It Forward challenge. Lastly, Jennifer Kinyak submitted a piece of crochet cover art for The Corner Laughers' album "Temescal Telegraph" and was crowned the TGYC champion.

ABOUT THE CRAFT YARN COUNCIL

The Craft Yarn Council (CYC), incorporated in 1981, is a nonprofit trade association representing manufacturers and distributors of yarns and tools used in knitting, crocheting and other crafts. The Craft Yarn Council mission is to foster a community of yarn crafters by stimulating current knitters and crocheters, inspiring new yarn crafters and initiating education and promotional campaigns to ensure a healthy future for the yarn industry.

Contact: Sarah Guenther-Moore

Phone: 972-325-7232

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Craft Yarn Council
Acquires Tekfor, a Leading Specialist in Formed and E-Mobility Components

DETROIT, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (AAM), (NYSE: AXL) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which AAM will acquire Tekfor Group for an enterprise value of 125 million.

"This acquisition leverages the core strengths of AAM with significant synergy potential, diversifies our geographic and customer sales mix and increases our electrification product portfolio. In addition, this purchase fits nicely with our recent tactical M&A approach," said AAM's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, David C. Dauch. "We are excited to expand our metal forming technologies to serve a broad range of global customers."

Based in Hausach, Germany, Tekfor Group is a leading specialist in automotive fasteners and metal formed components for driveline, powertrain, and E-mobility applications. Tekfor generated sales of approximately 285 million in 2021.

Subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing requirements, the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022.

About AAM

As a leading global Tier 1 Automotive and Mobility Supplier, AAM (NYSE: AXL) designs, engineers and manufactures Driveline and Metal Forming technologies to support electric, hybrid and internal combustion vehicles. Headquartered in Detroit with nearly 80 facilities in 17 countries, AAM is bringing the future faster for a safer and more sustainable tomorrow. To learn more, visit aam.com.

About Tekfor Group

Tekfor Group is a leading specialist for mission-critical high-performance components, modules and fasteners. Products include traditional powertrain and driveline (for both internal combustion and hybrid applications) as well as a strongly increasing number of E-mobility components. Headquartered in Hausach, Germany, Tekfor Group has eight sites and employs approximately 2,100 associates in Europe and the Americas covering the whole value chain from engineering to manufacturing.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements with respect to the transaction and the anticipated consequences and benefits of the transaction and other information relating to matters that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements. These risks and uncertainties include the receipt and timing of necessary regulatory approvals and the other factors detailed from time to time in the reports we file with the SEC, including those described under "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

For more information:

Investor Contact:

David H. Lim

Head of Investor Relations

(313) 758-2006

[email protected]

Media Contact:

Christopher M. Son

Vice President, Marketing & Communications

(313) 758-4814

[email protected]

Or visit the AAM website at www.aam.com.

SOURCE American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc.
New member adds 90 advisors, 50 support staff to independent wealth management network

PHOENIX, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Advisor Group Inc., the nation's largest network of independent wealth management firms, today announced the addition of Gallagher's Retirement Plan Consulting Practice, a 90+advisor team, to the Advisor Group network.

Gallagher joins Advisor Group through its affiliation with network partner Triad Advisors, a network of firms that also includes FSC Securities, Royal Alliance Associates Inc., SagePoint Financial, Securities America and Woodbury Financial Services.

Gallagher's Retirement Plan Consulting capabilities are driven by the team's extensive experience, expertise, and credibility with defined benefit and defined contribution clients. A consulting model that combines small firm flexibility with the scalability and depth of a large organization made Gallagher and Triad like-minded and natural partners for delivering holistic financial wellbeing solutions to clients.

"Autonomy was a key factor in our decision to consolidate most of our major business lines, including the more than 2,000 retirement plans we oversee. A hybrid model -- with Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors, LLC, as the RIA and Triad Advisors as the broker-dealer  provides flexibility to grow our financial planning practice," said John Jurik, Gallagher's National Practice Leader for Retirement Plan Consulting.

Jeff Leonard, Financial and Retirement Services Leader North America, added that "Gallagher chose Triad because of its experience, expertise and focus on partnership."

Michael Gatti, CFP, Vice President of Business Development at Triad Advisors, said, "Gallagher leadership's decades of experience shepherding corporate clients, financial planning clients and potential merger partners to their goals brings incredible value to our network. We look forward to supporting their needs and those of their clients and building a long-term relationship with the entire team."

"We are thrilled that Gallagher's team recognized Triad's reputation as a leader and pioneer in the hybrid RIA model when they were considering the growing needs of their retirement business practice," said Jeff Rosenthal, President Triad Advisors. "We are honored to have them as part of the Advisor Group family."

Greg Cornick, President of Advice and Wealth Management at Advisor Group, said: "On behalf of the entire Advisor Group family of firms, we welcome the Gallagher team. We are thrilled they chose to build their hybrid RIA with an experienced and proven partner. We look forward to their continued success with Advisor Group."

About Gallagher

Gallagher's Retirement, Investment & Fiduciary Consulting Practices provide retirement, investment advice/consulting and decision-making to institutional investors, which include public and private sector employee benefit plans (including multi-employer plans), charitable institutions, foundations, endowments, labor organizations, state or municipal government entities, hospitals, non-profit organizations, private trusts, and corporations or business entities, high net worth and other individuals. Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors, LLC, is a subsidiary of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm.

Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors, LLC ("GFA") is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor that provides retirement, investment advisory, discretionary/named and independent fiduciary services. GFA is a limited liability company with Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. as its single member. GFA may pay referral fees or other remuneration to employees of AJG or its affiliates or to independent contractors; such payments do not change our fee. Securities may be offered through Triad Advisors, LLC ("Triad"), member FINRA/SIPC. Triad is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Triad. Neither Triad, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., GFA, their affiliates nor representatives provide accounting, legal or tax advice.

About Triad Advisors

Triad Advisors is part of Advisor Group, one of the nation's largest networks of independent financial professionals. Headquartered in Atlanta, Triad is a national broker-dealer as well as a multi-custodial registered investment adviser firm that was an early pioneer and continued leader in the hybrid registered investment adviser marketplace. The company has more than 600 financial providers on its platform and provides a comprehensive set of products, trading and technology systems, as well as customized wealth management strategies. For more information, please visit www.triad-advisors.com.

About Advisor Group, Inc.

Advisor Group, Inc. is the nation's largest network of independent wealth management firms, serving approximately 10,100 financial advisors and overseeing over $515 billion in client assets. The firm is mission-driven to support the strategic role that advisors can play in the lives of their clients. Cultivating a spirit of entrepreneurship and independence, Advisor Group champions the enduring value of financial advisors and is committed to being in their corner every step of the way. For more information visit https://www.advisorgroup.com.

Securities and investment advisory services are offered through the firms: FSC Securities Corporation, Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., SagePoint Financial, Inc., Triad Advisors, LLC, and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, and members of FINRA and SIPC. Securities are offered through Securities America, Inc., a broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Advisory services are offered through Arbor Point Advisors, LLC, Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management, Inc., Securities America Advisors, Inc., and Triad Hybrid Solutions, LLC, registered investment advisers. Advisory programs offered by FSC Securities Corporation, Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., SagePoint Financial, Inc., and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., are sponsored by VISION2020 Wealth Management Corp., an affiliated registered investment adviser. Advisor Group, Inc. is an affiliate of these firms. 20 E. Thomas Rd., Ste. 2000, Phoenix, AZ, 85012. 866.481.0379.

Media Inquiries

Joseph Kuo / Donald Cutler

Haven Tower Group

[email protected] or [email protected]

424 317 4851 or 424 317 4864

SOURCE Advisor Group
SEATTLE, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Air Group, Inc., the parent company of Alaska Airlines, Inc. and Horizon Air Industries Inc., will announce its 2022 first quarter financial results on Thursday, April 21, 2022. A conference call is scheduled at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time / 8:30 a.m. Pacific time. Interested parties may listen to the call via webcast at www.alaskaair.com/investors.

Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico. We emphasize Next-Level Care for our guests, along with providing low fares, award-winning customer service and sustainability efforts. Alaska is a member of the oneworld global alliance. With the alliance and our additional airline partners, guests can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more than 20 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world.

Learn more about Alaska at news.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

SOURCE Alaska Air Group
CALABASAS, Calif., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH) today announced that the Company will release its first quarter 2022 financial and operating results on Thursday, May 5, 2022, after the market closes. The Company will host a conference call on Friday, May 6, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time to review first quarter results, discuss recent events, and conduct a question and answer period.

Live conference call

Toll free number: (877) 451-6152 (for domestic callers) Direct dial number: (201) 389-0879 (for international callers) Passcode: Not required Simultaneous audio webcast link: www.americanhomes4rent.com under "Investor relations"



Conference call replay

Toll free number: (844) 512-2921 (for domestic callers) Direct dial number: (412) 317-6671 (for international callers) Passcode: 13728838# Webcast link: www.americanhomes4rent.com under "Investor relations" Date accessible through: May 20, 2022

About American Homes 4 Rent

American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH) is a leader in the single-family home rental industry and "American Homes 4 Rent" is a nationally recognized brand for rental homes, known for high-quality, good value and resident satisfaction. We are an internally managed Maryland real estate investment trust, or REIT, focused on acquiring, developing, renovating, leasing, and operating attractive, single-family homes as rental properties. As of December 31, 2021, we owned 57,024 single-family properties in selected submarkets in 22 states.

Additional information about American Homes 4 Rent is available on our website at http://www.americanhomes4rent.com.

Contacts:

American Homes 4 Rent

Investor Relations

Nicholas Fromm

Phone: (855) 794-2447

Email: [email protected]

American Homes 4 Rent

Media Relations

Megan Grabos

Phone: (805) 413-5088

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE American Homes 4 Rent
BROOKLYN, N.Y., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Anna Shor, MD, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Distinguished Physician in Neurology and in acknowledgment of her work at NYU Langone: Clinical Neurophysiology Associates.

As a respected professional in the medical field, Dr. Shor is a specialist in Epilepsy and Electromyography. She provides intraoperative monitoring in real-time for surgeons during their procedures. Dr. Shor is a professor and a mentor to Neurophysiology and EMG Fellows.



Anna Shor

Dr. Shor attended Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Moldova, graduating with her Medical Degree. She completed a six-month-long residency and then relocated to the United States. She then attended North Shore LIJ, where she gained experience in a Neurology residency (2010) and an Epilepsy Fellowship (2011). Dr. Shor later gained experience at NYU Langone, completing a Neurophysiology Fellowship in 2012.



The doctor is board certified in Psychiatry, Neurology, and Clinical Neurophysiology through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). The ABPN is a non-profit organization that promotes high-quality patient care through the certification of qualified neurologists and psychiatrists.



As an experienced Physician in Neurology, Dr. Shor is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU Langone Medical Center & Hospital for Joint Diseases. She has been teaching since 2011. Dr. Shor is the author of the Neuromuscular Disorders chapter in the 5th edition of Medical Aspects of Disability for the Rehabilitation Professionals, published in 2017.



Alongside her teaching work, Dr. Shor sees patients at the NYU Langone HJD Clinical Neurophysiology Associates, an affiliate of NYU Langone Health, NYU Langone Hospital  Brooklyn, and NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital. NYU Langone is one of the United State's premier academic medical institutions, with a mission to serve, teach, and discover through patient care, research, and education. In her daily work, Dr. Shor treats patients with disorders of the nervous system, brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles. She talks with patients to understand their symptoms and conducts tests and scans to diagnose. She can suggest a treatment plan after evaluating their mental and physical state. NYU Langone is the #8 Best Hospital ranked by US News and World Report.



Dr. Shor comes from a family of physicians in Moldova reaching back over 200 years. Her family has been featured in news articles in their local region for their work in Medicine. The doctor has recently been recognized with a profile feature in Health News today and US News & World Report.



She would like to dedicate this honorable recognition to her grandfather, Dr. Joseph Shor, MD, a Neuropsychiatrist.



For more information, visit https://nyulangone.org/.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE Continental Who's Who
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Blackstar VP of Sales, Chad Risher, executes roadway projects in Texas and Virginia.

NEW ORLEANS, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackstar recently executed two significant projects outside of their traditional territories. The Harris County 21/0369 On Call Signal Install/Modification project is located in Harris County, TX , and supplies Mast Arms and Poles for traffic signalization expansion and upgrades. The second project is part of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel expansion in the Chesapeake Virginia region, and it supplies Median Crossover Gates to the Hampton Roads Connector Partners team for the bridge expansion. These projects are the beginning of a nationwide expansion that Blackstar is undertaking, as they have recently increased their bonding capacity and have built out their team to handle additional workload.
DALLAS, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce the addition of Kevin S. Woltjen to the firm's Corporate and Securities Practice Group in Dallas.

"Kevin's experience and skill in providing advice and guidance to clients ranging from Fortune 200 companies to small public entities to high-net-worth individuals is extraordinary. His arrival to our Bradley office enhances our commitment to quality growth and expansion, and we are delighted to have him here as a key member of our team," said Bradley Dallas Office Managing Partner Richard A. Sayles.

Mr. Woltjen added, "I am honored to have joined such qualified lawyers at Bradley firm-wide and particularly in the Dallas office. The collegiality and support of Bradley for my clients and my practice has been beyond belief."

Mr. Woltjen represents companies across a variety of industries in corporate and securities law matters with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, public and private securities offerings and regulation, divestitures and restructurings, governance, and venture capital transactions. He collaborates with his clients through all stages of their business growth, as well as development. His 27 years of experience help him to serve as outside general counsel to certain clients while he assists large companies and private equity investors with specific projects.

A graduate of DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, Mr. Woltjen also received his M.B.A. from DePaul University and earned his undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University. He is a member of the non-profit Exchange Club of East Dallas and the State Bar of Texas, as well as the Dallas, Illinois, and American Bar associations.

Bradley's nationally recognized Corporate and Securities Practice Group advises clients by understanding and assessing the market and the business enterprise, identifying risks and opportunities, and providing in-depth, actionable strategies throughout the life of a company. From start-ups to large, high-profile corporations, the corporate team can initiate and formalize a corporate structure, work with equity and debt providers to finance a deal and negotiate critical transactions while creating value through our experience and client-centered service.

About Bradley

Bradley combines skilled legal counsel with exceptional client service and unwavering integrity to assist a diverse range of corporate and individual clients in achieving their business goals. With offices in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and the District of Columbia, the firm's almost 600 lawyers represent regional, national, and international clients in various industries, including banking and financial services, construction, energy, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, real estate, and technology, among many others.

Social Media: @bradleylegal, #legalnews, #lawyers

SOURCE Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
BALTIMORE, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brookes Publishing, a leading provider of evidence-based assessments, textbooks, and training for professionals in early childhood, special education, and communication, language, and literacy, announced today that it has acquired the complete list of titles from Caslon Publishing, a trusted publisher of books on multilingual language and literacy education. The acquisition enables Brookes to expand its offerings for teachers and other education professionals serving diverse learners.

"At Brookes, we believe that all students should have the opportunity to realize an inclusive education that helps them reach their full potential," says Jeff Brookes, President of Brookes Publishing. "The acquisition of the Caslon Publishing program was driven by the goal to better support culturally and linguistically diverse children and families, through research-based resources that help teachers serve their increasingly diverse classrooms. We look forward to continuing Caslon's important work, and we're excited to welcome their authors and customers to the Brookes Publishing family."

Caslon, a company based in Philadelphia, has published some of the most trusted textbooks and guidebooks for educators who work with multilingual students, including the more than 5 million U.S. students officially designated as English language learners. Charles and Rebecca Field, founders of Caslon Publishing, say: "We are pleased that Caslon has found a home in another independent publishing house that is committed to equity for diverse learners. Brookes has the capacity to take Caslon Publications to the next level at this important time in pre-service teacher preparation and in-service professional learning. This is a good move for Caslon, and for the education of multilingual learners and their teachers."

English language learners are the fastest-growing student population in the U.S., and federal legislation mandates high-quality instruction for ELLs. "The need for research-based guidance on equitably serving this population is urgent," says Jeff Brookes, "and with the acquisition of Caslon's titles, Brookes will bring the expertise of Caslon authors to a wider audience of education and language professionals." Through this acquisition, Brookes Publishing will now offer more titles on critical topics in multilingualism, such as translanguaging, differentiated instruction and assessment for ELLs, biliteracy, and special education for bilingual students.

To learn more and explore the newly acquired booklist, visit the Brookes website at https://brookespublishing.com/caslon/.

About Brookes Publishing

For more than 44 years, Brookes Publishing Co. has been a leading provider of professional resources and assessments in communication, special education, and early childhood. Brookes Publishing is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. For more information, please visit www.brookespublishing.com.

Contact: Jessica Reighard, Brookes Publishing

410-337-9580 x123; [email protected]

SOURCE Brookes Publishing
LOS ANGELES, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (C.A.R.) promotes and advocates for fair housing every month, but each April, it celebrates the passage of the 1968 landmark Fair Housing Act, which was signed into law only seven days after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

C.A.R. kicked off Fair Housing Month with event announcements, social media posts, a home buying assistance program and legislative action to enable its 200,000+ members to expand homeownership and advance equity in housing and securing equal access to housing opportunities for all.

While more than 50 years have gone by since the law was passed, there are still wide racial homeownership disparities. Many communities remain segregated and housing discrimination and barriers to equal housing opportunity persist for communities of color, women, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community and other historically marginalized communities.

California fair housing laws are ever-changing and wide-ranging. And knowledge of fair housing laws isn't only essential for a legally compliant business, it's one of the best ways that REALTORS can help address wealth and homeownership barriers that may be higher for people of color and other underserved groups.

The first of several events that C.A.R. is hosting for its members to commemorate Fair Housing Month is a Fair Housing and Diversity Forum on April 21. Experts will address land development for equity and housing inventory issues in communities of color. Speakers include Nikki Beasley, executive director of Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services; Ricardo Flores, executive director of Local Initiatives Support Corp San Diego; Neily Soto, Century 21; and Matt Gelfand, in-house counsel for C.A.R.'s Californians for Homeownership.

C.A.R. is also hosting Fair Housing Day on May 17 for all C.A.R. members to discuss current challenges as well as how REALTORS can help address racial and other homeownership disparities. This day-long event features exciting keynote speakers, industry leaders and practitioners with deep experience working to expand homeownership and housing opportunities. Speakers include representatives from the National Fair Housing Alliance, National Association of REALTORS, Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California, California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and other nationally recognized fair housing experts and advocates.

Fair Housing Day offers attendees an opportunity to learn critical business tools, fair housing basics and how they can help promote greater access and fairness in housing for Californians from every community.

Study after study shows that the best way for working Californians to achieve economic and housing security and stability is through homeownership. Among legislative actions C.A.R. is undertaking this year that promote fair housing and expand homeownership opportunity:

Co-sponsoring SCA 2 (Allen & Wiener), which seeks to repeal Article 34 in its entirety . Article 34 of the California Constitution requires that any affordable housing development, financed in whole or in part by federal, state, or local government be approved by voters in the jurisdiction where the project is located.



. Article 34 of the California Constitution requires that any affordable housing development, financed in whole or in part by federal, state, or local government be approved by voters in the jurisdiction where the project is located. Sponsoring AB 2166 (Mayes ), which increases federal funding for ownership housing . HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) is a block grant provided by the federal government directly to large cities, towns, or counties and states. Currently, under state programs, which allocate federal funds, homeownership housing programs receive, at most, 10% of federal funds from one program and zero funding from most other programs. This bill would increase funding for homeownership housing by prioritizing 30% of federal HOME funds to facilitate the construction and purchase of owner-occupied housing and directing at least 10% of program funds for down payment assistance.



homeownership homeownership Working with a coalition of housing and building industry organizations to call for an increase in the State Budget for funding the construction of affordable owner-occupied homes and down payment assistance programs . Greater funding for affordable ownership housing and down payment assistance will expand opportunities for Californians to build equity in a home they own.



Sponsoring AB 2245 (Ramos ), which would require all tenancies in common to be partitioned in a similar manner to the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act ( UPHPA ) and that the property be marketed by a real estate broker as opposed to a court ordered sale at auction to ensure the best value for the property. In 2021, C .A.R. sponsored legislation that enacted the UPHPA in California . Similar to the UPHPA , this bill will create a partition framework with greater safeguards and help prevent abuse of the partition law by speculators and others who target tenants in common properties in historically disadvantaged communities.

Additionally, in an effort to address California's growing housing affordability crisis and racial homeownership disparities, C.A.R. is partnering with nonprofit housing organizations to provide closing cost grants up to $10,000 for eligible first-time home buyers who are members of historically underserved communities.

As we work together to close racial homeownership gaps, we encourage our members to become involved in diversity and fair housing conversations happening at the local, state and national REALTOR association levels. Visit C.A.R.'s Fair Housing website here.

Leading the way in California real estate for more than 110 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States with more than 217,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.

SOURCE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS
OMAHA, Neb., April 11, 2022 Capital Express, an Omaha-based final mile delivery company, and ADL Delivery, a Tampa-based final mile delivery company, have joined forces under a newly-established holding company to build a nationwide provider of customized and final mile logistics services. On a combined basis, the companies operate from 45 locations in 15 states.

The new platform will be led by Monte O'Hara, founder of Capital Express, as Chief Executive Officer, Thomas Jowers, co-owner of ADL Delivery, as Chief Operating Officer, and industry veterans John Benko and Randy Edmonds as President and Chief Commercial Officer, respectively. The new holding company has partnered with Red Dog Equity LLC, an Atlanta-based private equity firm, to provide the company with growth capital.

Capital Express, founded in 1987 has been led by its founder Monte O'Hara, who grew the business into the Midwest's premier final mile logistics provider. O'Hara said, "We are thrilled with the prospects of combining the Capital Express and ADL Delivery networks and customer bases and view this as the first of many key growth initiatives in developing a leading final mile logistics provider."

Thomas Jowers, Chief Operating Officer of ADL Delivery, added, "This is a key inflection point for the industry, and we believe there are significant opportunities to leverage best practices, infrastructure, and expertise between ADL and Capital Express, to not only continue to grow within our existing territories, but also expand into new markets. With Monte [O'Hara], John [Benko], Randy [Edmonds], and the Red Dog team, the depths of knowledge and resources this team brings to the table is second to none."

John Benko, the new platform's President, stated, "We intend to be the partner of choice for final mile logistics entrepreneurs seeking growth capital or an opportunity to transition their businesses." He added, "We have a shared vision to build an industry-transforming final mile logistics platform that creates opportunities for our employees, customers, and contract drivers."

"These two great companies have combined territories covering the Midwest and Southeast and are led by two of the most respected and successful entrepreneurs in the industry [O'Hara and Jowers]," said Randy Edmonds, the platform's new Chief Commercial Officer.

Red Dog Equity LLC, an Atlanta-based private equity firm, which, through its partnership with Monroe Capital LLC and Tom Pritzker's family business interests (advised by The Pritzker Organization), has equity capital available to fund the platform's future acquisitions. Red Dog's co-founder, Tom Connolly, was previously senior vice president of acquisitions at XPO Logistics, Inc. and has extensive experience in the transportation and logistics sectors. Monroe Capital also provided debt financing and an acquisition facility to the combined company. G2 Capital Advisors advised Capital Express.

About Capital Express

Founded in 1987, Capital Express is a courier, transportation, warehousing, and logistics company business serving hundreds of customers in the pharmaceutical, office products, and other industries. To learn more, visit https://www.capitalexpress.biz/.

About ADL Delivery

Founded in 1999, ADL Delivery specializes in business-to-business delivery and fleet replacement for the automotive distributor industry. ADL Delivery also offers truckload deliveries, less than truckload deliveries, pallet deliveries, and other final mile logistics services. To learn more, visit https://www.adldelivery.com/.

About Red Dog Equity LLC

Red Dog Equity LLC is a private equity firm that invests in lower middle-market companies poised for strong growth in partnership with driven, entrepreneurial business leaders ("Red Dogs"). To learn more, please visit: www.reddogequity.com.

About Monroe Capital

Monroe Capital LLC ("Monroe") is a premier boutique asset management firm specializing in private credit markets across various strategies, including direct lending, asset-based lending, specialty finance, opportunistic and structured credit, and equity. Since 2004, the firm has been successfully providing capital solutions to clients in the U.S. and Canada. Monroe prides itself on being a value-added and user-friendly partner to business owners, management, and both private equity and independent sponsors. Monroe's platform offers a wide variety of investment products for both institutional and high net worth investors with a focus on generating high quality "alpha" returns irrespective of business or economic cycles. The firm is headquartered in Chicago and maintains offices in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, Naples, New York, San Francisco, and Seoul.

Monroe has been recognized by both its peers and investors with various awards including Private Debt Investor as the 2021 Senior Lender of the Year, 2021 Lower Mid-Market Lender of the Year, Americas; Creditflux as the 2021 Best U.S. Direct Lending Fund; Global M&A Network as the 2021 Mid-Markets Lender of the Year, U.S.A.; and Pension Bridge as the 2020 Private Credit Strategy of the Year. For more information, please visit www.monroecap.com.

About The Pritzker Organization

The Pritzker Organization is the merchant bank for the business interests of the Tom Pritzker family. Additional information can be found at www.pritzkerorg.com.

SOURCE Capital Express
BEIJING, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- China Online Education Group ("51Talk" or the "Company") (NYSE: COE), a leading online education platform in China, with core expertise in English education, announced that Mr. Liming Zhang has tendered his resignation as the Company's Chief Operating Officer due to personal reasons. His last day with the Company will be May 15, 2022.

The Company greatly appreciates Mr. Zhang's significant contributions to the management of the Company's operations as well as his role as the co-founder of the Company, and sincerely wishes his continued success in his future endeavors.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements which are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "likely to," and similar statements. 51Talk may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about 51Talk's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in 51Talk's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and 51Talk does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

About China Online Education Group

China Online Education Group (NYSE: COE) is a leading online education platform in China, with core expertise in English education. The Company's mission is to make quality education accessible and affordable. The Company's online and mobile education platforms enable students to take live interactive English lessons on demand. The Company connects its students with a large pool of highly qualified teachers that it assembled using a shared economy approach, and employs student and teacher feedback and data analytics to deliver a personalized learning experience to its students.

For more information, please visit http://ir.51talk.com.

SOURCE China Online Education Group
The single section home is built to CrossMod specifications including an elevated roof pitch, attached garage, energy efficient features and more. While research shows the median home price in January 2022 was just over $350,000 , we estimate that in most markets the single section CrossMod could be available for under $200,000 including the price of land. The home's unique layout also makes it the ideal size and shape for neighborhoods and urban lots. The home also features a built-in flex space for a homeowner to decide whether they want another bedroom, a home gym, an office or more.

The home's unique layout also makes it the ideal size and shape for neighborhoods and urban lots.

"The single section CrossMod home is one example of how Clayton is innovating to meet the needs of today's homebuyers.," said Ramsey Cohen, Director of Industry and Community Affairs. "This home could create an incredible opportunity to provide affordable homes that can be placed in more areas than a typical off-site built home. These homes have a similar look and feel to traditional site-built housing, which can help address more zoning challenges and create infill opportunities in both new developments and established residential communities."

Multi-section CrossMod homes are HUD-coded homes that blend off-site and site-built construction methods to produce an affordable, quality home that has the ability to finance and appraise similarly to traditional site-built housing.

"Our company values challenge us to 'open doors' and 'drive change' within our industry to make homeownership attainable for people everywhere," said Kevin Clayton, CEO. "The single section CrossMod is an exciting way we can help homeownership become a reality for more people, no matter where they live."

The single section CrossMod home is not currently eligible for the financing programs available for multi-section CrossMod homes.

Clayton homes are built with sustainability in mind. Along with a modern look, CrossMod homes typically create less waste than traditional, site-built homes. During the manufacturing process, the single section CrossMod floor plan produced less than two 64 gallon bins of waste - weighing just over 180 pounds. Other excess materials are also reused or recycled in the building process.

To learn more about CrossMod and how these homes can help amid the ever growing affordable housing crisis, visit: claytonhomes.com/crossmod .

About Clayton

Founded in 1956, Clayton is committed to opening doors to a better life and building happyness through homeownership. As a diverse builder committed to quality and durability, Clayton offers traditional site-built homes and off-site built housing  including modular homes, manufactured homes, CrossMod homes, tiny homes, college dormitories, military barracks and apartments. All Clayton Built homes are proudly designed, engineered and assembled in America. In 2021, Clayton built 60,701 homes across the country. Clayton is a Berkshire Hathaway company. For more information, visit claytonhomes.com .

*CrossMod is a trademark of Manufactured Housing Institute.

Media Contact:

Caitlyn Crosby

[email protected]

SOURCE Clayton
"Diamond Vault will bring Cleco to the forefront of environmentally friendly energy production," President and CEO, Cleco Corporate Holdings LLC, Bill Fontenot said.

"Our organization has been honored to work collaboratively with Louisiana Economic Development (LED) to bring this innovative technology to our state through the FEED study, which will ensure the advancement of the energy industry and support the health and well-being of our communities," Fontenot said.

Diamond Vault will be one of the first American projects to capture the existing CO 2 emissions of a power plant and sequester them in geological formations. Madison 3 already has low emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulates because of its use of advanced combustion technology and pollution control measures. The installation of CCS technology through Diamond Vault will ensure that Madison 3 remains a state-of-the-art solid fuel plant.

Diamond Vault is expected to create an average of 1,100 direct construction jobs over a three-year period and 30-40 new permanent positions. On a statewide basis, LSU economist Dr. Loren Scott estimates that Diamond Vault, during the construction period, will create an average of 2,900 jobs each year, inject $2.7 billion in increased sales and household earnings into the Louisiana economy and produce $50 million in increased state tax revenues. Construction of Diamond Vault is expected to begin in 2025 and commercial operation is planned for 2028.

The FEED study for Diamond Vault will take about 18 months to complete and is projected to cost approximately $12 million. Cleco has secured a $9 million congressional appropriation to be administered and disbursed by LED which will help to defray the FEED study cost. After the study, Cleco plans to raise project capital funding of approximately $900 million through tax credits, Department of Energy grants and private equity investment.

Diamond Vault was unveiled during a press announcement on April 11 and has been in planning by Cleco with the support of political leaders and LED for more than a year. United States Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. was instrumental in advancing the project through his sponsorship of FEED study funding in the enacted 2022 Omnibus Appropriations Bill.

Cleco has retained expert assistance to bring Project Diamond Vault to fruition. Sargent & Lundy, a Chicago-based global power and energy design firm, is serving as owner's engineer. Battelle, a private nonprofit dedicated to scientific and technological commercialization and advancement, is advising on the characterization of geological storage capacity, permitting and storage operations.

"Our customers deserve a world where anyone can access clean power. We invest in these efficiency and optimization technologies today, so that our communities can experience a brighter future tomorrow," Fontenot said.

About Cleco Power LLC

Cleco Power is a regulated electric public utility company that owns nine generating units with a rated capacity of 3,035 MWs and serves approximately 291,000 customers in Louisiana through its retail business and supplies wholesale power in Louisiana and Mississippi. For more information about Cleco, visit www.cleco.com .

###

Additional assets available for download at https://bit.ly/3DWKkX3

Full video of the announcement event at 720p

Project Diamond Vault logo

High resolution photos

Additional quotes for media use

Media Contact

Jennifer Cahill

[email protected]

318-484-7411

SOURCE Cleco Power LLC
"As the pandemic stretched budgets and caused companies to rethink operations, CFOs are eager to enhance their organizations through digitization," said Matt Clark, President and Chief Operating Officer of Corcentric. "ISG's research recognizes how our process automation solution helps CFOs streamline their procurement, accounts payable, and accounts receivable operations, and embodies Corcentric's core value of being relentlessly focused on the customer."

As part of its go-to-market positioning, Corcentric has an extensive procurement platform emphasizing the preservation of customers' working capital. As customers work to organize and protect capital amid a pandemic-impacted landscape, the company enables organizations to access additional working capital by reducing invoice processing time, simplifying the supplier process, and providing advisory services.

"For more than 25 years, Corcentric's dedicated professionals have strived to turn procurement into an agile, strategic business driver through our software and managed services," said Manish Jaiswal, Chief Product Officer at Corcentric. "We are thrilled for ISG to recognize our robust core offering, value-added software and services, preservation of capital positioning, and unique value improvement position as top strengths."

The annual ISG Provider Lens is a practitioner-led service provider comparison based on neutral, independent market research and vendor evaluations and enterprise buying behavior segmentation. ISG's evaluation comprises three procurement quadrants: BPO, digital transformation services, and software platform solutions. Scoring criteria considers strategy and vision, technology innovation, brand awareness and presence in the market, sales and partner landscape, and breadth and depth of portfolio of services offered.

To download the full report, please click here.

About Corcentric

Corcentric is a leading global provider of payments, procurement, accounts payable, and accounts receivable solutions to enterprise and middle-market companies. Corcentric delivers software, advisory services, and payments focused on reducing costs, optimizing working capital, and unlocking revenue. To learn more, please visit www.corcentric.com.

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 800 clients, including more than 75 of the world's top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. Founded in 2006 and based in Stamford, Connecticut, ISG employs more than 1,300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countriesa global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry's most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit http://www.isg-one.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made herein are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "should," "would," "plan," "predict," "potential," "seem," "seek," "future," "outlook," and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future events, the transaction among North Mountain Merger Corp. ("North Mountain"), North Mountain Merger Sub Inc., North Mountain Merger Sub II and Corcentric, Inc. ("Corcentric"), the estimated or anticipated future results and benefits of the combined company following the transaction, including the likelihood and ability of the parties to successfully consummate the transaction, future opportunities for the combined company, and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on the current expectations of North Mountain's and Corcentric's management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on, by any investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of North Mountain and Corcentric. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties regarding Corcentric's businesses and the transaction, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, ability to meet the closing conditions to the transaction, including approval by stockholders of North Mountain and Corcentric on the expected terms and schedule and the risk that regulatory approvals required for the transaction are not obtained or are obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; delay in closing the transaction; failure to realize the benefits expected from the proposed transaction; a decline in the price of our securities following the transaction if it fails to meet the expectations of investors or securities analysts; the amount of redemption requests made by North Mountain's public stockholders; the ability of North Mountain or the combined company to issue equity or equity-linked securities in connection with the transaction or in the future; the effects of pending and future legislation; risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction; business disruption following the transaction; risks related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial condition and results of operations of North Mountain and Corcentric; risks related to North Mountain's or Corcentric's indebtedness; other consequences associated with mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures and legislative and regulatory actions and reforms; Corcentric's ability to maintain its current rate of growth; adjusting Corcentric's cost structure to quickly reflect changes in revenues; maintenance and renewal of customer contracts and subscriptions; competition in the software and payments solutions industries; Corcentric's ability to raise additional capital; reliance on Corcentric's relationships with service providers and suppliers; the successful integration of potential targets, products, or technologies; Corcentric's ability to improve its operational, financial, and management controls; Corcentric's failure to offer high-quality customer support; Corcentric's ability to maintain its revenues and margins while offering discounts for its private commerce network buyers and suppliers; Corcentric's failure to maintain and enhance awareness of its brand; Corcentric's failure to maintain contracts with private commerce network solutions buyers and suppliers; increased costs associated with being a public company; the unpredictable sales cycles of Corcentric's end markets; risks associated with Corcentric's brokerage activities as sellers of capital equipment; cybersecurity incidents; ability to prevent fraudulent activities by Corcentric's customers, employees, or other third parties; potential interruptions or delays in third-party services; protection of proprietary rights; intellectual property infringement, data protection, and other losses; compliance with federal, state, and local laws as well as statutory and regulatory requirements; risks of implementing controls and procedures required for public companies following the transaction; and the ability of Corcentric or the combined company to issue equity or equity-linked securities with the proposed transaction or in the future; and those factors discussed in North Mountain's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, under Risk Factors in Part I, Item 1A and other documents of North Mountain filed, or to be filed, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").

If any of these risks materialize or if assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that North Mountain or Corcentric presently do not know or that North Mountain or Corcentric currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements provide North Mountain's and Corcentric's expectations, plans, or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. North Mountain and Corcentric anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause their assessments to change. However, while North Mountain or Corcentric may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, North Mountain and Corcentric specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing North Mountain's or Corcentric's assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.

Important Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the contemplated transaction, North Mountain has filed a preliminary registration statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement") with the SEC, which included a proxy statement/prospectus, with the SEC. A definitive proxy statement/final prospectus will also be sent to the stockholders of North Mountain, seeking any required stockholder approval. This communication is not a substitute for the definitive proxy statement/final prospectus, or any other document that North Mountain will send to its stockholders. Before making any voting or investment decision, investors and security holders of North Mountain are urged to carefully read the entire Registration Statement and proxy statement/prospectus, and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC as well as any amendments or supplements to these documents, because they will contain important information about the transaction. Stockholders will also be able to obtain copies of such documents, without charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . In addition, the documents filed by North Mountain may be obtained free of charge from North Mountain at www.nmmergercorp.com. Alternatively, these documents, when available, can be obtained free of charge from North Mountain upon written request to North Mountain Merger Corp., 767 Fifth Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY, 10153, ATTN: Secretary, or by calling (646) 446-2700. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, the websites referenced in this press release is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this press release.

Participants in the Solicitation

North Mountain, North Mountain's sponsor, Corcentric and certain of their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of North Mountain, in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding North Mountain's directors and executive officers is contained in North Mountain's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, which are filed with the SEC. Additional information regarding the interests of those participants, the directors and executive officers of Corcentric and other persons who may be deemed participants in the transaction may be obtained by reading the Registration Statement and the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents filed with the SEC. Free copies of these documents may be obtained as described above.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the proposed transaction. This press release shall also not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale, issuance, or transfer of securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom.

Investor Contact for Corcentric

Ankit Hira or Ed Yuen

Solebury Trout for Corcentric

[email protected]

(800) 846-6166

Media Contact for Corcentric

Stacy Bronstein

Director of Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE Corcentric
Courier, Express, and Parcel Market 2021-2025: Scope

Our courier, express, and parcel market report covers the following areas:

Courier, Express, and Parcel Market 2021-2025: Drivers & Challenges

The key factor driving growth in the courier, express, and parcel market is the rise in FTAs to drive investments in courier, express, and parcel markets in emerging economies. The courier, express, and parcel segment is one of the fast-growing segments of the logistics and transportation industry. However, it is highly influenced by changes in demographics and consumer behavior. The global courier, express, and parcel markets are mainly driven by the rise in international trade, which is spurred by the liberalization of trade conditions through FTA. The formation of the EU (European Union), NAFTA, SAFTA, EAEU, and ASEAN are also driving cross-border trade. In November 2020, India announced that it would revive talks on the possible free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union and the US. The development of such new trade corridors and government initiatives are allowing the logistics and transportation industry across the world to reap attractive profits. In addition, vendors are engaged in merger and acquisition activities to strengthen their position in the market and capitalize on the growing trade corridors.

However, the increasing threat from sharing-based business models will be a major challenge for the courier, express, and parcel market during the forecast period. The courier, express, and parcel industry is a lucrative market; therefore, it witnesses intense competition between domestic and global players. They are competing based on technologies and offering attractive freight rates using ways such as bidding on loads. The logistics and transportation industry still have enormous potential to adopt new-age technologies such as robotics, temperature-monitoring devices, and ICT but has been too slow to adopt them. Global companies are expanding their verticals and entering the transportation industry with huge investments in technology and trained labor. This expansion is driving the digital transformation in the courier, express, and parcel industry, thus resulting in cost reduction, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring service quality assurance. This is expected to pose a threat to market growth in the coming years.

To know about more drivers & challenges - Download a free sample now!

Courier, Express, and Parcel Market 2021-2025: Segmentation Analysis

Geography

APAC



North America



Europe



MEA



South America

Consumer

B2B



B2C



C2C

Courier, Express, and Parcel Market 2021-2025: Revenue Generating Segment & Regional Analysis

The courier, express, and parcel market share growth by the B2B segment will be significant for revenue generation.

will be significant for revenue generation. 42% of the market's growth will originate from APAC during the forecast period. China , India , and Japan are the key markets for courier, express, and parcel in APAC. Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in other regions. The growth of the e-commerce industry and the presence of a large number of service providers will facilitate the courier, express, and parcel market growth in APAC over the forecast period.

For more insights on the market share of various segments & regions - Download a free sample now!

Courier, Express, and Parcel Market 2021-2025: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2021-2025

Detailed information on factors that will assist courier, express, and parcel market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the courier, express, and parcel market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the courier, express, and parcel market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of courier, express, and parcel market vendors

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Courier, Express, And Parcel Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 7% Market growth 2021-2025 USD 141.05 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 6.88 Performing market contribution APAC at 42% Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled A1 Express Delivery Service Inc., Allied Express Transport Pty Ltd., Aramex International LLC, BDP International Inc., CEVA Logistics AG, Deutsche Post DHL Group, FedEx Corp., One World Express Inc. Ltd., S.F. Holding Co. Ltd., and United Parcel Service Inc. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table Of Contents :

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2020

Market outlook: Forecast for 2020-2025

Five Forces Analysis

Five forces summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Consumer

Market segments

Comparison by Consumer

B2B - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

B2C - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

C2C - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Impact of COVID-19 on consumer segment

Market opportunity by Consumer

Customer landscape

Overview

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

A1 Express Delivery Service Inc.

Allied Express Transport Pty Ltd.

Aramex International LLC

BDP International Inc.

CEVA Logistics AG

Deutsche Post DHL Group

FedEx Corp.

One World Express Inc. Ltd.

SF Holding Co. Ltd.

United Parcel Service Inc.

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

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
Amsat AO7

The Methuselah of Amateur Radio Satellites AMSAT-OSCAR 7 was launched on the 15th of November 1974 from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

The spacecraft is solar powered, weighs just under 29 kg, and had a three-year anticipated lifetime at the time it was launched, but it has far outlived this expectation.

Its beacons transmit on 29.502, 145.975, 435.10 and 2304.1 MHz. Two types of communications repeaters are aboard the spacecraft, only one of which operates at a time. The first repeater is a two watt non-inverting transponder receiving uplink signals between 145.85 and 145.95 MHz, and re-transmits them between

29.4 and 29.5 MHz on the downlink. Approximately -100 dBm is required at the repeater input terminals for an output of 1 watt. This corresponds to an EIRP from the ground of 90 watts for a distance to the satellite of 3200 km and a polarization mismatch of 3 dB.

The second repeater is a 40-kHz* bandwidth inverting linear repeater. It employs an 8-watt PEP power amplifier with a wide dynamic range. This repeater has an uplink from 432.125 to 432.175 MHz, and a downlink from 145.975 to 145.925 MHz. Approximately 50 watts EIRP is required to produce 3 watts of repeater output at a range of 3200 km assuming a polarization mismatch of 3 db. All seemed lost in mid 1981 due to battery failure.

In 2002 one of the shorted batteries became an open circuit and now the spacecraft is able to run off just the solar panels, it is not usable in eclipse and may not be able to supply enough power to the transmitter to keep from frequency modulating the signal. When continuously illuminated, the mode will alternate between A and B every 24 hours.

Proving that the satellite is still alive and well after 48 years of service, a new distance record has been posted to AMSAT. Joel, VE6WQ, based in Edmonton, Alberta worked Jerome, F4DXV, who describes himself as a "Extreme low elevation contact enthusiast" based in the southwest of France on the 23rd of March 2022. They used Mode A, uplinking on 2m and downlinking on 10m, over a distance of 7454 km.

If anyone has any information about extreme distance QSOs on AO-7 Mode A, please contact n8hm /at/ amsat.org

IRTS
SHENZHEN, China, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Creality celebrated its 8th anniversary on April 9th, 2022. Just like the theme "With You, We Spark Creativity", Creality fully delivered its user-centered philosophy from five aspects, including communication mechanism, new website and official store, Creality Cloud 4.0, eco-system strategic layout and new products, such as Creality HALOT-ONE PRO & PLUS.

Communication Mechanism Reconstruction

Creality is inclusive and devotes to building user communities. Making source codes available on GitHub for modification, and redesigning UI for CR-10 Smart Pro with key user Sebastiaan Dammann, Creality aims to improve user experience via further communication and interactions. In addition, Creality awarded users with "Person of the Year" so as to show respect and encourage more engagement.

Launch of New Global Website and Official Store

Getting users' voices heard, Creality notices that model acquisition, slicing and quality printing are the main pain points. To provide better service, Creality added Creality Cloud's entrance on the top and bottom navigations, product page, and information downloading page, where global users can access the model library and conduct slicing online. Creality's new global website is a DTC website redesigned based on consumers' needs, where users can obtain products' basic information, relevant services, accessories and recommended filaments, etc.

For the celebration, Creality is offering a 15% off discount for products in the official store. The activity will go on till April 11th. Get surprises here: https://bit.ly/37Ft6Br. It also has "Buy More Save More" coming right after the 15% off discount flash-sale: https://bit.ly/3O5F73B.

Eco-system New Products - CR-Scan Lizard & CR-Laser Falcon

Creality's new 3D scannerCR-Scan Lizard delivers up to 0.05 mm precision, introducing the industrial-grade accuracy into desktop-grade. The new 3D engraver & cutter  CR-Laser Falcon allows users to create artwork on multiple materials, such as the high-hard matte stainless steel, general hard PVC and flexible paper. Furthermore, Creality prioritizes healthiness. The optimization of the smoke and dust filtration system enables users to create their masterpieces in a healthy environment.

https://bit.ly/3utzggJ

Announcement of Creality HALOT-ONE PRO & PLUS

The new resin 3D printers Creality HALOT-ONE PRO & PLUS meet the demands of high precision printing. Being more accurate, more intelligent and more easy to use, Creality HALOT-ONE PRO with 7.04'' 3K mono LCD, and Creality HALOT-ONE PLUS with 7.0'' 4K mono LCD are able to print 0.01 mm micro-pore and micro-column, and restore anime's details with high fidelity.

https://bit.ly/3KzWbwA

https://bit.ly/3rg2YE5

Brand New Creality Cloud 4.0

Creality Cloud is the world's first all-in-one 3D printing platform that offers model downloading, cloud slicing, and remote control, making 3D printing easier and smarter for over a million makers.

https://bit.ly/3vaBMI4

Apart from all these, the following 3D printers will impress users under different scenarios.

Ender-3 S1 & S1 Pro are rated as BEST 3D PRINTER UNDER $500. Designed with "Sprite" dual-gear direct extruder, they are very skillful when printing with diverse filaments and can maintain their excellence in 300C high-temp printing with PA, TPU, etc. To print or restore an auto tyre is not a challenge at all.

https://bit.ly/3LYNFaT

https://bit.ly/3Joklc9

CR-10 Smart Pro has enhanced intelligence to a higher level. Connect to Creality Cloudthe model library via Wi-Fi, users can print and monitor anytime and anywhere.

https://bit.ly/3KqIKPs

Sermoon V1/ V1 Pro featured by assembly free and leveling free has a fully-enclosed structure, which is safe to use at home or school. With sound exposure lower than 45db, Sermoon V1/ V1 Pro achieves silent printing, and it's a perfect partner.

https://bit.ly/3xiWsAk

Getting voices heard and making continuous efforts, Creality is building up its brand image. Creality's CEO Mr. Ao extended gratitude to users for their trust on the 8th anniversary celebration and he hoped that every user who encountered Creality could reap value beyond expectations and enjoy the convenience and fun brought by 3D printing. As always, Creality will stick to the user-oriented philosophy, introduce 3D printing and bring benefits to thousands of households.

SOURCE CREALITY 3D
POTOMAC, Md., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Curbio, the nation's leading fix now, pay when you sell home improvement solution for real estate agents and their clients, today announced the addition of Lyon Real Estate to its brokerage partnerships program. Lyon Real Estate is a real estate brokerage serving the greater Sacramento region, with over 800 real estate agents across 17 offices.

With this partnership, Lyon Real Estate has created its new program, Lyon Home Improvement Concierge, powered by Curbio. This means that Lyon's agents now have access to a completely turnkey pre-listing home improvement service with fix now, pay later terms for their clients. In an industry where demand for concierge services is rising, Lyon Home Improvement Concierge, powered by Curbio will empower Lyon's agents with the edge they need to win more listings, and sell their existing listings quickly and for top dollar.

"At Curbio, we take pride in being a reliable, trusted resource for all of our brokerage partners. We couldn't be more excited to welcome Lyon to that list, and are looking forward to helping them provide a simple, delightful pre-listing home improvement experience to all their agents and clients," said Olivia Mariani, vice president of marketing at Curbio.

In joining Curbio's brokerage partnerships program, Lyon gains access to a concierge solution that can be leveraged not only as a tool for improving the client experience, but also a tool to help their agents thrive. Curbio's team acts as a true partner to brokerages, providing them with exclusive trainings and materials to ensure success.

"We are so excited to be able to offer Lyon Home Improvement Concierge, powered by Curbio, to all our clients across the greater Sacramento region. Curbio's pay-at-closing home improvements with no project minimums or maximums, combined with their world-class team and turnkey process, made this partnership a no-brainer for us. I am confident that Curbio will be an invaluable partner to us as we strive to provide superior customer satisfaction," said Pat Shea, President and CEO of Lyon Real Estate.

About Curbio

Curbio is the nation's leading pay-at-closing home improvement solution for real estate agents and their clients. Founded in 2017, the company has set out to transform the process of getting homes move-in ready with its streamlined approach to home improvement. Powered by technology, Curbio has created a one-stop solution for pre-listing home improvements, handling the entire process from start to finish. Curbio is a completely turnkey solution, taking care of all sourcing, project management and communication, and acting as the licensed, insured general contractor on all projects. Curbio makes home improvement accessible and stress-free so that every real estate agent and contractor can grow their business, and every seller can unlock the value in their home. From simple repairs to whole home makeovers, Curbio gets every listing on the market faster and sold for top dollar.

About Lyon Real Estate

Lyon Real Estate is the leading independent real estate brokerage company in Greater Sacramento (Sacramento Business Journal). We are proud to be homegrown, privately owned, and internationally known. Lyon has served the area for over 75 years. Last year, the company closed a total of 6,039 transactions and $3.39 billion in sales volume. Lyon Real Estate has over 800 agents in 17 offices located throughout the region. The company is a member of the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, the largest network of premier locally branded firms, as well as LeadingRE's Luxury Portfolio International program. In addition to its real estate services, Lyon Real Estate offers RELO Direct, a global relocation program. Since 2015, the Lyon Cares Foundation has contributed more than $1,017,900 to local nonprofits.

SOURCE Curbio
KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Custom Truck One Source, Inc. ("Custom Truck" or the "Company") (NYSE: CTOS) today announced that Vice Admiral Mary Jackson U.S. Navy (Retired) was appointed to its Board of Directors, filling a vacancy. Vice Admiral Jackson was also appointed to serve on both the Audit and Compensation Committees of Custom Truck's Board. The Company has determined that Vice Admiral Jackson is an independent director under the New York Stock Exchange and Securities and Exchange Commission rules.

"We are extremely fortunate that Vice Admiral Jackson has agreed to become a member of our Board," said Fred Ross, Custom Truck's CEO. "Her distinguished and impressive service to our country, as well as her post-civil service accomplishments, would be beneficial to any organization. Everyone at Custom Truck very much looks forward to working with Vice Admiral Jackson."

Marshall Heinberg, Custom Truck's Chairman, stated, "I have had the pleasure to know and work with Vice Admiral Jackson in the past and her experience and knowledge will certainly add value to our Board and Company. Her specific experience in logistics and supply-chain management from her naval career will assist Custom Truck in navigating current and future supply chain environments."

Commenting on her appointment to the Company's Board Vice Admiral Jackson said, "I am happy to be joining the Custom Truck team and lending my experience and knowledge to the Company, the Board and its Audit and Compensation Committees."

About Vice Admiral Jackson

Vice Admiral Jackson retired in July 2020 after over three decades of service in the United States Navy. She began her career as a Surface Warfare Officer serving on and off Navy warships achieving command of USS McFAUL (DDG 74), an Arleigh Burke class destroyer. She subsequently went on to command the Navy's largest Navy base, Naval Station Norfolk where she was the equivalent of a city manager or Mayor for a city with a population of 64,000 people, managing operational and service industries while managing the Navy's relationship with local agencies, surrounding communities, regulators, and national media. Upon selection as a Flag Officer, Vice Admiral Jackson served in Shore installation Regional and Enterprise level (Navy Installations Command) assignments ultimately accountable for $7.5 billion and 53,000 personnel executing efficient and effective operational, material and personnel programs from facility management, utilities, port and air operations, security, crisis response, and Sailor/family support services (lodging, food services, childcare, fitness) for 71 Navy installations across 10 Regions providing global support to the Navy and Joint forces.

Currently, Vice Admiral Jackson remains engaged through a portfolio of activities, including service as an Independent Director, consulting as an advisor to clients, and serving as a board member for the Greater Jacksonville Area USO and the Surface Navy Association. Additionally, she is the Chair of the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone Jacksonville Advisory Council and serves on the Blue Star Families Racial Equity Committee.

Vice Admiral Jackson holds a Bachelors Degree in Physics (Oceanography emphasis) from the United States Naval Academy and a Masters of Engineering Management from The George Washington University.

About Custom One Truck One Source

Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (NYSE: CTOS) is a leading provider of specialized truck and heavy equipment solutions to the utility, telecommunications, rail and infrastructure markets in North America. The Company's solutions include rentals, sales, aftermarket parts, tools, accessories and service, equipment production, manufacturing, financing solutions, and asset disposal. With vast equipment breadth, the Company's team of experts service its customers across an integrated network of locations across North America. For more information, please visit customtruck.com.

Investor Contact

Brian Perman, Vice President, Investor Relations

844-403-6138

[email protected]

SOURCE Custom Truck One Source, Inc.
TSX.V: DME

U.S. OTC: DMEHF

Frankfurt: QM01

VANCOUVER, BC, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY CORP. (the "Company") (TSX.V: DME) (U.S. OTC: DMEHF) (Frankfurt: QM01) From the President of the Company.

The Company is pleased to announce that it is mobilizing the cased hole logging work on Wells #5, #6 and #7. DME will be utilizing additional cased hole logging tools to further increase our team's knowledge and correlate the mass spectrometer, gas chromatograph readings, geo logs, mineralogical descriptions and open hole logs. The Company anticipates having the completion rig moved onto the McCauley Helium Field location by the middle of next week.

"We are confident with the progress our team has made so far," says Robert Rohlfing, CEO of Desert Mountain Energy Corp. "They've done an excellent job and we are on schedule with moving the Company closer to production in 2022."

ABOUT DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY

Desert Mountain Energy Corp. is a publicly traded resource company primarily focused on exploration, development and production of helium, hydrogen and noble gases. The Company is primarily looking for elements deemed critical to the renewable energy and high technology industries.

We seek safe harbor

"Robert Rohlfing"

Robert Rohlfing

Exec Chairman & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in polices of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The statements made in this press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ from the Company's expectations.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward looking statements and information herein include but are not limited to statements regarding the Company's anticipated performance in the future the planned exploration activities, receipt of positive results from drilling, the completion of further drilling and exploration work, and the timing and results of various activities.

Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company and its operations to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include, among others, changes in national and local governments, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and the United States; financial risks due to helium prices, operating or technical difficulties in exploration and development activities; risks and hazards and the speculative nature of resource exploration and related development; risks in obtaining necessary licenses and permits, and challenges to the Company's title to properties.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the continued operation of the Company's exploration operations, no material adverse change in the market price of commodities, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from those anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company does not intend to, and nor does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.

SOURCE Desert Mountain Energy Corp.
DrugBank began in Dr. Wishart's lab, at the University of Alberta , as a research project to provide high-quality, structured datasets to academic researchers. Commercial interest surged and, recognizing the potential of AI and machine learning in data-driven medicine, DrugBank began commercialization.

"The demand was already there," says Mike Wilson , DrugBank CEO, "so once we commercialized, we had the world's top pharmaceutical companies knocking at our door."

DrugBank has continued that momentum and its impact to date can be seen in metrics such as:

Research: $1.5B+ has been spent on research utilizing DrugBank with more than 26,000 citations in academic publications.

$1.5B+ has been spent on research utilizing DrugBank with more than 26,000 citations in academic publications. Customers : DrugBank supports customers in 24+ countries including 13 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies.

: DrugBank supports customers in 24+ countries including 13 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies. Community: DrugBank has 12M+ global users annually and developers have built 300+ open source and GitHub projects using DrugBank.

DrugBank's homebase is in Edmonton, Canada. The company is supported by a thriving innovation ecosystem anchored by the University of Alberta, known globally for its AI and machine learning excellence. Further fuelling the growth of AI startups, the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) , headquartered in Edmonton, is part of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy providing support, resources, and talent for AI innovation in research and business.

"Data is becoming an essential part of medicine, across both drug development and individual treatment", says Eleonore Jarry , Principal at Brightspark, "DrugBank is uniquely positioned to win in this market. The company has accumulated over 160 million data points and has built proprietary AI models that give them a big head start. What got us even more excited about DrugBank is how Mike and Craig gathered a community of 12M passionate users and over 200 paying customers organically."

With this investment, DrugBank will rapidly scale its operations and invest in research and development. They plan to expand their AI-powered technologies to more effectively solve major industry problems.

"With over 2 million scientific journals being published each year, the rate at which biomedical data is growing and the speed at which it becomes out of date makes it difficult to rely on and even harder to work with," says Craig Knox , DrugBank CTO. "We successfully solve that problem with our AI and NLU tools paired with our team of medical and scientific experts to ensure not just total coverage, but also accuracy and quality."

DrugBank synthesizes, structures, and interprets the world's biomedical information. By investing in distribution, product, and strategic partnerships, they will be equipping leading researchers and healthcare providers with the tools they need to use the world's biomedical data to its fullest potential.

"DrugBank will become a critical infrastructure for healthcare and change the way medicine is done", adds Mike Wilson, DrugBank CEO. "Our platform will enable better decision making by researchers, healthcare providers, and regulators than what is possible today."

ABOUT DRUGBANK

DrugBank is the world's first intelligent and comprehensive drug knowledge platform. Utilizing artificial intelligence, their team of experts gather, author, verify, and structure the latest biomedical information into one knowledge platform. This platform is accessible through DrugBank Online (their free-to-use website), and data and software integrations. DrugBank is honoured to partner with the world's leading biomedical researchers as they pursue their goal of better medical outcomes. www.drugbank.com

ABOUT BRIGHTSPARK VENTURES

Brightspark is a top performing Canadian early-stage venture firm, actively investing in exceptional entrepreneurs since 1999. They are known to partner early with founders, and to provide capital and support for the long-run. Brightspark manages over $500M across traditional VC Funds, and more recently under an syndicate investment model open to individual and non-institutional investors. www.brightspark.com

SOURCE DrugBank
Platform Providers Will Handle On-line Prescribing, Dispensing and Delivery of Endari

TORRANCE, Calif., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. (OTQXC: EMMA), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company and leader in the treatment of sickle cell disease, today announced the launch of an innovative full-service telehealth solution (https://www.endarirx.com/ask-physician) with its strategic partners, including Asembia LLC, US Bioservices Corporation and UpScriptHealth. The telehealth program capitalizes on the expansion of telemedicine in the U.S. to afford patients and providers on-line access to Endari, the company's prescription-grade L-glutamine oral powder, for the treatment of sickle cell disease.



"The launch of our full-service telehealth solution reflects our stated commitment to make Endari accessible to sickle cell patients in need and we are excited to be launching the program," noted Yutaka Niihara, M.D., M.P.H., Emmaus' Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Our solution will allow patients to see a doctor without leaving home, thereby eliminating unnecessary travel time and expense and the risk of infection that can occur with hospital visits. Eligible patients will be able to receive a same-day physician authorization and prescription for Endari and to have the prescription delivered to their homes within just a few days. As the telehealth solution grows, we are optimistic that it will help us to reach new patients and add meaningful revenue for Emmaus."

According to a December 3, 2021 report from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), available at the HHS website at https://www.hhs.gov, the share of Medicare visits conducted through telehealth in 2020 increased 63-fold, from approximately 840,000 in 2019 to 52.7 million. The report noted that telehealth was particularly helpful in offsetting potential foregone behavioral health care and that states with the highest use of telehealth in 2020 included Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. Other industry sources suggest that the trend toward telehealth accelerated in 2021 and is likely to be sustained.

"We believe that affording patients and telehealth prescribers access to Endari in a quick and convenient way will improve their experience and potentially increase adherence rates," stated George Sekulich, Senior Vice President of Global Commercialization of Emmaus. "We look forward to working with our strategic partners on this important project."

About Emmaus Life Sciences

Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company and leader in the treatment of sickle cell disease. The company currently markets U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Endari (L-glutamine oral powder) indicated to reduce the acute complications of sickle cell disease in adults and children 5 years and older. The company is also engaged in the discovery and development of innovative treatments and therapies for certain rare and orphan diseases as well as those affecting larger populations, such as diverticulosis. For more information, please visit www.emmausmedical.com.

About Endari (prescription grade L-glutamine oral powder)

Indication - Endari is indicated to reduce the acute complications of sickle cell disease in adult and pediatric patients five years of age and older.

Important Safety Information

The most common adverse reactions (incidence >10 percent) in clinical studies were constipation, nausea, headache, abdominal pain, cough, pain in extremities, back pain, and chest pain.

Adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation included one case each of hypersplenism, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, burning sensation, and hot flash.

The safety and efficacy of Endari in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease younger than five years of age has not been established.

For more information, please see full Prescribing Information of Endari at: www.EndariRx.com/PI.

About Sickle Cell Disease

There are approximately 100,000 people living with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the United States and millions more globally. The sickle gene is found in every ethnic group, not just among those of African descent; and in the United States an estimated 1-in-365 African Americans and 1-in-16,300 Hispanic Americans are born with SCD.1 The genetic mutation responsible for SCD causes an individual's red blood cells to distort into a "C" or a sickle shape, reducing their ability to transport oxygen throughout the body. These sickled red blood cells break down rapidly, become very sticky, and develop a propensity to clump together, which causes them to become stuck and cause damage within blood vessels. The result is reduced blood flow to distal organs, which leads to physical symptoms of incapacitating pain, tissue and organ damage, and early death.2

1Source: Data & Statistics on Sickle Cell Disease  National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, December 2020.

2Source: Committee on Addressing Sickle Cell Disease  A Strategic Plan and Blueprint for Action -- National Academy of Sciences Press, 2020.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including statements regarding the anticipated benefits of the company's new telehealth services. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties which change over time, including uncertainties regarding market acceptance of the company's telehealth solution and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the company's 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2022, and actual results may differ materially. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Emmaus assumes no duty to update them, except as may be required by law.

SOURCE Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc.
The 31,326 sqm development is next to the beach and fronts the marina on the northeast side of Barcelona's [email protected] district - the former industrial area revitalized under a major regeneration program. It is the last seafront plot in metropolitan Barcelona available for hotel development, with the main structural work scheduled to be completed in the coming months.

Chadi Farhat, SLS Brand Chief Operating Officer, Ennismore, said: "Opening in Barcelona is a massive statement of our ambitions to grow the SLS brand in Europe. SLS Barcelona is in a great location that offers so much to guests. We're excited at creating the ultimate luxury destination that guests will be torn to leave if they choose to explore the other delights of this great city."

Saul Goldstein, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ActivumSG, said: "SLS Barcelona will be a distinctive glamorous lifestyle destination, supported by the powerful reach of the Ennismore and Accor's distribution network. We couldn't be happier to have SLS as our operating partner since it's completely aligned with our vision to fill the gap in the lifestyle hotel market in this major European travel destination. It's a fantastic result for our hotel strategy of creating great hotels in the best locations as the industry recovers from the pandemic."

Operated by a modern, lifestyle brand with a playful edge, SLS Barcelona will provide roof-top dining and bars as part of a distinctive food and beverage offer. The hotel will feature three swimming pools, a 772 square-meter ballroom, a spa and beauty salon, and a well-being and fitness center. Each guest room will have a balcony.

The location boasts easy access to the historic center of Barcelona by car or public transport. Under the regeneration program initiated in the 1990s, the [email protected] district has transformed itself into a hub for innovation, technology and start-ups. It has also become a fashionable place to live, resulting in a vibrant mix of shops, restaurants, and bars. Adjacent to the future SLS Barcelona, is the city's major venue for outdoor music festivals and events, while the university's engineering faculty, the CCIB convention center and the Museu Blau natural science museum are all a short walking distance away.

SLS is the home of an extraordinary experience coupled with a playful ambience. Culinary artistry, theatrical interiors, subversive design touches and unexpected indulgences are at the heart of every SLS property. Collaborations with leading developers, architects, designers and chefs allow SLS to continue anticipating, innovating and shaping the future of luxury lifestyle living. With seven properties in Beverly Hills, Miami, Bahamas, Cancun, and Dubai, SLS is set to open two additional properties in Puerto Madero, Argentina, by May of 2022 and Scottsdale by 2023.

Lifestyle is one of the fastest-growing segments of the hospitality industry and lifestyle brands are recovering faster from the impacts of the pandemic, helped by strong local and domestic demand, in particular for restaurants and bars. Ennismore is leading the way in lifestyle, with its collective of 14 brands representing 92 operating properties across 26 countries, over 150 in the pipeline and over 150 restaurants and bars.

The project is an investment by ActivumSG's fifth real estate fund as part of a pan-European hotel strategy that ActivumSG began in Spain in 2015, initially targeting under-supplied segments of the market in major travel destinations. This strategy has evolved during the Covid-19 pandemic to focus on those segments of Europe's hospitality market that is best placed to recover as leisure and business travel recovers.

ABOUT ENNISMORE

Ennismore is a creative hospitality company with a global collective of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with purpose at their heart. It curates and manages unique properties and experiences in some of the most exciting destinations around the world.

Founded in 2011 by entrepreneur Sharan Pasricha, Ennismore and Accor entered a joint venture in 2021 to create a new autonomous entity, with Accor holding a majority shareholding. Creating the world's fastest-growing lifestyle hospitality company, it brings together Ennismore's know-how in building brands with creative storytelling, design, and authentic experiences, with Accor's wealth of knowledge in delivering scale, network growth and distribution.

Under the leadership of Sharan Pasricha, Founder & Co-CEO, and Gaurav Bhushan, Co-CEO, Ennismore comprises 14 brands - with 90 operating properties and further 160 in the pipeline - and a collection of over 150 culturally relevant and diverse restaurants and nightlife destinations.

Ennismore puts innovation at the center of everything it does, with four dedicated in-house specialist studios, which obsess every guest touchpoint including Carte Blanched  a fully integrated F&B concept platform; a creative studio of interior and graphic designers; a digital product and tech innovation lab, and a partnerships and collaborations unit.

Ennismore has been included in Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies lists in 2020 and 2021; ranked#29 in FT1000: Europe's Fastest-Growing Companies; and is part of FT Future 100 - the UK's fastest-growing businesses that are shaping the future of their sector.

The Ennismore brands: 21c Museum Hotel, 25hours Hotels, Delano, Gleneagles, Hyde, J0&JOE, Mama Shelter, Mondrian, Morgans Originals, SLS, SO/, The Hoxton, TRIBE and Working From_. ennismore.com

ABOUT ACTIVUMSG

ActivumSG Capital Management Ltd. is a Jersey-based private equity investment manager which focuses on opportunities in European real estate that deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns for investors. It has raised seven closed-end funds and several co-investment vehicles to date. For the past 15 years its multi-disciplinary teams have looked across the capital structure to identify the optimal entry point to access compelling real estate themes before they become in vogue. Operating from five offices across Europe, ActivumSG's experienced local teams source opportunities across a wide range of sectors, unlocking real and lasting value through in-house asset management which they crystallize for investors through the most suitable exit. ActivumSG is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. For more information, visit the website at activumsg.com

Media contact for ActivumSG:

Simon Packard, Headlion Consulting +44 7701 089844

[email protected]

Media contacts for Ennismore:

Marcos Elefhteriou, VP of Culture & Comms

[email protected]

SOURCE Ennismore
VANCOUVER, BC, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Capella Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: CMIL) (OTCQB: CMILF) (FRA: N7D2) (the "Company" or "Capella") is pleased to report that Prospector Metals Corp. ("Prospector") (TSXV: PPP) (formerly Ethos Gold Corp.) (TSXV: ECC), Capella's Joint Venture ("JV") partner and operator of the Savant Lake Gold Project, has today provided the market with an update on its planned exploration activities on its Newfoundland and Ontario project portfolio, including Savant Lake.

Prospector is currently earning-in to a 70% interest in the Savant Lake Gold Project through the sole funding of CAD 2M of work commitments on the district-scale property, and by making staged cash and share payments to Capella.

Key points relating to Prospector's exploration activities at Savant Lake include:

Mobilization of field crews to conduct property-wide prospecting and the ground truthing of target areas is expected to occur in early May, 2022.

A multi-year exploration permit was issued for Savant Lake at the beginning of April, 2022. Community and stakeholder discussions are ongoing.

at the beginning of April, 2022. Community and stakeholder discussions are ongoing. Drilling of priority gold targets is currently expected to begin in Q3, 2022.

Prospector's full News Release may be viewed on their website:

https://prospectormetalscorp.com/news/prospector-provides-update-on-2022-drill-programs-in-newfoundland-and-ontario/

Eric Roth, Capella's President and CEO, commented: "I am very pleased to be reporting today on the proposed work program that has been put forward by our JV partner Prospector at Savant Lake. The Savant Lake Gold Project covers 229 square kilometres of underexplored but highly-prospective stratigraphy for the discovery of high-grade, iron formation- and shear zone-hosted gold deposits. Indeed, many of the key targets identified to date have yet to be drill tested, thereby providing both Prospector and Capella with significant upside to discovery. The 2022 work program at Savant Lake, which is expected to include initial diamond drilling, will be sole funded by Prospector, thereby allowing Capella to continue to focus on advancing its portfolio of copper(zinc-cobalt) and gold projects in Scandinavia".

Qualified Persons and Disclosure Statement

The technical information in this news release relating to the Savant Lake gold project has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101, and approved by Eric Roth, the Company's President & CEO, a Director, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Roth holds a Ph.D. in Economic Geology from the University of Western Australia, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and is a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG). Mr. Roth has 30 years of experience in international minerals exploration and mining project evaluation.

On Behalf of the Board of Capella Minerals Ltd.

"Eric Roth"

___________________________

Eric Roth, Ph.D., FAusIMM

President & CEO

About Capella Minerals Ltd

Capella is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of quality mineral resource properties in favourable jurisdictions with a focus on high-grade gold and copper(-zinc-cobalt) deposits. The Company also holds 1,000,000 common shares (on a post-consolidation basis) in Prospector Metals Corp., providing Capella shareholders with indirect exposure to exploration success at both the Savant Lake Gold Project and elsewhere within Prospector's extensive Canadian project portfolio.

The Company's copper(-zinc-cobalt) focus is currently on i) the advancement of the recently-acquired, resource-stage Hessjgruva copper-zinc-cobalt project in central Norway and ii) the discovery of high-grade VMS-type deposits within 100%-owned, district-scale land positions around the past-producing Lkken and Kjli copper mines. The Company's precious metals focus is on the discovery of high-grade gold deposits on its recently acquired Finnish properties (Katajavaara, Aakenus), the 100%-owned Southern Gold Line Project in Sweden, and its active Canadian Joint Ventures with Prospector Metals Corp (TSXV: PPP) at Savant Lake (Ontario) and Yamana Gold Inc. at Domain (Manitoba). The Company also retains a residual interest (subject to an option to purchase agreement with Austral Gold Ltd) in the Sierra Blanca gold-silver divestiture in Santa Cruz, Argentina.

Cautionary Notes and Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future results of operations, performance and achievements of Capella, including the timing, completion of and results from the exploration and drill programs described in this release. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that such expectations will prove to be correct. All such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analyses made by Capella in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. This information, however, is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from this forward-looking information include those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in Capella's most recently filed MD&A. Capella does not intend, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

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.

SOURCE Capella Minerals Limited
WASHINGTON, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- April is Financial Literacy Month, a month created to bring awareness to the need for more financial education. When it comes to personal finance, we tend to hear buzz geared towards baby boomers and millennials, but rarely do we hear about the generation born between the mid-1960s and early-1980s, also known as Generation X. According to AARP , Generation X holds the most debt, feels the stress of caring for their aging parents, and are more pessimistic about their financial future.

Jen Hemphill, Latina Money Expert, AFC and host of the award-winning Her Dinero Matters podcast is proud to announce the second annual Financially Strong Latina, a FREE virtual series event sponsored by AARP, which brings together financial experts from the Latino community to provide financial education by Latinas for Latinas. To register, visit financiallystronglatina.com

This virtual series will feature guest speakers covering the following topics:

April 13 | 7:30pm EST: Owning Our Power as Latinas to Drive Our Financial Confidence

April 20 | 7:30pm EST: Focusing On What Matters Most for our Household Finances

April 27 | 7:30pm EST: Shifting Our Mindset to Become Financially Stronger; Live Q&A

"With knowledge comes empowerment; the more you know about your own finances, the better prepared you are to make informed decisions. And who better to empower the Latina community around finances, than Latina money experts themselves? Jen Hemphill and her panel of Latina money experts make the topic of personal finance feel approachable and culturally relevant," said Veronica Segovia Bedon, Senior Audience Manager at AARP. "We are proud to sponsor this year's Financially Strong Latina event and connect Latinas to AARP financial resources such as AARP MoneyMap," she added.

Financially Strong Latina is sponsored by AARP, the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older. Sponsor Disclaimer: This is not an AARP hosted event, however, as event sponsor, AARP always recommends that you consult your financial/tax advisor or lawyer for advice regarding your personal situation.

About Jen Hemphill

Jen Hemphill is a Latina Money Expert, an AFC (Accredited Financial Counselor), author, speaker and hosts the Her Dinero Matters podcast. She has been featured in publications such as Forbes, Oprah Magazine and NPR. To learn more, visit www.jenhemphill.com or follow @JenHemphill on Instagram.

About AARP

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or www.aarp.org/espanol and follow @AARP, @AARPEnEspanol and @AARPadvocates, @AliadosAdelante on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Jen Hemphill
Upscale, Fast Casual Dining Powerhouse with House-Crafted Menu to Open in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, known for its award-winning, hand-crafted sandwiches and more, will debut a new location in Kansas City at 10406 NE Cookingham Dr. on April 11. Capriotti's brings the Kansas City community its 45-year tradition of slow-roasting whole, all-natural turkeys in-house and hand-pulling them every morning, and other favorites like the made-from-scratch meatballs using premium, fresh ingredients.

Capriotti's is known for its unique sandwich offerings including:

The Bobbie, made with fresh oven-roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and mayo

The Capastrami, made with hot pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and homemade coleslaw

The Meatball Sub with made-from-scratch meatballs

An array of cheesesteak sandwiches made with premium steak, chicken or Impossible plant-based meat and melted cheese, plus hot or sweet peppers

The Kansas City Capriotti's will offer a convenient order-ahead option, in addition to third-party delivery services. The new shop will bring 20 new jobs to the Kansas City community.

The new location is owned and operated by business partners and friends, Mike and Kathleen Brooks and Mark and Sumer McPhee. Having met while living in Las Vegas, the Brooks and McPhees had always been frequent customers of the sandwich shop. With their eyes set on moving to the Midwest, they couldn't help but notice that there weren't any Capriotti's in Missouri. Determined to bring a concept they were passionate about to the area and contribute to the community, the four decided to open the first Missouri location in Kansas City.

"Having moved from Las Vegas where Capriotti's is very well known, we didn't want to just bring any sandwich shop to the community," said Mike. "We wanted to share the experience that you can only get at Capriotti's, where we bring our family's favorite food to you."

Family is important to the Brooks and McPhees, who all have children that will be helping around at the shop. Providing a welcoming environment for people to enjoy is a top priority, and they are proud to bring such a beneficial concept to their community.

Kansas City Capriotti's fans can download the CAPAddicts Rewards app on iOS and Android to earn and redeem rewards and score free food. The restaurant also features online ordering. Capriotti's in Kansas City offers catering for any event from corporate events to birthday parties with items such as party trays with cold subs, box lunches or a hot homemade meatball bar.

Capriotti's is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For additional information, visit www.capriottis.com or call the location at 816-429-6400.

About Capriotti's Sandwich Shop

Founded in 1976, Capriotti's Sandwich Shop is an award-winning national franchised restaurant chain that remains true to its 45-year tradition of slow-roasting whole, all-natural turkeys in-house every day. Capriotti's fresh ingredients, homemade subs and unique menu items have won numerous accolades including being named one of the "10 Great Places for a Surprising Sandwich" by USA Today and many "Best of" awards across the country. Capriotti's cold, grilled and vegetarian subs, cheese steaks and salads are available at more than 100 locations across the U.S. Capriotti's signature sub, The Bobbie, was voted "The Greatest Sandwich in America" by thousands of readers across the country and reported by AOL.com. Capriotti's fans can also download the CAPAddicts Rewards app for iOS and Android, where they can earn and redeem rewards. For more information, visit capriottis.com. Like Capriotti's on Facebook, follow on Twitter or Instagram.

Media Contact: Allie Bertrand, Fishman PR | [email protected] | 630-853-9443

SOURCE Capriotti's Sandwich Shop
ARISS contact is scheduled with students at Ecole Secondaire St. Albert Catholic High School, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between Axiom Mission-1 (Ax-1) astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and Canadian students at the Ecole Secondaire St. Albert Catholic High School in St. Albert. Ax-1 is the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.

Ecole Secondaire St. Albert Catholic High School (SACHS) is a medium-sized high school in St. Albert, Alberta that offers English and French Immersion and Advanced Placement programs. In preparation for this ARISS contact, SACHS embedded topics related to space exploration and technology in all grade-levels to increase interest and curiosity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).SACHSs school-wide events included: observatory fieldtrips,a Space Evening that showcased student projects developed around a space theme, and guest speakers on STEM careers. SACHS also partnered with other elementary and junior high schools in the district for a space-themed science fair.

This will be a telebridge contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Ax-1 Astronaut Mark Pathy, amateur radio call sign KO4WFH. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the telebridge station.

The ARISS amateur radio ground station (telebridge station) for this contact is in Casale Monferrato, Italy. The amateur radio volunteer team at the station will use the callsign IK1SLD, to establish and maintain the ISS connection.

The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for April11, 2022 at9:50 amMDT (Alberta, CAN)(15:50:31UTC, 11 :50 am EDT, 10:50am CDT, 8:50 am PDT).

The public is invited to watch the live stream at:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA55YJg_jvRtoEBPKK-p__A

As time allows, students will ask these questions:

1. How long did it take for you to adjust to being in space?

2. What factors did you worry about when going into space, such as space radiation?

3. How are laws enforced in space?

4. Are you able to see space trash and debris fly by as you look out the ISS?

5. What threat does a large solar flare pose to the operation of the space station and the safety of the astronauts? If this is a risk, how is it minimized?

6. How did training in zero gravity compare with how it actually feels in zero gravity? Do you experience space sickness?

7. Have you seen any significant Earth weather systems (Tornados, hurricanes, fires etc.) from the ISS? If so, how was that?

8. How long will you be away from home since the start of your training until you return?

9. How did the astronauts that were already on the ISS react when your 'private team' showed up?

10. What was your family's reaction to you accepting the mission to space?

11. What kind of training did you need to complete in order to prepare for this mission?

12. Is it difficult to fall asleep?

13. Is the sensation of orbiting the same as a drop on a roller coaster?

About ARISS:

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) and NASAs Space communications and Navigation program.

The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org .

Media Contact:

Dave Jordan, AA4KN

ARISS PR

Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status.

Check out ARISS on Youtube.com.
Attendees will learn to:

Plan for a boring-free summer

Balance Respite and Routine

Attain ideas for teen summer enrichment

Consider Fusion Education Group's 250+ programs

After the presentation, there will be time for Q+A. Attendees can register here.

"Take some time to get curious about what your teen is interested in, and you might be surprised at how their answers align with so many available summer programs," said Walsh-Rurak. She offered families conversation starters to identify their teens interests:

Think about your future self when you start the next school next year. What would you have liked to learn more about, experience, or accomplish this summer? Look back to the recent school year. What was particularly difficult that you'd like to work through this summer so you it's no longer a challenge next year? Let's consider your goals for the next year. What can we do this summer to further them? What's sparking your interest right now that would be fun to learn more about alongside an expert?

Summer's lazy days can throw routines awry and stagnate academic growth. Research suggests that adolescents' social skill development hit the brakes during the pandemic. Fusion Education Group's education team crafted three summer program tracks that support students in the exact area where they need it, they are:

Build Key Skills with Skill Launch Camps : FEG's skill launch camps help students sharpen the life skills they need for student and lifelong success and include, Study Skills, Organizational Skills, Finance Skills, Modern Etiquette and How to Crush Your College Essay.

: FEG's skill launch camps help students sharpen the life skills they need for student and lifelong success and include, Study Skills, Organizational Skills, Finance Skills, Modern Etiquette and How to Crush Your College Essay. Keep Learning with Accelerate : Students looking to get a leg up on their next academic year can take advantage of classes for credit in a personalized, one-to-one setting. AP Classes can be taken at Fusion Global Academy. Post-secondary counseling including test prep is also available.

: Students looking to get a leg up on their next academic year can take advantage of classes for credit in a personalized, one-to-one setting. AP Classes can be taken at Fusion Global Academy. Post-secondary counseling including test prep is also available. Catch Up with Remediate: Whether students are looking to strengthen their learning foundation, fill learning loss gaps, or recover failed credits, courses for credit and tutoring are available.

"Parents keep telling us their teens missed the boat when it comes to learning many of the basic skills needed to succeed as a high school student and as an adult," said Walsh-Rurak. "That's why our programs are hardly cookie cutter. Our skill launch camps cover everything from taking the awkwardness out of social interaction, to learning how to get organized and staying that way. And our academic courses run the gamut of tutoring, courses for credit to makeup a class or get ahead. Instruction is custom-built around what students need and adapted to how they learn."

Students have three options for enrolling in FEG's summer programs:

Fusion Academy's curriculum meets or exceeds state standards and includes over 250 courses that are available at varying levels depending on your child's academic goals and has 67 campuses in 18 states plus the District of Columbia for in-person or hybrid learning.

for in-person or hybrid learning. Fusion Global Academy offers families on the go this summer customized learning for middle and high school students through one-to-one virtual learning. Online summer school options are engaging and fun. Families can vacation and still fit learning in.

Futures Academy offers California families 15 campuses where students can complete a course in as little as 5 weeks or up to 10 weeks. More than 170 courses are available from mastering math, succeeding in science, loving foreign languages, and making headway in history.

"We're offering the strategies and tips that parents need to keep teens engaged, and the summer programs that we created to support them," said Walsh-Rurak.

Families can read about summer planning strategies by visiting Fusion's Resource page here.

Walsh-Rurak serves as a Vice President in the Northeast region for Fusion Education Group. She has more than 20 years of experience in educational leadership and earned her doctorate from Northeastern University.

About Fusion Education Group:

Fusion Education Group (FEG) is a revolutionary innovator in personalized education. FEG provides accredited personalized education for than 5,000 middle and high school students at Fusion Academy, with 67 campuses that offer one-to-one instruction; Futures Academy, which offers one-to-one, small group instruction and online learning at 15 California campuses; Barnstable Academy, which offers traditional college-prep in a small school setting in New Jersey; and Fusion Global Academy, which offers one-to-one personalized education through a completely virtual campus that currently serves students in 45 states and 18 countries. More information about FEG's national events can be found here. FEG has more than 80 campuses in 18 states and the District of Columbia.

SOURCE Fusion Education Group
 Cancer prevention has a greater impact than cancer interception on clinical outcomes for CRC

 Clinical performance requirements and diagnostic procedures vary by cancer type

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. , April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Freenome, a privately held biotech company, will present research at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting that measures the clinical impact of detecting precancerous adenomas for tests that screen for colorectal cancer (CRC), including multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests. The research modeled detecting adenomas and cancer (prevention and interception) or primarily cancer alone (interception) for such tests.

The research found that even modest improvements in detecting adenomas resulted in more favorable CRC clinical outcomes than detecting primarily cancer alone. Since different cancers have different preclinical phases, the clinical utility of detecting precancerous lesions varies accordingly.[1] In CRC, detection and removal of adenomas and early-stage CRC significantly reduces CRC incidence and mortality.[2]

Using Freenome's validated model, CRC-MAPS, researchers simulated adherence to an annual, blood-based CRC screening test among average-risk adults aged 45-75. Four scenarios were modeled:

A cancer interception test with clinical performance comparable to or better than that reported for some MCED tests 3,4

A cancer interception test with near-perfect performance

Two cancer prevention and interception scenarios with varying adenoma sensitivity

A threshold analysis was also performed to determine the 10mm adenoma sensitivity needed for a cancer prevention and interception test to result in the same CRC mortality reduction as a near-perfect cancer interception test.

The results demonstrated that the cancer prevention and interception scenarios resulted in outcomes 2.3 to 5.6 times more favorable than the cancer interception scenarios due to increased adenoma detection. Further, the threshold analysis found that increasing the 10mm adenoma sensitivity by less than one (1) percentage point, from 1% to 1.94%, resulted in the same reduction in CRC mortality as the near-perfect interception test.

"This study shows the clinical impact of detecting adenomas in any test that screens for CRC," said Girish Putcha, M.D., PhD., lead author of the study and senior vice president, Freenome. "This is just one example of how clinical performance requirements vary by cancer, and why it's important to consider each cancer separately when it comes to helping patients and improving health outcomes."

About Freenome

Freenome is a biotechnology company with a comprehensive multiomics platform for the early detection of cancer using a routine blood draw. The company combines its deep expertise in molecular biology with advanced computational biology and machine learning to detect disease-associated patterns among billions of circulating cell-free biomarkers. Freenome is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.

1 Putcha G, Gutierrez A, Skates S. JCO Precision Oncology. 2021. doi: 10.1200/PO.20.00488

2 Gupta S, Lieberman D, Anderson JC, et al. 2020. Gastroenterology. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.10.026

3 Liu MC, Oxnard GR, Klein EA, et al. 2020. Ann Oncol. doi: 10.1016/j.annonc.2020.02.011

4 Lennon AM, Buchanan AH, Kinde I, et al. 2020. Science. doi: 10.1126/science.abb9601

SOURCE Freenome, Inc.
OAK CREEK, Wis., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - For over 40 years, Furlani Foods has combined a rich heritage of making great quality garlic bread products, with an entrepreneurial spirit. The company has always been passionate and committed to transforming everyday meals into memorable eating experiences that everyone can enjoy together. Furlani Foods has updated the graphics for its Joseph Campione portfolio, with a co-branded design that serves to enhance shelf impact and portray that Joseph Campione is part of the Furlani family.

New Co-Branded Packaging Design (CNW Group/Furlani Foods)

Both brands represent decades of tradition and quality, and offer a consistent, superior homemade taste in the company's endless varieties of Frozen Garlic Breads, Cheese Breads, Texas Toast, Rolls, and Breadsticks. The new design is not too far of a departure from what it used to be, with the injection of color, fresh photography and relevant callouts that serve to heighten appetite appeal, promote convenience of use, and attract even more shoppers to the shelf.

"When it comes to our brands, consumers will continue to enjoy the consistent quality, performance and authentic garlic flavor that is important to them," says Jackie Brenkel, Head of Marketing.

The Joseph Campione website josephcampione.com has also been refreshed and features this exciting new design.

Furlani Foods

Furlani Foods operates from three state-of the-art baking facilities located in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, as well as in Ontario, Canada. We manufacture and distribute signature branded and private label products to North America's leading retailers and food service operators. Our success lies in our focus and our experienced team of bakers, product developers, and operators, who bring together a passion for perfection.

For further information, please contact:

Jackie Brenkel

Head of Marketing, North America

t. 1.905.602.6102 x 247

[email protected]

SOURCE Furlani Foods
DUBLIN, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Cloud Workload Protection (CWP) Growth Opportunities" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global cloud workload protection market is undergoing a digital transformation, with companies worldwide gradually moving their infrastructure to the cloud.

The rise in the adoption of cloud computing and the ineffectiveness of legacy security solutions have presented growth opportunities for the global cloud workload protection market, which is expected to experience a surge in demand for modern and unified cloud-native security platforms. Solutions will be increasingly integrated with artificial intelligence/machine learning platforms, driving the automation and efficiency of the global cloud workload protection market.



This study takes a detailed look at the growth dynamics of the global cloud workload protection market, with a specific focus on four regional segments:

North America

Europe , the Middle East , and Africa

, the , and Latin America

The Asia-Pacific

The study provides insights into the global cloud workload protection landscape. It includes market sizing and revenue forecasts, competitive analyses, regional analyses, segmentation by product type and across verticals, growth driver and restraint analyses, and an assessment of future market opportunities.

The study also provides pertinent details about Aqua Security, Broadcom, Check Point Software Technologies, Cisco Systems, CrowdStrike, Kaspersky, McAfee, Palo Alto Networks, Qingteng, Sysdig, Sophos, Trend Micro, and VMware.



Key Issues Addressed:

What are the key trends in the cloud workload protection market? What are the main requirements emerging out of the market? What are the different approaches to growth being adopted by market players?

What are the innovations disrupting the industry?

What are the growth opportunities that are emerging as a result of these innovations and trends in the market?

Key Topics Covered:



1. Strategic Imperatives

2. Growth Opportunity Analysis - CWP

Global CWP Market Scope of Analysis

Global CWP Market Segmentation

CWP Architecture - Comparison of Agent-based and Agentless/API-based Solutions

CWP Architecture - Hybrid Monitoring and Protection Model

Recommendations for CWP

Customer Segmentation

Research Methodology

Market Segmentation

Key Competitors

Key Findings on Cloud Strategy among Businesses

Why Move to the Cloud?

Workloads Increasingly Move to Public Cloud

Soaring Adoption of Hybrid and Multi-cloud Models

Repatriating Workloads from Public Cloud to Premises

Workloads by Cloud Type

Future of CWP

Key Growth Metrics - Global

Growth Drivers

Growth Driver Analysis

Growth Restraints

Growth Restraint Analysis

Forecast Assumptions - Global

Revenue Forecast - Global

Revenue Forecast Analysis - Global

Revenue Forecast by Region - Global

Revenue Forecast Analysis by Region

Revenue Forecast Analysis by Product, Agent-based and Agentless CWP - Global

Pricing Trends and Forecast Analysis - Global

Revenue Share by Verticals - Global

Revenue Share by Vendors - Global

Total Global CWP Landscape

Competitive Environment - Global

3. Vendor Analysis

Aqua Security

Broadcom

Check Point Software Technologies

Cisco Systems

Crowdstrike

Kaspersky

McAfee

Palo Alto Networks

Qingteng

Sysdig

Sophos

Trend Micro

VMware

4. Growth Opportunity Analysis - NA

Key Growth Metrics - NA

Revenue Forecast - NA

Forecast Analysis by Product, Agent-based and Agentless CWP - NA

Revenue Forecast by Product, Agent-based and Agentless CWP - NA

Revenue Share by Vendors - NA

5. Growth Opportunity Analysis - EMEA

Key Growth Metrics - EMEA

Revenue Forecast - EMEA

Revenue Forecast - EMEA

Revenue Forecast by Product, Agent-based and Agentless CWP - EMEA

Revenue Share by Vendors - EMEA

6. Growth Opportunity Analysis - APAC

Key Growth Metrics - APAC

Revenue Forecast - APAC

Forecast Analysis by Product, Agent-based and Agentless CWP - APAC

Revenue Forecast by Product, Agent-based and Agentless CWP - APAC

Revenue Share by Vendors - APAC

7. Growth Opportunity Analysis - LATAM

Key Growth Metrics for CWP Market - LATAM

Revenue Forecast - LATAM

Forecast Analysis by Product, Agent-based and Agentless CWP - LATAM

Revenue Forecast by Product, Agent-based and Agentless CWP - LATAM

Revenue Share by Vendors - LATAM

8. Growth Opportunity Universe

Growth Opportunity 1: Increasing Need for Cloud Security Training

Growth Opportunity 2: Increasing Need for Managed and Professional Security Services around CWP

Growth Opportunity 3: Need to Integrate CWP with xDR and Threat Intelligence Services

Key Success Factors

The Last Word

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/758oa2

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.



Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Digital Twin Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global digital twin market reached a value of US$ 10.3 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 54.6 Billion by 2027, exhibiting at a CAGR of 31.7% 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 end use industries. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.

A digital twin is a virtual model that accurately reflects a physical object, process, or service. It relies on real-time and historical data to represent the past and present and stimulate predicted failures. It assists in undertaking effective actions and transforming businesses by accelerating the holistic understanding and optimal decision-making. It also aids in reducing the risk of accidents and unplanned downtime through failure, lowering maintenance costs, and ensuring production goals are achieved. As it offers increased reliability and availability through monitoring and simulation to improve overall performance, its demand is escalating around the world.



Digital Twin Market Trends:

There is presently a rise in the utilization of digital twins in the pharmaceutical industries across the globe. This represents one of the key factors propelling the growth of the market. Digital twins support effective research and design of products and provide valuable insights that help companies refine their products before starting production. They also offer greater efficiency throughout the manufacturing process and assist in determining which product materials can be opted. Consequently, they are employed in the production of aircraft prototypes worldwide.

Apart from this, the growing adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) solutions that allow engineers to test and communicate with sensors integrated with the operating products and deliver real-time prescriptive systems functioning and timely maintenance is driving the market. Additionally, there is an increase in the adoption of digital twin technology in the healthcare industry on account of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. This, along with the integration of 3D printing capability to lower the production and manufacturing cost through pre-testing and predictive analysis of goods, is projected to impel the market further.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being ABB Ltd, Accenture Plc, ANSYS Inc., AVEVA Group plc (Schneider Electric), Cal-Tek Srl, Cityzenith, Dassault Systemes, General Electric Company, International Business Machines Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, PTC Inc., SAP SE and Siemens AG.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global digital twin market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global digital twin market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the technology?

What is the breakup of the market based on the end use?

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 digital twin 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 Digital Twin Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Type

6.1 Product Digital Twin

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Process Digital Twin

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 System Digital Twin

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Technology

7.1 IoT and IIoT

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Blockchain

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast

7.5 Big Data Analytics

7.5.1 Market Trends

7.5.2 Market Forecast

7.6 5G

7.6.1 Market Trends

7.6.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by End Use

8.1 Aerospace and Defense

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Automotive and Transportation

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Healthcare

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

8.4 Energy and Utilities

8.4.1 Market Trends

8.4.2 Market Forecast

8.5 Oil and Gas

8.5.1 Market Trends

8.5.2 Market Forecast

8.6 Agriculture

8.6.1 Market Trends

8.6.2 Market Forecast

8.7 Residential and Commercial

8.7.1 Market Trends

8.7.2 Market Forecast

8.8 Retail and Consumer Goods

8.8.1 Market Trends

8.8.2 Market Forecast

8.9 Telecommunication

8.9.1 Market Trends

8.9.2 Market Forecast

8.10 Others

8.10.1 Market Trends

8.10.2 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 ABB Ltd

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.1.3 Financials

14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.2 Accenture Plc

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2.3 Financials

14.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.3 ANSYS Inc.

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 AVEVA Group plc (Schneider Electric)

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4.3 Financials

14.3.5 Cal-Tek Srl

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5.3 Financials

14.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.6 Cityzenith

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7 Dassault Systemes

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 General Electric Company

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 International Business Machines 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 Microsoft Corporation

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10.3 Financials

14.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.11 PTC 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 SAP SE

14.3.12.1 Company Overview

14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.12.3 Financials

14.3.12.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.13 Siemens AG

14.3.13.1 Company Overview

14.3.13.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.13.3 Financials

14.3.13.4 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1he8j2

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
DUBLIN, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Secondary Macronutrients Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Secondary Macronutrient Market is estimated to register a CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period (2020-2025). Secondary nutrients are required in a moderate amount and are less likely to limit crop growth.

The secondary macronutrients incorporate calcium, sulfur, and magnesium. Calcium helps in the absorption of other major nutrients, similarly, magnesium acts as an excellent enzyme activator responsible for botanical growth and flowering. Plants require secondary macronutrients in minimal quantity but are not replaceable with any primary nutrients. Growth in demand for high-value crops such as fruits and vegetables with increasing deficiency of secondary macronutrients in the soil will drive the market during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific region projected to grow with the highest CAGR due to the prevalence of sodic soil which will drive the lime and gypsum market during the forecast period.

Key Market Trends

Reduction in Sulfur emission

Sulfur emission has decreased significantly over the last decades. For instance, In the United States, Sulfur dioxide emission (SO2) has fallen to 2.82 million tons in 2017 from 31.22 million tons in 1970. The reduction in sulfur dioxide is mainly due to the Clean Air Act, which includes the implementation of the Acid Rain Programme. As the Clean Air Act is progressing positively, there was a reduction in sulfur emission, so the amount of atmospheric sulfur depositing in the soil is only 25 percent of what it used to be. Crops are now deficient with sulfur and in the future, more deficiency of sulfur will continue due to the "Clean Air Act" which will drive the sulfur macronutrients market during the forecast period.

Asia Pacific dominates the market

Asia pacific dominates the market and hold the highest market share. Large agriculture area and awareness about the use of secondary products is the main reason for the growth of the specific market. Country like India and China dominates the market. High usage of secondary nutrients in countries such as China, which is largest producer of lime, Sulphur and magnesite.Europe and North America to grow with healthy rate in the forecast period. Central and south America witness moderate growth over the period because presence of fertile lands is fragmented in some parts of Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Brazil.

Key Topics Covered:



1 INTRODUCTION

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY



3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



4 MARKET DYNAMICS

4.1 Market Overview

4.2 Introduction to Market Drivers and Restraints

4.3 Market Drivers

4.4 Market Restraints

4.5 Industry Attractiveness - Porter's Five Force Analysis



5 MARKET SEGMENTATION

5.1 Nutrient Type

5.1.1 Sulphur

5.1.2 Calcium

5.1.3 Magnesium

5.2 Application Method

5.2.1 Solid

5.2.2 Liquid

5.3 Crop Type

5.3.1 Cereals and grains

5.3.2 Oilseeds and pulses

5.3.3 Fruits and Vegetables

5.3.4 Turf and Ornamental

5.3.5 Others

5.4 Geography

5.4.1 North America

5.4.1.1 United States

5.4.1.2 Canada

5.4.1.3 Mexico

5.4.1.4 Rest of North America

5.4.2 Europe

5.4.2.1 Germany

5.4.2.2 United Kingdom

5.4.2.3 Russia

5.4.2.4 Spain

5.4.2.5 Rest of Europe

5.4.3 Asia Pacific

5.4.3.1 China

5.4.3.2 India

5.4.3.3 Japan

5.4.3.4 Rest of Asia-Pacific

5.4.4 South America

5.4.4.1 Brazil

5.4.4.2 Argentina

5.4.4.3 Rest of South America

5.4.5 Middle East and Africa

5.4.5.1 South Africa

5.4.5.2 Rest of Middle East and Africa



6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

6.1 Vendor Market Share

6.2 Mergers & Acquisitions

6.3 Company Profiles

6.3.1 Nufarm

6.3.2 The Mosaic Company

6.3.3 Nutrien

6.3.4 Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals

6.3.5 Yara International

6.3.6 Coromandel International

6.3.7 Haifa Chemicals

6.3.8 Israel Chemicals Ltd.

6.3.9 Koch Industries



7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/facdph

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 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Synthetic Lubricants Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The synthetic lubricants market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.48% during 2021-2027

The global synthetic lubricants market is expected to witness stagnant growth during the forecast period. The consumption of synthetic lubricants is majorly driven by automotive and transport sector.

GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

APAC is the leading market for synthetic lubricants. The region accounted for 45% market share in 2021. The growth in the region is associated with the increasing demand for automotive and high-performance industrial machinery and equipment.

APAC region consists of emerging as well as developed economies such as Japan, China, India, South Korea, and Australia. These countries have considerable demand for automotive, agricultural, and construction vehicles. APAC region is also a hub for the growth of new industrial developments such as advanced manufacturing, smart cities, smart construction, and so on.

GLOBAL SYNTHETIC LUBRICANTS MARKET SEGMENTATION

Automotive and transportation are the largest segment by end-use. Automotive and transportation synthetic lubricants accounted for 32.20% market share in 2021.

The automotive and transportation segment is expected to register a CAGR of 3.76% during the forecast period. Advantages driving the demand for synthetic lubricants in this segment are wear and tear prevention, reduced friction, proper heat dissipation, oxidation and corrosion prevention, component stress relieving, and maintaining proper engine functionality.

VENDOR ANALYSIS

Shell (US), ExxonMobil (US), British Petroleum (UK), Chevron (US), and Sinopec (China) are some of the key players in the synthetic lubricants market. The market is largely commoditized, with price serving as a significant differentiator. Manufacturers are constantly involved in developing new and sustainable products as per customer requirements and safeguard environment as well.



Developments:

The FUCHS Group, had signed an agreement to acquire the lubricants business of Gleitmo Technik AB, and is expected to integrate it into its subsidiary FUCHS LUBRICANTS SWEDEN AB.

AB. Sinopec entered into the South African market by acquiring a majority stake in Chevron's lubricant facility.

Shell Indonesia announced investment to double the production capacity of its lubricants oil blending plant (LOBP) located in Jakarta, Indonesia . When completed the plant would produce up to 300 million litres of finished lubricants, annually.

Key Vendors

Royal Dutch Shell

ExxonMobil

British Petroleum

Chevron

Sinopec

Other Prominent Vendors

Total Energies

Fuchs

Idemitsu Kosan

Lukoil

Petronas

Indian Oil

Dow

Morris Lubricants

Sasol

Valvoline

Penrite oil

Bharat Petroleum

Liqui Moly

Peak Lubricants

Amalie Oil

Eni

Addinol

Engen Petroleum

Croda International

Petro-Canada Lubricants

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



8 Market Opportunities & Trends

8.1 Increasing Demand for Reduction in Emission

8.2 Demand for Higher Fuel Economy Vehicles

8.3 Increasing Demand for High-Performance Lubricants



9 Market Growth Enablers

9.1 Growing Use in Automotive Sector

9.2 Increasing Use in Wind Turbine Industry

9.3 Rising Use in Electric Vehicles



10 Market Growth Restraints

10.1 Emergence of Bio-Based Lubricants

10.2 High Cost of Synthetic Lubricants



11 Market Landscape

11.1 Market Overview

11.2 Market Size & Forecast

11.3 Five Forces Analysis

11.4 Regulatory Outlook

11.5 Impact of Covid-19



12 Application

12.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

12.2 Market Overview

12.3 Engine Oil

12.4 Transmission Fluids & Hydraulic Fluids

12.5 Metalworking Fluids

12.6 Grease

12.7 Others



13 End-User

13.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

13.2 Market Overview

13.3 Power Generation

13.4 Automotive & Transportation

13.5 Heavy Equipment

13.6 Food & Beverage

13.7 Others



14 Type

14.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

14.2 Market Overview

14.3 Polyalphaolefin (Pao)

14.4 Polyalkylene Glycol (Pag)

14.5 Esters



15 Geography

15.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

15.2 Geographic Overview

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vu4ghz

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
SAO PAULO, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL and B3: GOLL4), ("GOL" or "Company"), Brazil's largest airline, today provides an Investor Update on its expectations for the first quarter of 2022. The information below is preliminary and unaudited . The Company will discuss its 1Q22 results in a conference call on April 28, 2022.

Overall Commentary



GOL expects a Loss per Share (EPS) and a Loss Per American Depositary Share (EPADS) for 1Q22 of approximately R$1.98 1 and US$0.78 1 , respectively.

EBITDA margin for the quarter is expected to be approximately 11% 2 , an increase compared to the quarter ended in March 2021 (-15.9%).

Passenger unit revenue (PRASK) expected for the first quarter is expected to be up approximately 45% year over year.

Non-fuel unit costs (CASK Ex-Fuel) are expected to decrease approximately 4% 2 compared to the first quarter of the prior year, primarily due to increased productivity (increased in ASKs, aircraft utilization and operating efficiency) and the appreciation of the Brazilian Real versus the U.S. Dollar. Fuel unit costs (CASK Fuel) are expected to increase by approximately 48% year-over-year, driven by a 60% the increase in the average jet fuel price which was partially offset by a more fuel efficient fleet resulting in an 3.7% reduction e fuel consumption per flight hour.

GOL's financial leverage, as measured by the Net Debt3/EBITDA2,4 ratio was approximately 10.7x at the end of the March 2022 quarter (10.0x in IFRS-16). Total liquidity at quarter-end is expected to be at R$3.3 billion5.

























































Preliminary and Unaudited Projection







March Quarter 2022 EBITDA Margin2

~11%

EBIT Margin2

~ -5%

Other Revenue (cargo, loyalty, other) ~7% of total revenues Average fuel price per liter

R$ 4.62

Average exchange rate

R$ 5.26

























March Quarter 2022 vs.

March Quarter 2021







Passenger unit revenue (PRASK)

Up ~45%

CASK Ex-fuel2

Down ~4%

Total Demand - RPK

Up 46%

Total Capacity - ASK

Up 44%

Total Capacity - Seats

Up 49%



















1. Excluding gains and losses on currency and Exchangeable Senior Notes.

2. Recurring operating results; excludes non-recurring maintenance costs related to fleet transformation of approximately R$92 million in 1Q22 and R$114 million in 1Q21.

3. Including 7x annual aircraft lease payments and excluding perpetual bonds.

4. Last twelve months.

5. Cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable and deposits.

Investor Relations

[email protected]

www.voegol.com.br/ir

+55(11) 2128-4700

About GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A.

GOL is the largest airline in Brazil, leader in the corporate and leisure segments. Since founded in 2001, the Company has the lowest unit cost in Latin America, thus democratizing air transportation. The Company has alliances with American Airlines and Air FranceKLM, besides several codeshare and interline agreements available to Customers, bringing more convenience and simple connections to any place served by these partnerships. With the purpose of "Being the First for All", GOL offers the best travel experience to its passengers, including: the largest number of seats and more space between seats; the greatest platform with internet, movies and live TV; and the best frequent-flyer program, SMILES. In cargo transportation, GOLLOG delivers orders to different regions in Brazil and abroad. The Company has a team of 15,000 highly qualified aviation professionals focused on Safety, GOL's #1 value, and operates a standardized fleet of 135 Boeing 737 aircraft. The Company's shares are traded on the NYSE (GOL) and the B3 (GOLL4). For further information, visit www.voegol.com.br/ri.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this press release has not been subject to any independent audit or review and contains "forward-looking" statements, estimates and projections that relate to future events, which are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release including, without limitation, those regarding GOL's future financial position and results of operations, strategy, plans, objectives, goals and targets, future developments in the markets in which GOL operates or is seeking to operate, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words "believe", "expect", "aim", "intend", "will", "may", "project", "estimate", "anticipate", "predict", "seek", "should" or similar words or expressions, are forward-looking statements. The future events referred to in these forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors, many of which are beyond GOL's control, that may cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. These forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding GOL's present and future business strategies and the environment in which GOL will operate in the future and are not a guarantee of future performance. Such forward-looking statements speak only as at the date on which they are made. None of GOL or any of its affiliates, officers, directors, employees and agents undertakes any duty or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law. None of GOL or any of its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, professional advisors and agents make any representation, warranty or prediction that the results anticipated by such forward-looking statements will be achieved, and such forward-looking statements represent, in each case, only one of many possible scenarios and should not be viewed as the most likely or standard scenario. Although GOL believes that the estimates and projections in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they may prove materially incorrect and actual results may materially differ. As a result, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements.

Non-GAAP Measures

To be consistent with industry practice, GOL discloses so-called non-GAAP financial measures which are not recognized under IFRS or U.S. GAAP, including "Net Debt", "Adjusted Net Debt", "total liquidity" and "EBITDA". The Company's management believes that disclosure of non-GAAP measures provides useful information to investors, financial analysts and the public in their review of its operating performance and their comparison of its operating performance to the operating performance of other companies in the same industry and other industries. However, these non-GAAP items do not have standardized meanings and may not be directly comparable to similarly-titled items adopted by other companies. Potential investors should not rely on information not recognized under IFRS as a substitute for the GAAP measures of earnings or liquidity in making an investment decision.

SOURCE GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A.
VANCOUVER, BC, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Gold Royalty Corp. (NYSE American: GROY) ("Gold Royalty", or the "Company") is pleased to announce the conclusion of key regulatory approvals in connection with the conditions of the Company's offer (the "Offer") to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Elemental Royalties Corp. (TSXV:ELE) ("Elemental"), together with the associated rights issued under Elemental's shareholder rights plan.

The Company has received a "no action" letter from the Foreign Investment Review Board of the Government of Australia advising that the transactions in respect of the Offer are not subject to the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 (Australia). Additionally, after consulting its advisors and reviewing relevant publicly available information regarding Elemental, the Company has determined that a pre-merger notification and application under the Competition Act (Canada) are not required with respect to the Offer.

In connection with the foregoing and as a result of revisions made to the conditions of the Offer through the filing of Amendment No. 1 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form F-4 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), the Company filed today a Notice of Variation and Change with respect to its Offer. The revisions contained therein do not change the scope of the conditions of the Offer in any material respect. The Notice of Variation and Change also provides additional disclosure, including, among other things, updated unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements that reflect the most recent fiscal periods of each of Gold Royalty and Elemental. .

The Offer remains open for acceptance until 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on April 27, 2022, unless the Offer is abridged, extended or withdrawn.

For further information regarding the Offer, please see the Company's Offer and Circular dated January 11, 2022, as supplemented by the notice of change dated January 21, 2022, and as further supplemented and varied by the Notice of Variation and Change dated April 11, 2022 (collectively, the "Offer Documents"), available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on Gold Royalty's website at www.goldroyalty.com/elemental-offer/. Elemental shareholders are strongly encouraged to read the Offer Documents carefully and in their entirety, since they contain additional important information regarding Gold Royalty and the terms and conditions of the Offer, as well as detailed instructions on how Elemental shareholders can tender their Elemental Shares to the Offer.

About Gold Royalty Corp.

Gold Royalty Corp. is a gold-focused royalty company offering creative financing solutions to the metals and mining industry. Its mission is to acquire royalties, streams and similar interests at varying stages of the mine life cycle to build a balanced portfolio offering near, medium and longer-term attractive returns for its investors. Gold Royalty's diversified portfolio currently consists of net smelter return royalties on gold properties located in the Americas.

No Offer or Solicitation

This news release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of an offer to sell or buy, any securities. The Offer is being made solely by, and subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Offer Documents.

Notice to U.S. Elemental Shareholders

Gold Royalty has filed with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form F-4, as amended by Amendment No. 1 (the "Registration Statement"), which contains a prospectus relating to the offer to acquire the securities of Elemental, under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. SHAREHOLDERS OF ELEMENTAL AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES ARE URGED TO READ SUCH REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND ANY AND ALL OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFER AS THOSE DOCUMENTS BECOME AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT GOLD ROYALTY, ELEMENTAL, AND THE OFFER. Materials filed with the SEC will be available electronically without charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov under Gold Royalty's profile and the materials will be posted on Gold Royalty's website at www.goldroyalty.com.

Gold Royalty is a foreign private issuer and is permitted to prepare the offer to purchase and take-over bid circular and related documents in accordance with Canadian disclosure requirements, which are different from those of the United States. Gold Royalty prepares its financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, and they may not be directly comparable to financial statements of United States companies.

Shareholders of Elemental should be aware that owning Gold Royalty shares may subject them to tax consequences both in the United States and in Canada. The Offer Documents may not describe these tax consequences fully. Elemental shareholders should read any tax discussion in the Offer Documents, and holders of Elemental shares are urged to consult their tax advisors.

An Elemental shareholder's ability to enforce civil liabilities under the United States federal securities laws may be affected adversely because Gold Royalty is incorporated in Canada, some or all of Gold Royalty's officers and directors and some or all of the experts named in the Offer Documents reside outside of the United States, and a substantial portion of Gold Royalty's assets and of the assets of such persons are located outside the United States. Elemental shareholders in the United States may not be able to sue Gold Royalty or its officers or directors in a non-U.S. court for violation of United States federal securities laws. It may be difficult to compel such parties to subject themselves to the jurisdiction of a court in the United States or to enforce a judgment obtained from a court of the United States.

NEITHER THE SEC NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES REGULATOR HAS OR WILL HAVE APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE GOLD ROYALTY SHARES OFFERED IN THE OFFER DOCUMENTS, OR HAS OR WILL HAVE DETERMINED IF ANY OFFER DOCUMENTS ARE TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

Elemental shareholders should be aware that, during the period of the Offer, Gold Royalty or its affiliates, directly or indirectly, may bid for, or make purchases of, the securities to be distributed or to be exchanged, or certain related securities, as permitted by applicable laws or regulations of Canada or its provinces or territories and the United States, including Rule 14e-5 under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To the extent information about such purchases or arrangements to purchase is made public in Canada, such information will be disclosed by means of a press release or other means reasonably calculated to inform shareholders in the United States of such information.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

Certain of the information contained in this news release constitutes 'forward-looking information' and 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws ("forward-looking statements") and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Gold Royalty's actual results, performance and achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied therein. The words "believe", "expect", "will", "propose" and derivatives thereof and other expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events, trends or prospects and which do not relate to historical matters, identify the above mentioned and other forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements, including among others, statements regarding the satisfaction of the conditions of the Offer and the anticipated timing, benefits and effects of the completion of the Offer, involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the ability to obtain necessary approvals, and to meet the other conditions under the Offer, the ability to realize the benefits under the proposed transaction, material adverse effects on the business, properties and assets of the parties; the impact of general economic and market conditions; any inability of the operators of the properties underlying the parties' royalty and other interests to execute proposed plans for such properties, risks related to such operators or the exploration, development and mining operations of the properties underlying the parties' royalty and other interests; impacts of macroeconomic developments; and the impact of and the responses of relevant governments to the COVID-19 pandemic and the effectiveness of such responses and the other important risks and uncertainties set out in the Offer Documents, Gold Royalty's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended September 30, 2021 and its other public filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Gold Royalty Corp.
It is very obvious that Imran Khan thinks that if he were not to be in power as Prime Minister, let not any opposition party member become the Prime Minister. With such an approach and thought process, Imran Khan shows that the spirit of democracy does not run in his blood.

by N.S.Venkataraman

The present political scenario in Pakistan is really grim and would certainly make every discerning observer and well wisher of Pakistan feel unhappy and disappointed.

The opposition members moved a no confidence motion against the Imran Khan government , with the opposition parties claiming that they have the majority of members in parliament supporting the no confidence motion. Realising that he has lost the majority support in parliament, Imran Khan appears to be keen to prevent the parliament taking up the no confidence motion for voting .

Supreme Court has clearly said that the speaker of parliament has erred in not taking up the no confidence motion and has ordered that no confidence motion should be taken up for voting to be conducted on 9th April, starting from 10 am. The speaker of the parliament has defied the supreme court judgement, leading to a serious constitutional crisis.

A section of Imran Khan supporters have already said that parliament is supreme and supreme court cannot dictate parliament which is bound to lead to acrimonious debate .To add fuel to the fire , Imran Khan has asked his supporters to protest on the streets and has been saying that he would take the issue to the people if he were to be voted out of power , whatever he may mean by such statement.

It is clear that Imran Khan is deliberately creating a civil war type of situation in Pakistan, which will certainly take Pakistan into a state of chaos.

It is very obvious that Imran Khan thinks that if he were not to be in power as Prime Minister, let not any opposition party member become the Prime Minister. With such an approach and thought process, Imran Khan shows that the spirit of democracy does not run in his blood.

Ever since its independence from British rule more than seven decades back, Pakistan has been facing near turbulent conditions due to one reason or the other.

With Pakistan being widely suspected as a country where extremists and Islamic terrorists are having a free run and army all the time breathing over the neck of the Prime Minister, the focus of Pakistan has not been really on economic and industrial development to the extent required.

In recent times, Pakistan has gone under the vice -like grip of China with huge debt from China and several vital infrastructure projects in Pakistan virtually going under the control and management of the Chinese government directly or indirectly. One wonders as to whether Pakistan would be able to get itself rid of Chinas grip at any time in future.

Pakistans present financial conditions are precarious and the country is virtually surviving on borrowed money.

Further, Pakistan has constantly been talking about the Kashmir issue and supporting those who are carrying terrorist activities in Kashmir under Indias governance.

The present army chief has said with sagacity that Pakistan should have good relations with India, which obviously means that a peaceful solution should be arrived at to sort out the Kashmir issue. However, the politicians and extremists in Pakistan do not seem to be listening

Some uncharitable critics even say that sustaining the hatred towards India is a pre condition for the survival of Pakistan and in maintaining the unity of the country in the present difficult financial and economic conditions.

What Pakistan urgently needs today is a stable government with an enlightened and matured leadership. Imran Khans present counter productive style of functioning by defying the no confidence motion in parliament , will not help Pakistan in any way and only would make the country more unstable. It appears that the immediate future of Pakistan is bleak and millions of Pakistanis living in Pakistan and elsewhere would remain helpless watching the grim scenario in Pakistan.

Pakistan has a lot of potentials to grow and prosper and emerge as a internationally respected country , if only the politicians and extremists in Pakistan would allow Pakistanis to live peacefully and contribute their mite to the growth of Pakistan ,which many individual Pakistanis are capable of achieving, if a progressive climate would be maintained by the government in Pakistan.
Prior to joining the firm, Mailloux was the Director of Leasing and Dispositions at Retail Business Services, LLC where she provided real estate leasing services to multiple operating brands including major supermarket chains. In this role, she also directed and managed the real estate activities for Ahold Delhaize's non-supermarket real estate assets in the U.S. She brings more than 20 years of business and legal experience in commercial real estate transactions to the firm, and will continue to focus her practice on a wide range of complex real estate and retail leasing matters. She has deep experience in the leasing and disposition of assets, including the negotiation and documentation of new leases, extensions, amendments, lease assignments, lease terminations, buyouts, and sales agreements.

Nelson joins Goulston & Storrs from a major law firm in New York City where he was Of Counsel handling real estate leasing for commercial landlords and tenants. Before that, he spent six years at DLC Management Corp., most recently as Senior Real Estate Counsel. He has nearly 20 years of broad real estate industry and legal experience including working inside real estate companies in leasing, acquisition, and investment roles. He will continue to concentrate his practice on sophisticated lease agreements for commercial spaces and land parcels. His experience spans many property types, including office, medical, laboratory, industrial, hospitality as well as restaurant, retail, and shopping center spaces.

"We are very excited to have these two seasoned real estate attorneys join our practice. Amelie and Ron will be excellent additions to our leasing team in Boston and New York. They both bring deep in-house and outside experience to the firm and will be invaluable resources to our clients. We are thrilled to have them on board," said William Dillon, Co-Managing Director of Goulston & Storrs.

Mailloux received her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in 2007 and her B.A. from Wittenberg University in 1997. Nelson received his J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law in 2001, his M.S. from New York University in 2012, and his B.A. from Binghamton University State University of New York in 1998.

About Goulston & Storrs

Collaboration is not just a pillar of our strategy; it is the key to our competitive advantage and approach to clients, community, and each other. At Goulston & Storrs, we practice law with excellence and integrity. We are a place where mutual respect and collaboration drive open discussion, transparency, creativity and optimal results for our clients. We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace where sophisticated business is conducted with genuine camaraderie. To learn more about us, visit www.goulstonstorrs.com.

Contact:

Leigh Herzog Amy Blumenthal Goulston & Storrs PC Blumenthal & Associates PR (617) 574-2259 (617) 879-1511 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Goulston & Storrs PC
HOUSTON, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: GPI) ("Group 1" or the "Company"), an international, Fortune 300 automotive retailer with 202 dealerships located in the U.S. and U.K., today announced that senior management will present at the Bank of America 2022 Auto Summit on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at the JW Marriott Essex House in New York City. The presentation is scheduled to begin at 9:45 a.m. ET.

The presentation for this event will be simulcast live on the Internet at http://www.group1corp.com/events. A softcopy of the Company's presentation material provided at the conference will also be available within http://www.group1corp.com/events and within the Investor Relations section of Group 1's website at http://www.group1corp.com/company-presentations.

ABOUT GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE, INC. Group 1 owns and operates 202 automotive dealerships, 268 franchises, and 46 collision centers in the United States and the United Kingdom that offer 34 brands of automobiles. Through its dealerships, the Company sells new and used cars and light trucks; arranges related vehicle financing; sells service contracts; provides automotive maintenance and repair services; and sells vehicle parts.

Group 1 discloses additional information about the Company, its business, and its results of operations at www.group1corp.com , www.group1auto.com , www.group1collision.com , www.acceleride.com , www.facebook.com/group1auto , and www.twitter.com/group1auto .

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are statements related to future, not past, events and are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. In this context, the forward-looking statements often include statements regarding our strategic investments, goals, plans, projections and guidance regarding our financial position, results of operations and business strategy, and often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "should," "foresee," "may" or "will" and similar expressions. While management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, there can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we anticipate. Any such forward-looking statements are not assurances of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, (a) general economic and business conditions, (b) the level of manufacturer incentives, (c) the future regulatory environment, (d) our ability to obtain an inventory of desirable new and used vehicles, (e) our relationship with our automobile manufacturers and the willingness of manufacturers to approve future acquisitions, (f) our cost of financing and the availability of credit for consumers, (g) our ability to complete acquisitions and dispositions and the risks associated therewith, (h) foreign exchange controls and currency fluctuations, (i) the impacts of COVID-19 on our business, (j) the impacts of any potential global recession, (k) our ability to maintain sufficient liquidity to operate, (l) the risk that proposed transactions will not be consummated in a timely manner, and (m) our ability to successfully integrate recent and future acquisitions. For additional information regarding known material factors that could cause our actual results to differ from our projected results, please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Investor contacts:

Jason Babbitt

Vice President, Treasurer

Group 1 Automotive, Inc.

[email protected]

Media contacts:

Pete DeLongchamps

Senior Vice President, Manufacturer Relations, Financial Services and Public Affairs

Group 1 Automotive, Inc.

[email protected]

or

Clint Woods

Pierpont Communications, Inc.

713-627-2223

[email protected]

SOURCE Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hagerty, Inc. (NYSE: HGTY), an automotive lifestyle brand and a leading specialty insurance provider focused on the global automotive enthusiast market, today announced it will report its first quarter 2022 financial results after the market closes on Monday, May 9, 2022.

Hagerty will hold a conference call to discuss the financial results at 5:00 pm Eastern Time on that day. A live webcast of the conference call will be available on Hagerty's investor relations website at investor.hagerty.com. The dial-in for the conference call is (877) 423-9813 (toll-free) or (201) 689-8573 (international). Please dial the number 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.

A webcast replay of the call will be available at investor.hagerty.com for 90 days following the call.

About Hagerty, Inc. (NYSE: HGTY)

Based in Traverse City, Michigan, Hagerty's purpose is to save driving and car culture for future generations and its mission is to build a global business to fund that purpose. Hagerty is an automotive enthusiast brand offering integrated membership products and programs as well as a specialty insurance provider focused on the global automotive enthusiast market. Hagerty is home to Hagerty Drivers Club, Hagerty DriveShare, Hagerty Valuation Tools, Hagerty Media, Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, MotorsportReg, Hagerty Garage + Social, the Amelia Concours d'Elegance, the Detroit Concours d'Elegance, the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, the California Mille, Motorlux, the Hagerty Drivers Foundation and more. For more information on Hagerty, please visit www.hagerty.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

More information can be found at newsroom.hagerty.com.

SOURCE Hagerty
"Justice Dhanidina is an icon in the California legal community whose reputation and skill is unparalleled..." Tweet this

"He knows how to try a case, he knows juries, and he clearly knows the courts. His addition to the Firm will significantly benefit our clients as Werksman Jackson continues to represent some of the most consequential matters in the country," added partner Alan Jackson.

Dhanidina joins Werksman Jackson after serving the public for over 23 years, first as a prosecutor, where he prosecuted felony cases for the elite Hardcore Gang and Major Crimes division, handling numerous high-profile cases including 7 capital cases, then as a justice for the California Court of Appeal, where he heard over 800 appeals, and later presided over 70 jury trials as a Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge. Dhanidina is the first Muslim to be appointed judge in the state of California.

"After devoting 23 years of my career to service in the criminal courts as a prosecutor, judge, and appellate justice, I can think of no better place to apply the unique skill set I have developed than Werksman Jackson and Quinn," said Dhanidina. "Their reputation for excellence in criminal practice and exemplary quality of their advocacy drew me to join their partnership and inspires me to advance the firm's place as the premier defense practice in the state if not the nation."

Justice Dhanidina serves as an Independent Director on the Board of Fidelity National Financial Group (FNF) and is a consultant for the venture capital firm CerraCap Ventures. He also volunteers as a board member for the non-profit organization Muslim-Jewish NewGround, and he serves on the Advisory Boards of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association, South Asian Bar Association and Asian Americans Advancing Justice and is a member of the Foundation Board and Board of Trustees of the Orange County School of the Arts. He is also an adjunct professor of law at the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of California at Irvine and Chapman University.

Dhanidina was a founding member of APABA-LA and has received the South Asian Network's Community Empowerment Award, the Muslim Public Affairs Council Foundation's Community Leadership Award, the Muslim Legal Fund of America's Trailblazer in Justice Award, and the South Asian Bar Association Foundation's Trailblazer Award. Justice Dhanidina was recognized by the California State Assembly in Special Resolution 1470 for his contributions to the legal profession, and he is also a recipient of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award.

He received his Juris Doctor in 1997 from the UCLA School of Law in Los Angeles after receiving his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Pomona University in Claremont. Dhandina joins the firm after heading the trial practice group at Umberg Zipser LLP.

For all media inquiries please contact Juda Engelmayer, President, HeraldPR, 212-220-3898 EXT. 700, [email protected]

SOURCE Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP
CHICAGO, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Human Microbiome Market by Product (Prebiotics, Probiotics, Food, Diagnostic Tests, Drugs), Application (Therapeutic, Diagnostic), Disease (Infectious, Metabolic/Endocrine), Research Technology (Genomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics) - Global Forecast to 2029", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global market is projected to reach USD 1,370 million by 2029 from USD 269 million in 2023, at a CAGR of 31.1% from 2023 to 2029.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Human Microbiome Market"

183  Tables

27  Figures

188  Pages



Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=37621904

The Market growth is largely driven by the increasing focus on the development of human microbiome therapy. It has also become a validated target for drug development. The growing number of collaborations between market players is also expected to offer a wide range of growth opportunities for market players during the forecast period.



The drugs segment to account for the largest share of the product segment in the global human microbiome market in 2023.



Based on product, the market is segmented into probiotics, prebiotics, diagnostic tests, drugs, and other products. The drugs segment is expected to account for the largest share of the human microbiome market in 2023. The large share of this segment can be attributed to the increasing number of human microbiome-based drug products in clinical trials and rising funding to develop microbiome-based drugs.



The therapeutics segment to account for the largest share of the market in 2023.



Based on application, the human microbiome market is segmented into therapeutics and diagnostics. The therapeutics segment is expected to dominate the market in 2024. The increase in funding for R&D in microbiome-based therapies worldwide is the major factor driving the growth of this application segment. Technological advancements, the increasing number of clinical trials for the diagnostics segment, and growing collaborations between key market players and research institutes also support market growth



The infectious diseases segment to account for the largest share of the market in 2024.



Based on disease, the human microbiome market is segmented into five categories-infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, cancer, and other diseases. The infectious diseases segment is expected to account for the largest share of the global market in 2024. The large share of this segment can be attributed to the increasing research in microbiome-based products and their use in treating infectious diseases. The major focus is on developing products targeting the microbiome modulators for infectious diseases, which accounts for 40-50 products currently in the pipeline.





Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=37621904



The Asia Pacific region is the fastest-growing region of human microbiome research spending market from 2023 to 2029.



Based on region, the global human microbiome research spending market is segmented into four major geographies North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World (RoW). North America is expected to account for the largest share of the global human microbiome research spending market in 2021. In 2021, the Asia Pacific region is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR in the human microbiome research spending from 2023-2029. Factors such as increasing focus on microbiome research and initiatives taken by public and private organizations to increase awareness regarding microbiome therapeutics, are driving the growth of the market in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.



The major players in the human microbiome market include Enterome Bioscience (France), Seres Therapeutics (US) 4D Pharma (UK), and Ferring Pharmaceuticals (Switzerland).



Speak to Analyst: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=37621904



Browse Adjacent Markets: Biotechnology Market Research Reports & Consulting



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High-Throughput Screening (HTS) Market by Product (Instruments, Software, Service), Technology (Cell-Based Assays, Label-Free), Application (Drug Discovery, Biochemical Screening, Research), End User (Pharma & Biotech, CROs)- Global Forecast to 2025

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/high-throughput-screening-market-134981950.html



About MarketsandMarkets

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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.

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MarketsandMarkets INC.

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Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/human-microbiome-market.asp

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Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/human-microbiome.asp

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
NOIDA, India, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A comprehensive overview of the Hydraulic Turbines market is recently added by UnivDatos Market Insights to its humongous database. The Hydraulic Turbines market report has been aggregated by collecting informative data on various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the Hydraulic Turbines market. The Hydraulic Turbines market report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors in the market that are influencing the market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the Hydraulic Turbines market at the global and regional levels. The hydraulic Turbines market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.6% from 2021-2027 to exceed US$ 1.2 billion by 2027.

Request Sample Copy of this Report @ https://univdatos.com/get-a-free-sample-form-php/?product_id=9987

Market Overview

Hydropower is by far the most used renewable energy in comparison to other sources. The usage of hydropower has also grown over the years. Compared to 2010, when the generation of renewable energy was 3436 terawatt-hours, the amount of renewable energy generated in 2020 has increased to 4297 terawatt-hours. Hydroelectric power is one of the oldest and largest low-carbon energy sources. Hydroelectric generation dates back more than a century and is still our largest renewable source, excluding traditional biomass, and today it still accounts for more than 60% of renewable generation. The scale of hydroelectric power generation varies significantly across the world. As of 2018, 1126 GW of installed hydropower energy had been installed around the world. According to powertechnology.com, hydropower of predicted to grow by 125 GW by 2023.

COVID-19 Impact

Due to the unprecedented constraints during the Covid-19 pandemic on social and economic activity and particularly on mobility, there have been severe impacts on energy use. The energy demand is expected to decrease by 6% in 2020 which is the largest drop in 70 years according to IEA. Additionally, there was expected to be an 8% decline in CO2 emissions in 2020, falling to their lowest level since 2010. This drop is also because of the slight increase in the usage of renewable energy sources in recent years. However, the reopening of lockdowns is expected to drastically increase the usage of electricity, and because of the increasing awareness about renewable energy sources, the use of renewable energy after the opening of lockdowns is also expected to grow.

Ask for Price & Discounts @ https://univdatos.com/get-a-free-sample-form-php/?product_id=9987

Hydraulic Turbines market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

By Technology, the market is primarily segmented into

Impulse Turbine

Reaction Turbine

Based on Technology, the hydraulic turbines market is segmented into Impulse Turbine and Reaction Turbine. Amongst technology, the Reaction Turbine segment of the market was valued at US$ 0.912 billion in 2020 and is likely to reach US$ 1.107 billion by 2027 growing at a CAGR of 2.7% from 2021-2027.

By Capacity, the market is primarily segmented into

Less Than 1000 kW

Between 1000 - 10000 kW

More Than 10000 kW

Based on capacity, the hydraulic turbines market is segmented into Less Than 1 MW, 1-10 MW, and above 10 MW. Amongst capacity, the above 10 MW segment accounted for a market valuation of US$ 0.918 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach US$ 1.108 billion by the year 2027, at a CAGR of 2.6% over the analyzed period.

Hydraulic Turbines Market Geographical Segmentation Includes:

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

South America

MEA

Based on the estimation, the Asia Pacific region dominated the Hydraulic Turbines market with almost 43% revenue share in 2020 and saw a CAGR of 3.1% in the forecast period due to increasing industrialization and power utilization.

Ask for Report Customization @ https://univdatos.com/report/hydraulic-turbines-market/

The major players targeting the market include

Voith GmbH & Co. KGaA

Andritz AG

General Electric Company

American hydro

Canyon Hydro

Harbin Electric Machinery Co. Ltd.

Dongfang Electric Co. Ltd.

Litostroj

Hitachi Mitsubishi Hydro Corporation

Toshiba

Competitive Landscape

The degree of competition among prominent global companies has been elaborated by analysing several leading key players operating worldwide. 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 Hydraulic Turbines market. The leading players have been analysed by using research methodologies for getting insight views on global competition.

Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include:

What are the latest trends, new patterns, and technological advancements in the Hydraulic Turbines market?

Which factors are influencing the Hydraulic Turbines market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the Hydraulic Turbines market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the Hydraulic Turbines market?

What are the demanding global regions of the Hydraulic Turbines market?

What will be the global market size in the upcoming years?

What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by global companies?

We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature and geography. Please let us know If you have any custom needs.

For more informative information, please visit us @ https://univdatos.com/report/hydraulic-turbines-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.

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Ankita Gupta

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SOURCE UnivDatos Market Insights Pvt. Ltd.
Madden has spent many years turning dull prose into scintillating copy for newspapers, magazines, television, and social media.

"In earlier days, it was just our scuffed, dirty shoes that needed polishing. Nowadays it's our words, sentences, and paragraphs in those news releases, articles, media pitches, letters, proposals, and blogs we struggle to write that need polishingthat need the Wordshine Man to come do his thing," he says.

Every day at TransMedia, you'll see Madden showing an army of college interns and young recruits how to write hard-hitting, attention-getting pros.

He uses words to accomplish goals like getting behemoth national newspapers to feature clients' booming businesses or convince TV producers someone's worthy of an interview on NBC TODAY at the network where he used to work.

"The New York Times once printed speeches I wrote for a top executive at Kellogg's Company in which I pleaded to the FTC not to break up the top three breakfast cereal companies they were denigrating with a word that was strange to me at the time--oligopoly. I wrote it was so unkind to call poor Tony the Tiger that!"

Another play with words was a book he wrote titled "King of the Condo," now slowly making the rounds in Hollywood toward becoming a TV series based on his "hilarious whodunit with an ocean view."

The book is about inciting words main character Ed Malardi uses during his volatile term as the beleaguered president of a Florida condo.

Malardi keeps getting into hot water with condo commandoes with inflammatory words, especially this one, "assessment," that hateful word that drives residents wild enough to fire shots at him and even attempt to run him over with a beach tractor.

Yes, words. They can cause a lot of trouble, but we can't live without them.

So, let's appreciate words, the more we use effectively, the merrier, without being too wordy!

Media contact: Adrienne Mazzone 561-908-1683; [email protected].

SOURCE TransMedia Group
The industrial energy efficiency services market covers the following areas:

Industrial Energy Efficiency Services Market Sizing

Industrial Energy Efficiency Services Market Forecast

Industrial Energy Efficiency Services Market Analysis

Vendor Insights

The industrial energy efficiency services market is fragmented, and the vendors are deploying growth strategies such as constantly expanding their footprint in developing countries and are adopting automation and the IoT to differentiate themselves from regional vendors to compete in the market. The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors, including:

DuPont de Nemours Inc.

Enel Spa

ENGIE SA

General Electric Co.

Honeywell International Inc.

Johnson Controls International Plc

Schneider Electric SE

SGS SA

Siemens AG

VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT SA

Find additional highlights on the growth strategies adopted by vendors and their product offerings. Read Free Sample Report.

Geographical Market Analysis

APAC will provide maximum growth opportunities during the forecast period. According to our research report, the region will contribute to 37% of the global market growth during the forecast period. Japan is the key market for industrial energy efficiency services market in APAC. The presence of large manufacturing facilities that have a high installed capacity will drive the industrial energy efficiency services market growth in the region during the forecast period.

Know more about this market's geographical distribution along with a detailed analysis of the top regions. View Our Report Snapshot

Key Segment Analysis

The industrial energy efficiency services market share growth by the EA&C (energy audits and consulting) segment will be significant during the forecast period. EA&C are considered important instruments in recognizing the existing energy efficiency potential by adopting systematic procedures to develop a strategy to achieve energy efficiency targets.

View FREE Sample: to know additional highlights and key points on various market segments and their impact in coming years.

Key Market Drivers & Challenges:

The growing awareness about environmental impact and sustainability is one of the significant factors driving the industrial energy efficiency services market growth. The adoption of energy-efficient systems can help reduce environmental pollution and sustainability challenges while improving air quality. It can considerably reduce emissions during industrial operations, thus lowering the environmental impact.

The high initial setup cost is challenging the industrial energy efficiency services market growth. Most energy-efficient technologies are considerably more expensive than their conventional counterparts. Even with subsidies in some countries, the initial cost remains considerably high. This can be a challenge among highly price-sensitive customers, especially in emerging economies.

Download free sample for highlights on market Drivers & Challenges impacting 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:

Automatic Floodgate Market by End-user and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026

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Industrial Energy Efficiency Services Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 4.66% Market growth 2021-2025 USD 2.53 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 3.88 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution APAC at 37% Key consumer countries US, Germany, Canada, Japan, and UK Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Ameresco Inc., Crowley Carbon Ltd., DNV Group, DuPont de Nemours Inc., Econoler Inc., Electricite de France SA, Enel Spa, ENGIE SA, G+E GETEC Holding GmbH, General Electric Co., Honeywell International Inc., John Wood Group Plc, Johnson Controls International Plc, Ramboll Group AS, Rockwell Automation Inc., Schneider Electric SE, SGS SA, Siemens AG, TotalEnergies SE, VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT SA 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

2. Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 01: Parent market

Exhibit 02: Market Characteristics

2.2 Value chain analysis

Exhibit 03: Value Chain Analysis: Education Services

2.2.1 Inputs

2.2.2 Operations

2.2.3 Marketing and Sales

2.2.4 Support Activities

2.3.5 Innovations

3. Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 04: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 05: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2020

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025

3.4.1 Estimating growth rates for emerging and high-growth markets

3.4.2 Estimating growth rates for mature markets

Exhibit 06: Global - Market size and forecast 2020 - 2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 07: Global market - Year-over-year growth 2020 - 2025 (%)

4. Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five Forces Summary

Exhibit 08: Five forces analysis 2020 & 2025

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 09: Bargaining power of buyers

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 10: Bargaining power of suppliers

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 11: Threat of new entrants

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 12: Threat of substitutes

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 13: Threat of rivalry

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 14: Market condition - Five forces 2020

5. Market Segmentation by Service

5.1 Market segments

The segments covered in this chapter are:

EA and C

M and V

P and SO

The two segments have been ranked based on their market share in 2020. The EA and C constituted the largest segment in 2020, while the smallest segment was P and SO

Exhibit 15: Service - Market share 2020-2025 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Service

Exhibit 16: Comparison by Service

5.3 EA and C- Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 17: EA and C - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 18: EA and C - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

5.4 M and V - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 19: M and V - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 20: M and V - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

5.5 P and SO - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 21: P and SO - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 22: P and SO - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Service

Exhibit 23: Market opportunity by Service

6. Customer landscape

6.1 Overview

Exhibit 24: Customer landscape

7. Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

The regions covered in the report are:

North America

Europe

APAC

South America

MEA

North America ranked first as the largest market globally, while MEA accounted for the smallest market share in 2020

Exhibit 25: Market share by geography 2020-2025 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 26: Geographic comparison

7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 27: North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 28: North America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 29: Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 30: Europe - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 31: APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 32: APAC - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 33: South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 34: South America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

7.7 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 35: MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 36: MEA - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

7.8 Key leading countries

Exhibit 37: Key leading countries

7.9 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 38: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8. Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.1.1 Growing awareness about environmental impact and sustainability

8.1.2 Increasing number of regulations to use energy-efficient equipment

8.1.3 Technological innovation driving the EPC model

8.2 Market challenges

8.2.1 High initial setup cost

8.2.2 Long payback period

8.2.3 Challenges in implementation and deployment

Exhibit 39: Impact of drivers and challenges

8.3 Market trends

8.3.1 Rise in focus on using renewable energy

8.3.2 Increasing market consolidation activities

8.3.3 Growing adoption of IoT to leverage the energy efficiency potential

9. Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

Exhibit 40: Vendor landscape

9.2 Landscape disruption

The potential for the disruption of the market landscape was moderate in 2020, and its threat is expected to remain unchanged by 2025.

Exhibit 41: Landscape disruption

Exhibit 42: Industry risks

10. Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 43: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 44: Market positioning of vendors

10.3 DuPont de Nemours Inc.

Exhibit 45: DuPont de Nemours Inc. - Overview

Exhibit 46: DuPont de Nemours Inc. - Business segments

Exhibit 47: DuPont de Nemours Inc. - Key News

Exhibit 48: DuPont de Nemours Inc. - Key offerings

Exhibit 49: DuPont de Nemours Inc. - Segment focus

10.4 Enel Spa

Exhibit 50: Enel Spa - Overview

Exhibit 51: Enel Spa - Business segments

Exhibit 52: Enel Spa - Key News

Exhibit 53: Enel Spa - Key offerings

Exhibit 54: Enel Spa - Segment focus

10.5 ENGIE SA

Exhibit 55: ENGIE SA - Overview

Exhibit 56: ENGIE SA - Business segments

Exhibit 57: ENGIE SA - Key offerings

Exhibit 58: ENGIE SA - Segment focus

10.6 General Electric Co.

Exhibit 59: General Electric Co. - Overview

Exhibit 60: General Electric Co. - Business segments

Exhibit 61: General Electric Co. - Key News

Exhibit 62: General Electric Co. - Key offerings

Exhibit 63: General Electric Co. - Segment focus

10.7 Honeywell International Inc.

Exhibit 64: Honeywell International Inc. - Overview

Exhibit 65: Honeywell International Inc. - Business segments

Exhibit 66: Honeywell International Inc. - Key News

Exhibit 67: Honeywell International Inc. - Key offerings

Exhibit 68: Honeywell International Inc. - Segment focus

10.8 Johnson Controls International Plc

Exhibit 69: Johnson Controls International Plc - Overview

Exhibit 70: Johnson Controls International Plc - Business segments

Exhibit 71: Johnson Controls International Plc - Key News

Exhibit 72: Johnson Controls International Plc - Key offerings

Exhibit 73: Johnson Controls International Plc - Segment focus

10.9 Schneider Electric SE

Exhibit 74: Schneider Electric SE - Overview

Exhibit 75: Schneider Electric SE - Business segments

Exhibit 76: Schneider Electric SE - Key News

Exhibit 77: Schneider Electric SE - Key offerings

Exhibit 78: Schneider Electric SE - Segment focus

10.10 SGS SA

Exhibit 79: SGS SA - Overview

Exhibit 80: SGS SA - Business segments

Exhibit 81: SGS SA - Key News

Exhibit 82: SGS SA - Key offerings

Exhibit 83: SGS SA - Segment focus

10.11 Siemens AG

Exhibit 84: Siemens AG - Overview

Exhibit 85: Siemens AG - Business segments

Exhibit 86: Siemens AG - Key News

Exhibit 87: Siemens AG - Key offerings

Exhibit 88: Siemens AG - Segment focus

10.12 VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT SA

Exhibit 89: VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT SA - Overview

Exhibit 90: VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT SA - Business segments

Exhibit 91: VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT SA - Key offerings

Exhibit 92: VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT SA - Segment focus

11. Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.1.1 Market definition

11.1.2 Objectives

11.1.3 Notes and caveats

11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 93: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.3 Research Methodology

Exhibit 94: Research Methodology

Exhibit 95: Validation techniques employed for market sizing

Exhibit 96: Information sources

11.4 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 97: 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.

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SOURCE Technavio
DUBLIN, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Access Control Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global access control market reached a value of US$ 8.5 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 13.5 Billion by 2027, exhibiting at a CAGR of 8.01% 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 end use industries. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.

Access control system restricts unauthorized access into a company's physical assets, such as campuses, buildings, and cards, and sensitive data like network, file, username, and password. It involves validating personal identity documents, verifying the authenticity of a website with a digital certificate, and checking login credentials against stored details. Nowadays, several organizations are relying on access control systems that incorporate user credentials, card readers, intercom, auditing, and reporting. They initiate lockdown procedures and restrict unauthorized entry into rooms and buildings.



Access Control Market Trends:

Digitization of core business processes due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and the consequent shift towards remote working models has increased the risk of cybersecurity threats and attacks. This is encouraging organizations worldwide to deploy access control systems for tracking and monitoring purposes, preventing data breaches, and ensuring business continuity.

Moreover, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are employing multi-factor authentication (MFA) models that rely on biometrics, key fob, password, and personal identification number (PIN) to verify an individual's identity. These models restrict access to buildings for onsite personnel, visitors, and media and improve physical security.

Furthermore, healthcare firms are leveraging physical and electronic access control systems to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of protected health information (PHI) and ensure the privacy of patients' data. Apart from this, due to the rising terrorism threat, security agencies of various countries are focusing on strengthening security at military sites and international borders. This, in turn, is driving the demand for role-based access control to monitor the entry of applicants at restricted areas and maintain a safe and secure site. Besides this, the rising need for security control in large industrial applications, schools, commercial buildings, and apartments is anticipated to drive the market.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Allegion plc, Assa Abloy AB, Axis Communications AB (Canon Inc.), Bosch Security Systems LLC, dormakaba Holding AG, Honeywell International Inc., IDEMIA, Identiv Inc., Johnson Controls International, NEC Corporation (AT&T Inc.), Nedap N.V., Panasonic Corporation, Schneider Electric SE and Thales Group.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global access control market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global access control market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the component?

What is the breakup of the market based on the type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the end user?

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 access control 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 Access Control Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Component

6.1 Controller

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Reader

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Locks

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Software

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Type

7.1 Card-based

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Key Segments

7.1.2.1 Contact

7.1.2.2 Contactless

7.1.3 Market Forecast

7.2 Biometric-based

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Key Segments

7.2.2.1 Fingerprint

7.2.2.2 Face Recognition

7.2.2.3 Face Recognition and Fingerprint

7.2.2.4 Iris Recognition

7.2.2.5 Others

7.2.3 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by End User

8.1 Government

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Military and Defense

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Commercial

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

8.4 Healthcare

8.4.1 Market Trends

8.4.2 Market Forecast

8.5 Manufacturing

8.5.1 Market Trends

8.5.2 Market Forecast

8.6 Transport

8.6.1 Market Trends

8.6.2 Market Forecast

8.7 Education

8.7.1 Market Trends

8.7.2 Market Forecast

8.8 Residential

8.8.1 Market Trends

8.8.2 Market Forecast

8.9 Others

8.9.1 Market Trends

8.9.2 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 Allegion plc

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.1.3 Financials

14.3.2 Assa Abloy AB

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2.3 Financials

14.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.3 Axis Communications AB (Canon Inc.)

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4 Bosch Security Systems LLC

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5 dormakaba Holding AG

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5.3 Financials

14.3.6 Honeywell International Inc.

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.6.3 Financials

14.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.7 IDEMIA

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8 Identiv Inc.

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8.3 Financials

14.3.9 Johnson Controls International

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 NEC Corporation (AT&T Inc.)

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10.3 Financials

14.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.11 Nedap N.V.

14.3.11.1 Company Overview

14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.11.3 Financials

14.3.12 Panasonic Corporation

14.3.12.1 Company Overview

14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.12.3 Financials

14.3.12.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.13 Schneider Electric SE

14.3.13.1 Company Overview

14.3.13.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.13.3 Financials

14.3.13.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.14 Thales Group

14.3.14.1 Company Overview

14.3.14.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.14.3 Financials

14.3.14.4 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/iwzldz

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Last April 9 also happened to be National Pancit Day. In Filipino culture, pancit is a staple food at parties and get togethers, just like lumpia. Pancit refers to various traditional noodle dishes in Filipino cuisine. There are numerous kinds of pancit and each name is often based on the type of noodles used, method of cooking, place of origin, or ingredients. Coincidentally, Island Pacific Filipino Grocery Store in Oxnard also celebrated its 10th year anniversary on the same day! And what better way to commemorate this occasion than throwing a pancit party and recognizing the staff that have served their community from the very beginning? Customers enjoyed when Philippine R&B Prince JayR serenaded. Guests also participated in the Pinoy party games like Bingo and Sendwave, a remittance app awarded $500 to a lucky Bonus Reward Loyalty Member.

Online Cooking Demo of Ube Cheesecake

To add to the fun, InstantPot Filipino Cookbook authors Tisha Gondo and Jorell Domingo shared an online cooking demo of Ube Cheesecake that you can currently view on the Island Pacific's official Facebook page. All ingredients used to make Ube Cheesecake were sourced at Island Pacific. People should also join their community Facebook Page for more Filipino recipes using the InstantPot.

Philippine Consulate event on April 23 at West Covina Island Pacific

Together with the Philippine Consulate of Los Angeles, supported by Mama Sita's Foundation, Island Pacific's resident Chef Donita Rose will be preparing an in person demo, cooking pancit and Filipino barbeque for invited guests, hosted by Ruby Rodriguez, with special surprise musical performances as well. The live event will also be streamed online on Island Pacific's official Facebook page.

For a Home Cooked Filipino Meal, a must try is Island Pacific's PhilHouse

If one is looking to try authentic Filipino Food. During the week of Holy Week, observed before Easter, PhilHouse is offering its LEN10 Limited Edition Special Deals until Easter Sunday for you to choose from at any PhilHouse brand near you. For pre-orders, call Island Pacific or visit your nearest PhilHouse. Hurry your orders, limited time only! For our store locations, please visit https://islandpacificmarket.com/stores/ because everyday is a Filipino Food celebration at Island Pacific Filipino Grocery Store!

[Island Pacific is supermarket chain dedicated to promoting Filipino Food and Seafood to the rest of the world. It is headquartered in Walnut, California and currently has 17 supermarket branches serving communities in California and Las Vegas.]

SOURCE Island Pacific Market
U.S. pressure on India over its relationship with Russia has revealed the limitations of an us versus them foreign policy. But it has also reinforced negative perceptions of the Wests historical relations with India while highlighting the binding ties between Moscow and New Delhi.

by John P. Ruehl

The U.S., the UK, and Russia sent delegations to India in late March to rally support for their positions on Ukraine. Yet India has remained steadfastly neutral, and repeatedly abstained from voting at the UN to condemn Russias invasion since it began on February 24.

U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh, who visited New Delhi on March 30-31, warned of consequences for any country seeking to circumvent or backfill sanctions on Russia, and further stated the United States would disapprove of any rapid acceleration of Indias energy and other commodity imports from Russia.

One week later on April 6, Brian Deese, director of the White House National Economic Council, announced that the consequences of a more explicit strategic alignment with Moscow would be significant and long-term for India.

The Biden administration was no doubt hopeful that India would be on board with condemning Russia and complying with sanctions. India is the worlds largest democracy and has enjoyed increasingly positive relations with the United States and Europe since the turn of the century. U.S. President Joe Biden has also promoted the Indian heritage of high-ranking members of his administration and contributions of the Indian community in America.

In addition to annual military drills with the United States, India is part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, which also includes Australia and Japan. The four-nation partnership, which emerged in the 2000s, has increasingly come to be seen as a loose political and security bloc aimed at curtailing China, and its members have increased military drills together in recent years.

But Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis decision to avoid condemning Russia reflected Indias commitment to maintaining its strategic autonomy. To balance Indias relations with major powers, the countrys foreign secretary, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, has urged India to engage America, manage China, cultivate Europe, reassure Russia, bring Japan into play.

Also in the mix is Indias troubled history with the West over the last few centuries. European powers (notably the Portuguese, Dutch, French, and British) initially sought to trade with India following Vasco da Gamas landfall in Calicut in 1498. This later developed into outright colonialism, as well as exploitation through entities like the Dutch and British East India Trading Companies.

India gained its independence from the UK in 1947, but relations between it and the U.S.-led West remained complicated during the Cold War. Tensions peaked during the India-Pakistan War of 1971, when the United States dispatched its 7th Fleet in support of Pakistan, though it avoided engaging in hostilities.

U.S. sanctions against both India and Pakistan for their nuclear tests in 1998, in addition to continued support for and cooperation with Pakistan during the 20-year war in Afghanistan, have also irked New Delhi in recent decades. Coupled with Europes history in the region, New Delhi is understandably wary of being lectured on foreign policy.

This is in contrast to the relatively positive historical relationship between India and Russia that developed during the Cold War. Despite India being one of the leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement, ties between Moscow and New Delhi flourished, and the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Cooperation formalized their partnership in August 1971.

When the India-Pakistan War of 1971 broke out just months later, it was the Soviet Pacific Fleets presence in the Bay of Bengal that pushed the United States 7th Fleet into standing down. The Soviet Union also provided India with weapons shipments, gave significant assistance to Indias space program, and further formalized bilateral cooperation through the Integrated Long-Term Program of Cooperation (ILTP) in 1987.

A constructive Indian-Russian relationship persevered after the Soviet collapse. Nurturing this partnership has since taken a renewed urgency in Moscow, with the Kremlin keen to promote ties with major powers as its relations with the West have plummeted.

As the worlds largest weapons importer, India is a crucial market for weapons manufacturers. Russia remains Indias top supplier, and trade has surged in the 21st century as Indias economy has grown, and as Indias leadership has remained concerned over its traditional disputes with Pakistan and China.

Russias dominance over Indias weapons market has fallen in recent years. However, Indias need for maintenance, spare parts, and upgrades, inoperability with foreign imports, and friendly relations with Russia means it will be militarily tied to Russia in the midterm at least. This was further reinforced by the 10-year defense pact signed by Putin and Modi in December 2021.

India has also been able to rely on Russian backing in global forums and institutions, and Moscow has historically used its veto power at the United Nations Security Council to promote and defend Indian interests, notably its dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir. India also views Russia as having a moderating influence over China.

This has naturally resonated across Indias political establishment and voting base, with no major party supporting further action against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and an #IStandWithPutin campaign emerging across Indian social media.

Russia and India have also taken steps to expand energy ties in recent years. Russias oil giant Rosneft and other Russian companies secured a $13 billion takeover of Indias Essar Oil in 2017, while in 2020, India agreed to the first annual import of Russian oil as part of wider efforts to diversify its supply lines.

Underpinning the urgency for energy security in India is the current energy crisis in Sri Lanka, with ongoing riots taking place in parts of the country since March. Since the Russian invasion began on February 24, India has purchased 13 million barrels of oil from Russia compared to just under 16 million for all of 2021.

Russia also supplies India with much of its coal, while the first direct Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) arrived in India last year (followed by the signing of a 20-year contract). And in January 2022, Rosatom, Russias state-run nuclear power company, began building its sixth nuclear reactor in India after beginning construction on the fifth the previous June.

Europes lingering dependence on Russian resources has also elevated perceptions of Western hypocrisy in regard to criticism of Indias growing energy relationship with Russia.

Talks remain ongoing over a potential free trade agreement between India and the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, and the two countries are exploring the possibility of a rupee-ruble currency payment system to lessen the effects of sanctions.

Indias efforts to evacuate the thousands of Indian students from Ukraine as the invasion began required Modi to use Indias ability to work with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Forcing India to pick a side in the conflict would significantly undermine Indias strategic autonomy in global affairs. But Indias decision also points to the difficult task of attempting to isolate Russia, whose influence is more than enough to further entice India into acceptable neutrality.

This article was produced by Globetrotter.

John P. Ruehl is an Australian-American journalist living in Washington, D.C. He is a contributing editor to Strategic Policy and a contributor to several other foreign affairs publications. He is currently finishing a book on Russia to be published in 2022.
Sanolla's pioneering technology draws lifesaving medical insights from listening to bodily sounds that cannot be heard by humans

The startup's AI algorithms provide unmatched disease classification for many cardiopulmonary diseases including COPD, pneumonia, asthma, and cardiac morbidities

NESHER, Israel, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Israeli startup Sanolla, which provides AI-powered primary care diagnostic solutions, announced that the FDA has granted 510(k) clearance for the clinical use of the AI-ready VoqXTM, the first stethoscope in the world that can listen to infrasound - acoustic waves that cannot be heard by humans. The FDA clearance follows the Israeli Health Ministry's recently granted regulatory approval. The regulatory approvals enable Sanolla to immediately make the VoqX available for clinical use in the US and Israel, with the aim of replacing all of today's archaic-technology stethoscopes with its smart infrasound stethoscope.

Sanolla's AI algorithms provide unmatched disease classification for many cardiopulmonary diseases including COPD, pneumonia, asthma, and cardiac morbidities. The company has submitted 20 patent applications, 8 of which have already been granted.

"FDA clearance is an important milestone for Sanolla. The VoqX, which has been used extensively for studies in the United States, Europe and Israel, is now available for clinical use," said Dr. Doron Adler, Sanolla's co-founder and CEO. "Our distribution partners have been waiting for this moment to begin sales in the US and other territories."

Sanolla's novel technology, dubbed "The Sounds of Life", picks up clinically rich low-frequency sound waves (3-40Hz), also known as infrasound, which are not audible to the human ear yet carry diagnostic information beyond what is available in the audible spectrum only.

The VoqX's smart signal processing shifts sounds to the ear's most sensitive frequency range and coupled with dynamic noise cancelation provides an exceptional auscultation experience. Sanolla has developed AI algorithms for disease classification that make full use of the infrasound information that will be uploaded to the AI-ready VoqX upon their regulatory clearance. Alongside the VoqX, the company has developed the PyXy home monitoring device for chronic disease management and early exacerbation detection for chronic cardiopulmonary diseases.

Sanolla was established in 2016 by Dr. Doron Adler (CEO) and David Linhard (COO). To date, the startup raised $16 million, which include $9 million from the founders, angels, and NextLeap Ventures and $7 million from the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme and the Israel Innovation Authority. The company is set to begin a Round A funding raise this summer to cover sales, marketing, R&D, manufacturing collaborations and regulatory approvals.

Dr. Michael Wasserman, MD, a recognized expert on geriatric care and a member of federal and state advisory committees, said: "The VoqX is an excellent tool for diagnosing cardiopulmonary morbidities including valvular pathologies. Its acoustic optimization and dynamic noise cancellation make the VoqX an indispensable tool for physicians in any environment and is expected to improve early detection of heart and lung diseases at the primary care level by general practitioners".

Images for this announcement can be downloaded here.

Photographers' credits:

Dr. Doron Adler: David Moskovitz

Management / leading team: Moran Maayan

Sanolla team: Eyal Hirsh

Products photos: Tiko Product Design Studio

Media contact:

Amir Ben Artzi,

Meirovitch PR,

[email protected]

SOURCE Sanolla
CHICAGO, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JBT Corporation (NYSE: JBT), a leading global technology solutions provider to high-value segments of the food & beverage industry, today published its 2021 ESG Report, "Make it BETTER," outlining key achievements in four focus areas: Sustainable Solutions, Operations, People, and Governance. JBT's purpose is to help our customers succeed in the marketplace by providing them with solutions to make better use of the world's precious resources.

Throughout our history, JBT has focused on continuous improvements that make smart use of precious resources. This work has never been more important to our customers, our industry, and the world at large.

"Many of our customers are making commitments to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, conserve water, and use natural resources more efficiently. JBT's advanced process and application knowledge allows us to engineer innovative products and solutions to help our customers in their sustainability journeys," said Brian Deck, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our products, such as zero-emissions ground support equipment, packaging solutions that reduce food waste and plastic usage, and state-of-the-art bioreactors that make sustainable meat, are helping some of the largest companies in the world take meaningful steps toward achieving their environmental goals."

ESG Report Highlights

This report details how JBT is providing solutions for our customers to reduce their environmental footprint, how we strive to operate our own facilities efficiently and safely, and how we offer a workplace of choice that welcomes everyone and seeks to maximize their potential. Key highlights include:

Sustainable Solutions

Our portfolio of equipment and services includes a significant number of products and technical support programs that enable our customers to make a positive environmental impact, including increasing yields, conserving water, ensuring food safety, facilitating use of alternative fuels, and automating processes. We estimate that 48% of our product revenue is from equipment that has an environmental benefit for our customers.

In our AeroTech Division, we set a goal to increase electric-powered airport ground support equipment sales from less than 5% of total vehicle sales in 2020 to 30% by 2023. Additionally, we launched three new electric vehicles in 2021: JBT Commander 30i E, JBT All-Electric B650 E tow tractor, and JBT LEKTRO tow vehicle.

Operations

We conducted an evaluation of our climate-related risks and opportunities and shared our findings consistent with the Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework.

We purchased an enhanced utility billing management platform that will expand our ability to manage and report on utility consumption and emissions broadly across our global operations.

For the first time, we reported our water footprint in this year's report as we continue to expand our transparency about our environmental footprint.

People

We launched our first global employee engagement survey, obtaining responses from approximately 65% of our employees. We distributed the resulting data to our managers to develop actions to address opportunities identified through the survey to strengthen our engagement with JBT employees.

We partnered with an industry leader in DEI to develop and continue the JBT Inclusive Leadership Series (ILS). The ILS is a quarterly training for the top leaders in the company that focuses on providing structured and interactive leadership training sessions, with the primary objective to help JBT leaders incorporate inclusive practices into the way they manage their teams.

We awarded our initial twelve Tom Giacomini Engineering Scholarships to diverse students pursuing degrees in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, mechatronics, or industrial engineering.

In conjunction with executive leadership sponsors, employees developed two pilot Employee Networking Communities (ENCs), Blacks/African-American in the U.S. and Women globally. The aim of these groups is to create safe spaces for employees to start building community with others that share specific demographics.

Our Recordable Incident Rate (RIR), which is a measure of the total number of injuries and illness per 100 employees working a full year, was 0.79, a reduction of 20% from 2020.

Governance

We appointed our first Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, who reports to our Executive Vice President and General Counsel.

We established a cross functional Ethics and Compliance Committee in 2021 to better ensure that ethics is embedded in everything that we do on a day-to-day basis. In addition, this committee will act as our "ethics champions" to raise awareness throughout the company.

We spent over $29 million with 55 diverse suppliers, which provided products and services to our North American manufacturing sites.

"We continue to be impressed with the resilience of our employees who often take extraordinary steps to deliver results for our customers, especially in light of the challenging operating environment that we experienced in recent years," stated Deck. "As an integral part of the supply chains of many critical industries, JBT is proud to provide the solutions that ultimately enable our customers to Make It Better and, in the process, make our world better. We look forward to updating you on our progress in the years to come."

Please visit https://www.jbtc.com/about-us/esg/ to learn more about JBT's ESG efforts.

###

JBT Corporation (NYSE: JBT) is a leading global technology solutions provider to high-value segments of the food & beverage industry with focus on proteins, liquid foods and automated system solutions. JBT designs, produces and services sophisticated products and systems for multi-national and regional customers through its FoodTech segment. JBT also sells critical equipment and services to domestic and international air transportation customers through its AeroTech segment. JBT Corporation employs approximately 6,600 people worldwide and operates sales, service, manufacturing, and sourcing operations in more than 25 countries. For more information, please visit www.jbtc.com.

Investors & Media:

Kedric Meredith

(312) 861-6034

SOURCE JBT Corporation
Longtime Volunteers Take the Helm to Lead Global Type 1 Diabetes Non-Profit Organization

NEW YORK, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JDRF, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization, announces the appointment of Grant Beard and Michelle Griffin as Chair and Vice Chair of the International Board of Directors, respectively. As leaders of JDRF's highest governing body, Beard and Griffin will ensure the continuance of accelerating the organization's mission progress.

"As a volunteer-driven organization, JDRF relies on the support and leadership of the T1D community to help drive toward our ultimate goal of curing T1D," said Aaron Kowalski, Ph.D., JDRF Chief Executive Officer. "We are fortunate to have two remarkable and caring new leaders in Grant Beard and Michelle Griffin, who will help JDRF advance to our next chapter."

Grant Beard, his wife Susan, and family first joined JDRF following their daughter Emily's T1D diagnosis in 2006. As a member of the JDRF Metro Detroit/Southeast Michigan Chapter (now the Michigan and Northern Ohio Chapter), Beard served as President of the Chapter's Board of Directors, later joining JDRF's International Board of Directors, where he chairs the Audit & Risk and Finance committees. He also sits on the Board of Directors for the JDRF T1D Fund, JDRF's innovative venture philanthropy fund. Professionally, Beard is Executive Operating Partner, LP, and Co-investor at Blue Point Capital Partners.

"Working with my colleagues on JDRF's International Board of Directors to drive mission impact has been a deep honor," said Beard. "Michelle and I, in partnership with our fellow JDRF leaders, will continue to move our mission forward. Today, given where the science is, we have an unprecedented opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those living with T1Dhere and around the world."

Michelle Griffin and her husband Tom Parker have actively been involved in JDRF since their son Cameron was diagnosed with T1D in 2007. Throughout the years, Griffin has become a pillar in the Northern California T1D community, holding leadership roles within JDRF's Northern California Chapter, including Vice President of Volunteer Engagement and Chair of the Nominating and Board Development Committee. In addition to her localized work, Griffin was appointed to JDRF's International Board of Directors and later joined the Global Mission Board. Griffin is a management consultant and currently serves as Vice Chair of the California Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association.

"I have been a JDRF true believer ever since our son Cameron participated in a JDRF funded clinical trial two months after diagnosis in 2007. It is an incredible honor to be asked to serve as Vice Chair, especially when we see the fruits of the JDRF community's longtime support of our mission to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs. I am very excited to partner with Grant, our talented staff, and passionate volunteers to keep the momentum going as we get closer to making cures a reality," said Griffin.

Since 1970, JDRF International's transformative research funding, advocacy, and community engagement programs have changed the landscape of T1D therapies, reducing the day-to-day burden of managing the disease, and ultimately, helping people with T1D live longer, healthier lives.

About JDRF

JDRF's mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.5 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our five international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement, and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter (@JDRF), Facebook (@myjdrf), and Instagram (@jdrfhq).

About Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)

T1D is a chronic, life-threatening autoimmune disease that can strike children and adults at any age. It requires rigorous 24/7 monitoring of blood glucose levelseven overnightto avoid potentially lethal highs and lows in blood sugar, as well as other devastating complications like kidney, eye, and nerve diseases. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. Its onset is sudden and is not related to diet or lifestyle. In T1D, the body's immune system destroys cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, meaning the body produces little to no insulin to regulate blood sugar and get energy from food. There is nothing you can do to prevent T1D, andat presentnothing you can do to get rid of it.

SOURCE JDRF
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) is pleased to announce that Josh Blount has been elevated to the position of Regional Director for the Western Region.

"Josh Blount's expertise is critical to DIPRA's mission to provide the highest level of research on ductile iron pipe for water and wastewater applications," said Patrick J. Hogan, president of DIPRA. "His work with utilities to study corrosion and his strong background in seismic designs aids our member companies in designing the strongest, most resilient pipes available. We take seriously our responsibility to help communities provide safe, clean drinking water using the most innovative pipes ever developed, and Josh's research, extensive experience, and industry relationships will help DIPRA continue our important work."

During his time at DIPRA, Josh has helped utility managers, engineers, operators, and field crew personnel with system planning and design, installations, and asset management related to iron pipe. In this new role as a Regional Director, he will provide training and presentations, assistance with relevant references and guides, and will aid utility contacts and other DIPRA staff with support on technical issues, applications, material comparisons, and more.

As a Senior Regional Engineer for the Western States, Josh provided technical advisory services to water and wastewater utility professionals, and their consulting engineers. In addition to speaking at section meetings of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) in his area, he assisted with readings at a DIPRA test site in Utah and represented DIPRA in a joint corrosion probe study with a Colorado utility. Josh is a member of AWWA and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) where he served on the Seismic Design for Buried Pipelines technical committee for the Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute (UESI) Pipelines division.

Josh is a registered professional engineer in the State of North Carolina, a National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) CP2 Cathodic Protection Technician, and an Envision Sustainability Professional. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University. Prior to joining DIPRA, Josh worked as an assistant resident engineer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, managing construction projects and overseeing contractors and construction inspectors.

About DIPRA

Founded in 1915, the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) has served as a resource and technical advisor to the water industry. DIPRA also provides representation on standards-making committees as well as technical research on a variety of applications-based topics. While DIPRA member companies have different names and locations, they share a common commitment to produce and deliver the finest quality water and wastewater pipe material in the world, Ductile Iron Pipe, and at the greatest possible value to its purchasers.

SOURCE Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA)
"Scott is an excellent addition to our expanding Private Equity and M&A Practices in Houston, and we are excited to welcome him to the firm," said Tim Fenn, Managing Partner of Latham's Houston office. "His experience on a range of transactional matters across industries complements our team as we remain focused on growing and diversifying our offerings in Houston."

"We are delighted to welcome Scott to the firm," added Charles Ruck, Global Chair of Latham's Corporate Department. "Scott's sophisticated and diverse practice further strengthens our market-leading capabilities in Houston and globally, and underscores our commitment to serving our clients and their evolving needs."

"Latham is the market leader in private equity and M&A and I am excited to join this world-class firm," said Miller. "Latham's integrated global platform and understanding of the local market makes it a one-stop firm for sophisticated corporate work. The firm will be a great fit for my practice and most importantly for my clients."

Miller is the latest addition to a string of prominent private equity and M&A partners who have joined the firm's Houston office in the last year, including Bruce Herzog , who joined the firm last month, and Trina Chandler , Ravi Purohit , and James Garrett, who joined in 2021.

Miller received his joint JD/MBA from the Washington University School of Law and the Olin Business School at Washington University and his BS from The Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania. Miller joins Latham from Willkie Farr & Gallagher in Houston.

About Latham & Watkins ( lw.com )

Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world's largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability.

Notes to Editors

1 Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in Israel through a limited liability company. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Office of Salman M. Al-Sudairi in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Contacts

Tim Fenn, Houston Office Managing Partner, +1.713.546.7432

Charles Ruck, Global Chair, Corporate Department, +1.212.418.7625

SOURCE Latham & Watkins LLP
Lebrikizumab significantly improved several areas of great importance to patients with atopic dermatitis, including

skin and itch, in pivotal combination trial that met all primary and key secondary endpoints

INDIANAPOLIS, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At 16 weeks, 70 percent of patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) receiving lebrikizumab combined with standard-of-care topical corticosteroids (TCS) achieved at least 75 percent improvement in overall disease severity (EASI-75*) in the ADhere trial, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced today at the 4th Annual Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) Conference. Lebrikizumab, an investigational IL-13 inhibitor, also showed improvements in itch, sleep interference, and quality of life when combined with TCS, compared to placebo plus TCS.

"Today's ADhere data, together with results from the ADvocate monotherapy studies, demonstrate the potential for lebrikizumab to reduce disease burden and provide relief for people with uncontrolled atopic dermatitis when used either alone or combined with topicals," said Eric Simpson, M.D., M.C.R., Professor of Dermatology and Director of Clinical Research at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, and principal investigator of ADhere. "Lebrikizumab specifically targets the IL-13 pathway, which plays the central role in this chronic inflammatory disease. These results strengthen our understanding of lebrikizumab in atopic dermatitis and help establish it as a possible new treatment option."

Lebrikizumab is a novel, monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds to the interleukin 13 (IL-13) protein with high affinity to specifically prevent the formation of IL-13R1/IL-4R (Type 2 receptor) which blocks downstream signaling through the IL-13 pathway.1-5 IL-13 plays the central role in Type 2 inflammation in AD.6,7 In AD, IL-13 underlies the signs and symptoms including skin barrier dysfunction, itch, infection and hard, thickened areas of skin.8

Among patients taking lebrikizumab plus TCS, 41 percent achieved clear or almost clear skin (IGA) at 16 weeks compared to 22 percent of patients taking placebo plus TCS. At 16 weeks, 70 percent of patients taking lebrikizumab plus TCS achieved an EASI-75 response compared to 42 percent taking placebo plus TCS. Differences between patients receiving lebrikizumab in combination with TCS and placebo with TCS were observed as early as four weeks for EASI-75.

Patients treated with lebrikizumab plus TCS also achieved statistically significant improvements across key secondary endpoints including skin clearance and itching, interference of itch on sleep, and quality of life measures, compared to placebo with TCS. Clinically meaningful differences were observed as early as four weeks for itch, interference of itch on sleep, and quality of life measures.

Safety results were consistent with prior lebrikizumab studies in AD. Patients taking lebrikizumab plus TCS, compared to placebo plus TCS, reported a higher frequency of adverse events (lebrikizumab plus TCS: 43%, placebo plus TCS: 35%). Most adverse events were mild or moderate in severity and nonserious and did not lead to treatment discontinuation. The most common adverse events for those on lebrikizumab were conjunctivitis (5%) and headache (5%).

"Lilly is working to empower people with skin-related diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, to live their lives to the fullest potential," said Lotus Mallbris, M.D., Ph.D., vice president of global immunology development and medical affairs at Lilly. "We recognize the critical need for more options for people whose disease cannot be controlled with topicals. We look forward to seeing full results from our broader Phase 3 program and advancing lebrikizumab worldwide."

Lilly recently announced 16-week data from the ongoing ADvocate studies, and an encore presentation of results was presented at RAD 2022. Additionally, longer term data from the ADvocate studies will be disclosed in coming months.

"These results are a further step in our commitment to deliver innovative therapies that make a meaningful difference to patients. We look forward to announcing exciting new milestones in the months to come," commented Karl Ziegelbauer, Ph.D., Almirall S.A.'s Chief Scientific Officer.

Lilly has exclusive rights for development and commercialization of lebrikizumab in the United States and the rest of the world outside Europe. Almirall has licensed the rights to develop and commercialize lebrikizumab for the treatment of dermatology indications, including AD, in Europe.

*EASI=Eczema Area and Severity Index, EASI-75=75 percent reduction in EASI from baseline to Week 16

About ADhere and the Phase 3 Program

ADhere is a 16-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, global, Phase 3 study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab in combination with TCS initiated in 211 adult and adolescent patients (aged 12 to less than 18 years of age and weighing at least 40 kg) with moderate-to-severe AD. In the study, patients' AD symptoms were inadequately controlled by TCS with or without topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCI). The study was designed to be more reflective of clinical practice and patients were provided with mid-potency TCS (triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% cream), and low-potency TCS (hydrocortisone 1% cream, for use on sensitive skin areas) which could be tapered, stopped or resumed at the patient's discretion.

The primary endpoints were measured by an Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) score of clear (0) or almost clear (1) skin with a reduction from baseline and at least 75 percent change in baseline in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75) score at 16 weeks. EASI measures extent and severity of the disease. Key secondary endpoints were measured by EASI, the Pruritus Numeric Rating Scale, Sleep-Loss due to Pruritus and the Dermatology Life Quality Index.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted lebrikizumab Fast Track designation in AD in December 2019. The lebrikizumab Phase 3 program consists of five key global studies including two monotherapy studies (ADvocate 1 and 2), a combination study (ADhere), as well as long-term extension (ADjoin) and adolescent open label (ADore) studies.

About Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD), or atopic eczema, is a chronic, relapsing skin disease characterized by intense itching, dry skin and inflammation that can be present on any part of the body.9 AD is a heterogeneous disease both biologically and clinically, and may be characterized by a highly variable appearance in which flares occur in an unpredictable manner.10

Moderate-to-severe AD is characterized by intense itching, which leads to an itch-scratch cycle that further damages the skin.11 Like other chronic inflammatory diseases, AD is immune-mediated and involves a complex interplay of immune cells and inflammatory cytokines.9 People living with AD often report symptoms of intense, persistent itch which can be so uncomfortable that it can affect sleep, daily activities and social relationships.

About Lebrikizumab

Lebrikizumab is a novel, investigational, monoclonal antibody designed to bind IL-13 with high affinity to specifically prevent the formation of the IL-13R1/IL-4R heterodimer complex and subsequent signaling, thereby inhibiting the biological effects of IL-13 in a targeted and efficient fashion. IL-13 is the central pathogenic mediator of AD, promoting type 2 inflammation that drives skin barrier dysfunction, itch, skin thickening and infection.6-8

About Lilly

Lilly unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. We've been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today our medicines help more than 47 million people across the globe. Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are urgently advancing new discoveries to solve some of the world's most significant health challenges, redefining diabetes care, treating obesity and curtailing its most devastating long-term effects, advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease, providing solutions to some of the most debilitating immune system disorders, and transforming the most difficult-to-treat cancers into manageable diseases. With each step toward a healthier world, we're motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable. To learn more, visit Lilly.com and Lilly.com/newsroom or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

P-LLY

Lilly Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements (as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) about lebrikizumab as a potential treatment for patients with atopic dermatitis and reflects Lilly's current beliefs and expectations. However, as with any pharmaceutical product, there are substantial risks and uncertainties in the process of research, development and commercialization. Among other things, there can be no guarantee that planned or ongoing studies will be completed as planned, that future study results will be consistent with the results to date, or that lebrikizumab will receive regulatory approvals, or be commercially successful. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see Lilly's most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release.

1 Moyle M, et al. Exp Dermatol. 2019;28(7):756-768.

2 Ultsch M, et al. J Mol Biol. 2013;425(8):1330-1339.

3 Zhu R, et al. Pulm Pharmacol Ther. 2017;46:88-98.

4 Simpson EL, et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018;78(5):863-871.e11.

5 Okragly A, et al. Comparison of the Affinity and in vitro Activity of Lebrikizumab, Tralokinumab, and Cendakimab. Presented at the Inflammatory Skin Disease Summit, New York, November 3-6, 2021.

6 Tsoi L, et al. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2019;139(7):1480-1489.

7 Ratnarajah K, et al. Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. 2021;25(3):315-328.

8 Bieber T. Allergy. 2020;75(1):54-62.

9 Weidinger S, Novak N. Lancet. 2016;387:1109-1122.

10 Langan SM, et al. Arch Dermatol. 2008;142:1109.

11 Yosipovitch G, et al. Curr Allergy Rep. 2008;8:306-311.

SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company
The summit followed the landmark resolution to end plastic pollution endorsed by 175 nations at the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi on March 2, 2022. It is the first summit in North America discussing concrete solutions aimed at reaching the goals of the UN's proposed agreement.

"Long Island University is proud to partner with leading global institutions and apply our research capabilities to the effort to curb plastic pollution," said Long Island University President Kimberly Cline. "We are committed to teaching our students that innovation and collaboration have the power to impact the world."

Long Island University is ranked in the top 7% of research institutions in the U.S. by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Its prestigious faculty includes scientists who rank in the top 2% globally of researchers in their chosen field. Dr. Alexander More, director of the Long Island University Honors College, is a world-renowned environmental scientist and fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and was a primary organizer of the summit.

"Plastic pollution is directly tied to pollution from oil, from which it's made," said Dr. More, associate professor of environmental health at Long Island University. "To remove one, we need to remove the other from our economy and ecosystem, and we need to do so for our health and the environment."

Researchers and policy leaders at the summit traveled from around the world to present groundbreaking innovations for replacing and removing plastics from the global economy, understanding health impacts, and opportunities for governments, research institutions and universities to collaborate and support long-term research initiatives and actionable policy proposals.

"Even if the number of scientific publications on plastic pollution increased exponentially in the last decade, there are still large gaps of knowledge. More transatlantic research collaboration is needed," said Mireille Guyader, counselor for science and technology at the French Embassy.

Jesse Ausubel, Chair of the Richard Lounsbery Foundation Outpacing Plastic Pollution through Science and Innovation, delivered the keynote address. Among his many accomplishments, Ausubel helped organize the first UN World Climate Conference in 1979, and he initiated the Census of Marine Life, Barcode of Life Initiative and International Quiet Ocean Experiment.

Other distinguished speakers included Senator Angele Preville and Depute Philippe Bolo of the French Parliament; United States Senator Sheldon Whitehouse; Juliet Kabera, Director General of the Rwanda Environment Management Authority; Amy V. Uhrin, Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Division; Muriel Mercier-Bonin, Research Director of the French National Institute for Food and Environment; Eric Chassignet, Director of the Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies; Wolfgang Ludwig, Director of the Centre of Education and Research on Mediterranean Environments; Philip Landrigan, Director of the Global Public Health Program and Global Pollution Observatory; and Paul Mayewski, Director of the Climate Change Institute.

"Plastic pollution is growing at a staggering pace posing challenges to human and ecosystem health," said Michelle Wyman, executive director of the Global Council for Science and the Evironment. "Cooperation by the scientific community and nations to accelerate solutions and mitigate most especially single-use plastics is imperative to curb the impacts from this growing global threat.

Plastic Pollution is accumulating at an alarming rate in our environment and bodies. Aquatic ecosystems are expected contain three times as much plastic by 2040 if no action is taken. Microplastics have been found in every ecosystem on the planetfrom Mt. Everest at the top of the world, to Marianas Trench at the bottom of the oceanand in March scientists found microplastics in human blood for the first time.

"As researchers our goal is to constantly search for new ways to collaborate and share data that helps inform policy to address the greatest challenges facing society today," said Dr. Randy Burd, senior vice president for academic affairs at Long Island University. "We are pleased to host some of the world's foremost environmental science and policy experts to support sustainable solutions for the future."

About Long Island University

Long Island University, founded in 1926, continues to redefine higher education, providing high quality academic instruction by world-class faculty. Recognized by Forbes for its emphasis on experiential learning and by the Brookings Institution for its "value added" to student outcomes, LIU has a network of over 285,000 alumni, including industry leaders and entrepreneurs around the globe. Visit liu.edu for more information.

SOURCE Long Island University
TAMPA, Fla., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lucky Ape Travel Club will present all its charitable donations budget to support the people of Ukraine. The aid totaling 100 Ethereum will be equally distributed to Savelife.in.ua and Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation, allocating 50 ETH to each.

Rare NFT with Ukraine Flag

"In times when an entire country is suffocating while struggling for freedom, and when so many innocent lives are taken just because somebody decided they're less worthy - it's vital that we all join hands and do the right thing," said Kseniia Tkachenko, the LATC's operational manager, who is from Ukraine herself. "It's not just about our donation," she added, "it's about urging the public to give a helping hand any way they can."

The LATC partnered with Savelife.in.ua and Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation, two organizations that provide various kinds of support to Ukraine, including military and humanitarian aid. The resources will be used to purchase supplies and equipment for the Ukrainian army and transport foodstuffs, medicines, clothes, kids' wear, and food for animals. No less importantly, the Savelife.in.ua fund will also reinforce the military with a "tactical advantage," by training the armed forces and curbing the flow of propaganda and disinformation. Because, as they state, the war is not happening at the forefront only - it is also "in hospitals, warehouses, landfills, media, and in the offices."

"To us, blockchain technology is all about empowering people and inspiring positive change in the world. Giving back is an essential part of our roadmap," explained Jeff Bordes, LATC's head of marketing. "Once the public sale goes live and 21% of the collection is sold out, we'll immediately transfer 100 ETH to our partners in Ukraine," he noted.

LATC sincerely hopes that this situation will resolve soon and peace restored in Ukraine and around the world.

About Lucky Ape Travel Club - an exclusive, members-only NFT club that gathers globetrotters and metaverse enthusiasts from across the globe. It leverages blockchain technologies to redefine the traveling experience and empower its members to enjoy real-life pleasures in a new exciting way. LATC is a collection of 10,000 NFTs, unique digital collectibles living on the Ethereum blockchain. Each NFT is one-of-a-kind and programmatically generated from 9 attributes and 217 possible traits, including expression, headwear, accessories, and more. The "apes" are stored as ERC-721a tokens on the Ethereum blockchain and hosted on IPFS.

Contact:

Larissa Santana

7865942782

[email protected]

SOURCE Lucky Ape Travel Club
While the company has grown and evolved, it is what has stayed the same that continues to drive Lyman's success.

"At Lyman, we have a tradition of being there  for our associates, our customers and our community," said Lyman Companies president and general manager Charlie Bradburn. "For our associates, we work to create a supportive environment where they can achieve their career ambitions. For our customers, we are a partner working alongside them, making sure their needs are met and anticipating how we can grow with them for years to come. For our community, we ensure that as we grow, so do our efforts to give back to the communities which have given so much to us."

Lyman Companies has several initiatives planned for the year in honor of their 125th anniversary and in the tradition of being there.

Throughout 2022 and beyond, Lyman Companies are using their social media channels to highlight their associates and customers. On LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram, search the hashtag #TeamLyman or visit Lyman Companies' social media accounts to read customer and associate success stories and profiles, see community activities, and more.

"Lyman would be nothing if it weren't for our people. #TeamLyman is about showcasing our culture and all the amazing people behind the scenes that make the company run day-in and day-out," said Lyman Companies' vice president Scott Gertjejansen.

Additionally, Lyman has over fifty community activities planned for the 2022 calendar year, including support for Habitat for Humanity, Humanity Alliance, Meals on Wheels, Feed My Starving Children, Toys for Tots, Bountiful Basket, and many more.

"125 years in and yet it's just the beginning. Lyman Companies has the people, the values, and the drive to continue its growth trajectory for many more years to come," said Bradburn.

About Lyman Companies

Founded in 1897, Lyman Companies is the leading supplier to residential and multi-family construction professionals in the Twin Cities and across the Upper Midwest, providing customers with a broad range of building products and services, including manufactured building components, custom millwork and cabinetry, and project management and specialty labor services.

Lyman Companies is a division of US LBM, a leading distributor of specialty building materials in the United States. US LBM combines the scale and operational advantages of a national platform with a local go-to-market strategy through its national network of locations across the country.

Contact: Timothy Wirth

US LBM Communications

484-886-5705

[email protected]

SOURCE US LBM
Significant advantages of marine lubricants to meet the performance parameters of marine vessels for optimized operations fuels demand

Rising use of marine lubricants for few types of marine vehicles such as cargo ships, inflatable boats, & passenger boats, to achieve optimum engine efficiency and prevent engines from rusting spells growth of marine lubricants market

ALBANY, N.Y., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The marine lubricants market is projected to rise at a CAGR of 4.1% during the forecast period from 2021 to 2031. Prospects of increasing utilization of marine lubricants for passenger ships, cargo ships, outboard motorboards, drill-ships, and inflatable boats, among other marine transportation vehicles, are fuelling the growth of the marine lubricants market.

In recent years, highly liberalized policies of the International Trade Organization and agreements among member nations have led to considerable expansion of maritime transport. It remains the dominant mode for international trade accounting for more than 80 percent volume of the world trade. Therefore, with exponential rise in volume of marine trade due to low transportation cost and low maintenance, the demand for marine lubricants continues to soar.

Characteristically, marine lubricants are a class of lubricants that are used to serve high performance needs of marine transportation vehicles for critical operations. Marine lubricants help to decrease wear and tear in marine vehicles.

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Asia Pacific held the leading share of more than 51% of the marine lubricants market in 2020. China, Japan, and Korea are key centers for ship building globally, thereby accounting for a significant share of the region in the marine lubricants market. The development of world-class ports in China and in ASEAN countries is also fuelling the growth of marine lubricants market in the region.

Marine Lubricants Market  Key Findings of Report

Advantages of improved output efficiency of machine parts of marine vehicles are spelling the demand for marine lubricants. The swelling demand for group 2 and group 3 base oils is thus attracting manufacturers to produce more base oil to create opportunities in the marine lubricants market

The mineral lubricant product segment witnesses higher demand than other product segments, and is projected to hold 86.72% share of the marine lubricants market by 2031

Advent of bio-based and synthetic marine lubricants is creating new frontiers in the marine lubricants market. Serious environmental hazards and threat to aquatic life associated with oil spills are compelling the use of non-toxic, biodegradable bio-based marine lubricants.

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Significant cost advantage of marine transportation over aviation transportation is anticipated to boost the marine lubricants market

Competitive landscape of the marine lubricants market is consolidated with top three players accounting for 48.1% revenue share in 2020. Top-notch players are investing heavily in R&D to predict oil changing prices, since these process are controlled by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and some other organizations.

Demand for marine lubricant for applications in offshore waterways supersedes over demand for inland waterways. The offshore operation segment is likely to continue to witness strong demand due to increasing ocean fish farming and ocean transportation activities.

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Marine Lubricants Market  Growth Drivers

Proliferation of the shipping industry due to vast economic advantages of marine trade fuels the growth of the marine lubricants market

Advantages of improved output efficiency of machine parts of marine vehicles leading to rise in demand for group II and group III base oils are leading to vast opportunities in marine lubricants market

Marine Lubricants Market  Key Players

Some of the key players operating in the marine lubricants market are;

Lukoil Marine Lubricants Ltd.

Royal Dutch Shell

Total Lubmarine

Chevron Corporation

BP Marine

ExxonMobil Corporation

Castrol

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The marine lubricants market is segmented as follows;

Marine Lubricants Market by Product Type

Mineral Oil Marine Lubricants

Synthetic Marine Lubricants

Bio-based Marine Lubricants

Marine Lubricants Market by Application

Engine Oil Marine Lubricants

Hydraulic Oil Marine Lubricants

Grease

Others (Turbine Oils, Gear Oils, Compressor Oils, and Heat Transfer Fluids)

Marine Lubricants Market by Region

North America

U.S.



Canada

Europe

U.K.



Turkey



Germany



Italy



Spain



Netherlands



France

Asia Pacific

China



Japan



South Korea

Latin America

Mexico



Brazil

Middle East & Africa

& South Africa



GCC Countries

Chemicals & Materials Industry battles Tangible Impact of Economic and Cultural changes, Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Chemicals & Materials:

Acrylic Lubricant Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/acrylic-lubricant-market.html

Lubricant Anti-wear Agents Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/lubricant-anti-wear-agents-market.html

About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyse information.



Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

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Transparency Market Research

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SOURCE Transparency Market Research
The longer this drags on, the more people will die, and those who remain alive will grow angrier and more vengeful. My scramble in this war is about keeping my humanity, even my sanity, and writing this piece is part of that effort.

by Anwar A. Khan

I hope people in Ukraine and Russia survive this bodkin warfare. I hope the beautiful, peaceful, happy world I once knew will come back.

Our immediate family and I are no strangers to 1971 war pushed forcefully on us, our people by Pakistan like a scallywag state in collusion with the mighty Uncle Sam. Still, we are shocked and almost broken by this one  Russia-Ukraine war. It's louder, more violent, and more meaningless; and the level of horror people are experiencing in their villages and witnessing in cities and towns like Mariupol, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Bucha, and others is so much greater.

The longer this drags on, the more people will die, and those who remain alive will grow angrier and more vengeful. My scramble in this war is about keeping my humanity, even my sanity, and writing this piece is part of that effort.

The newspaper photos are from places in Ukraine that I visited during the past several years as a part of my job with a local private business house. A lot of these places have now been bombed or shelled. The the photographs represent the new reality that didnt exist when these photos were taken. I dream that one day I will visit these spots again without fearing bombs, forced deportation to West European countries, or death.

I sit at in front of my multi-screen computer set-up, watching several live feeds: a camera near Kharkiv; a broadcast from inside Kyiv; and a couple of news channels. The days leading up to the war have been stressful. Being a news junkie, I've been following the build-up in minute detail, checking every video of military equipment and personnel being moved around us, looking at the maps showing troop positioning. I am clearly seeing America like a monsters demeanor towards this unwarranted war sitting at a far distance safer place to sell its sophisticated arms and ammunitions in terms of multi-million US Dollars and get other extravagantly benefits.

On 24 February last, Vladimir Putin went live telecast. He rants and raves, and officially declares the start of his horrible war. On another feed, I watch a huge explosion in Kharkiv: The sky lights up in a mushroom of smoke and fire. On yet another, I see huge fireballs in the sky over Kyiv.

This is real. The worst has become reality. I run up the stairs to wake up my niece who once studied in Russia and Ukraine. She's asleep with an iPad next to him blaring some random Ukrainian radio station. Wake up, call uncle, Kyiv is being missiled, I tell her as quietly and calmly as possible, trying not to scare her too much.

I feel like I am about to completely collapse: Totally disheartened, in despair, I cannot eat or sleep. I feel weak and can't force myself to do any work. But work has to be done  a lot of it. Her friends and their families were then there. They were able to escape Kyiv. The entire household is turned upside down in preparation for the worst.

It's beautiful and sunny. The first hint of Ukrainian spring is in the air  warm sun kissing the surface of their skin; earth that will soon be ready to bloom is starting to breathe.

The days turn dreary and the bombardments grow closer and more numerous. There is constant smoke and fire in the distance; reports of Russian troops moving in closer and closer; the stomach churning pain of endless doom scrolling. l still cant comprehend that what Im seeing on my screen seems to me, is not far away  a few minutes on a car. I dont know what or how to feel.

The days have fused into each other. It all feels like a big lump of undifferentiated time  peoples new life there after this hell has been unleashed. However, my resolve has strengthened. Seeing how people there brave enough, are fending off the war-mongers fill me with strength. I've regained the ability to eat and sleep. I start focusing more on doing what I can.

Our area is almost overrun. Tens, if not hundreds, of Russian tanks and vehicles are roaming around. The stiff Ukrainian resistance in the rest of the country couldnt halted the Russian war machine. Around people there, there are constant battles. Somewhere not far from people something is constantly shooting. The sieged people hear explosions day and night.

Working outside is scary. When the explosions are close, people run to the basement to hide. Before the war, they didn't even lock their doors and cars, and here some people sitting outside with a big bucket full of keys trying to find the right one to lock the backdoor and garages.

There is more and more grim news from the villages and areas around those people, which we read online or hear through word of mouth.

We hear about people being killed simply for stepping outside. It seems Russian soldiers now have orders to shoot and kill civilians. I don't know if my loved ones will make it out of this alive, but an onslaught so unfair and unjust cannot ever prevail.

The Russians are trying to push through to encircle Kyiv. We can hear heavy combat: the exchange of gunfire, large calibre automatic weapons, artillery. Its non-stop. Large smoke plumes go on for miles. The smell of burning chemicals and gunpowder is in the air. After dark, the sky is red with fire. Explosions reverberate more violently in the quietness of the night.

The sound of jet planes roars by. Minutes later, theres a news report that a neighbouring city was bombed hard. Was it those planes?

The first few days of the war, waking up was very painful. For that millisecond before reality set in, I was still okay. Then, it would fall on me like a tonne of bricks: I wasnt waking up from a nightmare  I was waking up into one.

Now, waking up is a bit easier. Ive grown used to the sounds of explosions outside in 1971, and I keep telling myself, those are our guys shelling, so Im safe. I have no way of knowing this for sure, but thinking it makes me feel better.

My friend, Borysko Andriy, sit with his younger sisters and younger brothers at the kitchen table discussing the news and the latest situation while they drink warm cups of chocolate milk. Coffee, tea, and almost all other household comforts  even basic necessities  are in very short supply. Medical supplies are even worse. Even feminine hygiene products are in short supply. People send requests and coordinate with each other on messaging apps to try to provide for peoples needs, and the local administration helps where it can.

He had a conversation with a neighbour who is in the know about the situation around us. We are the front line now, arent we? I asked. We are, he replied. There are so many Russians around us, you cant even imagine.

The fighting feels louder and angrier. Shells fly overhead more often. A large missile explodes right above them. Wreckage rains from the sky and lands on our neighbours property across the road. Thankfully, its just debris  nothing explosive and only damages the roof of their barn.

At 10:17pm, he goes outside. Theres an eerie sound  a deep, deep, bassy growl, as if the earth was an angry monster. He cant tell what it is. It could be tank engines, or it could be something else. But it doesnt stop. Its a solid, constant layer of sound in the background. Every now and then, the sounds of huge explosions can be heard on top of it. The air looks like its on fire.

He wakes up the next day with that sound still in his head. He will never forget it. To him, its what the apocalypse sounds like.

I hate what this war has done to people. In the past, whenever I observed war in 1971 and later on conflicts in countries after countries, I always felt sorry for the people in them  the innocent ones dying for no reason and the armed ones fighting each other for little to no reason. I felt sorry that those people were in that situation, regardless of whether I thought they were fighting on the right side or wrong side. I wanted to hope that they were just people who had been deluded, but that they had been good at some point and still had good in them.

But no more. Through media outlets, I look at the bodies of dead Russian and Ukrainian soldiers. I listen to the intercepted phone calls. There are hundreds of them, intercepted by Ukrainian intelligence. They are posted on YouTube and other platforms. Russian soldiers bragging to their mothers or romantic partners about how they stole them a nice mink coat or a 500- watt blender. Its like they are real 21st century barbarians like Americas barbarous crimes Uncle Sam committed throughout the world.

-The End 

The writer is an independent political analyst based in Dhaka, Bangladesh who writes on politics, political and human-centred figures, current and international affairs
NEW YORK, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Increased access to an adolescent-centered healthy weight management program, including bariatric or weight loss surgery, is paramount to achieving the best long-term outcomes as adolescents with obesity grow to adulthood, a new study confirms.

Published online in Surgical Endoscopy, a journal of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, the study found that adolescents with obesity who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), a surgical procedure to reduce the size of the stomach and lower insulin resistance, benefited from less obesity and concomitant organ damage no matter their age at the time of surgery. This applied to children as young as 13 years of age.

Led by pediatric surgeons at Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone and Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC, the study also revealed that adolescents with a parent who underwent bariatric surgery themselves, had a higher weight prior to weight loss surgery, suggesting the familial nature of chronic obesity.

Childhood obesity occurs when a child is well above the healthy weight for their age and height. It is a complex and serious public health concern that continues to grow in prevalence. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pediatric obesity affects 14.4 million infants, children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 years, and the rate of obesity nearly doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to a pre-pandemic period. This faster increase was most pronounced in younger, school-aged children.

"If obesity has negative effects on overall health, then why not take care of it early?" says study lead author Jun Tashiro, MD, MPH, a pediatric surgeon specializing in bariatric surgery at the Adolescent Healthy Weight Program, part of Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, and an assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Surgery, in the Department of Surgery at NYU Langone Health. "Addressing the 'toxic exposure' with early interventions in any instance as long as it is safe will lower the negative consequences, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, musculoskeletal problems, breathing problems, anxiety and depression."

For teens ages 13+ who have a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher and have been unsuccessful through traditional weight-loss measures or who suffer from obesity-related health conditions, bariatric surgery is a safe, effective treatment toward developing a healthier and more active life.

There have been an increasing number of studies specifically designed to address the safety and effectiveness of bariatric surgery in this younger population, coupled with recent reports highlighting the many health-related medical problems teens with severe obesity face, a national consensus in support of this treatment regimen for younger populations has emerged. However, most facilities nationwide are limited in their ability to treat adolescents younger than 16 years of age. For this reason, younger patients may not have the same access to bariatric surgery as older individuals.

What the Study Found

The new study evaluated the effects of parental history of bariatric surgery, as well as age at the time of operation, on 328 adolescents who underwent LSG at Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC, between January 2010 and December 2019. Among the 31 percent of adolescents younger than 16 years, no differences in weight loss trends were demonstrated in comparison to the 69 percent 16 years or older. The study also demonstrated that the 76 patients with parental history of surgery had a higher absolute weight at the time of presentation, suggesting the adherence to the familial, polygenic nature of obesity.

"Although there were no differences in weight loss outcomes for those patients whose parents have or have not had bariatric surgery themselves, given their heavier size at age of surgery, there may be benefit in ensuring even earlier access to care for these children and adolescents," says Tashiro.

Multidisciplinary adolescent weight loss programs focus on the entire child and family, addressing the psychological, social, nutritional, hormonal, genetic, activity, neurological and sleep issues that may contribute to excess weight gain. The study authors emphasize that freestanding children's hospitals or those within a larger adult facility are in a unique position to offer bariatric surgery to younger patients, particularly those younger than 16 years of age.

"This study shows that bariatric surgery is just as effective for younger adolescents as for older kids," says study senior author Evan Nadler, MD, director of the Child and Adolescent Weight Loss Surgery Program at Children's National Hospital. "Adolescents and teens with severe obesity face many significant barriers to accessing metabolic bariatric surgery, and while they wait, obesity-related comorbidities may continue to develop and impact their health. We as doctors should work together to remove these barriers when appropriate, so more young people who need this safe and effective treatment can get it."

Further research about how long-term comorbidities develop in adolescents with obesity is warranted for further understanding of the benefits of early bariatric surgery intervention.

Media Inquiries

Katie Ullman

Phone: 646-483-3984

[email protected]

SOURCE NYU Langone Health; Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone
WASHINGTON, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA will hold a media teleconference at 4 p.m. EDT today, Monday, April 11, to provide an update on the final major test of the agency's mega Moon rocket and spacecraft on the launch pad at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the uncrewed Artemis I lunar mission.

The teleconference will stream live on the agency's website.

NASA is planning to proceed with a modified wet dress rehearsal test focused on using the ground systems at Kennedy to load propellant into the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's core stage tanks, with minimal propellant operations on the upper stage. In addition to loading propellant, the wet dress rehearsal is an opportunity to refine countdown procedures and validate critical models and software interfaces. The team achieved many of the wet dress rehearsal objectives during the two prior tests, and the modified test will enable engineers to achieve the remaining test objectives critical to launch success.

Teleconference participants include:

Tom Whitmeyer , deputy associate administrator for common exploration systems development, NASA Headquarters in Washington

, deputy associate administrator for common exploration systems development, NASA Headquarters in Charlie Blackwell-Thompson , Artemis launch director, NASA Exploration Ground Systems program, Kennedy

, Artemis launch director, NASA Exploration Ground Systems program, Kennedy John Blevins , SLS chief engineer, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama

, SLS chief engineer, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Mike Sarafin , Artemis mission manager, NASA Headquarters

To participate by telephone, media must RSVP to NASA no later than one hour prior to the start of the event to: [email protected] .

Following the previous test run, engineers identified an issue with a helium check valve that was not functioning as expected, requiring changes to the test to ensure safety of the flight hardware. Due to the time needed to adjust loading procedures, testing is scheduled to resume with call to stations on Tuesday, April 12 and tanking on Thursday, April 14.

Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone to send astronauts to Mars.

For updates, follow along on NASA's Artemis blog at:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

SOURCE NASA
WASHINGTON, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As they prepare to return to Earth later this month, NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts will answer media questions about their time aboard the International Space Station during an in-orbit news conference at 1:20 p.m. EDT Friday, April 15.

NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, will participate in the news conference. The event will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website.

Interested media must contact the newsroom at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston by calling 281-483-5111 or emailing [email protected] no later than 10 a.m. Friday, April 15. To ask questions, reporters must dial into the news conference no later than 1 p.m. Those wishing to submit a question on social media may do so using #AskNASA.

The Crew-3 astronauts have been living and working on the station since their launch Nov. 10, 2021. During their mission, the crew members contributed to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations. They worked on a variety of plant growth experiments, testing new systems for growing crops and studying potentially drought-resistant cotton plants. In addition, they tested a handheld bioprinter designed to print bandages made from skin cells directly onto a wound, and a miniature scanning electron microscope. Crew members also installed a new device to support studies on fire safety in microgravity, and conducted one of the first archaeological experiments in space. Working in pairs, the astronauts also completed four spacewalks to prepare the station for upcoming solar array upgrades by assembling and installing modification kits and successfully replacing a faulty antenna on the Port-1 truss structure.

The Crew-3's SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, which they named Endurance, will undock from the space station later this month, splashing down off the coast of Florida to conclude the mission.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 mission is the third crew rotation mission of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. Regular, long-duration commercial crew rotation missions enable NASA to continue the important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the station. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future exploration of the Moon and Mars starting with the agency's Artemis missions, which includes landing the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface.

Follow Chari, Barron, Marshburn, and Maurer on social media, and learn more about their scientific journey and download images and video on NASA's website.

Follow updates on Crew-3 mission at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

SOURCE NASA
1. Go to the "HelpDesk" menu and click the "Diagnostic Report" icon.

2. Generate a "Diagnostic Report" and submit it to SpyHunter 5's technical team.

3. The team will review your "Diagnostic Report" and will create a unique custom fix for you. Fixes are transmitted directly to SpyHunter 5.

4. When a fix is received by SpyHunter 5, you will receive a notification that it is ready to be applied. Applying the fix is as simple as clicking the "Apply Fix" button. SpyHunter 5 will take care of the rest.

To download SpyHunter 5 and try its HelpDesk along with its other anti-malware features, visit https://www.enigmasoftware.com/products/spyware-helpdesk/.

How to Easily Remove Hard-to-Remove Malware with SpyHunter 5's HelpDesk?

SpyHunter 5's HelpDesk offers:

A custom fix feature designed to repair your system from persistent malware infections.

Direct access to SpyHunter 5's technical support team.

Generate diagnostic reports that provide our technical support team insights into subscribers' unique system problems to develop custom fixes.

About EnigmaSoft Limited

EnigmaSoft Limited is a privately held Irish company with offices and global headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. EnigmaSoft is best known for developing and distributing SpyHunter 5 and SpyHunter for Mac, advanced anti-malware apps. SpyHunter detects and removes malware, enhances Internet privacy, and eliminates security threats  addressing issues such as malware and other security threats affecting millions of PC and Mac computer users on the web. SpyHunter 5 has scored top grades in comparative testing by independent third-party testing labs such as AV-TEST . SpyHunter 5 has also been certified by AppEsteem , Checkmark Certified and TRUSTe .

Connect with EnigmaSoft: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube

SOURCE EnigmaSoft Limited
SAN JOSE, Calif., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Netenrich, a leading security and operations analytics company known for its Resolution Intelligence SaaS platform, today provided a recap of partner-focused Q1 activities driving business momentum. The company expanded efforts in helping managed service providers (MSPs) uplevel their security services and solve critical digital operations issues for their customers.

Netenrich recently held their CxO Partner Summit to a captive crowd of channel executives with guest speakers from Google Chronicle, MultiCare Health and Epsilon. Discussions addressed the accelerating strategic and operational challenges facing service providers (MSSPs, MSPs, SIs & VARs). Cybersecurity and the importance of analytics-driven operations took center stage.

During the summit, channel leaders shared business insights:

"When we look at the market today, the challenges we face serving our customers really comes down to execution. At GreenPages, we're focused on market-driven innovation, collaborating with our customers and innovating as a company and with our partners." Ron Dupler, CEO at GreenPages Technology Solutions

"Data is the new currency. But the reality is, all our customers want this. They want to make data-driven decisions that benefit their business. And the more we can help them understand, interpret, and make their data useful, the more beneficial we are to them as a partner." Tony Bushell, EVP Services at Trace3

"With data being put to work, the traditional ways of running all ops in silos will be questioned by savvy CIOs/CTOs/CISOs and Operations leaders. The current SOCs and NOCs are mired with senseless work and constantly lag behind the eight ball. Our obsession focuses on disrupting the status quo by leveraging data at scale and helping these companies gain north of 50% efficiencies through our Service Provider partner network." Raju Chekuri, Chairman and CEO at Netenrich

The company also announced industry distinctions:

Netenrich has been recognized by CRN  , a brand of The Channel Company, in their 2022 Partner Program Guide. CRN's annual Partner Program Guide is the ultimate list of the most notable partner programs from industry-leading technology vendors that provide innovative products and services through the IT channel.

, a brand of The Channel Company, in their 2022 Partner Program Guide. CRN's annual Partner Program Guide is the ultimate list of the most notable partner programs from industry-leading technology vendors that provide innovative products and services through the IT channel. Netenrich and Justin Crotty , Senior Vice President of Channels, has been recognized by CRN's Channel Chiefs for 2022. The industry distinction features the top channel executives at leading IT companies who have excelled in meeting the rapid changing needs of their partners and customers.

, Senior Vice President of Channels, has been recognized by CRN's Channel Chiefs for 2022. The industry distinction features the top channel executives at leading IT companies who have excelled in meeting the rapid changing needs of their partners and customers. Netenrich named Channel Insider's Best Network Security Service Providers 2022

Channel Insider reviewed the many network security services to finalize the top providers for medium sized enterprises and MSSPs .

Netenrich joined CompTIA to help further IT initiatives and technology advancements. Christopher Morales, Netenrich CISO, continues his advisory role as a valued expert, contributor and speaker to CompTIA. Netenrich debuts at CompTIA ChannelCon, August 2  4, 2022 in Chicago.

Netenrich and featured partners will also attend and speak at upcoming industry events including:

Channel Partners Conference, April 12, 2022

Justin Crotty joins an esteemed panel to discuss cybersecurity trends and ways MSPs and MSSPs can solve their customers' most pressing IT, cloud and security operations challenges.

joins an esteemed panel to discuss cybersecurity trends and ways MSPs and MSSPs can solve their customers' most pressing IT, cloud and security operations challenges. Midsize Enterprise Summit, April 24  26, 2022, Orlando

 26, 2022, Google Cloud Security Summit 2022, May 17, 2022 , a virtual event

, a virtual event RSA Conference, June 6  9, 2022, San Francisco

To learn more about Netenrich, visit our solutions page or our Netenrich Partner Program page.

About Netenrich

Netenrich Resolution Intelligence lets companies accelerate and scale their digital business to avoid disruption and preempt risk. The secure analytics-as-a-service platform connects IT, cloud, and security operations in real time combining AIOps, automation, and over 15 years of digital ops expertise. The platform transforms security and ops data into intelligence that organizations can act on before critical issues occur. More than 6,000 customers and managed services providers rely on Netenrich to deliver secure operations at scale and speed. The company is based in San Jose, CA.

SOURCE Netenrich
BERKELEY, Calif., April 11, 2022, /PRNewswire/ -- Four out of five (80%) orthopedic physicians believe that medical note-taking interferes with their interactions with patients, according to a new quantitative study released by Robin Healthcare. The research also found that 71% of orthopedic physicians believe medical coding brings friction to the effective practice of medicine. The study, conducted in the U.S., using Kantar Profiles Healthcare Panel, reveals specific concerns related to how increased requirements for medical documentation and coding directly and negatively influence physicians' ability to focus on the patient and deliver the quality of care they would like.

Four out of five orthopedic physicians believe that medical note-taking interferes with their interactions with patients Tweet this Robin Healthcare Survey of Orthopedic Physicians

The research also found that more than 73% of orthopedic physicians report taking work home as a result of having to complete notes and documentation. While the majority of orthopedic physicians surveyed would welcome technology and scribing to support their documentation efforts, trusting those services to deliver accurate and timely notes that reflect their specialty and practice are key considerations for these physicians.

"The challenge with any of these in-exam technologies is to ensure that their documentation and coding provide the highest level of accuracy. Orthopedics in particular is seeing growing complexity for in-office coding," said Emilio Galan, CEO of Robin Healthcare. "Technology that ensures ambient, high-fidelity capture of patient encounters in order to deliver an unprecedented level of accuracy in orthopedic notes and codes has a direct and measurable influence on patient care."

Robin technology has created medical notes and complete codes for more than one million orthopedic visits in the United States. Orthopedic physicians using Robin have found a reduction in administrative burden and meaningful improvement in physician/patient interactions.

Robin's research, via web interface, was conducted in February 2022 and studied 300 physicians who were MDs or DOs, and members of the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons.

About Robin

Robin is changing the administration of orthopedic healthcare enabling doctors to spend more time with patients, and to more efficiently manage their practices. Robin's proprietary device, the Robin Assistant  powered by AI trained by over one million patient visits and supported by HIPAA-compliant U.S. based remote scribes  extracts data, identifies conditions, and builds and uploads clinical notes with medical codes, all directly to the EHR. Robin gives patients peace of mind; physicians freedom of focus; payors and practices measurably more accurate coding, and our health system, a new abundance of time to return to its focus on prevention, treatment, and well being. For more information on how Robin is improving workflows and improving care, please visit www.robin.co.

About Kantar

Kantar is the world's leading evidence-based insights and consulting company. We have a complete, unique and rounded understanding of how people think, feel and act; globally and locally. By combining the deep expertise of our people, our data resources and benchmarks, our innovative analytics and technology, we help our clients understand people and inspire growth. We are home to the world's largest audience network. Our unique and unrivalled API-driven ecosystem of 150m+ compliant panelists spans 130 global markets and includes consumers, B2B audiences, healthcare professionals, patients and non-survey-based data connections. For more information, visit www.kantar.com .

SOURCE Robin Healthcare
Traveling in a Sustainable, Earth-Conscious Way Is Possible

CANCUN, Mexico, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Odigoo Travel today announced the launching of its brand new environmentally conscious website OdigooTravel.com . Odigoo Travel is a company focused on offering extraordinary experiences and authentic human encounters to their customers, as well as activities that reconnect them with nature while traveling.

Odigo means "guide" in Greek, and that's what Odigoo Travel ultimately is for their customers, a guiding light that helps conscious travelers to find a new way to travel the world.

When Odigoo was conceived as a brand, its founders thought immediately about achieving sustainability. They strongly believe that brands should be focused on giving back more than they took from society. In the travel industry, sustainability must be a core value since the most important assets are those provided by nature.

"Odigoo is the wish to take care of our destinations and the customers who trust us; having top quality service providers and business partners who also share our values; and working with local communities to support and enhance their development," says Florence Sutra, CEO at Odigoo Travel. "Our team of travel enthusiasts have decided to embark on the ambitious project of showing our customers another dimension of your favorite travel destinations, rediscovering them in a different way, a greener way!"

Odigoo Travel helps travelers to:

- Discover the adventure inside them by taking them to breathtaking places with exciting activities.

- Reconnect with nature, highlighting the extraordinary biodiversity of our destinations.

- Get closer to a variety of animal species in the wild, with enriching activities such as birdwatching and whale watching.

- Get closer to the local culture, promoting a more conscious tourism.

- Find the best information, advice and products to make the most of their traveling time.

Odigoo Travel started operations in 2021, offering a greener way of traveling to all its customers. For more information, visit OdigooTravel.com .

About Odigoo Travel: Odigoo Travel is a team of international tourism professionals based in Cancun, Mexico. Odigoo Travel has built a network of travel services that allows it to offer a new, environmentally conscious way of traveling. Odigoo Travel offers its services in English, Spanish, and French to all its customers from day one.

Media Contact:

Florence Martin

Odigoo Travel

+1(786) 409-0545

[email protected]

SOURCE Odigoo Travel
LONDON, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Optimum Strategic Communications ("Optimum"), the specialist life sciences communications consultancy, today announced that it has hired Nick Bastin, the veteran financial and corporate communicator, to join as a permanent member of its team.

Bastin, who was previously a non-executive adviser to Optimum, has joined Optimum with immediate effect as a Managing Director and will be advising clients across Optimum's portfolio of clients.

Bastin joins from Montfort Communications and has over 28 years of consultancy experience at agencies including CNC, Capital MSL, Smithfield Financial and Dewe Rogerson.

Alongside Bastin, Optimum has also hired Rebecca Noonan as an Account Director. Rebecca has 15 years' experience in financial and corporate communications and was previously an Associate Partner at Camarco. Rebecca has a strong track record in advising and implementing successful communication programmes and providing strategic advice to clients.

Mary Clark, CEO of Optimum Strategic Communications, said:

"We are really excited that Nick and Rebecca are bringing their tremendous breadth of experience to our fast-growing team. Post Covid, the life sciences and healthcare sector has never been more relevant and we are seeing dramatic growth in client demand for our specialist investor relations and corporate communications consultancy. Rebecca's experience of the investment world and passion for healthcare will be invaluable for our clients. Nick's longstanding track record and reputation for high quality advice will be a significant boost to Optimum's continued development."

Nick Bastin said:

"Ever since I have known the Optimum team, I have been impressed by their incredible sector expertise and total client commitment. They serve an impressive list of clients who genuinely save and transform lives and it is rewarding to be able to join the team and contribute in any way I can."

Rebecca Noonan said:

"I am thrilled to be joining the experienced and well-respected team at Optimum. To be advising some of the world's most exciting businesses in pharmaceuticals, biotech and healthcare is a really exciting opportunity and I am proud to be working within such an inspiring and innovative company."

About Optimum Strategic Communications

Optimum Strategic Communications is an international healthcare communications firm which specialises in strategic investor relations, corporate and financial communications. Our senior team of healthcare specialists, based in London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Zurich, and New York, are experienced and trusted advisors to some of the world's most exciting public and private companies, both large and small, across pharmaceuticals, medtech, biotech, health tech and healthcare services.

Over the last 20 years we have worked with over 300 healthcare companies, advising them on financial communications and investor relations, including major corporate activity such as fundraising, IPOs, and M&A, as well as corporate reputation and crisis scenarios.

We have an exceptional network of contacts across the international investment community in Europe and the US; contacts we have built and maintained over the last three decades. Our team includes ex-fund managers and analysts, scientists, as well as financial and corporate communications specialists.

For more information please visit www.optimumcomms.com

About Nick Bastin

Nick has over 28 years of experience advising companies and individuals from over 35 different markets on a wide range of multi-market, multi-stakeholder communications. Nick specializes in helping clients build powerful narratives around corporate reputation, employer brand and investor and capital market objectives.

Nick has strong transaction experience and has helped clients raise over 30bn through IPOs and has advised on M&A transactions with a combined deal value in excess of 150bn.

Nick started his career advising on the privatisation of former State-controlled economies of East and Central Europe in the mid-1990s, working on major programmes in Romania, Croatia, and Kazakhstan, as well as working extensively on World Bank funded programmes in Ukraine. He has continued to advise on a wide range of high profile transactions including the Arcelor /Mittal contested bid in 2006, Baxalta's $32bn defence against Shire in 2016, and The Friedkin Group's acquisition of AS Roma in 2020. He also spent six years advising BP on its employer brand following the Macondo Oil spill in 2010. During the Covid 19 pandemic, he helped PGL and the outdoor learning industry on a multi-stakeholder campaign to reopen the sector in 2021.

SOURCE Optimum Strategic Communications
FARMINGTON, Conn., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS) will host a conference call on Monday, April 25, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Otis Chair & CEO Judy Marks and Executive Vice President & CFO Rahul Ghai will discuss the company's first quarter results and the outlook for 2022.

Participants are encouraged to listen live via webcast on www.otis.com. To join by phone, dial +1-877-735-3703 and an operator will place you on hold until the conference begins. Please allow 15 minutes before the scheduled start time to connect to the teleconference.

A corresponding presentation and news release as well as additional investor materials will be available on www.otis.com prior to the call and a recording of the call will be made available on the website later in the day.

About Otis

Otis is the world's leading elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation and service company. We move 2 billion people a day and maintain more than 2.1 million customer units worldwide, the industry's largest Service portfolio. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 70,000 people strong, include 41,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn , Instagram , Facebook and Twitter @OtisElevatorCo.

Media Contact:

Katy Padgett

+1-860-674-3047

[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact:

Michael Rednor

+1-860-676-6011

[email protected]

SOURCE Otis Worldwide Corporation
- Global Phase 2b/3 trial assessing the efficacy and safety of mocravimod as an adjunctive and maintenance therapy in AML patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT planned to start in H2 2022

DUBLIN, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Priothera Ltd, a late-clinical stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of its S1P receptor modulator mocravimod, today announces it has received the two first European country approvals from the Swiss and French national health authorities (Swissmedic and ANSM) to begin its planned pivotal study of mocravimod. The company has also received encouraging feedback from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) on the clinical study design that is closely aligned with earlier feedback from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Priothera will initiate a global Phase 2b/3 study (MO-TRANS study) in Europe, US and Japan, assessing the efficacy and safety of mocravimod as an adjunctive and maintenance therapy in adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) patients undergoing allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). The MO-TRANS study is expected to start in the second half of 2022 and preliminary data from this study are expected by the end of 2024.

Florent Gros, Co-Founder and CEO of Priothera, commented "Following on from our recent receipt of orphan drug designations for mocravimod in the US and Europe, we are pleased to have received our first approvals to initiate this key global Phase 2b/3 trial with this highly promising compound. Moreover, the CHMP feedback is encouraging, and is also closely aligned with the feedback we received from the FDA. These first approvals are important regulatory and clinical milestones for Priothera and move us a step closer to bringing mocravimod, an adjunctive and maintenance treatment, to patients with AML and other hematologic malignancies, for whom there remains a significant unmet medical need."

About mocravimod

Mocravimod (also known as KRP203), is a synthetic, sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor (S1PR) modulator. This novel investigational drug has been assessed in Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials for safety and tolerability, as well as for efficacy in several autoimmune indications. Promising data from a Phase 1b/2a clinical study in patients with hematological malignancies led Priothera to further develop mocravimod for the treatment of blood cancers.

Mocravimod will be investigated as an adjunctive and maintenance treatment in a Phase 2b/3 study as a potential treatment for patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Allogenic HSCT is the only potentially curative approach for AML patients, but current treatments have unacceptably high mortality and morbidity rates.

Priothera leverages S1PR modulator's unique mode of action to maintain anti-leukemia activity - graft-versus leukemia (GVL) while reducing tissue damage resulting from graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a consequence of allogenic HSCT. This novel treatment approach  mocravimod being the only S1PR modulator treating blood cancers  tackles a high unmet medical need and intends to add quality life to patients.

About Priothera

Priothera is leading the way in developing orally applied sphingosine 1 phosphate (S1P) receptor modulators for the treatment of hematological malignancies. S1P receptor modulators are known to largely reduce egress of T cells from lymphatic tissues. Not being an immunosuppressant, mocravimod maintains the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) benefits in patients receiving HSCT while inhibiting graft-versus-host-disease (GvHD).

Priothera was founded in 2020 by an experienced team of drug development experts and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, and with a subsidiary in Saint-Louis, France. The Company is backed by international founding investors Fountain Healthcare Partners (Dublin, Ireland), funds managed by Tekla Capital Management, LLC (Boston, Massachusetts), HealthCap (Stockholm, Sweden) and EarlyBird Venture Capital (Berlin, Germany).

For more information please visit: www.priothera.com

Contacts

Priothera

Florent Gros, CEO

E : [email protected]

MEDiSTRAVA Consulting

Sylvie Berrebi, David Dible, Sandi Greenwood, Frazer Hall

E: [email protected]

T: +44 (0)7714 306525

SOURCE Priothera
According to ANHA agency's sources, Armenian citizen (Malko Nader) was killed near a point of Sotoro forces affiliated with Damascus government, in Al-Wusta neighborhood of Qamishlo city (near Al-Kindi Park previously), with a bullet fired by the forces.

According to the same sources, Sotoro forces affiliated with Damascus government fired live bullets at so-called (Malko Nader) while he was trying to throw a grenade at a house in the neighborhood, while he was under the influence of alcohol, killing him instantly.

Sh-S

ANHA
A clear strategy of this nature will have several benefits. Some of which are that the global community will begin to respect Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans. Reforms to the systemic evils will be commended by the world at large not to mention the funding donors and other global financial institutions.

by Mass L. Usuf

LL.B (Hons.) UK, Attorney at Law, Former Advisor to Ex-Private Department of President of UAE.

The prevailing circumstances in the country can be turned into one of a great and historic opportunity for this nation. It all depends, again, on the strong will and determination of the people. All the struggle and suffering the general public endured up to this stage of cataclysm will be in vain if the correct and proper strategies are not seriously looked at.

What to do?

Any strategy should be focussed on the welfare of the people and the country. For whomsoever who is interested, I give below a list which is not exhaustive but may be considered as some of the priorities. The broad strategies to be looked into are:

(1) Reducing the powers of the Executive President and transfer same to the Parliament.

(2) Good governance and Independence of the Commissions.

(3) Anti-corruption and Anti waste reforms and prosecutions.

(4) Strict and effective checks and balances through Parliament and other Institutions.

(5) Independence of the Judiciary and strengthening of the Rule of Law.

(6) Revisiting all the court cases of the Politicians that have been questionably closed.

(7) Probe into the Easter Sunday bombing.

(8) Tracing and recovery of misappropriated public wealth.

(9) Explore areas for the prosecution of members of the present government.

(10) Amendments to the Election law.

(11) Developing a matured foreign policy.

Who will do?

Several methodologies can be adopted. One of which is for the parliament to set up a Special Office called the Commission for National Reformation by an Act of Parliament and empower the Commission with the required power and authority to act independently. All the wherewithal necessary for the effective functioning of an independent Commission has to provided. Details of the Commission to be determined via a process of deliberation. A team of eleven Commissioners may be appointed, one for each subject. This Commission will be accountable only to the Parliament. The independence of the Commission and its members shall be legally guaranteed and protected to enable the members to act with a clear conscience without fear or favour. Their salaries etc. shall be via the parliament Consolidated Fund. They shall not hold any public office for at least two years after completion of their tenure. Retired Public Servants of repute and dignity, SLAS officers who had served with dignity, experts who are professionally acknowledged and such others have to be recruited.

How to do?

The details of each of these have to be delved into with earnestness. Different teams of professionals and sector experts for each area have to be mobilised by the Commission. This has to be absolutely apolitical. Therefore, no politicians should be involved in this exercise directly or indirectly. Interference with the affairs of the Commission, the Commissioners and its staff shall be considered a punishable offence. Upon successful completion of the task of the Commissioners, the Commission may be dissolved by the Parliament. The Commission shall be subjected to the Right to Information Act. The final outcome will constitute the tools that will assist to usher in an era of national development and socio-economic stability. They will also serve in the future as constitutionally entrenched guidelines for any future governments too if incorporated suitably into the constitution.

Changes/Amendments To The Laws

This initially would require some drastic changes to the laws. A caretaker or national unity government is expected to have a 2/3rds majority. Not by virtue of the victory of a single party but through consensus of the coalition of parties represented in the parliament. The availability of 2/3rds majority will easily facilitate the amendments to the laws and the passage of new laws in keeping with the strategic vision. This will include legislation amending the 20th amendment aimed at reducing Executive powers and ensuring independence of the Commissions. Those with vested interests will back off when the changes to the laws are brought before parliament if their interests take precedence over that of the country. It is at this point that the people will be able to sift the chaff from the grain. The power of the people should be brought to bear on such dissenters for reform. There cannot be any room for horse trading, underhand dealing etc.

Timeline and Transparency

A clear time line has to be mandated for the completion of the entrusted tasks. One timeline for all aspects is not practical. Some are complex while others are simple and straightforward. A dedicated team for communication has to be established to keep the general public informed of the progress each day via the media. This will form the mandatory first news of the day. It will form part of the daily progress report, in all three languages for the information of the citizens.

Dissolution of Parliament

Upon the completion of the task of the Commissioners, the recommendations shall be implemented immediately or as fast as practically feasible. Steps should be mandatorily taken to ensure that all the necessary institutional arrangements are in place, areas with shortcomings rectified, adequate checks and balances assured, necessary amendments to the laws are passed and a system which will be able to function on its own is developed.

The next step would be to dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections. By that time the required strategies would have been implemented. In this election which will be held under the amended laws and other institutional remedial measures taken against systemic pitfalls, we will not see the corrupt but, people who are able, being elected as representatives. This will bring an era of prosperity for this country.

Sabotage Elements

In this strategic exercise, special mention must be made of certain types. The reason for this is, to put in aviation terms, they would act as the reverse thrust decelerating onward movement. Ultimately, paralysing, weakening, slowing down or even influence to deviate from the vision.

First, National Security: This is the hitherto bandied and misused phrase. The entire country had been taken for a ride with these two words creating an artificial sense of fear, apprehension and doubt in the minds of the people. While distracting the people with this exaggerated fear, the actual and true aspect of national security had been made pawned making our country vulnerable to current geopolitical manipulations.

Internal national security will automatically be addressed when stability and the Rule of Law is achieved. What the country has to focus is on averting threats to national security from external forces.

Second, Undesirables: It is expected that with amendments to the Election laws, most of the undesirables who have thus far ruined the country serving as peoples representatives will be automatically thrown out. These are the ones who will oppose the passage of amendments or new laws in parliament. People will then come to know of such so called representatives.

Third, the Monks: They should not have any role to play in politics. No representation should be given to monks in the parliament. Positions in Governmental institutions for qualified monks will be subjected to a strict process of transparent whetting through the proposed checks and balance mechanisms for good governance. The use or involvement of monks in politics by all political parties will have to be made unlawful via amendment to the Election laws. The damage they have wreaked upon this tiny nation is enough. There is no need to list out their mischiefs as they are well known. Venerable monks who have earned the respect of the people and live a dignified dhamma life, as a true disciple of Buddha, may always be approached for their guidance and advise only.

Fourth, Racism: The evil of racism has to be stemmed out completely. If the more than seven decades old apartheid in South Africa could be wiped out, why cannot we do the same here in Sri Lanka with racism. It is possible. With the implementation of some of the strategic components listed above, racism can be eliminated and a nation of Sri Lankans can emerge. A nation which can be proud of its multiple religious, ethnic and racial diversity. Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and all others living together as one Sri Lankan nation.

Fifth, Majoritarianism: The idea of majoritarianism is an indoctrination. This very thought creates the opposite camp of minorities. This misguided thinking has brought only destruction to this nation. History bears witness to this, with tears continuously flowing from the eyes of Mother Lanka. This backward notion has to be discouraged and necessary legal measures taken to address such issues.

Benefits Of The Strategies

A clear strategy of this nature will have several benefits. Some of which are that the global community will begin to respect Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans. Reforms to the systemic evils will be commended by the world at large not to mention the funding donors and other global financial institutions. A reformed foreign policy will receive international recognition. The country ratings will go up as a result of these steps towards reforms. It will serve as an incentive for Foreign Direct Investments into the country as investors will be encouraged by the element of security of their investments. Employment will increase, export production will be enhanced bringing in the much-required dollars, local producers will be encouraged to produce, our migrant workers will be encouraged to remit valuable foreign exchange and the economy will thereby be oiled for a smooth transition towards stability.

International Monetary Fund

I have not forgotten the need to overcome the current woes faced by the people. These have to be given priority. Any negotiations with the International Monetary Fund to alleviate the ongoing crisis will get positive feedback if the above strategic reforms are undertaken. Negotiations have been delayed enough. Get a Cabinet up and running immediately and rush!

Changing Pillows

It is only if the above methodology is undertaken, there can be a gradual transition towards a stable government in the future. If not, the caretaker or national unity government will not succeed so long as the systemic evils are not addressed and rectified especially, the powers of the President. The efforts of all of us, as citizens of this country, at this time of crisis will be in utter vain. We just cannot afford to allow this opportunity to pass by without proper and meaningful intervention which will transform and reform not only our political culture but also the socio-economic stability of the country.

With the successful implementation of this strategy, we will be able to leave behind a nation where our progeny can live happily free of corruption, nepotism, racism but filled with the feeling of one nation and one citizenry  THIS IS OUR MOTHER LANKA! WE ALL ARE SRI LANKANS!
Valley View Estates Features 233 Sites and Close Proximity to St. Louis

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RHP Properties, the nation's largest private owner and operator of manufactured home communities, has announced the acquisition of Valley View Estates in Shiloh, Illinois. This expands the company's manufactured home portfolio to 15 communities in the state and brings the company's total of manufactured home communities to 309 nationwide. The announcement was made by Ross Partrich, CEO, RHP Properties.

Set on 57 acres, Valley View Estates is in a highly rated school district with Shiloh Elementary School, Shiloh Middle School, and O'Fallon High School each receiving an 8/10 rating from Great Schools. The pet friendly community features spacious home sites, a playground and streetlights throughout.

The community is nearby to St. Louis and Scott Air Force Base, which employs 13,000 people and is home to the US Transportation Command.

"RHP Properties is pleased to announce the acquisition of Valley View Estates," said Partrich. "This community was established by a local family and we are honored to carry on their tradition of excellence and service to their residents. We look forward to introducing RHP Social, our community programming that brings residents together to socialize through family friendly events such as holiday parties and barbeques to continue a true sense of community for our residents."

About RHP Properties

Founded in 1988, RHP Properties is the nation's largest privately held owner and operator of manufactured home communities with managed assets of more than $6B, including 309 manufactured home communities nationwide, totaling about 72,235 homes in 30 states.

Headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, RHP Properties employs more than 1,000 professionals. For more information visit www.rhp.com.

SOURCE RHP Properties
OTCQX: SHWZ

NEO: SHWZ

DENVER, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Schwazze, (OTCQX: SHWZ) (NEO: SHWZ) ("Schwazze" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that Justin Dye, Chairman & CEO and Nancy Huber, CFO will participate in the following conferences and events.

Cantor Fitzgerald 2nd Annual Virtual Cannabis Conference - April 12-14, 2022

Justin Dye, Chairman & CEO is scheduled to participate in a panel discussion entitled, "Emerging MSOs" on Tuesday, April 12 at 1:50 pm ET. Management will also be participating in one-on-one investor meetings throughout the conference. For more information, please contact your Cantor Fitzgerald representative.

NobleCon 18, Hard Rock Casino & Hotel  April 19-21, 2022

Justin Dye, Chairman & CEO is scheduled to present at NobleCon18 - Noble Capital Markets' Eighteenth Annual Investor Conference at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida, on Thursday April 21, at 11:00 am ET in the Seminole Ballroom A. Management will also be participating in one-on-one investor meetings throughout the event. For more information, please contact your Noble Capital representative.

VID Forum  11:00 am ET  Live Town Hall  April 26, 2022

Justin Dye, Chairman & CEO will present to investors in a live VID Forum Town Hall. Management will field Q&A from investors and interested parties after their presentation. Please sign up here to register.

A.G.P.'s Spring Virtual Consumer Cannabis Conference  May 3, 2022

Management will be participating in one-on-one investor meetings throughout the Conference. For more information, please contact your A.G.P. representative.

About Schwazze

Schwazze (OTCQX:SHWZ, NEO:SHWZ) is building a premier vertically integrated regional cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico and will continue to take its operating system to other states where it can develop a differentiated regional leadership position. Schwazze is the parent company of a portfolio of leading cannabis businesses and brands spanning seed to sale. The Company is committed to unlocking the full potential of the cannabis plant to improve the human condition. Schwazze is anchored by a high-performance culture that combines customer-centric thinking and data science to test, measure, and drive decisions and outcomes. The Company's leadership team has deep expertise in retailing, wholesaling, and building consumer brands at Fortune 500 companies as well as in the cannabis sector. Schwazze is passionate about making a difference in our communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and doing our part to incorporate climate-conscious best practices. Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. was Schwazze's former operating trade name. The corporate entity continues to be named Medicine Man Technologies, Inc.

Schwazze derives its name from the pruning technique of a cannabis plant to enhance plant structure and promote healthy growth.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements may be preceded by the words "plan," "will," "may,", "predicts," or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control and cannot be predicted or quantified. Consequently, actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own or in collaboration with third parties; (ii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iv) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; (v) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates; (vi) our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy in Colorado and outside the state, (vii) our ability to consummate the acquisition described in this press release or to identify and consummate future acquisitions that meet our criteria, (viii) our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and realize synergies therefrom, (ix) the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, * the timing and extent of governmental stimulus programs, (xi) the uncertainty in the application of federal, state and local laws to our business, and any changes in such laws, and * out ability to satisfy the closing conditions for the private finding described in this press release. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.

SOURCE Medicine Man Technologies, Inc.
MILWAUKEE, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi LLP is investigating SailPoint (NYSE: SAIL) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law in its transaction with Thomas Bravo.

Click here to learn how to join the action: https://www.ademilaw.com/case/sailpoint-technologies-holdings-inc or call Guri Ademi toll-free at 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you.

Ademi LLP alleges SailPoint's financial outlook and prospects are excellent and yet SailPoint shareholders will receive only $65.25 per share. The transaction agreement unreasonably limits competing bids for SailPoint by prohibiting solicitation of further bids, and imposing a significant penalty if SailPoint accepts a superior bid. SailPoint insiders will receive substantial benefits as part of change of control arrangements.

We are investigating the conduct of SailPoint's board of directors, and whether they are (i) fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders, and (ii) obtaining a fair and reasonable price for SailPoint.

If you own SailPoint common stock and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Guri Ademi either at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995, or https://www.ademilaw.com/case/sailpoint-technologies-holdings-inc.

We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights throughout the country. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contacts

Ademi LLP

Guri Ademi

Toll Free: (866) 264-3995

Fax: (414) 482-800

SOURCE Ademi LLP
NEW YORK, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of CIRCOR International, Inc. ("CIRCOR" or the "Company") (NYSE: CIR). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether CIRCOR and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On Feb. 6, 2020, CIRCOR announced its CFO resigned effective Mar. 2, 2020. Then, on Mar. 2, 2020, CIRCOR announced it would not timely file its year end 2019 financial report, it had identified material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting, and it was investigating accounting and reporting matters at one of its domestic business units that has been classified as discontinued operations. Further, on Mar. 14, 2022, within months of the abrupt departures of the Company's new CFO and its CEO, CIRCOR announced that it and its auditor "uncovered accounting irregularities in the financial statements with respect to the Company's Pipeline Engineering business unit, which is a part of its Industrial reporting segment." The Company said (1) the irregularities preliminarily appear to account for balance sheet and income statement entries in the range of $35 to $45 million of pre-tax income on a cumulative basis over a period of at least five years, and (2) it would restate its 2019 - 2021 financial statements. Most recently, on Apr. 6, 2022, CIRCOR announced preliminary adjustments to 2021, 2020, and Q4 2020 revenues of $8.7 million, $6.2 million, and $2.2 million, respectively, that are related to Pipeline Engineering accounting irregularities.

On this news, CIRCOR's stock price fell $0.53 per share, or 2.09%, to close at $24.74 per share on April 6, 2022.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Datto Holding Corp. ("Datto" or the "Company") (NYSE: MSP) in connection with the proposed acquisition of the Company by Kaseya. Under the terms of the merger agreement, the Company's shareholders will receive $35.50 in cash for each share of Datto common stock owned. The transaction is valued at approximately $6.2 billion.

If you own Datto shares and wish to discuss this investigation or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, visit our website:

https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/msp

Or please contact:

Joshua Rubin, Esq.

Weiss Law

305 Broadway, 7th Floor

New York, NY 10007

(212) 682-3025

(888) 593-4771

[email protected]

Weiss Law is investigating whether (i) Datto's board of directors acted in the best interests of Company shareholders in agreeing to the proposed transaction, (ii) the $35.50 per-share merger consideration adequately compensates Datto's shareholders, and (iii) all information regarding the sales process and valuation of the transaction will be fully and fairly disclosed. Notably, at least one analyst set a price target for the Company of $42 per share, $6.50 above the per-share merger consideration.

Weiss Law has litigated hundreds of stockholder class and derivative actions for violations of corporate and fiduciary duties. We have recovered over a billion dollars for defrauded clients and obtained important corporate governance relief in many of these cases. If you have information or would like legal advice concerning possible corporate wrongdoing (including insider trading, waste of corporate assets, accounting fraud, or materially misleading information), consumer fraud (including false advertising, defective products, or other deceptive business practices), or anti-trust violations, please email us at [email protected]

SOURCE Weiss Law
TROY, Mich., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Signal Restoration Services was founded as Signal Building Company in 1972 in Detroit, Michigan. In 1981, Chris and Barb Ammann bought Signal and over the next 30 years grew the company by cultivating a strong family atmosphere, delivering exceptional customer service, and controlling quality by staying involved in every Signal project. After three decades of continued growth in the Metro Detroit area, Chris and Barb sold Signal to Mark Davis and Frank Torre in 2012.

Signal's annual revenues were just under $10 Million annually.

Davis and Torre immediately transformed the company into a nationwide commercially focused restoration company performing projects from coast to coast. This rapid growth was fueled by a combination of acquisitions in California and New York, recruiting some of the most experienced talent in the restoration industry, and performing a $133 Million project restoring five hospitals for New York City after Super Storm Sandy.

Signal quickly emerged as an industry leader in large and complex property restoration and reconstruction projects. Signal's culture of delivering Relentless Customer Service is the cornerstone of the company's success.

In 2020, Signal merged with Express Remediation & Reconstruction, LLC to expand the company's industry expertise in reconstruction, roofing, large loss sales, national accounts, and enhanced geographic coverage. The combination of mergers, bolt-on acquisitions, recruiting best-in-class talent, establishing Strategic Partner Relationships, and delivering Relentless Customer Service has yielded the company's remarkable growth.

"In 2022, as Signal celebrates our 50th anniversary, we are more focused than ever in delivering Relentless Customer Service to our clients", said Davis. "We are honored to serve the restoration industry as one of the largest and most respected privately owned disaster restoration contractors in North America."

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, Signal is hosting nationwide events in Detroit, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami. Signal is ON THE MOVE!

About Signal Restoration Services

Signal Restoration is a world-class property restoration general contractor, providing relentless customer service throughout North America and the Caribbean. The company services our projects from our regional offices and Rapid Response Locations from coast to coast. Signal specializes in fire, water, storm, mold, hurricane, earthquake, emergency, and reconstruction services as well as full-service roofing and Cap Ex work. Servicing clients in all industries including Healthcare, Education, Government, Hospitality, Multi-Family, Retail, and Industrial.

Signal's mission is to provide Relentless Customer Service to all our clients. We strive to immediately and consistently deliver exceptional results whenever and wherever disaster strikes. Signal is ON THE MOVE!

Signal is always ONCALL 24 | 7 | 365. For more information, please call us at 800.533.9898 or visit signalrestoration.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: 800.533.9898

SOURCE Signal Restoration Services
In Washington State, the former Milwaukee Road railroad bridge that provides the only trail crossing over the Columbia River has been restored. In 2014, a fire made the bridge unsafe for passage. Construction on the 3,000-foot bridge began in 2020, and the renovation was made possible through $5.575 million in state funding from 2019 to 2021.

RTC staff joined Governor Jay Inslee, Washington State Parks, members of the Wanapum Tribe (on whose ancestral grounds the bridge resides), the Palouse to Cascades Trail Coalition and more than 100 supporters, trail users and advocates at the grand opening of the Beverly Bridge on April 8. The bridge opening closes a critical gap in the 285-mile Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, creating more than 50 continuous miles of the Great American Rail-Trail in Washington State.

"The opening of the Beverly Bridge marks a long-awaited milestone for trails in Washington and for the entire Great American Rail-Trail," said Marianne Fowler, RTC's senior strategist for policy advocacy and a long-time advocate for the Great American Rail-Trail. "Washington and the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail have been forebearers of the rail-trail movement for decades. The promise the bridge holds for the region carries forward their legacy of trail leadership and the potential to bring health and economic opportunity to the dozens of communities the trail serves on the east and west sides of the river."

In Nebraska, April 7 marked a historic vote for trail funding and a significant boost for the Great American Rail-Trail. The Nebraska Legislature voted to override Governor Ricketts' veto of LB 1013, restoring $8.3 million in funding to construct the gap in the MoPac Trail between Lincoln and Omaha.

"It will take tireless advocacy, sustained investment, partnership and promotion to complete the Great American Rail-Trail," said Kevin Belanger, project manager for the Great American Rail-Trail. "What we just saw in Nebraska embodies all of what it takes to build momentum and connect this trail across the country. We've worked closely with our friends at Bike Walk Nebraska, the Nebraska Trails Foundation, the Great Plains Trail Network and the Northwest Nebraska Trails Association to help demonstrate the economic and tourism potential of completing the Great American Rail-Trail. Their hard work has paid off with this state funding, and strong support from the legislature, to close a critical gap in Nebraska's route."

In a statement, Brittany Helmbrecht, president of the Northwest Nebraska Trails Association said, "Nebraska has the most mileage of any state for the Great American Rail-Trail, which stretches from Washington, D.C., to Washington State. Getting the MoPac Trail connected in the eastern part of the state will complement our work to get the Cowboy Trail completed in northwest Nebraska. Eventually, people will be able to ride across the state from Omaha to Chadron, which will increase bicycle tourism in many rural communities."

In December, RTC announced that 2021 marked the highest annual investment made to date in Great American Rail-Trail projects, with an estimated $15.6 million in public and private funds. Since the trail was announced in 2019, more than $42 million has been invested nationwide in projects that fill critical gaps along the route. Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission was part of a press conference on the significant impact of connections like the Renslow Trestle and the Beverly Bridge on the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail. The Beverly Bridge opening follows the most recent announcement of the official opening of the Tekoa Trestle near the Idaho border last Friday.

The Great American will serve 50 million people living within 50 miles of the trail, as well as millions of additional visitors from around the world. Explore the Great American at greatamericanrailtrail.org , and connect with the #GRTAmerican via social media @greatamericanrailtrail.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is the nation's largest trails organizationwith a grassroots community more than 1 million strongdedicated to building a nation connected by trails, reimagining public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors. Connect with RTC at railstotrails.org and @railstotrails on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

CONTACT: Patricia Brooks, [email protected] , 202.351.1757

SOURCE Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Grants will support equipment upgrades, employee retention, and deferred maintenance, for local-owned restaurants

LOS ANGELES, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SoCalGas today announced a second $525,000 donation to the California Restaurant Foundation's (CRF) Restaurants Care Resilience Fund. Last year, SoCalGas co-founded the Fund to help small businesses recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and was also a leading donor, committing $525,000 in 2021. Qualifying restaurants throughout SoCalGas' service area are encouraged to apply for a $3,000 grant starting April 15th. These grants aim to support equipment upgrades, employee retention, and deferred maintenance, allowing small restaurants to recover after nearly two years of incurring debt, losses, and shouldering rising costs.

The application period closes on April 30.

"Restaurants and the families and employees that run them showed incredible resilience and strength as they adapted their businesses to serve all of us during the pandemic," said David Barrett, vice president and general counsel at SoCalGas and California Restaurant Foundation board member. "Last year's grants provided essential support to local restaurants as they struggled to keep their doors open. This year, grant funds will provide support for kitchens or crews, while overall supporting restaurant resiliency."

"We are honored that SoCalGas has returned as a partner for this year's Resilience Fund, and extremely grateful they identified the program as being worthy of one of their largest charitable donations planned for this year," said Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of California Restaurant Foundation. "SoCalGas' generous contribution will help independent restaurant owners across central and southern California invest in their people, their equipment and ultimately, the long-term health and success of their business."

This year, the Restaurants Care Resilience Fund will award nearly $1.5 million in grants to small businesses in 2022. Last year, 318 restaurants statewide received grants including Rajas con Crema, in the City of Maywood, run by wife-and-husband team Alicia and Javier Solorzano, who opened their dream Mexican restaurant after more than 16 years in the catering business. The dishes are inspired by Alicia's travels, recipes from friends, and family, while adding her own touch.

"We are extremely thankful to the California Restaurant Fund and SoCalGas for the grant, and for creating this fund to help local restaurants," said Javier Solorzano, owner of Rajas con Crema. "Our concern was to survive, and the grant helped us give back to our community in a time of need. We were able to donate warm meals to local families while paying for our employee's time. I highly encourage other restaurants to apply for this grant, it can make all the difference."

"We are grateful to SoCalGas for their ongoing commitment to community and small businesses through this grant opportunity and many other efforts, including their food distributions in the City of Maywood and Southeast Los Angeles during the pandemic," said Maywood Mayor Heber Marquez.

Another grant recipient from 2021, Natalia Pereira of Woodspoon, a Brazilian restaurant in downtown Los Angeles said, "The Resilience Fund is such a special program on so many levels-the people and the program are wonderful, and this initiative has such an incredible impact on the restaurant community throughout the region!" Woodspoon recently received the MICHELIN Bib Gourmand award that recognizes restaurants with "value for money."

The Zagat-rated Shiro Restaurant in South Pasadena has been serving French food over 34 years and received a grant award last year. According to Shiro owner Irene Yokoi, "There are no words to express our gratitude for receiving your funds during our turmoil to cope with Covid-19 closures. It has helped us great deal especially for covering the cost of payroll."

In addition to providing financial support to restaurants, SoCalGas offers programs and services for selecting energy-efficient equipment for any commercial customer. Restaurant owners can schedule a "try before you buy" equipment demo to test-drive gas cooking equipment before making a purchase, sign up for an energy survey by a utility expert, and receive information on rebates and incentives on qualified gas cooking equipment, water heating, heat recovery products and installation of eligible energy-efficient upgrades.

Restaurants Care Resilience Fund applications will be open from April 15-30, 2022 and can be found at www.restaurantscare.org/resilience. Grants will be available to all California-based restaurant owners with less than three units and less than $3 million in revenue. Priority will be given to restaurants owned by women and people of color. Last year, the Resilience Fund awarded 318 grants to independent restaurant owners, 65 percent of which were women-owned and 83 percent person of color-owned.

SoCalGas' partnership with the California Restaurant Fund is part of the company's ASPIRE 2045 sustainability goals, which includes a commitment to invest $50 million to drive positive change in diverse and underserved communities over the next five years. In addition to supporting the Restaurant Care Resilience Fund, in 2021, SoCalGas contributed $9.6 million in total community investment, $4.8 million to support health & human services, and $2.3 million to education causes. In 2021, SoCalGas' Fueling Our Communities program provided over 9,800 free meals, over 2,600 grocery bags, and 2,520 restaurant gift cards totaling $60,400 in support of 25 local restaurants.

About SoCalGas

Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million consumers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. Gas delivered through the company's pipelines will continue to play a key role in California's clean energy transitionproviding electric grid reliability and supporting wind and solar energy deployment.

SoCalGas' mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy company in America. In support of that mission, SoCalGas is committed to the goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045 and to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply to core customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills, and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for customers. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego.

For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.

About the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF):

California is home to more than 90,000 eating and drinking places that ring up more than $72 billion in sales and employ more than 1.6 million workers, making restaurants an indisputable driving force in the state's economy. The California Restaurant Foundation is a non-profit that empowers and invests in California's restaurant workforce. Founded in 1981, CRF supports the restaurant community through relief grants for restaurant workers facing a hardship, job and life skills training for 13,500 high school students each year, and scholarships. For more information visit www.calrestfoundation.org.

SOURCE Southern California Gas Co.
NWEA Releases Research Analysis Illuminating Impact of Learning Interruptions on Historically Underserved Students; Underscores Benefits of High-Quality Summer Learning Opportunities

PORTLAND, Ore., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As we approach the end of the third straight year of learning disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. classrooms continue to address the immediate needs of students while prioritizing academic progress for all. For many studentsparticularly those that are historically underservedthe summer break from learning perpetuates inequitable achievement gaps.

This insight was among those released today by NWEA in an overview of current research studies that examined K-8 student progress during a typical school year (non pandemic) and over the summer. The research reveals important information about the degree to which being in school reduces achievement gaps and points to the importance of high-quality summer programming in supporting student success.

"Our research analysis revealed reasons for both optimism and concern. While the findings disrupt some long-held deficit-based thinking about some of these student groups, they also demonstrate the disproportionate impact that learning interruptions have on their achievement in the long-term, making high quality summer learning opportunities and other interventions critical," said Lindsay Dworkin, VP of Policy and Advocacy at NWEA. "Taken collectively, these studies can help education leaders and policymakers identify interventions needed for these student groups to help address the inequitable learning patterns in U.S. public schools."

The research used MAP Growth assessment data and revealed that while students with disabilities, English learners, and rural students make gains at rates equal to or faster than their grade-level peers during the school year, these students also experience greater learning loss in the summer, leading to persistent achievement gaps.

"We have long known the impact of the summer slide on student learning; however, this data gives us a deeper look into just how critical high-quality summer opportunities are for many of our underserved students," said Deborah Delisle, CEO of All4Ed, formerly the Alliance for Excellent Education. "This information demonstrates that our system is effective at educating our students during the school year, and it is a call to action for states and districts on how to target summer programming so that all students can excel in school and beyond. Our children deserve nothing less."

Highlights from the research include:

Rural Students  In a study of K-8 students nationwide, rural students came into kindergarten with higher achievement levels in math and reading than their non-rural peers; but by the end of third grade non-rural students consistently outperformed those from rural communities across the grades. Rural students grow at slightly faster rates in math and reading than other students when school is in session, but lose more ground almost every summer.

 In a study of K-8 students nationwide, rural students came into kindergarten with higher achievement levels in math and reading than their non-rural peers; but by the end of third grade non-rural students consistently outperformed those from rural communities across the grades. Rural students grow at slightly faster rates in math and reading than other students when school is in session, but lose more ground almost every summer. Students with Disabilities  In a study of K-4 students nationwide, students with disabilities enter kindergarten behind their peers in reading and math, but go on to make gains at similar or higher rates than their peers during some school years. However, students with disabilities lose more ground every summer, which contributes to widening disparities in achievement.

 In a study of K-4 students nationwide, students with disabilities enter kindergarten behind their peers in reading and math, but go on to make gains at similar or higher rates than their peers during some school years. However, students with disabilities lose more ground every summer, which contributes to widening disparities in achievement. English Learners (ELs)  A third research study looked at achievement and growth for K - 4 for ELs. It showed that ELs had lower test scores than their non-EL peers through their elementary years, but they also made academic growth similar to or at greater levels as their non-EL peers. However, the student group that was consistently identified as needing EL services tended to lose more ground over the summer than their non-EL peers or their multilingual peers who were ELs at some point but not consistently through K-4.

"This new study underscores both the urgency and need to invest in interventions that support the academic recovery of English learners. Even before the pandemic, multi-lingual learners lost more ground than their peers during the summer when they were out of school," said Eric Rodriguez, SVP of Policy and Advocacy at UnidosUS. "After the last two years of interrupted learning for all students, it is more crucial than ever to target significant resources to support retaining and accelerating academic progress and learning for English learners during the summer. Summer support should include bilingual programming that combines academic and enrichment activities staffed with specialists to provide specific language development support and appropriate materials for English learners."

Previous NWEA assessment data show that all students started this school year behind where they would be in a typical year and that historically marginalized groups were most severely impacted. Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN), and Black students had much bigger declines in achievement than Asian American and White students.

NWEA researchers will also continue to conduct research into learning patterns that occur during the school year and over the summer and hope that new data will show a narrowing of gaps and more equitable learning conditions for all students. Additionally, NWEA researchers are partnering with CALDER at American Institutes of Research (AIR) and the Center of Education Policy and Research at Harvard to support a group of districts in determining how interventions are supporting COVID recovery.

"With the school year soon coming to an end, we can all look to summer as the perfect time to provide additional quality learning opportunities for students impacted by the pandemic. To ensure these opportunities are engaging and successful, states need actionable research on effective strategies that leverage afterschool, summer learning, and community partners," said Paolo DeMaria, NASBE President and CEO. "This summer learning research brief can inform state boards about what works to support students in high-quality summer programs that sustain positive gains made during the school year. High quality summer programs coupled with relevant ongoing evaluation will help unlock the tools we need to reduce summer learning loss and continue to accelerate student learning so each and every student thrives."

NWEA's Let's Talk about Summer Twitter Chat

NWEA's Policy and Advocacy Team will host a Twitter chat on April 12th at 2pm EDT to discuss barriers these student groups face, how high-quality summer programs could close these gaps, as well as how districts can use federal recovery funds to support students who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Join @NWEApolicy on Twitter using the hashtag #SummerLearningChat.

About NWEA

NWEA (formerly known as Northwest Evaluation Association) is a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators in more than 146 countries through research, assessment solutions, policy and advocacy services, professional learning and school improvement services that fight for equity, drive classroom impact and push for systemic change in our educational communities. Visit NWEA.org to learn more about how we're partnering with educators to help all kids learn.

Media Contact:

Contact: Simona Beattie,

Sr. Manager, Public Relations,

[email protected] or 971.361.9526

SOURCE NWEA
"We at Speck are excited to now support a wider variety of Android phones from manufacturers like Samsung, TCL, Motorola, and more," said Jeff Eisses, Chief Revenue Officer at Speck Products. "Every phone could use a 'hero' to protect it from harm, and now having ImpactHero lets us reach a much wider audience that hasn't had many quality protection options up to now."

ImpactHero is made with a patented dual-layer construction to provide a soft-touch outer surface over protective inner cushioning, creating its ability to survive an eight-foot fall. Its slim profile enables uninterrupted wireless charging while featuring Microban  antimicrobial product protection against stain and odor-causing bacteria. The scratch-resistant, yet supple, surface of ImpactHero feels great in the hand and provides a secure grip while taking pictures and videos. Like Speck's other protective cases, ImpactHero includes a raised bezel that protects the screen when placed face down, full access to ports, covered buttons and an anti-stretch design to maintain its heroic form. Speck's suggested retail price for ImpactHero is $29.95 for most models. Visit SpeckProducts.com to learn more.

About Speck

Since 2001, Speck has been creating award-winning products ranging from protective cases for smartphones, tablets, and laptops, to accessories that make wearables extraordinary to use. Each Speck product is deliberately designed to make an impactand take one. We're headquartered in Silicon Valley, a place where big ideas are transformed into life-changing products. Our community and environment inspire us to craft masterfully engineered items to get the most out of every day. We believe in demanding more from life, which means focusing on the details of what we carry so that you don't have to. Whether for work or play, Speck's thoughtful and innovative designs help you create a Life, Better Lived.

Contact:

Mighty PR for Speck

[email protected]

+1 (415) 593-8360

SOURCE Speck Products
A dead rodent near the water heater and 118 live flies infesting the kitchen and bar areas convinced state inspectors to shut down a trio of South Florida restaurants last week.

The eateries sent to the time-out corner were Natures Way Cafe in Lake Worth, Kay Rico Coffee in Hollywood and Nikos Greek Kouzina in Tequesta.

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The South Florida Sun Sentinel highlights restaurant inspections in Broward and Palm Beach counties from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. We cull through hundreds of restaurant and bar inspections that happen weekly and spotlight places ordered shut for high-priority violations, like improper food temperatures or dead cockroaches.

[ FULL DATABASE: See Florida restaurant inspection reports from the last 30 days ]

Sun Sentinel readers can browse full Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade county reports on our state inspection map, updated weekly (usually Monday) with fresh data pulled from the Florida DBPR website.

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Any restaurant that fails inspections must stay closed until it passes a follow-up state inspection. If you spotted a possible violation and wish to file a complaint, contact Florida DBPR here. (But dont contact us: The Sun Sentinel doesnt inspect restaurants.)

Natures Way Cafe, Lake Worth

517 Lake Ave.

Ordered shut: April 6 and April 7, reopened April 7

Why: Four violations (one high priority), led by two live flies flying around near prep table in the kitchen, as well as 38 rodent droppings discovered on top of white freezer in the kitchen and in the hallway leading to the restrooms and back door. Inspectors also found droppings on top of hot water heater, on an electrical outlet box behind the prep table, and rodent urine marks on a shelf above the kitchens prep table. More rodent droppings and live flies were spotted during the states second visit on April 7, and shut down the restaurant again. Inspectors on their third visit later that day discovered zero new issues and cleared the restaurant to reopen.

Kay Rico Coffee, Hollywood

2501 S. Ocean Drive

Ordered shut: April 6, reopened April 7

Why: Inspectors spotted a trio of violations (two high priority), counting 118 live flies infesting the kitchen and bar areas. The state spotted a handful flying around exit and reach-in cooler door, landing on green scallions inside container of water near the deep freezer, flying around clean utensils on [kitchen] storage shelf, resting on the kitchen wall and flying around and landing on to-go pizza boxes. Despite finding another problem during their second inspection on April 7, the state OKd Kay Ricos reopening.

Nikos Greek Kouzina, Tequesta

289 S. Highway 1

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Ordered shut: April 5, reopened April 6

Why: Seven violations (three high priority), led by this discovery: Dead rodent present in water heater room in kitchen. The operator, of course, discarded the rat, but not before cleaning up 20 of its droppings behind the kitchen storage rack and in the water heater room. The restaurant also was ordered to stop selling and throw out its lasagna and spanakopita due to temperature abuse. Inspectors didnt find a single incident during their second inspection the next day, and cleared the Greek restaurant to reopen.

[ RELATED: South Florida restaurants: Now open, coming soon and closed | PHOTOS ]
NEW YORK, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Squarespace, Inc. (NYSE: SQSP), the all-in-one website building and ecommerce platform, today announced it will report its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022, before market open on Thursday, May 12, 2022.

Squarespace will host a conference call and webcast to discuss first-quarter results at 8:30 a.m. ET / 5:30 a.m. PT on the same day. To register, please visit the Events & Presentations section of Squarespace's Investor Relations website at investors.squarespace.com.

An archived replay of the webcast will be available following the conclusion of the call.

About Squarespace

Squarespace is the all-in-one platform with everything to sell anything, providing customers in approximately 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to sell physical products, digital content, classes, appointments, reservations and more. Powered by best-in-class design for a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints, our suite of fully integrated products enables anyone to manage their projects and businesses through websites, domains, ecommerce, marketing tools, and scheduling, along with tools for managing a social media presence with Unfold and hospitality business management via Tock. Squarespace's team of more than 1,500 is headquartered in downtown New York City, with offices in Dublin, Ireland, Portland, Oregon, and Chicago, Illinois. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com.

Contacts

Investors

Robert Sanders

Clare Perry

[email protected]

Media

Kaitlyn Rawlett

[email protected]

SOURCE Squarespace, Inc.
1. From 2009 to 2011, he distinguished himself for three years as the President of the National Catholic College Admission Association (National CCAA), a nonprofit organization of Catholic colleges and universities committed to promoting the value of Catholic higher education and to serving students, parents, and counselors.

2. In 2010, after a presentation for the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights at the University of Maryland, then Vice President Joe Biden recognized President Armstrong as "one of the heroes for Title IX and campus safety policies and procedures".

3. From 2017 to 2020, Armstrong served on the Committee on Accountability for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), which serves as the unified voice of private, nonprofit higher education.

"A college education changes students' lives, not only for themselves, but for their families, and the generations that follow," commented Armstrong. "I am blessed to be given the opportunity to serve on the Board of Trustees at SACSCOC, helping to continue their pursuit of quality education, and commitment to students. I would like to personally thank Dr. H. Keith Wade, President of Webber International University for the nomination, and Dr. Belle S. Wheeland, President of SACSCOC, for her belief in me to serve the organization."

Entering his fourth year as President of St. Thomas University (STU), Armstrong has led STU to three years in a row of record undergraduate enrollment. The Fall 2021 semester saw the largest incoming class in the 60-year history of the University, with a 15% increase over 2020. STU's College of Law, continuously ranked nationally in the Top 5 for Diversity, also had an 18% increase in enrollment. STU students hail from 41 U.S. states or territories, and 70 countries.

St. Thomas University (STU) is a private, non-profit Catholic institution committed to the academic and professional success of its students who become ethical leaders in our global community. Rich with cultural and international diversity, STU is the only Catholic archdiocesan-sponsored university in Florida.

On our beautiful campus and online, the university's College of Health Sciences & Technology , College of Law , College of Business and Biscayne College offer 61 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and post-graduate certificate programs.

In 2020, STU launched our Limitless five-year strategic plan, based on the pillars of limitless Devotion, limitless Opportunities, and limitless Results. The plan, conceived to provide students with a magical collegiate experience, incorporates mentoring faculty, character formation activities outside the classroom, and required real-world experience before graduation.

Contact: Donna Jannine

St. Thomas University Media Relations

(m) 786.390.4688

[email protected]

SOURCE St. Thomas University
GREENSBORO, N.C., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE:SKT), a leading operator of upscale open-air outlet centers, announced today that its Board of Directors approved a 9.6% increase in the annual dividend on its common shares from $0.73 per share to $0.80 per share. Simultaneously, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share, payable on May 13, 2022, to common shareholders of record on April 29, 2022.

About Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT) is a leading operator of upscale open-air outlet centers that owns, or has an ownership interest in, a portfolio of 36 centers. Tanger's operating properties are located in 20 states and in Canada, totaling approximately 13.6 million square feet, leased to over 2,600 stores operated by more than 600 different brand name companies. The Company has more than 41 years of experience in the outlet industry and is a publicly-traded REIT. For more information on Tanger Outlet Centers, call 1-800-4TANGER or visit the Company's website at www.tangeroutlets.com .

Investor Contact

Doug McDonald

SVP, Finance and Capital Markets

T: (336) 856-6066

[email protected]

SOURCE Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.
The partnership will accelerate Cloud Transformation and Better Serve Its Citizens

SUNNYVALE, Calif, and JERUSALEM, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Google Cloud and Israeli judiciary, The Rabbinical Court announced a collaboration to accelerate its Cloud transformation journey. This new collaboration will see the Rabbinical Court leverage Google Cloud's infrastructure, storage and applications to better serve its Israeli citizens.

Following Google Cloud's win in the Nimbus tender for delivering cloud services to the Israeli government, the Rabbinical Courts migrated most of its workloads to Google Cloud with minimum disruption to the business and with a cost-effective deployment. Google Cloud also needed to design a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution to enable dozens of employees to work in a virtual environment, from home, safely and securely, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Google Cloud has created a partner interconnect with a high level of security that allows the customer to work directly with the VDI stations.

The Rabbinical Courts, the legal Jewish authority in Israel, deals with issues relating to divorce, property, child custody rights, wills, inheritances, confirmation of Jewish status, and conversion. There are 12 regional rabbinical courts throughout the country, with the Jerusalem High Court serving as an appellate court. President of the Rabbinical Court, heads the Great Court and serves as Chief Rabbi of Israel. The organisation is led by a CEO appointed by the Minister of Religious Affairs.

The two organisations will collaborate to:

Further enhance citizens' experience: Leveraging many of Google Cloud's products and servicesincluding infrastructure, applications and morethe Courts will drive operational efficiency and create more compelling experiences for its citizens. This Includes helping citizens access the documents they need to seamlessly navigate court proceedings such a divorce.

Leveraging many of Google Cloud's products and servicesincluding infrastructure, applications and morethe Courts will drive operational efficiency and create more compelling experiences for its citizens. This Includes helping citizens access the documents they need to seamlessly navigate court proceedings such a divorce. Accelerate cloud transformation: The Courts are using Google Cloud-based infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) productslike storage, networking, and computeto more rapidly digitise its operations into the cloud.

The Courts are using Google Cloud-based infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) productslike storage, networking, and computeto more rapidly digitise its operations into the cloud. Strengthen the security of citizen data: The Courts are piloting Cloud Identity to help protect organisational data with a wide variety of multi-factor authentication (MFA) verification methods, such as push notifications, Google Authenticator, and phishing-resistant Titan Security Keysall while ensuring privacy of citizens' data.

The Courts are piloting Cloud Identity to help protect organisational data with a wide variety of multi-factor authentication (MFA) verification methods, such as push notifications, Google Authenticator, and phishing-resistant Titan Security Keysall while ensuring privacy of citizens' data. Maintain and manage databases: The Courts are making use of Google Cloud Structured Query Language that helps the organisation set up, maintain, manage, and administer relational databases on the Google Cloud Platform.

The Courts are making use of Google Cloud Structured Query Language that helps the organisation set up, maintain, manage, and administer relational databases on the Google Cloud Platform. WideOps partnership: WideOps has been chosen by Google Cloud to perform the RBC migration. Using Google Cloud native tools, the WideOps expert migration team has managed to migrate the entirety of RBC infrastructure to Google Cloud, while adhering to high architectural and security standardsresulting in a robust, highly available, and secure environment. Due to the seamless deployment process, RBC staff can continue their work with minimal-to-no impact on the end-user experience.

"We are delighted to work with Google Cloud on the next stage of our digital transformation journey," said Chief Information Officer Mr. Uri Aharonson. "We are looking forward to this collaboration to develop applications that will make our services faster and more accessible for our Israeli citizens."

"We are thrilled to start providing services to the Rabbinical Court and improve the lives of Israelis throughout the country,'' said Shay Mor, head of Government and Public Sector, Google Cloud, Israel.

About Google Cloud

Google Cloud accelerates every organisation's ability to digitally transform its business. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google's cutting-edge technology  all on the cleanest cloud in the industry. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems.

SOURCE Google Cloud
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. and VENTURA, Calif., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Responding to rapid changes in the legal services industry, The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law has launched its new Master of Arts in Law program. Recruitment is underway to enroll an inaugural cohort in a pioneering online program that intersects cross-disciplinary studies with a legal curriculum.

The Colleges of Law dean and chief academic officer, Jackie Gardina, J.D., first proposed the program to the college's Board of Trustees in 2019 to address emerging trends in the practice of law. "Our field is being disrupted," says Gardina. "Technology is transforming how people access services and how lawyers perform their jobs. While there will always be a need for competent and ethical attorneys, those with knowledge of where the field is going next will be poised to help lead the change."

The Master of Arts in Law program was designed for entry-level master's students seeking knowledge of law applied to specific areas of expertise. The program is also applicable to professionals currently working in the legal industryincluding those with a J.D. degreein order to access new areas of expertise and apply them to their practice, effectively providing opportunities for upskilling to meet a changing job market.

Jeannette Eicks, a recognized expert in the legal field who joined The Colleges of Law in 2021 to lead the Master of Arts in Law initiative, developed the curriculum and ushered the program through WASC Senior College and University Commission review.

"As has been the case for many other sectors, technology is transforming the legal industry. This transformation brings new opportunities for legal professionals at all levels and will address the demand of underserved legal markets," says Eicks. "To better prepare students and alumni for this transformation, the school's curriculum has expanded to addresses the cross-disciplinary needs of this growing legal marketplace. We have dedicated ourselves to bringing the knowledge driving the legal industry's transformation to students at all graduate levels."

The Master of Arts in Law program is the latest venture of a college that has staked its future in modernizing legal education.

"The bar is high for this project," says The Colleges of Law President Matthew Nehmer, Ph.D. "Nearly three years in the making, it is our follow-up to delivering the first accredited Hybrid J.D. program in California. From the beginning it was conceived to be something new and different. We wanted to go beyond just offering a new master's degree. We wanted to create a learning experience with multiple applications with high value to learners and the legal services industry at large."

The Master of Arts in Law program launches this fall, delivering 30 units of academic content across 21 months of study. Students can specialize in one of four concentrationsBusiness Operations, Entrepreneurship, Emerging Law, and Technologyand will complete a capstone project. Courses will also be available as electives for The Colleges of Law's J.D. population, opening up the college's J.D. curriculum to new career pathways.

About The Colleges of Law

Established in 1969, The Colleges of Law (COL) was founded to expand opportunities and broaden access to legal education. COL is dedicated to a student-centered approach that affords students of diverse backgrounds the opportunity to pursue careers in law or legal-related fields. COL's faculty advances a real-world perspective and practicality on the application of law and includes practicing attorneys, judges, public servants, and leaders in business and nonprofit organizations. An accredited nonprofit institution, COL offers a Juris Doctor (J.D.) and a Master of Arts in Law (MAL) program. Additionally, in the fall of 2018, COL became the first accredited law school in California to offer a Hybrid J.D. degree. COL is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The Juris Doctor program is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) of the State Bar of California. COL is a part of TCS Education System, a national nonprofit system that works collaboratively to advance institutional sustainability, student success, and community impact.

For more information, visit www.collegesoflaw.edu.

SOURCE The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law
ST. LOUIS, April 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global packaging leader TricorBraun announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire PB Packaging ("PB"), a wholly-owned business of Pro-Pac Packaging Limited (ASX: PPG) ("Pro-Pac"), expanding its presence in Australia.

One of Australia's leading providers of plastic and glass packaging, PB is a one-stop shop for rigid packaging needs, serving customers in the health, industrial, food, and automotive industries.

"We are excited to grow our business in Australia, offering customers expanded solutions and supply chain options," said Court Carruthers, president and CEO, TricorBraun. "The PB Packaging team's dedication to innovation, quality, and exceptional customer service make them an ideal fit. We are pleased to welcome PB Packaging to the TricorBraun family, and we look forward to investing in its continued growth."

TricorBraun established its footprint in the region with its acquisition of Cormack Packaging in September 2021.

PB's current leadership team will join TricorBraun and all 140 PB team members will be offered positions with the company. Effective with the closing of the transaction, PB will operate as PB Packaging, a TricorBraun company. The company will continue to operate as a stand-alone business.

"We are delighted that TricorBraun will acquire PB and that all Rigid team members will be offered positions with TricorBraun," said Tim Welsh, CEO and managing director, Pro-Pac. "TricorBraun is a natural home for the PB business, and we look forward to completing the transaction expeditiously."

"Over the last 32 years, we've solidified our reputation as one of the most respected distributors of packaging materials and services in Australia," said Andrew Allsop, executive general manager, PB Packaging. We look forward to continuing our service to customers, with TricorBraun's support, resources, and investments in our growth."

Since its founding, TricorBraun has partnered with management teams to successfully acquire and further accelerate growth for 34 packaging companies globally.

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022, subject to the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board approval and satisfaction of other customary completion conditions.

About PB Packaging

PB Packaging is the Rigid division of the Pro-Pac Group (PPG) of companies, one of Australia's largest publicly listed packaging companies. Established in 1990, PB Packaging has continuously evolved to meet the varying and diverse needs of its customers, offering a comprehensive product range of locally-moulded and imported products.

About Pro-Pac Packaging

Pro-Pac Packaging Limited (ASX: PPG) is an innovative Flexibles, Industrial Specialty Packaging and Rigid packaging company with a diversified distribution and manufacturing network throughout Australia and New Zealand. Headquartered in Melbourne, Pro-Pac delivers bespoke packaging solutions for a broad group of blue-chip and SME clients in the industrial, food and beverage, health, agriculture and manufacturing sectors. For further information, please visit www.ppgaust.com.au.

About TricorBraun

Founded in 1902, TricorBraun is a global packaging leader and North America's largest distributor of primary packaging. We provide innovative solutions across a wide array of customer end markets in plastic, glass, and aluminum containers, closures, dispensers, tubes, and flexibles. Our award-winning Design & Engineering Center provides forward-thinking design, driven by consumer insight and creative solutions. We leverage our global supply chain expertise, expansive and sustainable footprint, and unmatched purchasing power to identify the best sourcing partners and cost-effective solutions for our customers. TricorBraun is comprised of more than 1,700 packaging professionals operating from more than 75 locations across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

SOURCE TricorBraun
"The addition of Jonathan to our team reinforces our full-service offerings for our health sciences clients," said Rachael M. Bushey , chair of the firm's Health Sciences Department. "As technology continues to transform every aspect of the health care industry, Jonathan's unique perspective with all things digital health is another exceptional resource for our clients and further strengthens our world-class Health Sciences Department. We are thrilled to welcome him to the firm."

Ishee regularly advises clients on regulatory issues, data privacy and security, and the use of technology in the transformation of health care delivery and reimbursement. He is particularly experienced with HIPAA, information blocking and other issues surrounding the use of exchange of electronic health information, managed care contracting including value-based reimbursement, CMS and state insurance licensing, digital health, telehealth, the development and use of new models for health care delivery, and fraud and abuse issues. Ishee is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP).

"Jonathan is highly respected in the technology and health care sectors," said Partner John W. Jones Jr., who leads Troutman Pepper's Health Care Transactions and Regulatory practices. "His experience with regulatory, data privacy, and HIPAA matters will greatly benefit clients in the health sciences space, and across the firm."

Ishee will work with the firm's health sciences clients on all aspects of regulatory requirements, licensing, reimbursement, and operational issues related to health care.

"The firm's impressive health sciences team, long-standing and deep client relationships, and collaborative work style make this a great choice for my practice," Ishee said. "I know my clients will benefit from the firm's platform and resources."

Ishee earned both his JD and BSM from Tulane University. He also earned his MPH, and MS in health informatics from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, where he currently serves as an assistant professor of biomedical informatics, and an LLM in health law from the University of Houston Law Center

Troutman Pepper's multidisciplinary Health Sciences Department has more than 150 professionals who serve clients across the health care and life sciences spectrum. Its Privacy, Security, and Data Protection team helps health care providers, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, members of the health care supply chain, and other health sciences clients address their most complex privacy and security needs.

About Troutman Pepper Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,200 attorneys strategically located in 23 U.S. cities. The firm's litigation, transactional, and regulatory practices advise a diverse client base, from startups to multinational enterprises. The firm provides sophisticated legal solutions to clients' most pressing business challenges, with depth across industry sectors, including energy, financial services, health sciences, insurance, and private equity, among others. Learn more at troutman.com.

SOURCE Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP
Leading educationalist, Adam Caller offers a solution to highly-able pupils who are being overlooked in UK's schools

OXFORD, England, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Adam Caller, a leading educationalist and the founder and CEO of Tutors International, feels strongly that a considerable number of pupils are still being neglected in the classroom: "No provision is being made for the gifted and talented, whatsoever. This means that these students are still not receiving the focused attention and support they need to thrive in the classroom. These young people also have a right to receive an education appropriate to their needs."

Gifted and Talented Also Have Special Educational Needs

"...consistent, high quality provision and parity of esteem for those pupils who are gifted and talented is woefully lacking". (PRNewsfoto/Tutors International)

Caller goes on to say that despite their exceptional academic potential, gifted and talented students equally manifest learning disabilities in the classroom: "Occasionally, while the work is easier, these children choose to hide their ability in order to 'fit in' with their peer group or to avoid being singled out for praise, but it becomes harder and harder for them to excel, which can lead to emotional, behavioural and psychological problems."

History of Support for Most Able Pupils

The provision of educational services dedicated to the super-bright is now virtually non-existent in the UK, however, this has not always been the case. The Young, Gifted & Talented Programme (YG&T), was a government scheme which aimed to enhance the educational development of students between the ages of 4 and 19. Their vision was to 'give all gifted and talented learners in England the opportunity to reach their full potential'. Established in 2002, it was abandoned in 2010. Since then, there has been no national definition of 'gifted' or 'more able' or any national support programme for gifted and talented students.

In July 2018, The Sutton Trust publicised their report, 'Potential for Success' in which they examined: 'the barriers faced by those of high potential', concluding that: 'harnessing the potential of this group is an important goal for the education system'. One of their recommendations was that structured mentoring and tutoring programmes should be offered to highly able students with the collaboration of local universities.

February 2020 saw the publication by Potential Plus UK, on the quality of provision for the most able pupils in England. The report found that the lack of provision for the most able was 'consistently high' in most schools and that there needed to be a change across the board in the level of challenge for these pupils in order for them to progress.

Denise Yates has worked in education and training for over thirty-eight years with the aim of enabling all individuals to maximise their potential. For ten years. Ms Yates was CEO of Potential Plus UK, leaving in 2017 to pursue her passion, which she summarises as 'hidden potential' children and young people with Dual or Multiple Exceptionality (DME), those with mental health problems and those who have been failed by the system. Denise is currently a Board member of The Potential Trust (https://www.thepotentialtrust.org.uk), Nisai Education Trust (https://www.nisai.com/nisaieducationtrust2/), and Potential In Me (https://potentialin.me).

Tutors International contacted Ms Yates, who commented: "Consistent, high quality provision and parity of esteem for those pupils who are gifted and talented is woefully lacking. There is no national framework in place to identify their needs, set standards and monitor their progress and outcomes. This lack of a cohesive national strategy has led to ..a legacy of underachievement, social, emotional and behavioural problems for those children left behind".

Gifted Students Need Exceptional Educational Accommodations

Says Caller: "Education in schools revolves around passing exams so that you can go to university", he asserts. "As long as the child is deemed capable of passing exams, they're considered to have no need of extra attention. The evidence is incontrovertible - seriously gifted children are not being given the time and focused one-to-one support to enable them to perform to the best of their unique ability."

"I agree wholeheartedly with the Davidson Institute who conclude that profoundly gifted students with IQs of 160+ need 'extremely exceptional educational accommodations to meet their needs,' Caller argues. "These are children with the potential to become our best inventors, lawmakers, diplomats, and who could, one day, even help solve some of the world's greatest problems. The problems that the world faces today are very different from before. If we are going to solve those problems, we need to seek out and cultivate the super-bright. We will need visionaries who are capable of thinking creatively, who are innovative and who can think outside the box."

Tutors International Has the Answer

"Tutors International has many enquiries from parents of gifted and able children who are struggling within their educational setting," Caller explains. "Parents are searching for personalised, full-time residential private tuition where their child's specific needs are catered for. They are looking for a strengths-based education for their child where learning goes above and beyond working towards passing an exam and is instead, driven by their child's curiosity and personal interests."

Caller expands on the benefits that private tuition from Tutors International can offer the gifted and able child: "We are experts in our field and renowned for high quality provision. Tutors International offers a completely tailored process on behalf of each Client that meets their child's exact educational needs. We see private tutoring as a valid solution here, as a tutor can very quickly home in on a child's individual strengths and talents and nurture them according to the child's own interests and learning style."

Caller recalls how one of the private tutors registered with Tutors International used to be responsible for looking after the students under the age of sixteen at Oxford University: "She reported that there were nine such students at her college alone and an equal number at each of the other colleges. Given that there are thirty-nine colleges in total, that makes over 350 academically gifted students under the age of sixteen studying at Oxford University at any one time."

Caller emphasises that these and other students need to find ways to prematurely develop and nurture their talents: "The parents of these students have been forced to take matters into their own hands," he explains. "Based on the evidence that the profoundly able child is often overlooked in a classroom setting, it is down to parents to seek ways of cultivating their child's talents. It is often the case that those with access to financial and social resources find it easier to navigate the educational options open to them. We need to empower parents to seek alternative solutions."

Face-to-Face Meetings with Families

Now that Covid travel restrictions are easing, Caller is once again able to attend face-to-face meetings with potential Clients exploring alternative academic options for their child. This week he will travel to Tampa in an attempt to find the perfect tutor for a child whose school is unable to support his level of capability. Caller stresses that Tutors International prides itself on its personalised service: "The first step in this process is to meet with the family to gain a thorough understanding of their lifestyle. Then, we get to know the child to find out their strengths, what hobbies they have, what they find challenging, how best they learn. Only then do we begin the search for a tutor with a job specification that specifically reflects the child's and the family's individual requirements."

Tutors International has a reputation for placing exceptional, hand-picked private tutors with children all over the world  from SEN children to the academically gifted and talented  and prides itself on its commitment to finding the perfect full-time tutor to suit the individual needs of each family. Adam Caller welcomes any enquiries from parents to advise on the support options available for their child.

About Tutors International

Tutors International provides an unparalleled private tutoring service that matches the right private home tutor with the right child, in order for the student to fully reach their personal potential and academic excellence. Delivering an international private tuition service for children of all ages at different points in their educational journeys, Tutors International is founded on a commitment to finding the perfect tutor to realise the specific goals and aspirations of each student. Tutors are available for residential full-time positions, after-school assistance, and homeschooling.

Founded in 1999 by Adam Caller, Tutors International is a private company based in Oxford, a city renowned for academic excellence. Our select clientele receives a personally tailored service, with discretion and confidentiality guaranteed.

Contact Details

Web: www.tutors-international.com

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +44 (0) 1865 435 135

Tutors International

Clarendon House

52 Cornmarket Street

Oxford

OX1 3HJ

UK

SOURCE Tutors International
DUBLIN, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "U.S. Assisted Reproductive Technology Market - Industry Outlook & Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The U.S. assisted reproductive technology (ART) market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.90% during the forecast period.

The U.S. Assisted Reproductive Technology Market Report contains a Detailed Overview of the Vendor Landscape, Competitive Analysis, And Critical Market Strategies to Gain Competitive Advantages



Increasing prevalence of infertility, rising number of fertility clinics offering fertility services, changing lifestyle of people leading to infertility, increasing acceptance of ART procedure are some of the factors driving the market growth during the forecast period.

GLOBAL U.S. ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY MARKET SEGMENTATION

Factors such as increased number of ART device manufacturing companies, growing investments by private & public players, and increasing financial assistance programs are also contributing to the growth of overall assisted reproductive technology market.

However, high cost of infertility treatment and risk associated with in vitro fertilization treatment are expected to restrict the market growth during the forecast period.

VENDOR ANALYSIS

The Cooper Companies, Cook Medical and Vitrolife are the major players in the US assisted reproductive technology market. The market also has several regional players that are competing with the global players in terms of new product launch.



The key vendors in the market include the Cooper companies, Cook Medical, FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific, Hamilton Throne, Merck KGaA, and Vitrolife. With the rising demand for infertility treatment in the US, the market share of these vendors is expected to grow in the coming years. However, the major players are facing stiff competition from emerging players.



Vendors are progressively focusing on introducing innovative devices to penetrate and utilize the huge growth potential prevailing in the market. The technological advancements and innovations in the field of ART is providing tremendous growth opportunity to the vendors.



Key Manufacturers Profile

The Cooper Companies

Cook Medical

FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific

Hamilton Thorne

Merck Group

Vitrolife

Other Prominent Manufacturers

CARL ZEISS

Esco Lifesciences

INVO Bioscience

Kitazato USA

Nidacon

Rocket Medical

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thomas Medical

Prominent ART Service Providers

The American Fertility California Corp.

Angels Creation Reproductive Center (ACRC)

Aspire Houston Fertility Institute

Boston IVF

CARE Fertility

Carolinas Fertility Institute

CCRM Fertility

Center of Reproductive Medicine

of Reproductive Medicine Conceptions Reproductive Associates

Dallas-Fort Worth Fertility Associates

Extend Fertility

Fertility Center

Fertility Center of San Antonio

of Infertility Texas

Innovative Fertility Center

Institute for Human Reproduction (IHR)

Kindbody

Main Line Fertility & Reproductive Medicine

Mayo Clinic

New Hope Fertility Center

Oma Fertility

Overlake Reproductive Health

Pacific Fertility Center

Pacific Reproductive Center

Reproductive Medicine Associates of Philadelphia

ReproMed Fertility Center

San Diego Fertility Center

Santa Barbara Fertility Center

Santa Monica Fertility

Sher Institutes for Reproductive Medicine

Southern California Reproductive Center (SCRC)

Tennessee Reproductive Medicine (TRM)

Texas Center for Reproductive Health

for Reproductive Health The Center for Fertility and Gynecology

for Fertility and Gynecology The Fertility Center of Las Vegas

The Reproductive Medicine Group

UCLA Fertility and Reproductive Health Center

Western Fertility Institute

Wisconsin Fertility

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 of Infertility & Art

7.2 Trends in Art



8 Market Opportunities & Trends

8.1 Growing Number of Single Parents and Same-Sex Couples

8.2 Technological Advancements and Innovations in Art

8.3 Rising Venture Capital & Private Equity Investments in Infertility Services

8.4 Increasing Financial Assistance Programs & Employer Benefits for Infertility Treatment



9 Market Growth Enablers

9.1 Increasing Prevalence of Infertility

9.2 Rising Number of Fertility Clinics Offering Fertility Services

9.3 Changing Lifestyles of People

9.4 Increasing Acceptance of Art Procedures



10 Market Restraints

10.1 High Cost of Infertility Treatment

10.2 Risks and Limitations Associated With Infertility Treatment

10.3 Ethical Challenges Related to Infertility Treatment

10.4 Lack of Standardized Government Regulations on Infertility Treatment



11 Market Landscape

11.1 Market Overview

11.2 Market Size & Forecast

11.3 Five Forces Analysis



12 Type

12.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

12.2 Market Overview



13 Services

13.1 Market Overview

13.2 Market Size & Forecast

13.3 Art Services Market by Source

13.4 Frozen Non-Donor

13.5 Fresh Non-Donor

13.6 Fresh Donor

13.7 Frozen Donor

13.8 Art Services Market by Age Group

13.9 Between 35 & 40 Years

13.10 Less Than 35 Years

13.11 Above 40 Years

13.12 Art Services Market by Technique

13.13 in Vitro Fertilization (Ivf)

13.14 Frozen Embryo Transfer (Fet)

13.15 Others



14 Devices

14.1 Market Overview

14.2 Market Size & Forecast

14.3 Art Devices Market by Product

14.4 Art Devices Market by End-User



15 Competitive Landscape

15.1 Competition Overview: Art Device Manufacturers

15.2 Competition Overview: Service Providers

15.3 Market Share Analysis: Manufacturers

15.4 Market Share Analysis: Art Service Providers

16 Key Manufacturer Profiles

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cpztrn

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 new investments will increase the company's affordable housing by over 10 percent and align with March 14 commitment to employees

BROOMFIELD, Colo., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Vail Resorts announced four investments to provide accessible and affordable housing for its employees at Park City Mountain in Utah, Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Vail Mountain in Colorado, and Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont as part of the company's strategic focus on investing in the employee experience. Collectively, the four investments will provide new affordable housing to more than 875 Vail Resorts employees, marking a more than 10 percent increase in affordable employee housing offered by the company across its resorts.

Last month, Vail Resorts CEO Kirsten Lynch shared in a letter to employees a commitment to aggressively pursue affordable employee housing in partnership with the mountain communities in which it operates. The commitment includes building new developments on the land the company owns and securing new leases in affordable housing developments to ensure rental rates remain affordable for its employees.

"Our employees are at the core of our mission to create an Experience of a Lifetime," Lynch said. "Bringing our mission to life for our guests starts by creating it for our employees, and affordable housing is an essential part of that. As our mountain communities have grown, affordable housing has become increasingly more difficult for our employees to access  addressing this must be a top priority for our company and our communities. These projects reflect progress on our commitment and we remain focused on aggressively pursuing more opportunities in our resort communities."

At Park City Mountain Resort , Vail Resorts has entered into a five-year lease with Columbus Pacific Development which will provide an additional 441 employees with access to affordable housing in the new Canyons Village Employee Housing Development. It is located in the Canyons Lower Village adjacent to the Cabriolet lift and the Canyons Village Transit Hub. The long-term company lease begins with the 2022/23 season and has two five-year renewal options. The development is part of a public-private partnership between Canyons Village Management Association, Columbus Pacific , and Summit County, Utah .

, Vail Resorts has entered into a five-year lease with Columbus Pacific Development which will in the new Canyons Village Employee Housing Development. It is located in the Canyons Lower Village adjacent to the Cabriolet lift and the Canyons Village Transit Hub. The long-term company lease begins with the 2022/23 season and has two five-year renewal options. The development is part of a public-private partnership between Canyons Village Management Association, , and . At Whistler Blackcomb , the company is pursuing the new Glacier 8 employee housing development, alongside the Resort Municipality of Whistler, which will provide an additional 240 employees with access to affordable housing. Glacier 8 will be located on Blackcomb Mountain, with easy access to Blackcomb and Whistler lifts. As a part of the investment, Vail Resorts has committed $1 million CAD to enhance transit service to the site. The development is slated for a final Town Council vote this spring, and with approval, will move directly into the permitting and RFP process. Construction commencement is dependent on building permit issuance, which is anticipated by spring of 2023. .

, the company is pursuing the new Glacier 8 employee housing development, alongside the Resort Municipality of Whistler, which will Glacier 8 will be located on Blackcomb Mountain, with easy access to Blackcomb and Whistler lifts. As a part of the investment, Vail Resorts has committed CAD to enhance transit service to the site. The development is slated for a final Town Council vote this spring, and with approval, will move directly into the permitting and RFP process. Construction commencement is dependent on building permit issuance, which is anticipated by spring of 2023. . At Vail Mountain , the company is pleased to move forward with the construction of workforce housing on the land Vail Resorts owns in East Vail , which will provide 165 employees with affordable housing . Vail Resorts will invest approximately $17 million in the project as the company seeks to address the scarcity of affordable housing in the Town of Vail . This project was approved by the Town of Vail in October 2019 after an extensive planning and environmental review, including a wildlife study performed with input from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The approval was upheld by the district court in October 2020 . Construction was then delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company looks forward to proceeding this summer with this essential project, which is expected to be complete by December 2023 .

, the company is pleased to move forward with the construction of workforce housing on the land Vail Resorts owns in , . Vail Resorts will invest approximately in the project as the company seeks to address the scarcity of affordable housing in the . This project was approved by the in after an extensive planning and environmental review, including a wildlife study performed with input from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The approval was upheld by the district court in . Construction was then delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company looks forward to proceeding this summer with this essential project, which is expected to be complete by . At Okemo Mountain Resort, Vail Resorts is now under contract to purchase an existing property in Ludlow, Vermont , that will provide more than 30 employees with affordable housing. This $1 million investment will provide long-term sustainable housing for employees and is just one mile from the resort. The purchase is subject to due diligence and expected to close in April.

In addition, earlier this season, the company invested in incremental affordable housing at Stevens Pass in Washington state for 24 additional employees, as part of the company's ongoing efforts to pursue and secure affordable employee housing across its resorts.

These affordable employee housing investments are in addition to the incremental $175 million annual investment Vail Resorts is making in employee wages, seasonal frontline leadership development, and HR support. The investment includes a new $20 per hour minimum wage for the 2022/23 season and differential adjustments for hourly employees at all 37 North American resorts, representing an average wage increase of nearly 30-percent across hourly employees in North America.

Additionally, Vail Resorts is investing more than $300 million into its on-mountain guest experience ahead of the 2022/23 season. 21 new lifts are planned across 14 resorts to reduce wait times. The company's largest single-year capital investment also includes terrain and restaurant expansions at Keystone.

About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)

Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. Vail Resorts' subsidiaries currently operate 40 destination mountain resorts and regional ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham in Australia; Stowe, Mount Snow, Okemo in Vermont; Hunter Mountain in New York; Mount Sunapee, Attitash, Wildcat and Crotched in New Hampshire; Stevens Pass in Washington; Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, Laurel Mountain, Liberty, Roundtop, Whitetail, Jack Frost and Big Boulder in Pennsylvania; Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine and Mad River in Ohio; Hidden Valley and Snow Creek in Missouri; Wilmot in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota; Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and Paoli Peaks in Indiana. Vail Resorts owns and/or manages a collection of casually elegant hotels under the Rock Resorts brand, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning and development subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.

SOURCE Vail Resorts, Inc.
Patrons attending a South Florida music festival may have gone home with some things missing.

Police officers in Fort Lauderdale said Saturday that they had arrested three men for pickpocketing cell phones from patrons at the Tortuga Music Festival.

Advertisement

Police officers found two dozen phones on the men, who are facing charges of grand theft. Officers were able to return 18 phones to their proper owners.

Thousands of music lovers gather on Fort Lauderdale Beach for the 2022 Tortuga Music Festival, Saturday, April 9, 2022. (Michael Laughlin/Sun Sentinel)

The beachside music festival at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park included appearances by musical artists Morgan Wallen, Nelly, Thomas Rhett, Luke Combs and Travis Tritt, among others.

Advertisement

Police officers have a zero tolerance policy for victimizing festival attendees, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said in a statement.
The Tampa Bay Times has selected its Top Places to Work for 2022 and Vantagepoint A.I. is in the Top 10 of Small Businesses.

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vantagepoint A.I., LLC (www.vantagepointsoftware.com) continues to be recognized for its outstanding workplace culture. The Tampa Bay Times has named the company one of the top small businesses in the Tampa Bay region for the 5th year in a row. This year, Vantagepoint A.I. has been named one of the Top 10 small businesses in one of the hottest growing regions for business in the U.S.

While also receiving accolades for its strong growth, the Tampa Bay Times award is based on input from the company's employees. The Vantagepoint team has responded to the Times' survey with a massively positive response about the workplace culture, benefits, and company leadership.

"Our team told the Times that Vantagepoint feels like a family which means the world to me," says Lane Mendelsohn, President of Vantagepoint A.I., "we do everything we can to support them and keep them safe  while we remain working remotely my team still maintains our culture with a healthy mix of fun."

The positive work atmosphere reinforces Vantagepoint's core values of teamwork, communication, innovation, positivity, purpose, integrity, and respect. These set the tone for every action and decision at Vantagepoint A.I. and naturally spill over to how traders are treated.

Vantagepoint A.I. was the first company in the world to give independent traders the power of A.I. for their home computers. Since its inception in 1979, Vantagepoint has worked to empower traders in over 160 countries. With the release of its software in 1983, the company has given traders the ability to see global intermarket relationships and predictive market forecasts up to three days in advance with up to 87.4% proven accuracy based on its patented artificial intelligence processes. Easy-to-use, VantagePoint gives traders reliable information to make trading decisions in just minutes a day.

About Vantagepoint AI, LLC. VantagePoint AI software forecasts Stocks, Futures, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, and ETFs. Family owned and operated, Vantagepoint employs over 90 team members and is actively committed to giving back in the Tampa Bay community. The company regularly donates a portion of revenue to Shriners Hospitals for Children and The Children's Cancer Center. Schedule a demonstration at www.vantagepointsoftware.com/demo

Media contact: Lisa Moretti, [email protected]

SOURCE Vantagepoint AI, LLC
Starring Lee Joon Gi and Kim Ji Eun , Again My Life is a crime and mystery Korean drama that follows a hardworking prosecutor who gets killed while investigating a politician suspected of corruption. Kim Hee Woo (Lee Joon Gi) gets another shot at life and tries to discover the truth about what happened to him.

Viewers looking for a romance Korean drama to watch can look forward to Sh**ting Stars (Shooting Stars). Top star, Gong Tae Sung ( Kim Young Dae ), is viewed as a kind and polite young man in the public's eyes. However, he has a different personality off-screen. As the PR team head, Oh Han Byeol ( Lee Sung Kyung ) always employs her excellent speech and crisis management skills to maintain Tae Sung's image. Despite their endless bickering, the two gradually develops feelings for each other.

Another must-watch Korean drama is From Now, Showtime! starring Park Hae Jin and Jin Ki Joo . Park Hae Jin plays a famous magician, Cha Cha Woong, who is able to see ghosts. Go Seul Hae (Jin Ji Joo) is a passionate police officer that shares the same ability but is afraid of using it. With Hae Jin's ghostly retinue, they start to work together to catch fiendish criminals.

Check Out More Exciting Shows

Apart from these new Korean dramas, viewers can also watch Queendom 2 , a Korean reality survival show that pits six all-female acts against each other in a series of musical challenges. Viewers can look forward to exciting performances as the competitors battle it out to win the crown.

Additionally, viewers can also watch Japanese dramas like Promise Cinderalla  now available on Viki. When her husband reveals that he has met another woman, Katsuragi Hayama ( Nikaido Fumi ) leaves the house only to be robbed of the money she has. Homeless and penniless, she meets Issei ( Maeda Gordon ). The bratty high school student offers her a place to stay, only if she plays a game with him.

Watch Korean Dramas Online with Subtitles Free

Viki offers a wide range of genres, including romance, action and comedy. Viewers can watch shows for free or subscribe to Viki for an ad-free experience and be entertained anytime, anywhere. Dramas and movies on Viki are also subtitled in a variety of language options. Viewers can look forward to enjoying their favorite shows in English, French, Traditional Chinese and more.

About Rakuten Viki:

Rakuten Viki is a premier destination for Asian entertainment, offering the best and most accessible selection of Asian movies and shows, including dramas, variety and award shows, and originals across many popular genres. Reaching more than 55 million fans in 190 countries, Rakuten Viki's content is translated into 150+ languages by a community of avid fans. Viki, Inc. as well as Soompi, an entertainment news community, is a part of the Rakuten Group (TSE: 4755), a global leader in e-commerce and internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses, and society.

SOURCE Rakuten Viki
NEW YORK, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global skilled business support services firm Williams Lea announces the appointment of Erin Wiggins, Esq. as General Counsel. Reporting to CEO Clare Hart, Wiggins will oversee Williams Lea's legal, risk, and compliance functions, as well as the company's on-going ESG program.

Wiggins comes to Williams Lea with extensive in-house counsel and law firm experience, most recently serving as General Counsel for TS Tech Americas, a tier-one manufacturer of auto parts. He gained law firm experience as an associate at Hahn Loeser & Parks in Columbus, Ohio and Paul Weiss and Weil Gotshal in New York City. Wiggins received his JD from Columbia Law School, where he was a James Kent Scholar and graduated summa cum laude with a BA/MA from Case Western University.

"I am very pleased to have Erin as part of our leadership team," said Williams Lea CEO, Clare Hart. "He will play a key role in advising our global teams and liaising with our clients as we execute our operational and growth strategies."

"Erin's experience as General Counsel for a 7,000 plus employee organization allows for great perspective and guidance for our global workforce as we respond to our clients' expanding needs and changing workstyles," she added.

"I am excited to be joining Williams Lea and honored to assume responsibility for safeguarding the company's employees and infrastructure. I am looking forward to being a part of the team that drives the company's transformation and growth." commented Wiggins.

About Williams Lea

Williams Lea is the global provider of skilled business-critical support services to financial, legal and professional services firms, connecting people, processes and technology to streamline key business and administrative functions and helping companies adapt to a more virtual and digital workplace.

Built on a strong heritage, great client relationships and a talented team, Williams Lea is the trusted global outsourcing provider to clients in highly regulated environments.

Williams Lea serves clients in 20 countries across four continents and has revenues of $400 million and 5,500 employees worldwide. Williams Lea is backed by Advent International, one of the largest and most experienced global private equity investors.

For more information, please visit www.williamslea.com.

Contact: Jennifer Materkoski

Director, Communications

304-559-9491

[email protected]

SOURCE Williams Lea
OMAHA, Neb., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Union Pacific's famed Big Boy No. 4014 is set to return to the tracks this summer for its "West Coast Steam Tour." Kicking off June 26 from Cheyenne, Wyoming, this year's tour will celebrate Union Pacific's 160th anniversary, railroad heritage and the communities the railroad serves, visiting the Pacific Northwest for the first time since its return to service.

The Big Boy will be on display in four cities:

July 6, 2022 : Sparks, Nevada

: July 8-9, 2022 : Roseville, California

: July 15-16, 2022 : Portland, Oregon

: July 21-22, 2022 : Boise, Idaho

Display days include locomotive viewing, access to the "Experience the Union Pacific Rail Car," a multi-media walk-through exhibition that provides a glimpse at the past while telling the story of modern-day railroading, and live Q&A with the Steam Crew.

Twenty-five Big Boy locomotives were built for Union Pacific to haul heavy freight during World War II and out of the eight still preserved, No. 4014 is the world's only functioning Big Boy. Weighing in at 1.1 million pounds, this is the second tour since the locomotive was restored for 2019's "Great Race" tours, which celebrated the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad's completion, following a retirement that spanned six decades.

"The Big Boy was delivered to Union Pacific in December 1941 and helped carry the nation through World War II," said Scott Moore, senior vice president  Corporate Relations and chief administrative officer. "It now serves as a reminder of our history and how rail is the backbone of America. The tour last year brought out about 1.1 million people from the communities we serve, and we cannot wait to share Big Boy again this summer."

Big Boy No. 4014 will leave the Steam Shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming, June 26, making brief whistle-stops in dozens of communities in California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. Further details will be released in May.

A steam tracking map showing No. 4014's location and route will be available at upsteam.com.

ABOUT UNION PACIFIC

Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) delivers the goods families and businesses use every day with safe, reliable and efficient service. Operating in 23 western states, the company connects its customers and communities to the global economy. Trains are the most environmentally responsible way to move freight, helping Union Pacific protect future generations. More information about Union Pacific is available at www.up.com .

www.up.com

www.facebook.com/unionpacific

www.twitter.com/unionpacific

SOURCE Union Pacific Railroad
DUBLIN, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Worldwide Veterinary Endoscopy Industry" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global veterinary endoscopy market reached a value of US$ 197.8 Million in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 273.7 Million by 2027, exhibiting at a CAGR of 5.6% 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 end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.

Veterinary endoscopy refers to a medical procedure used for examining the internal organs of pets and animals by introducing endoscopes. An endoscope is a flexible tube with a video camera attachment that is inserted into the stomach through the mouth or the colon of the animal. It is widely used for diagnosing abnormal swelling, inflammation, blockages and ulcers. Veterinary endoscopy utilizes flexible, video, fiber-optic, rigid and robotic endoscopes. It causes minimal pain and discomfort and involves low risk. As a result, veterinary endoscopies are widely conducted at pet clinics, veterinary hospitals and academic institutes.



Veterinary Endoscopy Market Trends:

The increasing prevalence of infectious diseases among pets across the globe is one of the key factors creating a positive outlook for the market. Veterinary endoscopy treatment is widely used for the diagnosis and monitoring of various ailments, such as brucellosis, foot-and-mouth disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy and anthrax.

Moreover, the rising awareness regarding the available alternatives to examine, diagnose and control diseases is providing a thrust to the market growth. Various innovations, such as the development of capsule endoscopy to diagnose polyps, tumors or gastrointestinal bleeding, are favoring the market growth. Capsule endoscopy involves the swallowing of a small capsule consisting of a wireless camera to capture and transmit the images of the internal organs. In comparison to the traditionally used procedures, it is painless, does not require sedation and has fewer complications. Other factors, including the convenient availability of pet insurance services, along with the increasing domestication of animals, are anticipated to drive the market toward growth.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Avante Health Solutions, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Biovision Veterinary Endoscopy LLC, Dr. Fritz Endoscopes GmbH, Eickemeyer Veterinary Equipment Ltd., FUJIFILM Corporation, Karl Storz SE & Co. KG, Olympus Corporation, PENTAX Medical, Richard Wolf GmbH and Steris Corporation.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global veterinary endoscopy market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global veterinary endoscopy market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the product?

What is the breakup of the market based on the animal type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the end user?

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 veterinary endoscopy 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 Veterinary Endoscopy Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Product

6.1 Capsule Endoscopes

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Flexible Endoscopes

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Rigid Endoscopes

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Robot Assisted Endoscopes

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Animal Type

7.1 Companion

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Livestock

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by End User

8.1 Veterinary Hospitals

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Academic Institutes

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Others

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 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 Avante Health Solutions

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2 B. Braun Melsungen AG

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.3 Biovision Veterinary Endoscopy LLC

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4 Dr. Fritz Endoscopes GmbH

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5 Eickemeyer Veterinary Equipment Ltd.

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.6 FUJIFILM Corporation

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7 Karl Storz SE & Co. KG

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.8 Olympus Corporation

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 PENTAX Medical

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10 Richard Wolf GmbH

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.11 Steris Corporation

14.3.11.1 Company Overview

14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/x932fq

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

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SOURCE Research and Markets
WIETMARSCHEN-LOHNE, Germany, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pivoton becomes part of the zvoove Group  Accelerated expansion of zvoove's market leadership in the European market for temporary staffing software  Excellent prospects for Pivoton's customers and employees.

The zvoove Group is joining forces with Pivoton Software B. V., one of the largest providers in the market for temporary staffing software in the Netherlands. As a result, zvoove is expanding into another European country with its software for temporary staffing providers. "The Netherlands is one of the most important markets for temporary staffing companies worldwide. The merger has a high strategic value for us and further expands our European market leadership," explains zvoove CEO Oliver Muhr. "At the same time, our customers in Germany and Switzerland will benefit from the transaction, as we now have even more temporary staffing market experts within Europe which are driven to deliver further competitive advantages via innovative software to our customers."

Pivoton has a long history of success in the Netherlands and is one of the leading SaaS providers in the Dutch market for temporary staffing software. Pivoton's SaaS software packages allow customers to establish fast, highly efficient and legally compliant processes from recruiting to billing and payment of employees, which, complemented by other services from Pivoton and its ecosystem of partner companies, bring significant competitive advantages to customers. The company stands for quality, efficiency, innovation and connectivity. The head office is located in Ede, the Netherlands.

As the newest business unit, Pivoton benefits from the strength of the zvoove Group. "The merger opens up excellent prospects and new opportunities for Pivoton's employees and customers. This strengthens our position in the market enormously and we are excited by this growth opportunity," affirms Pivoton CEO Paul van den Bosch. Pivoton CTO Bart Hemmer adds: "By joining forces with zvoove, we can now invest even more and offer our customers further competitive advantages through additional innovation and software offerings."

About zvoove

The zvoove Group develops and sells innovative software solutions for temporary staffing, facility management and the event industries. With more than 3,000 customers and 330 employees, zvoove was formed as the result of the merger of LANDWEHR, rhb, prosoft, BackOffice, and Leviy. The company is located in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Contact zvoove

zvoove Group GmbH

von-Humboldt-Str. 2

49835 Wietmarschen-Lohne

[email protected]

+49 (0) 5908 938-0

SOURCE zvoove Group GmbH
Expecting European miners to generate record cash flows in the first half of 2022, Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) said it is bullish about the sector.

The investment bank highlighted five buy ideas, including upgrading Rio Tinto PLC (LSE:RIO).

The others were Glencore PLC (LSE:GLEN), Anglo American PLC (LSE:AAL), Norsk Hydro and Lundin.

We are bullish, the mining analysts said, in a preview of the first-quarter reporting season.

Miners are expected to be supported by a strong macro backdrop during the period, leading to underlying profits (EBITDA) of circa US$80bn and sector free cash flow (FCF) of around US$40bn, implying a roughly 10% FCF yield.

Our optimism also extends beyond 1Q earnings, the analysts said, highlight a multi-year unprecedented bull cycle in metals underway, with most metals in short supply.

On spot metals prices, the EU mining sector is trading at around a 20% FCF yield, a meaningful discount vs history.
Mike Ralston, chief executive of Blencowe Resources spoke to Proactive London, giving an update on its Uganda project.

The company reported a 50% resource increase at its Orom-Cross graphite project

in Uganda.

It also raised 800,000 from RAB Capital, who become largest shareholder in the miner.

The money raised will be used to fast track a pre-feasibility study and help initiate exploration work at the Akelikongo nickel project.
Caracal Gold chief executive Robert McCrae told Proactive that its new heap leach plant at Kilimapesa is just the first step in the planned expansion of the Kenyan mine.

Progress has been ahead of schedule, he says, with first gold just announced and recoveries better expected.

The leach pad was phase one. Phase two is optimising the tailings circuit and phase three will increase in capacity through the milling circuit, eventually getting to 24,000oz gold annually.
Oil price, DEC, Genel, Angus, Longboat, Afentra, Coro, Lamprell, UOG. And finally

WTI $98.26 +$2.23, Brent $102.78 +$2.20, Diff -$4.52 -3c, NG $6.28 -8c, UKNG 227.0p -8.0p

Oil price

The Friday rally was as the punters believed that Russian exports were 3m b/d, now we all know that is a fairy story and with Strategic reserves being sold as is Russian oil and gas to the EU supply is actually right. CNBC today reported that three tankers full of Russian crude were headed for landing in the US.

With China still locked down demand is eased and with India buying the slack off Russia the oil price will continue to drift, this morning it is another 3 bucks off.

And worth digging out the article in yesterdays Sunday Telegraph by Ineos Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe who explains why he will fund a test fraccing site

Diversified Energy Company PLC (LSE:DEC, OTCQX:DECPF)

Diversified Energy Company has announced the publication of its 2021 Sustainability Report. The updated report, available on the Companys web site (div.energy), provides comprehensive insight into Diversifieds programs and progress across a range of environmental, social, and governance focus areas. The Company featured several highlights of its 2021 Sustainability Report on 22 March 2022 in its full year results release and 2021 Annual Report.

Key Highlights:

 Expanded emissions reduction activities:

 Project Fresh initiative improves accuracy of emissions-producing asset inventory using measured emissions, reducing reliance on default, often much higher, theoretical factors

 Deployment of 600 handheld leak detection devices enhances ability to identify and remediate unintended emissions, primarily in upstream assets

 Successful pilot and expanded use of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) aerial surveillance to detect and drive emission reductions, primarily in midstream assets

 Enhanced emissions reporting and reduction commitments:

 Revised 2020 reported methane emissions intensity 62% lower to 1.6 MT CO2e/MMcfe1 (Prior 2020: 4.2 MT CO2e/MMcfe)

 Reduced 2021 methane emissions intensity 6% vs revised 2020 to 1.5 MT CO2e/MMcfe, with opportunities to reduce further as the Company expands its Project Fresh initiatives into its Central Region

 Engaged ISOS Group, Inc. to independently verify its 2021 greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), affirming the Companys IPCC-reported emissions at a moderate level II assurance in accordance with AA1000 Assurance Standard

 Accelerated commitment to reduce Scope 1 methane emissions intensity 30% by 2026 and 50% by 2030 (vs. revised 2020 baseline)

 Accelerated commitment to achieve net zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by 2040 (previously by 2050)

 Expanded alignment with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures

 Social program highlights:

 Expanded diversity initiatives with new applicant tracking system and targeted recruiting in diverse communities within the Companys operating footprint

 Contributed $1 million to community outreach efforts during 2021 and committed up to $2 million in 2022, in addition to the Companys existing commitments to fund scholarships, internships and vocational training opportunities

 Governance program highlights:

 Enhanced corporate polices for Environmental, Health & Safety, Corporate Responsibility and Human Rights

 Published new, Board-approved corporate polices for Climate Change, Employee Relations and Business Partners

 Increased Board diversity to ~38% female with October 2021 appointment of Sylvia J. Kerrigan, improving the Companys ranking by the FTSE Women Leaders Review

 Increased the Boards climate change expertise with a growing emphasis on climate when determining capital allocation aligned with the Companys strategy

Commenting on the report, CEO Rusty Hutson, Jr. said:

Through our commitment to operational efficiency, production optimisation and asset stewardship, sustainability has always been an integral part of Diversifieds DNA. Our 2021 Sustainability Report highlights our successes and ambitious outlook for the robust ESG agenda we featured at our Capital Markets Day in November 2021. With a sustainable business model grounded in stewarding existing wells and infrastructure, we strive to optimise production from existing assets while reducing emissions, which enables us to meet rising natural gas demand without reliance on newly drilled wells. As the title of our Sustainability Report suggests, we are poised to thrive as we play a critical part of the evolving energy transition. By expanding our portfolio of low decline producing assets, extending our vertical integration to improve efficiency while continuously reducing emissions, and delivering consistent shareholder returns through the cycle, we offer a unique opportunity for ESG-focused investors who support a reduction of GHG emissions. We remain committed to exceeding the expectations of our stakeholders and look forward to providing continued updates on our progressive ESG initiatives.

I dont always comment as such on these reports but in recent times they have become much more important in the minds of investors making decisions with regard to stock selection and for DEC it has become a particularly important part of the business.

When I was with the company in Houston in November it was made perfectly clear that sustainability was front and centre in their policy making and to make it clear came from the board down through the whole company. This report confirms and delivers that and commits DEC to ESG policy at the very top of industry standards.

Genel Energy PLC (LSE:GENL, OTC:GEGYY)

Genel has announced that all payments have now been received from the Kurdistan Regional Government relating to oil sales during December 2021.

Genels share of those payments is as follows:

(all figures $ million)Payment

Tawke 17.3

Tawke override 8.8

Taq Taq 2.5

Sarta 2.2

Receivable recovery 4.6

Total 35.4

Following the receipt of the receivable recovery payment, Genel is now owed $97 million from the KRG for oil sales from November 2019 to February 2020 and the suspended override from March to December 2020. The reduction from the figure stated on 11 March 2022 is due to the offsetting of payables due to the KRG, as noted in our 2021 full-year results.

Regulation report from Genel and very much as expected. Genel continues its very strong run and even at around 200p is exceptional value.

Angus Energy PLC (AIM:ANGS)

Angus has announced that it has has raised, in aggregate, gross proceeds of 675,000 through the placing of 61,363,634 Ordinary Shares to certain investors at a price of 1.1 pence per share, conditional only on Admission.

The net proceeds of the Placing will be applied towards working capital and general costs.

Admission and Total Voting Rights

Application will be made to the London Stock Exchange for admission of the Placing Shares to trading on AIM. It is expected that admission will become effective and dealings in the Placing Shares commence on AIM at 8.00 a.m. on 14 April 2022 (or such later date as may be agreed between the Company and the Bookrunner, but no later than 28 April 2022).

The Placing Shares will be issued fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the Companys existing Ordinary Shares.

Following Admission, the total number of Ordinary Shares in the capital of the Company in issue will be 1,368,650,514 with voting rights. This figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Companys share capital pursuant to the Companys Articles.

George Lucan, CEO, commented:

When we entered the Formal Sales Process in January we had expected that a result would have been concluded by this time. In view of the extended due diligence exercise being performed by bidders for some or all of our interest in Saltfleetby and to meet legal, advisory and G&A costs, this issue of shares, representing less than 5% of the enlarged capital of the Group, is being undertaken to ensure that the Group remains funded until a more substantial revenue stream is available from Saltfleetby. 

This is a very wise move by Angus, during a process when management are busy dealing with prospective bidders as well as costly lawyers and other advisors it is easy to lose sight of the balance sheet and it would be wrong to come out at the end, in whatever the final shape improperly financed.

My comments below are from Fridays blog and apply as much today as then, I stand by my views.

With potential buyers are now doing their final sums I would imagine that it will not be long before we get to the final act in this play. Angus has done well from all this, since it announced the process the shares have more than tripled to 1.55p and they had a raise at 0.8p so the shareholders should be happy pretty much whatever happens. It is a good advertisement for proactive management and George Lucan and team can be pleased with their part in it all.

With recent international events domestic gas is now much more valuable, cheaper to deliver and with hugely less carbon footprint assets than anything from abroad such as LNG. Angus in whatever form will continue I suspect and maybe even with Saltfleetby

Longboat Energy PLC (AIM:LBE)

Longboat has announced the commencement of drilling operations on the Cambozola exploration well (Company 25%) in Norway.

Cambozola is the primary prospect located in the PL1049/PL1049B/PL1049C licences in the Northern North Sea, in an area with significant existing infrastructure and just c. 30 km northwest of Longboats Kveikje discovery, announced on 5 April 2022.

Cambozola is a play opener and one of the largest gas prospects to be drilled in Norway in 2022. In particular, the turbidite sand lobes of Lower Cretaceous age stand out as amplitude anomalies on seismic data. Gross unrisked mean prospective resources for the entire Cambozola prospect have been estimated at 159 mmboe1. In the event of a successful discovery on Cambozola, there will be follow-up prospectivity on the licences.

The drilling of the Cambozola well 34/9-1S, operated by Equinor, is being undertaken by the Deepsea Stavanger semi-submersible drilling rig and is expected to take up to 14 weeks to drill.

Helge Hammer, Chief Executive of Longboat, commented:

Following on from our success on Kveikje announced last week, I am pleased that we have now commenced drilling operations on the sixth exploration well in our drilling programme.

Longboat Energys remaining 2022 exploration programme offers shareholders a unique opportunity to gain gas weighted drilling exposure targeting net mean prospective resource potential of 66mmboe1 with an additional 246 mmboe of upside.

Regulation spud announcement with little to add except for the obvious fact that this is just c. 30 km northwest of Longboats Kveikje discovery announced last week with its nearby infrastructure. A potentially huge gas structure is on offer here and a lengthy 14 week drill.

Afentra

Afentra confirms that Sonangol E.P has announced that Afentra has been selected as preferred bidder to purchase interests in Block 3/05 and Block 23. This follows the announcements on 8 October 2021 and 3 February 2022 that the Company had submitted a non-binding expression of interest for the two blocks which resulted in the subsequent suspension of Afentra shares.

During the first quarter of 2022, Afentra has continued to progress the Sale & Purchase Agreement negotiations with Sonangol and are pleased to now be selected as preferred bidder for both blocks. The next steps will involve finalising the SPA and completing the final due diligence required on the Acquisition. There is, however, no guarantee at this stage that an agreement between the two companies will be reached.

If Afentra ultimately proceeds with the Acquisition, it would be classified as a reverse takeover transaction in accordance with Rule 14 of the AIM Rules for Companies. Trading in Afentra shares will remain suspended until either the publication of an AIM admission document, or until confirmation is given that Afentras participation in the bid process has ceased.

The Company will make further announcements as appropriate.

Nothing I can add to this announcement except that it has been a long time suspended as the market waits patiently for the deal that Paul Mc Dade has hopefully done.

Coro Energy PLC (AIM:CORO)

Coro has announced the entry into a 25 year Power Purchase Agreement for its rooftop solar project in Vietnam.

The PPA has been entered into by Coro Renewables Vietnam (85% owned by Coro and 15% owned by Coros local partner Vinh Phuc Energy JSC) and will see Phong Phu, a listed Vietnamese high volume manufacturer of textiles, purchase 3MW of electricity annually from the previously announced 5MW project for the 150MW rooftop solar project previously announced.

Electricity will be supplied under the PPA, once the solar equipment is installed, at 7.3 US cents (equivalent) per kWh with a 1% annual escalator. The PPA is expected to generate aggregate revenues between US$9m and US$11m over the 25 year duration.

Mark Hood, Coros CEO, commented:

I am delighted that we have now signed our maiden supply contract in Vietnam which, on the back of the re-birth of our Italian portfolio, re-enforces our energy transition strategy with both gas and renewables taking centre stage. We can now look forward to revenues from both transition fuels.

Its been a funny old week for Coro as the CEO says with the rebirth of the Italian portfolio and now the project in Vietnam. I look forward to seeing what is coming next.

Lamprell PLC (LSE:LAM, OTC:LMPRF)

Lamprell is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with NOV, a leading energy services company, to support its delivery of three 1 gigawatt (GW) offshore floating wind farms for Cerulean Winds, the UK-based floating offshore wind farm and green hydrogen infrastructure developer.

Under the terms of the MoU, NOV has stated its intent to use Lamprell as its provider for the fabrication, assembly and outfitting in relation to the construction of NOV designed tri-floaters to be used as floating foundations for the three wind farms.

NOV and Lamprell will work closely to support and develop UK local content goals and will engage together in discussions with UK supply chain and UK yard(s) interested in participating in the projects, and able to offer suitable solutions.

In June 2021, Cerulean applied to develop a 3GW+ floating wind turbine project at sites West of Shetland and in the Central North Sea. NOV was named as the first of Ceruleans major delivery partners for fabrication for this proposed 200+ turbine development and will act as the exclusive provider of floating and mooring systems. If approved, the project is anticipated to be commissioned in 2026.

Christopher McDonald, CEO of Lamprell said:

Today represents an important milestone for our floating wind ambitions. Our long history in the traditional oil & gas sector has stood us in good stead for our transition into the renewables space where we have been active since 2007. Offshore floating wind is a natural progression for the business and represents another step in the realisation of our strategy and establishing our credentials in the UK market. We look forward to supporting NOV in the development of this transformational project for the industry and Scotland.

Joe Rovig, President of NOV Rig Technologies, said:

We are very pleased to have Lamprell on board with us as a partner for Ceruleans major infrastructure development. Lamprells track record in offshore wind will complement our UK and European infrastructure and personnel and we look forward to making a joint contribution towards decarbonising the UK Offshore sector.

I have been a big fan of Lamps for a very long time and have been able to see through the massively cyclical nature of the business, even recently when I thought that its very interesting tie-up with the Saudis and of course the IMI jackup orders. With the money and credibility invested in the oil & gas business and its historical expertise it is now on the verge of something big, or so I thought.

Or is it? I am really not sure whether the management at Lamprell know whether it is Christmas or Easter, from recent announcements they are clearly moving into offshore wind and are trying to park the years of investment by its Middle East oil & Gas customers. They have announced that they are considering selling the oil & gas business I assume because the offshore wind sector is now more appealing and they cant make it work with the financial commitments to the Saudis.

The final fly in the ointment is the financial situation, they have delayed the results so that the board can continue to progress potential financing and strategic options which always strike terror in the hearts of investors. To be honest I havent got a clue any more about what is going to happen any more, maybe I never did. It was always a brilliant supplier of top quality new and refurbed rigs to a blue chip client list in the hottest part of the hydrocarbon world. Now it looks like that is being dumped for offshore wind-provided it can be funded.

The shares have been a dire performer, the high of just under 70p last June is now 26p and whilst the news on the wind front is good and they still have an oil & gas business which should fetch decent money those plusses have to offset the concerns about financing. The good news is that I still for some reason rate the board which is probably a huge non sequitur

United Oil & Gas PLC (AIM:UOG)

UOG has announced that the sale of 100% of the share capital of UOG Italia Srl to PXOG Marshall Limited, a subsidiary of Prospex Energy PLC for a consideration of 2,164,701 has now completed, having received the final approvals from the Italian Authorities. UOG Italia Srl holds a 20% non-operated interest in the Podere Gallina licence, which contains the Selva gas development project.

United has received the completion payment of 2,190,966, which is the balance of the consideration plus a working capital adjustment from the effective date of 134,500 less the deposit of 108,235 which was received on 10 August 2021.

Completion of the transaction means that United will exit activities in Italy and therefore will no longer be liable for its share of the Selva gas development capital expenditure of approximately 800,000.

The proceeds from this transaction and the other portfolio management initiatives further strengthens the balance sheet. This combined with higher oil prices, means that United is well placed to capitalise on building scale through its current portfolio and new business opportunities.

Uniteds Chief Executive Officer, Brian Larkin commented:

We are pleased to have completed the sale of the Italian asset with our joint venture partner on the licence, Prospex Energy. The proceeds of this transaction along with other divestments strengthen our balance sheet to support our growth strategy. We have re-focused our portfolio on our core areas which provides us with a platform for organic growth and also a base from which we can evaluate further growth opportunities in 2022 and beyond. We wish Prospex Energy and all stakeholders of the Selva project well during its development.

There is little doubt that if I was going to be on one side of this deal it would be that of UOG but then that is because of my very longstanding concerns about anything ever getting done in Italy. Every few years a window is opened ajar and that is when things happen in Italy, well done to UOG for getting out with the sun shining.

I spoke to Brian Larkin this morning and with the Egypt package going very well and even Jamaica looking slightly better, the company is indeed in a very strong financial position.

However I did say to Brian that whilst this is a good deal and that he is in a strong position that is not the be all and end all and that if I was a shareholder I would be wanting the company to be partaking in $100 oil and 230p a therm gas. I know Egypt is good but either by organic growth or M&A activity I would want something to be pulled out of that hat..

And finally

Scottie Scheffler won the Masters, it always looked like it but McIlroy put up a spirited charge to finish runner-up with 64.

In the Grand National the favourite was beaten by long shot Noble Yeats ridden by Sam Waley-Cohen on his last ever race.

In the F1 another exciting Grand Prix was won by Charlie Clark with Cheka second and ironically the Mercs 3rd and 4th. Seeing the Brat Max breaking down is always a shocking sight but seeing Horners face always makes it worthwhile

In the Prem the Noisy Neighbours and Liverpool drew 2-2 again and the battle at the top stays tight. Next week they face each other in the FA Cup semi-final which someone has to win. Elsewhere in the top 6 Chelsea won but with Spurs not playing the Gooners, the Red Devils and the Hammers all lost.
Judge Elizabeth Scherer participates in a sidebar discussion via headphones during jury pre-selection in the penalty phase of the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Monday. Cruz previously pleaded guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

A judge dismissed an entire panel of 60 jurors Monday afternoon after too many became visibly upset at the prospect of deciding the fate of the Parkland mass shooter.

The emotional moment was the most challenging part of a day that otherwise went smoothly, but it served as a reminder of the passionate currents running through the sentencing trial of Nikolas Cruz, who is facing the death penalty for 17 counts of murder.

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Eight potential jurors  seven women and one man  were escorted from the courtroom when they could not contain their reaction to learning they might be picked to serve on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting jury.

[ RELATED: Assault trial shows challenges ahead for Parkland mass shooting case ]

With the confessed killer in the same courtroom, just a few yards away, one prospective juror after another left in tears .the first woman to leave could be heard loudly crying as soon as she left. Subsequent jurors held back tears, or sniffled, their faces distraught.

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Cruz himself appeared to have an emotional response to the display, dropping his head and looking away from the panel momentarily before facing them again.

Scherer said the display of raw emotion had tainted the jury pool and dismissed all 60 jurors on the panel. They were returned to the jury room, where they could have been called to serve on other trials.

While this was not the first time potential jurors let their emotions get the best of them in Cruzs presence, it was the most extreme case. Before Tuesday afternoon, Scherer was able to keep the process moving by having emotional jurors removed and questioned later in the day, outside the presence of other jurors.

[ RELATED: Parkland school shooting trial opens with difficult search for jurors ]

Last fall, before he pleaded guilty to the 17 murders, Cruz was set to go on trial for assaulting a detention deputy who was guarding him at the Broward main jail. That trial was set to begin last October, and a handful of potential jurors had similar emotional reactions to seeing Cruz, who later pleaded guilty to that charge as well.

The current trial is in its fourth day of jury pre-selection. The upcoming trial, scheduled to run through the summer, is to determine whether a jury will recommend a sentence of life in prison or death for Cruz, who pleaded guilty to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in connection with the Valentines Day 2018 mass shooting.

Before the stricken panel, Scherer and lawyers were able to get through one panel of 60 jurors in the morning and another 60 in the afternoon. A final panel of just 14 jurors closed out the day.

In all, about 136 potential jurors have survived the first phase of jury selection and are scheduled to return in May for additional questioning. Jury selection is scheduled to run through next month, with trial testimony getting underway after Memorial Day, Scherer said.
Nexus Minerals Ltd (ASX:NXM) has released assays from four diamond drill holes completed at the Crusader  Templar prospect within its Wallbrook gold project in WA.

There were several highlights at Crusader, with deep diamond drilling intersecting mineralisation at over 600 metres vertical depth, which complements shallow mineralisation.

The target area remains open at depth and along strike.

Highlights include:

10.45 metres at 1.82g/t gold from 732 metres, including 4 metres at 4.26 g/t from 736 metres;

8.25 metres at 1.69 g/t from 293 metres, including 3.75 metres at 3.52 g/t from 298 metres (visible gold sample);

5.02 metres at 1.78 g/t from 524.2 metres, including 1.22 metres at 4.97 g/t (visible gold sample)

4.06 metres at 1.13g/t from 695 metres, including 0.39 metres at 7.75 g/t; and

0.73 metres at 2.64 g/t from 715 metres.

"Multiple zones of gold mineralisation at depth"

The results continue to support our geological interpretation of this mineralised system, confirming it to be very large in both strike and now depth extent of over 600 metres, Nexus managing director Andy Tudor said.

All four deep diamond drill holes intersected multiple zones of gold mineralisation at depth, within the same mineralised, altered and silicified quartz porphyry rock unit intersected in the shallower levels.

"The four holes were drilled at a depth and in locations with no previous drilling activity and successfully tagged the Crusader  Templar mineralisation at depths of greater than 600 metres vertically.

These are incredibly large step-out holes and it is a credit to the Nexus exploration team to have intersected this mineralisation at these depths. The depth extent has only been drill tested to date in a small number of locations, along 1.6 kilometres of strike and remains open at depth.

Crusader  Templar Prospect Drill Hole Location Plan (Yellow highlighted boxes selected new results / White boxes Nexus drill results).

Program to continue

NXM will continue the deep diamond drilling program to test for mineralised zones at around the 600-metre level, with the aim of tagging the mineralisation at this depth along the full extent of the 1.6-kilometre strike.

For now, the strike is being tested with broad spaced, deep diamond drill holes approximately 200 metres apart, with four holes completed to date.

The company is also expecting roughly 25,000 metres of reverse circulation (RC) assay results in April from the Crusader - Templar, Solomon and Branches prospects.

The diamond drill program will also test:

The 300-metre level to allow for effective RC drill program planning, as the three RC drill rig program continues to advance downwards from the shallower levels; and

The 100  150-metre level to twin RC holes to verify the mineralised zones identified in shallower RC drilling.

About Nexus

Nexus is actively exploring for gold deposits on its highly prospective tenement package in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia and has recently expanded its existing project portfolio with the addition of the Bethanga Porphyry Copper-Gold project in Victoria.

In Western Australia, the consolidation of the highly prospective Wallbrook Gold Project (250 square kilometres) by amalgamating existing Nexus tenements with others will advance these gold exploration efforts.

Nexus Minerals tenement package at the Wallbrook Gold Project starts immediately to the north of Northern Stars multi-million-ounce Carosue Dam mining operations, as well as the current operating Karari and Whirling Dervish underground gold mines.

Nexus has a large land package of highly prospective geological terrane within a major regional structural corridor. The company is actively investing in new exploration techniques to refine the targeting approach for its current and future tenements.
Valor Resources Ltd (ASX:VAL) has encountered elevated radioactivity and associated alteration from its maiden drill program at the S-Zone and V-Grid targets within its Hook Lake Uranium Project in Canada.

The companys eight-hole diamond drilling program totalling 1,757 metres has recorded uraninite mineralisation in drill hole DDHL22-002 at S-Zone within a 3.5 square metre subvertical zone of elevated radioactivity and alteration.

Looking ahead, an airborne gravity survey is set to begin at Cluff Lake and Hook Lake in May to identify new drill targets, with a follow-up on-ground exploration program being planned for Hook Lake.

High-grade uranium potential

Valor executive chairman George Bauk said: We are encouraged by the alteration and elevated radioactivity seen in several of the holes drilled at S-Zone.

This is the Companys maiden drilling program at Hook Lake and the data gathered from this program, in conjunction with upcoming gravity survey data, will assist us in defining the next round of drill targets.

The area clearly has the potential to host high-grade uranium mineralisation as evidenced by the S-Zone surface sampling from 2021."

Drilling results

Valor has encountered elevated radioactivity and associated alteration of varying widths at three of the drill holes at S-Zone.

Within S-Zone, drill hole DDHL22-002 intersected a zone from 104.3 metres to 108 metres downhole depth of elevated radioactivity up to 900 cps measured with a handheld RS-125 scintillometer and a peak of 1,131 counts per second (cps) in the downhole gamma survey and alteration, with traces of uraninite mineralisation noted in some of the fractures.

This zone can be correlated between three holes on the drill section and potentially represents a sub-vertical structure.

The two holes (DDHL22-001 and 005) drilled closest to the Hook Lake trench, where surface sampling conducted by Valor returned assays of up to 59.2% uranium oxide, intersected a zone of albitite alteration and elevated radioactivity in hole DD5 up to 878 cps in the downhole gamma survey.

Consequently. a total of 305 samples have been collected from the program which will be submitted for assay with results expected in early May.

Forward plan

Following the airborne gravity survey, an on-ground field program comprising geological mapping, prospecting, surface geochemical sampling, drill target definition and the next phase of diamond drilling.

Targets that require further on-ground follow-up include the West Way prospect where surface sampling in 2021 returned assays up to 0.64% uranium oxide and Nob Hill with assays up to 1.01% total rare earth oxide (TREO).

We have an exciting year ahead in Canada as we work through all the historical data across our seven projects," Bauk adds.

We plan to commence work at the Cluff Lake project shortly and look to undertake fieldwork on our five other properties in 2022.

The team has done a great job at Hook Lake and following assay results, final interpretation and the upcoming gravity survey, we plan to be back drilling again at Hook Lake soon.

Our team is planning to be on the ground in the next quarter and hope to be following up some of the other uranium targets along with some interesting REE results uncovered in 2021.

Uranium is now over US$60/lb and continuing to be part of the energy mix required to head to a zero-carbon emission society.

Valor has a great portfolio of uranium projects in the highest-grade uranium province in the world and are working towards being part of the solution.
archTIS Ltd (ASX:AR9) has been invited to participate in a KPMG-led systems integration consortium for the Australian Department of Defence.

AR9, along with industry-leading suppliers such as Oracle and Microsoft, as well as two other Australian Small to Medium Enterprises  EPICON and SISU Solutions  will assist KPMG in supplying systems integration solutions to the Department of Defence.

The department recently outlined initiatives to improve its data maturity and enhance the information available to the Australian Defence Force.

As a global provider of innovative software solutions for the secure collaboration of sensitive information, AR9 has the tools and experience to assist.

Improving the ADF's data maturity and security

Managing director and CEO Daniel Lai said: We are pleased to work closely with KPMG and the other members of the OneDefence consortium to improve the data maturity and security of the Australian Defence Force.

archTIS continues to see more and more opportunities around a data-centric approach to security. archTIS experience and attribute-based access control methodology will continue to play a key role in forming strategic advantages with information for the warfighter and the Defence organisation that supports them.

archTIS is in discussion with KPMG to finalise the terms of its involvement in the consortium, including value, length and other underlying terms of the project, and will update the market as those terms are finalised.

Managing defence data for military and strategic advantage

On April 8, 2022, Assistant Minister for Defence, the Hon Andrew Hastie MP, released the following statement:

The Morrison Government is committed to ensuring Defence becomes a more data-informed organisation that better leverages information and data for strategic and operational advantage.

The Assistant Minister for Defence, the Hon Andrew Hastie MP, today announced the acquisition of Tranche 1 of the ICT 2284 OneDefence Data Program, which will ensure Defence can better manage data as a strategic warfighting asset.

Assistant Minister Hastie said strong data practices were critical to the future of Information Warfare and the conduct of military operations.

Our data management is vital to protecting Australias national interests, but it is also vital in times of war, ensuring that we have access to the right information at the critical moment, Assistant Minister Hastie said.

This investment will deliver secure and resilient information systems to better enable information sharing and collaboration across government and with Australias strategic partners.

It will also ensure we can exploit the data generated by our military drones, aircraft, land vehicles and maritime vessels, Assistant Minister Hastie said.

The first Tranche approval is valued at approximately $233 million (PBS 2022-23 out-turned price and exchange). The overall Program is an investment of approximately $515 million, plus ongoing sustainment funding.

The investments contained in the OneDefence Data Program are outlined in the Defence Data Strategy 2021-23, which Assistant Minister Hastie launched in August 2021. The Strategy outlines initiatives that the Department is implementing in order to improve its data maturity and enhance the information available to the Australian Defence Force.

As a result of a competitive tendering process, Defence has entered into a contract with KPMG as the preferred systems integration supplier. KPMG will lead a consortium that includes several industry-leading suppliers such as Oracle and Microsoft, as well as three Australian Small to Medium Enterprises  archTIS, EPICON and SISU Solutions.

Assistant minister Hastie said the OneDefence Data Program represented a significant investment in the Australian Information Technology Sector.

The program provides opportunities for industry innovation and for the development of specialist information management skills that are vital to the sector.

Through the OneDefence Data Program, Defence will improve its data management, build a stronger data culture and ensure access to a professional data workforce that will give us the strategic edge in a dangerous and uncertain geostrategic environment, he concluded.
Boadicea Resources Ltd (ASX:BOA) continues to track an in-ground exploration campaign across its Fraser Range base metal tenements, spearheaded by exploration partner IGO Newsearch Pty Ltd.

Extensive aircore drilling and heritage negotiations are on the cards for the WA properties, which the IGO subsidiary is exploring under an exclusive five-year agreement.

Boadicea managing director Jon Reynolds said: The current focus of exploration on the northern tenements highlights the prospectivity of the Boadicea tenure in the Fraser Range with a number of targets that will be tested initially with aircore drilling.

There is potential for diamond drilling later in 2022 to test high priority targets.

IGO Newsearchs exploration campaign could lead to a major payday for Boadicea: if IGO establishes a JORC resource within the five-year period, IGO will fork out $50 million and a 0.75% net smelter royalty to secure BOAs Fraser Range assets and feed its nickel-hungry mill.

Boadicea and the Fraser Range

In September last year, IGOs subsidiary executed a conditional sale agreement with the Boadicea team.

Over a five-year term, IGO can exclusively access and explore nine of the 11 Boadicea-owned Fraser Range tenements.

If IGO declares a JORC resource within the five-year exclusivity period, Boadicea will sell and transfer the Fraser Range assets for $50 million.

Boadicea can also snap up a 0.75% net smelter royalty on all revenues generated by the Fraser Range tenements.

As a result, signs of a nickel discovery across any one of the nine exploration licences IGO is exploring could lead to a $50 million payday for Boadicea.

The ASX-lister, named after Celtic warrior Queen Boadicea, is also exploring for nickel, copper and gold across Western Australias famed Paterson Province and Queenslands Charters Towers and Drummond Basin.

Recent exploration

Between December and March, IGO Newsearch focused its efforts on the South Plumridge Fraser Range tenements.

Initiatives included:

Heritage negotiations with the Untiri Pulka (UP) and Upurli Upurli Nguratja (UUN) Native Title claimants; and

Interpreting surface electromagnetic data for the North Emperor target.

During the reporting period, heritage agreement negotiations continued between IGO and Central Desert Native Title Services (CDNT) on behalf of the UP and UUN Native Title claimants.

IGO anticipates the agreement will be finalised during the next quarter.

The completion of this access and heritage agreement is critical for the commencement of on-ground activities across seven of the tenements, subject to the IGOs exclusive exploration agreement.

In addition, 49 moving-loop electromagnetic stations were surveyed at North Emperor, following up on an end-of-line response from a 2020 EM survey to the south on an adjoining tenement.

The data collected was generally good quality and defined a number of mid-time conductors.

These weak to moderate conductance features are interpreted to represent conductive stratigraphy and do not represent targets for massive nickel sulphides.

2022 work campaign

Multiple aircore programs have been designed to explore Boadiceas northern Fraser Range tenements, and the timing of these programs is dependent on heritage agreements and subsequent surveys over the UUN claim area.

Planned activities include AC drilling at the interpreted Ballast Intrusive Complex, as well as the Eggpie, Buckbeak and Beacon targets in the Transline group of South Plumridge tenements.

Finally, IGO is assessing options to test the Hercules and Elara intrusions, which are interpreted to strike onto the Symons Hill licence, with the potential for conceptual diamond drilling.
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Comet Resources Ltd (ASX:CRL) is getting ready to obtain all permits for exploration at the Barraba Copper Project in NSW, following a favourable decision by the National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT).

Drilling for exploration is set to commence in the third quarter of this year in the wake of the positive outcome.

Action initiated by company

Comet had been unable to negotiate access to this land for more than 12 months, so it had no choice but to file an action with the NNTT to find a resolution.

The tribunal ruled in favour of the ASX-listed gold and base metals explorer in this matter and has imposed no further conditions for access.

Consequently, the company is able to complete permitting for its exploration activities in this area with the NSW government.

The NNTT approval frees Comet up to proceed with exploration at the historic copper project in the New England Fold Belt region, NSW.

Of the 2,375-hectare exploration license that covers the project area, EL8492 is located near the town of Barraba, approximately 550 kilometres north of Sydney

The Barraba Copper Project sits along the Peel Fault line and encompasses the historic Gulf Creek and Murchison copper mines. The region is known to host volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS)-style mineralisation containing copper, zinc, lead and precious metals.

Rig availability

In order to secure rig availability, Comet Resources' geological team in NSW is currently in discussion with drilling service providers about the possibility of drilling off the historic Gulf Creek Mine.

It is anticipated that drilling will commence in the third quarter of this year.

The initial exploration program will include drill testing of areas below the historically identified deposits, plus high-level exploration targets delineated by an induced polarisation (IP) survey over parts of the license area that were never followed up.

Amendment reached

Further, there was an agreement reached between the company and the vendors to amend a key clause in the acquisition agreement for the Barraba Copper Project, which related to the requirement to meet a minimum expenditure condition on exploration within 18 months (as compared to the earlier 12 months) of the date of the original transaction.

The minimum expenditure condition states that the company must spend a total amount of not less than $600,000 (excluding GST) on direct, 'in-ground' exploration activities within the tenement area, which includes drilling a minimum of 1,250 metres of diamond or reverse circulation drilling.

As detailed in the announcements on January 23, 2020, and April 16, 2020, the key term of the acquisition for the Barraba Copper Project has been varied.

"Within 12 months after the date of the favourable ruling by the NNTT, which takes place on March 31, 2022, the purchaser must satisfy the minimum expenditure condition on approved exploration expenditure, including the minimum drilling requirement, thereby allowing the purchaser until March 31, 2023, to fulfil its obligations under clause 8 of the agreement," the company stated on Monday.

The duration of the minimum expenditure condition on exploration has now been amended to 18 months.

Modern exploration methods have not been used to test systematically a large part of the project area, according to the company.

Freehold land makes up most of Comet's project area, which means that exploration work, including drilling, can now be carried out at full speed.

- Amrita Ghaswalla
White Rock Minerals Ltd (ASX:WRM, OTCQX:WRMCF) has staked a contiguous block of new tenements across its new high-grade White Gold Project, identified within the prolific Tintina Gold Province in Alaska.

The company has secured 38 contiguous mining claims across 24 square kilometres where historic geochemistry and core drilling have highlighted the gold potential of the district.

Highlights from historic exploration include:

18 metres at 9.1g/t gold including 4 metres at 33.8g/t gold in surface trenching;

19 metres at 4.0g/t gold including 2.6 metres at 11.2/t gold in surface trenching;

9.8 metres at 8.6g/t gold including 3.8 metres at 14.3g/t gold in surface trenching; and

28 metres at 3.0g/t gold including 3.3 metres at 16.4g/t gold in surface trenching.

Interestingly, the White Gold Project encompasses eight mineralised prospects connected by a 16-kilometre network of northeast-trending geological structures in a region which is host to giant gold deposits including Donlin Creek (45 Moz Au), Pogo (10 Moz Au) and Fort Knox (13.5 Moz Au).

Quality portfolio"

White Rock managing director and CEO Matt Gill said: White Rock is committed to building a quality portfolio of high-grade precious metal assets in the world class Tintina Gold Province, to stand alongside our high-grade zinc-silver rich VMS deposit at Red Mountain, now measuring over 21 million tonnes at 8.5% Zinc Equivalent or 393 g/t Silver Equivalent grades.

Generative exploration work by our first-class team in-country is continuing to highlight significant prospectivity where limited historic exploration has been undertaken when compared with similarly endowed terrains on a global scale.

In this instance, White Rock has been able to stake a contiguous block of new tenements over eight quality high-grade gold mineralised prospects that are structurally linked.

Mineralisation

The mineralised prospects appear to be controlled by a series of northeast-trending structures within an orogenic setting that is distal to the Cretaceous granitic intrusions linked to mineralisation in the Tintina Gold Province.

The gold mineralisation metasediment hosted and likely represents an orogenic gold system or possibly a distal end-member of the Intrusion Related Gold System (IRGS) mineralisation classification of the major gold deposits in the Tintina Gold Province.

Within orogenic gold systems, fault-controlled mineralisation often persists for extensive strike lengths and depths.

Forward plan

White Rock is currently undertaking a full compilation and desktop review of the historical exploration data to identify the best targets with the potential for a significant high-grade gold deposit

In parallel, the company is assessing a range of options to fund possible exploration programs that progress the priority targets.

Exploration work is likely to include preliminary field due diligence ahead of drilling, provided funding and a drilling contractor can be secured.

I and the Team remain impressed and encouraged by the rich mineral endowment and high exploration prospectivity that the geology of Alaska offers," Gill adds.

Overlaid by this geological prospectivity is the fact that Alaska is ranked by the Fraser Institute in the Top 5 jurisdictions in the world for overall Investment Attractiveness, which takes both mineral and policy perception into consideration.
With this new option, the company now controls 14,987 hectares of mining leases in the salt flat, distributed between the adjacent provinces of Salta and Catamarca

Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp (TSX-V:LIT, OTCQB:PNXLF) has announced that it has entered into an option agreement with a local vendor to earn a 100% interest in three granted mine concession properties totaling 5,411 hectares in the Salar de Antofalla in Catamarca Province, Argentina.

Argentina Lithium's Antofalla North project includes both 100% held and optioned properties. With this new option, the company now controls 14,987 hectares of mining leases in the salt flat, distributed between the adjacent provinces of Salta and Catamarca.

"Our team has identified the Antofalla Salar as one of the most prospective undeveloped lithium brine basins in Argentina, and we are aggressively consolidating our land position in Antofalla North, Nikolaos Cacos, President and CEO of Argentina Lithium said in a statement.

With these new acquisitions, Argentina Lithium's properties extend from a half kilometre north of Albemarle concessions, towards the north for approximately 27 kilometres (km). We have begun the permitting process, in order to explore this salt flat with advanced geophysical imaging and drill testing," Cacos added.

Located in the famed 'Lithium Triangle', the geological environment at the Salar de Antofalla is similar to other salt flats in the region where lithium and potash are found. The project is located about 25km west of Argentina's largest lithium-producing operation at Salar de Hombre Muerto. The Salar de Antofalla is over 130km long and varies between 5km and 10km in width, with reported basin depths exceeding 500 metres (m).

The southern boundary of the Antofalla North project is situated approximately 500m north of properties controlled by global lithium producer Albemarle Inc, Argentina Lithium said, noting that Albemarle has stated that it believes the lithium resource on its property has the potential to rank amongst the largest in Argentina.

There has been no significant historical exploration work on the new optioned properties. The option provides the company with coverage to protect its mineral rights in the area of the provincial boundary between Salta and Catamarca and extend its holdings 4.6km southwards to within 500 metres of Albemarle's property boundary; a portion of the northern part of the optioned properties may overlap a third party concession in the provincial boundary area, the company added.

Terms of the option include cash payments totaling US$2.8 million over four years, including mandatory commitments totaling US$180,000 in the first twelve months. The option also includes annual exploration expenditure commitments of $500,000 in the first year, followed by $1.5 million in the second, $2.0 million in the third and $3.0 million in the fourth year.

The vendor retains a 2% net smelter royalty, which can be repurchased for US$3 million, the company said.

Argentina Lithium is focused on acquiring high-quality lithium projects in Argentina, and advancing them towards production in order to meet the growing global demand from the battery sector.

The management group has a long history of success in the resource sector of Argentina, and has assembled a team of experts to acquire and advance the best lithium properties in the Lithium Triangle.

Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com
Core drilling at the Tomtebo property will comprise 1,200 metres in three holes, followed by drilling 1,800m in 10 holes at the Gruvberget property located 40km northwest from Tomtebo

District Metals Corp. (TSX-V:DMX) has announced that it has commenced core drilling at its high-grade polymetallic Tomtebo property located in the Bergslagen Mining District in south-central Sweden.

The Vancouver-based developer of prospective mineral properties said GEOPS-Bolkan Drilling Services Ltd has been awarded the contract for the drill program, which will comprise 1,200 metres (m) in three holes, followed by drilling 1,800m in 10 holes at the Gruvberget property located 40 kilometres (km) northwest from Tomtebo.

Drill permitting for 800m in two holes at the companys Bakar Copper property on Northern Vancouver Island continues and drilling may commence in June or July 2022, District Metals added.

"We continue to increase our understanding of the high grade polymetallic mineralized system at the historic Tomtebo Mine through the utilization of modern exploration techniques, CEO Garrett Ainsworth said in a statement. This phase of drilling will test some very exciting targets identified from our work to date. By way of example, the massive sulphide lenses at the Steffenburgs zone intercepted by our drilling in 2021 have returned significant widths of high-grade polymetallic mineralization that remain open in many directions. We are also keen to aggressively step out from the Tomtebo Mine with this current drill program, to further assess one of the numerous other coincident geophysical targets outside of and along trend from the Tomtebo Mine that remain untested.

District Metals said the primary objectives of the Tomtebo property drill program include:

Two step out holes below high-grade polymetallic mineralization at the Steffenburgs zone, where its recently reported hole TOM21-028 intersected 30m at 10.9% zinc equivalent, to test for potential extensions of the massive sulphide lenses at depth.

An aggressive 665m step out northeast from the historic Tomtebo Mine at a virgin regional target to test a magnetic high anomaly along the Tomtebo Mine Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) mineralized horizon. The magnetic high anomaly at this target has a similar signature to the magnetic high associated with polymetallic mineralization at the Steffenburgs zone. The location of the favourable VMS mineralized horizon has been established through the use of whole-rock geochemistry that connects the Oscarsgruvan zone to regional drill hole TOM21-023B, which was drilled 1km northeast along trend from the Tomtebo Mine.

The Tomtebo project in the Bergslagen mining district of Sweden is District Metal's main exploration focus.

Tomtebo comprises 5,144 hectares and sits between the historic Falun mine and Boliden's Garpenberg mine, which are 25km to the northwest and southeast, respectively.

Two historic polymetallic mines and numerous polymetallic showings are located on the Tomtebo Property along an approximate 17km trend that exhibits similar geology, structure, alteration and VMS/SedEx style mineralization as other significant mines within the district.

Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com
The two companies will create verified carbon offset credits to reward the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices by North American farmers

Star Royalties Ltd (TSX-V:STRR) said its subsidiary Green Star Royalties Ltd (TSX-V:STRR) has expanded its carbon credit agreement with Blue Source LLC by four fold.

The two companies will create verified carbon offset credits to reward the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices by North American farmers.

Under the amended agreement, Green Star has agreed to finance Blue Sources regenerative agriculture carbon offset program up to $20.6 million in cash. The cash will be made available to growers in the program through Locus AGs CarbonNOW program.

Green Star expects initial funding of the investment to begin in the second quarter of 2022, with further quarterly tranches drawn by Blue Source, as required, until the entire $20.6 million is invested. Green Star currently expects $5 million will be invested in 2022 and the remainder in 2023, Star Royalties said.

This project investment has a term of 11.5 years and the future financial benefits from the monetization of the project's carbon offset credits will be split between the CarbonNOW growers, Blue Source, and Green Star Royalties, according to Star Royalties. The expanded program is expected to start generating credits for the 2023 growing season, with Locus AG beginning farmer enrollment within the coming months.

Green Star Royalties expects to generate cash flow equivalent to over 200,000 attributable carbon offset credits in 2024, increasing to over 400,000 attributable carbon offset credits per annum starting in 2025.

The expanded program is expected to generate more than two million premium carbon offset credits per year on average, which will be available for sale in the voluntary carbon marketplace.

Alex Pernin, CEO of Star Royalties, told investors that the company is thrilled to deepen its partnership with Bluesource and Locus AG.

Just over four months have passed since we established this partnership and we are now more than quadrupling this investment in response to strong demand from US farmers to participate in the CarbonNOW carbon farming program, Pernin said.

Our teams are jointly passionate about financing a greener future. We are demonstrating the application of our royalty investment model as an innovative solution to financing the transition of US farmers to regenerative agriculture, and in turn, to originating premium carbon offset credits.

Jamie MacKinnon, executive vice president of Bluesource, added: "The early success of this program is due in large part to well-designed incentives for growers and an alignment amongst the program partners on maximizing the value retained by the grower as a means of attracting more acres into the program and creating scale. It is also due to the considerable resource that Bluesource and Locus AG are deploying to onboard and support growers."

The CarbonNOW program will enable the Blue Source and Locus Agricultural Solutions partnership to incentivize regenerative agriculture practices on 1.32 million acres of farmland.

Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas
BOCA RATON  Gone is a nearly 100-year-old Boca Raton home that was recently toppled to make way for redevelopment. And many more buildings may be next. It all has left some community members worried that the areas historical charm could be lost forever.

The demand for new buildings has pitted competing interests against each other: The constant growth of Boca Raton, which has seen thousands of residences added in recent years, against the desire to preserve decades-old buildings tied to the citys character.

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These little buildings are a link to our past. Theyre tangible links to our history and if we tear them all down  we might as well be a new community, said Susan Gillis, curator of the Boca Raton Historical Society and Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum. If they want to live out west in a new community they can, but those of us who live east like to have a little history and a little character.

[ RELATED: This Boca Raton home stood for almost 100 years. It was just demolished to make way for a parking garage. ]

The Cramer House, formerly located at 136 E. Boca Raton Road, was built in 1925 by one of the citys first developers, Harley Gates. But it was demolished last month to make way for Aletto Square  a proposed development project that, if approved by city officials, would include two high-rises with 93 luxury apartments, office space and a rooftop restaurant.

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Now, five other buildings in downtown, all built in the 1950s and 1960s, could be demolished as part of the same project, worrying the Boca Raton Historical Society and several nearby residents who oppose the high-rises or appreciate the aesthetic and history of older, one- and two-story buildings.

A spokesman for Aletto Squares developer couldnt be reached for comment Friday. But the nearly 100-year-old Boca Raton home wasnt necessarily a gem: Carl Klepper Jr., the vice president of developer Compson Associates, last month called the home a safety issue. It was in disrepair.

The particular site of the Cramer House, if approved, will be where an automated parking garage and a portion of a residential building will go, Klepper said. In December, Klepper told the South Florida Sun Sentinel how Aletto Square could be a boon. Klepper pictured all the businesses that have moved to Boca Raton staying there, contributing to the demand for Class A offices, which are typically in the most prestigious buildings, competing for premier tenants.

One of the things we noted was that Boca Raton has not had Class A office space in quite some time, he said at the time. It sounds crazy but during the studying of this project, one of the cornerstones of a Class A office building was to encourage economic development in the downtown.  Commerce drives the downtown.

Appreciating the downtown vibe

Cameron Ferguson, of Delray Beach, owns OnSite Power Control in Boca. His business isnt downtown, but he frequents a nearby destination, Tuccis Pizza, and often walks around downtown Boca on his lunch breaks.

When I come here and I see this old character, this old limestone, this old type of construction, its like a nostalgic, cool, old Boca vibe and when you just pack in high-rises ... you lose that character, he said. I understand it, Im a capitalist, I want people to make money, but whats going to be enjoyable to spend time at down here?

Cameron Ferguson, of Delray Beach, who owns a business in Boca Raton, walks along Northeast First Avenue in Boca Raton, close to where several older buildings in Boca's downtown may vanish amid redevelopment plans. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Ive been spending a lot of time in Chicago, and a city like that is built from the late 1800s, where it was all planned out to have great views, Ferguson continued. Its also about the people who live there and making sure that the buildings around them arent affected when they put in a high-rise. When you have a planned city like that, its a lot more enjoyable to spend time in it.

[ RELATED: New Boca Raton buildings would offer 93 luxury apartments, a rooftop restaurant and an ATM-like parking garage ]

Envisioning change

The Aletto Square project, if approved as proposed, will form an L-shape complex between Palmetto Park Road at the south and East Boca Raton Road at the north, just east of Northeast First Avenue.

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That is a very historic block, because we have these two little one-story buildings, Gillis said. Among the locations is the popular pizzeria.

Then theres Tuccis Pizza, which is a horrible crime to get rid of that, she joked. There should be a law against that.

Tuccis will likely relocate to inside Aletto Square, officials said when presenting their plans to the city. Tuccis didnt comment, referring questions to Aletto Square.

The buildings in question have all housed various businesses, including laundromats and pharmacies, and even some residential space over the decades.

They feature art deco-style architecture, often in bright, funky colors with barrel-roof tiles. The buildings that would need to come down were all purchased in the late 1990s by co-developers of the project, Alfred and Anna Aletto, according to property records and state business filings.

The future of the businesses in these buildings remain unclear. One business owner anticipated likely moving to another building, but was notified that wouldnt happen for another year or so, the owner said. Applications for demolition of the remaining buildings had not yet been filed with the city, records show.

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We would totally have to relocate, said that business owner, who asked not to be named.

These have been around forever

As he walked his dog through downtown Thursday, Mitchell Sonn, a retired medical supply distributor, talked about the downtowns distinctive qualities. Its like old Palm Beach. These have been around forever, Sonn said.

He lamented the idea of any more big change. It takes away from the local charm, he said. And its starting to feel like New York City, where everyones in high-rises, versus everyone who used to live in houses around here. ... So some of the charm has left the city with that, but, progress. What can you do?

Seen is the 131 E. Palmetto Park Road building on Thursday, April 7, 2022. one of several older buildings in Boca's downtown that may eventually be demolished. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Todd Whidden has owned Natures Symphony Aromatherapy, at 48 NE First Ave., for 40 years.

He said he thinks the construction of Tower 155, around the corner, cost him customers who wouldnt visit downtown due to the noise and dust of construction. He figures it resulted in a net loss for him, calculating it only gained him two customers that he knows of who live in the high-rise.

The city says they support small businesses, but their actions are going to force small businesses out, Whidden said.

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Seen is the 120 E. Boca Raton Road building on Thursday, April 7, 2022, one of several older buildings in Boca's downtown that may be demolished. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Weve got character. Weve got charm, said Caroline Shardt, owner of The Color Connection salon. Her business would be demolished to make way for Aletto Square, if its approved. I think the city needs to evaluate where theyre going ... bigger isnt always better.

Austen Erblat can be reached at aerblat@sunsentinel.com, 954-599-8709 or on Twitter @AustenErblat.
Cloud DX said it has now signed a total of 15 contracts in 2022

Cloud DX (TSX-V:CDX, OTCQB:CDXFF) Inc announced a new contract with a primary care clinic in Erie, Pennsylvania.

The virtual healthcare company said the clinic will use and deploy Cloud DX (TSX-V:CDX, OTCQB:CDXFF)'s Connected Health kits to remotely monitor and support its patients with chronic illnesses, representing over 1,000 of its 2,500 patient load.

For chronic conditions, virtual care platforms like our Connected Health solution enable practitioners to view patient vitals and expedite action in cases of concern, Cloud DX (TSX-V:CDX, OTCQB:CDXFF) head of operations Cara MacDonald said in a statement.

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) creates this closer circle of care for chronic conditions that lowers exacerbations and reduces urgent or emergent care visits and subsequent hospitalizations, MacDonald added.

Cloud DX noted that its Deployment and Patient Support teams will assist the clinic with onboarding patients and scaling the program.

The company added that it has now signed a total of 15 contracts in 2022.

Accelerating virtual healthcare, Cloud DX is focused on making healthcare better for everyone. Its connected health 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.

Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com
Silver Range said its private placement consisted of the sale of 4 million company units at a price of $0.15 each

Silver Range Resources Ltd (TSX-V:SNG, OTC:SLRRF) said it has completed its previously-announced private placement, which consisted of the sale of 4 million company units, at a price of $0.15 each, for total proceeds of C$600,000.

Each unit consisted of one common share and one non-transferable share purchase warrant, with each warrant entitling the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $0.20 until April 11, 2024.

All securities issued are subject to a hold period until August 12, 2022.

Silver Range noted it paid cash finders' fees totalling C$4,875 to GloRes Securities Inc and Canaccord Genuity (TSX:CF, LSE:CF) Corp in connection with this private placement.

As well, the company reported that it has completed a first pass (10 trench) program at the Cambridge property in Nevada, in which it is investigating highly anomalous gold-in-soil anomalies.

Silver Range also said gold-in-soil anomalies were trenched on the BH Grid east of the former Ben Hur Mine at the Bellehelen Property in Nevada, with results pending.

It added that reconnaissance work, followed by staking, was completed on a target in southern Nevada.

The company also revealed that it is sponsoring and will be attending the 2022 Geological Society of Nevada at the end of April, with its field operations expected to resume shortly thereafter.

Silver Range is a precious metals prospect generator working in Nevada and Northern Canada. It has assembled a portfolio of 45 properties, 13 of which are currently optioned to others. Four projects have been converted to royalty interests.

The company is actively seeking other joint venture partners to explore the high-grade precious metals targets in its portfolio.

Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com
Amman, April 11 : King Abdullah II of Jordan has departed for Germany to undergo an urgent surgery to treat a thoracic herniated disc, the Royal Hashemite Court said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II was sworn in as Regent, in the presence of cabinet members, it added.

The royal court revealed on Saturday that the operation at a specialist hospital in Frankfurt of Germany would require around one week of rest before the king can return to the Arab kingdom, Xinhua news agency reported.

The court added that the king had been experiencing intermittent pain in the spinal cord after years of parachuting while serving in the Special Forces, but the pressure on the nerve increased recently because of the herniation, which requires undergoing surgery urgently based on the medical advice.
Lakhimpur Kheri, April 11 : A power lineman at the Palia power station of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), in Lakhimpur Kheri, died after he set himself on fire, accusing a junior engineer (JE) of harassment.

Gokul Prasad, 45, was deployed as a lineman in the power department for the past 22 years.

He was referred to a higher medical facility in Lucknow where he succumbed to burn injuries.

The family members of the lineman have given a complaint against the accused.

Gokul's wife told reporters that her husband was under immense tension because of the JE under whom he was working and Gokul had even lodged a complaint against him at Palia police station but no action was taken.

SSP Sanjeev Suman said on Monday, "A lineman who immolated himself died during treatment in Lucknow. A video recorded by the lineman has surfaced in which he was levelling allegations against a senior."
Kiev, April 11 : The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that more than 4.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its ongoing war on February 24.

As of Sunday, the UNHCR said there were 4,503,954 Ukrainian refugees, 62,291 more than the previous day, the BBC reported.

According to the UN agency, this is the first time for Europe to witness such a large number of refugees since the Second World War.

The UNHCR said that 90 per cent of those who have fled are women and children, as most men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave Ukraine as they must stay and join the country's forces.

Poland currently hosts the largest number of refugees from Ukraine, with 2,593,902 people crossing into the country since the beginning of the invasion, it added.

Ninety-four per cent of the registered refugees in Poland are women and children.

According to the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM), around 210,000 non-Ukrainians have also fled the country.

Figures published by the IOM on April 5 had revealed that an additional 7.1 million people, or more than a quarter of the overall population, have been displaced within the country.
New York, April 11 : A pact to share information on space activities is to be signed by the US and India during the 2+2 meeting of their diplomatic and defence leaders in Washington on Monday, according to the State Department.

The Space Situational Awareness Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aims to protect the satellites of the two countries.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin for the Fourth 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue that will finally take place after being postponed in December 2021.

It will kick off ceremoniously on Monday at 9 a.m. (6.30 p.m. IST) with an honour cordon to welcome Rajnath Singh to the Pentagon for a meeting with Austin.

At the same time over at the State Department, Blinken will meet Jaishankar, according to the schedule for the 2+2 circulated by the US.

The 2+2 meeting takes place under the cloud of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the divergent approach to it by India and the US.

But before the meeting, President Joe Biden will hold a virtual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at which the Russian invasion of Ukraine will figure, according to the White House.

At a briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said: "President Biden will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russia's brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilizing impact on global food supply and commodity markets." India has tried to stay neutral on the Russian invasion given its dependence on Moscow for vital defence supplies and abstained on eight Ukraine-related votes at the UN.

The US, which is leading the global response to the invasion prefers India to take a stronger stand against Russia.

But the 2+2 will focus on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, where the two countries are strategically more aligned.

The formal 2+2 meeting of the ministers and the secretaries will be held at the State Department with the opening press statements that will be live-streamed on www.state.gov at 2 p.m. on Monday (11.30 p.m. IST).

It will be followed by the signing of the Space Situational Awareness MOU.

The four are scheduled to hold a news conference at 4.45 p.m. (2.15 a.m. Tuesday IST), which is also to be live-streamed.

Concluding the 2+2 meeting, Blinken will hold a working dinner for the other 2+2 leaders at 6 p.m. (3.30 a.m. Tuesday IST).

The 2+2 meetings held since 2018 alternate between the two capitals and its fourth edition, which was to have been held in December, was postponed because of the visit of Russian President Vladimir to New Delhi that month.

This year's event will celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and the US, the State Department said.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Kiev, April 11 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is likely to "even larger operations in the east of our state", urging citizens to prepare for a fresh round of assault amid the ongoing war.

In his latest nightly video address, the President said: "They can use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs... But we are preparing for their actions. We will respond." Zelenksy's warning came after General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Sunday evening that Russia was trying to prepare for an offensive operation in the eastern Donbas region.

"Russia keeps on regrouping, increasing the management system and logistics of troops. The Russian occupying forces are moving battalion tactical groups from the Eastern and Central military districts to the Belgorod, Voronezh and Kursk regions bordering Ukraine," Ukrayinska Pravda quoted the General Staff as saying in a statement.

It also claimed that Russian troops were facing a number of problems, including a lack of spare parts and certain types of artillery ammunition, as well as issues in the system of storage and supply of material and technical facilities.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate said that Russia has stepped up its "mobilisation" campaign in the Donbas region and started to draft men who are not eligible for conscription, the BBC reported.

According to the military intelligence service, several mobile brigades are operating in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, where they stop men and issue them with a summons to come to a military enlistment office.

Earlier, the UK's Ministry of Defence said in its latest public intelligence update that Russia was trying to boost troop numbers with personnel discharged since 2012.
Kiev, April 11 : The number of civilians killed in the Russian missile strike on a train station in Ukraine's Kramatorsk has increased to 57, with 109 people injured, a top official announced.

Addressing the media on Sunday, Pavlo Kyrylenko, the military head in Donetsk region where Kramatorsk is located, confirmed the new toll and said that "people with light injuries were sent home. All the seriously wounded are already in a safe region, and necessary assistance is being provided", Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

On April 8, Russian troops from the occupied territories in the Luhansk region deployed a Tochka-U system to carry out the cluster shelling on the Kramatorsk railway station, where some 4,000 people were awaiting to be evacuated.

The victims included five children.

Russia has denied accusations that it was responsible.

Instead it suggested that the missiles were Ukraine's.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Patna, April 11 : The scarcity of jobs across India is well-known now with even many students passing out from prominent academic institutions like IIM and IITs failing to get meaningful employment.

The lack of concentration is one of the reasons for rising joblessness and thus, a large number of students are taking help of professional meditation, motivational and management 'gurus' to enhance concentration level these days.

Such a trend is getting popular in smaller cities like Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Gaya and Bhagalpur in Bihar, where students, apart from preparing for the competitive examinations, are also taking online courses to control their mind and body.

"In a state like Bihar, a large number of students have only one ambition i.e. to secure a job. It has created big competition among them. Moreover, for a student like me whose financial status is not good, if I fail to get a job, my parents are not financially sound enough to go for a second option of business," said Siwani Sinha, an aspirant preparing for Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) joint entrance test, told IANS.

"I have been associated with a meditation Guru of Mumbai to take online classes for the last 6 months. Apart from regular classes of one hour, she also conducts theme based classes for students. Now, I am more focused on my study as my mind does not divert much," Sinha said.

Another student Ritesh Singh, who is residing in a boy's hostel of Khajanchi road and preparing for the BPSC examination said: "The theme based meditation courses are even more interesting for us. I have taken a nine-day course on 'Navratri' where we have learnt about the worshiping nine different avatars of 'Maa Durga', followed by correct pronunciation of 'mantra' to develop positive energy in ourselves and our surroundings." "We are living in the era of competition where students like me always believe that any examination should be cracked in the first or maybe second attempt as the concentration level is high initially. The repeated failures may divert the attention of a student or any common person as they start searching for the reasons for failures," said Abhinav Gupta, an IIT Patna (Bihta) second year student.

"Utilising the time during study is key to success. We need to focus on cracking the examinations in the first or second go. Hence, I have taken meditation classes during the preparation of the IIT examination and I am continuing the practice to keep my concentration level high," Gupta said.

Dr Nutan Khare, a prominent healer and therapist told IANS: "Meditation is not all about sitting in a silent place and closing eyes. Controlling our senses, mind and body is key to achieving a goal. In our traditional culture, we have festivals like Navratri where we worship Maa Durga. It allows us to develop positive energy among us and our surroundings. It can be achieved if we work in the right manner." "Apart from regular courses, I have conducted a nine days online workshop to worship Maa Durga with appropriate pronunciation of Mantra. The idea is to enhance the concentration level of a person so that they could easily control mind and body," Khare said.
Bengaluru, April 11 : The Karnataka Congress on Monday will stage a protest in the state capital against the Centre on the issue of price rise.

The Congress leaders are likely to attack the ruling BJP government in the state for encouraging Hindutva forces which are trying to create rift in the society, according to sources.

The Congress has charged that the prices of essential commodities such as petrol, diesel, CNG, LPG, building materials and chemical fertilizers have gone up causing severe hardship for the common man.

Party General Secretary and State Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar and Opposition leader Siddaramaiah will participate in the protest.

Congress has already staged a protest regarding price rise in district and taluk headquarters on April 9.

As thousands of Congress workers are expected to gather for the massive protest at the Freedom Park, the traffic is likely to be affected in the central business district of Bengaluru.
South Florida schools may be ready for another fight with the state related to masks.

No, there are no plans to bring back mandates that students wear facial coverings on campus, but at least one school district  Broward Countys  is discussing a legal challenge to a state-funding decision related to mask mandates.

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The three South Florida school districts  Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade  could be out more than $100 million combined, money that goes directly to schools for employee bonuses. The state Legislature decided this session to set aside $200 million for a program that rewards schools that get A grades or improve a letter grade, up from about $130 million in the past. But they put a catch.

The 12 school districts that violated state rules by imposing mask mandates are ineligible this year, and those that complied will get the larger districts share.

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[ RELATED; Broward teacher could be fired for refusing to wear mask ]

Given that the 12 school districts impacted are the largest in the state, the windfall for the smaller districts is astronomical and terribly unfair, said Judith Marte, deputy superintendent for Broward schools.

Broward Superintendent Vickie Cartwright said her district still plans to apply for the money from the Department of Education and allowing them to reject us or accept us. If the department says no, as is expected, some board members, including Debbi Hixon and Sarah Leonardi, say they want to consider a legal challenge.

[ RELATED: Broward schools may crack down on unruly behavior ]

We followed the rule as we understood it and we should not be punished for it, Hixon said Friday.

The school districts were challenging an order from the state Health Department banning school districts from making masks mandatory for students.

School districts that imposed the mandates said they were responding to a surge in COVID-19 cases at the time and following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They also questioned the Health Departments authority to make the decision.

Once the Legislature enshrined the policy into state law in November, districts complied.

Theres never been a roadmap for how to navigate through a pandemic, said Karen Brill, a Palm Beach County School Board member. Schools need all the money they can get. Teachers have been doing an amazing job. Doing anything punitive is really unwarranted.

[ RELATED: Palm Beach make maks optional ]

Frank Barbieri, chairman of the Palm Beach County School Board, said the districts general counsel has been in contact with lawyers in other districts about options, but no decisions have been made.

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A spokesperson for the Department of Education, which distributes state funds, declined to comment.

School district officials say they find the states move particularly galling because its cut directly from schools. An earlier proposal from state Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, would have cut $200 million from the salaries of high-paid district-level administrators and other costs that werent intended to affect schools.

Very pleased that the House Bump Offer includes $200 million for the 55 school districts who followed the law and did not force-mask children, largely funded by withholding cash from the 12 school districts that broke the law. The reckoning has arrived.  Rep. Randy Fine (@VoteRandyFine) March 9, 2022

This money goes to our employees, Broward School Board Chairwoman Laurie Rich Levinson said at a Tuesday workshop. Its kind of a bait and switch.

Fine said on Twitter last month he was very pleased with the decision to withhold money from school districts with mask mandates, even though one of the districts affected is Brevard, his own local district.

He wrote the money will go to the 55 school districts who followed the law and did not force-mask children, largely funded by withholding cash from the 12 school districts that broke the law. The reckoning has arrived.
New Delhi, April 11 : India reported a marginal decline at 861 Covid cases in a span of 24 hours, and six deaths were also recorded, said the Union health ministry on Monday morning.

The new deaths have taken the toll to 5,21,691.

Following a continuous downward trend, India's active caseload has declined to 11,058. Active cases now constitute 0.03 per cent of the country's total positive cases.

A total of 929 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours and the cumulative tally of recovered patients since the beginning of the pandemic is now at 4,25,03,383 Consequently, India's recovery rate stands at 98.76 per cent.

Also in the same period, a total of 2,71,211 tests were conducted across the country. India has so far conducted over 79.41 crore cumulative tests.

The weekly positivity rate in the country currently stands at 0.23 per cent, however the daily positivity rate is also reported to be 0.32 per cent.

On the vaccination front, India's Covid-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 185.74 crore as per provisional reports till 7 a.m on Monday morning. This has been achieved through 2,24,81,173 sessions.

Over 2.22 crore adolescents have been administered with the first dose of Covid vaccine since the beginning of vaccination drive for this age bracket.

More than 18.03 crore balance and unutilised Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states and union territories to be administered, according to the health ministry as of Monday morning.
New Delhi, April 11 : China's One Belt One Road (OBOR), now known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), was announced in 2013 and it seems it has one purpose only -- subjugation of the economically fragile nations on the way to becoming a great power by the time the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) celebrates 100 years.

There are numerous examples of countries, developed and developing, which are economically fragile that have become even more fragile courtesy the OBOR. The recent situation in Pakistan and Sri Lanka is case in point. The Centre for Global Development in a 2018 study of countries hosting OBOR projects found 23 of them in a state of debt distress.

Sri Lanka has taken loans from China, at lending rates in the range of 3-6 per cent against the 1-3 per cent offered by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). As a result, Sri Lanka has had to request China for a debt-to-equity swap, selling their own equity to Chinese companies as they have not been able to pay back their loans.

China's investment of an estimated $1.4 billion in Sri Lanka's Colombo Port City project is the largest single foreign investment in the island nation's history. Dubbed as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between the government of Sri Lanka and the CHEC Port City Colombo (CPCC) Pvt Ltd, the project has been much publicised for the employment opportunities and huge revenues which it would generate for the Sri Lankans.

What is seldom spoken about is the fact that of the 269 hectares of reclaimed land, 43 per cent will be controlled by the CPCC through a 99-year lease agreement. This is reminiscent of the not too long-ago takeover of the Hambantota Port on a 99-year lease by China Merchant Port Holdings (CMPH). The port is now operated 'jointly' by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and CMPH, with the latter holding 80 percent stake in the port and exercising near total control over its operations. Sri Lanka is just one example of how China uses its economic power to ensnare unsuspecting, and sometimes complicit governments in an intricate web of debt and dependencies.

The BRI is the garb to entice nations into futile and ineffectual projects which are extravagant compared to more realistic challenges being faced. The projects are promoted as one of its kind infrastructure development project with fictitious prospects; however they are of significance and benefit primarily to China.

The initiatives provide easier and convenient opportunities to address vulnerabilities of China at the cost and investment of individual nations. The mechanism provides expedient access for Chinese state owned companies to saturate the economies of small nations and saddle the borrowing nation with loans which can be leveraged when needed. In addition, China with its financial freedom has emerged as an independent nation providing financial alternatives over international organisations like the IMF, and Asian Development Bank (ADB) to secure individual and selfish designs.

The infrastructure projects of road, rail, buildings, ports etc. with inflated costs are advertised as comprehensive solutions without disclosing the methodology and terms of execution.

The projects in Sri Lanka like the $104 million Lotus tower which never got commissioned or the $209 million Mattala Airport which is the 'World's Emptiest Airport', though presumed to be funded by China had all its costs recovered through execution by Chinese entities, using equipment/ machinery/material from China including significant proportion of labour/top management.

In effect, whilst Sri Lanka paid for the projects, it filled Chinese treasury for a requirement which was not essential. Further, due to the confidentiality of project being pursued by the government the actual cost of the projects are also largely exaggerated. The Chinese approach in Sri Lanka has been outright capitalist where in the Sri Lankan economy is flooded with cheap Chinese goods so as to kill the local economy and extract as much Strategic advantage by trapping the Government of the day in frivolous infrastructure projects.

It needs to be understood that all Chinese deals come with hidden agendas particularly with the aim to in debt the country, take control of land, fill the coffers of China at the expense of smaller countries under the garb of development. The modus operandi of engagement has been similar in Africa, Asia and Latin America wherein countries have been indebted with Chinese loan of billions of dollars.

Thus, all countries in the region must guard their sovereignty in their best interests, lest it is also 'Coloured Red' under the Chinese shadow.

(Sumit Kumar Singh can be reached at sumit.k@ians.in)
Chennai, April 11 : The Madras High Court will fast lane the case related to the death of elephants after being run over by speeding trains in Podanur-Walayar belt near Madhukkara in Tamil Nadu.

The move follows an onsite inspection of the two railway lines A and B by a team of judicial officers to verify the reason behind the deaths and work out a solution to prevent such incidents.

Justices V Bharathidasan, R. Subramanian, N. Satishkumar, M. Dhandapani, R. Pongiappan, and G.K. Ilanthirayian travelled in a tower wagon on both the lines A and B as most of the elephant deaths had occurred after being hit by speeding trains.

Recently, three elephants, including a calf, were killed by Mangalore-Chennai express leading to a major confrontation between the forest officials of Tamil Nadu and the Southern Railway, Palakkad division.

Notably, 11 elephants have lost their lives after being hit by speeding trains since 2008.

The counsel for the Southern Railway, P.T Ramkumar, had informed the Madras High Court bench of Justices V. Bharathidasan and N. Sathishkumar on March 17 that it was not possible for trains to reduce their speed under 45 km per hour.

He also informed the court during the hearing that the speed reduction below the least permissible limit would lead to endangering the safety of passengers on the train. He had also informed the court that it was not possible or feasible to divert the trains during night hours.

The court had then directed the Southern Railways and the Tamil Nadu forest department that the judges would directly travel in a train between Podanur and Walayar and directly assess the situation.

Southern Railway officials informed the judges that ramps could be constructed to felicitate the movement of elephants and told the judicial officers that Artificial intelligence could be deployed to provide early warning to loco pilots on the presence of wild elephants on the sides of tracks.

The officials also informed the court that electric fencing is also possible to prevent the elephants from crossing the railway tracks during the night.

Senior forest officials of the Tamil Nadu government, including Principal secretary environment and forests Supriya Sahu and Chief Wild Life Warden, Tamil Nadu, Syed Muzzamil Abbas accompanied the judges along with Southern Railway officers.
Seoul, April 11 : South Korea's outgoing President Moon Jae-in said on Monday that he expects to communicate with people on his post-presidential life via Twitter, as the number of followers of his account surpassed 2 million.

"After retirement, I look forward to having a conversation about new life out of politics (via Twitter)," Moon said in a Twitter post to mark the achievement of over 2 million followers.

He said Twitter has become one of the most important communication tools since his foray into politics, reports Yonhap News Agecy.

The outgoing leader also thanked people "who always send me encouragement and love via Twitter".

Moon, who is set to leave office on May 9, has said he wants to be forgotten and will not get involved in politics after his retirement.
Islamabad, April 11 : As the Pakistan National Assembly (NA) convenes on Monday to elect a new Prime Ministter after PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi their nomination papers, the PTI seems divided over its erstwhile decision of en masse resignations by its lawmakers.

While the cabinet division de-notified 52 members of the federal cabinet, 25 federal ministers, four ministers of state, four advisers to the Prime Minister and 19 special assistants, after Sunday's historic vote of no-confidence by the joint opposition against former premier Imran Khan, Sharif having bright chances to make it to the top slot said the new cabinet would be formed only after consultation with all allies, reports Dawn news.

As the PTI core committee remained indecisive in a meeting chaired by Khan on Sunday whether to go for en masse resignations of MNAs or not, the party chairman called the parliamentary party meeting at the Parliament House on Monday to make a final decision.

Whether Qureshi will contest the election for the premiership or will resign along with other MNAs of the PTI and its allies depends on the outcome of the PTI parliamentary meeting.

However, the PTI decided to give a tough time to the upcoming government through street protests if the PML-N won the contest in the parliament.
It seems as if the Russia-Ukraine war has rendered the seminal work by Samuel Huntington "The Clash of Civilizations", as completely wrong. As the narrative painted by him 30 years earlier, and which occupied the central place in the world politics particularly by the western liberals has not happened. Instead of a clash of the civilizations, it is now a clash within the civilization i.e. white, European and Orthodox Christians fighting amongst them. In an interview to George Eaton for the New Statesman, political theorist Noam Chomsky describes the on going war between Russia and Ukraine as "monstrous" for Ukraine.

Chomsky, who has never condemned any anti-Western government, unhesitatingly denounces Russian President Vladimir Putin's "criminal aggression". But adds that to answer the question, one has to plumb the recesses of Putin's twisted mind and try to analyse his deep psyche.

"The other way would be to look at the facts: for example, that in September 2021 the US came out with a strong policy statement, calling for enhanced military cooperation with Ukraine, further sending of advanced military weapons, all part of the enhancement programme of Ukraine joining Nato. You can take your choice, we don't know which is right. 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," he further said in the interview.

Expressing his views on democracy and the US interpretation of democracy, Chomsky says that Putin is as concerned with democracy as we are. He said: "If it's possible to break out of the propaganda bubble for a few minutes, the US has a long record of undermining and destroying democracy. Do I have to run through it? Iran in 1953, Guatemala in 1954, Chile in 1973, on and on... But we are supposed to now honour and admire Washington's enormous commitment to sovereignty and democracy. What happened in history doesn't matter. That's for other people." Chomsky, who observed in 1990 that "if the Nuremberg laws were applied, then every post-war American president would have been hanged", spoke disdainfully of US President Joe Biden, saying: "It's certainly right to have moral outrage about Putin's actions in Ukraine, but it would be even more progress to have moral outrage about other horrible atrocities... In Afghanistan, literally millions of people are facing imminent starvation. Why? There's food in the markets. But people who have little money have to watch their children starve because they can't go to the market to buy food. Why? Because the United States, with the backing of Britain, has kept Afghanistan's funds in New York banks and will not release them." Chomsky's contempt for the hypocrisies and contradictions of US foreign policy comes out very clearly in this interview, and in his usual style he has given words to the sentiments prevailing across the globe .

On the other hand the other leading political theorists of our times Francis Fukuyama, while speaking to Megan Gibson for New Statesman opined that we could be facing the end of "the end of history" On the recent political drama over presidential elections in the US, Fukuyama, describes the situation as serious, really, since the American Civil War. Commenting on the US's current political polarisation he says: "There's a significant chance we're going to be in a major constitutional crisis at the time of the next presidential election." Fukuyama's critics point out that his thesis about liberal democracy being "the final form of human government" seems obsolete. In his book "The End of History and the Last Man", he outlined his theory that liberal democracy is greatly preferable to any other form of government and, crucially, that no liberal democracy could progress to a better alternative.

Fukuyama commenting on the likely geopolitical consequences of the war in Ukraine, says that chief among his predictions are: Russia will lose the war, perhaps spectacularly, and this defeat will help the West get out of "our funk about the declining state of global democracy. The spirit of 1989 will live on, thanks to a bunch of brave Ukrainians. For those interested in the stability of the international order, it's an optimistic, even reassuring, vision of the war's potential outcome".

On the surge of global support for Ukraine, Fukuyama sympathises with and endorses the urge to support the Ukrainian plight, but he also warns that it's hardly a universal phenomenon, even among seemingly democratic countries. He cites India and South Africa as two countries that have so far refused to condemn Russia's invasion.

Fukuyama also opines that while different opinions might be tolerable, they have also once again highlighted the dysfunction of certain multilateral bodies, like, the UN.

His "ultimate nightmare", he said, is a world in which China and Russia work in harness with one another, perhaps with China bolstering Russia's war and Beijing launching its own invasion of Taiwan. If that were to happen, and be successful, Fukuyama said "then you would really be living in a world that was being dominated by these non-democratic powers. If the US and the rest of the West couldn't stop that from happening, then that really is the end of the end of history".

Analysing the views expressed by the two giants one can only say that the wrong interpretation of liberal democracy and its implementation through force might have resulted in the erosion of the democratic concepts all over the world. Its main champions US and UK both seem to be faltering and trying to impose their will or version of the concept with use of force, which may ultimately result in the establishment of a non-democratic global system, instead of the new world order which the so-called western liberalised world is trying to implement.

(Asad Mirza is a political commentator based in New Delhi. The views expressed are personal)

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Los Angeles, April 11 : Actor Sam Elliott expressed his regret for voicing strong criticism for Jane Campion's western 'The Power of the Dog' on Sunday afternoon, extending apologies to Jane Campion, Benedict Cumberbatch and the gay community.

Elliott offered his comments during a promotional panel for his series "1883", a spin-off of "Yellowstone" for Paramount+, featured in Deadline'sContenders TV event, reports 'Variety'.

"I wasn't very articulate about it. I didn't articulate it very well," Elliott said.

"I said some things that hurt people and I feel terrible about that... I (said) that I thought Jane Campion was a brilliant director. I want to apologise to the cast of 'The Power of the Dog' -- brilliant actors all, in particular Benedict Cumberbatch... I can only say that I'm sorry and I am. I am." Elliott went on to apologise for how his comments were received by the gay community.

"The gay community has been incredible to me my entire career. And I mean by entire career, from before I got started in this town. Friends on every level, in every job description -- up until today, with my agent, my dear friend of a number of years. I'm sorry that I hurt any of those friends and someone I loved and anyone else by the words that I used," Elliott continued.

Elliott's original comments regarding 'The Power of the Dog' emerged when the actor appeared as a guest on the 'WTF Podcast With Marc Maron', in which the hour-long interview turned to the topic of Netflix's western. Elliott compared the film's depiction of cowboys to Chippendale dancers and seemed perturbed by Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of a closeted gay ranch hand.

"That's what all these f**king cowboys in that movie looked like... They're running around in chaps and no shirts. There's all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the movie," Elliott said at the time.

"Where's the western in this western?" When asked to respond to Elliott's comments, Campion didn't hold back in retaliating, telling Variety, "I'm sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-*-*-*-*. He's not a cowboy; he's an actor."
Los Angeles, April 11 : Two people were killed and four others injured in a shooting in Los Angeles, local authorities said.

The shooting occurred at 4.13 p.m. on Sunday evening in the US city's 12200 block of Blakley Avenue, Xinhua news agency quoted the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department as saying in a notification.

Two male adult victims were pronounced dead at the scene, the Department said.

An additional four gun-shot victims were transported to nearby hospitals and their conditions remained unknown as of Monday morning, it added.

"There is no additional information available at this time," the Department said, urging anyone with information about the incident to contact its Homicide Bureau.
Jaipur, April 11 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday urged the central government to declare East Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) a national project.

Taking to Twitter, he said: "We intend to complete the work on ERCP soon so that 13 districts of East Rajasthan get access to drinking and irrigation water. The state government has so far spent about Rs 1,000 crore on it and has proposed Rs 9,600 crore in this budget." Since the state government has limited resources, the project will take 15 years to complete during which its cost will also go up. If the central government gives it a national project status and provides a grant, the work will be completed faster and at a lower cost, he added.

"It is beyond comprehension that if a desert and water-deficient state like Rajasthan does not get the status of a national project, then which state will get it? This is the situation when the Jal Shakti Minister belongs to the state but is not doing anything for it," said Gehlot while adding a hashtag #ERCP_create national project.
Patna, April 11 : RJD chief Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav has invited Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to re-enter the 'Mahagathbandhan'.

Taking to Twitter, Tej Pratap has shared a poster with his picture on one side of the frame and "Entry Nitish Chacha (Uncle)" written on the other.

Tej Pratap's move comes at a time when the BJP and JD-U are at loggerheads over several issues, including caste-based census, leadership of NDA in Bihar, liquor ban, law and order situation.

Recently, BJP leader and minister Janak Ram had claimed that the BJP is the single largest party in Bihar Assembly with 77 seats while JD-U has only 45 seats. Hence the chief minister should come from the BJP quota. He also advocated for the ban on loudspeakers for Azan (prayers in mosques).

Several netizens took a dig at Tej Pratap for the post as few years ago, he had stood outside Rabri Devi's residence with a placard reading "No entry for Nitish Chacha." Many have questioned him for backtracking from his earlier stand.

Notably, Nitish Kumar led JD-U contested the Assembly elections with RJD and Congress party in 2015 and formed the government.

In that election, JD-U managed to win only 69 seats while RJD won 80 seats, still Lalu Prasad Yadav gave the post of chief minister to Nitish kumar.

After 15 months of governance, Nitish Kumar left the Mahagathbandhan and joined NDA to form the government in Bihar. At that time, BJP had only 54 seats in the state Assembly.

Following the separation from Mahagathbandhan, RJD always claimed that the people of Bihar had given the mandate to Nitish Kumar to run the government with RJD and Congress and not with BJP. Still, Nitish Kumar went with BJP and formed the government. RJD alleged that Nitish Kumar stole the mandate of Bihar to form the government with BJP.

Following that episode, Tej Pratap Yadav had stood with a placard reading "No entry of Nitish Kumar in Mahagathbandhan."
SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga.  Georgias wildlife agency is asking residents to report sightings of an invasive lizard that can pose a threat to native species.

The state Department of Natural Resources is trying to locate and remove South American tegus from Georgia before the lizards can thrive in greater numbers. So far, the state's only known wild population has been found in Toombs and Tattnall counties in southeast Georgia.

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Wildlife officials hope to stop the black and white lizards from spreading further. They can grow up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) long and weight up to 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms), and have a wide-ranging appetite that favors eggs of turtles, alligators and ground-nesting birds.

They can live almost anywhere and eat almost anything, Daniel Sollenberger, a DNR wildlife biologist, said in a news release.

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[ RELATED: Iguana killers: Hunts around South Florida backyards become a tourist attraction ]

We are focusing our efforts to accomplish two goals: document the extent of where tegus occur in the wilds of southeast Georgia and remove those animals as soon as we can after they are detected, Sollenberger said. With area residents, hunters and other folks helping us keep an eye out for and controlling tegus, we are cautiously optimistic we can control this population.

Officials aren't sure how tegus got introduced into the wild in Georgia, but they are commonly kept as pets.

Last year the DNR removed a single tegu that was spotted on a game camera and later captured in a trap. Seven were collected, both dead and alive, in 2020.

[ RELATED: Florida bans commercial breeding of tegu lizards and green iguanas ]

Wildlife officials warn if tegus become established in the wild, they will be nearly impossible to eradicate. Wild populations have also been found in South Carolina and Florida. Trapping at one site along Everglades National Park can yield hundreds of the lizards each season.
New Delhi, April 11 : After reports of violence in many parts of the country during Ram Navami processions, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that hate was weakening the country.

In a tweet, he said, "Hate, violence and exclusion are weakening our beloved country. The path to progress is paved with the bricks of brotherhood, peace and harmony. Let's stand together to secure a just, inclusive India." Communal violence erupted in at least two districts of Madhya Pradesh during the Ram Navami celebrations on Sunday.

The first incident of violence was reported in Khargone district, where nearly half-a-dozen police personnel got injured while a similar incident occurred in the Sendhwa town of Barwani district.

In Khargone, stones were hurled at a Ram Navami procession, triggering incidents of arson wherein some vehicles were set on fire, prompting authorities to clamp curfew in three areas and section 144 of CrPC in the entire city. Police fired tear gas shells to control the situation.

A similar incident took place in Gujarat's Sabarkantha.

Communal tension had erupted in Karauli last week following stone-pelting at a motorcycle rally passing through a Muslim-dominated area on 'Nav Samvatsar', the Hindu New Year.
New Delhi, April 11 : The Border Security Force on Monday claimed to have seized four packets of narcotics, suspected to be heroin, near the fencing areas at the border in Punjab's Firozepur.

Following the recovery on Sunday evening, two farmers and a labourer working in the field at that time were detained.

According to the BSF officials, on a specific input, the troops kept a strict vigil on the activities of farmers working near the border security fence area.

On Sunday evening, the security personnel noticed suspicious activities of two farmers and one labourer working near the border fence. The BSF's 'Kissan guard party' promptly acted and frisked them and searched the area.

While searching the area, the troops found a fresh digging mark near a eucalyptus tree and recovered four packets of contraband items suspected to be heroin (Gross weight-1 Kg) wrapped in a blue polythene.

The officials also said that the two farmers and one labourer have been detained for interrogation and the matter is under investigation.

Recently, the Firozepur sector under BSF's Punjab Frontier has witnessed a spurt in recovery of contrabands being pushed from the Pakistani side. On April 8, the Force recovered 1.200 kg of heroin from two women inside the Border Security sector.

The officials in the Force have said that despite the continuous efforts from the anti- Indian element in Pakistan to push narcotics into Indian Territory, the BSF has successfully thwarted the smuggling bids by high level of alertness on the border areas.

On April 4, the Force seized over two kg of contrabands suspected to be heroin, while on January 12, 6.3 kilograms heroin and one pistol, one magazine and 50 rounds were recovered.

Sources in the central security forces said that drones have also been used to smuggle drugs and arms inside India. The Forces have neutralised these attempts in the past by shooting them down.

They also said that the BSF is working on developing "anti-drone technology" jointly with the Defence Ministry's Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO)." Once the force gets the technology, this will make the border management secured to a larger extent.
Mumbai, April 11 : The buzz around the period-thriller movie 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu' starring Pawan Kalyan, is witnessing a spike following talk of the makers planning a fight sequence pitting Pawan against 1,000 men.

Pawan Kalyan, who will apparently essay the role of an ancient warrior in the movie, will be seen in the high-octane war sequence, to be canned soon. This action block, which is touted to be the highlight of the movie, will feature more than 1,000 fighters, unit sources said.

In preparation for the role, the 'Badri' actor trained intensively in combat fighting. The video promo of his pre-shoot session released by the makers, has further increased the buzz surrounding this Krish directorial.

Helmed by 'Kanche', 'Gauthami Putra Satakarni' and 'Vedam' fame Krish, the grandiose movie produced by Mega Surya Production, has Niddhi Agerwal essaying the female lead.
Los Angeles, April 11 : 'House of Cards' and 'The Usual Suspects' star Kevin Spacey has filed a case in the federal court in his ongoing battle with actor Anthony Rapp over alleged sexual abuse.

Spacey's attorneys requested a judge to dismiss Rapp's sex abuse lawsuit, reports 'Deadline'.

Rapp, who has appeared in the Broadway production of 'Rent' and TV's 'Star Trek: Discovery', has claimed that at age 14 he went to a party in 1986 at Spacey's Manhattan home. That's where, he claims, a 26-year-old Spacey "engaged in a sexual advance" by grabbing Rapp's buttocks and lifting him onto a bed and laying on his body. As per 'Variety', Rapp claimed he "was forced to extricate himself" before leaving the party.

Kevin's lawyers have claimed that the allegations made about Spacey's conduct at a 1986 party were false in nature and they never occurred, stated a report in Associated Press. The lawyers contended that the contact between Spacey's hand and Rapp's buttocks was not for the purpose of sexual gratification or to degrade or abuse Rapp.

They said Spacey "flatly denies" that any of what Rapp described took place. Rapp's lawyers have not yet commented. Rapp first made the claim in 2017, prompting others to come forward and basically end Spacey's acting career.

Spacey issued a statement at the time, claiming he didn't remember the Rapp encounter, but apologised. A criminal case brought against Spacey from an indecent assault and battery charge of allegedly groping an 18-year-old man at a Nantucket resort was dismissed in 2019.
April 11 : Amid reports of Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt's wedding taking place this month, the RK Studios that belong to the Kapoor family was illuminated with lights. Ranbir Kapoors new home was also seen lit up with lights.

The exterior of the RK Studios, which is located in Mumbai's Chembur area, and the trees around the complex were decorated with lights. Pictures of the decked up studio are doing the rounds on social media.

On Sunday, Ranbir Kapoor's new under-construction house in Bandra was also decked up with strings of coloured lights. Several videos on social media showed workers decorating the under-construction bungalow with LED string lights.

While Ranbir, Alia and their moms, Neetu Singh and Soni Razdan have refrained from speaking about the much-talked about wedding, speculations are rife that Alia and Ranbir would tie the knot on April 14. They will reportedly have a big wedding with all the functions including mehendi, haldi and sangeet. Reportedly, the film industry celebs have already received the invitations for the wedding. A grand reception will be organised at the luxury hotel Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai on April 17.

Meanwhile, Alia's uncle Robin Bhatt told India Today that the wedding will take place on April 14, and the festivities will begin on April 13. Alia's brother Rahul Bhatt also told ETimes that the wedding ceremonies will start with mehendi on April 13. He also said that the wedding would be a four-day event. He also revealed that an intimate ceremony will take place at RK's Bandra home, Vastu.

Ranbir and Alia had started dating each other since they worked together for their upcoming film Brahmastra. The actors made their first appearance as a couple at Sonam Kapoor's wedding reception in 2018. Since then, the couple has been vocal about their relationship and also shared pictures of their vacations together.

On the work front, Ranbir and Alia will share screen space for the first time in Ayan Mukerji's Brahmastra. Backed by Dharma Productions, the film will hit the screens on September 9, this year. The film also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Mouni Roy.
New Delhi, April 11 : At least two people were killed and several others injured after two cable cars in a ropeway collided with each other at Trikut hills in Jharkhand's Deoghar district even as the Indian Air Force on Monday continued its operation to rescue 40 starnded tourists.

Acting on the request of the state government, the IAF deployed one Mi-17 and one Mi-17 V5 helicopter early in the morning. The IAF contingent also has a component of IAF Garud Commandos to conduct the operations.

"A recce was conducted by one of the helicopters in the morning and operations are underway in coordination with the district administration and NDRF," Air Force said.

Two people were declared dead and several others injured after two cable cars in a ropeway collided with each other at the Trikut hills close to Baba Baidyanath Temple in Deoghar on Sunday.

"The exact cause of the mishap would be ascertained only after an investigation. The focus currently is on rescuing the people stuck on the ropeway," said sources.

Trikut ropeway is one of the highest vertical ropeways and has a maximum lens angle of 44 degrees. It has been built some 20 km from Baba Baidyanath Temple and is about 766-metres-long. The Trikut hill is 392-metres-high. The ropeway has 25 cabins and each can seat four people.

Nishikant Dubey, a parliamentarian from Jharkhand, thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jharkhand Chief Secretary Sukhdeo Singh for the immediate help. "I thank the Union home minister for taking cognisance of the matter immediately," he said.
Mumbai, April 11 : The first look of 'Phule' starring Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa in lead roles, was released on Monday.

The biopic is based on social activists and reformers Mahatma Jyotirao Govindrao Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule, who fought the evil of casteism and are the pioneers of female education.

The first look, which was released to honour Mahatma Phule's 195th birth anniversary, shows Pratik and Patralekhaa bearing a striking resemblance to Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule.

Sharing his excitement about the project, Pratik, the film's male lead, said in a statement, "It's a real honour to take Mahatma Phule's legacy to the world. 'Phule' is my first biographical film and even though the challenges are huge, given the fact that he was such an inspirational Indian leader; it's also a dream role and I can't wait to get started." He further said, "I remember saying yes immediately after hearing the narration. Some characters just come to you and I am glad that Ananth sir came to me with this film. It's wonderful that Content Engineers and Dancing Shiva have taken the responsibility of telling an unexplored part of Mahatma Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule's life to the millennials." An elated Patralekhaa commented on the much-coveted project. "I grew up in Shillong, Meghalaya, which boasts of a matriarchal society so gender equality is very close to my heart. Savitribai joined hands with her husband to start the first indigenously-run school for girls in Pune way back in 1848." "Mahatma Phule also championed widow remarriage and together they set up an orphanage to prevent infanticide. This is one film that will stay with me long after it is over," she asserted.

The Hindi feature film will be written and directed by Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, who has earlier directed the National Award-winning biopic 'Mee Sindhutai Sapkal'.

Talking about the project, the director said, "There are so many inspiring stories in our country that are still unknown or for some reasons kept under wraps by historians. Films are a great way to connect the younger generation to these unsung heroes. Jyotiba and Savitri Phule are the torchbearers of social revolution in India and I couldn't have asked for a better cast and team that is backing this project." 'Phule', produced by Raj Kishor Khaware, Pranay Chokshi, Saurabh Varma, Utpaal Acharya, Anuya Chauhan Kudecha and Ritesh Kudecha under the banners of Content Engineers & Dancing Shiva Productions, is scheduled to release in 2023.
Dhaka, April 11 : A survey report has revealed that the Covid-19 pandemic has dealt a heavier blow to Bangladesh's hospitality sector.

The country's hospitality sector incurred a loss of about 173 billion takas in gross value added during the pandemic, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying.

The Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), a leading think-tank, conducted the survey with hundreds of hotels, resorts, travel agencies, tour operators, restaurants and their employees across the eight administrative divisional cities r.

The findings of the survey, titled "The Covid-19 pandemic and the hospitality and tourism sector in Bangladesh", also showed that hospitality sales and revenues fell sharply in the second quarter (April-June) of 2020 compared to that in the same period a year earlier.

The report estimated that the sector would have contributed about 260 billion takas in terms of gross value added if there were no pandemic.

It further estimated that contributions of the sector squeezed to around 87 billion takas because of the pandemic in the above-cited period.
Kolkata, April 11 : Soon after the upcoming bypolls for one Lok Sabha and one Assembly constituency, West Bengal's ruling party Trinamool Congress will start a massive agitation against the Union government on the three issues of MGNREGA and GST dues and BSF excesses in the border areas of the state.

Besides, the Trinamool Congress leadership will also contact the chief ministers of non-BJP ruled states and urge them to be a part of a joint nationwide movement on the issues.

Political observers feel that this initiative is prompted by Banerjee's long-term plan to ensure that her party plays a key role in forging a unity of the anti-BJP forces in the country. The bypolls in West Bengal will be conducted on April 12, and the results will be announced on April 16.

Hours after the news was flashed on Sunday evening that as per records of the Union government, West Bengal has ranked first in job creation under MGNREGA scheme during 2021-22 by providing jobs to 11 crore people, the state issued a statement claiming that the success came despite a massive amount of Rs 2,876 crore of MGNREGA dues are due from the Centre.

A senior member of the state cabinet, on condition of anonymity, told IANS that this is something that needs to be highlighted. "And this problem of huge MGNREGA dues is not typical for West Bengal. All the non-BJP ruled states are facing the same problem. So, our appeal will be to all non-BJP political forces to come forward, highlight this issue and build a nationwide consensus against the Union government." Not in as many words, the state panchayat minister, Pulak Roy, also commented: "Despite the non-payment of MGNREGA dues such success came just because of the earnest approach of the state government under the dynamic leadership of our chief minister. When lakhs of migrant workers returned to the state and the Union government did nothing about them, we stood by the migrant workers. That is why Bengal came first on his count, pitting behind other Indian states," Roy said.

The second issue on which Trinamool Congress is trying to build a consensus is on the pending dues on the state government's share in Goods & Services Tax (GST). On April 7, 2022, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told media that a massive amount of Rs 90,000 crore of GST dues are also pending from the Centre.

"Our chief minister had carried out several interactions with chief ministers of non-BJP ruled states and all of them have the same complaint of huge GST dues. So, this is yet another issue where our leadership will propose a nationwide consensus on," said the cabinet member who did not wish to be named.

The third issue on this count where the Trinamool Congress wants a united consensus of the all the non-BJP parties are relating to alleged excesses by the Border Security Personnel (BSF) personnel in the bordering villages in West Bengal.

The anger of Trinamool Congress was triggered after Sirajul Haque, described by BSF as a cattle smuggler, was killed in BSF firing at Indo-Bangladesh bordering Sitai Assembly constituency in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal. According to Trinamool Congress MLA from Sitai assembly constituency, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, BSF personnel had been resorting to excesses over villagers in the bordering villages since the Union home ministry extended BSF's authority jurisdiction area to 50 kilometers from the LOC in the state's having borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan. "The BSF personnel are killing innocent people and unnecessarily harassing innocent villagers. There should be nationwide protests on this issue and we demand compensation from the Union government for the family of the victim," Basunia said.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 11 : An 84-year-old woman in Kerala refused to lodge a complaint against her alcoholic son who regularly abused her in an inebriated state.

The victim, Omana, lives with her two sons near Kollam, around 80 kms from here. The accused, Omanakuttan's behaviour went viral when his neighbour filmed him beating up his mother and posted it on social media.

As per village councillor Pradeep, this has been happening for a while now.

"She has two sons and lives with them. While one does not abuse her, Omanakuttan does it regularly. Everyone knows this, but even after the most recent incident, she did not lodge any complaint. This episode would have also gone unnoticed, if the assault video had not gone viral.

"On several occasions we asked her to let us know if she needed help, but she refused our assistance. She goes to work at this age to earn money for her son," Pradeep said, adding that in the past whenever she suffered injuries, she told the doctors she fell down." Even after the video went viral, Omana refused to lodge a complaint against her son. However, the police, based on the video, detained Omanakuttan on Sunday evening and are now waiting for the victim's injuries certificate to see if a case can be registered.
Bhopal, April 11 : Yet another tiger was found dead in Madhya Pradesh pushing the total number of big cats to have died in different wildlife habitats of the state so far this year to 15.

A tiger was found dead at Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) located in Seoni district of the state on Sunday. The officials are suspecting that it was killed by another feline during a territorial fight. This was the fourth tiger to be reported dead in PTR so far, this year, whereas this is the fifth in the state in a fortnight.

The carcass was spotted by a forest patrolling team on Sunday in Kurai range of the PTR, a wildlife officer told IANS on Monday.

"It appears the tiger was killed in a fight with another adult tiger. The attacking carnivore ate most of the carcass and blood stains were found nearby," officer said, adding that the dead tiger's front legs and teeth were intact, while its tail and hind legs along with nails were found nearby.

A thorough investigation was conducted with the help of a dog squad and there was no evidence of any suspicious activity at the spot, the official said.

On April 9, a patrolling team had spotted the presence of an adult big cat in the area and it is suspected that the tiger was killed by the same feline, he said.

Tiger state Madhya Pradesh has lost as many 15 tigers in the last four months in different wildlife habitats of the state, including five between April 1 to 11.

Of the total tigers reported dead, 11 had lost their lives within the earmarked area of tiger reserves, while four were reported dead outside the area.

On April 5, IANS had exclusively reported that as per the NTCA's data, overall, 39 tigers were reported dead across the country in the last four months (till April 4). Madhya Pradesh, like in the previous years, led with 14 tiger deaths, followed by Maharashtra with 10, while Karnataka was at third place with 6 tiger deaths.
New Delhi, April 11 : Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday called for devolving 3Fs -- Funds, Functions and Functionaries -- to empower rural local bodies for their holistic growth and to achieve national development and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Inaugurating a national stakeholders conference on 'Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals' organised by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Naidu urged the Union Government and the states to facilitate the devolution of the 3Fs from Zilla Parishads to Panchayats.

"The rural local bodies have to be revitalised and rejuvenated by strengthening and empowering them," he said.

While referring to the increase in fund allocation to the rural local bodies from Rs 100 per capita per annum in the 10th Finance Commission to Rs 674 per capita per annum in the 15th Finance Commission, the Vice-President said the funds should directly go into their accounts and there should be no diversion, dilution and deviation. Similarly, every grant meant for people should directly go to the beneficiaries.

"Given that nearly 70 per cent of India is rural India (68.84 per cent as per the 2011 census), attainment of SDGs at the national level will require actions at the grassroots of villages" that is at the Panchayat level," Naidu said.

Observing that the biggest goal is to make the country poverty-free, he said the other equally important missions include providing education to all boys and girls, ensuring delivery of critical services like safe drinking water and creating adequate employment opportunities.

Expressing his happiness that women constitute 46 per cent of the 31.65 lakh elected representatives of the rural local bodies in the country, he said that adequate representation should be given in legislatures and other law-making bodies. "Empowering women is empowering the society," he said.

Naidu noted that Panchayats have a pivotal role to play in integrated rural development by focusing on the 17 SDGs which are subsumed under nine themes to ensure poverty-free, clean, healthy, child-friendly, and socially secured well-governed villages.

Emphasising the need for transparent, accountable and efficient governance at all levels, Naidu commended the Ministry of Panchayati Raj for having introduced digital solutions like e-Gram Swaraj for smart and good governance in Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Stating that Panchayats have emerged as leaders, planners and policymakers at the grassroots level, he expressed confidence that the aggregation of their achievements will enable India to realize national as well as global targets in the true spirit of the transition from 'Local to Global'.
Amaravati, April 11 : Luck has finally smiled on actor-politician R.K. Roja as she found a berth in Andhra Pradesh Cabinet.

The two-time MLA and firebrand leader of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) took oath as a member of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's revamped Cabinet on Monday.

Shouldering a new responsibility in her career, the 49-year-old was quick to announce her decision to bid adieu to shootings.

A member of Andhra Pradesh Assembly from Nagari in Chittoor district, Roja announced that she will stop shooting for films and television programmes. The anchor will also stay away from 'Jabardasth', a popular Telugu comedy show.

After YSRCP stormed to power in 2019, Roja was a strong contender for the ministerial position. She, however, had to contend with the post of chairperson of Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC).

Also known as Roja Selvamani, she has come a long way since she took a plunge into politics by joining Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1998.

Born to Nagaraja Reddy and Lalitha in Chittoor district, her real name is Sri Latha Reddy. She holds a bachelor's degree from Sri Padmavathi Women's University, Tirupati in political science.

Roja, a Kuchipudi dancer, made her debut in films with 'Prema Thapassu' (1991) in the female lead with Rajendra Prasad. The next year she entered the Tamil film industry with 'Chembaruthi' directed by R.K. Selvamani, whom she married in 2002. The film with Prashanth in the lead proved a hit and helped her establish in the Tamil film industry. She continued working in both Telugu and Tamil films and also featured in few Malayalam movies.

Like her on screen roles, Roja's political journey was also full of drama. As president of the women's wing of TDP, she came to occupy a prominent position in the party.

However, her electoral debut was not to her expectation. She lost from Nagari in 2004. TDP president Chandrababu Naidu fielded her from Chandragiri constituency in 2009 but this time too she was unsuccessful.

Roja felt Naidu, who also hails from Chittoor district, has done injustice to her twice in allotting seat and in 2009 resigned as Telugu Mahila president and from the party. She slammed Naidu saying that he would not do justice to those who believed in him.

As Congress led by Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy retained power in then undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2009, she called on him and expressed her willingness to join the party. However, her plans suffered a setback with the death of Rajasekhara Reddy and subsequent political developments.

However, after Rajasekhara Reddy's son Jagan Mohan Reddy quit Congress and floated YSRCP, she decided to sail with him. Though she was elected from Nagari in 2014, it was the TDP which came to power in truncated Andhra Pradesh.

Critics branded her as an 'iron leg' who brings bad luck wherever she goes. The firebrand often lands herself in controversies with her harsh verbal attacks on her rivals.

In 2016, she was suspended from Assembly for one year for allegedly using abusive language against members of ruling TDP, including then Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

In 2019, Roja was elected again from Nagari and this time YSRCP stormed to power with a landslide majority.

"I have proved that I am not an iron leg but a golden leg," an overjoyed Roja told her critics. She had termed her victory and that of her party as a slap in the face of those who called her an 'iron leg'.

Roja's hopes of finding a Cabinet berth were dashed as Jagan Mohan Reddy had to accommodate two senior MLAs from Chittoor district. She was sulking but Jagan Mohan Reddy tried to assuage her feelings by offering her the post of APIIC chairperson.

As Jagan Reddy had also promised that he will revamp his Cabinet half-way through his tenure, this kept Roja's hopes alive. The YSRCP chief finally rewarded her for her loyalty and patience.
New York, April 11 : Ice on the surface of the Moon, known so far to be dry and airless, is likely protected by ancient magnetic fields, according to a new study.

Sunlight does not reach the polar craters on the Moon because of the Moon's small tilt to the Sun, 1.5 degrees compared with Earth's 23.4 degrees. Yet ice's survival has been a challenge on the lunar surface due to the solar wind, where charged particles can completely destroy the ice, Science reported.

Now, planetary scientist Lon Hood and team at the University of Arizona in the US have found ancient magnetic fields to be protecting Moon ice on the Moon.

In a research presented recently at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, they revealed that magnetic anomalies - remnants from the Moon's ancient past - may be protecting some of these craters.

"These anomalies can deflect the solar wind," Hood said. "We think they could be quite significant in shielding the permanently shadowed regions." The anomalies were first found during the Apollo 15 and 16 missions in 1971 and 1972, when astronauts measured regions of unusual magnetic strength on the surface.

While their origin is debated, scientists speculate that they were created more than 4 billion years ago when the Moon had a magnetic field and iron-rich asteroids crashed into its surface. The resultant molten material may have been permanently magnetised, the report said.

Thousands of the anomalies are thought to exist across the lunar surface, but for the research Hood mapped those at the south pole in detail using data from Japan's Kaguya spacecraft, which orbited the Moon from 2007 to 2009.

He found at least two permanently shadowed craters that were overlapped by these anomalies, the Sverdrup and Shoemaker craters, and there are likely more. Although the remnant fields are thousands of times weaker than Earth's, they could be sufficient to deflect the solar wind, the report said.

Craters with known anomalies could become prime targets for science and exploration. NASA is already planning to visit the south polar region with a rover due for launch next year, called VIPER.

The agency also intends to send humans to the lunar surface later as part of its Artemis programme. Studying the ice could reveal how it was delivered, which may in turn shed light on how Earth got its water, the researchers said.
New Delhi, April 11 : There is no stopping fires in electric vehicles (EVs) and now, reports have surfaced that at least 40 electric two-wheelers belonging to Jitendra Electric Vehicles caught fire in Nashik.

According to a CNBC-TV18 report, 40 electric scooters of Jitendra Electric Vehicles, a Shah group's venture, caught fire in a transport container in Nashik on April 9.

The company was investigating what led to the fire. The container with 40 EVs was en route to Bengaluru.

"We are investigating the root cause and will come up with the findings in the coming days," the company was quoted as saying.

No one was injured in the incident.

The latest EV fire joins the growing list of such incidents - five so far -- in just two weeks -- forcing the government to initiate a probe.

The government last week decided to call technical teams of Ola Electric and Okinawa Scooter for an explanation on recent fires in their EVs, after an independent expert probe is completed soon.

After Ola Electric and Okinawa e-scooters caught fire and raised alarms in government circles, another electric scooter of Hyderabad-based Pure EV caught fire in Tamil Nadu.

The company said it was investigating the incident.

The Okinawa e-bike went up tragically in flames due to an electrical short-circuit in Vellore in Tamil Nadu, leading to two fatalities.

Okinawa Autotech had said that they adhere to the highest quality standards in their electric scooters. "This particular case has further brought to light how important it is for users to understand the correct usage and charging guidelines for EVs," the company said in a statement.

The battery manufacturers are cautious and are assuring exhaustive tests and technology to deal with the overheating issue.
New Delhi, April 11 : The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Monday said that it has deployed 50 security personnel from the 40th Battalion for the ongoing rescue operation in Jharkhand's Deoghar cable car accident.

According to the ITBP officials, the team is equipped with the mountaineering equipment, communication system and has been working in close coordination with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Air Force and Army personnel.

The officials also said that the ITBP teams have reached the site where 48 people were stuck in 12 ropeway trolleys since Sunday evening. The ITBP personnel have sent water bottles and food through the ropes to the people stuck at lower heights. Rescue operation is slow because these trolleys are stuck at the height of 500 to 600 feet from the ground which are not approachable from the ground, therefore they are being rescued by the IAF chopper.

The NDRF officials informed that two teams have been deployed for the rescue operations and equipped with all necessary equipment. They have been on the site since Monday early morning.

"The rescue operation has been underway, ensuring the safety of the people stuck and hopeful that all will be rescued safely soon," senior NDRF official said here.

According to the NDRF officials, 18 persons have been rescued so far. BJP MP from Jharkhand Nishikant Dubey said that 25 persons had been rescued till 2 p.m. in his tweet.

At least two people were declared dead and several others injured after cable cars in a ropeway collided with each other at the Trikut hills close to Baba Baidyanath Temple in the Deoghar on Sunday evening.

Acting on the request of the state government, the IAF deployed one Mi-17 and one Mi-17 V5 helicopter early in the morning.

Trikut ropeway is one of the highest vertical ropeway with a maximum lens angle of 44 degrees. The ropeway, situated around 20 km from Baba Baidyanath Temple, is around 766-metres-long, while the hill is 392-metres-high. The ropeway has 25 cabins and each can seat four people.
Islamabad, April 11 : The Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf (PTI) has decided to boycott the election of the new Prime Minister and resign en masse from the National Assembly, said senior party leader Fawad Chaudhry after a parliamentary meeting of the party on Monday, media reports said.

In a video message after the meeting, the former Information Minister said PTI Chairman Imran Khan has decided that the PTI would not legitimise "this foreign-funded regime change" in Pakistan by taking part in the election of the Premier, Express Tribune reported.

"The parliamentary meeting of the PTI gave Imran Khan the complete authority to make decisions on the lawmakers' behalf." Chaudhry said as per the directions of Imran Khan, no PTI lawmaker will vote in the election for the PM and after that, the PTI MNAs will also send their resignations to the National Assembly Speaker.

He also acknowledged that there was a difference of opinion over the decision to resign en masse from the assembly but the parliamentary party gave Imran Khan the authority to make this decision who decided in favour of resignations, Express Tribune reported.

Imran Khan claimed that there were two mega corruption cases against PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif and it would be the "biggest insult to the country" to elect him as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Earlier in the day, PTI General Secretary Asad Umar, in a letter, told party lawmakers to vote for Shah Mehmood Qureshi else they will be considered defectors and disqualified under Article 63-A.
Chennai, April 11 : Around 2,500 traders in Sathyamangalam and Talavadi areas in Erode district on Monday downed their shutters in protest against the restrictions on vehicular movement imposed by the Tamil Nadu forest department following an order from Madras High Court.

Traders said that the restrictions on the movement of vehicles during night hours on the Bannari-Karappalam stretch of the National Highway that passes through the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) are affecting their business. Traders and general public accuse the Tamil Nadu forest department of misinterpreting the court order.

A division bench of the Madras High Court had on April 6, upheld the earlier judgment of the court that no vehicles will be allowed to ply during nighttime but allowed vehicles to be used from 6 a.m to 6 p.m and buses were not allowed to use the stretch from 9 p.m to 6 a.m.

M. Mohan, an office-bearer of the Talavadi farmers association while speaking to IANS said: "The Madras High Court had passed an order on April 6, 2022, and as per the regulations that any vehicle with 12 wheels or above and carrying 16.2 tonnes should not be allowed to use the stretch. However, the court had permitted the plying of other vehicles from 6 a.m to 6 p.m and buses were not allowed to use the stretch from 9 p.m to 6 a.m.

He said that forest officials of Tamil Nadu were not giving permission even for light motor vehicles during night hours that transported vegetables and farm products from Karnataka and Talavadi to various markets in the state.

Sathyamangalam Lorry owners association, in a statement, said that night ban on vehicle movements was affecting the transportation of goods, including vegetables and essential commodities.

The association demanded that the Tamil Nadu government file a review petition in the high court to revoke the ban permanently.

Huge demonstrations were taking place at Bannari check post and in Talavadi and Sathyamangalam towns against the ban on vehicular movement.

Political parties, trader bodies, motor vehicle owners associations, and driver associations were participating in the protest march at the Bannari check post.
New Delhi, April 11 : Three persons, including a minor, were arrested for stabbing an auto-rickshaw driver and robbing him of cash in the national capital, a police official said on Monday.

The accused were identified as Mukesh alias Lukkar (25), Rajan (19) and a 16-year-old youth.

According to the official, the incident took place on the intervening night of April 2-3.

"On the day, at around 1.15 a.m. in the night a PCR call regarding the stabbing incident was received in the Burari police station after which the police staff rushed to the spot," Deputy Commissioner of Police (north), S.S. Kalsi, said.

When the police reached the spot, they found that a critically injured auto-rickshaw driver was lying unconscious and had suffered a deep injury in his stomach.

The injured driver was immediately taken to the nearest hospital from where he was referred to another hospital.

The driver in his statement said his auto was booked by three persons late in the evening from Anand Vihar to Mukundpur.

When they reached a secluded place near Nala Ishu Vihar, Burari, the three passengers tried to rob him at gunpoint and when he resisted, he was stabbed in his stomach and subsequently robbed.

"The three accused then left him in a pool of blood and fled," DCP Kalsi said.

The police have registered a case under section 397 (robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

During investigation, the police scanned footage from more than 200 cameras to determine the route of the assailants and finally traced their location.

"They were nabbed from Mukundpur, Delhi, on April 8," said the police official.
Bengaluru, April 11 : The rift between the ruling BJP government and the state police department has come out in open with the handing over of Dalit youth Chandru muder case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The developments surrounding the incident had caused severe embarrassment to the ruling government and opposition parties are demanding resignation of the Home Minister Araga Jnanedra in connection with the incident.

Sources in BJP party explain that the party leaders are not happy with the police department's handling of Chandru's murder case. They further reveal that, there is pressure on CM Bommai to transfer Kamal Pant, Commissioner of Police for Bengaluru city.

Chandru, the youth was killed in a road rage incident in communally-sensitive Goripalya of Bengaluru last week.

Home Minister Araga Jnanendra had stated that Chandru was killed as he did not speak Urdu. Later, Home Minister apologised and took back his statement.

The chilling CCTV footage of the stabbing had emerged, which showed the victim Chandru, profusely bleeding and not being helped by locals.

Adding to this, Chandru's friend Simon Raju, who escaped from the attack stated that, his friend was killed for belonging to another religion and could not speak Urdu.

He further stated that no locals after the stabbing at least informed police and came forward to his help which could have save his life.

Following the development, BJP leaders swooped down on the Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant. BJP MLC Ravikumar had charged that Police Commissioner Kamal Pant has lied in connection with the murder case of Chandru.

He maintained that the murder had taken place for communal reasons and Home Minister's earlier statements for which he apologised were correct. National General Secretary and BJP C.T. Ravi had also raised questions regarding the incident.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who had always defended police department in many difficult situations, now had handed over the case to the CID, owing to the pressure within the party.

CM Bommai defended the police at the time of Mysuru gang-rape case, now had to yield to the pressure, say sources in the party.

Bommai announced the decision on Sunday after discussing the issue with DG and IGP Praveen Sood and Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant.

The CID investigation is sought to bring out the truth and for unbiased investigation, CM Bommai said, which is perceived to be set back to the state police department.

However, CM Bommai maintained that there is no question of 'trust' with the state police department. CID is also part of the police department. Either police or the Home Minister is not inefficient. Proper investigation would be conducted and he does not want to make issue furthermore complicated.
Cyber security is a growing concern in state and local governments, and there are not enough personnel to fill needed roles. (Steven Bernard / Getty Images)

Floridas budget for fiscal year 2022-23 makes historic investments in protecting and defending our state, our citizens and our personal data from potentially devastating cyberattacks. In total, the adopted budget includes over $154 million in cybersecurity education, training, certification and grants toward workforce development.

The budget clearly defines the intended purpose of this much-needed appropriation, stating that funds shall be used to position Florida as the national leader in cybersecurity and its related workforce through education, research and community engagement; assist in the creation of jobs in the states cybersecurity industry and enhance the existing cybersecurity workforce; act as a cooperative facilitator for state business and higher education communities to share cybersecurity knowledge, resources and training; seek out partnerships with major military installations to assist, when possible, in homeland cybersecurity defense initiatives; and attract cybersecurity companies to the state with an emphasis on defense, finance, health care, transportation and utility sectors.

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If adopted, it would be the single largest investment in cybersecurity in the Sunshine States history.

Taniel Koushakjian is the Director of Government Relations for Offensive Security.

These critical investments couldnt come soon enough. In the last few years, Florida cities like Riviera Beach and Oldsmars water utility, the Broward County School District, and Broward Health have all been hit with cyberattacks. If the thought of someone poisoning your citys water supply, stealing your health records or Russian hackers accessing information about your children doesnt grab your attention, the average cost to a U.S. business hit by a cyberattack is over $9 million, with the cost significantly higher if the data breach is over 100,000 records, according to IBMs Cost of Data Breach Report 2021.

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We should all agree that cybersecurity is part of our national security, and that we need to have properly educated, trained and certified professionals serving on the front lines to defend our infrastructure, utilities, schools, businesses, government and protecting our overall way of life. But right now, we dont have enough people to fill those roles. Thats a huge problem, and one that is growing.

According to Cyberseek, a project of the U.S. Department of Commerce that monitors and tracks cybersecurity job vacancies across the country, there are approximately 30,298 cybersecurity job vacancies in Florida, of which 1,778 are in state and local government. This equates to a cybersecurity unemployment rate of 35% for the entire state, and a 36% unemployment rate for cybersecurity professionals in our state and local governments. In fact, the number of cybersecurity job openings has grown and continues to do so at a faster rate than we have qualified personnel to fill those jobs. We can and must do better.

To his credit, Gov. Ron DeSantis recognized the cyber workforce shortfall when he announced the creation of a $20 million cybersecurity workforce education grant unveiled last month at the Florida Center for Cybersecurity (Cyber Florida) at the University of South Florida. Given the global shortage of cyber experts and professionals, all of us in the Sunshine State are fortunate to have experienced and knowledgeable leaders in this field, such as the Executive Director of Cyber Florida, Vice Admiral Mike McConnell, who has been beating this drum in Tallahassee for years. The governors cyber education grant is a good down payment from our states executive, one that should be followed up by the robust, targeted funding initiatives in this years budget.

DeSantis should keep this critical cybersecurity funding intact when he signs the budget, and in so doing, lay the foundation in creating a 21st century workforce in our state that is ready, willing and able to meet the challenges our state and local governments increasingly face.

Taniel Koushakjian is the Director of Government Relations for Offensive Security, a global leader in cybersecurity workforce development, training and certification for both offensive and defensive practitioners.
Amaravati, April 11 : Reconstitution of his cabinet by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has triggered dissidence in YSR Congress Party with one of the ministers dropped by him announcing her resignation from the Assembly while another is contemplating a similar course.

Mekathoti Sucharitha, who was Home Minister in the earlier Cabinet, announced resignation as MLA.

She was upset since Sunday when Jagan Mohan Reddy decided to drop her from the Cabinet along with 13 others.

On Monday, when a 25-member new Cabinet was sworn in, Sucharitha decided to quit as MLA from Prathipadu constituency in Guntur district. At a meeting with her followers, she announced her decision. She, however, made it clear that she will continue in the party.

Sucharitha also told her followers that none of them should quit the party. However, some public representatives in the constituency have already announced their resignation to show solidarity with her.

Meanwhile, senior leader Balineni Srinivasa Reddy is also reported to be planning to quit as MLA. He was sulking ever since Jagan Reddy decided to drop him from the Cabinet.

Srinivasa Reddy, who had served as a minister in the Cabinet of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, is angry over Jagan Reddy dropping him while retaining many others who are junior to him.

Several followers of Srinivasa Reddy on Monday announced their resignations as public representatives in Prakasam district as a mark of protest.

Political Affairs Adviser to the government, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and two other leaders of the YSRCP, were continuing their efforts to assuage his feelings. They called on Srinivasa Reddy at his residence in Vijayawada and advised him not to take any drastic step.

The Chief Minister has reportedly directed YSRCP leaders to bring Srinivasa Reddy to him for a meeting. The senior leader is likely to meet Jagan Reddy.

Jagan Mohan Reddy has retained 11 ministers in his new Cabinet. What has angered Srinivasa Reddy is the fact that Adimulapu Suresh, who also comes from Prakasam district, has been retained.

The revamp has also left many aspirants of Cabinet berths disappointed. Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy could not hide his disappointment as he wept in front of the television cameras after Jagan Reddy announced his team. He, however, said he would remain the party and work to strengthen it.

In Anakapalli district, followers of Chodavaram MLA Karnam Dharmashri staged 'rasta roko' to protest over their leader being denied a Cabinet berth.

In Palnadu district, followers of Macherla MLA P. Ramakrishna Reddy also took out a protest march and staged 'rasta roko'. The followers, including local public representatives, threatened to resign. They raised slogans against government advisor Ramakrishna Reddy.
New Delhi, April 11 : The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal's (NCLAT) order which ruled a stipulation in the DHFL resolution plan as "illegal" on recovery of avoidance transactions.

Issuing a notice on appeals filed by Piramal Capital and Housing Finance Ltd (PCHFL) and some banks that formed part of the Committee of Creditors (CoC), an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said the appeals will be heard on May 5.

Meanwhile, the order passed by the NCLAT in January will be stayed.

On January 27 this year, while delivering a verdict on 63 Moons technologies' petition, the NCLAT had directed the lenders of DHFL to reconsider their decision regarding the valuation of the financial firm's avoidable transactions, while approving the insolvency resolution plan submitted by PCHFL.

The approved resolution plan for DHFL stipulated that the proceeds from all avoidance transactions would go towards the successful resolution applicant PCHFL. The NCLAT ruled as illegal -- the stipulation in the DHFL resolution plan as regards to recovery of avoidance transactions going to the winning resolution applicant.

Later, the Piramal Group approached the apex court in an appeal against the NCLAT direction. Surprisingly, several top banks of the CoC also approached the Supreme Court against the NCLAT order that had given the entire set of financial creditors a seemingly better deal than what the CoC had agreed to in the resolution plan.

Expressing their surprise as to why banks challenged the NCLAT order when they stood to gain an enormous sum as a result of this order, several industry experts observed why Indian banks are content with Re 1 when they could potentially recover to themselves thousands of crore in the years ahead on account of avoidable transactions.

The company, 63 moons, which holds non-convertible debentures (NCDs) worth over Rs 200 crore issued by DHFL, had challenged the NCLAT's judgment on the grounds that the current resolution plan was "disappointing" for NCD holders. It had filed a petition in the NCLAT against Piramal ascribing Re 1 value to Rs 40,000 crore worth of recoverable assets in the DHFL case.

After the NCLAT passed the January order, 63 moons technologies stated that the CoC has to reconsider the provision of section 66 of IBC, which mandates that the benefit should go to all the creditors of DHFL. However, in its resolution plan, the CoC had overlooked this provision to the benefit of the Piramal Group.

63 moons, the only company that challenged the decision of the CoC in the NCLAT, pointed out that if the CoC considers this without alteration of provision of section 66 of IBC, all creditors of DHFL will be benefited.

It may be pointed out that in its resolution plan, Piramal had ascribed Re 1 value against Rs 40,000 crore assets that have been fraudulently diverted by erstwhile promoters of DHFL.

Under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), avoidance transactions are those which are identified as undervalued, fraudulent, or extortionate by the former promoters.

The resolution plan, which was voted in favour by the CoC, was approved by the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on June 7, 2021. As per the plan, a notional value of Re 1 was given for all recoveries under Section 66 of the IBC whereby applications for recovery of assets worth over Rs 45,000 crore.

In September last year, PCHFL acquired DHFL for a total consideration of Rs 34,250 crore.
Bengaluru, April 11 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday that he would consider appropriate action against Karnataka student Muskan Khan, who was recently praised by Al-Qaeda terrorist Ayman al-Zawahiri over the hijab row.

The controversy erupted after Zawahiri in a nine-minute video praised Muskan, 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.

Bommai's remarks came in the backdrop of BJP MP Ananth Kumar Hegde writing to him demanding to conduct a detailed probe against Muskan to identify if she has link with any proscribed outfit.

"I have no knowledge about the letter written by Ananth Kumar Hegde. I will speak to him and seek information about the issue. I will take appropriate action based on that," Bommai said.

Muskan's father Mohammad Hussain had earlier distanced himself from the video and stated that his daughter is more interested in studies and they are happily living with Hindu brothers in Karnataka.
Kolkata, April 11 : The controversy over the rape of a minor girl, who died later, at Hanskhali in Nadia district of West Bengal last week took a more debatable turn on Monday afternoon after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave a love-angle twist to the incident.

Speaking at the inauguration of the revamped Milan Mela, a permanent fair ground opposite the Science City at the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in Kolkata on Monday afternoon, the chief minister referred to the minor's rape in connection with which Brajagopal Goyal, son of a local panchayet member, Samar Goyal, was arrested by the police on Sunday.

"What has happened is not right. I condemn it. The police have arrested the accused. But the opposition parties and a section of the media are trying to give a political twist to the entire event. I have received the news that there was a love affair between the accused and the victim. So why come to a conclusion before the investigation is completed," the chief minister said.

However, legal experts have ruled out the logic of a love affair and consensual sex in this case since the victim was a minor. Senior criminal lawyer of the Calcutta High Court, Kaushik Gupta, told IANS that under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, even consensual sex is considered rape if it involves a minor girl. "A girl below the age of 18 is minor and law does not identify the right of a minor to give consent for sex. Consensual sex with a minor, as per the law is considered as aggravative penetration for sexual assault," Gupta said.

Meanwhile, Banerjee also launched a scathing attack on the media and said that a large section of the media is trying to project the state in a totally negative light. "Even minor events are highlighted nationally by a section of the media holding the ruling party responsible. The same media houses are remaining silent when journalists are stripped in Madhya Pradesh," she said.

A public interest litigation was filed in the Calcutta High Court on Monday, demanding a CBI probe into the matter. It is likely to be heard on Tuesday.

On Saturday, the parents of the victim filed a complaint at the Hanskhali police station against the accused. The victim's parents alleged that the accused invited the victim to his residence on April 4 to celebrate his birthday. There, as per allegations, the girl was fooled into consuming alcohol and then raped. Later, the victim was dropped at her residence by a woman alleged to be a close associate of the accused.

On the night of April 4, the girl started having severe pain in the lower abdomen and died late at night. The victim's family took the assistance of the Child Line and was able to file the FIR at the Hanskhali police station on Saturday. On Sunday, the accused was arrested.
Patna, April 11 : The Pakistan government has released from its jail a man from Bihar's Buxar district, 12 years after he accidentally strayed into the neighbouring country, a police official said.

Chavi Kumar, a native of Khilafat Pur under Mufassil police station in the district, had gone to Punjab as a labourer to earn his livelihood. One night, while returning from an agricultural field after work, he lost his way and reached Pakistan.

He was arrested by the rangers for illegally entering the territories of Pakistan and lodged in a jail in Karachi.

"We received a letter from a special branch in the month of December last year regarding him. We immediately went to the village and gathered the information about him and cross checked the details mentioned in the letter. The villagers said that a person had been missing for 12 years. Accordingly, we met Chavi Kumar's mother who immediately identified him," said Amit Kumar, SHO of Mufassil police station.

"Following the confirmation, we submitted the report with a special branch which further communicated to the external affairs ministry. Now, we have learnt that Pakistani rangers have handed over Chavi Kumar to BSF on April 5 and the process of bringing him back home in Buxar is currently underway. A team of Buxar police is on its way to Gurdaspur Punjab to bring him back," Kumar said.

His mother said that Chavi had gone missing two years after his marriage in 2009. He was 23 years old then. When he failed to return, his mother presuming him to be dead, performed his last rites. Chavi's wife also remarried after his disappearance, the officer said.

"When we informed the old woman that her son is alive, she was overwhelmed. Now, she is eagerly waiting for her son's return," he said.
Bhubaneswar, April 11 : Odisha police have arrested Thyil Shyam Sunder, an inter-state drug trafficker, from Hyderabad, the police said on Monday.

A team of Odisha police comprising officials from the Special Task Force (STF) and Malkangiri district police, with the assistance of the local police, arrested the drug peddler from Amberpet in Hyderabad on April 8, an STF official said.

After producing Sunder before the local court in Hyderabad, the Odisha police brought him to Malkangiri on transit remand.

This arrest was made against a case filed on October 3, 2021 at the Chitrakonda police station following the seizure of 1,051 kg marijuana.

Earlier, the police had arrested N. Balu of East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh in connection with this case. During interrogation, Balu had confessed that he was transporting the contraband on the direction of Sunder.
Muzaffarnagar : , April 11 (IANS) A youth has been caught vandalising the idol of a deity placed in a Shiv temple at Titawi village in Muzaffarnagar on Monday.

The accused has been identified as Yakub. Angry locals caught hold of Yakub, who was trying to flee after vandalising the idol, and handed him over to the police. The police have taken Yakub into custody and launched a probe into the matter.

A video of the incident has been shared on social media.

In the video, the accused could be seen surrounded by the locals and policemen, who reportedly reached the spot after the news of the incident spread.

Several locals also gathered at the temple and protested against the attack on their deity, demanding a fair and speedy probe into the case.

Titawi police station in-charge, Mukesh Solanki, confirmed that Yakub had vandalised an idol placed inside the temple premises. He, however, said that apart from the idol, no other part of the property was damaged.

Solanki added that the police have arrested the accused and would be interrogating him shortly. The official refused to divulge any further details.
Hyderabad, April 11 : With south India's next biggie 'KGF: Chapter 2' marching towards its April 14 release, the makers and star are literally racing against the clock to publicise the magnum opus.

Arriving late for a media interaction, Yash, who plays Rocky Bhaay in the movie, had to face the ire of a journalist at the event on Monday.

Yash did not hesitate to apologise, and convinced the journalist that he had not been aware of the timings, but was simply following the team's schedule.

"I know the value of time. So, please accept my sorry, as I was not aware of the exact timings you people were called here for an interactive session", Yash said.

Elaborating further, Yash explained that they have been travelling by private jet, which requires permission with respect to the weather conditions, thus causing a mix-up in their schedules. Yash's humility in this particular situation has drawn much positivity for him among the folks.

Earlier during the promotions of Sukumar's directorial 'Pushpa', Allu Arjun faced the same situation, as he was juggling between cities for the movie's publicity. Allu Arjun had quoted a similar reason, when a journalist posed a question on his punctuality in Bengaluru.

'KGF: Chapter 2' is gearing up for its worldwide release on April 14. Helmed by Prashanth Neel, the 'KGF' franchise is one of the most-hyped productions of the Kannada film industry.
Mumbai, April 11 : After a remarkable victory against IPL table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders by 44 runs at the Brabourne Stadium on Sunday, Delhi Capitals' swashbuckling batter David Warner celebrated the team's victory, shouting a famous dialogue from the Bollywood movie 'Uri'.

Warner, who had a very bad last season with Sunrisers Hyderabad, joined the Delhi Capitals in 2022 and led the dressing room celebration.

Delhi Capitals posted a short clip on social media, with the batter asking the team "How's the Josh" and the team replying "High sir", imitating the iconic scene from the Bollywood movie Uri.

A fantastic four-wicket haul from left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav combined with left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed taking three wickets helped Delhi Capitals snap their two-match losing streak with a 44-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders.

Delhi Capitals opener David Warner contributed a half-century (67 off 45) to the team's big score of 215/5 against KKR.

Latest updates on IPL 2022
New Delhi, April 11 : Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Monday said that the World Health Organisation has not declared any new variant of concern of coronavirus yet, so there is no reason to worry.

Noting that around 100-200 Covid cases are being reported in the capital city daily, he said: "There is no need to focus on positivity rate as the norms have changed. Earlier we used to focus... but now 10 per cent positity rate is the new mark.

"The rate of hospitalisation is an important point to be focused... (it) is going down in the city." On new Covid variant XE, Jain said that there is no need to create panic till any variant gets labelled as Variant of Concern.

"Due to mutation in virus, many variants of Covid will appear, but it is not matter of concern till WHO declares it as Variant of Concern.

Covid seems to continue for next four to five years," he added.

About precautions doses for all adults, he said that Delhi has complete preparation for administering the dose. For now it has been started in private centres, but government hospitals are also prepared to administer the dose, he said.

"In private hospitals, precaution doses can't be made available free of cost, but we will make it available free in government hospitals," he said.

To a question on the JNU violence, Jain said: "I am the Home Minister of Delhi. You should ask this question to the Home Minister under whom the Delhi Police is." He, however, termed, the incident "unfortunate".

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
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Islamabad, April 11 : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNAs walked out of the Pakistan National Assembly (NA) on Monday, boycotting the elections to pick the country's new Prime Minister, Dawn reported.

The move came after Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who was the party's candidate for the top slot, announced that PTI lawmakers would be resigning en masse from the NA.

Following that, PML-N's Ayaz Sadiq replaced Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who said his conscience did not allow him to conduct the session, as voting for the new premier began.

The development comes two days after an unceremonious end to PTI chief Imran Khan's tenure as the country's Prime Minister through a no-confidence vote.

After taking the chair of the Speaker, Sadiq read out the rules and procedure for the elections and asked for the bells to be rung for five minutes so that any lawmaker outside the chamber hall could return.

After the recitation, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who was initially chairing the session, explained his rationale behind his contentious ruling to dismiss the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan on April 3.

"The ruling was declared unconstitutional by the court, and we all are obliged to respect the court. But I want to tell you the reason behind my ruling," he said, adding that he had taken the decision "as a responsible Pakistani and Deputy Speaker of the NA".
Chennai, April 11 : A Chennai court dismissed a petition filed by the AIADMK's former Interim General Secretary, V.K. Sasikala, challenging her removal from the post.

Additional Civil Court Judge J. Sreedevi dismissed the petition filed by Sasikala and allowed three petitions filed by the party coordinator, O. Panneerselvam, and joint coordinator, K. Palaniswami against her.

Sasikala had challenged the general council resolution removing her from the post of General Secretary. A close confidante of former Chief Minister, late J. Jayalalithaa, Sasikala had taken over the party after her death. Jayalalithaa passed away in December 2016 and Sasikala took over as interim General Secretary in February 2017.

However, things took a bad turn for Sasikala after the Supreme Court upheld her punishment in the disproportionate assets case.

After her imprisonment in the Bengaluru central prison, the party general council meeting passed a resolution expelling her from the party and made Panneerselvam the Coordinator and K. Palaniswami the Joint Coordinator after making amendments to the party bylaws.

Sasikala challenged this in a court, seeking that the general council resolution be quashed.

The lawyers representing the AIADMK argued that the resolutions were upheld by the Supreme Court and that the Election Commission had accepted them too.

Sasikala has been making frenetic efforts to come back into the AIADMK fold and has been in constant touch with the party rank and file across the state. However, the Palaniswami faction has been adamant that she not taken back to the party fold even as a section in the Panneerselvam faction was supportive of her coming back.
Bhopal, April 11 : Moving quickly in an incident of communal violence that broke out on Sunday during the Ram Navami procession in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district, the police have so far arrested 77 persons involved in stone pelting, setting fire to public-private properties and creating a ruckus.

In a joint operation by the district administration and the police, several buildings were bulldozed in the Khargone city area where the incidents took place. Nearly half-a-dozen JCB machines (bulldozers) started demolishing the illegal buildings of rioters.

The action came soon after Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a meeting with Direction General of Police (DGP) Sudhir Kumar Saxena and other top bureaucrats including the chief secretary and the principal secretary of the state home department in Bhopal on Monday.

"No place for rioters in MP. Rioters have been identified, who will not only be put behind bars, but damage to properties will be recovered from them. The MP government has enacted a law to recover damages to public and private properties. A Claim Tribunal is being constituted. The loss caused by rioters to properties will be ascertained and recovered from identified rioters," Chouhan said after the meeting, adding that he has ordered immediate action in the matter.

The buildings were demolished amidst heavy police presence with the area cordoned off and Section 144 being imposed in the city.

While the administrative and police action against the rioters continued in the areas where violence occurred, politics also heated up in the state. Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh held the Khargone district administration and the police responsible for the violence.

The Congress leaders questioned the demolition of the buildings, arguing that action should have been taken only after an investigation into the matter. "Is it fair to punish everyone by finding them guilty without investigation?" Digvijaya Singh said.

Singh raised questions about the presence of BJP leader Kapil Mishra in Khargone on Sunday when the incident took place and has demanded an inquiry about his visit to the state. Mishra was on a day's visit to Khargone district.

Hitting back at Singh, Kapil Mishra said that people like him (Digvijaya) have started spreading lies to save those who are responsible for the violence in Khargone. "One who called Kasab a Hindu again started spreading lies. There was no riot where I was. And yes, if the investigation is done then only the name of a jihadi and a Congressman hiding behind him will come out in every riot." Congress leader and MLA from Khargone city Ravi Joshi who visited the spot on Monday, has welcomed the state government's action against the rioters and has demanded an independent probe into the matter. He said the presence of BJP leader Kapil Mishra in Khargone and the violence were not just a coincidence but it indicates a pre-planned conspiracy. Talking to IANS Joshi said, "Being the MLA of Khargone city, I visited the spot and took stock of the situation, meeting senior police officials and also administrative officials of Khargone. I welcome the state government's action against rioters, but the presence of Kapil Mishra should be investigated." Meanwhile, state home minister Narottam Mishra talking to a reporter in Bhopal said, "Jis ghar se pathar aae hai, us ghar ko hi patharo kaa dher banaenge (the house where the stones came from will be turned into a pile of stones itself)." According to the police, a clash broke out near Talab Chowk mosque when some people opposed the provocative songs being played during the procession. Videos of the incident showed a mob pelting stones at the mosque and the homes close to it. The police are seen dispersing the mob.

When the incident happened, BJP leader Kapil Mishra was in Khargone to attend the Shriram Janmotsav Shobha Yatra procession. Sharing photos on Twitter, he wrote, "Na Musa na Burhan, Bas Jai Shree Ram. Hamari Ram Navami yatra Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, me shuru."
Moscow, April 11 : Russia's military action in Ukraine is meant to put an end to the US-dominated world order, as per Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Washington has been seeking supremacy by imposing ad hoc rules and violating international law, he claimed, in an interview aired by Russian television on Monday, RT reported.

He was referring to America's attempts to impose its own so-called "rules-based international order", which have met with strong resistance from Moscow and Beijing.

"Our special military operation is meant to put an end to the unabashed expansion (of NATO) and the unabashed drive towards full domination by the US and its Western subjects on the world stage," Lavrov told Rossiya 24 news channel.

"This domination is built on gross violations of international law and under some rules, which they are now hyping so much and which they make up on a case-by-case basis," he added.

Russia is among the nations who would not submit to Washington's will, the Russian leader said. It will only be part of an international community of equals and will not allow Western nations to ignore its legitimate security concerns, Lavrov said, RT reported.

Lavrov blasted EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell for appearing to encourage more fighting in Ukraine. The bloc's top diplomat said the conflict "will be won on the battlefield" as he announced more military aid to Kiev last Saturday. Lavrov called the statement "outrageous".

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Kochi, April 11 : The body of late CPI-M central committee member M.C. Josephine was on Monday handed over to the superintendent of the Kalamassery Medical College, according to her wish.

The paperwork for this was done by her son and Ernakulam district CPI-M secretary C.N. Mohan. After all the people who had come to pay their last respects to the departed soul had done so, the body was taken over by the hospital authorities and was taken to their laboratory.

The 73-year-old Josephine was participating in the 23rd party Congress at Kannur on Saturday, when she fainted and was rushed to the AKG Cooperative hospital in Kannur where she was placed on ventilator. However, she passed away on Sunday.

Josephine was the Kerala State Women's Commission Chairperson for four and a half years during the first Pinarayi Vijayan government.

She was also the former Chairman of the Greater Cochin Development Authority.

Hailing from Ernakulam district, she was one of the few Christian women faces of the CPI-M.

Criticism has surfaced that apart from announcing the demise of the party veteran at the 23rd Party Congress, nothing else was done as a mark of respect to the departed soul.
Washington, April 11 : Being exposed to one respiratory virus can help human bodies resist other competing pathogens, revealed scientists, explaining why a potential 'twindemic' of Covid and flu was stopped in its tracks.

Many public health experts had feared that flu and Covid-19 would grip countries this last winter, but it never happened, the New York Times reported. While some individuals may have ended up being infected with two or even three viruses simultaneously, it did not take place at a population level.

Strict measures such as masks, social distancing, among others, imposed to control the spread of Covid largely prevented flu outbreaks while the Coronavirus reigned, and to resurge as it receded. But it was not alone.

In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, scientists found the reason to be a biological phenomenon, called viral interference.

This means that exposure to one respiratory virus may put the body's immune defences on high alert, blocking other pathogens from gaining entry into the airways, the report said.

Using a model of human airway tissue, the team showed that rhinovirus infection stimulates interferons -- first nonspecific defenders in the human body -- that can then fend off the coronavirus.

"My gut feeling, and my feeling based on our recent research, is that viral interference is real," Ellen Foxman, an immunologist at the Yale School of Medicine, was quoted as saying.

"I don't think we're going to see the flu and the Coronavirus peak at the same time," Foxman said.

In a separate study, researchers from the University of Sheffield, explored the viral interference phenomenon in children. Because it would be unethical to deliberately infect children with the flu, they gave children in Gambia a vaccine with a weakened strain of the virus, the report said.

They found that children who already had high levels of interferon ended up with much less flu virus in their bodies than those with lower levels of interferon.

The findings suggested that previous viral infections primed the children's immune systems to fight the flu virus -- a potential reason why children, who tend to have more respiratory infections than adults, seem less likely to become infected with Covid.

The theory can also be applied in adults. Recent studies have shown that co-infections of flu and Coronavirus are rare, and those with an active influenza infection were nearly 60 per cent less likely to test positive for Coronavirus, the report said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Srinagar, April 11 : The global perspective about Jammu and Kashmir is changing fast. Known as one of the most sought-after tourist destinations of India, it is now attracting investors' eyeballs for all right reasons.

A delegation of over 30 CEOs from Gulf countries came to the valley in March to look for business and investment opportunities in the region. The visit was coordinated by Bal Krishen, CEO of Century Finance and who was a resident of Jammu and Kashmir's Doda before relocating to Dubai.

The Union Territory expects over Rs 70,000 crore investment in the next six months. There are members from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries - Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi; also people from Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia visited the Union Territory, J&K's Principal Secretary Industries and Commerce, Ranjan Prakash Thakur, said.

The visit took place a month after India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a free trade agreement. Jammu and Kashmir's Lt Governor had recently visited the UAE and invited individuals and corporates to invest in the Union Territory.

There were around 12 Indian-origin businessmen also as part of the delegation. Krishen promised investment of $100 million in the region to build three hotels and one commercial-cum-residential complex in the Union Territory. He is hopeful that these upcoming projects will create 700 direct jobs and several indirect jobs.

In an interview to News18 Krishen said: "It is a commitment from my side and my group that we are going to invest this amount in J&K. We are going to build three hotels and one residential complex there. When Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha was in Dubai, he interacted with a lot of groups, individuals, corporate groups and institutions as he invited everyone. I think that every individual and corporate house should participate in the development of Jammu and Kashmir and even the Union Territory should work towards making it a favourite (investment) destination of the world." Krishen, who himself is from Doda, said: "I am attached to my native place and my district in Jammu and Kashmir. Almost everyone feels the same. My first hotel, I would prefer in Doda, second hotel in Jammu and third in Kashmir. And these will be star-rated hotels.

"Keeping in mind the Covid situation, we would be doing the groundbreaking by the end of this quarter, or the beginning of the second quarter. Hopefully, we will finish all projects in less than three years. These three hotels and residential complex will generate more than 700 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs." "I think this is the right time to invest in the UT, we should not wait for the government to do everything. Every individual in the corporate house, as per their experience and expertise, should participate in the development of Jammu and Kashmir," he added.

Sinha, during the meeting with the CEOs assured them of their redressal in minimum time period, especially in the health and medical education, real estate, hospitality, food processing, cold storage and cold chain and education sectors.

"Last year, we had the total outside investment of Rs 15,000 crores. By now, we have cleared investment proposals of around Rs 27,000 crores. We hope that in next six months, it will cross Rs 70,000 crore." These investments are likely to generate a minimum of six to seven lakh jobs in Jammu and Kashmir. J&K is offering Rs 28,000 crore as incentives. Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) worth Rs 3,000 crore was signed with companies in the UAE earlier this year. The big business groups including Emaar, DP world, Lulu and Noon.com have evinced interest.

Those will be taken to the final phase now. There are 17 focus sectors for investment in J&K. The J&K Government has been focusing on the industrial sector for accelerating the economic growth and for generating employment opportunities for the youth of the Union Territory. The Industries and Commerce (I&C) Department operates as the apex body for the development of industrial sector in the UT.

The vision of I&C Department is to create sustainable, equitable, environment-friendly and balanced industrial growth in the MSME, Textile, Mining and Trade sectors. An integral part of this vision is creation of employment opportunities for the local skilled and educated youth.

The I&C Department operates through two separate Directorates-one each for the Kashmir Division and the Jammu Division. It implements the government's policies related to various aspects of industrial development.

It also facilitates entrepreneurship in establishing industries by providing them the land, required clearances and incentives/concessions available under the Industrial development Policies of the UT.

At present, the government of Jammu and Kashmir has developed 57 industrial estates and many more are in the process of development.
Mumbai, April 11 : Three days after the shocking attack by MSRTC employees on Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar's home, it has come to light that the Mumbai Police had got an intelligence alert at least 4 days prior to the incident.

As per the intel inputs, a large number of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation employees, including many women, were expected to reach Mumbai for the verdict of the Bombay High Court on April 5 and join the agitators already protesting at Azad Maidan.

There was strong possibility of protests being carried out at Pawars' Silver Oak bungalow and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's official and private residences, 'Varsha' at Malabar Hill and 'Matoshree' in Bandra east, respectively.

The advance intel alerted of similar agitation plans at the Bombay High Court, Mantralaya, Sahyadri State Guest House, and the official and private residence of Transport Minister Anil Parab.

In view of these the inputs warned of a possible law and order situation in these areas, and recommended beefing up security at the entry points to Mumbai like Dahisar, Vashi, Mulund and also railway stations.

Soon after the April 8 attacks at Pawar's home, Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil had announced a probe into the incident that spared a furore in political circles and embarrassed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress.

Parab on Sunday said that those employees who were part of the attacks would be dismissed from service.

Several NCP leaders like Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Bharatiya Janata Party Leaders of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and Pravin Darekar had slammed the attacks and blamed the Mumbai Police and its failure of intelligence to take timely preventive measures.

Pointing fingers at the BJP, Sena MP Sanjay Raut said it was not an agitation but a well-planned attack on the Pawar family while Housing Minister Dr Jitendra Awhad said that the sinister intention was to inflict bodily harm to the NCP supremo.

Around 110 persons including the MSRTC employees lawyer Gunratan Sadavarte were arrested in connection with the incident.

--IANS qn/vd

A
Mumbai, April 11 : Actress Akansha Singh who is playing a pivotal role in the upcoming film 'Runway 34', directed by and starring Ajay Devgn along with the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, says it was quite fascinating for her to see how the actor-filmmaker was multitasking on the set.

Akansha is playing the wife of Captain Vikrant Khanna played by Ajay.

Asked about sharing screen space with Ajay, Akansha told IANS: "It was quite fascinating for me to watch how Ajay sir was directing and acting in the same scene. Of course, it was not easy, especially in some of those action sequences. But Ajay sir is a master in it I guess because he was handling multi-tasking with so much ease." During the shooting of the film, the actress had a leg injury and had to shoot some of the sequences with her plaster on.

Sharing how cooperative the whole cast and crew were, Akansha said, "throughout that time, I was in a wheelchair but Ajay sir and all our crew members were so supportive. In one of the plane sequences, when I was almost immobile, they picked me up and put me in the place and stood by me throughout, including Ajay sir. It is my first big project in Bollywood and this is such a special memory." Starting her career in theatre, making her screen debut with the TV serial 'Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha', Akansha always had a wish to work with Amitabh Bachchan.

"I remember meeting him for the first time on the set of the film. Though I did not have a dialogue with him, I told him how happy I am just sharing screen space with him. He smiled and asked me what happened to my legs, and how I am commuting on the set to the hotel.

"When he got to know I am using a walker, the next day he got me a bugge and said, 'Use this, it is better and more comforting.' Such gesture says a lot about the kind-hearted man he is," shared Akansha.

'Runway 34', also featuring - Boman Irani, Rakul Preet Singh, Angira Dhar - releases in theatres on April 29.
Toronto, April 11 : If you are moody or emotionally unstable, you are more likely to experience cognitive decline late in life than people who are organised, and with high levels of self-discipline, finds a study.

The research, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, focused on the role three of the so-called "Big Five" personality traits - conscientiousness, neuroticism, and extraversion - play in cognitive functioning later in life.

"Personality traits reflect relatively enduring patterns of thinking and behaving, which may cumulatively affect engagement in healthy and unhealthy behaviours and thought patterns across the lifespan," said lead author Tomiko Yoneda, from the University of Victoria.

"The accumulation of lifelong experiences may then contribute to susceptibility of particular diseases or disorders, such as mild cognitive impairment, or contribute to individual differences in the ability to withstand age-related neurological changes," Yoneda added.

Individuals who score high in conscientiousness tend to be responsible, organised, hard-working, and goal-directed. Those who score high on neuroticism have low emotional stability and have a tendency toward mood swings, anxiety, depression, self-doubt and other negative feelings.

Extraverts draw energy from being around others and directing their energies toward people and the outside world. They tend to be enthusiastic, gregarious, talkative and assertive, according to Yoneda.

For the research, the team analysed data from 1,954 participants, without a formal diagnosis of dementia, from 1997 and continuing to the present.

Participants who scored either high on conscientiousness or low in neuroticism were significantly less likely to progress from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment over the course of the study.

"Scoring approximately six more points on a conscientiousness scale ranging 0 to 48 was associated with a 22 per cent decreased risk of transitioning from normal cognitive functioning to mild cognitive impairment," said Yoneda.

"Additionally, scoring approximately seven more points on a neuroticism scale of 0 to 48 was associated with a 12 per cent increased risk of transition." In addition, individuals lower in neuroticism and higher in extraversion were more likely to recover to normal cognitive function after receiving a previous diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, suggesting that these traits may be protective even after an individual starts to progress to dementia.

In the case of extraversion, this finding may be indicative of the benefits of social interaction for improving cognitive outcomes, according to Yoneda.

However, the team found no association between any of the personality traits and total life expectancy.
4 members of Iranian groups were killed and 2 others were wounded, as a preliminary result of the casualties in an attack by ISIS mercenaries on military sites near Al-Sukhna city in eastern countryside of Homs, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

According to the sources, 6 wounded people were transported to Al-Sukhna clinic, and 4 of them died of their severe injuries, while the other 2 wounded are still in the clinic.

Hours ago, ISIS mercenaries launched an attack on a checkpoint of Iranian groups near the village of Al-Teyba, near Al-Sukhna, in eastern countryside of Homs.

And , Palmyra city witnessed a security alert by Damascus government forces and Iranian groups, in anticipation of sudden attacks by ISIS mercenaries on military sites in the area.

The security services of Damascus government arrested 3 new members of so-called "National Defense Forces" from Al-Sukhna in eastern countryside of Homs, on charges of communicating with ISIS cells, days after the arrest of a leader in so-called "National Defense" from the city of Al-Sukhna for the same reason.

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Seoul, April 11 : Eight South Korean pharmaceutical companies will donate medicine, medical supplies, and health supplements to Ukraine that's been devastated by Russia's invasion, a pharmaceutical association said on Monday.

The Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association said its eight member companies offered to donate medical goods worth 3 billion won ($2.43 million) at the request of Global Life Sharing - a Seoul-based nonprofit group that provides medical support to war- and poverty-stricken areas, Yonhap news agency reported.

The companies are Kyung Dong Pharmaceutical, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Dongkook Pharmaceutical, Il Yang Pharmaceutical, Genu Pharma, Firson, Hana Pharm, and Hanmi Pharmaceutical.

They promised to swiftly supply medicine, including antibiotics and ointments for burns, which were especially requested by the Ukrainian Embassy in South Korea.

The packaging process started over the weekend, and the donated goods will be soon delivered to Ukraine by air, the association said.
New Delhi, April 11 : The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Union Steel Ministry to clarify its stand on a plea by miners from Karnataka, seeking a direction to lift the ban on iron ore export from the state.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana sought the Ministry's reply on whether sufficient iron ore is available for the domestic market, and whether it is feasible to permit the export of iron ore mined from Karnataka? "What is the stand of the Ministry of Steel? Is sufficient (iron ore) available in the domestic market, and will you support export (of iron ore)?" te Chief Justice asked Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, representing the Centre.

In April 2013, the top court imposed the ban on export of iron ore from Karnataka's three districts and fixed the maximum permissible annual production limit.

The bench, also comprising Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli, noted that the Mines Ministry has supported the demand of the miners, however petitioner NGO Samaj Parivartan Samudaya, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, has objected to it, claiming that the Steel Ministry has not made its stand so far.

Bhushan submitted that the Steel Ministry has maintained its stand that there is shortage of iron ore for the domestic steel industry, therefore its export should not be allowed.

The bench asked Nataraj to take a comprehensive view in the matter, as it sought response from the Steel Ministry.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, representing the miners, submitted that as per the existing regime, the buyers, which are steel companies, can import and domestic iron ore producers can do only e-auctions as he pointed at the need of foreign exchange.

He pressed that this banning of exports from Karnataka should be modified and there is no need for an affidavit from the Steel Ministry, and the ban should be lifted.

Dave's submissions were supported by other senior advocates, including Mukul Rohatgi, representing the miners.

Counsel submitted the cap was placed ten years ago, as the apex court had found rampant illegal mining and also iron ore was being exported without fulfilling the domestic requirement. The senior advocates urged the bench to lift the ban, as the country needs foreign exchange. The bench noted that there is no restriction in other parts of the country on iron ore export.

The bench noted, "We also want the lifting of the ban. Now suppose, if we allow (to lift the ban), such a huge quantity will come into the market, what would be the situationa.." Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, appearing for Federation of Indian Mineral Industries' southern chapter, cited the Mines Ministry and CEC affidavits as he urged the bench to modify its order and allow the export of iron ore extracted from Ballari, Chitradurga, and Tumakuru districts.

Bhushan said as per report by former Lokayukta, Justice Santosh Hegde, the ban was imposed because otherwise, all the reserves would run out, and added that natural resources must not be allowed to get exploited.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for steel manufacturers body, said: "What we are saying there is iron ore on ground, why don't put it for e-auction? If we don't buy, then allow it for export."
Kolkata, April 11 : Loudspeakers are no longer blaring and the colourful processions have gone off the streets. Its now left to the jury -- the voters of the Ballygunge Assembly Constituency -- to elect a winner in the bypolls to be conducted on Tuesday.

Gamblers have placed their bets on the Trinamool Congress, no doubt, but political observers refuse to hazard a guess on whether it will be a clean sweep by the ruling party or a hard-fought battle.

While there is speculation on whether Babul Supriyo of the Trinamool will be able to fill in the shoes of the late Subrata Mukherjee, who holds the record of winning this Assembly constituency for a record number of times, people are also keeping a watch on Left Front candidate Saira Shah Halim of the CPI-M.

Saira may just emerge the dark horse, a few say. Actually, she has nothing to lose. In 2021, her husband Fuad Halim had managed to secure barely 5.61 per cent votes for the CPI-M.

But then, Fuad had been contesting against Mukherjee who ended up with a vote share of 70.60 per cent. What had been most disturbing for the CPI-M in 2021 was not the vote share alone but the fact that the party had ended up in third position with the BJP in second.

Even if Saira, an activist who has been vocal against what she believes are anti-minority and communal politics of the BJP government at the Centre, manages to increase the party's vote share and take it to the second position, she will leave her mark on Bengal's political map.

But what are the things that can work in Saira's favour? First and foremost is the fact that Babul Supriyo is no Subrata Mukherjee and there is considerable discontent among local Trinamool leaders about him getting the ticket.

The constituency's minority voters may also not forget that Supriyo was a BJP MP not so long ago. If the BJP succeeds in holding on to its vote share of 20-21 per cent and the Congress gets 17-18 per cent, it could end up being a great fight.

"The happenings at Bogtui and the CBI probe ordered by the Calcutta High Court will certainly play on the minds of the voters. Saira's background will also attract the educated middle class," a political analyst said.

Saira is the daughter of Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah, who retired as a Deputy Chief of Army Staff and went on to become the Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.

She is also the niece of actor Naseeruddin Shah. Both Naseerudin and his wife Ratna Pathak Shah have urged voters in Ballygunge to support her through video messages during the campaign.

The actor holds a special place in the hearts of most middle-aged Bengalis. Saira's father, who served for many years in Kolkata as General Officer Commanding, Bengal Area, has stayed away from seeking any support for her.

He only tweeted: "Saira has her own accomplishments and doesn't lean on parental crutches. I support her independent attitude." Later, in response to a tweet wishing Saira all the best, the retired general replied: "David vs Goliath sort of contest. Thanks."
Melbourne, April 11 : Mercedes motor racing team's boss Toto Wolff has claimed that ex-Formula 1 director Masi was "disrespectful" to drivers.

"You hear from the drivers and how the drivers' briefings were conducted (by Masi) and some of the guys said it was almost disrespectful how he treated some of them," Wolff said in an interview with the Press Association during the Australian Grand Prix weekend.

"There is a promoter of one of the races in the Middle East who said he was so relieved he had gone because he got so much abuse from "im," he added.

The Mercedes boss hit out at Masi, claiming he did not take constructive criticism.

"It is quite interesting because I had lunch with him (Masi) on the Wednesday before the race (in Abu Dhabi), and I said to him that 'I really want to tell you, without patronising you, that you need to take criticism on board and develop from there'," Wolff was quoted as saying by Foxsports.com.au.

"Lewis (Hamilton) does it every day, but you are the guy who always seems to know better. It wasn't about influencing him but really giving my honest feedback that he shouldn't block outside opinion as simply being wrong," he said.

For the 2022 season, Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas are sharing the race director role, already making headlines after a strange revival of regulations surrounding the wearing of body piercings, metal chains and jewellery during competition -- almost entirely impacting Hamilton.

Wolff was generally positive about the two new race directors but questioned Wittich's jewellery call.

"How he has run the first few races has been respectful, solid and he hasn't put a single foot wrong," said Wolff.

"But is that (jewellery ban) a battle he needs to have at this stage? However, if it turns out to be the biggest unfortunate misstep of a race director, I would take it a thousand times over," he said.
Jaipur, April 11 : Have you ever seen civil servants going out of the way to bridge the gap between nations by holding dialogues on any contemporary issue and organising events to inspire future generations by inviting well-known names from the world of astronomy, literature, science, Bollywood and what not.

The IAS Literary Society, Rajasthan (the Literary Society of the IAS Association in Rajasthan) has been working hard to bridge the gap between nations, presently India and France, by holding dialogues on diverse books, topics etc.

In fact, the society is also working to bridge the gap between civil servants and civil society by organising discussions with famous names from diverse fields to inspire the new generation with their untold stories.

Mugdha Sinha, secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Rajasthan said, "Our ancient civilisation is based on the concept of 'Vad', that is dialogue. In ancient times, 'Shastraarth', that is an Indian tradition of sharing multiple perspectives through discussions and debates, were regular affairs. Now, we are trying to follow the same trend and our aim is to connect, communicate and establish comprehension by holding meaningful dialogues and bring civil servants and civil society together in conversations." Recently the IAS Literary Society collaborated with the French Embassy under the Bonjour India Festival event and invited Philippe Claudel to discuss 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Questioning Human Vices in Literature'. Claudel is a French writer and film director whose work has won him the prix Renaudot award in France.

The writer spoke on "Brodeck's Report" which is a historic novel about a concentration camp survivor and the effect of Nazism.

"It's contemporary to hold this dialogue during present time when Ukraine and Russia are at war", said Mugdha.

Speaking to IANS, she shared how actively the society organised online sessions on science and health communication during the two years of lockdown.

"We worked with a lot of hospitals namely Kokilaben hospital-Mumbai, AIIMS and many more. In fact, a year back, we invited Wg Cdr Rakesh Sharma (AC) to share his experience on "Mission Space".

"He was the first man from India who went to space representing India and has been my childhood hero. So it was great interacting with him to know his unshared experiences with the audience. We also invited Padma Vibhushan Dr R. Chidambaram, Former Scientific Advisor to the Govt of India and the scientist involved in the Pokhran tests of India in one of our online sessions.

"Recently, we conducted an event which discussed how the father's role becomes important when the daughter starts menstruating if the mother is working.

"In fact, we are trying to cater to all genres", she said adding "We also discussed Didda, the warrior queen of Kashmir, who ruled Kashmir for over 5 decades." The IAS Literary Society invited Ashish Kaul to discuss his book "The Warrior Queen of Kashmir", which focuses back on lesser know Women of India.

"We have organised sessions with the Haitian poet and French author Louis Phillipe Dalembert on Home and the World- Migration, Identity and Exile.

"In fact, the French embassy has been so welcoming that it donated a huge number of books translated into Hindi or other languages to Jawahar Kala Kendra which is the centre of cultural events in Jaipur.

"Now, this corner is called a French corner in JKK.

"At that time, I was working with the culture department and now I am working with the Science and Technology department. What I know is that France has been giving many scholarships to students and I wish that a few students from our state are selected under these scholarships to spread their wings and fly high," she said smilingly.

Mugdha is the secretary of this society and has been taking the lead in organising such events which have generated a huge demand from the people who don't want to miss this one of its kind festival which discusses literature with science and Bollywood among others.
Shimla, April 11 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Monday that stern action would be taken against the guilty for the gruesome murder of a girl in Una district.

The Chief Minister told the media in Amb town that the Director General of Police, Sanjay Kundu, has visited the spot to take stock of the situation.

Thakur said he talked with the father of the victim over phone on Sunday and expressed condolences with the family. He also assured the family of all possible help.

The Chief Minister said the incident was unfortunate and stern action against the culprit would be taken.

He said the accused has been arrested and the government would ensure he gets the harshest punishment.
New Delhi, April 11 : Five years after the death of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, a premier research university was established in his name by an act of Parliament in 1969.

During the discussion in the Lok Sabha, parliamentarian Bhushan Gupta voiced the opinion that this should not be yet another university. New faculties should be created, including scientific socialism, and one thing that this university should ensure was to keep noble ideas in mind.

However, 50 years after its formation, Jawaharlal Nehru University, with each passing day is becoming an epicentre, a podium and a battlefield of the Left Vs Right politics that is often marred by incidents of violence.

Just a day ago on April 10, the University once again bore witness to bloodshed between warring camps. As many as 16 students were injured during a fight that allegedly started over consumption of non vegetarian food on the occasion of Ram Navami.

Minor scuffles do take place in universities but Sunday's incident was not the first time that the students-turned-miscreants became thirsty for each other's blood inside the campus.

In January 2020, masked men and women carrying sticks and rods barged into the hostels of the University, attacking students and teachers. The campus property was damaged. Nearly 30 students, including JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh were injured in the incident.

The scale of violence was such that the administration was forced to call the police which had to conduct a march inside the campus. Several left leaning political parties blamed the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad for allegedly creating mayhem, however, nothing has been proved even after two years of the incident.

It was not a fight for prestige between students, as is usually seen at other universities in the country, rather the violence was a result of Left and Right politics.

The JNU has always been a hotbed of politics and the politicians, both left and right, have a keen interest in whatever transpires within the campus walls. JNU is probably one of the most used words during election campaigns.

But the varsity received serious political attention after February 9, 2016 when the 'Azadi' slogans rent the air of the campus.

Some alleged anti-India, anti-judiciary slogans raised there in 2016, after six years still become the main point in TV debates. The term 'Tukde-Tukde gang' is often used to brand the left leaning alliances in JNU. It was coined after those slogans were raised.

Interestingly, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in an RTI reply in January 2020, had said that it has "no information" concerning the 'Tukde Tukde Gang' -- a term that has been used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah themselves.

Apart from all the misadventures that have taken place in the University, according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) -- the central government's ranking for higher educational institutions in the country -- JNU is still the second topmost university in India.

(Ujwal Jalali can be reached at ujwal.j@ians.in)
New Delhi, April 11 : Following BJP chief JP Nadda's statement that 10-15 per cent legislators will be replaced in upcoming Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, the party's sitting MLAs are in panic, apprehending denial of ticket.

The 68-member Himachal Pradesh assembly election will be held along with Gujarat at the end of the year. The BJP formed the government in Himachal Pradesh by winning 44 seats in the 2017 state Assembly.

A senior party functionary said Nadda's statement has given sleepless nights to all the sitting MLAs as there is no certainty about everyone getting another chance to contest the assembly polls.

"Majority of sitting MLAs are tense after Nadda's statement as now everyone is uncertain about their future. No one knows who will be among the 10 or 15 per cent who will be replaced," he said.

Another leader pointed out that replacing a few sitting MLAs will also reduce the intensity of anti-incumbency against the state government.

"Among all the sitting MLAs, those who are disconnected from people or ground are more tense after Nadda's statement as lobbying will not ensure a ticket to contest upcoming assembly polls. Still they have a few months left to improve their popularity among voters," he said.

While sitting MLAs are tense about their future, leaders seeking tickets are happy with Nadda's remark.

Leaders, eyeing tickets from a constituency from where BJP has a sitting MLA, are now seeing their chances to get the opportunity to contest the polls. They will be putting extra efforts to get the party nomination in upcoming assembly polls, a party insider said.

Addressing a press conference in Shimla on Sunday, Nadda had said: "There was always a possibility and it would be determined by changing circumstances. In any election, we do change 10-15 percent of the total ticket. 10 to 15 per cent tickets have been changed in Uttar Pradesh and Manipur assembly elections and in Himachal Pradesh too it can be done." While putting an end to speculation about any change of leadership in Himachal Pradesh government, Nadda had said: "The state government is performing well and there is no possibility of leadership change."
Mumbai, April 11 : A Mumbai court on Monday extended the police custody of activist-lawyer Gunratan Sadavarte, one of the prime accused in the attack on NCP supremo Sharad Pawar's residence, by 2 days till Wednesday, officials said here.

Sadavarte, the lawyer of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), was arrested in connection with the April 8 attack.

Another 109 persons, mostly MSRTC staffers, were also nabbed for the incident and sent to 14 days judicial custody by the Esplanade Magistrate Court.

Accused of making inflammatory speeches at a MSRTC meeting among other things, Sadavarte was sent to 2 days police custody on Saturday which has been extended by 2 more days.

The Maharashtra government has ordered an enquiry into the episode that stunned political circles and sparked a huge row between the Maha Vikas Aghadi and Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.

Transport Minister Anil Parab on Sunday indicated that those MSRTC staffers found guilty in the attack would be sacked from service, even as the Mumbai Police came under severe fire for allegedly ignoring intelligence inputs warning of the possible violence at least 4 days before it occurred, and several officers have been shunted out.
Kolkata, April 11 : As the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the cattle and coal smuggling cases in West Bengal is not quite sure when it will get to question Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal in this matter, the central agency sleuths, in the interim period, are putting together all the circumstantial evidence accumulated by them about Mandal's involvement in the matter.

CBI sources in Kolkata told IANS that the principal medium for putting together the circumstantial evidence against Mondal is the evidence relating to the communications of Mondal with those already arrested or accused in the cattle smuggling cases. Some diaries or notebooks seized by the sleuths, which have references to Mondal are also crucial on this count.

Mondal, the Trinamool Congress's Birbhum district president, was supposed to reach the CBI office in Kolkata on April 6 morning. However, on that day, instead of reaching the CBI office, he went straight to the SSKM Medical College & Hospital complaining of chest and stomach problems. The hospital authorities admitted him.

On that day, Mondal, through his counsels, communicated to the CBI that the agency sleuths could question him at the hospital subject to the permission of the medical board. However, on April 8, the SSKM authorities informed the CBI that Mondal was yet to get over his physical complications, leaving no other option for the CBI but to wait.

"Since we will have to wait for the appropriate time to question Mondal, in the interim period we are putting together the circumstantial evidence, so that when the questioning time will come there will be no introductory delay," said a CBI official on condition of anonymity. He added that in the cattle smuggling case an important evidence against Mondal will be the statement given to the agency by arrested Trinamool Congress leader, Bikash Mishra and that is why the central agency has again taken Mishra in their own custody from jail custody. Sources said that if necessary both Mishra and Mondal will be questioned together to avoid inconsistencies in statements by any of them.
Srinagar, April 11 : Two terrorists have been killed and two police personnel injured in an ongoing encounter between terrorists and security forces on Monday at Khurbatpora area of Kashmir's Kulgam district, police said.

"One Pakistani terrorist (code name Chacha) and one hybrid terrorist killed. Two police personnel also injured. They are being evacuated to hospital. Encounter going on," Jammu and Kashmir police tweeted quoting Inspector General Police, Vijay Kumar.

The firefight between the terrorists and security forces took place after 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 spot where the terrorists were hiding, they came under heavy fire that triggered the encounter.
Chandigarh, April 11 : The Additional District and Sessions Judge in Fatehabad has convicted government medical officer Rajiv Kumar in a corruption case and sentenced him to four years imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1,00,000.

Kumar was arrested by the vigilance bureau when he was posted at the Community Health Centre in Bhuna in Fatehabad, a spokesperson for the bureau told IANS.

A case was registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2016.
New Delhi, April 11 : Curtains were brought down on the sixth edition of Asaam's biggest cultural and colourful festival, Rongali, with a promise to return next year for 7-days. The week-long festival will provide a robust market to the home-grown entrepreneurs for becoming self-sustained. Shruti Haasan attends Rongali, during her first visit to Assam.

Shruti said: "This is my first ever trip to Assam and I am super excited to be here, especially on the festive occasion of Rongali, which is celebrating Assamese culture".

"It was really interesting to know that Assam has a rich culture, heritage and history. There are so many tribes and their emergence has a great history. The state has undergone so many religious movements here. Everything is so interesting here. People here are really humble, and friendly and it has been such a great pleasure to get to know Assamese people on a personal level. There is so much to explore. And, food is something which tops my list," she added.

Doodle artist Santanu Hazarika's hometown Santanu said: "It's a homecoming for me. Visiting Rongali is a special feeling. I have been quite a constant in Rongali and I am fortunate that my talent has always been recognised in the previous editions of Rongali. I am really thankful to the organisers of the festival, where budding artists get a platform to showcase their work." On the work front, Shruti is currently shooting three projects - "Salaar" with Prabhas, "NBK 107" with Balakrishna and "Chiru 154".

(N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe can be contacted at lothungbeni.h@ians.in)
Bhubaneswar, April 11 : Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday jointly dedicated the Shri Jagannath Medical College & Hospital (SJMCH) in Puri to the nation.

The medical college has been established jointly by the Union and State governments.

The medical college has a capacity to admit 100 MBBS students annually. The academic year of the first batch of the college also commenced on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, Patnaik said: "This is a historic day for Puri district. I hope that, with the efforts of the teachers and students, this institution will get a great name in serving the people of Puri." It is heartening to know that the students from the poorest sections have got into the medical college. Especially, the students from the government schools have got the admissions due to the 15 per cent reservation policy of the state government, he said.

He noted that "a long dream of establishing a medical college in Puri has been fulfilled today".

The Chief Minister wished the students on the start of their first day in the medical course and thanked the Union Minister for his support in establishing the medical college.

Expressing his elation at the event, Mandaviya said that the hospital will play a pivotal role in training doctors and providing good medical facilities to the people of Odisha.

He interacted with the students who will be part of the inaugural batch of the hospital and motivated them to work hard and serve in the remotest corners of the country so that healthcare can reach to the last mile.

The Health Minister highlighted that the vision of New India as envisaged by the Prime Minister is to make healthcare accessible and affordable for all people.

He further requested the Chief Minister to integrate Ayushman Bharat Yojana with the existing state health facilities to further improve the access to healthcare in India.

The SJMCH is part of five medical colleges built under Phase-I of the scheme for 'Establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals'.

All the hospitals under the scheme have been built at an approved cost of Rs 945 crore with 60 per cent contribution (Rs 567 crore) from the Centre. With the inauguration of this institution, all five medical colleges have become functional now.

Overall, there has been a 55 per cent increase in medical seats in the state from 387 in 2013-14 to 596 in 2020-21.

Under Phase II and III of the above scheme, two more medical colleges in Jajpur and Kalahandi districts of Odisha have been approved. Central share of Rs 150 crore and Rs 100 crore respectively has been released to the state government for the two new medical colleges, officials said.

The Puri medical college has started functioning with health facilities of the District Headquarter Hospital (DHH), Puri.

A 650-bedded teaching hospital is under construction by the State government. This medical college and hospital will provide quality health care services to the people of Puri district and also to a large number of tourists visiting Puri town, they said.
Kolkata, April 11 : Trinamool Congress General Secretary and party spokesman Kunal Ghosh, considered the latest 'rebel within the party, on Monday continued with his salvos against a section of the party leadership.

Although Ghosh did not name anyone, his fresh salvos on Monday clearly targeted state Commerce and Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee and the party's Birbhum district president, Anubrata Mondal.

On Monday afternoon, Ghosh appeared before a lower court in connection with his suicide attempt in November 2014 when he was in jail for his alleged involvement in the Saradha chit fund scam. At that time, Ghosh was a Rajya Sabha member of the Trinamool Congress.

In the court, Ghosh first targeted Chatterjee without naming the latter.

"The person who highlighted the chit fund entity, ICore, is now a minister. He described me as a lunatic then. He is roaming freely now. He should be thrown behind bars," Ghosh said.

To recall, two central probe agencies, the CBI and the ED, have issued a number of summons to Chatterjee in connection with the probe into the ICore scandal.

Ghosh's next target was Anubrata Mondal, who is now undergoing treatment at the state-run SSKM Medical College & Hospital.

Mondal got admitted to the hospital on April 6, the day when he was supposed to appear before the CBI in connection with the agency's ongoing probe into the cattle and coal smuggling cases in West Bengal.

Ghosh said that now several influential persons are undergoing treatment at the Woodburn Ward in SSKM, which is meant for VVIPs.

"SSKM's Woodburn Ward is now not a place for treatment but a shelter for supposed prisoners," Ghosh said.

Incidentally, the opposition parties of the day describe the Woodburn Ward as a safe home for criminals.

The Trinamool leadership appears to be quite embarrassed over these fresh salvos by Ghosh.

"Kunal is a state general secretary of the party and also the party spokesman. Hence, he should not say anything that can embarrass the party," said senior Trinamool MLA, Tapas Roy.
Kolkata, April 11 : Two out of three persons accused of raping a woman in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district were arrested on Monday, the police said.

One of the arrested persons -- Amal Khatua is the brother-in-law of the victim. The other person, Kartik Maiti, is a close associate of Khatua. The third accused is absconding. The incident has been reported from Namkhana.

After the alleged gang-rape, the accused tried to set the woman on fire. Later, she was shifted to the Kakdwip sub-divisional hospital.

On Monday morning, after regaining consciousness, she gave a statement to the police accusing Khatua, Maiti and one of his associates of raping her.

She said that the victim's husband used to stay in Bakkhali for work.

She told the police that her brother-in-law was often offering her "indecent proposals" in her husband's absence.

On late Friday night (April 7), according to the woman, the accused first took turns to violate her, and then tried to kill her.

As she began screaming and yelling, the people residing in the nearby houses had gathered. In the meantime, the accused went absconding.

Sunderbans district police superintendent, Bhaskar Mukhopadhyay said: "Two of the accused have already been arrested. The third accused will also be arrested soon," he said.
Jaipur, April 11 : The takeover of Dhaka in the 1971 India-Pakistan conflict was not planned, former Indian Navy chief, Admiral Madhvendra Singh (retd) said on Monday.

Delivering the keynote address at 'Militaria 2022' being held here, he said that the conflict did not end with any major losses or gains in land in the Western sector, but it was a remarkable victory in the Eastern sector in Bangladesh.

The reasons for victory were the total air superiority and crucial intelligence gathering by Mukti Bahini as well as the coordination between the three wings of the armed forces: the Army, Navy and Air Force, the former Indian Navy chief said.

Noting the victory in the Eastern sector become a spectacular success owing to the taking of Dhaka by the Indian forces, he said that the decision to cross the Meghna river and head for Dhaka to take it was a decision of the 4 Corps Commander, Lt. General Sagat Singh.

"However, he has not received his due recognition and honour for this splendid victory though he has been recognised by the Bangladesh government," he said.

Admiral Singh also said that his service did a commendable job during the 1971 war.

"The bombing of Karachi by the Indian naval ships was a laudable action. Since, Pakistan Air Force could not strike during the night, the naval operation took place at midnight.

"In the Eastern sector as well, the Indian Navy played an important role by bombing Chittagong and Khulna in Bangladesh. Not to forget the destruction of the Pakistani submarine, Ghazi," he said.

However, the loss of INS Khukri was a setback to the Indian Navy, he added.

According to him, the intelligence gathering by the Indian forces during the 1971 conflict was an impeccable feat. "There are many lessons to be learned even in victory and we continue to learn new aspects of the 1971 victory even today." Maroof Raza, founder of Militaria, said that they are elated to bring a second edition of Militaria back to the city. "The kind of response they are receiving is inspiring and in times to come there could be a full fledged Military Literature Festival in Jaipur," he said.

The next edition will be in February 2023.

The speakers for the session 'Generals on Technology' were Lt General Rajeev Sabherwal (retd), former Signal Officer in Chief of the Indian Army, and Lt General P.J.S. Pannu, Former Deputy Chief, of the Integrated Defence Staff.

Lt Gen Sabherwal threw light on the different types of warfare such as Platform Centric Warfare, Network Centric Warfare, Information Centric Warfare, and Knowledge Centric Warfare, and said that in the times to come, warfare will be fought in all domains simultaneously and concurrently at all levels.
New Delhi, April 11 : Delhi Police have busted a cattle slaughtering gang with the arrest of five of its members after a brief exchange of fire, an official said on Monday.

During the scuffle between the cops and the criminals, one sub-inspector was attacked with a knife by one of the accused.

The five accused have been identified as Chand alias Arshad, Arkam, Naseem alias Ayan, Anas and Ahmad Gufran.

Furnishing details, DCP R. Sathiyasundaram said a call was received at the Anand Vihar police station regarding theft of cow from the CBD ground near Majar on March 15 after which a case was registered under the relevant sections of the law.

During the intervening night of April 10-11, a tip-off was received that a gang of cow slaughterers might come under the jurisdiction of Shahdara district. Acting on the tip-off, the police laid a trap at a specified location and noticed a car moving at a very high speed.

"The police team tried to stop the car but they did not stop and fled," the DCP said, adding that the police then chased the car for a long distance before intercepting the vehicle.

"One of the accused persons tried to fire on the police team from a country-made pistol but missed. The team tried to overpower the accused persons but one of them attacked one sub-inspector with a knife due to which he sustained injury on his right hand," the officer said.

On interrogation, the accused disclosed that they used to sell the meat of one cattle for approximately Rs 20,000.
Jammu, April 11 : The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, on Monday launched a dedicated portal of Mission Youth in collaboration with Vision India, to connect the youth of J&K with the industry.

The initiative aims to provide more than 10,000 job opportunities to the youth in 2022.

The dedicated portal -- 'AVSAR -- Connect to Opportunities Initiative' -- has been provisioned to facilitate the youth with real-time information flow notifying students about pre-placement activities and job opportunities.

All ITIs and other technical institutions in the UT will be on-boarded in the programme for achieving the best outcomes for enterprising youth.

Speaking on the occasion, Sinha said the J&K administration has taken many steps to create infrastructure, schemes and policies to speed up economic development, and to meet the aspirations of the youth so that they can contribute to the society and achieve self-growth.

The easily accessible online platform would act as an interface between trained and skilled workforce, he added.

"The J&K administration is determined to provide quality education, skill training and better employment to the youth," Sinha said.
Jaipur, April 11 : Terming Ashok Gehlot "outdated", Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Monday suggested the Rajasthan Chief Minister to retire from politics.

In a series of tweets on Monday, Shekhawat, an MP from Rajasthan's Jodhpur, said: "Gehlot should now retire from politics. Even his party members want the same." "In Ashok Gehlot's statements, I hear the anguish of the defeat of his son in Jodhpur. They have not forgotten the result of Jodhpur Lok Sabha seat till date. Voters had blessed me to make PM Modi 'the Prime Minister'. Since then, he considered me as his worst enemy, but I sympathise with him," he said.

Shekhawat had defeated Ashok Gehlot's son, Vaibhav, in the Lok Sabha polls.

Further criticising the Rajasthan Chief Minister, the Union Minister said: "He not only misuses the government machinery to instigate me but also keeps making unwarranted statements. I have challenged him. Let them prove their fabricated allegations against PM Modi." For the last two days, Gehlot and Shekhawat have been slamming each other over the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project.

On April 10 (Sunday), Gehlot in Bikaner said: "Rajasthan has won 25 MPs, Our Jal Shakti minister is from Rajasthan. He should at least get this one project which has been declared as a national project. If he does not have that much ability and could not convince the prime minister, why is he holding a ministerial portfolio?" There has been a tussle between Shekhawat and CM Gehlot after the Lok Sabha elections. It further escalated after the revolt of the Sachin Pilot camp in July 2020.

The Gehlot camp had released audio tapes accusing the Union Minister of conspiring to topple the government. A case was later filed against Shekhawat.

On the basis of this tape, Singh has filed a case in Delhi.

Gehlot's OSD and police officers were accused in the case. Since then, the tension between the two has increased.
MBABANE - Some church leaders have challenged Lawyer Sicelo Mngomezulu, to first define democracy to them before he could call upon them to preach it in their churches.

Mngomezulu, who is one of the legal representatives for the incarcerated Members of Parliament (MPs), had called upon church leaders to preach democracy in churches when addressing the nation, on Swaziland Democratic News after the adjournment of the MPs case last week Wednesday. The clergymen said there was no way they could preach about something they themselves did not understand. In random interviews, some clergymen said they were confused as to what democracy the lawyer was talking about. It should be noted that even though they shared almost similar sentiments, some opted to remain anonymous in fear of victimisation while others declined to comment.

The church leaders said congregants were too smart to not just listen to them without seeking clarity when told about democracy. If you are a leader standing before a congregation, you should be able to articulate and provide answers to every question once you decide to preach on a subject. Every lesson should be accompanied by comparison and examples. We are old and we have seen the world. We have never seen any country boasting about its democracy. What we see are cries across the world, said Archbishop Mncina, who leads over 80 Zion Church branches in the Hhohho Region.

Mncina said anyone wishing for him to preach democracy in his church should first furnish him with a list of countries with a better end when it comes to democracy. He said good leaders did not preach to confuse people, but to give them direction. He said it would be better if anyone calling for them to preach about democracy was to give them a list of fully democratic countries as a reference. He said good things were copied from those who did good.

Challenge

My challenge when it comes to politics is that, we sometimes employ words which do not mean what we are saying. We need to understand the type of politics we are talking about. Politics could be biblical and social, among other things. In my understanding, the word politics is a Greek Latin and is divided into two. Poli means alone and tics means you benefit alone. If we were to look at the true meaning, we can agree that politics means a way of allowing someone to brainwash others for personal gain, he said. He made an example of an aspiring MP, who appeared for the first time to the people and gave them bread so that he/she could be elected into Parliament. He said people voted for that individual just because they had allowed themselves to the brainwashed.

He said as far as he was concerned, the word democracy was used everywhere with different meanings. Mncina said it would be good for whosoever was calling churches to preach about democracy to unpack the democracy related to churches. He said in the absence of the real definition of democracy in church, he found it hard to stand before the church and preach it.

Mncina stated that churches did not preach oppression and rebellion, but prepared people for Heaven. He said preaching about Heaven did not mean they forced them to repent. He said it was for that reason that some people decided to go to hell even if they were preached to.

Mncina highlighted that the church had been confused by the burning of public and private properties and attacks on individuals who seemed opposed to the call for democracy.

Why would people be threatened and have their properties burnt for their differing opinions if we really want democracy as a country. Does it mean I have to be attacked for exercising my right to freedom of speech, expression and opinion? These are the things we need clarity on judging from the current situation before we can preach democracy in churches, Mncina added.

Democracy

Apostle Jeremiah Dlamini said there was no way he could preach democracy in church without a proper explanation from those advocating for it. We have seen the vandalism of crucial structures such as shops, schools, tinkhundla centres, police stations, heavy plant machinery and individual homesteads since the call for democracy started in Eswatini. We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that the vandalism and burning of properties has seen a large number of people losing jobs. We had also seen pupils being lured into boycotting classes, something which has a negative impact on the education sector. Is this the democracy we should preach in churches? asked Dlamini.

He said the pro-democracy forces should come out clearly if they had any link to the disturbing events, which he said caused a major setback for the country. He stated that to the best of his understanding, it was not a crime to have a following, resulting from ones good work. He said what people needed to do was to convince emaSwati about their leadership qualities as opposed to perpetuating violence which had been characterised by the burning and threatening of those with differing opinions and further burning their properties. Dlamini said what emaSwati needed to understand was that people who ended up being the top brass only needed the masses to push their agenda, which was termed democracy.

I have been privileged to travel to different countries. I have never seen a top brass enjoying the benefits with the masses. The masses always complain because the people whom they entrusted with the positions show them their true colors once they secure the higher pinnacle, he said. You can go all over the world, the people who are complaining about the manner in which they are being governed are the very same people who spent their time and risked their lives fighting for change, he said. He continued to state that he held the old gospel which said men should head families, pastors head churches and kings head countries. Dlamini stated that education did not matter and could not be used to undermine positions that were not created by man.

He said those who wanted to force things to happen by threatening and burning other peoples properties were inviting curses from God. He said God was yet to deal with those who attacked innocent people in the name of democracy. Dlamini said preaching democracy in churches would result in churches being viewed as supporting the ongoing violence, yet churches were calling for peace.
Bengaluru, April 11 : Karnataka Health Minister K. Sudhakar urged people on Monday to ensure that all their vaccination doses are completed at the earliest after a meeting with the Covid-19 technical advisory committee (TAC) amid a rise in cases of the XE variant of Covid-19 in some foreign countries.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Sudhakar said that there is an increase in cases of the XE variant in eight countries, including China, Hong Kong, South Korea, the UK and Germany.

After the meeting, Sudhakar said that the TAC has suggested thermal screening, strict surveillance, and mandatory quarantine for a period of 7-10 days for passengers arriving from these eight countries.

The state government will soon release guidelines regarding this.

Additionally, Sudhakar urged people to wear masks, stating that IIT Kanpur has predicted another Coivd wave around June and July.

"A total of 4.77 crore (98 per cent) people under the 60+ category have taken the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine and only 49 per cent of people have taken their precautionary dose. I urge everyone to please complete all the doses," Sudhakar said.

He said that in the 15-17 age group, 25,11,407 people out of 30,00,000 have taken the vaccine, amounting to 79 per cent, and only 65 per cent have taken the second dose.

Among the 12-14 age group, only 13,96,000 children have received the vaccine out of 20,00,000 amounting to 69 per cent. He urged parents to have their children vaccinated.

As there are no vaccines for young kids, Sudhakar said that 5,000 children will be tested across the state as per the recommendation of the TAC.

"We have received complaints of some hospitals overcharging for vaccines. The government will not tolerate this. A high-level meeting has been held and a committee has been formed in this regard," he said.
New Delhi, April 11 : Even as heat wave to severe heat wave conditions were observed over several areas across Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh on Monday, the spatial extent and intensity of heat wave spell is likely to reduce over northwest India from April 13.

However, the heat wave conditions would continue over Madhya Pradesh during next five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said and warned that dust raising winds (speed 20-30 kmph) are very likely over southern parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana on April 12 and 13.

"Under the influence of a Western Disturbance, light/moderate, isolated/scattered rainfall is likely over Western Himalayan region during April 12 to 15 with maximum intensity on April 13 when isolated rainfall is likely over Punjab and Haryana," the IMD bulletin warned.

The highest maximum temperature was recorded at Ganganagar in Rajasthan at 45.5 degrees Celsius followed by Bopani (Faridabad, Haryana) at 45.3 degrees Celsius, Balasmand (district Hisar, Haryana) at 45.2 degrees Celsius, Sirsa (Haryana) at 44.9 degrees Celsius while Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh recorded 44.5 degrees Celsius.

The IMD has predicted no significant change in maximum temperatures is very likely over most parts of east India during the next three days and thereafter, they will fall by 2-3 degrees Celsius.

It also said that no significant change in maximum temperatures is very likely over most parts of Gujarat during the next three days and a gradual rise by 2-3 degrees Celsius thereafter.

The IMD also said heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are very likely in many parts over Haryana and Delhi and in some parts over Punjab during next 24 hours and heat wave to severe heat wave conditions in isolated pockets over the same region on April 12.

Heat wave conditions in some parts are very likely over Madhya Pradesh during the next five days.
Guwahati, April 11 : India's Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday held discussion with a Bhutanese delegation on harnessing the potential of waterways for progress of both, especially the northeast region.

During a one-on-one dialogue with a delegation from Bhutan led by its Economic Affairs Minister Lyonpo Loknath Sharma on the sidelines of the Waterways Conclave in Dibrugarh, Sonowal stated that the National Waterway-2 (Brahmaputra river) connectivity can be leveraged by both countries for improved economic ties.

Highlighting the traditional bonds of friendship between India and Bhutan, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary "Act East Policy" had added new momentum to trade and socio-cultural movement between the two nations.

About the huge opportunities offered by the MMLP (Multimodal Logistic Parks) in Jogighopa in Assam's Bongaigaon district and the gateway in Dhubri, Sonowal told the Bhutanese delegation that India's advantage in providing infrastructure support and low cost logistics can bring a new era of development for the neighbouring country, an official of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) said.

Senior officials from India and Bhutan attended during the discussion.
New York, April 11 : Downplaying the differences between India and the US on the approaches to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, US President Joe Biden began his virtual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday by highlighting Indias humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

"I want to welcome India's humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine. We're going to continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilising effects of this Russian war," Biden said.

Modi spoke of India's relief supplies to Ukraine and condemned the killings of civilians in Bucha, which he called "very worrying", adding that the Parliament had extensive discussions on Ukraine.

"We have sent medicines and other relief materials to Ukraine and to its neighbouring countries, and on Ukraine's request, we will be sending them another consignment of medicines very soon," Modi said.

"Recently, the news about the killings of innocent civilians in Bucha was very worrying. We have instantly condemned the killings and have called for an independent inquiry," he said, speaking in Hindi with simultaneous interpretation in English.

The summit took place before the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Modi said the summit "is very important as it will provide direction for discussions" at the 2+2 meeting.

At the White House, Biden sat at a semi-circular table with the US secretaries to his right and Indian ministers and Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu to his left, facing Modi on a video screen.

While ending his introductory remarks, Biden, who is known for his several slips of the tongue, addressed Modi as "Mr President" although elsewhere during the brief speech he called him the Prime Minister.

The media that was in the room to watch the start of the summit was not allowed to ask questions and was ushered out even as they were shouting questions.

Before the summit, Blinken and Jaishankar, and Austin and Singh, held separate bilateral meetings.

Austin welcomed Singh to the Pentagon with an honour guard.

India has stayed mostly neutral on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, abstaining eight times on Ukraine-related voting at the United Nations.

This and India buying oil from Russia have led to criticism of India in the US and suggestions of imposing sanctions, even though energy purchases are allowed under the US sanctions and European US allies continue to buy far higher amounts of energy from Moscow.

The Biden administration has tried to ward off criticism of India, which is a key player in its global strategy.

Hence, Biden stressed India's humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

"Our continued consultation and dialogue are key to ensuring the US-India relationship continues to grow deeper and stronger, delivering our people and our global good, good that we all are seeking, managed particularly in your part of the world", Biden said.

Modi recalled that at their meeting in September, Biden had said "that the India America partnership can contribute to solving a lot of global problems".

"I totally agree with you. As two democracies that are the world's largest and oldest, we are natural partners and progress that has taken place in our relations in the last few years, the new momentum that has been created, would have been hard to even imagine a few decades ago," Modi said.

Stressing the democracy link, Modi said, "At the beginning of your term in office, you used to use the very important slogan, 'Democracies can deliver'. India-America partnership and its success is the best means to make the slogan meaningful this year." On US' ties with India, Biden said, "We have the same concerns about the global challenges we faced with Covid-19. Advancing health security and tracking the climate crisis, and we share a strong and growing major defence partnership.

"And our partnership is a deep connection between our people ties of family, of friendship and of shared values." (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Panaji, April 11 : A deputy superintendent of police and a police inspector were transferred late on Monday, following commotion between two groups in the port town of Vasco on Ram Navami day.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told reporters on Monday that no one will be allowed to take law and order in their hands.

The main incident occurred on Sunday night, when a group alleged that their procession was pelted with stones from a nearby place of worship of another group, which led to commotion in the Islampur area in Vasco.

One person received minor injuries as a result of the commotion, according to the Vasco police station officials.

Police on Monday registered formal complaints on the basis of statements given by members of both religious groups.

"Video footage of the area is being assessed. We will get vehicle numbers of those who were responsible for the incident," Deputy Superintendent of Police Salim Shaikh told reporters hours before he was transferred.

Shaikh and Vasco police station in-charge police inspector Nitin Halarnkar were transferred to the reserve police lines late on Monday.

Speaking to reporters, Sawant said that he had given instructions to the state administration and the police to ensure that law and order should not be destabilised.

"No one will be allowed to take law in their hands. That's all," Sawant said.
New York, April 11 : Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin assured India on Monday that the US will continue to stand by it in the face of threats from China.

Welcoming Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for bilateral talks at the Pentagon, Austin said: "Beijing is eroding the security of the Indo-Pacific region from its construction of dual-use infrastructure along your border to its unlawful claims in the South China Sea, and we will continue to stand alongside you as you defend your sovereign interest." He said that they were meeting "at a critical moment in the US-India defence partnership".

Austin said: "Our partnership is based on a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, one grounded in principles such as the rule of law and national sovereignty. We're facing urgent and mounting challenges to this shared vision." "China is attempting to challenge and undermine the sovereignty of its neighbours," he said.

Rajnath Singh, who was greeted by an honour guard at the Pentagon, did not mention China or Russia in his response, which was in Hindi with English language interpretation.

He said that "our visit here shall take India-US comprehensive strategic partnership to the next level" and the 2+2 Dialogue that will include External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Secretary of State Antony Blinken "are indeed important landmarks in our bilateral relationship".

Austin also referred to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, currently the prime concern of the US.

"Beijing is not alone in its efforts to undermine the security of its neighbours and to change the status quo by force.

"Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the humanitarian devastation that it has created are blatant attempts to undermine the international order that is grounded in the rules and the principles that we share," he said.

"Just as India's leadership is central to this rules-based order, so, too, is the US-India defence partnership and our collaboration with like-minded partners," Austin added.

"We now coordinate along -- alongside each other across the Indo-Pacific region and across domains, which is truly extraordinary, and we are committed to working seamlessly with you across new and emerging domains, including space and cyberspace," he said.

India and the US are to sign a memorandum of understanding on Space Situational Awareness aimed at protecting the space assets of the two countries.

Austin's reference to China's "construction of dual-use infrastructure" was about Beijing's projects in the countries surrounding India that could fall into its hands as has happened with a Sri Lankan port that Colombo handed over to China on a 99-year lease unable to keep up loan payments.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, April 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Moday congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Modi said that India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror so that both countries can focus on its development challenges.

"Congratulations to H.E. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people," Modi tweeted.

Earlier on Monday, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan with 174 lawmakers voting in his favour after the MNAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf boycotted the election.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, April 12 : Delhi Police on Monday registered two FIRs against unidentified people in a case of violence inside Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus that resulted into injuries of six students.

"We have received a complaint from a group of students who are members of JNUSU, SFI, DSF and AISA against unknown ABVP students," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Manoj C. said, adding the students belonging to Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) have also said that they will also be giving a written complaint.

Later in the evening, the DCP said that another FIR was registered on the complaint of ABVP.

Accordingly, the police registered two FIRs under same sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

"On receipt of the same necessary appropriate legal action will be taken," the senior official said.

Two groups at the JNU clashed on Sunday following an argument.

The Left alliance members accused the ABVP of forcefully prohibiting non-vegetarian food at a Hostel in the campus while the ABVP alleged that the members of the Left alliance including the NSUI were not allowing them to conduct a Pooja and Havan programme on the occasion of Ram Navami.
New Delhi, April 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden discussed Ukraine during the virtual meet on Monday.

The two leaders had an extensive exchange of views on several regional and global issues, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, global economic recovery, climate action, recent developments in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region, and the situation in Ukraine, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

The ministry said they also took stock of the significant progress made in bilateral relations in recent years.

Both leaders have agreed that further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership which would be of tremendous benefit to the two countries, and would also contribute to global peace, prosperity and stability.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, who are in Washington for the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, were also present at the White House during the interaction along with their US counterparts Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Guwahati, April 12 : Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday said that laws should be made after thorough debate and discussions incorporating the needs of the aspirational sections of the society.

Inaugurating the 8th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (India Region) Conference at the Assam Legislative Assembly, he said that the primary responsibility of the legislature is to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the people.

Calling for active participation of the youth and women in democratic processes, Birla said that democratic institutions, from Panchayat to Parliament, should keep the youth and women at the centre of policy making and it would ensure greater accountability of the executives.

Highlighting the efficacy of initiatives like Youth Parliament and 'Know your Constitution' in making people aware of constitutional values, the Lok Sabha Speaker said that youth's energy, ability, confidence, technical knowledge and innovation skills would strengthen democracy.

He said that ideas and visions of the youths should be used to make administration transparent and accountable.

He also stressed that lawmakers should voice the concerns of aspirational sections of society and debate on issues of their welfare on the floor of the legislatures.

Referring to Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Birla said that our policies and programmes should be in the direction of achieving the goals set by the founding fathers of the Constitution.

Mentioning India's strong and vibrant democracy, he said that Indian democracy is a guide for other democratic countries. He added that the CPA is working for strengthening democratic institutions in the world and bringing positive changes in people's lives.

On this occasion, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, said that during last eight decades, Assam Legislative Assembly has witnessed many historic debates with several great personalities adorning this temple of democracy.

Assam Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary said that the Conference would give a boost to the Legislative Assembly in discharging its democratic responsibilities in a more effective manner.

Acting Chairperson of CPA, Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP, UK, enumerated several path breaking initiatives of the association and hoped that the deliberations at the Conference will help the entire Commonwealth to respond to the challenges being faced by them in a more effective manner.

Opposition leader (Congress) Debabrata Saikia also spoke in the conference.

Speakers of 22 Legislative Assemblies, one acting Speaker, three Chairpersons, 11 Deputy Speakers and other dignitaries attended the Conference. On Saturday, in Guwahati, the Lok Sabha Speaker inaugurated the mid-year Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Executive Committee Meeting, which India is hosting for the first time.
MBABANE  SADC should deploy peacekeeping troops to stop the violence.

This was one of the submissions made by political activists and members of the public when questioned on the prevailing situation of snowballing arson attacks in the country lately.

They further said the situation was deteriorating and evidently, a civil war was looming. Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Swaziland President Nombulelo Motsa, said the burning of properties, which was being witnessed nowadays, was a sheer sign of the beginning of a civil war. What we are seeing now is a lot of blame shifting, which might result in people simply retaliating and instituting the eye for an eye rule, said Motsa. She said as far as they were concerned, this was evidently the start of a civil war, however, the way things were going it was paramount that they continued to condemn the burning of properties as there was nothing that could be achieved through this as the infrastructure was still necessary for the future.

Solution

The solution, however, is that the grievances of the people should be heard in order for these attacks to stop. These attacks are simply a push to fast-track the dialogue, but that seems to be a far-fetched dream at this point, as the government has not even announced a date for the dialogue or received the terms of reference from the different stakeholders, she said. She added that to them as progressives, right now it appeared as though the arson attacks were being perpetrated by those who favoured the current regime in order to taint their image.

The EFF Swaziland president further reiterated Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) Secretary General (SG) Wandile Dludlus sentiments during the past week, after his car was petrol-bombed by unknown arsonists, in that no one was safe from these attacks, including EFF Swaziland members.

She further disclosed that arson was not the only tool of violence or mode of attack being used, as the political party had encountered other forms lately. We recently had marijuana planted in one of our vehicles by unknown people and also had a van belonging to us tampered with, so as to make it have a faulty braking system but we did not reveal this, said Motsa. The president said this van was usually used to ferry comrades from the political party to protests, and luckily they were able to realise the fault before getting too far. So, different forms of attacks have been instituted on us although we have not experienced the burning of any of our properties, she said. When questioned if they had reported these incidents to the police, she said they had not reported any of them because the police allegedly moved at a snails pace when it came to issues affecting them. We are also reluctant because we could be reporting to the same people who might have information regarding these incidents, alleged Motsa.

Ngwane National Liberatory Congress (NNLC) President Sibongile Mazibuko, when asked to comment on the prevalence of arson attacks, said the situation was unfortunate. In my opinion, this is all due to the statement made by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development Prince Simelane, when he said government should fight fire with fire. Unfortunately, people were now implementing this statement practically, alleged the NNLC President. She said they were of the opinion that the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) should intervene in order to salvage the situation. We are a country with a very small population, therefore, if this continues, the whole nation will be wiped away. For example, the recent attack on comrade Ngomuyayona Gamedze, he lives near the Ngabezweni Royal Residence, and by mere common sense, he is expected to be far safer than other people but he was also not immune to the arson attacks, said Mazibuko.

She said this was not to say that she was necessarily blaming anyone for the arson attack on Gamedze, but him being targeted and successfully so was concerning as you would expect that by virtue of where he resided, he would be safe. The first progressive to be hit was former MP Mduduzi Gawuzela Simelane, followed by Penuel Malinga, then Wandile Dludlu and now Gamedze, among others. It is paramount that the SADC peacekeeping troops now make their way into the country because the situation could soon turn volatile, said Mazibuko.

She further reiterated EFF Swazilands blame shifting sentiments, stating that as long as no one knew the exact people behind any of the attacks, then the turmoil would continue, therefore, peacekeeping troops in the country were now more necessary than ever. What could stop everything that is happening is engagement, that is why the necessity for a dialogue is there now more than ever. We need to thrash things out and move on amicably from this whole situation, quashing whatever differences we have, said Mazibuko.

Blamed

She said what was currently happening was not what they had hoped for, but blamed government for being reluctant in resolving the situation. Mazibuko said it was unfortunate that SADC was also unclear when it came to a way forward, judging by the cancellation of the summit where matters relative to Eswatini were to be discussed. Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) member Mphandlana Shongwe said as a movement, they had a meeting where they resolved to no longer discuss the issue of arson attacks with outsiders. Globally, countries which have been marred by civil unrest and violence and eventually had their economies deteriorate and poverty increase include; Central African Republic, Venezuela, Nigeria, Palestine, Myanmar, Mexico and Bangladesh among others.

According to Business Insider, The Central African Republic has frequently featured near the bottom of global social rankings, and last year it was named the least prosperous nation on earth by think tank, the Legatum Institute. Venezuelas troubles are well-documented. Rampant inflation means that goods and services are incredibly expensive, meaning that much of the countrys population is suffering from hunger and a lack of basic essentials, like toilet paper, quoted Business Insider.
Dhaka, April 12 : In a case that has shone a harsh spotlight on the right to free expression in Bangladesh, Hriday Chandra Mondal, a Mathematics and Science teacher, was languished in jail for 19 days before getting out on bail on Sunday.

The teacher at Binodpur Ram Kumar High School in Munshiganj Sadar Upazila has been booked for two blasphemy-related offences under the Penal Code, 1860, ostensibly for discussing the distinction between religion and science in the classroom. The teacher is charged with offences under sections 295 and 295A of the Penal Code.

As per experts, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1989 adds an important caveat - a case under these provisions of the criminal law can only be filed with the approval of the government. However, there is no indication that the police has complied with the provision before recording the case.

Prof Mizanur Rahman, the former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh, highlighted the need for 'serious deliberation' before invoking these particular provisions. That is why the prior approval of the ministry has been mentioned in the procedural law.

On March 20, Hriday was trapped by some colleges who use to sell fake certificates to the students, said another teacher of the school, seeking anonymity.

He had been teaching mathematics and science for the last 22 years.

Human rights activists, legal practitioners, academics point to a 'procedural impropriety' on the part of the police, which puts the case under yet more scrutiny.

Smriti Singh, deputy regional director for South Asia at Amnesty International said, "It is outrageous that a teacher finds himself behind bars simply for voicing his opinion while teaching a class. Teachers should be free to discuss ideas and opinions of all kinds without fear of reprisals. Hriday must be released immediately and unconditionally." This is not the only contention surrounding the controversial case. Lawyers and activists have also questioned the rationale behind denying bail to the teacher, who is behind the bars for more than two weeks.

They believe the detention of a schoolteacher "without regard for the legal process" may have serious implications for the country down the line as it could embolden communal forces. It also sends a worrying signal to teachers and academicians about the concept of "academic freedom" in Bangladesh.

Hriday's family members are scared. Anita Saha, his domestic help, said, "Last Sunday when I was near the (Hriday's) house around 1:00 p.m., four-five young men stared at me dead in the eyes. I went inside the house in fear." Renuka Hawladar, Hriday's mother-in-law was harassed by the Islamists. She said, "I was walking on the terrace of our house at 6:00 a.m., when a young man with a brick in his hand addressed me and said, 'don't come out of the house'. He then went ahead and verbally abused me. I immediately went back to the house in fear." Shrestha Mondal, son of Hriday resumed schooling a day after his father was released from Munshiganj jail. He stopped going to school for 19 days. "Since then, I have been inside the house all day. Not being able to go to school made me quite sad. And my father was also in prison back then," he said.

"I am not facing any difficulties going to school today (after bail to Hriday). No one is even calling me 'son of the accused'. None of my friends asked me any questions in that regard." Shrestha is a student at the very same school where Hriday teaches.

Shrestha, the student in grade 5, said, "I couldn't attend my school for 19 days as after the incident students of Classes 6-10 started calling me 'son of the accused'. After which my mother stopped me from going to school." Alauddin Ahmed, the headmaster of the school, spoke to IANS on Monday, about Shrestha attending classes for the first time in a while. "He is a very talented student, as well as son of a talented teacher. His family members were afraid to leave the house after that incident. Now a teacher of the school has been assigned the task. The teacher will make sure to pick him up from home and walk him home after school." Munshiganj Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sumon Dev said, "There is no chance in the slightest that the safety of the (Hriday's) family will be breached. We are monitoring them all the time. Police will not allow any untoward incident to happen with the family." Following a bail hearing in the case on Sunday afternoon, Hriday was granted bail and after release, he has sent to Dhaka for treatment.

Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Aminul Islam told IANS that section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure makes it clear that a case under the blasphemy provisions can only be filed with the prior permission of the government or the home ministry. Police do not have the unilateral authority to record such a case, he added.
Doini Airport, Doini, Papua New Guinea [ DOI / ]

If you are planning to travel to Doini or any other city in Papua New Guinea, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Doini Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Doini Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Papua New Guinea. Doini Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Doini Airport Info:

Doini Airport IATA Code: DOI Doini Airport ICAO Code: Latitude : -10.7167 Longitude : 150.717 City : Doini Country : Papua New Guinea World Area Code : 804 Airport Type : Small Timezone : Pacific/Port_Moresby Doini Airport Timezone : GMT +10:00 hours Current time and date at Doini Airport is 17:38:39 PM (+10) on Saturday, May 7, 2022

Looking for information on Doini Airport, Doini, Papua New Guinea? Know about Doini Airport in detail. Find out the location of Doini Airport on Papua New Guinea map and also find out airports near to Doini. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Doini Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Doini Airport, airlines operating to Doini Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Papua New Guinea. Scroll down to know more about Doini Airport or Doini Airport, Papua New Guinea.

Doini Airport Map - Location of Doini Airport Load Map Papua New Guinea - General Information Country Formal Name Independent State of Papua New Guinea Country Code PG Capital Port Moresby Currency Kina (PGK)

 1 PGK = 0.285 USD

 1 USD = 3.51 PGK

 1 PGK = 0.27 EUR

 1 EUR = 3.702 PGK

 More PGK convertion rates Tel Code +675 Top Level Domain .pg

This page provides all the information you need to know about Doini Airport, Papua New Guinea. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Papua New Guinea or traveling to Doini Airport. Details about Doini Airport given here include Doini Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes)

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Location of Doini Airport - City Name, Country, Country Codes etc...

Doini Airport Time Zone and Current time at Doini Airport

Address and contact details of Doini Airport along with website address of the airport

Clickable Location Map of Doini Airport on Google Map.

General information about Papua New Guinea where Doini Airport is located in the city of Doini. General information include capital of Papua New Guinea, currency and conversion rate of Papua New Guinea currency, Telephone Country code, exchange rate against US Dollar and Euro in case of major world currencies etc...

DOI - Doini Airport IATA Code
Our vision is to provide tailored tools, both financial and otherwise, that empower doctors to achieve their personal and professional goals throughout their entire careers.

Doc2Doc, the lending platform designed for doctors, by doctors, has refreshed its brand with vibrant colors and modern designs that reflect the aesthetic and philosophy of the company.

Our vision is to provide tailored tools, both financial and otherwise, that empower doctors to achieve their personal and professional goals throughout their entire careers, said Zwade Marshall, MD, MBA, co-founder of Doc2Doc.

Why a brand refresh?

Doc2Doc continues to blaze its trail in the lending industry and it was time for a refresh of brand items, such as logo and website. While the visual assets may look a little different, Doc2Docs commitment to funding the hopes and dreams of physicians and dentists will not change.

Doctors working with & lending to other doctors

Doc2Doc co-founders G. Kenton Allen, MD, MBA and Dr. Marshall launched the platform based on the knowledge that physicians and dentists do not get enough credit from traditional lenders when it comes to borrowing capital.

There are a lot of factors that traditional lenders can overlook when it comes to lending to doctors and dentists. We use our own algorithm that looks beyond surface level lending hurdles, Dr. Marshall said. We assess other doctors in ways only other doctors can.

Doc2Doc achieves this mission by providing capital to physicians and dentists that is reliable -- and at a rate that takes into account the factors unique to physicians and dentists.

Celebrating all of lifes big moments

Doc2Doc offers personal loans for doctors that relate both to the professional and non-work sides of doctors lives. Common reasons that borrowers apply at Doc2Doc include building or expanding a medical or dental practice, relocating, planning a wedding and more.

Visit https://www.doc2doclending.com to learn more today!
We are excited to begin TrustedSecs next chapter in Fairlawn, where we have big plans not only for the company, but also for the local community.

TrustedSec, a globally renowned ethical hacking company that advises Fortune 500s and governments, is hosting a grand opening ceremony with city officials on May 6th for its new high-tech corporate headquarters in Fairlawn, Ohio.

The new three-story, 20,000 square foot corporate complex in Fairlawn will serve as ground zero for the global cybersecurity operations of TrustedSec, which range from elite hacking tests and cyber incident response to digital forensics investigations. The new facility includes many state-of-the-art cybersecurity features, including a Cyber War Room, Digital Forensics Lab, Cyber Incident Intrusion Center and a Device Hacking Lab for testing Internet of Things (IoT) devices, medical devices, ATMs and other important products.

The Fairlawn complex serves as a cybersecurity hub both regionally and globally, including a cutting-edge Hacking Bay where the company will host advanced security training, hacking workshops and coding events for the information security community, businesses and students.

We are excited to begin TrustedSecs next chapter in Fairlawn, where we have big plans not only for the company, but also for the local community, said David Kennedy, the founder and CEO of TrustedSec, and a former hacker for the National Security Agency (NSA). Cybersecurity has never been more important than it is right now, between the rise in geopolitical tensions and the continuing surge in ransomware and financial fraud attacks. Companies are on the front lines of this new cyber conflict, and we are seeing a tremendous increase in demand for our services. With our new complex in Fairlawn, we will be able to not only expand our business operations, but also position the region as a central hub for cybersecurity training and development for the worlds largest companies.

The new world-class facility will bring regular visits to Fairlawn from the Fortune 500. TrustedSec advises many of the worlds leading companies and has designed special accommodations in the new facility to host top executives for cybersecurity meetings and threat modeling sessions.

We are thrilled to have a world-class company like TrustedSec choose Fairlawn for the site of its corporate headquarters, and we look forward to working with them to make our region a key destination for cybersecurity services and training, said Mayor William Roth Jr.

TrustedSec has grown rapidly in recent years, and the new corporate complex in Fairlawn is key to this long-term growth. TrustedSec already has a Phase 2 expansion plan for the new building.

The May 6th grand opening event will be held at 10 a.m. Those in attendance will include TrustedSec CEO David Kennedy and other company executives, Mayor William Roth Jr. and members of Fairlawns City Council. The event will include a ribbon cutting ceremony and full indoor tours of the new facility. Food and beverages will be provided.

For more information about the grand opening event, contact Chris Boesch, TrustedSec VP of Sales & Marketing, at 877.550.4728 ext. 7032 or chris.boesch@trustedsec.com.

ABOUT TRUSTEDSEC

TrustedSec is a world leader in cybersecurity program development, cyber attack simulations, incident response and digital forensic investigations. Founded in 2012, the company advises many well-known brands in the technology, financial, healthcare, automotive and manufacturing industries. It also consults for governments and provides training for the US militarys Cyber Protection Teams. The companys founder, David Kennedy, is a former hacker for the National Security Agency (NSA) and Marine Corps, where he specialized in signals intelligence and cyber warfare operations. He also served as a technical advisor for The Mr. Robot show on USA Network, and has twice testified before Congress as a cybersecurity expert witness. http://www.trustedsec.com

Michael Sias

Firm 19 for TrustedSec

inquiry@firm19.com

(954) 361-3963
From April 2124, Chacruna hosts the Religion and Psychedelics Forum, a four-day conference featuring some of the most exciting and diverse voices on aspects of this essential topic, from the neuroscience of visionary experiences to Indigenous traditions, interfaith dialogue, and ancient religious history. On April 21st, there will be an in-person Opening Event at the Brava Cabaret, in the Mission, in San Francisco, CA. The panels on April 22-24 will be entirely online. Conference passes ($129+ele) are on sale now.

The psychedelic renaissance is at a pivotal moment. As the medico-pharmacological paradigm continues to gain ground and grab headlines, and commodification of psychedelics advances, recentering psychedelics spiritual-religious roots is more vital than ever. The significance of religion has been noticeably neglected amid the fanfare surrounding the new psychedelic era. The Religion and Psychedelics Forum will help rectify this oversight by illuminating the historical, social, and ethical dimensions of psychedelic spirituality.

Through online panels and discussions with the worlds foremost leading thinkers, visionaries, and scholars on the topic, we will explore the role psychedelics have played in the history of religion, as well as religions role in the psychedelic renaissance, and well look at how emerging fields, such as psychedelic chaplaincy, position the spiritual psychedelic experience.

Award-winning journalist and author Erik Davis, also a presenter and part of Chacrunas Advisory Board, notes that psychological healing is not the whole picture. Psychedelics trigger experiences and stimulate questions that take us beyond the familiar maps of modernity. From the problem of mystical experiences to the emergence of psychedelic chaplains, from existential challenges to the central importance of Indigenous cosmovisions, psychedelics are now forcing us to confront the elephant in the room: the dimension of the sacred and our relation to it. Chacrunas Religion and Psychedelics Forum will be one of the broadest gatherings of scholars, religious experts, and practitioners to explore these questions.

Other presenters include Chacruna Executive Director Dr. Bia Labate, Indigenous leader Chief Niwana Huni Kui, psychiatry and neuroscience professor Dr. Rachel Yehuda, Rabbi Zac Kamenetz, poet and activist Anne Waldman, educator and mycologist Darren Springer, lawyer and Immortality Key author Brian C. Muraresku, comedian and writer Adam Strauss, cannabis and psychedelic journalist Madison Margolin, professor and psychedelic writer Dr. Nicholas Powers, physician-writer Dr. Mellody Hayes, molecular and cell biologist Dr. David Presti, MAPS Global Impact Officer Natalie Lyla Ginsberg, and more.

The Religion and Psychedelics forum is made possible by the generous contribution of some of our long-standing allies and some of the most relevant organizations on the psychedelic landscape and, such as: Reconsider, Shift, Dr. Bronner's All-one, MAPS, Ligare, Synthesis, RiverStyx Foundation, Ajna Biosciences, Clark Howell and the Center for the Study of World Religions from Harvard's Divinity School.

As with all Chacruna Institute programming, a focus on representation and justice will be central to our discussions. The conference highlights thought leaders from historically marginalized communities and recognizes those communities singular contributions to the topic. Programming includes conversations on the use of sacred plants in Indigenous Brazilian communities and Brazilian spiritual traditions, the connection between psychedelics and the world of the ancestors, and how psychedelics can support healing justice.

Psychedelics in Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and new Earth religions will be topics of other panels that bridge Antiquity and our contemporary moment. An Abrahamic interfaith dialogue, featuring leaders and practitioners from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim traditions, will explore how psychedelic experiences can be understood within the context of these belief systems.

While conference sessions will be fully online, attendees are invited to an in-person opening event at the Brava Theater Cabaret (2781 24th St.) in San Francisco, with Bia Labate, Erik Davis, Joe Tafur, Sean McAllister, Michael Ziegler, and Adam Strauss ($35). Psychologists may also sign up to receive continuing education credits through the APA-approved Spiritual Competency Resource Center.

About Chacruna Institute

The Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization co-founded by Brazilian anthropologist Dr. Bia Labate and American psychologist Dr. Clancy Cavnar, based in Northern California and with strong ties to Brazil and Mexico. We promote reciprocity in the psychedelic community, and support the protection of sacred plants and cultural traditions. We advance psychedelic justice through curating critical conversations and uplifting the voices of women, queer people, Indigenous peoples, people of color, and the Global South in the field of psychedelic science.

Contact Information

Francisco Rivarola

Chacruna Institute

francisco@chacruna.net

tel:4153906157 [415-390-6157 __title__ null]
"History has repeatedly shown that solidarity can accomplish great things. Thats why Edge Logistics will donate a share of its profits in April to the global organization Save the Children to help those affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict." - Maria Callegari Kerr, Co-Founder and CTO

In an age of disruption and innovation, it is easy to lose sight of big things, like innocent and defenseless children trapped amid armed conflicts and war. In joining a global outpouring of solidarity and humanitarian aid, Edge Logistics has pledged to donate a portion of its proceeds in April to Save the Children, which is providing aid to Ukraine.

As a rapidly growing organization, Edge Logistics has enjoyed the freedoms and comforts of success, but there are many without overseas. Many of the drivers Edge Logistics works with are also of Ukrainian descent. Edge Logistics' work wouldn't be possible without those drivers who have such a personal stake in the ongoing conflict. Those hearts remind us daily that there are many in need, and Edge Logistics is making a move to give back.

As we leave March, a month in which we celebrate Womens History and empowerment, it is time for business leaders and women from around the world to take action to help the defenseless children caught up in the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe, said Maria Callegari Kerr, Co-Founder and Chief Talent Officer at Edge Logistics. History has repeatedly shown that solidarity can accomplish great things. Thats why Edge Logistics will donate a share of its profits in April to the global organization Save the Children to help those affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Will Kerr, Co-Founder and President of Edge Logistics, further explains how helping those in need is tightly aligned with Edges mission to build a better freight management strategy.

Everything we do as a company revolves around timeliness and attention to detail. We cannot continue that mission without recognizing those that need help in the direst of conditions, Kerr said. We will work with Save the Children on the ground in Ukraine and donate a portion of our proceeds in April to this non-profit.

Edge Logistics continues to grow despite the war and other global supply chain disruptions of 2022. Jordan Lanyi, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, noted how that growth depends on staying mindful of others.

Edge Logistics has enjoyed the perks of success and efficiency for years. Our continued growth and ability to deliver at greater than 99 percent proficiency is only one part of who we are as a company, Lanyi said. We have partnered with Save the Children to help the next generation survive and thrive. Thats especially true with the worsening conditions of Ukraine.

This month, you are welcome to join Edge Logistics in sharing your earnings or your time to help those caught in conflict, whether in Ukraine or in your local community. Help your neighbor and help one another. That's how anyone can make a difference. Edge Logistics will also be donating to several community-driven fundraisers and local refugee resettlement organizations such as, Ukraine Aid and Rebuilding Fund Inc, Chicago Public Art Group, Chicago Refugee Coalition, Ukrainian Cultural Center and more local charities.

About Edge Logistics

Since 2014, Edge Logistics has provided freight technology solutions for its customers and carriers across the United States. This family-owned and managed business quickly grew to become a resource for individuals, small businesses, and major carriers alike, landing in the INC 5000 fastest-growing companies list four years in a row. The goal of Edge Logistics is to make business easier for customers by offering state-of-the-art resources and technology, unmatched customer service, and innovation.

Edge Logistics has also been named to the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the U.S., received the Chicago Innovation Award in 2021, been listed on Crains Chicago Fast 50 in 2020 and 2021, named the 2021 Niagara Bottling Raw Materials Carrier of the Year and recently received the ISO Excellence Award that recognizes the contribution of individuals for recent achievements related to ISO's technical work that can be considered as a major contribution to furthering the interests of standardization and related activities. That growth is enabling a faster, more productive supply chain through its use of the award-winning CAPACITY app and the fusion of experience and technology in all operations.

To learn more about Edge Logistics visit edgelogistics.com.
Being part of Clarus will strengthen our relationships with current providers and establish relationships with new providers for our agents.

Clarus Communications, a leading comprehensive technology services firm and master telecommunications agent, today announced the companys merger with North Carolina-based master agent Connectivity Source. As part of the merger, Connectivity Source will now become part of Clarus Communications and assume that name going forward.

Connectivity Source was co-founded in 2001 by Scott Langdon and has become one of the nation's premier agencies focused exclusively on the agent/partner. Connectivity Source has been frequently recognized as one of the top master agents in the Southeast. Agents helped Connectivity Source soar through the ranks over the years, from winning the top awards from old carriers like BellSouth, Paetec, and BTI to recent 2021 president club wins with Nextiva and distinguished accolades from Spectrum. As part of the merger, Scott Langdon will now be managing partner of Clarus.

We are always looking for ways to expand our reach for our agents and to help them grow their businesses, said Scott Langdon. Being part of Clarus not only will we have more of a presence to the West, but we will also strengthen our relationships with current providers and establish relationships with new providers for our agents.

Clarus Communications was founded by Chris Torbit and has been helping agents serve their customers telecommunications and technology needs since 2001. Clarus assists agents by providing a full-service technology offering including telecommunications services, phone systems, IT services, Cloud, and software licensing. With a distinct advantage of providing internal sales and engineering support, as well as the knowledge and expertise of todays technology, Clarus is a true resource for agents.

We have always prided our company on our agent program in that we provide our agents all the support they need to be successful, and this merger expands that same tradition. said Chris Torbit, Principal of Clarus Communications. This was a natural partnership and bringing their team to work together with the Clarus team, we look forward to everyones continued success.

With addition of Connectivity Source in North Carolina, the combined companies are carving out a new region of sorts of technology expertise. With the expanded geographical reach and a larger combined team, they are going to help more prospective agents, as well as give current agents more opportunities to help their clients reach their goals.

I am excited to be part of this growing team, said Scott Langdon, Managing Partner of Clarus Communications. Clarus allows us to give our agents even more technology services to offer their customers; its a win-win situation for everyone.

###

About Connectivity Source

Connectivity Source is a full-service master telecommunications agency representing every major telecommunications carrier nationwide. Founded in 2001, Connectivity Source has become recognized as one of the top master agencies in the country, with multi-million dollars of annual revenue and hundreds of agents. For more information about Connectivity Source, visit http://www.connectivitysource.com.

About Clarus Communications

Clarus Communications is a leading national master agent of business technology services. Clarus specializes in assisting customers and agents with telecommunications services, phone systems, IT services, Cloud, and energy services. Since 2001, Clarus Communications has been successfully helping independent agents provide their clients the best options for phone service, phone systems, wireless and data. For more information about Clarus Communications, please visit http://www.clarusco.com or call toll free 855.801.6700.
Staffing Connections and Medical Connections entrance into The Reserves Network family brings a talented and experienced staff, says Neil Stallard, CEO of The Reserves Network. Its a privilege to have them as a part of our team.

The Reserves Network, a staffing industry leader in the areas of manufacturing, logistics, engineering, call centers, finance, real estate, government, and healthcare, has acquired Georgia and Alabama-based Staffing Connections.

Founded in 2006, Staffing Connections provides temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire staffing services for both clerical and industrial opportunities throughout the Columbus, GA; Stockbridge, GA; and Opelika, AL markets.

The company will maintain the Staffing Connections name and brand and operate as an affiliate of The Reserves Network. This includes Medical Connections, a division of Staffing Connections, founded in 2018 to provide medical staffing.

President & CEO Kim Taccati will continue to oversee business operations. All internal employees will remain with the company.

"Although much larger than Staffing Connections and Medical Connections, The Reserves Network is homegrown and founded on the same principles of quality, reliability and integrity, says Taccati. Moreover, The Reserves Network has the resources to enhance the benefits and services we provide our internal staff, temporary employees and customers, who will still get to work with the same staffing specialists in all of our offices.

Headquartered in the Cleveland suburb of Fairview Park, Ohio, The Reserves Network was established in 1984. The family-owned and veteran-founded company is privately held and has received multiple honors for customer loyalty, outstanding growth, and management excellence. The Reserves Network employs nearly 20,000 employees annually through its more than 40 operating locations in the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest, and works with customers nationwide.

Staffing Connections Columbus and Stockbridge offices join The Reserves Networks five locations in the Georgia market, which include, Duluth, McDonough, Savannah, Smyrna and Statesboro. Opelika will be the companys first office in Alabama.

Staffing Connections and Medical Connections entrance into The Reserves Network family brings a talented and experienced staff, says Neil Stallard, CEO of The Reserves Network. Its a privilege to have them as a part of our team. Were excited to work together as we support the staffing needs of area businesses and job seekers.

This marks the second acquisition The Reserves Network has made in the last six months. The company acquired Texas-based Resource Staffing in October with multiple locations in Austin, Dallas and the Greater Houston area.

Adds Nicholas Stallard, chief growth officer of The Reserves Network: We're thrilled to be growing in Georgia, and now able to serve the staffing needs of Alabama through this new partnership. Staffing Connections and Medical Connections are two great organizations that complement The Reserves Networks business model and commitment to customer satisfaction.
The Drum Digital Advertising Awards is a global awards program that recognizes the best technology and digital media in advertising. With 38 total categories, ESM entered the Not-for-Profit/Charity category, for work with nonprofit organization, AFHU, and we were shortlisted among two other top agency contenders. Winners are set to be announced on April 21, 2022.

ESM is honored to have our work recognized alongside global agencies and businesses. As a boutique firm, we pride ourselves on creating innovative and effective media campaigns that are just as competitive as much larger organizationswithout the red tape. We care deeply about developing lasting partnerships with each of our clients in order to ensure that we deliver award worthy work that is precisely tailored to their unique goals.

American Friends of the Hebrew University (AFHU) is a national, not-for-profit organization in support of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israels foremost center of higher education and research. The organization is committed to tackling some of the worlds greatest challenges in fields such as health and medicine, cybersecurity, and diplomacy through research and innovation.

At the start of their 2021 fiscal year, which begins in October, AFHU approached ESM with the goal to drive engagement with their brand among unfamiliar and unexposed users, through ad engagements, increased web traffic and organic inquiries. In addition to increasing engagements, their ultimate goal was to create user retention and acquisition through donations to support the research done by the Hebrew University.

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic challenges that followed, we were able to pivot and adapt to adjust the clients digital presence and remain focused on new user acquisition, while not negating the value of their existing members. Over the years, ESM has repeatedly affirmed our commitment to the power advertising-as-advocacy can wield through our work with organizations like AFHU.

ESMs approach began with understanding the clients interest and primary goal of driving new users towards the brand. Furthermore, we wanted to develop a media strategy and channel plan that struck a balance between acquisition efforts and continued engagement among their existing community. This led us to developing a campaign approach that strategically allocated budget towards two individual campaign efforts  differentiated as a Retention campaign and an Acquisition campaign.

To target users the most precisely and effectively, we organized AFHU's first-party data into four distinct categories: Alumni, Donors, Social Media Acquired Leads, and Web-Owned (Retargeting) users. From here, we assessed the size of these first-party owned lists and mapped each size against the estimated potential reach and average donation size, in order to determine the maximum donation opportunity for each audience cohort. This allowed us to support a percentage of the total spend recommendation for each audience. We then established a minimum threshold for effectiveness, gauged by impression delivery based on ESMs own standard frequency cap.

This refined approach allowed us to optimize in ways that were not previously possible. With newly-segmented audience cohorts in both the Acquisition and Retention campaigns, we had the opportunity to individualize creative and messaging, adjust targeting, and modify elements such as frequency, device, and channel at the audience level.

Additionally, the differentiation between the Acquisition and Retention audiences created a more clearly defined path through the funnel. In the past, 1st party list data and retargeting audiences were treated as part of Acquisition efforts; now, we are able to move users in the funnel in real time based on in-platform engagement and site activity. This allows us to deliver relevant consideration and conversion-oriented messaging at the exact point at which a user shifts from an unexposed user to a newly acquired user.

This initiative was the most highly targeted, strategically allocated, and successful (as it relates to media metrics) campaign to date. Since the implementation of this media plan in the Fall of 2020, weve seen a dramatic increase across all KPIs: from media performance and engagements to web traffic and the value of user on site activity. In total, the campaign delivered over 15.7 million impressions, over 289,000 clicks, and over 217,000 total engagements.

Learn more about this work with AFHU by visiting https://esmtheagency.com/clients/afhu-case-study/

ESM is a media partner that helps brands and agencies uncover unique value in marketing investments. We believe the most successful media campaigns interweave the art of past experience with the science of data analytics. ESM offers end to end media planning, activation, and reporting services. The agencys tech stack provides a connective thread across all channels, but as a team we emphasize the importance human experience plays in predicting outcomes. Whether its traditional, digital, or emerging media, the knowledge ESM has gained from running campaigns that are large, small, geographically diverse, with different KPIs, goals, and assets gives us a strong library of learnings to apply to future activity.
The Broadband Multimedia Marketing Association (BMMA) recently announced the winners of the 2022 Best in Class Marketing awards.

Each year, the BMMA (http://www.bmma.org) recognizes teams and companies that demonstrate innovation and excellence in marketing broadband services, said Ellis Hill, President of ResearchFirst, Inc., the BMMAs management firm. This years awards went to two service providers, MTA and Kinetic by Windstream, and two vendor companies, Calix and Scout Alarm, each of which executed best in class marketing practices related to broadband products and services."

The winners are:

1. MTA (http://www.mtasolutions.com) 2021 Upgrade Marketing Campaign

MTA has been running upgrade marketing campaigns for a few years, using monthly network improvement reports to send mailers to customers eligible for upgrades as well as newly serviceable addresses. After a pause during the pandemic in 2020, MTA revamped the upgrade campaign in 2021 with new branding and improved copy. The new campaign ran throughout 2021 and was targeted to current customers eligible for upgrades due to network improvements, as well as newly serviceable households and non-customer households in areas where MTA had recently upgraded their network. With the shift to a remote lifestyle of school and work from home, the market was seeking improved bandwidth options. This campaign alerted customers that improved speeds were available so they could upgrade and notified unserved households that they had an alternate provider to consider. Using Alaskan elements in the graphics was a strategic move to stand out from the generic imagery competitors were using and offering a free month for non-customers provided an opportunity for them to test out the service before disconnecting their current connection.

MTA is proud of our teams outreach efforts to ensure our network investments are resulting in an improved experience for our members. Receiving recognition from organizations like BMMA affirms that we have the right people doing the right activities. Thank you BMMA and thank you to our member solutions team at MTA, said Michael Burke, CEO of MTA.

Overall, the 2021 campaign provided a significant sustained revenue boost and was an improved experience for both customers and staff. The updated message is easier to understand and multiple touch points with the same message improve retention. The streamlined request process improved both efficiency and tracking, providing a definitive answer to the campaigns value.

2. Calix (http://www.calix.com) Calix Market Activation Program

The Calix Market Activation program was launched in 2019 but was significantly enhanced in 2021 with the addition of the Broadband Marketing Academy. In 2021, Calix also made the largest single investment in the Calix Market Activation program by partnering with comedian Gerry Dee, creator and star of the hit sitcom Mr. D (streaming on Amazon Prime), finalist on Last Comic Standing, and host of Family Feud Canada. Together, Calix and Gerry Dee have produced multiple humorous spots that speak to the challenges 21st-century families face. Calix is invested in the success of their customers and all of the assets in the Market Activation program are available for use by customers through the Revenue EDGE solution.

Joe Kohegyi, Director of Marketing Channel Activation said, I am absolutely thrilled to be here accepting this award on behalf of Calix. When we set out to create the market activation program, our sole purpose was to assist broadband service providers in delivering a world class subscriber experience. And it's truly gratifying to see the hundreds of service providers who are leveraging the program in unique ways and growing their subscriber value. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Calix team, and I want to thank them for their passion and commitment to customer experience. We are humbled by this recognition, and we will continue to work tirelessly to help our service provider partners drive subscriber growth and satisfaction.

The Calix Market Activation program includes innovative assets that explain the benefits of Wi-Fi 6, the importance of proper router placement for optimal performance, and the impact that building materials (like hardwood and plaster) can have on Wi-Fi coverage. Effective marketing is not only about creating awareness for your brand and services, but is also about educating, informing, and engaging your audience. For this reason, the Calix Market Activation program also includes hundreds of assets that are designed to help consumers better understand the technology that they use in their every-day lives.

3. Scout Alarm & Kinetic by Windstream (http://www.scoutalarm.com , & http://www.gokinetic.com ) Kinetic Secure Home

Kinetic by Windstream and Scout worked together to launch Kinetic Secure Home  customizable home security services. This initiative leveraged the Scout smart home security platform and infrastructure to design a Kinetic Secure Home DIY Smart Home Security solution for Kinetic. The two teams engaged in an RFP process starting in June 2020 and launched in the market September of 2021. Together they launched two products: the Kinetic Secure Home product which includes 2 indoor/outdoor cameras and the Kinetic Secure Home Plus which includes a Hub, Indoor/Outdoor Camera, a motion sensor, keypad, 2 entry sensors, and a yard sign.

The development and launch of the Kinetic Secure Home solution has been collaborative since day one. This is an exciting partnership for both teams. The Scout platform and technical capabilities not only gives Kinetic a competitive solution, but also a foundation for growth. On behalf of the entire Scout team, I am honored to receive this award, said Noah Ney, VP of Partnerships at Scout.

The objective for Kinetic was to make up for lost landline telephone revenue, grow NPS scores, and reduce churn by providing more value-added services to their customers. Scouts solutions have a track record of excellent customer experience and customer service. This provided confidence to Windstream that an increase in NPS was possible. Financially, these solutions increase recurring revenue through subscription fees and among new Kinetic high speed internet customers, there is a 15% attach rate to Kinetic Secure Home products. This has exceeded the expectations of management.

The biggest winner here is our customers, said Mick Chambers, Director of Product Marketing for Kinetic. Their goal is to protect whats important to them with tools that are reliable and easy to use. Kinetic Secure Home offers peace of mind and ease of use at an affordable rate. Were so pleased to work with Scout to make this available.

Kinetic and Scout have committed to work together to grow the current platform and service offering over time. This includes additional smart home features and enhanced video analytics.

About the BMMA

The BMMA is an international organization dedicated to helping Telco internet service providers and their vendors advance the adoption and use of broadband services.

Our membership includes many of the key Telco and broadband vendor organizations in North America and is open to any broadband industry Telco service provider, vendor, CPE manufacturer, government agency, consultant, analyst, or other party with a demonstrated interest in promoting the mission of the BMMA.

Our goal is to advance the adoption and use of broadband services by identifying key industry success factors and sharing best practice marketing initiatives, new product and customer trends and other relevant industry information.

Please see our website at http://www.BMMA.org for more information or to apply for membership in the BMMA.

BMMA Executive Director: ResearchFirst, Inc. (http://www.researchfirst.com)

Tags / Keywords: BMMA, Broadband, internet telco, service provider, vendor, best in class, marketing award, MTA, Windstream, Calix, Scout Alarm
MHLANGATANE After being reported missing for nearly four days, members of the EL Tabernacle Holy Ghost Ministry Church have been located.

The missing congregants were not traced to Madagascar, which was the promised peaceful land by their pastors, but were found on a mountain top. About 52 worshippers were located on Mananga Mountain situated near Shewula and Mafucula in the Lubombo Region. This is about 74 kilometres away from the furthest homestead, where some of the congregants are believed to be from. It took police officers and residents about an hour to ascend from the bottom of the mountain to the top where the church members had been camping. Several parents of the pupils who formed part of the search party from Mhlangatane condemned the action by the church and alleged that they were not informed that their children would be going away.

Permission

They accused the church leaders of not seeking permission from them as parents before leaving with their minors. Last Friday, this publication reported that church members had been reported missing alongside their Pastor, Jeremiah Kunene. Kunene is also the Head teacher of Ntsinini High School. On Friday and Saturday, residents of Mhlangatane gathered under a tree outside the school premises to discuss a way forward in locating their missing relatives. It is alleged that the pastor and another senior member of the church were not among the worshippers when the police arrived on Saturday and yesterday on the mountain top where the residents were found. The duo was reported to be deep into the mountain, praying.

The members were located by residents of Mhlangatane and police officers from Lomahasha, Buhleni and Piggs Peak. Assistant Superintendent Dino Nzalo was among the police officers who also took the journey to the mountain top, where the church members were located. At the time the police arrived, the mountain top is said to have been cold and wet as it was raining. This, however, did not discourage some of the members from insisting that they needed to remain on the mountain for prayer. Concerns were raised by some of the members of the search party that the environment was not safe for the minors.

According to some of the residents who were part of the search team, they also found babies among the worshippers at the mountain. Some were even breastfeeding, claimed a resident.

The church members location came to be known when one of the cellphones of those who had travelled with the pastor had not been switched off and it rang while the congregants were on the mountain. Further, some of the residents around Mafucula also gave away information that they had seen some people heading towards the mountain. It was with this information at their disposal, that the residents and the police searched until they were able to locate the worshippers. Mthunzi Luhlanga, who is the former chairperson of Ntsinini High School, confirmed that so far, 13 people, including children, had returned. He said of these, the eldest person was 65 years old. Some of the worshippers, however, remained at the mountain, saying they wanted to continue with their prayer.

Luhlanga, who is also the Chairperson of the Inner Council around Ndvwangeni area in Mhlangatane, said the children who returned were handed over to their parents. None of them seemed to have been harmed. He said the parents were yet to decide on a way forward regarding their children. He said there would be a meeting today, to discuss the way forward. Some of the residents wanted the church to be banned from operating in the community, as they claimed that this was a cult and should be stopped before it spread to other communities. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the incident. She confirmed that the church members were located. She was also asked if any person had been charged regarding the disappearance of the congregants and she said no one had been arrested so far. She said the matter was still under investigation.
SemaConnect will display the Series 4 and Series 7 EV charging stations at this year's NAFA Institute & Expo. The 2022 NAFA Institute and Expo will be monumental in educating fleet managers in their most important fleet upgrade.

SemaConnect, leading provider of electric vehicle charging solutions to the North American commercial, residential, and fleet market, announces its attendance at this years NAFA Institute and Expo (I&E) taking place on April 11-13 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. SemaConnect experts will bring the latest in fleet charging solutions to the fleet industrys leading annual conference. SemaConnect will display the Series 4 Home and Series 7 Fleet EV charging stations in booth 1732 and join Mondays EV Charging is Changing (Again) for the Better session led by Assetworks.

The NAFA Institute and Expo brings fleet managers from all segments including government, utility, and corporate fleets nationwide. 2022 marks an industry-wide focus on electrification as federal agencies prepare to electrify the federal fleet and corporations form new sustainability plans. Of the 68 events scheduled during the conference, nine will focus on electric vehicle technology. Mondays EV Charging is Changing (Again) for the Better session, which includes experts from Assetworks and SemaConnect, is the first EV session of the conference.

Talking with fleet managers this spring, there is a true urgency in planning and buying EV charging stations in 2022, said Terri Titas-Wolcott, director of fleet sales at SemaConnect. The 2022 NAFA Institute and Expo will be monumental in educating fleet managers in their most important fleet upgrade. Im looking forward to joining my colleagues during todays EV charging session and meeting fleet managers during the expo this week.

At booth 1732 during the exposition, SemaConnect will display the Series 4 Home and Series 7 Fleet EV charging stations. Both Level 2 charging stations are perfect for fleet managers who need modern, easy-to-use solutions for charging fleet vehicles at home or at the fleet depot. The Series 4 offers flexible amperage settings up to 50amp. The Series 7 has 30amp and 80amp options for light and medium duty fleet vehicles. The cloud-based SemaConnect Fleet Management Software provides fleet managers with top features for EV fleets including fleet manager portal, scheduled charging, late plug-in/plug-out alerts, session analytics, health monitoring, and smart access controls. In addition, all products offer integration with SemaConnects public network of charging stations nationwide.

For more information about the NAFA Institute and Expo, visit https://www.nafainstitute.org/.

About SemaConnect:

SemaConnect is a leading provider and pioneer of electric vehicle charging infrastructure solutions to the North American commercial, residential and fleet market. A complete EV support partner, SemaConnect is making transportation electrification possible in this decade through innovative, elegantly designed charging stations, a robust and open network platform, and an unparalleled charging experience for drivers and station owners. Since our founding in 2008, SemaConnect has installed thousands of smart charging stations at top companies like CBRE, JLL, Hines, Greystar, Nike, Electrify America, and SP Plus. SemaConnect remains the preferred charging solutions partner to municipal, parking, multifamily, hotel, office, retail and commercial fleet customers across the United States and Canada. For more information, visit https://semaconnect.com/.
Tarandeep Bawa, ITegrity President & CEO With so many fantastic small businesses in the state of Maryland, I am truly humbled and honored to receive this recognition. This award reflects fantastic employees, a strong management team, great customers, and an employee-centric culture where giving back is at our core. -Tarandeep Bawa

Tarandeep Bawa, ITegritys President and CEO, was awarded this years Small Business Administrations (SBA) Small Business Person of the Year Award for the State of Maryland. The Small Business Person of the Year award recognizes top entrepreneurs and their small businesses from across the countrynoting their innovation, ingenuity, and creativity. To be eligible for this award, nominees had to meet rigorous criteria including a dedication to small business efforts through a substantiated history as an established business, expanded business growth in both employment and profit, resiliency to adversity, and a commitment to their community. ITegrity was able to meet this criteria through significant growth over the past several years and has expanded capabilities while receiving positive ratings from all customers.

Mr. Bawa has created a culture at ITegrity that recognizes the importance of not only taking care of its employees and clients but in giving back to the community. Under Mr. Bawas leadership and through the pandemic, ITegrity actively participates in and contributes to community service groups and charities. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, ITegrity hosted events several times a year to directly support local charities and non-profits. These events ranged from making lunches for the homeless, assembling school supplies in backpacks for underprivileged local elementary schools, financial support to charities, toy collections, etc.

As an SBA 8(a) certified small business, ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and ISO 20000 certified, and CMMI Level 3 DEV&SVC rated business, ITegritys (http://www.itegrityinc.com) mission has always been to provide innovative and cost-effective solutions in technical, engineering, and management solutions to the Federal Government. These services include Software Engineering and Application Support, Program Management, Business Intelligence, Cyber Security, Engineering Design & Configuration Management, and Telecommunications. ITegrity has established strong mutual relationships and respect among customers, partners, and employees. We have built a presence in the Washington Metropolitan area as a rapidly growing business leader. Other high achievements include:



Leadership Montgomerys 2021 Evolving Employee Volunteer Program Awardan award that recognizes businesses serving Montgomery County whose employee volunteer efforts have demonstrated growth through service to the community.

Making the Inc. 5000 list 3 years in a row recognizing exceptional growth.

Washington Technology Fast 50recognition that acknowledges the fastest-growing small businesses in the government market according to annual growth.

ITegrity approaches each unique challenge with innovation and dedication; however, our true success comes from building quality relationships with each employee, customer, and partner. ITegrity takes great pride in delivering high-quality solutions through our top-notch staff with integrity, consistency, and vision.

With so many fantastic small businesses in the state of Maryland, I am truly humbled and honored to receive this recognition. This award reflects fantastic employees, a strong management team, great customers, and an employee-centric culture where giving back is at our core. Performing selfless service is an aspect of my Sikh faith that I have imbued in our corporate culture, says Bawa. These last few years have presented extraordinary challenges that this world never expected; however, our continued success shows discipline, strategic planning, and adhering to the core principles of the firm.

Each year, the Small Business Administration (SBA) celebrates National Small Business Week (NSBW) by recognizing the achievements of outstanding small business owners and entrepreneurs across the United States. The theme for 2022s NSBW is Building a Better America through Entrepreneurship. Small business award winners will be formally recognized during the National Small Business Week Awards Ceremony on May 5th via virtual summit. The summit will recognize SBA small business partners for their impact on the economy and communities across the nation. For more information and to register, please visit http://www.sba.gov/NSBW.

I am delighted to recognize our National Small Business Week winners from across the country who have stepped up to build their businesses, create jobs, and power historic recovery over the past year, says Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Entrepreneurs are innovators and creators at their core, delivering the products and services we depend on and making our neighborhoods, towns, and cities more vibrant places to live and work. They give their all to achieve their American dream of business ownership and, by doing so, advance Americas economy and global competitiveness. Our 2022 award winners represent the vibrancy and resiliency of our nations 32.5 million small businesses, and I look forward to celebrating these small business giants and the positive impact they have had on lives and livelihoods in communities all across America.

More about ITegrity

Founded in 2009 and based in Maryland, ITegrity is an SBA 8(a) certified small business based in the Washington-Metropolitan area. ITegrity provides innovative and cost-effective technical, engineering, and management support solutions to the Federal Government. Our mission is to deliver state-of-the-art services to our clients based on an innovative approach, data driven solutions, and tailored solutions in information technology, engineering, and professional services. We pride ourselves on our commitment to integrity, transparency, and client satisfaction.

Connect with us online:

http://www.itegrityinc.com
536 Ocean Cay Dr, Key Largo, FL 33037 This sale is equal parts indicative of the current market climate, a testament to Shys skill and the prowess of Engel & Volkers global reach.

Engel & Volkers Florida today announced the record-breaking sale of 536 Ocean Cay Dr by K Shylon Martin, who goes by Shy, with Engel & Volkers Islamorada. According to the Florida Keys MLS, the $4.25-million transaction set a new sales record as the most expensive canal-front home in Key Largo, totalling $962 per square foot. Martin represented both buyer and seller.

I just want people to know that I care with my heart in my business, and my business in my heart, said Martin. While I would rather be known for my local philanthropic work, Im proud to make headlines for this record-breaking transaction.

536 Ocean Cay Dr is located on a corner, canal-front lot in one of the most sought after communities in the Florida Keys, Ocean Cay Estates. The home features distinct architectural design elements and amenities synonymous with the Florida Keys. 4,420 square feet of under air living space is spread across three levels, with four bedrooms and five bathrooms that are connected by an elevator. Outside, a travertine tile deck boasts a large swimming pool, built-in hot tub and authentic Chickee hut seating area. The property is equipped with a private boat slip complete with a lift, 105-feet of deep water dockage and direct ocean access.

This sale is equal parts indicative of the current market climate, a testament to Shys skill and the prowess of Engel & Volkers global reach, said John Gallant, License Partner of Engel & Volkers Islamorada. Her relentless pursuit of perfection is a shining example of how a luxury home should be presented to the marketplace, and the bespoke service our clients receive.

The average value of homes in Key Largo has risen nearly 40-percent over the past year to $971,139. 108 Old Fashion Rd in Tavernier, FL, which sold for $3.595-million in October 2021, previously held the record that 536 Ocean Cay Dr has just exceeded.

Shy, like many of our other advisors, has grown her business significantly since joining Engel & Volkers, said Peter Giese, CEO of Engel & Volkers Florida. Overall, her broker reports that shes increased her average sales price by 488-percent.

###

Press contact:

Linzee Werkmeister, Junior Vice President, Marketing & Franchise Support

Email: Linzee.Werkmeister(at)evrealestate.com

Tel: (239) 348-9000

About Engel & Volkers:

Engel & Volkers is a global luxury real estate brand. Founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1977, Engel & Volkers draws on its rich European history to deliver a fresh approach to luxury real estate in the Americas with a focus on creating a personalized client experience at every stage of the home buying or selling process for today's savvy homeowner. Engel & Volkers currently operates approximately 263 shop locations with 5,000 real estate advisors in the Americas, contributing to the brand's global network of over 15,000 real estate professionals in more than 30 countries, offering both private and institutional clients a professionally tailored range of luxury services, including real estate, yachting and aviation. Committed to exceptional service, Engel & Volkers supports its advisors with an array of premium quality business services; marketing programs and platforms; as well as access to its global network of real estate professionals, property listings and market data. Each brokerage is independently owned and operated. For more information, visit http://www.evrealestate.com.

About Engel & Volkers Florida:

Engel & Volkers Florida is the Master License Partner of the global luxury real estate brand Engel & Volkers in the state of Florida. Recognized for uniquely recruiting, training and equipping some of the top professionals in the real estate industry, Engel & Volkers Floridas exclusive business model positions its franchisees at the top of the premium market to gain market share and support their bottom line. The company represents franchise locations in 42 markets: 30A Beaches, Amelia Island, Belleair, Boca Raton, Bonita Springs-Estero, Cape Coral, Clermont, Delray Beach, Destin, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers Downtown, Gainesville, Islamorada, Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Jupiter, Madeira Beach, Marco Island, Melbourne Beachside, Melbourne Central, Melbourne Downtown, Miami Coconut Grove, Neptune Beach, Ocala, Olde Naples, Orlando, Orlando Downtown, Orlando-Winter Park, Palm Beach, Palm Coast, Pompano Beach, Sarasota, South Tampa, St. Augustine, St. Pete, St. Pete Beach, Stuart, Tampa Water Street, Venice Downtown, Vero Beach, Wellington, and Windermere.

Engel & Volkers Florida is continuing to strategically strengthen and expand its presence in premium real estate markets across the state of Florida. If you would like to know more about the Engel & Volkers brand or how to join its global networkwhich is known for demonstrating competence, exclusivity and passion, feel free to call our corporate office, located at 633 Tamiami Trl N, Suite 201, Naples, FL 34102 USA. Tel: +1 239-348-9000. For more information about Engel & Volkers Florida, please visit http://www.florida.evrealestate.com
We extend sympathy to Speaker Pelosi for contracting COVID-19 and wish her a speedy recovery, said Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Zhao Lijian. Regarding Taiwan, Zhao added: What she should do is not postpone the visit, but cancel it immediately.

CGTN America releases China calls on Pelosi to cancel Taiwan trip

China expressed both sympathy and antipathy over Nancy Pelosis postponed trip to Asia  sympathy over her positive COVID-19 test, and antipathy over unconfirmed media reports that the U.S. House Speaker planned to visit Taiwan.

We extend sympathy to Speaker Pelosi for contracting COVID-19 and wish her a speedy recovery, said Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Zhao Lijian. Regarding Taiwan, Zhao added: What she should do is not postpone the visit, but cancel it immediately.

A planned Congressional delegation to Asia, led by Speaker Pelosi, will be postponed to a later date, tweeted her Deputy Chief of Staff, Drew Hammill on April 7.

The Speaker will quarantine consistent with CDC guidance, tweeted Hammill. That means, Pelosi isolating herself for at least 5 days from the day she tested positive.

A trip to Taipei would be the first formal visit by a U.S. official in 25 years. While CGTN America could not confirm reports of Speaker Pelosis trip to Tawain, Chinese officials lashed out preemptively. If the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives knowingly commits a sneaky visit to Taiwan, it will be a malicious provocation to Chinas sovereignty, gross interferences in its internal affairs and an extremely dangerous political signal to the outside world, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Both the content and tone of Wangs remarks were echoed on the Chinese social media account, Views on the Taiwan Straits. Post on this account called it a risky move that would send a wrong signal to Taiwan independence separatist forces.

Previous reports in Japanese and Taiwanese media said Pelosi and a U.S. congressional delegation would stop in Taiwan after leaving Japan this coming weekend. Pelosis COVID-19 infection creates by default a cooling-off period for a diplomatic showdown that would likely intensify if a Taipei visit took place.

China opposes any official contact between the U.S. and Taiwan. If the US insists on having its own way, China will take firm and strong measures, warned Zhao.

Click here to read more about China calls on Pelosi to cancel Taiwan trip https://newsus.cgtn.com/news/2022-04-09/Pelosi-postpones-Asia-trip-after-testing-positive-for-COVID-19-194WarXTZF6/index.html

(This material is distributed by MediaLinks TV, LLC on behalf of CCTV. Additional information is available at the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.)
100+ national projects are identified in the Master Plan for developing tourism products and associated infrastructure.

Avasant has successfully engaged and supported the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Wildlife in the Government of Malawi on the development of The Malawi National Tourism Investment Master Plan (2022-2042), which details a comprehensive tourism roadmap and investment strategy.

The Master Plan identifies the need for key tourism products and infrastructure development in Malawi, along with human resource capacity building and institutional strengthening, and ensures diversification in tourism experiences across wildlife, culture, adventure, marine, MICE & Ecotourism. Developed over a 30-month period, through detailed analysis of community needs, economic potential, environmental sustainability, and validations from a wide cross-section of stakeholders, the plan outlines several priority items for rollout by the Malawi government.

Effective execution of the Master Plan is anticipated to generate equitable tourism investment and economic growth across ten (10) districts in Malawi. The 100+ national projects identified in the Master Plan are predicted to drive a higher level of domestic and international tourism over the next twenty (20) years. Ten (10) priority projects have been earmarked for execution within the first decade and are expected to generate 228 Million Euros in revenue. The Government of Malawi intends to promote the projects in both local and foreign markets and will invite potential investors to develop the goals of the Master Plan through the adoption of a PPP model.

Malawis tourism industry contributes 7.5% of the country's national GDP. Recognizing the economic growth and job creation potential of the industry, the Government of Malawi intends to target significant growth in the sector by creating an enabling environment through investments in digital technologies. It is expected that this will improve the service delivery experience in the tourism sector and enhance capacity development of infrastructure and human resources.

The outcome of this landmark initiative was announced by the President of Malawi at the official launch ceremony on Monday 4th April 2022. According to His Excellency President Dr. Lazarus M. Chakwera, Tourism development is one of the primary drivers of economic development for it is encompassed in the urbanization thrust within the Malawi 2063. It should therefore be given the attention it deserves by our policymaking apparatus.

Avasants Engagement Partner, Dr. Pradeep K. Mukherji, who was closely involved in the project, expressed his sentiments on the potential outcome of the engagement, describing it as a visionary initiative of the Government of Malawi represented by the Ministry of Tourism & Culture for sustainable economic growth of the economy. Given the high potential for employment, this master plan will help grow the GDP and GNI of the country. He added that, in spite of the prevailing pandemic situation during a significant part of the engagement, the success of the initiative underlined the evolving maturity of digital communication technology, which allowed seamless coordination and consultation with stakeholders and GIS tools allowed very detailed mapping of tourist locational details even from remote locations.

About Avasant

Avasant is a leading management consulting firm focused on translating the power of technology into realizable business strategies for the worlds largest corporations. Specializing in digital and IT transformation, sourcing advisory, global strategy, and governance services, Avasant prides itself on delivering high-value engagements through industry-focused innovation and flexible, client-based solutions.

Our seasoned professionals have an average of 20 years of industry-honed expertise, having conducted more than 1,000 engagements in over 50 countries. Avasants next-generation consulting and advisory methods have made it the top-ranked firm in its class, with recognition from numerous organizations, including Vault, NOA, IAOP, and the Wall Street Journal.

Avasants engagement in the global market has inspired a strong commitment to community and purpose. Avasant Foundation supports technology and skill development programs to create employment opportunities for youth across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

For more information, visit https://www.avasant.com.

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In Awesome Majesty: Meditative Christian Music with an Addendum of Wedding, Graduation, and Lullaby Music: a heartfelt arrangement of musical compositions. In Awesome Majesty: Meditative Christian Music with an Addendum of Wedding, Graduation, and Lullaby Music is the creation of published author Betty Young Rosenwald, who resides in Grand Junction, Colorado, close to her daughter and family. Her husband of fifty-five years died on October 26, 2020, from Alzheimers disease. Together, they have four children and nine grandchildren. Rosenwald received a BBA degree from Washburn University with an emphasis in accounting and worked as a church accountant throughout her working years.

Rosenwald shares, These scripture-inspired Christian hymns and songs can be sung by choirs or congregations or listened to and sung during meditation. The music was begun as a way to remember the scriptures but may lead one into a deeper and closer experience with the Lord. The songs are divided into categories by topic. There is an addendum of songs for weddings, graduation (or parting), and lullabies.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Betty Young Rosenwalds new book is a welcome resource for music directors and spiritual leaders.

Rosenwald shares in hopes of encouraging others to find peace and feel Gods love during moments of meditation through song.

Consumers can purchase In Awesome Majesty: Meditative Christian Music with an Addendum of Wedding, Graduation, and Lullaby Music at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about In Awesome Majesty: Meditative Christian Music with an Addendum of Wedding, Graduation, and Lullaby Music, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
2022 Summit It's a special event where leaders and other stakeholders of the company can come together to celebrate our successes and re-energize for tomorrow's challenges.

Children of America (COA), the nations leader in educational childcare, held its annual leadership summit at the Westin Mount Laurel in New Jersey this past weekend. The all-inclusive professional development conference, focused on celebrating top leaders, fortifying the company's vision and reinforcing the COA brand to inspire customer loyalty.

The annual event provides a hands-on opportunity for the team members around the country to gather, share ideas, and discuss the most pressing leadership, strategic, technological and industry challenges and opportunities that they face today. The conference hosted over 150 company leaders.

"I could not be more pleased with how this summit came together and the impact that it made," said Ted Hockenberry, CEO. It's a special event where leaders and other stakeholders of the company can come together to celebrate our successes and re-energize for tomorrow's challenges.

Recipients honored at the event were:

The Founders Award was presented to Sharmini Everett, who has served the company as an Executive Assistant for over 20 years  the Founders Award honors the Founder of the company Thad Pryor, a former world champion kick boxer, recipients have shown drive, and the spirit of a champion; hallmarks that have guided this company from inception.

The Shining Star Award presented to Amanda Gheen, Cynthia Bruneau, and Marialena Delfin for those brightest STARS who shine for the benefit of others.

The COA Teacher of the Year Award for Those whose Inspiration inspires, the highest honor a teacher can receive in our company, was presented to Lisa Adkins.

The COA Campus Hero Award for outstanding performance, the ability to thrive and for valuing what's possible was presented to several of our top performing schools; Sicklerville, NJ., St Charles, IL., Oak Creek, WI., Warminster, PA., Lee's Hill, VA., and Waldorf, MD.

The Bentley Award COAs Highest Honor for Exceptional Leadership & Performance in Educational Childcare, this award is the pinnacle of success for our School Managers, was awarded to Kathleen Santino from our Marlton, NJ., location.

All recipients were presented with beautiful glass sculptures and received financial remuneration for their accomplishments. Congratulations to all of our nominees and award winners.

For more information about COA centers and programs, please visit childrenofamerica.com.

About Children of America

Children of America operates facilities throughout Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. The company expansion plans include several locations in the SC and TX areas over the next two (2) years. COA offers the highest level of childcare for children ages six weeks to twelve years of age. The premier programs include infant care, toddler care, nationally renowned preschool and pre-kindergarten programs, before-and-after school care, and summer camp. An industry pioneer, Children of America is a subsidiary of World Wide Child Care Corp. Visit childrenofamerica.com for more information or interact with COA on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
readers will learn new ways to increase sustainable health practices for both psychical and emotional healing that is unlike any other.

Author Marina Mangano, D.C., RYT., has published her first book, The Gift of Healing Hands: A Guide, providing answers to important questions about health, drawn from Manganos professional experiences as a practicing chiropractic physician.

Mangano introduces intuitive medicine through building a healthy relationship between the mind and body. She not only shares her personal health journey, but also offers stories from her patients, who took her recommended steps to heal the pain they were experiencing.

By the end of the book, Mangano said, readers will learn new ways to increase sustainable health practices for both psychical and emotional healing that is unlike any other.

The book provides answers to important questions about health and serves to ignite the readers journey through the world of subconscious healing. Mangano offers new techniques within chiropractic, yoga, and energy medicine to provide readers with the knowledge of a higher quality of healthcare.

While emotional and physical healing can be acquired at home, Mangano said, there is something magical about sharing that experience with a trusted provider, who can direct you towards the next phase. 

The Gift of Healing Hands: A Guide

By Marina Mangano D.C., RYT

ISBN: 978-1-9822-7176-3 (softcover); 978-1-9822-71770 (e-book)

Available at Balboa Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

Marina Mangano D.C., RYT, is a chiropractic physician who holds special certifications in acupuncture and yoga instruction. Using the best of each philosophy, she integrates traditional healing with new age approaches towards holistic care. Her role within the chiropractic community developed her advocacy for educating both clinicians and patients. Mangano currently practices in Stone Harbor, N. J., where she embodies her work in all that she does outside the office, including rock climbing, teaching yoga and running. The Gift of Healing Hands is her introductory book, which is preceded by published clinical articles and lecture presentations.

To learn more, please visit her YouTube Channel or http://www.chiroyogaflow.com

General Inquiries, Review Copies & Interview Requests:

LAVIDGE

Kathryn Julian

317.363.6990 | Kjulian@lavidge.com
An independent school education based on a relationship with a whole family allows a true partnership in support of each student."

Elgin Academy, a private 501(3) highly-regarded K-12 independent school in the Elgin area, welcomes the public to support its biggest fundraiser of the year, Extravaganza 45: A Roaring Good Time, at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 14 at the Dunham Woods Riding Club, 33w333, Army Trail Rd in Wayne, Illinois.

This years in-person event will have a virtual component as bidding in the Extravaganzas silent auction will be online, and the Live Auction will be live-streamed the night of the event.

The fundraiser, a 45-year tradition that has raised more than $200,000 annually, brings together the EA community in support of the school, faculty, students, and its mission of inspiring its students to become members of a creative, courageous, and compassionate future. Parents, trustees, alumni, friends, alumni parents, and community members have continued to support Elgin Academy through Extravaganza every year.

I am sincerely grateful for our generous Elgin Academy community and their long-standing support of Extravaganza, said Assistant Head of School for External Affairs Marnie Kut. For us, it is more than an auction. It is an opportunity to support our students' education, salute our faculty, and celebrate our school."

The academy, accredited by the Independent School Association of Central States (ISACS), began its long tradition and history in 1839 as an independent school. Independent schools, it describes, offer a transformative educational experience that empowers students by instilling traits or characteristics that open up future possibilities for students.

The academys mission is to offer an educational experience where kids are inspired to become creative, courageous, and compassionate. It also strives to help every child fulfill his or her potential in a supportive values-aligned community and become equipped to make a positive impact on the world and leverage our learning environment, community, and fiscal stewardship with a unique experience and differentiated support. Faculty and staff passionately deliver innovative programming and teaching approaches that reinforce the value of independent education and establish the academy as offering a differentiating experience.

An independent school education based on a relationship with a whole family allows a true partnership in support of each student, said Head of School Seth Hanford. Each student has the chance because of these relationships, our true knowledge of each student, and the small size of our school to find and pursue their passions, bolstered by people who help them acquire the necessary skills and content at each stage. This, in turn, positions them to be lifelong learners who build upon those passions wherever their next steps take them.

Tickets are $180 and can be purchased at this link.

The academy is looking for advertising, donations, and sponsorship opportunities for the Extravaganza. To register for the Live Stream Auction or the Silent Auction, visit this link.

For information, visit https://www.elginacademy.org/community/extravaganza/event-details.

About Elgin Academy:

Chartered in 1839, Elgin Academy, a private 501(3) highly-regarded K-12 independent school in the Elgin area, is uniquely positioned to help every child realize and fulfill his or her potential and prepare them to make a positive impact on the world. The academy taps into its innovative and adaptive culture to provide a unique student experience and differentiated student support.

The academy is deliberately fulfilling its mission by offering an educational experience where kids are inspired to become creative, courageous, and compassionate. The investment made by parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends in the differentiated experience Elgin Academy provides helps make a positive impact on the world. For more information, visit https://www.elginacademy.org/.
Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Blue Link Wireless, LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

The San Diego employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that Blue Link Wireless, LLC violated the California Labor Code. The Blue Link Wireless, LLC class action lawsuit, Case No. 37-2022-00008892-CU-OE-CTL, is currently pending in the San Diego County Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here.

The complaint alleges employees were from time to time unable to take thirty (30) minute off-duty meal breaks or were not fully relieved of duty for their meal periods. California labor laws require an employer to provide an employee required to perform work for more than five (5) hours during a shift with, a thirty (30) minute uninterrupted meal break prior to the end of the employee's fifth (5th) hour of work.

Additionally, Blue Link Wireless, LLC allegedly failed to pay employees for all the time they were under the employer's control. This, allegedly, includes the time Plaintiff and other California Class Members had to submit to mandatory COVID-19 screening prior to clocking in for the day. To the extent that the time worked off the clock did not qualify for overtime premium payment, Defendant allegedly failed to pay minimum and overtime wages for the time worked off-the-clock.

For more information about the class action lawsuit against Blue Link Wireless, LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today.

***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT***
Investcorp, a leading global alternative investments firm headquartered in Bahrain, has announced the launch of eLydian Lion, the first dedicated institutional blockchain fund based in the GCC, with a global investment mandate (the Fund).

The Fund  which will be led from Investcorps Abu Dhabi office  will be deployed globally and will focus on investments in companies leading the next digital evolution driven by blockchain technology, stated the company.

According to Investcorp, the Fund will enable investors to gain early exposure to the rapid growth of the blockchain ecosystem, which is at the forefront of the digital transformation of the economy.

It will mainly invest in early-stage companies operating in areas within the blockchain ecosystem such as blockchain infrastructure, platforms and exchanges, decentralised finance, and data analytics.

On the new fund, Co-Chief Executive Officer Hazem Ben-Gacem said: "Offering our clients innovative and bold investment ideas, backed by our disciplined and proven approach, has been a key element of our success over the last four decades."

"We have a strong track record in technology investment and will bring our institutional expertise and global reach to bear on this fast-growing area of technology," he stated.

Gilbert Kamieniecky, Head of Investcorps Technology Private Equity business, said: "We believe that blockchain technology and the ecosystem around it, will transform every facet of our economy much like the internet did in the 2000s."

"We have already seen the potential of blockchain to disrupt existing markets and create new ones, such as the meteoric rise of the Non-Fungible Tokens market that in just a few years has grown from under a billion to more than $40 billion. This new Fund will support the most innovative entrepreneurs from around the world who are developing the blockchain ecosystem and defining what the future digital economy will be," he added.

The Fund is independent of and complementary to Investcorp Technology Partners, Investcorps leading investment strategy focused on lower mid-market technology opportunities.-TradeArabia News Service
With such overwhelming program success, we are excited to bring this opportunity once again to Frederick County residents seeking to develop new career paths", shared Latrice Lewis, Business & Employment Specialist with Frederick County Workforce Services.

Building on the success of its inaugural Biotech Bootcamp held earlier this year, Frederick Community College, Frederick County Workforce Services, The City of Frederick Department of Economic Development, and the Frederick County Office of Economic Development are excited to announce the creation of a second "Biotech Bootcamp" that begins May 16, 2022. This free 4-week training program is designed to teach participants the basic skills needed for entry-level positions within the biotech industry. The training program presents a great opportunity for displaced workers and those interested in a career in biotech.

Fredericks first Biotech Bootcamp was very successful, with 13 out of 14 participants completing the program. 60% of the participants have already landed positions in the biotechnology industry, shared Latrice Lewis, Business & Employment Specialist with Frederick County Workforce Services. With such overwhelming program success, we are excited to bring this opportunity once again to Frederick County residents seeking to develop new career paths.

The second Biotech Bootcamp will be held in person at Frederick Community College from May 16, 2022, to June 10, 2022. The program offers hands-on training experience with a curriculum developed to address industry needs. The training sessions will run for four hours, four days a week. Candidates must be over 18 years old and reside in Frederick County, Maryland to be considered for the bootcamp.

According to Dr. Savita Prabhakar, Frederick Community College Biotechnology Program Manager, participants in Fredericks first Biotech Bootcamp have already accepted positions averaging $22 - $25 per hour. One even landed an internship offering a definitive career path with opportunities for future training and career advancement. Participants do not need a specialized background or degree to participate in the Biotech Bootcamp.

The biotech industry in Frederick County continues to experience rapid growth and growing demand for entry-level workers. Frederick County is the second-largest biotech cluster in Maryland and is constantly growing. This Biotech Bootcamp is a great way to support the workforce needs of businesses that are looking to start, expand and locate in Frederick County, said Solash Aviles, Senior Business Development Manager, Frederick County Office of Economic Development.

Frederick County Workforce Services Manager, Business and Career Services, Patty MacDonald concurs, stating As projections for job openings in this field continue to grow, this bootcamp leverages resources and collective expertise of our economic and workforce development partners to address a critical need for qualified workers.

Collaborative partnerships of both public and private organizations will again provide project support for Fredericks Biotech Bootcamp. There is a strong ongoing commitment by partners across our local biotechnology industry, higher education, workforce development and economic development to generate a robust talent pipeline in Frederick as well as opportunities for residents to carve out career paths in the emerging industry, said Mary Ford-Naill, Economic Development Manager with The City of Frederick. The input and resources from these various partners continue to ensure the program is meeting the real needs of the both the industry and the career-seekers alike.

Following the successful completion of the course, program participants will be guaranteed interviews with local/regional biotech companies. Participating Frederick-based companies to date include: Lonza, VaLogic, AstraZeneca, Kite Pharma, Ellume, and Texcell.

Interested parties are encouraged to review the complete program overview Biotech Bootcamp and complete an online application, by visiting: https://www.frederickworks.com/biotech-boot-camp. Applications will be accepted through April16, 2022 with limited program openings for Fredericks second Biotech Bootcamp in May.

Reflecting on first program experience, Dr. Prabhakar shared All of the participants, irrespective of their background, were engaged and interested throughout the program. They all have committed themselves to the field and have acquired many transferrable skills within the biotech industry. We are looking forward to seeing the same type of success for our next program participants.


Jennifer Macks tapped to expand Gilbane's design-build capabilities. " I am excited to take on this new challenge and build more partnerships with our design partners and trades to promote a one-team environment that drives value for our clients, said Jennifer Macks, Vice President and Director of Design-Build.

Gilbane Building Company announced that Jennifer Macks has been promoted to Vice President and Director of Design-Build. In this newly created position, she will lead Gilbanes design-build program, working in partnership with project teams across the company to deliver a seamless project experience for Gilbanes clients from design through construction.

After leading Gilbanes internal design-build initiative for the last two years, Macks and her team have implemented streamlined procedures for design-build project delivery and begun development of a specialized design-build training curriculum for employees. Since establishing this initiative in 2020, Gilbane has grown its volume of design-build work by 23 percent. In her new role, Macks will build on this momentum. She will continue to develop and implement design-build processes based on best practices, as well as support successful project delivery. Macks will also focus on building Gilbanes prefabrication and modular capabilities on all projects regardless of delivery model.

Gilbane has seen tremendous growth in our design-build portfolio over the last five years, said Daniel Reynolds, Executive Vice President, Gilbane Building Company. Gilbane has over $2.9 billion worth of design-build projects currently in design or construction. Jennifers experience will help our teams successfully execute this work and exceed our clients expectations.

Macks has extensive experience in the construction industry having delivered nearly $2 billion worth of projects over her 28-year career. She has spent her career in various roles from operations to business development, leveraging Lean principles to deliver added value for clients. In addition, she has spent 20 of those years performing design-build work in the education, healthcare and federal sectors. Macks is currently supporting a variety of pursuits and projects across the company, including the renovation of the William H. Gray III 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, PA. She is a respected expert, speaking at the 2020 Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) Conference on Design Building a Dream Team, as well as the 2021 DBIA Conference on Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships for Accelerated K-12 Delivery.

I have been working on design-build projects for over 20 years and through this experience have learned the importance of building strong teams, with the right tools, to promote collaboration and design excellence, said Jennifer Macks, Vice President and Director of Design-Build. My goal is to drive training and process improvement in these areas to deliver the best client experience from design through construction. I am excited to take on this new challenge and build more partnerships with our design partners and trades to promote a one-team environment that drives value for our clients.

Macks will be based in Austin, TX, managing operations for the Austin office, with frequent travel to Gilbanes offices across the country. She earned a masters degree in Business Administration from Wayne State University as well as a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan. She is a Professional Engineer, DBIA Designated Professional and LEED Accredited Professional.

About Gilbane Building Company

Gilbane provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services  from pre-construction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to comprehensive construction management, general contracting, design-build, and facility management services  for clients across various markets. Founded in 1870 and still a privately held, family-owned company, Gilbane has more than 45 office locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.gilbaneco.com.

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Joe Simone, President, Simone Development Companies Vertical cluster design is an ideal solution for the dense urban and suburban regions where our company operates, said Joseph Simone, President of Simone Development Companies.

Joseph Simone of Simone Development Companies says that vertical cluster design will be one of his firms life-sciences development strategies in urban settings.

Vertical cluster design is an ideal solution for the dense urban and suburban regions where our company operates, said Joe Simone, President of Simone Development Companies. Particularly in New York City, real estate developers interested in building life sciences labs and offices must design in very limited acreage, which means the only solution is building tall towers.

Vertical cluster design is a concept promoted by architecture firms like the Boston- and New York City-based SGA, which has developed a 24-story, 750,000-square-foot tower for densely populated cities like San Francisco or London. The vertical prototype takes a horizontal life-sciences campus and stacks it in a tower format while maintaining essential collaboration spaces.

Towers employing vertical cluster design have steel superstructures with 33-foot structural bays and 15-foot, floor-to-floor heights to provide ceiling heights necessary for the mechanical needs of laboratories. Air handler needs, power requirements, gas storage, plumbing, and HVAC requirements also affect the design of the building.

Simone Development Companies proposed Hutchinson Metro Center South Campus is a suitable location for vertical cluster design towers. The 33-acre multi-use South Campus will eventually offer 1.9 million-square-feet of facilities for business and medical offices, education, research and development, retail and hospitality.

We have watched the life-sciences and biotech boom with excitement about the possibilities for our new South Campus, said Patricia Simone, Principal and President of Simone Management Group. Our Bronx location is ideally situated a short walk from a major research hospital and next to a future commuter train station that will eventually offer the east Bronx a 20-minute ride to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan.

The South Campus site is adjacent to the 42-acre Hutchinson Metro Center North Campus, a successful urban redevelopment that includes 1250 Waters Place  a 280,000-square-foot Class A medical office building fully leased to Montefiore Medical Centers ambulatory care center. The 11-story building includes 12 operating rooms and four procedure rooms and it was the first bedless hospital in the New York Metropolitan Region.

ABOUT SIMONE DEVELOPMENT COMPANIES

Simone Development Companies is a fully integrated private real estate investment and development company that acquires and develops healthcare, mixed-use, commercial, industrial, retail and residential properties. Headquartered at the Hutchinson Metro Center, it boasts a portfolio of over seven million square feet throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Long Island, Westchester, Orange and Fairfield Counties and New Jersey. With services spanning acquisition, development, construction, finance, asset management, accounting, leasing and property management, Simone Development Companies is set apart by its creatively oriented management team, long-term asset ownership and its pursuit of visionary development.
Inc. magazine revealed that MARS Company is No. 113 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals Southeast list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southeast region economys most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses.

MARS Company is honored to be recognized as one of the fastest growing private companies in the southeast region. We continue to innovate and transform the water meter measurement industry around the world through unparalleled design, development, and manufacturing of patented analytical enterprise software and ultra-high precision measurement equipment, Dave Corey, CEO.

The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Southeast region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 173 private companies had an average growth rate of 147% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 27,794 jobs and nearly $4.9 billion to the Southeast regions economy. Companies based in the Miami, Florida, Fairhope, Alabama, and Covington, Louisiana, areas had the highest growth rate overall.

Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Southeast, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/southeast starting March 15, 2022.

This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies. Theyre disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies youll be hearing about for years to come, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc.

As the global leader in water meter measurement for sustainable revenue recovery, MARS Company ("MARS") continues to innovate and transform the water meter measurement industry around the world through unparalleled design, development, and manufacturing of patented analytical enterprise software and ultra-high precision measurement equipment. Whether the test bench solutions or enterprise software systems, each offering from MARS provides customers with state-of-the-art business intelligence, powerful data visualization and highly advanced solutions to some of the most common yet costly issues surrounding water management. With these patented, award-winning, and state-of-the-art technologies, the company's goal is to lead utility management companies in recovering revenue lost due to reporting inaccuracies by making an abundance of information easily digestible and available. Countless companies offer products that save time or money, but not many offer a solution that will not only save both time and money but will also assist in protecting one of the world's most precious resources  our water supply!

MARS Company will be an exhibitor at two exciting events this week:



The AWWA California-Nevada Section Spring Conference taking place April 11-14 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA

The AZ Water Association Conference taking place April 12-14 at the Phoenix Convention Center South Building located in Phoenix, Arizona

For more information about MARS Company and its products and services, please visit http://www.marswater.com.

Contact: Royce Burnett, Vice President of Sales, (352)239-8044, rburnett@marswater.com

More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals

Methodology

The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons.

About Inc. Media

The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent.

The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com.
"Its vital that every business has access to a cybersecurity solution capable of providing affordable, simple, and effective protection against the most dangerous polymorphic, fileless, and in-memory zero-day attacks that can lead to ransomware."

Morphisec, the worlds leading provider of breach prevention solutions for midsize to large enterprises, today announced new partners to its Channel Partner Program at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Las Vegas. These partners include Rutter Networking Technologies, McCracken Group, Alturna Tech, and many more. They address geographic areas such as New England, Ohio, and Florida, and include vertical markets like financial services, healthcare, banking, and SLED.

Morphisecs rapidly expanding partner footprint comes as cybersecurity concerns have increased for all businesses. Nearly every organization has seen its attack surface expand significantly due to widespread remote work that was ushered in by the pandemic. In fact, 67% of small and medium-sized businesses have suffered at least one ransomware attack during the last year alone. Morphisec is teaming with partners to defend these organizations with the only cybersecurity solution capable of protecting against the most dangerous attacks while still being cost-effective.

Its vital that every business has access to a cybersecurity solution capable of providing affordable, simple, and effective protection against the most dangerous polymorphic, fileless, and in-memory zero-day attacks that can lead to ransomware, said Will Pope, Morphisecs North America Channel Sales Manager. As a channel-first company, we empower our partners to deliver this technology to their customers. Were excited to work with these new partners to enhance enterprises' defenses against today's sophisticated cyber threats."

Using antivirus and endpoint detection and response solutions against advanced threats has proven too costly, invasive, and ultimately ineffective for most small and midsize businesses, said James Moler, Technology Manager of Cybersecurity at Rutter Networking Technologies. Morphisecs cost-effective and lightweight agent with Moving Target Defense works right out of the box by hiding exploits from cybercriminals without needing a signature or any human oversight. Were excited to join the Morphisec Channel Partner Program to deliver on our commitment to our customers by adding this type of preventive cybersecurity technology to keep their organizations secure.

Morphisec makes breach prevention easy by proactively stopping the most dangerous attackswithout needing a dedicated security team to respond to or investigate them. Morphisecs patented Moving Target Defense automatically prevents threats targeting workstations, VDIs, Windows and Linux servers, virtual machines, and cloud workloads.

Morphisec is doing something so unique and different in the endpoint space that you are doing yourself a disservice in not at least hearing what they do and how they do it," added Seth Marsh Director of Business Development, McCracken Group.

Morphisec's flagship solution, Morphisec Guard, seamlessly integrates with and augments the native security features of Windows and other next generation antivirus solutions to automatically provide advanced protection against ransomware, malware, and evasive attacks. Morphisecs latest solution, Morphisec Keep, protects Windows servers, Linux servers, and cloud-based applications. Morphisec Keep ensures mission-critical workloads running on server cloud instances are protected with zero downtime or performance impact. This includes private and public clouds hosted on Amazon Web Services, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.



Resellers, MSSPs, and technology and integration partners interesting in learning more about Morphisecs Channel Partner Program can visit Morphisec at Booth #1555 at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Las Vegas this week, or reach out online at: https://www.morphisec.com/partners.

About Morphisec

Morphisec is breach prevention made easy. We are the world leader in providing prevention-first software that prevents ransomware and other advanced attacks which todays NGAV and EDR solutions are unable to stop, from endpoint to the cloud. Antivirus and EDR solutions focus on detecting known attacks and rely on human intervention, resulting in an inability to stop advanced attacks as well as higher resource costs. Our solutions deliver operationally simple, proactive prevention of the most advanced and unknown threats using Moving Target Defense. Morphisec protects over eight million endpoints worldwide from ransomware, zero-day attacks and other evasive threats at companies such as Motorola, Maersk, Citizens Medical Center, Yaskawa and many more.


There was not a synthesis of all the information about psilocybin that an entity like the advisory board or any other state- or federal-level group would need to make decisions that are informed by science, said Jessie Uehling, an assistant professor at Oregon State University.

A new paper by an Oregon State University-led research team provides a scientific framework to help shape the rollout of a program in Oregon that will legally permit the use of psilocybin for therapeutic reasons.

Oregon voters approved a ballot measure in 2020 to allow use of psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in some magic mushrooms, in therapeutic settings, becoming the first state to do so. Preliminary clinical trial data has shown psilocybin has potential to address mental health issues including depression, anxiety and PTSD.

The state created an advisory board to recommend how to roll out a safe and equitable system for psilocybin use. The Oregon Health Authority in February released draft rules crafted by the advisory board. They are expected to be finalized in the next year.

Jessie Uehling, a mycologist at Oregon State University who studies fungi and their applications that benefit humanity, was appointed last year by Gov. Kate Brown to the advisory board. Her involvement with the board made her realize the need for the recently published paper in the journal Fungal Biology.

There was not a synthesis of all the information about psilocybin that an entity like the advisory board or any other state- or federal-level group would need to make decisions that are informed by science, said Uehling, an assistant professor who has a doctoral degree in genetics and genomics and a masters in mycology.

She, along with researchers in Mexico and several universities in the U.S., set out to change that. The paper they just published provides an overview of the biology, diversity and history of psilocybin-containing fungi.

The authors detail that there are hundreds of fungal species belonging to at least seven genera that are capable of producing psilocybin. Further, they discuss how many psilocybin-producing fungi have deadly poisonous lookalikes which grow in similar locations in natural habitats.

They also focus on how Indigenous people around the world have historically used the compound for sacred traditions in part because they say these cross-disciplinary insights need to be published, citable and publicly available.

While indirect evidence of hallucinogenic mushroom rituals dates back thousands of years in Northern Africa and Spain; its use, for hundreds of years, still persists in Mexico. Rules governing how these mushrooms are used among Indigenous Mexican groups has resulted in safe consumption for centuries, the researchers note. These rules include being guided by an elder or shaman, not mixing alcohol, medicine or drugs and discouraging travel for a week after the ceremony.

These mushrooms and their traditions constitute a unique biocultural heritage whose use by Western society must be based on their respect and conservation, said Roberto Garibay-Orijel, a researcher at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and co-author of the paper.

He said its important that the paper emphasizes that the species of mushroom only found in Mexico, and strains from Indigenous territories in Mexico, are protected by the Nagoya protocol, an international agreement that prohibits their use for commercial purposes without the consent of their ancestral owners.

Recent Western, medicalized psilocybin trials have been designed to mirror the guided experience used by Indigenous groups. The trials have confirmed the importance of preparation and setting when using psilocybin-producing fungi.

There are currently more than 60 psilocybin clinical trials overseen by the National Institutes of Health. Preliminary data suggest psilocybin therapies are effective in treating major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, smoking cessation and alcoholism.

Results of psilocybin ingestion outside of clinical trials have found an increased connection to nature, enhanced creativity, greater enjoyment of music and increased positive mood.

Meanwhile, cities across the U.S. are decriminalizing psilocybin and Washington is considering a measure similar to Oregons that would legalize psilocybin for therapeutic reasons.

Society is having this moment right now where fungi are being appreciated for being really cool, Uehling said. But they are also really powerful and some can be deadly. So we really need to better understand them through scientific research and proceed with safety as a first priority.

Other co-authors of the paper are Ray Van Court, Michele Wiseman and Kevin Amses, Oregon State; Kyle Meyer and Daniel Ballhorn, Portland State University; Jason Slot, Ohio State University; and Bryn Dentinger, University of Utah.

The research was funded in part by the National Science Foundation.

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About the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences: Through its world-class research on agriculture and food systems, natural resource management, rural economic development and human health, the College provides solutions to Oregons most pressing challenges and contributes to a sustainable environment and a prosperous future for Oregonians.
I have advocated for a statewide Childrens Savings Account program for nearly a decade. We are glad to see this appropriation so that the program can finally get started. It will also take more funding in future years to ensure that all families who could benefit will be able to participate.

The Illinois General Assembly approved a state budget that includes $2.5 million in funding for the Illinois Higher Education Savings Program, otherwise known as Childrens Savings Accounts. Parent leaders and advocates of the Financial Inclusion for All Illinois coalition have long called for an investment in the future of Illinois children and families. Advocates celebrate that the program, which was signed into law in 2019, will finally be funded in 2023.

After the budget is signed into law, all children born or adopted after December 31, 2022, will receive a $50 seed deposit in a Bright Start 529 college savings account. However, parents must claim this seed deposit by their childs 10th birthday. Advocates warn that only 30% of Illinois families will be able to claim the deposit without further investment and effort by state officials to make the program more robust, accessible, and equitable. The statewide CSA program will be managed by the Illinois State Treasurers Office.

I have advocated for a statewide Childrens Savings Account program for nearly a decade. In 2019, when the program was signed into law by the Governor, we thought our fight was over. But the pandemic hit, and the program was never funded. We are glad to see this appropriation so that the program can finally get started. It will also take more funding in future years to ensure that all families who could benefit will be able to participate.  Rosazlia Grillier, Co-President Emeritus of POWER-PAC IL

Childrens Savings Accounts (CSAs) are proven to boost hope for the future, especially among children who may not already have college-going aspirations. They are also proven to reduce maternal depression, improve early childhood outcomes, and, with the right features, promote equitable access to higher education. The savings accounts can be used for books, computers, college or university tuition, and at other post-secondary institutions like trade schools.

As a parent of three children, I have spent years advocating for a CSA program. I didnt go to college, but my son was lucky enough to receive a scholarship. Once the CSA program is fully funded, we will be sure that more families like mine will have hope for the future and an investment in their childrens potential early on. Thank you to our legislative champions, Senator Pacione-Zayas and Representative Collins!  Liliana Olayo, Co-President of POWER-PAC IL

During the Illinois General Assemblys legislative session, Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas and Representative Lakesia Collins, champions for the statewide CSA program, also passed a bill to prioritize equity in the program implementation. Once signed into law, the measure requires the State Treasurers Office to collect socioeconomic, geographic, racial and ethnic data on program participants to understand whether the program is reaching community members who face systemic barriers to wealth-building and would most benefit from a jump-start in their college savings. It also gives the Treasurers Office the option to provide automatic bonus deposits in the accounts of children from financially insecure households.

Thank you to the Illinois General Assembly for ensuring that this program can kick-off in 2023. The pandemic has caused many families to lose hope  but this CSA program restores some of that hope for children across Illinois. Our coalition urges legislative leaders to continue to invest in this crucial program over the long-haul.  Amy Eisenstein, Financial Inclusion for All Illinois Coalition Manager with Heartland Alliance

Financial Inclusion for All Illinois is a coalition committed to expanding access to the tools Illinois families need to build financially secure futures. Its Childrens Savings Account Committee includes leaders from Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI), POWER-PAC IL, Woodstock Institute, YWCA Metro Chicago, VOCEL, Start Early, Legal Action Chicago, Chicago Urban League, I-PROMOTE IL, Childrens Home and Aid, and Heartland Alliance.
Rich Chung, Vice President, Head of Project Finance at Qcells USA Were pleased to close financing for Coniglio with Keybanc Capital Markets, a leading bank in our field. This debt financing highlights the appeal of our growth strategy and our strength as a sponsor, especially as we grow our pipeline geographically and into new tech like battery storage.

Qcells USA Corp. (Qcells USA) announced its recent closing of a financing package for its Coniglio Solar Project located in Fannin County, Texas.

The Coniglio project comprises nearly 405,000 solar modules, supplied by their affiliate, Qcells North America. The solar facility will be the largest project in Qcells USAs operating portfolio to date in the U.S., with a rated capacity of 168 MWp.

KeyBanc Capital Markets (KCBM) served as the lead arranger for the $29 Million bank loan and letter of credit facility for this 168 MWp project. KeyBank National Association also acted as the Collateral Agent and Administrative Agent. This closing follows the successful tax equity financing and commercial operations in 2021.

Reaching financial close with KCBM highlights Qcells USAs success as a vertically integrated solar development, EPC, and IPP team. Rich Chung, Head of Project Finance at Qcells USA said,

We are very pleased to close financing for Coniglio and to establish a new relationship with a leading bank in our field. This debt financing highlights the appeal of our renewable energy growth strategy in the United States and Qcells USAs strength as a sponsor, especially as we aggressively expand our pipeline geographically and into new technologies like battery storage.

As a part of our continuing support for renewable energy, we are pleased to serve as Lead Arranger and to provide capital for the Coniglio Solar Project, said Tyler Nielsen, Director, Utilities Power & Renewables at KeyBanc Capital Markets. This represents our first financing with Qcells, and we look forward to continuing the relationship to deploy new technologies and energy solutions.

Qcells USA is the leading vertically integrated company in the solar industry. Combining solar & energy storage development, EPC, IPP, and solar modules in a growing pipeline throughout the U.S.

About Qcells USA

Qcells USA Corp. develops, invests, and delivers photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage system (ESS) projects through Development and Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) solutions in North America. The company brings a decade of global leadership in solar PV to deliver utility-scale power generation plants customized for local and regional energy markets.

It is an affiliate of Qcells Co., Ltd., one of the worlds largest and most recognized photovoltaic manufacturers for its high-performance, high-quality solar modules. It is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea (Global Executive HQ) and Thalheim, Germany (Technology & Innovation HQ). QCELLS USA is a flagship company of Hanwha Group, a FORTUNE Global 500 firm, and a Top 7 business enterprise in South Korea. Qcells USA offers the full spectrum of PV solutions from the core technology of modules to utility-scale project development and investment. For more information, visit https://www.qcellsusa.com and on LinkedIn.

Safe-Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this press release and Qcells operations and business outlook, contain forward-looking statements. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, QCELLS does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Reinvent Telecom Releases Message-Enabled SIP Trunking for Zultys & 3CX PBXs Message-Enabled SIP Trunking opens up a new revenue opportunity for our private-label partners, allowing them to capitalize on what is becoming a standard element within a business communication solution.

Reinvent Telecom, a provider of private-labeled unified communications, SIP Trunking, Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams and contact center as a service solutions, announced today at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, a new SIP Trunking solution that supports two-way business messaging traffic on Zultys and 3CX PBXs with messaging clients.

The use of SMS messaging is the standard for communication in 2022, said Jeff Kramarczyk, Director of Product Management at Reinvent Telecom. Its rapid adoption among businesses is driving PBX providers like Zultys and 3CX to develop and integrate messaging clients into their solutions. However, these PBXs need a way to carry this two-way traffic across networks. Thats where our Message-Enabled SIP Trunking solution comes in.

Reinvents Message-Enabled SIP Trunking handles inbound and outbound short messaging service (SMS) on a range of business numbers, including DIDs, 10DLC and toll-free, with the ability to support multimedia messaging service (MMS) as it becomes available within the PBX client.

Message-Enabled SIP Trunking enables businesses to interact instantly with their customers, which is ideal for handing sales inquiries and customer support in our digital-first world, said Kramarczyk. Texting is more convenient than phone or email, and its increasingly preferred by customers in both B2C and B2B environments.

Reinvents private-labeled Message-Enabled SIP Trunking service offers value-added resellers (VARs) and managed services providers (MSPs) the ability to enable business messaging for their customers that are using Zultys and 3CX PBXs.

Were excited to deliver this solution to MSPs and resellers who sell or support Zultys and 3CX PBXs, said David Ansehl, Director of Wholesale Channel at Reinvent Telecom. Message-Enabled SIP Trunking opens up a new revenue opportunity for our private-label partners, allowing them to capitalize on what is becoming a standard element within a business communication solution. We look forward to continued expansion of this capability to encompass additional PBXs in the near future.

Reinvents Message-Enabled SIP Trunking is available immediately through Reinvents private-label partner program. For more information or to schedule a demo, visit http://www.reinventtelecom.com/solutions/sip-trunking/.

Partners can learn more about Reinvents Message-Enabled SIP Trunking and Reinvents private-label partner program by visiting Booth 1755 at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, April 11-14, at the Venetian Resort, Las Vegas.

Zultys and 3CX resellers can private label Reinvents Message-Enabled SIP Trunking with zero volume or term commitments. Contact Reinvent Telecom at https://reinventtelecom.com/company/contact/ or for new partner inquiries, please call 888.704.7346 or email sales@reinventtelecom.com.

About Reinvent Telecom

Reinvent Telecom, a division of Saddleback Communications, operates a private-label communications platform that empowers its wholesale partners to transform their businesses into next-generation cloud-based communications service providers. Reinvent enables its wholesale partners to deliver reliable, high-quality Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), Conferencing & Collaboration, Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) and SIP trunking services. Reinvents solutions are all built on the proven platform from Metaswitch, a global leader in communications network software technology, and backed by Saddleback Communications, a stable, profitable Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier and a wholly-owned enterprise of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC). Reinvents powerful turnkey solution is managed from quote to compensation through its proprietary Reinvent Partner Portal (RPP), enabling its wholesale partners to generate revenue quickly and build a successful cloud voice business while keeping full ownership and control of their customers. For more information, visit us at http://www.reinventtelecom.com or call 855.455.7346.
Amrit Ahluwalia, senior director of strategic insights at Modern Campus This years State of Continuing Education study shows that continuing and professional education leaders are faced with greater responsibility than ever before, but arent being resourced to do that critical work.

Only 21% of continuing, workforce and online education leaders say their divisions have the staff needed to execute on their critical work. However, more than half of leaders also report that their divisions roles have increased since the pandemic. This is according to the Modern Campus State of Continuing Education 2022 report, conducted in partnership with The EvoLLLution and the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA). The study explores the opportunities and challenges facing leaders of professional, continuing and workforce education divisions at colleges and universities across North America. These divisions are often responsible for both making the expertise of the institution more accessible to the community and delivering critical upskilling and reskilling programming that help people find great jobs in sustainable careers.

Moreover, while two-thirds of survey respondents said they had support from senior executives to scale and grow, more than half pointed to administrative burden as their greatest obstacle to scale. In fact, an overwhelming majority of respondents indicate that they dont have access to numbers as basic as real-time enrollment datawhile being increasingly relied on to drive revenue and enrollment growth for the institution.

The future of higher education is lifelong learningwe at Modern Campus know that. Engaging learners beyond traditional two- and four-year programs is the best way for colleges and universities to thrive, said Brian Kibby, chief executive officer at Modern Campus. This years State of Continuing Education researchalong with nearly every conversation I have with presidents and provostsconfirms it. To support our communities, though, we need to better serve the CE and workforce development administrators who made it clear in this survey they dont have the resources they need.

While theres little wide-ranging research available on the continuing, professional and workforce market, these units tend to be at the forefront of transformation and innovation in the higher education industry. Understanding the trends in CE provides a high-level view into where the rest of the postsecondary industry is moving.

The results of this years State of Continuing Education study highlight what UPCEA members already know  that online and professional continuing education leaders often lack both the data and resources needed to achieve the institutional goals set out for their unit, said Bob Hansen, chief executive officer at UPCEA. This is a time of unparalleled opportunity for online and professional continuing education units to improve the broader higher education field, and the data in this study is a key tool as they advocate for institutional change.

Additional Key Findings



90% of respondents say the primary business driver of their professional, continuing and workforce education division is revenue growth

76% of leaders also highlight enrollment growth for the institution

36% of leaders must manage their divisions with software not suited to their specific needs

71% of community college respondents report that their institution offers bridges from non-credit to credit education, but among universities this is less common

Of those who dont offer these bridges, 67% of respondents indicate their challenge lives in institutional barriers and systems, and 61% highlighted transfer policy gaps

67% of respondents whose institutions offer digital credentials cite market responsiveness as a significant benefit, while 49% highlight their capacity to streamline pathways to employment for students

Only 7% of respondents whose institutions do not currently offer digital credentials feel they wont do so in future.

73% of respondents cite competitive concerns posed by bootcamps and other third-party providers of higher education.

This years State of Continuing Education study shows that continuing and professional education leaders are faced with greater responsibility than ever before, but arent being resourced to do that critical work, says Amrit Ahluwalia, senior director of strategic insights at Modern Campus. For higher education institutions to support the development of an active and vibrant workforce, its essential that continuing education divisions receive the resources and support they need from senior leaders.

To explore the State of Continuing Education 2022 report in greater detail, visit https://moderncampus.com/state-of-ce-2022.

Report Methodology/Respondent Profile

From February 1 to 17, 2022, UPCEA and The EvoLLLution invited their respective deduplicated institutional members and subscribers to participate in the study. A total of 205 individuals representing their institutions responded.

Public research institutions are the most common institution type (36%) followed by masters comprehensive (20%) and two-year institutions (15%). Twelve percent are grouped into the Other category; examples include public community colleges and specialized art institutions, among others.

The most common titles of respondents are Dean and Director (both 13%), followed by Executive Director (12%), Associate Dean/Provost (8%), and Assistant/Associate Vice President (7%). Responses that were mentioned less than four times were included in the Other category and included Associate Director, Vice Chancellor and Program Coordinator, among others.

About Modern Campus

Modern Campus is obsessed with empowering its 1,800+ higher education customers to thrive when radical transformation is required to respond to lower student enrollments and revenue, rising costs, crushing student debt, and administrative complexity.

The Modern Campus engagement platform powers solutions for non-traditional student management, web content management, catalog and curriculum management, student engagement and development, conversational text messaging, career pathways, and campus maps and virtual tours. The result: innovative institutions can create a learner-to-earner lifecycle that engages modern learners for life, while providing modern administrators with the tools needed to streamline workflows and drive high efficiency.

Learn how Modern Campus is leading the modern learner engagement movement at http://www.moderncampus.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

About UPCEA

UPCEA is the association for professional, continuing and online education. Founded in 1915, UPCEA now serves most of the leading public and private colleges and universities in North America. With innovative conferences and specialty seminars, research and benchmarking information, professional networking opportunities and timely publications, UPCEA supports its members service of contemporary learners and commitment to quality online education and student success. Based in Washington, D.C., UPCEA builds greater awareness of the vital link between adult learners and public policy issues. Visit http://www.upcea.edu.

About The EvoLLLution

The EvoLLLution is an online publication focused on the transforming higher education industry. Publishing articles and interviews by higher education leaders on the evolving postsecondary space since 2011, The EvoLLLution was founded by Modern Campus to create an open environment for higher educations most innovative thought leaders to come together and set out a new vision for what the industry can be. Visit http://www.evoLLLution.com.
Peru has hailed its deepening ties with the UAE following a bumper year in which the Latin American nation recorded $1 billion in total exports to the Emirates.

Export levels from Peru to the UAE have increased substantially in the past decade, reaching an aggregate total of more than $4.1 billion for the 10-year period from 2012 to 2021, Perus Trade, Tourism, and Investment Office in the UAE and GCC, said.

Amidst the worldwide halt, after reaching for the first time the billion-dollar mark in 2019, numbers are on path towards the same. A readaptation to new structural market demands, refocusing of activities and strategies as well as repositioning synergies between stakeholders have kept Peruvian exports to the UAE on a sustainable trend.

UAEs imports

The UAE imports significant quantities of goods from the South American country including avocados, quinoa, berries, mangoes and asparagus, amongst many others, as well as gold -primary export-, high-quality craft products and clothing.

The data also reveals a substantial flow of capital between the two nations, with Peru being the second-biggest investment destination of the UAE in South America, and Peru the third-biggest investor in the UAE from Latin America, according to official figures from the UAEs Ministry of Economy.

Since 2010, major UAE names such as DP World and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority have made multi-million-dollar investments in the countrys shipping, logistics and energy sectors thanks to the increase in trade and improving bilateral relations.

Timeless, Always Peru

Under the theme Timeless, Always Peru conceptualisation crafted by Peru locally- the pavilion presented an opportunity to introduce Peruvian products to a wider consumption base and thus a weaving of increase in demand.

The country also increased its participation in Gulfood 2022, with a record number of 27 companies.

Alvaro Silva-Santisteban, Director of the Trade, Tourism & Investment Office of Peru-GCC, commented: The UAE and Peru may be 14,000 kilometres apart and nine time zones difference, but ever-deepening trade ties have brought our nations closer together, being this path only the beginning.

Sustainable path

Despite the impact of worldwide occurrences, last year saw our exports on a clear and sustainable path towards 2019 levels -overpass the one billion of exports-. Readaptation, Refocusing and Repositioning has been essential thus an ever-evolving process.

The UAE is a catalyst to amplify our reach onto new markets whilst setting trends for new sectors to develop, thus a prominent base for economic drivers to further expand. Forward thinking, pragmatism, planning, strategy and flexible decision making are fundamentals that have allowed us to believe even further on our relations and contribute to new levels and scaling in the coming years.

Bilateral relations between the UAE and Peru  a country of 33 million people  strengthen since the opening of Perus Trade, Tourism and Investment Office in 2011, and in recent years the two nations have witnessed a remarkable increase in official visits to further solidify commercial exchange.

Avenues of cooperation

Increasing trade relations with Latin American nations have long been on the agenda for the UAE, with the recent Global Business Forum Latin America (GBF) exploring new avenues of cooperation with countries in the region.

A key area of discussion at the forum was how the Latam region could play a role in meeting Dubais target of increasing its global trade from the current AED1.4 trillion ($380 billion) to AED2 trillion over five years.

Also under discussion was the role that Dubai Chamber of Commerces three international offices are playing to promote commercial opportunities between Latin American and Caribbean countries and Dubai and the UAE.-- TradeArabia News Service
In pre-pandemic 2019, e-commerce had global sales of $3.35 billion dollars. By the end of 2025, it is estimated global sales will reach $7.39 billionmore than double in just 6 years. One way StoreConnect is disrupting e-commerce is by allowing an SMB to consolidate all their platforms into one channel. This gives the small business founder time to attend to growing the business.

To say that in the last 2 years e-commerce has grown by leaps and bounds; mainly, as a result of people staying away from public places when the COVID-19 hit, is a gross understatement. At the end of 2019, before the pandemic changed the world, e-commerce had global sales of $3.35 billion dollars. By the end of 2025, it is estimated global sales will reach $7.39 billionmore than double in just 6 years.(1) With unprecedented growth came a glut of online stores and only those that disrupt the status quo will rise above the cacophony and succeed. The technology and development of tools to bolster e-commerce also became saturated, and that has made the field infinitely more intricate, says Karla Jo Helms, CEO and Chief Evangelist for JoTo PR, says.

To that end, JoTo PR Disruptors newest client, StoreConnect, sought to establish a sense of normalcy in a chaotic industry with one simple idea: Improve one of the most widely used e-commerce programs, Salesforce. Make a good tool better is a solid strategy.

StoreConnect provides a subscription- and usage-based eCommerce, Point of Sale and Content Management System built on and within Salesforce. This allows customers to integrate Marketing, Sales and Support platforms into one system. Targeting SMBs who seek to provide a full-service customer experience similar to that being provided by giant eCommerce leaders, StoreConnect helps them achieve this goal at a fraction of the cost.

One way StoreConnect is disrupting e-commerce is by allowing an SMB to consolidate all their platforms into one channel. This gives the small business founder time to attend to growing the business, says Helms.

Company founder Mikel Lindsaar started StoreConnect less than a year ago, yet the firm has already made waves in the e-commerce industry. In September 2021, they were given the Salesforce International Innovation award for the Independent Software Vendor Retail Sector, he said.

When I met Karla Jo and her team, I knew we had found an energetic, imaginative anti-PR team that we could work with at StoreConnect as we disrupt what it means to sell online and in person, says Lindsaar. We are looking forward to working together to help the Davids of the world take on the Goliaths of online sales!

About JOTO PR Disruptors:

After doing marketing research on a cross-section majority of 5,000 CEOs of fast-growth trajectory companies and finding out exactly how they used PR, how they measure it, and how they wanted the PR industry to be different, PR veteran and innovator Karla Jo Helms created JoTo PR and established its entire business model on those research findings. Astute in recognizing industry changes since its launch in 2009, JoTo PRs team utilizes newly established patterns to create timely Anti-PR campaigns comprising both traditional and the latest proven media methods. This unique skill enables them to continue to increase the market share and improve return on investment (ROI) for their clients, year after yearbeating usual industry standards. Based in Tampa Bay, Florida, JoTo PR is an established international public relations agency. Today, all processes of JoTo are streamlined Anti-PR services that have become the hallmark of the JoTo PR name. For more information, visit JoTo PR online at http://www.jotopr.com

About StoreConnect

StoreConnect is an eCommerce, Point of Sale and Content Management System built on Salesforce that allows customers to consolidate all their Marketing, Sales and Support channels into one system saving time, double work and lost information. In business, Time is money, and StoreConnect is Time. Well Spent. http://www.getstoreconnect.com

Sources:

1. Chevalier, Stephanie; Global retail e-commerce sales 2014-2025; 4 Feb 2022; Statista; statista.com/statistics/379046/worldwide-retail-e-commerce-sales/
Ralph Lauren is helping redefine the role a lifestyle brand can play in promoting positive ecological change and we are proud to work alongside them as they engage their customers in environmental action. - said Dan Lambe, Chief Executive of the Arbor Day Foundation.

The Arbor Day Foundation is partnering with Ralph Lauren Fragrances to plant one tree for every 100ml or 200ml bottle purchased of their new POLO EARTH EAU DE TOILETTE fragrance.

To kick off this partnership, volunteers from the Foundation, Ralph Lauren Fragrances, and the community will plant 30 trees at a POLO EARTH launch event in Brooklyn, New York. Following the products release, additional donations through the POLO EARTH campaign will support reforestation efforts in forests of need in the United States and around the world.

Ralph Lauren is helping to redefine the role a lifestyle brand can play in promoting positive ecological change, said Dan Lambe, Chief Executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. We are proud to work alongside them as they engage their customers in environmental action and leverage their storied brand to help build a better tomorrow. Our planet's most pressing issues can only be solved if organizations of all types and sizes step up and take action.

For the past 50 years, the Arbor Day Foundation has worked to plant nearly 500 million trees around the world. Through a global network of partnerships, the Foundation facilitates projects that empower organizations of all sizes to reach their environmental and sustainability goals through measurable, impactful work.

POLO EARTH marks an important milestone in our ongoing journey towards becoming more sustainable. To reach this level of sustainability in a fragrance, we had to push the boundaries by challenging our partners, our vendors, and most importantly, ourselves. Were proud of what weve accomplished, and its just the beginning. shares Alexandre Choueiri, Global President of Ralph Lauren Fragrances.

Embodying Ralph Laurens latest work in innovative product development and sustainability, POLO EARTH is an important next step in the Companys commitment to protecting and preserving the planets natural resources. From Color on Demand technology to Intelligent Insulation in the 2022 Olympics Opening Ceremony uniforms to The Earth Polos innovative fabric crafted entirely from recycled plastic bottles, Ralph Lauren is working across its value chain to reduce its climate and water impacts and avoid waste. As part of that goal, the Company is striving to create packaging that is 100% recyclable, reusable, or sustainably sourced by 2025. Ralph Lauren Fragrances is currently in the process of gradually transforming its portfolio across all major brands to refillable formats and lighter weight glass.

To celebrate the launch of POLO EARTH, a dedicated pop up will open to consumers in Nolita, NYC from April 7  27 at 247 Elizabeth Street.

The trees that are donated through this campaign will go towards reforestation projects around the world, with a special focus in China, Haiti, Madagascar, and the United States.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters and valued partners. Since 1972, almost 500 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to lead toward a world where trees are used to solve issues critical to survival.

As one of the world's largest operating conservation foundations, the Arbor Day Foundation, through its members, partners and programs, educates and engages stakeholders and communities across the globe to involve themselves in its mission of planting, nurturing and celebrating trees. More information is available at arborday.org.

About Ralph Lauren Fragrances

In 1978, Ralph Lauren expanded his lifestyle brand to encompass the world of fragrance, launching Lauren for women and Polo for men. For more than 40 years since, Ralph Lauren Fragrances has developed best-selling fragrances that express a distinct personality and luxury lifestyle in line with the Ralph Lauren tradition. Today, the brands portfolio spans Ralph Lauren and Polo fragrances, including Ralph Lauren Collection fragrances, Woman by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Romance, Ralphs Club, Polo Earth, Polo Blue, Polo Red, Purple Label and more.

# # #


Capture of the NAAIA virtual career fair landing page

The NAAIA New York Spring 2022 Virtual Career Fair is taking place on April 26, 2022, with vFairs as the virtual event technology provider. This event is aimed at insurance professionals, college students, and anyone interested in working within the insurance industry. The organization aims to connect the openings within the NY marketplace with professionals in the industry or those interested in switching to a career in insurance. Anyone interested can visit the event landing page and sign up.

NAAIA New York is the only all-encompassing African-American insurance organization in New York. They are leveraging this career fair to help reduce the talent gap and provide a meaningful solution for the war on talent within the current market. There is a lack of diversity in the insurance industry, and NAAIA aims to promote diverse hiring.

NAAIA New York aims to change the conversation around the Great Resignation by helping talented individuals find employers they can align with, and jobs that help them feel fulfilled long-term. The opportunity is open for people who are not in the industry as well, and are looking to switch career paths. The hosts have enabled one-on-one conversations between employers and job seekers to make the whole process easier. The vFairs platform has been instrumental in this regard.

Denise Campbell, President of NAAIA New York, invited both exhibitors and attendees to this event, and said, Don't miss this chance to see what the Insurance Industry has to offer as well as an opportunity to network and build your brand.

Muhammad Younas, CEO & Founder at vFairs, stated, Its good to see organizations realizing the impact of the Great Resignation and align their strategies accordingly. vFairs is a very useful tool in this regard, and can help both employers and job seekers find synchronicity.

The NAAIA New York Spring 2022 Virtual Career Fair will take place on the 26th of April, 2022, and is free for attndees. Exhibitors can discuss their plans with the organization as well. Anyone interested in attending can register and do so.

About NAAIA New York

The New York Chapter of the National African American Insurance Association includes executives, agents, brokers, attorneys, claims & risk professionals, underwriters, and others in insurance-related fields who either work or live in New York.

About vFairs

vFairs is a virtual & hybrid events platform that helps organizations reach global audiences. We help organizations of all sizes host amazing online conferences, trade shows, job fairs & more. The platform offers an intuitive virtual experience along with interactive features such as audio/video chat, excellent scalability, and several customization options.
Understanding the Adult-Child Relationship: (Adlerian Teaching-Parenting): a thought-provoking examination of the adult-child relationship. Understanding the Adult-Child Relationship: (Adlerian Teaching-Parenting) is the creation of published author William Lyman Camp PhD, FACAPP, a loving husband, father, and grandfather who has been elected as a fellow of the American College of Advanced Practice Psychologists and the American Board of Medical Psychotherapists, among many other professional organizations with over fifty years of experience in the field.

Camp shares, Is there really more of a generation gap today than there was in the past? We believe there is. There has always been a struggle between the generations, just there has always been a struggle between the sexes. In the past, howeverin an autocratic societythis rebellion could not come out into the open. With the advent of the state of equality which we have reached in the United States since World War II, however, this evolution has begun to change or emerge more rapidly. We now see a low-level rebellion of all those persons who were earlier in an inferior position. Said more generally, we cannot understand this changeincluding a rebellion of youthif we consider it as an isolated phenomenon.

This quiet struggle of youth is part of a general, sometimes not so quiet rebellion of the disenfranchised in our society. Many women no longer let themselves be controlled by men, children no longer allow it by adults, labor no longer allow it by management, and minoritiesespecially Blacks and Hispanicsno longer accept the supremacy of Whites/Caucasians. So we have to understand that this struggle, on all fronts, is part of the same rebellion.

The goal of this book is to outline the dynamics and processes involved. The authors intent is to highlight the evolving relationship between adults and children as part of this process.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, William Lyman Camp PhD, FACAPPs new book presents a compelling discussion rooted in careful study.

Camp explores the shifting balance of power within this articulate and data-driven work in hopes of bringing the evolution of relationships to a point of clarity.

Consumers can purchase Understanding the Adult-Child Relationship: (Adlerian Teaching-Parenting) at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Understanding the Adult-Child Relationship: (Adlerian Teaching-Parenting), contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
To Eboo Patel, diversity is the great strength of this nation, but the term should not stand only for race and ethnicity. It must also include Americas vast religious mix, he writes in his fifth book, We Need to Build: Field Notes for a Diverse Democracy (Beacon, May). The former faith adviser to President Obama was a Muslim American activist in his college years and then moved into community organizing 20 years ago by launching the Interfaith Youth Core. Now, IFYC has become Interfaith America, with a 50-person professional staff and a $15 million budget. Patels goal, he writes, is for Interfaith America to be as significant in politics, culture, and society as the ACLU is to civil liberties and the NAACP is to racial equity.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

How has your work changed since launching the IFYC?

I used to go project to project, grant to grant. I used to think being a leader mean giving great speeches. Now, I want to build something that will last. I look to three models for this. Religions are a model because they have a vision for what the good is, what justice and pluralism are, and they build according to that vision, with places to worship, hospitals, schools and the like. Universities are a model: They can last a thousand years. Civil institutions like the National Conference of Christians and Jews are a model: The NCCJ introduced the idea of a Judeo-Christian nation as an answer to anti-Semitism and anti-Catholicism. But were more than that now. I want Iterfaith America to help [the country] see itself differently.

What about protests and marches? Dont they help drive change?

We need a political and cultural conversation about social change that emphasizes not what people oppose but what they could build that is better. I write in the book, the goal has not been to put a million people in the street or for me to give the highest-profile speech imaginable; it has been to help institutionalize interfaith cooperation, first in the sector of higher education and then in adjacent spaces like religious communities, civil society organizations, public health, and for-profit companies.

You devote 17 chapters to cautions and considerations such as a warning against assuming you know someones politics, just by their group identity, or acting for others instead of empowering them. Why?

I want to help leaders build trust and wield power in a way that improves peoples lives. I am not calling these dos and donts. I dont think of them as hard-and-fast rules, but more like the signs that warn you about a winding road up ahead, or ice on the bridge. If you seek to be in charge, its good to have a sense of when you might need to slow down or when things are likely to get slippery.

Your book weaves in the ways you deal with hate, ignorance, and insulting microaggressions. What keeps you going?

I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. In our vision of America, everyone wins. Look, Im not buying a brownie at a KKK bake sale. But I do want to engage positively with everyone else. I really hope most people want that.
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A paper flyer with a photo of Purdue student Adonis Tuggle was posted to a lamp post near Memorial Mall Wednesday morning.
New York City, NY (11385)

Today

Windy at times with rain. High 51F. Winds NE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Rain showers, with winds diminishing late. Low 44F. Winds NE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
Honeywell has announced the appointment of Abdullah Abdulrahman Al-juffali as its country president for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

As the country leader, Al-juffali will spearhead Honeywells regional strategy for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, focused on the Companys growth pillars of shaping a diversified portfolio of products and solutions tailored for the local market, driving key customer engagements, and building the talent and leadership pipeline.

Al-juffalis appointment marks the latest milestone in Honeywells long-term commitment to advance the localization, sustainability, digital transformation and smart infrastructure objectives of strategic markets across the Middle East and North Africa region.

"This is an exciting time for our businesses in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain as they to support the economic diversification and growth objectives of the countries national visions," remarked Mohammed Mohaisen, president and CEO of Honeywell Middle East and North Africa.

"With a vast technology portfolio that acts as the backbone of critical infrastructure projects  from smart cities, to sustainability, safety, security and logistics  Honeywell remains perfectly positioned to help customers meet their growth objectives," he stated.

Al-juffali will be responsible for the continued growth of Honeywells operations across the companys four strategic business groups: Aerospace, Performance Materials & Technologies (PMT), Honeywell Building Technologies (HBT), and Safety & Productivity Solutions (SPS), along with the Honeywell Connected Enterprise (HCE).

"Abdullah brings a proven track record of delivering such initiatives for fast-growth companies in this region, and I am delighted to add his experience in technology and innovation leadership across our business in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain," added Mohaisen.

He will also oversee the local design and manufacturing of Honeywell technologies that can drive economic diversification and growth, in-line with the localization and diversification commitments of Saudi Arabias National Transformation Plan, Vision 2030 and In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) programs. This includes identifying new technology collaboration and development opportunities with Honeywells many valued partners.

On his new role, Al-juffali said: "Honeywell has been an important partner to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain for more than 70 years. I am proud to lead our businesses to help our customers accelerate the exciting transformation we are witnessing in the kingdom and beyond."

He joined Honeywell in March 2020 as Saudi Arabia country leader for Honeywell Building Technologies, based in Riyadh.

Prior to Honeywell he spent more than 10 years at ABB in a variety of roles and brings more than 15 years of international experience in sales, marketing, strategy, finance, and manufacturing in Saudi Arabia and the United States.
Last week I was lucky enough to accomplish something on my bucket list. This might sound a bit nerdy, but I had an all-day private tour of the April 19, 1775 skirmish in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Our guides with the National Park Service and various reenactor organizations were phenomenal. Although I have read dozens of accounts of the battle, nothing brings clarity to a battlefield more than walking the turf and understanding the psyche and the motivations of the various combatants. For years, I had a nagging curiosity about the things I didnt know, but wanted to know about that day. It is a great feeling to have your curiosity assuaged which always leads to new insights.

America is a unique place where early on liberty was a well understood and jealously guarded concept. In 1775, the two most liberal and progressive areas of the world were thrust into an 8 year long, brutal civil war. The colonists wanted more liberty, and as a result of the sacrifice of a very small number of men, the greatest country in the world was born. Whats more, this country through its industry and ideals improved the lives of hundreds of millions, indeed billions of people around the world. We have lifted the worlds living standards and happiness to unimaginable heights, and we are still doing it. Think of George Bailey and what Bedford Falls wouldve been like had George not been born. The same holds true for the world had America not been born.

What has always struck me about the American Revolution is the devotion and sacrifice of so few that served so many. The tide of battle swung back and forth, and many were apathetic. The populace often adhered to whichever party controlled the countryside. The American armies were small in number, many soldiers were on short enlistments, but there were a few tenacious and industrious souls, who gave it their all and were under arms for the entire 8 years. Truly a handful of men changed the world. These men deserve to be honored, which is why I traveled to Lexington and Concord last week.

The same principle that delivered independence to the colonists exists today in business. It is always the talented and spirited few who lead the many. This isnt very PC, but an easy 80% of the population is of no more than middling street smarts and abilities. It is always the top 20% that provide the opportunities for the 80%. But for the existence of the smart and industrious, the world would be stuck in a feudal caste system of despair and stagnation. The 80-20 Rule is real and as long as human beings walk this earth, it will always be the 20% leading the 80%. In some instances, it is the 1% leading the 99 to greater wealth, prosperity and happiness. Like the Minutemen of Massachusetts, these men of gumption, tenacity and enterprise should be honored.

This brings me to Joe Bidens new tax proposals and the constant demagoguery of the Left to punish the rich and successful and demonize the accumulation of capital. The proposed Biden tax legislation, tagged as the Billionaires 20% Minimum Tax Bill, is stupid on steroids. Its stupid because it taxes wealth (unrealized gains) and not income. Thus far, the proposed legislation seems to suggest that if Daddy Warbucks has revenue but no taxable income, he would have to pay 20% of his revenue in taxes. The only way this can be done is through having to liquidate Daddy Dubs wealth. A simpler example of this policy is if Joe the Dry Cleaner has $100,000 in revenue and $100,000 in expenses, he would have to pay $20,000 in federal taxes despite not having any income. It is equally catastrophic for the billionaire, as he would have to sell his assets at a huge discount in years when he had no net income. Most of the time when a rich guy has many write offs it is because he is spending money (which of course is taxed by those who receive it) to make money in the future. A dry cleaners might have enormous startup expenses opening a new location such that Joe has no net income, but yet Joes money is at work, circulating through the economy to offer better goods, service and convenience to the general public. The same principle applies to Daddy Dubs.

Almost all billionaires are super rich because people voluntarily gave them their money for the products and services they delivered to them. Because of Jeff Bezos, I can have groceries delivered to me within 2 hours. If it werent for Bill Gates, I wouldnt have software systems that revolutionized the world. If it werent for Jeff Zuckerberg, I would feel a deep emptiness being disconnected to two of my children who live 3,000 miles away.

Who cares if these guys dont pay any personal income taxes? There is no life on Planet Earth without water. Likewise, there is no economy without capital. Nothing is produced without capital. Nothing can be produced without capital. Capital is good. The USs policy should be to produce more capital, not to tax it into oblivion. A rich man with $1 billion provides far more societal good than a rapacious government stealing money from the productive. The super-rich dont stick their money in their mattresses, it is at work all the time creating not only new products and industries, but making existing industries more efficient and competitive. Capital mirrors water in another respect, it flows to where it is the most efficient. Quite simply, wealth begets wealth. Every penny of government spending detracts from this incredible organic environment where capital flows towards efficiency, pulling the 80% upwards and enriching their lives. If Jeff Bezos wants to stick his money into a trust for his descendants that is never taxed, I wouldnt care because even inherited wealth provides an abundance of societal benefits that government cannot.

I never like proving the value of a person or an enterprise by the amount of taxes he or it pays. It is a falsa narratio as the contributions paid to government are worth much less than the contributions invested in the economy. Nevertheless, if Daddy Dubs pays no personal income tax, that does not mean that his capital is not producing huge windfalls for the taxing authorities that ripple through the economy many times over. But for that billion dollars, there would not be thousands of jobs, the income of which is taxed where employers pay for half of the employees Social Security and Medicare. These folks buy food, cars, houses, material goods (activities that generate tax revenue), and through savings, these employees also provide capital that also flows to where it can do the most societal good. Daddy Dubs billion dollars leads to huge excise taxes paid on products that are directly taxed by the government. Personal property taxes, business taxes, license fees, utility taxes and fees, and a slew of other direct payments to taxing authorities are created by the existence of a billion dollars of capital and the sources of productivity to which it flows.

If Clarence Oddbody showed you what the world would look like without billionaires and their capital, you would realize what a wonderful life these people bestow upon us. The creators of capital lift the rest of us up to new heights. Punishing capital formation only makes us poorer.
Kate Winslet and her daughter, Mia Threapleton, have joined the cast of the Channel 4 series I Am.

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The 46-year-old actress and Threapleton, 21, will star in I Am Ruth, the first feature-length episode of the female-led drama anthology series.

I Am Ruth will be one of three episodes in I Am Season 3. Filming will begin at the end of April and run for three weeks.

I Am is created, written and directed by Dominic Savage. Each episode focuses on a different woman and explores her experience in moments that are emotionally raw, thought-provoking and personal.

"I have always admired Dominic's work and, in particular, his commitment to telling real stories. British television is at an all time high, and I feel excited and honored to be part of this community, especially right now," Winslet said in a press release.

"It is a complete honor for me to be working and collaborating with Kate Winslet on this first film of the new series I am for Channel 4," Savage added. "Kate is such a legend, such an incredible and sublime acting talent, and I can't wait to start shooting this unique and important story that we have created together."

Winslet's most recent TV role was Mare Sheehan on the HBO series Mare of Easttown. The actress won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for the role.

Threapleton is Winslet's daughter with her ex-husband Jim Threapleton, a director.
Netflix is giving a glimpse of the new film Senior Year.

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The streaming service shared a trailer and first-look photos for the comedy film featuring Rebel Wilson on Monday.

Senior Year follows Stephanie Conway (Angourie Rice), a popular high school cheerleader who suffers a head injury and falls into a coma in 2002. The character wakes up 20 years later to discover she is now 37 years old.

Wilson plays the older version of Stephanie, who decides to return to high school to finish her senior year.

"After a cheerleader falls of a pyramid and into a 20 year coma, she wakes up as a 37-year-old woman, ready to return to high school, regain her status and claim the prom queen crown that eluded her," an official description reads.

Senior Year is written by Andrew Knauer, Arthur Pielli and Brandon Scott Jones, and is directed by Alex Hardcastle. The film premieres May 13 on Netflix.

Wilson is known for playing Patricia "Fat Amy" Hobart in the Pitch Perfect movies. She most recently starred in the 2019 film Cats.
FILE - Alaa Abdel Fattah, left, a leading Egyptian pro-democracy activist walks with his mother Laila Soueif, a university professor who is an also an activist, outside a court, in Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 26, 2014. The family of Abdel Fattah who has been imprisoned for over three and a half years said Monday, April 11, 2022, that he has gained British citizenship, through his mother, who was born in London. He spent most of the past decade in prison, and has become a symbol of Egypts return to autocratic rule.
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Diyar Al Muharraq, one of the leading real estate development companies in Bahrain, has announced the conclusion of the first edition of its Tumouh Program, which provided vocational training opportunities to Bahraini graduates, aiming to nurture their skills in the fields of engineering and real estate.

The program consisted of a 6-month training period where trainees were equipped with the necessary tools and guidance, and tasked with forming a comprehensive engineering plan.

At the end of the programme, the trainees presented the plan to the CEO of Diyar Al Muharraq Engineer Ahmed Ali Al Ammadi, in addition to several other executives from the company.

A total of six graduates were accepted as part of the Tumouh Program, where they were given the golden opportunity to gain experience under the supervision of dedicated teams across various departments within Diyar Al Muharraq.

As part of the programme, the trainees were enrolled in an international digital training platform, in addition to receiving guidance in a group project, which included the development of a smart city model.

They were challenged to include residential, commercial and office spaces within their plan, along with technology and business incubators; and tasked with integrating sustainability and smart solutions as key project drivers as they developed their subdivision plans.

After thorough evaluation of the participants proposals, presentations, and overall performance throughout the training period; Fatima Abdulrahim Al Mahmood was announced as the finalist of the programme for succeeding in maximizing the functionality of the asset assigned by integrating efficient divisions, networks, and services that add value to the project.

An award was presented to Fatima Abdulrahim Al Mahmood by Engineer Ahmed Ali Al Ammadi during a ceremony, which was held at the companys headquarters in the presence of Dr Dhiyaa Abdulaziz Tawfiqi, the President of the Bahrain Society of Engineers, and Engineer Hisham Al Moayyed and Juhaina Al Rumaihi, Head of Human Resources and Administration.

Commending Diyar Al Muharraqs initiative in launching the Tumouh Program, Dr Tawfiqi said training Bahraini graduates in both engineering and real estate while developing their practical skills adds great value to their prospect careers in addition to enhancing the real estate sector by ensuring that the coming generation are qualified and equipped with a solid set of skills.

"We encourage trainees of the program and all graduates to continue persevering to achieve their goals and ambitions in their respective fields," he stated.

Engineer Al Ammadi said: "We are pleased to take part in shaping the futures of Bahraini youth through the Tumouh Program, which effectively enabled the trainees to benefit from a comprehensive programme and gain experience at the kingdoms largest real estate development company."

"The trainees exceeded our expectations, showing utmost excellence and creativity in their ideas and dedicated efforts. We would also like to congratulate the winner of the program, Fatima Abdulrahim Al Mahmood, for her outstanding performance, and we wish her and all the engineers who participated in the first edition of this programme a bright and successful future ahead, and look forward to continuing this initiative, as the second edition is set to launch within the coming months," he added.

The Tumouh Program, which will be launching its next edition during 2022, accepts graduates with a Bachelors degree in civil, electrical, and architecture engineering, in addition to real estate development.

The program aims to prepare trainees with skills that will enable them to achieve their career goals with excellence and go on to secure key positions in the workforce in the future.

Diyar Al Muharraq is the largest integrated city in Bahrain, offering a variety of housing solutions and a luxurious modern lifestyle, characterized by its preservation of the family values of the Bahraini community.

It offers a unique, balanced mix of residential, commercial, recreational, and healthcare facilities, creating a fully contained and futuristic model city.-TradeArabia News Service
Members of the media were given a tour on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, around NorthStars Vermont Yankee nuclear facility, in Vernon, Vt., as the site is being demolished.
NEWFANE  Having the right infrastructure is top of the mind for town leaders as they consid
Liam Madden of Rockingham, candidate for U.S. representative, with his wife Lauren and son June.
The mayor of the besieged city of Mariupol says that more than 10,000 civilians have been killed since the Russian invasion in February
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Sami group, the Saudi national defense localization champion, has announced a preliminary agreement with US aerospace company Boeing for setting up a joint venture company in the kingdom mainly aimed at scaling up the country's aviation sector.

A subsidiary of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF (Public Investment Fund), Sami combines the latest technologies and best national talents to develop military products and services at par with international standards across five business divisions - Aerospace, Land, Sea, Advanced Electronics and Defense System.

The announcement was made at a signing ceremony during the inaugural World Defense Show in Riyadh.

Commemorating the parties intention to sign the definitive agreements in the coming weeks, the ceremony was attended by top officials from both sides, including Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism and Chairman of SAMI, Leanne Caret, Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor to Boeing Company and Ted Colbert, President and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security.

On the agreement, Al Khateeb said: "As we move towards the realization of our Vision 2030 ambitions for a strengthened defense industry, our long-standing relations with industry leaders such as Boeing will further our success. This joint venture will help to enable more defense manufacturing to take place in Saudi Arabia, ensuring more jobs and prosperity in the Kingdom - now and for generations to come."

As a leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners, space and security systems and provider of aviation services to both the commercial and defence sectors, Boeing will be executing a strategic role in the new kingdom-focused joint venture.

CEO Engineer Walid Abukhaled said the maintenance of the rotary fleets operated in Saudi Arabia by the different forces represents a major opportunity for localization and development of new sustainable skills.

"Much of this work is currently outsourced to the US or Europe, while aircraft numbers in the kingdom are expected to double in the next ten years. We also see this joint venture as a first step towards a broader strategic partnership between Boeing and SAMI that will encompass additional platforms and services in the future," stated the Sami official.

Under the agreement, the parties will work together through a limited liability company to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul and sustainment services for military rotary platforms currently operated in the kingdom.

Torbjorn Sjogren, VP, Boeing International Government & Defence Organization. said: We are proud of the long-standing 77-year relationship that Boeing has with Saudi Arabia. This agreement will provide maintenance, repair and overhaul services for the Kingdoms rotorcraft platforms. It is an excellent example of our alignment with the Kingdoms Vision 2030."

We're committed to our partnership with SAMI, and will continue to work with our stakeholders in the Kingdom to execute on Vision 2030, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)  State environmental officials unlawfully approved a large copper mine in central Montana despite worries that mining waste would pollute a river thats popular among boaters, a state judge ruled.

Officials with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality failed to conduct an adequate review of the proposed Black Butte mine north of White Sulphur Springs, Judge Katherine Bidegaray said in Fridays ruling.

Work began last year on the mine along a tributary of the Smith River, a waterway so popular among boaters that the state holds an annual lottery to decide who can float down it.

The underground mine sponsored by Vancouver-based Sandfire Resources is on private land and would extract 15.3 million tons of copper-laden rock and waste over 15 years  roughly 440 tons a day.

Environmentalists had sued over potential pollution from the mine and asked Bidegaray to reconsider its permit.

Bidegaray's ruling leaves that permit in place for now. She asked the two sides in the case to submit legal briefs within 45 days to address what should happen next.

State officials said the mine permit includes requirements that will protect the Smith River. They plan to appeal the ruling, Department of Environmental Quality Director Chris Dorrington said.
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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  A state court judge has ruled that Democrat Abby Finkenauer cannot appear on the June 7 Iowa primary ballot for U.S. Senate because she didn't gather enough petition signatures, potentially knocking off the candidate considered by many to be the partys best chance to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley.

Judge Scott Beattie, a 2018 appointee of Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, filed a ruling late Sunday that overturned a decision by a three-member panel of state elected officials. The panel concluded last week that Finkenauer's campaign staffers had substantially complied with Iowa law that requires candidates to obtain 3,500 names, including at least 100 signatures from at least 19 counties.

Finkenauer plans to appeal the decision and the Iowa Supreme Court scheduled a hearing Wednesday with a promise to rule on the matter by the end of the week to meet deadlines for sending ballots to overseas voters.

Two Republicans challenged Finkenauer's petition papers, saying signatures from at least two counties did not have the required date accompanying them.

In the past, the panel, which includes the secretary of state, attorney general and state auditor, has found petitions to be in substantial compliance with the law even though signatures were missing or difficult to interpret. Attorney General Tom Miller and Auditor Rob Sand, both Democrats, voted to allow Finkenauer's petitions citing past precedent for giving deference to campaigns that used the proper forms and made efforts to comply with the law. Secretary of State Paul Pate, a Republican, voted against Finkenauer's petition.

Kim Schmett and Leanne Pellett, former Republican county elections officials, challenged the signatures and then filed a court appeal of the Iowa Objection Panel's decision last week.

Beattie concluded that the panel's legal interpretation was wrong and that the law clearly says each signature should be accompanied by a date. His decision knocked signatures from Allamakee and Cedar counties off of Finkenauer's nomination petitions, which meant her campaign failed to submit at least 100 signatures from at least 19 counties as required.

Beattie said he took no joy in the decision.

This court should not be in the position to make a difference in an election, and Ms. Finkenauer and her supporters should have a chance to advance her candidacy. However, this courts job is to sit as a referee and apply the law without passion or prejudice. It is required to rule without consideration of the politics of the day. Here the court has attempted to fulfill that role, he said,

Finkenauer accused Beattie of doing the bidding of Grassley and his allies in Washington.

This misguided, midnight ruling is an outrageous and partisan gift to the Washington Republicans who orchestrated this meritless legal action," she said. We are exploring all of our options to fight back hard against this meritless partisan attack, and to ensure that the voices of Iowans will be heard at the ballot box."

Finkenauer said her petitions had more than 5,000 signatures and shes confident she has met the requirements to be on the ballot.

Beattie promised last week he would file a decision by midnight Sunday to give either side time to appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court. He filed the decision at 10:49 p.m. Sunday. Pate has said he must know whether Finkenauer qualifies for the ballot by Friday to give him time to have ballots printed and sent to overseas voters who must get their ballots by April 23 to comply with the law.

Finkenauer, who served one term in the U.S. House from 2019-2021, seeks to be on the ballot with Democrats Mike Franken, a retired Navy admiral, and Glenn Hurst, a doctor and Minden City Council member. The primary winner will face Grassley, who is seeking an eighth term in the Senate.

Federal fundraising data and statewide polling indicate that Grassley, who turns 89 in September, is well positioned to retain the seat he has held since 1981 for another six years.

Grassley has raised more than $4.7 million, Finkenauer about $1.9 million and Franken $1.8 million. Hurst raised just over $66,000. Republican state Sen. Jim Carlin, who will be on the Republican primary ballot opposite Grassley, raised $282,151.

The Des Moines Register/Medicom Poll published in November gave Grassley a lead of 18 percentage points over Finkenauer.

Alan R. Ostergren, the attorney for Schmett and Pellett, said the judge's decision is a victory for the rule of law.

Iowans expect candidates to follow state law and to follow the same rules as the hundreds of other candidates who successfully qualified to be on the ballot," he said in a statement. "Anyone who has ever been involved in a political campaign knows that you can easily avoid problems by turning in more than the bare minimum number of signatures. Abby Finkenauer didnt do this for some reason and got caught short.
MILFORD  The Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce will host the 2022 Milford Regional Job Fair on April 28.

The fair will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Center Court at the Connecticut Post Mall.

Todays job market has created new and unforeseen changes that have made finding the right employee more challenging, said Simon McDonald, Director of Membership and Marketing at the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce.

By coming to a well-trafficked area like the Connecticut Post Mall, employers will have a greater chance of filling their positions, he added.

With Edgewell Personal Care headlining the employer list, the fair plans to host numerous employers from a variety of industry sectors surrounding the Milford region. Participating employers are searching for potential employees in the fields of IT services, healthcare, personal care, automobile, financing, and more.

With many companies from different industries looking for their next great hire, job seekers have a fantastic opportunity to further their career, McDonald added.

On April 28, job seekers will gain an expansive opportunity to speak with prospective employers and gain information on potential/immediate openings, McDonald said.

The free in-person event will provide those looking for a career change or a fresh start with exciting opportunities with hundreds of available jobs from the regions best employers. The Chamber will host resume and interview workshops for candidates, digital presentations, on-site interviews at select employers, and the possibility for on-site hiring.

The event is free of charge and open to the public.

Employers may register for a booth at http://cca.milfordct.com/WebForms/EvtListing.aspx?dbid2=ctmil&keyword=10837449&class=E

For more information, contact Simon McDonald at smcdonald@milfordct.com or (203) 767-2592.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) 

A physical therapist from Connecticut suffocated his 4-year-old daughter by rolling on top of her and also killed his two sons and wife, a prosecutor told a Florida jury on Monday.

Anthony Todt told detectives he and his wife, Megan, had an agreement to kill their family so they could pass over" since the apocalypse was coming, Assistant State Attorney Danielle Pinnell said during opening statements in Todts murder trial in Kissimmee, Florida.

Todt, 46, is charged with first-degree murder for the deaths of his 42-year-old wife, his daughter, Zoe, and his two sons Alek, 13, and Tyler, 11. The victims' decomposing bodies were wrapped in blankets and had stab wounds and toxic amounts of Benadryl in their bodies when they were found in January 2020, according to autopsy reports.

Todt has pleaded not guilty. He also has been charged with animal cruelty for the death of the family's dog, Breezy.

Todt initially confessed to the killings, but in jailhouse writings, he has since blamed his wife for the slayings. He was arrested in January 2020 but investigators believe the family members were killed weeks earlier.

Their bodies were discovered when federal agents and deputies went to the house to serve an arrest warrant for health care fraud charges in Connecticut. Todt had a physical therapy practice in Connecticut to which he would travel during the work week, returning to Florida to be with his family on weekends at their home in Celebration near Walt Disney World.

Jurors did not hear from Todt's public defenders Monday. They had told the judge they wanted to wait to present their statements until after the state rests its case.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  A Polish government special commission has reinforced its earlier allegations that the 2010 plane crash that killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others in Russia was the result of Moscow's assassination plan.

The latest of the commissions reports, released Monday, alleges that an intentional detonation of planted explosives caused the April 10, 2010 crash of Soviet-made Tu-154M plane that killed Kaczynski, the first lady and 94 other government and armed forces figures as well as many prominent Poles.

Their deaths were the result of an act of unlawful interference by the Russian side, the commission's head Antoni Macierewicz told a news conference.

"The main and indisputable proof of the interference was an explosion in the left wing ... followed by an explosion in the plane's center," said Macierewicz, who in 2015-2018 served as defense minister in Poland's right-wing government.

He denied that any mistakes were made by the Polish pilots or crew members, despite bad weather at the time of the crash.

The report repeats many previous allegations made by the commission, appointed by the government whose key figure is the main ruling Law and Justice party leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the twin of the late president.

It comes at a time when Russia has unleashed a war on Polands neighbor Ukraine, and among the current tense relations between Warsaw and Moscow. Poland supports Ukraine in its struggle against Russia and is calling for very tough sanctions on Moscow for its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

The latest report once again drums up hostility toward Russia among some Poles, chiefly supporters of the nationalist government, it what seems to be an effort to consolidate the voter base of the Law and Justice party, which was founded by the Kaczynski twins in 2001.

Suspicions are additionally fuelled by Russia's refusal to return the wreckage, which has complicated Poland's investigation.

Earlier, two separate reports by Polish and Russian experts on aviation incidents said the crash on approach in dense fog to the Smolensk airport, which did not have sophisticated aviation equipment, was the result of human errors made in adverse weather conditions.

They found no proof of foul play.
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LONDON (AP)  Britains Treasury chief, once seen as a potential candidate for prime minister, is fighting to save his reputation by requesting an investigation of his own conduct after a series of news reports on his familys finances raised questions about his judgment.

Rishi Sunak, a 41-year-old former hedge fund manager, asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson to direct his adviser on ministerial standards to review all of the disclosures Sunak has made  such as his wife's tax exemption status and her connection to a company that received government contracts  since he became a government minister.

Sunak said he was confident all relevant information was appropriately declared, but he wanted an investigation to reassure the public.

My overriding concern is that the public retain confidence in the answers they are given, and I believe the best way of achieving this is to ensure those answers are entirely independent, without bias or favor, Sunak wrote in a letter to Johnson dated Sunday.

Sunaks standing has been damaged by revelations that his Indian-born wife took advantage of rules that allow many foreigners to escape U.K. taxes on their overseas income. It came at the same time he was raising income taxes for most residents already facing a cost-of-living crisis tied to soaring energy prices.

Sunak defended his wife after the first reports that she had opted for non-domiciled tax status, saying she is a private citizen with her own career and independent investments and shouldnt be subject to the same level of scrutiny as a politician.

But by Friday, his wife, Akshata Murty, a fashion designer and the daughter of an Indian billionaire, said she didnt want the issue to become a distraction for her husband so she had decided to pay U.K. taxes on her worldwide income.

Married people in the U.K. file separate tax returns, unlike in the U.S. where many file joint returns.

But the brouhaha hasnt ended.

Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the opposition Labour Party, wrote to Johnson on Sunday asking that his ethics adviser investigate six issues relating to Sunaks disclosures.

These include allegations that he failed to reveal his wifes stake in Infosys, an information technology company that has won several contracts from the government, and concerns about the so-called blind trust Sunak established to allow him to maintain his holdings in an investment fund while giving up any role in their day-to-day management.

Steve Reed, Labours spokesman on justice issues, said Monday that he believes Sunak has violated government rules on ministerial conduct. Ministers sometimes resign if they break these rules.

If the chancellors household is benefiting from contracts of that kind, that should have been something that he declared in the register of interests, but he didnt, Reed told the BBC. Theres a whole list of areas where the chancellor appears to have failed to declare things he should have declared.

Sunaks Cabinet colleagues have defended him.

Environment Minister George Eustice rejected suggestions that Sunak was too rich to be chancellor of the exchequer or even potentially prime minister.

I dont think its right that we should have a rule that says youre too wealthy to be able to do a role, he told the BBC. What matters is the knowledge, the technical expertise, that you have.
Gasunie, HES International (HES) and Vopak will be working together to develop an import terminal for green ammonia as a hydrogen carrier.

The companies have signed a cooperation agreement to that effect. The cooperation is a response to growing global demand for the import and storage of green energy.

This quarter, work will be started on the basic design of the import terminal. The terminal, that will operate on the Maasvlakte under the name ACE Terminal, will be operational from 2026.

Demand for green hydrogen growing

Green hydrogen is seen as an essential element of the future renewable energy mix. Demand for green hydrogen is growing in the energy sector, the transport sector and the petrochemical industry, both in the Netherlands and Germany.

An import terminal for green ammonia will make a vital contribution to the import of hydrogen, an essential link in the hydrogen chain, alongside hydrogen production, transport and storage. A reliable logistic chain is essential for developing the market for green hydrogen and for achieving the climate goals for 2030 and 2050.

Ammonia as hydrogen carrier

In addition to the production of green hydrogen in the Netherlands, there will also be demand in Northwestern Europe for the large-scale import of green hydrogen, in order to meet future demand. Green ammonia as a hydrogen carrier will play a vital role.

Reacting green hydrogen with nitrogen forms green ammonia, allowing the hydrogen to be efficiently and safely transported in large volumes. The ammonia can then be stored and converted again to green hydrogen. Green ammonia is also immediately usable as CO2-free fuel for example for shipping or as a raw material for example for the production of fertiliser.

Strategic location

At the intended location on Rotterdams Maasvlakte, vessels from all over the world can moor to discharge green ammonia, and in the initial phase possibly also blue ammonia. Use can be made of the existing infrastructure and the logistic facilities of the Port of Rotterdam.

The site offers space for the development of an installation for converting ammonia into hydrogen. In the future, this installation will be connected to the national hydrogen network of Gasunie, that can serve the future hydrogen market in Northwestern Europe.

Joining forces

On the Maasvlakte, HES operates a strategic location with quayside capacity and direct access from the sea. Gasunie has at this location infrastructure of existing storage tanks and a system of pipelines.

Vopak, with six ammonia terminals around the world, has extensive experience in the safe storage of ammonia. By joining forces, an attractive starting point will be established from which within just a few years, the partners will be able to realise the import location for green ammonia in Rotterdam.

The eventual investment decision still has to be taken, and will be based among others on customer contracts and the necessary permits, including the EIA procedure.

Market consultation

The service proposition will entail an independent open access terminal infrastructure, in which the partners will not own the green ammonia.

A market consultation procedure is soon to be launched, in which interested parties can announce their interest in the supply, storage and transshipment of green ammonia and hydrogen. Initial discussions are already under way with international market parties.-- TradeArabia News Service
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Hong Kong national security police on Thursday arrested a senior journalist for 'sedition,' as Beijing's preferred candidate and former police chief John Lee launched his campaign to win the city's top job.



Former TVB News producer and former RTHK radio show host Allan Au, who has also had columns in Stand News and in the Ming Pao newspaper, was taken away from his home in Kwai Chung at around 6 a.m. local time on suspicion of "sedition" under colonial-era laws.



Au's arrest for "conspiring to publish seditious material" came after his sacking from RTHK in June 2021 as the government moved to exert editorial control over the broadcaster, amid an ongoing crackdown on public dissent and political opposition that began with the July 1, 2020 imposition of the national security law on Hong Kong by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).



"The arrest of veteran journalist Allan Au is a further blow to press freedom in Hong Kong," the U.K.-based rights group Hong Kong Watch said in a statement on its website, adding that his arrest appeared to be part of an ongoing national security case involving former senior editors at Stand News, Chung Pui Kuen and Patrick Lam.



"The international community must condemn this latest attack on the free press in Hong Kong, and work to pressure China and the Hong Kong Government to stop targeting journalists and to release political prisoners in Hong Kong," Hong Kong Watch CEO Benedict Rogers said.



Hong Kong Journalists' Association (HKJA) chairman Ronson Chan said he was "very sad" at the news of Au's arrest.



"We worked together and used to hike together," Chan said. "Everyone grew up reading Au's [columns]. His name represented the [best of the] Hong Kong press ... He explained the news in a calm and rational way."



Chan said shifting "red lines" about what constitutes acceptable public speech have become the new norm in Hong Kong, which is now very similar to mainland China.



The HKJA said in a statement on its website: "The HKJA is deeply concerned about the arrest, and that it will further damage freedom of the press in Hong Kong."



It said Au had also worked as a lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)'s journalism department, and "often shared his experience with the younger generation."



"We call on the government to protect the freedom of the press and speech enjoyed by Hong Kong citizens in accordance with the [law]," it said.



The CCP-backed Global Times newspaper said more arrests could follow, citing a police statement.



Former police officer and security chief John Lee, in a file photo. Credit: AP Photo Crackdown on public dissent



The national security law ushered in a citywide crackdown on public dissent and criticism of the authorities that has seen several senior journalists, pro-democracy media magnate Jimmy Lai and 47 former lawmakers and democracy activists charged with offenses from "collusion with a foreign power" to "subversion."



Au's arrest came as former police officer and security chief John Lee launched a high-profile campaign to succeed Carrie Lam as chief executive, with pro-CCP media singing his praises.



Lee is widely regarded as Beijing's intended winner of a closed-circle "election" slated for May 8.



The Global Times said Lee was committed to ensuring that nobody will be allowed to stand in elections in Hong Kong unless they are truly loyal to Beijing.



Lee joined the Hong Kong Police Force in 1977, rising through the ranks before being made undersecretary for security in September 2012, and secretary for security from 2017 to 2021. He recently resigned as the city's No. 2 official, chief secretary for administration, to pursue the campaign for Lam's job.



"Coming in the same week that the former police officer and security minister, John Lee, was anointed as Carrie Lams successor, the arrest of Allan Au confirms what many of us feared, that Beijing will continue its crackdown on human rights and press freedom in the city," Rogers said in a statement on Au's arrest.



Former pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui, who recently had his family's assets frozen by national security police, in a file photo. Credit: Reuters Assets frozen



Meanwhile, former pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui, currently in exile in the U.K., has had his family's assets frozen by national security police, he said in an April 9 Facebook post.



Hui's family is now subject to a restraining order under the national security law that prevents him or his family members from disposing of any assets in Hong Kong, according to a copy of the official document posted to Facebook.



Hui said the move was a form of political persecution "using judicial means."



"This is the second time I have been robbed by the Hong Kong government ... using shameful methods," he wrote, calling on the international community to impose further sanctions on Hong Kong officials responsible for the move.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Nicky Liow Soon Hee, who faces 26 counts of money laundering, was finally caught after a year on the run.

Malaysian police announced the arrest of a suspected criminal leader who is said to be close to the Chinese underworld, following his surrender to law enforcement here on Monday after more than a year in hiding.

Nicky Liow Soon Hee, who faces 26 counts of money laundering according to the police, had been on the run since March 2021 when authorities smashed his syndicate and arrested more than 60 suspects, including some law enforcement officers, police said.

Nicky is alleged to be close to the United States-sanctioned Chinese triad leader Wan Kuok Koi (commonly known as Broken Tooth), the head of the 14K Triad, one of the largest Chinese organized crime gangs in the world.

[Nicky] Liow Soon Hee also known as Nicky Liow was arrested at 11 a.m. at the Federal Police Commercial Crime Department office in Jalan Tun Razak after he turned up and surrendered to police, Commercial Crime Director Kamarudin Md. Din said.

Liow will be charged with 26 counts of money laundering under ... the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, he added.

Liow is scheduled to be produced at Shah Alam court in Selangor on Tuesday. He is staring at a prison sentence of 15 years and hefty fines, if convicted.

Last month, the Federal Police Commercial Crime Department obtained an arrest warrant for Liow after it filed charges against him at the Shah Alam Court for money laundering offenses under the instructions of the Attorney Generals Chambers, according to Kamarudin.

Liows Nicky Gang operated a telecommunication scam where it tricked victims, mostly in China, into handing over large sums of money, allowing the gang to allegedly amass millions of ringgit, police said. The syndicate would also target investors from China by promising them huge returns through investments in cryptocurrency, real estate and the foreign exchange market.

During a series of raids in March 2021 to take down the Nicky Gang, police arrested more than 50 people and seized 773,000 ringgit (U.S. $187,500) along with 35 vehicles valued at 8.86 million ringgit ($2.14 million) under provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act of 2001.

Among those arrested were Liows two brothers, Liow Wei Kin and Liow Wei Loon, but they were later freed after prosecutors dropped charges against them.

A series of sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department on Wan Kuok Koi, the Macau underworld kingpin allowed the Royal Malaysia Police to establish links to the Nicky Gang, Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, then the police chief of Johor state, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, in an interview last April.

It was crucial information as based on the tip of the iceberg. We were able to study the serious and extensive operations of the local syndicate, which has international connections, Ayob told BenarNews. It is very serious and we are very concerned what would have happened should we have failed to react accordingly and slam the brakes on their operation.

He described Liows and Wan Kuok Kois relationship as close.

Liow and Broken Tooth are as close as siblings, Ayob said.

They have known each other since 2018 and Broken Tooth  had since been providing Liow with patronage and security assurance under his 14K Triad.
Farms are still expected to be self-reliant, despite losing the key line of credit.

The North Korean governments order to cancel the debts of collective farms is causing reluctance among wealthy lenders to issue new loans to farmers, a major funding setback that could hamper the countrys ability to produce food this year, sources told RFA.

After a devastating famine from 1994-1998, North Koreas cash-strapped government stopped subsidizing collective farms, instructing them to become self-reliant. The loss of state funding led farm managers to seek loans from wealthy North Koreans with the promise that after the fall harvest, they would repay them in harvested crops worth twice what was borrowed.

The farms were still obligated to produce enough food to satisfy quotas mandated by the state under this new system, and as long as the harvests went according to plan, there was enough to pay off both the lenders and the state. Poor harvests in 2021 made both impossible.

But during a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Korean Workers Party in December, the countrys leader, Kim Jong Un, declared that North Korea would take special measures to cancel the debts incurred by collective farms to the state, meaning that they were off the hook for the 2021 production quota.

This also meant indirectly that private debt was canceled, as the whole point of forgiving the farmers state debts was so they could get back to farming in 2022 with a clean slate. But the move seems to be backfiring, as lenders are now unwilling to provide the collective farms with capital.

Its not like last year, when the farm officials could just go into the city and borrow 10,000 yuan [U.S. $1,577] from wealthy lenders, a resident of Ryongchon county, in the northwestern province of North Pyongan, told RFAs Korean Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

This year they dont even want to lend just 100 yuan, so all the farm officials are really getting anxious, said the source.

According to the source, after Kim Jong Un gave the order in December, law enforcement officials threatened lenders that they could be branded as anti-socialist for engaging in capitalistic activities.

Wealthy North Koreans who did lend money to the farmers may never be repaid, a source from Musan county, in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong, told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.

They have their money taken by the state-run collective farms with their eyes open. Even if they want to try to get it back, they are afraid they might get caught and punished as an example to others, the second source said.

They are complaining that the debt cancellation measure is really the states confiscation of their wealth, said the second source.

The policy could jeopardize a system that has been in place for decades, Seo Jae-pyoung, the secretary general of the Seoul-based Association of the North Korean Defectors, told RFA.

Farm officials have been borrowing rich peoples money every year under the partys policy of self-reliance since the Arduous March of the 1990s, he said, using the local term for the 1994-1998 famine, which killed millions.

They have set up and built trust with the rich lenders through loan transactions with them. This relationship of trust has been broken by the authorities, which will be an unfavorable factor for the collective farms, said Seo.

Another North Hamgyong resident told RFA that the mercantile class has all the money in North Korea.

The country doesnt have the money.  Farms dont have money to buy gasoline, so they borrow the money from the rich. They have to plow the fields, but they cant run the tractors without gas, which they have to buy illegally, the second North Hamgyong resident said.

The sudden cancellation of farm debt is causing confusion among farm managers this year because the farms are still supposed to be self-reliant even if they cannot find funding, a resident of South Pyongan, north of the capital Pyongyang, told RFA.

The farm officials are urgently visiting the rich lenders on the down low to ask them to lend them money again this year. They say they will pay back even more than double, the South Pyongan source said.

If they refuse to lend, some of the officials are even offering to lend them farmland, he said.

North Korea canceled collective farm debt only once before  in the 1960s  under the rule of Kim Jong Uns grandfather, national founder Kim Il Sung.

Translated by Claire Lee and Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
The photo shows a map of tunnels at the Punggye-ri testing site that North Korea released on May 24, 2018, when it invited foreign media to witness the destruction of the tunnels.

North Korea appears to be restoring tunnels at its Punggye-ri nuclear testing site, nearly four years after Kim Jong Un publicly closed it in a move that observers said was an attempt to ease tensions in the region.

Foreign journalists who attended the closing ceremony Kim Jong Un presided over in May 2018 in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong reported that tunnels used for testing had been destroyed. But later reports noted that only the entrances to the tunnels were demolished and that maintenance activity at the site had resumed.

The Open Nuclear Network (ONN), a non-profit organization headquartered in Vienna, Austria, reported last week that North Korea is believed to have built an entrance to tunnel 3, south of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site. The ONN report was based on satellite imagery taken between March 24 and April 6.

Residents of the province who were near the Punggye-ri test site told RFAs Korean Service that they too have seen evidence of construction activities.

A few days ago, I went to my relatives house in Kilju county close to Punggye-ri, and I saw trucks carrying construction debris, a resident of Musan county, in the same province, told RFAs Korean Service April 7 on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

The trucks unloaded the construction debris in the open space at nearby Chaedok rail station. Then the construction waste was loaded onto a freight train using a forklift. As soon as it was loaded, the freight train departed, she said.

Access to the part of the station where the debris is stored and loaded is very limited due to a military presence there, the source said.

I heard from my relative who works at Chaedok station that the debris area is surrounded by armed soldiers and is off-limits to the public, she said.

According to my relative, the rocks carried by the freight train are from the tunnel restoration site of the Punggye-ri nuclear testing site, but no one knows why the debris is loaded onto freight trains  instead of being dumped at the nuclear test site, said the source.

Restoration work at the site has been ongoing around the clock at the site.

Soldiers from the engineering units under the General Political Bureau of the Ministry of Defense are mobilized day and night to excavate and restore the Punggye-ri nuclear test site.

A former high-ranking North Korean official who escaped and resettled in South Korea told RFA that it was likely that the orders to restore the tunnels came from the very top.

The engineer corps under the General Political Bureau is in charge of important construction projects promoted by the partys Central Committee. If they were the people mobilized to restore the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, it must be considered that this order comes from the supreme commander, the former official said, referring to Kim Jong Un.

Local residents noticed when construction equipment and materials rolled into Kilju county at the beginning of this year, one county resident told RFA.

I dont know when the tunnel restoration of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site started, but it was in mid-February that we saw things like trucks and excavators loaded with rebar and wood and other construction materials entering the village at Punggye-ri, the Kilju resident said on condition of anonymity to speak freely.

The nuclear test site tunnels are located in the mountains, he said. As trucks loaded with construction materials and excavators are heading toward the tunnels in the mountains where the nuclear test site is located, it seems that the tunnel restoration started in earnest from mid-February.

The Kilju resident also said he had no idea where they were taking the debris after it was loaded at Chaedok rail station.

No one can go near the debris because it is so heavily guarded. If you take a tiny stone from the pile of rubble at the station, you can be treated as a spy and accused of trying to sell it  to hostile countries, he said.

The two sources both said they were able to see debris unloaded and loaded at the station from a distance of about 100 meters (109 yards) away.

RFA reported in March that movement had been detected in satellite imagery of the test site, and experts predicted the site could be completely restored in six months at the latest.

Of the four tunnels at the test site, all except the first, which was heavily damaged during North Koreas first nuclear test in 2006, could possibly be restored, Joseph Bermudez, a senior fellow for Imagery Analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told RFA in March.

Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
A worker gathers cotton yarn at a textile manufacturing plant, as seen during a government-organized trip for foreign journalists, in Aksu, northwestern China's Xinjiang region, April 20, 2021.

Hundreds of family members of detained Uyghur residents of a small community in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang region have been forced to work in local government-run factories, a source with knowledge of the situation and a local police officer said.

At least 100 residents from Sheyih Mehelle hamlet in Ghulja (in Chinese, Yining) county have been imprisoned by authorities, a security guard from the area told RFA in an earlier report. The hamlet has a population of more than 700 people and is part of Cholunqay village, which has more than 10,000 residents.

Authorities have been transporting their relatives, mostly women and some elderly men, by bus to the factories where they work 10-12 hours a day under the watch of staff assigned to oversee them, a source familiar with the situation said.

During the first two years of the detentions from 2017 to 2019, Chinese authorities forced the family members of those who had been incarcerated or taken to internment camps to attend political study sessions, the source said. But in the last three years, they have forced the hamlet residents to work in factories for monthly wages of 1,000-2,000 yuan (U.S. $157-$314).

China is believed to have held 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim Turkic minorities in the camps since 2017. Beijing has said that the camps are vocational training centers and has denied widespread and documented allegations that it has mistreated Muslims living in the region.

Authorities take the family members to factories in Yamachang on the outskirts of Ghulja city, a police officer in Cholunqay village said.

There are around 500 people working in that [place].  There are factories there that make clothes, socks and gloves, he said.

RFA previously reported that Yamachang comprised more than 20 internment camps set up in 2017 and 2018.

The officer, who said he did not know if the residents were paid for their work, told RFA that government officials are assigned to take the families of the detainees to the complex at 6 a.m. The residents are returned to the hamlet at 6 p.m. so they can take care of their children and elderly parents.

Besides the mostly women and a few elderly men who work at the complex, at least one ill resident has been forced to work there, he said.

They are mostly women and elderly, he said. Theres even one who is always ill.

They have school-age kids, and some have elderly to take care at home, he said. Thats why they are brought back in the evening.

Some of the hamlet residents are also working in factories in Aruz farm field, the police officer said.

The Chinese womens affairs director in Cholunqay village said that people who have graduated from re-education are among the laborers who work in the factories in Yamachang and at the Aruz farm fields.

Gulzire Awulqanqizi, an ethnic Kazakh Muslim who was held at the Dongmehle Re-education Camp in Ili Kazakh (in Chinese, Yili Hasake) Autonomous Prefectures Ghulja city from July 2017 to October 2018, told RFA that after her release, she had been forced to work at a glove factory in the Aruz farm fields.

The woman, who now lives in the U.S. state of Virginia, said authorities transported her by bus from her dormitory to the factory, where she received only 600 yuan a month for her work. When she returned home at the end of the day, she had to undertake political studies and was subjected to police interrogations.

We went to work from 7 a.m. onwards, and we had 40 minutes for lunch, she said. After the factory work, we went to our dormitories.

Translated by RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Chu Manh Son was arrested when he could not produce his passport.

From left to right, Vietnamese political dissidents Chu Manh Son, Nguyen Thi Luyen and Nguyen Van Them at the time of arrest by Thai authorities in Bangkok, April 8, 2022.

A Vietnamese political dissident granted refugee status by United Nations is being detained in an immigration detention center in Thailand and faces possible deportation, he told RFA on Monday.

Chu Manh Son said that authorities detained him on April 8 when he went to the headquarters of the Royal Thai Police in Bangkok to request a police report for an immigration application to relocate to Canada with his family members, who already have obtained U.N. refugee status.

Thai police asked Son to present his passport, but he did not have it as he was forced to flee Vietnam in 2017 after being sentenced by a court in Nghe An province to 30 months in prison for conducting propaganda against the state.

The authorities arrested Son with four other Vietnamese refugees when they went to police headquarters for the same reason, he said.

When I and my friends, Mr. Them and Ms. Luyen, went to the Judicial Department of Royal Thai Police to get our criminal records, they asked for my personal papers, he told RFA from the Immigration Detention Center (IDC). I gave them my U.N. card. Then they asked for my passport, but I did not have it.

Nguyen Van Them, Nguyen Thi Luyen and their two children  Nguyen Tien Dat, 16, and Philip Nguyen Nhat Nam, five months  did not have passports either, said Son.

After that, they asked us to stay and called the immigration police, he said, adding that the police accompanied the group to the IDC.

Vietnamese dissidents often flee to Thailand to avoid persecution by the government for political and religious reasons. But Thailand has not signed the U.N.s 1951 Refugee Convention, which prohibits sending refugees back to their home countries if they face threats to their life or freedom. People running to Thailand to escape persecution therefore face the risk of being arrested by immigration authorities and treated as illegal immigrants.

A day after their arrest, the five attended a court hearing during which they were charged with illegally residing in Thailand, Son said.

On the morning of April 9, the police accompanied us to a hearing during which we were fined 10,000 baht [U.S. $300] each, he said. I had to pay an extra 1,000 baht fine because I had entered the country illegally. After paying the fines, we were taken back to the IDC to wait for a deportation order.

Sons case in Vietnam also involved 14 young Catholics and Protestants. He said that his family left Vietnam and entered Thailand illegally in 2017 to avoid jail.

As a former political dissident chased by the Vietnamese police, if I am repatriated to Vietnam, I will face a very tough sentence, he said.

RFA has not been able to reach Thai authorities to find out if Son and the others will be deported.

The Refugee Protection Department of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Thailand declined to provide information on the five for confidentiality reasons.

Translated by Anna Vu for RFAs Vietnamese service. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
The document may serve as a historical evidence of physical acts of administration on the islands.

Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army Navy patrol on Woody Island, in the Paracel Archipelago, in a file photo.

New evidence has emerged that may help support Vietnams claims over the Paracel islands in the South China Sea, currently occupied by China.

A copy of a birth certificate issued in June 1940 claims that Mai Kim Quy, a girl, was born at 3 p.m. on Dec. 9, 1939, on Pattle Island to Mai Xuan Tap, a Vietnamese meteorologist and his wife, Nguyen Thi Thang.

The paper was witnessed by Nguyen Tang Chuan, a medical doctor, and Do Duc Mui, head of the local radio communication station.

As such, it indicates that French Indochina, of which Vietnam was part, had administration of the island and Vietnamese people worked there. That could be significant evidence as claimants to disputed features in the South China Sea may seek to show they were the first to have an official presence there.

Pattle is a coral island, part of the Crescent Island group of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. It served as the main base for the colonial-era French Indochinese and later, South Vietnamese occupation of the Paracels.

Vietnam, Taiwan and China all claim sovereignty over the entire Paracel archipelago but China has occupied it since 1974.

Peaceful life

During the 1930s, the French colonial government built some infrastructure including a weather station, a medical facility and a post office on Pattle Island.

Mai Xuan Tap, father of Mai Kim Quy, was among the civilians sent there to man the weather station when it was first set up in 1938. He brought with him his wife and two daughters, Mai Thi Phi, then two years old, and a newly born baby, Mai Thi Phuong.

The eldest daughter, Mai Thi Phi, who is now 86 and lives in Ho Chi Minh City, said: Our family lived in Pattle four years, from 1938 to 1941. My sister Mai Kim Quy was born there.

Unfortunately Quy died in 1942 after we returned to the mainland.

Our life on Pattle Island was quiet and peaceful. The Vietnamese living there were mainly civil servants working at the weather station, the post office and the hospital, Phi recalled.

We had never seen any Chinese person on the island during the whole time we were there, she said.

Mai Xuan Tap died in 1983, his wife died much earlier in 1954. After returning to Saigon, the couple had seven more children including three sons and four daughters.

The birth certificate of Mai Kim Quy was passed to the eldest son, Mai Xuan Phu, for safekeeping.

My family has donated the birth certificate to the Vietnamese foreign ministry, said Mai Thi Phi.

The ministry said this is a valuable document that can play an important role in defending the countrys territorial claims in the South China Sea, she added.

The birth certificate issued in June 1940 by the French colonial authority on Pattle Island in the Paracels for Mai Kim Quy. Her parents were a Vietnamese meteorologist and his wife. Credit: Mai Xuan Tap family.

Useful evidence

The Paracel archipelago is now occupied and fully controlled by China, with the biggest feature  Woody Island  being extensively developed. China has also carried out land reclamations and substantial upgrades of its military infrastructure there, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Yet disputes remain over the islands ownership.

Contested territorial claims are hard to verify, especially because until the 20th century, there was no permanent military nor civilian presence of any country there.

China, Vietnam and Taiwan all have ample historical documents to back up their claims, including maps, declarations and different materials.

Vietnam, which was part of French Indochina, said the troops of Annam (the then-name of colonial Vietnam), and after that, civilian administrators, set up base on the Paracels before anybody else.

Mai Kim Quys birth certificate may serve as a historical evidence of physical acts of administration on the Paracel islands, said Bill Hayton, associate fellow in the Asia-Pacific Program at Chatham House, an independent U.K. think tank.

My argument would be that this [the birth certificate] doesnt swing the argument decisively but it is very useful evidence that Annam was in effective occupation of some of the Paracels at that time, Hayton said.

If the case ever went to a tribunal of some kind, the Chinese would put forward their own evidence and the judges would decide which case was stronger.

Such cases arent decided by vague claims or printing names on maps but on proving that a state had administrative control over a feature - and registering a birth on the island to a civil servant is quite strong evidence of that, the British analyst said.

His argument, however, is being rejected by some historians who point out that Chinas stance would be to stick to historical claims.

The French Government stated at the time that they only occupied the Paracels before any other Power did so, meaning Japan. This was widely reported in the press, said Mark Hoskin, an independent researcher and lecturer on Chinas maritime history and law.

This action was taken because the Japanese had occupied Hainan and implemented a blockade of the Southern Chinese coastline. Japan was threatening France due to the transport of arms via Indochina to China.

So the French occupation of the Paracel islands had strategic and military reasoning, but was not sovereignty related. The French statements themselves negate any potential for a sovereignty claim, Hoskin added.
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
Marriott International has reinforced its commitment to developing local talent in Saudi Arabia by launching its fourth iteration of the Tahseen leadership programme.

The 12-month programme, designed in partnership with Cornell University, aims to develop the next generation of hospitality leaders. This years programme in Saudi Arabia, which also includes Bahraini nationals, will feature more than 37 new participants.

Francisca Martines, Chief Human Resources Officer, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International, said: Our commitment to investing in young local talent to ensure the success of the kingdoms travel and tourism sector is unwavering. We are excited to launch the fourth edition of Tahseen in Saudi Arabia and look forward to developing the next group of hospitality leaders in the kingdom. We are also delighted to see the continuous career advancement of those leaders who previously graduated from the programme in the kingdom despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic.

Partnering with Cornell University

In partnership with Cornell University, the fourth year of Tahseen in the kingdom will see 37 participants go through a unique and highly individualised 12-month programme focused on practical application across all departments as well as an in-depth understanding of leadership skills led by teams across Marriotts participating hotels.

Tahseen provides candidates with operational experience and theoretical training, empowering them with the knowledge, skills and expertise to accelerate in leadership roles within the industry.

Tahseen recently celebrated the graduation of its 2021 class, which saw 46 graduates, of which nearly half were women, step into leadership within their respective hotels and in the department of their choice.

110 graduates

Since its inception in 2018, more than 110 candidates have graduated from the Tahseen programme in Saudi Arabia and moved into roles within Marriott Internationals properties in the kingdom.

To date, more than 75% of the graduates remain employed at a Marriott International hotel and have progressed in their careers across the kingdom in managerial, supervisor and director roles across functions such as Sales, Human Resources, Food & Beverage, Marketing, Finance and Operations.

The Tahseen programme supports Saudi Arabias National Tourism Strategy, which aims to create a thriving industry that will provide new employment prospects to a generation of Saudis.

Vision 2030

The strategy works alongside the kingdoms Vision 2030 reforms, which aim to create one million jobs in the tourism sector, attract 100 million visitors annually, and shape the tourism sector to contribute to 10% of the countrys GDP by 2030.

Tahseens recent graduates and new candidates shared their thoughts on the programme and its impact on their careers.

Abdulrahman Al Hadi joined Marriott International as a Telephone Operator. Since graduating from the Tahseen programme in 2018, he has moved on to become the Director of Sales at Four Points by Sheraton Jeddah. Looking back at his journey, Al Hadi said: Taking part in the Tahseen programme allowed my career to grow exponentially. I was able to work my way up from Telephone Operator at the Le Meriden Al Hada to working on important commercial accounts, thanks to the business and communication skills I acquired during the programme. In addition, rotating between departments was the best experience, as it helped me understand how my decisions can impact various departments.

Tools and resources

Najd Alruwaili, Executive Assistant at The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, who will be a candidate in this years programme said: I am thrilled to be a part of such an incredible programme that will offer me the tools and resources I need to succeed in hospitality. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues in the different departments and learning how each department contributes to the hotels overall success.

Tahseen is a programme that falls under Marriott Internationals Sustainability and Social Impact Platform, Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction, which guides how the company makes a positive and sustainable impact wherever it does business.

From empowerment opportunities to sustainable hotel development, the platform is designed to foster business growth while balancing the needs of associates, customers, owners, the environment and communities.

One of the priority areas, or coordinates, of Serve 360 is Empower Through Opportunity. Tahseen is a programme that directly supports and brings this vision to life.-- TradeArabia News Service
Ukrainian authorities exhumed dozens of bodies from mass graves in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha for forensic tests and to prepare them for proper burial. There is strong evidence that Russian forces committed war crimes in the town. The head of Ukraine's National Police told RFE/RL on April 8 that many victims were shot in the temple at point-blank range. (WARNING: Viewers may find the content of this video disturbing.)
2 " Literally on the second day after the war began, Kazakhs initiated a collection of assistance for the people of Ukraine from the people of Kazakhstan under the slogan, ' We Are Together, Ukraine," said Valeria Samoylova, the press secretary of the Ukrainian Embassy in Kazakhstan.



On April 8, we sent two trucks with humanitarian aid that will reach Ukraine by land, bypassing the Russian Federation. Of course, they will have to travel for two to three weeks, Samoylova said . "In total, about 170 tons of humanitarian aid were sent from Kazakhstan, including seven trucks and many flights. So we feel huge support and we are very grateful for it."



She said the aid is sent to Ukraine mainly through Poland and Hungary.
ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- A court in Kazakhstan has allowed the early release of an opposition activist who was sentenced to five years in prison in October on extremism-related charges that he and his supporters have rejected.

Qairat Qylyshev's lawyer, Shynquat Baizhanov, told RFE/RL on April 11 that the decision by the Qapshaghai city court will take force in 10 days unless the ruling is appealed by prosecutors. Details of the ruling were not immediately disclosed.

Qylyshev and three other opposition activists were sentenced to five years in prison in October after a court found them guilty of having links with the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) and the Koshe party.

During their trial, the defendants claimed they only participated in peaceful protests and exercised their constitutionally protected rights.

Many activists across the Central Asian nation have been handed lengthy prison terms or parole-like restricted freedom sentences in recent years for their involvement in the activities of DVK and the Koshe party and for taking part in the rallies organized by the two groups.

DVK is led by Mukhtar Ablyazov, the fugitive former head of Kazakhstans BTA Bank and an outspoken critic of the Kazakh government. Kazakh authorities labeled DVK extremist and banned the group in March 2018.

Human Rights Watch earlier this year criticized the Kazakh government for using anti-extremism laws as a tool to persecute critics and civic activists. Several hundred people have been prosecuted for membership of the Koshe party.

The Kazakh authorities have insisted there are no political prisoners in the Central Asian country.
A fresh diplomatic effort by Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer offered little hope of a de-escalation of the war in Ukraine, where officials say Russia is poised to unleash a massive offensive as Moscow shifts its focus to seizing territory from its neighbor's eastern regions.

Austria's leader told reporters after meeting with President Vladimir Putin on April 11 that he was pessimistic about the success of negotiations and described Putin as having "massively entered into a logic of war."

"I generally have no optimistic impression that I can report to you from this conversation with President Putin," said Nehammer, the first EU leader to meet Putin face-to-face since the war began. "The offensive [in eastern Ukraine] is evidently being prepared on a massive scale."

Russia is believed to be preparing for a potentially decisive showdown that experts say could start within days with a full-scale offensive. The goal is believed to be connecting occupied Crimea with territory in the southeast occupied by Moscow-backed separatist in the area known as the Donbas.

"We forecast that active combat will begin in these areas in the nearest time," Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said.

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.

A key city in the region, Mariupol, once home to more than 400,000 people, has been under assault since the start of Russias invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

If Russia finally captures it, it could link troops advancing from the east with those in Crimea and shift their focus to a new attempt to encircle Ukrainian forces in the east.

Valeriy Zaluzhniy, commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, insisted Mariupol's defenders were still holding out.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address to South Korean lawmakers that Mariupol has been destroyed and tens of thousands people have been killed there. The number has not been independently confirmed.

A separatist leader in Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, told Russia's RIA news agency that more than 5,000 people may have been killed in Mariupol. He said Ukrainian forces were responsible.

The number of people leaving the city has fallen because Russian forces had slowed pre-departure checks, Petro Andryushchenko, an aide to the mayor of Mariupol, said on Telegram.

Zelenskiy said late on April 11 in a video message to the nation thatUkraine could unblock Mariupol if it received enough heavy weapons.

"Unfortunately, we are not getting as much as we need to end this war sooner. To completely destroy the enemy on our land, and to fulfill those tasks that are obvious to...our people. In particular, to unblock Mariupol," he said. "If we got planes and enough heavy armored vehicles, the necessary artillery, we could do it."

Weekend strikes hampered evacuations in and around another major city, Kharkiv, close to Ukraines northeastern border with Russia, which has been under bombardment for weeks.

Authorities in Kharkiv warned people not to go near what they said were landmines being dropped on the city. Security forces cordoned off an area as they cleared a number of the small devices scattered on residential streets.

Earlier, authorities issued a warning that Russian forces had been dropping what they said were parachute bombs on Kharkiv.

U.S. President Joe Biden held a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 11 to ask him not to accelerate purchases of Russian oil.

Biden, who is seeking to build a wider coalition of nations opposed to Russias unprovoked attack on Ukraine, told Modi during an hourlong video call on April 11 that India's position in the world would not be enhanced by relying on Russian energy sources.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Russia was responsible for the escalating global food crisis because of its bombing of wheat stocks and preventing ships from carrying grain abroad.

And the World Trade Organization cautioned separately that the war could almost halve global trade growth this year.

The United Nations on April 11 heard accounts of rape and violence by Russian forces.

Kateryna Cherepakha, president of La Strada-Ukraine, said the rights group's emergency hotlines had received calls accusing Russian soldiers of nine cases of rape, involving 12 women and girls.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg," she told the UN Security Council, according to Reuters. "We know and see -- and we want you to hear our voices -- that violence and rape is used now as a weapon of war by Russian invaders in Ukraine."

Russia's deputy UN ambassador denied the allegations and accused Ukraine and allies of "a clear intention to present Russian soldiers as sadists and rapists."

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP
By all accounts, Russias war on Ukraine isnt going well.

The estimated death toll among Russian soldiers is about the same as Soviet losses for the entire 10-year Afghan war. Russian forces have failed to achieve strategic goals such as taking Ukraines capital, Kyiv, or the major port city of Mariupol. More than two-thirds of Russias battalion tactical groups -- its basic fighting units -- have been deployed. Its forces have been plagued by major interoperability and communication failures.

Another big item on the list of problems: satellites -- there are too few of them, and too few with high-quality capabilities.

According to experts and open-source information compiled by RFE/RL, Russia has long been saddled with a small and inadequate fleet of communications and surveillance satellites that in many cases rely on either outdated technology or imported parts that are now harder to come by due to Western sanctions.

Ukraine has no satellite fleet of its own. But it has benefited greatly not only from the unprecedented amount of weaponry and military equipment that the United States has supplied, but also from an unprecedented amount of intelligence, including real-time data on Russian troop movements.

Its unclear if that includes high-resolution imagery from spy satellites.

But in any case, a proliferation of Western technological developments has resulted in an explosion of high-quality, real-time satellite imagery available not only to military intelligence but also private, commercial companies. Russia has virtually none of that.

In principle, Russia is already practically blind in orbit, " said Bart Hendrix, a Brussels-based analyst and expert on Soviet and Russian space programs.

According to a database maintained by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a respected U.S. nongovernmental organization, Russia currently has around 100 military or dual-purpose satellites. Nineteen of them are classified as remote sensing satellites, with technology allowing either optical photography or radio signal surveillance. The others serve other purposes.

Resolution Matters

Russia has two optical reconnaissance satellites in orbit now, called Persona, Hendrix said, but they were launched between seven and nine years ago, meaning they may be near the end of their working life.

Adding further to the problem: The maximum resolution of the Persona satellites is believed to be 50 centimeters per pixel, Hendrix said.

By comparison, the best American spy satellites, called Keyhole, are estimated to have a resolution of around 5 centimeters per pixel. At that resolution, the letter V which is being painted on the roofs of Russian military vehicles operating in Ukraine would be easily and clearly visible from the typical altitude where a spy satellite was orbiting.

Commercial satellite companies like Maxar and Planet typically have a maximum resolution of around 15 centimeters.

The Americans have at least five Keyhole-12 satellites, the Italians, the French and the Spaniards have their own satellites, there are an order of magnitude more, Hendrix told RFE/RL.

Russia has also lagged behind in building and deploying remote-sensing satellites whose radars can see through cloud cover, unlike optical satellites.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists database, Russia has only one confirmed radar satellite in operation, called Kondor. It was launched in 2014, and with an expected lifespan of five years, it may have already ceased to be operational.

In February, Russias space forces launched another satellite, dubbed Kosmos-2553 or Neutron. Little is known about its purpose or capabilities, though it was built by Mashinostroyeniye, a Moscow military research institute which specializes specifically in radar-sensing satellites.

If Neutron is a radar satellite, then this is the first such launch in almost 10 years, Hendrix said.

"In terms of radar satellites, Russia also lags behind NATO by an order of magnitude," he said.

GPS, GLONASS

The worlds most dominant system for positioning technology is the U.S.-built platform known simply as the Global Positioning System, or GPS.

The technology is publicly available, and widely used in everything from navigation systems to handheld smartphones. But because it is owned and operated by the U.S. government, Russia has long chafed at the system, and sought to build an alternative, known as GLONASS.

But for the GLONASS network to be fully functional, it needs 24 satellites. Russia currently has only 23 deployed, and several of them are nearing the end of their lifespan in orbit.

Russia has struggled to build and launch new units for the GLONASS network in part because of the Western sanctions imposed on Moscow for its seizure of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

Experts said up to 90 percent of the electronics -- which need to be resistant to space radiation that can quickly destroy sensitive equipment -- used in the next generation GLONASS K-1 satellites are imported. Russia has tried to design and manufacture homegrown replacement parts, but the result was a satellite that was twice as heavy as the previous models and it has yet to be launched into orbit.

"Half of the GLONASS satellites can fall out [of orbit] at any moment. In principle, the failure of the first three or four will only affect the accuracy in a certain area. But for normal coverage of the territory of Russia, about 18 units are needed, said one expert who worked in Russian and European aerospace industry and asked to remain anonymous to discuss sensitive industry matters.

"If the launch trend is not fundamentally changed, the GLONASS system will fall apart over the next few years, he said.

Further complicating matters: Russias next generation of military launch rockets -- the heavy-lift Angara 5 -- has been plagued by problems. It has been used in only three launches since 2014.

Data Overload

Another problem is data processing, according to Pavel Podvig, an expert on Russian armed forces and a senior fellow at the UN Institute for Disarmament Research in Geneva.

Its one thing to have satellites, its another thing to be able to use them. You need a system that will allow you to quickly transfer information from satellites to the right people who will process it and transfer it to people responsible, for example, for target designation, he said.

The fact that Russia has some satellites still flying does not mean that such a system exists, and if it exists, in the case of Russia it is difficult to say how good or bad it is, Podvig added.

Even the Americans arent able to cope with this task, he said. I don't see any evidence that Russia is successfully solving this task in the war with Ukraine."

Written by Mike Eckel based on reporting by Mark Krutov and Sergei Dobrynin of RFE/RLs Russian Service.
With the war in Ukraine in its seventh week and Moscow pressing its campaign more forcefully in the east and south, fighting could become more brutal as the guerrilla-style tactics Ukrainians used around Kyiv to repel Russian forces shift to a more conventional battle of military might.

The Kremlin's calculus also appears to be shifting.

Having fully withdrawn from the Kyiv region, Moscow is hoping to salvage its campaign by focusing on the Donbas, where war has raged since 2014 following Russian President Vladimir Putins illegal annexation of Crimea and moves by Russia-backed separatists to seize territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on April 9 that a difficult battle lies ahead in the east and that Russia was massing troops and equipment for a major offensive.

The prospect of the bloodiest fight so far in the war also comes as the unprecedented sanctions placed on Russia by Western nations are failing to halt its military campaign.

With no indications that financial leverage is slowing the Russian war effort, Western governments are now increasing the supply of heavy weaponry to Ukraine as it prepares for fighting that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said would more closely resemble battles from World War II, with thousands of tanks, aircraft, and armored vehicles involved.

RFE/RL spoke with Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies at King's College London and author of The Future Of War, to get a better understanding of what this new stage of the conflict will look like.

RFE/RL: We are now seeing the Russians concentrating their campaign in the east and south. Should we expect to see a Russian military encountering similar supply and logistical issues as it did elsewhere in Ukraine? How might this phase of the war be different than the first?

Lawrence Freedman: Well, [the Russians] shouldn't have the same sort of issues as they did in the rest of Ukraine because they are able to supply from Russia through the [separatist] enclaves or through Crimea. The distances are obviously not so great for them. However, so long as they're on the offensive, they will face issues.

There's an assumption that they wish to encircle the big number of Ukrainian troops in the Donbas area, but while [Russia is] on the offensive I think they're going to have similar problems of vulnerability to the high-tech guerrilla tactics [that] the Ukrainians have been adopting, [which is] basically picking off tanks and supply lines with anti-tank weapons and drones.

[But] as soon as you start to move to more of a heavy offensive, then it becomes a very different sort of war. I expect much more artillery [to be involved], which is why I think [Kyiv] is hoping to get more of that from NATO. [This could make the war] possibly more attritional. It's obviously already been attritional [for] the Ukrainian people and [military].

You shouldn't understate the Ukrainian losses [so far]. We actually don't know as much about them as we know about Russian losses [and] this could become an [even more] brutal war in the coming days and weeks.

As with almost anything about this war, one also always has to qualify [that it] has been full of surprises and that [events] can take strange turns and armies -- even one that was quite disciplined in their own way [previously], like Russias -- can be quite brittle and can break if the pressure becomes too much.

So, I think the best assumption is that we're in for an [initial] stage where Russia tries to consolidate its position. If it fails to do that, then the Ukrainians will go on the offensive sooner [than expected]. Either way, they'll have to go on the offensive [at some point] and then that will be a tougher and harder campaign [than weve seen before].

RFE/RL: With that in mind, what are the major strategic choices the Russian high command and Ukrainian high command might be weighing right now, especially when we're looking at the south and the east?

Freedman: Well, I think the Russians have really got to work out how many lines of advance they still want because that's where it went wrong right from the start when they attacked on too many axes and their forces got too distributed, especially as they had to use the road network.

At the moment they seem to be pushing out in a number of areas, particularly around Kharkiv, where they've had some more success than they've had elsewhere. But they've really got to work out [whether] they are going to prioritize certain areas and really focus hard on them or are they going to keep on pushing in a number of areas with perhaps some ideas for a pincer movement and encirclement [of Ukrainian forces].

I think the more [the Russians] try to move in different areas at once, the more problems theyll have. The Ukrainians, who have strategically been much shrewder and more careful so far, [will] also have to prioritize. The first priority is to carry on blunting Russian offensives, which I think they're largely doing at the moment, but theyll certainly have to watch the one [happening] near Kharkiv. But also, there are opportunities that are opening up to encircle some Russian forces and that will be tempting and, in some cases, the temptation is worth following.

RFE/RL: Do you see a chance of following what look like opportunities and being led into blunders? Is there real risk of chasing what looks an attractive attack and getting bogged down?

Freedman: There is a risk, but so far we have to say that the Ukrainian high command has played this very well.

I think the biggest problem they will have is something you can see in most wars where one side appears to have lost in a particular battle, [which is] that you've always got to keep your eye on the artillery. The sort of things you can do with drones and anti-tank weapons can be impressive enough, but at some point you're going to need the heavier guns and the Russians have got them.

So I think that's going to be one focus of the fighting from now on.

RFE/RL: Given that Ukraine may be outgunned in that respect, how decisive could Western arm shipments be in tilting the scales more in Ukraines favor?

Freedman: Quite properly, the NATO countries are not talking too much about what [weapons] they're delivering -- or when and where -- but they did say that they understood the need for heavier weapons.

Were seeing tanks coming from the Czechs and the British are providing harpoon anti-ship missiles, which could actually be quite a big deal if they use them and start to sink major Russian vessels. Depending on the numbers and depending on how they get there, and that they're not interrupted by Russian interdiction, this will make a difference.

But this is a very greedy war in terms of equipment and material. Both sides are going to need supplies to be coming in all the time and I'm just not sure what the situation is on the Russian side.

We've tended to talk about their logistical problems more in terms of actually getting the stuff to the front, but its clear there are [supply] shortages too. There's talk of them running out of smart bombs -- precision guided weapons -- for their aircraft, which is one reason that their air force hasn't been as effective as it [was] expected [to be] in supporting the army. So, shortages do have an effect and both sides have to pace themselves to a degree with that in mind.

RFE/RL: Do you think that we have any clarity about what an endgame might look like for the Kremlin, especially given that U.S. intelligence officials have said that Putin wants to have some sort of success to sell the public for the Victory Day parade on May 9?

Freedman: I think not having something by May 9 would be embarrassing for Putin, but I don't think that it will be decisive. Whatever the situation becomes, theyll deal with it, but [May 9] is a factor in their calculations.

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.

If the Russians declare some sort of cease-fire, the Ukrainians may accept a truce for a while, but they don't have to stop their military preparations and so on and so forth. It seems to me there's a lot of risk with cease-fires that don't actually stabilize the situation and that's something the Russians could try even if they feel that they're being pushed back. They may try it just because its better to stick with what they've got than to wait a bit and have even less.

I think it's very difficult to know what the Russians want, to be honest. Donetsk and Luhansk in their classical borders? Yes, I suppose that could be it. Something that stretches from Kharkiv to Odesa? Well, they might have liked that, but I think that would be extremely hard to achieve now.

To me, there's always been this question of what does [the Kremlin] actually think they're going to do with this territory now? They've battered it and pummeled it, they've murdered [civilians] within it, whatever assumptions they may have had about this being a Russophile part of Ukraine, it isnt anymore.

So, what actually is the plan? Do they really intend to annex an area [in defiance of] the international community in ways that would ensure that the war continued in one way or another [and] that sanctions stayed in place? Even if they could get Zelenskiy to agree to that, which I doubt, that doesnt necessarily settle anything.

There are some suggestions that what [Putin] is trying to do now is take out as much infrastructure and civil society as [possible] and that he has this view that if [he] can't have Ukraine, then Ukrainians cant have it either. Thats [the only explanation] that adds up because otherwise the way this war is being conducted is grotesquely at odds with what the [Kremlin] says its objectives are.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
More than 40 people were killed during the Russian occupation of Andriyivka, near Kyiv, which has now been liberated by the Ukrainian Army. Locals recall a man being summarily shot after photos of Russian military vehicles were found on his phone -- and meeting Russian troops who said they were looking for "Nazis."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says his country needs more help from abroad if it is to survive the unprovoked war launched against it by Russia as Moscow intensifies its assault on eastern Ukraine.

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.

Speaking to South Korean lawmakers via video link on April 11, Zelenskiy said Russia will not stop the invasion it launched in late February unless it is forced to do so by the international community.

He added that Russia is now concentrating tens of thousands of troops for its next offensive on the eastern part of the country, after destroying massive amounts of infrastructure around Ukraine, including at least 300 health-care facilities.

Russian forces continue to push their offensive to establish control over the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, a key target whose capture would link up areas of Russian control to the west and east.

"Mariupol has been destroyed. There are tens of thousands of dead, but even despite this, the Russians are not stopping their offensive," Zelenskiy said in his address to South Korean lawmakers. Zelenskiy's figures could not be confirmed.

Zelenskiy said late on April 11 in a video message to the nation that Ukraine could unblock Mariupol if it received enough heavy weapons.



"Unfortunately, we are not getting as much as we need to end this war sooner. To completely destroy the enemy on our land, and to fulfill those tasks that are obvious to...our people. In particular, to unblock Mariupol," he said. "If we got planes and enough heavy armored vehicles, the necessary artillery, we could do it."

Britains Defense Ministry said on April 11 that Russian forces continued shelling into the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, while Ukrainian forced repelled several assaults, destroying Russian tanks, vehicles, and artillery equipment.

In the face of the ratcheting up of operations by Moscow, the international community continues to seek a cease-fire.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer says he held "direct, open, and hard" talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

A statement from Nehammer's office said the meeting in the Russian capital on April 11, which lasted just over an hour, was not "a visit of friendship."

"I mentioned the serious war crimes in Bucha and other locations and stressed that all those responsible have to be brought to justice," Nehammer said in the statement.

Nehammers statement said the Austrian chancellor also told Putin "very clearly" that Western sanctions against Russia "will remain and be intensified as long as people keep dying in Ukraine."

He also warned of the "urgent" need for humanitarian corridors "to bring water and food into besieged towns and (to) remove women, children and the injured."

Meanwhile, foreign ministers from the EU are meeting in Luxembourg with International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan over possible war crimes being committed by Russian troops. Moscow says it has not targeted civilians, but evidence is mounting of atrocities committed in several areas of the country.

Speaking as he arrived for the meeting, the bloc's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, told reporters that "sanctions are always on the table."

Zelenskiy said that at least 300 health-care facilities alone have been hit by Russian attacks, while international outrage continues as more video appears from the town of Bucha, where hundreds of bodies, many with their hands bound and with signs of torture, were found after the Russian retreat. Russia has falsely claimed the scenes in Bucha were staged.

Adding to the fury, a Russian air strike last week on a train station in Kramatorsk that was crowded with civilians looking to flee the fighting killed dozens.

About one-quarter of Ukraine's 44 million people have been forced from their homes, cities turned into rubble, and thousands of people killed or injured -- many of them civilians.

Maxar Technologies on April 10 published satellite images showing a Russian military convoy stretching some 13 kilometers headed south in Ukraine toward the Donbas region as the Kremlin concentrates its fighting capacity in the east.

The convoy may be headed toward Izyum, a town in Ukraines Kharkiv region that Russian forces control. Izyum is located near the border with the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where some of the most intense fighting has been taking place.

Russia is refocusing its military attack on the Donbas, which encompasses Ukraines eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, after facing setbacks in other areas of the country, including Kyiv and Sumy.

Ahead of the expected offensive, the Kremlin tapped Army General Aleksandr Dvornikov, who commands Russias forces in the southern military district, to lead the war in Ukraine.

Putin may now be trying to concentrate forces to take control of the Donbas and declare victory by early May, ahead of a national holiday that celebrates the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, according to U.S. officials.

His decision to appoint Dvornikov, 60, as the new commander of the Ukraine campaign may be a further indication Russia plans a large-scale offensive in the east, analysts said.



The general has a notorious reputation for his conduct of the war in Syria, where Russia bombed civilian districts. Putin awarded Dvornikov the Hero of Russia medal, one of the countrys highest awards, for his work in Syria.
The United States has imposed sanctions on seven people in four Balkan countries, accusing them of threatening the stability of the region through corruption, criminal activity, and other actions.

The U.S. Treasury Department on April 11 announced the sanctions in anews release naming the seven people -- two each from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and North Macedonia, and one from Montenegro.

The people designated today constitute a serious threat to regional stability, institutional trust, and the aspirations of those seeking democratic and judicious governance in the Western Balkans, said Brian E. Nelson, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

Among those sanctioned are Svetozar Marovic, former deputy president of the Montenegro Democratic Party of Socialists and former president of the Serbia and Montenegro common state. Marovic was arrested in 2015 by Montenegro authorities over suspected involvement in corruption relating to construction projects.

Marovic signed two plea deals in 2016 admitting to all the corruption charges against him but fled to Serbia before serving a sentence of multiple years in prison and returning more than $1 million to the state.

After the sanctions were announced, the U.S. Embassy in Podgorica called on Marovic to return to Montenegro and face justice.

"We hope today's actions will further galvanize [Montenegrin] authorities to tackle corruption. We know the public demands it," Ambassador Judy Rising Reinke said on Twitter.

The Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on Aqif Rakipi, a former member of parliament from Albania; Ylli Ndroqi, a media owner whose assets were seized by the Albanian government; and Bosnian officials Asim Sarajlic and Gordana Tadic.

Rakipi has long been involved in organized crime and has been a destabilizing influence on political processes in Albania, the department said, alleging that organized crime groups in Albania have offered money, gifts, or promises of jobs or concessions in return for votes for their preferred political party.

Rakipi lost his seat in Albanias parliament in 2018 after prosecutors confirmed his role in criminal activity under an alias.

Ndroqi used media outlets formerly under his control to extort and blackmail Albanian citizens and facilitated bribes on behalf of an entity seeking to do business in Albania, Treasury said without specifying the entity.

Sarajlic is a member of the Bosnian parliament and was until recently a high-ranking official in the Party of Democratic Action (SDA). Sarajlic has been indicted for abuse of office and influence peddling, and has abused his position in relation to BH Telecom, a large state-owned enterprise, the Treasury Department said.

Tadic was removed from her position as chief prosecutor following her failure to assign cases to prosecutors using an automated case distribution system designed to prevent decisions based on personal or political reasons. In addition, she reportedly used her position to promote her own personal and familial interests, Treasury said.

Tadic told RFE/RL's Balkan Service that she had not been informed about the sanctions and that she was surprised and disappointed.

"What kind of corruption? I don't know where [the allegations] came from," she said. "I work honestly," she added.

The Treasury Department also sanctioned Nikola Gruevski, the former prime minister of North Macedonia, and Sasho Mijalkov, the former chief of counterintelligence.

Gruevski has been convicted and remains a suspect in numerous cases of corruption and has been accused of abuse of money laundering and other offenses related to his time as prime minister from 2006 to 2016, the Treasury Department said.

"He has continuously evaded capture for his 2018 conviction by a court in North Macedonia on corruption related charges, which represents a serious setback for accountability for corruption and corruption-related activities in North Macedonia." the department said.

The Treasury Departments actions freeze any U.S. assets of the designated individuals and generally bars Americans from dealing with them.

In a separate statement on April 11, the U.S. State Department sanctioned Gruevski, Mijalkov, and Tadic, also accusing them of various corruption-related activities, and banned them from entering the United States.

After a meeting in Berlin with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for Western Balkan countries' efforts to join the EU to be accelerated.

"My impression is that we are living in a new era and it also has to do with the Russian aggression" in Ukraine, Scholz said at a joint news conference with Rama.

The need to seek common positions within the EU has been reinforced, he said, and that is why "the moment is favorable for the advancement" of the Western Balkans' accession process, he added.

With reporting by Reuters
Condolences on the Death of Joe Garcia Snr

'Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar notes with great sadness the death of highly respected journalist and Panorama proprietor and Editor, Joe Garcia Snr.'

The Cabinet as a whole expresses it's sincere condolences to the Deputy Chief Minister of Gibraltar, the Hon Dr Joseph Garcia CMG MP, and to his family, especially to Mr Garcia's widow, Mrs Garcia and his daughter Mrs Baldachino, as well as their wider family.

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo QC MP, said: "In paying tribute to Joe I think everyone will agree that he was a brilliant journalist who lived through the defining periods of the establishment and success of the modern Gibraltarian and that he had a big stake and role to play in that in the more than half a century contribution he has leaves to the making of our nation.

"From securing the first interview with a Spanish foreign minister in the Spanish Foreign Ministry in Madrid, to attendance at rounds of Brussels and other talks, he was a pioneer who, for many years was one of the few who could set the political agenda through his incisive journalism and his scoops from a wide range of sources.

"As a result of his reputation, his brand of Gibraltarian journalism was greatly sought after outside of Gibraltar also. His articles on Gibraltar appeared in publications as diverse as El Pais andt he Financial Times to name only two of the many that his byline graced over the decades.

"The remarkable accuracy of his polling methods also gained the Panormana poll a peerless and fearsome reputation amongst political parties, whose political fortunes could be as affected by the result of a Panorama poll as they could by the result of a General Election."

Aside from Panorama, Joe also established and run MedSun, one of the few Gibraltarian publishers.

"He was a sounding board for Chief Ministers, starting with Sir Joshua and right through to me and his remarkable contribution to journalism and public life in Gibraltar was recognised by Her Majesty The Queen in the grant to him of the MBE, the first such recognition granted by Her Majesty to a Gibraltarian journalist.

"In the early 90's he agreed to lead a political party, which came to be known as the Gibraltar National Party,made up of rebellious young people. That party containedt oday's Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for Tourism as well as the Leader of the Opposition and Opposition spokesperson for Tourism. Although I was still a law student in 1991 and not a candidate, I will always remember my training with him on campaigning and how the media would interpret the party positions we were defending.

"Joe withdrew from frontline politics at the end of that campaign that was announced on the very same day that we had launched the GNP. When we met in later life we would always share a happy reference and laugh about those early political moments.

"We are all truly saddened to say goodbye to Joe Garcia Snr today and are grateful for his body of work that will live on in the Gibraltar Archives in his work for Panorama, The Post and all the national and international contributions he has made to journalism principally on the subject of his beloved Gibraltar and the rights of its people to determine their own political future for themselves.

"Rest in Peace Joe, dear friend and great Gibraltarian."
Roanoke Rapids, NC (27870)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 67F. WSW winds shifting to NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Showers this evening becoming less numerous overnight. Low near 45F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
A group of Chaloner Middle School students who call themselves the Wind Breakers presented their wind turbine prototype Friday at The Center of Energy Education in Roanoke Rapids as part of the Kid Wind Renewable Energy Challenge.

The event was sponsored in part by James Madison University, Dominion Energy and CEE.

The students have been meeting after school, during lunch, and other times to come up with a wind turbine that would generate enough energy to power a lightbulb using some basic household items.

Students include: Sawyer Williams, Jeremy Roberts, Musa Gwanzura, Gabriel Lyles, Bryce Manning, and Christian Burnett.



https://www.rrspin.com/news/5777-chaloner-students-present-wind-turbine-prototype-at-energy-challenge.html#sigProId28749bd614 View the embedded image gallery online at:

They made some of their blades out of some plastic bins and have been working to perfect the angles and velocity at which they turn. Im really proud of how quickly they pulled this together for todays event, said Shannon Dickinson, AIG instructor.

Renewable energy is the direction our country is moving. Im excited for our students. We were given a head start on building ours as a way of encouraging other local schools to get on board and participate in the challenge, said Jenny Shives, AIG coordinator .

Roanoke Rapids Early College High School and other area schools also participated in the challenge using a kit provided by the sponsoring organizations.

Students were tasked with building a wind turbine and then tested it in a wind tunnel to see how much energy their turbine produced.

Director of operations for Dominion Energy's Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project Michael Lundsgaard said Dominion plans to build 176 turbines off the Virginia Beach coast beginning in 2024. Were starting now by doing these challenges to get students excited about jobs in the industry. As coal and oil units phase out in the years to come, we will need technicians and other skilled workers to manage these turbines, he said.

Chaloner Middle plans to compete in the Virginia state competition April 23.
Against the background of the implementation of the Trade and Logistics Services Competitiveness Project (PACSLC), the WCO provided support to the Togo Revenue Authority (TRA) for the setting up of an Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) programme in line with the SAFE Framework of Standards and Article 7.7 of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

This workshop, funded by the World Bank, was held in Lome from 28 March to 1 April 2022 and was run by an expert from the WCO.

The workshop was opened by the Commissioner for Customs and Indirect Taxation, who thanked the WCO for its support and emphasized the importance of training for the TRA in the auditing of Authorized Economic Operators.

Over the five days, several information sessions were held on the following topics:

Gaining awareness of the SAFE Framework of Standards and the SAFE Package;

of the SAFE Framework of Standards and the SAFE Package; Learning about the Authorized Economic Operator concept in accordance with the SAFE Framework of Standards;

about the Authorized Economic Operator concept in accordance with the SAFE Framework of Standards; Distinguishing between the WCOs AEO concept and the other compliance programmes (authorized persons under the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) and authorized operators under the TFA);

between the WCOs AEO concept and the other compliance programmes (authorized persons under the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) and authorized operators under the TFA); Acquiring knowledge about the implementation of AEO programmes and the validation procedure;

about the implementation of AEO programmes and the validation procedure; Gaining proficiency in the techniques and being aware of the stages of AEO audits (from the application and self-assessment questionnaire to post-validation).

The Togo Revenue Authority currently operates a programme for compliance with Customs legislation, namely the Privileged Partnership Framework (PPF), which has been in place since 2016 and which now includes six authorized companies.

A comparative study of the PPF programme and the AEO programme was carried out to enable the TRA to analyse the existing gaps between the two programmes, so that an AEO programme could be implemented in accordance with international standards.

Likewise, there was an on-site visit to an authorized company within the PPF programme, with a view to helping the officers on the course to familiarize themselves with the on-site AEO auditing techniques, in particular those concerned with securing the international supply chain.

The workshop resulted in the preparation of an action plan for the implementation of an AEO programme in line with international standards.
Kazakhstans bilateral trade with other member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)  Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia reached US$1.7 billion in January 2022, which is 29% higher than the same period last year, according to Kazakhstans Statistics Committee.

US$592.4 million of this were Kazakh exports (+34.4 percent), and US$1.1 billion imports (+26.3 percent). Russia led in trade value with Kazakhstan accounting for 93.8 percent of the total. The balance was shared with neighboring Kyrgyzstan at 3.5 percent and Belarus with 2.7 percent.

14.8 percent of Kazakhstans import volumes were mineral products, 21.4 percent machinery, equipment, vehicles, and tools, 19 percent for animal and vegetable products, including prepared food items. while 18.3 percent accounted for metals and metal goods, and 13.8 percent for chemicals and related products. 12.7 percent account for other imports.

40 percent of Kazakhstans exports were metals and related finished products, 35.4 percent were for mineral products, 9.2 percent products of chemical and related industries, 7.3 percent animal and vegetable products, including prepared food items, 6.6 percent for machinery, equipment, vehicles, and tools, and 1.5 percent account for other goods and products.

Although the rise in bilateral trade is indicative of increasing intra-EAEU trade, February saw the build-up of tensions between Russia and Ukraine. It will be interesting data for February and March in relation to Russian trade with the EAEU during this time. With sanctions being imposed on many Western products, it is possible that Russian imports of EAEU sourced products will increase, a welcome addition for the Eurasian trade bloc that will longer term be of benefit to its future strategic development.

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PARIS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The turnout rate of the ongoing voting for the 2022 French presidential election has kept rising, but is still lagging behind the previous election, according to official figures.

The voting for the first round of the election started at 8:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) on Sunday in Metropolitan France.

Some 48.8 million eligible voters will choose their new president for the next five years among 12 candidates, including current French President Emmanuel Macron.

Most polling stations in Metropolitan France close at 7 p.m. local time or one hour later in larger cities such as Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Bordeaux.

As for French overseas territories, voters have already cast their ballots on Saturday.

The turnout rate has risen up to 65 percent by 5 p.m., according to the Interior Ministry.

In the previous first round of the presidential election in 2017, the afternoon turnout rate was 69.42 percent.

Only 52.17 percent of the residents in the city of Paris have cast their ballots by 5 p.m., the ministry said, making it the third-least voting region across the country.

The global mid-day turnout rate is about 3 percentage points lower than that of the first round of the 2017 presidential election.

Amid another surge of COVID-19 cases, the French Interior Ministry has announced a health protocol for polling stations.

A vaccine pass or a negative COVID-19 test result will not be required for those entering the stations. Masks and social distancing rules will not be mandatory, but mask-wearing is recommended for the elderly, the vulnerable and coronavirus positive individuals.

According to a survey on voting intentions published on Wednesday by market research firm Ipsos, Macron should lead the first round, followed by Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally party and Jean-Luc Melenchon, who leads the left-wing La France Insoumise (Unsubmissive France) party.

Purchasing power is a top concern given the increase in the Consumer Price Index by 4.5 percent in March 2022, after a 3.6 percent hike in the previous month.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the environment, the health care system, immigration and social inequalities are also among the topics that most interest French voters, Ipsos said.

Raphaelle Mourey, who lives in Arbigny, east France, and works as a technical officer for city hall and at a local school canteen, said retirement reform is on her mind.

Asked about her vote, Sylvie Dujardin, from another town of 854 inhabitants, said: "for me, it is crucial the president has importance on an international scale."

Christ Ernest, who has lived in Paris suburb Clichy-la-Garenne for 30 years told Xinhua that he felt "a little empty," because with the events all over the world, there was no real election campaign.

For him, the main concern is purchasing power. "It is also the unemployment which is still there," he added.

Approaching 60 years old of age, Ernest said that the most important task for the next president should be to increase the French people's purchasing power.

In France, it is not allowed to publish exit polls before voting ends.

Official preliminary results will be announced on Sunday night or Monday morning after verification by the interior ministry.

If no candidate gains an absolute majority of votes in the first round, a run-off will take place on April 24 between the top two candidates.

No candidate has won the French presidency in the first round of voting since the Fifth Republic of France switched to universal suffrage for presidential elections. 
NANCHANG, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday called for stabilizing employment and price levels to keep the country's economy running within an appropriate range.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while presiding over a symposium on the economic situation in east China's Jiangxi Province, which government officials from Jiangxi, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Sichuan provinces attended online or offline. 
(Photo : MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Description: China celebrated the 70th anniversary of its navy by showing off its growing fleet in a sea parade featuring a brand new guided-missile destroyer.

The nuclear initiative of China long predates the invasion of Russia to Ukraine, although the United States' wariness about getting involved directly in the war there has possibly reinforced the decision to put greater emphasis on inventing nuclear weapons as a deterrent, some the people claim.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese leaders see a stronger nuclear arsenal as a way to deter the US from acquiring directly involved in a potential conflict over Taiwan.

China Is Accelerating Its Nuclear Buildup Over Rising Fears of U.S. Conflict - WSJ https://t.co/unxxUzkBB0  Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) April 9, 2022

The American government and the private sector puts the nuclear arsenal of China in the low hundreds of warheads, far under the approximately 4,000 warheads held by both the US and Russia. According to the Pentagon, it is now expecting China to have a thousand warheads by the end of this decade.

ALSO READ: Elon Musk Warns Starlink Users in Ukraine to Use Internet With Caution Due to Possible Threat





Temporary Covers of Missile Silos

Satellite images captured in January reveal the last 45 of the temporary covers over each of the 120 suspected missile silos close to the city of Yemen have been taken out, suggesting the most sensitive work at all of the silos has been accomplished, explained senior research matt Korda, for the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists in Washington.

Meanwhile, at two other smaller silo fields in western China, work is in the initial stages. According to analysts, each of the sites' silos is large enough for a long-range Chinese missile called DF-41, which would be put into service in 2020 and has the capability of hitting the US mainland.

The missiles tests that are launched from aircraft and can carry nuclear warheads also offer Beijing a more substantial chance to have the ability to retaliate if it is first hit in a nuclear attack, a similar Democratic Underground report specified.

"Nuclear-Capable Hypersonic Missile"

In October 2021, CNN reported that China denied a report that tested a "nuclear-capable hypersonic missile" earlier the same year, saying the test was instead a routine spacecraft experiment.

Meanwhile, according to a financial report, China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August that circled the world before speeding toward its target, showing an advanced space capability "that caused the US intelligence by surprise.

When asked about the report, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the August test was not a missile, but a spacecraft, instead.

He elaborated that this test was a routine spacecraft experiment to validate the reusable technology of spacecraft, which is of great importance for reducing the cost of spacecraft use.

It can also offer humans a convenient and low-cost way to use space peacefully. A lot of firms in the world have performed similar experiments.

Also, according to Lijian, what separated from the spacecraft before its return was the supporting equipment, the spacecraft, which was burned and disintegrated to fall into the atmosphere. It also landed on the high seas. He added in the same 2021 report that China would work together with other nations to benefit mankind in the "peaceful use of space."

Related information about the nuclear war between the US and China is shown on Binkov's Battlegrounds' YouTube video below:

RELATED ARTICLE: Russia Exposes 30 Biological Labs in Ukraine Allegedly Involved in Bioweapons Production; the US Contradicts Claim

Check out more news and information on Technology in Science Times.
NASA's wet dress rehearsal will resume this week, and it will be a modified version of the company's testing process for the Space Launch System rocket mission. The Artemis I Moon mission is a massive undertaking for the corporation. Hence, the space agency is putting a lot of work into it, even early.

NASA Wet Dress Rehearsal: Artemis I Mission Resuming This Week

NASA has revealed that it will undertake another wet dress rehearsal for the SLS rocket and the Artemis I Moon mission's interpretation of what will happen in the future. The new wet dress rehearsal will feature a modified version of the rocket's testing process, focusing on the core stage's tanking, making the entire operation visible to the public.

In this rehearsal, the space agency is also concentrating on minimal propellant operations with the intermediate cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS). NASA's efforts are focused on ensuring that all systems are ready and tweaking and changing many elements that may impact future missions.

NASA Artemis I Moon Mission: Significant Focus on Rehearsal

This week, NASA's SLS will return to Launch Complex 39B with Orion. In a tweet, the space agency said the mega moon rocket would be there from Tuesday, April 12, to Thursday, April 14. This will be an opportunity to "fine-tune the countdown procedures" and check important models, according to NASA, which will also look into software interfaces.

#Artemis I Moon mission update: @NASAKennedy will conduct a modified wet dress rehearsal in preparation for launch with tanking operations no earlier than April 14. @NASA_SLS and @NASA_Orion will then return to the Vehicle Assembly Building: https://t.co/htuT1epd40 pic.twitter.com/LzCGeycESy  NASA (@NASA) April 9, 2022

ALSO READ: Four Lightning Bolts Hit Towers Surrounding Artemis I Moon Rocket [Watch]

NASA engineers will also conduct tests vital to the launch's success.

NASA's Artemis and SLS Missions

The Artemis I Moon mission marks the first time that the space agency and people will return to the lunar surface after a long period of time since their last visit to the neighboring space rock. Many companies are working on the Artemis Lunar mission, including NASA's acquisition of a second business that will build the project's moon lander.

The initial configuration of the SLS rocket, called Block 1, will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust during launch and ascent with the power of four RS-25 engines and two solid rocket motors, or boosters.



Learn more about these engines and motors HERE: https://t.co/KnEh2tWTHg pic.twitter.com/IS3fdUry1L  NASA_SLS (@NASA_SLS) February 6, 2022

The SLS has already been tested several times, and the business has already sent several of its rockets to work as a consequence of the agency's testing phase. Block 1 is a big undertaking for NASA, and it assures that the spacecraft will have the first stage of rocket fuel when it is time for the actual voyage to the Moon.

NASA's wet dress rehearsal, with its numerous delays and resumes, might be a lot for the public at this time, and the agency's testing procedure for the SLS rocket may be a much for the people. It is, however, a critical stage for the space agency, and the Artemis I is a project that the agency is developing in order to make history for humanity's return to the moon rock.

RELATED ARTICLE: NASA Adds 1st Black Woman In Artemis Program: Who is Jessica Watkins?

Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.
(Photo : Unsplash/Jair Lazaro) New Form of AI Detects Invisible Patterns of MRI to Accurately Predict If and When a Person Dies From Cardiac Arrest

When the heart's electric system malfunctions, it causes irregular beating, leading to cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest could happen to anyone and anywhere; that is why it is dubbed the "silent killer." However, researchers from Johns Hopkins University developed a new form of artificial intelligence (AI) that may accurately predict if and when a person will die from cardiac arrest.

The AI was trained using raw images of a patient's diseased heart and background. Healthline reported that the AI-based approach examines scarring in heart muscles not visible to the naked eye to make predictions with accuracy. The team believes that the program stands to revolutionize clinical decision-making and increase the survival rate of sudden and lethal heart arrhythmia.

First-Of-Its-Kind Survival Predictor Detects MRI Patterns Invisible to the Naked Eye

Even with 20% of all deaths worldwide due to heart arrhythmia, there is no way to know why it is happening and who is at risk, SciTech Daily reported. With this in mind, researchers sought to make a program that will accurately determine who is at risk or cardiac and when it occurs to help doctors decide the clinical action to follow, says senior author Natalia Trayanova.

They are the first to use neural networks to build a personalized survival assessment for heart disease patients, measuring risk to provide high accuracy of their chances of a sudden cardiac arrest in the next 10 years and when it is most likely to happen.

The new AI technology called Survival Study of Cardiac Arrhythmia Risk (SSCAR) uses contrast-enhanced cardiac images that visualize scar distribution from hundreds of real patients at Johns Hopkins Hospital. After training the AI with the data, they found that it can detect patterns and relationships not visible to the naked eye.

ALSO READ: Changes in Blood Vessels in the Retina Linked to Risk of Heart Disease, Study Suggests

Importance of the New AI to Healthcare

Dan Popescu, the first author of the study and former Johns Hopkins doctoral student, said that the images from the AI carry critical information that doctors have not been able to access.

Then they trained a second neural network that learned from 10 years worth of standard clinical patient data, identifying 22 factors, including age, weight, race, and prescription drug use, Science Daily reported. The AI's predictions were more accurate on every measure than doctors.

When validated in tests, it showed that the platform could be adopted anywhere, a potential that will significantly change decision-making in terms of heart arrhythmia risk and presents an essential step toward using AI in conducting prognosis. Trayanova describes their innovation as the epitome of a trend of merging AI, engineering, and medicine in the future of healthcare.

Dangers of Cardiac Arrest

According to the American Heart Association, about 356,000 cardiac arrests happen outside of a hospital in the US every year. Cardiac arrests occur due to the abrupt loss of heart function that may have been diagnosed with heart disease. It can come suddenly without warning and is often fatal.

Moreover, cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack. Whereas the former is caused when the heart's electrical system malfunctions, the latter is caused by a blockage that stops blood flow to the heart. Death from heart attack refers to the death of heart muscle because of the loss of blood supply, creating circulation problems.

Cardiac arrests may happen because of a kind of irregular heartbeat called arrhythmia. Johns Hopkins researchers are hopeful that their AI will help improve the survival rates of cardiac arrest.

RELATED ARTICLE: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Is Actually Not That Sudden -- A New Study



Check out more news and information on Heart Health in Science Times.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden on Monday took fresh aim at ghost guns, the privately made firearms without serial numbers that are increasingly cropping up in violent crimes, as he struggles to break past gun-control opposition to address firearm deaths.

Speaking at the White House, Biden highlighted the Justice Department's work to finalize new regulations to crack down on ghost guns, and announced the nomination of Steve Dettelbach, who served as a U.S. attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016, to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Law enforcement is sounding the alarm," Biden said of ghost guns, briefly holding one up for cameras to see in the Rose Garden. Our communities are paying the price.

He promised the new regulations would save lives.

Still, the announcement on guns highlights the limits of Bidens influence to push a sweeping congressional overhaul of the nations firearm laws in response to both a recent surge in violent crime and continued mass shootings. Congress has deadlocked on legislative proposals to reform gun laws for a decade, and executive actions have faced stiff headwinds in federal courts  even as the Democratic base has grown more vocal in calling on Biden to take more consequential action.

Dettelbachs confirmation, too, is likely to be an uphill battle. Biden had to withdraw the nomination of his first ATF nominee, gun-control advocate David Chipman, after it stalled for months because of opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in the Senate.

Both Republican and Democratic administrations have failed to get nominees for the ATF position through the politically fraught process since the directors position was made confirmable in 2006. Since then, only one nominee, former U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones, has been confirmed. Jones made it through the Senate in 2013 but only after a six-month struggle. Jones was acting director when President Barack Obama nominated him in January 2013.

The Biden administrations plan on guns was first reported by Politico.

For nearly a year, the ghost gun rule has been making its way through the federal regulation process. Gun safety groups and Democrats in Congress have been pushing for the Justice Department to finish the rule for months. It will probably be met with heavy resistance from gun groups and draw litigation in the coming weeks.

Gun Owners of America vowed that it would immediately fight the rule.

Just as we opposed the Trump Administrations arbitrary ban on bump stocks, GOA will also sue Bidens ATF to halt the implementation of this rule," Aidan Johnston, the groups director of federal affairs said in a statement. The group believes the rule violates the U.S. Constitution and several federal laws.

But gun safety advocacy groups, like Everytown for Gun Safety, which pushed the federal government for years to take action on ghost guns, applauded Biden's moves and insisted that both Dettelbach's appointment and the finalized rule will help combat gun violence.

"Ghost guns look like a gun, they shoot like a gun, and they kill like a gun, but up until now they havent been regulated like a gun, said John Feinblatt, Everytown's president.

Christian Heyne, the vice president of policy at Brady, another gun control group, said Dettelbach was an unimpeachable public servant who has spent a career using the levers of government to hold negligent or nefarious actors accountable.

Justice Department statistics show that nearly 24,000 ghost guns were recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes and reported to the government from 2016 to 2020. It is hard to say how many are circulating on the streets, in part because in many cases police departments dont contact the government about the guns because they cant be traced.

The new rule changes the current definition of a firearm under federal law to include unfinished parts, like the frame of a handgun or the receiver of a long gun. It says those parts must be licensed and include serial numbers. Manufacturers must also run background checks before a sale  as they do with other commercially made firearms. The requirement applies regardless of how the firearm was made, meaning it includes ghost guns made from individual parts, kits, or by 3D-printers.

Federally licensed firearms dealers must retain key records until they shut down their business or licensed activity and then transfer the records to ATF as they are currently required to do at the end of licensed activity. Previously, these dealers were permitted to destroy most records after 20 years, making it harder for law enforcement to trace firearms found at crime scenes.

A year ago this week standing here with many of you, I instructed the attorney general to write a regulation that would rein in the proliferation of ghost guns because I was having trouble getting anything passed in the Congress, Biden said.

The rule goes into effect 120 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.

For years, federal officials have been sounding the alarm about an increasing black market for homemade, military-style semi-automatic rifles and handguns. As well as turning up more frequently at crime scenes, ghost guns have been increasingly encountered when federal agents buy guns in undercover operations from gang members and other criminals.

Some states, like California, have enacted laws in recent years to require serial numbers to be stamped on ghost guns.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who was attending Mondays event at the White House, applauded the move and pointed to a serious uptick in ghost guns being found by police. Police in Philadelphia have seen nearly a 500% increase in the number of ghost guns recovered in the past two years, Shapiro said. And just last week, a police officer there was shot by a ghost gun-wielding 18-year-old, who police said had also shot three others.

This loophole has caused our nation countless lives, Shapiro said in an interview. Today is a critically important step to close that loophole.

He said the move is likely to help drive down violence and aid both police and prosecutors in bringing their cases. The rule is also likely to help bring down the number of people who shouldnt be purchasing firearms before a gun lands in their hand, he said.

There are two challenges: One, criminals can easily buy them without going through a background check. And two, they are unserialized and untraceable.

The critical component in building an untraceable gun is what is known as the lower receiver, a part typically made of metal or polymer. An unfinished receiver  sometimes referred to as an 80-percent receiver  can be legally bought online with no serial numbers or other markings on it, no license required.

Police across the country have been reporting spikes in ghost guns being recovered by officers. The New York Police Department, for example, said officers found 131 firearms without serial numbers since January.

A gunman who killed his wife and four others in Northern California in 2017 had been prohibited from owning firearms, but he built his own to skirt the court order before his rampage. And in 2019, a teenager used a homemade handgun to fatally shoot two classmates and wound three others at a school in suburban Los Angeles.



AP writer Will Weissert contributed.
CAIRO (AP)  The U.N. special envoy for Yemen arrived Monday in the capital of Sanaa for the first time since he assumed his post eight months ago for talks with the Houthi rebels, his office said.

Hans Grundberg landed at the Sanaa airport with the aim of engaging the Houthi leadership on implementing and strengthening a 60-day cease-fire in the war-wrecked country, his office said.

The two-month truce implemented April 2 was the first nationwide cease-fire in six years in Yemens civil war that erupted in 2014. That year, Iranian-backed Houthis seized Sanaa and forced the internationally recognized government into exile. The Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to try to restore the government to power.

Grundbergs Sanaa visit was his first to the rebel-held capital since he was appointed in August because the Houthis refused to receive him. He has met repeatedly with chief Houthi negotiator Mohammed Abdul-Salam in Omans capital of Muscat, most recently on Sunday.

The visit was apparently facilitated by Oman, which plays a mediation role in Yemen's war. Grundberg also met Sunday with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi before leaving Muscat to Sanaa, the Omani Foreign Ministry said.

The visit came as the two-month truce entered its second week with reports of violations particularly around the central city of Marib. Last week, the U.N. envoy urged the warring sides to uphold the truce.

Yemens internationally recognized government has accused the Iran-backed Houthis of attacking their positions in southern and western Marib.

A Houthi spokesman was not available for comment. Houthi-run media, however, accused government forces of violating the truce in Hodeida, the key rebel-held port city.

The rebels have been trying for over a year to capture energy-rich Marib from government forces. But their efforts have been dashed in recent months amid increasing support to the pro-government side from the Saudi-led coalition.

The U.N.-announced truce also includes allowing shipments of fuel to arrive in 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 both sides to convene a meeting to agree on a reopening of roads around the province of Taiz and other provinces as part of the truce.

The war in Yemen has spawned one of the worlds worst humanitarian crisis, leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages. It has killed over 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, according to a database project that tracks violence.

The truce has brought some relief for Yemenis during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which started earlier in April.

Meanwhile, Twitter suspended an account for Houthi military spokesperson Yehia Sarie for allegedly violating its rules. It did not elaborate. The account had more than 340,000 followers.

Sarie accused Twitter of siding with the Saudi-led coalition and swiftly created a new Twitter account. He used social media accounts including Twitter to announce major Houthi attacks inside Yemen and on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
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Accusing a law firm of fleecing small businesses in California with thousands of baseless disability-rights suits, the district attorneys of San Francisco and Los Angeles asked a judge Monday to halt the practice and order the firm to refund millions of dollars the businesses paid to settle the suits.

For years, the firm, Potter Handy of San Diego, has been bombarding Californias small businesses with abusive, boilerplate lawsuits, District Attorney Chesa Boudin and his Los Angeles County counterpart, George Gascon, said in a suit in San Francisco Superior Court.

They said the firm sues on behalf of a handful of disabled clients who, in most cases, have never even visited the businesses and claim violations that are typically fabricated. For example, two restaurants in San Franciscos Chinatown were accused of serving food at outdoor tables that were too low to accommodate wheelchairs  at a time when both were providing only takeout meals because of the pandemic.

One of those restaurants, Hons Wun-Tun House on Kearny Street, is owned by Amanda Yan, an immigrant who worked there for 11 years as a waitress before making enough money to buy the business in 2018. The suit quoted her as saying she would need two to three months revenue to pay the settlement.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

The businesses settle the suits, for $10,000 or more, because defending them would typically cost between $50,000 and $100,000 in lawyers fees and expenses, the district attorneys said. They said the firm has shifted its focus to the Bay Area for the last year with serial filers from Southern California, particularly targeting small businesses run by immigrants who may not be fluent in English.

GoApple in Chinatown, which repairs cell phones and sells accessories, was accused in one such suit last year of having a countertop and a front-door ramp that did not accommodate wheelchairs. Business owner Fanly Chen said Monday the complaints were unfounded, but the buildings owner insisted on settling the case for $11,000, divided equally between them, because it would have cost far more to mount a defense.

Its unfair, but theres nothing I can do about it, she said. I dont want to move out and lose my business. I have a kid, a family to support.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

We will hold accountable those who exploit vulnerable business owners, hurt immigrant communities, and subvert the intent of laws designed to promote accessibility, Boudin said in a statement.

Gascon, his predecessor as San Franciscos chief prosecutor, said, When disability laws are improperly used to target small businesses for financial gain, it not only hurts business owners but also harms the people whom this law was enacted to protect.

In response, Dennis Price, a Potter Handy attorney, said the lawsuit was a politically motivated attempt to protect both prosecutors against voter recalls (Boudin faces a recall on June 7; a campaign to force a recall against Gascon is under way but has not yet qualified for a future ballot). Price also said the firms lawsuits make California significantly more compliant with the disability law.

There is no dispute that the businesses that have been subject to our claims violated the law, Price said. Instead, the fingers are being pointed at our clients, the victims, for noticing.

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The thousands of suits are a product of federal and state laws. The Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in 1990 to protect people with disabilities from discrimination in employment, education, transportation and access to any facilities open to the public, did not assign a federal agency to enforce it, leaving that task to disabled Americans and their lawyers.

The ADA does not impose financial penalties for violations. But Californias Unruh Civil Rights Act provides damages of at least $4,000 for civil rights violations, and disabled Californians can include Unruh Act claims in their federal suits, which typically seek payments of $10,000 or more plus attorneys fees.

One of Potter Handys clients, Brian Whitaker, has filed approximately 1,700 suits, and another, Orlando Garcia, has filed more than 800, the district attorneys lawsuit said. Both live in Los Angeles County but have filed hundreds of cases in the Bay Area.

While their suits declare that each has personally visited the store and encountered barriers, Boudin and Gascon said, evidence indicates they usually walked or drove past and dispatched a helper to visit the business or take photos.

The suit against the law firm and 15 of its attorneys claims violations of Californias Unfair Competition Law, which carries fines of $2,500 per violation. It also seeks court orders barring unfounded disability suits and requiring Potter Handy to return all settlements and attorneys fees it has collected from businesses in the last four years.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
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Californias public schools saw a decrease of 110,000 students this year, the fifth straight year of decline and the first time state enrollment has dipped below 6 million in more than a decade, according to the annual count released Monday.

The loss of 1.8% of students brought total enrollment to 5.89 million across the state, with declines in the vast majority of schools, and with officials in the Bay Area and across the state scrambling to predict how the loss of students will affect state funding and fiscal health.

The pandemic exacerbated an ongoing decline in enrollment caused in part by a declining birth rate and the high price of living in many California communities. The loss of public school families has already upended many districts, resulting in layoff notices, budget cuts and school closures, with much more of that likely to come in future years.

While some families moved out of California to more affordable states, others opted to homeschool or go to private schools during the pandemic. Districts hoped theyd come back this year, but the numbers show that largely didnt happen.

The declining enrollment trend is long term, and its accelerating, said Troy Flint, spokesman for the California School Boards Association. Thats a huge concern for most of the districts across the state.

In the last year, the state saw a greater loss of white students, with a decline of 4.9%, compared with 3.6% fewer Black students, 1.9% fewer Asian Americans and .9% fewer Hispanic/Latino students.

A law passed during the pandemic will ensure that districts continue to receive consistent revenue this year despite enrollment declines, but they could face deep cuts in future funding.

On average, the state allocates about $10,000 per student to districts, and significantly more for those with higher numbers of students from low-income families or English learners.

In the Bay Area, the Oakland, San Francisco and West Contra Costa school districts are already seeing serious financial fallout, with the prospect of state intervention or takeover, unless school boards make significant cuts.

San Francisco Unified saw a decline of 2,552 students in the past year, dropping enrollment to 49,204, the lowest count in decades, with a total loss of 3,574 students since 2019, or the equivalent of about $40 million in state funding each year.

The one-year drop was more than double last years number, when the district saw 1,022 fewer students than the previous year.

Many families left the district during the pandemic as the citys schools remained closed even as private schools and public schools in nearby districts reopened. In addition, some departing parents cited ongoing school board controversy, which included lawsuits as well as the successful recall in February of three school board members.

An abrupt change in school start times, with very little parent input, drove others out of the district, as did the change to Lowell High Schools admission policy from academic merit to largely lottery.

Parent Naomi Laguana hadnt considered private school for her son until last spring, when district middle schools largely remained closed. Now an eighth-grader, he is thriving at a San Francisco private school after a devastating experience in distance learning.

Hes really blossomed quite a bit, she said.

Despite her previous misgivings about San Francisco Unified leadership, shes hopeful the new board members and the hiring of a new superintendent will put the district on a better path.

She would have sent her son to the districts Lowell High School if he had gotten in, but he didnt. He will continue to attend a private high school, but Laguana said she feels better about the public schools, especially the elementary sites.

If I had a kindergartner, I would send them to public school, she said.

Current board members are hoping more families feel that way, adding that the district needs to earn back the trust of the community and offer programs and services that will lure new and old families to the districts public schools.

On Wednesday, the board will hear an update on a proposed virtual academy that would permanently offer distance learning to 500 students, giving students or families who want a remote option the ability to stay in the district.

We hear daily from families and students who are delighted with their experiences in S.F. public schools, said district Deputy Superintendent Gentle Blythe. But we also know the experience is not what it must be for every student at every school, and we continue to work toward that. Our hope is that families will take a fresh look at our schools as they consider their options, and we encourage them to choose what is best for their child.

In Oakland, district officials saw similar declines, with enrollment down to 34,428, a loss of more than 1,000 students. Several schools are operating well under capacity, meaning that in some elementary schools, fewer than 20 students, on average, are enrolled in each grade level.

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Oakland is among several districts opting to close schools to help mitigate the costs of operating schools that are less than half full. The Hayward district and Alum Rock Union in San Jose also plan to close schools.

The statewide declines started before the pandemic and are expected to continue into the future. Californias birth rate has been declining for more than a decade, with a steeper dive during the pandemic.

State policymakers are currently debating what they could do to soften the fiscal blow from enrollment declines. That could include using a three-year average to determine funding.

While a third of the current enrollment declines were in large urban districts, the impact has been seen up and down the state in large and small communities.

Piedmont Unified has lost 359 students since 2015, a 13% drop, down to 2,349 this year. The high-performing, majority-white district has been advertising to persuade families from other districts to apply to transfer to the wealthy community surrounded by Oakland.

The state release Monday is based on an annual snapshot count of enrollment in October.

Hercules parent Gloria Bossi doesnt plan on her two kids being part of the yearly count again. She pulled her two children, a fourth-grader and a second-grader, out of West Contra Costa Unified in October to homeschool them.

At the time, her second-grader couldnt read. Both of her children had fallen behind academically during the pandemic, along with many classmates.

I was extremely concerned, Bossi said, adding that her son is now reading at grade level. The kids dont want to go back next year. My fourth-grader said shes learning so much more at home.

She also said required masking caused severe, and at times bleeding, eczema on his face, which cleared up as soon as he was able to take it off in homeschool.

The education I can give them in comparison to traditional school? she said, I think they are learning a lot more now.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jill Tucker
Beck Diefenbach/Special to The Chronicle

The Daily Californian student newspaper at UC Berkeley will survive for at least five more years after students, in an initiative passed last week, agreed to pay $6 per semester to keep the online and print editions afloat.

The Save the Daily Cal Initiative was part of the campus-wide election for officers to the Associated Students of the University of California. A simple majority was needed in order to pass, and the initiative received 7,224 yes votes while 2,226 voted no. The initiative needed 20% of the combined graduate and undergraduate student body at UC Berkeley to vote one way or another in order to be ratified, and barely escaped with 22% participation. A similar vote last year failed to meet the 20% threshold.
A girl was fatally shot Saturday night in Oakland, and police are investigating the circumstances.

Just after 7 p.m. on April 9, Oakland Police officers found the minor on the 2900 block of 68th Avenue. She was unresponsive and suffering from at least one gunshot wound, Candace Keas, a spokeswoman for the Police Dpartment, said in a release.

The girl was transported to a nearby hospital but died from her injuries. Police did not release further details, declined to release the girls identity or age and did not respond to requests for further information.

Police asked that anyone with information about the matter contact the Oakland Police Homicide Section at (510) 238-3821 or call the tip line at (510) 238-7950.

Shwanika Narayan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanika
BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday said it will maintain its policy of friendly ties with Pakistan no matter how the political situation in Pakistan changes.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a press briefing when answering a query concerning the National Assembly of Pakistan passing a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan on April 10.

"As Pakistan's close neighbors and friends, we sincerely hope that all factions in Pakistan will remain unified and jointly safeguard their overall national stability and development," Zhao said.

"We believe that changes in Pakistan's political situation will not affect the overall situation of China-Pakistan relations," Zhao added. 
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As the first contestant in SFMOMAs Soapbox Derby on Sunday, Justin Marshall signed a release form at the starting gate then looked down McLaren Parks John F. Shelley Drive, lined with thousands of spectators. Hed taken a practice run days before and was slightly terrified at what was coming.

I went way faster than I can handle, said Marshall, 35, noting that he hit 35 mph halfway down the grade The course is steep and bumpy, and the Cheese Grater at the bottom is where everyone is going to spill.

Then he was off, at the wheel of a wooden box built to look like a paneled, graffiti-bedecked delivery truck on a chassis of skateboard wheels. It was the first of 57 brilliantly designed and brightly decorated motorless carts that marked the return of an event last run on this course in 1978. Thats when the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art discontinued it after just two stagings and no serious injuries.

The jubilant crowd got what it had missed all these years as a crazy cavalcade of snug, home-designed carts, their monikers matching their physical demeanors  Puff the Pastry Dragon, Carrot Car and more  took turns letting gravity take them down a route not paved since the 70s. It came with divots and pits and a speed bump halfway down the 10% grade.

In spite of the attention to speed, this was not a head-on race or even a time trial. Judging was in a number of categories, including slowest, least serious, best of the worst and car that looks worst after crashing halfway down the track. The contestants came down the course in heats of seven, passing an announcers stand where Kumasi Aaron, morning anchor at KGO News, and Pendarvis Harshaw, host of Rightnowish on KQED-FM, called the action.

Here comes Hairy Eyeball, Harshaw announced as the second contestant came flying down, wide-eyed. Its rolling. Its not slowing.

Next came Carrot Car. Smooth moving vegetable, baby, he said.

Photos by Jana Asenbrennerova / Special to The Chronicle

We love SFMOMA. We love art cars. We love McLaren Park. Thats why were here, said Hilary Clark, who came over from Berkeley with her husband, Eric Johnson, and their two daughters, Miriam, 6, and Beatrice, 9, to set up a blanket and two deck chairs.

The other reason they were there is that Stella Lochman, SFMOMA manager of public engagement, came upon a video of the last soapbox race in the museum archives. That discovery was in 2009. It has taken this long to make it happen as the creative demand built.

An open call for submissions went out in January. Art students and art collectives were invited. Forty-six were given $1,000 stipends, including a group of 13-year-olds who called themselves the Robot Wolves. They initially thought theyd design their entry to look like a bottle, then switched to a baguette before settling on a pastry called Puff the Pastry Dragon.

It was a lot of hours of papier-mache in my front yard. A lot of over and over again, Ellery Clem said.

We built it for someone our size; then we found out were are too young to drive it, Josie Andre said.

Across the way, Alina Martinez, the creative mind behind Olmec, built to resemble a Yucatan god, was wearing a captains cap she got from the Giants giveaway on Saturday. We were working until 3 a.m. last night when we got drunk and quit, she said. Everything should work, chief engineer Kyle Moreno said, unconvincingly. Weve got a helmet.

To make sure all went smoothly, Sheri Sternberg, executive producer of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music festival, was brought in to oversee the event.

Jana Asenbrennerova/Special to The Chronicle

Id like to think it becomes a regular thing, she said. This park is underutilized.

Not on this day. There were food trucks set up alongside Shelley Drive, a Derby Hat contest and music in the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater. The free community event followed Friday nights Art Bash at the museum, the major annual fundraiser that was expected to net $2 million. Sundays event was to thank SFMOMAs supporters. North Face helped underwrite it.

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What amazing creativity by so many local artists and such a great turnout at this wonderful community event, said SFMOMA board Chairman Bob Fisher, who hugged the rail with all the other spectators, his grandson on his shoulders for a better view. It is a very happy day in San Francisco.

Judges haggled at length over the winners in categories like most graceful wipeout.

An early favorite for that was Marshall in his delivery truck soapbox.

Im going to ride the brakes all the way down with no shame, he said of his prerace strategy. It worked. Maybe too well. He came up short of the finish line.

Watching from the top was Lochman, the SFMOMA organizer who happened also to be his girlfriend. As the Soapbox Derby got under way after more than four decades, she said, Its the best day of my life.

Also a great day for the Robot Wolves, the team of 13-year-olds. Their designated driver, Rob Yung, got Puff the Pastry Dragon down in one piece. They took the judges award for least assembled, and the thrifty design team had used just $700 of their $1,000 stipend to build their entry. They considered divvying up the leftover $300 but decided that would not be in the spirit of teamwork.

Were going to throw a pizza party, Josie said.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SamWhitingSF
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The plight of an East Bay doctor who travels to other parts of the country to provide abortion services shows how quickly the front lines are shifting in the battle over abortion access, as new states pass restrictive laws and the Supreme Court is considering a case that could dramatically change the legal landscape.

East Bay obstetrician and gynecologist Rebecca Taub had for years regularly traveled to an Oklahoma abortion clinic, but has redirected her efforts in the wake of the state passing a law virtually outlawing abortion. She has recently been traveling instead to a clinic in Kansas, which is expected to see a surge of new patients from Oklahoma now in addition to Texas, which passed its own restrictive abortion law last year.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is expected to sign the legislation, which makes abortion a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine except to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency. If he does, it would go into effect on Aug. 26.

We're really focusing our work on ramping up capacity in Kansas, Taub said. Now that Oklahoma is also shut down, we are seeing a literal ripple effect of people traveling to seek care. The circle is getting pushed out farther and farther with people having to travel farther and farther for their procedures, she said.

This California doctor travels to perform abortions Dr. Rebecca Taub performs a surgical abortion at the Trust Women clinic on Sept. 9, 2021, in Oklahoma City. Taub, an OB-GYN specializing in family planning, travels once a month to the clinic to perform both surgical and medical abortions. Taub is one of several out-of-state physicians who make regular trips to the clinic. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Dr. Rebecca Taub, an East Bay OB-GYN, travels once a month to the Trust Women clinic in Oklahoma City, where she performs dozens of abortions each day. A womans right to an abortion is being challenged across the country. See the story here

The new Oklahoma law  combined with the Supreme Courts expected gutting of the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision in the next few months  will accelerate the wave of people traveling to California to find care, abortion rights advocates predict.

The Supreme Court is deciding a Mississippi case that could effectively leave abortion regulations up to individual states. While Roe allows a woman to terminate a pregnancy before 24 weeks, after which a fetus could potentially survive outside the womb, the Mississippi plaintiffs want to ban abortions after 15 weeks.

If they succeed, abortion could become virtually illegal in as many as 26 states, advocates estimate. Providers and public officials are preparing for California and other states to become havens where tens of thousands of women might come to safely and legally terminate their pregnancies.

The number of out-of-state women of childbearing age who would find their nearest clinic in California would increase from 46,000 now to 1.4 million, many of them from Arizona, according to a report from the Guttmacher Institute.

People living in Texas and Arizona  two GOP-led states that have passed their own restrictive abortion laws  have begun coming to California in search of the care they cant find at home.

We are already seeing the impact, said Brandon Richards, director of communications for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California.

From September through December of last year, Planned Parenthood clinics saw an average of one Texan and three Arizonans a day, Richards said.

Where women denied abortions in Texas seek help Ianthe Davis, 27, who travelled three hours from Dallas, Texas lays down during an ultrasound at the Trust Womens clinic on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Ianthe was 6- weeks pregnant and unable to get an abortion in her state so she was forced to drive to Oklahoma. On the heartbeat law in Texas she said, I was abused - thats why I just dont want to deal with this for the rest of my life. And I dont think that they took that into consideration. Its really disappointing because I love my state but its a really crappy decision. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle An Oklahoma City clinic serving patients whove made the long drive from Texas offers a snapshot of the landscape for women seeking abortions in the wake of a new Texas law banning the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy. See the story here

And that was during a public health emergency, Richards said. Imagine what the numbers would be if there wasnt that public health emergency happening.

It was also before Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a law last month outlawing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy in most circumstances.

It is another reason that California abortion rights advocates are preparing to see more patients as other states enact similar laws and if Roe falls.

In December, the California Future of Abortion Council  a group of 40 organizations including Planned Parenthood, Black Women for Wellness Action Project and the ACLU  released a list of 45 recommendations to prepare for a seismic shift in abortion access.

A dozen pieces of abortion access and protection legislation are moving through the state Legislature. One would provide funding for out-of-state people traveling west for care while another provides legal protection for abortion providers.

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Taub, the East Bay doctor, had been regularly traveling to Oklahoma City to provide abortions at the Trust Women clinic in Oklahoma, a facility on the front lines of the abortion rights battle. The clinic couldnt find enough local doctors to perform abortions in a state where the procedure is culturally shunned and demand was surging after neighboring state Texas passed its own restrictive abortion law.

Before the Texas law was enacted, the Oklahoma City Trust Women clinic treated around 100 to 150 patients a month with fewer than 10 per month from Texas. Since September, it was treating between 350 and 400 patients per month, with close to 60% of those patients being from Texas, said Zack Gingrich-Gaylord, communications director for Trust Women.

Gingrich-Taylor said that the Oklahoma clinic will abide by the new law and may open for other reproductive health care. He said the clinic has lots of plans, highly contingent on whatever is happening in the moment at this point.

Taub hasnt been there since January, but has instead been traveling to a clinic in Kansas as the front lines continue to shift.

One challenge is that the costs are increasing for people who must travel farther from home for abortion services. That isnt always an option, as many of the people in search of care are from low-income communities.

In California we are definitely watching this very closely, Taub said. We are really looking at different ways that we can be thoughtful and creative about being able to provide care to people who may be able to physically come to California.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
Its one of those Bay Area urban legends high on repetition and low on details  like the Oakland port cranes inspiring The Empire Strikes Back (they didnt) or Julia Child dining at Tu Lan (she did).

The Whats Up, Doc chase scene ruined the Alta Plaza Park staircase, the story goes, and you can still see the damage today!

But unlike other enduring San Francisco myths, this one is, if anything, understated. After researching the details, Id argue that the 1972 screwball comedy  for better or worse  left a stronger legacy than any other San Francisco film in history.

There have been so many disaster movies filmed in San Francisco, but it took a screwball comedy to screw up our stairs, said current San Francisco Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg. I guess its kind of impressive  not even Godzilla, Dirty Harry or The Matrix could leave a lasting impression on park property.

First, the movie: Whats Up, Doc?  set almost entirely in San Francisco  stars Barbra Streisand and Ryan ONeal as strangers caught up in a government plot and jewel heist. It had strong buzz even as it was filming in 1971 with Doc director Peter Bogdanovichs acclaimed The Last Picture Show arriving in San Francisco theaters that year.

I was looking for something less heavy to direct, Bogdanovich told Chronicle movie critic Paine Knickerbocker in August 1971. It was to have no socially redeeming value, be funny and for the family.

Warner Bros. 1972

Bogdanovich shot the bulk of the Whats Up, Doc? San Francisco scenes in summer 1971, but came back in November just to film the chase scene, with our heroes traversing the city carrying four bags sought by multiple antagonists. The 11-minute chase reportedly took up a quarter of the films $6 million budget.

The chase was shot across San Francisco, with scenes in Chinatown, Washington Square, Lombard Street and finally teleporting to a pier near Mission Bay, where the four cars jump into the San Francisco Bay. One stuntman was knocked unconscious, needing to be rescued by divers.

But the controversy was atop Pacific Heights at Alta Plaza Park, where cars including a Volkswagen Bug, a 1969 Cadillac DeVille convertible and a 1969 Plymouth Belvedere taxi careened down the parks wide stairway that spills out onto Pierce Street. The latter car seemed to do the most damage; a spray of concrete is visible in the film as the taxis front fender disintegrates two stairs about 10 steps up from the sidewalk.

The scene, shot on Nov. 15, 1971, sent San Francisco residents into a fury.

Peter Bogdanovich, directing Whats Up, Doc? is in the doghouse with the Rec-Park people, The Chronicles Herb Caen wrote in his column two days later. For a chase scene Monday, he had four cars racing down the fine old steps on the Clay side of Alta Plaza, causing considerable damage to this landmark. Warner Bros. will replace the cracked steps but theyll never be the same (gripes a Rec-Park spokesman: We were told hed only use one car with special rubber bumpers  not four!)

Peter Hartlaub/The Chronicle

Apparently a major studio had been allowed to drive four cars down a stairwell in a public park without a permit. By the end of the week, the controversy had reached City Hall, where Supervisor Robert H. Mendelsohn demanded public hearings about filming in San Francisco.

San Francisco has bloomed into one of the motion picture industrys favorite locations  and a member of the Board of Supervisors wants to know how the city is faring as a gigantic free set, The Chronicle reported on Nov. 22, 1971.

The legacy of the Whats Up, Doc? fiasco was crystallized as the city stacked regulations for filming in the decade that followed. Current Rec & Park historian Christopher Pollock found records of a February 1972 meeting, where park commissioners agreed to start charging fees for film shoots.

City Hall leaders appointed a film liaison in the 1970s, then in the 1980s formed the San Francisco Film Commission, which promotes filming in San Francisco  but also sets standards for liability insurance and San Francisco police on sets. S.F. Film Commission acting Executive Director Manijeh Fata said the city requires up to $10 million in liability insurance for larger productions involving stunts.

Whats Up, Doc? screening Want to see "What's Up, Doc?" Join The Chronicle's Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight for Total SF Movie Night at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco. Buy tickets at balboamovies.com. See More Collapse

And while the city welcomes movie crews today , theres no more Whats Up, Doc? lawlessness. For the most recent big S.F. chase scene, on a runaway bus in the 2021 film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, SFGates Dan Gentile reported that Disney paid San Francisco police more than $162,000 for crowd control and to supervise to set.

Whats Up, Doc?, released on March 24, 1972, was loved by moviegoers, but received tepid notice in San Francisco, where reviewers all noted the damage to the steps.

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After all that I wish I could tell you that Whats Up, Doc? is as funny as most critics say it is but it isnt, Caen said. Unless about a thousand shots of the S.F. Hilton make you laugh.

As for the repairs, Caen reported that Bogdanovich and Warner Bros. got off easy  a South San Francisco man repaired the steps for just $995 charged to the studio. And it looks like nobody got their moneys worth. The cement patch doesnt match the stairs and still stands out in 2022.

Meanwhile, the damage to Alta Plaza Park became a cautionary tale. Mrs. Doubtfire director Chris Columbus told The Chronicle in 1996 that he lives a few blocks from Alta Plaza Park, and thinks about the damage often.

The staircase has never been repaired completely, Columbus said. It is always a reminder to me how filming can have a negative impact. Its made me much more conscious of particular landmarks throughout San Francisco that I dont want to destroy.

But more than 50 years later, the damaged stairway has also become a landmark. The steps are mentioned in guidebooks and tourist sites, and the city has come to embrace the history. Last year, I attended a Twitter meetup on the steps, where we took photos next to the damage like tourists. When Heather Knight and I booked Whats Up, Doc? as our next Total SF Movie Night, the steps and their history became part of the promotions.

In some ways, its the perfect metaphor for a population that celebrates the anniversary of an earthquake and fire that destroyed half the city. The Whats Up, Doc? Alta Plaza Park filming was an unmitigated disaster. But its our unmitigated disaster  memorialized forever on the big screen.

Peter Hartlaub (he/him) is The San Francisco Chronicles culture critic. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub
Months before it opened, Birch & Rye was at the top of multiple most anticipated lists on the strength of its concept, a modern take on Russian cuisine. While we have a few solid spots for Russian food in San Francisco  Cinderella Bakery, the nice ladies who sell piroshki and dumplings at the Holy Virgin Cathedral, Red Tavern  Birch & Rye promised to bring something entirely new to the scene: an elite counterpoint to the mostly affordable fare we already have access to.

Owner and chef Anya El-Wattar has taken on a heavy task, given the way Russian food is not necessarily associated with high-class dining. Decades of Soviet-era scarcity and devastating famines transformed the cooking of many households in the U.S.S.R.; dishes that werent inspired by places like Uzbekistan and Armenia were largely bland, greasy and cheap. As a result, non-Russian foods have long occupied the realm of the aspirational among Russians: Georgian restaurants proliferate in Saint Petersburg, and many Americans might recall the news footage of Muscovites swarming the countrys first McDonalds in 1990.

El-Wattars approach focuses on some of the most common dishes associated with the Soviet bloc: Ukrainian borscht, Russian potato salad, pelmeni and cabbage rolls feature on the menu, though edited to justify the upscale pricing.

Kimberley Hasselbrink

Judging from the plethora of dishes on Birch & Ryes menu described by servers as deconstructed, culinary deconstruction seems to be a key tool in the chefs repertoire, though I was often left wondering about its utility beyond making a plate look sophisticated.

For her take on the Russian olivier salad ($33), the elements, usually united into a heterogenous mass by mayonnaise, were arranged separately on the plate. A hunk of poached lobster meat, enveloped in a blazing orange shower of smoked trout roe, sat in the middle of a circle of halved boiled potatoes in a composition that looked akin to a witches coven dancing naked around a fire. Eating it is a little complicated, since the lobster, mostly claw meat, is kept largely whole: You have to do some of the chopping yourself to reconstruct the salad experience.

There was also a deconstructed borscht ($16), a shallow bowl of artfully arranged brassicas and meringue-like kisses of smetana (a Russian dairy product somewhere between creme fraiche and sour cream). A magenta beet coulis was poured from a pitcher at the table (points for presentation) and the soup as a whole hit all the right notes: It was earthy and comforting, with a lightness fully appropriate for a pause before the entrees.

Inspired by the work of Spanish chef Ferran Adria, who used molecular gastronomy to play around with diners expectations, deconstruction in food  in turn, appropriated from the work of philosopher Jacques Derrida  can be mind-blowing in the right hands.

El Bullis chicken curry featured a quenelle of curry ice cream and a cold curry-flavor granita in a pool of coconut milk, with the protein only present in a last-minute savory drizzle of chicken demi-glace. This re-examination of culinary convention can play tricks on you, and in so doing it can upend your assumptions about dishes that you thought you once knew. Since Adria, deconstruction has filtered out into the mainstream and become an easily criticized aesthetic choice at restaurants that dont quite reach for the same heights as El Bulli. In the worst case, the act of deconstruction, absent enlightenment, might come off as pretension as the diner wonders why this is happening. The key thing to ask is, if the elements of this dish werent deconstructed, would it still be delicious?

Kimberley Hasselbrink/Special to The Chronicle

At Birch & Rye, I think what got me to the latter was the golubtsi ($52). A take on beef-stuffed cabbage rolls, the entree was styled like a percentage symbol. On one side of an amber streak of tomato sauce, there were three hefty chunks of Wagyu beef placed on a bed of wood-roasted cabbage; on the other, a small pile of kasha (buckwheat) and mushrooms. The original dish was a way to stretch a little bit of meat into a filling meal, whereas this new interpretation puts the luxurious meat front and center, dominating the cabbage as if it had just beaten it up in a fight. The greens themselves were overcooked and mushy, and the pile of kasha was so small as to seem like an afterthought. The beef itself, cooked to a ruby rare-to-medium rare, was chewy.

If anything, the act of deconstruction made the dish more American and less of an interesting idea in general: It became meat-centered, with little care given to the non-meat components. This is surprising and, frankly, disappointing, given El-Wattars previous tenure at Greens, the acclaimed vegetarian restaurant.

A better entree was the black cod dish ($41), based on a traditional Russian fish soup. It wasnt really deconstructed; if anything, it looked close to the original template, and superior technique made the dish a stellar one. The fish, seared and served in a kiddie pool of savory consomme and roasted baby root vegetables, became like silk in the mouth. Fat orbs of salmon roe served as seasoning. They were charming, but didnt seem totally necessary, as the fish itself was rich and briny enough. The aromas of parsley and dill hung over each sip of the consomme, making the whole dish an evocative and nourishing experience.

Kimberley Hasselbrink/Special to The Chronicle

Its clear that El-Wattar and her team put an incredible amount of labor into their menu. As you walk into the space, painted with a muted color palette, the first thing you see is a rainbow of jars arranged near the host stand. Each contains a vodka infusion developed by prolific Bay Area mixologist (and 2015 Chronicle Bar Star) Jennifer Colliau, and they range from classic and punchy horseradish to an intriguing combination of orange, pine essence and apricot. Sip a single portion ($13) as you eat, or try them in cocktails like an old-fashioned ($15) that uses a hazelnut-and-chocolate infusion as its base liquor.

As with its cocktails, Birch & Rye is at its best with dishes that are simple but technical. Thats clear in the case of the delicate rye bread that accompanies the appetizer of cured salmon ($23). Its made in-house, with a sourdough base and three stages of fermentation, and pays off with an impressively tender crumb. Another small dish, a rustic bowl of tender wood-fired potatoes and tiny, squeaky mushrooms, gains comforting richness from a combination of duck fat and smetana.

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On my three visits, the restaurants Georgian khachapuri, a semi-hollow loaf of bread, filled with cheese, butter and egg, seemed like it was being tweaked in real time. First, it was a shareable starter. Then it disappeared for a while. On my final visit, the bread ($18) came back, though it shrank to about the size of an iPhone. Baked in the wood-fired oven, the spelt-based breads exterior is crisp and the interior is indulgent and gooey, its texture developed with a mixture of feta and two types of mozzerella cheese. Order a few for the table, because sharing something so small might be a relationship ender. Hopefully, this one stays on the menu.

Kimberley Hasselbrink/Special to The Chronicle

The service at Birch & Rye is excellent, but take this with a grain of salt: I had to show my vaccination card every time I showed up, so they obviously knew who I was. That said, from the host to the servers, the staff were lighthearted and responsive, quick to replace plates and silverware and ready to explain the myriad ways the menu departed from Russian traditions. What likely helps is the 22% service charge tacked onto your bill, which the menu explains goes toward high hourly wages, health insurance and a 401k for employees.

Staff are also well-versed in addressing the elephant in the room. Its a strange time to write about a Russian restaurant, given how the increasingly dire situation in Ukraine has dominated the news for the past few months. You cant help but think about it; but Birch & Rye, which opened just a few weeks before the invasion began, has been doing its best to navigate these choppy waters. Sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, gleam on every table; and El-Wattar, a native of Russia, is organizing a star-studded five-course dinner on Wednesday, April 13, to raise money for World Central Kitchens efforts to feed refugees of the conflict.

Regardless of the menus unevenness, its fair to say that El-Wattar deeply cares about this concept and the very real place that inspired it. It couldnt have been easy to satisfy the excitement that surrounded Birch & Ryes opening, and the visibility that came along with Russia being in the news couldnt have helped. Given El-Wattars willingness to experiment with and improve crowd favorites like the khachapuri, its only a matter of time before the restaurant hits its stride.

Birch & Rye 1320 Castro St., San Francisco. 415-796-2265 or https://birchandryesf.com Hours: 5-9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. Accessibility: No steps. Noise level: Moderate. Acoustic paneling in the dining room. Meal for two, without drinks: $125-$175. What to order: Black cod, khachapuri, borscht, cured salmon, potatoes and mushrooms. Meat-free options: Plenty of starters and one entree. Drinks: Wine, beer and vodka. Transportation: Near 24-Divisadero, 35-Eureka and 48-Quintara/24th Street Muni lines. Street parking. Best practices: Reservations recommended. The birch room, located in the back of the restaurant, serves as semi-outdoor seating, though it's basically indoors. See More Collapse

Soleil Ho is The San Francisco Chronicles restaurant critic. Email: soleil@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hooleil
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, as weeks of attacks and privation leave the bodies of Mariupol's people carpeted through the streets.

Speaking by phone Monday with The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko also accused Russian forces of having blocked weeks of thwarted humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage there from the outside world.

Mariupol has been cut off by Russian attacks that began soon after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in late February, and has suffered some of the most brutal assaults of the war. Boychenko gave new details of recent allegations by Ukrainian officials that Russian forces have brought mobile cremation equipment to Mariupol to dispose of the corpses of victims of the siege.

Russian forces have taken many bodies to a huge shopping center where there are storage facilities and refrigerators, Boychenko said.

Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned, he said.

Boychenko spoke from a location in Ukrainian-controlled territory but outside Mariupol. The mayor said he had several sources for his description of the allegedly methodic burning of corpses by Russian forces in the city, but did not detail the sources of his information.

The discovery of large numbers of apparently executed civilians after Russian forces retreated from cities around the capital, Kyiv, this month already has prompted widespread condemnation and charges from Ukrainians and the West that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine.

Elsewhere Monday, U.S. officials pointed to new signs that Russia's military is gearing up for a major offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, switching its focus after Russian forces failed in their initial drive to capture Kyiv.

Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region since 2014, and have declared independent states. A major confrontation between the two countries' fighters in Donbas would allow Russia to try to use its numbers and greater military might to capture more territory there. Western military strategists say Russia also hopes to force Ukrainian fighters out into the open in more conventional battles in the east, rather than the successful hit-and-run attacks Ukrainian fighters have often employed so far.

Russia has appointed a seasoned general to lead its renewed push in the eastern Donbas region.

A senior U.S. defense official on Monday described a long Russian convoy now rolling toward the eastern city of Izyum with artillery, aviation and infantry support, as part of redeployment for what appears to be a looming Russian campaign in the east.

More artillery is being deployed near the city of Donetsk, while ground combat units that withdrew from around the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas appear destined for refitting and resupplying before they position in Donbas, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. military assessments.

With their offensive in many parts of the country thwarted, Russian forces have relied increasingly on bombarding cities  a strategy that has flattened many urban areas and killed thousands of people.

Ukrainian authorities accuse Russian forces of committing atrocities, including a massacre in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv, airstrikes on hospitals and a missile attack that killed at least 57 people last week at a train station.

In Bucha on Monday, the work of exhuming bodies from a mass grave in a churchyard resumed.

Galyna Feoktistova waited for hours in the cold and rain in hopes of identifying her 50-year-old son, who was shot and killed more than a month ago, but eventually she went home for some warmth. He's still there, her surviving son, Andriy, said.

In Mariupol, about 120,000 civilians are in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications, the mayor said.

Only those residents who have passed the Russian filtration camps are released from the city, Boychenko said.

Ukrainian officials say Russian troops are confiscating passports from Ukrainian citizens then moving them to filtration camps in Ukraines separatist-controlled east before sending them to distant, economically depressed areas in Russia.

Boychenko said Monday that improvised prisons were organized for those who did not pass the filtering, while at least 33,000 people were taken to Russia or to separatist territory in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Ukrainians on Monday that Russia might use chemical weapons in Mariupol. We take this as seriously as possible, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

Western leaders have warned since before Russian troops moved into Ukraine that Russia could resort to unconventional weapons there, particularly chemical agents.

A Russia-allied separatist official, Eduard Basurin, appeared to urge their use Monday, telling Russian state TV that Russian-backed forces should seize a giant metals plant in Mariupol from Ukrainian forces by first blocking all the exits out of the factory. And then well use chemical troops to smoke them out of there, he said.

A Ukrainian regiment, without evidence, also claimed Monday that a drone had dropped a poisonous substance in Mariupol but said there were no serious injuries.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement that the U.S. could not confirm the drone report out of Mariupol. But Kirby noted the administrations persistent concerns about Russias potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the United Nations childrens agency said nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion began. The United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured, though the actual numbers are likely much higher.

Elsewhere, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks that were very direct, open and tough.

In a statement released by his office, Nehammer said his primary message to Putin was that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose. Nehammer said he also raised the issue of war crimes committed by the Russian military and said those responsible will be held to account.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

In other developments, the head of the separatist rebel government in Donetsk claimed Ukrainian forces have lost control of the port area of Mariupol.

Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is now under our control, Denis Pushilin, president of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, told Russian state television, according to Russian news agencies. The claim could not immediately be confirmed.

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But Mariupol's mayor said fighting continues at the port. "It is difficult, but our heroic military holds on, Boychenko said.

Both sides are digging in for what could be a devastating war of attrition.

Russian forces will likely try to encircle the Donbas region from the north and the south as well as the east, said retired British Gen. Richard Barrons, co-chair of the U.K.-based strategic consulting firm Universal Defence & Security Solutions.

The ground in that part of Ukraine is flatter, more open and less wooded  so the Ukrainian ambush tactics used around Kiev may be less successful, Barrons said.

As to the outcome, its finely balanced right now, Barrons said. If the Russians learned from their previous failures, concentrated more force, connected their air force to ground forces better and improved their logistics, "then they might start to overwhelm the Ukrainian positions eventually, although I still think it would be a battle of enormous attrition.

In a video address to South Korean lawmakers Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically requested equipment that can shoot down Russian missiles.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov claimed the military used cruise missiles to destroy four S-300 launchers near the central city of Dnipro on Sunday. He said the military also hit such systems in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions.

The Pentagon said it had seen no evidence to support Russias claims. And Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakia's prime minister, denied Monday that the S-300 system it sent Ukraine had been destroyed.

Questions remain about the ability of depleted and demoralized Russian forces to conquer much ground after their advance on Kyiv was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders.

Britains Defense Ministry said Monday that Ukraine has already beaten back several assaults by Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions  which make up the Donbas  resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery.

Western military analysts say Russia's assault increasingly is focusing on an arc of territory stretching from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, in the north, to Kherson in the south.

A residential area in Kharkiv was struck by incoming fire on Monday afternoon. Associated Press journalists saw firefighters putting out the fire and checking for victims following the attack, and saw that at least five people were killed, including a child.

Oleh Synyehubov, the regional governor of Kharkiv, said earlier Monday that Russian shelling had killed 11 people over the last 24 hours.

___

Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Anna reported from Bucha, Ukraine. Associated Press Writer Robert Burns in Washington, and AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.

___

Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
To look inside Oaklands Sobre Mesa is like peeking into a time capsule: to catch a glimpse of an aesthetic optimism that is hard to find in the restaurant world of today, when dolling up the dining room is generally low on the long list of pandemic-era priorities. Its interior is lush with tropical greenery and lit with vivacious pink and green lighting; just from a glance, its easy to imagine how it must feel to sink into one of the tall, upholstered booths as the rum starts to hit you.

For German, it was important to create a welcoming space that reflects his African and Dominican ancestry. Hes shown this through creating dishes with traditional ingredients like cassava and plantain that proliferate on the menu, the bars Dominican Republic-sourced liquors, and the many people of color that staff the front-of-house. Its a format that, similar to newer bars like Low Bar, Oeste and Viridian, was aimed toward a demographic that has historically been left out of high-end cocktail culture.

The Afro-Latino lounge opened on March 5, 2020. Then, as quick as a California poppy closes at sunset, it shut its doors; shelter-in-place orders hit the Bay Area a week later. We caught up with chef and owner Nelson German about his appearance on Top Chef: Portland, and about how Sobre Mesa, and his first restaurant Alamar Kitchen & Bar, have fared throughout the pandemic.

Extra Spicy is:

Hosted by Soleil Ho

Produced by Caron Creighton and Tea Francesca Price

Executive producer: Sarah Feldberg

Listen to the episode by clicking on the player above, or wherever you get your podcasts. Scroll down to read the transcript of an excerpt of Soleil Ho's conversation with Nelson German, edited and shortened for clarity:

SOLEIL: So you're originally from New York, which is very cool.



Nelson German: Yeah. Born and raised Washington Heights.



SOLEIL: So what are you doing out here?



Nelson German: Been in the bay for 13 years now. My wife is from Oakland. We met in New York, and once we got engaged, she was like, you're coming out west. I want to be close to my family, you know? And I honestly, at that time, I was kind of ready to move. She got me to traveling. So when you travel, opens up your eyes, to change and see there's something different out in the world. New York is so massive, New York is like its own world in itself. With so many cultures there, so many things to do. Everything goes so fast. You could get tired of it, and you can finally see that there's other ways of living life and actually having a life. You know, I balance even in this industry, instead of working 90 hours a week like I used to in New York, nonstop on my list during 70 here and still having some time to, you know, sleeping an extra hour, or actually sit down and take a break.

SOLEIL: So, you're saying that the culture out here in the Bay Area is a little more relaxed?



Nelson German: Yes. Yes. I gotta be honest. Definitely. It is compared to New York, which is a great thing. You need a work life balance. It keeps you going. Keeps you more creative. New York can burn you out really quickly. I was born and raised there, so I have a little extra oomph in me. But the Bay Area is really dear to my heart and has changed me even to be a better man. You know, learning about my culture, respecting my roots deeper than the Dominican side is due to the Bay Area and I give it props.



SOLEIL: Oh, amazing! Speaking of which, I know that you opened Sobre Mesa, your second restaurant, shortly before the pandemic. I wrote about it. I loved it. I thought it was a really amazing concept. How has it been [going]? Because God, like, I think my heart goes out to everyone who opened restaurants like right before things just went completely bananas.



Nelson German: It was literally 9 days before the first shutdown. Oh my god. People really came out and supported us and really saved our business. You know, Sobre Mesa is dear to my heart because it's kind of the culmination of really I kind of was getting to really learning about my roots and respecting it and giving tribute to it. And the reason I opened Sobre Mesa is to broaden the education of how Afro-Latin and African ancestry really go together were part of the African diaspora, and we shouldn't be ashamed of that. You know, we should celebrate that. And Sobre Mesa, it's a fun place to be. You know, the music, the lighting, the food, the cocktails, everything tells a story. So yeah, when we had to shut it down, it was really sad. And you know, at that time, honestly, we all thought it was only gonna last two weeks, right? Right. So they were telling us so it wasn't like too, I was OK, it's going to be two weeks. Maybe it's just a nice little break. We can kind of see what went wrong, what went right and smooth things out. But then it became longer and longer and became a year. So it was really devastating. But we survived and things are going really well right now.
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San Franciscos redistricting task force adopted a plan early Sunday to shift the boundaries of the citys supervisorial districts after weeks of increasingly bitter debate over race and equity and allegations of a political power grab.

The vote, taken just before 3:30 a.m. Sunday, pushed ahead the latest draft of the revised map, created after hours of adjustments to district boundaries, often only a few city blocks at a time. Four members of the nine-member Redistricting Task Force did not vote on the draft, having walked out after a disagreement over procedure more than 15 hours into the meeting.

It was the latest turn in a contentious process that has bewildered and angered San Francisco residents, activists and politicians. Critics have accused the task force of attempting to dilute the political power of the citys progressives and of breaking up LGBTQ and Black communities.

The nine-member Redistricting Task Force  appointed by the citys mayor, Board of Supervisors and elections commission  will meet again this week and must vote on the final map by Wednesday, probably making only minor changes to the latest draft. The final version is to be made official Friday.

San Francisco goes through the redistricting process every 10 years to adjust supervisors districts based on census counts. The task force redraws district boundaries to have populations of similar size while preserving neighborhoods and communities as much as possible.

This years process was uglier and more political than in the recent past, political observers said.

Over the past decade, some districts have grown far more rapidly than others. District Six, which includes downtown, Mission Bay, the Tenderloin and South of Market, is about 30% over the target population of about 80,000 in part because of a series of new housing developments. The plan calls for the Tenderloin to move to District Five, with the Western Addition.

LGBTQ activists strongly objected to splitting the Tenderloin and SOMA given the communitys historical presence in each.

That to me was very frustrating, said Jupiter Peraza, director of social justice and empowerment initiatives for the Transgender District. It was also heartbreaking because it also reminds me that trans people are yet again placed in the back burner in situations like this.

A group of task force members left the meeting, which began at 10 a.m. Saturday, as it stretched into Sunday morning. The task force initially voted against a proposal to move Portola and University Mound to District 10 from District Nine and Potrero Hill to District Nine from District 10.

Task force members then took a break. When they came back, member Ditka Reiner asked for a revote and changed her vote in favor. This time the vote passed. Four members  Raynell Cooper, Chema Hernandez Gil, Jeremy Lee and Michelle Pierce  got up and left.

Reiner and the Rev. Arnold Townsend, the task force chairman, could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Cooper said he walked out because he was uncomfortable with what he called a lack of explanation to reverse a vote on such short notice.

For me it was less about the content of the vote and more about just the context of having a reversal within 15 minutes of a vote immediately after a recess with no real explanation, he said.

Drama surrounding redistricting escalated last week as the task force prepared to approve Saturdays draft map.

Progressive groups and residents outraged at the way their neighborhoods might be moved into different districts spoke out in a flood of public comments and rallies. Then, the San Francisco Elections Commission moved to consider removing its three appointees to the Redistricting Task Force  which prompted a backlash of its own, including from Mayor London Breed and some supervisors.

On Friday, the Elections Commission decided against removing its members, saying after several hours of testimony that there was no evidence that its members or the task force as a whole had acted improperly.

Saturdays meeting started slowly with the tedious process of tinkering with maps of potential districts, moving a block of a couple hundred people or shifting a boundary line by a street or two. Task force members said they were aware that few people would be happy with the result.

Member Lily Ho said it was important that she and fellow task force members recognize that some of their decisions, even if necessary, target the poor, people of color and marginalized communities.

Our rational decisions do have deleterious impacts on people, member Chasel Lee added.

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.

Townsend, vice chairman of the San Francisco NAACP, acknowledged that some of his votes were letting down the Black community.

Black folk, were dying here, he said, referring to the citys declining Black population  and political influence.

Many speakers during public comment talked about the need to keep lower-income, multiracial, transgender and other underrepresented communities together in districts where they can work together.

You have tried to pit the Asians against the Black people, and we arent going to stand for it, said Yolanda Williams, urging the task force to keep the Bayview, Visitacion Valley and Potrero Hill together in District 10.

Residents gave impassioned speeches during the public comment portion, taking to the lectern or calling in remotely, some reading statements, others speaking from the heart, sighing heavily in response to differing opinions expressed by other residents. Many pleaded with task force members to maintain the citys cultural districts, including SOMA Pilipinas, the Transgender District and the Leather & LGBTQ District.

One resident, who identified herself as a 30-year resident of Cathedral Hill, said she had concerns about how some residents and task force members have said they want to protect the most vulnerable populations, saying that she believed most speakers have framed and defined vulnerable populations in a racial context.

To me, the vulnerability is not racial, its in the unhoused, its in the untreated substance abusers, its in the untreated mentally ill, she said, using Tenderloin residents as an example. I fear that many wont be alive to vote in very many elections from some of the populations in the Tenderloin.

She said she was skeptical that changing the Tenderloin would improve conditions, but said that she would try to do my best to help my neighbors if amendments are made to the neighborhood.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writers J.D. Morris and Dominic Fracassa contributed to this report.

Lauren Hernandez, Michael Cabanatuan and Jessica Flores are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com, mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com, jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com
The 14-year-old girl was facedown on the top bunk bed, arms splayed out. It was just after 5 p.m. Maybe my daughter is just really tired, Hazel Mayorga thought. Paris is not usually a late napper. Ill just give her a shake.

Climbing up the bed frame to get a better look, Mayorga saw that the teenage girl whod visited Paris the night before was also on the top bunk bed, asleep. She jostled them both. The other girl woke up.

Paris did not. Her lips were purple.

After the screaming and the 911 call and the frenetic paramedics best efforts were over, there was nothing more to be done. On March 9, 2021, Paris Serrano became the youngest person in San Francisco to die last year of a fentanyl overdose.

While more than 1,300 people died from drug overdoses in San Francisco over the last two years, many from the powerful opioid fentanyl, few of them were teenagers. In 2021, 645 people died of fatal overdoses, and at least 3, including Paris, were under the age of 21, according to the most recent data, which provides demographic details for only 469 of those overdoses. In 2020, at least four of the 711 fatalities were teens.

The rate of teenagers overdosing nationally is also very small  but its growing. The nonprofit Families Against Fentanyl estimates that fentanyl overdose deaths among American teenagers tripled in the past two years.

Provided by Hazel Mayorga

Paris is a vivid face of that trend. Her death highlights how the devastation of drug overdoses is spreading along with the prevalence of hyper-deadly fentanyl. And how families sometimes never find out how their child got ahold of the drug  or unknowingly took it.

In the year since that awful day, Mayorga, 39, has wrestled with feelings of helplessness and guilt. She said her daughter would not have knowingly taken fentanyl, and that the drug was not present in her home.

However, because of the circumstances around the overdose, her other child, a 12-year-old girl, was placed in a temporary foster home, and Mayorga has been undergoing counseling.

The mere mention of Paris, a bubbly kid who liked to sing, whose favorite song was Inventame (Imagine Me) by Marco Antonio Solis, and who liked to cook potato pancakes for her mother, chokes up Mayorga. Last month, on the first anniversary of Paris death, she spent the morning sitting in the living room of her Tenderloin flat with friends, staring at pictures of her daughter. And crying.

Today is the worst day, just the worst day, she said.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Graciela Cortez, a close friend for many years, put an arm around Mayorga.

Oh my God, that girl was special, Cortez, 54, told her. She was a good, clean-hearted girl, and so much magnetism. She was one of those girls who wanted to eat the world in one day. Remember her like that.

At the time of her death, Paris was a freshman at June Jordan School for Equity, a small public high school named after the renowned American poet and activist. Though just a teenager, Paris dreamed of becoming a police officer or a lawyer, her mother said.

Mayorga came to San Francisco after fleeing violence in Nicaragua 16 years ago to find a better life in America. She had her two daughters with a man she met on the journey, she said, and started to build a solid life, taking house-cleaning jobs while she lived in subsidized housing on Treasure Island.

But the childrens father was violent and abusive, she and her friends said, and he did short stints in jail for it but always came back home. An eviction followed because of the disruptions, punctuated by periods of homelessness and, for Mayorga, stints in a domestic violence shelter.

The girls, she said, were sent to temporary foster homes before. But she said she found some stability about four years ago as a single mom in the supportive housing apartment where she now lives. Then came Paris death.

During one of the worst times for Mayorga and the girls, she pitched a tent in the Mission. Former city Supervisor David Campos found the family living there years ago while making rounds with street outreach counselors, and helped route them toward the housing she eventually landed in.

I remember this mother being very protective of her kids and doing her best to take care of them, Campos said recently after hearing from Cortez of Paris death. She was in a tough spot and really trying to get back on her feet  she was even working. Its very tragic.

To me, it seems like there was a system failure here, he said.

For Mayorga, that years-old dream of a good life in America feels in tatters.

God is with us, but why such sadness? she said. Nothing in life is more important than your daughter. Why would he take her?

Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle

Luis Tolbar, Mayorgas 42-year-old boyfriend, was with her when she found Paris. They wonder if the 17-year-old girl Paris was hanging out with had something to do with how fentanyl wound up in the apartment, and then in her system.

The two were smoking marijuana, Mayorga said, but my daughter never did hard drugs, never, and I dont do them either.

Mayorga believes her daughter smoked a joint that she didnt know was laced with fentanyl, which is about 50 times more potent than heroin.

Lawyers, police and child welfare officials contacted by The Chronicle said they could not comment on the circumstances of the case because it involved a juvenile. The Chronicle could not locate Paris friend.

Mayorga said she called a child welfare social worker from the city Human Services Agency to remove the second girl when she showed up the night before, because Mayorga wasnt able to make her leave and thought she would be a bad influence.

She said the worker, who like others at the agency told The Chronicle he could not comment because it was a juvenile matter, told her he had no authority to remove the girl.

Sources familiar with the situation  who also declined to be identified because they were not authorized to comment, and were granted anonymity by The Chronicle  said the social worker acted correctly.

A police report showed that heroin and fentanyl were found in a jacket in the room where the girls were, but with inconclusive evidence about its origins, officers did not file charges against anyone.

Paris death is a reminder that the fentanyl epidemic ravaging the city is not merely a street-life problem.

Most of the coverage around fentanyl overdoses in San Francisco has been focused on homeless single adults in the Tenderloin, said Trent Rhorer, director of the Human Services Agency, which overees child protective services but could not comment on Paris death. But the reality is fentanyl is touching more than that  it touches families, too.

Dr. Allanceson Smith, an adolescent addiction specialist with the city Department of Public Health, said it was pretty rare for a minor to be using opioids, but added that such use is growing.

The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics reports that drug overdose death rates among children 15 or younger are about 0.3 per 100,000, compared with about 22 per 100,000 overall.

When you look at the U.S. as a whole, the vast majority of kids tend to see opioids as dangerous, Smith said. Over 60% of high school students disapprove of opioid use. And its not uncommon for kids to be unintentionally exposed  taking it without knowing theyre taking it.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle A sample of Paris writing and drawing and the guinea pig that Hazel Mayorga named after her deceased daughter. Photo by Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle A sample of Paris writing and drawing and the guinea pig that Hazel Mayorga named after her deceased daughter. Photo by Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Slumped in a chair on the anniversary of Paris death, Mayorga said she had no idea how common it was for children to overdose. There was only one loss she was focused on  her daughter.

She hummed a little from Paris favorite song, remembering how the two of them used to sing it together in her tiny kitchen. Imagine me, Imagine what one day we could have been, the lyric goes. Mayorga hung her head and burst into sobs.

Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KevinChron
The Bay Area woke up Monday to the return of light rain and cool temperatures  a drastic change from last weeks heat wave that broke records across the region.

A weak front passing through the Bay Area brought light rain and gusty winds through Monday morning, with the South Bay and East Bay seeing the most precipitation, the National Weather Service said.

Dry weather was expected Tuesday and Wednesday, with high temperatures in the 50s and 60s. Another chance of light precipitation will return Thursday, weather officials said.

Its not any type of major accumulations, but any rain is good rain in my opinion, said meteorologist David King.

The Bay Areas higher peaks received up to a half inch of rain on Monday, with lower elevations seeing from a few hundredths to about 0.25 inches, the weather service said.

King said while the light rain should help fire concerns in the short term, the rainfall is not likely to have a significant impact on drought conditions.

Theres no such thing as bad rain around the Bay Area because its always beneficial, he said. But it is limited.

Winds could reach 50 mph in higher elevations and up to 45 mph in coastal cities, weather officials 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.

The Sierra Nevada  where the snowpack was a meager 38% of average as of April 1, the lowest peak accumulation in seven years  was expected to receive moderate snow through 8 p.m. Monday, according to the weather service in Sacramento. Up to 14 inches of snow was predicted to fall in the southern Cascades and northern Sierra above 4,500 feet, weather officials said.

Chain controls were in effect Monday in several mountain passes, and travelers were warned of travel delays and reduced visibility on roads. Drivers can check road conditions and chain requirements at quickmap.dot.ca.gov/.

Jessica Flores (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesssmflores
Gado via Getty Images

A Bay Area homeowners Ukrainian flag was vandalized and defecated on, Palo Alto police said, an incident that police are now investigating as a hate crime.

The incident took place last Thursday, April 6, when an unidentified homeowner in Palo Alto contacted police that the flag hung in their front yard was damaged, police said in a press release issued Sunday. The owner said that the flag was torn down from the homes hedge and rolled up on the yard. The resident then realized it was covered in feces when it was unfurled.
WENCHANG, Hainan, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Long March-7 Y5 rocket, which will launch the new cargo craft for the country's space station, arrived at the launch site in the southern island province of Hainan on Monday.

The rocket, alongside the Tianzhou-4 cargo craft that has already been transported to the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, will be assembled and tested at the launch site, announced the China Manned Space Agency.

Facilities at the launch site are in good condition and preparations for all systems involved in the mission are proceeding smoothly, said the agency. 
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  A private company announced Monday that power had been fully restored to Puerto Ricos almost 1.5 million customers nearly five days after a fire at a main power plant sparked an island-wide blackout and prompted public schools and government agencies to close.

Officials are now focused on investigating what exactly caused the failure of a circuit breaker at a substation within the Costa Sur power plant in southern Puerto Rico, one of four main plants in the U.S. territory.

I know many in Puerto Rico are asking, How is it that this happened? said Wayne Stensby, CEO of Luma, a company that took over transmission and distribution for the Puerto Ricos Electric Power Authority last year. Theres no question the electricity grid in Puerto Rico is incredibly fragile.

The blackout outraged and worried many on the island of 3.2 million people, including those who cannot afford generators and have medical conditions including diabetes and respiratory issues that depend on electricity for their treatments.

The outage snarled traffic, shuttered businesses and forced some people to sleep outdoors given the heat.

Customers angry over the extended outage noted they have been hit with recent increases in their power bills, and people complained the blackout damaged electrical appliances and forced them to throw out groceries as the island struggles to emerge from a more than decade-long economic crisis.

Gary Soto, director of Luma project system operations, said another outage occurred just days after the blackout that affected 25% of customers due to a new failure at another power plant involving a boiler that crews had recently repaired.

Shay Bahramirad, an engineering vice president, said a third party will look into the failure of the circuit breaker, noting that the blackout occurred 19 seconds after the initial fault was recorded. She said equipment at the power plant where the fire occurred dates from 1969 to the mid-1970s, although she declined to provide details including maintenance records on the failed circuit breaker, saying it would be taken out of context.

It was not immediately known what maintenance, if any, Luma had performed on the circuit breaker once it took over operations of Puerto Rico's transmission and distribution last June.

When asked several times whether maintenance on the circuit breaker was delayed, the companys CEO said, We are not going to speculate. Stensby said independent third parties would be responsible for the investigation and the structural testing and engineering design to rebuild the damaged area.

The outage comes as Puerto Ricos Electric Power Company tries to emerge from a bankruptcy-like process and restructure some $9 billion in debt. The utility has long struggled with corruption, mismanagement and a lack of investment in the electric grid, which Hurricane Maria razed in 2017. Emergency repairs were made at the time, but reconstruction projects have yet to start.

In addition, a series of strong earthquakes that hit southern Puerto Rico in late 2019 and early 2020 damaged the Costa Sur plant and other infrastructure.

Prior to Hurricane Maria, a fire at another power plant sparked an island-wide blackout in September 2016. A large fire in June last year at a substation in the capital of San Juan left hundreds of thousands of clients without power.
When Marina Ermoshkina, a Russian TV presenter, learned that employees at a Chanel store in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, had refused to sell a high-end bag to a Russian customer, after asking her to sign papers attesting that she would not wear the bag in Russia, she reacted in shock.

Ermoshkina, 28, bought a pair of gardening scissors, took a video of herself as she cut her Chanel bag in half and posted it to Instagram.

This is Russophobia, she said in a phone call from Moscow. This is the purest form of discrimination.

Hundreds of thousands of people saw her video, which was also broadcast on Russian television. Soon afterward, Victoria Bonya, a Russian social media influencer with 9.3 million Instagram followers, followed suit, taking a pair of scissors to a Chanel bag that sells for thousands of dollars.

If Chanel house does not respect the clients, why do we have to respect Chanel house? she said as she butchered her bag from the iconic French brand on video.

Chanel, like many international companies, suspended operations in Russia in response to President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. In addition to temporarily closing stores and suspending deliveries in Russia, Chanel also began asking customers in its global stores to attest that the items they were purchasing would not be used in Russia.

In a statement, the company said that it was attempting to comply with European Union and Swiss sanctions that prohibit 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. The prohibition, the company said, applies to luxury goods whose value exceeds 300 euros per item (about $326), which applies to most of Chanels products.

This angered Ermoshkina, who said that while withdrawing from Russia was the companys choice, its policy against customers bringing items into the country is discriminatory and humiliating.

If all the women are the same, why does Chanel discriminate against women for their nationality? she said.

Chanel declined to comment on the reactions of the Russian celebrities, but in the statement, it apologized for any misunderstanding this may have caused, as welcoming all our clients, regardless of where they come from, is a priority for Chanel. The company acknowledged that this process of walking through the law has caused disappointment to some of our clients.

Ermoshkina said she was glad Chanel apologized, but its response did not fully satisfy her. She has put up for sale all her other Chanel belongings and said she intends to donate the profits to an association that she said helps the people of Donbas, the region of eastern Ukraine that is home to many Russian-speaking people.

Other influencers have joined her in refusing to wear Chanel clothes and accessories. Some have reposted her words: Not a single bag, not a single thing is worth my love for my motherland.

Among them is Russian D.J. Katya Guseva, who had always dreamed of owning a Chanel bag, like the Hollywood celebrities she admired. But she recently told her 500,000 Instagram followers that she no longer needed that bag. In a WhatsApp message, she wrote: Without Chanel we will continue to live perfectly.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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The Phoenix Irish Bar & Restaurant on San Francisco's Valencia Street may soon be demolished and replaced with a six-story mixed-use building, according to Mission Local.

The pub's owner, Eugene Power, first submitted plans for the project in 2018, but it stalled until this month, when Mission Local noticed the project received demolition and building permits. A few months before the news came out that the owner was planning to demolish The Phoenix back in 2018, he fired seven female employees, instigating a call to boycott the bar.
HOUSTON (AP)  Three people who have worked for the top elected official in Harris County were indicted on Monday after being accused by prosecutors of steering a nearly $11 million contract for COVID-19 vaccine outreach to a political consultant with ties to local Democratic officials.

Alex Triantaphyllis, Aaron Dunn and Wallis Nader were each indicted on one count of misuse of official information and one count of tampering with a record, according to court records.

Triantaphyllis is chief of staff for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, while Wallis Nader is a policy director and Aaron Dunn is a former senior adviser who recently left Hidalgos office. The county is the nation's third-most populous and home to Houston.

We look forward to the upcoming court proceedings, which will shine a light on the fact that there has been no wrongdoing here. These charges against my client are unsupported by a full and objective review of the facts and the voluminous evidence in this case. In his service to Harris County, Alex has made the people the top priority and worked to ensure that taxpayer resources are utilized as effectively and efficiently as possible," Marla Poirot, an attorney for Triantaphyllis, said in a statement.

Ashlee McFarlane, an attorney for Hidalgo, declined to comment until her legal team had a chance to review the indictments.

Aaron Dunn is innocent. He is an honest and dedicated public servant. He didnt commit any crime, and I am confident that he will be vindicated," said Derek Hollingsworth, Dunn's attorney.

It was not immediately known if Nader was represented by a lawyer.

The Harris County District Attorneys Office declined to comment.

Documents detailing the charges were not immediately available. But a search warrant made public last month alleged Triantaphyllis, Dunn and Nader provided non-public information about the vaccine outreach contract to Felicity Pereyra, the founder of Elevate Strategies, giving her an advantage that led to her winning the proposal in June 2021.

The search warrant, first reported by KTRK-TV, was part of a raid of several county offices in which investigators, including the Texas Rangers, seized computers, telephones and other items.

The contract, which was part of the countys efforts to improve vaccination rates, was canceled in September after criticism about how it was awarded and concerns over whether the firm that won it had sufficient staffing and resources to manage the outreach effort.

Hidalgo had requested that the contract be canceled, saying that while there was nothing improper, it had become too political.
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Alert: UK announces sanctions against 2 Bosnian-Serb politicians for attempting to undermine the legitimacy of Bosnia
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP)  A newly redrawn Kansas congressional map is partisan gerrymandering designed to cost the states only Democrat in Congress some of her territory and drown out the voices of minority voters, attorneys representing voters in two heavily affected counties argued in closing arguments Monday.

The state defended the law, arguing that a Kansas City area district now held by U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids would remain competitive. Davids has gained national attention for her unusual resume as an LGBT and Native American lawyer and mixed-martial arts fighter.

Wyandotte County District Court Judge Bill Klapper said he would rule by April 25 at the latest. Regardless of what he decides, Klapper acknowledges that the case is destined for the Kansas Supreme Court.

The new redistricting law took effect in February after the GOP-controlled Legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kellys veto of it.

It removes the northern part of Kansas City, Kansas, from Davids' 3rd District seat and puts it in the neighboring 2nd District, which includes the state capital of Topeka but also rural communities across eastern Kansas. Kansas City is among Republican-leaning Kansas few Democratic strongholds.

The law also moved the liberal northeast Kansas city of Lawrence  another Democratic stronghold and home to the main University of Kansas campus  out of the 2nd District. The city of 95,000 is now in the already sprawling 1st District of central and western Kansas with small conservative communities, some six hours away by car.

Three lawsuits were filed on behalf of voters and consolidated into a single case. With so many parties involved, the courtroom overflowed with attorneys seeking to set new precedents. Federal courts can no longer rule on cases alleging partisan gerrymandering after a 2019 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. That means the Kansas lawsuits ask state courts to declare that the map violate the state Constitutions guarantee of voting rights, equal rights for all residents and freedom of speech and assembly.

Sharon Brett, an ACLU attorney representing voters in Wyandotte County, said the map maximizes Republican gains no matter the cost."

Diluted votes," she stressed, are not equal votes."

She cited the work of Jowei Chen, a professor at the University of Michigan, who programmed a computer to simulate 1,000 maps. Among them, a little more than half, kept all of populous Johnson County in the 3rd District, which was a legislative priority. He testified earlier Monday that the map ultimately approved by lawmakers was an extreme partisan outlier, more GOP favorable than any of the simulated maps that kept Johnson County intact.

As evidence of Republicans intentions, the lawsuits quote comments to a Republican gathering in September 2020 by then-retiring Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle. She said if Republicans won legislative supermajorities  which they did  GOP lawmakers could ensure that Republicans captured all four Kansas congressional districts.

She passed the baton," Brett said, and her colleagues carried it across the finish line."

Curtis Woods, who is representing voters in Douglas County, said lawmakers engaged in machinations" and a shell game" to move the liberal university community to a largely rural district that he said has little in common with it. He urged Klapper to perform what he described as the eyeball test."

Tony Rupp, a private practice attorney representing the state, disputed that the map amounted to gerrymandering, saying the 3rd district is barely a Republican district" despite the changes and one that anyone can win."

He noted that John Alford, a political science professor at Rice University, testified that the district is only slightly more competitive under the new map.

Rupp said it was always going to be impossible to avoid making big changes in the Kansas City area because it recorded some of the state's largest population gains.

We would ask that you not stop into the political thicket and overrule this map," he urged of the judge.
Scott Utterback/AP

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  A bill allowing lawyers to carry concealed weapons anywhere in Kentucky, including courtrooms, drew a veto Monday from Gov. Andy Beshear, who said it could spark dangerous situations.

The Democratic governor said he was contacted by judges, prosecutors and the state Fraternal Order of Police requesting him to veto the measure. The proposal was attached as an amendment to an unrelated bill by the Senate before it cleared the Republican-led legislature in the final hectic days before lawmakers took their veto period' break to allow Beshear to review stacks of passed bills.
FRESNO, Calif. (AP)  A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of shooting and killing his parents at their central California home, authorities said Monday.

Fresno police officers responding to reports of a shooting found the suspect, Julian McElhaney, on the front lawn of the home around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, the Fresno Bee reported.
ANDERSON, S.C. (AP)  One of the two workers shot last week by a former employee at a South Carolina industrial plant has died, authorities said.

Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore said 24-year-old Iain Samuel Pearce of Belton, South Carolina died Sunday after he and another employee at the Fraenkische plant in Anderson County were shot Tuesday. Pearce was shot in the head, according to Shore. The other employee was wounded.
Woburn, MA (01801)

Today

Cloudy with gusty winds developing during the afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 51F. Winds NE at 20 to 30 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. Low 43F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph.
SHANGHAI, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Although Charles Foldesh, a 37-year-old American drummer, had to temporarily stop his performance due to the COVID-19 resurgence in Shanghai, he has transformed his balcony into a stage, winning applause and cheers from his neighbors.

The megacity, with a population of 25 million, is currently under temporary closed-off management. Amid multiple rounds of citywide nucleic acid testing to stem the spread of infections, Shanghai has become a primary battleground against the Omicron variant.

Foldesh, who is also a drum teacher, has lived in Shanghai since 2007. During the ongoing closed-off management period, he is making good use of his talent and time playing drums while sitting on the balcony of his apartment in the city's Hongkou District.

Foldesh has become a viral sensation, as videos circulating on the internet showed him drumming to melodic rhythm amid enthusiastic cheers of his neighbors.

"That is cool. Hope the beats can drive everything bad away," commented a user on the popular short video sharing platform Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

"People who are interested in it can watch his live show after the epidemic," wrote another netizen.

Life under the epidemic has been frustrating for a lot of people although they have got food, water and other basic necessities, Foldesh said.

"The other day when I was out there, I noticed that all the neighbors were on the balcony, making a lot of noise, like 'Shanghai Jia You' (Shanghai, keep going). So I heard everybody was going on a little crazy, and I figured that it was the right time to set up the drums on the balcony and beat the drums," he added.

"The inspiration for playing drums on the balcony is really something I've wanted to do for a long time," Foldesh said, adding that he did not anticipate such an energetic reaction from the neighbors. "I thought they were going to yell me out to stop, but everybody was really enthusiastic about it, and it's kind of bringing up the spirit of the community."

Expressing his astonishment at how his video has garnered widespread attention on social media, Foldesh said a lot of his friends and acquaintances outside of Shanghai sent him the video to confirm if that was him.

"I'm happy to give them some energy. But I guess it also lifts the spirit of people outside Shanghai, as well as the community. So I'm glad people liked it," he said.

The skilled drummer said he is optimistic about the situation in Shanghai and that his family has stocked up on supplies and stockpiled food. However, he has been concerned about his work, as he is unable to work or perform due to the current epidemic situation, leaving him without income.

"I've experienced the epidemic in 2020 when many clubs were closed for a while, and then they opened gradually. During that time, I took full advantage of the time to practice and settle," Foldesh said.

"China's response to the epidemic is very strong and swift, which allows people to return to normal life quickly. The real heroes in my eyes are the delivery people because they kept us safe at home during the epidemic," Foldesh said. 
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  Tesla CEO Elon Musk's great Twitter turnabout  in which he disclosed his massive stake in the social media company, got a seat on its board, publicly floated drastic changes and then turned down the board role  all happened in a week.

But its aftermath could linger if the mercurial billionaire who now holds a roughly 9% stake in Twitter continues to push forward his ideas for reshaping the business of social media.

WHY DIDN'T MUSK JOIN THE BOARD?

Musk said he informed Twitter on Saturday that he wouldn't be joining its board of directors, after being invited five days earlier, according to a financial disclosure. He didn't explain why but the Saturday decision coincided with a barrage of now-deleted tweets from Musk proposing major changes to the company, such as dropping ads  its chief source of revenue  and transforming its San Francisco headquarters into a homeless shelter. Musk left a few clues on Twitter about his thinking, such as by liking a tweet that summarized the events as Musk going from largest shareholder for Free Speech to being told to play nice and not speak freely.

WHAT IS TWITTER SAYING?

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal said Musk's not joining was for the best but didnt give explicit reasons in a statement Monday. Agrawal also left some clues, noting that Musk had been awaiting a background check and suggesting that Twitter wanted him on the board  rather than just as a major shareholder  because as a fiduciary hed be legally and ethically bound to act in the best interests of the company and all of our shareholders.

HOW DID MUSK BUILD HIS STAKE?

Musk has been tweeting for a long time, but he began buying Twitter stock in earnest only a few months ago. He started on Jan. 31, when he bought a little more than 620,000 shares at $36.83 apiece. On nearly every single trading day from then through April 1, he bought hundreds of thousands or millions more of shares.

Altogether, Musk was in control of 73.1 million Twitter shares as of the most recent count, or 9.1% of the company. He spent $2.64 billion buying them all on the open market. The market value for all of Twitter, including Musks stake, is roughly $38 billion.

HOW BIG IS MUSKS STAKE COMPARED WITH OTHERS?

Musk seemed to be Twitters biggest shareholder until investment giant Vanguard Group filed a report late last week showing it had supplanted him.

Vanguard controls 10.3% of the company through investments made by its suite of mutual funds and ETFs. Vanguard and other fund giants are often the biggest investors in any company, as money keeps pouring into their index funds from retirement savers and other investors. But these fund giants are typically much more hands-off as owners than activist investors, who can push for new management teams or big changes in strategy.

WHAT COULDNT MUSK DO IF HE HAD JOINED THE BOARD?

Had Musk joined the board, he'd have been only one of several voices in strategy discussions. And he might have chafed at not being able to order the company around.

The responsibility of the board of directors is to represent the shareholders, said Harry Kraemer, clinical professor at Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management and former chairman and CEO of Baxter International. Theyre not there to represent themselves.

By turning down a seat on Twitters board, Musk also gets out of a promise to keep his ownership stake of Twitter at 14.9% or below. Free of that cap, he has the option to build a bigger stake, where he could try to take over the company or help elect a slate of directors more aligned with his thinking.

That 15% is an arbitrary number, said Kraemer. Its not like if you own 15%, you can or cant do something else. Im speculating, but maybe the thought was: If we bring him on as a director, and he cant buy more than 15%, that literally stops him from taking control of the company.

DIDNT MUSK SAY HE WOULD BE JUST A PASSIVE INVESTOR IN TWITTER?

When Musk first unveiled his Twitter stake through a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, he did it with a type of form often used by investors who dont plan to push for big changes at a company. But he has since amended that filing to use a broader type of form, one that doesnt have the same restrictions.

WHAT HAS MUSK SAID HELL DO WITH HIS SHARES?

He said in a filing with regulators on Monday that he owns the shares for investment purposes. He said he may buy more, sell or simply hold the shares, depending on what happens with its price and other factors.

He also said that he may talk with Twitters board and its management team from time to time about strategy, as well as possible mergers, sales or acquisitions, among other things. The widely followed tweeter was sure to note that he may express his views to the company through social media or other channels.

Musk said he has no present plans or intentions, but that his plans could change at any time.

WHAT DOES MUSK REALLY WANT?

Much of Musk's vocal criticism of Twitter over recent weeks has centered around his belief that it falls short on free speech principles. The social media platform has angered followers of Donald Trump and other far-right political figures who've had their accounts suspended for violating its content standards on violence, hate or harmful misinformation. Musk also has a history of his own tweets causing legal problems.

But as long as his attention is sustained, it's unlikely that Musk would make such a big play for Twitter if he didn't also have strategic business interests, said Enrique Abeyta, a former hedge fund manager and editor of Empire Financial Research. It's nearly impossible to start a new social media platform, so Twitter offers the digital equivalent of prime beachfront real estate that just needs some tinkering and fresh ideas, which could range from taking it private to shifting to a subscription-based model with fewer speech restrictions, Abeyta said.

He clearly has shown an interest in combining his philosophical beliefs and interests with his economic ones, he said. I think it would be very dangerous to discount him."

COULD MUSK BE TWITTER CEO?

Probably not. Neither Musk  who already serves as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and has dabbled in a number of other technology ventures  nor most investors are likely to think that's a good idea.

Hed rather be the chairman, the spirit animal, the man who saved Twitter and also made $10 billion on it, Abeyta said. He's the richest person in the world. Being CEO sucks.

___

Choe reported from New York.
The effort to hold drug companies, pharmacies and distributors accountable for their role in the opioid crisis has led to a whirlwind of legal activity around the U.S. that can be difficult keep tabs on.

Three trials are underway now, in Florida, West Virginia and Washington state. New legal settlements are being reached practically every week to provide governments money to fight the crisis and in some cases funds for medicines to reverse overdoses or to help with treatment.

In all, more than 3,000 lawsuits have been filed by state and local governments, Native American tribes, unions, hospitals and other entities in state and federal courts over the toll of opioids. Most allege the industry created a public nuisance in a crisis that has been linked to the deaths of 500,000 Americans over the past two decades.

Collectively, businesses already have faced settlements, judgements and civil and criminal penalties totaling more than $47 billion. The main entities targeted are the companies that manufactured and sold the pills; the businesses that distributed them; and the pharmacies that dispensed them.

Here's an overview of the litigation and settlements involving the various companies:

PURDUE PHARMA

Purdue is the maker of OxyContin, an extended-release version of oxycodone that packed higher doses into pills. The drug, released in 1996, became a heavily marketed blockbuster drug  and is associated closely with the epidemic's first wave.

Like other opioids, it was promoted not just for post-surgery and cancer pain but for chronic pain  an area where doctors previously were reluctant to prescribe such powerful drugs.

Faced with thousands of lawsuits, the company went into bankruptcy protection in 2019 to help reach a settlement.

A deal is now in place, but it's not final.

It calls for members of the Sackler family who own the company to give up their stakes, making way for it to become a new entity  to be known as Knoa Pharma  with profits funding the fight against the opioid crisis. Additionally, family members are to pay $5.5 billion to $6 billion over time, with a portion of the money going to victims.

Earlier this year, three members of the family attended an online hearing in which parents described losing children to addictions that started with OxyContin, and people recovering from addictions described their journeys.

As part of the exchange, Sackler family members would get protection from lawsuits over opioids.

For the settlement to be finalized, a higher court must overturn a judge's ruling that threw out an earlier version of the deal. A hearing on that is scheduled for April 29 before the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.

In the meantime, activists and some U.S. senators are asking the Justice Department to consider charges against family members.

OTHER DRUGMAKERS

In a major court victory for drugmakers last year, a California judge ruled against some local governments in their case against pharmaceutical companies Johnson & Johnson, Endo International and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.

Some of those drugmakers  Johnson & Johnson, Allergan and Teva  are now on trial in West Virginia.

But companies have largely been settling suits.

Mallinckrodt, which was a leading producer of generic oxycodone, also used bankruptcy court to reach a settlement, agreeing to a $1.6 billion nationwide deal in 2020.

Johnson & Johnson has agreed to a $5 billion nationwide settlement. It was announced alongside a separate settlement involving the three biggest drug wholesalers. The company's Janssen subsidiary stopped selling its fentanyl patches and pain pills in the U.S. in 2020. J&J was also the first drugmaker to be held liable for the opioid crisis in a trial, though the Oklahoma Supreme Court later overturned the ruling.

Endo made the opioid Opana, which was eventually removed from the market. The company has been reaching individual settlements with states. Deals since last year with Florida, New York, Texas, West Virginia and some district attorneys in Tennessee have totaled well over $200 million.

Late last year, a New York jury found Teva partly responsible for the state's opioid crisis through its marketing of the fentanyl drugs Actiq and Fentora. Most of the other companies the state and two counties sued settled before or during a trial last year. A separate trial is to be held to determine damages.

Since the New York trial, Teva has reached settlements with Texas, Florida and Rhode Island totaling more than $250 million. It will also provide drugs to reverse overdoses and treat addictions.

Allergan, now a subsidiary of AbbVie, has been settling suits involving the extended-release morphine pill Kadian. It reached one major settlement with New York last year. Since then, it has been part of the multi-company settlements in Florida and Rhode Island.

Executives from drugmaker Insys were convicted in 2019 of bribing doctors across the U.S. to prescribe their sublingual fentanyl spray Subsys. Company founder John Kapoor was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in federal prison.

The company also paid $225 million to resolve federal investigations into allegations that it paid kickbacks and used other illegal marketing tactics.

DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES

The three big national companies  AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson  finalized their settlement, worth a total of $21 billion over 18 years, in February.

The deal, combined with Johnson & Johnson's, is expected to be the single biggest settlement between companies in the drug industry and governments.

The total amounts include separate settlements covering all federally recognized Native American tribes.

With settlement money starting to flow to state and local governments, officials are figuring out how to prioritize it. The funds are arriving at a precarious time: The number of U.S. overdose deaths from all drugs topped 100,000 in a 12-month period for the first time last year. The majority of those deaths are from opioids  and particularly illicit synthetic versions including fentanyl.

Unlike the tobacco settlements of the 1990s, there are safeguards intended to steer most of the opioid settlement funds to addressing the crisis. Public health experts have ideas for how to do that, but the decisions are up to government officials.

The distribution companies also went to trial last year in West Virginia. A judge has not yet ruled.

Closing arguments in Washington state's trial against the distributors are expected this week.

PHARMACIES

Pharmacy chains have been sued less often than companies that make or distribute opioids. In one groundbreaking case, a federal jury in Ohio last year found CVS, Walgreens and Walmart recklessly distributed massive amounts of pain pills in Lake and Trumbull counties.

Late last month, CVS settled in Florida. That left Walgreens to go to trial Monday.

CONSULTING COMPANY

Global consulting firm McKinsey & Company also reached deals last year with the states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories for advising businesses on how to sell more prescription opioids amid the overdose crisis. Those settlements totaled more than $600 million.

A group of U.S. senators is pushing for a federal investigation, saying there were conflicts when the company consulted on opioid-related issues both for companies and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  Relatives of five of the eight people who were shot and killed last year at an Indianapolis FedEx warehouse by a former employee sued the shipping giant and a security company on Monday, accusing them of negligence and failing to ensure that the workplace was safe.

The federal lawsuit, which names as defendants the FedEx Corporation, three of its operating units and Securitas Security Services USA, alleges that gunman Brandon Scott Hole, 19, had exhibited emotional and mental instability on multiple instances before the April 15, 2021, shooting.

The suit contends the defendants knew or should have known of Holes potentially violent and dangerous propensities, which were reasonably likely to result in injuries to himself and others.

The families complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, seeks unspecified damages.

The plaintiffs are relatives of shooting victims Amarjeet Johal, 66; Amarjit Sekhon, 48; Jasvinder Kaur, 50; John Weisert, 74; and Karli Smith, 19.

The families of the three other people killed  Matthew R Alexander, 32; Samaria Blackwell, 19; and Jaswinder Singh, 68  are not involved in the suit.

Johals youngest son, Gary Johal, said that hurt and pain remain ever-present for him and his relatives nearly a year after her death.

It sucks that we have to go through this when this whole incident was 100% preventable, he said at a news conference with two of the plaintiffs' attorneys.

The suit alleges that FedEx should have taken additional security measures to protect the Indianapolis facilitys staff in light of previous mass shootings at other FedEx facilities, including an April 2014 shooting at a FedEx center in an Atlanta suburb where a gunman wounded six people.

After Hole arrived at the Indianapolis facility, he confronted Securitas security staff and began banging on a door and causing a disturbance, according to the lawsuit, which also contends the actions should have been recognized as those of a potentially dangerous person.

The suit accuses Securitas of failing to adequately train its staff to respond to dangerous or potentially dangerous situations, and failing to realize that Hole was a potential threat.

After he was denied entry to the building, the suit states, Hole returned to his car and opened fire minutes later in the parking lot and then at the facilitys entrance, killing the eight victims and wounding five other people.

Obviously there wasnt enough in place," said Melvin L. Hewitt, one of the plaintiffs attorneys.. Its our position that it was an entirely preventable."

FedEx said in a statement that it was aware of the lawsuit and was reviewing the allegations. The company added that it continues to mourn the loss of our team members in the senseless tragedy.

Securitas Security Services USA said it does not comment on pending litigation.

Indianapolis police and federal authorities said at a July 2021 news conference that Hole, a former FedEx employee, acted alone and used the attack as an act of suicidal murder. Four of the victims were Sikh, but authorities said the attack was not racially or ethnically motivated and that Hole believed he would demonstrate his masculinity and capability while fulfilling a final desire to experience killing people.

Hole was able to legally purchase the two rifles he used in the shooting, even after his mother called police in March of 2020 to say her son might attempt suicide by cop. Police seized a pump-action shotgun from Hole, then 18, when responding to his mothers call.

Lawyers for the victims have said the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Marion County prosecutors office failed to follow Indianas red flag law when they decided not to file a case with the courts to suspend Hole's gun rights in March of 2020.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  The Florida Legislature's new approach on drawing congressional maps is, if at first you don't succeed, don't try again.

House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson sent a memo to lawmakers Monday ahead of a special session next week saying legislative staff will not draw new maps to be considered by the chambers. Instead, they're asking Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to give them one.

We are awaiting a communication from the Governors Office with a map that he will support. Our intention is to provide the Governors Office opportunities to present that information before House and Senate redistricting committees, the Republican leaders said in a joint memo.

In an unprecedented move, DeSantis, who is a potential 2024 presidential candidate, interjected himself into the once-a-decade process of drawing new political lines after the federal census by submitting his own congressional map.

The Senate did not take the governors map into consideration, and the House approved two maps, a primary map to try to appease DeSantis and a second in case the first map was found to be unconstitutional.

While the House was debating its proposal, DeSantis used Twitter to say it would be dead on arrival. The Senate later approved the House maps and DeSantis kept his promise and vetoed the bill.

By saying it will wait for the governor, the Legislature is basically conceding the process to him.

DeSantis previously submitted a map that would dismantle the districts of two Black U.S. House members  Reps. Al Lawson and Sheila Cherfilus McCormick. DeSantis proposal also would likely give Republicans more Florida seats than the maps approved by the House and Senate. That would benefit DeSantis, a potential 2024 presidential candidate, if he were to be elected to the White House.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Iran on Monday urged the Taliban to provide better security at Iranian diplomatic sites in neighboring Afghanistan after angry Afghan protesters pelted the consulate in Herat with rocks, state media reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said more needed to be done after protests at the Iranian Consulate in Herat and the Iranian Embassy in Kabul on Monday became aggressive.
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JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AP)  Basheer was a young Taliban fighter barely out of his teens when the Islamic State group took over his village in eastern Afghanistan, nearly eight years ago. The militants rounded up villagers identified as Taliban and killed them, often beheading them, forcing their families to watch.

Basheer escaped and lived in hiding during the following years when IS controlled several districts in Nangarhar province. Over time, he rose in the Taliban ranks.

Now known as Engineer Basheer, he is the Taliban intelligence chief in eastern Afghanistan, with a leading role in the campaign to crush IS. He hasnt forgotten the atrocities he saw in his home district of Kot.

I cant explain their cruelty in words, whatever comes into your mind, they have done more than that, he told The Associated Press in a recent interview at his headquarters in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar.

Since coming to power in Afghanistan eight months ago, the Taliban have touted their success in repressing the Islamic State group, but the militants have expanded into neighboring Pakistan, stepping up attacks there. Analysts say IS has morphed into a borderless terrorist group, one of the deadliest in a region that has spawned many violent, radical organizations.

In northwest Pakistan, the impact is brutally clear. The remains of an IS suicide bomber are still visible on the once ornate walls of a mosque, weeks after he blew himself up, killing more than 60 worshippers as they prayed. IS identified the bomber as an Afghan from Kabul.

The March 4 bombing at the Kusha Kisaldar Shiite mosque in the old city of Peshawar stunned Pakistanis, deepening their fear of the resurgence of terror attacks in their country, after a steady decline in the past decade.

The rise in attacks began last year and is accelerating, said Amir Rana, executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies, an independent think tank that monitors militant activity in Pakistan.

By late March this year, Pakistan had seen 52 attacks by militants, compared to 35 in the same period last year, according to the institutes data. The attacks have also gotten deadlier. So far this year in Pakistan, 155 people have been killed in such attacks, compared to 68 last year.

The worst have been claimed by a ruthless Islamic State affiliate, known Islamic State in Khorasan Province or IS-K.

Meanwhile, IS attacks appear to have declined in Afghanistan.

IS-K first emerged in 2014 in eastern Afghanistan. By 2019, it held significant territory in Nangarhar province and had pushed into neighboring Kunar province. The U.S. military waged a massive air campaign against it, including targeting a suspected IS hideout with Americas largest conventional bomb, known as the mother of all bombs.

But IS survived, and it presented the greatest security challenge to the Taliban when they seized power in Afghanistan last August.

IS-K is a longtime enemy of the Taliban. The Taliban espouse a harsh interpretation of Islamic law and often used suicide attacks in their nearly 20-year insurgency against the United States and its Afghan allies. But they often blend tribal traditions with religious edicts and have reached out to Shiites. IS, meanwhile, opposes any group that does not accept its more radical, deeply anti-Shiite ideology and is notorious for atrocities meant to spread fear. IS, unlike the Taliban, see their battle as one to establish a unified Muslim world under a caliphate.

The Taliban responded with their characteristic heavy hand, sweeping through suspected IS strongholds. In October and November, residents reported bodies hanging from trees. They were told they were IS militants.

Basheer says the Taliban have succeeded in reining in the group.

We got control of all those areas ... Right now, there might be some people who hid in houses (but) they dont have any area under their control. There is no Daesh, he said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

He said IS-K fighters are at a disadvantage because the Taliban are longtime masters of guerrilla warfare. The IS-K has no tactics that the Taliban dont already know or havent used, he said.

Some militant watchers also say the Talibans deep reach inside Afghan villages and links to mosques and madrassas in even the smallest hamlets have reduced the space for IS to operate.

Since the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan last year, Washingtons ability to gather intelligence on IS has been drastically degraded, according to senior U.S. military officials.

The region is also increasingly inhospitable to America. Political turmoil has fueled anti-U.S. sentiment in Pakistan. In Afghanistan, the Taliban are imposing a rule that harks to their harsh government of the late 1990s. China is a major player in the region, quickly outstripping U.S. influence.

IS-K is not the only extremist group in the region. Others include Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is largely India-focused, Chinas Uyghur rebels of the East Turkestan group and Central Asias rebel Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

The threat from IS has only become more fluid and difficult to control.

Dr. Amira Jadoon, assistant professor at the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, said IS-K is weaker than it was in 2019. But it has morphed from an insurgency to a typical terrorist group, a subtle but important difference, she said.

Its now a stronger terrorist group than it was in 2019, but perhaps a weaker insurgency compared to its earlier peak years, since it lacks the same level of territorial control and is not controlling any civilian populations, Jadoon said.

A February U.N. report estimated the number of IS-K fighters at around 4,000 and said it enjoys more freedom than at any time in recent history.

Not everyone agrees. Bill Roggio, whose Long War Journal tracks militant movements, said the Taliban sweep to power prompted some former member of the group who had defected to IS-K to return to the Taliban fold.

The Taliban received a major boost after its victory in Afghanistan, said Roggio, who is also a senior fellow at the conservative Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

Unlike in Afghanistan, IS-K has not tried to lay claim to territory in Pakistan.

Instead, it has often piggy-backed on well-established anti-Shiite groups like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which has claimed scores of brutal attacks on Pakistans Shiite Muslim minority. In both countries, the extreme Sunni Muslim group reviles Shiites as heretics and has targeted them mercilessly.

Rana, from the Pakistani militancy monitoring group, said IS likely aims to stir up tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. But he said Pakistani authorities still consider the Pakistani Taliban, a homegrown anti-government group, the main threat.

This is quite a naive and simplistic view, he said, warning that IS attacks are likely to only increase.

___

Follow Kathy Gannon on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Kathygannon
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ATLANTA (AP)  A federal judge expressed skepticism Monday that he can give Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams the immediate right to begin raising and spending unlimited campaign contributions under Georgia law.

U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen told a lawyer for Abrams' gubernatorial campaign that she was asking him to rewrite state law to allow Abrams' One Georgia committee to start taking money before the May 24 primary.

The remedy you're asking me to do, I'm uncomfortable with, because you're asking me to rewrite the statute, Cohen told lawyer Joyce Lewis during a hearing in Atlanta.

Cohen suggested that it would have made more sense if Abrams had demanded that the judge shut down the ability of incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp's committee to raise money.

Why are you not asking me to shut down Kemp's leadership committee?" the judge asked.

Cohen said he would rule on Abrams' request for an emergency order by the end of the week.

Cohen, in a challenge from Kemp's Republican primary rival David Perdue, in February ordered Kemp's committee not to spend any money in the Republican primary. Cohen said such spending would give Kemp an unfair advantage against the former U.S. senator because Perdue isn't allowed a similar committee. Cohen, however, didn't block Kemp's committee from taking in money. It's a temporary ruling while Perdues lawsuit challenges Kemps committee as unconstitutional. Kemp is appealing the ruling.

Like Perdue, Abrams says the new kind of fundraising committee created by Georgia lawmakers last year is unconstitutional. Called a leadership committee, it allows certain people and groups to accept unlimited contributions. Giving to regular candidate committees is limited to $7,600 apiece for the primary and general elections and $4,500 for any runoff election.

Under the law, the governor and lieutenant governor, opposing major party nominees, and both party caucuses in the state House and Senate can form the committees. The committees can coordinate with candidate campaigns, unlike most other political action committees. After signing the law, Kemp created the Georgians First Leadership Committee, raising $2.3 million through January.

Abrams set up a leadership committee called One Georgia after qualifying, arguing that because no one filed to run against her in the May 24 Democratic primary and because write-in votes are not allowed, she became the Democratic nominee when qualifying closed. State Democratic Party chair Nikema Williams, also a U.S. representative, agrees, saying the party recognizes Abrams as its standard bearer for the Nov. 8 general election.

Cohen, though, said state law doesnt provide for declaring a nominee before a primary.

The law of Georgia say she's not the nominee, he said.

Lewis argued that because Georgians First has already raised a large amount of money, and is still accepting contributions, the toothpaste is out of the tube in terms of preventing contributions. Instead, the Abrams campaign argues that One Georgia should be allowed to raise money freely and Cohen should order state ethics officials to not take enforcement action, at least for now.

Every day we are not allowed to raise and the Kemp campaign is allowed to raise is a day we are on unequal footing, Lewis said, noting that even if Kemp can't spend now, he can stockpile money. We are not asking for unequal treatment. We are asking for equal treatment.

But Cohen said he questioned the wisdom of Abrams' request to maintain a structure she argues is unconstitutional. Elizabeth Davis, a lawyer for the state, said no enforcement action is ongoing and enjoining the ethics body, properly known as the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, would be overbroad and premature.

She said letting Abrams raise and spend would create its own version of an uneven playing field because Kemp is blocked from spending and Perdue has no access to a leadership committee at all.

___

Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday signed a bill pushed by state Republicans to overturn three communities policies that could help immigrants stay in the state illegally.

The bill was filed after Wyandotte County passed a sanctuary ordinance in February that would provide local identification cards for immigrants and other residents and would prevent local law enforcement from helping the federal government enforce immigration laws unless public safety is threatened. Lawrence and Roeland Park have similar ordinances.

Kelly said in a statement announcing that she would sign the bill that immigration policy is a federal responsibility which can't be resolved at the local level.

Both Republicans and Democrats in Washington have failed to address immigration issues for decades, Kelly said. We need a national solution and we need it now.

The Kansas House and Senate passed the bill in recent weeks and supporters had the two-thirds majorities necessary in both chambers to override a Kelly veto.

The bill nullifies the three existing ordinances and bans future ones that restrict cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The bill also says a local ID isnt valid for voting.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt had urged lawmakers to intervene after Wyandotte County passed its ordinance last month.

Schmidt, who is the presumed Republican nominee for governor, said in a statement Monday the Biden administration's failure to secure the U.S. southern border jeopardizes public safety in Kansas.

"Under this new law, Kansas law enforcement will be able to resume working professionally with federal immigration authorities as the needs of public safety require and not be silenced by a patchwork of local sanctuary city gag orders, he said.

Kelly said the law could prevent people who rely on local IDs from voting and she urged the Legislature to send her another bill that ensures those people, such as the elderly people and those with disabilities, can continue to vote.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A Republican-authored bill to legalize medical marijuana in Wisconsin will be getting its first public hearing next week, achieving one goal of backers and the latest sign of progress for those who want to loosen the state's laws.

The bill won't become law this year because Legislature has adjourned and won't be back until 2023. But the April 20 Senate committee hearing on the medical marijuana bill will give supporters their highest profile chance to make the case for loosening Wisconsin's marijuana laws.

Thirty-seven states have legalized medical marijuana and 18 have fully legalized it, including Illinois and Michigan. Wisconsins other two neighbors, Iowa and Minnesota, allow medical marijuana.

I want to encourage every Wisconsinite who has an interest in this to come engage in the process, share your perspective, and learn about the bill, said the measure's sponsor, Republican Sen. Mary Felzkowski, of Tomahawk, in a statement Monday announcing the hearing.

Whether you think the bill goes too far, or not far enough, whats important is that we all come together to have an open, honest and respectful discussion about moving this idea forward, she said.

Felzkowski also chairs the Senate committee on insurance, licensing and forestry that will be holding the hearing. The Legislature's largest hearing room was reserved for the hearing.

Democratic Sen. Melissa Agard, the chief proponent for full legalization, said holding a hearing on the bill after the Legislature had adjourned was a cynical political ploy that gives people false hope about the prospects of this legislation."

Agard said she was encouraged that people will have a chance to testify, but she was disappointed it didn't happen while the Legislature was in session.

Sadly, Republicans are all talk and no action when it comes to legalization efforts in Wisconsin," she said.

This session in Wisconsin there were bills from Democrats and Republicans that would legalize medical marijuana, from Democrats that would also legalize it for recreational use, and a bipartisan measure that would decriminalize the possession of marijuana.

All of those measures died when the Republican-controlled Legislature adjourned its session in February.

But the hearing next week will bring new attention to the issue and perhaps provide momentum for next session. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has voiced support for medical marijuana, while Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu has said legalization is a federal issue.

Felzkowski introduced the same medical marijuana bill last session but it died without a hearing.

She has said the proposal was written in a limited way  it doesnt allow for smoking medical marijuana, for example  in order to gain support from Republican lawmakers. The Democratic medical marijuana bill would have allowed for smoking it.

Medicine is never one-size-fits-all, and its time for Wisconsin to have the conversation on adding this additional option which may help patients find the relief they need, Felzkowski said.
CAIRO, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The celebrations to mark Cairo's designation as the "Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2022" were inaugurated on Monday.

The Egyptian Minister of Culture Inas Abdel-Dayem and Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) Salim AlMalik attended the opening ceremony, according to the ministry's statement.

The Egyptian capital embraces unique cultural diversity and presents ancient Islamic civilization with castles, walls, schools, and mosques, said Abdel-Dayem.

For his part, AlMalik said that Cairo has maintained its heritage and importance over decades.

As many as 149 events that embody the most important features of Egyptian identity will be organized, which will cover seminars, lectures, conferences, publications, photo galleries and competitions, artistic shows, folklore performances and handicraft exhibitions, said the statement. 
BOSTON (AP)  A man was killed when his arm became stuck in the door of a Boston subway car as it pulled away from a station, authorities said.

There was an incident shortly after 12:30 a.m. Sunday in which a man sustained fatal injuries inside the Red Line tunnel as a train departed Broadway Station," Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said in a statement.

The man got his arm trapped in the door and was pulled along by the moving train, said Jim Borghesani, a spokesperson for the Suffolk district attorney's office. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Foul play is not suspected, Borghesani said.

Authorities identified the man Monday as Robinson Lalin, 39, of Boston.

The district attorney's office, MBTA police, and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

The train operator has been taken off duty pending the investigation, Pesaturo said.

As detectives work to establish the facts, the investigation will include, but not be limited to, collecting statements from witnesses, reviewing any images captured by cameras and examining vehicle maintenance and inspections records," he said.

There have been other safety issues with the MBTA in the past year. Nine people were injured in September when an escalator at the Back Bay Station malfunctioned, and more than two dozen went to the hospital last July when a Green Line train rear-ended another trolley.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Mimi Reinhard, a secretary in Oskar Schindler's office who typed up the list of Jews he saved from extermination by Nazi Germany, has died in Israel at the age of 107.

Reinhard died early Friday and was laid to rest Sunday in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv, her son Sasha Weitman confirmed.

She was one of 1,200 Jews saved by German businessman Schindler after he bribed Nazi authorities to let him keep them as workers in his factories. The account was made into the acclaimed 1993 film Schindler's List by director Steven Spielberg.

Reinhard was born Carmen Koppel in Vienna, Austria, in 1915, and moved to Krakow, Poland, before the outbreak of World War II. After Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, she was confined to the Krakow ghetto before being sent to the nearby Plaszow concentration camp in 1942.

Reinhard's knowledge of shorthand got her work in the camps administrative office, where, two years later, she was ordered to type up the handwritten list of Jews that were to be transferred to Schindler's ammunition factory.

I didnt know it was such an important thing, that list," she told an interviewer with Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, in 2008. First of all, I got the list of those who were with Schindler already in Krakow, in his factory. I had to put them on the list." Later she put her own name, and the names of two friends.

At the Brunnlitz labor camp, where Schindler's ammunition factory was housed, she was put to work in Schindler's office.

She said that although she worked in Schindlers office toward the end of the war, she had little personal contact with him.

He was a very charming man, very outgoing, she recalled, decades after the war. He didnt treat us like scum.

After the war, she made her way to the United States, where she lived until immigrating to Israel in 2007 at the age of 92.

Weitman, Reinhard's son, said that after coming to Israel she became a kind of a celebrity" because of the Schindler's List film's popularity, something he said pumped another 15 years into her life.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  Mississippi will expand a work release program for nonviolent inmates from one county to three counties.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed House Bill 586 on Friday, and it will become law July 1.

Dignified work has the potential to offer new beginnings, Reeves said Monday in a statement announcing his signing.

The Rankin County sheriff was already authorized to let inmates work outside the county jail during the final year of their sentences. The new law says the sheriffs in Harrison County and Lee County also can create a program.

Each sheriff can choose up to 25 inmates to participate, and inmates choose whether to do so.

While working outside jail, each inmate can earn money and must have a bank account. They can use some of the money for incidental expenses. Up to 25% of what they earn can help to pay fines, restitution, fees or support of dependents. They may keep using the accounts and any remaining money after they are released.
LICKING, Mo. (AP)  A Missouri man whose murder conviction was overturned walked out of prison Monday after serving 18 years.

Keith Carnes was released from the South Central Correctional Facility in Licking after prosecutors announced Friday they would not retry him in the 2003 shooting death of 24-year-old Larry White, a rival drug dealer in Kansas City.

The Missouri Supreme Court last week set aside Carnes' conviction, saying the state did not disclose some evidence, including a police report from a confidential informant that might have led to his exoneration.

After his release, Carnes thanked God and his supporters, KSHB-TV reported. He said he remained optimistic during his incarceration because he knew he was innocent.

You dont just sit around and hope that this is going to happen for you  you put in the work, he said. Together we were able to put it all together and make it happen.

Prison officials said Carnes was not released until Monday because they were waiting to receive official paperwork acknowledging the charges were dismissed.

Carnes was convicted in 2006 of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Some witnesses have since said they were pressured by police or prosecutors to implicate Carnes in White's death. But at least one woman who recanted her original testimony said she did so because of threats from Carnes' supporters.

When announcing it would not retry Carnes, the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office said the evidence was tainted from all directions. It said its review did not establish Carnes' innocence but that there was insufficient evidence he committed the crime.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)  Mekayla Rodgers says she understands that without the Juvenile Court Intervention Program, shed be in the streets or locked up.

After two stints in juvenile detention, the 18-year-old Rodgers decided to make changes in her life and set goals for herself  inspired by one person in particular.

I want to go into the military, and I want to go to school to do hair, and I just want to be a good mother for my son, said Rodgers, who has a 6-month-old.

The diversion program, started two years ago by the Mecklenburg Council of Elders, is helping her work toward those goals. Rodgers is working toward earning a GED, and shes learning life skills.

Camille Stephens, her teacher, says Rodgers has come a long way since joining the program.

She desires to ... be the best mother that she can be to her child, and so shes doing that, and thats a blessing for herself and for her child as well.

The Council of Elders, a nonprofit network of organizations that work in criminal justice, launched the program with just 45 students in an effort to create viable citizens.

This year, the program hopes to reach 150 students, ages 8-21, executive director Maria Macon said.

The mentoring program operates out of the former Plaza Road Academy, near W.T. Harris Boulevard in northeast Charlotte. One of Macons clients allowed the council to use their lease. Instructors have repurposed old classrooms to suit their needs, including a fitness studio, a martial arts dojo, and a room covered in paint-splattered tarps where teens are learning how to paint houses and restore furniture.

The expansion plans come amid other efforts to help local at-risk youth in Charlotte, which have drawn praise from Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Chief Johnny Jennings.

The biggest problem in Charlotte right now is young people getting guns and using them, Macon said.

At least 24 guns have been found on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools campuses this academic year. And, at least three teenagers 17 and under have been killed due to gun violence, CMPD data show.

Anger management, adverse childhood experiences and trauma are some of the root causes of the violence, Macon said, and the program focuses on them.

The diversion program works with judges, social workers and the community to help the students cope with adverse experiences, Macon said.

When you talk to many of the young people that are in jail or in court and waiting to be sentenced, something happened in their childhood that has triggered an adverse thought in their mind. And they enter into these gangs, into shooting, Macon said.

HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND THEMSELVES

For Stephens, the diversion program allows her to fulfill a passion: working with kids and shaping the future.

Stephens, whose Locked Out Love group works within the jail and juvenile detention center, teaches moral recantation therapy and Work Smart, which focuses on soft skills for the workplace.

The recantation therapy class is a 12-step program that focuses on helping young people realize and understand where trauma begins, where their life is now and was in the past, and what their goals could be for the future.

What I hope kids get out of the program is to be able to utilize the tools that are provided to keep the recidivism down to nothing, Stephens said.

Tysha Pressleys Abusive Childhood Experiences class tries to help students understand what trauma is and how to alleviate its symptoms.

Pressley, a licensed clinical mental health counselor, said a typical classroom period lasts about 30 minutes. She starts by asking students about their day, then she may teach them a little about trauma followed by a mindfulness activity like yoga.

If theres one thing Pressley wants her students to learn from her class is that they matter.

Its really an amazing time, just coming together and helping them to kind of understand themselves a little bit more, she said. Thats what I really hope that they get out of it. I really hope that they get that, number one, (...) they matter, and theyre not just one dimensional, they are three-dimensional beings.

Pressley said sometimes when society looks at youth violence in the community, it just looks at behavior, not at the root of the behavior. She believes addressing trauma and generational thought systems is the way to tackle violence in the community.

CHANGE THE MINDSET

Some of the programs classes are hands-on and include occupational training, volunteer work and martial arts. Others are more introspective and focus on soft skills for the workplace, anger management, and healing childhood trauma.

Lorenzo Steele, a former Rikers Island guard, shows his photos from inside the New York jail facility and discusses life inside a prison with his students  but dont call his class a Scared Straight program. Steele instead hopes to help his students make informed choices.

Many teens dont understand the consequences their actions can have, Steele said. He created an art series and podcast called Behind These Prison Walls that shows what a life in prison can look like, from being arrested, to living in a 6-by-8-foot cell, to being slashed with a razor blade in an attack.

So basically, what we do is to give them that necessary information in the hope that they change their mindset from the criminal activity, such as gang violence, and gun violence, and, you know, drug abuse and, and drug use, Steele said.

Rodgers, the teenage mother, said she used to have this mindset.

I never planned on changing, but it really was my baby that made me change, Rodgers said.

JUVENILE COURT INTERVENTION PROGRAM

The Juvenile Court Intervention Program run by the Mecklenburg Council of Elders offers students ages 8-21 several classes and parent talk therapy. These include: abusive childhood experiences, adverse childhood experiences, mental health conditioning, community service, Work Smart, anger management, Fitness Discipline, Chronic Condition Self-Management, occupational skills.

This years program started April 4 and will run for six months. The program is free, but a community referral is required. For more information contact Maria Macon at 980-202-9149, or Angela Whitmore at 662-744-0673.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP)  Authorities on Monday identified the two people killed when two gunmen opened fire inside a crowded Iowa nightclub over the weekend.

Cedar Rapids police said that 25-year-old Michael Valentine and 35-year-old Nicole Owens were killed. Both lived in Cedar Rapids.
NEW CASTLE, Del. (AP)  A man was found fatally stabbed outside a New Castle area motel on Sunday, Delaware State Police said.

Troopers were called to The Super Lodge on West Avenue in New Castle for a reported stabbing, police said in a news release.
COVINA, Calif. (AP)  State and local authorities on Monday were investigating the fatal police shooting of a suspect outside a Los Angeles area liquor store over the weekend, officials said.

A Covina police officer shot the man during a confrontation late Saturday, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  Rhode Island will get $15 million through a settlement with major oil and gas companies that allegedly polluted the state's soil and groundwater with a gasoline additive, the attorney general announced Monday.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said the case, filed in 2016, alleged that Shell, Sunoco and Citgo, along with several other refiners, caused pollution with the gasoline additive methyl tertiary-butyl ether.

The companies agreed to pay $15 million to resolve the claims. The money will be used to remediate contaminated water supplies. Lawyers for the defendants either did not immediately respond to email messages seeking comment Monday or said they did not wish to comment at this point.

According to court documents, the defendants expressly deny any and all liability associated with the litigation, and believe they have good and valid defenses to all of the states claims. The defendants agreed to the settlement to resolve the lawsuit and avoid further costs, the documents state.

Neronha said the litigation is ongoing against several other major gas companies. MTBE has leaked from underground storage tanks, such as those typically found at gas stations, and contaminated groundwater and soil throughout the United States for decades, Neronha added. Rhode Island banned the use of the additive in 2007.

The state accused the companies of promoting and selling gasoline and other petroleum products containing MTBE, when they knew, or reasonably should have known, that the additive would be released into the environment and contaminate the state's water supply, threatening public health and welfare.

Rhode Island has entered into separate settlements worth a total of $2.1 million with four other oil and gas companies.
NANJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- East China's economic hub Jiangsu Province plans to add more green spaces to improve people's living environment, including building over 400 pocket parks by 2025, said local authorities.

With pocket parks of up to 20,000 square meters and greenways of at least 2 km, the green spaces will be ideal destinations for residents to relax and work out, said the provincial housing and urban-rural development department.

Jiangsu also plans to promote rooftop greening and vertical greening of fences, walls, corridors, and transport facilities. A rooftop greening project is expected to cover at least 500 square meters.

The industrial powerhouse has planted about 164,600 hectares of forests in the past five years to protect the environment, resulting in its forest coverage rate reaching 24 percent. 
LONDON (AP)  The World Bank says Ukraine's economy will shrink by 45.1% this year because of Russia's invasion, which has shut down half of the country's businesses, choked off imports and exports, and damaged a vast amount of critical infrastructure.

Unprecedented financial and export sanctions imposed by Western allies in response to the war, meanwhile, are plunging Russia into a deep recession, lopping off more than a tenth of its economic growth, the World Bank said in a report Sunday.

The war is set to inflict twice the amount of economic damage across Europe and Central Asia that the COVID-19 pandemic did, the Washington-based lender said in its War in the Region economic report. Besides Ukraine, it focuses on central and Eastern Europe, former Soviet republics, the Balkan countries and Turkey.

The magnitude of the humanitarian crisis unleashed by the war is staggering," said Anna Bjerde, the World Bank's vice president for the Europe and Central Asia region. "The Russian invasion is delivering a massive blow to Ukraines economy and it has inflicted enormous damage to infrastructure.

The report said economic activity is impossible in "large swaths of areas" in Ukraine because infrastructure like roads, bridges, ports and train tracks have been destroyed.

Ukraine plays a major role as a global supplier of agricultural exports like wheat but that's in question now because planting and harvesting have been disrupted by the war, the report said. The war has cut off access to the Black Sea, a key route for exports, including 90% of Ukraine's grain shipments, it said.

The war is having a devastating impact on human life and causing economic destruction in both countries, and will lead to significant economic losses in the Europe and Central Asia region and the rest of the world, the report said.

Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Tajikistan also are forecast to slide into recession this year, while economic growth projections have been cut for the region's other economies because of the war's ripple effects.

The World Bank said the humanitarian catastrophe is the biggest initial shockwave from the war and will likely be its most enduring legacy, as the wave of refugees fleeing Ukraine is "anticipated to dwarf previous crises."

More than 4 million people have fled Ukraine, with more than half going to Poland and others heading to countries like Moldova, Romania and Hungary. An additional 6.5 million have been displaced internally. Those numbers are expected to swell as the war drags on, the World Bank said.

The report issued a stark warning that "the war will increase poverty in the region due to the recession and food price inflation."

Beyond the humanitarian crisis, the lender said the war is also delivering a sizable blow to the global economy through multiple channels.

The war and sanctions have scrambled global trade routes and pushed up shipping and insurance costs, which magnifies strains on global value chains, the report said, noting that industries getting hit include food, automobiles, construction, petrochemicals and transport.
Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., who was twice sickened in incidents he suspected were poisonings, has been detained in Moscow by police, another prominent opposition figure said Monday.

Ilya Yashin said on Twitter that Kara-Murza was detained Monday near his Moscow residence. It was unclear whether he had been charged.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP)  Scottie Scheffler looked like a Masters champion even before he slipped into his green jacket, the model of calm as he methodically worked his way around the most stressful course in major championship golf.

Sunday morning was different. That turned out to be the toughest test he had all day.

I cried like a baby this morning. I was so stressed out. I didn't know what to do, Scheffler said after winning his first major. I was sitting there telling (wife) Meredith, I dont think Im ready for this ... and I just felt overwhelmed."

And then he capped off his torrid two-month stretch with his grandest feat of all, leading the entire weekend and strolling to a 1-under 71  with one lapse in concentration at the end when it didn't matter  for a three-shot victory over Rory McIlroy.

For a guy who had won three of his previous five tournament, who reached No. 1 in the world, why suddenly be overcome with doubt?

I think because it's the Masters. I dreamed of having a chance to play in this golf tournament. I teared up the first time I got my invitation in the mail," Scheffler said.

If youre going to choose a golf tournament to win, this would be the tournament, he said. You don't know how many chances youre going to get. And so having a chance  I had a five-shot lead on Friday and then a three-shot lead going into today  I dont know if you get better opportunities than that. You dont want to waste them.

He felt peace between the ropes and never allowed himself to enjoy the moment until he took that famous walk up the 18th green, his ball 40 feet away and a five-shot lead.

And you saw the results of that, he said with a laugh at his four-putt double bogey that only affected the margin of victory.

McIlroy holed out from the bunker on the final hole for a record-tying final round of 64. That pulled him within three shots, and his only hope for the final piece of the career Grand Slam was for the Sunday pressure at Augusta National to get to Scheffler.

No chance.

Not on Sunday. Not the last four days. Not the last two months.

You get on those hot streaks, and you just got to ride them out because they, unfortunately, dont last forever, Justin Thomas said. But he is doing it in the biggest tournaments. ... Its really, really impressive to see someone that young handle a moment this big so easily.

And to think that 56 days ago, Scheffler was still trying to win his first PGA Tour title. Now he's won four of the last six he has played, the best stretch since Jason Day in the summer of 2015.

The Sunday theater, thrilling and tragic, belonged to everyone else.

Scheffler overcame a nervy moment early in the round by chipping in for birdie. He delivered key putts to keep Cameron Smith at bay and never looked rattled, even as he was swatting at short putts at the end.

McIlroy was the runner-up. It was Smith who felt as though he let one get away. The Aussie was still in the game, three shots out of the lead, when he dumped his 9-iron in Rae's Creek on the par-3 12th hole for triple bogey and ended his hopes.

Just a really bad swing at the wrong time, Smith said.

Smith closed with a 73 and tied for third with Shane Lowry, who birdied the 18th for a 69.

Tiger Woods was finishing up about the time Scheffler was getting started, and anyone who left missed quite a show. As for Woods, he found consolation in playing four rounds in his first tournament since a February 2021 car crash shattered his right leg. He shot 78 and finished at 13-over 301, his highest 72-hole score at the Masters and furthest (23 shots) he ever finished behind the winner.

Scheffler joined Ian Woosnam in 1991 as the only players to win a major  the Masters in both cases  in their debut at No. 1 in the world.

Everyone should have seen this coming. He won the Phoenix Open in a playoff on Super Bowl Sunday. He followed that with a comeback win at Bay Hill to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He rose to No. 1 in the world by winning the Match Play two weeks ago in Texas.

And now this.

He's sort of been head and shoulders above everyone else this week, McIlroy said.

Scheffler, who finished at 10-under 278, won $2.7 million from the $15 million prize fund. That brings his total to $8,872,200 over his last six starts.

Scheffler's big moment came early in the round, and it was no less significant.

Starting the final round with a three-shot lead, he watched Smith open with two straight birdies to the cut the deficit to one, and then Scheffler's approach from the pine needles left of the third fairway came up short and rolled back down the slope.

His pitch was racing toward the hole when it banged into the pin and dropped for an unlikely birdie, and a two-shot swing when Smith from the same position made bogey.

No one got closer than three the rest of the way. Only the contenders changed.

The 12th hole remains the most riveting par 3 in golf, the scene of more collapses than comebacks. Smith became the latest victim.

Coming off birdie at No. 11, his shot was still in the air when he let his club slip through his hands and he slowly closed his eyes twice as it splashed into Rae's Creek. The next shot wasn't much better, but at least dry, and Smith's hopes ended there with a triple bogey.

He was three behind standing on the 12th tee. Three holes later, he was eight back.

From there, any hope resided with McIlroy. All he needed to complete the career Grand Slam was to match the best final round in Masters history and get some help from Scheffler. He only got one of those and had to settle for his first silver medal from Augusta.

Not that he didn't create some Sunday magic. McIlroy went bunker-to-bunker on the 18th hole, leaving himself right of the green and aiming some 25 feet right of the flag. It rode the slope all the way into the hole, setting off one of the loudest roars of the week.

Morikawa followed him in from the same bunker, different angle, and McIlroy could only laugh.

This tournament never ceases to amaze, McIlroy said. "Thats as happy as Ive ever been on a golf course right there. Just having a chance  and then with Collin, we both played so well all day  and for both of us to finish like this, I was just so happy for him, too.

I've never heard roars like on the 18th green.

The best ones were saved for Scheffler.

Scheffler still had five holes in front of him, with no evidence he was going to be anything but the smooth, smart operator who seized control on Friday in the toughest conditions to build a five-shot lead and never lost it.

___

https://apnews.com/hub/the-masters
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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP)  Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa appealed for protesters to end the weeks of mass demonstrations that have called for the government to resign over the countrys worst economic crisis in decades.

Rajapaksa and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, have become a focus of the protests that started over shortages of fuel, food and other essentials and daily power outages. Most of those items are paid in hard currency, but Sri Lanka is on the brink of bankruptcy, saddled with dwindling foreign reserves and $25 billion in foreign debt. Nearly $7 billion is due this year.

In a televised speech to the nation, Rajapaksa says the government is launching a plan to rebuild the country and every second protesters spend demonstrating on the streets takes away opportunities to receive crucial foreign currency.

Protesters, meanwhile, continued occupying the entrance to the presidents office for a third day Monday demanding he resign.

Talks with the International Monetary Fund are expected later this month, and the government has turned to China and India for emergency loans to buy food and fuel.

Mahinda Rajapaksa blamed the foreign exchange crisis on COVID-19 restrictions and the loss of crucial tourism income.

We are embarking on an enormous program to overcome the crisis we face today. Every second spent by the president and this government is used up exhausting avenues to rebuild our country, he said.

Friends, every second you protest on the streets, our country loses opportunities to receive potential dollars, he said.

Much of the anger expressed by weeks of growing protests has been directed at the Rajapaksa family, which been in power for most of the past two decades. Critics accuse the family of borrowing heavily to finance projects that have earned no money, such as a port facility built with Chinese loans.

Supporters of camped-out protesters supplied drinking water, food and tea while ambulances and doctors stood by to deal with any health emergencies. Muslim protesters broke their Ramadan fasting at the site sharing food with those around them.

Dinush Thyagaraja, a 29-year-old tourism professional, said that he voted for Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the 2019 presidential election believing he was the best candidate to restore national security after losing a friend to Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks that year on hotels and churches.

More than 260 people died in the attack carried out by local Muslim groups inspired by the Islamic State group.

I do realize I did make a mistake and I want to rectify that, said Thyagaraja. I am unable to feed my family, I don't know whether we will be able to enjoy a meal in another month to come.

Even political allies of Mahinda Rajapaksa called for him to be replaced with an interim prime minister and a multiparty government. They say they dont want the powerful Rajapaksa family in an interim government because it is at the center of the public ire.

In his speech, Rajapaksa refused to yield power, saying the governing coalition will continue to rule Sri Lanka because opposition parties rejected the call for a unified government.

We invited all political parties represented in Parliament to join us and uplift the country. But they did not join us, Rajapaksa said. As the party in power we took up that responsibility.

The crisis and protests prompted many Cabinet members to resign. Four ministers were sworn in as caretakers, but much of the key portfolios are vacant.

Parliament has failed to reach a consensus on how to deal with the crisis after nearly 40 governing coalition lawmakers said they would no longer vote according to coalition instructions, significantly weakening the government.

With opposition parties divided, they too have not been able to form a majority and take control of Parliament.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee will soon decide whether to sign off on adding harsh penalties against public schools in his state that allow transgender athletes to participate in girls' sports.

The GOP-controlled Legislature finished advancing the proposal Monday, with Senate Republicans approving the measure 26-5. The House had previously approved the bill last month.

Lee, a Republican, hasn't said publicly whether he supports the legislation. However, he signed a measure last year mandating that student athletes must prove their sex matches that listed on the students original birth certificate. If a birth certificate was unavailable, then the parents must provide another form of evidence indicating the students sex at the time of birth."

This year, lawmakers decided to add penalties to that ban  which is in effect even as a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality makes it way through court. A trial has been tentatively set for March 2023.

What this bill does is put teeth in that legislation, said Republican Sen. Joey Hensley.

Under the legislation headed to Lee's desk, Tennessees Department of Education would withhold a portion of a state funds from local school districts that fail to determine a students gender for participation in middle or high school sports. The measure does not specify exactly how much money should be withheld by the state.

To date, none of the Tennessee supporters backing a transgender athlete ban in K-12 schools have cited a single instance of transgender girls or boys in middle or high school sports. A 2021 review by The Associated Press found only a few instances nationwide in which it has been an issue among the hundreds of thousands of American teens who play high school sports.

This is legislation that has led to conflict and litigation. I don't think this is the time or place for us to go down this road, said Democratic Sen. Jeff Yarbro. There is no indication this is problem in Tennessee schools but there are kids who feel targeted by this legislature and these are often kids who are struggling with a lot and more likely to be at risk of committing suicide more than anyone else.

Separately, the Republican-supermajority Senate approved legislation banning transgender athletes from participating in female college sports. Similar to the K-12 transgender athlete ban, sponsors said they weren't aware of any current conflicts in Tennessee but pointed to instances of transgender athletes gaining attention elsewhere. The proposal still awaits House consideration.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  A trial opened Monday in Florida's opioid epidemic lawsuit against the Walgreens pharmacy chain, which state officials accuse of prioritizing profits over health by improperly dispensing millions of powerful painkillers that caused tens of thousands of deaths.

The trial, in Pasco County north of Tampa, comes after other defendants in the Florida lawsuit including the CVS drug store chain settled for an estimated $870 million. The state could seek similar massive damages from Walgreens in the jury trial expected to last a few weeks.

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. In all, settlements, civil and criminal penalties around the country since 2007 have totaled over $45 billion, according to an Associated Press tally.

In Florida, the state's case hinges on accusations that as Walgreens dispensed more than 4.3 billion total opioid pills in Florida from May 2006 to June 2021, more than half contained one or more easily recognized red flags for abuse, fraud and addiction that the company should have noticed and acted upon.

The evidence will show Walgreens knowingly profited from the opioid crisis, said attorney Jim Webster for the state in an opening statement, which was attended by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. Walgreens wasn't just greedy. It was fueling the opioid crisis that was killing people.

Walgreens is based in Deerfield, Illinois, and operates more than 9,000 stores in all 50 states, according to the company website. About 820 of those locations are in Florida.

Walgreens attorney Steve Derringer told jurors they should focus on how manufacturers such as Purdue Pharma misled pharmacies on opioid addictive properties. He also noted that Florida did little as the opioid epidemic arose, particularly the predatory pill mills that proliferated in the state before a crackdown finally ended them.

Walgreens had nothing to do with any of that, Derringer said in his opening statement. They (drug makers) caused this epidemic by misrepresenting the risks and benefits to pharmacies.

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 Florida, Webster said, more than 39,000 Floridians died from opioid abuse or related problems between 1999 and 2020. Walgreens, he said, sold about one of every four opioids in the state over a similar time span often under questionable circumstances, such as a shady doctor, fake prescriptions or huge amounts of drugs obviously far in excess of what was necessary for a given patient.

Walgreens was the last line of defense, Webster said. Walgreens failed its duty to investigate suspicious prescriptions."

Florida has spent some $14 billion over the last 20 years for multiple opioid-related costs, ranging from criminal justice to drug rehabilitation for addicts to treatment for opioid-addicted infants, Webster said. The state will seek billions of dollars in damages in the Walgreens case.

In the same case, 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.
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WARSAW (AP)  A disputed compound in the Polish capital of Warsaw administered by Russias diplomatic mission is being taken over by the city and will be made available to the Ukrainian community, the mayor said Monday.

Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was at the site early Monday and said a bailiff had entered the two apparently empty, fenced buildings, nicknamed Spyville by Warsaw residents, to check on their condition and to mark them as seized by the city.

Trzaskowski said Warsaw was getting back the compound unlawfully occupied by Russia. Last month he said Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine added urgency to the decades-long procedure.

It is very symbolic that we are closing this procedure of many years now, at the time of Russias aggression against Ukraine, Trzaskowski said on Twitter.

Ukraine's ambassador, Andrii Deshchytsia, told Polands state news agency PAP that Ukraine will file to lease the compound, which could be used for a school or a Ukrainian culture center.

One of Trzaskowski's proposals for the 100-odd apartments there is to accommodate war refugees from Ukraine. More than 2.6 million of them have crossed into Poland since the Russian invasion began.

Photos from the inside the buildings were published later Monday by the Onet.pl news portal. They showed peeling paint, broken glass on the floor and torn-out flooring.

Russias Embassy, which had the tall apartment blocks built in the 1970s on land obtained from the city, has been refusing court orders to pay to lease the land or hand it over.

Once busy, the buildings became empty in the 1990s, after Poland shed its communist rule and Soviet Union's dominance in 1989, and after the Soviet Union itself dissolved in 1991.

Ever since, Poland has been saying that the contract for the lease of the plot of land had expired and demanded that it be returned. But its gates remained closed and guarded.

Russias diplomatic and business missions have much more property in Poland than Poland has in Russia, which is in violation of reciprocity rules, according to Polands Foreign Ministry.

___

Follow AP stories on developments in the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
ANAHEIM, Calif.  California is scaling back how often it publicly reports coronavirus case, death, testing and other numbers on the health department website, and some counties are following suit  to mixed reaction from public health experts.

As of this week, California will update those numbers only on Tuesdays and Fridays, rather than every weekday. Twice a week is one of the lowest frequencies of any state in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University, which tracks coronavirus stats from around the world.

Riverside County already has switched to the same Tuesday/Friday schedule. Orange County plans to reduce its frequency as well, probably by next week, Health Care Agency Director of Communications Julie MacDonald said via email.

San Bernardino County is considering doing the same.

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, spokesperson David Wert wrote in an email. 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.

Los Angeles County just recently stopped updating on weekends  a change many other counties made long ago  and officials said they have no plans to scale down to less than five days a week.

Why change now?

As a California Department of Public Health spokesperson explained in an email: 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.

Those trends show that the number of cases diagnosed per day, which has been dropping steadily since January, appears to be plateauing at the second-lowest level since the pandemic began; the only lower period was in April-June 2021. Also, COVID-19 hospitalization levels are getting close to the spring 2021 lows.

The states change in reporting dovetails with the states SMARTER approach where we use multiple prongs of surveillance to maintain awareness of COVID-19 trends, including wastewater surveillance, which is not as subject to the evolving changes in testing patterns and behaviors, the spokesperson wrote.

Wendy Hetherington, Riverside Countys chief epidemiologist, noted that the county tried scaling down once before  it switched to weekly reporting in June 2021 when case levels were low and the state was leaving behind its color-coded tiers. Orange County did the same, but by mid-July both were back to five-day-a-week updates as the delta surge began.

This time, Hetherington said, theyre watching the data closely  she said test-positivity rates and hospitalizations tend to be a better indicator than case rates these days  to determine whether the omicron BA.2 subvariant causes another wave. If it does, she said, Riverside County can resume more frequent updates.

In the meantime, she said, not having to put the daily reports together saves her staff a lot of time, allowing them to focus on higher-level analysis of the data.

Mixed reaction

Brandon Brown, who is an associate professor of public health at the University of California, Riverside and has a background in epidemiology, was sympathetic to the decision to scale back.

Public health departments are absolutely overworked and under-resourced, he said in an email. He said he could understand not wanting to spend so much time on updates as long as case levels are low.

While Brown said he might have waited a couple more weeks until spring break travel is over, I think its OK to scale back updates since that doesnt mean that data are no longer collected or that prevention methods come to a halt.

UC Irvine epidemiologist Andrew Noymer, however, believes the timing is wrong from a messaging standpoint.

Its not exactly the hill I want to die on, as long as updates are released regularly and accurately, he said.

But hes worried the nation is on the cusp of another wave from the BA.2 variant  cases are rising in the Northeast U.S., and some California counties are showing upticks as well.

It sends a message that its less important than it was before, and I dont believe it is, Noymer said.

According to Johns Hopkins University, California joins 12 other states that report COVID-19 case data twice or less per week. Twenty-five states report five days a week, while only seven states are still reporting every day.


A wind energy company pleaded guilty this past week to killing at least 150 eagles at its wind farms and was ordered to pay $8 million in fines and restitution, federal prosecutors said.

The company, ESI Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, was also sentenced to probation for five years, during which it must follow an eagle management plan, after pleading guilty Tuesday to three counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

ESI acknowledged that at least 150 bald and golden eagles had died at its facilities since 2012 and that 136 of those deaths were affirmatively determined to be attributable to the eagle being struck by a wind turbine blade, the Justice Department said in a statement.

The deaths occurred across 50 of the 154 wind farms that the company operates in the United States, the Justice Department said.

The company failed to take steps to protect the eagles or obtain the permits that are necessary when eagle deaths are documented or predicted, the Justice Department said. By not taking these steps, prosecutors said, ESI had gained a competitive advantage.

This prosecution and the restitution it secures will protect the ecologically vital and majestic natural resources of our bald eagle and golden eagle populations, Phillip Talbert, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California, said in a statement.

Rebecca Kujawa, president of NextEra, said in a statement that she disagreed with the federal governments enforcement of the policy because the reality is building any structure, driving any vehicle, or flying any airplane carries with it a possibility that accidental eagle and other bird collisions may occur as a result of that activity.

We have a long-standing and well-earned reputation for protecting our environment and positively coexisting with and supporting wildlife around our facilities, Kujawa said. And we have never sited a wind turbine knowing an eagle would fly into it, nor have we taken any action in disregard of federal law.

The company agreed to spend up to $27 million on measures to minimize additional eagle deaths and injuries, prosecutors said. Steven Stengel, a spokesperson for NextEra, said there was no specific breakdown of how that money would be spent.

The case comes as the bald eagle, the nations symbol whose resurgence is considered one of the greatest conservation stories of the 21st century, faces a new threat: lead poisoning.

Bald eagles decades ago had been killed off largely by the widespread use of the synthetic insecticide DDT. A ban on DDT in 1972 and conservation efforts helped the population rebound. The bald eagle was removed from Endangered Species Act protection in 2007, and its estimated population grew to 316,700 by 2019.

But researchers found this year that of the 1,200 eagles they tested, nearly half had been exposed repeatedly to lead, which can lead to death and slow population growth. Scientists believe that the primary source of the lead comes from ammunition used by hunters, who shoot animals that the eagles then scavenge

Protecting the eagles has become a challenging situation, especially when it comes to wind turbines, said Julia Ponder, a professor and associate dean at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota, whose research focuses on raptor medicine and surgery.

Id love it if it were black and white, but its not, she said.

Although wind turbines can harm eagles and other birds, they are also an alternative form of energy that is cleaner than fossil fuels, which are contributing to a warming of the planet, she said.

The tips of a wind turbines blades can spin at about 200 mph, fast enough to immediately kill any bird, Ponder said.

A 2013 study found that between 140,000 and 328,000 birds are killed each year in the United States at monopole turbines.

Roberto Albertani, a professor of mechanical engineering at Oregon State University, said in 2017 that he and his team had devised a system that sought to make wind turbines safer for eagles.

It called for using cameras that would determine if the birds were approaching the blades and trigger on-the-ground inflatable tubes, or wind dancer figures, like those often seen at car dealerships, to scare the birds away, Albertani said in a presentation last year.

Eagles appear to be annoyed by anthropomorphic figures, he said.

Ponder said some researchers were looking into using audio signals to keep the birds away. Others are working on detection systems that would shut off a turbine when eagles approached  a measure that could be effective, but costly, for power companies.

These are really complex questions, she said. And we have to work to find the right questions to ask, and the answers to them.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
HONG KONG, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam announced on Monday that schools will resume face-to-face classes in phases after the Easter holidays.

All staff, teachers and students are required to conduct COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (RATs) daily and only those tested negative can enter schools, Lam told a press conference.

As the pandemic recedes in Hong Kong, schools have strictly implemented a series of anti-pandemic measures, and nearly all staff and teachers were fully vaccinated, which provided favorable conditions for the resumption of face-to-face classes, she said.

However, the vaccination rates for children aged three to 11 were not satisfying, with only about 62 percent and 30 percent having received their first and second doses respectively, Lam said, urging parents to arrange for their children to get vaccinated sooner than later.

On Monday, Hong Kong registered 698 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 709 additional positive cases through self-reported rapid antigen tests, official data showed. 
DENVER (AP)  The nonprofit that distributed most of the $350 million in donations from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to election offices in 2020 said Monday that it wont disburse similar donations this year after backlash from conservatives suspicious that the contributions tilted the outcome of the presidential race toward Joe Biden.

Instead, the Center for Technology and Civic Life is launching a different program. Dubbed the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, the $80-million, five-year effort is intended to create a network for the nations thousands of local election officials, who can apply for aid to improve their technology and processes.

Unfortunately, years of underinvestment means many local election departments often have limited capacity and training. The U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence is bringing together world-class partners so that local election officials no longer have to go it alone, said Tiana Epps-Johnson, CTCLs executive director, who announced the new program at the TED2022 conference.

The 2020 effort by Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, amid the COVID-19 pandemic fueled conservative anger and distrust of the presidential election outcome. At least eight GOP-controlled states passed laws last year banning private donations to election offices in reaction to Zuckerberg's donations. Suspicion that the contributions  routinely referred to as Zuckerbucks by conservatives  helped Biden, a Democrat, has become a staple among those who believe in former President Donald Trump's election lies.

Several Republican election officials have said the program was vital and nonpartisan and dismissed criticism of it as conspiracy theories.

A spokesperson for Zuckerberg and Chan confirmed that the couple is not funding election offices this year.

As Mark and Priscilla made clear previously, their election infrastructure donation to help ensure that Americans could vote during the height of the pandemic was a one-time donation given the unprecedented nature of the crisis, Ben LaBolt said. They have no plans to repeat that donation.

Epps-Johnson said the group saw in 2020 just how woefully underfunded many local election offices are. Elections in the U.S. are run at the local level, sometimes by a small staff of city or county workers and volunteers. One New England office, Epps-Johnson said, used its 2020 grant to replace century-old election tabulation equipment, and many struggled to maintain usable websites that could provide voters information on mobile devices.

The network will work with technology experts at Stanford University and elsewhere, Epps-Johnson said. Local election offices will be able to apply for assistance, but things will work differently than two years ago.

In 2020, election offices were scrambling to switch to mail voting as the pandemic made traditional polling places harder to maintain. Negotiations over additional money for election offices collapsed amid partisan acrimony in Washington. In late August of that year, Zuckerberg announced his donations, and CTCL swiftly distributed the funds to 2,500 election offices for a wide range of expenses, including new ballot counting equipment, pickup trucks to haul voting machines and public relations campaigns advertising new ways to cast ballots.

Conservatives were immediately skeptical. Many have long distrusted Zuckerberg, believing he uses his social media platform to help Democrats. CTCL is a nonpartisan group respected by election administrators of both parties, but its founders have roots in liberal politics. And although the grants went to conservative and liberal areas, Democratic-leaning counties received a disproportionate share of the money in battleground states like Florida and Pennsylvania.

CTCL has spent much of the time since the 2020 contests pushing for greater government funding of election offices, saying that would be better than another round of private donations. The nonprofit was encouraged by Biden's request for $10 billion in election funding in the federal budget he released last month.

Still, the movement fueled by Trump's false claims of widespread voter fraud has latched onto the 2020 donations as one of its many grievances over how the election was conducted. For example, at Colorado's GOP Assembly on Saturday, candidate after candidate referred to Zuckerberg and Zuckerbucks as they claimed the election was stolen from Republicans.

Mark Zuckerberg and his shadow forces should never be in charge of our elections, said Tina Peters, a county clerk under indictment for her role in the illegal download of voting software last year that was provided to Trump supporters. She made the comments to the crowd in Colorado Springs as she advanced to the partys primary ballot for the states top elections office, secretary of state.
By Bay City News

A four-alarm fire that burned beneath a commercial pier for nearly 24 hours at Benicia Port has been extinguished, and water clean-up efforts are underway, city officials said in a press release Sunday.

The fire, first reported at 12:20 p.m. Saturday, broke out in the 1000 block of Bayshore Drive, adjacent to the Amports port terminal. It was burning at the base of a petroleum coke silo, with flames traveling up a conveyer belt toward a docked tanker ship. (Petcoke is a carbon-rich solid derivative of oil refining, and coke dust is considered to be a combustible hazard.)

That portion of the fire was extinguished quickly, but flames underneath the pier were only accessible from the water.

"The primary concern was the safety of the community," said Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick. "The biggest potential threat to the community was air quality. The smoke emitting from the fire contained particulate matter and (could have been toxic) from chemicals. We were fortunate in having continuous wind blowing from the west, allowing the smoke to blow toward the water and dissipate before impacting other populated areas."

Solano County Environmental Health staff were at the fire Saturday performing mobile air monitoring, and at no time did they register harmful readings.

The U.S. Coast Guard is advising boaters to be cautious and slow down due to an unknown amount of debris in the water. Workers on Sunday planned to deploy 3,000 feet of boom to help clean up the channel.

Fire crews responded from Solano, Napa and Contra Costa counties, and fire boats came from San Francisco, Oakland, Port Chicago, Southern Marin, Tiburon and Redwood City.

The Solano County Fire Investigation Unit is working to determine the cause

of the fire.

The city will then work with Valero and Amports on port repairs and reconstruction efforts.

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.

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By Victoria Franco

Bay City News Foundation

The Wan Hai 176, a 564-foot container ship that lost engine power and drifted about seven miles off the coast of Point Reyes with 21 people aboard Friday, hasn't yet been secured, the U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday.

No one on board has been injured, but rescuing the ship is a priority as it's carrying approximately 39,000 gallons of fuel.

Petty Officer Taylor Bacon said the Coast Guard and partner agencies are working on rescuing the ship using towing vessels. "Right now, we are in the efforts of trying to get it in the capacity to tow to bring it into port," Bacon said.

The Coast Guard has a containment boom, a temporary floating barrier commonly used to contain oil spills, standing by in case there is a fuel spill.

Wan Hai 176 is a 17,907-ton ship that is sailing under the Singapore flag and is registered to a Greek company, according to Vesselfinder.

The vessel was headed to Seattle before it lost power near San Francisco.

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.
By Kate Bradshaw

San Jose Spotlight

Santa Clara's Central Park has a goose problem. More specifically, a goose poop problem.

The park is home to--by one count--about 176 Canada geese, and each one drops roughly a pound of excrement every day. Over a year, that adds up to more than 63,000 pounds of feces dropped at the park, according to a city report.

Park visitors are well-aware of the problem.

"The poop is just too much," said Ramon Ochoa, who walks at the park daily. "It's like a booby trap."

He and his wife Nilda, who've lived in Santa Clara for decades, were at the park Thursday walking their dog, Thor. The goose population seems to have increased over the last five to 10 years, Nilda said.

The Santa Clara City Council recently approved what's called an "Integrated Goose Management Plan," laying out a number of short- and long-term steps to curb the goose population.

Eversley Forte, chair of Santa Clara's Parks and Recreation Commission, said the goal of the plan is to change migration and nesting patterns--and ultimately reduce the goose population. While they'll never completely go away, he said, the goal is to make the situation more manageable.

"If they're born there, that is their home. They come back to it each year," Forte told San Jose Spotlight. "We'd like to see less (geese) coming here in the first place and making it home."

To do that, the city contracted with avian wildlife biologist Daniel Edelstein to develop the management plan, which the parks commission reviewed before it went to council. The parks portion of the city budget is $11.7 million for the current year, and the plan isn't expected to have any additional impact on the city's general fund.

The problem is also an environmental concern, according to Edelstein's report. It increases demands on park maintenance, impacts water quality at the lake and has potential for spreading avian diseases to other bird species.

Santa Clara Councilmember Suds Jain told San Jose Spotlight the goose droppings clog the filtration system at the Central Park lake. It's been expensive for the city to update the filtration system and regularly change the water, he said.

"Doing something to try to minimize the number of geese that want to stay (in the park) is a sound plan from a financial perspective," he said.

City management

The management plan has several steps. The first is to stop people from feeding geese.

"That is extremely important," Matthew Dodder, executive director of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, told San Jose Spotlight. "It's horribly unhealthy for the birds. They enjoy the food, but they don't digest it well. It can block up their systems and kill them."

The next step is to prevent the birds from getting into the lake through fencing or vegetation around the lake's perimeter. The third step is to stop geese from breeding at the lake.

The city will start "addling" goose eggs while parent geese are away to prevent hatching and minimize the number of new geese born at the lake. Addling is when immature eggs are covered with oil or punctured to keep the eggs from developing and ultimately hatching. It fools the geese into thinking their nest is full and prevents them from setting up another nest during mating season, Dodder explained.

Historically, Dodder said, neighboring cities have tried using drones, dogs, scarecrows, water cannons and even hiring children to chase the geese away, all to no avail.

Park visitors weigh in

According to park visitors, the volume of excrement around the park Thursday was significantly less than normal, but it was a problem they'd all experienced. They suspected it was because the water has been drained from the park's lake for maintenance.

"It does look less bad today," said Kunaal Motreja, who has been visiting the park for about two months with his dog, Deebo.

Some families reported mixed experiences with the park's resident geese.

Dmitrii Pureav, who lives in a nearby Santa Clara apartment, was there with his 5-year-old son Eiroslav. "It's uncomfortable," he said. But, he added, the children like to feed the geese.

Some seem to have made their peace with the geese. Michael and Rita Fallon, who have lived in Santa Clara since 1980 and walk their dogs in the park most days, said it doesn't impact them.

"It comes with the territory," said Michael Fallon.

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.

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By Eli Wolfe

San Jose Spotlight

California has extended eviction protections for millions of residents, but advocates fear it's too little and too late to help thousands of San Jose tenants on the brink of losing their homes.

Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, acting in Gov. Gavin Newsom's absence, recently signed legislation to temporarily protect Californians from eviction for past due rent if they applied for state financial assistance prior to March 31. Moving forward, these tenants can't be kicked out of their homes for old rent, but can be evicted for failing to pay rent on future months. Tenants who haven't applied for state relief receive no protection under the new law, which extends through June 30.

Housing advocates say the law offers little protection for tenants who have struggled with job loss and economic uncertainty during the pandemic. They say that after months of anticipation, California could finally be on the verge of a major wave of evictions.

"I do think we may be facing the tsunami that everyone keeps talking about--I think we might finally, unfortunately be at that point," Nadia Aziz, housing directing attorney at the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, told San Jose Spotlight.

More than 10,000 San Jose households are still waiting to receive money for their rent relief applications, according to state data. Approximately 60 percent of applicants in San Jose earn 30 percent of the area median income--less than $50,000.

The average rent for these families was $1,800, said Emily Hislop, a city housing policy and planning administrator.

"I think you can say that most of this population that's in this income bracket is rent burdened," she told San Jose Spotlight. She added the city's eviction help center was quiet earlier this week, but speculated it could get busier as tenants start receiving notices from their landlords.

Local protections

San Jose is offering some protection to vulnerable renters. Last month, the City Council approved an eviction diversion program that will use federal funds to help tenants pay landlords for back rent or otherwise resolve eviction lawsuits.

Some advocates would like to see a blanket ban on evictions in San Jose, similar to the state law that expired last October. But recent state legislation prevents local jurisdictions from passing their own eviction moratoriums.

"That's the reason no tenant group I know of actively supported the bill in the form it passed in," Shanti Singh, communications and legislative director for advocacy group Tenants Together, told San Jose Spotlight. "We were all very unsupportive of it, actually."

She said cities can still pass ordinances to help renters, such as rules barring landlords from illegally harassing tenants into leaving their homes or introducing rent control.

San Jose has made no move to provide additional legal protections for tenants, so the burden is falling on legal aid groups. Aziz said the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley is already seeing signs that the coming months will be busy ones: Last Friday, the foundation fielded 15 calls; on Monday, it received 52.

Aziz said tenants should try to pay their April rent and stay in their house. She added the law foundation has heard about landlords illegally locking people out of their homes or forcing them to leave. She urged tenants to document communications with their landlords and seek assistance if they receive eviction notices.

"Our goal is to connect tenants to some level of assistance, to get them some level of advice," Aziz said, noting the law foundation has worked with the court on an eviction diversion program and wants to get more pro bono attorneys to assist on eviction cases. "We're looking at a bunch of different things to try to deal with the crisis."

There's widespread concern among advocates that it's going to be difficult for tenants to find permanent stability, even if they escape the immediate threat of eviction.

Samara Meir-Levi, who was forced out of her Palo Alto apartment after the landlord decided to renovate, said she was able to relocate to a home in Mountain View. She's waiting to see if her daughter will qualify for financial aid at her preschool. If she doesn't, Meir-Levi said she will have to pay the equivalent of her rent twice a month.

Meir-Levi told San Jose Spotlight her situation is less dire than months ago when she was unemployed and looking at rent bills she couldn't pay. But she recognizes things can change quickly.

"You can get a job and be doing okay, but we all know with medical insurance and medical care being what it is, most of us are one big sickness or bad diagnosis from being bankrupt," she said.

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.

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WFO LAS VEGAS Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, April 11, 2022

_____

DUST STORM WARNING

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED

Dust Storm Warning

National Weather Service Las Vegas NV

1136 AM PDT Mon Apr 11 2022

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a

* Dust Storm Warning for...

North central San Bernardino County in southern California...

* Until 130 PM PDT.

* At 1133 AM PDT, a dust channel was observed west of Interstate 15

from Baker to Mountain Pass, moving northeast at 50 mph.

HAZARD...Less than a quarter mile visibility with strong wind in

excess of 50 mph.

SOURCE...Detected by satellite observations and reports from local

officials.

IMPACT...Dangerous and sudden reductions in visibility making

driving very hazardous. Very strong cross winds could

also result in blow overs or sudden lane changes for high

profile vehicles.

This includes Interstate 15 in California between mile markers 139

and 158.

Locations impacted include...

Baker.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Motorists should not drive into a dust storm. PULL ASIDE STAY ALIVE!

To report severe weather, contact the National Weather Service, or

your nearest law enforcement agency, who will relay your report to

the National Weather Service office in Las Vegas.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO LAS VEGAS Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, April 11, 2022

_____

DUST STORM WARNING

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED

Dust Storm Warning

National Weather Service Las Vegas NV

324 PM PDT Mon Apr 11 2022

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a

* Dust Storm Warning for...

Central San Bernardino County in southern California...

* Until 515 PM PDT.

* At 322 PM PDT, a dust channel was occurring in the Mojave River

Valley east of Barstow, moving east at 50 mph. The visibility has

dropped to a half a mile at the Barstow-Daggett Airport.

HAZARD...Less than a quarter mile visibility with damaging wind in

excess of 60 mph.

SOURCE...Detected by National Weather Service meteorologists.

IMPACT...Dangerous life-threatening travel.

This includes the following highways...

Interstate 15 in California between mile markers 81 and 98.

Interstate 40 in California between mile markers 4 and 87.

Locations impacted include...

Daggett, Ludlow, Newberry Springs and Nebo Center.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Dust storms lead to dangerous driving conditions with visibility

reduced to near zero. If driving, avoid dust storms if possible. If

caught in one, pull off the road, turn off your lights and keep your

foot off the brake.

Motorists should not drive into a dust storm. PULL ASIDE STAY ALIVE!

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, April 10, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southern Atascosa County in south central Texas...

* Until 915 PM CDT.

* At 831 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Cross, or 12

miles north of Tilden, moving northeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Pleasanton, Jourdanton, Christine, Campbellton, Coughran, Peggy,

Graytown, McCoy, and Fashing.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Large hail, damaging winds, and continuous cloud to ground lightning

are occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is

one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder,

you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
SHELTON  Landscape art in oils will be the order of the day for the next Shelton Art League meeting.

Jim Laurino who will paint a landscape in oil at 1 p.m. on April 18 during the leagues meeting at the Shelton Community Center, 41 Church St., in the lower level multi-purpose room. The leagues general meeting starts at 11:45 a.m.
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French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech at a rally after the first round of French presidential election in Paris, France, on April 10, 2022. French incumbent President Emmanuel Macron and far-right wing candidate Marine Le Pen are the top two leaders of the first round of the 2022 French presidential election with respectively 28.6 percent and 23.7 percent of the votes, according to a preliminary exit poll carried out Sunday by Elabe and released by French television BFMTV. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

PARIS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- French incumbent President Emmanuel Macron and far-right wing candidate Marine Le Pen are the top two leaders of the first round of the 2022 presidential election with respectively 28.2 percent and 23.4 percent of the votes, according to a preliminary exit poll carried out Sunday by Elabe and released by French television BFMTV.

Thanking his supporters, President Macron vowed to "implement the project of progress, of French and European openness and independence we have advocated for."

The presidential run-off in the next two weeks will be "decisive" for France and for Europe, Macron said.

"In this decisive moment for the future of the nation, nothing should be as before. That's why I want to reach out to those who want to work for France," Macron continued.

Speaking to her supporters, Le Pen called on all those who did not vote for Macron to join her rally.

"I will ensure national independence, I will control immigration and restore security for all," the far-right wing candidate said.

Entering for a second time into a presidential runoff after 2017, Le Pen said that her ambition is to " unite the French, and to make France a country that reconnects with greatness."

Arriving on third place, far-left wing party Unsubmissive France leader Jean-Luc Melanchon called on his supporters not to vote for Le Pen.

"The French are able to know what to do, they are able to decide what to do. You must not give a vote to Le Pen," he repeated several times during his rally.

Just like Melenchon, most of the unsuccessful candidates of the first round have voiced their supports for Macron for the presidential run-off.

Official preliminary results will be announced on Sunday night or Monday morning after verification by the Interior Ministry.

Macron and Le Pen will compete in the second round of presidential run-off scheduled for April 24. 

File photo taken on Feb. 5, 2022 shows French far-right National Rally party candidate Marine Le Pen greeting her supporters during a meeting in Reims, France. French incumbent president Emmanuel Macron and far-right wing candidate Marine Le Pen are the top two leaders of the first round of the 2022 French presidential election with respectively 28.5 percent and 24.2 percent of the votes, according to the preliminary exit poll carried out by Elabe and released by French television BFMTV. The two candidates will compete in the presidential run-off scheduled for April 24. (Photo by Rit Heize/Xinhua)

File photo taken on April 2, 2022 shows French President Emmanuel Macron greeting his supporters during his election campaign in Nanterre, on the outskirts of Paris, France. French incumbent president Emmanuel Macron and far-right wing candidate Marine Le Pen are the top two leaders of the first round of the 2022 French presidential election with respectively 28.5 percent and 24.2 percent of the votes, according to the preliminary exit poll carried out by Elabe and released by French television BFMTV. The two candidates will compete in the presidential run-off scheduled for April 24. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

French far-right National Rally party candidate Marine Le Pen delivers a speech at a rally after the first round of French presidential election in Paris, France, on April 10, 2022. French incumbent President Emmanuel Macron and far-right wing candidate Marine Le Pen are the top two leaders of the first round of the 2022 French presidential election with respectively 28.6 percent and 23.7 percent of the votes, according to a preliminary exit poll carried out Sunday by Elabe and released by French television BFMTV. (Photo by Rit Heize/Xinhua)

French far-right National Rally party candidate Marine Le Pen delivers a speech at a rally after the first round of French presidential election in Paris, France, on April 10, 2022. French incumbent President Emmanuel Macron and far-right wing candidate Marine Le Pen are the top two leaders of the first round of the 2022 French presidential election with respectively 28.6 percent and 23.7 percent of the votes, according to a preliminary exit poll carried out Sunday by Elabe and released by French television BFMTV. (Photo by Rit Heize/Xinhua)

French far-right National Rally party candidate Marine Le Pen delivers a speech at a rally after the first round of French presidential election in Paris, France, on April 10, 2022. French incumbent President Emmanuel Macron and far-right wing candidate Marine Le Pen are the top two leaders of the first round of the 2022 French presidential election with respectively 28.6 percent and 23.7 percent of the votes, according to a preliminary exit poll carried out Sunday by Elabe and released by French television BFMTV. (Photo by Rit Heize/Xinhua)

French far-right National Rally party candidate Marine Le Pen delivers a speech at a rally after the first round of French presidential election in Paris, France, on April 10, 2022. French incumbent President Emmanuel Macron and far-right wing candidate Marine Le Pen are the top two leaders of the first round of the 2022 French presidential election with respectively 28.6 percent and 23.7 percent of the votes, according to a preliminary exit poll carried out Sunday by Elabe and released by French television BFMTV. (Photo by Rit Heize/Xinhua)

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech at a rally after the first round of French presidential election in Paris, France, on April 10, 2022. French incumbent President Emmanuel Macron and far-right wing candidate Marine Le Pen are the top two leaders of the first round of the 2022 French presidential election with respectively 28.6 percent and 23.7 percent of the votes, according to a preliminary exit poll carried out Sunday by Elabe and released by French television BFMTV. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech at a rally after the first round of French presidential election in Paris, France, on April 10, 2022. French incumbent President Emmanuel Macron and far-right wing candidate Marine Le Pen are the top two leaders of the first round of the 2022 French presidential election with respectively 28.6 percent and 23.7 percent of the votes, according to a preliminary exit poll carried out Sunday by Elabe and released by French television BFMTV. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)
Nova City Islamabad is one of the most prominent projects of the capital city. The Residential society is developed by the reputed Nova Group (Private) Limited.

The residential society is a soon-to-be-approved project located right next to the CPEC route, Fateh Jang Road, and Rawalpindi Ring Road. The housing society offers all the lavish facilities and amenities developed on an international standard of infrastructure.

Nova City Islamabad Owners and Developers:

The owners and developers of Nova City are the renowned Nova Group (Private) Limited. Mr. Faisal Noman is a reputed urbanist and the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nova Group.

The famous urbanist group has a reputation for hiring the most talented and skilled architects and developers. These motives have let Nova Group achieve most of the successful projects previously.

Nova City Islamabad NOC:

The No Objection Certificate (NOC) of Nova City Islamabad will soon be approved by the concerned development authorities. The NOC approval enhances the investment value of the residential project even more.

Nova City Islamabad:

The location of Nova City Islamabad is prime as its located near the Rawalpindi Ring Road and CPEC route. The main entrance has access from Ring Road, and the other side of the society opens up at CPEC. The residential societys high accessibility and prime location are attracting a lot of investors towards it.

Nova City Islamabad Accessibility:

Following are some of the efficient accessibilities of housing society:

Right next to the CPEC route

Right next to the Rawalpindi Ring Road

Right next to the CPEC-Ring Road Interchange

Almost 3 min drive away from Kanial, Rawalpindi

Almost 6 min drive away from Bango, Attock

Almost 9 min drive away from Dhok Korak, Attock

Almost 8 min drive away from N-80, Qutbal, Attock

Almost 25 min drive away from M-2 Motorway

Almost 26 min drive away from Islamabad

Almost 31 min drive away from Rawalpindi

Almost 21 min drive away from New Islamabad International Airport

Nearby Landmarks & Places:

Following are some of the nearby places and landmarks of the housing society:

Attock

N-80

Top City-1

Rawalpindi

Islamabad

Fateh Jhang

CPEC route

M2 Motorway

Mumtaz City

Capital Smart City

Rawalpindi Ring Road

CPEC-Ring Road Interchange

New Islamabad International Airport

Nova City Islamabad Master Plan:

The master plan of Nova City Islamabad is proficiently designed by the owners Nova Group The residential society provides world-class amenities and facilities for residents to enjoy a luxurious and tranquil existence.

Nova authorities have hired the most skillful and professional team of architects to build an international standard infrastructure. The Nova Islamabad offers a variety of residential and commercial plots in various sizes.

Nova City Islamabad Blocks:

Following are the blocks available in the housing society:

Nova City E-Sports Block:

Nova City Peublo Block:

Nova City Islamabad Plot Sizes:

Following are the details about the plot sizes available in the residential society:

Residential Plots:

The residential plots of Nova City Islamabad are as follows:

5 Marla

8 Marla

10 Marla

14 Marla

1 Kanal

Commercial Plots:

The commercial plots of Nova City Islamabad are as follows

4 Marla

8 Marla

Salient Features:

Following are some salient features of the housing society:

Maintenance

Affordability

24/7 security

Grand Mosque

Boundary Wall

Eco-community

Water Resources

Sewerage system

Gated community

Education Complex

Quality Development

Gas, Water, Electricity

Beautiful entrance gate

Underground electric system

Conclusion:

Nova City Islamabad is an investment opportunity for capital city investors looking for a solid fruitful investment. The residential societys prime location, world-class amenities, and thoughtful economic payment plan make it an investment opportunity.

The mega worth housing society possesses all the subtle to be chosen as a profitable investment. This blog discussed all possible details of everything you need to know about Nova City Islamabad.

Sky Marketing and Tajarat Properties are the most legitimate dealers of Nova City Islamabad.
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UNITED NATIONS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Deadly violence has forced humanitarian organizations to suspend operations in the Irumu territory of Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UN humanitarians said on Monday.

"All humanitarian organizations in the area have had to temporarily suspend their operations," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

At least 20 civilians died Monday morning following an armed attack in Mangusu in Irumu territory. The assailants also looted homes and shops in the neighboring towns of Bavonkutu and Bandiboli, the office said.

Recent attacks in Irumu led to the loss of at least 40 civilian lives last week, OCHA said, citing humanitarian sources. Other deadly attacks occurred on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The office said the violence forced people to flee their homes in an area already with a population of displaced people. In recent months the increasing violence on civilians in Ituri includes attacks on displacement sites. There are about 1.9 million displaced people in Ituri.

Despite recent violence in the neighboring province of North Kivu, the distribution of relief continued.

OCHA said the world body and its humanitarian partners distributed aid to displaced people in and around Rutshuru, where almost 54,000 civilians are displaced.

Over the weekend, the World Food Programme began distributing high-energy biscuits to some 6,500 civilians, the office said. The agency also pre-positioned 30 tons of food for distribution.

The UN Refugee Agency distributed shelter and non-food items to about 2,500 people, OCHA said. On Friday, the World Health Organization donated a batch of medicines and medical equipment to local health authorities to treat at least 1,000 civilians.

The office said two international nongovernmental organizations are treating civilians and helping a local health facility provide care to the wounded. 
When Marina Ermoshkina, a Russian TV presenter, learned that employees at a Chanel store in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, had refused to sell a high-end bag to a Russian customer, after asking her to sign papers attesting that she would not wear the bag in Russia, she reacted in shock.

Ermoshkina, 28, bought a pair of gardening scissors, took a video of herself as she cut her Chanel bag in half and posted it to Instagram.

Victoria Bonya cut up her Chanel bag in protest against the company stopping sales in Russia.. Credit:AP

This is Russophobia, she said in a phone call from Moscow. This is the purest form of discrimination.

Hundreds of thousands of people saw her video, which was also broadcast on Russian television. Soon afterward, Victoria Bonya, a Russian social media influencer with 9.3 million Instagram followers, followed suit, taking a pair of scissors to a Chanel bag that sells for thousands of dollars.
The prospect of higher interest rates fattening margins at the big four banks helped keep the ASX 200 higher on Monday despite the falls from energy stocks miners and the tech sector which was down for its fourth straight session.

The ASX 200 closed 0.1% higher, up 7.2 points to 7485.2 with the big banks and consumer discretionary stocks like Coles and Woolworths all closing higher.

Shaw and Partners senior investment adviser Adam Dawes said while the market had a strong start to the day the US futures had been tempered, causing it to drop and flatten out from midday.

Growing bets of official interest rate hikes have helped to fuel a recent rally in bank shares. Credit:Renee Nowytarger

Dawes said gold stocks had performed well, with Newcrest up 2 per cent and Northern Star up 3.8 per cent.

Gold is starting to become a little bit more in favour with the backdrop of inflation, he said, adding a rise among the major banks was also likely due to the inflationary environment.

Graincorp posted the biggest gains, up more than 6 per cent, as brokers continued to upgrade the group based on its latest earnings upgrade as soft commodities boom.

In other commodities-related news, Lake Resources shares soared as much as 16 per cent after it announced an offtake agreement to sell Ford lithium for its electric vehicles.

Thats exactly what these lithium guys need to do is get big offtake agreements because thats going to underpin the value of their resource, Dawes said.

Mergers and acquisitions dominated the corporate news on Monday with nickel miner IGO back on track to swallow Western Areas after it responded to a negative independent expert report to its targets board by increasing its offer 15 per cent to $3.87 a share.

Virtus Health shares also rose after its board recommended CapVests scheme of arrangement, following an increase in price payable to $8.15 per share.

Hochtief, the largest shareholder of engineering group CIMIC, all but wrapped up its takeover of the ASX-listed company with its stake exceeding 92 per cent on Monday. Hochtief extended its $22 a share offer until 7pm April 26.

Consolidation of Australias super sector continued with AustralianSuper announcing that plans to takeover smaller industry fund LUCRF Super was progressing well, with the deal set to be finalised by June.

Meanwhile, construction industry superannuation fund Cbus said its takeover of Media Super has been completed.
Stories I Might Regret Telling You

By Martha Wainwright

Simon & Schuster $35

Martha Wainwright told me a story the first time we met that has never left me. We were talking about her mother, as you do: the great Canadian singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle. She wasnt the kind of mum who stuck every fingerpainting on the fridge, her daughter said, laughing in her downcast way. Praise had to be earned.

There was something crushingly sad about it. Also telling. Kate and Loudons daughter; Rufuss kid sister was an emotional depth charge on stage. A voice of red raw vulnerability concentrated into laser-focused fury. She seemed to be in a permanent state of tension between naked self-doubt and volcanic compulsion.

Martha Wainwright seems to switch between naked self-doubt and volcanic compulsion. Credit:

Her parents loved her  or at least, they grew to love me, she finds it necessary to mention in the opening lines of this tautly strung memoir. Her father very nearly succeeded in having her aborted. Then he left, throwing blackly comical songs over his shoulder with careless precision.
People with O negative blood are being urged to donate over the next fortnight, as centres report as many as half of all appointments are being missed due to coronavirus isolation requirements.

There is just 1.5 days supply of what is known as the universal blood type nationally, according to the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood service. The supply of all other blood types is also low, at 1.9 days.

Parvit Kulsiithana gives blood at the Town Hall Lifeblood clinic in Sydney on Monday. Credit:Renee Nowytarger

Red blood cells can be stored for up to 42 days after donation.

O negative is considered to be the most valuable donation as its red blood cells can be received by anyone, regardless of their individual blood type. Its supply is necessary for emergencies, including treatment in ambulances and rescue helicopters, where there is not enough time to determine the recipients blood type through a test.
In international news, Finland has begun the process of reviewing its security environment in a move that is likely to lead to an application to join the NATO defence alliance.

The country neighbours Russia, which is expected to ramp up attacks in Ukraines east in coming days.

Finlands government has produced a white paper on changes to the countrys security, which will be sent to parliament and used to debate the issue. Finlands Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said an addendum proposing that the country join NATO will be added to the paper if parliament backs the move.

It comes as Finnish technology company Nokia and its Swedish rival Ericsson AB both announced they would suspend business in Russia.

On Tuesday, Nokia said it has suspended deliveries, cancelled new business and would move its research and development activities out of the country. Ericsson AB said on Monday that it would indefinitely suspend business in Russia.

It has been clear for Nokia since the early days of the invasion of Ukraine that continuing our presence in Russia would not be possible, Chief Executive Officer Pekka Lundmark said on Twitter.

Finnish 5G gear maker Nokia Oyj plans to exit the Russian market in response to the invasion of Ukraine and the full-scale war Russia is waging.

Over the last weeks Nokia had suspended deliveries and stopped new business, it said in a statement on Tuesday. Its also moving its limited research and development activities out of Russia.

It has been clear for Nokia since the early days of the invasion of Ukraine that continuing our presence in Russia would not be possible, Nokias chief executive Pekka Lundmark said on Twitter.

The decision follows Swedish rival Ericsson ABs announcement on Monday of an indefinite suspension of business there.

with Bloomberg
Its only been a day or so, but Les Noon of Main Beach (Qld) already has election fatigue. If the election is going to be decided by only 20 seats, can the rest of us have the day off? Maybe we could also avoid the incessant advertising as well.

After the ownership of Vegemite (C8) returned home a few years ago, thanks to Bega Cheese, Valerie Little of Tathra reports that the Old Bega Hospital Regional Community Cultural Centre now holds a Vegemite cooking competition. The cooks are very creative in the Bega Valley, and the Bega CWA judges have been amazed at how Vegemite brings a new umami-type flavour to caramel fudge, shortbread, cupcakes, scones, brownies, muffins and breadsticks, to name a few winning entries. So, no more knocking our beautiful, black Aussie-inspired spread, where a little goes such a long way, and creates Happy Little Vegemites.

Self-professed Vegemite lover Odille Esmonde-Morgan of Glenorchy (Tas) scoffs that the Poms gave us our love of Vegemite. It was developed in Melbourne in 1922 by Cyril Callister, who was employed by Fred Walker and Company in Melbourne and charged with developing a spread as an alternative to Marmite. After some ups and downs and name changes, it became popular after a two-year campaign of free offerings with their cheese, competitions with prizes including a Pontiac car, and endorsement by the AMA as a source of B group vitamins. Unfortunately for Odille, this story does somewhat prove Shane Nunans original point. If Marmite hadnt already existed in England, would anyone have gone to the trouble of developing a local alternative to it?

Noticing that the Randwick rooms of Eternal Doctors will be closed over Easter, Andrew Taubman of Queens Park observes that, Eternity aint what it used to be!

Natural disasters and real estate prices have quite a bit in common, writes Anne Cook of Ermington. The BoM (C8) provides a handy reminder of it.
In a Caulfield synagogue hall on Sunday, four Holocaust survivors aged in their 90s and more than 100 of their relatives and friends gathered to eat, sing and dance.

The quartet raised shots of whisky and made a toast, LChaim  to life.

Welcome to the Buchenwald Ball, a little-known annual Melbourne tradition for more than 65 years.

They were celebrating their liberation, in 1945, from the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany. After the war, more than 60 former youth inmates of Buchenwald settled in Australia.
Melbournes union movement has vowed to protect the John Curtin Hotel from demolition after its sale to an unknown buyer.

Agent CBRE told The Age that the Carlton pub, which was put up for sale in February, had been sold but would not reveal any further details, including the identity of the buyer or the price paid.

The asking price was $6 million but two sources with knowledge of the deal commenting on the condition of anonymity said the buyer paid below that price.

One of the property industry sources said the buyer was an overseas-based investor and developer who will continue to operate The Curtin as a pub in the short term but is likely to redevelop it later.

Victorias National Trust and the Victorian Trades Hall jointly nominated the pub for protection on the states heritage register last month, however, it is still in the process of being assessed by Heritage Victoria.
The Australian Electoral Commission is booking halls across the country, and recruiting an army of lurid T-shirted volunteers. Airbrushed corflute posters are going up on telegraph poles around the nation, where theyll stay until early 2024.

Here come the scary deep-voiced attack ads, the even scarier cringe-inducing positive ads and another infuriating deluge of Craig Kelly text messages. Soon well be stuffing dodgy election sausages down our gullets and using a pencil for the first time in three years.

Hint to voters: this is not a genuine election ad.

We have a choice between two pasty, fifty-somethings from Sydney with nicknames ending in o. In one corner is Scott Morrison, a deliberately daggy dad from the Shire who is now as enthusiastic about South Asian cooking as he once was about stopping South Asian refugee boats. In the other is Anthony Albanese, a man who became opposition leader on the basis of being a safe pair of hands that werent Bill Shortens, and who was surely the only man ever to cry on camera over Kevin Rudd besides Kevin Rudd.

For the 2019 election campaign, Morrison had a big progressive program to run against. This time hes wrestling vagaries. Albanese has been laser-focused on giving the government nothing to campaign against  hes shut down more targets than the board of Wesfarmers. Even the opposition policies we know about  aged care spending, climate, job security, an integrity commission  are designed to remind us of the governments most prominent shortcomings. Labors light on the hill has been temporarily dimmed to avoid bombing raids.
Anthony Albanese started the first full day of the 2022 federal election campaign accusing Prime Minister Scott Morrison of chutzpah. It ended in schmegegge for the Labor leader as a couple of numbers brought him undone.

Among the flurry of early morning television interviews that heralded the campaign, Morrison accused his Labor opponent of being unable to manage the budget.

Anthony Albanese departs a press conference after failing to name the official cash rate or the unemployment rate on the first day of the federal election campaign. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

It was a brave call from a PM who was selling back in black coffee mugs before the 2019 election but has since overseen the largest deficits on record and the largest amount of debt in Commonwealth history.

The PMs commentary prompted Albanese to point to the state of the budget, which shows an $80 billion deficit this year, not much better next year, and debt on its way to $1.2 trillion within three years.
DAR ES SALAAM, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian Minister for Health Ummy Mwalimu said on Sunday that recorded number of cancer cases in the east African nation is alarming.

"Health authorities record 42,000 new cases of cancer every year. And 68 percent of the patients die from the disease," Mwalimu said when she laid the foundation stone for a cancer treatment center to be jointly built by the government and the Aga Khan Hospital in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

"Upon completion of its construction, the center will help in the screening and treatment of cancer," the minister said.

Mwalimu said the center will treat 120 cancer patients daily, providing relief to state-run Ocean Road Cancer Institute, which is overwhelmed by patients.

She said the most common types in Tanzania are breast, cervical and prostate cancers and that most cancer patients were diagnosed when their diseases were at advanced stages, urging people to cultivate a habit of regular cancer screening. 
Prime Minister Scott Morrison will ramp up his economic attack on Anthony Albanese with a promise of 1.3 million jobs over the next five years, seizing on the Opposition Leaders embarrassing campaign stumble where he could not remember Australias unemployment rate and official interest rate.

In a damaging opening day, Albanese was forced into a series of public apologies after he was quizzed by journalists and could not name the Reserve Banks cash rate of 0.1 per cent and incorrectly said the unemployment rate was 5.4 per cent, not its current measure of 4 per cent.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese after a doorstop in Launceston on Monday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The Coalition immediately seized on the gaffe as evidence of its assertion that Albanese lacks the experience to manage the economy, forcing the Labor leader to call a press conference to try to stem the political damage.

Im human. But when I make a mistake, Ill fess up to it, and Ill set about correcting that mistake, Albanese said in Devonport, more than an hour after his comments in Launceston.
Social Services Minister Anne Ruston is tipped to be named to the health portfolio this weekend in a government move designed to assure voters there will be a smooth transition in the key policy field when Health Minister Greg Hunt leaves the post at the election.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will name the replacement for Hunt in a shift towards health policy after the economy and employment dominated the opening week of the campaign.

Social Services Minister Anne Ruston is tipped to be named to the health portfolio to replace retiring Health Minister Greg Hunt. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Ruston, who is also the Coalitions campaign spokesperson, is seen as the leading option to become the designated health minister just as the government is being urged to make a series of major policy commitments to healthcare.

But Morrison is repeatedly being challenged over the status of Alan Tudge after the education minister stood aside last December but kept his cabinet rank during an inquiry into his relationship with a former adviser, Rachelle Miller.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese found an unlikely ally in former Prime Minister John Howard after his interest and unemployment rate stumble on the first full day of the election campaign.

Howard was in Perth kick-starting the campaigns of Swan candidate Kristy McSweeney and Hasluck MP and Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt when he was asked whether it was bad that Albanese didnt know the nations unemployment rate, which sits at 4 per cent.

John Howard was in Perth to support Liberal candidates on day one of the election campaign. Credit:Kate Geldart

He responded incredulously: Is that a serious question?

Anthony Albanese didnt know the unemployment, alright, so what? Howard said.
A protester who ran onto the playing field and lit a flare during the Cronulla-Wests Tigers match on Sunday has been jailed for three months as ARL Commission chairman Peter Vlandys and Cronulla CEO Dino Mezzatesta called for harsher penalties to deter pitch invaders.

Andy George, 32, pleaded guilty to two offences in Sutherland Local Court on Monday amid fears from the NRL and Cronulla that protesters will target PointsBet Stadium during the election campaign because Prime Minister Scott Morrison is a Sharks fan.

Noting it was not the first demonstration George had taken part in, Magistrate Phillip Stewart said he had little choice but to give a harsh punishment after the environmental protester pleaded guilty to entering enclosed land without lawful excuse and possessing a bright light distress signal in a public place.

Hes prepared to be arrested, and he expects to be punished, Stewart said. There needs to be a strong message sent to the community and to the offender. No penalty other than prison is appropriate. Hes not remorseful at all, rather his actions were deliberate and calculated.
Political parties power to bombard voters with highly targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram will be limited compared with previous elections because of sharp price rises from the social media giants over recent years and privacy changes.

The price hikes, which some digital industry experts pegged at 150 per cent since the last election, have made microtargeted ads where voters receive messages tailored to their personal information such as their age, gender and earning, particularly costly.

Political ads from the 2022 federal election run by the Liberal Party, Labor Party of Victoria and Climate 200.

Digital campaigning is vital for determining who wins the election, with Labor noting in its 2019 election loss review that a failure to adopt a web-first approach had left it flat-footed and falling behind its opponents.

Facebooks average price per ad increased 24 per cent year over year, the company reported in its global financial results for 2021. Privacy changes from Apple made it harder for the social media giant to track which users are responding to ads on its platform across other websites and apps and thereby target users accurately.
I live in Melbourne but was born in the Ukraine. Ive spent many years as an aid worker in countries affected by conflict.

Ive seen conflict fracture countries, upend communities and wreck lives and families. Now its wrecking mine.

Humanitarian worker Daria Musiienko is in Bucharest working with Ukrainian refugees.

My job has involved working with people displaced by conflict in countries including Syria, Afghanistan and South Sudan. But Ive just arrived in Romania to use my expertise and experience to help my own people.

When the invasion began, I begged my sister and her son, 19, to leave their home in Mariupol and go to Kyiv. It always seems too early to leave the city until suddenly it is too late  the train they plan to catch on the second day of the invasion never leaves Mariupol.
PHILIPSBURG/Buenos Aires:--- On April 7th and 8th, the President of Parliament, the honorable Grisha Heyliger-Maarten, attended the International Workshop of Scholars and Parliamentarians in Argentina. This two-day workshop consisted of thirteen-panel discussion sessions with topics including political and constitutional reform, good practices in parliamentary procedure, parliaments and education, parliaments defense of democracy and human rights, and parliaments, gender and women's empowerment.

Heyliger-Marten attended twelve of the thirteen-panel discussion sessions, including the opening and closing sessions of the workshop, and made a presentation during the panel discussion entitled Parliaments, Sovereignty and Peace. The entire presentation can be found on Heyliger-Martens personal Facebook page.

In her presentation, Heyliger-Marten gave an overview of the constitutional history of Sint Maarten, and the challenges currently faced related to achieving a full measure of self-government and finalizing the decolonization process.

In a press release issued Sunday, PoP Heyliger-Maarten said St. Maarten benefited significantly from the opportunity to give the presentation as it helps to forge international relationships with key strategic partners.

"In-person interaction has the advantage of having more in-depth and specific exchanges of information related to Sint Maartens plight.

While attending the workshop, Heyliger-Marten had constructive one-on-one discussion number of international scholars and Parliamentarians, who are well-versed in addressing the issues Sint Maarten is currently facing.

One of these scholars was a representative of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA). PGA is the largest non-profit, non-partisan international network of legislators from elected parliaments worldwide. Its mission is to "Inform and mobilize parliamentarians in all regions of the world to advocate for human rights and the Rule of Law, democracy, human security, inclusion, and gender equality. During the workshop, Heyliger-Marten received an official invitation e-mail from PGA outlining how it can assist Sint Maarten with achieving its objectives as a developing democracy. She indicated that she looks forward to fellow Parliamentarians on Sint Maarten considering joining PGA.

During the workshop, PoP Heyliger-Marten also met with a number of Argentinian Governmental representatives, with whom she discussed a number of topics of mutual interest. One of those topics was the issue of the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands, which is a long-standing colonial dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom. During the most recent Parlatino meetings in Panama, Parliamentarians from Aruba and Sint Maarten expressed their support for Argentina on this matter.

According to Heyliger-Marten, both Argentina and the islands of the former Netherlands Antilles face issues with European colonial powers. It is good to have these discussions and exchange ideas on how to address issues that we have in common. Having attended the Parlatino meetings and now this workshop, I am looking forward to continuing discussions with fellow Parliamentarians from Europe about Sint Maartens plight during the EUROLAT meetings the upcoming week.

In closing, Heyliger-Marten stated that it is the sacred duty of the Parliament of Sint Maarten to advance and protect the sovereignty of Sint Maarten and, by extension, the other five Dutch Caribbean islands.

As a legislative body, the Parliament of Sint Maarten is aware of its responsibility to ensure that all legislation governing the island complies with international law and benefits the people it represents, Heyliger-Marten said.

As such, and based on the motion of November 5th, 2020, I will continue to bring Sint Maartens case to the attention of third parties who can assist with achieving Sint Maartens objectives towards a full measure of self-government and true democracy, Heyliger-Marten concluded.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Parliament of Sint Maarten will host its first expert panel roundtable on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands at the House of Parliament.

In 2021, the Committee for Constitutional Affairs and Decolonization (CCAD) gave multi-partisan approval for the hosting of a high-level discussion with the main

objective to receive information and advice on designing an approach to amending the Kingdom Charter.

Based on the proposal by a subcommittee of the Committee, local and kingdom constitutional experts were agreed upon. These experts were invited to present a

position paper in relation to the following themes; the Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as it relates to the United Nations in terms of decolonization and the

democratic deficit within the Kingdom. The panel consists of Dr. Nilda Arduin, Mr. Julio Romney, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Hoogers, and Mr. Reynold Groeneveldt.

During the roundtable discussion, Members of Parliament will have the opportunity to discuss and debate the themes with the panelists. The public will also be able to

virtually submit questions to the panelists.

As it is customary with Parliamentary meetings, this roundtable discussion will be broadcasted on various forms of media. The position papers of the panelists will be

available for download on the website of Parliament: https://bit.ly/3up986A . The public is encouraged to download and read the position papers before the roundtable

discussion on April 19, 2022.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Central Committee meeting on April 11, 2022.

The Central Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday at 14.00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of General Affairs will be present.

The agenda point is:

Discussion with the Prime Minister regarding the draft Kingdom Law Caribbean Reform and Development Agency (IS/547/2021-2022 dated February 11, 2022)

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules and all health and safety protocols, including the wearing of a mask.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, SXM Bulletin (Cable TV 120), via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, and the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, and www.pearlfmradio.sx
TRIPOLI, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that 497 illegal immigrants were returned to Libya last week after being rescued off the country's coast.

"In the period of 3-9 April, 497 migrants were rescued/intercepted at sea and returned to Libya," IOM said in a statement.

Since the beginning of the year, 77 illegal immigrants died and 340 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, it added.

So far this year, 3,968 illegal immigrants have been rescued and returned to Libya, including 375 women and 169 minors, according to the IOM.

In 2021, a total of 32,425 illegal immigrants were rescued and returned to Libya, while 662 died and 891 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, according to the IOM.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for illegal immigrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores. 
PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in an urgent Central Committee meeting on April 11, 2022.

The Central Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday at 10.00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. Mr. R. Richardson, Cyber Security Advisor will be present.

The agenda point is:

Presentation and discussion on Cybersecurity Challenges Facing Governments and Public Entities (IS/686/2021-2022 dated March 21, 2022)

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules and all health and safety protocols, including the wearing of a mask.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, SXM Bulletin (Cable TV 120), via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, and www.pearlfmradio.sx
TUNIS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Kais Saied pledged to put an end to the country's "current exceptional phase" when meeting with visiting European Parliament members on Monday, days after he issued a decree to dissolve the country's parliament.

During the meeting, Saied said he would work to complete the stages he announced previously, in particular holding a referendum on July 25, and parliamentary elections on Dec. 17, according to a statement released by the Tunisian presidency.

"These legislative elections will be free, transparent and fair and under the full supervision of the Independent High Authority for Elections," Saied said.

According to the statement, the Tunisian president expressed his unconditional attachment to the protection of the unity of his country and the continuity of the functioning of state institutions.

After dissolving the parliament on March 30, Saied announced that voting in Tunisia's legislative elections will be organized in two rounds, and people will vote for individuals rather than for lists as in previous elections. 
NEW BRITAIN A group of New Jersey parents are suing Guidas Dairy after several students were hospitalized due to drinking a batch of contaminated milk.

Three parents of students in the Camden City School District are suing Guidas Dairy for an amount in excess of $75,000 for negligence and careless disregard for the health and safety of the students, court filings show.

The lawsuit, filed on April 1 by Attorney Samuel D. Jackson of Lento Law Group in New Jersey, stems from an incident that occurred on Wednesday, March 30.

Shortly after 8:30 a.m., several parents were notified by the school district that their child had consumed the contaminated milk and was experiencing symptoms including severe stomach pain and cramping, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the lawsuit.

All affected students were brought to the hospital for treatment, where medical professionals determined the milk had indeed been contaminated with a commercial cleaning agent, according to the lawsuit.

Soon after, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture announced it was investigating the dairy company after diluted sanitizer was found in some of its cartons of low-fat milk. These cartons, which had a sell by date of April 11, had limited distribution in New Jersey, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Though the affected milk was within a certain time range, the dairy company asked all institutional customers possessing the 1% low-fat half-pint milk cartons with sell by dates of April 11 to dispose of the product. The company has said that the affected product was not available at retail outlets for consumer purchase.

At Guidas, our top priority is producing safe, nutritious and high-quality milk for the communities we serve, Kim OBrien, a company spokesperson, said in a statement. All quality issues are dealt with immediately as we become aware. While we cannot comment on pending litigation, we remain committed to producing top-quality dairy and meeting the highest service standards for our customers.

On Saturday, Jackson said that he hopes this will be a wake-up call for all milk processors and food service companies serving schools that their negligence could injure young children and cause long-term negative health issues.

No parent should ever have to doubt whether the food their young children are served at school is safe, Jackson said.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  After scrutinizing the Republican legislature's budget work, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's biggest complaints Monday were about K-12 education funding, saying lawmakers failed to meet the moment during a time of unprecedented revenue surpluses.

The governor praised several priorities in the two-year state spending plan crafted by the GOP-dominated legislature. He pointed to pay raises for state workers and bolstered funding for infrastructure projects, higher education, economic development and workforce training.

His sharpest criticisms were aimed at the levels of K-12 education funding  or what was left out  as he revealed his line-item budget vetoes. Beshear's targeted vetoes included proposed pay raises for lawmakers and statewide constitutional officers, including himself.

While we make some great investments in our future, the budget certainly doesnt meet the moment when it comes to K-12 education. Beshear said at a news conference.

He said lawmakers should have steered more money into the states main funding formula  known as SEEK  for K-12 schools. The governor said the budget approved by the legislature contained about $680 million less for SEEK than the spending plan he submitted in January.

And the governor faulted lawmakers for refusing to fund universal pre-K for every 4-year-old in Kentucky, or to include pay raises for teachers and other school staff  two of his budget priorities.

Republicans promptly fired back, saying the budget they passed last month funds full-day kindergarten, pours money into teacher pensions and increases SEEK funding while downplaying Beshear's role in the budget process.

Once again, Gov. Beshear stands at a podium painting a picture of his leadership that doesnt match reality, state Republican Party spokesman Sean Southard said in a statement issued during the governors news conference.

Told of the GOP response as his hourlong news conference continued, Beshear replied that the criticism was about politics. The debate about budget and tax policies will likely continue into next year, when the governor seeks reelection to a second term in Republican-trending Kentucky.

Republican lawmakers have said they left it up to local school districts to decide whether to use additional state funding to award pay raises to teachers and other school staff. And GOP critics of Beshear's pre-K proposal say it would threaten the state's child-care industry.

Republican lawmakers also capitalized on the state's massive revenue surpluses to pass tax legislation aimed at gradually phasing out the state individual income tax. Beshear vetoed the tax measure, which also would extend the state sales tax to more services.

Lawmakers will reconvene Wednesday for the final two days of this year's 60-day session. Taking up the governor's raft of vetoes while lawmakers were away will be among their top priorities.

Despite his critique that elementary and secondary education should have received significantly more money, Beshear said overall there's a lot of good components in the spending plan.

We have a lot to celebrate in this budget," he said. "Its one of the better in modern history.

Beshear praised the 8% pay raises awarded state employees in the coming fiscal year. State police troopers and social workers are among those in line for even bigger pay raises.

The budget sets aside enough money for a 12% salary boost in the second year. Specific raises for state workers in the second year would be based on a Personnel Cabinet study factoring in cost of living, job duties and other variables.

The governor said the budget includes hundreds of millions of additional dollars for projects extending broadband access and providing clean drinking water and sewer systems.

The budget measure allocates $250 million from the state General Fund to support high-profile transportation projects. Specifically, the appropriation targets three projects  the Brent Spence companion bridge project in northern Kentucky, the Interstate 69 Ohio River crossing at Henderson and the completion of the Mountain Parkway expansion project.

The two-year spending plan aims to boost economic development by including $50 million each year to prepare so-called megasites to try to land major employers. Last year, Kentucky clinched such a project when Ford and its battery partner selected a site outside Glendale in Hardin County to build twin battery plants for the next generation of the automaker's electric vehicles.
Dita Bhargava, who ran against Treasurer Shawn Wooden in 2018, announced Monday she is making a second run for the seat.

The Greenwich resident, who is the chief operating officer of a financial technology company, became the first Democrat to declare her candidacy for state treasurer following Woodens surprise announcement last week that he wont be seeking reelection.

In a statement released Monday by her campaign, Bhargava said shes received dozens of calls and emails from people urging her to get into the race.

These are volatile times that require significant and complex investment decisions, she said. Now more than ever, Connecticut needs a treasurer who has the background and experience necessary to run the office and maximize its impact.

Bhargava, who heads Stamford-based Catalan Investments, has more than two decades of experience on Wall Street. In a phone interview Monday, she pointed to her experience running a statewide campaign in 2018, when she received 43 percent of the vote to Woodens 57 percent in the Democratic primary, as she seeks support from delegates leading up to Democratic nominating convention on May 6-7.

So many people reached out to say, I love your messages and Id love to see you in that office, Bhargava said of her 2018 run. Since then, my commitment to civic engagement has not waned. If anything, its strengthened.

Several other Democrats have expressed interest in the seat since Woodens announcement. State Rep. Harry Arora, R-Greenwich, is the GOP frontrunner with no other Republican candidates declared in the race, as of Monday afternoon.

Arunan Arulampalam, a lawyer and civic activist in Hartford who sought the Democratic nomination for state treasurer in 2018, was considering a second run, but said in a statement over the weekend that he decided against it. Arulampalam has been talking to fellow Democrats about possibly running for mayor of Hartford, especially if Mayor Luke Bronin decides not to seek a third term in 2023.

I believe that my place is in continuing the work that I have started in the City of Hartford, Arulampalam, who is the CEO of the Hartford Land Bank, said in the statement. Connecticuts fiscal health is the strongest it has been in decades, but too many people in my city have been left out of the economic recovery and still feel the pain of decades of disinvestment.

City of Hartford Treasurer Adam Cloud, another Democrat who expressed interest in the seat, said in an interview last week that he would be making a decision soon as to whether he would enter the race. Cloud did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday on whether hes decided to run.

Other names circulating among Democratic circles since Woodens announcement set off a scramble among his party for his successor include Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, who indicated in a statement last week hes not likely to run, and Karen Dubois-Walton, head of New Havens Housing Authority.

Dubois-Walton, who challenged incumbent Democratic Mayor Justin Elicker last year, did not respond to requests for comment on her possible interest in seeking the state treasurer position.

For more than 50 years, the Democratic nominee for state treasurer has been an African American, primarily from Hartford city politics  including Wooden and his predecessor, Denise Nappier, who served in the powerful role overseeing the states pension funds and debt for 20 years.

Wooden, who is Black, was widely expected to run for reelection and was seen as a cornerstone of a ticket that Democrats say must balance gender, race and ethnicity.

With Wooden and Secretary of the State Denise Merrill not running for reelection and former Comptroller Kevin Lembo resigning for health reasons in December, there are now three open seats for the six statewide constitutional offices.

The Secretary of States race is the most crowded field so far with several Democrats running including state Reps. Hilda Santiago, of Meriden, and Stephanie Thomas, of Norwalk, and New Haven Health Director Maritza Bond. Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, is also exploring a run but has not filed paperwork to become a declared candidate.

State Rep. Sean Scanlan, D-Guilford, is the Democratic frontrunner in the race for state comptroller.

julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com
HONG KONG (AP)  Lawyers for Hong Kong media mogul and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai are asking the United Nations to investigate his imprisonment and multiple criminal charges as legal harassment that punish him for speaking out.

The publisher of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper was one of the most prominent activists arrested in Hong Kong's crackdown on virtually all political criticism since mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.

The crackdown continued early Monday with the arrest of another veteran journalist, Allan Au Ka-lun, a teaching consultant who'd worked for a number of Hong Kong media outlets.

The actions by Lai's lawyers in Britain followed that country's announcement last month it would withdraw its judges from Hong Kongs top court because keeping them there would legitimize oppression in the former British colony.

Lai, 74, has been charged under Hong Kong's sweeping national security law and is serving 20 months in prison. His assets have been frozen and the raft of legal cases against him include four separate criminal prosecutions related to attending and joining various protests, his legal team at Doughty Street Chambers in the U.K. said in a statement.

Lai faces the risk of spending the rest of his life in prison simply for speaking out, and for seeking to defend freedom of the press, democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong," Lai's counsel, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, said in the statement.

In a follow-up email, Gallagher said the appeal had been filed with the U.N. special rapporteurs for freedom of opinion and expression, counter-terrorism and human rights, rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and human rights defenders.

We are awaiting a response," she wrote.

Lai's son, Sebastien Lai, was quoted as urging U.N. special rapporteurs to investigate Chinese and Hong Kong authorities' actions against Hong Kong residents.

While the U.N. has a number of special rapporteurs, their powers are limited mainly to seeking information from government agencies and possibly seeking real steps to end violations.

Hong Kong authorities had no immediate comment on the request. When Britain withdrew its judges, China reacted furiously, accusing Britain of flagrant interference and harm to Hong Kongs judicial system.

Police issued a brief statement on the arrest of Au, saying a 54-year-old man had been arrested for conspiracy to publish seditious publication" and was being detained for further investigation.

The national security law that was imposed by Beijing to override local opposition defines sedition in extremely broad terms, permitting authorities to punish almost all open criticism of the government. Those caught in its net include four people arrested last week for clapping in court.

Au had been a teaching consultant at Chinese Universitys journalism school and had previously worked for Hong Kong media outlets TVB and RTHK. He had also written a column for outspoken pro-democracy platform Stand News, which shut down last year after police raided it and arrested staff.

In a statement, the Hong Kong Journalists Association said Au had been a mentor to young journalists and expressed its deep concern" his arrest would further damage the freedom of the press in Hong Kong."

We urge the police to explain the case as soon as possible, and at the same time request the government to protect the freedom of the press and speech enjoyed by Hong Kong citizens in accordance with the Basic Law," it said, referring to Hong Kong's mini-constitution under which it returned to Chinese control.
NORWALK  The city has received $6 million in state funding to support developments in South Norwalk as a plan by the governor to boost community livability.

Gov. Ned Lamont announced last week the distribution of $45 million spread among 12 municipalities that aim to improve distressed municipalities and add to downtown areas.

Norwalk received $6 million to upgrade the property adjacent to the South Norwalk train station at 30 Monroe St., and 15 to 17 Chestnut St., according to the statement. The work in SoNo will be a collaboration with the city, the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency and Spinnaker Real Estate Partners.

The development set for the area will include at least 200 mixed-income residential units, 10,000 square feet of commercial, a public plaza and 60 off-street public parking spaces, according to the statement.

By investing in infrastructure and streetscape, such as enhancing traffic safety through new sidewalks, mitigating stormwater runoff to prevent flooding, and planting more trees, this critical infrastructure project will increase livability and add to the vibrancy of our city, Mayor Harry Rilling said. This initiative also allocates funds towards the preservation of existing affordable housing, supporting our vision of making the city a more accessible and equitable place to work and live."

Norwalks plans will enable the development of vacant and underutilized plots to be transformed as part of the citys transit-oriented development to accent the South Norwalk train station, according to the statement.

The infrastructure upgrades will also allow the potential development of 500 new residential units in the area, according to the statement.

Norwalk applied for the grant funding, and chose the area for its proximity to public transit and developmental potential, city spokesperson Michelle Woods Matthews said. Spinnaker Real Estate is also a neighbor of the selected plot.

Woods Matthews said construction, however, will likely not start for 18 to 24 months.

The $45 million is the first round of funding distributed as part of Lamonts Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, according to the statement. The second round is expected to be announced in the fall.

The grants are leveraging approximately $74 million in non-state and private dollars and will support projects that improve the livability and vibrancy of communities throughout the state, the governors statement read. Consistent with the goals of the program, more than 50 percent of funding will be invested in Connecticuts distressed municipalities.

Norwalks $6 million grant is the second largest of the 12 distributed as part of the Connecticut Community Challenge Grant Program, behind the $6.3 million awarded to Hartford to create a two-phased mixed-use development that will generate about 60 new residences, according to the statement.

The newly established Connecticut Community Challenge Grant Program was created last year with the goal of revitalizing communities and creating about 3,000 new jobs, according to the statement.

The department and grant program are expected to award $100 million in grants over the next few years, according to the governors office.

The program is an important component of Gov. Lamonts Economic Action Plan  a strategic package of initiatives that totals more than $750 million over five years, matched approximately dollar-for-dollar by private and other non-state funding that will result in a projected 80,000 new jobs, the statement read.

abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com
Milton, PA (17847)

Today

Rain. High 51F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch..

Tonight

Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 37F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
A series of deaths at a hospital for elderly patients in Shanghai is underscoring the dangerous consequences of Chinas stubborn pursuit of a zero-COVID approach amid an escalating outbreak in the city of 26 million people
YANGON, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Aye Aye Win, a 51-year-old woman from a village in Myanmar's delta region of Ayeyawady, is joyfully doing good deeds at a family reunion during the Myanmar New Year holiday.

She said that doing good things would bring good results and determine the quality of the incoming lives.

Thousands of Myanmar people have travelled to their native places during the Thingyan New Year holiday to reunite with their family and relatives.

Aye, who is the only sister among her six siblings, said she is joyful making merits together with her brothers, nephews and nieces who visited her during the holiday.

"I intended to do the most fruitful merits. Now, I'm supporting my brother who is to be ordained as a monk at our village's communal ordination ceremony," she told Xinhua on Sunday.

Myanmar people, who are famous for doing charities, have been forced to change the way they usually make communal donations because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aye's brother Zaw Win, who was working in Yangon, is to be ordained as a monk at the village's communal ordination ceremony on April 13.

Aye bought monk's robes and other requisites for her brother.

Buddhist ordination ceremony is fundamental and essential in Myanmar people's merit-making journey.

"I will stay in monkhood for 11 days. I am just trying to accumulate merits as possible as I can," Zaw Win, 48, told Xinhua.

Many Myanmar people are Buddhists and they agree that merit-making is an essential part of their lives.

Myanmar people have learnt what are good deeds and what are bad deeds from their parents, teachers and monks at their early ages.

Kaung Zaw Lat, a 13-year-old nephew of Aye, said he would stay as a novice for seven days while his elder sister who studied in Yangon returned home during the Thingyan holiday.

"I am right now learning counting beads and some verses of Buddhist scriptures before I am ordained as a novice," Kaung, who recently sat for the grade-4 exam, said.

The 2022 Thingyan New Year holiday, which lasts for nine days, started on Saturday and will end on April 17, the Myanmar New Year Day.

On New Year Day, elderly people in Myanmar visit monasteries to take precepts, and young people pay respects to their parents, grandparents, teachers and elderly people to gain merits.

Myanmar's Health Ministry last month eased COVID-19 restrictions, allowing public gatherings of up to 400 people as the daily COVID-19 cases were decreasing in the country.

The Southeast Asian country has registered a total of 612,341 COVID-19 cases with 19,434 deaths as of Sunday. Over 22.2 million people in the country have been fully vaccinated as of Saturday.

Myanmar's State Administration Council was also preparing to celebrate Thingyan, or the traditional water festival, this year after it was suspended in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.

U Hlan Kyint Man, joint-secretary of Yangon Region Public Transport Committee, said, "Two bus lines from Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal and eight bus lines from Dagon Ayeyar will run daily throughout the New Year holiday."

"I am happy doing good deeds together with my brothers, nephews, nieces and grandchildren while they visit me from Yangon during the holiday," Aye said. 
The Archdiocese of Buzau and Vrancea has sent aid of over 560,000 RON for Ukrainian refugees that reached the Republic of Moldova, according to the press office of the religious organization.

"Until now, the Archdiocese of Buzau and Vrancea has sent in the Republic of Moldova aid for Ukrainian refugees, with a value of 565,646 RON. The first aid, with a value of almost 300,000 RON, were sent in March to the Soroca and Cahul departments, and last week another transport left, for the Ukrainian refugees within the Diaconia Social Mission of the Basarabia Metropolitan," the spokesman of the Buzau and Vrancea Archdiocese, Dragos Olteanu, declared for AGERPRES.

The aid consists in various types of basic food items, canned food and cooking ingredients, sanitary products and home use products, Agerpres.ro informs.

The Buzau and Vrancea Archdiocese thus continues the series of actions for aiding refugees from Ukraine, the money being allocated from the funds of the Diocesan Center, through the Social-Philanthropic and Missionary Sector.
The Chamber of Deputies has rejected, on Monday, the simple motion filed by the Save Romania Union (USR) against Environment Minister Tanczos Barna.

There were 83 votes "in favour", 186 votes "against" and one abstention, Agerpres.ro informs.
The need to strengthen the decision-making process of audiovisual regulatory authorities in order to protect the public from war propaganda without affecting the freedom of the press, with special attention to the situation in Ukraine, is the conclusion of the first meeting of the eight eastern flank audio-visual regulators - EFAR8 joining the media watchdogs from Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia and Romania in a videoconference hosted by the National Audiovisual Council (CNA); the event was organized in the context of the regional crisis and of the Ukraine conflict, CNA said in a release on Monday.

The main goal of EFAR8 is to strengthen the eastern flank in terms of audiovisual regulation, ensuring the information balance and protecting the role of journalists while preserving media pluralism.

"Eastern flank member states share similar values and are vulnerable to similar challenges. With similar legislation by virtue of their EU membership, the participants considered that the decision-making process of audiovisual regulators needs to be reinforced without affecting the freedom of the press, with special attention to the situation in Ukraine," the National Audiovisual Council said, Agerpres.ro informs.

The participating states presented the measures taken to counter manipulation amid the Ukraine war, while also tackling the technical procedures for the retransmission in Ukraine of EU radio broadcasters, and from Ukraine to EU territories, respectively.

The participants decided to set a working mechanism in place based on the exchange of best practices, whereby member states would inform each other in advance about manipulation and misinformation occurrences in the context of the Ukraine conflict and measures to counteract misinformation.

At the end of the meeting Romania proposed holding a second EFAR8 meeting in September, in Bucharest, with the participation in-person of the eight member states' representatives.
European Commissioner Adina Valean, in charge of transport, pays a visit to Bucharest on April 11-12, where she will have a meeting with NGOs, volunteers and representatives of the National Railway Company CFR in the Bucharest North railway station [Gara de Nord], and also meetings with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and Deputy Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu, the Representative Office of the European Commission in Romania informs on Monday.

The European Commissioner will start her visit by participating in the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFE) organized by the Representative Office of the European Commission, at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant, together with the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca.On April 12, Adina Valean will participate in a trilateral video conference with the Ministers of Transport of Romania, Ukraine and Moldova."The priority of my visit to Romania is to find solutions, together with the authorities in Bucharest and those in Moldova and Ukraine, for the transport by rail, road, river and sea of goods from Ukraine and Moldova. The agenda will also include the level of preparation of infrastructure projects in Romania for an optimal absorption of European funds," said Valean, quoted in the press release of the Representative Office of the European Commission in Romania.
South Africa: Didiza appeals for cooperation to control foot and mouth disease

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza, says maximum cooperation from all stakeholders in the sector is necessary to control the outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD).

It is important that everyone commits and respects all imposed control measures and collectively find a sustainable solution, Didiza said.

In a statement issued on Monday, Didiza said the country is currently battling 56 outbreak cases of FMD, involving farms and communal areas in the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West and Gauteng.

She called on all South African citizens to stop the illegal movement of animals out of FMD affected areas, noting that the outbreaks currently troubling South Africa are caused by illegal movements of animals out of the FMD controlled zones in Limpopo.

Despite the fact that South Africa lost its OIE [World Organisation for Animal Health] recognised FMD-free zone status in 2019, the permanent movement restrictions remain in place in the FMD protection zones in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, and it is illegal to move cloven-hoofed animals and their products out of the FMD protection zone without permission from the state veterinary services, Didiza said.

Man arrested for bringing goats into FMD-free zone

Didiza commended the arrest of a 49-year old man in Masisi, Limpopo, for bringing goats from the FMD controlled zone into the free zone.

Another case, where animals were illegally moved from an FMD controlled area to auctions in two provinces, is being investigated. We warn perpetrators who are illegally moving animals that they will be prosecuted for contravention of the Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act No. 35 of 1984), Didiza said.

The Minister said in all affected farms, dip tanks and other premises in the five affected provinces are placed under quarantine and no cloven-hoofed animals are allowed to move from these locations.

There has been no change in the movement restrictions on cloven-hoofed animals, their products and genetic material out of, into, within or through the disease management areas, which are still in effect in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

The margins of the two disease management areas are being considered to include the newly affected areas and other areas at high risk owing to uncontrolled mingling of animals. Culling, like all control measures, will be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the practicality, costs, advantages and disadvantages of each scenario, Didiza said.

FMD vaccines sale illegal

FMD vaccination campaigns in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal are still ongoing in the areas where there is active virus circulation and where the animals are not fenced in to effectively prevent co-mingling.

However, the Minister reiterated that the use of the FMD vaccine is strictly controlled by state veterinary services and the vaccine is not available for sale to the public.

The FMD vaccine can only be used in pre-authorised areas after the risks have been weighed. The department has become aware of companies advertising the sale of FMD vaccines and wishes to make it clear that the sale or use of such vaccines is illegal."

Safeguard your herds health status

Livestock owners are reminded to protect their herd from becoming infected by following the buyer beware precautions.

Principles to safeguard herds health status:

Abide by all veterinary movement restrictions.

Know the health status of the animals you are investing in.

Only buy animals that originate from known and proven sources.

Insist on a veterinary health declaration before bringing animals onto the farm.

If in doubt, request a health attestation from the sellers veterinarian.

Keep the new arrivals to your farm separate from your own animals for at least 28 days, and until you are satisfied that they are healthy.

Do not move animals showing signs of disease.

Do not buy animals from unknown origins.

Do not buy animals originating from known infected areas.

Improve biosecurity on your farm to protect your animals from diseases coming onto the farm and avoid nose-to-nose contact with the neighbours cattle.

Avoid buying animals from live auctions where animals have gathered from many different origins, especially if not intended for immediate slaughter.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-04-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  April 11, 2022  Contact: Floyd Neeland

If only we could get honest, reliable reporting

The world can now see the value of arms in civilian hands, causing conflict in the minds of leftist disarmament advocates. They hate guns, want them banned, yet have to cheer on the noble armed Ukrainians. Volunteers? Conscripts? We don't know. Our media's non-stop focus on Russia's aggression against Ukraine shows pictures of horror countless timestypically the same images simply looped and repeatedwhere real news belongs. Ukraine is home to about 100,000 Jewish peoplewhat is their plight, are they being singled out, have any taken up weapons to defend themselves or their adopted homeland? Russian leadership says it seeks to rout out vestiges of Nazism, everyone sees that's a lie.

Jewish sources report Jews are fleeing, seeking refuge in Poland, Israel and elsewhere. If Russians murder them, can this be counted as genocide? Russia's anti-Semitism is widely known, along with their hatred and tyrannical oppression of all religious followers. The thought that dictator Vladimir Putin has not considered the slaughter of Jewish people is difficult to accept.

While "news" reports are filled with praise for the valiant Ukrainians, fighting and to some extent defeating the invaders, it is unknown if any Jewish citizens there are joining the battle, and helping to defend their way of life. American Jews want to know.

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SEOUL, April 11 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export logged a single-digit growth in the first 10 days of this month on the back of fewer business days, customs office data showed Monday.

Export amounted to 15.33 billion U.S. dollars in the April 1-10 period, up 3.0 percent compared to the same period of last year, according to Korea Customs Service.

The single-digit increase was mainly attributable to fewer working days. The number of business days declined by one day for the first 10 days of this month on a yearly basis.

The daily average export advanced 17.7 percent in the 10-day period. The country's outbound shipment continued to expand in double figures for 13 straight months through March.

Export for semiconductors and computers posted a double-digit growth, and oil products shipment almost doubled in the cited period.

Automotive export reduced 13.1 percent, and mobile phones shipment retreated 10.3 percent.

Export to China, South Korea's biggest trading partner, shrank 3.4 percent, but those to the United States and the European Union (EU) gained 4.0 percent and 2.9 percent respectively.

Import jumped 12.8 percent from a year earlier to 18.85 billion dollars in the first 10 days of April due to higher price for raw materials. The trade balance recorded a deficit of 3.52 billion dollars.

The import of oil products and crude oil logged a double-digit expansion, and the natural gas import more than doubled in the 10-day period. 
European commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius is carrying out a visit in Romania during the period of April 11-12, 2022, the European Commission informs in a press release.

During his visit, the European commissioner will tackle various environmental problems in Romania, such as the impact felt in the areas of fishing, aquaculture and processing because of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Agerpres.ro informs.

He will be welcomed by the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, and will meet with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, with the Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests, Barna Tanczos, as well as with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Adrian Chesnoiu.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu said on Monday that Romania fully supports the International Criminal Court and the immediate investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity, committed in territories occupied by Russia during the period of aggression.

"As the day started with a meeting with the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, it is very important to express Romania's full support for the ICC and for the immediate investigation by the Court prosecutor of war crimes, crimes against humanity, committed in territories occupied by Russia throughout the period of aggression. Since those crimes were committed on those territories during Russia's occupation, from the perspective of international law, the responsibility belongs to Russia. But also all people that committed such crimes need to be investigated and prosecuted," said the head of the Romanian diplomacy, prior to the meeting of Foreign Ministers from EU member states - Foreign Affairs Council, which is taking place in Luxemburg.

He added that he supports, on behalf of Romania, the Prosecutor's appeal for more resources in terms of voluntary financial contributions and deployed staff, Agerpres.ro informs.

Furthermore, he congratulated the new package of sanctions against Russia, the fifth, and said that he will express "Romania's availability of continuing dialogue in regards to adopting new sanctions, in order to increase pressure on Russian authorities".

Regarding support for Ukraine, the Romanian Minister said that multi-dimensional assistance needs to be continued.

Bogdan Aurescu reiterated, in context, that Romania is a "firm supporter of accession" for Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Georgia to the EU.

"We will grant assistance so that this process be as smooth as possible," he highlighted.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Monday welcomed the adoption of the new sanctions package on Russia (the fifth package), stressing the importance of its effective implementation, and expressed readiness to discuss new sanctions, a Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) informs in a press release sent to AGERPRES.

He has attended a meeting of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers in Luxembourg.

Regarding the crisis in Ukraine, Minister Bogdan Aurescu expressed concern over the growing reports of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine and stressed Romania's support for the efforts of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate them. He also showed that Romania upholds the provision of financial and human resources support for the ICC in order to fulfill its mandate, the cited source states.

The head of the Romanian diplomacy also presented the Romanian authorities' measures of support for Ukraine, also mentioning, in addition to the support of the refugees on the Romanian territory, the functioning of the humanitarian hub in northeastern Suceava. He welcomed the announcement of the European Commission, through Commissioner Adina Valean, of the partial liberalization of road freight transport coming to the EU from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, through the granting of transit and bilateral transport rights between the EU and the two countries and the recognition of professional competence certificates, Agerpres.ro informs.

In the context of managing the current challenges related to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the Romanian Minister stressed the potential of the initiative for Ukraine's reconstruction effort, but also for increasing the resilience of the Republic of Moldova and that of the immediate regions - the Eastern Neighborhood, Western Balkans and Asia. He called for higher priority to be granted to the energy sector and to the connectivity projects in the field.
President Klaus Iohannis states that the European Commission handing over of the accession questionnaire is an important step on the Republic of Moldova's European path.

"The handing over of the accession questionnaire by the European Commission is an important stage of the Republic of Moldova's European path, and Romania stands by it and offers its full support," the head of state wrote on Twitter on Monday, Agerpres.ro informs.

The Republic of Moldova received on Monday the questionnaire of the European Commission on the application for EU accession of the Republic of Moldova.
Prime Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca and the European commissioner for transports, Adina Valean, have agreed on a tight cooperation for facilitating freight transport from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, the Government informs, through a press release sent to AGEPRRES.

Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca met with Adina Valean on Monday, at Victoria Palace, the topic of discussions being developing Romanian transport infrastructure, namely the impact of the Ukrainian crisis.

"The two officials agreed on a tight cooperation for facilitating freight transport from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, by using road, railway and port infrastructure in order to conduct cereal export form Ukraine, in accordance with existing contracts, given their importance, including from the perspective of food security of third states, such as the ones from Africa. During the exchange of opinions, the importance of consolidating transport infrastructure was highlighted, in the event of a major crisis, given the significant contribution of this sector to an accelerated recovery of the economy," the quoted source specifies, Agerpres.ro informs.

"Prime Minister Ciuca showed that the current circumstances need a larger flexibility in applying rules that can affect transporters. Referring to the implications of the Fit for 55 European legislative package for the area of transportation, the Romanian Prime Minister highlighted that reaching objectives of decarbonating in the area of transportation is a complex task in a sector affected by multiple crisis which can increase in order to have the capacity of financing ecological transition," the Government press release reads.

The PM highlighted the authorities and civil society's support in ensuring free transport services for refugees. European commissioner Valean showed that all of Romania's efforts are "noticed and appreciated in Brussels," the Government mentions.
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca told a Conference on the Future of Europe on Monday that young people should demand that those guilty of war crimes in Ukraine be brought before international courts.

"What is happening in Ukraine is a tragedy caused by the illegal, unprovoked, unjustified invasion by the Russian armed forces of Ukraine that is causing tragedies that we would never have thought could happen in the 21st century, as a result of which we have millions of citizens leaving their homes, abandoning their purpose there, in their family, in their community, and seeking refuge to avoid the horrors of this invasion," he said.He asked the young people in attendance to make efforts to integrate the Ukrainians who have chosen to stay in Romania."Please, through your generosity, through your solidarity, through your capacity for inclusion, accept the children of Ukraine, help them, guide them and integrate as much as possible those who have chosen to stay here and why not, use your voices (...) to demand that those guilty of these war crimes be brought before international courts to be held accountable for everything they have done there," added Ciuca.The prime minister attended the first part of the conference together with European Commissioner Adina Valean.
Social Democratic Party (PSD) Chairman Marcel Ciolacu said on Monday that the European Union must have a "common answer" in terms of the energy crisis, the future approach in agriculture and the support of states bordering Ukraine.

"I reiterated [in discussions with the President of the S&D Group in the European Parliament] that Romania should join the Schengen Area as soon as possible in order to increase Romania's role in the region as well. The European Union must have a "common answer" in terms of the energy crisis, the future approach in agriculture and the support of states bordering Ukraine. I am firmly convinced that once Mrs Perez returns to the European Parliament she will convey very clearly the current reality in Romania and will continue to be involved in our support," Ciolacu told in a joint conference with Iratxe Garcia Perez, President of the S&D Group in the European Parliament, at the PSD headquarters.He added that he presented to the European official the steps taken by the PSD ministers to deal with the situation of refugees from Ukraine, but also spoke of "our country's ambition to become a strategic regional hub for Ukraine's reconstruction and development of the Black Sea.""Romanians have shown once again that they can be an example, a positive example at European level and I want to thank everyone this way for their involvement," Ciolacu said.
Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu stated on Monday evening that he is glad that the Social Democrats have decided to form a governing coalition with the National Liberal Party (PNL).

The statement was made at a press conference held by the coalition leaders in the context of the presentation of the package of support measures for Romania, Agerpres.ro informs.

"Despite the difficulties we face, I am optimistic about our future. We have huge opportunities ahead of us. We can become Europe's food supplier. We can become the main port on the Black Sea. We can become a destination for foreign investment fleeing the war and we can become a regional leader in the reconstruction of Ukraine. The 'Support for Romania' package will meet this challenge. There is no other alternative at this time. Mr Prime Minister, I thank you. I also thank the ministers. And I want to tell you in all sincerity: I am glad that I decided, together with my colleagues, to create this coalition," Marcel Ciolacu told the press conference at the Palace of Parliament.
The German manufacturer of solutions for windows, installations, furniture and automotive Rehau has started the works at the regional hub, worth about 10 million euros, which will be located in central Sibiu County.

According to the company, the construction with a total area of 52,900 square meters will provide storage facilities for all three divisions of Rehau Industries present in Romania, namely: Window Solutions, Building Solutions and Furniture Solutions, Agerpres.ro informs.

The hub will also incorporate a production line for wrapping dedicated to the window and door division.

"The hub will help the company to more easily serve the regional market and customers, offering services at a higher quality much faster, thanks to the proximity to European roads. For starters, Rehau products will leave from the Sibiu hub to the Eastern European countries in the proximity of Romania - the Republic of Moldova, Bulgaria or Greece. Once the hub is put into operation, more than 60 new jobs will be created. The Window Solutions Division will be the main beneficiary of the Sibiu hub, due to the wrapping line that will operate in the new facility. The wrapping component will cover an important part of the current needs of the division. From the new location, the Window Solutions Division will serve the markets in Romania, Bulgaria and Greece," reads a press release of the company, sent to AGERPRES on Monday.
Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu will attend today a Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg.

The main items on the agenda will be the EU's response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the European Union's Global Gateway initiative adopted in December 2021. The ministers will also briefly address the Western Balkans, Libya and Mali.According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE), before the meeting there is also a working breakfast with the participation of the International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan to discuss investigations into war crimes in Ukraine.Aurescu and his counterparts will also be attending a luncheon hosted by Norway's foreign minister Anniken Huitfeldt and Iceland's foreign minister Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir focusing on the situation in Ukraine.The discussion on Russia's aggression against Ukraine is taking place amidst the latest developments on the ground."Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate the firm condemnation of the atrocities in Bucha and other Ukrainian cities and will show that Romania supports their immediate and thorough investigation by the International Criminal Court. He will unveil an assessment by Romania of the current state of the crisis and the impact on the region. He will also mention the additional measures taken by Romania to support Ukraine and to receive Ukrainians fleeing the war, and will point out the need to continue international efforts to isolate Russia multilaterally, with the latest step in that direction having led to the suspension, at a meeting of the UN General Assembly on April 7, of Russia's rights within the Human Rights Council," MAE points out.Aurescu will also brief the ministers on the results of the Moldova Support Conference of April 5, 2022, co-organised by Romania, France and Germany.The ministers will also have a first discussion on how to start implementing the Global Gateway initiative.In the new geopolitical context generated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the ministers will be invited to comment on priorities, as well as on how global and strategic connectivity issues should be addressed. Aurescu will advocate for maintaining an important emphasis on the implementation of Global Gateway projects in areas of interest to Romania, such as the Eastern Neighbourhood, Central Asia and the Western Balkans. The head of the Romanian diplomacy will reiterate the need for a geopolitical approach to connectivity, including from the perspective of creating alternatives to various initiatives promoted by third-party actors who do not share the same values.The Western Balkans will also be briefly addressed, at which point Aurescu will express support for an in-depth discussion at a forthcoming FAC meeting to strengthen the EU's commitment to the region and to assess the impact of Russia's aggression against Ukraine on Balkan countries. He will reiterate the importance of opening EU accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia as soon as possible.A lack of progress with democratic transition in Mali and security challenges there will also be discussed. The discussion is relevant for the readjustment of the EU's global engagement in the Sahel. Aurescu will reconfirm Romania's commitment to upholding peace and stability in the region.
JAKARTA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing conflict between the Indonesian joint security forces and an armed separatist group has been heating up in the country's easternmost province of Papua, causing casualties.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, at least 16 houses in Kimak village, Puncak district were set on fire by the Papuan separatist rebels. When the security personnel came to put out the blaze they were ambushed by the militants, which led to a two-hour gunfight.

The Papua police believed the separatists set the houses ablaze in revenge for the death of their young fighter Ali Kogoya, a 35-year-old man who was shot dead by the joint security forces last Sunday.

"The rebel group always makes a counter-attack when some of its fighters are arrested or have been shot by officers," Papua Police Chief Mathius Fakhiri told local media on Thursday.

"We have reminded our personnel to be on alert. I've asked them not to be easily provoked because there would be a retaliation," he added.

It is not the first time this year that the Papuan separatist group launched attacks.

According to data from the Presidential Staff Office, during the first three months of 2022, there have been at least seven brutal criminal attacks committed by the group, claiming 13 lives -- including military personnel and civilians -- and injuring five people.

Security forces were also hunting for armed criminals after an army soldier and his wife, who worked as a midwife, were killed in an assault at a house in Yalimo district late last month.

The attackers fatally shot the soldier and killed his wife by slashing her neck, and injured their two children. They immediately fled to the jungle after carrying out the attack.

The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was part of their struggle for independence from Indonesia, which they accused of conducting a genocidal campaign against indigenous communities in Papua.

Papua is a former Dutch colony situated in the western part of New Guinea island. Despite its rich natural resources, it is one of the poorest regions in Indonesia. Papua has been home to separatist insurgencies since decades ago.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited Papua and its neighboring province West Papua several times during his term, and conducted dialogues in an effort to build trust with native Papuans.

To reduce economic inequality in the two provinces, the government under Widodo's leadership persistently built a number of infrastructures, including roads and healthcare facilities, although some of them were damaged by the Papuan separatists. 
As many as 1,026 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, up 114 from the previous day, with more than 13,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Monday.

Of the new cases, 123 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 - 217, and in the counties of Cluj - 118, Timis - 72, and Ilfov - 49.As of Monday, 2,873,875 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania.- Hospitalisations -As many as 2,163 people with COVID-19, up 66 from the previous reporting, including 136 children, are hospitalised in Romania at specialist care facilities.Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 275 patients, down four, including one child, are in intensive care.Of the 275 patients admitted to ICU, 233 are unvaccinated against COVID-19.- Deaths -According to the ministry, another three Romanians infected with SARS-CoV-2 - one man and two women - are reported dead in the last 24 hours.Out of the total three patients who died, two were unvaccinated and one vaccinated. The dead vaccinated patient was over 80 years old and had comorbidities.Since the beginning of the pandemic, 65,210 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania.
A bill heard Monday by the state House Conservation and Natural Resources Committee would require schools to test drinking water, remove old coolers and filter water where lead is found.
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP)  The remains of a soldier killed during World War II have been returned to his Mississippi community for burial after nearly 80 years.

Pvt. Andrew Ladner was laid to rest Saturday at Wolf River Cemetery in Gulfport, WLOX-TV reported.

Ladner was assigned to the 126th infantry regiment in 1942. That November, his unit was part of the effort to cut off Japanese supply and communication lines coming from their beachhead at Sanananda Village, Territory of Papua, on the island of New Guinea, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

They went through hell. The Japanese were prepared and a unit that started with 3,500 was decimated, casualties assistant officer Lt. David Leiva told WLOX.

The unit was successful on the mission, but 30-year-old Ladner and other soldiers died. For decades, his family mourned without being able to bury him.

The battle was so hellish that they couldnt do what they do today, where we send them back. The unit had to continue fighting. They probably buried him at night, Leiva said.

After the war, the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel, American Graves Registration Service, searched battle areas and crash sites in New Guinea. Investigators found no evidence of Ladner, and he was declared nonrecoverable Jan. 24, 1950.

In November 2016, remains of an unknown solider were disinterred and sent to the DPAA Laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for examination and analysis.

The agency said Ladner's remains were identified July 2021. Scientists used dental and anthropological analysis, and material and circumstantial evidence. Scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System also used mitochondrial DNA analysis.

Ladner's niece, Voetress Ladner, was 12 when he died. She said she grew up thinking of him as a brother. Voetress said she's happy her uncle is back home, but she always hoped he would return alive.

Ladners name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been found.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP)  A teenage girl shot to death in south Mississippi will be laid to rest in a custom-designed TikTok-themed casket as she aspired to be a star on the social media app.

Alexis Pierson, 14, died in the April 5 shooting at her home in the Bayside Park area of Hancock County, The Sun Herald reported. Alexis, also known as Lexi, was a student at Hancock Middle School.

Casey Lawhon, owner of In Memory Casket Wraps, chose the TikTok theme after talking with her stepfather.

Her dream is to be TikTok famous," Lawhon told the newspaper. "I try to portray the person as best as I can.

The casket will be black with splashes of teal and hot pink. It will also feature a picture of Alexis, as well as an illustration of the teen and her friends with the phrase, Dancing in the Sky. Lawhon will also create a poster to be placed on an easel at the funeral.

The wrap and easel will cost up to $1,400, and Lawhon asked the community on Facebook if they wanted to donate to the cost for the family. The cost was covered in about an hour.

Just before the shooting, a child and a 15-year-old who were next door walked over to hang out with the teen girl and her 10-year-old brother, Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adam told WLOX-TV.

Guns were on a bed when one of the children picked one up. Thinking it was empty, a child pointed the gun toward Alexis and pulled the trigger, the sheriff said. A bullet struck Alexis below her left eye, and she did instantly.

The sheriff said the investigation has determined the shooting was not intentional. Nevertheless, the case will be presented to Hancock County Youth Court so it can be determined whether the facts should lead to any charges. Adam said questions are being asked, such as how the children got access to guns. Adam said its too soon to tell if charges will be filed against any adults.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, The Sun Herald.
In the spring of 2020, COVID-19 brought rising levels of stress, anxiety and depression. But stay-at-home orders and a national emergency prompted many psychiatric and psychotherapy offices to shut down and cancel in-person appointments.

The country needed a robust  and fast  transition to mental health telemedicine. And the pandemic turned out to be just the thing to make it happen.

Changing tech, old idea

I was skeptical of telemedicine in 2015 when I began working at Wayne State University as a psychiatrist and researcher in the medical school. At that time, the department of psychiatry and its affiliated clinics were using telemedicine in primary and emergency care and for substance use recovery.

But the idea of seeing patients via video had been around since long before then. In 1973, a team of behavioral scientists studied the two-way interactive television system Massachusetts General Hospital started using in 1969. The hospital provided mental health evaluations at an off-site medical station at Logan International Airport in Boston and a Veterans Affairs hospital outside the city. The system has proven to be feasible and acceptable to individuals and institutions in the community, providing psychiatric skills on a much wider scale, in a more accessible way, and faster than any other system, researchers wrote in their analysis.

Telepsychiatry grew in the 1990s, providing remote mental health services to patients in rural areas, many of whom were not able to travel long distances for in-person treatment. To transmit video and sound, the systems used various technologies, including closed-circuit television, high-frequency radio waves, fiber optics, coaxial cable and phone lines.

The use of medical videoconferencing grew even more in the 2000s, particularly in psychiatry. By then, some patients were seeing their doctors with TV-top boxes connecting their televisions to what was then called the World Wide Web. Patients were generally satisfied with virtual appointments, and researchers found telepsychiatry was just as effective as face-to-face visits, for both adults and children. And even as medical teleconferencing raised concerns about patient privacy, doctor licensing and other legal issues, researchers took a fresh look at the idea previously dismissed as unwieldy, unreliable and unaffordable.

Enter COVID-19

As the pandemic forced lockdowns around the country, health insurance companies quickly loosened restrictions and allowed doctors to provide care remotely, regardless of geographical location. A variety of software programs, such as FaceTime, Skype and Zoom, received approval for this purpose under relaxed federal restrictions.

According to a December 2021 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the number of Medicare-covered visits conducted remotely over video rose from approximately 840,000 in 2019 to 52.7 million in 2020. Furthermore, almost all U.S. states relaxed medical licensing rules, allowing physicians to virtually see patients across state lines.

As the pandemic made remote videoconferencing a regular part of communicating with family and friends, patients became more comfortable and skilled in using telemedicine for their mental health care. Marko Geber/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Built-in benefits

Psychiatry calls for physical examination much less often than most other medical specialties, making it ideal for telemedicine. The pandemic also had a role in allaying previous concerns about patients being unable or unwilling to use video technology. As remote videoconferencing became a necessary and regular part of communication with workplaces, family members and friends, patients essentially trained themselves to use it in their mental health care.

Pandemic telehealth also solved one long-standing and seemingly intractable problem: that of patients forgetting or otherwise missing their appointments. A December 2021 study found that in pandemic-era telemedicine, the no-show rate at one Ohio clinic was only 7.5%, compared with a 30% no-show rate for in-person office visits before the pandemic. Where I work, our clinics own 30% missed-appointment rate dropped to almost zero.

The most obvious reason for that dramatic decline was that the appointments had become more convenient. Patients dont have to take time off work, find a babysitter, fight traffic or take a bus. With a smartphone or laptop, they can see their psychiatrists or therapists from anywhere. They can have sessions while at home near their children. They can videoconference with mental health professionals during their lunch break at work, or even from their car in the parking lot.

This has turned out to be especially useful for people with complicated work schedules, like medical personnel and first responders who are facing struggles of their own during the pandemic.

Here to stay

Telepsychiatry has also opened a window into the home environments of patients. Seeing where and how they live gives therapists and psychiatrists important insights into a patients mental health needs.

Reaching clients at home can also be challenging: A patient of mine was a mom with a big family in a small house. She had to connect with me sitting in her bathroom in order to have privacy. With patients connecting from anywhere, there can be concerns about confidentiality, especially for those without access to private space.

Another issue is that for some patients, the easier access of telehealth can make their visits feel like a less serious routine task rather than treatment. My colleagues and I have had to warn patients not to connect with us while driving or shopping or while in the middle of a conversation with others. Some also had to be reminded to dress appropriately for their online appointments with us; a patient showed up onscreen in a bathrobe.

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And there are other glitches: Sound quality or other technical issues take time out of sessions to fix, or cant be fixed at all. Some patients still arent familiar or comfortable with videoconferencing. Others did not have the necessary high-speed internet at home. For these patients, sessions often take place over the phone instead. Then we cant see their nonverbal behavior, which is a part of assessing mental health conditions. But none of that changed the fact that telemedicine generally works for mental health care.

As COVID-19 restrictions have eased, some clinics are offering face-to-face visits again. Others are offering the option of in-person or video visits. I still see all my patients remotely, and only a couple have even brought up having sessions in person again. The pandemic gave telemedicine an opportunity to prove itself. And in psychiatry, at least, theres more certainty about telemedicines place in the future of health care.

Arash Javanbakht does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
ST. LOUIS  On April 11, 1934, lawyers filed incorporation papers for the new Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association. Its charge was to develop "a suitable and permanent public memorial" to President Thomas Jefferson along the city's dingy riverfront.

Its leader was Luther Ely Smith, who always seemed to be in the middle of noble endeavors. He would guide the riverfront project through Depression and war, a massive land-clearance and a top-flight design competition. He would be praised as the founding father when St. Louis selected as the suitable memorial Eero Saarinen's idea for what would become the Gateway Arch.

Smith did not live to see it built. (It wasn't completed until 1965.) But when Smith died in 1951, a Post-Dispatch editorial honoring him began with this sentence: "Where in all St. Louis was there a better citizen than Luther Ely Smith?"

Or as energetic. Born in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, Smith attended Washington University School of Law and married SaLees Kennard, daughter of a prominent rug manufacturer here. After service in the Spanish-American War, he became a lawyer downtown and took his first steps in good citizenship.

In 1900, he and Dwight Davis, a future city parks commissioner, led a campaign to build the first playgrounds in St. Louis. They wheedled donations of land, materials and union labor, and made places for kids to play.

He organized the Pageant and Masque in 1914, a celebration of St. Louis' 150th anniversary that filled Forest Park with eager crowds. He helped organize the City Plan Commission in 1916 and promoted completion of the Municipal (now MacArthur) Bridge.

In 1915, St. Louis voters turned down his idea for a grand mall along Market Street from downtown to Grand Boulevard. But nothing stopped him from trying.

"There is always more work to be done," he said.

Thirty years of talk about riverfront renewal gathered steam during the Depression as a way to create jobs. Smith is the one who suggested making it a memorial to westward expansion. He would lead the Memorial Association for nearly four decades.

Along the way, he still found time to help create the system of appointing St. Louis judges in 1940 and the city civil service system two years later. When Saarinen's arch design was chosen in 1948, Smith was his unassuming self. "You have made this possible," he told the gathering.

Smith died on April 2, 1951, at age 77. He was stricken while walking from his Central West End home to catch a bus downtown.

In 1970, a grateful city dedicated the small park in front of the Old Courthouse in his memory. Restful and shaded, it offers one of the best views in town.
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman 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

Tapping into the talent pool working in the Illinois capital, KSDK (Channel 5) has hired a new political reporter.

Mark Maxwell, formerly the capital bureau chief for WCIA (Channel 3) in Springfield, will join the news team here later this month.

Maxwell also hosted a Sunday public affairs show that was carried by station affiliates in Illinois and Indiana.

With elections looming later this year, KSDK news director Art Holliday said Maxwell will prove to be a valuable asset because he possesses "extensive experience as a political reporter and investigative reporter.

Maxwell said in a statement, "Covering Illinois politics has been a wild ride. When I heard about the chance to cover politics on both sides of the Mississippi, I just couldn't turn it down."

An Indiana native, Maxwell earned a bachelors degree from Hyles-Anderson College. Before WCIA, he worked as a producer, anchor and editor in Chicago and Florida.

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Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman 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

You can fight City Hall and win, but be prepared to go all 12 rounds.

Readers of this space have expressed a desire to keep up with the saga of Steve Moro, a St. Louis County man (and this bureau's brother-in-law).

Moro has had quite a runaround with the St. Louis treasurer's office over 50 parking tickets  on a car he hadn't owned for two years  with fines totaling at least $1,500.

In his defense, Moro obtained records from the Missouri Department of Revenue that showed he had sold the car to a dealer in 2019. The traffic violations accumulated late last year in the Carondelet neighborhood.

But William A. Douthit, the administrative hearing officer of the city's traffic violation bureau, told Moro those official state records did not qualify as "credible evidence, and refused to cancel the tickets. Douthit said Moro could go to court and fight the case.

After the first report about the matter ran in this paper on March 16, Treasurer Adam Layne reviewed the case and a resolution is now in the works.

But amazingly enough, just last week the bureau mailed Moro 33 postcard reminders asking him to pay the fines on the tickets.

Naturally, Moro plans to wait until his lawyer and the treasurer's office finalize the solution, which should be within the next week or two, Moro has been told.

"You'd think," Moro said, "they at least would've put a stop on the payment reminders until we got this worked out."

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CLAYTON  St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner on Monday cut short a disciplinary hearing by admitting to some ethics charges regarding her offices handling of a 2018 criminal case against former Gov. Eric Greitens.

The proceedings could have involved a week of public testimony. Instead, on Monday morning, Missouris chief disciplinary counsel, Alan Pratzel, announced an amended ethics case and a joint stipulation that recommends a reprimand for Gardner. Her agreement with Pratzels office acknowledges mistakes in her offices prosecution of Greitens and means she will dodge potentially severe punishment such as suspension of her law license, probation or disbarment.

Mondays hearing wrapped up within an hour.

Specifically, the stipulation says Gardners office failed to maintain a comprehensive approach to collecting, producing and logging documents, but that she did not intentionally fail to produce them. Gardner also admits that she should have been more vigilant in ensuring the prosecutions discovery obligations and that she should have promptly disclosed notes from interviews with key witnesses.

The deal still needs the approval of the three-person disciplinary panel and the Missouri Supreme Court. The panel will send its recommendation to the states highest court within 30 days.

The focus of Mondays hearing was on several pages of Gardners typed notes and a video of Gardners January, 2018, interview with the woman who accused Greitens of taking a photo of her while she was partly clothed and without her consent.

Last year, Pratzel accused Gardner of violating rules of evidence by failing to provide or omitting witness statements favorable to Greitens defense and allowing former FBI agent William Don Tisaby to make multiple false statements under oath. Gardner hired Tisaby, claiming the police department refused to investigate.

Gardner, 46, took questions from panelists Monday and testified that her office made reasonable efforts to disclose all evidence to Greitens defense lawyers. She said she failed to turn over her typed, bulleted notes because of the compressed schedule of the case, almost daily court hearings and limited staffing.

This case was like no other wed ever dealt with, Gardner said.

At the time, she told the panel, her office had about 30 attorneys on staff and her roster of lawyers is about the same size today. Gardners office has struggled with heavy turnover since her first term.

Gardner said her staff initially believed a video recording of an interview with Greitens accuser had malfunctioned but later realized it had worked. She said the Greitens case has served as a teaching lesson in her office to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

She said her office believed at the time that we turned everything over in our possession but acknowledged a breakdown in her offices handling of evidence.

This case was on a very fast track, Gardner said. We did our best to make sure we had a process, but unfortunately that process came up short.

Is it serious?

Gardner and Pratzel declined to comment after the hearing. Several of Gardners supporters attended the hearing at the St. Louis County courthouse in Clayton.

At a Monday afternoon news conference, Gardners lawyer Mike Downey said negotiations with Pratzels office were handled in good faith.

People sort of wonder, you know, Its not going to affect her practice. Is it serious? The answer is yes. Any formal discipline of a Missouri attorney by the Supreme Court is serious, Downey said. That should not be taken away. Obviously it suggests there were some problems here that Ms. Gardner recognized and admitted, that things were not done well.

A good settlement to a case leaves no one happy but everyone recognizing they benefited from it, Downey said. Were not thrilled with the outcome, but at the same time, we recognize its a fair outcome.

Downey said his work on Gardners ethics case is pro bono.

I have not been paid a dime, Downey said. I have no expectation of getting paid, and if I do get paid, wonderful, but I have no expectation at all.

He said he believes every formal discipline case that involves a reprimand includes a $750 penalty against the lawyer.

If the reprimand is entered, Ms. Gardner will be able to practice without any interruption at all, Downey said.

Gardners agreement with Pratzels office said Gardner and one of her top assistants agreed that Tisaby had testified inaccurately but could not agree how to handle his false testimony because her office did not represent him.

In court filings, Gardners lawyer had previously denied the misconduct charges, calling them another attempt by Ms. Gardners political enemies  largely from outside St. Louis  to remove her from office and thwart the systemic reforms she champions.

Gardner withheld or omitted statements made by Greitens accuser that suggested an ongoing, consensual relationship months after their 2015 encounter in Greitens basement, according to the ethics charges.

The charges said Gardner also made false claims to her own staff, in open court and in filings, and to the office of the chief disciplinary counsel about interview notes she and Tisaby took and their disclosure to the defense.

Tisabys plea

Tisaby pleaded guilty last month to a misdemeanor count of evidence tampering. He was accused of lying during a daylong deposition in March 2018 about his probe of the former governor.

Video of Tisabys deposition revealed how Greitens lawyers sought to attack Tisabys credibility by eliciting inconsistent and incorrect testimony about his investigation. It also reveals Tisaby stumbling over basic questions and struggling to explain key evidence and witness statements.

Gardner, who was present for the deposition, said Monday that she sat for Tisabys deposition because the lawyer from her office who who was supposed to be there got stuck at an airport.

Tisabys investigation led to an indictment against Greitens on one felony count of invasion of privacy. Greitens claimed he was the target of a political witch hunt.

Gardner dropped the charge against Greitens on May 14, 2018, during jury selection after a judge decided she would have to testify about her offices handling of the case.

On Monday, one of the panel members asked Gardner about Tisabys testimony and what she could have done differently.

Gardner said Tisaby was blindsided by the egregious tactics Greitens lawyers used to attack Tisabys credibility, including leaking details about his FBI personnel file. Tisaby refused to answer questions about his demotion and suspension or the agencys conclusions that he lied under oath about having remarried in 1998 before his divorce was final.

Mr. Tisaby made mistakes, Gardner said. But Im not here about Mr. Tisaby. Im here about Kim Gardner.

In hindsight, Gardner said, she would have reminded Tisaby to tell the truth.

But I cant control what someone says, Gardner said.

Mondays hearing took place at the St. Louis County courthouse. The three members of the panel were Sheryl Butler of St. Louis and lawyers Elizabeth D. McCarter of St. Louis and Keith A. Cutler of Kansas City.

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BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Relevant parties are working to broker a peaceful solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, whose latest developments are as follows:

"The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine supported the decision to impose a full embargo on imports of goods from Russia. From now on, no Russian products will be able to be imported into Ukraine," the Ukrainian government said on its website Sunday.

"Such a decisive step by Ukraine can serve as an example for our Western partners and will stimulate them to strengthen sanctions against Russia," Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko said.

- - - -

The Russian government said Sunday that it has raised its reserve fund by 273.4 billion rubles (3.4 billion U.S. dollars) to ensure economic stability in the face of external sanctions.

The largest source of the increase, or 271.6 billion rubles, was additional oil and gas revenues received in the first quarter of 2022, the government said in a statement.

Russia's reserve fund was created to finance unforeseen expenses and significant measures not covered by the federal budget.

- - - -

In a briefing released Sunday, Russian Defense Ministry said Russian armed forces were continuing the special military operation in Ukraine.

"In total, 127 aircraft and 98 helicopters, 234 anti-aircraft missile systems S-300, Buk-M1, Osa AKM, 436 unmanned aerial vehicles, 2,052 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 232 multiple launch rocket systems, 894 field artillery and mortars, as well as 1,975 units of special military vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed during the operation," said the ministry.

- - - -

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Sunday on Facebook that the Russian military did "not stop trying to break through the defense of Ukrainian troops in the area of the city of Izyum."

The Russian military is "trying to take full control of the city of Mariupol," it added.

Meanwhile, a rocket attack conducted by Russian forces on Sunday destroyed an airport in the city of Dnipro in central Ukraine, Valentyn Reznichenko, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk military-civilian administration said.

- - - -

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced Sunday that he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday.

Nehammer said he planned the visit to Moscow on his own initiative with an aim to promote dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, the Austrian news agency APA reported.

- - - -

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted Sunday that he had a phone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss defense and financial support for Ukraine.

In their talks, the pair also touched upon the sanctions against Russia over its conflict with Ukraine.

Moscow and Kiev have conducted several rounds of peace talks to seek a political settlement to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, which has intensified over the past month. 
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  A Kansas City man walked out of a south-central Missouri prison on Monday, days after Jackson County prosecutors said they would not retry him in a 2003 murder because of insufficient evidence.

Keith Carnes, 52, spent 18 years in prison after he was convicted in 2006 of armed criminal action and first-degree murder in the killing of 24-year-old Larry White, who was shot to death in Kansas City.

His release comes after a several-day delay as his family waited outside of the prison.

Earlier this month, the Missouri Supreme Court determined an eyewitness account was not disclosed to Carnes defense team, in what is known as a Brady violation. The court threw out Carnes convictions and directed prosecutors to decide whether to retry him.

Everybodys not always following the law, state Rep. Kimberly-Ann Collins, a Democrat from St. Louis, said of the violation that freed Carnes. The fact that they caught it ... and hes out, I think it gives other inmates hope.

Carnes and his supporters have maintained he is innocent in the Oct. 6, 2003 killing, which unfolded in a parking lot at 29th Street and Prospect Avenue.

After the Supreme Court ruling, prosecutors said they would not retry Carnes. The office said its review did not establish that Carnes is actually innocent, but that there was insufficient evidence to prove guilt in a courtroom.

Delayed release

On Friday evening, Carnes family drove more than four hours to the South Central Correctional Center in Licking, Missouri, expecting him to be released following the prosecutors announcement.

Carnes was not released that day.

His mother, Eve Moffatt, and brother, Kevin Carnes, along with a private investigator who worked on his case spent the night there. Moffatt and Kevin Carnes then visited with Carnes for about two hours inside the prison Saturday.

Prison officials informed them that they had not received an order from the Missouri Department of Corrections to release Carnes, said Stephanie Burton, an attorney who was retained to address the delay in Carnes release.

Its infuriating, Burton told The Star on Saturday. He should be a free man. They are violating his rights at this point.

Relatives learned Monday morning that the prison said it had received the necessary paperwork and was processing Carnes release.

Prosecutors criticize investigator

In its statement Friday, the Jackson County Prosecutors Office said it accepted the high courts findings that Carnes rights were violated.

Jackson County takes this finding with the utmost seriousness, the statement said. Discovery practices have changed substantially since 2003. Though the process has greatly improved, we are also building a new electronic system or bridge between our office and (the Kansas City Police Department) to ensure that all reports are transferred.

The office noted that a special masters investigation found no prosecutorial misconduct in Carnes case.

Prosecutors also blasted a private investigator who investigated Carnes case, saying she was romantically involved with Carnes and pressured witnesses to recant their testimony.

If police investigators engaged in such improper conduct, it would require immediate disclosure and conflict procedures to protect the integrity of the investigation, the prosecutors office said. This rule does not apply just to police and credible organizations, like the Midwest Innocence Project, which would not allow such bias as part of an investigation.

Prosecutors said the evidence in the case is now tainted from all directions.

Christopher Iliff, legal director of Miracle of Innocence, an Overland Park-based nonprofit that pushed for Carnes release, told KCUR the prosecutors statement was mean-spirited.

Members of the prosecutors office met Friday with Whites relatives, who are planning a celebration of his birthday this week.

His sister, Juanita White, thanked Jackson County for seeking justice on her familys behalf, prosecutors said. For her health, she said she will leave anything further to God, although her family believes that Carnes was one of the men who killed her brother.

Whites killing remains under investigation.

Prosecutors noted the charges were dismissed without prejudice and that murder has no statute of limitations. They urged Carnes, who they say was present on the night of the homicide, to speak with law enforcement about what he knows.

Witnesses stated that a second culprit was present at Mr. Whites murder, the office said. Wed like to know that persons identity.

Witness statements

Two witnesses in the case, Wendy Lockett and Lorraine Morrow, maintained for nearly a decade that Carnes chased White into the parking lot and shot him multiple times.

Lockett said she recognized Carnes because of his eye patch, which no other drug dealer she knew at the time had.

But in 2014, Lockett recanted her testimony, alleging that she had been coerced into identifying Carnes. Morrow also recanted her testimony and recalled being pressured by then-Assistant Prosecutor Amy McGowan into picking Carnes.

McGowan also prosecuted the case of Ricky Kidd, a Kansas City man who spent 23 years behind bars for a double murder he did not commit. Kidd was exonerated and freed in 2019.

Further complicating Carnes case, Lockett testified in a 2021 court hearing that her original testimony actually was accurate and she was harassed into recanting by Carnes supporters.

At the same hearing, Morrow said she was suffering from too many medical conditions to remember the night of the murder clearly.

Another witness, Kermit ONeal, said he was a friend of Carnes in 2003. He alleged that police intimidated him and attempted to put words in his mouth when recounting the night of the murder.

ONeal said White had a heated exchange with another drug dealer about selling drugs on his property and warned him not to come back prior to the shooting. The other dealer was not Carnes, according to ONeal.

The Stars Anna Spoerre and Luke Nozicka contributed to this report.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Nine new lawsuits have been filed alleging abuse at a southwest Missouri boarding school where five staffers are facing criminal charges for assaulting students.

The civil suits were filed by former students from California to Massachusetts who attended Agape Boarding School in Stockton from March 2015 through June 2019. They accuse Agape Boarding School and Agape Baptist Church, which oversees the school, of negligence, infliction of emotional distress and battery by staff and fellow students. Some of the abuse, the suits allege, involved torture and starvation.

For nearly three decades, students at Agape Boarding School have experienced emotional, mental, physical and sexual abuse, said Ryan Frazier, one of the plaintiffs attorneys, in a statement to The Star on Friday. Today, we filed petitions in Cedar County for nine of those victims, to pursue justice for the trauma they endured and to have their voices heard.

The plaintiffs, who are from eight states, are requesting jury trials and seeking unspecified amounts in damages.

The lawsuits add to a growing list of civil cases filed in the past 18 months against Agape and the now-closed Circle of Hope Girls Ranch, another unlicensed Cedar County boarding school. Fourteen former students have now sued Agape since February 2021, and five lawsuits filed against Circle of Hope from September 2020 to March 2021 were settled last year for an undisclosed amount. Two new Circle of Hope lawsuits have been filed in recent weeks.

Agape officials have not responded to repeated requests from The Star for comment on any of the stories it has published about the school.

The new lawsuits also allege that Agape violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, committing fraud and deception by misrepresenting or concealing information given to the students and their families. Among the examples cited:

 Parents were told that Agape does not participate in any form of corporal punishment, chokeholds or physical restraints  other than briefly in situations in which the student may be an imminent threat to himself or others.

But the lawsuits say students were subject to extreme punishment and torture, which consisted of severe physical and emotional abuse lasting longer than a few minutes without any regard to whether the child was an imminent threat to himself or others.

 Agape said it provided excellent meals and did not withhold food, when in reality, students would be subjected to severe restrictions. Students who were sent to brown town, the lawsuits say, were constantly starved and fed only a piece of bread with a single scoop of peanut butter or a tortilla with a scoop of cold refried beans.

 School officials told parents that they would provide proper medical care and treatment, yet most students were denied medical treatment, despite requests, and/or immediately taken off prescription medications and told that God would fix them, according to the lawsuits.

 Agape said it provided quality education with fully accredited academics and a focus on each student achieving academic success. But the suits say students were forced to teach themselves and found that their education was not accredited for the colleges they wanted to attend.

The lawsuits also allege that for many years prior to the plaintiffs arrival at Agape, there had been multiple incidents of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of students by staff members. Some of those acts resulted in criminal sexual abuse charges and convictions, the lawsuits say.

Despite this knowledge, Defendant Agape failed to implement safety measures designed to protect its residents from such abuses, the suits allege.

When the plaintiffs arrived at the school, the lawsuits say, a culture of pervasive physical, emotional, and sexual abuse existed at Agape Boarding School that was not disclosed to parents or guardians.

The lawsuits also note that a previous Agape student had been the victim of repeated sexual assaults that led to another student  who then became a staff member  being convicted of multiple charges of felony child molestation. Agape leaders knew about the sexual abuse, but failed to adequately investigate or report it or take steps to protect the plaintiffs from further incidents, the suits allege.

Instead of prevention, Defendant Agape practiced a pattern of punishment designed to conceal and prevent the reporting of such incidents to the appropriate authorities and to prevent knowledge of such incidents being known by the public, the lawsuits say.

Agapes negligence, each lawsuit says, directly caused, or directly contributed to cause, Plaintiff to suffer serious, permanent, and progressive injuries, medically diagnosable and significant emotional distress, mental anguish and injury, and damages for which he has and will continue to need medical and psychiatric care and treatment.

The nine plaintiffs filing lawsuits are identified in court documents only by their initials. They are from Texas, Oklahoma, Maryland, Indiana, Massachusetts, California, New York and two are from Tennessee.

Eight of the plaintiffs allege that they were physically and emotionally abused by multiple agents, servants, and employees of Defendant Agape. C.K., from Maryland, alleges that he was physically, sexually, and emotionally harassed and abused by staff and other students. All lawsuits say that no hotline calls were made to report the abuse.

Agape is among the numerous facilities The Star has examined in an ongoing investigation into Missouris faith-based reform schools, which are exempt from state oversight. The school moved to the Show-Me State in 1996 after coming under scrutiny in Washington and California.

Reporters have interviewed more than 60 former Agape students, their time at the school spanning nearly a quarter of a century. The men shared emotional stories of beatings, sexual abuse, physical restraints, long days of manual labor, and food and water withheld as punishment. Some said they reported the abuse but nothing happened.

Prompted by the stories of abuse at several boarding schools, the General Assembly passed a measure last year that for the first time gives the state oversight over these facilities. Authorities also launched an investigation into abuse allegations at Agape, and in September, five staffers were charged with assaulting students. The Star reported last month that three of those staff members are still working at the school.

Two other lawsuits alleging abuse at boarding schools have been filed this year.

On March 1, the Circle of Hope owners estranged daughter, Amanda Householder, sued her parents, Boyd and Stephanie Householder, alleging forced labor, beating her for their own sexual gratification and making her punish other students when she was a teenager at their boarding school. Amanda Householder also named as defendants Agape Boarding School and its owner, the late James Clemensen; Agape Baptist Church; and Jeffrey Ables, a former Circle of Hope board member and current pastor of Berean Baptist Church in Springfield.

And on Feb. 28, a former student filed a lawsuit against Circle of Hope and the Householders. The plaintiff, identified as M.J. from Louisiana, attended the school from 2017 to 2019, starting when she was 15, the lawsuit said.

While there, it alleged, she was physically, emotionally and mentally abused and assaulted.

The Householders ran Circle of Hope Girls Ranch in Cedar County from 2006 until closing it in September 2020 amid allegations of abuse and an ongoing investigation by local and state officials. Last year, the couple was charged with 100 criminal counts including statutory rape, sodomy, physical abuse and neglect. All but one are felonies.
Federal prosecutors on Monday will ask for between 45 days and four months behind bars for three St. Louis-area residents who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington, including one who became infamous in photos from that day.

Prosecutors in Washington asked in sentencing memoranda for 45 days for Emily E. Hernandez, of Sullivan, who was pictured multiple times holding fragments of a broken sign from outside House Speaker Nancy Pelosis office.

They want 120 days for her uncle, William Bill Merry of Breckenridge Hills, and 90 days for Merrys friend, Paul Scott Westover of Lake Saint Louis.

The maximum sentence for a misdemeanor is a year in jail; many of the insurrectionists who pleaded guilty to misdemeanors are facing probation or house arrest. But prosecutors say the trios aggravating conduct merits more time, adding that Merry would be the first to be sentenced for theft.

The attack on the U.S. Capitol  is a criminal offense unparalleled in American history. It represented a grave threat to our democratic norms, prosecutors said, noting it was one of the only times in our history when the building was literally occupied by hostile participants.

Defense lawyers responded with requests for probation, house arrest or community service in their sentencing memos, filed last week.

Hernandezs lawyer, Michelle Peterson, asked for probation, saying Hernandez was apolitical and went to Washington on a whim at the invitation of her uncle, simply to get out of Missouri for a few days.

Urged on at the Capitol by Merry and Westover, she acted immaturely and under their influence. She could not regret that decision more, Peterson wrote, adding that Hernandez was not violent and did not disparage police officers.

Peterson didnt comment in her memo on two DWI felony charges filed last month against Hernandez for a fatal wrong-way crash on Interstate 44 in January, because the charges are pending.

Westover pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor than the others faced, defense lawyer John T Davis said, and his actions were less serious than those of his companions and of other rioters. Davis also wrote that prosecutors misstated his statements and role in the crime, suggesting an appropriate sentence would be probation with community service or house arrest.

Merrys lawyer, Nathan Silver, asked for probation, house arrest or time served  meaning the night Merry spent in jail after his arrest. Silver said Merry was remorseful for his actions and did not encourage Hernandez to steal signs. He pleaded guilty to a theft charge because prosecutors said he was the more responsible party compared with his niece, the memo says.

Prosecutors had a different take on the three.

Merry, Westover and Hernandez ignored police who were trying to disperse the growing crowd with tear gas, stormed past police barricades and joined the extremist group the Proud Boys on the front lines of the riot, prosecutors said in their memo. Merry joined a Fight for Trump chant, adding it aint over yet, a reference to the false claims of election fraud.

They entered the U.S. Capitol through a smashed door as an alarm sounded, less than 10 minutes after other rioters had broken into the building, prosecutors said.

They penetrated deep into the building, to Pelosis suite, and then left through a broken window.

Westover could be heard on his Facebook livestream saying, Were storming the gates of the Capitol, and later, Were coming, Nancy, prosecutors said.

In response to someone asking, Wheres the traitors? Merry shouted, Bring em out!

Merry goaded his niece into picking up the piece of Pelosis sign, one memo says, and Hernandez then gleefully displayed her piece of it before taking video of herself stealing two other signs.

In the rotunda, Merry called Pelosi an expletive multiple times while faking a phone call to her as Hernandez giggled in the background, prosecutors said. He climbed a statue of former President Ronald Reagan for a picture.

Outside the building, a smiling Hernandez again displayed her loot for cameras and the crowd.

Merry told Hernandez not to turn herself in and said he would not either, claiming something big was coming. Prosecutors say that was a reference to conspiracy theories about Trump somehow staying in office.

In addition to the prison time, prosecutors are asking for 60 hours of community service for Merry and Hernandez and $500 restitution from each to go toward the more than $1 million in damage at the Capitol.

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ST. LOUIS  Four teenagers assaulted staff members and broke windows in an attempt to escape a juvenile facility on Sunday afternoon, according to police.

St. Louis police officers were called to the Juvenile Detention Center, at 3847 Enright Avenue in Grand Center, around 1:30 p.m. Once there, they found two 18-year-olds, one 16-year-old and one 15-year-old had attempted to escape.

Police said the detainees had left their pods and assaulted a 66-year-old man and a 43-year-old man who work at the facility. They then broke the windows of a door.

None of the youths escaped, but all suffered lacerations from the broken glass, according to police. An on-staff nurse treated the teenagers.

Police said the 66-year-old staff member had obvious injuries but refused medical treatment.

While the police investigation continues, Jacob Long, chief communications officer for the 22nd Judicial Circuit, confirmed Monday that there have been four escapes from the facility since September and three attempted escapes this calendar year, including Sundays incident. In all, 10 detainees escaped last year from September through December.

Another escape attempt occurred March 26, according to police records.

The detention center is run by the St. Louis Circuit Court and housed 31 kids on Monday. The facilitys maximum capacity is 109 beds, according to Long.

Were talking about a very small number of repeat offenders who are juveniles in our custody, its the same set of young (detainees) who are continually causing these issues, he said. It is not representative of the vast majority of individuals at that facility.

Long said it is not acceptable for these youths to assault the people who supervise them, who are known as youth leaders.

These people arent corrections officers and arent allowed to carry weapons, but they are trained on how to intervene and respond to crises.

Long said city officials are seeking a transfer of one of the teens to an adult jail and may look into that for others, as well.

In addition, a juvenile justice official told the Post-Dispatch in December that the court had pledged to make $330,000 in facility and IT improvements, including upgrades to surveillance equipment plus building reinforcements, in an effort to curb escape attempts.

On Monday, Long said he did not have details on the status of those improvements.

State officials were bracing for an influx of youth detainees after the passage of the Raise the age law in July, which barred 17-year-olds from being automatically charged as adults in Missouris court system.

While Long said anecdotally the number of youths housed at the facility on Enright has increased since then, he did not have specific numbers.
A federal judge on Monday sentenced three St. Louis-area residents to jail time for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington, rejecting defense requests for probation.

Emily Hernandez, who appeared in one of the iconic photos of the day, received 30 days behind bars. Her uncle, William Bill Merry, got 45 days, as did his friend Paul Scott Westover. They may serve those sentences in a local jail or in a state or federal facility, depending on where the U.S. Bureau of Prisons assigns them.

Each was ordered to pay $500 in restitution for damage to the U.S. Capitol. Hernandez and Merry also were ordered to perform 80 hours of community service.

In the back-to-back sentencing hearings, U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg stressed that while the trio had not attacked police officers or destroyed property, their presence might have emboldened others.

If people like you werent there, maybe people in the front line wouldnt have attacked officers, destroyed property and generally committed felonies, Boasberg told Merry.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Arco asked for 45 days for Hernandez, 90 days for Westover and 120 days for Merry. Arco played a series of videos from that day, chronicling their route past police lines and into the Capitol. They ignored the tear gas and other crowd control measures police used and entered the U.S. Capitol through a smashed door as an alarm sounded, less than 10 minutes after others had broken in, prosecutors have said.

As they approached the Capitol, Merry said, Thats our building. We own it. I think were going to go take it back today. Arco said he celebrated the destruction of the mob.

Westover said, Were storming the gates of the Capitol here, and later said, Were coming, Nancy, referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Merry goaded his niece into picking up a broken piece of Pelosis sign, a government sentencing memo says, and Hernandez then gleefully displayed her piece of it before taking video of herself stealing two other signs. Arco said he later encouraged her to pose for pictures with the sign.

The maximum sentence for a misdemeanor is a year in jail; court officials recommended probation. Defense lawyers asked for probation.

Westover told Boasberg, I did allow my emotions to dictate my actions. He said the consequences have been enough to bring any man to his knees, referring to the stress-induced health consequences on his wife, his arrest by armed federal agents, the death threats the family has received and the clients his company has lost.

Merry said he was ashamed of his actions, adding, I was caught up in the moment. He asked for mercy, citing his ill health and his remorse.

Hernandez said Merry had invited her along to see former President Donald Trump speak, but she only wanted to get out of Missouri for a few days. She said she wanted to sightsee on her own instead of going to the rally, but Merry wouldnt allow it.

Hernandezs lawyer Michelle Peterson didnt comment on two pending DWI felony charges filed against Hernandez for a fatal wrong-way crash on Interstate 44 in January. She did ask for a delay until June 15 in Hernandezs required appearance in jail so the charges could be resolved.

Prosecutors want prison time for 3 St. Louis-area residents involved in Capitol insurrection Federal prosecutors are seeking prison time for Emily Hernandez of Sullivan, William "Bill" Merry of St. Louis County and Paul Scott Westover of Lake Saint Louis.

Lake Saint Louis man involved in Capitol insurrection pleads guilty Paul Scott Westover traveled to Washington with two other area residents also facing federal charges.

Two in St. Louis area arrested, accused of role in US Capitol riots The two were federally charged for what authorities say was their participation in the riot on Jan. 6.

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Georgia state Sen. Carden Summers said he drove around Atlanta before presenting a bill earlier this year that would ban homeless encampments and cut state funding from cities that refuse to enforce the ban.

I made it a point to ride around almost every night and take 30 minutes and just drive a different route and count the homeless people on the street, living in the corners, living on the edges, living on the sidewalks, living under bridges, the Republican said last month during a Senate Committee on Government Oversight hearing. If you were to take your eye off the road and run off the road, youd wipe out eight to 10 people.

But Summers did not come up with the bill on his own. Its almost an exact copy of model legislation published online by the Cicero Institute, a Texas-based think tank that strives to find entrepreneurial solutions to public problems, according to its LinkedIn page.

As homeless encampments have become increasingly visible in recent years, states and cities have turned to solutions such as rental assistance, temporary shelters and outreach teams to connect homeless people to mental health and substance use services. But in an increasing number of states, legislators are pushing Ciceros approach: state-sanctioned encampments with a six-month residency limit, a ban on permanent encampments and penalties for cities that refuse to remove them.

Judge Glock, chief policy officer at the Cicero Institute, testified last month in favor of Summers bill.

You need that stick and that carrot, Glock said. This bill provides both.

Matching language

The Cicero Institute was founded in 2016 by Joe Lonsdale, the billionaire co-founder of software company Palantir, whose technology has been used for a range of controversial projects including migrant surveillance systems, predictive policing and battlefield management.

Stateline found nine bills introduced in six states in the past two years with matching or similar language to the Cicero Institutes model bill, the Reducing Street Homelessness Act. In addition to Georgia, lawmakers in Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin have introduced bills that are similar to or have portions identical to the institutes model legislation.

In Missouri, the legislation is sponsored by Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, R-Sikeston, and Rep. Bruce DeGroot, R-Ellisville.

The model bill would make sleeping on public property a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 and a month in jail. The measure also would prohibit state funds from going to any municipality or nonprofit in cities that fail to enforce encampment bans. And it would create state-sanctioned homeless encampments where displaced people can stay for up to six months.

Georgia cities and advocates for homeless people strongly opposed the bill before state senators tabled it last month. A House version of the bill died in committee.

The Georgia Supportive Housing Association, an advocacy group, led a coalition of groups opposed to Summers bill.

Mariel Risner Sivley, executive director of the association, said the bills inspired by the Cicero Institute would criminalize homelessness and hide rather than house those experiencing homelessness.

Advocates are alarmed that Cicero Institute is using its vast resources funding lobbyists in Georgia and elsewhere to pass bills that contradict proven best practices, disregard local needs, and do nothing to reduce chronic unsheltered homelessness, Sivley wrote in an emailed statement. Georgia is seeking to strengthen its mental health and safety net systems, and these bills would be dangerous reversals.

The Georgia Municipal Association, which represents 537 cities in the state, also opposed the legislation, noting that it would divert federal and state money from permanent supportive housing into sanctioned encampments.

Opposition also came from outside the state. In a letter last month to members of the Georgia Senate panel considering the bill, the National Homelessness Law Center argued that displacing encampment residents, confiscating their shelters and destroying their personal property would contradict U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and violate the constitutional rights of encampment residents.

The advocacy group further argued that because people of color and LGBTQ people are more likely to be homeless, the new criminal penalties will only exacerbate disparities in arrests, incarceration, fines and fees.

Eric Tars, the groups legal director, said the bill aims to move people, either into these internment camps under threat of arrest, or into prison itself or into psychiatric facilities.

Model bills are widely used by corporations, industry groups and think tanks looking to advance special-interest campaigns. A 2019 investigation by the Center for Public Integrity, USA Today and The Arizona Republic found 10,000 bills almost entirely copied from model legislation introduced nationwide in eight years. More than 2,100 of those bills were signed into law.

Government camps

The cities of Austin, San Francisco and Denver have opened similar government-sanctioned camps in the past few years. These cities acted mostly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jennifer Forker, director of development and communications at the Colorado Village Collaborative, the operator of three camps sanctioned by the city of Denver, said these safe outdoor spaces could be a permanent part of helping people experiencing homelessness.

Affordable housing is the answer to the crisis but that is costly and time consuming, said Forker. This is a solution that serves the now, we are saving lives, getting people off the streets in zero-degree weather and getting them into more stable housing.

In 2021, the collaborative housed 242 people in three safe outdoor spaces with 47 of them transitioning to stable housing. A new camp is scheduled to open in June, and there is no time limit for how long residents can stay. Mental health and substance use services also are offered, according to Forker.

In December 2020, when the collaborative opened its second city-sanctioned camp outside of the Denver Community Church a few blocks from the state capitol, camp staff welcomed residents with heated tents, blankets, cots, sleeping bags and heat mats, according to The Denver Gazette.

There was a lot of gratitude on site, Dave Neuhasuel, a pastor at the church, told the Gazette. For some of our residents who have been on the streets for eight or 10 years, they were really shocked to have this opportunity. It was really too good to be true for some folks.

Most of the residents at the camp were relocated from an unsanctioned camp across the street from the church.

The Cicero Institute says the legislation aims to protect unhoused people: Our main concern is that the current homelessness encampments are dangerous and deadly for the homeless themselves, and thus tend to exacerbate the existing inequalities that homelessness already manifests, Glock wrote in an email to Stateline.

It started in Texas

Texas was the first state to sign a version of the Cicero bill into law. The new law, which went into effect in September, bans camping in public places statewide and punishes localities that fail to enforce the ban. Lawmakers and advocates say it was a direct response to Austin lifting its homeless encampment ban in June 2019.

Eric Samuels, who heads the nonprofit Texas Homeless Network, said he remembers walking into a state lawmakers office and seeing copies of the Cicero Institutes model bill on the desk of a legislative staffer.

The (Cicero) Institute has been successful at offering simple solutions that lawmakers can latch on to and support but ultimately dont fix any of the underlying issues of homelessness. At best they hide the issue, Samuels said.

But not much has changed in Texas since the ban was enacted, mainly because there already were more than 700 local ordinances criminalizing homelessness across the state, according to Samuels.

The city of Austin opened an officially sanctioned camp after reinstating its camping ban in May 2021, but no additional city- or state-sanctioned camps have opened since the state law went into effect, according to Samuels.

Austins downtown area has significantly fewer visible encampments since the new ban, but Samuels suspects the homeless population has increased since the law was enacted. There are no official numbers to back up his organizations estimates, though, because an official point-in-time count has not been done in Austin during the pandemic.

This law has done nothing to help the homeless situation here, said Samuels. And its a shame that its spreading to other states.

Camping bans take off

Three states  California, Florida and New Hampshire  had blanket laws restricting camping in public before Texas enacted its law, according to a November report by the National Homelessness Law Center. Texas is the only one where cities risk penalties for failing to enforce the ban.

This year, five other states have considered legislation that resembles the Cicero Institute's model bill.

In Missouri, for example, Republican lawmakers introduced bills in both chambers that would ban sleeping, camping or the construction of long-term shelters on public property. The bills also would ban cities or counties from decriminalizing public camping or risk losing state funding. And they would create homeless outreach teams made up of both police officers and social service professionals.

The bills direct officials to use state funds to open and maintain camping facilities and parking areas with potable water, electricity and bathrooms where displaced campers can stay for up to six months and where they would undergo mental and substance abuse evaluations.

A bill introduced in February by Oklahoma state Sen. Rob Standridge, a Republican, would ban camping in public statewide and make it a misdemeanor. Local entities who fail to enforce the ban risk losing state funds.

A bill that failed this past month in Wisconsin would have established state-sanctioned camps and instituted penalties ranging from a $500 fine to a month in prison for camping on public property. The bill also included financial penalties for cities that failed to reduce their homeless population.

Glock argued that leaving tens of thousands of Americans  often with severe mental illness or substance use problems  on the streets for decades until they can all be provided with permanent, supportive housing is not a viable or humane model.

We are trying to help many lawmakers in both parties act now to add more funds to short-term shelters and services  expand mental health commitment criteria so that more people in crisis can get access to treatment, and ensure that cities do not turn a blind eye to proliferating camps that are leading to more deaths and violence against the homeless themselves, he wrote in an email to Stateline.

2022 The Pew Charitable Trusts. Visit at stateline.org.
JEFFERSON CITY  A St. Louis lawmaker is seeking to honor the memory of a Georgia man who was the victim of vigilante violence and prevent similar cases from occurring here by placing limits on Missouris citizens arrest laws.

The Ahmaud Arbery Act, named for the 25-year-old Black man whose case drew national attention in 2020 after he was chased down and killed by three white men, was heard in a Senate committee Monday afternoon.

Sponsored by Sen. Steve Roberts, D-St. Louis, the measure would repeal a private persons right to make an arrest as it existed under the common law of this state, a legal protection that played a role in Arberys murder.

By passing the Ahmaud Arbery Act, Missouri can demonstrate to vigilantes that it doesnt tolerate any person taking the law into their own hands, Roberts said.

Two of the men charged with Arberys murder used Georgias private citizen arrest law to justify their actions, claiming to have armed themselves and followed Arbery in an attempt to detain him as a suspect in several burglaries.

The district attorney originally cited the law in deciding not to charge the pair. But following national outcry, three men were charged and convicted of murder.

Georgia repealed the citizens arrest law with bipartisan support, with the Republican governor calling it an antiquated law that is ripe for abuse.

In Missouri, cases of citizens arrests gone wrong like Arberys are regularly occurring, just slipping under public scrutiny, Roberts said during the hearing. Roberts cited a recent ProPublica investigation of homicides deemed justifiable in St. Louis, recalling a case in which Jason Dudley was shot after a man suspected him of stealing his car.

Dudley had no idea who this vigilante was, Roberts said. He wasnt a uniformed officer. This man to him was a stranger with a gun approaching him on the street. Had officers been present instead of an individual taking the law into their own hands, its likely a life would have been saved.

Roberts bill makes exceptions for private citizens who are authorized by a law enforcement officer to make an arrest or store employees who have reasonable grounds to believe an individual is stealing merchandise. An authorized citizen would be required to transfer the suspect to the custody of law enforcement within a reasonable time and with any confiscated belongings.

The measure also limits when private citizens authorized to make an arrest are justified in using deadly force, requiring law enforcement authorization and specific circumstances.

Several committee members took issue with the deadly force limitations, questioning whether the limits would penalize a person trying to stop a violent offender from potentially hurting others.

Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, said the bill might be better suited to only ban misdemeanor arrests.

With dangerous felonies, murders committed in your presence  were eliminating citizens arrest in all these circumstances under current state law to deal with the circumstance in Georgia, Luetkemeyer said. Doesnt it seem like were going a bit too far? Overreacting?

Proponents of the legislation noted the danger of encouraging people to try to arrest a violent offender but also acknowledged room to work out the bills language.

I hear what youre saying  we dont want people to just turn a blind eye to crimes happening in their presence, especially if theyre violent crimes, said Sharon Jones of the Missouri State Conference of the NAACP. But we also want people to understand their responsibility is not to take the law into their own hands. Their responsibility is to contact trained and equipped law enforcement officers.

The legislation is Senate Bill 1131.

Grace Zokovitch gzokovitch@post-dispatch.com
JEFFERSON CITY  A new bridge carrying traffic over the Missouri River could be named after the states outgoing U.S. senator.

Legislation will be heard in a Senate committee Tuesday that would name the Interstate 70 span near Rocheport the Senator Roy D. Blunt Bridge.

Blunt, a Republican, is retiring when his term ends next year. He is 72.

The measure, sponsored by state Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, calls for the Missouri Department of Transportation to erect signs designating the bridge, with the costs to be paid for by private donations.

Blunt, a Republican, played a significant role in helping to secure funding to replace the heavily trafficked bridge on the busy, transcontinental highway.

The $240 million project will be funded in part by an $81.2 million federal grant, the largest competitive grant ever received by the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Plans call for workers to replace the aging bridge with two spans carrying three lanes of east and west traffic over the waterway.

The first new span is expected to open in the late spring of 2023, with the entire project being done by 2024.

In all, an estimated 12.5 million vehicles use the bridge each year. Of those vehicles, more than 3 million are trucks hauling loads to 48 other states, meaning the link is vital in the nations transportation system.

The current bridge was built in 1960 and is rated in poor condition. Replacing it is among the biggest projects in the pipeline in Missouri, alongside improvements to Interstate 270 in north St. Louis County and the replacement of the Buck ONeil Bridge in Kansas City.

Blunts public service has also netted his name on a new $214 million building at the University of Missouri. The advanced medical technology facility opened in October as the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Building.

After serving as Missouri Secretary of State from 1985 to 1993, Blunt was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent the states 7th Congressional District in 1996. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010.

His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The legislation is Senate Bill 1162.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY  St. Louis County Councilwoman Shalonda Webb has introduced plans to spend $6 million to demolish the vacant and blighted Jamestown Mall in her North County district.

The proposal would see the county commit funding to tearing down the 145-acre site, near Missouri Highways 67 and 367, which officials have struggled to redevelop since it closed in 2014.

The Port Authority, which owns the site, last year reached a deal with a Kansas City developer that wanted to turn it into an industrial park. But those plans were scrapped in June under opposition by Webb and residents who said they preferred a community center or mixed retail site. Officials have since struggled to identify funding to clear the site.

In a public letter to the County Council, Webb said she would introduce a bill Tuesday to use $6 million to tear down the mall, citing a financial cushion from millions in federal pandemic aid to the county through the American Rescue Plan Act. The letter was attached to the council agenda for this week.

Federal regulations restrict uses for the money so that they cant be used for general infrastructure, but Webb said she wants to use a revenue replacement maneuver in which the county would appropriate federal funds to its budget and free up existing revenues to be appropriated.

Webb did not return requests for comment Monday. The 4th District Democrat joined the council in 2021 after making redevelopment of the mall site a top issue in her election campaign.

County Executive Sam Page spokesman Doug Moore said demolition of the mall is a priority but that the funding may have to come from other sources. That could include state-matched grants or federal funding to the county from the recent $1 trillion federal infrastructure law, he said.

We agree that Jamestown Mall needs to be demolished and we support ways we can leverage federal funds to make that happen, Moore said. We want to work with the council to get that building down and make sure we have the right funding source to do it.

Port Authority Chairman John Maupin said he had been in discussion with Webb over the year but was first hearing of the new proposal from a reporter.

I certainly hope this comes to fruition; it would make demolition and moving forward on this much more feasible, Maupin said.

Maupin has said the agency doesnt have funding to pay for full demolition. The previous plan to turn the mall into an industrial park would have seen the developer pay at least $4 million to tear down much of the site and rework other parts, Maupin said. Estimates in July projected at least $5 million to clear the site.

The port authority, which is largely funded by rents paid by the River City Casino in Lemay, receives about $4 million a year meant for grants for community organizations and economic development projects.

At least $1 million a year is encumbered for debt service on past projects, Maupin said, and another $2.5 million committed under a deal announced last year landing the St. Louis regions first international passenger flights to Europe in years. Then there are the agencys operational costs, Maupin said.

The agency has however budged about $2 million for contracts to remediate and abate Jamestown Mall, a necessary step to study contaminants and health hazards before tearing it down, and to launch a community study on what should replace it, Maupin said. That work is underway, he said.

The council is expected to vote on plans for some of the $85 million in federal pandemic aid to spend after weighing input from a recent public engagement campaign.

Moore said Monday that the results are expected to be released in time for a council hearing April 19. He said respondents, including at public town halls, have said one their priorities was to tear down vacant buildings like Jamestown Mall.

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ST. LOUIS  In the latest sign of growing friction between an influential group of public employees and City Hall, the firefighters union is accusing interim Public Safety Director Dan Isom of holding up promotions and the Personnel Department, now under new management, of cutting off communication.

From what weve been told, the reasoning for the holdup is to study the Fire Departments organization from the top down and because the current promotional list is about eight years old, Fire Captain Dan Clark, secretary-treasurer of Local 73 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, told the Board of Aldermens Public Safety Committee on March 2.

The accusation comes in the wake of a leadership struggle over the Personnel Department, which controls most of the hiring and promotion process for the citys roughly 5,000 employees.

The union sued the city over rule changes made by the Civil Service Commission that allowed Mayor Tishaura O. Jones to appoint John Moten Jr. as interim personnel director, arguing it violated the city charter.

Civil service reforms, adopted in the 1940s in an effort to stem patronage and machine politics, were designed to insulate the Personnel Department from political influence, including from the mayors office. But Jones was able to place her own interim appointee in charge after Richard Frank, who had led the office since 2004, abruptly retired on Dec. 1.

Since Director Frank has left, it has been really hard to get any type of information back or anything from the personnel office, Clark told an aldermanic committee last month.

Isoms reported review of the Fire Department, meanwhile, follows a major promotion. On Feb. 2, Kenny Mitchell, a former Local 73 official who serves on one of the firefighter pension boards, was promoted to deputy fire chief. A firefighter was also promoted to captain about a week earlier, Clark noted.

Were not really sure whats different from the last two promotions, Clark told the committee.

Now, three fire captain promotions and one for battalion chief are being held up, Clark said last week. And theyre being stalled even though St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson officially holds the authority, along with the Personnel Department, to make promotions, Clark said. Jenkerson, who has led the department since 2007, and past fire chiefs have traditionally sent promotions to the public safety director as a courtesy, Clark said.

Theres nothing in the city charter or civil service rules that state that promotions need to be approved by the public safety director, Clark told the committee last month.

A letter sent last month by Local 73s attorney, Emily Perez, to Moten, made the same argument: Isom lacked the authority to block Jenkersons promotions. In the letter, she said Isom has indicated he was putting all Fire Department promotions on hold. The union has asked for the Personnel Departments position on the matter but has not received a substantive response, Perez said.

Clark said the Personnel Department has signed off on at least two captain promotions last month that were apparently approved by Isoms office by mistake.

Somebody from his office did happen to sign them about two weeks ago and Jenkerson sent them over to Personnel, got them signed, and then Isom called, and said, Hey, dont make those promotions, that was a mess-up we didnt mean to sign it, Clark said in an interview Thursday. Why the personnel director is allowing the public safety director to meddle in his business, Im not real sure.

A ruling in a 2005 case says nothing compels an appointing authority, such as Jenkerson, to fill a position. Clark said he has urged Jenkerson to make the approved appointment even though Isom has asked him not to, but the chief has told him, Well, thats my boss.

A spokesman for the Fire Department said Jenkerson had no comment. Moten told the Post-Dispatch he couldnt comment on personnel matters. A spokesman for the mayor also declined to comment.

This isnt the first friction between the Fire Department, Local 73 and the Jones administration.

A recent Isom-led effort to consolidate the citys 911 dispatch centers  one run by police, one by fire dispatchers and one by EMS dispatchers  to cut down on long hold times for emergency calls has stalled. Local 73 has said it has not been consulted on the plan. And Jenkerson has voiced concerns about the need for the Fire Department to retain some control over its dispatch staff.

Meanwhile, Local 73 has pushed for pay raises recommended in a salary report commissioned by the city. The Personnel Department at first refused to release to the report to the Post-Dispatch, claiming it didnt exist. The department eventually released it after Local 73 filed a Sunshine Law complaint.

In 2021, during the mayoral campaign, Jones was the only one of three leading mayoral candidates to oppose a union-backed change to the departments pension system that would have undone some hard-won reforms from a decade prior. Local 73 endorsed Alderman Cara Spencer in that race.

Promotion test due

Promotions in the Fire Department have long been contentious, with a heavy dose of racial politics.

Jenkersons predecessor as chief, Sherman George, was demoted in 2007 after he refused an order from then-Mayor Francis Slay to make several promotions that had been pending since 2004  promotions caught up in a court challenge brought by an African-American firefighters group. George was the first Black chief of the department, and his demotion outraged many Black leaders.

The Personnel Department has played a leading role in the most recent controversy.

In 2015, dozens of Black firefighters sued over the tests conducted to create the promotion list, alleging that Personnel Department staff ignored a 1998 city study on reducing racial promotion disparities in the Fire Department in administering a 2013 test for captain and battalion chief promotions. The lawsuit alleged that the department graded tests off site, subject to undisclosed adjustments and that the results did not indicate which questions were answered correctly or incorrectly.

There hasnt been another test for promoting captains or battalion chief since that disputed 2013 test. The list of scores from the test are still used today for promotions to those positions.

A 2017 settlement in that lawsuit, though, stipulated that the city would continue using that promotion list until a new test was conducted, a point Local 73 has made to the city.

The settlement said a new test would be conducted by December 2018, but Frank, the personnel director, continued to extend the existing promotion lists.

Its unclear why a new test was never conducted. Clark said Personnel Department officials have claimed it was too expensive, though he suspects they could have found the $300,000 or so they said it would cost if they really wanted to.

Clark has heard that the Firefighters Institute for Racial Equality, a nonunion organization also known as FIRE whose membership is made up of many Black firefighters, does not want the department to make any more promotions off the 2013 list. But he said of the next 12 or 13 candidates on the list theres four African Americans, two of them being female.

We just want to see the promotions, we dont care who they are, Clark said.

Representatives for FIRE did not respond to messages left at their office. They endorsed Jones in the mayoral race.

Local 73 agrees that a new test is long overdue, Clark said. Many firefighters with years of service have never had a chance to test into the pool for promotions, he said, spurring some to leave the service. Aldermen last month expressed frustration with the hold on promotions and the fact that a 2013 testing list was still being used.

This is beyond unnecessary and I hope we can get past this and get this moved forward and most especially try and get something done with that Personnel Department, because it is a sinful thing to say it has been over eight years since theres been a new test, Alderman Marlene Davis said last month.

Clark said there is a contract with testing company PSI Services LLC, signed in the middle of last year after the Local 73 lobbied to get money into the budget for it. But he said theres been no action to actually conduct the test. Again, he said hes heard that FIRE has concerns with the company because it acquired the firm, EB Jacobs, that conducted the disputed 2013 test.

Theyre holding up another exam, Clark said of the city. They have a signed contract with a testing company. They should be already starting this new process.

Originally posted at 7 a.m. Monday, April 11.

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OTTAWA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly announced Monday that Canada is imposing new sanctions on Russian defence sector.

According to a news release issued by Foreign Affairs Ministry, these new measures will impose restrictions on 33 entities in the Russian defence sector.

These entities have provided indirect or direct support to the Russian military, the news release said.

Since Feb. 24 when the Russia-Ukraine conflict began, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 700 individuals and entities from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Canada's latest sanctions will impose asset freezes and prohibitions on listed entities, the release said. 
JEFFERSON CITY  As cannabis companies pour money into a proposed ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana in Missouri, Gov. Mike Parson would not say Monday where he stands on the issue.

Parson, however, who earlier said hed prefer the matter to be decided by the Legislature instead of through a voter-approved change to the state Constitution, suggested that he thinks legalization of pot may be around the corner.

I dont think there is any question that discussion is going to come up. Were going to be dealing with that issue. Well just have to see where it goes, Parson said during an event in the capital city.

His comments came as marijuana companies contributed heavily to a political action committee that is gathering signatures to place a proposed constitutional change on the Nov. 8 ballot.

After reporting it had raised $1.1 million last year, Legal Missouri 2022 received $810,250 in large contributions in April, including six donations of $100,000 each.

At the same time, efforts are underway in the Legislature to legalize adult-use marijuana as a way to have some control over what the pot industry would look like in Missouri.

Parson would not say Monday whether he supports the legislative effort or the ballot initiative.

Well just see how that all works out. Its pretty early to see where its all going, Parson said.

Last year, the governor told St. Louis Public Radio that he would much rather have the legislators have that discussion out here and see if there is a solution to have one way or the other than doing the ballot initiative.

Time, however, could be an issue in the Legislature.

The House and Senate are heading into the final five weeks of their annual legislative session with a number of election-year issues still unresolved, ranging from the state budget to election and voting changes.

Along with the short time frame, progress on significant issues in the Senate has been slowed by internal fissures among Republicans.

Although Parson is refraining from publicly commenting on the cannabis debate, a PAC that raises money on behalf of the Republican chief executive held a fundraiser last year with companies that were awarded lucrative medical marijuana licenses by the state.

Although Parson is unable to run for governor again because of term limits, the Uniting Missouri PAC continues to raise money on his behalf.

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  Relatives of five of the eight people who were shot and killed last year at an Indianapolis FedEx warehouse by a former employee sued the shipping giant and a security company on Monday, accusing them of negligence and failing to ensure that the workplace was safe.

The federal lawsuit, which names as defendants the FedEx Corporation, three of its operating units and Securitas Security Services USA, alleges that gunman Brandon Scott Hole, 19, had exhibited emotional and mental instability on multiple instances before the April 15, 2021, shooting.

The suit contends the defendants knew or should have known of Holes potentially violent and dangerous propensities, which were reasonably likely to result in injuries to himself and others.

The families complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, seeks unspecified damages.

The plaintiffs are relatives of shooting victims Amarjeet Johal, 66; Amarjit Sekhon, 48; Jasvinder Kaur, 50; John Weisert, 74; and Karli Smith, 19.

The families of the three other people killed  Matthew R Alexander, 32; Samaria Blackwell, 19; and Jaswinder Singh, 68  are not involved in the suit.

Johals youngest son, Gary Johal, said that hurt and pain remain ever-present for him and his relatives nearly a year after her death.

It sucks that we have to go through this when this whole incident was 100% preventable, he said at a news conference with two of the plaintiffs' attorneys.

The suit alleges that FedEx should have taken additional security measures to protect the Indianapolis facilitys staff in light of previous mass shootings at other FedEx facilities, including an April 2014 shooting at a FedEx center in an Atlanta suburb where a gunman wounded six people.

After Hole arrived at the Indianapolis facility, he confronted Securitas security staff and began banging on a door and causing a disturbance, according to the lawsuit, which also contends the actions should have been recognized as those of a potentially dangerous person.

The suit accuses Securitas of failing to adequately train its staff to respond to dangerous or potentially dangerous situations, and failing to realize that Hole was a potential threat.

After he was denied entry to the building, the suit states, Hole returned to his car and opened fire minutes later in the parking lot and then at the facilitys entrance, killing the eight victims and wounding five other people.

Obviously there wasnt enough in place," said Melvin L. Hewitt, one of the plaintiffs attorneys.. Its our position that it was an entirely preventable."

FedEx said in a statement that it was aware of the lawsuit and was reviewing the allegations. The company added that it continues to mourn the loss of our team members in the senseless tragedy.

Securitas Security Services USA said it does not comment on pending litigation.

Indianapolis police and federal authorities said at a July 2021 news conference that Hole, a former FedEx employee, acted alone and used the attack as an act of suicidal murder. Four of the victims were Sikh, but authorities said the attack was not racially or ethnically motivated and that Hole believed he would demonstrate his masculinity and capability while fulfilling a final desire to experience killing people.

Hole was able to legally purchase the two rifles he used in the shooting, even after his mother called police in March of 2020 to say her son might attempt suicide by cop. Police seized a pump-action shotgun from Hole, then 18, when responding to his mothers call.

Lawyers for the victims have said the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Marion County prosecutors office failed to follow Indianas red flag law when they decided not to file a case with the courts to suspend Hole's gun rights in March of 2020.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Its almost Easter in Ukraine, where faith, hope and charity are on display at a trio of churches on the far edges of the capital.

Sunday services were held in Bucha even as bodies were being removed from a mass grave in the churchyard. In Makarov, the faithful were moved to tears at the sight of crosses scattered in broken glass. And in Borodyanka, a church was untouched near where Russian attacks ripped open a high-rise. Thats where donations are bringing help to elderly people who stayed while others fled Russian occupation.

Ukrainian authorities said weeks ago that at least 59 spiritual sites were damaged. On the day when Pope Francis called for an Easter truce in Ukraine to make way for a negotiated peace, church visitors invoked God in recalling their survival.

Each person who was leaving, from any place, Makarov, Bucha, Hostomel or from Andriivka, the neighboring village which was destroyed to the ground; each one, even those who did not know the Lords Prayer, he was speaking to God with his own words, said Alona Parkhomenko in Makarov, where the church exterior was speckled with bullet holes and the priest warned of falling glass.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:

 US: Russia's new battlefield commander has history of brutality

 Ukraine digs in to fight Russias looming eastern offensive

 Ukraine churches display faith, hope and charity amid wreckage

 Analysis: War, economy could weaken Putins place as leader

 Biden, Modi to speak as India avoids hard line on Russia

 Zelenskyy, in AP interview, says he seeks peace despite atrocities

 Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

WASHINGTON  Russias newly appointed battlefield commander in Ukraine made his reputation crushing resistance to Syrian President Bashar Assad during that countrys devastating civil war.

Russian forces led by Gen. Alexander Dvornikov destroyed whole cities while dropping barrel bombs that targeted civilians. With Moscow supporting Assad, the war in Syria has killed more than 350,000 people.

Lt. Col. Fares al-Bayoush, a Syrian army defector, said Sunday he expects a similar scorched-earth strategy under the commander in Ukraine. Speaking by telephone from Turkey, al-Bayoush said he believes the aim of naming Dvornikov as Ukraine war commander is to cause widespread destruction in many places at once.

He has very good experience in this policy, al-Bayoush said. This commander is a war criminal.

KYIV, Ukraine -- The mayor of Kyiv and his brother said the visit of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to their capital shows who Ukraines real friends are at this critical time. But they understand if security concerns keep U.S. President Joe Biden from visiting for now.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir have been professional boxers and now outspoken defenders of Ukraine. Interviewed Sunday on ABC News This Week with George Stephanopoulos, they said they expect Russias military to return and target Kyiv again. And when they do, they said they cant defend Ukraine with their fists  they need weapons.

Wladimir Klitschko also pleaded for the world to isolate Russia economically, saying every cent that Russia is getting, theyre using for weapons to kill us.

Vitali Klitschko said everyone was shocked when the Russians who pushed on Kyiv retreated after killing hundreds of civilians during their occupation. He called it genocide to kill women, children, old people and teenagers for no reason.

To defend Ukraine now, the mayor said, is to defend democracy and peace in Europe.

WILMINGTON, Del.  The White House said President Joe Biden will press Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a hard line against Russias Ukraine invasion. Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the leaders plan a virtual meeting on Monday.

Indias neutral stance in the war has raised concerns in Washington and earned praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who lauded India this month for judging the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.

India abstained when the U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations of war crimes. India continues to purchase Russian energy despite Western pressure to avoid buying Russian oil and gas. And the U.S. has considered sanctions on India for its recent purchase of advanced Russian air defense systems.

Psakis statement says Biden will discuss how Russias war against Ukraine is destabilizing the global food supply and commodity markets, and the need to strengthen the global economy while upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity.

BERLIN -- Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday.

The Austria Press Agency reported that Nehammer told reporters in Vienna on Sunday that he plans to make the journey. It follows a trip on Saturday to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

APA reported that Nehammer aims to encourage dialogue between Ukraine and Russia and also address war crimes in his meeting with Putin.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

Nehammer said he was taking the trip on his own initiative, and that he had consulted with the European Unions top officials. He said that he also informed Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

BERLIN -- The U.N. nuclear watchdog said Ukraine said the staff at the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear plant has been rotated for the first time in three weeks after Russian troops left the area.

The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency has expressed concern about the well-being of the workers since the Russian military took control of the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster at the beginning of the war.

The agency said Ukraine informed it on Sunday that it has now rotated the staff, but the situation remains far from normal. They had to be transported to and from the site by water, with the Pripyat River being the only way for people living in the city of Slavutych to currently reach the plant.

The IAEA said Ukraine has informed it that analytical laboratories for radiation monitoring at the site were destroyed, with analytical instruments stolen, broken or otherwise disabled. The automated transmission of radiation monitoring data has been disabled.

KYIV, Ukraine  The governor of the region that includes Ukraines fourth-largest city, Dnipro, says the airport was hit twice by missile attacks on Sunday. The Ukrainian military command said Russian forces also keep shelling Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, and have kept up their siege of Mariupol, the key southern port city that has been under attack for nearly six weeks.

The Russian Defense Ministry says its air-launched missiles hit Ukraines S-300 air defense missile systems in two locations, while sea-launched cruise missiles destroyed a Ukrainian units headquarters in the Dnipro region. Neither sides military claims could be independently verified.

The Pentagon said Russia has a clear advantage in armored forces for its next phase in its war on Ukraine. Press secretary John Kirby said Friday that the Russians spread themselves too thin to take the capital, but now theyre more focused on a smaller region, and still have the vast majority of their combat power. A major effort by Ukrainian defenses and more Western assistance will be needed to push them back.

WASHINGTON  A senior U.S. official said Russia has appointed a new commander to oversee its war on Ukraine.

The official speaking on condition of anonymity said Russia has turned to one of its most experienced military officers, Gen. Alexander Dvornikov. U.S. officials say the 60-year-old general has a record of brutality against civilians in Syria and other theaters of war.

The White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told CNN on Sunday that this general will just be another author of crimes and brutality against Ukrainian civilians. And he said no appointment of any general can erase the fact that Russia has already faced a strategic failure in Ukraine.

The new battlefield leadership comes as Russia gears up for what is expected to be a large and more focused push to expand Russian control in the Donbas after failing to conquer the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Sullivan reiterated support for the Ukrainian government, saying the United States is determined to do all it can to help Ukrainians resist this general and the forces he commands.

 Robert Burns and Hope Yen

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines border guard agency says that about 2,200 Ukrainian men of fighting age have been detained so far while trying to leave the country in violation of martial law.

The agency said Sunday that some of them have used forged documents and others tried to bribe border guards to get out of the country.

It said some have been found dead while trying to cross the Carpathian mountains in adverse weather, without specifying the number.

Under martial law, Ukrainian men between 18 and 60 are barred from leaving the country so that they can be called up to fight.

WARSAW, Poland  Sirens have sounded in some Polish cities to mark the anniversary of a 2010 plane crash that killed the countrys president, despite protests that their sound would be unnecessarily traumatic for refugees from the war in Ukraine.

The sirens early Sunday were intended to add to the significance and the plaintive character of observances honoring the late President Lech Kaczynski, the first lady and 94 other prominent Poles killed 12 years ago in the crash of the presidential plane in Russia. Kaczynski was the twin of Jaroslaw Kaczynski  the leader of the main governing Law and Justice party.

Provincial governors ignored calls not to use the sirens out of concern for refugees from neighboring Ukraine, traumatized by air raid alarms. Authorities sent text messages to refugees phones that the sirens would mean no danger.

KYIV, Ukraine  The Ukrainian military says Russia has been beefing up its forces and trying to probe Ukrainian defenses.

The Ukrainian military command said Sunday that the Russian troops have continued attempts to break Ukrainian defenses near Izyum, southeast of Kharkiv. It reported that Russia was sending reinforcements to Izyum while continuing the shelling of Kharkiv.

The military added that the Russians also continued their attempts to take control of Mariupol, the Sea of Azov port that has been besieged by Russian forces for nearly 1  months.

After Russias attempt to capture Kyiv and other big cities in northeastern Ukraine quickly failed, Ukrainian and Western officials expect Moscow to launch a new offensive in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces for eight years.

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he focused on the need to track down perpetrators of war crimes in a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Zelenskyy said on Twitter that in Sundays call we emphasized that all perpetrators of war crimes must be identified and punished.

Ukraine has accused Russia of atrocities against civilians in Bucha and other places near Kyiv, where hundreds of slaughtered civilians, many with their hands bound and signs of torture, were found after Russian troops retreated.

Zelenskyy also said he and Scholz discussed anti-Russian sanctions, defense and financial support for Ukraine.

VATICAN CITY  Pope Francis has opened Holy Week with a call for an Easter truce in Ukraine to make room for a negotiated peace, highlighting the need for leaders to make some sacrifices for the good of the people.

Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass before crowds in St. Peters Square for the first time since the pandemic, Pope Francis called for weapons to be laid down to begin an Easter truce, not to reload weapons and resume fighting, no! A truce to reach peace through real negotiations.

Francis did not refer directly to Russias invasion of Ukraine, but the reference was clear. He has repeatedly denounced the war and the suffering brought to innocent civilians.

HELSINKI  Finland says that a shipment of art works from Russian museums has been returned to Russia after it was seized under European Union sanctions against Moscow.

Finlands customs service said late Saturday that the Foreign Ministry granted a special permit to return the consignment with a total insured value of around 42 million euros ($46 million). It said that trucks carrying the art works from the Hermitage Museum and the Pavlovsk State Museum in St. Petersburg, among others, left Finnish territory on Saturday afternoon.

The shipment was seized at the Vaalimaa border crossing at the beginning of April. The works were en route to Russia after loan to museums in Europe and Japan. Experts say that art works loaned from Russia typically travel overland via Finland.

Russia has demanded the return of all works on loan to unfriendly nations that imposed sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.

MOSCOW  The Russian military says it has struck Ukrainian air defense batteries in the countrys south and east.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Sunday that the military used air-launched missiles to hit Ukraines S-300 air defense missile systems in Starobohdanivka in the southern Mykolaiv region and at an air base in Chuhuiv in the eastern Kharkiv region.

Konashenkov also said that sea-launched cruise missiles destroyed the headquarters of a Ukrainian military unit near Zvonetske in the Dnipro region.

The Russian military claims couldnt be independently verified.

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says more civilians are expected to leave Mariupol Sunday in their personal vehicles.

Evacuations are also planned from Berdyansk, Tokmak and Enerhodar in the south and Sieverierodonetsk, Lysychansk, Popasna and Rubizhne in the east.

Mariupol, a strategic port city on the Sea of Azov, has been besieged by Russian forces for nearly 1  months, cut from food, water and power supplies and pummeled by relentless bombardment that has killed at least 5,000, according to local officials.

Ukrainian authorities have urged civilians in the east to evacuate in the face of an imminent Russian offensive. They accused Russia of killing 52 people on Friday at the train station in the eastern city of Kramatorsk as they were preparing to evacuate.

GENEVA -- The U.N. refugee agency says the number of people who have left Ukraine since the beginning of the war has reached 4.5 million.

A regular update Sunday of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees online portal on numbers of refugees fleeing Ukraine since Feb. 24 brought the total to some 4.504 million.

About 2.6 million of those fled at least initially to Poland and more than 686,000 to Romania. However, UNHCR notes that there are very few border controls within the European Union and it believes a large number of people have moved on from the first country they arrived in.

LONDON -- Britains Ministry of Defense says that Russias armed forces are seeking to respond to mounting losses by boosting troop numbers with personnel who had been discharged from military service since 2012.

In an intelligence update on Twitter, the ministry also said Sunday that the Russian militarys efforts to generate more fighting power also include trying to recruit from Trans-Dniester, a breakaway region in Moldova that borders Ukraine.

Russia maintains some 1,500 troops in the region, which is not internationally recognized.

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told The Associated Press on Saturday that he is committed to seeking peace despite Russian attacks on civilians that have stunned the world.

He said no one wants to negotiate with people who tortured their nation  as a man, as a father, I understand this very well. But he said we dont want to lose opportunities, if we have them, for a diplomatic solution.

Zelenskyy said hes confident Ukrainians would accept peace despite the horrors they have witnessed in the war. But meanwhile, Russian troops are regrouping for an expected surge in fighting in eastern Ukraine, including the besieged port city of Mariupol that Ukrainian defenders are battling to retain.

So Zelenskyy renewed his plea for countries to send more weapons. He says they have to fight for life -- not for dust when there is nothing and no people. Thats why it is important to stop this war.

KYIV, Ukraine  U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, promising so much support that his nation might never be bullied again.

Johnsons surprise visit included a pledge of 120 armored vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems, part of another 100 million pounds ($130 million) of high-grade military equipment. Johnson also confirmed an additional $500 million in World Bank lending, taking Britains total loan guarantee up to $1 billion.

Johnson said Ukraine defied the odds pushing Russian forces from the gates of Kyiv, achieving the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century.

The prime minister credits Zelenskyys resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people for thwarting what he calls the monstrous aims of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Johnson says Britain and its partners are going to ratchet up the economic pressure ... not just freezing assets in banks and sanctioning oligarchs but moving away from use of Russian hydrocarbons.

Johnson also described a vision for a future Ukraine so fortified and protected by the equipment, technology and know-how of Britain and its partners that it can never be threatened in the same way again. In the meantime, Johnson said, there is a huge amount to do to make sure that Ukraine is successful, that Ukraine wins and that Putin must fail.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A Texas district attorney said Sunday that he will ask a judge to dismiss a murder charge against a woman over a self-induced abortion.

Lizelle Herrera was arrested Thursday in Rio Grande City, a community of about 14,000 people along the Mexico border, after a Starr County grand jury indicted her on March 30 for murder for allegedly causing the death of an individual ... by self-induced abortion."

District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez said Sunday that his office would move to dismiss the charge on Monday.

In reviewing this case, it is clear that Ms. Herrera cannot and should not be prosecuted for the allegation against her, Ramirez said in a statement.

Ramirez went on to say, It is my hope that with the dismissal of this case it is made clear that Ms. Herrera did not commit a criminal act under the laws of the State of Texas."

Authorities haven't released details about what Herrera allegedly did, and Ramirez didn't immediately respond to an email Sunday seeking further information about the case. From his statement Sunday and a previous statement put out by a Starr County Sheriff's Office official, it wasn't clear if Herrera was accused of giving herself an abortion or assisting in someone else's self-induced abortion.

In a tweet Sunday, Planned Parenthood called the decision Such NEEDED news."

While the charges against Lizelle have been dismissed, we know the fight against the criminalization of pregnancy outcomes has only just begun, said Alexis McGill Johnson, Planned Parenthood's president and CEO.

A leading Texas anti-abortion group said it understood the decision, saying that state law provides only civil remedies, not criminal ones.

The Texas Heartbeat Act and other Pro-Life policies in the state clearly prohibit criminal charges for pregnant women. Texas Right to Life opposes public prosecutors going outside of the bounds of Texas prudent and carefully crafted policies, said Texas Right to Life spokeswoman Kimberlyn Schwartz.

Herrera was released Saturday from the Starr County jail after posting a $500,000 bond.

The indictment alleged that Herrera, on Jan. 7, did then and there intentionally and knowingly cause the death of an individual ... by self-induced abortion.

In confirming the indictment Saturday, sheriff's Maj. Carlos Delgado said no further information would be released until Monday because the case was still under investigation.

Texas law would exempt Herrera from a criminal homicide charge for aborting her own pregnancy, University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck said.

(Homicide) doesnt apply to the murder of an unborn child if the conduct charged is conduct committed by the mother of the unborn child, Vladeck said.

A 2021 state law that bans abortions in Texas for women who are as early as six weeks pregnant has sharply curtailed the number of abortions in the state. The law leaves enforcement to private citizens who can sue doctors or anyone who helps a woman get an abortion.

The woman receiving the abortion is exempted from the law.

Another Texas law prohibits doctors and clinics from prescribing abortion-inducing medications after the seventh week of pregnancy and prohibits the delivery of the pills by mail.

Medication abortions are not considered self-induced under federal Food and Drug Administration regulations, Vladeck said.

You can only receive the medication under medical supervision, according to Vladeck. I realize this sounds weird because you are taking the pill yourself, but it is under a providers at least theoretical care.

Associated Press writers Ken Miller in Oklahoma City and Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Regarding Tony Messenger's column "A beer heiress, the Veiled Prophet, and the potential for real change in St. Louis" (April 3): The origins of the Veiled Prophet go back to a charming but silly romance written in 1817 by Irish author Thomas Moore about the mythical kingdom of Khorassan. A young Persian princess named Lalla Rookh is betrothed to a king but falls in love with a poet, who is actually a prince in disguise. They marry and live happily ever after. The outfits chosen for the Veiled Prophet ball are taken from the book's illustrations.

In 1970, I was invited to join the Junior League of St. Louis, which had no Black members. When the first African American young woman was proposed for membership, many were pleased. But to our dismay, others opposed her admission. Several of us decided to work for her acceptance. Although initially rejected, she was proposed a second time and accepted. This quiet and persistent effort achieved the goal of integrating the Junior League.

In 1974, the Busch family suffered an unspeakable tragedy when 8-year-old Christina Busch died in an automobile accident. Trudy Busch was 16 at the time. Three years later, she was crowned Veiled Prophet Queen. Many hoped the family could find some joy in life again, although the loss would always be there.

Instead of criticizing what a 19-year-old girl and her family did in 1977, lets consider the fine and generous person she is today. Then we can decide on her qualifications for the Senate.

Margaret Gilleo  Ladue
Ukraine is asking for and usually receiving new forms of military aid. This includes more tanks and artillery. In some cases, East European nations that still have some Soviet-era equipment in reserve are sending it to Ukraine. This includes T-72 tanks and BMP-1 IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles) as well as S300 anti-aircraft missiles, launchers and radars. Britain is sending recently retired artillery and armored vehicles and Australia is sending ten armored vehicles.

Efforts to send Ukraine dozens of Cold War surplus MiG-29 fighters are delayed because no one wants to replace MiG-29s being sent that are still in use by the donor countries. Poland, for example, would like second-hand F-16s from the U.S. but the Americans wont do it because it might make the Russians angrier. Other counties are willing to send the MiG-29 donors armed trainers or lease modern fighters on low terms with an option to purchase.

Ukraine also needs industrial equipment and building materials to help replace aircraft and combat vehicle depot (extensive) level maintenance and repair of aircraft or armored vehicles. Ukraine also needs help getting this years wheat, barley and corn crops planted. There are shortages of fertilizer and some farm equipment. Most cropland is not in any combat zone but are affected the wars disruptions to the economy. One of those disruptions is the Russian naval blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports. This has left over a hundred cargo ships stranded in these ports, along with a thousand foreign officers and crew on board. Ukraine wants help freeing these ships from the blockade as well as some Western anti-ship missiles and other assistance in defeating the Russian blockade.

Ukraine appreciates foreign support and proclamations that Ukraine will win the war, but now Russia is concentrating on destroying the Ukrainian economy. Having lost their military effort Russia is concentrating on devastating the Ukrainian economy, even though Russian acknowledges their military operations were unable to overcome the Ukrainian defenders. Russia is widely condemned for its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians while demanding reductions in sanctions before it will discuss any change in its operations against Ukraine. This approach has prompted Ukrainian allies to increase the military aid to unprecedented levels and pledged substantial assistance in rebuilding after the war.
The 2022 war in Ukraine revealed several unexpected but not unknown problems with the Russian military. Those who had followed failed efforts to reform the Russian army since the 1990s and the similar efforts by Ukrainian forces since 2014 were aware that Russian troops were no match for their Ukrainian adversaries when Russian leader Vladimir Putin went from talking about Ukraine being absorbed by Russia to sending more and more Russian troops to the Ukrainian border. Russia behaved like their dismal reform efforts had magically worked as nearly half their combat units assembled on the Ukrainian border. Reports from the Russian capital, which Ukrainian military leaders believed, indicated the decision had been made to invade despite obvious defects in the training, morale and equipment of Russian units. The reality of the differences between Russian and Ukrainian forces was soon made clear as the advance was stopped short of its goals and took heavy casualties in the process. Copies of the attack plan, which were only distributed to a few senior commanders leading the attack, showed that the Russians believed they could quickly reach and take the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and replace the government with a pro-Russian one and declare the war over. At that point the rest of Ukraine was supposed to surrender and get used to being Russian once more.

Many Russians, especially recent veterans or parents of sons approaching conscription age, knew the truth and were perplexed at the decision to invade when so many soldiers were poorly trained and suffering from low morale. Conscripts supposedly prohibited by law from service in a war zone were sent in anyway.

Much of the Russian population continues to cope with the continuing use of conscription, something that has been unpopular since the end of World War II. The post-1991 government goal of having an all-volunteer force failed because it costs more than the government could afford and not enough young Russians were willing to voluntarily serve, even as better paid and treated contract soldiers.

Even though over half of Russian military personnel are now volunteers (serving on contracts) or career officers, the ability of the military to hold onto those contract (contrakti) soldiers is always weakened if there are a lot of casualties or too much chance of being sent to a combat zone. This manifested itself in 2022 when contract troops refused to renew contracts. Most of the combat units sent into Ukraine were composed of contract troops who were killed in large numbers. When the survivors got back to Russia, either because of wounds or because many combat battalions returned because of heavy losses, there was a sudden shortage of contract soldiers. That was because most contract troops were near the end of their two-to-three-year contracts and refused to renew. The army had signed up many soldiers for the new (since 2016) short term (six to twelve month) contracts for former soldiers or conscripts willing to try it and found that there were far fewer vets willing to sign these short contracts because so few recent short-term contract soldiers had survived service in Ukraine.

Soldiers with time left on their contracts were a liability because they told anyone who would listen that the Ukraine operation had been a disaster for Russian troops because of determined and well-armed (with anti-tank weapons) Ukrainians regularly ambushing columns of Russian armored vehicles and quickly destroying most of them. While Russian troops were forbidden to take cell phones with them into Ukraine, the Ukrainians still had them to take photos and videos of the aftermath of these battles, and these were getting back to Russia where Russian veterans of the fighting confirmed they had seen the same grisly evidence of Russian losses or even survived one of these battles.

Russia played down these losses but the Ukrainian military maintained, and published daily updates of Russian losses in terms of soldiers killed, wounded or captured as well as equipment losses. After thirty days of fighting the Ukrainians were claiming that over a third of Russian troops sent into Ukraine had been killed, wounded or captured with even larger quantities of vehicles and weapons lost. After six weeks the Russian military admitted that losses were heavier than previously acknowledged but would not give exact figures. In part that was because an accurate count was not possible until most of the combat units (BTGs, or Battalion Task Groups) had returned or confirmed as having been eliminated inside Ukraine and survivors assigned to other BTGs. Few BTGs were wiped out but many were reduced to half or a third of their original size (about 800 troops and several hundred vehicles). Communications, even for BTG or brigade commanders, was unreliable inside Ukraine because of defective radios. That meant senior commanders of armies (which controlled over a dozen BTGs and many support units) were always using outdated data on unit strength and capabilities. This was reported back to Russia and was declared a state secret. In fact, Russia is making a major effort to keep Ukrainian reports on the fighting from spreading on the Russian Internet. That has been difficult because the Ukrainian after-action reports are all Russians can get as their own government refuses to release much data on casualties. Moreover, the Ukrainian data appears accurate because it often includes pictures and identities of the dead Russian troops and details on the losses individual BTGs suffered. The Ukrainians had better access to where these battles took place and proved it with photos and videos showing destroyed vehicles, some of them identifiable as belonging to a particular Russian unit.

Without a lot of contract soldiers Russia could not replace BTG losses. Replacing lost tanks and other vehicles also proved to be more difficult than expected. On paper Russia had thousands of fully armed and equipped tanks and other armored vehicles in reserve for quickly replacing combat losses. Not surprisingly those reserve vehicles were often in bad shape, having been poorly maintained by conscripts and larcenous civilians who made a lot of money by taking key items from these vehicles and selling them on the black market. These missing items were usually not reported missing until troops received these vehicles, which were generally mobile enough to be driven onto a railroad flatcar for transportation to units needing them. Once received these reserve vehicles were found missing equipment and in need of extensive repairs to make the vehicles combat ready. This was nothing new and has been common since the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 and the mighty Red Army lost 80 percent of its personnel strength but few of its ships, aircraft, vehicles and heavy weapons. Most of these were in reserve even though most of them were found abandoned throughout Russia, and new groups of these resting vehicles are still being found in forests while known concentrations of these vehicles or aircraft have been picked clean of useful parts.

Conscription was in even worse shape, with the number of conscripts available declining each year. In April 2018 the Russian military only ended up with 128,000 conscripts during the semiannual draft call. This was the lowest since 2006, a year when there were more young men available as well as more deferments and rampant draft dodging. In the years since 2018 the decline was reversed by issuing fewer deferments, punishing more draft dodgers and enforcing laws against conscripts serving in combat zones. The one exception was if the fighting was in Russia and this was the excuse the government used as it claimed they were not invading Ukraine but reuniting Ukraine with Russia. The Ukrainians as well as Russian conscripts and their families disagreed with this interpretation of the invasion.

Another reason for fewer conscripts is that there were fewer young men to conscript because of lower birth rates and more young men who were in poor physical shape, or addicted to drugs, or had a police record and considered more trouble than they are worth if conscripted. All this was expected but since the 1990s Russia has been seeking solutions and finding none that work well enough to keep the military up to strength.

As early as 2012 a parliament-ordered investigation found that the army was short a third of the privates (lowest ranking enlisted troops) they were supposed to have. The Russian military (mainly the Army and Interior Ministry paramilitary units) are supposed to have a million personnel. But officials admitted in 2011, off-the-record, that the real number is closer to 800,000 and slowly but relentlessly declining. A subsequent investigation confirmed this. In 2021 it was still no more than 800,000. Since 2012 the military has come up with a growing list of solutions for the problem but all these efforts do is slow the decline of military manpower numbers, not reverse it. Current fixes involve calling up reservists (usually for a brief period to test the system) and instead of letting the reservists quickly return to civilian life the military is keeping many of the reservists for six months or more. This was one reason for the short-term (less than 12 month) contract. Doing this too often made reservists refuse to appear when recalled. The economic recession since 2014 (because of low oil prices and sanctions) was supposed to encourage more Russians to volunteer but that did not happen and there was less money for increasing the pay for contract soldiers. Recruiting foreigners had minimal impact and so the Russian military keeps fading away.

The military has 220,000 officers, also on contracts, and many veteran "contract personnel" who provide technical experts and other senior enlisted personnel. These are higher paid contract soldiers, some with a decade or more of service, who often become the long-absent Russian NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer, or sergeants) but there are not enough of these NCOs to make a difference. Conscripts still make up nearly half of the military and it's getting harder and harder to find enough people to conscript or willing to sign a contract. This means there are two classes of Russian military personnel. Most (about 70 percent) are much less capable with most of them conscripts in for one year of service or new contract soldiers on two- or three-year contracts. These are supervised by the inexperienced junior officers and a much smaller number of career NCOs. A third of the military are more enthusiastic volunteers and conscripts. These staff the elite special operations, airborne, security and specialist units. In other words, while the government claims to have a million military personnel on duty, the reality is the reality is that there are only about 200,000 troops on active duty who are good at what they do and want to be in the military.

Conscripts are inducted twice a year, in April and October. In 2011, the April intake was nominally 220,000 but fewer than that actually made it into uniform. In 2018 the April draft was 128,000. In 2011 only about 75 percent of the men who showed up were considered fit to take. In 2018 standards of fitness for military service are much less strict and the military has to cope with a lot more recruits who are of marginal use.

By 2012 the military reluctantly accepted the fact that they would not be able to obtain more than 270,000 conscripts a year needed to reach the official strength of a million personnel. In the last six years maintaining anything close to that number meant taking less willing and able men. Senior leaders now accept that they will never command a million-man force.

Lowering their standards in order to make their annual quotas just fills the ranks with more troublesome people, who cause more of the good troops to get out. In the last few years, the military has quietly stopped accepting many volunteers or conscripts from Moslem areas, especially the Caucasus (particularly Chechnya and Dagestan). The wisdom of this was made clear when Russian intelligence reported that the most effective Russian Moslems who joined and fought for Islamic terrorist groups were military veterans. In contrast, Russian Moslems who had not served in the military were less likely to become Islamic terrorists and if they did, they were used as suicide bombers or support staff, not as long-term fighters. Moreover, commanders continued to report that if more than a few percent of their troops were Moslem there would be morale problems or worse.

The basic recruiting problem is two-fold. First, military service is very unpopular, and potential conscripts are increasingly successful at dodging the draft deliberately or otherwise. But the biggest problem is that the number of 18- year-olds is rapidly declining each year. By 2009 all draftees were born after the Soviet Union dissolved. That was when the birth rate went south year after year. Not so much because the Soviet Union was gone but more because of the economic collapse (caused by decades of communist misrule) that precipitated the collapse of the communist government. The number of available draftees went from 1.5 million a year in the early 1990s to less than half that today. Less than half those potential conscripts are showing up and many have criminal records or tendencies that help sustain the abuse of new recruits that have made military service so unsavory.

With conscripts now in for only a year, rather than two, the military is forced to take a lot of marginal (sickly, overweight, bad attitudes, drug users) recruits in order to keep the military and Ministry of Interior units up to strength. This worked during the cold war because conscript service was three years for elite units. With one-year conscripts elite airborne and commando units using some conscripts find that these eager conscripts take a year to master the skills needed to be useful and then they are discharged. Few choose to remain in uniform and become career soldiers. That's primarily because the Russian military is seen as a crippled institution and one not likely to get better any time soon. With so many of the troops now one-year conscripts, an increasing number of the best officers and NCOs get tired of coping with all the alcoholics, drug users, and petty criminals that are taken in just to make quotas. With the exodus of the best leaders and a growing proportion of ill-trained and unreliable conscripts, the Russian military is more of a mirage than an effective combat (or even police) organization.

The military is unpopular for conscripts mainly because of the brutal treatment they receive. This has not been getting better and "hazing" incidents are still increasing each year. This is serious stuff. There are a lot of reasons for not wanting to be in the Russian Army but the worst of them is the hazing. One year conscription was supposed to solve this but new conscripts are tormented by conscripts who have been in a few months longer. It was thought that this sort of thing would speed the demise of conscription in Russia, once the Cold War ended in 1991. Didn't work out that way. The government found that, even among the "contract soldiers" the old abuses lived on and that most of the best contract soldiers left when their contract was up. It was because of the brutality and lack of discipline in the barracks. The hazing is most frequently committed by troops who have been in six months or so against the new recruits. But this extends to a pattern of abuse and brutality by all senior enlisted troops against junior ones. It remains out of control. The abuse continues to exist in part because of the growing animosity against troops who are not ethnic Russians and especially against those who are Moslem. Because of higher birth rates among the Moslem populations, nearly 15 percent of eligible conscripts are Moslems and that is seen as more of a problem than a solution.

This hazing originally developed after World War II, when Russia deliberately avoided developing professional NCOs. They preferred to have officers take care of nearly all troop supervision. The Soviets failed to note that good NCOs were the key to effective troops. The Soviets felt that officers were more politically reliable, as they were more carefully selected and monitored. The NCOs that did exist were treated as slightly more reliable enlisted men but given little real authority. Since officers did not live with the men, slack discipline in the barracks gave rise to the vicious hazing and exploitation of junior conscripts by the senior ones. This led to very low morale, and a lot of suicides, theft, sabotage, and desertions. This hazing has been one of the basic causes of crimes in the Russian armed forces, accounting for 20 to 30 percent of all soldier crimes. This has caused a suicide rate that is among the highest in the world. Poor working conditions in general also mean that Russian soldiers are nearly twice as likely to die from accidents, or suicide, then American soldiers. Long recognized as a problem, no solution to the hazing ever worked.

Conscription itself, and the prospect of being exposed to the hazing has led to a massive increase in draft dodging. Bribes, and document fraud are freely used. Few parents, or potential conscripts, consider this a crime. Avoiding the draft is seen as a form of self-preservation. The government has cracked down on the parent-backed draft dodging with little effect. Thats because there is still so much corruption in Russia and evading conscription is seen by many as not really criminal, especially when the parents can afford to pay a bribe to keep their only son (and often an only child) out of the Russian military.

The Russian lack of sergeants (praporshchiki) has been difficult to fix. Just promoting more troops to that rank, paying them more, and telling them to take charge, has not done the job. So going back to look at how Western armies do it, the Russians noted that those foreign armies provided a lot of professional training for new NCOs and more of it as the NCOs advanced in rank. But this is a long-term process and takes years before benefits will be felt. By 2022 there were a lot more of the veteran NCOs available and they probably made a difference. But the losses were so heavy in Ukraine that it may never be known how good the NCOs were.

All this is in sharp contrast to the old days. When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, it had five million troops in its armed forces. Now it's less than 800,000 in just Russia (which has about half the population of the Soviet Union but most of the territory). Although the Russian armed forces lost over 80 percent of its strength by the end of the 1990s a disproportionate number of officers remained. This problem was solved, after encountering much resistance from officers in general and, after a series of reforms, the number of officers was reduced by over 50 percent.

The Russian military has an image problem that just won't go away easily. This resulted in the period of service for conscripts being lowered to one year (from two) in 2008. That was partly to placate the growing number of parents who were encouraging, and assisting, their kids in avoiding military service.

All this comes after more than a decade of reforms in the armed forces, particularly the army. Poor discipline, low morale, and incompetent performance are all legacies of the Soviet era (1921-1991). Russian commanders, envious of the success of all-volunteer Western forces, have long studied their former foes and decided to adopt a lot of Western military customs. For example, one recent reform ordered that Russian troops would not be confined to their barracks most of the time. In the Soviet era, the conscripted troops were treated like convicts and their barracks were more like a prison than the college dormitory atmosphere found in troop housing for Western military personnel. Russian conscripts are now free to leave the base on weekends and work only a five-day week. All barracks have showers (a recent achievement) and troop accommodations are the best they have ever been. Things like this help a bit but not enough.

Russia tried to change public attitudes towards the armed forces by publicizing all the new changes and programs. But word got around that most of these efforts failed. Blame that on the Internet. Polls consistently show that most military age men do not want to serve in the military and the main reason is the hazing and prison-like conditions in the barracks. As a result of all these factors, prospects of a revival of the traditional large Russian armed forces continues to fade. The defeats in Ukraine have not helped.
TAG Introduces Redis Integration

Enhancement Delivers Comprehensive Data in an IT Open Environment for Deeper Analysis and Workflow Customization

Tel Aviv, Israel( )

TAG Video Systems, the leader in real-time media performance, software-based deep monitoring of linear video workflows, has announced that its multi-level Realtime Media Performance (RMP) Platform now integrates with Redis, the worlds most loved real-time database. The integration provides media companies and broadcasters with an organized approach and easy access to data that has been captured over time, putting valuable information into the hands of users for real-time in-depth analysis or archived for retrospective evaluation.

The Redis interface allows TAG users to have a complete view of their data and that is an invaluable tool, explains Paul Briscoe, TAGs chief architect. Data is delivered in real time giving media companies the information they need to keep pace with changes as they happen and the insight to make decisions that will impact their business operations. This is where the industry is inevitably headed  the deep use of rich data.

Redis serves as a pipeline that connects the levels of TAGs platform, a 100% IP 100% software open-source solution that monitors, aggregates, manages and utilizes data-driven viewer analytics. The foundation of the RMP is TAGs Multi-Channel Monitoring (MCM) system, that monitors every type of signal from live production through OTT delivery, providing deep monitoring for critical analysis into signal health.

The next level, the Media Control System (MCS) serves as a management, control and data aggregation engine. Redis serves as the connecting pipeline between the two levels, delivering the raw data collected by the MCM to the MCS into an IP centric environment where it can be exposed to third party analytic and visualization applications such as Elasticsearch, Kibana, Grafana and Prometheus for analysis and data visualization. Media companies can use this deep insight into quality metrics to design a precise and pristine viewer experience leading to an increase in consumption, elevated customer engagement, and heightened loyalty.

TAGs flagship MCM integrates with Redis flawlessly with or without using TAGs control solution, MCS. Any TAG user can now collect their data with one of the most advanced, open, and user-friendly database tools in the general IT market today. This enhancement will enable open IT workflows, unlimited by legacy broadcast equipment constraints. TAG users are now able to use their raw data to achieve the highest levels of workflow customization based on the MCMs robust probing and monitoring capabilities. As always, the integration is free of additional charges for TAG users.

Integrating Redis into our platform furnishes users with the tools they need to simplify technical, operational and business processes, explains Briscoe. The MCM monitors for over 400 types of errors and that information is enough for users to make informed decisions. Getting that data to the MCS however, into an IP environment, is where the user can really delve into deep analysis via open-source third party applications. Getting all the data into their hands, without the hassle of searching through logs dramatically reduces complexity and increases options. Users can examine it immediately or use it for later investigation and evaluation. It's not just about enhancing real-time monitoring, it's about getting and using your data for post analysis, helping customers be prepared for changes in the technology coming down the pike. 

Added Briscoe, This enhancement is another example of our Zer0 Friction strategy. We take the pain out of aggregating all this valuable data and making it accessible to our customers. We get it and give it to them and its theirs for whatever purpose they need it for. Whether its merely knowledge of possible errors, or the much bigger picture of using it to develop business strategies based on real data.

Journalists, please click to schedule a visit to TAG.

# # #

About TAG Video Systems

TAG Video Systems is the world leader in 100% software based integrated IP Multiviewing, Probing and Monitoring solutions. Introducing its first IP solution in 2008, today TAG supports over 100,000 probing/monitoring points across the four primary broadcasting applications - Live Production, Playout/Master Control, Distribution and OTT. TAGs Zer0 Friction philosophy allows Broadcasters and Content Distributors to minimize complexity, manage the pace of change, while competitively enabling business operations. The 100% software platform supports both compressed and uncompressed formats, including MPEG TS, JPEG- XS, CDI, NDI, JPEG2000, SMPTE 2110, SMPTE 2022-6/7, MPEG-DASH and HLS. TAG's solutions run on standard Commercial Off-The-Shelf hardware (COTS) and cloud, providing state-of-the-art IP monitoring and analysis tools combined with highest quality UHD Multiviewer available on standard and mobile device displays.

For more information: www.tagvs.com

TAG Video Systems contact:

Danna Mann

Europe: +33 1 86 26 94 00

US : +1 315 646 8400

mailto:danna@tagvs.com

Press contact:

Desert Moon Communications

Harriet Diener

+1  845-512-8283

harriet@desertmoon.tv
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.

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 [email protected].

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. [email protected] Twitter: @AXTG2021 StockTwits: https://stocktwits.com/symbol/AXTG

Source: Axis Technologies Group, Inc.
"In the face of a challenge, people are galvanized to collaborate and help each other through a crisis. It's like people are looking for ways to help. I think that spirit is really impressive."

A British expat in Shanghai spoke highly of the unity among residents during the latest COVID-19 resurgence in the city, and expressed his confidence that Shanghai will prevail over the pandemic. #GLOBALink







Produced by Xinhua Global Service
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sirona Biochem Corp. (TSX-V: SBM) (FSE: ZSB) (OTC: SRBCF) (Sirona) is pleased to provide the following update to shareholders.

Dear shareholders,

We continue to make fundamental progress on core objectives and will be able to share more in due course.

TFC-1067

A comprehensive update is due in the near future. We can report there are no adverse events and proper disclosure rules are being followed. No further information will be made public at this point

TFC-039 / Animal HealthWe are pleased to inform our shareholders that Sirona and Wanbang have signed a binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to collaborate on licencing efforts for Sironas SGLT2 inhibitor, TFC-039, as a treatment for diabetes in animal health. We have a long-standing relationship with Wanbang and are excited to combine our two companies expertise to license TFC-039 to a global animal healthcare company.

Previous efforts to license TFC-039 for this indication were delayed for reasons unrelated to the merit of the opportunity and interested parties are now able and willing to move forward. Discussions are rapidly progressing with several global companies to develop TFC-039 as a treatment for diabetes in companion animals. SGLT2 inhibitors provide an opportunity to treat inflicted animals with an oral medication as opposed to the traditional method of daily insulin injections.

The combined scientific knowledge of Sirona and Wanbang will significantly increase the speed to commercialization of TFC-039. This includes extensive data, advanced manufacturing process development and the ability to commercially manufacture TFC-039. The new agreement was a desired step on the part of the interested partners to create the legal framework and to have certainty regarding production capacities and costs. Now that this has been finalized , the probability of a successful licensing agreement in the near future has been made much stronger.

This LOI is a modification of a previous agreement signed February 8th, 2021 which was mentioned in the CEO Update of 24 February 2021. The agreement will focus solely on applying TFC-039 to animal health.

Studies on a new indication for TFC-039 are also ongoing. Details of the new indication cannot be disclosed, but the opportunity as a valuable therapeutic exists and is an area of great need.

Anti-Aging

The lead compound for anti-aging will enter small scale-up and formulation for use in clinical and stability studies. We anticipate the clinical trial to take place in the second half of 2022.

Furthermore, our IP keeps growing  see latest entry for TFChem in the WIPO database.

Antiviral

As announced on 20 December 2021, we have had 20 antiviral compounds tested by Utah State University's Institute of Antiviral Research.

The tests proved to be inconclusive. A known antiviral that was used as a positive control failed to produce results suggesting the test was not performing for this class of compounds. Were now working on how to evaluate the compounds with a new assay. Accordingly, we are in the process of identifying other options or providers for testing our compounds and are currently coordinating how to proceed.

We remain no less confident that our antiviral compounds will deliver convincing results.

Due to these results, our discussions with potential partners in both public and private sector are on hold.

Anti-Cellulite

Due to our work on licensing agreements, we have diverted resources from this project at this time and will resume focus on this and other innovative pipeline projects when weve closed our deals.

Events

We will be participating in person with partnering meetings during BIO International June 13-16 in San Diego. BIO One-On-One Partnering opportunities with over 15,000 biotechnology leaders the largest of its kind. For more information, please visit https://www.bio.org/events/bio-international-convention

Financials

In February 2022, 12,258,960 warrants were exercised for proceeds of $1,961,434.

In addition, as announced on March 9, 2022, our wholly owned subsidiary TFChem, has been awarded financing to develop an advanced chemistry process that could improve the manufacturing of active ingredients.

Furthermore, and most importantly: we anticipate very significant positive corporate developments that will completely change the company's financial situation - for the long term.

Dr. Howard Verrico, CEO

About Sirona Biochem Corp.Sirona Biochem is a cosmetic ingredient and drug discovery company with a proprietary platform technology. Sirona specializes in stabilizing carbohydrate molecules with the goal of improving efficacy and safety. New compounds are patented for maximum revenue potential.

Sironas compounds are licensed to leading companies around the world in return for licensing fees, milestone fees and ongoing royalty payments. Sironas laboratory, TFChem, is in France and is the recipient of multiple French national scientific awards and European Union and French government grants. For more information, please visit www.sironabiochem.com.

For more information regarding this press release, please contact:

Investor Enquiries:Jonathan WilliamsManaging DirectorMomentum PRPhone: 1.450.332.6939Email: [email protected]

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.

---------------------------------------------

Sirona Biochem cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon current expectations and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of release of the relevant information, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, Sirona Biochems forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in Sirona Biochems business including, without limitation, statements about: the progress and timing of its clinical trials; difficulties or delays in development, testing, obtaining regulatory approval, producing and marketing its products; unexpected adverse side effects or inadequate therapeutic efficacy of its products that could delay or prevent product development or commercialization; the scope and validity of patent protection for its products; competition from other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies; and its ability to obtain additional financing to support its operations. Sirona Biochem does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by law.

Source: Sirona Biochem Corp.
Potentially game changing impact investment program aimed at fundamentally disrupting the fight against kidney disease

NEW YORK, April 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) today, announced the launch of the NKF Innovation Fund, a new impact investment program aimed at fundamentally disrupting the fight against kidney disease.

"The kidney health landscape is broken and lacks needed innovation," said Kevin Longino, Chief Executive Officer of NKF and a kidney transplant patient. "Dialysis has been the go-to treatment for more than half a century. Fifty years without major progress is unacceptable. About 37 million Americans have kidney disease and many crash into kidney failure and require dialysis before ever being diagnosed. We need a fundamental change in how we deal with kidney disease. Our Innovation Fund will provide donors with a unique opportunity to see their dollars support companies pursuing the most promising therapies, treatments and prevention methods that offer the potential to transform kidney care."

The NKF Innovation Fund's goal is to accelerate funding, development, and commercialization of therapies that kidney patients need and deserve. The fund will primarily invest in early to mid-stage companies that are developing innovative, patient-centric kidney therapies. The NKF Fund is modeled after similar vehicles used by other leading patient organizations to spur industry to develop transformative treatments with other diseases. NKF believes kidney patients deserve no less.

NKF's Innovation Fund is already attracting interest from major donors and innovator companies. In March, the Fund made one of its first investments. Kuleana Technology, located in Seattle, Washington, is a spinoff from the University of Washington and closely aligned with both the Center for Dialysis Innovation at the University of Washington, and with the Northwest Kidney Centers. The company is developing a groundbreaking portable hemodialysis device that will not require connection to an external water source. The new technology will be more effective than current dialysis since it will allow patients to dialyze on the go, enabling whenever, wherever dialysis for millions of patients around the world living with kidney failure.

"Our vision is very straightforward," added Longino. "We are going after the full spectrum of kidney disease. With the NKF Innovation Fund we want to prevent kidney disease, eliminate the transplant wait list, and provide better, safer treatments for dialysis patients so they can live fuller and more productive lives. That's the prism we're looking through for every investment we make, and I think our first investment into this space shows just how serious we are."

"We are excited and enthusiastic to be partnering with the National Kidney Foundation in this pioneering effort to impact the lives of people living with advanced kidney disease. Like NKF, we recognize the large unmet need to create transformative dialysis therapies that are safer, more effective, give patients freedom and mobility, in order to significantly improve their quality of life", said Dr. Jonathan Himmelfarb, President and CEO of Kuleana Technology.

For more information about the NKF Innovation Fund visit kidney.org/innovationfund. To learn more about kidney disease and how to maintain optimal kidney health visit www.kidney.org/.

About Kidney DiseaseIn the United States, 37 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney diseaseand approximately 90 percent don't know they have it. 1 in 3 American adults are at risk for chronic kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of African American, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian, or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. African Americans are almost 4 times more likely than White Americans to have kidney failure. Hispanics are 1.3 times more likely than non-Hispanics to have kidney failure.

About National Kidney FoundationThe National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive, and longstanding patient-centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease in the U.S. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-national-kidney-foundation-innovation-fund-seeks-to-accelerate-kidney-disease-therapies-301522302.html

SOURCE The National Kidney Foundation
The hospital at Fort Bliss has approved its water supply for some uses after flushing the pipes at the 9-month-old facility, but officials have not signed off on its use for surgeries or drinking four days after declaring it unsafe, according to the west Texas Army base.

Col. Brett Venable, commander of the William Beaumont Army Medical Center, said Thursday that the water was unsafe for drinking and sterile procedures out of an abundance of caution because the water contained sediment and was discolored. Multiple tests of the external water supply indicated the problem exists within the internal plumbing of the seven-story hospital, Fort Bliss said.

The base said Saturday that its OK to use the water for routine handwashing and bathing but not much else as several military agencies continue to search for the root cause of the problem.

[The hospital] and Fort Bliss place the safety of patients and the hospital staff first. Technical experts continue to troubleshoot systems and develop both near-term and long-term solutions, Fort Bliss said.

Facility staff flushed the pipes Thursday with limited success, the base said. The following day engineers shut off the main water line and visually inspected piping.

The environmental team also conducted more testing and inspections but have yet to determine the root cause. Experts from the Defense Health Agency and the U.S. Army Environmental Command arrived to support Fort Bliss and WBAMC in ongoing troubleshooting, Fort Bliss said.

However, the facility remains on limited operations because the water has not been cleared for surgeries, dental care, drinking or ingesting, food preparation or eye-wash stations, Fort Bliss said. Portable eye-wash stations have arrived in place of fixed stations.

Officials postponed scheduled elective surgeries, and they are sterilizing all equipment in a separate off-site facility. Patients and staff are receiving bottled water.

The El Paso Veterans Affairs Health Care System, located near the old Fort Bliss hospital, partners with the Army hospital and has since arranged for the sterilization of its instruments to move to another facility at Fort Bliss, said Jessica Jacobsen, spokeswoman for VA.

No Fort Bliss patients have transferred to other hospitals in the El Paso area because of the water issues. But the facility began Thursday to divert trauma patients elsewhere.

The Army began moving into the $1.3 billion hospital in July, and the new medical center was fully operational in August. Several military agencies are working to make the water supply safe for all uses, including the Defense Health Agency, Army Medical Command, the Army Environmental Center, the Army Public Health Command and the leaders at Fort Bliss.

The 1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade is coordinating daily with the hospital to provide water sources and assist with hygiene stations at various locations throughout the hospital, said Peter Graves, spokesman for Defense Health Agency.

Safety remains our number one goal and every patient is being taken care of for their medical needs, he said.

TRICARE beneficiaries with health concerns are encouraged to speak to their primary care manager, call the TRICARE Nurse Advice Line at 1-800-874-2273, or visit their nearest urgent care clinic in the El Paso community.
Lithuania will host a mission to train Ukrainian soldiers to use new weaponry that the Baltic countrys fellow NATO allies are sending Kyiv to assist in its war against invading Russian forces.

Lithuanian defense officials announced the plan Sunday, the same day U.S. Army chief of staff Gen. James McConville was in the country for security talks.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon said Sunday that it had concluded a separate training effort with Ukrainian forces in the U.S.

The troops were being trained on operating maritime patrol craft and use of weapons systems, such as the Switchblade drone, that the U.S. is now providing to Ukraine.

To achieve maximum effect, we will soon organize military training for Ukrainian troops here in Lithuania, Lt. Gen. Valdemaras Rupsys, the Lithuanian defense chief, told local reporters.

The effort will center on training Ukrainian military instructors, who can in turn pass on their weapons knowledge to rank-and-file troops in Ukraine, Rupsys told the Delfi news agency.

Rupsys also held talks with McConville, who told reporters that the Pentagon continues to assess what the future American force structure will look like in countries such as Lithuania, which have been eager for a larger American military presence.

We have rotational forces here, and our policymakers have said that they will defend every inch of NATO, Delfi quoted McConville as saying. And they are working through what that will look like as far as rotational or permanent troops as we speak.

For now, there are no immediate plans for U.S soldiers to join the Lithuanian initiative, which is expected to begin in the coming weeks.

We cant speculate on whether or not that could change in the future, U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a statement Monday.

The U.S. has long been involved in the training of the Ukrainian military. For years, the Army operated out of a site in western Ukraine that was focused on preparing troops to fight Russian-backed separatists in the eastern region known as the Donbas.

However, because of security concerns, the American training was put on hold less than two weeks before Feb. 24, the date Russia launched its full-fledged invasion.

The Russia-Ukraine war was preceded by a buildup of about 200,000 Russian service members and materiel near Ukraines borders on three sides.

At the time of the halt in the U.S. training, about 160 National Guard soldiers were relocated from Ukraine to Germany, where they continue to take part in other Army instruction in Europe.
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  The Japanese government has ordered Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki to approve design changes for an airfield that will replace Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on the southern island prefecture.

Tetsuo Saito, Japans minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, on Friday overruled Tamakis November decision to withhold approval of updated construction plans for the runway being built into Oura Bay at Camp Schwab.

Tamaki argued that the soft seabed in the construction zone posed a hazard and that Tokyo had failed to consider the environmental impact on the endangered dugong, a cousin of the manatee protected by Japanese law and whose numbers are dwindling.

Saito called Tamakis permit denial illegal and unreasonable, a spokesman for the ministrys water and disaster management bureau told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday.

Tamaki has until April 20 to approve the changes, the spokesman said.

Okinawa prefecture may appeal through the Japanese courts, but its administration has not yet decided the best course of action, a spokesman for the prefectures Henoko Base Construction Countermeasures Division said by phone Monday.

We will check the details of their decision once we receive it and plan what we are going to do next, the prefectural spokesman said.

The Okinawa Defense Bureau, which represents Japans Ministry of Defense, expects the prefecture to respond appropriately and approve the permitting, a bureau spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday.

The bureau would like to see construction at Schwab move forward to relocate MCAS Futenma as early as possible, the bureau spokesman said.

Government spokespeople in Japan are typically required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

The defense bureau submitted the amended construction plans to Okinawa prefecture in April 2020 after crews discovered a softer-than-anticipated seafloor in Oura Bay, the prefectural spokesman said.

Tamaki denied the application in November, citing a lack of site testing and the dugong. The bureau appealed Tamakis decision to the land minister under the Administrative Appeal Act in December.

The permit denial was Tamakis latest attempt to stop the relocation of MCAS Futenma from a densely populated urban area in Ginowan to Schwab, a coastal Marine base farther north.

Successive governors have argued against keeping Marine air operations in the prefecture, where 18,000 Marines, sailors and their families are based. The U.S. and Japanese governments have said Schwab is the only viable option.

Tamaki previously revoked a permit to transplant coral from the construction site in July 2021. That move was reversed in December by the minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

The coral transplantation was completed March 18, a bureau spokesman told Stars and Stripes on March 22.
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New cases of COVID-19 are rising again on Okinawa, but public health authorities are recommending little more than basic hygiene and common sense to prevent the disease from spreading further.

The coronavirus respiratory disease is infecting the very old and the very young in this latest surge, a spokesman for the Okinawa Department of Health and Medical Care told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday.

There are many cases among children, teens and young people in their 20s, the spokesman said. It is the time of the year that people become active in a new environment. I think there are a lot of opportunities for people to dine together.

The hospital bed occupancy rate increased from 24% on March 28 to 31.2% a week later, according to the Public Health Department.

Also, we see cases are rising in elderly care facilities. Elderlies are at high-risk of hospitalization, the spokesman said. That is why we see an increase in the hospital bed occupancy rate.

Its customary in Japan for some government officials to speak to the media on condition of anonymity.

People on Okinawa are urged to keep up basic prevention measures, such as washing their hands and wearing masks, and avoid contact with people at high risk of hospitalization, the spokesman said.

The prefecture last reported two deaths related to COVID-19 on March 31, according to the department.

Japan itself has seen new case numbers climb from about 45,600 on April 5 to nearly 52,629 on Saturday, with a high of 54,879 on Thursday, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Tokyos cases are climbing, too, exceeding 8,000 per day for five days, April 6 to Sunday, according to the metropolitan government.

Just 11 days into April, U.S. military bases on Okinawa had accumulated 554 new cases, more than half the number they counted in March, 809, according to the prefectural Public Health Department.

On Thursday, the Public Health Department reported 107 new cases from the U.S. military, the highest number from that quarter in more than two months.

U.S. Forces Japan reduced its daily reporting of new case numbers to weekly averages the past two weeks in March and only the number of hospitalizations in April. USFJ reported 68.4 new cases per day, on average, between March 22 and 28, according to its last public report of individual base numbers.

Kadena Air Base on Okinawa accounted for 13.6 new cases per day, third highest on the base list that week. On Friday, the base reported 168 active cases.

The U.S. military population on Okinawa comes to about 80,000 service members, primarily Marines, along with Defense Department civilians and family members.
South Korea will hazard its improving relationship with China if it deploys a second American-made missile defense battery, Chinas ambassador in Seoul implied Thursday.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, is a sensitive topic in relations between the two countries, and South Korea should not be treading in that step again, Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming said in a speech Thursday at the Millennium Hilton Seoul hotel, according to news reports the next day.

The $800 million THAAD missile defense system developed by Lockheed Martin has been staged at a South Korean military base in Seongju, roughly 130 miles south of Seoul, since 2017.

The THAAD battery would be deployed as a defensive measure against threats from North Korea, U.S. Forces Korea said in 2016.

When the THAAD system is deployed to the Korean Peninsula, it will be focused solely on North Korean nuclear and missile threats and would not be directed towards any third party nations, the command said at the time.

Xing, speaking at an event hosted by the Institute for Global Strategy and Cooperation, described China-South Korea relations as really bad following the THAAD deployment. They had recovered the right track because the two nations made joint efforts, he said Thursday.

China, one of North Koreas few allies, opposed the THAAD deployment and continues to consider it harmful to Beijings security interests in the region.

China understood South Korea has a reasonable defense need, but we could not understand or accept any deployment that goes beyond the defense need, the Foreign Ministry said in 2016.

China responded to the THAAD deployment with what experts believe was a state-sanctioned boycott against South Korea in 2017. South Koreas economic losses with its top trading partner came to around $7 billion, according to South Korean lawmakers.

The two countries have since agreed to normalize relations, but President-elect Yoon Seok-youl raised concern in China by campaigning on the idea of deploying a second THAAD battery to broaden South Koreas missile defense capability.

Xing said relations with South Korea were still recovering and he remained hopeful that THAAD "is a matter that they can overcome due to the countries being bound together by a common destiny.

The U.S. has improved THAAD since its first deployment of a battery in 2008. The Army used a remote launch kit for the system for the first time other than tests during a recent exercise in the Northern Marianas, according to a March 16 news release.

Stars and Stripes reporter Yoo Kyong Chang contributed to this report.
BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- NATO should immediately stop spreading disinformation and provocative remarks targeting China, and abandon the confrontational approach of drawing ideological lines, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday, adding that China has lodged solemn representations with NATO for many times.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the statement at a regular news briefing in response to NATO secretary general's groundless accusations and smearing against China.

Zhao said that, for some time now, in disregard of facts, the head of NATO has been making false remarks on China's foreign policy, hyping up the so-called "China threat" theory and has recently engaged in coercion against China.

"China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to this, and has lodged solemn representations with NATO for many times," he said.

As the world's largest military alliance and a product of the Cold War, NATO has long adhered to its old-fashioned security concept, engaged in camp confrontation in the old Cold War way, and has become a tool for individual countries to seek hegemony, Zhao said.

NATO claims to be a "defensive organization," but it is, in fact, constantly creating confrontations and disturbances, said the spokesperson, adding that the organization demands that other countries abide by the basic norms of international relations, yet wages war and indiscriminate bombing against sovereign states, killing and displacing innocent civilians.

NATO is clearly a military organization in the North Atlantic, but in recent years it has been throwing its weight around and stirring up conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region, Zhao noted.

"NATO continues to break through geographical and territorial boundaries and advocates a new Cold War of bloc confrontation. The international community should be on high alert and firmly oppose this," he added.

Zhao emphasized that China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order, and will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development. China's development means opportunities for the world, instead of a threat to anyone, he said.

NATO has disrupted Europe. It should stop trying to destabilize Asia and the whole world, Zhao said. 
Ann Schneider got the call one Friday morning at her desk in a drab Northern Virginia office tower. Another Guatemalan war criminal was rumored to be hiding in the United States.

Schneider took notes as she listened to the tip. This time, the crimes were so horrific that the case would need to be prioritized: A suspected participant in some of Central America's bloodiest massacres was living in a Boston suburb, possibly working as a landscaper.

Schneider created a new file under his last name, next to the folders labeled with other perpetrators of genocide, sexual violence and human rights abuses who had slipped into the United States.

"Cuxum" she wrote for Francisco Cuxum Alvarado.

For as long as immigrants fleeing conflict have arrived in the United States, fugitive war criminals have been among them, an infinitesimal percentage of those arriving at American borders, but a profound challenge for a nation committed to sheltering the victims of war. Nazis slipped into the country after World War II; former soldiers accused of war crimes in Bosnia arrived in the 1990s; Liberian warlords migrated after that country's strife in the 1990s and 2000s.

But the number of alleged war criminals from Central America, absconding after civil wars in El Salvador and Guatemala in the 1980s, dwarfs any other population of human rights abusers living in the United States. Many were Cold War-era allies of the United States who vanished into American cities and neighborhoods, just as their victims began to call for their arrest.

Their names arrive on Schneider's desk not because she's an agent at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but because she occupies a more obscure, sometimes more powerful role at ICE: She's the agency's official Latin America historian.

Schneider works at ICE's Office for Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, located in a Tysons, Virginia, office building shared with medical clinics and accounting firms. Founded in 2008, it is the U.S. government entity responsible for finding and investigating perpetrators of egregious human rights abuses who have come to the United States to escape justice.

The Center reflects one of the more activist liberal impulses of the post-9/11 era, when the United States government recommitted to going after not only terrorists but also human rights abusers from around the world. The Center's staff has grown to about 75 employees, and includes Homeland Security investigators, federal prosecutors, FBI agents, ICE deportation officers  and four professional historians.

ICE's human rights work may not be the first thing that comes to mind among the left-wing activists and Democratic lawmakers calling for the abolition of the agency. But sometimes, in the case of war criminals, deportation is the closest the United States government can come to meting out justice.

Slight, with scholarly glasses and a self-effacing manner, Schneider is adamant that she remains a historian, not a law enforcement official. She has published a book, adapted from her doctoral dissertation, about Brazil's post-dictatorship justice system, but there is no mention in her author bio of her job at ICE, an agency whose enforcement mission became hyper-politicized during the Trump administration.

"I think of myself as a forensic historian," she said, in an interview at her office. "I research and write. My job is about bringing things to light and uncovering the past, through these cases."

Unlike most academics, who tend who study their material with a degree of intellectual detachment, Schneider is a historian who is actively trying to right the wrongs of Latin America's recent past. She is a bridge between those in the university world who research war crimes and federal law enforcement officials who can actually do something about them.

That was how Schneider first heard about Cuxum, now 67. He was a former paramilitary officer, who was thought to be involved in the Rio Negro massacres of the early 1980s, where hundreds of Indigenous villagers were killed, and in the serial rape of Indigenous Maya Achi women.

His name had been known for years among victims and those who studied the crimes.

One of them was Kathy Dill, an anthropologist in California who specializes in Guatemala. She had learned through colleagues about Schneider. It was early 2017, when Dill dialed her number.

"I think I have a case you want to know about," Dill said.

Scorched-earth tactics

Margarita Alvarado Enriquez had known Francisco Cuxum since they were children in the village of Xococ, in the verdant hills of central Guatemala, a place too small and too poor for a school.

"I'm going to marry you one day," Cuxum sometimes yelled at her, a comment that became less funny and more sinister as they got older.

Alvarado, now 55, remembers thinking: I need to keep my distance from this boy.

When Alvarado did get married, she was 24, and her husband, Silverio Xitumul Lajuj, was another resident of Xococ. They had grown up on opposite ends of the same dirt road. What luck to meet someone in this village, where nothing ever happens, Alvarado thought. In September 1981, she found out she was pregnant.

Far from Xococ, in the mountains of northern Guatemala, the war was already raging. The country's U.S.-backed military was dispatched to quash a nascent left-wing insurgency. By 1980, Guatemalan soldiers had killed thousands of civilians, the vast majority of them members of Indigenous groups. Senior military officials claimed the insurgency was widening in an attempt to justify scorched-earth tactics.

Alvarado, who was Maya Achi, knew little of the war, which in Xococ sounded more like a rumor. But just before 1980, the government began claiming that her region, too, was home to insurgents, in part because of local resistance to a planned hydroelectric dam.

In November 1981, armed men poured into Xococ, most of them wearing civilian clothes. They were a mix of Guatemalan soldiers and civil patrolmen, including local, Indigenous men who had agreed to fight on behalf of the Guatemalan government in their own villages. Cuxum and three of his brothers were among them, according to multiple residents.

Alvarado's husband had gone to work on a nearby farm, Alvarado remembers. He did not return at the end of the day. A number of other men from the town also went missing. Later that night, Alvarado's sister, Inocenta, said she saw civil patrolmen, including Cuxum, shooting at a group of men, including Alvarado's husband.

Alvarado waited at home over the following days, not sure what to do. One afternoon, a group of armed men burst through the door. There were about six of them, she remembers.

"Your husband isn't here to protect you," one said.

They covered her mouth, kicked her and slapped her. Then they ordered her to take her clothes off and took her to the bedroom. They took turns raping her. Some of the men she didn't recognize. But one of their faces was immediately familiar. It was Cuxum. He was one of the last men to rape her, she said.

The men walked out of the house together, leaving her weeping on the ground. Days later, she lost her baby in a miscarriage. Over the course of a few months, dozens of other Xococ women would be raped by soldiers and patrolmen, according to witnesses and subsequent investigations.

Not long after that, troops and armed men arrived at the nearby village of Rio Negro, killing 177 women and children, according to investigators, in what became one of the most infamous incidents of the war. Some children were bludgeoned against rocks. Others were slaughtered with machetes. Women were gang raped in front of their kids. When survivors created a list of the assailants they recognized, several said they remembered the same slim man with dark hair: Francisco Cuxum.

When the violence in Xococ ended, after the government crushed pockets of resistance across the country, Alvarado left for Guatemala City, finding work as a housecleaner. She returned only occasionally to Xococ. But small-town gossip still made it back to her: news that Cuxum was a civilian again, had a child, and was working at a garment factory in Guatemala City. Once, on a trip back to Xococ, she saw him through the window of a taxi.

"That's him. I can't believe it," she recalled in an interview in Guatemala City.

Cuxum was free. So were most of the other civil patrolmen and soldiers who had raped the Maya Achi women and killed several hundred of the area's residents. Guatemala chose not to prosecute war criminals in the years after the war, which left 200,000 dead. Many of the victims  like Alvarado's husband  remained missing, thought be scattered in unmarked graves.

When the United Nations-backed peace accords were signed in 1996, the country's Congress passed a National Reconciliation Law that politicians suggested would allow Guatemala to move on from the conflict. But it seemed to amount to absolution for war criminals, giving them little reason to help locate the bodies of their victims.

When Alvarado thought of Cuxum, she said to herself: "That man knows where my husband is buried."

Documenting the war dead

Schneider was a young high school teacher living in Omaha in 1998 when Chilean Gen. Augusto Pinochet was arrested in London on behalf of prosecutors in Spain who wanted to try him for genocide. She had been reading Latin American authors after studying Spanish and English literature at Creighton University, and was "mesmerized" by the attempt to bring Pinochet to justice for the deaths of more than 3,000 killed and disappeared by his military government.

"I thought: how is this happening? I wanted to do that work," she said.

Schneider quit her teaching job and went to graduate school, first at the University of Texas, then the University of Chicago. She was working as an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2009 when she came across the job posting at ICE.

The agency had started the center as a pilot program but the Obama administration moved to make it permanent. "The ad said they were looking for a historian with a PhD who had experience researching conflict and working with archives," said Schneider. "I had never thought about a career in law enforcement."

Historians of Latin America who focus on the Cold War are well-versed in the role of the United States in supporting right-wing military governments in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala and elsewhere. In some cases, the State Department intentionally resettled former military officials in the United States to create better conditions for peace negotiations.

Guatemalan war criminals had scattered across the United States doing mundane jobs. A former Special Forces soldier implicated in a massacre was working as a cook at a Boca Raton, Florida, country club. A former civil patrolman purchased a discotheque in Providence, Rhode Island. Another soldier accused of war crimes was a house cleaner in Santa Ana, California. Each of those men was investigated and ultimately deported.

By the 2000s, Cuxum seemed to have vanished from Guatemala. There were no more sightings of him at family parties in Xococ. His co-workers in the capital lost track of him.

Some of his other victims, however, had begun to search for him in earnest, encouraged by Guatemala's first prosecutions of war criminals. Some exemptions for serious war crimes had been carved out in the reconciliation law, and there was mounting pressure from victims and NGOs to pursue perpetrators of the most egregious crimes. Alvarado and other survivors could build a case against Cuxum  but it would be useless if they couldn't find him.

Alvarado decided to record her testimony against Cuxum and enter it into the public record, so that it could be used if he was ever located. She got help from Jesus Tecu Osorio, one of few survivors of the Rio Negro massacre, who had begun leading efforts to hold war criminals to account.

Osario had watched as both his parents and his 2-year-old brother were killed. He was 10 at the time. He said he'd seen Cuxum at the site of the killing. Then he heard the testimonies of Alvarado and other rape victims implicating Cuxum in separate crimes.

Osorio began sending friends to Xococ to casually inquire about Cuxum's whereabouts.

"I haven't seen him," they would say, feigning concern. "Is he ok?"

Finally, one of Cuxum's relatives volunteered: "Francisco migrated north."

When the news made it to Alvarado, it felt like the slim chance at justice had melted away.

"We'll never get him now," she said to herself.

But Osorio continued his investigation. One day, another tip came through. Cuxum was in Boston.

With a better sense of his whereabouts, Osorio thought, maybe U.S. authorities would be able to track him down. But Osorio didn't know anyone in the U.S. government. So he called one of the few people he knew in the United States, an anthropologist named Kathy Dill, who had done her dissertation research in the municipality of Rabinal, of which Xococ is a part.

In the 1990s, Dill had participated in several exhumations in Rabinal, helping to identify and document the war dead, partly in the hope that the bodies could be used to help bring criminal indictments.

"Jesus asked me, 'Do you know anyone who can help find this guy? We think he's in the U.S.,'" Dill recalled. She called the historian she had heard about at ICE.

For months, Dill heard almost nothing from ICE. She didn't doubt Schneider's commitment to the case, but realized there were aspects of the investigation beyond her control. After more than a year passed, she wondered if under the Trump administration, officials had decided that Cuxum wasn't worth pursuing.

"I wondered if maybe they thought chasing war criminals was a little too lefty," she said.

Back in Guatemala, Osorio and Alvarado were losing hope. Every day, when Osorio drove to his office at the Rabinal human rights law office, he drove past the home of Cuxum's son, Reginaldo Cuxum, built with remittances from the United States.

Making the arrest

When the Cuxum case reached the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) offices in Boston in April 2019, it was picked up by Matthew Langille, a midcareer federal agent with little experience in human rights cases. "If you had asked me what happened in Guatemala in 1982, I would have had no idea," he said.

Langille's first challenge: Cuxum did not appear in any online profiles, phone directories or conventional databases. "He was a ghost," said Langille.

"His life here was remarkably quiet, unassuming. I think that's the way he wanted it to be," he said.

Langille had two photos of Cuxum: one sent by Guatemalan authorities and another from a Department of Homeland Security database dating back to Cuxum's 2004 immigration arrest along the border in Douglas, Arizona. Cuxum's fingerprints were in the system, too, obtained before his deportation back to Guatemala. His unauthorized return to the United States meant the government would be able to charge him with a felony for illegally reentering the country.

But first Langille had to find him.

An HSI criminal analyst working with Langille traced Cuxum to Waltham, a blue-collar suburb west of Boston with a well-established Guatemalan immigrant community.

Langille knew some Waltham police detectives from his days working Boston-area narcotics cases. He brought them the photos of Cuxum, and they began querying sources in the Guatemalan community. Within days the detectives came back to Langille: an older man fitting Cuxum's description was working for a Waltham landscaping company, cutting grass, trimming shrubs and living in a modest yellow duplex on Robbins Street, near the center of town.

"He was one of their more experienced landscapers," Langille said, "a guy who showed up to work every day."

The photos of Cuxum were 15 years old, but when Langille spotted him, he knew right away. Cuxum's large ears, "with long bottom lobes that protruded," were a giveaway, he said.

"When you're looking for someone, there are certain characteristics that don't change much with age," said Langille, recounting the investigation in an interview in Waltham. "You die with your ears the same shape."

Langille didn't want to make the arrest when Cuxum was leaving work, worried his co-workers could try to intervene. Nor did he want to risk a potential confrontation in Cuxum's home.

Langille and a small team set up for the arrest near the spot where Cuxum's co-worker had been dropping him off after work, about 100 yards from the duplex. On April 30, just after 5 p.m., Cuxum got out of the co-worker's truck, crossed the street and headed toward the yellow house.

Cuxum was stoic as he was taken into custody, Langille recalled. He read Cuxum his Miranda Rights, then took him to the Waltham police station so a Spanish-speaking officer could repeat them. There was no mention of Rabinal. "At time of the arrest, I did not inform him of anything related to Guatemala."

Get him talking

Langille called Schneider the next day in preparation for his interview with Cuxum at the jail. They had a slam-dunk case for the illegal reentry charge, but they wanted to get something from Cuxum that might help Guatemalan prosecutors secure a conviction for the rapes and killings decades earlier.

"My task had been to locate him and put him under arrest," Langille said. "But I needed to understand the context, and what happened in Rabinal."

Schneider explained the Rio Negro massacres and Maya Achi rapes, as well as Cuxum's alleged role and the Guatemalan government's case in a "Reader's Digest version," Langille said.

Schneider did not expect Cuxum to confess to sexual assault and murder. But she wanted Langille to see if Cuxum would acknowledge his participation in Rabinal's civil defense patrols at the time of the atrocities.

"Our job as historians at the center is to give the agents what they need," said Schneider. "First I give them the general landscape, then the portrait."

Cuxum spoke little English, so Langille brought a interpreter. Using interview techniques he developed interrogating drug suspects, Langille said he tried to build a rapport that would put Cuxum at ease and get him talking.

Not long into the conversation, it became clear to Cuxum that Langille wanted to know about more than immigration violations. He was asking about the civilian patrol units, or PACs. Cuxum insisted at first that he was in the military living in Guatemala City at the time of the rapes and massacres, but as Langille began to challenge him, Cuxum acknowledged that wasn't true.

"I was able to press him a bit, and he said he was in the Rabinal PAC," Langille said. "He said he patrolled six days a week and his only purpose was to protect his neighbors."

Cuxum also acknowledged he'd served in the patrols under the command of Carlos Chen Gomez, a convicted war criminal who died in a Guatemalan prison.

Langille prodded further, but Cuxum turned quiet and withdrawn as it became clearer why he'd been arrested. "He had this 1,000-yard stare," said Langille. "He didn't expect that day to be the day this was all brought back to him."

In the hours after Cuxum's indictment, on May 29, 2019, word spread quickly among the former residents of Xococ.

One of Alvarado's sisters sent her the ICE news release over WhatsApp. She had someone translate it and read it aloud.

"I can't believe they got him," Alvarado remembers thinking.

Officials at ICE asked Osorio if he wanted to fly to Boston to attend the hearing several weeks later. He sat a few rows behind Cuxum in the courtroom and listened to the judge's sentence: six months in prison, almost certain to be followed by deportation back to Guatemala.

Cuxum turned around to face the gallery. He appeared to scan faces until he saw Osorio. Cuxum scowled at him, a look filled with disgust.

"It was a look that burned through me," Osorio said.

Back in Guatemala, Alvarado saw the photo of Cuxum in the courtroom. He was 64, overweight and balding, wearing a government-issued white sweatshirt.

"Look at him now," she said. "He's an old man."

Within a few weeks, he was in shackles on an ICE deportation flight. Guatemalan authorities detained him after he landed.

Naming the men

Only once before had the Guatemalan government tried a case of wartime sexual violence in its courts. Within the country's military, which still resisted an accounting of war crimes, opposition to the case was stark. Some former soldiers, civil patrolmen and their relatives posted on Facebook, calling the trial a sham.

For the women of Xococ, it meant that after four decades, they would have to testify in front of their abusers.

The trial started in January 2022 in a courtroom in Guatemala City. Because of coronavirus protocols, Cuxum and the five other men remained in a military prison but followed the proceeding through a video link to the courtroom.

When Alvarado attended the first hearing, she saw Cuxum on the screen. He and the other men were backlit, so it was difficult to make out their faces. The screen was hanging from the ceiling, and it gave the impression that the men were looking down on them, hovering over the judge.

It was more than a week into the trial that the judge called Alvarado's name, asking for her testimony. It had been recorded earlier, so Alvarado listened as her own words were played through the courtroom's sound system, looking up periodically to see if she could discern Cuxum's expression.

In the recorded testimony, she described the men pouring into her house.

"They told me they would cover my mouth and that they would kill me. That they would cover my face. So I didn't say anything," she said.

At the end of her testimony, she named the men she recognized, starting with Cuxum.

Up on the screen, his face was too dark to make out any reaction. But she could tell that he was looking straight ahead at the camera. It made it seem like he was staring at her.

It was the end of January when the judges issued their verdict in the trial. Alvarado and some of the other women attended court that day wearing traditional Mayan clothes, hand-sewn shawls over their shoulders.

Before the sentencing, the judges asked if any of the women wanted to address the courtroom.

Alvarado, wearing a white veil over her head, stood up and walked closer to the judges. She knew the men weren't being tried for her husband's murder, but she felt strongly that the same men who raped her had also killed him and hid his remains.

"I want you to hand over my husband, to tell me where you put his body, to give me his remains."

"I am still in pain after so many years. I am here seeking justice," she said.

Schneider was watching the trial in Northern Virginia on a live stream, thinking of Alvarado and the other victims. "A journey that took 40 years," she said.

Soon after Alvarado's testimony, the judges prepared to read their decision.

"The women were subjected to continuous rape and also to domestic slavery," Gervi Sical, one of the judges said. "We the judges firmly believe the testimonies of the women who were sexually violated."

Cuxum and the other men, including two of his brothers, were sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Alvarado cried silently.

Weeks later, she was sitting on the edge of her bed in her studio apartment. The trial had gotten more attention in Guatemala than she had expected. Local newspapers had published front-page stories with her photo.

Now she was wondering if she could return to Xococ to visit her family. Would Cuxum's relatives try to attack her? What about his former military colleagues?

"Maybe I just won't go," she said. "Maybe I shouldn't go back again."



Sieff reported from Rabinal and Guatemala City. Miroff reported from Waltham, Massachusetts, and Tysons, Virginia.
He was lured to New Zealand with promises of money and a better life, but instead he was kept as a slave, repeatedly assaulted and cut off from his family. For the first time, he tells his story.

Warning: This story contains details of slavery and assault.

A cold slap of winter air snaps Junior* out of his sleepiness as he steps off the plane from Apia. It's just after 1am but he's grateful to finally be in Auckland where two years of work and good wages await.

It's 30 July 2015. Junior is 53 years old and today his dream comes true, he thinks. A man called James*, who he met on the plane, has also come to work for the matai - the chief that recruited them from Samoa. Together they breeze through customs into the arrival hall where the matai and his wife are waiting.

They all clamber into the chief's conspicuous sedan - a brightly-painted New Zealand flag covers one side of the car entirely, a Samoan flag covers the other - for the journey to Hawke's Bay. Junior admires the shining lights of Auckland as they exit the city; he's never seen anything so bright and beautiful before, he thinks.

His eyes remain open the whole trip so he can take in every detail as the car snakes its way through the darkness of the North Island. "I was feeling very proud and happy to be in a country that I've long dreamt about," he recalls.

As the first blush of a new day emerges over the horizon, they pull up outside the chief's home in Hastings, where he hops out of the car and unlocks the metal gate in the tall, barbed wire-topped fence surrounding his two-house compound.

Once inside, Junior's shown the garage where he'll be sleeping and then a room full of clothing, where he's told to grab something warm. He picks a thick yellow hoodie to pull over the four t-shirts he's wearing to guard against the cold. He gives the chief the gift of taro he's brought from home to show his appreciation, then they all get back into the car and drive to a vineyard. It's time to "start training for work," the chief tells Junior.

They work all day pruning the vines, but Junior is happy. He's so grateful to have a job. "I was quite pleased I had a job and was getting some money," he says.

But he is not paid for the work he does that day. He's not paid for a single day he works over the next 17 months, apart from a couple of hundred dollars he's given at Christmas and the occasional cash he receives to buy cigarettes.

He later learns he doesn't have the work permit he was promised, which makes him an overstayer and an illegal worker. The chief constantly threatens to report him and get him deported if he tells anyone about not being paid or the brutal beatings he dishes out.

Forbidden to leave the chief's house without permission, or talk to anyone at work or church, and subjected to cruel punishments, Junior becomes so "broken" he eventually begs to be deported.

When his wish is finally granted, his escape sparks Operation Star, the largest and most complex investigation Immigration New Zealand has ever been involved in, and uncovers a web of offending covering more than 25 years.

Photo: RNZ / Anusha Bradley.

Three years later, on 16 March 2020, the chief stands in the dock in the High Court in Napier and is convicted of enslaving 13 Samoan nationals. He's also found guilty on 10 counts of human trafficking between 1994 and 2019. Junior is the chief's eldest victim. The youngest is just 12.

After a gruelling five-week trial, the jury took seven hours to deliver the guilty verdict to the chief, Joseph Auga Matamata, 65, who stands silently in the dock.

He's the first person in New Zealand to be simultaneously convicted on both charges and is now serving 11 years in prison.

During the trial, his victims had recounted their eerily similar stories to the court. They go like this: Matamata meets them in Samoa and woos them with stories of a better life in New Zealand.

He pays for their flights and visas and promises work or schooling. But when they arrive, they find themselves working 14-hour days in orchards and vineyards across Hawke's Bay, followed by chores around Matamata's home until late into the night.

They see bags of cash being handed to Matamata for their labours, but it is never passed on.

Nearly all of Matamata's victims are subject to vicious beatings, their freedom is severely restricted and their passports are taken away.

At the trial, Crown prosecutor Clayton Walker tells the jury Matamata abused his chiefly status for his own financial gain, and speaks of Junior's experience.

"[Junior] trusted Mr Matamata. He trusted him completely because Mr Matamata was, and is, a matai, a Samoan chief, someone who has controlling authority, someone who commands, by virtue of the title, respect and obedience.

"Respect for and obedience to a matai is a fundamental part of Samoan culture," Walker says.

Over the next two years, Matamata appeals his conviction all the way to the Supreme Court, but last month his final attempt was thrown out. And so, more than five years after Junior's escape, his ordeal is finally over.

A month later he sits in a cream corner office high above Lambton Quay where, for the first time outside the courtroom, he can finally tell his story.

That story starts in Samoa where Junior spends the first 53 years of his life in a sleepy village on the island of Upolu.

He works his family's land growing vegetables to eat, and while they have enough to meet their basic needs, he wishes he could provide more for his children.

He dreams of owning a car and a proper house with walls, rather than the open air fale they sleep in. "But you don't get that kind of money working a plantation," he says.

Others who have worked in New Zealand tell him it's "a land of milk and honey" and he dreams of going too. "Money was the main driver, you know, just to be able to provide for my family. Not just the basic needs but more than that."

When Junior meets Matamata in Samoa he thinks the dream is going to become a reality.

"He said, 'If you work hard you will get a lot of money'." Matamata tells him he'll take some of the money he earns but Junior "will take the rest".

But when he arrives, Junior works six, sometimes seven, days a week, and the days are long.

He rises at around 5am and trudges into the kitchen to prepare sandwiches and coffee to have while he works in the fields, alongside the others Matama has enslaved.

Then he prepares breakfast for anyone who wants it before heading to the orchard, farm or vineyard they're working at for the day.

Junior doesn't mind the horticultural work, even if he isn't allowed to talk to any of the other workers he meets.

He doesn't speak English anyway so it doesn't matter much, but Matamata tells him to say his name is Nixon if anyone asks.

He likes apple picking the best because he's fast and Matamata is happy. He likes vineyards the least because the work is fiddly, slowing him down, which makes Matamata angry.

"When I was working in the vineyard almost every day I would get beaten up because I was slow," he says.

Matamata swears at him, calls him stupid and throws tools at him. Once a pair of secateurs struck him in the head.

"He said to me, 'Give me your head' and he punched me with the tool and blood came out of my head. It happened often," he told the jury at Matamata's 2020 trial.

If he cries out in pain, Matamata gets angrier. Sometimes, during the "many" beatings, Junior wants to fight back. But then he remembers there's no point. "What good would it do," he thinks.

He thinks of his family in Samoa depending on him to earn money, and he's hopeful he will eventually be paid, so he keeps quiet, works even harder and tries to keep Matamata happy.

Upon returning home from the fields, Matamata and his wife sleep while Junior and James cook dinner. They often have to prepare several different dishes.

There's other work to be done too: weeding, cleaning or chopping wood, and if it isn't done to Matamata's liking, he will use a piece of the wood he's just chopped to hit Junior over the head. Sometimes he's hurt so badly he wants to go to the doctor, but Matamata won't allow it.

When Matamata wakes from his nap, often at around 10pm or 11pm, they eat dinner. By the time Junior cleans up the dregs of the meal, it can be 1am when he finally crawls into his bed in the garage.

The thought of his family propels Junior through this exhausting routine for months, and then he starts becoming anxious about not being paid. He's too scared to ask Matamata about his wages .

He and James often discuss how they should ask for the money, but they never do.

They do know Matamata has money to spare. Junior sees Matamata shouting large feeds at church and social events and others think he's wealthy too.

People sometimes come to the house to buy meat from one of the three deep freezers Matamata keeps stocked at the house. Junior just keeps hoping that one day he'll be paid.

After nine months without any pay he starts to lose hope and he asks Matamata if he can go home. "He says, 'No'."

Then, on New Year's Day 2017, Junior wakes to find James has fled in the night, and Junior decides he must go too.

A few days later, while working in a field, he seizes his chance. He spots a group of eight Samoans and approaches them for help. He doesn't know them, but at least they'll be able to understand him, he thinks.

He tells them he needs to get out of Matamata's house and one of the elders in the group nods in understanding.

But the elders know Matamata from church and are reluctant to get involved, he tells Junior.

The next day, one of the elder's son takes Junior aside and tells him he'll help him. "He told me to be patient and to wait," Junior says.

What Junior doesn't know is that James, who clambered over the barbed wire fence on New Year's Eve, has made his way to the police.

On 17 January 2017, four police cars and a black, unmarked Immigration New Zealand car pull up to Matamata's house to arrest Junior for overstaying his three-month holiday visa.

When Matamata sees the police, he tells Junior to run, but Junior doesn't. He calmly walks towards them, is arrested, and put in prison for three days. "I was just so very grateful that my prayers were answered and that I was leaving," he remembers.

A few days later, Immigration officers tell him he's going to be deported, but before he's put on a plane they want to ask him some questions. Junior doesn't stop talking. He tells them everything. His deportation is put on hold, senior investigators are called in, and Operation Star is born.

The investigators help Junior call his wife, who hasn't heard from her husband in nearly two years. "Where have you been all this time," she asks him over a crackly phone line.

"I thought you were dead."

Many of Matamata's other victims are so ashamed of what happened to them in New Zealand, they are initially reluctant to tell anyone about it, and even years later, don't want to plough through their memories of that awful time. Junior is still angry at Matamata, but he's also grateful for the opportunity to talk about it because he couldn't for so long, and he wants others to learn from his experience, he says.

"I don't want this evil to happen to anyone else."

He urges anyone planning to work in New Zealand to be cautious if their work is being arranged by another person.

"Especially for younger people, be aware of what you are getting yourself into. If someone has come from New Zealand, looking to bring you to New Zealand, don't always believe what they're saying. Try to understand whether they're a good person, an honest person and a trustworthy person."

This was his own downfall, he says.

"I put too much trust in him [Matamata] because at the time I just wanted to get to New Zealand and I was willing to do anything."

Photo: Supplied

Matamata's crimes are some of the worst Immigration New Zealand Chief Operating Officer Stephen Vaughan has ever come across, including during his 33 years as a policeman.

As the agency's former general manager of compliance, he's been closely involved in the case throughout and he doesn't mince his words about Matamata's offending."Mr Matamata was a bully, he was violent, he was a thug," he says.

His modus operandi was to blame his victims for his own "appalling" behaviour, Vaughan says.

"When people that he had in his employment started to resist the slavery that he had inflicted on them, he would make up lies about them, say that they were misbehaving and then make them liable for deportation.

"These people had been promised a dream by Mr Matamata, a different sort of life, a lifestyle where they could come over to New Zealand to work to earn money.

"One of the biggest impacts of this offending on them was they went home broken, beaten in spirit and ashamed, because for many of them they had been deported."

Vaughan says the case helped shape significant changes and a $50 million investment in Immigration New Zealand last year to try to prevent anything similar happening again. This includes the creation of a Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa that's helped 83 migrants leave potentially abusive employers since July 2021. Investigations, compliance and enforcement teams have also been boosted, a new dedicated 0800 number to report migrant abuse has been launched, and staff training has increased.

Further protections are expected in the Migrant Exploitation Bill, which is expected to be introduced to Parliament later this year, and just yesterday, a cross-government, business and non-governmental organisation taskforce announced a raft of proposals to crack down on modern slavery.

Despite 910 complaints of potential migrant exploitation or trafficking to Immigration or the Labour Inspectorate between July 2021 and March, Vaughan believes it's still an underreported crime, and educating migrant communities to identify what modern slavery looks like is a key part of efforts to bring it to light.

"This helps us inform people in the community that people like Mr Matamata may be out there and may actually prey on them."

For the first time, Immigration has successfully obtained an instrument forfeiture through the courts, which requires Matamata to pay reparation to his victims. "It's the first time this has occurred so it's a tremendous thing that we were able to do for the victims," says Vaughan.

Now his appeal options are exhausted, Matamata's victims will each receive a share of the $183,000 reparation - a smidgeon less than the $184,400 legal aid bill he's accumulated over the last five years.

Junior, who is estimated to be owed at least $233,000 in unpaid wages from Matamata, says he doesn't want a cent of reparation money.

He still feels very angry when he thinks about how Matamata treated him. He remembers giving evidence in court, spending hours in the witness stand, and consciously avoiding looking at Matamata, who was just a few metres away.

"I didn't, and don't want to ever, look at that man again," he says with determination in his eyes.

He remembers how easily his words flowed in the witness box that day in court. "The entire time [with Matamata] I wanted to tell someone. Now that I was in front of the court I could tell everyone."

He remembers waiting at home for the call telling him Matamata had been found guilty and when it came, he felt so happy that justice had finally been served.

His life is now in New Zealand, in a new city far from Hawke's Bay, which is a place he won't return to, he says. While he misses his family and friends in Samoa, he feels happy and settled in his adopted country, with his job at a butcher's shop that pays well enough to provide a good life for his wife and children.

His eyes sparkle and his grin widens at the thought. Junior is finally living his dream.

*Names have been changed

Migrant exploitation can be reported the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment on 0800 200 088

Where to get help:

Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.

Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357

Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.

Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text 4202

Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)

Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 (8am-12am), or email talk@youthline.co.nz

What's Up: online chat (3pm-10pm) or 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 helpline (12pm-10pm weekdays, 3pm-11pm weekends)

Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm or text 832 Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and English.

Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254

Healthline: 0800 611 116

Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155

OUTLine: 0800 688 5463 (6pm-9pm)

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

Family Violence

Women's Refuge:(0800 733 843

It's Not OK 0800 456 450

Shine: 0508 744 633

Victim Support: 0800 842 846

HELP Call 24/7 (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): 04 801 6655 - push 0 at the menu

The National Network of Family Violence Services NZ has information on specialist family violence agencies.

-RNZ/Anusha Bradley.
Two people are facing a raft of charges following a string of burglaries in the Bay of Plenty, Coromandel and Waikato.

At the time of the arrest, the net had been tightening on the two men, who were running out of places to hide following the arrest of an associate, says a statement by police this morning.

At 1am on Sunday, a police patrol in Kawerau observed a stolen vehicle linked to the pair.

The vehicle fled when signalled to stop, following which police set-up cordons and deployed road spikes.

The vehicle was disabled as it travelled north on Tamarangi Drive and abandoned shortly afterwards.

A police dog team tracked the offenders and they were located, cold and wet, having attempted to hide in a stream.

The pair will appear in Whakatane District Court today charged with multiple counts of burglary, aggravated assault and unlawfully taking vehicles.

Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Wilson, Area Manager: Investigations in Eastern Bay of Plenty says the operation is a great example of proactive policing.

The coordinated response of frontline officers, investigations and intelligence teams has led to a great result which has stopped these repeat offenders in their tracks.

We hope this sends a clear message that Police will not tolerate the kind of recidivist offending that some sectors of society seem to think is glamorous.

These young men have caused significant damage and distress in the communities that they are part of.

This is not something we think young people should aspire to or think is acceptable.
Two youths are being referred to Youth Aid following a robbery in Tauranga.

A SunLive reader who was visiting Tauranga CBD on Sunday afternoon says police and an ambulance were on Devonport Road, near The Strand, at around 1pm.

[The] woman owner [was] assaulted and robbed, says the SunLive reader.

We were walking along and saw ambulance and two police cars. We went into a shop nearby and the owner there said there had been a robbery at another store."

Police confirmed that a staff member was injured during the robbery.

Officers received a report of theft at a store on Devonport Road just before 1pm yesterday, says a police spokesperson.

Two youths entered the store and a staff member was injured when they tried to leave the premises.

The offenders were located by police and have been referred to Youth Aid.

A St John spokesperson says one ambulance responded to the scene and treated one patient.

The patient was transported to Tauranga Hospital in a minor condition.
TEHRAN, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Tehran said Monday that if it had allowed its red lines to be crossed in the Vienna talks on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, an agreement would have been reached a few months ago, according to official news agency IRNA.

Addressing a weekly press conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the talks have not yet reached a point to say the American side has proved that it is committed to its pledges under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.

For Iran, the full removal of the sanctions and safeguarding its people's interests are what matters most, Khatibzadeh said.

"We still really don't know whether we would reach an agreement or not as the United States has not yet displayed the required will for agreeing on a deal," he noted.

Khatibzadeh said that the American side has posed a number of obstacles that would minimize Iranians' interests in the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"We are committed to achieving a good agreement and if we reach that, we will travel to Vienna," he added.

Asked if the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps will remain on the list of U.S. sanctions at the conclusion of the negotiations, he stressed that the United States must lift all the "maximum pressures" against Iran, noting that more than one unresolved issue is remaining in the negotiations.

In 2015, Iran signed the nuclear deal with world powers, including the United States. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran, prompting the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments.

Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in the Austrian capital between Iran and the remaining JCPOA parties to revive the deal. 
New Zealanders spent $124 million (1.6 per cent) more in March 2022 compared to February 2022, Stats NZ says.

Seasonally adjusted card spending on non-retail industries, up $223 million (14.5 per cent) from the previous month, drove this increase.

Non-retail industries include travel agencies and tour arrangement services, health and pharmaceuticals, wholesaling, and other industries.

"The increase coincided with announcements about the upcoming easing of restrictions on international travel," says business performance statistics manager Ricky Ho.

The amount spent via credit and debit card transactions on vehicles, excluding fuel, rose by $5 million (2.7 per cent) in the past month.

Seasonally adjusted spending on consumables, apparel and fuel fell from last month, down 3.3 percent, 6.9 per cent and, 0.1 per cent respectively. For the second consecutive month, total retail spending declined, down $77 million (1.3 per cent).

"The consumables spending category, which includes groceries and liquor, dropped for the second month in a row.

"The decrease in fuel spending coincided with a reduction in fuel excise duty during the month."

In actual terms, in March 2022, Kiwis spent $27 million (0.5 per cent) less in retail than in the same period last year.

Year-on-year card spending in the hospitality sector fell $149 million (14.3 per cent) compared with March 2021.

"Omicron continues to have an influence on peoples decision to eat out or travel domestically."

March quarterly sales increase

Seasonally adjusted card spending in retail industries went up $317 million (1.9 per cent) while the total spend increased by $629 million (2.9 per cent) from the December 2021 quarter.

The largest increase was seen in the services sector, with $57 million (6.6 per cent) more spent than in the December 2021 quarter.

The services sector includes repair and maintenance, personal care, funeral, and other personal services.

"The data shows us that the March quarter is the second quarter in row to see a decrease in groceries and liquor spending."
Plantings and structures outside property boundaries have prompted the need for remediation works along the Whakatane River stopbank.

Construction work is finishing up on the first stage of a project focused on safeguarding the stopbank to ensure it continues to function the way it should for generations to come.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council engineering project manager Paula Chapman says the Regional Council have a responsibility to ensure assets (like stopbanks) are resilient and will keep our communities safe in a significant flooding event.

This means Council is constantly reviewing the towns flood protection assets and looking at ways to protect them as we know some activities and practices can be detrimental to our stopbanks.

Over the years people have built structures and planted trees outside their boundaries and as times gone on these non-approved structures and different types of vegetation have gradually advanced or encroached beyond where they should have.

Along the Whakatane stopbank were now at a point where some encroachments could compromise the stopbank so removing these needs to happen.

The first stage of works is being done upstream of the Landing Road Bridge and will continue over the next month.

Council will reduce physical work over the winter period, but will continue to investigate other areas along the stopbank which will need remediation work later in the year.

The overall project is being spread across the next two to three years and Council will be working closely with those residents directly affected by the works during this time.

Toi Moana is also reminding residents to check with Regional Council first if theyre wanting to do any work near the stopbank, as people will need to consider whether a Bylaw Authority is needed.

This Authority is written permission from Regional Council with certain conditions attached to it that outlines what a landowner must do to ensure the flood protection structure is not damaged or compromised.

More information on a Bylaw Authority can be found at boprc.govt.nz/bylaw-authority or check out boprc.govt.nz/safeguarding-our-stopbanks for more information about the project.
New Zealand has recorded its third death considered to be linked to the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccination.

The Covid-19 Vaccine Independent Safety Monitoring Board notified the Ministry of Health of the death on Monday.

"This is a tragic circumstance, and the Board expresses their sympathy to the individuals whanau and friends," says a statement from the Ministry of Health.

The Board first reviewed the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring report of a death in December 2021.

"At the time, there was not enough information available to determine the potential role of the vaccine," says the Ministry.

The Board met in March 2022 to consider all the information available, which showed that the person had myocarditis at the time of death.

In the weeks prior to their death, the person had received a dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.

"The Board considers that the development of myocarditis is possibly due to vaccination with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. Its important to note this case is with the coroner who is still investigating the cause of death.

"The Board also considers that the circumstances of this case does not impact or change the known information on myocarditis."

This is the third death in New Zealand that is considered to be linked to vaccination with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.

All three cases are currently with coroners to determine the cause of death.

"The Ministry of Health and the Board will not be commenting further on any details about this case and ask that the whanaus privacy is respected during this difficult time."
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Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning is extended for the following rivers in Oklahoma... Illinois River near Tahlequah affecting Cherokee County. ...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Oklahoma... Illinois River at Chewey affecting Adair, Cherokee and Delaware Counties. ...FLOOD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL SUNDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Major flooding is occurring and moderate flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Illinois River near Tahlequah. * WHEN...Until Sunday morning. * IMPACTS...At 19.0 feet, severe flooding occurs from near Hanging Rock downstream towards Tahlequah. State Highway 10 near Hanging Rock and near No Head Hollow north of the intersection with Highway 62 is impassable. Some cabins and parks are severely flooded. This is a very dangerous situation. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 8:30 PM CDT Friday the stage was 19.2 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to fall below flood stage early Sunday morning and continue falling and remain below flood stage. - Flood stage is 11.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
In line with Section 84 of the Electoral Act, political parties have between April 4 and June 3 to present their flag bearers for presidential, governorship, state and national legislative seats.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a fresh warning to political parties against undermining its guidelines on the 2023 General Elections.

In a statement on Tuesday by its spokesperson, the commission said it would not tolerate any attempt by political parties to ignore constitutionally-allowed processes in the nomination of its candidates as they prepare for the primary elections.

Since the INEC announced the changes in the dates for the country's general poll in February and rolled out its schedule of activities, only two out of the 14 activities in its timetable have so far been executed.

The two activities are the publication of notice of elections in states and nomination forms on the commission's official website.

As stipulated in Section 84 of the Electoral Act, all political parties have a period of 61 days, from April 4 till June 3, to present their flag bearers for presidential, governorship, state and national legislative seats in the coming election.

While INEC has fixed February 25, 2023 for the presidential and national assembly elections, the governorship and state assembly elections will hold on March 11.

The commission said candidates for the "1,491 constituencies for which elections will be conducted must emerge from democratic, transparent and valid primaries, in line with the provisions of Sections 29 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022."

The statement added: "Where a political party fails to comply with the provisions of the Act in the conduct of its primaries, its candidate shall not be included in the election for the particular position in issue.

"As required by law, the Commission shall monitor the primaries of each political party that provides the required legal notice in line with Sections 82 (1) and (5) of the Electoral Act. Failure of a political party to notify the Commission of any convention or congress convened for the purpose of nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified in the Act shall render the convention or congress invalid.

"Primaries must be conducted in the various constituencies as provided in Section 84 of the Electoral Act as it is a violation of the law to conduct primaries outside the constituencies for which parties are nominating candidates. The Commission will not monitor such primaries and their outcome will not be accepted."

Parties gunning for consensus

With political parties settling into the primary election season, in line with the timetable, many aspirants have indicated their plan to run for different positions on their platforms while others are still consulting.

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Although the two major parties - All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) - are yet to zone the presidency, some of their members have formally declared their interest in the position.

Among those who have formally declared their intention to run for president on the ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are a former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, former Imo State governor and serving senator, Rochas Okorocha, and the governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi.

There are speculations that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi; former Abia governor and serving senator, Orji Uzor Kalu; and the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, will join the race.

In the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, two former Senate President, Pius Anyim and Bukola Saraki, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, Publisher of Ovation magazine, Dele Momodu, a renowned pharmacist, Sam Ohuabunwa and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State are among those that have indicated their plan to contest for the presidency.

Some of the aspirants are already pushing for consensus candidates ahead of their primary elections.
Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning is extended for the following rivers in Oklahoma... Illinois River near Tahlequah affecting Cherokee County. ...FLOOD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL LATE TOMORROW MORNING... * WHAT...Moderate flooding is occurring and moderate flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Illinois River near Tahlequah. * WHEN...Until late tomorrow morning. * IMPACTS...At 17.0 feet, severe flooding occurs from Hanging Rock downstream towards Tahlequah. Access roads east of Combs Bridge near Eagles Bluff are impassable. Some cabins and parks may be flooded to a depth of a couple of feet. Extreme turbulence makes the river too hazardous for floating. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 1:30 AM CDT Saturday the stage was 16.5 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to fall below flood stage late tonight and continue falling and remain below flood stage. - Flood stage is 11.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
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Olivier Dubois was last seen in April 2021 while reporting in Mali.

A year to the day since French journalist Olivier Dubois was taken hostage by a jihadist group in Mali, President Emmanuel Macron says France is "fully mobilised" to ensure his release. RFI, meanwhile, is relaying messages of support on its airwaves.

The 47-year-old freelance journalist was kidnapped on 8 April 2021 in the northern region of Gao by the JNIM, the main jihadist alliance in the Sahel, linked to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Dubois, who had lived and worked in Mali since 2015, made the declaration himself in a video posted on social media on 5 May last year.

A second video, released in March, confirmed Dubois was still alive.

The French presidency issued a statement on Friday in which Emmanuel Macron expressed his "unfailing support" for Dubois and his family and friends.

The President assured them of his "compassion in this painful ordeal" and of the "full mobilisation of the state's services", referring to Dubois as "the only Frenchman held by a terrorist organisation".

Messages of support on RFI

In the video posted in March, Dubois confirmed that he'd be hearing messages from relatives on RFI every 8th of the month for the past year.

Mali's transitional government suspended RFI's FM broadcasts three weeks ago after testimonies were broadcast accusing the Malian army and its Russian auxilliaries of torture and abuse.

Malian junta suspension of RFI and France 24 is 'grave attack on press freedom'

But RFI can still be picked up in Mali on shortwave, which is most likely how Dubois managed to hear the messages.

"Some anniversaries are not fun, but I hope you're as well as you can be," said Andre-Georges Dubois, encouraging his son to "stay confident" and "not let himself go".

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Mali Europe and Africa Media By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.

Dubois' mother said the family was "mobilised to make sure [he] didn't fall into oblivion" and called on the government to act.

"Remember that on 8 April, one year after you were kidnapped, more than 80,000 people are at your side," Dubois' sister Canele Bernard said, referring to the journalist's support group.

Dubois' family has made a video with journalists to raise awareness and keep him in the news.

It features several well-known French figures such as rapper IAM, actor Omar Sy, and journalist and former hostage Florence Aubenas.

"We have been under a lot of stress for a year, but we still have the energy to help Olivier by making noise and talking about him," Bernard said.

In an open letter published in the daily Liberation on Friday, one of Dubois' employers, along with the Society of Journalists of many French media, called on the future French president to make securing Dubois' release a priority.
tud BHPian



Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Chennai Posts: 153 Thanked: 406 Times

D.I.Y: How to purchase a fancy / choice number at the Tamil Nadu RTO



Of the 9999 numbers under each registration series, the really fancy looking ones like 0001, 1111, 5005, 1234 and so on are marked as Government approval numbers and the rest of the numbers in the series are open numbers to be issued in incremental order to anyone walking into the registration office after paying the necessary fees. Anybody willing to pay the requisite fancy number/advance number fee can choose from either the government approval numbers or the open numbers. The open number series also includes fancy looking numbers like XXYY, XYYY, YXXX, XYXY, WXYZ, and much more. So it is upto the user to identify the required number and approach the RTO at the right time. If you want to purchase a fancy number / special / choice number at the Tamil Nadu RTO, you can



Fee details:



For Government approval numbers (current series to current + 3 series): Rs 40000

For Government approval numbers (current + 5 series to current + 12 series): Rs 60000 - Rs 200000



For open numbers:

Two wheeler < 50 cc: Rs 1000

Two wheeler > 50 cc: Rs 2000 (includes three wheeler)



Four (or more) wheeler with ex showroom price < Rs 4 lakhs: Rs 10000

Four (or more) wheeler with ex showroom price > Rs 10 lakhs: Rs 16000



As you would have seen from the pricing, buying a Government approval number is very expensive and most people opt to choose a number from the open series. So let me begin with the process to pick a number from the popular open series followed by the Government approval number.



Ensure your vehicle is invoiced, and insurance is purchased. After this the dealer will enter your vehicle details on parivahan portal and provide you with a Disclaimer form. This Disclaimer form is required to be produced at the RTO for purchasing a number.



For picking a number from the open series:



Step 1: Tamil Nadu RTO allows the public to pick and choose a number amongst 1000 numbers from the current registration series, i.e., if the particular RTO is issuing registration numbers from TN 06 AB 9250 on that day, then a user can pick any open number from TN 06 AB 9250 to TN 06 AC 0250. The process to purchase this is very simple and straightforward.



Visit this website -







On the menu bar, navigate to User online services and then click on Available numbers report.







Select the state, RTO name and the open series name (for example TN 06 AB).



You will be able to see all the numbers available between 0001 - 9999 in the series you have selected. Call the RTO and inquire about the registration number for the day and pick a few numbers of your choice.







Step 2: Visit the RTO with the Disclaimer form, purchasers ID proof copy, GST certificate if purchased on a companys name along with a requisition letter duly signed.



The RTO would insist on a registration number allotment form but in most cases the requisition letter is more than enough as it covers all the necessary details required to be filled in the registration number allotment form. I have attached the registration number allotment form to this post for you to download and fill, especially if you are registering in a company name as it has to be signed and stamped before visiting the RTO. Remember to superscribe the application form with your mobile phone number, email address and Aadhaar (or) GST certificate number.

MOTOR VEHICLE NUMBER REGISTRATION ALLOTMENT FORM.pdf



Step 3: Meet the RTO Superintendent and hand over the documents. After the Superintendent verifies the number availability, the documents will be passed on to another officer to make an entry and issue you a login name and password to access the parivahan portal and pay the required fees. The login details will be emailed to you.



Again visit -



Login with the credentials issued to you on email.







On the menu bar click on Pay reserve fee. Then navigate to Select unique ACK number. Choose the number from the drop down and the form on your screen will be auto populated with the details from the Disclaimer form as well as the registration number you have picked and the relevant fees.







Select Pay online and complete the payment transaction. If you pay via a Rupay debit card, UPI or netbanking there are no additional charges. Credit card payment is charged an additional fee.



Once the payment is done the registration number is mapped to your vehicle and whenever (within the next 30 days) the vehicle visits the RTO for inspection and registration, the mapped number will be assigned to the vehicle.



For picking a number from the Government approval series:



Step 1: Approach the Secretary to Government, Home (Transport) department, Secretariat, Chennai with an application and a copy of Sale Certificate (Form 21) to issue a number from the Government approval series. Once the government order is provided for allotting the number, follow the process mentioned for open number series from Step 3.



If you want an open series number greater than the 1000 numbers issued by the RTOs current series, you will have to approach the Secretary to Government, Home (Transport) department, Secretariat, Chennai with the same steps mentioned above.



Needless to say, it was an extremely simple process and I did not spend more than 30 mins at the RTO office. I visited the PA to RTO and introduced myself and explained my requirement. She was very friendly and guided me to the concerned counter. So if you face any hiccups at the RTO feel free to approach any officer - there is a vast difference in their attitude now and they encourage users who approach without an agent. Although the RTO processes are centralized, the states still have their own process for some activities and selecting a number from personal choice for a new vehicle registration is one among them. I wanted to get myself a number of personal significance and approached an agent suggested by the car dealer. For whatever numbers I mentioned from my choice list, the agents response was that, there is a heavy competition at the said RTO and he can only get the numbers that no one has opted for. This didnt work for me and I decided to do it myself and realized how simple the process is and also found all the numbers of my choice (barring one) available to choose from. Ill detail the process to opt for a registration number of your choice for your loved steed if you decide to D-I-Y.Of the 9999 numbers under each registration series, the really fancy looking ones like 0001, 1111, 5005, 1234 and so on are marked as Government approval numbers and the rest of the numbers in the series are open numbers to be issued in incremental order to anyone walking into the registration office after paying the necessary fees. Anybody willing to pay the requisite fancy number/advance number fee can choose from either the government approval numbers or the open numbers. The open number series also includes fancy looking numbers like XXYY, XYYY, YXXX, XYXY, WXYZ, and much more. So it is upto the user to identify the required number and approach the RTO at the right time. If you want to purchase a fancy number / special / choice number at the Tamil Nadu RTO, you canFor Government approval numbers (current series to current + 3 series):For Government approval numbers (current + 5 series to current + 12 series):For open numbers:Two wheeler < 50 cc:Two wheeler > 50 cc:(includes three wheeler)Four (or more) wheeler with ex showroom price < Rs 4 lakhs:Four (or more) wheeler with ex showroom price > Rs 10 lakhs:As you would have seen from the pricing, buying a Government approval number is very expensive and most people opt to choose a number from the open series. So let me begin with the process to pick a number from the popular open series followed by the Government approval number.Ensure your vehicle is invoiced, and insurance is purchased. After this the dealer will enter your vehicle details on parivahan portal and provide you with a Disclaimer form. This Disclaimer form is required to be produced at the RTO for purchasing a number.Tamil Nadu RTO allows the public to pick and choose a number amongst 1000 numbers from the current registration series, i.e., if the particular RTO is issuing registration numbers from TN 06 AB 9250 on that day, then a user can pick any open number from TN 06 AB 9250 to TN 06 AC 0250. The process to purchase this is very simple and straightforward.Visit this website - https://vahan.parivahan.gov.in/fancy...ic/login.xhtml On the menu bar, navigate toand then click onSelect the state, RTO name and the open series name (for example TN 06 AB).You will be able to see all the numbers available between 0001 - 9999 in the series you have selected. Call the RTO and inquire about the registration number for the day and pick a few numbers of your choice.Visit the RTO with the Disclaimer form, purchasers ID proof copy, GST certificate if purchased on a companys name along with a requisition letter duly signed.The RTO would insist on a registration number allotment form but in most cases the requisition letter is more than enough as it covers all the necessary details required to be filled in the registration number allotment form. I have attached the registration number allotment form to this post for you to download and fill, especially if you are registering in a company name as it has to be signed and stamped before visiting the RTO. Remember to superscribe the application form with your mobile phone number, email address and Aadhaar (or) GST certificate number.Meet the RTO Superintendent and hand over the documents. After the Superintendent verifies the number availability, the documents will be passed on to another officer to make an entry and issue you a login name and password to access the parivahan portal and pay the required fees. The login details will be emailed to you.Again visit - https://vahan.parivahan.gov.in/fancy...ic/login.xhtml Login with the credentials issued to you on email.On the menu bar click on. Then navigate to. Choose the number from the drop down and the form on your screen will be auto populated with the details from the Disclaimer form as well as the registration number you have picked and the relevant fees.Select Pay online and complete the payment transaction. If you pay via a Rupay debit card, UPI or netbanking there are no additional charges. Credit card payment is charged an additional fee.Once the payment is done the registration number is mapped to your vehicle and whenever (within the next 30 days) the vehicle visits the RTO for inspection and registration, the mapped number will be assigned to the vehicle.Approach the Secretary to Government, Home (Transport) department, Secretariat, Chennai with an application and a copy of Sale Certificate (Form 21) to issue a number from the Government approval series. Once the government order is provided for allotting the number, follow the process mentioned for open number series fromIf you want an open series number greater than the 1000 numbers issued by the RTOs current series, you will have to approach the Secretary to Government, Home (Transport) department, Secretariat, Chennai with the same steps mentioned above.Needless to say, it was an extremely simple process and I did not spend more than 30 mins at the RTO office. I visited the PA to RTO and introduced myself and explained my requirement. She was very friendly and guided me to the concerned counter. So if you face any hiccups at the RTO feel free to approach any officer - there is a vast difference in their attitude now and they encourage users who approach without an agent.
In context: Twitter has confirmed that Elon Musk won't be joining its board of directors after all. Company CEO Parag Agrawal last week announced that the Tesla boss would sit on the board until at least 2024, but Musk has apparently turned down the seat, leaving him free to launch a potential hostile takeover.

Agrawal previously announced that Musk would be appointed to the board contingent on a background check and formal acceptance. The appointment was to become effective immediately, but Musk decided against the move.

"I believe this is for the best," wrote Agrawal. "We have and will always value input from our shareholders whether they are on our Board or not. Elon is our biggest shareholder and we will remain open to his input."

Elon has decided not to join our board. I sent a brief note to the company, sharing with you all here. pic.twitter.com/lfrXACavvk  Parag Agrawal (@paraga) April 11, 2022

Musk's only response to the news was a now-deleted tweet that contained just a 'face with hand over mouth' emoji used to display coy laughter or embarrassment.

Musk's decision not to join Twitter's board of directors means he won't be limited to owning a maximum 14.9% of the companyhe's already the majority shareholder, thanks to a 9.2% stake he bought on March 14. He will now be free to take a 15% or more ownership in the firm, allowing him to launch a hostile takeover.

Musk has been bombarding his 81.3 million Twitter followers with polls since his stake in the company was revealed. He questioned its policy toward freedom of speech and whether the service should have an edit button, which is in the worksthough Twitter insists the decision was nothing to do with its biggest shareholder.

Musk has also suggested that everyone who signs up for the paid Twitter Blue service receive an authentication checkmark. He recently asked whether Twitter's San Francisco headquarters should be turned into a homeless shelter "since no one shows up anyway." The latter tweet, which has also been deleted, may have been tongue-in-cheek, but fellow rich-list member Jeff Bezos suggested part of the building be converted into a shelter, just as Amazon has done with its Seattle HQ.

Or do portion. Worked out great and makes it easy for employees who want to volunteer. https://t.co/r0dZWsMxWT https://t.co/NbUNl1bkJ3  Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) April 10, 2022

In other Elon Musk news, the world's richest person just announced that the long-delayed Cybertruck is set to go on sale next year.
Facepalm: With all the bad press NFTs have been getting recently, are companies distancing themselves from non-fungible tokens? A few firms are taking this stance, but not Sega. The Japanese gaming giant recently talked about its "Super Game" project, confirming that it refers to more than one game, some of which could include NFTs and cloud streaming.

There has been a lot of speculation about Sega's five-year Super Game initiative since it was revealed during its financial results presentation last May. An interview on Sega Japan's recruitment website last month (translated by VGC) has shed more light on the project.

Sega executive VP Shuji Utsumi said, "We have defined 'SuperGame' as the development of AAA titles that cross over SEGA's comprehensive range of technologies, and we will aim to achieve this in our five-year plan."

Utsumi added that while the several titles that fall under the Super Game banner will vary, they will go beyond the "traditional framework of games." One example he gave was creating a title that takes advantage of the relationship between those who play games and those who prefer to watch them being streamed.

While that does sound quite interesting, Utsumi dampened the enthusiasm with his next line. "It is a natural extension for the future of gaming that it will expand to involve new areas such as cloud gaming and NFTs."

We've heard about the cloud gaming aspect of Sega's Super Game initiative before. The company announced a partnership with Microsoft last November that would see it make games on the Azure Cloud platform. Sega later confirmed that the deal didn't mean Super Game would be Microsoft exclusive.

Hey Ghosts, we have an important message we would like to share with you all ' pic.twitter.com/kYeyVWVtgi  Ghost Recon (@GhostRecon) April 5, 2022

The NFT part was hinted at in January when Sega registered a 'Sega NFT' trademark, but this is the first time they've been officially linked to Super Game. It does seem surprising that the company is lauding non-fungibles as the future of gaming, especially given that Ubisoft recently ended support for Ghost Recon Breakpoint, which was set to be the flagship game for its Quartz NFT platform. There was also the shuttering of NFT game F1 Delta Time, the $615 million heist on Axie Infinity, and yet another massive NFT scam.
In context: Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra has received mostly excellent reviews, with many hailing it as the best Android tablet available today. But does its massive 14.6-inch display and ~0.24-inch thickness make it susceptible to breaking in half?

The excellent JerryRigEverything YouTube channel carried out one of its famous durability tests on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. For something that appears quite fragile, it took the abuse very well.

Samsung has positioned the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra as the Android rival to the current top tablet, the iPad Pro. The Tab S8 Ultra has a larger display than its Apple competitor, a thinner screen, and is only very slightly heavier.

JerryRigEverything's Zack Nelson starts by noting the size difference between the S Pen that ships with the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and the one that comes in some Samsung phones, noting that it's the same hardware packed inside a larger housing.

Following a series of scratch and burn tests, after which the in-display fingerprint reader continues to work, Nelson moves on to the bending phase. It's an area where previous generations of iPad Pros failed miserably, cracking in two with ease. That changed with the M1-powered tablet (below), but would the bigger, thinner Tab S8 Ultra also survive?

While Samsung's slate does bend, it does not break, defying Nelson's belief that it would crack in twohe puts it down to "physics-defining black magic" by Samsung. The Tab S8 Ultra still works even after being put under what looks like a large amount of force. It also appears to hold up better than the M1 iPad Pro, which saw its screen move away from the frame more noticeably during the test, and it retained the bent shape more prominently.
In brief: With workers moving from traditional work environments to home offices due to the ongoing pandemic, PC manufacturers had to ramp up shipments to respond to the increasing needs. That has now come to an end, as analysts are reporting a decline in the number of PCs sold to distribution channels and end-users.

After two years of continued growth, PC shipments are now declining, as we see a 5.1 percent decrease in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. This is likely a result of companies calling workers to return to their offices, even if they don't want to.

The reported decrease doesn't mean we're witnessing the start of a crash. Instead, we should look at these numbers considering the existing supply chain and logistical issues. Even facing these challenges, manufacturers shipped 80.5 million PCs (down from 84.8 million in Q1 2021).

Ryan Reith, VP of IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers, stated there has been a decrease in the shipment of education and consumer PCs, but demand for commercial devices remains high. Moreover, he believes the consumer market will improve soon.

The table below gives you a better understanding of how these companies fared compared to the same period in 2021 (shipments are in millions of units):

Company 1Q22 Shipments 1Q22 Market Share 1Q21 Shipments 1Q21 Market Share 1Q22/1Q21 Growth Lenovo 18.3 22.7% 20.1 23.7% -9.2% HP Inc. 15.8 19.7% 19.2 22.7% -17.8% Dell Technologies 13.7 17.1% 12.9 15.3% 6.1% Apple 7.2 8.9% 6.9 8.1% 4.3% Asus 5.5 6.9% 4.7 5.6% 17.7% Acer Group 5.4 6.8% 5.8 6.8% -5.9% Others 14.5 18.0% 15.1 17.8% -4.0% Total 80.5 100.0% 84.8 100.0% -5.1%

Lenovo held its top position year-over-year, followed by HP and Dell. Apple came in fourth, while Asus and Acer fought for fifth place in the ranking. Out of these six vendors, only Asus, Apple, and Dell reported an increase in year-over-year shipments.

"Even as parts of the market slow due to demand saturation and rising costs, we still see some silver linings in a market that has reached an inflection point towards a slower pace of growth," said Jay Chou, research manager for IDC's Quarterly PC Monitor Tracker. "Aside from commercial spending on PCs, there are still emerging markets where demand had been neglected in the earlier periods of the pandemic, and higher end consumer demand also has held up."

If history serves us right, shipments should improve in the following quarters, peaking in Q4 with the holiday season. By then, we should better understand what the future holds for the PC industry.
The big picture: The global pandemic likely prompted Apple to expedite diversification plans, revealing just how fragile the supply chain is when you have the majority of your eggs in one basket. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as just packing up and relocating. China has had decades to institute favorable government policies, and cheap labor in the region is plentiful.

Apple is now manufacturing some iPhone 13 handsets in India in a continued bid to better diversify production.

The Cupertino tech giant confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that it is now producing the current-gen iPhone in India. A separate source told Reuters that contract manufacturer Foxconn is handling production in the town of Sriperumbudur in Southern Tamil Nadu state.

Apple has been looking to reduce its reliance on China for years, but the going has been slow. According to estimates from Counterpoint Research, China accounted for a whopping 95.3 percent of Apple's global manufacturing operations in 2021. India was responsible for 3.1 percent of Apple manufacturing last year, a figure that is expected to climb to as high as seven percent by the end of this year.

To become a viable competitor, India will need to invest more in shipping and logistics and implement even friendlier trade ties with Western countries. Labor and pay disputes have also been an issue in the past.

Apple has assembled other iPhones in India before including the iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and iPhone SE. The company's first retail store in the region is expected to open later this summer when India celebrates its independence.

Image credit Daniel Romero, Almas Salakhov
(Photo : Unsplash/Olga Kononenko) Hepatitis

Parents across Scotland and England are asked by experts to look out for signs of hepatitis after several cases of the disease were detected in children.

Hepatitis Cases on the Rise

According to ITV, around 60 cases of the inflammatory liver condition have been found in children under ten years old in England and 11 cases in Scotland. The children were all sent to the hospital for treatment.

Scotland normally records eight cases of hepatitis every year, but in 2022, the cases have tripled in only four months.

Experts stated that parents need to look out for symptoms such as dark urine, muscle pains, joint pains, itchy skin, loss of appetite, and high temperature.

Also Read: Hepatitis C Virus Strongly Linked To Head And Neck Cancer: Study

Dr. Meera Chand, the director of clinical and emerging infections at the UK Health Security Agency, stated that investigations for a wide range of potential causes are currently underway, including any links to other infectious diseases.

Dr. Chand also reminded parents to be aware of the symptoms of jaundice, including skin with a yellow tinge which is usually easy to spot in the whites of the eyes and to contact a healthcare professional if they have any concerns.

The UK Health Security Agency is now raising awareness of the cases among the healthcare professionals in England and Scotland so that any other child who may be affected can be easily identified and assisted as early as possible.

While the condition may have happened for several other reasons, including viral infections, which are very common in children, the cases under investigation have not found the common viruses which usually cause hepatitis.

What is Hepatitis?

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that is often caused by some medications and several health conditions. There are five main viral classifications of hepatitis: A, B, C, D, and E. Each of the classifications is affected by a different virus.

According to the World Health Organization, around 354 million people are currently living with hepatitis B and C around the world.

Children who have hepatitis B and C, may not show symptoms until the damage affects their liver function. By contrast, children with acute hepatitis may present with symptoms shortly after contracting a hepatitis virus, according to the CDC.

Aside from dark urine, itchy skin, muscle and joint pains, and loss of appetite, parents also need to look out for other symptoms such as fatigue, flu-like symptoms, pale stool, abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, and jaundice.

It is important for parents to understand what is causing hepatitis in order for it to be treated correctly.

Healthcare professionals will progress through a series of tests to accurately diagnose the condition.

Healthcare professionals will take the child's medical history to determine any risk factors that they may have.

During a physical examination, the doctor will check for the swelling of the liver and any yellow discoloration in the eyes or skin.

Liver function tests will also be done. If the results are abnormal, that is the first indication that there is a problem, especially if the child does not show any signs of having the disease.

Children diagnosed with hepatitis may have to stay at the hospital for weeks in order to monitor their condition.

In 2016, around 650 patients were diagnosed with hepatitis B in Seattle.

In 2018, the state of Ohio declared a hepatitis A outbreak.

Related Article: Hepatitis C Medicine May Help Cure COVID-19 Patients, Possibly A New Therapeutic Option? New Study Says Yes

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Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Riot Games' new return-to-office policy is now being criticized by many employees, saying that the new rule can actually endanger their lives.

The California-based title creator announced that it will now allow staff to go back to their offices without requiring them to wear face masks.

To make matters worst, the "League of Legends" developer said that it is also removing the COVID-19 vaccine proof mandate, as well as testing.

Riot Games' New Return-To-Office Policy

According to The Verge's latest report, Riot Games decided to eliminate all the essential COVID-19 measures from its return-to-office policy.

Also Read: Riot Confirms 'Valorant Mobile' is Currently in Development--Asus ROG Phone 5 to be Go-to Phone for the Upcoming Game

Because of this, many employees are now complaining about the new rule.

"It's a foolish and pointless policy being done at a poor time and being handled without real guarantee of our safety," said a Riot Games employee, who asked to be unnamed.

At first, the removal of the mask, COVID-19 proof, and testing mandates seem to be out of place during the ongoing health crisis.

But, the decision of Riot Games actually follows the state and federal guidance of California. Recently, U.S. state officials announced that indoor masking, negative COVID-19 test result, and COVID-19 vaccination proof are no longer needed.

As of the moment, the giant game creator hasn't addressed the concerns of its employees regarding the new return-to-office policy.

Other Game Developers With Return-To-Office Policy Issues

Aside from Riot Games, Tech Crunch reported that Activision Blizzard is also being criticized because of its new health policy for employees returning to offices.

Recently, the company's chief administrative officer, Brian Bulatao, said that they are lifting the vaccine mandate for all staff in the United States.

Now, just like with the case of Riot Games, Activision's employees also said that this decision will put those who are immunocompromised at risk of contracting the deadly virus.

If you want to see further details about the health issue with Activision Blizzard's new health protocol, you can visit this link.

Meanwhile, Apple, Microsoft, and other tech giant firms are being asked by employees regarding their return-to-office decision.

On the other hand, a new study claimed that COVID-19 remote work activity can also affect employees.

For more news updates about return-to-office activities of giant tech companies, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Riot Games' 'League of Legends' Player Behavior System is Improving This 2022

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Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Unsplash/Sebastian Bednarek) Android

In 2019, Microsoft created a system for managing Android notifications from Windows.

Now, the tech company allows users to see notifications from your Android phone on your Windows 10 or 11 computer as they arrive to pull up the entire SMSM history and any pending notifications on demand.

You can also reply to messages and compose new text from your PC. Previously called "Your Phone," the Windows app has been renamed "Phone Link."

How to See Your Android Phone Notifications on Your PC

Remember that you are going back and forth from your computer to your Android phone. First, make sure that you have the latest version of your "Your Phone" app on your computer.

First, open the Microsoft Store and look for Phone Link. If the app is still not installed, you need to install it. Once it is installed, open the app, and you should see the "Your Phone" app on the screen, according to The Verge.

Click "Get Started," and you will be reminded of which Microsoft account you are signed into unless you want to change the accounts, then click "Continue."

Also Read: Windows 10 Soon To Have Android Notifications: Yes, You'll Be Able To Answer Text Messages Right From Your PC

Next, go to your phone, and you will be given instructions on where to go on your Android phone to install the Link to Windows app.

For most Android phones, you will type in the web link given, or you can search for it in the Play Store on your own and install it, according to HowtoGeek.

If you have a Surface Duo or a Samsung phone, the option "Link to Windows" will be installed there. Open the app and an option that says "Link Your Phone" should be seen on your PC.

Go back to your computer, and you should see the checkbox with a note, "I have the Link to Windows app ready." Check it and tap on "Pair with QR code."

You will get a pop-up with a QR code ready.

Check Your Phone

On your Android phone, you should see a box asking whether the QR code on your computer is ready. Since the QR code is ready, tap "Continue" on your phone.

Give Link to Windows permission to take images and record videos. Scan the QR code on the computer with your Android phone, and it shall be connected.

Give the app different permissions it requests. You will see a warning about how being connected to the computer will affect your phone's battery life. Tap "Continue," and then you can either allow or deny it permission to run in the background.

Your Android phone will tell you to check your computer to see if the process is complete, and your computer will let you know if you are all set and in sync.

Check Your Computer

There will be a welcoming message, and you will be invited to pin it to your Windows 11 taskbar. You will be introduced to everything you can do, like seeing the notifications, sending text messages, seeing images, or even making a call.

Just click on " See My Notifications " to allow the notifications to go through. Just click on "See My Notifications." You will be asked for permission to sync the notifications.

Just open the settings on your phone, and you should see "Device and App Notification." Find the Link to the Windows app in the list and activate the toggle. Tap "Allow" on the confirmation window that pops up to complete the process.

Related Article: How Can I Spy on a Cell Phone Without Installing Software on the Target Phone?

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Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
In spite of the delay in rolling out a timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general election, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that there was no cause for alarm because everything was under control.

The party, however, explained that while it would not give a specific timeline when the schedule of activities would be released, it would be released soon.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last week issued a fresh warning to political parties against undermining its guidelines on the 2023 elections.

It lamented that since it announced the changes in the dates for the country's general election in February and rolled out its schedule of activities, only two out of the 14 activities in its timetable have so far been executed.

"Where a political party fails to comply with the provisions of the Act in the conduct of its primaries, its candidate shall not be included in the election for the particular position in issue.

"As required by law, the commission shall monitor the primaries of each political party that provides the required legal notice in line with Sections 82 (1) and (5) of the Electoral Act. Failure of a political party to notify the Commission of any convention or congress convened for the purpose of nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified in the Act shall render the convention or congress invalid," INEC had said.

However, in line with the INEC's directive, the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) commenced the sales of Nomination and Expression of Interest forms on March 17 and would end on April 17, 2022.

But, speaking to THISDAY in a telephone interview yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Mr. Felix Morka, said while the party might not have a lot of time, it has everything under control.

He stated: "There is nothing delaying the party - nothing at all. After the last National Working Committee (NEC) meeting, I did make some comments to say that the matter was still under discussion; we have our procedures, we are not done; we will be done soon and as soon as we are done, that information will be released to the media. That is still the position."

Asked if the party was not running against time considering INEC timetable, Morka explained that while he cannot give a specific timeline when the schedule of activities would be released, he said it would be released soon.

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He added: "We have it under control. Yes, not a whole lot of time, but we have it under control. But in a very short while you will get the information that you seek

"I can't say, I can't give a timeline, it is not entirely up to me. As you remarked, you just mentioned that the schedule we have doesn't give us a whole lot of time."

However, a proposed schedule of activities that was trending on social media last week which the party refuted, showed that the ruling party would commence the sale of forms for the various election positions on April 22 and end on May 7.

The proposed timetable also indicated that submission of completed forms for various positions will take place between May 9 and 18, while the screening of aspirants is scheduled to hold between May 22 and May 29.

It also revealed that the screening appeals will hold between May 23; while the primary election will take place between May 17 and 30 May, 2022.
TECH TIMES CRYPTO WATCH: This week, here are the top headlines - from the United States Department of Justice's seizure of $34 million worth of crypto to Meta's potential Zuck Bucks. As the markets increase in volatility with no definite trends in play, the adaptation, legal precautions, and development of investing machines are rising.

US Justice Department Seizes $34 Million from Dark Web Seller

The United States Justice Department bagged its largest crypto counterfeit ever recorded. The DOJ announced that they were able to seize $34 million worth of crypto from illegally sold items on the dark web.

As per the DOJ, the crypto "chain hopping" technique was classified as money laundering. The culprit, a resident of South Florida, was allegedly linked to selling the illegal items online. No charges have been filed against the suspect for the alleged deceitful activities.

The allegations state that the illicit items sold amassed over 100,000 fraudulent transactions from 2015 to 2017 alone. Authorities said they lacked the evidence to file a criminal case against the suspect officially.

DeepMind Former Employees Develop Crypto Investment Machine

DeepMind is a British AI subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet. Three of its former employees are now training their machines to invest in stocks and crypto before arising. The three developers also worked in IBM and were behind creating the AI that beat professional poker players.

The report details how the machine invests through algorithmic trading, and the developers are currently training the AI to buy and sell shares or crypto for profit. The goal of the project is to either utilize the artificial intelligence they created through a new fund or sell the machine to an institutional bank or investor.

One of the developers, Martin Schmid, noted that he is not concerned about regulators going after their technology. The former DeepMind employee stated that this is because other companies are already doing the same.

Their project, EquiLibre Technologies, aims to use AI in the financial field to trade cryptocurrencies and stocks automatically. The team was able to gain investments from several venture capitalists, but no exact number was revealed.

Read Also: Tesla Texas Solar Panels To Start Mining Bitcoin; Automaker Partners With Blockstream, Jack Dorsey's Block Inc.

Meta Potentially Working on 'Zuck Bucks' Despite Regulator Blocks

Meta previously launched the Diem coin, which regulators blocked, and despite this, the company is working on a potential new crypto project. However, a Meta spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the rumored "Zuck Bucks."

Meta is exploring virtual assets, including both "reputation tokens" and "social tokens," which aim to provide monetary rewards for Facebook users. Reports note that the potential Zuck Bucks could be similar to gaming currencies like the "Roblox" Robux or "Fortnite" V-Bucks.

On top of the news regarding Meta's potential token, the company is also working on a service that provides loans to small businesses as the company attempts to venture into financial services.

Related Article: Nigerian Lenders Allegedly Allow Illegal Crypto Transactions Leading To Central Bank Penalties

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Written by Urian B.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Microsoft Edge 100 update comes with a massive performance boost thanks to its new sleeping tabs feature, making the web browser much more responsive than it was before.

Microsoft Edge 100 Update

The built-in web browser on Windows, Microsoft Edge, which succeeded the Internet Explorer, has released its version 100, following other rivaling apps like Google Chrome and Firefox.

According to a recent report by Bleeping Computer, the Microsoft Edge version 100 brings both the performance and responsiveness of the web browser to the next level.

Microsoft Edge 100 Performance Boost

One of the most notable upgrades in the latest version of the Windows browser is the improved iteration of its sleeping tabs feature, which vows to significantly change the overall experience of Edge.

The tweaked sleeping tabs feature on Microsoft Edge attempts to allow users to run the web browser without taking too many resources from a PC, such as its CPU and power.

It comes even as there are a plethora of tabs opened simultaneously, which has been the habit of most users these days-even for light users who merely browse the web for personal endeavors.

Read Also: Microsoft Edge Auto Alt Text Image Feature To Help Browser Users With Low Vision-Even Blind Individuals

Microsoft Edge Sleeping Tabs: How it Works

It is worth noting that the sleeping tabs on Edge are not an entirely new feature. In fact, it has been there for years now, Bleeping Computer noted in the same report.

It debuted on the version Beta 88 of the browser way back in December 2020, wherein it brought performance boosts for devs and other users testing out new features.

According to a recent report by XDA Developers, Microsoft claimed that the new sleeping tabs on Edge now put more tabs to sleep, roughly 8 percent of the simultaneously opened tabs.

In turn, the software tech giant said that the sleeping tabs could bring down the CPU usage of Edge by up to 99 percent. What's more, it also promises to save up to 85 percent of memory usage.

On top of that, Edge now visualizes how much PC resources are being saved via its Performance section. It can be found in the top-right corner of the browser.

Despite that, it turns out that Microsoft did not mention the new sleeping tabs feature on its release notes, even as it is one of the biggest highlights of the version 100 update.

Related Article: Windows 11 Pushes Microsoft Edge as Default Browser by Making Switching More Difficult

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Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
If you are worried that you will accidentally purchase in-app items on your iPhone, iPad, or Android, disable the in-app purchase option so that you have to verify each purchase before it is confirmed.

You can turn off the in-app purchases to make sure that you do not end up buying items from your installed games or apps.

When the option is disabled, your phone will ask for your confirmation each time you attempt to purchase an item from within a game or app on your device.

Disable In-App Purchase on Android

On Android, you can get the Google Play Store to ask for authorization every time someone tries to purchase an in-app item on your phone, according to HowtoGeek.

To enable the option, you need to launch the Google Play Store app on your Android phone. In the top-right corner of Google Store, you need to tap on your profile icon.

In the profile menu, click on "Settings" and choose "Authentication." In the menu that pops up, just tap "Require Authentication for Purchases.

Also Read: Mobile App Purchases Reach $133 Billion in 2021 | Apple Store Generates More Revenue than Google Marketplace

In the box that pops up, you need to enable the option that says, "For all purchases through Google Play on this device." This way, your Android phone will ask for your permission when an in-app item is being purchased, according to Gadgets 360.

If you think you will make a lot of in-app purchases in a short period of time, you may enable the option that says "every 30 minutes" so that you are not prompted for authentication on each purchase.

If asked, just enter your Google account's password to continue.

From now onwards, you will have to confirm each in-app purchase before it is made from your games or apps on your phone.

If there is a purchase that is already made and you want to undo it, you can get a refund on Google Play Store.

Disable In-App Purchases on iPad or iPhone

On your iPhone or iPad, use an option within the Screen Time to restrict your in-app purchases. First, you need to launch the Settings on your iPhone.

Under the Settings menu, scroll down and tap "Screen Time."

Make sure that you have configured the Screen Time feature, according to Digital Trends. On the page, just tap the "Content and Privacy Restrictions" option. Choose the purchases option and select "In-App Purchases."

Turn off your iPhone's in-app purchases by choosing "Don't Allow." Once you've done that you're all set. Remember to get an App Store refund for any purchases that you want to back out from.

Make sure that you do not hand over your passcode to someone else, or they will be able to use it to lift the in-app purchase restrictions.

How to Turn Off the Passcode in iPhones

To turn off the passcode on your iPhone, just start by launching the Settings app on your iPhone. In Settings, access the passcode option.

If you use an iPhone X, just tap Face ID and Passcode. If you have an earlier model of the iPhone, just tap Touch ID and Passcode. If your device does not have any Touch ID, choose the Passcode option.

On the "Enter Passcode" screen, type in your current iPhone passcode. On the following screen, tap "Turn Passcode Off" to disable the passcode.

In 2018, Apple allowed users to gift in-app purchases.

In January, Apple extended in-app purchase commission for apps.

Related Article: EU urges Google, Apple to fix in-app purchase system

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Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NASA's wet dress rehearsal is resuming this week, and it will be a modified take on the testing process of the company on their mission for the Space Launch System rocket. The Artemis I Moon mission is a massive venture for the company, and the space agency puts many efforts behind it, even in the initial stages of the mission.

NASA Wet Dress Rehearsal: Artemis I Mission Resuming This Week

NASA announced that it is holding another wet dress rehearsal for the SLS rocket and the Artemis I Moon mission's take on the future events that will unfold. The new wet dress rehearsal will bring a modified take on the testing process of the rocket, primarily with its tanking of the core stage that will bring the entire operation possible for everyone to witness.

The national space agency is also focusing on the minimal propellant operations with the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) that NASA aims to focus on in this rehearsal. The efforts of the space agency are to ensure that all systems are ready, using this time to tweak and change several factors that will affect the coming missions.

Read Also: Space Telescope Medley Discovers The Farthest Galaxy Ever Seen In History

NASA Artemis I Moon Mission: Significant Focus on Rehearsal

NASA's SLS is coming back with Orion to the Launch Complex 39B this week, and it will go from Tuesday, April 12, until Thursday, April 14. NASA said that this will be an opportunity to "refine the countdown procedures" and validate critical models, as it will also look into software interfaces.

The engineers from NASA will also test objectives that are critical to its launch success.

NASA's Artemis and SLS

The Artemis I Moon mission is the first time the space agency and humans get to go back to the lunar surface after many decades since its last trip to the nearby space rock. Many ventures focus on the Artemis Moon mission and one of them is NASA's take on a second company that will build the moon lander for the venture.

The SLS got tested multiple times already, and the company brought many of its rockets to work in the past results of the testing phase of the agency. The Block 1 is a massive venture for NASA and it ensures the first stage of the rocket propulsion that the spacecraft will bring when it is time for the actual mission toward the Moon.

NASA's wet dress rehearsal may be a lot for the public at this time, and its many delays and resume to bring the agency's testing process for the SLS rocket. However, it is an important stage for the space agency, and the Artemis I is a venture that the agency builds up to create history for humans' return to the moon rock.

Related Article: NASA Hubble New Successor? The Solar System Space Telescope Can Do Something That JWST Can't

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Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) of Singapore announced that the vendors offering cybersecurity services should be licensed before carrying out their operations.

According to the latest report, they will be given up to six months of grace period for the application. They will be on the verge of being fined or jailed if they fail to do so.

CSA to Prioritize Two Service Categories For Cybersecurity Vendors

In a recent report written by ZDNet earlier this week, the new implementation that Singapore laid out will be applicable for cybersecurity vendors which serve two categories for their services.

To add, the provision includes companies that will engage in monitoring and penetration testing services. It will also cover third-party vendors and resellers of cybersecurity services that are licensed.

The government agency announced that it would take effect starting Monday, Apr. 11 in line with Singapore.s Cybersecurity Act. This time, the authorities will be prioritizing consumer protection while assuring that the service providers are serving the users' interests well.

As part of this new rule, CSA highlighted the two service categories that will be under new changes. As such, Singapore sees that these companies have access to consumers' personal information on their systems.

Related Article: Millions of Internet-Connected Devices Need to be Patched After Vulnerability Issue, Singaporean CSA Alarms

What Happens if a Cybersecurity Vendor Fails to Apply For a License

In a similar report from ZDNet, Singapore cited that if a person failed to render a cybersecurity service without a license, the individual will be imprisoned for a couple of years. There's also a possibility that he/she will pay SG$50,000 or $36,673.

For the license payment, an individual is required to pay SG$500 or $366. For the corporations or businesses, they will need to hand in SG$1,000 or $732. Moreover, the license should be effective for only two years.

For the persons or companies who will submit their applications prior to April 11, 2023, CSA noted that they will grant a 50% fee waiver for them.

With regards to improving its cybersecurity landscape in the country, Singapore's cybersecurity regulator wrote that it will continue to look forward to more trends inside and outside the industry.

The agency added that it will also explore monitoring new service categories that could be included in the future.

As of press time, CSA pointed out that it already received 29 responses which came from local and foreign markets. The industry organizations were also included in the response.

Some of the recommendations that the regulator received pertains to the license conditions. Others tackled how the agency will handle data breaches related to licenses.

To diminish the uncertainty of the licenses, CSA said that there's a need to revise the language under the license conditions.

Bilateral Discussion About Cybersecurity

Previously, Channel News Asia reported that Singapore and the United States conducted a Cyber Dialogue which discussed operations about the policy of the agencies, as well as the operational and technical issues.

Read Also: Ukraine to Use Drones to Surveil Russia Through Donations from Come Back Alive Non-Profit



This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Denny Muller via Unsplash)

A few years back, factory reset was heavily used for every Android issue. With the introduction of FRP, devices are rarely used for fraudulent activities. Hence, FRP requires access to the Google account, restricting Android users from accessing services when they forget the credentials or buy a second-hand phone without resetting. So to unlock an Android phone, some kind of a FRP bypass tool was required.

This article will introduce you to one of the best Samsung FRP unlock tools on the market.

Your Easy Samsung FRP Tool & Android Unlocker

Many Android users face difficulty in unlocking the devices, and not everyone is a technical expert to get it sorted on their own. As a solution for this, iToolab has introduced UnlockGo (Android), which helps FRP bypass Samsung and unlock the Android screen.

Today, let's take a deep down into this amazing tool.

iToolab UnlockGo(Android)

When the user forgets the Google account details, it is impossible to bypass the FRP. With UnlockGo(Android), users can easily bypass Samsung FRP lock in minutes without requiring any technical knowledge. Apart from that, it helps to remove different Android-compatible screen locks, which we will discuss later in this article. iToolab guarantees that users won't lose data on older versions of Samsung devices.

Platform Compatibility: Windows 7, 8, 10, 11

Android Compatibility: Android 2.0 and later

Why do Android users need to use iToolab UnlockGo(Android)? If you have any doubts in your mind, let's check on the key features it provides.

Key Features

Bypass Samsung FRP on the latest Android OS

UnlockGo helps you remove the FRP lock in a few minutes without needing access to the Google account. The extended support provided to Android 12 makes it different from other products. Many tools and software in the market are not capable of bypassing FRP lock on Android 12 devices, making UnlockGo the go-to solution for Samsung FRP bypassing. It also supports Android 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. Once the lock is removed, users can log in to a new Google account and use the Samsung device without any limitations.

Remove all Android screen locks

No matter the type of Android screen lock you use to unlock your Samsung phone, if you forget the PIN, Password, Pattern, Fingerprint or Face Lock or bought a second-hand phone, iToolab UnlockGo(Android) can remove all of that and provide the access immediately. During the removal process, a data reset is carried out, wiping all the settings related to the screen lock. Once the process completes, users can set a new screen lock as wished. Removing the screen lock with UnlockGo(Android) is completely safe, guaranteed results.

No data loss in removing the Samsung screen lock

Traditionally, removing the screen lock removes all the data stored in the device. But with the use of iToolab UnlockGo(Android), users can eliminate the risk of suffering data loss in Samsung S7 and earlier versions. When the device has lots of important data, it takes a while to backup them to a different location. With the introduction of this feature it eliminates the time and effort required to back up the data on the phone. These essential features make UnlockGo(Android) different from the other software.

Brand and Device compatibility

UnlockGo for Android covers 15+ major Android brands, including Samsung, Huawei, Honor, LG, Motorola, Google, Xiaomi, Vivo, etc. The list continues to grow, and many to add in the future. It supports over 2000+ Android phone and tablet models like S22, A72, Galaxy Note 3 etc. So it doesn't matter the type of device you own; iToolab has covered it for you.

Step by Step to Bypass Samsung FRP

Step 1: Connect Samsung device to PC

Open the installed iToolab UnlockGo(Android) on the PC and connect the Samsung device using the USB cable. After that, click on the Remove Google Lock(FRP) option.

Step 2: Select device OS

Click on the Start button and select the device OS version from the next window on the next screen. Then click on the Next button to confirm the choice.

Step 3: Send a notification to the Samsung device

Now UnlockGo (Android) will send a notification to the mobile phone and keep it connected to the PC until the whole process completes.

Step 4: Setup Samsung FRP on Android 12/11

The following prerequisites are essential to set up the Samsung device on Android 11 and 12.

Stable Wi-Fi connection

Valid Samsung account

Alliance Shield account

Tap on the View button on the screen to navigate to Galaxy Store. If required, please update the store to the latest version. After updating, click on the Next button on the device. Follow the instructions on the screen and click on the Confirm button. Install Alliance Shield App Register the Alliance Shield account on the PC and sign in with the credentials. Setup the account using the instructions on the screen. Tap the search icon and type service mode. Then select Activities and open it.

7. Select "MTP+ADB" or "PTP+ADB" when selecting the service mode.

Finally, tap on the Allow for debugging, and UnlockGo (Android) will send a command to the device to restart automatically. Until this process completes, keep the device connected. After Google FRP lock removed, you can login a new one.

Video Tutorial:

Forgot your Android Phone password? 3 Steps to Unlock it!

Whether your Android phone uses a 6-digit passcode or a fingerprint, iToolab UnlockGo will remove it within a minute, even if a screen pattern lock.

Step 1: Open the UnlockGo(Android)

Select the Unlock Screen Lock option. Then connect the Samsung device to the PC. After that, check the device information shown on the screen, and confirm the data using the Unlock button.

Step 2: Boot the device into recovery mode

UnlockGo needs to boot the device to recovery mode to remove the Android phone password. For that, follow the below step-by-step guide.

Step 3: Start unlocking

Follow the instructions on the screen and set a new password at the end.

Video tutorial:

Pricing

iToolab has introduced flexible price plans suited for all users, starting from a 1-month plan. Below, we summarize the price plans available for you.

1-Month Plan: $29.95

3-Months Plan: $39.95

Lifetime Plan: $49.95

Grab an eye-catching 20% extra discount today using the coupon code: LABR8F during the checkout.

Conclusion

Without any second thought, we have to agree that no FRP bypass Samsung tool provides such features, unlike iToolab UnlockGo (Android). Since we can unlock Android phones with no technical expertise, we highly recommend using UnlockGo. The support it provides users in solving Android issues makes this tool special among other utility software.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tehachapi, CA (93561)

Today

Partly cloudy skies with gusty winds. High 62F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear and windy. Low 37F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has declared that increased diversity of creditors raises coordination challenges for Nigeria and other indebted poor countries.

With a total public debt of N39.566 trillion ($95.77 billion) as at December 2021, Nigeria is exposed to a significant number of local and external creditors.

In a blogpost captioned, "Restructuring Debt of Poorer Nations Requires More Efficient Coordination," the IMF stated that low-income countries face fewer debt challenges today than they did 25 years ago, attributing this in particular to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries' (HIPCs) initiative, which slashed unmanageable debt burdens across sub-Saharan Africa and other regions.

It observed that although the ratios are lower than in the mid-1990s, debt has been creeping up for the past decade, adding that the changing composition of creditors will make restructuring more complex.

Of the about $39 billion external debt as at December 31, 2021, Nigeria is indebted to bilateral creditors such as China Eximbank, JICA (Japan), AFD of France, GIZ (Germany) and Eximbank of India.

On the multilateral side, Nigeria is indebted to the World Bank Group, including the International Development Association (IDA) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).

It also owes the African Development Bank (AfDB); Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, European Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The country's external debt obligations also extend to Eurobonds and Diaspora Bond.

The IMF believes that the increasing diversity of creditors poses complex restructuring and more complex challenges for Nigeria and other heavily indebted countries.

In the blogpost, the global lender noted that an improved common framework for debt treatment could clear a path through an increasingly complex creditor landscape.

According to the IMF, in past decades, Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) countries borrowed mainly from Paris Club official creditor nations and private banks, alongside multilateral institutions, adding that today, China and private bondholders play a much larger lending role.

The IMF stated: "The share of DSSI countries' external debt owed to Paris Club creditors fell from 28 per cent in 2006 to 11 per cent in 2020. Over the same period, the share owed to China rose from 2 per cent to 18 per cent and the share of Eurobonds sold to private creditors increased from three per cent to 11 per cent.

"The situation differs significantly across countries, however. Averages conceal a diversity of debt composition, from the shares of bilateral, multilateral and private creditors, to the composition of official bilateral creditors themselves.

"China is now the largest official bilateral creditor in more than half of DSSI countries, including when counting all 22 Paris Club creditors as a single pool. China would therefore play a key role in most DSSI countries' debt restructurings that would involve official bilateral creditors.

"While the diversity of creditor compositions calls for greater attention to country specificities, appropriate coordination mechanisms will be key in all cases."

According to the IMF, putting in place mechanisms that ensure coordination and confidence among creditors and debtors has become urgent, adding that improvements to the G20 Common Framework could play an important role by ensuring broad participation of creditors with fairer burden sharing.

"Experience so far shows that greater clarity on restructuring steps, earlier engagement of official creditors with the debtor and with private creditors, a standstill in debt service payments during negotiations, and specifying the mechanics of comparability of treatment is still needed," the multilateral institution said.

Although Nigeria is one of the 73 eligible countries under the DSSI mooted by the IMF and the World Bank for the G20 nations to defer the debt service obligations of poor countries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country opted out of the initiative.

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The World Bank had explained that although some countries were eligible for the DSSI, they had chosen not to participate for a number of reasons.

Some of the reasons included conveying wrong signals to bondholders and other private creditors, among others.

"Some DSSI-eligible countries have thus far elected not to participate. Currently, 27 DSSI-eligible countries, 37 per cent of eligible countries, are not participating in the initiative for a variety of reasons.

"Some fear participation may convey the wrong signal to bondholders and other private creditors while others note the amount of eligible bilateral debt service was negligible, and savings do not justify the administrative expenses incurred by the deferral," the World Bank had stated.
The Presidency has declared that President Muhammadu Buhari has no immediate plan to embark on another medical trip to London, the United Kingdom.

The social media was flooded with the news of yet another trip to London by President Buhari, just a month after he visited the country for a two-week medical session with his doctors.

But in a Tweet yesterday, the Personal Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, Bashir Ahmad, debunked the rumour, saying President Buhari was in Abuja and not planning any trip to London.

"The news going round that President Muhammadu Buhari has embarked on a 20-day vacation trip to London is FAKE. The President is in Abuja and he is not planning to embark on any trip to London," Ahmad explained.
"The contaminated water released into the ocean will spread across the entire Pacific Ocean in 10 years and affect almost all of our sea," Rep. Seo Sam-seok said.

South Koreans voiced concerns about Japan's planned release of radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.

On Monday, Rep. Seo Sam-seok of the liberal Democratic Party held a forum to find ways in cooperation with neighboring countries to tackle Japan's plan to dump nuclear wastewater next spring.

"The contaminated water released into the ocean will spread across the entire Pacific Ocean in 10 years and affect almost all of our sea. Marine pollution will be inevitable, so the government and the political circle should proactively act for the safety of people," Seo said.

The incoming government of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, scheduled to be sworn in as president on May 10, also planned to sternly deal with the tritium-laced water release by Japan, a local daily JoongAng Ilbo reported.

There are many sources of radiation. Chernobyl sent Cs-134 & -137 into atmosphere. Fukushima sent Cs into atmosphere & Pacific Ocean. That gets into fish. Nuclear power plants & nuclear waste.



This goes over Cs levels in blue fin tuna. They migrate https://t.co/8GtgoYEfNQ   Robert Tinti (@R_tinti) April 5, 2022

The Yoon administration will strengthen radiation checks and the country origin mark of imported marine products while expanding the origin labeling in restaurants. The current Moon Jae-in government has completely banned the import of marine products caught in the Japanese waters near the Fukushima prefecture.

Civic activists and local residents in Pohang, about 370 km southeast of Seoul, held a protest rally last week against Japan's plan to continuously discharge nuclear wastewater into the ocean for 30 years beginning in 2023.

The Pohang Citizens Behavior, composed of six civic groups and residents, have campaigned since last July against the Japanese government as the port city is forecast to be one of the hardest-hit fishing areas by the release of the polluted water.
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
Ezeudo of Abuja, Uche Egenti, describes Mr Ngige as a bold, courageous and brave man.

A meeting of Ndieze Igbo in Diaspora and Igbo Delegate Assembly (IDA) comprising Igbos living in the 19 states of Northern Nigeria rose on Saturday in Abuja, with a unanimous resolution to support the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, for the 2023 presidential race, his spokesperson has said.

"They said Ngige should henceforth stop his consultations and join the race for the country's topmost political office," spokesperson Nwachukwu Ngige said in a statement Saturday night.

"The President-General of IDA, Chief Chi Nwogu who announced the resolution, said Ngige by his antecedents had proved his mettle in leadership and if Nigerians decide to seek for an Igboman to lead the country, he should be the one."

Mr Nwogu reportedly said Igbos were tired of playing a second fiddle in Nigerian politics and wished to produce the successor to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Nwogu was further quoted to have said, "We want to produce the President of Nigeria in 2023. We don't want Vice President. Please Ngige, you have done enough consultations. Don't consult again. Join the presidential race.

"We know your antecedents the periods you served as governor of Anambra State and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You have been in the labour room in the past seven years as the Minister of Labour and Employment, attending to all the labour disputes brought to your table. Please, join the presidential race. We will support you. We will follow you to Aso Rock."

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Speaking in a similar vein, according to Mr Ngige's spokesperson, the Eze-Ndigbo Bauchi, Jude Umezika, described the minister as a unifier and bridge-builder who would unify Nigeria and safeguard the lives and property of the Igbos and other Nigerians wherever they live in the country.

"The roads he built in Anambra 16 years ago are still intact. There is no Igbo man who is his match. He is one of the Igbo leaders that will call us whenever there is a problem in the North. He has the fear of God."

Also speaking at the event, the Ezeudo of Abuja, Uche Egenti, reportedly described Mr Ngige as a bold, courageous and brave man, expressing confidence that if given the opportunity to serve as President, he would replicate his excellent performance in Anambra State in Nigeria.
Responding to Louisiana's teacher shortage, a state Senate committee Monday approved a bill that would allow select teachers to return to the classroom and keep their full retirement benefits.

Under current rules, those teachers can only earn roughly 25% of what they collect in retirement.

The measure, Senate Bill 434, cleared the Senate Retirement Committee. It is expected to next face action in the Senate Finance Committee and, if approved there, move to the full Senate.

The proposal is one of a handful awaiting action as educators scramble to fill vacancies for a wide range of subjects.

How to tackle teacher shortage? Some lawmakers say retirees could ease the problem Louisiana's teacher shortage is growing more urgent, and some state lawmakers want to try to lure retired teachers back to the classroom by of

The ranks of aspiring teachers are down 30%, and the number of former teachers who have returned to work plummeted 61% between 2010 and 2020, according to the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana.

The measure endorsed Monday, which is sponsored by Sen. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, would only apply to certified teachers in math, science, English/language arts and special education  all described as areas of critical shortage.

It would also cover educators filling in for teachers on maternity, military or extended sick leave.

The returning teacher would have to have been retired for at least 12 months and did not leave work because of a disability.

+2 Aspiring teachers down 30% in Louisiana as state faces shortage, lack of diversity in classrooms Louisiana's teacher workforce is suffering from a variety of ills, including a 30% drop in the ranks of aspiring teachers, a glut of educators

The current policy restricts what retired teachers can earn to 25% of their final average compensation, which was described as slightly more than their annual benefit.

"Teacher shortage is the issue everybody is facing in school systems," said Michael Faulk, executive director of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents.

The new rules would be in effect for three years.

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

Faulk noted that a recent survey by the state Department of Education showed there are 1,854 vacancies for certified jobs, and that the list of unfilled jobs could exceed 2,500 by the start of the 2022-23 school year.

He told the committee he thinks the list of vacancies will be even bigger because of new work requirements placed on teachers.

The TRSL's Board of Trustees took no position on the bill by Fields, who is chairman of the Senate Education Committee.

It opposed another measure heard in committee Monday  Senate Bill 419  that would allow teachers and other school personnel to return to work immediately without any loss of retirement benefits.

Sen. Stewart Cathey Jr., R-Monroe, sponsor of the legislation, said a school principal told him recently superintendents are driving school buses because of a driver shortage.

Keith Courville, executive director of the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, endorsed Cathey's bill and said former teachers can take a wide range of education and private sector jobs without hurting their retirement.

"And no one cares until I want to go back to public service and teach," Courville said, a reference to the loss of benefits under the current state law.

Critics said the lack of any waiting period and the possibility it could spark earlier-than-planned retirements and put pressure on the retirement system made Cathey's bill problematic.

The committee took no action on the measure, which means it faces an uncertain future.

Several similar bills are awaiting action in the House, including some that would allow teachers to earn 50% of what they can collect now compared to 25%.

Jim Henderson, president of the University of Louisiana System and Chris Broadwater, vice president of workforce policy for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, said any retire/rehire bill should address shortages in colleges too, especially for nursing instructors.

"This is not just an issue for the K-12 systems," said Broadwater, a former House member.
The latest collapse is the fifth this year.

The federal government said the collapse of the national grid on Friday was caused by "vandalism" on a transmission tower on the Odukpani - Ikot Ekpene 330kV double circuit transmission line, leading to a loss of about 400MW of generation.

Isa Sanusi, spokesperson to the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, said this in a statement on Twitter on Saturday.

"This consequently led to a cascade of plants shut down across the country," he said.

The affected power plant was recently upgraded alongside Okpai and Alam IV power plants, to contribute 400 megawatts of electricity to the national grid.

Electricity companies on Friday notified their customers of the latest grid failure which threw many cities into darkness.

"Please be informed that there has just been a national grid collapse causing an outage in our franchise areas. We apologize for the inconvenience caused and appeal that you bear with us while we await restoration from the TCN. We regret all inconvenience caused," the AbujaElectricity Distribution Company said.

"Dear customers, there was a loss of supply as a result of the system collapse of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) about 6:30 p.m. across all our franchise states of Bauchi, Benue, Gombe and Plateau," Jos electricity distribution company said.

The latest collapse is the fifth this year.

The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, had said poor maintenance and shortage of gas were the causes of the collapse. He said steps but had been mitigated by the Presidential Power Initiative to prevent future occurrence.

"While a detailed investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the recurring grid failure is currently ongoing by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and System Operator (the operator of the national grid), the process of restoring supply is ongoing with some sections of the national grid already energised and supply restored to consumers," Mr Sanusi said in the statement.

He said the grid was being restored by the system operator as other on-grid power plants were dispatched to cover the lost generation capacity from the Calabar power plant owned by the Niger Power Holding Company Ltd.
Heard urged support for women who come forward as victims of violence, and wrote that two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our cultures wrath for women who speak out. ... I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse. She did not mention Depp by name. Depp as Jack Sparrow in a scene from 2017s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Credit:AP About three months later, Depp filed a defamation lawsuit asking for $US50 million in damages, saying that the piece hurt his career and cost him movie roles and incalculably (and immediately) damaged his reputation as a public figure. What does Depp allege? The complaint states that Depps reputation and career were devastated after Heards first domestic violence accusation in 2016, but the op-ed brought new damage: Disney dropped Depp from the lucrative Pirates of the Caribbean franchise four days after it published.

The op-eds clear implication that Mr Depp is a domestic abuser is categorically and demonstrably false. Mr Depp never abused Ms Heard. Her allegations against him were false when they were made in 2016. They were part of an elaborate hoax to generate positive publicity for Ms Heard and advance her career, Depps lawyers wrote in the complaint. It also alleges that Heard violently abused Depp. Loading The complaint says that Heard wrote the op-ed with actual malice (the legal standard that public figures have to prove in defamation cases), claiming that Heard, at the time of publication ... knew these statements were false; and that Depp wants to clear his name and receive punitive damages. What does Heard allege? In April 2019, Heard filed to dismiss the case and detailed years of alleged abuse beginning in late 2012, when she said he first slapped her across the face. She alleged that Depp abused drugs and alcohol and called him the Monster during these times, and said she never attacked Depp except in self-defence against her and her sister.

Johnny Depp regularly abused Amber heard  both physically and emotionally  through much of their relationship, Heards lawyers wrote. Ms Heard eventually found herself forced to file for divorce. ... After the ensuing media frenzy  in which Mr Depp distorted the truth for public consumption  Ms. Heard resolved to fight for the victims of domestic violence. After the case proceeded, Heard counter-sued Depp for $US100 million in August 2020, saying Depp defamed her and tried to ruin her when his team said that she committed perjury and that her abuse allegations were a hoax. (A judge dropped some of the claims in the countersuit, but is allowing others to continue. The jury will hear both Depps claims and Heards counterclaims.) Amber Heard at the Royal Courts of Justice in London in 2020. Credit:Getty Images Why is the trial in Fairfax County, Virginia? Depps lawyers wrote in the complaint that they filed in Fairfax County because The Washington Post  which is not a defendant in the suit  is printed at a plant in Springfield, and its online servers are in Virginia; the print edition also has a wide circulation in the state. (Heards attorneys argued for the trial to take place in Los Angeles, where she and Depp lived.)

Last month, Depps lawyers argued against Heard using Virginias anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) law, which gives defendants immunity from frivolous lawsuits when they speak out about matters of public interest that are protected under free speech. Depps lawyer said the law shouldnt involve private matters like the one between Heard and Depp; but a judge ruled against Depps side, saying that Heards op-ed was about domestic violence, which is a matter of public interest, and she can use that argument of immunity with the jury. In 2020, The Washington Posts Justin Jouvenal reported that the Virginia legislature passed bills aimed to tighten its anti-defamation laws, in response to Depps and other high-profile lawsuits. Jouvenal wrote that free speech advocates were worried that the state had become a magnet for dubious litigation aimed at punishing critics and blunting aggressive media coverage on topics of public concern. What happened with Depps libel case in Britain? In 2020, Depp lost a libel case in which he sued the Britain-based News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, for publishing a 2018 story with the headline Gone Potty: How can J.K. Rowling be genuinely happy casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film? Both actors appeared on the stand and detailed their volatile relationship, though Depp denied any physical abuse. Heard alleged Depp assaulted her 14 times, and it was reported that The Washington Post reported that, The judge found there was enough evidence to support her claims about 12 incidents, and that he said The Sun had proved its article was substantially true. 

After the trial ended, Warner Bros. removed Depp from the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Heard filed again to dismiss the lawsuit after the verdict, but the judge rejected the motion. Loading Who is going to testify? Along with domestic abuse experts and forensic experts, there are also some recognisable names among the long list of witnesses. On Depps side, theres actor Paul Bettany, who exchanged texts with Depp about Heard that showed up in the Britain trial. Heards list includes her ex-boyfriend and Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, as well as actor James Franco, whom Heard said once inquired about bruises on her face following an alleged abusive incident with Depp. The Washington Post
A 15-year-old boy has been charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old boy who was working at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney on Monday night, as police continue to look for the killer.

The younger boy spent the night in custody and was charged on Tuesday morning with affray, carrying a knife in a public place, and being armed with intent, but police said the person who killed the teenager was still at large.

Forensic police walk past closed rides at the Royal Easter Show on Tuesday morning. Credit:Rhett Wyman

We believe that there is someone who we still need to identify who is responsible for the stabbing. It may be one person, it may be a number of people. We are looking for additional people who were involved, NSW Police Superintendent Danielle Emerton said during a press conference on Tuesday morning.

We believe there is another suspect out there. We still need to identify who is responsible for the stabbing.
Scotty from Marketing wants voters to stick with a government you know (Nothing in our politics can be taken on trust, April 11). He doesnt seem to realise that is his big problem. After the past three years, we do know this government now, especially its inaction about climate change, its incompetence on other crucial issues, its lack of accountability and its refusal to take responsibility for its own stuff-ups, its misogynist and bullying attitude to women, its cruel treatment of proven refugees, its blatant pork-barrelling and misuse of taxpayer money for its purposes and the list goes on. It will take a lot of spin to obfuscate, deflect and deny this appalling record. Rob Phillips, North Epping Well done, PM, extend your term in office until the latest possible date. Prolong the agony. We had a COVID-19 vaccine strollout. No reason the same principle should not apply here. Hope and pray for another miracle. Maybe lightning will strike twice in the one place just for you. John Hinde, Millers Point Were not perfect, spruiks the PM. Well, you got that right, Scotty. Bill Young, Killcare Heights Were not perfect has to be the understatement of the year, by our hopefully about-to-depart PM. Labor plus the Greens plus the independents need to clean up after his government and move on to progressive policies on climate change, aged care, the treatment of women in and out of parliament, and the establishment of an effective anti-corruption commission, whose brief should include governmental pork-barrelling, to name a few of the areas in which the short-sighted Coalition has been more than laggardly (apart from the pork-barrelling, of course). Anne Ring, Coogee The PM describes his government as tried and tested (Over to you, April 11). I would think tired and testy would be more like it. Ron Wessel, Mount St Thomas

If we adjust Scotts pitch to reality, all we see is a tired and busted government. Mark Pearce, Richmond Tried and tested is a fairly ill-considered slogan from an ad man when the obvious response from disaffected voters is we have been. Not sure itll work as hed wanted. Lyn Savage, Coogee Aside from the profligate use of taxpayer funds, I wonder if Morrison had feelings of flygskam (flight shame) using a Boeing 737 as personal transportation for a five-minute chat with the governor-general? Col Burns, Lugarno Mister, honorifics are so last week The more things change (Honorifics out as we move with the times, April 11). I remember reading a Communist Party rag many years ago where there were no honorifics. Prime minister Menzies (a popular subject) was just Menzies. Welcome to the revolution, comrades. Garry Feeney, Kingsgrove

As the Herald drops titles from its news articles, I wonder why it and other media organisations persist in including a descriptor, such as occupation or parenthood. If people are no longer to be defined by their gender or status, why should they be defined by what they do? Philip Cooney, Wentworth Falls I hope most readers will understand the decision to simplify its style by no longer routinely giving people honorifics. They may also spot a tug of the journalistic forelock in the story about Princess Annes visit to RFS headquarters in which she is called the Princess Royal. So much for just using a surname after the initial use of a persons title. Windsor, anyone? Robin Osborne, Mawson (ACT) A warning for Eden The bigger cruise liners planning to dock at Eden (Worlds biggest ships to dock at Eden in travel boost, April 11) have large electrical requirements, which require larger dynamos running off burning large amounts of bunker fuel. The burning of this fuel is known to pump large quantities of particulate matter 2.5 into the atmosphere, causing respiratory problems (especially in children) and loading the air with potential carcinogens, a scenario well known to the residents of Balmain. It took over a decade for the Port Authority of NSW to correct its mistake of not putting ship to shore power at the White Bay cruise terminal (to be installed by 2024). Hopefully, it will not repeat that mistake at Eden. Cornelius van der Weyden, Balmain East Gimme shelter

Most people in Sydney, especially the bus passengers, do not care what the new bus shelters look like (JCDecaux boss eyes new contracts, takes aim at Sydney street refurbish, April 11). They would be happy to see any at all. Before any new shelters have been sorted out, somebody has removed all the old ones. At the QVB, at Wynyard, and along Parramatta Road, Broadway and Missenden Road, people waiting for buses have stood for months in the summer sun and torrential rain with no protection. Who is responsible for this shameful neglect? Whoever is to blame, for sure they are not bus passengers. Allan Miles, Stanmore Tax cuts have a price Ross Gittins is right (Going ahead with stage 3 tax cuts would be reckless, April 11) when we have deft and deficit coming out our ears. That Labor agrees with the government for the tax cuts beggars belief. This structural deficit for the tax cuts that voters are not asking for but are given as a bonus is stupidity of the highest order. No wonder Gen Y and X hate Baby Boomers. Mukul Desai, Hunters Hill Albert family rocks Your correspondent (Letters, April 11) laments the lack of support to live musicians.

Some years ago, at Mission Australia near Taylor Square, Sydney, I was shown a recently installed music studio. This facility enables musicians to write, record and rehearse with expert production standards. The Albert family has contributed this wonderful resource. Stephen Tait, Rose Bay

Parkinsons advocate Sadly for John Watkins (My battle with unrepentant Parkinsons, April 11), sufferers of Parkinsons disease now have an articulate and brave advocate. I was moved by his determination to inform and work for those who suffer as he does. John Bailey, Canterbury Parks perks Quote of the year from Woollahra councillor Luise Elsing (Woollahras NIMBY idea: dont count parks or schools, April 11): We are disadvantaged because we have a huge amount of public space. Perhaps she could donate a couple of harbourside parks to Bankstown Council. Stein Boddington, St Clair More trees, please

Gentle views of Sydneys bridge and harbour, glimpsed through the trees (Letters, April 11), will always be more appealing than the sight of shady, aggressive, monolithic constructions seen through dollar signs. Joy Cooksey, Harrington AJA is apolitical Your report on the Jewish community perspective in the election contest in Wentworth says I have given independent Allegra Spender my tick of approval (Jewish voters split in battle for Wentworth, April 9). This gives the false impression of endorsement or support by the Australian Jewish Association or me personally. To be clear, AJA does not endorse any political party or candidate, and nor do I. We discuss issues of concern to the Jewish community and regarding Israel with a broad range of politicians and candidates. It is true, as reported, that we found nothing untoward in Ms Spenders personal record. However, we find much to be concerned about with some funders, campaigners and candidates associated with the Climate 200 group, including statements hostile to Israel and even raising the question of anti-Semitism. Dr David Adler, president, AJA Easter bounty After reading about hot cross buns in Good Food (Get em while theyre hot: Five of the best artisan Easter buns in Sydney, April 5), we sent out our orders, and are now enjoying the bounty, much appreciated, in our old folks home. Rosemary Seam, Kempsey

The teal deal Lets not be colour-blind in covering this federal election. Not all Climate 200 independent candidates are teal. Georgia Steele is challenging Craig Kelly in Hughes and her supporters wear a fetching shade of hi-vis orange. You cant miss it. Beth Medway, Woolooware Saint Chris Vale, Chris Bailey (Chris Bailey, lead singer of legendary rock band The Saints, dies, smh.com.au, April 11). Im sure he has gone straight to rock and roll heaven and is not stranded in purgatory. After all, he was a saint. Denis Goodwin, Dee Why On the watch
A world-first study that could help protect firefighters from the effects of dangerous chemical exposure started with a hunch.

Mick Tisbury, Tony Martin and Alan McLean had each worked in the fire service for more than three decades and were perplexed by blood tests showing markedly different PFAS (per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances) levels in their bloodstreams.

Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Fire Officer Mick Tisby announcing the findings on PFAS levels in firefighters. Credit:Wayne Taylor

They all worked at the Fiskville training centre, where a cancer cluster has been linked to the deaths of 16 people and where water contaminated with PFAS was found.

They also helped put out the Coode Island chemical fire in 1991, where huge amounts of PFAS fire foam was used.
An independent panel has recommended the Melbourne Press Club reinstate an award given to journalist Sam McClure for his reporting on a controversial AFL training camp, arguing that the decision to strip him of the honour was flawed.

The report and its recommendation to reinstate McClures award will be presented to the Melbourne Press Club board for consideration on Wednesday.

Age sports journalist and investigative reporter Sam McClure. Credit:Melbourne Press Club

McClure, a sports and investigative journalist at The Age, was in February stripped of a Quill award he won in 2020 for his story on the Adelaide Crows 2018 pre-season AFL training camp.

The move by the press club board followed a legal settlement between The Age and camp organisers in which the masthead agreed to publish an apology acknowledging the venture was run in good faith. The Age apologised if the reporting had caused organisers hurt and offence and removed the article from its website.
The way Anthony Albanese tried to control the damage from his jobs blunder on Monday said everything about the staggering cost of a stupid mistake.

There was no excuse for not knowing the unemployment rate and the Labor leader knew it.

Scott Morrison knew it, too, and will be campaigning on Tuesday on jobs policy to keep attention on the issue  and the blunder  through to the release of the next employment figures on Thursday.

Albanese and his campaign team moved as fast as they could to explain the mistake after he was asked in Launceston to name the national unemployment rate and had to admit  sorry, Im not sure what it is  that he did not know.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese says he will accept responsibility for not knowing the unemployment rate or the Reserve Banks official interest rate, as he sought to talk up the oppositions superior credentials when it came to cost-of-living pressures on Australians.

In an uncomfortable press conference in Launceston, Albanese was repeatedly asked to cite the two measures that are key indicators of the financial stresses endured by voters.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has failed to say what the unemployment rate at a press conference in Launceston on Monday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The national unemployment rate at the moment is, I think, its 5.4  Im not sure what it is, Albanese said as he handed over to Labors finance spokeswoman Katy Gallagher, who correctly answered the question.

Unemployment is at 4 per cent. The RBA cash rate is at a historic low of 0.1 per cent  and has not changed since November 2020. It is widely predicted the Reserve Bank will start lifting it in June, adding to financial pressures on homeowners.
The old ways of Australian politics are about to be tested by new candidates who are challenging the Liberals in some of their safest seats with large numbers of volunteers, serious amounts of money and a real chance of victory.

The independent candidates are the biggest experiment of the 2022 election and could create a new template for future campaigns if their loose alliance topples Liberals in city seats.

Independent candidates Allegra Spender (Wentworth), Zoe Daniel (Goldstein), Kylea Tink (North Sydney), Sophie Scamps (Mackellar) and Kate Chaney (Curtin). Credit: Jessica Hromas, Elke Meitzel, Wolter Peeters, Nick Moir, Tony McDonough

While voters in every electorate are likely to have independents on their ballot papers, the teal independents stand out not just for the common colour of their placards but the common elements of their game plan.

The essential goal is to replace a Liberal man with an independent woman in a relatively wealthy electorate in a major city. The formula clearly works when the incumbent Liberal is unpopular. It helped Rebekha Sharkie replace Jamie Briggs in Mayo in 2016 and Zali Steggall sweep Tony Abbott out of Warringah in 2019.
Ndieze Igbo in Diaspora and Igbo Delegate Assembly (IDA) comprising Igbos living in Northern Nigeria have unanimously resolved to support the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige for the 2023 presidential race.

The groups told the labour minister "to stop consultations and join the race for the country's topmost political office. If Nigerians decide to seek for an Igboman to lead the country, he should be the one."

The President-General of IDA, Chief Chi Nwogu, announced the resolution, saying Ngige by his antecedents had proved his mettle in leadership.

In a statement by Ngige Media Office, Nwogu was quoted as saying that Igbos were tired of playing a second fiddle in Nigerian politics and wished to produce the successor to President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said: "We want to produce the President of Nigeria in 2023. We do not want a Vice President. Please Ngige, you have done enough consultations. Don't consult again. Join the presidential race. We know your antecedents the periods you served as governor of Anambra State and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"You have been in the labour room in the past seven years as the Minister of Labour and Employment, attending to all the labour disputes brought to your table. Please, join the presidential race. We will support you. We will follow you to Aso Rock."

Likewise, the Eze-Ndigbo Bauchi, Igwe Jude Umezika described Ngige as a unifier and bridge-builder who would unify Nigeria and safeguard the lives and property of the Igbos and other Nigerians wherever they live in the country.

"The roads he built in Anambra 16 years ago are still intact. There is no Igbo man who is his match. He is one of the Igbo leaders that will call us whenever there is a problem in the North. He has the fear of God."

Also speaking, Ezeudo of Abuja, Dr Uche Egenti, described Ngige as a bold, courageous and brave man, expressing confidence that if given the opportunity to serve as President, he would replicate his excellent performance in Anambra State in Nigeria.

Earlier while consulting the group on his presidential ambition, Ngige reaffirmed his belief in one united, fair, equitable and just Nigeria, saying Igbos have properties scattered across the country.

He said the president of Nigeria "should be for the most competent person irrespective of where he or she comes from. The president is for all but certain areas in the constitution, particularly Section 14 (3) said that the government of Nigeria must be dominated by persons from different groups and no one group should dominate in order to command national loyalty and patriotism.

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"Therefore, we believe in unity and diversity. We believe in justice, equity and fair play, to the extent that today, our party, APC, has said that the next president should come from the people of Southern stock of Nigeria."

"The Igbos of the South-East are part of Southern Nigeria. Some of us have taken the pains to serve our country for the past 40 years in the public service of Nigeria. I started my journey as medical officer 1 at the National Assembly clinic in Lagos.

"From there, I went into the Federal Ministry of Health and rose to become consultant and later, Deputy Director in charge of Hospital Services. I left the civil service without blemish and became a party official in the PDP.

"Working with former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, we conceded the presidency to the South-West in 1999 and General Olusegun Obasanjo became President. I was among those who made it possible for the unity of the country.

"The party conscripted me to become Anambra State Governor. President Olusegun Obasanjo stayed from 1999 to 2007 and afterwards, the presidency moved to the North and Yar'Adua who was my mate as governor became president.

"Those who are from Anambra here know what I did in the State as Governor in just 34 months. I did not do it for Anambra alone, but for the entire South-East."
London: Emmanuel Macrons bid to be the first French president to win a second term in 20 years has now taken on far greater significance. The future of Europe could also be at stake.

The 44-year-old, who upstaged and surprised France five years ago as a dynamic, fresh-faced outsider is no longer that man. He is the establishment. Despite appearing in official photos in a Zelensky-style hoodie, Macron is the incumbent president who voters identify as an arrogant Parisian elite, now the poster boy for the well-off in French society.

He is someone to be blamed for woes of a bitterly divided nation.

French President and centrist candidate for re-election Emmanuel Macron talks to residents as he campaigns in the village of Spezet, Brittany. Credit:AP

And so, just like in 2017, he will face Marine Le Pen, a right-wing nationalist who has shifted her politics somewhat to appeal to not only the conservative, anti-immigrant mood, but also younger voters in regional towns, blue-collar workers and young families struggling to pay their bills. In a television interview recently, she spoke openly about the six cats who share her life and revealed she had become a registered breeder.
London: A cold, calculated and dangerous man inspired by Islamic State was jailed for life on Wednesday for the murder of veteran British lawmaker David Amess after stabbing him to death in a frenzied attack in a church where he was meeting voters.

Ali Harbi Ali, 26, a British citizen and son of a former media adviser to a prime minister of Somalia, attacked Amess last October for what he said was revenge for the lawmakers support for airstrikes on Syria.

A portrait of English MP David Amess. A man has been found guilty of his murder. Credit:Getty

Ali, who was on Monday found guilty of murder and preparation of terrorism after the jury took less than half an hour to reach a verdict, was sentenced to a whole life term, meaning he would never be considered for release.

Its clear that the man who begins a life sentence today is a cold, calculated and dangerous individual, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes said in a statement outside court following the sentencing.
London: Israels Defence Minister Benny Gantz has defended his countrys much-criticised stance on Ukraine, claiming the Middle Eastern nation essentially shares a border with Russia via neighbouring Syria and Lebanon.

Israel has sent humanitarian and medical aid and has also established a field hospital in Ukraine.

But it has refrained from joining in Western sanctions on the regime, nor offered arms to Ukraines government, in line with the military aid offered by its allies the United States, Britain and Australia.

Benny Gantz, Israels defence minister. Credit:AP

Speaking to The Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank on Tuesday AEST, Gantz said of criticism of Israels position: I hear it, I dont accept it.
The Russian invasion, which has killed thousands and displaced millions, has shifted from the gates of Kyiv to the east of Ukraine. The British Ministry of Defence said Russian forces were pulling out of Belarus to support a huge offensive focused on the Donbas region, where Russian-allied separatists have claimed independence. Russian attacks remain focused on Ukrainian positions near Donetsk and Luhansk with further fighting around Kherson and Mykolaiv and a renewed push toward Kramatorsk., the ministry said in a tweet. The European Union said more sanctions on Russia were an option. It is time to make this package in such a way that we would not hear even words about weapons of mass destruction from the Russian side, Zelensky said. An oil embargo against Russia is a must. Any new package of sanctions against Russia that does not affect oil will be received in Moscow with a smile.

The attack remains unconfirmed, in part because of a lack of independent observers on the ground in Mariupol. British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey told Sky News: There are some things that are beyond the pale, and the use of chemical weapons will get a response and all options are on the table for what that response could be. Loading Earlier, Ukrainian MP Ivanna Klympush posted that Russia used unknown substance in #Mariupol. Victims experience respiratory failure...Most likely chemical weapons! The Kyiv Independent also posted a report, saying Russia had used a poisonous substance against Ukrainian troops there.

The substance has been distributed by a drone, and victims have shortness of breath, and another neurological disorder, according to information attributed to the Azov regiment. The mayor of Mariupol said more than 10,000 civilians had died in the siege of his city. With bodies carpeted through the streets, Mayor Vadym Boychenko predicted the eventual death toll could surpass 20,000. Inside the Mariupol theatre. Credit:AP In an earlier telephone interview with the Associated Press, Boychenko confirmed reports that Russian forces had used mobile cremation equipment to dispose of the citys bodies.

He said Russian forces had refused to allow humanitarian convoys into the city because they wanted to conceal the carnage. The mayors comments emerged as Russia claimed it had destroyed several Ukrainian air defence systems in what appeared to be a renewed push to gain air superiority ahead of a fresh offensive in the east. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the South Korean parliament via video link. Credit:Getty Moscows initial invasion stalled on several fronts as it met stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces. The failure to win full control of Ukraines skies has hampered Moscows ability to provide air cover for troops on the ground, limiting their advances and likely exposing them to greater losses. With their offensive in many parts of the country thwarted, Russian forces have relied increasingly on bombarding cities  a strategy that has killed thousands of people and led to accusations of war crimes.

Ukrainian authorities accuse Russian forces of committing atrocities, including a massacre in the town of Bucha, airstrikes on hospitals and a missile attack that killed at least 57 people at a train station. In Bucha on Monday, the work of exhuming bodies from a mass grave in a churchyard resumed. Galyna Feoktistova waited for hours in the cold and rain to identify her 50-year-old son, who was shot and killed more than a month ago. Eventually, she gave up and went home to get warm. The UN childrens agency said that nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children had fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion began. The United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured, though the actual numbers are likely much higher.

Nehammer meets Putin Elsewhere, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has became the first European Union leader to hold face-to-face talks with Putin since the Russian president sent troops into Ukraine. In a statement released by his office, Nehammer said his primary message to Putin was that this war needs to end because in war both sides can only lose. Iryna, 56, stands in front of her destroyed house in the village of Lukashivka. Credit:Getty Images Neutral Austria, which gets 80 per cent of its natural gas from Russia, generally maintains closer ties to Moscow than much of the EU, but that has not been the case since the Russian invasion. Nehammers government has joined other EU countries in expelling Russian diplomats and denouncing alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

Biden and Modi US President Joe Biden asked Indias Narendra Modi not to accelerate the buying of Russian oil as the US and other nations try to cut off Moscows energy income following the invasion of Ukraine. The Indian prime minister made no public commitment to refrain from Russian oil, a source of tension with the US. Meeting by video call, Biden told Modi that the US could help India diversify its sources of energy, according to press secretary Jen Psaki. Even though India receives little of its oil from Russia, it stepped up recently with a major purchase as other democracies are trying to isolate Putin. The president also made clear that he doesnt believe its in Indias interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy or other commodities, Psaki said. While the two nations ended the meeting with Biden saying they committed to strengthening their relationship, White House officials could not say if India stood with them in fully condemning Putin, saying the choice ultimately rested with Modis government.

US President Joe Biden meets virtually with Narendra Modi, Indias prime minister. Credit:Bloomberg The two leaders will meet in person May 24 in Tokyo for a summit of the Quad, a coalition that also includes Australia and Japan. Indias neutral stance in the war has raised concerns in Washington and earned praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who lauded India this month for judging the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way. A senior US official described the Biden-Modi exchange as warm and productive, though the official stressed that India would make its own decisions on how to respond to Putin. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the meeting. AP, Reuters
Today  Monday, April 11  Broadway legend Joel Grey marks his 90th birthday. At the same time, two of his best-known projects, the film of Cabaret (which earned him an Oscar) and the revival of Chicago (where he originated the role of Amos), are marking their 50th and 25th anniversary years, respectively. To commemorate the occasions, we're taking a walk down memory lane, led by Grey himself.

Joel Grey

( Tricia Baron)

This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Happy 90th birthday! How do you feel?

It's bizarre. It feels like an out-of-body experience. I know it's just some crazy number, 90. But I didn't have it in my front burner.

You never would have known this, but I proposed to my wife after we saw Fiddler in Yiddish in Battery Park. We both really loved that production, so it had to factor into it somehow. And thank you.

Come on! I love that. That's the best news today. I'm honored.

Your birthday coincides with the 50th anniversary of the release of Cabaret. I just watched it again recently and I still marvel at how they kept the essence of the show while completely reworking the story.

Right. They totally rethought the narrative for the movie, and it was right. It was time to make a "new" movie musical.

How did you get involved with the show itself, and were you automatically cast in the film?

There were no auditions. Hal Prince and I knew each other. He had seen me in Stop the World, I Want to Get Off and I was in a kind of clownish, white-face makeup. So, I think he went there in his head. But this was quite different. Fosse didn't want me for the movie. Fosse was not enthusiastic about Joel Grey, but everybody else was. When it came time to making a decision, and the producers said, "Today's the day," Bob Fosse said, "Well, it's either Joel Grey or me." Then the producer said,"Then it's Joel Grey." And we had to live with that for the shoot.

What does that mean?

Well, knowing that he saw it another way, and we're in GermanyIt was tricky. The only thing I can think ofhe was a wonderful performer, too. Maybe he thought of himself for the part. Nobody's ever spoken, since then, of what he had in mind with another actor.

But the results were there. You got the Oscar.

That's true! That was supreme. It was a wonderful moment when Diana Ross said, "And the winner is Joel Grey!" Hooray for Hollywood!

What was Oscar night like?

Oh, I was sure Al Pacino would win. He was, too! [laughs]

I want to talk about a different Kander and Ebb show  Chicago  that celebrated its 25th anniversary on Broadway in the fall. What was your favorite memory of doing the show?

My favorite memory working on Chicago was standing backstage opening night at City Center and hearing the ovation after the opening number. The opening number stopped the show. And the next number stopped the show. And the next number stopped the show. I looked at Jimmy Naughton and I said, "OK, the people have spoken!" It was shocking and thrilling and satisfying.

Did you have dream roles as a younger actor?

Everybody kept telling me I needed to play Richard III. It's a good, very dark, rich character. But it just didn't happen.

Do you look back and say there are things that you wish you had done?

I don't think so. I've been so fortunate. It would be piggy of me.

When younger performers ask you for advice on longevity in this business, what do you say?

Oh, don't do it. No, no. Make sure that it is the most important thing in the world to you. Otherwise, don't bother. It's so hard and demanding.

Do you have a favorite project?

Fiddler has to be among the top. It was a great experience and it needed to have a bigger life. And it may yet. I'm hoping we get to do it in Los Angeles, and they're also talking about a tour. And it was not something that I was necessarily prepared for. I didn't speak Yiddish. But I knew what that story was about, in my bones. So that's what really animated me and made it so powerful. I had to tell that story.
The son of the Zamfara State Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs was shot dead alongside three persons.

At least 25 people were killed last week (April 3-9) by non-state actors in different parts of Nigeria.

The victims include 11 soldiers who were killed by bandits in Kaduna State and two officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). The remaining 12 were civilians, including three members of a vigilante group.

Only the North-west and South-east recorded at least one incident. There was no incident recorded in the other four geopolitical zones.

The figure for last week indicates a drastic decline when compared to the previous week when about 100 people were killed.

PREMIUM TIMES compiled the incidents from media reports. Thus, unreported cases are not included.

Below are the recorded incidents:

North-west

The son of the Zamfara State Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs was shot dead alongside three persons.

They were killed when bandits invaded Tsafe town, headquarters of Tsafe Local Government Area of the state, on Sunday night.

In Kaduna, gunmen killed 11 soldiers and three vigilante members in an attack on a military base in Polwire, Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.

The Nigerian Army confirmed the attack and the casualty figure in an internal memo.

In Katsina, gunmen on Tuesday killed Sale Auta, a popular businessman in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State during a night attack on Gidan Daudu village.

During the attack, the gunmen, who are commonly referred to as bandits, also kidnapped Mr Auta's teenage daughter, Aisha, and several others, local sources told PREMIUM TIMES.

South-east

A patrol team of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) comprising of an officer, a driver, and two other officials was attacked by gunmen in Anambra State.

During the attack which occurred on Sunday along the Igbo-Uku-Uga route in the state, the assailants killed two personnel with one sustaining severe injuries.

Also in Anambra, two security guards were killed on Monday when gunmen attacked a Catholic Church in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area.

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The attack happened at St. Joseph's Cathedral Church Ekwulobia.

Still in Anambra, two persons were feared dead when gunmen attacked the headquarters of Aguata Local Government Area and set it ablaze.

The attack came barely one week after the headquarters of Nnewi South Local Government Area was similarly set ablaze.

The attacks in Anambra and other parts of the South-east are believed to be carried out by the proscribed separatist group, IPOB.

The group seeks an independent country of Biafra to be carved out of the South-east and South-south regions of the country.

Since he became Anambra governor last month, Chukwuma Soludo has extended an olive branch to the gunmen, asking them to drop their guns and join him in the development of the state.

On Friday, Mr Soludo said the gunmen still operating in the region, including those who attacked Aguata, are criminals that should be dealt with by security agencies.

"We have extended the olive branch to all genuine agitators and made extensive calls for those in the bush to come out and shun criminality.

"How do you explain to any sane mind that responsible citizens have elected to pursue a supposed legitimate course adopting criminal strategies of kidnapping, arson and murder? This is despicable, not permissible and against any known law of humanity," he said.
A person eats a double patty cheeseburger ordered from a drive-through burger chain restaurant in his car. Dangerous forever chemicals are said to be found in wrappers at major fast food restaurants.
FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020, file photo, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner speaks a news conference in St. Louis. Alan Pratzel, Missouri's chief disciplinary counsel, contends in a court document obtained by the St. Louis Posts-Dispatch, that there is probable cause to believe that Gardner concealed details about the Greitens investigation from her subordinates regarding notes taken during interviews with witnesses and that she failed to disclose favorable evidence to Greitens lawyers. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
President Muhammadu Buhari has eulogized Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, on his 65th birthday, affirming that as a consummate businessman, his footprints are in key sectors of the economy.

The President in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina in Abuja, Sunday, also noted with delight Dangote's remarkable results achieved in production and supply of food items, making him a household name.

While rejoicing with the business mogul, he said he joined family members, friends and associates to celebrate the milestone with the business magnate.

According to the statement, "The President shares the memorable occasion with the Dangote Group, which includes management and members of staff, and the many visionary leaders that daily redefine the livelihood of Nigerians for the better, and drive competitiveness in the economy with clear ranking of excellence in provision of goods and services.

"As Alhaji Dangote turns 65, President Buhari affirms the footprints of the consummate businessman in key sectors of the economy, and the remarkable results achieved in production and supply of food items, making him a household name.

"More recently, his dynamism in buoying the economy through heavy investments in building Africa's largest refinery, fertiliser manufacturing company, and cement factories."

The President further said he appreciated the patriotism, simplicity and wisdom that Dangote has consistently displayed, making Nigeria and Nigerians his first priority, while setting example for many that charity truly begins from home.

President Buhari wished him greater service to God, country, and humanity.
Vice President Kamala Harris talks to the media, Friday, June 25, 2021, after her tour of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Central Processing Center in El Paso, Texas. Harris visited the U.S. southern border as part of her role leading the Biden administrations response to a steep increase in migration.
Cheyenne, WY (82001)

Today

Generally sunny despite a few afternoon clouds. High 76F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Low 43F. WNW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB yesterday alleged that the Federal Government of Nigeria is secretly meeting with some human rights group to blackmail it in order for it back out of its freedom struggle.

IPOB also claimed that it has uncovered the agreement held between the DSS, Army, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp in partnership with some few civil society groups, where they allegedly reached an agreement and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to join hands to propagate lies and false information against it.

IPOB In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Mr Emma Powerful, equally alleged that the Nigerian Federal government and the groups are making the move to ensure that IPOB is tagged a terror group.

It further alleged that the Amnesty International and International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Intersocity' were deliberately excluded from the meeting because the organisers know that their leadership would not key into their wicked plans to be telling lies.

IPOB statement read in part, "The attention of the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, ably led by our great and indefatigable leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has been drawn to the laughable and disgraceful meeting held by DSS, Army, Police, Civil Defence Corp in partnership with some few civil society groups to join hands to propagate lies and false information against IPOB."

"The M Branch, uncovered the meeting where agreement and MOU were signed with civil society groups and some human rights group excluding, Intersociety, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch. The faceless human rights and civil society groups who agreed to peddle falsehood against IPOB and its family will expose and disgrace."

"Nigeria government and its security agencies are behind the killings and insecurity in Nigeria. They are only trying to use it to tag IPOB as a terror group but they will not succeed because the world knows that we are not terrorists.

"If we were terrorists, we cannot maintain our presence in over 100 nations. The lies being propagated against us by the Federal Government will continue to fail. Nigeria Army, DSS and Police created the insecurity in Nigeria and South East in.particular to demonize IPOB and its leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu."
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Just a few days ago temperatures reached into the low 70s in Columbia County and across much of Oregon. All that changed early Monday morning, April 11.

A cold low pressure system ushered in a mix of slush, snow and ice that layered streets and roadways early Monday morning, April 11. On Sunday, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Winter Weather Advisory for 3 a.m. until 10 a.m. Monday due to the pending winter storm. The NWS than extended the advisory Monday morning until noon for the region.

Snow accumulations overnight ranged between two to six inches depending on the elevation.

The NWS also issued a Winter Storm Warning above 1,000 feet for up to a foot of new snow with winds up to 35 mph expected for the Northwest Oregon Coast range until 2 p.m. Monday.

Transportation crews reported several roads closed due to the wintry conditions that caused trees, and tree limbs to fall, including the well-used Cornelius Pass in Multnomah County and Highway 47 near Clatskanie in Columbia County. Drivers were urged to be cautious, slow down and watch for downed trees, power lines and other debris.

The Columbia County Public Works Department issued a release midday Monday saying its road crews were aware of issues on the following roadways:

Alston Mayger at Mosier; Beaver Springs from Walker to Fernhill; Carter at Aldercreek; Gilmore near Wikstrom; Hazel Grove; Lindberg; McDermott; Old Rainier past Heath; Olson past Johnson Road; Rabinsky at Dutch Canyon; Swedetown; Walker from Frownee towards Nicolai; and Wonderly.

The county road crews were working to clear and reopen the roads as quickly as possible, according to a release from Columbia County.

To report an issue for a road, call Columbia County Public Works at 503-397-5090, or the local road department in your area.

The weather conditions also closed most area public schools in Columbia County and surrounding areas and forced a slow start at city, state and county government offices Monday morning. See the Closure / Delay list at this website.

Forecasters say there is a possibility of more snow through Thursday for Columbia County, but accumulations at lower elevations should not be as significant as the Monday morning event.
COOPERSTOWN - Patricia A. McArdle, 84, burial and committal services with full military honors for Patricia A. McArdle who died Dec. 5, 2021, will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday May 14, in the Hartwick Seminary Cemetery, Hartwick Seminary. Arrangements are with Tillapaugh Funeral Service, Cooperstown.
Meet Trooper! Trooper is 5-years-old. His favorite activities include sleeping, going on walks and sticking his head out of the car sunroof. T
Oil City, PA (16301)

Today

Showers this morning becoming less numerous during the afternoon hours. High 61F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 38F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Kylie Jenner had a sweet reason she truly 'didn't care' if people hated her Met look

The backwards cap and wedding gown that everyone freaked out over was actually "very special"
opinion

More hands need to come on deck, very urgently, to become champions of the anti-corruption struggle, if Nigeria will ever survive its on-going fiscal crisis.

After the initial experience of concern and shock at the fairly elaborate attempt to tar one of the heroines of public service in Nigeria, and the painstaking effort in seeking the truth and deconstructing much of these spurious allegations, I came to the hard realisation of how corruption has become a fairly formidable institution in Nigeria. Yet, we can ill afford the business of the country to continue as usual, as determined by different cabals, who have garnered humungous resources to destroy reform endeavours.

Corruption has been one of the biggest banes of progress in Nigeria, leading many - through the decades - to privatise public assets to the detriment of the welfare of larger sections of the populace. This phenomenon that has afflicted many actors across the private and governmental sectors of the country, has more so gathered huge traction in the dawn of the Fourth Republic, since 1999.

The cost of corruption through earlier periods till the present has seen to the massive deterioration of public services and infrastructure, large-scale immiseration and lack, taking many down the Hobbesian lane in which life has been short, nasty and brutish.

If - according to informed estimates - over $400 billion has been lost to corruption in the oil and gas sector alone since Independence, then it is easy to extrapolate that cumulatively, this must have risen to the loss of a few trillions of dollars in the federal civil service - through the years - as a result of the pernicious activities of all sorts of public officials.

Naturally, since corruption has evolved an alternative wealth and power structure, it has equally acquired the capacity to fight back those seeking to tame or control it. Yet, with the present fiscal out-turn of the country, in which governments at all levels, and especially at the federal level, are struggling to meet their obligations to citizens, it is more than high time that we kill corruption in Nigeria, or corruption will completely kill our country. Hence, the need for purposeful reforms across governments and its key institutions.

At that, those finding themselves at the driver's seat of reforms are unique targets of the various cabals that have taken over the public system in expansive endeavours to privatise public resources and income. These cabals and the actors who run them take on reformers and wage war against them in highly attritive manners that seek to destroy their integrity and pooh-pooh their characters, while drawing huge question marks over their senses of honour and uprightness.

Awareness of such antics makes one quite unusually sensitive to the situation of Mrs Moremi Onijala, whose unusual forthrightness one has had the good fortune of observing and admiring from a distance over the past decade, and who has recently become subject to a very vicious and apparently coordinated attack in her present station. This made me seek out a private understanding of some of the allegations being levelled to render what is most certainly her good work in the Ministry of Interior, where she is currently serving, to nought.

From the poisonous brew that has been concocted by a group - naming its cohort as Femi Adewale, Jimoh Abdukarim Sule, and Ikenna Maurice - surely pseudonyms raised to mask their cowardice and real intentions - it addressed a petition to the Honourable Minister of Federal Ministry of Finance on some contrived infractions that can barely stand the torch of scrutiny.

This malicious assemblage strung together and staged a series of convoluting allegations, having suspect truth-value, as would be subsequently deconstructed. The claims range from the attribution of a single-handed creation of a department within the Ministry of Interior, which was 're-designed' in the image of the accused - Mrs Onijala, and staffed with a deputy director of her choosing and rogue consultants, in order to perpetrate fraud.

Also, that the operations of the Department of Citizenship and Business that she heads in the Interior Ministry have been wilfully subjected to endless delays in the effort to stake for illicit pecuniary gains, and that the meddling of the department in the monitoring and approval of Expatriate Quota Positions (EQPs) once made the former Comptroller General of Immigrations to petition such incursions into his exclusive powers. Moreover, that the delays in the approvals of EQPs and business permits equally made Dr Jumoke Oduwole, a Special Adviser in the office the Vice President and Secretary of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), to query the Interior Ministry, Mrs Onijala, and her department.

First, as I perceive and understand it, in order to create a clear context for much of what would follow, it is worthy to note that the Department of Citizenship and Business (DCB) is possibly the main cash cow of the Interior Ministry, and in the past three years, since the start of the reform efforts that brought in Mrs Onijala, as set against 2018, the revenue profile of the Department has grown in significant leaps. Now comprising a three-tier structure, in the Citizenship Division of the DCB, as against the measly close to N120 million that was earned in 2018, there was a major upsurge to almost N493 million in 2019, to over N477 million in 2020, and to about N667 million in 2021.

In like manner, as against the N125 million made in 2018 in the Business Division of the Department, N643 million was made in 2019, N406 million in 2020, and almost N337 million in 2021. And from January to April alone this year, the newer Inspection division that has just started operations has made almost N43 million. These are colossal amounts of money that have never come into the government treasury - not because there were never such major revenue inflows, but due to the fact that these sums were made to rather flow into the private pockets of officials. Systems have now been put in place to block the illicit direction of these flows into the rightful place, permanently; hence the angry attacks of the reform efforts and actors that are now being witnessed - which would escalate, if not quickly contained.

Cutting to the chase of the wicked allegations that have currently been spun, it could be considered as quite cruel to claim that a Director in a Ministry could singularly create and staff what is construed as a self-serving a division - the Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection Unit - within the federal civil service. Such is an impossibility, which is only and strictly within the remit of those who are statutorily empowered to do such. The fact is that the Unit was established by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), in acting upon the request of the Ministry of Interior in 2021. This was in order to implement reforms in the administration of EQPs and business permits and the licensing of places of worship, etc., which had been subject to abuse and racketeering. Prior to then, there had been many petitions of the untoward activities going on around these approvals from such bodies as the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the National Assembly.

That stated, nevertheless, much of the present complaints about the Unit and the DCB can be seen as due to the fact that many prefer the old ways of conducting government business, which enable officials to assist in facilitating fake approvals for clients and thereby profiting hugely from these at the expense of government and its revenue accruals.

And, more so, the Inspection Unit was created, endorsed and supported by stakeholders during the National Stakeholders Conferences on EQPs in April 2021 and the Conference of the Conduct of Statutory Marriage in May 2021.

It is well known that a dangerous cabal exists around the Ministry of Interior - comprising of some members who were identified and removed from the Ministry, working together with some still serving and retired personnel of the Immigration service - who have benefitted tremendously from fraudulent activities involving EQPs, business permits, etc. With the implementation of reforms around these business and fiscal instruments of government, this cabal has been relentless in sponsoring attacks on Mrs Onijala - the driver of reforms - as pushback to the regime of accountability instituted by the Unit, making things no longer business as usual, and diverting the huge funds that the country had been haemorrhaging back into legitimate coffers of government.

An associated allegation to the foregoing has been the claim that there has been a deliberate refusal to process and forward applications for business permits and EQPs until there is "robust" gratification made to facilitate things by frustrated and embittered applicants. Actually, it is the other way round as the accuser is now being accused. Its is a known fact in the Department of Citizenship and Business/Ministry of Interior that the refusal of Mrs Onijala to be bribed in order to overlook the unrelenting cache of fake documentation being brought forward in order to secure business permits and EQPs, is what has led to the distortive petition and its array of dubious allegations. Hence, corruption is fighting back, since it is no longer business as usual, and illicit income streams are being drained out.

In relation to the issuance of business permits and EQPs, as observed, there is no doubt that much of the delays encountered in the system are due to inexorable activities of crooks and corrupt people, who habitually seek to game the system through the submission of fake documentation. This couples with the untimely submission of required supportive documents and the lack of timely responses to queries to applications. One could however admit that a few technical glitches in the automated processing system, which the partner in charge, Messrs. Anchor Dataware Solutions (ADS), tries to respond to as quickly as possible is another source of delay, even if not a core issue. In addition, submitted documents for the processing of business permits and expatriate quotas are not able to be immediately authenticated because the eCitiBiz platform used does not have document-readable software for this. I agree that this is a concern that the Unit would have to look into and quickly resolve.

There is the allegation that Mrs Onijala as the Director of Citizenship and Business 're-designed' the Department in her own image for pecuniary gains, that she put herself in competition with the Ministry of Interior as such, and selected her own staff with 'stealth', whilst employing some rogue consultants.

These - as one found out - are quite absurd allegations, as there has never been any external consultant hired to select staff for the department or to carry out the duties of civil servants in the department. Hence, the burden then becomes that of those making the allegations to supply the proof to back up their claims in this regard. It has also been revealed that the Deputy Director of the Department, Mr Adesina, said to have been brought in by Mrs Onijala from the Finance Ministry in 2021, was actually deployed to the Ministry of Interior from the Ministry of Police Affairs in 2021, and not the Ministry of Finance, where he had served much earlier until 2009.

In terms of the complaint of the former Comptroller-General of the National Immigration Service, as laid out in the petition, that the Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection Unit was eroding his exclusive powers of control over Expatriate Quota Positions, the erstwhile CG had sought anchors for this in legislation, including the Immigration Act, 2015 and the Immigration Regulations, 2017.

However, it is equally evident from the legislation appealed to, in Section 3 of the Immigration Act, and Section 12 of the Immigration Regulations, and the Ministers' Statutory Powers and Duties (Miscellaneous Act of 1958), that citizenship integrity and internal security in the country are vested in the Minister of Interior, who is responsible for policy formulation and execution with relation to the granting of expatriate quotas in the country. The Minister is also vested with the powers to review, amend or cancel any EQP. More so, the CG of Immigrations and his office derive their authority from powers delegated to them by the Minister, hence the Minister can also order - similarly - the NIS to liaise with the Unit in carrying out his directives.

That stated, nevertheless, much of the present complaints about the Unit and the DCB can be seen as due to the fact that many prefer the old ways of conducting government business, which enable officials to assist in facilitating fake approvals for clients and thereby profiting hugely from these at the expense of government and its revenue accruals.

In reiterating an earlier point, as observed, a number of the delays experienced in the processing of EQPs, business permits and cognate licences could be associated with pressing tasks as the development of new policies and the implementation of projects, such as the National Action Plan on Statelessness. This could slow down the requirement of appending the physical signature of the DCB to each page of manually typed approval letters. In view of this, the automatic download of approval letters and business permits are close to conclusion, and this will go live this April 2022.

Moreover, it has been noted that the delays in responses from the Department has also been due to the insufficiency of power supply, which is more of a general challenge affecting the entire country. This is in addition to the shortage of staff, which became more pronounced during the high point of the COVID-19 pandemic (which fortunately has been addressed by the HCSF through the posting of staff who are currently undergoing training to carry out technical functions).

It is claimed by the naysayers that the so-called delays caused by the DCB has impacted the flow of foreign direct investments into the country negatively. However, the truth of the matter is that since resuming at the post, it has been found out that the DCB introduced some innovations - with the permission of the Minister of Interior and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry - to enhance the workflow in the department, such as trainings on the laws undergirding the administration of expatriate quotas, business permit requirements, alongside those related to statutory marriages. Also the organogram of the department was re-designed, including the process workflow, to reduce the interface with clients, while a revised handbook on Expatriate Quota Administration in Nigeria was finalised, in addition to bringing the Guidelines on Citizenship and Statutory Marriage up to date with international best practices.

It has been emphasised that the DCB has nothing to do with the preparation of documents of applicants, even as a strict guideline has been put in place to ensure that complete and proper documentation that are genuine are the only ones accepted. And, that the technical partners to the Unit would update the software on the platform utilised in accepting applications to ensure that timelines only apply when applications are complete.

It is on record that Mrs Onijala worked with the Attorney General Federation on the Amended Legal Notices on Statutory Marriages, awaiting the approval of the president, which have conferred local governments with the authority to conduct statutory marriages, following compliance with the requirements of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. She also identified new revenue streams, including an upward review of fees on Business and Citizenship services, in line with current realities.

While it is unfortunate that a lot of the delays are attributed to the DCB, the facts remain that all applications are processed from the Briefing officers to the DCB, the PS and the HMI. Delays could possibly arise from any point in the chain. Consequently, the technology involved in processing applications is now being reviewed so that any point where fake documentation is seen and a query is raised about this to the organisation involved, the clock on that application will be paused till the appropriate document is uploaded on the platform.

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There is equally the malicious claim that the DCB had deliberately refused to forward the application of M.D & Co Mega Business Limited to the Honourable Minister of Interior for approval, which had led to a petition by the firm. And that the sum of N150,000 was collected by the DCB from the company, through Doychris, for the preparation of a feasibility report.

As clarified, the facts involved in this matter have been that the said company's application was actually withheld due to the submission of a fake Certificate of Capital Importation, and the non-submission of a feasibility report, among other problems. Hence, the company was advised to seek experts to help it draft its feasibility report and the completion of its documentation. As such, on the request of its lawyer for assistance with references, he had been given a list of briefing officers versed in helping with these documents.

While the lawyer of the applicant contacted and got a consultant to help it on its own, none of the process or payment went through the Ministry, any of its staff, nor the Director of Citizenship and Business, and its acceptable feasibility report was approved by the Minister on December 14, 2021. Thereafter, the representative of the company, one Barrister Peter Oluwashola had retracted the petition and written a letter of unreserved apology to the Ministry on March 3.

It has been emphasised that the DCB has nothing to do with the preparation of documents of applicants, even as a strict guideline has been put in place to ensure that complete and proper documentation that are genuine are the only ones accepted. And, that the technical partners to the Unit would update the software on the platform utilised in accepting applications to ensure that timelines only apply when applications are complete.

Saliently, the truth involved in the purported query of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) to the Interior Ministry has been established. In as much as the said delays from the Department of Citizenship and Business is claimed to have had converse effects on the ease of doing business in the country, the allegations involved have been taken apart and proven to be false. The Ministry of Interior has also forwarded written responses on the issue to the Presidency.

Issuing from the foregoing, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had set up a meeting between the Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry and his team, and Dr Jumoke Oduwole of the PEBEC and her team. There were also a slew of meetings held between the Ministry of Interior's Reform Champion Team and the Ease of Business Environment Secretariat (EBES), and the technical teams of the Ministry and PEPBEC/EBES.

The outcomes of all the meetings have been deemed as satisfactory to all the parties involved and have led to the establishment of a joint audit team to continue the work on enhancing the efficiency in the delivery of services. These outcomes have equally led to the positive review and correction of erstwhile records on performance of the Ministry, which is revealed in the 7th National Action Plan (NAP 7.0) Mid - Term Report for Business Permit and Expatriate Quota.

After the initial experience of concern and shock at the fairly elaborate attempt to tar one of the heroines of public service in Nigeria, and the painstaking effort in seeking the truth and deconstructing much of these spurious allegations, I came to the hard realisation of how corruption has become a fairly formidable institution in Nigeria. Yet, we can ill afford the business of the country to continue as usual, as determined by different cabals, who have garnered humungous resources to destroy reform endeavours.

Hence, more hands need to come on deck, very urgently, to become champions of the anti-corruption struggle, if Nigeria will ever survive its on-going fiscal crisis, and would not experience untimely demise in the vice-grip of the menace of corruption.

Adaeze Nwolise wrote from Abuja.
Under-used comedic powerhouse Leslie Mann had heretofore been eclipsed by her comedy-dynasty-ruling husband, Judd Apatow. Then along came 2014s The Other Woman. While this mediocre farce about cheating husbands is not overly special, Leslie Mann certainly was. Talk about underrated; with The Other Woman, Leslie Mann had arrived.

Also, a new comic duo was born. Teaming up with established comedy-heavyweight Cameron Diaz in the straight-man role (straight man is the acting term for the earnest one in a comedy duo), Mann and Diaz are a serious funny-team.

Sleuthing

Carly Whitten (Cameron Diaz) is a Big Apple lawyer in a passionate romance. Celebrating their eighth-week anniversary, she suggests to lover Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) that he meet her dad (Don Johnson). That might be a bit hasty. Mark avoids meeting dad, continually. Hes married, of course. Carly finds out, and, like the tough lawyer she is, cuts him off at the knees.

Carly Whitton (Cameron Diaz) and Mark King (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) play lovers, in The Other Woman. (Barry Wetcher/Twentieth Century Fox)

Now, Marks non-working wife, Kate (Mann), is an apparent ditz who feels very strongly she should go to brain camp, and also take the memory herb Ginko Balboa. Mark: No honey, its Ginko Bi-LO-ba. Its not the Rocky movie. When Kates world gets turned upside down by Marks cheating, she stalks Carly for answers.

At first, Carlys not having it. But soon theyre deep into a womance. (I had to look up the opposite of a bromance. I found bra-mance, and womance. Lets go with womance). They bond. And so begins the classic situation: While the man is off philandering with impunity, the womenfolk pool their intuitive talents and smoke him out.

And surprise, surprise: theres yet another mistress. That would be 22-year-old Amber (supermodel Kate Upton). Amber is recruited into the womance trio. They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Try three of them.

(LR) Amber (Kate Upton), Carly Whitton (Cameron Diaz), and Kate King (Leslie Mann) play women with hell-like fury in The Other Woman. (Barry Wetcher/Twentieth Century Fox)

Payback, Performances

The trio uses standard cinematic female revenge methods: On the ladies Cheater Chore Calendar we find laxatives, powdered estrogen in his coffee, toothbrush-used-as-toilet-brush, and Nair in the shampoo bottle. All of which are a prelude to some serious damage involving Marks ill-gotten financial Bahamian holdings.

(LR) Kate King (Leslie Mann), Carly Whitton (Cameron Diaz), and Amber (Kate Upton), grill the philandering snake in their lives, in The Other Woman. (Barry Wetcher/Twentieth Century Fox)

As mentioned, while normally in the clown role, Diaz holds down the fort as straight-woman while Mann clowns. Rapper Nicki Minaj as Carlys secretary scene-steals across the board: its more like scene-hoovering due to sheer force of personality.

Exceedingly curvy swimsuit model Kate Upton, in her movie debut, having clearly been cast for her curves, isnt really an actress yet. But shes definitely got potential; shes believable. In fact, its this surprising believability that establishes the fact that the womance trio of The Law, The Holy Matrimony, and The Phenom Bod (all blondes, by the way) can take down any fool man. Not a blonde joke in sight. Ok, maybe the ginko balboa joke is a blonde joke.

(LR) Kate (Leslie Mann), Lydia (Nicki Minaj), Carly (Cameron Diaz), and Amber (Kate Upton), observe the utter humiliation of the sneaky man in their lives, in The Other Woman. (Barry Wetcher/Twentieth Century Fox)

Coster-Waldau, as bad husband Mark, is a German Denis Leary lookalike. And while he looks the part of a classic rake, he also manifests a decent talent for taking the hit and playing the fool. The scene where a particularly heinous form of female-fury torture necessitates Mark to ditch his Armani suit-pants on a bathroom floor and arrive home wearing a pair of skinny jeans, is a sidesplitting howler. Not to mention the manic clutching at the last vestiges of his dignity in a towering (and very satisfying) crash and burn a la The First Wives Club.

Mark King (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), in The Other Woman. (Barry Wetcher/Twentieth Century Fox)

All Mann

Ultimately, though, The Other Woman showcases Leslie Mann. Her comedy forte is wallowing in the throes of humiliation. She anchors us in the reality of it, and then extends it way over the top. Thats great comedy. She also plays a mean drunk.

It must be said that there needed to be a Razzie award for The Other Woman for most cliched background music in a motion picture. The girls put on ninja costumes to spy, and what gets played? The theme from Mission Impossible. And thats just for starters.

Other than that, The Other Woman is a fairly hilarious womance comedy. Youll laugh even if you dont want to. Raise a glass to Leslie Mann. Its truly surprising there wasnt an explosion of movies in the wake of The Other Woman featuring her.

Movie poster for The Other Woman.

The Other Woman

Director: Nick Cassavetes

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Nicky Minaj, Taylor Kinney

Running Time: 1 hour, 49 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Release Date: April 25, 2014

3 stars out of 5
Julien Fortin, centre, son of Suzanne Clermont who was stabbed to death on Halloween night by a man with a sword, is in tears in front of the memorial to his mother, Nov. 2, 2020 in Quebec City. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot)

Accused in Quebec City Sword Attack to Argue Not Criminally Responsible for Killings

The man accused of two counts of murder in a Halloween night sabre attack in Quebec City in 2020 doesnt deny the acts hes accused of, the judge noted at the opening of his trial today.

Lawyers for 26-year-old Carl Girouard intend to argue that because of his mental state at the time of the attack he should be found not criminally responsible on the two first-degree murder and five attempted murder charges he faces.

The case at the Quebec City courthouse is expected to last from four to five weeks and will focus on Girouards mental condition at the time of the events, Quebec Superior Court Justice Richard Grenier told the trial.

Suzanne Clermont, 61, and Francois Duchesne, 56, were killed in the attack.

Jury selection was completed quickly today with eight women and four men chosen to hear the case.

Defence lawyer Pierre Gagnon told the court a psychiatrist as well as the mother of the accused and a correctional officer will testify for Girouard, who is from Ste-Therese, a northern suburb of Montreal.
A worker in a protective suit keeps watch on the street as the second stage of a two-stage lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 begins in Shanghai, China, on April 1, 2022. (Aly Song/Reuters)

Another Stall in Chinas Economy

COVID-19 continues to impede Chinese growth

News Analysis

While the United States and Europe seem to have put the worst of the pandemic in the rearview mirror, COVID-19 still plagues China. A major rise in cases has forced lockdowns in Shanghai, the nations economic and financial center. It has done the same in other regions as well.

Unless the authorities can bring matters under control quickly, and that looks far from likely, China will have difficulty meeting its already downsized 2022 real economic growth target of 5.5 percent. Even that was less than two-thirds the pre-pandemic pace to which China had grown accustomed.

If the problems do not exclusively belong to Shanghai, that is where they center. Beijings zero-tolerance COVID policies have locked down this city of 25 million and are home to fully 4 percent of the entire nations economy.

To minimize the economic impact of the quarantines, the authorities have executed what they refer to as a two-stage lockdown. It will keep the citys immense port, Chinas largest, open and allow factories to continue operating in what is called a closed-loop system in which workers cannot leave the premises, sleeping in special dormitories or sometimes on the factory floor.

These practices ease some of the economic burdens of lockdowns and quarantines, but they do nothing to help services, four-fifths of Shanghais economic activity. What is more, the two-stage-closed-loop approach cannot ease problems with shipping goods in and out of affected cities as well as to and from ports.

These shipping problems promise to do the worst economic harm. Everything moves slower. Drivers must show a negative COVID test no older than 48 hours at several checkpoints along their routes.

The inevitable delays are increasing shipping costs that were already rising 8 percent to 10 percent a year. Many drivers have become reluctant to bring cargos into affected areas, fearful that they will get stuck under a quarantine.

Already some producers have informed foreign customers that they will have to wait an extra 10 days for delivery. And because of the sluggishness of shipping, warehouses are filling. Once they are full, it will no longer matter that factories are operating. There will be no place for the output to go.

Containers stacked at a port in Lianyungang, in Chinas eastern Jiangsu Province, on March 7, 2022 (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Beijing has played down the potential economic damage, claiming first that the lockdowns would last only 10 days and then extending them to two weeks before admitting that they are now indeterminate. As of mid-March, the most recent period for which data are available, container throughput indicates that domestic trade has already fallen 24.4 percent below year-ago levels.

The March report of the Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index showed an outright decline in national output. At a level of 48.1, it was considerably below the 50 that demarcates the difference between expansion and contraction.

The equivalent official measure from the Statistics Ministry in Beijing was more moderate, but at 49.5 percent, it, too, signaled a decline. Tellingly, the official index for export orders also showed a decline to 47.2 in March from 49.0 in February. Of course, services were most affected by the lockdowns. Nationally, Beijing puts its index for March at 48.4, a sharp change from Februarys 51.6 level.

Despite the weight of this evidence, official China continues to assert that the national economy will achieve the 5.5 percent growth target for 2022. Premier Li Keqiang restated this claim less than two weeks ago. As usual, Beijing will claim success at year-end, regardless of reality.

But others have been more forthcoming. Goldman Sachs, for example, notes that COVID problems extend well beyond Shanghai and already impact some 30 percent of the Chinese economy. UBS has lowered its 2022 forecast for Chinese real growth to 5.0 percent and holds out the possibility of only 4.0 percent growth should the lockdowns and quarantines persist.

Meanwhile, the highly regarded Institute for Public Policy in Australias Sydney University of Technology has concluded that COVID and the effect of the war in Ukraine will lock China out of the global economy until 2024.

Even if this prospect sounds too extreme, it should be clear that Chinas economy is no longer the growth juggernaut it was once thought to be.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Voters in the electorate of Eden-Monaro on July 2, 2016 in Canberra, Australia (Martin Ollman/Getty Images)

Australians in COVID-19 Quarantine to Access to Telephone Voting

A new voting option will be available to Australians subjecting to COVID-19 isolation as a confirmed case or close contact on election day.

The Australian Electoral Commission has said it would introduce a telephone voting system for those who could not go to polling places on May 21.

We are working on a telephone voting option, which will be a first, Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers told ABC Radio on April 11.

However, to access this emergency measure, voters missing pre-polling and postal vote options will be required to make a declaration that they are subject to a health order.

The commissioner said the declaration would prevent people from gumming up the system.

If we have to read out the Senate ballot paper for people in telephone voting, its going to take some time. So I urge people to only use that if they are actually subject to that health order, he said.

A supporter of opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten watches the screen showing Australias general election in Melbourne, Australia, on May 18, 2019. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

At present, Australians who have contracted the novel coronavirus or are close contacts have to enter self-quarantine for seven days nationwide.

On April 1, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, which is responsible for making decisions regarding health emergencies, advised the national cabinet that isolation and testing rules could be relaxed after the peak of the current wave of the Omicron BA.2 subvariant passed in some jurisdictions.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that he was looking forward to the removal of the seven-day isolation rules but noted that the final decision did not lie with the federal government.

Ultimately, thats a decision for the Premier, he told reporters. We dont make those decisions at the Commonwealth level.

Meanwhile, the prime minister is going to announce the replacement for the current federal Health Minister Greg Hunt.

Hunt, who has held the minister position since 2017 and led the countrys health system during the COVID-19 pandemic, will resign from politics.

This allows the government to nominate a new candidate for the position if the coalition is re-elected on May 21.

The prime minister confirmed on April 11 that he would announce the candidate at the weekend.

Im taking my team forward at the election. Theyre a proven team, he said on April 10.

My strong united team I led for the last three years, sitting around that cabinet table  has seen Australia lead the world with its recovery (from the pandemic).
People gather their luggage after arriving at Miami International Airport on a plane from New York on Feb. 1, 2021, in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Biden Administration Considers Extending Mask Mandate for Airplanes

An extension on the federal mask mandate on airplanes and in airports is being considered, White House COVID-19 coordinator Ashish Jha said on April 11, even as cases and hospitalizations around the United States have dropped significantly in recent months.

Jha, who was named to the position last month after Jeff Zientss departure, told the NBCs Today show that an extension of the months-long mask mandate is absolutely on the table. Mask mandates have been dropped nearly everywhere, including in Democrat-led cities earlier this year.

The decision on whether to keep the mask mandate intact will ultimately be made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Jha said, adding that the agency is developing a scientific framework in the near future.

When pressed about the decision, Jha said that CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky will make her decision based on the framework that the CDC scientists create.

In March, the CDC said it would extend the mask mandate for airports and airplanes until April 18. The mandate was created in a January 2021 order that was issued by the federal health agency.

During that time, CDC will work with government agencies to help inform a revised policy framework for when, and under what circumstances, masks should be required in the public transportation corridor. This revised framework will be based on the COVID-19 community levels, risk of new variants, national data, and the latest science. We will communicate any updates publicly if and/or when they change, the agency said in a statement last month.

Recently, 20 states joined Florida in its lawsuit (pdf) against the federal governments mask mandate.

The CDC must consider the measures that States and their subdivisions have implemented and specifically consider their adequacy to control the interstate spread of COVID-19. The mere assertion that mask mandates are the only appropriate measure is inadequate, a section of the 31-page lawsuit reads.

Just days before that, several major airline CEOs pleaded with the Biden administration to drop the mask order.

We are encouraged by the current data and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions from coast to coast, which indicate it is past time to eliminate COVID-era transportation policies, a group of CEOs wrote in a letter. American Airlines, United Airlines Holdings, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines were among those who signed on.

They added that much has changed since these measures were imposed and they no longer make sense in the current public health context, noting a persistent and steady decline of hospitalization and death rates.
A bicycle sits covered in snow during a winter storm which caused caused fallen trees and power lines in Winnipeg on October 11, 2019. Environment Canada says a snowstorm that is approaching southern Manitoba this week may be the worst blizzard in decades. (The Canadian Press/John Woods)

Blizzard Approaching Manitoba Could Be Worst in Decades, Environment Canada Warns

A snowstorm that is approaching southern Manitoba this week may be the worst blizzard in decades, and would likely cause extended power outage in some areas, Environment Canada says.

The agency issued a winter storm watch on April 11, warning about storms coming to several southern Manitoba regions, including Winnipeg, Brandon, Selkirk, and Portage la Prairie.

The weather alert says the major storm will hit southern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan mid-week, bringing snowfalls of 30-50 cm, strong winds gusting up to 70-90 km/h, and zero visibility at times.

The agency says the blizzard is caused by a Colorado low moving towards Minnesota on the night of April 12. Snow will likely start early that evening near the international border and push northward throughout the night.

Heavy snow accompanied by strong winds will hit much of the area by April 13 morning and will continue through to early April 15 morning when the low will slowly make its way through Minnesota and into northwestern Ontario. By April 15, widespread snowfall of between 30 to 50 cm is expected, with some areas reaching close to 80 cm, including in the higher terrain of western Manitoba and western Red River Valley.

Environment Canada says travelling will become increasingly difficult on April 13, with widespread highway closures a near-certainty. By the evening, even travelling within communities may become impossible.

Do not plan to travel  this storm has the potential to be the worst blizzard in decades, the alert said.

The agency also suggested that residents stock up on essential supplies as power outages are likely, particularly for rural areas which could experience extended outages.

Public Safety Canada also encourages residents to make an emergency plan and prepare an emergency kit with drinking water, food, medicine, a first-aid kit, and a flashlight.

While weather conditions should begin to improve on April 15, the cleanup after the storm will likely last well into next week, Environment Canada says.
BMW CEO Oliver Zipse speaks during a visit of the German Economic and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck at the BMW plant in Munich, Germany, on Jan. 20, 2022. (Lukas Barth/Reuters)

BMWs CEO Expects Chip Shortage to Last Into 2023

BERLINA shortage of semiconductors is likely to remain a problem for the auto industry into 2023, German carmaker BMWs Chief Executive Oliver Zipse said in an interview with newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung (NZZ) published on Monday.

We are still in the height of the chip shortage, Zipse was quoted as saying. I expect us to start seeing improvements at the latest next year, but we will still have to deal with a fundamental shortage in 2023.

BMW said during its annual press briefing in mid-March that it expected the chip shortage to last throughout 2022.

Zipses comments echoed similar statements by Volkswagens CFO Arno Antlitz on Saturday who said he expected that supply of chips would not be able to meet demand until 2024.

By Victoria Waldersee
A Buffalo police officer appears to shove a man who walked up to police, in Buffalo, N.Y., on June 4, 2020. (Mike Desmond/WBFO via AP)

Buffalo Officers Who Pushed 75-Year-Old Activist to the Ground Cleared by Arbitrator

Two police officers in Buffalo, New York, who were accused of using unnecessary force against an elderly protester in 2020 have been cleared by an arbitrator of wrongdoing.

Officers Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski acted to protect themselves and only acted after Martin Gugino, the protester, ignored multiple commands, arbitrator John Selchick wrote in a 43-page decision.

The situation unfolded at Niagara Square, where protesters were ordered to leave because of a city-ordered curfew.

According to testimony from several other officers, Gugino responded to the announcement of the looming curfew by saying he found the curfew to be a violation of his constitutional rights and he would have to be arrested because he wouldnt comply.

You might as well take me to jail now because Im not leaving here, Im going to jail one way or the other, Gugino was said to have told one officer.

Most protesters left the area, although Gugino instead walked toward the approaching police emergency response team, of which McCabe and Torgalski were members. Body camera footage showed Gugino walking straight to McCabe, with his left arm held by his side, holding a black object that looks like a motorcycle helmet, and holding in his outstretched right arm and hand what appears to be a cell phone, Selchick wrote.

Gugino then moved the phone across McCabe before placing it near Torgalskis arm.

Torgalski pushed Gugino with his arm, and McCabe used a baton to push Gugino, who stumbled backward before falling.

The interaction lasted about five seconds.

Gugino suffered a fractured skull, his attorneys have said.

McCabe testified that he told Gugino to get back several times and wanted the protester to walk away. McCabe said he was in shock, honestly, when his commands were ignored. He noticed how Gugino appeared to be scanning him with the phone, describing the action as very odd. The officer didnt know at the time what Gugino was holding in his left hand; it was a motorcycle helmet.

McCabe said Guginos arm was at one point close to Torgalskis firearm and that the push was to get the protester away from our personal space, adding, We had no intention on injuring him. McCabe said the amount of force he delivered was minor, and he was surprised that Gugino fell.

Torgalski said he heard McCabe command Gugino to get back and witnessed Guginos actions, though the officer didnt know Gugino held a cellphone until later. Torgalski said Gugino was too close to his colleague and that he couldnt see what was inside the helmet Gugino held.

He made contact multiple times, twice with my right forearm and down to the edge of my glove, my right glove, Torgalski said.

The officer said he felt something wasnt right and was concerned about catching COVID-19. Torgalski said his intention was to remove Gugino from his personal space.

Detective Sergeant John Losi, leader of the emergency squad, testified that Gugino ignored multiple commands. He pushed the officers ahead of him, including McCabe and Torgalski, to help keep the squad moving. That force contributed to the contact with Gugino, according to McCabe. Losi said Guginos fall didnt seem consistent with the amount of force I would have applied to Jamie [McCabe] or he could have applied to Gugino.

After Gugino fell, Losi stopped the squad so an ambulance could reach the protester.

Buffalo police officer Robert McCabe (L) and Aaron Torgalski on June 6, 2020. (Erie County District Attorneys Office via AP)

Gugino refused to testify during the case, ignoring a subpoena, the arbitrator said.

The city had accused the officers of using unnecessary force, but the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association, a police union, said they did not.

The Buffalo police departments rules regarding use of force, which include mandating the use of force be reasonable and not reckless, supported the unions stance.

Respondents did not have the option of stopping and debating with Gugino, who was clearly intent on confronting the line of officers, Selchick said.

It would be folly to believe that the respondents were somehow required to ignore the fact that Gugino was acting in an erratic fashion, was preventing the forward movement of the Response Team, after not complying with the directive to move back, and was making odd physical gestures within a foot of respondents.

We are not surprised by the ruling, Melissa Wischerath, a lawyer representing the protester, told The Epoch Times in an email. We are not aware of any case where this arbitrator has ruled against on-duty police officers so his ruling here on behalf of the police was not only expected by us, but was certainly expected by the union and city who selected and paid him.

John Evans, president of the Buffalo police union, said Gugino embellished his fall, and the move backfired because he ended up striking his head.

Im grateful arbitrator Selchick saw through this and made the decision he did, Evans told The Epoch Times in an email. I wish there was a way to repair these officers reputations, because they are great guys who did not deserve the mistreatment they have.

The officers will be reinstated, a city of Buffalo spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email.

The city is declining to comment further.

McCabe and Torgalski saw criminal charges dismissed in 2021 by a grand jury. Erie County District Attorney John Flynn noted at the time that Gugino broke the law because he violated the curfew.

Gugino sued the city soon after. The matter is in mediation, according to court filings. The arbitrators decision doesnt affect the case, according to Wischerath.
(L-R) Isha Sesay, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Hugh Evans, CEO and Co-founder, Global Citizen, Victoria Umanska of Team Ukraine Love/MamaVdoma, and Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, speak during Stand Up For Ukraine on April 09, 2022 in Warsaw, Poland. (Brian Dowling/Getty Images for Global Citizen)

Canada Announces Additional $100M for Ukraine as Part of Global Drive

Canada will provide an additional $100 million in humanitarian aid for Ukraine as part of a global pledging drive that it convened with the European Commission.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement during the Stand Up For Ukraine event that took place in Poland over the weekend. Trudeau co-hosted the event via video link with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, where he accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of deliberately targeting civilians in Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

We need to respect and understand that the focus that Putin has had on impacting civilian infrastructure, whether its [targeting] the train station we saw recently, whether its civilians in Bucha, or whether its maternity wards or hospitals, there is a deliberate attempt to cause as much long-term damage as possible to the Ukrainian people, he said on April 9.

The event raised $12.4 billion from participating countries in support of Ukraine. The latest humanitarian aid pledge from Canada brings the amount provided to Ukraine since January to $245 million.

The $100 million does not appear in the governments 2022 budget, which announced other measures to support Ukraine such as providing up to $1 billion in new loan resources and $500 million for military aid.

Trudeau also announced on April 9 additional measures to bring Ukrainian refugees to Canada by hiring charter flights and providing short-term income support, as well as temporary hotel accommodation for up to two weeks.

Over 13,000 Ukrainian citizens and returning Canadian permanent residents of Ukrainian origin have arrived in Canada by land or air since January, according to Immigration Canada data.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says that over 4.5 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russias invasion on Feb. 24, with over 2.6 million crossing into Poland.

The European Commission itself pledged 1 billion euros (CAD $1.37 billion) to Ukraine, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development previously announced an additional 1 billion loan to cover the needs of those displaced by the invasion.

And more will come. We will continue providing support. And once the bombs have stopped falling, we will help the people of Ukraine rebuild their country. We will continue to Stand up for Ukraine, said Von der Leyen in a statement.

The Stand Up For Ukraine campaign was launched by the European Commission and the Canadian government on March 26, in partnership with the non-profit organization Global Citizen.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) speaks during a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 5, 2021. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Challenge to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Candidacy Might Move Forward

A left-wing groups challenge to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greenes (R-Ga.) candidacy in this years elections based on claims she violated the Constitutions Disqualification Clause by engaging in a supposed insurrection against the U.S. government may be allowed to move forward, a federal judge indicated.

This insurrection supposedly culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021 security breach at the U.S. Capitol in which supporters of then-President Donald Trump delayed the congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election results for several hours. Democrats and some Republicans characterize the disturbance, from which some elected officials took cover, as an insurrection or coup attempt aimed at overthrowing the U.S. government, a claim that has been adamantly denied by Trump and his supporters.

Greene, an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump, represents Georgias 14th congressional district. Greene is known for making strongly worded, often controversial statements.

Supporters of a nonprofit called Free Speech for People filed a challenge (pdf) March 24 with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican. The challenge alleged Greene aided and engaged in an insurrection to obstruct the peaceful transfer of presidential power, disqualifying her from serving as a Member of Congress under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment and rendering her ineligible under state and federal law to be a candidate for such office.

The rarely invoked Disqualification Clause in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was enacted in the wake of the Civil War to keep former Confederates out of Congress.

Raffensperger referred the challenge to the states administrative court, the Office of State Administrative Hearings (OSAH), which assigned the case to Administrative Law Judge Charles Beaudrot. On April 3, Greene moved to dismiss the challenge. A hearing before Beaudrot is scheduled for April 13.

But on April 1, Greene also filed a federal lawsuit seeking to halt the challenge on constitutional grounds. The petition in the case, Greene v. Raffensperger, court file 1:22-cv-01294, was filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta.

On April 8, U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg of the Northern District of Georgia reportedly said during a hearing on the federal suit that she has significant questions and concerns regarding a recent ruling in a similar case that blocked a Disqualification Clause-based challenge against Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.).

Totenberg was appointed by then-President Barack Obama and is the sister of NPR legal correspondent Nina Totenberg. The judge said she will rule on the matter this upcoming week, possibly April 11, which is two days before the state-level hearing before Beaudrot.

The challenge brought by Free Speech for People claims Greene cannot serve in Congress because before, on, and after January 6, 2021, Greene voluntarily aided and engaged in an insurrection to obstruct the peaceful transfer of presidential power, disqualifying her from serving as a Member of Congress under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment and rendering her ineligible under state and federal law to be a candidate for such office.

Greenes attorney, James Bopp Jr., told the federal court the challenge consisted of 50 pages of newspaper articles, hearsay and political hyperbole, according to CNN. If the challenge is allowed to move forward, it will embolden left-wing groups to try to disqualify Trump from running for president in 2024.

Bopp, who represented the Cawthorn case, said at the hearing no one has been charged with insurrection related to Jan. 6, despite all the resources of the Justice Department and FBI. He added that booting Greene from the ballot would be the same as stripping voters of their right to vote and upending democracy right before an election.

Greene vigorously denies the claims in the challenge and argues that the state law governing election challenges is unconstitutional because it shifts the burden of proof from accuser to accused. She noted in court filings that when a candidate in Georgia is challenged by a qualified voter based upon a mere belief that a Candidate does not meet the constitutional or statutory qualifications for the office  the entire burden is placed upon the Candidate to affirmatively establish his eligibility for office.

Shifting the evidentiary burden violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, she argues. Here, Rep. Greene is required to produce countervailing evidence to prove a negative (i.e., she did not engage in an insurrection), based upon nothing more than the Challengers belief.

The challenge statute also usurps the U.S. House of Representatives power to make an independent, final judgment on the qualifications of its Members, so it violates Article I of the Constitution, she argues.

The Epoch Times reached out repeatedly to Ron Fein, legal director of Free Speech for People, but had not received a reply as of press time.
The prison in the New Bell district of Douala.

Human Rights Watch on Saturday asked Cameroon to protect prisoners from a cholera outbreak, saying at least six inmates had died in the country's second largest jail since March.

The disease has been identified in six of the country's 10 regions, including the troubled South-West, where the health system has been severely affected by the violent crisis between government forces and armed separatist groups.

According to Cameroon's health minister, 105 people have died in the outbreak since October.

"At least six inmates in Cameroon's second largest jail, the New Bell prison in Douala, have died since March," the New York-based group said in a statement, referring to the West African country's economic hub.

"The latest victim, 30-year-old political prisoner Rodrigue Ndagueho Koufet, died on April 7," it said.

HRW warned "the death toll could rise substantially in the overcrowded facility which currently houses about 4,700 prisoners, four times its capacity -- most of whom are in pretrial detention, in violation of international norms".

No drinking water, poor hygiene

Cholera is an acute form of diarrhoea that is treatable with antibiotics and hydration but can kill within hours if left untreated.

It is caused by a germ that is typically transmitted by poor sanitation. People become infected when they swallow food or water carrying the bug.

"We are 50 squeezed in a 9 square meters cell. There's no drinking water, and the hygienic conditions are deplorable," a man held in the same cell as Koufet told Human Rights Watch.

Outbreaks occur periodically in Cameroon, home to more than 25 million inhabitants. The last epidemic was between January and August 2020, when 66 people died.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said in early 2021 there were between 1.3 million and four million cases of cholera per year around the world, leading to between 21,000 and 143,000 deaths.

"This cholera outbreak shows how quickly abysmal prison conditions become life-threatening," HRW said.

"Cameroon has an obligation under international law to ensure all detainees are held in humane and dignified conditions and to guarantee their right to health."

It also should not be holding people in pretrial detention except in exceptional circumstances.

(with wires)
(From left) Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pictured at the 11th BRICS Summit in Brasilia, Brazil, on Nov. 14, 2019. (Sergio Lima/AFP via Getty Images)

China and Russia Pushing for Greater BRICS Cooperation

Beijing and Moscow have announced their intention to boost ties between the BRICS nationsa five-member alliance that includes their respective countries as well as India, Brazil, and South Africa.

China is seeking to promote financial and fiscal cooperation within the alliance, Chinese Minister of Finance Liu Kun said at the first BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting on April 8. He called on BRICS members to strengthen macro-policy coordination to boost the global economy. China will share information and conduct experience exchanges in infrastructure investment among the members.

In recent years, BRICS countries have maintained strong cooperation momentum and made important contributions to optimizing global economic governance and boosting the resumption and high-quality development of the global economy, Liu said.

China, which became BRICS chair at the start of 2022, is due to host the 14th BRICS summit later this year, the theme of which is to form high-quality partnerships and herald a new era of development. BRICS nations account for more than 40 percent of the worlds population and more than 20 percent of global gross domestic product.

Meanwhile, Russia, facing sanctions from Western nations, is specifically pushing for the use of national currencies and integrating payment systems within the alliance.

Sanctions have worsened the stability of the global economy, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said at the April 8 BRICS meeting. Theyre also destroying the foundation of the existing financial and international monetary system thats based on the U.S. dollar, he said.

This pushes us to the need to speed up work in the following areas: the use of national currencies for export-import operations, the integration of payment systems and cards, our own financial messaging system, and the creation of an independent BRICS rating agency, Sullinov said.

BRICS nations such as China and India might seek to take advantage of the lower energy prices offered by Russia while bypassing the economic consequences of Western sanctions. As a result, a notable increase in non-dollar and non-euro denominated trade is very likely, Ross Kennedy, a senior fellow at the Securities Studies Group and founder of Fortis Analysis, told The Epoch Times.

Kennedy said BRICS will be the nexus of growing consolidation between nations that will eventually form a bloc that rivals Western democratic powers.

We are seeing the emergence of RussiaChina-led sphere of economic and geopolitical cooperation that will stand in contrast to what is more of an Anglosphere, or a transatlantic type of alliance among Canada, the U.S., and our NATO partners, he said.

I think as we look back in three years, five years, 10 years, were going to see that its really two fully formed economic blocs that have some level of cooperation between them where necessary.
China Co-opts US Allies in the Pacific: Solomon Islands Now, Micronesia Next

News Analysis

The Chinese regime has co-opted the Solomon Islands and is now set on removing the Federated States of Micronesia from its Compact of Free Association with the United States.

On March 25, the Solomon Islands confirmed that it was drafting a security deal with China. With this single contract, the United States loses a valuable ally in a critical part of the world, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) will gain a new overseas base, and Australia has been placed on alert knowing that the enemy is now in its backyard.

The strategic partnership with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) allows Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, to call for police or military assistance from Beijing. It also provides the Solomon Islands with economic development, trade expansion, and civil aviation services.

But citizens are wary of Chinese influence. In 2006, rioters burned down Honiaras Chinatown, accusing Chinese-linked businesses of having rigged a general election.

In 2019, Honiara switched recognition to China from Taiwan. Last year, unrest broke out again, partially motivated by the peoples resentment at their governments abandonment of Taiwan. Citizens also expressed outrage at how close their government was becoming to Beijing. In a repeat of 2006, protesters looted and burnt Chinese-owned businesses.

In the end, Australian peacekeepers and military police were called in to restore order. Next time, it could be the PLA. The draft agreement between China and the Solomon Islands explicitly allows the PLA to protect the safety of Chinese personnel and major projects  [and] preserve social order.

A Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Luyang-class guided-missile destroyer leaves the Torres Strait and enters the Coral Sea on Feb. 18, 2022 (Supplied/Australian Defense Department).

The fall of the Solomon Islands to the CCP represents a breakdown in U.S. engagement with the Pacific Island nations. The U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy has been heavily focused on the Quada security partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United Stateswhich is dedicated to containing communist China. The Pacific Island Forum, however, is made up of 18 members, all of whom are considered developing nations, apart from Australia and New Zealand.

China is courting the developing nations by offering aid, investment, and loans. The United States has recognized that in order to counter the CCPs influence in the region, Washington must increase its direct involvement with the Pacific Island nations. This is particularly true of those nations where the United States believes the CCP wishes to establish PLA military bases.

As part of its aid and investment, the CCP builds transportation infrastructure in these countries. U.S. security officials have warned that airstrips and aviation facilities built or expanded across the region by China could be used by the PLA.

As part of the U.S. pivot toward the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Fiji on Feb. 12 and held a conference with 18 leaders from the Pacific Island nations. He was the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Fiji in almost 40 years.

At that meeting, Blinken announced that the United States plans to reopen its embassy in the Solomon Islands, which has been closed since 1993. However, this gesture was too little, too late to prevent the Solomon Islands from slipping into Chinas orbit.

Meanwhile, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)another U.S. allyis in danger of falling into the mouth of the dragon.

The Battle for Micronesia

On March 31, ABC Australia reported that the FSM had asked the Solomon Islands to reconsider its security pact with China. Micronesian President David Panuelo said that while the people of the FSM consider themselves to be friends of China, theyre allies of the United States.

And with the two large countries increasingly at odds with one another, the unilateral decision taken by the Solomon Islands is unprecedented. Panuelo expressed his fear that such agreements could fragment the Pacific Island nations into opposing camps acting at the behest of each respective great power.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Federated States of Micronesia President David Panuelo, and Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine hold a news conference after their meetings in Kolonia, Federated States of Micronesia, on Aug. 5, 2019. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)

Despite having a population of slightly more than 100,000 people, the FSM is one of the most important linchpins for the United States in maintaining its hegemony in the Indo-Pacific. The FSM comprises more than 600 islands spread out over more than 1 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean. The FSM is strategically located within striking distance of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Guam, the Marianas, Nauru, the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Philippines.

The relationship between the United States and the FSM is governed by the Compact of Free Association (COFA). Under the agreement, the United States is responsible for the defense of the FSM, which, in return, grants the United States exclusive rights to station military personnel and assets within the territory. The FSM receives economic assistance from the United States, and FSM citizens can easily join the U.S. military and immigrate to or work in the United States.

For years, the CCP has been trying to increase its influence in the region through investment and soft power initiatives. In addition to the strategic location, the nations of the Pacific Islands each get one vote in the U.N. Given their small size and lack of development, Beijing believes it can buy their allegiance and votes cheaply.

Pacific nations that have already switched recognition from Taiwan to China include Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu. The FSM, which already recognizes China rather than Taiwan, is the CCPs next target for removal from the U.S. sphere.

China has provided the FSM with $100 million in aid since 1990, with the CCP funding government complexes, convention centers, and transportation infrastructure. In 2017, FSM joined Chinas Belt and Road Initiative.

COFA, the FSMs contract with Washington, is up for renewal in 2023, which provides the CCP an opportunity to present it with an alternative arrangement with Beijing. Under the Trump administration, the United States and the FSM began negotiating an extension of the agreement in 2019. But talks were halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

An extension of COFA may not completely shut the CCP out of the region. Chuuk State, an FSM member that lies very close to the U.S. territory of Guam, has been the recipient of much of Beijings economic aid. Since 2015, Chuuk State has scheduled independence referendums three times, but failed to carry them out.

Most recently, Chuuk was meant to vote on whether or not to leave the Federated States of Micronesia in March; however, no vote has taken place, and no specific date has been set. If Chuuk State were to leave the FSM, it would be free to enter into an agreement with China. This also means that the PLA would be able to establish a base there.

The loss of the Solomon Islands to the CCP should serve as a wake-up call for the Biden administration. Losing the FSM would be disastrous, and steps need to be taken to prevent this. The United States needs to increase its engagement with all the Pacific Island nations and provide significant economic aidotherwise, the CCP will.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
China Used NATO Airspace to Deliver Missiles to Serbia

Six Chinese military aircraft transited the airspace of Turkey and Bulgaria, both of which are NATO members, on April 11 to deliver missiles to Serbia, a key ally of Vladimir Putins regime in Russia.

The move is likely to be regarded as a display of force, as Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic previously had said that NATO refused to let the shipments of Chinese weapons cross through the airspace of its member nations.

The Y-20 cargo planes delivered the anti-aircraft weapons systems to Serbia via the civilian Nikola Tesla airport in Belgrade.

The FK-3, which is the export version of Chinas domestic HQ-22, is a ground-to-air missile system that is frequently compared to the United States Patriot missile system. It can reach speeds of about six times that of sound (Mach 6) and has a range of about 93 miles. One system includes 12 missiles dispersed among three launch vehicles and a separate radar vehicle.

Notably, the Chinese aircraft flew together in mass formation rather than one at a time, and used state-of-the-art MLat (multilateration) tracking systems instead of the more traditional radar. Open-source intelligence analysts also noted that at least some of the aircraft had removed the coverings for their flare and chaff countermeasuresdefensive systems to help evade missile attackspossibly signaling that the Chinese aircraft either anticipated meeting some resistance or wanted to be seen as anticipating resistance.

The shipment will allow Serbia to become the first user of Chinese missiles in Europe, and will augment an already expanding arsenal of Chinese and Russian drones, tanks, and warplanes purchased by the nation in recent years.

The incident underscored Western fears that further arms buildup in the region could erupt into conflict as Russia continues to wage its war on Ukraine, and both Chinese and Russian leaders promote their own forms of authoritarian expansionism.

Serbia is currently seeking membership into the European Union, amid concern by some to be preparing for war with its neighbors in the Balkans, particularly Kosovo.

Serbia and its neighbors were locked in a number of bitter wars throughout most of the 1990s, during which reports of ethnic cleansing were rampant. The wars reached a bloody crescendo with the 1999 NATO bombardment of Serbia (then Yugoslavia), which resulted in the deaths of some 500 civilians and the destruction of vital infrastructure and cultural monuments.

In 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia, and subsequently expressed a desire to join NATO. However, China, Russia, and Serbia have refused to acknowledge Kosovo as a legitimate nation.

With that history in mind, Kosovos former President Hashim Thaci accused Serbia of plotting a Crimea-like annexation of parts of the territory in 2017, before stepping down to face a war crimes tribunal for acts he allegedly committed during the Yugoslav Wars.

Serbias relationship with China and Russia remains somewhat uneven, however. On one hand, the nation voted in the U.N. to condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine, while refusing to join international sanctions against Moscow or to issue any further criticism of the Russian troops there.
Hunter Biden attends his father Joe Biden's inauguration as the 46th President of the United States on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool/Reuters)

Covering for the Big Guy

Commentary

The mainstream media continues to cover for the Big Guy. The big guy is, of course, Joe Biden. And the Hunter Biden scandal has always been about Joe Biden. Why? Because its a family racket.

Just as the Corleone family operated as a single unit, with Don Corleone in charge of the corrupt operation, so the Biden family operates as a unit, with Joe Biden as its chairman and ultimate authority.

Of course, the Biden family knows Joes name cant be freely used. Thats why Hunter Biden and his associates are emphatic in their email and other communications to leave Joes name out of their transactions. Hunter associate James Gilliar at one point texted Tony Bobulinski, then a Biden family business partner, Dont mention Joe being involved.

Emails appear to typically refer to Joe Biden with code names like Celtic or the Big Guy.

Yet it seems the big guy was always in on the deals. One of Hunters emails specifically references a 10 percent cut for Joe Biden. Moreover, Bobulinski said he personally met with Joe Biden to discuss Hunters business dealings. This is important because Joe Biden has consistently denied he knew anything about his sons commercial activities.

This is the same Joe Biden who took his son on board Air Force Two to China, where Hunter Biden struck an arrangement with business entities connected with the Chinese Communist Party. These arrangements gave him a stake in joint ventures with the Chinese worth tens of millions of dollars. Not since the Clinton Foundation has a high American official allegedly sold access on the international marketand quite likely, the Biden family racket was modeled on the Clinton Foundation.

Joe Biden even apparently shared offices with Hunter Biden. In 2017, Hunter emailed his office manager to have keys made available for new office mates, and one of them was Joe Biden. Yet when White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked about this recently, she put on her customary deadpan expression and merely said that Joe Biden was not office mates with Hunter Biden. Nothing further. End of story.

Investigative reporter Peter Schweizer has documented Biden family deals with foreign entities in Ukraine, China, Costa Rica, and elsewhere. Its a worldwide operation, and all the trails lead back to one man, Joe Biden. Without his name and at least some level of active participation, there would be no racket to carry out.

Despite the evidence closely tying the Bidens together in these deals, the media has for ideological reasons been highly protective of their man in the White House. At first the media treated the Hunter Biden laptop and its incriminating contents as Russian disinformation. In this, the press was assisted by 50 former intelligence officials who were apparently willing to lie to the American people to shield Joe Biden from his own corruption.

Now the laptop has been confirmed both by The New York Times and The Washington Post to be legitimate. Tellingly, not one of the 50 intelligence officials has recanted or expressed any contrition about being part of a public deception scheme. Neither has the media. Instead, the new narrative is: True, Hunter Biden sold access in his familys name, but Joe Biden had nothing to do with it.

This has all the persuasive power of saying that Don Corleone knew nothing about his familys activities and played no part in them whatever. It makes no sense. And Joe Bidens direct involvement in his sons activities has now been confirmed with a new email that has emerged. The email involves a college recommendation that Joe Biden wrote for a Chinese businessman who was partners with Hunter Biden.

Jonathan Li is the CEO of a company BHR that entered into a joint venture with Hunter Bidens company Rosemont Seneca. Hunter also held a 10 percent stake in BHR. In 2017, Li sent an email to Hunter Biden and his business associates Devon Archer and Jim Bulger.

Gentlemen, he wrote, Please find the attached resume of my son, Chris Li. He is applying [to] the following colleges for this year.

Li listed Brown University, Cornell University, and New York University. He also attached an updated version of his sons resume. So then what happened? Lets follow the email trail.

Lets see how we can be helpful here to Chris, Bulger responded to Hunter and the gang.

A few weeks later, on Feb. 18, 2017, Eric Schwerin, president of Rosemont Seneca, replied to Li.

Jonathan, he wrote, 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. In other words, Joe Biden wrote the letter.

Is it reasonable, at this point, to continue to say Joe Biden told the truth when he said he had nothing to do with his sons business? Is it believable that he was never in on the deals, or stood to benefit from them? No, its not. On the contrary, it seems that Hunter Biden was Joe Bidens frontman. This is a Joe Biden scandal, not a Hunter Biden scandal. If the circuitous family racket can be likened to the coils of a snake, Joe Biden is the head of the snake.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
An image showing functional red blood cells. Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) and Beta thalassemia (BTHAL) are caused by mutations in the adult genes that carry instructions for the creation of red blood cells and cause them to change shape. (Lightspring/Shutterstock)

CRISPR Gene Editing Finds Possible Therapy to Sickle Cell Anaemia

Researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have found the mechanism behind sickle cell anaemia and beta thalassemiacommon genetic anaemiathrough CRISPR (DNA editing) techniques, with the discovery promising for future therapies.

We can use this understanding of the mechanism to help us look for new therapeutic approachesits a key piece of the puzzle, Co-lead author Assoc. Prof. Kate Quinlan from UNSW said.

Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) and Beta thalassemia (BTHAL) are caused by mutations that change adult genes that carry instructions on how to make functional haemoglobin.

Haemoglobin refers to a protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen to the body from the lungs and are made up of four subunits, two of which are named alpha and two subunits named beta.

SCA and BTHAL affect the genes that make beta subunits of haemoglobin. The change causes red blood cells to alter from a round doughnut shape to an abnormal sickle shape. A sickle-shaped red blood cell is less efficient at carrying oxygen and may result in blocked and hardened blood vessels, which lead to organ damage and premature death.

Interestingly, when children are born, they dont show disease symptoms at first, even if they have the mutations, Quinlan said.

She said that it is because there are foetal globin genes and adult globin genes, with different genes activated at different periods in a persons life.

In the womb, foetal globin genes are turned on, producing functional proteins. However, in the first year after childbirth, the foetal genes will get turned off, and the adult genes will be turned on.

For patients with SCA and BTHAL, this would mean less functional foetal globin proteins and increased abnormal adult globin proteins, with symptoms manifesting.

Interestingly, the reversed phenomenon has already happened in some people with SCA due to another beneficial genetic mutation that keeps the foetal globin gene on throughout their life.

UNSW PhD student Sarah Tropfer collated genetic information from patients affected by SCA but who express foetal globin throughout their life and compared the similarities and differences in their genomes.

Sarah compared deletions [areas where DNA are deleted and shorter compared to normal DNA] in lots of different patients genomes, Quinlan said. She found one very small region was deleted in all these patients genomes.

Tropfer then used CRISPR gene editing to replicate some of the deletions and introduced the deletions into cells in the laboratory to test the impacts they would make.

CRISPR is a technology that allows areas of the DNA to be cut and modified, its essentially a tool to figure out what genes do inside living cells, Quinlan said.

The team found that a small deletion in the promoter, a section of DNA that turns on the adult globin gene, significantly increased foetal globin production and reduced adult globin production.

Effectively, by deleting the adult globin on switch, we made the foetal globin on switch active.

Quinlan said she was surprised at the findings as many people have studied these mutations for many years, so the idea that thered be one unifying hypothesis that could explain them rather than them all working through different mechanisms will be surprising for the field.

While we went in with the hypothesis that there might be one mechanism, we didnt expect it to come out so cleanlywe thought that perhaps it would be more complicated than what wed initially thought.

The team wrote that their findings could be promising as gene therapy for SCA patients.

The authors suggested that targeting the promoter of the adult haemoglobin gene, perhaps in combination with mutations that disrupt repressors that turn off the foetal haemoglobin genes, may produce synergistic effects for improved gene therapy.
Critics Raise Constitutional Objections to Bidens Ghost Gun Order

President Joe Bidens planned order to clamp down on so-called ghost guns violates the U.S. Constitution, according to critics of the move.

The White House says ghost guns will be reined in through a final rule that bans manufacturing many versions of the guns, such as buy build shoot kits that enable people to assemble guns that dont have serial numbers.

Because ghost guns lack the serial numbers marked on other firearms, law enforcement has an exceedingly difficult time tracing a ghost gun found at a crime scene back to an individual purchaser, the White House said, adding that another component is forcing gun dealers and gunsmiths who come into possession of guns without serial numbers to serialize them.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), one of the critics, said the plan goes against the Constitution.

The Constitution does not authorize the federal government to prevent you from making your own firearm. This is a fact that has been recognized for 200+ years, Massie wrote on Twitter.

He also pointed to Article 1, Section 1 of the document, which says that Congress makes laws, not the president.

Dudley Brown, president of the National Association for Gun Rights, also concluded that the action runs afoul of Americans rights.

The Biden administration is making up unconstitutional gun control rules he cant get through Congress, Brown said in a statement.

California already has this ban, and like all gun control, it failed to stop a recent shooting because it only restricts law-abiding gun owners, not criminals, he said.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) took a similar angle, writing on social media that additional gun laws that restrict the Second Amendment wont make our cities safer.

We need to punish criminals, not criminalize law-abiding gun owners, he said.

Other lawmakers and groups spoke out in support of the move.

Putting together a ghost gun is as easy as assembling a dresser from IKEA, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) said on Twitter. Ghost guns are easy for criminals to buy and assemble. We need to rein in ghost guns with background checks and serial numbers to keep our streets safe.

John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, also cheered the order.

Ghost guns look like a gun, they shoot like a gun, and they kill like a gun, but up until now they havent been regulated like a gun, he said in a statement. We applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for doubling down on its commitment to gun safety by taking action to rein in ghost guns.
COVID-era teens are revealing signs of trauma after 2 years of fear and isolation

A high school senior from California described teen COVID-19 mental fallout in a nutshell:

Its not that Im mad that I missed the events. I wouldnt have gone to prom anyway. I just feel bad about all the experiences I missed that never had the chance to happen. I wonder what those years would have been like if none of it ever happened.

A grown adult who has already lived a life and whose days are filled with routines that rarely change may be content with missing some time outdoors during lockdowns. But for teens living in one of the most dynamic periods of their lives, growing up in the time of COVID-19 takes a larger toll, according to mental health professionals looking to make sense of the pandemics effect on teens.

Teens have missed college opportunities, their drivers tests, and countless life-shaping experiences with friends.

This was the longest pause button ever pusheda purgatory that teenagers used to think only existed in dystopian films. Pandemic countermeasures hurt some more than others, but no one can really say how much.

Andrea Hussong, professor and associate director of clinical psychology and neuroscience for the University of North Carolina, said in a November interview that teen mental health has been deteriorating since as early as the first few months of the pandemics onset, with severity varying on the individual teen.

One thing is for certain, according to Hussong.

Youth in the United States are reporting that the biggest impact of the pandemic is on their mental health, she said.

Some mental health practitioners think the COVID-19 mental fallout in certain teens should be labeled as a full-blown trauma and be treated as such.

The current state of child and adolescent mental health is a national emergency, according to a joint statement made by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Childrens Hospital Association. The organizations are asking for increased federal funding to address mental health care.

Rates of childhood mental health concerns and suicide rose steadily between 2010 and 2020 and by 2018 suicide was the second leading cause of death for youth ages 1024. The pandemic has intensified this crisis: across the country we have witnessed dramatic increases in Emergency Department visits for all mental health emergencies including suspected suicide attempts, the statement reads.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new report on April 1 based on a survey on adolescent behaviors during COVID-19. It found more than one in three high school students felt sad or hopeless during the pandemic. One in three students also reported using alcohol and other drugs more during the pandemic.

Psychiatrists say the struggle teens are facing may be greater than many people realize.

Im seeing the effects of these government shutdowns, lockdowns, closures, social distancing measures, quarantines, masking, shutting down schools, just now coming to fruition, Dr. Mark McDonald, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and author of United States of Fear: How America Fell Victim to a Mass Delusional Psychosis, said on a recent The Defender Podcast hosted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

My concerns now are actually worse than they were a year and a half ago. I just saw it as a temporary disaster. Were now seeing this as an ongoing problem.

Can the long-term effects of COVID-19 countermeasures be considered a full-blown mental health crisis?

A poll conducted by Ipsos in mid-March found that one in four Americans said theyve returned to their normal, pre-COVID life, but the long-term effects of the lockdown and the way it reshaped some of our core ideas as a society remain largely unknown, including its lasting effects on children. McDonald isnt optimistic.

Were going to start to see more and more evidence and reports of lingering chronic trauma, injuries, ongoing abuse of children just like now were seeing with the speech problems, like were seeing with the drug problems, like were seeing with the lack of socialization with childrenanxiety and depressive disordersall these problems that we just ignored  are now coming back and rebounding much, much worse than they were in 2020, he said.

Studies confirm McDonalds warning. A recent JAMA systematic review of 36 studies from 11 countries found that school closures and social lockdowns during the first COVID-19 wave were associated with adverse mental health symptoms (such as distress and anxiety) and health behaviors (such as higher screen time and lower physical activity) among children and adolescents.

The review found that 18 to 60 percent of children and adolescents scored above risk thresholds for distressparticularly anxiety and depressive symptomsand two studies reported greater social media use.

An August 2021 global meta-analysis of 29 studies published in JAMA found estimates of elevated adolescent depression in Europe to be 20.5 percent, as the prevalence of depression and anxiety had doubled compared to pre-pandemic estimates.

A University of Manchester analysis of the teen experience during COVID-19 suggests that parents and educators need to be talking to their teens. Not all mental illness problems will lead to an impairment, the study suggests. Yet because of the fact that most youngsters do not misbehave, and instead hide their feelings, the internalized feelings can be easily overlooked and can develop into full-blown disorders.

The effects of COVID-19 on teens come amid a broader social trend of social isolation in the entire culture thats occurring alongside a rising tide of stress, depression, anxiety, and mental illness.

Isolation

Theres no meme in the virtual universe that encompasses the kind of disappointment teens faced when their schools remained closed.

Its just devastating, McDonald said. I have so many children in my practice who are unable to spend time with their friends at sleepovers because they cant separate from their mothers. I have children who have punched through plate glass windows with their fists at age 8 out of frustration because they cant go outside.

I have autistic children who were completely fine psychologically. They have autism, but that doesnt mean that theyre mentally ill, and these autistic children, by and large, have suffered the most.

An October 2020 study by Bellwether Education Partners estimated as many as 3 million K12 students were missing in one way or another. The study noted, for instance, that 15 to 20 percent of Los Angeles English learners, students in foster care, students with disabilities, and homeless students didnt access any of the districts online educational materials from March through May of 2020.

In Washington, back-to-school family surveys found that 60 percent of students lacked the devices and 27 percent lacked the high-speed internet access needed to successfully participate in virtual school.

In Miami-Dade County, Florida, 16,000 fewer students enrolled in the fall of 2020 compared to the previous year.

The BBC reported almost 2 million pupils are regularly missing school in the UK, saying that almost 1.8 million children missed at least 10 percent of school in the autumn [of 2022] term in England, which is a rate almost twice as high as before the pandemic, according to National Health Service numbers.

The scale of missing students is massive, according to the Bellwether study.

The pandemic has also isolated children and youth experiencing abuse, neglect, or acute mental health needs, cutting them off from teachers and other school staff trained to spot warning signs, the study reads. Early local reporting suggests widespread decreases in child abuse reporting, increases in child deaths, and more older children being killed.

Excluded

One senior from central California (who wished to remain anonymous) transitioned to homeschooling when his public high school went virtual.

It was boring because there was nothing to do, and my mom took me out of school, so I couldnt be there with my friends, he said.

The teen worked more than usual at the local surf shop. He spent more time at the beach.

But when his friends said most teachers werent enforcing the masks, his parents tried to re-enroll him in high school, but the school flagged his incomplete vaccine record, which was acceptable in seventh grade, but not in high school.

He said the only thing that would make his life better again is going back to school, yet Californias strict school vaccine laws wont allow him to do so. His mother worries that the damage to his social life may be more than just boredom and stress.

A YouTube interview posted by Melbourne Ground described the escalation of boredom and stress in Australia.

Two Melbourne teens who had lived through six COVID-19 lockdowns in two years said they felt deeply affected by stay-at-home orders, including losing the motivation for homeschooling and overdoing their social media and phone usage.

I have lots of friends who Ive seen turn to drugs and alcohol over lockdown. Ive really seen a change in people. Theyve got nothing, one teen said. When we were at school two or so years ago  thats what [people would] do for the day; theyd go home and sleep and go to school the next day. When theyre at home all day, its not healthy, you know.

The other teen said, Ive never been a person who gets depressed much, but recently, Ive begun to feel the effects of the lockdown. Ive started to feel depressed. We shouldnt feel like thatwere just kids.

Drugs

McDonald said hes personally seen an increase in drug use among his clients.

I lost two patients for the first time in my career,  he said in The Defender interview, choking up.

Two patients, underaged, due to fentanyl overdoses. One of them took the Fentanyl when he was at home because he couldnt go to school, because he was under [Los Angeles Mayor] Eric Garcettis Safer at Home policy. Safer at home and he died, and his parents were right there in the house when he died. They didnt know he had taken the fentanyl until they found him face down, green, in a pile of his own vomit, not breathing.

These problems I have never seen in my career. Not to this degree. Anxiety up 300 percent. Depression: 400 percent.  Every single mental illness, every behavioral problem, including substance abuse in the older kids, is going through the roof.

Suicide Attempts

Communities were shocked when 15-year-old Stockton, California, teenager JoVianni Smith committed suicide by hanging herself because of what her mother, Danielle Hunt, said were the circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hunt told local station KTXL that her daughter showed no signs of wanting to take her life, but may have had difficulty dealing with the states stay-at-home order, which had only been in place for a few weeks into the U.S. lockdowns.

Isolated stories made it sound as though suicides were on the rise during the pandemic, but statistically speaking, the numbers have been consistent. Global suicide trend data from 21 countries didnt see an increase in suicide rates during the early months of the pandemic.

Suicide attempts have risen, however. The National Vital Statistics System lists suicide as the third leading cause of death among U.S. adolescents aged 15 to 19, which means that stagnant suicide rates dont make teen suicide less of a risk.

In an article, a University of CaliforniaDavis doctor said in 2021 that youth suicide was already at a record high and that parents should be vigilant as the challenges teens normally face have been amplified by isolation and distancing during the pandemic.

CDC data reveals that emergency department (ED) visits for adolescent suicide attempts soared during the summer and winter of 2021, especially among girls. There was a 31 percent spike in suspected suicides by children aged 12 to 17 in the summer of 2020 compared to 2019.

During February 21 [to] March 20, 2021, suspected suicide attempt ED visits were 50.6 percent higher among girls aged 1217 years than during the same period in 2019; among boys aged 1217, suspected suicide attempt ED visits increased 3.7 percent, The report reads.

As the suicide and suicide attempt data continue to be scrutinized, the teen response to COVID-19 will continue to be examined.

I think we do need to treat some teens for trauma, said Jennifer Thomas, a licensed marriage and family therapist. Teens were left out and told what to do. No one is asking what its like for them. Some were doing okay, but some on the other end were consumed with worry. Some committed suicide.

Because Im in this field, I know these tragedies were happening before, and I dont mean to minimize it, but it wasnt being paid attention to. Now that mental health issues have escalated for some teens, we can be more aware.

Thomas said the best word to describe the effect of COVID-19 fallout on teen development is stunted.

Thomas said her Sacramento, California, practice has grown since the pandemicin fact, the calls are overflowing. She said its been difficult and gut-wrenching keeping up with all the people who need help, especially when she hears of their hardshipsparents losing jobs, teens forced to come home from college, increases in anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

A part of the problem teens face is that the people that they rely on are also suffering amid the fallout of the pandemic.

Adults are going through their struggles. Teachers are going through their struggles, too, Thomas said.

How to Move On

Should certain teens be treated for trauma? According to the joint statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics et al., the answer is an urgent yes.

Thomas thinks that many teens do need help and that its the parent or caregivers job to learn how to best communicate with them. Sometimes she reserves sessions just for that purpose. Hussong reserves hope for teens as we come out of the pandemic. While COVID-19 upended their teen life, life continues, even if it does so differently.

Development is not so much delayed by the pandemic but reshaped by it. Rather than asking high school seniors to go back to normalwhich returns them to their sophomore yearswe need to ask them and the systems that serve them to recognize their new development path, Hussong said.

For his part, McDonald has been going out of his way to alert the public that teenagers need more help. In an interview with Jesse Lee Peterson, he said parents need to do much more than recognize their teens reshaped path: They need to call for a return to normalcy.

Its up to us adults to fix this, because children are not going to be able to fix this themselves, McDonald said.
Fences and barriers surround the U.S. Capitol after being reinstalled ahead of President Joe Biden's State of the Union Address before a Joint Session of Congress on Feb. 27, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Pete Marovich/Getty Images)

Democrats Seek to Disqualify 2 Pro-Trump Congressmen and 1 State Lawmaker in Arizona

Bernie Sanders campaign spinoff and another group say the three are guilty of 'insurrection'

Two left-wing groups are trying to disqualify two pro-Trump Arizona congressmen and one Arizona state representative, all Republicans, as candidates in approaching elections, for allegedly participating in a supposed insurrection against the U.S. government by supporting the former presidents reelection bid.

This alleged participation supposedly culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021, security breach at the U.S. Capitol, in which supporters of President Donald Trump delayed the congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election results for several hours. Democrats and a handful of Republicans characterize the disturbance as an insurrection or coup attempt aimed at overthrowing the U.S. government, although that claim has been adamantly denied by Trump and his supporters.

Those trying to oust the three officeholders say their actions triggered the rarely invoked Disqualification Clause in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which was enacted in the wake of the Civil War to keep former Confederates out of Congress and state governments.

Lawsuits have been filed in the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County targeting U.S. Reps. Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs, who are seeking reelection, as well as state Rep. Mark Finchem, who is running for Arizona secretary of state, according to the Austin, Texas-based Free Speech for People on April 7.

Gosar says the lawsuit against him is a waste of time.

The Democrats have filed a frivolous suit to keep me off the ballot, falsely claiming I am an insurrectionist, Gosar told The Epoch Times by email.

Since 2010, I have beaten, at the ballot box, every Democrat I have faced. This is the true reason they want me off the ballot.

Gosar and Biggs are known for their efforts in Congress to expose Chinese Communist Party infiltration and meddling in Americas domestic politics. Finchem is seeking higher office on an election integrity platform.

According to the group Free Speech for People and Our Revolution, a left-wing organization that grew out of admitted socialist Sen. Bernie Sanderss 2016 presidential campaign, the two groups are co-leading a national campaign to ensure that election officials across the country follow the mandate of Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment and bar elected officials who engaged in the insurrection, including former President Donald Trump, from appearing on any future ballot.

According to the complaint (pdf) filed against Gosar, the events of Jan. 6, 2021, in which he engaged, amounted to an insurrection or a rebellion under Section Three: a violent, coordinated effort to storm the Capitol to prevent the Vice President of the United States and the United States Congress from fulfilling their constitutional roles by certifying President Bidens victory, and to illegally extend then-President Trumps tenure in office, including by illegally introducing illegitimate electors as alternate slates for Congress to vote on.

Gosar exercising his right to free speech somehow crossed the line, the complaint claims. Gosars encouragement of people to attend the rally on the National Mall that took place before the security breach at the Capitol led directly, intentionally, and foreseeably to the insurrectionists violent assault on the Capitol. Gosars statements supporting the proposed rejection of electoral votes constitute efforts to intimidate Congress and the Vice President and to subvert the essential constitutional function of an orderly and peaceful transition of power.

Gosar, the complaint states, helped plan the attack on Jan. 6, or, alternatively, [was involved in] the planning of the pre-attack demonstration and/or march on the Capitol with the advance knowledge that it was substantially likely to lead to the attack, and otherwise voluntarily aided the insurrection.

The allegations in the legal complaints against Biggs (pdf) and Finchem (pdf) are basically the same as those in the Gosar complaint.

The Epoch Times reached out to Biggs and Finchem for comment but didnt receive a reply by press time.

Ron Fein, legal director of Free Speech for People, didnt respond by press time to a request for comment on the three challenge lawsuits.
Handout photo showing Just Stop Oil activists holding a banner at an oil terminal in England on April 10, 2022. (Just Stop Oil)

Downing Street Wont Tolerate Guerrilla Tactics as Oil Protests Continue

No. 10 Downing Street on Monday condemned eco-protesters guerrilla tactics as they continue to target oil terminals.

Since April 1, protesters from Just Stop Oil, with the support of Extinction Rebellion, have been occupying oil terminals across England, demanding an end to new oil and gas projects.

Activists have climbed on top of oil tankers, locked themselves onto pipeworks, occupied terminals, halting oil production and transportation.

A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, We recognise the strength of feeling and the right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, but we wont tolerate guerrilla tactics that obstruct people going about their day-to-day business.

We fully support the police who are putting significant resource into their response to the demonstrations, she added.

On Sunday, Just Stop Oil activists occupied a tunnel they dug under a key tanker route to the BP Kingsbury Terminal in Warwickshire, as well as blocking two other oil terminals in Hertfordshire and Thurrock, Essex.

Handout photo showing Just Stop Oil activists on top of pipeworks at an oil terminal in England on April 10, 2022. (Just Stop Oil)

According to the group, a number of people remained in the tunnel by Monday morning, and up to 12 people were locked onto pipeworks.

The group said there had been more than 800 arrests during its protests between April 1 and April 10.

On Sunday, Oil Campaigner FairFuelUK said credible intelligence suggested one-third of garages had run dry of fuel, particularly in the South. Howard Cox, founder of the campaign group, later said he was convinced that the impact of the protests was minimal and patchy and that the main, pumps are stocked well.

Rachel Nolan, assistant chief constable at Essex police, which made 356 arrests since April 1, said on Monday that the police are not anti-protest, but have been dealing with people who are trespassing into restricted areas holding flammable chemicals, posing dangers to themselves and others.

Nolan added that some protesters were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

Their risky behaviour cannot be allowed to take place in such critical locations which could be catastrophic if there were accidental or deliberate actions causing leakage or fire, she said.

Nolan added that the protests were detracting from the day-to-day obligations of the police, and that the people of Essex dont deserve to have their daily lives affected in this way and for such a protracted length of time.

In a statement on Monday, Just Stop Oil said their hearts go out to all those who are disrupted, but said they had no choice but to enter into civil resistance until the government announces an end to new oil and gas projects in the UK.

The group added that its supporters will continue to disrupt until the government makes a statement that it will end new oil and gas projects in the UK.
A woman from Murle ethnic group receives cans of oil during a food distribution by United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Gumuruk, South Sudan, on June 10, 2021, after her village was recently attacked by an armed youth group. (Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP via Getty Images)

East African Countries Face Acute Food Shortages From Drought, Ukraine War

More than 29 million people are suffering from a scarcity of food supplies, according to the eight-country African trade bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), following prolonged periods of drought in the east of the continent and exacerbated by the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Across the IGAD region, 29 million people are facing high levels of food insecurity, IGAD, which is headquartered in Djibouti, wrote on Twitter recently. IGAD members consist of Djibouti, Somalia, Eritrea, and Ethiopia from the Horn of Africa; Sudan and South Sudan from the Nile Valley; and Kenya and Uganda from the African Great Lakes region.

Around 15.5 million to 16 million people are in need of immediate food assistance, with 6 million to 6.5 million in Ethiopia; 3.5 million in Kenya; and 6 million in Somalia. In the southern-central part of Somalia, the situation is catastrophic, w/ 81,000 people at risk of famine, the IGAD wrote.

Besides this, South Sudan faces prolonged flooding, leading another 8 million people into acute food insecurity. IGAD has called upon humanitarian partners and international donors to prevent the worsening humanitarian crisis in the region and coordinate life-saving assistance immediately.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has raised food shortages and hiked prices across the globe, especially in the most vulnerable African and Middle Eastern regions. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said global food prices rose at their fastest pace on record in March, spiking 13 percent over the month to 159.3 points.

Russia and Ukraine are leading producers and major food exporters of staples such as wheat, corn, and barley. The war has resulted in Black Sea ports being blocked off, leading Ukraine to ship supplies out by rail, which has faced considerable logistical difficulties.

In South Sudan, floods and droughts, conflicts, displacement, and economic downturn have adversely affected 7.74 million people (62.7 percent of the population), according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis. They face an IPC Phase 3 level threat.

An IPC Phase 3 CRISIS classification in a specific region indicates that at least 20 percent of households are experiencing the conditions of the phase. Conditions include acute malnutrition rates between 10 and 15 percent.

IPC Phase 4 EMERGENCY classification indicates acute malnutrition rates rising to between 15 and 30 percent, while an IPC Phase 5 FAMINE classification points to acute malnutrition levels exceeding 30 percent, with more than two per 1,000 people dying each day.

April to July 2022 is considered the lean season, during which 87,000 people in South Sudan will likely be categorized under IPC Phase 5, while an estimated 2.90 million are likely to face IPC Phase 4 level food insecurity.
Russia has blocked a request put forward by France at the UN Security Council for "independent investigations" into the alleged massacre of several hundred civilians in Mali by the Malian army and Russian paramilitaries, diplomatic sources said on Saturday.

Mali's army announced on 1 April 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 has alleged that Malian soldiers and foreign fighters executed 300 civilians there between 27 and 31 March.

The request for a UN investigation had been included in a statement drafted by France and submitted for approval Friday by the Security Council.

UN demands urgent access to site of alleged Mali massacre in Moura

But Russia, supported by China, "didn't see the need" for the text and considered it "premature," given that an investigation has been opened by the Malian authorities, one diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.

On Friday, Russia congratulated Mali on an "important victory" against "terrorism," and it described as "disinformation" allegations about the massacre, as well as claims about the involvement of Russian mercenaries.

Bamako denies the presence of mercenaries from the Russian group Wagner in Mali, acknowledging only the presence of Russian "instructors" and "trainers" under a bilateral cooperation agreement with Moscow dating from the 1960s.

For more than a week, the UN has been demanding access to the area to investigate under its Security Council mandate, to no avail.

France among 16 nations to hit out at deployment of Russian mercenaries in Mali

Relations between France and Mali have been tense since France announced it would pull its forces out of Mali after a 9 year effort to put down a jihadist insurgency.

More than 2,400 French soldiers stationed in Mali as part of Operation Barkhane are in retreat following Macron's announcement in February that "multiple obstructions" by Mali had made it impossible for France to continue its mission there.

Relations have also deteriorated since military junta went back on an agreement to organize elections in February, and instead proposed holding on to power until 2025.

(with wires)
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison attends virtually during the first ASEAN-Australia Summit at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Oct. 27, 2021. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)

Election Campaigning Kicks Off in Australia

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has underlined his governments results in the face of the global pandemic, as the federal election campaign enters its first full day.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese will hit the ground in Launceston, campaigning in the critical electorate of Bass, while also seeking to highlight the governments dysfunction over the past three years.

Despite being behind in the polls for much of the parliamentary term, Morrison said the coalitions results spoke for themselves.

The character of our government has been proven in the results weve achieved, coming through this pandemic saving thousands of lives, he told the Nine Network on Monday.

Not everybody agrees with everything Ive done, and not everybody will necessarily like me, but what they will know is that when we faced this crisis, we ploughed through with the right plan.

Morrison will spend the day in the seat of Gilmore on the NSW south coast, a marginal seat held by Labor by just 2.6 percent.

The prime minister will announce $40 million worth of local road upgrades across the Shoalhaven region as he sells his governments economic credentials.

The seat of Gilmore was heavily affected by the Black Summer bushfires.

Former NSW minister Andrew Constance is running for the party in the seat.

Albanese said the government was out of ideas and out of time.

They always react too little, too late  this is a government led by a prime minister which never takes responsibility, always looks to blame someone else, he told ABC TV.

Im the only candidate for prime minister who is trying to form government in their own right, weve seen the mess that is the modern coalition, with chaos within the National Party, chaos within the Liberal Party.

Labor will use the first full day of the campaign to announce better care for children with hearing loss, pledging $1.5 million to fund the development of the digital HearHub platform, an online service that will deliver hearing tests and support for families.

It will also establish new Shepherd Centres, which run the platform, in Launceston and Hobart with $2.5 million of funding behind them.

Bass, currently held by Liberal backbencher Bridget Archer, is one of the most marginal seats in the country, with the government holding the electorate by 0.4 per cent.

It comes as the latest Newspoll shows the coalition narrowing the gap with Labor on two-party preferred, but the opposition is still ahead 53-47.

The coalitions primary vote remains at 36 per cent, while Labors primary vote has dropped by one point to 37 percent.

Morrison has also pulled ahead of Albanese as preferred prime minister.

The prime minister also confirmed Alan Tudge, who stepped aside from the cabinet amid allegations he had an abusive relationship with a former staffer with whom he had an affair, would return to the frontbench should the government win the election.

Tudge has strenuously denied the allegation, and an investigation found insufficient evidence he breached the ministerial standards.

Morrison said Tudge had stood aside for health and family reasons and was welcome to rejoin the cabinet when he was ready.
SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk poses as he arrives on the red carpet for the Axel Springer Awards ceremony, in Berlin, on Dec. 1, 2020. (Britta Pederson/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Takeover Speculation Grows After Elon Musk Turns Down Twitter Board Seat

Elon Musk will no longer join Twitters board of directors, the social network has officially announced.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal confirmed on April 10 that Musk would continue to be the companys largest shareholder, adding that the tech giant will accept his input.

We were excited to collaborate and clear about the risks. We also believed that having Elon as a fiduciary of the company where he, like all board members, has to act in the best interests of the company and all our shareholders was the best path forward, Agrawal said in a statement.

He didnt indicate why Musk changed his mind, but Agrawal told company employees that there will be distractions ahead but our goals and priorities remain unchanged.

Musk, who controls a 9.2 percent stake in Twitter, would have officially been appointed to the board on April 9. However, recent regulatory filings showed that he had declined to accept the appointment.

The Twitter logo is displayed on a banner outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, on Nov. 7, 2013. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

In pre-market trading on April 11, the stock was down as much as 3 percent. Shares quickly turned positive at the opening bell, rallying about 2 percent.

Despite his choice not to become a board member, Musk has remained active on Twitter, posting on the platform how it can improve moving forward.

In recent days, Musk suggested that Twitter Blue subscribers should be allowed to pay with the cryptocurrency dogecoin. He further proposed that they should receive an authentication checkmark and not be given advertisements.

The power of corporations to dictate policy is greatly enhanced if Twitter depends on advertising money to survive, he wrote.

Musk also said Twitter should transform its San Francisco-based headquarters into a homeless shelter since no one shows up anyway.

Musk took a Twitter poll over the weekend, asking his followers if Twitter should remove w from its name, turning the company into titter. The tweet was later deleted.

Hostile Takeover?

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, the Tesla Motors and SpaceX CEO would be limited to a 14.9 percent stake in the company if he wished to receive a seat on the board.

A separate SEC filing highlighted that Musk has no present plans or intentions to buy more Twitter shares, but reserves the right to change his plans at any time upon evaluation of a wide range of factors. This could include the stock price or relative attractiveness of alternative business and investment opportunities.

From time to time, the Reporting Person may engage in discussions with the Board and/or members of the Issuers management team concerning, including, without limitation, potential business combinations and strategic alternatives, the business, operations, capital structure, governance, management, strategy of the Issuer and other matters concerning the Issuer, the SEC filing stated. The Reporting Person may express his views to the Board and/or members of the Issuers management team and/or the public through social media or other channels with respect to the Issuers business, products and service offerings.

The latest developments have triggered speculation that this could be the beginning of a hostile takeover, the start of Musk acquiring a majority stake in one of the worlds largest social media platforms.

With a fortune of approximately $200 billion, and declining a board seat, Musk has a real opportunity to acquire a more significant percentage of the social network, says Aron Solomon, chief legal analyst for Esquire Digital.

He sees Twitter, in my opinion, as a thing that he enjoys manipulating, Solomon told The Epoch Times.

What we also know about Elon Musk from a business perspective is he goes big, or he goes home. So, if he wants to have a role in Twitter, it would seem to meand a lot of other people who look at this kind of stuffthat he probably wants at some point to have a controlling interest.

By abandoning this prominent role at Twitter, he can now scoop up as many shares he wants through a legal avenue, which is much more expedient if he actually wants to control the company, Solomon said.

If a takeover does transpire, many investors have wondered if this would be a boon or a blunder for Twitter, considering some of the ideas he has presented, such as an edit button and subscription payment methods.

I dont think that Elon Musk and his goals are necessarily aligned with that of the Twitter board, particularly the current board, Solomon said.

Baruch Labunski, CEO of Rank Secure, thinks this is now a relief for Twitter executives, especially for Agrawal.

Musk being appointed to the board was setting it up for a showdown between Musk, who is advocating free speech and uncensored voices, against Agrawal, who publicly stated he wants to censor conservatives even more than in the past, Labunski told The Epoch Times.

Musk obviously didnt want dissension to overshadow his quest for serious change on the social media platform. There was already some drama at the company with some employees turning in resignations when it became known that Musk became a majority stockholder. He is carefully picking his battles.

Parag Agrawal in a file photo. (Ellian Raffoul/Courtesy of Twitter via AP)

Investors latest bullishness on Twitter could be a sign that the market is responding in a positive manner to a person like Elon Musk arriving and shaking things up in a digital environment that has been stagnating for years, Solomon said.

Others suggest that Musk could implement the change he wishes to see by making his demands public on the microblogging website without the pressures of leadership.

Ali Mogharabi, senior equity analyst at Morningstar, wrote in a research note: With more than 81 million followers on the platform, Musk could more effectively campaign for changes to the platform without limitations.

Twitter likely will be pressured to consider his ideas to minimize the risk of losing or aggravating users or pushing Musk to attempt to create a new platform.

In a recent Morgan Stanley survey of institutional investors and industry experts, 61 percent said that Musks primary motivation for his immense stake in Twitter is about weighing in on free speech  seeking greater influence on Twitter to preserve his platform.

Nearly one-quarter (24 percent) purport that the investment decision may also portend future Tesla strategy around platform/media/content.

As one study participant told the financial institution, Everything Elon does is intentional and has a longer-term purpose.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, responds to questions during a congressional hearing in Washington in a file image. (Greg Nash/Pool via Reuters)

Fauci: Now Up to Americans to Assess Their Own COVID-19 Risk

White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said its now up to Americans to determine their own COVID-19 risk, after months of promoting government- and corporate-backed restrictions.

This is not going to be eradicated, and its not going to be eliminated, Fauci told ABCs This Week about the CCP virus, which causes COVID-19. And whats going to happen is that were going to see that each individual is going to have to make their calculation of the amount of risk that they want to take.

Now Americans should consider factors such as age, vaccination status, or whether theyre immunocompromised in some way.

What is my age? Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since the mid-1980s, asked rhetorically on the ABC show. Do I have people at home who are vulnerable that, if I bring the virus home, there may be a problem?

Fauci also said that now Americans are going to have to live with some degree of virus in the community, adding that the best way to mitigate that is to get vaccinated. If youre not, to get boosted if youre eligible to be boosted.

Faucis comments contrast with ones hes made throughout the pandemic. In numerous media appearances, Fauci has often issued dire predictions and has called for government-instituted rules and other lockdownsoften drawing criticism from Republicans and other groups.

Dr. Fauci is finally coming around to what weve all known for a while, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), one of the critics, wrote in response. We must learn to live with COVID and assess individual risk.

In recent months, case numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths have significantly declined. Case numbers, in particular, are right now at a fraction of the so-called Omicron variant wave that was spreading through the United States in mid-January.

Right now, were watching it very, very carefully, and there is concern that its going up, but hopefully were not going to see increased severity, Fauci said.

Outside the United States, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has implemented a lockdown throughout Shanghai, one of the largest cities in the world, due to a reported rise in COVID-19 cases on April 1. Many residents have been locked in their homes for up to three weeks with the threat of heavy fines or more severe punishments.

Shanghai officials have insisted on continuing a strict zero-COVID policy after announcing that more than 25 million residents have been tested for COVID-19, and no sign that the citys lockdown will soon be lifted.

The Shanghai lockdown has led to widespread discontent among locals, whove complained about a shortage of food and medicine, access to medical treatment for non-COVID-19 diseases, and children being forcibly separated from their families and taken away for quarantine.

Frank Fang contributed to this report.
Leading man Chris Pines on fire this month, with The Contractor and All the Old Knives currently in theaters. In Contractor hes a soldier, and in Knives hes a spy. Too bad he didnt have two more movies out, playing a tinker and a tailor; that would be a neat haul.

Celia Harrison (Thandiwe Newton) and Henry Pelham (Chris Pine) are CIA operatives and ex-lovers, in the secret-agent thriller All the Old Knives. (Stefania Rosini/Amazon Studios)

What Happens

Eight years ago, the terrible airline hijacking of Royal Jordanian flight 127 in Vienna by Islamic terrorists from Chechnya killed more than 100 passengers and crew members aboard a grounded jetliner.

The movie opens with the CIA just having learned from one of the former terrorists that the attack was due to a mole in the Viennese station, who sabotaged the rescue attempts. Since the entire affair had naturally resulted in a major political embarrassment for the United States top intelligence agency at the time, the matter needs resolving.

Victor Wallinger (Laurence Fishburne) is the CIA head of Vienna station, in All the Old Knives. (Stefania Rosini/Amazon Studios)

Henry Pelham (Pine) is brought in by Vienna station boss Victor Wallinger (Laurence Fishburne), who sends him to investigate two of his former colleagues. If this was Apocalypse Now, Pelham would be encouraged (if his interrogation does indeed turn up an office mole) to terminate with extreme prejudice.

Henry Pelham (Chris Pine) is a CIA operative investigating old colleagues, in the secret-agent thriller All the Old Knives. (Stefania Rosini/Amazon Studios)

However, one of the upcoming interrogations happens to be Celia Harrison (Thandiwe Newton), Henrys not-so-secret former lover and his CIA colleague and fellow operative. Their relationship was destroyed in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attack. The boss calls into question Henrys ability to tie up this particular loose end, should it come to that.

Flying Around, Doing Interviews

There are many flashbacks, coinciding with a bunch of current jet-setting: London, Moscow, Washington, Vienna, and Carmel, California. But first up, Henry confronts his former superior, Bill Compton (Jonathan Pryce), in a London pub. Comptons aghast to have his loyalty and integrity called on the carpet, but while his story appears to check out, it also raises a red flag or two.

Bill Compton (Jonathan Pryce) is a former senior spook at the CIA Vienna station, in All the Old Knives. (Stefania Rosini/Amazon Studios)

Then, in California, Henry and Celia chat about old times over a leisurely four-course meal at an upscale, cliff-top wine restaurant in Carmel by the Sea. Their reminiscing is reminiscent of Dan Fogelbergs Same Old Lang Syne:

We drank a toast to innocence

We drank a toast to now

And tried to reach beyond the emptiness

But neither one knew how

She said shed married her an architect

Who kept her warm and safe and dry

She wouldve liked to say she loved the man

But she didnt like to lie.

But when all is said and done, whats at stake is not a reunion but a deadly investigation, and things gradually get more measured and calculated. Its always impressive, the memory for details and subtleties that former spies are still in command of. But one eventually begins to wonder, whos investigating who here?

Celia Harrison (Thandiwe Newton) is a former CIA analyst, in the secret-agent thriller All the Old Knives. (Stefania Rosini/Amazon Studios)

All in All

While on the surface of it, All the Old Knives is a thriller-whodunit, theres very little James Bond-ness. The movie spends so much time examining the state of Henry and Celias romance before, during, and after the incident that its effectively a tragic romance, and it succeeds as such because of the potent chemistry between Pine and Newton. This is some of Newtons best work yet, and Pine has grown a world-weariness in both The Contractor and All the Old Knives that is starting to nudge him toward Cary Grant territory.

Why their affair ended is the main topic of the film, and when the answer is finally revealed, its really not so much shocking (its maybe slightly shocking for non-spies) as it is tragic. Whats truly shocking is the concept of how love could end up being responsible for a massive number of deaths. In a nutshell, All the Old Knives is a prime example of why its never a good idea for fellow CIA agents to fall head over heels in love.

Movie poster for All the Old Knives.

All the Old Knives

Director: Janus Metz Pedersen

Starring: Chris Pine, Thandie Newton, Laurence Fishburne, Jonathan Pryce

MPAA Rating: R

Release Date: April 8, 2022

Running Time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Florida 911 Operators the Hidden Heroes of First Responders

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.A call to 911 has become synonymous with help, hope, and even terroras witnessed by the nation on Sept. 11, 2001, Americas darkest day in modern history.

A 911 operator is the most important person that you will never meet, retired 911 supervisor Sheryle Langmaid told the Epoch Times on April 5. We are the first, first-responders.

Langmaid said that 911 dispatchers do not get the same respect as other heroes, in that they are the silent partners of law enforcement, fire department, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

Dispatchers are sometimes not regarded as equals on the first responder playing field, Langmaid said, adding that law enforcement, as well as Fire and EMS often look down on dispatchers.

Are you kidding me? she exclaimed. I am the person who makes sure that you get what you need when you call  and you look down on us? Thats craziness, and you as a dispatcher have to be okay with that.

Jim Brown, a West Virginia veteran 911 dispatcher, and founder and administrator of the Dispatchers of First Responders Facebook group, said the public would be surprised at the number of first responders who snub their nose at dispatchers.

Ive heard where some officers say, Yeah, theyre here to answer the phone, they think theyre the only heroes, Brown told The Epoch Times. Dispatchers are needed just as bad as anybody else.

Advocating for 911 dispatchers, Brown said he believes in heroes but also believes that the word hero has a broad definition.

My definition of a hero is that it is someone that reaches out to help the public, and saves lives, and that can talk someone through that over the telephone, he said. I have never heard anyone say thank you to a dispatcher.

Brown expressed hope this will change when dispatchers are reclassified. It has been many years coming.

Most Americans are under the impression that 911 dispatchers are first responders; in some states, like Florida, dispatchers feel undervalued and sometimes misunderstood by the public and others in the law enforcement community, said Brown. But moreover, they do not have the same classification as other first responders, with only nine states currently recognizing 911 dispatchers as first responders.

Map of the United States showing nine states in green that recognize 911 operators as first-responders. (Courtesy of Jody Kenyon 911 Coordinators)

The classification for 911 dispatchers is clerical under the system of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Standard Occupational Classification (SOC), a federal agency that relies upon prescribed data points to classify over 800 occupations, including telecommunicators.

That designation has remained the same since 1968, even as technology and services have changed, explained Jody Kenyon, president of the 911 Coordinators Association.

Since 2018, there have been bills presented to Congress to change the classification of 911 operators. The bill, 911 SAVES Act, was co-authored by Rep. Norma J. Torres, (D-Calif.) a former LAPD dispatcher, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), a former FBI agent. The 911 SAVES Act is bipartisan legislation that sought to reclassify 911 dispatchers from Office and Administrative Support Occupations to Protective Service Occupations in the SOC catalog.

The reclassification would cost nothing and would more accurately reflect the nature of Americas 100,000 public safety telecommunicators work, said Kenyon. But nothing has stuck, even on a state level.

We werent asking to be reclassified [as] another special risk, which completely changes their retirement levels, he continued. So, we understood the fiscal impacts and tried to go another direction as a place to startto get our foot in the door.

In August 2021, Florida attempted to change the classification of 911 dispatchers with legislation that read: First Responders Employment-related Accidents and Injuries; Revises definition of first responder to include 911 public safety telecommunicators for purposes of eligibility for workers compensation benefits for first responders; requires employing agency to provide educational training annually; requires such training be provided by certain mental health practitioners.

The legislation never made it out of the banking and insurance committee, and died in March 2022.

Florida Representative Robin Bartleman, a Democrat, sponsored the bill that died in the Banking and Insurance Committee on March 14, 2022.

Florida House Representative Robin Bartleman (D) speaks from the House Floor on March 26, 2021. (Courtesy Florida House)

I cant explain how they (legislators) make their decisions, Kenyon told The Epoch Times. Were not going to give up and hopefully we will be more successful in the next session.

After serving as a 911 supervisor for 12 of her 15 years of service in the state of New Hampshire, Langmaid and her husband, a police officer, retired to the Sunshine State to live out their golden years. That dream was cut short two years ago, when she found herself on the other end of the 911 system after seeing her husband slumped over on the living room couch in their Punta Gorda home.

I was a regular person at that point. I was on the other side of 911, she said. I remember telling the dispatcher that I understood what was going on and youre wasting my timestop asking me all these questionsI know how this works. But this was differentit was my husband.

Unfortunately, all of the efforts of the dispatcher, EMS and Langmaid herself, could not save her husband.

Thats when I began to second-guess myself, she said, with tears welling in her eyes. Did I pound his chest hard enough for long enoughbecause he didnt make it.

Two years later, Langmaid said she can only feel for the 911 dispatcher that took her call because now they have no closure as to the outcome. Once EMS is on the scene, the call is disconnected. Thats a major cause of stress in that job, she said.

While Langmaid said she supports 911 dispatchers achieving first responder status, she also feels that if someone suffers from PTSD solely because of lack of closure, then youre in the wrong line of work.

If you have those kinds of emotional issues, you arent going to be doing the best job that you can, she said. We, as 911 operators, would talk about things amongst ourselves, but it you have those kinds of issues and problems that are so deep that they affect you so greatly, you should not be doing it because youre putting somebody else in jeopardy.

In her estimation, less than three percent of the population is capable of doing the job.

The stress level goes from zero to 100 in less than a second, she said. You could be sitting there  and nothing happens, then all of a sudden that phone rings and all hell break loose. You dont have time to think about ityou just have to react.

Bartleman said that one of the major things that needs to change is the debriefing process of 911 operators; especially when something major like a school shooting such as Parkland in 2018 or impactful events that affect entire communities.

I sat and listened to every 911 call on February 14, 2018, Bartleman said. I was in absolute tears. I could not imagine being the person on the other end now, responsible for dealing with someone calling and saying theyre shooting at my school That was it for meit was heartbreaking.

She said that, after hearing the tapes, she put herself in the shoes of a 911 operator and could not imagine what these operators are dealing with every single day.

They never really get that closure after a tragic event, she said.

Bartleman pointed to a study conducted by the University of Central Florida (UCF) which found that 911 operators experience the same levels of stress during emergency calls that officers or firefighters do in active situations.

UCF studies showed that 911 dispatchers who, depending on the calla mass shooting or a drowning, where their stress levels hit the same spikes as law enforcement and firefighters, she said. So its naive to think that this group does not suffer some sort of PTSD stress.

In relation to Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), the study found that dispatchers immediately immersed in traumatic situations and communicating with frantic and panicked callers are required to remain calm and suppress emotional reactions. The rate of exposure places dispatchers at increased risk for trauma-related psychopathology.

Exposure to multiple traumatic events increases the risk of developing PTSD and with that an increased risk of cardiac disease, general psychopathology, alcoholism, and occupational burnout, the study found.

The study also advised that, due to the subclinical level of symptoms, preventative therapeutic interventions would be helpful for this population.

National Public Safety Telecommunications Week

April 1016 is National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, which recognizes the work of telecommunicators helping to save lives every day, according to their website.

Vonda Jones, President of the Florida Chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials. (Courtesy, Vonda Jones)

Vonda Jones, the president of the Florida chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) said it is important to recognize the work and sacrifices of 911 dispatchers that are sometimes overlooked. The week-long recognition is great, but not enough911 dispatchers need to be classified as first responders, she said.

We take pride in being that calming voice during an emergency, Jones told The Epoch Times. But were still first responders in being [that] we take the call, and we initiate getting the officers to a scene to provide help to citizens who are in need.

She said she believes that officials on all levels are concerned there might be an influx of workmans comp claims for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

I can understand that, because when you introduce something or something comes into law, theres always a cause and effect, Jones said. So I can understand from the financial side and that theres a cost involved. They have to figure out how this is going to impact the economy and finances on agencies, cities and counties.

Jones stressed that 911 dispatchers are the vital first link in the emergency response chain, and that decision-makers need to step back and understand that when they dial 911. She and her fellow 911 operators will not give up on getting first responder designation, she said.

Im hopeful. Im optimistic, she continued. Were going to continue to pushwere going to continue to be out front on this simply because its deserving.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd celebrates National Public Safety Telecommunication Week in April 2021. (Courtesy of the Polk County Sheriffs Department)

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd began his 50-year law enforcement career as a dispatcher. To celebrate National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, he and other officers and staff dress up, utilizing different themes every day for the entire week.

We love our people in the Emergency Call Centers, Judd said.

911 Turnover Rates are High

With national labor shortages impacting the United States, emergency dispatch centers are suffering shortages as well.

The National Emergency Number Association reports, emergency dispatch centers are seeing 15-20 percent employee turnover. This can be not only a danger to the public but could cost law enforcement agencies thousands of dollars in recruiting and training.

According to 911.gov, there are nearly 66,000 911 dispatchers across the United States. Approximately 64 percent are women while 32 percent are men, with an average age of 39. The average shift of an operator lasts 12 hours, and they fieldon averagebetween 200 and 300 calls per shift.

Former Chief of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission, David Turetsky told reporters in 2021 that one of the many reasons why emergency dispatchers should be designated as first responders is because being capable of doing the job puts a lot of weight on the operators and it is vital to our public safety.

I think its an issue both for the respect they get in the very stressful and important jobs they hold, Turetsky said. I think it may have some implications for compensation and other employee treatment.

Untimely Death Changes 911 System

U.S. 911 call centers or public safety answering points (PSAPS) are managed by various entities such as state and local agencies, including law enforcement, fire departments, hospitals and private emergency medical services (EMS) companies. That can present a challenge when it comes to training telecommunicators, as each entity has its own educational standards. There are also challenges as to which jurisdiction handles the calls that come in.

That issue rose to the surface in 2008 in the death of a 21-year-old mother after she was kidnapped, raped and murdered. Because of a lack of clear communication between local Florida 911 centers, law enforcement was not able to save her.

On Jan. 17, 2008, Denise Amber Lee was abducted from her home by a Florida man later identified as Michael King. During the abduction, Lee herself, as well as others, attempted to call for help using the 911 system. The two counties involved in the 911 calls were Sarasota and Charlotte, which between them received five 911 calls. After an investigation of the 911 systems, it was found that Charlotte County mishandled one of the more important 911 calls that day. Five different peoplebetween 3:29 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on January 17placed 911 calls, but the most important one was made by a witness, Jane Kowalski who was giving a detailed account of events that were happening in real-time. Four of the calls were routed to operators in Sarasota County, while the fifthplaced by Kowalski and fourth in the sequencewas routed to operators in neighboring Charlotte County. The call routed to Charlotte County allegedly was mishandled.

Failures were found in the way the 911 operators handled Kowalskis call, and additional failures were identified nationwide in the 911 system, according to an investigative report. Kowalski thought she was witnessing a child abduction and followed the car that had Lee in it. In later testimony, she identified King as the driver of the car. However, when she called 911 from her cell phone, the neighboring town of the North Port Police Department answered. Because Kowalski was giving details in real-time as she was following Kings car, the location of which agency should handle the call changed as locations changed between city and county authorities. During the course of the investigation, it became apparent that the call had not been forwarded to the correct authorities. It is this call that is alleged to have been mishandled due to the fact that the operators neglected to file it correctly, the report said. After the trial, King was found guilty and got the death penalty.

Additional research revealed several issues in the 911 system nationwide and prompted the Florida legislature to pass the Denise Amber Lee Act. The act provided optional training through the Denise Amber Lee Foundation. Lees family continues to lobby for changes in the form of new legislation that would institute mandatory training and certification for all 911 dispatchers across the country.

Two years later, in 2010, the Florida legislature addressed the fact that 911 operators throughout the state were not required to undertake mandatory training. Lees father and husband lobbied for Denises law which recommended mandatory training and certification for all 911 dispatchers.

Were trying to revolutionize training across the country as far as standards and requirements from different states, Nathan Lee, Denise Amber Lees husband said in 2018. There are 23 states still that do not recognize 911 as professionals. They dont mandate training at all, which is absolutely insane.

Lee County Makes a Difference

With advances in technology and training, 911 systems continue to make strides in the way calls are received and handled; 911 teams now get six months of training and texting 911 is available as well, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno told The Epoch Times.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno with the Real Time Intelligence Center, on Nov. 9, 2021. (Jann Falkenstern/The Epoch Times)

They work very hard, Marceno said of 911 operators. You know first responders generally are the ones that are in the field on [the] scene, he said. But in the big picture, theyre still the first call. Theyre relaying pertinent informationits a very stressful job.

No one calls 911 for no reason, he said.

As an intake operator, you really dont know whats coming your waybut youre ready for anything that comes your way, he said. Afterwards, theres a point where you stop and think about itwe need to make sure that we help everyone get through a critical incident.

The Lee County Sheriff considers everyone who reports to him as family and said he wants to make sure his 911 dispatchers are part of the debriefing process.

When youre dealing with an extremely traumatic situation, it affects everybody differently, he said. We make certain that everyones treated like family and we get that person the help they need.

During his tenure as sheriff, Marceno said he keeps up with training and in 2017 attended the FBI Academy, where he took the Employee Assistance Program.

I learned a lot about the FBI and how they have programs to fight PTS and PTSD and assist employees, he said. I came back with the mindset that I wanted to make sure were doing everything we can locally. But I do believe nationally, we try the best we can. We take care of our employees because were family.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently announced $1,000 bonuses for the states first responders. However, 911 operators, unless certified as EMTs or paramedics, do not receive these bonuses. Marceno said he realizes the importance of 911 operators and is giving them $1.000 bonuses out of his operating budget.

The civilians here, the non-gun badge toting civilians do such a great job here and they are critical to our success, he said in justifying bonuses for 911 operators. I felt that it was for everyone to get that bonus and I left no one behind.
Former President Barack Obama looks on during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, on Nov. 8, 2021. (Yves Herman/Reuters)

Former Attorney General Says Obama Likely Wont Be Charged in Durham Case

Former President Barack Obama will likely not be charged through special counsel John Durhams inquiry into the origins of the federal Russia investigation, said former Attorney General William Barr in a recent interview.

If he can prove criminal acts beyond a regional doubt, hell bring the case. I dont suspect that theyre going to involve someone at Obamas level, Barr told Fox Business on April 8 in response to a line of questions about the case. Barr, as attorney general under the Trump administration, appointed Durham as special prosecutor in the case in October 2020.

The FBI had opened the Russia inquiry amid the 2016 election when Donald Trump was still a Republican candidate. Durham has charged three individuals in the case and was able to secure a conviction of former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, while two othersIgor Danchenko and Michael Sussmannhave pleaded not guilty on charges of lying to the FBI.

During the interview with Fox News, Barr suggested that Durham, a former U.S. attorney from Connecticut, will come out with a report.

Special counsel John Durham and former Attorney General William Barr. (L-Department of Justice, R-Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

He is going to, I think, go through everything that happened. Some things he may be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, the former attorney general said, adding that people can read what happened, and even though you cannot prove it beyond a reasonable doubt  I think most Americans will understand whats going on.

On April 4, Durham submitted a court filing alleging that Sussmann lied to the FBI in writing when he communicated with the bureaus former general counsel, James Baker, in late 2016. Sussmann is accused of telling Baker that he was not working for any client when he was, in fact, working for the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee at that time.

Jim  its Michael Sussmann. I have something time-sensitive (and sensitive) I need to discuss, Sussmann allegedly wrote to Baker, according to the filing (pdf). Do you have availibilty [sic] for a short meeting tomorrow? Im coming on my own  not on behalf of a client or company  want to help the Bureau. Thanks.

Sussmanns lawyers denied that their client made those claims to Baker.

The Special Counsel has brought a false statement charge on the basis of a purported oral statement made over five years ago for which there is only a single witness, Mr. Baker; for which there is no recording; and for which there are no contemporaneous notes by anyone who was actually in the meeting, the attorneys said in a previous court filing.
By Giorgio Vasari, translated by Gaston du C. de Vere, made public for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included at www.gutenberg.org

Fra Giovanni Angelico da Fiesole, who was known in the world as Guido, was no less excellent as painter and illuminator than he was upright as churchman, and for both one and the other of these reasons he deserves that most honourable record should be made of him. This man, although he could have lived in the world with the greatest comfort, and could have gained whatever he wished, besides what he possessed, by means of those arts, of which he had a very good knowledge even in his youth, yet resolved, for his own peace and satisfaction, being by nature serious and upright, and above all in order to save his soul, to take the vows of the Order of Preaching Friars; for the reason that, although it is possible to serve God in all walks of life, nevertheless it appears to some men that they can gain salvation in monasteries better than in the world. Now in proportion as this plan succeeds happily for good men, so, on the contrary, it has a truly miserable and unhappy issue for a man who takes the vows with some other end in view.

There are some choral books illuminated by the hand of Fra Giovanni in his Convent of S. Marco in Florence, so beautiful that words are not able to describe them; and similar to these are some others that he left in S. Domenico da Fiesole, wrought with incredible diligence. It is true, indeed, that in making these he was assisted by an elder brother, who was likewise an illuminator and well practised in painting.

One of the first works in painting wrought by this good father was a panel in the Certosa of Florence, which was placed in the principal chapel (belonging to Cardinal Acciaiuoli); in which panel is a Madonna with the Child in her arms, and with certain very beautiful angels at her feet, sounding instruments and singing; at the sides are S. Laurence, S. Mary Magdalene, S. Zanobi, and S. Benedict; and in the predella are little stories of these Saints, wrought in little figures with infinite diligence. In the cross of the said chapel are two other panels by the hand of the same man; one containing the Coronation of Our Lady, and the other a Madonna with two saints, wrought with most beautiful ultramarine blues. Afterwards, in the tramezzo[5] of S. Maria Novella, beside the door opposite to the choir, he painted in fresco S. Dominic, S. Catherine of Siena, and S. Peter Martyr; and some little scenes in the Chapel of the Coronation of Our Lady in the said tramezzo. On canvas, fixed to the doors that closed the old organ, he painted an Annunciation, which is now in the convent, opposite to the door of the lower dormitory, between one cloister and the other.

This father was so greatly beloved for his merits by Cosimo de Medici, that, after completing the construction of the Church and Convent of S. Marco, he caused him to paint the whole Passion of Jesus Christ on a wall in the chapter-house; and on one side all the Saints who have been heads and founders of religious bodies, mourning and weeping at the foot of the Cross, and on the other side S. Mark the Evangelist beside the Mother of the Son of God, who has swooned at the sight of the Saviour of the world Crucified, while round her are the Maries, all grieving and supporting her, with S. Cosimo and S. Damiano. It is said that in the figure of S. Cosimo Fra Giovanni portrayed from the life Nanni d Antonio di Banco, a sculptor and his friend. Below this work, in a frieze above the panelling, he made a tree with S. Dominic at the foot of it, and, in certain medallions encircled by the branches, all the Popes, Cardinals, Bishops, Saints, and Masters of Theology whom his Order of Preaching Friars had produced up to that time. In this work he made many portraits from nature, being assisted by the friars, who sent for them to various places; and they were the following: S. Dominic in the middle, grasping the branches of the tree; Pope Innocent V, a Frenchman; the Blessed Ugone, first Cardinal of that Order; the Blessed Paolo, Florentine and Patriarch; S. Antonino, Archbishop of Florence; the Blessed Giordano, a German, and the second General of that Order; the Blessed Niccolo; the Blessed Remigio, a Florentine; and the martyr Boninsegno, a Florentine; all these are on the right hand. On the left are Benedict II[6] of Treviso; Giandomenico, a Florentine Cardinal; Pietro da Palude, Patriarch of Jerusalem; Alberto Magno, a German; the Blessed Raimondo di Catalonia, third General of the Order; the Blessed Chiaro, a Florentine, and Provincial of Rome; S. Vincenzio di Valenza; and the Blessed Bernardo, a Florentine. All these heads are truly gracious and very beautiful. Then, over certain lunettes in the first cloister, he made many very beautiful figures in fresco, and a Crucifix with S. Dominic at the foot, which is much extolled; and in the dormitory, besides many other things throughout the cells and on the surface of the walls, he painted a story from the New Testament, of a beauty beyond the power of words to describe. Particularly beautiful and marvellous is the panel of the high-altar of that church; for, besides the fact that the Madonna rouses all who see her to devotion by her simplicity, and that the Saints that surround her are like her in this, the predella, in which there are stories of the martyrdom of S. Cosimo, S. Damiano, and others, is so well painted, that one cannot imagine it possible ever to see a work executed with greater diligence, or little figures more delicate or better conceived than these are.

In S. Domenico da Fiesole, likewise, he painted the panel of the high-altar, which has been retouched by other masters and injured, perchance because it appeared to be spoiling. But the predella and the Ciborium of the Sacrament have remained in better preservation; and the innumerable little figures that are to be seen there, in a Celestial Glory, are so beautiful, that they appear truly to belong to Paradise, nor can any man who approaches them ever have his fill of gazing on them. In a chapel of the same church is a panel by his hand, containing the Annunciation of Our Lady by the Angel Gabriel, with features in profile, so devout, so delicate, and so well executed, that they appear truly to have been made rather in Paradise than by the hand of man; and in the landscape at the back are Adam and Eve, because of whom the Redeemer was born from the Virgin. In the predella, also, there are some very beautiful little scenes.

But superior to all the other works that Fra Giovanni made, and the one wherein he surpassed himself and gave supreme proof of his talent and of his knowledge of art, was a panel that is beside the door of the same church, on the left hand as one enters, wherein Jesus Christ is crowning Our Lady in the midst of a choir of angels and among an infinite multitude of saints, both male and female, so many in number, so well wrought, and with such variety in the attitudes and in the expressions of the heads, that incredible pleasure and sweetness are felt in gazing at them; nay, one is persuaded that those blessed spirits cannot look otherwise in Heaven, or, to speak more exactly, could not if they had bodies; for not only are all these saints, both male and female, full of life and sweet and delicate in expression, but the whole colouring of that work appears to be by the hand of a saint or an angel like themselves; wherefore it was with very good reason that this excellent monk was ever called Fra Giovanni Angelico. Moreover, the stories of the Madonna and of S. Dominic in the predella are divine in their own kind; and I, for one, can declare with truth that I never see this work without thinking it something new, and that I never leave it sated.

In the Chapel of the Nunziata in Florence which Piero di Cosimo de Medici caused to be built, he painted the doors of the press (in which the silver is kept) with little figures executed with much diligence. This father painted so many pictures, now to be found in the houses of Florentine citizens, that I sometimes stand marvelling how one single man could execute so much work to such perfection, even in the space of many years. The Very Reverend Don Vincenzio Borghini, Director of the Hospital of the Innocenti, has a very beautiful little Madonna by the hand of this father; and Bartolommeo Gondi, as devoted a lover of these arts as any gentleman that one could think of, has a large picture, a small one, and a Crucifix, all by the same hand. The pictures that are in the arch over the door of S. Domenico are also by the same man; and in the Sacristy of S. Trinita there is a panel containing a Deposition from the Cross, into which he put so great diligence, that it can be numbered among the best works that he ever made. In S. Francesco, without the Porta a S. Miniato, there is an Annunciation; and in S. Maria Novella, besides the works already named, he painted with little scenes the Paschal candle and some Reliquaries which are placed on the altar in the most solemn ceremonies.

Over a door of the cloister of the Badia in the same city he painted a S. Benedict, who is making a sign enjoining silence. For the Linen-manufacturers he painted a panel that is in the Office of their Guild; and in Cortona he painted a little arch over the door of the church of his Order, and likewise the panel of the high-altar. At Orvieto, on a part of the vaulting of the Chapel of the Madonna in the Duomo, he began certain prophets, which were finished afterwards by Luca da Cortona. For the Company of the Temple in Florence he painted a Dead Christ on a panel; and in the Church of the Monks of the Angeli he made a Paradise and a Hell with little figures, wherein he showed fine judgment by making the blessed very beautiful and full of jubilation and celestial gladness, and the damned all ready for the pains of Hell, in various most woeful attitudes, and bearing the stamp of their sins and unworthiness on their faces. The blessed are seen entering the gate of Paradise in celestial dance, and the damned are being dragged by demons to the eternal pains of Hell. This work is in the aforesaid church, on the right hand as one goes towards the high-altar, where the priest sits when Mass is sung. For the Nuns of S. Piero Martirewho now live in the Monastery of S. Felice in Piazza, which used to belong to the Order of Camaldolihe painted a panel with Our Lady, S. John the Baptist, S. Dominic, S. Thomas, and S. Peter Martyr, and a number of little figures. And in the tramezzo[7] of S. Maria Nuova there may also be seen a panel by his hand.

These many labours having made the name of Fra Giovanni illustrious throughout all Italy, Pope Nicholas V sent for him and caused him to adorn that chapel of his Palace in Rome wherein the Pope hears Mass with a Deposition from the Cross and some very beautiful stories of S. Laurence, and also to illuminate some books, which are most beautiful. In the Minerva he painted the panel of the high-altar, and an Annunciation that is now set up against a wall beside the principal chapel. He also painted for the said Pope in the Palace the Chapel of the Sacrament, which was afterwards destroyed by Paul III in the making of a staircase through it. In that work, which was an excellent example of his manner, he had wrought in fresco some scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, and he had made therein many portraits from life of distinguished persons of those times, which would probably now be lost if Giovio had not caused the following among them to be preserved for his museumnamely, Pope Nicholas V; the Emperor Frederick, who came to Italy at that time; Frate Antonino, who was afterwards Archbishop of Florence; Biondo da Forli; and Ferrante of Arragon. Now Fra Giovanni appeared to the Pope to be, as indeed he was, a person of most holy life, peaceful and modest; and, since the Archbishopric of Florence was at that time vacant, the Pope had judged him worthy of that rank; but the said friar, hearing this, implored His Holiness to find another man, for the reason that he did not feel himself fitted for ruling others, whereas his Order contained a brother most learned and well able to govern, a Godfearing man and a friend of the poor, on whom that dignity would be conferred much more fittingly than on himself. The Pope, hearing this and remembering that what he said was true, granted him the favour willingly; and thus the Archbishopric of Florence was given to Frate Antonino of the Order of Preaching Friars, a man truly very famous both for sanctity and for learning, and of such a character, in short, that he was deservedly canonized in our own day by Adrian VI.

Great excellence was that of Fra Giovanni, and a thing truly very rare, to resign a dignity and honour and charge so important, offered to himself by a Supreme Pontiff, in favour of the man whom he, with his singleness of eye and sincerity of heart, judged to be much more worthy of it than himself. Let the churchmen of our own times learn from this holy man not to take upon themselves charges that they cannot worthily carry out, and to yield them to those who are most worthy of them. Would to God, to return to Fra Giovanni (and may this be said without offence to the upright among them), that all churchmen would spend their time as did this truly angelic father, seeing that he spent every minute of his life in the service of God and in benefiting both the world and his neighbour. And what can or ought to be desired more than to gain the kingdom of Heaven by living a life of holiness, and to win eternal fame in the world by labouring virtuously? And in truth a talent so extraordinary and so supreme as that of Fra Giovanni could not and should not descend on any save a man of most holy life, for the reason that those who work at religious and holy subjects should be religious and holy men; for it is seen, when such works are executed by persons of little faith who have little esteem for religion, that they often arouse in mens minds evil appetites and licentious desires; whence there comes blame for the evil in their works, with praise for the art and ability that they show. Now I would not have any man deceive himself by considering the rude and inept as holy, and the beautiful and excellent as licentious; as some do, who, seeing figures of women or of youths adorned with loveliness and beauty beyond the ordinary, straightway censure them and judge them licentious, not perceiving that they are very wrong to condemn the good judgment of the painter, who holds the Saints, both male and female, who are celestial, to be as much more beautiful than mortal man as Heaven is superior to earthly beauty and to the works of human hands; and, what is worse, they reveal the unsoundness and corruption of their own minds by drawing evil and impure desires out of works from which, if they were lovers of purity, as they seek by their misguided zeal to prove themselves to be, they would gain a desire to attain to Heaven and to make themselves acceptable to the Creator of all things, in whom, as most perfect and most beautiful, all perfection and beauty have their source. What would such men do if they found themselves, or rather, what are we to believe that they do when they actually find themselves, in places containing living beauty, accompanied by licentious ways, honey-sweet words, movements full of grace, and eyes that ravish all but the stoutest of hearts, if the very image of beauty, nay, its mere shadow, moves them so profoundly? However, I would not have any believe that I approve of those figures that are painted in churches in a state of almost complete nudity, for in these cases it is seen that the painter has not shown the consideration that was due to the place; because, even although a man has to show how much he knows, he should proceed with due regard for circumstances and pay respect to persons, times, and places.

Fra Giovanni was a man of great simplicity, and most holy in his ways; and his goodness may be perceived from this, that, Pope Nicholas V wishing one morning to entertain him at table, he had scruples of conscience about eating meat without leave from his Prior, forgetting about the authority of the Pontiff. He shunned the affairs of the world; and, living a pure and holy life, he was as much the friend of the poor as I believe his soul to be now the friend of Heaven. He was continually labouring at his painting, and he would never paint anything save Saints. He might have been rich, but to this he gave no thought; nay, he used to say that true riches consist only in being content with little. He might have ruled many, but he would not, saying that it was less fatiguing and less misleading to obey others. He had the option of obtaining dignities both among the friars and in the world, but he despised them, declaring that he sought no other dignity save that of seeking to avoid Hell and draw near to Paradise. And what dignity, in truth, can be compared to that which all churchmen, nay, all men, should seek, and which is to be found only in God and in a life of virtue? He was most kindly and temperate; and he lived chastely and withdrew himself from the snares of the world, being wont very often to say that he who pursued such an art had need of quiet and of a life free from cares, and that he whose work is connected with Christ must ever live with Christ. He was never seen in anger among his fellow-friars, which is a very notable thing, and almost impossible, it seems to me, to believe; and it was his custom to admonish his friends with a simple smile. With incredible sweetness, if any sought for works from him, he would say that they had only to gain the consent of the Prior, and that then he would not fail them. In short, this never to be sufficiently extolled father was most humble and modest in all his works and his discourse, and facile and devout in his pictures; and the Saints that he painted have more the air and likeness of Saints than those of any other man. It was his custom never to retouch or improve any of his pictures, but to leave them ever in the state to which he had first brought them; believing, so he used to say, that this was the will of God. Some say that Fra Giovanni would never have taken his brushes in his hand without first offering a prayer. He never painted a Crucifix without the tears streaming down his cheeks; wherefore in the countenances and attitudes of his figures one can recognize the goodness, nobility, and sincerity of his mind towards the Christian religion.

(Cortona: Gesu Gallery. Panel)

He died in 1455 at the age of sixty-eight, and left disciples in Benozzo, a Florentine, who ever imitated his manner, and Zanobi Strozzi, who painted pictures and panels throughout all Florence for the houses of citizens, and particularly a panel that is now in the tramezzo[8] of S. Maria Novella, beside that by Fra Giovanni, and one in S. Benedetto, a monastery of the Monks of Camaldoli without the Porta a Pinti, now in ruins. The latter panel is at present in the little Church of S. Michele in the Monastery of the Angeli, before one enters the principal church, set up against the wall on the right as one approaches the altar. There is also a panel in the Chapel of the Nasi in S. Lucia, and another in S. Romeo; and in the guardaroba of the Duke there is the portrait of Giovanni di Bicci de Medici, with that of Bartolommeo Valori, in one and the same picture by the hand of the same man. Another disciple of Fra Giovanni was Gentile da Fabriano, as was also Domenico di Michelino, who painted the panel for the altar of S. Zanobi in S. Apollinare at Florence, and many other pictures.

Fra Giovanni was buried by his fellow-friars in the Minerva in Rome, near the lateral door beside the sacristy, in a round tomb of marble, with himself, portrayed from nature, lying thereon. The following epitaph may be read, carved in the marble:

NON MIHI SIT LAUDI, QUOD ERAM VELUT ALTER APELLES,

SED QUOD LUCRA TUIS OMNIA, CHRISTE, DABAM;

ALTERA NAM TERRIS OPERA EXTANT, ALTERA CLO.

URBS ME JOANNEM FLOS TULIT ETRURI.

In S. Maria del Fiore are two very large books illuminated divinely well by the hand of Fra Giovanni, which are held in great veneration and richly adorned, nor are they ever seen save on days of the highest solemnity.

A celebrated and famous illuminator at the same time as Fra Giovanni was one Attavante, a Florentine, of whom I know no other name. This man, among many other works, illuminated a Silius Italicus, which is now in S. Giovanni e Polo in Venice; of which work I will not withhold certain particulars, both because they are worthy of the attention of craftsmen, and because, to my knowledge, no other work by this master is to be found; nor should I know even of this one, had it not been for the affection borne to these noble arts by the Very Reverend Maestro Cosimo Bartoli, a gentleman of Florence, who gave me information about it, to the end that the talent of Attavante might not remain, as it were, buried out of sight.

In the said book, then, the figure of Silius has on the head a helmet with a crest of gold and a chaplet of laurel; he is wearing a blue cuirass picked out with gold in the ancient manner, while he is holding a book in his right hand, and the left he has on a short sword. Over the cuirass he has a red chlamys, fastened in front with a knot, and fringed with gold, which hangs down from his shoulders. The inside of this chlamys is seen to be of changing colours and embroidered with gold. His buskins are yellow, and he is standing on his right foot in a niche. The next figure in this work represents Scipio Africanus. He is wearing a yellow cuirass, and his sword-belt and sleeves, which are blue in colour, are all embroidered with gold. On his head he has a helmet with two little wings and a fish by way of crest. The young mans countenance is fair and very beautiful; and he is raising his right arm proudly, holding in that hand a naked sword, while in the left hand he has the scabbard, which is red and embroidered with gold. The hose are green in colour and plain; and the chlamys, which is blue, has a red lining with a fringe of gold all round, and it is fastened at the throat, leaving the front quite open, and falling behind with beautiful grace. This young man, who stands in a niche of mixed green and grey marble, with blue buskins embroidered with gold, is looking with indescribable fierceness at Hannibal, who faces him on the opposite page of the book. This figure of Hannibal is that of a man about thirty-six years of age; he is frowning, with two furrows in his brow expressive of impatience and anger, and he, too, is looking fixedly at Scipio. On his head he has a yellow helmet, with a green and yellow dragon for crest and a serpent for chaplet. He is standing on his left foot and raising his right arm, with which he holds the shaft of an ancient javelin, or rather, of a little partisan. His cuirass is blue, his sword-belt partly blue and partly yellow, his sleeves of changing blue and red, and his buskins yellow. His chlamys, of changing red and yellow, is fastened on the right shoulder and lined with green; and, holding his left hand on his sword, he is standing in a niche of varicoloured marbles, yellow, white, and changing. On another page is Pope Nicholas V, portrayed from the life, with a mantle of changing purple and red and all embroidered with gold. He is without a beard and in full profile, and he is looking towards the beginning of the book, which is opposite to him; and he is pointing to it with his right hand, as though in a marvel. The niche is green, white, and red. Then in the border there are certain little half-length figures in an ornament composed of ovals and circles, and other things of that kind, together with an infinite number of little birds and children, so well wrought that nothing more could be desired. Close to this, in like manner, are Hanno the Carthaginian, Hasdrubal, Laelius, Massinissa, C. Salinator, Nero, Sempronius, M. Marcellus, Q. Fabius, the other Scipio, and Vibius. At the end of the book there is seen a Mars in an antique chariot drawn by two reddish horses. On his head he has a helmet of red and gold, with two little wings; on his left arm he has an antique shield, which he holds before him, and in his right hand a naked sword. He is standing on his left foot only, holding the other in the air. He has a cuirass in the antique manner, all red and gold, as are his hose and his buskins. His chlamys is blue without, and within all green and embroidered with gold. The chariot is covered with red cloth embroidered with gold, with a border of ermine all round; and it stands in a verdant and flowery champaign country, surrounded by cliffs and rocks; while landscapes and cities are seen in the distance, with a sky of a most marvellous blue. On the opposite page is a young Neptune, whose clothing is in the shape of a long shirt, embroidered all round with the colour formed from terretta verde. The flesh-colour is very pale. In his right hand he is holding a little trident, and with his left he is raising his dress. He is standing with both feet on the chariot, which has a covering of red, embroidered with gold and fringed all round with sable. This chariot has four wheels, like that of Mars, but it is drawn by four dolphins, and accompanied by three sea-nymphs, two boys, and a great number of fishes, all wrought with a water-colour similar to the terretta, and very beautiful in expression. After these is seen Carthage in despair, in the form of a woman standing upright with dishevelled hair. Her upper garment is green, and it is open from the waist downwards, being lined with red cloth embroidered in gold; and through this opening there may be seen another garment, delicate and of changing purple and white colour. The sleeves are red and gold, with certain puffs and floating folds made by the upper garment, and she is stretching out her left hand towards Rome, who is opposite to her, as though saying, What is thy wish? I have my answer ready; and in her right hand she holds a naked sword, with an air of frenzy. Her buskins are blue, and she is standing on a rock in the middle of the sea, surrounded by a very beautiful sky. Rome is a maiden as beautiful as it is possible for man to imagine, with dishevelled hair and certain tresses wrought with infinite grace. Her clothing is pure red, with only an embroidered border at the foot; the lining of her robe is yellow, and the garment beneath, which is seen through the opening, is of changing purple and white. Her buskins are green; in her right hand she has a sceptre, in her left a globe; and she, too, is standing on a rock, in the midst of a sky that could not be more beautiful than it is. Now, although I have striven to the best of my power to show with what great art these figures were wrought by Attavante, let no one believe that I have said more than a very small part of what might be said about their beauty, seeing that, considering the time, there are no better examples of illumination to be seen, nor any work wrought with more invention, judgment, and design; and the colours, above all, could not be more beautiful or laid in their places more delicately, so perfect is their grace.
In this still taken from AP video, Anne Spiegel, former German minister for families and women is seen at a news conference in Berlin, on April 10, 2022. (AP/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

German Minister Resigns Over Vacation After Floods

A German Cabinet minister resigned Monday after it emerged that she went on a long vacation shortly after devastating floods which left over 100 people dead last year in the state where she was then a senior official.

Anne Spiegel quit her post as minister for families and women, citing political pressure as she became the first member of Chancellor Olaf Scholzs government to step down.

An emotional apology on Sunday had failed to stem calls for her to go.

She said it had been a mistake for her to go, speaking during a press conference in Berlin.

Spiegel joined Scholzs Cabinet in December.

Before that, she was the environment minister and deputy governor of Rhineland-Palatinate state.

That was the region worst hit by floods in July that nationwide killed more than 180 people134 of them in Rhineland-Palatinates Ahr valley.

Regional officials have faced questions over their handling of the floods.
The Goldman Sachs company logo on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on July 13, 2021. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Goldman Pays 1.7 Billion Euros for Dutch-Based Asset Manager

LONDONGoldman Sachs has acquired Netherlands-based asset manager NN Investment Partners for 1.7 billion euros ($1.9 billion) to expand its asset management footprint in Europe and increase its sustainable investment capabilities.

NN Investment Partners, formerly part of NN Group, will be integrated into Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM). The acquisition of the firm, which has more than 900 employees, brings Goldmans assets under supervision to approximately 2.8 trillion dollars.

Buying NN Investment Partners, based in The Hague, is part of Goldman Sachs plan to scale up its European operations. The business will push growth in products such as European equity and investment-grade credit, sustainable investments, and green bonds.

It will also help GSAM deepen its integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) values into its operations.

This acquisition advances our commitment to put sustainability at the heart of our investment platform. It adds scale to our European client franchise and extends our leadership in insurance asset management, David Solomon, chairman and chief executive of Goldman Sachs, said on Monday.

Solomon is looking to diversify the banks revenue to focus on more predictable business such as consumer banking, wealth and asset management.

As part of the transaction, GSAM has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with NN Group to manage an approximately 180 billion dollar asset portfolio.

By Emma-Victoria Farr
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) (L) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) speak to reporters outside the White House after a meeting with President Joe Biden in Washington on May 12, 2021. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

GOP Warns Against Bidens Plan to End Title 42 Restrictions on Immigration

Republicans are raising the alarm on President Joe Bidens decision to end Title 42, a Trump-era rule that significantly restricted immigration during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because of the pandemic, President Donald Trump established public health restrictions that allowed Border Patrol agents to turn illegal immigrants away at the border and force them to return to Mexico.

In an April 1 statement, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the end of Trumps Title 42 restrictions.

In consultation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), this termination will be implemented on May 23, 2022, to enable DHS time to implement appropriate COVID-19 mitigation protocols, such as scaling up a program to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to migrants and prepare for resumption of regular migration under Title 8, the CDC said in the statement.

After considering current public health conditions and an increased availability of tools to fight COVID-19 (such as highly effective vaccines and therapeutics), the CDC Director has determined that an Order suspending the right to introduce migrants into the United States is no longer necessary.

In line with the CDC recommendation, the Biden administration announced that Title 42 restrictions would end on May 23.

Now Republicans and other opponents of Biden are decrying the decision, saying it will only worsen the already-raging border crisis.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) blasted the decision in an April 7 letter addressed to President Joe Biden (pdf).

[Custom and Border Protections] Title 42 authority to expel migrants is necessary both to protect public health and to adequately manage the challenges the agency continues to face due to exponential increases in border encounters at the Southern border, Cruz wrote.

I have deep concerns that this Administration may attempt to lower security standards and divert resources away from the Department of Veterans Affairs  specifically, medical personnel, to deal with the consequences of this self-inflicted border crisis.

I call on you to categorically denounce any policy which would result in diverting resources intended for American veterans to migrants at the Southern border, Cruzs letter concluded. Further, I urge you to secure our Southern border and immediately renew Title 42.

The decision was also criticized by lawmakers on Twitter.

President Biden is ending Title 42which prohibits the entry of immigrants who pose health risks, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said. Yet Americans are still required to wear masks on planes.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said in a tweet, The Senate must hold immediate hearings on the crisis at the border and President Bidens plan to lift Title 42.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) wrote: If the Biden administration suspends Title 42 on May 23rd, essentially they must end all Covid-19 related rules, mandates, and laws. If the Democrats want to allow millions of illegal aliens to invade America then they dont care one single bit about anyones [sic] safety.

In another tweet, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) warned, The #BidenBorderCrisis is about to get a whole lot worse when Title 42 is repealed.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has been eyed as a potential nominee for president or vice president in 2024, also condemned the decision.

Joe Bidens reckless border policies have allowed 2+ million foreigners to enter our country illegally via the southern border, DeSantis wrote. Revoking Title 42 will supercharge the skyrocketing flow of illegal aliens, increasing drug, human, and sex trafficking.

This is a dereliction of duty!

The move has also sparked criticism from former Hawaii Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who has moved increasingly away from her former party in recent years.

Biden/Harris open-border policy has been a disaster, Gabbard said. Rescinding Title 42 will make the massive flood of immigrants even worse. Main beneficiaries are gangs, cartels & human traffickers. Trump policy of having people wait on other side of the border worked & needs to be reinstated.

Republicans have sought to use the issue to force compromises on Democrats $10 billion CCP virus spending package.

While differences on the spending bill were apparently ironed out between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Bidens decision to overturn Title 42 caused several GOP lawmakers, including McConnell himself, to turn against the package without an amendment to reinstate the Trump-era rule.

I think therell have to be an amendment on Title 42 in order to move the bill, McConnell said. Theres several other amendments that were going to want to offer, and so well need to enter into some kind of agreement to process these amendments in order to go forward with the bill.

The issue continues to gain traction among Republicans, which makes it unclear if Democrats will be able to advance any COVID-19 spending bill through the equally split Senate without the concession.

While the White House has conceded that the decision to end Title 42 may bring an influx of illegal aliens to the border, Biden has given no indication that he intends to change course on the rule change.
At Momo Pencils factory in Nairobi, Kenya, these 'green' pencils made from recycled newspaper have just come off the production line.

Finding a gap in the industry, Kenyan entrepreneurs Mohamud Omari and Rashid Omari founded a Kenyan-made pencil company, manufacturing hundreds of thousands of pencils every year from recycled newspaper at their factory in Nairobi.

At the Momo Pencils factory, old newspapers are put through 18 different processes to produce funky, water resistant pencils that they say can last up to three times longer than ordinary pencils.

The pencils are sold to schools, corporate firms, government agencies and through a number of retailers.

Omari, who co-founded the eco-friendly alternative product in 2019, notes that growth in the education and private sectors is driving overall demand.

"About 100 million pencils are imported every year," Omari tells RFI's Africa Calling.

"By using recycled newspapers we are helping protect the environment by reducing littering and the number of trees being cut to produce wooden pencils."

Invented centuries ago, pencils have stood the test of time and remain popular even in the electronic age of smartphones and computers.

Water resistant and longer lasting

"Some people expected that with the advent of technology we would stop using pencils. But annual global consumption is about 14 billion. Pencils are not going anywhere," he says.

"However, how pencils are made should change to reduce pressure on trees - which is why we use recycled newspapers," says Omari.

Momo Pencils has carved a niche in producing branded pencils used for sales promotions, marketing campaigns or as gifts.

"Children use them on a daily basis so they present a great opportunity as a communication and marketing tool. Organisations can use them to pass messages to children, and subsequently to their parents," he says, adding that they can be "portable billboards".

Rolling with the punches

Rashid says Momo Pencils began focusing on schools and corporate clients when it faced hurdles getting on to the shelves of retail stores.

"By virtue of being the only Kenyan company making pencils locally, we expected supermarkets to embrace us. But we were surprised when they showed us the exit door, and refused to give us orders," says Omari.

They decided to re-evaluate who and how they would sell their pencils.

"We shifted our model to business-to-business, and began working with corporate firms and government," he adds.

Although distribution is also a major challenge, Momo Pencils has not written off the mass market, and are hoping to sell to small shops once they get a distributor.

"If we can't get a distributor who can offer us better terms, our final game plan is to invest in our own distributorship network," he says.

Diversifying the business

Momo Pencils has diversified into producing pens and is eyeing more opportunities in manufacturing other products using recycled newspaper.

Recently Omari and graduated from the 2020 Green Pioneer Accelerator programme, which seeks to support businesses involved in reducing the effects of climate change.

The programme offers companies support to scale up their operations by getting their strategy and financials in shape, and preparing them for fundraising conversations with a network of over 600 investors.

"Next year we will start making crayons, as well as eye pencils used for make-up. There is also opportunity to make road signs. In Kenya road signs are often stolen to resell the metal. Our material is waterproof so we can make road signs no-one will want to steal".

Schoolchildren benefit from 'green' pencils

And one of their biggest pencil markets is schools. At Creative Minds Primary school in Nairobi, students benefit from an initiative to supply them with affordable, environmentally friendly pencils.

Distributing pencils to students comes with an added benefit: educating them on the environment, according to Noel Omukubi, an environmental educator at Momo pencils.

"We do not only donate pencils, but we take them through a session where we teach them about environmental matters, and then we plant trees with them," says Omukubi.

"They have shown us how to plant trees and they have also told us the benefit of trees like oxygen and the shade," standard seven pupil Nathan Muki says.

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S2,EP 15: Kenya's recycled eco pencils; taking a tour of Lagos slavery museum

Global and grassroots come together as landmark plastics agreement signed in Nairobi

For Creative Minds school student Joy Wangechi, 13, the Momo Pencils environment presentation was an added bonus.

"I am very happy and excited for this Momo pencil. It's made up from recycled newspapers. They have taught me things about environment that I did not know," she says.

Head teacher Mebal Okango applauds Momo Pencils for their efforts to empower children using recycled pencils.

"We are happy to have Momo pencils here. They have been coming, they have been assisting our children to have pencils. We really appreciate. Our children are so happy, they are using the pencils in class," she says.

This was originally heard on RFI's Africa Calling podcast.
In undated photographs, Arian Taherzadeh poses wearing police vest (L) and in his apartment with firearms and police gear. (DOJ via The Epoch Times)

Government Exaggerating Evidence Against Pair Charged in Scheme Targeting Secret Service: Lawyers

Two men who allegedly lavished gifts on Secret Service agents and posed as agents themselves are accusing the U.S. government of hyping what actually happened as they seek their release from detention.

One of the men, Haider Ali, is also saying that he had little to do with the operation, with a lawyer suggesting he was duped in a similar way as the actual agents.

Prosecutors allege Arian Taherzadeh and Ali posed as federal officers to get close to the agents, with Taherzadeh lavishing agents and a Department of Homeland Security worker with rent-free apartments, iPhones, law enforcement paraphernalia, and other items.

Four members of the Secret Service have been placed on leave, pending further investigation.

While prosecutors are attempting to keep Taherzadeh and Ali detained until trial, the defendants launched separate efforts on April 11 to be freed.

Taherzadeh, through his lawyers, said the crime of impersonating a federal officer is not a crime of violence and alleged the government has not demonstrated that Taherzadeh cannot be safely released.

Mr. Taherzadeh is eligible for placement into HISP and his father would be an appropriate third party custodian. Appropriate conditions would include a restriction that he not possess any firearms or ammunition; that he be monitored on location monitoring; that he stay away from the location where the search warrant was executed; that he reside with his father in Sterling, VA, and remain within a 50 mile radius of that address absent prior approval by pretrial services; that he avoid all contact, directly or indirectly with any person who may be a victim or witness in this case, including his co-defendant, except through counsel; and that he submit to the supervision of the Pretrial Services office as directed, the lawyers said in a filing.

Mr. Taherzadeh agrees to abide by these and any other conditions the Court believes necessary to reasonably ensure the safety of the community, they added.

HISP stands for high intensity supervision program.

The defendant is relying in part on the Bail Reform Act, which made it easier for some people accused of crimes to avoid pre-trial detention.

Because of his newfound notorietymany articles about the alleged crimes have included not only Taherzadehs name, but his pictureseven if he were released, he could no longer impersonate a federal agent, the mans lawyers said.

A hint of the upcoming defense was also included in the filing.

Taherzadeh lavished gifts on the federal officers because he had a genuine friendship with them, the lawyers said, adding, He never asked for anything from the officers he befriended, never gave them anything for the purpose of gaining something in response, and deeply regrets his involvement in this matter.

Ali, meanwhile, suggested through his counsel that he had little to do with Taherzadeh besides being an employee at a company Taherzadeh owns called United Special Police LLC.

The charging documents, the counsel noted, largely describe actions Taherzadeh allegedly took.

While the government says Ali helped maintain and control a penthouse with his co-defendant, the link is thinly supported, according to an opposition memorandum from the lawyers.

A Metropolitan Police patrol car is parked in front of a luxury apartment building where Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali were arrested for allegedly scheming to get close to Secret Service agents, in Washington on April 7, 2022. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo)

Inside was the Glock owned by Ali but which was admittedly being used and carried by Taherzadeh. Many other items found inside lack any stated link to Mr. Ali at all. The only items arguably linked are passport photos of what appears to be Ali (emphasis added), unspecified miscellaneous mail and documents associated with Taherzadeh and Ali (emphasis added), and a Jiffy Lube invoice for a Chevy Impala, referencing James Haider. The government attempts to make much of the latter, but we urge the court to look at that invoice more closely: The car is listed as part of a fleet, and the Authorizer Name is Fay Tate. James Haider is merely referenced under Driver Name,' they said.

Ali does live in an apartment in the building, but what was seized from there was noted in a single line: laptop computers, flash drivers, a U.S. Postal Service badge, and police lights that can be installed in a vehicle.

The paucity of detention evidence may be why the government pivoted to emphasizing Alis travel records, lawyers for Ali, who does, in fact, work for the Postal Service, said.

Ali did travel to Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, and Egypt in recent years, but did so because his faiths major religious buildings are there, according to his counsel.

Both filings came after the government urged Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey, the judge overseeing the case, to keep Taherzadeh and Ali detained, arguing they pose a danger to the community.

Furthermore, Alis overseas travel to the Middle East, coupled with his claim to one witness that he has a connection to the Pakistani foreign intelligence service, establish that he poses a serious risk of risk of flight, prosecutors said in one filing, and Taherzadehs efforts to destroy evidence of his involvement in the impersonation scheme after realizing he was under investigation establishes that he poses a serious risk of obstructing justice.

After a hearing on the motion for detention was held on April 8, prosecutors lodged updated entries with the court, claiming that the case against the pair has only gotten worse.

Both Taherzadeh and Ali applied to work as armed special police officers and were rejected, the government said in one document. Additionally, ammunition magazines seized from guns believed to belong to the men were illegal, high-capacity magazines. And Taherzadeh was tipped off about the investigation, leading to either he or Ali appearing to have moved to conceal evidence, including by trying to corruptly enlist the help of a federal law enforcement agent, the government said.

Because of the breakneck pace of the investigation, there are many facts that we still do not know. But the facts that we do know about the defendantsthat they lied about their identities for years, stored a cache of weapons and surveillance equipment in their apartments, compromised law enforcement agents in sensitive positions, and tried to cover up their crimesleave no doubt that their release poses a public safety risk, prosecutors added. Both defendants should be detained.

Correction: A previous version of this article inaccurately stated the mens nationalities. They are American citizens. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
A worker at Ralphs returns a shopping cart to the store in Irvine, Calif., on Feb. 5, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Grocery Workers Ratify Contract With Stater Bros.

LOS ANGELESSouthern California grocery workers voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new three-year contract with Stater Bros., with voting scheduled this week on a tentative deal with other stores including Ralphs and Vons/Pavilions/Albertsons.

Members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) ratified the Stater Bros. deal that was reached on April 1. It will go into effect immediately for more than 13,000 employees in approximately 170 Stater Bros. locations across Central and Southern California. The contract is retroactive to March 7, 2022.

The six UFCW locals released the following statement on Saturday:

Today, by ratifying this contract, Stater Bros workers have secured life-changing raises, better healthcare, and protected pensions over the next three years. After more than two years of risking their lives to serve Californias communities as essential workers, the members of UFCW stood together for their families and each other, and secured one of the most historic contracts in California labor history.  The pandemic and its deadly impact on our communities may not be over, but the essential workers who keep Stater Bros. stores running have proven it is possible to secure a fair deal when co-workers have each others backs.

Union officials said the deal includes significant wage increases, stronger health care, and protected pension provisions.

Officials with Stater Bros. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

UFCW Southern California locals also successfully negotiated a tentative agreement with Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons, and Pavilions on April 4. Ratification for that agreement is expected to be completed this week.
Texas lawman Frank Hamer stopped a lot of criminals over his long career before he confronted the infamous Barrow Gang

Frank Hamer was once asked how he felt about the 52 gunfights he was alleged to have participated in throughout his 45 years as a Texas lawmanand the 30 dead men these violent clashes accounted for.

The men I have shot down have all been criminals in the act of committing a crime or resisting arrest, Hamer replied. Im hired to do that work. Its my job. I do it because I have to. I dont like to talk about it or think about it. Its something to be forgotten.

Ironically, because of Frank Hamers reputation as a skilled and ruthless man-hunter, he cant be forgotten.

Born in 1884 in West Texas, Franklin Augustus Hamer was destined to be a man of action. He originally wanted to be a preacher, but he quickly realized he felt most at home outdoors. He was also fascinated by stories of the Comanches, reading as much as he could about this tribe while pestering local old-timers for stories of their exploits. I resolved to be as much like an Indian as I could, Hamer later said.

Iron-tough even at 19, Hamer was also fiercely principled. In 1903, while working as a horse wrangler near San Angelo, Texas, Hamer refused neighbor Dan McSweens offer to pay him $150 to kill another rancher McSween was feuding with. Hamer took this one step further. He warned the unsuspecting cattleman that McSween was gunning for him.

McSween, enraged, took his revenge Lone Star style, dropping Hamer with a shotgun blast. Hamer was saved by a black field hand who helped get him to a doctor before he bled to death. This caused Hamer to become extremely sympathetic to the black community. He would stand up for them when most Texas lawmen would not.

Career of a Lawman

At age 21, Hamer joined the Texas Rangers, rapidly earning the respect of fellow officers. Still carrying scars from McSweens shotgun blast, Hamer ended the career of murderer Ed Putnam in a gunfight at a bordello in December 1906. After taking a leave of absence from the Rangers in 1908, Hamer moved closer to his family in East Texas and became marshal of Navasota, an oil boomtown noted for its violence and racism. The town needed a tough lawman who was also capable of great compassion and understanding. Hamer filled this role with aplomb.

One night, Hamer arrested a white man attempting to conceal a firearm. Despite being offered a bribe by the offenders wife, Hamer insisted on seeing justice carried out. When the mans wife said, Oh, Mr. Hamer. I can tell you are mean. Thats a white man! Hamer replied, Yeah, thats whats the matter with this town: white. Im a white man but Im doing my job.  But he cant get out with no amount of money that you offer me. Cause money dont buy me.

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, notorious outlaws of the 1930s. (Public Domain)

Hamer remained marshal of Navasota until 1911 then spent several years as a special investigations officer in Houston and a livestock detective in West Texas.

In 1915, Hamer again wore the badge he most preferred, that of a Texas Ranger. As the Ku Klux Klan became more of a threat, Hamer took it upon himself to oppose their activities, believing them to be no better than a vigilante mob, which Hamer famously hated. Once, Hamer arrested a black man accused of attacking a white woman. When a lynch mob composed of Klan members tried to take the accused man out to hang, Hamer escorted his prisoner from the jail to a waiting car, viciously kicking the Klansmen in the shins with his pointy-toed boots.

The 1930s brought the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, which served as a backdrop for quite possibly the most iconic and widespread crime wave in American history.

Bonnie and Clyde

The rise of super-criminals like John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, and the Barrow Gang dragged American law enforcement into the 20th century. Unlike Sam Bass and John Wesley Hardin, these were not bandits who could be chased down using trail-craft and horsemanship. These outlaws had wide-flung networks of supporters within local police departments and the criminal underworlds of Chicago and Kansas City.

In Hamers Texas stomping grounds, two kids from Dallas, Clyde Barrow and his girlfriend, aspiring actress and poet Bonnie Parker, were set to remind the Lone Star state why lawmen of Hamers caliber were still needed.

The FBI Wanted poster for Bonnie and Clyde. (Public Domain)

Bonnie and Clyde met in 1929 in the slums of West Dallas, where Clyde was a small-time crook, Bonnie a waitress in a local diner. For five years, the Barrow Gang tore a bloody swath through the Southwest, ultimately killing 12 people. Unlike other Depression outlaws, the Barrow Gang was strictly smash-and-grab, preying upon gas stations, National Guard armories and the occasional bank. Even so, thanks to Clydes big-city style and Bonnies considerable charm, they became heroes to the rural poor.

After four years of mayhem, however, two 1934 incidents put the Barrow Gang out of favor with the public. On January 13, Clyde and Bonnie raided Eastham, the work-farm division of Huntsville State Penitentiary. The attack was a revenge raid inspired by the brutality Clyde had experienced there as a prisoner. A guard was killed and only four prisoners were freed, but the raid was a minor sensation, and it caught Frank Hamers attention.

Enraged by the audacity of this raid, Lee J. Simmons, Texas prisons superintendent, contacted the 49-year-old former Ranger, who was semi-retired and living with his wife Gladys and their children in Dallas. According to Hamer, Simmons gave him free rein to handle the situation however he saw fit: I want you to put them on the spot, and shoot everyone in sight, Simmons told Hamer.

Well, Hamer said, if thats the way you feel about it, Ill take the job.

Bonnie and Clyde, in a photo taken sometime between 1932 and 1934. (Public Domain)

For this particular manhunt, Hamer employed the relatively new detective science of psychological profiling. I interviewed many people who knew [Clyde] and studied numerous pictures of him and Bonnie, Hamer said. An officer must know the mental habits of the outlaw, how he thinks, and how he will act in different situations. When I began to understand Clyde Barrows mind, I felt that I was making progress.  Before the chase ended, I not only knew the general appearance and mental habits of the pair, but I also had learned the kind of whiskey they drank, what they ate, and the color, size, and texture of their clothes.

The second incident occurred on April 1, Easter Sunday. Bonnie, Clyde, and gang-member Henry Methvin gunned down two Texas Highway Patrolmen, H.D. Murphy and Edward Wheeler, outside Grapevine, Texas. Murphy was only 22 and engaged to be married. Reportedly, his fiancee wore her wedding dress to his funeral.

Bloody Easter horrified Texas and the nation, turning the Barrow Gang from rambunctious kids fighting the system into renegade killers who needed to be stopped by any method.

The Trap

Frank Hamer was more than willing to provide those means. By May, he had assembled an impressive posse: Maney Gault of the Texas Highway Patrol; Dallas deputy sheriffs Ted Hinton and Bob Alcorn; and Bienville Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff Henderson Jordan and his deputy Prentiss Oakley. Hinton had befriended Bonnie while she was waitressing in West Dallas. Jordan and Oakley were meant to represent the area of Louisiana where Barrow and Parker had been spending most of their time, thanks to their close friendship with the Methvin family. Henrys father, Ivy Methvin, however, was tired of his sons involvement with Clyde and Bonnie. Methvin approached Jordan and cut a deal: if Ivy agreed to set up Barrow and Parker for Hamer and his posse, Henry would be shown leniency. Jordan brought the deal to Hamer, who agreed. Methvin collaborated with Hamers men to ambush the couple.

The fingerprints of Clyde Barrow. (Public Domain)

The posse assembled along a country road outside of Gibsland, Louisiana early on May 24. After two hours wait, they heard Clydes approaching Ford V8 sedan. Concealed in the woods bordering the road, the posse stood in a line, weapons ready. Barrow was driving and Bonnie was eating a sandwich in the passenger seat as the duo approached Ivy Methvins jacked-up truck. The ruse worked. Clyde slowed the car to see if Methvin needed help. Just before Hamer could step out and demand Barrows surrender, an overly excited Prentiss Oakley jumped up and fired a burst from his Remington automatic rifle into Clydes head, killing him instantly. As Clyde slumped against the steering wheel, his foot slid off the brake and the car began to slowly roll forward. Bonnie screamed, and she grabbed for a Colt automatic pistol resting in her lap. All the lawmen, including Hamer, opened fire. In 16 seconds, 167 rounds riddled the stolen Ford, tearing into Barrow and Parker. According to Ted Hinton, when all was said and done, they werent nothing but a bunch of wet rags.

Hamer lived another 21 years following the death of Bonnie and Clyde, but it remained his careers defining moment. Far from a gun-slinging cowboy caricature, Hamer was first and foremost a peace officer. To his mind, Barrow and Parker needed to be apprehended because they were killers and thieves who had broken the law of the land. His actions in ending the pairs crime spree cemented Hamers status and influence as quite possibly the most effective law enforcement officer of the modern American West.

The road ended here for Bonnie and Clyde. (Public Domain)

The gunfire was so loud that the posse suffered temporary deafness all afternoon. (Public Domain)

Bonnies Poetry

Bonnie Parker wrote numerous poems during her time with the Barrow gang. Below is an excerpt from perhaps her best known poem.

The Trails End

Youve read the story of Jesse James

of how he lived and died.

If youre still in need

of something to read,

heres the story of Bonnie and Clyde.

Now Bonnie and Clyde are the Barrow gang

Im sure you all have read

how they rob and steal;

and those who squeal,

are usually found dying or dead. 

They call them cold-blooded killers

they say they are heartless and mean.

But I say this with pride

that I once knew Clyde,

when he was honest and upright and clean. 

If they try to act like citizens

and rent them a nice little flat.

About the third night;

theyre invited to fight,

by a sub-guns rat-tat-tat.

They dont think theyre too smart or desperate

they know that the law always wins.

Theyve been shot at before;

but they do not ignore,

that death is the wages of sin.

Some day theyll go down together

theyll bury them side by side.

To few itll be grief,

to the law a relief

but its death for Bonnie and Clyde.

This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
A 3D printed Natural Gas Pipes are placed on displayed EU and Russian flags in this illustration taken, on Jan. 31, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Hungary Says Rubles-for-Russian Gas Plan Breaches No EU Sanctions

BUDAPESTHungary plans to pay for Russian gas in euros through Gazprombank, which will convert the payment into rubles to meet a new requirement set by President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday.

Putin has warned Europe it risks having gas supplies cut unless it pays in rubles as he seeks retaliation over Western sanctions for Moscows invasion of Ukraine.

Under the scheme, Hungarian energy group MVMs subsidiary, CEE Energy, would pay an upcoming bill in euros, which Gazprombank would convert into rubles and then transfer to Russias Gazprom Export, Szijjarto told a news conference.

With weeks go to before bills are due, the European Commission has said that those with contracts requiring payment in euros or dollars should stick to that.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said last week Hungary was prepared to pay rubles for Russian gas, breaking ranks with the European Union which has sought a united front in opposing Moscows demand for payment in the currency.

As for paying in [rubles], we have a solution that does not violate any sanctions but at the same time it secures Hungarys gas supply, Szijjarto said.

Szijjarto said the option to pay bills in another currency rather than euros was included in a bilateral contract between CEE Energy and Gazprom Export concluded in September, which will now be modified to reflect the planned changes.

He did not go into detail and it was unclear whether the falls in the Russian currency would affect the new payment terms in any way.

Szijjarto added that Hungary, which relies on Russia for most of its oil and gas, opposed the EU taking a joint approach to the issue, which Budapest considers a bilateral matter.

The European Unions executive is drafting proposals for an EU oil embargo on Russia, the foreign ministers of Ireland, Lithuania and the Netherlands said on Monday, although there is still no agreement to ban Russian crude.
SEATTLEShen Yun Performing Arts mission is to educate its audiences about authentic traditional Chinese culture and the importance of traditions in maintaining a life rooted in values that have survived for thousands of years.

The company does this through a display of story-based classical Chinese dance and music.

Julieta Altamirano-Crosby was delighted to learn about Shen Yun and its mission when she attended the performance at the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle.

Im very grateful [that Shen Yun] brings all this culture and how it connects with our roots. This is really important for finally connecting with our identities, Julieta said.

As an immigrant, and Im from Mexico, we always try to do different programs of culture and art to connect with our roots as well. So, Im really impressed with [Shen Yun]I am speechless honestly, she said.

Julieta is a Lynnwood City councilor. She was born in Guerrero, Mexico, and came to the United States 13 years ago.

The quality I think is 100 percent. I didnt see any mistakeseverything was perfect, she said.

Julieta was impressed by the companys 3D technology, which enabled actors to seemingly disappear off the stage and then magically reappear.

The colors of the costumes were meaningful to their culture, she said. It was a very professional performance with attention to every detail.

I think what [Shen Yun] brings is history from centuries [ago] and I really appreciate it because I believe in it all, Julieta said.

All cultures are admired, she said, and although there will always be divisions in the world, she said Shen Yun was not, in her opinion, about politics.

There are episodes in history that we dont like but we can use in an educational matter, she said.

I think in the last presentation [The Display of Great Compassion], we see this modern [life,] and tradition mixed togetherwhere we see everybody looking at cell phones and disconnected with the real world, she said.

Humanity needs to return to those traditions because they represent who we are, said Altimarino-Crosby. Otherwise, people will lose their identity and culture and sense of belonging.

Julieta felt that Shen Yun was a wonderful opportunity to dissolve the stress accumulated during the pandemic and to return to a normal life again.

She said how beautiful it was to see families and, particularly their children, out and about again.

Incredibly Beautiful

Also enjoying Shen Yun were the Wehmeyer family.

Sean Wehmeyer, is a market director, and his wife, Tracy, is a paraeducator. They were attending Shen Yun with their daughter, Holly, a high-school student.

The Wehmeyer family attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, Seattle, Wash., on Apr. 10, 2022. (Frank Zhang/The Epoch Times)

It was outstanding. I like the costumes, I like the dance, I like the [Jurchen horse riders,] said Sean. The Jurchen horse riders, from the dance, Men of the Jurchen, were famous for their equestrian and archery skills.

[Shen Yun] is amazing, incredibly beautiful, said Tracy.

Holly Wehmeyer was enchanted with the colorful Plum Blossom in Spring dance. Their costumes, and the way they move, is so pretty, she said.

The Water Sleeves dance was another piece that impressed the Wehmeyer family. This dance portrays the elegant movements of the ladies of the imperial court.

There was educational value in watching Shen Yun and it was important to be exposed to it, said Sean. He was disappointed to hear that people living in China were unable to see the performance as it had been banned by the Chinese communist regime.

Its definitely heartbreaking because its incredible, said Tracey.

With pandemic measures waning, many audience members have found Shen Yun a fresh breath of air.

Its wonderful to be able to sit in an auditorium and watch this wonderful performance with people from all over, said Sean.

Shen Yun brings hope to everyone, said Tracey. She hoped that in the future it would also bring hope to the Chinese people.

Reporting by Echo Liu and Diane Cordemans.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
A Brahmos missile on display at the inaugural ceremony of the international DefExpo 2008 defense fair, in New Delhi on Feb. 16, 2008. (Raveendran/AFP via Getty Images)

India Says Officials Behind Misfired Missile Will Face Severe Punishment

The Indian Air Force (IAF) said April 10 that officials found responsible for the operational lapse that resulted in the March 9 misfire of a supersonic cruise missile into Pakistan will face a severe punishment.

The IAF concluded from its investigation that some officials violated standard operating procedures, resulting in the accidental firing of a missile, India-based news agency ANI reported, citing unnamed government sources.

More than one official has been found blameworthy for the incident, which was totally avoidable. The guilty officials would be given a swift and severe punishment, the government sources were quoted saying in the report.

One of the officials is the commanding officer of the Brahmos unit, a group captain (colonel), according to unnamed sources cited by the Times of India.

The overall standard operating procedures for the operations, maintenance, and inspections of such missile systems have also been reviewed, the sources said.

The sources did not specify the nature of the punishment to be meted out to the officials, but claimed that the IAF inquiry committee report would be legally vetted before being submitted to authorities for further action.

On March 11, the Indian Defense Ministry confirmed that it had accidentally fired a missile into Pakistans airspace on March 9, blaming the incident on a technical malfunction during routine maintenance.

The missile reportedly flew about 77 miles into Pakistan and crashed into Mian Channu, originating from the Indian city of Sirsa. There were no casualties reported as a result of the incident, but some civilian property was damaged.

Pakistan was reportedly prepared to launch a missile in retaliation against India but refrained after identifying an anomaly in the Indian projectile during initial assessment, Bloomberg reported on March 15, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The sources, who spoke to Bloomberg on the condition of anonymity, said that India did not inform Pakistan about the incident via a direct hotline between senior army officials of the two nations. Pakistan then reported the incident the following day and summoned an Indian diplomat.

If Pakistans Air Force didnt pick it up inside India and it was matched with an accident reaction, do people realize the implications, consequences of that, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters on March 15.

Pakistan and India, which both possess nuclear weapons, have clashed over territory in recent years. The two nations have been embroiled in a conflict over the area of Kashmir for decades. Military experts have repeatedly warned about the risk of miscalculation or nuclear accidents between the two neighbors.

The two countries came close to a war in February 2019 when Pakistans air force shot down an Indian fighter jet and captured its pilot over Kashmir. The two nations have waged several wars since they gained independence in 1947 from British rule.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Ali Harbi Ali in the dock at the Old Bailey in London on March 21, 2022, in a court artist sketch. (Elizabeth Cook/PA via AP)

Islamic Terrorist Found Guilty of Murdering UK Lawmaker David Amess

A British terrorist of Somali descent has been found guilty of murdering UK Member of Parliament Sir David Amess and plotting to attack other lawmakers.

Ali Harbi Ali, 26, who pledged allegiance to the ISIS terrorist group, brutally stabbed Amess to death in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on Oct. 15, 2021.

Amess, a 69-year-old father of five who had served as MP for the Southend West constituency since 1997, was meeting with constituents when he was attacked.

Flowers left in memory of Sir David Amess outside the Houses of Parliament, in London, on Oct. 22, 2021. (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

During his trial, Ali said he had no regrets about the murder, justifying his actions by saying the veteran Conservative MP deserved to die as a result of voting for air strikes on ISIS terrorists in Syria in 2014 and 2015.

At the Central Criminal Court at the Old Bailey on April 11, the jury deliberated for 18 minutes before unanimously finding Ali guilty.

It cannot have been easy to listen to the evidence you have listened to, Justice NigelSweeney thanked the jury. The terrorist refused to stand up on religious grounds as he was convicted.

Max Hill QC, director of public prosecutions, said the murder was the most appalling tragedy and an attack on democracy.

He said, Im obviously pleased that at the end of what must have been a very difficult trial for Sir David Amesss family, justice has been served and this individual will now pay the price for his crimes.

In response to the guilty verdict, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey wrote on Twitter: Good. Justice delivered though we will never have Sir David back.

Ali, who was born into an influential Somali family in London, became self-radicalised in 2014 and dropped out of a university, abandoning ambitions for a career in medicine.

The prosecutor said the attack on Amess was no spur-of-the-moment decision, as Ali had for a number of years been determined to carry out an act of domestic terrorism.

He considered travelling to Syria to fight for the ISIS terrorist group, but by 2019 opted for an attack in Britain.

The terrorist bought a knife six years ago and carried out reconnaissance on targets including Cabinet secretary Michael Gove.

By September last year, Ali had settled on Amess as an easy target after seeing his upcoming meeting with constituents in Leigh-on-Sea on Twitter. He made an appointment through the MPs office, falsely claiming he was moving to the area and was interested in churches.

On Oct. 15 last year, within minutes of meeting Amess, Ali pulled out a 12-inch carving knife and stabbed him more than 20 times.

In a police interview, he spoke calmly about his plot and admitted allegiance to the ISIS terrorist group.

Ali will be sentenced on April 13.

PA Media contributed to this report.
A Philippine coast guard ship sails past a Chinese coastguard ship during an joint search and rescue exercise near Scarborough shoal in the South China Sea on May 14, 2019. (Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images)

Japan, Philippines to Bolster Defense Cooperation Amid Regional Tensions

Japan and the Philippines agreed on April 9 to consider facilitating reciprocal visits to strengthen defense cooperation amid regional tensions in the South China Sea, where Beijing has increased its military activity.

The two countries foreign and defense ministers held their first 2+2 security meeting in Tokyo, during which they laid the groundwork for the next decade of their strategic partnership.

Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. reaffirmed his countrys commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation with Japan, which he described as a reliable partner of the Philippines.

We have achieved a substantive clarification of all the issues and in many of them produced consensus. The security ties we are developing are much less than those of an alliance, but much more than a cordial relationship, Locsin said.

Philippines Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. (left) attends a press conference as part of the JapanPhilippines 2+2 talks, with Japans Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi in Tokyo on April 9, 2022. (Rodrigo Reyes Marin AFP via Getty Images)

In a joint statement, the two countries agreed to increase defense relations through capability building, reciprocal port calls/ship visits, transfer of more defense equipment and technology, and continuous cooperation on previously-transferred defense equipment.

Both countries strongly opposed actions that would exacerbate tensions in the East and South China Seas, underscoring the need for a rules-based approach to resolving competing claims in maritime areas within the framework of international law. They called for the implementation of a code of conduct consistent with the Law of the Sea without jeopardizing the legitimate rights of all stakeholders in the disputed sea, according to the statement.

Prior to the meeting, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte held an hour-long telephone summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on April 8 to discuss the European conflict and the South China Sea, also known as the West Philippine Sea in Manila.

The leaders stressed the need to exert all efforts to maintain peace, security, and stability in the South China Sea by exercising restraint, dissipating tensions and working on a mutually agreeable framework for functional cooperation, Dutertes Presidential Office said in a statement.

The office also stated that both sides remained committed to broadening the space for positive engagements even while disputes existed. They also agreed to continue discussions and conclude the code of conduct on the South China Sea.

Filipinos march as they mark Independence Day with a protest against continued Chinese intrusions in Philippine waters outside the Chinese Embassy in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines, on June 12, 2021. (Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)

Beijing claims much of the South China Sea, including the stretch of water in the Philippines exclusive economic zone that extends 200 nautical miles from the Philippine coast.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in 2016, but the verdict has had little impact on Chinas behavior, with Beijing continuing to pursue its claims to vast swathes of the sea based on its so-called nine-dash line.

Duterte said in May that the countrys arbitral victory against Chinas claims at The Hague was nothing more than a piece of paper that he would throw in the trash.

They filed a case and we won. In real life, between nations, that paper is nothing. If you give it to me, I will tell you  That is only a paper. I will throw that in a wastebasket, Duterte said in Filipino, CNN Philippines reported.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson watches the Senate vote on her nomination to be an associate justice on the Supreme Court, from the Roosevelt Room of the White House on April 7, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Justice Jackson Could Be an Asset to the Supreme Court

Commentary

The confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States is being loudly proclaimed by the Biden administration as a triumph for diversity, equality, African-American rights, womens rights, and of an interpretation of the Constitution thats so flexible, its reduced to a platitude enjoining jurists to interpret the Constitution in the way most amenable to that persons individual social and political preferences.

To borrow from the vocabulary of judges, that representation of Justice Jackson is correct in part and mistaken in part. As many have pointed out, its distasteful for the president to have stated the need for a female African-American Supreme Court justice, as it absolutely isnt a post connected to any subcategory of the population. The criterion for such a nomination is the most capable and well-qualified person available, and as it would be impossible to identify any particular victorious candidate by that criterion, there would be room to find a suitable justice from both sexes, almost all ethnicities, all general pigmentation groups, a full range of sexual orientations, and a wide range of ages and from all parts of the country.

African-Americans now hold two of the nine seats in the Supreme Court, which is almost double their percentage of the population of the United States. Women hold four of the Supreme Court seats, which is slightly below their percentage of the population but somewhat above their percentage of legally professionally qualified citizens.

I remember when President Dwight Eisenhower let it be known that the nomination of Justice William Brennan was a recognition of the 25 percent of Americans who were Roman Catholics. (Roger B. Taney was the Roman Catholic Chief Justice of the United States from 1836 to 1864, so it was not such a novelty.) Now there are six Roman Catholics on the bench of whom five appear to be regular practitioners of their faith. It was 25 years later that President Ronald Reagan rightly said it was time to have a female Supreme Court Justice and named Sandra Day OConnor.

Theres no indication that these changes in composition of the court have changed its outlook appreciably. All of these justices are competent, and I dont doubt that Justice Jackson will prove to be so also, and theres something to be said for having large demographic groups including Roman Catholics and African-Americans (both together in the case of Justice Clarence Thomas) represented on the highest court, but any tendency to appoint Supreme Court justices to represent a distinct demographic group of Americans, rather than to interpret the Constitution of the United States conscientiously and without regard to individual interests and only for the benefit of the whole country as well as it can be determined, is retrograde. To that extent, the nomination of Justice Jackson was politically motivated and compromised her candidacy in advance.

With that said, the legitimate arguments against her confirmation were that in testimony under oath she declined to attempt to define a woman, and she also declined to express opposition to any measure to expand the court for evidently political purpose.

On the other hand, there are powerful arguments for why Justice Jackson may be a great asset to the bench and one whose elevation will be a matter of gratitude to millions of Americans: She is the only member of that bench who has a solid background as a criminal defense counsel.

She alone of the nine justices has had to face the overwhelming steamroller of the American prosecutory system that gives federal prosecutors convictions in slightly over 98 percent of federal criminal prosecutions, and of those, 95 percent without a trial. This is a mockery of justice, and its an acute embarrassment to the country, which has been commented on by successive chief justices of the United States and by many distinguished jurists and counsel and legal academics.

Such a high conviction rate effectively disqualifies the American criminal justice system as justice at all: Its a conviction rate worthy of a totalitarian state. The corresponding rates of conviction in Britain and Canada are about 80 and 60 percent, not because their prosecutors are inferior and not because they have higher crime rates than the United States, and in fact the reverse is true. Its because of the abuse of the plea-bargain system that enables federal prosecutors to extort or suborn false inculpatory evidence with impunity, and its because of the availability to federal prosecutors of methods of confiscating or vaporizing the capacity for self defense of criminal defendants, and of their ability (and often enthusiasm) in hurling huge numbers of charges at individual defendants, and in the practice unique to the United States of permitting the prosecutors to speak last to the jury.

All of these characteristics of the system are unjust, unlike anything in any other advanced national criminal legal system, and they are facts with which Justice Jackson, unlike her colleagues on the high court, is intimately familiar. I have generally admired the judgments of Justice Samuel Alito, a former prosecutor, but Justice Jackson would know, and Justice Alito would not, the bitterness of having an innocent client convicted and severely sentenced. In bringing that experience and that perspective to the Supreme Court of the United States, Justice Jackson will on that count alone be a great asset.

She knows why the United States has 5 percent of the worlds population and 25 percent of its incarcerated people, and six to 12 times as many incarcerated people per capita as the most comparable other prosperous flourishing democracies: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

A particular bugbear to Republican senators in the recent confirmation process of Justice Jackson was her tendency to go below the guidelines in sentencing, particularly for possession of child pornography. Someone who sits in the relative privacy of his home and draws a representation of child pornography, shows it to no one, but contemplates it lengthily and is stimulated by it, but not with consequences to others, is seriously maladjusted even by our latitudinarian current tolerance of a variety of sexual orientations. But he should not be deemed to be committing a crime. Justice Jackson recognizes the difference between psychotic menaces to the undisturbed sexual lives of others, especially minors, and disturbed people who confine their lurid and disgusting sexual fantasies to themselves. The frenzied refusal of Republican senators to contemplate the limits to invasion of privacy and of liberty of thought, however offensive, could lead to dangerous conclusions. People must not be persecuted for their private thoughts.

The publication and distribution of child pornography is another and completely unacceptable matter, and legislators should not lose sight of this distinction.

The Supreme Court desperately needs someone who knows what a cesspool of injustice American criminal law is, and if Justice Jackson brings that sensibility to the high court, the baggage she is bringing in other areas will be affordable. The Republicans should be wary of an unlimited wish to convict and imprison.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Liberal Partys Abandonment of Core Conservative Values Seen in Pre-Election Debacle

Commentary

The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison delayed calling the election because the Liberal Party engaged in a preselection stoush, which impeded efforts to nominate candidates in 12 seats in the state of New South Wales (NSW). As a member of a three-person committee, the prime minister exercised a captains pick and preselected candidates in those seats.

Specifically, the conflict that resulted in the federal executives intervention in the preselection process concerned challenges to sitting members of parliament, some of whom are ministers.

Further, businessman Matthew Camenzuli, who disagreed with the power of the federal executive to intervene in the process of selecting candidates, initiated court action in NSW to have the preselection of the candidates declared invalid.

However, the NSW Court of Appeal decided that political issues are not justiciablea correct decision from a constitutional point of viewbut it exceeded its role when it indicated in its judgment that the federal executive has the power to intervene in state preselection issues.

Camenzuli, who has since been expelled from the Liberal Party, has now asked the Australian High Court to review, as a matter of urgency, the decision of the Court of Appeal.

These preselection troubles significantly add to the problems already experienced by a besieged prime minister. Very recently, the prime minister was accosted by unfriendly and disrespectful electors in a pub. And on the ABCs Q&A program, Gideon Rozner from the Institute of Public Affairs argued that Morrison had strayed from his partys values.

He described him as the worst Liberal prime minister because he ramped up a trillion-dollar debt, prevented Australian citizens from returning home during the pandemic, making them stateless, and trashing freedom of speech, among other things.

This strident condemnation of Morrisons actions reminds the electorate that it is easy to criticise elected politicians, but it is infinitely more difficult to objectively assess a politicians contributions to society.

The front entrance of the federal Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on April 1, 2022. (Daniel Teng/The Epoch Times)

Indeed, the horrid television scenes of a pubgoer angrily harassing the prime minister make for riveting television but do not involve an intelligent, objective discussion of the relevant social issues. It does, however, point to the existence of frustration and a feeling of general powerlessness among the electorate.

But Rozners claim that the prime minister has effectively disembowelled core liberal values is to be taken seriously. The substance of Rozners claim may well be illustrated by the intervention by the federal executive in the preselection processa matter otherwise coming within the competence of the regular members of the Liberal Party in NSWto secure the preselection of sitting members of parliament, including Minister Sussan Ley, who faced stiff competition from other members of the Liberal Party. Admittedly, an issue the opposition Labor Party is also contending with.

Morrison, in justifying the intervention, wanted to stand up for the women in his team. He claimed that he is asked all the time why he does not do more about getting good women in parliament and stand up for the women in parliament.

In his view, his defence of female candidates has been his primary motivation and people know that. He also indicated that the federal intervention resulted in the preselection of 50 percent women and 50 percent men. And yet he also claimed that he wanted to ensure that the best candidates were selected.

Common sense suggests that a quota-driven selection process is incompatible with the view that the best candidates should be preselected. Furthermore, Morrisons claim could only be valid if skills, abilities, and aptitudes were distributed equally among people, which is not the case. In any event, there are open-ended degrees of excellence, which would enable preselectors to differentiate between candidates.

Although the NSW Court of Appeal has decided that the actions of the prime minister are legal, what is legal may still be distinctly anti-liberal if the preselection fails to endorse the best or most suitable candidates in accordance with the relevant democratic decision-making process of the Liberal Party.

The real reason women are underrepresented in parliament may, in fact, have little to do with discrimination. Of course, people should enjoy equality of opportunity and be able to pursue appointment to any position available in society. The implementation of equality of opportunity requires the removal of impediments to female advancement, but it does not require, nor does it necessarily result in, equal outcomes, unless a quota is set.

Environment Minister Sussan Ley speaks during question time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on July 4, 2019. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

However, an emphasis on equality of opportunity, as opposed to equality of outcome, may be regarded as inadequate and arcane, especially if one believes that societal arrangements make it difficult for women to be preselected as a liberal candidate.

One of the beneficiaries of Morrisons captains pick, Sussan Ley, has been described by the prime minister as one of his finest cabinet ministers and one of our most successful women members of parliament. Ley favours affirmative action quotas and, therefore, she would agree with the prime ministers proud admission that 50 percent of the preselected candidates are women.

In the past, barriers to female preselection may have been caused by paternalistic attitudes that stereotyped women.

According to this contention, discrimination existing in the wider society is responsible for female lack of opportunity. Subtle society-wide prejudices may induce women to avoid certain occupations and encourage them to specialise in occupations where women are dominant.

Thus, occupational segregation may point to the fallacy of voluntarism because discrimination can be the result of culturally or environmentally induced constraints of domesticity.

But in pursuing equality of result or outcome, the prime minister and his committee are also effectively responsible for stereotyping women because this version of equality is based on the idea that women cannot make it on their own.

The assumption, that women are necessarily members of a discriminated class, effectively condones discrimination against those women who have voluntarily chosen their own future and can make meaningful choices.

Federal intervention in the preselection process is thus an example of overreaching, which distorts the liberal promise of equality of opportunity for all citizens.

Former Prime Minister Robert Menzies, who founded the Liberal Party, would have been appalled by the abandonment of core liberal values by the present generation of politicians. As he favoured the preselection of candidates on the ground of personal merit, he would undoubtedly have regarded the actions of some liberal members of parliament as trendy examples of illiberal behaviour.

The reality is, people believe that the prime minister has devalued the conservative base of the Liberal Party for a long time. The feeling is that he will go where the wind blows but is incapable of delivering government based on liberal principles and values.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Nairobi  A top U.S. military commander says African countries dealing with violent extremism need to enact good governance, a stronger rule of law and inclusion of marginalized communities if they want to promote stability.

Africa has seen an increase in terror groups operating across the continent in recent years. Al-Shabab in East Africa, al-Qaida and Islamic State affiliates expanding in the Sahel, and Boko Haram around the Lake Chad Basin are among the most prominent.

The head of the U.S. military's Special Operations Command Africa, Rear Admiral Jamie Sands, said on April 3 that African countries need better governance and greater cooperation if they are to stop the threat of terrorism.

"No nation can solve this challenge or this problem alone," he said. "Partnerships are key. Prevention of extremism through governance reforms and progress is an easier path than fighting established violent extremists through kinetic activity. Values matter. Transparency, accountability and inclusion are key as we move forward. International investment is critical, and this investment must be paired with security, good governance and aid."

Terrorist activity has displaced at least 33 million people continent-wide and contributed to political instability in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and Somalia.

Sands said violent extremism erodes the relations between a government and its citizens.

"The lack of security combined with, in some regions, a perception of disadvantagement that takes place between the government and the population, really form to create an environment where the population loses faith in the government and either decides deliberately to overthrow the government through a coup or, as we saw in some - in one country, Burkina Faso, we think it was a mutiny that turned into a coup," he said.

In January 2022, Burkina Faso's military removed the president and suspended the constitution. Military officers said rising extremist violence and the deterioration of security forced them to seize power from the civilian-led government.

Militant groups have especially thrived in neglected border areas, where governments have little presence and communities on both sides of the border fight for whatever resources are available in the area.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says 40 percent of violent events and deaths occur within 100 kilometers of a border between two African countries.

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Simiyu Werunga, head of the Geneva Center for Africa Security, said the lack of cooperation between African governments is a key driver of terrorism on the continent.

"What we lack in Africa is serious mechanism government-to-government to deal with these issues and deal with it for good," he said. "In West Africa, we have the Sahel region. The Sahel has its own grouping, and ECOWAS has its own grouping, but they don't seem to be working together. This gives these organizations space to create themselves and counter what governments are doing by creating more splinter groups to spread the chaos and make it difficult for governments to deal with them."

Sands said the U.S. government will help mend broken relations between governments and communities, and encourage good governance as the best way of defeating terrorism.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of Texas wants his state to have its own version of the Florida legislation restraining schools from teaching gender and sexual identity in elementary schools. (Lynda M. Gonzalez/Getty Images)

Lieutenant Governor of Texas Slams Radical Lefts Agenda to Disrupt Family

Dan Patrick casts state's moral fight as between 'those who believe in God, and those who believe they are God'

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the battle over abortion and the sexualization of children K2 in public schools was a battle of those who believe that they are God and have control over life and death and even their sex and those who believe there is a Creator, who believe in God, believe in Jesus Christ.

Patrick made his comments during a 15-minute phone interview at Dallas area radio station 660 AM The Answer on April 6.

Whatever their denomination is and their faith is, they believe there is a higher power who decides life and a higher power who designed us as human beings, Patrick said.

He also described the radical left ideology as the Marxist, socialist agenda to disrupt the family.

In a series of communications in 2022, Patrick has made known his concerns about primary school education, higher education, and abortion.

Previously, Patrick has advocated the revocation of tenure for professors hired by the Texas university system; he has vowed to review books in public school libraries promoting transgender identity; he has affirmed the so-called Heartbeat Bill that restricts abortions after about six weeks, and he has now framed the gender issue in early primary school education in religious terms.

On April 4, the lieutenant governor, whos up for reelection in November, released a campaign email after the Walt Disney Company had objected to the recent Florida legislation restraining schools from teaching young children about sexual orientation or gender identity.

Disney said its goal was to see the Florida law repealed or defeated.

Patrick not only defended the Florida laws implementation but said he wants to see it enacted in Texas.

I will make this law a top priority in the next session, Patrick wrote. This issue will be addressed in our interim Education Committee Hearings under Parental Rights.

The Walt Disney Company in Orlando, Florida, released a statement at the end of March saying the Florida measure should never have passed and should never have been signed into law.

Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that, the statement read.

We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.

Patrick criticized Disney in his April 4 email.

This crazy woke radical agenda is pushed by a few, but rejected by almost everyone in America, across all political spectrums, he wrote.

What can we do? Until they change their corporate philosophy, stop spending money with them. Cut off the Disney Channel. Cancel your trip or cruise, if one is planned.

Let Kids Be Kids

After being roundly criticized in some of the North Texas Press on April 5 and his email being characterized as a Tirade against Disney, Patrick took to the airwaves the next day.

Cant we let kids be kids, especially in kindergarten and first and second grade? he said.

We have the left who wants to teach, If youre a girl, you can be a boy, or vice versa.  That is not what parents want their children taught at that age, and some at any agetheres no need for it, kids dont understand it and parents dont want it.

However, his strongest statements were for the left.

The radical left is pushing this ideology into our system, which is the Marxist, socialist agenda to disrupt the family unit, Patrick said.

His campaign isnt Dont Say Gay in Texas, and no one should be bullied because of their orientation, he said.

If someone chooses to be gay, thats their lifestyle; just dont try to turn society upside down about it, Patrick said.

Playing God

LGBTQ+ has to understand that other people have rights, too. Parents have rights to say, I dont want my first and second graders to learn about being gay or lesbian or that they can change their sex.

If you can take a life in the womb because you want to, you play God, Patrick said. If you can change your sex because you want to, even though you know you cantboys will always be boys and girls will always be girls thats biologythen you play God.

This is a battle between those who believe they are God and have control over life and death and even their sex, and those who believe there is a Creator, believe there is a God, believe in Jesus Christ.

This is what this battle is about. This is the heart of it.
A service member of pro-Russian troops walks near an apartment building destroyed in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 28, 2022. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)

RussiaUkraine War (April 11): Ukraine Says Tens of Thousands Killed in Mariupol

The latest on the RussiaUkraine crisis, April 11. Click here for updates from April 10.

Ukraine Says Tens of Thousands Killed in Mariupol

Ukraine on Monday said tens of thousands of people have likely been killed in Russias assault on the southeastern city of Mariupol.

Mariupol has been destroyed, there are tens of thousands of dead, but even despite this, the Russians are not stopping their offensive, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address to South Korean lawmakers without providing more details.

If confirmed, it would be by far the largest number of dead so far reported in one place in Ukraine.

The head of the Russia-backed self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic, Denis Pushilin, told Russias RIA news agency on Monday that more than 5,000 people may have been killed in Mariupol. He said Ukrainian forces were responsible.

Citing figures from Mariupols city administration, Ukraines human rights ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova said 33,000 residents of Mariupol had been deported to Russia or territories held by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Russia said on Sunday it had evacuated 723,000 people from Ukraine since the start of what it called its special operation. Moscow denies attacking civilians.

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Biden Urges Modi Not to Step Up Indian Use of Russian Oil

President Joe Biden asked Indias Narendra Modi on Monday not to accelerate the buying of Russian oil as the United States and other nations try to cut off Moscows energy income following the invasion of Ukraine. The Indian prime minister made no public commitment to refrain from Russian oil, a source of tension with the United States.

Meeting by video call, Biden told Modi that the United States could help India diversify its sources of energy, according to press secretary Jen Psaki. Even though India receives little of its oil from Russia, it stepped up recently with a major purchase as other democracies are trying to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The president also made clear that he doesnt believe its in Indias interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy or other commodities, Psaki said.

While the two nations ended the meeting with Biden saying they committed to strengthening their relationship, White House officials could not say if India stood with them in fully condemning Putin, saying the choice ultimately rested with Modis government. The two leaders will meet in person May 24 in Tokyo for a summit of the Quad, a coalition that also includes Australia and Japan.

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French Bank SocGen Ends Business in Russia

Societe Generale has announced it is ending its Russian activitiesmaking it the first big Western bank to announce its quitting Russia.

SocGen is also selling its entire stake in Rosbank to a company linked to a Russian oligarch, costing the French bank some 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion).

Rosbank is a heavyweight in the Russian banking sector, and Societe Generale was the majority shareholder.

After several weeks of intensive work, the bank said in a statement, it had signed an agreement with Russian investment fund Interros Capital to sell all of its stake in Rosbank as well as its insurance subsidiaries in Russia.

Interros is one of the largest funds in the country, which holds assets in heavy industry and metallurgy.

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Ukrainian Authorities in Kharkiv Begin Clearing Landmines

Ukrainian authorities in the northeastern city of Kharkiv warned people not to go near what they said were landmines being dropped on the city.

On Monday, security forces cordoned off an area in the east of Kharkiv as they cleared a number of small devices scattered across residential streets.

Lieutenant Colonel Nikolay Ovcharuk, head of the demining unit of the state emergency service, said the devices were plastic PTM-1M mines, which detonate using timers and which were widely used by Soviet forces in Afghanistan.

They have self-destructing timers, he said as loudspeakers warned people not to approach the cordoned-off area where mine disposal teams were working.

The Epoch Times could not independently confirm the type of device. Scatterable landmines such as PTM-1M mines are prohibited under the Ottawa treaty on anti-personnel mines because of the risk of civilian casualties.

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Russia Will Not Pause Military Operation in Ukraine for Peace Talks

Russia will not pause its military operation in Ukraine for subsequent rounds of peace talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.

Russian officials say peace talks with Ukraine are not progressing as rapidly as they would like, and have accused the West of trying to derail negotiations by raising war crimes allegations against Russian troops in Ukraine, which Moscow denies.

Speaking in an interview with Russian state television, Lavrov said he saw no reason not to continue talks with Ukraine but insisted Moscow would not halt its military operation when the sides convene again.

Lavrov said that President Vladimir Putin had ordered to suspend military action during the first round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in late February but that Moscows position had changed since.

After we became convinced that the Ukrainians were not planning to reciprocate, a decision was made that during the next rounds of talks, there would be no pause [in military action] so long as a final agreement is not reached, Lavrov said.

Lavrov last week accused Kyiv of presenting Moscow with an unacceptable draft peace deal that deviated from agreements the sides had previously reached. Kyiv dismissed Lavrovs comments at the time as a tactic to undermine Ukraine or divert attention from war crime accusations against Russian troops.

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Ukraine Says Troops Still Holding Out in Besieged Mariupol

Ukraine said on Monday its forces were still holding out in the port of Mariupol, where Russia was renewing its assault in the city.

Communication with the units of the defense forces heroically holding the city is stable and maintained, Ukraines military commander-in-chief, General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, said on Facebook.

We are doing the possible and impossible for the victory and the preservation of the lives of personnel and civilians in all directions. Believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine!

Earlier, a post on the Facebook page of a brigade of marines holding out in the city said they had run out of ammunition and were now facing death or capture, with Monday likely to be the ultimate battle.

Petro Andryushchenko, an aide to the Mariupol mayor, said on social media that the marines page had been hacked and the post was fake. Reuters could not independently verify it.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin would not halt its operation for any new round of peace talks.

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Kremlin Responds to Clintons NATO Statement

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has refuted former U.S. President Bill Clintons comment on NATOs open-door policy toward Russia, arguing that Washington has made it impossible for Moscow to join the alliance.

I know for sure that the American side has repeatedly spoken about the impossibility of such membership. De facto, it was said that the doors, on the contrary, are closed, because it is fundamentally impossible, Peskov told reporters on Monday.

Earlier last week, Bill Clinton published an article in The Atlantic attempting to justify his administrations policy on the expansion of NATO.

My policy was to work for the best, while expanding NATO to prepare for the worst. Yes, NATO expanded despite Russias objections, but expansion was about more than the U.S. relationship with Russia, the former president explained. He added that [the United States] left the door open for Russias eventual membership in NATO.

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EU Fails to Agree on Russian Energy Ban

The European Unions foreign ministers have not agreed on a ban on Russian oil and natural gas imports, Head Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said on Monday, adding that discussions on the issue will continue. The energy ban was expected to be part of the latest EU sanctions package against Moscow.

We discussed, first of all, how to ensure the effectiveness of the existing sanctions in order to avoid gaps in their implementation. But we also discussed new steps we can take, including sanctions against oil and gas, Borrell said. We have not made decisions regarding such sanctions, we agreed to continue the discussion.

Borell stressed the importance of EU countries becoming less reliant on Russian energy, arguing that buying gas from Moscow is financing the war. He did, however, admit that its impossible to cut a 55 percent dependence on Russian gas overnight, referring to the situation in Germany, which has already warned of a looming collapse of its economy.

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Austrian Chancellor Meets Putin in Moscow

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer says his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow was very direct, open and tough.

In a statement released by his office after the meeting, Nehammer said Monday his primary message to Putin was that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose.

Nehammer was the first European leader to meet Putin in Moscow since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February.

The Austrian leader stressed that the Monday trip was not a friendly visit, but rather his duty to exhaust every possibility for ending the violence in Ukraine.

Nehammers Moscow visit comes after a trip on Saturday to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

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Russia Claims Killing of Senior Nationalist Commander in Ukraine

Russian commandos have killed a prominent member of Ukraines nationalist Right Sector group, the Russian defense ministry claimed on Monday. Taras Bobanich was accused by Moscow of causing hundreds of civilian deaths in eastern Ukraine during hostilities in 2014.

A Russian recon team killed Bobanich while on patrol about half a mile south from the city of Izium in Ukraines Kharkov region, the ministry statement said. It said he was a deputy commander of the Right Sector responsible for reserve operations.

The ministry didnt disclose the circumstances of Bobanichs death. The Right Sectors social media reported that he was killed on Friday near Izium, calling him a legendary nationalist.

The 33-year-old came originally from western Ukraine. He rose to national prominence during the mass protests and armed coup of 20132014, during which Ukrainian nationalists served as the street fighting force against Ukrainian law enforcement.

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Russia Halts All Bond Sales Over Cosmic Borrowing Costs

Russia is hitting pause on any new government borrowing owing to what finance minister Anton Siluanov told local media was a cosmic rise in debt servicing costs following war-related Western sanctions on Moscow.

Siluanov told the Izvestia news outlet in an interview on Monday that Russia will halt all government bond auctions for the rest of 2022.

We do not plan to go to the local market or foreign markets this year, Siluanov told Izvestia. It makes no sense because the borrowing cost would be cosmic.

In a wide-ranging interview, Siluanov said that recent changes to Russias budget policy mean that all revenue streams, including from sales of oil and gas, can be used to pay down its domestic and foreign debt and so the country doesnt need to borrow at this time.

Read the full article here

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Russia Seeks to End US-Dominated World Order: Lavrov

Russias military action in Ukraine is meant to put an end to the U.S.-dominated world order, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has explained. Washington has been seeking supremacy by imposing ad-hoc rules and violating international law, he claimed, in an interview aired by Russian television on Monday.

Our special military operation is meant to put an end to the unabashed expansion [of NATO] and the unabashed drive toward full domination by the U.S. and its Western subjects on the world stage, Lavrov told Rossiya 24 news channel.

This domination is built on gross violations of international law and under some rules, which they are now hyping so much and which they make up on a case-by-case basis, he added.

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China and Russia Pushing For Greater BRICS Cooperation

Beijing and Moscow have announced their intention to boost ties between the BRICS nationsa five-member alliance that includes their countries plus India, Brazil, and South Africa.

China is seeking to promote financial and fiscal cooperation within the alliance, Chinese minister of finance Liu Kun said at the first BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting held on April 8. He called on BRICS members to strengthen macro policy coordination to boost the global economy. China will share information and conduct experience exchanges in infrastructure investment among the BRICS.

In recent years, BRICS countries have maintained strong cooperation momentum and made important contributions to optimizing global economic governance and boosting the resumption and high-quality development of the global economy, Liu said.

Read the full article here

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Russia: Weve Destroyed S-300 Missile Systems Given to Ukraine by European State

Russia said on Monday that it had used cruise missiles to destroy S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems which had been supplied to Ukraine by an unidentified European country.

Russia launched Kalibr cruise missiles on Sunday against four S-300 launchers which were concealed in a hangar on the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, the defense ministry said.

Russia said 25 Ukrainian troops were hit in the attack.

High-precision sea-launched Kalibr missiles destroyed the equipment of a S-300 anti-aircraft missile division which had been delivered to the Kyiv regime by a European country, the ministry said.

Russia did not say which European country had supplied the S-300 systems.

NATO member Slovakia, which had donated such a missile system to Ukraine, says that it cannot confirm that air defense systems it has provided to Ukraine have been destroyed by the Russian armed forces.

Asked by The Associated Press whether Russia has destroyed Slovak-supplied S-300s, Slovakian Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok said that we have no evidence of this.

Weve been hearing news to that end, but based on information provided by the Ukraine side we cannot confirm that. The Ukrainian side has excluded that, he said at an EU meeting in Luxembourg.

Russian forces also shot down two Ukrainian Su-25 aircraft near the city of Izium and destroyed two ammunition depots, one of which was near the southern city of Mykolaiv, the Russian defense ministry said.

The Ukrainian military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Hungary Says Rubles-for-Russian Gas Plan Breaches No EU Sanctions

Hungary plans to pay for Russian gas in euros through Gazprombank, which will convert the payment into rubles to meet a new requirement set by President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday.

Putin has warned Europe it risks having gas supplies cut unless it pays in rubles as he seeks retaliation over Western sanctions for Moscows invasion of Ukraine.

Under the scheme, Hungarian energy group MVMs subsidiary, CEE Energy, would pay an upcoming bill in euros, which Gazprombank would convert into rubles and then transfer to Russias Gazprom Export, Szijjarto told a news conference.

With weeks to go before bills are due, the European Commission has said that those with contracts requiring payment in euros or dollars should stick to that.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said last week Hungary was prepared to pay rubles for Russian gas, breaking ranks with the European Union which has sought a united front in opposing Moscows demand for payment in the currency.

As for paying in [rubles], we have a solution that does not violate any sanctions but at the same time it secures Hungarys gas supply, Szijjarto said.

Szijjarto said the option to pay bills in another currency rather than euros was included in a bilateral contract between CEE Energy and Gazprom Export concluded in September, which will now be modified to reflect the planned changes.

He did not go into detail and it was unclear whether the falls in the Russian currency would affect the new payment terms in any way.

Szijjarto added that Hungary, which relies on Russia for most of its oil and gas, opposed the EU taking a joint approach to the issue, which Budapest considers a bilateral matter.

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EU Morphed Into a Military Organization: Lavrov

The EU made a serious U-turn by morphing into a military organization acting in the interests of Washington and NATO, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday in an interview with Russian media. He cited a remark that EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell made last Saturday.

The European official said the conflict in Ukraine will be won on the battlefield as he announced more European military aid to Kyiv. Lavrov called the statement outrageous.

When a diplomatic chief  says a certain conflict can only be resolved through military action  Well, it must be something personal. He either misspoke or spoke without thinking, making a statement that nobody asked him to make. But its an outrageous remark, Lavrov told Rossiya 24 news channel.

Western nations acting in pursuit of American interests were trying to turn Ukraine into a foothold for final suppression of Russia, Lavrov said. After Moscow used force to counter that threat, European nations made a rapid shift in their attitude towards Russia. Now it reflects spite and fury towards the country. The dramatic change is evidence that the conflict in Ukraine is not about Ukraine, Lavrov believes.

Western propaganda shifted gear into depicting Russia as pure evil and [Ukraine] as pure good. The current Ukrainian regime is presumably a beacon of democracy, justice, freedom that is drawn to everything European, to the values that Europe claims it always adhered to, the minister said.

Neither is true, Lavrov argued. Ukraine is a hotbed of radical nationalism while Western powers easily break any norms when it fits them, while telling others to comply.

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Croatia Expels 24 Russian Diplomats

Croatia is expelling 24 Russian diplomats and other embassy staff, joining other European nations that have done so.

The Croatian Foreign Ministry on Monday said they have summoned Russias ambassador in Zagreb and conveyed the strongest condemnation of the brutal aggression on Ukraine and numerous crimes that have been committed.

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Germany Says Ukraine Needs Heavy Weapons to Defend Itself

Germanys foreign minister says Ukraine needs heavy weapons to defend itself and this is no time for excuses.

Ukraines president has warned that his country faces a crucial time and that Russian troops will step up operations in the east.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said as she arrived for a meeting with her European Union counterparts Monday, What is clear is that Ukraine needs further military material, above all heavy weapons, and now is not the time for excusesnow is the time for creativity and pragmatism.

Germany broke with a foreign policy tradition after Russias invasion to supply arms to Ukraine but has faced criticism from Kyiv for perceived hesitancy and slowness in providing material.

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Ireland: Consider EU Oil Sanctions on Russia

Irelands foreign minister said the European Union should consider imposing sanctions on Russias oil industry but cautioned that its most important for the 27-nation bloc to remain unified.

Several EU countries are dependent on Russian oil and gas imports. After much debate, the bloc agreed last week to a phase in of restrictions on imports of coal over Moscows war on Ukraine.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said that we need to take a maximalist approach to sanctions to offer the strongest possible deterrents to the continuation of this war and brutality.

Speaking as EU foreign ministers gathered Monday in Luxembourg, Coveney said that should include, in our view, oil. We know that thats very difficult for some member states and we have to keep a united position across the EU.

The EUs executive arm, the European Commission, is assessing what more can be done with a fresh package of sanctions.

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East Ukraine Focus of New Russian Assaults

Ukrainian troops have repulsed several Russian assaults in the countrys east, the focus of a new offensive by the invading forces, British intelligence claimed on Monday, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week will be crucial to the course of the war.

Austrian leader Karl Nehammer planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday and will call for an end to the conflict. It would be Putins first face-to-face meeting with a European Union leader since Russias invasion started on Feb. 24.

Russian forces were also pushing their offensive to establish control over the southern port city of Mariupol, a key target whose capture would link up areas of Russian control to the west and east.

Powerful explosions rocked cities in the south and east and air raid sirens blared out across Ukraine early on Monday.

Zelenskyy kept up his campaign to generate international support and rally his countrymen, warning the coming week would be important and tense.

He was due to address South Koreas Parliament by videolink on Monday.

Since Russia invaded, Zelenskyy has appealed to Western powers to provide more defense help, and to punish Moscow with tougher sanctions including embargoes on its energy exports.

Zelenskyy said he had confidence in his own armed forces but unfortunately I dont have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need from the United States.

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Biden Will Speak to Modi as US Warns India on Imports of Russian Energy

President Joe Biden will meet virtually with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, the White House said.

President Biden will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russias brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilizing impact on global food supply and commodity markets, press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Sunday.

Daleep Singh, U.S. deputy national security adviser for international economics, who visited India recently, said the United States will not set any red line for India on its energy imports from Russia but does not want to see a rapid acceleration in purchases.

Lured by steep discounts following Western sanctions on Russian entities, India has bought at least 13 million barrels of Russian crude oil since the country invaded Ukraine in late February. That compared with some 16 million barrels for the whole of last year, data compiled by Reuters shows.

This meeting will precede the U.S.India 2+2 Ministerial meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, India External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and India Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, the White House said.

Biden, who last spoke to Modi in March, recently said that only India among the Quad group of countries was somewhat shaky in acting against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The South Asian nation has tried to balance its ties with Russia and the West but unlike other members of the Quad countriesUnited States, Japan, and Australiait has not imposed sanctions on Russia.

Daleep Singh during his visit said the United States was ready to help India diversify its energy and defense supplies. India is the worlds third-biggest oil importer and consumer.

He also warned that the United States does not want its allies helping resurrect the ruble, which nosedived immediately after the war began but has recovered in recent days.

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Bavaria Outlines Consequences of Russian Gas Ban

Germany would face mass unemployment, social decline, and democratic upheaval should it stop buying Russian gas overnight, Bavarias top official has warned.

In an interview with the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) newspaper published on Sunday, Minister-President Markus Soder said that Germany already stood on the brink of social and economic overload, with galloping inflation in evidence even before the military conflict in Ukraine broke out. The politician cited energy and food prices which were already a true burden for many families, calling for the middle class to be saved from being sucked into an undertow of decline.

According to Soder, If we now stop gas from Russia overnight, then we will experience mass unemployment, social decline and democratic upheaval. He advised the powers that be in Berlin to act with foresight and not in a mad rush.

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Russia Ups Wheat Export Tax to Historic High

Russia has hiked up the tax on wheat exports to $101.4 per from April 13 to 19, the countrys Ministry of Agriculture announced on Friday.

This is the first time Russia has raised its wheat export duty to over $100, media reported. The levy has been on the rise for four weeks in a row after dropping for nine weeks prior to that.

The ministry also raised the export tax on barley and corn to $75.4 and $70.6 per ton, respectively.

According to Alexander Korbut, the vice president of the Russian Grain Union, Russian grain export duties are likely to grow further.

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Zelenskyy Praises Germanys Position Toward Ukraine After Call With Scholz

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday he had discussed possible additional sanctions on Russia in a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and praised what he said was a more favorable change in Germanys position toward Kyiv.

I spoke today with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about how to bring to account all those guilty of war crimes. About how to strengthen sanctions against Russia and how to persuade Russia to seek peace, Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.

I am happy to note that recently Germanys position is changing in Ukraines favor. And I consider this absolutely logical as a majority of Germans support this policy. I am grateful to them. And I expect that everything we agreed will be implemented. This is very important.

Germany, reluctant in the early stages of the Russian invasion to provide Ukraine with arms, has now agreed to supply anti-tank weaponry and missiles.

Scholz said on Friday that Germany could end Russian oil imports this year but stopping gas imports would be tougher because the country would need to build infrastructure to import gas from alternative sources.

A statement from Scholzs office on Sunday on the chancellors call with Zelenskyy did not mention a discussion of sanctions, saying Zelenskyy had informed Scholz of the current situation and negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

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Zelenskyy Claims Tens of Thousands Killed in Mariupol, Seeks Military Aid From South Korea

Tens of thousands of people have likely been killed in Russias assault on the southeastern city of Mariupol, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed on Monday, as he asked Seoul for any military aid it could provide.

Mariupol has been destroyed, there are tens of thousands of dead, but even despite this, the Russians are not stopping their offensive, Zelenskyy said in a video address to South Korean lawmakers.

Reuters has confirmed widespread destruction in Mariupol but could not verify the accuracy of his estimate of those killed in the city, which lies between eastern areas of Ukraine held by Russian-backed separatists and Russian-annexed Crimea.

Zelenskyy did not specify which weapons he sought, but said South Korea had many weapons that could not only help save the lives of ordinary Ukrainians, but help prevent Russia from attacking other nations.

Ukraine needs various military technologies from airplanes to tanks, he said through an interpreter. South Korea can help us.

South Korean defense minister Suh Wook and Ukrainian defense minister Oleksii Reznikov held a phone conversation on Friday on Reznikovs request. Reznikov thanked Suh for sending humanitarian aid and supplies and asked South Korea to send anti-aircraft weapons, Seouls defense ministry said on Monday.

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More EU Sanctions on Russia an Option, Borrell Says

More European Union sanctions on Russia are an option, the blocs top diplomat said on Monday when asked if the EU was ready to consider a Russian oil embargo in response to Moscows invasion of Ukraine.

Look, sanctions are always on the table. Discussing Ukraine means certainly to discuss the effectiveness about sanctions, the one already decided and certainly [EU foreign] ministers will discuss which are the further steps, Borrell said before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

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Berlin Sets Timeline for Energy Independence

A spokesperson for the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy said at a briefing last week that the country could completely cut its dependence on Russian energy in two years.

Susanne Ungrad said Berlin is aiming to end Russian oil imports by the end of this year, while coal could be phased out by the fall, and natural gas could be given up by the middle of 2024.

Discussions are currently underway on how to further speed up the process, she added. Ungrad also noted that abandoning Russian energy would require a national application of strength.

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New Zealand Sending Transport Plane and Money to Europe

New Zealand will send a military transport plane and a support team of 50 to Europe, as well as give money to Britain to buy weapons, as it significantly steps up its response to the war in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday that the C130 Hercules plane would travel throughout Europe to carry equipment and supplies to distribution centers. She said the plane wouldnt fly directly into Ukraine as most military equipment is transported into the country by land.

Ardern said her government would also spend an additional NZ$13 million ($9 million) on military and human rights support, including NZ$7.5 million for Britain to buy weapons and ammunition. Ardern said that brings New Zealands total contribution to the war effort to NZ$30 million ($20 million) with 67 people deployed.

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Chechen Chief Kadyrov Says Russian Forces Will Take Kyiv

Ramzan Kadyrov, the powerful head of Russias republic of Chechnya, said early on Monday that there will be an offensive by Russian forces not only on the besieged port of Mariupol, but also on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

There will be an offensive  not only on Mariupol, but also on other places, cities, and villages, Kadyrov said in a video posted on his Telegram channel.

Luhansk and Donetskwe will fully liberate in the first place  and then take Kyiv and all other cities.

Kadyrov, who has often described himself as Russian President Vladimir Putins foot soldier, said there should be no doubt about Kyiv.

I assure you: not one step will be taken back, Kadyrov said.

Kadyrov has been repeatedly accused by the United States and European Union of rights abuses, which he denies.

Moscow fought two wars with separatists in Chechnya, a mainly Muslim region in southern Russia, after the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union. But it has since poured huge sums of money into the region to rebuild it and given Kadyrov a large measure of autonomy.

The Kremlin describes its actions in Ukraine as a special operation to demilitarize and denazify its neighbor and on Sunday Russia intensified its attacks in eastern Ukraine.

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Russia Will Take Legal Action If Forced Into Sovereign Debt Default: Newspaper

Russia will take legal action if the West tries to force Moscow to default on its sovereign debt, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told the daily Izvestia newspaper in an interview early on Monday.

Of course we will sue, because we have taken all the necessary steps to ensure that investors receive their payments, Siluanov was quoted as saying in the pro-Kremlin newspaper.

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War to Slash Ukraines GDP Output by Over 45 Percent, World Bank Forecasts

Ukraines economic output will likely contract by a staggering 45.1 percent this year as Russias invasion has shuttered businesses, slashed exports, and rendered economic activity impossible in large swaths of the country, the World Bank said on Sunday in a new report.

The World Bank also forecast Russias 2022 GDP output to fall 11.2 percent owing to punishing financial sanctions imposed by the United States and its Western allies on Russias banks, state-owned enterprises, and other institutions.

The World Banks War in the Region economic update said the Eastern Europe region, comprising Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova, is forecast to show a GDP contraction of 30.7 percent this year, because of shocks from the war and disruption of trade.

Growth in 2022 in the Central Europe region, comprising Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania, will be cut to 3.5 percent from 4.7 percent previously due to the influx of refugees, higher commodity prices, and deteriorating confidence hurting demand.

Tom Ozimek, Naveen Athrappully, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report.
Graduates of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Academy stand for the pledge of allegiance at their graduation ceremony at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, Calif., on Aug. 21, 2020. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Sheriffs Deputy Union Files New Legal Action in Vaccine Dispute

LOS ANGELESThe union representing Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies has filed a second legal action in its dispute with the Board of Supervisors concerning who has legal authority to suspend or fire deputies for noncompliance with the countys mandatory coronavirus vaccination order.

The Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs originally sued Los Angeles County on Dec. 3 regarding the boards establishment last August of a mandatory vaccination policy requiring all county workers, including those employed by the sheriffs department, to be fully vaccinated. The board maintains it has the legal authority to subject those failing to comply to disciplinary action, including being fired.

But according to the unions Los Angeles Superior Court suit, that disciplinary power rests exclusively with Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who has said he will not enforce the countys mandate due to the adverse impact on his ability to ensure public safety.

The first suit is still pending trial. While declining to comment on the court action, a representative for the county previously said extensive steps have been taken during the pandemic to keep the public and employees safe and the vaccination policy is an essential public health measure intended to protect employees and the public we serve.

On April 8, the association filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court claiming that after the filing of the unions first case, the county then began the process of amending its local law to give its personnel director the authority to discipline ALADS members for alleged non-compliance with the mandatory vaccination policy.

The county, however, has failed and refused to exhaust the bargaining process as required by the [state Government Code] and has taken action to unilaterally implement its proposed amendments to local law, the petition states.

The union, which also has filed a complaint with the countys Employee Relations Commission, alleges in the new legal action that the county has violated its duty under local collective bargaining law by adopting the amendment on April 5. ALADS is asking a judge to maintain the status quo until the bargaining process is complete.
LGBT activists and their supporters rally in support of transgender people on the steps of New York City Hall on Oct. 24, 2018. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

New Alabama Law Bans Gender Transition Drugs, Surgeries for Minors

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has signed measures into law that outlaw so-called puberty-blocking drugs or hormones for children and prohibit some teachers from discussing gender identity and sexual orientation matters in school.

One of those Republican-backed proposals, Senate Bill 184, was approved in the state House on a largely party-line vote on April 7. It makes it a felony for a doctor to prescribe any drug intended to alter gender or delay puberty or perform gender transition surgery on people under age 19, with a punishment of up to 10 years in prison.

The other measure, House Bill 322, requires that the states public school students use restrooms and locker rooms that align with their sex as stated on their original birth certificate. It passed with an amendment that prohibits public schools from teaching or allowing classroom discussion on sexual orientation and gender identity for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Alabama is now the only state in the nation to have a ban on gender-altering treatments for minors, although some other states have sought to enact similar measures.

In April 2021, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed a similar bill to the Alabama law, calling the measure a product of the cultural war in America and vast and extreme government overreach. Arkansass GOP-dominated Legislature overrode his veto, although a federal judge granted a temporary block on the laws enforcement while a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) proceeds.

Both bills that were signed by Ivey on April 8 go into effect in 30 days, although legal challenges are expected.

The ACLU and the Transgender Law Center have vowed to take on the ban on gender-affirming care. Another coalition of progressive advocacy groups, including The Southern Poverty Law Center, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Human Rights Campaign, said they are filing a separate lawsuit on behalf of two medical providers and multiple families who will be directly harmed by the passage of SB 184.

This dangerous bill undermines Alabama parents ability to make decisions about whats best for their kids, said Scott McCoy, a legal director of the LGBTQ rights division at the Southern Poverty Law Center. It is indefensible for the state to reach in and interfere so completely with family medical decision-making and it will not hold up to constitutional scrutiny.

The Biden administration also weighed in on the debate, with White House press secretary Jen Psaki saying at a press briefing that Alabamas new laws are an extreme government overreach and will only serve to harm kids.

In response, Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl said the Biden administration has no authority of pushing a radical leftist agenda onto his state.

Alabamians are tired of the Biden Administrations radical leftist agenda and overreach into our state affairs, Wahl said. Our message to the Biden Administration is to respect the 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution, and keep your nose out of our business.
NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the Banquet Hall in Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Oct. 22, 2021. (Robert Kitchin- Pool/Getty Images)

New Zealand to Deploy Military Aircraft, 50 Personnel to Aid Ukraine War Effort

New Zealand (NZ) will deploy a C130 Hercules military aircraft with 50 personnel to Europe on Wednesday to support Ukraine against Russias invasion.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also announced NZ$13 million (US$8.9 million) in further support, including $7.5 million to procure of weapons and ammunition via the United Kingdom and the deployment of eight logistics specialists from the NZ Defence Force, to be based in Germany.

Over $4 million (US$2.7 million) will also go towards supporting commercial satellite access for the Ukrainian defence intelligence.

The needs of Ukraine remain broad, urgent, and are changing rapidly, Ardern told reporters on April 11. The enormous quantities of military support that countries are contributing has made distribution difficult, and there is now a growing need for transportation, logistical support, and people power to deliver to Ukraines military and citizens what is so urgently needed.

The C130 and team of 50 will travel throughout Europe carrying equipment and supplies to key distribution centres, but will at no point enter Ukraine.

Police reinforcements from around the country arrive in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) C-130 Hercules in Hamilton, New Zealand, on Sept. 10, 2021. (Michael Bradley/Getty Images)

This deployment is in response to a direct ask by the UK, which identified that New Zealand could play a tangible role in supporting what has become an enormous logistical task, Defence Minister Peeni Henare said.

Ardern said NZ was playing our part in a significant way, particularly as a country situated on other side of the world.

[UK Defence Secretary Ben] Wallace made it very clear that despite New Zealand being at the bottom end of the world from the conflict, he noted our contribution in line with our partners, namely Australia and the U.S., Henare said.

Ardern noted that the NZ government has always questioned the arbitrary distinction between lethal and non-lethal aid support towards the war effort.

She said the deployed personnel will be on the ground aiding the war effort for two to three months as opposed to a five-minute contribution that Javelin missiles could give.

What weve been told is that its actually better to go through UK or the NATO coordination centres to actually provide military, in terms of weaponry, Defence Force Chief Air Marshal Kevin Short said.

Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said this package was a further extension of what was already New Zealands most significant response to an international crisis.

This announcement brings New Zealands total contribution to Ukraine to $30 million (US$20.5 million) and deployment of 67 people.
Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of Health, speaks at a press conference at Queens Park regarding the easing of restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, in Toronto on Jan. 20, 2022. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

Ontario Resists Reimposing Mask Mandate as Sixth Wave Underway

Ontarios top doctor said on Monday that the province is going through a sixth wave of COVID-19, but he said the mask mandate wont be reinstated at this time while emphasizing the low risk children face from the virus.

It is clear that we are in the sixth wave of this pandemic driven by the BA.2 variant. In the last few weeks, we have seen an increase in the percent positivity and upward trend in wastewater surveillance and a rise in hospitalizations, Dr. Kieran Moore said during a press conference in Toronto on April 11.

Moore said these trends would likely continue for the next several weeks and proposed a layered protective approach to mitigate the impacts, including masks, vaccines, and antivirals.

The issue of mask-wearing has been the object of intense debates in the province since the general mandate was repealed on March 21, with opposition parties and other pro-restrictions figures pressing to have the mask mandate reinstated.

Moore said there is a strong recommendation for wearing a mask in all public indoor settings, but for now the mandate wont be reinstated.

While we will not be reinstating a broad mask mandate at this time, we should all be prepared that we may need to resume a requirement for mask-wearing in indoor public spaces if a new variant of concern emerges, a threat to our health care system, or potentially during the winter months when COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses are likely to circulate again, he said.

But Moore said it would make tremendous sense to maintain the mandate for high-risk facilities such as retirement homes beyond April 27, and as such his team is drafting that recommendation for the government.

Teachers unions have also put pressure on the government to keep masks in schools.

Moore said that children are not at risk from the virus.

So of all of Ontarios 2.75 million children, theres two in the intensive care unit right now. On average, were having 30 to 60 children admitted to hospitalsome of those are incidental admissions to hospital as wellover a one-week period. So weve not seen any significant threat to the health of children, he said.

Moore also said that since the pandemic, 10 children died from COVID-19. Im sorry for any child that has had to succumb from this virus and to their families, but for the most part they have had comorbidities as well.

Cases and Hospitalizations

Moore was asked during the press conference why Kingston is seeing very high rates of infection, where he had mentioned there are over 450 cases per 100,000.

He said while the cases are high, hospitalizations have remained low thanks to vaccination.

Theyve remained at a very high level of detection of cases as well as infection, and yet, I believe, today they had nine people in hospital and 50 percent of them would be incidental admission.  So it tells you that they have one of the highest immunization rates in the province, that a strong immunization strategy sprung first dose, second dose, third dose, fourth dose strategy can prevent the health system impact, can mitigate the negative effects, he said.

For cases by vaccination status in Ontario, as of April 11, the individuals who received a booster dose are currently getting infected at much higher rates, with 23.78 cases per 100,000 over seven days compared to 17.29 for fully vaccinated and 14.79 for the combined category of unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

For hospitalizations, 87 percent of Ontarios population is fully vaccinated, and they count for 78.4 percent of hospitalizations and 67.7 percent of ICU admissions. Of all COVID-19 admissions notwithstanding vaccination status, 55 percent were admitted to hospital for a reason other than COVID-19, and 36 percent were admitted to the ICU for another reason as well.
Commission counsel Anna Mancini presents information regarding the murders of RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson and Joey Webber at the Mass Casualty Commission inquiry into the mass murders in rural Nova Scotia on April 18/19, 2020, in Halifax on April 11, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan)

RCMP Officer Killed in Nova Scotias Mass Shooting Died in Exchange of Gunfire

An RCMP officer who was killed in Nova Scotias 2020 mass shooting was racing to support another officer when the fatal encounter with the gunman occurred near a highway interchange.

New documents tabled at the public inquiry into the killings show Const. Heidi Stevenson died following a frantic exchange of gunfire with the killer, who had jumped a lane of traffic in his replica police vehicle in order to drive the wrong way down a highway ramp and slam into the Mounties cruiser.

The incident took place on April 19, 2020, near Shubenacadie, N.S., the morning after the killerdisguised as an RCMP officermurdered 13 people in the tiny rural community of Portapique, N.S. He would kill another nine people, including Stevenson and motorist Joseph Webber, before he was killed by police at a gas station outside of Halifax.

According to a foundational document released by the inquiry, Stevenson was responding to a potential sighting of the gunmans replica vehicle near RCMP Const. Chad Morrison. Morrison was on alert after RCMP dispatch had broadcast the possible sighting at around 10:44 a.m.

Shortly after, he noticed a Ford Taurus police vehicle travelling towards him a couple of hundred metres back. Morrison radioed for identification and Stevenson replied thats me.

After pulling a gentle U-turn, Morrison pulled over near a stop sign on Gays River Road at the intersection with Highway 2.

However, it soon became apparent the approaching vehicle wasnt Stevensons when Morrison noticed a black push bar on the front of the car, a feature that Stevensons car did not have.

But he still didnt know it was killer Gabriel Wortman who was driving until the fugitive pulled up alongside and began firing shots through the driver-side window. Morrison heard at least three or four shots, screamed and hit the gas.

Glass was breaking and I was hearing things go off and I felt, um, something in my chest and I felt like, things happening in my arms and I know I had this gash on my face, he told investigators.

As Morrison sped off to get medical assistance, he radioed, Im shot. Im shot. Southbound on Number 2. Southbound on 2 taking the Shubie. Im shot.

Its the suspect vehicle. Its him, he added.

Stevenson heard Morrisons radio message and she continued to his last known position. The collision with Wortman occurred at 10:49 a.m.

After the head-on crash, the nose of Stevensons vehicle was facing the ramps guardrail while the rear of Wortmans vehicle was near Stevensons passenger-side door.

Stevenson got out of her vehicle and went to the ground, although the commission notes conflicting witness testimony on whether it was under her own power or the result of interference by the perpetrator.

According to the document, several shots were fired towards Stevensons vehicle, after which Wortman approached the officer and shot her at close range before taking her pistol and ammunition.

It said forensic evidence at the scene suggests Stevenson likely exited her vehicle and was facing in Wortmans direction during the gunfire exchange. Fourteen casings were found that were consistent with having been fired from her Smith & Wesson pistol.

Investigators also said it was plausible that a wound later found on the upper right side of the killers head was caused by bullet fragments from Stevensons weapon.

Meanwhile, a motorist, Joseph Webber, arrived at the scene. Witness Gerald Whitman called 911 to report the collision and gunshots and at around 10:53 a.m. he told the dispatcher about Webbers arrival.

And there was a guy that stopped with an SUV, but I dont see him anymore. The SUVs there but  its pretty weird. Both cars are just smashed to hell.

Whitman said Webber approached Wortman, who directed him to the back seat of the replica cruiser. He said there were shots and then the cruiser was set on fire before the killer jumped in the silver SUV and drove away.

Investigators interviewed 27 people who witnessed the events from vehicles or from their homes near the scene.

Dean Martin, who lived north of the cloverleaf interchange, said he heard four to eight gunshots. Martin, who took 11 photos at the scene, observed the killer take out gas cans and set one of the police cruisers on fire.

He told police, I have never seen someone that looked so casual in my life. Its like he wasnt getting excited, he wasnt, he was just kinda taking it out like it was an average day.

The first RCMP members to reach the scene at 10:57 a.m. were four members of the Emergency Response Team. Const. Andy MacLellan pulled Stevensons body away from the burning vehicle and checked for vital signs before confirming she was dead.

By 10:59 a.m., the team had left the scene to look for the silver SUV after getting the information about the vehicle from a witness.

Cpl. Tim Mills radioed warnings to other RCMP units as the team drove along Highway 224.

If you see a silver SUV Tracker with a guy with a yellow jacket  you got to, you cant give him a second. You got to have a gun on him. Gun on him.

By Keith Doucette
Rural Medical Schooling Increases Rural Practice

A study on Australian medical graduates has found graduates who did clinical placements in rural areas were far more likely to work in rural areas as doctors than graduates who did not.

Eight years after graduation, rural origin graduates with extended rural clinical school experience were more likely than metropolitan origin graduates without this experience to practise in regional or rural communities, the team wrote.

The team led by Dr. Alexa Seal from the University of Notre Dame studied 1321 graduates from 2011 across 10 universities and looked at where they were practising five and eight years after graduation. Of the graduates, 259 came from rural backgrounds, and 413 did rural medical placements.

As part of a government-funded program, the rural clinical school (RCS) is an extended program that places graduate medical students in rural towns for at least one year to encourage rural practice in graduating doctors.

The team found that extended RCS experience in medical graduates, regardless of their origin, be it rural or metropolitan, increased the likelihood of the graduate practicing medicine in rural areas.

The study found that graduates from rural areas with an extended RCS experience were 3.6 times more likely to practice medicine rurally eight years after graduation and 4.8 times more likely to work in rural areas than graduates of metropolitan origin who did not do RCS.

Additionally, metropolitan-based graduates who had extended RCS experience were more than twice as likely to remain in regional or rural practice than metropolitan graduates without the experience.

Conversely, the team found that 12 percent of rural-based graduates without RCS experience practiced medicine rurally as compared to the 13 percent of metropolitan-based graduates with RCS experience, indicating that RCS experience was related to increased rural practice regardless of background.

Overall, the team was pleased to find rural practice increasing amongst the cohort as medical practice time increased, with 7.6 percent of graduates in rural practice five years after graduation compared to the increase of 9.4 percent of graduates eight years after graduation.

The studys authors said the findings confirmed the importance of early educational intervention in the choice of medical practice location but noted that more work was needed.

Factors such as inadequate workforce in rural areas, limited training opportunities, fears of social and professional isolation, and restricted employment opportunities for partners can often influence junior doctors when they are making decisions about where to train and practice, Seal said to AAP.

The increase in the proportion of graduates going rural after more medical experience could be indicative of this concern amongst junior doctors.

Further research is needed to understand the barriers and opportunities that are shaping medical students decision making, and how we can effectively grow and sustain a rural medical workforce to meet the needs of our communities.

The AAP contributed to this report.
Russia Using Oil and Gas Sales to Bolster Foreign Reserves

Moscow has announced that it intends to increase its Government Reserve Fund by 273.4 billion rubles ($3.23 billion), with a major portion coming from oil and gas sales.

The funds will be used to implement measures to ensure the stability of the Russian economy as it faces extensive international sanctions, the Kremlin said in an April 10 statement. Of the 273.4 billion rubles, 271.6 billion rubles ($3.21 billion) will come from additional oil and gas revenues received during the first quarter of 2022.

The right of the Government to dispose of these funds is enshrined in amendments to the law on the specifics of the execution of budgets of the budget system of the Russian Federation in 2022, approved by the President in early March. These powers allow the Cabinet of Ministers to respond quickly and flexibly to changes in the situation in the economy, the statement said.

The Government Reserve Fund was created to meet unforeseen financial expenses or other measures that are not accounted for in the federal budget of a corresponding financial year. Last year, the funds were used to meet expenses related to COVID-19 and make payments to pensioners of families with children aged between 6 and 18.

Russia accounts for around 40 percent of Europes gas supply, netting in over $400 million per day according to the International Energy Agency. Roughly a third of the European Unions oil imports valued at $700 million per day also come from Moscow.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the EU has paid Moscow $38 billion for energy supplies, which has helped bolster Russias foreign reserves.

For the week ending April 1, Moscows forex reserves rose by $2.1 billion to $606.5 billion, compared to $604.4 billion a week back, according to the Russian central bank. But the value was still lower when compared to Feb. 18, a week prior to the war, when reserves were at $643.2 billion. Though the EU is looking at ways to cut its dependence on Russian energy, such plans are not expected to materialize anytime soon.

Overall, Russias gas and oil revenue in March was lower by 38 percent compared to what the finance ministry had forecast for the month, indicating that Western sanctions continue to put pressure on the economy.

Meanwhile, S&P Global downgraded Russias rating to selective default on April 9 after Moscow made payments to dollar-denominated debts on April 4 in rubles.

We currently dont expect that investors will be able to convert those ruble payments into dollars equivalent to the originally due amounts, the rating agency said. The last time Russia defaulted on its foreign debt was during the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.
The Hague/Washington  About 30 Sudanese citizens living in Europe demonstrated Friday outside the International Criminal Court in The Hague, demanding that Sudanese officials surrender more individuals accused of committing atrocities in Darfur.

The ICC's trial of suspected Janjaweed militia leader Ali Kushayb got underway this week, with Kushayb pleading not guilty to 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including rape, torture, pillaging and murder.

Darfur human rights activist Amaat Sefeldin, who traveled from Germany to The Hague to attend the protest, told VOA's South Sudan in Focus that she wanted Sudanese officials to turn over former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who was in power during the campaign that killed more than 200,000 people in Darfur nearly 20 years ago.

"We are demanding the handover of all criminals, especially Bashir, the president, and Abel-Raheem Muhammad Hussein, and Ahmad Muhammad Harun and others," she told VOA. "And we would also demand for the court to try the other criminals, because the genocide in Darfur and the crimes committed in Sudan are not done by those few people. It's a long list of people who committed crimes. They have committed war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur since 2003."

In 2012, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein, former minister of defense and Bashir's special representative in Darfur. In 2007, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Ahmad Muhammad Harun, former Sudan minister of state for the interior.

The protesters praised the ICC for putting Kushayb on trial. It's the first trial for anyone accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the Darfur conflict, which began in 2003 with a rebellion by armed groups against Bashir's government.

Kushayb was a reputed leader of pro-government Janjaweed militia members who attacked and burned numerous villages in Darfur as part of attempts to crush the rebel groups.

Call for others' trials

"Sudanese are in support of the trial and accountability for crimes committed in Darfur, but in general for crimes committed in Sudan," said another protester, Neimat Ahmadi, president of the Darfur Women Action Group. "They also want to raise concern about the ongoing violence against protesters and the escalation of violence in areas like Darfur, South Kordofan, the Blue Nile."

"Our message is also to the international community that it is important to try Kushayb, but it is more important to pursue others who have been indicted by the International Criminal Court and be brought to face the court," Neimat told VOA.

Maisa Altayib, a member of the Sudanese diaspora who also attended the protest, said she wanted to see the "real criminals" brought to justice in The Hague.

"Not only Kushayb -- he only executed orders given to him. The real criminals are in Khartoum and we will not be satisfied until they are brought here to the ICC. So Kushayb is only the beginning of achieving justice," Altayib told VOA.

South Darfur-based human rights lawyer Abdulbasit Al Haj said the Kushayb trial should lead prosecutors to more evidence of crimes committed by former officials.

"This trial also should identify individuals who have been involved in funding and supplying the Janjaweed militia with the logistic process in Darfur," Al Haj told South Sudan in Focus, adding "they are crimes that have touched the humanity around the world."

However, another Sudanese human rights expert, who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals from security operatives, said she did not think the government was willing to hand over others accused of war crimes because they include current top officials who took power in last year's military coup.

"I don't think they will hand them [over]," the expert said. "I don't think they will hand [over] anyone. Now, after the coup that took place, I don't see it happening at all."

Army ties seen protecting Bashir

Sudanese political analyst and researcher Jihad Mashamoun told South Sudan in Focus he believed military leaders running Sudan would never turn over Bashir.

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"I doubt it," he said. "Omar Bashir, he hails from the army, so handing him over to a foreign judiciary, that tarnishes the image or integrity of the armed forces."

The ICC indicted Bashir in 2009 over alleged atrocities committed by his government. He remains imprisoned in Khartoum after being found guilty on corruption charges.

The U.S. State Department also praised the opening of Kushayb's ICC trial, noting it was the first against "any senior leader for crimes committed by the Bashir regime and government-supported forces following the genocide and other atrocities in Darfur." The statement added, "This trial is a signal to those responsible for human rights violations and abuses in Darfur that impunity will not last in the face of the determination for justice to prevail."

Carol Van Dam contributed to this report, which originated in VOA's English to Africa Service.
A Russian state flag flies over the Central Bank headquarters in Moscow, Russia, on March 29, 2021. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

Russian Central Bank Suspends Monthly Foreign Trade Data for First Time Since 1997

The Russian central bank said on Monday it had temporarily suspended publishing data on foreign trade on a monthly basis in the first such suspension since 1997.

The central bank was due to release a foreign trade balance for January-February on Monday, as initially planned, according to its data release schedule.

The central bank did not explain its decision to suspend publication of the foreign trade data, monthly figures for which can be tracked back as far as 1997 on the banks website.

In January, the latest data available, Russian foreign trade surplus fell to $21.17 billion from $26.72 billion in the previous month.

Russia is under tough Western sanctions as the United States, the European Union, and their allies respond to Moscows Ukraine invasion launched on Feb. 24, which the Kremlin calls a special military operation.

The sanctions have cut Russia off from the global financial system and Western countries are stepping up the pressure by reducing Russian energy imports.

The central bank had earlier suspended weekly publication of its gold and foreign exchange reserves and also stopped disclosing banking sector statistics.

The bank has resumed publication of this weekly data, which showed that Russian gold and forex reserves had fallen to $606.5 billion as of April 1, down from $643.2 billion days before the invasion.

The Russian energy ministry had earlier suspended a monthly release of oil and gas output data citing technical issues.

Russian oil and gas condensate production declined by 4 percent in early April from March to 10.58 barrels per day (bpd), Interfax newsagency has said, and analysts have warned of a further up to 1.5 mln bpd fall as buyers cancel cargoes.
A Russian frigate launching Kalibr missiles from the Black Sea, in a still from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on April 10, 2022. (Russian Defense Ministry via Reuters/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Russian Military Says It Destroyed S-300 Missile Systems in Ukraine

The Russian military said on April 11 that it destroyed S-300 air defense missile systems provided by an unidentified European state to Ukraines military.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it struck a hangar on the southern outskirts of the city of Dnepropetrovsk that housed equipment from an S-300 battery supplied to the Ukrainian regime by one of the European nations, according to state-run media.

Moscow didnt say how many of the S-300 systems, which were produced during the Soviet Union, were destroyed or damaged. Its also not clear what country provided the S-300s to Ukraine.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov also said in a statement on April 11 that about two dozen Ukrainian soldiers also were targeted in the airstrike. The Russian military used Kalibr cruise missiles to carry out the attack, he said.

Last week, Slovakia, which shares a small border with Ukraine and is a member of NATO, announced it would donate one of its S-300 systems to Kyiv. The weapon system was provided to Slovakia when it formed the eastern half of Czechoslovakia during its Warsaw Pact days.

A file photo shows Ukrainian soldiers rushing to the Soviet-made S-300 anti-missile defense system during training. (Valery Solovjev/AFP via Getty Images)

But Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger said Russias claims about destroying an S-300 system is a hoax and that this was officially confirmed by Ukraine.

Our S-300 system has not been destroyed, said Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Heger, in a statement on April. Its not clear whether the Slovak officials were referring to the same airstrike that Russia was referring to.

It is our duty to help, not to stay put and be ignorant to the loss of human lives under Russias aggression, Heger said last week about providing the S-300 system to Ukraines government.

On April 11, meanwhile, Kyiv said its forces are still fighting and holding out in the besieged city of Mariupol.

Communication with the units of the defense forces heroically holding the city is stable and maintained, Ukraines military commander-in-chief, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, wrote on Facebook. We are doing the possible and impossible for the victory and the preservation of the lives of personnel and civilians in all directions. Believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine!

Also on April 11, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin wouldnt halt its operation for any new round of peace talks.

A decision was made that during the next rounds of talks, there would be no pause [in military action] so long as a final agreement is not reached, he said.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Samoa Extends State of Emergency as It Grapples With 1st Major COVID-19 Outbreak

The Samoan government has extended its state of emergency power through to May 8 as the Pacific nation grapples with its first major outbreak of COVID-19.

Currently, the Pacific nation has recorded over 3,600 cases, with 263 in the last 24 hours. Authorities have reported seven deaths so far.

The current emergency powers were set to end on April 11.

The Pacific nations had remained relatively untouched from the pandemic until recently, with Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, American Samoa, Kiribati, Niue, and Samoa all experiencing their first outbreaks this year.

Currently, Samoa is under lockdown, with businesses and government services barred from opening on Sundays and only allowed to open on Monday to Saturday until 2 p.m.

Churches can open from April 10 with limited capacity of up to 30 people.

International travel into the country was suspended on March 18 after Samoa identified its first positive case of the virus.

Around 66 percent of Samoans have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Our World Data.

The president of the Samoa Nurses Association has said that over 100 nurses had tested positive to the virus, with more than half recovered.

There is no question that nurses have been part of the pandemic from the start, as they put their lives on the line to help protect the people of Samoa, Solialofi PapaliI told the Samoa Observer.

So far 25 prison guards have tested positive, according to Leiataua Samuelu Afamasaga, the deputy police commissioner told Radio Polynesia, who said positive prisoners (mostly asymptomatic) are currently isolating as well.

John Fala, who operates a logistics company, said it was inevitable that the virus would reach the nation.

Weve had two years to prepare, Fala said in comments obtained by Al Jazeera. Now its finally here. Of course, there is going to be a bit of scrambling.

While the Pacific nations have remained relatively untouched from the pandemic over the last two years, economically it has felt the pressure as tourism revenue streams dried up.

The Lowy Institute in Sydney has called for the Australian government to offer Pacific nations an economic lifeline to get back on its feet, including a AU$2 billion COVID-19 Pacific recovery financing facility.
A health worker wearing personal protective equipment (bottom left) takes a swab for COVID-19 testing in a compound during a lockdown in the Jing'an district in Shanghai on April 10, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

Shanghai Nurses With Mild Fevers Asked to Keep Working

At least four nurses from a Shanghai hospital went on strike to defy management, who told them to keep working despite testing positive for COVID-19. This and other chaotic pandemic measures have recently come to light.

We four all tested positive, but leaders told us to go to work, which we refused, said one of the strikers who preferred to not be named for safety concerns. Then they threatened to break down the [dorm] door and cut off our food supplies.

Aiyide Liantai Nursing Home, a Shanghai aged care hospital in Baoshan district, has been locked down since March 25 amid Chinas most severe documented outbreak. The Chinese financial hub reported more than 26,000 new infections on April 10, a two-year high despite an extended lockdown of the citys 25 million people.

A week ago, the facility detected its first staff member who had signs of a fever, according to the unnamed nurse, who later, also developed COVID symptoms, such as sore throat, coughing, and muscle weakness, on April 7.

Yet she felt stunned upon reporting to her manager, whose response was inarguableIf you all left for isolation treatment, what about the elderly and patients in my hospital? she told the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times on April 9.

The aged-care facility has more than 700 elderly people, at least 100 nurses, 30 doctors, and over 50 rehabilitators, half of whom should have been infected by now, the nurse estimated. Evidence provided to The Epoch Times also showed that test results for most patients on the sixth floor were positive.

Workers on the sixth floor, the hardest-hit area in the hospital, according to the nurse, can only take sick leave if they have a rectal temperature of 38C (100.4F) or higher, after being infected.

The disease is heartbreaking, but this so-called life-saving hospital is even more chilling, said the nurse after being infected. She accused leaders of her workplace of caring more about their own interests than workers lives.

The Epoch Times called the Aiyide Liantai Nursing Home, Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Health Commission in Baoshan district, but none answered the phone.

A worker setting up a makeshift hospital in Shanghai that will be used for COVID-19 patients, on April 7, 2022. (CNS/AFP via Getty Images)

After temporarily leaving their jobs, however, the four nurses found themselves largely out on a limb.

Local law enforcers have sealed the hospital with cordons outside, meaning unauthorized leave is impossible. Calls to local health authorities and police for assistance didnt result in any action. The nurse also said that social media platforms including Twitter-like Weibo, and Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, have banned her from posting any COVID-related information.

We here are like abandoned, she said. We have to hang intravenous drip bags ourselves and take medication [to quell the fever].

Chaotic System

Heartbreaking videos and stories that emerged in Shanghai communities and hospitals underscored the chaotic system under draconian lockdowns. Victims reported clumsy separation rules, unliveable quarantine conditions, denials of hospital entry for critically ill non-COVID patients, pet cullings, and overburdened community workers.

Two weeks ago, a 49-year-old Shanghai nurse died of an asthma attack after being turned away from the hospital where she is employed. She was told the emergency room was closed for disinfection following COVID-19 restriction.

A 70-year-old critical care unit inpatient had to rely on tablets to supply the needed potassium because of the lack of fruits and vegetables, and desperate renal patients who require regular dialysis said they found few local hospitals currently doing dialysis because they are overflowing with COVID-19 patients.

A controversial and now-eased child separation policy in China once sparked panicked discussions among virus-free Shanghai parents, seeking a way to quickly contract the virus so they could accompany their children to the quarantine centers. Some said they tried to share dishes with their infected little ones, wishing to have a positive test result.

The harsh quarantine environment also triggered grassroots outrage as people had no access to electricity, water, or medical care. Some had to sleep on concrete slabs in makeshift hospitals. Videos show patients suffering mental breakdowns after no running water to wash their faces or flush the toilet for three days, and no disinfection or nucleic acid testing being done.

Meanwhile, uninfected people stuck at home told The Epoch Times they had received no government food drop-offs or struggled to place online orders for food and other necessities in the past weeks. A video surfaced online showing Shanghai residents confined to their communities digging for wild vegetables in their neighborhoods.

An audio recording that went viral online shows a young man calling a local police station, asking if the police will provide him food if he was under arrest for deliberately breaching the lockdown rules.
SYDNEY, AustraliaShen Yun is a tremendous display of artistic virtuosity, said Peter Kurti, director of the Culture, Prosperity, and Civil Society program at the Australian think tank The Centre for Independent Studies.

Mr. Kurti, who is also a published author, a TV commentator, and an adjunct associate professor at the University of Notre Dame Australia, came to see Shen Yun at the Sydney Lyric Theatre on April 10 with his wife, Linda Kurti, founder of a social research company.

Mr. Kurti praised the show, which features classical Chinese dance, as a technically accomplished and colorful, dramatic presentation of an ancient religious and national tradition.

I thought that Shen Yun, expressed that extremely well, and in a very powerful way.  Peter Kurti

What I think is really important and impressive was this communication of tradition. And conveying to a contemporary audience  that tradition is important, and that tradition defines who we are, he said. I thought that Shen Yun, expressed that extremely well, and in a very powerful way.

The New York-based company was founded in 2006 by a group of Chinese Americans who were united under the mission of reviving the traditional culture of China before communism through the performing arts.

This theme is woven throughout Shen Yuns dance stories, which Mr. Kurti said conveyed ancient religious truths and principles, that human nature hasnt changed, and that human nature is confronted by good and evil. He also found in them an enduring message of hope during times of adversity.

Besides ancient tales, some of Shen Yuns dance pieces also depict the modern-day persecution of the Chinese spiritual practice Falun Dafa, which teaches Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

Those stories helped the audience understand how oppressive the communist regime has been as well as the impact that the regime is having today on traditional Chinese teachings and values around the world, Mr. Kurti noted.

This is a very important way of informing a Western audience about terrible things that are happening in China that are, frankly, very hard to believe because they are so far removed from the experience of life here in Australia, the academic added.

It was not surprising to him that the Chinese government doesnt want such messages portrayed. Shen Yun performs all around the world but is banned by the regime for touring in China.

I am opposed to all forms of censorship, he said. I think that performing arts are just one example of the way in which truth is conveyed. And I think that people should be free to express themselves, whether in dance or in theater, in music, or in the written and spoken word.

Reporting by NTD and Nina Nguyen.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
People stand in a line to buy kerosene oil for home use at a gas station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on March 17, 2022. (Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images)

Sri Lankan Doctors Warn Death Toll Amid Drug Shortage Potentially Worse Than COVID-19

Sri Lankas death toll due to severe drug shortages gripping the country may be worse than that of the COVID-19 pandemic, local doctors said on April 10. The country is experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades.

The Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) said doctors now have to choose which patients to treat as hospitals run out of essential medicines and medical equipment, AFP reported.

If supplies are not restored within days, the casualties will be far worse than from the pandemic, SLMA said, adding that all emergency surgeries may soon be suspended because of supply shortages.

Nearly 200 doctors staged a protest on April 6 outside a government hospital in Colombo, Sri Lankas commercial capital. Some protesters held a banner stating, Strengthen peoples right to live. Declare a health emergency.

In a YouTube video posted on April 10, Dr. Saman Kumara, a senior neonatologist in Sri Lanka, appealed to colleagues worldwide to donate medical supplies for emergency neonatal care, saying Sri Lankan hospitals have reached the point of reusing endotracheal (ET) tubes, The Hindu reported.

This is a critical message for colleagues overseas. Many things are lacking in our hospital setup, and we pediatricians and neonatologists are especially worried about the shortage of ET tubes to ventilate newborn babies. Stocks would very soon run out, Kumara said.

Opposition activists protest against rising living costs at the entrance of the Sri Lankan presidents office in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on March 15, 2022. (Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images)

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency on April 1 to quell protests over the countrys political and economic turmoil, but he revoked the order five days later.

As a government, we are clearly saying the president will not resign under any circumstances. We will face this, Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando told Parliament on April 6.

Sri Lanka is experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades, with its foreign exchange reserves plummeting by 70 percent in the past two years to about $2.31 billion, leaving it unable to pay for essential imports. The country must also settle a $4 billion debt in 2022.

China has loaned Sri Lanka more than $5 billion over the past decade for the countrys development projects. In December 2017, the Sri Lankan government leased the entire Hambantota Port to China for 99 years to convert its owed loans of $1.4 billion into equity.

The move led to tens of thousands of protesters rallying against the deal. Locals said the government used the Chinese investment for personal benefit rather than for the countrys development, India-based ANI news reported.

While residents living near the Hambantota Port expressed no opposition to China taking over the port, some raised concerns about other villages potentially being sold to China in the future, ANI News reported.

Sri Lankas cabinet ministers resigned en masse on April 3 over the countrys economic crisis, prompting Rajapaksa to call on all parties in Parliament to form a unity government.

The International Monetary Fund stated on March 31 that it would soon begin talks with Sri Lanka about a potential financial program.

Reuters contributed to this report.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner appears at her disciplinary hearing in St. Louis, Mo., on April 11, 2022. (T.L. Witt, Pool via Missouri Lawyers Media/AP Photo)

St. Louis Prosecutor Kimberly Gardner Reaches Preliminary Agreement to Avoid Removal

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has reached an agreement with the Missouri Office of Disciplinary Counsel in which she acknowledges mistakes in her handling of the prosecution of former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, but wont face severe penalties for those mistakes if the agreement is approved.

The joint stipulation agreement (pdf) states that Gardner, a Democrat who was ushered into office with support from billionaire George Soros, mishandled the case against Greitens, a Republican.

In the agreement, Gardner concedes that she failed to produce documents and mistakenly maintained that all documents had been provided to Greitens attorneys in the 2018 criminal case.

The agreement states that Gardners conduct was negligent or perhaps reckless, but not intentional. It calls for a written reprimand. A more severe punishmentsuspension or disbarmentwould likely cost Gardner her job because state law requires elected prosecutors to hold active law licenses.

The disciplinary panel would still need to sign off on the agreement and make a recommendation within 30 days to the Missouri Supreme Court, which would ultimately decide Gardners punishment. Its unclear when the court might make a final decision.

Greitens was accused of photographing a mistress, his hairdresser, without her consent and then blackmailing her, prompting Gardner to tap private investigator William Tisaby, a former FBI agent, to investigate the accusations.

According to Gardner, she hired Tisaby after local, state, and federal officials declined to investigatea claim some of the officials have disputed.

Jury selection had just begun on the charge against Greitens when Gardner dropped the case because a judge ruled that the prosecutor would have to answer questions under oath from Greitenss attorneys over her handling of the case. She said it put her in an impossible position of being a witness in a case that she was prosecuting. A second charge that was filed against Greitens was dropped when he resigned.

Gardner interviewed the hairdresser on Jan. 24, 2019. Gardner took notes at the beginning of the interview, but stopped at some point per a request from the womans attorney, according to the agreement. Gardner sent the notes via email to Tisaby, who later interviewed the hairdresser himself and took notes on a printout of Gardners notes during that interview.

Gardners office didnt mention the notes or the email to Tisaby when producing documents to Greitens following a court order. Gardner also told the court that everything had been turned over, which was false, according to a complaint lodged against her.

Gardner failed to recognize that her office had (for some undetermined reason) not properly collected for review production, and therefore had failed to review, produce  and as appropriate log the documents, according to the agreement.

Then-Missouri Gov.-elect Eric Greitens speaks in Jefferson City, Mo., in a file photograph. (Orlin Wagner/AP Photo)

Tisaby was charged by a grand jury and pleaded guilty in March to tampering with evidence.

The grand jury didnt charge Gardner, even though charging documents stated that she had failed to correct Tisabys lies, failed to report them to police, and made incorrect statements to defense lawyers and the judge.

Gardner told the disciplinary panel on April 11 that the case against Greitens was moving quickly, which led to a mistake on my part, KMOV-TV reported.

Yes, we had a process. But unfortunately, that process came up short, she said, noting that her office has taken the case as a lesson moving forward.

Gardners representatives had previously stated that the complaint was brought by her political enemies to remove her and thwart the systemic reforms she champions.

Like many Soros-backed prosecutors, Gardner has dramatically transformed her office, including reducing prosecutions.

If there were minor mistakes made, they were not deliberate, they did not undermine justice, and they did not deny the defendant a fair trial, Gardner had claimed through her attorneys.

Greitens, now running for U.S. Senate, told The Epoch Times in an email that the agreement reaffirms what we have known all alongSoros funded prosecutor Kim Gardner conducted a political witch hunt.

From hiring former FBI agent William Tisaby, who just plead guilty to evidence tampering, to lying and engaging in a coverup to conceal her misconduct, Gardner is the worst type of public official, corrupt and crooked.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sydney Wakes up to Bus Strike on First Day of School Holidays

Thousands of drivers in the now fully privatised bus industry in New South Wales (NSW) have walked off the job in a 24-hour strike, causing major delays and confusion on the first day of the Easter school holidays.

The Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (RTBU) and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) are demanding that the NSW government take on a share of responsibility for implementing a set of industry standards to ensure a safer and fairer bus industry.

Unions are calling for better wages, a 4-hour driving time limit for fatigue management, and better industry training to deal with violent situations on buses.

TWU NSW Secretary Richard Olsen accused Transport Minister David Elliot of avoiding responsibility for the safety conditions of bus drivers.

Drivers are driving buses owned by the NSW government, the bus routes and the bus stops are set by the NSW government. Yet the government, through the minister, claims no responsibility for safety and the conditions of the workers who operate the buses, Olsen said.

David Babineau, the RTBU NSW Tram Secretary, said drivers had been left with no choice but to take action to get the NSW government and the transport minister to act.

We have a situation, of the NSW governments creation, where bus drivers doing exactly the same job are employed on different wages and conditions, Babineau said. Its high time the transport minister stepped in and fixed its mess.

A general view of a bus stop in Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 21, 2020. (Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

Elliot said on April 6 that he could not stop the planned bus strikes because the government is unable to interfere with a private enterprise agreement.

The reason why the taxpayers are no longer exposed to industrial disputes on the bus services youre referring to is because theyve been franchised, he told 2GB radio. And I heard some other commentary about [it] being the governments responsibility, where its not. Thats why we have the private sector, they deal with their own agreements.

He added that he hears the argument from unions that cost of living, including petrol, was rising while wages growth was unable to keep up.

But we cannot as a government necessarily expose the taxpayers to any extra burden because a private company and a union have an enterprise agreement which there in a dispute over, Elliott said.

Transport for NSW warned commuters that bus services will be running on a reduced timetable around Sydney as well as Newcastle, the Hunter, Central Coast, and the Blue Mountains.

Families travelling to the Easter show can rest assured as special event buses are operating on all nine routes to and from the venue.

Motorists will also be allowed to drive on the T2 and T3 bus transit lanes on Monday and will not be fined.

The bus strikes are part of a wide series of planned industrial actions by the unions, that indicated strikes would continue to occur until their wage demands were met.
A screenshot of the live bridge cam looking into Mexico on the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge on April 10, 2022. (Screenshot)

Texas Clogs Ports of Entry as State Forces Attention on Illegal Immigration

More than 8,000 violations issued as Texas forces long delays at Mexican border: 'A Mexican standoff'

Several ports of entry between Texas and Mexico have suffered major slowdowns in recent days as the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) began inspections as part of Gov. Greg Abbotts border security plan.

DPS officers have conducted enhanced commercial vehicle safety inspections since April 6 at seven ports of entryBrownsville, Los Indios, Pharr, Laredo, Eagle Pass, Del Rio, and El Paso. Texas has 28 land ports of entry with Mexico.

Significant slowdowns were recorded at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, with the wait time increasing by as much as four hours, according to real-time data captured on the Customs and Border Protection website. Laredo and Brownsville bridges experienced the same increase in wait time.

Wait time is recorded from when a vehicle passes the Mexican toll gate until it clears U.S. customs.

The DPS inspections are occurring on state roads just beyond the ports of entry, which backs up the line into Mexico.

By the end of the day on April 9, DPS had inspected 2,390 commercial vehicles, of which 552 were taken out of service for serious safety violations to include defective brakes, defective tires, and defective lighting, according to Lt. Christopher Olivarez, spokesman for the DPS South Texas Region.

Also, 73 commercial vehicle drivers were placed out of service, Olivarez said. The total number of violations detected thus far is 8,244.

DPS hasnt stated how long it intends to continue with the inspections. Mexico is Texass top trading partner with $88.5 billion worth of goods flowing both ways across the TexasMexico border annually, according to Global Edge.

Its kind of like a Mexican standoff, Todd Bensman, national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, told The Epoch Times. I dont think theres any doubt but that its causing pain. And its going to cause more pain. So, its anybodys guess whats going to happen.

He suggested three possible outcomes. One, Abbott will relent and stop the inspections; two, the Biden administration will sue the Texas government to stop the inspections; or three, Mexico will decide to enforce its own borders against illegal immigrants, much like when it took action in 2019 when Trump threatened to impose tariffs.

Dealing with illegal immigration is an expensive, time-consuming proposition for the Mexicans. Its not normally in their interest to do it, according to Bensman.

One way or another, if [Texas] keeps this going for another week, the presidents of both of these countries will have no choice but to get involved, he said.

Abbott directed DPS to start conducting the inspections in a letter to the agencys director, Col. Steven McCraw, on April 6.

As you have explained, the cartels that smuggle illicit contraband and people across our southern border do not care about the condition of the vehicles they send into Texas any more than they care who overdoses from the deadly fentanyl on board, Abbott wrote.

In response to this threat, which is projected to grow in the coming months, I hereby direct the  DPS to conduct enhanced safety inspections of vehicles as they cross international ports of entry into Texas.

Abbott made the announcement several days after the Biden administration stated that it intends to end the Title 42 pandemic-related expulsions at the border on May 23.

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 in a statement.

Border Patrol agents are preparing to process up to 18,000 illegal immigrants per day along the southwest border once Title 42 ends.

In the past six months, 1 million illegal immigrants from 157 countries have been apprehended at the southern border, according to Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz.
In 1990, a paradigm shift occurred in the development of new medicines and treatments. An idea so big, that it was supposed to encompass the whole of medicine. It was to start initially at the level of pre-clinical and clinical trials and work all the way through the system to the care and management of individual patients. This new concept for how medicine would be developed and conducted is called evidence-based medicine (EBM). Evidence-based medicine was to provide a more rigorous foundation for medicine, one based on science and the scientific method. Truly, this was to be a revolution in medicine  a non-biased way of conducting medical research and treating patients.

Evidence-based medicine Evidence-based medicine is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. The aim of EBM is to integrate the experience of the clinician, the values of the patient, and the best available scientific information to guide decision-making about clinical management.

So, what the hell happened?

There is a big flaw in the logic of evidence-based medicine as the basis for the practice of medicine as we know it, a practice based on science; one that determines care down to the level of the individual patient. This flaw is nestled in the heart and soul of evidence-based medicine, which (as we have seen over the last two years) is not free of politics. It is naive to think that data and the process of licensure of new drugs is free from bias and conflicts of interest. In fact, this couldnt be any farther from the truth. The COVID-19 crisis of 2020 to 2022 has exposed for all to see how evidence based medicine has been corrupted by the governments, hospitalists, academia, big pharma, tech and social media. They have leveraged the processes and rationale of evidence-based medicine to corrupt the entire medical enterprise.

Evidence based medicine depends on data. For the most part, the data gathering and analysis process is conducted by and for the pharmaceutical industry, then reported by senior academics. The problem, as laid out in an editorial in the British Medical Journal is as follows:

The release into the public domain of previously confidential pharmaceutical industry documents has given the medical community valuable insight into the degree to which industry sponsored clinical trials are misrepresented. Until this problem is corrected, evidence based medicine will remain an illusion.

This ideal of the integrity of data and the scientific process is corrupted as long as financial (and governments) interests trump the common good.

Medicine is largely dominated by a small number of very large pharmaceutical companies that compete for market share, but are effectively united in their efforts to expanding that market. The short term stimulus to biomedical research because of privatization has been celebrated by free market champions, but the unintended, long term consequences for medicine have been severe. Scientific progress is thwarted by the ownership of data and knowledge because industry suppresses negative trial results, fails to report adverse events, and does not share raw data with the academic research community. Patients die because of the adverse impact of commercial interests on the research agenda, universities, and regulators. The pharmaceutical industrys responsibility to its shareholders means that priority must be given to their hierarchical power structures, product loyalty, and public relations propaganda over scientific integrity. Although universities have always been elite institutions prone to influence through endowments, they have long laid claim to being guardians of truth and the moral conscience of society. But in the face of inadequate government funding, they have adopted a neo-liberal market approach, actively seeking pharmaceutical funding on commercial terms. As a result, university departments become instruments of industry: through company control of the research agenda and ghostwriting of medical journal articles and continuing medical education, academics become agents for the promotion of commercial products. When scandals involving industry-academe partnership are exposed in the mainstream media, trust in academic institutions is weakened and the vision of an open society is betrayed (BMJ).

The corporate university also compromises the concept of academic leadership. No longer are positions of leadership due to distinguished careers. Instead, the ability to raise funds in the form of donations, grants, royalty revenue and contracts, dominates the requirements for University leaders. They are now must demonstrate their profitability or show how they can attract corporate sponsors.

As the US government, particularly NIAID, controls a significant amount of the grants and contracts of most academic institutions in the USA, NIAID employees also can determine what research is conducted and who is funded to conduct that research.

US government employees also control the narrative. Take for example the use of the media, CDC and the FDA to control the narrative about early treatment for COVID-19. By now we should all know about the corruption of the early clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine. On the basis of these faked studies, one of the safest drugs in the world was recommended to not be used in an out patient setting  most likely, in order to increase vaccine acceptance. Or how our government used propaganda to control the use of ivermectin by such tactics as calling it unfit for human use and labelling it as a horse wormer. All indications are that these efforts by the US government were to dissuade early treatment to stop vaccine hesitancy.

Beyond our government skewing evidence-based medicine for their own purposes, then there is the university system, which is more interested in generating income than creating a research program that is free from bias.

Those who succeed in academia are likely to be key opinion leaders (KOLs in marketing parlance), whose careers can be advanced through the opportunities provided by industry. Potential KOLs are selected based on a complex array of profiling activities carried out by companies, for example, physicians are selected based on their influence on prescribing habits of other physicians. KOLs are sought out by industry for this influence and for the prestige that their university affiliation brings to the branding of the companys products. As well paid members of pharmaceutical advisory boards and speakers bureaus, KOLs present results of industry trials at medical conferences and in continuing medical education. Instead of acting as independent, disinterested scientists and critically evaluating a drugs performance, they become what marketing executives refer to as product champions. Ironically, industry sponsored KOLs appear to enjoy many of the advantages of academic freedom, supported as they are by their universities, the industry, and journal editors for expressing their views, even when those views are incongruent with the real evidence. While universities fail to correct misrepresentations of the science from such collaborations, critics of industry face rejections from journals, legal threats, and the potential destruction of their careers. This uneven playing field is exactly what concerned Popper when he wrote about suppression and control of the means of science communication. The preservation of institutions designed to further scientific objectivity and impartiality (i.e., public laboratories, independent scientific periodicals and congresses) is entirely at the mercy of political and commercial power; vested interest will always override the rationality of evidence (BMJ).

Regulators (ergo the FDA) receive funding from industry and use industry funded and performed trials to approve drugs, without in most cases seeing the raw data. What confidence do we have in a system in which drug companies are permitted to mark their own homework rather than having their products tested by independent experts as part of a public regulatory system? Unconcerned governments and captured regulators are unlikely to initiate necessary change to remove research from industry altogether and clean up publishing models that depend on reprint revenue, advertising, and sponsorship revenue.

Some proposals for reforms include:

Regulators must be freed from drug company funding. This includes the FDA funding -which must come directly from the government, as opposed to pharma fees, as now is the case. Tying employee salaries to pharma fees creates a huge conflict of interest within the FDA.

The revolving door between regulators like the FDA, the CDC and big pharma (as well as tech/media) must stop. Employment contracts for regulatory government positions must have non-compete clauses whereby employment opportunities are limited upon leaving these regulatory agencies. Likewise, big pharma executives should not fill leadership positions at regulatory agencies.

Taxation imposed on pharmaceutical companies to allow public funding of independent trials; and, perhaps most importantly, anonymised individual patient level trial data posted, along with study protocols. These data to be provided on suitably accessible websites so that third parties, self-nominated or commissioned by health technology agencies, could rigorously evaluate the methodology and trial results.

Clinical trial data must be made public. Trial consent forms are easily changed to make this anonymized data freely available.

Publication of data must be open and transparent. The government has a moral obligation to trial participants, real people who have been involved in risky treatment and have a right to expect that the results of their participation will be used in keeping with principles of scientific rigor.

The government and its employees has a moral obligation to the public to conduct clinical trials in ways that are non-biased by industry.

The Foundation for the CDC and the Foundation for the NIH, which runs clinical trials and studies for these organizations (while their boards are made up of pharma industry executives and employees) must be decommissioned. We have laws in this country whereby the government does not accept volunteer labor, or direct donations to influence government decisions. These NGOs are doing just that. These practices must be stopped. They are intentionally using these organizations to bypass federal laws concerning exertion of undue influence on federal decision making.

Off label drugs must continue to be used by the medical community. The early treatment protocols, which have saved countless lives, have documented the important role that physicians have played in finding cheap and effective treatments for COVID as well as many other diseases. Let doctors be doctors.

Scientific and medical journals must be stopped from taking monies from big pharma. This includes the sales of reprints, banner ads, print ads, etc.

Government must stop interfering with the publishing of peer reviewed papers and social media. A free press must remain free from coercion from government. We all know countless examples, such as the Trusted News Initiative (TNI) and White House meetings with big tech to influence what is allowed to be printed. And the billion dollars spent by the US Government to promote these EUA/unlicensed vaccine products that do not prevent infection or transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This is a direct assault on our first amendment rights. It also skews evidence based medicine.

Informed consent, one of the foundations of modern medicine, has been stymied by the FDA, NIH, the CDC hospitalists, big tech and social media. They have been hiding data and skewing results. When people can not get the information they need to make an informed decision, evidence-based medicine can not function correctly.

The government and its employees must stop picking winners and losers. Evidence-based medicine requires a non-biased playing field.

Industry concerns about privacy and intellectual property rights should not hold sway.

If we are ever trust and support the concept of evidence based medicine again, significant changes to the system must be enacted. The only question is is our government and our HHS bureaucrats up to the job?

Reposted from the authors Substack
Minister of state for environment, Barr. Sharon Ikeazor, has said the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project of the federal government and World Bank will drastically reduce the issues of insecurity and conflict in the northern part of the country if fully complemented.

Ikeazor, who stated this at the Pre- launch Mission of the World Bank, on Sunday night in Abuja, said collective action in the implementation of the project, would bring positive result.

In his remarks, the minister of environment, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi, who expressed the ministry's commitment to effective implementation of the project said the project will address the problem of water and restore the loss lands, thereby, making the lands to be reproductive for agriculture.

He said, "The project will as well tackle environmental challenges such as climate change, erosion system, biodiversity, among others.

"We will ensure that the political will to drive this project in accordance with the mandates and it's objectives are achieved.

"We are going to make sure that various governors at the state levels deliver on the objectives of the project.

"I have instructed national project coordinator to ensure that all the documentations that are needed by the world bank to declare the effectiveness of the project reach the world bank latest by April, 15".

Thanking the world bank for initiating this project, the minister said the ministry had established project tracker system in the office, adding that the system would enhance in the achievement of the project.

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The country director to Nigeria, World Bank, Mr Shubham Chaudhuri assured of the continued support of the World Bank to Nigeria towards the achievement of the objective of the project.

"The world bank team remained committed to this project, but I want to appeal to all tiers of government of all levels to ensure that the team and other people in the field are protected.

"The government should ensure that all kinds of insecurity is tackled in the areas to enable people to concentrate and do the job effectively," he urged.

Speaking on behalf of the northern governors, the Governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Abdullahi Suleman, said the project will curb poverty and address environmental challenges in our state.

"We as governors will ensure that we support the World Bank team and the federal government in ensuring that the insecurity issue is tackled efficiently in the states," he said.
The Ins and Outs of Covid Vaccine Safety

Commentary

At the time of FDA approval for any vaccine, it is impossible to know whether it causes rare, unexpected serious adverse reactions. More than a year after the Covid vaccine approvals, we should have that information, but we do not. This is a serious problem.

If the vaccines are mostly safe, people need to know that, so they do not hesitate to get vaccinated. If there are serious safety issues, people need to know that, so they can properly weigh the risks and benefits, which vary by age. This failure has forced people to make their decisions based on anecdotal evidence. It has also led to less trust in CDC and the FDA. Unfortunately, this distrust extends beyond the Covid vaccines to other vaccines as well.

Over the last two decades, I worked closely with the CDC and the FDA to help design the systems used to track vaccine safety after FDA approval. During the pandemic, the FDA and CDC have not used the systems optimally and journalists and the public understand them poorly.

This essay describes the vaccine safety surveillance systems, what they can and cannot accomplish, how they have been used to evaluate the two mRNA Covid vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna), and how they can answer the important vaccine safety questions that we need urgent answers to.

Pre-Approval Clinical Trials

When the FDA approves a drug or a vaccine, we know its efficacy from randomized clinical trials, but our knowledge about its safety and potential adverse reactions is limited. This is unavoidable. To measure efficacywhether the vaccine works to prevent undesirable outcomes like infection or hospitalizationit is often enough to evaluate the product on a few thousand people.

That sample size, however, is insufficient to determine whether the vaccine causes rare but serious adverse reactions. Pfizer evaluated its vaccine on 18,860 people. If an adverse reaction happens in only one in 10,000 people, and we see one or two such adverse reactions in the clinical trial, that is not enough to determine if the vaccine caused the reaction or if it occurred because of chance alone.

Also, if the randomized trial does not include enough people from important demographic groups, we can say little about its safety in that group. The Pfizer trial did not include many people under 30, above 80 or pregnant women, so we cannot know much about adverse reactions for those groups from the trial alone.

The pharmaceutical manufacturer actively collects information about adverse events during the trial, and the trials provide the best and most reliable information about common vaccine adverse reactions that occur within a few months after vaccination.

For the mRNA vaccines, injection-site pain, fever, chills, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, and headache occurred more commonly among the vaccinated than in the placebo group. Because of randomization, we can infer that the Covid vaccine caused these reactions. These mild adverse reactions were expected, as most vaccines cause them, although they are more common than for most other vaccines.

Post-Approval Vaccine Safety Monitoring

Since clinical trials are too small to tell us whether the vaccine causes rare but serious adverse reactions, it is necessary to do post-market safety surveillance after the FDA has already approved the product. In the United States, the three most important post-market vaccine safety surveillance systems are the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), and the Biologics Effectiveness and Safety System (BEST). There are other vaccine safety evaluation systems in other countries. In the United States, we also have the CDCs After Vaccination Health Checker (vSafe) and the Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment Project (CISA), but they do not have the same ability to evaluate causality as VSD or BEST.

Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)

Administered jointly by the CDC and the FDA, VAERS is a passive reporting system where anyone can report a plausible or suspected adverse vaccine to the CDC/FDA, including physicians, nurses, patients, families, and friends. Vaccine manufacturers must forward reports that they receive to the VAERS system. Most countries have similar systems not only for vaccines but also for pharmaceutical drugs.

VAERS and other passive reporting systems have strengths and weaknesses but more of the latter. The strength is that it is universal so that an adverse reaction can be reported no matter where or when it occurs. The two main weaknesses are underreporting and overreporting. Overreporting comes from the fact that the vaccine is not necessarily the cause of all adverse events that occur soon after vaccination. That is, many VAERS reports are accidental occurrences unrelated to the vaccine.

By itself, the number of reported post-vaccination events (strokes, seizures, heart attacks, deaths, etc.) is hence of limited use since those events might have occurred even without the vaccine. The key is whether there are more events than one would expect by chance if the vaccine did not cause them. To accurately determine whether the vaccine was responsible for those events, we need to know precisely how many people were vaccinated, and we need to receive all their health events as well as health events from an unvaccinated comparison group. None of this is available in VAERS.

Sophisticated epidemiological methods, such as proportional reporting ratios and gamma-Poisson shrinkage can help overcome some, but not all, of these problems. By making raw VAERS counts public without any such accompanying analyses, the CDC and the FDA have generated more confusion than clarity from these data.

There are two major uses for the VAERS system. One is to find adverse reactions that occur within a few hours after vaccination. That worked for the Covid vaccineas VAERS quickly discovered a small risk of anaphylaxis right after receiving the Covid vaccine at about one per 100,000 doses. Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that doctors and nurses can easily treat with epinephrine.

In late 2020, when the Covid vaccination campaign started, some public health officials proposed drive-through vaccination sites, where people would roll down their car window, get the vaccine, and then drive off. But if anaphylaxis does occur, it is better to have a nurse close by to provide the epinephrine rather than driving on a busy highway. The anaphylaxis finding in VAERS put an end to the drive-through plans. Instead, patients are vaccinated in health facilities and asked to stay around for at least 15 minutes after vaccination.

In their published article on VAERS Covid vaccine data, the CDC provides raw counts of reported adverse events and counts divided by the estimated number of vaccine doses given. Critically, there is no information on whether the adverse events occur more often than one would expect by chance, which is necessary to determine if the vaccines may have caused them. This is not the fault of the highly competent CDC scientists doing the analyses. It is an inherent weakness of the VAERS data.

The authors of the CDC article wrote that most reported adverse events were mild and short in duration.

In a bid to reassure the public about the vaccines, the media used this as a take-home sound bite, but unfortunately, it is nonsensical. Patients care about the likelihood of a serious adverse reaction occurring per vaccination dose; the ratio of mild to serious events observed is irrelevant. A vaccine with one mild and one serious adverse reaction per 1 million doses has a terrifying 1:1 ratio. But it is much better than a vaccine with fifty mild and one serious adverse reaction per 100 doses administered, even though the latter has a more reassuring 50:1 ratio.

The second significant utility of VAERS data is to generate a list of potential adverse reactions that researchers can further investigate using the VSD and BEST systems. For instance, after analyzing VAERS data, the CDC authors of the just referenced article concluded that heart disease deaths need to be further investigated to see if the Covid vaccines increase their frequency. Based on the early VAERS data, researchers also identified other potentially serious side effects that needed further investigation, including coagulopathy (inability of blood to clot), strokes, myocarditis (inflammation of the heart), acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), Bells Palsy (paralysis of muscles in the face) and Guillain-Barre syndrome (a rare immune system disease).

Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD)

The Vaccine Safety Datalink is a collaboration between the CDC and several integrated health systems, each of which makes available electronic medical records of patients for data analysis. In VSD, an exposed cohort of vaccinated individuals is defined independently of any subsequent health events. All health care visits are available irrespective of vaccination status, which means that the VSD does not suffer from the same reporting biases as VAERS.

Researchers can then compare the observed adverse event counts with what would be expected by chance in the absence of vaccination. Researchers estimate the latter using either (i) historical counts in the same population, (ii) concurrent controls of similar unvaccinated individuals, or (iii) self-controls (comparing different time periods from the same vaccinated individuals). Having a control cohort or time period is critically important to determine whether the health events observed in the vaccinated cohort are caused by or unrelated to the vaccine.

For example, in my own work with the VSD, we learned that the measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine causes febrile seizures in one-year-old children. In the VSD data, there were many more seizures on days 7 to 10 post-vaccination compared to 1 to 6 days or 11 to 42 days post-vaccination. If the seizures were unrelated to the vaccine, we would expect to see approximately the same number of seizures on each day after vaccination. Because of this, pediatricians no longer give the MMRV vaccine to one-year-old children.

The MMRV vaccine is still used for the booster shot, given to 4 to 6-year-old children, for which no such excess risk exists. The toddlers are instead given two separate shots for MMR and varicella, respectively.

MMRV is a powerful example of the potential of the VSD system, which quickly detected this safety problem soon after the vaccines launch. The finding dismayed Merck, the vaccine manufacturer, and others who had promoted the new vaccine. It was a heated conference call, to say the least, when we presented these results to Merck, but the childhood vaccine schedule was altered because of the VSDs findings.

The VSD has provided definitive proof that Covid mRNA vaccines cause myocarditis. When all age groups were combined, there was no evidence for an increased risk of myocarditis, but there was a strong and clear association for young adults, with young men having the highest risk. The VSD has also confirmed the VAERS finding regarding anaphylaxis. Early analyses of the VSD data did not find any other problems with the mRNA vaccines when all age groups were combined. Neither did VSD find an excess risk of non-Covid related deaths after any of the three Covid vaccines.

Biologics Effectiveness and Safety System (BEST)

Using health insurance claim data, the FDA has built a similar system to the VSD. It got off the ground just before the pandemic, so it does not have as long a track record of experience as the VSD. But the population it analyzes is larger in size, and through the Medicare program, the FDA has better data about older Americans than does the VSD.

In a similar manner to VSD, FDA can track every health care event, including diagnoses, hospitalizations, and procedures, and track vaccinated and control cohorts over time. In July 2021, the FDA reported that for those over 65 taking the Pfizer vaccine, the BEST system had signaled four potential adverse reactions: pulmonary embolism, acute myocardial infarction, immune thrombocytopenia, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. The FDA did not provide any data in their announcement, and to my knowledge, they have not published any follow-up analyses. They have provided data on myocarditis.

Vaccine Safety Concerns

Vaccine safety must always be evaluated relative to disease risk and vaccine efficacy. Older adults have a high Covid mortality risk, so unless they already have natural immunity from a prior Covid infection, the benefit of vaccination outweighs the small risk of both known and potentially unknown adverse reactions. Covid mortality is exceptionally low for children and young adults, so for them it is unclear whether the limited benefit of vaccination outweighs the still unknown safety profile of the vaccine.

We know there is a small risk of myocarditis, but we do not yet know enough about other potential heart problems, nor about the long-term consequences of vaccine-induced myocarditis. A recent CDC study showed a lower risk of myocarditis after vaccination than after Covid infection, but that is not the relevant comparison. Since most vaccinated people will eventually get Covid despite their vaccination, the proper comparison is the risk of myocarditis after Covid infection versus the combined risk of myocarditis after vaccination and after their subsequent post-vaccination Covid infection.

It is natural that the public has questions and concerns about vaccine adverse reactions, and even more so considering that many governments, corporations, and schools mandate the vaccine. In the United States, the public vaccine safety discussions have primarily focused on pharmaceutical vaccine manufacturers, VAERS data, and anecdotal reports. The pharmaceutical companies do not have the data needed to answer vaccine safety questions properly, and whatever side-effect information reported to them must be forwarded to VAERS.

While there have been heroic efforts to analyze and interpret the publicly available VAERS data, that is not where the ultimate answers will be found since VAERS cannot establish causation in the way that the VSD and BEST systems can.

We built the vaccine safety surveillance systems to quickly find any adverse reactions caused by the vaccines when they exist and assure the public about their safety when they are safe. That has only partly happened with the Covid vaccines. Both the VSD and BEST have excellent rank-and-file epidemiologists on staff. The VSD has been able to detect and quantify the increased risk of myocarditis after Covid vaccination and show how that risk varies by age and sex.

For the mRNA vaccines, the big question that needs an urgent answer is whether they cause an increased risk of heart attack and/or other serious heart problems. There are many anecdotal reports, especially among young male athletes, and many VAERS reports.

In July 2021 the FDA reported on a potential signal from the BEST system at a time when the VSD had not yet signaled for this outcome. The only way to know if these are adverse reactions caused by the vaccine or not is to focus less on VAERS reports and instead examine the VSD and BEST data. CDC and FDA have the data, systems and knowledge to answer the concerns. Why havent they?

Public health officials face a temptation to summarily dismiss anecdotal vaccine injury stories and people concerned about the publicly available VAERS reports, but in public health, we cannot do that. We must take peoples concerns seriously.

Whatever the truth is, we need to convincingly determine whether there is a problem or not and make that evidence public. Rather than the CDC and FDA feeding the public with inferior VAERS data that cannot answer the question, Americans deserve to be presented with solid evidence from the superior VSD and BEST systems.

From the Brownstone Institute

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Thousands gather for the "Defeat the Mandates" rally in Los Angeles on April 10, 2022. (Brad Jones/The Epoch Times)

Thousands Protest Vaccine Mandates at Los Angeles Rally

LOS ANGELES, Calif.Thousands of people packed Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday to cheer on truckers, doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers, and educators fighting against COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Speakers at the event included dozens of big names in the battle against the mandates, including lead truckers in The Peoples Convoy Brian Brase and Mike Landis.

So, we started in California, and weeere baaackk, Landis said.

The convoy left Adelanto, California on Feb. 23, and arrived in the Washington, D.C.-area in early March. The truckers are planning to stay in Southern California for most of the week and head to Sacramento next weekend in time for a protest on April 18.

Trucks from the Peoples Convoy parked outside the Defeat the Mandates rally in Los Angeles on April 10, 2022. (Brad Jones/The Epoch Times)

We wont be too hard to miss, Landis said. I hope I see all of you along. Your voices need to be heard.

The convoy plans to remain in the Sacramento area for a week or two to let legislators know we dont like what theyre doing, he said.

The truckers have joined forces with doctors and are fighting COVID-related proposed legislation in California, Landis said.

Earlier in the day, Landis told The Epoch Times that The Peoples Convoy is opposed to the tyrannical 10 bills, listed on its website.

The convoy supports freedom, constitutional rights, human rights, and the God-given rights of the people to choose whether they want to get a vaccine or not, he said.

Brian Brase told the crowd that the vaccine mandates are a violation of human rights.

Brian Brase (L), a trucker and co-organizer of The Peoples Convoy, speaks at the Defeat the Mandates rally in Los Angeles on April 10, 2022. (Brad Jones/The Epoch Times)

So I ask everyone around the world, not just in this nation  to stand up. Now is the time to remind our government and governments around the world that they work for us! he shouted.

Brase said more than 7,000 first responders just in L.A. County are about to lose their jobs for standing up, and praised L.A. County fire station No. 68 for taking a stance.

The Peoples Convoy has your back, he said to all first responders in Los Angeles and across the nation.

Los Angeles area firefighters speak at the Defeat the Mandates rally in Los Angeles on April 10, 2022. (Brad Jones/The Epoch Times)

Global Covid Summit, which represents more than 17,000 doctors, came out in force with big names in the battle against mandates, including Dr. Robert Malone, Dr. Paul Alexander, Dr. Paul Marik, Dr. Pierre Kory, Dr. Jeffrey Barke, Dr. Richard Urso, and Dr. Ryan Cole, among others.

Malone told the crowd the fight against vaccine mandates has become a global war.

The other day, I was in Paris and I drove by a little church, he said. It was the Church of St. Augustine, the doctor of the Roman Catholic Church who famously said, The truth is like a lion. You dont have to defend it. Let it loose. It will defend itself.

This is not just here in the United States. The same things are happening everywherein Latin America, Africa, all across Asia, and in Europe, as well as North America, and God save the Canadians, Malone said.

Dr. Robert Malone at the Defeat the Mandates rally in Los Angeles on April 10, 2022. (Brad Jones/The Epoch Times)

Malone criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom for pushing the mandates, claiming Newsom was trained by the World Economic Forum.

What Ive seen cannot be unseen, Malone said. He must be stopped before he and his party can expand their totalitarian mandates and laws. There is no medical emergency. There is no justification for these laws that the California Democratic Party and the World Economic Forum allies want to push on us.

Regarding the genetic COVID vaccines, the science is settled: Theyre not working to prevent infection replication, the spread of Omicron, and theyre not completely safe, he said.

All medical procedures, vaccines, and drugs have risks. All of us have the right to understand these risks, and to decide for ourselves whether we willingly accept these risks. To deny this is to deny human dignity. These censorship and propaganda campaigns disrespect us, he said.

In an interview preceding his speech, Dr. Paul Marik told The Epoch Times the world has been brainwashed.

The vaccines do not work. Theyre neither safe nor effective, and its about time the American people and people across the world woke up to the reality they have been brainwashed. Theres no question. This is brainwashing and indoctrination, Marik said.

Too many hospitals are more interested in money, politics, and control than they are in health care and have become a dangerous place for sick people, he said.

One father, Ernest Ramirez, said his son died just days after getting a COVID vaccine, while a nurse, Angelia Desselle said she has suffered permanent disabilities from a vaccine.

Dr. Naomi Wolf, Steve Kirsch, Ben Swann, Del Bigtree, Leigh Dundas, Carina Powers, Angela Stanton King, and Dr. Judy Mikovits also attended the rally, which lasted more than 8 hours.

Correction: Americas Frontline doctors was not affiliated with this event. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
Ships are docked offshore in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, on Nov. 24, 2018. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)

Top US Diplomat Dispatched to Solomon Islands Over Chinese Security Pact: Report

A top U.S. diplomat is reportedly being dispatched to the Solomon Islands as concern mounts over a security agreement that would open the door for the Beijing regime to station troops and weaponry in the region.

Kurt Campbell, U.S. National Security Council coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, is set to travel to the Pacific nation this month, accompanied by Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, according to the Financial Times.

Diplomatic efforts have ramped up after details of the agreement were leaked on social mediaalerting neighboring countries of the potential militarization of the region akin to the South China Sea.

Former Asia Group Chairman and CEO Kurt Campbell attends the China Development Forum in Beijing on March 23, 2019. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

Campbells visit follows that of two Australian heads of intelligenceAndrew Shearer, director-general of the Office of National Intelligence, and Paul Symon, director-general of the Australian Secret Intelligence Servicewith Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on April 6.

Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton also told reporters that the high commissioner, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the (federal) police commissioner, had all been engaging with Solomon Islands authorities both in private and publicly.

The contentious agreement, which has been initialed by the foreign representatives for Beijing and the Solomon Islands, would allow the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to dispatch forces to protect the safety of Chinese personnel and major projects in the Solomon Islands.

While Chinese and Solomon Island leaders have denied that the agreement could open the door toward eventual militarization in the region, leaked documents on April 7 appear to show that Beijing has been scouting the region for military projects for years.

(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 on Oct. 9, 2019. (Thomas Peter-Pool/Getty Images)

A leaked letter of intent contained details of a proposal from the head of Avic International Project Engineering Co., a Beijing-based state-owned aviation company, to Premier Leslie Kikolo of Isabel Province in the Solomon Islands on Sept. 29, 2020.

The letter, 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.

A fully realized project could see the Peoples Liberation Army extend its reach beyond the South China Sea and into the South Pacific region, where bitter fighting occurred between Japanese and U.S. troops in the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II because of the influence it wields over vital sea lanes.

Map of Australias immediate neighbors in the western Pacific Ocean. (College of Asia and the Pacific/ANU/CartoGIS Services [CC BY-SA 4.0]) The partnership with the Solomon Islands comes after the CCPs plans to upgrade an airstrip and bridge on the Pacific nation of Kiribati came to lightKiribati is 3,000 kilometers (about 1,865 miles) southwest of Hawaii. The upgrade would make it possible to land larger military aircraft.

The security agreement crystallizes long-running concerns over Beijings deepening influence in the South Pacific, while the Australian government has tried to fend off the CCPs advances, notably by backing a US$1.6 billion takeover of dominant telecom company Digicel Pacific, which provides mobile and network services across Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga, and Fiji.

One expert says outspending Beijing would be difficult.

Cleo Paskal, an associate fellow of the Asia-Pacific Programme at the London-based Chatham House, called on the Australian government to reinvigorate the democratic process in the Solomon Islands and pressure Sogavare to abide by the 2000 Townsville Peace Agreement.

Put out the steps that the various provinces, including Malaita [Province], agreed to. Theres a whole series of things that have already been negotiatedeverybody signed on, including the government under Sogavare, she previously told The Epoch Times.

The agreement ended violence between the provinces and laid the foundation for aid programs and democratic government in the country.

Sogavare and his members of Parliament are given a choice, You can deal with China, or you can deal with the rest of the world, Paskal said, noting that Sogavare and his Cabinet could lose privileges afforded to them in their relationship with Australia.

Paskal said the pressure could compel Sogavares ministers to intervene and stop things from going too far.
(L-R) Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broaddrick and Kathy Shelton, all three of whom have accused Bill Clinton of rape, sit before the town hall debate at Washington University in St Louis, Mo., on Oct. 9, 2016. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Twitter Bans Clinton Accuser Juanita Broaddrick: Company

Juanita Broaddrick, a woman who accused former President Bill Clinton of sexual assault, was blocked from using Twitter over the weekend after making a post about a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the company.

Broaddrick had amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on the social media website after she again made headlines in 2016 for criticizing the former president during the 2016 campaign between then-candidate Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Broaddrick endorsed Trump, and Trump often retweeted her posts in October 2016with just weeks to go before the election.

Twitter told Broaddrick, who had 520,000 followers, that it locked her account for violating the policy on spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19, Twitter told Fox News. As of April 11, her account was still suspended.

Account suspended  Twitter suspends accounts that violate the Twitter Rules, her page reads.

Twitter also stated that she needs to delete the post in order to regain access to her account, she said.

We understand that during times of crisis and instability, it is difficult to know what to do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Under this policy, we require the removal of content that may pose a risk to peoples health, including content that goes directly against guidance from authoritative sources of global and local public health information, Twitter stated.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), whose personal account was permanently suspended several months ago, accused Twitter of trying to suppress free speech.

Then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (C) sits with (L-R) Paula Jones, Kathy Shelton, Juanita Broaddrick, and Kathleen Willey at Washington University in St. Louis on Oct. 9, 2016. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)

The biggest killer of freedom of speech, she wrote via her congressional account. No wonder hardly anyone raises their hand at my town halls when I ask how many people have a Twitter account. People who think this platform is important need to get a life. What a waste.

Broaddrick, a former nurse, accused Bill Clinton of assaulting her in a hotel room in 1978 when he was attorney general of Arkansas. After she made her allegations public in 1999 amid a variety of publicized scandals, Clinton denied them.

Any allegation that the president assaulted Mrs. Broaddrick more than 20 years ago is absolutely false. Beyond that, were not going to comment, a spokesperson for Clinton said at the time.

During the 2016 campaign, Trump famously invited Broaddrick and fellow Clinton accusers Paula Jones and Kathleen Willey to his second debate with Hillary Clinton.

Last year, Twitter permanently banned Trumps account following the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach, leading the former president to file a lawsuit against the company and other social media platforms for violating his freedom of speech.

Twitter didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.
UK to Step up Crackdown on Illegal Schools That Fail to Teach British Values

The British government has vowed to step up its crackdown on illegal schools that fail to teach British values and basic skills and risk leaving many youngsters segregated from mainstream society.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi confirmed that the government will introduce new legislation and grant stronger powers to the schools watchdog Ofsted to tackle illegal unregistered schools and prevent vulnerable children from falling through the cracks.

Amanda Spielman, Ofsteds chief inspector, told The Sunday Times that such a crackdown is necessary because these illegal schools fail to equip children with British values, basic numeracy and literacy skills, and leave many youngsters very segregated from mainstream society.

She said extremist materials have been found in some of these schools, exposing children to messages that are just contrary to British values.

In one school that was successfully prosecuted, books were found by an author banned from entering the UK for his extremist views. Another school was found to have been run by members of a proscribed group.

According to The Sunday Times, a quarter of the suspected illegal schools inspected by Ofsted have been religious, but the real proportion is expected to be higher. Among these, just over half were Islamic, a quarter Jewish, and a quarter Christian.

Talking to Times Radio on April 11, Spielman estimated that tens of thousands of children are being educated in unregistered establishments, but to date only five schools have been prosecuted for operating illegally.

She said currently Ofsted cannot collect evidence and inspect what appear to be unregistered schools, unless people choose to let us do so, and that the inspectorate has limited powers to ask for police assistance.

She said such schools are often run by people from very separate communities.

Children in these schools are often growing up simply ignorant of so much that we expect all children to know to be able to fit into British society as adults, to have enough knowledge of the world around them, and to be able to make the adult choices that we all have to make about how we want to live our adult lives, she said.

Zahawi said that though many home educating families do a fantastic job, there are still too many children falling through the cracks, at risk of harm in unsafe settings like illegal unregistered schools.

Thats why we will be introducing new legislation requiring councils to maintain a register of children who are not in school, helping eliminate the concept of ghost children, alongside stronger powers for Ofsted to crackdown on illegal schools and ensure the criminals who are running them face prosecution.

PA Media contributed to this report.
US Should Make Clear That It Would Defend Taiwan in Event of Chinese Invasion: Analyst

The security of Taiwan is integral to broader security in the Indo-Pacific region and thus Washington should make clear that it would protect the self-ruled island if China makes a move to invade it, according to security expert Joseph Bosco.

The Chinese regime considers Taiwan to be part of its territory to be taken by force if necessary. Washington, under a policy known as strategic ambiguity, is deliberately vague on whether it would come in defense of the island in the event of a Chinese attack. But the United States is bound to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself under the Taiwan Relations Act.

Bosco referred to famed U.S. General Douglas MacArthurs description of the island as an unsinkable aircraft carrier, saying that Taiwans position is critical to the security of the United States and to all other countries in the region.

Taiwan sits in the forward position in the first island chain that can hem in the Chinese Navy if it seeks to break out to deeper Pacific waters, he said.

The first island chain is the string of islands closest to the Chinese mainland, stretching from the southern Japanese island of Kyushu through Taiwan, the Philippines, to Indonesia. For decades, military strategists for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have seen the first island chain as a barrier before the regime can project its air and naval power to the greater Indo-Pacific region.

If China were to take control of Taiwan, it would have an opening to all of Southeast Asia and to the greater Pacific, which includes Hawaii and the west coast of the United States, Bosco, former China country desk officer at the Office of the Defense Secretary, recently to Epoch TVs China Insider program.

If this were to occur, our security position would be diminished, or potential leverage over aggressive nations would be reduced, he added.

The trade and commerce that flow through the South China Sea that greatly affects the United States and other countries in the region and outside the region would be adversely affected.

The loss of Taiwan to the regime, he said, would be a calamity for Western interests, overall, including also Japan, South Korea, India.

In addition, if Taiwan falls, countries like South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian states would essentially have to cozy up to China for security, Bosco said.

The failure of the United States and the West in deterring Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine, is a cause of concern for Taiwan, according to Bosco. In the leadup to the invasion, Washington did not express any firm commitment to support Ukraine militarily in the event of a Russia attack, and thus was not able to deter Putin from making a move against its neighbor.

If the same ambiguity is shown towards Taiwan, Bosco said, it would be very counterproductive in terms of encouraging China to pursue its ambitions by building up its forces not only against Taiwan, but against the United States to prevent it from coming to Taiwans aid.

Going forward, if the West allows Russia to seize even another inch of Ukrainian territory beyond what they already have in eastern Ukraine and Crimea, then that will be touted as a victory for Putin and Russia. And Xi Jinping will draw the necessary conclusions from that, the former Defense official said.

Bosco believes that China would move against Taiwan sooner than five years from now. But a final decision to invade, he noted, is contingent upon whether Washington will in fact declare that it will defend Taiwan.

U.S. credibility is incredibly at stake if we dont keep our commitments to Taiwan, both morally and under the Taiwan Relations Act and the other documents that govern our relations, according to Bosco.

A fall of Taiwan into the hands of the regime would be, he said, a huge loss, and a victory for the communist system, who could then argue that America is on the decline and our influence in the region is waning, and that China is on the rise and will be the dominant power in the region and beyond for decades to come.

Hannah Ng China Reporter Follow
A Walgreens store is seen in Chicago on Feb. 11, 2021. (Eileen T. Meslar/Reuters)

Walgreens Fed Opioid Addiction, Florida Says as Trial Starts

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. supplied billions of opioid pills to drug addicts and criminals, contributing to an addiction epidemic in Florida, a lawyer for the state said on Monday as a civil trial against the pharmacy chain got underway.

Walgreens filled one in four opioid prescriptions in Florida between 1999 and 2020, and failed to investigate red flags that could have prevented drugs from being diverted for illegal use, the states lawyer Jim Webster told jurors.

Walgreens was the last line of defense in preventing improper distribution of opioids, Webster said. It was the entity that actually put the opioids in the hands of people addicted to opioids and the hands of criminals.

The company has denied the allegations, saying it filled prescriptions written by doctors.

Walgreens is the final remaining defendant in the trial taking place before Judge Kimberly Sharpe Byrd in Pasco County Circuit Court, after the state reached $878 million in settlements with four others.

Pharmacy chain rival CVS Health Corp. agreed to pay $484 million, while drugmakers Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. will pay $194.8 million, Abbvie Inc.s Allergan unit will pay $134.2 million, and Endo International Plc. will pay $65 million.

Walgreens has argued it was immune from being sued based on a mere $3,000 settlement it reached with Florida in 2012, following an investigation into its record-keeping policies and efforts to prevent the diversion of opioid drugs.

The company has said Florida was bound by that accord even if it now regretted the terms as a bad bargain.

Florida has called Walgreens position absurd, saying the settlement addressed only a single record-keeping violation.

Florida has collected more than $3 billion in opioid litigation against drugmakers, distributors, and pharmacies, according to Attorney General Ashley Moody. Most will be spent on efforts to mitigate the opioid crisis in the state.

The nationwide opioid crisis has included more than 500,000 U.S. deaths from overdoses in the past two decades, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By Dietrich Knauth
Weekend of Protests in Vancouver Highlight Range of Issues

VANCOUVERFrom condemning pipelines, to denouncing legacy media, to shutting down Vancouvers busiest highway over old growth logging, to protesting a TED Talks conference featuring Bill Gates, hundreds of activists rallied for a variety of causes in Vancouver this past weekend.

On April 8, members of Save Old Growth interrupted rush hour traffic on Vancouvers North Shore when dozens of protesters blocked the Trans-Canada Highway in both directions for more than an hour.

The group wants the provincial government to end logging in all of B.C.s old growth forests and has escalated its civil disobedience to get the governments attention.

Doing marches, petitions, and rallies, this traditional activism thats dominated in politics just hasnt worked, Save Old Growth co-founder Zain Haq said in an interview with The Epoch Times.

What were doing now is causing disruption and were breaking the law, and we are getting arrested on purpose in large numbers in order to bring attention to this issue. We know that historically you really need to disrupt the public, and that means usually for a while youre really hated by the public. But because youre objectively right, the public will eventually come on board.

Save Old Growth also had one member begin a hunger strike on March 25 and was joined on April 1 by six more with a demand to meet with Katrine Conroy, BCs minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, to discuss the issue. Conroy has not met with them so far.

On April 10, the You Are Not Welcome Here protest was held outside the Vancouver Convention Centre where Vancouvers annual Ted Talks conference is taking place. The rally targeted Bill Gates, one of the scheduled speakers for the five-day conference, because of what detractors claim are his controversial ties to vaccines and their development, including the current COVID-19 vaccines.

Vaccine Choice Canada founder Ted Kuntz spoke at the rally, highlighting his thoughts on the rollout of the vaccines and the government-imposed restrictions which accompanied them.

These last two years are going to be looked at as the dark ages, when evil, darkness, greed, deception, distortion, and coercion took over, Kuntz said.

Dr. Daniel Nagase, who has been active challenging Alberta Health Services on their cutbacks to rural communities while opposing mandatory COVID-19 vaccination, implored law enforcement to honour their oath and not allow government to repeat police crackdowns like the one in Ottawa against the Freedom Convoy.

A day earlier on April 9, the latest Media Is The Virus protest happened on Robson Street outside the CTV headquarters. Organizers have held rallies outside the studios of several media buildings in recent weeks against what they say is biased and inflammatory reporting. Co-organizer James Davison said flattering coverage of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was what prompted him to protest.

Its my belief that Justin Trudeaus main goal is to turn Canada into a communist country, Davison said to the crowd. So its up to us as Canadian citizens to stand in front of that and I hope we can do it. I mean, at what point in time do you have to say to yourself that theyve overreached to the point where your livelihood is no longer yours to control?

One block away at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the This Pipeline Ends Here rally drew several hundred supporters united against the continued development of the federally owned Trans Mountain pipeline.

Were here to send the message to Justin Trudeau and the federal government that the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation and the indigenous people of this territory dont want this project, coordinator Sven Biggs told The Epoch Times.

Finally, the Burnaby chapter of Action4Canada organized a protest outside the office of NDP leader Jagmeet Singh on April 8, the second in a series of protests in front of NDP politicians offices who they say are harming Canadians by supporting COVID-19 mandates and backing Trudeau. Marlene Smith was one of those protesters.

Im here to inform the community what is happening within our country, and that Jagmeet Singh is the enabler of tyranny in Canada, Smith told The Epoch Times.

There needs to be some accountability. Were letting them know theyre on notice because its British Columbia that is holding the Trudeau government in power, and its absolute tyranny.
What If the Fishy Big Blue Shift to Democrats Late in Elections Is Legal?

To question the legitimacy and fairness of recent U.S. elections is to be attacked as a probable Russian asset out to undermine democracy or, at best, a kook. But many voters notice something strange happening. Scholars who study elections have noticed a peculiar trend developing in the last couple of decades: Late-arriving and late-counted ballots skew Democrat blue. As Election Night drags on, the pace of Republican votes slows, and in the wee hours Democratic votes gain momentum. Political scientists call it the Big Blue Shift.

In the contentious aftermath of the last presidential election, Deen Freelon, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina, dismissed the concerns of Trump voters as falling for the kinds of claims that trade on peoples lack of familiarity with the vote-counting process. He said, Things that are perfectly normal and happen in every election may look like, to the uninitiated viewer, as something irregular or problematic.

Does that argue for leaving such matters to experts, or should it call into question why perfectly normal voting practices look problematic? Edward B. Foley, a professor at Moritz Law School at Ohio State University who coined the concept Blue Shift, recognizes that an election that appears unfair can be as damaging to democracy as a ballot box that has actually been stuffed.

Foley, together with MIT political science professor Charles Stewart III, authored a recent academic journal article titled, Explaining the Blue Shift in Election Canvassing.

The notion of candidates harvesting extra votes during the canvass is unpalatable to begin with, Foley and Stewart write, but it becomes especially problematic if this harvesting process is perceived as systematically one-sided. What if every ballot counted is legitimate and there is no fraud? The perception problem doesnt go away. If there is the appearance that overtime ballots disproportionately add to one partys total, it may start to look as if, when an election goes into extra innings, one of the two teams is given extra at-bats.

The perception problem persists in new election laws, however well-intended, whether meant to expand the number of people voting or improve election security. Beyond being perceived by the respective opposing side as opportunities to game the next election, such measures can result in consequences as far reaching, and worrisome as they are unintended.

A case in point was the Help America Vote Act, or HAVA, of 2002. The legislation passed after the fiasco of the 2000 presidential election, which turned on a few hundred contested ballots in Florida. The 2002 law required, among other things, that states upgrade voting equipment and maintain databases of registered voters. But another provision has proved to be problematicthe requirement that people who show up to vote, but who are not on the official list of eligible voters registered for that jurisdiction, be allowed to cast provisional ballots. According to Foley and Stewart, those new rules have systematically benefited Democrats in the days after elections, what Foley and Stewart call overtime.

Provisional ballots are seen in a postal service tray at the Gwinnett County Board of Voter Registrations and Elections offices on in Lawrenceville, Ga., on Nov. 7, 2020. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)

They insist, however, that this benefit for Democrats is not evidence of a nationwide conspiracy in favor of the Democratic Party, perpetuated by state and local election officials. Instead, it is an unanticipated result of expanding the practice, not just of mail-in voting, but of accepting provisional ballots.

Provisional ballots arent counted until after they have been adjudicated, which may not happen for days after an election. Stewart tells RealClearInvestigations that provisional ballots are cast disproportionately by Democrats. One reason is that Democrats are less likely than Republicans to be living in the same house or apartment as during the previous election. Democrats are more residentially mobile, says Stewart. Younger and less affluent than Republicans, Democrats are more likely to rent their abodes. Renting doesnt lock one into a given address the way a mortgage does. And so, Democrats move more often than Republicans, which means they are more likely to show up on election day to find they havent updated their addresses in the voting database. Those voters use provisional ballots, which are often not counted until election day has come and gone.

This is one reason, according to Stewart, that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to see their vote count go up in overtime. There are other reasons. For example, voters with lower education (who also tend to vote Democratic) may be more likely to make errors on their registration forms, Foley and Stewart write. More errors mean more provisional ballots, which mean delays. Rural counties tend to be Republican. Because they are sparsely populated, there are often only one or two precincts to count, and Stewart says that can be done more quickly than the count in the urban places where Democrats live, which tend to process centrally, which makes for delays.

Foley and Stewart worry that a growing gap skewed in one direction will lead Republicans to regard the vote count as rigged. But John Curiel disagrees. A research scientist at the MIT Election Data + Science Lab, Curiel tells RealClearInvestigations that the Blue Shift isnt the cause of distrust. Its just that it can be used that way. He blames the rhetoric of partisan elites.

Lonna Atkeson, Director of the LeRoy Collins Institute at Florida State University, attributes much of the Big Blue Shift to delays in counting votes cast by mail. Voting by mail went from favoring Republicans several decades ago, to being equally used, to favoring Democrats in the last 20 years. Voting by mail can create what seems like an endless overtime: California accepts ballots that arrive a week after election day. Its a horrible idea, says Atkeson. When is the election over? She makes the case that mail-in ballots stretch out the election overtime and feed the perception that election tallies are being manipulated. Perception is not irrelevant to the success of a democracy, she says.

Donald Trump has been pilloried for making unproven claims that the results in battleground states such as Georgia and Pennsylvania were rigged. But blue shifts can be seen as having a significant role in creating the impression that the vote count wasnt being played according to Hoyle, the famed 18th century British rules maven.

In the first hours after polls closed in Georgia, Joe Biden didnt just trail, he fell further behind. At 11 p.m. election night, Biden had only 45 percent of the two-party vote. Which is when the blue shift kicked in. By 3 a.m., Biden had 48.9 percent of the vote. According to an analysis by Curiel and Stewart, that meant that after winning only 45 percent of the first 3.3 million votes counted, Biden won 57 percent of the next 1.4 million. From that point forward, Bidens vote share slowly climbed, Curiel and Stewart write, until he eventually received a bare majority of the two-party vote in the certified results.

Biden also eked out a win in Pennsylvania, after late-counted votes went disproportionately for the Democrat. Is it explained by the Big Blue Shift? In one regard it is exactly the sort of outcome predicted by the blue-shift theory: Democrats overwhelmingly voted using mail-in ballots. Those took longer to count than ballots cast in person, and so votes for the Democrat were added to the count later than GOP votes.

And yet another peculiarity of the election should have muted the Big Blue Shift. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, lavished millions of dollars in donations to state and local governments to facilitate voting and the counting of votes. For example, Pennsylvanias Chester County received a grant of $2.5 million but still was counting votes the Friday after Election Day. The Zuck bucks were supposed to make the count smoother and quicker. Why didnt the extra millions for tallying and election administration blunt the blue shift?

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in Washington on April 10, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Political professionals may recognize this as the Big Blue Shift in action, with votes from Democratic precincts being reliable latecomers. But it doesnt take deranged conspiracy-mongering for the average Republican voter to wonder and worry about the repeated experience of going to bed comfortably ahead only to find that just enough votes were cast for the Democrat to tip the scales at the very end.

Atkeson thinks the Big Blue Shift may be muted in Novembers elections. I dont expect the same sort of magnitude of mail-in voting in 2022 and 2024, Atkeson says. The good news is that over the last year fewer people have been voting by mail in special elections and city elections.

Confusingly complex ballots in which multiple precincts cut across the same counties, ill-trained or under-performing poll workers, and peripatetic voters all contribute to the Blue Shift, but thats not all there is behind the hyperactive legal challenges to votes, and voting that have become a standard part of election dayif not election week or election month, given how long the overtime canvass lasts. A stealth provision slipped in to the infamous 2014 Cromnibus spending bill encourages a maximum of election litigation, creating the appearance that the winning candidate is the one with the best lawyers, not necessarily the one with the most votes.

The law in question earned its nickname by combining a Continuing Resolution, or CR, with an omnibus spending bill. It was two massive appropriations in one. The legislation not only dealt with federal spending, it became a Christmas tree, hung with a dense assortment of unrelated provisions. For example, the Cromnibus made significant changes to campaign finance law, changes that have done much to turn election overtimes into fiercely litigated contests.

It allowed individuals to contribute up to 300 percent of the amount otherwise applicable under this subparagraph. The subparagraph in question was in 52 U.S.C. 30116, which deals with certain limits on contributions to political parties. The new provision quietly tripled what could be donated to parties for holding conventions, for buying and improving party headquarters, and for lawyers fees in litigating elections (or as it is put in legalese, expenses incurred with respect to the preparation for and the conduct of election recounts and contests and other legal proceedings.)

This has brought in millions of dollars a year for campaign lawyers of both parties. It may come as no surprise that contributing to the legislative language leading to this windfall was the Democrats top election lawyer, Marc Elias. (Though he built his reputation challenging election laws and litigating recounts, he is now better known for his role in passing Democratic Party monies to Fusion GPS to pay for the Steele Dossier.) RealClearInvestigations reached out to Elias to ask about the role of the Cromnibus provisions in raising money for election challenges, but he did not respond.

It is a measure of the Democrats focus on litigating elections that from January through June of last year, the Democratic National Committee collected $17,046,537 for its recount fund. The Republican National Committee, over the same period, raised only $4,412,362.

One lawyer who regularly litigates election issues attributes the GOP shortfall to the many lawyers without election-law expertise who broughtand lostscores of lawsuits challenging the results of the 2020 contest. It is hard to raise money for an effort that has just failed so miserably, the attorney tells RealClearInvestigations. That said, another conservative election lawyer expects the money gap to close: I think the RNC is well aware that they are behind, he says.

In any case, a flush DNC can be expected to field a host of litigators to challenge vote totals and to demand the counting of questionable, late-arriving ballots. So if there is a Big Blue Shift in vote tabulation in the 2022 congressional contest or the 2024 presidential election, that prepaid and prepositioned army of Democratic lawyers would help explain it.

That presents the specter of elections being decided by lawyers, not voters. And even though it might be perfectly legal, it would create a destructive perception indeed.

This article was written by Eric Felten for RealClearInvestigations.
Graves of civilians killed during the Ukraine-Russia conflict are seen next to apartment buildings in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine, on April 10, 2022. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)

Why Dont We Care About the Uyghurs as Much as the Ukrainians?

Commentary

The revelation of Russian war crimes in Ukraine has received much coverage. Why doesnt the Uyghur genocide in China receive the same treatment, and what can we do?

The Russians have retreated from their positions, threatening the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, which has revealed possible war crimes. Mass graves, bodies tortured and shot, and witness statements suggest this was mass murder.

But there has been far more systematic abuse and torture against religious dissidents and minorities like the Uyghurs and even the Falun Gong. The disparate attention begs the question: why havent they received as much attention as the Ukrainian victims?

The Uyghurs live in vast concentration camps in Chinas Xinjiang regionthe largest detention of ethnic minorities since World War II. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) describes the camps as education and employment centers.

The Uyghurs are closely monitored, and they have to obtain travel papers and go through layers of security to move from town-to-town. These towns are often restrictive, and the residents describe them as open-air prisons. The regime often forces Uyghurs to abandon cultural and religious practices.

Survivors describe mass rape, forced sterilization, beatings, and torture. These internment camps often include forced labor for products like cotton, sugar, and clothing that touches every part of the supply chain. (So the next time an American corporation logs a domestic complaint, remember that they do so while selling products likely made by slave labor.)

As Ive explained, the West is almost pathological in its obsession with white guilt and race that communist officials in Beijing use these issues to deflect blame from their behavior. So the easy explanation that most Americans would easily adopt is that the Ukrainians are white and Christian victims and, therefore, the racist media focuses on it more. This explanation is simplistic and wrong but does connect to real issues.

Ukraine is located in the West. Russia already borders several NATO countries that America is obligated by treaty to defend. Those countries, especially Poland, have received over 4 million Ukrainian refugees into their countries. Poland is a vital part of American strategy toward China. (By building a more long-term base with soldiers, it can send a signal to American allies around the world of our commitment.) In short, this war is taking place next to critical American and European interests, so it stands to reason that the people naturally care about it more.

Unfortunately, the West has fewer of the same interests in Asia. Some nearby allies have a treaty and other commitments with America, such as South Korea hosting the military and Australias new alliance with the United States and the United Kingdom. For the Uyghurs, the concentration camps are in remote areas with tough access for most Chinese citizens, let alone the world.

A perimeter fence around a labor camp in Xinjiang, China, on Sept. 4, 2018. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

Moreover, the CCP aggressively pushes its counter-narrative. It relentlessly pushes its propaganda, including having an ethnic Uyghur athlete light the 2022 Olympic torch. Communist operatives undermine the credibility of eyewitnesses with character assassination and aggressively intimidate reporters, and the foreign ministry limits reporters access to news conferences denying the abuse.

Moreover, China has an extensive social media presence, including on TikTok, which is a Chinese company. Western businesses are too afraid of losing the lucrative market. For example, Disney actually filmed in Xinjiang, and Apple lobbied against U.S. laws that would prohibit the use of forced labor in making its products.

Showing its ability to co-opt and manipulate Western rhetoric, the CCP justifies its surveillance and limitations on civil liberties as part of its war on terror. With America mired in two different brush wars for the past 20 years, and elites of all political stripes questioning their own morality in those wars, it became difficult for Western elites and citizens to retain moral clarity and stop Beijings depredations against its own citizens.

Sadly, the best or the worst answer is that America and the West often have selective vision and a short memory. For example, Muslim terrorists have been ravaging Christian areas of African countries for years with little Western comment. The media and population cared for about half a minute when a school filled with young girls was kidnapped but did little more than post a hashtag on Twitter before forgetting about it.

But all is not lost. The average American can change this. The media often gives people what they want. So readers should seek out, read, share, and support media coverage that bravely and honestly covers the Uyghur genocide. Business leaders follow the money, so consumers should not support companies that source their products with slave labor. The people must contact their politicians and build a groundswell of support for action.

Even though Congress is often fractured, lawmakers acted with unity and rare speed when united against naked Russian aggression. They should support the refugees that have escaped and lived to tell their stories.

Life is unfair, and the Uyghur genocide deserves more coverage than it currently receives from the media. But the power of a free society is the freedom to speak our minds and share ideas that need to be said. That is the same freedom that led to the abolitionist movement and the same freedom that can be exercised for good.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Abuja, Nigeria  Russia's invasion of Ukraine has Europe shunning Russian energy sources, and African oil and gas exporters like Nigeria are hoping to step in. But Nigeria's petroleum minister said this week that shareholders in Nigeria's largest natural gas company were blocking efforts to boost the country's exports to European customers.

Petroleum Minister Timipre Marlin Sylva said this week that partners in Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd. (NLNG), including European companies Shell, Total and Eni, turned down a proposal to allow more companies to provide natural gas for export.

He said the partners wanted the gas supplied to them at less than regular rates so they could make more profit when they sold it abroad.

The minister said that decision was getting in the way of Nigeria's ability to boost gas exports and "help ease the European Union's gas crisis."

Officials of NLNG were not available for comment Friday.

Nigerian authorities are trying to earn some extra cash from gas exports as European countries look for alternatives to Russian energy sources.

Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer and also has the continent's largest reserves for gas, much of it unutilized.

Call for more pressure

Energy expert Odion Omanfoman said the government must apply more pressure on its NLNG partners to achieve its goals.

"The government needs to force the hands of Shell, Total, Agip and all the other people that have their pipelines to open up their pipelines without unnecessary sanctions to the domestic gas producers," he said. "It's now in government hands, particularly the upstream and midstream regulatory authorities."

More than 80 percent of the world's natural gas exports comes from just 10 countries, including Nigeria, with Russia exporting the largest volume.

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NLNG produces about 22 million tons of gas every year and is trying to top that output by an additional 8 million tons.

Energy expert Kolawole Banwo said that while the government's ambition is welcomed, Russia's boots are far too big for Nigeria to fill just yet.

"It's going to be far from suddenly occupying the space that Russia occupied in Europe -- that's a long way to go," Banwo said. "Again, because of the infrastructure for transportation, we're not producing enough to meet that market in the first place. And we don't have infrastructure also in place to transport. Even if we produce all that Russia needs, we can't transport all that they need within the time that they need it into Europe at the moment."

In 2021, before Russia invaded Ukraine, Nigeria was the fourth-largest source of liquefied natural gas to the European Union and United Kingdom, after the U.S., Qatar and Russia.
In the lead-up to Easter, you have likely crossed your fair share of hot cross buns. For those unfamiliar with this Good Friday treat, traditional hot cross buns are filled with spices and fruits, both candied and plain, and topped with an iced or incised cross. But where was this tradition born?

Food historians argue the small loaves are in the tradition of ancient Greek spring festival cakes. Across Europe in the early Common Era, pagans hosted springtime festivals celebrating fertility and birth. Tiny cakes were customary throughout those celebrations too. Some of the cakes, historians believe, were even marked with a cross.

However, the first recorded instance of a spiced bun topped with a cross in observance of Good Friday, according to FoodTimeline, was in the 1733 Poor Robins Almanack.

Sans-cross, Good Friday spiced buns were incredibly popular during the Tudor period in England (1485 to 1603). In 1592, Queen Elizabeth I of England declared that spiced buns only be sold for Good Friday, Christmas and burials. Buns for all other private ceremonies and celebrations were to be baked at home and any doughy contraband donated to the poor.

Not only revered for their religiosity, spiced buns were also said to hold healing and protective powers. People, believing they never molded, hung them from the ceiling throughout the year to ward off evil spirits. Sailors even grated the loaf and added it to water to form a medicine.

Remember to whip this factoid out at your small Easter gathering, along with the reason why dye Easter eggs and other fun holiday food mysteries.

By Bianca Sanchez

 2020 Tribune Publishing; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
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Daymon "Daym Drops" Patterson is known for his food reviews on YouTube and is planning on showcasing Connecticut restaurants in a new show but with a different focus.

In February, the Youtuber posted on Facebook that he will be taking his team on a "foodie" adventure showcasing foods Connecticut has to offer.

The reality is [that] networks that I film Food Shows with never seem to allow for me to come HOME and do my thing. So I will just do it MYSELF!" said Patterson in his Facebook post.

Patterson has showcased foods across the country on his Netflix show "Fresh, Fried & Crispy." He has also appeared on national television with Dr. Oz, Jimmy Fallon and Rachael Ray. He hosted his own Travel Channel series, Best Daym Takeout in 2013, and has starred in fast food commercials.

The show will be posted on Patterson's YouTube channel with new weekly episodes.

"This is going to be all about, Why Hartford? Why New Britain? Why Stratford? Why Stamford?" he said. "You are going to learn a little about each city and town here in Connecticut."

Viewers are used to seeing Patterson in his car, trying food and giving a review on camera and Yelp. The show will show more of the owners, chefs and customers and less of Patterson. He said it is more about them than it is about him.

"This time, viewers will have the opportunity to hear what customers have to say about the food and hear from the owners and chefs," he said.

Patterson is co-owner of the Windsor location of MofonGo which sells Puerto Rican mofongo, mashed plantains with salt, garlic, broth, and olive oil. He says it is on the list of places to showcase.

"There is no way I can talk about my state without showing love to things I am still attached to," said Patterson.

According to a Facebook post from March, the show has already started filming. "We are wrapping up New Britain with our Tuesday shoot and shoutout to all of the Restaurant Owners in New Britain," said the post. The post went on to say that Middletown was next location and that he was looking forward to working with the three restaurants there.

Not only is Patterson filming his new show but he's busy returning for what he calls "season 2" of his concession stand at Dunkin Donuts Park. For a second year, he has partnered with Yard Goats executive chef Joe Bartlett to craft new foods for the upcoming season.
A new study suggests real estate prices in many Connecticut communities are up by double-digit percentages heading into the peak of the third buying season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some towns are seeing increases of 20 percent or more from last year, according to William Pitt Sothebys International Realty, which has published home sale data for many Connecticut municipalities over the 12-month period ending in March, encompassing two years of pandemic sales.

In Fairfield County, the median home sold for $615,000 over the 12-month period through March  some $64,000 above the price of the median sale over 12 months through March 2021, according to William Pitt Sothebys.

In New Haven County, just three towns saw their median sale numbers fail to rise by at least 10 percent over the preceding 12 months.

Real estate transactions are down this spring, but industry experts attribute that to fewer homes being listed for sale. Agents say buyers continue to comb Connecticut for properties within their budget, but are often out-bid by others willing to pay more. In some instances, buyers are even willing to pay cash rather than waiting on a lender to approve a mortgage, agents said.

The first six months of last year were exceptional  even relative to 2020  so I was anticipating the first six months of this year to be off, said Paul Breunich, CEO of William Pitt Sothebys. Prices are inching up due to demand exceeding supply.

An analysis last week of markets nationally where housing prices could fall, CoreLogic ranked the Stamford-Bridgeport corridor and the Hartford area among the top-five most likely to see a drop along with two Arizona regions and Honolulu. Like Connecticut, CoreLogic said a shortage of available listings is keeping prices at elevated levels in several parts of the country.

Pricing data is an inexact science in real estate. Averages can be skewed in any town by a mammoth sale or a concentration of foreclosure transactions. Median prices capture only a snapshot of individual houses at the midpoint of all properties sold in any given period, with the possibility of very different properties being compared between time periods.

As an example, the median home sold in Fairfield County in the first quarter went for the same amount as its equivalent a year earlier  $512,000, as tagged by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England, New York and Westchester Properties. But the Ridgefield house, which sold for that amount in January, had been purchased for just $362,000 last July  a $150,000 premium in the span of seven months for the modest two-bedroom on less than one-third of an acre of land.

Statewide in Connecticut, the median home sold for $314,700 during the first quarter of 2022, as identified by Berkshire Hathaway. That was up about 5 percent from the equivalent property sold in the first quarter of last year.

Darien registered the biggest increase in the William Pitt Sothebys study of towns averaging 50 sales per quarter over the previous 12 months. During that span, the median home in Darien sold for nearly $1.7 million, 32 percent more than a year ago.

New England home prices ballooned 15.9 percent in January from a year earlier, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency. That was below the U.S. increase of 18.2 percent and in the bottom-third of the nine regions FHFA includes in its monthly House Price Index.

A year ago, New Englands 13.7 percent gain from January 2020 trailed only the Mountain region, which includes Arizona and Colorado. Those states led the nation again this year with a 23.1 percent hike in home prices.

Adjusted for seasonal home buying trends, New Englands January prices were flat from December 2021, with the eight other U.S. regions nationally seeing gains between 1.1 percent and 2.2 percent.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
Anderson Hospital

The Anderson Hospital Foundation recently welcomed three new members to its board of directors.



 Jason Geminn, Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc., chief financial officer

 Joseph Newman, Newman Carriers, Inc., president

 Nancy LeVault, Anderson Auxiliary, president



Jason Geminn is an SIUE alumnus and joined Prairie Farms in 2010. In 2015, he was promoted to chief financial officer, where he now oversees the companys finance, risk management and IT functions. Geminn has served on various company boards and also previously served on Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles Accounting Advisory Board.

Joe Newman is a lifelong resident of Edwardsville. His transport company, Newman Carriers, Inc., has two main terminals in Fairmont City and Kankakee, operating in 48 states, Canada and Mexico. He currently serves on several other boards including the executive board of the Illinois Trucking Association and Busey Bank Advisory Board.
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JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man near the city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said early Monday, the latest in a growing wave of violence that has erupted during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The Israeli military said it opened fire at a man throwing a firebomb at an Israeli vehicle driving on a West Bank highway late Sunday. The shooting raised to four the number of Palestinians killed in the past 24 hours, among them an unarmed woman who was shot and killed at a military checkpoint near Bethlehem.

Ramadan this year converges with major Jewish and Christian holidays. Protests and clashes in Jerusalem during Ramadan last year boiled over into an 11-day war between Israel and Gaza militants.

Israel has stepped up its military activity in the West Bank after Palestinian assailants killed 14 Israelis in four deadly attacks inside Israel in recent weeks. At the same time, it has taken a series of steps to try to calm the situation, including granting thousands of Palestinians from the Hamas-run Gaza Strip permits to work inside Israel.

The Israeli military said Monday it arrested 13 Palestinians suspected of militant activity in the West Bank, and that during the arrest operations Palestinians threw rocks at troops and burned tires.

Palestinian health officials identified the man killed in the latest shooting late Sunday as 21-year-old Muhammad Ali Ahmed Ghoneim.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Mohammed Zakarna, 17, died on Monday after he was wounded by Israeli fire in the West Bank city of Jenin a day earlier.

Israeli forces patrolled Jenin, considered a stronghold of Palestinian militants, on Sunday as soldiers investigated the home of an attacker who killed three Israelis in a mass shooting last week. The army said soldiers came under fire from a gunman on a motorcycle and shot him.

It wasn't immediately clear whether Zakarna was shot during that incident.

Earlier Sunday, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinian women. The Israeli army said one had stabbed and lightly wounded a policeman in the city of Hebron. The other was an unarmed woman who it said ignored warning shots and calls to stop as she approached a checkpoint near Bethlehem.

Palestinian assailants often carry out attacks at checkpoints in the West Bank. But Palestinians and human rights groups say the Israeli military often uses excessive force and in some cases has injured or killed people who were not involved in violence.

The European Unions diplomatic mission to the Palestinian territories, accused Israel of using unacceptable excessive force in fatally shooting the unarmed woman. This incidence must be swiftly investigated and the perpetrators be brought to justice, it wrote on Twitter.

In a separate incident on Monday, the military said two Israeli citizens arrived at a West Bank checkpoint near the city of Nablus with gunshot wounds. Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that the two had attempted to visit Joseph's Tomb, which had been vandalized a day earlier, and were attacked by unidentified assailants.

A day earlier, a group of Palestinians set the tomb ablaze before they were dispersed by Palestinian security forces. The shrine, located on the outskirts of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, is a frequent flashpoint site. Some Jews believe it is the burial place of the biblical Joseph, while Muslims believe it is the tomb of a sheikh.

The army escorts Jewish worshipers to the site several times a year, in coordination with Palestinian security forces.
A lunch break at the Broome Street Development construction site, between Norfolk and Suffolk streets. The buildings are slated to be a mixed-use complex that will yield 488 rental units, of which 43 percent will be dedicated to permanently affordable housing.

Stories that caught our eye in the past week:

Police identify a suspect who they believe fatally stabbed another man inside a building on Division Street. [New York Post]

Homeless New Yorkers make a stand on East 9th Street, challenging the mayors policy of dismantling homeless encampments throughout the city. [Gothamist]

A new report shows that more than 30 percent of the NYC apartments sold in the past month were priced between $1 million and $2 million, and that the Lower East Side led all other neighborhoods in Manhattan with about 24 contracts signed. Among the top five buildings for sales were 252 South Street (One Manhattan Square) and 202 Broome Street (Essex Crossing). [Commercial Observer]

Telling the story of Tony Yoshida, the modest man who built Little Tokyo in the East Village. His groundbreaking bar, Angel Share, and several other Japanese businesses are fading away after lease negotiations with Cooper Union failed. His daughter may reopen Angel Share in another location. [The New York Times]

Recalling a fashion spectacle and celebration that came to be known as the Passover Parade on the Lower East Side. [The Forward]

Stoned Pizza has signed a lease for a new restaurant at 302 Broome St. Yep, canaibis-infused pies. [Commercial Observer]

Profiling Natasha Lyonne, whose television series, Russian Doll, set in the East Village, is returning to Netflix this month. [The New Yorker]
Salida, CO (81201)

Today

Sunny, along with a few afternoon clouds. High 81F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 51F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
Civilians survey the destruction in Mekele the capital city of the Tigray region (file photo).

The United States expressed concern Friday about reports of ethnically motivated atrocities in Ethiopia's Tigray region.

"We note with the utmost alarm that thousands of Ethiopians of Tigrayan ethnicity reportedly continue to be detained arbitrarily in life-threatening conditions in western Tigray," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

He said the United States was "deeply troubled" by the recent findings of a joint report by two leading human rights groups, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which had found the violence in the region amounted to ethnic cleansing.

The report chronicles abuse by forces from the Amhara region, aided by government troops and militia groups. It said hundreds of civilians in western Tigray had been forced from their homes through threats, sexual violence, denial of aid and unlawful killings.

It also found evidence of deaths in detention facilities across western Tigray and gang rape by security forces.

Researchers said they based their findings on interviews with more than 400 residents of western Tigray.

Ethiopia's government, while saying it would carefully examine the report, also criticized it for being one-sided.

Began in 2020

The conflict in Tigray began in late 2020 between the Ethiopian federal government and a local military force, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, and has since exploded into a civil war that has forced 2 million people from their homes. Ethnic tensions between the region's Amhara and Tigray communities have spanned decades.

The United States urged the immediate release of people detained arbitrarily in western Tigray and demanded international monitors be granted access to all detention facilities, according to Price.

It is the U.S. position that there be "credible investigations into and accountability for atrocities committed by any party to the conflict," Price said.

Aid agencies have struggled to gain access to the millions in need of humanitarian assistance in Tigray because of restrictions by the government and militia groups.

The United Nations and humanitarian partners have not been able to move any further aid into Tigray by road since April 2, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Friday. The April convoy's arrival was the first time U.N. supplies had entered Tigray by road since mid-December, he added.

Dujarric said food had reached only 1.2 million out of a target of 5.2 million people who should be receiving food aid in the region every six weeks.

Some information for this report came from Reuters.
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That release could not be found.
The recent declaration by Nigerias Minister of Transportation, His Excellency, Rt Hon Chief, Chibuike Amaechi, that he has joined the 2023 presidential race has been described as good omen for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a vindication of the South East Nigeria Democratic League (SENDL) which was in the forefront of calling on him to declare intention to serve.

Coordinator of the group, Prince Jude Emeka Okoye made the assertion while speaking to

journalists in Awka, Anambra State yesterday, said that Amaechi remains the most competent aspirant with a pan-Nigerian acceptance and support base to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to Okoye, for a man who has been on th political arena for over two decades with knowledge of serving at local, state and national levels, Ameachi will make the ideal President especially now that the country is buffeted by multifarous challenges. Nigeria requires a man with the experience and courage to confront

insecurity, challenges of greater accountability in governance, youth unemployment and the scourge of spiral poverty. Amaechi is the man."

Okoye said that SENDL as a grassroots group is elated at the latest development which ultimately makes Amaechi the man to beat and called on the APC faithfuls to rally round the Minister so as to ensure APC has a formidable candidate in 2023. Okoye further assured that the group is already mobilizing support for Amaechi beyond the South East and it's diaspora wing to all parts of the Federation.

Chief Amaechi's recent declaration to contest is believed to have heightened expectations among APC faithfuls and anxious Nigerians who are eager to get competent and tested leaders in the race to become Nigeria's next President.
There is no denying the fact that the role of various regulatory bodies in Nigerias economy and their responsibilities to stakeholders and society at large has become a major topic of debate.

However, not much is comparatively said about the business activity of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) which through the Acts that established it offers an important part of a reliable market economy. While buyer beware was once the motto of the free market, FCCPC, particularly under Mr. Babatunde Irukera has been helping to keep sellers honest, with no threat of unpleasant surprises.

At the core of the foregoing view point is how the activities been carried out by the FCCPC is touching every sector of the economy, and in turn imparting on the lives of the people who are invariably consumers of diverse brands and services.

The commission which has unarguably been exerting its responsibilities in virtually every sector of the economy, and by that virtue been urging players in the sector to be prioritising responsiveness to consumers, and reminding operators of industries that they are under obligation to improve on their responsiveness to consumers complaints and dissatisfaction at any point in time and anywhere.

To those that are following the activities being carried out by the Commissions leadership under Mr. Babatunde Irukera, its activities in the power sector where it says electricity topped its 2021 consumer related complaints chart just like in 2020, cannot be denied.

Also gaining FCCPCs interventionist role, is the Banking and Finance Sector, where Irukera in December last year disclosed that complaints received from the sector were second on the chart.

To any eagle-eyed observer, the point Irukera is leading the regulatory body to cannot be farfetched as he hinted during a recent interactive parley with Journalists that, We need to get to a point where businesses recognise their obligations and understand that responsiveness is an important fundamental in business activities. It is not right that the commission even as a government agency is easier to access and is more responsive to consumers that are dissatisfied than companies.

Not only is the commission under Irukeras leadership reforming the consumer protection landscape through intensified efforts in consumer education, there have equally been legal victorious legal moves made by the commission on behalf of consumers in the recent time.

There is no denying the fact that efforts been made by the leadership of FCCPC toward the reformation of the sector was recently so obvious and perceptible that Irukera has to express his joy two court decisions pronounced in favour of the Commission, and to a large extent the consumers.

Irukera excited said, Reform is in the making. It may be slow, even tedious, but one day at a time, the landscape for accountability in the marketplace is changing.

I am particularly happy today because of two decisions that emanated from the State and Federal High Court. One from the Enugu state High Court, and the other from the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court. Both decisions somewhat address impunity. Impunity in how some do business, and impunity in how some respect the regulator and regulatory process.

Somehow, we are succeeding as a nation in strengthening the institution for protecting consumers, and deepening the concept of respecting the rights of consumers.

In the first case which was between Chukwuma and Peace Mass Transit Limited, Irukera disclosed that the Court decided and held that the principle of return or refund is statutory, applicable and enforceable, and explained that the case invalidated and declared the defendants policy of not refunding money received for unprovided service illegal, and affirmed consumers right to cancel advance reservations or bookings, at best or worst, less reasonable administrative charges.

He noted that the court construed Sections 104,120, and 129 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, (FCCPA), saying that this is a landmark decision and watershed because there is now both statutory and judicial authority regarding this rather vexed matter of a practice of not making refunds to consumers.

He added, In the second case, Justice Liman of the Federal High Court in Lagos in FRN v. Anuoluwapo Adepoju dismissed a No Case Submission and declared that Dr. Anu Adepoju and Med-Contour must open a defence and be held answerable under criminal charges that a failure to comply with FCCPC summons to appear or produce evidence under the FCCPA constitutes sufficient bases to be held criminally accountable.

I am excited about these two decisions because, the current season is one where consumers are pressed hard from all sides; and these decisions by competent courts balance conduct of producers and providers to prevent impunity (which both cases actually underscore).

When considered with the traffic of digital money lenders approaching the FCCPC to enter into a framework of cooperation and compliance in exchange for benefit under Cooperation & Assistance Rules, I am encouraged that it has been a good week for the future of consumer rights, and behavioral modification by businesses in a manner that redounds to value for consumers.

He excitedly concluded, To the consumer in Enugu who was bold and insistent enough to commence, and push through, on behalf of the FCCPC, I say thank you; and to the prosecution and investigation team at FCCPC that still stays the course, even when the process is stalled, I say well done!

Ostensibly assuring that the battle has not started, the Nigerias No. 1 Consumer Protector said, as regard FCCPs protection effort, We will win the battles and war against loan sharks and moneylenders.

And next will be lottery, gaming and betting. This is the warning shot. FCCPC is coming and will come really strong. Our society is far more paramount than your margins. Business is about mutual benefit. Anything else is exploitation, properly so called!

As for Google Inc., which FCCPC indicted of obstructing its efforts aimed at tracing the owners of illegal online money lending services engaged in consumer rights violations in Nigeria, Irukera who made the allegation at collaborative engagement in Lagos as earlier mentioned in this context indicated its willingness to tackle the search engine in its detrimental activities ostensibly in connivance with online loan providers, derogatorily called loan sharks. Without doubt, the Commission under Irukeras leadership is unarguably pointing its searchlight on every sector of the economy.

It would be recalled that FCCPC has told the media that In addition to what you are seeing here today, the FCCPC has also issued multiple orders today. Two of them are going to vendors: Apple and Google stores where some of these apps are available. We have asked them to shut these companies apps down so that people will not be victimized anymore.

Also, many Nigerians have blamed some Nigerian commercial banks for accommodating these shylock loan companies.

In line with this thought, Federal Government has also asked these banks to freeze the accounts of illegitimate loan companies. Secondly, some of them (the orders) have gone to the bank, asking them to freeze the accounts used by these people.

These criminal loan sharks that parade google Play Store have become experts in blackmail and blatant invasion of peoples privacy. They have been accused of employing different types of manner less and uncultured characters as workers.

The Federal Government have also insisted that most of them are illegally operating in Nigeria. Therefore, the FG through an Inter-Agency Joint Regulatory & Enforcement Task Force of FCCPC, NITDA and ICPC has raided some of the loan sharks offices in Lagos state.

Without doubt, it cannot be less agreed that as long as Irukera and his team continue to reform the consumer protection landscape, particularly within the provision of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) that he will continue to cross great milestone particularly as witnessed in the last few weeks.

Against the foregoing background there is no denying the fact that he and his team have adapted a great deal of the Act, and articulated good preparation to, as engagements been demonstrated are setting the right tone.
Ogun State Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has handed over loads of cannabis sativa worth N102m which was seized from smugglers to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in the state.

Bamidele Makinde, the NCS Comptroller in Ogun, handed over the drugs to the NDLEA Commander Ishaku Kwajafa at the NCS office in Abeokuta.

According to Makinde, he said the handover of the illicit drugs to the NDLEA was to enhance the synergy between the NCS and the agency in the state.

Makinde noted that the NCS would hand over 319 sacks and over 500 wraps of marijuana to the NDLEA, adding that the duty paid value of the seized items was N102,848,768.

In his words, In line with respect for each agencys statutory functions and in order to further strengthen the synergy between the NCS and NDLEA, the Ogun I Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service, with the approval of the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hammed Ibrahim Ali (retd.), hands over intercepted Cannabis Sativa of 319 sacks (raw), 476 wraps (book size) and 96 wraps (coconut size) with the Duty Paid Value of N102,848,768.00 to the NDLEA, Ogun State Command, Abeokuta, Ogun State."

In his remarks, the NDLEA boss, Kwajafa, lauded the Nigeria customs for always intercepting the influx of drugs into the state.

Meanwhile, Kwajafa, while speaking with journalists after the development, blamed the menace of crimes in the country to youths indulgence in drugs.

He urged the masses to assist the agency in intelligence gathering.

In his reaction to the high number of drugs being intercepted, he said; I shouldnt be the only one worried, everyone should be worried because it is not a good thing at all.

Kwajafa, however, implored the state residents to give information about illicit drugs across to the NDLEA whenever they sight cannabis smugglers or smokers in their areas.
Aussies in Phuket called to submit postal votes for May 21 election

PHUKET: The Australian Consulate-General for Phuket and neighbouring provinces is calling for all Australians in Phuket and nearby to register to cast their postal votes for the upcoming general election in Australia on May 21.

politics

By The Phuket News

Monday 11 April 2022, 03:02PM

Image: Australian Government

The consulate has posted a notice on its official website explaining the requirements and conditions for submitting a postal vote.

The next federal election will be held on 21 May 2022. If you are still in Australia, you can pre-poll vote from 9 May 2022.

The AEC recommends overseas voters cast a postal vote in this election. If you plan to be overseas at the time of the election, make sure you check your enrollment and request a postal vote as soon as possible on the AEC website, the notice said.

Australians in Thailand are encouraged to vote via postal vote, which can either be posted to the AEC directly, or mailed or dropped off to the Consulate-General.

Australians can send their postal vote addressed to:

Australian Consulate-General  Federal Election 2022

6th Floor CCM Complex

77/77 Chalermprakiat Rama 9 Road (Bypass Road)

Muang Phuket 83000



To drop off your postal vote, please drop it off at the Consulate-General during the following hours:

Monday  Friday 08:30-16:00, excluding Consulate-General public holidays.

The notice reminded visitors that photo ID is required to enter the Consulate-General and that all visitors are subject to security screening.

Postal votes must be returned as quickly as possible to ensure they are received by the AEC in time to be counted.

Australians wanting to register to cast their vote in the election must do so before 8pm next Monday (Apr 18), one week after the election has been called.

The Australian Electoral Commission will start sending postal votes immediately after the declaration of nominations. Postal votes are expected to be sent from April 26, the notice explained.

Requests for postal votes will close on May 18. The Australian Electoral Commission recommends people apply for a postal vote as soon as possible to ensure there is enough time for it to be posted to them and returned to the Australian Electoral Commission by June 3, 2022.

When you go overseas you must meet requirements in order to remain on the electoral roll, and in some cases, to avoid a fine. Voting is mandatory for Australians. However, being overseas is a valid reason for not voting, the notice said.

Up to date information on elections and eligibility, and copies of relevant forms (e.g. applications for postal votes, application to be registered as an overseas elector) are available from individual electoral commission websites.

We are unable to advise you or comment on the eligibility of individual voters. Eligibility is a matter for the relevant electoral commission, the notice explained.

For further information, visit the following:

Electoral Commissions in Australia

See also: Australian Electoral Commission
Evusheld procurement plan gets CCSA approval

BANGKOK: The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has approved a plan to procure a long-acting coronavirus antibody cocktail for people with poor immune systems who cannot be vaccinated.

CoronavirusCOVID-19healthVaccine

By Bangkok Post

Monday 11 April 2022, 09:31AM

Evusheld is used as an alternative for people who have a weak immune response to COVID-19 vaccines or for whom vaccination is not recommended. Photo: AFP

Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the drug, branded as Evusheld, was developed by AstraZeneca and registered in June last year.

It was authorised by the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency use in the US on Dec 8 last year, he said, adding it has also been approved by the European Union, reports the Bangkok Post.

Evusheld is a combination of two long-acting antibodies (tixagevimab and cilgavimab) and works on the principle of passive immunisation.

It is administered as two injections, with protection lasting for at least six months.

Evusheld is given pre-emptively to people who have not yet been exposed to COVID-19, not people who are already infected with the virus.

It is used as an alternative for people who have a weak immune response to COVID-19 vaccines or for whom vaccination is not recommended.

Speaking after a CCSA meeting on Friday (Apr 8), Mr Thanakorn said the Office of the Attorney-General has advised the government to amend the vaccine procurement contract with AstraZeneca to replace some of the vaccine doses with Evusheld.

This way, Evusheld will still be supplied under the same contract and budget without the need for additional payments, he said.

CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said after meeting on Friday that the National Health Security Office has arranged some 22.8 million antigen test kits, which cost about B55 each, for free distribution to at-risk groups nationwide until September.

So far, some 3.1mn kits have already been handed out to 1.2mn people, he said.

Dr Taweesilp also said Siriraj Hospital is working with the private sector to develop Thai-made ATKs for about B40 each. About 200,000 kits are being made monthly, he said.

The prime minister has applauded the move and asked them to consider the possibility of increasing the output to 1 million kits a month, he said.

Public Health Minister [Anutin Charnvirakul] said it was possible, though the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation may also be asked to help, Dr Taweesilp said.
Man shot dead in Bueng Kan hospital

BUENG KAN: An armed young man shot dead a rival who was seeking treatment at a public hospital in Pak Khat district of Bueng Kan in the early hours of Saturday (Apr 9), sending nursing staff fleeing in panic.

crimedeathviolence

By Bangkok Post

Monday 11 April 2022, 10:48AM

Security video shows a man firing shots at a rival who has fallen off a gurney in the emergency room at Pak Khat Hospital early Saturday (Apr 9). Photo: Screenshot from a video posted by Bueng Kan news Facebook page

Police arrested the gunman hours later at Kalasin Hospital where he had gone for treatment of his wrist injuries, Thai media reported. The shooting took place in the emergency room of Pak Khat Hospital after a brawl between two groups at a local restaurant, reports the Bangkok Post. Surichai Sunanthanam, 21, of Nong Khai, was shot dead, said Pol Col Chaiyut Thamsuna, chief of the Pak Khat station. Four bullets from a 9mm pistol were fired at the victim. Video posted on social media showed an armed man in a blue T-shirt, entering the hospitals emergency room at 1:20am on Saturday and immediately firing shots at an injured man who was on a gurney, causing panic among two female staff. After questioning medical staff who witnessed the shooting, police determined the identity of the suspect and sought a warrant for his arrest. Bunyarit Phonkhan, 21, a native of Pak Khat, is now in custody after his arrest in Kalasin. Chalit Maengthaisong, 20, of Bueng Kan, is also being held on a charge of helping the gunman escape.
Nairobi  The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists' Union (KMPDU) says it members will down their tools to protest the delay by the Ministry of Health to settle outstanding allowances owed to interns and doctors.

KMPDU Secretary-General Davji Atellah says more than 300 interns have not been posted and more than 200 have not been paid for the last 6 months after the Ministry of Health claimed it lacks the budget.

Union leaders vowed to hold demos to push for their pay should the situation remain the same.

"In the beginning of the month of May, we will be having industrial demonstrations from our offices to the Ministry of Health demanding for the release of those funds and ideally we are also, we are calling on the Council of Governors to start together with the Unions to demand the increase of funds to the counties," he said.

The medics expressed their disappointment with the proposal to allocate 4 percent of the National Budget to the health care sector which they say is a decline from the 6 percent allocated last year.

Dr. Atellah appealed to the Council of Governors to join them to demand for an increase of funds for the counties to avoid a situation where doctors and nurses are not employed.

Union Chairman Dr. Abi Mwachi backed Atellah in calling on the government to take the healthcare of its citizens seriously.

"We are worried at the cavalier and lackluster approach that the government is still employing while they are employing those approaches what they fail to employ are our doctors, while the patient-doctor ratio is very very disheartening," Dr. Mwachi stated.

Atellah added: "There is a need for the country to factor in and see the need to improve healthcare. This is the call that we as the Union are looking at so that it actually anchors the need for the ordinary citizen."
Officials honour Khaw Sim Bi, first Governor of Phuket

PHUKET: Senior Phuket officials and other leading figures on the island gathered atop Khao Rang hill in Phuket Town yesterday to pay tribute to Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahitsaraphakdi, better known as Khaw Sim Bi, the first Governor of Phuket.

culture

By The Phuket News

Monday 11 April 2022, 09:56AM

The event was held to commemorate the death of Khaw Sim Bi 109 years ago, on April 10, 1913, by honouring his achievements, including introducing rubber plants to Thailand.

Thailand is now the largest rubber producer in the world, producing 4.37 million metric tonnes of natural rubber in 2020, down from 5.588 million tonnes in 2019.

Khaw Sim Bee, also known in short as Phraya Rassada, was the Governor of Trang in 1890 and became the Governor of Phuket in 1902, a position he held until his death in 1913.

As Governor of Monthon Phuket, Khaw Sim Bi was responsible for the Southern provinces along the Andaman coast, at the time comprising the administrative areas of Phuket, Trang, Krabi, Phang Nga, Tagua Pa, Ranong, and Satun.

As he was born in Ranong, his name is often reported as Khaw Sim Bi Na Ranong. His grave is with the family plot in the hills just north of Ranong Town.

The ceremony yesterday, organised by Phuket City Municipality, was led by Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong, joined by fellow Vice Governor Anupap Rodkwan Yodrabam and Phuket City Mayor Saroj Angkhanapilas.

The ceremony included bestowing offerings of fruit and flowers and the laying of wreaths at the monument on Khao Rang to pay homage to Khaw Sim Bi.

Mayor Saroj explained that the ceremony was just one of several events planned to commemorate the citys forefathers and their lasting legacies.

For Khaw Sim Bi, his rule was a period of sustained development which saw Phuket make its first stride away from its dependence on tin mining. It also saw the construction of major roads across the island as well as that of major tourism landmarks still standing today, such as the old Phuket Provincial Hall on Narisorn Rd and the Chartered Bank and Police Station buildings in the heart of the Phuket Old Town area.
Seven Days of Danger for Songkran begins in Phuket

PHUKET: The Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign for Songkran 2022 is underway in Phuket, with checkpoints set up across the island to enforce traffic laws.

transportSafetyaccidentspolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Monday 11 April 2022, 03:32PM

With today (Apr 11) the first day of the campaign, the heightened enforcement of traffic laws began at midnight last night (00.01am Apr 11) and will continue through to midnight Sunday night (23:59pm Apr 17).

Phuket Provincial Police has organised for 11 main checkpoints to be set up across the island, as well as three secondary checkpoints and 10 service points where motorists can take a break from driving or receive other assistance.

Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew has already urged drivers taking to the roads to return home for the Songkran holidays to celebrate the Thai New Year to drive safely.

The goal is for the island to suffer zero casualties during the holiday period this year.

One loss is a lot, Governor Narong told The Phuket News.

Phuket concluded the Seven Days of Danger road safety campaign for Songkran last year with an official tally of one dead and 21 injured.

Nationwide, the official tally during last years Songkran holiday period stood at 277 people killed and 2,357 injured in almost 2,400 road accidents, with drink-driving involved in over a third of accidents.
Ukraine says 1,200 bodies found near Kyiv as east braces for onslaught

KYIV: Ukraine said yesterday (Apr 10) it had found more than 1,200 bodies in the Kyiv region, the scene of atrocities allegedly committed by Russian troops, as residents in the countrys east braced - or fled - ahead of an expected massive offensive.

RussianUkraineviolencedeathmilitarypolitics

By AFP

Monday 11 April 2022, 10:22AM

Ukrainian soldiers load bodies on a military truck after a rocket attack killed at least 35 people on Friday (Apr 8) at a train station in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, that was being used for civilian evacuations. Photo: Fadel Senna / AFP

Heavy bombardments hammered Ukraine through the weekend, adding to mounting casualties six weeks into Russias invasion of its neighbour.

Shelling claimed two lives in northeast Kharkiv yesterday morning, regional governor Oleg Synegubov said, the day after 10 civilians, including a child, died in bombings southeast of the city.

The Russian army continues to wage war on civilians due to a lack of victories at the front, Synegubov said on Telegram.

In Dnipro, an industrial city of around a million inhabitants, a rain of Russian missiles nearly destroyed the local airport, causing an uncertain number of casualties, local authorities said.

An AFP reporter saw black smoke in the sky above the facility, but a plane also took off later yesterday, suggesting its runway was still functioning.

President Volodymyr Zelensky again condemned atrocities against civilians, and, after speaking with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said they had agreed that all perpetrators of war crimes must be identified and punished.

Ukraines Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said the country was examining the alleged culpability of 500 leading Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, for thousands of war crimes.

And White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan pledged the US would work with the international community to make sure theres accountability for what he called mass atrocities.

At the Vatican, Pope Francis called for an Easter ceasefire to pave the way for peace, denouncing a war where defenceless civilians suffered heinous massacres and atrocious cruelty.

We will respond

In his nightly address, Zelensky said Russian troops were about to launch even larger operations in the east of Ukraine.

We are preparing for their actions. We will respond, he said.

Residents have been fleeing in their thousands, but Lugansk governor Sergiy Gaiday said many were afraid to leave after a missile strike on a railway station in the city of Kramatorsk on Friday killed 57 people, according to a revised tally issued by local authorities.

We evacuated 2,700-2,500 people per day, but now there are fewer and fewer, Gaiday said, adding he was sure that 20-25% of the regions population was still there.

Sometimes we just beg (them) to come out of hiding because we know what comes next, he said, adding Russian forces would destroy everything in their path.

Almost 50 wounded and elderly patients were transported from the east in a hospital train by medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) over the weekend, the first such evacuation since the attack on the Kramatorsk station.

Electrician Evhen Perepelytsia was one of those evacuated after he lost his leg, and almost his life, to shelling in his hometown of Hirske in Lugansk.

We hope that the worst is over - that after what Ive been through, it will be better, said 30-year-old after the train arrived in the western city of Lviv.

Russias defence ministry has denied carrying out the Kramatorsk attack.

It said Kyiv and its western allies were continuing to stage monstrous and merciless provocations and murdering civilians in the self-proclaimed Lugansk Peoples Republic, one of two pro-Russian separatist statelets in Ukraines eastern Donbas.

Inciting hatred

Ukraine yesterday hit out at the Kremlin and Russian media for laying the groundwork for war for many years.

Russian political elites and propaganda have been inciting hatred, dehumanising Ukrainians, nurturing Russian superiority and laying ground for these atrocities, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted yesterday.

But in an interview with NBCs Meet the Press, Kuleba said he remained open to negotiating with the Russians.

If sitting down with the Russians will help me to prevent at least one massacre like in Bucha, or at least another attack like in Kramatorsk, I have to take that opportunity, he said.

Bucha - where authorities say hundreds were killed, some with their hands bound - has become a byword for the brutality allegedly inflicted under Russian occupation.

Ukraines prosecutor Venediktova said 1,222 bodies had been found there and in the broader region around Kyiv so far.

At least two corpses were found inside a manhole at a petrol station on a motorway outside Kyiv yesterday, an AFP reporter saw.

The bodies appeared to be wearing a mix of civilian and military clothing.

A distraught woman peered into the manhole before breaking down, clawing at the earth and wailing, My son, my son.

The United Nations said yesterday that 4,232 civilian casualties had been recorded in Ukraine to date, with 1,793 killed and 2,439 injured.

Nehammer to Moscow

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he would meet Putin today, which would make him the first European leader to visit the Kremlin since the invasion began on Feb 24.

Nehammer met the Ukrainian leader in Kyiv over the weekend, and his spokesman said he had informed Berlin, Brussels and Zelensky of the trip to Moscow.

Austria is a member of the European Union, but not of NATO.

EU foreign ministers will also meet today to discuss a sixth round of sanctions, even as divisions over a ban on Russia gas and oil imports threaten to blunt their impact.

In a bid to shore up international resolve against Moscow, US President Joe Biden is to hold virtual talks today with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, just weeks after saying India had been shaky in its response to the invasion.

A US spokeswoman said the two leaders would consult on ways to offset the destabilising impact (of the war) on global food supply and commodity markets.

The World Bank yesterday issued a dire forecast, saying Ukraines economy would collapse by 45.1% this year - a much bleaker outlook than it predicted even a month ago - while Russia would see an 11.2% decline in GDP.
News

Harmony discusses projects utilizing pandemic funding

WESTOVER  Harmony Area School Board heard a presentation from its administrators concerning spending of the districts allotment of American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief funds.

Harmony stands to receive approximately $1.5 million over the next two years.

Superintendent Ken Jubas reported, ESSER money will come in to the district in different allocations, but it is all ESSER money, although some of it is designated for various needs.

A portion of the funds is classified to combat student learning loss and to bring back their desire to learn along addressing social and emotional needs of both students and staff.

Jubas said seven percent of the sum is to be spent to address those three issues and the districts plan to address those has already been approved the state Department of Education.

Plans are in the works for a summer student academics program. Details are still being worked out, Jubas said, but he believes the program would be remote.

An after-school program is being developed for 2022-23 school year. Students would remain after the conclusion of the school day to participate in tutoring in classes.

There will also be trainings and seminars for teachers and staff to help them work through their own and students social and emotional issues.

One of the things that may help is the addition of new instruments for the music program.

Jubas said, We are going full tilt with the music program. The district wants to enhance the band and chorus programs. With that we want to ensure we will have enough instruments for every student that wants to learn how to play, he explained.

Another area that will help students relieve stress and improve their health and wellness is the renovation of the fitness area and weight room.

Jubas said there have also been preliminary discussions about finding a new larger area at the schools complex to allow even more students and possibly the community to utilize the space.

We may expand in the future. Its a long-range project, he said.

The districts plans to utilize the ESSER funds will be posted on the districts website. The board will also be updated monthly on the progress of projects that will be paid for with ESSER funds.
Clearfield, PA (16830)

Today

A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. High 52F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 36F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  A Tennessee court on Monday declined to reopen the case of an inmate set to be executed later this month for the 1989 killings of his estranged wife and her two sons.

Inmate Oscar Smith had filed the motion to reopen last week, saying DNA from an unknown person was detected on one of the murder weapons. But Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton wrote in an order that the evidence of Smith's guilt was overwhelming and the DNA evidence does not tip the scales in his favor.

Smith, 71, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection April 21. He was convicted of fatally stabbing and shooting Judith Smith, and her sons Jason and Chad Burnett, 13 and 16, at their Nashville home on Oct. 1, 1989. He was sentenced to death by a Davidson County jury in July 1990. Smith has maintained that he is innocent.

Smiths attorney states that newly available touch DNA technology allowed the previously impossible analysis of evidence left on an awl  a leatherworking tool similar to an icepick  that was found at the crime scene. The victims were also shot and stabbed with a knife, although those weapons were never recovered. In January, the courts released the awl to Smiths DNA experts upon agreement between Smith and the state. The analysis found DNA from an unknown person.

Evidence presented at trial included that Smith previously made threats against the victims and was physically violent towards them. A neighbor saw Smith's car at the house on the night of the killings. Two of Smith's co-workers testified that he had solicited them to kill his wife. Smith had taken out insurance policies on all three victims. And one of the child victims could be heard yelling, Frank, no! in the background of a 911 call on the night of the murder. Frank is Smith's middle name and one he used regularly.

Taking all the evidence together, Dalton concluded, there is not a reasonable probability that the recently-discovered DNA evidence would have prevented Mr. Smith's prosecution or conviction.

Smith previously sought to prove that fingerprint evidence used against him was unreliable. Crime scene investigators testified they found a bloody palm print on the sheet next to Judith Smiths body that was missing two fingers  the same two fingers that Oscar Smith is missing on his left hand. A fingerprint expert hired by Smith later opined that the investigator made numerous errors and could not have definitively identified the print.

In one example, the investigators own fingerprint was found on the awl, demonstrating incompetence and lack of professionalism, according to Smith's filing. A panel of the Tennessee Criminal Court of Appeal last month upheld a lower courts ruling rejecting Smiths fingerprint analysis claims. Smith has appealed.
Nairobi  Four prison warders have been arrested in a police recruitment fraud syndicate after obtaining more than Sh2 million.

Inspector-General of Police Hilary Mutyambai said the suspects were arrested following a complaint lodged by two people who had been conned some money in Kiamumbi area.

According to police, the two, Stellah Kemunto and Joash Ounde made a report at Kiamumbi Police Station after they were asked to collect recruitment letters from a specific location within Kiamumbi.

They told police that they became suspicious when they realised that the four suspects had more letters and were distributing them to anyone who would pay for them.

"Upon the arrival of police officers at the scene, the suspects attempted to flee but during the melee, four of them were arrested and twenty (20) additional fake letters recovered," Mutyambai said in a statement on the official police Twitter account.

Four Kenya Prisons Service' officers linked with issuance of fake NPS recruit reporting letters and fleecing the victims of Ksh. 2.1million were arrested today.

In the early morning incident, Stellah Kemunto and Joash Ounde made a report at Kiamumbi Police Station citing pic.twitter.com/5KauwgMAsu-- National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) April 9, 2022

The suspects are detained at the Kiamumbi Police Station and will be charged on Monday.
The Telegraph

EDWARDSVILLE  A Cottage Hills man has been charged with multiple felony charges relating to the sexual assault and abuse of a nine-year-old girl.

Terry W. Smith, 34, of Cottage Hills, was charged April 8 with three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, an enhanced Class X felony; predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, a Class 1 felony; and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, both Class 2 felonies.
SPRINGFIELD  Landlords in Illinois have expressed concerns about a bill they claim gives more choices for residents in public housing, but provides less autonomy for landlords.

The measure, which amends the Homelessness Prevention Act, passed both chambers of the General Assembly last week and now awaits being sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The legislation mandates that landlords participate in Section 8, a federal rental assistance program for low income individuals where monthly rent is determined by income. Currently, in Illinois, Section 8 is a voluntary program for landlords who opt-in to participate.

Paul Arena, director of legislative affairs at the Illinois Rental Property Association, said landlords will lose control if the bill is signed into law.

It's a blank check for government to further control rental property moving forward, and that is why it is so dangerous, Arena said.

Under the measure, landlords would continue to be able to screen tenants. However, if those tenants meet the landlords criteria, and the tenants use Section 8 subsidies, landlords would be required to sign Section 8 contracts and abide by Section 8 rules and restrictions.

The legislation also mandates that housing providers who require tenants or prospective tenants to have a certain threshold level of income must subtract any subsidies the tenant receives from the monthly rent before calculating if the income criteria have been met.

The bills sponsor, state Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-Chicago, said the law has been enacted in 19 other states with success.

No one across the country that has this law has repealed it, Ford said. It is the right thing to do, and it was great negotiations because even the realtors decided to be in support.

State Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, said the bill will harm the state.

"I would say that this is a dramatic shift in public policy in Illinois," Barickman said. "It's going to have a detrimental effect on the very people the legislation is intended to serve and for those reasons, I would encourage a no vote."

The Illinois Rental Property Owners Association, Illinois Realtors, and Illinois Manufactured Housing Association all opposed the bill.
Yaounde, Cameroon  Cameroonian authorities said Friday that separatists had attacked a village on the Nigerian border earlier in the week, with local officials saying they torched at least 12 homes and killed six people. Authorities say the rebels appeared to be targeting members of the Mbororo ethnic group, who the separatists accuse of collaborating with government troops.

The Cameroonian military said separatists shot indiscriminately in the air and torched houses in Mbonhong, a western village in Ndu district on the border with Nigeria. The military did not say how many houses were burned nor how many people were killed or wounded.

Separatists have shared videos of the attack on Mbonhong village on social media including WhatsApp and Facebook.

About 15 separatists in the videos say that they are avenging abuses committed against them by Cameroon's military and charge the government forces are using homes, farms and cattle ranches of ethnic Mbororo and Fulani as military bases. The fighters are seen torching about eight houses.

Capo Daniel, deputy defense chief of the Ambazonia Defense Forces, a separatist group, says fighters in Ndu district, where Mbonhong village is located, organized the attack.

"The operation [attack] that took place in Ndu, targeted the house of Mbororo who has been using his compound as a point where Cameroon military plan attacks," Danielo said. "As the Cameroon military has been unsuccessful in reaching our camps that are located in remote areas, they have increasingly turned to Mbororo people who are working hand in hand with the Cameroon military."

Daniel said the Ambazonia Defense Forces consider Mbororo people who collaborate with Cameroon government troops fighting separatists to be traitors and people who support separatist fighters as friends.

Nkwenti Simon Dooh, the highest-ranking government official in Donga Mantung, the division where Ndu is located, told Cameroon state broadcaster CRTV that a week hardly goes by without separatists attacking Mbororo.

"Armed groups benefit from the fact that the Mbororo populations are scattered over the hills to cause so many atrocities," he said. "They [separatists] carried away many herds of their [Mbororo] cattle, looted, killed and burnt most of their structures."

Dooh said that besides deploying the military to protect Mbororo, the government asked the ethnic group to create militias to collaborate with government troops in protecting goods and people.

Cameroon's National Institute of Statistics estimates that there are over a million Mbororo in the central African country. More than 70% of the Mbororo are cattle ranchers owning about 70% of the estimated 3 million cattle in the English-speaking regions.

Mohammed Umaru Abubakar, a Mbororo rights activist and member of the Human Rights Committee of the Mbororo Cultural and Development Association,

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said Mbororo are victims of brutality because the ethnic group has refused to support separatists fighting to carve out an independent English-speaking state in the majority French-speaking Cameroon.

Abubakar said the Mbororo are one of the ethnic groups that has suffered most from separatist brutality within the past four years.

"Three thousand eight hundred forty-two cattle were killed or seized or killed by the separatists, and over 5,000 cows have left the Northwest to other [safer] regions, while others [cattle] left for Nigeria," Abubakar said. "Over 195 million [have] been taken away from Mbororo people in the name of ransom. As of date, the statistics we have is about 325 Mbororo people that [have been] murdered by the separatists."

Abubakar said Cameroon should compensate Mbororo who have lost their cattle and protect ethnic group members from separatist attacks, looting and killing.

Separatists say they do not specifically target Mbororo, but they target all individuals and groups who collaborate with the Cameroon military. The United Nations says the Cameroon separatist crisis that turned into an armed conflict in 2017 has killed at least 3,300 people, and internally displaced some 750,000..
Sheldrick Holmes once worked in the Willis Tower. His masters degree in finance and accounting put him in a job with heft and responsibility. But he wasnt inspired.

He went to culinary school and in January 2020 opened the Grail Cafe in Chicagos South Loop. His cuisine was reasonably priced but inventive. There were layers of unexpected flavors. His butterfly tea was a magic show at the table, turning from sport-drink blue to a deep lavender as Holmes added ingredients.

But in March 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered businesses closed, unless they were deemed essential. Few small businesses fit his definitions.

The Grail Cafe took its first big hit.

Government was not fast or flexible. Emergency mandates were blanket policies. Holmes said the process for getting financial aid from state and local governments that had already collected volumes of information on businesses was arcane and laborious.

Each application took anywhere between two to five hours of getting the information and deciding which application to apply for within the timeframe. And thats a lot of work for a business owner after pulling an 11- to 12-hour shift, dealing with scheduling, ordering, trying not to forget to live and sleep, Holmes said.

He kept at it, relying on takeout at first.

But there was never more than two months in a row when he could just operate with table service as he had in early 2020, when he saw 300 customers a day.

Still, he is beaming in photos from that period. He engaged with all his customers as they dined, a sort of communion.

Then government shut him down again as the delta wave hit. It was a fatal blow.

Holmes tried to make it to the two-year mark, but fell just short. The Grail Cafe closed in November 2021, before it could face omicron restrictions.

One of the greatest things I really take from being a pandemic restaurant is the atmosphere of gratitude. I was so grateful for the customers coming in and keeping my business open, allowing me to live my dream, Holmes said.

Holmes said he hopes the pandemic leaves people with a greater appreciation for the hospitality workers who make going out possible. The pandemic thinned restaurant and leisure ranks, with nearly half losing their jobs in Illinois at the onset of the pandemic and only 72% of those jobs returning  the worst rate in the Midwest and third-worst in the nation.

Holmes lost his restaurant; 13 employees lost their jobs and the community lost a gathering place.

Across Illinois, there are 84,200 fewer leisure and hospitality jobs  42% of the total pandemic job loss  compared to before the pandemic.

While Illinois state and local governments did him no favors, left him with a significant financial wound and crushed one of his dreams, Holmes is not finished.

The people that are in the city are what makes the city, so Im going to take some ownership, to work on making the city better. Im going do a little bit more of that and see where it takes me, Holmes said. I still love Chicago.

And right there is the Illinois spirit: persistence in the face of adversity, hope for tomorrow, a work ethic that makes dreams happen and fierce pride in our home.

I won because I opened a business, and I kept it open, Holmes said.

Our government should not be so ossified and uncreative that it fails us when we most need it, whether we are out of a job or seeking promised help. A governor should not be allowed to issue blanket orders for two years.

As we mark the second anniversary of the Illinois pandemic shutdown, we should take time to mourn. We lost more than 33,000 people we cared about. We lost more than 1.2 million total jobs. We lost control of our government. We lost butterfly tea.

But we didnt lose what makes us Illinoisans, and we thank Holmes for reminding us of that.
SPRINGFIELD  Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday named a former Cook County judge and the chief of staff of his Republican predecessor to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board.

Both of those appointees, ex-Cook County Judge Robin Shoffner and Republican former Gov. Bruce Rauners chief of staff Rodger Heaton, passed unanimously through committee on Friday night and received full Senate approval in the early hours of Saturday morning along with two other appointees who were awaiting action.

Appointees to the PRB have drawn heavy Republican scrutiny in the past year as the Senate delayed hearing several of Pritzkers appointees to the board that determines the release conditions of those held in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Last month, two appointees, Jeff Mears and Eleanor Kaye Wilson, failed to win Senate approval. A third appointee, Oreal James, resigned. Those members had received scrutiny for granting release to convicted killers of law enforcement officers or other controversial parole actions.

Pritzker also pulled the appointment of Max Cerda, a convicted murder, after it appeared it would not have the votes to win Senate approval.

Criminal justice advocates and Pritzker had warned that the dysfunction at the board would cause it to be unable to serve important functions, including determining whether to revoke parole, as the board lacked the quorum needed to act.

Those failed confirmations, coupled with the pulled appointment and resignation, led to postponement of the April clemency docket. As of Friday, the PRB website said it had been postponed until May 26, as the addition of the two members will bring the board up to the eight members needed for a quorum.

Heaton served from 2005 to 2009 as U.S. Attorney for Central District of Illinois after he was appointed by President George W. Bush. In 2015, Heaton joined the Rauner administration where he served as homeland security advisor and director of public safety before becoming chief of staff in 2017. Heaton graduated from the University of Illinois and Indiana University School of Law.

Shoffner is a partner in the Chicago law firm of Nathan & Kamionski. She served several years as a civil trial judge in Cook County. She also served as a trial attorney for the city of Chicago. Shoffner has an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and a law degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. She was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1990.

Shoffner will fill the vacancy of former Prisoner Review Board member Virginia Martinez, a Rauner appointee.

Heaton will replace Joseph Ruggiero. Last month, Pritzker pulled the appointment of Ruggiero for the second time before a Senate confirmation vote. Ruggiero, 62, served for three years after his appointment by Rauner.

Three board members  LeAnn Miller, Jared Bohland and Ken Tupy  were still awaiting Senate approval before Friday. Tupy and Bohland were recommended by the Senate Executive Appointments Committee unanimously and were approved with Heaton and Shoffner early Saturday. Miller was previously recommended by the committee but did not receive a vote Saturday.

One of Pritzkers most vocal critics on the PRB issue, Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, said in a statement released on Friday that the PRB is a critical to Illinois public safety and hes glad to see the vacancies addressed.
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ALTON  OSF HealthCare Saint Anthonys Health Center in Alton has announced a new strategic affiliation with SSM Health, a Catholic health care system based in the St. Louis area.

Hospital and healthcare providers can no longer operate in silos and must be willing to embrace meaningful collaboration that will result in availability of high quality, sustainable health care across their communities, said OSF Saint Anthonys President Jerry Rumph.

According to Rumph, the strategic affiliation brings an expanded network of specialty and subspecialty physicians to Saint Anthony's. One of the first collaborations is the addition of Dr. Sridhar Kumar, an SLUCare cardiologist at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital who will become chief of Cardiology Services at OSF Saint Anthonys.

Dr. Kumar will oversee a wide range of cardiac interventions, including state-of-the-art treatments, invasive and non-invasive testing, and medical management of heart failure and vascular diseases," Rumph said. "He also brings unique experience with adult congenital heart conditions and has spent decades performing interventional cardiac procedures.

Officials at OSF Saint Anthonys and SSM Health said they are excited about the new affiliation and are developing more opportunities to add medical specialties to the Riverbend. The new affiliation provides OSF Saint Anthonys patients who require a higher level of care with access to SSM Health medical experts and state of the art facilities with the latest technologies and procedures.

SSM Health has a 150-year history of providing exceptional health care to the community," said Jeremy Fotheringham, president of SSM Health in St. Louis and Academics, said. "Were proud to partner with OSF Saint Anthonys allowing for even greater access to high-level cardiac care in the Alton community.

OSF HealthCare Saint Anthonys Health Center is a 49-bed acute care hospital in Alton and home to the OSF Moeller Cancer Center. It provides 24-hour access to a physician-staffed emergency department in addition to cardiovascular, neurology, pulmonology, surgical and rehabilitation services.

OSF Saint Anthonys is part of OSF HealthCare's integrated health system of 15 hospitals in Illinois and Michigan operated by The Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis.

SSM Health is a Catholic, not-for-profit health system with nearly 40,000 employees and more than 11,000 providers. SSM Health in St. Louis operates eight hospitals, six urgent care locations, four SSM Health Express Clinics and more than 40 medical offices. For more information, visit ssmhealth.com or find SSM Health on Facebook or Twitter.
The future arrived at Dallas Love Field last month. And I can say with confidence that the future aint what it used to be.

Airport personnel have decided to embrace the future of technology and install robots in the concourse. They are primarily programmed to monitor passengers and ensure the mask mandates are being observed. Think of them as high tech busy-bodies.

Officials have been especially pleased with the performance of the new bots. So much so that they bot some more. Now theyve got lots and lots of bots. There are even bots for tots. Some are in the works to transport people in boats to the airport. These are the rowbots.

The robots can tell if youre not wearing a mask and are programmed to politely ask you to put one on. After 2 or 3 proddings its no more Mr. Nice Guy. The software code will default to DEFCON 1 and then all hell breaks loose usually resulting in broken bones or missing or cracked teeth.

These are the North Korean models which are licensed and sold as the Terminator version. If you disobey them, you can become terminal at the terminal very quickly if you know what I mean.

They are designed to exhibit more human-like behavior, but the kinks still have to be worked out. If someone tries to explain to the robot why they are not complying with the mask mandate or some other silly, arbitrary rule at the airport, the robot simply repeats, That does not compute. just like an ordinary government bureaucrat would do until the exasperated person gives up and either complies or contemplates suicide.

Robots outside the terminal are programmed to help little old ladies cross the street, pick up litter, yell at you for not picking up after your pet and chastise people lingering too long in the pick-up zone. When they spot someone taking too much time (which is usually more than a couple of milliseconds at most major airports), they are programmed to issue verbal warnings that increase in intensity and volume designed to be even more annoying than an overbearing mother-in-law.

They can ultimately issue a call to the security police and have you arrested and your car towed away by another towbot to an undisclosed location where you will have as much luck finding it as you do your lost luggage.

Airport officials are especially pleased with the 100% attendance record of the robots who never call in sick, take smoke breaks, lunch breaks or contemplate joining a union. The only downtime the robots need is to recharge their batteries (like people), grab a quick byte or when they get a software update and need to reboot like an old sitcom.

However, many of the robots have been getting computer software viruses, which usually take a week to 10 days to get over. Which just goes to show you that even for high tech gadgets such as robots, there is as yet no cure for the common code.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion, and the United Nations has verified the deaths of 142 youngsters, though the number is almost certainly much higher, the U.N. childrens agency said Monday.

Manuel Fontaine, UNICEFs emergency programs director who just returned from Ukraine, said having 4.8 million of Ukraines 7.5 million children displaced in such a short time is quite incredible. He said it is something he hadnt before seen happen so quickly in 31 years of humanitarian work.

They have been forced to leave everything behind  their homes, their schools and, often, their family members, he told the U.N. Security Council. I have heard stories of the desperate steps parents are taking to get their children to safety, and children saddened that they are unable to get back to school.

Ukraines U.N. ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, claimed Russia has taken more than 121,000 children out of Ukraine and reportedly drafted a bill to simplify and accelerate adoption procedures for orphans and even those who have parents and other relatives. He said most of the children were removed from the besieged southern port city of Mariupol and taken to eastern Donetsk and then to the Russian city of Taganrog.

Fontaine said UNICEF has heard the same reports, but added that we dont have yet the access that we need to have to be able to look and verify and see if we can assist.

He said that of Ukraine's displaced children, 2.8 million are in Ukraine and 2 million more are in other countries. At the same time, he said, nearly half the estimated 3.2 million children still in their homes in Ukraine may be at risk of not having enough food, with those in besieged cities like Mariupol facing the most dire situation.

Fontaine said school closings are affecting the education of 5.7 million younger children and 1.5 million students in higher education.

Hundreds of schools and educational facilities have been attacked or used for military purposes, he said. Others are serving as shelters for civilians.

The council also heard from Sima Bahous, the executive director of the UN Women agency, who recently returned from Moldova, which is hosting an estimated 95,000 Ukrainian refugees.

Bahous said her agency is increasingly hearing allegations of rape and sexual violence. She said Moldovas government and border police are also very concerned at the risk of human trafficking, especially of young women and unaccompanied teenagers.

The combination of mass displacement with the large presence of conscripts and mercenaries, and the brutality displayed against Ukrainian civilians, has raised all red flags, she said.

Ukraines ambassador said his country's prosecutors office is now investigating a case in the Kyiv region in which a Russia soldier is alleged to have killed a local resident and then repeatedly raped his wife in their home. He said the alleged perpetrator has been identified.

Kyslytsya said the Prosecutor Generals Office, in cooperation with investigation agencies and health facilities, is also installing a special mechanism to document cases of sexual violence by Russian soldiers.

The Security Council meeting on the impact of the war on women and children was convened by the U.S. and Albania during Britains presidency of the body.

The three countries, Ukraine and other council members attacked Russia for creating the dire situation for women and children, which Russian deputy ambassador Dmitry Polyansky vehemently denied.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that when men like Russian President Vladimir Putin start wars, women and children get displaced, hurt, raped and abused, and they die.

Since the start of Russias unprovoked war against Ukraine, Russia has bombed orphanages and maternity hospitals, she said. Weve seen mass graves with dead children stacked on top of each other.

Albanian Ambassador Ferit Hoxha accused Russia of committing unspeakable crimes every day, including burning civilians, throwing bodies in mass graves, shooting into playgrounds, attacking schools on purpose, and leaving all Ukrainians suffering, especially women and children.

In their normal life, children draw parents, houses and trees. Russia's war has made Ukraine kids draw bombs, tanks and weapons, Hoxha said.

Both the U.S. and Albanian ambassadors, and many others, pointed to the discovery of bodies, some with hands tied behind their backs, in the town of Bucha on the outskirts of Kyiv following the withdrawal of Russian troops, and the missile that killed at least 52 mainly women and children at the train station in eastern Kramatorsk. Hoxha noted that the missile had a vicious signature, `for our children.

Russia's Polyansky blamed Ukrainian Nazis for civilian killings in Bucha and the bombing at the Kramatorsk station, which he called a classic false flag operation.

He accused Ukraine and its public relations experts, along with the West, of promoting fakes and propaganda as part of the information war unleashed against Russia.

That war is as intense as the military operations on the ground, he said.

Lord Tariq Ahmad, Britain's minister of state for the U.N. who presided over the meeting, countered that Russia again was trying to deflect from the reality on the ground by what can only be described as quite extraordinary statements, and even lies.

Yet, what is true, what is fact, is that Russian attacks on civilians and residential areas have been truly barbaric, he said.
IVY GOODMAN, Stonington, Girls, Lacrosse, Senior; Goodman scored 12 goals and had 13 assists in three games. Her seven assists in the Bears win over Waterford established a school record. She surpassed the 50-goal mark for the season in Stoningtons victory over Ledyard.

DEAN PONS JR., Westerly, Baseball, Senior; Pons, a senior, struck out 14 batters in the Bulldogs five-inning win against Wheeler School/Rocky Hill. Pons had an assist on the remaining out, throwing out a runner on a groundout. Pons allowed just one hit and walked only two.

KATIE PIERCE, Wheeler, Girls, Lacrosse, Sophomore; Pierce scored five goals and the Lions beat Griswold to earn their first victory of the season. Wheeler avenged an earlier loss to the Wolverines this season with the 15-4 victory.

WEEKO THOMPSON, Chariho, Girls, Track Sophomore; Thompson, a sophomore, bettered her school record in the discus at the Classical Classic meet. She finished first in the event and also won the shot put.

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April 11, 2022 De Lima urges COMELEC to urgently address reported issues on overseas absentee voting Re-electionist Senator Leila M. de Lima appealed to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to address reported concerns and problems flagged by overseas absentee voters from different parts of the world. De Lima, a former election lawyer, said COMELEC should not disregard the reported lack of effort from the Philippine posts to inform absentee voters about electoral processes, as it could deprive the latter of their right to suffrage, if not invalidate their votes. "The recent concern raised by community leaders of OFWs about alleged lack of effort of some Philippine embassies and consulates to disseminate important election-related information and timely inform overseas Filipino voters about the electoral processes is truly alarming," she said. "Nagsimula na ang absentee voting na magtatagal hanggang May 9, at kung hindi maayos na matugunan ang mga isyu na kinakaharap ng mga kababayan natin sa abroad ay maraming boto ang maaaring masayang, o kaya naman ay maging sanhi ng iregularidad at pandaraya," she added. Recently, representatives of Filipino groups based in Hong Kong, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and the United States reportedly said that there could be disenfranchisement among overseas voters because of the alleged "unpreparedness" of some Philippine embassies and consulates in conducting the month-long polling exercise. For one, according to Migrante Saudi Arabia Chairperson Marlon Gatdula, domestic helpers do not have "legal basis" for asking for a day off from their employers so they can vote. There were also reports noting how there was supposedly no effort done on the part of consulates to make sure addresses of those on the list of voters are correct, which could result to a ballot being returned to the consulate concerned and ending up being wasted. Notably, there are two modes of voting for overseas Filipinos in the 2022 elections - personal, where they appear in person at Philippine consulates and embassies to shade their ballots, or postal voting, where the consular offices mail the ballots to the voters, and the voters will send them back. Amid ongoing concerns on absentee voting, De Lima also urged registered oversees voters to make sure that their ballots are sealed and remain vigilant when they cast their votes. "Mahalaga ang ating boto at dapat mabilang ito, kaya hinihikayat ko ang lahat ng ating mga kababayan sa iba't ibang panig ng mundo, na bukod sa responsableng pagpili ng mga kandidato ay maging mapagmatyag sa mga posibleng pandaraya o iregularidad. Huwag nating hayaang masayang ang boto natin," she said. Reportedly, over 1.6 million Filipinos are registered to vote overseas - a drop for the first time since overseas elections began in 2004. More than 2 million Filipinos returned to the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic, some because of displacement.
Addis Abeba  Contractors who are engaged in the construction of state-managed condominiums projects in the capital Addis Abeba said they were subjected to various social crises because they had not been paid for up to two years. In some cases, even payments that were approved as recently as June last year were not disbursed to the Contractors.

As a result, the Contractors were unable to pay their workers and are forced to disperse them without paying their salaries, which in tern resulted in halting construction works. The absence of security guards, who had to be laid off their work, were also exposing the unfinished condominium houses to extensive thefts and property damages. Furthermore, the contractors were unable to service loans owed to various banks, deepening the social and economic problems they were facing.

The contractors, who spoke to party owned FanaBC, said they had repeatedly approached the offices of relevant authorities including the Addis Abeba Housing Development Corporation and the city Administration, for payments to the works they have done, but had not received a proper response.

Gashaw Tefera, Communication Bureau head at the Addis Abeba Housing Development Corporation Communication Director, admitted the payment delayed but said it was because the Corporation was unable to raise bond loans due to various man-made and natural disasters the country including drought, locust invasion, the war in northern Ethiopia. Gashaw also mentioned the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which required the government's full attention.

Gashaw said he was unsure as to when the contractors will be paid because "the money is not in our hands" but as soon as the bond loan is released the contractors who are under the Corporation will have priority to receive payments.
The boss of Channel 4 has unveiled plans to keep it in public hands as the Government mulls a stock market listing for the broadcaster.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and officials at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport are reportedly working with US investment bank JP Morgan to list Channel 4 on the London Stock Exchange if a buyer cannot be found.

In good company: Alex Mahon pictured with Hollywood actor George Clooney

However, its chief executive, Alex Mahon, said her plan retains the broadcaster's taxpayer-owned status, would 'put billions more into every corner of the UK' and help create thousands of jobs.

Part of her strategy involves the creation of a joint venture funded by private money that would invest an extra 200m into programming each year.

Writing in The Sunday Times online, Mahon added that her plans would increase the proportion of Channel 4's budget spent outside the M25 to 50 per cent from the current 35 per cent.

The privatisation has been controversial, with critics saying Dorries's plans are politically motivated as the broadcaster is funded by advertising and does not cost taxpayers money.
Kerry Robinson, left, and his sister Miranda embrace shortly after his release from the Coffee County Correctional Facility. Robinson spent nearly 18 years behind bars for a rape he did not commit.

Photo courtesy of Georgia Innocence Project
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Cumberland, MD (21502)

Today

Occasional rain. High near 50F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

Tonight

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 41F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Caroline Eloise Hutchens, 83, resident of Thomasville, GA was born in Denver, Colorado on May 18, 1938 to Jack and Crispina Marie Sanders. She is survived by her brother Salvador Sanders of Long Beach, CA, her aunt Mary of Canyon City, CO and two children Cherrie Leidigh of Thomasville, GA a
Addis Abeba  Protests erupted during salat prayers in different mosques across Addis Abeba today after many schools in the city prevented students from holding prayers and other activities on school premises. Students wearing school uniforms and many followers were seen at the protests, a source told Addis Standard.

Abdul Bakar, a student who was at Anwar Mosque told Addis Standard by phone that some of the protestors who showcased different banners were arrested by Addis Abeba police. "None of us did anything wrong. We just want the government to stop interfering in religious matters."

He continued, " We are here protesting the Addis Abeba education bureau's statement prohibiting religious activities in school compounds. We will continue protesting until our demands are met."

Addis Standard reached out to the public relations head of Addis Abeba police commission, Commander Fasika Fenta who explained that he was attending a meeting and that he doesn't have information on that matter.

Addis Abeba City Education Bureau reported two days ago that the city's education bureau officials and school principals discussed that the issue of activities in some schools under the guise of religion was observed and that the practice violates the governing students. It was also raised in the discussion that some students tend to engage in religious activities on campus and political agendas were being brought to schools.

Reports emerged this week showing that many schools were preventing Muslim students both from observing prayer practices in the ongoing holy month of Ramadan and in some instances, keeping the students out of classes as a response.

This resulted in frustrations among the Muslim community. "The question of who and what was behind the campaign to keep students out of school due to the prayers that started during the holy month of Ramadan in many schools has become a question for many of us, "Prominent Muslim scholar, Ustaz Abubeker Ahmed said.
Kingsport, TN (37660)

Today

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. High near 60F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 49F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Maurice Manning, author of seven books of poetry and a college professor, is the keynote speaker for ETSU's Spring Literary Festival. He will give a poetry reading and field questions from the audience during the eighth annual Jack Higgs Memorial Reading at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13, at the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts.
Addis Abeba  Judges at the Federal High Court, Lideta Division, First Anti-Terrorism and Constitutional Affairs Criminal bench have today ordered the federal prosecutors to summon 37 defendants in the file name of Tigray state leader Debretsion Gebremichael (PhD) by newspaper and national TV notices.

The court's ruling followed after the federal police said they were unable to summon the defendants to appear in court due to security concerns. This was despite repeated issuance of court subpoena, the police said.

The plaintiff's attorney did not object to the court's ruling that the defendants be summoned by newspaper and broadcast notices to appear in court.

Out of the 62 defendants in the trial file, on 07 January, federal prosecutors discontinued the charges against former senior TPLF officials including Sebhat Nega, Mulu G/Egziabher, Kidusan Nega, Ambassador Abadi Zemu, and Abay Woldu.

A total of 17 defendants are in police custody facing charges of a range of criminal allegations including terrorism. They include Keriya Ibrahim, former Speaker of the House of Federation, Addis Alem Balema, former Tigray region vice president who was also appointed as Director General of Policy Research Institute by PM Abiy Ahmed in 2020, and Dr. Abraham Tekeste, former state minister of finance and economic development.

In the hearing today, the judges adjourned the next hearing until May 16, in order to await the outcome of the public summon notices. If the defendants failed to appear, the trial will proceed in their absence.

It is to be recalled that in March last year, the Federal Police told a federal court that Keriya was already released from detention. But in May of the same year, she was taken back to police custody after refusing to testify against her co-defendants. She told the court that she had never agreed to testify against the defendants. "I told the prosecutor from the beginning. I never agreed to be the prosecutor's witness" she said.

Background

Initially, there were only twenty former and current TPLF leaders including Sibhat Nega and Keriya Ibrahim who were detained and were appearing in federal court in Addis Abeba; they made their first appearance on January 15, 2021.

The police accused them of organizing an illegal group to "overthrow the constitutional order, attacking the Northern Command, inciting youths to fight, looting fuel depots, and killing several members of the Defense Forces." The Federal Police Criminal Investigation Team also allege that they had been involved in "unconstitutional activities related to creating connections with different foreign countries, fundraising for war, shooting rocket-propelled grenades at airports in Gonder and Bahir Dar, and other crimes," charges all the accused deny.

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The federal court has since issued arrest warrants for the remaining TPLF military and political leadership and separated the files into the two groups: military and political leadership of the regional state. The arrest warrant include against the first defendant Debretsion who is currently based in Mekelle as president of the regional state, and Getachew Reda, advisor to the president and TPLF executive committee member. Prosecutors filed terrorism charges against all the 62 defendants on 23 July 2021. Only six of them have since been released.
Ukrainian troops have repulsed several Russian assaults in the countrys east, the focus of a new offensive by the invading forces, British intelligence said on Monday, while President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this week will be crucial to the course of the war.

Austrian leader Karl Nehammer planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday and will call for an end to the conflict. It would be Putins first face-to-face meeting with a European Union leader since Russias invasion started on Feb. 24.

Russian forces were also pushing their offensive to establish control over the southern port city of Mariupol, a key target whose capture would link up areas of Russian control to the west and east.

The Russian invasion has left a trail of death of destruction that has drawn condemnation from Western countries and triggered concern about Putins broader ambitions.

About a quarter of Ukraines 44 million population have been forced from their homes, cities turned into rubble, and thousands of people have been killed or injured  many of them civilians.

Russian forces have abandoned their attempt to capture the capital Kyiv but are redoubling their efforts in Ukraines east. Britains defence ministry said Russian shelling continued in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Ukrainian forces had beaten back several assaults and destroyed Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery equipment, it said in its regular intelligence bulletin.

The report also said Russias continued reliance on unguided bombs greatly increased the risk of further civilian casualties.

Powerful explosions rocked cities in the south and east and air raid sirens blared out across Ukraine early on Monday.

IT MUST STOP

President Zelenskiy kept up his tireless campaign to generate international support and rally his countrymen, warning the coming week would be important and tense.

Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state. They may use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs. But we are preparing for their actions. We will answer. he said in a late night video address.

He was due to address South Koreas parliament by videolink on Monday.

The general staff of Ukraines armed forces said it was likely the Russians would try to disrupt supply lines and strike at transport infrastructure.

Russias defence ministry said high-precision missiles had destroyed the headquarters of Ukraines Dnipro battalion in the town of Zvonetsky.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he would meet Putin on Monday in Moscow.

Since Russia invaded, Zelenskiy has appealed to Western powers to provide more defence help, and to punish Moscow with tougher sanctions including embargoes on its energy exports.

Zelenskiy said he had confidence in his own armed forces but unfortunately I dont have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need from the United States.

CIVILIAN TOLL

Mounting civilian casualties have triggered widespread international condemnation and new sanctions.

Ludmila Zabaluk, head of the Dmytriv Village Department, north of Kyiv, said dozens of civilian bodies were found in the area.

There were more than 50 dead people. They shot them from close distance. Theres a car where a 17-year-old child was burned, only bones left. A woman had half her head blown off. A bit farther, a man lying near his car was burned alive.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports.

Moscow has rejected accusations of war crimes by Ukraine and Western countries. It has repeatedly denied targeting civilians in what it calls a special operation to demilitarise and denazify its southern neighbour. Ukraine and Western nations have dismissed this as a baseless pretext for war.

ECONOMIC COST

French bank Societe Generale (SOGN.PA) became the latest company to retreat from Russia, agreeing to sell its stake in Rosbank and the Russian lenders insurance subsidiaries to Interros Capital, a firm linked to billionaire Vladimir Potanin.

The Russian invasion has triggered a barrage of financial sanctions from the United States, Europe and Britain, prompting Western companies to sell their Russian assets.

SocGen had faced mounting pressure to cut ties with Russia and end its more than 15-year investment in Rosbank.

The World Bank on Sunday forecast the war would cause Ukraines economic output to collapse by 45% this year, with half of its businesses shuttered, grain exports mostly cut off by Russias naval blockade and destruction rendering economic activity impossible in many areas.

The bank forecast Russias GDP would contract by 11.2% this year due to punishing Western sanctions.

SOURCE: REUTERS
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MENANDS  A local philanthropy donated $1 million to the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society on Monday, by far the largest contribution in the shelter's 135-year history.

The donation was given by Business for Good, the foundation created by Ed and Lisa Mitzen of Saratoga Springs. The humane society's headquarters was named for Lisa Mitzen after the donation was unveiled Monday.

"I have loved animals for as long as I can remember," Lisa Mitzen told a crowd gathered at the humane society for the announcement.

The donation will become part of the capital campaign for the humane society's building, which was erected in 2017. It also will help fund the variety of services offered at the facility as well as future projects. The humane society cares for thousands of animals a year, feeding and sheltering them until they can be adopted. The facility offers veterinary services for the animals on-site as well as pets.

The humane society also is at the forefront of animal abuse cases and works with the local law enforcement agencies that handle harm and neglect cases.

The donation was the second sizeable local contribution announced by the Business for Good in less than a week.

Last week, the Upstate New York Black Chamber of Commerce revealed its plan to relocate to the former University Club building in downtown Albany with the assistance of a $350,000 donation from Business for Good, which also recently purchased the building for $950,000.

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 chamber plans to put the donation toward hiring more staff but won't immediately be moving into the space because it needs renovations first.

Ed Mitzen, the founder of a number of businesses, has had a wildly successful career in health care marketing. Fingerpaint, headquartered in Saratoga Springs, is his current company. The success provided the Mitzens with the means to go into philanthropy.

Business for Good, a nonprofit, was the next step. The Mitzens' philosophy is to achieve social change through business. The target of their charitable giving is food insecurity, housing instability and education inequity.
LAKE GEORGE  The Lake George Park Commission is seeking Adirondack Park Agency approval to conduct trials with a controversial herbicide in two dense patches of invasive Eurasian watermilfoil.

After years of milfoil management, the expense is adding up and the results are discouraging. Park commissioners believe the herbicide, ProcellaCOR, is the solution theyve been looking for. Other environmental organizations are not so sure.

The two trial treatments would test the effectiveness of the herbicide in Lake George and, if successful, mark the beginning of an integrated milfoil management plan. The targeted infestations are on the eastern side, in Blairs Bay in Hague and Sheep Meadow Bay near Huletts Landing.

For over three decades, the Lake George Park Commission (LGPC) has used various methods to quell the invasive plant in Lake George, such as diver-assisted suction harvesting  where divers uproot the milfoil and feed it through a vacuum tube to be ejected onto a boat  and laying benthic mats to smother growth. Residents and businesses have seen boating, angling and swimming hampered by stands of invasive milfoil clouding the water. In 2021, nearly 68 tons of milfoil were removed from the lake, according to the LGPCs website.

Historically, annual management in Blairs Bay has averaged $15,000 to $20,000 per acre, according to the commission. In contrast, the ProcellaCOR pilot treatments average $8,000 per acre. Executive Director David Wick said in a March meeting that the park commission believes the herbicide is a cost-effective and ecologically beneficial solution to be used in areas that have not responded well to conventional management practices.

The LGPC is encouraged by the success of the only other Adirondack lake to be treated with ProcellaCOR: The town of Minerva struggled to suppress the Eurasian watermilfoil problem in its lake until in 2020 the APA granted their appeal to use the herbicide. There, a stretch of 41 acres was dosed with 8.73 gallons of ProcellaCOR. Within two weeks the milfoil disappeared. No Eurasian watermilfoil growth, save for a single stem, was found in a plant survey of Minerva Lake last summer administered by SOLitude Lake Management. Non-target plant growth rebounded, and three new species were identified.

Still, some environmental organizations have reservations about the use of an herbicide that has been registered by the EPA only since 2018.

The Lake George Association (LGA) feels ProcellaCOR is not a proper management tool for the lake. Chris Navitsky, LGA waterkeeper, believes there is a lack of conclusive research regarding its full and long-term effects on native species, including insects and other small animals that live at the bottom of the lake. He points to the EPAs registration for the active ingredient in ProcellaCOR, florpyrauxifen-benzyl, which reads, For freshwater benthic invertebrates, the submitted study showed toxicity at all of the levels tested, resulting in uncertainty regarding what level of (ProcellaCOR) in the environment would be below the threshold for toxicity.

The EPA review describes ProcellaCOR as effective at much lower dosages and with minimal "non-target" impacts when compared to older herbicides. The maximum application rate permitted is far lower than the contaminants allowed for the New York State Drinking Water Standard.

Though it might be safer than its predecessors, ProcellaCOR still harms other species besides Eurasian watermilfoil.

Native milfoils showed they were nearly as sensitive to ProcellaCOR EC as Eurasian watermilfoil, according to a technical summary by the environmental management firm SePro. Several kinds of water lily, including watershield and yellow water lily, also had temporary reactions to the herbicide. While there are no species of water lily in the pilot sites, there is a native milfoil.

Alternate-flower watermilfoil (Myriophyllum alterniflorum) was detected in Blairs and Sheep Meadow bays, initial plant surveys found. M. alterniflorum is on New York's rare and endangered species list and is common in Lake George.

In response to concerns about potential impacts on native milfoil, Wick said in the March meeting that the DEC was not worried the ProcellaCOR pilot applications would wipe out native species from the lake. He said the treatment covers four acres in a lake of 28,000 acres, and that annual surveys following ProcellaCOR application will check for native plant regrowth.

The LGA does not share the park commissions confidence.

Navitsky cited the EPA permit registering ProcellaCOR as an herbicide to be used in slow-moving/quiescent waters with little or no continuous outflow  a description he says does not match Lake George, which is a deep oligotrophic lake, meaning it is low in plant nutrients. He fears water currents would disperse the herbicide far beyond the confines of the treatment sites.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

Navitsky says the absence of Eurasian milfoil in the entirety of Minerva Lake  not just the areas dosed with ProcellaCOR  proves the herbicide cannot be isolated in one place. He worries about the consequences to non-target species and says even though native milfoil is widespread in Lake George, it is still endangered and should be protected.

The LGAs claim that ProcellaCOR will cause harm by spreading throughout the lake, the park commission said, does not consider the fact that the herbicide would become highly diluted in lake water. As for concerns about ProcellaCORs suitability in the moving waters of the lake, the park commission emphasizes the pilot sites have been visited and approved by APA and DEC staff, as well as a member of SOLitude Lake Management.

Navitsky, the waterkeeper, is not alone in his concerns: 88 percent of the comments submitted during the APAs public comment period spoke against ProcellaCOR use in Lake George. Commenters say they feel there are too many unknowns to justify applying the herbicide without further study. Many commenters worry the herbicide will compromise drinking water supply and harm the ecosystem.

Adirondack Council Director of Communications John Sheehan said until there is ample evidence proving the herbicide is safe over the long term, the council will continue to support things like more vigilant control of boat launches instead.

It is unlikely that you will hear an endorsement for any herbicide chemical treatment from the organization just because of our long-term concerns over long-term impacts, Sheehan said. There are no pesticides or herbicides that are considered to be 100 percent safe by any government entity.

The Adirondack Lakes Alliance supports the Lake George pilot treatments. Executive Director Scott Ireland says the decision to hand-harvest or use ProcellaCOR isnt an either-or solution. It's all part of a comprehensive solution to fighting this.

Likewise, Wick told commissioners at a municipal briefing in March, Were not looking to replace our current diver-assisted methods solely with ProcellaCOR, and that the herbicide is another tool in the toolbox.

The DEC has already granted the park commission a permit to use the herbicide. Now the commission awaits the APAs verdict. The decision is likely to arrive at the next APA meeting on Thursday. Following endorsement, application would occur in early June of this year. With a treatment area of approximately eight acres, the process could be completed in a single day.

Dana Holmlund holds a degree in environmental studies and creative writing from SUNY Potsdam. This story first appeared in the Adirondack Explorer, a nonprofit news organization devoted to covering people and policy within the Blue Line.
A woman contacted State Police Maj. R. Anthony Oliver, the agency's commander in Ray Brook, seeking advice. Her son was about to take his driver's license test. She asked Oliver if she should tape his registration to the front of the glove box.

The mother didnt want her son  a person of color  killed for reaching into the compartment during a traffic stop, Oliver said.

Shes been exposed to the news, the feeling of Black children or people of color that they have a high incidence of getting shot by the police, he said. That breaks my heart.

These sentiments are crushing for Oliver, not only because the 57-year-old has served for more than three decades, but also because he grew up feeling safe around police. His father was an officer.

To me, when Im around a police officer, its comforting, Oliver said. I feel safe  but not everybody does.

Communities of color have experienced negative interactions with police for generations, said Lorenzo Boyd, a former police officer turned professor and law enforcement relations consultant. The result can lead to community trauma and "vicarious" trauma, where those negative images from historic events impact how people may act and feel around police.

Boyd works with communities and police agencies providing the points of view of both. Oliver and other area police officers met with Boyd in several discussions during an inaugural community policing initiative last year sponsored by the Adirondack Diversity Initiative.

Boyd and his colleagues with Renz Consulting worked with 52 officers across the North Country. More are expected to participate this year, including forest rangers and environmental conservation officers.

The training will cost $500,000 for five years. Private donors have funded the first two years.

The whole purpose of this training is to make a difference, Boyd said. We need to build bridges.

The diagnosis

The Adirondack Diversity Initiative formed in 2015. Executive Director Nicole Hylton-Patterson and co-founder Pete Nelson brought in Boyd to strengthen the relationship between police and Adirondack Park communities and visitors. Hylton-Patterson said his consulting firm would also help police agencies address state Executive Order 203. It requires local governments to review policies, procedures and practices and develop new plans to foster trust, fairness, and legitimacy, and to address any racial bias and disproportionate policing of communities of color.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued the order in June 2020, shortly after George Floyd was murdered by a white police officer in Minnesota.

While ADI is funding Renz Consulting, some local governments, including Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake, hired the consulting firm Lexipol to address the executive order. Lexipol, also started by former police officers, has been criticized by some entities, including the local Adirondack chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. They believe the companys program does not emphasize de-escalation techniques. In a statement to the Adirondack Explorer, a Lexipol spokesperson said its company policy requires officers to use de-escalation tactics when time and circumstances permit. The policies are also a starting point, the spokesperson added, and should be tailored to individual departments.

Boyd is a former deputy sheriff from Boston, who earned a doctorate in sociology from Northeastern University. He teaches at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. The founder and president of Renz Consulting, Boyd sets up seminars on best practices for policing.

Renz Consulting employs current and former police officers, lawyers, public safety specialists and criminal justice experts to lead programs. They have worked with more than 40 police agencies across the country.

Boyd also approaches the training as a doctor might: making a diagnosis, then prescribing treatment.

In September 2020, Boyd and his team held listening sessions in Saranac Lake and Lake Placid, hearing from community members, elected officials and local law enforcement agencies. His team read media reports going back two years. The research provided a perspective on what was happening in the North Country, Boyd said.

Boyd and his colleagues found that many of the officers in the region did not understand some community members anxiety in dealing with the police.

Officers assumed that people would see them as they saw themselves  as good public servants doing their job. They didnt realize that the national news of the police killings of Black people, such as Floyd and Breonna Taylor, made some people more apprehensive of police. Taylor was a 26-year-old killed by police in her Kentucky home.

Officers from the Essex County sheriffs department, Lake Placid and Potsdam police departments, New York State Polices Troop B, and State University of New York Potsdam campus police participated in the Renz Consulting training.

Boyd said much of the training calls for introspection. He asks questions like, Why do you feel the way you feel, and why do you believe the way you believe? Officers are given a safe space in a classroom to be open and honest about their feelings and answers.

The classroom is where I want you to make the mistakes, Boyd said.

The first session focused on the history of policing in the United States and where some of the bad relationships between police and communities of color started.

In the second session, participants talked about the concept of justice and profiling by proxy. For example, Boyd said he had copious examples of a white person calling the police about a suspicious Black person in my community. Its the police officers job, Boyd explained, to find out what a person might be doing that is suspicious.

Because you dont see Black people, that doesnt mean that theyre suspicious when you do see them, Boyd said. Our job is to normalize the diversity of people that use the Adirondack Park.

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 second session delved into how news reports showing police using force against people of color can affect the way community members address and see officers.

Officers are given homework. Some of it involves engaging with the community rather than focusing on law enforcement, a term that Boyd said generally implies waiting for someone to do something wrong. "Policing" is a term that better reflects the service aspect of the job, he said.

The third session focused on what happens to peoples brains when they go through a traumatic event. Trainers talked about officer wellness, coping skills and the trauma police officers experience.

Boyd said Adirondack Park-area police have different challenges compared to those in places like Syracuse or New York City. In a city, an officers closest backup is probably around the corner, Boyd said, but in the Adirondacks, backup could be an hour away. Renz instructors brought up ways to engage and approach people, exit situations and resolve problems in rural settings.

Impact

Reynolds, 46, has been sheriff of one of the largest counties in New York for three years and has been policing for 22 years. He admitted feeling guarded upon entering the first session.

There was such a negative view on law enforcement, Reynolds said. Thats all we were getting pounded with.  When we got talking about everything and (Boyd) understood our concerns and we understood his, I think it really made his message stick with us, and I think we taught him some things, too.

We didnt go and tell them how to do their job, Boyd said. We offered them a litany of new coping tools to add to their expertise in how they deal, and its this understanding and coping that makes the difference.

Reynolds said his biggest takeaway was realizing that you dont know what other peoples experiences have been.

Usually when we deal with somebody, its the worst day of their life, Reynolds said. Knowing that and considering the person may have had a bad experience with police in the past, officers may go into a situation with more understanding and patience, he said.

James Harris, a lieutenant with State Police Troop B, said the training provided me with insight and a perspective that someone outside my own demographic may have toward law enforcement.

Harris and Oliver said the training did not change the way they do their jobs. I feel we are dedicated in treating everyone with the same level of courtesy, integrity and professionalism, Harris said.

But Harris did feel the sessions were worth the time and effort, noting that any training helps with personal and professional growth. Oliver described the sessions as useful for approaching people in a non-threatening way to keep everyone safe.

Nelson said ADI has secured funding for training this year, and that the state Department of Environmental Conservation has agreed to participate. Forest rangers and conservation police officers assigned to Region 5 and possibly from Region 6 may attend.

He said the sessions have exceeded his expectations and appreciates that police forces found ways within their budgets and schedules to participate.

Were really grateful for their commitment, he said.
CAIRO (AP)  The U.N. special envoy for Yemen arrived Monday in the capital of Sanaa for the first time since he assumed his post eight months ago for talks with the Houthi rebels, his office said.

Hans Grundberg landed at the Sanaa airport with the aim of engaging the Houthi leadership on implementing and strengthening a 60-day cease-fire in the war-wrecked country, his office said.

The two-month truce implemented April 2 was the first nationwide cease-fire in six years in Yemens civil war that erupted in 2014. That year, Iranian-backed Houthis seized Sanaa and forced the internationally recognized government into exile. The Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to try to restore the government to power.

Grundbergs Sanaa visit was his first to the rebel-held capital since he was appointed in August because the Houthis refused to receive him. He has met repeatedly with chief Houthi negotiator Mohammed Abdul-Salam in Omans capital of Muscat, most recently on Sunday.

The visit was apparently facilitated by Oman, which plays a mediation role in Yemen's war. Grundberg also met Sunday with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi before leaving Muscat to Sanaa, the Omani Foreign Ministry said.

The visit came as the two-month truce entered its second week with reports of violations particularly around the central city of Marib. Last week, the U.N. envoy urged the warring sides to uphold the truce.

Yemens internationally recognized government has accused the Iran-backed Houthis of attacking their positions in southern and western Marib.

A Houthi spokesman was not available for comment. Houthi-run media, however, accused government forces of violating the truce in Hodeida, the key rebel-held port city.

The rebels have been trying for over a year to capture energy-rich Marib from government forces. But their efforts have been dashed in recent months amid increasing support to the pro-government side from the Saudi-led coalition.

The U.N.-announced truce also includes allowing shipments of fuel to arrive in Hodeida and for passenger flights to resume from the airport in Sanaa. Both Hodeida and Sanaa are held by the Houthis.

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 U.N. envoy said he has invited both sides to convene a meeting to agree on a reopening of roads around the province of Taiz and other provinces as part of the truce.

The war in Yemen has spawned one of the worlds worst humanitarian crisis, leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages. It has killed over 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, according to a database project that tracks violence.

The truce has brought some relief for Yemenis during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which started earlier in April.

Meanwhile, Twitter suspended an account for Houthi military spokesperson Yehia Sarie for allegedly violating its rules. It did not elaborate. The account had more than 340,000 followers.

Sarie accused Twitter of siding with the Saudi-led coalition and swiftly created a new Twitter account. He used social media accounts including Twitter to announce major Houthi attacks inside Yemen and on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
ALBANY After years of advocacy and support from lawmakers, the Child Victims Act was passed in Feb. 2019.

Touted as a momentous piece of legislation that granted what turned into a two-year window for survivors of child sex abuse to file time-barred civil claims, it also increased the statute of limitations for the crime.

Survivors were able to file suits until the age of 55 and press criminal charges until they were 28. Before the law's two-year deadline closed in August, more than 10,000 complaints were filed, including claims against the Catholic Church and Boy Scouts of America.

Still, some individuals were shut out of their day in court, either due to a lack of knowledge about the look-back window, an inability to obtain legal representation, or because their circumstances didnt allow for them to file a claim.

In the Orthodox Jewish community in New York City, where the internet is banned, individuals continue to approach Asher Lovy, director of ZAAKAH, an organization that connects local survivors to services, about filing a claim.

"There are people who are finding out now that there was a law like this and theyre hoping for a way in," Lovy said. "There isnt."

They include an alleged victim, who asked to remain anonymous, who recently reached out to Lovy about filing a claim after saying they were raped at a religious summer camp when the person was 15-years-old. The person said they had only learned about the Child Victims Act within the last six months.

In an interview, the person said they had no recollection of local advertisements referring to the legislation when the look-back window was opened in 2019. It was initially supposed to last one year, but was extended another year when the coronavirus pandemic shut down the state's court system.

There was no real place to let us know that this was happening, the person said. If the look-back window were to reopen, the person said theyd file a claim against the the institution where the alleged abuse took place.

Advertising the legislation in that community was complex, Lovy said, because of the reluctance of local newspapers to publicize the information and the leaderships control of additional ad space, including at bus stops.

Government letters alerting members about the law could have been beneficial, he added. "Theres a giant population of people in New York who dont have internet and TV."

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that one in four girls and one in 13 boys across the country experience sexual abuse at some point in their childhoods.

When the look-back window opened, Mary Ellen OLoughlin, a Saratoga Springs resident, wanted to file a claim against a relative, whom she alleges abused her and her siblings.

She had difficulty finding an attorney willing to represent her due to the small cash pay out sometimes tied to suing a private individual. Shortly after, she found legal counsel that agreed to represent her pro bono. But the relative died in 2020, mooting her efforts to hold the person accountable for the alleged crimes.

"I never intended to make any money," OLoughlin said. "My intention to sue (the person) was to give myself and my brothers and sister a voice in a very public way."

The legislation was introduced in the state Assembly in 2006. It's unclear how many individuals who wanted to file a civil claim under the Child Victims Act were unable to do so.

Michael Polenberg, vice president of government affairs at Safe Horizon, the nations leading organization that assists survivors of abuse, maintains that the organization did everything it could to spread awareness about the legislation, which for years was one of the most widely covered issues in state government.

"We had billboards all across Times Square, we created a public service announcement that was viewed thousands and thousands of times, that was shown in movie theaters, that was all over social media, all over Twitter," Polenberg said. "To let folks all across New York know that the law had changed."

Advertisements were run in different languages, he added, including English, Spanish, Mandarin and Haitian Creole.

Despite this, he said, "There could have been a larger effort from the state. But inevitably in a state of 20 million people, there were survivors who didnt know that the law had changed, maybe didnt know what it meant, what the process was."

Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated when O'Loughlin's relative died in relation to when the CVA was passed.
Appomattox, VA (24522)

Today

Overcast with showers at times. High 58F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 42F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Farmington, WV (26555)

Today

Cloudy with rain ending for the afternoon. High around 55F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 42F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.
Nokian Tyres is expediting its plans to invest in new production capacity in Europe. The tire maker continues to increase production capacity at its factories in Nokia, Finland, and Dayton, USA. The company says that eventually all its tires sold in the Nordic countries will be produced in Nokia, and all its tires sold in North America will be produced in Dayton and Nokia.

The decision comes in response to ongoing sanctions against Russia, where Nokian has significant levels of production capacity.

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Addis Abeba  In a statement released today, the European Union (EU) said it was "appalled about the report by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International with regards to the widespread human rights violations and abuses of civilians in the Western part of Tigray." The EU also called on "immediate halt to all human rights violations and abuses and calls upon all parties to the conflict to facilitate full, safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access ensure that humanitarian relief reaches all civilians in need."

The statement is issued in response to newly released joint report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International (AI) that "Amhara regional security forces and civilian authorities in Ethiopia's Western Tigray Zone have committed widespread abuses against Tigrayans since November 2020 that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity."

Full Statement

The EU is appalled about the report by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International with regards to the widespread human rights violations and abuses of civilians in the Western part of Tigray.

An independent UN investigation, complementing the efforts of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, is urgently needed, to establish facts and responsibilities contributing to accountability and justice for victims.

An International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia was created by the EU led resolution in December 2021. The EU reiterates its calls on the Government to fully cooperate with the Commission so investigations can start immediately. The EU regrets delays in the budgetary discussions in the UN 5th Committee and calls on all partners to engage constructively to ensure the necessary resources for the International Commission, whose goal is to help Ethiopia on the way towards truce and reconciliation.

The EU condemns in the strongest terms all human rights violations and abuses and violations of international human rights law, and of international humanitarian law, committed in northern Ethiopia since the conflict began on 3 November 2020.

The EU calls for an immediate halt to all human rights violations and abuses and calls upon all parties to the conflict to facilitate full, safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to ensure that humanitarian relief reaches all civilians in need.
With COVID mission over, Pentagon plans for next pandemic

U.S. military medical teams deployed during the pandemic brought back lessons as the Defense Department looks to see what worked and what didn't
For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, The Charlotte Observer.
This year we notice local violent crime and homicide stats keeping pace with historic rates of killing and lawlessness during pandemic lockdown.

This time around blame isn't as easy to place for activists and political pundits.

Nevertheless . . . We share this info on a recent murder and police efforts to investigate.



Again, unofficially, this is the 37th homicide so far in 2022 compared to 42 at this time in 2021 & 2022 -- The two deadliest years in KCMO history.

Here's the report . . .



Homicide Union and Mulberry - LATE DEATH NOTIFICATION

Last night about 1:15am officers were dispatched to Union and Mulberry on a shooting call.



On arrival officers located two adult male shooting victims outside at that location. The first victim was unresponsive and was transported to the hospital with life threatening injuries. The second victim was also transported to the hospital with what was described as non-life threatening injuries. The second victim advised that he and the other victim were both shot at that location by unknown suspect(s).



The scene was initially processed by detectives and crime scene personnel last night.



This morning detectives were notified that the first victim that had the more serious injuries died from his injuries.



Homicide detectives have taken over this investigation and are investigating this afternoon. If anyone was in this area around the time of the shooting or has any information they are asked to contact detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest in this case.

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Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

KCPD investigating early Sunday morning shooting Update: Police now say that a person has died from his injuries and the case is now being investigated as a homicide. The victim has been identified as 20-year-old Creighton Goddard. If anyone was in this area around the time of the shooting or has any information they are asked to contact detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.

1 killed, 1 injured in shooting near Union Avenue, Mulberry Street in KCMO KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department responded to a life-threatening shooting around 1:15 a.m. Sunday morning in Kansas City, Missouri. When officers arrived to the scene on Union Avenue and Mulberry Street, two adult male victims were found on the sidewalk suffering from what appeared to be gunshot wounds.

KC police say one man is dead after overnight sidewalk shooting Police say one man is dead and another is injured after both men were shot on a sidewalk overnight Sunday in Kansas City. Last night about 1:15 a.m., officers were dispatched to Union and Mulberry on a shooting call.Upon arrival, officers say they located two adult shooting victims outside at that location.

Developing . . .


Right now the legacy of angel Candice inspires this quick update and a glimpse at pop culture, community news & top headlines . . .



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Rail Hype On Track?!?!

Transit Oriented high-rise proposed in Downtown Kansas City With more transportation services expanding in the metro, the KCATA hopes to build a transit oriented high-rise on their property at 10th and Main.The property is already owned by RideKC, and the organization says they have a duty to bring a transit focus back to downtown.

Local Artsy Backstory Revealed

Vi Tran fled Vietnam as a child. In Kansas City, he's finally learned to stop running Even at the height of his professional success as an actor, playwright and venue owner, Vi Tran struggled to pause long enough to enjoy his achievements. Since the pandemic hit, he's grown clearer about what it takes to live well as an artist - and he's started to demand it.

Johnson County

Salutes Solider

World War II veteran honored with medals in Olathe OLATHE, KS (KCTV) -- A World War 2 veteran received some deserved and overdue recognition on Saturday afternoon in Olathe. U.S. Navy Veteran William Bledsoe was part of the Merchant Marines during the Second World War. "The Merchant Marines had a higher fatality rate, than any other service in World War 2," said Commander John Courtright.

Damage After Runaround In The Dotte

Driver fleeing police ends in a collision with injuries in KCK KANSAS CITY, Kan. - One person is hospitalized with serious injuries after being struck by a vehicle containing six teens who were fleeing from the Kansas Highway Patrol. According to KHP, around 10:30 p.m, the personnel was in pursuit of a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, driven by a 17-year-old teen traveling northbound on 7th Street near 212 South Tremont Street.

Rock Chalk Crime Reminder

Overnight armed robbery reported on KU campus KANSAS CITY, Mo. - An armed robbery was reported around 3:19 a.m. on the University of Kansas campus in the 1100 block of West Campus Road, according to the KU Public Safety Office. The office says the suspect robbed a victim with a gun, entered a vehicle, then left campus headed west on Stratford Road.

Angel Hotness Proves Profitable

Supermodel 'glam squad' rich list - the model gangs who conquered fashion TAKE one advert, add a bunch of supermodels and what do you get? Commercial gold. We told yesterday how Kim Kardashian, 41, has taken a leaf out of the promo handbook by using four of the world's most beautiful women to model her SKIMS range.

Prez Cracks Down On Tech

Biden to release rule on ghost guns amid increase in gun deaths in US The Biden administration is set to release a long-awaited rule on ghost guns, which have been increasingly cropping up at crime scenes The rule would require firearms dealers to run background checks before they sell ghost gun kits that contain the parts needed to assemble a firearm The rule is

MAGA Shares A Moment

Trump claims he's the 'most honest human being being, perhaps, that God ever created' during rally in North Carolina, video shows Former President Donald Trump spoke at a rally in Selma, North Carolina on Saturday evening. He told the crowd that he thinks he's the "most honest human being that, perhaps, God ever created." Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims during his presidency, according to The Washington Post.

Vlad's Homies Threaten USA

New Russian war chief will bring more brutality in Ukraine, US warns The newly appointed general in command of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine is likely to usher in a fresh round of "crimes and brutality" against civilians, the US has said. Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser in Washington, said the appointment of Alexander Dvornikov as theatre commander of Russian forces in Ukraine could not disguise the strategic failure of Vladimir Putin's war so far.

DON'T HOT BOX THE PLAGUE!!! OR: CRACK A WINDOW TO FIGHT COVID!!!

This powerful Covid-19 mitigation measure is invisible With mask mandates virtually gone and vaccinaton rates at a standstill, there's one mitigation measure that can still make a big difference: ventilation.

Promise From El Papa

Pope at Palm Sunday Mass: With Jesus, it is never too late - Vatican News With Jesus, it is never too late. With Him, things are never over. Pope Francis underscored this during his homily on Palm Sunday , insisting that no matter how dire a situation may be, it is never too late to begin again since the Lord waits for us with His mercy.

Securing Solider Access

Judge rules US military can't discharge HIV-positive troops U.S. service members who are HIV-positive cannot be discharged or barred from becoming an officer solely because they're infected with the virus, a federal judge in Virginia ruled. Advocates say it's one of the strongest rulings in years for people living with HIV.

Serene Local Sights

Spring At Kauffman Gardens Photography Blog

South Side History Explained

From Kaskaskia to Kansas City: Pierre Menard's legacy Although I focus on local history, it's important to remember that most of the people from the past that I write about were born and raised outside of the area. The first to take a gamble on the edge of the frontier in the fall of 1821 were two young French-speaking Catholics raised on the other side of the state.

This Week According To Katie

Severe storms are likely this week Multiple days with severe weather are likely this week, so you'll need to make sure you've got a way to receive watches and warnings wherever you are, especially Tuesday night into Wednesday. Starting Sunday night, there's a slight risk a couple of thunderstorms could clip the southeast portion of the KMBC viewing area, according to Meteorologist Katie Horner.

And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.

Thank you for reading this week.

Hopefully, we'll have more for the morning update . . . STAY TUNED!!!


Kansas City's Mayor has been one of the most strident champions of anti-gun legislation in local history.

With widespread progressive support he has taken on gun companies done his best to target firearms locally.

KCMO political reality check: Amongst both police and and progressives . . . This part of his agenda has very little resistance and something that might help power his reelection efforts despite rising gun violence in the metro.



Here's a peek at his big press event today . . .



The event will focus on preventing gun violence, something Mayor Lucas has promised to do everything in his power to do while in office. Mondays event is expected to begin at 1:15 p.m. CT.



I am proud to stand with President Biden in the fight against gun violence in our communities. I will be at the White House today as @POTUS shares with national and local leaders and law enforcement officials his plans to make our cities and towns safer, Lucas tweeted Monday morning.



Lucas is the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Criminal and Social Justice Committee.



We'll update in this post or another depending if this is just another hype even that might lose more votes for supporters of the Prez as the midterms approach.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

KC Mayor to join President Biden for gun violence prevention announcement WASHINGTON - Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas will join President Joe Biden at the White House Monday afternoon. The event will focus on preventing gun violence, something Mayor Lucas has promised to do everything in his power to do while in office. Monday's event is expected to begin at 1:15 p.m.

KCMO Mayor Lucas in DC as President Biden announces gun measures KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas is in Washington D.C. Monday at the same time that President Joe Biden is reportedly set to announce additional gun control measures. Lucas took to Twitter Monday morning to express support for the President's efforts.

Developing . . .
We didn't get a chance to link this last week but it's still worth a look . . .



Check out growing Democratic Party rage directed toward the the Missouri MAGA leader . . .



"In a fiery floor speech on Thursday, Senator Brian Schatz went after Josh Hawley for vowing to block all Defense Department nominees until there was "a change" in broader foreign policy."

Here's the clip for those who haven't seen it already . . .



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Quick update on the adventures of this STL attorney who was under fire from right-wingers over investigation into disgraced guv Eric Greitens.



The upshot . . . Nothing came of the political talking point and so many legal threats.

Here's more . . .



In less than an hour Monday, Gardner agreed to a 40-page stipulation that set forth how notes and a recording Gardners office took during an interview with Greitens alleged mistress were not given to defense attorneys.



The stipulation means Gardner and the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel will not argue the facts before a disciplinary panel. It calls for no suspension, probation or disbarment for Gardner.



Instead, the panel, which includes three members, will have 30 days to make a recommendation to the Missouri Supreme Court on whether to accept the stipulation and recommendation for a reprimand.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Gardner admits wrongdoing in ethics investigation ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV/AP) - St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner admitted to wrongdoing during a disciplinary hearing Monday by stating their process came up short while handling the criminal case against former Gov. Eric Grietens. Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner appeared before the Missouri Office of Disciplinary Counsel, which oversees attorney's bar licenses, at 9 a.m.

Agreement reached between St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner and disciplinary panel St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner appeared before a disciplinary panel Monday about allegations she withheld evidence from Greitens' defense team ST. LOUIS - Missouri's Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel has recommended a reprimand for St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner following allegations that she purposefully withheld evidence from the defense team for former Gov.

Developing . . .
How do I file a tax return? We make it make sense

With tax returns due at the end of the month, we ask expert Jessica Moorhouse for tips on how to file expenses efficiently.
While Paula, 37, has been in the dumps over her finances, a small remedy is an expected $7,000 to $15,000 shell be receiving soon "settling a pay equity case." - McKenna Deighton
Khartoum  The Head of Sudan's Sovereignty Council, and de facto head of state General Abdelfattah El Burhan, held talks on Tuesday with the delegation of ambassadors of the Troika countries (the USA, the UK, and Norway) in Khartoum, focusing on the current political crisis and ways to address it.

Ambassador Lucy Tamlin, Charge d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Sudan, said in a press statement, after the meeting, that the meeting of the Troika countries with President El Burhan was frank and constructive.

During the meeting, the Troika countries announced their strong support for facilitating the efforts of the political dialogue process between the Sudanese under the auspices of the United Nations, the African Union and IGAD, which is expected to lead to the establishment of an acceptable transitional and civil government, according to the Sudan News Agency. Efforts to achieve a civil democratic transition in Sudan.

Also on Tuesday, the Supreme National Committee to deal with the United Nations discussed the preparations for the federal ministries to deal with the requirements and activities of the United Nations, specifically the UNITAMS mission.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Nader Youssef said that the federal ministries presented their programs, proposals and visions during the meeting on how to deal with UNITAMS during the next stage, in line with the tasks assigned to UNITAMS.

Ambassador Nader added that this will be presented in a document for UNITAMS and the United Nations so that it will be an indication for dealing with the mission in the next phase.

He referred to the meeting chaired by a member of the Sovereignty Council, Lt Gen Ibrahim Jaber, who also reviewed the positions of the member states of the Security Council regarding the report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, which was presented to the Council regarding UNITAMS in Sudan.
Brampton Mayor and Conservative Party leadership candidate Patrick Brown feels pretty good about his decision not to take part in Thursdays leadership candidate debate.
A Toronto Police officer attached to the Vision Zero task force sets up speed enforcement in a maximum 50 km/h zone along Bayview Avenue near Finch in this file photo. - Stece Russell/Toronto Star
Todays coronavirus news: Ontario reports 977 hospitalizations and 173 patients in ICU; 90 per cent of eligible Ontarians have received at least one vaccine

Meanwhile, Elections Ontario is offering more options for voting other than in person as province nears its first election amid COVID-19.
Whats next with face masks? Keep wearing them in public, wear the best mask available and pay attention to fit


(Photo: TimUrban89 from pixabay)

Saying yes to your forever person is one of the easiest decisions you'll ever have to make in your life. While the blissful agreement is joyous and exciting, it is followed by a series of incredibly hard choices revolving the wedding day itself. Committing to a place to gather your loved ones to witness the infamous 'I do' can come with a boatload of overwhelming options.

We're here to provide four well-rounded, highly acclaimed, picture-perfect spots in Dallas that can narrow down your search for the perfect place. Whether you're looking for a city feel, contemporary ambience, exclusively uncommon, or even a low-cost location, these four settings will be sure to impress your guests with stunning sites and give you a night to remember.

THE ROOM ON MAIN

If you're on the hunt for a wedding venue in downtown Dallas with a touch of urban affinity, The Room on Main is a spot that is sure to check all of the boxes. The indoor scene of the venue is adorned with gigantic ceilings reaching thirty feet in height as well as gorgeous windows letting in the perfect amount of light for one's special day. The site is versatile in nature and accommodating in regards to how many guests someone may want on big day. The Room on Main's historic ballroom can host smaller weddings but also has the space for a bigger party of up to 320 guests. The metropolitan wonderland is sure to serve as the perfect place for your dream wedding.

THE HALL ON DRAGON

Artistic flair is fundamental for modernism in any type of venue. The Hall on Dragon fulfills any and all creatively inclined individuals wants and needs in a wedding day location. This contemporary spot can be found right in the heart of the Dallas Design District and is surrounded by a plethora of innovative luxury. The location includes fine-art distributors, up and becoming showrooms filled to the brim with visionary designs, and cutting-edge galleries. The impeccable placement of the venue allows for the atmosphere surrounding your special day to be artistic and sleek. The Hall on Dragon holds both a pre-function space as well as an enormous ballroom suitable for parties of up to 700 guests. It's adaptability, artistry, and element of surprise make The Hall on Dragon is a far from ordinary venue and will grant you with a unique day filled with endless conversation, stunning views, and memories to last a lifetime.

THE WINDSOR AT HEBRON PARK

Romance in the air is the mantra for all of the newly engaged couples who chose to host their wedding day at The Windsor at Hebron Park. The privacy of the location makes for a fairy-tale like ambience, quietly nestled amongst a tree-lined, all-natural, utterly gorgeous backdrop. The Windsor offers guests the opportunity to mix traditional and contemporary through their ever-classic chapel with the more modern open-air patio. The dreamy aura will leave your guests feeling like they just stepped out of a charming storybook wedding. On top of its delightful feel, the practicality of The Windsor is what makes it a worthwhile wedding spot. The location is wildly easy to access for the prospective guests to join the party. The accessibility is accompanied by ample parking to accommodate up to 300 of the newlywed's closest family and friends for their special day. The Windsor at Hebron Park makes for a unique setting for a Dallas wedding and is sure to captivate the happy couple and their guests.

HOWELL AND DRAGON

Weddings can get pricey, every little detail can add up quickly, and the last thing an engaged couple wants is to sacrifice their venue to afford the smaller things; this conundrum is where Howell and Dragon can be the ideal pick. With modest pricing, this Dallas hotspot stands out amongst other wedding location competitors because of its industrial romantic feel while still keeping with economical standards. This spot is flexible dependent on the couple using it, as it is customizable to honor the unique style and desired tone for their overall wedding experience. The base of the venue is marked with rich wood tones and a classic white brick ballroom: two staple pieces that provide a blank canvas for any creative intentions the couple has in mind. The location also features chic furniture and decor and ideal accent lighting that is sure to showcase well in-person and in memorable photos. The festive environment allows for endless opportunity dependent on those who choose to spend their special day here. Guaranteed fair pricing with a marvelous setting are two winning factors that makes Howell and Dragon a fantastic choice for your wedding venue.

Big things are known to happen in Dallas, meaning that the search for a location special enough to host your big day will prove to be tedious. The opportunity to say yes to a spot that meets everything and more on your personal agenda is completely within reach. These 4 venues are certified memory makers and are sure to make all your dreams come true on your wedding day.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018


(Photo: Hair Transplant Istanbul - Why People Everywhere Come to Turkey for Medical Tourism)



(Photo: Hair Transplant Istanbul - Why People Everywhere Come to Turkey for Medical Tourism)



(Photo: Hair Transplant Istanbul - Why People Everywhere Come to Turkey for Medical Tourism)



(Photo: Hair Transplant Istanbul - Why People Everywhere Come to Turkey for Medical Tourism)

There are plenty of places worldwide where one can seek and get a hair treatment. Yet, somehow, hair transplantation in Istanbul is by far the most popular. The situation begs the question - why do people choose the hair transplant Istanbul offers over all other offers on the market?

Is it because medical teams at clinics in Istanbul deliver the best results in terms of hair growth and hair restoration? Are these surgeries in Istanbul more affordable than surgeries done in other cities and countries? Or is it something else entirely? Let's find out, shall we?

Hair transplant Istanbul - why it's so popular

The key to understanding the popularity of hair transplants in Istanbul is right in front of you - Istanbul. We are talking about a metropolis that is 17 centuries old. A city with such a long history, diverse culture, unique cuisine, and hundreds of shopping sites is worth a trip.

Modern patients are interested in both business and pleasure, which is why medical tourism flourishes in countries with rich tourism offers. After hair transplant operations, patients can admire the Hagia Sophia Mosque, explore Topkapi Palace, go to the Blue Mosque, or opt for an underground adventure and explore the Basilica Cistern.

Medical tourism is prevalent in these parts, and people from all corners of the world come to treat hair loss. But we wouldn't be doing justice to Turkey and its network of hair transplant clinics if we only mentioned the exciting history of Istanbul and many tourist attractions. Other countries and cities have it too, yet they are still not as popular as Istanbul regarding hair transplant surgery.

Access to the best doctors and modern techniques

Istanbul has to offer something that truly sets it apart from other cities in this branch of medicine - a network of clinics specializing in hair transplantation procedures. Take Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic, for instance. The clinic has more than 25 years of experience in the niche.

Dr. Serkan Aygin is a leading hair transplant surgeon with decades of experience in hair transplantation. He and his medical team use the best medical practices and tools. The result? A whopping 98% growth rate and a high-quality guarantee.

Patients are happy to learn that they can benefit from more than one hair transplantation procedure at this hair clinic. If you choose Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic, you will be able to get either Sapphire FUE or DHI hair transplantation surgery. The medical staff uses the latest instruments, and the entire procedure is done in local anesthesia for your convenience and peace of mind.

Sapphire FUE hair transplant is revolutionary because it uses micro-motors and sapphire blades. It enables doctors to do minimal damage while extracting a hair follicle from the donor area. At the same time, the transplanted hair is much fuller and looks completely natural.

A DHI hair transplant is a cutting-edge technique based on the Choi implanter pen. It enables doctors to extract and implant a follicular unit in one go. There is no need for incisions, and this improves the hair follicle survival rate, reduces the risk of bleeding, and significantly reduces the recovery period.

Finally, we are talking about the hair transplantation clinics recognized by the world's leading medical associations. Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic won the European Awards in Medicine 2019.

The cost of the surgery is an advantage too!

People don't choose hair transplant clinics in Istanbul only due to the tourist attractions and best medical care. There is yet another factor - Hair transplants in Turkey are affordable. You are probably wondering how a prestigious clinic such as Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic can offer relatively low prices. There must be a catch or something.

Well, there isn't. The competition in Turkey, especially in Istanbul, is harsh. To become more attractive to potential clients, hair transplant clinics lower their prices. On top of that, Turkey is not the most expensive country to live in. Hair transplants in Turkey's prices reflect the country's economic standard, which many people living in western countries find affordable.

Clinics are pretty creative when it comes to attracting patients from abroad. Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic has quite an attractive offer to foreign patients. The clinic cooperates with some of the best hotels in Istanbul. If you choose to get treatment at this clinic, their staff will sort out hotel bookings and the transfer from the airport to the hotel. You will also get the best care products to use post-op to treat both donor and recipient areas, speed up recovery, and achieve the best hair look.

The Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic also offers laser hair therapy which proved to be quite efficient in treating pattern baldness in men and women. It uses low-energy lasers to stimulate cell activity, facilitating healing and encouraging hair growth.

If you want to get the best medical treatment for your hair loss and have a great cultural holiday in Istanbul, feel free to contact Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018


(Photo: Heres How To Kickstart Your Backpacking Adventure)



(Photo: Heres How To Kickstart Your Backpacking Adventure)



(Photo: Heres How To Kickstart Your Backpacking Adventure)

Introduction

Backpacking has become an ever-popular alternative way to see the world. With hotels and guided tours becoming increasingly more expensive, it's become harder to obtain that desired feeling of local authenticity. Fortunately, there are a plethora of budget accommodation options that are guaranteed to fit every budgeting traveler's needs.

Looking to find the best hotels near joshua tree? Here are several pointers on how to find the best accommodation that best fits your budget, regardless of whether you're looking for comfortability or a taste of adventure.

Free Accommodation For Backpackers

Looking to save a bit or be on a tight budget for your next trip? Here are some free options to look into at your intended travel destination.

Volunteer Work

Give back to the community you want to immerse yourself in and benefit from it too! Work exchange websites are available which help you search and apply for work exchange listings in exchange for a place to sleep, and some offer other benefits such as meals too.

Volunteering, particularly, is a great way to not only save some money but also a great way to make your trip meaningful and impactful and a good option for people looking for longer, extended stays. Arrangements often last for several weeks to even months, so you're going to be well immersed in the local culture.

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing doesn't have to be reserved for traveling bands! It is a great and affordable accommodation option for backpackers who want to meet and interact with the locals and see your destination from a raw perspective.

There are risks to this option, however - there have been reports of hosts (especially men) who expect and solicit sex in exchange for the accommodation. It is important to be cautious of the hosts you pick, particularly so if you are a woman traveling alone.

Cheap Accommodation Options

These may not be free, but these are cheaper options that you may want to look into.

Hostels

These are no longer the unclean and drab rooms that they have been long known for. Hostels are a great option for a wallet-mindful backpacker, and are often kept clean and well-maintained, particularly in more developed countries! Most destinations have a variety of hostels to choose from that cater to various budgets, and you'll often find them to be of better quality than some budget hotels that cost more too.

Apartments

Going to your next destination with a group or like the control of cooking your meals? Apartments are often available for rent -- both short and long term -- and can often be found on the Airbnb website as well. This option is particularly great if you intend to stay long-term and you want to maintain a place that can offer the chance for socializing (shared apartments are great for this) and provide some much-needed privacy.

Homestays

Homestays are a safer approach to Couchsurfing -- instead of sleeping on a couch, you'll stay with a local family that doubles up as hosts too! This is often offered by language schools, and it offers a great opportunity to learn about the culture and the language, whilst enjoying a comfortable bed and even homecooked meals too.

Budget Hotels

Take a chance on locally-run hotels, for they offer amazing value and often provide a pleasant stay. Unlike chain hotels, they are often run by families which provides that home-away-from-home feeling that makes your travels special and comfortable. The added private room to yourself also grants that feeling of privacy and security, making it an extremely compelling option for those who don't mind paying a little extra.

Airbnb Accommodation

Not everywhere has a wide variety of budget hotels and hostels to pick from, and the massive Airbnb platform fills that gap in many of these places. The price and accommodation options are often varied and can cater to many needs, from cheap single bedrooms to even the full apartment or home (which are often pricier), making it a breeze to find a tailored option for your needs.

Because of the nature of Airbnb offerings being individually run, there will be fluctuations in quality and thus it's important to read reviews of every place you have in mind.

Overlanding

Overlanding is having your mode of transportation be your accommodation in a nice all-in-one package! RVs are often available for rent in places like Australia and America for that road trip backpacking adventure and are great options for places that are known to be expensive to be a tourist in.

That added mobility means you're not stuck to just one destination, either. Provided you have all the paperwork in order, your home-on-wheels can take you across borders and opens up a whole new world of options and chances to see the world.

Camping

If you don't mind (or love!) the great outdoors, camping is a great alternative that not only helps you save money when you travel but offers a unique and unforgettable opportunity to take in the local wildlife and vistas.

Because you have to carry your equipment, this option is best suited for those who are driving from destination to destination as part of their backpacking adventure.

More Expensive Options

Budget options don't mean that you have to be restricted to hostels or apartment renting, depending on your location. Some places offer amazing, luxurious hotels that are on par with those in Europe or America, without the same price tag. Consider your options and remember that accommodation prices vary wildly depending on your destination.

Tips For Booking Backpacker Accommodations

Looking to backpack as part of a festival or carnival experience? Know that these also often attract plenty of other tourists, so be sure to get accommodation booked way in advance prior to the event! If you intend to travel from place to place, be sure to try and secure accommodation at the next destination so that you have a place to stay when you arrive. That peace of mind removes much of the many stresses of backpacking and will make your travel that much smoother and enjoyable.

On many accommodation booking and reviewing sites, do take note that reviews can often be done by anyone and not just people who have actually stayed there. Some places may opt to leave fake reviews to boost the rating of their places, so you must compare reviews of places to sort these bad ones out. Look for travel blogs or posts on social media to get a better picture of what the place is actually like!

Conclusion

As always, make sure that you take precautions to stay safe and be wary of the various risks that can occur when looking at these options. Backpacking inherently carries more risks than choosing to stay at a luxury hotel; hence conducting due research is essential for ensuring a safe travel experience. Your safety should always be the most important aspect of your travels. As long as you practice some diligence and take some precautions, your next backpacking adventure is guaranteed to be affordable, enjoyable, and safe!

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Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) has released 'preliminary investigation findings' in an incident where a grenade exploded in Kicukiro district, saying that there was no intention to kill someone.

Thierry Murangira, RIB Spokesperson told The New Times the joint investigation conducted with security organs showed that the grenade that exploded on April 07 in Indakemwa village, Niboye sector in Kicukiro was found in construction materials kept in the home of Edras Twagirimana.

The explosion injured Twagirimana's daughter who is being hospitalized at University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) hospital.

"The residents of this home mistook it as a construction tool. It exploded when the kids were playing with it, injuring one of them," Murangira said.

However, he said these are primary findings adding, "investigations are still ongoing as the injured kid is being taken care of by medical doctors."

"Preliminary investigations also established that there is no link with the previously reported story in the media that the grenade was thrown by a person with the intention to kill someone," he added.


(Photo: pixabay from pexel)

You don't want to just come to Amsterdam, the capital and financial centerpiece of the Netherlands, and just scan over the art collections, canals, and 17th-century architecture.

You want to enjoy these moments and stamp them into your mind in a memorable way.

Move among the friendly Dutch citizens and ingrained outdoor beauty with the appropriate packing list that will have you traveling through Amsterdam in style.

It also doesn't hurt to know in advance what to expect during the various seasons to plan your trip accordingly.

Get your luggage storage Amsterdam plans put into effect and bring your curiosity and sense of wonder to Amsterdam, with many of the key elements that will make your stay enjoyable.

1. Flat Shoes

While exploring Amsterdam, keep in mind that you are going to be spending a considerable amount of time enjoying your surroundings on foot.

There is nothing wrong with packing a pair of jazzy dress shoes. Just don't make your leather hard-bottoms or high-heel shoes your day-to-day waking footwear.

Be sure to bring one or more durable flats shoes to spend your days in and save the fancier pairs for when you will only be out for a few hours at high-class restaurants or engagements.

Protect your feet while you are biking or hiking and get support from a nice sporty pair of flat shoes with proper cushioning.

2. Pack a Raincoat

Amsterdam is a city where you will definitely want to express your fashionable side because it is quite common to see people looking their best.

With that said, the weather is rather rainy, making it a necessity to carry along a raincoat so that you don't get drenched when you are on a guided walking tour around the city.

3. Amsterdam Power Adapter

If you are coming from the United States or Canada, for example, be aware of the fact that power outlets in Amsterdam are different.

In order to be able to charge all of your portable electronic devices, purchase an international adapter with built-in fuse protection and extra USB ports.

4. Bring a Neck Wallet

If you are not familiar with what kind of accessory a neck wallet is, now is your time to understand its value.

Instead of having a large bulge in your pocket from your wallet that draws a lot of attention to potential thieves looking for a victim, tuck away your cash, credit cards, identification cards, and your passport in a neck wallet.

Your neck wallet gets worn beneath your shirt to make it more undetectable.

5. Fancy Outfits

Even if you have no immediate plans to go to any classy establishments in Amsterdam, bring a special stylish outfit or two anyway for those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that may appear when you arrive.

Imagine if you hear about local fashion shows or prestigious art exhibitions that you are able to get tickets for, but all you have to wear are swimming trunks and t-shirts?

Pack for the unexpected to give yourself even more incentive to seek out those enticing experiences while you are in Amsterdam.

6. Seasonal Weather

Keep in mind that it rains quite often in Amsterdam, mainly because of the oceanic climate that is influenced by the North Sea.

The spring season is typically the driest time of year in Amsterdam, with April having the least chance of rain.

In April, you'll have less of a chance of rain than in other months. Also, April 27th is when King's Day is celebrated. SP, if you are in town on that day, be sure to wear the color orange, the Dutch royal color.

In the summertime, the Dutch capital of Amsterdam happens to be less hot than other South European cities, and there are about 300 festivals to enjoy.

Autumn is the rainiest season to visit Amsterdam, and because of this, there happens to be less tourism taking place than other times of the year, which means fewer tourists.

When winter comes around, Amsterdam hardly gets any snow, averaging only 26 days of snow annually. In fact, there usually happens to be more rain falling during the winter than snowflakes.

In order to dress with style in Amsterdam, it pays to understand these differences in weather conditions so that you pack an appropriate wardrobe.

With the help of these helpful pointers, you will be able to look and feel your best by being less stressed while traveling through the gorgeous scenic settings in Amsterdam.

Also, get your hands on a stunning leather day bag for the small items that you may need during the day and don't want to leave behind in your luggage storage in Amsterdam.

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(Photo: JoshuaWoroniecki from Pixabay)

From late 2022, eligible nationals of some foreign countries will require a special permit to enter the countries of the European Union. The permit is known as ETIAS or ETIAS visa waiver. ETIAS, which stands for European Travel Information and Authorisation System, will change the travel regulations for a large number of foreigners once it gets launched in 2022.

The ETIAS visa waiver will be required for entering nations in Europe's border-free travel zone Schengen area, which includes 26 popular travel destinations. These include countries like Italy, Spain, France, Germany, etc. Visit www.etias-visas.com to find out specific criteria you must meet to get the authorisation to visit the 26 countries in Europe's Schengen area. The section below will educate you about the basics you must be aware of about the ETIAS Visa waiver.

What's the Reason behind Launching ETIAS Visa Waiver?

To find a suitable answer to the above question you must first know what ETIAS is. At present, citizens of over 60 nations are allowed to enter the Schengen zone in Europe only if they have a valid passport. They don't need a visa to cross the border of any nation in that area.

Indeed, the visa liberalisation policy of the European Union has made it easier for people to visit Europe. However, the launch of this policy resulted in concerns that it might compromise the security of the people in Europe. These concerns resulted in the creation of ETIAS. To be more precise, ETIAS has been designed for covering the gaps of the liberalisation policy.

ETIAS, once launched, will protect the visa-less privileges but without compromising people's security. The policy will require every individual arriving in these nations from outside of Europe to undergo pre-screening. This, in turn, will keep potential threats at bay and prevent malicious individuals from legally crossing the border of countries in the Schengen zone.

An Introduction to ETIAS Visa Waiver

According to information provided by the European Commission, the ETIAS will have significant similarities with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), the Visa Waiver Program in use in the United States. Every traveller will not be allowed to apply for ETIAS authorisation. The program will be available only for the citizens of around 60 European countries.

To prove your eligibility for obtaining ETIAS authorization, you'll need to provide certain information related to your travel plans and identity when filling out the application form. Some facts you'll need to share as a traveller looking to get ETIAS authorisation are as follows:

Personal information (full name, address, contact details, etc.)

Parents' information

Place of birth

Date of birth

Other than that, you'll need to submit copies of a valid passport and travel documents. Potential travellers will also need to share some supplementary information. This might include:

Criminal records

Employment history

Public health hazards

Previous rejection of entry requests

Information on previous European travel

Once the application process is over and you meet the required criteria, you'll receive your authorisation within just a few minutes. However, some do need to wait for as much as a couple of weeks to get a decision. Once you'll get the ETIAS authorisation, it will remain valid for three years or till your passport's expiry date (whichever arrives first).

Rejection of ETIAS Application

While it's unlikely that you'll face major hurdles to get your ETIAS application approved, there can be situations when applicants might face rejection. The most common reasons behind such rejections are as follows:

The application might get rejected if the applicant uses one or more travel documents that are reported to be stolen, lost, invalidated, or misappropriated in the SIS or Schengen Information System.

Rejection of the application is possible if the applicant is found to pose a security risk to the travellers entering the Schengen zone and the natives of the region.

The application can be rejected if the applicant is found to pose a risk of illegal immigration.

The application can get rejected if the applicant lives in an epidemic stricken country or has recently travelled to an epidemic stricken country.

If there's a prevailing alert for the applicant in the Schengen Information System for being refused entry/stay, his/her application can get rejected.

The application rejection can also be a result of the applicant's failure in replying to a request for additional documentation or information within a given deadline.

The application rejection can also be a result of the applicant's failure in attending an additional interview when needed.

Other than the above situations, rejection can occur even if there are serious and reasonable doubts regarding the authenticity and legitimacy of the information provided by the applicant. This happens primarily when the applicant fails to submit supporting documents for all information provided by him or her on the application form.

Cost of Applying for ETIAS Visa

If you are below the age of 18 years, you'll not need to pay anything to apply for ETIAS. However, individuals above the age of 18 years are required to pay 7 euros for applying for the same.

Final Words

The regulation you'll need to follow might vary depending on your travel plans and the country you are coming from. So, don't forget to seek expert advice before you submit your application for an ETIAS visa. This will increase your chances of getting the approval promptly and you'll be able to enjoy exploring the gorgeous countries constituting the Schengen area without any hindrance.

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(Photo: PhotoMIX-Company via Pixabay)

Riesling and More: 5 Best German Wines

When one thinks of German wine, Riesling typically comes to mind. That's because Germany's Rhine River region is believed to be the birthplace of the varietal. With its south-facing hills and fine-grained slate soil, Riesling grapes grow in abundance in Germany and lend themselves perfectly to the production of the wine.

Sweet and aromatic, Riesling is highly acidic and features flavors of lime, lemon, pineapple, and apricot. Because it's light, it balances out the flavors of spicy foods and pairs well with Indian curries, spicy Thai noodles, sushi, scallops, ham, and roast pork with mustard sauce.

German Riesling is extremely popular throughout the world and is currently in very high demand.

More Delicious German Wines

Germany has 250,000 acres of vineyards and produces more than a billion bottles of wine each year. This makes them the eighth largest wine-producing country in the world. And not all of those billions of bottles are Riesling.

Liebfraumilch

This semi-sweet white wine is regarded as a quality wine and is one of Germany's best known around the world. The state regulates that the wine must be made up of at least 70% Riesling, Silvaner, Mueller-Thurgau, or Kerner grapes. Liebfraumilch features flavors of citrus, pear, yellow apple, red apple, and grape juice with notes of honey, spices, and flowers.

Spatburgunder

Spatburgunder wine came to Germany from Burgundy sometime in the fourth century. Like its French counterpart, Pinot Noir, it is a medium-bodied red wine with high tannin levels and a bouquet of bitter almonds and blackberries. Expect to enjoy its flavors of cranberry and cherry with hints of cinnamon and allspice.

Gewurztraminer Spatlese

This intense white wine comes from the Gewurztraminer grape, a unique varietal that produces a sweet vintage. Spatlese, German for "late harvest," means that a bottle of Gewurztraminer Spatlese is a wonderful aromatic dessert wine with flavors of apricot, peach, pineapple, melon, ginger, and rose petals.

Eiswein

Eiswein is a dessert wine made from grapes that have naturally frozen on the vine. Because the sugar in the grapes does not freeze, but the juice does, the result is a more concentrated fruit flavor. Eiswein can be either red or white and be turned into a wide range of varietals, including Riesling, Vidal, Gewurztraminer, and more.

Germany's Wine Regions

German wine labels are very detailed and can help inform your choice when deciding which wine to buy. Among other things, labels list the village where the grapes came from, the wine's sweetness, the winemaker, and the wine's region.

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

One of 13 German wine regions in the north, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer is located at the very edge of where grapes can ripen. Winemakers grow Riesling grapes here that produce wine that is highly acidic and low in alcohol.

Nahe

Winemaking is a 2000-year-old tradition in this sunny valley. A wide variety of soil types allow winemakers the ability to produce a large variety of wine styles, including Muller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Dornfelder, and Spatburgunder.

Pfalz

Located in western Germany, the Pfalz region is nestled between the Rhine River and the Haardt mountains. There are 58,000 acres of vineyards there, making it the second largest German wine region. Pfalz winemakers make 60% white wine and 40% red, producing wines that are much more flavorful and riper than other top Riesling regions.

Rheingau

Riesling grapes thrive in this region with its south facing slopes, mild winters, warm summers, and long ripening season. The region is especially renowned for its Rheingau Riesling Spatlese (late harvest) wine.

Rheinhessen

With more than 66,000 acres of vineyards, Rheinhessen is Germany's largest wine region. Grape varieties cultivated in the region include Riesling, Muller-Thurgau, Domfelder, and Silvaner. Vintners here are also known as sparkling wine specialists.

Franconia

Wine aficionados will tell you that the Franconia region is the only place in the world where the Silvaner produced is superior to Riesling. Many national and international award-winning wines come from the region, including Burgstadt, Groheubach, and Klingenberg am Main.

Baden

Baden is the southernmost German wine region and also the warmest. Because of its dry climate, it produces some very high quality wines such as Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc).

Final Thoughts

It's well worth your time to explore a variety of German wines for their many flavors and complexities. But if you should decide you just want to stick with a good German Riesling, there's plenty of tasty reasons to support that choice.

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(Photo: Pixabay via Pexels)

If you've tried to rent a car in the past year, you've probably asked yourself what is going on.

In the past, the biggest concerns with renting a car were typically deciding whether or not you needed the additional insurance from the car company in case you got in an accident and where you'd fill it up before returning it.

It's a different world out there for rental cars now.

They are incredibly expensive, and they're also in short supply. If you're lucky enough to find a vehicle, you're going to pay a premium. So, what's going on and what can you do if you have a trip coming up and you'll need a car?

Rental Car Price Spikes

If you're going to go on a weekend road trip, you might find that a rental car will cost you an eye-watering amount. Even for a short trip, people are getting quotes of $1,000 or more. You could get a couple of flights for the price of a rental car.

Last year, The Washington Post did a story about it, calling it the "car rental apocalypse."

Their story focused on the long lines, canceled reservations, and soaring prices car renters were facing on their travels.

So what's happened?

Rental car companies are actually facing several factors converging with one another. When pandemic lockdowns, people didn't travel. Then, as a result, rental car companies saw a big decline in demand. Car companies went into survival mode. Many decided they were going to sell off their vehicles as part of just trying to survive.

Companies got rid of hundreds of thousands of cars, which made sense for them at the time based on the demand.

Then, things changed again quickly. By the summer of 2020, people in many states were traveling again.

Theoretically, under different circumstances, car companies could have started once again buying new vehicles. Unfortunately, that's not so easy right now because we're in the midst of a global chip shortage.

Chips are used to make car parts, so there are fewer new cars leaving manufacturing facilities.

Used cars are incredibly expensive right now, and a lot of people are holding onto their cars for longer than they would normally because they don't know if they'll be able to find another one.

By the summer of 2021, rental car prices were up 70% compared to 2019.

There was a third issue impacting car companies, too, as if they needed another one.

A lot of people prefer and still do want to travel by car if they can, because there are regulations on airlines, and they might not want to be that close to other people right now.

When Will Prices Go Down?

A lot of people are wondering when the pain of renting a rental car will subside, and there's no definite answer.

The chip shortage is likely going to last through this year, so that's going to keep impeding enough cars from entering the market for the demand.

Just Ford says it's going to get 1.1 million fewer cars out of their facilities this year.

Rental car companies are trying to buy cars back they sold at auctions, and they're holding onto cars for much longer than they would normally have.

The short answer about when prices will go down is probably not anytime soon, so what can you do?

Where Is It Most Expensive to Rent a Car?

While there are frequent fluctuations depending on season and some of the travel patterns, Alaska and Hawaii have recently had some of the highest car rental rates.

For example, Anchorage, Kona, and Honolulu have some of the highest rates in the country. Portland and Seattle also top the list.

Saving Money On a Rental Car

There's not much you can do about the larger issues affecting car rental businesses, but there are some things you can do on an individual basis if you have a trip coming up.

First, rent as soon as possible. If you have a trip coming up, and you've made plans for it, book your rental car now if you can.

Rental car companies use dynamic pricing, which they base on supply and demand, in their rate determinations. If you rent it as far in advance as you can, then you know you'll have a car, or at least you should. You can keep watching the rates, and if they go down, you can ask for the lower rate you see advertised.

Booking early is especially important if you need a big car. Larger vehicles like full-size SUVs and minivans tend to sell out fastest because these are what people tend to want when they're traveling.

Other ways to save money include:

Don't rent at the airport. While it's convenient to rent at the airport you're flying into, you're going to pay for that convenience, and you'll probably also have to deal with long lines and a lack of customer service. Usually, car rental companies include an airport surcharge in their prices. The surcharges might be listed on an itemized breakdown as a Customer Facility Charge. It could also be listed as a percentage of your overall rental. Many rental car companies will offer shuttles to locations that are near the airport but not onsite.

Use car rental comparison sites. They really are one of the best ways to find a good deal. You can compare all your options in terms of both vehicle type and rental companies.

Book a refundable rental so that if you come across a better deal, you can cancel it.

If you pay ahead of time, you might get a better price than opting to pay at the counter.

There are good discount brand companies outside of Budget, Hertz, and Enterprise to consider. For example, Dollar Rental and Thrifty tend to have cheaper car options.

Finally, if you have certain memberships, like AAA or a Costco membership, you may be able to save money when you rent a car if you use those.

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(Photo: Catarina Sousa from Pexels)

Do you want to become a citizen of Australia? If yes, then you should definitely take the Australian citizenship test. This test assesses your knowledge of Australian history, culture, politics, and society. Get more details over here.

Australia is a country located in Oceania. The population of Australia is over 25 million people. Additionally, there are five states and two territories in Australia. The capital city of Australia is Canberra.

The Australian government has recently introduced new rules regarding citizenship. These include the requirement for applicants to pass the citizenship test. The test consists of multiple choice questions and short answer questions.

Applying for Australian Citizenship Test

You can apply for Australian citizenship if you meet all the requirements. Here is what you need to do to sit for the test:

1. First, you need to fill out an application form. You can get one from any Australian embassy or consulate. Make sure that you have it with you when you go to the testing center.

2. After filling out the application form, you will pay a fee to DOHA. The amount varies depending on whether you are applying as a child or adult. After payment, you wait for the appointment letter.

Your application should meet all the requirements for it to be accepted. If you pass the test, you will get an invitation for the citizenship ceremony. There, you will read the Australian pledge required for you to become a citizen.

How to Pass the Australian Citizenship Test

If you want to pass the test, you need to know everything there is to know about Australia. The following points will help you understand what you need to know.

1. History - Learn about Australia's history. Find out why Australia became independent in 1901. Also, learn more about its famous people like Captain Cook, Sir Edmund Barton and Henry Lawson.

2. Geography - Understand geography of Australia. Find out where Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide are located. Also, find out which state you live in.

3. Culture - Get familiar with culture of Australia. Learn about Aboriginal Australians, sport, music, food etc.

4. Economy - Learn about economy of Australia. Find out what makes Australia so unique.

5. Politics - Know how politics works in Australia. Find out who are the leaders of major political parties.

6. Laws - Be aware of laws in Australia. Find out what kind of crimes you could commit and what punishment you would get if convicted.

The above are just a few of the many areas you need to know about Australia. However, to have an easy time during the test, do the following:

Review all the materials prior to the test. Make sure you know many things about Australia and especially those of interest according to past tests.

Practice answering the questions before going to the test center

Arrive in good time for the test to avoid anxiety during the test

Make sure you have enough time to complete the test

Focus on answering most of the questions right. To pass the test, you are allowed to answer 5 of them incorrectly

Do not leave any question unanswered. This boosts your chances of passing the test

Important Points to Note

With the Australian citizenship test, the following points apply:

If you fail the test, you can retake it immediately or take some time to revise before coming for another test. However, if you fail it three times, you cannot retake it until two years after the last attempt.

Once you pass the test, processing Australian citizenship takes around 22 months. However, this may vary based on the number of applications received.

You must first get permanent residency before applying for Australian citizenship. You can only apply for citizenship once you have been living in Australia for 4 years. Part of this period is 12 months of permanent residence.

Applicants for the test must be between the age of 16 and 60 years.

The government will require you to show proof of identity (passport).

Final Advice

The Australian citizenship test is one of the hardest tests that you will ever take. It covers almost all aspects of life in Australia. So, before applying, make sure that you study hard and prepare well. Good luck!

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(Photo: Ging Ang from Pexels)

Many countries are opening their borders, but if you want to travel internationally, there's still a lot that you have to do before your trip. Planning PCR-tests, filling in paperwork... it's a hassle! That's why many people -including us!- choose to travel in our own country. You might think "I've seen everything here before!" but we promise you: we're sure there's a lot still to discover. In this article, we give you three fun tips to enjoy a lovely holiday back home.

1. Book a spa holiday

These last few years have been hard on us all. Maybe your body aches from working hard with protection gear, maybe you unknowingly 'store' stress in your body so you're wound tight. We feel like everyone deserves a lovely spa holiday where you can finally relax. You can opt for a fun city trip and choose a hotel that offers a spa package so you can relax for a few hours to a full day in the steam room, the sauna, the hot baths ... but if you truly want to relax: search for spa resorts, preferably in the countryside. Before you know it - you're sitting in a hot tub in the woods, enjoying the peace and quiet. Yes, that's what you call relaxing!

2. Book a city trip in your own country

A staycation can be fun, but it's still your own city. But why not visit another city you might or might not have visited before, but visit the city like a tourist would do? Book a fun central hotel, look up the must-see sights and museums and make reservations for the coolest new restaurants. Google where the locals go: what's the newest cocktail bar that everyone's raving about? Is there a new museum exhibition that's trending on social media? Often there's so much to do... you'd forget you haven't even left the country!

3. Go camping like when you were little

Do you remember how fun camping with your family was when you were little? Then round up your family and/or friends and go camping - back to basics. Going camping might not be luxurious, but it's often so much fun. We're sure you'll make memories for life! You can go camping with just a few friends, but you can also ask your entire friend group to join. Maybe you have some city-friends that claim they don't enjoy the outdoors ... so it might be super funny to see them in nature!

Ask someone to borrow their tent, rent a van (Dutch: personenbus huren), fill it with your favorite people, and marshmallows to eat by the fire and you've just fixed an amazing low-cost holiday. The only cost (except for the food and drinks) you have is usually the van. Rent a big van, such as one for 9 people (Dutch: 9 persoons bus huren) so you can fit a lot of people and luggage in it.

Have fun during your at-home holiday with these tips!

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(Photo: National Cancer Institute via Unsplash)

What is a Traveling Physician?

When physicians want more freedom, they tend to open up their own physical practice in their city or town. However, those who want even more freedom and want to touch more lives, take their skills to various parts of the world, or travel within their own country. Traveling physicians can also be thought of as "substitute physicians", filling in for other physicians away on leave.

There are many jobs that allow you to travel, but traveling as a doctor is a very unique career. This type of physician job presents the same challenges as regular physician jobs, but also many new challenges. Here's everything you need to know about traveling physicians.

What Does it Take to Become a Traveling Physician?

First and foremost, traveling for long periods of time for any reason can be mentally stressful if you're not prepared for this type of lifestyle. Constantly traveling means that you're always on the go, and you can go long periods of time without seeing your family and friends. The good news is that if you've already got experience in traveling for long periods of time, this part won't come as such a shock.

In the United States, traveling physicians working within any state must have a license for each state they intend to practice in. The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) makes it easier for U.S. doctors to become licensed to practice in more than one state. Currently, only 11 states do not participate in IMLC:

Alaska Arkansas California Connecticut Florida Hawaii Massachusetts New Mexico Oregon Rhode Island South Carolina

Of course, the IMLC licensure process doesn't replace the need to complete an undergraduate degree, attend medical school, and complete residency. You must be qualified to be a physician before you can become a traveling physician.

The Pros and Cons of Being a Traveling Physician

Rewards

One of the biggest benefits of being a travel physician is that this is the perfect career for you if you love to travel and you're passionate about medicine. Traveling as a doctor will allow you to fulfill your desire to travel and help people in need all over the world.

Another advantage is that you'll have much more flexibility than if you were working at a local hospital or clinic. You can choose your work setting (e.g., private practices, community centers, etc.) and take time off between jobs. You'll also be classified as an independent contractor, meaning that you're self-employed.

Challenges

Unfortunately, all of this freedom and flexibility means that you may not get consistent work, and all jobs may not pay the same, meaning that your salary can be inconsistent. Also, only emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry, and women's health are in high demand for traveling physicians.

Another downside is that you'll have to find and pay for your own insurance coverage- but this is something that all independent contractors have to do. Traveling physicians will need to obtain health insurance, travelers insurance, medical malpractice insurance, disability insurance, and life insurance.

Where to Find Traveling Physician Jobs

One of the best ways to find work as a traveling physician is through a locum staffing agency. Locum tenens is another term for traveling physicians, and a locum staffing agency can help you find more consistent work and how to better understand this unique career path. This type of agency can also help you with licensing, travel arrangements, and housing in addition to finding work as a traveling physician. A locum staffing agency is the best way to go if traveling as a physician is something you want to do long-term.

You can also search for traveling physician work on physician career sites. Traveling physician or locum tenens jobs may be posted on sites like these from time to time, so check often if there's something you're interested in trying. This option is better for those physicians interested in becoming a traveling physician to combine their love of medicine with their love of travel. You can try it out to see if it's something you'll want to do long-term.

Both medicine and traveling should be something that you're truly passionate about when considering becoming a traveling physician. It's a pretty challenging career- as are many careers that involve travel and physician jobs in general- but it is also a very rewarding experience. Fortunately, traditional physician jobs are in such high demand so it's possible to go back to being a regular physician if traveling as a physician doesn't work out.

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Johnstown, PA (15901)

Today

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 51F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 39F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.
Employers in Rwanda have been encouraged to learn how to balance technology and innovation with social interaction in a world of work that's increasingly being shaped by technology.

This was observed during a conference on the future of work in a technology-driven world held in Kigali earlier in the week.

The first of its kind to be held in Rwanda, the forum brought together human resource managers, chief executives and other managers with a view to discuss recent trends in the workplace, resilient leadership, among others.

It was organised by Rwanda-based Eagles Capacity Building Centre and Doheney Services, a human resource consulting firm based in Nigeria.

John Opute, Associate Professor of International Human Resource Management, said it was critical that both the employers and employees used technology to be more effective and efficient.

"Technology is our friend and not our enemy... it makes life much easier, more interesting and creates an opportunity to do several things."

He also said that managers need to put on the leadership cap in order to promote technology because a leader embraces creativity and is always ready for change.

Faustin Karasira, the chief operations officer at the Private Sector Federation, urged employers and human resource managers to embrace soft skills.

He also called for deliberate efforts to re-skill the existing workforce.

Several speakers also pointed at the lessons learned from the Covid pandemic, which forced employers to work from home due to travel restrictions and lockdowns.

A session on speed networking was also held with the aim of helping participants to grow their network, meet and interact with peers, explore the latest innovations that could help improve the workplace, and learn from people with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

Francine Uwera Havugimana, the founder and chief executive of Eagles Capacity Building Centre, told The New Times that they had come up with tools that could help improve the wellbeing and productivity of employees in the modern workplace.

She said the tools could help improve performance appraisals and determine whether the deliverables of individual employees matched the mission and strategic objectives of the company.
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PARIS (AP)  Beer flowed at incumbent Emmanuel Macrons celebration of his first-round victory in the French presidential election, while Champagne corks popped across town to mark far-right leader Marine Le Pens second-place showing.

It was a night of effervescence for both contenders and their supporters ahead of a showdown in two weeks to see who will become Frances chief of state for the next five years. The two will be revisiting their 2017 match when centrist Macron, then an upstart never before elected to office, won by a landslide.

Flags, the national anthem and cheers  fueled with drinks as different as the programs of the two contenders  marked the end of a campaign that left 10 other candidates on the sidelines.

Macron was expected to capture a healthy first-round lead of around 28% support, ahead of Le Pens 23%-24%, according to projections. Final official results were not yet available.

One, two, five more years, Marcon's supporters cried out. Marine president and We will win, the hundreds of guests at Le Pens electoral party chanted.

Now, everything is possible, said Aurelien Lopez Liguori, a municipal councilor for Le Pens National Rally party, in the southern town of Sete. Macron will finally answer to the French people for his bad record.

He credited Le Pens mostly quiet, close-to-the-people campaign, far from TV cameras, for her showing. The French thanked us tonight.

It was anything but quiet at Le Pen's electoral venue in a park in eastern Paris. Cheers drowned out parts of her speech when poll projections were announced.

Le Pen, 53, a solid nationalist, has revamped her program and her style, campaigning on buying power and going decidedly people-friendly, to further distance herself from the far-right image that has haunted her anti-immigration party, work she began when she took over a decade ago. She has campaigned since September, longer than any other candidate, and as the campaign wound down took off in opinion polls.

In contrast, Macron, 44, came late to the campaign trail, occupied with affairs of state, including his active role in trying to stop the war in Ukraine. He has dominated polls from the start, but some in his entourage worried aloud about Le Pens steady advance.

Supporter Julien Bon said he was joyful with Sunday nights results.

Its better than what we had expected, he said, referring to recent opinion polls. We are well on track. Now we must fight.

Le Pens supporters at her electoral party came from around France and beyond.

I couldnt support Marine Le Pen with my vote, but I would if I were French, said Hungarian guest Agnes Zsofia Magyar, who met Le Pen during the French politicians visit to Budapest to support leader Victor Orban and his nationalist Fidesz party. She works in Brussels with the party-linked Foundation for a Civil Hungary.

I am sure that the French have decided to change systems, Magyar said, anticipating a Le Pen victory in the April 24 runoff and alluding to the drastic differences that populist Le Pen and pro-European Union Macron represent.

Macron asked his supporters to applaud all 10 candidates eliminated from Sunday's race, naming each, including far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who came in third.

Melenchon gave his own orders at his electoral gathering: We must not give a single vote to Le Pen.

I think Marine Le Pen has a big chance of winning, said Gilles Lebreton, a European Parliament lawmaker for the far-right party. Her party counts on winning over supporters of Eric Zemmour, a far-right pundit whose decision to enter the race divided Le Pen's support base.

For Le Pens National Rally, the second round begins Monday when Lebreton said party officials would meet to plan strategy for the second round.

___

Associated Press writer Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report.
A Texas district attorney said Sunday that he will ask a judge to dismiss a murder charge against a woman over a self-induced abortion.

Lizelle Herrera was arrested Thursday in Rio Grande City, a community of about 14,000 people along the Mexico border, after a Starr County grand jury indicted her on March 30 for murder for allegedly causing the death of an individual ... by self-induced abortion."

District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez said Sunday that his office would move to dismiss the charge on Monday.

In reviewing this case, it is clear that Ms. Herrera cannot and should not be prosecuted for the allegation against her, Ramirez said in a statement.

Ramirez went on to say, It is my hope that with the dismissal of this case it is made clear that Ms. Herrera did not commit a criminal act under the laws of the State of Texas."

Authorities haven't released details about what Herrera allegedly did, and Ramirez didn't immediately respond to an email Sunday seeking further information about the case. From his statement Sunday and a previous statement put out by a Starr County Sheriff's Office official, it wasn't clear if Herrera was accused of giving herself an abortion or assisting in someone else's self-induced abortion.

In a tweet Sunday, Planned Parenthood called the decision Such NEEDED news."

While the charges against Lizelle have been dismissed, we know the fight against the criminalization of pregnancy outcomes has only just begun, said Alexis McGill Johnson, Planned Parenthood's president and CEO.

A leading Texas anti-abortion group said it understood the decision, saying that state law provides only civil remedies, not criminal ones.

The Texas Heartbeat Act and other Pro-Life policies in the state clearly prohibit criminal charges for pregnant women. Texas Right to Life opposes public prosecutors going outside of the bounds of Texas prudent and carefully crafted policies, said Texas Right to Life spokeswoman Kimberlyn Schwartz.

Herrera was released Saturday from the Starr County jail after posting a $500,000 bond.

The indictment alleged that Herrera, on Jan. 7, did then and there intentionally and knowingly cause the death of an individual ... by self-induced abortion.

In confirming the indictment Saturday, sheriff's Maj. Carlos Delgado said no further information would be released until Monday because the case was still under investigation.

Texas law would exempt Herrera from a criminal homicide charge for aborting her own pregnancy, University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck said.

(Homicide) doesnt apply to the murder of an unborn child if the conduct charged is conduct committed by the mother of the unborn child, Vladeck said.

A 2021 state law that bans abortions in Texas for women who are as early as six weeks pregnant has sharply curtailed the number of abortions in the state. The law leaves enforcement to private citizens who can sue doctors or anyone who helps a woman get an abortion.

The woman receiving the abortion is exempted from the law.

Another Texas law prohibits doctors and clinics from prescribing abortion-inducing medications after the seventh week of pregnancy and prohibits the delivery of the pills by mail.

Medication abortions are not considered self-induced under federal Food and Drug Administration regulations, Vladeck said.

You can only receive the medication under medical supervision, according to Vladeck. I realize this sounds weird because you are taking the pill yourself, but it is under a providers at least theoretical care.

___

Associated Press writers Ken Miller in Oklahoma City and Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, contributed to this report.
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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP)  A shooting inside a crowded Cedar Rapids nightclub left a man and a woman dead and 10 people wounded early Sunday, authorities said.

Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman said investigators believe two men fired more than a dozen shots inside the Taboo Nightclub and Lounge just before 1:30 a.m. Sunday. He said officers who were just outside the club because of an earlier incident rushed inside just as 100-150 people streamed out of the bar and found the victims.

Officers helped treat the people who were wounded and rushed several of the victims to hospitals in squad cars.

The names of the man and woman who died were not released Sunday. Jerman said one of the people who were injured was in critical condition Sunday afternoon while the other injuries, which were all related to the gunfire, ranged from serious to minor.

The gunmen likely escaped as the crowd rushed out of the nightclub. Police were searching for suspects Sunday afternoon and no arrests had been reported.

Jerman said police haven't determined the motive for the shooting but investigators believe one of the victims was targeted.

This is another mindless and senseless gun-related incident involving a reckless disregard for human life, Jerman said. I remain livid and angered at the continued and blatant disregard and lack of respect for human life that continues. That said, I want to reassure the residents of this city that Cedar Rapids is a safe city.

The club's owner, Mod Williams, told the Cedar Rapids Gazette that he is working with police.

Its an extremely disturbing thing that happened and currently Im just being as cooperative as I can to help the police, Williams said.

Mayor Tiffany ODonnell expressed dismay about the shooting and lauded the police response. She also urged residents to speak out against violence.

Shock, anger, grief, disappointment  just a few of the emotions that Im sure we all feel today, O'Donnell said. And I can personally say that as a mother my heart goes out to those moms and dads today who are having the worst day of their lives. To the families of the injured, we are with you and we are praying for a swift recovery.
The Nyarugenge Intermediate Court on Friday, April 8, upheld a lower court's decision to remand Felix Nshimyumurenyi, the Director-General of Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA), and co-accused Felix Emile Mugisha who are suspected of corruption.

The decision comes after the defendants filed an appeal challenging an earlier decision by the Kicukiro Primary Court to remand them for 30 days as investigations continue.

During the appeal hearing, which took place on March 30, Nshimyumuremyi and Mugisha denied the crime and requested to grant bail and be tried out of jail.

However, the prosecution had previously requested for their remand, saying that there was a likelihood that they may escape justice if granted bail among other reasons.

Mugisha was arrested on February 24 while Nshyimyumuremyi was arrested on February 25.

The duo was arrested following the case filed with Eric Salongo Kalisa, the Director of Operations See Far Ltd, who was allegedly supposed to bribe them in order to continue with a government tender to finish an infrastructure project.

The project in question is Kabeza Model Village which was initially expected to build 556 houses in the Kanombe sector, Kicukiro district but only 52 houses were built.

The defendants are held in Nyarugenge prison known as 'Mageragere' as the prosecution completes their investigations for the substantive trial to begin.
Bob Meighan, whose music is featured on The Whole Enchilada supporting the band Little Feat at the Phoenix Giants Stadium in 1973. (Photo courtesy of Steve Lind)
If the roads where residents to be affected by the Tobago Airport Expansion Project are bloc
The Ukrainian authorities are doing everything possible to bring to justice every Russian serviceman who commits war crimes in our country.

Another week of our struggle for freedom, for the state, is coming to an end. Another week when Ukraine lives despite all Russia's efforts to destroy us. We defend ourselves. Hit back, Zelensky said in his latest address.

The President pointed out the development of ties with international partners, thanks to which Ukraine receives assistance and promotes new sanctions against the Russian Federation.

In addition, Zelensky assured: We are doing everything we can to bring to justice every bastard who came to our land under the Russian flag and killed our people. Who tortured our people. Destroyed our cities. Looted and tormented.

Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine is ongoing. The invaders shell and destroy key facilities of critical and civilian infrastructure, brutally torture and kill Ukrainians.

Photo credit: Presidents Office

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Ukrainian law enforcers continue to gather evidence of atrocities committed by the Russian military against civilians in the liberated towns and villages of the Kyiv region.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, reported this on Telegram, according to Ukrinform.

According to him, a mass grave with civilian Ukrainians killed by Russian invaders was found in the village of Buzova.

"Eyewitnesses also say that there is a burnt-out car nearby, in which a 17-year-old teenager was burnt alive and a woman lost half of her head," Gerashchenko wrote.

He added that local authorities believe that at least 50 locals had been killed by the occupiers.

The towns of Irpin, Bucha, Hostomel and the entire Kyiv region were liberated from Russian control in early April. Mass killings of civilians were recorded in the liberated towns and villages.

According to Ukraine's Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, the bodies of 1,222 civilians killed by Russian invaders were found in the Kyiv region.
Russian armed forces may resort to provocations in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in a report posted to Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

According to the report, the enemy attempted to launch an offensive outside the settlements of Dovhenke and Dmytrivka. But those attempts failed and the enemy retreated to previous positions.

Attempts to launch an assault near Zolote also failed.

In total, in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukrainian defenders repulsed four enemy attacks, destroying five tanks, eight armored vehicles, six vehicles and eight artillery systems, the statement said.

At the same time, the enemy continues to create an assault grouping of troops for operations in the Slobozhanshchyna direction. According to operative data, the occupiers will probably try to resume their offensive in coming days.

"In addition, the enemy continues to train and send personnel, weapons and equipment to participate in hostilities in Ukraine," the statement said.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also did not rule out that the Russian armed forces may resort to provocations in Moldova's Transnistria region.

In the Slobozhanshchyna direction, separate units of the 6th Combined Arms Army and Coastal Troops of the Northern Fleet continue to partially block the city of Kharkiv, and artillery shelling of certain parts of the city is going on.

Aerial reconnaissance of the area is underway in the Izium direction in order to locate the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To do this, the enemy uses the Orlan-10 UAVs.

In the Donetsk direction, the enemy continues to focus on taking control of the settlements of Popasna, Rubizhne, Nyzhnie and Novobakhmutivka, as well as establishing full control over the city of Mariupol, where the occupiers continue to conduct assault operations near the Azovstal plant and the seaport.

With the assistance of separate units, the enemy carried out artillery shelling of the positions of Ukrainian troops near Vysokopillia, Trudoliubivka and Marianske.

Photo: AA
In Mykolaiv region, 25 people have been wounded as a result of Russian attacks over the past day.

Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Council Hanna Zamazeyeva wrote this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

As many as 25 people have been wounded in Mykolaiv region over the past day. Fortunately, there are no children among the victims. All the victims were taken to our healthcare facilities where they receive the necessary assistance," Zamazeyeva wrote.

Overall, according to her, as of this morning, there were 367 patients in Mykolaiv hospitals, who suffered from Russian attacks on Mykolaiv region.

Read also: Russian military kill 183 children in Ukraine

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.

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EU High Representative Josep Borrell has said that Russia's aggression against Ukraine can be described as a big failure of Russian troops and the horror of what they left behind in the temporarily occupied territories.

He said this after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, April 11, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The Russian aggression against Ukraine has two words to be qualified. First, failure. It is a big failure of the Russian army. They tried to conquer Kyiv and they have been rejected. Now they are abandoning Kyiv. They see that it is impossible for them to take the capital and they are regrouping their troops in the East," Borrell said.

According to him, Ukrainian forces are convinced that Russian troops are going to launch a big offensive in the Donbas, nearby their logistic bases. The EU and some member states continue to provide assistance to Ukraine so that the Armed Forces of Ukraine can withstand the enemy with dignity.

"The second word is horror. What the Russian army left behind are civilians killed, cities destroyed, indiscriminate bombing - as the one we saw on the railway station [in Kramatorsk]. We are very worried by the human consequences of this war. Mariupol is a martyr city," Borrell said.

He stressed that what is going to happen in the Eastern front makes the EU much more ready to continue supporting Ukraine to face this battle.

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 and residential neighborhoods of Ukrainian cities, towns and villages using artillery, multiple rocket launchers, ballistic missiles, and air bombs.

Photo: Laura Celmina, Arlietu ministrija
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has said he did not receive any positive impressions or signals at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He stated this after the meeting, Ukrinform reports, citing Austria's news site Kurier.

Nehammer said that he had a "very direct, open and tough" conversation about Russia's war crimes, particularly in Bucha and elsewhere, and the need to bring perpetrators to justice. However, Putin's reaction showed no signs of his willingness to cooperate.

"Generally, there are no positive impressions and promising prospects. [] Putin has massively entered into the logic of war and acts accordingly," Nehammer said.

According to him, the Kremlin leader said that it would be better if the war (he used this word) ended soon. At the same time, he described the horrific crimes in Bucha as a "staging" and the West's reaction as distrust.

Nehammer told Putin that sanctions against Russia will remain in force and will be intensified as long as people die in Ukraine.

He also called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the provision of humanitarian corridors for evacuation, including from Mariupol and other besieged cities, and access for the ICRC and other humanitarian organizations.

"But my most important message to Putin was that this war must finally end, because in a war there are only losers on both sides," he said.

According to the chancellor, his visit to Moscow was prompted by his "duty [...] to achieve an end to hostilities or at least humanitarian progress for the affected civilian population in Ukraine."

"This is not a friendly visit. I have just come from Ukraine and have seen with my own eyes the immeasurable suffering caused by the Russian war of aggression," he said.

Nehammer is the first EU head of government received by Putin after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. The meeting lasted 75 minutes. At the request of the Austrian side, there were no journalists or traditional briefing. According to the Austrian side, there was no handshake.

On April 9, Nehammer paid a visit to Ukraine and he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Photo: AA
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will continue to appeal to the leaders and peoples of the world, Ukraine will attract more funds and assistance and insist on tougher sanctions against Russia.

I will continue to address the parliaments and nations of the world. We will meet our partners, leaders of other states in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. We will attract even more funds and resources to help Ukraine. Of course, we will justify stronger sanctions against the Russian Federation. So that there is responsibility, so that there is justice. No matter how afraid they are to admit their mistakes - tragic, terrible mistakes - they will have to. Because our courage and our truthfulness clearly prevail. And they will win, Zelensky said in his latest address.

On February 24, Russian president Putin declared war on Ukraine and launched a large-scale invasion. Russian troops shell and destroy infrastructure, massively fire on residential areas of Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages using artillery, MLRS, and ballistic missiles.

At least 1,300 Ukrainian service members were killed in the war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 12.

Thousands of civilians are also dying. In particular, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko said on April 6 that the earlier estimates indicated the death toll of 5,000 civilians, but given the city's size, catastrophic destruction, duration of the blockade and fierce resistance, tens of thousands of Mariupol civilians could have fallen victim to the invaders.

Mass killings of civilians by Russian troops have also been recorded in the liberated towns and villages in Kyiv region. In particular, according to Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, Russian aggressors killed 1,222 civilians in Kyiv region.

About 700 people have been killed in Chernihiv city, northern Ukraine, since the beginning of the war.

In addition, the Prosecutor General's Office informed that 177 children had been killed and 336 more had been injured as a result of hostilities by Russian troops as of the morning of April 10.

The UN, in turn, reported that the civilian casualties at the end of the day on April 9 were 1,793 people killed and 2,439 injured.

In addition, according to the United Nations, more than 4.5 million people have fled Ukraine due to Russia's war. More than 7.1 million Ukrainians have become internally displaced persons.

Photo credit: Presidents Office

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Recently, Germany's position on sanctions against Russia and ways to force the aggressor to seek peace has changed in favor of Ukraine.

I spoke today with Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz. About how to bring to justice all those guilty of war crimes. How to strengthen sanctions against Russia and how to force Russia to seek peace. I am glad to note that the German position has recently changed in favor of Ukraine. I consider it absolutely logical, Zelensky said in his latest address.

This is the course supported by the majority of the German people, he noted.

And I am grateful to them. But I expect that everything we agreed on will be implemented. And this is very important, the President stressed.

As reported, Irpin, Bucha, Hostomel and the entire Kyiv region were liberated from Russian invaders in early April. Mass killings of civilians by Russian troops were recorded in the liberated towns and villages.

According to Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, Russian invaders killed 1,222 civilians in Kyiv region.

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Rwandans in Uganda have commemorated the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi by paying homage to thousands of victims who are interred in Uganda after they were thrown in rivers and ended up in Lake Victoria.

The event was held on Saturday, April 9, at Ggolo Genocide Memorial Site, one among the three Uganda-based burial and memorial sites for the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Ggolo is a burial site for 4,771 genocide victims whose bodies were washed into Uganda by tributaries of Lake Victoria like River Nyabarongo and Kagera where they were thrown by the killers.

Flame of Hope H.E Joseph Rutabana and Dean of Diplomatic Corps and Guest of Honor Amb. Julius KIVUNA

During the event, the Rwandans were joined by friends, the diplomatic community and locals of Ggolo landing site (Mpigi district). Genocide survivors had also travelled from Rwanda to join the mourners in Uganda.

Rwanda's High Commissioner of Rwanda to Uganda Joseph Rutabana together with guest of honourAmbassador Julius Kivuna, the Head of Regional Peace and Security at Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomats lit a flame of remembrance.

Many sat in the tents staring deep at the flame, remembering the brutal and inhumane ways in which their own were killed during the Genocide.

Rutabana thanked the people of Ggolo and the government of Uganda for allowing a decent burial for the Genocide victims, as he emphasized the need to raise the awareness about the evils of Genocide and the need to fight its denial and ideology.

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"It is important to remember, and raise awareness about the evils of Genocide and the need to fight its denial and ideology. All forms of denial or the evil conspiracy of double Genocide should be condemned collectively. It is the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi that happened in 1994 in Rwanda, there is no ambiguity whatsoever," he said.

Ambassador Kivuna also called for more efforts in the fight against genocide, and genocide denial, and praised Rwanda's tremendous recovery after the Genocide.

Group photo of H.E and Diplomatic corp and a member Humura survivor

"The country's recovery is a rightful source of pride and comfort for not only the people and government of Rwanda, but the region, Africa and the world as a whole," he said.

The commemoration in Ggolo ended with a visit to the shores of the lake, from where the bodies were retrieved, at a beach owned by Mhamood Noordin Thobani.

Thobani is a Ugandan businessman who played a significant role in preserving the bodies and donated the land on which the site was established.
Ukraine is likely to join the European Union within years.

Thats according to a diplomatic adviser to the President of Ukraine, Deputy Head of the Presidents Office Ihor Zhovkva, who spoke with European Pravda, Ukrinform reports.

"Our accession to the EU will definitely come within years We really deserve it, we have made enough efforts to reform the economy and transform our legislation. And now, in repelling Russian aggression, we are not stopping for a moment to become closer to Europe. We are worth it and we will get exactly that," the official said.

At the same time, according to Zhovkva, not all EU member states share the same opinion on Ukraine's streamlined European integration procedure. However, he assured the outlet that none of the member states oppose the process as such.

As Ukrinform reported, during a visit to Kyiv on April 8, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen handed over to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky a questionnaire for EU candidate status.
The Government of Canada has announced new sanctions targeting Russias defense sector under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations in connection with the Russian illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine.

That's according to the Canadian Foreign Ministry, Ukrinform reports.

The new sanctions include asset freezes and bans on 33 Russian defense companies that directly or indirectly support Russian troops, and thus "are complicit in the pain and suffering stemming from Vladimir Putins senseless war in Ukraine."

Read also: Zelensky thanks Trudeau for assistance for Ukraine

"Todays measures are the latest example of our unwavering support for Ukraine and its people. We will continue to support the brave men and women fighting for their freedom, and we demand that those responsible for atrocities be held accountable," said Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.

The Canadian Foreign Ministry added that it would explore, in coordination with its international partners, options for new measures to respond to the Russian regimes unjustifiable acts."

Since the onset of Russian invasion of Ukraine, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 700 individuals and entities from Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. All property and assets of designated persons in Canada have been frozen, while these persons were barred from entering the country.
Croatias foreign ministry has invited the Russian ambassador, informing him that 24 embassy employees are being expelled from the country over Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Thats according to the ministrys press service, Ukrinform reports.

On Monday, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs invited the Russian ambassador to express our strongest condemnation of Russias brutal aggression against Ukraine and the numerous war crimes that have been committed, the statement reads.

A note was presented to the Russian ambassador, informing Russia, in line with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, about Croatias decision to reduce the number of diplomatic and administrative staff at the Russian Embassy in Zagreb to the level of the Croatian Embassy in Moscow.

The note asks that 18 diplomats and six members of the administrative staff at the Russian Embassy (24 employees in total) leave Croatia.

Russia was once again called upon to cease all military activities immediately and withdraw its troops from the entire Ukrainian territory, as well as to secure evacuation routes and humanitarian corridors.

It was underlined that Croatia expects that those responsible for war crimes be brought to justice.
President Volodymyr Zelensky informed Chairman of the African Union, President of Senegal Macky Sall about Ukraine's struggle against Russian aggression and the crimes committed by the invaders.

Had a phone conversation with Chairman of the African Union, President of Senegal Macky Sall. Noted the statement of the African Union dated 24 February on respect for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity. Informed about our struggle against the invasion and heinous crimes of the Russian aggressor, Zelensky posted on Twitter.

The African Union (AU) is an intergovernmental organization that unites 55 African countries.

On February 24, Russian president Vladimir Putin started a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops shell and destroy key infrastructure facilities, massively fire on residential areas of Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages using artillery, MLRS, ballistic missiles, and aviation bombs.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.

Photo: Presidents Office

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Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania Ingrida Simonyte discussed the investigation into Russian war crimes and the intensification of sanctions against the aggressor.

The meeting took place in Kyiv on April 11, the Government portal informs.

Shmyhal noted that exactly two months ago they had visited the frontline territories in Luhansk region together and discussed then that Ukraine's reforms and success were the best weapons against Russia's aggression.

"Two months have passed and we live in a completely different world, but the message that Ukraine's success is the best weapon against Russia's aggression has remained unchanged," the Head of the Government of Ukraine emphasized.

He stressed that Lithuania had become the first EU country to make a number of unprecedented decisions in solidarity with Ukraine, including the complete abandonment of Russian gas imports and the decision to expel the Russian Federations ambassador.

Shmyhal called on Lithuania, together with other friends of Ukraine, to establish an alliance within the EU to push for tougher sanctions against the aggressor. In particular, the Ukrainian PM outlined the following important steps to end the war: imposing trade, economic and transport embargo on Russia, especially on oil, gas, metals and minerals; freezing the accounts of all Russian and Belarusian banks and major Russian and Belarusian companies; cutting all Russian banks off from SWIFT, primarily Sberbank.

Shmyhal also pointed out the need to deprive Russia of the ability to use GPS during the war; prevent Russia from using cryptocurrencies to circumvent sanctions and close other loopholes that Russians are trying to use; expand sanctions against Russian oligarchs who continue to fund the Putins regime and the war against Ukraine.

"Furthermore, we ask you to provide Ukraine with air and ground defense systems, including aircraft, multiple rocket launchers, tanks and anti-ship missiles," the PM of Ukraine urged.

For her part, Ingrida Simonyte stressed that all atrocities committed by the Russian army in Ukraine must be thoroughly documented.

"Everyone who has been involved in these crimes must be brought to justice," said the Prime Minister of Lithuania.

On February 24, Russian president Vladimir Putin started a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops shell and destroy key infrastructure facilities, massively fire on residential areas of Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages using artillery, MLRS, ballistic missiles, and aviation bombs.

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Published April 11, 2022

ULM Honors Program students attended the Southern Regional Honors Council in Birmingham, AL. Pictured, from left, are Michael Hollman, Ariana Yelverton, Blaine Warren (back), Uchechi Owunna, Nautica Jones, and Emmanuel Perez. Not pictured is Alisha Lirette.

Courtesy photo

The University of Louisiana Monroe Honors Program joined the annual meeting of the Southern Regional Honors Council on March 31-April 2 in Birmingham, AL.

Joshua Stockley, Ph.D., Director of the ULM Honors Program, was accompanied by eight students  Emmanuel Perez, senior biology major; Michael Hollman, senior mathematics major; Caitlyn Cullen, junior political science major; Uchechi Owunna, senior toxicology major; Nautica Jones, senior biology major; Alisha Lirette, senior biology major; Blaine Warren, senior political science major; and Ariana Yelverton, senior biology major.

Seven of these students presented research.

Attending the conference were honors students and administrators from colleges and universities across the southern region of the United States.

"Our honors students received tremendous accolades and positive feedback for their research," Stockley said. "They created connections with students and administrators from other universities and represented the university and the ULM Honors Program well. I am so proud of them."

Owunna presented "Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 1,3-Diarylpyrazoles: in vitro Cytotoxicity Studies on Melanoma Cancer Cells."

"I thoroughly enjoyed attending the different presentations of not only STEM-related research work but also the work of other students in the social sciences field. My understanding of the social issues and the political system in the United States of America has been expanded," Owunna said.

Perez shared the "Effectiveness of Stress Reduction Interventions in College Students During Finals Week." Perez felt that this experience expanded his knowledge that he could take past his undergraduate time.

"Through the ULM Honors Program Thesis, I was able to express my creativity and challenge my intellect beyond the classroom. SRHC provided me with a platform to humbly share my research endeavor with various Honors students from around the southern region," Perez said.

Lirette presented "One Night Without a Home."

Yelverton presented "Effectiveness of Aromatherapy Scents in Reducing Canine Stress in a Veterinary Setting." Yelverton enjoyed meeting other students within the Southern region.

"I enjoyed SRHC because it allowed me to share my thesis research and hear scholarly feedback from my colleagues. I was also able to create connections with seniors from other honors programs across the South and be inspired by their research," Yelverton said.

Jones presented "Saving Louisiana's Last Chenier."

"I am grateful for the experience to attend and present at SRHC. It was an unparalleled opportunity for networking and professional development," Jones said.

Warren presented "The Effects of Political Corruption in Contemporary Louisiana." He felt supported in his endeavors by many in the ULM community.

"I had the help of many wonderful people, one of whom was my thesis adviser, Dr. Dumas, who prepared me for a professional conference setting," Warren said. "I learned so much, and I met so many people to collaborate and share data to further my research."

Hollman presented "An Investigation into the Relationship between Louisiana Community Banks Lending Practices and Profitability." Hollman appreciated the opportunity to contribute and was inspired by his peers' research.

"I had never been to an honors program conference before, so I wasn't sure what to expect going in. I thought my presentation would be the highlight of the trip; however, the congregation of so many ambitious and curious minds led to an amazing experience throughout my entire time at the conference," Hollman said.

Cullen did not present but still learned much from her experience, including how to develop a thesis.

"SRHC allowed me to gain insight into peer research and the development of a thesis," Cullen said. "I was given an opportunity to see how a question evolves into a student-led research project with the help of mentors, fellow students, and campus resources."

The Southern Regional Honors Council is an educational organization that promotes and advances Honors Programs and Honors Colleges in the southern United States. SRHC currently comprises more than 100 member institutions, hosts an annual conference, publishes a literary arts journal, Sanctuary, and provides a variety of grants to support student efforts to engage in NCHC-sponsored experiential learning and leadership in honors organizations.

About the ULM Honors Program

The ULM Honors Program is a unique program within ULM that seeks intellectually curious students who desire to challenge themselves with new ideas and work with similarly motivated students. The program is open to all majors and works within all degree programs. Honors students are exposed to more in-depth topics and work closely with faculty in smaller courses.

For more information about the Honors Program, contact Dr. Joshua Stockley at stockley@ulm.edu or 318-342-3216 or visit ulm.edu/honors.
High in Pakistans rolling hills, a mountain valley is a refuge not only for bees, but also refugees from Afghanistan. By Qaiser Khan Afridi and Aoife McDonnell in Buner, Pakistan

Dressed in a protective suit and a mesh head-net, Nazak Mir approaches a hive box and carefully detaches a comb from its side. Confident and experienced, he gently brushes the bees off the comb and scrapes an amber resin-like substance off the surface. In a nearby workshop, he places the comb in a centrifuge, and with each twirl, clear, golden honey, flavoured by the surrounding pine trees and acacia pours into a jar.

Forty years ago, when war broke out in Afghanistan, Mir fled his home in Paktia province along with his family and sought safety in Buner district some 150 kilometres from Peshawar, capital of Pakistans north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. There, in exile, he found something he had not expected to  a chance to follow in his father footsteps as a beekeeper.

While cultivating bee colonies was not entirely new to Mir, it took three years with no income for the father of seven to start his own business. A visit by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to the refugee camp where Mir was sheltering set in motion his career as an entrepreneur, teacher and mentor on beekeeping.

I joined a training run by UNHCR on beekeeping and once completed, I was provided with five honeybee boxes and bees to start my business, he recalled. Reflecting the culture of generosity in the region, a Pakistani friend from the host community offered him a piece of land for the bee farm.

Having a skill is a blessing

On the same hilltop where his business began some forty years ago, Mir has created a honeybee haven, with more than 100 hives and works with his brother and five sons. He supports his family by earning almost one million rupees (approx. USD 5,000) annually by selling 100-150 boxes of honey. We well two types of honey, Sidr and Acacia. Sidr honey is more profitable, he said.

He has also trained thousands of Afghan refugees and locals across Pakistan in the business, making a substantial contribution to Pakistans economy, a major exporter of honey.

Having a skill is a blessing, noted Mir, who realized that a significant number of people within his community were unemployed. I taught and trained 80 percent of the villagers, both refugee and Pakistani. Mir estimates that 1,700 families in the Koga refugee village in Buner are associated with this business, in addition to others who have established bee colonies in other parts of the country.

Bringing both refugee and host communities together is key to his success, with a business plan inspired by the honeybee queen who helps regulate the unity of the beehive colony. Their life symbolizes teamwork and growth. Strong connections and discipline hold them in the hive together, said the grey-haired Afghan refugee while pointing towards the bees moving in and out of a hives entrance.

[Pakistani friends] gave us land for our business and also protect and care for our bee farms

UNHCR has worked to create opportunities for refugees to be economically self-reliant. Livelihoods programmes, including training, support to start-up businesses, outreach to the private sector to facilitate internship programmes, are all aimed at enhancing self-reliance of refugees while also fostering greater social cohesion with host communities.

Livelihoods and other supported programmes are also assisting host community members as part of an international effort falling under a Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees to increase contributions towards communities who have generously shared their resources with refugees for decades.

Lauding the role of host communities, Mir said that their Pakistani friends have been very helpful to them in every way. They gave us land for our business and also protect and care for our bee farms, he said.

With over 650,000 Afghan refugees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including thousands in Buner like Nazak Mir, refugees are contributing to peaceful and social cohesion in Pakistan.

Honeybee-keeping business is a good example where refugees not only learned the skills of the honeybee-farming, but also started up income generation activities, noted Gayrat Ahmadshoev, Head of UNHCR office in Peshawar. This has also helped the host population in their own income generation activities.

And yet beekeeping is not without its challenges, including climate change which has decimated bee populations globally. We see climate change also affecting our business, highlighted Mir. More recently, wet weather, including heavier than normal seasonal rains, has resulted in shorter flowering seasons which prevents bees from producing honey. We have no other option but to feed them sugar water in order to produce honey.

The journey of Nazak Mir doesnt stop here. Giving back to his community has always been a driving force behind his business, and profits have allowed him to establish a school in his refugee village. With pride he shares that many of the students have continued their education and become doctors and engineers.

With a protective net veil firmly in place, Nazak Mir, on the spur of the moment, gently lifts a queen bee out of the hive. This queen inspired me.

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interview

As Rwandans commemorate for the 28th time the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, Egide Gatari, President of the Association of Former Students Survivors of the Genocide, GAERG shared his survivor story with The New Times' Jade Natacha Iriza.

He calls on other survivors to share their stories in the fight against Genocide denial, revisionism, minimilization and ideologies.

Briefly explain what is GEARG and its aim...

It is an association of survivors of the genocide against Tutsi who graduated from different universities. It was founded in 2003.

There is GAERG and AERG (Association des Etudiants et Eleves Rescapes Du Genocide), an association of survivors who are still studying, which was founded in 1996. But the core mandate and the mission are somehow the same.

They both help members to deal with the consequences of the genocide against Tutsi. Since most of us lost our families, in the associations we have structures of families, where members are organised in small groups, headed by people who assume the role of a mother and father and the rest as siblings.

This way we try to bridge the gap caused by the killed families. Then we help each other in all aspects, either socially, morally, and sometimes financially. We help each other as a normal family would do. Other activities are supporting each through commemoration, writing and sharing testimonies, healing groups and others, but the special goal is to have those families.

Would you share a bit about your survivorship story?

The genocide happened when I was eight years old. I was born in Southern Province, in Rusatira commune now in Huye. I had a family of five children, a mother and a father. My parents and siblings were killed in the genocide and I only survived with one sister.

I took refuge in a camp then called Izayisonga, it used to be a research centre for agriculture and livestock. When the genocide started, we went there thinking that it wouldn't take long before we go back to our home. I last saw my family on April 28, 1994. It had been like two weeks since we had stayed there then the Interahamwe militia and soldiers from the former regime came and killed a lot of people there.

I survived but I was also stabbed with a machete in my head. I still live with the scar. From there it was a long journey, hiding from place to place for three months.

But in brief, the RPA stopped the genocide and I survived. After the genocide, I continued with primary, secondary and university studies, now I'm a government servant working in Rwanda Agriculture Board. I have two children.

How did GEARG impact you personally?

GAERG was my family, sometimes I say that it may even be a clinic. As I said, the biggest loss we had is people. We didn't have parents and siblings, so what AERG did when I was in school is to bridge that gap.

We used to also share our testimonies. If you remain with your story, you may think that you are the one who had a lot of difficulties alone, but by sharing you heal.

So personally they helped me heal and to understand my situation. At school, they would focus on discipline, and performance in studies but also check on each other as a normal family. With the lack we had, these associations would help us have some accountability.

Another thing, at the time of marriage, I didn't feel the gap. They supported emotionally, financially and also the physical presence. When we gave birth, they visited "guhemba" in Kinyarwanda. So I would say AERG and GAERG become my family.

What is the most challenging part of your life as a survivor of the genocide?

First of all being a survivor is a challenge itself. Also being a survivor, each time in success or failure, you think of your survivorship. For example, on your graduation, normally it is a success and an achievement. But once you invite people and then you don't see your father, mother, brother or sister then you end up sad while it was supposed to be a happy time.

The same thing for failure. For example, I may not have money to do something, so you think to yourself "if my father or mother was there, maybe they would have supported me somehow". So every time you can't disconnect your life and your survivorship.

There are different theories about what happened during the 1994 genocide against Tutsi, most of these minimize or deny the genocide. What would you say causes this?

In Rwanda, there is one story; "the 1994 genocide against Tutsi". The government of Habyarimana and other perpetrators planned the genocide, the major purpose was to kill Tutsi and to eliminate them completely.

The other story is the one of RPF who stopped the killings and liberated Rwandans. Those are maybe the two stories; the story of killing people by Interahamwe and the liberation by RPF, which is a fact.

So other stories are just invented by those affiliated to the perpetrators. From the beginning of the genocide, people started minimizing what was happening, even 28 years after the genocide the denial is still there and the revisionism.

What's the effect of genocide denial or minimization?

The effect specifically to survivors, it increases the trauma. As survivors what can support us is to make sure the killing and the genocide ideology will never happen again. As I said, I now have two kids, so seeing someone say that some time they will kill my kids again, that is not simple for anyone.

Also if the denial or genocide ideology continue, it will confuse the new generations. Now the majority of Rwandans are not direct survivors or they didn't see the genocide, so it will create confusion for them. But also the international community may be confused when they hear different contradicting stories.

How can young people know the true history of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi?

First of all, if you want to know the real story of Rwanda, not just the genocide, visit the memorial sites. We have very well equipped memorial sites like Gisozi in Kigali, Murambi in South and other memorial sites. Thankfully, the government put in effort to make sure that they are well protected.

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Second, meet the right people to tell you the right story. We have three categories; survivors of the genocide, liberators and repent perpetrators. Discuss with them to know all the versions of what happened. Also read books about history of Rwanda, about genocide and so on.

But do so with critical thinking, compare what you see in the memorial sites and historical museums, what you hear from survivors, liberators and perpetrators and also read the books. From those different sources, you may understand the real story.

What do you think is the role of survivors in the fight against genocide denial or minimization?

There is a lady who wrote a book saying "left to tell". Even during the genocide there was a saying, "tubice hatazasigara nubara inkuru" which means, "let's kill them all so there won't even be one to tell the story."

So the mandate of survivors is to tell the story. If we survived, we have seen and experienced it then we have to tell it because if not someone else will tell lies or it will just be forgotten.

What is your message to Rwandans in this commemoration period?

My simple message is to comfort them. The genocide was against Tutsi, but it was a big loss to the entire community. We lost people, resources and many other things. So let's learn from history but also take the decision to make Rwanda a peaceful and prosperous country.

Any other comments...

I call upon the media and other people to be on the frontline as we tell the real story of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi.
When a new Interstate 5 bridge spanning the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington opens, drivers will likely be paying to cross it.
Press Release

April 11, 2022 Pangilinan vows to dismantle food smuggling network VICE-PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan vows to dismantle the food smuggling network deeply embedded in the different agencies of Philippine government. ?"Kung palarin akong maging vice-president, tatapusin natin ang mga smuggling at iligal na importasyon, at kakasuhan natin ang lahat ng sangkot dito," Pangilinan said in an interview with Radyo 5's Ted Failon and DJ Chacha Monday morning. During the interview, Failon asked Pangilinan about his achievements after 17 years in the Senate, echoing fake news spread by trolls and bashers that the senator has nothing to show for his three decades of work in government. "Pardon me, Mr. Failon, but you are echoing fake news spread by my rivals," Pangilinan politely rebutted, and then enumerated the stellar results of his legislative work and brief stint as food and agriculture czar during the Aquino administration. "In one and a half years, we were able to stop the importation of high-priced rice from Vietnam and Thailand. We filed administrative cases against six regional heads of the National Food Administration, officials who were involved in pushing for not only importation, but also re-bagging and repacking of smuggled products," he added. "We saved 7 billion pesos in government funds because of that move," Pangilinan said of his track record in good governance. Pangilinan also debunked fake news about his years as a senator, noting that his 17 years has been fruitful especially with the much-needed Sagip Saka Law (Republic Act 11321) giving powers to national agencies and local government units to directly procure food products from farmers and fisherfolk thereby cutting out middlemen. Of Pangilinan's over 115 measures laws authored and sponsored are the following landmark laws: the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act (RA 11524) which gives 3.5 million coconut farmers access to the P100 billion coco trust fund; with Senator Risa Hontiveros, the 105-day Expanded Maternity Leave Law (RA 11210) which expands the paid maternity leave to 105 days for mothers and 120 days for solo parents; and with Senator Bam Aquino, the Universal Access To Quality Tertiary Education Act (RA 10931) which grants free tuition and miscellaneous fees to students in state universities, local universities and colleges and TESDA-run technical-vocational institutions. As an opposition senator since the onset of the pandemic in the Philippines in March 2020, Pangilinan has pushed for a key component of Sagip Saka Law, the direct purchase from local farmers and fisherfolk of P41 billion worth of food programs in various national agencies (DSWD, DILG, DOH, and DepEd) in the 2021 national budget. His encouragement started in Bayanihan 1, where he instigated easy certification of farmers and fisherfolk by barangay captains for government procurement and thus caused the direct purchase by 444 LGUs of over P2.8 billion worth of produce from 532 individual farmers and fisherfolk and 265 farmers cooperatives and organizations during the 2020 lockdowns. In the government anti-Covid initiative Bayanihan 2, Pangilinan made available P24 billion worth of interest-free loans to farmers and fisherfolk, and created temporary livelihoods to drivers of public utility vehicles through service contracting programs worth P5.58 billion. During various Senate deliberations on Covid, Pangilinan triggered the lowering of test-kit cost by 26 percent when he questioned the non-use of Filipino-made quality test kits. The vice-presidential candidate also insisted on and incorporated safeguards and transparency in the procurement process in Bayanihan 2, which helped expose the P15-billion scam in PhilHealth and the overpriced and substandard purchases of medical supplies from Pharmally.
Genocide survivors in Rubavu district have asked for responsible authorities to establish a monument at Muhungwe hill in Kanama sector in honor of victims who were killed there and the unique history that characterized the area.

The request was raised during the 28th commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi, the first time the ceremony was held on this hill that was part of the Gishwati forest reserve.

Despite this being a killing ground of thousands in 1994, there is no memorial or sign in place in honour of lives lost there.

Genocide survivors who spoke to The New Times claimed that there are reasons why the place remains unique for perpetrators including commandos from the nearby Bigogwe military barracks who were involved in the killings.

"Many Tutsis were killed at this hill during the genocide. It was a forest, a place where military drills were conducted," said Ernest Kareja, who was by then 18 years old, and survived from the area.

According to Gerard Maburushimana, the head of Ibuka in Rubavu district, a lot of Tutsi from the former communes of Kanama, Gaseke, Mutura, Karago, Ramba, Karago, Kayove gathered at the mountain seeking for safety.

The area which was once part of Gishwati Natural forest is now a pastureland for cattle.

"The commandos from Bigogwe barracks played a great role [as] they trained Interahamwe. There is no sign for that here today to document such tragic history," he said.

He added that the people who were killed here were never all identified and exhumed so they can be given a decent burial.

"We want a monument to all the Tutsi who were killed here. We also call upon people who may have information about where our people are to provide it so that our hearts can be healed."

Ildephonse Kambogo, Rubavu district mayor agrees that this area has a unique history that must be preserved, saying that most of the victims here were killed by commandos.

"Information we have is that majority of the victims here were women and children; we do not know their numbers, he added.

According to Ibuka, they only have information on 260 victims but it is believed those who were killed here could have been in their thousands.
British journalist and author on the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, Linda Melvern, who is in Kigali to participate in activities to mark the 28th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, has shed light on what she sees as the most common and obvious forms of genocide denial.

On Wednesday, April 6, Melvern told The New Times that she thinks the first most obvious aspect of the denial of the genocide against the Tutsi is "to minimize the death toll."

In April 2021, she wrote an article in which she noted that the arguments made by genocide deniers are familiar to anyone who sat through a trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania where perpetrators made every effort to establish that a second genocide took place in 1994 of Hutu, and that this was the subject of an international cover-up.

In their trials, she wrote at the time, the genocidaires tried to diminish the death toll, and claimed the killing was in self-defence.

"You will see various figures of the number of those who were murdered in those three terrible months in 1994. To minimize the death toll is still quite common today. The foundation stone of the campaign of genocide denial can all be disproved by studying the established facts; through consulting archives, and particularly the Rwandan research that was conducted Commune by Commune to show the death toll in each; which is this research that deniers' discount," Melvern told The New Times.

In her latest book, Intent to Deceive: Denying the Genocide of the Tutsi, there is a chapter on the topic of denial. She wrote that at the centre of the denial of the genocide against the Tutsi was the idea that far from any planning, the killings of civilians in April to July 1994 resulted from a spontaneous uprising. This position, she wrote, was most eloquently outlined in the Security Council even as the crime took place, and was written into diplomatic telegrams, letters and cables.

Genocide not planned

"The second foundation stone is that there was no planning; that it was a spontaneous uprising. The conspiracy is proved beyond doubt. It is proved at the ICTR. It is proved in documents that were found abandoned here [Kigali] after the genocide against the Tutsi was over," she told The New Times.

"And it is to be found in the memories of those who moved through this terrible period. I think it is important to recognize that denial doesn't happen afterwards. It happens before. There is denial that this was being planned. I think it is really important that people understand that Rwanda's seat in the Security Council at that time was crucial for the genocidairesbecause it enabled the Rwandan ambassador sitting in the Council to spread his denial of the genocide within the Council.

She added: "The denial of the genocide was, therefore, there for all to see. It was in the Security Council itself, as the Rwandan ambassador claimed that the slaughter of civilians was spontaneous. The Rwandan ambassador was part of this effort to deny that the genocide against the Tutsi was underway."

During the genocide, Amb Jean-Damascene Bizimana, a representative of the genocidal government, actively built a narrative of genocide denial within the Security Council. He participated in all Security Council sessions during all the 100 days of the genocide against the Tutsi executed by his government.

In July 1994 when the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) stopped the genocide, Bizimana sought and was granted asylum in the United States where he was eventually granted citizenship. Bizimana is yet to face justice for his role in genocide propaganda and denial in 1994.

In her latest book, Melvern noted how the attempts to devise a collective defence strategy among the fugitive leaders of Hutu Power ideology, to agree a common discourse, a narrative upon which they could all agree, began in exile in the refugee camps - in Zaire, now DR Congo.

She reveals how the latter met with Luc de Temmerman, a Flemish lawyer who worked for the family of President Juvenal Habyarimana for a number of years and sought Power of Attorney from members of the former regime then on the run.

As noted, in July 1996, just after the now defunct ICTR issued its first indictments, de Temmerman held a meeting in a hotel in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, with a group of wanted fugitives, offering to supervise their defence.

The meeting was financed by a political organization created in the Mugunga refugee camp in the then Zaire [now DR Congo], the Rassemblement pour le Retour des Refugies et la Democratie au Rwanda (RDR) whose members included genocide suspects and Hutu Power ideologues. The Flemish commercial lawyer announced in that meeting that he would argue the innocence of their own individual cases ...

In September 2010, Maj. Gen. Paul Rwarakabije, a former commander of the defeated genocidal regime's army, commonly known as ex-FAR, which fled into Zaire and continued to battle the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) from there, told The New Times how the same administrators in charge in Rwanda during the genocide - the bourgmestres, the prefets, and others, ruled over the refugee camps.

At another meeting with fugitives in the Mugunga refugee camp, de Temmerman expressed regret that among the Hutu leadership were people who affirmed that there had been genocide conducted by the Hutu. "Unless we change such attitudes we will fall into a trap and it would be impossible for him to plead not guilty on our behalf," a typed report recorded that was later found among abandoned documents stated.

The Flemish lawyer, as noted in Melvern's book, asked how he could possibly defend anyone not prepared to defend himself. "All Hutu had to understand," he told them, "if the genocide was confirmed, then it was the end of them as a people."

Victim-blaming

Another "appalling" and frequent form of genocide denial, Melvern told The New Times, is the genocide perpetrators and their backers blaming the victims.

She said: "There are claims that the victims brought the catastrophe upon themselves, which is extraordinary. We see this in the denial of the holocaust too. It, in fact, was the fault of the victims for being who they were and for wanting to change thesystem that existed here in Rwanda and, beforehand. The apartheid quota system that existed. That is denied too, or is ignored.

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"I think it is significant that those academics who worked in Rwanda in years before the genocide also refuse to recognize the apartheid regime. I mean, they came here and happily worked without any complaints or any concern about the quota system. I find that quite extraordinary as in South Africa, for the apartheid system, there were campaigns almost throughout the world to try to end it. Whereas in Rwanda it was this nasty little secret but people never seemed to talk about this quota system, which was obviously appalling."

The genocidal regimes established a rigid system of quotas, supposedly to assure equitable distribution of resources and opportunities to all Rwandans. This system, which determined key matters such as school enrollments and civil service hiring, was actually used to deliberately victimize the Tutsi.

"The perpetrators of this crime have encouraged genocide denial," Melvern said.

"It is extraordinary to me to know that the perpetrators who have been found guilty and who are now in prison are allowed access to media, and to computers. I think they continue their campaign from prison. And that is of concern."

"The other problem, I think, that we have, is how some of the genocide perpetrators have been freed from prison early and one of those was Ferdinand Nahimana, one of the chief propagandists is out there in the world and he is probably continuing his campaign. The early release shocks me still."

Nahimana, a former history professor, was co-founder of hate-speech broadcaster Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) that encouraged the public to kill the Tutsi.
UnitedHealthcare, Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) and SistasCaring4Sistas (SC4S) announced the expansion of a community-based doula program into western North Carolina. The Doulas for Social Justice program, which was started by SistasCaring4Sistas to support primarily Black and low-income women through pregnancy, birth and postpartum, will aim to improve maternal health outcomes among Black women and reduce racial and social disparities among mothers in the region by providing access to quality health care.

With $25,000 in support from UnitedHealthcare, the collaboration with MAHEC and SC4S will expand the Doulas for Social Justice program to provide prenatal services and resources to rural western North Carolina residents. The announcement coincides with national Black Maternal Health Week beginning April 11, a week of awareness, activism and community building to lift the voices and improve the birthing experience for Black people.

According to the America's Health Rankings 2021 Health of Women and Children Report, compiled by the United Health Foundation, North Carolina ranks 35th for low birthweight racial disparity and Black women have at least twice the rate of severe maternal morbidity compared to white women.

Access to quality maternal health care will help close the gap on health inequity in our state," said Anita Bachmann, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina. "We are honored to partner with Mountain Area Health Education Center and SistasCaring4Sistas of North Carolina to address disparities and outcomes with the expanded doula program."

A doula typically provides physical and emotional support during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period, including guidance to help women and families make informed decisions on maternal self-care, lactation and healthy parenting. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. [1]

Partnering with UnitedHealthcare to support families most likely to face pregnancy-related complications, even death, is such an amazing opportunity," said Cindy McMillan, director, SistasCaring4Sistas. "United together, we value equitable, safe and positive birth outcomes and are utilizing needed community-based support to address community health care needs within maternal health systems in North Carolina."

According to March of Dimes, North Carolina ranks higher in the preterm birth rate compared to the national average, and the preterm birth rate among Black women is 46% higher than for all other women. [2] North Carolina also faces access to care challenges, especially in rural western North Carolina, ranking 39th nationally. [3] MAHEC provides and supports educational activities and services with a focus on primary care in rural communities.

Poor maternal health outcomes remain high among women in North Carolina, and together we are addressing maternal and prenatal health inequity in communities in need," said Amanda Murphy, certified nurse midwife and medical director, Mothering Asheville. "We applaud UnitedHealthcare for recognizing the importance of maternal and child health in improving care for all pregnancies across the state."

The program is one of several that UnitedHealthcare, along with its parent company UnitedHealth Group, is launching to address maternal health outcomes throughout the United States. Recent initiatives include nearly $14 million in philanthropic grants to support maternal health, and $2.85 million in support to March of Dimes for a public-private partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services that aims to reduce the Black-white disparity gap and improve maternal health outcomes. In 2021, UnitedHealthcare provided Unified Women's Health Care of North Carolina support to launch a prenatal care model initiative, CenteringPregnancy, in four North Carolina locations to improve outcomes and reduce racial and social disparities among mothers in North Carolina by providing access to quality maternal care.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.5 million physicians and care professionals, and 7,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.

About MAHEC

Mountain Area Health and Education Center provides and supports educational activities and services with a focus on primary care in rural communities with less access to resources to recruit, train and retain the workforce needed to create a healthy Western North Carolina. MAHEC has a 40 plus year history of innovation in health education and clinical care in Buncombe County and its surrounding communities. Serving as the obstetrical safety net provider in Western North Carolina (WNC) MAHEC cares for women and children from all 16 counties in the WNC region. Over the past six years, Mothering Asheville (with MAHEC as the lead clinical organization) has achieved successes in community capacity building, clinical shift, and policy/environmental change.

About SistasCaring4Sistas

SistasCaring4Sistas was created in 2016 after working to build trust and relationships among community residents of a public housing neighborhood, Pisgah View Apartments, and representatives from several local nonprofits. After learning that Black babies die at three times the rate of white babies in Buncombe County, the Black women in our community identified that birth doulas were a great way to improve health outcomes. SistasCaring4Sistas represents a group of Black community-based doulas supporting primarily Black and low-income women through pregnancy, birth and postpartum. This community-based doula program was founded by women of color for women of color who could benefit from evidence-based doula birth support and other wraparound resources.
Omaha, Nebraska  Update: Deadline Extended to May 15

The Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC), Greater Omaha Chamber REACH, and the Rotary Club of Omaha West are pleased to announce this year's Minority Small Business Summit will include a new pitch competition, providing minority-owned small businesses the opportunity to win significant funds to be used for the growth or scale of their operation.

Now in its second year, the 2022 Minority Small Business Summit is a chance for small business owners and entrepreneurs to strategize and grow at a day-long event. Attendees will have the opportunity to network, participate in educational sessions, and connect to community resources. The event will take place on June 23 at Seventy Five North - The Highlander.

New to the summit this year, the Minority Small Business Summit Pitch Competition is geared to established business owners seeking funding to branch into a new area, invest in additional marketing, or other ways to bring their business to the next level. This competition is not intended for start-up funding.

Five finalists will be selected to compete on June 23, 2022, at the Minority Small Business Summit. In addition, they will attend a practice run on June 17, 2022, where they will be given feedback and have the opportunity to refine their pitch.

"We are excited to be able to offer this new component to our second year of the summit," said Tony Schultz, center director for the Omaha Small Business Development Center at NBDC. "The pitch competition is an opportunity for five businesses to receive the funding they need to accelerate their growth. We're looking forward to hearing the great ideas they bring."

Prizes:

First place: $10,000

Second place: $5,000

Third-Fifth place: $1,000

Applications are now available for download below and are due on May 15, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. to omahawestpitchcompetition@gmail.com.

Download Application

Download Flyer

Additional details about the 2022 Minority Small Business Summit, including registration information and the day's agenda, will be released at a later date.

For any questions about the pitch competition, please reach out to deb.sepich@doane.edu.

Event Sponsors:
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th April, 2022) At least one person died and ten others were injured when a household gas explosion occurred in a residential building in Stupino, in the Moscow region, a spokesperson of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry told Sputnik.

"According to the latest data, ten people were injured, there is information about one fatality," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, a local emergency authorities spokesperson told Sputnik that there were a total of five injured, including one child.

"One person died, another five were wounded," the spokesperson said.

A gas explosion occurred on the fourth floor of a five-story building in Stupino on Monday morning. External panels were reported to have collapsed on the fourth and fifth floors of the residential building and internal wall partitions in two apartments were destroyed on the fourth floor. Windows were broken on several floors.

A total of 60 people, including 10 children, were evacuated, according to the Russian emergency situations ministry.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th April, 2022) The household gas explosion in a residential building in Stupino, in the Moscow region, resulted in the death of two people, while five others were injured, local emergency authorities told Sputnik on Monday.

"Seven people were injured, two of them died," a local emergency authorities spokesperson said.

Earlier, a spokesperson of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry told Sputnik that ten people were injured and one person was killed by the blast.

Meanwhile, a local emergency authorities spokesperson told Sputnik earlier on Monday morning that there were a total of five injured, including one child, and one fatality.

A gas explosion occurred on the fourth floor of a five-story building in Stupino at around 5:54 a.m. local time (02:54 GMT on Monday). External panels were reported to have collapsed on the fourth and fifth floors of the residential building and internal wall partitions in two apartments were destroyed on the fourth floor. Windows were broken on several floors.

According to local emergency authorities the explosion was most likely caused by a gas leak that occurred as a result of an equipment malfunction.

A total of 60 people, including 10 children, were evacuated, according to the Russian emergency situations ministry.
Once implemented, the project will see the park expanded by 25 per cent.

Rwanda has embarked on a project to expand the Volcanoes National Park which is expected to cost $255 million (approx. 260bn), with a goal to ensure a better habitat for the majestic mountain gorillas, according to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

The agency says this conservation venture will not only benefit the iconic species but also improve the lives of the communities living around the park and make visiting the gorillas an even more life-changing experience.

This once in a generation initiative will expand the park by approximately 23 percent, increasing its size by 37.4 square kilometres (or 3,740 hectares). Also, RDB said that it will enhance the effective habitat functioning of the park.

With this initiative, there will be a new buffer zone of 6,620 hectares, which will be separating the park from the area where people live.

Thanks to the buffer zone, it is projected that the initiative will reduce human-wildlife conflict by 80 percent.

On the impact the expansion could have on tourism revenues, RDB told The New Times in an emailed interview that it will result in a 20 percent increase in mountain gorilla viewing opportunities and therefore, more revenues.

Rwanda has for the past few years been trying to market the country as a high-end tourism destination, leveraging on the mountain gorillas which are rare species all over the world.

The project implementation consists of two phases, with the first phase focused on studies which started in 2018 and the second phase starting in 2022/2023 fiscal year and will cover a period of five years.

Why the expansion

RDB indicated that the Volcanoes National Park is a fragile ecosystem and currently relatively small as it covers 160 square kilometres. That is why, the board said, it is set to be expanded by a quarter of its current size.

According to RDB, the mountain gorilla population increased by 26 percent in the Virunga Massif from 480 gorillas in 2010 to 604 gorillas [of some 1,000 mountain gorillas in the world] in 2016.

The Virunga Massif is a chain of volcanoes home to the endangered mountain gorillas, which covers the Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda), the Virunga National Park (DR Congo) and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Uganda).

But, RDB said that the primary ecological challenge is the small size of the Park, with insufficient suitable, interconnected habitat (space) for mountain gorillas and other wildlife species - a critical long-term issue that the park expansion programme is intended to address.

A larger park, it observed, will improve the mountain gorilla habitat and support a 15-20 percent increase in the population size and a 50 percent reduction in infant gorilla mortality.

Fair compensations should be ensured

The implementation of this project will see 3,400 households expropriated and resettled.

RDB said that they will get monetary compensation for their assets and a house in smart green villages, plus a land to use for income generating activities.

Andre Nambajimana, a resident of Kinigi Sector, Musanze District lives within 400 metres from the park's current demarcation. He told The New Times that his family is among the first households to be expropriated by the expansion of the Park.

He said he has a house on the standard plot of 500 square metres, and owns a one-hectare farmland in his residential area. He is married and has four children.

For him, the top wish is to get fair compensation for expropriation.

"What we request is fair compensation for our property to be expropriated so that our living conditions do not deteriorate once relocated, rather our welfare improves," he told The New Times, adding that the value of the land should be accurately set.

He also said that the houses that residents will be given should be enough to adequately accommodate the members of their families.

Patrick Nzabonimpa, another resident of Musanze District, who might be relocated because of the Park expansion said the land valuation should be done carefully to ensure that residents get fair compensation for their property and lead decent lives once relocated.

"Land in this region is expensive because of its high fertility. A piece of farmland with 20 metres of width to 25 metres of length [or 500-square metre land] costs some Rwf2 million," he said.

Meanwhile, some residents said because they live near the park, wild animals including buffaloes sometimes get out of it and wreak havoc such as by damaging their crops or even injuring people.

Community development

The recently initiated Conservation and Development Master Plan will combine policy, investment and business engagement opportunities to transform the economy in the landscape and secure sustainable livelihoods [through employment opportunities] for 17,000 people living in the area to be expanded.

With the collaboration of conservation partners, RDB indicated that a pilot project is under development to serve as a proof of concept of the program and will help determine if any adjustments to the implementation plan or adaptations to the program are necessary.

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It includes park expansion that will result in the acquisition of 450 ha, a green village to host relocated 560 households and ensure livelihood improvement that will see 22 ha allocated to smart agriculture production and other income-generating activities for the community.

These will be complemented by the support of different off-farm business plans developed by the community.

A smart green village will be constructed and will have different components.

They include land productivity whereby 1000 sqm (a tenth of a hectare) per household will be used for agriculture production.

In order to manage space, it disclosed that houses in such villages will be constructed in a 4 in 1 design. This means that one house will accommodate four families.

Other components are infrastructure development consisting of nursery school, health center, Mini market or selling point, village internal roads, supply of electricity and clean water and financial service infrastructures.

The project will also include a component of promoting ICT with an internet room with Irembo for e-public service delivery, including tax declaration and driving permit.

Overall, the project will invest $70 million in infrastructure and livelihoods.
Washington, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2022 ) :The looming execution of a US mother-of-14 -- sentenced to death in a controversial case for the murder of her toddler daughter -- has provoked backlash from celebrities like Kim Kardashian and a growing movement that reaches well beyond US borders.

Melissa Lucio is to be put to death on April 27 for the 2007 murder of her two-year-old daughter Mariah, whose body was found at the family home covered in bruises, days after falling down stairs.

Pregnant with twins at the time, Lucio's life had been marred by both physical and sexual assault, drug addiction and financial insecurity. She was immediately suspected by police of having hit her daughter and questioned at length, just hours after the death.

After saying "that she hadn't done it nearly a hundred times," at 3:00 am she made a "completely extorted" confession, according to Sabrina Van Tassel, director of the hit documentary "The State of Texas vs.

Melissa," which came out in 2020.

"I guess I did it," Lucio eventually told her interrogators when questioned about the presence of the bruises.

That confession was "the only thing they had against her," said Van Tassel, convinced that "there is nothing that connects Melissa Lucio to the death of this child, there is no DNA, no witness." During the trial, a doctor said it was the "absolute worst" case of child abuse he had seen.

But Mariah had a physical disability which made her unsteady while walking, according to Lucio's defense -- and which could have explained her fall.

The defense also argued that the bruises could have been caused by a blood circulation disorder.

None of Melissa's children had accused her of being violent. As for the prosecutor, he was later sentenced to prison for corruption and extortion.
President Dr Arif Alvi Monday said that the steps were being taken to focus on the development of the erstwhile FATA to bring it at par with other areas of the country.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2022 ) :President Dr Arif Alvi Monday said that the steps were being taken to focus on the development of the erstwhile FATA to bring it at par with other areas of the country.

The president, talking to a delegation of the Bajaur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), which called on him, at Aiwan-e-Sadr, called for facilitating and providing a congenial business and investment environment to the business community of the newly merged districts for the enhancement of trade and business activities in the country.

President BCCI Lali Shah, Vice-President BCCI, Miraj Uddin Khan, and executive members of the BCCI, attended the meeting.

The president said that despite limited resources and a global financial crunch, Pakistan provided maximum relief to the business community and vulnerable segments of society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The delegation apprised the president of the problems being faced by the trader and business community of Bajaur district.

It was informed that the business community of Bajaur was facing difficulties in getting loans from commercial banks.

They also highlighted the need to open trading points with Afghanistan to enhance bilateral trade with the neighbouring countries.

Addressing the meeting, the president said that the business community needed to benefit from the loans being offered by the government.

The young entrepreneurs can also avail business loans on easy terms and conditions to establish their businesses.

He also encouraged the businessmen to adopt modern business practices which would help increase the outreach of their businesses, besides contributing to the socio-economic development of the country.

The president also asked the trader community to help encourage the youth of Bajaur to benefit from the digiskills program of online skill development initiated by the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication.

He assured the delegation to convey their issues to the relevant departments for their resolution.
Pakistan and Kazakhstan Monday reiterated the resolve to further enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, economy and defence

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2022 ) :Pakistan and Kazakhstan Monday reiterated the resolve to further enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, economy and defence.

During a meeting between the president and the visiting First Deputy Defence Minister/Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces of Kazakhstan, Lt Gen Khussainov Marat Rakhimovich, both the sides emphasised the need to work together for the peace and prosperity of the region.

The visiting dignitary, which called on the president at Aiwan-e-Sadr, was accompanied by a delegation. Ambassador of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Kistafin and senior officials of the government also attended the meeting.

Welcoming the delegation, the president said that Pakistan highly valued its ties with Kazakhstan and wanted to further expand bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest.

He highlighted that tremendous opportunities of cooperation existed between the two countries which needed to be capitalized upon for the mutual benefit of the two sides.

He said that Gwadar Port offered enormous opportunities to Kazakhstan for promoting trade with middle East and other countries of the world.

Expressing concern over the human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the president said that India was involved in the genocide of the Muslims and its belligerent attitude posed threat to regional peace and stability.

He urged that the international community should play a positive role to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.

He informed that the incidents of Uranium smuggling and the firing of missile into Pakistani territory showed the irresponsible behaviour of India and the international community should take note of the Indian behaviour.

The visiting Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan underlined the need for enhanced defence and economic cooperation between the two countries.

He appreciated the preparedness of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, which had played important role in ensuring peace and stability in the region.
(@FahadShabbir)

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th April, 2022) US President Joe Biden will announce on Monday a ban on ghost gun kits in an effort to crack down on unserialized, privately-made firearms, the White House said.

"Today, the President and Deputy Attorney General will announce that the U.S. Department of Justice has issued a final rule to rein in the proliferation of 'ghost guns' - unserialized, privately-made firearms that law enforcement are increasingly recovering at crime scenes in cities across the country," the statement read.

The rule will ban manufacturing of the most accessible ghost guns, which are available for purchase online without any background checks and can be easily assembled into a working firearm at home, the White House explained.

"This rule clarifies that these kits qualify as 'firearms' under the Gun Control Act, and that commercial manufacturers of such kits must therefore become licensed and include serial numbers on the kits' frame or receiver, and commercial sellers of these kits must become federally licensed and run background checks prior to a sale - just like they have to do with other commercially-made firearms," it added.

The White House complained that the number of ghost guns recovered by law enforcement officers has increased 10 times since 2016 to 20,000 last year. "Because ghost guns lack the serial numbers marked on other firearms, law enforcement has an exceedingly difficult time tracing a ghost gun found at a crime scene back to an individual purchaser," the administration said.

Biden also plans to enhance capabilities of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), including with the nomination of former US Attorney Steve Dettelbach as director of ATF, according to the statement.

In addition, the administration will require federally licensed firearms dealers to retain key records until they shut down their business or licensed activity.
Croatia is expelling 18 diplomats and six administrative and technical employees of the Russian embassy from the country, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th April, 2022) Croatia is expelling 18 diplomats and six administrative and technical employees of the Russian embassy from the country, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said.

"The Ambassador of Russia (in Zagreb, Andrey Nesterenko) was handed a note, according to which, in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the diplomatic mission of the Russian Federation in Zagreb will be reduced to the level of the Croatian embassy in Moscow and a requirement is put forward that 18 diplomats and six members of the administrative and technical staff (a total of 24 employees) of the Russian embassy left Croatia," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
EU foreign ministers did not make decisions on sanctions against Russia's oil and gas, agreed to continue discussions, EU top diplomat Josep Borrell said following a meeting of the EU Foreign Council in Luxembourg

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th April, 2022) EU foreign ministers did not make decisions on sanctions against Russia's oil and gas, agreed to continue discussions, EU top diplomat Josep Borrell said following a meeting of the EU Foreign Council in Luxembourg.

"We continue discussing about how to implement these sanctions to avoid any kind of loopholes. We measure the impact these sanctions are having on the Russian economy, and we will continue discussing in order to see what else can be done. Nothing is off the table, including sanctions on oil and gas, but today no decision was taken, just a general discussion analyzing the figures," he said.
(@FahadShabbir)

The EU foreign ministers are set to discuss on Monday the bloc's response to the war in Ukraine and the latest developments in the conflict zones of the Middle East at their meeting in Luxembourg

BRUSSELS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2022 ) :The EU foreign ministers are set to discuss on Monday the bloc's response to the war in Ukraine and the latest developments in the conflict zones of the middle East at their meeting in Luxembourg.

"We are going to discuss how we can support better the Ukrainian people, and how we can support the International Criminal Court's investigation" into alleged war crimes committed in the country, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on the way to the meeting.

He said that during their visit last week to Ukraine with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, they had witnessed "brutal, brutal aggression of Russian troops against the civilian population." Ahead of the ministerial meeting, Dutch top diplomat Wopke Hoekstra hosted a working breakfast with the participation of his EU counterparts and Ukrainian prosecutor Iryna Venicetova who joined by a video link to discuss how to hold accountable those committing these crimes.

"Member states are truly committed to making sure justice is being done given the horrible images and clear crimes that we have all seen on television, that are truly appalling," Hoekstra told reporters after the working breakfast.

The International Criminal Court's Prosecutor-General Karim Khan will also join the ministers for a part of the main discussion.

The EU foreign ministers will also assess options on continuing with sanctions against Russia.

However, a decision is not expected at the meeting because member states remain deeply divided on introducing an embargo on Russian energy imports.

The ministers will also discuss further military aid of lethal weapons to Ukraine following Borrell's proposal on adding another 500 million (about $544 million) support to the already allocated 1 billion (about $1.09 billion).

"I am afraid that the war will increase in the next days in Donbas," Borrell warned. The top diplomats will also discuss the situation in other conflict zones, such as Libya, Mali, and Yemen, as well as the bloc's development aid and investment plans across the globe.

"Everybody has to face the consequences of this war," Borrell said, hinting at the worldwide consequences of rising energy and food prices. The EU has imposed five sets of sanctions on Moscow since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24.

The restrictive measures targeted 1002 individuals and 32 entities in total, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, oligarchs, and military officers.

The EU has also banned coal imports and luxury goods exports to Russia, as well as barring Russian and Belarusian banks from operating in the SWIFT international banking system.
The Polish security forces have opened fire at the Peschatka border checkpoint of Belarus, the Belarusian border committee said on Monday

MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th April, 2022) The Polish security forces have opened fire at the Peschatka border checkpoint of Belarus, the Belarusian border committee said on Monday.

"On the night of April 10-11, Polish servicemen fired at the Belarusian road checkpoint Peschatka.

Also, the security forces tried to blind the Belarusian border guards with strobe lights. Illegal actions of the neighboring side were recorded by CCTV cameras," the committee wrote on its Telegram channel.

The committee added that the Polish side has been informed about the border incident.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer will discuss the situation around Ukraine during negotiations on Monday, with the talks being held behind closed doors at Vienna's request, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th April, 2022) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer will discuss the situation around Ukraine during negotiations on Monday, with the talks being held behind closed doors at Vienna's request, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The two will have a one-on-one conversation as part of Nehammer's visit to Moscow.

Journalists will not be allowed to the meeting and no press conference is expected after the talks, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told reporters earlier in the day.

"The conversation will be about the situation around Ukraine. All other questions are better addressed to the Austrian side," Peskov told reporters.

When asked whether the closed format of the negotiations was the Austrian side's initiative, the official answered in the affirmative.

Commenting on the agenda, Peskov said that the leaders may touch upon gas issue, as this is relevant for Vienna.
(@FahadShabbir)

The Russian landing module Kazachok of the canceled Russian-European mission ExoMars 2022 can return to Russia within two or three months, Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, told Sputnik on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th April, 2022) The Russian landing module Kazachok of the canceled Russian-European mission ExoMars 2022 can return to Russia within two or three months, Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, told Sputnik on Monday.

"It belongs to Russia, so they (Europe) must return it. Of course, in the conditions when they arrange provocations in media regarding the actions of our armed forces, it is difficult to say that we can cross the customs border and return the module. The resolution of this issue will take some time, maybe a month or two or three," Rogozin said.

Rogozin noted that after receiving the module, Russian experts will assess its condition, after which it will be decided whether the module can be used for the next launch.

Roskosmos will have to figure out whether it will be able to launch the mission on its own or attract foreign investors, Rogozin said.

In March, the European Space Agency confirmed its compliance with the sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia over Ukraine. The agency acknowledged that sanctions targeting the Russian economy and technological sector make the launch of the Russian-European mission ExoMars in 2022 very unlikely.

The ExoMars mission was originally planned for launch in 2018, but was postponed twice - first until 2020 and then until 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The launch window for traveling from Earth to Mars opens every two years.
GHANAIAN and Bugesera striker Sadick Sulley has sent a message of condolences to the many families who lost their loved ones in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda.

The forward wished the families well and also urged them to be strong in these difficult times as the whole nation remembers the departed souls.

"To those who never found the bodies of their loved ones, to those who remember without memories. To those who never met their siblings due to the genocide against Tutsi in 1994 we say sorry. Never again," Sulley posted on his social media platforms.

Ghana and Rwanda have had a strong bond for the last three decades and during the genocide, as all foreign troops under the UN evacuated the country, Ghanaian soldiers led by Captain Henry Kwami Anyidoho decided to stay until the genocide was stopped by the then Rwanda Patriotic Army.
(@FahadShabbir)

Ukraine on Monday morning claimed that Russian material and troop losses continue to soar

ANKARA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Apr, 2022 ) :Ukraine on Monday morning claimed that Russian material and troop losses continue to soar.

At least 19,500 Russian soldiers have so far been killed in the war that started on Feb. 24 with the Russian attack on Ukraine, said the Ukrainian General Staff in a statement on Face book.

Ukrainian forces have destroyed 154 Russian aircraft, 137 helicopters, 119 unmanned aerial vehicles, 725 tanks, 1,923 armored vehicles, and 347 artillery systems, the statement added.

Furthermore, the Russian forces also lost 111 multiple rocket launcher systems, 1,387 various motor vehicles, 76 fuel tanks, 55 anti-aircraft systems, and four short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) systems, according to the statement.

Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the European Union, US, and the UK, among others, implementing stringent economic penalties on Moscow.

At least 1,793 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,439 injured, according to estimates by the UN, which noted that the true figure is likely far higher.

More than 4.5 million Ukrainians have also fled to several European countries, with millions more displaced inside the country, according to the UN refugee agency.
The United States has imposed a number of corruption-related sanctions on seven individuals and one entity in the Western Balkans, the US Treasury Department announced on Monday in a press release

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th April, 2022) The United States has imposed a number of corruption-related sanctions on seven individuals and one entity in the Western Balkans, the US Treasury Department announced on Monday in a press release.

Among those targeted by the sanctions are former Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro Svetozar Marovic and former Prime Minister of Macedonia Nikola Gruevski, according to the press release. Gruevski served in the position from 2006 to 2016, at which point he resigned under an EU- and US-backed deal for an early election.

"The people designated today constitute a serious threat to regional stability, institutional trust, and the aspirations of those seeking democratic and judicious governance in the Western Balkans," Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson said in the press release.

Marovic in 2016 admitted to corruption charges against him and was sentenced to multiple years in prison, but fled to Serbia before serving the sentence, the press release said.

Gruevksi was convicted on corruption charges in 2018 and remains a suspect in a number of other corruption cases as well, but has continuously evaded capture by authorities, according to the press release.

Gruevski's Hungarian-registered company I.C.I.C. KFT was also targeted by the sanctions, the press release added.

The US government is sanctioning the parties for their corruption-related activities in the Western Balkans, resulting in the blockage of their property and assets in the US and restrictions on transacting with US persons, the press release said.

Other individuals hit with the sanctions include former Albanian member of parliament Aqif Rakipi, former Chief Prosecutor in Bosnia and Herzegovina Gordana Tadic, and former Macedonian counterintelligence chief Sasho Mijalkov, according to the press release.
The first cohort of students enrolled in the Eileen Hoffman Hafer UMatter Program at USF's St. Petersburg campus with USF Professor and UMatter Principal Investigator, Lyman Dukes III, PhD.

The Eileen Hoffman Hafer UMatter Program was selected to receive the University of South Floridas (USF) Student Success Innovation Award for the 2021-22 academic year.

The Student Success Innovation Award, presented annually by USF Student Success and the Student Success Council, honors individuals or teams who have made outstanding contributions to improving student success and learning outcomes by developing and sharing new technologies, techniques, practices or programs that transform the student experience.

The Eileen Hoffman Hafer UMatter Program is an inclusive postsecondary education program created to provide young people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to experience higher education and campus life. Students in the program navigate the transition from high school to college while gaining skills in socialization, career management and independent living.

After launching in 2020, the program continued its forward momentum by welcoming its first cohort of students to USFs St. Petersburg campus last fall. The program also received a $1.2 million gift from Andrew and Eileen Hafer to fund its operations and year-round initiatives for participating students.

We genuinely appreciate this important recognition, said Lyman Dukes, III, PhD, professor of special education and principal investigator for the UMatter Program. Inclusive post-secondary education supports USFs mission of diversity, equity and inclusion in order to enhance the learning and personal development of all individuals that make up our university community. We look forward to the opportunity to expand the program to other USF campuses in the near future.

The Eileen Hoffman Hafer UMatter is an innovative inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) program created to provide young people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to experience higher education and campus life.

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USM Partners with University of the West Indies- Barbados to Address the Threat of Sargassum to Caribbean Waters, Islands

Mon, 04/11/2022 - 09:32am | By: Margaret Ann Macloud

The work of The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) marine research scientists goes far beyond their backyard in the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Jim Franks, a fisheries biologist, and Dr. Donald Johnson, a physical oceanographer, are both Senior Research Scientists in USMs Center for Fisheries Research and Development (CFRD). The Center is working with the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Barbados to better understand the ongoing threat of pelagic Sargassum to the Caribbean islands and on both sides of the tropical Atlantic.

Pelagic Sargassum is a floating marine macroalgae that occurs in the North Atlantic Ocean. It commonly occurs and is described by Franks as a critically important floating marine habit. But the vast amount of this algae that has shown up in the Caribbean Sea and along island shorelines since 2011 is overwhelmingthink, mounds on the shore that are six feet high at timesand as it degrades, it creates an air quality issue for the people who live and visit therethe sulfurous material reeks of that distinctive rotten egg smell. Coral reefs, mangroves and beach nesting grounds are being overwhelmed. Tourism and fisheries, the dominant economic foundation of the Island nations, are seriously impacted. Local resorts across the region have hired full time workers solely to remove the mountains of Sargassum from their beaches.

Its an ongoing, dramatically invasive issue, impacting Caribbean island shorelines and the livelihoods of many island inhabitants, and our work is focused on working collaboratively with UWI marine scientists in an effort to understand why such an event is happening regionally and to help predict future occurrences, said Franks of the relationship between USM and UWI.

The research is being funded by a grant to USM from the UWI under the leadership of marine fisheries scientist Dr. Hazel Oxenford, a faculty member in the UWI Center for Resource Management and Environmental Studies. Dr. Shelly-Ann Cox and Dr. Oxenfords graduate student, Kristie Alleyne, recently visited the CFRD at USM for the purpose of information exchange and workshop activities. Their university has been working with USM since the masses of Sargassum first appeared in their waters in overwhelming volumes in 2011, and now, under the guidance of CFRDs Dr. Johnson, theyre preparing to do this work independently, using the combination of climate related research and fisheries management to keep Caribbean fisheries operational despite the extreme threats Sargassum poses to it.

Our partnership with USM led to the development of the Sargassum Subregional Outlook Bulletin for the Eastern Caribbean, which provides medium-range (3-monthly) island-scale forecasts of Sargassum influxes, explained Dr. Cox. It also provides comment on sector-specific implications for tourism and fisheries stakeholders and includes links to the latest Sargassum publications and innovations. This bi-monthly product is widely distributed in the Caribbean and beyond. Our long overdue visit to the CFRD was very productive and has strengthened our partnership with our colleagues at USM. We now have a roadmap towards sustaining the production of the bulletin. In the future, we hope to collaborate on more transformative Sargassum and fisheries related research projects.

The USM and UWI researchers currently hypothesize that the cause of this event is attributed to several things, among them: increasing sea water temperature, introduction of nutrients into the region stimulating algae growth, and changing ocean currents. Predicting when it will arrive on various Caribbean shorelines is critical to the fisheries and tourism sectors and vital to the response planning processes undertaken by island authorities. Forecasting models, like how severe weather is tracked, are used in tracking the movements of the Sargassum at sea and determining when it will arrive in various regions.

National Geographic reports that scientists used NASA satellite data to measure the length of the Sargassum invasion: 5,549 miles. Not only are arrivals of large masses of Sargassum along shorelines an overwhelming challenge, but so is the necessary clean-up and disposal of it. Concerted efforts are underway to find uses for the Sargassum once collected with some current level of success.

The challenge is to extract probabilities of seasonal arrival from known observations of relatively persistent ocean currents, Johnson said. As we improve the observational data base and include measurements of Sargassum bloom and mortality, we hope to extend our understanding to yearly variations.

We appreciate the opportunity to work collaboratively with our friends and colleagues at the University of the West Indies on this issue of such concern and importance within the Caribbean community, particularly, with regard to our study, the fishing community, Franks said.
Valdosta, GA (31601)

Today

Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 83F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear skies. Low 58F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
Khartoum  The Khartoum Criminal Court has acquitted former head of Sudan's disbanded National Congress Party and former Foreign Affairs Minister, Ibrahim Ghandour, alongside 12 others, for inciting war against the state, on Thursday.

The court, headed by Judge Ali Osman, acquitted and immediately released the defendants after the witness retracted his statement. Due to alleged witness intimidation, Imad El Hawati, decided not to provide his testimony before the court against Ghandour and his co-conspirators. When Hawati was asked why he retracted his testimony, he told the court "he was threatened".

The Public Prosecution accused Ghandour and the co-conspirators of planning to assassinate leaders in the transitional government, bombing the Legislative Council and other government headquarters, as well as planning a military coup on 30 June 2022.

The prosecution originally charged the 13 defendants under Article 51 of the 1991 Criminal Act, on inciting war against the state. The defendants were also charged for money laundering and financing terrorism.
The General Minister of the Order of Friars Minor joins an Interfaith pilgrimage of solidarity with the Ukrainian people" to express the closeness of the Franciscan family to all those suffering the war.

By Vatican News reporter

The General Minister of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM), Brother Massimo Fusarelli, OFM, began a week-long visit to Romania, Ukraine and Poland on Sunday to express the closeness of the Franciscan family to all those suffering the war in Ukraine.

The pilgrimage of solidarity with the Ukrainian people

Up until April 12, he will be joining an international delegation of religious leaders traveling to Romania and Ukraine for an "Interfaith pilgrimage of solidarity with the Ukrainian people" organized by the US nonprofit organization Peace Department and by the Elijah Interfaith Institute of Jerusalem.

Other members of the delegation, include the Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Canterbury Rowan Williams, British Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, the Grand Mufti emeritus of Bosnia, Mustafa Ceric, Orthodox Archbishop of the United Kingdom Nikitas Lulias, Italian Muslim Imam Yahya Pallavacini, Hindu Monk Swami Sarvapriyananda and Buddhist Sister Giac Nghiem from France.

The highlight of the pilgrimage will be a public event to be held on April 12, in the main theater of Chernivtsi n Western Ukraine, in which the speeches by the religious leaders will be accompanied by the testimonies of Ukrainian refugees..



As pointed out by the organizers, the aim of the pilgrimage is to show by example that in times of war and division we can and must continue to appeal to the highest values of humanity that unite us, and which unite all religious faiths. "This is the first time ever that an interfaith delegation has embarked on a mission of friendship and solidarity, entering a country at war, noted Rabbi Goshen-Gottstein, founder and executive director of the Elijah Interfaith Institute.

Meeting Franciscan friars and refugees in Ukraine and Poland

From 13 April, Brother Massimo Fusarelli who is accompanied by the Provincial of Assisi, Br. Francesco Piloni, will continue his journey in Ukraine by visiting a house of the friars of the Greek Catholic rite and two religious houses of the friars' Province of St. Michael, and meeting refugees and people in need of assistance there.

The General Minister will conclude his visit in Kalwaria, Poland, where he will meet friars and more Ukrainian refugees who have found shelter there.
The Thouret Foundation of the Sisters of Charity celebrates ten years of service to the poorest in the peripheries of the world, giving hope to people.

By Lisa Zengarini and Francesca Sabatinelli



From war-torn Syria and the Central African Republic (CAR), to Thailand, Chad, Albania, Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Italy.

These are some of the 30 countries in which the Sisters of Charity of Saint Jeanne Antide Thouret carry out their mission to promote social inclusion and integral human development in the worlds peripheries through their Thouret Foundation.

Charism of the foundress

This year, the Catholic charity inspired by the charism of their foundress - who founded the congregation in Besancon, France, on 11 April 1799 - is celebrating its tenth anniversary. To mark this milestone, the Foundation is organizing a number of events and has published ten significant pictures from these countries, one for each year, illustrating the precious work the nuns are carrying out in four continents.

Over the past decade, the Foundation has supported the education of many children and young people, but also human development projects for men and women, inspired by the Gospel passage "I was hungry ... thirsty ... I was a stranger ... sick ... in prison. Every time you have done these things to only one of these little brothers of mine, you have done it to me (Matthew 25:31-46).

The Foundations activities range from serving and supporting people in countries devastated by war, like in Syria, Ethiopia and the Central African Republic (CAR), social inclusion projects addressed to young people in Albania; managing a day center for disabled people in Thailand, or supporting Lebanese families affected by the devastating explosion in Beirut in 2020.

Operative arm of the Congregation



The Foundation is the operative arm of the Congregation which places itself at the service of the poorest, with the aim of promoting the human person, the coordinator Sister Maria Luisa Caruso, told Vatican News' Francesca Sabatinelli.

She explained that the nuns are guided by the firm belief that giving the poorest the opportunity to discover their potential can help them become the protagonists of their own lives and also be a valid help for their communities.

An important example of this strategy are the scholarships awarded in recent years to many young girls who wouldnt otherwise be able to have an education.

"We offer these girls scholarships so they can instill values in their communities, without changing the traditions and basic cultural values in their villages, but integrating them with the Christian values, Sister Maria Luisa explained.

The Jeanne Antide Centre in Chad

One of the projects that best summarizes the Foundations work and spirit is being carried out in Chad, where the nuns are supporting 35 girls from remote villages and poor families in their studies at high school, as well as at university.

These young women, in turn, help the sisters in their service, in another center that welcomes street children. In this way they not only receive a traditional school education, but are also trained to serve other people, Sister Maria Luisa explains.

The Thouret Foundation in Syria

Giving hope in countries scarred by forgotten wars

The Sisters of Charity continue to work in the peripheries of the world, even in areas where armed conflicts are still going on, like Syria and the Tigray region, in Ethiopia, in spite of the many dangers this entails.

No one speaks about these conflicts anymore, but the situation there is still dramatic and despite the risks our sisters have decided to stay not to deceive the people who see in them a sign of hope, Sister Maria Luisa said.

She concluded by noting that another important sign of hope is represented by the many benefactors who continue to support the Foundations work.

The Thouret Foundation in the Central Africa Republic

Read also 11/10/2021 Pope to Sisters of Charity: you are masters in walking the way of charity Pope Francis addresses the Sisters of Charity on their 21st General Chapter and thanks them for their work in charity.



Pope Francis met the Sisters of Charity on 11 October 2021 on the occasion of their 21st General Chapter.

In his address, the Pope thanked the nuns for their work and for their concern for the poor and listening to the poor.

"You are masters not with words, but with deeds, with the history of so many of your sisters who have given their lives for this, in solicitude and listening to the elderly, the sick, the marginalized; close to the little ones, to the last with the tenderness and compassion of God."
Pope receives New US Ambassador to Holy See, Joseph S. Donnelly (Vatican Media)

Pope Francis received the credential letters of Joseph Simon Donnelly as the new Ambassador of the United States of America to the Holy See in the Vatican on Monday.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

The new U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Joseph Simon Donnelly, of Indiana, presented his credential letters to Pope Francis on Monday morning in the Vaticans Apostolic Palace.

The Ambassadors main task will be to liaise between the Holy See and the U.S. Government. Diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the United States of America were established between Pope St. John Paul II and U.S. President Ronald Reagan on 10 January, 1984.

Ambassador Donnelly was appointed to serve as the 12th U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See on 24 January and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in February 2022.

Human Dignity and Rights

In a statement released by the Embassy, Ambassador Donnelly said, My family and I are proud to be members of the Catholic faith, and through my years of public service, the Church has been a core part of my life and my values.

Ambassador Donnelly, the statement noted, "looks forward to strengthening the important and strategic relationship between the Holy See and the United States, especially our shared commitments to defending human rights and religious freedom, combatting human trafficking, caring for the environment, and advancing peace and security around the globe."

The Ambassador is joined in Rome by his wife Jill, and "they hope to enjoy many visits from their two children and new grandchild," the statement added.

As U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, I will do all I can to ensure that the United States and the Vatican work together to advance human rights and dignity, Ambassador Donnelly said.

Pope with U.S. Ambassador to Holy See, Joseph Donnelly

Ambassador Joseph Donnelly

Donnelly was born on 29 September 1955, in Flushing, New York.

According to a brief biography provided by the U.S. State Department, prior to this appointment as Ambassador, Donnelly served as a partner at Akin Gump in Washington.

The American diplomat is married and has two children.

Pope with U.S. Ambassador to Holy See, Joseph Donnelly

Donnelly received a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, and a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School.

After having worked as an attorney in various legal studios and private entities from 1977 to 2007, Donnelly served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013, representing Indianas 2nd Congressional District. He served as a U.S. senator from Indiana from 2013 to 2019.

Donnelly served as a member of the Afghanistan Study Group and has been a professor at the University of Notre Dame. In addition, he served as chairman of the board of the Soufan Center in New York, and as a senior advisor to Inovateus Solar in South Bend, Indiana.
An attack on Friday by rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) has left at least 14 civilians dead and forced the residents of Otomobere village in Ituri province to flee for their lives.

By Vatican News staff writer

At least 14 civilians were killed in an attack attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to news reports, the latest attack occurred on Friday in the town of Otomabere, in the Irumu territory of the Ituri province.

The violence forced the inhabitants of Otomabere to flee to neighbouring villages, as the attackers also set fire to several houses and 13 motorcycles, in addition to killing civilians, before disappearing.

Activities of armed groups in the east of the DRC

In recent years, the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been challenged by rebel activity, despite security operations to stem the violence. Last May, the DRC government imposed a state of siege in North Kivu and neighbouring Ituri to crush armed groups that plagued the area.

The ADF, linked to this latest attack, was historically a Ugandan rebel coalition, but currently has its bases in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, near the border with Uganda.

According to a 2021 report by the Kivu Security Tracker (A US-based monitor of violence in the area), over 120 armed groups are vying for control across four eastern provinces of the DRC: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tanganyika.

Last year, Ugandan and Democratic Republic of Congo forces (FARDC) launched an offensive to combat the ADF, which has been linked to attacks and killings of civilians in the region for over two decades.

Read also 05/03/2022 The Pope in DRC: A sign of comfort and peace for the people of Goma. Democratic Republic of Congos Bishop of Goma says the announcement of Pope Francis apostolic journey to the DRC has brought immense joy to all Congolese people.

Civilian populations threatened

In other recent reports of rebel activities, fighters said to be from another armed group, the March 23 Movement (M23) attacked an army position in the DRC late last month, triggering heavy fighting in Tshanzu and Runyoni, about 50 km northeast of Goma, the provincial capital.

Similarly, separate attacks on the villages of Masambo and Ngingi (about 31 miles from the city of Beni) linked to the ADF left at least a dozen civilians dead on the night of 3 April.

Following the string of attacks, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in a statement on Sunday, deplored that tens of thousands of people living in the North Kivu Province of the DRC have been forced to flee their homes due to the heavy fighting between M23 rebels and the DRC army in Tshanzu and Runyoni, as well as attacks on Masambo and Ngingi, thought to be carried out by the ADF.

The UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, estimated that more than 10,000 people have crossed the border into Uganda in search of safety, while tens of thousands have been internally displaced as a result of the latest attacks. More so, over 467,000 forcibly displaced Congolese currently live in Uganda, many in situations wherein they cannot return to the DRC because of the continued danger.

Popes upcoming visit to DRC

Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Kinshasa and Goma during his upcoming Apostolic Visit in July. The Holy Father will be in the DRC from 2  5 July before traveling to Juba, in South Sudan from 5  7 July.

The Pope has often expressed his closeness to the Congolese people, appealing often for an end to the violence, especially in the eastern region of the country.

In February, the Pope sent a message, signed by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi expressing his sorrow over the 1 February attack by armed militia on a site for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Plaine Savo Djugu territory, in the eastern province of Ituri. At least 60 people, including more than a dozen children, were killed in that attack, and more than 40 others were injured.

Bishop Willy Ngumbi Ngengele of Goma said the Popes July visit will be a moment of grace and blessing for the country which is in a situation where it needs a word of consolation, reconciliation, peace, and solidarity.

The Holy Father is coming because he has compassion for us, he knows our situation; for he is a father animated by his love for us. May his visit help us be reconciled among ourselves, in order to work together to restore social justice, peace and charity, said the Bishop of Goma in a recent interview with Vatican News.
Commercial vehicles go through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for inspection before entering El Paso from Ciudad Juarez at the Bridge of the Americas on Friday.
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A former Goldman Sachs banker was convicted Friday of bribery and other corruption charges accusing him of participating in a $4.5 billion scheme to ransack the Malaysian state investment fund known as 1MDB.

A jury reached the verdict at the U.S. trial of Roger Ng in federal court in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Jurors had heard nearly two months of evidence about tens of millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks allegedly orchestrated by Malaysian financier and fugitive socialite Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low.

Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo told reporters outside court that he was surprised by the verdict because "the evidence wasn't reliable" and that he was considering an appeal. He also said the defense team was more disappointed than his client.

Ng "is doing better than his lawyers," Agnifilo said. "He has great fortitude."

The embezzlement bankrolled lavish spending on jewels, art, a superyacht and luxury real estate. The spoils also helped finance wild parties and Hollywood movies, including the 2013 Martin Scorsese film "The Wolf of Wall Street" that starred Leonardo DiCaprio.

"With today's verdict, a powerful message has been delivered to those who commit financial crimes motivated by greed," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement.

Ng faces up to 30 years in prison. No sentencing date was set.

Lone Goldman banker to be tried

A former head of investment banking in Malaysia, Ng is the only Goldman banker to stand trial in the 1MDB scandal. The 49-year-old had pleaded not guilty to three counts  conspiring to launder money and violating two anti-bribery laws.

Prosecutors alleged that Ng and other Goldman Sachs bankers helped 1MDB raise $6.5 billion through bond sales, only to divert $4.5 billion of it to themselves and their co-conspirators through bribes and kickbacks.

"The harm to the people of Malaysia is immeasurable," prosecutor Alixandra Smith said during closing arguments. "It is deeply unfair to everyone else who plays by the rules."

Ng's defense attorneys have described the looting of 1MDB state investment fund as "perhaps the single largest heist in the history of the world." But they contend U.S. prosecutors scapegoated Ng for crimes committed by others, including the government's star witness, Tim Leissner.

"Roger is basically the fall guy for this whole thing," Agnifilo said in his closing argument. "And Tim Leissner is looking to close the biggest deal of his life."

Agnifilo accused Leissner, a higher-ranking Goldman banker, of falsely implicating Ng in a bid for leniency in his own criminal case.

Leissner testimony

During several days on the witness stand, Leissner testified that he, Ng and Low used offshore accounts and shell companies to "disguise the flow of funds." The money laundering efforts also involved drawing up fake contracts with banks, he said.

"If we told any bank the truth, it wouldn't work," he said. "The house of cards would have fallen down."

He also described a dinner in London around 2012 where Low told him and Ng they would be receiving kickbacks. Leissner said he knew that would be illegal, but didn't care because if the deal went through he would be "a hero" at Goldman Sachs.

Ng, he added, was "particularly glad he was going to be paid some money" because he felt the firm had undercompensated him over the years.

Leissner, 52, pleaded guilty in 2018 to paying millions of dollars in bribes to government officials in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi. He was ordered to forfeit $43.7 million as part of his guilty plea and agreed to testify against Ng.

The looting of the state investment fund led to the fall of Prime Minister Najib Razak's government in 2018. Najib was later convicted by a Malaysian court of abuse of power and other crimes related to the scandal and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
U.S. President Joe Biden told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that buying more Russian oil is not in India's interest, as the United States pushes New Delhi to take a harder line against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Biden told Modi during an hourlong video call Monday that the U.S. is ready to help India diversify its sources of energy, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

"The president also made clear that he doesn't believe it's in India's interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy or other commodities," Psaki said.

A U.S. official described the call between the two leaders as "warm and productive," saying Biden stopped short of making a "concrete ask" of Modi on Russian energy imports.

During a short portion of the call open to reporters, Biden started the conversation by highlighting the partnership between the U.S. and India, saying the nations would "continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilizing effects of this Russian war."

Modi expressed growing concern about the situation in Ukraine, particularly in Bucha, where the remains of many civilians have been found.

"Recently, the news of the killings of innocent civilians in the city of Bucha was very worrying. We immediately condemned it and have asked for an independent probe," Modi said.

Modi said he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested that the Russian leader hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

India has remained neutral in Russia's war in Ukraine, raising concern from Washington but earning praise from Moscow.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who met Modi in New Delhi last month, said India had judged "the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way."

India has refrained from imposing sanctions on Russia and abstained when the U.N. General Assembly voted last week to suspend Moscow from its seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council.

India has also continued to purchase Russian oil and gas, despite pressure from the United States and other Western countries to refrain. Russia has offered steep discounts on its energy supplies, and India has bought at least 13 million barrels of Russian crude oil since the invasion of Ukraine, compared with the 16 million barrels it bought in 2021, according to data compiled by Reuters.

Psaki did not say whether India had made any commitments to reduce Russian energy imports.

Following the call between Biden and Modi, the U.S. secretaries of State and Defense met with their Indian counterparts in Washington.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters before the meeting of the four officials that the talks would span a range of topics, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate issues and "upholding a free, open, democratic, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region."

"This is a momentous moment in global affairs, and I think as a result, this partnership is even more consequential and more vital," he said.

Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said, "Our collaboration has grown well beyond its bilateral scope and now has a visible impact on global issues, as well."

"Now, more than ever, democracies must stand together to defend the values that we all share," said U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Biden and Modi last spoke in March at a meeting of the so-called "Quad" alliance of the U.S., India, Australia and Japan. Biden said that of the group, only India was "somewhat shaky" in its response to Russia's aggression in Ukraine.

During their virtual talk Monday, Biden and Modi were expected to have discussed a range of issues in addition to Ukraine, including dealing with climate change and countering China's influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Psaki said in a statement Sunday that the leaders would discuss "strengthening the global economy and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific."

Some information in this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has blamed the paucity of funds for the slow pace of work on the Eastern narrow gauge railway project.

Amaechi who stated this in Port-Harcourt, Sunday, however, expressed optimism of the possibility of track-laying getting as far as Enugu by September this year.

Accompanied by top officials including Dr Magdalene Ajani, Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Transportation and Engr. Fidet Okhiria, Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC; Amaechi decried lamented the slow pace of work by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC, urging them to come up with the number of equipment and personnel needed to quicken the construction of the project.

"The project was inaugurated last year but it is at this level because enough funding was not given to them. Now, they have something that can make them go further from where they are. They have some level of funding and I hope that we secure the loan before they exhaust what we currently have.

"Our expectation is that they get to Enugu by September in terms of track-laying. I think we also need to ask them whether they will be able to construct the stations because there are stations that are yet to be approved by the cabinet. We need to go back to the cabinet to ask for those approvals," he said.

He also harped on the need to provide cover for the workers, saying "I think we need more security here than we currently have so that we don't have any kidnap cases."

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On what to expect of the stations along the corridor, Amaechi said, "what we are trying to do in this narrow gauge is to build the same infrastructure that you have on the standard gauge because you can never tell when you will have a standard gauge on this line.

"Now, when building the standard gauge on this line, if I were still the Minister for Transportation, I would have asked that whoever is designing should design it in such a way that they use the same stations. That way, you reduce cost".

On what to expect on his next inspection tour, the Minister noted: "I expect that they should have cleared up to Imo river; I expect that they should have started formation work and they should have gone far, because there is nothing much to do here. It already exists, it is a reconstruction.

"So, I expect that by the time we come back, formation work should have commenced and should have gotten close to Elele and should have either gotten to Imo river or exceeded Imo river if we must meet the target of September to get to Enugu".
A United Nations agreement aimed at sparing populated areas from explosive weapons is near completion and is expected to be finalized in early June. Some 200 delegates from more than 65 states participated in negotiations last week at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva.

The new international agreement would oblige states to reduce harm to civilians by limiting the use of explosive weapons including airstrikes, multi-barrel rocket systems, and mortars in cities and towns.

These weapons are designed for use in open battlefields and have devastating consequences when used in populated areas.

An NGO coalition, the International Network on Explosive Weapons, reports the use of heavy explosive weapons in cities and towns kills and wounds tens of thousands of civilians every year and lays waste to civilian infrastructure.

This is borne out by recent data from Ukraine, Ethiopia, Iraq, Gaza, Yemen, and Syria where 90 percent of the victims were civilians.

Despite the heavy toll caused by these weapons, the network reports that several states, including Belgium, Canada, Israel, Turkey, Britain, and the United States, sought to weaken the text of the agreement.

The coordinator of the International Network on Explosive Weapons, Laura Boillot, says these states argue that the new agreement should re-affirm what International Humanitarian Law already obliges them to do and not go beyond that.

Without mentioning Russia by name, Boillot says more is needed.

The situation in Ukraine, where we are seeing extensive use and widespread use of a range of different explosive weapons from air-dropped bombs, rocket systems missiles into major towns and cities in Ukraine is making it very difficult for States to not take this issue seriously, she said.

Boillot notes there were strong calls for a more humanitarian-centered text by states such as Chile and Mexico, Togo and Nigeria, as well as Austria and New Zealand.

Alma Taslidzan is the networks civilian advocacy manager. She says discussions are still ongoing regarding the extent of assistance to victims. She says any assistance should include people injured, and families of those killed and injured.

It includes that ensuring basic needs are met and safe access to provisions of first medical care, emergence medical care, because that is very important. Then physical rehabilitation to those that have lost their limbs. Psycho-social support is something that is often forgotten but is extremely important and has to be tackled, she said.

Russia and Syria have stayed away from the talks. China also did not participate in this negotiating round, although they have taken part previously in the process. Network activists say they hope to see China involved when final discussions are held in June.
For Muslims around the world, this year marks the third holy month of Ramadan held during the pandemic. In the U.S., it is the first where congregational prayer and meals can be held without tight COVID-19 restrictions. VOAs Yuni Salim visited one community mosque in suburban Washington, D.C., in this report narrated by Nova Poerwadi. Camera - Yuni Salim, Karlina Amkas.
PARIS  Incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen will face off against each other in a presidential runoff vote on April 24, following the first round of the contest Sunday.

Macron won about 27.8% of the vote to Le Pens 23.1%, with more than 90% of the votes counted.

Analysts had feared there would be a low turnout with pre-election polls forecasting Macron and Le Pen as the likely contenders in the runoff.

While long lines stretched in front of some polling stations at midday in northeastern Paris, many other Parisians were out enjoying the spring sunshine.

But in the end turnout was better than feared, hovering around 75%.

Retiree Paulette Jean-Baptiste was having a hard time choosing among the dozen presidential hopefuls. She was torn between Macron, Le Pen and far left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon.

For Jean-Baptiste, who originally comes from Guadeloupe, cost-of-living worries are a key concern. Taxes are too high, she says  and its hard making ends meet.

IT manager Marie backed Melenchon, who finished with about 22% of the vote  barely out of the running. But Marie says she believes Macron had a difficult presidency, managing the COVID-19 pandemic and now, the war in Ukraine.

She says she also thinks Frances centrist leader could have had a stronger social platform.

The run-up to this vote saw Macrons once-comfortable lead evaporate. Pre-election polls found Marine Le Pen enjoying a last-minute surge, following her campaign that emphasized cost of living concerns which voters like Jean-Baptiste have prioritized.

Le Pen has also worked to soften her anti-immigration, euro-skeptic image. It appears to have worked  especially since another presidential candidate, Eric Zemmour, is seen as even more right-wing than she.

Macron joined the campaigning late, claiming he was too busy doing his job  especially with the war in Ukraine. He staged just one major election rally before the first round and didnt participate in any face-to-face debates against the other candidates.

Political analysts like Nicole Bacharan believe that cost him support.

I guess part of the problem is also that he gives a sense to a lot of French people that he cares more about Ukraine than he cares about whats going on in France. I dont think its necessarily true, she said.

Still, Paris voter Patrick Giraudeau has cast his ballot for Macron. Giraudeau broadly approves of Macrons presidency. Hes also worried about a Le Pen win.

The results of the last five years are for me not so bad. And secondly, and thats very important, the challenger  she is for me dangerous dangerous for France, he said.

Macron faced Le Pen in a runoff five years ago and won the second round with about two-thirds of the vote. Analysts say this time around, the outcome is far from certain.
German newspaper Die Welt said Monday it has hired Marina Ovsyannikova, the Russian journalist who protested against Moscow's military action in Ukraine during a prime-time news broadcast on state TV.

Ovsyannikova, 43, "is now a freelance correspondent for Die Welt, reporting from Ukraine and Russia, among other places," the newspaper said in a statement.

She will write for the newspaper as well as being a regular contributor to its TV news channel, it said.

Ovsyannikova, an editor at Russia's Channel One television, barged onto the set of its flagship Vremya (Time) evening news in March holding a poster reading "No War" in English.

It was a highly unusual event in Russia where state media is strictly controlled.

After her protest she was detained and questioned for 14 hours before being released and ordered to pay a fine of 30,000 rubles ($280).

But she could face further prosecution, risking years in prison under draconian new laws.

The case drew international attention and raised alarm over press freedom in Russia in the wake of President Vladimir Putin's decision to send troops to into Ukraine.

Ovsyannikova said she was quitting her job but did not accept an offer from President Emmanuel Macron of asylum in France, saying she wanted to stay in Russia.

Ulf Poschardt, editor-in-chief of Die Welt, praised Ovsyannikova's "courage at a decisive moment" and said she had "defended the most important journalistic virtues  despite the threat of state repression."

Ovsyannikova said Die Welt "stands for what is being defended so vehemently by the courageous people on the ground in Ukraine right now: for freedom."

"I see it as my task as a journalist to stand up for this freedom," she said.
Rumors that Indonesia might postpone the scheduled 2024 presidential elections caused thousands of students around the country to march in protest on Monday.

The students say postponing the vote would allow President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi as he goes by, to remain in office beyond a two-term limit. Widodo has denied the rumors.

"This needs to be explained so that there are no rumors circulating among people that the government is trying to postpone the election, or speculation about the extension of the president's tenure or a related third term," Widodo said at a Cabinet meeting on election preparations.

In front of the parliament building in Jakarta, police used tear gas and water cannons to try to end the protests. Most left after some politicians met with them and vowed to protect the constitution.

However, some politicians reportedly support an extension for Widodo, saying he needs more time to fix the countrys economy, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We demand that the lawmakers do not betray the country's constitution by amending it," Kaharuddin, a protest coordinator, said. "We want them to listen to people's aspirations."

Another protester, Muhammad Lutfi, blamed the countrys elites for trying to delay the elections.

A two-term limit for the president was established in 1999 as the first amendment to the countrys constitution. That came one year after pro-democracy protests caused dictator Suharto to step down after leading the country for decades.

Some information in this report comes from The Associated Press and Reuters.
For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine.

For the latest developments of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, all times EDT:

Recap of April 11

FIGHTING

* Britains defense ministry said Russian forces continued shelling the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine.

* Russias defense ministry said it has destroyed S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems that had been supplied to Ukraine

HUMANITARIAN

* The conflict has forced about one-quarter of Ukraines 44 million people from their homes, with the U.N. reporting more than 4.5 million refugees have left the country.

DIPLOMACY

* Germanys Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung said that it will seek to promote democracy in Russia even though it has been barred from working in the country.

* Finland and Sweden, two nations that prize neutrality and have long resisted joining NATO, are reconsidering the stance and could join as soon as this summer.

*The Norwegian defense ministry said that Norway will extend its current NATO enhanced Forward Presence troop deployment in Lithuania.

SANCTIONS

* Irelands foreign minister says the European Union should consider imposing sanctions on Russias oil industry.

*More European Union sanctions on Russia are an option, the blocs top diplomat said

ECONOMY

* Global stock markets and Wall Street futures sank Monday. Investors are uneasy about higher interest rates, Russias war on Ukraine, and Chinas efforts to contain coronavirus outbreaks.

* Russian state-owned gas producer Gazprom GAZP.MM continued to supply natural gas to Europe via Ukraine in line with requests from European consumers.

MEDIA

* Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned that Russia could target foreign media and politicians with its disinformation campaign.

11:05 p.m.: The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, as weeks of attacks and privation leave the bodies of Mariupols people carpeted through the streets. The Associated Press has the story.

8:24 p.m.: In a video address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned separatists statements calling for the use of "chemical forces" against Ukrainian troops defending Mariupol, according to an Associated Press report. Donetsk Peoples Republic militia spokesman Eduard Basurin said on Russian State TV that to defeat Ukrainian forces that have held off Russian assaults near the Azovstal Metallurgy plant on the outskirts of Mariupol, it was necessary to approach "chemical troops who will find a way to smoke out molls from their holes."

7:57 p.m.: Helsinki Commission members U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, Senator Roger Wicker and Rep. Joe Wilson issued the following joint statement late Monday following Mondays arrest of prominent pro-democracy Russian statesman and outspoken Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza in Moscow: We are alarmed to learn that Vladimir Kara-Murza has been detained in Moscow. Vladimir is not a criminal but a true patriot motivated by the potential of a democratic future for Russia and freedom for its people. He must be allowed access to his lawyer and should be released immediately.

6:29 p.m.: The U.S. Pentagons reaction to allegations of Russian chemical weapon use in Ukraine:

6:04 p.m.: British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss tweeted Monday: "Reports that Russian forces may have used chemical agents in an attack on the people of Mariupol. We are working urgently with partners to verify details. Any use of such weapons would be a callous escalation in this conflict and we will hold Putin and his regime to account."

5:45 p.m.: VOAs U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer reports that the United Nations said Monday that Ukrainian women and children are at heightened risk of sexual violence, rape and trafficking as reports grow of such violations. These allegations must be independently investigated to ensure justice and accountability," U.N. Women Executive Director Sima Bahous told the Security Council.

4:50 p.m.: Nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion, according to the U.N. childrens agency, UNICEF, The Associated Press reported. The agency verified that at least 142 children have been killed, though the numbers is almost certainly much higher, it added.

3:58 p.m.: Ukrainian authorities exhumed dozens of bodies from mass graves in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha for forensic tests and to prepare them for proper burial. The head of Ukraines National Police told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that many victims were shot in the temple at point-blank range. (WARNING: Viewers may find the content of this video disturbing.)

3:13 p.m.: The European Union has warned that Russias war against Ukraine is putting the world on the brink of a food crisis as the Ukrainian economy, based in large part on agriculture, collapses. A day after the World Bank said that Ukraines economy will shrink by nearly half this year, the EUs top diplomat said on Friday that Russias bombing of fields and the blocking of ports keeping ships from leaving with grain is sending shockwaves well beyond the countrys borders. "They are causing scarcity. They are bombing Ukrainian cities and provoking hunger in the world," Josep Borrell told reporters after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has this story.

2:16 p.m.: Pentagon spokesman John Kirby on Monday confirmed that the U.S. has seen indications Russian forces pulled from northern Ukraine to Russia and Belarus are now starting to move into eastern Ukraine. He said the U.S. is wary now that Russia has appointed General Alexander Dyomikov to oversee the invasion of Ukraine, saying Dyomikov and other Russian commanders in the past have shown utter disregard for the laws of war. We can certainly saythat we are probably turning another page in the same book of Russian brutality, he said. VOAs Jeff Seldin shared more details from the press briefing on Twitter.

1:44 p.m.: Authorities in four Russian regions bordering Ukraine and in Russian-controlled Crimea announced they were stepping up security measures on Monday over what they said were "possible provocations" from the Ukrainian side, Reuters reported. The authorities in the Belgorod, Voronezh, Bryansk and Krasnodar regions and in Crimea said they were boosting security and urged citizens to be more vigilant. Another region bordering Ukraine, Kursk, was the first to announce similar measures on Sunday.

1:12 p.m.: Ukraines eastern city of Kharkiv came under heavy shelling on Monday, causing multiple casualties including one dead child, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a televised interview. When asked about the risk of a new Russian assault on the city, which Ukraines defense ministry recently warned of, Terekhov said that Ukrainian forces were focused and ready to defend the city, Reuters reported. "There is no panic in the city," Terekhov said.

1:03 p.m.: A disputed compound in the Polish capital of Warsaw, which the Russian embassy had built in the 1970s but which has remained empty since the 1990s, is now being taken over by the city and will be made available to the Ukrainian community there, the mayor said Monday. Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was at the site early Monday and said a bailiff had entered the two empty buildings, nicknamed Spyville by Warsaw residents, to check their condition and mark them as seized by the city. One of Trzaskowskis proposals for the 100-odd apartments there is to accommodate war refugees from Ukraine. The Associated Press has this story.

12:42 p.m.: U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held virtual talks on Monday, Reuters reported. The talks took place as the United States seeks more help from India in applying economic pressure on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Viewing each other from video screens, Biden and Modi both expressed growing alarm at the destruction inside Ukraine, particularly in Bucha, where many civilians have been killed. The United States has made clear it does not want to see an uptick in Russian energy imports by India. The Biden-Modi meeting will precede a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, the White House said.

12:23 p.m.: Nora Love, Team Lead for the International Rescue Committee in Ukraine, said Monday that the war there has been rife with severe breaches of international humanitarian law and attacks on public infrastructure and that the Age of Impunity in which we live means there is seemingly no accountability. The International Rescue Committee is calling on all warring parties to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law including the protection of civilians and safe provision of humanitarian access, she said in a statement.

11:55 a.m.: Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer says he held "direct, open, and hard" talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Moscows unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. A statement from Nehammers office said the meeting in the Russian capital on Monday, which lasted just over an hour, was not "a visit of friendship." Nehammer said, "I mentioned the serious war crimes in Bucha and other locations and stressed that all those responsible have to be brought to justice." The Austrian chancellor "told President Putin very clearly that the sanctions will remain and be intensified as long as people keep dying in Ukraine." Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has the story.

11:26 a.m.: NATO ships are deploying to the Baltic Sea to conduct routine operations and training, the Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) said in a statement Monday. These include two of four task groups composed of ships from various allied countries, it said. They are currently part of the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force exhibiting forward presence and contributing to operational coherence among allied naval forces to support greater regional security and stability, according to the statement.

11:01 a.m.: A senior U.S. defense official on Monday provided the latest assessment of the situation in Ukraine. He said Russia appears to be resupplying and reinforcing its presence in the eastern Donbas region with a convoy north of Izyum, as well as with artillery units southwest of Donetsk, but he said we do not assess a new offensive has started. He also said that there is no evidence to back up Russias claims that it destroyed an S300 missile defense system near Dnipro, although the official confirmed a Russian airstrike there and said it did destroy some airport infrastructure. VOAs National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin shared the details on Twitter.

10:48 a.m.: Hungary plans to modify its natural gas contract with Russian energy company Gazprom in order to satisfy a demand by President Vladimir Putin that Russian gas be paid for in rubles, The Associated Press reported. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjiarto told a news conference on Monday that the subsidiary of Hugarys energy group MVM, CEE Energy, would pay its gas bills in euros to Russias Gazprombank, which would convert the payments into rubles and transfer them to the gas provider Gazprom Export. Szijjiarto said that modifying Hungarys contract with Gazprom ensured the countrys energy supply while staying in line with the EUs sanctioning policy.

10:37 a.m.: French banking group Societe Generale has said it is ending its activities in Russia and selling its stake in Russias Rosbank and the Russian lenders insurance subsidiaries. Societe Generale said in a statement on Monday that its withdrawal from Russia would cost the bank $3.4 billion. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has this story.

10:21 a.m.: The Republic of Moldova on Monday received a questionnaire from the European Commission to assess the small countrys readiness to become a European Union member, The Associated Press reported. A period of hard work is ahead starting today, Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu wrote online. The former Soviet republic of around 2.6 million people is one of Europes poorest nations. Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova has pushed to accelerate joining the EU since Russia launched its attacks on Ukraine in late February.

10:16 a.m.: Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on Monday became the latest Western leader to visit Ukraine to express support to the nation under Russian attack. During the unannounced visit, she is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who plans to address the Lithuanian parliament on Tuesday. Starting her visit in Borodyanka, northwest of Kyiv, Simonyte shared photos of some of the destruction on Twitter, saying No words could possibly describe what I saw and felt here.

10:10 a.m.: Marina Ovsyannikova, the Russian state media journalist detained briefly after protesting the war live on air, is to work with German newspaper Die Welt, Agence France-Presse reported. Ovsyannikova will work as a freelance correspondent, reporting from Ukraine and Russia, among other places, the paper said in a statement. Ovsyannikova made headlines last month when she held up anti-war signs during a live news broadcast on Russias Channel One. She was detained for 14 hours and fined before being released. Ovsyannikova says Die Welt "stands for what is being defended so vehemently by the courageous people on the ground in Ukraine right now: for freedom."

10:02 a.m.: South Africas citrus farmers are facing millions of dollars in losses due to sanctions that have closed off the Russian market. South Africa is the worlds second largest citrus exporter and farmers are scrambling to find other markets before the fruit spoils. South Africa normally sends about 10% of its annual two billion dollars in citrus exports to Russia. Thats now on hold because of sanctions imposed after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Following two years of export disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, unrest, and cyberattacks on the ports, the loss of the Russian market is another blow to South African farmers. VOAs Linda Givetash has the story.

9:53 a.m.: Croatia on Monday told 24 Russian embassy staff to leave over Russias invasion of Ukraine and brutal aggression, the foreign ministry said in a statement, following similar moves by other EU countries. The 24 included 18 diplomats, it said. The ministry said that the Russian ambassador was summoned in a protest over the brutal aggression on Ukraine and numerous crimes committed (there), according to Reuters. The Russian party was informed about the reduction of administrative-technical staff of the Russian Federations embassy in Zagreb, the statement said.

9:40 a.m.: The U.N. Human Rights office on Monday released an updated report on civilian casualties in Ukraine, saying that since Russias armed attack against Ukraine began, it has recorded 4,335 civilian casualties  including 1,842 killed, and 2,493 injured. Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes, the U.N. Office for the High Commissioner of Human Rights said in a statement, cautioning that actual casualty figures may be considerably higher.

9:31 a.m.: Russia will not pause its military operation in Ukraine for subsequent rounds of peace talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday. Speaking in an interview with Russian state television, Lavrov said he saw no reason not to continue talks with Ukraine, but he insisted Moscow would not halt its military operation when the sides convene again. In the interview aired on Monday, Lavrov also said that calls by Josep Borrell, the European Unions top diplomat, for the bloc to continue arming Kyiv marked a "very serious U-turn" in European policy, Reuters reported.

9:23 a.m.: The Vatican says a Ukrainian and a Russian family will be among those taking turns carrying a cross as part of the traditional Good Friday procession presided over by Pope Francis at the Colosseum later this week, The Associated Press reported. The Vatican released some details on Monday about the torchlit Way of the Cross ceremony at the ancient arena that draws tens of thousands of pilgrims and tourists in Rome during Holy Week. Family members of a Ukrainian nurse and a Russian nurse who work at the same hospital in Rome will join together in helping to carry the cross, Italian TV said. Handing the Ukrainian and Russian families the cross will be a family that has dealt with the loss of a child. The Ukrainians and Russians in turn will pass the cross to a family of migrants.

9:19 a.m.: The wheat has been sown for the coming season but nobody in Yakovlivka, a small farming village outside Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, knows if it will be harvested, Reuters reported. A week after Russian forces launched their invasion on February 24, the village was bombed. The head of the village administration said four people were killed and 11, including children, were wounded in the attack. With the country at war, the uncertainty facing Yakovlivka is shared across the country by farmers who produce the grain that has historically made Ukraine, the worlds fifth biggest wheat exporter, one of the great breadbaskets of the world.

9:06 a.m.: Ukrainian men  and a dog  are risking their lives to remove explosives from the battlefield as the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters a new phase. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has this photo essay showing what it takes to clear the lethal litter of the war.

8:46 a.m.: Slovakia has denied the S-300 air defense missile system it transported to Ukraine has been destroyed by the Russian armed forces. Our S-300 system has not been destroyed, Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakias Prime Minister Eduard Heger said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. She said any other claim is untrue. Earlier on Monday, the Russian military said it destroyed a shipment of an air defense missile system, provided by the West, on the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

8:23 a.m.: Swedens ruling Social Democrat party, which has until now rejected membership of NATO, is reviewing its international security policy in the light of Russias invasion of Ukraine, it said on Monday. The Social Democrats, the biggest party in parliament and who form a single party, minority government, have consistently rejected calls to join NATO, arguing that military non-alignment has served the country well. But an increasingly belligerent Russia has forced a rethink across the political spectrum in both Sweden and neighbor Finland, which is also outside the 30-member NATO alliance. Daily DN quoted Social Democrat party secretary Tobias Baudin saying the review would be complete before the summer. Finland is expected to outline its path regarding NATO in the coming weeks, Reuters reported.

8:12 a.m.: Russias defense ministry says sea-launched cruise missiles were used to destroy four S-300 air defense missile systems in Ukraine, but Slovakia says it cannot confirm that the S-300s it supplied have been destroyed by Russian armed forces. We have no evidence of this Slovakian Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok said when asked by The Associated Press. Weve been hearing news to that end, but based on information provided by the Ukraine side we cannot confirm that. The Ukrainian side has excluded that, he said at an EU meeting in Luxembourg.

7:51 a.m.: Nearly 6,000 orphans have been evacuated from the war zone in Ukraine. According to Ukrainian law, they cant be adopted during the war. Correspondents Yuliia Zhukova and Serhii Syvko visited one of the shelters for evacuated orphans in the village of Yaremche in Ukraines Ivano-Frankivsk region, and have this report for Current Time, a co-production of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and VOA.

7:36 a.m. : The European Commission has added 21 Russian airlines to a list of carriers banned from operating in the bloc because they do not meet international safety standards, Reuters reported. "The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency has allowed Russian airlines to operate hundreds of foreign-owned aircraft without a valid certificate of airworthiness," Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean said. She said the decision to ban the airlines certified in Russia, which include Aeroflot, was not another sanction against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, but a measure taken only on the basis of technical and safety grounds. The Commission said that after the addition of the 21 Russian airlines, the EU black list of carriers banned from EU skies now contained 117 companies.

7:21 a.m.: President Joe Biden will meet virtually with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, the White House said, at a time when the United States has made clear it does not want to see an uptick in Russian energy imports by India. Biden, who last spoke to Modi in March, recently said that only India among the Quad group of countries was "somewhat shaky" in acting against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The South Asian nation has tried to balance its ties with Russia and the West but unlike other members of the Quad countries - United States, Japan and Australia - it has not imposed sanctions on Russia.

7:17 a.m.: Ukrainian forces may need to change tactics as they focus their attention on Russian troops in the east and south. Russia is currently repositioning and refitting its forces as it adapts its goals for its invasion of Ukraine following heavy losses, with Moscow hoping it can control Mariupol, capture all of the territory claimed by Russia-backed separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk, and encircle Ukrainian forces in the area. To better understand what lies ahead, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty spoke with Mark Cancian, a retired U.S. Marine colonel and senior adviser at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies.

7:02 a.m.: Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer is visiting Russian leader Vladimir Putin Monday, the first such visit by a European leader since Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in late February. Nehammer's visit is meant to tell the Russian president the truth about the war in Ukraine, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said. "It makes a difference to be face to face and tell him what the reality is: that this president has de facto lost the war morally," Schallenberg said upon his arrival for a meeting with EU counterparts in Luxembourg, Reuters reported. "It should be in his own interest that someone tells him the truth. I think it is important and we owe it to ourselves if we want to save human lives," he added.

6:51 a.m.: Ukraines economy is forecast to nearly halve this year due to Russias invasion, which has destroyed major factories and housing projects and sent millions of people fleeing the country, according to a new World Bank report. The countrys economic output is expected to contract by 45 percent, the bank said, adding that the final extent of the country's economic decline will ultimately depend on the "duration and intensity of the war," Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. "The Russian invasion is delivering a massive blow to Ukraines economy and it has inflicted enormous damage to infrastructure, said Anna Bjerde, World Bank vice president for the Europe and Central Asia region.

6:45 a.m.: Global stock markets and Wall Street futures sank Monday, the Associated Press reported. Investors are uneasy about higher interest rates, Russias war on Ukraine, and Chinas efforts to contain coronavirus outbreaks. Oil prices have fallen back on expectations of weaker demand after peaking above $130 per barrel last month due to anxiety about disruption of supplies from Russia, the worlds No. 2 exporter.

6:29 a.m.: The Russian ruble has weakened sharply after the countrys central bank decided to relax some of the temporary capital control measures aimed at limiting a drop in the currency brought on by crippling sanctions. The ruble fell to 82.09 against the U.S. dollar at the market opening on the Moscow Exchange on Monday, from 71 rubles on Friday, which was its strongest level since November 11. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

6:23 a.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday called for South Korea to provide military arms to help his country fight back against invading Russian forces, The Associated Press reported. Zelenskyy thanked South Korea for participating in U.S.-led economic sanctions against Moscow, but said sanctions alone arent enough. Zelenkyys video address to South Korean lawmakers came hours after Seouls Defense Ministry confirmed it rejected a Ukrainian request for anti-aircraft weapons, citing the governments principle on limiting military help to non-lethal supplies.

6:20 a.m.: Irelands foreign minister says the European Union should consider imposing sanctions on Russias oil industry but cautions that its most important for the 27-nation bloc to remain unified, The Associated Press reported.

We need to take a maximalist approach to sanctions to offer the strongest possible deterrents to the continuation of this war and brutality, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said, speaking as EU foreign ministers gathered Monday in Luxembourg. That should include, in our view, oil, Coveney said, adding that it is very difficult for some member states and we have to keep a united position across the EU.

The EUs executive arm, the European Commission, is assessing what more can be done with a fresh package of sanctions, the AP report said. The European Union is spending hundreds of millions of euros on importing oil from Russia. That is certainly contributing to financing this war. And in our view, we need to cut off that financing of war, Coveney said.

6:00 a.m.: Germanys Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the political foundation linked to Chancellor Olaf Scholzs Social Democrat party, said that it will seek to promote democracy in Russia even though it has been barred from working in the country, Reuters reported.

4:50 a.m.: The Norwegian defense ministry said Monday that Norway will extend its current NATO enhanced Forward Presence, or eFP, troop deployment in Lithuania meaning all of its 200 troops will remain until August following Russias invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported.

The deployment was increased in February by around 50 troops on a three-month basis, and this deployment has been extended by three more months. Norway said it also plans to contribute troops to the eFP beyond August, but did not say how many would be deployed, according to Reuters.

4:25 a.m.: Russias defense ministry said Monday it has destroyed S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems which had been supplied to Ukraine by a European country, Reuters reported.

The ministry said that Russian sea-launched Kalibr missiles on Sunday destroyed four S-300 launchers which were concealed in a hangar on the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Russia said 25 Ukrainian troops were hit in the attack, according to Reuters. Russia did not say which European country had supplied the S-300 systems.

Slovakia, which had donated such a missile system to Ukraine, denied on Sunday that the one it supplied had been hit. It said such reports were Russian lies.

The Russian defense ministry also said its forces shot down two Ukrainian Su-25 aircraft near the city of Izium and destroyed two ammunition depots, one of which was near the southern city of Mykolaiv, Reuters reported.

3:30 a.m.: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned Monday that Russia could target foreign media and politicians with its disinformation campaign, focusing on sanctions being imposed and arms supply to Ukraine. He urged western politicians to not fall for it.

3:15 a.m.: Britains defense ministry said Monday that Russian forces continued shelling the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, and that Ukrainian forces were repulsing several assaults resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles, and artillery equipment.

A ministry statement raised concerns about Russias continued reliance on unguided bombs with more indiscriminate attacks posing higher risks to civilians.

The conflict has forced about one-quarter of Ukraines 44 million people from their homes, with the United Nations reporting more than 4.5 million refugees have left the country.

3:00 a.m.: More European Union sanctions on Russia are an option, the blocs top diplomat said Monday when asked if the EU was ready to consider a Russian oil embargo in response to Moscows invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters.

Sanctions are always on the table. Ministers will discuss which are the further steps, he told reporters as he arrived for a meeting with EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, Reuters reported.

2:15 a.m.: Russian state-owned gas producer Gazprom GAZP.MM continued to supply natural gas to Europe via Ukraine on Monday in line with requests from European consumers, Reuters reported citing the Interfax news agency.

Requests stood at 95 million cubic meters for April 11, Interfax reported, citing Ukraine's gas pipeline operator, Reuters added.

1:25 a.m.: New Zealand said on Monday it will deploy a C-130 Hercules and 58 personnel to Europe to further support Ukraine against Russias invasion. Reuters has the story.

12:45 a.m.: Finland and Sweden, two nations that prize neutrality and have long resisted joining NATO, are reconsidering the stance and could join as soon as this summer.

There have been serious discussions between NATO officials and representatives of the two countries, according to media reports. One former Finnish prime minister told CNN the decision to join was pretty much a done deal when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. There has also been a significant shift in public opinion in the two countries. Observers say this shows the strategic error Russia made since its invasion may end up expanding NATO instead of weakening it.

If you look at public opinion in Finland and Sweden, and how their views have changed dramatically over the past six weeks, I think its another example of how this has been a strategic failure, a senior U.S. State Department official told CNN.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo Monday declared he would run for the nation's top job next year when incumbent Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to step down.

He becomes the latest figure from the two main parties to join the race to lead Africa's most populous country and biggest economy.

First elected as Buhari's deputy in 2015, Osinbajo made the announcement after months of speculation on whether he planned to succeed his boss.

In a statement, the 65-year-old senior lawyer and former university teacher said his years of stewardship under Buhari had made him the best man for the job.

"Which is why I am today, with utmost humility, formally declaring my intention to run for the office of the President... on the platform of our great party, the All Progressives Congress," Osinbajo said.

He promised to continue with Buhari's policies and programs, including huge projects of new roads and railways.

A key issue ahead of the February 2023 election is security, with Nigeria's armed forces battling a jihadist insurgency in the northeast, violent criminal gangs in the northwest and separatist tensions in the southeast.

Osinbajo joins an array of aspirants from the ruling APC to vie for the party's ticket.

APC leader and former Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu has already announced he would run. Osinbajo served under Tinubu as justice commissioner in Lagos for eight years.

Other APC aspirants are Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi and Yahaya Bello, the governor of central Kogi state.

The ruling party is expected to choose its flag bearer by June and the candidate will face whoever emerges from the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Former vice president Atiku Abubakar, 75, who has run five times for president, last month announced he would run again on the PDP platform.

An unwritten rule of Nigerian politics is that the presidency is expected to "rotate" between the mostly Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south in bid to share power more equally.

After Buhari, a Muslim from the north, completes his two terms next year, many southerners say the presidency should rotate back to their region.
Police in Nigeria's central Plateau state say they have sent extra officers to nine villages where gunmen on Sunday reportedly killed more than 70 people and burned down houses. Police and locals say hundreds of villagers have fled their homes since then. Attacks by armed gangs are becoming increasingly common in northern and central Nigeria.

The Plateau State Police public relations officer, Gabriel Ubah, tells VOA that police have sent reinforcements to the affected villages including Kukawa, Giyanbahu, Dangur and Keren.

"We're doing our possible best. Security operatives will be deployed to the areas and we've also renewed our strategies which will not be made known to the public. It's an in-house security strategy that has been put in place," he said.

Ubah said police have yet to determine the number of casualties from the attacks. Local residents say more bodies were discovered Monday.

Armed gangs invaded the villages in broad daylight on Sunday, shooting sporadically and torching houses. Local residents say the victims included farmers who were tilling their fields in preparation for planting. They say the attackers abducted dozens of people, including women and children.



The attacks occurred barely one week after 17 people were killed elsewhere in Plateau during a festival held to pray for peace and a bountiful harvest.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.



Attacks by marauding armed gangs in northwest and central Nigeria are becoming more common, causing widespread criticism of the Nigerian government.

Last week, gunmen attacked an army base in Kaduna state, killing 15 people.

Late last month, terrorists attacked a train in Kaduna, killing eight people and kidnapping dozens of others. Most of the abductees have yet to be freed. In a video released Monday, abductees were seen calling on authorities for help.



Security expert Kabiru Adamu says authorities must take responsibility for failing to protect the public.



"It is very important that we introduce monitoring and evaluation within the security sector and include in this monitoring and evaluation key performance indicators so that persons who let down the ball and allowed these attacks to happen are held accountable and whatever the punishment or penalty for that is meted out on them. We also need to increase the participation of the communities in the security operations," said Adamu.



Last week, Nigerian telecommunications operators complied with a government order to bar phone numbers not registered under the country's national identification scheme, in a bid to track those used by criminals, especially terrorists.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he fears Russia could use chemical weapons in Ukraine and urged the West to impose more severe sanctions against Russia to prevent it from using such weapons.

His comments Monday in his nightly video address came amid unconfirmed reports that chemical weapons have already been used in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol.

British Foreign Secretary Lizz Truss said Britain was aware of the reports.

"We are working urgently with partners to verify details. Any use of such weapons would be a callous escalation in this conflict, and we will hold (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and his regime to account," she said.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the United States cannot at this time confirm the reports of chemical weapons use, but said if true, they "are deeply concerning."

He said the reports are "reflective of concerns that we have had about Russia's potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents in Ukraine."

Zelenskyy said a representative from a pro-Russia militia in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region said Russia might use chemical weapons in Mariupol.

"We consider it very seriously," Zelenskyy said. He did not say if chemical weapons had already been used.

"I would like to remind world leaders that the possible use of chemical weapons by the Russian military has already been discussed. And already at that time it meant that it was necessary to react to the Russian aggression much harsher and faster," Zelenskyy said.

Earlier Monday, Russia said it destroyed several air defense systems in Ukraine over the weekend, ahead of what Zelenskyy is warning could be the start of a renewed Russian offensive into the country's eastern region.

The Russian claims could not be verified, but Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said the military launched cruise missiles to destroy four launchers Sunday on the southern outskirts of the central city of Dnipro, and also hit systems in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions.

Zelenskyy pleaded in a video address Monday for more military aid from the U.S. and its allies, specifically asking South Korean lawmakers to send more equipment that can shoot down Russian missiles.

He also said tens of thousands of people have been killed in Russia's assault on Mariupol.

Pentagon spokesperson Kirby said the United States was unable to confirm Ukrainian casualty figures in Mariupol because fighting there is ongoing but said the final death toll could be "a significant number."

The Pentagon said Monday it is seeing early signs of efforts by Russia to reinforce its troops in eastern Ukraine. The U.S. spotted a convoy north of Izyum with command-and-control elements, enablers, artillery and rotary blade air support, according to a senior U.S. defense official.

The official said there also are indications that Russian forces sent from northern Ukraine to Belarus and the Russian town of Valuyki are now moving toward eastern Ukraine.

The official said, "We do not assess a new offensive has started" in eastern Ukraine but added, "What is clear is that the Russians continue to sink to new lows of depravity and brutality as we saw with the missile strike on a train station last week and their continued assault on Mariupol.

"We're certainly bracing ourselves here for some potentially really, really horrible outcomes," the official said.

The U.S. official said Russia has launched 1,500 missile attacks on Ukraine during 47 days of war, destroying apartment buildings and hospitals throughout the country and killing thousands of Ukrainian civilians.

Russia has acknowledged sustaining "significant" troop losses of its own.

Russia said one of its latest missile attacks hit four S-300 launchers provided by a European country it didn't name. Slovakia gave Ukraine just such a system last week but denied it had been destroyed.

Military analysts say that Russia's failure to capture the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and the bulk of territory throughout the country has in part been the result of its failure to control the skies over Ukraine to provide cover for ground troops. Nonetheless, its missile bombardment has virtually flattened some cities, and one missile attack on a train station killed more than 50 people last Friday.

Russia has not been able to stop the flow of more military aid to Ukraine, with eight to 10 flights arriving daily.

Pentagon spokesperson Kirby said that U.S. security assistance is getting to Ukraine in as little as four to six days.

"That's an incredible rate of speed, and we aren't slowing down," he said.

Zelenskyy told the CBS News show "60 Minutes" on Sunday that Ukraine's fate depends on further Western military assistance.

"To be honest, whether we will be able to (survive) depends on this," Zelenskyy said. "Unfortunately, I don't have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need."

Meanwhile, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the first such visit by a European leader since Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

In a statement after the meeting, Nehammer said the discussion with Putin was "very direct, open and tough." Nehammer said his most important message to the Russian leader was that the war in Ukraine must end because "in a war there are only losers on both sides."

There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin.

VOA's Ken Bredemeier and Jeff Seldin contributed to this report. Some information in this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
Russian former reporter Ivan Safronov said ahead of the resumption of his treason trial on Monday that he plans to vigorously fight the charges against him and does not fear the prospect of being jailed.

Safronov, who covered military affairs for the Vedomosti and Kommersant newspapers before becoming an aide to the head of Russia's space agency two months before his arrest in July 2020, faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.

He denies accusations of passing military secrets about Russian arms sales in the Middle East and Africa to the Czech Republic, a NATO member, while he worked as a reporter in 2017, calling them "a complete travesty of justice and common sense."

His detention sent a chill through Russia's media landscape, where controls were already tight and have been tightened further since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

His trial resumes behind closed doors later on Monday.

Striking a defiant tone in personal correspondence seen by Reuters on Monday, Safronov said he harbored no illusions about the prospect of being imprisoned for his alleged offenses.

"I will fight until the end, there is no doubt about that," Safronov wrote in a letter sent from Moscow's Lefortovo prison and dated March 26.

"If it's a prison term, then it's a prison term. It absolutely doesn't scare me," said the letter, shown to Reuters on condition the addressee remained anonymous.

Safronov has said state investigators pointed to his acquaintance with a Czech journalist he met in Moscow in 2010 who later set up a website which Safronov said he contributed to using information entirely based on open sources.

Since sending troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, Moscow has introduced a law outlawing the use of certain terms to describe its military intervention in Ukraine, which it calls a "special military operation."

That prompted many independent media outlets to close or relocate.
Gunmen in Kaduna State have on Sunday, killed a community leader, Isiaku Madaki in his residence at Kakura in Chikun local government area, a day after he was installed.

Although the police were yet to react, a local said the gunmen came to the village in the early hours of Sunday people who were Gbagyi, were celebrating the installation of the community leader.

" The deceased was on Saturday installed as the Head of the community.

Kakura is a community predominantly occupied by the gbagi tribe but has other tribes with few Fulani settlers who have lived in the community for decades."

'We all gathered in his residence earlier on Saturday to rejoice with him over his appointment. However, we were shocked when in the early hours of today Sunday, we began to hear gunshots."

' We were afraid we could not come out of our houses. Later we were told that the gunmen had killed him in the presence of his wife and family."

" We found his dead body laying on the ground. His wife told us the gunmen broke into their residence and shot him. They did not take anything, neither did they abduct anybody," the local said.

" In the morning the aggrieved natives allegedly attacked the Fulani settlement where 14 people were feared dead."

According to a Fulani, Mallam Buhari, early in the morning, the natives surrounded their settlement and asked them to leave the area since "they are now hypocrites."

He said while they were leaving they were attacked and some of them killed.

"On our way out to the village, we counted 4 corpses. Later on the bush path, there were the dead bodies of 10 others," he said.

He said police were deployed to the community to ensure law and order, but many have left the community out of fear.
Shanghai on Sunday discharged over 11,000 recovered COVID-19 patients and health authorities emphasized that they must be allowed to return home despite the lockdown that has severely restricted movement in China's largest city.

"We hope their family and community will not worry about them or discriminate against them," said Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Health Commission.

The city of 26 million people reported 1,006 confirmed infections and nearly 24,000 asymptomatic cases in the last 24 hours. Shanghai has been under lockdown since March 28, and authorities said Saturday that the strict measures would be lifted in areas with no new cases in the last 14 days following another round of mass testing.

The United States on Saturday advised its citizens to reconsider traveling to China due to "arbitrary enforcement" of local laws and COVID-19 restrictions, particularly in Hong Kong, Jilin province and Shanghai. U.S. officials cited a risk of "parents and children being separated."

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said in response that China was "strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the U.S. side's groundless accusation against China's epidemic response."

"It should be pointed out that China's anti-epidemic policies are science-based and effective, and we are fully confident that Shanghai and other places in China will prevail over the new wave of the epidemic," said Zhao.

Meanwhile, Shanghai authorities said that they have secured daily supplies for residents from online platforms, according to state-owned newspaper Global Times, following complaints about deliveries of food and other basic necessities as the lockdown enters its third week.

Residents have resorted to group buying of groceries because they are not allowed to leave their buildings. Posts circulating on social media platforms such as Weibo also show that some residents have not been able to have their food orders delivered, while others posted online that they're running out of food.

Some people said that as soon as you go to the grocery shopping app, a day's orders are already filled.

According to the Global Times, platforms such as JD.com as well as Alibaba's Ele.me delivery apps are working with authorities to ensure that everyone has access to vegetables, fruits and other produce.

Shanghai highlights the soaring human and economic cost of China's "zero-COVID" strategy that aims to isolate every infected person.

Separately, Erjiefang, an area in capital Beijing, was classified as high-risk on Saturday after eight local COVID-19 infections were reported there over the past two weeks.

And in Guangzhou, primary and middle schools will switch to online learning starting Monday after the metropolis of 18 million northwest of Hong Kong registered 23 local infections since Friday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. An exhibition center was being converted into a makeshift hospital after authorities said earlier they would begin citywide mass testing.

China is facing one of its worst local outbreaks since the pandemic began. China is still closed to international travel, even as most of the world has sought ways to live with the virus.
TAIPEI, TAIWAN  Russias invasion of Ukraine has brought renewed attention to whether Taiwans civilian population would be ready to defend the island democracy if it ever faced an invading force from China.

Taiwan has a complicated relationship with its military and conscription, due to its lingering associations as enforcers during the islands four-decade martial law era that ended in 1987.

Since taking office in 2016, Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen has focused heavily on improving the image and prestige of the military. She has also made defense a key focus of her administration, with policies of reviewing reserves and improving the quality of the professional military.

Most Taiwanese men are required to complete military service, learning basic defense skills with the aim of being able to assist Taiwans professional military in the event of a war. The government has gradually reduced its military service requirement from two years to four months since the 1990s, but the Ministry of Defense has said that such a short training period may not be enough.

Women are not required to undergo the same training, although about 15% of the islands professional military is female.

Male citizens also have the option of serving alternative service which is community service organized through the Ministry of the Interior.

Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told reporters in late March that he would put forward a plan by the end of the year to bolster Taiwans defenses, which could include extending national service.

Its not uncommon in Taiwan to hear the current four-month military system described by young men as a kind of summer camp experience, and some citizens think that four months is too short to learn important skills.

Recent polling by the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation found that 78% of respondents aged 20 and older had no confidence at all that Taiwan could defend itself. Another 75.9% of respondents aged 20 and over said they would support extending military service from four months to one year.

Kharis Templeman, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and part of the Project on Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific said discussing the length of service was a step [in] the right direction.

Theres the symbolic signaling power of having your entire adult population potentially go through military service as a signal of a willingness to sacrifice and commit to Taiwans own defense, he said.

Templeman said Taiwans ability and commitment to defend itself has been questioned in both Beijing and Washington and improving mandatory military service would send a clear signal to both that it is prepared.

A second outcome from lengthening military service, Templeman said, is that it could give Taiwans military a chance to review its reserve system.

Many analysts say it would be helpful if they were recalled as units and not as individuals, functioning like the U.S. National Guard. Male citizens are currently called up at random to review their training which makes it more difficult to maintain comradery.

Some key changes, however, have already been made. The government is now testing a pilot plan to recall reservists for two stints of 14 days, up from a week or less to ensure that there is adequate timeto review skills.

Outside of formal training, however, most citizens have few opportunities to practice skills. Civilian gun ownership is restricted in Taiwan to fishermen and indigenous hunters, which means that most civilians cannot practice marksmanship in their spare time.

Lo Chih-cheng, a legislator from the Democratic Peoples Party who sits on the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, said the war in Ukraine has generated renewed discussion around the need for a civilian defense force or an all-out defense force that is separate from the military but capable of engaging in irregular warfare.

The current system of four months training, obviously, is too short to train people well prepared for that kind of urban warfare, so its been discussed widely that maybe we need to extend the duration of our military training for young people, Lo told VOA.

For now, the discussion is academic, but several civilian groups have emerged like Forward Alliance, which trains civilians in skills such as first aid and emergency response, and the Taiwan Military and Police Tactics Research and Development Association, to help with other defense skills.

Lo also said a return to full year of service is unlikely due to the economic impact. Taiwan has a declining population and removing young men from the workforce could have a far larger impact than in decades past when Taiwan had a higher birth rate.

Ivan Kanapathy, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in the U.S., said that length of time spent in military service is not necessarily as important as the quality of training.

The reduction of Taiwanese conscription from 2 years to 4 months was fueled by popular recognition that conscripts were used for mundane manual labor and administrative duties rather than training for combat, he said by email. Taiwan would have to allocate significantly more resources to live fire and tactical training if it were to reverse course.

Analysts like Kanapathy and Templeman said Taiwan has other challenges it needs to face beyond military service. The war in Ukraine has shown the importance of stocking up on munitions, said Templeman, and the importance of new tech like unmanned aerial vehicles.

Both also expressed concern about the direction of Taiwans overall defense policy, which would dictate how everything from reserve soldiers to weapons should be utilized.

In recent years, Taiwan has pursued a strategy of asymmetric warfare to counter the threat from China, but since the retirement of Chief of General Staff Lee Hsi-ming, Taiwans policy is now less clear, they both said.
The United Nations said Monday that Ukrainian women and children are at heightened risk of sexual violence, rape and trafficking as reports grow of such violations.

"These allegations must be independently investigated to ensure justice and accountability," U.N. Women Executive Director Sima Bahous told the Security Council. "The combination of mass displacement with the large presence of conscripts and mercenaries, and the brutality displayed against Ukrainian civilians, has raised all red flags."

Bahous, who just returned from a mission to Moldova, said the risk of human trafficking is also increasing as people become more desperate to flee the war in Ukraine.

"Young women, and unaccompanied teenagers, are at a particular risk," she said. "I call on all countries to increase their efforts in combating trafficking and commend all the host countries for their collaboration on prevention."

She urged donors to support countries, including Moldova, which has received more than 400,000 refugees, so they can monitor border crossings and support victims.

The council was briefed virtually by Kateryna Cherepakha, president of the Ukrainian civil society organization La Strada-Ukraine. She said Russian soldiers are using violence and rape as weapons of war.

She said her organization has credible testimony from about a dozen women and girls who were raped in areas that had been under Russian occupation.

"Raped by a group of occupants, multiple times, with life threats to survivors, their children, their family members, in front of the family members and other people," she said.

She said the survivors were extremely traumatized, feared for their lives and had difficulty in speaking about the sexual attacks.

"They need support, therapy, recovery, first," Cherepakha said.

Children in turmoil

More than 4.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24. Nearly 90% of them are women and children. Another 7.1 million people are internally displaced.

The U.N. children's agency, UNICEF, says more than 7 million school-age youth are missing out on school  5.7 million school-age children and 1.5 million students in higher education.

Most disturbingly, the U.N. has verified the killing of 142 children. An additional 229 have been wounded.

"We know these numbers are likely much higher  and many of them were caused by crossfire or the use of explosive weapons in populated areas," UNICEF Emergency Programs Director Manuel Fontaine told the council.

Fontaine returned Friday from a 10-day mission to Ukraine. He said in three decades as a humanitarian, he has rarely seen so much damage caused in so little time.

Of the 3.2 million children estimated to have remained in their homes, he said nearly half may be at risk of not having enough food. Attacks on infrastructure have left an estimated 1.4 million people without access to water, and 4.6 million people have only limited access.

"The situation is even worse in cities like Mariupol and Kherson, where children and their families have now gone weeks without running water and sanitation services, a regular supply of food and medical care," Fontaine said. "They are sheltering in their homes and underground, waiting for the bombs and violence to stop."

Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador told the council that his government "does not wage war against the civilian population." He again said accusations against Russia were part of the "intense" information war directed against Moscow.

"We see a clear intention to present Russian soldiers as sadists and rapists," Dmitry Polyansky told the council regarding reports of sexual violence.

"Continuing to claim that there is no war of aggression in Ukraine is equal to continuing to claim that the world is flat," Albanian Ambassador Ferit Hoxha said in response to Russia. "We know that there are people who believe it, but that does not make it true."

Kramatorsk

Many council members also noted the rocket attack Friday on the Kramatorsk train station, where 4,000 civilians were trying to evacuate. More than 50 people were killed, including at least five children. More than 100 others were wounded, many severely.

"According to the reporters, a large piece of missile on the scene had chilling words written on the side. In Russian it said, 'for the children.' That is what Russia's war looks like," U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said of what Western reporters saw at the station.

Russia's envoy said, without offering any evidence, that the attack was a false flag operation staged by "Ukrainian Nazis."

Possible abductions

"What is happening to women and children in Ukraine is horrific beyond comprehension," Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said. "If we can't stop the Kremlin, more and more children will become orphans. More and more mothers will lose their children."

He accused Russia of taking 121,000 children out of Ukraine.

"Moreover, Russia is reported to have drafted a bill to simplify and accelerate the procedure for the adoption of abducted Ukrainian children, both orphans and those who have parents and other relatives," Kyslytsya said. "Most of these children they abducted from Mariupol to Donetsk and the Russian city of Taganrog."

Asked about it after the meeting, UNICEF representative Fontaine said the agency has heard the reports of the abductions and has no evidence of them but is willing to look into the issue.

Several council members said there must be accountability for crimes against women and children, but above all an immediate end to the fighting is needed.


WASHINGTON  A COVID-19 patient was in respiratory distress. The Army nurse knew she had to act quickly.

It was the peak of this years omicron surge and an Army medical team was helping in a Michigan hospital. Regular patient beds were full. So was the intensive care. But the nurse heard of an open spot in an overflow treatment area, so she and another team member raced the gurney across the hospital to claim the space first, denting a wall in their rush.

When she saw the dent, Lt. Col. Suzanne Cobleigh, the leader of the Army team, knew the nurse had done her job. Shes going to damage the wall on the way there because hes going to get that bed, Cobleigh said. Hes going to get the treatment he needs. That was the mission.

That nurses mission was to get urgent care for her patient. Now, the U.S. military mission is to use the experiences of Cobleighs team and other units pressed into service against the pandemic to prepare for the next crisis threatening a large population, whatever its nature.

Their experiences, said Gen. Glen VanHerck, will help shape the size and staffing of the militarys medical response so the Pentagon can provide the right types and numbers of forces needed for another pandemic, global crisis or conflict.

One of the key lessons learned was the value of small military teams over mass movements of personnel and facilities in a crisis like the one wrought by COVID-19.

In the early days of the pandemic, the Pentagon steamed hospital ships to New York City and Los Angeles, and set up massive hospital facilities in convention centers and parking lots, in response to pleas from state government leaders. The idea was to use them to treat non-COVID-19 patients, allowing hospitals to focus on the more acute pandemic cases. But while images of the military ships were powerful, too often many beds went unused. Fewer patients needed non-coronavirus care than expected, and hospitals were still overwhelmed by the pandemic.

A more agile approach emerged: having military medical personnel step in for exhausted hospital staff members or work alongside them or in additional treatment areas in unused spaces.

It morphed over time, VanHerck, who heads U.S. Northern Command and is responsible for homeland defense, said of the response.

Overall, about 24,000 U.S. troops were deployed for the pandemic, including nearly 6,000 medical personnel to hospitals and 5,000 to help administer vaccines. Many did multiple tours. That mission is over, at least for now.

Cobleigh and her team members were deployed to two hospitals in Grand Rapids from December to February, as part of the U.S. militarys effort to relieve civilian medical workers. And just last week the last military medical team that had been deployed for the pandemic finished its stint at the University of Utah Hospital and headed home.

VanHerck told The Associated Press his command is rewriting pandemic and infectious disease plans, and planning wargames and other exercises to determine if the U.S. has the right balance of military medical staff in the active duty and reserves.

During the pandemic, he said, the teams make-up and equipment needs evolved. Now, hes put about 10 teams of physicians, nurses and other staff  or about 200 troops  on prepare-to-deploy orders through the end of May in case infections shoot up again. The size of the teams ranges from small to medium.

Dr. Kencee Graves, inpatient chief medical officer at the University of Utah Hospital, said the facility finally decided to seek help this year because it was postponing surgeries to care for all the COVID-19 patients and closing off beds because of staff shortages.

Some patients had surgery postponed more than once, Graves said, because of critically ill patients or critical needs by others. So before the military came, we were looking at a surgical backlog of hundreds of cases and we were low on staff. We had fatigued staff.

Her mantra became, All I can do is show up and hope its helpful. She added, And I just did that day after day after day for two years.

Then in came a 25-member Navy medical team.

A number of staff were overwhelmed, said Cdr. Arriel Atienza, chief medical officer for the Navy team. They were burnt out. They couldnt call in sick. Were able to fill some gaps and needed shifts that would otherwise have remained unmanned, and the patient load would have been very demanding for the existing staff to match.

Atienza, a family physician whos been in the military for 21 years, spent the Christmas holiday deployed to a hospital in New Mexico, then went to Salt Lake City in March. Over time, he said, the military has evolved from things like pop-up hospitals and now knows how to integrate seamlessly into local health facilities in just a couple days.

That integration helped the hospital staff recover and catch up.

We have gotten through about a quarter of our surgical backlog, Graves said. We did not call a backup physician this month for the hospital team ... thats the first time thats happened in several months. And then we havent called a patient and asked them to reschedule their surgery for the majority of the last few weeks.

VanHerck said the pandemic also underscored the need to review the nations supply chain to ensure that the right equipment and medications were being stockpiled, or to see if they were coming from foreign distributors.

If were relying on getting those from a foreign manufacturer and supplier, then that may be something that is a national security vulnerability that we have to address, he said.

VanHerck said the U.S. is also working to better analyze trends in order to predict the needs for personnel, equipment and protective gear. Military and other government experts watched the progress of COVID-19 infections moving across the country and used that data to predict where the next outbreak might be so that staff could be prepared to go there.

The need for mental health care for the military personnel also became apparent. Team members coming off difficult shifts often needed someone to talk to.

Cobleigh said military medical personnel were not accustomed to caring for so many people with multiple health problems, as are more apt to be found in a civilian population than in military ranks. The level of sickness and death in the civilian sector was scores more than what anyone had experienced back in the Army, said Cobleigh, who is stationed now at Fort Riley, Kansas, but will soon move to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

She said she found that her staff needed her and wanted to talk through their stresses and strains before theyd go back on shift.

For the civilian hospitals, the lesson was knowing when to call for help.

It was the bridge to help us get out of omicron and in a position where we can take good care of our patients, Graves said. I am not sure how we would have done that without them.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns that Russian troops will move to even larger operations in eastern Ukraine, while saying his forces will be ready and will answer.

Speaking during a nightly video address late Sunday, Zelenskyy said the days ahead will be as crucial as any in the six-week-old war.

He also said during an interview with CBS 60 Minutes broadcast Sunday night that Ukraines survival depends on the United States stepping up shipments of weapons, and that he has given a list of what Ukraine needs to U.S. President Joe Biden.

He has the list, Zelenskyy said. President Biden can enter history as the person who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people who won and chose the right to have their own country. (This) also depends on him.

European Union foreign ministers are meeting Monday to discuss another round of sanctions against Russia.

In Moscow, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer is visiting Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the first such visit by a European leader since Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in late February.

Biden is holding virtual talks Monday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As the U.S. seeks to pressure Russia with sanctions, including on the countrys key energy industry, India has taken a neutral stance, continuing its purchases of Russian oil and gas while also abstaining from a vote to suspend Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Sunday that Biden would use the meeting to discuss the consequences of Russias brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilizing impact on global food supply and commodity markets.

Britains defense ministry said Monday that Russian forces continued shelling the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, and that Ukrainian forces were repulsing several assaults resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles, and artillery equipment.

A ministry statement raised concerns about Russias continued reliance on unguided bombs with more indiscriminate attacks posing higher risks to civilians.

The conflict has forced about one-quarter of Ukraines 44 million people from their homes, with the United Nations reporting more than 4.5 million refugees have left the country.

New Zealand announced Monday it is sending more aid for Ukraines war effort, including a military transport plane and 50 support personnel to help move equipment to distribution centers in Europe where it can then be taken over land into Ukraine.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Russian forces shelled a school and residential buildings in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, local Luhansk officials reported, even as the officials implored residents to escape the region before its too late.

Luhansk Governor Serihy Haidai said three apartment buildings in Severodonetsk burned down and two elderly residents had to be evacuated, but there were no casualties.

Separately, Dnipro Governor Valentyn Reznichenko, in southeastern Ukraine, said Russian forces struck targets across the region, wounding one person.

Ukrainian officials and the state railway announced new evacuation routes but voiced fears that the Russian missile attack Friday on a railway station in Kramatorsk that killed 52 people might be scaring off some Ukrainians from trying to flee the region by rail.

The continuing Russian assault on eastern Ukraine was in marked contrast to the scene in Kyiv, the capital in the countrys north. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Saturday strolled through streets that Russia recently controlled or were under near constant attacks before Moscow pulled its troops to concentrate its attacks on the eastern Donbas region.

Johnson said Britain would send 120 more armored vehicles and new anti-ship missiles to Ukraine, part of the Wests continuing military support of Ukraine, short of sending troops to fight alongside Ukrainian forces.

Zelenskyy has continued to contend that the West is not doing enough to help Ukraine, but U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan defended what it has done.

The speed, scale and scope to equip the Ukrainian army is unprecedented, Sullivan told CNNs State of the Union show on Sunday. He said the United States will continue to rally the world to assist Ukraine.

Sullivan said the Kremlin miscalculated in its February 24 invasion in thinking it would be welcomed with open arms into Ukraine.

But what we have learned, Sullivan said, is that Ukraine will never be subject to Russia.

In a separate interview, Sullivan told ABCs This Week show that Russia was, in part, forced to acknowledge significant troop losses this past week because it did not take over Kyiv and the rest of Ukraine as it had expected to quickly accomplish.

Even as it moved troops to eastern Ukraine, Russia left behind a trail of destruction near Kyiv, with hundreds of Ukrainian civilians killed in the suburb of Bucha and elsewhere.

Sullivan said the U.S. believes that the massacre of some civilians was carried out by individual Russian troops frustrated at their inability to take control of the region around Kyiv.

He said, however, that responsibility for the slaughter of Ukrainian civilians lies at the feet of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

There was a plan from the highest levels of the Russian government to target" Ukrainian civilians, Sullivan said. "This is something that was planned.

He said the U.S. would continue to squeeze the Russian economy with sanctions, projecting that its economy will shrink by 10- to 15% this year, diminishing it sharply as a world economic power.

In Rome, Pope Francis celebrated Palm Sunday and opened Holy Week by calling for an Easter truce in Ukraine leading to a negotiated peace. He said leaders needed to make some sacrifices for the good of the people.

Celebrating Mass before crowds in St. Peters Square, Pope Francis called for weapons to be laid down to begin an Easter truce, not to reload weapons and resume fighting, no! A truce to reach peace through real negotiations.

Zelenskyy warned Saturday in his nightly address that Russian aggression is not intended to be limited to Ukraine alone. To the destruction of our freedom and our lives alone. The president cautioned, The whole European project is a target for Russia.

Ukraine has opened 5,600 war crimes cases since Russias invasion, top prosecutor Iryna Venediktova said Sunday, but the country will face a struggle getting Russian officials to court.

She called the missile strike on the train station in Kramatorsk, a city in the Donetsk region, absolutely  a war crime.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after seeing the devastation in Bucha, said, If this is not a war crime, what is a war crime? But I am a medical doctor by training and lawyers have to investigate carefully.

Russian officials have called the Bucha killings a monstrous forgery.

The Russian invasion has forced more than 10 million people from their homes in Ukraine or from the country and killed and maimed thousands.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Saturday joined the stream of European leaders showing their support for Ukraine by traveling to the nation's capital for face-to-face meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Johnson's surprise visit included a pledge of new military assistance, including 120 armored vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems. This came a day after he promised to send an additional 100 million pounds ($130 million) of high-grade military equipment to Ukraine, saying Britain wanted to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression.

Johnson also confirmed further economic support, guaranteeing an additional $500 million in World Bank lending to Ukraine, taking Britain's total loan guarantee to up to $1 billion.

"Today I met my friend President @ZelenskyyUa in Kyiv as a show of our unwavering support for the people of Ukraine,'' Johnson said on Twitter. "We're setting out a new package of financial & military aid which is a testament of our commitment to his country's struggle against Russia's barbaric campaign.''

The head of Ukraine's presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said "the conversation was rich and constructive," but offered no details.

An image of the two leaders meeting was posted online by the Ukrainian Embassy in London with the headline: "Surprise," and a winking smiley face.

The package of military aid Britain announced Friday includes more Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, another 800 anti-tank missiles and precision munitions capable of lingering in the sky until directed to their target.

"Ukraine has defied the odds and pushed back Russian forces from the gates of Kyiv, achieving the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century," Johnson said in a statement. "It is because of President Zelenskyy's resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people that Putin's monstrous aims are being thwarted.''

As Zelenskyy makes a continuous round of virtual appearances to drum up support from lawmakers around the world, an increasing number of European leaders have decided the time is right to travel to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, for in-person talks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was in Kyiv on Friday, following earlier visits from the Czech, Polish and Slovenian prime ministers.

Nehammer met with Zelenskyy earlier Saturday and pledged that the EU would continue to ratchet up sanctions against Russia "until the war stops."

"As long as people are dying, every sanction is still insufficient," he said, adding that Austrian embassy staff will return to Kyiv from western Ukraine.

Von der Leyen, who heads the European Union's executive branch, traveled to Warsaw on Saturday to lead a fundraising event for Ukraine. She was joined by Polish President Andrzej Duda, with Zelenskyy and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appearing by video link.

At the end of the 90-minute meeting, von der Leyen said 10.1 billion euros ($11 billion) had been raised for Ukrainian refugees.

The event was held in Warsaw because more than 2.5 million of the 4.4 million people who have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion began February 24 have entered Poland. Many have stayed, though some have moved on to other countries.

Convened jointly by von der Leyen and Trudeau, the event sought to attract pledges from governments, global celebrities and average citizens.

It ended with Julian Lennon singing his father John Lennon's peace song "Imagine," which he said is the first time he did so publicly.

Julian Lennon posted on social media that he always said he would only sing the song if it was the "end of the world." He says it's the right song to sing now because "the war on Ukraine is an unimaginable tragedy," and he felt compelled to respond in the most significant way that he could.
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Ukraines president says Russias ongoing and unprovoked war on his country is a catastrophe that endangers all of Europe. The Kremlin seems to have abandoned plans to topple the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, amid the war, now in its second month. Western powers describe retreating Russian soldiers as war criminals for alleged atrocities ranging from rape to execution-style murders of civilians. VOAs Arash Arabasadi has more. WARNING: Some viewers may find images in this story disturbing.
"The worst kind of disability is visual impairment. Don't get me wrong, being physically challenged in general is difficult, but things are more difficult for visually impaired people".

Michael Abiodun is a visually impaired author, an attorney and a federal prosecutor, demonstrating both prosecutorial and academic excellence in international law and counterterrorism matters.

An author of 21 books, he has a Master's Degree in International Commercial Law obtained from the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom. He has equally undertaken PhD studies in Human Rights, Security, and UK Antiterrorism laws from the same institution.

His recent book, The Plight of The Black Man, traces the origins of the black man and the possible liberation of the black man by the black man.

In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, he speaks about his career, personal life and how he managed to write 21 books in a short time.

PT: Why did you return to Nigeria after your PhD?

Michael: Before I left Aberdeen in 2013, one of my friends and schoolmate at the University of Lagos never wanted me to come back to Nigeria. Another fellow lawyer asked, "why are you leaving the UK to a land that eats up its inhabitants."

They weren't wrong about my decision because I had lived in the UK for eight years and obtained a master's in international commercial law and a PhD. However, after spending that much time there, I wanted to return.

Surprisingly, everything was the same when I returned to Nigeria. However, it was still a tough place and a rough ride for the physically challenged.

Personally, the worst kind of disability is visual impairment. Don't get me wrong, being physically challenged in general is difficult, but things are more difficult for visually impaired people. So, coming back into the country and noticing that there weren't effective measures to make things point makes things more challenging.

PT: Were you born blind?

Michael: I was not born blind. I lost my sight at about age six when the son of my father's next-door neighbour threw a stone into my eyes.

When this happened, my parents, to the best of their knowledge, used herbs for both the affected and unaffected eyes, and then inflammation happened.

PT: Are there memories of your sight?

Michael: Yeah. An example would be if you were to tell me someone is putting on a blue top, I have a mental picture of what it should look like.

I also remember my mother being pregnant with her last child. I recollect that her stomach was fair in complexion.

In addition to colours, I can describe what an old television looks like.

PT: How did it change your family dynamics?

Michael: I would be lying if I said the situation had no impact on my family, especially finances.

PT: What happened to the boy that caused your blindness?

Michael: My father didn't take it lightly, considering I'm dear to his heart.

I come from a family of 12, and I am the tenth child. My father gave birth to me when he was about 75-years old. So it shattered him when his dearest child lost his physical vision, causing him to be unhappy about it till his death.

PT: Tell us about your mum's reaction?

Michael: The incident also affected her and happened when she was 69. Having given birth to me at 63 years old, it was hard to deal with my vision being gone.

PT: How many siblings do you have?

Michael: My Dad had three wives and 12 children. I am the first son of my mum, and there are two boys after me. My mum is the third wife, and I have two surviving brothers.

PT: Where are they?

Michael: Somewhere in Ogun State. However, two of my senior sisters are late; the last one died in 2019 at 54.

PT: Are you in touch?

Michael: No

PT: Why?

Michael: No comment

PT: Obviously, they had to move you out of a regular school?

Michael: Yes. Someone helped us discover a blind school in Lagos called Pacellii school, located somewhere in Surulere. I enrolled there on October 2, 1984, for my primary education. I left Pacelli on Friday, 24 November 1990, as the best graduating student of the school.

I moved to Federal Government College Lekki, graduating as the best art student. After gaining a law degree at the University of Lagos to read Law in 2002, I proceeded to the Nigerian law school in 2003. I finished as the special academic prize winner 2003/2004 Nigerian Law School. Before law school, I worked briefly with an NGO, 'Human Development Initiative'. Afterwards, I proceeded to the NYSC and finished the NYSC in 2005. While the NYSC was on, I was busy seeking admission into higher studies.

I remember my boss, the legal lead then was very keen on giving me a job, but I wasn't interested, I wanted to pursue higher education and one day wanted to become a lecturer. Fortunately, admission came through to the University of Aberdeen.

PT: How did you finance your studies abroad? Was it a scholarship?

Michael: Yes, it was a full scholarship. Great thanks to Mr Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former governor of Ogun State, whom I told I wanted to be an icon in the teaching profession, and he offered his assistance.

Even when I ran short of money, he came through again. The man was a charming and generous person.

PT: How did you get in touch with him? Was it through his aide?

Michael: Yeah, I contacted the ex-governor through my boss in the legal department where I served. His older brother was Gbenga Daniels' special adviser on media. So, he connected me to Gbenga Daniel, and the day Gbenga Daniel met me, he approved.

PT: How did you cope with studying abroad?

Michael: I was like a fish in the pool who eventually got a hand and was thrown into the sea. It was absolutely a new experience because it was an advanced world. Braille was made by machines, not by my efforts in punching, and then my notes were ready in minutes.

I also didn't have to use typewriters to type answer scripts, and I had the computer's soft touch. I trained myself in the use of computers. It was a different world; food was easily accessible. May I say that white people are more compassionate than blacks? I had support everywhere I turned. All assistance was given to me by the university. There was a time a scholarship from the university was during my PhD. I got that scholarship from different sides.

The last scholarship I got for my PhD was from Lagos State, under the extreme kindness of His Excellency, Babatunde Fashola SAN. He never met me, my letter only reached him, and he approved immediately. He never met me to date, but he has been of great assistance.

So, he approved the scholarship, but it was on a bond agreement that I would return to serve Lagos in whatever capacity to complete my PhD programs. So having returned, I informed them I was back, and I served in the Ministry of Justice for a year; after that, I was given a permanent job, but it was not easy for eight years in England and now in Lagos. I know I had divine instructions to go to Abuja, so I applied for the civil service in March 2013, and the same day I applied the same day I was given a job. So, I am not the special one, but I am a fortunate one.

I wanted to lecture, but offers weren't forthcoming, so what I did to keep my dreams alive I started writing. I have written over 21 books. The 20th one I forwarded is "but no one understood it", but there is another titled "another mystery of life".

PT: What are your books predominately about?

Michael: I am an all-rounder. I have written more on international law and a book titled "answering the questions and contentions in international law." I have another one, 'security writing the wake of terrorism, and 'the resonance of international law', but I also write novels. I have one titled "no one saw it coming, a nation without tomorrow." It's about Nigeria and Africa.

PT: Typically, how long does a book take to be ready?

Michael: Well, the longest it has taken me to write a book is five years. It is titled the 'millionaire mindset."

PT: Are your books sold in Nigeria?

Michael: Yes, but they are on three international platforms, Amazon, Kubo, and Payhip. I just started marketing them on Facebook. So let's hope they do well.

PT: It takes a lot to write a book. How do you market 21 books at a time?

Michael: I had not opened my books to the Nigerian market because of the fear of piracy, and the reading culture in Nigeria is not at its best, but people are reading. In the next two weeks, I intend to go into an arrangement with cassava republic and Karamu's price; I would be happy to know more publishing outlets with more marketing spectrum. For example, Gershon and Limited publish my books. I publish as often as money comes into my pocket. II have published six books; the remaining are still in the manuscript stage.

PT: I recall you speaking about your wife before our interview. How did you meet her?

Michael: It started when I returned to Nigeria on Friday, 1 November 2013. Within three weeks, I met my backbone, and we connected, and then I came to Nigeria on a visit, so we kept talking. So, we had our courtship over the phone.

We drew closer when I finally returned to Nigeria. Since we were deep into the relationship, we decided to make it official.

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PT: Is she visually impaired?

Michael: No, she is physically complete and hails from Ilesha in Osun State. She is a graduate. We got married when I finished my PhD. I married her in November 2013, and we have a son.

PT: So, how has the journey been for you two?

Michael: Many physically challenged persons may not like this comment I am about to make, but that's the truth. It takes a lot of courage, grace, sacrifice, and forfeiture of good deeds of life to settle with a physically disabled person and talk less with a visually impaired.

PT: How do you balance your marriage with your being an author and your career?

Michael: I have a talking software. It speaks what I type. A computer is like a second wife for a married person, even inside the toilet. Ideas fly everywhere, and if you don't catch them when it is raw, you may never get them fresh. Most of the time, the idea comes in when I am bathing.

PT: Do you receive complaints from your wife?

Michael: My wife complains that "you are not coming to play with us. You have been on your laptop for hours", and sometimes I go to play with them, and then an idea comes into my head, and I go to my system.

PT: Would you be returning to Europe with your wife?

Michael: Yes, this would be her first time.

PT: What drives you?

Michael: Several things drive me, and that there is brevity to life, you can do yourself by doing what you can with the 24 hours you have in a day, so I want to live my recordable impact on humanity within the short time I have. What drives me again is people who believe in me.

PT: what happened to your dream of becoming a teacher?

Michael: Something happened last year, I felt I was not doing enough with my job as a legal practitioner, so I turned in my CV to the University of London. I decided to chase my dream always to be a teacher. The University accepted me, but they would want me to do another master's in International Diplomacy, which will cost about 15 Million.

I was supposed to resume in September last year, but I couldn't gather enough money, so I deferred, which they approved to September 2022, and I am still sourcing funds to fulfil my dreams to become a lecturer.

PT: What does your wife do?

Michael: She is into music. She plays the saxophones. She is also into IT and research.
Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos by Getty Images

Fairfax County, Virginia, court officials would not tolerate disorder. Johnny Depps defamation trial against Amber Heard was starting the morning of April 11 with jury selection. They would not let these proceedings devolve into a circus.

There will be no overnight camping on Courthouse grounds, a court order warned.

Litigants and their legal teams in this trial will not pose for pictures or sign autographs in the Courthouse or on Courthouse grounds.

Any violation of this order may be found as contempt and will be punished accordingly.

So far, it seems to have gone to plan. Depps fans, who started showing up at 5 a.m., have followed the rules, though some want to get closer to him than the mandates allow. At least one wanted an autograph. One wanted to give him flowers. It is, however, only day one of the trial  and if about 30 fans showed up just for jury selection, it could be messy when the things really get rolling with celebrity testimony set for James Franco, Elon Musk, and more. Spectators outside explained why they supported Depp despite the allegations.

Meet Jacina. She traveled 30 hours from Australia to attend the trial to support #JohnnyDepp pic.twitter.com/096itAmyCb  Victoria Bekiempis (@vicbekiempis) April 11, 2022

In the courthouse cafe, fans chatted with one another about their dislike of Heard. One supporter told another, When somebody says, I heard something  I hate to even use the word heard. Several chatted about a red-carpet moment they once saw, during which fans beckoned Depp over. The pissed look on her face, one fan tut-tutted. Other commentary included I dont bother with her and Shes evil.

The reason for the scene stems from a December 2018 op-ed Heard published in the Washington Post. In her column, Heard called for more support to help women who come forward with domestic-violence allegations. Heard cited personal experience in demanding more support.

Like many women, I had been harassed and sexually assaulted by the time I was of college age. But I kept quiet  I did not expect filing complaints to bring justice. And I didnt see myself as a victim, Heard said in her column. Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our cultures wrath for women who speak out.

Friends and advisers told me I would never again work as an actress  that I would be blacklisted. A movie I was attached to recast my role. I had just shot a two-year campaign as the face of a global fashion brand, and the company dropped me, Heard further wrote. Questions arose as to whether I would be able to keep my role of Mera in the movies Justice League and Aquaman.

While Heard did not name her alleged accuser, the timing of this op-ed pointed to Depp. In 2016, Heard alleged that Depp had abused her. In March 2019, Depp filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against Heard over her column. The op-eds clear implication that Mr Depp is a domestic abuser is categorically and demonstrably false, the civil suit charges. Depp claimed that Heards writing destroyed his reputation and career. He pointed to Disney dropping him from the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. Depp, who adamantly denied these allegations, claimed that Heard actually abused him. Heard ultimately filed counterclaims against Depp, contending that his denials defamed her.

The former couples competing defamation claims may well have deeper implications. If abused persons see that a high-profile accuser is getting sued for making allegations, they might be too afraid to speak out. And even if accusers do decide to speak out, the prospect of fighting potentially costly litigation compounds the stress and shame of going public with allegations.There is a concern that defamation lawsuits brought against women who speak out against intimate-partner violence will have a chilling effect on others who may seek to do the same, said Moira Penza, the former federal prosecutor who brought down the NXIVM sex cult.

Further complicating everything is the fact that another court already ruled that Depp abused her. Depp sued The Sun, a British tabloid, for an April 2018 column that referred to him as a wife-beater. The judge tossed Depps U.K. libel claim, finding that The Suns piece was substantially true. In coming to that finding, the judge decided that Depp had assaulted Heard one dozen times and caused her to fear for her life on three occasions.

Some fans have congregated outside the courthouse with "Justice for Johnny" signs. Some hold small pirate flags. pic.twitter.com/DefLfm3ixZ  Victoria Bekiempis (@vicbekiempis) April 11, 2022

The die-hard Depp fans do not believe that he has done anything wrong. They were eager to get one of the 50 seats in the overflow courtroom, where spectators and journalists could watch jury selection. Depp and Heard could be seen on several TV screens that projected into the overflow courtroom, but only their backs were visible. Despite this, spectators who were there to support Depp seemed to have a good time. They sat turned to whichever screen was closer to them and were almost rapt, laughing not only when Judge Penney Azcarate cracked jokes but whenever a prospective juror said something even remotely unflattering about Heard. When one prospective juror was asked if he was familiar with the case, he said he was at a wedding this past weekend when he heard his wife talking about Depp.

Had he heard about Heard?

I honestly already forgot the name of the other party, he said, prompting fans to erupt into laughter. One woman thought it was so funny that she slapped her lap.

Another prospective juror said she learned of the trial after telling her boss that she had to take off work for jury duty. She says, Oh my God, are you there for this particular trial? And then a few of the co-workers started talking, she said. It was just more of excitement about a Hollywood-type trial.

The fans favorite moment came shortly after a prospective juror told Azcarate that his wife takes Mr. Depps side in the case. He exchanged texts with her that morning, telling her there were TV crews and a group of young girls with signs outside. He figured out that they would be selecting jurors in Depps trial today. Azcarate asked him to read the texts.

So he did. Amber Heard is psychotic. Johnny was set up, one text from his wife said. No one pays attention to spousal abuse when the husband is the victim.

Tell them that I beat you LOL, his wifes text also read.

Her messages were met with applause from spectators. When the judge said the juror was still in the running for now, one spectators jaw dropped.

Around three in the afternoon, a jury of seven jurors and four alternates was selected. The juror married to the Depp fan was not among them.

This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.
Is there anything trendier than staying in on Saturday night to watch live sketch comedy on network television? My tenth-grade self would say no. Saturday Night Lives in-house trend forecasters might violently disagree. On the April 9 episode, Aidy Bryant and Bowen Yangs blond bewigged Weekend Update characters made their second appearance since January, dressed yet again like theyre in a German reboot of Schitts Creek. Theyre tracking the trends with a big old mean computer and telling Michael Che whats in or out. Out in the fitness space? Jogging to Kelly Clarkson because she doesnt have time to motivate your juicy ass. Go to bed, bitch.

When Che asks why the forecasters keep telling old trends to go to bed, Yang says, Because they have to get up early for a flight to hell. These characters have such a strange, aggro self-assurance to them, and like their on-trend predecessor, Stefon, they work because theyre vessels for endless strings of nonsense words and non sequiturs. The funniest section is Romance Trends, in which Yang decrees In: cheating and Bryant tells her hypothetical lover in a hypothetical dressing room to Come out from the curtain and kiss me or Ill kill you! If they keep bringing these two back, we sense an SNL vibe shift.
Meanwhile, in preparation for the battle to pick the APC ticket, the Osinbajo camp has already opened a campaign office at 15B Buchanan Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja.

The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, is set to declare his interest in the 2023 presidential election tomorrow, Monday. capping months of behind-the-scene - yet apparent - mobilisations that have fuelled speculations and pitied the No 2 against his erstwhile boss Bola Tinubu.

According to sources with knowledge of the plans, except there is a change, Mr Osinbajo's declaration will not involve any formal event or public gathering.

Rather, he will release a recorded video of about seven to 10 minutes, addressing the public and declaring his 2023 ambition to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

The video will be distributed across his social media handles and the sources said the campaign team will get to working immediately afterwards.

This style is different from how others had previously gone about declarations.

Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha addressed a public gathering sharing a pattern with former Rivers State Governor and transportation minister Rotimi Amaechi, who announced his intention before a filled stadium in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

Mr Tinubu, former Lagos Governor, and Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi spoke to the press directly after having, separately, met with Mr Buhari at the State House.

However, Mr Osinbajo's announcement video will be preceded by a ceremonial iftar - the Muslim break of Ramadan - with APC governors at his official residence tonight, sources said.

At the gathering, he is going to inform the governors of his intention to contest; though, he had previously told each of them individually.

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Meanwhile, in preparation for the battle to pick the APC ticket, the Osinbajo camp has already opened a campaign office at 15B Buchanan Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja.

In addition to travelling across states for support, Mr Osinabjo's team had organised opinion polls to guide his decision on the 2023 election. In one such poll, participants were asked to choose their preferred president between Rabiu Kwakwanso, former Kano State Governor, Mr Tinubu, and Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President.

In another poll, participants were asked to indicate if they would vote for Mr Osinbajo - and this particular poll yielded 63 per cent yes votes, sources said.

Mr Osinbajo is believed to enjoy a wide appeal among the population but how he is going to mobilise the political capital to defeat Mr Tinubu or Mr Amaechi - two of his main challengers - remains to be seen.
Decatur, IL (62521)

Today

Mainly sunny. High 69F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 46F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Way of the Cross ceremony was last held at Colosseum in 2019.

The Vatican will resume the Via Crucis or Way of the Cross ceremony led by Pope Francis at the Colosseum on Good Friday for the first time in two years as Italy begins to lift its covid-19 restrictions.

The candle-lit procession, which will take place at 21.15 on 15 April, returns to the Colosseum after the last two editions of the solemn event were held in St Peter's Square minus crowds.

The annual tradition - which dates to the 18th century and was revived in 1964 - usually attracts around 20,000 faithful who listen to meditations re-enacting Christ's crucifixion.

Each year the pope assigns the meditations and prayers accompanying the Stations of the Cross to a group, association or individuals: last year it was children from scout groups and parishes in Rome; in 2020 it was prisoners in Padua.

This year Pope Francis has chosen families linked to Catholic communities and associations for voluntary work and assistance, the Vatican press office announced last week.

There are no tickets required for the Via Crucis which is part of the Vatican's liturgical programme for Holy Week or Settimana Santa.

The Easter Vigil Mass takes place in St Peter's Basilica at 19.30 on Saturday, with Easter Sunday Mass celebrated in St Peter's Square at 10.00, followed by the pope's traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing at midday.

In preparation for the Via Crucis, access is currently closed to the terrace of the Temple of Venus and Roma and the Baths of Elagabalus in the Roman Forum.

The temporary closure is necessary to set up the equipment required to film the event which will be broadcast by RAI Uno from 21.00 on 15 April.

The Colosseum will close at 15.00 on Friday.

Cover image: Via Crucis at the Colosseum in 2019. Photo credit: AM113 / Shutterstock.com.
Ambassador Donnelly was nominated by President Biden.

The new US ambassador to the Holy See, Joe Donnelly, presented his credentials to Pope Francis at the Vatican's Apostolic Palace on Monday.

Donnelly becomes the 12th US ambassador to the Holy See since diplomatic relations were established between Washington and the Vatican in 1984.

A former senator for Indiana from 2013 to 2019, Donnelly was nominated as US ambassador to the Vatican by President Joe Biden last autumn and his post was confirmed by the senate in January.

In a video statement released by the US embassy to the Holy See, Ambassador Donnelly pledged: "I will do all I can to ensure that the United States and the Vatican work together to advance human rights and dignity.

I look forward to deepening our ties with the Holy See" said Donnelly who added: "My family and I are proud to be members of the Catholic faith."

Born in 1955, Donnelly has two children and will be joined in Rome by his wife Jill.

He succeeds Callista Gingrich, who served as US ambassador to the Holy See from December 2017 to January 2021 under President Donald Trump.

Since Biden's inauguration last year, Patrick Connell has served as charge daffaires ad interim at the US embassy to the Vatican.

Photo U.S. in Holy See Twitter
Khartoum / Port Sudan  The export of livestock from Sudan to Saudi Arabia via Port Sudan has resumed, after a review of the protocol by Saudi authorities and the Sudanese Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries was concluded last week in the field of health requirements. The export of livestock and meat represent an important source of hard currency for Sudan's state treasury.

The General Quarantines and Meat Health Administration of the Federal Ministry of Animal Resources sys via the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA), that 53,225 sheep and 93 camels were exported to Saudi Arabia over the last two days, which showed an immunity of 80 per cent.

Director-General of the General Quarantines and Meat Health Administration , Dr Ali Adam affirmed readiness of his administration to inspect, investigate, and quarantine livestock and meat, and tightening control over exports at land, sea and air ports. He praised the role played by the veterinary and technical staff at the ministry and their good performance at quarantine and inspection centres in the states.

Dr Adam said the quarantine centres are ready to receive any number of animals prepared for export.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry, Dr El Amir Jaafar, said in a press statement last week that after intensive efforts, the Ministry of Animal Resources was able to start shipping sheep to Saudi Arabia from the centres of the states of greater Kordofan, El Gedaref, Kassala through the final quarantine in Suakin.

Jaafar that the health measures taken by the ministry were convincing to the Saudi side in terms of animal health, disease control, epidemiological surveys and the implementation of the strategies to combat diseases that affect the exports and cross borders exports.

The Undersecretary affirmed that the ministry has a programme that operates in the states in health procedures and disease control field, noting that the national herd is free of diseases and is acceptable in the Saudi markets.

Jaafar said that the exports of live livestock to Saudi Arabia are continuing with the export of meat daily through Khartoum Airport and the ports to Egypt, pointing out that the exports are considered one of the pillars of the national economy to support the public treasury with foreign currency, in addition to making Sudan a distinguished position in the field of exports for all the Arab countries, especially the Gulf states.
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Frances presidential election has revealed a nation drifting toward the political extremes, with more than half of voters picking far-left or far-right candidates in the first round on April 10. The result sets up a tense endgame in which President Emmanuel Macron will face off against Marine Le Pen, a longtime admirer of Russias Vladimir Putin who wants to pull the European Unions only nuclear power out of NATOs integrated command structure and ban Muslim women from wearing the veil in public. A Le Pen victory would strike at the heart of Europes post-war liberal consensus. If Macron prevails, hed be the first incumbent to do so since Jacques Chirac 20 years ago.

1. Who is expected to win?

Macron won most votes in the first round and surveys still show him beating Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally party and daughter of anti-immigrant firebrand Jean-Marie Le Pen. Her campaign gained momentum recently with a pledge to help working families cope with soaring energy and food prices. Macron beat her comfortably at the last election in 2017 thanks to millions of voters switching allegiance from other mainstream candidates. Since then, support for the old established parties has declined. Meanwhile, Le Pen is likely to pick up votes from defeated far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon and ultra-right former media pundit Eric Zemmour, who came third and fourth respectively in the first round. Surveys put Macrons vote share in the second round on April 24 at between 51% and 54%, way below the 66% he got in 2017.

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2. Why are French politics becoming more extreme?

Le Pen and other anti-establishment candidates have lured voters away from mainstream parties by channeling popular anger over crime, job insecurity and a perceived decline in living standards. The Socialists, the party of Macrons predecessor Francois Hollande, have never recovered since many members quit to join Macrons new centrist party, enabling his victory in 2017. Le Pen has benefited from the emergence of Zemmour, who has put racial grievances at the center of French politics and whose voters may rally behind her in the second round.

3. What role has the war in Ukraine played?

Conflict and instability can boost the popularity of sitting presidents, and Macron has devoted more time to foreign affairs than his predecessors did in election years. While he ultimately failed to dissuade Putin from attacking Ukraine, voters appeared to approve of his efforts. Rivals have pushed the narrative that Macron was played by the Russian leader, but all the leading election candidates have welcomed Putin or his ideas at some point. Le Pens party took a loan from a Russian company in 2014 and, while she disavowed Putin after the invasion, her previous praise for him may haunt her during the last leg of the campaign.

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4. How big an issue is the economy?

Many voters approve of the way Macron steered the country through the worst of the pandemic. Economic indicators are good. Labor and tax reforms may finally be delivering results, with low unemployment and economic confidence boosting morale. If this continues, it could mark a shift in the course of the EUs economic history, with France no longer perceived as one of the blocs problem economies. What voters may have noticed for now, however, is the rising cost of living -- a theme that Le Pen has played on throughout the campaign.

6. What does Macron stand for?

Its hard to find a political label for the former investment banker who began his career in public life as a socialist. As finance chief under his predecessor Francois Hollande, he cast himself as an economic liberal. While out campaigning in 2017, Macron spoke about fighting inequality and called Frances colonization of Algeria a crime against humanity. More recently, with polls suggesting the French increasingly prefer right-wing candidates, Macrons rhetoric has followed. He backed legislation to preserve French secular values that was seen by some on the left as stigmatizing Muslims. He scrapped a symbolic wealth tax and called on the French to retire later. On the other hand, he pledged to support jobs and livelihoods through the worst of the Covid crisis, extended paternity leave and opposed the erosion of worker pay in the EU -- all left-leaning policies.

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7. What does Le Pen stand for?

Le Pen has sought to moderate her views for her third run at the presidency. She dropped a plan to ban dual citizenship -- a calling card of the far right -- and scrapped toxic policy proposals including an explicit pledge to pull France out of the European Union. Shes tried to win over younger voters with promises of tax breaks to the under-30s, and to soften her image -- sharing personal stories about her life as a single mother with three children and her Bengal cats. Her partys broad anti-immigrant platform remains, and includes a pledge to fine Muslim women for wearing headscarves in public.

9. What else should we watch for?

The legislative elections of June 12 and June 19 shouldnt be forgotten. If the new president doesnt hold a majority in parliament, his or her hands will be tied, and that person could end up with a prime minister from another faction -- something that happened in the 1980s and the 1990s. Macrons party has recently shown its weaknesses locally, with poor results in city and regional elections. So even if Macron is re-elected, its not certain that hell get to implement his policies.

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After reports of alleged war crimes in Ukraine by Russian forces, Japan said it will follow the European Union and Group of Seven countries and ban imports of Russian coal. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the country will secure alternative sources of energy in a speedy manner, although no time frame was given. But shifting away from Russian fuel will be easier said than done for resource-poor Japan.

1. What sanctions has Japan imposed on Russia?

Ever since the invasion of Ukraine in late February, Japan has joined the U.S. and European countries in sanctioning Russia. It has imposed export controls, including on semiconductors, and has sanctioned some oligarchs and their family members. Russia is barred from issuing government bonds in the country. Japan is also taking in Ukrainian refugees.

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2. What about energy?

Japan had drawn a line there, as it has few resources of its own. Russia supplies Japan with 13% of its coal for power generation, known as thermal coal; 8% of the coal used in steelmaking and 9% of its liquefied natural gas. Japan has stakes in the Sakhalin-1 and 2 oil and gas projects in Russia, which Kishida has called an extremely important project for energy security. But on April 8 Trade Minister Koichi Hagiuda said Japan will aim to stop importing coal from Russia as a longer-term goal.

3. Why the change?

Japan was standing with its G-7 partners, who expressed outrage over reports of atrocities committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. There needs to be accountability for such inhumane acts, Kishida said, adding that he believes Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine.

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4. What are the challenges for Japan?

The global market for thermal coal is already tight, and with the EU also phasing out Russian coal, competition from other countries will increase, said Ali Asghar, an analyst at BloombergNEF. That means prices could rise, which could then translate into even higher electricity bills. Energy-intensive industries such as chemical manufacturers would be especially hard hit, and some might look for other sources of fuel. Longer term, a drive to cut Japans dependency on coal could accelerate the transition to renewable energy and the restarting of nuclear power plants that were taken offline following the 2011 Fukushima disaster, said Isshu Kikuma, another analyst at BloombergNEF. That said, neither offer immediate solutions. Hagiuda, the trade minister, said Japan will, over time, use energy conservation, other power generation and supplies from alternative countries to reduce its dependency on Russia.

5. Can other suppliers replace Russian coal?

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Not exactly, as Japan will have to take into account the variety of coal grades. Some power plants and furnaces are most suited for Russian coal, and cant easily replace it with supplies from Australia or Indonesia. There are also logistical complications when it comes to quickly pivoting to new sources, as shipments may come from producers that are farther away or there may not be vessels readily available.

6. What about the other fossil fuels?

Japan is facing a pretty tight supply situation. Tokyo hasnt announced any intention to walk away from its energy projects in Russia, as U.K. oil majors BP Plc and Shell Plc have said they would do. It also has avoided any direct action on Russian oil and gas so far, in line with the EU.

 Why speeding up the process to restart Japans idled nuclear power plants will be difficult.

 Japan has been running on a thin margin of power capacity for the past decade.

 Henik Fung and Chia Cheng Chen at Bloomberg Intelligence examines northern Asias energy security risks.

 Another QuickTake on why Japan will release water from Fukushima into the sea.

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Jared Kushners new private equity firm got $2 billion from Saudi Arabia because maybe thats how you can cash in when your investing experience is slender but your father-in-law may wind up back in the White House. Its also possible that you can get billions for a firm with no track record because the White House did favors for the Saudis when your father-in-law still occupied the Oval Office.

Its probably a mix of both. Regardless, its certainly not a reflection of Kushners investing prowess. Before entering the White House as an adviser to former President Donald Trump, Kushner, 41, inherited wealth and his first adult job from his father, then botched his biggest gambit: vastly overpaying for a Fifth Avenue skyscraper soon before financial and real estate markets tanked.

The Saudis stake in Kushner is also a reminder of the gargantuan financial conflicts of interest that plagued the Trump clan throughout their White House stay and continue to seep into their post-Washington dealmaking. And, of course, national security hazards run through all of this. Is it that easy to secure the allegiance and foreign policy mindshare of an influential White House adviser?

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Yes, it is. At least in the Trump era.

Its just a complete free-for-all, said Walter Shaub, who was an outspoken critic of financial conflicts in the Trump White House before resigning as director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. The real concern here is that the public has no way of knowing exactly what favors someone like Kushner may have done for the Saudis.

While the federal government has taken steps in recent years to rein in the ability of former government officials to monetize their service in Washington, lucrative loopholes abound. The only professional restrictions Kushner faces, for example, involve him speaking to the federal government. He can still speak to and work with any foreign government he desires  such as the Saudis.

Kushner has company. Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has also raised money for his investment fund from the Saudis and other Middle Eastern countries he courted closely when he was a powerful financial regulator.

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Are those investments payoffs? Its impossible to get into the heads of all of the participants, but the fact pattern surrounding how the Trump White House intersected with the Saudis is telling.The Trump administration coddled Saudi Arabia even after ample evidence surfaced that the country had orchestrated the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mnuchin met personally with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the killing. The prince is chairman of the Saudi fund backing Mnuchins new venture. The Trump White House also engineered arms deals with the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates, despite congressional opposition, and it backed both countries in their controversial interventions in Yemens civil war.During his White House years, Kushner personally cultivated close ties with Prince Mohammed, offering him advice on how to handle fallout from Khashoggis murder. The two men communicated with each other outside of formal government channels, using the text messaging platform WhatsApp to stay in touch. The relationship set off alarms among career national security staff members, but it apparently never cooled. A panel that vets how the Saudi sovereign wealth fund invests its money raised concerns about backing Kushners new venture, Affinity Partners, according to the New York Times. It was overruled by the funds board  which Prince Mohammed sits on.The panel had ample reasons to worry about Kushner, according to documents the Times uncovered. It cited the inexperience of Kushners team and the risk of losing a lot of money. The panels due diligence examination of Affinity found it unsatisfactory in all aspects. It thought Kushner was charging excessive fees and that a partnership with his fund posed public relations risks.Yet the Saudis still gave Kushner $2 billion  probably because he represents an insurance policy for them. Its a wager on retaining future access, not on securing investment expertise in the present.

Shaub thinks deals like this show how necessary it is to have an emoluments policy governing the business practices of former government officials. Its extremely dangerous, he told me. But our ethics laws are in terrible shape overall. Theyre weak across all branches of our government.

Shaub says that the Biden administration hasnt done enough to tighten ethics standards, largely because the financial gravy train is often irresistible to many who pass through Washington, regardless of their party.When Trump came to Washington, he famously campaigned on the promise he would drain the swamp of lobbyists and other kindred spirits. But Trump was so financially conflicted himself that was always going to be unlikely. Soon before he left the White House, Trump revoked his own requirement that former federal employees refrain for five years from lobbying agencies in which they once worked.

Trump didnt drain the swamp. He just filled it with bigger alligators  with guys like Kushner.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Timothy L. OBrien is a senior columnist for Bloomberg Opinion.

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Telecom Italia SpA mishandled KKR & Co.s 33 billion-euro ($36 billion) takeover approach from the start. Nevertheless, Italys national phone company has got one thing right in snubbing the private equity bidder now that it no longer seems serious about a deal. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight To recap, KKR made a non-binding proposal in November pitched at a near-50% premium to Telecom Italias prevailing share price. The tentative offer came with a low acceptance threshold, meaning it would be viable even if media giant Vivendi SE, a 24% shareholder, didnt take it. There was a cautious welcome from the Italian government. The boards priority should have been deciding whether the price was in the ballpark and, if so, letting KKR conduct due diligence.

Instead, Telecom Italia turned on itself, replacing its chief executive and embarking on a new strategy to split in two thats very similar to what KKR had in mind. Such moves might have forced the buyout firm to sweeten its indicative price had they not been overshadowed by a savage profit warning in early March.

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Doubtless feeling it was in a better position to negotiate, three weeks ago the board instructed new boss Pietro Labriola to explore a deal with KKR. Unsurprisingly, the buyout firm has had second thoughts. This week it told Telecom Italia it couldnt reconfirm its earlier non-binding proposal but might be able to if it was granted access to the companys books. No company should grant due diligence to such a flaky overture and Telecom Italia has rightly declined. KKR was effectively walking away while giving the impression it wasnt killing a deal entirely.

KKRs reticence is, of course, largely the result of Telecom Italias mixed messaging and deteriorating financial performance. The average analyst price target for the stock has fallen 14% to 37 euro cents during the saga. Still, a bidder cannot expect access to its targets internal data without first reaching an informal agreement on the broad terms of a takeover. Even shareholders desperate for an exit should recognize that would cede considerable negotiating power.

The poor management of the situation doesnt undermine the logic of taking Telecom Italia private. The company needs radical restructuring which may be best achieved outside public markets. Net debt is 22 billion euros, huge relative to the 6.5 billion-euro market capitalization. Servicing both these borrowings and high capital expenditure is tough, given a weakening revenue stream from the core domestic fixed-line telecoms operation. Analysts expect zero cash flow to be left for shareholders in the next three years. Leverage is set to be the highest in the European telco industry, according to analysts at HSBC Holdings Plc.

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KKR and Telecom Italia share the same vision of creating separate companies for the network infrastructure and customer-facing businesses. This should give the company an easier ride with regulators, but doesnt immediately solve the debt problem. The network company could hold a disproportionately larger share of borrowings. But the rump services business would still have high debt relative to its cash flow, argues New Street Research. Analyst views of this new service company value vary widely  NSR gives it a 3 billion euros enterprise value, others get to three times that. This reinforces the benefit of undergoing transformation away from the stock market.

Less ambitious deal-making may help. A merger with Open Fiber SpA, the rival Italian broadband network, is being discussed. Analysts reckon that could generate synergies with a present value of 2 to 3 billion euros, a big chunk of Telecom Italias current market capitalization. Buyout firm CVC Capital Partners is considering taking a minority stake in part of the new services company. That could provide some funds for debt reduction. Still, neither are quick fixes.

Shareholders need to prepare for the long haul. They can but hope another takeover approach comes after the dust has settled  and that next time, the board doesnt let it slip away.

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More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 The Business Conference is Back, But Is it Better?: Tyler Cowen

 Lets Hope Bill Ackman Doesnt Mellow Too Much: Chris Hughes

 Ukraine War Hastens Move to Private Markets: Mohamed El-Erian

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Chris Hughes is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering deals. He previously worked for Reuters Breakingviews, as well as the Financial Times and the Independent newspaper.

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Oops. Looks like Elon Musk isnt joining Twitter Inc.s board after all. Less than a week after Chief Executive Officer Parag Agrawal excitedly tweeted that the worlds richest man would get a seat, hes now been forced to backpedal after saying Musk declined the offer. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Musk was supposed to take up his post on Saturday, Agrawal wrote in a memo subsequently posted on Twitter, but instead Elon shared that same morning that he will no longer be joining the board. I believe this is for the best. Musk later tweeted a single hand on mouth emoji, as if to imply a cheeky Haha, I misspoke, before deleting the tweet.

It says a lot about the relationship between Musk, Agrawal and the board  and the overall dysfunction therein  that we can go from him being a mere Twitter user, to largest shareholder, to board member, to non-board member in barely a week. But this also shows us that people make mistakes and can change their mind. Many Twitter users would love that same luxury  in the form of an edit button.

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But all is not lost. The mere thought that Twitters most high-profile user would help run the company, and improve the product, got everyone talking. News just a day before that hed amassed a 9.2% stake to become its largest shareholder drove the stock up 27%. Sure, there were numerous reasons for concern, including buying up shares while also having discussions about active involvement. With a board seat off the table, investors will be left speculating  and eagerly watching @elonmusk  for hints as to whether hell hold onto that stake, raise it or cut it.

Also befuddling was the joy expressed by Agrawal and founder Jack Dorsey that Musk was joining the board after hed bought a stake  when in fact they could have invited him anytime without waiting for the Tesla Inc. and SpaceX chief to purchase a $2.8 billion ticket. I pondered this fact in a Tweet last week, to which Dorsey himself replied that this was something hed wanted for a long time.

Yet, in quick succession, Musk shared some of his thoughts on what the company can and should do to boost engagement and revenue  better perks for paid users, stamp out crypto bots, and, of course, add an edit button. And thats where Musks influence and intellect comes to bear.

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His value to Twitter wont be in raising the companys share price but in boosting its revenue and earnings. As Stratecherys Ben Thompson noted, Musk made more money from his Twitter trade than the social network earned in the past three years. Thats not a tough feat: Net income (and losses) come to just $159 million over the period.

In truth, Musks clout comes from being the most powerful man on Twitter. And in the age of influencers and social media, throwing shade at the platform from outside may end up being more useful than becoming an insider and playing by the myriad corporate governance rules that would be applicable  we can only guess how compliant he might be.

Of all the things Musk has said on Twitter this past week  and he can get very chatty  one Tweet stands out. He pointed out that the services most popular users  Barack Obama, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry  barely even Tweet.

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So perhaps the first thing Agrawal and his board should do is to reach out to each of them and ask why, and find out what can be done to rectify the problem. In some respects, getting Musk on the board is preaching to the choir, but convincing the former president and two of the worlds biggest pop stars to use the platform just once a week would go a long way in proving that Twitter isnt dying.

And if Musk truly loves the platform, as he seems to, then he can lend his weight as an external ambassador, product consultant and professional polemic. He likely has the ear of every board member anyway, so he neednt sit among them to be heard. Holding one share, or 73 million, or none, Musk is both a power-user and a major influencer.

The upside for Twitter, and the 217 million users not named Elon Musk, is that they wont then need to act on his every whim and whimper. Perhaps the worlds famous tweeter wont be a board member after all, but that doesnt mean hes going away.

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More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion:

 How Will Elon Musk Change Twitter?: Timothy L. OBrien

 What the Modi Twitter Breach Tells Us About Hackers: Tim Culpan

 Jack Dorsey Must Come to the Rescue of Music: Lionel Laurent

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Tim Culpan is a technology columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. Based in Taipei, he writes about Asian and global businesses and trends. He previously covered the beat at Bloomberg News.

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Demolition starts today on Tokyos Nakagin Capsule Tower, an iconic but increasingly disheveled piece of 1970s architecture that was a darling of the architectural scene and, pre-Covid, a must-see for tourists. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight A years-long campaign to save the Nakagin failed. But instead of mourning its passing, we should celebrate it  as a symbol of the Japanese capitals constant urban rebirth thats not only one of its inherent charms, but also a key reason that it works so well. Just as the phoenix is born from the ashes of its predecessor, a new Tokyo is rising from the detritus of post-war projects like the capsule tower.

An innovative but flawed building designed in the 1970s by the late Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, Nakagin was composed of a series of independent pods intended to be replaceable. Kurokawa was the leading light of an architectural scene known as Metabolism, which pictured buildings that would change organically over time, with aging pods popped out for new ones.

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Replacement never happened, and Nakagin fell into such disrepair that its not had central hot water for over a decade. Its demolition would be a bitter loss, the architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff wrote more than a decade ago, arguing that the way we treat our cultural patrimony is a fair measure of how enlightened we are as a society.

Japan brooks no such sentimentality: Perhaps the holiest site in Shinto, the 1,300 year-old Ise Grand Shrine, is knocked down and rebuilt every 20 years, after all. To be in Tokyo is to live among this constant renewal and upheaval.

The more familiar example might be the Hotel Okura, a symbol of Japanese Modernist design featured in the James Bond novel You Only Live Twice and demolished in 2015 in defiance of an international outcry. Perhaps because it re-opened just months before the pandemic shut down tourism to Japan, few have noticed that the Okuras impressive $1 billion replacement ably preserves the atmosphere of the original, while being superior in almost every measurable way.

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And its not just a matter of aesthetic preference: Tokyos enthusiasm for building helps keep housing plentiful and relatively affordable. In the past decade, Tokyo has added five to 10 times the new housing units that New York City has each year. Until recently, it was adding more in most years than all of England, a country with more than four times Tokyos population.

Japan has gradually loosened regulation around apartment building over decades, including a deregulation in 1997 aimed at supporting real-estate developers still reeling from the collapse of the 1980s bubble economy and its over-inflated property prices. That made it much easier to build large-scale, high-rise condominiums known here as tower mansions. Their development has boosted the housing stock, and began to tempt people back from the suburbs into the city center. So, while Japans population overall is declining, Tokyos is still growing, albeit slowly.

As a result, Tokyo is perhaps one of few major metropolitan areas in the world where a middle-class, dual income family can afford to buy a new downtown apartment with a relatively minimum fuss. Prices have been buoyed recently by a rise in these power couples  where each partner earns at least 7 million yen ($56,000) a year  because of a surge in the number of women employed as full-time workers over the past decade. And while apartment prices are finally back above the bubble-era high watermark, theyve risen only a third in the last decade from a post-financial crisis slump.

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Housing certainly isnt seen as the long-term sure-fire investment its expected to be elsewhere  young couples here dont talk about getting on the property ladder, but neither has property become become the political crisis it is in London, New Zealand or Ireland.

While wages may scarcely be rising, urban renewal is a boost to quality of life. Tokyo is transforming its landscape in a building frenzy.

Marunouchi, the financial district home to the offices of companies including Bloomberg, is unrecognizable from just 30 years ago, thanks to a public-private partnership that has restored the redbrick facade of the historic 108-year old Tokyo Station while surrounding it with gleaming glass skyscrapers. These new buildings are both more environmentally friendly and more accessible  essential not just for the disabled but also for Japans rapidly aging population  as well as being less vulnerable to the natural disasters that strike Tokyo from above and below.

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Areas like trendy Shibuya, home to the famous Scramble Crossing, are undergoing a once in a century reconstruction, which involves razing and rebuilding one of worlds busiest train stations. The reconstruction also includes an anti-flooding water storage facility capable of holding 4,000 cubic meters of rainwater, vital during the guerrilla rainstorms which increasingly strike the country.

In the post-bubble years, Japan was criticized for over-spending on construction to prop up the economy, typified by bridges to nowhere and other rural boondoggles. But its now one reason its infrastructure is so durable, able to withstand disasters like 2019 super-typhoon Hagibis which struck Tokyo head-on, dealing $15 billion of economic damage but just 121 deaths.

All this means that in Tokyo, you cant get too attached. I am mentally steeling myself for the day that the backstreets of Shibuyas Dogenzaka 2-chome, a ramshackle but distinctive district of love hotels, dive bars and most recently, trendy craft beer joints thats located just meters from some of the most expensive real estate in the world, joins the list of areas to be bulldozed.

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For those who will mourn the capsule tower, remember that Metabolism saw buildings as regenerative. And while that hasnt happened in a literal sense with the Nakagin itself, that spirit lives on through Tokyos constant destruction and reconstruction.

More From Other Writers at Bloomberg Opinion:



With Borders Still Shut, Japan Risks Becoming Pure Invention: Gearoid Reidy



I Caught Omicron. People in China Thought I Was Dying: Shuli Ren

 Hong Kong Expats, Wheres Your Next Destination?: Anjani Trivedi

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Gearoid Reidy is a Bloomberg News senior editor covering Japan. He previously led the breaking news team in North Asia and was the Tokyo deputy bureau chief.

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Major cities across the U.S. are dealing with increases in gun violence in the wake of the pandemic, pushing some local leaders to petition the federal government for action. But stricter new gun laws arent on the horizon, given Republican opposition in the U.S. Senate, where they can block such bills. New rules announced by President Joe Biden are meant to crack down on so-called ghost guns, but theyre almost certain to be challenged in court.

1. What are ghost guns?

Theyre unregistered guns typically assembled from a kit, or 3D-printed based on instructions purchased on the internet or at a gun show. Because they lack the serial numbers required to be stamped on complete weapons, its impossible to find out where they originated. Under current rules, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives does not consider them firearms, meaning they arent subject to the restrictions placed on weapons sales, including the requirement that buyers undergo a background check. But once theyre assembled -- a process that can take as little as 15 minutes, according to sellers -- ghost guns operate exactly like regular guns.

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2. How big of a problem are they?

The Justice Department says more than 23,000 firearms without serial numbers were reported recovered by law enforcement from potential crime scenes from 2016 to 2020. An estimated 2,500 ghost guns have been linked to criminal activity from 2010 to April 2020, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control advocacy organization. (The group, which advocates for universal background checks and gun-safety measures, is backed by Michael Bloomberg, founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent company Bloomberg LP.) Law enforcement agencies have suggested that there has been an increase in the use of ghost guns to commit crimes, but because these weapons are untraceable, collecting data is a challenge. By all accounts, ghost guns represent only a fraction of the estimated 393 million guns owned in the U.S. or of the seven million guns that were manufactured legally in 2019. But advocates say stopping ghost gun sales is an issue of growing urgency. Of the online sellers of ghost guns operating in 2020, Everytown estimated that almost 70% emerged after 2014.

3. What is Bidens plan?

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He proposed new federal rules that would bring the purchasing process for these kits in line with the regulations for purchasing traditional guns by expanding the definition of a firearm to include unfinished parts, like the frame of a handgun or the receiver of a long gun, according to the Associated Press. That means sellers would need to run background checks and include serial numbers on the gun kits. The rules apply to parts made by any method, including 3D printers. They are scheduled to go into effect 120 days after Bidens April 11 announcement. The new rules would also require gun sellers to keep records for as long as they are in business, meaning they will no longer be allowed to dispose of records after 20 years.

4. What do opponents say?

Gun Owners of America, a nonprofit lobbying organization, said the rules essentially allow the ATF to end the online sale of gun parts. The organization said it plans to challenge the rule change, which it argues violates the Second Amendment and other federal laws. Just as we opposed the Trump administrations arbitrary ban on bump stocks, GOA will also sue Bidens ATF to halt the implementation of this rule, Aidan Johnston, the groups director of federal affairs, said in a statement.

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Federal student loan borrowers have been granted another reprieve, but for those who can afford it, the most prudent thing to do is to just fork over the money. Almost everyone has been taking advantage of the moratorium, which allows borrowers to press the pause button on payments without any interest accruing. Just 500,000 borrowers out of 43 million, or 1.1%, were still making payments a year after the freeze was initiated in March 2020 as part of pandemic relief efforts.

Theres reason to believe lots more are capable of doing so, but choosing not to. Studies show that households with graduate degrees (in other words, those that tend to be higher earners) owed 56% of the outstanding education debt, and 3% of those with professional and doctorate degrees held 20% of the debt. Whats more, the unemployment rate for workers with at least a bachelors degree is less than 2%.

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Payments on $1.6 trillion of federal student debt were supposed to resume on May 1, but last week, the Biden administration said it was extending the relief until Aug. 31.(For those who are keeping track, this was the sixth extension.)

Taking advantage of another four months free of student loan payments seems like a no brainer  why make a payment if you dont have to? But there are a few reasons why skipping payments could prove to be short-sighted for some.

First, going ahead and making payments during the hiatus, while theres still no interest being charged on the loan, means your money will go directly toward the principal amount, helping you to pay off the loan faster with less interest overall (much like prepaying a mortgage). (Keep in mind that proceeding with student loan payments is best suited for those who have already checked off the personal-finance basics of creating an emergency fund and paying off any higher-interest debt first.)

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Another reason is simple budgeting. Behavioral research shows that people tend to spend the money they have available. One recent study shows that student loan borrowers were more likely to have taken out a first mortgage while payments have been frozen compared with those who have no student loans. That raises the question of how tight their budget will be when they eventually have to resume payments.

If youre still not convinced, at the very least consider setting aside the money for your student loan payment in an interest-bearing account for when repayments resume, as finance professor Adam Looney suggests.

Some may think its pointless to make student loan payments given the chatter about student debt being forgiven. During the presidential campaign, Biden talked about erasing $10,000 for all borrowers, while Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren have more recently pushed for canceling $50,000 of student debt.

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Its reasonable to think the payment freeze will be extended beyond Aug. 31 since asking borrowers to restart payments ahead of the mid-term elections would be foolish. But dont bank on widespread loan forgiveness because it might just be too complicated for the Democrats to pull off.

Its not clear whether Biden has the authority to cancel student debt through executive action. But even if such a move survived a legal challenge and he followed through on his campaign plan, $10,000 of debt erasure is relatively small considering the average amount of student debt is around $30,000. So the payments you make over these next several months are unlikely to be for naught. Legislative action seems near-impossible, too, since Democrats lack consensus about how much debt to forgive and how to offset the cost.

Certain public service employees, such as teachers and nurses, are in a category of their own, and should be aware that there have been recent updates to a federal program that would help to forgive debt after youve made payments for 10 years. If you qualify, youll receive credit for making payments during the moratorium without actually having to make them.

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Another way the Biden administration could provide more relief for student debt would be by expanding one of the existing repayment plans currently offered to certain borrowers, according to Mark Kantrowitz, a student financial aid expert. But such programs, which forgive the balance remaining at the end of a designated repayment period, would be targeted to those who need it most  which means that if you can afford to make payments now, you probably wouldnt qualify.

So it doesnt seem like higher-earning loan holders will be getting a free lunch anytime soon. And that means they should use the latest moratorium extension to get ahead while they can.

More From Other Writers at Bloomberg Opinion:

 Biden Is Wrong to Extend the Student-Loan Moratorium: Editorial

 Student-Loan Relief Loses Steam in Hot Economy: Brian Chappatta

 Stop Saying Student Debt Relief Is for the Rich: Romer and Perry

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Alexis Leondis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering personal finance. Previously, she oversaw tax coverage for Bloomberg News.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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Security forces fatally Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight shoot two Palestinians Israeli forces fatally shot two Palestinians, including an unarmed woman, in confrontations across Israel and the occupied West Bank on Sunday, Israeli and Palestinian officials said. It was the latest in a growing wave of violence that has broken out during the holy month of Ramadan. The shootings came as Israeli troops combed the northern West Bank city of Jenin and the surrounding area, home to two of the Palestinians who staged deadly attacks on Israelis in recent weeks. Ramadan this year converges with major Jewish and Christian holidays. Protests during Ramadan last year boiled over into an 11-day war between Israel and Gaza militants.

Four attacks by Palestinians in recent weeks have killed 14 people. In response, Israel has stepped up military activity in the West Bank.

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At a military checkpoint near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Israeli soldiers opened fire at a woman who the army said did not heed calls to stop and ignored warning shots fired into the air.

The army said soldiers aimed at the womans lower body. The Palestinian Health Ministry said the woman died of her injuries in a hospital. Local news reports said she was a 47-year-old mother of six. The Israeli military confirmed that the woman was found to be unarmed and said the incident was under investigation.

In the volatile southern West Bank city of Hebron, Israels border police said an officer shot another woman who stabbed and lightly wounded him. Palestinian officials said the woman was killed.

More violence broke out later Sunday as Israeli forces investigated the Jenin home of an attacker who killed three Israelis last week. The army said soldiers came under fire from a gunman on a motorcycle and shot him. The mans condition was not known.

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 Associated Press

Shanghai discharges

11,000 covid patients

Shanghai on Sunday discharged more than 11,000 recovered covid-19 patients, and health authorities emphasized that they must be allowed to return home despite the coronavirus lockdown that has severely restricted movement in Chinas largest city.

We hope their family and community will not worry about them or discriminate against them, said Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Health Commission.

The city of 26 million people reported 1,006 confirmed infections and nearly 24,000 asymptomatic cases in the previous 24 hours. Shanghai has been under lockdown since March 28, and authorities said Saturday that the strict measures would be lifted in areas with no new cases in the past 14 days after another round of mass testing.

Meanwhile, Shanghai authorities said they have secured daily supplies for residents from online platforms, according to state-owned newspaper Global Times, after complaints about deliveries of food and other basic necessities as the lockdown enters its third week.

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The United States on Saturday advised its citizens to reconsider traveling to China because of arbitrary enforcement of local laws and coronavirus restrictions.

 Associated Press

Modest participation in Mexican referendum: Fewer than 2 of every 10 eligible Mexican voters bothered to cast ballots on whether their popular president should end his six-year term barely midway through or continue to the end, according to the National Electoral Institute's initial statistical estimate. Participation was estimated to be between 17 and 18 percent of eligible voters, less than half the participation required for the result to be binding. Early returns, as expected, showed an overwhelming tendency toward having President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador finish his term, with nearly all ballots backing the leader.

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Western Sahara's Polisario Front suspends contact with Spain: The Polisario Front, Western Sahara's independence movement, said it was severing ties with Spain after Madrid backed Morocco's plan giving autonomy to the former Spanish colony. Spain has supported the autonomy plan as a way to resolve a long-running dispute over Western Sahara, which Morocco considers as its own territory. But the Polisario, backed by Algeria, has rejected the autonomy proposal and wants a referendum on independence.

 From news services

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia released a statement condemning the so-called presidential elections taking place in the occupied Tskhinvali region with 5 candidates participating in it. According to the ministry, this is another illegal act of the Russian Federation against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.It is completely against to the norms and principles of international law. Such provocative actions are aimed at legitimizing the illegal occupation of Georgian regions and ethnic cleansing of Georgians, the statement said.According to them, in the conditions of illegal occupation of two inseparable regions of Georgia, the so-called elections will not have any legal effect. Also, the so-called referendum announced in occupied Tskhinvali will not have a legal effect.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on the Russian Federation to respect Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, to fulfill its international obligations, including the EU-brokered ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008, and to reverse the illegal decision to recognize the so-called independence of the occupied territories.We call on the international community to properly assess and respond effectively to the Russian Federation's illegal move to undermine Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the statement said.EU Ambassador to Georgia, H.E. Carl Hartzell said in a statement released that the EU does not recognize the so-called elections in occupied Tskhinvali and continues to support Georgia's territorial integrity.The European Union does not recognise the constitutional and legal framework in which the so-called presidential elections are taking place in the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia today.We continue to support Georgias sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and to pursue our policy of non-recognition and engagement, including through the EU Special Representative and the EU Monitoring Mission, reads the statement.
The attack comes barely 24 hours after the abduction of the wife and daughter of Plateau State's Commissioner for Environment.

Gunmen, suspected to be bandits, have attacked and killed some locals and razed down many houses in four villages of Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the attackers stormed the villages on Sunday afternoon, shooting sporadically and setting properties belonging to the locals on fire.

A resident of the area, Danladi Dukup, told NAN that some people lost their lives while others sustained various degrees of injuries.

He said that many of the villagers have fled their homes for safety following the invasion.

Ishaku Takwa, the media officer of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), a military task force maintaining peace in Plateau and environs, confirmed the attack to journalists on Sunday in Jos.

Mr Takwa, who did not confirm the number of persons killed or injured, said that troops of the task force have been deployed to the area to restore normalcy.

This attack is coming barely 24 hours after the abduction of the wife and daughter of the state's Commissioner for Environment.
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.
A rendering of the Allegheny Lock and Dam #2 project to electrify a dam near Highland Park Bridge in Pittsburgh. (Photo illustration by Rye Development)

Out of about 90,000 dams in the nation, few generate hydropower. A push to retrofit nonpowered dams could change that.
Generations, Area 13 Agency on Aging & Disability, is a program of Vincennes Universitys Community Services Division. Our agency connects individuals and caregivers to community resources and options for long-term care and in-home services. For more information, call 1-800-742-9002 or 812-888-5880 or visit our website at www.generationsnetwork.org.
The gunmen also destroyed the commissioner's father's house in the local government area.

Gunmen have again razed the country home of the Imo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Cyprian Akaolisa. The house is located at Obibi Awo, Idemili in Orsu Local Government Area the state.

The gunmen had attacked the same community last year to set fire on one of Mr Akaolisa's houses and that of his aged father.

The commissioner, who confirmed the attacks, said the latest attack was more devastating as the gunmen reduced the houses to rubble.

The incident, PREMIUM TIMES learnt, happened on Saturday night.

Mr Akaolisa in a statement on his Facebook wall lamented that the local government has been overun by criminals masquerading as freedom fighters.

His statement reads: "The Igbo are hardworking people who through their years of toils put up structures and leave developmental strides in their communities of origin.

"Through my many years of struggle, I have managed to put a block on another to build a befitting house for my family. My aged father also has a house he built through his sweats.

"Today, the both buildings are in rubbles and ashes - our fellow Igbos burnt them.

"Firstly, last year, these arsonists burnt my country home in Obibi, Awo-Idemili, Orsu LGA of Imo State for no just cause.

This year again, they returned and this time, they perfected the complete burning of even the blocks/bricks.

"And last night, to my utter consternation, they leveled my father's house. This is a house my father built by himself - the life-toil of an aged man.

"In other words, I wish to put on record that my family house is completely destroyed. This was after they used a truck to cart all the properties: fridges TVs, bed/foams, generator sets and other household materials."

The commissioner noted that such acts are driving away investors from the South-east.

"What are my crimes, who did I offend? And what were my father's offences? And I dare ask, where is the Igbo spirit? This is a direct affront on the aku ruo ulo spirit. Who will invest in Ala Igbo nay Orsu LGA today under this type of atmosphere?" he said.

He said the attacks on his properties were part of the larger series of attacks by armed persons in the local government.

"The above are acts of arson ongoing in my LGA of Orsu. The complete burning of our LGA Secretariat, the house of my colleague - Chief Prince Ford Ozumba, the Hon Commissioner, Imo State Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity, the House of Hon. Ekene Nnodumele, the member representing Orsu State Constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly.

"There are also houses of other political leaders which have been razed in my area so far. Other ungodly acts are the sacking and carting away of all the Police presence & armouries in Orsu LGA, the kidnapping and killing of well-to-do individuals and security operatives. This attendant scare has become a daily phenomenon in my Local Government Area.

"Today, these gunmen (Codenamed Umu Oma, under the guise of freedom fighters) have continued to demand huge sums of money from mourning families who wish to bury their loved ones and the likes. It is now strictly business.

"These gunmen have almost made a god of themselves, killing and carniballising at will, in my area but believe me, they will not succeed with our voices up and collaborative efforts.

"Where is the Igbo spirit, umunne m? It is unfortunate that majority of those who forment these troubles are not indeginous to Orsu but have garnered collaborators and enablers among the locals either through fear, persuasion, financial inducements and made to swear to devilish oats of secrecy'

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Legal Affairs Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.

"It is time to synergize and put an end to the siege in Orsu LGA and liberate our people who are worse hit by the economic downturn occasioned by the ravaging insecurity. For the enablers and cheerers, It is time for the needed retrospect, soul-searching to interrogate the process so far by weighing the gains and loses," he said.

The security situation in the South-east continues to worsen with attacks on security agencies, high profile individuals and government facilities.

The Nigerian government has blamed the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group that seeks to create an Independent Biafran country from the South-east and parts of the South-south, for the attacks.

The group has, however, denied responsibility for most of the attacks.

The IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is currently on trial for treason in Abuja.
Fraser had to endure an unhappy and violent marriage, debts, divorce, abusing alcohol for a time and dementia before her death in 2004; Castle felt abandoned as a child when her parents would leave her and her sister with other people  sometimes strangers  to shoot films. In a revealing moment in the documentary, Castle says she realised she became a cinematographer to get closer to her mother. On some level I thought that if she cant come and meet me, Ill enter her world and maybe well meet there, she says. And we did to some degree because we were able to talk about film shoots and lighting and cameras and how to deal with blokes on set. She was a wonderful support. Frasers unlikely film career started after growing up in Brisbane in a wealthy family that had established a chain of supermarkets. She was part of a young generation who left Australia for London, studying photography and developing an interest in film. Tenacity is the key word when it comes to her personality and its passed down the generations, Castle says. Her dad was this rags-to-riches entrepreneur, with a classic Australian can-do attitude, but she was also inspired by a proto-feminist education at an all-girls school where they instilled into the women that they could do anything.

Fraser wanted to be an artist but, unable to draw or paint well, turned to photography. She had this irrepressible energy so she couldnt stand being stuck behind a still camera or in a dark room, Castle says. When she discovered filmmaking meant she could be outdoors and on the move, she just loved it. Fraser tried to get jobs in film but was rejected because she was a woman. Lilias Fraser on location. Credit:Bonsai After she shot her first film single-handedly, The Beach was picked up by the ABC and screened every night before the news, Castle says. She wanted to be a cinematographer because she loved doing it.

She went to Film Australia and said, Heres my film, Id like a job. They just laughed at her and said, You wont be strong enough to carry the cameras and gave her a lowly production assistant job. When all the male directors turned down a dull-sounding film about the Torrens title system of land registration, Fraser said she would do it. She put her heart and soul into it and made this little film, Castle says. Then she got pregnant and they sent her home. They wouldnt have her at Film Australia being pregnant so she had to set up an editing room in our house to cut the film. As a mother, Fraser decided to set up a film company with her husband as the front man. She used that difficult situation of being a married woman with kids to her advantage, Castle says. Dad went out and got all the work while mum wrote, directed and edited the films.

Fraser flourished at a time when mining companies, agricultural boards and government departments were funding upbeat, quasi-educational films about building the nation. Castle says her 1970 film Beyond the Boom ran in cinemas for months as a short before the movie. There wasnt much cynicism around then so agriculture and mining were seen as really great things that created jobs and got the nation moving, Castle says. She really went with that narrative and threw herself into making really great pieces of work. Fraser created a childrens TV drama, The Young Producers, and wrote a script for a feature film but was never able to get it financed. Her work became more political as she realised the importance of land rights and women in the mining industry. Castle says her mother had no idea of her significance in Australian film history. She was one of the first women to really break through the glass ceiling in a very male-dominated Australian film industry, she says. And she did it because she loved making movies.

Producer Pat Fiske remembers that no one at the Sydney Filmmakers Co-op, a hotbed of emerging talent, had heard of Fraser when she took a humble distribution job there after getting divorced in the late 1970s. It was like, Who is this woman? she says. Shed been making films since the late 50s and nobody knew her. Fiske says Fraser was a very funny woman who was always upbeat: Making the film with Jane, I know it was not all roses but she was amazing in covering up what was happening. Castle gave up cinematography when she realised her work in the US on schlocky horror films like Leprechaun 2 and music videos did not in any way come close to my personal values. She became an artist and activist and is now studying to be a psychotherapist. Over eight years the documentary evolved into a mother-daughter story.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size In the heart of every con artist, there is the fervent belief that the jackpot is just around the corner, one last lucky roll of the dice after which every one of your victims will be paid back. For Sydneys fraudster Melissa Caddick that last roll of the dice was a high-stakes gamble on cryptocurrency. If I get the big jackpot, I can pay everybody back and then it will all go away - but thats sort of the fantasy they exhibit, forensic psychiatrist Olav Nielssen said. In a series of revelations in the new podcast Liar Liar: Melissa Caddick and the Missing Millions launched on Monday, the investigation examines the con artists desperate plunges on currency and international share trading as well as her entanglement with a lender of last resort. In November 2020, the corporate regulator raided her eastern suburbs home as part of an investigation into Caddicks giant Ponzi scheme, in which she stole $23 million from investors. Among other revelations to be explored over the series are Caddicks early criminal endeavours and details of how millions of dollars of investors funds flowed through more than 30 bank accounts of Caddicks and out again to fund her life of extraordinary excesses.

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And for the first time, listeners will hear the voice of Caddick herself as she tries to cajole a potential victim into investing in her massive Ponzi scheme. The ring Melissa Caddick bought with her parents money was pictured in a catalogue when she later sold it. The podcast reveals the financial and personal devastation she inflicted on those closest to her, including that she squandered most of her elderly parents million-dollar nest egg on a single flawless diamond. The speculation as to what happened to Caddick, who vanished hours after the corporate watchdog ASIC raided her home, quickly became a national obsession. For months, it was the story on everyones lips. A missing wealthy businesswoman from Sydneys eastern suburbs and a missing fortune in the tens of millions of dollars, stolen from investors, which fuelled by a lifestyle of excess such as and luxury cars, holidays and couture clothing. And then a shoe containing her foot washed up on a south coast beach. The court-appointed liquidator of Caddicks assets, Bruce Gleeson, has dealt with Ponzi schemes before, but he has never dealt with anything quite like the Caddick case.

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This one is probably up there as number one. The media interest and the public interest in it has been huge, he said. Anthony Koletti and Melissa Caddick on the ski slopes. Credit:Facebook Adding to the intrigue is Anthony Koletti, the husband of the missing con woman. In court documents, he has claimed his wife may have been murdered and the suggestion she stole millions of dollars from family friends are lies. In interviews with key players in the case, including family, friends and authorities, one of the biggest surprises to emerge from the investigation are the bitter divisions that have emerged in Caddicks own close family. Some of them will never talk to each other again, said one relative, while another one refuses to even utter Caddicks name, instead referring to her as that woman. For at least a week after Caddick disappeared, most of her relatives didnt even know that she was missing. When they did find out, rumours among the family, fuelled by her mothers suspicion that her daughter had been abducted, included that Melissa had been kidnapped after inadvertently getting in way too deep with some corrupt investors.

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At that time the general feeling among her distressed extended family was she is a lovely, loyal and honourable girl to her parents, said the relative. Little did we know. Some of them will never talk to each other again. A relative of Melissa Caddick discussing the family fallout, It was not until the Herald published a story titled con artist of the century on December 4, 2020 that her relatives discovered, to their horror, what Caddick had really been up to. Loading For years, she had been running a Ponzi scheme into which $30 million had flowed. Her investors thought their share portfolios were going gangbusters as each month Caddick sent a glowing investment statement purporting to be from online broker CommSec. However, genuine accounts had eight-digit numbers. Caddicks fake accounts had only six. After the revelations about her criminal activities, one relative  already stressed that Caddick was missing  collapsed and had to be taken to hospital.

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The penny had dropped, explained another relative. This absolute betrayal of her family was almost a greater shock. It made me sick to my stomach. Melissa Caddicks parents Barbara and Ted Grimley handed over $1.1 million to their daughter for a stake in an Edgecliff apartment. Meanwhile, family relations havent been helped by the insistence of Caddicks parents Barbara and Ted Grimley that they should be treated differently from other victims. They have claimed that the $1.1 million they gave to their daughter was for a one-third stake in an Edgecliff apartment Caddick purchased in her name for $2.55 million in late 2016. Loading However, by following the money, the Liar Liar podcast reveals that the money her parents handed over was never used to reduce the mortgage on the property, which Caddick had bought using funds stolen from her investors. In May 2018, the Hong Kong rare diamond auction was abuzz over Lot 658, a flawless diamond, one of the rarest in the world. It was being sold by an Australian, Melissa Caddick, who had bought it just over a year earlier for $590,000. Most of the money used to acquire the extraordinary diamond had come from her parents who had just sold their family home at Connells Point, in Sydneys south. They thought the $1.1 million proceeds from their house sale was going towards paying off the Edgecliff apartment.

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The Star casino failed to follow state gambling tax requirements in 2020 when foreign high-rollers continued playing as non-residents despite living in NSW while the border was shut due to the pandemic.

Stars group general counsel Andrew Power on Monday told an inquiry he was aware the casino had not strictly followed a procedure that governed the duty or levy payable by the casino for particular players depending on where they live.

Under the law, a rebate player is a premium player who does not normally live in NSW and is in the state for less than 193 days in a year. The tax payable on rebate play is 10 per cent, while for non-rebate play, or for residents, the duty is significantly higher.

Andrew Power, general counsel The Star Sydney at the hearing on Monday.

The inquiry heard Power requested an urgent stocktake in September 2020 of players who had been gambling on rebate programs after it was identified that international rebate play was still occurring at The Star despite Australias borders being shut.
Most people expect to have a strong voice about what happens in their community, but the proposed planning reforms will muffle that voice.

Sadly for the community, the reforms announced by the Planning Minister are entirely predictable, given the track record of the state government to place themselves at the centre of every deal.

Overriding local opinion and priorities is not the pathway for efficiency when it comes to WAs planning system. Credit:Lauren Pilat

For decades, our planning system has had checks and balances with a focus on community participation at the strategic level, which means the community has its say about what the urban environment should basically look like.

Its on the foundation of those strategic plans that experts and local councils make decisions on individual developments.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said sidelined minister Alan Tudge is still a member of his cabinet after he was questioned over the frontbench he would bring to another term in government.

Mr Morrison asked Mr Tudge to step aside as a minister on December 2, after the Education Ministers former adviser Rachelle Miller publicly alleged their affair had been emotionally abusive and, on one occasion, physically abusive, which Mr Tudge denied.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said sidelined minister Alan Tudge is still a member of his cabinet. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

After an investigation into the affair, Mr Morrison said last month Mr Tudge wouldnt be returning to the front bench this term.

However, asked on Sunday whether Mr Tudge would be returned to cabinet if the Coalition was re-elected, Mr Morrison replied, Alan Tudge is still in my cabinet, a statement labelled extraordinary by Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese.
The calling of the May 21 election coincided on Sunday with the formal launch of independent campaigns in the high-profile Victorian seats of Goldstein and Kooyong.

Former ABC reporter Zoe Daniel kicked off her tilt for the traditionally safe Liberal seat of Goldstein, held by Tim Wilson.

Independent Monique Ryan also launched her bid to take the blue-ribbon seat of Kooyong from Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

Zoe Daniel launches her campaign for the seat of Goldstein on Sunday. Credit:Paul Jeffers

In front of about 1000 vocal and teal-attired supporters at Trevor Barker Reserve in Sandringham, Ms Daniel, 49, repeated her priorities of climate change, government integrity and workplace safety for women. Among the guests were ex-Goldstein member and Fraser-era minister Ian Macphee and former Hawke government science minister Barry Jones.
Russia and China have long shared distrust and animosity toward the West, said Bret Schafer, an analyst who tracks disinformation for the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a nonprofit group in Washington. On Ukraine, its a level above that  just the extent to which they have parroted some pretty specific and in some cases pretty far-fetched claims from Russia. The campaign by China has further undercut the countrys effort to present itself as a neutral actor in the war, eager to promote a peaceful resolution. Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin looks towards each other during their meeting in Beijing in February. While China urges caution, its social media outlets push for outright denial. Credit:AP In fact, its diplomats and official journalists have become combatants in the informational war to legitimise Russias claims and discredit international concerns about what appear to be war crimes. Since the war began, they have parroted the Kremlins justifications for it, including President Vladimir Putins claim that he was fighting a neo-Nazi government in Kyiv. On Twitter alone, they have used the word Nazi  which Russia uses as a rallying cry  more times in the first six weeks of the war than they did in the six months before, according to a database created by the Alliance for Securing Democracy.

In an example Wednesday, an official with Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted a doctored photo appearing to show Nazis holding a flag with a swastika next to flags of Ukraine and the United States. Surprisingly, the US stands with the neo-Nazis! the official, Li Yang, wrote of the image, which originally featured a neo-Nazi flag in place of the American flag. Local residents pass by a damaged Russian tank in the town of Trostsyanets, some 400km east of capital Kyiv, Ukraine. Credit:AP The timing and subjects of many of the themes prominent in the countries coverage suggest coordination or at least a shared view of the world and the United States preeminent role in it. Chinas attacks on the United States and the NATO alliance, for example, now closely hew to those in Russian state media blaming the West for the war. At times, even the wording  in English for global audiences  is almost identical.

After YouTube banned RT and Sputnik, two Russian television channels, for content minimising or trivialising well-documented violent events, both RT and Frontline accused the platform of hypocrisy. They did so using the same videos of former US officials, including President George W. Bush, President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, joking about weapons, drones and the killing of former Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi. Loading In another instance, the same accounts used a video of Joe Biden warning in 1997 that NATOs eastward expansion could provoke a vigorous and hostile reaction from Russia to suggest that Putins decision to go to war was justified. Chinas efforts have made it clear that the White Houses warning did little to influence Beijing. Chinas propagandists have instead intensified their efforts, amplifying not only the Kremlins broad views about the war but also some of the most blatant lies about its conduct. If youre just looking at the outputs, then that message didnt get through, Schafer said. If anything, weve seen them sort of double down.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment about Chinas support of Russian disinformation. While the extent of any direct collusion between Russian and Chinese on war propaganda remains uncertain, the roots of cooperation in international media outreach stretch back nearly a decade. Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, pledged to deepen ties between Russian and Chinese state media on his first foreign trip in 2013  to Moscow. Since then, the two countries myriad state media organs have signed dozens of pledges to share content. Sputnik alone has reached 17 agreements with major Chinese media. In 2021, its articles were shared over 2500 times by major Chinese media, according to Vasily Pushkov, the international cooperation director for Rossiya Segodnya, the state company that owns and operates Sputnik. The two have taken other cues from each other as well.

In mid-March, after Russia Today began to use clips of Fox News host Tucker Carlson to support the idea that the United States was developing bioweapons in Ukraine, Chinese state media also began to pick up Carlsons broadcasts. On March 26, Carlson was quoted on Chinas flagship nightly news broadcast, averring that it turns out our government has for some time funded biolabs in Ukraine. The next day, the English language channel, CGTN, repeated a Russian claim tying the labs to the laptops of Hunter Biden, the US presidents son. Russian and Chinese state media have also increasingly drawn on the opinions of the same group of internet celebrities, pundits and influencers, featuring them on their shows as well as in YouTube videos. One of them, Benjamin Norton, is a journalist who claimed that a coup sponsored by the US government took place in Ukraine in 2014 and that US officials had installed the leaders of the current Ukrainian government. He first explained the conspiracy theory on RT, although it was later picked up by Chinese state media and tweeted by accounts like Frontline. In a March interview with Norton, which Chinas state broadcaster, CCTV, trumpeted as an exclusive, he said the United States, not Russia, was to blame for Russias invasion. Regarding the current situation in Ukraine, Benjamin said that this is not a war caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine, but a war planned and provoked by the United States as early as 2014, said an unnamed CCTV narrator.

At times, Chinas information campaigns have seemed to contradict the countrys official diplomatic statements, undercutting Chinas efforts to play down the links between its relationship with Russia and the brutal invasion. On Wednesday, Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called the images from Bucha disturbing and asked for all parties to exercise restraint and avoid groundless accusations. Only the day before, Chen Weihua, a vocal and prolific editor at China Daily, which is owned by the Chinese government, seemed to do just that. He retweeted a widely shared post that said there was not one iota of proof of massacre in Bucha and accused the West of staging atrocities to jack up emotions, demonise adversaries and extend wars. Maria Repnikova, a professor of global communication at Georgia State University who studies China and Russia information campaigns, said the two countries have a shared vision of resenting the West that drives nationalistic sentiment at home. At the same time, the shared messages have resonated globally, especially outside the United States and Europe. Its not coordination but echoes of the similar sort of concerns or stance when it comes to this war, she said of views in Africa and other parts of the world. China is also trying to showcase that its not isolated. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Singapore: Residents screaming from their windows, desperate fathers attempting to break through police lines, entire apartment blocks running out of food.

Shanghai spent two years avoiding a coronavirus lockdown, but when it finally came the authorities in charge of this city of almost 30 million people were not prepared. The city has responded through fits of protest, a sea of residents in towers yelling in front of flashing apartment lights and people banding together to grab whatever food they can get their hands on.

The shortages are affecting the top and bottom tiers of Shanghai society. Chinese tycoon Kathy Xu has tried to join a collective buying bread and milk, the marines based in the US consulate have had to beg for food to be delivered and some migrant workers have reported eating one steamed bun every two days.

In Shanghai, were in the middle of the hurricane, this is also a lesson for all the other cities in China, said Rodrigo Zeidan, a professor of business at NYU Shanghai and Fundacao Dom Cabral who lives in the Chinese metropolis.
The PDP said the claims are "the handiwork of a few traducers notorious for their street-level mendacities."

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Enugu State Chapter, has debunked claims making the rounds that a senator, Chukwuka Utazi, was denied the right to purchase the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for the Senate seat.

Mr Utazi, representing Enugu North Senatorial District, was rumoured to have been denied the right "for allegedly insulting the State Vice-Chairman (West) of our great party, Dr Okey Ozoani".

The Enugu State PDP described the claims as "spurious, fake and ridiculous."

This is contained in a statement by the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Jude Ugwu, which was made available to journalists in Enugu on Sunday.

The party said the claims are "the handiwork of a few traducers notorious for their street-level mendacities," stressing that "those who are pandering to these mischievous spins are unnecessarily muddying the waters."

The PDP disclosed that Utazi is one of the shining examples of Enugu's contribution to the Red Chambers and has religiously contributed to the success of the party from inception.

It added that the "Enugu State Chapter of the party is therefore proudly associated with the Senator for his robust, enviable and indelible contributions towards the sustenance of our democracy".

It, however, urged members of the public to ignore the rumours.

It enjoined its "teeming party faithful and the general public to note that such outlandish and unsubstantiated news is not only fake and ridiculous but the handiwork of a few traducers notorious for their street-level mendacities."
Salisbury, MD (21801)

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Wilmington, DE (19810)

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Master Distiller Chris Morris and Assistant Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall show the 2022 $1,000 Woodford Reserve mint julep, which celebrates the Kentucky Derby connection to France with ingredients from the Palace of Versailles. April 11, 2022.
Rwanda's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Johnston Busingye, has called on the country's government to invest more efforts in bringing to court Genocide fugitives who are at large.

"We know these men's names, the UK knows their names, the world ought to know their names. They continue to live freely in the cities we share. All we ask is that they have their day in court in the UK, be put to their defence and let justice prevail," he said.

Busingye was speaking at an event to mark the 28th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi that claimed more than one million lives.

In attendance were members of the Rwandan community abroad from across the UK, members of London's diplomatic corps and UK Government as well as Commonwealth officials.

High Commissioner Busingye, also former Rwanda's Minister of Justice, said "for Genocide survivors, the delay of justice is justice denied", pointing at the five suspected genocidaires, who continue to evade justice for sixteen years now.

"Last year, an all-party-parliamentary group was established to lobby the UK Government to ensure these individuals face justice. We are grateful for this effort. The relevant institutions in Rwanda are cooperating fully with the ongoing process to see justice served."

"We should not and we will not rest until the perpetrators of genocide face justice," he added.

Andrew Wallis, researcher and author of Stepp'd in Blood: Akazu and the Architects of the Rwandan Genocide Against the Tutsi, also emphasized the importance of trials and called for Genocide suspects in UK to stand trial.

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"Trials give much needed solace to victims and survivors, some sense of closure, some sense of right finally being done. Trials silence denial."

He named the suspects who must face justice: Vincent Bajinya, Celestin Ugirashebuja, Charles Munyaneza, Emmanuel Nteziryayo and Celestin Mutabaruka.

With reference to the 25 European countries with laws that address Holocaust denial, Busingye encouraged countries to enact laws to tackle Genocide denial, and offered them Rwanda's support in this endeavor.

The Deputy Commonwealth Secretary-General, Arjoon Suddhoo commended the great strides Rwanda has made in its development journey and looked ahead with great excitement to the upcoming CHOGM2022 summit, to be held in Kigali in the week of June 20.

Among other dignitaries, government officials and members of the diplomatic corps who shared their solidarity messages to the people of Rwanda include the UK's Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford who on April 7 said "the culture of responsible, unifying leadership, at all levels, has firmly taken root," via her Twitter handle.

"No leader can say Rwandans are different, no leader can again incite citizens to send other citizens out of Rwanda through the Nyabarongo River. No army leader can brag about preparing an apocalypse and actually do it, no leader can permit a woman to be raped, a citizen to be stopped at a checkpoint, a student to be denied a place in school or a scholarship on account of ethnicity. These ridiculous things dehumanized our people in unimaginable ways."
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10 Questions with Tammie Jaeger

Tammie Jaeger 10 Questions

For years now, one of the first pleasant faces to greet visitors at the Jefferson County Courthouse has been that of the administrators assistant, Tammie Jaeger.

Jaeger is known for her considerate personalty and amazingly prompt manner of dealing with all things that reach her desk, thus she helps keep the county running efficiently from the top down.

Jaeger grew up in Lake Mills and has been working for Jefferson County in the administration office for 24 years. She has worked for three administrators  Willard Hausen, Gary Petre and now Ben Wehmeier.

Who would have thought I would have stayed in one place for so long? Jaeger said as she marveled at her longevity in county government one recent day. I feel like our office is the hub for Jefferson County. I have the privilege of working with people from all departments, the county board, our communities, businesses and people from the public.

She called the employees of Jefferson County, awesome.

Everyone respects each other, works together as a team, and has each others back, she said. So it makes it a great place to work. I am so fortunate to call many of the people I work with my friends.

Jaeger said her official title, by Wisconsin Statute 59.18 is, administrative secretary.

I am referred to as an executive assistant most of the time, but the statute dictates the title administrative secretary. Its a very old statute that could really use some updating. It feels like it would be more suited to back in the Ward and June Cleaver days, she said.

Jaeger married her husband, John, in 1985. He grew up on a dairy farm in Ixonia and she lived in Lake Mills, so Watertown was their compromise for a new home. They have lived in Watertown since 1985.

Here is how Jaeger fielded her 10 Questions.

1. If you had not gone into county government, what might you have done with your life/career?

I wanted to be a nurse. I remember visiting some nursing colleges and realizing that I would have to practice poking other people with needles and have other people practice poking needles into me. That was the end of that. To this day, I am not a fan of needles. I loved the idea of helping people, but I just couldnt do it. I started cosmetology school, first thing out of high school, because my friends were doing it and I didnt like that at all. I am an actual beauty school drop out!

2. What are your top three favorite TV shows of all time and why?

I hate to admit it, but I love TV. Everything from hospital shows, like Greys Anatomy, to shows like Law and Order. I still watch old reruns that are on, like Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Last Man Standing, Big Bang Theory and Fixer Upper with Joanna and Chip. Who doesnt love Joanna? Its a good thing that my husband is a builder and is so willing to help me with my projects  at least most of the time. Sometimes I have to do a little  or a lot  of convincing.

3. What are your top three movies of all time and why?

Some of the older comedies, like Grumpy Old Men, Son in Law, For Richer or Poorer, are all fun to watch. They are filled with good, clean, funny scenes. It feels good to laugh out loud sometimes, and just relax and unwind. They make you forget about some of the stressful things we have to deal with every day.

4. What are your favorite sports?

I really enjoy watching volleyball and basketball. Football comes in a close third. I love to watch the Wisconsin Badgers, the Green Bay Packers and, of course, the St. Pauls Ixonia Gophers!

5. Of the county parks, which are your favorites and why?

Growing up on Rock Lake, I would have to choose Korth Park in Lake Mills. I remember kidding around with our (retired) parks director, Joe Nehmer, one day. I was telling him that other cities were hosting beer gardens in their parks, and I thought that we should try that in our parks. He made that happen and now we have four Brew with a View events at Korth Park throughout the summer. It features a great partnership with Tyranena Brewing Co., food vendors and local music talent, and has been a really popular event and fundraising opportunity. Mark your calendars and come on out May 26th, June 23, July 28 and Aug. 25.

6. What three persons in history would you most like to meet and why?

The first people in history that came to mind were the people I learned about in my Bible stories as a child. There are so many I couldnt pick just three. Meeting anyone from back then would be so interesting to me.

7. Do you have a favorite comedian?

Tim Allen, the guys on The Blue Comedy Tour and last, but not least, Tim Conway. The skits he was in on the Carol Burnett Show are hilarious. Some that come to mind are the Dentist Office, the Elephant Story and Mrs. Wiggins. If you havent seen any of those, you really need to search and watch them on YouTube. They are all so funny.

8. What are some of your favorite travel destinations, both domestically and internationally?

Ive gone on an Alaskan cruise and to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Our Alaskan excursion into Denali National Park turned into washed out roads next to really steep cliffs and helicopter rescues out of the park. That was not my idea of a relaxing vacation. White sandy beaches definitely come out on top for me. Sit me on a white sandy beach with a cabana boy  or girl  and I am happy. We had a trip planned to Negril, in Jamaica, right when COVID-19 started and we had to cancel that trip. Hopefully, we can get that rescheduled soon.

9. With Jefferson located between Madison and Milwaukee, which city do you favor when you want to get to a bigger city and why?

I grew up in Lake Mills and went to school in Madison, so I am more familiar with it. I love watching Wisconsin Badgers sports and going to the farmers market on the square so  Madison it is!

10. Do you like cooking and if so, what are your best creations?

I do like cooking. I learned to cook from my mom and grandma. My grandma always made a big Sunday meal, where my cousins and I would go every single week. She always made some type of meat, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, vegetables, crescent rolls and dessert. She also made the best Southern Comfort Old Fashioneds and Bacardis. I remember being trained as the bartender at a young age, learning how to mix those up for everyone. As far as a best creation  my granddaughters favorite is creamy pork tenderloin. So if I had to pick one thing, I guess I would pick that.
Nairobi  The Kenya Human Rights Commission has warned that the move by government compelling Kenyans to register their Sim Cards threatens the privacy rights of citizens.

The KHRC said Friday in a statement that the step taken by the Communications Authority of Kenya which would see Kenyans submit to have their photographs taken and retained is unlawful and promotes intrusive data harvesting.

"The government continues to wield pervasive power to invasively collect our personal data whereas we've witnessed previous data breaches that led to irregular sharing of our personal data with third parties e.g many Kenyans have been irregularly registered into political parties," KHRC said.

The lobby pointed out that a majority of Kenyans registered their SIM cards at the point of purchase adding that they are now being forced to submit new personal data or risk de-registration and hefty fines.

They pointed out that the state has not yet put in place adequate measures to safeguard data protection of Kenyans.

"Without data protection safeguards in place, Kenyans are worried that their faces and personal data risk being shared with third parties," it added.

The lobby stated the government need to put in place secure systems that guarantee the protection of citizens' privacy rights.

CA has warned that mobile phone subscribers who fail to register their details with their respective telecommunication service providers by April 15 will face disconnection.

Director General Ezra Chiloba stated that the move is to enforce the SIM card registration regulations of 2015 and is aimed at combating cybercrime and fraud in the digital space.

Chiloba said the Communication Authority will not extend the ongoing SIM card registration deadline and urged unregistered mobile subscribers to do so in the remaining days.

He asked all mobile network operators to speed up the data cleanup exercise and said that no more time will be added upon the expiry of the grace period noting that unregistered sim cards have security implications.
Nontraditional Student Fulfills Lifelong Education Goal at Weber State

April 12, 2022

OGDEN, Utah  The Stewart Bell Tower has served as a landmark for many on the Weber State University campus, but for one student, the call of its bells marked the beginning of a journey more than 30 years in the making.

In 2018, William Ward, a first-generation, nontraditional student, took the first steps to completing a goal he had set for himself when he was 24 years old.

I was sitting on my deck one spring morning, gazing out over the campus, and wondering what I was going to do with my day  and with the rest of my days, Ward reflected. Just as the clock tower began chiming, I thought, Why not? So I enrolled at Weber State as a 58-year-old freshman that fall.

Born and raised in south Texas, higher education was a dream Ward only came to realize as an adult. He joined the Navy shortly after high school, leaving his rural hometown and experiencing his first glimpses of the world beyond Texas.

Eight years later, Ward decided it was time for a change and left the Navy. He began working as an air traffic controller in Houston and enrolled in classes at a local college. He was considering changing careers and hoped college might help him find a new direction.

But life had other plans, and Ward soon transferred to Salt Lake City International Airport, a busier air space that required more of his time. His plans for college and a career change were put on hold.

Three decades later, after raising a family, settling in Ogden with his wife and retiring from his career as an air traffic controller, Ward finally had the time and freedom to pursue his dreams of higher education. He took the leap and enrolled at WSU.

From the time I was in my 20s, I knew I wanted to check that box of a college degree, Ward said. I felt it was something I should have done. Then once I started school I realized I liked learning. It wasnt just about getting a piece of paper anymore. I wanted to experience everything and learn as much as possible.

Unexpectedly, Ward began his college education on academic probation from a long forgotten UW grade. The grade stemmed from an incomplete English class he had taken in 1996. He soon realized his mistake and remedied the situation, bringing his grades up to an almost perfect GPA. All the while, he realized his initial worries of coming back to school were unnecessary.

My fear of being out of place on campus due to my age was unfounded, Ward said. Throughout my time at Weber State, everyone has been welcoming, and the quality of education exceeded my expectations. 

Under the instruction from his professors and the unexpected support from his peers, Ward flourished. In his general education courses, he found a deep love of history and English, later declaring his major in history and minor in English.

Determined to reach his goals, school became his post-retirement full-time job, with his thirst for knowledge keeping him motivated.

William embodies the purpose of Weber State's open enrollment program, Branden Little, history professor and thesis advisor. Anybody at any age who has a passion to learn can find a home on campus where they can thrive. William has effortlessly engaged with his cohort of thesis students, and hes not afraid to explore complex topics. He is also a genuinely kind and thoughtful person who is a pleasure to know.

When Ward was introduced to the Honors Program, it became his home away from home. The courses both challenged and fulfilled him. He was introduced to different aspects of history that had been previously unknown to him, and his knowledge of literature was significantly broadened in his English courses.

Ward noted that coming back to school helped lift him out of a post-retirement stupor. His courses reinvigorated him and helped him find his passions.

In addition to teaching me new things about the world we live in, my time here taught me a couple of things about myself: I love learning, and I am not too old to learn more, Ward reflected. I can say without reservation that going back to school was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

After 11 consecutive semesters, Ward will graduate summa cum laude with his bachelors degree in history and a minor in English. Driven by his love of learning, he will continue his journey at WSU in the Master of Arts in English program. He plans to take his time in the program to enjoy the experience fully.

I'm going to take one class each semester, so I can really dig into the topics, Ward said. There are so many great works of literature to explore, and I cant wait to get started.

For photos, visit this link.

To read more Ever Upward stories, visit weber.edu/ever-upward.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
Nairobi  The National Police Service has assured that it is prepared to secure the August election amid rising political tensions across the country.

Just last week, Azimio La Umoja presidential candidate Raila Odinga was attacked in Soy, Rift Valley where his chopper was destroyed.

Even though no casualty was reported in the event, President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned that Kenya could have descended into a serious crisis were Odinga was to be harmed.

Police have now assured that they are prepared to secure the election.

"I would like to assure everyone that we are expecting a peaceful election. The politicians can politic and campaign but we will be here to ensure that no chaos or violence will erupt," Deputy Inspector General of Police Edward Mbugua said, and urged Kenyans not to be worried by the isolated cases of political intolerance witnessed in the country.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi said the attack on Raila was well planned and financed. At least five politicians have been questioned over the incident, with 17 suspects arrested.

Mbugua said the national police will work closely with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to secure the polls.

"Our job will be simple and that is to create an enabling environment for a peaceful election," he said.

Mbugua pointed out that the police and the country's intelligence is on high alert to act on suspicious activities that are likely to fuel tension ahead of the hotly contested polls.

"We are watching everyday and monitoring what is being said on the ground but rest assured our actions will be acting fast," he said adding that the NPS is working with the National Cohesion on Integration Commission (NCIC) in monitoring social media pages of individuals spreading hate speech.

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Already, the electoral agency has announced plans to train 250, 000 officers on the management of security.

"A peaceful election environment facilitates a free, fair and credible election and avoids security problems that would otherwise compromise the integrity of records," the Commission's Chief Executive Officer Hussein Marjan said.

At least two officers will be posted in the close to 50, 000 polling stations which will be used during the voting exercise with the officers reporting to the presiding officers.

The training dubbed Election Security Arrangement Project will focus on capacity building, building on what has been done from 2013, coordination, communication and public engagement.

The programme according to the Commission is a 10-year plan and has been implemented, evaluated and redesigned out of the recognition by the stakeholders "that good must give way to better".
If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here.

 Alter Ego Salon & Day Spa to hold grand opening on May 22 at 500 Broad Street in Emmaus

 Sephora at Kohl's to open at Whitehall Kohl's

 Juliette Bridals by Ivana has relocated to 161 Glenworth Rd., Pottsville and is having a "relocation celebration" on May 19 at noon.

 Iqor has opened a new 30,000 square-foot call center in Allentown

 Life Advance Fitness at 436 State Ave. in Emmaus opens on May 11

 Grocery Outlet Bargain Market is open at 561 S. Broad Street in Lansdale, in the former Super Foodtown location.

 The Caribbean Grill will hold its grand opening on May 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at 1800 Sullivan Trail in Forks Township.

 A new mafia-themed bar named Capo & Co. Keg and Cork Kitchen is hiring staff in Emmaus. The restaurant is at 1375 Chestnut St. and will feature a self-tap wine bar.

 Terrain on the Parkway, at 1625 Lehigh Parkway East in Allentown is open and renting apartments ranging from studio to three-bedroom size.

 Sports and Social opened April 28 in Allentown. The sports bar and restaurant at 645 Hamilton St. is part of a national chain.

 McCall Collective Brewing plans a May opening for its second location at 7743 Hamilton Blvd. in the Breinigsville section of Upper Macungie Township. The original brewpub is in Allentown.

 Project Paw cat cafe and thrift shop opened April 30 at 452 Northampton St., Easton. The cats in the cafe will be available for adoption. The business supports The Center for Animal Health & Welfare in Williams Township.

 McDonald's of Coopersburg is open at 6690 Short Drive, Upper Saucon Township, just off Route 309

 Oley Valley Inn in Oley Township is coming back as The Riedenau House, a farm-to-table restaurant. It will serve a German menu.

 Margaritaville resort, a Jimmy Buffett-inspired resort is coming to Monroe County. Construction in Tobyhanna and Pocono townships may begin next year, with an opening in 2024 at the site of the old Pocono Manor.

 La Dolce Casa, at 16 W. Broad St. on Tamaqua's main thoroughfare, has added La Dolce Casa Bakery and Italian Market just three doors away at 32 W. Broad St. in the former Bittner's General Store.

 Rutter's opens 3rd location in Berks at Route 222 and Long Lane in Maxatawny Township, north of Kutztown.

 Berks Nature opened The Rookery. The Rookery is in Angelica Creek Park, on top of the existing Nature Place structure.

 New Santiago's Restaurant at 125 S. Third St. in Coopersburg has reopened after about a year off.

 Obsidian Tattoo & Piercing Parlor of Bethlehem has expanded to Emmaus. The 173 Main St. location is open now.

 Ocean State Job Lot, a Rhode Island-based discount store, will open at the former site of the Kmart at Shillington Plaza in Cumru Township.

 Elpedio's Ristorante will open May 1 at the site of the Seipsville Inn in Palmer Township.

 King Wing has opened at 129 E. Third St. in south Bethlehem, serving buffalo wings, along with sandwiches.

 Royal Farms convenience store and gas station is headed to the site of the Brass Rail in Allentown on Lehigh Street.

 3 Men & A Bagel is back open after a brief closing for surgery for the baker. The shop is located at 3350 Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem.

 Wert's Cafe is back after a brief closing following the death of owner Greg Wert.

 Vinyl Press Signs & Graphics has moved to 15 S. Second St. in Emmaus. A grand opening will be held May 5.

 Juliette Bridals by Ivana will hold a ribbon cutting May 19 at 161 Genworth Road, Pottsville.

 JPMorgan Chase & Co., the biggest bank in the U.S., is coming to downtown Allentown.

 The Easton Farmers' Market will open May 7 at Scott Park along Larry Holmes Drive.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Cloudy, windy, and unseasonably cool with occasional rain; winds gusting 35-40mph. 2-3" of rain for many for a two day storm total..

Tonight

Cloudy and windy with rain tapering to showers and gradually ending.
Reading, PA (19601)

Today

Cloudy, windy, and unseasonably cool with occasional rain; winds gusting 35-40mph. 2-3" of rain for many for a two day storm total..

Tonight

Cloudy and windy with rain tapering to showers and gradually ending.
The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi yesterday said the ongoing construction of the Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri Rail project was at a slow pace due to paucity of funds.

Amaechi disclosed this in Port- Harcourt shortly after inspecting the project.

Speaking to journalists, he said: "I heard they started work three days ago; the project was inaugurated last year but the project is at the level it is because enough funding was not given to them.

"Now, they have something that can make them go further from where they are. They have some level of funding and I hope that we secure the loan before they exhaust what we currently have and I believe the project would get to Enugu state by September."

While expressing optimism that Chinese loan would be secured to speed up the work, the minister said there was need to deploy more security personnel to the site to avoid cases of kidnapping.

On his expectations for the project, he said: "I expect that they should have cleared up to Imo river, I expect that they should have started formation work and they should have gone far because there is nothing much to do here because it already exists, it is a reconstruction.

"So, I expect that by the time we come back, formation work should have commenced and should have gotten close to Elele and should have either gotten to Imo river or exceeded Imo river if we must meet the target of September to get to Enugu. We expect that they get to Enugu by September in terms of track laying."

According to him, "I think we also need to ask them whether they will be able to construct the stations because there are stations that are yet to be approved by the cabinet. We need to go back to cabinet to ask for those approvals.

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"I don't know if we can dare take the cabinet for granted by asking them to commence building while we seek approval but it is risky because the cabinet can turn it down.

"But what we are trying to do in this narrow gauge line is to build the same infrastructure that you have on the standard gauge because you can never tell when you will have a standard gauge on this line.

"Now, when building the standard gauge on this line, if I were still the minister for transportation, I would have asked that whoever is designing should design it in such a way that they use the same stations, that way, you will reduce cost."

Speaking on the coastal rail track (Lagos-Calabar), he said the contractors were yet to get a mandate letter from the ministry of finance, stating that: "I will give an update when I have met with them again. What I know is that the ministry of finance is yet to give them a mandate letter. When they get the mandate letter, then we can begin to harass them.

"They have not gotten the mandate letter to go and secure the loan, until they have the mandate letter from the ministry of finance, we cannot proceed."

"The finance ministry however told me that part of the money is ready but they need to get a mandate letter from the ministry of finance", Amaechi hinted.
Could the Kit Kat Club be heading for the Great White Way?

The question was put to the award-winning Cabaret stars Jessie Buckley and Eddie Redmayne after they both picked up leading performer nods for Cabaret, which opened in the West End last autumn.

Buckley leapt in first with an energetic "yes!" while Redmayne was a bit more measured, saying "well never say never... we've both just finished our runs and we both definitely need a holiday first!" We'd put our money on producers already sizing up possible locations...

The show won a record-setting seven Olivier Awards (the most of any revival production) and took all four acting categories in the musicals section, while matching both Hamilton and Matilda.

Redmayne carried on discussing the show: "I've seen many productions of Cabaret  including the New York one with Alan Cumming and Emma Stone for instance  it's an extraordinary show. We wanted to do something different because it's been done so well before."

Rebecca Frecknall's production continues in London, where it is currently booking until October 2022.
Awards ceremonies are curious things. If you receive one of the gongs handed out, or if you agree with the voters' choices, then they are a triumph; if you disagree, then they are probably a waste of time.

This has been a lively awards season one way and another, brought to its conclusion by the Olivier Awards handed out last night. I was particularly pleased in the midst of it to be asked to present the Trewin Shakespeare award to Cush Jumbo for her performance as Hamlet at the Young Vic at the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards. I felt very strongly that it was an astonishing achievement, which swept aside all considerations about its historic nature (the first Black female in a major London production) and was instead the most direct and heartfelt contemporary version of Shakespeare's Prince.

At the Royal Albert Hall, admittedly in a slightly different category, Jumbo didn't win, and the prize went instead to the equally wondrous Sheila Atim. I am sure that the voters didn't want to put down Jumbo's performance in any way; a majority of them just admired Atim more. That's the thing about prizes. In the end, they come down to personal taste (just tell the makers of The Power of the Dog, beaten at the Oscars by the more audience-friendly CODA).

For myself, I was glad it was Cabaret's night, sweeping up seven awards. I loved that production, those performances, that show. It's easy to see Cabaret as a commercial juggernaut, sweeping all before it, with luxury casting (Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne as the Emcee, Oscar-nominated Jessie Buckley as Sally) but what I most admire about the production is its integrity.

Amy Lennox performing "Cabaret"

 Christie Goodwin

The idea for the revival was Redmayne's (he told a very funny story at the awards about casting himself and then having a crisis of confidence) and the producers threw in the commitment to transform the Playhouse Theatre into the Kit Kat club. But then director Rebecca Frecknall, designer Tom Scutt and the entire Cabaret team carried out a radical rethinking of how a musical, written in 1966, could be reconfigured so that it spoke just as strongly to a different age. They wanted to find the essence beyond its fame.

I happened to interview Frecknall very near the start of the process, before she had even gone into rehearsal, and it was clear then how rigorous she was being in her work around the show, how she wanted to emphasise the way in which the rich diversity of Berlin was stamped out by the rise of the Nazis and be faithful both to that and to its echoes in the world around us.

From the beginning, she was clear that this is a musical about people being blinded by illusion: Sally believes she is a great star, Cliff, her accidental lover, believes he is straight and can set up a home with her and a baby; Herr Schultz, the gentle greengrocer believes the threat to the Jews will go away. Only the Emcee perhaps sees clearly.

For Frecknall, in her rethinking of the story, the savage heart of the show then becomes Fraulein Schneider's accusatory "What Would You Do?", a direct appeal to the audience to ask themselves how they would choose when faced with the moral dilemmas that the rise of Hitler posed. The production makes this question resound by deliberately stripping away the familiar Nazi iconography of red and black and revealing that conformity and bending to the will of oppressive authority, can also be beige and bland, and sneak up on you almost without you realising it.

Four of the original performances in the production were rewarded with Oliviers  Buckley for her spine-chilling Sally, Redmayne for the shape-shifting Emcee, Elliot Levey for his delicately rumpled Schultz, Lisa Sadovy for her tragic Schneider. They were all magnificently deserving of their awards. But when I returned to Cabaret the other evening, only Levey was still in the same role.

Yet the production has lost none of its power to disturb and challenge. Fra Fee and Amy Lennox find different beats in their interpretations of the Emcee and Sally; Omar Baroud as Cliff and Vivien Parry as Schneider shape new emotional journeys for their characters. It feels different, but essentially the same. Seeing it with a new cast and fresh eyes, it is clear that this version of Cabaret is as defining and important in its own way as Sam Mendes's influential 1990s revivals.

That production made the journey from London to New York  one that you feel the Frecknall's all-conquering vision is likely to repeat.
The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ralph Nwosu, has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari's ineptitude and lack of political will to ensure constant power supply in the country.

Nwosu who gave the condemnation yesterday, in reaction to the over 48 hours of electricity blackout nationwide due to grid collapse, lamented the concomitant negative effect of the development on the nation's economy, especially the poor masses and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), amid a surge in fuel and diesel prices.

He insisted that that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration had failed woefully in its electioneering promise to ensure stable power supply in the country, and therefore urged Nigerians not to hesitate to vote them out of power during the forthcoming general elections in 2023.

Nwosu called on the Minister of Power, Mr. Abubakar Aliyu, to resign or be sacked, over his inability to take responsibility and efficiently pilot the sector to achieve power infrastructure renewal and private sector investment in grid and off-grid renewable energy sources.

He blamed the incessant power failure in the country on the present administration's lack of vision, capacity and failure to formulate sustainable policies and governance model for the power sector as well as make required investment in renewable energy and strengthening of the nation's weak power infrastructure to efficiently distribute the paltry megawatts being generated.

According to him, the national grid had remained epileptic with a mere 2,000 megawatts of electricity in the past month.

He said while the installed power generation capacity of the country was about 12,522 megawatts, total output was still less than 3,500MW and with about 2,000 MW only available for distribution due to weak distribution infrastructure.

"This is why Nigerians need to elect a competent government with the required political will to tackle its myriad of existential challenges, including power, in 2023. The ADC with its array of young and dynamic leadership presents a credible alternative to the present failed political parties and their representatives in government that continue to push the country nearer the precipice of economic liquidation and state failure on daily basis," Nwosu further said.
Livestock Environmental Economist, Rome, Italy

Organization: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Country: Italy

City: Rome

Office: FAO Rome

Closing date: Monday, 18 April 2022

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT : 2200924

Livestock Environmental Economist

Job Posting: 04/Apr/2022

Closure Date: 18/Apr/2022, 9:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit : NSA

Job Type: Non-staff opportunities

Type of Requisition : Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement)

Grade Level : N/A

Primary Location: Italy-Rome

Duration : Up to 11 months (renewable)

Post Number : N/A

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.

Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;

Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAOs values

FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

Organizational Setting

The Animal Production and Health Division (NSA) assists FAO members in the development of sustainable livestock systems. It hosts intergovernmental bodies, multi-stakeholder initiatives and knowledge networks that provide information and technical and policy support to development efforts, including emergency preparedness and response. The Division has expertise in animal health (One Health), animal production and genetics, and livestock sector analysis and policy.

The post is located in the Livestock Information, Sector Analysis and Policy Branch (NSAL). NSAL provides information services and carries out analysis in support of technical and policy interventions towards sustainable livestock, focusing on social, economic and environmental goals. The incumbent will be located within the Livestock Policy Lab (LPL) in NSAL. The LPL provides evidence-based analytical support to national, regional and global policy processes and initiatives related to sustainable livestock.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the Chief, NSAL, the direct supervision of the LPL Policy Officer and in collaboration with FAO colleagues, the incumbent will contribute to FAO Strategic Objectives.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will conduct economic analysis related to livestock-environment related issues. The ideal candidate is familiar with the use of economic methods (econometric/computable general equilibrium / cost-benefit) for policy analysis. She/he is able to design suitable empirical strategies in order to respond to specific policy questions related to livestock-environment analysis. She/he is able to interpret the results, communicate the findings for different purposes, and engage with experts on the methodological details of the analysis. The evidence-based support provided by the incumbent will feed into the preparation of a wide range of sectoral strategies, investment programs, policy reports, and analytical papers.

Tasks and responsibilities

Consultants and PSA subscribers will:

Provide technical and policy advice to support the formulation of livestock-environment related policy instruments, sectoral strategies, and investment programs.

Provide technical and policy advice to facilitate the analysis of livestock-environment specific issues related to sustainability, productivity, and livelihoods.

Conduct literature surveys on lessons learned from the use and application of different policy instruments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Conduct economic policy analysis to assess the economic, social, and environmental implications of adopting different policy instruments to reduce emissions

Carry out quantitative economic analysis of livestock-environment programmes/strategies/policies, assessing their impact on livelihoods, welfare, productivity, and environment related outcomes;

Contribute to the development of technical products to support evidence-based policy reform processes with a focus on transformation strategies;

Conduct analytical studies on specific livestock policy issues in relation to productivity, environment, livelihood and household welfare analysis.

Contribute to the drafting of actionable and high-quality policy recommendations, technical reports and policy briefs;

Participate in, organize or facilitate high-level policy meetings, roundtables or other events related to livestock policy reform, with a focus on food systems transformation;

Support capacity development activities benefitting governments, counterparts and other partners.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Advanced university degree in economics, environmental economics, agricultural economics, development economics, or in any other related field.

At least four years of relevant experience in quantitative economic policy analysis;

Working knowledge of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge of one of the other two or Arabic, Chinese and Russian (for consultants). Working knowledge of English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian (for PSAs).

FAO Core Competencies

Results Focus

Teamwork

Communication

Building Effective Relationships

Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

Extent and relevance of experience in economic analysis of environmental issues applying Integrated Assessment Models, Computable General Equilibrium Models, Econometric Models, or Cost-Benefit Models

Work experience in one or more developing countries, preferably in Sub Saharan Africa, South Asia, or Latin America;

Familiarity with providing policy advice to governments in developing countries;

Knowledge of current political economic conditions in developing countries, and ability to analyse the policy context at country level building on political economy tools;

Capacity to interact with government officials on key policy issues affecting livestock sustainability;

Experience in communicating with government officials and ability to present the key results in concise and effective manner.

Extended experience in conducting quantitative policy analysis.

Extended experience in analytical writing supported by a publication record in peer review journals.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)

Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list

Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/

For more information, visit the FAO employment website

Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances. Subject to certain exemptions, vaccination against COVID-19 will in principle be required. Vaccination status will be verified as part of the medical clearance process.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills

Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile

Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application

Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications

Incomplete applications will not be considered

Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAOs behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application

Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered

Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile

We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help, or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org

Link to the organizations job posting: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1649090738552
Talent Acquisition Assistant, Vienna

Organization: OSCE - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

Country: Austria

City: Vienna

Office: OSCE Vienna

Closing date: Thursday, 5 May 2022

Background:

*Please note that this vacancy notice is for 2 posts. One is a regular fixed-term, with an initial contract duration of 2 years and a possibility of extension, and a second one with a duration from 01 July 2022 until 31 December 2022, with a possibility of extension subject to availability of funds.

The OSCE has a co-operative and comprehensive approach to security that encompasses politico-military, economic and environmental, and human dimension aspects. It therefore addresses a wide range of security-related concerns, including arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, human rights, freedom of media, protection of national minorities, democratization, rule of law, policing strategies, border management, counter-terrorism and economic and environmental activities. All 57 participating States enjoy equal status and decisions are taken by consensus on a politically, but not legally binding basis.

The OSCE Secretariat in Vienna assists the Chairmanship in its activities, and provides operational and administrative support to the field operations, and, as appropriate, to other institutions.

The Department of Human Resources (DHR) ensures that the OSCE benefits from a capable and committed workforce that delivers on the security priorities of participating States. DHR provides a range of human resources services throughout the OSCE and is responsible for the development and review of human resources policies.

The Talent Acquisition (TA), as part of the Department of Human Resources, comprises at least ten staff members and is primarily responsible for the recruitment and selection of international contracted and seconded staff for the Secretariat and field operations and of general staff, temporary staff and consultants at the Secretariat. It is also responsible for outreach activities.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

The selected candidate will be a member of the TA Unit within the DHR. Under the overall guidance of the Chief, TA, the direct supervision of the Talent Acquisition Officer and in close co-ordination with the Senior TA Assistants, s/he will assists with administering recruitment activities for staff and consultants in the OSCE Secretariat. The selected candidate will provide informed, client-oriented and timely support in every step of the recruitment process. Contributing to positioning TA as excellent recruitment partner towards internal and external clients and stakeholders shall be the overarching aim. More specifically, s/he will be responsible for:

Assisting with preparing and publishing vacancy announcements, actively supporting longlisting and shortlisting processes, designing and preparing pre-assessment activities, organizing interviews and written tests, including communications with all participants / stakeholders of the recruitment process: hiring managers, panel members, candidates, appointing authorities, HR colleagues, as relevant;

Performing administrative tasks related to applications and/or nominations for vacant contracted and seconded posts, including Professional category, General Service category, Short-Term Appointments, Special Service Agreements, Daily Contracts, and Interns, including circulating vacancy notices, monitoring generic e-mail address for answering queries from candidates and Delegations;

Regular updating the HR Taleo database and records of candidates for specialized expertise and temporary assistance rosters; providing assistance in the efficient use of Taleo, as relevant;

Supporting the preparation of interview boards, such as assisting with organization of interviews, making the necessary arrangements for telephone, online or face to face interviews, preparing interview schedules and distributing information to board members, administering written tests, drafting selection report, checking educational credentials and references as appropriate; co-ordinating availability of selected candidates, drafting acceptance and rejection communication as relevant; letters related to seconded posts;

Participating in the Teams outreach and online events such as LinkedIn campaigns, TA newsletter, webinars and (online) job fairs;

Assisting with compilation of data for reporting related to TA processes;

Performing other related tasks as required, such as replacing other colleagues during their absence.

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Secretariat, please see: http://www.osce.org/secretariat

Necessary Qualifications:

Completed secondary education, ideally supplemented by formal training in office administration;

A minimum of two years of relevant administrative experience;

Experience in human resources work, preferably in outreach and recruitment, either in the public service, private enterprises, non-profit sector, international organizations or academic institutions is an asset;

Good administration skills, proven accuracy, detail and customer-service orientation;

Team player, with flexibility, empathy and good communication skills;

Professional fluency in English, both written and oral communication, working knowledge of another OSCE official language is an asset;

Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, and ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;

Proven interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective and constructive working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds while maintaining impartiality and objectivity;

Computer literate with practical experience with Microsoft applications: knowledge and experience of ERP system such as Oracle is an asset.

Remuneration Package:

Monthly remuneration, subject to social security deduction, is EUR 2,997 (12 times a year). OSCE salaries are exempt from taxation in Austria. Social benefits will include possibility of participation in the Cigna medical insurance scheme and the OSCE Provident Fund.

Please note that appointments are normally made at step 1 of the applicable OSCE salary scale.

If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCEs online application link found under https://vacancies.osce.org/.

The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise/re-post the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, to offer an appointment at a lower grade or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration.

Only those candidates who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted.

Please note that vacancies in the OSCE are open for competition only amongst nationals of participating States, please see https://www.osce.org/participating-states.

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization.

Candidates should be aware that OSCE officials shall conduct themselves at all times in a manner befitting the status of an international civil servant. This includes avoiding any action which may adversely reflect on the integrity, independence and impartiality of their position and function as officials of the OSCE. The OSCE is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. For more information on the values set out in OSCE Competency Model, please see https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/our-competency-model.

Please note that for this position the OSCE does not reimburse expenses such as travel in connection with interviews, tests, visas and relocation.

Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process.

Additional Information

Issued by: OSCE Secretariat

Requisition ID: DEP00000N

Contract Type: Local Contracted

Grade: G3

Job Level: General Services

Job Type: Contracted

Number of posts: 2

Location: OSCE Secretariat, Vienna

Posting Date: Apr 8, 2022

Closing Date: May 5, 2022

Employee Status: Fixed Term

Schedule: Full-time

Education Level: High School Diploma / (GED)

Job Field: Human Resources Management

Link to the organizations job posting: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1649517674873
Willmar, MN (56201)

Today

Windy with a few clouds from time to time. High 73F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Cloudy and windy early with rain becoming likely late. Low 52F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.
Winchester, VA (22601)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. High around 50F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch..

Tonight

Steady light rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low near 40F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
A bevy of local breweries are milling, mashing, boiling and fermenting for a good cause.

A bevy of local breweries are milling, mashing, boiling and fermenting for a good cause.

On Friday, the first batch of the Brew for Ukraine red ale rolled through the canning line at Torque Brewery. The blue and yellow cans are part of a global project to raise funds for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine while raising a glass.

"Its just beer in the end, but its the way that we have to help," says Torque general manager Camila Bellon. "To put a product out there that raises awareness of the war and its consequences I think thats a positive thing."

Brew for Ukraine was launched by Pravda Beer Theatre, a craft brewery in Lviv, Ukraine, following Russias invasion of the country in late February. Pravda  which gained international attention at the outset of the war for producing Molotov cocktails emblazoned with its Putin Huylo (Putin is a dickhead) label  released five of its recipes and encouraged beer makers around the world to start brewing on their behalf. Hundreds of breweries have jumped on board and are donating proceeds of their beer sales to Brew for Ukraine, which distributes the funds to vetted local charities.

In Winnipeg, Torque has joined forces with Trans Canada Brewing, Nonsuch Brewing, Barn Hammer Brewing, One Great City Brewing, Devil May Care Brewing, Lake of the Woods Brewing and Stone Angel Brewing. While Pravdas Red Eyes, an American-style red ale, is being brewed at Torques King Edward Street location, the businesses are splitting the cost of ingredients, labour and production.

For Bellon, the collaboration is a testament to the supportive nature of the local craft brewing scene.

"The beer industry in Winnipeg is a big family, were always talking to each other, we do things together," she says. "Its a community effort."

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Kyle Maskiw is the canning operator for Ukraine Brew at Torque Brewing.

Matthew Wolff, co-founder and operations manager for Torque, agrees. The project has also been a way to connect with breweries well beyond the Perimeter.

"We dont really get outside our local element that we have here," Wolff says. "So, to be part of a global community thats standing up and raising awareness is a really good way to contribute."

The groups first batch has produced just over 3,000 cans, which will be available for purchase at Torques taproom beginning this Monday afternoon and at Winnipeg beer vendors and Liquor Marts at a later date. Depending on demand, the partners hope to get more breweries on board and make more batches in the future. Wolff doesnt expect sales to be an issue.

"It sounds like a lot, but 3,000 cans can go pretty quick," he says.

Try our Dish The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. Dish arrives in your inbox every other Friday. See sample. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

The Red Eyes ale takes three weeks to make and the end product is an easy-drinking, malty beer with notes of grass and citrus.

"Our brewmaster got this right down to pretty much an exact science, even water scaling, to make sure that the recipe itself is true to what Pravda was doing," Wolff says. "Its a great-tasting beer, its quickly becoming one of our favourites."

While its been difficult watching the conflict unfold, the outpouring of support for the Brew for Ukraine project has Bellon feeling more hopeful about the future.

"Our idea was to have this beer as a celebration for the end of the war, but unfortunately things are still getting worse over there," she says. "Maybe soon well have a beer over a time of peace."

eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @evawasney
The Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Matia Kasaijja has called on leaders in West Nile to attract more investors to the region, saying the government is focusing on widening the tax base to improve service delivery.

Kasaija made the remarks while speaking at the West Nile Investment Summit in Nebbi district, where he challenged Ugandans to increase production and tap into the wider East African Community market.

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"I have never seen a country more endowed than Uganda with the resources we have. I want to challenge you all to invest and make money. We have all the resources we need. Let's take advantage of these and develop this country. I am inviting you all to be agents of change and there is capacity to make money," said Kasaija.

Kasaija appealed to all the leaders in the sub region to mobilize the people to embrace the Parish Development Model.

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"Once we get our people into manufacturing, our people will get money. If you think you are going to make money in politics, you are lying to yourself," said Kasaija.

He said West Nile is strategically located with direct access to DRC and South Sudan, fertile soils and a growing population to take advantage of the emerging opportunities.

The state minister in charge of Privatisation and Investment, Evelyn Anite told the people of West Nile that she isn't politicking, she just wants to make them make money.

"We are going to focus our people on majorly four sectors. One of them is honey; there is no better honey in the world than the one in West Nile. This summit is about money; let us make money. I know all the 11 districts of West Nile by heart," Anite said.

The state minister for Northern Uganda, Grace Kwiyucwiny told the people of West Nile to open their language and learn other languages, adding that one cannot do business with only one language.

"I want to thank this community that has given us land. We have labour, and we have resources, able-bodied men. We should stop romancing poverty. We should start thinking big,' she said.

The minister applauded President Museveni, for having the vision of industrialisation which she said will help Ugandans to get out of poverty.
Joyce Ares had just turned 74 and was feeling fine when she agreed to give a blood sample for research. So she was surprised when the screening test came back positive for signs of cancer.

Joyce Ares sits for a portrait in the dinning room of her home on Friday, March 18, 2022, in Canby, Ore. When she turned 74, Ares was feeling fine when she agreed to give a blood sample for research. So she was surprised when the screening test came back positive for signs of cancer. After a repeat blood test, a PET scan and a needle biopsy, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

Joyce Ares had just turned 74 and was feeling fine when she agreed to give a blood sample for research. So she was surprised when the screening test came back positive for signs of cancer.

After a repeat blood test, a PET scan and a needle biopsy, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.

I cried, the retired real estate broker said. Just a couple of tears and thought, OK, now what do we do?

Joyce Ares grooms her poodle Gracie in the garage on Friday, March 18, 2022, in Canby, Ore. She had volunteered to take a blood test that is being billed as a new frontier in cancer screening for healthy people. It looks for cancer by checking for DNA fragments shed by tumor cells. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

The Canby, Oregon, resident had volunteered to take a blood test that is being billed as a new frontier in cancer screening for healthy people. It looks for cancer by checking for DNA fragments shed by tumor cells.

Such blood tests, called liquid biopsies, are already used in patients with cancer to tailor their treatment and check to see if tumors come back.

Now, one company is promoting its blood test to people with no signs of cancer as a way to detect tumors in the pancreas, ovaries and other sites that have no recommended screening method.

Its an open question whether such cancer blood tests  if added to routine care  could improve Americans health or help meet the White Houses goal of cutting the cancer death rate in half over the next 25 years.

Jacob Marquez, a clinical research coordinator at Oregon Health & Science University's Knight Cancer Institute in Portland, Ore., draws blood from a clinical study participant on March 14, 2022. Parker is one of hundreds of people participating in a trial for a new liquid biopsy technology that could detect early signs of cancer in a person's blood. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

With advances in DNA sequencing and data science making the blood tests possible, California-based Grail and other companies are racing to commercialize them.

And U.S. government researchers are planning a large experiment  with 200,000 participants and possibly lasting seven years  to see if the blood tests can live up to the promise of catching more cancers earlier and saving lives.

They sound wonderful, but we dont have enough information, said Dr. Lori Minasian of the National Cancer Institute, who is involved in planning the research. We dont have definitive data that shows that they will reduce the risk of dying from cancer.

Grail is far ahead of other companies with 2,000 doctors willing to prescribe the $949 test. Most insurance plans dont cover the cost. The tests are being marketed without endorsements from medical groups or a recommendation from U.S. health authorities.

Vials of blood from a participant in a clinical study of the effectiveness of a new liquid biopsy technology are packaged for shipment at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Ore., on March 14, 2022. The clinical trial will follow hundreds of participants for three years to see if signals of any cancers that participants later develop were present in their blood. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

FDA authorization, clearance or approval of such tests is required by law, but the agency historically has not enforced most regulatory requirements for ones  like Grails  that are designed, manufactured and used within a single laboratory. The agency is working with Congress on legislation to update the regulatory framework, which would include active oversight for such tests, said FDA spokesman Jim McKinney.

For a drug, the FDA demands that there is a substantial high likelihood that the benefits not only are proven, but they outweigh the harms. Thats not the case for devices like blood tests, said Dr. Barry Kramer of the Lisa Schwartz Foundation for Truth in Medicine.

Grail plans to seek approval from the FDA, but is marketing its test as it submits data to the agency.

The history of cancer screening has taught caution. In 2004, Japan halted mass screening of infants for a childhood cancer after studies found it didnt save lives. Last year, a 16-year study in 200,000 women in the United Kingdom found regular screening for ovarian cancer didnt make any difference in deaths.

Joyce Ares sits for a portrait in the dinning room of her home on Friday, March 18, 2022, in Canby, Ore. When she turned 74, Ares was feeling fine when she agreed to give a blood sample for research. So she was surprised when the screening test came back positive for signs of cancer. After a repeat blood test, a PET scan and a needle biopsy, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

Cases like these have uncovered some surprises: Screening finds some cancers that dont need to be cured. The flip side? Many dangerous cancers grow so fast they elude screening and prove deadly anyway.

And screening can do more harm than good. Anxiety from false positives. Unnecessary costs. And serious side effects from cancer care: PSA tests for men can lead to treatment complications such as incontinence or impotence, even when some slow-growing prostate cancers would never have caused trouble.

The evidence is strongest for screening tests for cancers of the breast, cervix and colon. For some smokers, lung cancer screening is recommended.

The recommended tests  mammography, PAP tests, colonoscopy  look for one cancer at a time. The new blood tests look for many cancers at once. Thats an advantage, according to Grail executive Dr. Joshua Ofman.

Joyce Ares plants a peony bud in her garden on Friday, March 18, 2022, in Canby, Ore. She had volunteered to take a blood test that is being billed as a new frontier in cancer screening for healthy people. It looks for cancer by checking for DNA fragments shed by tumor cells. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

We screen for four or five cancers in this country, but (many) cancer deaths are coming from cancers that were not looking for at all, Ofman said.

Dr. Tomasz Beer of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland led the company-sponsored study that Joyce Ares joined in 2020. After a miserable winter of chemotherapy and radiation, doctors told her the treatment was a success.

Her case isn't an outlier, "but it is the sort of hoped-for ideal outcome, and not everyone is going to have that, Beer said.

While there were other early cancers detected among study participants, some had less clear-cut experiences. For some, blood tests led to scans that never located a cancer, which could mean the result was a false positive, or it could mean there's a mystery cancer that will show up later. For others, blood tests detected cancer that turned out to be advanced and aggressive, Beer said. One older participant with a bad case declined treatment.

Grail continues to update its test as it learns from these studies, and is sponsoring a trial with Britains National Health Service in 140,000 people to see if the blood test can reduce the number of cancers caught in late stages.

Although Ares feels lucky, its impossible to know whether her test added healthy years to her life or made no real difference, said Kramer, former director of the National Cancer Institutes Division of Cancer Prevention.

I sincerely hope that Joyce benefited from having this test, Kramer said when told of her experience. But unfortunately, we cant know, at the individual Joyce level, whether thats the case."

Cancer treatments can have long-term side effects, he said, "and we dont know how fast the tumor would have grown. Treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma is so effective that delaying therapy until she felt symptoms might have achieved the same happy outcome.

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For now, health experts stress the Grail blood test is not a cancer diagnosis; a positive result triggers further scans and biopsies.

This is a path in diagnostic testing that has never been tried before," Kramer said. Our ultimate destination is a test that has a clear net benefit. If we dont do it carefully, well go way off the path.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

___

This story was first published on April 11, 2022. It was updated on April 14, 2022, to make clear that FDA approval of some tests is required by law but the agency historically has not enforced regulatory requirements on certain tests.
BEIJING (AP)  The manufacturing hub of Guangzhou closed itself to most arrivals Monday as China battles a major COVID-19 surge in its big eastern cities.

A woman wearing a face mask to help protect from the coronavirus is reflected in her wing mirror of her electric-powered scooter tied with a national flag as she waits at an intersection during the morning rush hour, Monday, April 11, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

BEIJING (AP)  The manufacturing hub of Guangzhou closed itself to most arrivals Monday as China battles a major COVID-19 surge in its big eastern cities.

Shanghai has taken the brunt of the rise, with another 26,087 cases announced on Monday, only 914 of which showed symptoms. The city of 26 million is under a tight lockdown, with many residents confined to their homes for up to three weeks and concerns growing over the effect on the economy of China's largest city.

The financial hub has seen international events canceled because of the crackdown, and local football club Shanghai Port has been forced to withdraw from the Asian Champions League because travel restrictions prevented it from attending games in Thailand.

No such lockdown has yet been announced for Guangzhou, a metropolis of 18 million northwest of Hong Kong that is home to many top companies and China's busiest airport. Just 27 cases were reported in the city on Monday.

However, primary and middle schools have been switched to online after an initial 23 local infections were detected last week. An exhibition center was being converted into a makeshift hospital after authorities said earlier they would begin citywide mass testing.

Only citizens with a definite need" to leave Guangzhou can do so, and only if they test negative for the virus within 48 hours of departure, city spokesperson Chen Bin said in a social media announcement.

China has stuck to its zero-COVID strategy of handling outbreaks with strict isolation and mass testing, despite complaints in Shanghai over shortages of food and medical services.

People wearing face masks to help protect from the coronavirus walk across a street during the morning rush hour, Monday, April 11, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China's government and the entirely state-controlled media are growing increasingly defensive about complaints over the COVID-19 prevention measures, censoring content online and rebuking foreign critics.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Sunday said China had lodged solemn representations with the U.S." after the State Department advised Americans to reconsider traveling to China due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws and COVID-19 restrictions, particularly in Hong Kong, Jilin province and Shanghai. U.S. officials cited a risk of parents and children being separated.

China was strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the U.S. sides groundless accusation against Chinas epidemic response, Zhao said.

Despite that, and indications the hardline policy is being dictated by head of the ruling Communist Party Xi Jinping, China has rejected any notion that its response is political in nature. Xi has demanded social stability above all else in the runup to a key party congress later this year at which he is expected to bestow on himself an unprecedented third-term as party leader.

The English-language China Daily acknowledged that Shanghai's measures are far from perfect," and pointed to the firing last week of three local officials for failing in their duties. But it said that shouldn't become an excuse to politicize the event and blame China.

Zhao issued a further defense of China's virus controls on Monday, saying they have proven to be effective and in line with its national conditions and needs, and have made an important contribution to the global fight against the epidemic."

Shanghai has brought in thousands of additional health workers from other cities, provinces and the military. Despite the large number of cases, no new deaths have been reported in the Shanghai wave, possibly because the omicron variant is less deadly than older variants.

City authorities also say they have secured daily supplies for residents, following complaints about deliveries of food and other necessities.

Residents have resorted to group buying of groceries because they are not allowed to leave their buildings, with only partial success in obtaining needed items.

Officials say they will begin relaxing restrictions beginning with areas where no new infections have been detected for two weeks. Residents will be allowed to move around their districts while remaining socially distanced.

A second category will be allowed to move around their neighborhoods, while others will remain isolated in their homes.

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Chinese club Shanghai Port has been forced by the citys COVID-19 lockdown to withdraw from the Asian Champions League, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said Monday.

Due to travel restrictions in the city, Port was unable to make the trip to Thailand for six Group J games.

Its first game was scheduled on Saturday against Vissel Kobe of Japan.

The AFC acknowledged the travel restrictions faced by Shanghai Port FC as a result of the recent lockdown measures enforced in Shanghai, the AFC said in a statement.

The capital, Beijing, has seen relatively few restrictions, although the Erjiefang neighborhood including the famed 798 art district has been cordoned off and classified as high risk after eight infections were reported there over the past two weeks.

China is facing one of its worst local outbreaks since the pandemic began. China is still mostly closed to international travel, even as most of the world has sought ways to live with the virus.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  CVS Pharmacy has reached a settlement with federal prosecutors that will ensure the company's online vaccination scheduling portal remains fully accessible to people with disabilities, officials said Monday.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  CVS Pharmacy has reached a settlement with federal prosecutors that will ensure the company's online vaccination scheduling portal remains fully accessible to people with disabilities, officials said Monday.

The U.S. attorney's office in Rhode Island alleged the company, which operates nearly 10,000 retail pharmacies nationwide, was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act because the portal was not accessible to people who use screen reader software designed for the visually impaired, and to those who have difficulty using a mouse.

For example, a federal investigation found that the types of vaccine appointments offered, including COVID-19, influenza and pneumonia, were not read to screen reader users, prosecutors said.

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Also, on the page where users can schedule an appointment time, screen reader users were told that all available times were checked, even though the user had not made a selection, prosecutors said.

Additionally, people who used the tab key instead of a mouse to navigate websites were not able to navigate past a request for insurance information, prosecutors said.

While web accessibility is always important, when it comes to critical health services like COVID-19 vaccination, making sure that everyone  regardless of disability  can access information and care is essential, U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island Zachary Cunha said in a statement. This office is committed to vigorously enforcing the ADA to eliminate unnecessary barriers that stand in the way of lifesaving care.

There was no admission of wrongdoing by CVS in the agreement.

Woonsocket-based CVS Pharmacy, a division of CVS Health, has agreed to make sure that its vaccination scheduling portal complies with industry guidelines for making online information accessible to users with disabilities, and to regularly test the website and quickly fix any problems that arise.

Were committed to supporting the health of our communities, which includes making COVID-19 vaccinations accessible for all eligible patients," CVS Pharmacy said in a statement. Our digital scheduling tool is frequently updated and enhanced to provide an equitable and optimal experience for users and we strive to ensure that it continues to provide a seamless experience for people with disabilities and to address any accessibility issues that may arise."
NEW DELHI (AP)  India began offering booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine to all adults on Sunday but limited free shots at government centers to front-line workers and people over age 60.

Indian Christians wearing masks as a precaution against COVID-19 gather for prayers as they observe Palm Sunday in Kochi, Kerala state, India, Sunday, April 10, 2022. The South Asian country has recorded a steep dip in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, with the health ministry reporting approximately 1,100 cases on Friday. (AP Photo/R S Iyer)

NEW DELHI (AP)  India began offering booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine to all adults on Sunday but limited free shots at government centers to front-line workers and people over age 60.

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The doses, which India is calling a precautionary shot instead of a booster, are available to people nine months after they receive their second jab, the Health Ministry said in a statement Friday. Those outside the two priority categories will need to pay for the shots at privately run facilities, the ministry said.

Unlike other countries, where many people receive a different vaccine as a booster, most Indians have received the same type  in most cases the AstraZeneca vaccine produced by Indias Serum Institute, the worlds largest vaccine maker. It accounts for nearly 90% of all doses that have been administered in India, even though emergency approvals have been given for eight vaccines.

On Saturday, the Serum Institute of India said it has cut the price of its AstraZeneca vaccine from $7.90 a dose to $2.96 for private hospitals.

India has so far vaccinated about 96% of those aged 15 years and older with at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, while about 83% have received both shots, according to official data.

Indias booster program started in January when healthcare and front-line workers along with people over age 60 with health problems were allowed to receive shots.

India has recorded a steep decline in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, with the Health Ministry reporting 1,054 cases in the latest 24 hours.
TORONTO - Intact Financial Corp. estimates its catastrophe losses for the first quarter totalled about $183 million on a pre-tax basis, due in large part to three windstorms in February that affected its business in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

TORONTO - Intact Financial Corp. estimates its catastrophe losses for the first quarter totalled about $183 million on a pre-tax basis, due in large part to three windstorms in February that affected its business in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The property and casualty insurer says the loss amounted to 81 cents per share after tax.

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Charles Brindamour, Chief Executive Officer of Intact Financial Corp., is shown in Montreal on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Intact Financial Corp. estimates its catastrophe losses for the first quarter totalled about $183 million on a pre-tax basis, due in large part to three windstorms in February that affected its business in the United Kingdom and Ireland.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Intact says about 60 per cent of the catastrophe losses were in its United Kingdom and Ireland segment.

The remaining losses were in its Canadian business, approximately three quarters of which were attributable to personal property.

The company says nearly 80 per cent of the catastrophe losses were weather related.

Intact is expected to hold a conference call with financial analysts to discuss its first-quarter results on May 11.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April, 11 2022.

Companies in this story: (TSX:IFC)
MILAN (AP)  Italian Premier Mario Draghi secured a deal Monday for more natural gas imports across a Mediterranean pipeline from Algeria, marking the latest push by a European Union nation to reduce dependence on Russian energy following its invasion of Ukraine.

Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi listens reporters' questions during a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, at Rome's Palazzo Chigi government's office, Thursday April 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, pool)

MILAN (AP)  Italian Premier Mario Draghi secured a deal Monday for more natural gas imports across a Mediterranean pipeline from Algeria, marking the latest push by a European Union nation to reduce dependence on Russian energy following its invasion of Ukraine.

After meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Draghi told reporters in the Algerian capital of Algiers that an agreement to intensify bilateral cooperation in the energy sector along with the deal to export more gas to Italy are a significant response to the strategic goal" of quickly replacing Russian energy.

"Others will follow,'' Draghi said.

Russia is Italys biggest supplier of natural gas, representing 40% of total imports, followed by Algeria, which provides some 21 billion cubic meters of gas via the Trans-Mediterranean pipeline.

The new deal between Italian energy company Eni and Algeria's Sonatrach would add up to 9 billion cubic meters of gas from Algeria by 2023-24, just eclipsing Russias current 29 billion cubic meters a year. The increased flows will start in the fall, Eni said in a statement.

Europe is trying to cut its reliance on Russian natural gas imports quickly, with leaders recognizing that their payments help fund Moscow's war. At the same time, there is concern Russia might turn off the taps in reprisal for sanctions, a threat that would have devastating effects on the European economy. Natural gas is used to generate electricity, heat and cool homes, and power industry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already sought to have gas payments be made in rubles, in an apparent bid shore up the currency. A loophole allows countries to pay a designated Russian bank in dollars and euros as set out in contracts.

The tiny Baltic state of Lithuania, a former Soviet republic, recently cut itself off entirely from Russian gas imports, the first of the European Unions 27 nations using Russian gas to break its energy dependence on Moscow.

Lithuania has been planning that move for years, and the task is more difficult for economic powers like Germany and Italy, which have gotten most of their natural gas from Russia.

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The EU plans to reduce Russian gas imports by two-thirds by the end of the year and eliminate them before 2030 through steps like conservation, wind and solar development, and alternative sources. The 27-nation bloc has reached a deal with the United States to receive more boatloads of liquefied natural gas, or LNG.

Germany, which gets about 40% of its gas from Russia, has announced plans to quickly build two LNG terminals and reached an agreement with Qatar for LNG supplies. Poland is expanding an LNG terminal to receive deliveries from Qatar, the U.S., Norway and others. It has been reducing dependence on Russian oil through contracts with Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and Norway.

Germany and Italy also are pushing for more renewable energy.

The deal between Italy and Algeria is the first concrete result of missions by Italys foreign minister to energy-producing nations to secure alternate sources, also including Azerbaijan, Qatar, Congo, Angola and Mozambique.

Draghi is traveling with Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, the energy transition minister, Roberto Cingolani, and the CEO of Italian energy company Eni, Claudio Descalzi.

Eni announced a significant oil and gas discovery in Algeria last month and said it would work with Algerian partner Sonatrach to fast-track its development for the third quarter of this year. Eni has operated in Algeria for more than 40 years.
Workers at a Metro distribution centre in Ontario have voted in favour of a new deal while workers at a Sobeys warehouse in Quebec have rejected the grocer's latest offer.

A Metro store is seen Monday, April 15, 2019 in Ste-Therese, Que., north of Montreal. Workers at a Metro distribution centre in Ontario have voted in favour of a new deal while workers at a Sobeys warehouse in Quebec have rejected the grocer's latest offer. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Workers at a Metro distribution centre in Ontario have voted in favour of a new deal while workers at a Sobeys warehouse in Quebec have rejected the grocer's latest offer.

More than 900 workers at Metro Inc.'s Toronto-area distribution centre ratified a new four-and-a-half-year collective agreement Friday, ending a one-week strike.

Unifor said Metro warehouse workers in Etobicoke will receive an average wage increase of 15.8 per cent over the lifetime of the new deal.

The union said the new collective agreement also includes higher shift premiums for freezer work, a shortened wage progression to reach the top rate, improvements to pensions and benefits and no concessions.

"This collective agreement achieves the best maximum pay rate and fastest progression in the industry," Unifor Ontario regional director Naureen Rizvi said in a statement.

"There is no doubt that it will raise the bar for warehouse workers across Ontario."

Carmen Fortino, executive vice-president and division head for Metro in Ontario, said in a statement the company and the union reached a "fair and reasonable" deal that maintains competitive working conditions for employees.

Meanwhile, 190 workers at a Sobeys distribution centre in Terrebonne, Que., remain on strike after turning down the grocer's latest offer.

Kim Bergeron, a lawyer representing UFCW Canadas Local 501, said workers rejected a tentative agreement Friday with 69 per cent voting against a proposed new deal.

Pay and benefits remain the key sticking point, she said.

Sobeys spokeswoman Claudine Leblanc said the company was "surprised and disappointed" that workers rejected the tentative agreement recommended by the bargaining committee.

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"Our teammates in Terrebonne have one of the most comprehensive and competitive agreements in Quebec," she said.

Workers are currently paid wages of up to $30 an hour, and the proposed deal included salary increases on top of the that, Leblanc said in an email.

"We will continue to negotiate with the union representatives so we can reach a deal very soon," she said.

Sobeys has contingency plans in place to ensure customers continue to receive the same service and products at IGA stores across the province, Leblanc added.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2022.

Companies in this story: (TSX:EMP.A, TSX:MRU)
AVENEL, N.J. (AP)  The familiar sights and sounds are still there: the scuffed and faded floor tiles, the relentless beige-on-beige color scheme, the toddlers' clothes and refrigerators and pretty much everything in between.

While many shelves are empty, furniture and fixtures are on still on sale at the Kmart in Avenel, N.J., Monday, April 4, 2022. When the Kmart in Avenel closes its doors on April 16, it will leave only three remaining U.S. locations for the former retail powerhouse. It's a far cry from the chain's heyday in the 1980s and 90s when it had more than 2,000 stores and sold product lines endorsed by Martha Stewart and former Charlie's Angel Jaclyn Smith. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

AVENEL, N.J. (AP)  The familiar sights and sounds are still there: the scuffed and faded floor tiles, the relentless beige-on-beige color scheme, the toddlers' clothes and refrigerators and pretty much everything in between.

Theres even a canned recording that begins, "Attention, Kmart shoppers"  except its to remind folks about COVID-19 precautions, not to alert them to a flash sale over in ladies lingerie like days of old.

Many of the shelves are bare, though, at the Kmart in Avenel, New Jersey, picked over by bargain hunters as the store prepares to close its doors for good April 16.

Once it shutters, the number of Kmarts in the U.S.  once well over 2,000  will be down to three in the continental U.S. and a handful of stores elsewhere, according to multiple reports, in a retail world now dominated by Walmart, Target and Amazon.

The demise of the the store in the middle-class suburb, 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of New York City, is the tale of the death of the discount department store writ small.

A large Kmart sign is displayed in front of a shopping plaza in Avenel, N.J., Monday, April 4, 2022. When the Kmart in Avenel closes its doors on April 16, it will leave only three remaining U.S. locations for the former retail powerhouse. It's a far cry from the chain's heyday in the 1980s and 90s when it had more than 2,000 stores and sold product lines endorsed by Martha Stewart and former Charlie's Angel Jaclyn Smith. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

"Youre always thinking about it because stores are closing all over, but its still sad," said cashier Michelle Yavorsky, who said she has worked at the Avenel store for 2 1/2 years. "Ill miss the place. A lot of people shopped here."

In its heyday, Kmart sold product lines endorsed by celebrities Martha Stewart and Jaclyn Smith, sponsored NASCAR auto races and was mentioned in movies including "Rain Man" and "Beetlejuice." It was name-dropped in songs by artists from Eminem to the Beastie Boys to Hall & Oates; in 2003, Eminem bought a 29-room, suburban Detroit mansion once owned by former Kmart chairman Chuck Conaway.

The chain cemented a place in American culture with its Blue Light Specials, a flashing blue orb affixed to a pole that would beckon shoppers to a flash sale in progress. Part of its success was due to its early adoption of layaway programs, which allowed customers who lacked credit to reserve items and pay for them in installments.

For a time, Kmart had a little bit of everything: You could shop for your kids back-to-school supplies, get your car tuned up and grab a meal without leaving the premises.

"Kmart was part of America," said Michael Lisicky, a Baltimore-based author who has written several books on U.S. retail history. "Everybody went to Kmart, whether you liked it or not. They had everything. You had toys. You had sporting goods. You had candy. You had stationery. It was something for everybody. This was almost as much of a social visit as it was a shopping visit. You could spend hours here. And these just dotted the American landscape over the years."

Kmarts decline has been slow but steady, brought about by years of falling sales, changes in shopping habits and the looming shadow of Walmart, which coincidentally began its life within months of Kmarts founding in 1962.

People shop the half-empty shelves of the Kmart in Avenel, N.J., Monday, April 4, 2022. When the Kmart in Avenel closes its doors on April 16, it will leave only three remaining U.S. locations for the former retail powerhouse. It's a far cry from the chain's heyday in the 1980s and 90s when it had more than 2,000 stores and sold product lines endorsed by Martha Stewart and former Charlie's Angel Jaclyn Smith. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Struggling to compete with Walmarts low prices and Targets trendier offerings, Kmart filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early 2002  becoming the largest U.S. retailer to take that step  and announced it would close more than 250 stores.

A few years later, hedge fund executive Edward Lampert combined Sears and Kmart and pledged to return them to their former greatness, but the recession and the rising dominance of Amazon contributed in derailing those goals. Sears filed for Chapter 11 in 2018 and currently has a handful of stores left in the U.S. where it once had thousands.

Kmarts continue to operate in Westwood, New Jersey; Bridgehampton, on New Yorks Long Island, and Miami.

It didnt have to end this way, according to Mark Cohen, director of retail studies at Columbia University in New York and former CEO of Sears Canada. Trying to compete with Walmart on price was a foolish strategy, he said, and Lampert was criticized for not having a retail background and appearing more interested in stripping off the assets of the two chains for their cash value.

"Its a study in greed, avarice and incompetence," Cohen said. "Sears should have never gone away; Kmart was in worse shape, but not fatally so. And now theyre both gone.

"Retailers fall by the wayside sometimes because theyre selling things people dont want to buy," he continued. "In the case of Kmart, everything they used to sell, people are buying but theyre buying it from Walmart and Target."

Transformco, which owns Kmart and Sears, did not respond to an email seeking comment and a phone number listed for the company was not taking messages.

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Nationwide, some former Kmarts remain vacant while others have been replaced by other big-box stores, fitness centers, self-storage facilities, even churches. One former site in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is now a popular dine-in movie theater.

Employees at the Kmart in Avenel found out last month that the store would close.

Unlike 20 years ago, when news of impending Kmart closures around the country prompted an outpouring of support from loyal shoppers and a Detroit radio station even mounted a campaign to try and save a local store, the closing of the Avenel location was met mostly with an air of resignation.

"Its maybe a little nostalgic because Ive lived my whole life in this area, but its just another retail store closing," said Jim Schaber, a resident of nearby Iselin who said his brother worked in the shoe department at Kmart for years. "Its just another sign of people doing online shopping and not going out to the retail stores."

The closing packed a little more of an emotional punch for Mike Jerdonek, a truck driver who recalled shopping at Kmart in Brooklyn and Queens in his younger days.

"Its like history passing right in front of our eyes," he said as he sat in his car outside the Avenel store. "When I was younger I didnt have any money, so it was a good place to shop because the prices were cheap. And to see it gone right now, its kind of sad."
OTTAWA - Canada's foreign minister told Indonesian leaders on Monday that Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister do not belong at the G20 summit in the southeast Asian country later this year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 7, 2022. Canada is targeting Russia's defence industry with its latest round of sanctions over Moscow's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Kremlin Pool Photo, Sputnik - Mikhail Klimentyev

OTTAWA - Canada's foreign minister told Indonesian leaders on Monday that Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister do not belong at the G20 summit in the southeast Asian country later this year.

But Melanie Joly said Canada committed to helping Indonesia salvage the summit that it will be chairing as the G20 rotating president. The gathering was meant to be a major discussion on repairing a global economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic before a major European war caused even more economic damage.

"Indonesia is in a difficult position, because clearly, the question of Russia's invasion of Ukraine hijacked their agenda for the G20. So, we want to make sure that we find a constructive solution for Indonesia," Joly said in an exclusive interview from Jakarta on Monday.

Joly was speaking after meeting Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi earlier Monday and after Canada targeted Russia's defence industry with its latest round of sanctions over Moscow's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. Joly said the new measures impose restrictions on 33 entities in the Russian defence sector.

Joly said she will not share a meeting table with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, just as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently said the same went for him with any future interaction with Putin.

U.S. President Joe Biden has said Russia should be expelled from the 20-country alliance, but if Indonesia or other nations disagree, then Ukraine should be allowed to participate in the summit.

The G20 is a larger version of the G7 that includes non-democratic countries including Russia, China and Saudi Arabia and other large economies such as India and Brazil. All of those countries have not criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The G20 is the world's main multilateral forum for dealing with the global economy. Trudeau has said that Putin does not belong at the G20 table because his invasion is responsible for damaging the global economy.

Joly did not specify what sort of compromise could be found to make Indonesia's life easier as this year's G20 president, as she loudly echoed Trudeau's criticism of Russia participating in the alliance.

"The G20 is about economic growth. And we want to do everything in our power to make sure that there's absolutely no economic growth for Russia," she said.

"My goal is to make sure that I am not sitting at the same table as Lavrov, nor the prime minister (with Putin)."

Joly said Monday's new sanctions targeted the organizations that have provided support to the Russian military  directly or indirectly  and are therefore complicit in the pain and suffering stemming from Putin's unjustifiable war in Ukraine.

The measures usher in asset freezes and prohibitions on listed entities including the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Integral SPB and Shipyard Vympel JSC.

Following Russia's attack that began Feb. 24, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 700 individuals and entities from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, Canada has levied sanctions on more than 1,100 individuals and entities.

On Monday, Russia claimed it had destroyed several Ukrainian air defence systems in an attempt to gain air superiority and mount a renewed push on the country's eastern region.

The mayor of Mariupol, a key southern port that has been under attack and surrounded for well over a month, said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians had been killed in the Russian siege and that the death toll could surpass 20,000 once all the bodies have been counted.

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Joly said it was "fundamental" that Ukraine receive more weapons from its Western allies, including more air-defence capability to "not only win the war but to protect life."

"Our goal is to announce sanctions every week and to co-ordinate with allies," she added. "There will be more sanctions, so this is not the end of it. We need to make sure that we stop Putin's war machine and that's exactly why we're targeting the defence sector."

In a weekend video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy argued that Russia's aggression "was not intended to be limited to Ukraine alone." The "entire European project is a target," he said.

"That is why it is not just the moral duty of all democracies, all the forces of Europe, to support Ukraine's desire for peace," Zelenskyy said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2022.

 With files from The Associated Press.
Ottawa has earmarked $8.5 million in the budget to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to develop a regulatory regime on digital giants' reuse of online news.

A person navigates to the on-line social-media pages of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on a cell phone in Ottawa on Monday, May 17, 2021. Ottawa is giving $8.5 million to The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to develop a regulatory regime covering the re-use of journalism by digital giants. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Ottawa has earmarked $8.5 million in the budget to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to develop a regulatory regime on digital giants' reuse of online news.

But experts are questioning whether the CRTC has the expertise for the task and whether it's already overstretched.

"Never has a Canadian government entrusted the CRTC with this much responsibility at a time when it is so lacking in public confidence and expertise," said Michael Geist, the University of Ottawa's Canada Research Chair in internet and e-commerce law.

Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez last week introduced a bill to support Canada's independent media modelled on an Australian law.

The online news bill, known as Bill C-18, would force tech companies such as Google and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, to compensate Canadian news organizations for reusing their work on their platforms.

Digital platforms that fail to comply with the new law could face penalties of up to $15 million per day for repeated non-compliance.

The companies will have six months to negotiate private deals to compensate Canadian media outlets for reusing their news content or be forced to reach an agreement, if the federal bill becomes law.

The CRTC will monitor for non-compliance by online platforms and ensure that the independence of news outlets is not undermined by the deals.

Peter Menzies, a former vice-chair of the CRTC, said it was "ridiculous" to choose it as the regulator for the online news bill.

"The CRTC has absolutely zero history in publishing or in user-generated content business models, which makes it the absolutely wrong organization to be involved in oversight," he said.

The regulator is already facing a big expansion of its role with the government's parallel online streaming bill which extends broadcasting laws to platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime so they too support and promote Canadian content.

In Bill C-11, Rodriguez has asked the CRTC to regulate streaming services and video-sharing platforms including YouTube, Spotify, Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+.

A CRTC spokesman said it would be working with the Treasury Board, which oversees government spending, to get funds needed to fulfil its new duties.

"If adopted by Parliament, Bills C-11 and C-18 will bring increased responsibilities to the CRTC," said Eric Rancourt.

"In regards specifically to Bill C-18, the CRTC has a strong track record of implementing effective policies and adapting its approaches over time to the evolving market for news in both TV and radio, and with alternative dispute resolution under both the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Acts."

Laura Scaffidi, press secretary to Rodriguez, said the CRTC "has served Canadians for over 50 years."

Beyond potential arbitration, the CRTCs role in administering this legislation is fairly light-touch and based on clear criteria in the bill," she said.

"The CRTC will help ensure the process is transparent and meets the public interest as set out in section four of the act: enhance fairness in the Canadian digital news marketplace and contribute to its sustainability, including independent, local news," she said.

She said the $8.5 million in the budget would help the CRTC "to administer this legislation quickly and to build capacity where needed."

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After the act comes into force, online platforms would have to cover any costs associated with administrating arbitration.

The online news bill was welcomed by the Canadian news industry, which has seen 451 outlets close their doors since 2008. Meanwhile, billions of advertising dollars have migrated from traditional news sources to tech platforms.

But experts predict platforms such as Meta and Google will fiercely resist putting a price tag on news links.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2022.



Meta funds a fellowship that supports journalism positions at The Canadian Press.
Partygoers will get a glimpse of the upcoming much-anticipated Nyege Nyege Fest set for later this year

There's nothing that beats an Easter break party like an epic beach getaway organized by event powerhouse, Talent Africa in partnership with Tusker Lite.

This Easter period, all roads lead to Nature's Green Beach Resort, Busabala, where partygoers and thrill seekers will be treated to a night of the outdoors, great music and lakeshore views at the exhilarating mini-outdoor festival dubbed the "Full Moon Experience."

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Partygoers will get a glimpse of the upcoming much-anticipated Nyege Nyege Fest set for later this year in September as they revel to the sounds and sights of what will be the party of the month.

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The beach festival that is slated to take place on April 16 is expected to have two stages of nonstop tropical disco music, afrobeats, electronic music, performances, fire dancers, and a night of endless partying on the wild side.

"We could not be more excited! Not only have we collaborated with the best of the best in the events business, but Tusker Lite will be there to bring you a fun rollercoaster party experience like never before," says Elizabeth Mutamuliza, Tusker Lite Brand Manager.

There will be a massive line up featuring local and international DJs and acts like Raindrops, Afrorack, Soul Tribe, Melodic Inversions, Hola Jefe, Siyan and so much more.

Tickets to the Full Moon Experience are being sold on the Talent Africa group app and are already in circulation with the early bird tickets going for Shs30,000 before April 14th. Gate tickets will be at Shs40,000 and a VIP Experience going for Shs400,000, which includes a foods and drinks package.

The Full Moon parties are an all-night beach party with origins from Thailand that date back to 1985. The party usually takes place on the night of, before, or after every full moon.
HALIFAX - Convinced there was a killer outside the firehall where he worked, Nova Scotia firefighter Darrell Currie recalled Monday how he was overcome by a deep sense of dread as he hid behind a stack of metal chairs with two other men.

Greg Muise, Onslow fire chief, Darrell Currie, deputy chief and Portapique resident Richard Ellison, left to right, arrive to take questions about the incident at the Onslow Belmont Fire Brigade Hall at the Mass Casualty Commission inquiry into the mass murders in rural Nova Scotia on April 18/19, 2020, in Halifax on Monday, April 11, 2022. RCMP officers shot at the building believing Gabriel Wortman, responsible for the murder rampage, was located there. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

HALIFAX - Convinced there was a killer outside the firehall where he worked, Nova Scotia firefighter Darrell Currie recalled Monday how he was overcome by a deep sense of dread as he hid behind a stack of metal chairs with two other men.

"I remember thinking, 'How am I going to die?'" the deputy fire chief told a federal-provincial inquiry investigating the mass shooting in Nova Scotia that claimed 22 lives in April 2020.

"Am I going to bleed out on the floor? Are they going to shoot through the wall? It was pretty horrific."

Curries dramatic testimony related to events on the morning April 19, 2020, when the RCMP were still searching for the suspect, who had fatally shot 13 people the night before in Portapique, N.S., and would kill another nine people that day.

At the time, the firehall in Onslow, N.S., had been designated as a comfort centre for people evacuated from Portapique.

The inquiry has heard that Currie was in the building with fire Chief Greg Muise and evacuee Richard Ellison at 10:17 a.m. when they heard gunfire outside. Seconds later emergency management co-ordinator David Westlake ran inside yelling, "Shots fired! Shots fired! Get down!"

Muise and Currie said they assumed the killer had fired the shots, which prompted them to hustle into a back room. "We had no idea what was going on outside," Muise told the inquiry. "It happened so fast and everything was chaos."

Within minutes of the shooting, Currie described hearing someone banging repeatedly on an outside door next to where they were hiding.

"That few seconds with the banging on the door, they were the worst seconds of my life," said Currie, a firefighter with 25 years of experience.

As for Ellison, his reaction to the high-stress event was matter-of-fact: "I just followed orders to get down."

The inquiry heard that Ellison was already in a state of shock that morning. He was worried that one of his sons, Corrie, had been killed in Portapique, which later turned out to be true.

As for the firefighters, both confirmed it was about an hour before they learned the bullets that hit the building had been fired by two RCMP officers who mistook Westlake for the killer.

"We had no reason to believe that RCMP had opened fire on a local fire station," Currie said. "That never crossed our minds. We were terrified."

Muise said that having to wait 57 minutes to learn what had happened was torture. "We were like hostages," he said.

One of the RCMP officers, Const. Dave Melanson, entered the building to confirm with Westlake that no one had been injured, but neither of the officers checked on anyone else in the building, the inquiry heard.

As well, Muise and Currie said that had they known more about what was going on with the search for the killer, they would have recommended against opening the firehall to evacuees.

"The fact was that the perpetrator was not contained," Currie said. "There was a threat that we were never made aware of  If we had had more information prior to 8 a.m., that might have made a difference."

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It would be another 11 months before senior RCMP staff showed up at the firehall to talk about what happened, Muise said.

"I don't think the RCMP wanted anything to do with the firehall," he told the inquiry. "They were shoving us under the table and hoping this would go away. I dont think they realize what they put us through."

The firefighters told the inquiry that the close call was so terrifying that both have required medications and counselling to cope. "It took a part of my life from me," said Muise. "I fight with it every day."

Currie said he has attended workshops for those dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. I couldnt function and I couldnt focus, he said. Fortunately, I didnt lose my life that day. But I lost the life I had.

When asked about how the incident had affected him, Ellison responded by thanking the firefighters for keeping him safe. "At least there's some humanity out there," he said, adding that his religious faith has helped him cope with the loss of his son.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2022.
Have you ever seen a Winnipeg Waldo around the city?

Opinion

Have you ever seen a Winnipeg Waldo around the city?

The art pieces have been popping up all around the city, mostly in the warmer months, since 2017. They are always some variation of Waldo, the main character in the series of childrens puzzle books created by English illustrator Martin Handford.

The beauty of the local art is you never know where youll see a new Waldo  on a hydro pole, the back of a sign, on a building or fence  or how long it will be there.

Its a little local treasure and a little burst of beauty for all to enjoy.

The images are created on a piece of board using a stencil, transparent film and spray paint and they often depict the character in unique and varying ways. Theres the standard Waldo, of course, but the artist has used different styles and different themes for his work.

Speaking of the artist, hes a local fella who, like world-famous U.K.-based artist Banksy, works under a shroud of anonymity. He is known on social media as Winnipeg Waldo, but no other evidence of his identity exists on his social-media feeds. And thats the way he likes it.

The anonymous Winnipeg-based artist recently launched an online fundraiser to help raise money for Ukraine relief efforts.

He felt compelled to do something because he was horrified when Russia invaded Ukraine. As with so many Manitobans, this war hit close to home for him. He has Ukrainian roots through his grandfather, as well as friends and family who live in the war-torn country.

"Ive been trying my best to reach out to people from Ukraine, to figure out the best way to help" he said in a telephone conversation last week.

"The craziest part is that a month and a half ago, all these people (from Ukraine) were just living their lives. Everything was normal," he said. "This was such a fast shift."

On March 14, he posted a picture of his signature stenciled Winnipeg Waldo in the colours of the Ukrainian flag on his Instagram account (@winnipegwaldo).

The caption reads:

"Show some love to Ukraine.

"I typically take a step away from social media over the winter to work on new projects and set aside time in the year to create artwork for enjoyment and to support mental health.

"However, I am emerging from my hole a bit early this year to do a fundraiser. I will be creating a number of these smaller Ukraine-themed Waldos available for $25. The entire $25 will be going to the Red Cross and their humanitarian effort for the people of Ukraine. The federal government is currently matching all Red Cross donations, so by purchasing one of these Waldos thats $50 that will be going toward the humanitarian aid.

"If you are interested please DM me your name and mailing address.

"Thanks for standing with Ukraine."

The artist said hes already received orders for more than 20 Waldos that have been painted on ceramic tiles, raising around $1,200 so far. The process of making these art pieces has been a bit tedious because of the freezing, wet weather  each has five or six layers of spray paint. The drying time for this medium is only a few minutes for each layer in the summer, but it can take a few hours for each layer to dry in cold, wet, weather.

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The artist says hes just happy to be able to help in some small way.

"In some ways, its just a drop in the bucket, but its also really inspiring to see so many people doing what they can to help," he said, referring to various fundraisers and acts of giving hes seen others show for the people of Ukraine since the war started.

Hes still game to make more art pieces if people want to buy them. All of the proceeds will be donated toward humanitarian aid.

"For as many people who want to take them, Ill make them," he said.

shelley.cook@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @ShelleyACook
Southern Manitoba can expect significant snowfall beginning late Tuesday night, but just how much shovelling will be required and what effect the storm has on spring flooding remains to be seen.

Southern Manitoba can expect significant snowfall beginning late Tuesday night, but just how much shovelling will be required and what effect the storm has on spring flooding remains to be seen.

Provincial flood forecasters warned on Saturday of significant precipitation expected in central and southern Manitoba and the U.S. portions of Manitoba basins between Tuesday and Friday. The provinces flood bulletin noted an expectation of 30 to 80 centimetres of snow.

This weeks snowstorm has the potential to be on par with 1997s, which triggered the flood of the century. (Wayne Glowacki / Winnipeg Free Press files)

On Sunday, forecast models were aligning to form a clearer picture of the significant weather that is on the way.

"This will probably be the biggest spring storm in a quarter-century," Brad Vrolijk, lead forecaster with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said.

In 1997, a storm on April 5 dumped 48 cm of snow on Winnipeg. The ensuing melt prompted one the provinces largest recorded spring flood events  what became known as the Flood of the Century.

Storm conditions are forecast to develop late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning as a Colorado low brings snow and strong winds to the region.

Vrolijk said 10 to 40 cm of snow is expected across southern Manitoba. The lowest snowfall amounts are expected near the Saskatchewan border, while the highest snowfall amounts are expected to drop on southeastern Manitoba.

Some pockets of the province might receive more, Vrolijk added, with 50 to 70 cm of precipitation possible.

Winnipeggers should expect 25 to 40 cm, he said.

Flood forecasters advised on Saturday that the Red River has crested at St. Adolphe. Flood warnings remain in effect between St. Jean Baptiste and Morris, at St. Adolphe and around Selkirk because of ice jams.

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Earlier this spring, flood forecasters downgraded the provinces flood risk because of average precipitation and a slow spring melt. Though significant snowfall appears assured this week, temperatures in the days after appear likely to support a continued slow melt.

While Vrolijk left flood forecast speculation to the provinces hydrologic forecast centre, he noted a quick rise in temperatures is not expected.

In a weather advisory issued Sunday, Environment Canada said freezing temperatures are projected until April 19 and that runoff is not anticipated before April 20.

Strong winds in the coming days are expected to create blizzard conditions. Blowing snow is likely on Wednesday night through Thursday, before conditions improve on Friday. Poor visibility is expected to create treacherous road conditions.

"Travel may become impossible. Anybody who needs to travel should be checking travel conditions," Vrolijk said.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca
Dude, theres my car.

A Charleswood man out for a drive one Saturday evening in February discovered his own second vehicle, which had been stolen months before, abandoned in Polo Park shopping centres lot.

Then, he took it home.

"Its a crazy story," DArcy Mykietowich told the Free Press. "I found my own vehicle legitimately and saved taxpayers 20 grand (in insurance payout costs)."

Mykietowich, a 56-year-old vice-president of sales and business development for a Canadian software firm, powered up his push-start 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe with a key fob the cold morning of Nov. 30, leaving it to idle in his driveway. When he returned 10 minutes later, his wheels were nowhere to be found.

He quickly reported the SUV stolen to police and Manitoba Public Insurance but found their sleuthing wanting.

"It was kind of an eye-opener in how MPI and the police dont really do too much in (terms of auto theft) investigation," Mykietowich said. "In the end, someones not really doing their duty."

He kept an eye out for his Santa Fe.

"Lo and behold, about 8:30 at night on (Feb. 18), Im driving past Polo Park, and out of the side of my peripheral vision I noticed a vehicle  theres very few at that time of night in the Polo Park parking lot. I go investigate further and sure enough, there it is," he said.

"My first response is get home, grab a fob  because I still have both of them  and go take the car and drive it home. And thats what I did."

He noted the vehicle only had minor damage to a side mirror and licence plate, and a small crack in the front bumper. It had a nearly full tank of fuel, as it did when it was stolen.

The Sante Fe is waiting for repairs at the dealership while Mykietowich works with the provinces public insurer to get a fair deal.

Hes convinced the vehicle must have been left there for months, because the particular, push-start ignition is supposed to only work with the correct key fob in hand.

Mykietowich said he spoke with the head of the malls security team, who he claims assured him guards log licence plates and regularly report them to police.

A Friday morning request for comment about the security teams protocols sent to the malls general and security managers was passed on to the shopping centres parent company, which didnt provide a response by end of day.

Winnipeg Police Service spokeswoman Dani McKinnon said mall security noted Mykietowichs Hyundai had been moved "numerous times" to "various locations in the parkade" over the months it was missing.

"A vehicle may not be deemed suspiciously parked as it could belong to an employee, or (people) will sometimes leave a vehicle overnight while being patrons of nearby restaurants and taverns," she said in an email.

In this case, security didnt give police a licence plate number for verification.

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In general, McKinnon said: "When a vehicle is stolen and reported by the owner to police, the licence plate, description and owner name is put on a Canadian-wide police network. When police run a plate that is suspected of being stolen, it will be flagged as stolen on the network."

In a case where a vehicle is stolen and immediately reported to police, such as when an idling vehicle is taken from a driveway, police will broadcast the theft to units in the area.

Mykietowich said police werent pleased he drove the stolen car home because he contaminated evidence, and ended up closing the report.

McKinnon said its a personal decision, but the police service would recommend people to call the WPS first if they happen to find their stolen vehicle.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera
MEDYKA, Poland  The shopping cart rattles as Art Ballard pushes it through a squashed parking lot, past a warren of small shops advertising meat and candy. Past the spot where buses pause every few minutes to pick up or drop off dozens of riders, who arrive dragging suitcases stuffed with everything theyd taken with them, when they first fled Ukraine.

MEDYKA, Poland  The shopping cart rattles as Art Ballard pushes it through a squashed parking lot, past a warren of small shops advertising meat and candy. Past the spot where buses pause every few minutes to pick up or drop off dozens of riders, who arrive dragging suitcases stuffed with everything theyd taken with them, when they first fled Ukraine.

"You want to see the border?" he says. "Come with us. Thats where were going."

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Aid tents line the walkway to the Medyka border crossing.

By now, the flood of human beings that swept through this spot in the first weeks of the war has slowed. On a narrow brick vein that winds the last 200 metres to the border, lined by a patchwork of aid tents thrown up by a dizzying number of non-governmental organizations, nearly as many people are now walking east, into Ukraine, as west into Poland.

Still, the foot path is bustling. Volunteers in yellow vests mill about in front of tents, offering everything from French fries to fruit. There is a tent handing out dog food and animal carriers; a tent run by a small Scottish charity, dishing out soup; tents where refugees can pick up bars of soap, charge their phones, or try on any of a few dozen winter coats.

Each such tent bears a sign, in Ukrainian, explaining that its goods are bezkoshtovno  theyre free.

Ballard threads the rickety shopping cart through this tangle of people at a steady, plodding pace. The cart is piled with an eclectic mix of items: juice boxes, jarred olives, bottles of water. Hell walk it through customs and drop it on the Ukrainian side of the border; someone there will drive it 80 km to Lviv, where warehouses fill up with the worlds donated aid.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS At the Medyka crossing, the tents all have signs saying bezkoshtovno, meaning the food and supplies inside are all free.

Ballard has been here for only a couple of days. A bear-sized and jovial man from Sacramento, he raised a bundle of cash at home, flew to Poland, rented a camper van and, like most foreign volunteers who come here to help, showed up in Medyka, this once-sleepy village tucked in rolling green hills that is now right on the doorstep of the war.

We came looking for Canadians whod also come here to help out, we tell Ballard. How would we find them?

"Just do what we did," he says, with a hearty chuckle. "Show up and start talking to people."

Canadians are here, but elusive. One man tells us hes met five or six in the volunteer camp, but its hard to pin them down. We get contacts, but they cant talk, either because theyre going to Ukraine, or exhausted and coming out; or because they just didnt show up for their shift that morning and nobody knows where they are or, come to think of it, their name.

"Isnt that John?" one aid worker at a cafeteria tent muses to his manager. "The Canadian?"

His supervisor fixes him with a tired look. "We have a dozen Johns here."

You hear things like that often as you near the border. The war has drawn a throng of colourful characters here, hoping they can do some good; if theyre being honest, some are here for the adventure. Young men tack a few days of volunteering onto their European vacations; an Alaskan man in his 50s took a couple of weeks off work and flew on a whim to Poland.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The pace of fleeing refugees has slowed, and some days, traffic is flowing in both directions, as some foreigners head into Ukraine to fight.

The effect of all these characters, all these small-scale aid efforts merging together, is that the atmosphere near the border feels a little like a festival. A charitable one, driven by good intentions, but running now on its own momentum. In fact, as several aid workers tell us, on some days there are more volunteers and journalists than refugees who need help.

That hasnt come without problems. A short drive from the border, the postcard-pretty city of Przemysl  its pronounced "Shemish"  has been deluged by volunteers and aid workers of all descriptions. Lodging is hard to find; what few rooms remain are expensive, even by Canadian standards; some refugees are forced to sleep at the overcrowded train station.

What is it about this moment, this crisis, that has drawn so many to make themselves physically present to help?

The answer can be found, in pieces, at a grimy bar in Krakows old quarter. Its a frowzy and friendly place, with a dart board hung perilously close to the door and water all over the floor of the closet that serves as its lone toilet stall. Old wooden walls are slathered with stickers of punk bands that have played there, in a smoky basement down a steep flight of stairs.

Its late on a Friday night. The place is brimming with a motley crew of people: weathered Polish men quaff pints of beer at the sticky bar, while university students flirt at back tables. There are no masks to be seen: despite having one of the lowest vaccination rates in Europe, Poland appears to have largely stopped caring about mitigating the spread of COVID-19.

The bar is already packed when a group of leather-clad English motorcycle enthusiasts spill in.

Theyd just come back from the border at Medyka, where theyd driven 23 hours from Wolverhampton without stopping for anything except gas and coffee. There, theyd unloaded vans crammed with humanitarian goods: tampons and bottled water and diapers or, as they call em, "nappies." The eldest in the group, and also the one who did the most driving, is 72.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Volunteers Bradley Taylor (left, from Britain) and Art Ballard (from California) push shopping carts full of items to drop off at the border, which will be taken into Ukraine.

One of them sits down at a table occupied by its own ragtag group. There are two reporters from Canada and one from Peru; a New Zealand man who had travelled to Kyiv as a tourist in January and, when war broke out, flew back and bought an old car to haul people and aid across the border; and a nebbish military veteran from Ohio who is doing the same.

The bikers nickname, embroidered on a patch and worn on the right side of his chest, is Shitbreaks, which refers either to the fact he rides an older Harley, which arent known for their good brakes, or the frequency with which he once needed to stop to use the bathroom on one club tour. Whichever story you prefer.

He nods at his friends, who are laughing as they mingle with Polish and Austrian and American visitors. Theyre exhausted from the journey, and still processing what they witnessed at the border: "Ive never gone through so many emotions in one day in my life," he says, raising his voice to be heard over the rollicking din.

After dropping off their supplies, theyd asked aid organizers if they could help drive refugees to Przemysl, or Krakow. That idea was scuttled pretty quickly: they would have to fill out a lot of paperwork, they were told. There is rising concern about refugees being exploited by untraceable, self-identified "volunteers," and some scary stories drifting around the border.

The bikers understood the reasoning, but seeing Ukrainians waiting for a ride on a bitterly cold day stuck with them.

"One of the guys whos with us, he is a big bloke," Shitbreaks says. "You wouldnt mess with him, hes a tough bloke. I had to console him, he was in bits. Because hes been in this situation before, but on a military basis. And hes always maintained, being in that situation in a military capacity, hes never left a person behind who he could help.

"So today, when they told us we couldnt take anyone back The fact that he was being told he had to walk away and that he couldnt do anything broke him. Hes the nicest guy in the world, but hes a big bloke, and you know he can handle himself, and he just broke. He was in floods of tears."

Shitbreaks, too, had a moment like that. Hed hopped out of the van for a smoke when he spotted a young woman standing on the pavement in Medyka, shivering as she rubbed her frozen, bloodless hands. Youve never seen anyone look more like a lost soul, he says. He walked over to offer his gloves.

"Im not an emotional bloke, but this girl" he trails off. "That was the one thing today that just absolutely gutted me."

Heres the honest question: there is a lot of need in the world, a lot of pain, a lot of places where people suffer. Why, of all of that need, is it this conflict that has so driven this group to get so involved? Shitbreaks thinks about that for a second, before nodding towards where the other members of his motorcycle club are mingling.

They all have different reasons, he says. The big guy, the one who was crying, his wife is Ukrainian, and her family has spent the last four weeks hiding in a basement in Kharkiv, which has been under heavy air strikes and shelling. Her mother sleeps now on a concrete floor, praying the bombs cant reach her. So for that guy, it was a no-brainer.

As for Shitbreaks, there are two main reasons he came, the second of which "sounds pathetic, just to warn you," he says.

The first one is pretty simple: he was just fed up with watching the news from the comfort of his own home. But the second reason is a little more personal: when he was younger, he wanted to join the Royal Marines; but he has epilepsy and so was barred from service on medical grounds.

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"I cant go and fight, I cant go and serve, fair enough," he says. "But I can sure as fk get in the van and drive 1,000 miles to drop some nappies and food and stuff like that at a border crossing. So there is no fg way I was going to sit at home and make the big gestures of Oh, its so terrible, something should be done. No, get off your ass and f-g do it, then.

"So, thats the pathetic answer. I wanted to be in the Royal Marines and couldnt do it, and this was something I could do."

Thats not pathetic, I tell him. Not pathetic at all, if its real, and its how he feels, and its honest.

He nods. His clubs story of helping isnt over yet, he says. As they pulled away from the border, they started talking about getting another run together. There are about 60 guys in their club, he says. Some of them have vans. With more time, they could get more vehicles and more drivers, gather more donations, get a "shit ton more stuff" to the border.

"This will be talked about in history in 50 years time," he says. "I dont want to be on my deathbed thinking I could have done something and I didnt. At least Ill be able to say I could have helped and I did. At least I know Ive done something."

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca
The sight has become familiar to Kidist Demessie: a fresh layer of snow on the ground, flakes falling from the sky, traffic crawling as drivers readjust to the changing season.

The sight has become familiar to Kidist Demessie: a fresh layer of snow on the ground, flakes falling from the sky, traffic crawling as drivers readjust to the changing season.

This winters first snowfall was different. This time, Demessie armed herself with a camera. Shes dedicated to showing viewers back home what Canada is really like  and, naturally, winter is a big component.

"I can show Look: Im stuck. Im driving to work," Demessie, 38, says months later, on March 27.

She filmed her entire day during Novembers first major snowfall, from brushing off her car and struggling to see while driving to changing her homes thermostat.

The video, posted Nov. 18, has received more than 45,000 views on YouTube. Other entries surpass that: one has been watched more than 126,000 times.

Overall, Kidi Ethiopia (Demessies YouTube channel) has drawn more than 1.14 million views.

Demessie is seeking to prevent depression and suicide among Canadas Ethiopian immigrant community by showing those interested in making the move what theyre getting into ahead of time. She speaks Amharic, Ethiopias primary language, in her segments.

"Wed watch movies, so wed expect that kind of life (like on the screen)," Demessie says. Some see television shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians and assemble visions of their own lives in Canada, she adds.

She was one to set high expectations.

Demessie grew up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopias capital city. After nannying in Egypt for four years, her now-husband sponsored her to come to Canada.

Demessie says she had dreams of becoming a nurse (and rich), buying a home for her mother and bringing family overseas. Reality sank in when she arrived in 2008.

"It was shocking," she says. "The weather was shocking. The lack of jobs was shocking. The language was shocking."

Ethiopians are sociable people, she says. "When we (come) here, everybody has their own apartments; you dont even know your neighbour. This is not us. Thats why people get depressed."

Demessie even questioned why she made the move.

"Ethiopia is a 12-month sunshine country We never saw snow before we moved here," she says, adding seasonal depression wasnt on her radar when immigrating.

"Nobody (gave) us the real (picture of) how it looks like Mentally, if you are ready, you wouldnt be shocked."

She slowly changed her dreams while settling in Winnipeg.

"I (took) my time. I cried. I talked to people. Then I decided OK, this is it. This is not my fault, this is not Canadas fault, this is nobodys fault. This is a lack of information, so what can I do now? I can dream now  another dream."

Demessie took a health-care aide course and now works two jobs. Shes married, has a 12-year-old daughter and supported her aunt and uncle in entering Canada.

"I accomplished my dream, but it was in a different direction," she says.

Still, Demessie was alarmed at the number of Ethiopian-Canadians who appeared to be grappling with depression.

"As a culture, were not open," she says. "We dont talk about things; we only share our successes."

A community members death by suicide a couple years ago was Demessies final straw  she needed to do something.

In the end, she settled on YouTube. Shes been taking the channel seriously for about a year.

"(Its) to motivate people," she says. "Yes, its cold. Yes, its (a) different culture Yes, you can do it."

Sometimes, she interviews successful Ethiopians. In other videos, shell remind viewers cheap labour theyre used to in Africa (such as maids) will not be available for the same price in Canada.

She discusses Canadian visas, grocery shopping, driving and what $100 can purchase. She showcases local places such as The Forks and tourist destinations such as Toronto.

"After I (started on) YouTube, people started listening to me," Demessie says. However, the spectre of depression lingers in the community.

"The issue of mental health is something that needs a second look for us as Winnipeggers," Reuben Garang, director of Immigration Partnership Winnipeg, says. "People are falling into cracks."

Different worldviews must be integrated into the provinces mental health system, Garang says.

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"In some cultures, (mental health is) not a concrete concept," he says. "Its maybe abstract or something people dont even talk about, but communities always have ways of trying to address it."

There are deep stigmas about discussing mental health in some immigrant networks, and depression is common  especially five to 10 years after landing in Canada.

"I think that these mental health problems kick in years later, after failing to meet the expectation of the new life," Garang says.

Immigrants rely on their fantasy of Canada until theyre in the country, he says. Once they arrive, they might face many day-to-day problems.

"That can affect people mentally," Garang says. "Its something that needs to be discussed."

gabrielle.piche@freepress.mb.ca
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, with corpses that were carpeted through the streets.

Firefighters clear the debris and search for bodies under the rubble of a building after receiving reports of smell emerging from the area, hit weeks ago by a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, with corpses that were carpeted through the streets.

Speaking by phone Monday to The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko also said Russian forces brought mobile cremation equipment to Mariupol to dispose of the bodies, and he accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage.

Russian forces have taken many bodies to a huge shopping center where there are storage facilities and refrigerators, Boychenko said.

Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned, he said.

The mayor's comments emerged as Russia claimed that it destroyed several Ukrainian air-defense systems in what appeared to be a renewed push to gain air superiority and take out weapons Kyiv has described as crucial ahead of an expected broad new offensive in the east.

In one strike, Moscow said it hit four S-300 launchers near the central city of Dnipro that had been provided by a European country it did not name. Slovakia gave Ukraine just such a system last week but denied it had been destroyed. Russia previously reported two strikes on similar systems in other places.

The failure to win full control of Ukraines skies has hampered Moscows ability to provide air cover for troops on the ground, limiting their advances and likely exposing them to greater losses.

A man walks with a bicycle next to a truck that carries black bags with corpses of people killed during the war with Russia and exhumed from a mass grave for investigations in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

With their offensive in many parts of the country thwarted, Russian forces have relied increasingly on bombarding cities  a strategy that has left many urban areas flattened and killed thousands of people.

Ukrainian authorities accuse Russian forces of committing atrocities, including a massacre in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv, airstrikes on hospitals and a missile attack that killed at least 57 people last week at a train station.

In Bucha on Monday, the work of exhuming bodies from a mass grave in a churchyard resumed.

Galyna Feoktistova waited for hours in the cold and rain in hopes of identifying her 50-year-old son, who was shot and killed more than a month ago, but eventually she went home for some warmth. He's still there, her surviving son, Andriy, said.

In Mariupol, about 120,000 civilians are in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications, the mayor said.

Only those residents who have passed the Russian filtration camps are released from the city, Boychenko said. He said improvised prisons were organized for those who did not pass the filtering, while at least 33,000 were taken to Russia or to separatist territory in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the U.N. childrens agency said that nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion began. The United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured, though the actual numbers are likely much higher.

Elsewhere, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks that were very direct, open and tough.

Men look at their restaurant set on fire by people who previously looted it in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

In a statement released by his office, Nehammer said his primary message to Putin was that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose. Nehammer said he also raised the issue of war crimes committed by the Russian military and said those responsible will be held to account.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

In other developments, the head of the separatist rebel government in Donetsk said Ukrainian forces have lost control of the port area of Mariupol.

Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is now under our control, Denis Pushilin, president of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, told Russian state television, according to Russian news agencies. The claim could not immediately be confirmed.

The mayor said fighting continues.

"It is difficult, but our heroic military holds on, Boychenko said. There are fights in the port. Yesterday, our heroic warriors knocked out several positions of equipment and, accordingly, rebuffed the infantry.

Russia has appointed a seasoned general to lead its renewed push in the eastern Donbas region, where Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014 and have declared independent states.

The Pentagons latest assessment is that Russia is gearing up for an intensified offensive there as more troops and materiel move toward the area.

Residents stand outside their apartments as shops burn after a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

A senior U.S. defense official said a lengthy convoy is headed toward the eastern city of Izyum with artillery, aviation and infantry support.

More artillery is being deployed near the city of Donetsk, while ground combat units that withdrew from around the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas appear destined for refitting and resupplying before they position in Donbas, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. military assessments.

Both sides are digging in for what could be a devastating war of attrition.

Russian forces will likely try to encircle the Donbas region from the north and the south as well as the east, said retired British Gen. Richard Barrons, co-chair of the U.K.-based strategic consulting firm Universal Defence & Security Solutions.

The ground in that part of Ukraine is flatter, more open and less wooded  so the Ukrainian ambush tactics used around Kiev may be less successful, Barrons said.

As to the outcome, its finely balanced right now, Barrons said. If the Russians learned from their previous failures, concentrated more force, connected their air force to ground forces better and improved their logistics, "then they might start to overwhelm the Ukrainian positions eventually, although I still think it would be a battle of enormous attrition.

In a video address to South Korean lawmakers on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically requested equipment that can shoot down Russian missiles.

But those armaments could increasingly come under attack as Russia looks to shift the balance in the 6-week-old war.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the military used cruise missiles to destroy the four launchers Sunday on the southern outskirts of Dnipro. He said the military also hit such systems in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions.

The Russian claims could not be independently verified.

The Pentagon said it had seen no evidence to support Russias claims. And Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakia's prime minister, denied Monday that the S-300 system it sent Ukraine had been destroyed. She said any other claim is not true.

Questions remain about the ability of depleted and demoralized Russian forces to conquer much ground after their advance on Kyiv was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders.

Britains Defense Ministry said Monday that Ukraine has already beaten back several assaults by Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions  which make up the Donbas  resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery.

Western military analysts say Russia's assault increasingly is focusing on an arc of territory stretching from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, in the north, to Kherson in the south.

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A residential area in Kharkiv was struck by incoming fire on Monday afternoon. Associated Press journalists saw firefighters putting out the fire and checking for victims following the attack, and saw that at least five people were killed, including a child.

Oleh Synyehubov, the regional governor of Kharkiv, said earlier Monday that Russian shelling had killed 11 people over the last 24 hours.

___

Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Anna reported from Bucha, Ukraine. Associated Press Writer Robert Burns in Washington, and AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.

___

Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Winona, MN (55987)

Today

Sunny skies. High around 70F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy during the evening followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 49F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.
The jury trial for a former Reedsburg man concluded Monday after Sauk County Circuit Judge Patricia Barrett determined one last argument regarding his mental health did not meet the requirements to be considered by the jury.

Gary Wayne Dickson, 39, was found guilty Friday by a jury in all counts but one. He was found not guilty of a felony charge of theft of movable property.

Dickson had entered a plea of not guilty in March 2021 on felony charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, recklessly endangering safety, armed burglary, reckless use of a firearm and burglary of a dwelling with people present as well as misdemeanor counts of using a firearm while intoxicated, intentionally pointing a firearm at someone and criminal trespassing.

The argument that Dickson was unfit to stand trial had been posited by his attorney in past court proceedings. A competency evaluation found in December 2020 that Dickson was able to stand trial, but the not guilty by mental disease or defect plea was entered again in March 2021 and he was again denied an attempt to avoid a trial.

Dicksons attorney, Steven Sarbacker, argued that his alcohol use disorder, commonly referred to as alcoholism, was what contributed to Dicksons erratic behavior in the early morning hours when he attempted to shoot his mother and his stepfather at their North Freedom home.

According to the criminal complaint and testimony and attorney arguments during the trial, Dickson had been staying at a friends home in June 2020 when he took a gun from that home and drove drunkenly to his parents home at 113 S. Oak St. He had been calling the landline repeatedly, leaving voicemail messages for his mother because he wanted to talk and wasnt invited into the home because of past disagreements, Sarbacker said.

When he arrived around 3 a.m., he started shooting a Taurus Judge revolver at the siding of the home, leaving visible marks and smashing the bedroom windows. During a 911 call played in court, Dicksons mother, Suzanne Bahr, could be heard realizing the sounds werent rocks being thrown at the building and her husband, Bill Bahr, yelling that he recognized Dicksons car.

Assistant District Attorney Rick Spoentgen argued that Dickson smashed through the sliding glass door with the intent to murder Bill Bahr and harm Suzanne Bahr as he made his way through the home with the handgun and a flashlight.

Sarbacker said Dickson, who was later found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.13% through a hospital blood test and ketamine in his system after the blood was tested by the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, was distraught and motivated by the substances he had abused.

The prosecution laid out a scene in which Dickson stalked to his parents bedroom and found them at the bottom of the stairs. Bill Bahr had a rifle and when Dickson aimed down the stairs, he fired and missed Bahrs head by inches, Spoentgen said. Sarbacker said Bill Bahr initially told police he had fired first but later changed his story and that the bullet holes from Dicksons gun were not close to his parents.

Dickson ended up shot and lying on the floor in the home. Sarbacker said Bahr shot two more times through the floor and struck him again. A deputy arrived at the home and found Dickson shirtless, lying in his own blood. He was taken via MedFlight to UW Hospital in Madison.

After he was found guilty of all but one charge, the jury reconvened Monday. Sarbacker argued that Dickson met the requirements for being found not guilty by mental defect by having Dickson provide testimony on the stand, but prosecutors argued the defense had failed and Barrett agreed. She found the argument insufficient to direct the jury to consider the argument.

Barrett ordered that a pre-sentence investigation of Dickson be conducted. Dickson faces a potential maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Follow Bridget on Twitter @cookebridget or contact her at 608-745-3513.

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Downtown Beaver Dam Inclusive, an affiliate of the Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce, will host its eighth annual Downtown Cleanup on Saturday, April 23.

Weve got a lot of things planned this year and there will be lots of activities throughout the area for all to enjoy, said co-chair Ruth Metz. Everyone is invited to make a difference in helping our city to look its best.

Activities begin Friday, April 22, which is Earth Day, at 8 p.m. with Sustainable Pop-Up Graffiti, which involves projecting images and messages on downtown walls. The display will be repeated at 8 p.m. Saturday. Environmentalist Archan Sramek is sharing messages of love for Mother Earth and action to sustain life on the planet.

The projector is powered by my red Chevy Volt parked on the street, charged with 100% renewable energy, said Sramek. This year there will also be sound with the positive messages to urge us all to look after our environment as we must.

Volunteers for the cleanup on Saturday morning include groups representing local businesses, industries, scouts, civic groups and others. They will gather at the American Bank shelter, behind 115 Front St. in the East Tower Parking Lot, starting at 9 a.m. Access to the area can be gained off West Mill Street. Supplies and tools will be distributed and areas will be assigned to ensure adequate coverage throughout downtown. Public rest rooms will be open.

As a reward for their labors, all volunteers will receive a certificate for a cookie from Great Harvest Bakery, 128 Front St., free with a purchase.

From 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., crews will scour the area, collecting trash and gathering for a photo at Rotary Park at the corner of West Mill Street and the parking lot. A tree planting will be held to honor former city alderman and tree enthusiast Jon Abfall. Family members will join in the honor. Information will be shared regarding the citys Tree City USA and Bird City status, with comments by Mayor Becky Glewen and Urban Forester John Neuman.

Well be sharing some tree planting tips and history, and all will watch as we plant a Skyline Honey Locust tree in Alderman Abfalls memory, said Neuman. It will show our community spirit and enthusiasm for Beaver Dams newest park.

Following the ceremony guests may wish to see the Tesla Toybox Show nearby as electric car enthusiasts share the latest innovations in transportation. Cyclists may wish to join the Slow Roll Family Bike Ride held by Marshfield Clinic and the Dodge County Historical Society. Free activities around the community include make-and-take art projects at Beaver Dam Community Library, 311 N. Spring St.; Dodge County Center for the Arts, 130 W. Maple Ave.; and Nancy Zieman Sewing Studio, 120 Front St.

Activities that have a fee attached include bird and bat houses at Art on the Town, 127 Front St., on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; a painting night at Nest Vitality, 106 Front St., on Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (also Tahitian Dancing Saturday at 9 a.m.).

All are invited to clean up downtown and celebrate Earth Day 2022, said Metz. Were all proud of our city and this is one of showing it.

Visit bddowntown.com for more details.

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The leader of the National Unity Platform{NUP), Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has urged Ugandans and the leaders to remain united if they are to dream of a United Uganda.

The call came as he paid a courtesy call on the Acholi Cultural institution, Prime Minister Ambrose Olaa at the Ker Kwaro Acoli (Acholi Cultural Institution) ahead of his planned visit to Omoro today (Sunday).

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"Last night [Friday], I returned to Uganda and travelled early in the morning to Gulu to deliver my condolences over the loss of Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah whose burial I was unable to due to pre-scheduled engagements I had in Geneva - Switzerland," said Kyagulanyi.

Kyagulanyi who paid a courtesy call on the Archbishop John-Baptist Odama of Gulu Archdiocese, thanked leaders in Acholi for facilitating his visit.

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"I am grateful to Ambassador Dr. Olara Otunu for coordinating the visit, for hosting my delegation and me in his lovely home, and for the wise guidance he continues to offer. With such unifying and patriotic leaders, we can still dare to dream of a United Uganda," he said.

"I am extremely humbled by the hospitality of the Acholi people. I feel so much at home that whenever I am in Acholi land, they don't call me Kyagulanyi; they call me Ogen," he added.

Kyagulanyi will be heading to Omoro to commiserate with the family of the former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah.

Oulanyah was buried on Friday evening at his ancestral home in Lalogi, Omoro district, about 400km north of Kampala, in a ceremony attended by thousands of mourners and dignitaries from the country's political, social and business circles.

He died on March 20 at Medical Centre in Seattle, US, where he had been rushed for specialised treatment for cancer.
Organizers of the Portage Wine Walk later this month are encouraging wine lovers to purchase tickets now to be able to sample a variety of red and white wines at 19 different Portage businesses.

Last April, the sold-out Wine Walk brought 300 people to downtown Portage for the afternoon with 16 businesses being part of the event.

This year there will be two wine walks, the first will be April 29 and the second will be in October. The annual event gives Portage businesses an opportunity to showcase products and services to people.

Ticket information What: Portage Wine Walk When: Friday, April 29 Where: Various participating downtown businesses Tickets: $40 per person and include a free Wine Walk wine glass Tickets can be purchased online at portagewi.com or in person at the Chamber of Commerce Office, Main Street Consignment, Big Dog Saloon, Prairie Flower Beads, Bee Alive Yoga Studio and Neil's Wine House. Participants must be 21 or older.

It is a great opportunity to spend some time with your family and friends while getting an opportunity to visit our Portage businesses, Marianne Hanson said. Guests on the Wine Walk purchase a ticket in advance and then get to sample wine inside various businesses on the Wine Walk, while shopping and browsing inside our businesses.

Hanson is the executive director for the Portage Area Chamber of Commerce. She said this is the first year the Chamber will be coordinating two wine walks.

Two wine walks have been held in Portage the past, but it is the first year that the Chamber is hosting and coordinating both, Hanson said.

Guests will begin the evening at the Chamber office, 104 W. Cook St., where they will get a free Wine Walk glass and a map of the 19 stops to sample wine.

This map will also list the wine selections, so guests can take notes on each of the sample selection. If they like the wine we can provide them with a location here to purchase the wine, Hanson said.

There are 19 Portage businesses participating in the April Wine Walk with five new businesses that have never participated. Hanson said it is the most businesses ever involved in the Chamber wine walk.

The new businesses are:

Mary Ramsey Realty, 113 E. Cook St.

Beautifully Blemished, 104 W. Cook St.

Portage Cafe, 111 W. Cook St.

Knight Barry Title, 311 E. Wisconsin St.

Royal Lashes, 311 E. Wisconsin St.

The other 14 businesses are:

Main Street Consignment, 13 Main St.

Wilz Hometown Pharmacy, 140 E. Cook St.

Forever Yours Jewelry, 123 W. Cook St.

Prairie Flower Beads, 210 W. Cook St.

Roberta Condon Gallery, 223 W. Cook St.

Bee Alive Yoga, 230 W. Wisconsin St.

Fancy Pants/Smart Woman, 124 W. Cook St./201 W. Cook St.

Jacks Tap, 1207 Dunn St.

Neils Wine House, 235 W. Pleasant St.

Cottonwood Bar and Grill, 312 DeWitt St.

Portage Theatres, 322 Wisconsin St.

Big Dog Saloon, 218 W. Cook St.

Brothers, 220 W. Cook St.

The Mercantile, 117 W. Cook St.

The Wine Walk will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Hanson said some businesses will have free gifts.

Bee Alive Yoga Studio is offering Walk Glass Lanyards to our guests and Knight Barry Title is offering Wine Stoppers to our guests that night, Hanson said. These two items are offered as while supplies last, so guests will want to start the event at 5:30.

There are a limited amount of tickets available for the Wine Walk and tickets went on sale on March 25. Hanson said tickets should be purchased early as the event has sold out in the past.

We also ask people to please drink responsibly and arrange a designated driver, Hanson said. We provide vouchers for free safe rides home through the taxi service to guests that want one that night.

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MBBCh students excel in changing childrens lives

Since 1979, the Division of Community Paediatrics has offered the Dallas McKenzie prize to a final year MBBCh student who has made a distinguished contribution

The award recognises an activity or set of activities that a student may have undertaken during his/her undergraduate career that promoted the health and well-being of a child or group of children.

In 2021, we were once again amazed at the wonderful work done by our health science students that largely goes unrecognised within the faculty. The 2021 prize-winner was Justin Carlse. While in MBBCh II, Justin volunteered to teach life and physical sciences to grade 8 and 9 learners in Diepsloot. Recognising the huge unfulfilled need, he started his own non-profit organisation the next year - EduLift SA - together with fellow students, and within months the organisation was offering weekly classes to 240 students in various grades and in multiple subjects. A partnership with Crawford College Lonehill allowed use of their classrooms, with their learners also serving as tutors.

The Covid-19 pandemic forced a halt to the initiative, but Justin re-directed his efforts to starting the Edulift SA Meals for Life programme in April 2020. The project targets homeless individuals and vulnerable children. Over a seven-month period in 2021, Meals for Life delivered over 43 000 meals. Most incredible is that Justin managed to do all of this while successfully completing his MBBCh degree! Check out the organisations website: https://eduliftsa.org

However, Justin was not the only student who made such wonderful and heart-warming contributions to childrens lives. Certificates of Achievement were also awarded to Aluwani Nedzinwani, Bhavisha Amrat and Raheema Adam. More on their efforts in the next newsletter.
It was a feast Rwabaragi village in Kagadi district on Friday as locals shared the meat of a stray lion that had been killed after injuring several people.

According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Communications Manager, their team at Kibale National Park was informed by the Kagadi DPC of a stray lion that had killed several animals s in the area, prompting the UWA staff to swing into action to save the situation.

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Hangi explained that their staff at Muhoro satellite outpost then got in touch with the DPC and later went with other police officers to Rwabaragi village, Mpeefu subcounty in Kagadi district where the lion had been sighted.

"Our objective was to assess the situation with a view of capturing the lion and translocating it to a protected area," the UWA spokesperson said .

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He however noted that upon reaching the area, it was found a crowd of communities had already started a manhunt for the stray lion that had already injured three people in the area, on top of killing livestock.

Armed with machetes, spears and clubs, the locals combed all bushes in search for the stray animal in a bid to kill it.

"The lion was already stressed and enraged by the presence and noise of a huge crowd that was following the lion with intention to kill it. Communities were asked to give way and let our staff and police handle the problem animal together with four community members, but instead more and more crowds gathered due to the noise and alarm that was being raised,"Hangi said.

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He noted that their team was later joined by soldiers from the UPDF Battalion in Kagadi who took over command of the operation.

Jumps on soldier

According to Hangi, one of the soldiers sighted the animals and in trying to shoot it, it jumped onto him and he was seriously injured in the scuffle.

"Another soldier who was nearby shot the lion dead to save his colleague."

Locals feast

According to the UWA spokesperson, immediately the lion was killed, locals who were already in pursuit of the animal gathered in big numbers and started skinning it and shared the meat amongst themselves.

"UWA staff pleas to handle the carcass fell on deaf ears and they were overpowered by the crowd. They only managed to secure the skin and the head from the carcass which were taken to police for record purposes and further investigations," Hangi said.

" We regret the incident in which this stray male lion lost its life and extend our sympathies to the communities injured by the lion during the hunt and those who lost their domestic animals to the lion whose origin is yet to be ascertained."

He noted that UWA will support the injured with medical care but warned members of the public against attacking problem animals and instead report such cases to UWA or security.
Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning is cancelled for the following rivers in Indiana... White River at Elliston. ...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Indiana... Illinois... Wabash River at Lafayette down to Riverton. White River at Edwardsport. .Recent rainfall is leading to minor flooding in Indiana along most of the Wabash River and the White River at Edwardsport. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/ind. This statement will be updated within the next 12 to 24 hours. && ...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL TUESDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Wabash River at Lafayette. * WHEN...Until Tuesday afternoon. * IMPACTS...At 15.0 feet, Flood waters approaching Warren CR 350 N in the Black Rock Preserve Area. Williamsport Road in Fountain County may begin to flood. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 8:30 PM EDT Friday the stage was 13.5 feet. - Recent Activity...The maximum river stage in the 24 hours ending at 8:30 PM EDT Friday was 13.5 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to rise to a crest of 14.6 feet early Sunday morning. It will then fall below flood stage early Tuesday morning. - Flood stage is 11.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
Students attend a livestreamed popular-science lecture given by Chinese astronauts from China's space station Tiangong, at the China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing, capital of China, March 23, 2022. [Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng]

BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhua)  The China Science and Technology Museum said it has launched a series of space-science popularization activities ahead of China's Space Day, which falls on April 24.

The event, which will last throughout April, aims to provide the public with an all-round and multi-sensory experience of space science, including exhibitions, science lectures, science courses and special-effect movies.

The Shenzhou-1 return capsule will be exhibited at the event, said the museum.

Experts and scholars will be invited to give lectures on popular science, interpreting aerospace research and various applications of aerospace sciences.

The public can also learn about China's achievements in space exploration through online astronomy classes.

(Source: Xinhua)
Niu Shuli, researcher with the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), is a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, and a winner of the 15th For Women in Science (FWIS) Award (in China).

Choosing a Way She Likes

Based on the results of analyses of fossils, the earth is very sensitive to temperature change. Climate change can significantly affect and alter the ecosystem, including vegetation. What will happen to humans if the ecosystem suffers serious deterioration? That is one of the questions Niu is trying to answer. How? By exploring the complicated relationship between climate change and the world's ecosystems on land.

Niu used to conduct field experiments in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. She recalls her experience in conducting photosynthetic tests: "Plants can adapt to high temperature or extreme cold. Human beings have experienced the highest level of evolution, so why do we refuse to endure the hardships during field experiments? I always think field research makes me excited."

Years of participation in field experiments has improved Niu's physical condition because she often carried heavy test devices and walked long hours in the wild. More importantly, those work experiences have strengthened her will and desire to conduct scientific research.

Niu has chosen to focus her research on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Why? Simply put, because many researchers have referred to the plateau as "a natural laboratory."

Niu explains, "The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is an area sensitive to climate change. In fact, compared with other places on our earth, the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is influenced faster by climate change. The evolution of the ecological environment on this plateau represents typical feedback to the changes of the ecosystem on land caused by climate change."

It is for this reason that Niu and her team have established a research site in Ruo'ergai (a region on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau) to help scientists obtain firsthand research results from nature.

More Than Scientific Research Results

Ruo'ergai, near the northeastern border of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, is located in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, in Southwest China's Sichuan Province. In Ruo'ergai, plants normally grow vigorously between early May and the beginning of October. As such, those months are the best period for conducting scientific research in the region. Niu's team usually lives in Ruo'ergai between May and October.

Most of the members of Niu's team are young Ph.D. students who are curious and passionate about scientific research and who persist in working hard to fulfill their innovative ideas.

According to the record of research progress published on IGSNRR's website, Niu's team's research findings were published in Science Advances on August 22, 2019. The water-scaling pattern revealed in the team's study provides compelling evidence that water regulates ecosystem feedback to climate warming.

"Scientific research inspires our curiosity, and it inspires us in a way unlike any other job. The reason why my team has achieved so much in our research is because we have a strong will to explore various secrets hidden in nature, and because we care about the ecosystem problems mankind has to cope with," Niu says.

Diligence Key to Opening Gate of Sciences

As a recipient, Niu delivered a speech during the 15th FWIS Awards (in China) Ceremony held in April 2019. "Diligence is the key to opening the gate of sciences, not gender. I don't think women and men have a gap regarding what they do in scientific research. Ecological research, in a wild environment, can be challenging for women. But women's ability to endure and persist can be better than that of men in a wild environment," she said. Niu also mentioned the efforts, by all segments of society in recent years, to improve women scientists' life and work environments.

Niu sets a good example for her daughter, by showing her the importance of grasping every opportunity to learn . When Niu accompanies her daughter to a museum, and, in particular, when she sees the introductions to plants, Niu takes the time to read the introductions carefully.

Niu is also a model for the members of her research team, especially for the women Ph.D. students. When the 15th FWIS Awards (in China) Ceremony was held, in Beijing, the women students of her research team attended the ceremony with Niu. The students dressed elegantly for the ceremony, but quickly changed into their research clothes after the event. Working in the wild for months at a time has left the women's skin dry and rough. However, Niu and her team are undaunted, as they want to make a significant contribution for mankind.

How should a person spend his/her life, especially given the limited period of time he/ she has on earth? For Niu and the members of her research team, the answer is simple: Continue exploring nature, with love and passion.

Photos Supplied by Niu Shuli

(Women of China English Monthly February 2022 issue)
Jan. 6 panel has enough evidence to refer Trump for criminal charges, Cheney says
Glyndwr campus hosts first Great Crested Newt Detection Dog Conference

Glyndwr Universitys Northop campus has hosted the first Great Crested Newt (GCN) Detection Dog Conference and practical training day.

The event was run by Louise Wilson from the Conservation K9 Consultancy, which is based in Wrexham.

Louise is an internationally renowned detection dog handler and conservation dog trainer.

Her presentation focused on the complexities of dog selection for this specialist area, drawing upon her extensive experience of working with thousands of dogs both nationally and overseas.

Attendees had a unique opportunity to work alongside Louise with their own dogs for an initial assessment of dog / handler performance in a series of odour detection tasks.

The event was fully booked and attended by delegates from multidisciplinary backgrounds, including ecologists, dog trainers and construction industry consultants based across the UK.

It featured key industry experts including Luke Gorman, Associate Director (Ecology) for Atkins, one of the worlds most respected design engineering and project management consultancies, and Nicki Glover, an Ecologist from Wessex Water and Amphibian and Reptile Detection Dogs, one of the most experienced GCN detection dog handlers in the UK.

Luke discussed his involvement with the development and utilisation of conservation detection dogs since 2017 and is the technical lead for conservation detection dog work within Atkins.

Nikki has held seven Natural England research licenses for temporary and permanent possession, and also disturbance of wild GCN. These licenses enable the training of GCN detection dogs and research trials for her PhD.

Delegates heard how her specialist detection dog Freya has assisted with the translocation of GCN for essential pipeline installations to take place.

Nikki shared with the audience her vast experience on greenfield sites as well as active construction sites.

Afterwards, a highly engaging Q&A session took place, then a practical demonstration of Nikki incredible detection dogs.

Angela Winstanley, Senior Lecturer in Animal Studies, said the event was hugely successful with the potential to develop courses with the consultancy being explored.

She said: The day was a huge success and paves the way for future development of courses and accreditation of professionals in collaboration with Conservation K9 Consultancy in this growing area.

More information about the FdSc Applied Animal Behaviour, and Welfare Conservation course, can be found here. More about the K9 Consultancy, can be found here.
EFC Uganda a microfinance institution last week rolled out a campaign dubbed, "Simbula Loans Ne EFC".

The campaign is focused on enhancing the institution's commitment of contributing to Uganda's development and economic stability through key drivers like financial inclusion.

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The country's economic sector was heavily threatened by Covid -19, a global pandemic. Businesses have struggled for the past one and a half years and livelihoods have been constrained hence the urgent need for financial institutions to come up with favourable recovery solutions.

The firm said the campaign shall offer business loans, home improvement loans and women market trader loans.

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While officially launching the campaign, Shem Kakembo, the managing director of EFC Uganda emphasized that EFC Uganda is excited to provide easy access to borrowing at very affordable lending rates.

"While on the journey to becoming the largest and most preferred SME financial institution in Uganda by 2025, one of EFC Uganda 's key areas of focus is providing awesome customer experience," Kakembo said.

To be eligible for a loan under this campaign, a customer or prospect must be an entrepreneur or merchant, must be of age, must have at least six months of experience in the same business, demonstrate capability of operating a profitable business and must have collateral like business equipment, vehicle, house or land.

The minimum loan amount offered is Shs 5 million with a maximum repayment period of up to sixty (60) months.

The institution said the campaign is targeting to extend loans close to Shs 13.5 billion and will run for three months across all the EFC branches country wide. .
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Sterling Structural has the high-volume manufacturing, and expertise to make sustainable cross-laminated timber (CLT) accessible and affordable.
This is the seventh and final part of a series on films available online from the recent Berlin International Film Festival. Thefirst part was posted February 16, the second February 20, the third February 22, the fourth February 26, the fifth March 16 and the sixth on April 3.

For the ManyThe Vienna Chamber of Labour (Fur die VielenDie Arbeiterkammer Wien) was one of a number of films at this years Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) that examined, to one degree or another, workers living and working conditions today. In his documentary, director Constantin Wulff examines the Chamber of Labour in Viennathe institution responsible for legally representing workers interests in Austria.

For the Many (2022)

Wulff clarified his concept of documentary filmmaking in a statement about his new movie: For me, there is nothing more annoying in the field of documentary than scripted reality or the notion of a documentary as a theme film, where the film merely shows what was already widely known. For me, documentary is the exact opposite, i.e., a confrontation with reality.

The film confronts the viewer with the reality of the modern world of work and the limits of national forms of worker representation in a globalised world. The viewer is provided with a detailed insight into what problems workers face, the type of advice and legal support the Chamber of Labour provides but also insight into the inner workings of the Chamber itself. The film, however, remains on the surface and fails to draw any conclusions about the work of the Chamber of Labour, which neither seeks nor is capable of fundamentally improving the situation of workers.

The first part of the film gives an unvarnished portrait of workers exploitation, including the withholding of wages, unspeakable working conditions and arbitrary dismissals. One worker is to be dismissed during her maternity leave. Another worker reports that he had taken a full-time job with a subcontractor and worked full-time but was only registered and paid by the employer for 20 hours per week. He had also not received a pay slip. Many of the workers come from Eastern and Southeastern Europe, and their ignorance of the language and Austrian law is exploited by companies.

Wulffs film also makes clear that the situation for workers has sharply worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, a group of women workers reports on their working conditions in a company where they put Made in Austria stickers on masks produced in China. They were forced to work faster, forbidden to drink water outside break time and paid too little. In the end, the company was declared insolvent, and the workers made redundant.

The Chamber of Labour has a 100-year history. The documentary chronicles the preparations for the chambers centenary in 2020. It was legally established on June 9, 1920 as a counterpart to the big business chamber of commerce and, like the works councils introduced by law the year before, was a key element of the policy of social partnership with corporate management adopted by the Social Democratic Workers Party of Austria (SDAPOnow known as the Social Democratic Party of Austria, SPO).

Today, most workers are compulsory members of the Chamber of Labour. Through the Chamber of Labour levy, 0.5 percent of their gross salary is automatically collected. The 3.7 million members then have a legal right to apply for support in matters regarding labour and social law.

The Chamber of Labour works closely with the Austrian Trade Union Federation (OGB) and, together with the Economic Chamber (WKO) and the Chamber of Agriculture, forms the basis of the Austrian welfare state. Within the Chamber of Labour itself there are various factions that stand for election every five years. The larger factions maintain close relations with the various Austrian political parties. The Chamber does not represent workers independent interests, against both the employers and government but rather is fully integrated into the state apparatus.

Wulffs film team is present when the new promotional film for the chambers 100th anniversary is shown at an internal screening. In this clip, charged with pathos, the Chamber of Labour is symbolised by a young woman who runs through a futuristic setting and ends up fighting the windmills of digitalisation in the form of an army of robots.

For the Many

The Chamber of Labours alter-ego describes her own story with the words: All my life I had to fight. They wanted to make me small. To silence me. And fight me with all their might. But no matter how dark it was for my future, I always saw the light, because I was never alone. I am justice, and I have come to stay.

However, instead of identifying the roots of workers problems in the capitalist system, the promotional video lays the blame on technical progress. News of layoffs and increasing work pressure is linked to news of automation and robots taking workers jobs.

This political disorientation is also reflected in the attitude of the Chamber of Labour towards the COVID-19 pandemic. At a Chamber press conference, the question arises: How has the distribution of wealth in Austria changed during the pandemic? In response, a spokesperson for the Chamber does not denounce the massive cash handouts by the government to the corporations at the beginning of the pandemic or the profits raked in by stock market speculators during the health crisis. Instead, the spokesperson opposes a real lockdown. The poorer layers of the population would not be able to survive such a pause button financially, because they rely on their monthly income, he says. When it comes to the pandemic the principle of justice is pitted against the health and lives of workers.

Wulff was born in Hamburg in 1962, grew up in Switzerland and studied directing at the Film Academy in Vienna. For the Many is his third documentary feature film, following Into the World (2009) about a maternity clinic and Like the Others (2015) focused on a child and youth psychiatric ward. All of these films are in the tradition of direct cinema, a form of documentary film that emerged in North America in the 1950s.

Using as small a team as possible and using mobile, unobtrusive technology, the film crew seeks to fade into the background, making it possible to capture reality through pure observation. Since the filmmakers do not provoke situations and refrain from intervening in events, such productions take a correspondingly long time. For the Many had 55 shooting days and was filmed between September 2019 and October 2021.

Due to this labour-intensive method, Wulff was able to observe the Vienna Chamber of Labour over a long period, but nevertheless the end product remains superficial. In the first half of the film a succession of workers provide moving insight into their everyday lives, while in the second half the functionaries of the Chamber of Labour increasingly dominate and seek to gloss over their own activities.

Through its seemingly neutral approach, the film remains at the level of observation. It provides mere impressions and leaves untouched the role of the Chamber of Labour as an institutionalised mediator between the opposed interests of companies and workers under capitalism.

In a statement, Wulff explains why he made the film about the Chamber of Labour in this manner: I became aware of the Chamber of Labour at a time I recall as very oppressive in socio-political terms. It was the years 2018-19, when the OVP [Austrian Peoples Party] and FPO [Freedom Party] formed a governing coalition in Austria: an alliance of a radicalised conservative OVP [led by Sebastian Kurz] and an extreme right FPO.  In my opinion the only perceptible opposition came from civil society and in political reality from the trade unionsand more precisely from the Chamber of Labour.

This, however, is far from the truth. As early as 2016, the president of the OGB trade union federation, Erich Foglar, declared that the social democratic SPO cannot rule out government cooperation with the FPO from the outset. Foglar also clearly positioned himself against immigration, which had resulted, he claimed, in less and less control over the labour market.

The Austrian unions did not and do not form an opposition in political reality but, in fact, are part of the general political shift to the right. In January 2018, the OGB explicitly refused to back protests against the government. The news magazine Profil commented: Also in the Chamber of Labour and the trade unions, contact is maintained with FPO functionaries.

Ultimately, Wulffs confrontation with reality ends up whitewashing reality. Neither the trade unions nor the Chamber of Labour are bulwarks against the danger of fascism, nor against the increasingly aggressive attacks on workers by the ruling elite.

In its 100 years of existence, the Chamber of Labour has pursued one aim above allthe suppression of the class struggle and the prevention of a revolutionary development, based on a policy of corporatism with big business and bourgeois governments.

In Austria, violent strikes developed in the wake of the 1917 Russian Revolution, with the spontaneous emergence of factory committees and councils. When the revolt began to spill over into the militarymost notably with the famed sailors uprising in the Adriatic port of Cattaro (today: Kotor, Montenegro) in February 1918the Social Democratic leadership of the Vienna Workers Council organised the ending of the strikes. In the spring of 1919, the situation radicalised again, parallel to the proclamation of the Hungarian and Munich soviet republics. Revolutionary workers besieged the parliament in Vienna on April 17 and set it on fire. The government led by the Social Democrat Karl Renner moved immediately to suppress the workers revolt.

Even prior to World War I, the SDAPO explicitly advocated the theory of Austro-Marxism elaborated by Otto Bauer, according to which workers could not come to power through class struggle but only on the basis of parliamentary majorities. After the war, the SDAPO enmeshed the working class, as Leon Trotsky once put it, in its net of political, trade union, municipal, cultural and sporting organisations aimed at pacifying workers and securing capitalist rule.

In the period of Austro fascism from 1933-34 onwards, the Dollfuss government, with the help of some leading officials, used the workers chambers to control the working class and eventually paved the way for their dissolution after the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany. The workers chambers were revived after the Second World War and once again played their traditional role of paralysing the working class.

In light of the current global crisis of world capitalism, glaring levels of inequality, war and dictatorship, there is no longer any room for social concessions and organisations that act, as the Vienna Chamber of Labour describes itself, as economic stabilisers.

In order to fight the shift to the right and the massive attacks on living standards, jobs and democratic rights, workers need new, independent organisations fighting for an end to the profit system all over the world.

Concluded
More than 5 million COVID-19 infections have now been recorded across Australia, with an average of over 55,000 new positive tests being recorded each day over the past week.

There are currently more than 485,000 active cases in Australia, including 257,000 in New South Wales (NSW), 64,000 in Victoria, 59,000 in Queensland, 44,000 in Western Australia, 38,000 in South Australia, 12,000 in Tasmania, 6,000 in the Australian Capital Territory and 3,100 in the Northern Territory.

Around the country, 2,941 people are hospitalised for the virus, an increase of 360 over the previous week. A total of 6,550 people have died from COVID-19, including 183 in the past week.

Staff prepare to collect samples at a drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said on Tuesday that official infection figures in the state were a big underestimate and actual case numbers may be at least 50 percent higher. Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley warned on April 2 that the state could see several hundred more COVID-19 hospitalisations each day by the end of the month.

Despite these acknowledgements, Hazzard and Foley are proceeding with plans to scrap the few remaining public health measures against the virus.

As they have been all year, the NSW Liberal-National and Victorian Labor governments are in lockstep, leading the reopening drive. A spokesperson for Hazzard said last week, Whatever decisions are being considered they will be made only after consultation with the Victorian Government to ensure coordination between the two major states.

According to the Age, senior government sources in Victoria last week flagged the imminent removal of mask requirements for hospitality workers, primary school students and public transport users.

Both states are also considering slashing isolation rules for household close contacts. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said on Friday, the faster we can get to a point where the close contact rule is relaxed, the better.

Perrottets comment followed a demand from Qantas CEO Alan Joyce for aviation workers to be exempted from isolation rules. Joyce said up to 18 percent of the airlines workforce was currently unable to work due to COVID-19 infection or exposure.

As they did in February in relation to the slowing of the Omicron BA.1 wave, governments are hailing the peak of the current BA. 2 surge as justification to abandon remaining mitigations.

The current claims of a peak are even more bogus than in earlier waves given the acknowledgement that infections are far higher than the official case numbers. Moreover, this entirely unscientific approach denies the role of the reopening drive in creating the conditions for ongoing waves, potentially with new and more virulent strains of the virus.

Several cases have been detected in NSW and Queensland of so-called Deltacron, a recombinant variant with properties of both Delta and Omicron. As soon as the infections were revealed, government officials asserted, without any evidence, that the variant was mild and unlikely to pose a great danger. At the very least, the detection of Deltacron indicates the extent to which the virus is mutating, posing the possibility that there are a host of variants already present in the community.

This is a product of the criminal response to the pandemic of all capitalist governments, which have allowed mass infection in the interests of corporate profit, thereby turning the world into a petri-dish for the development of new variants.

The arrival of the supposedly mild Omicron variant late last year was promoted by governments in Australia and around the world as a sign the pandemic was coming to an end. The fact that this was a complete fabrication was demonstrated clearly in Australia where 4,261 peopletwo-thirds of the pandemic totalhave died from COVID-19 in just the first 100 days of 2022.

The reality is, as Dr. David Berger explained his recent testimony to the Global Workers Inquest, There is actually no selection pressure on the virus to become less virulent. It infects people before symptoms. As long as that occurs, it doesnt matter if it kills the host.

The University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is predicting cumulative COVID-19 deaths in Australia could rise to more than 12,000 by the end of July. The modelling indicates that the reintroduction of mask mandates could reduce this to around 9,500.

New Deakin University modelling suggests 5 to 15 percent of the more than two million people infected in Australia during the first Omicron surge will suffer some form of Long COVID. The study estimated 80,000 to 325,000 people would have ongoing symptoms after three months.

While many may recover within six months, the sheer number of infections caused by the let it rip policies embraced by all Australian governments, Labor and Liberal-National alike, means thousands of people will face longer-lasting, potentially life-long effects.

Dr. Leonie Keall, a senior clinical neuropsychologist at Melbournes The Alfred hospital, told the Nine network she is treating a growing number of patients with unusual symptoms months after having COVID-19.

Dr. Keall said most of her Long COVID patients are aged between 20 and 60 and suffer symptoms including greatly reduced mental clarity, absent mindedness, fatigue and difficulty remembering words or phone numbers. She said one of her patients described the condition as like her brain had been cut in half.

Health economist Professor Martin Hensher, who worked with the Deakin team, said: At the moment we really have no idea of the extent of Long COVID in Australia. We are flying pretty blind.

While it is not clear how many Australian children have been or will be affected by Long COVID, the reopening of schools for face-to-face teaching has caused the infection of hundreds of thousands of students. The vast majority began the school year unvaccinated or having received only a single dose.

In NSW in the past 30 days, over 117,000 people aged 10-19 tested positive for COVID-19, almost 20 percent more than the age group with the second-highest number of positive tests. In addition, 74,000 children under ten years old tested positive.

Last Monday, 20 percent of New South Wales school students did not attend class because of COVID-19 infection or exposure. At least 20 public schools across the state were forced to cancel in-person classes because there were not enough healthy teachers to teach them.

At countless schools, large groups of students have been herded into libraries or school halls to watch movies, allowing one teacher to supervise several classes at once. Aside from shattering any illusion that the reopening had anything to do with the educational needs of children, this practice only further accelerates the spread of the virus.

A Senate Select Committee inquiry into the pandemic delivered its final report on Thursday. Committee chair, federal Labor Senator Katy Gallagher, said the Australian governments response to the pandemic was characterised by a failure to be prepared, a failure to take responsibility, and then a failure to get it right. Despite this, none of the 19 recommendations contained in the report called for any reversal of the let it rip agenda.

The committee called for a royal commission into the Australian governments response to the pandemic. Any such inquiry will be a whitewash, portraying the devastating and ongoing mass infection, illness and death as a natural disaster exacerbated by isolated errors or miscalculations by individuals.

Only an investigation by and for the global working class can expose the forces truly responsible for the pandemic, capitalist governments, including Australias, which have enforced the demands of big business that workplaces and schools be kept open and all public health measures eliminated to prevent any impediment to profits.

The Global Workers Inquest, called by the WSWS, is providing the scientific and political foundations for the urgent task confronting the Australian and global working class, the elimination of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This requires a fight for a socialist perspective. Only under a workers government can the subordination of health and lives to the profit demands of the financial elite be ended, and the necessary public health measures to vanquish COVID, including vaccination, mask mandates and, when needed, the shutdown of all non-essential industry, be implemented.
The National Health Commission of the Peoples Republic of China reported that there had been 26,462 COVID-19 cases across mainland China. These were further characterized as 1,351 symptomatic cases, and 25,111 asymptomatic. Imported cases accounted for 107 of these, of which 33 were symptomatic. These figures are posted daily on their website, offering a comprehensive look at every location across Chinas 31 provinces, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao.

The bulk of infections continues to be reported in Shanghai, the epicenter of the current Omicron outbreak across the country. Yesterday, the national health authority said there had been 24,943 new infections in the financial hub, of which only 1,006 were symptomatic. The megacity, home to over 26 million people, underwent a two-phased lockdown on March 28, which was then extended to a city-wide lockdown on April 1 as cases continued to rise.

On April 4, a city-wide mass testing of the population led to uncovering of more silent, asymptomatic cases, prompting a second round of testing on April 8. The current rise in case counts has been attributed not to further community spread but to more comprehensive efforts to locate every infection across the megacity.

Dr. Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the counterpart to Dr. Anthony Fauci in the US, explained that the repeat PCR testing enabled public health officials to bring to an end the current outbreak. Speaking with the press, he attributed the increase in cases to the mass screening with PCR tests.

The average incubation period for infection with the Omicron BA.2 subvariant is around three days. Repeat testing will identify the portion of the potentially infected population that initial testing missed. Dr. Wu said, The first test helps screen only people who have already started to shed the virus, while those who are infected but test negative would become infective if not identified immediately on the second and third tests. He added, If a round of tests takes two or three days, then theoretically the goal can be achieved in 10 to 14 days.

Shanghai health officials announced Saturday that districts that have maintained zero COVID-19 infections for 14 days after repeated rounds of testing could leave strict lockdown, which will alleviate the severe constraints endured by the population and allow them to access markets for food and supplies.

Across Jilin province and the rest of mainland China, COVID-19 cases have continued to trend down since the implementation of measures to restrict social mixing and institute other cornerstones of infection control that have been tried and tested for centuries.

These public health efforts, including those being employed in Shanghai, are enormous achievements in light of the extremely contagious nature of the Omicron BA.2 subvariant. These experiences will provide important lessons for future pandemic preparedness and response in complex, densely populated urban settings.

Despite the repeated attacks and venomous language being used by the overseas capitalist press, denouncing the lockdowns as inhuman, the small number of deaths and mostly asymptomatic character of the infections attest to the efficacy of these relentless efforts at elimination. It means that the clinically severe aspects of the illness can be prevented through early intervention.

These findings are not unique to Chinas experience. Every country that had employed an elimination strategy was able to lower rates of infections and complications, including deaths. Early intervention so that the health system is not overwhelmed has meant lives were spared.

Dr. Wang Guangfa, a respiratory specialist at Peking University First Hospital, explained that symptomatic patients are quickly sequestered at hospitals and treatment is rapidly initiated, which prevents cases from progressing to a more severe or critical state. If restrictions were lifted, infections would rapidly spread, leading to overwhelmed hospitals and a rise in preventable deaths. He pointed out that comparing Omicron to the flu is both misleading and dangerous.

When the Omicron wave surged through Hong Kong in February, it killed close to 8,500 people and infected more than 1 million in less than two months. The population of the special administrative region of China is approximately 7.5 million. During the surge, the per capita death toll was the highest ever experienced by any area during the pandemic.

By comparison, the severe 2018-2019 flu season killed only 352 people in Hong Kong. In other words, BA.2 has been 24-fold deadlier. These figures are important in reinforcing Chinese health officials commitment to zero-COVID.

Notably, in the face of the purported massive rates of vaccination across high-income countries and claims that the variant is mild, Omicron has killed nearly 1 million of the 6.2 million COVID patients reported to have lost their lives during the pandemic.

Globally, BA.2, the dominant version of Omicron, continues to infect more than 1 million people a day across the globe despite the dismantling of COVID-19 data trackers across many countries. At least 3,500 people are still dying every day, of whom half are in Europe, where BA.2 has seen spikes in cases and hospitalizations, particularly in Germany, France and the UK.

Globally, rates of vaccination for COVID-19 have been declining. Evidence is also emerging that the second booster appears to provide, in the short term, a modest improvement in protection against severe illness with Omicron. However, its impact on preventing infections drops rapidly in just four weeks and is negligible by eight weeks. With waning immunity and the rapidly declining efficacy of vaccines, the long-term implications remain uncertain and should weigh heavily in pandemic response, especially given the nature of viral evolution.

The United States will soon face the brunt of BA.2, which has begun its surge in the country. However, due to the nearly complete dismantling of state COVID-19 data trackers, the country is essentially flying blind into this surge. After the US CDC shifted to relying on hospital admissions and ICU capacity to determine community risk, state after state rapidly changed their reporting intervals from daily to twice or even once per week.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former US Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, speaking on Face the Nation, said in response to host Margaret Brennans question on the current state of the pandemic, Theres no question that were experiencing an outbreak in the northeast, also the mid-Atlantic, [and] parts of Florida as well  Its driven largely by BA.2. And I think that were dramatically undercounting cases. Were probably only picking up one in seven or one in eight infections. So, when we say there are 30,000 infections a day, theres probably closer to a quarter of a million infections a day.

Despite this enormous level of infection, given the current low number of hospitalizations, the majority of the country is considered low risk. Hospitalizations and deaths are lagging indicators of infection, and without detecting the infections, it will be far too late to do much of anything about it. And BA.2 is surging when there are no mitigation measures really in place to slow the course of infections.

Yesterday, Jonathan Karl, co-anchor of ABCs  This Week, asked Dr. Fauci, the White House chief medical adviser, what he thought of a Washington Post op-ed by Dr. Leana Wen, one of the more vociferous advocates of the full-scale reopening of schools, businesses and public gatherings of all kinds.

He quoted her: At this point in the pandemic, we have to accept that infections will keep occurring. During the winter Omicron surge, almost half of Americans contracted the coronavirus. The new Omicron subvariant BA.2 is even more contagious. The price to pay to avoid coronavirus infection is extremely high. Some Americans might choose to continue to pay that price, but I suspect most wont.

Fauci replied, You know, Jon, I think sheDr. Wen articulated that pretty well. There will beand weve said this many times even in our own discussions between you and I, that there will be a level of infections. This is not going to be eradicated, and its not going to be eliminated.

The contrast with his counterpart in China, Dr. Wu Zunyou, who patiently explained that the outbreak could be cleared at the community level within two weeks, couldnt be more revealing. The class struggle will determine if the war against the virus can be won.
On Saturday, former President Donald Trump headlined a relatively small campaign-style rally in North Carolina ahead of the May 17 Republican state primaries.

As in Michigan the week before, the would-be dictator threw his weight behind a batch of far-right Republican politicians, all of whom pledged their loyalty to Trump and echoed his claim that the 2020 election was rigged.

The rally was held at The Farm at 95, located in rural Selma, North Carolina. Less than 3,000 people attended the event, which was live-streamed by C-Span and several right-wing networks.

With his image projected behind him, former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally Saturday, April 9, 2022, in Selma, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

Speakers at the rally included MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, Hitler admirer and North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn, Republican candidate in North Carolinas 13th Congressional District Beau Hines, North Carolina Lt. Governor Mark Robinson and North Carolina Reps. Dan Bishop, Greg Murphy and Ted Budd. The latter is seeking the Republican nomination to run for the US Senate.

In his brief speech, Cawthorn promised that with Donald Trump back in command, the government would investigate Anthony Fauci and send him to jail, and Congress would impeach Joe Biden.

He was followed by Trump-endorsed congressional candidate Beau Hines, who attacked radical Marxists, leftists and cowardly RINO Republicans who want to destroy our country and dismantle the America First movement.

In a by now standard, hour-long fascist rant, Trumpa frequent flier on Jeffrey Epsteins private plane, unofficially known as the Lolita Expresspresented himself as an implacable defender of Judeo-Christian principles and fighter for women sports and children.

He incited racist violence against immigrants, whom he called rapists and criminals, and targeted educators for teaching far-left gender theories to children.

Justifying the January 6, 2021, coup, Trump promised that if the Republicans take back Congress and the White House, they will demand justice for the January 6 prisoners and full protection for their civil rights, like was received by Antifa and Black Lives Matter, who murdered people throughout our country.

Seeking to blame Democrats for his failed coup, Trump falsely claimed that Nancy Pelosi and the mayor of D.C. were in charge of all security in the Capitol. Trump claimed that he offered 10,000 soldiers to guard the Capitol, adding that if they would have accepted that, there would have been no January 6 as we know it.

The previous day, North Carolina Proud Boys leader Charles Donohoe pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, in connection with his actions on January 6. He also pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting or impeding officers. In seeking a reduced sentence, Donohoe, who faces a minimum of six years in prison, had agreed to turn states evidence.

According to the Statement of Offense, Donohoe was part of the Proud Boys Ministry of Self Defense (MOSD) leadership team that discussed attacking the Capitol to prevent the certification of Bidens election victory. The court documents note that the plan to storm the Capitol was not put into motion by the Proud Boys leadership until after a December 19, 2020, tweet from Trump calling on his followers to come to Washington. The tweet read: Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!

According to a separate Department of Justice statement, Donohoe believed that storming the Capitol would achieve the groups goal of stopping the government from carrying out the transfer of presidential power. Donohoe understood from discussion that the Proud Boys would pursue their objective through the use of force and violence.

Donohoe is the third Proud Boy in the last week to plead guilty for crimes committed in furtherance of Trumps coup. On Thursday, California Proud Boy Rick Wilden pleaded guilty to spraying a Capitol police officer with a chemical agent on January 6.

The day before that, West Virginia Proud Boys leader Jeff Finely pleaded guilty to illegally entering the Capitol. In court documents, Finely is said to have posted a message titled Boots on the Ground at 5:03 p.m. He wrote: I just got out myself, dude, I was in there, you know, f*cking taking pictures with the boys. Yo, Captain Trump, proud of your f*cking boy.

New evidence has emerged over the past week confirming that the plot emanated from the White House. On Friday, CNN, citing text messages turned over to it by the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack, reported that on November 5, two days after the 2020 presidential election and before a winner had been declared, Donald Trump Jr. texted then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows: We have operational control Total leverage. Moral High Ground POTUS must start 2nd term now.

In the text messages, according to CNN, Trump Jr. lays out ideas for keeping his father in power by subverting the Electoral College process.

Its very simple, Trump Jr. wrote to Meadows. We have multiple paths. We control them all.

The CNN report states the message goes on to outline a strategy that is nearly identical to what allies of the former president attempted to carry out in the months that followed. Trump Jr. makes a specific reference to filing lawsuits and advocating recounts to prevent certain swing states from certifying their results, as well as having a handful of Republican state houses put forward slates of fake Trump electors.

In the face of overwhelming evidence confirming that Trump and his Republican co-conspirators in Congress, the courts and the police-military-intelligence apparatus were all involved in a plot to overthrow the election of Biden, the Democratic Party continues to downplay the ongoing danger and seek unity with its Republican colleagues in prosecuting the US-NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine.

California Democrat and member of the House Select Committee Zoe Lofgren, in a recent article in the New York Times, again stated her opposition to the committee sending a criminal referral against Trump to the Department of Justice and Attorney General Merrick Garland, telling the newspaper she thought it was superfluous.

Maybe we will, maybe we wont, Lofgren said of the referral. It doesnt have a legal impact.
Terrorists responsible for the bombing of an Abuja-Kaduna bound train yesterday released a video in which over 30 victims were seen pleading with the federal government to meet the demands of their abductors.

In a related development, the Kaduna State government yesterday said it was awaiting operational feedback from security agencies on a trending video showing soldiers 'dragging' suspected criminals into an open boot of a military pickup truck.

This comes exactly two weeks after the Abuja - Kaduna train was bombed by terrorists, an ugly incident that left eight persons dead, with several others injured and scores whisked away even as some family members of those abducted recently protested in Abuja, appealing for the federal government to intervene and help them rescue their relatives.

However, the federal government yesterday assured that it would do everything necessary to see to the release of those still being held hostage by the terrorists.

The assurance from the federal government came as it emerged that troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) at the weekend eliminated 18 fighters of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in a massive joint clearance operation in the fringes of the Lake Chad.

Similarly, about 17 terrorists were said to have met their waterloo in Kakura community, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state when residents engaged them in a fierce battle.

So far, only the Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Bank of Agriculture (BoA), Mr. Alwan Ali Hassan, who was among those kidnapped during the terrorists attack on the Abuja - Kaduna train attack has been released, with 166 still unaccounted for. Before his release, Hassan was last week seen in a video standing among the terrorists wearing cream Jalabiya.

Terrorists had on March 28 blown up rail tracks on the Abuja-Kaduna route. It was gathered that an expectant mother and her husband, a couple and two sisters were among those being held by the terrorists.

In the video seen by THISDAY, a female student of Kaduna State University, pleaded with government to kindly meet the demands of the terrorists.

"Am talking on behalf of the students, government should please come to our aid", one of the female students said while surrounded by about eight gun-wielding terrorists.

Some of the victims' families last week staged a peaceful protest at the Radio House in Abuja, with placards appealing to the federal government to do more in ensuring that they are released.

"I have my sister who is seven months pregnant with her husband. Words cannot explain what they are going through and what we are going through. Please, the government should do the needful and let this come to an end as soon as possible.

"They should try as much as possible to reach out to the perpetrators and rescue our loved ones. There are children there, pregnant women, the sick, the aged and only God knows what they are going through.

They have been in captivity for ten days, so you can only imagine what they are going through and how it is affecting g us.

"Whatever we do, we think of them. When we eat, we think of them. When we sleep, anything we do, we think of them. We are pleading with the government to please do the needful so that this situation will come to an end as soon as possible," Aliyu Mahmud, a relative of the seven-month pregnant woman had said.

On his part, another protester, Aminu Uthman, said: "My immediate younger brother and his wife are amongst the victims. It is a nightmare and the most difficult ten days I have has in my life. I cannot sleep or eat. A lot of things are going wrong.

"The bandits called only once and they gave him the phone to speak to us. They are yet to make any request but they called and he is with them. We voted for this government because of insecurity. We had the trust that they would address insecurity. This protest is not for the family members alone; it is for Nigerians generally. This thing can happen to anybody."

But speaking with THISDAY yesterday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the federal government, "would leave no stone unturned to ensure that those that were abducted are released."

Muhammed, said work was ongoing; insisting that the government would not relent, "and we are not giving up at all," to make sure that all those abducted are released alive.

However, he declined to comment on specific efforts being made by the government to ensure the release of those affected.

"I may not be in a position to tell you the level of progress being made, but what I can tell you is that I am fully in touch with the authorities and I know that a lot of work is going on," he said.

When asked about what efforts were being made to ensure that the incident doesn't repeat again, Muhammed said: "You know, when things like this happen, what you do is to ask yourself about efforts that had been made in the past to forestall this kind of thing, what effort are you making today to ensure that it doesn't happen again. And if you followed my press conference, I have been able to draw out the various steps the federal government has taken to ensure better security platform, and all security agencies.

"The federal government would accelerate the procurement of the necessary surveillance and security equipment not just on the Abuja-Kaduna railway; but also the Warri-Itakpe as well as other railways."

Responding to a question that a lot of Nigerians and the families of those still being held hostage by the terrorist feel the government was not doing enough to get them released, Mohammed said: "It is very unfortunate that Nigeria is in the current situation. But anybody who is familiar with terrorism would know that it is an unconventional war.

"Over the past one week, I have drawn out efforts being made by the federal government to ensure that militancy, cultism and others are curbed.

"But we are winning the war, we have the statistics and unlike the bandits, we cannot be announcing everyday our successes. We know from the thousands that are surrendering in the north-east that we are winning.

"I can assure you is that everything is being done to address this and the military is doing its best."

In reacting to the attack, President Muhammadu Buhari had said his government would not let anyone hold Nigeria to ransom. The president, who had reiterated his call on the military to be ruthless with terrorists and other criminal elements, however, directed the security agencies to arrest the perpetrators of the attack and also ensure, without further delay, the release of all the kidnapped passengers on the ill-fated train.

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Irabor had said the security agencies would build on the lessons they have learnt from the latest incident, while assuring Nigerians that the military and other security agencies would not rest on their oars until everywhere was secured.

According to him, "The challenge of insecurity is a constant one and so the defence and security agencies need to be on their toes 24/7. This is unfortunate and we believe that the lessons out of this are what we need to build upon going forward."

Also, Governor of Kaduna State, Mallan Nasir El-Rufai, who had expressed frustration during the incident, had advised the military to bomb the terrorists' hideouts instead of waiting for them to attack.

El-Rufai had said the camps and phone numbers of the terrorists were known by the military agencies, adding that the army should go after them and wipe them out.

"We have enough intelligence for us to take action. The air force undertakes enough ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), and the DSS has informants all over the place," he had said.

Troops Crush 30 ISWAP Fighters as Air Strikes Hit Insurgents in Niger

Troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), weekend eliminated 18 fighters of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in a massive joint clearance operation in the fringes of the Lake Chad.

The clearance operation came as air strikes hit foreign insurgents from Niger Republic, who reportedly infiltrated the country and killed a top ranking Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) Commander, Abubakar Dan-Buduma, who was recently appointed the group's commander of its naval forces.

It was gathered that the week-long operation swept through Malam Fatori, Gashigar, Talata Ngam,

Larki A & B and Kagarwa, notable hideouts of terrorists along the border villages in Abadam Local Government Area in Borno State.

Military sources said troops of the MNJTF inflicted heavy casualties on the two terror groups - Boko Haram and ISWAP - in a fire-fight in Gashigar after they confronted the force.

Sources said that the gun battle which lasted for hours resulted in the elimination of 10 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists, while four of their guntrucks were destroyed.

The sources explained that two soldiers were wounded in action while nine AK-47 rifles and one bicycle, among other items, were recovered in the aftermath of the encounter.

"The force subsequently continued its advancement toward Talata Ngam. Contact was made at Larki, a border village which was said to be a meeting point of the insurgents, during which three terrorists were killed and one gun-truck was destroyed," the source added.

"The enemy also attacked own troops in their harbour area near Kangarwa. The attack was decisively dealt with which resulted to the killing of five more Boko Haram/ISWAP criminals and recovering of five Ak 47 rifles two motorcycles, rounds of ammunition and over 40 bags of beans destroyed," he said.

A military update said the unrelenting task force continued local clearance operations in search of the adversaries around Baga. The insurgents took to their heels as the force projected towards Garere and Cross Kauwa.

The update said the successes were achieved under the MNJTF Operation Lake Sanity and Desert Sanity Phase 2, Operation Hadin Kai.

It said renewed vigour to flush out the remnants of the terrorists around the fringes of the Lake Chad region and other parts of the North-east was in line with the determination to ensure an end to the war and restore total peace in the country.

The Force Commander of the MNJTF, Maj Gen Abdul Ibrahim, while charging the Task Forces of Operation Lake Sanity charged them to maintain the momentum towards routing the terrorists from their enclaves.

He also assured that the MNJTF and Operation Hadin Kai would continue to work together towards restoring total sanity in the Lake Chad region.

"Both the Force Commander MNJTF and the Theartre Commander Operation Hadin Kai have commended the troops and urged them to remain steadfast and dogged.

The troops were equally tasked to carry out unrelenting pursuit of the terrorists since others were given the opportunity to surrender and they did.

"The sustained ongoing battle and regional efforts of the Airforce of Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon have been very phenomenal", the Force Commander, Maj Gen Abdul Ibrahim, said.

Meanwhile, foreign insurgents from Niger Republic reportedly infiltrated the country and killed a top ranking Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) Commander, Abubakar Dan-Buduma, who was recently appointed the group's commander of its naval forces.

But air strikes carried out by MNJTF eliminated, Abubakar Dan-Buduma, and 19 other fighters in the Nigeria's North-east of Lake Chad.

Dan-Buduma and his foot soldiers were eliminated in a coordinated intelligence-led ground and aerial bombardment by the Nigeriene Air Task Force, under Operation Hadin Kai and Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in Kwalaram village in Marte Local Government area of Borno state.

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17 Terrorists Reportedly Met Their Waterloo in Kaduna Community

About 17 terrorists were said to have met their Waterloo in Kakura community, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state when residents engaged them in a fierce battle.

Details of the incident were sketchy as at press time, however the criminals were said to have invaded the community located near the Millennium City area of Kaduna metropolis in the early hours of yesterday.

Members of the vigilante group in the community were said to have resisted the criminals who came in large numbers, engaging them in fierce gun battle.

Sources said security forces were immediately alerted and they joined forces with the vigilante group, leading to the killing of about 17 of the terrorists while several others were reportedly arrested.

Their weapons were also said to have been seized by security agencies. The arrested terrorists who sustained injuries were said to have been taken to the St. Gerald Catholic hospital, Kaduna, for treatment.

However, the hospital authorities were said to have out rightly rejected them for security reasons.

An official of the hospital who pleaded to remain anonymous, confirmed the development, saying, "some wounded terrorists were brought to our hospital by soldiers, but we rejected them and asked the soldiers to take them to the 44, Nigerian Army Referral Hospital.

"We told them that we don't accept terrorists in our hospital because it has serious security implications.

A video clip purportedly be of the incident has gone viral on the social media.

In the video, soldiers could be seen loading some corpses and together with those arrested in a Hilux van.

Mohammed Jalige, spokesman of the Kaduna state police command did not respond to telephone calls when contacted.

Also, in a statement the Kaduna state government said it could not confirm the viral video, "allegedly showing security forces parading neutralised and arrested bandits in a location around Chikun LGA."

The statement signed by Samuel Aruwan the commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs said, "The Kaduna State Government has received enquiries from the media and citizens over a video being circulated on social media platforms, allegedly showing security forces parading neutralized and arrested bandits in a location around Chikun LGA.

"It is necessary to clarify that as at this time, the Kaduna State Government has not received feedback from security agencies regarding any such operations.

"Therefore no information can be provided at this time on the veracity of video clips making the rounds.

Aruwan said, "The Kaduna State Government is awaiting feedback from security agencies on operations being conducted across various locations of interest."

He added that, "As soon as precise operational feedback is received, updates will be provided to the media and citizens".
In yesterdays French presidential election, in a replay of the first round of the 2017 elections, outgoing President Emmanuel Macron and neo-fascist candidate Marine Le Pen advanced to the final round of the presidential contest on April 24. According to initial estimates last night, they received 27.4 percent and 24.0 percent of the vote, respectively. Jean-Luc Melenchon, the former Socialist Party official who was the candidate of the Unsubmissive France (LFI) party, obtained 21.6 percent of the vote.

Melenchons campaign manager, Manuel Bompard, issued a statement overnight calling Melenchons vote an extraordinary result, but conceding, unhappily, this will not be sufficient to qualify for the second round.

If these figures prove correct, it would be the third time, after the 2002 and 2017 elections, that a neo-fascist candidate advances to the runoff of the French presidential elections. The fact that voters are being presented yet again with a poisoned choice between Le Pen and the right-wing president of the rich exposes the political bankruptcy of the organizations that the ruling establishment falsely promotes as the left. They proved incapable of defeating either a despised outgoing president or a neo-fascist.

A screen shows French President Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen at her election day headquarters, in Paris, Sunday, April 10, 2022.(AP Photo/Francois Mori)

The election confirmed the collapse of what were Frances dominant electoral parties in the era after the May 1968 French general strike. Valerie Pecresse of the right-wing The Republicans (LR), the latest incarnation of the Gaullists, and Socialist Party (PS) candidate Anne Hidalgo, representing Frances two main parties of government from 1968 to 2017, took 4.7 and 1.8 percent, respectively. Green candidate Yannick Jadot took 4.5 percent, and Stalinist French Communist Party (PCF) candidate Fabien Roussel 2.4 percent of the vote. All these candidates are now eliminated.

Far-right journalist Eric Zemmour, who has been convicted of inciting racial hatred and is close to sections of the officer corps that agitated for a military coup after the COVID-19 pandemic began, took 7 percent of the vote.

The campaign for the second round is beginning amid enormous uncertainty and popular alienation from the political establishment. There was a high abstention rate of 26.2 percent of registered voters in the first rounda larger number of voters than voted for any of the candidates. Polls have shown Le Pen taking 48 or 49 percent of the vote against Macron, and there is a real possibility that Le Pen could defeat Macron.

While Macron campaigned in 2017 as an investment banker who would revolutionize the economy, France is in shambles. Nearly 1 million people caught COVID-19 over the last week in France, and 768 have died, yet the Macron government encouraged people to come out to vote without masks even if they were positive for COVID-19, making voting a likely superspreader event. Rationing of natural gas and shortages of sunflower oil and other key products are emerging due to NATO sanctions against Russia amid the war in Ukraine.

In a brief speech late Sunday evening, Macron claimed he would build a great movement of unity, rallying the French people in order to block the path of the far right. He claimed: I am ready to invent something new to bring together different convictions and sensibilities to build with them a common action in the service of our nation in the coming years. It is in our power.

Le Pen demagogically portrayed herself as preparing to lead a popular, democratic government. She called on voters of the right, the left, from elsewhere, from all backgrounds to join this great national and popular rally. Officials of Le Pens National Rally (RN) told the daily Liberation, It is the left that, one can say, almost holds the keys to this election.

Le Pens speech combined threats to get immigration back under control, pledges to build up the police, and demagogic appeals to opposition to Macrons anti-worker policies. After Macron pledged to raise the retirement age to 65 and to force welfare recipients to work for their benefits, Le Pen pledged to defend the solidarity we grant to the more vulnerable, the possibility to have guaranteed rights, or to retire while still in good health. Amid reports that Le Pen might try to ban Muslim headscarves, she pledged to defend womens rights and secularism.

The neo-fascists have been allowed to posture as left because Macrons presidency has faced no left-wing opposition from within the political establishment. Macron actively legitimized fascistic policies, including his murderous policy on COVID-19 of living with the virus. He hailed Frances Nazi-collaborationist dictator Philippe Petain while unleashing hordes of riot police to assault yellow vest protests calling for social equality. Macron government officials even publicly attacked Le Pen as being soft on Islam.

Yet in this toxic atmosphere, the parties that the media and ruling elite have built up as the left consistently ceded the ground of political opposition to the far right. Melenchon and pseudo-left parties like the Pabloite New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA) or Workers Struggle (LO) isolated or denounced the yellow vests. They lined up behind anti-vaccine protests led by the far right, even as 142,000 people in France and nearly two million across Europe died of COVID-19.

Finally, Melenchon, the NPA, Stalinist organizations like the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) union, and LO all aligned with Macron and NATO in the war with Russia in Ukraine, where NATO is arming Ukrainian neo-Nazi militias such as the Azov Battalion against Russia.

Whether Macron or Le Pen emerges victorious in the second round, the new president will oversee a reactionary government that will come into violent conflict with the working class. The election of a neo-fascist president in France poses enormous dangers. However, candidates who are now calling on voters to support Macron as the lesser evil against Le Pen are perpetrating a political fraud: Macron is not an alternative to a neo-fascist presidency.

While Zemmour and the minor far-right candidate Nicolas Dupont-Aignan both called to vote Le Pen on the runoff, most of the defeated candidates lined up behind the president of the rich.

Pecresse said, I am deeply worried for the future of our country, as the far right is closer than ever to winning the election. Predicting that Le Pens election would lead to discord, impotence and failure at home, and Frances disappearance from the European and international stage, she said: Thus, despite profound divergences I stressed throughout the campaign, I will vote Emmanuel Macron to prevent Marine Le Pens arrival in power and the chaos that would result.

The Greens, PS and PCF also called for a Macron vote, and Melenchon has made clear LFI will issue a cynical, barely-veiled call for a Macron vote. LFI officials fear the widespread opposition that emerged in 2017 among LFI voters, especially in working class areas of major cities, to voting for either Macron or Le Pen. Melenchons assistant Adrien Quatennens told France2 television that LFI will hold a ballot among its members to allow them to choose what to do, but that a Le Pen vote would not be on the list of choices.

Melenchon, who is 70 years old and has said that he will not stand again in the 2027 presidential elections, presented his failure to advance to the second round as a victory that would strengthen his party. A new page of our struggle is opening. You will turn it, we will turn it with the sense of pride in work well done, he claimed, adding that France faces a political state of emergency.

It is apparent, however, that Melenchon is setting out to play the same reactionary role he played in 2017: corralling millions of his voters behind Macrons violently reactionary presidency. Indeed, at the end of his concessions speech, Melenchon was reduced to repeatedly chanting: You must not give any votes to Mrs. Le Pen! One cannot give a single vote to Mrs. Le Pen!

In reality, the entire militaristic and fascistic course of Macrons own presidency shows that Melenchons perspective is a false one and a dead end for workers and youth seeking to oppose the turn towards the far right in France. Melenchon similarly let it be known that he preferred a Macron vote in 2017 to oppose Le Pen. Yet the result was that LFI helped Macron get elected and turn French politics far to the right.

Stopping this turn to the far right requires mobilizing the working class, independently of and against the entire political establishment, on a socialist and internationalist program.
Victor Orban remains head of the Hungarian government. His right-wing Fidesz party won the parliamentary elections on Sunday for the fourth time in a row.

Victor Orban (Photo: EPP/CC BY-SA 2.0/wikimedia)

With 53 percent of the vote, Fidesz did much better than predicted, winning 135 of 199 parliamentary seats, and retaining a two-thirds majority in parliament. The opposition alliance Hungary in Unity, a coalition of six parties, fell far short of expectations with 35 percent.

Also represented in parliament is the ultra-right party Our Homeland, which achieved 6 percent of the vote. And one mandate goes to the representative of the German minority. Voter turnout was around 70 percent, the same as in the last election four years ago.

Orban is not popular. He is responsible for countless social attacks and has built up an authoritarian system of rule over the past twelve years, restricting democratic rights and bringing the press into line.

The class nature of his government has been particularly evident during the coronavirus pandemic, during which 45,510 people have died from the virus in Hungary. In relation to the size of population, only Bulgaria has more deaths in the EU.

The health system is in a disastrous state. For this reason, the government banned doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff from giving press interviews as early as 2020. Critical journalists are not allowed to enter public hospitals. According to the European Health Care Systems Index (EHCI), Hungary ranks 33 out of 35 countries.

At the beginning of March, the government lifted all coronavirus protections. At the same time, there has been no serious vaccination campaign. By the end of March, only 64.2 percent of the population in Hungary had been vaccinated twice.

The inhumane treatment of refugees, the enforced conformity of the media and the executives open influence on the judiciary meet with strong popular hostility. However, the fact Orban was nevertheless able to win the elections is due to the bankruptcy of the so-called opposition.

The only thing on which the alliance of six partiesranging from the fascist Jobbik party to the Greens, and two completely discredited social democratic partiesagreed was the desire to get rid of Orban. On many issues it was clearly to the right of him.

The fact that Peter Marki-Zay, a right-wing, Christian fundamentalist provincial politician, entered the election as the alliances top candidate speaks volumes. The mayor of the small south-eastern Hungarian town of Hodmezovasarhely accused the xenophobic Fidesz of being only against immigration in words. He accused Orban, who locks up refugees in concentration camps at the border, of preventing the effective control of immigration by generously granting golden visas and residence permits.

While Orban maintains his distance from Brusselsat least in wordsthe alliance promised to improve relations with the European Union. It criticised Orban, saying his tax cuts and economic aid for businesses were too small.

It is significant that this right-wing alliance received support from politicians in several European countries. Greens, such as Germanys Anton Hofreiter, explicitly supported it, even though Jobbiks anti-Semitic and racist representatives would have held ministerial posts had it won the elections.

Ultimately, the decisive factor for Orbans clear electoral success was the Ukraine war. Initially, the alliance had run an anti-corruption election campaign against Orban. When the war broke out, Marki-Zay fully backed NATO and supported its aggressive war policy.

Members of the six-party alliance demanded arms deliveries to Ukraine and the deployment of their own soldiers. Orban was a disgrace in Europe because he had lost the support of NATO, without which Hungary could not be protected, they claimed. In the end, the alliance ran its campaign under the motto, Putin or Europe.

Orban pursued an ambiguous course; he supported the EUs sanctions but did not join in its warmongering, avoiding open criticism of Putin and presenting Hungary as a neutral force between the EU and Russia. He accused the opposition of wanting to drag Hungary into the war, while he favoured neutrality and was keeping the country out of the war.

This won Fidesz more votes than originally predicted. Significant sections of the Hungarian population, as in other European countries, reject both NATOs war policy and Russias war policy. Orban took advantage of this.

His election victory caused anger in Brussels and Berlin. Two days after the election, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU was now initiating the long-delayed procedure against the country for violations of the rule of law.

European Parliament Vice-President Katarina Barley (Social Democratic Party, SPD) said, We now have an avowed EU opponent, an avowed Putin friend in the ranks of the European Council. The leader of the Left Group in the EU Parliament, Martin Schirdewan, added that Orbans election was an encouragement for other authoritarian-oriented heads of government. The contradictions especially along the conflict line of democracy versus authoritarianism will increase massively.

In fact, the representatives of German and European imperialism are not concerned with defending democracy. Rather, in view of the escalation in the Ukraine war, governments fear that there will also be fierce conflicts within Europe.

In Serbia, where elections were also held on Sunday, there was a similar development. The incumbent President Aleksandar Vucic won the first round of the presidential election with over 58 percent. In the parliamentary elections, his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) scored more than 42 percent.

Vucic, who in the past was considered pro-Moscow, held back on criticising Russia in the Ukraine conflict. He rejected the attack on Ukraine, but also the threats of war against Russia.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev Saturday in an unannounced visit that was weeks in planning.

For Johnson, representing NATO powers funnelling staggering amounts of lethal weaponry to Ukraine, the visit was a sickening photo op designed to present him as Europes most fervent warmonger.

A compliant media led their front pages with celebrations of the visit. The Sunday Times ran a photo of Johnson and Zelensky with a menacing armed guard behind them below a headline reading, BROTHERS IN ARMS.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Ukraine. 09/04/2022. Picture supplied by the Ukrainian government. (Number 10/Flckr)

Johnson also calculated that the trip into a war zone would divert attention from a government mired in crisis, which has overseen over 190,000 COVID deaths and is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police over parties held during pandemic lockdowns. Millions of workers are facing a cost-of-living crisis and what the governor of the Bank and England described as a historic shock to their incomes. Even as Johnson left for Kiev, Chancellor Rishi Sunak faced political oblivion as a result of the non-domiciliary, non-UK-taxpaying, status of his wife, who is from one of Indias richest families.

How desperate Johnson was to get to Kiev was detailed in the Mail on Sunday which noted, Last month, it was reported that the Prime Minister had asked officials to examine the practicality and value of the trip to the Ukrainian capital for talks with his Ukrainian counterpart At the time, security officials were said to be having kittens at the prospect of Mr Johnson travelling to a war zone. But a Whitehall source said the Prime Minister wants to go if it can be made to work.

No matter what, the dangerous trip went ahead. It followed Fridays visit by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, alongside EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. The Ukrainian defence ministry tweeted, We welcome Boris Johnson in Kyiv, the first G7 leader to arrive in Ukraine since the beginning of the large-scale war. We are strengthening our union of democracies. Be brave, like Boris. Be brave, like Ukraine.

Johnson set the militarist agenda for his visit the previous day with a Downing Street press conference alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The UK prime minister made another dig at Germanys reliance on Russian energy supplies, stating, We cannot transform our respective energy systems overnight, but we also know that Putins war will not end overnight. Thats why Britain and Germany have joined dozens of allies to supply Ukraine with defensive weapons. Last week, the UK convened a donor conference which raised weapons and equipment for Ukraine worth over 1.5 billionor 2.5 million items of military kit.

Johnsons comments confirm that a proxy war is being waged by NATO against Russia, with the military hardware supplied by the western powers and Ukrainian troops doing the fighting. Announcing the pouring in of yet more weapons, he said, The UK will send a further 100 million worth of high-grade military equipment to Ukraines armed forces, including more Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, which fly at three times the speed of sound, another 800 anti-tank missiles, and precision munitions, capable of lingering in the sky until directed to their target.

We will also send more helmets, night vision and body armour, on top of the 200,000 pieces of non-lethal military equipment the UK has already dispatched.

In Ukraine, Johnson said of Moscows decision to withdraw from Kievs boundaries that Putin has suffered a defeat but his retreat is tactical and he is going to intensify the pressure now in Donbas and in the east.

Britain would more than double its loan guarantee to Ukraine through the World Bank to $1bn, subject to parliamentary approval, Johnson pledged. Tariffs would be liberalised on most Ukrainian exports to the UK and customs checks eased.

Ukraines Ministry of Defence tweeted of a short walkabout by Zelensky and Johnson, This is what democracy looks like.

What a sham! Zelenskys government, elected in 2019, has developed the closest ties with far-right shock troops such as the Right Sector and the neo-Nazi Svoboda Party. These forces led the 2014 US-backed coup which deposed the pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. Today Zelensky is the poster boy of fascist forces, including the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion which played a critical role in the coup.

On Thursday, just two days before Johnsons Kiev visit, Zelensky addressed the Greek parliament in a video message. Finishing his speech, Zelensky added, I am confident that with the help of Greece we will win. Do not listen to me alone. Listen to two fighters.

One of the soldiers who then spoke was from the Azov Battalion. He addressed the parliament of a country occupied by Hitlers fascist armies, which killed 59,000 Greek Jews (83 percent of the total Jewish population, one of the highest percentages in Europe). The fascist declared, I was born in Mariupol, and I take part in the defence of the city from the Russian Nazis.

The crucial role played by armed fascists under Zelensky has been all but expunged from Britains media, with the incident in Greece reported nowhere. Rather, Johnsons visit triggered yet more hysterical demands that the war against Russia must be stepped up. The Observer, the Sunday sister paper of the pro-war Guardian, editorialised, In the face of Vladimir Putins cruelty, Nato must consider taking much tougher options.

It complains, Sanctions on Russia and arms for Ukraine are celebrated by western governments as an unprecedented, unifying success. They tell each other what a good job theyre doing. But its not working.

The continued, shaming, ineffectual western shouting from the sidelines is unacceptable. The sooner [US President] Biden and the rest stop wringing their hands and start calling the shots the better.

There were hard choices western leaders must urgently consider. First, direct intervention to create a safe haven in western Ukraine, where displaced people may congregate instead of fleeing abroad. Inform Moscow in advance of its location and boundaries. Be clear it will be protected by Nato air power and ground forces invited in by Kyiv. Other options included NATO strikes on Russian artillery.

This diatribe for upscaled war, backed by legions of Natos warplanes, concluded, If the west is serious about stopping the war[!], these and similarly robust actions may be the only way left.

Former Daily Telegraph editor Charles Moore could disagree with none of this. Writing Friday in the Conservative governments house newspaper, he declared that among the European powers only the UK was prepared to defeat Moscow militarily. In the case of France and Germany, the feeling is not so much that the country should triumph, but that the killing must stop Jaw-jaw not war-war is the cliche.

Tobias Ellwood MP, chair of parliaments defence select committee, said Johnsons visit was a powerful message directly to Putin that we wont be intimidated. Britain was leading other nations including Poland and Slovakia in breaking away from NATOs self-imposed limits and providing greater military support to Ukraine.

Ellwood boasted, I called for a division of NATO to go in prior to the invasion, but NATO didnt want to know. And I think theyre now regretting that decision So seeing the prime minister step forward, take some leadership was necessary because much of NATO is consolidated within the NATO architecture that theyve left Ukraine outside of that support.
On Saturday April 9, hundreds of Grand Rapids, Michigan residents participated in a march demanding local authorities release the video of the police shooting of 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya. A refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lyoya was killed by a Grand Rapids police officer in the morning of Monday, April 4.

The marchers paused once to stage a reenactment of how the family says Lyoya was killed. The reenactment showed a person on the ground with his hands behind his back and another person kneeling on top of him, holding his finger to the back of his head to represent the officers gun. At the end of the march, participants held a vigil for Patrick Lyoya at the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation.

According to the police account, the Grand Rapids officer pulled over Lyoya, who was traveling with a passenger, at 8:10 a.m. that morning. Although the exact reason for the stop remains unclear, the police allege there was an issue related to the license plate on the vehicle Lyoya was driving.

Patrick Lyoya (family photo)

Police maintain that Lyoya got out of his vehicle to speak with the officer and, when the officer told him that he was going to be arrested, the young man attempted to flee. According to Eric Winstrom, chief of the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD), the officer attempted to detain Lyoya and a struggle ensued which lasted between a minute and a half and two minutes. By the end of the struggle, the chief said, the officer had drawn his pistol and shot Lyoya in the back of the head, killing him.

However, according to Israel Siku, interpreter for the Lyoya family, who speaks Swahili, the Michigan State Police (MSP) gave a much different account. In a meeting with Siku and Peter Lyoya, the victims father, the MSP showed them the video after the father insisted.

In an interview with News 8, Siku said that, from the video, the officer pulled up as Lyoya was already out of his car, checking something. Siku further related that the argument did not start with the officer threatening to arrest him, but rather when the officer ordered Lyoya to get into his vehicle.

Siku explained how Peter Lyoya broke down when he saw the video. As a father himself, Siku said, he was unable to sleep that night. Siku went on to describe Patricks killing as an execution, saying that Patrick Lyoya was facedown on the ground when he was shot in the back of the head.

When reporters asked Chief Winstrom if this was an accurate description, he refused to answer the question. The name of the officer who killed Lyoya has not been released. The department has confirmed that the officer is white and has worked for GRPD since 2015. After the killing, the officer was placed on administrative leave and the Michigan State Police were called in to handle the investigation.

The Lyoya family came to the United States from the Congo as refugees, fleeing violence in their homeland. While his father, Peter Lyoya, lives in Lansing, Patrick was living in Grand Rapids with his girlfriend and their two daughters.

Police records indicate that Lyoya had been arrested three times in relation to stolen vehicles and pleaded guilty to misdemeanors in these cases. His father told News 8 about his son, saying, He was a good kid, a smart kid. He was a hard worker. His father continued, He was a sharing person. He helped his family. If he had money, he would share with them.

The police have so far refused to allow the Lyoya family to see Patricks body. Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack accompanied Peter Lyoya to the medical examiners office to ask to see his sons body. In a post on Facebook, Womack stated that they refused to show the body because of the investigation and the policies. In an apparent contradiction of these same claims, the medical examiners office also told Peter Lyoya that they could release the body to a funeral home.

Peter Lyoya, speaking through an interpreter, told News 8, When we try to do investigation to find out where Patrick is, they cannot allow me to go see my sons body. When Womack asked Chief Winstrom for the coroners preliminary report, Winstrom gave the family the number of the Michigan State Police, to ask them for it.

The police have so far refused to release the officers bodycam and dashcam footage, though Chief Winstrom has stated footage will be released by April 15. Peter Lyoya also maintains that the passenger in Patricks car took a video on his cell phone, which the police seized. As quoted by MLive, Winstrom gave a typical police public relations comment, saying that he is committed to providing information as transparently and quickly as the investigation allows.

In response to the shooting, the president of the Grand Rapids NAACP, Cle Jackson, demanded the immediate release of the video, saying on April 6, The public deserves to have the footage released immediately.

On April 7, Christopher Becker of the Kent County Prosecutors Office took responsibility for the refusal to release the video. Becker said, To maintain the integrity of this investigation, I have requested that involved police agencies do not release any evidence until the investigation is complete. Although Becker did not explain how the investigation could be compromised by releasing the video to the public, he said, As is the policy with any ongoing investigation, we do not release any material for public consumption.

While Commissioner Womack does not state it outright, he implied in an April 6 statement on his Facebook page that he may have seen the video. In his post, he says, This was an execution.  This man was murdered in a way I cannot accept. Further on in this statement, Womack said that a few police and many politicians have threatened his career because of his public comments.

City Manager Mark Washington also weighed in on the request for release of the video. We want to respect the process, and we heard from the prosecutor today, and the police chief is going to be meeting with prosecutor Becker, talking about his preferences, requests, and making sure that we can both protect the integrity of the investigate process, but also do so in a way that continues to promote accountability and transparency to our community, he said.

The killing of Lyoya followed by several days another instance of police violence in Grand Rapids. Video of a GRPD traffic stop conducted on Friday, April 1 went viral when it showed a police chase of a man into a vacant lot, where he left his vehicle and went to his house. The police officers pulled their guns on the man and his wife when they came out of their house.

Peter Lyoya spoke about the broader issues which face immigrants and asylum seekers in the United States: I want to say for those people who are seeking asylum here, refuge, I dont want you to think this is a safe place. I thought it was a safe place, but it seems like we are in danger even when we come here.
On the issues of militarism and rearmament for war, the coalition government of the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Liberal Democrats (FDP) has adopted the programme of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). With its 100 billion special defence budget fund, the coalition even surpassed the AfD's demand for armaments expenditure of two percent of gross domestic product. Now, with the rejection of a vaccine mandate in a parliamentary vote, it is apparent that the government's pandemic policy also aligns with the AfD's demands.

Significantly, AfD parliamentary deputy Stephan Brandner praised the official coronavirus policy even before the vote, saying, This time for coronavirus measures is over, if it ever was there. That you have recognised thisand respect for thatyou have documented in the last amendment to the Infection Protection Act. People should be released back into freedom...

In the Bundestag (federal parliament) debate before the vote on Thursday, AfD deputy Martin Sichert appealed, I call on all of you: join us! Show that democracy is worth something to you and vote against vaccine mandates!

SPD candidate for chancellor Olaf Scholz, second from right, Green Party leaders Annalena Baerbock, second from left, and Robert Habeck, left, and FDP leader Christian Lindner, right, at a joint news conference in Berlin (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

His call was heard. In the end, a clear majority in the Bundestag voted against the motion from the ranks of the SPD and the Greens for vaccine mandates for those over 60. Some 378 deputies heeded the AfD's call and voted no. The Christian Democratic Unions (CDU) Vaccination Prevention Act, to establish a vaccination register and possible compulsory vaccination in autumn, was also clearly rejected with 496 no votes.

In the debate, numerous government and opposition representatives repeated the narrative of the AfD and other far-right coronavirus deniers that a vaccine mandate would be an unacceptable state encroachment into fundamental rights and personal freedom.

Christian Democratic Union politician Tino Sorge said, It has irritated me for weeks that we always so succinctly pass over the question of encroachment, saying: Well, it is an encroachment on fundamental rights. We are talking about weighing up fundamental rights. We are talking about encroachments on bodily integrity.

Max Lucks of the Green Party justified his rejection of vaccine mandates by saying, I'm worried that the exclusion of confinement for contempt of court won't stand up to constitutional challenges and individual health reasons may fall through the normative categories.

Well-known Left Party politician Sahra Wagenknecht called on the government to stop patronising people! Coronavirus vaccination must remain a personal decision!

To applause from the AfD, FDP deputy federal leader Wolfgang Kubicki claimed that the pandemic was now harmless, stating, If we can agree on these points, there must be no vaccination mandates on constitutional grounds. After all, it is not the task of the state to force adults to protect themselves against their will.

In an earlier statement on the campaign against vaccination, the World Socialist Web Site noted, It is always the most right-wing forces that oppose the protection of social rights by raising the banner of individual rights, the most notorious of which is the right of profit. This is exactly the point: the deliberate mass infection of the population in the interests of capital.

The WSWS has always stressed that vaccination alone cannot stop the virus, but only in conjunction with all other scientifically necessary measures. But it is an important tool to save lives. By rejecting vaccine mandates, the coalition government once again underlines that it is prepared to accept mass deaths. Since the SPD, Greens and FDP have formed a majority in the Bundestag, 33,800 people have already died of coronavirusa result of the systematic dismantling of protective measures:

On November 25, even before the coalition government was in office, the coalition leaders ended the designation of a national epidemic emergency' and thus took away the legal basis for lockdowns, school and business closures, as well as other life-saving measures. At the same time, the president of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lothar Wieler, warned of 400 deaths per day and hospitals were already reaching occupancy rates of up to 95 percent.

After presenting the government programme at the end of November, Chancellor Scholz (SPD) again explicitly spoke out against lockdowns and school closures. The only measure he proposed was a general vaccination obligation until the end of February. At that time, the death toll in Germany had just passed the 100,000 mark and hospitals were preparing to ration health treatments using a triage system.

In its first months in office, the criminal inaction of the coalition government led to Omicron becoming the dominant variant, driving infection figures to record levels. Despite this, on January 7, the government reduced the quarantine period from 14 to 10, then seven, and then five days. Contact tracing and public testing were also greatly reduced.

In early February, with 250,000 people being infected daily, the upper limit for spectators at major events was raised to 10,000 nationwide. Individual states began to lift the 2G rule limiting attendance at public venues/events to those who have recovered from COVID or are fully vaccinated.

On February 16, at the height of the omicron wave at the time, the federal-state conference decided to lift the 2G rule as well as the compulsory wearing of an FFP2 mask to catering establishments and clubs from March 4, and to increase the maximum capacity at large events to 25,000. At the end of March, all extensive protective measures were to end.

On March 18, the new Infection Protection Act was passed, reducing coronavirus measures to basic protectionmandatory mask wearing on local and long-distance transport, as well as in nursing homes and hospitals.

On April 4, Lauterbach announced that the quarantine obligation would be lifted completely. He later had to withdraw this proposal due to massive public outrage. This does not change anything about the profits before lives policy of the ruling class, which means between 200 and 300 COVID deaths every day.

The Left Party also supports the murderous herd immunity policies. Both the motion on vaccine mandates for those over 60 years old and the motion to create a vaccination register were rejected by a majority of their deputies. Numerous leading Left Party politicians, including Gregor Gysi and Sahra Wagenknecht, even supported Kubicki's motion, which explicitly opposed vaccine mandates, calling this an encroachment on fundamental rights, in the style of the AfD.

The rejection of vaccine mandates by the Bundestag illustrates once again that the struggle against the pandemic requires the independent mobilisation of the working class. Workers and youth must form rank-and-file action committees in schools and workplaces to take the fight for the necessary measures to eliminate COVID-19 into their own hands.
Petrol, heating, electricity and foodprices in Germany are rising at breakneck speed in the face of the Ukraine war. While this hardly matters for the rich and upper middle classes who set the tone in politics and the media, for the overwhelming share of the population it threatens their existence.

WSWS reporters spoke about the current situation to workers, pensioners, unemployed and single parents in the Ruhr city of Duisburg in front of a Lidl supermarket. Last year, the consumer price index in the Ruhr area had already risen by 5.2 percent. On the other hand, wages, and especially welfare benefits, hardly increased at all. Welfare recipients, who must spend most of their income on food, have received 449 a month since Januaryonly 0.7 percent or 3 more than before. Currently, this is about the price of a litre of sunflower oil at the discount supermarkets.

Empty shelves and massive price increases for cooking oil and many other food products (Photo: WSWS Media)

Its a disaster, says Nezir, originally from Kosovo. He receives a minimal pension and can now only afford what is on special offer, even at the discounters. Everything else is too expensive. He runs from one discount supermarket to the next to do his shopping. I have to look for offers all the time, as the prices go up every week.

Georgina is a single parent. Everything is getting more expensive; I really have to scrimp on money now. If you look now, a litre of cooking oil costs 4.99 instead of 79 cents, thats quite a difference. People dont drive anywhere anymore because they simply cant afford it. Those who suffer most are the children, she says. Everything falls away, going swimming, going to the forest for a walk, etc. If you have to spend all your money on food, then that means missing out on leisure activities.

Georgina (Photo: WSWS Media)

Georgina is against spending huge amounts of money on war. We should not be involved in war in the first place. That we are paying for it now is obviously the easiest way for the government. The Germans let themselves be bullied for far too long before they start making a fuss.

She also disagrees with the medias statements that Putin is the sole cause of the war. Putin has been warning long enough and says he wants to negotiate. But if he is ignored, if he is not heard, then that is the consequence now. The fact that others are now interfering is also no good. Im not a fan of the US anyway, they interfere everywhere.

Ms. Scheidemans was born in the Netherlands. She, too, must see what I can afford, but says she can still manage, to a certain extent. I have a good job, but you notice that you have to withdraw money from the ATM again much sooner. She tells us, I have to limit myself a little. With certain kinds of fruit, I now look when they are in season and when they are cheaper. I dont buy them now otherwise.

She is also trying to save and buy provisions in other places. Im currently thinking about asking the public utility company to deduct more for my monthly bills so that I dont end up with a big bang when it comes to the additional payment at the end of the year.

Asked about the campaign that says people should heat their homes less because of the war, she says, Ive been doing that for a while too; I turn the heating down a bit and dress a bit warmer in the flat. But freezing for the sake of waging war, I dont think thats acceptable. Saving energy is good, but there are people who just cant heat a little less. For example, rheumatism patients who might freeze at home in the cold season, then they only have pain, thats simply not possible.

We spoke to several retirees whose pensions are melting away in the face of price increases. You can really feel it, Beate says about the price increases. But we have to do a bit of shopping, what else can you do? Food prices, petrol prices, it can make you get upset.

Beate (Photo: WSWS Media)

Asked about the massive increase in arms spending, Beate says, Yes, Im surprised where the money is coming from suddenly. There is never money for anything else; when we pensioners wanted something, they said there was no money. Now its being thrown around, you just cant understand it. I hope we dont have another war here.

Dunja, also a pensioner, added, When you think how expensive everything has become, up to 6 for cooking oil, thats pretty steep. All food has become expensive. I must have paid 50 cents more for my courgettes, and milk has also become more expensive. It doesnt matter if its discounters like Aldi or Lidl, everyone has raised prices.

The rich are getting richer, the poor poorer, says pensioner Dagmar. There is money for war, but not for us. They take everything away from us and thats where it goes, she says, visibly angry. Her granddaughter has equally clear words about the current war and says, It doesnt have to be.

Sabrina is an outpatient geriatric nurse and looks after senior citizens for a living. She herself tries to shop and live as carefully as possible with the means she has. She says the price increases for basic foodstuffs have not affected her that much yet. I attach more importance to quality than to quantity and I dont usually buy meat at Lidl. We also try to save on heating.

She looks after people who have been through one or even two wars. Why they should now tighten their belts for the war against Ukraine was beyond her, she says. Thats not on. The 80-year-olds are already sitting in their flats and trembling with fear about war. They dont want to witness another world war. They cant sleep, they take tranquillisers.

Referring to the Bundeswehr (armed forces), which is currently being massively rearmed, she says, We should stay out of it. Things were already bad enough now, she added. Im also sorry for people in Ukraine, but this is a bigger political thing and needs to be solved through negotiations.

But the opposite is the case. Military and economic warfare against Russia is being pushed by all NATO countries. Should an embargo on importing Russian gas and oil into Germany be imposed, it would have even more disastrous consequences for all workers. At Lidl, they have already increased prices three times, but my wage has remained the same, complained one worker who came to Duisburg from Kazakhstan more than 20 years ago.
Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning is cancelled for the following rivers in Indiana... White River at Elliston. ...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Indiana... Illinois... Wabash River at Lafayette down to Riverton. White River at Edwardsport. .Recent rainfall is leading to minor flooding in Indiana along most of the Wabash River and the White River at Edwardsport. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/ind. This statement will be updated within the next 12 to 24 hours. && ...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL LATE FRIDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Wabash River at Montezuma. * WHEN...Until late Friday morning. * IMPACTS...At 20.0 feet, Park in southern Montezuma begins to flood. Higher bottomlands begin to flood. Water backs up most local tributaries. River water is at the top of some private levees. Lowest county roads begin to flood. Parke CR 75 W begins to flood. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 8:45 PM EDT Friday the stage was 15.9 feet. - Recent Activity...The maximum river stage in the 24 hours ending at 8:45 PM EDT Friday was 15.9 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to rise to a crest of 19.9 feet early Sunday afternoon. It will then fall below flood stage late Thursday evening. - Flood stage is 14.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
The umbrella body for genocide survivors Ibuka, in Rubavu district has called upon 'more efforts in mobilizing young people to combat genocide ideology and denial as Rwanda marks the 28th commemoration of the Genocide against Tutsi.

The commemoration was on April 7 marked at the district level at Mount Muhungwe in Rubavu, where thousands of Tutsis were killed during the Genocide in 1994.

Speaking on behalf of families who lost their loved ones at this hill, Gerard Mbarushimana, the head of Ibuka in Rubavu, said there are still people with hate and genocide ideology.

"We strongly condemn those who still spread hate and genocide ideology. They are present both in Rwanda and outside the country especially using social media," he said.

Adding, "We ask the district to put more efforts in mobilising the youth to join the fight against this toxic ideology. We also ask that genocide survivors are not discouraged and held back by those evil acts."

Senator Marie-Rose Mureshyankwano who was the guest of hour also stressed that youth need to learn from history written by Rwandans so as to know the truth of what happened and also use the power of social media to disseminate it.

Mureshyankwano also spoke about rumours and people who spread lies on social media calling upon youth to fight against it and genocide denial.

"There are a lot rumours on social media mainly from people outside the country; avoid such. I also urge the youth whose parents participated in the Genocide and are still held captive of the bad past we went through to challenge them using available information."

The youth present at the event committed to put more effort in seeking information on what happened during the Genocide to be able to counter such narratives.

"We use social media [too] just like those who spread hate. We must therefore use it constructively," said Edison Ngiruwonsaga, a youth coordinator in Kanama Sector.
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document

Bureau of African Affairs, Delivered Virtually from Washington, DC

April 7, 2022

It is my honor to be here with you this afternoon on the solemn occasion of Kwibuka 28. Thank you to Ambassador Mukantabana for inviting me. It is a privilege to be here as we come together to "Remember, Unite, and Renew."

On the 28th anniversary of the tragic events that unfolded in 1994, the United States commemorates the Tutsi - men, women, and children - who were targeted for their ethnicity and murdered during one hundred days of genocidal violence. We grieve for the lives lost during this period, which also include Hutu and others who were killed for resisting this unspeakable violence. We stand with the survivors who bore witness to these crimes.

Each year, we are also reminded of the incredible strength and resilience of the Rwandan people. The United States is proud to stand with the people and the Government of Rwanda in their efforts to overcome the terrible legacy of one of the darkest chapters in human history.

In the wake of genocide, Rwanda united in reconciliation, attaining remarkable progress in becoming a more peaceful and prosperous nation. As we join in remembering the victims and reaffirming our support for the people of Rwanda in their continued efforts for unity and renewal, we oppose any attempt to misrepresent the historical record for political purposes. In particular, we strongly oppose any denial or minimization of the genocide that was intended to destroy Tutsi.

The United States has been and will remain one of Rwanda's strongest supporters in seeking accountability for the genocide--from our role helping to establish and support the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, to the State Department's ongoing financial rewards for information leading to the arrest of the remaining fugitives wanted by the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. We will never stop helping victims seek justice for these crimes.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines U.S., Canada and Africa Rwanda By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.

We remain steadfast in supporting the peace and prosperity of the Rwandan people and preventing the horror of mass atrocities from occurring again. The United States will continue to work side-by-side with the Rwandan people, the Government of Rwanda, and the international community as we seek to bring those responsible for genocide to justice.

Thank you again for allowing me the opportunity to join you on this solemn day, which gives us the opportunity to remember the victims of genocide, to unite in upholding our common humanity, and to renew our commitment to protecting the vulnerable.
Republicans are growing bullish that Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson pictured here, on February 2021 in Washington, DC will launch his reelection campaign in 2022
Russia is set to resume flight connectivity with 52 countries, including Seychelles, as the country lifts restrictions put in place to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Russia remains the top tourism market for Seychelles for the first quarter of 2022.

According to TASS, the Russian Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin, announced on Monday that starting from April 9, Russia is lifting restrictions set for fighting against the coronavirus pandemic. This applies to regular and charter flights between Russia and a number of other countries.

"Now, we are resuming flights with 52 countries, including Argentina, India, China, South Africa, and other friendly states," said Mishustin.

The Russian Embassy in Seychelles told SNA on Friday that "Seychelles was in fact among the very first countries with which Russia resumed flight connectivity when the borders started to open up gradually after the pandemic lockdown."

"The inclusion of Seychelles into the recently expanded list of countries to which no travel restrictions apply confirms once again that the archipelago maintains its position as a safe destination. As for direct flights, Aeroflot is working on a plan to resume them in the near future," said the Embassy.

Russia continues to be top tourism market

According to the figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics on April 7, Russians remained the most numerous visitors to Seychelles for the first quarter of the year, after a record year in 2021, when Russia was Seychelles' top tourism market, contributing 32,000 of the country's total of 182,849 visitors.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Seychelles Environment Travel By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.

This year, out of 77,655 visitors who arrived in Seychelles, a group of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, from January to March, 12,174 - accounting for 16 percent of total arrivals - were from Russia. France was the second market with 11,109 arrivals, accounting for 14 percent of the total visitor arrivals for this period.

Furthermore, Aeroflot has said it will be resuming flights to some countries located in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Some Latin American countries of North and South America also made the list.

Russia's national airline cancelled its flights to Seychelles on March 9 after the airline had issued a press statement saying that all international flights except those with Minsk in Belarus would be temporarily suspended as of March 8.

Despite sanctions imposed on Russia by western and European countries due to its ongoing war with Ukraine, airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, and Sri Lankan Airlines among others, continued operating flights to the eastern European country.
One of two men charged in the shooting death of a 30-year-old man in 2020 has been sentenced to a century of prison time, according to court documents.

Luis Antonio Rodriguez, 28, along with Adam Christopher Sorbel, 39, both from Sioux Falls, are charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of kidnapping and one count of committing or attempting to commit a felony with a firearm, according to court documents.

Rodriguez took a plea deal in November and pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter.

On Friday, Rodriguez appeared before a judge at the Minnehaha County Courthouse where he was given 100 years in prison, with 20 years suspended and credit for nearly two years in jail for the manslaughter charge, according to court documents.

Rodriguez had all his other charges dismissed.

A first-degree murder charge in South Dakota is punishable by mandatory life in prison without the chance of parole and possibly the death penalty. Manslaughter can be sentenced to up to life in prison with a parole eligibility.

More: Sioux Falls man changes plea in 2020 homicide case, has other charges dropped

What do the charges stem from?

Rodriguez's charges stem from the death of Cody Allen Schmidt, 30, from Sioux Falls, who was found shot to death the morning of Aug. 3, 2020 near a field west of Sioux Falls by Wall Lake, according to prior reporting by the Argus Leader.

Schmidt's body was found by a farmer checking on his cattle after a neighbor reported hearing gunshots in the area the night before.

Rodriguez and Sorbel said they planned to "scare" Schmidt after finding he'd taken Sorbel's cell phone, according to court documents.

The plan was to strip Cody naked and make him walk naked back into town, according to the affidavit.

Sorbel has his jury trial scheduled for July 11, 2022, according to court documents.

Got a story idea from your community? Email reporter Alfonzo Galvan at agalvan@argusleader.com or follow him on Twitter @GalvanReports.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls man sentenced for death of Cody Allen Schmidt in 2020
A portrait of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is displayed at a national meeting to commemorate Kim's 10-year anniversary as head of the country's ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang

By Josh Smith

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea praised Kim Jong Un's leadership in developing nuclear weapons, touted his political achievements, and unveiled new portraits and exhibitions to celebrate his 10 years in charge of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).

Kim is considered to have assumed power when he was named supreme commander of the military after his father, Kim Jong Il, died in Dec. 2011.

Monday marks ten years since the younger Kim was elected as the top party and state leader. The Kim family has ruled the one-party state for its entire history.

In a speech at a national meeting on Sunday, Choe Ryong Hae, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and one of the most senior officials under Kim, praised the North Korean leader as "a gifted thinker and theoretician, outstanding statesman and peerlessly great commander."

The events started a week of commemorations that will also include the 110-year anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder and Kim Jong Un's grandfather, on Friday.

Commercial satellite imagery has shown North Korean troops practicing for a military parade that could be held this week. Analysts also say there are signs that North Korea could display its ICBMs at the event.

Last month North Korea set alarm bells ringing in Seoul, Tokyo and Washington by conducting a full ICBM test for the first time since 2017, ending a self-imposed moratorium on such tests

New construction has been spotted at North Korea's nuclear test site, raising concerns that it could soon explode a weapon for the first time since 2017. Last week North Korea said it opposes war but will not hesitate to use its nuclear weapons if it is attacked by South Korea.

Choe called Kim "a peerless patriot and a great defender of peace" for making North Korea "a full-fledged military power equipped with all powerful physical means of self-defence."

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Under Kim North Korea conducted four of its six nuclear tests, and developed massive intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that analysts believe may be capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

Despite facing unprecedented difficulties, Kim had opened up a new era for North Korea as a powerful socialist nation prospering and developing with self-sustenance and self-reliance, Choe said.

Kim has vowed to improve residents' lives and tried to boost North Korea's economy, but it suffered major contractions in recent years as it was battered by international sanctions, COVID-19 lockdown measures and bad weather. U.N. agencies have warned of possible humanitarian crises.

State media unveiled a rare new official portrait of Kim on Sunday, and reported that a Pyongyang museum had opened a new exhibition to showcase the achievements of his "immortal leadership".

"Ten years is a fine time for Kim to try and boost his cult of personality even higher," Colin Zwirko, an analytical correspondent with NK News, which monitors North Korea, said on Twitter.

(Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
The White House launched a rural infrastructure tour on Monday, which will send Biden administration officials into communities across the nation to tout the new infrastructure law ahead of the midterms.

The law stands as the White Houses number one legislative accomplishment, especially with a separate social spending and climate change measure known as Build Back Better on ice.

Officials will travel to dozens of rural communities in April to highlight the law is expected, covering the states of Alaska, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Washington and West Virginia.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters on a call on Monday that the tour is intended for rural communities to know they are not being left out of this historic bill.

Its important for us to focus on rural America, said Vilsack, who is not traveling on the tour yet since he tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. Its an important part of America. It is critically important to the mission of America.

Others traveling on the tour include Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The administration also released on Monday a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Rural Playbook that breaks down opportunities for rural areas in the law as a resource for state, local, tribal and territorial governments.

It provides information on the what, when, where, and how to apply for funding under the law, according to the White House, and identifies more than 100 programs funded. The playbook builds on the guidebook the administration released in January to help state and local governments access funding from the law.

Throughout April, the administration will announce billions for rural areas including for water projects, flood mitigation, transportation, health care and tribal community grants, as well as new technical assistance programs for rural and tribal communities.

To kick that off, President Biden announced a $1 billion America the Beautiful Challenge on Monday. The public private grant program will be administered by National Fish and Wildlife Federation and support voluntary, locally led conservation efforts across the country.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
HITTING THE ROAD: Balenciaga is heading to New York City to unveil its spring 2023 collection, WWD has learned.

The Paris-based fashion house, controlled by French luxury group Kering, said its creative director Demna would stage a runway show there on May 21.

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Other details, including the venue, are still under wraps.

Its the latest sign of a strong return to destination fashion shows as the pandemic loosens its grip. As reported, Pucci is heading to Capri on April 28 to unveil its first designs by Camille Miceli and Dior plans to hold a runway show for Maria Grazia Chiuris pre-fall 2022 womens ready-to-wear collection on April 30 in Seoul.

Chanel kicks off the 2023 cruise season with a showing May 5 in Monaco, and Louis Vuitton heads to southern California for its show on May 12. Meanwhile, Gucci has earmarked May 16 for a coed show to be held somewhere in Europe, and Kim Jones plans to unveil his spring 2023 mens collection for Dior in Los Angeles on May 19.

Balenciagas New York showing is bound to be a hot ticket, given Demnas reputation for mounting immersive and gripping fashion spectacles.

His fall 2022 show in Paris last month had models battling gale-force winds in a giant snow globe, evoking images of Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country amid Russias invasion.

The designer is known for fearless and incisive commentary on the climate crisis, the perils of technology, the geopolitical situation  and fashion itself.

He also continues to have a broad impact on fashion. Last July, he staged Balenciagas first couture show since Cristobal Balenciaga retired from fashion in 1968, and his strong-shouldered tailoring foreshadowed a glut of dark pantsuits in an array of fall 2022 collections.

Alexander McQueen, also controlled by Kering, opted to show its fall 2022 womenswear collection in New York on March 15.  MILES SOCHA

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MARIA GRAZIA HONORED: On Friday evening in Washington, D.C., the National Museum of Women in the Arts honored Maria Grazia Chiuri, artist Judy Chicago and Mellody Hobson, co-chief executive officer and president of Ariel Investments, at the museums annual spring gala. The night, which was sponsored by Dior and was the first spring gala for the museum since 2019, featured a performance by Charlotte Day Wilson and drew D.C. art patrons in their black tie best.

Mellody Hobson, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Judy Chicago. - Credit: Ben Rosser/BFA.com

Ben Rosser/BFA.com

The evening was co-chaired by Ashley Davis and Marlene Malek, and the Ambassador of France, Philippe Etienne, served as honorary diplomatic chair. It marked the first of a string of honors for Chiuri, who will next travel to New York to be recognized at the Brooklyn Artists Ball on Tuesday.  LEIGH NORDSTROM

ESCAPE KEY: I think I read for the escapism, the same reason I love movies, said Margot Robbie in the latest instalment of Chanels In the Library With released Friday.

The Australian actress and producer reveals some of the books that swept her away in this eight-minute episode of the French fashion houses Rendez-vous Litteraires Rue Cambon (literary gatherings at Rue Cambon, in English) series.

Margot Robbie - Credit: Courtesy of Chanel

Courtesy of Chanel

Robbie revealed that she enjoys cutting away from the world with a book and a cup of tea in her reading nook, owing to a childhood habit of climbing into a tree or the roof for some respite from the hubbub of her busy family home.

One of the first destinations she escaped to was the fantasy world of J.R.R. Tolkien, which she discovered at age 8 when a teacher read The Hobbit in class. As soon as she started reading it, I was so hooked, Robbie remembers, recalling that her impatience to know what happened next led her to pick up the book from her older sister.

Up next for the young voracious reader were a number of book series, starting with Harry Potter, in which her husband, British film producer Tom Ackerley, appeared as an extra at age 11; American series Nancy Drew, and The Famous Five and The Secret Seven adventure and detective novels by English childrens author Enid Blyton.

Becoming an actress then a director changed her relationship to the written word. Its really hard to read a book without thinking about it in a work sense, she says, revealing she enjoyed scripts, thanks to a format that allows her to get through them in a couple of hours.

Robbie also expressed her belief in the power of words, be it to unlock a character or even change her experience while traveling. It could be one line and it can change everything, she feels.

Take Ernest Hemingways The Sun Also Rises, which was recommended to her just before she went backpacking in Europe at age 18. Despite being initially unsure about the title when she picked it up before beginning her journey, she said the book became everything to her once she arrived in the Spanish city of Pamplona for its Running of the Bulls festival.

Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird  one of the few school-time readings she actually enjoyed  is a book she has returned to several times. The use of language and her vocabulary is quite remarkable, she said, revealing that her appreciation led her to name her dog Boo Radley after one of the characters.

When asked about her favorite books, she named Five People You Meet in Heaven, a philosophical novel by American author Mitch Albom; and Animals by Emma Jane Unsworth.

Other volumes she called out include Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock N Roll Generation Saved Hollywood by Peter Biskind, and The Magicians, a kind of grown-up Harry Potter she is currently reading.

Although she does enjoy love stories and those featuring male duos, narratives around female friendships hold a special part in her bookshelf as their depiction with that emotional weight that they do have in real life are quite rare.

Women will agree that their friendship with their best girlfriend is hugely important, she concludes.

Previous videos in the series have explored the literary tastes of Chanel ambassadors Tilda Swinton, Margaret Qualley and Charlotte Casiraghi.  LILY TEMPLETON

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A poster with a picture taken by Ukrainian photographer Maxim Dondyuk of a damaged building, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is displayed for Russian passengers on their way between Kaliningrad exclave and mainland Russia at Vilnius railway station, Lithuania. REUTERS/Andrius Sytas

Russians traveling from the mainland to the enclave of Kaliningrad have to stop in Lithuania.

There, they are greeted by an exhibition showing the realities of the war in Ukraine.

"It's the least that we can do," a spokesperson for Lithuanian Railways said.

Russians taking the train from Moscow to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad have to pass through Vilnius station in Lithuania. When their train pauses at the platform, they are greeted with 24 large posters depicting the war in Ukraine.

The posters show pictures of corpses, injured civilians, grieving families, destroyed homes and infrastructure, and child refugees.

All posters have the same message: "Today, Putin is killing civilians in Ukraine. Do you support this?"

A poster with a picture taken by Ukrainian photographer Maxim Dondyuk of a war scene, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is displayed for Russian passengers on their way between Kaliningrad exclave and mainland Russia at Vilnius railway station, Lithuania March 25, 2022. REUTERS/Andrius Sytas

A map showing the location of Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave next to Lithuania and Poland Google Maps/Insider

"As far as we know, Russians are shielded from what is happening in Ukraine."Maybe we can change the minds of a very small number of passengers," Mantas Dubauskas, a spokesperson for the state-owned Lithuanian railways, who have erected the posters, told Reuters.

"It's the least that we can do," he added.

A banner with a photo by Evgeniy Maloletka, a photographer working for Associated Press (AP), is seen next to other photographs of Russia's war in Ukraine at the railway station in Vilnius, Lithuania on March 25, 2022, where transit trains from Moscow to Kaliningrad make a stop over. PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP via Getty Images

Workers attach a banner with a photo of a pregnant woman being carried on a stretcher after the bombing of a maternity ward in Mariupol during Russia's war in Ukraine that is displayed as part of an exhibition at the railway station in Vilnius, Lithuania PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP via Getty Images

The Russian parliament recently passed a law criminalizing the spread of "fake" news regarding the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has repeatedly stated that the atrocities witnessed in Ukraine, including the Bucha massacre and bombing of a Mariupol hospital, are fake.

Insider's Mia Jankowicz reported that Putin's disinformation is so effective, that Ukrainians can't convince their own families in Russia they are under attack.

Read the original article on Business Insider
OVER 700 youths from the villages and streets surrounding Geita Gold Mine Company Limited (GGML) have been employed in the mine in an endeavour to demonstrate positive relations between the investor and the community.

GGML Senior Public Relations and Management Manager, Mr Manase Ndoroma, told reporters this week that the employment programme for youth employment has been implemented by GGML in collaboration with local government authorities around the mine.

"We are also committed to support the government in executing many development projects ...to achieve such a goal, the company has been deducting 60,000/- from monthly salary of every young person who come to work with us to support such projects in the community," he said.

As of now, he added, about 43m/- has been collected from monthly salaries of the already employed 716 youths and channeled to some development projects in the surrounding community.

He further explained that, the deductions are mostly used in construction of infrastructure as well as improving social services, to enable people to benefit from GGML, be it directly or indirectly.

"We have upgraded over 10 village offices to smoothen provision of the services to citizens. Some of the development projects have been independently run through the Corporate Social Responsibility programmes," he said.

Nyakabale Street Chairman, Mr Bernard Samandito, commended the GGML for continuing to recruit from 117 in 2021 to over 700 youths to date.

"It is true that we have mutual agreements with these employees, each one is paid 300,000/- as monthly salary, with some amount being deducted in the sense of supporting community development projects," he said.

Mr Samandito made it clear that the move has played a great role towards improvements in social services and reduces the inconvenience of youths getting engaged in illegal activities such as vandalism, fraud and theft.
LONDON  With the U.S. market notching strong double-digit growth, luxury retailer Watches of Switzerland is reinforcing its senior management team, promoting David Hurley to president, North America, and deputy chief executive officer of the group.

Hurley is currently executive vice president, U.S., and will work alongside CEO Brian Duffy, who is based in London. The U.S. is the groups fastest-moving market and is notching growth of more than 40 percent.

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By the end of the 2025 calendar year, the U.S. market will be the same size as Watches of Switzerlands home market of the U.K., the company said.

WoS is the U.K.s largest retailer for Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Omega, Tag Heuer and Breitling. It also owns the premium luxury British jewelers Goldsmiths and Mappin & Webb. In 2017, it began expanding rapidly in the U.S. with the purchase of the Mayors watches and jewelry stores.

On Monday, the group also announced the promotion of Craig Bolton to president, Watches of Switzerland Group, U.K. and Europe. Bolton is executive director U.K.

Beginning May 1, Chabi Nouri will join the board of WoS as an independent non-executive director and a member of the companys ESG committee. Nouri was previously president and CEO of the Compagnie Financiere Richemont-owned Piaget, and an executive at Cartier.

She is currently a private equity partner of Mirabaud and co-fund manager of the Mirabaud Lifestyle franchise.

Regarding the appointments, Duffy said the groups management structure continues to develop in response to, and in anticipation of, our business development. I look forward to working with David and Craig as we continue to execute our long-range plan.

The Watches of Switzerland Group has more than 170 stores across the U.K. and the U.S., including 51 dedicated mono-brand boutiques in partnership with Rolex, Tag Heuer, Breitling, Omega, Tudor, Audemars Piguet, Grand Seiko, Bulgari and Fope.

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WoS also has units at Heathrow Airport in Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 as well as seven retail websites.

Mappin & Webb holds royal warrants as goldsmiths, silversmiths and jeweler to Queen Elizabeth and silversmiths to Prince Charles. The Mappin & Webb master jeweler has been Crown Jeweler, custodian of the British Crown Jewels, since 2012.

In the third fiscal quarter ended Jan. 30, WoS group revenue was up nearly 28 percent to 348.1 million pounds year-over-year in constant currency. In the first nine months of the fiscal year, group revenue totaled 934.3 million, representing growth of 38 percent year-over-year.

In the fiscal third quarter, U.S. revenue was up 44.6 percent to 124.6 million pounds year-over-year. The company said ultra high-end watch sales (brands including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet) grew 32.4 percent in the quarter, while sales of other brands were up 214.3 percent.

Last year, in a bid to build further market share in the U.S., WoS purchased the Greenwich, Conn., Vail and Aspen, Colo. stores belonging to the family-owned watch and jewelry retailer Betteridge.

In 2021, WoS also opened its first Bulgari boutique in the U.S., adjacent to the refurbished Mayors in Aventura, Fla., and expanded its mono-brand boutique channel with the opening of Breitling Short Hills, N.J., and Tudor Millenia, Fla.

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Nha Trang is a popular resort town in Vietnam. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

A hotel in Vietnam spent thousands improving facilities for Russian visitors, who never showed up.

A manager at the hotel, which is located in a town dubbed "Little Russia," blamed the war.

The absence of Russian visitors affected the hotel's ability to pay for staff, Bloomberg reported.

A five-star hotel in Vietnam spent thousands of dollars upgrading facilities for its Russian visitors only to have them cancel due to the country's war with Ukraine.

The hotel, MerPerle Hon Tam Resort, is based in Nha Trang, a town often labeled "Little Russia," due to the number of Russian visitors it welcomes every year, according to Bloomberg.

"This is something no tourism manager can anticipate," Tran Bao Doan, the hotel's general manager told the outlet.

MerPerle Hon Tam Resort already felt the unforgiving effects of the pandemic over the past two years, per the outlet, as the tourism industry was hit hard by government-imposed lockdowns.

According to a forecast from the World Travel and Tourism Council, nearly 200 million travel industry jobs were forecasted to vanish due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the world's largest tourism business TUI reported that bookings dropped by 81% in Europe from June 2020 through the beginning of August, compared with the same period in 2019, according to CNN.

The resort had high hopes, however, as travel picks up again with the easing of COVID-19 regulations.

Doan said the hotel spent nearly $44,000 upgrading guest facilities to prepare for its Russian visitors. It bought more mud for mud bathing facilities, planted trees, and diversified its restaurant menu, Bloomberg reported.

It was seemingly all for nothing, however, as many Russian visitors didn't show up following their country's invasion of Ukraine.

Travel and expenditure have been made particularly hard for Russians due to foreign-imposed sanctions. Aeroflot, Russia's flagship airline carrier, for instance, recently announced it suspended all international flights, due to high risks of foreign-leased planes being impounded as a result of the penalties.

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The sanctions have also meant that Russian residents have been unable to use their credit or debit cards abroad. Recently, the Central Bank of Russia said that customers of sanctioned banks are unable to use Apple and Google Pay services.

Credit card companies, as well as governments, have taken a stand against Russia too, limiting Russians from spending their money. Last month, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express announced that they would suspend operations in Russia to act in accordance with Western sanctions.

According to Doan, about half of the hotel's guests were Russian before the pandemic hit. "Then the war came," he told Bloomberg. "Such a decrease in revenue affects our ability to pay staff and maintenance fees."

The absence of many Russian tourists has also been felt in Thailand too. In January, Russia accounted for 17% of the international arrivals in Phuket.

One Thailand-based business owner told Insider's Lina Batarags that his friends in the hotel industry, who were based on the island said they'd seen tourism numbers decline by 20% since the start of the war. The majority of those tourists were Russian, or at least Russian-speaking, he said.

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JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli police arrested several Palestinians accused of throwing rocks and other objects at officers outside the contested Old City of Jerusalem on Monday as tensions flared during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Police said officers arrested eight people suspected of throwing rocks, bottles and fireworks at officers during Ramadan revelries outside the Damascus Gate. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Police said in a statement that most of the people at the scene were not actively participating in these disturbances. Video footage from the scene showed officers being pelted by water bottles and other objects and detaining suspects.

It was the third consecutive night of unrest outside the Old City, a frequent flashpoint of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

On Sunday, Palestinian youths and Israeli police scuffled outside the Damascus Gate, a central gathering place in the heart of historic Jerusalem. Police said officers arrested 10 people suspected of attacking officers while the area was packed with hundreds of revelers after the days fast. Several people suffered minor injuries, paramedics said.

Israeli police are on high alert after three deadly attacks by Palestinians in Israel in recent weeks that killed 11 Israelis. An Israeli raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank last week in search of a gunmans suspected accomplices set off a gunbattle in which two Palestinians were killed and 15 were wounded.On Saturday, Israeli police said its officers killed three Palestinian militants who were involved in recent attacks on Israeli forces and were planning another.

Israeli authorities have sought to avoid a repeat of last years violence during the month-long Muslim holiday. Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian leaders have held a flurry of meetings in recent weeks, and Israel has announced a series of goodwill gestures, in an effort to maintain calm during Ramadan.

Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police around the historic Old City, the emotional epicenter of the more than century-long conflict, during Ramadan last year helped precipitate the 11-day war between Israel and the Islamist militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip in May.

Israel captured east Jerusalem, along with its holy sites to the three monotheistic faiths, in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it in a move unrecognized by most of the international community. The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as capital of a future state that would include the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel considers the city its united capital.
Ebert's Meats on Monmouth Street in Newport.

After being asked to vacate its home by June last week, Ebert's Meats, in Newport, has received a reprieve that will allow it to stay in its current location at 939 Monmouth St. until a new one is found.

"There is still life in Ebert's Meats," owner Greg Steffen wrote on the shop's Facebook page. "After seeing the love and affection that this community has shown us, an agreement has been reached, that this business should and must survive."

With 125 years of operation, Eberts is the oldest butcher shop in the state of Kentucky, according to its website.

As reported by The Enquirer last week, Steffen said he received a note from the attorney of the buildings owner, Steve Rayburn, on March 25, demanding he vacate the Newport butcher shop by June. Steffen said the shop would close for good on June 4. Steffen purchased the shop from Steve's father, Ed Rayburn, in 1999.

It was a punch in the gut, Steffen told The Enquirer.

But early Monday morning, Steffen said that Rayburn had a change of heart.

"We had a very constructive meeting with the building owner, where we all agreed this legacy of his family and of Newport will continue," Steffen wrote on Facebook. "He has consented to letting us remain here while we find (a) suitable location. So for the near future, we'll be right here."

In the meantime, Steffen will work with the City of Newport to find a new location.

According to City of Newport Business Liaison Officer Bev Holiday, she was told by Newport City Manager Thomas J. Fromme to do whatever she can to find Ebert's a new spot.

"We will continue to work hard finding our new home," Steffen wrote on Facebook. "Until then, please continue your incredible support, it has made all the difference."

More meat: 'Butcher shop culture is coming back.' And she's leading the way

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ebert's Meats butcher shop in Newport won't be going anywhere, for now
Casemiro has told Real Madrid fans jeering Gareth Bale that they are whistling at the history of this club.

Brazil midfielder Casemiro called on Real supporters to stop hounding Wales forward Bale, who has come under fire from the Bernabeu Stadium fans.

Bale was jeered on Saturday when he made a late substitute appearance in Reals 2-0 win over Getafe in LaLiga, for his first Bernabeu outing since February 2020.

The 32-year-old has only mustered five appearances for Real this term due to a string of injury issues, and angered Madrid fans when missing the clash with arch-rivals Barcelona last month, only to feature for Wales four days later.

Casemiro urged the clubs supporters to stop getting on Bales back ahead of Tuesdays Champions League quarter-final second leg against Chelsea in Madrid.

I dont agree when a player on my team is whistled, said Casemiro. Were all on the same side, we have to support him.

Its never nice to hear a team-mate being whistled by our fans. I heard Bale being whistled the other day and I didnt like that.

Hes a historic player. When you whistle him youre whistling at the history of this club.

Jesus Vallejo will miss Tuesdays last-eight second leg after testing positive for Covid, while fellow defender Eder Militao will also be absent due to suspension.

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Real stunned the defending champions 3-1 at Stamford Bridge last Wednesday, with Karim Benzema claiming his second Champions League hat-trick in as many matches.

The men from Madrid will expect to move one step closer to a 14th Champions League crown by completing the job and reaching the semi-finals on Tuesday night on home soil.

Benzemas prodigious scoring record now sits at 37 goals in as many matches in all competitions for Madrid this term.

Boss Carlo Ancelotti hailed the 34-year-old for ageing like a fine wine after his Stamford Bridge treble, suggesting the added responsibility of the captaincy had helped hone his focus.

Casemiro insisted the France hitman has not gone through any grand transformation in order to scale new heights, however.

The only thing thats changed about Karim is his goals, said Casemiro. Were honoured to be his team-mates. Hes an amazing player, and perhaps right now the most important player we have.
SISTER ACT: Diors pre-fall campaign is all about the sisterhood.

Maria Grazia Chiuris collection, inspired by school uniforms, is worn by a group of models, including house favorites Sofia Steinberg and Maryel Uchida, in a series of group portraits by South African photographer Alice Mann  in line with Chiuris commitment to working exclusively with female imagemakers on her photo shoots.

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The cast also includes Naomi Ekindi Dioh, Greta Hofer, Jiali Zhao, Isheja Morella, Manuela Sanchez and Emi Stankovic.

The models pose against a plain, gray garage-like backdrop in outfits including ponchos, kilts and jackets made from the same yellow tartan as the dress that South Korean pop star Jisoo wore to the Dior show at Paris Fashion Week in March, drawing comparisons with the lead character Cher in the 90s film classic Clueless.

The Dior pre-fall 2022 campaign. - Credit: Alice Mann/Courtesy of Dior

Alice Mann/Courtesy of Dior

But Chiuri gave her schoolgirl outfits a more tomboyish twist, with white shirts and black ties, skater shorts and dungaree dresses.

Some outfits and Dior Book Tote bags were printed with a circular stamp inspired by those found on burlap bags  a nod to the origins of founder Christian Dior, whose family owned a fertilizer business. Chiuri turned them into symbols of sisterhood with the motto Lunion fait la force, or Strength through unity.

The campaign, which breaks on April 10 in China, was art directed by Fabien Baron, who also helmed the accompanying film. It was styled by Elin Svahn, with Peter Philips in charge of makeup and Paul Hanlon doing hair.  JOELLE DIDERICH

GETTING REAL: ByteDances TikTok blew up in popularity during the pandemic, taking some of the attention away from Instagram, part of Meta. Now, another social media app, BeReal, is becoming the go to app at colleges around the U.S.  in a similar way to how Facebook got off the ground  and is expected to only continue to grow its following globally.

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The app is viewed as casual version of Instagram. - Credit: BeReal

BeReal

Here are five facts to know about the app du jour.

How it works

Described by the apps founders as a new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life, everyday at a different time, everyone is notified simultaneously to capture and share two photos of what they are doing at that specific time through their front and back facing phone camera lens in two minutes.

Its not brand new

The app was founded in 2020 by Alexis Barreyat and Kevin Perreau in Paris and raised around $36 million in funds in June 2021 from VC firms such as Andreessen Horowitz and Accel Partners, according to various media reports. But it is only recently that it has surged in popularity outside of its native France, clocking in more than 1 million downloads globally in February, particularly among college students, which it has targeted via sponsored clubs and events on campuses across the U.S.

Its viewed as a casual version of Instagram

While some Instagram users carefully curate their feed and edit their pictures with an array of filters, the way BeReal works means that the images are more raw, unglamorous and, as it says on the tin, real. Fitting in with this theme, there are no filters or like functions to be found on the app. After being tired and annoyed with all the bullst on social media, I decided to launch my own, cofounder Barreyat wrote in a LinkedIn post at the time of BeReals official launch back in 2020, explaining his reasons for creating the app. No like, no followers, no ads, no filters, just what my friends are doing, in the most authentic way possible.

You cant just view content



While on many social media apps, including TikTok and Instagram, you can view other users photographs and videos without having to post anything yourself, that is not the case with BeReal. It requires users to post some photographs in order to see other users content.

Retakes are not a secret

So much planning can go behind certain Instagram users posts in order to capture the perfect shot, even though in many cases they are trying to give the impression that it is a natural, spontaneous photograph. But on BeReal this is much harder to do as users will be notified how many retakes it took to get the perfect shot. They will also be notified if the photographs are late in being posted.  KATHRYN HOPKINS

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HONG KONG, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Clinical researchers from The Chinese University of Hong Kong's (CUHK) Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) have identified for the first time distinct gut microbiome profiles associated with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, more commonly known as "long COVID". These distinct gut microbial signatures can be used to predict the risk of developing long COVID and diagnose long COVID in patients with persistent symptoms after the acute infection. This is the world's first study to demonstrate the gut microbiota as a key determinant of long COVID. Study results have been published in the international journal Gut.

(PRNewsfoto/The Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

In a pilot study, the team has also shown that a novel gut microbiome immunity formula (SIM01) developed by CUHK can prevent the development of long COVID. CU Medicine is now conducting a randomised clinical trial using the SIM01 formula to modulate patients' gut microbiota to prevent and treat long COVID.

For the first time, clinical researchers from CU Medicine have identified distinct gut microbiome profiles associated with long COVID. These distinct gut microbial signatures can be used to predict the risk of developing long COVID and diagnose long COVID in patients with persistent symptoms after the acute infection. (From left) Professor Siew NG, Associate Director of the Centre for Gut Microbiota Research; Professor Francis CHAN, Dean of Medicine and Director of the Centre for Gut Microbiota

What is "long COVID"?

Long COVID is defined as the presence of persistent symptoms, such as fatigue, poor memory, difficulty in sleeping or breathing and hair loss, for four weeks or more after clearance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. According to a study by CU Medicine, about 80% of patients had long COVID six months after recovering from COVID-19.

Patients with long COVID have distinct gut microbiome composition

Diagnosis of long COVID is often delayed because symptoms are non-specific and there is no specific test to explain long COVID symptoms. The development of non-invasive, microbiome-based profiling will be a useful tool for timely detection of long COVID.

Based on metagenomics analysis of serial stool samples of over 100 patients, the team identified distinct gut microbiome profile for long COVID. It was found that different subtypes of long COVID had specific patterns of gut microbiome profile. For example, a lack of the "friendly" immunity-boosting bacteria is strongly associated with persistent respiratory symptoms such as cough or shortness of breath, whereas an abundance of certain pathogens is linked to fatigue and neuropsychiatric symptoms including difficulty in sleeping, poor memory and loss of taste. By using a machine-learning model with over 1,200 clinical samples, the team can accurately predict and detect long COVID-associated microbiome with over 90% sensitivity and specificity.

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Detecting distinct gut microbiome profile associated with long COVID has three major clinical applications, namely, a prediction tool for long COVID with 90% of accuracy; as a diagnostic tool for suspected long COVID with both sensitivity and specificity about 90%; and as a treatment guide for long COVID.

The gut microbiome test for long COVID is an innovative technology of the Microbiota I-Center (MagIC) funded by InnoHK, an initiative of the HKSAR Government's Innovation and Technology Commission. CUHK Medical Centre will be the first in Hong Kong to provide this innovative test.

Over 90% of patients who received SIM01 did not develop long COVID

Treating long COVID is challenging given that, until recently, there has been no definitive clinical test for diagnosis, and there is no standard treatment yet. A recent pilot study conducted by the research team showed that in patients who received CUHK's microbiome immunity formula SIM01 for four weeks, over 90% of them did not develop long COVID up to a year of follow-up.

Professor Francis KL CHAN, Dean of Medicine and Director of the Centre for Gut Microbiota Research at CU Medicine, remarked, "Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, more than 500 million people worldwide have been infected. Our results showed that almost 80% of our local patients suffer from long COVID. Our discovery not only for the first time offers a scientific explanation for long COVID, but also provides an effective tool for prediction, diagnosis and treatment of this global health problem."

Professor Siew Chien NG, Associate Director of the Centre for Gut Microbiota Research at CU Medicine, added, "Our study showed that microbiome-based profiling is potentially useful for risk assessment, timely diagnosis and targeted treatment of long COVID. These new findings also indicate that in addition to hastening recovery from acute COVID-19 infection, a microbiome immunity formula (SIM01) is potentially effective in preventing long COVID."

CU Medicine conducts a large-scale study to evaluate the effectiveness of SIM01 for long COVID

CU Medicine has started a large-scale randomised clinical trial to study the efficacy of SIM01 in preventing and treating long COVID. Professor Martin Chi Sang WONG, Professor from The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at CU Medicine, said, "We are currently recruiting recovered COVID-19 patients who have persistent symptoms into a clinical trial that aims to reduce long COVID by modulating their gut microbiota." This study is supported by the Health and Medical Research Fund of the HKSAR Government's Food and Health Bureau.

For those who are interested, please register at https://bit.ly/3r5KEgK or send a WhatsApp message "To join the RECOVERY study" to +852 5641 7082.

SOURCE The Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Ohio gubernatorial candidate John Cranley, far right, who is also the former mayor of Cincinnati, announced his running mate, State Senator Teresa Fedor of Toledo, second from right, during a windy press conference across the street from the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday, January 5, 2021.

All Ohio children would be eligible for public preschool if state Sen. Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo, gets her way.

All Ohio children would be eligible for public preschool under a bill supported by Sen. Teresa Fedor, D-Toldeo.

The Democrat, who is also running to be the next lieutenant governor, introduced Senate Bill 318 to mandate universal preschool if Congress passes Build Back Better, a bill that includes billions for childcare and pre-K.

If the federal bill doesn't pass, Fedor's backup plan is a state constitutional amendment.

"Other states have done it. They're successful," Fedor said. "We can replicate it. We can do it if we have the political will."

The cost of pre-K in Ohio

Political will is great, said Greg Lawson, a researcher for the conservative Buckeye Institute. But you also have to consider what mandating preschool would costespecially in a state that doesn't mandate universal, full-day kindergarten.

"Its definitively going to be very expensive," Lawson said.

School districts would need to hire qualified teachers, expand bus routes and even build new classrooms to accommodate the additional students.

The Build Back Better plan would cover the costs of preschool for six years. But there's a catch. Ohio wouldn't have to spend its own money at first, but the law would require a 40% state match by year six.

The federal proposal is also far from a guarantee.

Fedor didn't have an estimate for Ohio funding its own universal preschool program, but Dayton's Preschool Promise program, which is funded by a city income tax, cost about $7.5 million in the fiscal year 2020-2021 and served around 1,800 students.

That works out to about $4,166 per pupil. Ohio averages about 120,000 public school students per grade, which means a similar statewide preschool program could cost $500 million.

"The most critical barrier to increasing access to high-quality Pre-K programming is minimal funding," Columbus City Schools spokesperson Jacqueline Bryant said. "Other resources dont cover the costs for expansion."

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Will it set up Ohio kids for success?

But before Ohio invests those dollars, Lawson said he would want "pretty iron clad evidence that this is going to set children up for success."

Supporters of universal preschool say absolutely.

Former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, who is running in the Democratic primary for governor this year, counts Preschool Promise among her "proudest work as mayor."

Ohio Democrats: Should Ohioans have access to universal pre-K? Democrats pitch investment in kids

Since its inception in 2016, kids enrolled in the Dayton program have tested higher on kindergarten readiness exams than their peers, according to the non-profit's data.

The numbers also show an increase in readiness among Black children (57% to 41%).

"Not only has this program helped Daytons kids come to kindergarten more prepared," Whaley said. "Its spurred growth among Black and women-owned small businesses in Dayton and helped families to afford the increasingly high cost of childcare."

Whaley is running for the Democratic nomination for governor against former Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, who is running with Fedor.

State-funded pre-K programs have more than doubled in size since the early 2000s, according to Rutgers University's National For Early Education Research.

Their data shows a statistically significant difference in language and literacy skills among the kids who attended pre-K.

But not all studies come to the same conclusion.

Researchers at Vanderbilt University analyzed Tennessees pre-K program and released findings in 2022 that showed those students doing worse on state tests in grades three through six.

"Whether its good to get somebody into something always depends on the alternatives," said Fredrick Hess, the Education Policy Studies director at the American Enterprise Institute (a conservative think tank).

Some parents prefer to stay home and prepare their kids for kindergarten. Others want to use community cooperatives or faith-based services from their local church, synagogue or mosque.

"These can be better than a pretty decent pre-K experience...," Hess said. "I believe in options, so families can find what suits them. But thats different from what we mean by universal pre-K."

The Biden White House pointed to the economic benefits of universal pre-K when it rolled out Build Back Better, saying the change could save the average family about $13,000.

But Hess said that again depends on what we mean by universal access. A program that follows the academic calendar and lets out at 3 p.m. might actually be worse for parents than a year-round preschool that lets them pick up their children after 5 p.m.

"Theres a difference between taking a kid a few blocks over and putting your four-year-old on a bus," he said.

Universal pre-K's chances in Ohio

If President Joe Biden's plan became law, it would be up to Ohio's governor to decide whether to accept the federal funds.

SB 318 would mandate that he or she do so, and that's why Fedor wants it to pass.

Nineteen states rejected the Medicaid expansion offered under the Affordable Care Act. Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich took those dollars, but there's no guarantee another governor would do the same.

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine's spokesman declined to comment about whether the governor would accept money from Build Back Better.

But he has made early childhood education a focus in his administration. DeWine fought Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, to keep ratings for Ohio's childcare facilities in the last budget. And he increased the income cap for state assistance.

Ohio child care: Republican lawmakers want to rewrite how Ohio grades child care providers

Still, it took six years of negotiations before lawmakers rewrote the funding formula for K-12 schools. Getting the state's Republican majority on board for pre-K could be a heavy lift.

"Im not afraid of funding because weve got lots of money," Fedor said. "It's where you put it."

Anna Staver is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

Get more political analysis by listening to the Ohio Politics Explained podcast

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Democrats push to mandate universal Pre-K for Ohio
Firefighters preparing to spray water on the blaze on April 11, 2022.

Editors note: This story has been updated

A wildfire that began Sunday north of City Park burned about 20 acres of vegetation north of the Arkansas River and east of Pueblo Boulevard near 11th Street.

No injuries were reported and no structures caught fire, according to the Pueblo Fire Department, and the blaze was 100% contained by Monday afternoon.

"We had some (parts of the fire) burning probably 60 feet from one of the homes, but we haven't had any of the homes get involved, just some of the property burned," said Pueblo FD Public Information Officer Woody Percival.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Percival said.

City Park and the nearby Aberdeen area were temporarily evacuated Sunday afternoon, according to the Pueblo Police Department.

Paws Fire - City Park and the Aberdeen area next to city park have been evacuated due to a fire on both banks of the Arkansas River. Pueblo City Fire and several other local Fire Departments are fighting the fire. Due to the high winds the fire is challenging to control. pic.twitter.com/7K9kiaSEca  Pueblo Police Department (@PuebloPolice1) April 10, 2022

The Colorado Red Cross temporarily set up an evacuation center at Goodnight Elementary School, however, evacuations were lifted at about 5 p.m. Sunday and the center was closed.

Pueblo FD and 11 other local fire departments responded at about 4 p.m. Sunday and got the brush fire 75% contained. Crews continued to battle the fire Monday morning and it was declared 100% contained by Monday afternoon.

"We've been making good progress on mop-up operations today, the weather has cooperated beautifully so far," Percival said Monday.

Firefighting crews were expected to stay on the scene overnight on Monday, Percival said, and it will likely take at least one more day for firefighters to fully extinguish the fire.

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About 40 personnel worked the scene Monday, including two Colorado state fire crews, solidifying the perimeter of the fire, cutting down big trees and removing other items that could potentially throw embers, Percival said, as high winds and high temperatures were expected later Monday.

Brushfire north of City Park on April 10, 2021.

The fire department issued a warning Monday on Twitter, stating that absolutely no burning would be allowed in city limits as Pueblo was experiencing "red flag" conditions.

A red flag warning occurs when a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures create the perfect conditions for a fire, according to the National Weather Service.

"Violators will be cited immediately," Pueblo FD wrote. "Check NWS or (Pueblo County) websites for daily conditions. Please extinguish cigarettes safely and completely. Fire safety for all!"

Monday afternoon, Pueblo FD and the Pueblo Parks and Recreation Department announced a temporary closure of the Arkansas River Trail in the affected area.

The the trail will be closed from City Park to the Whitlock Water Treatment Plant "until further notice" as crews continue to battle hot spots from the fire, a statement by the city of Pueblo said.

Due to the damaged trees and debris on the trail, we want to ensure no one is in the area until the Fire Department is able to clear everything for use again," Deputy Fire Chief Chris Harner said.

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at Jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @jayreutter1.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Fire burns 20 acres north of City Park in Pueblo
Wichita Falls Police arrested a local attorney after responding to a disturbance Sunday morning.

Mark Barber in the 30th District Courtroom

According to allegations made in the arrest affidavit:

Shortly after 2 a.m., officers responded to a disturbance on Barbados.

They contacted the resident and a male who identified himself as Mark Barber. The officers immediately noticed Barber had a black eye and blood on his left cheek.

Barber said he was in a verbal altercation with the victim when another subject in the house came up to him and said they wanted to fight him. Barber said he pushed them to the floor, and they began to wrestle.

Barber said the fight was broken up and he was put in a chokehold and the victim kicked him in the head a couple of times.

The victims told police Barber came at them and pushed one of them to the floor. The victim said they wrestled on the ground until another person broke them up.

One of the victims said they put Barber in a chokehold while the other stood up and got away from the fight. When the fight stopped, Barber got up and began running around the house.

The other victim said Barber pushed them to the ground and began to wrestle them in the living room. That fight was broken up again and Barber was separated to his room.

Police arrested Barber and charged him with Assault-Family Violence. His bond was set at $1,000 by a judge.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Local Wichita Falls attorney arrested for alleged assault
THE National Social Security Fund (NSSF) is expected to collect a total of 1.61tri/- from members' contributions in the 2022/23 fiscal year.

NSSF Acting Director General (DG), Mr Ibrahim Maftar said this week during the 49th meeting of the workers' council, affirming that in 2021/22 financial year, the scheme collected over 1.4tri/-.

"We have now set a target for next fiscal year, in which a total of 313,478 new members are expected to be registered, with 266, 678 from private sector and 46,000 from informal sectors," he explained, adding that:

About 1.59tri/- will be collected from the private sector and 15bn/- from the informal sector.

He added that, in the coming financial year, NSSF expects to collect 383.51bn/- as investment revenues, compared to 301.05bn/- that was collected in the 2021/22 financial year.

At the same time, in 2022/23, the Fund expects to have an increase of retirees from 20,894 of the year 2021/22 to 30,084, Mr Maftar said.

In terms of pension payments, the Fund has set aside 828.91bn/- to be paid to members in the coming fiscal year, said the DG.

He urged the workers to encourage the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) so that they can effectively implement the fund duties, including reviewing the business process.

NSSF Board of Trustees Chairman, Ambassador Ali Siwa expressed his gratitude to the sixth phase government, for setting up effective management and guidance in running the social security schemes especially in one year of President Samia Suluhu Hassan administration.

Ambassador Siwa, said the Fund will continue to uphold the vision of the sixth phase government, ensuring people in private and informal sectors are registered with NSSF, with employees also submitting their required contribution in time.

He, however, urged the NSSF staff to ensure that they take part in this year's population and housing census set for August for the country's development.

The Head of Financial sector from Tanzania Union of Industrial and Commercial Workers Mr Willy Kibona said the council will continue to provide advice and protection of workers' rights in workplaces.

The NSSF Acting Human Resource Director Mr Ekwabi Mujungu urged the Fund to consider workers' interests and execute their duties in accordance with the rules and regulations of the public service.
"Fantastic Beasts" star Mads Mikkelsen recently opened up about replacing Johnny Depp in the fantasy adventure film "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore."

Mikkelsen was tapped to replace Depp in the role of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald after Depp lost a high-profile libel suit against Britain's The Sun tabloid newspaper in 2020. Depp portrayed Grindewald in the first two installments of the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise, set in the magical realm of J.K. Rowlings "Harry Potter" series.

In an interview with GQ published Friday, Mikkelsen said being cast as Grindelwald by director David Yates and Warner Bros. was a tense whirlwind.

"Obviously there was a situation that had to be solved overnight," he told the outlet. "They were just panicking."

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Mads Mikkelsen plays dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, taking over the role from Johnny Depp, in "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore."

Mads Mikkelsen's Grindelwald declares war in 'Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore' trailer

Mikkelsen said he views his portrayal of Grindelwald as building upon Depp's character work rather than recreating Depp's approach. "To copy him would be creative suicide," he said. "We had to make it our own."

Mikkelsen plays opposite Jude Law, who stars as Grindewalds former lover, Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore. The former "Hannibal" actor said the complex chemistry between the two characters drew him to the role.

"There was a subtlety to what they were trying to do, especially with that relationship," Mikkelsen said. "They definitely like each other  and they definitely have to get rid of each other."

While Mikkelsen said he can be "fairly annoying to work with" because of his uncompromising work style, hes not impressed by the allure of method acting, popularized in recent years by actors such as Jeremy Strong and Lady Gaga.

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March 29, 2022: Mads Mikkelsen, William Nadylam, Jessica Williams and Eddie Redmayne attend the "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" world premiere at The Royal Festival Hall in London, England.

Mads Mikkelsen talks stepping in for Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts, sharing 'Another Round' with DiCaprio

"You can take (preparation) into insanity," Mikkelsen said. "What if it's a (expletive) film  what do you think you achieved? Am I impressed that you didnt drop character? You should have dropped it from the beginning! How do you prepare for a serial killer? You gonna spend two years checking it out?"

He added: "The media goes, Oh my god, he took it so seriously, therefore he must be fantastic; lets give him an award. Then thats the talk, and everybody knows about it, and it becomes a thing."

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And while the "Harry Potter" franchise continues to be associated with Rowlings increasingly controversial image  multiple online posts made by the author have been widely perceived as transphobic, misinformative and hurtful  Mikkelsen said he prefers to stay out of it.

"I have a habit of not commenting on things that I dont know anything about, and I actually think that that would suit the entire world," Mikkelsen said.

He added: "I dont know what the solution is. No hateful rhetoric towards either women or trans (people)  thats a good start. But we have to be honest  and it seems to me, when you turn science into ideology, and politics into science, then youre not talking from an honest place. And I think thats muddying the waters regarding what side youre on, and rarely leads to anywhere good."

Depp vs. Heard: Johnny Depp and Amber Heard set to face off again in $50 million (at least) libel trial in Virginia

Look back: Mads Mikkelsen replaces Johnny Depp as dark wizard Grindelwald in 'Fantastic Beasts' franchise

Contributing: Brian Truitt, Bryan Alexander, Hannah Yasharoff

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mads Mikkelsen: 'Fantastic Beast' actor talks replacing Johnny Depp
Mr Modi and Mr Biden have talked about strengthening India-US ties (file photo)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will hold virtual talks on Monday ahead of the meeting between their foreign and defence ministers in Washington.

The ministers' annual meeting - known as the 2+2 Dialogue - was launched in 2018 to deepen co-operation between the two countries.

The forum has focused on improving bilateral relations and co-operation in Asia. It is also seen as part of Washington's strategy to help India become a counterweight to China in the region.

The two nations have largely been on the same page - at least in their public statements - on most issues of mutual concern.

But it's not business as usual this time because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Delhi's press release ahead of the talks included the usual line about strengthening the "comprehensive global strategic partnership" between the two countries.

But Washington's statement mentioned "mitigating the destabilising impacts of Russia's war against Ukraine", suggesting that the US will again nudge India - perhaps not too hard - to take a stronger position on Moscow.

Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh, left, and foreign minister S Jaishankar are in Washington to hold talks

India and the US have had differing views over Ukraine since the war began in February.

While Delhi has used strong words to comment on the invasion, it hasn't directly criticised Moscow. It has also abstained from all UN votes against Russia.

India has also been trying to find ways to circumvent banking sanctions on Moscow to take advantage of discounted oil prices offered by Russian firms.

India's stand of non-alignment also stems from its own geopolitical needs. Moscow is Delhi's time-tested ally and also its largest supplier of defence equipment - accounting for more than 50% of its imports.

Confusion over India's stand

A former Indian diplomat said Delhi's stand has put Washington in a Catch-22 situation.

The US wants India to be part of its wider strategy of isolating Russia but at the same time, it can't afford to weaken India against China - both diplomatically and militarily.

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Experts say this has created confusion in the White House about the best way to deal with India.

Washington has not directly criticised India but has issued statements that experts call "mild warnings".

India and the US have had differing views over Ukraine since the war began

After Mr Modi refrained from criticising Russia during a recent meeting of the Quad - which also includes Australia, the US and Japan - on Ukraine, Mr Biden said India's stand on the war was "somewhat shaky".

His top economic adviser Brian Deese later said India had been informed that the consequences of a "more explicit strategic alignment" with Moscow would be "significant and long-term".

But this didn't deter India as it once against abstained from the vote that suspended Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.

Other US officials, including US Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economics Daleep Singh, have appeared to be more understanding of India's stand.

What's at stake?

While Mr Biden and Mr Modi are likely to focus on bilateral ties, Ukraine still looms large over the meeting.

It will also be on the agenda when Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh meet their US counterparts Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin on Monday.

Both sides have been clear about their differing stands on Ukraine but there is too much at stake to risk their bilateral relationship.

Washington sees India as an ally to challenge China's dominance in the Asia-Pacific region.

Both countries also believe that there is massive untapped potential in bilateral trade.

They have the ambitious target of taking bilateral trade - which was at $113bn in 2021 - to $500bn in the future.

India also needs the US to help diversify its defence portfolio and reduce its reliance on Russian arms.

Moscow continues to be India's largest arms supplier even though its share has dropped to 49% from 70%. The US was India's second-largest supplier between 2011 and 2015 after Russia, but fell behind France and Israel in the period between 2016 and 2021.

Russia has sold its S-400 anti-aircraft system, seen here in Crimea, to India

Both Washington and Delhi would want to improve on these statistics.

The S-400 deal

But the elephant in the room will continue to be India's purchase of the S-400 missile defence system from Russia - a deal which gives India strategic deterrence against both China and Pakistan.

The agreement has come under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (Caatsa), which was introduced in 2017 to target Russia, Iran and North Korea with economic and political sanctions. It also prohibits any country from signing defence deals with these nations.

The US had sanctioned China for buying the same system in 2018.

But so far, it has been evasive about doing the same for India. It had refrained from sanctioning India even after the country started receiving the first deliveries of the S-400 in December last year.

But the Ukraine war will now further complicate the situation.

Some US officials have said in the past that there was no guarantee that India would get a waiver.

Now, in the fast-changing geopolitical scenario, both Washington and Delhi would not want to publicly take stands against each other.

But when the defence ministers meet, the S-400 and the issue of sanctions will definitely come up.

How the two countries deal with this and their other differences will determine the future course of Washington-Delhi ties.
SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations Career Retrospective With Sam Elliott

Vincent Sandoval/Getty

Sam Elliott is expressing his regrets over the controversial comments he made about Jane Campion's film, The Power of the Dog, last month.

On Sunday, the A Star Is Born actor said he wanted to "apologize to the cast of The Power of the Dog" during his talk at Deadline's Contenders TV event. "And, in particular, Benedict Cumberbatch. I can only say that I'm sorry, and I am. I am," he shared.

While promoting his Paramount+ western show 1883, Elliott, 77, began his public apology to the cast by warning the audience, "First, don't do a podcast with the call letters WTF" (as in, WTF with Marc Maron).

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"I wasn't very articulate about it; I didn't articulate it very well," he explained. "And I said some things that hurt people, and I feel terrible about that."

The World Premiere Of "1883" - Arrivals

Mindy Small/FilmMagic

"The gay community has been incredible to me my entire career. And I mean my entire career, from before I got started in this town. Friends on every level and every job description up until today. I'm sorry I hurt any of those friends and someone that I loved. And anyone else by the words that I used," Elliott continued.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Representatives for Sam Elliott did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Last month, Elliott discussed the Oscar-winning film Campion, 67, wrote and directed during his appearance on Marc Maron's podcast.

Likening the look of the "cowboys" in the film to Chippendales dancers, Elliott (who has appeared in many Western-set films and television series) said, "They're all running around in chaps and no shirts. There's all these allusions to homosexuality throughout the fing movie."

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"Yeah, I think that's what the movie's about," replied host Maron.

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In the film, Cumberbatch stars as a grizzled cattle rancher who is attracted to the son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) of a widow, played by Kirsten Dunst, who recently moved to his ranch. Cumberbatch's character grapples with his sexuality in an era and place that emphasizes binary gender roles and expectations.

Criticizing Campion's choice of the location to film the movie, the Oscar nominee added, "And why in the f does she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana and say, 'This is the way it was?' "

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Elliott said the filming location "rubbed [him] the wrong way," along with what he calls the "myth" of "these macho men out there with the cattle."

"I just come from fing Texas where I was hanging out with families  not men, but families. Big, long, extended, multiple-generation families," he said.

RELATED: Benedict Cumberbatch Calls Sam Elliott's Power of the Dog Criticisms 'Very Odd'

Campion responded to Elliott's comment while speaking to Deadline last month, saying, "I think it's really unfortunate and sad for him because he's really hit the trifecta of misogyny and xenophobia and homophobia."

"I don't like that. I think he was being a little bit of a b-i-t-c-h. Plus he's not a cowboy, he's an actor," she concluded.
Ukraine is a large grain exporter

Ukraine's economy is set to shrink by almost half this year as a result of the war, the World Bank has said.

The institution forecasts Russia's invasion will cause more economic damage across eastern Europe and parts of Asia than the coronavirus pandemic.

The conflict in Ukraine has shut half of the country's businesses and slashed exports, the World Bank said.

Anna Bjerde, the bank's vice-president, said Ukraine needed "massive financial support immediately".

The bank has sent almost $1bn of assistance to Ukraine so far and has promised a further $2bn in the coming months.

It said the closure of Black Sea shipping from Ukraine had cut off some 90% of the country's grain exports and half of its total exports.

Ukraine is the world's biggest exporter of sunflower oil and the shutdown of exports has affected global food prices.

The World Bank said the war had made economic activity impossible in large parts of the country, disrupting farming and harvest operations.

"The magnitude of the humanitarian crisis unleashed by the war is staggering. The Russian invasion is delivering a massive blow to Ukraine's economy and it has inflicted enormous damage to infrastructure," said Ms Bjerde.

Farmer in field

The bank said the 45.1% contraction estimate excluded the impact of physical infrastructure destruction, but said this would hamper future economic output further.

While Ukraine's economy will suffer the most damage by the war, the World Bank said Russia's economy had been already plunged into a deep recession as a result of sanctions from Western countries.

The sanctions have ranged from cutting ties with Russian banks and targeting Russian politicians and oligarchs to banning luxury goods imports and flights.

The bank projected Russia's economy would contract by 11.2% in 2022 as the sanctions bite.

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But while the US has banned all Russian oil and gas imports, the EU, which gets a quarter of its oil and 40% of its gas from Russia, has stopped short of such action.

EU countries continue to pay Moscow up to 800m (674m; $884m) for energy every day, which amounts to an estimated 40% of the Kremlin's income.

The EU has proposed a plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels before 2030.

The World Bank said that in addition to Russia and Ukraine, Belarus, the Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova and Tajikistan were projected to fall into recession this year.

It said growth projections had been downgraded in all economies because of the war, with weaker-than-expected growth in the euro area.

"The Ukraine war and the pandemic have once again shown that crises can cause widespread economic damage and set back years of per capita income and development gains," said Asli Demirguc-Kunt, World Bank chief economist for Europe and Central Asia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country joined forces to resist Russias invasion as a single fist, saying he believed the nation was defending the right to live in the modern world amid the ongoing war.

Even though [our people] understood that they would be outnumbered tenfold, and there would be no way out. Just no way out. We fought for our existence and for survival, Zelenskyy told CBS News 60 Minutes. Thats the combined heroism of everyone  of the people, of the authorities, of the armed forces. We became a single fist.

The interview is Zelenskyys latest appeal to the United States and other western nations to provide ongoing support to Ukrainians. The Ukrainian president said that while American arms had helped defend against the Kremlins troops, President Biden can enter history as the person who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people who won and chose the right to have their own country.

[It all] depends on [how fast] we will be helped by the United States, Zelenskyy said during the interview. To be honest, whether we will be able to [survive] depends on this. I have 100% confidence in our people and in our armed forces. But unfortunately, I dont have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need.

We became a single fist, President Zelenskyy says of Ukraines pushback against Russia. We united as a nation Thats the combined heroism of everyoneof the people, of the authorities, of the armed forces. https://t.co/pjgM0b3Icypic.twitter.com/EpzNo1RhF8  60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 10, 2022

Russia has withdrawn troops from around Kyiv, leaving a trail of devastation and accusations of war crimes as it regroups from the lengthy assault. Pelley noted that Russian President Vladimir initially expected to seize Kyiv in three days, with his officials assuming Zelenskyy would flee. He didnt, rallying his people, and the war has now stretched longer than six weeks.

Story continues

When everyone is telling you, you need to go, you need to think, the Ukrainian leader said. Before I do something, I analyze the situation. Ive always done it calmly, without any chaos. I might not be the strongest warrior. But Im not willing to betray anyone.

President Biden can enter history as the person who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people who won and chose the right to have their own country.



President Zelenskyy says he can only be grateful for the support of the United States. https://t.co/pjgM0b3Icypic.twitter.com/oJRsU9LU0z  60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 10, 2022

He went on to say that he was willing to sacrifice his life for that cause, saying his family understood despite assertions that they are all primary targets for Russian forces.

I dont want to make myself out to be a hero, he said. I love my family. I want to live many more years, but choosing between running or being with my people, of course, Im ready to give my life for my country.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

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Under a new law, the Washington state Department of Children, Families and Youth will no longer move children out of their relatives care if those relatives would prefer not to adopt the children.
Guadalupe Gamboa, left, and Michael Fox clasp hands in 1971 in a victory pose above a No Trespassing sign at a labor camp owned by Rogers Walla Walla Canning Company.

The two had gone there in 1970 to meet with workers who believed they had valid wage claims. The armed guard at the camp called the Walla Walla County Sheriffs Office to arrest the men for trespassing.

Deputies B. J. Lang and Scotty Ray made the arrest, Fox wrote in 2021. He and Gamboa were booked at Walla Walla County Jail and then released. "We were later convicted, and the convictions were unanimously reversed at the State Supreme Court," Fox said.
Roxeanne Huddleston, an RN at Newport Hospital and Health Services, poses for a photo in Newport, Wash.
A HUNDRED years ago Tanzania, by then Tanganyika, welcomed a child who later became the country's anti-colonial activist, politician, and political theorist.

He is one of Africa's most influential leaders. He was a statesman, liberator and pan-Africanist. He governed Tanganyika as prime minister from 1961 to 1962 and then as president from 1963 to 1964, after which he led its successor state, Tanzania, as president from 1964 to 1985.

This is none other than the son of Africa, the late Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, who was born on April 13, 1922. During his struggle for independence he managed to galvanise Tanganyikans into one family, succeeding to remove British colonial administration from power.

Speaking on Saturday in Kibaha, President Samia Suluh Hassan described Mwalimu Nyerere as not only a Tanzanian but a true Pan Africanist who taught Tanzanians on the importance of being patriotic as well as enhancing national peace, unity and harmony for sustainable development.

Analysts and political commentators agreed that the contribution of Mwalimu to this nation is incommensurable, it's big and he really gave himself to the nation.

If he were alive Mwalimu would be clocking 100 years in the next three days but given his status and the contribution he has to this nation it is pertinent to commemorate this important date.

During his leadership Mwalimu waged a spirited war against illiteracy (ignorance), poverty and diseases, a campaign that recorded significant success.

One of the achievements of Nyerere was toning down ethnicity in Tanzania, a problem that some countries in the world are grappling with.

During the meeting in Kibaha, Coast region on Saturday President Samia reminded Tanzanians on the need to uphold all what Mwalimu Nyerere advocated for, with strong emphasis on shunning divisions based on tribalism, religion or geographical locations.

As we celebrate Mwalimu Nyerere's 100th birthday, every Tanzanian has a civic duty to cherish his legacy.
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Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain for the afternoon. High 68F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

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Left-liberal authors hope that the opposition can pull itself together after its hugely disappointing performance at the general election on 3 April, while pro-government commentators rejoice over what they consider the right choice of the majority of the electorate.

In Magyar Hang, Szabolcs Szerreto tries to soothe opposition voters. This is not the end of the road he tells them. He admits that acting together was a huge challenge for the disparate forces of the opposition, but the electoral system with its first past the post rule in the individual constituencies made it simply compulsory for the opposition to unite.



He thinks there was insufficient quality in leadership and a lack of simple welfare promises as well as of convincing messages in reaction to the war in Ukraine. The government will now, nevertheless, face huge tensions and difficulties, so he cautions against despair  this is not the end of history, he writes.



The editorial writer of 168 ora is more apocalyptic. Why is the opposition too big to fail, despite proving themselves totally inept? He asks. He accuses the leaders of the opposition parties of being satisfied with winning mandates in Parliament and therefore earning a comfortable salary.



Todays opposition, he concludes, is the first roadblock on the path of bringing down the incumbent regime. He asks whether their presence in Parliament doesnt merely serve to legitimise the system they were supposed to bring down.



In Jelen, editor Zoltan Lakner also asks whether elected opposition MPs should sit in Parliament without any chance of influencing legislation, given the crushing pro-government majority there. He wonders what other tools and means are available for the opposition to reorganise itself and be visible to society, once it decides that it is useless to assist what he defines as a mere semblance of democracy.



In an otherwise angry editorial, Magyar Narancs warns that it makes no sense for the opposition to boycott Parliament, the opposition benches provide an important platform to argue in public against the government. The opposition must continue to be present in public life and wait until the opportunity arises to win over the majority of the population, the editors conclude.



In a similar vein, Heti Vilaggazdasags Arpad W. Tota calls on the opposition to consider its 1.8 million voters as a precious basis to continue its work. Sure, he continues, the government has almost a million supporters more, but the liberal author cautions his readers against despising them as ignorant rednecks.



They simply saw in Prime Minister Orban the lesser evil, he explains. The oppositions job, he argues, is not to reject them but to win them over.



In Elet es Irodalom, Janos Szeky lambasts the opposition for showing such timidity over the war in Ukraine. Responding to the governments stance that Hungary should stay out of the war, they should have chosen what he sees as the only moral path and demand lethal weapon shipments to Ukraine.



They would have lost the elections anyway, but at least they could now say that they were honest, he fulminates.



On the pro-government side, Demokrata editor-in-chief Andras Bencsik urges his fellow conservatives to win over Budapest, after winning an overwhelming majority in the rest of the country. The elections, he explains, have revealed a gaping chasm between Budapest and rural Hungary. In his view, the people of the capital act as if they were a mass of aliens in their own country.



He believes most dwellers of the capital city put their interests first, suppressing their patriotic emotions, but that could be changed, he hopes.



Mandiners David Kacsoh points out that the government side won the elections by a landslide for the fourth consecutive time despite having had to face unexpected hardships this time. First Hungary, just as other countries, was hit by the Covid pandemic and then by the reverberations of the war in Ukraine.



Despite all that, the opposition was unable to even hold its earlier positions  proof of their poor quality, he suggests. He admits however, that the country would actually benefit from an intellectually and morally strong opposition.



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.

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Hungary is the European Union's biggest producer of horseradish, harvesting more than 12,000 tonnes last year, close to half of the EU total, the Hungarian Agriculture Chamber said.

According to agroinform.hu, almost all of the horseradish in Hungary is grown in an area in Hajdu-Bihar County, in the east of the country.



The labor-intensive crop provides a livelihood for "several hundred" families, the chamber said.



The biggest export markets for Hungarian horseradish are the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom.



Horseradish is native to Hungary.



9 Health Benefits of Horseradish
Hungary will not send weapons or troops to Ukraine under a mandate the Hungarian people has given to the government, Zoltan Kovacs, state secretary for international relations, told US news channel CNN.

Video available here



Dismissing a question suggesting that Hungary had a different position from the European Union, Kovacs said the country was one hundred percent in support of the decisions of NATO and the EU, but added that Hungary would not let itself be dragged into this war.



Asked about Prime Minister Viktor Orbans recent remarks that Hungary could pay Russia in rubles for gas, Kovacs he said the EU did not have a common policy for gas and oil purchases and under Hungarys bilateral agreements with Russia the currency for payments was merely a technical detail.



This does not mean bypassing international policies concerning sanctions against Russia, he added.



Kovacs noted that the Hungarian economy and households were 85% dependent on Russian gas and said there were currently no alternative gas and oil resources despite messages from other parts of Europe and Ukraine that the current practice should be abandoned.



Concerning the Ukraine war, Kovacs said Hungary supported the EUs and NATOs decisions aimed at achieving peace. At all cost, by all means, a ceasefire must be reached as soon as possible, he said.
According to big real estate firm Duna House's first quarter transaction data, the average price per square meter of apartments in panel buildings in the capital has risen by HUF 100,000 compared to sales data from a year ago.

In Budapest, the average price of a panel apartment (a type of building built of pre-fabricated concrete blocks during the communist era in Hungary) is HUF 35.5 million, with a price per square meter of HUF 666,000.



The top seller in Q1 2022 was a 36 sqm apartment in District XIII, which was bought for HUF 39 mln, which means that the price per square meter was above HUF 1 mln, Duna House says.



Duna House says that the popularity of panel apartments has been unbroken for a long time.



First-time buyers are mainly looking for a good location, variable size, and still the most affordable property type as a starter home, which can be renovated relatively quickly and easily if necessary.



The highest number of panel apartments was sold in districts XI, XIII, XIV, and III in the first quarter, with Angyalfold being the most expensive district. The average price in district XIII was HUF 43 mln compared to the cheapest District XVIII, where prices stood around HUF 30 mln.



"Demand for panel apartments remains strong, as evidenced by the ever-tightening bargaining power of buyers. Of the final advertised price, buyers were only able to bargain for an average of 3% on the Buda side and 2% on the Pest side.



In 10% of transactions, buyers were bidding for the apartment, thus pushing the final price up slightly.



The price of HUF 1 million per square meter is of course still a curiosity, but it shows the appreciation potential. We are seeing more and more transactions with a price per square meter of HUF 800,000-900,000, which used to be typical for brick apartments in the city center."



In the first quarter, the most expensive panel apartment flat sold was an 80 sqm one, bought by its new owner for HUF 61 mln.
THE Government of Tanzania and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have signed the Record of Discussion (RD) for technical cooperation on the execution of the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) for Dar es Salaam region.

TOD is a way to plan in advance and organise an efficient and convenient urban development in connection with the public transport infrastructures and services.

The programme which is being jointly implemented for the first time in Tanzania will be implemented in a duration of 36 months from June 2022 to May 2025.

"It is one of the concrete strategies to decongest Dar es Salaam as proposed in the Transport Master Plan supported by JICA in 2018," read part of a statement issued yesterday by Jica programme officer, Henry Kajange.

According to him, in response to the request from the government of Tanzania, JICA dispatched a detailed planning study team to the country from 3 February, 2022 to 8 February, 2022 for the Project.

A statement had it that the team held a series of discussions with the President's Office-Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), Dar Rapid Transit Agency (DART), and other stakeholders to develop a detailed plan for the project. "The project overall goal is to promote TOD pragmatic methodology in the urban planning of Dar es Salaam," he said.

Other purposes of the projects are to enhance the capacity of relevant institutions to use the TOD method for urban planning, and improve mobility along the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines and establish coordination mechanisms for planning and implementation.

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According to him, the project's concept involves technical transfer and capacity building in various forms, such as co-working, on-the-job training, and seminars with respect to the plan for officials of the concerned stakeholders.

Effective implementation of the project will contribute to the improvement of connectivity with other modes of transport in other stations.

"The project will incorporate all the feeder bus network information as well as improving access to BRT stations safely, comfortably, and efficiently," he said, noting that bus terminals will be designed in a user-friendly manner.

Furthermore, the project will generate guidelines and strategies as guiding documents describing the projects, roles and responsibilities of organisations.

The process of TOD planning and implementation is to show urban structure with the hubs, terminals, and nodes on the transport networks on all the planned BRT corridors in Dar es Salaam.

In the future, and upon adherence to guidelines and strategies, and implementation by stakeholders, the project will lead to sustainable development of the city of Dar es Salaam.

The project will also bring about a vibrant economy with efficient activities, a society with equal opportunity for all, and a quality of life with a safe and pleasing environment.
YORK  During their regular meeting this week, the York City Council suspended the rules and voted in favor of selling land being held for industrial development to BginUSA as the location for an $8 million data mining complex.

This land is located just east of the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) operations center. The land was purchased by the city a number of years ago, as all the lots in the industrial park were quickly being sold to private owners and the need to hold more for development became obvious.

The sale agreement calls for the land being sold for the BginUSA project with a cost of $12,500 an acre.

Weve been talking about this for some time, Mayor Barry Redfern said. The York County Development Corporation and Lisa Hurley have been involved, NPPDs key in this project. There are benefits for York. They will purchase half the ground out there and we will keep the other half for economic development.

The data mining project will bring about 30 units of computer servers and an office to the north end of that property.

As Lisa Hurley, executive director of the York County Development Corporation explained earlier, Data mining development fits York well because it brings sizable new revenues and new investments to the community without competing for workers in this tight job market. We anticipate seeing construction yet in 2022.

At a previous city council meeting, Nicole Sedlacek, economic development manager from NPPD, presented information on data mining as a valuable economic development opportunity for York. Data mining operations generate revenues for the city through the citys electricity lease agreement with NPPD as well as city sales tax revenues on electricity sales.

Mayor Redfern notes that BginUSAs purchase of the citys industrial lot to develop their data mining business provides an opportunity for the city to move into a cutting-edge technological industry. I have met with the company, and I look forward to their partnership.

York provides an attractive location for data mining because of the low electric rates and energy capacity that NPPD provides in the area that can be put to data mining uses.

Bin Shu, BginUSA manager from the Omaha office stated, We selected the City of York not only because it can provide the power that we need, but also because of the intelligent and hardworking people weve met there. The people make the difference we need to succeed.

BginUsa has been working on a smaller Omaha project and the York project will help them meet the growing demand for scalable, cost-effective digital infrastructure solutions for highly specialized computing needs.

NPPD has experience working with data mining in other communities, city officials said. A component of their preparation for data mining projects involves studies to ensure that the York system has the necessary capacity for the data mining project so that the project does not in any way risk the power supply for other users.

Now that the council has agreed to the purchase, the city will post a notice of purchase for three weeks and then wait 30 days before closing. This week, the York Planning Commission will review a proposed zoning change which clarifies data mining as an industrial area use in the city. Officials said these zoning changes were already being developed prior to the BginUSA offer, in anticipation of a data mining entity coming to York.
Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) was the third busiest airport in the world. The information was revealed by a report based on the data provided by the UK based data provider Official Airline Guide (OAG). The organisation monitors global travel data and analyses multiple aspects like busiest airports, busiest flight routes and a myriad of other travel-related data.

As per the reports, surpassing China's Guangzhou airport, Delhi airport moved up six spots to occupy the third place. However, the top position on the list is held by Atlanta Airport in the US, maintaining its position, followed by Dubai International airport.

Other airports on the top 10 list include Dallas Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Denver International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Tokyo International (Haneda), and London Heathrow Airport.

Also read: Pakistan International Airlines' Boeing aircraft makes emergency landing in Karachi due to cracked windshield

It is to be noted that Tokyo Haneda in Japan re-earned its position in the list of top 10 busiest airports leading London Heathrow airport that has moved up eight spots to earn its position in the list. However, Jakarta and Shanghai were moved out of the list.

US airports have significantly dominated the list of busiest airports, capturing five out of the top ten positions in the list for the month of March. The OAG report says, "Growth of the US airports has come at the expense of Asian presence in the Global Top 10 as some of the big global airports of 2019, such as Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, slide down from their 2019 positions affected by travel restrictions."

Another report from OAG revealed that Indigo Airlines from India is one of the largest airlines in the world for the month of March. As per the report, the airlines hold the sixth position in the list of the top 10 largest airlines.

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New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Monday said that it has registered an FIR and started an investigation after two groups of students clashed at the Jawaharlal Nehru University's Kaveri Hostel on Sunday allegedly over non-vegetarian food being served in the mess on Ram Navami.

We received a complaint from a group of students who are members of JNUSU, SFI, DSF & AISA early this morning against unknown ABVP students. Accordingly, we lodged an FIR under Sections 323/341/509/506/34 IPC. Further probe is on to collect evidence & identify culprits, the Delhi Police said.

We received a complaint from a group of students who are members of JNUSU, SFI, DSF & AISA early this morning against unknown ABVP students. Accordingly, we lodged an FIR under Sec -323/341/509/506/34 IPC. Further probe is on to collect evidence & identify culprits: Delhi Police https://t.co/SDXpCwN6VW  ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2022

It further said that students belonging to ABVP have also intimated that they will be filing the complaint today morning. On receipt of the same, necessary action will be taken, the Delhi Police said.

According to police, at least six JNU students were injured in the incident. The two groups, however, claimed that over 60 students were injured from both sides. The Left-controlled JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) and RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad accused each other of pelting stones and injuring their members.

The Left outfits claimed about 50 of their members were injured, while the ABVP said their 10-12 activists were hurt. Several purported videos of the violence surfaced on social media, with one of them showing Akhtarista Ansari, a second-year MA student of Sociology, bleeding from the head. Officials have not confirmed the authenticity of the videos.

The JNUSU also alleged that the ABVP members stopped the mess vendor from supplying chicken and attacked him in the afternoon. However, the right-wing ABVP denied the charge and claimed that Leftists obstructed a Ram Navami puja in the hostel.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Manoj C said that a total of six students have received injuries and have been sent to a hospital. "There is no violence as of now. We are all positioned here with our team. At the request of the university, we have come here. We are trying to maintain peace," he said.

"Presently, the situation is peaceful. Both student groups are protesting peacefully. Appropriate legal action will be taken on receipt of a complaint. The situation is peaceful," the senior police officer added.

The JNUSU alleged that the ABVP, the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), used "muscle power and goondaism" to create a ruckus, manhandled the mess staff and asked them not to prepare any non-vegetarian item.

"They were forcing and attacking the mess committee to change the dinner menu and exclude the usual non-vegetarian items from it for all students," it alleged. "JNU and its hostels are meant to be inclusive spaces for all and not one particular section," it said.

A student alleged that the ABVP members asked the Kaveri Hostel mess committee not to prepare non-vegetarian food for the dinner, but the members refused to comply, saying students have the choice to have non-vegetarian or vegetarian food on Sundays.

"In the evening, when the mess committee members were having a meeting with the mess manager, ABVP activists barged inside and started attacking them with (Ram Navami) flagstick. Later, residents of Kaveri Hostel sent an SOS message to student office-bearers who reached there but were attacked with stones and sticks, he said.

Madhurima Kundu, All India Students' Association Delhi president, said, "In the afternoon, they attacked the mess vendor who had come to supply chicken. On Sundays, students have the option to choose between vegetarian and non-vegetarian food across all hostels. Around 7.45 pm, they came inside the mess and first attacked students with fists and then with items they could find inside.

Another student of JNU, Jahanvi Sodha, who claimed to be unaffiliated uploaded a video on social media saying, I am a witness to what happened.

In the evening, students came to the Kaveri Hostel mess and saw that the ABVP activists were already present there. They were hurling abuse and in response, some women students called them ''cowards'' (darpok). They were so enraged that they started attacking the women by throwing water coolers and when they started to escape, the ABVP activists hurled stones and broke the glass doors of the mess. Women students were severely injured," she has said in the video.

The ABVP, however, rejected JNUSU's allegations and claimed that Leftists disrupted a puja and havan organised by some unaffiliated students at 3:30 pm at the Kaveri Hostel on the occasion of Ram Navami.

The Leftists came to object, obstruct and prevent the puja. They have created a false ruckus on the issue of Right to Food, (Non-Vegetarian Food), they said. After the violence, both sides took out protest marches to action against each other.

Police denied allegations of being a mute spectator at the spot and said as soon as they received a PCR call, they rushed with their teams and ensured that no further escalation of violence. Late on Sunday night, members from both parties went to the police station and demanded FIRs to be registered based on their complaints.

(With PTI Inputs)

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New Delhi: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) spokesman Vinod Bansal has claimed that Delhis famous monument Qutub Minar was actually Vishnu Stambh. Bansal said that the monument was built with materials obtained after demolishing 27 Hindu-Jain temples.

"Qutab Minar was actually Vishnu Stambh. Qutub Minar was built with materials obtained after demolishing 27 Hindu-Jain temples. The superimposed structure was built just to tease the Hindu community," the VHP spokesman was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.

The VHP leader also demanded all the 27 temples which were demolished in the past, be established again.

"We demand that all the 27 temples, which were demolished at the site in the past, be rebuilt and Hindus are allowed to offer prayers there," he added.

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New Delhi: The price of petrol and diesel has remained unchanged today. In the last five days, there has been no change in the price of petrol in major cities. Petrol prices in Delhi are at an all-time high of Rs 105.41 per litre, while in Mumbai they are at an all-time high of Rs 120.51 per litre. Diesel prices in Delhi and Mumbai remained unchanged at Rs 96.67 per litre and Rs 104.77 per litre, respectively.

On Sunday, petrol in Kolkata was sold at Rs 115.12 per litre while diesel was retailing at Rs 99.83 per litre. According to a notification from state-owned oil marketing companies, one litre of petrol in Chennai was sold at the previous price of Rs 110.89 and diesel at Rs 100.94 per litre.

Petrol was sold at Rs 105.25 per litre in Lucknow, while diesel was selling at Rs 96.83 per litre. The price of petrol in Bengaluru was Rs 111.09 per litre, while the price of diesel was Rs 94.79 per litre. Petrol was priced at Rs 105.29 per litre in Gandhinagar, while diesel was priced at Rs 99.64 per litre.

After a two-percent price increase on Friday, aviation turbine fuel or jet fuel was priced at Rs 2,258.54 per kilolitre to Rs 1,12,924.83 per kilolitre in Delhi.

After a four-month respite, India's fuel prices have begun climbing since March 22, when the results of five Assembly elections were released.

Early Asian trade saw oil prices fall for the second week in a row, as international consumers revealed plans to release crude from strategic storage and Chinese lockdowns persisted.

Brent crude was down 38 cents to $102.40 a barrel at 2202 GMT, while U.S. crude was down 16 cents to $98.18. Brent fell 1.5 percent last week, while West Texas Intermediate in the United States fell 1%. The benchmarks have been at their most volatile level since June 2020 for several weeks.

Petrol, Diesel Prices Today

Delhi

Petrol - Rs 105.41 per litre

Diesel - Rs 96.67 per litre

Mumbai

Petrol - Rs 120.51 per litre

Diesel - Rs 104.77 per litre

Kolkata

Petrol - Rs 115.12 per litre

Diesel - Rs 99.83 per litre

Chennai

Petrol - Rs 110.85 per litre

Diesel - Rs 100.94 per litre

Bhopal

Petrol - Rs 118.14 per litre

Diesel - Rs 101.16 per litre

Hyderabad

Petrol - Rs 119.49 per litre

Diesel - Rs 105.49 per litre

Bengaluru

Petrol - Rs 111.09 per litre

Diesel - Rs 94.79 per litre

Guwahati

Petrol - Rs 105.66 per litre

Diesel - Rs 91.40 per litre

Lucknow

Petrol - Rs 105.25 per litre

Diesel - Rs 96.83 per litre

Gandhinagar

Petrol - Rs 105.29 per litre

Diesel - Rs 99.64 per litre

Thiruvananthapuram

Petrol - Rs 117.19 per litre

Diesel - Rs 103.95 per litre

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According to a senior Tata Motors executive, demand for electric cars continues to surpass manufacturing activity by a wide margin. An average of 5,500-6,000 reservations have been made for the Mumbai-based automaker's electric vehicle lineup in the previous two months, making it the domestic market leader in passenger electric vehicles last fiscal year.

Nexon EV, XPRES-T and Tigor are the company's three domestically available electric vehicles. It also presented a coupe-style SUV lately, which it aims to release in the next two years. Shailesh Chandra, Tata Motors' Managing Director of Passenger Vehicle and Electric Vehicles, said in an interview that the company's EV line had a backlog of customer orders because of the high demand for the vehicle.

"We are seeing that the demand is significantly outpacing the supply. The numbers are just the ones which we are able to supply, the demand is definitely much stronger which is reflected in the number of bookings with us," he said when asked about the EV demand scenario.

Read also: Yet another EV fire incident! 40 electric scooters burnt to ashes in Nashik - Watch video

In the previous one or two months, the company has received an average of 5,500-6,000 reservations every month, he said. However, Chandra said that Tata Motors was only able to produce roughly 3,300-3,400 units in the previous month. This means we have a backlog of orders every month, according to his statement.

Chandra noted that the company is trying to ramp up its capacities by increasing the sourcing of semiconductors. The company has initiated various steps like design modifications as well as sourcing from multiple vendors to increase the availability of essential semiconductors.

"These steps have allowed us to significantly ramp up production. Just seven months ago we were producing just 600 units but then such actions have helped us to increase it to 1,500-1,700 levels and then 3,000-3500 levels. This will continue," Chandra said.

When asked about sales aspirations for this year, Chandra stated: "Last year, we grew by five-folds, and therefore the aspiration would be definitely to grow not in increments but in multiples."

As per FADA, Tata Motors led the electric passenger vehicle segment in 2021-22 with retails of 15,198 units and a market share of 85.37 per cent in the vertical.

When asked if electric vehicles sales could account for 30 per cent of overall passenger vehicle sales by 2030, Chandra noted: "I would believe that the demand can be significantly higher than 30 per cent level because when the inflexion point is hit then the growth is absolutely uncontrollable."

The main factors which will limit the growth will be the pace of supply ramp-up and capacity and ecosystem development, he added.

"From a demand perspective, we have seen it shot up in no time. Despite various ramp-ups, we are still not able to meet the demand. So the demand will definitely, we believe, go beyond this 30 per cent mark," Chandra noted.

With inputs from PTI

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Washington: Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator, director and writer of `Squid Game` recently confirmed the return of two key characters for the Korean dystopian drama`s second season. According to Deadline Hwang and actor Park Hae-soo were present together to discuss what fans might expect from the upcoming sophomore season of the show.

"Gi-hun for sure. He will be back and I believe the Front Man will back too," Hwang said.

Although the return of these characters was expected, this is Hwang`s first public acknowledgement of their return.

Gi-hun, played by the now-SAG Award-winning actor Lee Jung-jae, is the Squid Game protagonist that survives the gauntlet of deadly children`s games whose return is teased at the very end of the first season.

Meanwhile, Front Man is the brooding villain and boss of the deadly games that pit 456 cash-strapped players against each other for a humungous cash prize.

Several weeks earlier, the Squid Game creator also teased Deadline about the possible return of HoYeon Jung, who plays the North Korean refugee contestant on the series, as her own evil twin sister.
New Delhi: Six workers were killed in a blast at a chemical factory in Gujarat's Bharuch district on Monday (April 11, 2022), the police said.

The official informed that the incident took place around 3 am in the unit located in Dahej industrial area, some 235 km from Ahmedabad. The blast triggered a fire at a chemical factory.

Six workers killed in blast at chemical factory in Gujarat's Bharuch district: Police  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 11, 2022

Bharuch Superintendent of Police Leena Patil said, the six victims were working near a reactor, which suddenly blew off during solvent distillation process.

"The blast in the reactor caused a fire in the factory. All the six persons working near the reactor died. The bodies were later recovered and sent for postmortem. The fire was also brought under control," she said.

No one else was injured in the incident, the official said.

More details are awaited.

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New Delhi: After Aam Aadmi Party Himachal Pradesh President Anup Kesari, the head of the partys women wing in the state, Mamata Thakur quit the party along with other leaders and joined the BJP on Monday.

Thakur joined the saffron party at its headquarters here in the presence of Union Ministers Anurag Thakur, Meenakshi Lekhi, Party National General Secretary Arun Singh and Media Department co-head Sanjay Mayukh.

Who all quit?

Along with Thakur, the Vice President of the states AAP women's wing Sonia Bindal, State President of AAP industry wing, D.K. Tyagi and State Vice President of Social Media, Aashish Kumar quit Arvind Kejriwals party and joined the BJP.

Meanwhile, taking a dig at the AAP, Anurag Thakur said that Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal will find it difficult to save his party`s organisation in Himachal Pradesh after Anup Kesari and others joined the saffron party in the presence of BJP President JP Nadda last week.

Big blow for AAP

The exodus of AAP leaders soon after the party began the groundwork for the mission of Himachal Pradesh comes as a big blow to the Arvind Kejriwals party.

After the huge Punjab win, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) decided to contest the election from all the 68 seats in Himachal Pradesh.

As part of its strategy to expand the electoral footprint in Himachal, the party would also be contesting the local body polls in Shimla this month

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New Delhi: At least three people have been declared dead while several others were injured after some cable cars in a ropeway collided with each other at Trikut hills close to Baba Baidyanath Temple in Jharkhand's Deoghar district on Sunday (April 10, 2022).

32 people have been rescued so far and 15 still lay trapped mid-air in a row of 12 ropeway cable cars, officials said on Monday morning.

According to the official, 10 tourists sustained serious injuries in the collision that occurred around 4.30 pm on Sunday, and two of them died during treatment. Both the deceased were the residents of Bihar. While one was from Darbhanga, the other one was from Madhubani.

Two Mi-17 helicopters are involved in rescue operations, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) are assisting in rescue operations, Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said.

Bhajantri said that local villagers are also assisting the NDRF in the rescue operation.

Prima facie, the incident appears to have occurred due to a technical snag resulting in a collision of cable cars, an official said, adding, however, the exact cause is yet to be ascertained.

Both the DC and Superintendent of Police Subhash Chandra Jat are monitoring the rescue operation from the spot.

Jharkhand Tourism says that the Trikut ropeway is India's highest vertical ropeway with a maximum lens angle of 44 degrees. The ropeway, situated around 20 km from Baba Baidyanath Temple, is around 766-metres-long, while the hill is 392-metres-high.

There are 25 cabins in the ropeway and four people can sit in each cabin.

(With agency inputs)

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The Election Observation Mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS-EOM) to the National Assembly Election in The Gambia, led by H.E. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, former President of the ECOWAS Commission observed the National Assembly Election in The Gambia, today April 9, 2022.

ECOWAS deployed 40 Election Observers to all the seven (7) Administrative Regions in The Gambia to monitor the electoral process.

Speaking after observing the election process in Banjul, H.E. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Head of the ECOWAS-EOM, stressed the importance of elections in democratic processes. "Generally, the election was conducted in a calm and transparent atmosphere, using the Gambian electoral process" he added.

The Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government is determined to accompany the people and the government of The Gambia through the Legislative Elections in line with the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance of 2001.

The ECOWAS Commission has extended support to the democratic process in The Gambia. This support includes several preventive diplomacy missions, the operational deployment of the ECOMIG Mission, engagements with the country institutions, training on Dialogue and Mediation for Peace Actors and other stakeholders in The Gambia, among others. This indicates the importance ECOWAS places on peaceful electoral processes in the Region.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a petition that challenged 6 year age criteria for admission in Kendriya Vidyalayas. Earlier, the central government opposed the grant of any interim relief to the petitions which have challenged the change in minimum age criteria of six years from five years for class, saying that the decision is not sudden as it is in terms of the National Education Policy which came in 2020 and the policy is not being challenged.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Centre, urged the court on Friday, to not interdict at this age as its order would have a pan-India impact and create heterogeneity amongst the students who would be aged five to seven years.

"The senior lawyer submitted that the aggrieved students can take admission in other schools and can't bank on KVs," for admissions.

He added that 21 States have implemented the six-plus regime for class 1 and since KV is for central government employees who are transferred from one place to another, there is a need to ensure uniformity concerning admission age.

Sharma informed that seven lakh applications have been received against one lakh seats.

KVs are the beacon of education and the first to implement the NEP, he said.

In one of the petitions before the court, a five-year-old girl has claimed that the change in age criteria, which was earlier five years, is in violation of the right to education guaranteed to the petitioner under Articles 14, 21, and 21-A of the Constitution as well as under the provisions of Delhi School Education Act, 1973 and Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.

The petitioner, a UKG student who is represented by lawyer Ashok Agarwal, has claimed that KVS suddenly changed the admission criteria for class 1 to six years by uploading the guidelines for admission to Kendriya Vidyalayas on its portal just four days before the admission process started last month.
New Delhi: India on Sunday (April 10, 2022) began administering precaution dose of Covid-19 vaccines at private vaccination centres to all aged above 18 years, who have completed nine months since the administration of their second dose.

The health ministry informed that the precaution dose will be of the same Covid-19 vaccine which has been used for administration of the first and second dose. Additionally, the Centre said that the private vaccination centres can charge up to a maximum of Rs 150 per dose as a service charge over and above the cost of the vaccine.

Slow start in Delhi

Administering of precaution dose of Covid-19 vaccines began in Delhi on Sunday. However, the pace of the vaccination at private centres was sluggish.

While some of the private vaccination centres, like the Fortis Healthcare group, started administering the dose, others like Apollo Hospital and Max Healthcare said that they would begin vaccinating people from April 11.

ALSO READ | Covid-19 booster dose for all adults: When should you take it, cost of jab, other details here

Goa postpones launch of precaution dose drive

Goa failed to begin the exercise of administering precaution dose of Covid-19 vaccines from Sunday due to unavailability of jabs at some private vaccination centres and as the medical staff of such facilities is yet to be trained for the purpose, an official said.

Talking to reporters, Goa's immunisation officer Dr Rajendra Borkar said that precaution dose could not be given in the state due to technical reasons and the exercise would begin in the next two days after the issues are resolved.

"Some private vaccination centres have not received vaccines and also its staff is not trained for the purpose. But these issues would be resolved within the next two days, after which the precaution doses would be administered at private facilities in the state," he said.

ALSO READ | Covid-19 booster dose for all Indians: Same jab to be taken, service charge up to Rs 150 at pvt centres

MP begins administering precautionary dose

Madhya Pradesh also started administering the precautionary dose of Covid-19 to people in the age group of 18-59 years on Sunday, but it may take some time to set up private centres for the purpose, a state government official said.

The rollout of precautionary dose of anti-coronavirus vaccines has been started in the state. People should get information about such centres in their respective cities on the CoWIN portal, he said.

Such private centres will need to purchase the vaccines and the entire process may take some time to start the facility, the official said.

Free camp organised in Bengaluru

Karnataka also commenced administration of the precautionary dose of Covid-19 to people in the age group of 18-59 years. In Bengaluru, the Federation of Karnataka Traders Association (FKTA) organised a free vaccination camp yesterday.

The spokesperson of the Association said, "I would like to thank and congratulate our Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the vaccination in a big way, which has helped us survive the different waves of the pandemic."

"Booster dose for the population between 18 years to 45 years of age started from today and we have organised a camp, which is our 42nd camp. We have been doing this for the last nine months with the support of 29 traders associations," the spokesperson added.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday questioned senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge in connection with its money laundering probe into the National Herald case.

The 79-year-old Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha was summoned to appear before the federal agency with regard to the probe, the ED officials said.

His statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as the agency wants to understand some issues in the investigation, officials said.

In 2012, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had filed a complaint before a trial court alleging that some Congress leaders were involved in cheating and breach of trust in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd by Young Indian Ltd (YIL).

He had alleged that YIL had 'taken over' the assets of the National Herald, a newspaper founded by Jawaharlal Nehru, in a 'malicious' way.

Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, journalist Suman Dubey and technocrat Sam Pitroda had been named in the National Herald case.

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New Delhi: Two men were arrested for allegedly selling adulterated desi ghee in outer Delhi, police said on Sunday (April 10, 2022).

Anshul Bansal (22) and Arjun Kumar (30) were arrested and 1,259 litres of adulterated desi ghee of different brands was seized from them, they said.

The arrests were made on a complaint of Jitender Singh, SMC Food Ltd and VRS food Ltd marketing intelligence officer, regarding cheating and adulteration of desi ghee, police said.

The complainant alleged that some people were playing with the health of the public by selling spurious and adulterated desi ghee in outer Delhi and were tampering with packets of the company's original desi ghee by adding fake ghee to it and selling it as real ghee, the police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Sameer Sharma said that a joint raid, along with the complainant and FSO team, was conducted at Puneet retail store at Pushpanji Enclave in this regard and two men, both residents of Rohini, were arrested.

"We recovered 1,259 litres of adulterated desi ghee of different brands on the instance of the arrested accused and further investigation in the case is in progress," he said.

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New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the people of northwest India will get a respite from severe heatwave conditions from April 12 onwards. According to IMD, a fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect Western Himalayan Region from the night of April 12, Tuesday.

"Under its influence, maximum temperatures are very likely to fall by 2-3 degree Celsius over many parts of northwest India and consequently, intensity & distribution of the heatwave conditions over the plains of northwest India is very likely to reduce," the weather monitoring department said.

Notably, the people of Delhi are currently reeling under heatwave conditions with maximum temperature hovering between 40-43.5 degrees Celsius for the past couple of days.

In the past 24 hours, the maximum temperatures were above normal by 6-10 degree Celsius in most parts of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana-Delhi and at many parts of west Rajasthan.

The IMD had earlier also issued an Orange alert for April 10 as the severe heatwave conditions prevailed over the national capital. Delhi sizzled at 42.4 degree Celsius on Saturday, which has been the hottest day in five years.

Previously, the national capital had recorded a maximum temperature of 43.2 degrees Celsius on April 21, 2017. The highest maximum temperature for the month was recorded on April 29, 1941, at 45.6 degrees Celsius. The IMD, in its warning, had said that this is for the first time in 72 years that Delhi has recorded such a high temperature in the first half of April.

On Sunday, the maximum temperature of 41.8 degree Celsius was recorded at the Safdarjung monitoring station.

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Gorakhpur: A local court on Monday extended the police remand of Gorakhnath temple attack accused Murtaza Abbasi till April 16.

Abbasi was presented before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate and the UP Anti-Terrorist Squad along with Shahpur police urged the court to extend his police remand.

His week-long remand ended on Monday.

"ATS and Shahpur police jointly appealed the court for the extension of police remand of Murtaza Abbasi. The ACJM court extended the remand for five more days, stating that it is necessary for investigation.

"The magistrate has extended the remand till April 16," senior lawyer PK Dubey told reporters here.

On April 3 evening, Abbasi, an IIT graduate, attacked two policemen with a sharp-edged weapon at a gate of the famed Gorakhnath temple here and tried to barge into the premises before being overpowered.

The attack occurred at the temple which is under high security as it is frequently visited by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is the head seer.

Abbasi was arrested and remanded in police custody for two weeks, police had said and alleged that he tried to forcibly enter the temple while raising a religious slogan.

His father Munir Abbasi said Murtaza belonged to the 2015 batch of IIT-Mumbai and was a chemical engineer.

In an earlier statement issued, the UP Home Department had said, "The attack on police jawans at Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur is a part of deep conspiracy and, based on the available facts, it can be said that it was a terror incident."

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New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who arrived in Washington DC on Sunday as part of his five-day US visit will meet his US counterpart Lloyd J Austin III at the Pentagon on Monday (April 11, 2022).

Rajnath Singh arrived in Washington as part of his five-day US visit which includes the India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue. He will be in the US from April 10 to April 15 to hold talks with US leadership on ways to deepen the India-US strategic partnership.

"I would be leaving New Delhi tonight for a visit to the United States from April 10 to April 15. I look forward to attending the Fourth India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington DC. Also, I shall be visiting INDOPACOM headquarters in Hawai, during this visit," Defence Minister said in a tweet on Saturday.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III will welcome Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in an enhanced honour cordon ceremony at the Pentagon on April 11.

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 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 read.

"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 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.

Ahead of the 2+2 dialogue between India and the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting with US President Joe Biden on Monday.

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New Delhi: Two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, including a Pakistani (code name Chacha) and one hybrid terrorist, were killed during a gunfight with security forces.

Operation underway as officials suspect some more terrorists could be hiding in the region said IGP Vijay Kumar.

As per the official, police personnel were also injured during the operation against terrorists.

The encounter began between terrorists and security forces in Kashmirs Khurbatpora village in Kulgam district, said Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

"Encounter has started at Khurbatpora area of Kulgam. Police and Army on the job. Further details shall follow. tweeted Kashmir police.

A joint team of Police and Army and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in Khurbatpora village based on specific input about the presence of terrorists in the area, said a Kashmir police official.

The team cordoned the suspected spot the hiding terrorists fired upon the searching party which was retaliated and an encounter started, he added.

The encounter comes two days after terrorists managed to flee to Kulgam after an initial firefight took place between the militants and armed forces.

Notably, it is the 36th encounter in Kashmir since January this year, earlier in 35 operations Security forces have managed to kill 47 terrorists.

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New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has initiated the groundwork in Karanataka for the assembly election and has formed three teams that will travel across the state to understand the issues and demands of the people from the government and to assess the developing situation.

"This is a very important exercise to help the BJP understand the ground situation, and assess the organisational strength, besides gathering feedback on the Central and the state government's schemes. The report will then be shared with the Central and the state BJP leaders," said a senior BJP functionary.

BJP Karanataka teams

The first team will be led by the BJP national general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh.

The second team will be headed by the state unit BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel. While the third team will be led by the Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai himself.

The BJP national general secretary Arun Singh-headed team will consist of former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, party national general secretary CT Ravi, and state minister R Ashok. Singh will be visiting Belagavi on April 12.

The Bommai team includes Union minister Pralhad Joshi and former union minister Sadananda Gowda. Bommai and his team have been assigned to cover Mangalore and Shimoga divisions.

How is BJP preparing for Karnataka Assembly Election 2023

Each team will consist of seven to eight party leaders consisting of MPs, MLAs, party leaders organisation leaders, besides state office-bearers.

The three teams will begin travelling on Tuesday and will wrap up their activities by April 22, covering 10 divisions of the state and all the Assembly constituencies.

Each team will spend two days in every division, which will include one-night interaction with the ground-level workers while also holding small 'Sabhas' for 5,000 to 10,000 party workers.

In 2018, the BJP faced a tough contest as Yediyurappa quit as Chief Minister with numbers not in favour of the BJP, paving way for the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) to come back to power.

The Karnataka Assembly elections are likely to be held in April 2023.

(With ANI inputs)

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Tumakuru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai unveiled the 161-feet-tall panchamukhi (five-faced) Anjaneya statue at Bidanagere in Kunigal Taluk on Sunday, and said that there would be good times ahead for the state.

The statue has been installed by Bidanagere Basaveshwara Mutt.Many holy works are being taken up on the auspicious occasion of Rama Navami in the region. The region would see huge developments in the coming days, Bommai said.

"Panchamukhi Anjaneya is a special form of Hanuman which has mention in Ramayana. Hanuman took this form for the welfare of the world. It is the divine wish of Hanuman to have his 161 feet tall statue installed in Karnataka. The sculptors have done a wonderful job," Bommai said.

Nanjavadhoota Swamiji, Harihara Veerashaiva Panchamasali Peeth Seer Vachanananda Swamiji and others were present here as the Chief Minister unveiled the statue.

Bengaluru's development under Amrith Nagarothana Yojana

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that various projects are being implemented for the development of the city under the Amrith Nagarothana Yojana. Speaking at the `Janapada Utsav 2022` in Padmanabha Nagar on Sunday, he asserted that Bengaluru has been developed into a real international city.

Bommai is quoted as saying by ANI, "Bengaluru has been developed into a real international city. Various projects are being implemented for the development of the city under the Amrith Nagarothana Yojana. Bengaluru is a beautiful city, the global hub of IT, BT and it is emerging as the financial capital too."

CM Bommai also asserted that Karnataka has attracted the highest Foreign Direct Investment of 47 per cent beating all other states in the country in the last three quarters of the financial year, adding "As for other states, it is just about 1-2 or 4 per cent. The state government is fully committed to the development of Bengaluru."

'Folk Utsav' in all assembly constituencies

Karnataka government will organise "Folk Utsav" in all the assembly constituencies of the state, informed Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday, after inaugurating the "Janapada Utsav-2022" in Padmanabha Nagar

CM Bommai said, "Folk Utsav would be organised in all the Assembly Constituencies of the state. With the far-sighted measures of Prime Minister Modi and former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa`s effective action, Karnataka has successfully tackled the COVID-19 crisis. As a result, the Janapada Utsav is being held after two years."

According to him, the huge gathering to witness the Utsava is ample proof of the cultural and linguistic richness of Kannada. Nobody can deny Kannada the top spot it has among the languages in India.

He is further quoted by ANI as saying, "The Folk University in Shiggaon is the only one of its kind in the entire world. It is a gift from BS Yediyurappa. We should strive to retain the Folk University and the Kannada University in Hampi."

(With Agency Inputs)

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A 27-women member delegation representing the Successful Women Organization of Liberia, Thursday, April 7, paid a courtesy call on the Political Leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Mr. Alexander Cummings, at his office in Monrovia.

The group is a faith-based organization comprising prayer and businesswomen, community leaders and students of Montserrado and Margibi Counties, with a membership of over 600.

The President of Successful Women Organization of Liberia, Madam Ophelia Wleh rekindled the ANC Political Leader, Mr. Cummings with hope of success for his Presidential bid in the 2023 general and Presidential elections.

Madam Wleh spoke of the need for genuine change through a good and competent national leadership that would restore the lost hope of Liberians for a better and prosperous nation. In general discussions, the women spoke of the difficult and harsh economic conditions they have to endure in supporting their families and sending their children to school. Worst of all, they lamented that marginalization of women and violence against women are becoming too unbearable in Liberia.

In response, Mr. Cummings expressed thanks and appreciation to the women group for the visit and assured them of the ANC's and his strong commitment to supporting women's empowerment, as well as protection of women's rights against sexual-based violence including rape.

Mr. Cummings said it is unacceptable that in the abundance of wealth and natural resources, the vast majority of Liberians are living in abject poverty due to gross mismanagement by the national Leadership.

The meeting was climaxed with special prayers offered by the women to protect and strengthen the ANC Political Leader's resolve in his quest for the Presidency come 2023.
New Delhi, Apr 11 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Pakistani prime minister and said India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror.

"Congratulations to H. E. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan," Modi tweeted.

"India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people," the prime minister said.

Congratulations to H. E. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 11, 2022

Shehbaz Sharif was sworn-in as the prime minister of Pakistan on Monday, bringing to an end the political uncertainty that had gripped the country since a no-confidence motion was introduced against his predecessor Imran Khan on March 8.

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US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held virtual talks on Monday focused mainly on Ukraine, and Modi said he had suggested to Russia that President Vladimir Putin hold direct talks with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The talks took place as the United States seeks more help from India in applying economic pressure on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Viewing each other from video screens, Biden and Modi both expressed growing alarm at the destruction inside Ukraine, particularly in Bucha, where many civilians have been killed.

"Recently, the news of the killings of innocent civilians in the city of Bucha was very worrying. We immediately condemned it and have asked for an independent probe", Modi said.

Modi also told Biden he had suggested in recent conversations with Russia that Putin and Zelenskiy hold direct talks.

The United States has made clear it does not want to see an uptick in Russian energy imports by India.

Daleep Singh, US Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economics, who visited India recently, has said the United States will not set any "red line" for India on its energy imports from Russia but does not want to see a "rapid acceleration" in purchases.

Lured by steep discounts following Western sanctions on Russian entities, India has bought at least 13 million barrels of Russian crude oil since the country invaded Ukraine in late February. That compared with some 16 million barrels for the whole of last year, data compiled by Reuters shows.

The Biden-Modi meeting will precede a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, the White House said.

Biden, who last spoke to Modi in March, recently said that only India among the Quad group of countries was "somewhat shaky" in acting against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The South Asian nation has tried to balance its ties with Russia and the West but unlike other members of the Quad countries - United States, Japan and Australia - it has not imposed sanctions on Russia.

Biden told Modi he is looking forward to seeing him in Japan "on about the 24th of May."

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (April 11, 2022) announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of those who lost their lives in a blast at a chemical factory in Gujarat's Bharuch district from the Prime Minister National Relief Fund.

Taking to Twitter, the Prime Ministers Office wrote, PM @narendramodi has expressed grief on the loss of lives due to a mishap at a factory in Bharuch. He extends condolences to the bereaved families. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of the deceased.

PM @narendramodi has expressed grief on the loss of lives due to a mishap at a factory in Bharuch. He extends condolences to the bereaved families.

An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of the deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.  PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 11, 2022

Additionally, all those who have been injured in the tragic incident will be provided with Rs 50,000 financial assistance.

Six workers were killed in a blast at a chemical factory in Bharuch district of Gujarat today. Police informed that the incident took place around 3 am in the unit located in Dahej industrial area, some 235 km from Ahmedabad.

Bharuch Superintendent of Police Leena Patil said, the six victims were working near a reactor, which suddenly blew off during solvent distillation process.

"The blast in the reactor caused a fire in the factory. All the six persons working near the reactor died. The bodies were later recovered and sent for postmortem. The fire was also brought under control," she said.

No one else was injured in the incident, the official said.

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting with US President Joe Biden on Monday (April 11, 2022) to further deepen ties between India and the US.

The two leaders will discuss a range of issues including the Covid-19 pandemic, climate crisis, global economy and Indo-Pacific.

"President Biden and Prime Minister Modi will discuss cooperation on a range of issues including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, countering the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Sunday (local time).

PM Modi will also discuss the development of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and delivering high-quality infrastructure with the US President.

White House Press Secretary in a statement said that President Biden will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russia`s brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilizing impact on global food supply and commodity markets.

The statement also added that Biden last spoke to Prime Minister Modi with other Quad Leaders in March.

"This meeting will precede the US-India 2+2 Ministerial between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh of India," it added.

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Washington: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has exhorted the US aerospace and defence majors - Boeing and Raytheon - to take advantage of the policy initiatives in India aimed at Make in India and Make for World. He met their top executives on Sunday local time in Washington.

"Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh met with the US aerospace & defence majors Boeing and Raytheon after reaching Washington DC. He exhorted the companies to take advantage of policy initiatives in India to steadily march from `Make in India` towards `Make for the World`," tweeted the Office of the Defence Minister.

Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh met with the U.S. aerospace & defence majors Boeing and Raytheon after reaching Washington DC. He exhorted the companies to take advantage of policy initiatives in India to steadily march from Make in India towards Make for the World. pic.twitter.com/YPhp5Hx7zx    / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) April 11, 2022

The Defence Minister arrived in Washington DC on Sunday as part of his five-day US visit during which he will take part in the fourth India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

During his stay in the US till April 15, Singh will hold talks with the US leadership on ways to deepen the India-US strategic partnership. The Defence Minister will also meet his US counterpart Lloyd J Austin III at the Pentagon on Monday.

India and the US are set to hold the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue on Monday, with the Indian side being led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.

"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 stated.

The MEA also stated that the 2+2 India-US Ministerial Dialogue will also provide an opportunity to exchange views about important regional and global developments and also on issues to address common interests and concerns.

The EAM during his stay in the US during April 11-12 will meet his counterpart, Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, besides senior members of the US administration to advance the India-US strategic global partnership, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi informed during a media briefing.

Ahead of the 2+2 dialogue, Blinken had last week called Jaishankar 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.

Ahead of the 2+2 dialogue between India and the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting with US President Joe Biden on Monday.

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New Delhi: Communist Party of India (CPI) MP, Binoy Viswam on Monday (April 11, 2022) urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider the Covid-19 booster dose availability free of cost.

The Kerala MP in a letter to the prime minister asked him to reconsider the Centres decision of making the precautionary dose or booster shot available for all those above 18 years of age at private healthcare centres, which eliminates the possibility of these Covid-19 booster doses being administered with a subsidized amount or even for free.

Read the letter here:

Binoy Viswam CPI MP from Kerala writes to Prime Minister Modi urging him to reconsider the booster dose availability free of cost pic.twitter.com/Z3N9DXNYjk  ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2022

India on Sunday began administering precaution dose of Covid-19 vaccines at private vaccination centres to all aged above 18 years, who have completed nine months since the administration of their second dose.

The health ministry informed that the precaution dose will be of the same Covid-19 vaccine which has been used for administration of the first and second dose. Additionally, the Centre said that the private vaccination centres can charge up to a maximum of Rs 150 per dose as a service charge over and above the cost of the vaccine.

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New Delhi: Shehbaz Sharif has been elected as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan on Monday after Imran Khan's ouster following a successful no-confidence motion. Sharif is a veteran Pakistani politician and the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Known for a more western friendly politics, Sharif was chosen as the new leader of Pakistan by the assembly after completing the ousting of predecessor Imran Khan sparked a mass resignation of lawmakers.

After the vote, Sharif vowed to tackle an economic malaise that has seen the rupee hit an all-time low and the central bank hike rates by its largest amount in decades last week.

Before becoming the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif served as the opposition of leader in the Pakistan National Assembly from 2020-to 22. His elder brother and popular politician Nawaz Sharif has held the position before.

Born in an industrial family in Lahore, Shehbaz Sharif is a graduate of the Government College University. He initially joined his family`s steel business and became the president of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries in 1985.

Shehbaz Sharifs entry into politics

Shehbaz Sharifs controversial journey in politics began in the 1980s under the dictatorship of Zia-ul-Haq when elder brother Nawaz Sharif was inducted into the Punjab Provincial Cabinet as Finance Minister.

Sharif, who by then began taking an active interest in politics, entered the Punjab Provincial Assembly in 1988. He was elected to the National Assembly in 1990.

In 1993, Sharif contested for a Provincial Assembly seat and became leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly.

However, his term was cut short by Pervez Musharraf`s military coup of 1999. He then became the CM of the Punjab province for the first time in 2008, returning from almost a decade long political exile.

Shehbaz Sharif was elected unopposed as the President of PML-N in February 2018 following his elder brother, and then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif`s disqualification from holding key positions after being implicated in the `Panama Papers.`

Shehbaz Sharif and corruption

Like his elder brother, Shehbaz Sharif also faces serious corruption charges.

In December 2019, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) froze 23 properties belonging to Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza, accusing them of money laundering. He was arrested by the NAB in the same case in September 2020 and incarcerated pending trial.

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New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday met President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the time after becoming the CM for the second time.

#WATCH Delhi | Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath leaves from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence after meeting him. pic.twitter.com/0QhlK0icLb  ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2022

The leader will also meet BJPs top leadership on Monday in Delhi.

The leader will meet BJP President JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah among other top leaders in Uttar Pradesh Bhawan.

This marks Adityanaths first visit to Delhi after swearing in as chief minister for the second time.

Yogi Adityanath created history by winning the UP Assembly Election for the second consecutive time, first in over 30 years.

Meanwhile, the chief minister on Sunday inaugurated a statewide health campaign and said each of the 403 Assembly segments in the state will have a 100-bed hospital.

Launching the Jan Arogya Mela in the state from the Jungle Kaudia primary health centre here, the CM said his government is focusing on strengthening the health infrastructure.

Every Assembly segments in the state will have a 100-bed well-equipped hospital, Adityanath said, adding that the Jan Arogya Mela will be organised every Sunday at all primary health centres.

People will get free consultation and medicines during the drive, he said.

The CM said the campaign was started in 2020 but discontinued due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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New Delhi: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) on Monday (April 11) warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a rally, saying that farmers are not beggars.

Asking PM Modi to frame a new agriculture policy, KCR said, "Is growing paddy Telangana farmers' fault?...I warn PM Modi that you can't mess with farmers. Indian history is a testament that wherever farmers cried, the government loses power."

#WATCH | Is growing paddy Telangana farmers' fault?...I warn PM Modi that you can't mess with farmers. Indian history is a testament that wherever farmers cried, govt loses power.Nobody is permanent...When in power,don't treat farmers unfairly: Telangana CM KCR at dharna, Delhi pic.twitter.com/uqCzSdG3Bl  ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2022

Addressing a dharna at Telangana Bhavan, Telangana CM further said, "Nobody is permanent...When in power, don't treat farmers unfairly." The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) is staging a protest in New Delhi, demanding the imposition of a `one nation-one foodgrain procurement policy`.

Meanwhile, the BJP has put numerous posters near the protest site asking KCR to step down. A poster of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Telangana state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar mentions, "KCR, what is your problem in procuring rice. Why this dharna? Is it for politics or for farmers? Buy rice if you can, else step down."

A number of posters from both parties have decked up in and around Telangana Bhawan in New Delhi.The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), making its demand for `one nation-one foodgrain procurement policy` a nationwide issue, is all set to stage what it called the biggest ever protest against the Centre.

The protest is joined by the party working president and minister KT Rama Rao, and many TRS bigwigs, including ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs. The Telangana's ruling party claimed that the Centre isn`t procuring paddy from the Telangana farmers.

Recently, the TRS workers had blocked four National Highways in Telangana to press their demand for a "uniform" procurement policy in the country. The party decided to protest in Delhi in their bid to raise the issue at the national level.

On March 24, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal assured farmers of Telangana that there is absolutely no discrimination among the farmers from different states and added that some politicians in Telangana are misleading the farmers in the state.

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Bhopal: Curfew was clamped in the entire Khargone city of Madhya Pradesh and 77 people were arrested after stones hurled at a Ram Navami procession triggered arson, officials said on Monday.

Khargone's Superintendent of Police Siddharth Choudhary received bullet injury in the violence and besides him, at least 24 people, including six policemen, were also injured, they said. Police had to fire tear gas shells to control the situation after the stone-pelting took place at the Ram Navami procession on Sunday.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan termed the incident "unfortunate" and said the damages caused to public and private properties will be recovered from rioters. The rioters have been identified and will not be spared. Strict action will be taken against them. There is no place for rioters in Madhya Pradesh, he said.

"We have passed the Damage to Public and Private Property Recovery Act. We are constituting a claim tribunal under the Act and after assessing the loss, its recovery will also be done from rioters, Chouhan said in a statement.

A similar stone-pelting incident was also reported during a Ram Navami procession in Sendhwa town of Barwani district where a police station in-charge and five others were injured. The situation was later brought under control, according to officials.

In Khargone, a curfew was clamped in the entire city on Sunday evening following the incident, as per an order issued by the office of Khargone Collector Anugrah P.

When the Ram Navami procession started from the Talab Chowk area near the district headquarters, stones were pelted at the gathering, prompting the police to fire tear gas shells to control the situation.

The procession was supposed to take a round of Khargone city, but it was abandoned midway after the violence, Khargone Additional Collector Sumer Singh Mujalde earlier said.

According to the district collector, the situation is now under control and citizens have been asked to step out of their homes only for medical emergencies. She also said that strict action will be taken against those sharing objectionable messages and videos of the Khargone incident on social media.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said 77 people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence in Khargone and that the MP government will not allow anyone to disturb peace in the state.

Peace has been restored in Khargone. Curfew has been imposed in the city...Rioters are being identified and 77 of them have been arrested, said Mishra, who is also the state government's spokesperson.

Mishra confirmed that Khargone SP Siddharth Choudhary suffered bullet splinter injuries in his leg. Besides the SP, six other police personnel were also injured, he said.

A citizen, Shivam Shukla, received serious head injuries and is undergoing treatment, but the condition of all others is normal, he said. The situation in Sendhwa town of Barwani is also under control, the minister added. The Khargone district administration in a tweet said for any urgent work, except a medical emergency, one can seek permission from the SDM office, tehsil office and Kotwali police station.

The examinations of Class 8 as well as of graduation and post-graduation courses of colleges in Khargone city, scheduled on Monday, have been postponed till further orders, it said in another tweet.

Mishra said, The houses from where stones were pelted will be turned into rubble. The state government's stand is clear and nobody will be allowed to disturb the peace here."

Some people who are hurt by the outcome of the recently held Assembly elections in five states are now instigating the violence, the minister claimed. They want to disturb peace in the state and the country. Even from these (Assembly poll) results, such people have not understood what the country wants, he said.

Deputy Inspector General, Nimar Range, Tilak Singh told reporters that 24 people, including six policemen, were injured in the violence and their medical examination was conducted.

The situation has been under control after 2 am today and no complaint has been received. Police patrolling is on. A search operation was carried out and more than 70 people have so far been rounded up, he said.

He urged people to stay at home and facilitate police to nab the anti-social elements involved in the incident. State Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel, who is also in-charge of Khargone district, in a tweet said he has directed the officials to take strict action against rioters.

In Barwani, Sendhwa police station in-charge Baldev Singh Mujalde and five others were injured during stone-pelting at a Ram Navami procession on Jogwada Road on Sunday, Superintendent of Police Deepak Shukla told reporters.

The police controlled the situation immediately. The procession continued after the incident and concluded peacefully, he said. To a question, the official said rioters tried to set some vehicles ablaze, but the fire brigade reached on time and controlled the situation. He said those involved in the incident were being identified and further action will be taken accordingly.

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The Monrovia City Government has with immediate effect suspended Col. Thomas Garwo, the Director of Monrovia City Police, for actions inconsistent with professional ethics and his alleged disrespect for the rule of law.

Mr. King Prince Andrew, Director General for Internal Operations at the Monrovia City Government explained that on Saturday, 9 April 2022, Col. Garwo reportedly blocked the entrance leading to a public garage situated on the Congo Town Back Road, a suburb of Monrovia.

Mr. Andrew said the incident did not just pose an unnecessary embarrassment to the public, but also to the government, especially officials of government and private owners whose vehicles were kept in the garage thereby preventing their movement.

He said Col. Garwo's action came at a time the Monrovia City Government was mourning over the irreparable loss of the Deputy Director for Operations of the Monrovia City Police, Col. Simeon B. Mayson, whose funeral the management was commemorating.

He noted that they expect Col. Garwo to exhibit and demonstrate ethical standards at all levels of the city's security and show greater respect for the rule of law.

"Col. G. Thomas Garwo is being urged to report to the Professional Standards Section of the Monrovia City Police and turn over with immediate effect all properties of the Monrovia City Government within his possession including the vehicle used to block the entrance leading to the garage," Director Andrew noted.

He continued that while undergoing investigation, Col. Jimmy Wilson, Deputy Director for Administration, will act and manage the affairs of the Monrovia City Police.
Mumbai: Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and NCPs Eknath Khades phones were tapped for more than 60 days, it has now come to light. Both Raut and Khadse have recently recorded their statements in connection with the illegal phone tapping case against senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla.

Mumbai Police had on Sunday recorded Rauts statement as a witness at the office of Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna in Central Mumbai. Earlier on Thursday, Mumbai`s Colaba police recorded the statements of senior NCP leader Eknath Khadse and his personal assistant in the phone tapping case for about two hours.

In this case, Colaba Police has interrogated senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla twice, calling her to the police station. The Colaba police recently started the investigation by registering a case against Shukla under the Telegraph Act.

On the complaint of a senior police officer, Colaba police registered a case against Rashmi Shukla in March. Rashmi Shukla had allegedly tapped the phones of NCP leader Khadse and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and kept them under constant surveillance. The alleged phone tapping happened when Rashmi Shukla was the head of the state`s SID.

Khadse`s phone was allegedly tapped twice in 2019 when he was with the BJP. After he had joined NCP in October 2020, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut`s phone was also tapped in November 2019 during the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

Shukla is presently on central deputation and posted as Additional Director General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Hyderabad. Pune Police has also registered a case against Rashmi Shukla. During the BJP government, the phones of Congress leaders Nana Patole and Bachu Kad were also allegedly tapped illegally.

(With ANI Inputs)

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New Delhi: Multilingual actor Pranitha Subhash, who has worked in several Kannada, Telugu and Hindi films, is soon going to welcome her first baby with husband Nitin.

Taking to her Instagram handle on Monday, the 'Hungama 2' actor shared a string of pregnancy announcement pictures, in which she can be seen held by her husband while holding pictures of the sonography.

Dressed in coordinated white outfits, they also posed with a positive pregnancy test device.

In the caption, she wrote, "For my husband`s 34th bday, the angels above have a present for u."

For the unversed, Pranitha tied the knot with businessman Nitin Raju in an intimate wedding ceremony on May 30, 2021.

The wedding was a low-key affair due to COVID-19 protocols and restrictions.
Los Angeles: Global sensation Priyanka Chopra had a fun Sunday day out with her girl gang and pet dogs Gino, Panda and Diana. The actress went out and wandered the streets of LA with them. Sharing photos of the same on her Instagram, she captioned her post, "Soul Sunday with the girls. And pups".

In the photos, Priyanka can be seen wearing a rose pink colored co-ord set which had a jacket and a pair of shorts. She tied her hair in two braids. She also shared a few stories of herself on Instagram, eating out, and asking in a poll, "Do you think shaking after you overeat will make room for more?"

Earlier, Priyanka Chopra shared an Instagram post appealing to the world leaders to come out in support of the refugees of Ukraine. The actress claimed that the current refugee crisis is the largest we have seen as human beings.

In the video, Priyanka, who is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, said, World leaders, this is a direct appeal to you. We need you to answer the call from activists and advocates working to support the humanitarian and refugee crisis that we are watching every day in Eastern Europe. We need you to take action to help the displaced people from Ukraine, and all around the world.

The actress also welcomed her first child with husband Nick Jonas earlier this year via surrogacy. She has neither revealed the gender nor photos of her baby.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Priyanka is awaiting the release of her film Text For You.

She also recently wrapped the shoot for her Amazon series 'Citadel`, a much-anticipated TV series that comes from the Russo Brothers, the directors of MCU movies like `Avengers: End Game`.

(With inputs from ANI).
New Delhi: In a major fillip to India`s dream to become a global manufacturing hub, Apple on Monday confirmed it has started manufacturing its top-selling iPhone 13 smartphone in India.

Apple first started manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017, with iPhone SE.

"We are excited to begin making iPhone 13 -- with its beautiful design, advanced camera systems for stunning photos and videos, and the incredible performance of the A15 Bionic chip -- right here in India for our local customers," Apple said in a statement shared with IANS.

The tech giant manufactures some of its most advanced iPhones in the country, including iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and now iPhone 13 at the Foxconn facility while iPhone SE and iPhone 12 are being assembled at the Wistron factory in the country.

According to industry experts, the new Apple iPhone 13 series has benefitted from the strong consumer appetite and spend to upgrade to premium smartphones.

In the first quarter this year, CyberMedia Research (CMR) estimates point to Apple iPhone shipments potentially growingA more than 20 per cent (on-year), with the iPhone 13 series contributing close to 17 per cent of the total iPhone shipments.

"The Apple iPhone shipments will potentially touch the 7 million mark in CY2022, translating into a historic 5.5 per cent market share," Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR, told IANS.

iPhone 13 was available to customers in India simultaneously with the US, among other markets which was a first for the country.

The device features an advanced 5G experience, brings super-fast performance and power efficiency with A15 Bionic, longer battery life, and a beautiful flat-edge design with incredible durability with the Ceramic Shield front cover, tougher than any smartphone glass.

iPhone uses 100 per cent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, 100 per cent recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board and, for the first time, in the solder of the battery management unit.

Apple started its India journey more than 20 years ago.

The tech giant launched its India online store in September 2020 and will soon open its own retail store in the country.

"With growing domestic Apple iPhone production, aggressive retail forays, and marketing initiatives, we anticipate Apple`s growth story in India to remain resilient despite potential headwinds," Ram told IANS.

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#mute
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court today sent the main accused in Hashkhali rape and murder case, Brajgopal Goala alias Sohail Goala, to a 14-day police custody. Earlier, the court allowed a PIL to be filed in connection with the sensational Hashkhali rape and murder case of a minor allegedly by a TMC member's son. According to reports, the PIL demanding a CBI probe into the incident is being filed by advocate Anindya Sundar Das. It will come up for a hearing on Tuesday, according to reports.

West Bengal | PIL filed in Calcutta High Court by advocate Anindya Sundar Das demanding CBI enquiry in Hashkhali rape and murder case of a minor  ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2022

The police have detained Brajgopal Goala (21), the son of Samar Goala, a member of the Hanskhali gram panchayat, in connection with the case.

A case has also been registered against him under sections of 376(2)(G) (gang -rape), 302 (murder), 204 (tampering with evidence) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

It may be noted that a 14-year-old girl died after she was allegedly gang-raped by Brajgopal, the son of a panchayat member owing allegiance to the ruling TMC, and his friends in West Bengals Nadia district.

The victims family alleged that she along with others was invited by Brajgopal to his birthday party on April 4. The girl's family also accused Brajgopal and his friends of forcing her to consume alcohol. They later gang-raped her. The 14-year-old died the next morning due to excessive bleeding, the family said.

The girl's family also accused Brajgopal and his friends of pressurising them to cremate the body and not to report the matter to the police.

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Beijing: The manufacturing hub of Guangzhou closed itself to most arrivals Monday as China battles a major COVID-19 surge in its big eastern cities. Shanghai has taken the brunt of the surge, with another 26,087 cases announced on Monday, only 914 of which showed symptoms. The city of 26 million is under a tight lockdown, with many residents confined to their homes for up to three weeks.

No such lockdown has yet been announced for Guangzhou, a metropolis of 18 million northwest of Hong Kong that is home to many top companies and China's busiest airport. Just 27 cases were reported in the city on Monday.

However, primary and middle schools have been switched to online after an initial 23 local infections were detected last week. An exhibition center was being converted into a makeshift hospital after authorities said earlier they would begin citywide mass testing.

Only citizens with a definite need to leave Guangzhou can do so, and only if they test negative for the virus within 48 hours of departure, city spokesperson Chen Bin said in a social media announcement. China has stuck to its zero-Covid strategy of handling outbreaks with strict isolation and mass testing, despite complaints in Shanghai over shortages of food and medical services.

China's government and the entirely state-controlled media are growing increasingly defensive about complaints about the COVID-19 prevention measures, censoring content online and rebuking foreign critics.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Sunday said China had lodged solemn representations with the US" after the State Department advised Americans to reconsider travelling to China due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws and COVID-19 restrictions, particularly in Hong Kong, Jilin province and Shanghai. The US officials cited a risk of parents and children being separated.

China was strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the US side's groundless accusation against China's epidemic response, Zhao said. Despite that, and indications the hardline policy is being dictated by the head of the ruling Communist Party Xi Jinping, China has rejected any notion that its response is political in nature. Xi has demanded social stability above all else in the runup to a key party congress later this year at which he is expected to bestow on himself an unprecedented third term as party leader.

The English-language China Daily acknowledged that Shanghai's measures are far from perfect," and pointed to the firing last week of three local officials for failing in their duties. But it said that shouldn't become an excuse to politicise the event and blame China.

Despite a large number of cases, no new deaths have been reported in the Shanghai wave, possibly because the omicron variant is less deadly than older variants. City authorities also say they have secured daily supplies for residents, following complaints about deliveries of food and other necessities.

Residents have resorted to group buying of groceries because they are not allowed to leave their buildings, with only partial success in obtaining needed items. The capital Beijing has seen relatively few restrictions, although the Erjiefang neighbourhood including the famed 798 art district has been cordoned off and classified as high risk after eight infections were reported there over the past two weeks.

China is facing one of its worst local outbreaks since the pandemic began. China is still mostly closed to international travel, even as most of the world has sought ways to live with the virus.

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KYIV: As Ukrainian authorities have begun to exhume a mass grave in Bucha to ascertain the alleged war crimes committed by the Russian troops, more shocking and devastating images from the Kyiv commuter town have come to the fore.

The Strait Times published a heart-wrenching story about a Ukrainian mother crying inconsolably after finding the corpse of her young son at a roadside grave in Bucha. The distraught mother named Lyudmyla found the corpse of her dead son Yevhenii at a roadside grave behind a razed petrol station in Bucha.

She had found the corpse of her adult son inside a manhole lying with another man. The Ukrainian mother found the body of his 23-year-old son warped by water, shrouded in sediment and eclipsed by an army sleeping mat.

As the Ukrainian investigators tried to move her away from the manhole, she resisted shouting my little son" and urged the authorities to let her see him for a while.

The poor woman had recognized her son by his distinctive footwear, claimed the report. "I won't leave," she cried, hugging the ground where her son's remains had been dumped out of sight.

The Ukrainian investigators have begun to assess the alleged war crimes committed by the Russian forces after Russian President Vladimir Putin called off his northern offensive to capture the capital of Kyiv.

It is alleged the Russian troops committed serious war crimes by shooting civilians, crushing them under tanks and raping mothers in front of their sons in the street.

The Kremlin, however, has categorically denied any hand in the slayings, denouncing photos of the dead as fakery. But shocking and devastating images and stories from the villages, towns and roads on the northwest flank of Kyiv claim otherwise.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned his nation that the coming week would be as crucial as any in the war. "Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a late-night video address.

"They may use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs. But we are preparing for their actions. We will answer," he added. He accused Russia of trying to evade responsibility for war crimes and again called on Western countries to provide more assistance to Ukraine.

"When people lack the courage to admit their mistakes, apologize, adapt to reality and learn, they turn into monsters. And when the world ignores it, the monsters decide that it is the world that has to adapt to them. Ukraine will stop all this," Zelenskyy said.

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New Delhi: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned his nation on Sunday (April 11, 2022) that the coming week would be as crucial as any in the war.

"Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a late night video address.

"They may use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs. But we are preparing for their actions. We will answer," he added.

He accused Russia of trying to evade responsibility for war crimes and again called on Western countries to provide more assistance to Ukraine.

ALSO READ | Boris Johnson walks through center of Kyiv with Zelenskyy, says Ukrainians have courage of a lion



"When people lack the courage to admit their mistakes, apologize, adapt to reality and learn, they turn into monsters. And when the world ignores it, the monsters decide that it is the world that has to adapt to them. Ukraine will stop all this," Zelenskyy said.

"The day will come when they will have to admit everything. Accept the truth," he added.

"Russia will be even more afraid. It will be afraid to lose. It will fear that the truth will have to be acknowledged," Zelenskyy said.

Earlier on Sunday, a series of powerful explosions were heard in Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv and in Mykolaiv, near the Black Sea in the southern part of the country.

It is notable that Russia's invasion, which began on February 24, has forced about a quarter of Ukraine's 44 million people from their homes, turned cities into rubble and killed or injured thousands.

Vladimir Putin's troops, however, have so far failed to take any major cities, but Ukraine says Moscow has been gathering its forces in the east for a major offensive and has urged people to flee.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: After losing the no-confidence motion, ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Monday (April 11) announced that he will be holding a 'Jalsa' (event) on Wednesday (April 13). He also demanded the immediate elections in Pakistan to elect the Prime Minister.

"On Wednesday I will be holding a jalsa in Peshawar after Isha - my first jalsa after being removed through a foreign- instigated regime change. I want all our people to come, as Pakistan was created as an independent, sovereign state not as a puppet state of foreign powers," Imran Khan tweeted.

"Established as an independent and sovereign state. We are calling for immediate elections because the only way forward is for the people to decide through free and fair elections who they want to elect their Prime Minister," Khan said in another tweet

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New Delhi: Shanghai continued to bear the brunt of the Covid-19 surge in China and added another 26,087 new cases, the official figures showed on Monday (April 11, 2022).

The city has become a testbed for China's elimination strategy, which seeks to test, trace and centrally quarantine all coronavirus positive people to control the spread of the virus.

Shanghai's case numbers are small compared to some cities globally, but it is battling China's worst Covid-19 outbreak since the virus emerged in the central city of Wuhan in 2019.

Earlier on Sunday, the city had reported nearly 25,000 locally transmitted Covid-19 infections. Of the local cases reported on Sunday, 1,006 were symptomatic while 23,937 were classed as asymptomatic, which China counts separately.

Shanghai, a city of 26 million people, is currently under a tight lockdown, with many residents confined to their homes for up to three weeks as curbs under the city's "zero tolerance" policy allow only healthcare workers, volunteers, delivery personnel or those with special permission to go out.

The curbs have sharply squeezed supplies of food and other essentials as many supermarkets have been shut and thousands of couriers locked in. Several online videos have reportedly shown residents struggling with security personnel and hazmat-suited medical staff at some compounds in recent days, with occupants shouting that they need food.

Meanwhile, the manufacturing hub of Guangzhou has closed itself to most arrivals on Monday. No such lockdown has yet been announced for Guangzhou, a metropolis of 18 million that is home to many top companies and China's busiest airport. Just 27 cases were reported in the city on Monday. However, primary and middle schools have been switched to online after an initial 23 local infections were detected last week.

China, notably, is still mostly closed to international travel, even as most of the world has sought ways to live with the virus.

(With agency inputs)

Live TV
The Political Leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Mr. Alexander Cummings, has reassured hundreds of supporters that he will be vindicated from the state-sponsored criminal trial against him. He insisted that the charges are based on falsehoods and lies.

Cummings statement was in response to questions from supporters during exchanges at a community engagement on Friday, April 8, in the Samuel Dahn Community in District 6, Montserrado County.

District #6, including the GSA area and the Samuel Dahn Community, has an estimated 26,000 registered voters according to reports.

Mr. Cummings said the criminal trial relative to the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) framework document is part of the plots and schemes being masterminded by the government and cronies to frustrate his agenda for genuine change in Liberia.

Questions directed at Mr. Cummings and how an ANC Presidency would deal with the issues ranged from deplorable community roads, lack of employment opportunities and investment, the deteriorating economic situation which has rendered parents indigents, to the alarming drugs abuse and poor health care delivery system in Liberia.

Responding, Mr. Cummings blamed the deteriorating economic conditions on gross mismanagement and ineffectiveness of the national leadership and said also part of the blame is the poor choices of Liberians in electing the wrong people into power.

The ANC Political Leader spoke of the enormous God-given wealth and resources to Liberia and said it is unacceptable for the vast majority of Liberians to be living in abject poverty, while a few live comfortably.

On the issue of the alarming drugs abuse, Mr. Cummings spoke of the need for youth empowerment through job creation and vocational training, while at the same evoking the law to deal drastically with persons engaged in the smuggling of illicit drugs in the country.

The ANC Political Leader said Liberians need to change the century's way of doing things and wake up to the realities that to change Liberia, to make it better and prosperous, "we have to elect people who are not corrupt and with vision to change the poor state of affairs."

Mr. Cummings reaffirmed the ANC's strong commitment to genuine change that will empower women and youths, lift Liberians out of poverty, and improve the living conditions of vast majority.
Islamabad: The names of six key aides of ousted prime minister Imran Khan have been put on a stop list by Pakistan's top investigation agency to prevent them from leaving the country, according to a media report on Monday.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) placed the names of the six on the stop list' on Sunday after Khan's ouster as prime minister by the joint Opposition through a no-confidence vote, Geo News reported, citing sources. Being on the list bars them from travelling abroad without permission.

Khan's former principal secretary Azam Khan, ex-special assistant on political communication Shahbaz Gill, ex-adviser on interior and accountability Shahzad Akbar, Director-General Punjab Gohar Nafees, and DG Federal Investigation Agency Punjab Zone Mohammad Rizwan's names have been added to the list, the report said.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's head of social media Arsalan Khalid's name has also been added to the list. The FIA introduced a system of stop list' in 2003 to stop unwanted people from trying to leave the country in the shortest possible time as placing someone's name on the Exit Control List (ECL) takes a long time.

The people on the ECL are prohibited from leaving Pakistan. Despite the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Government's hectic efforts to avoid voting on the no-confidence motion against Khan, the joint Opposition succeeded in its month-long efforts to oust Khan from the Prime Minister's office as 174 members of the 342-member National Assembly voted against him after a day of high drama.

Khan, 69, became the first premier in the country's history to be sent home after losing the trust of the House.

Live TV
Kyiv: Ukraine`s armed forces braced on Monday (April 11, 2022) for a new Russian offensive as powerful explosions rocked cities in the south and east, while Austria`s leader planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and call for an end to the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky kept up his tireless campaign to generate international support and rally his countrymen, warning the coming week would be important and tense.

"Russia will be even more afraid. It will be afraid to lose. It will fear that the truth will have to be acknowledged," Zelensky said in a late night video address.

"Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state. They may use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs. But we are preparing for their actions. We will answer."

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he would meet Putin on Monday in Moscow for the Russian leader`s first face-to-face meeting with a European Union counterpart since Russia`s invasion began on Feb. 24.

"We are militarily neutral, but (have) a clear position on the Russian war of aggression against #Ukraine," Nehammer wrote on Twitter. "It must stop! It needs humanitarian corridors, ceasefire & full investigation of war crimes."

Russia`s invasion has forced about a quarter of Ukraine`s 44 million people from their homes, turned cities into rubble and killed or injured thousands.

It has failed to take any major cities, but Ukraine says Moscow has been gathering its forces in the east for a major offensive and has urged people to flee.

A series of powerful explosions were heard in Ukraine`s northeastern city of Kharkiv and in Mykolaiv, near the Black Sea in the southern part of the country, Ukrainian media reported on Sunday.

Earlier, missiles destroyed the airport in the city of Dnipro, said Valentyn Reznichenko, governor of the central Dnipropetrovsk region.

Russia`s defence ministry said high-precision missiles had destroyed the headquarters of Ukraine`s Dnipro battalion in the town of Zvonetsky.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports.

WEAPONS APPEALS

Since Russia invaded, Zelensky has appealed to Western powers to provide more defence help, and to punish Moscow with tougher sanctions including embargoes on its energy exports.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told ABC News: "We`re going to get Ukraine the weapons it needs to beat back the Russians to stop them from taking more cities and towns."

Zelensky said he had confidence in his own armed forces but "unfortunately I don`t have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need" from the United States.

"They have to supply weapons to Ukraine as if they were defending themselves and their own people," Zelensky said in an interview aired on CBS`s "60 Minutes". "They need to understand this. If they dont speed up, it will be very hard for us to hold on against this pressure."

Zelensky said earlier on Twitter he had spoken on the phone with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about additional sanctions, as well as more defence and financial support for his country. Zelensky also discussed with Ukrainian officials Kyiv`s proposals for a new package of EU sanctions, his office said.

The EU on Friday banned Russian coal imports among other products, but has yet to touch oil and gas imports from Russia.

CIVILIAN DEATHS

Mounting civilian casualties have triggered widespread international condemnation and new sanctions.

Ludmila Zabaluk, head of the Dmytriv Village Department, north of the capital Kyiv, said dozens of civilian bodies were found in the area.

There were more than 50 dead people. They shot them from close distance. Theres a car where a 17-year-old child was burned, only bones left. A woman had half her head blown off. A bit farther, a man lying near his car was burned alive.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports.

Moscow has rejected accusations of war crimes by Ukraine and Western countries. It has repeatedly denied targeting civilians in what it calls a "special operation" to demilitarise and "denazify" its southern neighbour. Ukraine and Western nations have dismissed this as a baseless pretext for war.

The World Bank on Sunday forecast the war would cause Ukraine`s economic output to collapse by 45% this year, with half of its businesses shuttered, grain exports mostly cut off by Russia`s naval blockade and destruction rendering economic activity impossible in many areas.

The bank forecast Russia`s GDP would contract by 11.2% this year due to punishing Western sanctions.

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New Delhi: Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday (April 9, 2022) visited Kyiv during his surprise visit to the war-torn country and walked through the centre of the national capital with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In a video clip shared by Johnson, the two leaders can be seen walking on the heavily guarded streets of Kyiv.

"The Ukrainians have the courage of a lion. President Zelenskyy has given the roar of that lion. The UK stands unwaveringly with the people of Ukraine," he wrote on Twitter.

The Ukrainians have the courage of a lion. President @ZelenskyyUa has given the roar of that lion. The UK stands unwaveringly with the people of Ukraine. Slava Ukraini pic.twitter.com/u6vGYqmK4V  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 9, 2022

The Ukrainian government also shared an over two-minute-long video where Boris and Zelenskyy can be seen greeting passersby as they walk through Kyiv's main Kreshchatyk street to the Maidan square.

because they bloody can pic.twitter.com/FaTUt0lvP6  Ukraine / (@Ukraine) April 9, 2022

In the midst of ruins, on the wall of a building half-destroyed by a russian half-ton bomb, a cupboard with utensils miraculously stood. As if nothing had happened, with a ceramic rooster on top. This photo went viral in Ukraine: "If he survived, we can!"#BRAVEUKRAINE

(2/2)  Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 10, 2022

During his visit, Johnson also held in-depth discussions with Zelenskyy on military and economic assistance and set out new military assistance of 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems, to support Ukraine in the ongoing conflict with Vladimir Putin's forces.

"Ukraine has defied the odds and pushed back Russian forces from the gates of Kyiv, achieving the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century," said Johnson.

"It is because of President Zelenskyy's resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people that Putin's monstrous aims are being thwarted. I made clear today that the United Kingdom stands unwaveringly with them in this ongoing fight, and we are in it for the long run," he stated.

Britain also will continue to ratchet up its sanctions on Russia and move away from using Russian hydrocarbons, Johnson said.

The support aims to ensure that "Ukraine can never be bullied again, never will be blackmailed again, never will be threatened in the same way again," he added.

Johnson was the latest foreign leader to visit Kyiv after Russian forces pulled back from areas around the capital just over a week ago.

Today I met my friend President @ZelenskyyUa in Kyiv as a show of our unwavering support for the people of Ukraine. We're setting out a new package of financial & military aid which is a testament of our commitment to his country's struggle against Russias barbaric campaign. pic.twitter.com/KNY0Nm6NQ3  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 9, 2022

Russia's invasion, which began on February 24, has so far forced around a quarter of the population of 44 million to leave their homes and has turned cities into rubble and killed or injured thousands.

(With agency inputs)
Opposition Democratic People Party of Liberia (DPPL) has lashed out at the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) - led government, branding it as a disappointment to the people of Liberia.

During a press conference over the weekend in Monrovia, DPPL political leader Rev. David Kaimu accused the ruling CDC of allegedly inflicting massive suffering on the Liberian people under President George Manneh Weah, adding that the government is a complete disappointment to Liberians.

"The DPPL is deeply concerned that in five years of President Weah's government, nothing concrete has been done to address the massive suffering of the people, and to do things that will satisfy the desires of the common people, including citizens who [are] victimized by the civil war," he alleged.

Rev. Kaimu said individuals who committed economic crimes including those who murdered innocent people are still walking free here.

According to him, the DPPL is calling on President Weah and his government to do what is necessary by setting up the war and economic crimes court in Liberia.

"We in the DPPL lend our fullest support to the United States Congress Resolution 907 which reaffirms commitment to support progress towards transparency, accountability ... and other tenets of good governance in Liberia," said Rev. Kaimu.

He urged President Weah and his CDC - led government to write two separate letters to the United Nations Secretary General and the United States Congress expressing Liberia's readiness to fully implement recommendations contained in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report.

Meanwhile, Rev. Kaimu said the DPPL is concerned that some Liberians in the country and the diaspora continue to live on falsehoods about other citizens just to get asylum opportunities in the United States and other countries.

He made specific reference to Mr. Hassan Seku Bility from the Global Justice Research Project, claiming that Bility is in the constant habit of telling falsehoods against some Liberians and using fake witnesses to indict other Liberian citizens.

He also urged the government here to launch an investigation into the group that is led by Mr. Bility and holds it accountable for what it is writing about Liberia and its citizens.
MONROVIA In recent days, there has been news of a shortage of Liberia staple (rice) on the market.

Due to the news and knowing that the commodity is a political one, Liberians who have money started buying out of panic that it will finish from the market and their family might not get to eat.

Some citizens, mostly retailers protested demanding that the commodity be available and affordable on the market.

The information reached President George M Weah and his deputies, thus forcing them out of their offices to ascertain "firsthand information" about the news that has been in the public about the rice shortage.

President Weah on April 6, 2022 [one of the infamous days in Liberian history] toured various warehouses at the Freeport of Monrovia to establish if it was true or false that the commodity was short or it was an artificial shortage and hiking of price.

Speaking to reporters during the tour the Liberian leader warned against playing politics out of Liberia's staple food in the name of politics.

President Weah said there is no rice shortage in the country as evidenced by the stockpile of rice at various warehouses at the Freeport.

The Liberian leader said his administration knows what it takes for the shortage of rice on the market.

Knowing the consequence of the rice shortage, President Weah said his government held a meeting with rice importers two years ago to prevent the hike in the price of rice or the shortage of the product on the Liberian market.

He informed reporters that during the meeting with the importers, they (importers) assured his administration that there will be no scarcity of rice.

He indicated, "Let's forget politics you may not like me, and I may not like you, but it has nothing to do with the general good of the country. Whether we are opposition or not, this is our country".

He added, "I came here to see because two years ago, they promised us that there will be no rice shortage. Coming here again, we can see that there is no shortage, but our people have been misinformed. I listened to so many journalists, but what they said is contrary to what we are seeing here."

President Weah rallied journalists to make sure that the right information is provided to the public.

At first, the importation of rice was done by one importer but when President Weah observed it was causing problems, he opened up the market to many importers so that the commodity cannot go short on the Liberian market.

"Rice is our staple food and if it is the only commodity that will be expensive in this country, we will not allow that", the Liberian leader intoned.

One thing he assured is the availability and ability and affordability of the product to the citizens' nothing that measures will be employed to combat the hoarding of the commodity.

"Whether they like it or not, rice price will not go up. If you are a (Commerce) Minister and you are not able to stabilize rice prices, then you are not a Minister. You need to communicate that to our people so they cannot panic".

History of news of rice shortage in Liberia

In early April 1979, Florence Chenoweth, then Minister of Agriculture, proposed an increase in the price of rice from $22 per 100-pound bag to $26. His justification was that the increase would serve as an added inducement for rice farmers to stay on the land and produce rice as both a subsistence crop and a cash crop, instead of abandoning their farms for jobs in the cities or on the rubber plantations.

However, political opponents criticized the proposal as self-aggrandizement, pointing out that Chenoweth and the family of President William Tolbert operated large rice farms and would therefore realize a tidy profit from the proposed price increase.

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The Progressive Alliance of Liberia called for a peaceful demonstration in Monrovia to protest the proposed price increase. On April 14, 1979, about 2,000 activists began what was planned as a peaceful march on the Executive Mansion. The protest march swelled dramatically when the protesters were joined en route by more than 10,000 "back street boys," causing the march to quickly degenerate into a disorderly mob of riot and destruction.

Since the above occurrence in Liberia, presidents of the country have always found means to ensure that the commodity is not short on the market for they know the aftermath if there is no rice.

In is in this direction of President Weah and his team is making efforts that the situation does not escalate to something different that could cause instability in the country that has over the years enjoyed relative stability.
Gbarnga, Bong County-CEPRESS International University (CIU) in Gbarnga, Bong County has conferred undergraduate degrees on 29 students from the 'Kwake' Class of 2021-2022, at its 2nd Commencement Convocation.

CEPRES International University is one of the schools offering Applied Health and Agricultural Sciences in Liberia, the Mano River Union, and the West African Region.

The University has several collaborations with local and international institutions that paved the way to deliver quality learning programs.

CIU is a leading provider of education that best suits the needs of learners and those who have busy schedules to attend physical classes.

The University is accredited by the National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) in Liberia and is a member of the International Academic and Management Association (IAMA), and has partnerships with several organizations and Universities in and out of Liberia.

The graduates received an undergraduate degree in Public Health, Community Health, Epidemiology, Plant and Soil Science, Health Education and Promotion, Development Studies, Environmental Science, Environmental Health Science among others.

Delivering his keynote address at the CEPRESS International University 2nd Commencement Convocation in Gbarnga on April 9, 2022, Mr. Marcus S. Wleh challenged the graduating class to aspire for higher education and greater opportunities to accomplish more in society.

The 2nd Graduating Class of the CEPRESS International University is named "Kwake" which is translated in English as the class of 'We Made It' of 2021-2022.

Marcus S. Wleh, who is the Head of Government and Community Relations at ArcelorMittal Liberia reminded the graduates that CEPRESS University needs them because they are the future movers and shakers of Liberia in terms of contributing to the developmental processes of the country.

Wleh at the same time underscored the need for public-private partnership in supporting higher institutions of learning in Liberia.

He said, more needs to be done by the Government of Liberia and other requisite institutions to invest meaningfully in public-private partnerships in supporting tertiary Education in Liberia.

Wleh said, Liberia as a country cannot continue to rely on foreign investors or institutions for support thus stressing the need for investment in institutions of higher learning; naming CEPRESS University and other private and public tertiary institutions that focus on the training of young learners for industrious purposes.

Additionally, he said, when Liberia place focuses on Public-Private Partnership, the private sector will be able to build, operate, and have adequate access to public infrastructure facilities and provide more services traditionally delivered by the government; thus naming roads, airports, bridges, hospitals, schools, prisons, railways, and water and sanitation projects.

Moreover, Wleh said Public-private partnerships (PPPs) in higher institutions of learning and other paramount services are a key instrument for achieving these goals, especially in a dangling economy in country like Liberia.

The Head of Government and Community Relations at AML explained, that through partnership Liberia stands to get more qualified engineers, machinists, welders, noting that the Government of Liberia does not have the means of employing everyone, and as such, it said partnership works the private sector will assist the government of Liberia to create the avenue for more employment.

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Also, Prof. Dr. Mogana S. Flomo, Jr., the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CEPRESS International University said since the establishment of the entity in November 2014, it continues the role in the investment of human resources in the Country.

He revealed that the Institution received recognition from the Government of Liberia to operate in the Country on February 10, 2015.

Liberia's former Agriculture Minister told the graduates that Liberia as a nation is faced with numerous challenges.

He added that the graduates are all aware, that the only way this can be done effectively, is when they invest in, and develop the human resources, as they tackle the daunting task on their hands.

Dr. Flomo thanked the parents and family members who served as support and pillars to the outstanding graduates, as they came from day to day, bettering themselves for the future of mama Liberia, and the world at large.
The Rwanda Investigation Bureau has launched an investigation following a grenade explosion in the home of a one Twagira, a resident of Kicukiro district.

The attack took place on April 7 around 3pm in Indakemwa village, Nyakabanda cell in Niboye sector.

The grenade injured his daughter who is now being hospitalized at University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) hospital.

"The case is still under investigation to establish what really happened," Thierry Murangira, RIB Spokesperson told The New Times.

He didn't disclose if anyone has been arrested so far.

While there are unconfirmed reports that the attack might be based on genocide ideology to torture genocide survivors, investigations will establish the real facts according to Murangira.

Meanwhile, according to media reports, local officials and IBUKA, an organisation that strives for genocide survivors' welfare have established that the victim is not a genocide survivor.
Monrovia  Liberia's Vice President Chief Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor has addressed the 2022 Generation Equality Conference organized by the Government of Malawi in coordination with The Joyce Banda Foundation (WED) and some international NGOs.

The 3-day conference held in Lilongwe, Malawi according to a dispatch from the Office Of the Vice President, discussed issues of gender equality with the holding of plenary sessions with Young Women and Men.

As a Special Guest and one of the panelists, madam Vice President who addressed the conference on the theme "Growing and Glowing as a leader against all odds," highlighted three groups- women, youth, and mothers as leaders.

Speaking to Women, the Vice President said: "God has given each of us all the inherent traits we need to succeed. Let's join forces, work together and change the World".

According to the Liberian first female Vice President, the youths are the PRESENT but must be willing to be purified through the fires of Life; then become Valuable.

Speaking to the mothers whom she considers the third group of leaders, VP Howard-Taylor stressed: "The task you began is not complete until issues of SGBV are eliminated from our lives."

On the sidelines of the conference, the Liberian Vice President who is also the Founder of the Jewel Starfish Foundation, met with beneficiaries of her foundation in Malawi and some high-level dignitaries attending the conference.

VP Howard-Taylor, who also formed part of the Panel of female leaders telling their success stories, asserted that she was amazed by the stories of the former President of the Central African Republic Catharine Samba Panza and a Former Freedom Fighter and former Vice President of Zimbabwe Joyce Mujuro.

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"I realized that our stories were similar. They were patriarchal systems that believed that women should be at home, and if we dared to move into male-dominant spheres, we would have to go through the baptism of fire, the Vice President said. But through it all, VP Howard-Taylor emphasized: "We each learned to stand, preserve, grow and glow; as we traveled our Life routes.

Meanwhile, the 3-day Generation Equality conference organizers have honored Malawi's President H.E Lazarus Chakwera as a true HE4SHE CHAMPION.

Under the Presidency of President Chakwera, national figures show a minimum of 40% of women in all government sectors except the parliament. This condition will soon join the large numbers of females across all industries.

At the honoring ceremony, Vice President Howard-Taylor hailed President Chakwera for the honor, reechoing that he is genuinely a HE4SHE champion.
CANBERRA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Australia's governing coalition has made up ground on the Opposition ahead of the general election, a poll has found.

According to the latest edition of Newspoll, which was published by The Australian on Monday, the government now trails the Labor Party 47-53 on a two-party preferred basis.

It marks the second consecutive poll the coalition has made up ground on Labor after trailing 44-56 in late January.

The poll was published after Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday called the general election for May 21.

Despite making gains in Sunday's poll, the coalition still has to make up significant ground over the course of the campaign to win a fourth consecutive term in government.

Applied on a uniform basis nationally, a 53-47 two-party margin would result in Labor winning 79 out of 151 seats in the lower house of Parliament where the government is formed.

Morrison and Labor leader Anthony Albanese on Monday hit the first official day of the campaign with multi-million dollar funding announcements.

The prime minister visited the marginal New South Wales Labor seat of Gilmore where he announced 40 million Australian dollars (29.8 million U.S. dollars) for local road upgrades.

On Monday morning he accused Albanese of spending "the last three years fighting me while I've been fighting the pandemic and standing up for Australia."

Newspoll found that Morrison has extended his lead as voters' preferred prime minister, with 44 percent choosing the incumbent compared to 39 percent for Albanese, down from 42 percent earlier in April.

Albanese, who has led Labor since the party's shock loss in the 2019 election, began the first day of the campaign in the Tasmanian seat of Bass where he promised funding to provide better care for children with hearing loss.

He said that the party faces an "uphill battle" to win the election, noting that the Labor has won power from Opposition only three times since World War II and dismissed Morrison's assertions that he is an unknown quantity.

"No one knew who Scott Morrison was when he became prime minister, when he knocked off a sitting prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

"I'm not going that way. I'm not stabbing someone in the back to become prime minister. I'm asking the Australian people to elect me." 
IT'S ALMOST FIVE years into George Weah's presidency, public trust in the Liberian government appears to be in decline alongside a growing perception of lacking political inclusion.

THIS IS HARDENED by negative economic impacts which have seen an astronomical rise in the price of rice, the country's staple food, to $20.00 or its equivalence of 3,350 Liberian dollars, and a sense of undelivered political promises.

IN APRIL 2021, at the start of his nationwide tour in Bong County, President Weah declared his administration's progress on all fronts to improve his citizens' quality of life and set them on the path to prosperity.

SPEAKING FURTHER, he affirmed that his administration is on the right course and highlighted their efforts in building strong institutional capacities to fight corruption while urging his appointees to defend his government by going on the offensive to better present information.

IN HIS ELECTION manifesto promised to ensure the equitable distribution of the nation's wealth and close the gap between different classes.

MANY LIBERIANS did not believe their President, and currently, many more rather feel the opposite about his positive self-assessment - that things have actually gone from bad to worse under President Weah's watch.

THESE SENTIMENTS have been expressed by almost all the major opposition politicians in Liberia, including former Vice President Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party, the political leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Alexander Cummings, and prominent Human Rights Activist and presidential hopeful, Tiawon Gongloe.

FOR CUMMINGS, he is embarrassed about how President Weah is running the country, insisting that Africa's oldest country is moving towards becoming a failed country.

THE FORMER Vice President Boakai has openly accused the current administration of mismanaging the country's resources and allowing the poor masses to suffer.

BOAKAI AND CUMMINGS are apparently not alone. Jerry Fokpah, a 59-year-old farmer in Bong Mines, Fuamah District, Bong County, concurred with Boakai's assessment, describing the country as a crumbling edifice on the edge of collapse.

ACCORDING to another elder in Bong County, Samuel Flomo of Sanoyea District, referring to the wave of mysterious deaths in the country, the failure is because 'no serious and patriotic government will allow this level of killings of its citizens and be watching aimlessly'. A prominent youth in Bong County, Emmanuel Tamatai, described those still praising President Weah as liars and hypocrites.

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EVEN WITHIN PRESIDENT Weah's own party, the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), the party's chairman Mulbah Morlu, was heard on tape saying that the mission that brought them to power might have been willfully abandoned.

HOWEVER, the government is quick to showcase its achievements on infrastructure, while promising to complete the Gbarnga to Konia Lofa road before or after the 2023 presidential elections.

THE LARGER populace further doubts their sincerity and might have lost confidence in a government that was voted in under the mantra of change.

THUS DECLINING levels of trust in the government is unsettling which compromises the willingness of citizens and businesses to respond to public policies - essential for economic prosperity.

AN OBJECTIVE assessment of the administration's performance cannot be accrued through self-praise, but by reflecting deeply on the pulse of the street, and evaluating whether government policies and interventions are realistically lifting Liberians out of poverty or pulling more back into it?

GROWING RATES of poverty in the country signal a failure in achieving the promises made by President Weah and will continue to build distrust ahead of 2023.
Buchanan  Forty years ago Atlantic Street was one of this port city's busiest streets, humming with stores and chop shops. Today it is almost deserted. The encroaching shoreline has swallowed up structures and is threatening to take out the street itself.

Bobby Gibson's father used to run a popular store known as Gibson Beach.

"If you ever heard about the Gibson Beach somewhere up there but the sea took it away," says Gibson pointing to the area under the waves where the store used to sit.

Coastal erosion caused by climate-induced rises in sea levels and intense tropical storms has already destroyed the homes of hundreds of families and put critical fisheries at risk. Nine of the country's fifteen counties sit along the sea coast putting 60 per cent of the population at threat and threatening an estimated $US48million damage by 2100.

Low-lying Buchanan was one of the first places to feel the impact. In 2008, 20 houses were wiped away in the Bardor Wleh Town community. Many families were made homeless and some had to migrate to other nearby communities.

The Gibson family struggled to rebuild their livelihoods in a nearby community.

"The beach was a major source of income for the family," says Bobby. "People came from as far as Monrovia during weekend and holidays to the beach. It was one of the leading beaches in Buchanan."

A UNDP-backed $2.9m project in 2010 placed large rocks, known as a "revetment" along the shoreline from the port to the Atlantic Street area. The rocks worked. Communities feel safe for now. The UNDP expects them to hold back the sea for at least 40 years.

Now residents in neighboring Bardor Wleh and Corcorwein communities that are now threatened would like to see the wall extended to their areas.

UNDP's Energy and Environment Specialist Moses Massah says the Buchanan Project, in line with the approved project document was fully completed. But plans to extend the much needed rock wall further were thwarted because the Sirleaf administration refused to put up the co-financing international donors required in order to fund the project.

Massah is hoping there will be support from the Weah administration.

"Along with the government, we are in the process of resource mobilization to address the situation," Massah says.

Jackson Wesseh's house was among the 20 houses that were swallowed by the sea in Bardor Wleh Town in April 2008. He moved with his family to Corcorwein, another fishing community. He now works with a fishing cooperative of 50 men. The sea is now chasing him here too.

"The sea erosion caused plenty of damage in this community," says Wesseh pointing to empty space on the shoreline. "From here all the way on that side that was buildings but the sea damaged everything."

Wesseh and his crew repair nets on the beach waiting for the sea to calm down for them to make their daily voyage. The coastal defense did not reach Corcorwein. Wesseh wants the Government to extend the project here.

"Whenever the sea is full, this our side can really embarrass the canoes," Wesseh says referring to the damage that high seas cause his boats. "So we are begging the government to throw some rocks on this side, that they will fix area that we will park these canoes there."

John Weah was born and grew up in Bardor Wleh Town. He clearly remembers waking up one night to see his house among the 20 that were washed away by the dark wave of the ocean in 2008. Now 64, he lives with his family in the same Corcorwein community as Wesseh. He is afraid every night he goes to sleep.

"We are still afraid because anything can happen," Weah says. "We on this side here, when it [gets] dark, when the sea [gets] full for truth it can come all the way on this side."

Migrating from one coastal community to another is a only short term solution says Jerome Nyenka, for chief of the Environment Protection Agency and now an Assistant Professor of Forest Economic, Forest Carbon and Climate Change at the University of Liberia. The rock walls will also not hold the sea back forever. Instead, Nyenka says the communities will need to adapt to survive the long term. He urges coastal communities stop building on the shore and change their mindset.

"One thing you cannot do to coastal community is infrastructure development," says Nyenka. "If you start building on the beaches, it is more dangerous than unregulated sand mining. So, we need to change our attitude toward the coast. That is the first thing. The next thing is to do coastal defense. So you can combine the two: change your attitude toward the coastline and the beaches and do coastal defense intervention."

The West Point community is the focus of coastal defence efforts now. Like Buchanan, West Point has been hit hard by the sea. More than 800 homes have been swallowed in West Point alone causing 6,000 people to be displaced. Its residents are crying out for help from their Government as the rainy season approaches usually from Mid-April.

"The erosion a been disturbing us so many years, carry our houses, carry even human being; we lose lives we lose houses," says resident Jacob Jimmy.

The government and UNDP announced a major new project to protect the community at the end of last year. The $25.6 million Monrovia Metropolitan Climate Resilience project kicked off in January and will see a rock revetment put in place to hold back the sea.

US$17.2 million of this amount will come from the Green Climate Fund, an international fund made up of donations from rich countries to help low income countries adjust to climate change.$US1.5 million will come from the UNDP while the Liberian government is expected to put in $US6.8 million.

The UNDP also worked with the government to construct a revetment at New Kru Town and there are plans for a $US8.9m project in Greenville, Sinoe Count where coastal erosion has already eaten away one of Greenville's main streets.

More coastal communities are crying out for help. In River Cess County, fishermen of several fishing communities including Klaygbay, Mannah Beach and Timbo Beach who for decades have made their livings from fishing say they are forced to move to nearby communities due to the damages caused to their landing sites by sea erosion.

Though there are no reports of homes being washed by sea erosion in River Cess, fishermen here are complaining about a drastic reduction in their catch. Nyenka says that is caused other effect of climate change.

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Higher temperatures are melting ice caps in the North and South poles putting more fresh water into the ocean, increasing heavy storms and upsetting sea life reproduction. At the same time damage caused by human waste and cutting of mangroves in fragile coastal wetland areas is reducing spawning areas for fish.

"The ocean tide is rough. Most of the marine organisms that lay eggs, the moment the sea gets though, the eggs will be damaged," Nyenka says. "So [species] that come off the sea and lay their eggs in the mangroves, when they are returning with their young ones to the ocean and when they come up with strong tide, all the young ones will die. And that will affect commercial activities; those who go to fishing will not get enough catch."

UNDP Liberia Resident Representative Stephen Rodrigues says he has visited the communities and understands how badly impacted people are. But he says there is no way to hold the sea back forever.

"While such coastal and livelihood protection measures are extremely important, the bottom line is we simply have to better co-exist with nature," Rodrigues says.

He says the only thing that is going to save Liberia's coastal communities long term is stopping climate change.

"We all have a role to play in that," Rodrigues says.

This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the Climate Change Reporting Project. Funding was provided by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the American Jewish World Service.
Grand Bassa  The United Liberia Inland Church's Gaye Peter Mission in Wee Statutory District was a scene of jubilation on Sunday, April 3, 2022 as scores of families, friends and supporters gathered to celebrate noticeably, the oldest man to have graduated from High School in the Grand Bassa district.

Victor Myers 54, was among 13 graduates once considered dropouts, parents of several children, some of whom are college graduates but yet pressing on to finish high school in a remote district, about 50 miles from Buchanan City.

The day marked their graduation from the Vicent Willie Adult Literacy High School in Wayzohn City, a self-funded initiative of Grand Bassa County Representative Vicent ST Willie.

For Myers, the dux of his class, age is like they "just a number"and "cannot stop a man from achieving higher heights".

In his valedictorian message, an extensionally happy Myers repeatedly smiled and waved to the crowd occasionally streamed from the top of his lungs, "again I thank Rep VicentVillie for making me to earn such an honor".

"don't give up; it is never too late to learn".

"It is never too late to change your life to be who you want to be", he added "don't say it is too late to change because I am too old", he cautioned.

"This custom is ridiculously old-fashioned", the 54 years man with 6 children and a wife added.

Victor, while attending Vicent Willie Adult Literacy School served as Principal for a small Apostolic Church School, in the Compound Three neighborhood.

Quizzed on his next move after the graduation ceremonies, he said he intends to achieve more academic accolades but feared that lack of job could be a major huddle.

"For now I don't have a job, if I got a job moving forward, I will be happy to advance my education to the Grand Bassa University College where I already have a scholarship from Rep Willie".

Myers said he intends to peruse BSC in General Education at GBUC because according to him he has been in the teaching field all his life and he intends to continue to help others.

Serving as key note speaker was Senator Jonathan L. Kaipay.

Senator Kaipay urged the graduates to see high school graduation as the beginning and be eager for higher education.

He pledged to sponsor five of the 13 adult literacy graduates who all sat and passed WASSCE.

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The Vicent Willie Adult Literacy High School was established by Representative Vicent S.T. Willie in 2018 to assists adults: to become literate and obtain the knowledge amd skills necessary for employment and self sufficiency.

According to Representative Willie, the school targets parents and guardians to obtain the education skills necessary to become full parents in the educational development of their children.

"When I promised the people of Wee in 2017, many said it was just campaign bluff and nothing would have come out even to time we opened the school" said Rep Willie.

According to him, he considers the success of the school as a dream come true as "it has been my pleasure to educate underprivileged Citizens, mainly females and order people".

The United Liberia Inland Church, for the lawmaker has been at the center of achieving this feat for proudly accepting the school to operate in its facilities.
MOSCOW, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The Russian government said Sunday that it has raised its reserve fund by 273.4 billion rubles (3.4 billion U.S. dollars) to ensure economic stability in the face of external sanctions.

The largest source of the increase, or 271.6 billion rubles, was additional oil and gas revenues received in the first quarter of 2022, the government said in a statement.

Russia's reserve fund was created to finance unforeseen expenses and significant measures not covered by the federal budget. 
Hong Kong: COVID-19 oral drugs ready

Private doctors who have registered under the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHRSS) can make requests for the two antivirals Paxlovid and Molnupiravir for COVID-19 patients via a dedicated electronic platform from this evening.

The Department of Health today issued a letter to private doctors registered under the eHRSS informing them of the arrangement.

The Government announced on April 2 that it would gradually provide free COVID-19 oral drugs to private doctors for prescribing them to suitable COVID-19 patients to reduce the risk of deterioration of their clinical conditions.

To keep track of the prescriptions, private doctors should have registered under the eHRSS.

After making the requests on the platform, the order will be distributed to their selected practice address that is registered with the eHRSS.

The distributor will process the requests as far as possible on the following working day for those made before 4pm during weekdays.

A maximum of 10 standard courses of treatments for each antiviral is allowed on each order request.

Allocation of the antivirals will be subject to availability and usage of the drugs under the doctor's account.

Private doctors have to follow the treatment guidelines set out by the Hospital Authority and should not charge patients any fees for the COVID-19 oral drugs.

This story has been published on: 2022-04-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Photo taken on April 10, 2022 shows drinking water to be transported to Jilin at a freight station in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Tibet sends living materials including drinking water and yak meat to east China's Shanghai and drinking water to northeast China's Jilin Province Sunday, to help the fight against the recent resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic in these areas. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng)

LHASA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Trains carrying the first batch of anti-epidemic supplies donated by southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region left the city of Xigaze and the regional capital of Lhasa on Sunday for Shanghai and Jilin Province, local authorities said.

To show its support to Shanghai and Jilin, currently battling a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, Tibet will donate 100 tonnes of yak meat, a local specialty of Tibet, and 3,000 tonnes of drinking water to Shanghai, as well as 5,000 tonnes of drinking water to Jilin, according to Su Bin, the deputy director of the regional commerce department.

The first batch of yak meat supplies will reach Shanghai on April 12. The drinking water will arrive in Shanghai and Jilin in five to seven days, Su said.

Shanghai and Jilin have been offering pairing assistance to Tibet over the years. "The supplies contain love and care from all ethnic groups in Tibet. We hope the materials can help Shanghai and Jilin people overcome the difficulties as soon as possible," he added. 

A staff member transports drinking water at a freight station in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 10, 2022. Tibet sends living materials including drinking water and yak meat to east China's Shanghai and drinking water to northeast China's Jilin Province Sunday, to help the fight against the recent resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic in these areas. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng)

A freight train loaded with anti-epidemic supplies for Shanghai pulls out of a freight station in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 10, 2022. Tibet sends living materials including drinking water and yak meat to east China's Shanghai and drinking water to northeast China's Jilin Province Sunday, to help the fight against the recent resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic in these areas. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng)

A staff member coordinates with his colleague about the departure of a freight train at a freight station in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 10, 2022. Tibet sends living materials including drinking water and yak meat to east China's Shanghai and drinking water to northeast China's Jilin Province Sunday, to help the fight against the recent resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic in these areas. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng)

A staff member transports drinking water onto a freight train in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 10, 2022. Tibet sends living materials including drinking water and yak meat to east China's Shanghai and drinking water to northeast China's Jilin Province Sunday, to help the fight against the recent resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic in these areas. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng)




MATANZAS, Cuba, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Cubans continue to condemn the U.S. culture of war ahead of the 61st anniversary of the victory over the U.S.-backed Bay of Pigs invasion on April 19.

Among them is 74-year-old Nemesia Rodriguez, who lives in the municipality of Cienaga de Zapata, located some 200 km east of the country's capital Havana.

She saw how her mother was killed and her brothers were wounded after a plane bombed a truck transporting her and a group of other Cuban civilians to be evacuated to a safe place during the invasion.

"The wounds of war are still open to me," she said. "The U.S. administrations have a long history of interventions and a double standard on democracy and human rights."

A pair of white shoes Nemesia was carrying with her during the invasion are exhibited at Playa Giron Museum as a reminder of the bloody confrontation.

Founded in 1976 and remodeled in 2016, the museum treasures more than 1,000 items, including weapons, photos and different documents.

"The U.S. administrations have systematically violated the human rights of Cubans," the museum's director Dulce Maria Limonta told Xinhua. "We firmly stand against U.S. interference in the internal affairs of other countries."

The Bay of Pigs invasion was executed by some 1,500 exiled Cubans paid by the U.S. government.

After three days of fierce combat, which left some 150 deaths on the Cuban side and 300 on the mercenary one, the Cuban people emerged victoriously.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
[April 11, 2022] Wipro Acquires Convergence Acceleration Solutions to Expand Its Consulting Capabilities for Communications Service Providers Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting, and business process services company, today announced that it has acquired Convergence Acceleration Solutions, LLC (CAS Group), a U.S.-based consulting and program management company that specializes in driving large-scale business and technology transformation for Fortune 100 communications service providers. CAS Group's deep-rooted client relationships and strong domain expertise, combined with Wipro's execution capabilities, will deliver an end-to-end professional services solution and immediate impact to clients. The joint entity will provide clients with services ranging from strategy development and planning to execution and implementation. "CAS Group brings to Wipro a uniquely complementary set of capabilities," said Philippe Dintrans, Senior Vice President & Global Head, Domain & Consulting, Wipro Limited. "Their long-standing strategic partnerships with some of the largest communications service providers, combined with deep expertise in large scale transformation projects, will allow us to achieve a significant competitive advantage in this high-growth sector. As we continue to execute on our ambitious growth agenda, we are thrilled to welcome CAS Group as the latest addition to the Wipro family and look forward to bringing our full strength to clients." CAS Group, founded in 2007, delivers strategic transformation programs to clients across 17 centers of service including mobile/wireless, business and fiber-optic services, as well as cable, data, and telecom retail solutions. CAS Group's expansive range of services include operational support system (OSS) and business support system (BSS) transformation, application modernization, broadband infrastructure services, and telco network enablement of digital products, such as 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), and Network as a Service. "Communications service providers in North America are at the cusp of significant transformation driven by new connectivity technologies, solutions, and differentiated business models," said Malay Joshi, Senior Vice President and Sector Head for Communications, Media & Information Services at Wipro. "CAS Group aligns very well with Wipro's strategic priorities of strengthening our client partnerships by providing differentiated business solutions with talent at scale in the markets we serv. Combined with Wipro's deep engineering prowess and extensive capabilities in Cloud, IoT, 5G commercialization, as well as our comprehensive digital business offerings-everything from customer experience and digital design to security and compliance-the addition of CAS Group to Wipro family will bring clients end-to-end global technology, consulting, and business transformation capabilities." John McAleer, Chief Executive Officer, CAS Group, added, "As we embark on the next phase of our growth journey, we are excited to bring our clients a broader set of solutions that will empower them to realize their transformation goals. We are extremely proud of our team and thankful to our clients who made our remarkable success possible. Joining Wipro will allow us to deliver our unique and specialized set of capabilities at a global scale, bringing more value, more insights, and the strength of one of the world's largest technology services companies to our clients and employees." CAS Group acquisition is yet another step in Wipro's transformation journey toward becoming a sought-after strategic partner for clients' most complex business transformation needs. About Wipro Limited Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. We harness the power of cognitive computing, hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics and emerging technologies to help our clients adapt to the digital world and make them successful. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, we have over 220,000 dedicated employees serving clients across six continents. Together, we discover ideas and connect the dots to build a better and a bold new future. About Convergence Acceleration Solutions Convergence Acceleration Solutions, LLC is an independent consulting firm offering strategic business and technology advisory services for the telecommunications industry and their partners. We have 138 consultants with deep expertise and real-world experience with a 14-year track record of proven results with some of the largest telecommunication companies in North America. ILLUM Partners, served as exclusive financial advisor to Convergence Acceleration Solutions, LLC in the transaction. Thompson Hine LLP represented Convergence Acceleration Solutions, LLC as transaction legal advisors. Forward-Looking Statements The forward-looking statements contained herein represent Wipro's beliefs regarding future events, many of which are by their nature inherently uncertain and outside Wipro's control. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Wipro's growth prospects, its future financial operating results, and its plans, expectations, and intentions. Wipro cautions readers that the forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated by such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in our earnings, revenue and profits, our ability to generate and manage growth, complete proposed corporate actions, intense competition in IT services, our ability to maintain 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, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which we make strategic investments, withdrawal of fiscal governmental incentives, political instability, war, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our business and industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Annual Reports on Form 20-F. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. We 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. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220411005577/en/

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NEWSALERT-NKOREA-PROJECTILE South Korea's military says North Korea has fired a projectile toward the sea. (AP)South Korea's military says North Korea has fired a projectile toward the sea. (AP)
RTHK: Ukraine says Russian attack in the east to start soon

Ukraine is expecting Russia to launch a major offensive in the east "soon", defence ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk told a briefing on Monday.

"The enemy has almost finished preparation for assault on the east, the attack will begin soon," he said.

"We don't know precisely when, but the preparation is almost over."

After rebuffing a Russian offensive on Kyiv, Ukraine has for days said a renewed Moscow attack on its east and south is looming.

"We are predicting that intense fighting will take place in these territories in the near future," Motuzyanyk said.

"We cannot predict exactly when this will happen, these are sources from Western intelligence," he said.

"The Ukrainian army is ready."

The military official said he believed Moscow planned to create a "land corridor" to the Kherson region, north of Crimea, which it controls.

He also said that a renewed Russian attack on Kyiv "depends on fighting" in the eastern regions.

Some analysts have said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is counting on a victory ahead of the annual May 9 parade in Moscow that commemorates the Soviet defeat of the Nazis.

Over the last week Kyiv has urged residents of eastern regions to leave their homes before the anticipated Russian attack.

At least 57 people died as a result of the shelling of a train station in the eastern city of Kramatorsk last week, where many awaited evacuation.

Ukraine said that Russian shelling in the eastern Kharkiv region killed at least 11 civilians over the weekend. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-04-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
[April 11, 2022] Every 3rd IT Company Pays $300 or Less for SEO Services - TechBehemoths Study BERLIN, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Search Engine Optimization has been a hot topic for businesses for a very long time due to its long-term traffic and conversion benefits. With an increasing number of businesses that chose to create a website, the number of invested resources in SEO also grows, and in this way stimulates the entire SEO segment. Between March 15-30, 2022 TechBehemoths surveyed 997 IT companies and digital agencies across 40 countries regarding their SEO activity. Key Takeaways Despite SEO's importance for revenue and traffic, companies are willing to invest fewer resources Companies acknowledge SEO's importance and its duration, but not all of them are ready to hire an in-house SEO manager From noncommercial SEO tools, Google has by far the leading position in usage among IT companies Out of all commercial SEO tools, SEMRush is the most popular. Ahrefs and Moz are in the second and third positions. Out of all WordPress SEO plugins, IT companies use most Yoast. All in One SEO is far behind Google is the main search engine for SEO purposes, preferred by 92.4% of IT companies For the majority of IT companies, organic traffic drives 50% and more of the total leads Lead generation is also the main reason why IT companies perform SEO work/li>

Most IT companies use SEO for lead generation and link building, while the purpose with the least result was competitive analysis. Lead Generation - 78,6%

Link Building - 68.9%

Website Optimization - 67%

Traffic Growth - 65%

Keyword Research - 62.1%

Content Optimization - 60.2%

Competitive Analysis - 53.4% ? of IT Companies are willing to invest in SEO not more than $300/month The results show that companies still consider SEO a cheap service, and only 13.4% of companies are willing to invest more than $800/month. It's true that prices for SEO services depend also on the region, and service level so there is no fixed price. 37.9% of IT Companies have only 1 SEO manager The number of SEO specialists IT companies have, more than ? declared that only 1 person is dedicated to SEO work. Also, 26.2% of IT companies and digital agencies answered that they have several specialists which means 2 people. At the same time, 15.5% have an SEO department and only 3.9% answered that 5 or more people are performing SEO tasks. SEO Tools - More than 80% of IT companies are aware of SEMRush, Google Search Console, and Yoast In the first place, the most well-known SEO tool features SEMRush , where 94.2% of IT companies stated that they've heard of it. GSC was in second place - 85.4% of respondents mentioned that they've at least heard of GSC. The top 3 is completed by the popular WordPress SEO plugin - Yoast . TechBehemoths is one of the fastest-growing platforms, created in Germany, that connects 57,000 reputable IT companies from 140 countries with clients and projects from all over the world. Media contact:

Marcel Sobieski

333589@email4pr.com

+40 17636302768 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/every-3rd-it-company-pays-300-or-less-for-seo-services---techbehemoths-study-301520899.html SOURCE TechBehemoths

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17:42 | Lima, Apr. 11.

In this regard, Suarez affirmed that 49% of the target population in Peru has received the third dose. However, there are large gaps between regions.

"The coverage is not homogeneous at the national level. We need to increase this so as to start relaxing some measures such as the use of face masks at open spaces free of huge crowds," he said.

"Around 250 samples a week were taken initially. This suggested that BA.2 cases, at first, were isolated cases that represented 1% of the samples. Last week, such cases accounted for 5% of all cases. Every week or two, the number of BA.2 cases can double," the head of INS warned in statements to RPP.

In this regard, he said the BA.2 variant appears to be 30% more contagious than the BA.1 variant, which triggered the third wave in January this year.

On the other hand, Suarez remarked that the increase in the incidence of new COVID-19 variants such as the Omicron BA.2 strain is a very important factor to consider before relaxing the biosafety measures.

Capacity limits at schools





Suarez pointed out that opening schools at full capacity is one of the factors that depend on the children's vaccination rate and the monitoring of the increase in cases in the school-aged population.





In that sense, he noted that no spike in cases due to the re-opening of schools has been seen after classes started.
El premier Anibal Torres se reunio con el vicepresidente de Asuntos Corporativos de Anglo American Peru, Diego Ortega, con quien dialogo sobre el proyecto minero Quellaveco en Moquegua, que entrara en operaciones en julio de este ano, contribuyendo al desarrollo de la region. pic.twitter.com/aZrZsuHR0c
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Defense of Armenia Suren Papikyan chaired a consultation in the ministry on April 11, attended by the leadership staff of the ministry, the Armed Forces and the General Staff.

The commanders of army units also participated in the meeting online, the ministry said.

Reports were presented about the works done in winter, as well as the future plans were outlined.

Based on the consultation results, the Defense Minister tasked the heads of responsible units to solve the problems in a short period of time.
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. During their meeting in Yerevan today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and the French Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Brice Roquefeuil highlighted the role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship in the settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within its mandate, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a news release.

The role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship in the settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within its mandate was highlighted.

The current situation caused by the incursion of the Azerbaijani armed forces into Parukh village and adjacent sections, which are under the responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh, was discussed at the meeting. The Armenian FM presented the humanitarian problems that Azerbaijan is creating deliberately for Armenians of Artsakh and its actions aimed at conducting ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh. The necessity of the return of Azerbaijani armed units to their initial positions as of March 23 was emphasized.

Ararat Mirzoyan presented the position of Armenia on starting negotiations with Azerbaijan around a peace treaty, in this context highlighting the mediation role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship and the Co-Chairing countries, the statement says.
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Food Safety Inspection Agency ordered a temporary ban on imports of Kinder chocolate products from Germany after studying reports from European countries linking the chocolate to salmonella cases.

According to the Food Safety Inspection Agency, two companies are importing Kinder products to Armenia  Slav Group is importing from Russia and SAS Group is importing from Germany.

The agency said it is carrying out inspections in both companies and the products were taken for laboratory analysis.

The Food Safety Agency told ARMENPRESS that they are likely to order a recall of the Kinder products imported from Germany pending the lab results.

The ban relates only to the Kinder products imported from Germany, the agency added.

Last updated: 18:15
YEREVAN, 11 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 11 April, USD exchange rate is down by 0.85 drams to 474.84 drams. EUR exchange rate is up by 0.36 drams to 518.15 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is down by 0.31 drams to 6.06 drams. GBP exchange rate is down by 0.96 drams to 619.43 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price is up by 84.59 drams to 29638.30 drams. Silver price is up by 3.08 drams to 375.94 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.
Sweden and Finland may join NATO as early as this summer, the Times newspaper reported citing its sources.

April 11, 2022, 11:10 Sweden, Finland may join NATO in summer  Times

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 11, ARTSAKHPRESS: According to the news outlet, it is expected that Finland will apply for its membership in June and Sweden will follow.

According to its sources, the governments of Sweden and Finland are working together on reaching consensus on the matter domestically, however, the final decision will be made by each country independently.

Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that the possible NATO membership of Sweden and Finland became one of the most discussed subjects during the April 6-7 meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.
The Armenian Food Safety Inspection Agency ordered a temporary ban on imports of Kinder chocolate products from Germany after studying reports from European countries linking the chocolate to salmonella cases.

April 11, 2022, 17:23 Armenia temporarily bans Kinder chocolate imports from Germany over international reports of salmonella cases

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 11, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: According to the Food Safety Inspection Agency, two companies are importing Kinder products to Armenia  Slav Group is importing from Russia and SAS Group is importing from Germany.

The agency said it is carrying out inspections in both companies and the products were taken for laboratory analysis.
By Andrew MacAskill

LONDON (Reuters) -The British lawmaker David Amess who was murdered last year was "assassinated for terrorist purposes" by a man who had carried out surveillance on other targets, including cabinet minister Michael Gove, a London court was told on Monday.

Ali Harbi Ali, 26, a British citizen and son of an ex-media adviser to a former prime minister of Somalia, denies the murder of Amess, who was knifed to death in a church in Leigh-on-Sea, east of London.

Prosecutors said the killing was revenge for the lawmaker's support for air strikes on Syria after parliament approved the bombing, which began in 2015 targeting Islamic State. Ali had hoped police would shoot him dead at the scene so he would become a martyr, the court was told.

Ali had spent years planning an attack and had previously carried out reconnaissance on the home of Gove and the office of Conservative lawmaker Mike Freer, the court heard.

Amess was murdered "because of a warped and twisted" Islamist ideology, Tom Little, a lawyer for the prosecution, told the court on the opening day of the trial. "This is a case involving a cold and calculated murder."

The killing of 69-year-old Amess, a married father of five children, sent shockwaves through Westminster and led to calls for better security for members of parliament, coming five years after another lawmaker was murdered on the street.

British lawmakers regularly hold "surgeries", or one-to-one meetings, with voters in their constituencies, a tradition considered a bedrock of democracy. But with little or no security and an emphasis on access for all, surgeries can make lawmakers vulnerable.

PLANNING ATTACKS

On Oct. 15, Ali made an appointment to meet Amess who was holding a constituency surgery at the Belfairs Methodist Church on the pretext he had recently moved to the area.

At their meeting in an office at the back of the church, he tried to engage Amess in conversation about foreign policy and was seen using his mobile phone. The prosecution said he then apologised, produced a knife and stabbed him in a "vicious and frenzied attack".

Story continues

Amess screamed when he saw the knife and had stab wounds on both his hands as he tried to defend himself, Little said.

During July, August and September last year, Ali went to parliament seven times with the intent of attacking lawmakers as they left but concluded it was too heavily guarded, the court was told.

Ali also looked up the address of Gove, a senior minister in the British government, visited the area around his home five times and had a photo of him on his doorstep.

Prosecutors said a note on Ali's phone included details of his plan to attack Gove, including "bump into him jogging", "cause a scene outside to lure him" and "door is wooden and swings into house could be kicked in".

The plan to attack Gove was abandoned when he found out he was separating from his wife, the house had been sold, and he targeted Amess instead, the court heard.

Amess was first elected to parliament to represent the town of Basildon in 1983, and then nearby Southend West in 1997. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2015 for his public service.

Ali, who appeared in the dock wearing a collarless black shirt and black-rimmed glasses, also denies preparing acts of terrorism. His defence lawyers are yet to open their case.

(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; Editing by Kylie MacLellan and Alison Williams)
It was very busy on the International Space Station on Monday with the orbiting lab hosting 11 crew members including the four-member Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) crew.

The private astronauts and the seven-member Expedition 67 crew were engaged in a multitude of tasks today such as packing a U.S. cargo ship, researching life science, and preparing for a pair of Russian spacewalks.

NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron swapped cargo in and out of the U.S. Cygnus space freighter today. The duo replenished the station's galley with food from Cygnus while stowing trash and other discarded items inside the resupply ship ahead of its departure at the end of May. The astronauts were also joined by NASA Commander Tom Marshburn and ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Matthias Maurer during some of the cargo work.

Maurer spent the majority of Monday setting up hardware for the Transparent Alloys physics study and the AstroPi computer that students can program from Earth to understand the space environment. Marshburn helped the four Ax-1 astronauts get up to speed with space station operations and emergency procedures.

Former NASA astronaut and Ax-1 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria is on his fourth space flight and his first as an Axiom Space astronaut. He partnered with Ax-1 Pilot Larry Connor today exploring how living in microgravity affects cellular aging and cardiac cells. The other two Ax-1 astronauts, Mark Pathy and Eytan Stibbe, explored DNA sequencing, brain dynamics, the cardiovascular system, and tested holoportation, or transmitting mixed-reality, 360-degree images of humans to space.

Two cosmonauts continue gearing up for a pair of spacewalks later this month to configure the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module for the European Robotic Arm (ERA). Roscosmos Flight Engineers Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev had a fitness test, checked their Orlan spacesuits, and installed pressure tanks in the Poisk module as part of standard pre-spacewalk preparations. Russian Flight Engineer Sergey Korsakov set up hardware to assist the spacewalkers during the ERA work outside Nauka.

On-Orbit Status Report

Private Astronaut Mission (PAM) Axiom-1 (Ax-1):

Ax-1 PAM Dock: SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour successfully docked to the ISS on Saturday, April 9th, at 07:42 AM CST. The docking was delayed for approximately 45 minutes due to issues transmitting video from the Dragon centerline berthing camera to the Station Support Computer (SSC) on ISS. With the arrival of the four private astronauts, Michael Lopez-Alegria, Larry Connor, Mark Pathy, and Eytan Stibbe, the ISS crew complement has increased to 11. The Ax-1 crew participated in a live welcome ceremony and successfully completed the ISS safety briefing, crew handover time, Double Cold Bag unpacking, and setup of sleeping arrangements.

ISS Familiarization and Emergency Overview: The Ax-1 crew completed the Emergency Roles and Responsibilities discussion with the full crew and Emergency On-board Training (OBT) by themselves. Emergency response hardware was also installed in the Ax-1 Crew Dragon following successful troubleshooting of a hardware configuration issue; SpaceX has confirmed that the Crew Dragon Endeavour is in a good configuration. The Ax-1 crew also completed on-orbit handover/familiarization and discussions with the ISS PAM Facilitator.

Public Affairs Office (PAO) and Payload Activities: Multiple NASA-sponsored and ESA-sponsored PAO events have been performed, including an Ice Cubes Media Set live event downlink with PA-3 Eytan Stibbe and the President of Israel. The Ax-1 crew completed ISS National Lab sponsored payload activities associated with Monitoring Stress, Reflective Eye Test, NanoRacks Module 9 OBT, Urine Collection Setup, Actiwatch, Snowcone, CRISPR, and Bio-Monitor.

Payloads:

Aging and Heart Health: The ISS crew gathered Velcro Bars into the Aging and Heart Health hardware and inserted the assembly into the Life Science Glovebox (LSG). BioCell Habitats were then retrieved by the ISS crew from Cold Stowage, placed into Space Automated Bioproduct Laboratory (SABL) units, and eventually installed into the LSG. Finally, the Ax-1 crew changed out the Medium bags in the LSG. Aging and Heart Health on the Ax-1 PAM analyzes human cells for genetic markers of cellular aging and explores how cardiac-like cells adapt to microgravity. A better understanding of the mechanisms of cellular aging and cardiac adaptation could support crew health and success on future missions. PAMs are privately funded, fully commercial flights to the space station on a commercial launch vehicle that are dedicated to commercial research, outreach, or approved commercial and marketing activities.

AstroPi: The AstroPi infrared (IR) hardware was relocated to the Node 2 nadir window, and the camera lens was adjusted in support of the European AstroPi Challenge 'Life on Earth' experiments. The Camera Shroud was also installed over the hardware to prevent light reflections on the window during the AstroPi Challenge window experiments. Two augmented Raspberry Pi computers (called AstroPis) were flown to the ISS and are both equipped with the mighty Sense HAT (Hardware Attached on Top) that measures the environment inside the space station, detects how the station moves through space, and picks up the Earth's magnetic field. Each AstroPi is also equipped with different kinds of cameras: one has an infrared camera, and the other has a standard visible spectrum camera.

Bio-Monitor: The Bio-Monitor Controller hardware was setup, and the Data Unit was initialized in preparation for Bio-Monitor operations. An Ax-1 crewmember donned the unit, performed a calibration, and initiated a 48-hour data collection run. Bio-Monitor is a Canadian on-board instrument that serves as a platform for scientific experiments on the ISS. The instrument performs on-orbit monitoring of crew member physiological parameters, with wearable sensors that only minimally interfere with crew member daily activities.

CalliopEO (Calliope Mini in Space): The Calliope Mini was repositioned onto the AstroPi IR for the window deployment phase operations in Node 2. CalliopEO is a project of Ruhr-Universitat Bochum, Calliope gGmbH, and the German Space Agency at DLR to promote software programming skills among German school children. CalliopEO uses a Calliope mini computer, which is widely used in German schools, to teach coding skills. CalliopEO performs a couple of preinstalled experiments, as well as code written by German school children.

EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments for Space Station Racks (EXPRESS Rack): A crewmember removed the Solid State Drive (SSD) from the EXPRESS Rack 7 Laptop as part of troubleshooting efforts. The laptop was rebooted and came up with a nominal screen. The EXPRESS Racks support science experiments in any discipline by providing structural interfaces, power, data, cooling, water, and other items needed to operate science experiments in space.

Holoportation Behavioral (Ax-1): An Ax-1 crewmember completed the hardware setup for Holoportation Kinect and performed a two-way holoportation session with the ground. Aexa's Holographic Teleportation Behavioral (Holoportation Behavioral) demonstrates two-way communications between crew members on the Ax-1 PAM to the ISS and ground using a mixed-reality application. The technology includes a HoloLens 2 Artificial Reality headset and HoloWizard mixed reality application to provide users 360-degree holographic images of each other. This capability represents a significant advancement in communication for remote settings.

Nutrition Monitoring for the ISS (NutrISS): The NutrISS software was enabled on the EveryWear application, and Food and Beverage intake data was scanned in. Long-duration spaceflight induces relevant changes in body composition and a loss of body mass. In the NutrISS investigation, a periodic assessment of body composition (body weight, fat mass, and fat-free mass) during spaceflight aboard the ISS is carried out using a dedicated bio-impedance analysis device to allow for the measurement of long-term energy balance modification over time. On the basis of this data, it is hypothesized that an adjusted diet maintaining a near-neutral energy balance, and/or increasing protein intake, can limit microgravity-induced bone and muscle loss of crew members.

Photocatalyst (Ax-1): The Ax-1 crew deployed, powered on, and took pictures of the Photocatalyst Device and Photocatalyst Control Device. Photocatalyst during the Ax-1 PAM demonstrates using a photocatalyst device to clean the cabin air and remove odor caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The device converts VOCs into carbon dioxide and water. The device and a non-photocatalyst control device will operate for at least four weeks before returning to Earth for analysis of the photocatalyst device's effectiveness.

Transparent Alloys: The crew installed the Transparent Alloys hardware in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) work volume and the sample cartridge was installed. Transparent Alloys consists of numerous experiments including to study various growth and solidification processes in alloys. Columnar-to-Equiaxed Transition in Solidification Processing (CETSOL), the current experiment, is designed to identify growth regimes (columnar or equiaxed or mixed) and physical mechanisms in dependence of the experimental parameters (solidification velocity, temperature gradient) for diffusive heat and mass transport and without gravity effects.

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) (Ax-1): The Ax-1 crew performed the setup of the CRISPR hardware, loaded the CRISPR-Ax 96-Well Plate, and installed the Well Plate into SABL for incubation. The CRISPR Space Diagnostics tests CRISPR-based genetic identification on the Ax-1 PAM. CRISPR is a genome editing system that allows its users to detect and manipulate specific DNA and RNA sequences in living cells of diverse species. This technology could provide rapid and accurate detection of pathogens and contaminants on future long-term space missions.

Systems:

Countermeasures System (CMS) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Quarterly Maintenance: Today, the crew completed regularly scheduled maintenance by inspecting the X-rotation dashpots, cycling the main arm through full range of motion, and greasing the Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (VIS) rails and rollers. These tasks are scheduled every 90 days to maintain optimal functionality of the equipment.

Environmental Health System (EHS) Compound Specific Analyzer-Combustion Products (CSA-CP) Checkout Part 2: As part of the final checkout activity, the crew checked the six newly resupplied CSA-CPs for sensor contamination and zero calibrated each monitor. The CSA-CP units sat deactivated for 11 days in an open environment for sensor off-gassing. CSA-CP units provide real-time readings following a combustion event and subsequent clean-up efforts.

In-Flight Maintenance (IFM) DeWalt Battery Pack Testing Part 1: The crew removed the two-known good DeWalt Battery Packs from the Universal Battery Charger to initiate charging of another pair of DeWalt Battery Packs. The crew will leave them on the Universal Battery Charger overnight in order to identify which battery pack will take a charge and which will not.

Node 2 and Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA) Reconfiguration: Today, the crew cleared out space in Node 2 for upcoming payloads and reconfigured crew suitcases in PMAs 2 and 3. All crewmember-specific items for each crewmember are sent in his/her own suitcases. These items are crew personal items such as clothing, hygiene, and preference items chosen by the crew before launch.

Completed Task List Activities:

None

Today's Ground Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Video Distribution Subsystem (VDS) External High-Definition Camera (EHDC) Survey of Crew Dragon Endeavour

Crew Dragon Endeavour Configuration for Quiescent Operations

Ax-1 PAO Event

Look Ahead Plan

Tuesday, April 12 (GMT 102)

Payloads:

Actiwatch Setup (NASA)

ANITA-2 Samples 1-2 (ESA)

Neurowellness (Ax-1)

Earth Obs (Ax-1)

Bio-Monitor (Ax-1)

Nano-ISS-Antenna (Ax-1)

Sleep in Space (Ax-1)

CRISPR (Ax-1)

Fluid Space Optics Gather, Assist and Photo (Ax-1)

LSG WV Setup and Glove Swap (NASA)

NutrISS Enable (ESA)

Vascular Aging Blood Setup (CSA)

Systems:

CMS ARED Bench Cleat Remove and Replace (R&R)

IFM DeWalt Battery Pack Testing Part 2

PAM Facilitator Time (Ax-1)

Dragon Tablet Sync

Water Recovery System (WRS) Waste Water Tank Sample

CEVIS Handover (Ax-1)

Wednesday, April 13 (GMT 103)

Payloads:

Actiwatch Setup (NASA)

Acoustic Diagnostics Measurement (ESA)

BioMonitor Data Download (Ax-1)

CIMON Sound Check and Battery Charge (ESA)

Fluid Space Optics sample removal (Ax-1)

Myotones Blood Collect (ESA)

NutrISS Enable (ESA)

Standard Measures Presleep Questionnaire (NASA)

Vascular Aging Glucose Readings (CSA)

Systems:

Crew-3 Departure Preparation

Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Tank Drain/Fill

Urine Transfer Systems (UTS) Offload

EHS Grab Sample Container (GSC) Sampling Operations

IFM DeWalt Battery Pack Testing Part 3

PAM Facilitator Time (Ax-1)

Nitrogen/Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) Tank Pre-Pack

Thursday, April 14 (GMT 104)

Payloads:

Actiwatch Setup (NASA)

Aging and Heart Health Habitat Insert 2 (Ax-1)

Myotones Measurements (ESA)

Metabolic Space Battery Charge (Ax-1)

NutrISS Enable (ESA)

Neurowellness Hardware Ops (Ax-1)

Standard Measures Postsleep Questionnaire (NASA)

Systems:

Crew-3 Departure Preparation

IFM H2 Sensor Tech Demo Installation

IFM H2 Sensor Tech Demo Drift Check

IFM DeWalt Battery Pack Testing Part 4

PAM Facilitator Time (Ax-1)

EHS Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) WRS Sample Analysis

WHC Manual Fill Initiation and Termination

IFM Crew Quarters (CQ) Overhead Cleaning

Today's Planned Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

LSG Work Volume Deploy

Transparent Alloys Hardware Locate

Aging and Heart Health Hardware Gather

Aging and Heart Health Hardware Assembly and Insert

Transparent Alloys Hardware Setup

EHS CSA-CP Checkout Part 2

Node 2 and PMA Reconfiguration

Bio-Monitor Hardware Setup

Food Consolidate

PAM Facilitator Time

IFM DeWalt Battery Pack Testing Part 1

OBT ISS Emergency Hardware Familiarization

NutrISS ESA Nutritional Assessment

Transfer Cygnus Cargo Operations

Gather ISS Sewing Kit for PAM Crew Use

Holoportation Behavioral Hardware Gather

Aging and Heart Health MELFI Media Bag Retrieval

Transparent Alloys Cartridge Installation

OBT Dragon Debrief Conference

LSG Primary Crew Restraint Unfold

ER7 ZBook SSD Remove

ISS HAM

AstroPi IR Setup in Node 2

CMS ARED Quarterly Maintenance

Aging and Heart Health LSG Hardware Insert

Aging and Heart Health Habitat Swap

AstroPi Camera Lens Adjustment

Cold Atom Lab (CAL) Moderate Temperature Loop (MTL) Jumper Leak Check

Calliope Mini Repositioning on AstroPi IR for Window Deployment

Camera Shroud Installation

LSG Primary Crew Restraint Fold [Aborted]

Aging and Heart Health Habitat Insert

Aging and Heart Health Habitat LSG Clean Up

LSG Work Volume Stow [Aborted]

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Historical fiction has gained in popularity in recent years, and there are several wonderful books to savor this spring that drop the reader into a different time with interesting people.

Kate Quinn has been writing about women who have been heroic during World War II in several wonderful books (The Alice Network," The Huntress and The Rose Code), and her latest entry is The Diamond Eye."

Mila is a librarian working on her thesis for her advanced degree in Kiev, Ukraine (then part of Russia) during World War II. She is separated from her surgeon husband, and raising her young son with the help of her family. She joins the Russian army to help defeat the Nazis who are marching toward Russia, causing utter devastation in their wake.

Along the way, Mila shows great skill as a sniper, becoming the most successful female sniper in the Russian army with over 300 kills to her credit (she actually had many more). The Diamond Eye takes us through Milas service and her visit to the United States on a publicity tour where she meets and becomes friendly with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Kate Quinn excels at taking the true story of Mila Palivchenko and fictionalizing her life, giving the reader insight into what it is like to be a woman in a traditionally male army. The reader feels the tension as Mila remains silent and motionless, looking for her opportunity to complete her missions. The Diamond Eye continues Quinns masterful storytelling of womens contributions during war.

Melissa Fus powerful novel Peach Blossom Spring tells the story of a different war. Like Mila, Meilin has a young son. Meilin and Renshu are on the run in 1938 as Japan begins bombing China. Meilins husband is killed in war, and she and Renshu leave their home with her husbands family to find safety.

They are refugees fleeing war, and the descriptions of people leaving everything behind, walking for days, resonates so deeply with what we see on the news today in Ukraine. Meilin will do anything to save her son and give him as normal a life as she can.

Renshu is an excellent student and receives an opportunity to study in the United States. Here the story of mother and son diverge  we see Renshus new life in America and Meilin building a new life for herself in Taiwan.

Fus story of the sacrifices a mother makes for her son, and the difficulties Renshu faces as an immigrant who looks very different from others, is so beautifully told and creates such empathy in the reader for Meilin and Renshu. Peach Blossom Spring is one of the best books I have read in a long time.

Like Kate Quinns The Diamond Eye," Allison Patakis novel The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post fictionalizes the life of a woman who actually lived. Many of us have heard the name Marjorie Post, the heiress to the Post cereal fortune. Her story is an amazing one beyond just that.

As a young child, Marjorie helped her father as he created breakfast cereal for the general public. As his only child, Marjorie inherited the company upon his death. The Post company became a conglomerate over the years, and one of the most interesting facts in this fascinating novel is that Marjorie Post brought frozen foods to the general public when she purchased a small company called Birdseye Foods. Her board of directors was against the purchase, stating that people would not want to buy frozen foods. She persisted, and that purchase solidified her companys future as she changed the food business in this country forever.

Marjorie Post was a very wealthy woman, and while she was a brilliant businesswoman, she did not have the same prowess in her choice of husbands. She married and divorced three times.

Continuing with our World War II theme, Marjorie Post was married to a man who became the American ambassador to Russia just before the war. I found the descriptions of life as the wife of an ambassador so interesting, and Post bought many of the treasures the Russian government was selling off, creating one of the most impressive collections of Russian art anywhere.

As I was reading The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post," I found myself saying she knew who? she did what? she went where? and more. The title of this book could not be more perfect; Marjorie Post lived so many magnificent lives. I highly recommend it.

Diane La Rue is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and blogs about books at http://bookchickdi.blogspot.com. You can follow her on Twitter @bookchickdi, and she can be emailed at laruediane2000@yahoo.com.

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Deanna Ryan, the supervising public health administrator and public information officer for the Cayuga County Health Department, is being recognized by the Syracuse Press Club.

Ryan is the winner of the club's Transparency Award, formerly known as the Philip A. Hofmann Presidents Award for Best News Source. According to the club's website, the award is presented to "those involved in making news that provides access, information and insight to journalists covering stories important to the citizens of central New York."

In the award's history, which dates back to the 1980s, Ryan is the first winner from a Cayuga County agency. Recent winners include Kathleen Froio, of SUNY Upstate Medical University, Onondaga County Clerk Lisa Dell and the New York State Fair's Dave Bullard.

The Citizen nominated Ryan for the award, one of the special honors presented by the Syracuse Press Club. In its nomination, the newspaper wrote that Ryan "was always helpful, from giving tours of the health department's vaccination clinics to getting important data and other information to help tell stories about our surges."

The nomination continues, "Sources have been and continue to be important in telling the stories of the pandemic. Deanna has represented the health department well in ensuring the public has the best information possible to educate them about the pandemic. She is a great example of how public information officers can help journalists do their jobs."

Ryan, who has been a Cayuga County Health Department employee since 2007, said she made every effort to respond to questions from the press and provide reassurance to the community. She added that it's an honor to be a public servant and work for the health department.

"Anyone who knows me well knows that I do not look for praise or acknowledgment," she said. "The nomination alone was so thoughtful, but to be selected as a recipient of the award means so much to me. This award means the hard work and commitment to my job was and is valued and appreciated.

"It must be understood that I am supported by an amazing group of coworkers who are just as caring, committed and knowledgeable and without their support and the support of my husband, parents and family, I would not have been able to serve my community in the way I did."

Ryan will receive the award at the Syracuse Press Club's banquet on May 7.

Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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The 2022-23 state budget approved last week will increase school aid by more than $9.4 million for nine Cayuga County-area school districts, including Auburn.

The state budget increases overall school aid by $2.1 billion to $31.5 billion. It's the highest funding level in the state's history, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul.

For Auburn, Cayuga County's largest school district, state aid will rise from $48,642,409 in 2021-22 to $52,885,484 this fiscal year, an 8.72% increase. A bulk of the increase ($3.3 million) is part of the state's three-year phase-in to fully fund the foundation aid formula. Foundation aid is the main source of state funding for schools.

Outside of Auburn, Cato-Meridian is the school district that received the largest increase in state aid, an 8.23% hike compared to last year's levels. The northern Cayuga County district will get $16,725,425 in state aid this year, up from $15,453,493 in 2021-22.

Moravia will also receive a seven-figure increase in aid, from $15,592,667 last year to $16,602,697 in the current fiscal year.

Two school districts  Jordan-Elbridge and Weedsport  will get 5% more in aid. Weedsport's state aid levels will rise from $10,462,937 to $11,040,821, while J-E's will go from $18,888,683 to $19,878,009.

Union Springs will receive $11,684,067 in state aid this year, up 4.5% compared to last year's levels ($11,180,538). Southern Cayuga's state aid is increasing 4.36%, from $9,463,246 to $9,875,814. Skaneateles will get $7,216,848 in state aid, up from $6,929,077 in 2021-22  a 4.15% hike.

Port Byron will get a small increase (1.02%) in aid, from $15,439,991 to $15,597,103. The district's aid levels have been affected by a resident's hefty lottery win in 2015.

Hochul highlighted other education-related components of the budget, including increasing universal prekindergarten funding by $125 million and $100 million for mental health services and other support programs.

"The opportunity to pursue a quality education is the silver bullet for so many New Yorkers," she said. "With this budget, we are going to unleash the power of higher education to lift up the people of our state by investing in our institutions and our teachers."

Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- GAC Honda will discontinue the production and sales of the existing vehicle models under its high-end car brand, GAC Acura, in the beginning of 2023, the Sion-Japanese joint venture announced on April 8.

CDX; photo credit: GAC Acura



The move is part of the efforts to further promote the implementation of GAC Honda's electrification strategy. The automaker said it will fully integrate the brand resources of GAC Acura to advance its electrification business.

Despite the termination of production and sales, GAC Honda will continue serve car owners of GAC Acura through the franchised shops that have already been included in the joint venture's sales and service network for electric vehicles (EVs) and other channels.

In the future, GAC Honda will speed up the building of an all-new channel model with EV sales & service shops and mall-based shops as themes. The joint venture launched on March 29 the new all-electric vehicle brand e:NP (named Ji Pai in Chinese) with the brand strategy released at the same time, making it the first joint venture in China to have a standalone BEV brand. Since 2022 onwards, the automaker will roll out one e:NP-branded model per year.

GAC Acura currently has two production models for sale, the CDX and the RDX. Besides, the TLX-L has already bowed out of production.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- In March, Chery Holding celebrated the third month of positive year-on-year growth in sales this year, with its new energy vehicle sector doing exceptionally well, the auto group reported on April 11th.

EQ1; photo credit: Chery Auto



Despite the various external circumstances that could affect sales, Chery Holding still sold 81,818 vehicles in March, edging up 2.2% year over year. From January to March, the group sold 229,277 vehicles in total, indicating an 11.5% increase from the year-ago period.

With 60,273 vehicles sold, Chery Auto managed a 14.4% year-on-year boost in its March sales. For the first three months of 2022, the brand sold 172,155 vehicles, jumping 25.9% from a year ago.

During the first quarter of 2022, the accumulative sales volume of Chery Holdings new energy vehicles amounted to 53,054 vehicles, more than tripled from the same period in 2021 by 212%.

The two signature new energy models under Chery Auto, namely the EQ1 (Little Ant) and the QQ Ice-cream, helped drive sales in the quarter. The brand sold a combined volume of 50,013 new energy vehicles in the past three months, skyrocketing 255.4% year over year. Up to now, new energy vehicle sales have accounted for 29% of Chery Autos new vehicle sales.

On the other hand, Chery Holding exported 69,907 vehicles in the three-month span in 2022, representing a 30.8% hike from a year ago.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Beijing Borgward officially filed for bankruptcy to the First Intermediate People's Court of Beijing Municipality on April 8th, according to its parent company Fotons announcement.

Photo credit: Beijing Borgward



The announcement explained that Beijing Borgward has been suffering from continuing losses generated by poor operations since its establishment. The company has been facing a severe financial crisis, with a capital chain rupture, causing its inability to recover from the situation and resume production. The company was drained to pay off its outstanding debts, and its current assets are not enough to settle the debts. Therefore, Beijing Borgward has officially filed for bankruptcy.

Beijing Borgward was founded in 2016 and is currently owned by Shenzhou Youche (Xiamen) Information Technology Co., Ltd. at the majority stake of 75.2065% and BAICs Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd. with a 24.7935% stake.

The bankruptcy was not surprising to the industry, as earlier in June 2021, Beijing Borgward was already considering the possibilities. In October 2021, the company received a court-ordered seizure for its RMB2.2 billion worth of assets, petitioned by creditors.

The incident will also hit Foton Motor as its shareholder. Foton Motor said that it is projected to see its 2021 annual profits decrease by RMB5.326 billion ($836.26 million).
Beijing (Gasgoo)- The wholesale volume of China-made Tesla vehicles amounted to 65,814 units in March, the highest one during the first three months of this year, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).



The results included 60 vehicles exported from its Shanghai plant, as the American brand usually export fewer vehicles from its Shanghai plant at the end of a quarter. In the first quarter of this year, Tesla sold a total of 182,174 Shanghai-made vehicles, including 73,874 exported to other markets.

In March, Chinas new energy vehicle (NEV) wholesale volume stood at 455,000 units, representing a year-over-year surge of 122.4% and a month-over-month jump of 43.6%. The monthly wholesale of battery electric vehicles grew 116.8% year over year to 371,000 vehicles while that of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles increased by 151.3% from a year earlier to 84,000 units.

The year-to-date NEV volume soared 145.4% from a year ago to 1.19 million units. Besides, numerous automakers announced to increase NEV prices in March, resulting in ample orders before the price adjustment takes effect.

The association said that BYDs leading position in NEV market continued to be enhanced by its battery electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle portfolio while such traditional automakers as SAIC Motor and GAC Group also had outstanding performance in NEV market in March.

Thirteen automakers had monthly NEV wholesale volume of over 10,000 units, including BYD (104,338 units), Tesla, SAIC GM Wuling (51,157 units), Chery Auto (21,817 units), GAC Aion (20,317 units), Changan (15,624 units), XPeng (15,414 units), Great Wall Motor (15,057 units), Geely (14,166 units), NETA (12,206 units), Li Auto (11,034 units), SAIC Motor PV (10,880 units), Leapmotor (10,059 units).

Last month, the country exported 11,000 NEVs to other markets. Apart from Tesla, SAIC Motor PV exported 4,658 units, eGT New Energy Automotive Co., Ltd. (eGT) 2,532 units, BYD 1,109 units, Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroen 1,046 units.
There is no image of wildlife slaughter for commercial purposes more compelling than this 1892 photo of bison skulls from the American West destined to be turned into fertilizer and charcoal. But bison were not the only victims of an expanding nation at the turn of the century.

A billion or so passenger pigeons were consumed to extinction. Deer and turkey also fed a westward moving nation, almost to their species' demise.

Fortunately, hunters took action who were in positions of power like President Teddy Roosevelt, who also founded the Boone and Crockett Club, a conservation and record keeping organization, and William Hornady, who was the director of the Bronx Zoo.

Hornady placed a small herd of bison in a 20-acre enclosure at the zoo in 1889 when less than 1000 bison remained on the landscape. Bison once numbered 30 million.

In 1905, President Roosevelt established the nation's first game preserve in the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma. In 1907, 15 bison were shipped to that preserve from the Bronx Zoo. This was the first wildlife reintroduction in the nations history. In 1908, the National Bison Range was created in northeast Montana.

Today, bison number over 360,000, including two herds in Arizona -- one east of Flagstaff and the other north of the Grand Canyon.

This success story is the direct result of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, which is unique in the world. This model states that all wildlife belongs to the citizens of the United States, market hunting for wildlife is prohibited and wildlife are managed by professional biologists in each state. This model is responsible for the return of not only bison, deer, turkey, elk and antelope, but the thousands of species that depend on wildlife habitat as well.

The efforts that saved the bison and all our wildlife are still being carried out today by conservation groups like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Arizona Elk Society, Arizona Antelope Foundation, Ducks Unlimited and many others.

We owe a deep debt of gratitude to hunters, the nations true conservationists, for the maintenance of our wildlife heritage.

The Arizona Antelope Foundation worked to improve an existing fence line 5 miles south of Seligman to make it wildlife friendly on April 9. They are often in need of volunteers. Go to https://azantelope.org/Projects to learn more.

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Update: 11-04-2022 | 14:20:34

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on April 9 lowered the alert level for Taal volcano, 66km south of the capital region Manila, from 3 to 2.

Taal volcano spews ash and steam hundreds of metres into the sky on March 26

Alert Level 2 on a scale of 0-5 means "that there is a decreased unrest but should not be interpreted that unrest has ceased or that the threat of an eruption has disappeared," the institute said.

It warned that "sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, ash fall and lethal accumulations or bursts of volcanic gas can occur."

On March 26, the institute raised the alert level to 3 for the volcano island in Batangas province following a phreatomagmatic eruption.

The institute said it has recorded 86 small-magnitude and imperceptible volcanic earthquakes. The government has evacuated over 7,000 people from 18 villages around the volcano.

Taal, one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, last erupted in January 2020. The eruption displaced nearly 380,000 villagers and destroyed many farms, houses and roads in the province./.

VNA
A new study reveals that an ancient collision on the Moon's south pole changed patterns of convection in the lunar mantle, concentrating a suite of heat-producing elements on the nearside. Those elements played a role in creating the vast lunar mare visible from Earth. CREDIT Matt Jones

The face that the Moon shows to Earth looks far different from the one it hides on its far side.

The nearside is dominated by the lunar mare -- the vast, dark-colored remnants of ancient lava flows. The crater-pocked far side, on the other hand, is virtually devoid of large-scale mare features. Why the two sides are so different is one of the Moon's most enduring mysteries.

Now, researchers have a new explanation for the two-faced Moon -- one that relates to a giant impact billions of years ago near the Moon's south pole.

A new study published in the journal Science Advances shows that the impact that formed the Moon's giant South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin would have created a massive plume of heat that propagated through the lunar interior. That plume would have carried certain materials -- a suite of rare-Earth and heat-producing elements -- to the Moon's nearside. That concentration of elements would have contributed to the volcanism that created the nearside volcanic plains.

"We know that big impacts like the one that formed SPA would create a lot of heat," said Matt Jones, a Ph.D. candidate at Brown University and the study's lead author. "The question is how that heat affects the Moon's interior dynamics. What we show is that under any plausible conditions at the time that SPA formed, it ends up concentrating these heat-producing elements on the nearside. We expect that this contributed to the mantle melting that produced the lava flows we see on the surface."

The study was a collaboration between Jones and his advisor Alexander Evans, an assistant professor at Brown, along with researchers from Purdue University, the Lunar and Planetary Science Laboratory in Arizona, Stanford University and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The differences between the near and far sides of the Moon were first revealed in the 1960s by the Soviet Luna missions and the U.S. Apollo program. While the differences in volcanic deposits are plain to see, future missions would reveal differences in the geochemical composition as well. The nearside is home to a compositional anomaly known as the Procellarum KREEP terrane (PKT) -- a concentration of potassium (K), rare earth elements (REE), phosphorus (P), along with heat-producing elements like thorium. KREEP seems to be concentrated in and around Oceanus Procellarum, the largest of the nearside volcanic plains, but is sparse elsewhere on the Moon.

Some scientists have suspected a connection between the PKT and the nearside lava flows, but the question of why that suite of elements was concentrated on the nearside remained. This new study provides an explanation that is connected to the South Pole-Aitken basin, the second largest known impact crater in the solar system.

For the study, the researchers conducted computer simulations of how heat generated by a giant impact would alter patterns of convection in the Moon's interior, and how that might redistribute KREEP material in the lunar mantle. KREEP is thought to represent the last part of the mantle to solidify after the Moon's formation. As such, it likely formed the outermost layer of mantle, just beneath the lunar crust. Models of the lunar interior suggest that it should have been more or less evenly distributed beneath the surface. But this new model shows that the uniform distribution would be disrupted by the heat plume from the SPA impact.

According to the model, the KREEP material would have ridden the wave of heat emanating from the SPA impact zone like a surfer. As the heat plume spread beneath the Moon's crust, that material was eventually delivered en masse to the nearside. The team ran simulations for a number of different impact scenarios, from dead-on hit to a glancing blow. While each produced differing heat patterns and mobilized KREEP to varying degrees, all created KREEP concentrations on the nearside, consistent with the PKT anomaly.

The researchers say the work provides a credible explanation for one of the Moon's most enduring mysteries.

"How the PKT formed is arguably the most significant open question in lunar science," Jones said. "And the South Pole-Aitken impact is one of the most significant events in lunar history. This work brings those two things together, and I think our results are really exciting."

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"The local residents have been supporting our pandemic control measures with high discipline, and we share their feelings," Zong Ming, Vice-mayor of Shanghai, said at a news conference on Friday with tears. "But there is much that we haven't done and we failed people's expectations. We must correct that with full efforts."

For the past several weeks, Shanghai has been experiencing perhaps the gravest new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in China since it was largely put under control in early 2020. Its total infection cases have already exceeded 150,000, with new infections still rising by 1,006 and new asymptomatic infections rising by 23,937 on Saturday.

In all aspects, just like Zong said, Shanghai needs to do more to protect its people from the pandemic by better addressing their concerns, including shortage of daily necessities and bad coordination in ensuring supplies.

However, that has nothing to do with what a New York Times commentary claims that the situation in Shanghai poses a political test to the "dynamic zero" policy.

By politicizing the public health incident with their long-held ideological bias, they have turned a blind eye to the fact that, by adhering to "dynamic zero" policy, the county is just trying to help its people avoid the disastrous situation that US people are facing.

On the very day that The New York Times published the commentary, the US saw 94,781 new infections and 565 deaths, bringing its total infections to 80.38 million and deaths to 985,067. Considering the gaps in medical facilities between the two countries, China cannot endure such a disastrous result.

The 80.38 million infections and 985,067 deaths are not cold numbers; Behind each of the digits is the loss of a life and tragedy for a family. Yet the US spends 15 percent of its annual medical expenses on the medical insurances for the rich, leaving the poor uncared for.

The New York Times blamed Shanghai for lockdown measures. The fact is that the poor people in the US are free to choose, but with only one choice, namely being infected and suffering. That's not what a responsible government should do; That's not what a time-honored newspaper should boast of.

The domestic pandemic control measures are far from perfect. The local government of Shanghai is open to advice on improvement; On Friday three local officials received penalties for failures in the pandemic control work.

But that should never be taken by some China-bashers as an excuse to politicize the event and blame China. The New York Times could save some energy, write stories and comment on the pandemic situation in its own country, which has been bad for years.
Reviewing President Joe Biden's statement on the United Nations vote that suspended Russia from the Human Rights Council (HRC), one is left wondering if TikTok influencers wrote the public document. Going by the language and logic, it could have been drafted by non-professional diplomats or inexperienced government officials.

The first paragraph lacks dignity and gravitas. Here's what it says:

"I applaud the overwhelming vote today in the General Assembly of the United Nations to kick Russia off the UNHRC. This is a meaningful step by the international community further demonstrating how [Vladimir] Putin's war has made Russia an international pariah."

Is the phrase "to kick Russia off" appropriate? Consider the fact that sovereign governments from around the world will translate the White House statement into their native languages. For people unfamiliar with the idiom, it could connote violence.

Mocking Russia shows U.S. weakness

Describing Russia as an "international pariah" will accomplish nothing on the diplomatic front if Washington desires to end Putin's "special military operation" in Ukraine. People engaged in silly name-calling and taunts simply demonstrate their incapacity to act as adults.

We should also note the so-called "overwhelming vote" claimed by the Biden administration. The UN General Assembly voted on April 7 to suspend Russia's membership to the UNHRC, with 93 votes in favor, 24 against, and 58 abstaining. Considering the General Assembly has 193 member states in total, 93 votes in favor do not look "overwhelming".

Biden's statement also pledged to "increase the pressure on Russia's economy, and isolate Russia on the international stage". However, such steps will not lead to a viable diplomatic path to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The U.S. economic sanctions against Russia should not be taken lightly. Russia is the world's largest country in territorial size, rich in natural resources and a major exporter of oil, gas and agricultural products. Therefore, the sanctions could result in worldwide energy and food shortages, as well as increase the likelihood of a global economic recession. It's understandable that a high number of nations chose to abstain due to such concerns.

Rushing to judge without due process

The UNHRC has 47 members. Russia was invited in January 2021 to join as one of the 15 nations elected by the General Assembly to serve three-year terms.

Russia is the second nation to be ousted from the UNHRC after Libya in 2011. It's the first time a permanent member of the UN Security Council was suspended from the body.

Under the 2006 resolution that established the UNHRC, the UN General Assembly can suspend a member state if it commits gross and systematic violations of human rights. That's reasonable, but where's the due process? Russian troops stand accused of war crimes but Moscow has proclaimed its innocence. Gennady Kuzmin, Deputy Russian Ambassador to the UN, said, "We reject the untruthful allegations against us, based on stage events and widely-circulated fakes."

No formal UN investigation has proven Russia's guilt and the UN should have reviewed the evidence before rushing to judgement.

On the other hand, there are videos purportedly showing soldiers in Ukraine colors shooting a Russian prisoner of war in the head repeatedly. Such action is defined as a war crime but the UNHRC has not proposed to investigate, even though Human Rights Watch has launched their investigation.

Setting a dangerous precedent

Russia's expulsion from the UNHRC sets a dangerous precedent, since it gives the U.S., United Kingdom and European Union greater influence over the body and creates scenarios where other countries could be expelled simply for displeasing the Western powers.

The action will also aggravate the tensions between Moscow and Kyiv, "adding fuel to the fire," as China's Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun said.

Zhang added, "Dealing with the membership of the HRC in such a way will 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."

Washington was seeking to score short-term political points with its UN resolution to suspend Russia from the UNHRC. But there's an old saying, "What goes around, comes around." In the long-term outlook, the U.S. did not achieve any productive result on the diplomatic stage.

By Thomas W. Pauken IIthe author of US vs China: From Trade War to Reciprocal Deal, a consultant on Asia-Pacific affairs and a geopolitical commentator. Source CGTN
A Billings man caught in an undercover sting operation for trying to coerce a minor girl into engaging in sexual activity has admitted to the charges.

Jason Robert Kroepelin, 32, pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement. Kroepelin faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release.

In late October 2021, Kroepelin posted an advertisement on the internet seeking a young female for sexual purposes, charges stated. An undercover FBI agent responded to the ad, using a fictitious persona. The agent contacted Kroepelin telling the man he had a girl available for such purposes, charges alleged.

Kroepelin and the undercover employee exchanged messages, engaged in sexually explicit conversation about the fictitious girl and agreed to meet at a property in Billings. Kroepelin also contacted a social media account purportedly belonging to the girl and sent a picture of himself.

Kroepelin was arrested in late October when he arrived at an agreed-upon location to meet the girl in Billings. Kroepelin had condoms and lubricant in his pocket and a cellular phone showing his communication with the FBI agent.

The U.S. Attorneys Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Sheriffs Office and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters set sentencing for Aug. 17. Kroepelin was detained pending further proceedings.

Kroepelin is the latest guilty plea to come out of the large sting operation that netted nine men seeking to engage in sex with children. In late March, two other men caught in the sting pleaded guilty in Yellowstone County District Court to charges of sexual abuse of children.

Montez was charged with the single count of sexual abuse of a child after chatting with a person online he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, the Gazette previously reported. The conversation followed Montez answering an online ad for child rape in exchange for money that was placed by an undercover agent. A search warrant issued by Judge Ashley Harada for his phone and home led to his arrest and subsequent charge last October.

Haydal, 64, similarly reached an agreement with prosecutors and changed his plea March 31. Haydal began chatting online with an FBI agent posing as a man offering his two daughters for sex in early October, court documents said. He asked the undercover agent several times if there would be a charge for sex acts with the two children.

The agent arranged to meet with Haydal later that same month. Haydal drove to a Billings public park, and asked the agent to come to the park with the two girls. He was arrested at the meeting site. A later search of his phone would lead to nine more felony sex abuse of children charges that will be dropped at sentencing as part of the plea agreement.

Both Montez and Haydal are scheduled to be sentenced May 9.

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For the past decade, Ventenata dubia, an invasive grass, has popped up across 24 counties in Montana, where it has decreased plant diversity and lowered forage availability for livestock and wildlife.

With the grass beginning to invade land in his home on the Crow Reservation, Zach Fighter, a graduate student in Montana State Universitys Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences in the College of Agriculture, saw a subject for his masters research project.

It's starting to become serious, and I dont think a lot of people knew it was there because they didnt even know what the grass was, said Fighter, who is from Pryor and an enrolled tribal member. It could potentially take over and invade your pasture and take away your desirable species, what your livestock wants to eat, and by displacing that, youre not going to get good forage value and lose money.

Fighter works alongside co-advisers Jane Mangold and Scott Powell on the Crow Reservation exploring ways to remediate ventenata through chemical control and remote sensing.

Fighters research is funded through a grant from the Montana Noxious Weed Trust Fund. The research team is collaborating with others from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Big Horn County and the University of Montana. Fighter is also a part of the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership, a scholarship program that supports Indigenous graduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics with the intent of increasing the number of Indigenous Americans earning masters and doctoral degrees in STEM disciplines.

In researching chemical controls for ventenata, the team is using two different herbicides, indaziflam and imazapic. The former is applied before ventenata germinates, while the latter is applied after germination. Fighter applied indaziflam in August 2021 and imazapic in November 2021 and will assess the results this summer to see how well those treatments controlled the grass. Along with the herbicides, Fighter is looking into a soil amendment that could control the grass by adding micro-nutrients that encourage desirable species to grow.

Fighter has four research sites, two near Pryor, one near Lodge Grass and another east of Crow Agency. Each 10-by-60-foot plot of land is split so that each treatment has its own area, giving Fighter a better understanding of which controls are working at which rates.

Just as important as understanding which herbicide is more successful is the application method. Fighter is using high and low water carrier rates. High rates mimic ground application and low rates mimic aerial application. Ground applications involve the use of ATVs or walking the property and use 15 gallons of water per acre. Aerial applications, however, only use 5 gallons per acre and can be administered by helicopter or plane, making it easier to cover larger swaths of land like those found on the Crow Reservation.

The Crow Reservation is one of the hot spots of ventenata in the state, said Mangold, invasive plant specialist for MSU Extension and a professor in LRES. She has been researching the grass since 2015, but this is her first time researching its presence on the reservation. Other places Ive seen ventenata growing in smaller, isolated patches. But the ventenata Ive seen on the reservation and down into Wyoming is more ubiquitous across the landscape.

Ventenata is a winter annual grass with an open and airy inflorescence. Stems have a stiff, wiry texture. Its leaves are rolled lengthwise or folded, and its roots are shallow, about 1 to 2 inches deep.

To measure the effectiveness of the chemical controls, Fighter will use various remote sensing tools to collect data on the health and vigor of plants. Powell, a professor in LRES, specializes in remote sensing and spatial analysis to measure vegetation. He said the data they will collect is based on how much light the plants reflect, including visible and non-visible light, such as near-infrared.

The difference between a healthy plant and a nonhealthy plant in the near-infrared spectrum is really pronounced, Powell said. You can develop indices like a remote sensing vegetative index that allows you to track the health of the plant after it's been sprayed with herbicides.

Both Mangold and Powell said Fighter soaks up as much information as he can and is effective at discussing difficult topics with constituents.

We met with the Big Horn County Weed District, and Zach led the whole conversation. Scott and I were there, but it was more about Zach and you see him interact with people and hes really good at it, Mangold said. He is taking in information and has a way of processing it and putting it into practice. You can especially see that when he interacts with the local community members on the reservation.

Fighter received his bachelors degree in rangeland ecology and management from MSU in 2017. He said he was always interested in invasive species, and when he decided to continue his education, it made sense for him to specialize and enter the LRES program to build off his rangeland knowledge.

Fighter expects to graduate in December 2022 and hopes to continue his career in invasive species ideally with the Bureau of Indian Affairs office in Billings.

It's been good to know that I can potentially help land managers and landowners and provide new information on this species, Fighter said. I am interested to see how my controls work and if they work great this summer, I can provide land managers and owners with vital information to start using on their land right away.

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This is the third of four question-and-answer features on the candidates running for the School District 2 board of trustees. Each of the candidates in the four contested board districts were asked the same six questions with each response being limited to 100 words. The four features are running consecutively over four days.

The election will be Tuesday, May 3, and mail ballots will be sent April 13. The close of late voter registration is May 2 at noon.

School board District 5 candidates

Kristen Gilfeather

Why are you running?

I decided to run for school board last fall, after I realized that the parents had lost their voice. Not only were parents getting ignored, they were also criticized for speaking up in support of their children. Parental involvement is essential to the success of our youth and our community cannot continue to further the divide between the parents and the school system. I want to be involved in the betterment of education in SD2 and serving on the board is a role I would be honored to be selected for.

What changes would you make to district curriculum or policy?

I am most looking forward to the opportunity to review policies, participate in discussion and make suggested changes, when necessary. In particular, I would like to review the status of the school's emergency declaration. Policy 1905 has been in the spotlight lately, and of particular concern is that this policy "applies during the COVID-19 state of emergency declared by the Board of Trustees." I believe it was the January 2022 board meeting when one board trustee questioned this emergency declaration and it is still unclear to the public at what point was this state of emergency declared.

What from your professional or personal background qualifies you to serve on the board?

I have been in healthcare leadership for 10 years. I have experience writing, reviewing, approving and implementing policies or policy changes. I have experience serving in the Incident Command structure at the hospital and understand what is necessary to make decisions under pressure. I have also served two terms as a board member for the Montana Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. I am familiar with board operations and with my background in healthcare finance and always striving to be a good steward of financial resources, my experience would be a valuable addition to the SD2 board of trustees.

What are your thoughts on school choice?

I am in favor of school choice. As a parent, it is an awful feeling to not have a choice in how or where your child receives an education. School choice today is only available to those who can afford to pay for public school, through their taxes, and separate tuition to choose where their child attends school.

What is the biggest issue currently facing School District 2?

The most obvious challenge I see currently is the lack of trust between the School District and the community. There is a great divide in Billings and we are witnessing a great deal of disrespect both from the community and the board of trustees any time there is a difference of opinion, whether it be related to COVID, masks, curriculum, library books, budget and funding. What I hope to accomplish is to be able to listen to anyone who has something to share, and be able to separate my own opinion and move forward with decision making that takes all information into consideration.

What do you think the district got right or wrong in how it handled the COVID pandemic?

I can appreciate the work that the district has done to keep schools open. I don't believe schools should have been shut down in March of 2020, but with the shutdown from the state level, it did not leave the district with much of a choice. They tried their best to pivot to virtual learning and I commend the district with that response. That said, there have been many opportunities where the district could have and should have done better. The last-minute flip-flopping on decisions, on multiple occasions, and the way the current board washed their hands of making decisions has done the most damage.

Kayla Ladson

Ladson did not respond to requests for this Q&A.

Scott McCulloch (incumbent)

Why are you running?

All four of my children graduated from Billings public schools. Their education provided a foundation for their success in life. I have long advocated that kids and communities thrive when the school system is strong. Local control of education dictates the quality of the school system. I want to assist in making our schools the best they can be.

What changes would you make to district curriculum or policy?

I endorse the expansion of the career and technical education approach the district has undertaken for the past 10 years. We also need to continue to strengthen the resources available to those students who struggle with the acquisition of skills and knowledge.

What from your professional or personal background qualifies you to serve on the board?

I relish the 38 years of service that I gave to education as a classroom teacher. During that time I co-chaired the district's insurance committee for three years. I participated in curriculum development for social studies and English classes. Beyond that, I have been well acquainted with the school district budget for over 30 years through participation in the negotiations process. I have lobbied the legislature for school funding.

What are your thoughts on school choice?

Montanans may avail themselves of private, parochial, and home schooling opportunities. I support those avenues for those who wish to use them. I oppose the use of tax dollars for any non-public school venues.

What is the biggest issue currently facing School District 2?

We educate roughly 10% of the students in Montana, but we suffer budget woes created by a hodge-podge school funding system. We must have a more stable and appropriate funding system if we are to continue to provide educational opportunities for our students.

What do you think the district got right or wrong in how it handled the COVID pandemic?

Schools remained open during the 2020-21 and 2021-2022 school years. The district created a remote learning platform for students who chose at-home learning. The board supported the best mitigation strategies available.

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The Riverton Medical District's plan to build a new hospital in the Wyoming community has advanced with a USDA Rural Development loan of $37 million.

This is the largest award USDA has ever provided in Wyoming. The low-interest loan the Medical District team to move ahead with the next steps for a locally owned and governed health care facility.

We are absolutely thrilled about USDAs positive response to the plans and we are extremely thankful for their confidence in in our Riverton Medical District, said board member Corte McGuffey. With this terrific news we will move forward with additional plans to provide excellent health care for the Riverton region. Special thanks to our supporters throughout the community, including the Eastern Shoshone Tribe for helping us secure the land.

This citizen-led effort seeking access to quality health care has been daunting and inspiring, said Glenn Pauley, state director for USDA Rural Development.

The low-interest USDA Community Facilities loan adds to the recent positive news of the Riverton Medical District signing a letter of intent with Billings Clinic to be the clinical and management partner for the new facility. Billings Clinic has an affiliation network featuring relationships with 17 health care facilities, including in numerous Wyoming communities such as Basin, Lovell, Powell and a clinic in Cody.

The Riverton Medical Districts forward progress is a critical step in this process and we congratulate them on this major development, said Dr. Clint Seger, Billings Clinic Regional Chief Medical Officer. Our shared values aim to keep people close to home for their care, and this helps all of us do that.

Riverton Medical District plans to offer primary, acute, emergency and specialty health care services with a focus on being responsible community partners and providing local jobs in central Wyoming, officials said.

Members of the Riverton Medical District embarked on the project more than three years ago, McGuffey said. Our community members have taken a stand to support this effort from the very beginning. It is only because of their unwavering confidence in us that we will have a community governed hospital that will bring medical security back to our area for generations to come.

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The Montana State Hospital is set to lose its federal reimbursement funding on Tuesday after repeated failures to meet standard health and safety conditions, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a letter to the state on Friday.

The letter does not say how much money the state hospital will no longer receive once the federal government stops payment for services provided to Medicare and Medicaid patients.

There were 142 patients in the main hospital as of April 4, though it's not clear how many patients are insured by Medicare and Medicaid.

"It took many years for MSH to get to this point, and its going to take significant time to truly fix the problem," state health department director Adam Meier said in an emailed statement late Sunday. "DPHHS continues to reevaluate Montanas behavioral health system and ensure MSH is operating in a more productive, safe, efficient and effective manner.

In February, federal inspectors put the state hospital on immediate jeopardy status for patient safety issues, such as operating without an infection control plan while a COVID-19 outbreak whipped through the facility, killing three patients. The hospital was also cited for not preventing patient falls  one woman died Jan. 30 after suffering a hard fall from her wheelchair; it was the 13th time she had fallen in two months.

CMS had initially given the state hospital until March 13 to correct the issues that led to the immediate jeopardy designation, and, after the hospital had given assurances to meet those conditions, the federal agency gave the hospital an extension and additional conditions to meet. No date was ever assigned to the extension, but the concession was provided to the hospital due to its nature as a safety net for dementia patients who have no other place to go.

In March, hospital staff said a patient was life-flighted to a Missoula hospital after being attacked by another patient in one of the facilitys intake units. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, which oversees the state hospital, confirmed the attack had drawn federal inspectors back to the facility again for another inspection.

No further information has been released about the attack, and CMS made no mention of it in Fridays letter.

How much the Montana State Hospital relies on these federal reimbursement dollars to operate was not immediately clear Sunday. The hospital is already $7 million over budget, largely due to the paying inflated wages to contract staff to fill the gaps left by permanent workers, DPHHS said in March.

The state psychiatric hospital has been in anguish in recent months as long-term staff departed their careers in Warm Springs over dismal working conditions and what they referred to as an unresponsive hospital administration.

In an interview Sunday, Bernadette Franks-Ongoy, executive director of Disability Rights Montana, said her organization would do everything in its power to ensure patients who may have to relocate to other care settings due to the loss of funding at Montana State Hospital will get the help they need.

DRM is a federally mandated advocacy group.

I think the state had the opportunity to prevent this from happening, Franks-Ongoy said. I dont think they operated quick enough and in the best interest of the patients of the hospital and its employees.

Fridays letter included information for Montana State Hospital administration to assist with relocating patients. However, Franks-Ongoy said Sunday the letter does not explicitly tell the hospital to begin relocating patients.

DPHHS had sought and received applications for a contractor to move in and take over management of its facilities, with a focus on the state hospital. That contractor was originally intended to begin work in mid-February, although the state review process pushed the start date back. In a mid-March email, a department spokesperson said DPHHS had selected a vendor and the contract was being finalized.

"DPHHS has retained experts to address the immediate issues at MSH raised by CMS," Meier said in a statement. "These efforts are ongoing and the department is making considerable progress. MSH will also benefit from the outside expertise obtained through an (request for proposals from a contractor) to conduct a comprehensive assessment of all DPHHS-operated health care facilities and develop a strategic plan to enhance quality of care and improve operations."

An interim legislative panel that oversees the state hospital called an emergency meeting in February after the initial immediate jeopardy designations to request answers from the state on the hospitals situation. Lawmakers from both parties agreed to move forward with developing legislation to ease the burden at the hospital by finding community placements for dementia patients, whose acute needs have forced staff to develop care plans for a population that, by the hospitals own policy, were not meant to be housed there.

Rep. Mary Caferro, a Democrat from Helena on the committee, had also made a motion for the committee to issue a letter to Gov. Greg Gianforte's administration, urging his office to release additional funding from federal COVID aid to keep staff on board and to send in the National Guard to handle low-level work. Republicans, believing the administration would appropriately attend to the situation at the state hospital, voted against sending the letter, and the motion failed.

The Democrats have tried and tried and tried to get laser-focused on this issue, to use (American Rescue Plan Act) funds or any other funds possible to correct the problem and protect and keep the patients safe, Caferro said Sunday. Every step of the way we have run into roadblocks.

Meier said in Sunday's statement the administration was working "diligently" to address issues at the state hospital.

I want to be clear that our commitment to serving the patients at Montana State Hospital now and reforming the facility for future generations has never been stronger," Meier said. "The struggles at MSH have existed and remained unaddressed for far too long, spanning multiple governors. As I have said before, we must approach MSH comprehensively, strategically, and in a data-informed manner. There are no quick fixes for what MSH is currently facing."

Current and former employees began raising the alarm late last year about the conditions at the hospital, citing an unqualified and unresponsive workforce as the driver of the fast-moving staff exodus. Employees have attended legislative hearings in recent months to urge lawmakers to get involved before more patients and employees were injured due to low staffing levels.

Hope Hollingsworth is a traveling nurse who was one of the first to raise the alarm publicly about the state hospital administration and the working conditions there. She has since left the facility.

I do not find this development surprising, and I feel certain CMS did not arrive at this decision without thoroughly examining every alternative since MSH is a safety-net facility, Hollingsworth said in a text late Sunday. I remain optimistic, however, that this grim outcome was necessary to mobilize stakeholders to make the hospital a functioning and therapeutic facility the state can be proud of.

The letter noted payments may continue for 30 calendar days for patients admitted on or before April 11.

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Another $37 million will be pumped into constructing phase two of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System thanks to money from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

With local match from our ratepayers and (Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation) Coal Trust Regional Water funds, we should be able to complete Phase II in 2023-24, Monty Sealey, project administrator for the Central Montana Regional Water Authority, wrote in an email. We have begun our environmental and cultural review activities, securing easements, etc., and will soon begin actual project design; then bidding.

The total of $1.2 trillion in authorized spending also includes $57.5 million for Rocky Boys/North Central Montana Regional Water System for the Chippewa Cree Tribe, Havre, Tiber, Big Sandy and Loma. Another $7 million will go to the Fort Peck Reservation/Dry Prairie Rural Water System.

These funds are only the first round of $1 billion in total funding to complete all authorized rural water projects through the Bureau of Reclamation. In all, the act will appropriate about $194 million for the Rocky Boys/North Central Water System, $56 million for the Musselshell-Judith Water System and $17 million for the Fort Peck/Dry Prairie Water System.

These rural water systems are essential to growing communities and creating jobs in central and eastern Montana, said Sen. Jon Tester in a statement announcing his vote supporting the act.

Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Matt Rosendale, Montanas two Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C., voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act saying it was an unnecessary expansion of the federal debt. Daines has supported previous federal rural water system allocations.

Work this summer should finish up the $17 million first phase of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System by piping water into the homes of Harlowton residents. The water is pumped from 24 miles away where three wells were drilled near the communities of Utica, Ubet and Garneill.

Phase two will move the pipeline east from Harlowton along the Musselshell River valley all the way to Roundup. Along the way, other small communities would also be connected to the system including Shawmut, Ryegate and Lavina.

Sealey said with the phase two money coming out of the infrastructure bill, rather than normal budget funding, the Musselshell-Judith project probably fared better.

Without those monies, we likely would have ranked quite a bit lower and received less funding, he wrote. We are one of the latest Regional Water Projects authorized by Congress, so without this new funding we would be one of the last to receive much more limited (Bureau of Reclamation) funds.

When completed, the $87 million pipeline will extend 250 miles and serve about 5,000 to 7,500 rural and town residents in nine communities, ending at Melstone.

Existing water supplies serving communities along the Musselshell River suffer from high levels of minerals, nitrates and sulfates. Roundup gets its water from an old coal mine. Melstones supply dwindles in drought years. Flooding of the Musselshell River has destroyed existing pipelines. Harlowtons water supply is also threatened by an underground benzene plume, and the town has been working to replace 80-year-old leaky water pipes. The well water for the new project will only need to be chlorinated. Much of the new pipeline will be gravity fed.

Five other states qualified for the $420 million in funding for rural water projects, including Iowa, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Providing this project-specific funding underscores the Administrations commitment to help rural and Tribal communities access safe drinking water and the water treatment infrastructure they deserve, said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in a statement. With a $4.6 billion investment over five years for aging water infrastructure and rural water projects, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ensures that rural and Tribal communities receive adequate assistance and support.

Allocations for projects are based on project plans and significant accomplishments that are projected to be completed with the funding, as well as the capability of recipients to implement the work quickly.

Of the total allocation, $32 million is held in reserve to be distributed throughout the fiscal year to address potential increases in construction costs.

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The National Science Foundation has awarded Bismarck State College nearly $1.4 million in grant funding to support scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics programs, more commonly known as STEM.

An estimated 250 scholarships will be awarded to about 140 students in more than 25 STEM-related academic programs over the next five years, starting in the fall. Each scholarship is estimated at an average award of $3,600 per year toward the cost of tuition, books and other education-related expenses.

"These substantial scholarships are meant to help students financially so they can reduce the hours they work and dedicate more time to their studies so they can be successful in their program, BSC Polytechnic Program Outreach Director Alicia Uhde said. With BSC in-state tuition rates at approximately $5,000 per year, this makes a degree very affordable.

Recipients who continue to meet the requirements of the scholarship will have it renewed each subsequent semester, and will receive one-on-one advising.

For more information or to apply, go to to bismarckstate.edu/AIMscholarship.

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The latest North Dakota coronavirus news: student aid, federal assistance and more.

College debt forgiveness

Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College on the Fort Berthold Reservation has forgiven more than $2.8 million in student debt.

The schools move is aimed at helping students affected by coronavirus.

With the spike in COVID-19 cases in our community, it was clear to our leadership that our students continue to be significantly impacted by the worldwide pandemic, President Twyla Baker said.

Debt has been forgiven for students enrolled in classes from January 2014 through last year. The school plans to use remaining federal COVID-19 funding to assist students currently enrolled.

FEMA aid

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided an additional $2.8 million in aid for the COVID-19 response in North Dakota.

The assistance was made available under a major disaster declaration issued at the beginning of the pandemic in April 2020. FEMA has now provided a total of $133.3 million for the North Dakota pandemic response to date.

The latest money went to the state Health Department to help cover the cost of testing and vaccination efforts across the state.

Testing and vaccines

A comprehensive list of free public COVID-19 testing offered in North Dakota can be found at health.nd.gov/covidtesting. That site also lists where free at-home test kits are being offered.

People can go to https://www.ndvax.org or call 866-207-2880 to see where COVID-19 vaccine is available near them.

County-level COVID-19 risks determined by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can be found at https://bit.ly/3Clifrq.

Guidance and resources for businesses are at https://bit.ly/3w0DpKj.

General information is at https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus.
'What is Truth?' Evangelist Will Graham to Tackle Question During Good Friday Livestream Outreach

Live from the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, program will air at 1 p.m. ET on Friday, April 15







NEWS PROVIDED BY

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

April 11, 2022



CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 11, 2022 /Standard Newswire/ -- Will Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will livestream a special message of hope on Good Friday (April 15) at 1 p.m. ET. The event will be broadcast from the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, North Carolina, and will feature music from award-winning artist Brandon Heath.



The program will stream online at WillGrahamLive.com, and will be available for on-demand viewing for one week following the broadcast.



"What is truth? It's something many people are asking today, but it's not a new question. In fact, 2,000 years ago, Pontius Pilate asked the exact same thing of Jesus during His trial. 'What is truth?'" Graham said. "Join me on Good Friday as I dig into God's Word and examine this question of truth. In doing so, we'll look at Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, His victory over the grave, and the hope that is found in a relationship with Him."



Brandon Heath has won several Dove Awards (New Artist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Pop / Contemporary Song of the Year) and an Emmy for Songwriter of the Year. He has also received multiple Grammy Award nominations.



The Good Friday livestream will be simultaneously translated into American Sign Language and broadcast at Facebook.com/ASLbythelight.



A Spanish-language livestream, featuring celebrated musical guest Marcos Witt, will air at 3 p.m. ET at WillGrahamEnvivo.com.



The Good Friday livestream has become a tradition for Graham. This is the third consecutive year he has broadcast a Good Friday message, with his first one taking place just weeks after the initial impact of the Coronavirus pandemic in the United States. Combined, the first two Good Friday specials had more than 40,000 views from at least 75 different countries, with 2,260 indicating that they made a decision to follow Jesus.



About Will Graham

Will is the third generation of Grahams to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ under the banner of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). He is the grandson of Billy Graham and the oldest son of Franklin Graham. He also serves as vice president of the BGEA, and as executive director of the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, North Carolina. Follow Will on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.



SOURCE Billy Graham Evangelistic Association



CONTACT: Erik Ogren, 704-577-2109, eogren@bgea.org


A blizzard that forecasters say has the potential to be "historic" and "crippling" is descending on North Dakota and threatening to linger much of the week.

"This is going to be historic for some areas," said Jason Anglin, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service's Bismarck office. "It's going to be tough to travel, the impact to the ranching community is going to be big, even the impact to the power community -- there's going to be a lot of water in this snow; it could bring down trees and bring down power lines."

The forecast prompted numerous school closure announcements, including K-12 schools and higher education institutions in Bismarck-Mandan.

Most of western and central North Dakota is under a blizzard warning, with 10-24 inches of heavy snow expected to accumulate by Thursday evening. Locally higher amounts up to 30 inches are possible. The storm moving over the Rockies from the Pacific Northwest will begin in the southwestern part of the state about 7 a.m. Central time Tuesday and blanket the entire western two-thirds by Tuesday evening. Some of the precipitation could fall as rain, particularly on Tuesday, though there is little concern about ice.

Nearly all of eastern North Dakota is under a winter storm watch, with forecasters having less certainty of impacts in the southeast.

Forecasters have the highest confidence in impacts from Dickinson to Bismarck to Minot, though a slight north-to-northwest shift in the storm track early Monday brought a little more uncertainty to the Bismarck area, according to Anglin. The capital city is still expected to get 16-27 inches of snow, with Dickinson in store for 20-31 inches and Minot in line for 19-31 inches.

"We'll kind of be in that bullseye," Anglin said.

The snowfall could set records. Bismarck's record for April 12 is 3 inches; for April 13 it's 6.6 inches. Both records were set in the mid-1980s, according to National Weather Service data.

AccuWeather forecasters warned of a "storm of the century." Winds will gust to 50 mph and possibly even 60 mph in some areas. That could create drifts up to 20 feet, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Benz.

Anglin said to "expect major travel delays both driving and flying with this."

The storm also will present challenges for ranchers in the middle of spring calving season.

"A system of this magnitude will require an all-hands-on-deck approach -- both in preparing for and getting through the storm," said Julie Ellingson, executive vice president of the North Dakota Stockmen's Association.

The moisture will be welcome, however. Long-term drought persists in western North Dakota as farmers begin their spring planting season, and many ranchers are hoping to rebound from a poor hay production year in 2021.

"We have been praying for moisture for more than a year, and now it appears that those prayers will be answered -- in a very, very big way," Ellingson said.

Snow from the blizzard could contain an inch or two of liquid precipitation -- perhaps even three inches in some areas, according to Anglin. That won't end the drought but will "put a dent" in it, he said.

Officials don't expect the large amount of moisture to lead to any significant flooding following the storm, at least in western and central North Dakota.

"What helps us with this system is it's going to be cold for the next week; it's going to be a slow melt," Anglin said.

A southward dip in the jet stream will bring colder Canadian air into the region, according to AccuWeather. High temperatures in Bismarck-Mandan through the weekend are forecast in the upper 20s and lower 30s, with overnight lows dropping into the teens. Typically this time of year, highs are in the mid-50s and lows are in the low 30s, according to the National Weather Service.

For people who didn't experience the devastating April 1997 blizzard in North Dakota, "This could be an event like that for them," said Corey King, weather service emergency response specialist in Bismarck. He said there are similarities between this storm and the one 25 years ago, and "I think it's going to be one of those kinds of storms that people are potentially talking about for years to come."

Preparing and canceling

"Significant" impacts from the storm are expected in the Bismarck-Mandan area during the day Tuesday, with the "extreme" part of the storm occurring in the metro area from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The storm will slowly ease over the following 24 hours.

Bismarck Public Schools canceled classes Tuesday, with decisions pending for Wednesday and Thursday. Schools sent student computers home in preparation for potential virtual learning days. Mandan Public Schools also canceled classes Tuesday, with decisions pending on other days, and also sent iPads home with students.

Light of Christ Catholic Schools in Bismarck also called off classes Tuesday, with a decision pending for Wednesday. Catholic schools in Mandan canceled classes Tuesday and Wednesday. The Catholic school systems in both cities do not have classes scheduled on Thursday due to Easter break.

Shiloh Christian School in Bismarck canceled classes Tuesday, with decisions pending on future days.

Bismarck State College will be closed and classes canceled Tuesday through Thursday. United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck also will close those three days, with Theodore Jameson Elementary School moving to distance learning during that time. The University of Mary is calling off in-person classes during the three-day stretch.

Dickinson State University will move to virtual instruction Tuesday through Thursday. Williston State College will close for the week at midday Tuesday.

Bismarck city officials on Monday urged residents to move and keep vehicles off the streets.

"This will be a heavy, wet snow and vehicles parked on the street could be buried with snow and become a hindrance," Public Works Senior Administrative Assistant Gale Nicholson said in a statement.

Officials also urged residents to be patient with snow removal, which can be difficult while a storm is ongoing. City crews will work with emergency managers to deal with any emergencies. More snow removal information is at https://bismarcknd.gov/249/Snow-Removal.

Bis-Man Transit said it will park CAT and paratransit buses on Tuesday and resume operations "when it is safe."

Bismarck postponed its annual Spring Clean-up Week, which had been scheduled next week, due to the storm. The week when residents can place bulky items on the boulevard for special pickup is now set for May 2-5.

The Mandan Fire Department recommended area residents prepare an emergency kit with supplies for at least three days, including food, water, a radio, a first aid kit, flashlights and batteries, and a backup cellphone charger. Residents also are advised to plan family communications, ensure they have functioning carbon monoxide detectors and keep fire hydrants clear of snow. Montana Dakota-Utilities urged residents to keep natural gas meters and furnace vent areas clear of snow.

Bowman and Dunn counties announced their courthouses will close on Tuesday due to the storm. The state Department of Human Services said its offices in Bismarck and Dickinson that provide direct client services will be closed Tuesday, and that people experiencing a behavioral health crisis should call 211.

AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said all residents in the storm's path should be on guard.

"In the hardest-hit areas, people need to plan to be self-sufficient for several days with enough water, food and supplies, as it may take considerable time to clear roadways from the snow that will fall and then blow and drift," he said. "Power outages may occur as well, adding more challenges for people in these areas."

Reach News Editor Blake Nicholson at 701-250-8266 or blake.nicholson@bismarcktribune.com.

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This is Up and Down, where we give a brief thumbs up or thumbs down on the issues from the past week.

Up

State transportation workers are addressing two problematic traffic spots in the Bismarck-Mandan area. Crews have begun replacing a six-decade-old Interstate 94 bridge just to the east of Bismarck whose low height has resulted in it being damaged several times due to oversize loads. And in Mandan, workers are installing traffic signals at the intersection by McDonald's on The Strip. More than 15,000 vehicles pass through that intersection every day, and it's been the site of some major crashes. The work at both sites will inconvenience motorists, but the projects are needed and the disruptions will be temporary.

Down

Wind is a part of life on the Plains. But its been so windy this spring that the National Weather Service Bismarck office recently quipped on social media, We know we're starting to sound like a broken record, but it's windy again today. Thats turning into an understatement. And the constant howling gales are more than just an annoying inconvenience -- theyre increasing concerns about drought and wildfires in the western half of the state. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Mike LeSeney said, "The combination of strong winds, low humidity and warmth can contribute to an extreme fire risk. North Dakota certainly doesn't need that, after last years struggles in the agricultural community and the rampant wildfires across the state.

Up

North Dakota wildlife officials in 2015 canceled the bighorn sheep hunting season for the first time in more than three decades due to an outbreak of deadly bacterial pneumonia. Just seven years later, the Badlands population has battled back, reaching record numbers for two straight years. The rebound has been improbable, and a great success story. Bighorns will remain a part of the Badlands environment, which benefits nature lovers and hunters. This year, a record 19,426 hunters have applied for a license.

Down

Bird flu is spreading in North Dakota, as it is elsewhere in the country. And it's impacting areas in the state that also were hit with avian influenza just seven years ago. During the 2015 outbreak, the state had two cases, in Dickey and LaMoure counties, affecting more than 100,000 birds. The outbreak this year has already affected six flocks -- three commercial and three backyard -- and impacted nearly 140,000 birds. North Dakota Turkey Federation Vice President David Rude says operators are taking the threat seriously and doing what they can to keep their farms safe. And the state Board of Animal Health has canceled co-mingled poultry shows within North Dakota as a prevention measure. But bird flu is also in migrating waterfowl, and those birds have the potential to make a bad situation even worse.

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In COVID-19 clinical update #109, Daniel Griffin discusses cardiac complications after infection or vaccination, long COVID in children, fourth vaccine dose in Israel, no need for fourth vaccine dose in EU, dexamethasone dosing, immunomodulation therapy, MIS outcomes in children, US long COVID effort launched, and herd immunity.

https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-886/

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv
From our friends at Futility Closet, this story of an incredible coincidence:

Jami Johnson lost her wallet on December 11, 2007, when she left it on the counter at the Zip Trip convenience store in Clarkston, Washington. A surveillance video showed a man pick it up and walk out of the store with it.

The man, Michael Millhouse, was arrested two days later and charged with theft. How did police catch him so quickly? The Lewiston Tribune had published a frame from the surveillance video on its front page, directly below a four-column photo of Millhouse decorating a local window for the holidays. He was identified by name and was even wearing the same clothing as in the surveillance photo.

Clarkston Police Chief Joel Hastings said, "Initially, Millhouse denied taking the wallet and then said that he had taken the wallet, and thought it was his wife's wallet. Later he said that he intended turning the wallet in to the police but had forgot about it."

Police found the wallet at Millhouse's business, Millhouse Signs of Lewiston, and returned it to Johnson. "This is the most unusual of any one I know of, to have both pictures on the front page at the same time and in the same location," Hastings said. "I've never experienced that anywhere."
A fascinating interview/profile in The Guardian of a husband and wife who ran a two-person art forgery business. Wolfgang and Helene Beltracchi made and sold forged paintings of Max Ernst, Fernand Leger, and others. They went to great lengths to fabricate false provenances for the paintings, creating a fake photo of a 1924 art exhibition that showed one of their Leger forgeries on the wall.

Wolfgang said he had never forged pictures with compositions that would unnerve the onlooker. "I have to create something beautiful  I want to make people happy," he said.

He described forgery as "almost incidental": "We enjoyed selling the paintings. We got a kick out of it. We got rich," he said. "I got to paint, and we enjoyed doing the research too. Forgery was a way of combining all these things. And I got to sit around the pool for days, reading and daydreaming and sleeping."

Helene added: "The more successful we were in selling the pictures, the higher we set the bar and the more extra stories we came up with, because we were really enjoying this game. Sometimes we laid trails so elaborate that nobody would ever have discovered them."
When Russia launched its war on Ukraine, the first thought for folks at 42 North Brewing Co. in East Aurora was, Naz.

Naz Drebot, 36, owner of 2085 Brewery in Kyiv, Ukraine, helped build 42 North in 2015, literally cutting bricks to construct the brewery, as well as crafting recipes for some of its most popular beers.

When they reached their friend in his native Ukraine and heard his first-hand heartbreak for his ravaged country, their next thought was, What can we do? said 42 North founder John Cimperman. One thing we do know how to do is brew beer.

Drebot and 42 Norths team devised a new brew and launched a collaborative beer program to produce Resolve, a Kellerbier named after the Ukrainian peoples resolve to maintain their countrys freedom.

42 North released the first batch of Resolve and sold out its 50 cases this past weekend, Cimperman said. Another 300 cases went to 10 area Wegmans supermarkets, where it is sold in 4-packs with the blue and yellow Ukrainian colors and sunflower label.

'Such strong support': WNY brewers sell special beers to benefit Ukraine The beers are called Resolve in honor of the resolve of the Ukrainian people, and one of the two recipes came from 42 Norths first brewer, Naz Drebot, who now lives in his homeland of Ukraine.

Thin Man Brewing and Resurgence Brewing in Buffalo will be releasing Resolve soon, while 1927 Brew House in Cheektowaga and Britesmith Brewing in Williamsville are also brewing batches, Cimperman said.

The local breweries are among 30 worldwide to embrace the Resolve project so far, with proceeds from sales of the beer going to two agencies providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainian fighters, families and refugees.

Visit resolveukrainebeer.com for the recipe and information on the Resolve beer project.

Cimperman said he hopes that as word spreads, more breweries will brew the beer and join the cause. He has been talking to some large craft brewers that could greatly increase the supply of Resolve to help support Ukraine.

There are two parts to this. One is raising money, which is what were doing, he said. Number two is to show Naz and those in Ukraine that weve got their back  solidarity and power in numbers  and that were paying attention.

Drebot grew up in Western Ukraine and studied to be a diplomat until he noted the explosion of craft beers coming out of the States.

I understood that no one was doing this in Ukraine, so I decided to come to United States to get experience to start my own business, he said.

He started in 2013 at Rockaway Brewing in Long Island City before heading to East Aurora to help launch 42 North. Cimperman said he and his partner, Clay Keel, had posted a job for an assistant brewer.

We got a cryptic email from some Ukrainian kid with a great pedigree, Cimperman said. He sent his resume and then got on a train and showed up on our doorstep six months before the brewery opened.

Drebot grew close to many of the team still at 42 North, who he said are texting me every day. It seems like they are here with me, such a great support.

He described his time in East Aurora as paradise. I had a house in the forest and all the people know each other and you see deer every single day. Its like living in a Disney cartoon.

The Buffalo area is my second homeland, Drebot said. I never met such open and hearty people. Everyone I met there are part of my family.

When Drebots visa expired, he was sorry to leave and his friends didnt want him to go. One of his best friends, 42 North brewer Kristen Janosz, even offered to marry him so he could stay in the U.S.

Drebot went back to Europe and helped launch seven other craft breweries in Spain, India, Georgia and his own in Ukraine. Now, with Russia bombing his country and killing civilians, he said, I am staying in my country until the last drop of blood.

While Russia has withdrawn from Kyiv, Drebot said aerial bombings continue and he has been spending nights in basements-turned-bomb shelters.

Half of Ukraine is living in basements for the last one and a half months, he said.

After Russian troops left nearby Bucha, he drove there and saw the bodies of civilians shot and strewn in the streets.

The Russians, they are not human, Drebot said. They are not animals. They are pure evil  And this is not war. This is international terrorism.

Drebot has been serving on a territorial defense team in Kyiv and overseeing a team at his brewery, which is exporting his 2085 craft beers throughout Europe. He said many distributors sought out his beer as a means of humanitarian aid to help Ukraines economy, but are now ordering it for its high quality.

He hopes to include Resolve in his next batch of brews starting this week. Meanwhile, he remains in daily contact with his WNY family.

I miss them so much, he said. After we win this fight, I will come there to say thanks and to hug them all and have a beer.

Janosz said having a loved one in trauma and harms way in Ukraine has meant constant worry over Naz and his country.

The other night I woke up crying, she said. I dreamed I was holding his hand.

Buffalo Next Must-read local business coverage that exposes the trends, connects the dots and contextualizes the impact to Buffalo's economy. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Robert Morgan, a Rochester-based landlord accused in a wide-ranging mortgage fraud scheme, is expected to enter a guilty plea to a reduced charge Tuesday in a Rochester courtroom.

One of Morgans defense lawyers, Joel Cohen, declined to say Monday what charge Morgan might plead to. But Morgans morning hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford will follow a string of pleas to lesser charges by his co-defendants.

Three were allowed to plead guilty to misdemeanors in recent weeks as the U.S. Attorneys Office negotiated deals that were far less severe than the dozens of charges initially lodged.

The government seemed to back off as the judge grew impatient with the prosecutors slow pace in turning over to the defense the reams of emails and computer documents they had gathered as evidence.

Three Morgan defendants plead guilty to significantly reduced charges in surprise plea deals Four years after unveiling the first of three separate mortgage fraud indictments against Rochester real estate mogul Robert C. Morgan and several other defendants, the federal government has dropped almost all of its claims against most of the remaining defendants.

In recent weeks, mortgage broker Frank Giacobbe, Morgan Managements chief financial officer Michael Tremiti, and Morgans son Todd, who also is a company official, pleaded guilty to bank larceny of less than $1,000. Its a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine, plus a year of probation. However, the plea agreements call for no jail time and a fine of up to $9,500.

U.S. Attorney Trini Ross, who did not hold her title when the Morgan investigation began, agreed to the lesser charges as defense lawyers for the three prepared to hold an evidentiary hearing that would spotlight the federal governments slow movement in turning over evidence.

Giacobbes attorney, Herb Greenman, said he intended to call federal agents and one of the federal governments information technology employees to the witness stand to inquire about the pace.

At the time, Morgans attorneys were negotiating with federal prosecutors seeking a disposition of his charges. Lawyers on both sides appeared before the judge last week for a closed-door status conference. Tuesdays hearing was announced late Monday afternoon.

The Buffalo News first reported the federal investigation into Morgan Management in September 2017. At the time, Morgan Management owned more than 36,000 apartment units in 14 states and was fast becoming one of the Buffalo areas biggest landlords. But Robert Morgans empire is largely gone as a result of the indictment, as he was forced to sell more than half of his business.

He and his co-defendants were accused of orchestrating a scheme in which they falsified documents submitted to lenders to obtain more than $500 million in commercial real estate loans. Prosecutors alleged they deceived lenders into extending far more in credit than the value of their properties justified.

According to a re-filed indictment in 2021, the defendants provided false information to lenders to purchase properties, refinance properties and build properties. As part of the applications for mortgage loans, the defendants submitted false rent rolls, which included non-existent tenants and inflated rents, prosecutors said.

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An attorney for the company that wants to bring a 43.5-acre hazardous waste landfill in Niagara County contended Monday that the project would have a $1 billion economic impact during the landfill's lifespan.

But opponents said that number ignores the impact of bringing another 6 million tons of toxic waste to a region that with a long and notorious toxic legacy. They said that would prevent economic development, not promote it.

"I doubt that anybody watching this proceeding will agree that a new hazardous waste landfill in their community has no adverse economic impacts," scoffed Gary A. Abraham, attorney for Niagara County, the Town of Lewiston and the villages of Lewiston and Youngstown.

The contrasting views were offered on the first day of a virtual state siting board hearing on whether CWM Chemical Services should be granted a permit to dig a new landfill off Balmer Road in Porter. Its application to the Department of Environmental Conservation has been pending for 19 years.

The company's first landfill, which covers 47 acres and holds 5 million tons of waste, ran out of space in 2015, after 21 years of use.

An eight-member board, comprising three local residents and five representatives of state agencies, must vote on whether CWM's RMU-2 plan  the initials stand for Residuals Management Unit  is necessary and in the public interest.

But its vote will be be a recommendation only; State Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos must make the final ruling on more landfilling at what's also called the Model City site, after the nearest post office.

In 2010, the DEC reported New York State doesn't need any more hazardous waste disposal sites. But CWM disagrees, proposing a landfill that its attorney, Jeffrey Kuhn, said would operate for an estimated 29 years.

"Any assertion that RMU-2 would have a negative economic impact is baseless," Kuhn argued. "Construction and operation of RMU-2 will have net economic and fiscal benefits to local communities, Niagara County, New York State and New York State businesses of over $1 billion."

"Environmental contamination is a well-known factor within Niagara County," said Kyle Teeter, a student at the University at Buffalo School of Law.

UB's Environmental Advocacy Clinic represents the Lewiston-Porter School District, the Youngstown-based citizen group Residents for Responsible Government and the Niagara County Farm Bureau.

The legacy of Love Canal and numerous other toxic sites, and the presence of the Lew-Port campus two miles from CWM's landfill, argue against more waste disposal in Niagara County, Teeter said.

He said Houston-based Waste Management, CWM's parent company, controls five of the 18 commercial waste disposal sites in the U.S., and the Environmental Protection Agency estimated in 2018 that the 18 sites' remaining space is enough for the nation's needs for the next 25 years.

"Expansion of Model City is not necessary. It's not in the public interest. It's not wanted by the people," Teeter said. "CWM has over 25 years to find a better location than in our school's backyard to continue this test of the long-term impacts on our communities."

"Reopening CWM, which has been closed for seven years, to bury waste 10 miles from Love Canal and imported from 40 states, would deter other kinds of economic development more beneficial to the towns of Lewiston and Porter," said Amy H. Witryol, a Lewiston resident who is a party to the hearing.

"Spills from pipes and tanks containing landfill leachate and leaks of untreated leachate from landfills are routine events at Model City," Abraham said. "These incidents will continue at the same rate, based on CWM's theory that RMU-2 will operate in the same manner as RMU-1. Groundwater has been contaminated, all the way down to bedrock. Groundwater eventually discharges into the Niagara River."

And so does the treated leachate from the CWM landfill, which contains cancer-causing PCBs, Abraham said.

If the DEC rejects the new landfill, Abraham predicted CWM will face a long-term maintenance and cleanup effort, just like the adjoining federal nuclear waste site.

"RMU-2 would be built in the most contaminated portion of the Model City site," Abraham said, "requiring radiologically and chemically contaminated soils to be excavated."

Witryol presented four witnesses Monday to argue that a new landfill would deter development in Lewiston and Porter while harming the housing market, tax revenue and property values.

The witnesses were Timothy Masters, Town of Lewiston building inspector; Patrick J. Whalen, director of the Niagara Global Tourism Institute; Ronald J. Rubino, co-owner of GAR Associates, an Amherst real estate appraisal firm; and Nicolas O. Rockler, an economic development consultant from Massachusetts.

During nearly three hours of cross-examination, Kuhn challenged their conclusions and said there was no evidence that any specific development project hadn't happened because of the proposed new landfill.

Abraham said Porter's population has slowly declined since 1980 and undeveloped land east of the CWM site has remained vacant. Kuhn tried to show there were reasons for that that don't pertain to CWM.

CWM's land, which its corporate predecessor bought 50 years ago, once was part of the Lake Ontario Ordnance Works, where the federal government manufactured explosives during World War II.

After the war, it became a disposal site for nuclear waste from the atomic bomb project and postwar work with radioactive materials by Niagara Falls-area industries.

That nuclear waste remains at the Niagara Falls Storage Site, adjoining CWM's property. The waste is buried in a 10-acre pit that the federal government has agreed to spend $590 million to empty, starting in 2029.

Also, Modern Corp. operates a garbage landfill on former LOOW property in Lewiston.

"CWM suggested that Lewiston is already so harmed and economically restrained by the Niagara Falls Storage Site and Modern that there would be no greater stigma caused by building a massive dump requiring all trucks carrying PCBs and toxic waste to pass the front doors of our public schools," Witryol said.

Since the nearest licensed hazardous waste disposal site is in Michigan, Kuhn said the cost of hauling waste there, including greenhouse gas emissions by long-haul trucks, should enter into the siting board's decision.

He estimated a new landfill in Niagara County would save CWM's customers $300 million to $550 million in hauling costs during the life of the proposed landfill.

Kuhn said during the new landfill's expected 29-year life, CWM, which employs about 80 people when fully staffed, would generate $680 million in wages and employee spending.

Local governments and schools would collect $86 million in gross receipts taxes, property taxes and host community fees, Kuhn said, while CWM would pay $63 million in sales tax and hazardous waste operating fees.

In 2001, the Porter Town Board accepted CWM's offer of $3 million, plus $3 for every ton of waste, if the new landfill is approved.

The hearing on economic issues will continue Tuesday. From May 16-18, the board will hear testimony on contamination of groundwater. Later, a yet-to-be-scheduled session will address the possible discharge of chemicals and radioactivity during the digging of the new landfill.

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After a chilly weekend, an approaching warm front Monday will be the lead signal for a long-advertised warmer pattern that will last through much of the work week. In advance of the front Monday morning, some dissipating weak convection was advancing toward Western New York.

Despite Sundays raw breeze, the Buffalo Lake Erie temperature is 38 degrees, 4 above average. That serves as a reminder that spring cant be judged by a chilly weekend alone. You couldn't tell by Sunday, but temperatures have been running above average on more days than not.

Following Mondays recovery to the high 50s-low 60s on a southerly flow, a cold front will be right behind the warm front. The frontal passages will trigger more widespread showers by Monday evening.

Rainfall amounts will be sufficient to keep yards and fields damp, but far from excessive.

Fortunately, there is nothing more than dry, Pacific-origin air behind the cold front. This air mass will likely make Tuesday the nicest day of the week, with plenty of developing sunshine and mild temperatures reaching the low-to-mid 60s, coolest at the lakeshores.

The wind will be light, making it feel even milder. Tuesday afternoon will be lovely.

While we bask in comparatively tranquil conditions, this will be another rough week for severe weather. You may notice with each passing week, the zone for highest violent storm potential is gradually shifting north as spring progresses. The Monday threat includes the greatest risk for tornadic storms in Arkansas, as outlined by the Storm Prediction Center.

On Tuesday, SPC expands the threat to cover a much larger region, farther west, with the tornado threat probably focusing from southern Oklahoma to northern Iowa.

By Wednesday, the enhanced risk is broadened and is nudged east to extend from central Louisiana to central Indiana.

There may be rotating supercell storms, with wind shear favorable for more spin in the lower atmosphere.

The predicted early Wednesday surface shows the setup. The warm sector of the upper Midwest lows circulation between the warm front and its trailing cold front is where instability will be on the increase. With passage of the warm front here, our afternoon high temps should jump into at least the low 70s on an increasing south-southwest breeze.

There may be a few showers and thundershowers early in the day with the warm frontal passage, but the chance of scattered showers and thundershowers will probably increase during afternoon heating, as modeled here.

Fortunately, the dynamics for strong to severe thunderstorms with the approach of the cold front as it approaches WNY early Thursday will be weaker. The threat of severe weather here overnight Wednesday cant be totally eliminated, but the volatility will be considerably less than on Wednesday, despite the nasty look of this early Thursday predicted surface map.

The deep storm system over northern Lake Superior will trigger high winds over the upper Midwest on Thursday, but we should be far enough away from the track of the low to escape the strongest gusts. Still, the American GFS and European ECMWF do show some peak west-southwest gusts Thursday afternoon approaching 50 mph, well behind the cold front.

Thursday's local temperatures will fall from an early high near 62 into the 40s by evening, with some scattered and occasional showers mostly in the morning.

Friday will be dry and windy, with a partly to mostly sunny sky and high temps in the low-to-mid 50s. The wind will make it feel colder.

Weekend model agreement is far from ideal. Most models have another cold front arriving Saturday, triggering a few showers and ushering in another cool air mass behind the front.

There are no indications of an all-day rain. Daytime highs will struggle to reach the low 50s, which is about average.

Easter Sunday, unfortunately, will fall a little short of hopes. Most of the day looks dry, with a partly sunny sky, but a couple of isolated rain or wet snow showers will be possible. Temperatures will be running a few degrees below average, peaking in the mid-to-upper 40s, though current indications point to less wind than we endured this past Sunday.

In the extended range, upper air ensembles continue to favor a pattern bringing cooler than average temperatures for much of the nation the following week.

To finish with a note of fuzzy, distant optimism, those same ensembles have good agreement later in the month, around April 23-34, of a warm upper level ridge of high pressure returning to the Great Lakes and much of the east.

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By Trend

Business entity Degreplast located in the city of Anau of the Akhal region is negotiating export deals with entrepreneurs from Azerbaijan, Trend reports via Business Turkmenistan news agency.

The company manufactures polypropylene and polyethylene bags for clothing, building materials, and agricultural products. Workshops with European equipment are designed to manufacture 300 tons of products per month.

Also, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan have been actively cooperating in the field of transport and energy recently, where some progress in bilateral relations has been outlined.

The company's products are exported to countries such as Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.
A workshop on how to plant trees is being offered by the Buffalo Green Fund, Re-Tree and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County from 9:30 a.m. to noon on April 23 at the West Seneca Community Center and Library, 1300 Union Road, West Seneca.

Those who attend the "Planting Trees" workshop will learn how trees promote better air quality and quality of life, how to select the right tree for the right location, proper planting techniques and more. They also will receive free, one-year memberships to the University Heights Tool Library that will ensure they have all the tools need to plant trees.

On April 30, 200 trees will be planted on city streets and in county parks to commemorate Erie County's 200th anniversary. The event will end with a tree planting at 11:30 a.m. on the grounds of the West Seneca Community Center and Library to be hosted by the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce.

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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  As Ukrainian forces dug in on Sunday, Russia lined up more firepower and tapped a decorated general to take centralized control of the war ahead of a potentially decisive showdown in eastern Ukraine that could start within days.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Sunday in his nightly address to the nation that the coming week would be as crucial as any in the war, saying Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state.

He also accused Russia of trying to evade responsibility for war crimes in Ukraine.

When people lack the courage to admit their mistakes, apologize, adapt to reality and learn, they turn into monsters. And when the world ignores it, the monsters decide that it is the world that has to adapt to them, Zelenskyy said.

The day will come when they will have to admit everything. Accept the truth, he added.

Experts have said that the next phase of the battle may begin with a full-scale offensive. The outcome could determine the course of the conflict, which has flattened cities, killed untold thousands and isolated Moscow economically and politically.

In an interview that appeared on 60 Minutes Sunday night, Zelenskyy said Ukraines fate as the war shifts to the south and east depends on whether the United States will help match an expected surge in Russian weaponry in those regions.

To be honest, whether we will be able to (survive) depends on this, said Zelenskyy, speaking through a translator. I have 100% confidence in our people and in our armed forces. But unfortunately, I dont have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need.

Zelenskyy thanked President Joe Biden for U.S. military aide to date but added that he long ago forwarded a list of specific items Ukraine desperately needed and that history would judge Bidens response.

He has the list, Zelenskyy said. President Biden can enter history as the person who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people who won and chose the right to have their own country. (This) also depends on him.

Questions remain about the ability of Russia's depleted and demoralized forces to conquer much ground after their advance on the capital, Kyiv, was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders. Britains Defense Ministry reported Sunday that the Russian forces were trying to compensate for mounting casualties by recalling veterans discharged in the past decade.

In Washington, a senior U.S. official said that Russia has appointed Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, one of its most seasoned military chiefs, to oversee the invasion. The official was not authorized to be identified and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Until now, Russia has had no central war commander on the ground.

The new battlefield leadership comes as the Russian military prepares for what is expected to be a large, focused push to expand control in Ukraine's east. Russia-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donbas region since 2014 and declared some territory there as independent.

Dvornikov, 60, gained prominence as head of the Russian forces deployed to Syria in 2015 to shore up President Bashar Assads government during the country's devastating civil war. U.S. officials say he has a record of brutality against civilians in Syria and other war theaters.

Russian authorities do not generally confirm such appointments and have said nothing about a new role for Dvornikov, who received the Hero of Russia medal, one of the countrys highest awards, from President Vladimir Putin in 2016.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking Sunday on CNN's State of the Union," played down the significance of the appointment.

What we have learned in the first several weeks of this war is that Ukraine will never be subjected to Russia, Sullivan said. It doesnt matter which general President Putin tries to appoint.

Western military analysts say Russia's assault has increasingly focused on a sickle-shaped arc of eastern Ukraine  from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, in the north to Kherson in the south.

The narrower effort could help Russia's problem, earlier in the war, of spreading its offensive too widely over too great a geographic area.

Just looking at it on a map, you can see that they will be able to bring to bear a lot more power in a lot more concentrated fashion, by focusing mainly on eastern Ukraine, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday.

Newly released Maxar Technologies satellite imagery showed an 8-mile (13-kilometer) convoy of military vehicles headed south through Ukraine to Donbas, recalling images of a convoy that got stalled on roads to Kyiv for weeks before Russia gave up on trying to take the capital.

On Sunday, Russian forces shelled government-controlled Kharkiv and sent reinforcements toward Izyum to the southeast in a bid to break Ukraine's defenses, the Ukrainian military command said. The Russians also kept up their siege of Mariupol, a key southern port that has been under attack and surrounded for nearly 1  months.

A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said Russia's military used air-launched missiles to hit Ukraines S-300 air-defense missile systems in the southern Mykolaiv region and at an air base in Chuhuiv, a city not far from Kharkiv.

Sea-launched Russian cruise missiles destroyed the headquarters of a Ukrainian military unit stationed farther west in the Dnipro region, Konashenkov said. Neither the Ukrainian nor the Russian military claims could be independently verified.

The airport in Dnipro, Ukraines fourth-largest city, was also hit by missiles twice on Sunday, according to the regional governor.

On Sunday night, Zelenskyy again called on Western countries to provide more assistance to Ukraine. During talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelenskyy said, he discussed how to strengthen sanctions against Russia and ... force Russia to seek peace.

I am glad to note that the German position has recently changed in favor of Ukraine. I consider it absolutely logical, Zelenskyy said.

The president of the European Commission said on CNNs State of the Union Sunday that Ukraine's response to a questionnaire she recently handed to Zelenskyy will enable her to decide whether to recommend the nation as a candidate to join the EU.

The process normally takes years, but Ursula von der Leyen has said Ukraines application could take just weeks to consider.

Yesterday, somebody told me: You know, when our soldiers are dying, I want them to know that their children will be free and be part of the European Union,' von der Leyen said.

Ukrainian authorities have accused Russian forces of committing war crimes against civilians, including airstrikes on hospitals, a missile attack that killed at least 57 people at a train station and other violence discovered as Russian soldiers withdrew from the outskirts of Kyiv.

A day after meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced that he will meet Monday in Moscow with Putin. Austria, a member of the European Union, is militarily neutral and not a member of NATO.

Ukraine has blamed Russia for killing civilians in Bucha and other towns outside the capital where hundreds of bodies, many with their hands bound and signs of torture, were found after Russian troops retreated. Russia has denied the allegations and falsely claimed that the scenes in Bucha were staged.

Maria Vaselenko, 77, a resident of Borodyanka, said her daughter and son-in-law were killed, leaving her grandchildren orphaned.

The Russians were shooting. And some people wanted to come and help, but they were shooting them. They were putting explosives under dead people," Vaselenko said. Thats why my children have been under the rubble for 36 days. It was not allowed to remove bodies.

In Mariupol, Russia was deploying Chechen fighters, reputed to be particularly fierce. Capturing the city on the Sea of Azov would give Russia a land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine eight years ago.

Residents have lacked food, water and electricity since Russian forces surrounded the city and frustrated evacuation missions. Ukrainian authorities think an airstrike on a theater that was being used as a bomb shelter killed hundreds of civilians, and Zelenskyy has said he expects more evidence of atrocities to be found once Mariupol no longer is blockaded.

The Institute for the Study of War, an American think tank, predicted that Russian forces will renew offensive operations in the coming days from Izyum, a town southeast of Kharkiv, in the campaign to conquer the Donbas, which comprises Ukraine's industrial heartland.

But in the view of the think tank's analysts, The outcome of forthcoming Russian operations in eastern Ukraine remains very much in question.

Anna reported from Bucha, Ukraine. Yesica Fisch in Borodyanko, Robert Burns and Calvin Woodward in Washington, and 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.
When I heard of the recent death of former Buffalo resident and Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein, just one month before her 98th birthday, I was deeply saddened that the world would be without this courageous, brilliant woman.

Her quiet yet firm voice advocating for those who have suffered trauma from sudden violence has been ever-present since the publication in 1957 of her first book, All But My Life, a beautifully written record of her years-long endurance in a Nazi slave labor camp during the Holocaust.

Although I never had the honor of meeting Mrs. Klein or her husband, Kurt Klein, after reading her books and seeing the touching Academy Award-winning film about her life, One Survivor Remembers, I determined that the life of such a person needed to be made known to as many others as possible. Consequently, I wrote and have delivered a talk on her life throughout the local region at clubs and within the countys University Express program.

Audience members have frequently approached me to say that they had taught the Klein children in area public schools or had been friends with Gerda Klein during her lengthy residence in Western New York. One such participant proudly showed me a scrapbook she had compiled of newspaper clippings, pictures and letters to her about and from the Kleins. It was a real treasure and certainly seemed worthy of inclusion in a museum displaying Holocaust memorabilia.

My introduction to Gerda Kleins life and work occurred decades ago when I pursued a personal interest in World War II. I picked up All But My Life in a bookstore, intrigued by the subject matter, but also by the fact that it was written by an author whose home was then in Buffalo. The book is astonishing, not only for its heart-wrenching, first-person chronicle of the Holocaust, but for the spare poetic writing itself, from a writer for whom English was not her first language.

In the book she brings the reader along on the horrific journey she took as a middle-class Jewish schoolgirl of 15 living in 1939 Bielitz, Poland, through forced incarceration in Nazi textile factories, and, toward the end of the war, surviving what has come to be known as the Volary (Czechoslavakia) Death March.

On the last day of the war, coincidentally Gerda Weissmanns 21st birthday, she and the few survivors of that infamous march were rescued by American soldiers, one of whom was named Kurt Klein. He had fled persecution in Germany in the 1930s, immigrating to be with family in Buffalo. The day he and Gerda met begins a fascinating tale; a post-war love story that became the subject of another book by both Kleins called The Hours After.

The Kleins lived for many years in Buffalo and environs and when they moved to Arizona after their retirement, they found an old box, its tattered condition belying its precious contents: love letters they had exchanged while they waited to obtain the necessary papers to marry in 1946. Gerda Klein recalled that as each of them sat reading these long-forgotten missives they instinctively reached out for each others hands. This book is full of the promise of loves rebirth, even amid the hollowed out ruins of the worst war in history.

Although both Gerda and Kurt Klein have now passed on, their lives are a testament to something our fractured world desperately needs  hope. May their memories serve to inspire us to have faith in the extraordinary power of fortitude, resilience and love.
(Bloomberg) -- Axa SA is in early-stage talks to buy a controlling stake in Banco BPM SpAs insurance businesses valued at about 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion), according to people with knowledge of the matter.

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Axa is considering a deal once Banco BPM has taken full ownership of several insurance businesses where it has partners, the people said, asking not to be identified as the plans arent public. Still, the talks may falter after Credit Agricole SA last week bought a stake in Banco BPM, some of the people said.

Banco BPM, which declined as much as 6.3% in Milan trading, pared some losses after the Bloomberg report, and was down 2.2% as of 4:40 p.m.

Banco BPM, Italys third largest bank, is at the center of speculation that it may be a takeover target for larger peers. Credit Agricole has built a 9.18% stake in the lender, aimed at expanding the scope of strategic partnerships. In February, UniCredit SpA said it was evaluating all strategic options in response to queries about a report that it is interested in acquiring Banco BPM.

The insurance business also attracted interest from Credit Agricole, which had informal contacts with Banco BPM earlier this year over the units. The units were one reason why Credit Agricole decided to buy a minority stake in Banco BPM, as it seeks to discourage possible competitors, some of the people said.

Representatives for Banco BPM, Axa, Credit Agricole declined to comment.

Since Banco BPM was formed in a 2017 merger, CEO Giuseppe Castagna has revamped the asset management, insurance and consumer-credit businesses to eliminate duplication and increase profitability. Banco BPM has been accelerating the process of acquiring full ownership of local insurance partnerships to try and gain greater value from them, CFO Edoardo Ginevra said last month.

Story continues

(Updates with shares in third paragraph.)

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(Bloomberg) -- Russias invasion of Ukraine has caused one of the biggest upheavals to global petroleum markets in living memory. It still isnt resulting in a clamor for replacement barrels from west Africa.

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Many of the regions April oil cargoes have yet to find a home because the three biggest customers -- China, India and Europe -- are buying less, according to traders specializing in West African barrels.

The Asian market has softened with the lockdowns and there is not as much West African crude going to China, said Livia Gallarati, an analyst at Energy Aspects Ltd. There has been some call on West African supply in Europe, but it isnt as strong as North America or the Middle East.

Angola depends heavily on China for crude sales, but oil demand there is weaker because tens of millions of people are once again under lockdown, and smaller independent oil refiners known as teapots have cut back purchases.

Last year, China accounted for roughly 84% of the purchases of Angolan barrels and has dominated buying for at least a decade. That means there are no ready markets elsewhere that can easily soak up cargoes from the west African country on a comparable scale.

Teapots crude buying interests are going lower and lower due to the recent weak demand and deepening run cuts, said Mercedes McKay, an analyst at Facts Global Energy.

Nigerias sales to Asia are also suffering because its key buyer, India, is looking well-supplied following a spate of Russian oil purchases, McKay said, adding that India imported almost as much Urals from Russia last month as in all of last year.

The nations top refiners such as Indian Oil Corp. have been importing less African oil since the crisis started, tender data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Story continues

West Africas other main market, Europe, is also seeing muted buying because oil refineries there view cargo offer prices as too high, traders said.

Several shipments of Nigerian crude have been offered for sale in Europe multiple times in a pricing window organized by Platts in recent weeks, without securing either buyers or bids.

The prompt market in Europe is already well-supplied with European refiners being very cautious about run rates, said Gallarati.

The signs of a relatively slack West African market add to signals that initial concerns about prompt supply tightness caused by Russias invasion might be easing. In the North Sea, key indicators of market strength have also been cooling.

Still, sales for West African crude are likely to improve in the coming months as refining runs ramp up for the summer and crude flows from Russia start to dwindle in earnest, particularly in northwest Europe, according to Energy Aspects.

Russia was also a key supplier of diesel to Europe before the crisis, and profit margins for producing diesel in the continent have soared during the conflict. Refiners in the region have the financial incentive to produce as much diesel as they can. A lot of West African oil tends to be rich in gasoline, which has had a less stellar rally.

In June and July, we expect global crude balances will be very tight because we expect runs to increase, said Gallarati. There will be less Russian barrels coming into Europe in the coming months, so refiners are going to call on pretty much everywhere, including West Africa.

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Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) 2022 https://career.webindia123.com/career/dates_and_events/entrance/manage/odisha-joint-entrance-examination-ojee.htm Details of Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) 2022 2021-1-2 2022-4-13 https://career.webindia123.com/career/images/exams.png India India Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) 2022 Management

Joint Entrance Examination, Odisha - On July 2021

Category : Management Admissions 2022 Published : On January 2, 2021 By Webindia123 Editor

Important Dates

Schedule for on-line submission of application forms 26th July, 2021 Date of uploading of Admit- Cards on website Date of Examination, OJEE- 2021 6th - 18th September, 2021 Declaration of Result 2021

Applications are invited for Joint Entrance Examination, Odisha (OJEE-2021) for admission to :

First year degree course in

Pharmacy/ Homoepathy/ Ayurveda and

Integrated MBS ( 5 years)

Lateral Admission to second year (Third semester) Engineering/ Technology/ Pharmacy/ Masters degree in Computer Application (MCA) and

First year Masters Degree Courses in Computer Application (MCA), Business Administration (MBA), M.Tech. M.Pharm / M.Arch./ M.Plan

The candidates are required to apply only online

PROGRAMME FOR JOINT ENTRANCE EXAMINATION - 2021, ODISHA

Entrance Test for B. Pharm/ BHMS/ BAMS/ B. Tech (Lateral Entry) / B. Pharm (Lateral Entry) / PGAT for M. Tech / M. Tech (Part Time) / M. Arch and M. Pharm / MCA / MCA (Lateral Entry) / MBA / Integrated MBA (5years).

For more details about exam click the link: https://ojee.nic.in/publicinfo/Handler/FileHandler.ashx?i=File&ii=36&iii=Y

Date 1st Sitting 2nd Sitting 0.0.2021 - 0.0.2021

9.00 AM to 12.00 Noon

1.Test for 1st year

Pharmacy and

BAMS/BHMS 9.00 AM to 10.00 AM -

1.Test for B Sc. (+3Sc.) Lateral

Entry to Engineering (2nd year).

2.Test for LE (PHARMA)

3. Test for M PHARM

4.Test for Integrated MBA (5 years)

5. Test for M PLAN 9.00 AM to 10.00 AM -

1.Test for 1st year MCA

2.Test for Lateral Entry

(2nd Year) to MCA.

3.Test for PGAT (Post Graduate Admission Test) for M.Tech / M.

Tech (Part Time)/ M.Arch-M

Arch(Executive) 2.00 PM to 4.00 PM

1.Test for MBA.

2.Test for Lateral Entry(2nd Year)

Diploma holder to Engineering

and Technology

For Eligibility and other details refer http://ojee.nic.in/

The candidates are required to apply only online as per procedure detailed below.

Candidates can apply for OJEE - 2021 only Online

Information Brochure can be downloaded from the website www.ojee.nic.in/ www.odishajee.com.

Online submission of Application Form may be made by accessing OJEE-2021 website www.ojee.nic.in / www.odishajee.com.

Instructions for Online submission of Application Form are available in Information Brochure and on the website www.ojee.nic.in / www.odishajee.com.

Candidates must follow the instructions strictly as given in the Information Brochure available on the website (www.ojee.nic.in / www.odishajee.com). Candidates not complying with the instructions shall summarily be disqualified.

Candidates must retain the following documents with them as reference for future correspondence.

(a) Printouts of the computer generated Confirmation Page of the Application Form.

(b) Proof of fee payment.

(a) Printouts of the computer generated Confirmation Page of the Application Form. (b) Proof of fee payment. vii) The fee can be remitted through either of the following ways:

(a) By Debit Card / credit card (VISA / MASTER / Maestro cards/internet banking). OR

(b) Remittance through e-Challan by deposit in OJEE-2021 Bank Account with State Bank of India ( State Bank Collect)

Once the candidate clicks 'APPLICATION FORM FOR OJEE-2021, SIX links will appear as "A, B, C, D, E and "

FORM

A) For BAMS & BHMS/ PHARMACY/PHARMACY AND BAMS&BHMS,

B) For LE (Engineering, Pharma)

C) For M.C.A. / M.B.A/ LE-MCA.

D) For PGAT (M.Tech/M.Tech(PT)/M.Arch/M.Pharm).

E) For Combination

1. MBA and MCA

2. MBA and LE-MCA

3. MBA and PGAT

F) For Integrated MBA(5 years course)

Cost of application for FORM - A, B, C, D, F Rs 1000/-.

Cost of Application for FORM- E Rs 1500/-.

The candidates should provide all the authentic details while filling up the online form. On submission of details, Registration Number shall be generated.

Candidate has to fill the particulars online and also upload his/her photograph, Full Signature and left thumb impression. Due to above, the provision of sending hard copy of the application i.e. confirmation page to the JEE office is not necessary. Therefore the candidates are advised not to send hard copy of the application i.e. confirmation page to OJEE office.

However, the candidates are advised to retain hard copy of the application i.e. confirmation page along with proof of money transfer for future reference or correspondence, if any.

Applicant must quote the registration number/ Application number generated after submission of all his/her required personal data as a reference in all his/her future correspondence with OJEE-2021.

Application must be completed in all respect. Incomplete / unsuccessful submission of application will lead to outright rejection. Completed application means:

a. Registration. b . uploading images and c. pay the fee.

Options such as Category, Choice of place of examination centre and Reservation & Sub-reservation type once given by the applicant in the application form cannot be changed afterwards under any circumstances.

Applicant should give options only with respect to category S(State of Odisha), ZZ(Outside State of Odisha), NRI( Non Resident Indian) and Reservation(SC,ST), sub-reservation type (PC or PwD/GC/WO/ES/TFW) that he/she can substantiate with documentary evidences during document verification / counselling. There is no provision of up loading any proof of these categories during online submission.

Further details can be obtained from the institute website.

Contact Details Address : Chairman,

Odisha Joint Entrance Examination-2019

JEE Cell, Gandamunda, Khandagiri,

DIST - Khordha. Bhubaneswar - 751030 Phone : 0674- 6552455, 6552456, 6552457, 6552458, 2382101, 2382108 Fax : 0674-2352457 Mobile : - E-mail : Contact I Website : ojee.nic.in

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Nebraska voters are inundated with advertisements, yard signs and text messages from political candidates.

Much of the messaging, particularly among this year's crop of gubernatorial candidates, has centered on topics such as illegal border crossings or critical race theory.

But other topics, and ones that hit closer to home, are top-of-mind for Nebraska voters.

Nebraskans who responded to a Lee Enterprises survey said they cared most about attracting and retaining workers, affordable housing and school funding.

The survey, which was conducted online from late February to mid-March, asked participants to rate a dozen topics on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 the most important. Nearly 900 individuals responded.

Other important issues were slowing the loss of nursing homes and hospitals in smaller communities and addressing prison overcrowding or criminal justice reform.

Rankings differed by region, although only slightly. In Omaha-area replies, prison overcrowding and criminal justice cracked the top three. Meanwhile, school funding topped the priority list made by Lincoln and Southeast Nebraska residents, with climate change also landing higher.

Jeri Lundblad of Omaha said affordable housing and the loss of nursing homes in small towns are important to her. She said some of the topics she hears candidates talking about are like "dog whistles." Instead, the 68-year-old wants to hear candidates talk about issues that affect her and her community.

"I find those issues that are broad topics are not anywhere specific enough to help," said Lundblad, a registered Democrat.

Saving nursing homes in rural communities is important, she said, because many of the elderly in those places have nowhere else to go. Concerning prison overcrowding, she said the problem won't be solved by building more facilities if the people who are released from prison haven't had adequate training or rehabilitation.

Some issues are related, Lundblad said. If you want to attract and retain workers, she said, you should be able to provide them with affordable housing options.

Many political candidates are trying to appeal to their voter base by addressing hot-button issues, said John Hibbing, a professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Meanwhile, what actually appeals to voters could vary.

Real-life issues, such as what the Legislature has been addressing, are ones that affect Nebraskans daily, Hibbing said. Hearing candidates talk more about those issues, he said, would be better than what's in campaign ads.

Hibbing said he was surprised to see that property taxes consistently ranked low in the survey. Overall and among Omaha respondents, property taxes came in at No. 8 out of 12. In Lincoln, property taxes were 10th on the list.

It makes sense, he said, that attracting and retaining workers ranked high. That could relate to fears of "brain drain" and the state losing residents, he said.

"Getting jobs was the issue," Hibbing said. "Now, it's getting people to fill the job."

Lisa Lee of Lincoln said she saw most of the items in the survey as priorities for the state, whether they affect her directly or not.

Lee said the No. 1 problem is a shortage of workers. Having more people to fill jobs would be a boost to the economy and state revenue, she said.

Other priorities for Lee, a 60-year-old lifelong Republican, are climate change and prison reform. Addressing the climate is complicated, she said, but she thinks solutions are out there. As for prison reform, Lee said it needs to be talked about, but it's going to take more than just adding beds.

Lee said it's concerning to see top Republican candidates for governor "worrying more about a border problem." While she thinks that is an issue, the best course of action from a Nebraska perspective would be having members of Congress act on reform.

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Graduates of Dickinson Law this year will have the opportunity to hear from someone who is well acquainted with the institution before they cross the stage and walk into post-college life.

The school named Peter G. Glenn, a former dean of Penn State Dickinson Law, as the 2022 commencement speaker, a news release said.

"Glenn served as the ninth dean of Dickinson Law and played a significant role in the 1997 affiliation and 2000 merger of Dickinson Law with Penn State University," the release said.

The release said that prior to serving as the school's dean, Glenn was a partner in what is now known as Jones Day, an international law firm. He had also been a member of law faculties at the University of North Carolina, University of South Carolina and Washington and Lee University.

Following his time as Dickinson Law's dean, Glenn became an executive deputy general counsel in the Pennsylvania Governor's Office of General Counsel. He was appointed general counsel of Stevens & Lee, a multistate business law firm, where he served from 2006 to 2015, the release said.

Glenn then became an adjunct member of the Dickinson Law faculty, teaching Professional Responsibility; Transactional Writing and Drafting; and Law Practice Management. He held this position until the end of 2020 when he retired.

He holds a bachelor of arts from Middlebury College as well as a juris doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, according to the release.

Commencement is scheduled for 2 p.m. May 13 and will be held in Dickinson College's Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium at 360 W. Louther St. A reception for the graduates and their guests will be held after the ceremony on the lawn and in Ridge Commons at Dickinson Law.

Maddie Seiler is a news reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com covering Carlisle and Newville. You can contact her at mseiler@cumberlink.com and follow her on Twitter at: @SeilerMadalyn

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Editor's Note: This article was updated on April 14 to reflect the correct grant amount.

Dickinson College students may go home in the summer months, but that doesnt mean the campus will be empty until their return.

In July, the college will house 24 rising high school seniors from across south-central Pennsylvania who will attend a free three-week seminar hosted by Dickinsons House Divided Project.

The college-level seminar will explore the historic struggle for freedom in the United States, a Dickinson news release said. The release said the purpose of the seminar is to give students from underrepresented backgrounds including low-income or first generation college students, a chance to learn about and address fundamental questions of freedom, democracy and self-government.

The free seminar includes residential room and board, and students have the opportunity to earn college credit for their work. Students also get to experience college life and receive counseling on the college admissions process, Dickinson said.

Applications for the event are open through midnight May 15 and can be found online. The application requires a one-page form, an essay thats 500 words or less, a current transcript and a letter of recommendation.

Dickinson said the House Divided Project examines the Civil War and Reconstruction, and that it exists to help all grades learn more about the Civil War and the destruction of slavery, with special attention paid to efforts to end slavery, known as abolition.

The seminar is a life-change experience for students, and it has been a career-changing experience for me, said Matthew Pinsker, director of the House Divided Project and scholar of the American Civil War and Abraham Lincoln. Students engage with the powerful stories of the fight to abolish slavery, which illuminates ongoing debates about freedom, democracy and self-government.

The seminar debuted last year, and receives funding from a three-year, $300,000 grant from the Teagle Foundations Knowledge for Freedom program, Dickinson said. It is one of 20 institutions hosting this program.

According to the House Divided Projects website, the seminars move in date for students is July 10, the program will be held July 11 through July 29 and students will leave July 29. A typical day involves lecture and seminar sessions in the morning, workshops and organized activities in the afternoons and reading, writing and tutorial discussions in the evenings.

The schedule also includes trips to the Gettysburg Battlefield, the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C.

Maddie Seiler is a news reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com covering Carlisle and Newville. You can contact her at mseiler@cumberlink.com and follow her on Twitter at: @SeilerMadalyn

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The students in Boiling Springs High Schools Social Justice Club are no strangers to difficult conversations. However, finding solutions to problems facing the nation and the world isnt exactly easy.

It was a discussion about the Russian invasion of Ukraine that stirred the club into what became its first fundraiser since the club formed last year.

It was something we can do as high school students in Pennsylvania in the United States, said Eva Hanlin, 16, junior and co-president of the club.

With the suggestion of club member Ella Kilko, the group decided to run a bake sale at the high school. The Social Justice Club and clubs like it can meet during the schools resource period every midmorning, and that proved to be a perfect time to allow some club members to sell baked goods in the cafeteria every day for the fundraiser.

The bake sale started at the end of March with a goal of running through the end of April, and Hanlin said the club as of last week had already raised $500.

Theyre not just buying baked goods, she said of the students and teachers. A guy gave us $20 for a cookie. One kid comes by every day and tells us to keep the change as he walks away with a single cookie. Some teachers dont want the cookies, but they want to donate. It was really appreciated.

Hanlin said the club had never before settled on a fundraiser because some causes may be deemed too divisive at the school and not all members agreed, but that changed with the Ukrainian crisis.

We all acknowledged the attention to this cause, she said.

Whatever the club is able to collect will head to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has been working with Ukraine since 2014 and working closely with the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, according to club co-adviser and history teacher Matt Brenner.

As a world history teacher, to see students have this awareness and empathy of the struggles of the Ukrainian people and dedication to follow through with it ... its been a joy to watch this, said Brenner, who added that advisers let the students take the reins on discussions and this fundraiser. The students are just looking for a way to help.

Thats translated to the students switching off days on which ones will bake the goods for sale each day, depending on their academic and extracurricular schedules. Parents are chipping in as well to make sure the club has baked goods each day to sell, with Hanlin paying close attention to which ones are selling out and should be restocked.

The bake sale has gone so well that Hanlin said they are eyeing whether this fundraiser should go through the end of the school year in June instead of stopping at the end of April.

We want to bring awareness and bring as much money as we can to Ukraine, and possibly continue past April, she said. Unfortunately, it doesnt look like it [the war] will end anytime soon.

Email Naomi Creason at ncreason@cumberlink.com or follow her on Twitter @SentinelCreason.

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By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have discussed increasing the volume of cargo transported by rail on their respective territories.

The discussion took place in Tashkent during a meeting of the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC and the Uzbekistan Railways JSC leadership.

Discussing the development of bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan Railways, the parties noted the effective measures taken for the development of the international multimodal route Asia-Pacific-China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey-Europe.

The parties considered technological cooperation between the two countries' railway infrastructures. They stated their willingness to provide technical assistance in the repair of railway vehicles as well as the development of railway infrastructure.

Moreover, the attendees stressed the importance of continuing to interact with participants in international and multimodal transportation corridors.

"This will increase cargo transportation volume, accelerate container train passage, and organize combined freight traffic," they said.

A working group headed by the heads of the railway departments of the two countries has been established to increase freight traffic and resolve bilateral issues. In addition, the parties agreed to hold the next meeting of the working group in late April in Baku.

It should be noted that the volume of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan amounted to $111.9 million in 2021. Presently, around 195 Azerbaijani enterprises are represented in Uzbekistan, 69 of which have joint capital and 126 of them have 100 percent Azerbaijani capital.
The Feed My Sheep bake sale, book sale and silent auction returned Saturday after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic.

The fundraising event is a community effort as the Feed My Sheep Committee is made up of members from several different area churches. Doors opened at 9 a.m. at the Desloge First Baptist Church and ended with the pastors cake auction beginning at noon.

Desloge Mayor David Shaw was a volunteer at the event and said they received 760 baked goods, 56 silent auction items and more than 1,700 books.

Organizer Jack Poston said many of the church congregations raise money all year and some raise money just before the sale.

We have a good group of workers, he said. The community, businesses and churches are very generous on everything that was donated. We had over $11,000 donated before we even started.

Pati Robertson, the pastor of the Desloge and Esther Methodist Churches, reaped the most in the clergy cake competition with a final bid of $1,800. The total raised from the clergy cakes was $8,817.

The final amount raised for Feed My Sheep will be revealed when the committee meets to review the event.

Inspired by Help the Hungry Bake Sale in Farmington and Madison County's Feed the Families Bake Sale, Feed My Sheep began in 2018 with a bake sale and silent auction held the Saturday before Palm Sunday at the Desloge First Baptist Church. Jack and Elizabeth Poston began organizing the charitable fundraising event.

Proceeds benefit the five food pantries in central and northern St. Francois County: Bismarck Church of God Food Pantry, Bonne Terre/St. Vincent De Paul Food Pantry, Elvins Food Pantry, House of Praise Food Pantry, and Immaculate Conception/St. Vincent De Paul Food Pantry.

Following the sale, all funds raised will be divided proportionally according to the number of people using the food pantry, according to East Missouri Action Agency records.

Since its conception, Feed My Sheep has donated more than $92,000 to area food pantries. The event raised nearly $25,000 in 2018 and more than $35,000 the following year.

In 2020, the fundraiser was canceled due to pandemic precautions, but the group still managed to collect and contribute $8,000. The sale was canceled again last year, but $24,500 was still raised for the cause.

Like Farmington's Help the Hungry Bake Sale, the centerpiece of the fundraiser is the pastor's cake auction, where pastors bake their favorite cake and auction it off.

This year's business sponsors included New Era Bank on the Good Shepherd donation level, donating $500 or more. American Heritage Abstract was a Ram-level sponsor with a donation of $300 or more.

Sponsors on the Lamb level, contributing $200 or more, were C.Z. Boyer & Son Funeral Homes, First State Community Bank, and Lix Frozen Custard. Herdsman level sponsors donating $100 or more included Complete Vision Care; Mineral Area Overhead Door, Sam Scism Motors; Hubbard Construction & General Contracting; Hub's Pub & Grill; Willette Home Furnishings; Ozarks Modern Insulation; and Patsy's Furniture.

Mark Marberry is a reporter for the Farmington Press and Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3629, or at mmarberry@farmingtonpressonline.com

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A man faces several felony charges in Washington County after police allegedly found him in possession of 12 grams of methamphetamine, a stolen motorcycle, drug paraphernalia, and five firearms as a felon.

Robert A. Rogers, 38, of De Soto, has been charged with first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia (methamphetamine), and five counts of unlawful possession of a firearm.

According to a probable cause statement from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, a deputy went to a Washington County residence on March 29. When the deputy pulled up to the address, he reportedly saw a man shutting the garage door and another man sitting in the passenger's seat of a vehicle in front of the garage.

The report states the deputy identified the man in the vehicle, who has not been charged, and noticed a large, glass smoking device between his legs. The smoking device reportedly later tested positive for methamphetamine.

After knocking on the side door of the garage, the deputy reports making contact with a man who identified himself as Rogers. The deputy asked Rogers if he had any weapons on him during the investigation, and the man removed a clear baggie containing a crystal-like substance from his right pocket, according to police. The white substance was reportedly determined to be 12 grams of methamphetamine.

According to the probable cause statement, Rogers informed the deputy that he was living in a camper located on the property.

The deputy reportedly received consent from the property owner to search the garage and then found and recovered a stolen motorcycle. The report stated the property owner told the deputy they saw Rogers put the motorcycle in the garage.

The deputy reportedly obtained consent from Rogers to search his camper on the property. The search of the camper allegedly yielded five firearms, three of which were said to have been loaded. Records show Rogers is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. During the search, authorities also found several drug paraphernalia smoking devices and two measuring scales in the camper, according to the statement.

The deputy noted that the camper door had been secured with a padlock, and Rogers reportedly had the key to the lock.

Rogers was booked at the Washington County Jail, and a $75,000 bond was set in the case. The man posted the bond and was released on bail.

Court records show Rogers has multiple convictions for possession of a controlled substance, tampering with a motor vehicle, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Filings indicate the man is currently on probation in St. Francois County for unlawful possession of a firearm.

The criminal complaint filed in the case states Rogers has numerous arrests and charges for resisting arrest and is considered a persistent drug offender and persistent felony offender.

The court filings note Rogers faces a potential sentence of 82 years in prison if convicted of the newly-filed charges.

Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com

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Dr. George Oliver, M.D. has seen a lot of patients in his 42 years of practice as a general surgeon in the Farmington, Bonne Terre and Fredericktown hospitals. And while Doc Oliver retired from surgical practice in December 2001, that wasnt the end of his medical career.

He decided that he still needed something to do, so he spent two days a week practicing medicine at the Southeast Missouri Mental Health Center in Farmington before fully retiring in October 2021, a month short of his 94th birthday  an amazing 62 years in the field of medicine.

Sort of happenstance

A native of Richland in Pulaski County, Oliver ended up in Farmington by accident. He came here for surgical training as part of his medical schooling.

It was sort of happenstance that I ended up here in that my senior year in training in surgery at Washington University/Barnes, he said. Our chief there was approached by Dr. George Watkins, a trained surgeon here who was at that time the only board certified surgeon between Memphis and St. Louis. Dr. Watkins felt that he was getting behind out at the state hospital and he was hooked up with the faculty at Washington University School of Medicine (Wash U.).

[They] agreed to send a senior resident surgeon, along with an assistant resident surgeon, down here for three months at a time, which worked out to give them some experience and training and some help to Dr. Watkins. I happened to be in the second group to come down here. I had a good experience here, but I had no real thought of locating in Farmington.

According to Oliver, he and the five Farmington physicians at the Medical Arts Clinic "were impressed with each other" and they invited him to come back.

I did come back and have been here ever since 1959, he said. It was certainly a good move.

Looking back on his medical training, Oliver called himself an inborn Wash U person. When he left home to go to college, he signed up at Wash U for pre-med.

I had applied for medical school and it seemed kind of distant, he said. It was pretty tricky to get into Wash U Medical School. They only took about 80 or so students. What a blast it was for a small-town kid who never studied in high school to get into Wash U Medical School, because that first semester I just about flunked out.

"One of the professors in mathematics was from Cuba, Missouri. I started taking him home for the weekend and picking him up. He was helpful in helping with college mathematics and keeping me from jumping out the window. I got that done and graduated by going to summer school. I finished my AB Degree in the end of summer 1948. I finished first in my class my junior year and first in my class my senior year.

A general surgeon

After graduating from medical school, Oliver had a one-year surgical internship at Barnes Hospital. As the Korean Conflict was ongoing at the time, he was sent to Fort Sam Houston where he attended a month-long medical field service school and then spent two years at Fort Bragg in the 82nd Airborne. After Fort Bragg, Oliver returned to Barnes Hospital for four years to finish his surgical training.

My training  as most of us were at that time  was as a general surgeon, he said. It meant that we did a whole bunch of different things. I came down here and among other things, there was not a gynecologist here. Dr. Watkins and I did all the OBGYN stuff. We did not do heart stuff. It was not really going then but was picking up steam. We did a little vascular, neck and thyroid.

I did a fair bit of orthopedics. No one was fixing fractured hips when I came here. When I came here I started doing fractured hips at Community, Fredericktown and the State Hospital. One of the things that didnt really occur much then was referring stuff to the city, mainly neurosurgery, heart and more complex vascular. We didnt do much pulmonary.

With the proliferation of specialties, Oliver said that general surgery is a pretty restricted practice now.

People arent general surgeons anymore, they are in various subspecialties," he explained. "I have mixed feelings about that. Among other things, people got to know who Dr. Oliver was  he was a surgeon. Nowadays, if you get something, whereas we took care of you that day, you get sent to someone like an orthopedist that may take two or three days before they take care of it.

One of the complaints Oliver has about healthcare today is how the increasing use of computers in the exam room often gets in the way of the physician/patient relationship.

You go to see your doctor  they have a computer right there that may take away their attention  and a lot of times a scribe, he said.

Oliver has seen other ways in which the doctor/patient relationship isn't as strong as it was in the past.

As I kind of jokingly put it, I have a sore thumb, he said. I go to my doctor, they say I have a sore thumb, well get thumb tests and well let you know. OK. In the older days, we look at it and say you probably have A,B or C here, its probably not something serious. Give them a pat on the back and say 'youre going to be OK. Well get the studies and let you know about it.' Probably I would have said come back in a week. Nowadays, you get called by somebody out of the office  'Weve got your thumb tests back and your thumbs OK.' Its still hurting and theyve gone."

Art of medicine

"Its helpful for the doctor to be reassuring to you. This I learned way back, they had a doctor at Wash U practicing what was called psychosomatic medicine, he was looking after everything. He ran a study in the Wash U. clinic that 70% to 80% of the people coming in there had significant psychological involvement in their illness. These people were wringing their hands over the sore thumb and making it worse. If you solve that 20-30% of this, they felt better.

Oliver is a strong believer in the healing power of a physician when they are able to relieve some of the anxiety felt by patients when seeing a doctor.

"In some illnesses, its the principal thing," he said. "Asthma, for example. People can get upset about something and cause an asthmatic attack. I think it is less prominent in the caring that I think it should be. If you come in with something and maybe I cant nail it down specifically, but I can tell that its not going to kill you. I can pat you on the back and say, ''youre going to be OK.' Man, what a difference that makes to any of us, me included. This was referred to back in my medical school days as the Art of Medicine.'

Another form of psychological healing used by doctors is commonly known as the "placebo effect"  a beneficial effect produced by a placebo drug or treatment which cannot be attributed to the placebo itself, and is instead due to the patient's belief in the treatment they have received.

Oliver offered an example of the placebo effect from his days in practice.

One of the guys that was a year senior to me in surgical residency came into the emergency room with terrible pains of appendicitis, he said. Everything indicated he had appendicitis. He was hurting so bad, he was begging us to give him something for the pain.

"One of the interesting placebos is a shot of sterile water. Sterile water burns like a narcotic. He got a shot of sterile water and he was thanking us. He felt so much better and then later got his appendix removed. Thats how all of this can work.

Diagnostic tools

While in his day exploratory surgery was occasionally used when testing results turned out to be inconclusive, Oliver said he rarely performed them. He noted, however, that the diagnostic tools available to doctors today are much better than they were in earlier times.

It might be in a situation where you have something in your findings that might be suspicious, he said. There might be a few people that had symptoms that were really serious and youve done all these studies and couldnt find anything. In desperation, you would elect to explore and look to see if you could find what the problem was. Sometimes you could find something and sometimes you couldnt. It was a perfectly logical and legal thing to do. We didnt do it for the fun or profit.

Now we have the ultrasound studies. When I was finishing training, they were just beginning to use it and it was terribly unreliable. Second, we now have CT scans which can show detail thats almost like youre looking at it. When you have studies of that sort in the colon, x-rays can show something is there, a CT scan can show nothing there.

One change in healthcare that Oliver had trouble adjusting to is the way that the health insurance industry determines a patient's medical treatment rather than the physician.

The physician made the decisions and it was not a problem," he said. "It was expected Thats what youre supposed to do. If you go into the hospital, right off the bat the hospital starts getting clearance for you through the insurance company. For operations, you better get clearance.

Earlier in doing thyroid procedures I would frequently keep people overnight to be sure they were OK and comfortable. I had done this procedure for a young woman and she went home. The phone rang and it was a girl out in California with the insurance company wanting to know why I had kept her in the hospital overnight. I said it was an operation. I said to her, I bet if you would have had this operation you wouldnt want to go home. She said, I did and I didnt!

Oliver would frequently have Dr. Karraker or Carleton as his surgical assistants.

Ordinarily I had one or the other assisting me," he said. "Then the insurance companies come along and they didnt want to pay an assistant. So, now I think its exceptional to have physicians as surgical assistants.

Something to do

In retirement, Oliver serves as vice president of the Parkland Health Center Foundation and is also emeritus instructor in surgery at Washington University School of Medicine.

I tell everybody, if youre going to retire, be real sure you have something to do, he said. On Monday morning if you dont have something to do, usually by 10 a.m. the walls are already closing in. There are a lot of people that do end up unhappy with their retirement just because of that.

Having several hobbies, Oliver stays as busy as he wants to be. A founding member of the 67 Gun Club, he is still involved in his lifelong passion for hunting  as his basement of trophy heads will attest to.

Something that is important to me is that I have a grand-slam of bighorn sheep, he said. There are four varieties of bighorn sheep in North America. The White Dall, the Stone Sheep, the regular Big Horn, and the Desert Ram.

"I hunt elk especially. I used to duck hunt some. I used to regularly turkey and deer hunt locally. I have reached the point where I really dont enjoy killing something unless its a real record size.

As part of his interest in hunting, Oliver took up the hobby of making rifle stocks, engraving metal and inlaying gold on rifle barrels. He takes pride in the oak leaves he engraves.

I try to cup the leaves and shape them and put in the veins, he said.

Now that he's retired, what kind of relationship does Dr. Oliver have with his doctor? For instance, does he argue with his physician?

To a point, he said. No, you usually discuss it with them. I go to Dr. Kirkley. We discuss whats happening with me and hes quite willing to accept if my medicine needs to be changed some.

"He goes along with it or not. Ive never fussed with him  hes too smart. In some ways its uncomfortable to be the doctor of another doctor.

Mark Marberry is a reporter for the Farmington Press and Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3629, or at mmarberry@farmingtonpressonline.com

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Editor's Note: At the same time that Daily Journal Reporter Mark Marberry was interviewing Dr. George Oliver about his career as a general surgeon in St. Francois County, Oliver told the story of how Farmington Community Hospital came to be. The story began 10 years before the hospital was dedicated.

After having trained in surgery for three months in the area, Dr. George Oliver returned to Farmington in 1959 as a general surgeon to help with the workload of the only resident surgeon, Dr. George Watkins.

For several years, Drs. Oliver and Watkins were very busy handling patients in two counties and three cities, constantly driving from Fredericktown to Farmington to Bonne Terre and back, a distance of 40 miles one way. Oliver explained the genesis and history of what is now Farmingtons only medical hospital.

Dr. Watkins and I were working at Fredericktown, Bonne Terre and the State Hospital, Oliver said. We were getting tired of driving up and down the roads. Oddly enough, I was speaking to Stu (Stuart Landrum, Sr.) down at Ozarks Federal and commiserating about it. We decided right there to get a hospital going here.

"Before that time they had attempted to build a hospital here by voting in a hospital district, which would be backed by taxes. The Mineral Area Osteopathic Hospital was going here. The lead company that built and sponsored the Bonne Terre Hospital published the day before that election that they were going to overhaul and modernize the hospital which would be at no cost, so the election failed.

The daunting project to build what became Farmington Community Hospital  now Parkland Health Center  started in earnest with Oliver helping lead the effort.

We started looking at how to finance building a hospital, he said. At that time, the government had the Hill-Burton Program which paid by grant for building local hospitals. The only problem with that is that they had an allocation for areas. Between the hospital at Jefferson Memorial and the Mineral Area Osteopathic Hospital, they had taken up all but 13 beds of that program.

Olivers association with a prominent St. Louis banker and a conversation about the proposed hospital brought about the next step in looking for funding and construction.

(My father) had become a trainer in quail hunting in our area with a fellow named Robert Brookings Smith, he said. My dad quit hunting and I was having Bob down here to hunt quail locally. He was a wonderful guy and quite wealthy, a senior vice president of one of the big banks in St. Louis.

"I was telling him of our problem and had no real way to finance such a hospital. He says, You know George, Ive got some people coming into my office in a couple of weeks and it just happens that they are interested in building some facilities in some smaller communities.

Accompanied by Landrum, Oliver went to Smiths office in St. Louis. The men were ushered into a conference room occupied by several people including Wallace Johnson, his wife and his business partner, Kemmons Wilson.

It happens that these two guys founded the Holiday Inn Hotel chain, he said. Johnson and his wife had gotten interested in building some institutions and they had a foundation. Unfortunately, they had just spent their foundation money for that time on building a nursing home in the Dallas area. Oliver and Landrum left with empty hands.

We were just about ready to give up completely on it. Jack Hirsch was our clinic manager and I said to him, Before we give up, lets talk to Wallace Johnson again. I called and was invited to come down to his office in Memphis. Their offices were in a kind of big older home that they converted.

"To my disappointment, they took us into a back room in a little office and there was a fellow by the name of Steve Drury there. We spent the day talking to him and finally figured out that if we could come up with $1 million somehow, we could get off the ground with a 75-bed hospital.

Meanwhile, back in Farmington, Oliver said some key financing was starting to come together among many of the citys business leaders.

We came back and by this time had a fair-sized group that was interested and we were meeting in the boardroom of the old Ozarks Federal and talking about it, he said. Someone said, Ill write you a check for $10,000 and lets go. What we figured on was to sell 10 year debenture bonds.

"Each of us in the Medical Arts Clinic, by this time there were 10 of us, all bought $10,000. That was a pretty good seed. Other people bought some. The lending institutions came up with a joint loan for the rest of it.

The hospital project took off with $1.1 million. Oliver stated that the $10,000 from each of the doctors was a strain on their finances.

We were active in practice, but werent making money hand over fist by any means," he said.

Brockmiller Construction built the hospital, but the general contractor was Wallace E. Johnson Enterprises, a part of the Holiday Inn Corporation. Oliver stated that having that resource made a major difference in the cost of building and furnishing the hospital.

When they started the foundation, the Johnsons wanted to add a wing to the Baptist Hospital in Memphis, but the government was charging for and allowing $27,000 a bed and Wallace Johnson said they could build it for $15,000 a bed, he said. It didnt work out and they started the Foundation and began building rural hospitals and other institutions.

We had that advantage right there. We got this thing built. In the process, we got to purchase this stuff at Holiday Inn discount prices. The one thing I always remembered was this big, two-door stainless steel refrigerator at $49 apiece. We spent $400,000 furnishing the place. At the time, we have no supplier contract, no money to pay a supplier for food, brooms, all that kind of stuff.

Oliver said that Lacy Coghill, president of Ozarks Federal Savings & Loan, advised the group to convince vendors to supply the necessary items on credit.

On April 29, 1969, we opened the hospital with no money to operate on, pay salaries or anything else, Oliver said. Everybody that worked there was really dedicated to the welfare of the hospital.

Fortunately, it was a success and we were able to pay our bills. The bonds were paid off on schedule. The loans got paid off. Our hospital did OK. Both Stu and I were on the board forever. He was president part of the time and I was president part of the time.

The hospital prospered and additions were made. Oliver noted how one major addition was financed mostly by an individual.

One of my patients said there was a lady here in town that had lost her two daughters quite young and she had always dreamed of building a childrens hospital, he said. I got acquainted with her and explained how we could make a childrens ward. Back in those days so many of the children were being hospitalized. She donated $300,000-400,000. We added a wing onto the hospital and dedicated the chapel to her. A lady donated the organ to go into the chapel.

Unfortunately, as time went on, things changed. Finances were dropping off and many rural hospitals went broke and closed. Oliver was concerned that the same situation was going to happen at Community Hospital and felt that changes would have to happen.

At this point, Christian Hospital out of North St. Louis had taken over the Bonne Terre Hospital, he said. We started talking to them. The fellow who was the president of Christian was a real go-getter. We agreed if we would go with them, they would finance enlargements and improvements for $24-26 million.

"That was not really the reason, but we felt like we were going to need some big help to stay alive. I was on their board up there; that was part of the deal.

As an eventual result of the takeover, one of the wildest things that happened to Oliver was his placement for a time on the board of the Barnes Jewish Christian Healthcare System (BJC).

Fred Brown got to be president of Barnes-Wash U, and merged that with Christian and about that time brought in Missouri Baptist, he said. By this time I was on the Missouri Baptist Board. This became BJC. This guy then became president of the American Hospital Association. However, he was very insistent that board members had to resign at age 70. I was still in active practice, it aggravated me that I had to retire from the board. I am still vice president of the medical foundation with our hospital, Im still involved.

This hospital has been a labor of love for me. For darn sure, other than having four kids this has been the best thing Ive done.

Mark Marberry is a reporter for the Farmington Press and Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3629, or at mmarberry@farmingtonpressonline.com

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Levels of dangerous bacteria found earlier this month in a Charlottesville stream have returned to normal, according to Charlottesville officials and tests conducted by the Rivanna Conservation Alliance.

Water quality monitoring conducted by the Alliance in March detected elevated E. coli levels in Pollocks Branch in the vicinity of Elliott Avenue and Rockland Avenue. City officials issued a warning for residents to avoid the waterway.

E. coli bacterium is a type of fecal coliform bacteria that can cause disease, severe illness and even death. When it is found in water, it is a strong indicator of sewage or animal waste contamination.

City crews investigated the surrounding area in an attempt to identify the source of the problem but could not find where the E.coli was entering the stream.

Pollocks Branch is a true inner-city waterway that spends most of its flow beneath the city streets. It runs through the town beneath pavement, re-directed in a pipe beneath the Downtown Mall and continuing out of sight as it flows beneath the IX Art Park before returning to its natural banks near Elliott Avenue.

The stream then runs toward Jordan Park and into Moores Creek.

The Rivanna Conservation Alliance conducted two rounds of follow-up monitoring after the discovery. The first round of tests showed declining levels of E. coli. The second round showed that levels had returned to normal.

Officials said that, given the steady decrease in E. coli levels and the lack of evidence of a source, the elevated levels were likely related to rainfall and associated runoff.

The Alliance will continue to conduct monthly bacteria monitoring on Pollocks Branch.

The city saw a second stream impacted by pollution earlier this month when someone reported a fish kill in an unnamed tributary of Meadow Creek.

State water quality investigators and Charlottesville firefighters counted 842 dead fish, 130 dead salamanders and 40 dead worms in the tributary. The E.coli and the fish kill were not related, officials said.

City and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality investigations were unable to determine the source of the material that caused the fish kill, city Water Resources Specialist Dan Frisbee said at the time. DEQ biologists that conducted the stream impact assessment hypothesize that it was caused by a toxic liquid, potentially a surfactant (soap or detergent), but its origins are unknown.

The area affected by the fish kill extended from Barracks Road to Emmett Street. Meadow Creek was not affected by the pollutant, likely because it was diluted by the larger stream.

Because urban streams may carry a variety of contaminants, Frisbee advises that resident avoid the streams during or soon after it rains. Thats when pollution levels are likely to be higher due to runoff from city streets and the areas stormwater drains.

He also recommends people do not get into the streams and waterways if they have any open cuts or sores and recommends washing hands or using sanitizer after contact with the streams, especially before eating.

City officials also recommend wearing shoes in the water and not swallowing stream water or getting it in ears, nose or mouth.

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Sparked by next weeks visit from former vice president Mike Pence, the University of Virginia is once again debating who gets to speak on Grounds and the limits of free speech.

Almost immediately after Pences lecture was announced, a student wrote in the Cavalier Daily that the invitation should be rescinded. The papers editorial board followed up with a similar call, saying that Pences hateful rhetoric should not be given a platform at UVa. Other students, faculty and administrators have weighed in on the visit via submissions to the papers opinion page.

The First Amendment protects not just those whose views the editors deem harmless, a group of faculty wrote in the Cavalier Daily this week in response to the editorial. Those of us who support free speech do so, in part, because, in a democratic society, none of us can see the whole truth and all of us benefit from being exposed to perspectives that may comprehend some aspect of the truth better than we do.

Student groups also are planning events Tuesday to counter Pences lecture, which is titled How to Save America from the Woke Left. UVa administrators have said Pence should be able to speak.

The debates on Grounds, particularly the editorial, have attracted national attention with critics saying they are another example of the erosion of free speech on college campuses.

The state of free speech at colleges and universities is not a new debate, but public attention on the issue has been heightened in recent months as some students, professors, and outside critics  often on the right  bemoan what they feel are intolerant campuses.

A UVa student added her voice to the national debate last month with a column in the New York Times. In the piece, fourth-year Emma Camp said she was afraid to fully speak her mind while at UVa.

Students of all political persuasions hold back  in class discussions, in friendly conversations, on social media  from saying what we really think, she wrote.

Last school year, a Lawn residents controversial sign on their door led to calls for the university to remove the poster, which included a four-letter profanity. The university ultimately said the sign was protected political speech.

It is not a principled approach to free speech to say, I believe in free speech, as long as it doesnt offend me, UVa President Jim Ryan said at a panel discussion Wednesday, according to UVa Today.

Ryan and Provost Ian Baucom have recently written several pieces for news organizations addressing concerns with free speech and cancel culture at universities and showing how they helping students to follow truth wherever it may lead, as Thomas Jefferson envisioned.

Baucom said in an interview this week that disagreement is fundamental to free speech and universities are there to provide a space where students and others can express that disagreement.

Civil disagreement can still be quite pointed, because if principles are strong, across the political perspective, you feel powerfully about them, he said. So there needs to be that space to make that kind of a strong principle statement, but then to listen to it.

Last June, UVas Board of Visitors adopted a statement of free speech principles to outline the universitys commitment to free expression and free inquiry, affirming that all views, beliefs and perspectives deserve to be spoken and heard without interference.

Baucom said universities also can help students learn the practice of persuasive speech along with a willingness to be persuaded. As part of that goal, the university overhauled the general education curriculum for the College of Arts and Sciences, which was piloted in 2016 and adopted in 2019.

Baucom said the new curriculum touches about 75% of students and includes a series of courses aimed at helping students think through complicated questions.

One of the purposes of liberal arts education is education for citizenship, Baucom said.

Pence will speak at 7 p.m. April 12 in Old Cabell Hall. There are no tickets remaining for the free event, said Nick Cabrera, who is part of the student group that invited Pence to Grounds.

Pence has spoken at several universities recently as part of a lecture series through the national Young Americas Foundation. The UVa chapter of Young Americans for Freedom is hosting the event.

After giving his talk, hell take questions from the audience.

We encourage everyone to come out and ask questions, even if they might disagree with Pence or some of the things that Pence stands for, Cabrera said. We really want this lecture to serve as a discussion and really a stepping point for the university in increasing intellectual diversity and open and free meaningful dialogue.

Cabrera said YAF wanted to invite Pence because the university has had several speakers recently who were considered liberal.

We really wanted a different perspective, he said. We wanted to give the student body someone else to listen to. This event is supposed to serve as a means of fostering open and meaningful dialogue. Thats what Jefferson wanted at his university.

Ryan and Baucom wrote in the Cavalier Daily that Pences visit is an opportunity to listen and better understand a particular perspective on the nations future.

It is also an opportunity to make a case against that vision, they wrote. In a community as diverse and thoughtful as ours, sometimes the most important work of education happens not in the classroom, but in the vigorous, messy and sometimes heated discussions that take place between empathetic speakers and generous listeners tackling important questions.

Larry Sabato, director of UVas Center for Politics, was one of 17 faculty members who signed the letter in the Cavalier Daily expressing concern about the editorial.

Our response to the Pence visit is indicative of our concern for free expression on Grounds, Sabato said. Many of us werent going to sit back and let Pence be banned or shunned because most faculty and students disagree with his views. It isnt a required convocation, and nothing is stopping students on the other side from inviting speakers with opposing opinions.

In addition to inviting other political figures, Sabato added that he would be in favor of peaceful respectful demonstrations and pamphleteering while the former vice president is here as long as it doesnt negate or drown out Pences own speech.

Sabato said hes personally invited and hosted more than 100 political figures here, including three presidents.

Mainly they spoke to my classes, he said. Some people were pleased in each instance, others were unhappy, but everyone heard them out. Thats the way its supposed to be. With luck, it will be the same for Pence.

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After nearly two decades, Many Hands Trading is letting go.

Owners Carl and Melissa Posto began liquidating inventory Saturday, April 9, starting a sell-off of the international and handmade goods that drew shoppers to the downtown Corvallis store they described as an eclectic and funky choice for gifts and souvenirs.

Kristi Komar, a Corvallis resident who said shes shopped at Many Hands since it opened in the early 2000s, said she couldnt define what exactly Many Hands was  an international gift shop? Source of art from around the world?

Whatever it was, she said, it would be hard to replace.

My favorite store is closing! Komar said.

Inside, about 100 people shuffled shoulder-to-shoulder in aisles filled with colorful fabrics and ornate bowls. A sign in a window of the shop at the corner of Southwest Madison Avenue and 3rd Street promised shoppers 25% off storewide.

Jaidyn Hall had only been in a few times before hearing about Many Hands closing. She took a look at the long line where customers tried to buy clearance items, she said, and left empty-handed.

Hall said shes new to the state, moving to Corvallis for classes at Oregon State University.

But its by far my favorite store since I moved here, she said.

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A senior at the same university, Mari Friedman, walked away with a mesh basket shaped like a hen.

She said shed been to the store numerous times over the years ahead of birthdays and holidays. Friedman said her mom has a birthday the week of April 11 and the basket would fit in with the womans chicken-themed kitchen.

Its a go-to place for gifts, she said.

Many Hands opened under the ownership of importer, retailer and nonprofit booster Margaret Wilson in 2005, first as a seasonal storefront and business arm of the Corvallis Multicultural Literacy Center.

Wilson in a phone interview reflected on the business growth and move from Northwest Monroe Avenue a block away, home now of Oregon Coffee & Tea, to the larger storefront at 259 SW Madison.

I purchased everything and we had all volunteers, she said.

But the Multicultural Literacy Center parted with Many Hands, spinning off the business, Wilson said, and she sold.

Im just so sad, she said.

Many Hands reorganized as an assumed business name in 2014, operated by the Postos under a limited liability corporation, Pacificraft.

Melissa Posto declined to comment on the closure.

We had a good run in Corvallis, she said.

The Postos also run Oodles World Wide, a store in McMinnville, Oregon.

Outside of Many Hands on Saturday, Victor Chavez leaned against the tan-colored bricks and waited for his wife, Cecilia, and son Erik to check out and join him outside. He estimated theyd been in the store for more than an hour and a half.

Chavez said Cecilia had shopped at the store for a decade or more and predicted shed buy something Sasquatch-related.

She did  she showed off a tiny wooden Sasquatch and a bowl in which family members can leave their keys.

Well sure miss it, Cecilia Chavez said.

Alex Powers (he/him) covers business, environment and healthcare for Mid-Valley Media. Call 541-812-6116 or email Alex.Powers@lee.net.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Lupe Alvarez always dreamed of opening up her own bake shop, and on Friday, April 15 she will open up the second location of Dough Hook Bake Shop at 1329 NW Ninth St. in Corvallis.

I love baking. Its my thing, Alvarez said. Another reason I wanted to open my own bakery is to better support my family.

At just 17 years old, one of Alvarezs daughters, Janet Alvarez, works as the bake shops business manager. A South Albany High School senior, Janet Alvarez plans to attend Oregon State University in the fall and help out with the family business on the side.

Lupe Alvarez grew up in Mexico, where she began baking with her mother when she was 6 years old. Although she could barely reach the counter, she added whatever she could to the sourdough mixture her mother was churning.

She moved to the U.S. in 2003 and settled in Oregon, where she worked as the head baker at Bodhi Cafe and Bakery for several years. There, Lupe Alvarez experimented with doughnuts for the employees, and they urged her to start her own business.

Dough Hook Bake Shop opened in Salem in 2019, and already Lupe Alvarez said she needs to move to a larger location. The weekdays are busy enough, and on Saturdays its even harder to keep up with demand in the limited space.

She believes Corvallis will be a great second location because there are not many doughnut shops in town, and Dough Hook fits the culture. For example, vegan doughnuts are on the menu as well.

Lupe Alvarez said people drive from several hours away  even as far as California  to get their hands on her doughnuts and pastries. Besides several flavors of doughnuts, the bake shop offers Danishes, ham and Swiss croissants and vanilla custard cruffins, a mix between a croissant and a muffin.

Dough Hook offers classics such as maple bacon, Boston cream and cinnamon sugar, but some of the flavors are more unique, like passionfruit with poppy seed, Marionberry with a lemon glaze, toasted coconut and grandmas hot cocoa.

Whatever the mood may be, Lupe Alvarez has the right doughnut.

With doughnuts, I can be really creative and not get boring, she said. We always have a special or holiday flavor, so its not like you keep doing the same thing over and over.

The doughnuts are baked fresh every morning, with Lupe Alvarez in the kitchen at 3 a.m. to ensure everything runs smoothly the next day. She donates whatever is left at the end of the day to shelters so it doesnt go to waste.

Dough Hook Bake Shop will be closed Tuesdays, but open every other weekday from 6:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. On weekends, the shop will be open from 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Joanna Mann (she/her) 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_.

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By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan's Digital Development and Transport Minister Rashad Nabiyev and Pakistan's BOL Media Group Chairperson Ayesha Shaikh have discussed opportunities for bilateral cooperation in the ICT sector.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the opportunities for organizing training programs for Azerbaijani specialists in Pakistan.

Emphasizing that the digital transformation is on the agenda of the Azerbaijani government, Rashad Nabiyev briefed on the work being done in this field, and the future plans.

In turn, Ayesha Shaikh provided updates on the activities of BOL Media Group.

It was noted that BOL Media Group is a group of companies with over 680 channels broadcasting in 16 languages and over 50 million viewers. Along with this, the company also operates in the ICT sector. BOL Media Group is currently working on establishing a new training center and business platform to increase IT exports to Pakistan.

Azerbaijan and Pakistan cooperate in various fields of economy. The relations between the two countries date back to 1991. Pakistan was among the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan's independence.

The trade turnover between the two countries totaled $11.7 million in 2021.
A Monroe man was killed in a crash on Highway 126 in Lane County on Sunday morning, according to a news release from the Oregon State Police.

Colton Kenneth Rice was 18.

Rice was traveling westbound about 2 miles east of Walton at 11:44 a.m. when his Honda Civic left its lane of travel and struck an eastbound Toyota Tundra, driven by Clint Robison, 33, of Yacolt, Washington.

Multiple witnesses said that the Honda was passing at a high rate of speed in a no-pass zone around a blind corner, according to the OSP news release. The front end of the Toyota impacted the Civics passenger side.

An ambulance transported the four occupants of the Toyota to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries; they were later released, the news release states.

Highway 126 was shut down for more than four hours during the investigation. OSP was assisted by the Lane County Sheriffs Office, the Lane County Medical Examiner and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

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The calendar says mid-April, but winter isnt giving up on Oregon just yet, and theres a possibility of snow  even on the Willamette Valley floor.

The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement concerning wintry weather that may hit Corvallis, Albany, Lebanon and surrounding areas on Sunday night and early Monday morning.

A winter weather advisory for the central Coast Range, including Alsea, also has been issued by the agency from 8 p.m. Sunday through 2 p.m. Monday.

Regions of the Cascade foothills above 2,000 feet, including areas close to Sweet Home, are under a winter storm warning that started at 5 p.m. Sunday and goes through 5 p.m. Monday.

Heres a closer look at the forecasts for key points in Linn and Benton counties.

Valley floor

The National Weather Service cautioned that there is a 25% to 40% chance that the mid-valley will see a trace to 1 inch of snow by 5 a.m. Monday, and that could impact the Monday morning commute.

Snow is expected to stay in higher elevations for the majority of the overnight storm, which will include heavy rains, according to the special weather statement, which included the cities of Corvallis, Albany and Lebanon.

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Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph, with the possibility of 40 mph gusts, also are expected in the mid-valley.

Central Coast range

With the central Coast Range, snow is expected above elevations of 1,500 feet, with total accumulations of 1 to 3 inches likely, and up to 7 inches in higher terrain. Wind gusts also could hit 40 mph.

Residents should anticipate slippery road conditions Monday morning, and slow down and use caution when driving.

Cascade foothills, high Cascades

Heavy snow is anticipated at elevation in the Cascade foothills, with total snow accumulations of 12 to 20 inches, and wind speeds as high as 40 mph.

Travel could be very difficult to impossible overnight and into Monday morning, when the heaviest snowfall is expected, according to the National Weather Statement winter weather message.

On Monday, the snow level could fall to about 800 feet, but less than a half-inch of snow is anticipated in the Sweet Home area.

For the high Cascades, including Tombstone Pass on Highway 20, the winter storm warning goes through 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Snow accumulations of 12 to 26 inches are predicted.

Kyle Odegard can be contacted at 541-812-6077 or kyle.odegard@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter via @KyleOdegard.

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A coalition of business leaders and law enforcement officials made the case Monday for making simple possession of fentanyl a felony, one day ahead of a House panel hearing a sweeping bill that seeks to confront Colorado's opioid crisis.
Squaw Creek Trail, Eagle County, is among the 28 geographic features that will be renamed in the coming months. (Photo courtesy of alltrails.com.)
DENVER, CO - MARCH12: The dome can be seen looking straight up from the rotunda at the bottom of the grand staircase inside the Colorado State Capitol on March 12, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo By Kathryn Scott)
Minister Byrne to attend General Affairs Council in Luxembourg

Press release

On 12 April, the Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne T.D., will attend a meeting of the General Affairs Council (GAC), in Luxembourg. As part of the annual rule of law dialogue, Ministers will have a country specific discussion on rule of law in Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands and Austria.

Ministers will also discuss the Conference on the Future of Europe, following an update from the Presidency on this item. An informal lunch of the Ministers for the Future initiative is also scheduled.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Minister Byrne said:

Im looking forward to the second meeting of the EU-wide Foresight Network of Ministers for the Future and our discussion on the interaction between the digital and green transitions. Meeting the shared challenges of these transitions will be key to building a stronger and more resilient Europe. Now more than ever, we must come together to find innovative solutions to these issues that are of such concern to our citizens.

We will also discuss the Conference on the Future of Europe, following an update from the French Presidency and the latest Plenary which took place last weekend. The Conference will conclude its formal proceedings by 9 May, Europe Day, this year. However, the work will not end there but will continue for all the Institutions. Everyone who has engaged with the Conference has made an invaluable contribution to the debate on the future direction of our Union. We must continue to ensure that the voice of our citizens remains at the heart of our efforts to respond to the challenges we face.

ENDS

Press Office

11 April 2022

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By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

More than 500 books have been donated to libraries in Azerbaijan's liberated territories as part of the campaign "Let's go to Karabakh with a book".

The Kazakh Ambassador to Azerbaijan Serzhan Abdykarimov took part in the ceremony of handing over books to the Azerbaijan National Library. The donated books will subsequently be sent to libraries in Karabakh.

The Embassy of Kazakhstan has joined the campaign co-organized by the Culture Ministry and Azerbaijan National Library last year.

The ceremony took place within the framework of the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

The Kazakh Embassy handed over books on science, culture, history as well as anthologies of Kazakh prose and poetry.

Also among these books are the works of Kazakh writers published by the Kazakh Embassy and translated into Azerbaijani, including "The Kazakh Khanate: origins, traditions and heritage", a collection of scientific articles "Alash Orda", the Kazakh folk-heroic epic " Koblandy Batir ", "The Creativity of Mukhtar Auezov : from tradition to innovation" by N. Mammadova-Tagisoy, "The Day the World Collapsed" by Rollan Seisenbaev and others.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Kazakh Ambassador to Azerbaijan Serzhan Abdykarimov stressed that mutual book exchange, the opening of centers of Kazakh and Azerbaijani literature is a great opportunity to tell the two peoples and new generations through printed publications about common historical, cultural and linguistic roots, centuries-old friendship and spiritual unity.

The diplomat expressed confidence that the donated books would contribute to the cultural and educational mutual enrichment of the two fraternal peoples and the revival of libraries in Karabakh.

Director of the National Library Karim Tahirov thanked for the support of the action and noted that every year a large number of books, articles, and collections are handed over to young people as a heritage.

"These books are important for the future generation. And, of course, the books of Kazakh writers in the Azerbaijani language will also enrich the book fund of Karabakh libraries," he added.

The sides also discussed topical areas of bilateral cooperation, issues of upcoming events and book exhibitions in order to exchange experience and provide mutual information support.

After the liberation of its territories, Azerbaijan set out to revive libraries in Karabakh.

In 2021, Turkish Professional Union of the Authors of Scientific and Literary Works (ILESAM) donated 10,000 books to the fund of libraries to be restored in Karabakh.

Around 500 books were donated by People's Writer Elchin Afandiyev as well.

The Institute of Education also joined the book campaign presenting some 5,263 copies of 300 books.

Over 55,482 books have been already collected within the campaign aimed at restoring the book funds of libraries in the liberated territories.

Thanks to the joint efforts, libraries in Azerbaijan's liberated territories will open doors to book lovers in the near future.
Statement at UNSC Briefing on Ukraine - Situation of Women and Children

Statement

Thank you, President, and my thanks also to our briefers and in particular to our civil society briefer, Kateryna Cherepakha. The sobering words we have heard this morning leave us in no doubt as to the human misery and suffering inflicted upon the people of Ukraine by the Russian Federations senseless and illegal war.

We have all seen the images; we have all seen the grim realities of this war.

A pregnant woman carried on a stretcher from the ruins of a maternity hospital. A young child on a train looking longingly at the father who cannot board. Bodies lying abandoned in improvised mass graves.

People lying dead following the indiscriminate attack against a train station in Kramatorsk by the Russian Federation on Friday. This attack on innocent civilians, mostly women and children, is yet another attempt to close escape routes for those fleeing this unjustified war and to cause human suffering. Ireland strongly condemns this, and all attacks on civilians.

They are just glimpses of the suffering caused by the Russian Federations war. They tell only part of the harrowing experiences of women and children in Ukraine. Theirs is a story of widespread displacement and trauma, facing extremely serious risks of abuse, trafficking and exploitation. Reports of sexual violence perpetrated by Russian soldiers, including rape, proliferate, with bone-chilling allegations that children are among those violated. Conflict-related sexual violence can constitute a war crime and those responsible must be held to account.

Accountability must not only be for those who physically perpetrate such acts, but also for those military commanders who fail to take all necessary and reasonable steps to stop them, or fail to ensure that they are investigated and prosecuted.

Ukraines displacement crisis deepens every day. Of those who have fled the country, 90% are women and children. The large population of older women, women with disabilities and those of marginalised groups, including the Roma and LGBTQI+ communities, are particularly vulnerable in this conflict.

Millions of women face impossible decisions around evacuation. As their lives and their families are threatened, do women journalists stay to report? Do women healthcare workers and those in care-giving roles stay or go? Do women in the Ukrainian army who choose to bring their children to safety, return to defend their country? So many are making the desperate yet heroic choice to remain.

President,

A child protection crisis is emerging, as the number of unaccompanied and separated children rises. We have a responsibility to respond.

The terror of war and the trauma of family separation will have lifelong effects on millions of Ukrainian children.

We need to mitigate these impacts, including through psycho-social services and mental health support, health care, and education in emergency settings.

This month marks a year since every member of the Council co-sponsored and agreed resolution 2573 on the protection of civilian objects. That includes the Russian Federation. That day we sent a united message strongly condemning attacks against civilians or civilian objects. 12 months later, where is that unity on display in Ukraine?

Thousands of civilian objects, including hundreds of schools and kindergartens, have been destroyed, largely due to the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. Attacks on schools are a grave violation. To rob children of their education has profound impacts not only on their individual development, but on society as a whole.

The reverberations of this war reach far beyond Ukraines borders; they will also reach beyond this generation. This war will mark Ukraine for many years to come. We all have a responsibility to support them long after this war has ended.

At this table, we have repeatedly called for it to end, for the Russian Federation to withdraw its forces and engage in true dialogue and diplomacy towards peace.

In any peace talks, we must have direct, substantive inclusion of diverse women so they can influence the course and outcome of negotiations. Without them, we can have no hope for sustainable peace.

Let us not forget that Ukraine has been a society where women were fully and equally participating in public life. Targeting women through violence, or forcing them to flee to save their childrens lives, is a double abomination in a society that was realising the fruits of womens participation. This war will undo the years of progress towards gender equality and as my Mexican colleague referenced, we are focused on these issues also as co-Chairs of the IEG on Women, Peace and Security.

President, I conclude by stressing that gender equality is not an aspiration reserved for peaceful countries, somehow too difficult or inconvenient for countries in conflict. The evidence shows that womens participation in peace processes leads to better and longer lasting agreements.

The guns are still firing, with a dire impact on women. The urgency to ensure their active participation in ending this conflict has never been greater.

Yet it is because of their deep-rooted participation that we are hopeful for the future that women of Ukraine can help shape.

Thank you.

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Coping with long COVID

Updated April 10, 2022

Post-COVID conditions, also known as long COVID, are health problems that people experience at least 4 weeks after a COVID-19 infection. Some people with long COVID may face challenges returning to work, school, and other activities that allow them to thrive.

On this page:

What are post-COVID conditions?

Post-COVID conditions are a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems people can experience weeks or months after first being infected with COVID-19.

While most people with COVID-19 get better within a couple weeks, some continue to have symptoms or develop new ones after their initial recovery. Post-COVID conditions can happen to anyone who has had COVID-19, even those who previously had mild or no symptoms initially after being infected. Conditions can persist for a long time, and severity can range from mild to incapacitating.

Post-COVID conditions may also be known as long COVID, long-haul COVID, post-acute COVID-19, long-term effects of COVID, or chronic COVID.

Common post-COVID conditions

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

Tiredness or fatigue

Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental activities (also known as post-exertional malaise)

Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as brain fog)

Cough

Chest or stomach pain

Headache

Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations)

Joint or muscle pain

Pins-and-needles feeling

Diarrhea

Sleep problems

Fever

Dizziness on standing (lightheadedness)

Rash

Mood changes

Change in smell or taste

Changes in menstrual cycles

What causes long COVID?

Researchers are still investigating a variety of possible causes for long COVID. Its unclear what makes some people more likely than others to develop post-COVID conditions. Its not yet clear whether any COVID-19 treatments can reduce long COVID risk once someone is infected.

Because COVID-19 vaccines lower your chances of becoming infected, getting vaccinated makes it less likely that youll get long COVID. Staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations and taking other prevention actions can help prevent long COVID and severe COVID-19 illness.

Long COVID treatment

If youre suffering from long COVID, talk to a health care provider about your symptoms. Health care providers and patients are encouraged to set achievable goals through shared decisions, focusing on specific symptoms or conditions. A plan focusing on improving physical, mental, and social wellbeing may be helpful for some patients.

Our understanding of post-COVID conditions remains incomplete, and treatment guidance will likely change over time as the evidence evolves.

Children with long COVID

Although long COVID appears to be less common in children and adolescents than in adults, long-term effects after COVID-19 do occur in children and adolescents. Young children may have trouble describing the problems they are experiencing.

If your child has a post-COVID condition that impacts their ability to attend school or perform their usual activities, it may be helpful to discuss possible accommodations with your childs school, such as extra time on tests, scheduled rest periods throughout the day, or a modified class schedule. You may also request similar accommodations for activities outside of school, such as day care, tutoring, sports, or scouting.

Long COVID resources

Managing long COVID can be difficult, frustrating, and confusing, especially when there are few or no immediate answers or solutions. However, there are resources available to help relieve some of the burdens of experiencing or caring for someone with long COVID.

Workplace accommodations: Long COVID can be considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Find resources for workers, employers, youth, and policymakers from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Long COVID can be considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Find resources for workers, employers, youth, and policymakers from the U.S. Department of Labor. Disability Information and Assistance Line (DIAL): DIAL can provide information about services you may be eligible for and connect you to them. Learn more at acl.gov/DIAL.

DIAL can provide information about services you may be eligible for and connect you to them. Learn more at acl.gov/DIAL. Dignity Health Physical Therapys Recovery and Reconditioning program: Dignity Healths post-COVID-19 recovery program focuses on rebuilding strength, endurance, mobility and flexibility. Learn more at the Dignity Health website.

Dignity Healths post-COVID-19 recovery program focuses on rebuilding strength, endurance, mobility and flexibility. Learn more at the Dignity Health website. RECOVER Initiative: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched a nationwide research initiative on long COVID and is inviting long-COVID sufferers to participate in studies. Visit recovercovid.org to learn more.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched a nationwide research initiative on long COVID and is inviting long-COVID sufferers to participate in studies. Visit recovercovid.org to learn more. Survivor Corps: Survivor Corps connects COVID-19 survivors with assistance, education, and opportunities to support long COVID research. Visit survivorcorps.org for more details.

Survivor Corps connects COVID-19 survivors with assistance, education, and opportunities to support long COVID research. Visit survivorcorps.org for more details. Long Covid Kids: Long Covid Kids is an international charity for families and children living with long Covid. They offer multiple online support services, including a Facebook group.

Long Covid Kids is an international charity for families and children living with long Covid. They offer multiple online support services, including a Facebook group. Voices of Long COVID: The Voices of Long Covid campaign features testimonials from a diverse group of people ages 18-29 who are suffering from long-term complications of COVID-19 infection. Visit voicesoflongcovid.org.

The Voices of Long Covid campaign features testimonials from a diverse group of people ages 18-29 who are suffering from long-term complications of COVID-19 infection. Visit voicesoflongcovid.org. How Right Now: The How Right Now initiative aims to address people's feelings of grief, loss, and worry during COVID-19. Visit howrightnow.org to find information and support.

More information
CUSSETA, Ga.In a case that went unsolved for four decades, a grand jury in Georgia indicted an inmate on murder charges in the 1982 killing of a young Army soldier found fatally shot by a roadside weeks after she was last seen leaving her barracks.

Authorities announced that a grand jury in rural Chattahoochee County near the Georgia-Alabama line indicted 64-year-old Marcellus McCluster, already serving a life sentence for murder in an unrelated case, in the slaying of Rene Dawn Blackmore 40 years ago.

The 20-year-old woman was an Army private stationed at Fort Benning when she vanished in April 1982.

Her wallet and sweater were discovered almost a month later beside a road near Cusseta, a few miles from the Army post.

A second month passed before Blackmores body was found off a logging road a few miles away. Investigators determined she had been killed by a shotgun blast.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vic Reynolds told a news conference late last week that McCluster had been indicted March 28. He is scheduled to be arraigned in a Chattahoochee County court April 25, the Ledger-Enquirer of Columbus reported.

Blackmores mother, Donna Reitman, said in a statement that her daughter was a focused young woman who loved laughing and having fun with friends.

I have lived these 40 years always feeling the pain her absence causes, Reitman said. And believing no one outside of her family and friends even cared. It is with a grateful heart that on March 28, 2022, this belief was shown to be untrue.

McCluster is charged with felony murder and malice murder in Blackmores death. Hes already serving a life sentence for a murder conviction stemming from an unrelated 1983 slaying in Stewart County.

Reynolds said GBI agents and Army criminal investigators had identified McCluster as a possible suspect within a year after Blackmore was killed, but the initial case stalled.

The investigation gained new life in 2020 after the GBI formed a cold case unit made up of retired agents.

Blackmores killing became the focus of the new units initial efforts, Reynolds said.

Jennings White was the original GBI agent assigned to Blackmores death and he assisted the cold case units investigation. He said he never forgot about Blackmore and knew her killing could be solved.

Im just so glad that Im able to see the whole thing turn around, White said.
At the end of the first quarter, German lubrication giant Fuchs Petrolub announced the expansion of its Vietnam operations, renting a 20,000 sq.m area at the Phu My 3 Specialized Industrial Park (PM3 SIP) in Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province bordering HCMC to build a new factory.

With a 55-year lease contract, the German manufacturer, which has over over 90 years of experience in its field, has shown its long-term commitment to Vietnam.

Kazama Toshio, deputy general director of PM3 SIP, said that Fuchs was the second European company in PM3 SIP, opening up opportunities to attract other Western investors who want to join this coastal industrial park.

In February, Framas and KTG Industrial struck a factory lease deal. Framas, Germany's leading plastic tech manufacturer, has leased a 20,000 sq.m facility at KTG Industrial Nhon Trach 2 in Dong Nai Province, another HCMC neighbor, for 10 years.

On February 17, LOGOS and Manulife Investment Management established a joint venture to acquire a modern, custom-built $80 million logistics factory with a total area of 116,000 sq.m.

Meanwhile, Singapore real estate company CapitaLand Development (CLD) has signed a memorandum of understanding to invest $1 billion in the northern Bac Giang Province to develop its first industrial park, logistics and urban area in Vietnam. Around the same time, New York-based BW Industrial Development JSC acquired the DEEP C industrial zone with an area of about 74,000 sq.m in Bac Tien Phong Industrial Park in the northern Quang Ninh Province.

In the first two months of the year, the northern Thai Nguyen Province attracted $924 million in foreign direct investment (FDI), accounting for nearly 18.5 percent of the country's total FDI in the period. Prominent among them is the $920 million investment by Samsung Electro-Mechanics Vietnam Co. Ltd.. This has raised the total investment capital in Yen Binh Industrial Park, Thai Nguyen, to $2.27 billion.

Also in the first quarter, Denmark was the largest investor in Binh Duong, also bordering HCMC, with $1.3 billion, accounting for 78.9 percent of the total registered capital. In mid-March, Binh Duong granted an investment certificate to the LEGO Group for a project in the VSIP III Industrial Park with a capital of over $1 billion. This is LEGO's sixth-largest factory globally and second in Asia, with the first built in Jiangsu, China.

The heat from the industrial real estate market continued to spread to the second quarter. Early April, Taiwans HuaLi Group signed an investment cooperation agreement with infrastructure investors WHA 1 and Hoang Mai Industrial Park I.

In Hoang Mai I Industrial Park, in the north central Nghe An Province, HuaLi will build a footwear factory. The project will start in June and be completed in March 2023. When the factory comes into operation, it will have an output of 25 million pairs of footwear a year, creating jobs for about 16,000 workers.

In Nghe Ans WHA Industrial Park 1, HuaLi will build a $38 million factory on an area of 7.3 hectares. The project will start construction in August this year and be complete by June 2023. This factory will be able to produce 13 million pairs of footwear a year, creating jobs for about 8,000 workers.

The massive influx of international investment in Vietnams industrial real estate market has kept pushing up rents, despite the fact that theyd already been going up for the past two years.

JLL's industrial real estate market report for the first quarter of 2022 shows that industrial land prices have maintained a strong growth momentum (up 8.5 percent) thanks to the new wave of FDI pouring into Vietnam after the restoration of flights and the opening of international borders. The average rental for industrial land is $120 a square meter.

The report said that the ready-built factory market has moved to a larger scale to meet the needs of customers, especially international ones who choose to establish or expand production in Vietnam but also want to save money and time, quickly beginning operations.

Real estate management consultancy Savills Vietnam also confirmed that Vietnam has attracted a lot of international industrial real estate developers early 2022. Besides factories, another branch of industrial real estate - data and logistics centers - is recording an increase in high-quality investments. Many big U.S. and European companies are looking for opportunities to enter the Vietnamese market and are carrying out in-depth research and analysis to select the right location, the company says.

Trang Minh Ha, Chairman of consulting and training firm North Stars Asia, said that the resumption of international flights and trade agreements are opening up great opportunities to attract more foreign capital into industrial real estate in Vietnam this year.

Ha said Vietnam was the second country in Asia (after Singapore) in terms of number and coverage of world trade agreements. The total GDP of countries that have signed trade agreements with Vietnam accounts for 53 percent of the global GDP, he noted.

He said that the U.S.-China trade war and North Korea tension in previous years have generated a trend over the last few years for South Korea and China to invest in Vietnam. Singapore and other Asian investor groups that are leading in terms of new FDI in the first months of 2022 can be an indirect investment channel for China into the Vietnamese market, he added.

One major factor in Vietnam attracting large FDI flows is its low labor cost at just 60 percent of Thailand, 31 percent of Malaysia and 25 percent of China. Corporate tax in Vietnam is also the lowest in the region at 20 percent, and there are many tax incentives being offered by different provinces to FDI enterprises. Taxes and labor costs are not the only advantages. In terms of industrial land rentals, too, Vietnam is very low compared to other ASEAN countries.

Ha said that the governments VND350,000 billion ($15.3 billion) support package to promote public investment in projects like the North-South Expressway and Long Thanh Airport will also help reduce logistics costs in Vietnam significantly, thereby increasing the investment potential of its industrial zones.

John Campbell, Head of Industrial Services at Savills Vietnam, said that Vietnam's economy was forecast to grow positively in 2022 as domestic demand recovers and FDI flow maintains a stable increase. In addition, business conditions have improved significantly in the past five months after the challenges that Vietnam had to confront with a major Covid-19 outbreak.

Campbell predicted a promising future for the industrial real estate market this year and the coming years. He said favorable conditions for this to happen included international flights bringing back foreign investors, the government's active support as well as the ability of domestic enterprises to recover and adapt to challenging situations.
Van Don  Mong Cai Expressway, connecting to the 300-km Hanoi  Ha Long Expressway to become the longest expressway in the country, is receiving the final touch.

It will run more than 80 kilometers (50 miles) and have four lanes to allow a maximum speed of 120 kph. Once completed, the section will shorten the time to travel from Van Don Economic Zone to Mong Cai Town that borders China to 50 minutes instead of two hours.
On March 29, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, launched the 2022 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis. The United Nations seeks more than $881 million in donations to support some 1.4 million Rohingya refugees living in camps in eastern Bangladesh.



U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas announced on March 29 that the United States would deliver $152 million in additional humanitarian assistance for those in Bangladesh, Burma, and elsewhere in the region affected by the Burmese militarys genocide, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing of Burmas Rohingya minority, said State Department Spokesperson Ned Price in a written statement.



Since August 2017, when over 740,000 Rohingya were forced to flee to safety in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, the United States has responded with over $1.7 billion in assistance, including the recently announced, $152-million-tranche.



More than $125 million of this latest sum is earmarked for programs specifically in Bangladesh. Some of the money will help our humanitarian partners provide life-saving assistance to the over 920,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. It will also provide support to more than 540,000 members of the local host community in Bangladesh who are affected by the crisis.



Some of the funding will go toward providing families with food, healthcare, access to clean water and sanitation to prevent the spread of disease. It will support the protection of Rohingya refugees human rights and well-being, help strengthen disaster preparedness, and help combat the effects of climate change.



Likewise, we understand that education and income-generating activities are among the most effective methods to create safer refugee camps in Bangladesh. This is just one of the reasons why some of the funding will go toward ensuring that children and young adults have access to education and vocational training.



The United States recognizes that Bangladesh and its people have taken on an enormous responsibility in hosting refugees, said Spokesperson Price. We are working with the Government of Bangladesh, Rohingya, and people within Burma toward finding solutions to this crisis, including the safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return and reintegration of Rohingya refugees and internally displaced persons when conditions in Burma allow.
At a historic meeting in Israels Negev desert, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the foreign ministers of Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates pledged to strengthen security and economic cooperation. This was the first meeting of the foreign ministers of all six countries and the first visit to Israel by foreign ministers from the UAE and Morocco.

Remarking on the unique nature of the summit, Secretary Blinken observed that Just a few years ago, this gathering would have been impossible to imagine. The Abraham Accords signed September 15th, 2020, with leaders from Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates as well as the normalization agreement between Morocco and Israel have made once-impossible things. . .become possible, said Secretary Blinken. Weve seen democracy flourish, with Morocco and Israel agreeing to open embassies in Rabat and Tel Aviv; Prime Minister [Naftali] Bennett becoming the first Israeli prime minister to visit Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

In recent weeks, the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and Egypt met to launch new areas of cooperation. Bahrain and Israel signed more than a dozen agreements, including on aviation, banking, and technology. Government and business leaders from Morocco and Israel met to promote tourism across both countries and solar energy.

The Abraham Accords are making the lives of the people across these countries more peaceful, prosperous, vibrant, and integrated. The United States will continue to strongly support a process that is transforming this region and beyond, said Secretary Blinken.

At the same time, Secretary Blinken cautioned that these regional peace agreements are not a substitute for progress between Palestinians and Israelis. The United States and countries normalizing relations with Israel as well as those that have longstanding diplomatic relationships with Israel, continue to explore ways to support Palestinians and make a positive impact on their daily lives in the West Bank and Gaza.

Secretary Blinken commended the courage of those nations willing to break down barriers and forge new relationships through the Abraham Accords and normalization. I am excited, he said, to see all that you and we can imagine and create together for one another, for the region, [and] for the world.
For a year, Iran and the United States have been in negotiations aimed at a mutual return to compliance with the Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA; formally, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.



The United States withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 under the previous administration, and Iran has been breaching its obligations under the deal since then, including by enriching uranium to prohibited levels and producing uranium metal, which, as Germany, Britain and France have said, has no credible civilian use.



Significant progress has been made during the negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 countries for a U.S.-Iran return to the JCPOA. U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley recently said, however, that a return to the deal is not inevitable, because of unresolved issues that are important to both countries.



During a recent visit to Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated the United States view that a full implementation of the JCPOA is the best way to put Irans nuclear program back in the box. But, Secretary Blinken emphasized, Whether theres a JCPOA or not, our commitment to the core principle of Iran never acquiring a nuclear weapon is unwavering.



Secretary Blinken noted that Irans malign activities in the region have intensified. The United States will continue to stand up to Iran when it threatens us or when it threatens our allies and partners, he said, and well continue to workto counter its aggressive behavior throughout the region.



In line with that commitment, on March 30, the United States announced it was designating five individuals and entities for sanctions because of their involvement in Irans ballistic missile-related activities, including Irans recent missile attack on Erbil, Iraq, as well as missile attacks by Iranian proxies against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.



Brian E. Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence said in statement announcing the sanctions, While the United States continues to seek Irans return to full compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, we will not hesitate to target those who support Irans ballistic missile program. We will also work with other partners in the region to hold Iran accountable for its actions, including gross violations of the sovereignty of its neighbors.
Just as humans need minerals and nutrients for sturdy, healthy growth, so do farmers as they cultivate and feed their crops. Most people know that fertilizer is intimately connected with increasing agricultural productivity and food production. The world as we know it cannot continue without industrially produced fertilizer.

Within the last several months a global shortage of nitrogen fertilizer is driving food prices to record levels and we will certainly see the effect even here in the United States within a while. Its going to be real, President Biden said just last week about the coming food shortages, although he was referring mostly to European areas.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has not helped this situation because, sadly, both Russia and Ukraine together exported 28% of the worlds fertilizers made from nitrogen and phosphorous. In 2021 the United States imported $1.28 billion of fertilizer from Russia and now that has been put on hold. Lets take a look at whats happening in this field, the science behind this important necessity and some promising technology improvements on the horizon.

Among farmers and ranchers, very few topics are being discussed as much as the skyrocketing cost of fertilizer and increasing concerns regarding availability. Some fertilizers have more than doubled in price in the last year with dire predictions for whats in the future. According to the USDA, three kinds of fertilizer have dramatically jumped in price over the past year: the cost of urea is 149 percent higher, liquid nitrogen is 192 percent more expensive and anhydrous ammonia is up an enormous 235 percent.

Many farmers here are delaying purchases at this point and are holding off before planting season  hoping for a quick reversal in the rates. If they cant boost their yields of corn, canola and wheat, because of higher fertilizer costs, it will be a very dismal harvest that ushers in more woe at the grocery stores. The culprit is methane.

Manufacturing one ton of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer requires 33,500 cubic feet of natural gas. In addition, more than one percent of the worlds total energy production goes into producing nitrogen fertilizer and thats quite a bit. Besides gobbling up so much power, making fertilizer is also responsible for 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions. Gee, that seems to run against the idea of everyone going green but, unless you are OK with starving people, it is a necessary evil.

Economically, the price of fertilizer is directly related to the price of natural gas (methane) and the major source of this fossil fuel is extraction from geological deposits known as natural gas fields. Historically, the use of fracking technology in coal beds and other deposits has kept the price of methane within the United States reasonably constant over the last 20 years but this has now changed. One interesting fact is that Europe receives about 40% of its natural gas from Russian pipelines and about a quarter of that flows through Ukraine. Some of that has been shut off. Starting to see the link between natural gas, fertilizer and food production? Lets look at the chemistry.

Making fertilizer starts with the large scale production of ammonia gas. You may associate the term ammonia with the household cleaner called simply ammonia, and it is close. The liquid you buy is really ammonium hydroxide, it is a solution of ammonia gas in water that escapes when you open the lid. That is the only time common-folk are exposed to the gas outside of industrial diazo blueprint machines that rely on its alkaline vapors to make the blue lines on white paper.

The large-scale production of raw ammonia gas (NH3) is considered to be one of the most crucial achievements in human history within the last century, and is responsible for more than doubling the food supply on our planet. Although 80% of ammonia gas is utilized for fertilizer, it is a crucial chemical and feedstock for fibers, plastics, explosives and pharmaceuticals.

Making ammonia gas starts with generating hydrogen from methane. Once we have hydrogen, ammonia manufacturers use the Haber-Bosch process to combine it with nitrogen molecules resulting in NH3. An interesting outcome from WWI, this allowed the production of large amounts of nitrate, essential to the German war effort that were used for munitions. Synthetic ammonia from the Haber process helped Germany, which found itself suddenly cut off from the sodium nitrate of Chile controlled by British companies and Germany had no such resources in any mine within its part of Europe. It is ironic that the patented process born in war is an absolute god-send when it comes to feeding the hungry fields.

Next week we will cover how ammonia is converted to fertilizer and how a new technology from Texas A&M may help with our present predicament.

Gary Hanington is Professor Emeritus of physical science at Great Basin College and Vice President of Engineering at AHV. He can be reached at garyh@ahv.com or gary.hanington@gbcnv.edu.

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BOISE, Idaho (AP)  An Idaho judge ruled Monday that a mother accused of conspiring to kill her children, her estranged husband and a lovers wife is now mentally competent to stand trial on some of the charges in Idaho.

Daybell and her new husband, Chad Daybell, face numerous charges in the complicated case involving allegations of bizarre spiritual beliefs involving zombies and doomsday predictions.

Prosecutors have said that Lori and Chad Daybell espoused the religious beliefs in an effort to encourage or justify the murders.

The case against her had been hold for months after Judge Steven Boyce ordered her committed to a mental facility so she could undergo treatment in an effort to make her mentally fit enough to assist in her own defense.

Boyces new order said Lori Vallow Daybell is restored to competency and is fit to proceed in the Idaho murder case. He did not provide other details about her treatment or mental condition.

She is scheduled to be formally arraigned in court next week and both Lori and Chad Daybell are set to stand trial together early next year.

Tare charged withconspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Lori Daybells children 7-year-old Joshua JJ Vallow, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as Chad Daybells first wife, Tammy Daybell.

Lori Daybell is also charged in Arizona with conspiring to kill her former estranged husband, Charles Vallow, with the help of her now-deceased brother, Alex Cox.

Chad Daybell has pleaded not guilty to the charges and Lori Daybell has not yet had an opportunity to enter a plea. Chad Daybells attorney, John Prior, declined to comment on the case. Lori Daybells attorney, Jim Archibald, did not immediately respond to voice and email messages requesting comment.

An indictment said Chad and Lori Daybell in 2018 while still married to other people began espousing an apocalyptical system of religious belief.

Lori Daybells brother Alex Cox shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in suburban Phoenix, according to an indictment in Arizona.

Cox asserted the shooting was in self-defense, and he was never charged. At the time, Charles Vallow was seeking a divorce, saying his wife believed she had become a god-like figure responsible for ushering in the biblical end of times. Cox later died of an apparent blood clot in his lung.

Shortly after Charles Vallows death, Lori Daybell  who then had the last name Vallow  and her children moved to the rural eastern Idaho community of Rexburg, near where Chad Daybell lived. At the time, Chad Daybell was married to Tammy Daybell. She died in October of 2019, and her obituary said the death was from natural causes.

Authorities grew suspicious, however, when Chad and Lori Daybell got married just two weeks later, and investigators had Tammy Daybells body exhumed for an autopsy. Authorities have not released her cause of death.

Police began searching for Lori Daybells youngest two children in November after relatives raised concerns. The Daybells quickly left town, and were found months later in Hawaii without the children.

Investigators later found the bodies of JJ and Tylee buried in Chad Daybells yard back in Idaho. They have not disclosed causes of death but court documents said Tylees body was partially burned.

Friends of the Daybells told investigators that the couple believed people could become zombies if they were possessed by evil spirits, a state in which their soul was trapped in limbo, according to police reports. The couple reportedly believed that the only way to rid a person of a zombie was for their body to die, according to police reports.

A friend of the couple, Melanie Gibb, told investigators that Lori Daybell referred to her youngest children as zombies, and police in Arizona said the couple exchanged text messages saying that Tammy Daybell had been possessed by a dark spirit.

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By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

The Baroque Music Days International Festival will be held in Baku on April 23-26.

Within the framework of the festival, music lovers have a chance to enjoy magnificent baroque music.

A series of concerts and master classes will be held at the State Academic Philharmonic Hall, the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater and the Baku Music Academy as part of the festival.

The Baroque Days International Music Festival will bring together musicians from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine, Italy and Georgia.

Christoph Willibald Gluck's opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" will be premiered at the festival's opening ceremony.

The Baroque Days International Music Festival will also feature a concert of harpsichord music with the participation of the Tbilisi State Chamber Orchestra (Georgia) and D'accordo ensemble (Azerbaijan).

The artistic director of the International Academy of Lyric Art, professor Vincenzo De Vivo (Italy) will hold a master class as part of the festival.
China reached a new height in 2020 when, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, it achieved the first of its two centenary goals: to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the centenary of the Communist Party of China's founding in 1921.

China is also well on its way to achieve a new height by 2050 and achieve its second centenary goal, which is to build China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious, by the centenary of the People's Republic of China, which was founded in 1949. This second goal is sure to be achieved as well.

The changes in China are considered to be the greatest poverty alleviation achievement in human history, lifting more than 800 million people out of poverty. China's world-leading period of growth has brought it to the cusp of being the largest economy in the world.

China's breathtaking growth was unleashed over 40 years ago with its bold and historic policy of reform and opening-up in 1978. If I were to summarize the keys to China's success during the 40-plus years since 1978, I would point to four factors: a long-term vision, a strong will to implement that vision, a recognition of the value of state-of-the-art technology, and a recognition of the value of infrastructure.

During the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress in March 2021, Premier Li Keqiang highlighted that China will consolidate and expand its achievements in poverty alleviation with efforts to promote rural revitalization. Countries along the Belt and Road Initiative routes can learn lessons from China's experience regarding a long-term vision and a strong national will.

The China-proposed BRI is the broadest platform for collaboration and cooperation. It reminds us that great historians trace the oldest globalization to the Silk Route. It is fitting that today, given that China is on a trajectory to being the world's largest economy, scholars now describe the BRI as "Globalization 2.0."

I recall that when I began my career in public service, it was in the 1980s and the term "dragon economy" was coined to describe the economic miracle that was starting to take shape in China. As an official in the Philippines Department of Trade, I wondered then if China would become our chief competitor in the world market. Little did anyone realize at that time that China was in a class of its own. Rather than a competitor, China has proved to be a partner in developmentit is a market for developing countries, a donor, and a provider of capital and technology.

China is correct in striving for partnership in growth and in development with its neighbors. This enlightened attitude provides the foundation for continued friendship between China and the world, especially now in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in 2020, President Xi pointed out that the sudden attack of COVID-19 has been a grave test for the entire world. He added that mankind has entered a new era of interconnectedness, with countries sharing intertwined interests and their future closely linked together, and that global threats and global challenges require strong global responses.

But the pandemic has left scars on the world and highlighted the challenges facing the world's pursuit of sustainable development. Thus, the world now focuses on economic recovery and green development.

COVID-19 has given rise to a rethink of some of the BRI's key focus areas, bringing about the Health Silk Road, the Digital Silk Road and the Green Silk Road.

Renewable energy has come to account for many BRI investments since the pandemic started. Furthermore, as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank put it, the pandemic has prompted the world to probe the linkage of the virus and other diseases with future eco-catastrophes, thus necessitating environmental, social and governance standards in all business activities. We congratulate the AIIB on its revised Environmental and Social Framework, which has new measures for environmental, social and governance approaches to guide itself and its clients in the management of the environmental and social impacts of its projects.

Let us heed the exhortation of President Xi at the APEC CEO Summit in December"A sound eco-environment is the most basic public good that benefits all"-and make post-pandemic recovery a green one.

The author is former president of the Philippines and board member of International Finance Forum (IFF).
The incense-offering ceremony takes place at the Hung Kings Temple Relic Site on Nghia Linh Mountain, where the kings performed rituals devoted to rice and sun deities to pray for bumper crops. (Photo: VNA)

The incense-offering ceremony took place at the Hung Kings Temple Relic Site on Nghia Linh Mountain, where the kings performed rituals devoted to rice and sun deities to pray for bumper crops.

President Phuc, Party and State officials, and leaders of Phu Tho province offered incense and flowers in tribute to the Hung Kings, praying for the nations peace and prosperity.

Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Bui Van Quang spoke highly of the great contributions of the Hung Kings, the legendary founders of Van Lang - the first State in Vietnam, while praising the ancestors resilience in protecting the nation.

Following the incense-offering ceremony, President Phuc and the delegates laid a wreath and offered incense at the tomb of the 6th Hung King, and paid tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh and martyrs at the relief featuring the late leaders talk with soldiers from the Tien Phong (Vanguard) Division stationed at the relic site.

On the occasion of the death anniversary of the Hung Kings, tens of thousands of Vietnamese people from across the country and abroad paid homage to the national founders at the temple complex.

Legend has it that the eldest son of Lac Long Quan (son of Kinh Duong Vuong) and Au Co (the fairy daughter of De Lai) was made king. He named the country Van Lang and set up the capital in Phong Chau (modern-day Viet Tri city), beginning the 18 dynasties of the Hung Kings.

The kings chose Nghia Linh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to the rice and sun deities to pray for bumper crops.

To honour their substantial contributions, a complex of temples dedicated to the kings was built on Nghia Linh Mountain, and the tenth day of the third lunar month serves as the national commemorative anniversary for the kings.

At the ground-breaking ceremony (Photo: VNA)

Later the same day, Phuc attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the provincial cultural and art house at the Hung King Square in Viet Tri city, which is expected to be a destination for tourists to the city.

Phu Tho is home to two examples of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity  the worship of Hung Kings and Xoan singing./.
Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

An opening ceremony is slated for April 19 on Nguyen Hue street, Ho Chi Minh City, according to the Authority of Publication, Printing and Distribution under the Ministry of Information and Communications.

An online book festival will be held at Website book365.vn from April 19 to May 20.

On this occasion, the HCM City Peoples Committee will host a book fair on Nguyen Hue street from April 19 to 24. There will also seminars on reading culture in the month.

Hanoi will also organise an array of activities in response to Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day 2022 from April 21 to May 1 at the Hanoi Book Street and the National Library of Vietnam.

Last year, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam signed Decision No.1862/QD-TTg on the organising of Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day annually on a national scale on April 21.

The day is expected to encourage and develop the reading movement among the community, contributing to building a learning society. In addition, it aims to honour readers, authors, publishers, printers and libraries that make efforts to preserve, collect and promote books./.
Vietnamese Ambassador Vu Hong Nam (right)

and honorary consul Moriyuki Taniguchi (Photo: VNA)

At a working session with Taniguchi, Vietnamese Ambassador Vu Hong Nam expressed his hope that the honorary consul will contribute to boosting the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership, and support Vietnamese in Mie as well as Japanese firms that want to invest in Vietnam.

Taniguchi promised to make every effort to fulfill his assigned tasks and contribute to the bilateral ties.

The same day, the office organised a seminar on cooperation between Vietnamese localities and Mie, during which Ambassador Nam stressed that the Vietnam-Japan relationship is at its best ever.

Politicians, scholars and businesspeople in Mie expressed their wish to step up cooperation with Vietnam.

Mie has established the Japan-Vietnam friendship parliamentary alliance, with more than 20 members, aiming to enhance the relations between Mie and Vietnamese localities, heard the seminar./.
Canadas foreign minister Melanie Joly at a press conference in Ottawa, Canada.

(Photo: AFP/VNA)

Canada and the Indo-Pacific region have shared histories, cultures and significant people-to-people ties, according to a press release by Global Affairs Canada.

The release said the prosperity, security and well-being of Canadians will be increasingly linked to economic, social and political developments of the Indo-Pacific region, it said.

Canada is committed to deepening our diplomatic, security trade and economic engagement in the region to ensure we are seizing opportunities for Canadians and advancing shared priorities, it said.

During the visit to Indonesia and Vietnam, the Canadian FM will also engage in discussions on pressing global challenges, including the need for a diplomatic solution on the unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine and the efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to address the ongoing crisis in Myanmar.

Canada has been a strong, reliable and effective partner of Indonesia, Vietnam and ASEAN, and our celebration of several decades of cooperation is an excellent opportunity to reflect on our experiences and achievements, Joly said.

Joly also said she looks forward to visiting Indonesia and Vietnam to gain a better understanding of the region, to expand partnerships and to contribute successfully to a more secure, resilient, inclusive and sustainable Indo-Pacific for the benefit of all people.

In Jakarta, Minister Joly will meet with government officials to highlight Canadas 70th anniversary of bilateral relations with Indonesia, a strategic global partner. In meetings with officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), she will reaffirm Canadas commitment to the association, particularly to its central role in bringing peace, security and prosperity in Southeast Asia.

In Hanoi, she will meet with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien to underscore the long-standing bilateral ties between the two nations in the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023.

She will also visit the northern province of Thai Nguyen to meet with ethnic minority women and learn more about how Canadas development assistance is helping to strengthen women-led businesses in the context of climate change and COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022, Canada is also celebrating 45 years of cooperation with ASEAN. Canada is one of 11 ASEAN Dialogue Partners and has a diplomatic presence in all 10 Member States as well as a dedicated Ambassador to ASEAN. As a bloc, ASEAN is Canadas 6th largest trading partner.

Vietnam is Canadas largest trading partner in the ASEAN region. Bilateral trade continues to grow despite the economic downturn due to the pandemic with trade turnover exceeding 6 billion USD last year, up 19 percent compared to 2020./.




Embassy of Vietnam in France hosts ceremony to pay tribute to Hung Kings (Photo: VNA)

Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang, head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to UNESCO Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van, and staff at Vietnamese representative offices in the European nation offered incense to Hung Kings and late President Ho Chi Minh.



They vowed to uphold patriotism, self-reliance, and solidarity to fulfil tasks assigned by the Party and State, along with the foreign policies defined at the 13th National Party Congress.

Legend has it that Lac Long Quan (real name Sung Lam, son of Kinh Duong Vuong and Than Long Nu) married Au Co (the fairy daughter of De Lai). Au Co then gave birth to a pouch filled with 100 eggs, which soon hatched into a hundred sons. However, soon thereafter, Lac Long Quan and Au Co separated. Lac Long Quan went to the coast with 50 of the children, while Au Co went to the highlands with the rest.

Their eldest son was made king, who named the country Van Lang and set up the capital in Phong Chau (modern-day Viet Tri city in Phu Tho province), beginning the 18 generations of the Hung Kings.

The kings chose Nghia Linh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to rice and sun deities to pray for healthy crops.

To honour their great contributions, a complex of temples dedicated to them was built on Nghia Linh Mountain, and the 10th day of the third lunar month serves as the national commemorative anniversary for the kings.

The worship of the Hung Kings, closely related to the ancestral worship traditions of most Vietnamese families, was recognised as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2012./.
BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) -- China's National Health Commission has unveiled an implementation plan to achieve a range of major targets in boosting healthcare for women and children by 2030.

By 2030, the average number of practicing pediatricians and beds in medical institutions per 1,000 children will be raised to 1.12 and 3.17 respectively, according to the plan.

By then, the ratio of eligible women who receive cervical cancer screening will surpass 70 percent, while the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS will be reduced to below 2 percent, the plan stated.

To deliver on the goals, the plan called for people-centered and coordinated efforts to integrate prevention with medical treatment, and tap both traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine.

It also maps out goals including lowering rates of maternal and infant mortality, expanding the coverage of pre-marital and prenatal medical examinations, and boosting vaccination campaigns for children to shore up their immunity. 

Editor: JYZ
Undated file photo shows staff members restoring sculptures at the Takav Gate of Angkor Thom temple in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. Restoration work on the Takav Gate in the western part of Angkor Thom temple has been 70 percent completed, the Apsara National Authority (ANA) said in a news release on Friday. (Apsara National Authority/Handout via Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Restoration work on the Takav Gate in the western part of Angkor Thom temple has been 70 percent completed, the Apsara National Authority (ANA) said in a news release on Friday.

Started in December 2019, the project in the famed Angkor Archaeological Park in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province has been undertaken by experts from the ANA's Department of Conservation of Monuments and Preventive Archaeology, the news release said.

Meng Sovanlylin, an architect in charge of the restoration work, said the team has restored many parts of Takav Gate, such as the four elephant sculptures and the Brahma faces (god and giant sculptures).

"So far about 70 percent of the restoration work has been completed," she said. "The experts are rushing to restore the Brahma faces of the Takav Gate, and the work is currently in the final step."

She said that due to age, weather and human factors, the Takav Gate had been severely damaged, and most of the structures of the gate such as the sculptures of the four elephants and the Brahma faces had collapsed.

The Takav Gate is one of the five gates of the Angkor Thom, which was built in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII. The gate was built by using sandstones and laterites with smiling four-faced tower, up to 23 meters high.

Angkor Thom is one of the key temples in the 401-square km Angkor Archaeological Park, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1992. 

Undated file photo shows the restoration site of the Takav Gate of Angkor Thom temple in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. Restoration work on the Takav Gate in the western part of Angkor Thom temple has been 70 percent completed, the Apsara National Authority (ANA) said in a news release on Friday. (Apsara National Authority/Handout via Xinhua)

Editor: JYZ
Photo taken on April 10, 2022 shows drinking water to be transported to Jilin at a freight station in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Tibet sends living materials including drinking water and yak meat to east China's Shanghai and drinking water to northeast China's Jilin Province Sunday, to help the fight against the recent resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic in these areas. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng)

LHASA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Trains carrying the first batch of anti-epidemic supplies donated by southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region left the city of Xigaze and the regional capital of Lhasa on Sunday for Shanghai and Jilin Province, local authorities said.

To show its support to Shanghai and Jilin, currently battling a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, Tibet will donate 100 tonnes of yak meat, a local specialty of Tibet, and 3,000 tonnes of drinking water to Shanghai, as well as 5,000 tonnes of drinking water to Jilin, according to Su Bin, the deputy director of the regional commerce department.

The first batch of yak meat supplies will reach Shanghai on April 12. The drinking water will arrive in Shanghai and Jilin in five to seven days, Su said.

Shanghai and Jilin have been offering pairing assistance to Tibet over the years. "The supplies contain love and care from all ethnic groups in Tibet. We hope the materials can help Shanghai and Jilin people overcome the difficulties as soon as possible," he added.

A staff member transports drinking water at a freight station in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 10, 2022. Tibet sends living materials including drinking water and yak meat to east China's Shanghai and drinking water to northeast China's Jilin Province Sunday, to help the fight against the recent resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic in these areas. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng)

A freight train loaded with anti-epidemic supplies for Shanghai pulls out of a freight station in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 10, 2022. Tibet sends living materials including drinking water and yak meat to east China's Shanghai and drinking water to northeast China's Jilin Province Sunday, to help the fight against the recent resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic in these areas. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng)

A staff member coordinates with his colleague about the departure of a freight train at a freight station in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 10, 2022. Tibet sends living materials including drinking water and yak meat to east China's Shanghai and drinking water to northeast China's Jilin Province Sunday, to help the fight against the recent resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic in these areas. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng)

A staff member transports drinking water onto a freight train in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 10, 2022. Tibet sends living materials including drinking water and yak meat to east China's Shanghai and drinking water to northeast China's Jilin Province Sunday, to help the fight against the recent resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic in these areas. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng)

Editor: ZAD
China has honored its solemn promise to present the world with a streamlined, safe and splendid Games, Xi said.

The Winter Games have attracted billions of viewers around the world, making it the most watched Winter Games ever, Xi said.

Beijing 2022 has brought confidence and hope to a world overshadowed by instability, Xi said.

BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Hailing the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics as a success that would "once again go down in history," Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on the country to carry forward the spirit of the Winter Games to gather momentum for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

China has honored its solemn promise to present the world with a streamlined, safe and splendid Games, said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, at a grand gathering to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the Winter Games.

A total of 148 units and 148 individuals were commended at the gathering, held at the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing.

Before the gathering, Xi met with representatives of the awarded, and participated in a group photo.

Li Keqiang presided over the gathering and other Chinese leaders, including Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan, also attended the event.

The facts have proven again that Chinese people not only have the willingness and determination to make contributions to advancing the Olympic movement and promoting solidarity and friendship among peoples across the world, but also have the ability and enthusiasm to make even greater contributions, Xi said.

He also pledged to carry forward the Olympic spirit, ensure the Olympic Games play an important role in promoting peace and development, and offer more Chinese wisdom and Chinese strength to the progress of human civilization.

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Editor: ZAD
By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

Chief director of the Azerbaijan State Academic Musical Theater Javid Imamverdiyev has joined the jury of the 5th Nano-Opera International Competition for Young Opera Directors.

The world's first Nano-Opera competition for young opera directors will be held in Moscow on May 22-28.

Launched in 2013, Nano-Opera competition is the cultural event of the European scale, the center of attraction of famous theatrical figures and talented youth.

The professional jury will include artistic directors and directors of leading foreign and Russian opera houses, well-known theater managers and producers.

The participants work with the Helikon-opera actors over the staging the aria (1st round), duet (2nd round) and the mass scene (3rd round). Stage miniatures are born "from the sheet" right in front of the audience.
DAMASCUS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad on Sunday urged the United Nations to interfere to curb the repetitive Israeli attacks in Syria, slamming such strikes as systematic, according to the state news agency SANA.

In a letter addressing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Mekdad said the Israeli attacks have become "systematic," requiring immediate action by the UN to protect and preserve the Agreement on Disengagement of 1974 signed under the auspices of the United Nations.

Mekdad added that Syria has always warned about the consequences of the continuous Israeli attacks on international peace and security.

The Syrian condemnation comes against the backdrop of an Israeli attack earlier on Sunday against military sites in central Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor organization, said that the latest Israeli attack targeted a scientific research center west of Hama province.

The Israeli side claimed that Iranian-backed forces are using the center as a base to develop mid-range missiles and drones.

Editor: WXL
Photo taken on Mar. 25, 2022 shows tourists visiting Crescent Lake of Dunhuang Scenic Spot in northwest Chinas Gansu Province. The picturesque scenery of the snow-blanketed Crescent Lake makes it an unmissable travel destination for people to visit. (Zhang Xiaoliang/Guangming Picture)

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's, GMW.cn makes no representations as to accuracy, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech online while attending the opening ceremony of a special ministerial conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (PSCs), also known as Forum Macao, in Beijing, capital of China, April 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for strengthening cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries on Sunday.

Li made the remarks online while attending the opening ceremony of a special ministerial conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (PSCs), also known as Forum Macao.

Trade between China and the PSCs has exceeded 100 billion U.S. dollars for five consecutive years and reached 200 billion U.S. dollars last year, which fully demonstrated the resilience and potential of cooperation, Li noted.

Li said that China would make more contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting mutual development and prosperity of all countries together with the PSCs and the international society.

China is willing to increase cooperation with the PSCs in vaccines, medication, and health and set up a communication center on epidemic prevention in China's Macao Special Administrative Region, said the premier.

Calling for further enhancing trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, Li said China is willing to improve collaboration in advancing infrastructure connectivity, industrial capacity, energy conservation, and environmental protection with the PSCs.

Government delegates from China and eight PSCs, including Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, and Timor-Leste, attended the meeting.

Editor: WRX
Germany will support the International Criminal Court (ICC) with an additional EUR 1 million, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, stressing the need to bring to justice the inhumane crimes of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

"Every new day of war opens up new depths. All evidence must be provided to bring inhumane crimes to justice. We support the International Criminal Court with an additional 1 EUR million," Baerbock said, the German Foreign Ministry reported on Twitter on Monday.

She also pointed out the need to support Ukraine with heavy weapons.

"Ukraine needs more military support to fight back. We need a creative approach and pragmatism to also support Ukraine with heavy weapons," Baerbok said.
As of April 11, 2022, the KSE Institute estimated the damage to Ukraine's infrastructure from the war in the country at $80.4 billion, or UAH 2.4 trillion, while over the past week the estimate of losses increased by $12.2 billion, according to a press release from the analytical division of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), KSE Institute.

"During the last week, direct losses to civilian infrastructure documented based on publicly available evidence (that is, this is a lower bound estimate and the true losses are likely to be times higher), increased by $12.2 billion. As of April 11, the total amount of direct documented infrastructure damages, based only on public sources, is $80 billion," the KSE Institute said, referring to data analysis within the framework of the Russia Will Pay project.

"The largest increase in the value of damages this week was due to the increase in residential real estate, which was caused both by the increase in destruction and the refinement of previous data on the earlier destruction, as well as some adjustments in methodology. The second reason for the growth is the loss of enterprises assets. The cost of health care facilities, taking into account the structure of these facilities in terms of types (hospitals, clinics, clinics, laboratories, etc.) was specified also in the updated calculations," the report says.

"As estimated by the Ministry of Economy and KSE, the overall Ukraine's economic losses due to the war, taking into account both direct losses calculated in this project and indirect losses (GDP decline, investment cessation, outflow of labor, additional defense and social support costs, etc.), range from $564 billion to $600 billion," it reads.

"During the 47 days of Russian aggression in Ukraine, 23,000 kilometers of roads, 37,000 square meters of real estate, 319 kindergartens, 205 medical institutions, 546 educational institutions, 145 factories and enterprises were damaged, destroyed or seized. In addition, 54 administration buildings, 277 bridges and bridge crossings, 10 military airfields, 8 airports, 2 ports were damaged by the war. Thus, as of April 11, at least 74 religious buildings and 62 other cultural buildings were damaged, destroyed or seized," according to the document.
Indian pharmaceutical companies, members of the Indian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (IPMA), donated medicines to Ukrainian clinics and public organizations worth about UAH 60 million, and continue their work in Ukraine, IPMA told Interfax-Ukraine.

According to a press release, Indian pharmaceutical companies donated mainly antibiotics, analgesics, hemostatic, antiallergic, tonic drugs and vitamins.

In particular, Dia Pharma donated medicines worth UAH 1.818 million (antibiotics and hemostatic drugs) to hospitals, Dr. Reddy's donated medicines worth UAH 14.7 million to the Ministry of Health. The Euro Lifecare company donated medicines worth almost UAH 5.79 million to hospitals, the volunteers of this company daily deliver medicines and food to those in need in Kharkiv and the region.

The pharmaceutical company Hetero donated drugs (antibiotics and antiallergic drugs) in the amount of UAH 4.58 million to hospitals in Kyiv through the state institution Public Health Center. Macleods Pharmaceuticals donated medicines (antibiotics, analgesics, hemostatic drugs) worth UAH 26.26 million to the Public Health Center in the capital. Mega Lifesciences donated medicines (analgesics) worth UAH 400,000 to hospitals.

The pharmaceutical company Organosyn donated medicines worth more than UAH 2.891 million to hospitals.

Sun Pharma donated medicine (analgesics, antibiotics, gastroenterological drugs) worth UAH 3.3 million to Ukrainian hospitals. In addition, Sun Pharma Romania donated $500,000 to public organizations in Romania to help people coming from Ukraine.

The report also states that the company Abryl Pharm, together with volunteers, works in Kyiv and daily delivers food, medicine and medical supplies to soldiers. The M.Biotech company, in cooperation with a public organization (charitable foundation) in Ukraine, plans to supply humanitarian cargo from India with medicines, including anesthesia, tranquilizers and hormonal drugs.

Also, volunteers from IPMA participants (Abryl Pharm, Sun Pharma, Konark) are engaged in the delivery of food, medicines and other necessary materials that the military at checkpoints and people evacuated from the places of hostilities need. For their part, Euro Lifecare and Konark organized transport to evacuate people to the western regions of Ukraine.

Commenting on the work of Indian pharmaceutical companies in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, IPMA noted that Indian pharmaceutical companies remain on the Ukrainian market. Work continues, in particular, on the provision of humanitarian assistance, the work of managers and warehouses for servicing and shipping orders to distributors. Also, work is underway with clients and doctors in the western and central regions of Ukraine, where there are no hostilities, assistance is provided in hospitals in Kyiv.

"Companies are adjusting to new realities  the military situation in the country. In connection with the movement of employees to other regions of Ukraine, they work online, jobs are saved and companies hope to resume their previous work in peacetime," the association said.

It also noted that the companies are shipping to distributors from warehouses in Ukraine and are looking for new import routes through western borders.

At the same time, IPMA still finds it difficult to assess the damage caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine.

"Given that the war is still going on in its 'hot phase,' it will be possible to estimate the damage approximately only after the situation stabilizes," the association stressed.
Shmyhal urges Lithuania, along with other countries, to create alliance within EU to promote tougher sanctions against Russia

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal called on Lithuania, along with other countries that are friends of Ukraine, to create an alliance within the European Union to promote tougher sanctions against Russia.

"Denys Shmyhal called on Lithuania, together with other countries that are friends of Ukraine, to create an alliance within the EU to promote tougher sanctions against the aggressor," the government's press service said after Shmyhal's meeting with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte.

In particular, he announced the following important steps to stop the war: the introduction of a trade, economic and transport embargo against Russia, especially on oil, gas, metals and minerals; freezing the accounts of all Russian and Belarusian banks and large Russian and Belarusian companies; disconnection of all Russian banks from SWIFT, primarily Sberbank; depriving Russia of the ability to use GPS during the war; prevent Russia from using cryptocurrencies to circumvent sanctions and close other loopholes that the Russians are trying to exploit; expansion of sanctions against Russian oligarchs who continue to finance the war against Ukraine.

"In parallel with this, we ask that Ukraine be provided with air and ground defense systems, including aircraft, multiple launch rocket systems, tanks, anti-ship weapons," Shmyhal said.

In turn, Simonyte said that all the atrocities committed by the Russian army in Ukraine must be carefully documented.

"Everyone who was involved in these crimes must answer in an international court," the Prime Minister of Lithuania said.
Lithuania will help Ukraine increase the export of agricultural products, which collapsed due to the blockade of the Ukrainian seaports by the aggressor country, Russia, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania Kestutis Navickas and Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Mykola Solsky reached the relevant agreements at a meeting in Kyiv on April 10.

As reported on the website of the Ukrainian Ministry on Monday, the Lithuanian transport department plans to send a test train with 2,000 tonnes of agricultural raw materials from Ukraine to Lithuanian seaports in the near future. At the same time, Navickas stressed that although such a volume of supplies is clearly insufficient, it will be the first step for the implementation of the global infrastructure project of Ukraine and the EU.

"Lithuania responded to the call of the leadership of our state to resist the Russian invasion and continues to support Ukraine in the military, political, economic, humanitarian spheres, which is difficult to overestimate," the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine quotes its head.

According to the ministry, the Lithuanian side promised full support for Ukraine in its European integration aspirations. In this context, Navickas stressed that he would personally facilitate consultations with European colleagues regarding the provision of methodological assistance in expediting the necessary procedures for Ukraine's accession to the EU, in particular in the field of agriculture.

The main topic of the meeting was the use of the logistics capabilities of the Republic of Lithuania for the export of Ukrainian grain to its traditional markets in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

It is specified that in addition to Navickas and Solsky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to Ukraine Valdemaras Sarapinas, Advisor to the Minister Daivaras Rybakovas, and Deputy Defense Attache of the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Ukraine Thomas Matulevicius participated in it.
The Russian army lost 19,500 soldiers, 725 tanks and 154 aircraft during the war in Ukraine, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"The total combat losses of the enemy from February 24 to March 11 approximately amounted to: personnel  about 19,500 people, tanks  725 units, armored combat vehicles  1,923 units, artillery systems  347 units, MLRS - 111 units, air defense equipment - 55 units, aircraft  154 units, helicopters  137 units, automobile equipment  1,387 units, ships/boats - seven units, fuel tanks - 76, operational-tactical level UAVs  119, special equipment  25, short range ballistic missile system/battle field rocket system - four launchers," the General Staff said in a message published on Facebook on Monday.

The General Staff notes that the data is being clarified. The calculation is complicated by the high intensity of the fighting.
RTHK: Students in Indonesia hit with tear gas, water cannon

Indonesian police deployed tear gas and water cannon against thousands of students protesting on Monday against extending the presidential term limit, after rumours swirled for weeks about a potential change to the country's constitution.

The Southeast Asian country's next election is in 2024 and President Joko Widodo would not be eligible to run as Indonesia places a two-term limit on its leader.

But senior ministers and several political parties last month suggested the election should be delayed and the constitution amended to allow presidents to serve more than two terms.

Monday saw about 2,000 university students gather in front of the House of Representatives building. Indonesia has seen similar rallies sprout across the country in the last week.

"We demand the House of Representatives not betray the constitution by making an amendment and we firmly reject delaying the 2024 election," protest coordinator Luthfi Yufrizal said in a statement.

Police later fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse the protesters, according to witnesses at the scene.

Jakarta police chief Fadil Imran said those tactics were used after a group of protesters assaulted Ade Armando, an academic widely seen to be pro-Widodo.

Armando had suffered injuries on his head after being trampled by angry protesters, police said.

An unverified video showed Armando bleeding, his face badly swollen, as police officers hauled him away.

Imran said six officers were also attacked and injured while attempting to evacuate the academic.

"We promised to take a strict action against anyone who broke the law and is the mastermind of this incident," the police chief said, adding that a total of 80 protesters were detained.

The debate on delaying the election and extending the presidential term has gathered steam since March, despite Widodo himself rebuking the suggestions multiple times.

On Sunday, he reiterated that it was "speculation".

"The schedules for the presidential and regional election of 2024 have been agreed. It's all clear," Widodo said in a tweet. "Don't be provoked by insignificant political interests."

But critics said his objection to the proposals came far too late, only fuelling the furore.

Twice-elected Widodo  popularly known as Jokowi  enjoys wide support in the country of 270 million, but dissatisfaction has increasingly mounted as Southeast Asia's biggest economy sees a slowdown amid pandemic-spurred global shortages and residents grapple with rising fuel prices. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-04-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
By Azernews





By Sabina Mammadli

The April 6 Brussels meeting can be considered the beginning of a peace process to establish security in the South Caucasus, MP Sevil Mikayilova has said.

The final statement of the meeting once again demonstrated that Azerbaijans five-article proposal has been accepted, and negotiations in the post-conflict period are actually conducted on the basis of the agenda set by Azerbaijan, the MP stressed.

She noted that holding peace talks at the EU level creates a new mechanism and format for direct talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Mikayilova added that the Brussels process, started by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and EU Council President Charles Michel, can be distinguished by its intensive dynamics.

The MP emphasized that Azerbaijan and Armenia trust the EU, which has a fairly impartial and neutral position on both sides.

"The existence of such an atmosphere of trust creates a solid foundation for advancing the peace process and normalizing Azerbaijani-Armenian relations," Mikayilova said.

She added that the meeting in Brussels, which lasted more than four and a half hours, resulted in an agreement between the heads of states to instruct the foreign ministers to start negotiations on a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"This practical decision was confirmed in a statement issued by Charles Michel as a result of the meeting. Another important point is the agreement on the establishment of the Joint Border Commission. The mandate of the commission includes delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and ensuring stability along and near the border, the MP stated.

She noted that overcoming the humanitarian consequences of the 30-year-old bloody conflict is of paramount importance in promoting peace and trust.

"In this sense, it is gratifying that the EU is determined to support Azerbaijan in demining, determining the fate of missing persons, as well as in construction work," she said.

According to Mikayilova, another important point in the statement is the restoration and establishment of transport and communication lines, the restoration of railways and highways, and the establishment of an economic consultation forum mechanism.

"Once again, the emphasis on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the start of the delimitation process will lead to the elimination of tensions on the border," she said.

Later, the MP noted the importance of the fact that the statement does not mention the term "Nagorno-Karabakh" or the remnant of the past - the OSCE Minsk Group.

Mikayilova underlined that neither the parties, nor the international organizations involved in the process, nor the OSCE itself sees its place in this process.

"The ineffective work of the OSCE Minsk Group in resolving the conflict has clearly shown that the mediation mission is an unnecessary mechanism for resolving these conflicts. The group, which has only evoked irritation with a few inappropriate statements in the post-conflict period, naturally disappeared from the negotiation table today after the resolution of the conflict," Mikayilova added.

Bringing up the words of the EU leader, she pointed out that he called the Brussels meeting an important step forward in the peace process in the South Caucasus.

"The implementation of the results in practice will confirm its effectiveness," she finalized.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and European Council President Charles Michel met in a trilateral format in Brussels on April 6.

The meeting was held for a continuation of the discussions on the situation in the South Caucasus region and the development of EU relations with both countries.

The leaders took stock of developments since their last meeting in Brussels in December 2021 and their videoconference, together with French President Emmanuel Macron, in February 2022. They reviewed progress on the implementation of undertaken commitments. The leaders discussed the recently reported tensions and reiterated the necessity of adhering fully to the provisions of the 9/10 November 2020 trilateral statement.

Both Aliyev and Pashinyan have expressed a willingness to work quickly toward a peace agreement between their countries. To that end, it was decided to instruct foreign ministers to begin work on drafting a future peace treaty that would address all of the issues.

At the same time, it was also agreed to convene a Joint Border Commission by the end of April. The Joint Border Commission's mandate 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.
Estonia has donated more than ten tonnes of accessories for overhead power lines to Ukraine to ensure the uninterrupted operation of Ukrainian electric power systems, the Estonian Ministry of Economy and Communications has said.

"Estonia has sent various overhead power line accessories to the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy to ensure the smooth operation of Ukrainian electricity systems. The aid shipment was collected in cooperation between the public sector and the Estonian Association of Electrical Contractors (EETEL)," the ministry said in a statement published on Sunday.

They said that "a consignment weighing more than ten tons, consisting mainly of high-voltage aluminum wires, control cables and other overhead lines, went to Ukraine."
Detachment of technical and scientific gendarmes from France arrives in Ukraine to investigate Russians war crimes near Kyiv  Ambassador

A detachment of technical and scientific gendarmes from France has arrived in Ukraine to investigate war crimes committed around Kyiv, French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins has said.

"We are proud to welcome in Lviv a detachment of technical and scientific gendarmes who have arrived to help their Ukrainian brethren in the investigation of war crimes committed around Kyiv. France is the first to provide such assistance. They will be at work tomorrow," de Poncins wrote on Twitter on Monday.
Russian soldiers, driven into poverty, take out everything of any value from Ukraine - Zelensky

Russian soldiers, driven into poverty and lawlessness by their state for decades, took out everything of any value from Ukraine, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said.

"When they got to the war and entered the territory of a neighboring state, tens of thousands of Russian military were simply shocked by the normality of life. They were shocked by the cities and villages where people lived and did not live in poverty. They were shocked by household appliances in their homes. They were shocked that people had enough of normal food," Zelensky said, speaking via video link to the South Korean parliament on Monday.

He also said that Russia creates conditions of total poverty for its citizens, when they cannot afford even the simplest things: normal food, education, ordinary household appliances, conditions when military service for many of them becomes the only social elevator and opportunity to get at least something in life.

"Almost immediately, Russian troops engaged in looting on the territory of Ukraine, in those regions where they could break into. They tried to take home to Russia everything that was of any value, from washing machines to computers, from auto parts to clothes. They just stuffed it into armored personnel carriers, trucks. They stole cars and tried to take out all the loot," the president said.

At the same time, he spoke about recorded cases when Russian soldiers took out protective plates from their bulletproof vests in order to hide stolen laptops and tablets in them.

"It's impossible to believe that a person is so poor from birth that he considers a laptop as more valuable than his own life in the war. But that's what we saw on our land when the Russian army broke in," Zelensky said.

According to the head of state, the war in Ukraine is a clash of two different worlds.

"The world of ordinary people who just lived a peaceful life, thought about the future and the world of people who have been specially humiliated by their state for decades, specially driven into poverty and lawlessness so that their power could be directed to any adventures, to any war against neighbors," he said.
Preparation and dispatch of personnel, weapons and equipment continues in Russia for participation in hostilities in Ukraine  General Staff

The recruitment of personnel, training of weapons and equipment for the purpose of transfer to the territory of Ukraine for participation in hostilities continues in the Russian Federation. The enemy continues to shell Kharkiv, Mariupol; unsuccessfully tried to attack in Izium and Donetsk directions, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has reported.

"The enemy continues to create an offensive grouping of troops for actions in Slobozhanske direction. Probably, in the coming days, the occupiers will try to resume the offensive. In addition, the enemy continues to train and send personnel, weapons and equipment to participate in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine," the morning report posted on the Facebook page of the General Staff on Monday says.

In particular, weapons and military equipment are being prepared at the permanent deployment point of the 60th separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (Monastyrysche) of the 5th Combined Arms Army of the Eastern Military District. Probably, these weapons will be moved to the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region. Also, in order to restore the losses of the personnel of the battalion tactical group units from the 36th separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (Borzya, Zabaikalsky Krai) of the 29th combined Arms Army of the Eastern Military District, military personnel from the specified brigade are being recruited. The enemy is experiencing a special problem when completing driver positions and driver mechanics. The departure of the selected personnel from the permanent deployment point is scheduled for the second half of April this year.

"It is not excluded that the armed forces of the Russian Federation will carry out provocative actions on the territory of Zakarpattia region of the Republic of Moldova in order to accuse Ukraine of aggression against a neighboring state," the General Staff said.

In addition, it is expected that the enemy, in order to disrupt the supply of goods to the places of combat operations, will continue attacks on transport infrastructure facilities on the territory of Ukraine in order to destroy or disable them.

Certain units of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus continue to carry out tasks to strengthen the protection of the Ukrainian-Belarusian border in Brest and Gomel regions.

In Slobozhanske direction, separate units from the 6th Combined Arms Army and coastal troops of the Northern Fleet continue to partially block the city of Kharkiv, artillery shelling of certain areas of the city continues.

Aerial reconnaissance of the area is underway in Izium direction in order to identify the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To do this, the enemy uses the Orlan-10 UAV.

With the forces of about two battalion tactical groups, the enemy tried to carry out an offensive in the direction of the settlements of Dovhenke and Dmytrivka, had no success and retreated to previously occupied positions.

In Donetsk direction, the enemy continues to focus its main efforts on taking control of the settlements of Popasne, Rubizhne, Nyzhne and Novobakhmutivka, as well as establishing full control over the city of Mariupol.

The enemy tried to unsuccessfully carry out assault operations in the area of Zolote.

In Mariupol, with the support of artillery and aviation, the occupiers continue assault operations in the areas of the Azovstal plant and the seaport.

By the forces of individual units, the enemy carried out artillery shelling of the positions of our troops in the areas of the settlements of Vysokopillia, Trudoliubivka and Maryanske.

In Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the defenders of Ukraine have repulsed four enemy attacks over the past day, destroyed five tanks, eight armored vehicles, six vehicles and eight enemy artillery systems.
Slovakian PM denies fake that S-300 air defense system transferred to Ukraine was destroyed

Prime Minister of Slovakia Eduard Heger denied the information that the S-300 air defense system provided to Ukraine has been destroyed.

"Slovakia categorically denies Russian propaganda, that S-300 defence system in Ukraine was destroyed. It's a hoax. Officially confirmed by Ukraine, " he said on Twitter.

Earlier, Heger announced the provision of the S-300 air defense system to Ukraine, which was in service with his country.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky called on South Korea to provide assistance with the supply of weapons. Speaking to the South Korean parliament on Monday via video link, he said that "we need air defense systems, we need aircraft, tanks, other armored vehicles, artillery systems and ammunition. And you have something that can be indispensable for us."

"You have it. Armored vehicles, anti-aircraft, anti-tank, anti-ship weapons," he said.

According to Zelensky, "when there is a question of survival in a war aimed at the complete subjugation of the people, fundamental answers must be given. The usual rules for the supply of weapons need to be reconsidered. Fast actions needed. Help should be provided. Giving the necessary weapons to Ukraine means not only saving the lives of our people and not only giving us the opportunity to deblock our cities, but also saving other states, other regions from the further growth of Russian aggression."
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Germany's position has recently changed in favor of Ukraine.

"I spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz today. About how to bring to justice all those guilty of war crimes. How to strengthen sanctions against Russia and how to force Russia to seek peace. I am glad to note that recently the German position has been changing in favor of Ukraine," he said in a video message on Sunday evening.

"I think this is absolutely logical. Since this course is supported by the majority of the German people," the president said, noting that he expects "that everything agreed upon will be implemented."
In Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy regions, the process of resuming control over the state border is beginning, said spokesperson of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Andriy Demchenko.

"In some regions, in particular Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, the process of resuming control over the state border begins, because we did not control the sites. In particular, in the border units (I emphasize that they are located at a certain distance from the border), the state flags of Ukraine have already been raised in all these three regions," Demchenko said at a briefing at the Ukraine media center on Monday.

He informed that in the future, the work is carried out by the servicemen of the State Border Guard Service exclusively together with the Armed Forces of Ukraine in order to inspect the border areas and so that border guards could get as close as possible to the state border line.

According to Demchenko, there is a danger of mining the area, in particular, servicemen found tank shells in the border area.

"We cannot endanger our people, both servicemen of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, because work on the full resumption of control over the border is still ongoing," the spokesperson stressed.

Demchenko noted that the State Border Guard Service records that the equipment of the Russian Federation remains in a certain proximity to the border in Sumy region.

"In those areas where we managed to get out, we have not yet observed the equipment. But, of course, there is information, especially in Sumy region, that the enemy's equipment remains in a certain proximity to the border. In addition, certain fortification measures are being carried out near the border from the same side, which also poses a further danger to the servicemen of the State Border Guard Service if they patrol the border, as it was before. Therefore, we do not allow this, and for our part we also create the necessary conditions for our side to control the border, but there was security for the military," he said.
The yacht of MP of Ukraine Viktor Medvedchuk (the Opposition Platform for Life faction), who is suspected of treason, sized in a Croatian port, will be handed over to the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA), the Prosecutor General's Office reports.

"The Prosecutor General's Office has taken measures to transfer the yacht ROYAL ROMANCE, which, in accordance with the evidence collected in criminal proceedings, belongs to the current MP of Ukraine, suspected of committing high treason and facilitating the activities of terrorist organizations, to ARMA," the Prosecutor General's Office said on Telegram on Monday.

The prosecutor's office reminds that at present the yacht worth about $200 million, which was seized by the court in criminal proceedings, is located in the port of Rijeka, the Republic of Croatia.

In the message of the Prosecutor General's Office, the name of the MP is not indicated, it is about Medvedchuk.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is also responsible for war crimes committed by the Russian military in Ukraine.

"Everyone who made these decisions, issued orders, fulfilled... There are people who voted for annexation, occupation... You cannot say that 'I gave the order to take Mariupol' and then say that 'I am not to blame. The thing that, 'when taken Mariupol, cut off limbs, it is not my fault.' You are all bound. From your order to execution - the distance and there are corpses at this distance," he said in an interview with the 60 Minutes program on the American CBS television channel, published on Monday by the President's Office of Ukraine.

"They have a rigid vertical of following orders. We could talk and meet earlier [with the President of Russia]... He could have prevented this. Now you cannot close your eyes and say that 'I did not do this.' If you [Putin] think that you did not do it, then you must say it in the eyes of the world," the head of state said.

According to Zelensky, "they [the Russians] think that if Ukraine is destroyed, no one will remember what the Russian troops did."

"It is impossible to destroy the entire people. You [Putin] is already not shaking hands. The whole world will not forget this. Everything is there: video, audio, there will be books, memories," the president said.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of a new administrative building of the Institute of Theology under the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations.

President Ilham Aliyev viewed conditions created in the new building.

Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations Mubariz Gurbanli informed the head of state that the Institute features the Faculty of Theology, and departments of Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, Languages and Social Sciences. The institute prepares highly qualified personnel for bachelor's, master's and doctoral (PhD) degrees in higher education.

The Institute of Theology currently enrolls 277 students who are served by 43 teachers.
Representatives of the European Union met with representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in Kyiv to discuss the application for EU accession, Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Matti Maasikas said.

"The best possible start to my first official working day back in Kyiv. Meeting with Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna, representatives of the European Commission for Neighborhood and Enlargement, the EU Delegation to Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on the questionnaire, the basis for the EU Commission forthcoming opinion on Ukraine's EU membership application. Working 24/7 as tasked by Ursula von der Leyen," he said on Twitter.

As reported, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen handed over to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky a questionnaire for joining the EU on April 9.
Russian troops continue to use banned weapons of mass destruction against Ukrainian civilians, Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova has said.

"In Kharkiv region, the enemy uses ammunition prohibited by international conventions. In Synelnikivsky district of Dnipropetrovsk region, a man who picked up a cluster munition blew up. This is the fourth death in the region due to such shells. Several times, Russian occupiers fired cluster bombs at villages on the border of Donetsk and Kherson regions," the ombudsman said in Telegram channel on Monday.

In addition, according to Denisova, in Derhachi, Yemtsi and Bezruki, Kharkiv region, especially dangerous delayed-detonation mines have recently been discovered that explode within several hours, even if they were not blown up by a collision with a target.

"Ammunition with a plastic case, small in size, weighing about one and a half kilogram, is scattered around the yards of residential buildings and streets," the commissioner for human rights said.

The ombudsman once again draws attention to the fact that the use of such types of weapons of mass destruction against civilians is a crime against humanity, a war crime and a violation of the Geneva Conventions of 1949.

"I appeal to the UN Commission to Investigate Human Rights Violations during the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and the expert mission established by the OSCE participating states in accordance with the Moscow mechanism to take into account these facts of war crimes and violations of human rights by Russia in Ukraine," the commissioner for human rights said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky believes that the lack of assistance to Ukraine is not a guarantee that Russia will not use nuclear weapons and is confident that Russia, after Ukraine, can invade other European countries.

"I don't think that without helping Ukraine, you can hide from Russian nuclear weapons. I don't believe in it," Zelensky said in an interview with the 60 Minutes program on the American CBS television channel, published on Monday by the Office of the President of Ukraine, responding to question of the possibility of nuclear war.

"No one in the world can predict what Russia will do. No one. Every day, if they advance in Ukraine, they will advance in Europe in the same way, they will be stronger. They use weapons not on their territory, they don't care - Ukraine, Syria, the Caucasus, whatever," the president said.

According to him, no one can predict Russia's actions, but the West must be strong.

"And what will they say to Lithuania after us? God forbid. If Russia goes further, what will Western countries say to Lithuania? That we should not defend little Lithuania? Because there will be a nuclear strike tomorrow? Russia will say openly: "We are going to Lithuania, they were part of the USSR, we are going to Poland, our troops were there before. And if you, the United States, fight for little Lithuania, then we are not sure that nuclear weapons will not be used. What will everyone do? I don't know," Zelensky said.

He stressed that Ukraine is a "real outpost."

"If we fail, he will go to countries smaller than us, which have not fought recently, which have no experience. He will not have losses there," the president expressed confidence.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that the West could have prevented Russian aggression, but humoured Putin for a long time.

"Could the West have prevented this? I believe that there is a high percentage that they could have done this. I believe that Putin may not hear me. But he could not hear the United States, Great Britain or the Western world. The West was not united. They [in the West] are people of principle, they defend common values, but, first of all, they think about the political situation inside the state, and only then what is happening outside," Zelensky said in an interview with the 60 Minutes program on the American CBS television channel, published on Monday by the President's Office of Ukraine.

According to Zelensky, "they could put powerful pressure on Putin, and he would be forced to hear them."

At the same time, Zelensky said that he has no legal claims against the leaders of NATO countries, however, in general, in his opinion, they are responsible.

"When you can close the sky... Yes, it is scary that the Third World War will start. It is scary, I understand it. I cannot put pressure on them every day, because everyone is afraid of war. But the world is responsible," the president said.

"I saw the leaders of small countries with big hearts. Not everyone played down to Putin. But the one who has something to lose always flirts. Small Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia are countries with big hearts. Countries where major business is Germany always have a choice and difficulties, France, Italy, Portugal, where there are great interests, great trade, long historical relations, cultural ties, many people who emigrated with the capital of the Russian Empire went to Europe with their families. And therefore the influence there is great," he said, noting that all of these countries tried not to spoil relations with Russia.

"No one wants to leave the comfort zone. And fighting Putin, supporting Ukraine, is leaving the comfort zone. Political, financial, and even risking a career, because a war may start. A financial crisis, people may not forgive," Zelensky said.

At the same time, according to him, "there are less and less of these people every day."

"The war in Ukraine, which separated our families, at the same time united us as a nation and united the West," the head of state said.
A possible resumption of the Russian offensive against Kyiv will depend on the hostilities in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksandr Motuzianyk has said.

"At the moment, Russian units have been partially driven out of the territory of Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, partially they have retreated, transferred to the territory of Belarus, from there to the territory of Russia, and from there to the territory of the East of Ukraine. The issue of a possible resumption of the enemy's attack on the capital will depend on of the hostilities that will continue in Donetsk and Luhansk regions," Motuzianyk said at a briefing at the Ukraine media center in Kyiv on Monday.

He said that as of now, several battalion tactical groups are known on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, which carry out demonstration actions there.

"Obviously, this is such a tactical game of Russia to keep Ukrainian army units here and prevent them from being transferred to more difficult operational zones, including to the East and South of Ukraine," Motuzianyk said.
Zakarpattia region transfers 18 modular houses to Kyiv region to be installed for rescuers in Borodianka

Zakarpattia region has transferred 18 special modular houses to Kyiv region, they will be installed in Borodianka, where specialists will temporarily live, conducting search work and dismantling rubble in settlements destroyed by Russians, Viktor Mykyta, the head of Zakarpattia regional military administration, said.

"Some 18 special modular houses have arrived at their destination. One of these days they will be installed in Borodianka, where the infrastructure suffered the most from the hands of the invaders," he wrote on his Facebook page on Monday.

He thanked the George E. Pataki Leadership Center and The Ukrainian Relief Fund for providing modular homes and support.

As reported, during a visit to Zakarpattia region, former New York State Governor George Pataki donated assistance from the George E. Pataki Leadership Center and The Ukrainian Relief Fund to Ukraine in the form of special modular houses that can provide temporary accommodation for people under any conditions.
The European Union intends to assist the Prosecutor Generals of the International Criminal Court and Ukraine in collecting evidence of war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.

High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell announced this after the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU member states in Luxembourg on Monday.

Borrell said that this morning he had a meeting with the Prosecutor General of the International Criminal Court. According to the official, they talked about how to make Russia bear responsibility for massive violations of international law. They will provide assistance by documenting war crimes.

In addition, according to him, together with the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, as well as along with the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, the ministers discussed the current situation through a video conference. The High Representative of the EU said they will support both prosecutors financially and through their team, which is on site, this is the EU Advisory Mission, which was in Ukraine before the war. Now they will work in cooperation with the Ukrainian side, with the Prosecutor General, to guarantee the investigation and collection of evidence on the ground.
The Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine has resumed its work in Kyiv after a break due to full-scale Russian aggression.

"The EU is back in Kyiv!" The mission said in Twitter on Monday.

The statement is illustrated by a photograph of the EU flag on a flagpole installed near the representative office building at 101 Volodymyrska Street in the Ukrainian capital.

The EU Delegation was completely evacuated a day after the start of the war, and since then the main team has been working in Rzeszow in southwestern Poland. On April 9, the press service of the European External Action Service in Brussels (EEAS) announced the return of the EU diplomatic mission to Kyiv.

Last week, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry announced the return of the ambassador to Kyiv. The diplomats were also returned by the Latvian Foreign Ministry. At the end of March, Slovenia's charge d'affaires arrived in the capital of Ukraine. Since the beginning of the war, the Polish ambassador to Ukraine has always remained in Kyiv, who clarified to the media that in addition to him, the Turkish ambassador and the apostolic nuncio to Ukraine also worked in the Ukrainian capital.
In the presence of Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania Ingrida Simonyte, an agreement was signed on cooperation in protecting children affected by the war in Ukraine.

According to the government's press service, the signing of the document took place during the meeting of heads of government on April 11 between the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine and the Ministry of Social Protection and Labor of Lithuania.

It is noted that the agreement provides for mechanisms and tools to support children forced to leave for Lithuania, as well as ensuring their return to Ukraine after the end of active hostilities.

"Thousands of Ukrainians found refuge from the war on the territory of Lithuania, and the Lithuanian people accepted Ukrainian women and children with an open heart. We are grateful for this support," the press service said, citing Shmyhal.
High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell says that Russia, by blocking Ukrainian ships loaded with wheat and bombing fields, is provoking a global food crisis.

He saud this at the end of the meeting of the European Council at the level of Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg on Monday.

According to Borrell, Russian diplomacy on the world stage is engaged in intense propaganda and disinformation, blaming European Union sanctions for its war against Ukraine as responsible for the world food crisis.

The High Representative said that now Russia is making sanctions responsible for the food crisis and price increases when they are not sanctions. Russia continues to bomb Ukrainian fields, Russian warships block dozens of ships filled with wheat that cannot leave Ukrainian ports. They bomb and destroy grain stores, they prevent the export of wheat. They are bombing Ukrainian cities and provoking world hunger. By blocking ports and destroying grain storage facilities in Ukraine, they are provoking world hunger. Stop blaming sanctions. It is the Russian army that is causing the food shortage.

According to him, the countries of Africa are the main cause of concern, since they are the ones who can suffer from the upcoming food crisis.
By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

Baku has strongly condemned Yerevans destructive stance against the background of efforts being made to mend Azerbaijani-Armenian ties after the 44-day war in 2020.

In a statement posted on its website on April 11, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said: We reject another unfounded, illegal, hostile statement by the Armenian Foreign Ministry, strongly condemn the destructive position of the Armenian side at a time when decisions are made to take steps to normalize relations between the two countries.

The ministry recalled that about one million Azerbaijanis were subjected to ethnic cleansing and their fundamental rights have been grossly violated by Armenia for almost 30 years. Armenia committed multiple war crimes during military aggression, including the barbaric slaughter of 613 civilians overnight in Azerbaijans Khojaly region.

Moreover, Armenia is responsible for the fate of approximately 4,000 Azerbaijanis who went missing in the early 1990s and some of whose mass graves were only recently discovered, the statement added.

Taking all the aforementioned facts into account, on what grounds does the Armenian side, which is still evading responsibility for numerous crimes, talk about mass murder or ethnic cleansing?, the statement stressed.

The Armenian Foreign Ministrys latest statement [10 April 2022] encourages separatism in Azerbaijan, violates international law by interfering in another country's internal affairs, undermines regional peace efforts and shows that normalization and peaceful coexistence are not Yerevan's genuine intentions, it underlined

Regardless of Armenia's choice, Azerbaijan will continue to move towards development and progress within its international borders in accordance with its obligations and international law, the ministry emphasized.

On April 10, the Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing solidarity with Armenians residing in Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territories, referring to these lands as "Nagorno Karabakh"  an entity that does not exist in Azerbaijan.

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 districts came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s.

On January 11, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed the second statement since the end of the 44-day war. The newly-signed statement was set to implement clause 9 of the November 2020 statement related to the unblocking of all economic and transport communications in the region.

On November 26, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed a statement and agreed on a number of issues, including the demarcation and delimitation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border by late 2021, some points related to humanitarian issues and the issue of unblocking of transport corridors which applies to the railway and to automobile communications.

On December 14, 2021, during the Brussels meeting, organized between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders at the initiative of European Council President Charles Michel, the sides reaffirmed their commitment to the conditions agreed in the Sochi meeting.

Both sides agreed to establish a temporary working group on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The issue of demining the liberated territories of Azerbaijan was also brought up on the agenda, and the European Union's readiness to provide technical assistance to Azerbaijan in this regard was underlined at the meeting.

On April 6, 2022, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and European Council President Charles Michel met in a trilateral format in Brussels again.

The meeting was held for a continuation of the discussions on the situation in the South Caucasus region and the development of EU relations with both countries.

The leaders took stock of developments since their last meeting in Brussels in December 2021 and their videoconference, together with French President Emmanuel Macron, in February 2022. They reviewed progress on the implementation of undertaken commitments. The leaders discussed the recently reported tensions and reiterated the necessity of adhering fully to the provisions of the 9/10 November 2020 trilateral statement.

Both Aliyev and Pashinyan have expressed a willingness to work quickly toward a peace agreement between their countries. To that end, it was decided to instruct foreign ministers to begin work on drafting a future peace treaty that would address all of the issues.

At the same time, it was also agreed to convene a Joint Border Commission by the end of April. The Joint Border Commission's mandate 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.
On Monday, Russian occupation troops tried to storm the city of Severodonetsk in Luhansk region, but they were unsuccessful, according to the Facebook page of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in operational information as of 18.00.

During the shelling of the city of Popasna, Luhansk region, the invaders used the Tochka-U tactical missile system. Enemy attempts to move deep into the territory of Ukraine in Donetsk and Taurida directions to improve the tactical situation were not successful, the General Staff said.

The enemy is carrying out assault operations in certain areas of the city of Mariupol, Donetsk region.

In Slobozhansk direction, the invaders continue to partially block the city of Kharkiv, firing from multiple missile launchers, artillery and mortars.
At video meeting with Biden, Modi expresses hope for peaceful solution to situation in Ukraine

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday during a video conference with U.S. President Joe Biden said that he hopes for a peaceful settlement of the situation in Ukraine, and also promised to send more medical aid to Ukraine.

"We hope that the ongoing talks between Russia and Ukraine will pave the way for peace," Modi said during the videoconference part of the talks with Biden, which was open to journalists.

The Indian Prime Minister also announced the need to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. He said that India, for its part, delivers medicines and other assistance to Ukraine and neighboring countries.

Modi said that at the request of Ukraine, India will soon supply another batch of medicines.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky discussed defense support for Ukraine and tougher sanctions against Russia with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte.

"Continued dialogue with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte. Discussed defense support for  in our counteraction to Russia's aggression, the need to enhance sanctions and punish all those guilty of the horrible crimes of the aggressor in Ukraine. We will continue to coordinate efforts to achieve peace in!" Zelensky said on Twitter.
Civilian casualties from February 24, when Russia started the war against Ukraine, to 00:00 on April 10 amounted to 4,335 civilians (4,232 in the report a day earlier), including 1,842 killed (1,793), the Office of the High Commissioner UN Human Rights said on Monday.

"OHCHR believes that the actual figures are considerably higher, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration," the UN said in the document.

According to it, this concerns, for example, Mariupol (Donetsk region), Izium (Kharkiv region), Popasna (Luhansk region), and Borodianka (Kyiv region), where there are allegations of numerous civilian casualties. These figures are being further corroborated and are not included in the above statistics.

"Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes," the UN said in the staetemet.

According to confirmed UN data, some 474 men, some 301 women, some 50 boys and some 28 girls killed, while the gender of 70 children and 919 adults has not yet been determined.

Among the 2,493 wounded were 49 girls and 50 boys, as well as 134 children whose gender has not yet been determined.

Compared with the previous day, according to the UN, six more children were killed and four wounded.

OHCHR said that in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as of midnight on April 11, there were 583 (571) killed and 983 (963) wounded in government-controlled territory, and 73 (71) killed and 277 (275) injured in territory controlled by self-proclaimed "republics."

In other regions of Ukraine under government control (in Kyiv, as well as in Zhytomyr, Zaporizhia, Kyiv, Sumy, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Chernihiv regions), the UN recorded 1,186 (1,151) killed and 1,233 (1,201) wounded.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, as of 08:00 on April 11, 183 (176) children were killed, 342 (336) were wouned.

The summary traditionally states that the increase in indicators in it to the previous report should not be attributed only to cases that occurred on April 10, since during the day OHCHR also verified a number of cases that occurred in previous days.
High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell says that in the light of the upcoming military operations of Russia in the east of Ukraine, the EU will continue to support Kyiv in the military aspect.

At the end of a meeting of the European Council at the level of Foreign Ministers, in Luxembourg on Monday, Borrell said what happens on the eastern front makes all of them more ready to continue to support Ukraine, which is facing this battle. The EU has mobilized more funding from the European Peace Facility Fund. Now the EU is ready to support Ukraine in a military aspect, according to the official statement.

Describing Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, the High Representative considered it possible to say that two words are needed to qualify Russian aggression against Ukraine, the first is failure. This is a big failure of the Russian army. They tried to take Kyiv, but they were thrown back, now they have left Kyiv. They saw that it was impossible to take the capital, and regrouped to the east. The Ukrainians are sure that they intend to launch a big operation in Donbas. The second word, and this is even harder, is what the Russian army left behind, these are killed civilians, destroyed cities, indiscriminate bombing, such as we saw at the railway station. The EU is very concerned about the humanitarian consequences of this war, Borrell said.
During the next meeting, Ambassador of Ukraine Yevhen Korniychuk and Minister of Internal Affairs of Israel Ayeled Shaked reached a number of agreements on the issue of Ukrainian refugees staying in Israel. The Embassy reported this at Facebook.

During the negotiations on the status of Ukrainian citizens staying in Israel during the hostilities, a number of agreements were reached. The Israeli side has responded positively to work permits for Ukrainians who arrived in Israel on the eve of the full-scale Russian invasion and were forced to stay, as well as those who entered Israel after February 23. In addition, these categories of citizens will be able to receive basic social insurance, - the statement reads.

In addition, the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs agreed in principle to issue entry permits to families of Ukrainian citizens legally staying in Israel on work visas.

The Embassy no longer agrees with the principle of applying quotas and any other restrictions on the entry of Ukrainians into Israel, mostly women and children, at the invitation of Israeli friends who are ready to provide Ukrainians with shelter from the horrors of Russian aggression, - the Embassy said.
A 500-million-euro ($530 million) Lithuanian-Polish natural gas transmission pipeline was inaugurated Thursday, completing another stage of regional independence from Russian energy sources.
Israeli troops on Sunday shot and killed an unarmed Palestinian woman in the occupied West Bank and Palestinians set fire to a shrine revered by Jews, Israeli and Palestinian officials said. It was the latest episode of violence during the holy month of Ramadan.

Tension has been escalating as Ramadan this year converges with major Jewish and Christian holidays. Protests during Ramadan last year boiled over into an 11-day war between Israel and Gaza militants.

The Israeli army said it fired at the woman's lower body after she approached a military checkpoint near the West Bank city of Bethlehem and ignored calls to stop and warning shots fired into the air. The Palestinian Health Ministry said the woman, who was in her 40s, later died from her injuries in a hospital.

Palestinian assailants often carry out attacks at checkpoints in the West Bank. But Palestinians and human rights groups say the military often uses excessive force and in some cases has injured or killed people who were not involved in violence. The Israeli military confirmed the woman was found to be unarmed and said the incident was under investigation.

Earlier, Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav, the chief military spokesman, told Israeli Army Radio that some 100 Palestinians marched toward Joseph's Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus late Saturday and set it ablaze before they were dispersed by Palestinian security forces. Images on social media showed parts of the tomb inside the shrine smashed and charred.

Joseph's Tomb is a flashpoint prayer site. Some Jews believe the biblical Joseph is buried in the tomb, while Muslims say a sheikh is buried there. The army escorts Jewish worshippers to the site several times a year, in coordination with Palestinian security forces.

The incident drew condemnation from Israeli leaders. ``The vandalism of Joseph's Tomb is a grave event and a serious violation of freedom of worship in one of the holiest places for every Jew,'' Defense Minister Benny Gantz tweeted.

The incidents come as Israeli forces continued to operate in the northern West Bank city of Jenin and the surrounding area, home to two of the Palestinian attackers who staged deadly attacks against Israelis in recent weeks.

Jenin is considered a stronghold of Palestinian militants. Israeli forces often come under fire when operating in the area. Even the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank and coordinates with Israel on security matters, appears to have little control there.

Late Saturday, Israel announced that it was tightening restrictions on movement in and out of the city, though it continued to allow laborers to enter Israel for work. A raid on the hometown of one of the assailants on Saturday sparked a gunbattle that left at least one Palestinian militant dead.

Jenin governor Akram Rajoub denounced the ongoing Israeli activity in the area, called the measures ``an expression of collective punishment'' meant to disrupt the lives of Palestinians rather than thwart attacks.

The army said the forces were making arrests, gathering intelligence and preparing the homes of the attackers for demolition.

``We will be at every place at any time as needed to cut off these terror attacks. Israel is going on the offensive,'' Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told a meeting of his Cabinet.

In Sunday's raid, the military said a ``violent riot'' broke out as forces were operating in the village of Yabad, home to one of the attackers. It said forces opened fire and ``neutralized'' one Palestinian who threw an explosive at them. It was unclear what his condition was.

Forces arrested at least eight suspects and found Israeli military ammunition and uniforms in one of the suspect's homes as well as illegal arms, the military said.

Four attacks by Palestinians in recent weeks have killed 14 people in one of the deadliest bursts of violence against Israelis in years.

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Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer will visit Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, the first European leader to meet him since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Vienna said Sunday.

"He is going there, having informed Berlin, Brussels, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky" to encourage dialogue, said a spokesman for Nehammer, who was in Ukraine on Saturday.

The spokesman confirmed he is the first European leader to meet Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

Nehammer took the initiative himself and organized the meeting during his stay in Ukraine, wanting "to do everything so that progress towards peace can be made" even if the chances are minimal, he added.

He intends to talk to the Kremlin about "war crimes" in the town of Bucha outside Kyiv, which he visited on Saturday.

Dozens of bodies dressed in civilian clothes were discovered there a week ago, shocking the world, following the withdrawal of Russian troops.

Moscow has firmly rejected any involvement.

Nehammer, who returned to Vienna on Sunday, also met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit.

"It is important that, within the framework of our neutrality, we support Ukraine both at a humanitarian level and politically," the spokesman said.

Austria is a member of the European Union, but does not belong to NATO.

Vienna has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and this week expelled four Russian diplomats.

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The World Bank issued dire forecasts for Ukraine as Russia's invasion impacts both the country and its neighbors, warning in a report released Sunday of an even bleaker economic outlook if the conflict drags on.

Ukraine's economy will collapse by 45.1 percent this year, the bank predicted, far worse than the 10 percent to 35 percent downturn the IMF projected last month.

Russia will see an 11.2 percent decline in GDP, and the World Bank said the entire region is suffering economic consequences from the war, which began in late February and has caused more than four million Ukrainians to flee to Poland, Romania and Moldova.

The conflict also has caused prices of grains and energy to soar.

"The results of our analysis are very sobering. Our forecasts show that the Russian invasion in Ukraine has reversed the region's recovery from the pandemic," said Anna Bjerde, World Bank vice president for Europe and Central Asia.

"This is the second major shock to hit the regional economy in two years and comes at a very precarious time for the region, as many economies were still struggling to recover from the pandemic," she told reporters.

The Washington-based institutions expect emerging and developing countries in the Europe and Central Asia region to contract by 4.1 percent this year, a sharp reversal from the three percent growth projected before the war, and twice as bad as the pandemic-induced recession in 2020.

Worst-Case Scenario

Ukraine faces the starkest outlook, with its economy under "severe strain" from shrunken government revenues, businesses that have closed or are only partially operational, and trade in goods that is severely disrupted.

Grain exports and other economic activity have "become impossible in large swaths of the country due to heavy damage to infrastructure," Bjerde said.

The bank's forecasts assumed the war would continue for a few more months, but cautioned that they "are subject to significant uncertainty."

In a more pessimistic scenario, which reflects an escalation of the conflict, there would be a larger negative impact on the euro area, increased Western sanctions, and a financial shock due to eroding confidence.

The region's economy would contract by nearly nine percent -- worse than the 2008 global financial crisis -- with a 20 percent decline for Russia and a 75 percent collapse for Ukraine, the report said.

Another cause for concern is a projected increase in poverty in Ukraine.

The proportion of the population living on $5.50 a day is expected to rise to 19.8 percent this year from just 1.8 percent in 2021, according to the World Bank.

Collateral Damage

Even if the region avoids the worst-case scenario, Eastern Europe alone is expected to see its GDP plummet by 30.7 percent rather than grow by 1.4 percent, as projected before the invasion.

The region also has been impacted by the sanctions imposed on Russian ally Belarus for its role in the war.

The report warns that Moldova is likely to be one of the countries hardest hit by the conflict, not only because of its geographic proximity to the war, but also its inherent vulnerability as a small economy closely linked to Ukraine and Russia.

In addition, this part of Europe is dependent on natural gas to meet its energy needs.

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By Azernews





By Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's diplomacy is assisting in moving the peace process with Armenia in the right direction., U.S. analyst Irina Tsukerman has said.

The analyst made the remarks in an interview with the local media, commenting on the recent trilateral meeting in Brussels on April 6.

She noted that it is remarkable that, despite recent propaganda and provocations, Yerevan is cooperating and has agreed to reciprocate the step in proposing the peace agreement.

The rest, of course, depends on the good faith of [Armenian Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinyan. Armenias population is tired of costly skirmishes, and bloody wars. Part of the success here lies in Baku's consistent firm position on its own principles, she added.

Steps forward peace treaty

Tsukerman went on to say that the outcome of the Brussels talks provides a reason for cautious optimism.

She noted that the road to a peace treaty is long, but both parties have made it clear that steps are being taken toward that end.

Tsukerman believes that the fact that the foreign ministries of Azerbaijan and Armenia will be involved in the development of the terms of a peace treaty means that, despite the pressure from some third parties, Yerevan is finally serious.

Later, she stated that what happens next is determined by how quickly the next steps toward normalization are taken.

In her opinion, the main obstacle to resolving border demarcation and delimitation issues is the pressure from Armenian lobbyists in the West, the Karabakh clan, and revanchists who are tied to mythology and think about the past rather than the future.

Pashinyan should address the people with a speech describing the optimistic prospects for peaceful coexistence in the region and begin the hard work of distancing himself from the so-called allies who think only of their own benefit, said Tsukerman.

Former US ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza said the agreement reached by Azerbaijan and Armenia is a very positive sign.

"I believe these are the steps that both leaders have long desired to take but have been thwarted by Pashinyan's political opposition in Armenia," Bryza said.

He also drew attention to the protests in Yerevan against Armenia's positive steps by people who still believe that Armenia can reclaim the territories it illegally took from Azerbaijan and build "A Greater Armenia" along the lines of the medieval state, which would also include territory from Turkey, but those reigns are over.

"It is now time for Azerbaijan and Armenia to reach a peace agreement. The formation of a joint border commission and the demarcation of the international border between Azerbaijan and Armenia will also save lives. This is a critical potential step toward peace. Let's hope work starts [soon]," the former ambassador added.

EU role in relations normalization

Tsukerman pointed out that ultimately, Azerbaijan's security and prosperity benefit the entire region, helping integrate faster and stimulating economic and cultural opportunities. According to her, this will also make it a more effective partner for the EU on a number of critical issues, such as energy.

The analyst stressed that in contrast to the OSCE Minsk Group, the EU had played a very active and constructive role in the peace process.

"The focus on confidence-building measures, in particular, is pragmatic and mutually acceptable. Humanitarian demining efforts should elicit no official opposition from Armenia; in fact, it may provide them with a tactful diplomatic opportunity to make amends with their neighbor," she said.

Noting that European Union is much more actively involved in this process than, say, the Minsk Group, she stressed that Charles Michel pushed both sides to demonstrate goodwill through concrete actions, and also insisted on a clear plan for further meetings.

She emphasized that EU Council President Charles Michel pushed both sides to demonstrate goodwill through specific actions and insisted on a clear plan for future meetings.

However, the rest depends only on the sides themselves. Baku has so far fulfilled its obligations, but since Sochi, Armenia has constantly shied away from fulfilling what its prime minister signed after the 44-day war. Perhaps with more active EU mediation, and also given the current situation with Russia, it is in Yerevan's best interests to cooperate, reach an agreement and enlist the support of neighbors. It sounds a bit rude, but, as they say, we will all stand together or we will hang alone," the analyst noted.

Bryza also pointed out the EU's important role in fostering stability in the South Caucasus.

"I have believed for many years, dating back to my time as the U.S. co-chair of the Minsk Group, that the EU should play a role in the mediation of the Karabakh conflict. It didn't make sense to me that France was the co-chair of the Minsk Group rather than the entire EU. Yes, France is a significant country, but the EU as a whole is a superpower, and France is not," Bryza explained.

In his opinion, the EU is now demonstrating the important role it can play in laying the foundation for long-term stability and peace. He added that Charles Michel has expressed a strong interest in promoting stability in the South Caucasus.

"The EU can help with confidence-building measures, humanitarian demining, and possibly by underwriting investments in transportation links. But the main thing that the EU is doing is arranging for the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders to meet to discuss the important issues of a peace agreement and the demarcation of Azerbaijan and Armenia's international borders," he concluded.
European Union foreign ministers are meeting to weigh the effectiveness of the bloc's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine amid concern about Moscow's preparations for a major attack in the east.

The ministers will hold talks with the International Criminal Court's Prosecutor-General Karim A.A. Khan as Western pressure mounts to hold to account those responsible for any war crimes in Ukraine.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is chairing Monday's meeting in Luxembourg, deplored what he called the ``brutal, brutal aggression'' of Russian troops.

Borrell, who was in Ukraine over the weekend, says further EU sanctions against Russia ``are always on the table.''

He says he's ``afraid the Russian troops are massing on the east to launch an attack on the Donbas,'' region in the east after Moscow withdrew its forces from around the capital Kyiv last week.

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Australia's Department of Home Affairs announced easing the ban imposed since late 2015 on air cargo from Egypt, the country's foreign ministry quoted Ambassador to Canberra Mahmoud Zayed as saying on Sunday.

The decision allows the resumption of air shipments from Egypt to Australia through specific intermediate points, the ambassador said. The step is meant to boost trade and transport between the two countries.

In December 2015, the Australian Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development announced a ban on air cargo transported on passenger and freight aircraft from or through Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Bangladesh as a security measure.

The ban on Egypt and Bangladesh, however, excluded a number of objects, such as diplomatic bags, government articles, and small items.

In February, Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Jeremy Bruer was quoted by Bangladesh-based The Daily Star newspaper as saying that his country will lift the air cargo ban on Bangladesh.

The restrictions are a preventive security measure based on the governments understanding of the threat and risk environment in these countries, Australia said in 2015.

It denied information suggesting the presence of any specific threat for flights to or from Australia, adding that the restrictions are in line with similar measures imposed by some international airlines and regulators worldwide.

The ban was imposed based on Australias Aviation Transport Security Act 2004, a regulatory framework to protect the country against unlawful interference with the civil aviation in the country and establish the minimum security requirements for civil aviation through imposing air cargo-related obligations.

The Australian ban came less than two months after a Russian plane crashed over Sinai in 2015 reportedly due to a bomb that was planted on the plane, leading Russia and the UK to suspend direct flights to Egypt before they were resumed years later.

Zayed hailed the Australian step, saying it was the result of the efforts made by the Egyptian ministries of foreign affairs and civil aviation in coordination with the relevant Australian authorities.

Egypt and Australia share warm and long standing relations on the official and popular levels. According to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, there are around 100,000 Australians of Egyptian descent living in Australia in addition to about 40,000 people living in Australia who were born in Egypt.

In 2019-2020, trade between the two countries totalled $560 million, making Egypt Australia's 51st largest trading partner during that period, the Australian foreign department said.

This included $49 million in imports from Egypt, represented in fruits, nuts, floor coverings, and construction materials.

Australias exports to Egypt, which totalled $511 million, included vegetables, meat, wool, and wheat.

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Three EU countries said on Monday they were giving around 2.5 million euros ($2.7 million) to the International Criminal Court as it probes alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

The announcements by the foreign ministers of Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden were made just after they met the ICC's chief prosecutor Karim Khan with other EU nations.

Khan announced in early March, a week after Russia's invasion of its pro-Western neighbour, that his office had opened "active investigations" into possible war crimes in Ukraine.

Atrocities uncovered in the town of Bucha near Kyiv this month and a deadly missile attack on a crowded train station in Ukraine's eastern city of Kramatorsk last week have spurred moves to help the probes.

The investigations are being led by Ukraine's prosecution service with forensic experts deployed from several EU countries.

The European Union last week announced it was giving 7.5 million euros to train Ukrainian prosecutors to investigate alleged war crimes.

Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Dutch counterpart Wopke Hoekstra on Monday said their governments were each donating one million euros to the ICC for its probes.

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said Stockholm was giving five million kronor (485,000 euros, $530,000).

Hoekstra said the view of the EU foreign ministers was that The Hague-based ICC was the best-placed institution to bring the perpetrators of alleged war crimes in Ukraine to justice.

"Each of the member states is truly committed to make sure justice is being done... given the horrible images and the clear crimes that that that we've all seen on television that are truly appalling," he said.

Ukraine's government and some EU countries have said Russia has committed war crimes. Moscow denies the accusations.

Top EU officials, however, have been more prudent, observing due process and preferring to await the results of the war crimes investigations.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who visited Bucha on Friday, said as she left Ukraine: "If this is not a war crime, what is a war crime?

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German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock headed to Mali on Monday for talks with the junta amid uncertainty over the future of German troops there, a foreign ministry spokesman said.

Baerbock will meet junta leader Assimi Goita and Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, the spokesman said.

She will then continue to Niger for talks with President Mohamed Bazoum and Foreign Minister Ibrahim Yacoubou and return to Germany on Saturday.

Baerbock's aim is to "get a precise picture of the political and security situation on the ground" as Germany weighs its ongoing participation in military missions in Mali, the spokesman said.

"The Bamako government has lost the confidence of the international community in recent months, notably by holding back democratic transition and by intensifying military cooperation with Moscow," Baerbock said in a statement before her departure.

'Question Commitment'

"In this context, we shall have to question a new German commitment in the Sahel region," she added.

Baerbock's visit to Niger is to a country with a key role regarding the redeployment of international forces in the Sahel.

But her tour began on a day that saw the EU decide to halt its military training missions in Mali while maintaining a presence in the Sahel, which EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell insisted "remains a priority".

Borrell said developments in Mali "have forced us to see there were not sufficient guarantees... on non-interference by the Wagner group", a Russian private military organisation that France and other countries say is operating in Mali as an armed force.

Russia says it has only supplied military instructors to Mali but the EU is concerned about reports that the group joined Malian soldiers in an operation last month in the village of Moura in which more than 200 civilians were killed.

German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht visited German troops stationed in Mali at the weekend and spoke of "atrocities" in Moura.

Mali's military-dominated government says it "neutralised" 203 jihadists there, but witnesses interviewed by media and Human Rights Watch (HRW) say soldiers actually killed scores of civilians.

Germany has around 1,100 soldiers deployed as part of the 14,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA.

The EU state has also contributed some 300 troops to the EU military training mission (EUTM Mali) in the Sahel country.

Germany's parliament is due to decide whether to extend the country's participation in MINUSMA and EUTM Mali in May.

Former colonial power France announced in February it was pulling thousands of troops out of Mali, plunging the future of Germany's military engagement into doubt.

Mali has been struggling to contain a brutal jihadist insurgency that first emerged in 2012, before spreading to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed and two million people forced to flee their homes by the Sahel-wide conflict, of which Mali remains the epicentre.

France announced its military pullout due to a dispute with Mali's military junta, which seized power in 2020 and has since defied international calls to swiftly restore civilian rule.

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Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met on Monday with Eamon Gilmore, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, to discuss national efforts to boost human rights and implement a national strategy to that effect in Egypt.

The meeting was held in the framework of dialogue and consultation with the European partner, said foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez.

The EU Special Representative for Human Rights is currently on a three-day visit to Cairo.

In a tweet on his official Twitter account on Monday, Gilmore said he was going to discuss human rights matters with the Egyptian government, civil society, parliament, the National Council For Human Rights, and others.

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Egypts foreign ministry announced on Monday that Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry headed today to Washington DC for an official visit to the United States.

The Egyptian FM will meet with his US counterpart Anthony Blinken as well as a number of US officials.

Shoukry is going to have meetings with a number of US Chamber of Commerce members and think tank members.

This visit comes in the framework of intensifying communications and consultation between the two friendly countries as well as to boost all the aspects of the distinguished strategic relations between them and exchanging visions about the regional and international issues of common interest, the foreign ministry said.

Shoukrys last visit to Washington was in November 2021, where he held talks with his US counterpart Blinken as part of the US-Egyptian Strategic dialogue.

The last meeting between Shoukry and Blinken was in late March on the sidelines of the Negev summit in Israel.

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Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:

Deadly weekend shellings

Weekend bombardments around Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine have claimed at least 12 lives, according to regional governor Oleg Synegubov.

"The Russian army continues to wage war on civilians due to a lack of victories at the front," he says on Telegram.

On Sunday, the United Nations says 4,232 civilian casualties had been recorded in Ukraine to date, with 1,793 killed and 2,439 injured.

Kyiv readies for battles in east

Ukraine is preparing for "important battles" against Russian forces in the east of the country, officials in Kyiv say, as thousands of civilians flee in fear of an imminent offensive.

Evacuations resume from Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, where a missile strike killed 52 people at a railway station Friday.

More than 1,200 bodies found

Accusing Moscow of war crimes, Ukraine says it has discovered a trail of more than 1,220 bodies outside Kyiv in towns where the Russian army has retreated.

"We have actually now, only for this morning, 1,222 dead people only in Kyiv region," Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova tells Britain's Sky News in an interview, without specifying how many of those were civilians.

She says 5,600 cases have been opened into alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces since the start of the February 24 invasion.

At least two bodies were discovered in a manhole at a petrol station west of Kyiv, an AFP reporter says.

Pope calls for Easter ceasefire

Pope Francis calls for an Easter truce in Ukraine to pave the way for peace through "real negotiation".

"Let the Easter truce begin. But not to provide more weapons and pick up the combat again -- no! -- a truce that will lead to peace, through real negotiation," the pontiff tells a public mass at Saint Peter's Square.

More than 4.5 million flee Ukraine war

More than 4.5 million Ukrainian refugees have now fled their country, the United Nations refugee agency says.

Ninety percent of those who have left are women and children, as the Ukrainian authorities do not allow men of military age to leave.

Pro-Russia rally in Germany

Pro-Russia protesters rally in Germany, with the country's significant Russian-speaking population demanding an end to the discrimination it says it has suffered since the war began in Ukraine.

Germany is home to 1.2 million people of Russian origin and 325,000 from Ukraine. Authorities fear the conflict could be imported into Germany and the protests used to promote Moscow's war narrative.

Police have recorded 383 anti-Russian offences and 181 anti-Ukrainian offences since the Kremlin's invasion started on February 24.

Dnipro airport destroyed

The airport in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro has been destroyed in fresh Russian shelling, a local official says.

"There has been another attack on Dnipro airport. There is nothing left of it. The airport itself and the infrastructure around it has been destroyed. Rockets keep flying and flying," the head of the city's military administration, Valentin Reznichenko, says on Telegram.

Authorities were seeking to clarify information about victims, he adds.

Biden, Modi to discuss Ukraine

US President Joe Biden will meet virtually Monday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, weeks after saying New Delhi has been "shaky" in its response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Austrian leader to meet Putin

Vienna says Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer will visit Putin in Moscow Monday, the first European leader to meet him since the invasion.

EU to discuss new Russia sanctions

EU foreign ministers are to discuss Monday a sixth round of sanctions on Moscow.

Although the sanctions that would hurt Russia the most -- an EU boycott of its oil and gas exports -- are not on the table formally, European Union diplomats acknowledge there are discussions about them.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called for such EU embargoes, but the bloc remains divided over a ban on Russian energy imports.

Bleak World Bank forecast

Ukraine's economy will collapse by 45.1 percent this year, the World Bank predicts, with the entire region suffering economic consequences from the war.

"Our forecasts show that the Russian invasion in Ukraine has reversed the region's recovery from the pandemic," said Anna Bjerde, World Bank vice president for Europe and Central Asia.

Should the conflict escalate, the Bank warned the region's economy could contract by nearly nine percent -- worse than the 2008 global financial crisis.

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Indonesian police deployed tear gas and water cannon against thousands of students protesting Monday against extending the presidential term limit, after rumours swirled for weeks about a potential change to the country's constitution.

The Southeast Asian country's next election is in 2024 and President Joko Widodo would not be eligible to run as Indonesia places a two-term limit on its leader.

But senior ministers and several political parties last month suggested the election should be delayed and the constitution amended to allow presidents to serve more than two terms.

Monday saw about 2,000 university students gather in front of the House of Representatives building. Indonesia has seen similar rallies sprout across the country in the last week.

"We demand the House of Representatives not betray the constitution by making an amendment and we firmly reject delaying the 2024 election," protest coordinator Luthfi Yufrizal said in a statement.

Police later fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse the protesters, according to AFP reporters on the scene.

Some students clashed with police, who rounded up dozens of people to be taken in for questioning.

The debate on delaying the election and extending the presidential term has gathered steam since March, despite Widodo himself rebuking the suggestions multiple times.

On Sunday, he reiterated that it was "speculation".

"The schedules for the presidential and regional election of 2024 have been agreed. It's all clear," Widodo said in a tweet. "Don't be provoked by insignificant political interests."

But critics said his objection to the proposals came far too late, only fuelling the furore.

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Slovakia has denied its S-300 air defense missile system it transported to Ukraine has been destroyed by the Russian armed forces.

``Our S-300 system has not been destroyed,'' Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakia's Prime Minister Eduard Heger said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.

She said any other claim is not true.

Earlier on Monday, the Russian military said it destroyed a shipment of air defense missile system provided by the West on the southern outskirts of the city of Dnipro.

The Russian side said Ukraine had received the air defense system from a European country that he didn't name. Last week, Slovakia said it has handed over its Soviet-designed S-300 air defense systems to Ukraine, which has pleaded with the West to give it more weapons, including long-range air defense systems.

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French police officers and forensic doctors arrived in Ukraine Monday to help investigate alleged Russian war crimes after hundreds of civilian bodies were discovered in towns around Kyiv, Paris said.

The French interior and justice ministries said they had sent the team to "prevent the impunity of acts constituting war crimes" following the killings that shocked the world.

Russia immediately accused the team of bias and trying to tarnish Moscow's reputation.

The French ministries said the detectives would "provide concrete support" to Ukrainian and international jurisdictions to probe the killings.

"In agreement with the Ukrainian authorities, it may also contribute to the International Criminal Court investigation."

The experts will help in the "identification and collection of evidence," they said.

France's ambassador to Ukraine posted a photograph on Twitter of the uniformed officers standing by a mobile laboratory van in the western city of Lviv.

"Proud to welcome to Lviv the detachment of technical and scientific gendarmes who came to assist their comrades in investigations of war crimes committed near Kyiv," Etienne de Poncins said.

"France is the first to provide such help. They will start work tomorrow."

Ukraine says it found 1,222 bodies in areas in the Kyiv region from where the Russian army recently retreated.

It has vowed to find and identify those behind civilian killings and has called for international help in doing so.

Forensic Doctors And DNA Lab

The ministries said the team is made up of "two forensic doctors and about 15 gendarmes from the National Gendarmerie Criminal Research Institute (IRCGN), experts in a crime scene and victim identification".

The officers are skilled in "DNA sampling and processing fingerprints" and will "set up a chain of examination and identification of bodies."

They are equipped with a DNA lab that will allow them to do "rapid genetic analysis."

Paris also aims to "coordinate contributions of EU member states and agencies" to investigate possible war crimes in Ukraine, the ministries said.

Russia's defense ministry said it could not "count on an impartial investigation" because the French experts were biased.

The aim of the mission was to "cover-up numerous war crimes" committed by the Ukrainians and "fabricate accusations against the Russian forces", it added.

Ukraine's prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said Sunday that Kyiv was probing 5,600 alleged war crimes involving "500 suspects" from Russia's government and military.

Images of the dead civilians in towns such as Bucha and Irpin near Kyiv have shocked the world.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he has created a special mechanism to investigate Russian "crimes" in Ukraine, which includes "national and international experts".

France's President Emmanuel Macron has said there are "clear indications" of Russian war crimes near Kyiv.

Moscow denies this, with President Vladimir Putin accusing Ukraine of staging the civilian deaths.

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By Azernews





By Orkhan Amashov

The OSCE Minsk Group has long been dysfunctional and paralysed. Now that the U.S. and France openly declared they would not cooperate with Russia, it has become practically defunct. Is this the irreversible end of it? Has it been decisively consigned to the dustbin of history?

Finality, in this particular case, will likely require a more crystallised form of fixation. One probability is that the OSCE Minsk Group may die, in stages, a Zhirinovsky (in reference to Vladimir Zhirinovsky's recent departure from life) death, mimicking the veteran Russian politician's "incremental passing away", as to which a series of news cropped up in the public domain, out of which only the very last incidence was genuine.

The OSCE Minsk Groups present state is akin to that of a patient, who is medically alive, thanks to being artificially connected to a life support machine. It will be "finally final" when a conclusive and long-awaited coup de grace is delivered, which will probably require one of the conflicting sides formal statement, followed by an act of official disbandment by the OSCE.

In Azerbaijan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs statement as to the Western-initiated cancellation of the format has been received as a plausible and long-overdue development. However, in Armenia, gloomy wretchedness has taken over the national mood.

Ashot Mirzoyan, a political analyst and a former education minister, for instance, described Lavrovs admission, as a sign that all that the OSCE Minsk Group had achieved before 2018, including the principles concerning the rights of self-determination of Karabakh Armenians, has now been archived and will no longer be of any use.

Fall from grace and crisis of relevance

Death may be caused by all sorts of reasons. The Ukrainian crisis and the schism it has brought about between the co-chairs form the backdrop of Lavrovs recent admission. However, the reasons at the heart of the spectacular failure and subsequent fall from grace of the entity in question lie deeper.

Prior to the Second Karabakh War, the co-chairs principal activity was to engage in creative inertia'' - lots of activity designed to achieve nothing and the insistence on the impossibility of military solution without offering a viable peaceful alternative.

The war and its results sent a near-death blow to this beleaguered entity and induced a crisis of relevance - grim and stern reality thrust upon it at negligible notice. If, before the 2020 campaign, the co-chairs were shrewd enough to synthesise some superficial lines out of muddled points, after November 2020, they have been firmly categorised in the mind of not just the Azerbaijanis, but almost everyone else, as a blatant example of incapacity and hopeless futility.

Military solution was an anathema to the OSCE Minsk Group. The co-chairs used to argue that President Ilham Aliyev's "if necessary, we will resort to military means" line was designed to placate his local audience and was not the real thing. History has proven them wrong.

Contrary to what many had been tirelessly arguing, Baku resorted to military means and practically fixed everything that the OSCE Minsk Groups mandate was supposed to address. In a new conjecture, the co-chairs needed to change their terms of reference, readjust to the post-war realities and try to be of service to the parties by offering new ideas in terms of post-conflict normalisation, suggesting humanitarian advice and assisting towards the evolution of a comprehensive peace treaty. These were the elements they did not seem to understand.

When President Aliyev received the co-chairs after the war, he was unmoved and cold, stating that he had not invited them, but if they thought they could still do something, he would not mind. This was a fine mix of open rebuke and some magnanimity, as it did not amount to an outright death warrant.

In April 2021, the OSCE Minsk Group officially claimed that they retained their mandate. Having been excluded from the Moscow-mediated trilateral format and become irrefutably disgruntled, the co-chairs needed to maintain their relevance - doing that properly would have necessitated some form of reinvention or readjustment. Instead of doing the obvious, the format remained the same, and added another layer of inevitability to its inexorable liquidation.

Conjecture on apologetic defence grounds

Vehemently troubled to deny this charge, the apologists would retaliate, stating that the OSCE Minsk Group's hands were tied, and their offers were not accepted. They could not have forced upon the warring sides a final resolution, for their task was to create a fortuitous ground enabling Baku and Yerevan to work out a compromise. They would go on saying that it was incumbent upon them to deprecate any military solution, as they were peace builders.

The truth of the matter is that, throughout the first decade or so of its existence, the OSCE Minsk Group proposed some ways forward which were not admissible to both sides. Thereafter followed years characterised of what one may describe as the imitation of negotiations.

The co-chairs only troubled themselves with the task of producing empty and substance-free statements when required to react to some skirmish alongside the contact line and reiterating the importance of avoiding escalations, which served to freeze the conflict, with no prospective resolution in sight.

Therefore, any defence that could be erected to save the "good name" of the OSCE Minsk Group will be tantamount to chicane and casuistry. Former U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick's recent attempt to justify the format's logic and the stance it has taken is a case in point.

In fact, with the exception of some individuals - which include the former American co-chairs, Matthew Bryza, Richard Hoagland, and possibly some others who were once associated with the format - no-one has engaged in healthy self-criticism.

Preliminary obituary

Lavrovs recent admission has confirmed that the format is clinically dead. The one factor that kept it from dying was a strangely harmonious perspective that the U.S., France and Russia shared over the Karabakh settlement for some considerable time.

The war altered this harmony, and the November 10 ceasefire deal, which had no mention of the format, confirmed the Kremlin's shifted emphasis. Thenceforth, the EU has followed suit, albeit in a manner which was somewhat less abrupt.

What has, in effect, occurred after the war was the replacement of the OSCE format with two parallel trilateral mechanisms - the Moscow and Brussels ones. The Ukraine crisis has rendered this practicality of the OSCE Minsk Group an impossibility, consigning it to cardiac arrest.

The story of the OSCE Minsk Group is an unsurpassed tragicomedy of wholesale waste. Its account is tragic because so many hopes were associated with it at the outset, and so baseless and naive those hopes have transpired to be. It is also a laughable story with trappings of a comedy, as so blatantly obvious its futility and meaninglessness has been.

Now, the end is near, if it has not happened yet. Soon, before we know it, this miscreation will pass through a black hole and combust as quickly as a shooting star. It will be no more. It will stay in memories only and be subjected to periodical mental desecration before being forgotten as a subject, not worthy of being touched upon in any context.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy has requested to address the African Union, Senegalese President Macky Sall said on Monday.

Sall, the current AU chairman, tweeted that he and Zelenksyy had discussed over the phone the economic impact of the war in Ukraine and "the need to favor dialogue for a negotiated outcome to the conflict".

The Ukrainian president also asked to address the AU, Sall said.

The request comes amid a divided African response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

For example, 58 countries abstained from an April 7 vote in the United Nations General Assembly that suspended Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over its invasion.

Africa accounted for 24 of the abstaining countries, which included Senegal. Nine other African countries voted in favour of the resolution, and 9 voted against.

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The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, with corpses that were ``carpeted through the streets.''

Speaking by phone Monday to The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko also said Russian forces brought mobile cremation equipment to the city to dispose of the bodies, and he accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage.

Russian forces have taken many bodies to a huge shopping center where there are storage facilities and refrigerators, Boychenko said.

``Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned,'' he said.

The mayor's comments emerged as Russia claimed that it destroyed several Ukrainian air-defense systems in what appeared to be a renewed push to gain air superiority and take out weapons Kyiv has described as crucial ahead of an expected broad new offensive in the east.

In one strike, Moscow said it hit four S-300 launchers near the central city of Dnipro that had been provided by a European country it did not name.

Slovakia gave Ukraine just such a system last week but denied it had been destroyed. Russia previously reported two strikes on similar systems in other places.

The failure to win full control of Ukraine's skies has hampered Moscow's ability to provide air cover for troops on the ground, limiting their advances and likely exposing them to greater losses.

With their offensive in many parts of the country thwarted, Russian forces have relied increasingly on bombarding cities _ a strategy that has left many urban areas flattened and killed thousands of people.

Ukrainian authorities accuse Russian forces of committing atrocities, including a massacre in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv, airstrikes on hospitals, and a missile attack that killed at least 57 people last week at a train station.

In Bucha on Monday, the work of exhuming bodies from a mass grave in a churchyard resumed.

Galyna Feoktistova waited for hours in the cold and rain in hopes of identifying her 50-year-old son, who was shot and killed more than a month ago, but eventually, she went home for some warmth. ``He's still there,'' her surviving son, Andriy, said.

In Mariupol, about 120,000 civilians are in dire need of food, water, warmth, and communications, the mayor said.

Only those residents who have passed the Russian ``filtration camps'' are released from the city, Boychenko said. He said improvised prisons were organized for those who did not pass the ``filtering,'' while at least 33,000 were taken to Russia or to separatist territory in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the UN children's agency said that nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russia's invasion began, and the United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured, though the actual numbers are likely much higher.

Elsewhere, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks that were ``very direct, open and tough.''

In a statement released by his office, Nehammer said his primary message to Putin was ``that this war needs to end because in war both sides can only lose.'' Nehammer said he also raised the issue of war crimes committed by the Russian military and said those responsible ``will be held to account.''

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation bloc's sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

In other developments, the head of the separatist rebel government in Donetsk said Ukrainian forces have lost control of the port area of Mariupol.

``Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is now under our control,'' Denis Pushilin, president of the Donetsk People's Republic, told Russian state television, according to Russian news agencies. The claim could not immediately be confirmed.

The mayor said fighting continues.

``It is difficult, but our heroic military holds on,'' Boychenko said. ``There are fights in the port. Yesterday, our heroic warriors knocked out several positions of equipment and, accordingly, rebuffed the infantry.

Russia has appointed a seasoned general to lead its renewed push in the eastern Donbas region, where Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014 and have declared independent states. Both sides are digging in for what could be a devastating war of attrition.

Russian forces will likely try to encircle the Donbas region from the north and the south as well as the east, said retired British Gen. Richard Barrons, co-chair of the UK-based strategic consulting firm Universal Defence & Security Solutions.

The ground in that part of Ukraine is flatter, more open, and less wooded _ so the Ukrainian ambush tactics used around Kyiv may be less successful, Barrons said.

``As to the outcome, it's finely balanced right now,'' Barrons said. If the Russians learned from their previous failures, concentrated more force, connected their air force to ground forces better, and improved their logistics, ``then they might start to overwhelm the Ukrainian positions eventually, although I still think it would be a battle of enormous attrition.''

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for more Western aid, saying his forces need heavier firepower.

In a video address to South Korean lawmakers on Monday, Zelenskyy specifically requested equipment that can shoot down Russian missiles.

But those armaments could increasingly come under attack as Russia looks to shift the balance in the 6-week-old war.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the military used cruise missiles to destroy the four launchers Sunday on the southern outskirts of Dnipro. He said the military also hit such systems in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions.

The Russian claims could not be independently verified.

The Pentagon said it had seen no evidence to support Russia's claims. A senior US defense official said Russia did conduct an airstrike Sunday on the airport in Dnipro, destroying some equipment, but the official said the US has seen no indication that an air-defense system was knocked out.

Lubica Janikova, the spokeswoman for Slovakia's prime minister, denied Monday that the S-300 system it sent Ukraine had been destroyed. She said any other claim is not true.

Questions remain about the ability of depleted and demoralized Russian forces to conquer much ground after their advance on Kyiv was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders.

Britain's Defense Ministry said Monday that Ukraine has already beaten back several assaults by Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions _ which make up the Donbas _ resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles, and artillery.

Western military analysts say Russia's assault increasingly is focusing on an arc of territory stretching from Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, in the north, to Kherson in the south.

A residential area in Kharkiv was struck by an incoming fire on Monday afternoon. Associated Press journalists saw firefighters putting out the fire and checking for victims following the attack, and saw that at least five people were killed, including a child.

Oleh Synyehubov, the regional governor of Kharkiv, said earlier Monday that Russian shelling had killed 11 people over the last 24 hours.

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French banking group Societe Generale said Monday it was ceasing its activities in Russia and selling its majority stake in Rosbank, weeks after Ukraine's leader urged French firms to leave over Moscow's invasion of his country.

Societe Generale said in a statement that its withdrawal from Russia would cost it 3.1 billion euros ($3.4 billion).

"Societe Generale ceases its banking and insurance activities in Russia," the firm said in a statement.

It also announced "the signing of a sale and purchase agreement to sell its entire stake in Rosbank and the Group's Russian insurance subsidiaries" to Russian investment firm Interros Capital.

"With this agreement, concluded after several weeks of intensive work, the Group would exit in an effective and orderly manner from Russia, ensuring continuity for its employees and clients," Societe Generale said.

The bank said it expects the deal to be completed in the coming weeks and that it was subject to approval from regulators.

Hundreds of foreign companies, ranging from financial firms to retailers and fast-food restaurants, have pulled out of Russia since the February 24 invasion.

But French firms, which are the biggest foreign employers in Russia, have been among the slowest to withdraw, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to urge them to leave during an address to the French parliament on March 23.

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Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi arrived in gas powerhouse Algeria on Monday as Rome steps up efforts to reduce its heavy reliance on Russian energy imports.

Italy buys the vast majority of its natural gas from overseas, with over 40 percent of those imports coming from Russia.

But the war in Ukraine has sparked a European push for sanctions against Moscow, including moves to drastically cut such purchases.

Rome is hoping its second-biggest supplier Algeria can boost output via an undersea pipeline in order to provide alternatives.

The Italian premier was invited by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to discuss "reinforcing relations of cooperation between the two countries", Tebboune's office said, without giving more details.

Official news agency APS said the visit comes as the two countries enjoy "ever-tighter cooperation in all areas, but particularly as concerns gas".

Italy is Algeria's biggest gas customer, importing some 6.4 billion cubic metres of Algerian gas during the first quarter of 2021, a 109 percent uptick from the previous year.

The war in Ukraine and the subsequent campaign of Western sanctions have prompted Italy, one of the most Russia-reliant gas importers in Europe, to step up efforts to find other sources.

Spare Capacity

Draghi arrived in Algiers after Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio made the same trip in late February when he confirmed that Italy was "committed to increasing energy supplies, notably in gas", including from Algeria, which he said had "always been a reliable supplier".

Algerian state hydrocarbons firm Sonatrach said at the time that it was prepared to increase deliveries, notably via the Transmed pipeline linking Algeria to Italy.

Its CEO Toufik Hakkar said Europe is the "natural market of choice" for Algerian gas, which accounts for about 11 percent of Europe's gas imports.

But he said any boost to exports would depend on first satisfying Algeria's ever-growing domestic needs.

Sonatrach and Italian energy giant ENI jointly operate the Transmed pipeline, which has a capacity of some 32 billion cubic metres per year.

Former Algerian energy minister Abdelmajid Attar told AFP that "Algeria exports a maximum of 22 billion cubic metres (per year) via the Transmed pipeline", leaving some 10 billion in spare capacity.

Attar, also a former CEO of Sonatrach, said that Algeria's liquefaction facilities, which allow gas to be exported by ship, are "only being used at 50-60 percent of capacity".

But he noted that in the short term, Algeria could boost its gas exports to the EU by at most three billion cubic metres per year, meaning "it can't make up for a fall in Russian gas supplies on its own".

However, "within four of five years, Algeria could send bigger quantities" to Italy, he added.

Algeria expects to invest some $40 billion on gas and oil exploration, production and refining between 2022 and 2026.

Rome and Algiers have a contract for gas deliveries up until 2027.

Draghi said last week that Italy would "follow the decisions of the European Union" on new sanctions against Russia, including a possible gas embargo.

His visit also follows a spike in tensions between Algeria and Spain, another major gas importer, after Madrid dropped a decades-long policy of neutrality over the Western Sahara and backed an autonomy plan put forward by Algeria's arch-rival Morocco.

Sonatrach warned earlier this month it could increase the price of its gas sales to Spain, which make up more than 40 percent of the country's imports.

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President Joe Biden asked India's Narendra Modi on Monday not to accelerate the buying of Russian oil as the US and other nations try to cut off Moscow's energy income following the invasion of Ukraine.

The Indian prime minister made no public commitment to refrain from Russian oil, a source of tension with the US.

Meeting by video call, Biden told Modi that the US could help India diversify its sources of energy, according to press secretary Jen Psaki.

Even though India receives little of its oil from Russia, it stepped up recently with a major purchase as other democracies are trying to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin.

``The president also made clear that he doesn't believe it's in India's interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy or other commodities,'' Psaki said.

While the two nations ended the meeting with Biden saying they committed to strengthening their relationship, White House officials could not say if India stood with them in fully condemning Putin, saying the choice ultimately rested with Modi's government. The two leaders will meet in person May 24 in Tokyo for a summit of the Quad, a coalition that also includes Australia and Japan.

India's neutral stance in the war has raised concerns in Washington and earned praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who lauded India this month for judging ``the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.''

Biden opened the video conversation by emphasizing the defense partnership between the two countries and by saying the US and India are going to ``continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilizing effects of this Russian war`` on food and other commodities.

``The root of our partnership is a deep connection between our people, ties of family, of friendship, and of shared values,'' the US president said.

Modi on Monday called the situation in Ukraine ``very worrying,'' and he noted that an Indian student lost his life during the war. He said he has spoken with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appealing to both of them for peace. India has condemned the killings uncovered in the city of Bucha and has called for an independent investigation.

A senior US official described the Biden-Modi exchange as warm and productive, though the official stressed that India would make its own decisions on how to respond to Putin.

The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the meeting.

Biden and Modi discussed how to manage the risks of global instability regarding food, humanitarian relief, and climate change, and Modi candidly shared his views about some of the tight links between Russia and China that raise concerns, the official said.

Also Monday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met in person with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Austin appealed to India to act together with fellow democracies, a form of government based on the popular consent of the people that stands in contrast to autocracies such as China and Russia.

``Now more than ever, democracies must stand together to defend the values that we all share,'' Austin said.

India has refrained from some efforts to hold Russia accountable for its invasion. India abstained when the U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the US and Ukraine have called war crimes.

The vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.

India continues to purchase Russian energy supplies, despite pressure from Western countries to avoid buying Russian oil and gas. The US has also considered sanctions on India for its recent purchase of advanced Russian air defense systems.

Last month, the state-run Indian Oil Corp. bought 3 million barrels of crude from Russia to secure its needs, resisting entreaties from the West to avoid such purchases. India isn't alone in buying Russian energy, however. Several European allies such as Germany have continued to do so, despite public pressure to end these contracts.

Indian media reports said Russia was offering a discount on oil purchases of 20% below global benchmark prices.

Iraq is India's top supplier, with a 27% share. Saudi Arabia is second at around 17%, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 13% and the US at 9%, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

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In affluent Gangnam in Seoul, where prices have gone through the roof, there was an increase of 804 during this period to 4,360. The figure rose from one agency for every 159 residents before the Moon Jae-in administration took office to a staggering one for every 124. The national average was one for every 460 people and is now one for every 390.

Estate agents are proliferating as housing prices reach record highs. According to the National Tax Service, the number of real estate agencies across the nation stood at 131,919 last November, up nearly 20,000 from April 2017.

A record 340,000 people took the qualifying exams to become a licensed realtor last year, and the volume of property sales also saw a big boost of 60 percent from the previous year to 1.27 million homes, the largest on record.

But soaring commissions were the main draw. According to the Korea Real Estate Board, the median price of apartments in Seoul last month was W867 million. Brokering a sale at this price would net the agent a commission of up to W4.33 million (US$1=W1,103).

In 2017, the median apartment price was W526.7 million, with a maximum commission of W2.1 million.

"Now people think you can make more money than an average salaried worker by selling a few apartments a month. So those with a real estate agent license who had not practiced for a long time are returning to open their own agencies," said one agent in Seoul.
The Nuri is a three-stage rocket designed to place a 1.5-ton satellite in orbit at an altitude of 600 to 800 km. Korea spent W1.96 trillion developing the rocket since March of 2010 (US$1=W1,178).

The Nuri was launched at 5 p.m. from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Gyeongsang Province and reached its targeted trajectory of 700 km. But the 7-ton engine in the third-stage rocket shut off 46 seconds faster than planned, and the payload therefore failed to attain a speed of 7.5 km/s necessary to stay in orbit.

Korea succeeded in launching its first homegrown space rocket on Thursday, but failed to place a dummy satellite into orbit.

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute and 300 civilian companies participated in the development of the Nuri, which has 370,000 components and stands 15 stories tall.

The launch was delayed by an hour because more time was needed for last-minute inspections. During the flight of 16 minutes and seven seconds, the first, second and third-stage boosters ignited successfully and the fairing or nose cone of the rocket separated without hitches.

Experts said the Nuri's performance on its maiden launch was a credit to Korea's space technology. "The U.S.' SpaceX program failed three-straight times in test-launches," said Huh Hwan-il at Chungnam National University. "The test launch of the Nuri was almost a success."

The average success rate of space launch vehicles is only 30 percent.

The second launch is scheduled for May of next year with a 200 kg test satellite and a 1,300-kg dummy satellite. Korea plans to conduct four more test launches until 2027 with actual satellites.

President Moon Jae-in watched the launch at the space center and said, "Although the Nuri failed to complete its mission, the first launch was a great achievement."
Johnson became the latest European leader to visit Kyiv this weekend after the bodies were discovered in several towns from where the Russian army retreated.

"What Putin has done in places like Bucha and Irpin is war crimes that have permanently polluted his reputation and the reputation of his government," Johnson said, standing next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The discovery of civilian bodies in Ukrainian towns has "permanently polluted" Russian President Vladimir Putin's reputation, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during a visit to Kyiv on Saturday.

 Ukraine 'Defied Odds'

Johnson praised Ukraine for "defying odds" and rebuffing a Russian offensive on Kyiv. "The Russians believed Ukraine could be engulfed in a matter of days and that Kyiv would falls in hours to their armies," he said, referring to Western intelligence. "How wrong they were," he said.

The Ukrainian people have "shown the courage of a lion," he added. "The world has found new heroes and those heroes are the people of Ukraine."

After talks with Zelenskyy, Johnson vowed U.K. armored vehicles and anti-ship missiles for Ukraine. Zelenskyy called on the West to follow the U.K. in providing military aid to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia. "Other Western democratic countries should follow the U.K.'s example," Zelenskyy said after talks with Johnson.

"It is because of President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy's resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people that [Vladimir] Putin's monstrous aims are being thwarted," Johnson said after meeting Zelenskyy, according to a Downing Street statement.

 Military Aid

Johnson set out extra military aid of 120 armored vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems, "to support Ukraine in this crucial phase while Russia's illegal assault continues," the statement added. That is on top of U.K. aid announced Friday of more Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles and another 800 anti-tank missiles, along with "loitering" drones for "precision strikes" against the Russians.

As world powers held a fundraising round for Ukraine, Johnson also promised an extra $500 million via the World Bank.

Johnson said it had been a "privilege" to meet Zelenskyy in person on his surprise visit, which was not pre-announced in London. "Ukraine has defied the odds and pushed back Russian forces from the gates of Kyiv, achieving the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century," he said. "I made clear today that the United Kingdom stands unwaveringly with them in this ongoing fight, and we are in it for the long run."
Some scientists argue it's the right time to accept that "living with COVID" means tolerating a certain level of disruption and deaths, much like we do for seasonal flu.

Britain stands out in Europe because it ditched all mitigation policies in February, including mandatory self-isolation for those infected. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's conservative government is determined to stick to its "living with COVID" plan, but experts disagree on whether the country is coping well.

In the U.S., more and more Americans are testing at home, so official case numbers are likely a vast undercount. The roster of those newly infected includes actors and politicians, who are tested regularly. Cabinet members, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Broadway actors and the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut have all tested positive.

The situation in the U.K. may portend what lies ahead for other countries as they ease coronavirus restrictions. France and Germany have seen similar spikes in infections in recent weeks, and the number of hospitalizations in the U.K. and France has again climbed -- though the number of deaths per day remains well below levels seen earlier in the pandemic.

That sense of freedom is widespread even as infections soared in Britain in March, driven by the milder but more transmissible Omicron BA.2 variant that's rapidly spreading around Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere.

For many in the U.K., the pandemic may as well be over. Mask requirements have been dropped. Free mass testing is a thing of the past. And for the first time since spring 2020, people can go abroad for holidays without ordering tests or filling out lengthy forms.

Others believe that Britain's government lifted restrictions too quickly and too soon. They warned that deaths and hospital admissions could keep rising because more people over 55 -- those who are most likely to get seriously ill from COVID-19 -- are now getting infected despite high levels of vaccination.

Hospitals are again under strain, both from patients with the virus and huge numbers of staff off sick, said National Health Service medical director Stephen Powis.

"Blinding ourselves to this level of harm does not constitute living with a virus infection -- quite the opposite," said Stephen Griffin, a professor in medicine at the University of Leeds. "Without sufficient vaccination, ventilation, masking, isolation and testing, we will continue to 'live with' disruption, disease and sadly, death, as a result."

Others, like Paul Hunter, a medicine professor at the University of East Anglia, are more supportive of the government's policies. "We're still not at the point where (COVID-19) is going to be least harmful... but we're over the worst," he said. Once a high vaccination rate is achieved there is little value in maintaining restrictions such as social distancing because "they never ultimately prevent infections, only delay them," he argued.

Britain's official statistics agency estimated that almost 5 million U.K. residents, or 1 in 13, had the virus in late March, the most it had reported. Separately, the REACT study from London's Imperial College said its data showed that the country's infection levels in March were 40-percent higher than the first Omicron peak in January.

Infection rates are so high that airlines had to cancel flights during the busy two-week Easter break because too many workers were calling in sick.

France and Germany have seen similar surges as restrictions eased in most European countries. More than 100,000 people in France were testing positive every day despite a sharp dropoff in testing, and the number of virus patients in intensive care rose 22 percent over the past week.

President Emmanuel Macron's government, keen to encourage voter turnout in April elections, is not talking about any new restrictions.

In Germany, infection levels have drifted down from a recent peak. But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach backed off a decision to end mandatory self-isolation for infected people just two days after it was announced. He said the plan would send a "completely wrong" signal that "either the pandemic is over or the virus has become significantly more harmless than was assumed in the past."

In the U.S., outbreaks at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University are bringing back mask requirements to those campuses as officials seek out quarantine space.

Across Europe, only Spain and Switzerland have joined the U.K. in lifting self-isolation requirements for at least some infected people. But many European countries have eased mass testing, which will make it much harder to know how prevalent the virus is. Britain stopped distributing free rapid home tests this month.

Julian Tang, a flu virologist at the University of Leicester, said that while it's important to have a surveillance program to monitor for new variants and update the vaccine, countries cope with flu without mandatory restrictions or mass testing. "Eventually, COVID-19 will settle down to become more endemic and seasonal, like flu," Tang said. "Living with COVID, to me, should mimic living with flu."

Cambridge University virologist Ravindra Gupta is more cautious. Mortality rates for COVID-19 are still far higher than seasonal flu and the virus causes more severe disease, he warned. He would have preferred "more gentle easing of restrictions."

"There's no reason to believe that a new variant would not be more transmissible or severe," he added.


President-elect Yoon Seok-youl will visit the southeastern city of Daegu on Tuesday and meet disgraced ex-president Park Geun-hye, who still enjoys the adulation of hardline conservatives.

The meeting is expected to take place in Park's new walled home in the suburb of Dalseong.

Yoon, a long-time prosecutor, personally led an inquiry that contributed to Park being sentenced to 20 years in jail for corruption and abuse of office and opened the shenanigans of her operetta court to public view.

But now, having won the election on the ticket of her former party, he is expected to invite Park to attend his inauguration ceremony on May 10.
By Trend

The number of refugees who have left Ukraine since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine military actions, as of April 9, exceeded 4.5 million people, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provided data, Trend reports with reference to Ukrinform news agency.

Total of 4.5 million people have already left the country since February 24, UNHCR noted.

Most of them went to Poland - almost 2.6 million people, more than 686,000 people left for Romania, 419,000 for Hungary, almost 411,000 for Moldova, 404,000 for Russia, 314,000 for Slovakia and 19,000 for Belarus.

More than 7.1 million citizens of Ukraine are considered internally displaced persons, they remained in the country but were forced to leave their own homes, the UNHCR wrote in report.
Korea now leads the world when it comes to the relative cost of raising children, CNN reported last week citing U.S. investment bank Jefferies Financial Group.

The bank said it costs 7.79 times the country's per-capita GDP to raise a child until the age of 18 in Korea, or around W300 million in money terms (US$1=W1,229).

Second was China with 6.9 times, followed by Italy's 6.28 times. Surprisingly, the ratio was substantially lower in Japan with 4.26 times, the U.S. with 4.11 times in Germany with 3.64 times.

The difference is explained by "the cost of education and the cost and availability of care when the child is in their younger years," as nearly every child in Korea attends one or more crammers.

Another contributing factor to the high cost of child-rearing in Asia is that parents continue to support their children through university. "In many other Western countries, a student loan provided by state is more common, and the burden is lifted from parents and transferred to children themselves," a Jefferies analyst said.


The World Health Organization said on Monday it is tracking a few dozen cases of two new sub-variants of the highly transmissible Omicron strain of coronavirus to assess whether they are more infectious or dangerous.

It has added BA.4 and BA.5, sister variants of the original BA.1 Omicron variant, to its list for monitoring. It is already tracking BA.1 and BA.2 -- now globally dominant -- as well as BA.1.1 and BA.3.

The WHO said it had begun tracking them because of their "additional mutations that need to be further studied to understand their impact on immune escape potential."

Viruses mutate all the time but only some mutations affect their ability to spread or evade prior immunity from vaccination or infection, or the severity of disease they cause.

For instance, BA.2 now represents nearly 94 percent of all sequenced cases and is more transmissible than its siblings, but the evidence so far suggests it is no more likely to cause severe disease.


KYODO NEWS - Apr 12, 2022 - 00:22 | All, Japan

Japan's health ministry will raise the government-set dental treatment remunerations that involve "silver" fillings containing palladium in May, as prices of the rare metal of which Russia is a major producer have soared following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, people familiar with the matter said Monday.

The so-called silver fillings containing palladium and other metals are covered by the national health insurance, and remunerations dentists receive for treatment using them are reviewed four times a year -- in January, April, July and October -- due to fluctuating market prices for the materials used.

In an emergency measure, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare decided to raise the cost of silver filling treatment in May after the market price of palladium rose sharply due to supply concerns, causing dentists to lose money in their procurement of the materials, the sources said.

The price review is expected to translate into a rise of several hundred yen in the cost patients younger than 70 years shoulder for each tooth treated with a silver filling, they said.

As of March, the government-fixed price of 30 grams of silver filling materials was 88,530 yen ($700). An association of dental practitioners has requested the government to raise remunerations for such treatment as the price of filling materials rose as high as 120,000 yen at one point, the sources said.

The ministry raised the fixed cost of silver filling materials covered by the national insurance to 94,470 yen in its April review. It now plans to propose a further hike in May to over 100,000 yen later this week at a meeting responsible for setting medical costs covered by the national insurance program, the sources said.

According to the Finance Ministry's trade statistics, 34.5 percent of Japan's palladium imports came from Russia in 2021, second to South Africa at 48.8 percent.

Other than dental fillings, palladium is also used in automobile catalytic converters to help remove pollutants from exhaust emissions. Global demand for the metal had been on the rise even before Russia invaded Ukraine for its environmentally friendly properties.

The fixed cost of palladium-containing filling materials has doubled in the last five years. The government has recently designated palladium as one of the important commodities that need to be secured stably via producers other than Russia following the Ukrainian crisis.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 11, 2022 - 22:49 | All, Japan

Japan will provide up to 2,400 yen ($19) per day in living allowances to evacuees from Ukraine who have fled their country following Russia's invasion, particularly to help those who came without any relatives or acquaintances to turn to, the government said Monday.

The Immigration Services Agency of Japan said the financial aid is expected to last at least six months, with the government separately shouldering their medical expenses and Japanese language lessons and also helping them gain employment.

Last week, 20 evacuees from Ukraine arrived in Japan from Poland aboard a Japanese government plane, while another group of six evacuees subsequently entered using seats secured by the government on a direct commercial flight from Poland.

The agency said it has already handed out living allowances covering half a month to 18 individuals on Monday.

While staying temporarily at hotels arranged by the government, evacuees aged 12 and above will be given 1,000 yen per day while those below 12 will receive 500 yen a day, both excluding food expenses, according to the agency.

Their daily living allowances will be raised once they relocate to new places provided by municipalities or businesses. Those aged 12 and older will receive 2,400 yen, and children aged 11 and below will get 1,200 yen.

Within a family, the first member would receive 2,400 yen and the second member 1,600 yen per day.

The government will also provide a one-time allowance of 160,000 yen for evacuees aged 16 and up and 80,000 yen to those below 16, when they move in to their new places.

Japan's acceptance of evacuees is part of its increased humanitarian assistance to those seeking refuge from the war-torn country. The agency said 524 evacuees have sought refuge in Japan between March 2 and last Saturday.

As of Friday, the Japanese government has received 953 offers of assistance so far from businesses and municipalities.

Related coverage:

Japan accepts Ukrainian evacuees using commercial flight for 1st time

Michelin chef collects donations for Ukraine with rice balls
KYODO NEWS - Apr 12, 2022 - 00:04 | All, Japan

A national security panel of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Monday agreed to propose acquiring an enemy base strike capability for review by the end of this year of the country's exclusively defense-oriented policy under the war-renouncing Constitution.

Members of the LDP's Research Commission on National Security told reporters there was no opposition to the controversial idea of possessing an ability to disable an enemy missile during their meeting to discuss the party's proposal to be made later in the month for the government's revision of the National Security Strategy.

The review of the long-term security guideline coincides with Russia's invasion of Ukraine which has added to fears that China could be emboldened to pursue reunification with Taiwan by force, while advances in North Korea's ballistic missile program have raised doubts about the defense capabilities of Japan which relies heavily on U.S. military presence.

Some panel members called for wording other than "enemy strike capability" to emphasize that such means of counterattack is for deterrence and purely defensive purposes.

The party apparently wants to gain support from the public as well as the junior coalition partner Komeito, which is cautious on acquiring such capabilities, for the major policy review.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said the government will "examine all options."
KYODO NEWS - Apr 12, 2022 - 03:57 | All, Japan

French prosecutors on Monday demanded lifetime imprisonment for a Chilean man accused of murdering his former Japanese girlfriend who went missing at age 21 in Besancon, eastern France, in 2016.

At a court session, prosecutors sought the maximum sentence for Nicolas Zepeda Contreras, 31, claiming the alleged crime had been premeditated. France does not practice capital punishment.

Prosecutors indicted Zepeda with the belief that he murdered Narumi Kurosaki over a quarrel. The Chilean man has denied the allegation and the body of the Japanese has not been found despite a massive search by investigators.

The French court is scheduled to hand down a verdict on Tuesday.

Kurosaki, who dated Zepeda in Japan when she was a student at the University of Tsukuba near Tokyo in the mid-2010s, came to France as an exchange student in September 2016.

French authorities launched an official murder investigation after the suspect was extradited from Chile in July 2020. The trial started on March 26 this year.

Kurosaki has been missing since she dined with Zepeda and returned with him to her university dorm in Besancon on Dec. 4, 2016. Some students who were at the dormitory told investigators they heard a scream, which served as circumstantial evidence pointing to Zepeda as the suspected killer.

Shortly after Kurosaki's disappearance, Zepeda, who had also studied at the Japanese university, returned to his native Chile.

Last Wednesday, Kurosaki's mother appeared in court during the trial and called Zepeda a "big liar," saying he should not be allowed to evade accountability.

Recalling a series of troubles between the two shortly before Kurosaki's departure for France, the mother said she felt her daughter was in danger due to Zepeda's selfish behavior.

The mother also revealed to the court that she had warned of the possibility of Zepeda visiting Kurosaki in France after their breakup in the fall of 2016.

In accordance with French criminal justice procedures, Kurosaki's family filed a damages suit against the Chilean man when prosecutors indicted him on the murder charge.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 12, 2022 - 00:11 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

Japan has confirmed its first case of the Omicron XE derivative strain of the novel coronavirus in a woman upon arrival at Narita airport near Tokyo, the health ministry said Monday.

The woman in her 30s, who has stayed in the United States and showed no symptoms, arrived at the airport on March 26, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said, without specifying her nationality.

The woman has received two shots of vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc., but she tested positive on arrival for the virus.

The XE strain was detected through genetic sequencing tests taken using samples from the woman at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

She was treated at a facility for infected individuals before being released once her quarantine period ended.

The strain is said to be a combination of the BA.1 and BA.2 subtypes of the Omicron variant. One report says its infection rate is 12.6 percent faster than BA.2, although details on its severity are unknown.

The subvariant's basic properties and the efficacy of drugs and vaccines against it are considered to be the same as the BA.2 type.

The institute said two other samples taken from quarantined airport arrivals appeared to be mixtures of the genetic material of the Omicron variant, but their type could not be specified.

Around 1,100 cases of the XE variant had been confirmed in Britain as of April 5, the institute said, although they accounted for less than 1 percent of infections in the country.

"It has not become the dominant strain in Britain, where it was detected earlier, and it is unlikely that it will spread rapidly in Japan," said Kazushi Motomura, director of the public health department at the Osaka Institute of Public Health.

"There is no need to be overly afraid at the moment," Motomura said. "We must continue implementing basic measures to prevent infections, such as promoting additional vaccinations."
KYODO NEWS - Apr 11, 2022 - 21:24 | All, Japan

Japan and Russia started negotiations Monday over Tokyo's fishing quota of salmon and trout spawned in Russian rivers, a move seen as controversial because Tokyo has to pay a fishery rights fee to Moscow despite the country being hit by international sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine.

It is not known whether the two governments can strike a deal in the virtual talks as Russia opposes the sanctions imposed by Japan, the United States, Europe and other parties.

Tokyo and Moscow will decide the fee and the quota for Japanese vessels to fish in Japan's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, according to Japanese Fisheries Agency officials.

Japan pays a "cooperation fee" to Russia as salmon and trout, according to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, belong to the country in which they were spawned.

The two sides hold talks over the quota every spring, as the fishing season in Japan's EEZ is said to peak around April and May.

But this time, the deadline for the negotiations is undecided, the agency officials said, in reflection of the strained bilateral ties over the crisis in Ukraine.

The Japanese government has judged it will maintain its fishing rights with Russia through negotiations despite Tokyo's imposition of sanctions, according to the officials.

Fishermen in Hokkaido, northern Japan, will not be able to conduct operations until the quota talks are concluded.

Japan aims to gain the understanding of the United States and other Western countries by prioritizing talks for fisheries in Japanese waters.

Japan and Russia have yet to decide on the negotiation schedule for Japanese vessels to fish in Russian waters.

Last year, the two sides agreed on a quota of 2,050 tons and a fee of between 260 million yen ($2 million) and 300 million yen, depending on the actual catch.

In Hokkaido, no fishing has been allowed from April 10, the date when the ban on net fishing for salmon and trout is usually lifted.

Shigeto Hinuma, 71, owner of a fish shop in Nemuro, eastern Hokkaido, expressed hope that the two countries will somehow settle the negotiations.

"If we do not get the salmon, which is our spring tradition, it will have a considerable impact on our sales," said Hinuma, whose shop purchases 80 to 100 salmon a day from the Japan-Russia arrangement every year.
By Miya Tanaka, KYODO NEWS - Apr 12, 2022 - 12:16 | All, World

U.S. President Joe Biden said Monday he is planning to visit Japan in late May for a "Quad" summit also involving the leaders of Australia and India, a meeting that is likely to showcase a deepening of ties between the four major Indo-Pacific democracies that are facing China's growing assertiveness in the region.

Speaking at a virtual meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Biden said he is looking forward to seeing him in Japan "about the 24th of May." It is expected to be the president's first visit to Asia and Japan since assuming office in January 2021.

While Russia's invasion of Ukraine is posing challenges to Biden, his administration has signaled it will not lose sight of the pressure China is putting on Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing views as its own, at the same time as pressing territorial claims in neighboring waters.

U.S. President Joe Biden (L) listens as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (on screen) speaks during a virtual meeting at the White House on April 11, 2022 in Washington. (Getty/Kyodo)

The Biden administration sees Japan as a key partner in its efforts to counter China's rise, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's predecessor Yoshihide Suga was the first foreign leader invited to the White House for talks after Biden's win in the 2020 presidential election.

Suga also traveled to the U.S. capital in September for the first-ever in-person Quad summit.

Japan has been preparing for a second in-person meeting of the Quad leaders in the first half of this year. Biden has not had a chance to travel to Asia as president so far, with annual regional meetings going virtual amid the coronavirus pandemic.

During the meeting between Biden and Modi, they stressed their "shared commitment, as leaders of the world's largest democracies, to respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations in the Indo-Pacific and beyond," according to the White House.

But India, which historically has close ties with Russia, has stood out among the Quad members by not explicitly condemning Moscow over the war in Ukraine and also refraining from imposing sanctions.

Modi told Biden that the situation in Ukraine is "very worrying," emphasizing India's belief in the importance of safeguarding civilians and its provision of humanitarian assistance to the East European country, while the United States seeks to further isolate Russia from the global economy to bring an end to the war.

Biden made "very clear" during the one-hour bilateral summit that he does not believe it is in India's interest to increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities, according to the White House.

He also conveyed the United States' eagerness to help India diversify its sources of oil, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

Psaki pointed out that the United States is a much bigger supplier than Russia, which only accounts for about 1 or 2 percent of India's total crude imports. She did not make clear whether Biden got a commitment from Modi not to increase its purchases of Russian oil.

According to Reuters, India has bought at least 13 million barrels of Russian crude since the start of the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, lured by steep discounts following Western sanctions. The figure compares with around 16 million barrels from Russia in the whole of last year, it said.

Modi, meanwhile, welcomed the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a regional engagement initiative that the Biden administration is promoting amid efforts to push back against China's increasing economic clout.

The initiative will be launched "in the weeks ahead," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said later in the day, highlighting the benefits of working on areas such as supply chain resilience and infrastructure investment.

The online summit was followed by an in-person ministerial-level dialogue in Washington involving the two countries' top diplomats and defense chiefs.

During the so-called "two-plus-two" talks, the United States and India advanced initiatives that will allow their militaries to work "more seamlessly together across all domains of potential conflict -- from the seas to cyberspace," the Pentagon said.

The countries signed a defense arrangement for greater information-sharing in space while deepening cooperation in cyberspace, including through training and exercises later this year, according to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Austin also expressed his expectations for India's role in the field of security and the need to stand together to defend democratic values, warning that China is "seeking to refashion the region and the international system more broadly in ways that serve its authoritarian interests."

"As we operationalize our defense agreements and take our cooperation to the next level, I believe that we can sustain and strengthen a favorable balance of power in the region," he said.

India and China are at loggerheads over a disputed border region in the Himalayas. India, meanwhile, has historically obtained a majority of its weapons from Russia, but has more recently been diversifying its arms purchases, including by buying from the United States, according to U.S. officials.
Burundian First Lady Angeline Ndayishimiye has commended Chinese ophthalmologists who carried out free cataract operations for nearly 50 patients at the Umugiraneza Hospital of Kibimba in Giheta, a district in Gitega province, in central Burundi.

BUJUMBURA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Burundian First Lady Angeline Ndayishimiye has commended Chinese ophthalmologists who carried out cataract operations at the Umugiraneza Hospital of Kibimba in Giheta, a district in Gitega province, in central Burundi.

During the campaign that began Wednesday, 47 patients underwent cataract operations free of charge.

"To reach economic development, citizens need to have good health and a good sight as well. We selected vulnerable people having the cataract disease in villages, and who are unable to pay for health care," said the first lady, also chairperson of the Good Action Umugiraneza Foundation that owns the Umugiraneza Hospital, on Thursday.

During the visit, Ndayishimiye was accompanied by Chinese Ambassador to Burundi Zhao Jiangping, Burundian Public Health and AIDS Control Minister Sylvie Nzeyimana and finalists for Miss Burundi Contest 2022.

The first lady thanked China for its support in the health sector, notably in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as well as other contributions of medical missions in Burundi.

Zhao, on his part, praised the first lady for having initiated the project on the campaign for cataract surgical operations on vulnerable patients.

"I am very glad that patients having cataracts have recovered their sight. This was possible thanks to the support from the Burundian health ministry and the Chinese medical team," said Zhao.

Preparation for the campaign for cataract operations by the 20th Chinese medical mission took two months, with support from the chairperson of the Good Action Umugiraneza Foundation and the Chinese Embassy in Burundi.

The current Chinese medical team has been in Burundi for a year. Before it, China sent medical teams to Burundi in 2016 and in 2018 to carry out free cataract operations, said Zhao.

"The current team of medical experts has ended their mission in Burundi and are going back to China by mid-April, and these (free cataract operations) are gifts offered to Burundian friends," she said.

According to Zhao, this testifies to friendship, love and solidarity from Chinese people toward the brotherly people of Burundi.

Burundi and China have sealed bilateral ties since 1963 and their cooperation has focused on several sectors including health, energy, education and infrastructure.

China started to send its medical experts to Burundi in 1987, said Zhao, adding that a new team of Chinese medical experts will come to Burundi in May 2022 to continue cataract operations. 
By Trend

Georgia will receive a questionnaire to apply for the EU membership today, the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili said at the government meeting, Trend reports via Georgian media.

According to the PM, European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi will hand the application form over to Georgias Minister of Foreign Affairs Ilia Darchiashvili in Brussels.

Garibashvili said that the procedure of filling out the application implies the involvement of numerous state agencies and that he will personally control this process.

Meanwhile, PM Garibashvili signed Georgia's application for EU membership on March 3, 2022. According to the PM, applying for EU membership is another important step on Georgia's European integration path.

Georgia, throughout its long history, has always belonged to the ??European culture and civilization, and even now it makes a valuable contribution to its protection and development, the PM said.




BAMIYAN, Afghanistan, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The picturesque Band-e-Amir was a popular tourist destination in the past but the U.S. sanctions on Afghanistan have ruined people's joy here.

Mohammad Sadat, 25, from the capital city of Kabul, came to enjoy the natural beauty and clean atmosphere in Band-e-Amir lakes. He said economic problems and poverty "have ruined the lives of Afghans and without money, you can't come here for fun."

There are few tourists in Band-e-Amir, which is part of Afghanistan's national park situated in the central Bamiyan province, and is comprised of six natural lakes and separated by natural dams made of travertine.

"The business here in the past was hustle-bustle. The people of Bamiyan had restaurants and hotels here to serve the visitors but unfortunately, all have almost closed and there is nothing this year," said Mostafa, another visitor from eastern Nangarhar province.

In the wake of the withdrawal of the U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban's takeover of the country's power in August last year, Washington has frozen some 9 billion U.S. dollars of Afghan assets, which has worsened the war-torn country's already fragile economy.

In a decree issued in February, U.S. President Joe Biden allocated 3.5 billion U.S. dollars from the frozen Afghan assets to the 9/11 victims' families and earmarked another 3.5 billion U.S. dollars as humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

The decision, which has further exacerbated Afghanistan's economic woes, has been widely condemned in Afghanistan.

More than 22 million Afghans out of the country's some 35-million population, according to aid agencies, are facing acute food shortages and the war-torn country would face a humanitarian catastrophe if not assisted.

The natural lakes of Band-e-Amir and giant Buddhas statues have made famous the central Bamiyan province worldwide and attracted thousands of tourists from home and abroad.

Although the security situation has been considerably improved in Afghanistan, the economic condition has worsened due to the U.S. economic sanctions imposed on the country.

"I visited Band-e-Amir in the past years and the area was crowded with tourists. But this year, the number is only a handful due to poverty although the security situation has improved and the travelers face no security problem on the way to the natural lakes here," Mohammad Nadir, another tourist from Nangarhar province, told Xinhua.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Chinese construction giant China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) donated various school supplies to the Kotari Primary School in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on Saturday.

The educational materials include notebooks, pencils, school bags, and ping pong tables.

The company presently undertakes construction of the China-aided future headquarters of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
A beekeeper works at a bee farm in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, April 8, 2022. (Photo by Arghand/Xinhua)

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The beekeeping and honey production industry in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar has been expanding after long years of insecurity and heavy fighting.

"Running a beekeeping farm is a satisfying and profitable career. The honey produced on my farm is pure, and the profitable industry has attracted many farmers to raise bees ... harvest honey and sell (them) to local markets," Abdul Bari, a farmer, told Xinhua recently.

Photo taken on April 8, 2022 shows bees at a bee farm in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, April 8, 2022. (Photo by Arghand/Xinhua)



Photo taken on April 8, 2022 shows bees at a bee farm in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Arghand/Xinhua)



Beekeepers work at a bee farm in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, April 8, 2022. (Photo by Arghand/Xinhua)

Photo taken on April 8, 2022 shows a bottle of honey collected at a bee farm in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Arghand/Xinhua)


TAIYUAN, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Three tombs dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) were recently found in north China's Shanxi Province, according to the provincial institute of archaeology.

Archaeologists said that the tombs are about 2 km west of Houzhai Village, Shuozhou City, and are located in the key area where the farming and nomadic cultures blended in ancient times.

Based on the shapes, features and styles of the tombs, archaeologists speculated that two of the three tomb owners were husband and wife. Unearthed relics include potteries, lacquerware, ironware, stone tools, copper coins, silver ornaments, bone combs, and tower-shaped pots.

"Tower-shaped pots had not been spotted in tombs prior to the Tang Dynasty," said Gao Zhenhua, an official with the institute, adding that it was a new object that originated during this dynasty as a result of the influence of traditional funeral customs and the advent of Buddhism. "It was believed that the object will help the deceased eat and drink in the underworld."

Considering the time, scale, geographical environment and the number of funeral items in the tombs, it can be inferred that the owners of the three tombs were ordinary people, Gao said. 
* Access to electricity is an urgent challenge due to the African population projected to double to nearly 2.4 billion by 2050.

* Being among the most vulnerable continents to climate change, Africa bestowed greater importance on climate-friendly initiatives to mitigate the effects of climate change.

* Cooperation with China fortifies Africa's quest for climate-friendly sustainable development by cultivating clean energy sources.

ADDIS ABABA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- After nine years of construction, the first unit of the China-built Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Station in Nigeria was put into operation in late March, with the other three units expected to go online by the end of this year.

Photo taken on March 23, 2022 shows the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Station in the Niger State, Nigeria. (Photo by Yu Shuiyang/Xinhua)

According to its builders, Power Construction Corporation of China and China National Electric Engineering Co. Ltd, once completed, the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Station, with a total installed capacity of 700 MW, is expected to produce 2.64 billion kWh of electricity annually in the most populous country in Africa.

The power station is the epitome of China's efforts to help facilitate Africa's quest for green development.





CHINESE ENGAGEMENT

According to the UN Economic Commission for Africa, access to electricity is an urgent challenge due to a growing population projected to double to nearly 2.4 billion by 2050.

Renewable energy such as solar, wind and hydro could be a viable alternative to meet the continent's burgeoning electricity needs, with most of Africa's energy currently coming from biomass and fossil fuels.

To help the continent achieve its green transition, China has prioritized clean energy in its cooperation with African countries.

According to Moges Mekonnen, communications director at Ethiopian Electric Power, Chinese-built Adama wind farms, installed with 102 turbines with a total generating capacity of 153 MW, help Ethiopia tap into its rich renewable energy potential.

Moges Mekonnen, communications director at Ethiopian Electric Power, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

China's Dongfang Electric Corporation is presently undertaking the Aysha Wind Farm Project, the first wind power project in the Somali region, with a generating capacity of 120 MW.

The project is expected to provide power to Ethiopia's mega-development projects, such as the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway and Dire Dawa Industrial Park, and ensure a stable and sufficient power supply for the Addis Ababa-Djibouti economic corridor.

In the hydropower sector, cooperation with China enabled Ethiopia to realize the 254 MW Genale-Dawa III hydroelectric power station, which was inaugurated in the first quarter of 2020 and has been in safe operation since.

"Chinese involvement in Ethiopia's renewable energy sector is visible. They are increasingly involved in both hydro and wind power projects," Mekonnen told Xinhua.

In South Africa, Chinese engagement enabled the installation of 163 wind turbines in two phases of the De Aar wind power project, converting wind energy into electricity.

Photo taken on Nov. 22, 2021 shows wind turbines of the De Aar wind power project in De Aar, South Africa. (Xinhua/Lyu Tianran)

Since its operation in 2017, the project has been running in good condition and hasn't experienced any interruption, said Sheng Bin, manager of Safety Production and Technology Department of Longyuan South Africa Renewables.

In Uganda's midwestern district of Kiryandongo, workers from Sinohydro Corporation are busy with the final touches to the Karuma Hydro Power Plant along the Nile River.

The Karuma Hydro Power Plant, with 85 percent financing from the Export-Import Bank of China, will be the largest power-generating installation in the East African country once completed, with a generating capacity of 600 MW.

Photo taken on Nov. 8, 2020 shows the Karuma Hydro Power Plant under construction in Kiryandongo, Uganda. (Xinhua/Zhang Gaiping)

Mary Goretti Kitutu, former minister of energy and mineral development, said generating and using clean energy is crucial for Uganda's sustainable development.

In Kenya, official figures showed that the installed capacity of solar power is more than 100 MW, while the China-financed Garissa Solar accounts for 50 MW.

Located in northern Kenya's Garissa county, it is the largest grid-connected solar power plant in East and Central Africa.

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 15, 2019 shows the China-financed solar power plant Garissa Solar in Garissa County, Kenya. (China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation/Handout via Xinhua)

According to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Garissa Solar plant puts Kenya on the path to achieving green energy sufficiency and adds to Kenya's rich profile as the center of green energy generation in Africa.





MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE

Being among the most vulnerable continents to climate change, Africa bestowed greater importance on climate-friendly initiatives to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Cooperation with China fortifies Africa's quest for climate-friendly sustainable development by cultivating clean energy sources.

Experts said China's remarkable efforts at home to reach peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060 are rubbing off on Africa's ambitions to develop eco-friendly energy.

"China has been the leading partner in the continent's desire to switch to solar and wind energy," Kenya-based international relations scholar Cavince Adhere wrote in a recent commentary.

According to Melaku Mulualem, senior international relations and diplomacy researcher at Ethiopia's Institute of Strategic Affairs, China-Africa cooperation in clean energy development is part of China's commitment to greening the continent.

Melaku Mulualem, senior international relations and diplomacy researcher at Ethiopia's Institute of Strategic Affairs, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Mekonnen, from Ethiopian Electric Power, said Chinese engagement in the clean energy development sector in Ethiopia and elsewhere across the continent is characterized by financing the projects and the unfettered transfer of technologies and know-how to local experts.

Multilateral platforms provide a glimpse of how China and Africa form collaborative, green ties.

At the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held Nov. 29-30 in Senegal last year, the China-Africa Declaration on Climate Change Cooperation was adopted to bolster the continent's green development.

Costantinos Bt. Costantinos, professor of public policy at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, said multilateralism sets the tone for China's support for Africa in developing clean energy sources.

"China has helped Ethiopia and other African countries with ... the process of low carbon green transformation," Costantinos told Xinhua.

Furthermore, cooperation with China allows the continent to tap into its rich green energy resources and learn from China's thriving clean energy development experience.

Overall, there is a strong sense that African development should not come at any cost to the environment. Both Africa and China attach great importance to policies and strategies geared at ecological and environmental protection.

"Green or sustainable development is vital," Mulualem said. "Whenever there is development, development should not compromise the environment." (Video reporters: Li Cheng, Liu Chang, Wang Ping, Lv Tianran, Zhang Gaiping; Video editors: Wang Houyuan, Mu Xuyao, Chen Sihong, Zhang Yuhong)
Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca attends the extraordinary congress of the National Liberal Party in Bucharest, capital of Romania, on April 10, 2022. Romania's main ruling National Liberal Party (PNL) elected on Sunday incumbent Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca as its new chairman during the party's congress. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)

BUCHAREST, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Romania's main ruling National Liberal Party (PNL) elected on Sunday incumbent Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca as its new chairman during the party's congress.

Ciuca, the sole candidate and the new party leader announced after his election that the party, together with its governing partners, would finalize a series of recently proposed economic and social measures during the coalition's session on Monday.

"There is no discussion about populism, but measures for ensuring that the economy will function, to protect jobs and protect vulnerable citizens," Ciuca said.

Ciuca, a retired army general, has been leading the current three-party coalition government since November 2021.

Last Saturday, then PNL Chairman Florin Citu announced his resignation after just over six months in the role, amid the growing dissatisfaction with him in the party and the calls from several major party leaders for his stepping down. 

Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca (at the podium and on screens) addresses the extraordinary congress of the National Liberal Party in Bucharest, capital of Romania, on April 10, 2022. Romania's main ruling National Liberal Party (PNL) elected on Sunday incumbent Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca as its new chairman during the party's congress. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
People evacuate in Irpin, Ukraine, March 11, 2022. (Photo by Diego Herrera/Xinhua)

Only by ending the conflict as soon as possible can the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine be fundamentally solved and can women and children be kept away from violence, a Chinese envoy said.

UNITED NATIONS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday called for an early end to the conflict in Ukraine in order to fundamentally solve the humanitarian crisis and spare women and children from violence.

Women and children are the most vulnerable to violence, and should be given priority protection in armed conflicts, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

"We call on parties involved in the situation in Ukraine to strictly abide by international humanitarian law, effectively protect women and children, respect and guarantee the civilian nature and safety of facilities such as schools and hospitals, and provide special care to women and children in evacuation, rescue, and medical assistance," he told a Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

China deplores that dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed or injured in the attack on Kramatorsk train station. The relevant circumstances and specific cause of the incident must be established and verified, and any claim should be based on facts, he said.

Residents walk near damaged buildings in Mariupol, April 10, 2022. (Photo by Victor/Xinhua)

A large number of Ukrainian women and children have taken refuge in neighboring countries. China appreciates these neighboring countries and other countries for opening their borders and providing shelter and humanitarian assistance. All refugees, regardless of skin color, race, or religion, should receive equal protection under international refugee law, said Dai.

The humanitarian needs of Ukraine and neighboring countries remain immense. Relevant UN agencies should continue to mobilize and coordinate international support for humanitarian assistance for all those in need. The special needs of women and children should be considered, and targeted medical treatment, psychological counseling, and social services should be provided to them. And children's rights to education should be ensured, he said.

"We are deeply concerned about reports that women and children seeking asylum were subjected to abduction, human trafficking and abuse," he said. "We call on international agencies such as UN Women, the UN Children's Fund, the UN Refugee Agency, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to strengthen monitoring and support relevant countries to take measures to resolutely prevent this group of people from being harmed a second time."

Dai stressed the need to bring an end to the conflict.

Only by ending the conflict as soon as possible can the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine be fundamentally solved and can women and children be kept away from violence, he said.

Local residents are seen outside the damaged buildings in Mariupol, April 7, 2022. (Photo by Victor/Xinhua)

"Dialogue and negotiation are the only way to peace. We support the parties involved to continue negotiations, strive to overcome difficulties and differences, create conditions for a cease-fire, and make positive efforts so that women and children can see the dawn of peace at an early date. All other parties in the international community should do more to facilitate dialogue and negotiations, and create the necessary environments and conditions for progress in the negotiations," he said.

Simply imposing sanctions and sending weapons will not bring peace. The ever-intensifying extensive and indiscriminate sanctions have triggered food and energy crises and soaring prices for necessities, for which the entire world population is paying a heavy price. Tens of millions of women and children in Afghanistan, Yemen, the Horn of Africa, and the Sahel have been hit the hardest, said Dai.

"China once again calls on all parties to exercise restraint, adopt a responsible attitude, and make constructive efforts to properly resolve the crisis in Ukraine and restore peace at an early date," he said. 
ISLAMABAD, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed and another was seriously injured on Sunday after a truck collided with a rickshaw in Rajanpur district of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, local media reported.

According to the reports, the over-speeding truck loaded with vegetables collided with the rickshaw full of passengers in the district.

The rescue teams reached the site and shifted the victims to a local hospital, the local media said, adding that the truck driver managed to escape.

Road accidents frequently happen in Pakistan, mainly due to poorly maintained vehicles, dilapidated roads as well as negligence of road safety measures. 
Members of the Philippine Coast Guard rescue residents from the flood in a town in Capiz Province, the Philippines, on April 12, 2022. (Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via Xinhua)

MANILA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A tropical storm triggered floods and landslides in the Philippines over the weekend, leaving at least 24 dead and several more missing, officials said on Monday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported three dead and at least one missing in the southern Philippines. The council is verifying deaths reported in the central Philippines.

The emergency response unit of Baybay City in the central Leyte province said rescuers have dug up at least 21 bodies from 10 villages buried in massive mudslides.

A spokesman for the rescue team told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the retrieval operation is ongoing, adding that more people were believed still buried under the mud. Landslide survivors were recuperating in a city hospital.

A government disaster agency said Tropical storm Megi, which made landfall in Leyte province on Sunday morning, also affected over 136,000 people in the central and southern Philippines.

Many areas were hit by floods even before the storm hit land. Over 13,000 displaced people were sheltering in the evacuation centers, while some were staying with relatives, the NDRRMC said.

On Monday, the state weather bureau downgraded Megi to a tropical depression. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Megi is forecast "to slowly loop in the vicinity of the northeastern portion of Leyte province and the southern portion of Samar and Eastern Samar provinces."

Megi is the first tropical storm this year to hit the Southeast Asian country, which is battered by about 20 typhoons and storms every year. The Philippines archipelago lies on the Pacific typhoon belt, making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries. 

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard rescue residents from the flood in a town in Capiz Province, the Philippines, on April 12, 2022. (Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via Xinhua)

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard rescue residents from the flood in a town in Capiz Province, the Philippines, on April 12, 2022. (Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via Xinhua)
By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan plans to appoint a new Central Bank board member.

On April 11, Azerbaijan's parliamentary committee for economic policy, Industries, and Business Enterprise met to discuss the issue.

During the meeting, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's proposals for the dismissal of Elman Rustamov as chairman of the Central Bank and the appointment of Taleh Kazimov to this position were discussed.

The committee reached a positive conclusion on both submissions and recommended that they be discussed during the parliament's plenary session.

Azerbaijan's parliament will address the issue of dismissal of Elman Rustamov from the post of chairman of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan on April 12.

The agenda of the parliament's plenary session has been amended in this regard. Thus, the number of items on the agenda has been increased from four to six.

The agenda included the release of Elman Rustamov from the post of Chairman of the Central Bank and the appointment of Taleh Kazimov to this position.
Gorakhpur: The custody remand of Murtaza, accused in the Gorakhpur temple attack case of Uttar Pradesh, has been congratulated. In fact, Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi, an accused in the attack in Gorakhpur, today appeared before the ACJM court and after the hearing here, the court extended Murtaza's police custody remand till April 16. According to the information received, Murtaza's custody remand was ending today, and in view of this, the ATS had sought an extension of the remand from the court and in custody remand, the ATS is now going to interrogate the accused Murtaza further.

In fact, the UP ATS is constantly questioning Murtaza and his family members. And there have been many important clues during this period. Not only this but there have also been many revelations of terror connections. Today i.e. on April 11, his remand was coming to an end, however, today the UP ATS brought Murtaza from Lucknow to Gorakhpur and produced him before the court. Where the court has asked for the extension of Mortaza's remand till 12 noon on April 16. However, now the question will start once again. At the same time, after taking the court order, the ATS is going to take Murtaza and leave for Lucknow again.

UP ATS has so far extended the remand to investigate the facts revealed in the interrogation of Murtaza Abbasi. According to reports that emerged on April 2, Murtaza had stopped all his online activities and on the same day, two people, posing as employees of the bank, had reached his house and made enquiries.

And he described himself as a bank employee and talked about a loan of Rs 25 lakh on Murtaza. When he asked the family members for his ID and bank loan details, he left from there. Due to this, Murtaza had suspected that the agencies were eyeing him and due to this, he had left for Nepal on the morning of April 2. However, the very next day, he came to Gorakhpur in the morning and now the ATS is inquiring about all these things.

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TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated on Sunday that the US is attempting to impose new conditions for the easing of anti-Iran sanctions.

"The American side has made excessive demands in the last two or three weeks, which contradict some paragraphs of the text prepared for a possible agreement in the recent Vienna talks," Amir-Abdollahian said, adding that the US wants to propose and impose new conditions outside the negotiating framework in exchange for the lifting of anti-Iran sanctions.

"If the US government has good intentions, it should take realistic and concrete moves in the negotiations, such as freeing some of Iran's blocked assets or relaxing sanctions," Xinhua news reported an Iranian top diplomat as saying.

"Iran stands and will stand on its red lines," he said, adding that Iran will continue on the diplomatic path to a dignified, enduring, and good accord. Iran and world powers signed a nuclear deal in July 2015, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Former US President Donald Trump, however, withdrew the US from the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran, causing Iran to back out of some of the agreement's nuclear commitments in retribution.

Israel's financial deficit continues to shrink

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Kathmandu, April 11

The five-party ruling alliance has decided to fight the local elections together across Nepal.

As the date of the voting is coming closer, top leaders of the Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN-Unified Socialist, Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal and Rastriya Janamorcha held a meeting on Monday morning and issued an appeal to all leaders and cadres of the parties across the country to partner up with each other as far as possible.

The parties, however, are yet to decide the modality of the partnership that will guide their leaders and cadres at the local level.

Instead, the five-party ruling alliance has told them to forge agreements for the local elections as per their local context.

The parties have argued the partnership is necessary to save democracy.
Home  Just In  Samsung Galaxy M33 5G in Nepal: Why this phone is not a great choice

Samsung Galaxy M33 5G is the latest release from Samsung in Nepal.

The M series smartphone from Samsung was released along with Galaxy A23. Samsung has also already launched a couple of mid-rangers Like Galaxy A53 5G, and Galaxy A33 5G along with its flagship S22 series. This particular model is a mid-range offering from Samsung and is also the successor of last years Samsung Galaxy M32. Various updates have been made to this smartphone compared to its predecessor Galaxy M32.

Samsung Galaxy M33 5G offers a faster processor, the latest Android version, a faster-charging option and can capture videos in higher resolution. Yet, we review this is not a good purchase in this price range.

Why? Lets dig into the details to know what more this phone is offering.

Specifications

Dimensions Height: 165.4mm

Width: 76.9mm

Thickness: 9.4mm

Weight: 198 grams Display 6.6-inch TFT LCD, 120Hz Sim Dual sims Resolution 1,080*2,408 pixels OS Android 12, One UI 4.1 Chipset Exynos 1280 (5nm) GPU Mali G68 Storage 128GB SD card slot Dedicated RAM 6/8GB Camera Front: 8MP, f/2.2

Rear: 50MP, f/1.8, PDAF

5MP, 123 degrees (Ultrawide)

2MP (Macro)

2MP (Depth) Sound Loudspeakers

3.5mm headphone jack Battery 6000mAh, li-po, non-removable

Fast charging 25W

Reverse charging Sensors Side-mounted fingerprint

Accelerometer

Compass

Gyro

Proximity Colours Green, blue, and brown Price Rs 34,000 (6/128GB)

Rs 36,000 (8/128GB)

Design and display

Photo: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy M33 5G features similar styling to that of last years Samsung Galaxy M32. The phone features a plastic build with a glass front. The back of the phone houses a camera panel with Samsung branding at the bottom while the front has a similar waterdrop notch with thick bezels at the bottom. This phone has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor that also works as a lock button.

Samsung Galaxy M33 5G weighs 198 grams and measures 9.4mm in thickness. The phone comes in green, blue and brown colours.

Photo: Samsung

There is a 6.6-inch TFT LCD display on the phone with a resolution of 1,080*2,408 pixels. Surprisingly, Samsung has decided to have a TFT LCD display instead of the Super AMOLED display on this phone. The display also supports a 120Hz refresh rate.

Cameras

Photo: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy M33 5G features a similar quad-camera setup on the back with a single selfie shooter on the front. The phone features a 50MP main camera on the back housed together with a 5MP, 123 degrees ultrawide and a couple of 2MP macro and depth sensors. Likewise, on the front, there is an 8MP selfie camera. An LED flashlight lies just below the camera panel on the back.

This is a downgrade on the specifications as Galaxy M32 features a larger 64MP sensor along with an 8MP ultrawide lens. Galaxy M32 also featured a 20MP selfie camera compared to the 8MP in Samsung Galaxy M33 5G.

Photo: Samsung

The main camera can record videos in 4K resolution up to 30fps, but there is no OIS on the camera. The videos will turn out shaky if the user records videos while they are in motion. The front camera can record the videos in 1080p resolution at 30fps only.

Performance and storage

The major upgrade on the phone can be seen in terms of performance. Samsung Galaxy M33 5G runs on the latest Android 12 with OneUI 4.1 on top. Samsung has announced that it will provide four years of Android updates on its new smartphones.

Photo: Samsung

The phone is powered by Samsungs own 5nm Exynos 1280 chipset. This is one of the many Samsung smartphones to feature an Exynos chipset and should offer better performance than last years Mediatek chipsets. Similarly, the graphical duties on the phone are handled by Mali G68.

Photo: Samsung

For the storage, Samsung Galaxy M33 5G offers 2 RAM storage options of 6GB and 8GB with 128GB of internal storage. The phone also features a dedicated microSD card slot in case the user decides to expand the storage and features an intelligent feature than can expand the RAM storage up to 16GB by reading the usage pattern of the user.

Battery life, connectivity and others

Photo: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy M33 5G features a 6,000mAh non-removable li-po battery and supports a 25W fast charging system. The phone also supports reverse charging. Though the battery power is the same as seen on the Galaxy M32, the battery should be more efficient on this device as it features a much more power-efficient chipset. But, on the downside, the user has to buy the charger separately.

The phone supports dual sim cards with 5G network connectivity. The phone also supports dual-band WiFi, and GPS. It has Bluetooth 5.1 and uses USB Type-C 2.0 cable. It has a mono speaker on the bottom and also a 3.5mm headphone jack for audio connectivity.

The price of the Samsung Galaxy M33 5G is Rs 34,000 for 6/128GB and Rs 36,000 for the 8/128GB variant.

Verdict

Well, Samsung Galaxy M33 5G exactly is not a great purchase in this price range.

On the positive side, it features a power-efficient 5nm chipset with a huge battery backup. This should not only boost the phones performance but also increase battery usage. The 6,000 mAh battery should provide more than enough power to go through a day. The phone also features the latest Android 12 with Samsungs latest OneUI 4.1 skin. Even OnePlus Nord CE 2, which is an expensive option than M33 runs only on Android 11. The four years of Android updates on the phone are also really commendable.

With all these offerings, Samsung Galaxy M33 5G also has let down the users this time in many aspects. One of the major components of a Samsung smartphone was its display quality. Samsung has the best display on the market. But, with this model, this does not seem to be the case. There is an LCD display on the phone which is inferior to an AMOLED panel in terms of colours and brightness. The 120Hz refresh rate can only be considered as a consolation on the display.

The phone also has a subpar camera performance and there is no OIS. Furthermore, there is no charger on the box of this phone and the user has to purchase it separately. This means the base price of Rs 34,000 will only get you a phone and you have to spend more if you want to get a 25W fast charger as well. This can be an upsetting factor for the users.

In this particular price range, there are multiple options for the users to choose from. Xiaomis smartphones series like Poco, Redmi and other brands like Realme may offer a better value for money.
WAEPA now offering guaranteed coverage with no medical requirements

FALLS CHURCH, Va., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WAEPA (Worldwide Assurance for Employees of Public Agencies) is now offering $100k in Guaranteed Life Insurance coverage for a limited time.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9031651-waepa-guaranteed-life-insurance-100k/

On average, members who switched from FEGLI to WAEPA save over $300 a year.

Civilian Federal Employees under the age of 50 who are not currently WAEPA members are eligible to apply for $100k in Guaranteed Life Insurance coverage with no medical exam required. Approval is guaranteed, and coverage is fully portable for those that leave federal service.

"At WAEPA, we want to provide Civilian Feds with the peace of mind that their family's financial future is secure," said M. Shane Canfield, CEO of WAEPA. "Civilian Feds serve our country every day, and our goal is to serve them. This guaranteed offer provides the opportunity to realize that goal."

This limited time offer expires on May 25, 2022. Existing WAEPA members, spouses, and dependents are ineligible, and you must be a United States citizen to apply. To learn more about WAEPA's $100k Guaranteed Issue Group Term Life Insurance and to apply, please visit: https://www.waepa.org/100k

About WAEPA

Worldwide Assurance for Employees of Public Agencies (WAEPA), is a nonprofit association (not an insurance company) formed For Feds, By Feds. The goal of WAEPA is to provide access to products and services that promote the health, welfare, and financial well-being of its members. After more than 75 years in business, WAEPA has over 46,000 members. For more information, visit waepa.org, or give us a call at (888) 353-1308.

WAEPAs coverage is portable. It can go with you when you leave the Federal government, switch jobs, or retire.

Life insurance is one of the most important ways to safeguard the future of your family.

Cision

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/100k-in-guaranteed-life-insurance-now-available-through-waepa-301520659.html

SOURCE WAEPA
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the cloud company that powers and protects life online, announced today that the company will hold an in-person Analyst Day in New York City on Wednesday, May 18, 2022.

Akamai Technologies, Inc. logo (PRNewsfoto/Akamai Technologies, Inc.)

When: Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Formal presentations will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. ET

What: Akamai CEO Tom Leighton, CFO Ed McGowan, and other key leaders will discuss the company's strategy, market opportunities, and financial model, and may provide forward-looking financial guidance during the presentations.

The event, along with supporting materials, will also be accessible live through the Investor Relations section of Akamai's website. To register for the event, please click on the link here.

About Akamai

Akamai powers and protects life online. Leading companies worldwide choose Akamai to build, deliver, and secure their digital experiences  helping billions of people live, work, and play every day. With the world's most distributed compute platform  from cloud to edge  we make it easy for customers to develop and run applications, while we keep experiences closer to users and threats farther away. Learn more about Akamai's security, compute, and delivery solutions at akamai.com and akamai.com/blog, or follow Akamai Technologies on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Contacts:

Gina Sorice

Media Relations

646-320-4107

gsorice@akamai.com

Tom Barth

Investor Relations

617-274-7130

tbarth@akamai.com

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SOURCE Akamai Technologies, Inc.
ReportLinker

Summary  Chile Life Insurance - Key Trends and Opportunities to 2025 report provides in-depth market analysis, information and insights into the Chilean life insurance segment.

New York, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Chile Life Insurance - Key Trends and Opportunities to 2025" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06011568/?utm_source=GNW





This report provides a detailed outlook by product category for the Chilean life insurance segment.



It provides values for key performance indicators such as gross written premium, penetration, and premium ceded and cession rates during the review period (2016-2020) and forecast period (2020-2025).



The report also analyzes distribution channels operating in the segment, gives a comprehensive overview of the Chilean economy and demographics, and provides detailed information on the competitive landscape in the country.



The report brings together research, modeling and analysis expertise, giving insurers access to information on segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and profiles of insurers operating in the country. The report also includes details of insurance regulations, and recent changes in the regulatory structure.



Key Highlights

- Key insights and dynamics of the Chilean life insurance segment.

- A comprehensive overview of the Chilean economy, government initiatives and investment opportunities.

- The Chilean insurance regulatory frameworks evolution, key facts, taxation regime, licensing and capital requirements.

- The Chilean life insurance industrys market structure giving details of lines of business.

- The Chiles life insurance reinsurance businesss market structure giving details of premium ceded along with cession rates.

- Distribution channels deployed by the Chilean life insurers.

- Details of the competitive landscape and competitors profiles.



Scope

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the life insurance segment in Chile -

- It provides historical values for the Chilean life insurance segment for the reports 2016-2020 review period, and projected figures for the 2020-2025 forecast period.

- It profiles the top life insurance companies in Chile and outlines the key regulations affecting them.



Reasons to Buy

- Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to the Chilean life insurance segment.

- Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends and growth opportunities in the Chilean life insurance segment.

- Assess the competitive dynamics in the life insurance segment.

- Identify growth opportunities and market dynamics in key product categories.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06011568/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




The Food and Drug Administration has given Fitbit the green light to monitor users' heart rhythms in the background. A new photoplethysmography (PPG) algorithm can passively check a user's heart rhythm while they're still or asleep. If the tech detects signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib)  a type of irregular heart rhythm  it will alert the wearer. Fitbit parent Google submitted the algorithm to the FDA for review last month.

Fitbit previously received FDA clearance to use electrocardiogram (ECG) tech in 2020's Sense Smartwatch. However, that method requires users to run ECG tests manually. Google notes that AFib can be difficult to detect as episodes can be sporadic and pass without any symptoms. Monitoring heart rhythms in the background could improve detection. AFib affects more than 33.5 million people, and those with the condition have a higher risk of stroke.

In May 2020, Fitbit conducted a study of the PPG algorithm which lasted over five months and had more than 450,000 participants. It found that the algorithm correctly identified AFib episodes 98 percent of the time. Google used ECG patch monitors for confirmation.
ReportLinker

Global Male Hypogonadism Market 2022-2026 The analyst has been monitoring the male hypogonadism market and it is poised to grow by $ 684. 95 mn during 2022-2026 progressing at a CAGR of 5.

New York, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Male Hypogonadism Market 2022-2026" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06266748/?utm_source=GNW

09% during the forecast period. Our report on the male hypogonadism market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors.

The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by increase in the incidence of hypogonadism, increasing awareness about male hypogonadism and its treatment options, and growth in infertility rates.

The male hypogonadism market analysis includes the type segment and geographic landscape.



The male hypogonadism market is segmented as below:

By Type

 Klinefelters syndrome

 Kallmann syndrome

 Pituitary disorders



By Geographical Landscape

 North America

 Europe

 Asia

 Rest of World (ROW)



This study identifies the increasing inorganic growth strategies likely to fuel the market growth as one of the prime reasons driving the male hypogonadism market growth during the next few years. Also, robust R&D activities fueling the pipeline and treating low testosterone levels could reduce COVID-19 mortality will lead to sizable demand in the market.



The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters. Our report on male hypogonadism market covers the following areas:

 Male hypogonadism market sizing

 Male hypogonadism market forecast

 Male hypogonadism market industry analysis



This robust vendor analysis is designed to help clients improve their market position, and in line with this, this report provides a detailed analysis of several leading male hypogonadism market vendors that include AbbVie Inc., Aytu BioPharma Inc., Bayer AG, Bio Techne Corp., Diurnal Group Plc, Eli Lilly and Co., Endo International Plc, Ferring B.V., IBSA Institute Biochimique SA, Lipocine Inc., Merck and Co. Inc., Perrigo Co. Plc, Pfizer Inc., and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Also, the male hypogonadism market analysis report includes information on upcoming trends and challenges that will influence market growth. This is to help companies strategize and leverage all forthcoming growth opportunities.

The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to an analysis of the key vendors.



The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters such as profit, pricing, competition, and promotions. It presents various market facets by identifying the key industry influencers. The data presented is comprehensive, reliable, and a result of extensive research - both primary and secondary. Technavios market research reports provide a complete competitive landscape and an in-depth vendor selection methodology and analysis using qualitative and quantitative research to forecast the accurate market growth.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06266748/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




HOUSTON, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Grogan Gallery is pleased to welcome renowned Texas artist Jeffie Brewer to Houston for "APRICITY," a solo exhibition featuring a selection of new sculptures and paintings. An opening reception with the artist will run from 6-9pm on April 15th.

The Grogan Gallery

For those who might be wondering "what does 'apricity' mean?" according to the Oxford English Dictionary it means "the warmth of the sun in winter." A delightful word for a delightful thing, apricity captures the essence of Brewer's art perfectly because Brewer's delightful figures make you feel warm and happy as you sense that circumstances are about to change for the better. In other words, they give you hope.

Hailing from Nacogdoches deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas, Brewer paintings and sculptures are whimsical and larger-than-life figures that are meant to delight the viewer. His colorful pieces are displayed in private residences, public parks, and museum collections across the country. Since his first exhibition in 1998, his work has appeared in both solo and group shows across North America and in Japan.

APRICITY will be on view from April 15 through May 13th. Brewer will be available to meet guests of Grogan Gallery at an opening reception on April 15, 2022, from 6 to 9 p.m. Central Time.

Opening Reception  04/15/2022, 6-9pm

7800 Washington Ave Suite 450, Houston, TX 77007

https://thegrogangallery.com/show/the-grogan-gallery-apricity-new-works-by-jeffie-brewer

About Grogan Gallery

The Grogan Gallery, a fine art gallery conveniently located near the intersection of I-10 and Washington Avenue in the Houston Design District, enjoys a tradition of representing exemplary contemporary and traditional artists from around the world. We offer a dedicated staff of fine art consultants who work closely with our clients to form customized plans designed to meet your individual objectives and enhance the artistic beauty of your residence, office, hotel or institution. The Grogan Gallery features a wide variety of museum quality fine art, including abstract paintings, figurative paintings, bronze, stone and glass sculptures, and photography.

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Grogan Gallery to Highlight Artist Jeffie Brewer in Solo Exhibition, APRICITY

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SOURCE The Grogan Gallery
LONGi, a key Chinese solar technology company, has announced that it has been awarded a contract to supply 406MW of its Hi-MO 5 bifacial modules to the SepcoIII Electric Power Construction Company towards development of Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Project.

Located on the kingdom's west coast, the project will be completely powered by renewable energy on a scale not previously achieved anywhere in the world, with energy to be generated via solar panels and wind turbines to meet initial demand of 210MW, with further expansion planned.

The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind the world's most ambitious regenerative tourism project, awarded its highest-value contract to date to a consortium led by Acwa Power to design, build, operate and transfer the project's utilities infrastructure, generating up to 650,000 MWh of CO2 free power.

The CO2 emissions saved are the equivalent of some half a million tons annually.

Included in the package is the world's largest battery storage facility of 1000MWh, which will allow the destination to remain completely off-grid and powered by renewables day and night.

The agreement also covers the construction of three seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plants, designed to provide clean drinking water, a solid waste management center and an innovative sewage treatment plant (STP) that is expected to allow waste to be managed in a way that enhances the environment, by creating new wetland habitats and supplementing the venue with irrigation water for landscaping.

The Red Sea Project has already achieved significant milestones and, upon its completion in 2030, there will be 50 hotels, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms, and around 1,300 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites.

On the contract win, Group Vice President Dennis She said: "The Red Sea Project is a vital undertaking as part of Saudi Vision 2030 and the completion of the project will lead to a new way of life in the Middle East. LONGi will spare no effort to contribute to the region's energy transformation."

"As a world-leading solar technology company, LONGi will continue to contribute to global energy transformation together with partners from all sectors, he added.
Over 200 Forbes 2000 companies rely on SpendEdge' s actionable insights.

SpendEdge Is the Preferred Procurement Market Intelligence Partner for 120+ Fortune 500 Firms

NEW YORK, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Industrial Gases market will grow at a CAGR of 6.59% by 2026. Prices will increase by 10%- 12% during the forecast period and suppliers will have a moderate bargaining power in this market. This report offers key advisory and intelligence to help buyers identify and shortlist the most suitable suppliers for their Industrial Gases requirements.

Industrial Gases Market

Get a Free Access to All This Market's Trends and Drivers

Industrial Gases Procurement report explains key category management objectives that should form the base for sourcing strategy, including:

Top-line growth

Scalability of inputs

Green initiatives

Category innovations

Supply base rationalization

Demand forecasting and governance

Minimalization of ad hoc purchases

Adherence to regulatory nuances

Cost savings

Customer retention

Reduction of TCO

Supply assurance

Sign Up for a Sample Industrial Gases Procurement Market Report: www.spendedge.com/report/industrial-gases-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report

This report evaluates suppliers based on provision for applicable insurance policy, real-time analysis, pipeline software solutions, and conduct pipeline surveys. In addition, suppliers are also shortlisted based on business needs, technical specifications, operational requirements, security compliance, regulatory mandates, legal requirements, quality control, change management procedures, pricing models, penalty clauses, SLA nuances, acceptance criteria, and evaluation criteria.

Best Selling Reports:

Asset Recovery Services - Forecast and Analysis : The asset recovery services will grow at a CAGR of 9.49% during 2021-2025. Asia Asset Recovery Pte Ltd., TES-Amm Singapore Pte Ltd., and Iron Mountain Inc. are among the prominent suppliers in asset recovery services market. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report.

Vulnerability Management Sourcing and Procurement Report : Vulnerability Management Procurement Market, prices will increase by 4%-6% during the forecast period and suppliers will have a Moderate bargaining power in this market. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report.

Celebrity Talent Management Services - Sourcing and Procurement Intelligence Report: This report offers key advisory and intelligence to help buyers identify and shortlist the most suitable suppliers for their celebrity talent management services requirements. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report.

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Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Contact

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us

SpendEdge Logo (PRNewsfoto/SpendEdge)

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SOURCE SpendEdge
(Bloomberg) -- Iran said the 2015 nuclear deal is alive but lingering in the emergency room, with its fate resting on a decision by the U.S. that could lift sanctions on Tehrans economy and oil exports.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Saeed Khatibzadeh, Irans foreign ministry spokesman, told reporters the Islamic Republic had finalized all the details needed to revive the landmark accord with other world powers involved in stalled negotiations in Vienna.

But he said the U.S. had yet to take a decision on the latest Iranian proposal for how to resolve the standoff over remaining issues between the two countries, which include a Trump-era terrorism designation for Irans elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Without Nuclear Deal, How Close Is Iran to a Bomb?: QuickTake

We havent reached the point yet where the U.S. side has shown the will to return to its own obligations under the nuclear deal and the related United Nations resolution, Khatibzadeh said. Washington must reverse all of the Trump administrations measures against Iran, imposed as part of its maximum pressure strategy, he said.

While the terrorism listing isnt formally part of the nuclear deal, Tehran has insisted it must be removed in order for the pact to be revived.

Diplomats paused their negotiations last month after Russia inserted new conditions related to western sanctions imposed on Moscow over its war on Ukraine. The Kremlin later backed down, but Tehran and Washington remain deadlocked, especially over the designation of the Guard as a foreign terrorist organization made by then-President Donald Trump.

Reversing that decision could be politically perilous for the Biden administration in an election year, with substantial opposition in both American parties.

Story continues

Oils Iran Shrug Shows Traders Dont Expect More Crude Soon

Reviving the 2015 deal would ease sanctions on Iran and trigger the return of its crude oil to markets at a time of unprecedented volatility in fuel markets because of Russias attack on Ukraine and the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic on supply and demand.

The nuclear accord unraveled after Trump renounced it and reimposed sanctions almost four years ago. Iran responded by escalating its uranium enrichment well beyond limits set by the accord. The confrontation fueled conflicts in the Middle East and a series of attacks on shipping in waterways key for global trade.

Yemen President Steps Aside in Boost for Efforts to End War

Gulf Arab governments and Israel opposed the agreement, arguing it failed to address worries over the Islamic Republics ballistic missile capabilities or its support for militias including Lebanons Hezbollah and Yemens Houthi fighters.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the region last month for talks that included those concerns. American officials said the revival of the atomic accord, also signed by China, Russia, France, Germany and the U.K., wasnt imminent.

(Updates with quote in fourth paragraph and context.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Market Reports World

global Microfinance market size is projected to reach US$ 414980 million by 2028, from US$ 184250 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 12.1% during 2022-2028.

Pune, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The latest global Microfinance Market research report 2022 provides detailed information about the market overview, modern trends, demand, and recent development affecting the market growth during the upcoming year. The microfinance market report also covers the new business development, price, revenue, gross margin, market size, share, potential growth, and upcoming market strategy followed by leading players. This report also gives the knowledge of major company profiles within the market. The report focuses on the Microfinance Market size, segment size (mainly covering product type, application, and geography), competitor landscape, recent status, and development trends. Moreover, Microfinance Market is forecast by region, type, and application, with sales and revenue, from 2022 to 2028. And also report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed and overall research conclusions are offered.

Get a Sample PDF of the report - https://www.marketreportsworld.com/enquiry/request-sample/20327323

Moreover, the research report gives detailed data about the major factors influencing the growth of the Microfinance market at the national and local level forecast of the market size, in terms of value, market share by region, and segment, regional market positions, segment and country opportunities for growth, Key company profiles, SWOT, product portfolio and growth strategies.

About Microfinance:

Microcredit is a banking service that is provided to low-income individuals or to the unemployed or to people without access to any financial services. Microfinance companies aim to provide low-income borrowers with the opportunity to become self-sufficient by saving and borrowing, and by providing microfinance insurance. Microfinance institutions, like traditional banking, charge their lenders interest on loans. However, these rates are lower than those offered by ordinary Banks.

Story continues

Get a Sample Copy of the Microfinance Market Research Report 2022

This report gives a detailed description of all the factors influencing the growth of these market players as well as profiles of their companies, their product portfolios, marketing strategies, technology integrations, and more information about these market players. Some of the major players are as follows:

The Major Key Players Listed in Microfinance Market Report are:

WeBank

ResponsAbility Investments AG

Asmitha Microfin

Utkarsh Micro Finance

Share Microfin

Ujjivan

Spandana Sphoorty Financial

Bhartiya Samruddhi Finance LimitedBSFL

GFSPL

Suning

Grameen America

LiftFund

Opportunity Fund

Accion

Justine Petersen

Malayan Banking Berhad

GC Business Finance

Adie

DMI

Microfinance Ireland

Global Microfinance Market: Drivers and Restrains

The research report has incorporated the analysis of different factors that augment the markets growth. It constitutes trends, restraints, and drivers that transform the market in either a positive or negative manner. This section also provides the scope of different segments and applications that can potentially influence the market in the future. The detailed information is based on current trends and historic milestones.

A thorough evaluation of the restrains included in the report portrays the contrast to drivers and gives room for strategic planning. Factors that overshadow the market growth are pivotal as they can be understood to devise different bends for getting hold of the lucrative opportunities that are present in the ever-growing market. Additionally, insights into market experts opinions have been taken to understand the market better.

Inquire more and share questions if any before the purchase on this report at - https://www.marketreportsworld.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/20327323

On the whole, the report proves to be an effective tool that players can use to gain a competitive edge over their competitors and ensure lasting success in the global Microfinance market. All of the findings, data, and information provided in the report are validated and revalidated with the help of trustworthy sources. The analysts who have authored the report took a unique and industry-best research and analysis approach for an in-depth study of the global Microfinance market.

Global Microfinance Market: Segment Analysis

The research report includes specific segments by region (country), by company, by Type and by Application. This study provides information about the sales and revenue during the historic and forecasted period. Understanding the segments helps in identifying the importance of different factors that aid the market growth.

By Types:

Below $3000

$3000-$10000

$10000-25000$

Above 25000$

By Application:

Personal

SME

Geographic Segment Covered in the Report:

The Microfinance report provides information about the market area, which is further subdivided into sub-regions and countries/regions. In addition to the market share in each country and sub-region, this chapter of this report also contains information on profit opportunities. This chapter of the report mentions the market share and growth rate of each region, country and sub-region during the estimated period.

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

South America

Middle East and Africa

The study objectives of this report are:

To study and analyze the global Microfinance market size (value and volume) by company, key regions/countries, history data and forecast.

To understand the structure of the Microfinance market by identifying its various sub-segments.

To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).

Focuses on the key global Microfinance manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in the next few years.

To analyze the Microfinance with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.

To project the value and volume of Microfinance submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).

To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.

To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.

This Microfinance Market Research/Analysis Report Contains Answers to the following Questions

What developments are going on in that technology? Which trends are causing these developments?

Who are the global key players in this Microfinance market? What are their company profiles, their product information, and contact information?

What was the global market status of Microfinance market?

What is the current market status of Microfinance industry? Whats market competition in this industry, both company, and country-wise? Whats the market analysis of the Microfinance market by taking applications and types in consideration?

What will be the estimation of cost and profit?

What is the economic impact on Microfinance industry? What are global macroeconomic environment analysis results? What are global macroeconomic environment development trends?

What are the market dynamics of Microfinance market? What are the challenges and opportunities?

Purchase this report (Price 4900 USD for a single-user license) - https://www.marketreportsworld.com/purchase/20327323

Detailed TOC of Global Microfinance Market Report 2022

1 Report Business Overview

1.1 Study Scope

1.2 Market Analysis by Type

1.2.1 Global Microfinance Market Size Growth Rate by Type, 2017 VS 2021 VS 2028

1.2.2 Below $3000

1.2.3 $3000-$10000

1.2.4 $10000-25000$

1.2.5 Above 25000$

1.3 Market by Application

1.3.1 Global Microfinance Market Size Growth Rate by Application, 2017 VS 2021 VS 2028

1.3.2 Personal

1.3.3 SME

1.4 Study Objectives

1.5 Years Considered

2 Global Growth Trends

2.1 Global Microfinance Market Perspective (2017-2028)

2.2 Microfinance Growth Trends by Region

2.2.1 Microfinance Market Size by Region: 2017 VS 2021 VS 2028

2.2.2 Microfinance Historic Market Size by Region (2017-2022)

2.2.3 Microfinance Forecasted Market Size by Region (2023-2028)

2.3 Microfinance Market Dynamics

2.3.1 Microfinance Industry Trends

2.3.2 Microfinance Market Drivers

2.3.3 Microfinance Market Challenges

2.3.4 Microfinance Market Restraints

3 Competition Landscape by Key Players

4 Microfinance Breakdown Data by Type

5 Microfinance Breakdown Data by Application

6 North America

7 Europe

8 Asia-Pacific

9 Latin America

10 Middle East & Africa

11 Key Players Profiles

12 Analyst's Viewpoints/Conclusions

13 Appendix

Continued.

Browse the complete table of contents at - https://www.marketreportsworld.com/TOC/20327323#TOC

About Us: 

Market Reports World is the Credible Source for Gaining the Market Reports that will provide you with the Lead Your Business Needs. The market is changing rapidly with the ongoing expansion of the industry. Advancement in 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 a head start in planning and an edge over the competitors.

CONTACT: Market Reports World Phone: US: +1 424 253 0946 / UK: +44 203 239 8187 Email: sales@marketreportsworld.com Web: https://www.marketreportsworld.com




Minerals Technologies Inc.

NEW YORK, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Minerals Technologies Inc. (NYSE: MTX) (MTI or the Company) announced today that it will release results for its first quarter ended April 3, 2022 on Thursday, April 28, 2022 after the market close. The Company will host a conference call on Friday, April 29, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss these results.

The conference call will be webcast and can be accessed at Minerals Technologies website at www.mineralstech.com. To listen to the call, go to the MTI website and click on "Investor Relations," then click on "Quarterly Results & Conference Calls."

About Minerals Technologies Inc.

New York-based Minerals Technologies Inc. (MTI) is a global resource- and technology-based company that develops, produces, and markets a broad range of specialty mineral, mineral-based and synthetic mineral products and related systems and services. MTI serves the paper, packaging, foundry, steel, construction, environmental, energy, polymer, and consumer products industries. The Company reported sales of $1.9 billion in 2021. For further information, please visit our website at www.mineralstech.com. (MTI-G)

Investor Contact:

Erik Aldag, (212) 878-1831




Minister Hutchings highlights Budget 2022 commitments to reduce emissions from road transportation during visit to Prince Edward Island

Minister Hutchings highlights Budget 2022 commitments to reduce emissions from road transportation during visit to Prince Edward Island

Canada NewsWire

OTTAWA, ON, April 11, 2022

OTTAWA, ON, April 11, 2022 /CNW/ - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Today, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, and Heath MacDonald, Member of Parliament for Malpeque, were in Prince Edward Island to discuss commitments to clean air and a strong economy in Budget 2022: A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable.

Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested more than $100 billion to help lead the way in fighting climate change and protecting the environment. The government has introduced a world-leading price on pollution and recently unveiled its Emissions Reduction Plan. The plan sets out an ambitious and achievable path to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels and puts Canada on a path to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

To help reduce emissions on the road, Budget 2022 proposes to reduce pollution from transportation by accelerating the manufacturing and adoption of cleaner cars, extending incentives for zero-emission vehicles until March 2025, and investing $500 million to build a national network of electric vehicle charging stations so Canadians can drive from Charlottetown, P.E.I., to Victoria, B.C., in an electric vehicle.

Budget 2022 will help Canada continue to lead in global efforts on fighting climate change, to protect our nature, and to build a clean economy that will create the well-paying middle-class jobs of today and tomorrow.

Quotes

"Budget 2022 is about growing our economy, creating good jobs and building a Canada where nobody gets left behind. Our plan is responsible and considered, and it is going to mean more homes and well-paying jobs for Canadians, cleaner air and cleaner water for our children, and a stronger and more resilient economy for years to come."

 The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

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"Vehicles account for almost a quarter of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. We know action and more support are needed to help Canadians get behind the wheel of zero-emission vehicles. That's why the commitments proposed in Budget 2022, like mandating at least 20% of vehicles be zero-emission by 2026, making these vehicles more affordable by extending incentives until March 2025, and building a national network of electric charging stations that drivers can rely on, will help Canada continue to lead in global efforts to fight climate change."

 The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development

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Previously known as Pet Paradise Veterinary Care, NewDay reflects the companys rapid expansion and evolving vet care service; positioning NewDay as an industry leader

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 11, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NewDay Veterinary Care, owned and operated by Pet Paradise, is a network of veterinary hospitals and clinics offering high-quality, compassionate care in a convenient setting. With 24 locations and many more underway, NewDay provides complete pet healthcare inside Pet Paradises premium resorts across the United States.

NewDay, formerly known as Pet Paradise Veterinary Care, builds upon the foundation of trust earned through Pet Paradises 20 years of experience in all-inclusive pet care.

"Creating a superior pet care experience is at the core of what we do at Pet Paradise," said Pet Paradise CEO & President Fernando Acosta-Rua. "As we continued to expand our footprint and add veterinary services to our locations, it was clear that our customers wanted both top-quality and convenient veterinary care. NewDay does just that  combining comprehensive wellness plans, bundled pet care services, cutting-edge technology and experienced veterinary care teams  all in a resort-style environment."

NewDay Veterinary Care is not only committed to creating a premium veterinary experience for pets and pet parents, but also for the veterinarians and care teams. The team is dedicated to paving a path for positive change in the veterinary industry by prioritizing work/life balance, encouraging innovative and proactive care with new tools, technology, offerings and more.

"We support our veterinarians through a positive work environment built on work/life balance and community, by prioritizing continued education, offering competitive salaries and incentives, and by offering a best-in-class veterinary student loan repayment program," Pet Paradise Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Jaime Klimsey Pickett said. "As our offerings continue to evolve, our top priority is to provide our veterinarians, pets and pet parents with the highest quality medicine."

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To prioritize quality over quantity, NewDay offers its veterinarians the flexibility to spend more time with each patient, rather than focusing on meeting a quota of patient visits per day. This personalized approach leads to better patient outcomes and stronger relationships.

NewDay Veterinary Care offers a wide variety of services including routine exams and consultations, diagnostics, vaccinations, surgical procedures, radiology, dental cleanings and more. NewDay also offers monthly wellness plans at a variety of price points to help pet parents easily maintain their pets health through preventative care, including unlimited office visits, annual exams and vaccines.

NewDay is conveniently located at Pet Paradise, so customers can enjoy a more relaxing and playful experience than at a typical veterinary clinic. With options like Camp + Care, pet parents can schedule vaccinations and examinations in between a visiting pets playtime. By creating a familiar environment and associating the clinic with playtime, NewDay creates a less stressful environment for pets and veterinary teams.

NewDay Veterinary Care can be found across 24 locations in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Texas. It also plans to open eight to 10 new clinics per year to bring quality care to more pet families, with the next location opening in Odessa, Florida this May.

For more information on NewDay Veterinary Care, or to see current open opportunities, please visit newdayvetcare.com.

About NewDay Veterinary Care

NewDay Veterinary Care, owned and operated by Pet Paradise, is a network of veterinary hospitals and clinics conveniently located inside Pet Paradise locations throughout the United States. NewDay emphasizes comprehensive, low-stress veterinary care. It operates 24 clinics in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas with many more locations opening soon. For more information, visit newdayvetcare.com or our social media sites: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About Pet Paradise

Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla, Pet Paradise is a comprehensive pet care, health, and wellness provider. Located in eleven states with more than 50 locations in operation or under development, Pet Paradise continues to expand in the United States. Pet Paradise was ranked No. 1 for day camp and day care services by Newsweeks 2021 Best Petcare Brands. For more information about Pet Paradise visit petparadise.com or our social media sites: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220411005658/en/

Contacts

Jordan McCrary

jmccrary@daltonagency.com

561-308-8478
BEDFORD, NS / ACCESSWIRE / April 11, 2022 / (TSXV:SSE) - Silver Spruce Resources Inc. ("Silver Spruce" or the "Company") announces the approval of its Informe Preventivo by the Mexican government environmental authority, SEMARNAT, via Minera BIMCOL, SA de CV, ("BIMCOL" or the "Vendor") for our maiden drilling permit at the Diamante project ("Diamante or the "Property"). The Company, along with our partner Colibri Resource Corp. ("Colibri" and together with Silver Spruce, the "Companies"), will jointly manage and fund the planned 2,000 metre drilling program. Silver Spruce contracted Green & Ceo ("Green"), Asesorio Profesional y Securidad en Ambiente, of Hermosillo, Sonora to manage the environmental permitting process.

"With our permit now in hand, and the initial geological target mapping program at Diamante completed with reporting and assays expected shortly, the Companies are advancing toward a May 2022 drill mobilization. We are receiving quotations from contractors for road and pad preparation, drilling and geochemical analyses, concurrent with ArcGIS compilation for layout and development of access routes, logistics planning and geological staffing," stated Greg Davison, Silver Spruce Vice-President Exploration and Director. "Once again, we are pleased with the quality of the report preparation for SEMARNAT by Saul Ruiz and his team at Green culminating in excellent turnaround from the environmental authorities."

The drill-ready 1,057-ha Diamante gold-silver (Au-Ag) property is located 8 km northwest of the town of Tepoca, and 160 km southeast of the capital city of Hermosillo, eastern Sonora, Mexico (Figure 1). Diamante offers strong precious metal tenor with a polymetallic endowment, multiple quality targets, styles of mineralization, limited artisanal mining and small-scale production, of particular significance for our exploration moving forward, no records of drilling.

Diamante Exploration

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Exploration plans were submitted for a minimum 2,000 metre reverse circulation drill program on Diamante 1 and 2 to evaluate four to seven of the principal targets exhibiting high grades of polymetallic Au-Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu mineralization with coincident alteration, shearing and veining. Mineralization is reported visually as pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, argentiferous galena, argentite, hematite and probable metal oxides, carbonates and sulphates, including copper carbonate (malachite), copper sulphates and plumbojarosite.

The targets under consideration for Phase 1 drilling include La Prieta (see Figures 2 and 3), Aguaje, El Chon-El Chon Oeste, La Olla, Pillado, Calton (see Figures 2 and 4), El Cumbro and Mezquite-Raizudo targets (see Press Release of April 26, 2021 and January 24, 2022).

Disseminated and stockwork mineralization at Anomalia Sur and El Puerto offer two known bulk low-grade targets for subsequent drilling programs.

Figure 2 illustrates multiple target zones within Diamante 1 concession with Au and Ag geochemistry as proportional symbols. The proposed pad location and traces for R/C drilling with Au-Ag geochemistry on La Prieta (Diamante 1) and Calton (Diamante 2), are depicted in Figures 3 and 4, respectively.

Project Background

Silver Spruce can acquire up to 50% interest in four Diamante concessions with a cumulative land position of 1,057 hectares (see Press Release of April 29, 2021).

The Property is very well situated in terms of resource and logistics for exploration and is easily accessible from Mexican Highway #16 which transects Diamante 1 and on several ranch trails and dry river beds to Diamante 2.

The Property is located within the west-central portion of the Sierra Madre Occidental Volcanic Complex within the northwest-trending "Sonora Gold Belt" of northern Mexico. Mining and exploration in the surrounding area is very active with adjacent and nearby properties held by Alamos Gold, Argonaut, Agnico Eagle, Evrim, Newmont, Garibaldi, Kootenay Silver and Penoles among others.

Qualified Person

Greg Davison, PGeo, Silver Spruce VP Exploration and Director, is the Company's internal Qualified Person for the Diamante Project and is responsible for approval of the technical content of this press release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), under TSX guidelines.

About Green & Ceo

Green & Ceo, Asesorio Profesional y Securidad en Ambiente (Professional Advisory and Safety in the Environment), based in Hermosillo, Mexico, specializes in solving, optimally and sustainably, all matters of Environmental Management, Safety and Hygiene, typical of current Economic Development. Green & Ceo is a CEDES Accredited Service Provider (Prestador de Servicios Acreditado por CEDES).

With its background of knowledge and more than 12 years of experience in this type of permit for the mining industry, Green & Ceo takes investors hand in hand to obtain Authorizations, Licenses, Permits, as well as the Environmental Management and Security of any economic venture (www.green-ceo.com). In particular, the report will be prepared by Sr. Saul Ruiz (Green Star) who has a track record of more than twenty-seven years.

About Silver Spruce Resources Inc.

Silver Spruce Resources Inc. is a Canadian junior exploration company which has signed Definitive Agreements to acquire 100% of the Melchett Lake Zn-Au-Ag project in northern Ontario, and with Colibri Resource Corp. in Sonora, Mexico, to acquire 50% interest in Yaque Minerales S.A de C.V. holding the El Mezquite Au project, and up to 50% interest in each of Colibri's Jackie Au and Diamante Au-Ag projects. The Company is acquiring 100% interest in the Pino de Plata Ag project in western Chihuahua, Mexico. Silver Spruce signed a Definitive Agreement to acquire 100% interest in the Mystery Au project in the Exploits Subzone Gold Belt, Newfoundland and Labrador. Silver Spruce Resources Inc. continues to investigate opportunities that Management has identified or that have been presented to the Company for consideration.

Contact:

Silver Spruce Resources Inc.

Greg Davison, PGeo, Vice-President Exploration and Director

(250) 521-0444

gdavison@silverspruceresources.com

Michael Kinley, CEO

(902) 402-0388

mkinley@silverspruceresources.com

info@silverspruceresources.com

www.silverspruceresources.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.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements," Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future, including but not limited to, statements regarding the private placement.

Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with mineral exploration and difficulties associated with obtaining financing on acceptable terms. We are not in control of metals prices and these could vary to make development uneconomic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate.

SOURCE: Silver Spruce Resources Inc.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/696941/Silver-Spruce-Announces-Receipt-of-SEMARNAT-Environmental-Permit-for-2022-Drilling-Program-at-the-Diamante-Au-Ag-Project-Sonora-Mexico




40V, 450mA LED Drivers integrate advanced thermal management and Fault protection for Sequential or Blink mode for accent, welcome, emergency and turn lighting applications

Six-Channel LED Drivers for Dynamic Automotive Rear Lighting

The 40V, 450mA LED Drivers integrate advanced thermal management and Fault protection for Sequential or Blink mode for accent, welcome, emergency and turn lighting applications

MILPITAS, Calif., April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lumissil Microsystems, a division of Integrated Silicon Solution, Inc. (ISSI), announced today IS32LT3146 and IS32LT3147 LED drivers to further expand its portfolio of automotive lighting solutions. Both drivers are AEC-Q100 qualified, have wide input voltage range (5V~40V) to tolerate automobile battery voltage supply range and spikes, low headroom voltage and provide 6-channels of adjustable constant current sources along with features to ensure practical and easy integration into Automotive Lighting products. Thermal shunt circuitry to minimize driver thermal stress, comprehensive fault detection and reporting for added system reliability, current slew rate control to optimize EMI and thermal roll-off to ensure device lifespan reliability.



The IS32LT3146 provides additional logic to turn on output channels in groups of 1, 2, 3 or 6 in one-group-after-another-group sequential mode or all-channels blinking on/off mode. The grouping of multiple output channels enables adaptation for LEDs with higher current demands. The IS32LT3146 was designed for standalone operation where a vehicles BCM (Body Control Module) signal powers the device and all functions can be configured via external resistors without the need for a microcontroller host. Multiple IS32LT3146 instances can be synchronized with or without signaling connections; permitting device instances to be far apart or cross physical barriers such as A and B turn-lights where portion of the lighting fixture is on two sections of a vehicle; for example, the trunk door and also on the vehicles body.

The IS32LT3147 output channels have individual PWM dimming via dedicated PWM input control pins. An off-the-shelf microcontroller hosts GPIOs can be used to control PWM inputs. Alternatively, Lumissils IS32LT3134 animation controller could be used with up to 2 IS32LT3147 instances to modulate up to 12 output current sources for complex pattern playback. If PWM dimming is not required, then IS32LT3147 PWM input control pins could be pulled high to enable for max current output or pulled low to disable the channel while BCM signal powers the device on or off.

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The IS32LT3146 and IS32LT3147 are our latest automotive-grade, AEC-Q100 qualified LED drivers designed to meet the demands of next generation dynamic vehicle lighting designs, said Ven Shan, Vice President of Marketing. These drivers incorporate a rich set of integrated features for increased system capability and reliability that enable auto manufacturers to enhance their design, styling and improve safety to make lighting designs a major differentiator in new autos.

The drivers 6-channels current sources are each adjustable from 10mA to 75mA. Channels can be connected in parallel for increased current drive capacity up to a maximum of 450mA per device. The devices have a low headroom voltage and low quiescent current for low power consumption. Both drivers operate over temperature range of -40C to 150C and come in thermally enhanced 6.5x4.4mm eTSSOP-20 package.

Availability and pricing

The IS32LT3146 is priced at $0.99 each in 1K pcs quantities.

The IS32LT3147 is priced at $0.99 each in 1K pcs quantities.

About Lumissil Microsystems

Lumissil Microsystems is the analog/mixed-signal product division of ISSI, a fabless semiconductor company that designs and markets high performance integrated circuits for the following key markets: (I) automotive, (ii) communications, (iii) industrial/medical, and (iv) digital consumer. Lumissil Microsystemss primary products are LED drivers for low to mid-power RGB color mixing and high power lighting applications. Other products include audio, sensor, high speed wired communications, optical networking ICs and Application-specific microcontrollers. ISSI/Lumissil Microsystems is headquartered in Silicon Valley with worldwide offices in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, mainland China, Europe, Hong Kong, India, and Korea. Visit our web site at http://www.lumissil.com/

About Integrated Silicon Solution, Inc. (ISSI)

ISSI is a fabless semiconductor company that designs, develops and markets high performance SRAM, DRAM, Flash memory (including NOR flash, NAND flash and managed NAND solutions (eMMC)), and Analog/Mixed-signal integrated circuits. ISSI provides high-quality semiconductor products and has been a committed long-term supplier to its customers. ISSI is headquartered in Silicon Valley with worldwide offices in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, mainland China, Europe, Hong Kong, India, and Korea. Visit our web site at http://www.issi.com/

Ven Shan

P: 408-969-4622

vshan@lumissil.com

Allan Chan

P: 408-969-5129

allan_chan@lumissil.com



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/06a44926-74aa-4119-92e1-d99b56523f54




Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc.

OTTAWA, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. (Cornerstone or the Company) (TSXV:CGP) (Frankfurt:GWN) (Berlin:GWN) (OTC:CTNXF) is pleased to announce that it has been informed by Cascabel project joint venture partner and project operator SolGold Plc that SolGold expects to release the results of the Cascabel Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) to the market on April 20, 2022 at 7 am UK time.

SolGold CEO Darryl Cuzzubo will host a live presentation on April 20th at 9:30 am UK time. Investors can register to view the live presentation at: https://www.investormeetcompany.com/solgold-plc/register-investor. Investors who are unable to view the presentation live can view the recorded presentation via the same link.

About Cornerstone

Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. is a mineral exploration company with a diversified portfolio of projects in Ecuador and Chile, including the Cascabel gold-enriched copper porphyry joint venture in northwest Ecuador. Cornerstone has a 20.8% direct and indirect interest in Cascabel comprised of (i) a direct 15% interest in the project financed through to completion of a feasibility study and repayable at Libor plus 2% out of 90% of its share of the earnings or dividends from an operation at Cascabel, plus (ii) an indirect interest comprised of 6.86% of the shares of joint venture partner and project operator SolGold Plc. Exploraciones Novomining S.A. (ENSA), an Ecuadoran company owned by SolGold and Cornerstone, holds 100% of the Cascabel concession. Subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including SolGolds fully funding the project through to feasibility, SolGold Plc will own 85% of the equity of ENSA and Cornerstone will own the remaining 15% of ENSA.

Further information is available on Cornerstones website: www.cornerstoneresources.com and on Twitter. For investor, corporate or media inquiries, please contact:

Investor Relations:

Mario Drolet; Email: Mario@mi3.ca; Tel. (514) 904-1333

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Due to anti-spam laws, many shareholders and others who were previously signed up to receive email updates and who are no longer receiving them may need to re-subscribe at http://www.cornerstoneresources.com/

Cautionary Notice:

This news release may contain Forward-Looking Statements that involve risks and uncertainties, such as statements of Cornerstones beliefs, plans, objectives, strategies, intentions and expectations. The words potential, anticipate, forecast, believe, estimate, intend, trends, indicate, expect, may, should, could, project, plan, or the negative or other variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify Forward-Looking Statements. Although Cornerstone believes that its expectations reflected in these Forward-Looking Statements are reasonable, such statements may involve unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed in our regulatory filings, viewed on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets, predicting natural geological phenomena and from numerous other matters of national, regional, and global scale, including those of anti-mining sentiment in certain regions of Ecuador, or of an environmental, climatic, natural, political, economic, business, competitive, or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our Forward-Looking Statements. Although Cornerstone believes the facts and information contained in this news release to be as correct and current as possible, Cornerstone does not warrant or make any representation as to the accuracy, validity or completeness of any facts or information contained herein and these statements should not be relied upon as representing its views after the date of this news release. While Cornerstone anticipates that subsequent events may cause its views to change, it expressly disclaims any obligation to update the Forward-Looking Statements contained herein except where outcomes have varied materially from the original statements.

On Behalf of the Board,

Brooke Macdonald

President and CEO

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.




ReportLinker

Summary Switzerland Cards and Payments - Opportunities and Risks to 2025 report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Swiss cards and payments industry.

New York, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Switzerland Cards and Payments - Opportunities and Risks to 2025" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05976298/?utm_source=GNW

It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including cash, cards, credit transfers, direct debits and cheques during the review-period (2017-21e).



The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2021e-25f). It also offers information on the countrys competitive landscape, including market shares of issuers and schemes.



The report brings together research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers detailed regulatory policies and recent changes in regulatory structure.



This report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Swiss cards and payments industry, including -

- Current and forecast values for each market in the Swiss cards and payments industry, including debit, credit and charge cards.

- Detailed insights into payment instruments including cash, cards, credit transfers, direct debits and cheques. It also, includes an overview of the countrys key alternative payment instruments.

- Ecommerce market analysis .

- Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Swiss cards and payments industry.

- Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit, credit and charge cards.



Scope

- Most payment cards in the country feature contactless functionality. According to an August-November 2020 survey conducted by the Swiss National Bank on payment methods, 92% of Swiss consumers owned a contactless debit or credit card; meanwhile, 60% of contactless card holders made contactless payments using their cards. All major card scheme providers in the country raised the contactless payment limit on their cards from CHF40 ($45.23) to CHF80 ($90.47) in April 2020. Swiss Posts financial services unit PostFinance further increased the contactless payment limit for its PostFinance Card to CHF100 ($113.08) in August 2021. These increased contactless limits are encouraging Swiss card holders to make higher-value contactless payments, which in turn is boosting card payment usage.

- The advent of digital-only banks is likely to further support payment card market growth. In July 2020, challenger bank YAPEAL launched its services in Switzerland. The bank offers a Swiss bank account along with a Visa debit card. In August 2021, it launched youth banking service Yapini for children aged seven and above. Previously, digital-only bank neon launched in the country in March 2019, offering a free bank account along with a Mastercard debit card. In May 2021, neon launched a sustainable bank account called neon green. One tree is planted for every CHF100 ($113.08) spent using the debit card included with the account. N26 also has a presence in the country, offering personal and business accounts along with Mastercard debit cards.

- To capitalize on the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies, payment services providers are launching cryptocurrency payment acceptance solutions for merchants.

In September 2021, Worldline and Swiss crypto company Bitcoin Suisse launched WL Crypto Payments, an omnichannel crypto payment solution for merchants - allowing Worldlines 85,000 online and physical merchants in Switzerland to accept Bitcoin and Ether as a payment option across their websites and physical stores.



Reasons to Buy

- Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to the Swiss cards and payments industry and each market within it.

- Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the Swiss cards and payments industry.

- Assess the competitive dynamics in the Swiss cards and payments industry.

- Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Switzerland.

- Gain insights into key regulations governing the Swiss cards and payments industry.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05976298/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




DHL Global Forwarding (DGF), the global leader in the logistics industry, has joined the Sasol Solar Challenge (SSC) as the official logistics and freight sponsor. It is also a sponsor of the DHL Global Forwarding/Sasol Solar Challenge prize competition.

The organisations global presence and industry-leading logistics expertise will add significant value to the 2022 Sasol Solar Challenge, which will see more than a dozen professional and amateur solar car teams from around the world compete to travel the furthest distance in an entirely solar-powered vehicles of their own design and construction.

We are delighted that DHL Global Forwarding has joined the Sasol Solar Challenge. This is an exciting opportunity to work alongside one of the worlds leading logistics companies, said Robert Walker, director of the Sasol Solar Challenge.

Growing the event

DHL Global Forwarding has demonstrated a commitment to supporting major events across the world. The partnership with the Sasol Solar Challenge will ultimately help grow the event on a local and global scale.

As part of the agreement, DHL Global Forwarding will fund four logistics vouchers - valued at R100,000 ($6,859) each - for international participating teams to help cover most of the costs associated with competing in South Africa.

Each solar car will be safely and timeously delivered to the country, enabling teams to focus on other important aspects of the event without concerning themselves with international shipping.

Logistical support

Additionally, DHL Global Forwarding will provide teams with logistical support and advice on freight, customs, shipping and more throughout the event.

DHL Global Forwarding will also provide local and international teams with a one-stop, full-service shipping experience, a major value-add for the competition.

We are delighted to contribute our expertise and capabilities to the Sasol Solar Challenge again this year. Our forwarding experts, global reach and local knowledge equip us to safely transport important cargo such as the participating solar cars. This frees the solar car teams to focus on performing their best in the competition, said Clement Blanc, managing director of DHL Global Forwarding South Africa.

Getting creative

To win the DHL Global Forwarding prizes, teams will have to get creative and grab the attention of both the Sasol Solar Challenge and DHL Global Forwarding on Facebook and Twitter and explain why their team decided to participate in the 2022 Sasol Solar Challenge.

At DHL Global Forwarding, we strive for clean operations and work hard to do our part to protect the climate. Our collaboration with the Sasol Solar Challenge reflects our efforts to get logistics to net-zero by 2050, said Blanc. Mobility is inseparable from logistics, and the solar car teams working on these innovative vehicles today play an important role in shaping the future of sustainable mobility.

Sasol senior manager for group brand and sponsorships, Nozipho Mbatha also welcomed DHL Global Forwarding on board for the 2022 Sasol Solar Challenge, saying: We are delighted to welcome a world leader in the logistics industry to the Sasol Solar Challenge. Their expertise offers an efficient and easy solution for our international participants to compete in South Africa.-- TradeArabia News Service
Model is most powerful one in Arabic language to date with 10 billion parameters

Features applications in automated summarization, chatbots, personalized marketing

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, April 11, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a global research center and applied research pillar of Abu Dhabis Advanced Technology Research Council, today announced the launch of NOOR, the worlds largest Arabic natural language processing (NLP) model to date.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220411005085/en/

Noor, the world's largest Arabic NLP Model - AI Cross-Center Unit, Technology Innovation Institute (Photo: AETOSWire)

TIIs team of advanced researchers and Artificial Intelligence (AI) specialists, has joined forces with LightOn, a technology company that unlocks extreme-scale machine intelligence for businesses, to transform the Arabic NLP model. The NOOR model has the capability to carry out tasks beyond the domain of language - offering end-to-end pipeline high quality data, including crawling, filtering, and curation at scale. The model facilitates extreme-scale distributed training and serving  to deliver applications with efficient inference and model specialization.

Dr. Ray O. Johnson, CEO, TII and ASPIRE, said: "With this development, we are well on track to enhance our research capabilities and credentials as well as elevate the status of Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a serious research ecosystem. Our expert teams have demonstrated yet again that this region can achieve breakthrough R&D outcomes to impact the world."

Dr. Ebtesam Almazrouei, Director, AI Cross-Center Unit, TII, said: "Large language models have taken the world of natural language processing by storm, and we are proud to introduce this cutting-edge model with 10 billion parameters - the worlds largest Arabic NLP model. The uniquely large Arabic dataset collected to train the model is the result of months of work that included curating, scrapping, and filtering of varied sources. A special thank you to the entire team that worked on this project to make NOOR the go-to exploration model in Arabic for academicians and businesses everywhere."

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Speaking on the launch, Prof. Merouane Debbah, Chief Researcher, Digital Science Research Center and AI Cross-Center Unit, TII, said: "With NOOR, TII has expanded the scope of the modern standard Arabic model by leveraging know-how in large language models to build cross-disciplinary, cutting-edge expertise in this new generation of AI research."

To curate the worlds largest high-quality cross-domain Arabic datasets, NOORs unique dataset of more than 30 billion words combines web data with books, poetry, news articles, and technical information to significantly widen the applicability of the model.

Dr. Ebtesam Almazrouei said the NOOR model is based on the popular Transformer architecture. As a decoder-only model, similar in structure to GPT-3, it is programmed to tackle generative tasks with architecture upgraded to reflect the latest developments in the world of machine learning, including improvements such as better positional embeddings. To help ensure quality at scale in the NOOR dataset, the TII team designed an automated filtering pipeline based on machine learning techniques. These tools identify text like quality references and safeguard the model from exposure to spam content.

Leveraging state-of-the-art 3D parallelism, NOOR was trained on a High-Performance Computing resource with 128 A100 GPUs, allowing for the distribution of computations and ensuring efficient use of the available hardware resources.

The Director of the AI Cross-Center Unit noted that this was only the first step in the Units efforts to contribute to the wider UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence.

Named for the Arabic word "light", the model has been so called to establish the correlation of the Arabic language model to enlightening the mind.

About Technology Innovation Institute (TII)

For more information, visit www.tii.ae

*Source: AETOSWire

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220411005085/en/

Contacts

Technology Innovation Institute

Sneha Sivanand, sneha.sivanand@tii.ae
(Corrects dateline)

* Russian assaults in east repulsed

* Rockets destroy Dnipro airport

* Austria's Nehammer to meet Putin in Moscow on Monday

* World Bank forecasts 45% drop in Ukraine GDP output

By Maria Starkova

LVIV, Ukraine, April 11 (Reuters) - Ukrainian troops have repulsed several Russian assaults in the country's east, the focus of a new offensive by the invading forces, British intelligence said on Monday, while President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this week will be crucial to the course of the war.

Austrian leader Karl Nehammer planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday and will call for an end to the conflict. It would be Putin's first face-to-face meeting with a European Union leader since Russia's invasion started on Feb. 24.

Russian forces were also pushing their offensive to establish control over the southern port city of Mariupol, a key target whose capture would link up areas of Russian control to the west and east.

The Russian invasion has left a trail of death of destruction that has drawn condemnation from Western countries and triggered concern about Putin's broader ambitions.

About a quarter of Ukraine's 44 million population have been forced from their homes, cities turned into rubble, and thousands of people have been killed or injured - many of them civilians.

Russian forces have abandoned their attempt to capture the capital Kyiv but are redoubling their efforts in Ukraine's east. Britain's defence ministry said Russian shelling continued in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Ukrainian forces had beaten back several assaults and destroyed Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery equipment, it said in its regular intelligence bulletin.

The report also said Russia's continued reliance on unguided bombs greatly increased the risk of further civilian casualties.

Powerful explosions rocked cities in the south and east and air raid sirens blared out across Ukraine early on Monday.

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"IT MUST STOP" President Zelenskiy kept up his tireless campaign to generate international support and rally his countrymen, warning the coming week would be important and tense.

"Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state. They may use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs. But we are preparing for their actions. We will answer." he said in a late night video address.

He was due to address South Korea's parliament by videolink on Monday.

The general staff of Ukraine's armed forces said it was likely the Russians would try to disrupt supply lines and strike at transport infrastructure.

Russia's defence ministry said high-precision missiles had destroyed the headquarters of Ukraine's Dnipro battalion in the town of Zvonetsky.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he would meet Putin on Monday in Moscow.

"We are militarily neutral, but (have) a clear position on the Russian war of aggression against #Ukraine," Nehammer wrote on Twitter https://twitter.com/karlnehammer/status/1513193093784297476. "It must stop! It needs humanitarian corridors, ceasefire & full investigation of war crimes."

Since Russia invaded, Zelenskiy has appealed to Western powers to provide more defence help, and to punish Moscow with tougher sanctions including embargoes on its energy exports.

Zelenskiy said he had confidence in his own armed forces but "unfortunately I don't have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need" from the United States.

CIVILIAN TOLL

Mounting civilian casualties have triggered widespread international condemnation and new sanctions.

Ludmila Zabaluk, head of the Dmytriv Village Department, north of Kyiv, said dozens of civilian bodies were found in the area.

"There were more than 50 dead people. They shot them from close distance. There's a car where a 17-year-old child was burned, only bones left. A woman had half her head blown off. A bit farther, a man lying near his car was burned alive.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports.

Moscow has rejected accusations of war crimes by Ukraine and Western countries. It has repeatedly denied targeting civilians in what it calls a "special operation" to demilitarise and "denazify" its southern neighbour. Ukraine and Western nations have dismissed this as a baseless pretext for war.

ECONOMIC COST

French bank Societe Generale became the latest company to retreat from Russia, agreeing to sell its stake in Rosbank and the Russian lenders insurance subsidiaries to Interros Capital, a firm linked to billionaire Vladimir Potanin.

The Russian invasion has triggered a barrage of financial sanctions from the United States, Europe and Britain, prompting Western companies to sell their Russian assets.

SocGen had faced mounting pressure to cut ties with Russia and end its more than 15-year investment in Rosbank.

The World Bank on Sunday forecast the war would cause Ukraine's economic output to collapse by 45% this year, with half of its businesses shuttered, grain exports mostly cut off by Russia's naval blockade and destruction rendering economic activity impossible in many areas.

The bank forecast Russia's GDP would contract by 11.2% this year due to punishing Western sanctions.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Writing by Lincoln Feast and Angus MacSwan, Editing by Stephen Coates and Nick Macfie)
Verizon Sourcing LLC

New analytics help fleets plan to make the switch to electric vehicles

NEW YORK, April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- How many miles do we drive? How often would I need to charge my vehicles? Do we need to install charging stations or could we have our drivers charge at home? These and many other questions are on the minds of fleet managers and mobile businesses as they consider making the leap from internal combustion engines (ICEs) to electric vehicles (EVs). Whether it makes sense to swap a few vehicles out or convert the entire fleet over to EVs, a new partnership between Verizon Connect, the award-winning fleet and mobile workforce management solutions provider, and premier fleet electrification analytics firm Sawatch Labs , helps fleets with more than 10 vehicles plan their EV strategies.



With EVs poised to become a significant part of vehicle fleets in the coming years, growing to 31 percent of the market by 2050 , or about 672 million vehicles, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the need for fleet management solutions tailored to EVs continues to grow.

Every fleet is thinking about going to EVs, and the new Verizon Connect and Sawatch Labs integration helps them decide budget, timing, charging, staffing  everything they need to consider in the process, leaving nothing to chance, said Erin Cave, Director of Product Management at Verizon Connect. Using Verizon Connect Reveal will give customers the critical data they need to make smarter, more cost-effective, long-term investments in their fleets, their business and in the environment.

Sawatch Labs is providing the data critical for customers to confidently deploy and charge a fully electrified fleet, said Sarah Booth, Chief Operating Officer, Sawatch Labs. Partnering with an industry leader like Verizon Connect ensures fleets around the country will have the real time insights required to optimize their vehicle purchasing decisions.

Sawatch integrates vehicle data from Reveal to perform a range of EV analytics, including feasibility and infrastructure planning. Based on duty-cycle analytics that clearly identify how an EV can meet your drivers needs and provide customizable suggestions to help ensure that customers have the right size fleet to make accurate procurement and assignment decisions.

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Verizon Connect continues to be recognized for product innovation. In 2021 alone, Verizon Connect earned nine industry awards, highlighting the organization and recognizing Reveal and Integrated Video driver-facing dashcam, products that distinguish Verizon Connect from the competition by providing more than just vehicle and asset tracking data. The awards include: IoT Breakthrough Awards M2M Vehicle Telematics Solution of the Year , Food Logistics, 2021 Top Software & Technology Providers , New Product or Service of the Year: Automotive, Transportation, Storage, and Logistics for the 6th Annual American Best in Business Awards and TechRadar's Best GPS Tracking Solutions of 2022 .

Verizon Connect is guiding a connected world on the go by automating, improving and revolutionizing the way people, vehicles and things move through the world. Our full suite of industry-defining solutions and services puts innovation, automation and connected data to work for customers and helps them be safer, more efficient and more productive. With more than 3,000 dedicated employees in 15 countries, we deliver leading mobile technology platforms and solutions.

For more information, visit verizonconnect.com .

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on June 30, 2000 and is one of the worlds leading providers of technology and communications services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $133.6 billion in 2021. The company offers data, video and voice services and solutions on its award-winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.

VERIZONS ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media contacts and other resources are available at verizon.com/news . News releases are also available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds/ .

Media contacts:

Krys Card Grondorf

krys.grondorf@verizon.com

Katie Magnotta

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Local transit looks to be the beneficiary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine said in a Thursday news release that Virginia will get $232 million for transit as part of the infrastructure act. Both senators helped negotiate last years infrastructure act.

The Fredericksburg area is expected to get $3,798,631 for transit projects, according to Warner press assistant Laura Dacy.

Much of the money will help pay for urban transit projects.

Dacy said localities will be able to determine how to spend the transit funds.

Work zone time

While in these parts road work season seems to be a year-round thing, spring is the time when construction projects shift into high gear.

This is also the time when transportation leaders remind drivers of the challenges presented by road construction as part of work zone awareness week, which starts Monday.

The Interstate 95 work zone has likely hardened many Fredericksburg-area drivers who might see work zones as nothing more than an inconvenience.

But all work zones increase the potential for some other kind of surpriseabrupt lane shifts, cars stopping or veering suddenly.

Surely area drivers have run across road paving in this early stretch of spring. Those projects mean night work, barricades and orange cones, torn-up gravel, uneven lanes, unmarked lanes and people at work.

In 2020, U.S. crashes and injuries involving pedestrians (which includes work crews) dropped from the prior year. But there were 6,516 fatalities, a 3.9% increase over the 6,272 fatalities in 2019, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation report released in March.

While the pandemic skewed traffic data in 2020, work zone fatalities continued to rise, a troubling trend for road workers that comes along with rising work zone crashes and injuries.

Between 2013 and 2019, deadly work zone crashes increased 42 percent, according to workzonebarriers.com, which tracks work zone topics.

The website also cited a 2021 Associated General Contractors of America survey that found 60 percent of contractors reported work zone crashes the previous year.

The men and women of the construction industry are frequently working just a few feet, and sometimes inches, away from speeding vehicles, Ken Simonson, the associations chief economist and author of the annual survey, said in a news release.

Too often, he added, drivers who are distracted, speeding and/or under the influence crash into those work zones, putting workers and themselves at risk of serious harm and death.

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When it comes to preserving a pristine part of Virginias Wilderness battlefield, history-minded sorts can practically see home plate.

Theres just a short way to go.

The Fredericksburg-based Central Virginia Battlefields Trust and the American Battlefield Trust, a national nonprofit headquartered in Washington, are raising money to score the final run.

Heartening news came Friday when the National Park Service said it will contribute $496,756 toward purchasing 136 acres at Todds Tavern, scene of fierce fighting on May 78, 1864, as Confederate horsemen fought to prevent Union cavalry from reaching Spotsylvania Court House.

The so-called DarioMcLeod Tract is associated with campaigns of the American Revolution and the Civil War, having witnessed maneuvers and combat during both conflicts. On June 3, 1781, the Marquis de Lafayette, the patriots French ally, led his Continental Army troops past the site en route to their fateful clash with Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown. A state historical marker nearby testifies to that event.

But it is Civil War action for which Todds Tavern is most famous.

The arrival of the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac put this otherwise ordinary tavern on the radar screen of history, said the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, a nonprofit that preserves portions of Fredericksburg-area battlefields.

The Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, in partnership with the American Battlefield Trust, has a unique opportunity to save nearly the entirety of the Todds Tavern battlefield, which remains largely pristine, CVBT President Tom Van WInkle said Friday. At stake is the land that was the site of the tavern, and which saw the bulk of the cavalry battle.

Van Winkle, who lives in Spotsylvania, said the local trust must raise $15,000 to fulfill its commitment to the national trust.

He asked people to help CVBT save the tract, which he called a vital piece of the battlefield.

Todds Tavern became a hot spot as Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant pressed his Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia.

Days earlier, as the Battle of the Wilderness opened on May 5, Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meades Army of the Potomac had stumbled into Lees men in Saunders Field in Orange County. Their deadly engagement, largely a draw, cost some 27,000 casualties.

Lee believed Grant would keep moving toward Richmond, the Confederate capital, so he shifted his army south toward Spotsylvania Court House to block him. Lee ordered his cavalry chief, Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart,to delay the Union advance.

Grant instructed Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, his Cavalry Corps commander, to cut the route that the Confederates would take to Spotsylvania and to seize the crossroads at Todds Tavern, CVBT said.

Blue and gray cavalrymen met at the tavern at about 4 p.m. May 7, fighting fiercely until after dark, when the Confederates retired. The battle resumed the next morning, with heavy losses on both sides. Slowly, the Confederate horsemen were shoved back toward Spotsylvania Court House.

The troopers were about to abandon the crossroads when Lees infantry began arriving, using a bridge that Sheridan had ordered his cavalry to destroy. That ended the battle.

All the fighting around the tavern bought crucial time, enabling Lees horsemen to win the race to Spotsylvania and set up defensive positions there. That set up the next big slugfest, the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.

Todds Tavern saw lots of action during this critical stretch.

Dan Davis, a historian with the American Battlefield Trust, said Grant and Meade rode south along the Brock Road on the night of May 7, skirting the eastern section of the tract to be preserved. The two commanders stopped briefly at Todds Tavern, Davis said.

The Union armys 2nd and 5th corps marched south on Brock Road past the tracts eastern section toward the courthouse village, he added. From May 8 to 9, the 2nd Corps camped and maintained a post on the tract.

And there is more to the places past. The National Park Service calls Todds Tavern an essential meeting point for local life as well as a pivotal landmark during the Civil War.

While one might not expect taverns to be important to military history, they are often a location that sheds light on the lives of ordinary people caught in the crosshairs, the agency said Friday as it announced its grant. At Todds Tavern, there are promising clues about the lives of enslaved and freed African Americans who labored there. This land acquisition allows for the site to be preserved and for future investigation into its nuanced history.

The ramshackle tavern sat where Brock and Catharpin roads meet, an important junction connecting the Wilderness to Spotsylvanias county seat.

The tavern was named for Charles Todd, who died about 1850. His family had sold the property to Flavius Josephus Ballard about 1845. The tavern was no longer operating in May 1864, and its buildings were deteriorating.

The Spotsylvania grant is one of several destined for Virginia, Mississippi and New Jersey from the Park Services American Battlefield Protection Program. They total $2.34 million.

National Park Service Director Chuck Sams announced the land-acquisition grants to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Mississippi Department of Archives and History and Middlesex County in New Jersey.

The grants will protect nearly 500 acres of Revolutionary War and Civil War battlefields.

In addition to Todds Tavern, the agency awarded $692,450 to save 353 acres of Mississippis Champion Hill battlefield, a pivotal precursor to 1863s Battle of Vicksburg; $71,567 for an acre on the Sailors Creek battlefield in Central Virginia; and $1.08 million for 7.5 acres at New Jerseys Metuchen Meeting House battlefield, a Revolutionary War site.

The grants are made possible by the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which reinvests taxes from offshore oil and natural gas leasing to strengthen conservation and recreation across the nation.

These grants to state and local governments represent an important investment in public-private conservation efforts across America, Sams said. They ensure that future generations have access to green spaces and can reflect on our collective history.

The Park Services Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants help partners nationwide preserve threatened battlefields on American soil.
The Rappahannock Area Health District will offer the first of two free COVID-19 testing clinics this month on Thursday at Dixon Park, 1300 Dixon St., in Fredericksburg.

PCR tests, which take several days for results, will be offered from 34:30 p.m. Registration is recommended but not required at vase.vdh.virginia.gov/vdhapps/f?p=testreg:testingappointments. More information also is available at 540/899-4797.

As the availability of self-test kits has grown, the demand for testing clinics has decreased and the RAHD has scaled back to two testing clinics in April, said Mary Chamberlin, public information officer for the local health district. However, the event will be canceled if at least 15 people havent registered by Thursday morning, she said, adding that pre-registrants will get free self-testing kits.

Every home in the United States is eligible for eight free at-home test kits from the government. The kits can be ordered at covid.gov/tests or by calling 800/232-0233.
The U.N. childrens agency says nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion
A sweeping bill that seeks to address the fentanyl crisis in Colorado would do little to improve a key treatment option in jails, experts said last week.

Meanwhile, sheriffs said that if legislators want to improve the program, they should be prepared to pay for it.

Under the bill, jails who receive behavioral health funding from the state would be required to develop protocols for medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, a program that uses prescriptions and therapy to curb opioid cravings and stave off withdrawal symptoms. But, as written, the bill does not require jails to actually offer it to inmates who need it.

Advocates say the legislation changes little from the status quo.

The legislation comes amid heightened attention to the drug's increasingly deadly impact in Colorado. Fatal overdoses involving the drug have skyrocketed since 2015, the product of shifting economics and priorities within the illicit drug trade and accelerated by the pandemic.

Nearly 900 Coloradans died after ingesting fentanyl in 2021, according to state data. That represents a roughly 66% increase from 2020 and quadruple the number of deaths from 2019.

Two sheriffs who have implemented MAT programs said they opposed the state requiring counties to offer it without paying for it. Both of those sheriffs  Justin Smith in Larimer County and KC Hume in Moffatt County  said they depended upon grant funding to pay for MAT services in their facilities.

According to a 2019 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the odds of being arrested and becoming involved in the criminal justice system is 52% for those using opioids and 77% for those using heroin. Between 17% and 19% of state prison and jail inmates reported regularly using opioids, and as many as 45% suffered withdrawals upon being incarcerated, according the report.

What's more, recently released inmates are 10 to 40 times more likely to fatally overdose from opioids than the general population. An older study put the risk at 129 times higher. In incarceration settings, inmates don't have access to the opioids they were using previously. When they're released, they may use the same dose they had been before. With their tolerance wiped out, that dose is more likely to be lethal.

It's why public health officials and harm reduction advocates support using medications, such as methadone or buprenorphine, in combination with therapy, to treat inmates. They said the drugs help avoid withdrawals while curbing cravings. Ideally, once that person is released, there's a clean handoff to an MAT clinic and provider waiting for them, and, research shows, they're less likely to die or reenter the justice system.

A 2019 analysis in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, as well as the federal report from the same year, both noted MAT's efficacy in jail settings.

Currently, Colorado jails are required only to have a policy on MAT. That could mean describing a detailed plan for screening inmates, getting them started or continuing treatment, and how the service will continue upon release. But it could also mean a jail merely saying it won't offer MAT at all, experts said, or in limited settings  for pregnant women, for instance, or for people who were already on MAT when they were incarcerated.

JK Costello, a consultant who advocates for MAT in jails and is working on suggested amendments for the fentanyl bill introduced by the Colorado Legislature last month, said the bill could be more prescriptive and it needs to have teeth. There's no penalty, in the bill or in current law, for jails who don't have a policy or protocols at all, let alone one with specifics, he and others noted.

Terri Hurst, a policy coordinator with the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, called the bill's language on MAT in jails "a bit disappointing."

Ideally, both said, the bill would require MAT for qualifying inmates or at least continuing the treatment for those already on it. Hurst said she is pleased that the bill requires jails give inmates at least three doses of Naloxone  an opioid overdose antidote  upon release, though Costello noted that Naloxone comes in packs of two, making a three-dose requirement logistically tricky.

Rob Valuck, the head of the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, regularly likens the concept of denying MAT to qualifying inmates as being akin to preventing diabetics from receiving insulin. It's an approved  and successful  course of treatment for a medical condition, he said, adding he's shocked no facility in Colorado has been sued for not providing MAT.

Courts in at least two other states ruled against jails who didn't provide MAT services to inmates with prescriptions, and the U.S. Justice Department issued guidance last week indicating that the Americans with Disabilities Act protects people in jails receiving MAT services for opioid use.

The bill also requires jails provide referrals for MAT services to interested or qualifying inmates upon release.

But sheriffs Hume and Smith said funding and resources are primary obstacles for rural jails.

Of the counties in the state who don't have MAT programs, most are in sparsely populated counties, according to a list provided by the Department of Human Services. The notable omission from the list is Adams County, home to more than 8% of the state's population and the site of 192 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2021.

Hume said his MAT program in Moffatt County costs roughly $60,000 annually, which he wouldn't be able to afford without grant support. He said staffing concerns  not only in distributing the medications but in ensuring they're taken by the right inmate  are also paramount.

The bill would give jails $3 million to help them establish the protocols, but no money for ongoing funding.

Smith said that "MAT is the best out there right now by a lot of measures."

But he said that could change, complicating any push for the legislature to prescribe this exact program going forward.

Sheriffs understand the importance of offering MAT, Smith said, adding he wants the legislature to say the state would provide the service to jails, rather than the jails providing it for inmates.

"That puts the shoe on the other foot, when they have to provide it," he said, referring to funding. "The big thing in correctional medical care is standards of care. The courts hold us to providing what's essentially the standard of care in my community. For me, that's different than rural Colorado. The challenge to this bill the way it's currently written  it's setting a standard of care statewide that's unattainable."

"Like on most things," Smith added, "they'd find us a lot more supportive if they'd fund the things they demand of us."
Adrian Vasquez is a step closer to becoming the next Colorado Springs police chief.

On Monday, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers announced that he nominated Vasquez, the interim police chief, to become the city's top law enforcement boss.

He was favored by his former boss, Vince Niski, who retired March 4 as the police chief.

"Interim Chief Vasquez offers Colorado Springs a long history of experience in law enforcement and deep ties within the community," Suthers said in a news release. "Adrian understands both the challenges and opportunities to serve our city, and he brings a strong commitment to continually improving CSPDs high performance and relationships."

Vasquez was selected through a national search process. About 20 candidates applied for the position, city officials said; four finalists were interviewed last week, including Vasquez.

Vasquez, 56, was the lone local candidate in the search, city officials said.

His nomination by the mayor must be confirmed by the Colorado Springs City Council. That meeting could happen sometime over the next couple months, Suthers said.

Vasquez joined the Colorado Springs Police Department in 1995 after serving in the United States Air Force for nine years. He has served in the Sand Creek Division; the Metro, Vice, Narcotics and Intelligence Division; and on the DEA Task Force.

Vasquez was promoted to lieutenant in 2011, where he served in patrol, before transferring to the Violent Crimes Section to oversee the homicide, assault, robbery and victim advocacy units.

Vasquez was promoted to the rank of commander in 2016, when he was assigned to the Stetson Hills Division. In 2017, he transferred to the Specialized Enforcement Division, where he oversaw the Tactical Operations Section, Patrol Support Section and Protective Security Section.

In April 2019 he was promoted to deputy chief, where he has oversight of the Patrol Operations Bureau, and later became the deputy chief of the Operations Support Bureau.

Vasquez has a bachelor of science degree in sociology from Colorado State University and a masters degree in criminal justice from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He is a graduate of the Center for Creative Leadership and the FBI National Academy.

Of Niski's three deputy chiefs, Vasquez was the only one to apply to be police chief.

Vasquez was appointed as Niski's deputy chief one month into his tenure as police chief. Niski stepped into his role as chief during February 2019, leading the department during an era marked by national protests, the coronavirus pandemic and the local officer-involved shooting of De'Von Bailey.

Though he didn't name the candidate, Niski told The Gazette in February that one of his deputies applied to be police chief. He added he was "very confident he can do the job" and he was "excited to see where hes going to take the organization."

Vasquez was named the interim police chief Feb. 28.

In a media appearance, Vasquez said some of his top priorities, if he is confirmed by the city, include addressing the rise in violent crimes, the fentanyl crisis and staff shortage within the department and building

"I have a strong desire to build on what our past police chiefs have done," Vasquez said. "I think the one things I fully understand is not only our department and the areas where are already growing on, but I have also been very engaged in the community."
Gemstone collectors of the UAE now have the chance to own one of the biggest rough Ruby in the world, with the launch of the exclusive Callisto Collection by SJ Gold and Diamond.

The DMCC licensed SJ Gold and Diamond, started in 2017 with a dream of trading in rough diamonds and gold, is an established Gems & Mineral Asset Management firm in Dubai with its global headquarter in Geneva.

The company specialises in providing strategic investment opportunities for rare precious stones (certified cut, uncut, rough diamonds, and gemstones) in the ultra-high net worth segment.

Biggest Rough Ruby in the world

To mark the launch of the new Callisto Collection, SJ Gold and Diamond will be displaying one of the biggest Rough Ruby in the world  Burj Alhamal or 'Aries' (in English), to the gem connoisseurs of Dubai at Waldorf Astoria Dubai Financial Centre on April 15.

Weighing in at a whopping 8,400 carats and 2.8kg in weight, the crown jewel (Burj Alhamal) will be unveiled by the guest of honour and the renowned Hollywood actor, Tamer Hassan.

"The launch of the Callisto collection in Dubai represents a groundbreaking moment for the company in its journey to becoming one of the world's leading Metal and Mineral Asset Management Firm, managing a total of $4 billion in assets, ranging from exclusive gemstones and gold, says Patrick Pilati, Managing Director of SJ Gold and Diamond.

This variegated purplish-red rough Ruby - mined from the village of Winza in Central Tanzania, is going to make its public appearance for the first time in the market and will be on display at the Waldorf Astoria DIFC on the 15th of April and then at DIFC, before being auctioned to the creme de la cremes of the uber-luxe UAE market post-Ramadan. This is the first time we are introducing our crown jewel of the collection. Unveiling this one-of-a-kind stone to the public for bidding, is a clear continuation of our dedication to showcasing the best of the best in the UAE, added Pilati.

Callisto Collection

The new Callisto Collection by SJ Gold and Diamond showcases rare, hidden treasures from the most unique locations across the world. Each gem and diamond of this collection have its own story to tell, which has never been presented before to mankind.

Named after the famous Arcadian Nymph - Callisto of Greek Mythology, this exclusive collection is an everlasting ode to timeless beauty.

The Callisto collection comprises millions worth of hand-picked several white and yellow cut and uncut diamonds along with the 12 unique rough rubies, weighing at a ginormous 236,000 carats. Each rough ruby, coming in diverse sizes, can be seen featured in the collection's logo, tethered together with gold lines to form Callisto collections very own constellation.

This record-smashing one-of-a-kind rare Ruby (Burj Alhamal) will be available for auction post-Ramadan and will be sold to the highest bidder in Dubai. It has been estimated that it will go for around $120 million (AED432 million) at minimum.-- TradeArabia News Service
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The renaming of Pikes Peak Community College is just one vote away from heading to the governor's desk.

The Senate Education Committee greenlighted House Bill 1280 last week. The bill would change the name to Pikes Peak State College, though the school's mission as a two-year college would not change.

Bill sponsor Sen. Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, told the education committee that the meaning of community college has evolved over time. Pikes Peak "is so much more," Lundeen said. The name change would better represent what the college is doing, noting that among its offerings is a bachelor of science degree in nursing.

Pikes Peak President Lance Bolton told the committee his institution serves almost 20,000 students, from adult learners to traditional-age students pursuing the first two years of their bachelor's degrees. Graduates are "fueling the high revving economic engine of the Pikes Peak region," he said.

The name change would reflect the college's goals to grow alongside the community and would help market it to students, faculty and others while combatting the stigma that the "community college" label sometimes carries.

Bolton also addressed the issue of what happens to graduates in the military who obtain the nursing degree, but later have to explain why the degree says it's from a community college when they're applying for jobs in other states.

"Names have power," he added.

Jalen Johnson, the president of the student government association at Pikes Peak, said the name change is one that will garner respect and improve marketability.

The bill passed unanimously and was placed on the Senate's consent calendar, meaning the sponsors don't anticipate any opposition or controversy and the bill will likely pass unanimously in that chamber.

HB 1280 was not amended by the Senate Education Committee and without amendments from the Senate, would head to Gov. Jared Polis to sign upon passage by the Senate.
This week, the House Energy and Environment Committee will review the latest effort to reduce Coloradans' exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known as PFAS.

House Bill 1345 is sponsored by Reps. Mary Bradfield, R-Colorado Springs, and Lisa Cutter, D-Littleton, and intends to continue lawmakers' efforts to reduce exposure to PFAS, known as "forever chemicals," because the toxins are nearly indestructible.

PFAS are added to a wide range of consumer and commercial products. In 2019, Colorado lawmakers began targeting PFAS used in firefighting foam that contaminated the drinking water of thousands of Coloradans, including residents in Fountain, Widefield and Security.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, studies of both people and animals show PFAS are linked to health risks, including cancer, hormone disruption, liver and thyroid problems, interference with vaccine uptake, reproductive harm and abnormal fetal development.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health, said scientists are unable to even determine the environmental half-life for PFAS, which is the amount of time it takes 50% of the chemicals to disappear.

Manufacturers add PFAS to products to make them flame-retardant and/or water- and grease-resistant.

And that's what Bradfield and Cutter intend to address through HB 1345; the addition of PFAS to a whole host of products in Colorado, including carpets and rugs, cookware, cosmetics, fabric treatments, food packaging, oil and gas products, textiles and upholstered furniture.

Bradfield told Colorado Politics she is most interested in one other line of products: those used by babies and children. That includes playpens, baby blankets and sheets, strollers, car seats and clothing.

HB 1345 addresses products for the most vulnerable, she said.

The bill exempts firefighting foam used to fight chemical or oil fires, because it is the best at extinguishing those blazes, she said. But if there is a release of firefighting foam with PFAS into water systems, that would have to be reported to a "water quality spills hotline" within 24 hours, to include the trade and product name, quantity and type of PFAS.

HB 1345 asks businesses to look for products with safer alternatives, gives them plenty of time to change purchasing and use up their existing stock, Bradfield said.

"There isn't anything to get up in arms about today," given the two-year timeline the bill envisions, she said.

Colorado is not alone in addressing the PFAS problem. The White House announced last year it would direct a comprehensive approach to address the impact of PFAS in air, water and food. The Environmental Protection Agency was directed by the administration to come up with new policies to safeguard public health, protect the environment, and hold polluters accountable.
A fire east of Colorado Springs Sunday forced mandatory evacuations and burned at least two structures.

According to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, the blaze was reported near Patton Drive and North Curtis Road, south of Falcon in El Paso County, around 5 p.m.

Mandatory evacuations, as well as pre-evacuation orders, were lifted shortly after 8 p.m., according to the sheriff's office.

The fire burned an estimated 38 acres and was 100% contained as of 8 p.m., according to Gazette news partner KKTV.

Multiple agencies assisted, with the Colorado Springs Fire Department sending five engines and a battalion commander, the fire department tweeted. Sheriff's deputies went door-to-door to assist with evacuations.

While crews attacked the blaze in El Paso County, at least three other fires burned elsewhere in Colorado amid critical fire conditions:

A fire that sparked in a wooded area in Pueblo on Sunday afternoon temporarily forced evacuations and burned an estimated 18 acres. It was 75% contained as of 7 p.m. Sunday.





An unattended campfire in Teller County burned approximately 3 acres and prompted evacuations for 20 people on County Road 89 near Cripple Creek. The fire was reported to be contained at 7 p.m.; evacuations were lifted shortly before 7:30 p.m. A burn ban was in effect for the county until noon Wednesday.





In northern Colorado, a fire burning near Wiggins in Morgan County reported around 4:30 p.m. closed a portion of U.S. 34 for roughly an hour.

High fire danger was expected for much of southern Colorado Sunday afternoon, and was expected to continue Monday. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning from noon-8 p.m. Monday for the Colorado Springs area and the southeastern plains.
Abu Dhabi Airports said that Indian airline Go First (formerly known as Go Air) which will launch daily flights through Abu Dhabi International Airport to Mumbai, Kannur International Airport and Delhi International Airport.



The increase in flights will meet the growing demand for these destinations, which will be added to Abu Dhabi International Airports schedule for summer 2022, reported Emirates News Agency WAM.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This editorial was updated at 8:50 a.m. Monday, April 11, in response to Elon Musk's announcement he would not accept a position on Twitter's board of directors. The announcement came after The Gazette's deadline.

Elon Musk, the wealthiest person in the world, visited the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs last week to encourage problem-solving innovation.

It is hard to imagine a better role model for cadets and other students during this era of institutionalized hostility toward human life. Academicians bombard K-12 and college students with messages of humanitys intractable racism. Educators proselytize young minds to believe western society mostly foments inequality and suffering. Children and young adults learn their mere existence and routine activities intensify planet-destroying climate change.

As the above philosophy increasingly invades modern education, we wonder why youthful trends include record-setting suicide rates, deadly addictions, low workforce participation, and popular artistic expressions that celebrate death and anxiety more than ambition, joy and relationships.

Musk is the father of eight children. He is flawed, like every individual. Yet, he exudes enthusiasm for life and the possibilities of a single heart and mind. Hes the worlds richest man because he never fears to dream of what others call pie-in-the-sky. He dreams, plans, acts and occasionally succeeds.

By pursuing dreams, Musk gave humanity self-driving cars that run on fossil fuels, sun, and wind converted to voltage. He privatized space travel, which will mature to benefit all of humanity in ways limited only by the imagination. His dozens of pursuits became the impetus for Compaq, PayPal, eBay, and more. He donates solar-powered energy systems to power disaster areas  just one of his efforts to ease human suffering.

Just this year, Musk embarked upon making himself Twitters largest shareholder. This bought him an invitation to serve on the companys board. He turned it down Saturday, igniting speculation he wants to buy more shares than the government allows board members to own. By gaining control of Twitter, he hopes to end Big Social Medias disgusting censorship threats to freedom and democracy.

Musk has a message largely ignored by the media. It is possibly more important than his inventions and aspirations, the jobs he creates and the mouths he feeds. Musk understands what few celebrities see in a society apologizing for human activities.

There are not enough people, Musk told The Wall Street Journal in December. I cant emphasize this enough, there are not enough people.

The problems posed by academe's desire for plummeting fertility rates should seem obvious. Young people support old people, by funding social programs and providing goods, services and commodities. A small population of working-aged people cannot support a far larger population of elders. Musk said rapidly declining fertility rates around the globe  caused by abortion, contraception, and other means of avoiding reproduction  are one of the biggest risks to civilization.

CNBC noted that Musks statement comes as a growing number of people are deciding not to have children, citing concerns such as climate change and inequality.

Few things promote inequality more than policies designed to reduce reproduction. The United States and other wealthy countries inundate poor regions with contraceptives. Authors of Colorados new anything-goes abortion law emphasized, in the bill, the importance of abortions to ease socioeconomic disparities disproportionately faced by people of color and people with low incomes. Thats a polite way for comfortable white people to say minorities and the poor should not reproduce.

After Texas passed a bill forbidding convenience abortions, Musk refused to comment. Thats a far cry from most celebrities, who rush to publicly oppose any restrictions on abortion at any stage of pregnancy. Reporters asked Musk about the law because he moved last year from California to Texas.

Elon consistently tells me that he likes the social policies in the state of Texas, Gov. Greg Abbot, R-Texas, told MSNBC.

All long-term data show world hunger and poverty reliably declined as the worlds population increased throughout the 20th century and early 21st. United Nations data show a 15% reduction in malnutrition between 2004 and 2015, as world population grew. The rate of children ages five and under who suffer stunting from malnutrition fell from 33% in 2000 to 21.9% in 2029.

Despite the fully disproven anti-growth Malthusian theories of the mid-20th Century, our self-appointed experts tell students they are blights on the planet who harm the less fortunate. Because Musk studies data and science, he knows the opposite is true.

Theres a reason Musk and other innovators and inventors amass great fortunes to invest and reinvest. Their efforts to solve problems typically make the world better for the rich, the poor, and the planet we live on. The world rewards them with money, which they use to solve more problems.
With the sharp rise in demand for residency permits and second citizenship in 2021, a great deal of focus has been given to the investment migration industry, said Savory & Partners, a provider of citizenship by investment services.



This has invariably led to some notable changes to our leading global residency and citizenship programs in 2022, the company said, highlighting the changes.



Montenegro extends Its citizenship program



The Montenegro Citizenship by Investment Program was launched in 2019 and was scheduled to end on December 31st, 2021. However, the Montenegrin Cabinet has taken the decision to extend the program for an additional year with changes implemented to the program's terms.



 Investors must provide the government with a bank guarantee of 50% of the investment.

 There won't be any new approvals of development projects during the period and investors need to buy real estate from the government's existing list of approved projects.

 The non-refundable contribution to the government has doubled on January 1st, 2022. Citizenship applicants are now required to contribute 100,000 to the national budget and another 100,000 to the regional development fund. The investment structure for the government-approved real estate project will remain unchanged.



The last-minute extension of the program was intended to ensure sufficient funding is available for all development projects to be completed by the end of 2022 due to the increase in applications during the pandemic.



St Lucia extends Covid-19 relief bond



An extension of one year to the Special Covid-19 Relief Bond has been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in St Lucia. It was introduced in May 2020 to raise additional government revenue during the pandemic and gives potential investors a chance to qualify for citizenship for themselves and their family members.



Investors looking to obtain St Lucia citizenship under the non-interest bearing  Relief Bonds option will be able to make a minimum investment of $250,000 for a family up to four. This is a substantial decrease from the investment requirement of $500,000 mandated for its original government bonds option.



The bonds need to be held by the investor for 5 to 7 years and can be redeemed after the holding period.



 Sole applicant  5 years

 Applicant with 1 qualifying dependent  6 years

 Applicant with up to 4 qualifying dependents  7 years



Originally set to expire by December 31st 2021, the Covid-19 Relief Bond option will remain eligible for applicants till December 31st 2022.



St Kitts & Nevis Introduces Alternative Investment Option



St Kitts and Nevis have introduced a third form of investment under the Citizenship by Investment Program called the Alternative Investment Option.



The AIO gives investors the opportunity to invest in potential projects listed by the government or by private companies with access to financing. Once the project has been completed and operational for a certain period of time, it must be turned over to the Government.



AIO is divided into two categories:



Public Good Project Developer (PGPD)  Projects fully funded by the PGPD with a minimum investment of $175,000. After completion of the project, the government retains ownership of the asset .



Private Enterprise Developer (PED)  Projects built or funded by privately-owned companies with a minimum investment of $200,000.



Note: The limited-time offer on the affordable donation-based citizenship by investment for families up to four in St Kitts and Nevis expired on December 31st, 2021. From January 2022, the donation for a family of four will rise back up to $195,000.



Portugal's Golden Visa in 2022



Portugal's government has confirmed that the country's Golden Visa Program will be subject to several new changes, starting from January 1st 2022, to boost interest in the country's low-density areas.



The income generated by the Golden Visa program has produced uneven growth in the metropolitan property market leading to new measures being implemented to diversify investments to the interior regions of the country.



As a result of the new regulations, applicants who intend to invest in real estate for the Golden Visa program are no longer allowed to choose popular metropolitan areas like Lisbon and Porto as territories eligible to purchase residential and rehabilitation properties.



Only the inland and low-density areas are eligible for investment. Commercial property investments will still qualify in any part of Portugal, and this includes the metropolitan locations as well.  TradeArabia News Service
For the first time in the history of the United States, or at least back to the first decennial census in 1790, the number of White people in our total population has declined from the previous census.

From 2010 to 2020, 5.3 million Caucasians have disappeared, without a trace, from the United States of America.

I found myself waiting impatiently for the delivery of 2020 Census data.

How our country is divided up for electoral and congressional districting is built off of population distribution data from the Census Bureau, and it was sounding like changes were coming.

While reading the bullet points for the items that were predictable, I was caught speechless by the simple link that said: "Number of White People Declines for the First Time since 1790."

At first, I guess I just skipped over that point. That headline data point didn't really shake me to attention. I was looking to digest electoral and congressional district changes.

Then I was drawn to reading the whole page. And then I read it again.

In trying to account for where the 5.3 million people may have gone, let's first put the number of those missing people in context.

 2.1 million more than the total population of Iowa in 2020 (3,190,369)

 More than the individual populations of: Los Angeles, Chicago Brooklyn, Houston, Queens, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Manhattan or San Antonio.

 More than each of the 27 least-populous states in the Union.

 More than the aggregate population of the nine least-populous states combined.

Well, hell folks, I had to try and get to the bottom of this conundrum, so I unsealed my secret weapons stored in a pre-retirement Rubbermaid tub in my shop, held in a place of honor, right next to my tub(s) of now 800-plus perfectly good screwdrivers.

It was like opening the Holy Grail.

From that tub out came my now expired accountant certification, my accountant's green tinted visor, dozens of exceptionally sharp Ticonderoga Number 2 pencils, and a Vintage Boston hand crank pencil sharpener that I had lifted from Monroe Junior High in my rebellious youth.

Finally, folded and pressed, my near sacred Armelschoners all seemingly ready to take on this 2022 accounting challenge.

There just aren't a lot of the American population that seems overly concerned, or maybe concerned at all that there are this many White people missing.

So I guess it is up to me.

How many inter-related variables does it take to account for 5.3 million people to go from being here and then all of a sudden, they are not?

Well the Census Bureau along with several national news outlets took a shot at where these people may have gone so let's try and put this puzzle together and solve the dilemma.

I don't think there is an argument that Baby Boomers and Millennials have been in verbal and accusatory combat for the past 15 or so years. Boomers have accused Millennials of being the scourge that has neutered America.

Even more blistering are the claims of Millennials that Boomers have left their future world with nothing except financial and ecological disasters to deal with.

Maybe the missing old people is a Millennial and Gen Z Conspiracy to eliminate large chunks of the Boomer cohort?

Somewhere in the fine print, a footnote exclaimed that really the numbers of White people have been declining since the 1970s. Makes some sense as the post-Baby Boomer numbers never kept up with the bulge of the pre-Boomer proclivity for larger families.

But, certainly those declines cannot account for the entire loss of 5.3 million people?

COVID-19 deaths account for a fraction of the total lost over the last 24+ months. Other morbidities take us older folks at a brisk clip.

Yet, I am way short of accounting for the total that I was trying to get to.

After a couple of weeks of feeling bumfuzzled at not being able to come up with an answer, my occasional insomnia put me in contact with the good folks at Coast to Coast AM, and a series of archive show segments from the Art Bell vault.

And, the perfect solution for what happened to those 5.3 million White people that are missing; Alien abduction.

How could I have been so dense?

JW Sayles is a Mason City resident. Opinions are his own.
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, the capitals first low-cost carrier, has announced the introduction of a new service to Chennai in India, starting from April 27, 2022.

Abu Dhabi travellers will now be able to fly directly to Chennai International Airport at competitive prices.

Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said: We are proud to add Chennai to our growing network from the capital, Abu Dhabi. The new service between Abu Dhabi and Chennai gives travellers the opportunity to explore the citys rich history. The addition of this new route falls in line with our commitment to provide our customers with affordable and value driven air travel from our different hubs.

Major cultural centre

Chennai is a major cultural centre and home to a diverse population, with a mix of the traditional Indian culture and modern technological advancement. Tourists are often inspired by the ancient citys historic architecture, culture, and art.

The new service represents the 6th city that Air Arabia Abu Dhabi flies to after Calicut, Cochin, Trivandrum, Delhi and Jaipur. It is also considered the 19th route since the launch of the carriers service from Abu Dhabi International Airport in July 2020.

Customers can now book their direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Chennai by visiting Air Arabias website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies.-- TradeArabia News Service
Kevin Newton spent his formative years singing in the car while his mom drove him from South Boston to attend school in Danville.

My mother would put choral music on in the car, Newton recalled Monday. She would say, Sing soprano or sing alto. That was my first training.

Fast forward to April 3. Newton, horn player for the classical music group Imani Winds, is at the Grammy Awards ceremony, witnessing performances by the likes of Lady Gaga and watching in awe as Black violinist Curtis Stewart performs.

That was by far the most inspiring performance, Newton, a New York resident, said of seeing Stewart on stage. It was very meaningful to see him take the stage by himself among these other stars.

He was also able to meet R&B artist Chloe Bailey, which was a really exciting experience for me, Newton said.

Imani Winds was nominated for its recording, Bruits, in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance category. Yo-Yo Ma & Emanuel Ax would go on to win, for Beethoven: Cello Sonatas  Hope Amid Tears.

Newton, who joined the group after it had recorded its Grammy-nominated work, was not nominated as part of the group but was able to attend the ceremony.

Newton grew up immersed in music. His mother played the piano and encouraged him to listen to the music when they went to the movies together.

At an early age, he knew which instrument he wanted to play.

The horn was the voice that spoke to me, said Newton, 28, who graduated from George Washington High School in 2011.

He strived to be involved in everything related to music. He sang in his church choir, played in the marching band at GW, and joined the Danville Symphony Orchestra.

Being in the symphony orchestra was really amazing, Newton said. That was the first time I was playing with adults.

Being raised in the church, he was always inspired by music. Artists he admires include Prince, Walter Hawkins and Joni Mitchell.

Orchestra Emeritus Charles Eilis was a mentor to Newton, choosing him to join his brass quintet and giving Newton his first taste of playing gigs his senior year at GW. They performed at churches in Danville.

But there was one teacher at GW who was the catalyst for his life-long dedication to musical excellence: Reginald Purvis.

What sealed the deal was working with Mr. Purvis at GW, Newton said. He pushed me in a way I had not been pushed before. Musically, I learned a lot of discipline. Through that discipline, I found a deeper love of music.

A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Newton earned a masters degree in orchestral performance from the Manhattan School of Music.

As much as he had dedicated to music during school, it wasnt until he applied for college that he realized he could pursue it professionally.

I knew I loved music, he said. It didnt even dawn on me it was something to do [for a living]. Music was a major I could pick. The idea of pursuing music full-time was the most exciting thing for me. That was when I knew this is what Im supposed to be doing.

Between his years at VCU and those at Manhattan School of Music, he won his first musical job as principal horn with the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra.

During his career, he has played at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall and has recorded on a number of non-classical projects.

He earned his spot in Imani Winds in January and has spent this year traveling with them on tour.

Newton also teaches horn performance at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and is a member of the Metropolitan Horn Authority, a horn quartet with three members from Virginia, including two VCU graduates, said his mother, Melissa Newton, who is the executive director of accountability for Danville Public Schools.

He plays with other groups in New York when his schedule permits. He has also debuted two new compositions written for horn through the Contemporary Performance Institute in 2020 and in 2021.

Of course, Imani Winds was a huge inspiration for Newton while he was an undergraduate at VCU.

It was the first time I had seen a group of all people of color have extreme success in the classical music world, Kevin Newton said.

Imani Winds has six albums on Koch International Classics and E1 Music, including their 2006 Grammy Award nominated recording, The Classical Underground, according to the groups website.

They have also recorded for Naxos and Blue Note and released Stravinskys Rite of Spring on Warner Classics. Imani Winds is regularly heard on all media platforms including NPR, American Public Media, the BBC, SiriusXM, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

In 2016, Imani Winds received their greatest accolade in their 20 years of music making: a permanent presence in the classical music section of the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., according to the website.

As for attending the Grammys, it was a whirlwind for sure, Newton said.

It was really amazing walking around, being surrounded by famous people, he said. Actually, the most important thing for me was just hearing everyone perform.

Those he encountered at the event were so kind, he said.

Everyone I spoke to was so nice and so welcoming, Newton said. It was just a really beautiful community of artists coming together to celebrate each other.

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U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-5th District, toured the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing Pilot Program at its facilities in Danville on Tu
Donated U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Army uniforms hang inside glass cases on the walls of Building 2 at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salem.

There is a lot of pride from our folks, said Rebecca Stackhouse, executive director of the Salem VA health care system, as she walked past and headed down one of the many winding corridors of the 88-year-old building.

The labyrinthine VA campus has been a fixture in Salem and for Southwest Virginia veterans for decades. Thousands receive health care at the facility every year  and some have been coming for decades.

When a recent federal-level recommendation to close the VA Medical Center was released, veterans, employees and community members grew concerned. How could it ever be accomplished?

The Department of Veterans Affairs released a list of recommendations March 14 for modernizing the health care system at its facilities across the country.

Because of decreasing veteran enrollment in the area and the age of the VA hospital in Salem, the department recommended building a new medical center in Roanoke and closing the existing hospital, which employs nearly 1,800.

The new facility would provide inpatient mental health services, outpatient services, a residential rehabilitation treatment program and a community living center.

Inpatient medical and surgical, emergency department and outpatient surgical services that the VA currently provides would be done through a sharing agreement or lease with another provider. If that kind of collaboration proves to be impossible, VA would utilize community providers instead.

Under these recommendations, the VA Medical Center in Salem would close.

The Salem VAMC has difficulty recruiting and retaining specialty care providers and the current multi-building layout, aging infrastructure, and major architectural engineering challenges on the campus make it impractical and inefficient for continued future capital investments, the recommendations stated.

The report did not include details about what would happen to the more than 200 acres where the facility is currently located.

Stackhouse said the recommendations released in mid-March are only the start of a very long process.

The recommendations that went in very likely could not be the recommendations that end up going to Congress, if that happens, she said. For us, its going to be years before we see any changes and we are not sure what those changes are going to be.

The MISSION Act, which was signed into law in 2018, requires the VA to study the current and future health care needs of veterans and to assess their facilities once every four years. It also requires the VA secretary to develop recommendations to modernize the departments medical facilities.

For the past two years, the VA has analyzed data, conducted interviews with leaders at each of its medical centers, hosted listening sessions and consulted with other veteran organizations to develop their recommendations.

Now that the final report has been published, the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission, a presidentially appointed body, will conduct public hearings and review the recommendations before submitting its own to President Joe Biden.

The president has until the end of March 2023 to approve or disapprove of the recommendations. After that, recommendations are sent to Congress, which will have 45 days to reject them. If no action is taken, they will be considered approved.

Implementation of the approved recommendations could span decades as congressional funding fluctuates and the details of the plan are implemented.

The one thing that is not going to change, no matter what the final set of recommendations are a year from now, is that the VA will always have a presence here, Stackhouse said. We will always provide care to the veterans in the Roanoke Valley and the rest of Southwest Virginia.

Old history, new challenges

Roanoke Valley residents lined the streets Oct. 19, 1934, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt rode in a convertible on his way to the brand new VA hospital in Salem.

That afternoon, Roosevelt commissioned the hospital in person. Newspaper clippings and memorabilia from that day hang on the walls inside the front door of Building 2 on the VA campus. Residents recalled the excitement of the day in anniversary articles throughout the years and it has shaped the story of the hospital.

Now more than 80 years later, facility deficiencies are estimated to be more than $290 million. Annual operations and maintenance costs are about $14 million, according to the VA report.

The hospital is in a constant state of renovation as it evolves to keep up with modern health care trends. The facility is currently revamping its emergency room with 5,000 additional square feet of treatment bays and trauma rooms. One inpatient wing is being renovated to create private rooms, instead of the mix of single, double and four-bed patient rooms it was designed with in the 1980s.

About six months ago, the center finished a new dialysis center and plans to build a dental clinic on top of it.

Most of the buildings on campus date to the 1930s and 60% of them are on the National Historic Register. This can make it more expensive and challenging to keep up with the times. For example, the roofs must be outfitted with real slate shingles and copper flashing and nails to secure them.

The facility has an 80-year-old plumbing system. The heat is delivered via steam and the cooling comes from chilled water. In 2017, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the medical center after employees were exposed to mold in Building 75.

The facility completed plumbing repairs, maintenance on the HVAC system and an indoor air quality review to fix the problem.

Anytime you try to put 2022 health care into a 1934 infrastructure, it can make it a challenge, Stackhouse said. We do what we need to do to make sure that we can safely provide that care. And our staff are extremely resilient in adapting to what we need in the short term because they see the benefits.

The Salem VA Medical Center is not radically different from others across the country. The average age of a VA hospital is 60 years, compared to just eight and a half in the private sector. Many of them were built before women were allowed to serve in the military and at a time when inpatient care was more common than outpatient services.

The Hampton VA Medical Center, which was built in 1940, faces frequent flooding issues. The VA also recommended closing that facility and building two new medical centers in the area. The department said veterans have trouble accessing the Hampton hospital because of heavy traffic on the bridge and tunnels.

Unlike eastern Virginia, where veteran populations are expected to grow in the coming years, the VA believes Southwest Virginia will see a 9.3% decline in enrolled veterans by 2029. Currently, the area has more than 43,000 enrolled.







Unraveling the web

After more than 80 years, the VA medical center has become a city within a city. The sprawling campus is a one-stop shop for a lot of veteran needs with a barber shop, canteen, pharmacy and health services.

Salem city councilman and former mayor Randy Foley said he cant imagine the VA hospital will ever be closed because of the amount of logistics that would be involved.

I just dont see how you can undo it, Foley said. I cant imagine how it could ever be done in our lifetime. There are just so many pieces to it that its hard to fathom it being done, frankly.

The hospital is the largest employer in the city and the size of its property leaves a large footprint. Foley said it would be beneficial for the city if the land were to become available, but he said the city council hasnt talked about what that might look like in the future.

In Knoxville, Iowa, the VA closed a 160-acre hospital in 2009 after operating there for more than a century. The property was transferred to the city in 2020 and the buildings were demolished with plans to build housing on the site in the next few years.

The VA also closed a 103-acre facility in Brecksville, Ohio, in 2011. Now, Sherwin-Williams plans to build a research campus on the site, according to local news reports.

Foley said more questions arise about whether Carilion Clinic and LewisGale Medical Center would be able to enter a collaboration or handle the influx of new patients. Many medical students in the state also work at the VA during surgical rotations  opportunities that may be lost if the facility reduces its scope.

Carilion Clinic said in a statement that its currently operates a clinical rotation program for Carilion resident physicians and fellows at the VA. Carilion also partners with the VA through the Community Care program, which provides primary, specialty and mental health care for veterans when the facility cannot provide the services due to limited availability of specialists, longer wait times or an extraordinary distance from the veterans home.

Its too soon to comment on how this report might impact local offerings, Carilions statement read. In general, we are always looking for opportunities to collaborate to best serve our veterans and our community.

LewisGale declined to comment for this story.

There may also be a risk of job loss if the medical center were to close. The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents VA staff, called the recommendations devastating and would result in the vast privatization of veteran health care.

If the AIR Commission were to accept what the VA proposed (March 14), large segments of the VA health care system would be shuttered, effectively denying veterans their preferred choice in health care, the group said in a statement. Instead, our nations heroes would be forced to navigate the patchwork of for-profit, private care, competing with non-veterans for appointments and hospital beds and left to their own devices to find providers with the ability to treat the complex health issues with which many veterans struggle.

Concerned Veterans for America, a group that promotes veteran access to private health care, issued a statement in support of the recommendations.

This process is long overdue, and while some may decry some of these recommendations, everyone should keep in mind the end goal: make sure our veterans can get the care they need, when and where they need it, the statement said. The current system is outdated and broken. Making improvements does not mean cutting care or resources; rather, it means making sure resources are best serving the veteran.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said he does not support privatizing the veterans administration. He said he will look for local veterans input on how much of this report should be accepted and on how to maintain the quality of the VA.

This report was really just the first step in examining how we create a VA thats going to really work effectively for the 21st century, Warner said. None of this is going to happen overnight. At the end of the day, anything thats going to change has to result in better, quicker and more accessible care for our veterans.
GREENSBORO  The Greensboro Science Center and the Community Foundation on Sunday officially unveiled the center's new sculpture.

Officials from the science center and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro gathered to dedicate and celebrate "Relativity" by Baltimore artist David Hess.

Maryland sculptor chosen to create interactive art at Greensboro Science Center A Maryland artist has been chosen to create a new outdoor sculpture for the Greensboro Science Center.

The Public Art Endowment of the Community Foundation selected Hess to create the piece, and managed the $245,000 project. It has provided permanent and temporary artworks within the city.

The endowment began work on the project in fall 2019. Hess was selected from among other artists in early 2020. After engineering and design, fabrication began a year ago.

In January, Hess installed the stainless steel, 70-foot-long, 32-foot high sculpture above the circular drive in front of the science center, 4301 Lawndale Drive.

Hess said in an earlier interview that the 15,000-pound sculpture highlights how art and science are intertwined.

When we think about that, we think about Einstein and Einsteins theory of Relativity, Hess said.

For me, the name has a dual purpose. Its about how we see ourselves in the world. When you walk around this sculpture it changes from one angle to another, he said.

Our perspective on life changes throughout, he added. When you go into the science center, you are really confronted or educated about the macrocosm of our universe and the microcosm. We as humans occupy this very interesting medial space between those two huge worlds.
GREENSBORO  Police were called early Sunday after someone with multiple gunshot wounds walked into a local hospital.

When officers responded at 2:50 a.m. to the hospital, they were told the shooting took place in the 700 block of South Chapman Street, according to a news release from the Greensboro Police Department.

Police said the victim was listed in stable condition.

No other details were released Sunday.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000; or, download the mobile P3tips app for Apple or Android phones to submit a mobile tip, or go to P3tips.com to submit a web tip.
UPDATE (2:18 p.m. April 11, 2022): Authorities say Eugene Orell Bailey, 64, and Polley Graves Bailey, 86, were located safely in Mecklenburg County in Virginia.

________________________________________

GREENSBORO  Authorities are asking the public to help find a missing 64-year-old man and 86-year-old woman who may have dementia or some other cognitive impairment.

Eugene Orell Bailey is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds with hazel eyes and may appear bald. He was last seen in the 1100 block of Pennywood Drive in High Point, according to a news release from the N.C. Center for Missing Persons.

Polley Graves Bailey is 5 feet 4 inches and weighs 96 pounds; she has short gray hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a jogging suit (unknown color), the news release stated.

They were last seen in the 1100 block of Pennywood Drive in High Point.

They may be traveling in a black Chrysler Pacifica to Dillwyn, Va.; details about the vehicle's tag were not immediately available.

Authorities ask anyone who may see them to call 911.
This article was republished with permission from CalMatters. This article is part of the California Divide project, a collaboration among newsrooms examining income inequality and economic survival in California.
Following the second abrupt departure of a Helena city manager in less than three years, career administrator Tim Burton took the reins on an interim basis last week.

In an interview Thursday, Burton said he does not see his role as merely a steward, but one of action.

"If all I do is sit here and let the world go by, then when the commission recruits for a permanent city manager, we would be in the same position then as we are now," Burton said. "Decisions will be made, and quite frankly, I'm going to have a good view with my experience and my interim position to sit down with any finalists for city manager, tell them where we've been, where we are and where we need to go. And I think that that is very valuable to recruiting top talent."

Burton, who from 2000 to 2009 held the position of Helena city manager, said the city will focus on three priorities: organizational stability, the budget and the formation of a process for distributing federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars.

Burton also worked as then-Attorney General Steve Bullock's deputy director and chief of staff. He most recently served as executive director of the Montana League of Cities and Towns. He has also served as chief of staff for a governor and chief administrative officer for Lewis and Clark County.

In addition to the revolving door in the city manager's office of late, Helena has seen a steady amount of turnover among department heads. Former City Attorney Thomas Jodoin, former Community Development Director Sharon Haugen and soon-to-be former Director of Parks, Recreation and Open Lands Kristi Ponozzo are the latest to step down from their posts.

Burton said he helped conduct interviews for the positions of city attorney and community development last week prior to his official start date. Burton added he has been "very impressed by the talent we're getting in these pools" and that the city is "close" to hiring for both positions.

The city has also received more than 20 applications for the open chief of police position, he said.

Former City Manager Rachel Harlow-Schalk prior to her Feb. 18 resignation had pushed for a study of the city's salaries and wages to be conducted to help better align them with the current market.

Burton said Thursday that will be an important component to stabilizing the organization, ensuring city employees are appropriately compensated and can meet the increased costs of living in the area.

"I think we need to after this budget and before next budget, we need to put the resources forward to do a full market analysis on where we sit in conjunction with other like organizations for competitive salaries," he said. "What I'd like to come out of that with is a long-term approach recognizing that we want to be competitive to recruit the top talent; that there are cost of living increases and market-based issues that we need to adjust to."

He said making such policy decisions cannot happen overnight and that a market analysis will enable the city to "adopt a strategy that's phased in over multiple years, so that we can continue to improve upon wages, benefits, those types of competitive issues that really everybody in the public and private sector are facing today."

First, Burton said, "we've got to get through the budget, and I would anticipate that we'll allocate some level of resource to contract outside experts to assist our personnel department in this market analysis."

Burton also said an additional component to the city's immediate priorities would be a comprehensive review of systems in place within city government to ensure operations are as efficient as possible, and that will likely help with recruitment and retention as well.

"When you look at predictable, effective systems that are staffed by talented people, that creates a climate and an environment where people want to work," he said. "And not only that, you're clicking on positive results at the direction of the commission for the citizens of Helena. We're not very far away from it to tell you the truth."

The city is about to embark on its fiscal year 2023 budget process, an arduous, monthslong effort that requires coordination among all departments.

Harlow-Schalk attempted to modernize the city's budget process by making it more easily accessible to the public with an interactive budget tool for citizens to better share their opinions. She referred to last year's budget work as "a more robust process than you've seen in a great while in Helena."

Burton acknowledged Harlow-Schalk's work on improving the city's budgeting process and said he believes the city "can build off that template," citing the improved citizen outreach throughout the process.

"I think that in terms of communicating to the public, that becomes important, how we represent the priorities of the commission," he said.

Burton expects the budget process to be closely followed by a review of "all the capital improvement plans the city has with water, waste water, streets, stormwater, parks and rec., open space, fire department, police department."

He said the city commission can use the information garnered from such a review to better set the methodology by which the commission will allocate the ARPA money it has received, more than $4 million to date with another more than $4 million wave expected this summer.

"Following that then next year, the city will be well-positioned to look at those areas within the (capital improvement plans) that are unfunded and ask how do we approach that, bonding, rates, etc.," Burton said.

City staff previously submitted multiple applications for the state's competitive grant for ARPA dollars totaling $26 million. Of that, the city was awarded only $2 million to go toward needed upgrades to the city's drinking water system.

That Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation-administered grant award is separate from the city's more than $8 million in direct allocations.

Staff will continue determining which water and sewer projects can actually be completed before the 2026 deadline to spend the federal aid, considering the limited pool of contractors at the city's disposal.

That limitation resulted in staff's recommendation to apply only about an eighth of the city's direct ARPA allocation to water and sewer projects.

The bulk of that will likely help pay for upgrades to the city's cross-town connection that delivers drinking water from the Ten Mile Creek water production plant to homes and businesses on the east side of town, an aging connection Helena Public Works Director Ryan Leland called "the lifeblood" of the city.

A budget amendment approved by the city commission March 28 authorizes the governing body to dispense the ARPA money. How the dispensing will occur has yet to be decided.

"After they have a pretty good idea of where they're landing on the budget, we've got a real good time frame for the commission to make an informed decision on how to utilize really limited public funds, and even though it seems like a lot of money, it's going to be utilized quickly and effectively," Burton said.

Burton's contract runs through Dec. 31, but he said it could be extended. He said the city commission has expressed a need for him to remain as interim city manager until the city sees some return to stability.

"When you've got the mayor, the commission, myself and the entire city staff focused on those three priorities, you're going to see some pretty good results fairly quickly because we're all rowing in the same direction," he said.

The city has not yet solicited applications for the open position of city manager.

"It just depends on when the mayor and the commission are comfortable to proceed, then we'll do that," Burton said.

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According to Paul Cartwright's Jan. 24 Nuggets from Helena article, State Street was to be upgraded into a major arterial from the east, possibly connecting with the interstate. Luckily that plan did not come to fruition and the charm and historic character of the South-Central neighborhood, east of Rodney Street and affectionately known by some as The Hood, was preserved. Nestled into the base of Persells Quarry on the south and the base of Sugar Loaf on the east, this neighborhood is a quiet, relatively little-known area of Helena situated south of Broadway Street midway between downtown and the Capitol. It is characterized by short, often unknown streets, such as the north-south running Blake and Chaucer Streets and east-west running Hillsdale, Rhode Island, First, Second, and Third streets. Highland and State streets provide longer veins within the neighborhood. Like its unknown streets, the stories of European and Asian immigrants along with first-generation Americans traveling westward are buried deeply. Those who preceded us came to this city to follow their dreams, pursue new adventures, or perhaps to seek the riches of the 1864 gold discovery.

Small one-to-three-bedroom homes along with several Victorian style mansions were built among the 1890s miners cabins that once dotted the hills of this neighborhood. It became a rather eclectic neighborhood with the Hillsdale School on the southwest corner of Blake and Hillsdale and the infamous Hanging Tree behind it on the northwest corner of Blake and Highland. A block further south found fire station Hose Company #4 at the corner of Blake and State. The painters, contractors, shop keepers, cigar makers, waiters, railroad workers, stenographers, teachers, etc. from this working-class neighborhood used their skills in the daily business of Helena.

Mining census records, newspaper articles and city directories provide glimpses into the lives of those who resided here. Families living in these homes were usually comprised of a husband, children and a wife, who was typically a homemaker. Many single adult children in their 30s and 40s resided at home with their parents during the period from 1900-1930. Some would marry others from the area and move in with either parent. Often there would be two, sometimes three generations, living in the same home. Married children, who did not move in with a parent, often lived in a neighboring home. Times were tough with World War I, epidemics of typhoid and Spanish flu, and the Great Depression playing a large role in these living situations. Another anomaly was that many who chose this neighborhood chose it for life, often moving from house to house within the neighborhood.

Much of the history of these homes has laid dormant for over a century. An autograph book found in the wall during a recent remodeling project revealed the beginning of the Nordlie family tale. In 1901, 7-year-old Mae was living in this State Street home with her family; the 1910 census states that her father was Emil, an 1887 Norwegian immigrant, and her mother was Anna Marie, an 1888 Norwegian immigrant who was naturalized that same year. Their son Carl and his wife lived in the home until his early death in 1910. Mae married in 1914 and bore a child in 1917 who died shortly after birth. Two months later Mae also passed away. Another daughter, Nora, married Arthur Swanson that same year. The Swansons resided in the home with their two children and her parents. When the Swansons left in 1943 it meant members of the Nordlie family had occupied the home for 31 years.

The Albert and Sarah Reynolds family from Wisconsin moved into this neighborhood in 1887 and lived first on Highland. The next year found them on Chaucer. In 1890, they moved into a home on Blake before finding their much larger forever home in the same block a year later. Their daughter Frankie, a stenographer for Wallace and Thornburgh Lumber Company, married the County Treasurer Eugene S. French in 1895. It was a small intimate wedding performed in the brides home. Their son, Hallet, was born in 1896. In 1898, Eugene was mustered into military service in Helena along with other Helenans. The Spanish-American War began on April 25, 1898, and the treaty ending it was signed on Dec. 10, 1898. Shortly after the treaty was signed, Eugene died of a gunshot wound, the first Montana officer to be killed in action in the Philippines. According to the Forestvale Cemetery Tour Guide the funeral procession included the members of Company D, 24th Infantry, all colored troops. Frankie and Hallet continued to live in the Blake Street home until her death in 1928, making the Reynolds familys tenure in their forever home 38 years.

These two examples of this simple working-class neighborhood are just a sampling of the many untold stories hidden in the hills of The Hood, waiting to be quarried and shared. New stories are evolving with the expansion to the south of Rhode Island and to the east of Beattie. Generations of the future will be creating new stories. As with the gold that established our community, these tailings are riches that can be mined and treasured. If you are interested in digging up a golden story found in your home or know some of its rich history, please contact City/County Heritage Preservation Officer Pam Attardo at pattardo@lccountymt.gov or (406) 447-8357.

Sandi Smith is a member of the Helena/Lewis and Clark Co. Heritage Tourism Council, which provides the Nuggets from Helena column for the Independent Record. She is a retired educator who enjoys genealogy and researching the neighborhood she has lived in for 44 years.

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In the next few weeks you might well be asked to sign a petition to put CI-121, a constitutional initiative to cap property taxes, on the ballot. We urge you to say no.

CI-121s backers claim that it will slow the growth of your property taxes and the revenue (and spending) of school districts and local governments. But there is no assurance that the initiative will do either of those things.

Montana law strictly limits how much schools and local governments can raise revenue from year to year. That means that the growth of property taxes, on average across all properties, is also strictly limited. But the tax bills for individual properties dont all grow at that average rate: tax increases on rapidly inflating properties will exceed the average, while tax increases on properties that are inflating slowly will fall below it.

CI-121 works by rolling back the values of residential properties to their 2019 levels, and limiting how fast the values can grow in the future. But for most places in the state, CI-121 does nothing to prevent schools and local governments from raising revenues just as they do today, so if residential properties pay less under CI-121, nonresidential properties  businesses, farms and ranches, and forests  must pay more. And because the initiative leaves the definition of residential property to the Legislature, some dwelling spaces  apartment houses, for example, or mobile home parks  may end up among those nonresidential properties that pay more.

Even this shift of taxes away from residential property is not guaranteed, because CI-121 limits the growth of the appraised value of residential property, but not its taxable value. Presently, by law, the taxable value of a residential property equals 1.35% of its appraised value. But there is nothing in CI-121 that would keep the Legislature from raising that percentage, in order to prevent the shift in taxes from residential to nonresidential property.

If the Legislature did that, some residential property owners would still benefit from the initiative, but only at the expense of others. Thats right: depending on what the Legislature does, as a result of CI-121, the property taxes on your home could increase more than they otherwise would. And regardless of what the Legislature does, under CI-121 young families moving into their first homes will pay higher taxes than their established neighbors, and families who change homes, or significantly improve an existing home, will pay a lot more than they did the year before.

Another provision of CI-121 caps the taxes on a property to 1% of its appraised value. That conflicts with state law that currently allows the schools, cities and towns, and counties in some, mostly urban, areas to impose combined taxes in excess of that cap, and the legislature will have to resolve that conflict. CI-121s promoters claim those governments will simply have to get along with less, but fortunately for the fiscal health of their budgets, thats not certain. The Legislature can, and probably will, decide to make up the revenue shortfall somehow, but how is anybodys guess. What is certain is that any residential tax relief provided must be paid for, with lower expenditures or higher taxes somewhere else.

We know residential property tax relief is essential, and that voters should expect the Legislature to provide relief that is fair, efficient, and helps the taxpayers who most need it, without decimating local government and school district budgets. The Legislature should not be hamstrung by the ill conceived provisions that CI-121 would amend into Montanas Constitution. Both the Constitution itself, and the taxpayers, deserve better.

Brian Hoven, a Republican from Great Falls, and Dick Barrett, a Democrat from Missoula, served together on the House and Senate Taxation Committees of the Montana Legislature from 2009 to 2019. Sen. Hoven is still in office and sits on the Revenue Interim Committee.

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Veda and its subsidiary Lavoya have signed a franchise agreement with the up-and-coming international brand Joe & The Juice, a Danish health-conscious F&B chain.



The agreement will drive the opening of 10 stores in the next two years. Lavoya is a contemporary brand established with the purpose of significantly transforming dining experiences, including introducing new and experiential casual dining concepts to reshape the F&B industry in the GCC.



The franchise agreement announces the arrival of Lavoya and Joe & The Juice into the Dubai market, boosting their reputation. It is the perfect fit for Dubai with its cosmopolitan population, healthy lifestyle and increasing focus on sustainability among the dynamic, younger generation.



Fahad AlHokair CEO, Veda Group, said: We are delighted and honoured to be partnering with such an exciting, hip and solid brand like Joe & the Juice. I believe this is a perfect match that will allow our group Veda Holding and our Operating Company, Lavoya to continue on its growth path by adding quality brands to its current portfolio. I look forward to being part of the amazing growth story of Joe & the Juice in our region.



Walid Hajj, CEO, Lavoya Group, said: Our union with Joe & The Juice is a meeting of two labels that illustrate the same values and ethos on many levels. Lavoya is a premium store-front operator focusing on introducing a diverse portfolio of exciting brands and innovative culinary offerings to the restaurant industry in the GCC. We are always on the lookout for international franchises, forging new partnerships, entering new markets, and opening chains of customer facing restaurants.



Thomas Noroxe, CEO, Joe & The Juice, said: Our collaboration with Lavoya is an extension of who we are as a brand  we are about people, and this is what drives us. Our core philosophy is about pushing the envelope and spreading the benefits of health, wellness, aspirations, and a meaningful existence. We want to make a difference to society. Making a mark in the GCC, which is a cultural melting pot, seems like the perfect opportunity. Our alliance with the Lavoya is a great opportunity and we wish to grow together through the strength of our offerings, experiences, and creating a human impact.



Lavoya aims to bring diverse new flavours to the table by introducing new F&B concepts in Brick & Mortar format across its markets. This endorses their credentials as the partner of choice for global restaurant franchise brands. Despite the restrictions brought upon the global F&B industry by the pandemic Joe & The Juice are rolling out a rapid expansion strategy, having grown from one juice bar in Copenhagen to 300 outlets across 16 countries. The chain is now planning to double in size.



Lavoya will be catering to unique dining experiences by being customer-centric and selective in choosing the F&B brands they partner with. Their emphasis is on the concept of Food For Thought, providing an experiential experience with different restaurants, rather than collecting brands. They are able to achieve their objectives thanks to a dynamic team of industry experts.  TradeArabia News Service
DECATUR  Retirement didnt last long for former Decatur Police Chief Jim Getz.

Richland Community College announced Monday that Getz has been named as the commander of the Macon County Law Enforcement Training Center.

Getz, who describes himself as young at 51, told the Herald & Review Monday that he was looking forward to preaching the gospel of community service to his students.

All throughout the academy, I harp and preach public service, he said. They (officers) work for the communities they serve; I remind them that they get paid by the communities they serve, and public service is what they signed up for. So I am always pushing public service, public service, public service.

A big part of todays problem with public service is finding enough people willing to put on a uniform and do the service, and Getz said he is well aware of that. He believes the training center is and will play a big part in trying to turn some of those recruiting numbers around.

Just two weeks ago we had about a dozen MacArthur (high school) students out and we had almost a dozen Eisenhower (high school) students out, he said of visits to the training facility campus.

So we bring them out, we put them through scenarios, they get to meet our classes and our recruits. Maybe those visiting students wont be applicants right away, but in the next few years we hope a few of those will come over to be law enforcement officers.

He also pointed to internship programs linked to Millikin and Western Illinois universities and said the training centers doors are wide open to all visitors who might just get hooked on a new career path.

I dont turn anybody away, he added.

The Macon County Law Enforcement Training Center is an Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board-certified law enforcement and corrections academy operated by RCC and training officers from all over Illinois. The program is currently training its 15th recruit class since opening in September 2017.

Getz replaces Tad Williams, who retired in October. Thomas Schneider, who served as acting commander in the interim, returns to his previous role as deputy commander position.

Welcoming the new commander to the top job, Cristobal Valdez, president of Richland Community College, said: "Given his superlative career at the Decatur Police Department, we are elated to employ Mr. Getz as Commander at MCLETC. Beyond his long-tenured and excellent work in local law enforcement, I am most impressed with Commander Getzs straight forward approach to leadership, high integrity, and commitment to providing the best training atmosphere for peace officers and corrections officers in the entire State of Illinois."

Getz was a member of the Decatur Police Department for 22 years, serving as its chief 2016 to 2021. He retired in July 2021. In addition, he worked as a correctional officer with the Illinois Department of Corrections from 1995 to 1998.

With Commander Getzs credentials he could easily lead any municipal, state, or federal agency, but instead he has chosen to accept the position of commander at MCLETC, which will allow him to mentor new officers from all over the state of Illinois, so that they are ready to serve and protect their communities, Schneider said.

Tony Reid contributed to this report.

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Authorities have released the names of the three Norton residents found dead after a shooting Sunday.

According to a press release from the Virginia State Police, authorities received a 911 call from an individual at the residence in the 800 block of Highland Avenue N.W. in Norton where the shooting occurred Sunday. When officers from the Norton Police Department arrived at the scene, they found Bryan C. Wampler, 53; Vivian A. Wampler, 53 and Elizabeth A. Sturgill, 81, deceased.

The release says that based on the evidence collected during the course of the investigation, it appears Bryan C. Wampler shot and killed both his wife Vivian Wampler and her mother Sturgill before fatally shooting himself. A firearm was recovered inside the residence by state police investigators.

The bodies of three deceased family members were transported to the office of the medical examiner in Roanoke for an autopsy.

The investigation remains ongoing.
A Buchanan County woman has been arrested and charged with a felony following a shooting incident involving a Town of Grundy police officer Saturday night.

Virginia State Police charged Melissa M. Trammel, 46, with one felony count of assault on a police officer. Trammel is being held at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail.

Shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday, a Grundy police officer provided a ride for Trammel to a motel in the 1000 block of Owl Street in Grundy, according to a press release.

When the officer helped Trammel get her possessions into her room, Trammel attacked the officer. A struggle ensued. The officer shot his gun one time, striking Trammel.

Both Trammel and the officer were transported to Buchanan General Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Both were treated and released.
A South Fork Utility District (SFUD) board member has responded to claims of potential conflict of interest violations facing the Bristol, Tennessee utility district and its predecessors.

SFUD Commissioner Jim Graham released a statement Monday in response to a Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury (COT) report that says SFUD and previous entities Holston Utility District (HUD) and South Bristol-Weaver Pike Utility District (SBWTUD) paid its district manager, or companies in which he had ownership interest, more than $1.6 million from May 2018 to June 2021.

There was no criminal intent in our dealings, Graham said in the release. Instead, mistakes were made to expediently rebuild district services to better serve our customers, with an antiquated and inefficient infrastructure that was losing 50% of its water because of leaks in the system.

According to the release put out by Johnson City public relations firm Creative Energy, SBWPUD hired Gary Smith as a full-time district manager in April 2020.

Gary Smith has an independent construction company with expertise in utility infrastructure, the release said. He has helped our district modernize our infrastructure, improving service to our customers and operational efficiencies.

According to the COT investigation, Smith is a former HUD commissioner who resigned in April 2018 and was hired as a contracted manager for the district the following month. That August, he took the same position at SBWPUD before moving the two districts into the same office building  one the report says he owned  and using his two construction companies for most of the districts repairs and maintenance work.

In August 2020, the two districts merged to form SFUD, which serves water to about 3,400 customers in Sullivan County.

When our investigation began, these utility districts lacked many of the policies and procedures that are required for sound financial management, Comptroller Jason Mumpower said in a news release. Some basic fiduciary tasks were also not being performed by the boards, such as reviewing bank and financial statements to ensure questionable transactions did not escape notice.

The COT found invoices lacking sufficient support for payments and a general lack of formal purchasing policies and personnel policies.

The investigation also found the districts purchased more than $6,000 in fuel from the managers gas station, and HUD paid more than $9,000 in electric bills for the managers restaurant, also located in his building housing district offices.

Despite the investigation, there have been no resignations by Smith or any board members to date, according to Tony Treadway of Creative Energy, who distributed Grahams release.

Any deficiencies found in the [COT] report are being addressed, Graham stated. I will work to assure continued, plentiful water for our customers and work with the State of Tennessee to assure that we comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the future.  Our board stands behind our decisions to improve the utility district and its service to our customers.

Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable released a statement Friday calling on the district manager and its board of directors to resign so operations can continue under new leadership while this matter is resolved by the State of Tennessee, he said.

Tennessee Sen. Jon Lundberg of Sullivan County said Monday he also thinks resignations are necessary.

There is clearly a conflict of interest that theyve violated, Lundberg said. The board members clearly did not do the due diligence that they are charged with undertaking.

Lundberg said hes never seen an investigation into a utility district like this one.

Its an anomaly with the amount of potential criminal actions in there, Lundberg said. Ive never seen that many.

The investigation also found that the districts paid reimbursements to the district manager and his construction company without sufficient supporting documentation and that there were multiple district projects that were not bid for, including the construction of a 5,000-square-foot garage on the managers property.

We have statutes in place that deal with conflicts of interest, and these were not minor, Lundberg said. These are blatant, flagrant conflicts of interest.

According to John Dunn, COT communications director, the Tennessee Utility Management Review Board will consider taking actions, to include removing commissioners, at its April 28 meeting.

District Attorney Barry Staubus says he hopes to have an administrative hearing before the board on the matter.

Its a bad situation, but it was discovered, uncovered relatively early, and appropriate action will be taken, Lundberg said.

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ABINGDON, Va.  A group of area lawmakers discussed the states still unresolved budget, school construction funding and the quest to attract passenger rail service during a Monday legislative breakfast.

Five members of Southwest Virginias General Assembly delegation also recounted some of the sessions legislative victories during an event at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center hosted by the Bristol Chamber of Commerce called SWVA Pancakes and Politics.

Lawmakers were called back to Richmond last Monday but were unable to vote on a budget after conferees failed to strike a compromise.

House Majority Leader Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, said the $176 billion budget provides the road map for the upcoming year and predicted a compromise will occur over the $3 billion difference of opinion. Republicans need two members of the Senate to support their proposal.

Were going to have to negotiate. Each side is going to have to give a little bit, Kilgore said. But I think well be able to get Gov. [Glenn] Youngkins tax rebates through on the grocery tax and gas tax. The gas tax holiday, I think, is just a no-brainer. I think well get there. It may be a couple of weeks. It may be a month.

Del. Will Wampler, R-Abingdon, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said the state should also hang onto some of its surplus cash.

You really do have to be smart about parting with the monies that you have in good years to make sure we have those reserves in place when economic hardships occur, Wampler said. I think the extent of the pandemic  from an economic stance  is still to be determined. A lot of small businesses that were here in 2018 and 2019 are no longer with us in 2022. A lot of restaurant and hotel workers displaced during the pandemic still have not found their way back to the same level of employment.

Besides the proposed rebates to taxpayers, the budget includes several key components.

I think youll see a great budget for Southwest Virginia  school construction, teacher raises, law enforcement raises. There is a lot in the budget, and we have the largest education budget ever, Kilgore said.

School construction

Both House and Senate versions of the budget include provisions for school construction, but the House version is more robust, according to Deputy House Majority Leader Del. Israel OQuinn, R-Bristol, who said this has been the most difficult issue hes ever worked on.

Weve had a bipartisan press conference where I put forth a plan, members of House Appropriations Committee stood up there with us, excited about this plan. And that very same afternoon, those same members killed that bill, he said of previous years.

The issue received bipartisan support in 2022, in part because a 2021 Virginia Department of Education report estimated it would cost $24.7 billion to replace all of the schools in the state that are 50 or more years old.

The House and Senate have different approaches to school construction.  Technically well have at least $500 million in federal funding that is in the original budget, but that is one-time money, OQuinn said.

The House version would include two tiers. The first tier provides a 30% rebate on principle and interest for up to $1 billion in construction projects for divisions that apply. The second tier offers interest-free loans based off the states AAA bond rating.

The plan includes using the $500 million, additional money from the state literary fund and  starting in year three  using gaming tax revenues generated by the states commercial casinos.

Something will make it through this time. The goal, on our side, is to make sure its long-lasting and actually meaningful, OQuinn said. We are going to see something and have real funding, and that is good news for Southwest Virginia students.

In the 12 school districts of far Southwest Virginia, 87 of 131 school buildings  66%  are 50 or more years old, according to the 2021 study. Bristol has the oldest median age for all its school buildings at 70 years, while seven other localities have a median age of 50 years or more for all buildings.

Passenger rail service

Senate Bill 75 was signed by Gov. Youngkin last Friday, giving Southwest Virginia a seat on the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority Board, patron Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Abingdon, said.

The authority was established in 2020 to design, build, finance and maintain rail facilities. It will own all rail assets and right of way and will partner with others to operate passenger and commuter rail service, according to its charter. The authority is governed by a 15-member board.

We are hopeful it will be someone from Bristol. Someone from Southwest Virginia will finally have a seat at the table. Prior to this, seats were determined by ridership, and since we have no ridership, we knew we would never get a seat at the table, Pillion said. We want to put someone on that board that could seek available funds and keep the momentum going to get the train to Bristol.

Current state plans are to add a second Amtrak train to serve Roanoke each day and extend service to the New River Valley by later this decade, possibly as soon as 2026. That is expected to cost about $257 million.

The next step is to make sure we secure federal infrastructure dollars and language that puts Bristol on track to be the next stop, then [go] further into Tennessee, Pillion said in response to a question. Weve been working with our Tennessee legislators and TDOT, making sure we have their support to get some momentum on their side. If we also have more than the Virginia federal delegation, if we also have the Tennessee delegation, then we will have much greater opportunity at having success.

Addressing learning loss

Testing results show public school students statewide suffered learning loss when schools were closed or classes held virtually in 2020 and 2021, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Del. Wampler co-sponsored legislation he termed the most consequential to help some of the youngest students who are struggling.

This is an attempt to put resources in our public school systems across the entire state, to put reading interventionists in each school system, Wampler said. Every kid that isnt reading at grade level, theyll be able to intervene and help bring that student up to grade level.

This is going to change kids lives throughout Virginia. If kids are not reading on grade level by third grade, they will continue to suffer economically, socially, educationally for the rest of their lives. I think well see some game-changing results in the lives of young people, Wampler said.

Waste coal cleanup

Hundreds of thousands of tons of waste coal remain above ground at former mining sites scattered across the region, Wampler said. He and Sen. Travis Hackworth, R-Tazewell, worked to fund a study by the Department of Energy to identify where those are and find ways to clean them up.

I would say that gob coal next to the Clinch River is one of the most drastic water-quality issues that we have, Wampler said.

A 2022 study by the Appalachian School of Law and EConsult Solutions recommended the state seek a share of $11.3 billion recently allocated under the Infrastructure Bill to clean up mine sites and improve water quality.

The study recommended Virginia aggressively pursue and/or support efforts to pursue these funding opportunities, prioritize GOB pile remediation among infrastructure spending, and assure Virginia has capacity to support a programmatic remediation effort.

That waste coal could eventually be used to create energy at Dominion Energys Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center in St. Paul.

Were hoping to get some favorable results, and that could benefit that plant greatly, Hackworth said. Were hoping next year or the following year to maybe get some tax credits to help remove that. I think the location and hauling time will be critical. We have a plant that is the cleanest plant in North America. What better way to clean up our environment than taking this out of the ground and using it for energy that produces jobs and generates taxes back to the locality?

Different tone

This years session had a drastically different tone than past years, with many area legislators serving in leadership positions in the House and on key committees, OQuinn said.

During the entire session, every time you turned around, someone from Southwest Virginia was leading legislation through the process on the House floor, OQuinn said.

A lot of delegations dont have the same cohesiveness or even get along. Some legislative delegations across the state have World War III amongst themselves, OQuinn said. Were closer to six other state capitals than our own, so if we cant get along amongst ourselves, were dead in the water when we get to Richmond.

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In 1957, as Virginia and the rest of the white South boiled with rage over Black mobilization for civil rights, the famed novelist William Faulkner settled in at the University of Virginia as its first writer-in-residence. Faulkner was delighted to be there, partaking in such diversions as riding to the hounds in the surrounding countryside.

Never mind that Charlottesville, where his daughter and granddaughter lived, was becoming a racial battleground, with some of its public schools shuttered by the state the following year for five months in defiance of court-ordered desegregation.

Faulkner was aware of the cataclysmic events that were reshaping the Old Confederacy, whose troubled legacy had infused his writing. But he was also taken by the perceived self-importance of his hosts.

I love Virginians because Virginians are all snobs, and I like snobs, Faulkner told an all-white audience at the university during a talk in which he said Black Americans, emboldened by legal and legislative advances, had to learn responsibility for freedom  a paternalistic notion that seemed moderate to some Southerners, a betrayal of white supremacy by others.

A snob has to spend so much time being a snob that he has little time to meddle with you. A snob is someone who is so complete in himself and so satisfied with what he has that he needs nothing from anybody.

In 2022, Faulkners critique of Virginians  it was an effective lampoon because there was a grain of truth to it  might apply to the overwrought controversy at the university over an appearance there next Tuesday by former Vice President Mike Pence. He is scheduled to speak as a guest of the schools chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, a conservative organization inspired by William F. Buckley thats had an off-and-on presence at UVA since the 1960s.

In a fresh kerfuffle over free speech at UVA, The Cavalier Daily student newspaper  through its editorial page  is arguing that the university should be closed to Pence because he is hostile to immigrants, gay and trans people.

Plus, a March 17 editorial said, there is the company Pence keeps: He was No. 2 to President Donald Trump, who said the white supremacists who carried out a deadly siege of Charlottesville over two days in August 2017 were very fine people. Trump applied that description as well to the liberal counter-protesters who battled the racist invaders.

Pences presence on Grounds  thats UVA shorthand for the campus  signifies a tolerance of rhetoric that has already harmed our community, the editorial said.

The Cavalier Daily  whose editor-in-chief is Eva Surovell, a third-year French and English major and daughter of Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, no shrinking violet he  has been attacked for its stance by the gold standard of editorial liberalism: The Washington Post.

It opined that Pence  his offensive stance on social and cultural issues, notwithstanding  is entitled to speak at UVA if only because of his defiance of Trump in refusing to overturn the 2020 presidential election, even as Trump supporters angrily swarmed through the U.S. Capitol, some vowing to hang him.

Seventeen members of the university faculty, including political handicapper Larry Sabato, no fan of Trump, wrote to The Cavalier Daily that its position on Pence was misguided and contrary to the tradition of free speech to which the universitys founder, Thomas Jefferson, was strongly committed, despite occasionally being on the receiving end of early Americas sharply partisan press.

The professors lamented that the newspapers editors should enjoy the freedom to say what they want, but others with whom they disagree should not. They continued, The First Amendment protects not just those whose views the editors deem harmless. ... And all of us benefit from being exposed to perspectives that may comprehend some aspect of the truth better than we do.

This is the latest free-speech brush fire to break out at UVA, where they have been more frequent in recent years and have attracted national attention, largely because of backlash to Trump and the murder of George Floyd while in police custody.

The left blames this on the right. The right blames this on the left. That this is unfolding in a college town that, by record and reputation, is reflexively liberal means that sometimes diversity of opinion is the exception rather than the rule. And it frees conservatives to label liberals as liberals do conservatives: intolerant, arrogant, out of touch.

In 2020, a student, a Muslim woman of color, who lived on The Lawn  the premier address for premier students  said she was harassed for posting on her door a sign, that used a four-letter expletive that started with an f and ended with k, to protest what she considered the papering over of the universitys history. That, among other things, Jefferson was a slave owner; that the school was built by enslaved labor on land seized from Native Americans.

The universitys president, James Ryan, defended the profane sign as free speech, saying it and others evoke a clash of values. The reaction to Ryans statement, particularly on the right, was bitter and dismissive.

In an recent op-ed in The New York Times, a fourth-year student  a self-described liberal and abortion-rights advocate  wrote that she felt ostracized at UVA; that she was insufficiently woke. Because of strict ideological conformity, she said, she and other students, regardless of political or philosophical orientation, hold back their views. I sometimes feel afraid to fully speak my mind, she said.

And there was the fuss in 2018 over the appointment of Pences future chief of staff, Marc Short, as a fellow of the UVA Miller Center, the focus of which is presidential scholarship. Short came to the center from the Trump White House, where he was legislative affairs director. Two professors resigned in protest; so did one of the centers directors. More than 4,000 people signed a petition opposing Shorts selection.

Short quit after six months to work for Pence. Short  in league with Pences private lawyer, Richard Cullen, now counsel to Gov. Glenn Youngkin  was instrumental in supplying Pence the legal and constitutional arguments for rejecting Trumps claims that the vice president could block congressional certification of Joe Bidens election as president. Short has also testified before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection  a subject on which Pence could elucidate next week.

And on which his critics might learn something  if they arent snobs about it.

Contact Jeff E. Schapiro at (804) 649-6814 or jschapiro@timesdispatch.com. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter, @RTDSchapiro.
The Catawba County jail is adding mental health services to meet the growing need for diagnosis and treatment for inmates.

The jail currently works with Partners Health Management and contracts with Catawba Valley Healthcare to provide mental health and substance abuse programs to inmates, according to information from the Catawba County Sheriffs Office. The need for those services has become overwhelming, Maj. William Boston said during a Catawba County Board of Commissioners subcommittee meeting Monday.

In the community, in the state, in the nation, mental health services are not funded to the level wed like the state to do, and that trickles down to our county and the jail, Boston said. Were working with Partners Health and CVH to address these problems and these concerns, but its outgrown their abilities.

The Catawba Valley Healthcare staff is unable to diagnose all inmates, isnt available for mental health screenings at all times and is overloaded with counseling and treatment patients, according to the sheriffs office.

To address the growing need, the sheriffs office asked the board of commissioners to allow the jail to contract its current medical provider for 24/7 telehealth psychiatry services, Boston said. Boston said he has spoken to other facilities that use the telehealth services and felt it was effective.

The additional mental health services also will help ease a burden on jail staff members, who are dealing with patients with mental health issues the staff is not equipped to handle, Deputy County Manager Mary Furtado said at the subcommittee meeting.

The service would cost an additional $47,385 for the remainder of this fiscal year, and would be paid for with money the sheriffs office has left over from positions not filled this year.

The cost for the next fiscal year would be about $190,000, and would be paid for with money made from leasing jail beds for federal inmates, Boston said. The jail leases about 50 beds to the federal government for about $100 per bed per day, he said.

The finance and personnel subcommittee, which consists of Commissioners Barbara Beatty and Austin Allran, recommended approving the new services. The full board will vote on the matter April 18.

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When Tennille Baker isnt working in the classroom, she can often be found in a garage or on the track.

Baker, 45, of Bethlehem, has been racing dragsters for about 18 years and teaching for 23 years. Her husband of 21 years Todd Baker, 49, got her started on racing.

Baker spent the last three years as academic facilitator at Clyde Campbell Elementary, which is part of Catawba County Schools.

Every time I crawl in that car, its a learning experience for me, Baker said Usually, if I lose, its my mistake. I try to learn from that mistake and get better from it. Its the same way when Im in the classroom, teaching kids. I want my kids to be successful. Im going to do anything and everything I can to be the best that I can be.

Baker discussed her passion for racing. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did you get into racing?

When I met Todd, he was already racing. I loved racing, and I had been a leadfoot my whole life. My family was always connected to racing in some way. We had family members that raced. Racing is huge here, whether its round and round racing, dirt track racing or drag racing.

When I started dating Todd, I started going to the racetrack with him on a regular basis. I became fascinated with the fact you have to predict what your car is going to run. The track temperatures affect how your cars going to run. All weather factors, air density, vapor pressure, water in the air, everything affects the way the cars will run.

I started studying the numbers for him  really trying to find a pattern and routine with the consistency of his car. I got to where when we would dial in his car, we could just about guarantee he was going to run the number that I would say. Dialing in is predicting the time he would finish the race.

The more I was involved in it, the more I got to see that these other women and other girls were starting to race, because drag racing is a family oriented sport. Todd was like, I really want you to race, too. He said, Would it be something that youd be interested in? And I said, Well, sure. We got married in April and by May of that year I had my first dragster.

I didnt have a clue what was going on my first race. The shifter hung up and it didnt shift. I went down the track in first gear the whole entire way. Todd said it was a miracle the car didnt blow up. The motor was fine and then after I got my bearings in order. I went to Maryland and I won my first national event. It was the Torco Presidents Cup Nationals at Maryland International Speedway in the early 2000s.

How do you feel when youre in the car and a race is about to start?

Well, first of all, I just try to race my race. I dont care who my opponent is or whats in the lane beside of me. I race my race, so Im completely focused. I want to be smart, and outwit my opponent. When Im there, I try to zone everything out.

When Im pulling up to the starting line, Im completely focused on my reaction time, because reaction time can win you a race and it can lose you a race. I practice a lot with my reaction times, because I want to be consistent. When Im sitting there in the car, I always take deep breaths.

I also make sure that my safety gear is right. I always run through my mind, if the throttle hangs up, what am I going to do? Sometimes, Ill sit in my car, close my eyes and make sure that I can do it with my eyes closed. I can push it in neutral. I can flip off the switch. I can pull the parachute. I know where everything is on my car before I go down the track, because thats how comfortable I need to be.

Its exciting. Its an adrenaline rush. When you take off youre moving at such a quick speed that your decisions have to be made in split seconds.

Have you ever had any wrecks or close calls?

Yes, Ive had some scary events. One time the gas cap came off my car. Anytime water, oil, or any kind of substance like that gets under your tires, as youre going down the track, its like being on ice. The whole hind end of your car will come out from under you. Thats basically what happened to me.

Some people try to stay in it, Im not going to do that. If I get sideways or if I get really out of shape  thats what they call it  Ill let up. Im not doing anything stupid. When people wont let up that is really what causes them to wreck.

I think that if I ever wreck, I probably would never race again. Just to be honest with you, because it would scare the crap out of me.

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" " In the painting "Ecce Homo" ("Behold the Man") by Antonio Ciseri, Pilate shows Jesus to the crowd who wants him crucified. Public Domain/Wikipedia

At its peak, the Roman Empire included 40 provinces covering much of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, yet historians know very little about the men put in charge of governing these Roman outposts. Pontius Pilate is one of the exceptions.

Pilate presided for 10 years as the governor or "prefect" of Judea, from 26 to 36 C.E., and his name is immortalized in the New Testament as the man who oversaw the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. Yet the Bible isn't the only ancient source of information about Pilate. Historians like Josephus and Philo of Alexandria fill in a portrait of Pilate as an unprepared and hotheaded ruler of a problematic province.

"You have the impression that Pilate doesn't understand the complexities of the province and the sensitivities of the people he was governing," says Helen Bond, professor of Christian origins at The University of Edinburgh and author of "Pontius Pilate in History and Interpretation." "On the other hand, they weren't making it very easy for him. It was a bit of a minefield."

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Where Did Pilate Come From?

We don't know much about Pilate's life before his posting in Judea, but some things can be inferred from his title "prefect" or praefectus in Latin, which means "one who stands in front."

"Praefectus is a military title," says Bond. "Judea had only been under direct Roman rule for 20 years when Pilate arrived, so it was still a military posting. The whole point is to repress the natives and keep law and order."

Prefects like Pilate came from second-tier noble families, says Bond, and were chosen because of their ability on the battlefield. Pilate's family names Pontius and Pilatus may have referred to the region the family originally hailed from  possibly the Kingdom of Pontus on the southern coast of the Black Sea  or some connection with javelin throwers, because pilatus means "spear." Pilate would have had a first name, too, like Marcus or Gaius, but that's been lost to history.

Bond says that as a military man, Pilate would have had limited experience and training in diplomacy or governance, something Roman authorities may not have deemed necessary for an unimportant outpost like Judea.

"Pilate was in Judea seeing to national security and he left the day-to-day administration to the chief priests in Jerusalem," says Bond. "Mostly he was just making sure there were no riots."

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Pilate the Pawn

The trial of Jesus is recounted with slight variations in all four New Testament gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The gospels paint a clear picture of Pilate as a weak governor being bullied by the Jewish authorities into condemning an innocent man to a slow and agonizing death.

"I find nothing wrong with this man!" Pilate tells the angry crowd in Luke. And in John, Pilate is desperate not to get involved, and tells Caiaphas, the chief priest of the Jewish Temple, to "take [Jesus] away and judge him by your own law."

When the Jewish leaders refuse, telling Pilate they don't have the authority to execute Jesus, Pilate tells the crowd that they can release one of two prisoners, the innocent Jesus or Barabbas, a murderer. They roar "Barabbas!" and insist that Pilate crucify Jesus for claiming to be "King of the Jews." Literally "washing his hands" of guilt, Pilate orders the execution.

" " This 1650 painting shows Pilate literally washing his hands of responsibility. The Gospel of Mathew says that Pilate washed his hands before the crowd and said "I am innocent of the blood of this just person [Jesus]." From this we get the expression to "wash your hands of the situation." Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images

"The Bible's portrayal of Pilate is not a very positive picture of a Roman governor," says Bond. "I think a first-century audience would have been quite shocked."

Even if Pilate was afraid of a riot and wanted to "pacify the crowd," as it says in Mark, it was fully within his authority as governor to refuse the trumped-up charges against Jesus. The truth is that historians have no idea what actually happened at Jesus's trial (if there was one) and must rely on the gospel accounts, which have their own biases.

"The main thing that the gospel writers wanted to show was that Jesus is innocent," says Bond, "and that his crucifixion was a mixture of Jewish pressure and a pretty hopeless governor who wanted to get rid of the case."

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Pilate the Saint

The books of the New Testament aren't the last word on Pilate. There are a number of early Christian writings that didn't make it into the Bible (called the "Apocrypha") but were in wide circulation in the first centuries of Christianity. Some present an increasingly positive view of Pilate and a few even cast him as a true believer.

"The Gospel of Nicodemus," likely written in the fourth century C.E., is presented as an eyewitness account of the trial of Jesus by Nicodemus, a pharisee who is sympathetic to Jesus and his followers. The text describes Roman standard-bearers bowing to Jesus as he is led into the trial, and Pilate raging against the Jewish authorities for forcing his hand to crucify "a just man."

" " Jesus appears before Pilate. traveler1116/Getty Images

Later texts known as "The Letters of Herod and Pilate" purport to be actual correspondence between Pilate and Herod Antipas, the king of Galilee, about the trial of Jesus. In Pilate's letter, he and his wife are visited by the resurrected Jesus, whom they recognize as the Son of God and beg forgiveness for their sins.

Bond says that while these texts are "a million miles away from anything that may be historical," they recast Pilate as a repentant sinner who ultimately accepted Jesus as his Savior. In some Christian traditions, including the Ethiopian Church, Pilate and his wife Procla even achieved sainthood.

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Pilate the Harsh Ruler

Philo of Alexandria was a Jewish-Roman historian who lived in Egypt at the same time that Pilate was governor of Syria. His writings are the closest thing we have to a contemporary historical account of Pilate's tenure in Judea  even the gospels were written decades later  but Philo had his own problems with Pilate.

"Philo really hates Pilate," says Bond. "He doesn't have a good word to say. He says Pilate was vain, savage and stubborn, and that he put people to death without trial."

Philo's main beef with Pilate was that he brought gilded shields called "standards" into Jerusalem, which insulted the Jewish authorities and Temple priests. When the Jewish leaders protested, Pilate refused to remove the statues. According to Philo, it took a sharply worded letter from Emperor Tiberius himself to convince Pilate to take down the standards.

Josephus was another Jewish-Roman historian who was born soon after Pilate's stint in Judea. Josephus is famous for being the only nonbiblical ancient source to mention Jesus, although his brief account was "clearly worked over by Christian editors," says Bond, and must be taken with a grain of salt.

As for Pilate, Josephus tells us of another blow-up with the Jewish authorities, when Pilate tried again to have some busts of the emperor displayed in Jerusalem. When a crowd of Jewish protesters gathered outside of Pilate's headquarters in the coastal town of Caesarea, Pilate ordered his soldiers to surround them. According to Josephus, the Jews "astonished" Pilate with their willingness to die rather than endure the insult, so Pilate relented and removed the statues. In another incident, he had an aqueduct constructed with sacred funds from the treasury of the Jewish temple. When people protested, Pilate had soldiers go among the crowd disguised as civilians with clubs under their coats which they used to beat the protesters, many to death.

" " This illustration shows one of Pilate's later acts: Commanding a party of soldiers to arm themselves privately with clubs and beat Jewish protesters. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

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Where Did Pilate Go After Judea?

The last news we hear about Pilate also came from the pen of Josephus and involved another controversy over a man claiming to be the Messiah.

In 36 C.E., a Samaritan man declared that he was a reincarnation of Moses and led a group of followers on a trek up Mount Gerizim, where he prophesied that great wonders would be revealed to them, including sacred vessels buried there by Moses. Word got to Pilate that these men were planning an armed uprising.

"They all start to go up the mountain but Pilate decides the best thing is to nip this in the bud," says Bond. "So, he sends in the cavalry, they kill loads of people, execute the leaders and that's the end of the uprising."

The Samaritans complained about Pilate's violence to the legate of Syria, a higher-ranking Roman governor, who ordered Pilate to return to Rome and make his case directly to Tiberius, the emperor. But before Pilate reached Rome, Josephus says, Tiberius died and was replaced by Caligula. It's unknown whether Pilate's hearing went badly and he was removed from his post, or else he simply decided to retire.

"Pilate had been in Judea for 10 years at that point, so it was probably a good time to have a change," says Bond. "Once he goes back to Rome, we know absolutely nothing more about what happens to him, apart from the non-canonical stories and legends we hear about him."

In one of those legends, Pilate was banished from Rome and ended up dying (committing suicide?) in Vienna, Austria, where he was believed to emerge every Easter from a local lake clad in purple robes, and anyone who looked at him would die within the year. A related legend placed his final resting place on Mount Pilatus near Lucerne, Switzerland, where his evil spirit is said to be responsible for bouts of nasty weather.

Now That's Cool In 1961, archaeologists in Caesarea, Israel, recovered a fragment of a stone that was part of a temple to the Emperor Tiberius. Known as the Pilate Stone, it reads, "... building in honor of Tiberius ... Pontius Pilate ... Prefect of Judea."
To mark International Womens Day 2022, Information Age is publishing a special series, Women in IT Leadership. We speak with 15 women in various tech roles across Australia about how they got their start in the IT industry, their approach to leadership, and how to encourage more females into technology careers.

Today we speak with Philippa Cogswell, Partner, PwC Australia



#iwd2022 #breakthebias

**

Working in technology, and cyber security in particular, there are no boring days in the job for PwC partner Philippa Cogswell.

Having worked in the field for around 20 years, you can see how technology has become increasingly important to individuals, business organisations, society  it underpins pretty much everything we do.

Whether it's how we engage with friends, peers and customers, whether it's products and services, it really is at the forefront of everything.

From that evolution and innovation space, I'm never going to have a boring day in my role, and that's great.

Philippa knows how managing cyber security is a mission-critical exercise for organisations today.

Where I sit in the cyber security space, some of the key elements are about organisations being impacted and perhaps being offline for a day, or even longer, with the impact on the customer and client base, and significant reputational and financial impacts that are quite significant.

One of the other key elements is just the broad scope and breadth of business risk that now comes with operating technology-related businesses.

Turning an interest in computers into a career

Philippa found her start in the industry through an organic interest in computing and a little bit of luck.

My friends were attending computer markets and buying certain pieces and I got interested in helping them with things like installing hard drives or doing memory upgrades. And then I said: talk me through what a shopping list looks like [to build a computer].

I thought: lets just start from scratch and learn how to do this. So, it was a little bit of trial and error, but it worked out quite well.

After finishing an environmental science degree at university, she didnt see a huge number of opportunities, but a friend told her about a company looking to hire someone for an IT role who could work with staff, executives and membership, and had more than just strictly technical training.

I'd just built my first computer around that time, and so my friend knew I had quite an interest in computers and thought I was a good applicant. I was looking for a new challenge at that point in time, so there was there was an element of luck.

Her first supervisor provided a lot of time and invested a lot of energy into bringing Philippa along on the journey, upskilling and helping her.

Now, when thinking about the great examples of leaders, Philippa recalls the ones who articulate a vision or mission for their teams and gives them something to rally behind and work towards.

Its creating an environment that fosters autonomous, diverse thinking that also allows people to be pointed in the same direction. Its really that sense of shared purpose that also allows people to find the work more rewarding.

Broadening professional and travel horizons

A long stint in the UK working in cyber security, building teams and taking on new challenges, gave Philippa that global professional experience.

It was also a chance to live out her love of travelling and exploring a variety of cultures.

I love to travel and try different things and experience different cultures. I've been fortunate to travel to almost every continent. I worked in London for about eight years and through that time spent a lot of time across Europe, Middle East, and Africa. It took me to a lot of really interesting places and I got to meet a lot of interesting people as well along the way.

Now with a young family, the weekends are precious time to be spent outdoors, with plans to return to travel.

I'd love to at some stage in the near future take the kids, and then let them experience some of those things from a young age.

Her advice to women about the industry is to know there are so many roles and opportunities.

It can be anything from deeply technical to highly strategic. Its a forward-leaning and innovative sector, and there's no shortage of opportunity.

It is high growth, too. Wherever you look, whether it's in a more traditional technology role or something like cyber security, theres just so much going on and there's something for everyone in this space.


In a letter to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom on April 10, several rights-based organizations and individuals said the commission must withstand the pressure from US-based Hindu nationalists.

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WASHINGTON, DC  Hundreds of U.S.-based civil rights and faith groups and individuals have condemned the pressure being placed on a prominent federal commission to dilute its reporting on religious persecution in India.

In a letter to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on April 10, these organizations and individuals said the commission must withstand the pressure from US-based Hindu nationalists and recommend again that the US Department of State designate India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), its harshest nomenclature for the worlds worst persecutors of religious minorities.

It is clear that those seeking to obfuscate the reality of Indias persecution of its religious minorities are now using intense lobbying and combative communication to prevent USCIRF from recommending Indias designation as a CPC for the third straight year, the letter said.

We have also learned that such pressure includes attempts to influence USCIRF Commissioners and officials to exclude even a mention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi or his Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2022 report.

The USCIRF has announced it will release its Annual Report for 2022 on April 25. Its last two reports in 2020 and 2021 had recommended that India be designated as CPC, along with China, Pakistan, Iran, Vietnam, Nigeria and several other countries. Both the Trump Administration and the Biden Administration did not accept that recommendation.

Leading organizations that have signed the letter include Indian American Muslim Council; Hindus for Human Rights; Jubilee Campaign USA; International Christian Concern; India Civil Watch International; Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations; Dalit Solidarity Forum in the USA; Cameroon American Council; Asian Children Education Fellowship; Association of Indian Muslims of America; International Society for Peace and Justice; Justice For All; Dar El Eman; Coeur dAlene Bible Church; New Life Church; Fresh Heart Ministries; Director of Governmental Affairs, Greentree Global; Spokane Fatherhood Initiative; Indian Muslim Association of Carolinas; Christian Freedom International; and International Asian Christian Front.

We urge you to not allow Hindu supremacist individuals or organizations to influence the integrity of USCIRF in general and your annual report in particular. As you must know, religious persecution in India has only escalated since last years publication of USCIRFs Annual Report 2021. More than ever before, Muslims, Christians and Dalits are under intense attacks and are experiencing massive human rights abuses as well as diminishing space for religious freedom, their letter said.

Thousands of Muslims, Christians, and human rights advocates had been jailed under draconian laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Vigilante mobs connected to Prime Minister Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), have mushroomed across the country, attacking Christians, Muslims, and Dalits, often lynching them to death.

The letter stated that Karnataka, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, three states under BJP rule, have passed highly discriminatory laws targeting these two minority communities in the name of anti-conversion. Churches and mosques are vandalized and outrightly demolished by officials, as happened near the Indian capital of New Delhi and in Uttar Pradesh, it said.

In December 2021, repeated calls were made by saffron-robed Hindu monks calling for a genocide of millions of Muslims, for sexual violence against Muslim women, and much more. The past year also saw the highest attacks on record on Indian Christians, including large-scale assault and vandalism on Christmas Day, December 25, the letter said.

The Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of India recorded 505 incidents of hate against Christians in 2021, including threats and harassment, physical violence, false accusations of conversion, desecration of houses of worship, arbitrary arrests, hate campaigns, and more, the letter said.

USCIRF must not ignore the significant decline of democracy in India that is accompanied by the most horrific forms of religious persecution, it remarked.

We urge you to duly record in your Annual Report 2022 the role of the Modi Government, the RSS, the BJP, the VHP, the Bajrang Dal and the various state governments, especially in Assam and Uttar Pradesh that are BJP-ruled, in the sharp escalation in the violence against Indias religious minorities, it said.

We urge you to recommend this year, as you did in 2020 and 2021, that the U.S Department of State-designate India as a Country of Particular Concern, and sanction officials and organizations that are involved in religious persecution. Indias persecuted millions are counting on the international community to defend their right to life and dignity. They desperately need USCIRF to play its part in this regard, the letter said.
RBA warns attacks on banks could undermine confidence in financial system. Photo: Shutterstock

Cyber security fears are suddenly being expressed at the highest levels of the financial system, in urgent tones.

Australias central bank just released its most recent review of systemic financial risks, and used the document to make prominent warnings about devastating cyberattacks.

Banks, stock markets and other financial sector players could be taken down by cyberattacks, and the effects could spiral into a serious financial crisis with economic consequences, the Reserve Bank warns.

Cyberattacks have become more frequent and more sophisticated in recent years and it is highly probable that at some point in time the defences of a significant financial institution will be breached, the RBA said in its most recent Financial Stability Review.

This would not only create problems for the institution concerned but could also undermine confidence in the broader financial system.

The risks to financial stability exist because the sector relies profoundly on confidence. But who would want to leave money in a bank where account balance data was unstable?

And who would buy stocks on an exchange with long outages that meant you couldnt trade when you wanted?

The RBA has become increasingly concerned about cyber security as a major threat to domestic and global financial stability.

References to cyber have been on the rise over the last six years (excepting a hiatus in the pandemic) as the below chart shows, primarily in the context of cyber attacks and cyber risks.

In the last three editions of the Financial Stability Review, however, the intensity has changed.

Cyber attacks have been elevated into the section of the review devoted to the most serious risks to systemic financial stability.

Then, in the most recent edition, use of the term cyber hit a record level thanks to a multi-page discussion of cyber risks and their destructive power.

In some ways, the RBA is just catching up.

In April 2021, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve  the RBAs American equivalent  told media, the risk that we keep our eyes on the most now is cyber risk.

But the RBA is emphasising cyber risk now because the world has become more dangerous, even in the last year.

Thanks to the current international environment of war and sanction, the RBA says cyber risks are currently judged to be elevated.

State actors (they dont say it, but principally China) pose the biggest threat.

Cyberattacks are more likely than other types of incidents to be systemic: a well-resourced and sophisticated adversary seeking to cause widespread distress will actively exploit cyber vulnerabilities to maximise the impact of their attack (including by affecting multiple institutions), the RBA says.

Cyberattackers could be motivated by financial gain or a desire to disrupt  the latter is more concerning because it is harder to defend against such attacks.

We need to fix our defences. But who will do the work? One challenge for Australias financial industry will be in finding the skills to protect the financial infrastructure we all rely on.

According to the 2021 (ISC) Cybersecurity Workforce Study, the world has a cybersecurity workforce gap of 2.7 million people.

And the shallow pool of professionals in Australia is being spread thin not only by huge corporate investments in cyber security, but government too, including the $9.9 billion in the federal budget under the acronym REDSPICE.

The cyber resilience of Australias financial system has already been tested and found wanting  not only by data breaches and system outages  but buy a recent pilot for a simulated cyberattack arranged by the Council of Financial regulators.

That pilot simulation recently concluded with the red team finding some strengths, but also weaknesses that could present a risk to the integrity and stability of Australian financial institutions.

The so-called red team is a group of expert outsiders who work over months to plan and execute an attack that targets actual weaknesses in financial sector systems, including vectors the financial sector had not planned for, and mimics the attack approach of known adversaries.
"Hamilton" fans in Greensboro may catch a glimpse the musical's cast members, who say they are eager to explore the city  from its rich history to its culinary options.

The Broadway blockbuster opened Wednesday at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, which will host performances through April 24.

Tyler Belo, who plays the characters of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison, said he recently enjoyed lunch at local taco favorite, Crafted, in downtown Greensboro. It's his first trip to North Carolina.

"I've only had good experiences so far in Greensboro," Belo said during an interview at the Tanger Center. "It's been great. I'm excited to go to the civil rights museum."

Hamilton tells the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton. Its score, with songs such as My Shot and The Room Where It Happens, blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway.

Belo said he looks forward to his interactions with people who come out to see the show. He might also be spotted taking pictures around the city in his off time, which he said is one way he likes to feed his creativity.

Josh Tower, who plays Aaron Burr, is no stranger to North Carolina. He studied acting and earned his master's degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1998.

"I cut my teeth there," Tower said about UNC's influence on his acting career.

Tower said he is already enjoying his time at the Tanger Center.

"This theater is beautiful," he said, noting the view from the stage is spectacular. "It really is a pretty space."

As a husband and a father of two children, ages 7 and 9, Tower said he is doing his best to balance his joy of performing with knowing he may be missing special moments at home.

"I feel every minute of it," he said as he placed his hand over his heart.

Fellow cast member Zoe Jensen plays Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler Hamilton  the wife of Alexander Hamilton. She said the show has inspired her interest in learning more about history  including Greensboro's.

"I'm really looking forward to exploring," Jensen said. "It's actually fun to learn about history."

Jensen hopes audiences will enjoy the depth of characters like Eliza.

"She always looks forward," Jensen said. "Even through tragedy, she can see how lucky she is."

Belo said he has also learned life lessons from playing James Madison, such as choosing when and how to express opinions.

Certain themes resonate deeply with characters, Tower said, including lyrics in the song "Wait For It" that speak to how love and life do not discriminate between sinners and saints.

"That really embodies Burr to a T," Tower said.

Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the script, music and lyrics for "Hamilton" and originally starred in its title role. It has won 11 Tony Awards, a Grammy Award, Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a special citation from Kennedy Center Honors.

The musical has been a smash hit since its off-Broadway debut in 2015, followed by its Broadway premiere.
Julian Assange has been in custody for 1095 days. for

Three years to the day after WikiLeaks founder and publisher Julian Assange was arrested in the UK and taken to a maximum-security prison, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, the body representing journalists in Australia, has called for his release.

MEAA Media federal president Karen Percy said in a statement on Monday that Australia must step up its diplomatic efforts to get the US Government to drop a bid to extradite Assange.

The next hearing in his case is expected on 20 April when the extradition order is scheduled to be issued; it will then be sent to British Home Secretary Priti Patel for approval.

Assange's lawyers will have time to make submissions against the extradition until 18 May.

On 14 March, the UK Supreme Court turned down an appeal from Assange to hear arguments against his extradition.

In January, the High Court had turned down a request from Assange's lawyers to appeal directly to the Supreme Court, leaving it to the higher court to decide on whether it would hear a challenge.

On 10 December 2021, a two-bench High Court panela 4 January lower court verdict the same year to deny the US the right to extradite Assange to try him on criminal charges in Washington.

British District Judge Vanessa Baraister had ruled in January that Assange should not be extradited, saying the risk he would commit suicide in a US jail was too high.

"The deck is stacked...Julian is facing over a century and a half in prison"



CIA torture whistleblower John Kiriakou [@JohnKiriakou] on #Assange extradition

Filmed by: @FordFischer pic.twitter.com/HPs2bj8wzt  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) April 11, 2022

The MEAA statement called on the Biden administration to drop the charges against Assange, which it described as posing "a threat to press freedom worldwide. The scope of the US charges imperils any journalist anywhere who writes about the US Government".

Julian Assanges work with WikiLeaks was important and in the public interest: exposing evidence of war crimes and other shameful actions by US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, Percy said.

The stories published by WikiLeaks and its mainstream media partners more than a decade ago were picked up by news outlets around the world.

The charges against Assange are an affront to journalists everywhere and a threat to press freedom.

The statement said Washington had not produced convincing evidence that publishing of the leaked material endangered any lives or jeopardised military operations, but their lasting impact had been to embarrass and shame the US.

Yet Assange faces the prospect of jail for the rest of his life if convicted of espionage charges laid by the US Department of Justice, Percy said.

The case against Assange is intended to curtail free speech, criminalise journalism and frighten off any future whistleblowers and publishers with the message that they too will be punished if they step out of line.

The US Government must see reason and drop these charges, and the Australian Government should be doing all it can to represent the interests of an Australian citizen.

Assange faces criminal charges in the US for publishing classified information that was leaked to WikiLeaks by an American soldier, then known as Bradley Manning, but now, after gender reassignment surgery, known as Chelsea Manning.

The Australian was arrested on 11 April 2019 and removed from the Ecuador embassy where he had taken refuge for seven years. His asylum was withdrawn shortly before he was arrested and he appeared in court shortly thereafter. The US made a formal request for his extradition on 6 June 2019.

Assange, 50, is one of the better-known hackers Australia has produced.
For weeks, the ABC has been boasting about how good its coverage of the federal election will be. But when push came to shove, when the actual day of calling the poll arrived, the government-funded organisation was found seriously wanting.

The ABC's Insiders program is claimed to be the country's top politics show, but with Patricia Karvelas at the helm on Sunday it resembled a ghastly car-crash.

Exactly why David Speers, the regular host, was not around on the day when Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited the governor-general is difficult to fathom. It speaks to the ABC's incompetence.

Karvelas seemed to be on the edge all the time, as excited as someone going out on a first date. Yet she has long been touted as a political veteran. She seemed to be obsessed by the plane on which Morrison was making the short journey from Sydney to Canberra: it's taking off (all planes do); it's flying (haven't heard of a plane travelling on a road yet); it's going to land (really?); the prime minister will be driven to the governor-general's residence (I can't recall a single instance when the incumbent prime minister has walked the distance) and so on.

What the bloody hell is wrong with ABC insiders this morning. Mining banality extreme with actions of the PM. I could not give a toss if he is getting in his car /plane whatever.  Mal Peters (@peters_malcolm) April 9, 2022

Karvelas was so incoherent that she even started speculating on what refreshments Morrison would be served and whether sandwiches would be on the menu or not.

Add to this, there was a third-rate panel to debate the issues of the day, if there were any. Jennifer Hewett of the AFR, Gareth Parker of 6PR and Fran Kelly, formerly of Radio National, are not the hottest tickets on a day when an election is called  not if anyone wants to really generate some interest among viewers.

The @PatsKarvelas train wreck interview on @InsidersABC did two things ...it put Karvellas in a poor position re objectivity during the campaign and made the focus of the interview about her rather than an underprepared Richard Marles.

Sad.  Tony Windsor (@TonyHWindsor) April 10, 2022

If this was not enough, Karvelas also conducted what could only be described as a car-crash of an interview with Labor deputy leader Richard Marles. Her bias came across clearly and to call it unprofessional would be the understatement of 2022.

Marles is generally not the most agile person during an interview, but Karvelas could not pin him down even on a single point.

Breaking.. The Governor General is delaying the process of finalising the calling of the election until appropriate discussions are held about Richard Marles political aspirations.  Tony Windsor (@TonyHWindsor) April 10, 2022

Karvelas was so overcome by the occasion  which incidentally happens every three years or so  that she did not apportion time for one of the better features of the show: Talking Pictures, which takes a look at the cartoons and images of the week gone by. But then, as always, there were ABC apologists making out that Karvelas was doing a "stellar job".

And if one hour of this third-rate show was not enough, as soon as it was over, people were treated to the spectacle of Greg Jennett and Jane Norman taking over the coverage.

And @PatsKarvelas is doing a stellar job steering the @InsidersABC ship today.  Louise Milligan (@Milliganreports) April 9, 2022

Jennett, as usual, had a beatific smile on his face all the time and kept doing his impression of a poor man's Stan Grant. [Even the normal Stan Grant is painful, so one can imagine what Jennett is like.] As for Norman, the only charitable way to describe her is "callow".

It says a lot about the whole morning that even a seasoned and erudite commentator like Laura Tingle could not rescue the proceedings from mediocrity.

Live shots of the PMs plane landing in Canberra. Why do we need that?  Anton Enus (@AntonEnus) April 9, 2022

To think that there are nearly 40 more days of this kind of garbage programming ahead makes one sick to the gills. Streaming services are going to experience a boom; maybe the ABC can ask for a cut, given that it would be contributing more than just a bit to the subscriber numbers.
Bill Baker, who led the Chicago-based structural engineering team for the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, is amazed at the popularity of observation decks of mega towers, including the glass balcony the public can visit on the 103rd floor of Chicago's Willis Tower.

It's billed as "The Ledge."

"Not only do you want to go high, you want to hang out over the abyss," Baker said of the Willis Tower balcony.

"Explain that one to me," he said with a laugh.

"I don't understand it other than I experience it myself."

Baker said the Burj Khalifa has added observation space since it opened in 2010.

Humanity's fascination with building structures higher and higher may not be the easiest thing to explain, but Baker has made his mark in the skyscraper industry.

The Illinois connection

Baker is part of Illinois' connection with the construction of the Burj Khalifa, which is in the United Arab Emirates and is 2,717 feet, or 828 meters, high.

While Baker led the structural engineers for the world's tallest building project, the chief architect was Adrian Smith. At the time, they both worked for Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

"Chicago is one of the world capitals for tall building architecture and engineering," said Baker, who grew up in Fulton, Missouri, went to the University of Missouri and would visit St. Louis with his family.

Along with being home to the Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, Chicago is the headquarters of the nonprofit Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, which has a treasure trove of information about the tallest buildings across the world on its website at www.ctbuh.org.

The Willis Tower was the world's tallest building from 1973 to 1998. It stands at 1,451 feet high. Since 1998, over 20 skyscrapers have been built, mostly in Asia and the Middle East, to knock the Willis Tower down to the 23rd highest building in the world.

Baker also said the University of Illinois, where he earned his master's degree in engineering and where he lectured last fall, has one of the highest rated structural engineering programs in the country.

Reaching new heights

Baker is quick to note that designing a building over a half mile high like the Burj Khalifa takes more than a couple of people.

"We had 90 people working on this thing," he said of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

"Adrian led the architectural team, I led the structural team," he said.

Smith has since started his own company, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture LLP in Chicago, and is the architect for a building that would exceed the height of the Burj Khalifa but construction has halted on that project known as the Jeddah Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The exact height of this skyscraper has not been announced. Developers have said it would be at least 3,280 feet, or 1 kilometer high.

So that brings us to wonder, just how high can a building get?

Baker matter-of-factly gives his answer: "I think one could, in a fairly reasonable cost and reasonable time frame, do like a mile or even two kilometers."

A 2-kilometer high building would be 1.24 miles or 6,561 feet in height.

Baker said the supertall structures "are like Swiss watches" and not a speck of space can be wasted in the design and then operation.

"It has to work for architecture, it has to work for structure, it has to work for construction, it has to work for interiors, it has to work for the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, it has to work for sustainability and so it's a very, very complicated thing."

And for a building to get nearly a mile and a quarter high, it would require a design that has not yet been developed.

Baker describes a building's design as a "species." A new one was developed for the Burj Khalifa, and it's called the "buttressed core" because it has a narrow hexagonal core center and three wings emanating from the center to offer support. When the wind is blowing against two of the three walls, the third one works to resist the force of the wind.

"The wonderful thing about design, is you don't have to evolve, you can create new, you know, by working with your team," he said.

But this new design and construction cost for a building over a mile high, of course, would come with a steep price.

"Would it be cheap? No," Baker said. "But I think it could be affordable in the sense that the value would greatly exceed the construction cost."

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MATTOON  No injuries were reported from a fire Sunday in a Mattoon apartment building.

Mattoon Fire Chief Jeff Hilligoss said in a news release that firefighters were dispatched at 1:25 p.m. to the 1400 block of Dewitt Avenue. They arrived to find smoke coming from the one-story building that housed three apartments.

Crews quickly deployed a handline and made entry into the center apartment, where they encountered thick smoke and found the fire in the kitchen, Hilligoss said. Fire Crews were able to quickly knock down the fire and keep it in the room of origin.

All the occupants of the building were notified by neighbors and were able to escape prior to the arrival of the fire department.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation; however, it appears to be accidental in nature, Hilligoss said.

There was smoke and heat damage throughout the apartment where the fire originated, and some light smoke damage to the adjoining apartments.

The Mattoon Fire Department was assisted at this scene by, Coles-Moultrie County 911, Charleston Fire Department, American Red Cross, and Ameren Illinois.

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Q: It seems Winston-Salem is lacking sidewalks in many areas. What would it take for new building and housing developments to be required to install sidewalks? Its very scary to walk on the busy roads around Winston-Salem. Theres a large housing development approved on Ransom Road. How can a community demand sidewalks in addition to building?

 K.K.L.

Answer: David Avalos with the City of Winston-Salem Department of Transportation explains how sidewalks work in new subdivisions.

Fortunately, sidewalks on one side is typically a requirement of large subdivision nowadays.

This is for new internal streets, but if a subdivision is going in along an existing road that has been identified in one our City Council approved plans as needing sidewalks, then we can require it with development as well.

Unfortunately these requirements can only be made on or along the proposed developments parcel. We could not legally require off-site improvements such as sidewalks along a road that their parcel doesnt immediately front.

The only thing I could recommend is to call CityLink at 311 and request a sidewalk if they havent already. This way we can add it to our list of citizen request and potentially request or locate funds in the future.

Q: Whats going on with the Meadowlark Road expansion? I go that route to and from work and have not seen anyone working on it. If it is being done while I am at work during the day, I sure dont see any workers or any progress on it when I go by after work.

 L.J.

Answer: Alan Temple with the engineering division of the City of Winston-Salem explained whats going on with the Meadowlark project.

We share your concerns about the lack of progress on the Meadowlark Drive road improvements. We are meeting with the contractor regularly and are insisting they meet the schedule in the contract, but we have had little success.

We are investigating what actions we can take to enforce our contract.

Q: What is the new business being built at the corner of Brewer Road and Peters Creek Parkway?

 J.B.

Answer: According to building permits at the location, it will be a Starbucks.

Reminder

The Internal Revenue Service has announced that the deadline for filing federal taxes this year will be April 18 instead of April 15.

The Emancipation Day holiday will be observed April 15. It is a holiday in Washington, D.C. and offices are closed.

The holiday is actually April 16, but that is Saturday, so the holiday will be observed Friday.

The deadline for filing taxes in North Carolina also is April 18, according to the N.C. Department of Revenue.

Thank you

Thanks to the wonderful lady who paid for my groceries April 1 at Walmart. She was so nice. There are great people left in this world. Thank you so much.  R.E.

Email: AskSAM@wsjournal.com Write: Ask SAM, 418 N. Marshall St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101

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The historical moment of Ketanji Brown Jackson being confirmed as the first Black woman to sit on U.S. Supreme Court will inspire young people to achieve that goal in their lives, an official at the Wake Forest University School of Law says.

It gives our law students and other young people who aspire to become lawyers that they, too, could become a Supreme Court justice one day, said Alison Ashe-Card, a lawyer and an associate director of diversity and inclusion at WFU School of Law.

Our profession has been seen as one for white men, Ashe-Card said. The face of our profession is changing, and its so important that we have diversity of experience, opinion and thought (on the Supreme Court) because the world is changing.

The U.S. Senate voted 53-47 Thursday to confirm Jackson to the nations highest court, shattering a historic barrier by securing her place as the first Black female justice.

Jackson, 51, is a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and a former judge for the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia.

During her career, she has worked as an assistant federal public defender in Washington.

Jackson will take her seat on the Supreme Court after Associate Justice Steven Beyer retires this summer. Jackson will be the third Black justice after Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas and the sixth woman.

Denise Hartsfield, a retired Forsyth District Court judge, said she was ecstatic and overwhelmed following the Senates vote to confirm Jackson.

I glad for young women of color who may be thinking about or may be obtaining a position as it relates to our justice system, Hartsfield said. I hope it will give them the inspiration that they need.

Jackson is one of the most accomplished jurists ever to be nominated and confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court, said Kami Chavis, a law professor and the director of the criminal justice program at the Wake Forest law school.

Her intellect, integrity and unwavering commitment to the Constitution of the United States will be an asset to the court and our nation, Chavis said.

Artrese Ziglar, an assistant public defender in Forsyth County, said she is proud of Jackson.

She has a superior background and has worked hard for this moment, Ziglar said. As a black female and a proud public servant, Id like to tell her thank you for all she has done and will continue to do to protect our Constitution.

Jacksons ascension to the Supreme Court is the most significant moment in the courts 233-year history, Ziglar, Hartsfield and Ashe-Card said.

On the one hand, you think, How did it take this long?, Ziglar said. But on the other, you think, Yes, yes, yes it happened.

It is a wonderful sight to see the interpreters of our Constitution for all American citizens to look like American citizens  all of them, Ziglar said. It promotes equal justice and the integrity of the judiciary.

Speaking as a public defender and a Black woman, Ziglar said that Jackson serving on the Supreme Court signifies for me hope, confidence and guidance that it can happen to anyone who works hard for it.

These glass ceilings have been broken, Ziglar said. (Jackson) breaks all of that stigma for Black female lawyers, public defenders and future attorneys.

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An 81-year-old Mount Airy man who law enforcement described as an innocent victim in the wrong place was killed Friday when an approximately 80-mile vehicle chase ended in a crash just north of the Virginia-North Carolina line.

Bobby Wayne Gammons died after a Cary womans Toyota Corolla crossed the median on U.S. 58 and collided head-on with his vehicle, according to the Patrick County Sheriffs Office in Virginia.

The pursuit reportedly began Friday after rangers at Staunton River State Park in Halifax County, Va., found 41-year-old Christine Barnette in an unrented cabin.

Police said that as rangers approached, Barnette ran from the cabin and got into her car. The rangers began following Barnette in a chase that eventually would cover four counties.

Early on, deputies from the Halifax County Sheriffs Office backed off from the pursuit but Barnette continued to drive recklessly, the Patrick County Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post.

The chase eventually passed through Pittsylvania County, Henry County, the city of Martinsville and Patrick County.

Authorities said Barnette was contained at one point before she rammed two sheriffs vehicles near South Boston and continued to flee.

Officers also tried several times to disable Barnettes car with spike strips, but she managed to avoid each attempt.

It was blatantly obvious that she was not going to stop her erratic and reckless behavior, Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith said in a press release.

Barnette eventually drove through an intersection that had been closed by Patrick County deputies, crossed the median of U.S. 58 and crashed head-on into Gammons vehicle, the sheriffs office there said.

Gammons died at the scene while Barnette was airlifted to Roanoke Memorial Hospital with serious injuries.

The Virginia State Police said Barnette is facing charges of breaking and entering, reckless driving, defrauding an innkeeper, felony eluding police, trespassing and vehicular homicide.

The reckless, careless and selfish actions of one person took the life of a totally innocent person today, and that is sickening, Smith said Friday. The law enforcement officers from the three agencies involved did everything possible to try and prevent the tragedy that occurred today. Our hearts are broken for the innocent life that was lost.

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Patricia Johansson, who is white, was a 36-year-old senior at Winston-Salem State University when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, her daughter said.

One of her professors took aside and told her that she might want to go home a few days, Charity Johansson of Pittsboro said of her mother. Patricia Johansson told her professor, If I cant be here today, then I cant be here at all.

Patricia Johansson remained on the campus that day and eventually graduated with a bachelors degree in English, becoming the first white person to receive a degree at WSSU, a predominately Black school, according to Archway, the universitys magazine.

Johansson later received a masters degree at Wake Forest, according to the Wake Forest University website.

She had very fond memories of her time at Winston-Salem State, Charity Johansson said of her mother.

Patricia Adams Johansson died Thursday night of natural causes at the Reynolds Hospice Home in Winston-Salem, her daughter said. Johansson was 90.

In September 2017, Patricia Johansson told Archway that WSSU gave me the opportunity to go to a school I could afford.

Johansson drove to the campus daily while she managed her family at her Tobaccoville home, her daughter said.

She loved being a mother, Charity Johansson said. That was the most important thing in her life.

Patricia Johansson instilled her love of the environment, books and travel into her six children, Charity Johansson said.

She read a lot of Southern fiction, her daughter said. She read Shakespeare to us before we were born.

Patricia Johansson joined the faculty at Wake Forest University as an English instructor in 1969, the Winston-Salem Sentinel reported in July 1983. In 1970, she was appointed as an assistant to the dean. Four years later, Johansson received the excellence in teaching award at Wake Forest.

Johansson also served as the director of the universitys overseas study center in Venice, Italy. In 1998, Johansson retired as an associate dean of the college at Wake Forest.

Toby Hale, of Winston-Salem, said he worked as one of four associate deans at Wake Forest with Johansson.

Hale said he will remember Johanssons kind spirit and her genuine love of learning, her students and her family.

Raymond Farrow, of Chapel Hill, and Ashley Hairston, of Durham, said they are Johanssons former students who traveled with Johansson to Venice for the universitys program in Italy. Hairston is an associate dean of academic advising at Wake Forest.

Farrow said he will remember Johanssons love of poetry.

She was a powerful mentor to many students, including myself, Hairston said.

Correction This article has been edited to correct the spelling of Toby Hale's last name.

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A high-profile legislative healthcare oversight committee entered Monday the first prominent give-and-take phase of its reform efforts.

The committee on Access to Healthcare and Medicaid Expansion spent its latest meeting discussing the states controversial certificate-of-need (CON) laws in perhaps the most comprehensive single presentation.

The previous sessions have been focused on addressing potential options for Medicaid expansion, which faces significant opposition from House Republicans. The committee is slated to meet again April 26 before taking a break for the 2022 short session.

The more comprehensive CON bills have not advanced out of committee in recent sessions.

State health regulators must issue a CON before a health care system or other medical provider can build a facility, buy equipment or offer a surgical procedure. It affects 28 health care sectors. The law took effect in 1978.

The primary goal of the laws is to prevent unnecessary duplication of services within a community or region as a means of controlling costs with service capacity.

Dedicating a committee hearing to CON laws is the latest example of what co-chairwoman Sen. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth, has called exploring all avenues ... Our plan will be to provide better access to health care and to improve the health of our residents in North Carolina.

Krawiec has emerged over the past three years as a key health-care reform proponent in the GOP, which typically has not promoted Medicaid expansion. She has emphasized changing the states CON laws addressing major healthcare systems infrastructure and equipment requests.

CON opponents claim that adding competition, particularly from for-profit groups, would lead to new services and facilities, including more acute-care hospitals, diagnostic centers and rehabilitation centers.

They say competition would force more providers to lower fees for high-risk procedures.

CON advocates, particularly the N.C. Healthcare Association, say ending or significantly diminishing the laws would allow for-profit groups to cherry-pick the most profitable medical procedures, while leaving not-for-profit systems with caring primarily for the sickest patients who may lack health insurance.

They also express concern that allowing for-profit systems into major metro areas would produce too much service capacity, particularly during a time with significant staffing shortages.

The limitations that result from the states CON program have helped fortify the revenue streams of not-for-profit health care systems, such as Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Cone Health and Novant Health Inc.

CON pros

Dawn Carter, senior partner with Ascendient Healthcare Advisors, provided the committee with an overview of CON laws and financial implications that received pushback from some Republican committee members.

CON repeal arguments are often more about who provides imaging services, Carter said.

Ample evidence exists to show that physician-owned imaging centers tend to increase utilization, perhaps even unnecessary utilization, and thus drive up system costs  precisely the outcome that CON regulators work to prevent.

Ascendient said the state regulators worked within CON law to have 13 new hospitals open statewide from 2010 to 2022. That includes Kernersville Medical Center in 2011 and Clemmons and Davie medical centers in 2013.

Any analysis that treats CON status as a binary choice  and most do  is grossly oversimplified, Carter said.

Among the 35 states with CON laws, Carter said there are huge variations in services covered, enforcement, administrative policies and threshold levels.

CON laws correspond strongly with denser populations and more fluid commuting patterns.

Carter said her groups research found that states with similar CON laws to North Carolina have better resident access to health care, and have higher and more efficient patient occupancy rates.

Carter also stressed that the states CON laws supported provider stability during this unprecedented time of uncertainty and transformation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CON cons

Stressing the value of repealing the states CON law was Matt Mitchell, a senior research fellow at George Mason Universitys Mercatus Center.

The universitys conservative-leaning reports that cite CON laws as inefficient and anti-competitive have been cited repeatedly by Republican legislative leaders as evidence of the need to reform or repeal the laws.

Mitchells presentation could be summed up with spending per service is likely to go up ... though total spending might be restrained through rationing ... patients are likely to get less care and ... quality of care usually suffers with less competition.

Mitchell said that patients in CON states travel longer for care, wait longer for care, are more likely to leave their states for care, and that CON programs have no statistically significant effect on charity care and exacerbate black-white disparities in the provision of care (those disparities disappear following repeal).

Quid pro quo?

Some level of acceptance of CON law reform is likely the quid pro quo necessary to pass some level of Medicaid expansion, said John Dinan, a political science professor who is a national expert on state legislatures.

The way that things are shaping up is that for Medicaid expansion ... it would likely have to be coupled with passage of other health-policy changes that have long been Republican priorities, such as altering CON laws and making other changes, Dinan said.

Cynthia Charles, NCHAs vice president of communications and public relations, said the association thinks it is very appropriate for the committee to be having this conversation.

The policy environment around the issue of access to healthcare can be thought of like an ecosystem ... certificate of Need is an important part of the states policy ecosystem.

Charles said there is no one individual policy issue that is a silver bullet to making healthcare more accessible, affordable and equitable for all.

Dinan said that nobody is more important than the Senate president in determining what legislation will pass.

Sen. Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) has sent signals that although he has relented somewhat in his opposition to Medicaid expansion, the most likely route to passing expansion in his view is to couple it with other long-sought health-policy changes.

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Exceptional service

For 19 years, from 2001 through 2020, Dan Besse provided exceptional service to his constituents in Winston-Salems Southwest Ward as its city councilman. Now he is running for a seat on the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners as an at-large candidate. Thus, not only will his former constituents of the Southwest Ward be able to vote for him, every registered voter in Forsyth County also will have that opportunity.

Dan Besse will bring to the board of commissioners the same dedication and constituent attention that enabled him to win election after election for five terms. Dan champions strong neighborhoods, public education excellence, first-rate police and fire protection, healthy communities and a clean and green environment.

Whether the issue is the funding of an $800 million school system or the repair of a pothole, the citizens of Forsyth County will be able to count on Dan Besse to make wise decisions that serve the best interests of all his constituents.

Howard Pearre

Winston-Salem

Accusations

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, that font of Republican knowledge, claims now that three Republican senators approve of pedophilia because theyre voting in favor of Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court justice.

In the meantime, Republicans still support Donald Trump, who once bragged about walking into the dressing room of Miss Teen USA contestants (as young as 15) while they were undressed. They still support Rep. Matt Gaetz, who is currently under investigation for child sex trafficking. Tennessees Republican-majority legislature is advancing a bill that will eliminate any age requirement for marriage. That means that a 40-year-old man can marry a 10-year-old girl. Completely legal and no one can stop it. (They could have added an age requirement if they wanted.)

The phrase every accusation is a confession seems more accurate every day.

Reggie Branson

Winston-Salem

Bring an ID

I read the article about former Miss America Nia Franklin and her sister giving away free prom dresses (A gown fit for a queen, April 1).

While this is a good cause, I found it interesting when I read the paragraph stating that young women should bring a drivers license or student ID. So you need a photo ID to get a free prom dress, but no ID to vote. Does that make any sense to anybody? You need photo ID now for a lot of things in everyday life, even to get a free prom dress, but not to vote, which is the most sacred right we Americans have.

Something to think about.

Donna Bragg

Winston-Salem

Prepare for elections

Elections coming! Pay attention.

Elections are coming and several people are in the running for the open Senate seat.

One way to decide who you want to get your vote is to check out the Roll Call column printed in the Sunday Journal. For example, I noticed this past week Rep. Ted Budd voted Nay on placing statues of female Supreme Court justices in the Capitol; an act to stop sexual assault and harassment in transportation; grants for Care is an Economic Development Strategy; and especially, against making the cost of insulin affordable under Medicare or private insurance plans. He will not get my vote because of the last Nay, even if I agreed with his other votes.

Pay attention and dont vote for a candidate because of his or her political party but hold them responsible for the things that are important to you.

Betty G. Bewley

Winston-Salem

Republican obstruction

The Republican obstruction to and disrespect toward Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is shameful  and was to be expected. They were going to object to her no matter what, we all knew, no matter who she was or how qualified she was. Because this is what Republicans do: They obstruct. Whatever President Biden or a Democratic Congress does, theyre going to oppose it.

It is beyond the pale that they tried to portray Jackson as sympathetic to child predators.

We have serious problems to tackle in this country and all Republicans want to do is keep us from solving them. They think the chaos helps them politically. They will never change.

Candy Norwood

Winston-Salem
ASHLAND  A developer is looking at property southeast of Ashland to build a neighborhood aimed at attracting active retirees. The development would include up to 60 houses, situated on about 20 acres of land just outside the Iron Horse subdivision.

But to move forward with the development project, the issue of an Ashland landmark must be dealt with. Near the center of the proposed development is the 150-year-old Israel Beetison House, which is cherished locally for its Italianate architecture and limestone exterior.

Popular perception is that when Boyer Young  Iron Horses developer  broke ground on the subdivision in the late 1990s, there was an agreement that the developer would maintain the Beetison House. But the house has deteriorated substantially in the past two decades and would cost at least $1 million to restore, according to Historic Resources Group and structural engineering firm RO Youker, who were hired by the new group to conduct an assessment.

Their findings pose a question: Is the Beetison House  in its present condition  worth saving?

In a public meeting attended by more than 100 people on March 29, photos shared of the Beetison House showed graffiti lining the interior walls, sunlight shining through the roof on the second floor, deteriorating basement framing, holes in floors, broken windows and decaying limestone on the exterior.

There is really virtually no physical integrity left on the interior, said Melissa Gengler said of Historic Resources Group. The years of exposure to water infiltration has deteriorated almost all of the interior physical features.

For the most part, all of the material thats in the building is not salvageable.

To restore the house, Gengler said a total renovation would be required. Mike Eisenbarth of RO Youker made a number of immediate repair recommendations to maintain the buildings current condition, including replacing the roofing, strengthening damaged wood framing, rebuilding the exterior masonry arches over the windows and installing caps over the chimneys, which have allowed additional moisture into the house.

Gengler said that the total cost would be roughly $1 million, but she said that number is likely on the low end. Bruce Wischmann, an Ashland City Council member and general contractor, estimated that the total could go up to $3 million.

It depends on how historically accurate they want to be, Wischmann said.

Gengler presented a handful of options the city and developer could take in determining the Beetison Houses fate. She said the building could be demolished and the lot could be incorporated into the planned development, or a central clubhouse could be built using design characteristics or salvaged materials from the Beetison House.

Another option would be to rehabilitate the building and find a new use, but it was noted that such a use would ideally produce revenue to support future upkeep.

Following the presentation, Gengler and Eisenbarth fielded questions from attendees, many of whom wondered why the building had not been maintained.

Wischmann said there was technically no contractual obligation for Iron Horse developer Boyer Young to maintain the property. A provision in the subdivision agreement from 1999 states that the developer may not demolish, move or sell" the Beetison House without approval.

So, theres nothing that says in there that if a window gets broken out, they have to replace a window, Wischmann said.

Epcon Communities, which builds homes targeted to the 55-plus community, hasn't yet completed the purchase of the approximately 20 acres on Iron Horses south end still owned by Boyer Young.

Peter Katt, a longtime development attorney from Lincoln who is a partner in Epcon, said the location between Omaha and Lincoln and the setting "is absolutely gorgeous.

But he knows about the Beetison Houses history in Ashland and the communitys attachment to the building.

I cant do anything until I own (the land), a lender wont let me buy it until I have city approval for my project, and I dont think Im going to be able to convince elected officials to approve my project without a very solid plan on what to do with the home, Katt said.

The March 29 meeting was a first step, he said, in reaching a decision on the Beetison Houses future. He said to come to a definitive decision could take up to nine months.

Patti Schofield, a member of the Ashland Historical Society, emphasized the importance of the Beetison House and the need to preserve it.

This town is a historic town, and we have to keep those things that are part of our history, she said. That building is a big part of what our community has always related to historically.

Moving the house to a new site was mentioned, but Ryan Reed of the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office said doing so would remove the home from the National Register of Historic Places. Without that historic designation, the property would no longer be eligible for tax credits.

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Most of the sandhill cranes in central Nebraska are heading north, but that doesnt mean there isnt still lots to view across the state.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has put together its top nine parks with trails for wildlife watching. Visitors can spot birds of all types as well as several varieties of wildlife, from deer to beavers.

Nebraska has many opportunities thanks to its diverse habitats  everything from prairie to ponderosa pine, wetlands and more than 23,000 miles of rivers and streams.

Its a great time to view wildlife all across the state, said Olivia DaRugna, the watchable wildlife biologist for Game and Parks. With the warmer spring weather, everyone is eager to get outside. With few leaves on the trees it is a perfect time to watch for birds in the canopies.

Songbirds are starting to trickle up from the south and DaRugna said that if you listen closely, you might hear a meadowlark sing. The western meadowlark is the state bird of Nebraska.

Turkey vultures are flying over Ponca State Park and lots of pelicans are arriving in the Lake Ogallala area.

Muddy spring soil makes it easier to spot animal tracks.

Early mornings are the best for viewing the most wildlife, she said.

If youre planning a visit, check out more about the parks at outdoornebraska.org.

Here are some of the best parks for wildlife watching this spring:

Ponca State Park: One of Nebraskas most visited state parks, Ponca State Park is popular for its forested hills, scenic vistas  and great wildlife watching. Observers have tallied a bird list of nearly 300 species for the park and surrounding area, and during peak migration in late April and early May, the park is a hot spot for both amateur and experienced birders. Turkeys also are a common sight at the park, and if youre lucky, you may spot white-tailed deer along the parks 22 miles of trails.

Rock Creek Station State Historical Park: History buffs will love exploring this former Pony Express station where James Butler Wild Bill Hickok began his bloody gunfighting career. But its also a great place for birdwatching: More than 6 miles of trails offer outstanding birding opportunities. Try the Natural Legacy Demonstration Hike Trail. You can see eastern bluebirds, towhees, barred owls and a variety of sparrows. Many sparrows that wintered here, such as the American tree sparrow and Harris sparrow, will be heading north to their breeding grounds soon, while field sparrows and grasshopper sparrows will just start to arrive and begin singing as they stack out their breeding grounds. If the weather is warm, you may see some turtles and snakes coming out to bask in the sun. Coyote, red fox and white-tailed deer can all be observed here, especially in early mornings.

Branched Oak State Recreation Area: This park features the largest lake in eastern Nebraska and has long been a popular spot for fishing, boating and camping. It also offers 7 miles of hiking trails, with a multi-use trail along the south side of the lake that provides great wildlife viewing. The lake attracts many birds during early spring, such as gulls, waterfowl and loons. Many species of ducks, as well as double-crested cormorants and American white pelicans, are common during migration. Upland game birds and deer also can be spotted at the park. Its great for viewing birds and other wildlife from your car and features many parking areas with different vantage points around the lake to view waterbirds such as American white pelicans.

Pawnee Prairie Wildlife Management Area: Only 2 miles from the Kansas border, this wildlife management area features native prairie, woodlands, ponds and creeks, which support northern mockingbirds, Carolina wrens, upland sandpipers and loggerhead shrikes. A flock of about 20 greater-prairie chickens gather on a lake near the center of the prairie, about three-quarters of a mile from the perimeter parking lots. No permanent blinds are available, but temporary blinds are allowed; bring one to view the birds in early mornings or late evenings from mid-March to mid-April. Upland sandpipers will start showing up later this month.

Fort Kearny State Recreation Area: Looking for a place to view sandhill cranes? Fort Kearny is a great spot, although many have continued their migration north to their breeding grounds. From the hike/bike trail 1 mile east of the fort, visitors can see cranes arriving and leaving the river in early morning and late evening, from late February through early April. The trail is well-maintained and handicap accessible. Throughout the year, you can see many bird species from this spot, including bald eagles, geese and ducks in the winter. Watch for belted kingfisher, eastern phoebe and tree swallows along the hike-bike trail as well as deer, opossum, and fox.

Lake Ogallala State Recreation Area: Located on the east side of Kingsley Dam and massive Lake McConaughy, Lake Ogallala is a well-known fishing destination. A variety of waterbirds can be observed here in early April, including ducks, Horned Grebes and gulls. Shorebirds are just starting to migrate through Nebraska, but you may observe greater yellowlegs and American avocet here over the weekend. Camping spots are available along the west and north shorelines of the lake, where the deciduous wooded habitats shelter a rich array of nesting passerines.

Niobrara State Park: Situated at the confluence of the Niobrara and Missouri rivers on Nebraskas northeastern border, Niobrara State Park offers visitors an array of outdoor experiences, including wildlife viewing. Both white-tailed deer and wild turkeys roam freely throughout the park, and beaver, muskrat and mink prowl the riverbanks. The park also is home to a wide range of birds, including woodpeckers, shorebirds and bald eagles right now.

Fort Robinson State Park: This stunning park comprises more than 22,000 acres of exquisite Pine Ridge scenery and supports a variety of species, including bighorn sheep, bison, pronghorn and elk. Laced with 130 miles of hiking trails, this park also offers birding opportunities, including chances of seeing species found in the western United States. Search rocky escarpments for golden eagles and prairie falcons. Walk along the White River Trail, where you can observe barred owls, black-billed magpies, western meadowlark and Says phoebe, as well as deer and other wildlife.

Wildcat Hills: Situated high on a rocky escarpment in the Wildcat Hills, this park offering an escape to the regions signature rugged topography. An array of wildlife roams here, including wild turkeys, deer, bobcats and coyotes. The rugged terrain and ponderosa pines also provide habitat for western bird species. Stop by the visitor centers bird feeders to see a big variety. Traverse the parks 3 miles of trails and keep your eyes open. Tracks of some of the parks stealthier animals, such as bobcats, can be spotted on the Nature Trail. Along the SRA roads, you may also observe mountain bluebirds as they choose which birdhouse to nest in this spring and a Says phoebe perched on the top of a yucca plant.

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A 52-year-old Lincoln woman is in jail after police say she stabbed her 37-year-old boyfriend in his right hand before driving him to a local hospital Sunday afternoon.

Julie Milton was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony when Lincoln Police pulled her over shortly after leaving the hospital at about 4 p.m. Sunday, LPD Capt. Todd Kocian said.

Milton's arrest came after officers were dispatched to a house near 21st and Garfield streets, where a third party reported Milton had stabbed her boyfriend, who was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, Kocian said.

By the time officers arrived, Kocian said Milton had left to take her boyfriend to the hospital.

She was ultimately found driving near 14th and Arapahoe streets, where she was stopped, arrested and taken to the Lancaster County Jail.

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Attorneys for a Nebraska consulting firm and the gubernatorial campaign of Charles W. Herbster are working quickly to resolve a legal fight involving allegations that the campaign improperly ended the firms services and owes money, according to a lawyer involved in the case.

Herbsters campaign retained political consulting firm EZ Politix under a contract for Dec. 1, 2020, to May 10 of this year at a rate of $12,500 a month, according to a copy filed in court. The contract was signed by a campaign representative and Andrew Northwall, who was then president of EZ Politix.

Last August, EZ Politix sued the Herbster campaign. The campaign filed a countersuit in January. State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, a lawyer whos representing EZ Politix in the case, said Tuesday that the parties were looking to resolve the lawsuit quickly.

Wayne didnt offer further details. The Herbster campaign did not respond to multiple requests for an update on the case. Its lawyers did not respond to The World-Heralds voicemail messages or an email. According to court records, neither party appeared for a court hearing in March.

The parties agreed in 2020 that, if either breached the contract, they had 30 days after notice to remedy the situation. After that, the other party could end the contract in writing. The campaign could end the contract without cause if it gave 90 days notice.

The lawsuit alleged that Herbsters campaign unilaterally ended the contract and stopped making payments April 9, 2021, without providing notice, even though EZ Politix fulfilled its side of the agreement.

The company asked for $37,500, plus damages.

We stand by our complaint, and simply ask that they pay their bill, said Northwall when The World-Herald first reported on the lawsuit.

In its response, the Herbster campaign denied allegations and brought a counterclaim, alleging EZ Politix breached its contract and kept $62,500 in payments despite its complete failure to perform.

The countersuit alleges that the companys principals, Northwall and Matt Butler, told the campaign that they had no intention to comply with the contract and wanted to see how far (Herbster) would go.

The campaign told EZ Politix that it breached the agreement in March 2021, the countersuit alleges, because it hadnt provided agreed-upon services or any other services the campaign asked for. They scheduled a meeting to talk about the breach, according to the suit, but the company refused to attend.

According to the countersuit, EZ Politix also refused the campaigns demand that it return the $62,500. The campaign is asking the court for that money, plus damages.

One thing the parties have in common: connections to former President Donald Trump.

Trump backed Herbster in the Nebraska governors race in October  an endorsement that has become the defining feature of the Falls City farmer and Republican businessmans campaign. Meanwhile, Northwalls LinkedIn profile lists him as chief operating officer at Trump Media & Technology Group, since December.

When The World-Herald called EZ Politix and asked if Northwall still worked there, the person who answered said he was still part-owner but had transitioned away from day-to-day operations to work for TMTG. The media companys press contact did not respond to a request to confirm Northwalls employment. Northwall declined to comment for this story.

His apparent new employer is the parent company behind Truth Social, Trumps social media platform that has struggled to launch and gain traction.

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Sen. Tom Brewer's "constitutional carry" gun rights bill, which would have allowed Nebraskans to carry concealed weapons without a permit or currently required gun safety training, was trapped on the floor of the Legislature on Monday and removed from further consideration.

The bill encountered a filibuster led by Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln when it appeared on the agenda for second-stage debate, and a subsequent motion to invoke cloture, the procedure required to end debate, fell two votes short of the required number of 33, failing on a 31-9 vote.

It was a bitter blow for Brewer, who had broken a first-round filibuster with a 36-9 vote a month ago after earlier winning a battle to free the proposal (LB773) from the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, where it had been bottled up, on a 30-12 count.

Brewer, the Gordon senator who wears a Purple Heart on his lapel after being seriously wounded in combat in Afghanistan, vowed to continue to propose "constitutional carry" gun legislation during the remaining two years of his second legislative term.

How they voted An effort to stop a filibuster and vote on a bill to allow gun owners to carry concealed weapons without a permit or gun safety training failed 31-9 Monday. The inability to stop the filibuster with the needed 33 votes killed the bill for the year. Voting yes (31): Aguilar, Albrecht, Arch, Bostelman, Brandt, Brewer, Briese, Clements, Dorn, Erdman, Flood, Friesen, Gragert, Halloran, B. Hansen, Hilgers, Hughes, Jacobson, Kolterman, Lindstrom, Linehan, Lowe, McKinney, Moser, Murman, Sanders, Slama, Stinner, Wayne, Williams, Wishart. Voting no (9): Bostar, J. Cavanaugh, M. Cavanaugh, Day, DeBoer, M. Hansen, Hunt, Lathrop, Morfeld. Present, not voting (6): Blood, Geist, Hilkemann, McCollister, McDonnell, Walz. Excused (3): Pahls, Pansing Brooks, Vargas.

"And I will know who to trust and who not to trust," he said.

Earlier, during the heat of debate, Brewer said opponents "hate the Second Amendment," an allegation that a number of senators quickly contested.

Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha objected, suggesting that's the kind of rhetoric that can "stoke violence."

Morfeld said he is a gun owner who supports the Second Amendment, but he believes current requirements for a permit and gun safety training are necessary to protect all Nebraskans.

Brewer's inability to win legislative support for a proposed amendment negotiated with the Omaha Police Officers Association may have been the final blow to the bill, turning Omaha police into opponents of the proposal.

Lincoln police already were on record opposing the bill.

The amendment, which included a provision allowing operation of "a more limited version of handgun registry" in Omaha, failed on a 29-13 count.

Lincoln Police Chief Teresa Ewins already had informed senators of her opposition, suggesting that the bill would "allow a criminal element of our community" to carry concealed weapons.

Following defeat of the proposed Omaha amendment, the police union expressed its "strong opposition" to the bill.

Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, who represents a largely Black community in his North Omaha legislative district, said the amendment was designed to "allow police to continue targeting people with their gang unit."

All nine votes against advancement of the bill were cast by senators from Lincoln or metropolitan Omaha and four more senators from the two big cities were recorded as present and not voting.

"Training and permit requirements are important," Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln said.

Both Brewer and Morfeld said there are volunteers available now to train new gunowners at no cost.

Current requirements to carry a concealed handgun include a $100 permit and gun safety training.

As the proposal approached the climactic vote to invoke cloture, Brewer told his colleagues that "this issue will help us shape a lot of new faces ... we're going to reshape this unicameral."

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon

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Donald Trump Jr. is slated to visit western and central Nebraska on Wednesday alongside GOP governor candidate Charles Herbster.

The campaign announced Monday that Trump Jr. would appear at events in Gering, North Platte and Grand Island.

Former President Donald Trump, the father of Donald Trump Jr., has endorsed Herbster.

Doors open for a "meet and greet" at Gering Civic Center at 9:30 a.m., according to a news release. Another event is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds in North Platte. Doors are scheduled to open at 2 p.m. for the tour's final event, billed as a "Nebraska First Celebration" at Heartland Events Center in Grand Island.

The meet and greets will be focused on "shaking hands and meeting people" and short remarks, Herbster campaign spokesperson Emily Novotny said in an email. The Grand Island event will feature longer remarks.

All of the events require tickets to attend. Novotny said there's no limit to the number of tickets someone can order beyond the capacity of the venues.

Trump Jr. visited Nebraska in 2020 during his father's reelection campaign, as Trump and now-President Joe Biden vied for an electoral vote in Nebraska's competitive 2nd Congressional District. Biden ultimately won that electoral vote, while Trump claimed Nebraska's remaining four. Trump Jr. also stumped for 2nd District Rep. Don Bacon in Omaha. The senior Trump has since soured on Bacon, last year calling for someone to challenge Bacon.

Trump endorsed Herbster for governor in October, saying the Falls City farmer and businessman would "do a fantastic job." The endorsement prompted current Gov. Pete Ricketts to issue a strong statement in opposition, saying he "strongly" disagreed that Herbster is qualified. Ricketts has since endorsed Columbus hog producer and University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen.

Novotny said no campaign events have been scheduled with the former president.

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MOUNT PLEASANT  The Wisconsin Humane Society held an open house this weekend to commemorate their new animal shelter, The WHS Racine Campus, which opened in March of 2020.

The spread of COVID-19 impacted any opening activities the shelter could hold in the last two years, but the staff, as well as the community, were excited to finally be able to celebrate the new shelters arrival.

We moved into the facility in March 2020, and it wasnt with the fanfare and community celebration we had planned, Angela Speed, vice president of communications at the Wisconsin Humane Society, said in an email. As our team got animals settled into their sparkling new kennels, unpacked boxes and made themselves at home, we were overwhelmed with the reality of the beautiful campus that our amazing supporters truly built. Its certainly prettier than our previous digs, but most importantly, its quieter, cleaner, and exponentially more functional for the communitys animals and the people who love them.

Visitors to the Racine Campus, 8900 16th St., were welcomed Sunday with a bevy of activities for the entire family such as a scavenger hunt, a prize wheel, and a chance to meet the campuss many animal ambassadors.

Fortunately, this event will feel more like 2019 than 2020, when all our events pivoted to virtual, Speed said when asked about how the continuing pandemic will affect the open house. Despite opening at the beginning of the pandemic, the Humane Societys Racine Campus has seen a great rate of animal adoption since its start. Adoption demand throughout the pandemic has been high, so animals have been getting adopted very quickly. Returns are no higher than in the past, so animals are being kept in their loving homes.

How to Help Those willing to help out the Wisconsin Humane Society can visit WiHumane.org/donate or WiHumane.org/volunteer

Planning for the campus began around 2013, when WHS acquired Racines Countryside Humane Society shelter off Chicory Road.

Once seeing the volume and types of animals and the specific care they and the community needed, the WHS decided it was time for a new shelter.

The Chicory Road location served the community in many important ways, but did so in a facility originally constructed as a potato barn. Although we did much to improve the shelter, we lacked the space for veterinary care, behavior evaluations, appropriate housing, proper socialization of animals, and community services, said Speed.

The Mount Pleasant location has addressed all the issues with the old shelter, as well as being in an easy-to-find location.

For some time the shelter had been using methods such as flexible hours due to short staffing or by appointment visits for potential adopters due to the pandemic, but has fortunately now moved onto walk-in adoptions in the campus. There has also been an influx in animal fostering, with an estimated more than 3,500 animals being fostered in 2021 organization wide.

Although the campus was not offering adoptions at the day of the event, guests still got the opportunity to meet the animals currently in-shelter, as well as three animal ambassadors: two ambassadogs, Juno and Mei-Mei, and even a gecko, named Echo.

The open house was just the beginning for the WHS Racine Campus. The shelter is hosting Pet Walk Racine on Aug. 13 at Cliffside Park. To register, go to WiHumane.org/PetWalk.

With the Racine Campus, WHS now runs five shelters in Wisconsin, including in Milwaukee (which also acts as a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center), Door County and Green Bay.

Founded in 1879, the organization annually helps 13,000 animals get adopted, according to its website. Although not using the moniker of a No-Kill Shelter, the WHS never euthanizes animals for reasons of space and time. The society offers a comprehensive adoption program, geared to match an animal with its ideal family. Other services include pet food banks, youth programs and an affordable spay/neuter center located in West Allis.

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Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) The principal activities of the Group are within two principal business segments. The Automotive segment consists of the design, manufacture, sale and service of cars and trucks, automotive components and systems. The Financial Services segment consists of vehicle-related financing, leasing and insurance, renting and leasing of cars and trucks and renting industrial and construction equipment and other activities. The Financial sector is operated through two subsidiaries, The Ford Credit Company and The Hertz Corporation. The Company operates in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific. In 2001, the Company acquired the remaining interest of 18% in Hertz Corporation. Automotive accounted for 81% of 2002 revenues; Ford credit services, 15%; automobile rental & leasing, 3% & other financial services, 1%.
1. Yes. Raising the bar for future developments will boost the citys housing market.

2. Yes. It will help in newer areas, but more needs to be done to change Killeens image.

3. No. The new standards will just slow down homebuilding and drive away developers.

4.No. The ordinance will do little more than drive up the price of new homes in the city.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say what the effect will be until they have been in place for a while.

Vote

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ARAPAHOE  A fire in Gosper and Furnas counties was 50% contained Sunday evening.

According to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, the Road 739 Fire that began Thursday afternoon seven miles southwest of Elwood has burned approximately 35,000 acres. NEMA on-scene public information officer Alyssa Sanders expected the number of acres to change as they continue to do more aerial assessments.

Gov. Pete Ricketts issued a state emergency declaration Friday which allows state assets and the Governors Emergency Fund to be used for the response. Ricketts will be in the area today to visit local residents and landowners affected by the fire.

Investigators with the Nebraska State Fire Marshal agency have determined the cause of the fire was accidental as a result of strong winds blowing a dead tree into a power line.

On Friday, two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters with crews, a 25-person Wildland Taskforce hand crew and support vehicles from the Nebraska National Guard were deployed to the fire. A Nebraska State Patrol helicopter flew a recognizance flight to provide information to incident command.

The UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crews have been working with land crews through heavy timber areas to eliminate any heat trapped in those areas, said Sanders. Some resources were provided during the weekend.

Sanders reported there had been a few minor injuries including eye injuries and a minor burn. A mechanic with the Nebraska Forest Service has served as a resource to help with vehicular breakdowns the firefighters have experienced.

With wind and dry conditions in the forecast, Sanders said the organizations continue to tackle the situation day-to-day.

It doesnt take long for situations to change. We are happy with the way its going, she added.
ODESSA  Kearney and Amherst volunteer firefighters were busy Sunday evening battling two separate grass fires in northwest Buffalo County.

At 5 p.m. the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department was called to an area one-half mile north of Eagle Road and 100th Road for a small ditch fire. The area is northeast of Odessa and southwest of Riverdale.

KVFD Lt. Chris Hellerich said the fire started in a ditch on the east side of the road and worked its way into a cornfield, burning a 100- by 100-foot area. The fire made its way to a center pivot where Hellerich said it caused minor damage to hoses on the motor.

The case of the fire is undetermined.

As firefighters were leaving that scene around 6 p.m. they spotted smoke coming from an area northwest of the first fire. When they investigated they found about 1  -2 acres of prairie grass on fire between 100th and 115th roads on Sartoria Road.

Eagle Road is one mile west of Sartoria Road.

With 30 mph winds, KVFD called Amherst Volunteer firefighters for mutual aid. Six grass rigs shuttled water from a hydrant on Cottonmill Avenue to the scene until the fire was brought under control at about 7 p.m.

Firefighters stayed at the scene extinguishing hot spots for another hour, Hellerich said. If we hadnt seen that second fire on our way home we wouldve had a lot bigger fire on our hands.

Eight KVFD firefighters and three grass rigs responded to the first fire. A combined 32 firefighters from Kearney and Amherst, along with six grass rigs, five tankers and two engines responded to the second fire.
1st Community Credit Union held its 61st annual meeting on March 28 at Sparta American Legion Post 100 in Sparta.

The 48 member-owners attending the meeting elected two directors, Douglas Allen and Nicholas Greenwell, to three-year terms on the Board of Directors. They join board members Scott Herrman, Phil Yahnke, Doug Billings, Wendy Whitehead and Joe Belling.

Chairman Wendy Whitehead reported on the credit unions growth in 2021, which brought assets to over $223 millio. 1st CCUs new Tomah branch continues to grow, and a property in Holmen was purchased in 2021 with an eye toward expansion in future years.

Overall during 2021 the credit union increased loans by 19%. 1st Community Credit Union has loaned over $1.5 billion since it was organized in 1961. Treasurer Scott Herrman reported on the credit unions financial condition. President Brad Bauges spoke about the credit unions current projects, including the addition of online account opening and upcoming enhancements to online banking, mobile banking and online lending. He also stressed 1st CCUs commitment to volunteerism and community involvement by the employees and board members. More than 900 hours of community involvement were logged by staff during the past fiscal year.

Josh Roberts, vice president of system collaboration & development for the Wisconsin Credit Union League, was the guest speaker. Roberts spoke about the current state of credit unions in Wisconsin, and he praised 1st CCU for their unprecedented growth during 2021. Roberts also spoke about all Wisconsin credit unions dedication to meeting challenges such as cyber security, talent retention, and succession planning.

Bauges announced that Mark Mulder and Terri Lenselink are stepping down from the board, and he recognized them for their years of service. Mulder has served on the board since 1995, and Linselink has served since 2013.

Sandy Anderson, vice-president of human resources, presented Cora Jothen, accounting manager, with the 2021 Outstanding Service Award. Anderson also recognized several staff members for their combined 110 years of service: Diana Mack, 30 years; Barb Burnham, 20 years; Shelly Sawvell, 15 years; Scott Herrman, 10 years on the board; Leianna Melde, 10 years; Sue Stellick, 10 years; Kyle Bahl, five years; Jodi Lovgren, five years; and Brad Bauges five years.

Following the annual meeting, a re-organizational meeting was held to elect the officers of the board.

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The process of pulling musicians together to collaborate online to produce a new jazz CD of original material started in January 2021 when John Paulson of Winona received a Minnesota State Arts Board grant supporting creative artists during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The grant was called Jazz Online During a Pandemic. The goal was to collaborate online with other artists from all over the country to produce a new CD with varying styles represented.

After considering possible songs for the CD, the group started to investigate what technology they would use to synchronize tracks and come up with rough mixes. A potential song list was then prioritized and they went to work determining which musicians would perform on each selection.

Each musician then contributed tracks with home recording gear while listening to a reference track submitted by the composer. Synchronization was definitely an issue but after much editing, they were able to produce a set of rough mixes.

Finally, at the end of a nearly yearlong process, six selections were brought to Brett Huus of Soundstrations studio in La Crosse for final mixing and mastering. Ultimately, 12 musicians from four states and eight different cities contributed.

The resulting CD So Far was recently released for world-wide distribution by CDbaby.com which includes real CDs as well as digital downloads.

The John Paulson Group artists included:

John C. Paulson (tenor sax & Bb flute), Winona, Minn.

David Lamoreux (flugelhorn & trumpet), Seattle, Wash.

Mike James (guitar), La Crosse, Wis.

Scott Gerry (guitar), Minneapolis, Minn.

A. Eric Heukeshoven (keyboards), Winona, Minn.

Bert Dalton (piano), Rio Rancho, NM

Larry Dalton (bass), La Crosse, Wis.

Eric Graham (fretless bass), Red Wing, Minn.

Denny McGuire (electric bass), Rollingstone, Minn.

Rich MacDonald (drums & percussion), Winona, Minn.

Miles Johnston (drums & cajon), Lake City, Minn.

Jeff Strom (percussion, vibes, & steel drums), Fountain City, Wis.

Brett Huus (Mix & Mastering Soundstrations), La Crosse, Wis.

Visit www.paulsonjazz.com/so-far-cd-project for more details, links and contact information.

John C. Paulson is a fiscal year 2021 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

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MABAKO, 10 April (AFRICA NEWS)  A UN Security Council request for independent investigations into the alleged Moura massacre in Mali has been blocked by Russia.

The request was contained in a statement drafted by France and submitted to the Security Council for approval Friday. Russia, backed by China, opposed it, according to several diplomats.

Moscow and Beijing did not see the need for this text, considered premature while an investigation has been opened by the Malian authorities, said one of these diplomats on condition of anonymity.

The proposed statement to the Security Council underlined the deep concern of its members at the allegations of human rights violations and abuses in Mali, in particular those perpetrated against civilians in Moura, in the Mopti region, from 27 to 31 March 2022.

The draft text called for thorough and independent investigations to establish the facts, find those responsible for these violations and abuses and bring them to justice.

In a statement Friday in Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry congratulated Mali on an important victory against terrorism and described as disinformation allegations about the massacre of civilians by Malian forces, as well as those about the involvement of Russian mercenaries from the private company Wagner in the operation.

In a report, the NGO Human Rights Watch reported the summary execution of 300 civilians by Malian soldiers associated with foreign fighters between March 27 and 31 in Moura.

Malian authorities claim to have neutralized 203 jihadists in the central Malian town, where the UN has been demanding access for more than a week to investigate under its Security Council mandate.
ATLANTA (AP)  A federal judge expressed skepticism Monday that he can give Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams the immediate right to begin raising and spending unlimited campaign contributions under Georgia law.

U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen told a lawyer for Abrams' gubernatorial campaign that she was asking him to rewrite state law to allow Abrams' One Georgia committee to start taking money before the May 24 primary.

The remedy you're asking me to do, I'm uncomfortable with, because you're asking me to rewrite the statute, Cohen told lawyer Joyce Lewis during a hearing in Atlanta.

Cohen suggested that it would have made more sense if Abrams had demanded that the judge shut down the ability of incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp's committee to raise money.

Why are you not asking me to shut down Kemp's leadership committee?" the judge asked.

Cohen said he would rule on Abrams' request for an emergency order by the end of the week.

Cohen, in a challenge from Kemp's Republican primary rival David Perdue, in February ordered Kemp's committee not to spend any money in the Republican primary. Cohen said such spending would give Kemp an unfair advantage against the former U.S. senator because Perdue isn't allowed a similar committee. Cohen, however, didn't block Kemp's committee from taking in money. It's a temporary ruling while Perdues lawsuit challenges Kemps committee as unconstitutional. Kemp is appealing the ruling.

Like Perdue, Abrams says the new kind of fundraising committee created by Georgia lawmakers last year is unconstitutional. Called a leadership committee, it allows certain people and groups to accept unlimited contributions. Giving to regular candidate committees is limited to $7,600 apiece for the primary and general elections and $4,500 for any runoff election.

Under the law, the governor and lieutenant governor, opposing major party nominees, and both party caucuses in the state House and Senate can form the committees. The committees can coordinate with candidate campaigns, unlike most other political action committees. After signing the law, Kemp created the Georgians First Leadership Committee, raising $2.3 million through January.

Abrams set up a leadership committee called One Georgia after qualifying, arguing that because no one filed to run against her in the May 24 Democratic primary and because write-in votes are not allowed, she became the Democratic nominee when qualifying closed. State Democratic Party chair Nikema Williams, also a U.S. representative, agrees, saying the party recognizes Abrams as its standard bearer for the Nov. 8 general election.

Cohen, though, said state law doesnt provide for declaring a nominee before a primary.

The law of Georgia say she's not the nominee, he said.

Lewis argued that because Georgians First has already raised a large amount of money, and is still accepting contributions, the toothpaste is out of the tube in terms of preventing contributions. Instead, the Abrams campaign argues that One Georgia should be allowed to raise money freely and Cohen should order state ethics officials to not take enforcement action, at least for now.

Every day we are not allowed to raise and the Kemp campaign is allowed to raise is a day we are on unequal footing, Lewis said, noting that even if Kemp can't spend now, he can stockpile money. We are not asking for unequal treatment. We are asking for equal treatment.

But Cohen said he questioned the wisdom of Abrams' request to maintain a structure she argues is unconstitutional. Elizabeth Davis, a lawyer for the state, said no enforcement action is ongoing and enjoining the ethics body, properly known as the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, would be overbroad and premature.

She said letting Abrams raise and spend would create its own version of an uneven playing field because Kemp is blocked from spending and Perdue has no access to a leadership committee at all.

Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Next month, Music Theatre Philly will premiere a new musical based on the 2006 Nickel Mines Amish school shooting and themes of "forgiveness, joy and forward movement.

"Boundless," written by theater artist Mary Fishburne, is set in Lancaster County 10 years after the shooting.

It follows the stories of fictional characters Willa King, an Amish teen who recently started her Rumspringa journey, and Sofia Robins, a daughter of the man who shot her sister, and the unlikely friendship that formed while the community processed the tragedy.

The story takes place 10 years after this event, as the survivors still navigate forgiveness, joy and forward movement, says Fishburne in a press release. The power of this theme is most strongly told by young voices. The story is cautious about optimism but fervent about hope. It is timid about certainty but adamant about inquisitions. It is mindful about courage but persistent about resilience.

The production features students in Music Theatre Philly's program, with kids in grades 5 through 12.

"Boundless" will only have two performances at The Arts Bank, at 601 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, on Saturday, May 21. Tickets for the shows, which kick off at 2 and 7 p.m., cost $15.

More information can be found at lanc.news/Boundless.

In October 2006, Charles Carl Roberts IV went into the West Nickel Mines School in Bart Township, took a group of Amish girls hostage and shot several, killing five children, before killing himself. The story, including the Amish community's public forgiveness of the gunman, made national news.

"Boundless" is not the only production inspired by the sense of community that came after the Nickel Mines shooting.

Jessica Dickey's "The Amish Project" also explores similar these of forgiveness and compassion from the Amish community after the shooting. The Ephrata Performing Arts Center produced that play in 2011.

Another musical based on the events around the Nickel Mines shooting includes "Nickel Mines," from Shannon Stoeke and Andrew Palermo. It debuted at A Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut in 2022.
The Lancaster-based nonprofit developer involved with the redevelopment of the former St. Joseph Hospital campus announced Monday it received a $200,000 grant to help pay for income-restricted apartments at the site.

The grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation comes through a funding group called the Housing Partnership Network. The money will go to support the renovation of the Delp Wing of the former St. Joseph Hospital, HDC MidAtlantic announced Monday.

The Delp Wing renovation is part of a major $90 million housing redevelopment in the West End that includes both income-restricted and market-rate housing. Baltimore-based Washington Place Equities is handling the market-rate side, which calls for about 50 townhomes on what was the hospitals parking lot and retrofitting about 160 apartments into the main hospital building.

A portion of units in the Delp Wing will be managed by Lancaster-based nonprofit Milagro House as residential living suites for women and children as they transition from homelessness. HDC officials have previously estimated about 30 to 50 units will go into the wing. Its development is still in the early planning stages, according to the news release. HDC will be trying to secure financing and designs for the project in the next year, the news release said.

Delp Wing also marks the second of a series of development phases for HDC in the St. Joseph Hospital project.

The first phase at 213 College Ave. is farther along in its development. The 64-unit building meant for residents with incomes between about $11,000 and $45,000 a year, received zoning approvals from Lancaster city and a recommendation from the Historical Commission earlier this year.

A group of nearby residents, who have fought the plan at 213 College Ave. by arguing its too big for the neighborhood, has appealed that zoning decision to the Court of Common Pleas. The citys Planning Commission will review more details of the 213 College Ave. proposal at a meeting scheduled for April 20.

A third phase is HDCs partnership with the city to build about 50 apartments at 838 Marietta Ave. Lancaster city devoted $1 million in American Rescue Plan funds for HDC to buy the lot for development. That purchase occurred in November.

The nonprofit developer is also pursuing a fourth site at 913 Wheatland Ave., north of the St. Joseph campus, but HDC has not yet released new details for that site. It was originally paired with a smaller plan for 213 College Ave., in which both sites would provide about 30 affordable units each.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, as weeks of attacks and privation leave the bodies of Mariupol's people carpeted through the streets.

Speaking by phone Monday with The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko also accused Russian forces of having blocked weeks of thwarted humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage there from the outside world.

Mariupol has been cut off by Russian attacks that began soon after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in late February, and has suffered some of the most brutal assaults of the war. Boychenko gave new details of recent allegations by Ukrainian officials that Russian forces have brought mobile cremation equipment to Mariupol to dispose of the corpses of victims of the siege.

Russian forces have taken many bodies to a huge shopping center where there are storage facilities and refrigerators, Boychenko said.

Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned, he said.

Boychenko spoke from a location in Ukrainian-controlled territory but outside Mariupol. The mayor said he had several sources for his description of the allegedly methodic burning of corpses by Russian forces in the city, but did not detail the sources of his information.

The discovery of large numbers of apparently executed civilians after Russian forces retreated from cities around the capital, Kyiv, this month already has prompted widespread condemnation and charges from Ukrainians and the West that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine.

Elsewhere Monday, U.S. officials pointed to new signs that Russia's military is gearing up for a major offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, switching its focus after Russian forces failed in their initial drive to capture Kyiv.

Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region since 2014, and have declared independent states. A major confrontation between the two countries' fighters in Donbas would allow Russia to try to use its numbers and greater military might to capture more territory there. Western military strategists say Russia also hopes to force Ukrainian fighters out into the open in more conventional battles in the east, rather than the successful hit-and-run attacks Ukrainian fighters have often employed so far.

Russia has appointed a seasoned general to lead its renewed push in the eastern Donbas region.

A senior U.S. defense official on Monday described a long Russian convoy now rolling toward the eastern city of Izyum with artillery, aviation and infantry support, as part of redeployment for what appears to be a looming Russian campaign in the east.

More artillery is being deployed near the city of Donetsk, while ground combat units that withdrew from around the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas appear destined for refitting and resupplying before they position in Donbas, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. military assessments.

With their offensive in many parts of the country thwarted, Russian forces have relied increasingly on bombarding cities  a strategy that has flattened many urban areas and killed thousands of people.

Ukrainian authorities accuse Russian forces of committing atrocities, including a massacre in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv, airstrikes on hospitals and a missile attack that killed at least 57 people last week at a train station.

In Bucha on Monday, the work of exhuming bodies from a mass grave in a churchyard resumed.

Galyna Feoktistova waited for hours in the cold and rain in hopes of identifying her 50-year-old son, who was shot and killed more than a month ago, but eventually she went home for some warmth. He's still there, her surviving son, Andriy, said.

In Mariupol, about 120,000 civilians are in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications, the mayor said.

Only those residents who have passed the Russian filtration camps are released from the city, Boychenko said.

Ukrainian officials say Russian troops are confiscating passports from Ukrainian citizens then moving them to filtration camps in Ukraines separatist-controlled east before sending them to distant, economically depressed areas in Russia.

Boychenko said Monday that improvised prisons were organized for those who did not pass the filtering, while at least 33,000 people were taken to Russia or to separatist territory in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Ukrainians on Monday that Russia might use chemical weapons in Mariupol. We take this as seriously as possible, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

Western leaders have warned since before Russian troops moved into Ukraine that Russia could resort to unconventional weapons there, particularly chemical agents.

A Russia-allied separatist official, Eduard Basurin, appeared to urge their use Monday, telling Russian state TV that Russian-backed forces should seize a giant metals plant in Mariupol from Ukrainian forces by first blocking all the exits out of the factory. And then well use chemical troops to smoke them out of there, he said.

A Ukrainian regiment, without evidence, also claimed Monday that a drone had dropped a poisonous substance in Mariupol but said there were no serious injuries.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement that the U.S. could not confirm the drone report out of Mariupol. But Kirby noted the administrations persistent concerns about Russias potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the United Nations childrens agency said nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russias invasion began. The United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured, though the actual numbers are likely much higher.

Elsewhere, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks that were very direct, open and tough.

In a statement released by his office, Nehammer said his primary message to Putin was that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose. Nehammer said he also raised the issue of war crimes committed by the Russian military and said those responsible will be held to account.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

In other developments, the head of the separatist rebel government in Donetsk claimed Ukrainian forces have lost control of the port area of Mariupol.

Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is now under our control, Denis Pushilin, president of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, told Russian state television, according to Russian news agencies. The claim could not immediately be confirmed.

But Mariupol's mayor said fighting continues at the port. "It is difficult, but our heroic military holds on, Boychenko said.

Both sides are digging in for what could be a devastating war of attrition.

Russian forces will likely try to encircle the Donbas region from the north and the south as well as the east, said retired British Gen. Richard Barrons, co-chair of the U.K.-based strategic consulting firm Universal Defence & Security Solutions.

The ground in that part of Ukraine is flatter, more open and less wooded  so the Ukrainian ambush tactics used around Kiev may be less successful, Barrons said.

As to the outcome, its finely balanced right now, Barrons said. If the Russians learned from their previous failures, concentrated more force, connected their air force to ground forces better and improved their logistics, "then they might start to overwhelm the Ukrainian positions eventually, although I still think it would be a battle of enormous attrition.

In a video address to South Korean lawmakers Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically requested equipment that can shoot down Russian missiles.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov claimed the military used cruise missiles to destroy four S-300 launchers near the central city of Dnipro on Sunday. He said the military also hit such systems in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions.

The Pentagon said it had seen no evidence to support Russias claims. And Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakia's prime minister, denied Monday that the S-300 system it sent Ukraine had been destroyed.

Questions remain about the ability of depleted and demoralized Russian forces to conquer much ground after their advance on Kyiv was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders.

Britains Defense Ministry said Monday that Ukraine has already beaten back several assaults by Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions  which make up the Donbas  resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery.

Western military analysts say Russia's assault increasingly is focusing on an arc of territory stretching from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, in the north, to Kherson in the south.

A residential area in Kharkiv was struck by incoming fire on Monday afternoon. Associated Press journalists saw firefighters putting out the fire and checking for victims following the attack, and saw that at least five people were killed, including a child.

Oleh Synyehubov, the regional governor of Kharkiv, said earlier Monday that Russian shelling had killed 11 people over the last 24 hours.



Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Anna reported from Bucha, Ukraine. Associated Press Writer Robert Burns in Washington, and AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.



Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
A recent study suggests that ground water is an answer to water shortages in African countries south of the Sahara Desert.

This finding could help millions of people in an area which is expected to be strongly affected by climate change.

WaterAid, an international non-profit group, and the British Geological Survey (BGS), a British government organization, carried out the research. It found that underground water could help African countries deal with at least five years of drought.

The report released in March said underground water could help develop agriculture in the area. Additional water resources could help farming in an area where only three to five percent of agricultural land is irrigated.

For example, BGS information shows Senegal has an aquifer, or underground water supply, that has been kept in good condition by years of rainfall. But getting to the water is difficult and costly. Experts say it is hard to find scientists who are trained at finding underground water.

Tata Bathily is a village in northern Senegal. When a well there began to dry up in 2010, the government dug another one. That well began to dry up too. Then the town raised $5,000 to dig a new well last year. But that well also failed.

The most dependable aquifers can be 400 meters underground. That is 10 times deeper than the Tata Bathily wells. Building a well that deep costs about $20,000.

"We don't drink enough to satisfy our thirst, said Oumou Drame. She added that they do not wash themselves or their clothes. She is 40-years-old and a mother of five. She wakes up before the sun rises every day to get what is left from the old well before it runs dry in a few hours.

"We don't sleep at night, we leave our children [at home] to fetch water. From very early in the morning until now we are looking for water," said Drame, after transporting up a near-empty water can from the well.

Finding water

Wells that no longer work are common in the hot and dry area called Matam where Tata Bathily is found. Temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius. Communities there guess where to dig a well. When they are wrong, women and children have to go even farther in search of a few liters of water.

In villages visited by Reuters, local people said that the growing population and unpredictable rainfall have reduced supplies.

"The story for Senegal is that the good quality groundwater may not be exactly where you want it to be," said Alan MacDonald. He is a scientist who studies water resources at the BGS.

International water experts and leaders gathered in Senegals capital Dakar in March for a meeting of the World Water Council. They called for better availability of drinking water for those who live beyond the reach of piped water networks.

That same week, local people in Tata Bathily, about 700 kilometers away in the northeast, were digging in a dry river bed a few kilometers from the village. They were collecting the dirty water that was available there.

Children quickly drank it, even though it made them sick.

Im Gregory Stachel.

Edward McAllister reported this story for Reuters. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

drought  n. a long period of time during which there is very little or no rain

irrigate  n. to supply (something, such as land) with water by using artificial means (such as pipes)

thirst  n. a feeling or need to drink water or some other drink

fetch  v. to go after and bring back (someone or something)

guess  v. to form an opinion or give an answer about something when you do not know much or anything about it

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The vaquita is one of the smallest members of the dolphin and whale family. Today, the animal is in danger of disappearing.

The World Wildlife Fund estimates that about 10 vaquitas are left in the world. Last September, scientists found two baby vaquitas in the wild. The discovery was a sign of hope. But biologists fear that more vaquitas die each year than are born.

A vaquita is about 1.5 meter long. Its name means little cow in Spanish. The mammals only live in the northern part of the Gulf of California in Mexico. They are most often found close to the coast and quickly swim away if a boat nears them.

The creatures were first discovered by humans in 1958. They can live for at least 21 years. Females are believed to give birth every other year to a single offspring between February and April.

The vaquita population was estimated to be around 600 in 1997. The organization Save the Vaquita said the population decreased 90 percent between 2011 and 2016.

Vaquitas are often caught in fixed fishing nets used to catch fish such as totoaba. Fishermen catch the endangered totoaba illegally for its swim bladder, which they then sell to China at high prices. In China, the swim bladders are used in cooking and are believed to have medicinal value.

In 2017, the Mexican government banned the use of such nets in the area to help save the vaquita. In January, the Mexican Navy and the environmental group Sea Shepherd began a campaign to protect the rare animals habitat in the Gulf of California.

To prevent illegal fishing, local fishermen must pass a government inspection. But the Reuters news agency recently reported that it observed fishermen entering the sea in places where they could avoid inspection.

Zak Smith is a director with the Natural Resources Defense Council. He said there was always a "good story" to be told about what was being done for the vaquita.

But he said, " As as soon as the cameras go away or the interest of the parties fades, all of those efforts go back to where they were.

Im Ashley Thompson.

Hai Do wrote this story for Learning English with additional reporting from Reuters.

____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

mammal - n. warm-blooded animal with a backbone

bladder - n. a small sac that holds air for fish

habitat - n. a place where animal normally lives

fade - v. lose strength
Pakistans parliament elected opposition lawmaker Shahbaz Sharif as prime minister Monday. He replaces Imran Khan, whom Parliament had voted out of office early Sunday.

Shahbaz Sharif was elected with 174 votes after more than 100 lawmakers from Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or Pakistan Justice Party, left the National Assembly in protest.

Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif is declared to be the prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, announced the acting speaker, Asad Sadiq.

Sharif is the younger brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The older Sharif was forced to resign from office after a corruption investigation.

Shahbaz Sharif will have just enough votes to pass laws in the 342-seat assembly.

Imran Khan served as Pakistans prime minister for three years and eight months. On April 3, Khan tried to avoid a vote to withdraw support for his leadership. He dismissed Parliament and called for early elections.

The opposition appealed to the nations Supreme Court and it ruled to return the dismissed Parliament to power four days later.

On Sunday night, Khan urged hundreds of thousands of supporters to protest his ouster. He described the new leadership as an imposed government. Khans supporters marched in cities across Pakistan.

Khan has demanded that elections be held before August 2023, the date set. He also accuses the opposition of working with the United States to remove him from power. He said he was targeted because of his independent foreign policy favoring China and Russia. The U.S. State Department has denied any involvement in Pakistani politics.

Khan was also criticized for a visit he made on February 24 to Moscow. He held talks there with Russian President Vladimir Putin as Russian tanks invaded Ukraine.

The largest among Pakistans opposition parties  the Pakistan Peoples Party, led by the son of murdered former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and the Pakistan Muslim League, headed by Shahbaz Sharif  have been damaged by reports of widespread corruption.

Nawaz Sharif served as Pakistans prime minster three times. He was ousted in a military overthrow in 1999 and removed again by the Supreme Court in 2015. After he was found guilty of financial wrongdoings, Nawaz was banned from holding office and left Pakistan.

Benazir Bhutto served two terms as prime minister in the 1980s and 1990s. Bhutto was killed in a 2007 suicide attack while campaigning. She was the daughter of former president and prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who served as president of Pakistan after 2008 elections, has spent more than seven years in prison, after a court ruled him guilty of corruption.

Khan came to power in 2018, promising to break family rule in Pakistan. His opponents claimed he won the elections with help from the powerful military. The military has ruled Pakistan for half of the countrys 75-year history.

Im Caty Weaver.

Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by The Associated Press.

____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

impose - v. to force someone to accept
The writers organization PEN America said recently that more than a thousand different books have been banned from United States classrooms and school libraries in the last nine months.

Most of the books dealt with LGBTQ issues and racism. And many books were banned under pressure from conservative parents and officials.

PEN created a list of banned books. It includes a book by Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison. Actor and activist George Takeis book about his experience in a holding camp in California as a Japanese-American child during World War Two was also included.

"Challenges to books, specifically books by non-white male authors are happening at the highest rates weve ever seen," said Jonathan Friedman. He is the director of PEN America's Free Expression Program and lead author of the report.

He said that this level of intensity and the success of banning books in the American schools has never been seen before.

In recent months, conservative parents have spoken at school meetings in numerous states to attack books that go against their views. These include books that have a sexual nature or deal with racism in a way that offends some white people.

On April 7, the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform held a hearing on banned books and censorship in schools. Earlier in the week, the American Library Association released its own list of banned and challenged books that closely followed the PEN results.

Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat, asked both political sides to accept the speech they do not like as well as the speech they agree with.

"If we cancel or censor everything that people find offensive, nothing will be left," he said.

Raskin pointed to criticism from the left seeking to remove Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. They want to remove it because it uses a racially offensive word, but the overall meaning of the book is against racism and slavery.

PEN found that 86 school districts had removed 1,145 different books from their libraries over the last nine months. Some were permanently removed. Others are being investigated.

Morrisons The Bluest Eye was removed in 11 school districts. Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez was removed in 16 districts. Both books deal with racism and include sexual content.

The organization said Maia Kobabes Gender Queer: A Memoir, which deals with LGBTQ issues, was removed in 30 districts.

More than two-thirds of the banned books were fiction, not based on true events. But books written about true events including books about the lives of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, Duke Ellington, and Nelson Mandela were also removed. Five poetry collections were also banned.

The report said four in ten removals were tied to political pressure in eight school districts in Texas, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Im Gregory Stachel.

Sharon Bernstein reported this story for Reuters. Gregory Stachel adapted it for our VOA Learning English readers and listeners.

____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

LGBTQ  adj. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (one's sexual or gender identity)

challenge  v. to say or show that (something) may not be true, correct, or legal

author  n. a person who has written something

censor  v. to examine books, movies, or letters in order to remove things that are considered to be offensive, immoral, harmful to society

district  n. an area established by a government for official government business

fiction  n. written stories about people and events that are not real: literature that tells stories which are imagined by the write

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A scientific team is headed to Tonga to measure the effects of Januarys undersea volcano explosion on the surrounding ocean. As part of the project, the team will use a robotic boat to help create a detailed map of the sea floor.

The explosion, or eruption, of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Haapai volcano was among the worlds largest in the past 30 years.

The eruption on the South Pacific island nation sent smoke and gas shooting 30 kilometers into the air. It also created ocean waves, called tsunamis, that formed across the Pacific Ocean. Some of the waves were up to 15 meters high, Reuters news agency reported.

The eruption and tsunamis led to at least three deaths in Tonga and destroyed numerous homes, as well as communications equipment. Tongas government said the effects of the explosion were felt as far away as South America.

The team going to Tonga will use sound and video equipment and other scientific instruments to examine the undersea effects of the explosion. The project is a joint effort between New Zealands National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and Japans non-profit Nippon Foundation.

The scientists will be surveying thousands of square kilometers of the seafloor and collecting video images of the eruptions effects, said a recent press release by NIWA.

The leader of the project is Mike Williams, the chief ocean scientist for NIWA. He predicts the team will find widespread changes to the ocean floor and sea life in areas around Tonga.

Before the eruption, much of the volcano was above water. But now none of it is and the neighboring islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai were reduced in size, Williams said. He added that the team expects to find similarly dramatic changes when mapping underwater areas.

Williams said the damage to undersea communication lines suggests the effects of the eruption stretched up to 50 kilometers from the volcanos center. This means the explosion likely affected ocean life in an area of at least 8,000 square kilometers.

The scientists will gather underwater sound data from devices known as echosounders. The equipment is designed to map the shape and structure of the underwater landscape, NIWA said.

In an online video published on Facebook, Williams said the scientists will also deploy a video system that will survey wide areas of the seabed. This should help the team see how debris from the volcano has affected sea life in the area.

The team will travel to Tongo aboard a NIWA research ship and will spend a little over two weeks in the area.

The researchers will also use a robotic boat to collect environmental data and carry out detailed mapping operations of affected areas. The boat, called Maxlimer, will be guided by controllers in Britain. The controllers are with SEA-KIT International, the British company that built it. The Maxlimer is set to keep surveying the area for up to 30 days.

Ben Simpson is the head of SEA-KIT International. He said in a statement the Tonga mapping operation is a good project to demonstrate the benefits of using robotic surveying equipment in the ocean. Simpson noted that the Maxlimer needs no crew and uses less than 2 percent of the fuel needed for most research ships.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from NIWA, Sea-Kit and Reuters.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

Quiz - Robotic Boat to Help Measure Sea Effects of Tonga Volcano Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

__________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

survey  v. to look at or examine something carefully

dramatic  adj. very sudden or noticeable

debris  n. loose pieces of waste or remains

benefit  n. a good or helpful result
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

Since the pandemic started, experts have warned of a mental health crisis facing American children. That is now happening in the form of increased depression, anxiety, eating disorders, fights, and thoughts of suicide.

Last December, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy spoke about the urgent need to address the nations youth mental health crisis.

He said that in early 2021, emergency room visits in the U.S. for suspected suicide attempts were 51 percent higher for teenage girls and 4 percent higher for teenage boys compared to the same period in 2019.

Sharon Hoover is a professor and co-director of the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland. She said child abuse and neglect increased during the pandemic.

Students who lacked technology or good internet connections were isolated more than others. They fell behind in their studies and socially. And returning to school increased the anxiety of some children.

We cannot (cant) assume that OK were back in school, its been a few months and now everyone should be back to normal. That is not the case, said Hoover.

The silver lining -- which means a good thing to come from a bad situation -- is special mental health training for teachers.

This training helps teachers learn warning signs of mental health risks and substance abuse in children, and how to prevent a tragedy. The program is run by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and is available in every state in the U.S.

One California teacher

One teacher taking the training is Benito Luna-Herrera. He teaches seventh-grade social studies in a high-poverty area of the Mojave Desert, a two-hour drive from Los Angeles, California.

Just two weeks after the training, he saw a student arguing online with her then-boyfriend.

I asked her if she was OK, he said. Little by little, the girl told Luna-Herrera about problems with friends, her boyfriend, and at home. She said she felt alone. The 12-year-old told Luna-Herrera she had considered hurting herself.

The training taught him how to handle such a crisis: Raise the alarm. Get expert help. Do not leave a person thinking about suicide alone.

As Luna-Herrera continued talking to the girl, he texted school officials. They called an emergency number sending police to the girls home. The police spoke with her mother, who was surprised about her daughters suicidal thoughts.

Katherine Aguirre who leads the Mojave Unified school system said, He absolutely saved that childs life.

Steps in the training

The training helps teachers recognize the difference between normal ways of dealing with pressure and warning signs of serious mental suffering. Those warning signs can be clear, or they can be hidden.

For example, warning signs include talking about death or suicide. But saying, I cant do this anymore, or Im tired of this, could be warnings, too.

Changes in behavior could be cause for concern. For example, a teacher might be concerned if a child:

stops an activity they loved without replacing it with another

is usually tidy but starts looking untidy

but starts looking untidy has falling grades or stops completing assignments

eats lunch alone every day

stops spending time with friends

After seeing that something might be wrong, the training teaches the next steps: Ask the student about their situation without pressure or judgment; let them know you care; let them know you want to help.

The training tells adults to ask open-ended questions. These questions need more than simple yes or no answers. The goal is to keep the child talking.

The adults are advised to see the importance of the problem and avoid saying, Youll be fine, or Its not that bad. They are also advised to not put themselves into a childs problems with comments such as, I went through that, too.

And thats the Health & Lifestyle report.

Im Anna Matteo.

Jocelyn Gecker reported this story from San Francisco, California for the Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English.

Quiz - Teachers Get Mental Health Training, Help Students Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

anxiety  n. a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.

address  v. to deal with : give attention to

teenage (teenaged)  adj. a young person aged 12 - 19

isolated  adj. occurring alone or once

assume  v. to accept as true

grade  n. a division of a school course representing a year's work

alarm  v. to give warning to :  n. a warning notice

tidy  adj. neat and orderly in appearance or habits; well ordered and cared for
TUNIS, 10 April (REUTERS)  Tunisians on Sunday protested against President Kais Saied, accusing him of imposing one-man rule in the North African country after he dissolved parliament last month.

A political crisis in the country intensified last month when more than half of the members of parliament held an online session to revoke Saieds decrees.

We are facing a failed dictatorship that is leading the country to an economic disaster. We will continue to protest in the streets until a coup is forced to reverse its decisions, Chaima Issa, an activist, said.

Many members of parliament participated in the protest on Sunday, which took place with a heavy presence of anti-riot police. Protesters chanted: The people want to overthrow the coup.

We will continue to resist the coup and we will not retreat. We will not accept this dictatorship, Samira Chaouchi, one of two deputy speakers of parliament, said.

After last months online session, which Saied dissolved, anti-terrorism police summoned the main opposition figure Rached Ghannouchi and other lawmakers for questioning, prompting criticism from abroad as well as at home.

Ghannouchi, who is the parliaments speaker and head of Islamist Ennahda party, said other virtual sessions would be convened.

A delegation from the European Parliament will visit Tunisia on Monday to urge the return of the democracy established after the 2011 revolution that ended the autocratic rule of the late President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Saied, took control of executive power in the middle of last year and has ruled by decree, which his opponents describe as a coup.

He has rejected his opponents accusations and said he would hold talks on political reforms, but that traitors and thieves would not participate.

Saied has previously said he would form a committee to rewrite the constitution, put it to a referendum in July and then hold parliamentary elections in December.

The countrys two main parties Ennahda and Free Constitutional, which are bitterly opposed, have both said they will oppose those plans.
Twitter says it will begin testing a new editing tool for tweets in the coming months. The tool would permit users to remove or add information to published tweets.

Some well-known Twitter users  including Kim Kardashian, Ice T and Katy Perry  have urged the company to permit the editing of tweets. American businessman Elon Musk is another famous user who has publicly called on Twitter to add an editing tool. Musk is head of the American companies Tesla and SpaceX.

Twitters first message about the editing tool was published in a short tweet on April 1, April Fools Day. The tweet, from Twitters official account, said simply: we are working on an edit button.

On April 5, Twitters vice president of consumer products, Jay Sullivan, confirmed that the message was not an April Fools joke. He wrote that Twitter had been exploring how to build an edit tool since last year.

Twitter said the decision was not linked to the companys announcement that Musk had joined Twitters board of directors. Musks investments in the company currently total about 9.2 percent, making him Twitters largest individual shareholder. His share is reportedly worth nearly $3 billion.

In the past, Musk had been critical of some of Twitters policies related to free speech issues. He recently created a poll on Twitter that asked users if they believed the service was committed to permitting free speech for all individuals.

Musk also created a poll that asked users if they supported the idea of an editing tool for tweets. Twitter chief executive Parag Agrawal had urged users in a tweet to "vote carefully" in the poll, which drew about 4.4 million people. The poll showed that 74 percent of users want an edit button added to Twitter. About 26 percent opposed the idea.

Some people who study Twitter say that adding an edit button would likely change the nature of the service. It would become less valuable as a historical record that stores official statements by politicians and other well-known people.

Jennifer Grygiel is a communications professor at Syracuse University in New York. She is an expert on social media who researches propaganda. Grygiel told The Associated Press that Twitter, for better or worse, has become the de facto news wire.

Grygiel warned that with an editing tool, users could change important or controversial tweets without leaving evidence of the original statement. Grygiel suggested giving Twitter users a period of time to edit their tweets before they are published.

Twitter officials say they will test the feature in its paid service, called Twitter Blue. Vice President Sullivan tweeted that the coming months of testing will be spent learning what works, what doesnt, and whats possible."

He added that the company was experimenting with time limits and other controls aimed at offering complete openness in the process. Without such controls, Sullivan said, the editing tool could be misused to alter the record of the public conversation."

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press and Reuters reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

edit  v. to make changes to written text

poll  n. a public opinion study in which people are asked or their opinions about a subject or person

button  n. a small, sometimes circular object that appears on a computer screen that a user can click on to operate something

de facto  adj. existing in fact, although possibly not intended, legal or accepted

controversial  adj. causing a lot of disagreement or argument

original  adj. existing since the beginning

feature  n. a typical quality or important part of something

alter  v. to change

conversation  n. a talk between two or more people
A bill allowing Nebraskans to carry concealed weapons without a permit missed the mark Monday in the Nebraska Legislature.

Lawmakers voted 31-9 on a filibuster-ending cloture motion on Legislative Bill 773, two short of the number needed to succeed. The vote means the measure is dead for the year.

But State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, the bill's sponsor, has his sights set on trying again next year.

"Next year we'll start over again," he vowed, predicting that newly elected lawmakers will change the makeup of the Legislature and provide enough votes for the measure to pass.

Under LB 773, which was co-sponsored by a majority of state senators, Nebraska adults who were not otherwise banned from having guns would no longer have had to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

Measures like this are sometimes called constitutional carry in reference to some gun rights advocates belief that the U.S. Constitution gives people the right to carry concealed guns without a permit.

Currently in Nebraska, getting a concealed-carry permit requires passing a criminal background check, paying a $100 fee and taking an eight- to 16-hour gun safety class.

The measure would have allowed people to still get concealed-carry permits, which Brewer said they may want to do to carry a gun across state lines or potentially expedite a background check for purchasing a gun.

The bill initially faced opposition from most major law enforcement agencies in the state. Following lengthy negotiations with Brewer, the Omaha Police Officers Association and the Omaha Police Department agreed to take a neutral position if lawmakers adopted a compromise amendment.

But the amendment failed on a 13-29 vote Monday, with hard-line gun rights advocates joining those who favored gun restrictions to shoot it down.

The Omaha police union then switched back to opposition and began urging senators to vote against the bill.

The compromise amendment would have allowed cities of the metropolitan class, meaning Omaha, to continue to require registration of all handguns, other than those owned by people with a concealed-carry permit. The city could not deny registrations to anyone allowed by state law to own a gun.

The amendment also would make it a crime to carry a concealed handgun while committing any of a lengthy list of offenses. The list ranges from murder to unauthorized graffiti and includes violations of city or village ordinances, as well as state laws.

But some senators expressed concerns about the compromise, saying it would carve out Omaha residents for different treatment and would add new criminal charges to the books.

LB 773 would not have loosened restrictions on gun ownership or changed laws governing where concealed weapons could be prohibited, such as schools. Nor would it have allowed people to carry concealed weapons while drinking or using drugs.

The bill would have required a person carrying a concealed weapon to announce its presence during encounters with law enforcement or emergency services personnel. People without concealed-carry permits would have had to carry identification and show it upon request by those authorities.
" " When they fit just so, you may be reluctant to throw your denim duds in the wash. Alicia Llop/Moment/Getty Images

Those jeans you're wearing? They're part of a decades-old debate about whether  and when  you should wash denim. It's a contested topic filled with pseudoscience and conjecture, one centered around an Odyssean journey designed to coax a legendary article of clothing into the perfectly worn pair of jeans.

How often jeans should be laundered is dependent on a number of factors, including fabric, dye and your personal feelings on bacteria. But first, Ben Bowlin, host of our accompanying BrainStuff video, lets you in on some surprising information. Denim is only partially dyed, so if you prefer a deep indigo color, think long and hard before putting those pants in the washing machine and definitely turn them inside out. (Actually, you may want to think long and hard about how attached you are to that indigo color anyway, considering how water-intensive and toxic the process of dyeing denim can be. But that's a separate article.)

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Denim is created when cotton fibers are made into a twill weave. In a twill weave, a yarn called the weft is woven crosswise, passing over and under vertically placed warp fibers. Typically, only the warp threads are dyed. This means the weft threads remain white, a quality that gives the inside of blue jeans its lighter color.

Plus, the blue shade on the warp threads comes from an indigo dye  a dye that doesn't penetrate cotton fibers. Indigo sits atop the surface of each thread that makes up the yarn, its molecules chipping away over time and causing the fabric to fade.

This fade pattern is so unique that the FBI can analyze denim fade patterns to track criminals, identifying telltale whisker patterns on the front and honeycomb patterns behind the knees.

Washed and artificially distressed denim has already been broken in, allowing you to see its particular fade right away.

Raw denim  you'll know it by its stiff feel  will fade naturally over time in a pattern based on your activities. The longer you go without washing raw denim, the more personalized the jeans will become, displaying a customized set of fading patterns. If you can wait to wash, you'll also preserve the indigo and stiff texture of the denim. You can take care of any odors by spritzing your jeans with some fabric spray, too.

But what about the bacteria colonizing the denim on your lower hemisphere? In 2011, a microbiology student at the University of Alberta put it to the test. He went 15 months without washing his jeans, then tested the denim's bacterial content. He compared the findings to another pair of jeans that had been washed a mere two weeks earlier. The bacteria content on both pairs of jeans was nearly identical. No less a denim authority than Levi's recommends washing your jeans once every 10 wears, at most, adding that some Levi's staffers have jeans they've never washed. Ever.

So if you don't want to wash your jeans, how do you keep them clean? Levi's used to recommend freezing jeans to kill bacteria and odor, something that was later proven to be a myth.

Most of the bacteria on our jeans comes from our skin, and these germs are adapted to living at low temperatures. Stephen Cary, a frozen microbe expert at the University of Delaware, says you'd be better off heating the jeans to 121 degrees Celsius (249 degrees Fahrenheit) for 10 minutes. Or, he adds, you could just, y'know ... wash them.

Now That's Interesting Since 1999, a Denim Day campaign has encouraged people to wear jeans on a Wednesday in April to raise awareness about sexual violence. It started after the Italian Supreme Court overturned the conviction of driving instructor who raped a female student, citing the tightness of her jeans. This year Denim Day falls on April 27, 2022.

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Originally Published: May 25, 2016
Lapwai, ID (83501)

Today

Rain likely. Low near 45F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Rain likely. Low near 45F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Bail was set at $1 million Monday for a Madison man who was charged last week with taking part in what has been called an execution outside the Dane County Jail last month.

Amond D. Galtney, 25, who prosecutors said was driving an SUV that led police on a high-speed chase after the shooting death of Dwayne L. Collins Jr., 32, on South Carroll Street, is charged with being a party to first-degree intentional homicide and attempting to elude police.

During a court appearance by video, Neporsha Hamlin, a sister of Collins, said Galtney knew Collins and had grown up with him and set him up to be shot to death by Demone M. Cummins, 20, of Chicago, on March 30.

This is someone who set my brother up, who knew him, who grew up with him, who is in childhood photos with my brother, Hamlin said. She added, directly to Galtney, You set him up to be gunned down in front of the courthouse.

Hamlin also told Galtney, You had a solid mind to stop everything that was in order. You knew the victim. And you still decided to go ahead and have him murdered in cold blood.

A criminal complaint filed last week details how the shooting happened, the video evidence that police have linking Cummins and Galtney to the crime, and details about the chase that followed, which ended with both men abandoning the SUV Galtney was driving and trying to flee on foot near the Alliant Energy Center. Both were captured a short time later.

The complaint also describes how the SUV and another car were driven together from Madisons South Side to the area around the Dane County Public Safety Building, where occupants of both vehicles waited and circled nearby until Collins left the jail. Collins had just appeared in court to face misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct charges for an incident at home.

Collins mother, Angela Briggs, who had driven Downtown to pick up her son, watched the shooting unfold in front of her.

But the complaint does not state why the shooting happened.

Reed Cornia, an attorney appearing for Galtney, said theres no evidence Galtney knew what Cummins was going to do. He asked for bail to be set at $50,000.

Galtney was briefly hospitalized late last week for an unspecified medical issue.

The complaint charges Cummins with shooting Collins using a semi-automatic handgun that was modified to be fully automatic, firing 15 rounds within an estimated three seconds.

Cummins, like Galtney, was jailed on $1 million bail. After his arrest, the complaint states, Cummins is heard on recorded jail phone calls in which he appeared to be telling the people on the other end of the line that there was a good chance he would be spending the rest of his life in prison.

Deputy District Attorney William Brown said Monday that street video very clearly shows (Galtney) was driving the vehicle that essentially engaged in stalking the area around the Dane County Jail waiting for someone to be released.

When Collins came out, Brown said, the SUV Galtney was driving slowed alongside Collins, and the passenger, Cummins, jumped out and does execute the victim right essentially in front of the jail.

Police quickly found the SUV, which led officers on a chase at up to 80 mph on city streets.

Many people were endangered by this defendants fleeing, Brown said.

Galtney is currently under state Department of Corrections supervision, which may be revoked, for a prior conviction, Brown said.

Galtney and Cummins are scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing next week.

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BURLINGTON  A jury is scheduled to hear testimony in January in a lawsuit filed by Nestle USA Inc. against a contractor the company blames for an explosion that damaged the chocolate plant.

The suit, filed in Racine County Circuit Court, states that the August 2019 explosion caused significant damage to the Burlington plant and cost at least $2.6 million to repair.

Named as defendants are Advanced Boiler Control Services Inc. and its employee, John Fox, who was working on a boiler inside the plant when the incident occurred.

Court records indicate that the defendants are contesting the suit, which alleges negligence and breach of contract.

A jury trial is scheduled for Jan. 17 at the Racine County Courthouse.

Officials at Advanced Boilers headquarters in Crown Point, Indiana, could not be reached for comment.

Fox, who lives in Kenosha, also could not be reached. He is not related to John Fox, a former member of the Kenosha City Council.

Paul Benson, an attorney representing Nestle in the suit, declined to comment.

According to the suit, the explosion occurred Aug. 2, 2019, while Fox was performing maintenance on a boiler inside the Nestle chocolate plant at 637 S. Pine St.

The suit alleges that the maintenance worker allowed natural gas to build up and then combust while he was attempting to replace a switch described as an essential safety interlock on the boiler.

The suit does not indicate that anyone was injured, but it says the explosion caused damage to the boiler and other nearby equipment in the plant.

The explosion caused extensive damage, the suit states.

Nestle alleges that Advanced Boiler was negligent in its hiring, training and supervising of Fox to perform the maintenance work. Two insurance companies also are named as co-defendants.

The suit was filed in March 2021.

According to the suit, Advanced Boiler was paid $17,490 for the boiler maintenance work.

In addition to the $2.6 million in repair costs, Nestle is asking a jury to award other unspecified costs and punitive damages.

Court records indicate that Circuit Judge Eugene Gasiorkiewicz is planning a four-day trial in January to hear testimony and arguments.

Built in the 1960s, the Burlington plant employs about 400 people to produce Nestle chocolate candy. The plant is currently being remodeled to begin production of refrigerated cookie dough.

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MILWAUKEE  A prominent Milwaukee activist known for his protests against police brutality that started with the killing of George Floyd has been found guilty of first-degree robbery in Kentucky.

Khalil Coleman was arrested in Elsmere, Kentucky in February 2021 after authorities said he was part of a group that tried to rob a drug house.

Coleman, 36, has denied committing a crime. In addition to the conviction, he was found not guilty Friday on a separate charge of unlawful transaction with a minor, the Journal Sentinel reported.

Coleman faces up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.

Coleman was a leader of marches in Milwaukee during the summer of 2020, after Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis. It sparked protests around the world as part of a reckoning over racial injustice.
Staffing, transparency in decision-making and communication to families have been recommended as areas for improvement at One City Schools, according to a report released to the public by the school Sunday.

The report, compiled by the Wisconsin Evaluation Collaborative, outlined three recommendations in its executive summary of a yearslong evaluation of the charter school: Provide more staffing support and planning time for teachers; develop additional processes to obtain family and staff voice in decision-making; and improve communication channels to staff and families.

Not all One City Schools teachers had planning time or substitute or float teachers to help in the classrooms and teacher turnover also had an adverse effect on the school; staff and family members did not understand how and by whom decisions were made at the school, and parents as well as teachers had few opportunities to be part of the decision-making or troubleshooting process; and safety issues and troubleshooting processes were not always promptly shared with parents, according to the report.

Addressing recommendations

CEO and founder of One City Schools, Kaleem Caire, said he received the report in December and One City has begun to implement the recommendations. Caire said COVID-19 played a pivotal role in the lack of staff, planning time, transparency in decision-making and communication with families.

Pandemic-related concerns caused some teachers to leave the school at the start of the 2021-22 school year, but One City is now fully staffed, with two teachers per classroom up to grade 2, he said. He also attributed the lack of teacher planning time and access to substitute teachers to the pandemic  an issue faced by schools and districts across the country amid COVID-19.

One City has restructured its instruction leadership team to allow for biweekly meetings to keep teachers and staff abreast of decisions, and is in the process of creating department chairs to provide teachers and staff with more leadership opportunities, Caire said.

He also pointed to changes in student drop-off and pickup due to COVID-19 as the main reason communication to families faltered.

Prior to the pandemic, One City families were used to seeing and communicating with their teachers every day, he said. After the pandemic, parents began dropping their children off at school at the sidewalk like you would your dry-cleaning at your local dry cleaners.

Caire said he hopes, as the pandemic continues to wane, parents of One City students will be able to communicate again with teachers as they had prior to COVID-19 and that the current weekly newsletters, regular text messages, announcements and monthly calendars dont seem to be adequate.

More data to come

The report is a part of a four-year evaluation process, broken up into phases, which began in 2020 and is funded through 2024. UW-Madison researchers in partnership with the Wisconsin Evaluation Collaborative interviewed teachers, staff, including leadership staff, and families between January 2021 and September; observed preschool and elementary classrooms; sent surveys to staff, teachers and families; and analyzed documents from One City Schools including reports, newsletters and administrative documents to compile the first phase of the report.

The Wisconsin Evaluation Collaborative, housed within the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at UW-Madisons School of Education, conducts pre-K-12 education program evaluations in partnership with school districts and education-based community organizations, among other groups.

One City Schools is currently undergoing an expansion to become a full K-12 charter school by the 2024-25 school year.

Students in grades 4K through 4 are currently learning on the third floor of the schools new facility, purchased by One City Schools in March 2021 through a $14 million donation from American Girl founder and philanthropist Pleasant Rowland. Caire has said his plan for the 157,000-square-foot office building, on the campus of WPS Health Solutions in Monona adjacent to South Madison, is to build a full K-12 charter school with an enrollment of nearly 1,000 students.

One City Schools first opened as a preschool serving six students in South Madison in September 2015. Its Fisher Street location will remain open to serve students in early childhood education, who may later attend the K-12 school.

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The challenge: Take a stack of boards and follow a plan to build a nightstand in 6 hours.

Most of the boards were not cut to size, and joints also had to be cut, making it a challenge for high schoolers learning the woodworking trade.

It was one of more than 80 competitions at the 49th annual SkillsUSA Wisconsin State Leadership and Skills Conference at the Alliant Energy Center last week. About 1,100 students from about 110 middle and high schools across the state competed in separate divisions. A third division was made up of college students.

I thought it was really fun to have a set of plans and a pile of wood and see how far I could get. Ive usually got at least a couple of months to do a project at school and to only have a day to do it was a big change, said Victoria Lenius, an East High School senior who competed in the cabinetmaking contest. I am also not usually in such a big environment, (with everyone) building the same thing and also in a rush. It was a fun experience.

Like others, Lenius was not able to complete the nightstand. But the time element is just one component so it is better to follow the steps correctly rather than finish the product, said Jessa Dahmes, Wisconsin SkillsUSA state director.

Lenius plans to major in environmental engineering so woodworking may be more of a hobby for her.

For others, taking part in SkillsUSA is providing them experience and serving as a resume builder for a career. SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to prepare middle school, high school and college/postsecondary students for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations.

Students who earned gold medals at state will go on to the national competition June 20-24 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Alex Malich, an eighth-grader at Waunakee Middle School, earned a gold medal in the Job Interview contest, which required creating a resume, filling out a job application form and then taking part in a mock interview conducted by judges.

Its kind of tough because you never know exactly what kind of questions they are going to ask you, Alex said.

Team effort

Alex also was part of a team, which included fellow Waunakee eighth-graders Zachary Klauer and Simon Marx, who were gold medalists in the middle school division of the Team Engineering Challenge. Their adviser is technology education teacher Dave Burgard.

Team members were given $60 in fake money to buy supplies to build a crane arm that could hold up to 20 pounds of weight without bending more than two inches.

We came up with a few different ones and we all decided they would be too weak, Alex said. Then we finally came up with a final design, and it managed to hold all 20 pounds.

Cambridge High School sophomore Eli Rice and juniors Kaia Gerlich and Cody Kaashagen competed in the high school division of the Team Engineering Challenge. Their adviser is Larry Martin, technology and engineering education instructor at Cambridge. Kaashagen said the team learned the judges job is not to try to be nice and hold the competitors hands for the challenge that changes each time students compete.

With Team Engineering, theyre trying to find the students that are the best in show, the most (adaptable) to what theyre given, Gerlich said. They have to be tough.

Competitions at the 2022 SkillsUSA Wisconsin State Leadership and Skills Conference covered a wide array of skill sets. Audio/radio production, automotive service technology, barbering, crime scene investigation, electronics technology, robotics and automation and television video production are just some of the areas.

Almost like a job fair

In addition to the students and their teachers, more than 300 industry volunteers were involved in the state conference.

The entire nature of our organization is to build a quality, skilled workforce, Dahmes said. They come dressed in appropriate clothing for the job, they bring a resume and many contests include an interview component.

Because employers are volunteering at the event, students can also look at it almost like a job fair, Dahmes said.

They compete to showcase their professional skills, problem-solving, working on a high-pressure deadline and they get to meet new people, said Dennis Mossholder, business and applied technology department chairman and SkillsUSA adviser at East High School.

Two Memorial High School students who went to the conference as candidates were elected by students from across the state to represent SkillsUSA Wisconsin as state officers. Ryan Forbes, at large officer, and Ryan Wenger, District 4 vice president, will travel to Atlanta in June to represent Wisconsin SkillsUSA.

Nano Espenes, technology and engineering teacher at Memorial and SkillsUSA adviser, said students are recruited from woodworking, automotive and engineering classes to take part in the schools SkillsUSA chapter.

This (conference) really is their opportunity to showcase that they are the best in the state or they are competing with the best in the state. ... It is really their opportunity to show off and shine, and if they win, it is their opportunity to compete on a national stage, Espenes said. It is really an expression of the growth throughout the year and an extension of what they do in the classroom.

School Spotlight: Adventures in learning, inside and outside the classroom Each Monday, the Wisconsin State Journal features a story about learning in Wisconsin. Here are School Spotlight stories from the past year.
Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day 2022 to be held with multiple activities

Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day 2022, the first of its kind, will take place with various activities this month, especially from April 15 to May 1.



An opening ceremony is slated for April 19 on Nguyen Hue street, Ho Chi Minh City, according to the Authority of Publication, Printing and Distribution under the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)





An online book festival will be held at Website book365.vn from April 19 to May 20.



On this occasion, the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee will host a book fair on Nguyen Hue street from April 19 to 24. There will also seminars on reading culture in the month.



Hanoi will also organise an array of activities in response to Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day 2022 from April 21 to May 1 at the Hanoi Book Street and the National Library of Vietnam.



Last year, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam signed Decision No.1862/QD-TTg on the organising of Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day annually on a national scale on April 21.



The day is expected to encourage and develop the reading movement among the community, contributing to building a learning society. In addition, it aims to honour readers, authors, publishers, printers and libraries that make efforts to preserve, collect and promote books.
From April 11 to 15, Moroccos National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) will receive a delegation from the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights led by its president, Remy Ngoy Lumbu.

Also part of the delegation will be Marie Louise Abomo, Commissioner and Chairperson of the Working Group on the Rights of the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities in Africa, Ourveena Geereesha Topsy, Commissioner and Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, Idrissa Sow, Commissioner and Chairperson of the Working Group on the Death Penalty and Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions in Africa, and Hannah Forster, Executive Director.

With the goal of contributing to human rights advocacy activities for Moroccos ratification of the African Charter, the visits agenda includes organizing a discussion on the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the Prospects for Strengthening Interaction with the African Human Rights System.

It is also an opportunity to learn about the opportunities and duties that will develop the modalities of each component of the national systems relationship with the African human rights system, CNDH said in a statement on Saturday.

This visit is part of the CNDH and the Commissions advocacy for Moroccos ratification of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. It also comes as the two institutions seek to strengthen cooperation between various institutional and civil actors to encourage interaction with the African human rights system, added to CNDHs statement.

In its annual reports for 2019 and 2020, as well as recommendations and proposals for strengthening the effectiveness of rights submitted to the Head of Government, the CNDH urged Morocco to ratify the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and to strengthen its membership in the African human rights system.
A pandemic-induced policy allowing UW-Madison applicants to opt out of sending standardized test scores led to more applications but did not significantly diversify the applicant pool, according to preliminary research released last week.

The early findings, based on data from the first year the universitys test-optional policy was in place, offer few clues as to whether the University of Wisconsin System will permanently join the test-optional movement or revert back to its pre-pandemic policy of requiring exam scores from all applicants.

System and UW-Madison researchers plan to study three years of admissions data and release official findings on the Systems test-optional policy, along with potential recommendations about whether to continue it, in 2024.

The UW Board of Regents in December extended the test-optional policy through 2024-25, allowing current high school freshmen and sophomores the choice to forego submitting scores when applying to UW campuses. System officials argued that continuing the exemption would allow for a better understanding about the policys impact. They also said it would align with a growing trend among colleges and universities, which began before COVID-19 but exploded during the pandemic due to severely limited testing site availability.

Republican lawmakers criticized the Regents decision and have pushed for more transparency in the admissions process. They passed a bill requiring UW campuses to rely only on objective admissions criteria and publish the criteria on their websites.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoed the bill Friday, echoing concerns raised by UW officials that the bill would reduce enrollment and harm workforce development. He also pointed out that nowhere in the bill is the objective criteria Republicans want to be used in admissions defined.

UW researchers studying the effect of the test-optional policy emphasize that their results presented to the Regents last week are preliminary. The findings for UW-Madison include:

About 63% of applicants submitted test scores in the first test-optional year.

Applicants submitting test scores were about two percentage points more likely to be admitted compared to those who did not.

Applicants submitting scores were less likely to be female, Black, Hispanic, first-generation and eligible for a Pell grant. They were more likely to come from a higher-income neighborhood, have a higher high school GPA, have completed more rigorous high school coursework. Test-submitters were also more likely to apply for majors in science, technology, engineering or math.

Test-optional admissions led to an increased volume in applications but didnt lead to changes in applicant characteristics, such as race or income level, compared to previous admissions cycles.

Theres nothing game-changing in our findings so far, from my vantage point, said UW-Madison education professor Nicholas Hillman, who runs the research lab working with the System on the research. So much is still up in the air so we dont want to jump the gun or get ahead of the evidence. Thats part of why were studying several years.

Data for other campuses is still being gathered, researchers said, but they were able to examine System-wide data on the question of whether scores predict student success in college. They found a one-point difference on the ACT equated with a 2% increase in freshman GPA and a 1% increase in first-year retention.

Researchers cautioned that other variables may have also played a role in students applications and enrollment decisions, complicating efforts to isolate the effect of a single initiative.

The System, for example, tweaked its online application process, making it easier to apply to multiple UW campuses. And starting last fall, all campuses save for Madison, La Crosse and Eau Claire waived their application fees. These adjustments led to an unprecedented surge in applications.

COVID-19 also likely factored into students admissions choices, said Ben Passmore, who leads the Systems policy analysis and research. And consider that all UW campuses, with the exception of Madison, have historically had a high admissions rate, accepting more than 90% of applicants.

This has proved to be dramatically more difficult to parse from all of the surrounding circumstances than perhaps we thought itd be, Passmore told the boards education committee last week.

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Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson told backers at a recent event in Wisconsin that his plastics company benefited from a key provision he pushed for in former President Donald Trumps tax bill in 2017, addressing a line of attack being made against him during his reelection bid.

Johnson made the comments in reaction to a question from an audience member at an event Friday in Medford, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday.

Johnson said that his company, Pacur LLC, some of his prominent donors and many other businesses benefited from the small-business tax provision.

Now, did my business benefit? Sure. Did some of my donor businesses? Sure. When you give tax relief to everybody, everybody benefits, Johnson said. The Journal Sentinel posted audio of the interaction.

So they want to make it sound like I carved out some loophole for a couple of people, Johnson said in reference to attack ads on the issue. What I did is I made sure that 95% of American businesses werent left behind in tax reform. Im really proud of that achievement.

Johnson is seeking a third term in November. Nearly a dozen Democrats are running for a chance to take him on in a seat that could determine majority control of the Senate.

ProPublica reported in August that the tax break Johnson championed resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in deductions to megadonors who funded his campaigns.

Johnsons campaign spokesman, Jake Wilkins, said the audio is exactly what Senator Johnson has said in public and private for years.

Despite strong opposition, he secured tax relief for more than 90% of U.S. businesses who benefited from it after it became law, Wilkins said. It is a gross distortion to imply his tax cuts were a special deal for a few. His tax cuts benefited the many.

Johnson, in his comments at the Friday meeting, criticized the distorted attack ads that have run against him.

They said I doubled my wealth, he said. Thats true.

Johnson explained that after he got elected in 2010, he took all of his marketable securities and placed them in cash so that he would have no conflicts.

He said the reason his wealth doubled is that he sold his business.

I sat on cash, he said. Im still sitting on cash. I knew during the COVID recession that this was a good time to invest in the stock market. I didnt. I stayed invested in, Ive just got cash, OK.

He added: Im not asking anybody to feel sorry for me.
A fire that engulfed a home in the town of Bradford early Monday morning has resulted in the death of two dogs, as well as $140,000 in damages, the Rock County Sheriff's Office said.

Just before 7 a.m. Monday, Rock County Sheriff's deputies along with fire safety officials from southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois responded to reports of a house fire on the 12000 block of E. Minkey Road in the town.

When crews arrived, they found the blaze had fully consumed the residence.

The sole occupant of the home was able to evacuate the home, but two dogs perished, authorities said.

Investigators from the Clinton Fire Department said it suspected there was no evidence of foul play at the scene.

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On Apr. 2, the Tribune published a letter from a suburban reader who had visited the Tiffany & Co. jewelry store on Michigan Avenue and made a modest purchase, in part so his granddaughter could enjoy the cachet of the signature turquoise gift bag. But before the reader left the store, the clerk discreetly placed the bag in a more anonymous sack. The implication? Its not safe to walk down Michigan Avenue with a Tiffany bag anymore.

That anecdote focuses the mind on the perception of high crime bedeviling what long has been known as the Midwests most prestigious shopping destination. And its surely behind some of the distressing news about its signature properties, including the decision this week by Brookfield Properties, a mall owner, to walk away from the Water Tower Place shopping center, once one of the most successful malls in the world and now a property in distress. The mall now will be run by its lender, MetLife Investment Management.

Water Tower Places problems are complex and multifaceted: footfall declines resulting both from the move to online retailing and changes caused by the pandemic have made so-called vertical malls tough going. Shoppers are no longer as willing to climb to the upper floors.

Of course, it does not feel long since shoppers were willing to go anywhere at Water Tower Place: Teens rode the glass elevators looking for Abercrombie & Fitch on a high floor and the innovative Foodlife attracted hordes of people to the basement, late into the night.

You could traverse the mall inside Macys department store, heading up within Macys and then down in the mall itself. What mattered was the footprint of the place. Water Tower Place was on aspirational Michigan Avenue, and its success spawned all kinds of retail excitement across and down the street.

Macys is no more, Foodlife quietly disappeared with little media notice and the loss of tenants has proved pernicious. Its the same story farther south on Michigan, where other buildings are struggling to survive and the once-glittering Shops at North Bridge, commonly known as the Nordstrom mall, is flailing.

According to the Urban Land Institute, the vacancy rate on Michigan Avenue stands close to a troubling 25%. Chicago is losing significant sales tax revenue.

The world only spins forward and weve written before about how the declining fortunes of Michigan Avenue have been mirrored by the rising fortunes of the West Loop, where they also pay sales tax. That said, twiddling thumbs of denial at the crisis on Michigan Avenue is hardly an option for the city.

What to do? Improving the perception of safety obviously is crucial, but the city has to find subtler means of doing so than parking cruisers in the middle of the street, lights flashing, which signals an environment that is not compatible with a gentle evening stroll to do some shopping.

The Urban Land Institute report has other good ideas, including an upgrade in dining options. Michigan Avenue never has been hospitable to restaurants, especially on the ground floor, a function of high rents and canyon-like ambience. Thats also true on New Yorks Fifth Avenue but was never the case on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, where you can sip and watch people promenade.

Similarly, the proximity to Lake Michigan has never been adequately exploited. Visitors can be a block away from the water and yet never know. So we applaud any attempts, such as a new bridge or viewing area, to link the street to its lakeside environment, especially at the north end, where traffic overcomes the pedestrian experience around the Drake Hotel, a crucial anchor, now more than ever.

The report also heralds the arrival of so-called interactive experiences, such as the Instagram-y Museum of Ice Cream, soon to open. So far, though, Michigan Avenue has not found enough must-see attractions of that kind, and it has to compete with Navy Pier and other locations that might offer more space and potential customers. In essence, the street still has to differentiate itself from other locations and maintain its aspirational status, however the tastes of its customers have changed.

Bring on public and private investment. Michigan Avenue is far more important to the future of Chicago than any single casino, currently sucking up media coverage. Michigan Avenue has history, beauty and prestige. It long has been the great showcase of the Midwest. Chicago cannot let it forfeit that crown.
The gruesome images of slain civilians in Bucha and other liberated towns near Kyiv have been met with furious rhetoric from Western politicians.

Yet there is only one way to stop Vladimir Putins forces from committing more hideous war crimes.

It is not by placing more sanctions on Russia (though they are welcome). It is not the suspension of Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council (it should be suspended from the U.N. General Assembly). And it is not peace talks that Putin permits primarily to fool some European leaders.

Putin can only be stopped if Washington and NATO allies provide Ukraine with all the weapons it needs to defeat Russian forces. The critical battles will happen in the coming weeks in eastern Ukraine, as soon as Russian forces recoup from being pushed back from Kyiv.

Yet the most critical weapons systems and vehicles have yet to arrive.

How many Buchas have to take place for the West to do what we are asking? Ukraines foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, asked plaintively at an emergency NATO meeting on Thursday.

That is the question NATO members need to answer  now.

In fairness, more Western weapons are pouring in every day, and the United States has committed $1.7 billion in defense aid to Ukraine this year. (Ukrainians tell me they are grateful Donald Trump is no longer president, since he justified Putins annexation of Crimea and praised the Russia leaders genius at the beginning of the current invasion. Trumps open disdain for Ukraine and for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his affinity for Putin have not been forgotten in Kyiv.)

Still, U.S. and NATO aid has ramped up much too slowly. In a bitter tweet, the anti-Russian chess star and opposition activist Garry Kasparov argues: The issue with Western response hasnt changed since Putin first invaded Ukraine in 2014: Horrified by what has happened, unwilling to act to stop it while it is happening, unable to plan so it doesnt happen again.

Each week, as NATO countries face more outrages by Putin, they up the ante with weapons delivery, but they always appear behind the need of the moment.

U.S. deliveries of Javelin anti-tank weapons and Stinger short-range antiaircraft missiles have been essential in helping Ukraine hold off the Russians and remain critical. But the systems necessary to defeat Moscow in upcoming battles still havent arrived.

Ukraine has been unable to close the skies to the missiles and bombs that have ravaged Kharkiv, Mariupol, and other cities. Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Greece have Russian-made S-300 anti-missiles systems, but have not been willing to loan them to Ukraine unless the United States is willing to loan those countries comparable systems in the meantime.

Nor has Kyiv received the anti-ship missiles it needs, immediately, to help save the port city of Odesa, even though the United States, Norway, and Poland have such systems.

The [U.S.] bureaucracy simply hasnt been told that its wartime, I was told by the former deputy secretary general of NATO, Alexander Vershbow. The MiG 29s [airplanes] havent moved, long-range air defenses havent moved. Its so frustrating. The pipeline of weapons is moving very slowly at a time when Russians are more vulnerable than they will be in a few weeks, said Vershbow, also a former U.S. ambassador to Moscow, by which time the Russians will be capable of fixing their performance.

Indeed, as I have been speaking this week with Ukrainian friends and contacts in Kyiv, I have heard the same message over and over: We are expecting Putins forces to come back here after they regroup in Belarus.

That means the next few weeks are crucial, as Russian troops reorganize  and as many Russian soldiers, troops and mercenaries move toward eastern Ukraine for a big land battle in the Donbas region. The Czech Republic has offered Ukraine desperately need tanks, but Ukrainians worry whether they will get there in time.

The Ukrainians believe Putins current goal is to expand Russian occupation of big swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, finally taking Mariupol and maybe Odessa, then enter into inconclusive peace talks that drag on for years. Ukraine would be left with a rump state, cut off from the sea, its infrastructure and economy destroyed, unable to join NATO or the European Union.

Flush with victory in Ukraine, Putin could then set his sights on territory in East European states and the Baltics, unconvinced that Washington would stand by their side.

On the other hand, a Ukrainian win in eastern Ukraine  a victory that delivers Russian troops another huge blow  would force Putin to rethink his strategy as his military flounders further.

But Ukraine cant win unless we and NATO allies treat their war with Russia with the urgency wed muster if U.S. troops were involved, giving Ukraine the tools for protecting their skies as well as winning land battles.

Indeed, Ukraines war is our war. If a vengeful, expansionist Putin, backed by China, is permitted to smash Ukraine, the United States will face a Eurasian alliance of dictators who believe they are tougher than Western democracies. And Russian war criminal Putin will almost surely challenge NATO forces (including ours) in the coming years.

Rubin writes for the Philadelphia Inquirer: trubin@phillynews.com.
Like Vladimir Putin, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman believed vanquishing the Houthis, in this proxy war with Iran, would be a quick triumph. It has become a quagmire.

For Americans, the biggest difference between these wars is that we are supporting the aggressors in Yemen. Weve been arming and aiding the Saudis for years. It must stop. Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., will soon introduce a War Powers Resolution on Yemen. Urge your member of Congress to support it. We should not be supporting this war in any way.
Its almost Easter in Ukraine, where faith, hope and charity are on display at a trio of churches on the far edges of the capital.

Sunday services were held in Bucha even as bodies were being removed from a mass grave in the churchyard. In Makarov, the faithful were moved to tears at the sight of crosses scattered in broken glass. And in Borodyanka, a church was untouched near where Russian attacks ripped open a high-rise. Thats where donations are bringing help to elderly people who stayed while others fled Russian occupation.

Ukrainian authorities said weeks ago that at least 59 spiritual sites were damaged. On the day when Pope Francis called for an Easter truce in Ukraine to make way for a negotiated peace, church visitors invoked God in recalling their survival.

Each person who was leaving, from any place, Makarov, Bucha, Hostomel or from Andriivka, the neighboring village which was destroyed to the ground; each one, even those who did not know the Lords Prayer, he was speaking to God with his own words, said Alona Parkhomenko in Makarov, where the church exterior was speckled with bullet holes and the priest warned of falling glass.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:

 US: Russia's new battlefield commander has history of brutality

 Ukraine digs in to fight Russias looming eastern offensive

 Ukraine churches display faith, hope and charity amid wreckage

 Analysis: War, economy could weaken Putins place as leader

 Biden, Modi to speak as India avoids hard line on Russia

 Zelenskyy, in AP interview, says he seeks peace despite atrocities

 Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

WASHINGTON  Russias newly appointed battlefield commander in Ukraine made his reputation crushing resistance to Syrian President Bashar Assad during that countrys devastating civil war.

Russian forces led by Gen. Alexander Dvornikov destroyed whole cities while dropping barrel bombs that targeted civilians. With Moscow supporting Assad, the war in Syria has killed more than 350,000 people.

Lt. Col. Fares al-Bayoush, a Syrian army defector, said Sunday he expects a similar scorched-earth strategy under the commander in Ukraine. Speaking by telephone from Turkey, al-Bayoush said he believes the aim of naming Dvornikov as Ukraine war commander is to cause widespread destruction in many places at once.

He has very good experience in this policy, al-Bayoush said. This commander is a war criminal.

KYIV, Ukraine -- The mayor of Kyiv and his brother said the visit of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to their capital shows who Ukraines real friends are at this critical time. But they understand if security concerns keep U.S. President Joe Biden from visiting for now.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir have been professional boxers and now outspoken defenders of Ukraine. Interviewed Sunday on ABC News This Week with George Stephanopoulos, they said they expect Russias military to return and target Kyiv again. And when they do, they said they cant defend Ukraine with their fists  they need weapons.

Wladimir Klitschko also pleaded for the world to isolate Russia economically, saying every cent that Russia is getting, theyre using for weapons to kill us.

Vitali Klitschko said everyone was shocked when the Russians who pushed on Kyiv retreated after killing hundreds of civilians during their occupation. He called it genocide to kill women, children, old people and teenagers for no reason.

To defend Ukraine now, the mayor said, is to defend democracy and peace in Europe.

WILMINGTON, Del.  The White House said President Joe Biden will press Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a hard line against Russias Ukraine invasion. Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the leaders plan a virtual meeting on Monday.

Indias neutral stance in the war has raised concerns in Washington and earned praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who lauded India this month for judging the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.

India abstained when the U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations of war crimes. India continues to purchase Russian energy despite Western pressure to avoid buying Russian oil and gas. And the U.S. has considered sanctions on India for its recent purchase of advanced Russian air defense systems.

Psakis statement says Biden will discuss how Russias war against Ukraine is destabilizing the global food supply and commodity markets, and the need to strengthen the global economy while upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity.

BERLIN -- Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday.

The Austria Press Agency reported that Nehammer told reporters in Vienna on Sunday that he plans to make the journey. It follows a trip on Saturday to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

APA reported that Nehammer aims to encourage dialogue between Ukraine and Russia and also address war crimes in his meeting with Putin.

Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation blocs sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.

Nehammer said he was taking the trip on his own initiative, and that he had consulted with the European Unions top officials. He said that he also informed Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

BERLIN -- The U.N. nuclear watchdog said Ukraine said the staff at the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear plant has been rotated for the first time in three weeks after Russian troops left the area.

The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency has expressed concern about the well-being of the workers since the Russian military took control of the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster at the beginning of the war.

The agency said Ukraine informed it on Sunday that it has now rotated the staff, but the situation remains far from normal. They had to be transported to and from the site by water, with the Pripyat River being the only way for people living in the city of Slavutych to currently reach the plant.

The IAEA said Ukraine has informed it that analytical laboratories for radiation monitoring at the site were destroyed, with analytical instruments stolen, broken or otherwise disabled. The automated transmission of radiation monitoring data has been disabled.

KYIV, Ukraine  The governor of the region that includes Ukraines fourth-largest city, Dnipro, says the airport was hit twice by missile attacks on Sunday. The Ukrainian military command said Russian forces also keep shelling Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, and have kept up their siege of Mariupol, the key southern port city that has been under attack for nearly six weeks.

The Russian Defense Ministry says its air-launched missiles hit Ukraines S-300 air defense missile systems in two locations, while sea-launched cruise missiles destroyed a Ukrainian units headquarters in the Dnipro region. Neither sides military claims could be independently verified.

The Pentagon said Russia has a clear advantage in armored forces for its next phase in its war on Ukraine. Press secretary John Kirby said Friday that the Russians spread themselves too thin to take the capital, but now theyre more focused on a smaller region, and still have the vast majority of their combat power. A major effort by Ukrainian defenses and more Western assistance will be needed to push them back.

WASHINGTON  A senior U.S. official said Russia has appointed a new commander to oversee its war on Ukraine.

The official speaking on condition of anonymity said Russia has turned to one of its most experienced military officers, Gen. Alexander Dvornikov. U.S. officials say the 60-year-old general has a record of brutality against civilians in Syria and other theaters of war.

The White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told CNN on Sunday that this general will just be another author of crimes and brutality against Ukrainian civilians. And he said no appointment of any general can erase the fact that Russia has already faced a strategic failure in Ukraine.

The new battlefield leadership comes as Russia gears up for what is expected to be a large and more focused push to expand Russian control in the Donbas after failing to conquer the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Sullivan reiterated support for the Ukrainian government, saying the United States is determined to do all it can to help Ukrainians resist this general and the forces he commands.

 Robert Burns and Hope Yen

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines border guard agency says that about 2,200 Ukrainian men of fighting age have been detained so far while trying to leave the country in violation of martial law.

The agency said Sunday that some of them have used forged documents and others tried to bribe border guards to get out of the country.

It said some have been found dead while trying to cross the Carpathian mountains in adverse weather, without specifying the number.

Under martial law, Ukrainian men between 18 and 60 are barred from leaving the country so that they can be called up to fight.

WARSAW, Poland  Sirens have sounded in some Polish cities to mark the anniversary of a 2010 plane crash that killed the countrys president, despite protests that their sound would be unnecessarily traumatic for refugees from the war in Ukraine.

The sirens early Sunday were intended to add to the significance and the plaintive character of observances honoring the late President Lech Kaczynski, the first lady and 94 other prominent Poles killed 12 years ago in the crash of the presidential plane in Russia. Kaczynski was the twin of Jaroslaw Kaczynski  the leader of the main governing Law and Justice party.

Provincial governors ignored calls not to use the sirens out of concern for refugees from neighboring Ukraine, traumatized by air raid alarms. Authorities sent text messages to refugees phones that the sirens would mean no danger.

KYIV, Ukraine  The Ukrainian military says Russia has been beefing up its forces and trying to probe Ukrainian defenses.

The Ukrainian military command said Sunday that the Russian troops have continued attempts to break Ukrainian defenses near Izyum, southeast of Kharkiv. It reported that Russia was sending reinforcements to Izyum while continuing the shelling of Kharkiv.

The military added that the Russians also continued their attempts to take control of Mariupol, the Sea of Azov port that has been besieged by Russian forces for nearly 1  months.

After Russias attempt to capture Kyiv and other big cities in northeastern Ukraine quickly failed, Ukrainian and Western officials expect Moscow to launch a new offensive in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces for eight years.

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he focused on the need to track down perpetrators of war crimes in a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Zelenskyy said on Twitter that in Sundays call we emphasized that all perpetrators of war crimes must be identified and punished.

Ukraine has accused Russia of atrocities against civilians in Bucha and other places near Kyiv, where hundreds of slaughtered civilians, many with their hands bound and signs of torture, were found after Russian troops retreated.

Zelenskyy also said he and Scholz discussed anti-Russian sanctions, defense and financial support for Ukraine.

VATICAN CITY  Pope Francis has opened Holy Week with a call for an Easter truce in Ukraine to make room for a negotiated peace, highlighting the need for leaders to make some sacrifices for the good of the people.

Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass before crowds in St. Peters Square for the first time since the pandemic, Pope Francis called for weapons to be laid down to begin an Easter truce, not to reload weapons and resume fighting, no! A truce to reach peace through real negotiations.

Francis did not refer directly to Russias invasion of Ukraine, but the reference was clear. He has repeatedly denounced the war and the suffering brought to innocent civilians.

HELSINKI  Finland says that a shipment of art works from Russian museums has been returned to Russia after it was seized under European Union sanctions against Moscow.

Finlands customs service said late Saturday that the Foreign Ministry granted a special permit to return the consignment with a total insured value of around 42 million euros ($46 million). It said that trucks carrying the art works from the Hermitage Museum and the Pavlovsk State Museum in St. Petersburg, among others, left Finnish territory on Saturday afternoon.

The shipment was seized at the Vaalimaa border crossing at the beginning of April. The works were en route to Russia after loan to museums in Europe and Japan. Experts say that art works loaned from Russia typically travel overland via Finland.

Russia has demanded the return of all works on loan to unfriendly nations that imposed sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.

MOSCOW  The Russian military says it has struck Ukrainian air defense batteries in the countrys south and east.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Sunday that the military used air-launched missiles to hit Ukraines S-300 air defense missile systems in Starobohdanivka in the southern Mykolaiv region and at an air base in Chuhuiv in the eastern Kharkiv region.

Konashenkov also said that sea-launched cruise missiles destroyed the headquarters of a Ukrainian military unit near Zvonetske in the Dnipro region.

The Russian military claims couldnt be independently verified.

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says more civilians are expected to leave Mariupol Sunday in their personal vehicles.

Evacuations are also planned from Berdyansk, Tokmak and Enerhodar in the south and Sieverierodonetsk, Lysychansk, Popasna and Rubizhne in the east.

Mariupol, a strategic port city on the Sea of Azov, has been besieged by Russian forces for nearly 1  months, cut from food, water and power supplies and pummeled by relentless bombardment that has killed at least 5,000, according to local officials.

Ukrainian authorities have urged civilians in the east to evacuate in the face of an imminent Russian offensive. They accused Russia of killing 52 people on Friday at the train station in the eastern city of Kramatorsk as they were preparing to evacuate.

GENEVA -- The U.N. refugee agency says the number of people who have left Ukraine since the beginning of the war has reached 4.5 million.

A regular update Sunday of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees online portal on numbers of refugees fleeing Ukraine since Feb. 24 brought the total to some 4.504 million.

About 2.6 million of those fled at least initially to Poland and more than 686,000 to Romania. However, UNHCR notes that there are very few border controls within the European Union and it believes a large number of people have moved on from the first country they arrived in.

LONDON -- Britains Ministry of Defense says that Russias armed forces are seeking to respond to mounting losses by boosting troop numbers with personnel who had been discharged from military service since 2012.

In an intelligence update on Twitter, the ministry also said Sunday that the Russian militarys efforts to generate more fighting power also include trying to recruit from Trans-Dniester, a breakaway region in Moldova that borders Ukraine.

Russia maintains some 1,500 troops in the region, which is not internationally recognized.

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told The Associated Press on Saturday that he is committed to seeking peace despite Russian attacks on civilians that have stunned the world.

He said no one wants to negotiate with people who tortured their nation  as a man, as a father, I understand this very well. But he said we dont want to lose opportunities, if we have them, for a diplomatic solution.

Zelenskyy said hes confident Ukrainians would accept peace despite the horrors they have witnessed in the war. But meanwhile, Russian troops are regrouping for an expected surge in fighting in eastern Ukraine, including the besieged port city of Mariupol that Ukrainian defenders are battling to retain.

So Zelenskyy renewed his plea for countries to send more weapons. He says they have to fight for life -- not for dust when there is nothing and no people. Thats why it is important to stop this war.

KYIV, Ukraine  U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, promising so much support that his nation might never be bullied again.

Johnsons surprise visit included a pledge of 120 armored vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems, part of another 100 million pounds ($130 million) of high-grade military equipment. Johnson also confirmed an additional $500 million in World Bank lending, taking Britains total loan guarantee up to $1 billion.

Johnson said Ukraine defied the odds pushing Russian forces from the gates of Kyiv, achieving the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century.

The prime minister credits Zelenskyys resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people for thwarting what he calls the monstrous aims of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Johnson says Britain and its partners are going to ratchet up the economic pressure ... not just freezing assets in banks and sanctioning oligarchs but moving away from use of Russian hydrocarbons.

Johnson also described a vision for a future Ukraine so fortified and protected by the equipment, technology and know-how of Britain and its partners that it can never be threatened in the same way again. In the meantime, Johnson said, there is a huge amount to do to make sure that Ukraine is successful, that Ukraine wins and that Putin must fail.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Gary Eastwood, 67, of Westminster has traveled 3.2 million miles without an accident during his 32 years as a professional truck driver.

For this accomplishment and other outstanding service, Eastwood, a driver for Pitt Ohio, was one of 12 drivers recognized by the Maryland Motor Truck Association as 2021 Drivers of the Month. Maryland State Police ultimately chose him from among the 12 as Driver of the Year.

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Gary Eastwood of Westminster was chosen by the Maryland Motor Truck Association and the Maryland State Police as Maryland's 2021 Driver of the Year. Eastwood drives for Pitt Ohio. (Dylan Slagle/Carroll County Times)

According to Maryland Motor Truck Association the combined records of the Drivers of the Month equal 380 years of experience and more than 26 million miles of safe driving.

Safety is always on the forefront of my mind, Eastwood said. Ive known other drivers who have been in bad accidents, and it always shakes me up.

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During his career with Pitt Ohio, Eastwood has helped other drivers during a number of incidents. Eastwood once helped another driver whose trailer was on fire, saving the vehicle and the load. He also assisted police and emergency medical personnel when he was first on the scene at a fatal accident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Staying safe is about realizing when it is time for a driver to pull over and understanding your own circadian rhythm, Eastwood said. There is no shame or blame to pull over for a nap or a cup of coffee.

Eastwood works 12 to 13 hours per day, beginning his shift at 8 p.m. and usually taking a break at about 4 a.m.

When everyone else is sleeping Im going up and down the road, he said.

His runs typically take him on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, traveling between Baltimore and Western Pennsylvania.

Its essential for truck drivers to pull over, he said.

Most of the convenient places for truckers to park get filled up quickly. There isnt enough safe pull-over spots for truckers, he noted.

In his career as a trucker, which began with his father in the 1980s, Eastwood has hauled everything from construction equipment, wood products and steel pipes to refrigerator units and fruits and vegetables.

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Eastwood has learned its essential to pack healthy food for each run to help him stay alert. He avoids fast food as much as possible.

I am absolutely honored to win this award, Eastwood said, noting he is only the second driver from Pitt Ohio to receive such an honor. They held a banquet for me and it was very special.

Dean Yockey, manager for training and development at Pitt Ohio, said Eastwood is an exceptional employee who does everything wholeheartedly.

He doesnt do anything halfway, he said. I wish we could have 1,000 of him.

Yockey said he nominated Eastwood for Driver of the Month last year.

Eastwood said after a long career in driving, retirement is on his mind. His goal is to drive for about 24 more months so he can make it to age 69 on the job.

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I love my job and I love the people I work with, he said. That makes all the difference.
Ive intended for a while to say a few words about Lawerence Denney, Idahos secretary of state, but the right prompt hadnt quite shown up. Now a couple have.

The smaller prompt is an item I spotted, newly arrived, on the SOS website. It is a database called Canvass, apparently intended for use in various states; it includes election result information back to 1990, from federal offices down to local precinct chairs. Not all the information seems to be filled in yet (notably on the local level) and maybe in time older elections will be filled in too.

But its an excellent start because, while most of this data is available elsewhere, the interface is so simple that it may get much wider use than the spreadsheets that have been otherwise available (and I hope will continue to be, since more detailed information can be found there). Check it out.

This is an indicator that Denney and his staff have been trying to interact effectively with the public and take care of the states information and record-keeping needs.

I was among those who questioned, before his election in 2014, how well Denney would do that, whether he might run the office as a partisan activist, despoiling a very sound reputation built over decades in the hands of its previous two occupants.

Happily, that concern turned out to be misplaced. The states election services and other divisions have continued to run smoothly and effectively, Idahos elections properly and cleanly. He has retained and found capable staff, and used (not dismissed) its expertise. A fair review of his office over the last eight years would call it professional.

Denney is retiring with this next election, and the question nowthe second promptis whether the same will be said of his successor.

This is a time of election paranoia, when many people freely dispense, with no evidence, accusations of stolen elections. That sets the environment for this years contest.

Among Republicans there are three contenders, and one of them likely will be the next secretary: Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane, state Senator Marty Souza and state Representative Dorothy Moon.

McGrane, who was one of Denneys primary opponents eight years ago, was then as now endorsed by the outgoing secretary of state, Ben Ysursa (and three former Republican governors as well). He has been running elections in Idahos largest county for most of two decades, efficiently and without controversy, and he knows the job. On his website, though, even he gives a nod to the scare-story environment: Where other states have struggled, we have triumphed. It is now more important than ever to protect Idahos elections from the influence of D.C. and beyond.

The other two, legislators both, have been competing to play into the election-theft scenario. A sample from Souzas website: Marty will continue to prevent Big Tech money from trying to influence our elections. Last years test run is a dangerous threat that will remain unless we update and secure our laws.

More hyperbolic, in a big headline right up top, from Moons site: Americas system of free and fair elections is under attack, and that threatens the continued existence of our Republic! She goes on to warn of the dangers of eroding public confidence in elections, but who is eroding that confidence? Perhaps the legislator making a baseless claim of an influx of Canadians pouring into Idaho elections to  well, to do what isnt exactly clear.

Idaho voters lucked out eight years ago, continuing the line of responsible secretaries of state. Will they do that again this time, in a more challenging political environment?

Randy Stapilus is a former Idaho newspaper reporter and editor and blogs at ridenbaugh.com. He can be reached at stapilus@ridenbaugh.com. His new book What Do You Mean by That? has just been released and can be found at ridenbaugh.com/whatdoyoumeanbythat and on Amazon.com.

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Wildflowers are in bloom at Philpott Lake, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the Philpott Dam, took some time on Monday to share the beauty.

Redbud trees and Virginia Bluebells are flowering in abundance around the lake. Officials there say the trees grow to be 15 to 40 feet tall depending on the amount of shade around them and have unique, broad heart-shaped leaves emerge after the flowers have bloomed and turn yellow during the fall.

The bark was used by Native Americans in the region to make tea and treat whooping cough. The roots and inner bark were used to treat fevers and congestion, lake officials said.

During winter, the plants were used for firewood, and in the spring the blossoming branches were brought into the homes to drive winter out, officials said. Even the blossoms of the eastern redbud are edible and were said to have been a favorite among the children.

Virginia Bluebells grow to be one to two feet tall, and their blossoms will last about a month, then the plant turns back to green, lake officials said.

NC State University has a great online resource for anyone wishing to plant and grow Bluebells here: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/mertensia-virginica/.

The Sweet White Trilliums and white, pink and red varieties have had medicinal uses throughout time and among Native Americans, officials said. They have been used to help tighten the skin, treat blood clots, bring sinus relief and encourage contractions among women during childbirth. For this reason, Trilliums are also called Birthwort and Indian Balm.

Philpott Lake is a reservoir impounded by Philpott Dam maintained by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. The lake is at an elevation of 974 feet, covers an area of 2,900 acres, and has a shoreline length of 100 miles. Philpott Lake extends into Franklin, Henry, and Patrick counties.

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McDowell Technical Community College will host a Healthcare Career Fair on Thursday, April 14, from noon to 5 p.m. on the colleges main campus to match students and other prospective students with healthcare employers from throughout region who have immediate openings in a variety of health occupations.

The event is free and open to the public. MTCC alumni, current students, prospective students and high school students are encouraged to attend. The event will be held in room 113 of the William Harold Smith Building from noon to 5 p.m.

We are so excited to have our healthcare organizations come to MTCC to share their employment opportunities with our students and community members, said Judy Melton, Dean of Arts and Sciences at McDowell Tech. The need for healthcare workers is growing every day. These careers offer great salaries, benefits and opportunities to grow professionally. MTCC is proud to provide healthcare career educational opportunities to help meet this growing need.

Seventeen healthcare employers are expected to attend, including five major hospitals. Join MTCC to speak with representatives from: HCA Healthcare (Mission, Mission McDowell), UNC Health Blue Ridge (Grace), Catawba Valley Medical Center, N.C. State Veterans Home-Black Mountain, Broughton Hospital, N.C. Department of Public Safety, Carolina Caring Inc., College Pines & Grace Heights, Rutherford Regional Hospital, Mountain Ridge Health and Rehabilitation, Willow Ridge Rehabilitation, Carolina Rehab of Burke, Morganton Eye Physicians and Advanced Home Health.

A career fair is one of the most effective methods to explore career and educational opportunities, said Valerie Dobson, Health Sciences Department chair and coordinator of the Health Information Technology Program. Many healthcare employers have experienced a worker shortage throughout the pandemic. Individuals who are searching for job opportunities may want to bring an updated resume with them as well as their personal information, such as their drivers license or state issued ID and their social security documentation, as many employers may be prepared to make immediate offers to job seekers.

For those without a background or training in the healthcare field, McDowell Tech faculty and staff from the following program areas will be available to talk with students about applying and registering for classes in their respective areas: nurse aide, practical nursing, associate degree nursing, Health Information Technology, Healthcare Management Technology, EMT (emergency medical technician), EMS-paramedic, phlebotomy, medical billing and coding, and other related healthcare programs.

A recent economic impact study found that graduates of MTCCs health sciences programs see their average lifetime earnings increase by $239,900 over peers without these degrees. Former students in health sciences added $1.2 million in income to the McDowell County economy in FY 2019-20.

Students who choose a medical profession will embark on a career in one of the most recession-proof industries in todays market, said Dr. Brian S. Merritt, president of McDowell Technical Community College. We are proud to partner with our regional healthcare employers and to provide programs that can lead to family-sustaining wages and drive economic mobility for our graduates.

MTCC is tuition-free until 2023 via the Learn and Grow Scholarship program. For more information about attending MTCC for little-to-no-cost, visit www.mcdowelltech.edu/learnandgrow/.
Jordans King Abdullah is scheduled to undergo surgery in Germany this week to treat a thoracic herniated disc, his palace has announced in a statement.

The statement issued on Saturday indicated that the surgery will take place at a specialized hospital in Frankfurt, Germany.

The decision to undergo surgery was taken upon the professional advice of Jordanian physicians who examined the king, the statement added.

The king, according to his office, had been experiencing intermittent pain in the spinal cord after years of parachuting while serving in the Special Forces. The pressure on the nerve due to the herniation had increased lately, which calls for urgent surgery, according to medical advice.

The surgery will be followed by a period of rest for around a week before the king returns to Jordan, the statement added.
The European Union, EU, according to the blocs Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans, is looking to up its imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Egypt in the short term  and contribute to building a local green hydrogen production facility in the long term.

Timmermans made the remark Sunday as he met with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. The European official also indicated that the war in Ukraine has pushed EU countries to accelerate their transition to clean energy and diversify supply.

The bloc views Egypt as principal strategic gas exporters to lean on to reduce dependency on Russian supplies. The Arab republics last year LNG export hit $3.9 billion, compared to $600 million the year before.

Timmermans also revealed to Madbouly that the EU is gearing up to sign MoUs on green hydrogen and ammonia production during the COP27 summit in November.

The two sides, according to the European official, will form working groups to further discussions on energy cooperation and prepare the MoUs ahead of the summit.
The March 23 Movement (M23) rebellion announced on Sunday its withdrawal from villages that came under its control at the end of the week in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It said it wanted a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

The M23 has taken the decision to withdraw, once again, from its newly conquered positions () to allow its concerns to be addressed through a frank and fruitful dialogue with the Congolese government, it said in a statement Sunday.

The M23 has never had the intention of conquering spaces to administer them, our only motivation is the peaceful resolution of the crisis that opposes it to the government in Kinshasa, it adds. However, it had not been established by midday Sunday that the withdrawal of the ten or so villages concerned had been completed.

The rebel movement also expressed its intention to hand over to the International Committee of the Red Cross all [soldiers] of the national army captured on the front line for appropriate care.

After a few days of calm, fighting resumed on Wednesday between the Congolese army and M23 rebels who have taken control of a dozen villages in the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu province, according to local sources.

Also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army, the M23 is a former Congolese Tutsi rebellion. It was defeated in 2013 by the army but re-emerged late last year, blaming the Kinshasa authorities for failing to meet commitments to demobilize its fighters.

On March 28 and 29, the M23 emerged from its strongholds in the Rutshuru territory to attack army positions.
President for eleven years before being overthrown by a putsch on September 5, Alpha Conde returned to Guinea at the beginning of the week-end after a stay in the United Arab Emirates for treatment, announced the ruling junta in Conakry.

Alpha Conde landed late Friday afternoon at Conakry airport in complete secrecy. According to Guinean airport authorities, the former president was on a special flight chartered by his Emirati hosts. According to Guinean security sources, he was then able to reach his wifes home, located in the Andrea district, in the suburbs of the Guinean capital.

His return to the country was the subject of negotiations at the highest level between Conakry and Abu Dhabi because, according to a Guinean diplomatic source, the deposed president did not wish to return to Guinea after his medical stay. He finally complied with the decision of the Emirati authorities who, according to the same sources, informed him that his stay was over.

In his statement, the head of the Guinean junta Mamadi Doumbouya thanked the United Arab Emirates for the great attention that former President Alpha Conde has received. Mamadi Doumbouya also said that the physical integrity and dignity of the former president will be respected in accordance with his rank and status.

With several of his former ministers now in prison on suspicion of corruption, many wonder what Alpha Conde will face after his return.
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The accuracy of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer could be improved by accounting for genetic factors that cause changes in PSA levels that are not associated with cancer, according to data presented during the AACR Annual Meeting 2022, held April 8-13.

"PSA levels represent the main diagnostic biomarker for prostate cancer. This test is widely used but not currently implemented as part of a formal screening program," said presenter Linda Kachuri, MPH, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco. "Because of its poor sensitivity and specificity, PSA testing can often lead to detecting latent disease or, in some cases, missing aggressive tumors."

Kachuri and colleagues studied whether certain genetic factors could cause variations in the levels of PSA that are not attributable to cancer, and whether accounting for such normal variations could help improve the diagnostic potential of this biomarker. They conducted a large genome-wide association study of PSA in more than 95,000 men without diagnosed prostate cancer using data from five cohorts from the United States, United Kingdom, and Sweden.

The researchers identified 128 PSA-associated variants, including 82 new ones, which they used to build a polygenic score for PSA levels. The polygenic score provided a combined measure of each individual's genetic predisposition to high PSA levels.

The authors validated the polygenic score by applying it to two cohorts of individuals enrolled in the PCPT and SELECT cancer prevention trials, involving 5,737 and 22,247 participants, respectively. The PSA polygenic score accounted for 7.3 percent and 8.7 percent of the variation in baseline PSA levels in the PCPT cohort and the SELECT cohort, respectively. Importantly, it was not associated with prostate cancer in either of the cohorts, confirming that it reflects benign PSA variation.

To examine whether the polygenic score could improve the detection of clinically significant disease and reduce overdiagnosis, the researchers applied the polygenic score correction factor to a real-world Kaiser Permanente cohort and estimated the effects of this adjustment on the PSA thresholds used for biopsy referrals.

"We adjusted each person's PSA values based on his unique polygenic score," explained Kachuri. "PSA values personalized in this way are more likely to reveal changes in PSA due to prostate cancer because they are corrected for the influence of inherited genetics."

Applying a correction to the PSA levels appeared to improve the accuracy of the referral decisions, as it would have avoided 20 percent of negative biopsies in non-prostate cancer cases. It would have also resulted in 15.7 percent fewer biopsies in cases with low-grade disease, which accounted for 71 percent of all patients who would have avoided a biopsy. Furthermore, in both the PCPT and the SELECT cohorts, genetically adjusted PSA was more robustly associated with aggressive prostate cancer than unadjusted PSA levels.

"We showed that genetic correction of PSA levels has the potential to both reduce unnecessary biopsies and improve our ability to detect tumors with a more aggressive profile," commented Kachuri. "We hope that our findings represent a step forward in developing informative screening guidelines and reducing the diagnostic gray area in PSA screening."

While the study was very large, almost 90 percent of the participants were of predominantly European ancestry. According to Kachuri, this represents a key limitation because the composition of the study doesn't reflect the patient population impacted by prostate cancer. "We hope to be able to share findings soon from our efforts to conduct larger and more diverse studies of PSA genetics," she said.

Explore further Targeted screening for prostate cancer could prevent one in six deaths
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Medical graduates from a rural background or those who spend an extended time in a rural clinical placement are more likely to become country doctors, according to new research.

Published in the Medical Journal of Australia today, the study looked at graduate outcomes for medical students eight years on. The researchers found students who were of rural origin or any student who had undertaken an extended rural clinical school placement were more likely than other students to move to or remain in rural practice.

The collaborative research was conducted by the rural clinical schools of the University of Sydney, The University of Notre Dame Australia, University of Western Australia, University of Queensland, Deakin University, The University of Tasmania, University of Newcastle, University of Melbourne, Australian National University, University of Wollongong and Monash University.

"The Australian Government has invested heavily in programs that encourage students to train in rural and remote areas, and to incentivize doctors to practice in these areas," said senior author Associate Professor Georgina Luscombe from the University of Sydney's School of Rural Health in the Sydney Medical School.

"This study confirms what previous research had suggestedthat we can potentially grow the rural medical workforce by increasing the proportion of rural origin students admitted to medical schools. But also, by increasing opportunities for students originating from metropolitan areas to have those extended placement opportunities in clinical schools in places like Dubbo, Orange and Broome."

Lead author Dr. Alexa Seal from The University of Notre Dame Australia said it was important to follow graduates over time to try and identify whether their early intentions about where they would like to practice were later realized.

"Factors such as inadequate levels of workforce in rural areas, limited training opportunities, fears of social and professional isolation, and restricted employment opportunities for partners can often influence junior doctors when they are making decisions about where to train and practice," said Dr. Seal, Research Fellow in the School of Medicine Sydney.

"Studies such as this and further research is needed to understand the barriers and opportunities that are shaping medical students' decision making, and how we can effectively grow and sustain a rural medical workforce to meet the needs of our communities," she added.

How was the study conducted?

The researchers assessed associations between the geographic origin and extended rural clinical school experience of domestic medical students graduating in 2011 from 10 Australian medical schools with student practice locations eight years after graduation.

They also assessed changes in practice location between postgraduate years five and eight.

What did they find?

They found that eight years after graduation rural origin graduates with extended rural clinical school experience were more likely than metropolitan origin graduates without this experience to practice in regional or rural communities.

For those in metropolitan practice five years after graduation (1136 graduates), 93 percent remained there eight years after graduation. For those in regional and rural, the proportion of students remaining in such locations was 26 percent (of 85) and 73 percent (of 100) respectively.

Metropolitan origin graduates with extended rural clinical school experience were also more likely than metropolitan origin graduates without that experience to remain in rural practice or to move to rural practice.

Another key finding was the overall increase in the proportion of 2011 graduates practicing in rural areas, from 7.6 percent at five years to 9.4 percent eight years after graduation.

The authors write that this suggests some graduates who trained in metropolitan or regional areas moved to rural communities after completing training that could not be undertaken there.

They conclude, "Our findings reinforce the importance of developing and maintaining longitudinal rural and regional training pathways, and of the rural clinical schools, regional training hubs, and the rural generalist training program in coordinating these initiatives."

Explore further Australia's rural doctors speak up to boost regional health services

More information: Alexa N Seal et al, Influence of rural clinical school experience and rural origin on practising in rural communities five and eight years after graduation, Medical Journal of Australia (2022). Journal information: Medical Journal of Australia Alexa N Seal et al, Influence of rural clinical school experience and rural origin on practising in rural communities five and eight years after graduation,(2022). DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51476
Gardasil vaccine and box. Image: Wikipedia

A randomized controlled trial of 2,275 women in Kenya showed that a single dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was highly effective. The current standard for women is a three-dose regimen.

Dr. Ruanne Barnabas, principal investigator in the trial, said the trial results could help the World Health Organization reach its goal to have 90% of 15-year-old girls vaccinated against HPV by 2030. "The single-dose efficacy was the same as multiple doses," she said.

Currently, just 15% of women worldwide are vaccinated against HPV.

Barnabas was a professor of global health at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle at the time of the study. She is now chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

The results of the "KEN-SHE" trial were to be published Monday, April 11, in the journal NEJM Evidence.

"These findings are a game-changer that may substantially reduce the incidence of HPV-attributable cervical cancer and positions single-dose HPV vaccination as a high-value and high-impact public health intervention that is within reach for us," said Professor Sam Kariuki, acting director general at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, where the study was conducted.

The findings add further support to the adoption of a single-dose HPV vaccine, which could increase accessibility in low- and middle-income countries, said Peter Dull, deputy director of vaccine development and surveillance at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which funded the study.

"HPV vaccines are a powerful tool to reduce cervical cancer, but too many women and girls in low- and middle-income countries don't have access to them," Dull said. "The KEN-SHE study results contribute to a growing body of evidence supporting the potential for a single-dose HPV vaccination."

Most sexually active women and men will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives and some will be repeatedly infected. The peak time for acquiring infection among both women and men is shortly after becoming sexually active.

While nine out of 10 HPV infections resolve on their own in two years, others lead to cancer of the reproductive system, mainly cervical cancer. HPV also can cause cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, and oropharyngeal cancer (throat, tongue, and tonsils).

Worldwide, cervical cancer kills a women every two minutes. Most of those deaths are in Africa, which bears 80% of the cervical cancer burden. However, due to cost and limited vaccine supply, coverage has been low in areas with the highest cervical cancer burden.

In the trial, women 15 to 20 years old were randomly assigned a therapy and followed from December 2018 to June 2021. To be eligible, the women needed to be sexually active, have no more than five lifetime partners, be HIV-negative, and have no history of HPV vaccination. The most of those who enrolled (57%) were between 15 and 17 years old and most reported only one lifetime sexual partner (61%).

The participants were randomized into three treatment arms:

760 received a bivalent vaccine that covered two strains of HPV (16/18), which represent 70% of cases

758 received a nonavalent vaccine that covered seven strains of HPV (16/18/31/33/45/52/58), which represent 90% of cases

757 received a vaccine that protects against meningococcal meningitis.

After 18 months, the bivalent vaccine was 97.5% effective against HPV 16/18 and the nonavalent vaccine was 97.5% effective against HPV 16/18. The nonavalent vaccine was 89% effective against HPV 16/18/31/33/45/52/58. Even if women tested positive for one strain of HPV, the vaccine protected them from other strains of the virus.

Researchers said more studies need to be done to test how long the vaccine lasts.

"This trial brings new energy to the elimination of cervical cancer. It brings great hope to the women living in countries like Kenya, who have a high burden of the disease," said Dr. Nelly Mugo, co-principal investigator on the study and senior principal clinical research scientist with the Center for Clinical Research at the Kenya Medical Research Institute in Nairobi. She also is a UW associate research professor of global health.

Researchers said one impetus for the trial was the cervical cancer ward at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi. They said they want the ward empty.

"I believe that I will see cervical cancer eliminated in my lifetime," said Dr. Maricianah Onono at the Kenya Medical Research Institute. "So, let's do thisone shot for every woman!"

More information: Efficacy of Single-Dose Human Papillomavirus Vaccination among Young African Women, NEJM Evidence (2022). Efficacy of Single-Dose Human Papillomavirus Vaccination among Young African Women,(2022). DOI: 10.1056/EVIDoa2100056
A federal jury found former Baltimore Police Detective Robert Hankard guilty of corruption and conspiracy charges Monday, including allegations he conspired with others to plant a BB gun on a man in 2014 after another officer had run over them with their car.

Hankards guilty verdict ends the criminal portion of the gun planting incident with all three officers involved in the actual planting of the gun having been convicted. Their prosecution spun out of the larger federal investigation into the Baltimore Police Departments Gun Trace Task Force.

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The man police ran over, Demetric Simon, filed a lawsuit against all the police officers involved in framing him, including Hankard, as well as the department as a whole.

Hankard was hired by the Baltimore Police Department in 2007 and spent the second half of his career as a detective in specialized drug investigation squads. Hankard made $107,411.97 in fiscal year 2019, his last full year of employment, on a base salary of $81,464, according to city employment records.

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He did not testify in his trial and remains out of custody until his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. Hankard, standing between his lawyers, seemed unmoved as the jury foreperson read his verdict.

We respect the jury but were very disappointed because it appears the jury credited the testimony of Keith Gladstone, Hankards attorney David Benowitz said. Gladstone, a former Baltimore police sergeant, already pleaded guilty to his role in the gun planting scheme.

Were going to keep fighting on behalf of Mr. Hankard, Benowitz said.

In addition to the gun planting incident, the jury convicted Hankard of lying in 2015 on search warrant affidavits and police reports to cover up times he violated peoples constitutional protections against unwarranted searches and seizures.

In both instances, Hankard filed police reports and affidavits stating that officers had not entered a residence, when in both occasions they had. Benowitz acknowledged to jurors the inaccuracies in the reports but said they didnt amount to a crime because they didnt make a material difference in the substance of the reports.

In both instances, the suspects arrested had been the subject of lengthy Baltimore police investigations Hankard was directing.

In one of the reports, Hankard appeared to have forged a sergeants signature. Recently retired police Sgt. Joseph Landsman testified he didnt sign the report in question and wouldnt have because it was inaccurate. Vignola testified it was common practice for BPD officers to sign off on one anothers reports in place of their sergeants.

In the other search warrant issue, prosecutors focused on whether Hankard knew drugs had been planted in a suspects truck to help justify their arrest and subsequent search of their motel room. Gladstone admitted during his testimony to planting the drugs, and said Hankard knew he had planted them.

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Former Baltimore Police Detective Robert Hankard arrives for court Thursday. He was found guilty Monday of corruption and conspiracy charges, including allegations he conspired with others to plant a BB gun on a man in 2014 after another officer had run over them with their car. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)

Hankards lawyers denied that was the case and pointed to Gladstones previous statements to prosecutors in which he told them no one knew he planted the drugs. The suspect, Douglas Brooks, testified in court he didnt have heroin in his truck, only in the motel room, the inside of which officers had not seen.

Benowitz spent most of his closing argument trying to cast doubt on the testimony from Gladstone, who was Hankards supervisor during the time period the crimes occurred.

Gladstone took a plea deal in 2019 for his role in the gun planting plot  he is the one who actually planted the gun  and has yet to be sentenced.

Gladstone admitted on the stand to a number of serious crimes, including robbing suspects and selling drugs, but was protected from self-incrimination with an immunity agreement. He provided key testimony in the case against Hankard, saying Hankard gave Gladstone and another officer, Carmine Vignola, the BB gun Gladstone would eventually plant.

The officers were looking to help Wayne Jenkins after he ran down Simon. Jenkins headed the GTTF and pleaded guilty to crimes similar to the ones Gladstone admitted to.

Throughout the trial, lawyers on both sides used Gladstones explosive testimony to try to further their own arguments. For prosecutors, Gladstones ties to Hankard were proof Hankard was corrupt, and any attempt by the defense to discredit Gladstone ignored the reality of the evidence.

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Youre not going to learn anything about police corruption from the Mother Teresas of the world, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Regali said to jurors.

Benowitz disagreed, saying Gladstones participation  a corrupt ex-cop taking the stand to implicate one of his former subordinates to lessen his own exposure to prison  was enough to create reasonable doubt about Hankards involvement in any crime, Benowitz said.

Hes not capable of telling the truth unless its bent to his advantage, Benowitz said of Gladstone.

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Gladstones plea deal included a cooperation agreement that could lessen his eventual sentence if he told prosecutors what he knew and testified on the stand about his involvement in crime and corruption inside the Baltimore Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo Wise said in his rebuttal to Benowitz that jurors knew they did not have to solely rely on Gladstone to convict Hankard because each of the governments allegations is supported either by other testimony or by corroborating evidence.

Subpoenaed to testify, Vignola said Hankard did give them the BB gun but that he did not want to be there testifying.

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Vignola pleaded guilty in 2019 to lying to the grand jury about his and Hankards involvement in the gun planting scheme. As part of his plea agreement, Vignola had to agree to certain facts in the case, including where the BB gun came from. Prosecutors claimed Vignola called Hankard to request the gun and Hankard agreed because they were partners.

In the twisted logic at the Baltimore Police Department, thats what these cops do for each other, Wise said.

Hankard was also convicted of perjury for lying to a grand jury when originally questioned about his involvement in the gun planting scheme. He told the grand jury in 2019 he didnt entertain Vignolas request for a toy gun, because thats not the kind of police officer he was.

Im just one of those cops that I do everything by the book and I just didnt even want to think about it, Hankard said then.
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New research from the School of Psychology at Trinity College Dublin has shown that cumulative exposure to childhood trauma was a key indicator of suicide ideation among university students. Screening for adverse childhood experiences could help to improve college services and supports, according to the authors of the study.

The research, conducted by Madhav Bhargav, Ph.D. candidate, and Dr. Lorraine Swords, Assistant Professor in Child & Adolescent Psychology, has recently been published in the journal, BJPsych Open. The study was based on a cross-sectional survey of 321 college students primarily recruited from universities in Ireland.

Adverse childhood experiences refer to negative life events that individuals encounter during their first 18 years of life. They include neglect or maltreatment and significant dysfunction in the home, such as domestic violence, drug or alcohol addiction and abuse.

A growing body of research has established a relationship between adverse childhood experiences, suicide thoughts, and suicidal behaviours and has indicated that the prevalence of suicidal phenomena is higher among individuals with a history of adverse childhood experiences. However there is a lack of understanding of the process by which adverse childhood events lead to suicidal ideation in particular.

The researchers found that adverse childhood experiences were common in college students with 35.2% reporting 1-3 such events and a further 39.6% reporting 4-12 adverse childhood experiences. The study, also found serious levels of suicide ideation among the research group meaning many students expressed feelings of burdensomeness, a belief that there are no solutions to problems, and planning, or communicating intent, to die by suicide.

Moreover, the research highlighted the relationship between higher adverse childhood experiences scores and poorer mental health in the form of psychological distress and suicide ideation.

The findings also provided strong evidence that factors such as feelings of not belonging and feelings of being a burden on others can mediate the relationship between higher cumulative adverse childhood experiences scores and suicide ideation.

Ph.D. candidate Madhav Bhargav said: "Adverse childhood experiences scores may be useful as an identifying marker for university services to ensure that students get the most out of their time in college. Creating a trauma-informed culture within the college community would foster an awareness of how past adverse experiences can affect students' present functioning so that appropriate supports can be advertised and provided. However, any attempt to screen for students exposed to potentially traumatic early experiences as part of a trauma-informed approach to college services must be done sensitively."

Dr. Lorraine Swords, assistant professor in child and adolescent psychology, added: "Dr. Lorraine Swords added: Our research shows that many young people enter college with prior potentially traumatic experiences that may have an impact on their academic and social life. It is important to acknowledge that young people who have experiences of early adversity are not a homogenous group, and not all are negatively affected in the long-term by these early encounters. Future studies that explore the role of risk factors known to exacerbate the effects of early adverse experience, such as low socio-economic status, would be valuable in this research area."

The paper, titled "Role of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness and psychological distress in the association between adverse childhood experiences and suicidal ideation in college students," was published online in BJ Psych Open recently.

Explore further Childhood trauma increases risk of opioid abuse

More information: Madhav Bhargav et al, Role of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness and psychological distress in the association between adverse childhood experiences and suicidal ideation in college students, BJPsych Open (2022). Madhav Bhargav et al, Role of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness and psychological distress in the association between adverse childhood experiences and suicidal ideation in college students,(2022). DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2021.1087
Rising numbers of coronavirus infections in the United States are not surprising and not yet a cause for alarm, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious doctor, said Sunday.

There are an average of 31,000 new cases a day nationwide, a 3% increase from two weeks ago, according to a New York Times database. However, some areas have had much larger increases, including New York City, where cases have spiked nearly 50% over the past two weeks, but still remain far lower than the peaks seen during the winter Omicron surge.

A smaller surge of coronavirus infections swept through Washington, D.C., in the past week. Dozens of politicians and government officials have tested positive after attending the Gridiron Club and Foundation's annual dinner on April 2, the Times reported.

The spread of the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant BA.2 and the easing of mask mandates and other social distancing measures means the surge in cases "is not unexpectedthat you're going to see an uptick when you pull back on the mitigation methods," Fauci told ABC's "This Week."

"This is not going to be eradicated, and it's not going to be eliminated," he said of COVID-19. "And what's going to happen is that we're going to see that each individual is going to have to make their calculation of the amount of risk that they want to take in going to indoor dinners and in going to functions."

Fauci did point out that CDC data show low community levels of COVID-19 in most areas of the country, and he's hopeful there will not be a rise in hospitalizations or deaths, the Times reported.

"If we do start seeing an uptick, particularly of hospitalizations, we may need to revert back to being more careful and having more utilizations of masks indoors," Fauci said.

He encouraged all eligible people to get vaccinated and boosted, and added that he hoped that Congress would soon pass a $10 billion COVID relief bill that would provide more funding for vaccines, testing and treatments, the Times reported.

Last week, Congress adjourned for a two-week recess without voting on the package.

Explore further Rise in UK COVID cases closely watched by US health officials

More information: Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on COVID cases

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Rates of depression and loneliness have increased among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting a need for more coordinated efforts to address the issue going forward, according to a new report on social isolation among older Canadians.

Researchers Laura Kadowaki and Andrew Wister from Simon Fraser University's Gerontology Research Centre (GRC) prepared the report for the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors Forum. Survey data was collected from participants in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) a national, long-term study following approximately 50,000 individuals from across Canada between the ages of 45 and 85 for at least 20 years.

Older women were most impacted, with those aged 65 to 74 experiencing a 67 percent increase in loneliness and a rise in depression from 19 percent pre-pandemic (2011-2015) to 23 percent in 2020.

The survey data also shows that loneliness increased by 45 percent among men aged 65 to 74 with a rise in depression from 12 to 14 percent. Women and men in the older age group, from 75 to 84, reported a notable but smaller increase in loneliness of 37 and 33 percent respectively and depression.

The CLSA COVID-19 research also revealed that about two-thirds of women over the age of 65 felt separated from their family during the pandemic, compared to slightly over half of the older men that age. Among all ages and gender groups about 22 percent felt they were unable to access health care.

Older adults living alone are particularly at risk of experiencing loneliness during the pandemic. Low-income older adults living in social housing or assisted living settings are more vulnerable to social isolation as well. Other high-risk groups include those living with dementia or in rural and remote areas, Indigenous peoples, ethnic minority and immigrant older adults, LGBTQ2 identified individuals and informal caregivers.

Wister and Kadowaki note that portrayals of older adults as a homogenous, vulnerable group during the pandemic has intensified ageist views and intergenerational tensions, given the reduced opportunities for older adults to safely interact with younger generations.

Effective interventions to reduce social isolation among older adults are needed

Programs should also be tailored to meet linguistic and cultural needs and delivered via a range of formats, such as in-person, virtual or over the phone, including support for those at risk of elder abuse. Interventions to reduce social isolation require ongoing collaboration, since they involve partnerships between a range of stakeholders from government to non-profit organizations, academic institutions and the private sector.

"There is a need for digital technology education and training programs for older adults to address the existing digital divide," says Wister, GRC director. "Participation in virtual group fitness classes can help reduce social isolation and help keep older adults healthy. Ensuring all Canadians have access to low-cost home internet and free internet in public spaces should be a priority."

Social activities, educational sessions and befriending programs can also be offered by phone along with access to help and information lines.

Expanding outreach and befriending programs between youth and older adults can reduce social isolation and combat ageist views and behaviours that have worsened during the pandemic, Wister noted. Organizations can also support older adults in safely returning to volunteering.

Systemic issues of staffing levels and capacity were identified as having implications for supporting social connections for residents in long-term care. Adequate staff support and training is required for screening visitors, setting up technology for virtual visits and providing social activities for residents.

The researchers note that many successful interventions are currently being supported by short-term or emergency funding. Potential roles identified for governmental organizations in their efforts to reduce older adult social isolation include funding, supporting coordinated responses and knowledge sharing, and policy-making.

Explore further Social isolation and anxiety in older adults with cognitive impairment
Professor David Wilkinson. Credit: University of Kent

Some of the most troubling features of Parkinson's disease can be reduced by gentle stimulation of the balance organs via the application of electric or thermal currents to nearby parts of the head. This observation, made by Professor David Wilkinson at the University's School of Psychology, follows from the results of his recent clinical trial in which this non-invasive method of brain stimulation was associated with significant and lasting improvements in quality of life and functional independence.

For World Parkinson's Day (11 April 2022), Professor Wilkinson, explains how non-drug therapies for Parkinson's Disease are providing significant impact:

"Cocooned deep inside the inner ear, tightly encased by one of the strongest bones in the body, lie the balance organs. These tiny organs detect minute movements of the head and in doing so tell us which way is up, whether we are moving and, if so, in what direction.

"Our sense of balance is usually silent and overshadowed by the rich experiences conveyed by our other five senses. But as anyone who has experienced severe vertigo or dizziness knows, our sense of balance is central to well-being and mental capacity. In fact, scientific study shows that the areas of brain involved in movement, thought, emotion and sleep all rely on information from the balance system. This tells us that the balance system not only keeps us upright but also contributes to general brain function. The intriguing possibility therefore arises that the balance system may provide a route through which we can tackle brain disorders such as Parkinson's disease which can present with many different symptoms.

"The balance organ research we are carrying out at the University of Kent demonstrates that mobility, cognition and mood can all be boosted among those with Parkinson's Disease, with gentle, daily stimulation. The stimulation techniques are applied via portable devices that are suitable for home use and are well-tolerated by those who use them.

"Although early stage and in need of replication, no other Parkinson's therapy has yet demonstrated the same durable and diverse pattern of gain seen with this non-invasive method of brain stimulation. In fact, very few neurological medicines continue to work so effectively once withdrawn, not least those that do not involve drugs.

"The powerful influence of the balance organs on brain health perhaps explains why nature has chosen to bury them so deep inside the head and out of harm's way. As we mark World Parkinson's Day, it is encouraging to see medical science harnessing this power in pursuit of a better quality of life for the increasing number of people who live with the condition."

Professor David Wilkinson is leading the launch of the Parkinson's Center for Integrated Therapy, a new partnership between the University of Kent and national charity Parkinson's Care and Support UK. The Parkinson's Center for Integrated Therapy will offer innovative forms of neurostimulation along with tailored access to long-standing, but often hard to reach non-drug therapies such as physiotherapy and psychotherapy.

The Center will fill a much-needed gap in the support and management of people with Parkinson's disease and their families and will host cutting-edge research and education to carry the very best care into the future.

Explore further Study shows stimulation of the ear can help manage Parkinson's symptoms

More information: David Wilkinson, Caloric and galvanic vestibular stimulation for the treatment of Parkinson's disease: rationale and prospects, Expert Review of Medical Devices (2021). David Wilkinson, Caloric and galvanic vestibular stimulation for the treatment of Parkinson's disease: rationale and prospects,(2021). DOI: 10.1080/17434440.2021.1935874 David Wilkinson et al, Caloric vestibular stimulation for the management of motor and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease, Parkinsonism & Related Disorders (2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2019.05.031 David Wilkinson et al, A durable gain in motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's Disease following repeated caloric vestibular stimulation: A single-case study, NeuroRehabilitation (2016). DOI: 10.3233/NRE-161308
Non-LGLL T cell populations are more mature, clonal, and cytotoxic in T-LGLL compared with T cells of healthy controls and patients with other cancers. a UMAP representations of non-leukemic CD45+ sorted cells from 11 T-LGLL, 6 healthy, 4 CML, 4 CLL, 2 RCC, and 1 NSCLC samples profiled from peripheral blood with 10X technologies, where different colors indicate clusters. Density estimates showing the overlapping dots for each cohort are presented on the right. b Differentially abundant non-leukemic clusters (from panel a) between patients with T-LGLL (n = 9) and patients with other cancers (n = 11, upper panel) and T-LGLL and with blood cancers (n = 8, lower panel). The horizontal line indicates P = 0.05, as calculated with two-sided Mann-Whitney test. c Percentage of mature effector memory CD4+CD57+ cells out of CD4+ T cells in T-LGLL (n = 6) as compared with healthy controls (n = 6) in the flow cytometry cohort. P-values were calculated with two-sided Mann-Whitney test. d Percentage of proliferating CD4+ T cells out of CD4+ T cells measured with CFSE dilution after stimulation with either TCR ligation or TLR stimulation in patients with T-LGLL compared with healthy controls in the flow cytometry cohort. P-values were calculated with two-sided Mann-Whitney test. e Left: Clonality index (Gini, higher denotes more clonal) in CD8+ sorted populations from T-LGLL (n = 10), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (n = 32), and healthy controls (n = 38) profiled with TCR-seq. Middle: Clonality index in non-leukemic TCR-repertoires of mononuclear cell (MNC) samples in patients with T-LGLL (n = 38) and healthy controls (n = 785). Right: Clonality index in non-leukemic TCR-repertoires of MNC samples in STAT3 mutated (mt) (n = 26) and wild-type (wt) (n = 39) patients. P-values were calculated with two-sided Mann-Whitney test. Credit: Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29173-z

According to the latest international assessment, one in two persons will develop cancer at some point in their life. Blood cancers and other previously rare cancer types are also becoming increasingly common in the population. The study of rare cancers is important not only for improving the treatment of patients suffering from them but also because it can teach us about what makes other cancers vulnerable.

One such rare type of blood cancer is large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia, where the body's own immune cells, T cells, form the cancer cells. LGL leukemia is rarely fatal, but it causes several chronic symptoms, including an increased infection risk, anemia and joint pain.

The symptoms are thought to be caused by the LGL cancer cells attacking the body's own tissues. In fact, LGL leukemia resembles autoimmune diseases. Current therapies are usually not curative, and patients' symptoms return quickly.

"Our research group demonstrated 10 years ago that LGL cancer cells typically have a mutation in the STAT3 gene, a finding that is now used to diagnose this disease worldwide," says Professor of Translational Hematology Satu Mustjoki from the University of Helsinki.

"Researchers have previously analyzed primarily LGL cancer cells, but we wondered whether other cells of the patient's immune system could also have a role in this disease," says Doctoral Researcher Jani Huuhtanen, LicMed, from the University of Helsinki and Aalto University.

Technical research solutions and research datasets in a key position

According to the researchers, separating normal cells associated with the immune system from blood cancer cells by traditional methods has proven to be extremely difficult, since, for example, in the case of LGL leukemia, cancer cells bear a very close resemblance to normal T cells found in blood.

New single-cell techniques have enabled a breakthrough that has made it possible for researchers to examine individual cells one at a time. With these techniques, the researchers were able, for the first time, to separate cancer cells from normal T cells and compare them with each other.

"Single-cell techniques open up entirely new avenues for research," says Docent of Immunology Tiina Kelkka from the University of Helsinki.

"But we still needed a large patient cohort, which is hard to gather in rare diseases. Thanks to our research group's international collaboration network, we were able to compile a dataset of almost 200 LGL leukemia patients' samples from Finland, Germany, Italy, the U.S. and Japan," she adds.

Locking on the immune system and novel therapies

The study, conducted with this extensive dataset and published in Nature Communications, proved the group's assumptions to be correct: in LGL leukemia, the whole immune system, not just the LGL cancer cells, is clearly distinct from other cancers.

"The immune system in these patients is overactivated and keeps giving the tumor cells cues to keep growing as well as provides them with a favorable environment," says Doctoral Researcher Dipabarna Bhattacharya from the University of Helsinki.

The findings suggest that current therapies for LGL leukemia should target the whole immune system, not only the cancer cells, to increase the quality of life of patients.

"We believe that similar findings will be made in other cancers. In fact, our goal is to use the same techniques to decipher the role of the immune system in other cancers too," Jani Huuhtanen says.

Explore further How the body fights back against cancer

More information: Jani Huuhtanen et al, Single-cell characterization of leukemic and non-leukemic immune repertoires in CD8+ T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications Jani Huuhtanen et al, Single-cell characterization of leukemic and non-leukemic immune repertoires in CD8+ T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29173-z
COVID tests are no longer free in England. Credit: Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock

Access to free COVID tests came to an end for most people in England at the beginning of April. This includes both lateral flow tests and PCR tests. There are just a few exceptions: people with certain health conditions who may be eligible for new COVID treatments, patients being admitted to hospital, and people in high-risk settings such as care homes. Anyone else wishing to get a test now needs to buy their own from pharmacies or other retailers.

This shift in testing policy is part of the government's plan for living with COVID that seeks to normalize life and open up the economy. But it comes at a time when infection numbers have been steadily increasing for more than a month in all regions.

Towards the end of March, the Office for National Statistics estimated that more than 4 million people in England had COVID-19, equivalent to around one in 13. According to the REACT study by Imperial College London and Ipsos-MORI, infection levels in England are now at an all-time high.

The number of hospitalizations is also increasing. In the last week of March in the UK, more than 16,000 people were admitted with COVID, placing yet more stress on over-stretched health services.

Paradoxically, the number of tests done has been steadily falling since early January from a peak of around 2 million a day in the UK to one-third of that by the end of March. It's likely that the uptake of tests will decline further, especially given that people now have to pay for them. Willingness to pay for tests is likely to be lower among people on lower incomes, as we've seen in Germany.

Stopping free testing will naturally mean we'll identify fewer cases. Fewer people will do a test, and subsequently identify and report their infections. One danger with under-detection is that policymakers and the public may not fully appreciate the scale of the pandemic.

The other issue will be the marked reduction of PCR tests, a proportion of which normally get sequenced to look for new variants. Sequencing will now be mainly limited to hospital cases. This means that we may only become aware of a dangerous new variant at a later stage when it's already established and circulating in the population.

Testing is only part of our pandemic response

Having said all that, it's worth remembering that the evidence for mass testing as an approach to controlling the pandemic is sparse, and the rollout of testing has been hotly contested. No test is perfect. The sensitivity of PCR tests has been reported as somewhere between 85%98% (meaning they could miss up to one in six infections). Studies looking at lateral flow devices have reported sensitivity of around 78%, but this could be as low as 38%.

Mass testingespecially with PCR tests, which require significant laboratory infrastructureis also very costly and not sustainable in the long run. The UK's Test & Trace program was reported to have cost 15.7 billion in 2021/22 and the government has questioned whether it offers taxpayers value for money.

That said, emerging evidence suggests mass testing may be of value in certain settings. Research shows regular testing can help reduce the number of infections and outbreaks in schools, as well as the number of school days missed. Yet the government has dropped regular testing in schools.

Ultimately, the effectiveness of any testing strategy depends on whether people take it up and self-isolate if they're infected. However, in the UK, only 18% to 33% of people who have COVID symptoms have reported getting a test. Men, older adults and some ethnic minorities are much less likely to test. And of those who test positive, about one in six don't comply with self-isolation. It could be argued that with such low compliance rates, stopping testing may have little effect overall.

In addition to stopping free COVID tests, the government has made several other major changes, such as removing the legal requirement to self-isolate, as well as stopping self-isolation support payments and routine contact tracing. These changes will undoubtedly have sent a powerful message to the public that the COVID threat is now much diminished.

Unsurprisingly, the use of face coverings outside the home has decreased from 95% in mid-January 2022 to 68% in March. Just one in three people report maintaining social distancing, and fewer people are worried about COVID now compared to three months ago.

These shifts in public behaviors will have contributed to the rise in infections in recent weeks. While death rates haven't changed much, testament to the protective effect of vaccines, COVID illness can still cause much disruption to society, from schools, to businesses and to hospitals.

Stopping free testing will probably lead to some additional infections in the coming months, but we won't really know to what extent because it will be difficult to disentangle this from the effects of the other loosened public health measures. Also, ironically, because we won't be testing as much.

To test or not to test?

Ceasing free tests and the other changes associated with "living with COVID" feels premature and a step too far. The aim should be to live safely with COVID. It would have perhaps been wise to keep some measures in place, such as masks and the legal requirement to self-isolate.

The confusion for many people now may be deciding when to go and pay for a test. There is certainly value in using a test to confirm if an infection is present if you have symptoms of COVID.

The other scenario where testing would be helpful, while infection levels are high, is if you're visiting a high-risk setting or vulnerable people, for example a care home or hospital. Even if you don't have any COVID symptoms, having a negative test in these situations will provide some reassurance (though not a 100% guarantee) that you're not carrying the virus and inadvertently putting vulnerable people at risk.

When infection levels fall to much safer, lower levels, there will be less need for testing. Until then, a degree of vigilance is essential to help keep the pandemic in check.

Explore further UK's COVID infections hit record high as free tests end

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Based on electron tomography data, intracellular organelles of a cardiomyocyte can be imaged and reconstructed in 3D with nanometer precision. Credit: Medical Center  University of Freiburg

What happens below the cellular level when the heart contracts and relaxes has long been unexplored. Thanks to new ultra-high-resolution electron microscopy techniques, scientists can now watch the heart beating at almost a molecular level. Researchers at the Medical Faculty of the University of Freiburg summarize the most important developments in cardiac electron microscopy and their significance for research in a recent publication, published in Nature Reviews Cardiology. Insight at the nanometer scale is of great importance for the development of new therapies, for example for heart attacks or cardiac arrhythmias.

"With the high-resolution microscopy techniques developed by us and others worldwide, we gain fascinating insights into the dynamic ultrastructure of the heart," says the study's lead author Dr. Eva Rog-Zielinska. She heads the 4D Imaging Section at the Institute of Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine (IEKM) of the University Heart Centre at the University Medical Centre Freiburg. "We can use this insight to analyze the three-dimensional structure of heart cells with unprecedented precision. Our images are made up of cubesso-called voxelswith an edge length of one nanometer or less. For illustration: one nanometer is the distance a fingernail grows in one second," Rog-Zielinska explains.

Watching the heart beat in super slow motion

A challenge is to link ultra-high resolution mapping of the heart to a moving target. "Thanks to recent advances in imaging, we now have a much better understanding of how muscle and connective tissue cells behave in the beating heart," says co-author Prof Peter Kohl, Director of the IEKM, who is also the spokesperson of the German Collaborative Research Centre 1425 dedicated to exploring cardiac scarring.

Electron microscopy itself, but crucially also newly developed methods for the preparation and post-processing of corresponding samples, play a central role in the generation of molecular insight. "It is particularly exciting that we can record muscle cells like individual frames in a filmthanks to millisecond-precise high-pressure freezing. This allows us to watch the heart's molecular structures beating in super slow motion, as it were," says Kohl.

Experiments, simulations and artificial intelligence intertwine

The microscopic images are evaluated at IEKM with the help of artificial intelligence, assisted by computer simulations to depict heart function and pathological changes as realistically as possible. "Newly gained insight allows us to gain a completely new understanding of cardiac activity and, based on this, to develop new therapeutic concepts. We are looking forward to a very exciting time in heart research," says Kohl.

Explore further Researchers discover an unexpected regulator of heart repair

More information: Peter Kohl et al, Electron microscopy of cardiac 3D nanodynamics: form, function, future, Nature Reviews Cardiology (2022). Peter Kohl et al, Electron microscopy of cardiac 3D nanodynamics: form, function, future,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41569-022-00677-x
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The American College of Physicians (ACP) strongly objects to laws and policies that interfere in the patient-physician relationship and prevent physicians from providing their patients with evidence-based medical services. This includes the legislation passed by the Alabama legislature yesterday, which would criminalize providing gender-affirming care to minors. Physicians should not be subject to threat for ensuring that their patients receive care that is in accordance with the recommendations of ACP and other medical organizations. Transgender individuals already face extreme barriers to accessing necessary health care, and this type of interference in the patient-physician relationship is unacceptable.

ACP also objects to policies that encourage discrimination against persons who are LGBTQ, like a separate bill that was also passed in Alabama yesterday that includes a version of the recently enacted Florida law prohibiting classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity. Laws and policies that codify discrimination and restrict access to health care for LGBTQ persons reinforce marginalization and increase the risk of anxiety, substance use disorder, suicide, and other mental health issues for those it impacts.

These policies block access to health care, harm the patient-physician relationship, and harm the health and well-being of LGBTQ persons. Instead of these sorts of discriminatory policies, we need to seek ways to better support these individuals and their families, improve access to care for these services, and reduce social stigma.

The objection was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

More information: Hilary Daniel et al, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Disparities: Executive Summary of a Policy Position Paper From the American College of Physicians, Annals of Internal Medicine (2015). Journal information: Annals of Internal Medicine Hilary Daniel et al, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Disparities: Executive Summary of a Policy Position Paper From the American College of Physicians,(2015). DOI: 10.7326/M14-2482
Seven people have died from the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever since the start of last year after coming into contact with livestock in southern Iraq, health authorities said Monday.

"Over the past year and the first months of this year, we have counted seven deaths and an eighth person who is seriously ill in the province of Dhi Qar," said regional public health director Hussein Ryad.

Dhi Qar is a rural southern province known for rearing cattle, sheep and goats, all of which are potential carriers of the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, also known as Congo fever.

All the victims worked in the livestock sector, Ryad told AFP, adding that the most recent death was at the start of this year.

The disease is tick-borne and causes severe haemorrhaging, according to the World Health Organization.

People are often infected after they come into contact with the blood of infected animals, often after slaughtering livestock.

It can also be transmitted between humans through "close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons," according to WHO.

The disease has a high fatality rate of between 10 and 40 percent of all cases.

Ryad said the disease first appeared in Iraq "a few years ago before disappearing".

It then reappeared last year, he said.

He added that the number of infected animals is unknown, pointing to the possibility that livestock was "transported from one region to another without the appropriate veterinary examinations".

Thamer Habib Hamza, the head of the agriculture ministry's veterinary department, confirmed the seven deaths.

"When we detect the disease, we spray insecticide to eliminate ticks on animals and the ground," he said.

Healthy ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr said "all cases are being followed up by the Iraqi health service."

Congo fever is endemic in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Balkans, according to WHO.

Explore further Spain screens 200 people after man dies of Congo fever

 2022 AFP
Fruit bodies of the hallucinogenic mushroom Psilocybe semilanceata (Fr.) Kumm. Specimens photographed in Sweden. Credit: Arp/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms, helps to "open up" depressed people's brains, even after use, enabling brain regions to talk more freely to one another.

These are the findings of a new analysis of brain scans from close to 60 people receiving treatment for depression, led by Imperial College London's Centre for Psychedelic Research. The team behind the study believes it may have untangled how psilocybin exerts its therapeutic effects on the brain.

Psilocybin is one of a number of psychedelics being explored as a potential therapy for psychiatric disorders. Several studies have trialed a synthesized form of the drug to treat patients with depression and anxiety, with promising results.

The new results, taken from two combined studies, reveal that people who responded to psilocybin-assisted therapy showed increased brain connectivity not just during their treatment, but up to three weeks afterwards. This "opening up" effect was associated with self-reported improvements in their depression. However, similar changes in brain connectivity were not seen in those treated with a conventional antidepressant (called escitalopram), suggesting the psychedelic works differently in treating depression.

According to the team, the findings, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, are a promising advance for psilocybin therapy, with the effects replicated across two studies. They explain that patterns of brain activity in depression can become rigid and restricted, and that psilocybin could potentially help the brain to break out of this rut in a way that traditional therapies cannot.

The paper's senior author Professor Robin Carhart-Harris, former Head of the Imperial Centre for Psychedelic Research who is now based at University of California, San Francisco, said: "The effect seen with psilocybin is consistent across two studies, related to people getting better, and was not seen with a conventional antidepressant.

"In previous studies we had seen a similar effect in the brain when people were scanned whilst on a psychedelic, but here we're seeing it weeks after treatment for depression, which suggests a 'carry over' of the acute drug action."

Initial findings from two studies carried out at Imperial reported a reduction in measures of depression, but the mechanism underpinning how the treatment exerts these effects has been unclear.

In the latest study, a team led by Imperial's Centre for Psychedelic Research analyzed fMRI scans of participants from these two trials, which included almost 60 participants: an open label trial in treatment-resistant depressionwhere all participants received psilocybin; and a randomized control trial in more general depression that compared psilocybin with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) escitalopram. All participants also received talking therapies with registered mental health professionals and brain scans were taken before, and then one day or three weeks after participants received psilocybin therapy.

Both trials found improvements with psilocybin therapy, as measured by improved participant scores on clinical questionnaires. Analysis of the brain scans revealed altered communication or connectivity between brain regions.

More specifically, they found an increase in communication between those brain regions that are more segregated in depressed patients. They found a correlation between this effect and symptom improvement in both trialswhile the strength and duration of effect varied between participants, it was strongest in those who reported an improvement in symptoms. The researchers added that while follow-up data is still being analyzed for participants, initial changes in brain activity one day following treatment were a good predictor of whether a person would still show improvement at six months.

Professor Carhart-Harris added: "We don't yet know how long the changes in brain activity seen with psilocybin therapy last and we need to do more research to understand this. We do know that some people relapse, and it may be that after a while their brains revert to the rigid patterns of activity we see in depression."

The authors caution that while these findings are encouraging, previous trials assessing psilocybin for depression took place under controlled, clinical conditions, using a regulated dose formulated in a laboratory, and involved extensive psychological support before, during and after dosing, provided by mental health professionals.

Patients with depression should not attempt to self-medicate with psilocybin, as taking magic mushrooms or psilocybin in the absence of these careful safeguards may not have a positive outcome.

Professor David Nutt, head of the Imperial Centre for Psychedelic Research, said: "These findings are important because for the first time we find that psilocybin works differently from conventional antidepressantsmaking the brain more flexible and fluid, and less entrenched in the negative thinking patterns associated with depression. This supports our initial predictions and confirms psilocybin could be a real alternative approach to depression treatments."

Professor Carhart-Harris said: "One exciting implication of our findings is that we have discovered a fundamental mechanism via which psychedelic therapy works not just for depressionbut other mental illnesses, such as anorexia or addiction. We now need to test if this is the case, and if it is, then we have found something important."

Explore further Psilocybin use associated with lower risk of opioid addiction

More information: Richard Daws, Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression, Nature Medicine (2022). www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-01744-z Journal information: Nature Medicine Richard Daws, Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-01744-z
For most of this year, the rolling average for the number of COVID-19 vaccinations administered each day in the U.S. has been trending downward. But that changed recently.

For eight consecutive days ending Friday, the last day for which data is available, the average number of vaccinations administered more than doubled to 485,505 a day Friday from 214,405 a day March 30, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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The bulk of the recent vaccinations were booster doses, data shows.

While there is no certain explanation for the noticeable jump in shots, the daily increases came after federal regulators authorized second booster shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines late last month for everyone 50 and older who had received their first booster shots at least four months earlier.

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Those 12 and older with certain immune deficiencies were also authorized to receive a second booster, the Food and Drug Administration said.

The decision meant that tens of millions of Americans have become eligible for their fourth vaccine shots just as the country is dealing with a highly contagious omicron subvariant, known as BA.2, which caused cases to rise in Europe and which is now the dominant version of the virus in new U.S. cases.

Although caseloads nationally have been relatively low in recent weeks, BA.2 is contributing to an increase in cases in some places, especially in the Northeast.

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Public health researchers say its likely that older Americans seeking extra shots are driving the vaccination surge.

Data from other countries currently experiencing BA.2 surges suggests that second boosters will make a meaningful impact in protecting vulnerable individuals, said Bertha Hidalgo, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

After two years of living with the pandemic, the countrys campaign to vaccinate its population seemed to have hit a wall earlier this year, with fewer people showing up for first shots.

In at least 17 states, less than 60% of the population is fully vaccinated, meaning they have had two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or had received the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. States where vaccinations lag include Alabama, Wyoming, Mississippi, Louisiana and Idaho, according to federal data.

Hidalgo said she did not expect to see an increase in vaccinations in states with low inoculation rates because of vaccine hesitancy  which, she added, was prevalent and persistent in many parts of the country.

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I do expect that numbers will largely plateau in those states, she said.

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Oral cancer is a common cancer that affects the head and neck region. Around 50% of oral cancer patients do not survive for more than five years, even after treatment, as many patients seek medical help only during the late stages of the disease. By the time the patients seek help, the cancer may require advanced treatment, and may even have spread to other areas.

Oral cancer often develops from white patches clinically known as oral leukoplakia (OL) and oral lichenoid mucositis (OLM). These white patches may appear long before a diagnosis of oral cancer, and their early detection and continuous monitoring are crucial to prevent the development of cancer. However, it is sometimes challenging to predict which OL/OLM lesions will develop into oral cancers as the global risk rates of progression from OL/OLM to cancer vary from 0.4 to 40.8%.

Routine visitation and multiple biopsies are often scheduled during OL/OLM surveillance. In addition, patient monitoring may continue for many years leading to fatigue and lack of compliance with hospital appointments. Therefore, it will be better to determine the risk of cancer development in these patients on an individual basis to allow health professionals to use this information to formulate specific treatment and follow-up schedules for each patient.

Researchers from the Faculty of Dentistry and the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKU); Department of Pathology, Queen Mary Hospital, HK; and College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Queensland have collaborated to develop a web platform that can be applied to automatically generate an individualized prediction of the risk of oral cancer occurrence in those with OL or OLM for up to 20 years following diagnosis.

The results are published in the journal Cancers in an article entitled "Deep learning predicts the malignant-transformation-free survival of oral potentially malignant disorders."

The freely available web tool, based on the artificial intelligence algorithm "DeepSurv," was trained and tested with data from patients with OL/OLM treated in Hong Kong (716 patients) and Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK (382 patients). As the patients have already been under review for many years, their true risk levels were already known, and the study showed that the artificial intelligent model was able to accurately predict their risk levels at different time points during their follow-up hospital visits.

The DeepSurv algorithm was selected due to its superior performance for the use of routine demographic, clinical, pathological, and treatment information of these patients for cancer risk prediction following a series of validation exercises.

On a validation subset of the Hong Kong cohort, "DeepSurv" was able to predict the correct cancer risk level for 95% of the cases. This was according to an integrated Brier score of 0.04, with a score below 0.25 generally depicting a tool that may be useful in real-world applications.

Predicted malignant-transformation-free survival plots generated for 143 patients in the internal validation cohort for (a) DeepSurv, (b) Cox-Time, and (c) DeepHit. DeepHit plots were generated following linear interpolation. The red lines in (a,b) represent the Brier scores plotted at each time point. Credit: Cancers (2021). DOI: 10.3390/cancers13236054

The algorithm is further able to generate correct risk levels for 82% of the patients in the British cohort which suggests its utility in other populations as well.

The interactive web tool requires 26 pieces of information on the demography, clinical and pathological description of the disease, and treatment received by the OL/OLM patient. The predicted output from the web tool includes a curve from which the different risk levels (vertical axis) can be visualized at each time point (horizontal axis). These predicted risk levels have been shown to be accurate up to 17 years from the time that the information was entered.

This will assist health professionals in the selection and prioritization of treatment strategies and close-monitoring schedules for high-risk patients, especially in resource-limited hospitals. Ultimately, this is expected to improve on the currently available methods of prevention and early diagnosis of oral cancer.

The prediction curve may also be used for individual cancer risk estimation and inform health professionals when to commence very close monitoring of patients when a certain risk level is reached.

For OL/OLM patients, risk awareness may motivate them to regularly attend routine follow-up visits and allow them to make informed decisions when providing consent for biopsy when required.

Of note, the predicted risk curve may change with varying input data such as smoking and alcohol drinking status, parts of the mouth that are affected, treatment received, lesion recurrence, and the severity of epithelial dysplasia during treatment monitoring.

"While the web tool has been found promising based on our validation exercises, users should know that it is still primarily a research-based tool and requires further prospective optimization," said Dr. Richard Su, Clinical Associate Professor in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS), Faculty of Dentistry, HKU, who led the study.

"Since cancer development involves many alterations at the molecular level that may occur before disease diagnosis, we will in the future optimize the web tool by including information on molecular biomarkers for cancer development in OL and OLM." Dr. Su added. It is expected that the inclusion of the information in the web tool will improve the precision of the predicted risk estimates. The updated web tool will then be evaluated for its clinical efficacy and its impact in the care of OL and OLM in a clinical trial.

Explore further New PCR test for oral cancer set to revolutionize diagnosis and treatment

More information: John Adeoye et al, Deep Learning Predicts the Malignant-Transformation-Free Survival of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders, Cancers (2021). John Adeoye et al, Deep Learning Predicts the Malignant-Transformation-Free Survival of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders,(2021). DOI: 10.3390/cancers13236054 The DeepSurv tool is available for free:

English Version: opmd-pred-facdent-hku-deepsurv.herokuapp.com) and

Chinese Version: pred-facdent-hku-deepsurv-cn.herokuapp.com
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Depending on where some people live in the UK could mean they are denied an NHS treatment which helps patients with medical needs, such as cancer and transgender issues, become parents in the future.

That's according to a new study, which audited UK healthcare commissioner fertility preservation policies, to find that funding across the NHS is "variable".The results, published in the peer-reviewed journal Human Fertility, mean that millions of people potentially face a postcode lottery to access treatments such as the freezing of reproductive tissue, eggs, sperm, or embryos.

The researchcarried out by experts from leading institutions across the UK, such as University College London Hospital, Oxford University Hospital and Ninewells Hospital and Medical School in Dundeeshows that the postcode lottery is most evident for transgender people, and those with non-malignant diseases that can affect the ability to conceivesuch as recurrent endometriosis and autoimmune conditions.

Their findings highlight that less than half (42%) of English-based clinical commissioning groups (CCGs)which assign the funding to the NHS health trustsspecify any provision for transgender patients.

Ovarian tissue freezing is the only option for prepubescent girls to preserve their fertility in advance of chemotherapy, and for women who can't delay cancer treatment. Yet this new data also shows fewer than one in ten (seven percent) NHS commissioners in England fund this type of fertility preservation, although they all do in Scotland.

The authors say some CCGs do not follow NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines for fertility preservation and that standardization of policies is needed.

"Our study highlights the disparity in fertility preservation provision across the UK," says Sania Latif, from the Reproductive Medicine Unit at University College London Hospital, in England.

"Variation in provision creates a lack of parity between patients and affects the holistic care of the pathology being treated.

"Notably, funding for those undergoing treatment for gender incongruence and ovarian tissue cryopreservation is inconsistent and needs to be addressed.

"This national audit serves as a tool for all stakeholders to appeal to their local commissioners for uniformity of policy, equal access to care for patients and implementation of standardized fertility preservation provision in the UK."

Over the last few years, referrals have risen considerably for fertility preservation. These procedures where reproductive cells (gametes) are extracted, frozen and stored offer people the hope of having a family one day.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether variation exists in funding for patients and the extent of any disparity.

The authors analyzed 155 fertility preservation policies in the UK between December 2020 and February 2021. All NHS health trusts and boards responsible for providing treatment in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were included, and 129 (out of 135) CCGs in England.

They looked at funding for all aspects of fertility preservation. This included type of cryopreservation procedure, number of ejaculation/ovarian stimulation cycles, number of years for storing gametes (eggs, sperm etc), and treatment to replace gametes. Eligibility criteria such as male/female age and patient body mass index (BMI) were also investigated

In England, all CCGs that responded fund gamete and embryo freezing for cancer. Nine out of ten (89%) fund fertility preservation treatments for both cancer and non-malignant conditions, whereas one in ten (11%) fund fertility preservation treatments for cancer only. The majority of CCGs fund storage of gametes for a decade, a third have a 5-year limit.

Restrictive policies also exist in Wales and Northern Ireland where policies do not specify funding for ovarian tissue freezing.

In Scotland, the situation is by far the most inclusive according to the data. A national policy exists to provide funding for freezing of all reproductive material including ovarian tissue, and for most patients. Storage of gametes is funded for at least ten years.

The authors offer several reasons for the significant differences in provision across the UK. They say one factor could be that fertility preservation is considered part of fertility treatment such as IVF 'which is notoriously underfunded'.

Explore further Demand for fertility preservation increasing for women

More information: Fertility preservation provision in the NHS: a national assessment of care policies, Human Fertility (2022). Fertility preservation provision in the NHS: a national assessment of care policies,(2022). DOI: 10.1080/14647273.2022.2045519
In this micrograph of ovarian cancer tissue, different elements involved in helping the tumor resist immunotherapy are shown: blue staining marks the cell nucleus, showing the locations of all cells in the image (upper left). Green staining shows a signaling protein called focal adhesion kinase (FAK) that makes tumors more malignant (upper right). Magenta marks T lymphocytes, which are part of the immune response, and red staining indicates an immune-regulating protein called CD155 (bottom left). The bottom right image combines the other three images. Together, they show how ovarian cancer cells build a safe environment around themselves to avoid detection. Credit: UC San Diego Health Sciences

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health, with collaborators at La Jolla Institute for Immunology and elsewhere, have further elucidated how ovarian cancer tumors defy immunotherapy, identifying new molecular targets that might boost immune response.

The findings will publish in the April 11, 2022 online issue of PNAS.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among women and the majority of these cases are high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) tumors, according to the American Cancer Society.

HGSOC is lethal in part because it is often resistant to chemotherapy. Immunotherapy, a therapeutic approach that uses a person's immune system to fight disease, has been promising in many cancers, but approaches to use immunotherapy have not yet shown success in HGSOC.

One approach to immunotherapy targets proteins called checkpoint receptors that act as brakes on immune system activation. Inhibitors of checkpoint receptors release this brake, allowing the immune system to attack cancer cells. However, for immunotherapy to work effectively against HGSOC, treatments need to also disable the protective environment created by the cancer cells.

In the study led by Duygu Ozmadenci, Ph.D., postdoc scholar, and senior author David D. Schlaepfer, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine, they provide new insights into the molecular details of tumor and immune cell communication and resulting dysfunction in HGSOC.

"Ovarian cancer is one of oncology's greatest challenges," Schlaepfer said. "Tumors can develop without obvious symptoms. The most common sign of ovarian cancer is abdominal swelling when the disease is advanced, which is when most women are diagnosed."

Ozmadenci and colleagues found that activation of a key signaling protein within tumors called focal adhesion kinase (FAK) regulated expression of a protein called CD155 that binds to the checkpoint receptor called TIGIT on immune cells. In effect, the tumor is building a safe environment for the cancer cells to grow and evade immune detection in part by maintaining high levels of CD155 as a shield against immune attack.

In a preclinical model of aggressive ovarian cancer, the researchers found that an oral anti-FAK drug reduced CD155 and other checkpoint proteins. When used together with an immunotherapy blocking TIGIT, an elevated immune response was observed against the ovarian cancer cells. This, in turn resulted in smaller tumors and longer survival.

"Several companies are testing inhibitors to FAK and others have inhibitory antibodies to the TIGIT checkpoint receptor in clinical trials," said Schlaepfer. "In HGSOC tumors, where high levels of CD155 and active FAK are common, our results provide compelling support for targeting FAK and TIGIT as part of a new immune-boosting therapeutic strategy."

Explore further Study identifies cellular interactions essential to the immune attack on ovarian tumors

More information: Tumor FAK orchestrates immunosuppression in ovarian cancer via the CD155/TIGIT axis, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Tumor FAK orchestrates immunosuppression in ovarian cancer via the CD155/TIGIT axis,(2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117065119
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Many so-called night people feel that, when it comes to society's expectations about when the workday should start, they drew the short straw.

Research shows that "night owls" are hard-wired to sleep later, yet 9-to-5 work schedules force them to battle their physiology and wake up early. Research also has shown that conventional timetables leave them vulnerable to physical and mental health issues.

"It is harder for night owls to function in the world because they're out of sync with the conventional schedule," said Kelly Baron, an associate professor at the University of Utah who studies sleep health and clinically treats patients who have insomnia. She noted that poor sleep is also a driver of worker absenteeism and use of sick days. "We would get better performance out of employees if they were allowed to work at their best working time."

Her research has found that keeping late evening hours can cause even healthy night owls to be prone to bad habits like eating fast food, not exercising, and socializing less.

But the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many people to telework, allowed more flexibility in work schedules, prompting sleep scientists to rethink assumptions about sleep and how to assess patients.

The pandemic "was an international experiment to understand how sleep changes when work hours and work environments change," said Baron.

Researchers in Italy are among those tapping into this question. In a recent study, they found that many Italians who don't typically fit into a traditional daylight timetable thrived and their health improved when the pandemic's remote working conditions allowed them to work later hours.

Federico Salfi, a doctoral student at the University of L'Aquila and self-professed night owl, joined with colleagues late in 2020 to examine how the work-from-home trend influenced Italian sleep habits. Through social media, they identified 875 people who represented in-office and remote workers. They then used web-based questionnaires to discover the impacts of remote working on sleep health. The findings: The pandemic's work-from-home flexibility helped the participants better align their work and sleep schedulesmany of them for the first time.

More specifically, the researchers found evidence that evening-type people slept longer and better while working from home, with a corresponding decrease in symptoms of depression and insomnia.

They also pointed out an important theme that echoes other studiesthat people who fall into the night-owl category regularly sleep less than early risers. On his podcast, Matthew Walker, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California-Berkeley and author of "Why We Sleep," said it was the difference of 6.6 hours a night versus more than 7 hours a night, leading night owls to accumulate a chronic sleep debt. (The study is available as a preprint and has not yet been peer-reviewed.)

So why don't such people just go to bed earlier? The answer is complicated.

To feel sleepy requires a biochemical cascade of events to kick into action, and that timing is determined by a person's chronotype. A chronotype is an internal "body clock" that determines when people feel awake or tired during a 24-hour period. The cycles are genetically set, with about half of people falling into the midrangemeaning they neither wake at dawn nor fall asleep past midnightand the others evenly split as morning larks or night owls.

In prehistoric times, a mix of mismatched bedtimes served an evolutionary purpose. Evening types would watch over morning types while they slept, and vice versa. Modern society, however, rewards early risers while stigmatizing those burning the midnight oil, said Brant Hasler, associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh and part of the university's Center for Sleep and Circadian Science. "We are catering to one portion of our population at the expense of another."

Walker has outlined specific health consequences on his podcast. Late-night types are 30% more likely than early birds to develop hypertension, which can lead to strokes or heart attacks, and 1.6 times as likely to have Type 2 diabetes since sleep affects blood sugar regulation. They are also two to three times as likely to be diagnosed with depression and twice as likely to use antidepressants.

A study published in February also found that evening people who slept more during the pandemic still had remarkably poorer mental health compared with morning larks.

Neither Walker nor Hasler was involved in the Italian study.

Still, some experts noted that the Italian study had limitations.

"I couldn't find clearly included in the study: Were people always on those schedules? [Or did they change after the pandemic?] Because that is something that really matters," said Stijn Massar, a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore. Plus, since COVID has drastically affected almost all aspects of life, pandemic-era sleep data can get muddied by the many lifestyle changes people have had to endure.

Moreover, sleep scientists are still wondering if it is always healthier for someone to sleep in sync with their chronotype.

It's a question of prioritizing individual schedules versus community schedules. But "sleep is one of the great mysteries of life," said Massar. "This is all somewhat speculative," with each new study providing glimpses of the bigger picture.

2022 Kaiser Health News.

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On Wednesday, 5-year-old Mary Stegmueller will reach a major milestone. She will have outlived her predicted life expectancy. Twice.

At age 4, Mary, a rambunctious animal lover from Northglenn, Colorado, was given nine months to live. A devastating brain tumor was spreading its tentacles through her brain stem, the area that controls breathing, heartbeat and other essential functions.

The tumor, called a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma strikes 300-400 Americans each year, mostly children, and several thousand more worldwide.

The standard treatment for DIPG hasn't changed since it killed astronaut Neil Armstrong's 2-year-old daughter in 1962.

But Mary, patient No. 007 in a research trial at Stanford University, may be among the first to redefine the future of DIPG.

The trial already is changing the story of a type of cancer immunotherapy called CAR-T, which has revolutionized the treatment of blood cancers, but so far hasn't been effective in 90% of cancers, like DIPG, that are considered solid tumors.

Scientific theory and a few isolated examples have suggested CAR-T should be able to fight solid tumors. But Stanford's latest results, presented this weekend at a cancer conference in New Orleans, are the first to show consistent effectiveness.

"It's an enormously hopeful moment," said Dr. Crystal Mackall, a Stanford immunologist who helps lead the work.

Some trial participants have seen their tumors shrunk by 95% or morea dramatic achievement never before seen in DIPG. Though some have since died, most survived far longer than expected.

"It tells you you're on (right) the path, keep digging," said Dr. Nabil Ahmed, a CAR-T expert at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who is not involved in the study but is following it closely.

Dr. Marcela Maus, a CAR-T and brain tumor expert at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, said the work has inspired the entire CAR-T field. "This is building up the case for hope," she said.

It's still early days and unclear what success with CAR-Ts might eventually look like, both in DIPG specifically and solid tumors more broadly.

But Mary is getting ready to celebrate her second birthday since diagnosis, which is almost unheard of with DIPG.

Parents of children in the trial say they can't think about the future too much, even as they plan for their child's next treatment.

"The first thing is to give her a longer life and a better quality of life," said Meghan Scoggins, of Siler City, North Carolina, whose daughter Kenzie, 5, is getting ready to start her CAR-T therapy. "And to beat this. Of course, that is the hope at the end.

"But we've got to take it one stair at a time. Not the whole staircase."

The University of Pennsylvania recently declared a leukemia patient "cured" more than a decade after he received CAR-T for the blood cancer.

No one knows what it will take to reach a cure in a solid tumor like DIPG.

But it won't be easy.

CAR-T, short for chimeric antigen receptor T cells, involves taking immune cells from the patient, modifying them in a lab to attack cancerous cells and then infusing them back into the body.

For blood cancers, CAR-T is delivered once, and then the patient's immune system is left to do the rest of the work. Although the cancers sometimes return, about 70% of advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients respond well to CAR-T, and the approach is also used to treat other types of leukemia, lymphomas and multiple myeloma.

Mary and other trial participants are helping the Stanford researchers figure out how to revise CAR-T therapy for a solid tumor. For starters, CAR-T apparently has to be given multiple times, which can involve cross-country travel, weeks-long hospital stays and debilitating side effects.

Mary just finished her ninth treatment over 12 months, each one requiring a trip from Colorado to California and at least a week in the hospitalthough she's bounced back so fast from the last two that she's been released a day early.

She spikes a fever each time. After the first treatment, she spiked two and was in and out of intensive care twice, requiring her to remain hospitalized for a full three weeks. Although uncomfortable, fever is a good sign. It means her body has begun attacking the cancer cells.

Mary, like blood cancer patients, had a round of chemotherapy before she got her first CAR-T cells, to kill off her body's immune cells before replacing them with the modified ones. But because DIPG is in the brain, which doesn't normally have a lot of immune cells, chemo may not be necessary.

Patients who joined the Stanford trial after Mary did, including Kenzie Scoggins, aren't given chemo and don't lose their hair. (Mary's has grown back a darker blond, like her younger brother's, and curlier, which she loves.)

The Stanford team also learned with early patients that the treatment is more effective if delivered directly to the brain through a shunt called an Ommaya, which also removes fluid, reducing pressure that builds up in the brain.

There's not a lot of room in the brainstem, which is about as thick as a pinky finger. The tumor already takes space and some lab mice died from the added pressure after treatment.

"This thing gets bigger before it gets smaller," Mackall said of the tumor.

With each treatment, Mary's symptoms have improved. Her wobbly gait has stabilized. She goes cross-eyedthe first sign of her DIPGless often.

After her second round of therapy, her parents realized she'd been writing with her left hand to compensate for weakness in her right one. She was not actually a lefty like her dad.

Four days after her March 31 treatment, Mary was tearing through the hospital hallways. She was again released early "for her own safety," her mother Kristin said, chuckling.

Mary is a trouper and incredibly resilient, added Kristin, who manages a 30-hour-a-week remote job at her Catholic Church, mostly when Mary and her younger brother Robbie, 4, are asleep.

"I'm in awe of her," Kristin said of her daughter. "She's my hero."

Dr. Michelle Monje, a Stanford neuroscientist and neuro-oncologist who co-leads the team, started with tumor cells donated by parents of former DIPG patients. They wanted to make their child's death mean something.

Monje searched for a marker on the surface of the DIPG cells that she could use to identify and target them. She identified a fatty sugar molecule called GD2.

Around that time, she got a new neighbor at Stanford.

Mackall moved into a nearby office. The two started talking and collaborating.

"It's lucky when preparation meets opportunity," said Mackall who had previously worked on GD2.

Animal studies, published in 2018 with colleague Christopher Mount, encouraged them to try their approach on kids.

They saw remarkable responses among the first four patients, whose cases they presented in a February scientific paper. One young man arrived for treatment in a wheelchair and left the hospital two weeks later, walking.

But he and the other three have since died. The research team bought them extra time, but couldn't save them.

They've tried to use what they learned from them to hopefully do even better with the next group, including Mary and Kenzie.

"For the first time, we've moved (the needle) a little bit and now we can push, said Dr. Sneha Ramakrishna, a pediatric oncologist at Stanford.

Ahmed of Baylor said he's extremely impressed by the team's accomplishments. In his own work, he's had individual successes using CAR-Ts but not consistent ones like they have.

"More than smart, I commend the group for being gutsy," Ahmed said, noting that most studies in brain cancers, including his own, generally exclude DIPG patients because they're so hard to treat. The Stanford team, he said, is "going where nobody else is going."

Experimentation is essential in DIPG, said Dr. Oren Becher, a pediatric oncologist at Mount Sinai in New York City. "We need to take risk in this field because these children have been dying for a really long time. It's a tragic tumor."

There is no worse cancer in children. A normal-seeming child comes in with a symptom, gets a brain scan and within 30 seconds their future evaporates.

The brain stem, Ahmed said "is not the headquarters of intellect, it's the headquarters of livelihood." It controls the heart, lungs and digestion. Nerves that control the face, neck and sensory abilities start there.

"The holy grail of brain achievement is passing through this tiny area," Ahmed said.

And medical science has very little to offer.

Since the days of Neil Armstrong's daughter, Karen "Muffie" Armstrong, children with DIPG have been treated with radiation. Mary had 30 treatments over 6 weeks.

Typically, a few good months follow.

Doctors usually tell DIPG families to make the most of that time, traveling and spending it together. The Stegmueller's went to Disney so Mary could see Cinderella's castle.

The Stanford team didn't want to interfere with that precious time, said Robbie Majzner, a pediatric oncologist.

"We wanted to make sure we wouldn't hasten their demise," Majner said.

But their early successes gave them confidence to push the treatment earlier in the disease course, which also improved results.

CAR-T researchers have to solve some key challenges to get the therapy to work well against solid tumors, said Teri Foy, a senior vice president at Bristol Myers Squibb.

In blood cancers, the targets were relatively clear and found only on cells the body can do without. In solid tumors, it's tough to identify and destroy cancer cells without also killing off healthy ones.

"Being able to leverage that for therapeutic benefit hasn't been exactly straightforward," Foy said.

Foy and her colleagues are working to engineer a CAR-T that turns on its targeting in the presence of a tumor cell and stays off around healthy ones.

Another major challenge is keeping the CAR-Ts working long term.

"The half-life is not too good in solid tumors," said Peter Abdelmessieh, who treats patients with CAR-T at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

Ahmed is now giving his CAR-T patients additional treatments that stabilize the tumor cells and keep them from changing too much.

In his third major CAR-T trial, now underway, Ahmed also has added a different kind of immune therapy, known as a checkpoint inhibitor, which lifts a brake cancer puts on the immune system. If there are immune cells ready to fight cancer, this enables them to get to work.

Other cancer researchers are looking to the Stanford trial for inspiration.

Maus, at Mass. General, now plans to deliver her CAR-T directly into the fluid around the brain, hoping to help people with glioblastomathe aggressive form of brain cancer that claimed the lives of Sens. John McCain and Ted Kennedy, among many others.

There's no question CAR-Ts could make a dramatic difference in solid tumorsonce they can be made to work, said Dr. Donald O'Rourke, a neurosurgeon at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia.

Unlike traditional drugs, CAR-Ts can target and kill cancer cells both in the initial tumor and elsewhere"a living drug that kills and expands and migrates," O'Rourke said. CAR-T is the only approach that offers the possibility of a long-lasting remission.

"We've got to figure it out," he said.

No one knows how many more treatments Mary's body will need or tolerate.

Her medical team already has had to ask the Food and Drug Administration to allow her more rounds of therapy. The protocol was originally for six, but the treatments keep helping, so the team keeps giving them to her.

Patients typically get treated every 28 days. Mary's have been pushed eight weeks apart, but Kristin hopes they can hold off on the next one for nine weeks, so she can attend her first last day of school. Mary missed her last day two years ago because of COVID-19 lockdowns and last year because of therapy.

"We're going to try and see what happens," Kristin said. "The hope is we've killed off so many (cancer cells) and put so many CAR-Ts in there that they're sticking around longer."

The fear is that the extra time will give Mary's tumor time to progress, leading to more stumbling, crossed eyes or slurred words.

"Even though we have a plan," Kristin said, "if the team calls and says you need to come next week, we'll be here."

Explore further Researchers find new way to target deadly childhood cancer

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Composite image shows the diversity of mushrooms from the genus Psilocybe that contain psilocybin.Basidiomata of (A) Psilocybe serbica (jonagruska, CC-BY-SA 3.0), (B) P. mescalenroensis (Alan Rockefeller, CC BY-SA 4.0), (C) P. cubensis (Ricardo Arredondo, CC BY-NC), (D) P. ovoideocystidiata (Shroomydan, CC-BY-SA 3.0), (E) P. allenii (Alan Rockefeller, CC-BY-SA 3.0), (F) P. azurescens (Shroom360, CC BY-SA 3.0), (G) P. cyanescens (Alan Rockefeller, CC BY-SA 3.0), (H) P. subaeruginosa (ericos_bob, CC BY-SA 3.0), (I) P. angulospora (Inski, CC BY-NC-SA), (J) P. baeocystis (Caleb Brown, CC-BY-SA 3.0), (K) P. pelliculosa (Scottdarbey, CC-BY-SA 3.0), (L) P. semilanceata (Alan Rockefeller, CC-BY-SA 3.0), (M) P. hoogshagenii (Brayan Coral Jaramillo, CC BY-SA 3.0), (N) P. mexicana (Alan Rockefeller, CC BY-SA 4.0), (O) P. neoxalapensis (David Morales, CC-BY-NC 4.0), (P) P. zapotecorum (Alan Rockefeller, CC-BY-SA 3.0). Credit: Oregon State University

A new paper by an Oregon State University-led research team provides a scientific framework to help shape the rollout of a program in Oregon that will legally permit the use of psilocybin for therapeutic reasons.

Oregon voters approved a ballot measure in 2020 to allow use of psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in some magic mushrooms, in therapeutic settings, becoming the first state to do so. Preliminary clinical trial data has shown psilocybin has potential to address mental health issues including depression, anxiety and PTSD.

The state created an advisory board to recommend how to roll out a safe and equitable system for psilocybin use. The Oregon Health Authority in February released draft rules crafted by the advisory board. They are expected to be finalized in the next year.

Jessie Uehling, a mycologist at Oregon State University who studies fungi and their applications that benefit humanity, was appointed last year by Gov. Kate Brown to the advisory board. Her involvement with the board made her realize the need for the recently published paper in the journal Fungal Biology.

"There was not a synthesis of all the information about psilocybin that an entity like the advisory board or any other state- or federal-level group would need to make decisions that are informed by science," said Uehling, an assistant professor who has a doctoral degree in genetics and genomics and a master's in mycology.

She, along with researchers in Mexico and several universities in the U.S., set out to change that. The paper they just published provides an overview of the biology, diversity and history of psilocybin-containing fungi.

The authors detail that there are hundreds of fungal species belonging to at least seven genera that are capable of producing psilocybin. Further, they discuss how many psilocybin-producing fungi have deadly poisonous lookalikes which grow in similar locations in natural habitats.

They also focus on how Indigenous people around the world have historically used the compound for sacred traditions in part because they say these cross-disciplinary insights need to be published, citable and publicly available.

While indirect evidence of hallucinogenic mushroom rituals dates back thousands of years in Northern Africa and Spain; its use, for hundreds of years, still persists in Mexico. Rules governing how these mushrooms are used among Indigenous Mexican groups has resulted in safe consumption for centuries, the researchers note. These rules include being guided by an elder or shaman, not mixing alcohol, medicine or drugs and discouraging travel for a week after the ceremony.

"These mushrooms and their traditions constitute a unique biocultural heritage whose use by Western society must be based on their respect and conservation," said Roberto Garibay-Orijel, a researcher at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and co-author of the paper.

He said it's important that the paper emphasizes that the species of mushroom only found in Mexico, and strains from Indigenous territories in Mexico, are protected by the Nagoya protocol, an international agreement that prohibits their use for commercial purposes without the consent of their ancestral owners.

Recent Western, medicalized psilocybin trials have been designed to mirror the guided experience used by Indigenous groups. The trials have confirmed the importance of preparation and setting when using psilocybin-producing fungi.

There are currently more than 60 psilocybin clinical trials overseen by the National Institutes of Health. Preliminary data suggest psilocybin therapies are effective in treating major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, smoking cessation and alcoholism.

Results of psilocybin ingestion outside of clinical trials have found an increased connection to nature, enhanced creativity, greater enjoyment of music and increased positive mood.

Meanwhile, cities across the U.S. are decriminalizing psilocybin and Washington is considering a measure similar to Oregon's that would legalize psilocybin for therapeutic reasons.

"Society is having this moment right now where fungi are being appreciated for being really cool," Uehling said. "But they are also really powerful and some can be deadly. So we really need to better understand them through scientific research and proceed with safety as a first priority."

Explore further Psilocybin use associated with lower risk of opioid addiction

More information: R.C. Van Court et al, Diversity, biology, and history of psilocybin-containing fungi: Suggestions for research and technological development, Fungal Biology (2022). R.C. Van Court et al, Diversity, biology, and history of psilocybin-containing fungi: Suggestions for research and technological development,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2022.01.003
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Lead is an environmental neurotoxicant that causes neurocognitive deficits and cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. It also disproportionately affects socially disadvantaged communities. The association between lead exposure and children's IQ has been well studied, but few studies have examined the effects of blood lead on children's physiological stress and behavior. Three University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) studies shed light on how lead can affect children and adolescents' physiological stress and emotional/behavioral development.

Lead exposure and the psychological stress response

Exposure to lead during childhood and adolescence is associated with a host of detrimental outcomes that persist into adulthood. Until now, however, few studies have tested the association between lead exposure and the physiological stress response, which in and of itself may act as a precursor to and/or underlying mechanism of detrimental health outcomes.

A study from Penn Nursing adds new evidence suggesting that early childhood lead exposure is significantly associated with dysregulated heart rate variability during an induced stress task in early adolescence, indicative of a dysregulated stress response. These findings hold implications for cardiovascular health and overall growth and development.

"The biological mechanisms underpinning the relationship between lead and physiological stress functionality are relatively unknown," said first-author Olivia M. Halabicky, Ph.D., RN, who completed this work as a doctoral student at Penn Nursing.

Dysregulated stress responses are associated with a host of health consequences including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases as well as impaired neurodevelopment and neurocognitive outcomes of general and higher-order cognition. "Understanding these relationships could help to develop interventions to target this biological mechanism and thereby reduce the harmful effects of lead exposure for children at greatest risk," said senior-author and principal investigator Jianghong Liu, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, the Marjorie O. Rendell Endowed Professor in Healthy Transitions and the Faculty Director of Global Health Minor. Liu is also Director of the NIH-funded China Jintan Child Health Project, which follows more than 1,000 children in Jintan, China from pre-school into adolescence to understand the influence of exposure to environmental lead, nutrition, and psychosocial factors on their behavior.

The article "Early Childhood Lead Exposure and Adolescent Heart Rate Variability: A Longitudinal Cohort Study" was published in the journal Environmental Research and is available online. Co-authors also include Penn Nursing's Jennifer A. Pinto-Martin, Ph.D., MPH, and Peggy Compton, PHD, RN, FAAN. A similar study from Liu, published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health in 2020, investigated the gaps in understanding about the effects of lead on resting heart rate.

Lead exposure explains adversity-antisocial relationship

In another novel investigation, Liu and collaborative researchers recently documented that blood lead in adolescents from Philadelphia aged 11 and 12 was positively correlated with both more social adversity and more externalizing behavior, and importantly that blood lead levels mediated the social adversity-externalizing behavior relationship.

"These findings have potentially important implications for public health and environmental regulation as well as understanding biological mechanisms that link social inequality with health outcomes, especially in youth from low-income, urban areas," says Liu.

These findings also highlight the importance of both social and environmental determinants of adolescent health. They underline the need to mitigate adverse social influences and monitor lead exposure in children's environments to reduce likelihood of developing problems with externalizing behaviors, a risk factor for criminality and lower social mobility later in life. The article "Blood Lead Levels Mediate the Relationship Between Social Adversity and Child Externalizing Behavior" was published in the journal Environmental Research and is available online. Coauthors include Jill Portnoy and Presley McGarry, both of the University of Massachusetts; Adrian Raine, Margaret Gladieux and Aimin Chen of the University of Pennsylvania.

Explore further Intergenerational transmission of trauma from African American mothers to their children due to vicarious racism

More information: Olivia M. Halabicky et al, Early childhood lead exposure and adolescent heart rate variability: A longitudinal cohort study, Environmental Research (2022). Olivia M. Halabicky et al, Early childhood lead exposure and adolescent heart rate variability: A longitudinal cohort study,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112551 Jianghong Liu et al, Blood lead levels mediate the relationship between social adversity and child externalizing behavior, Environmental Research (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112396 Jianghong Liu et al, Blood lead and mercury levels are associated with low resting heart rate in community adolescent boys, International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2020.113685 Journal information: Environmental Research
Too few sexually active teens are getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), according to a new report by U.S. health officials.

In all, just 20% of sexually active high school students said they were tested for an STDnow called sexually transmitted infections (STIs)in the past year, according to researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The prevalence of sexually active high school students getting tested for an STI in the past year is relatively low, despite national guidelines," said study co-author Sanjana Pampati of the CDC's division of adolescent and school health.

The study data, from the nationwide Youth Risk Behavior Survey, were collected in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, and Pampati said it's likely that the pandemic further disrupted access to and use of STI testing services.

Among the 20% who reported being tested, 26% were girls and 14% were boys.

An estimated 30% of teens are sexually active, according to the CDC. The most common STIs are human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV and syphilis.

"More sexually active girls reported testing, especially at older ages, and boys who reported greater sexual risk behaviors, like higher number of sex partners and using drugs or alcohol before sex, also reported having been tested for an STI in the previous year," Pampati said.

Her team estimated that 15- to 24-year-olds account for half of all new STIs annually in the United States, and one in four sexually active teen girls has an STI. But, Pampati said, many doctors don't ask patients about their sexual activity or reinforce the importance of annual STI screening.

"Addressing this public health issue will require concerted efforts from multiple levels to improve access to STI testing among adolescents," she said.

Pampati suggested that doctors, clinics and parents all have a role to play in ensuring that more teens receive annual STI screening. For example, doctors working with teens can do routine STI screening that aligns with national testing guidelines, including taking a sexual history of their patients.

"Clinics and parents can ensure adolescents get private time with their doctor during preventive care visits," she added.

And educating young people about the need for STI testing, where services can be obtained and their right to self-consent for confidential services may also help connect them to testing services, Pampati said.

"Schools can teach adolescents about the importance of STI testing and connect young people to testing and other health services," she suggested. "Additionally, addressing barriers that we know prevent adolescents from seeking STI testing services, such as cost, transportation and stigma, are important."

Dr. David Rosenthal, medical director of the Center for Young Adult, Adolescent and Pediatric HIV at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New York City, reviewed the findings.

"This report underlines what we've seen in practice for a long time," he said.

Rosenthal said many STIs, including HIV, are seen among adolescents, which is why screening is vital.

"I always tell the young people that knowledge is power and if you know your status, you can treat somethingif you don't know what's going on you can't take care of your own health," he said.

Rosenthal noted there are a lot of very easy treatments for gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis.

But, he added, if you don't know you have an STI, you run the risk of significant illness and, in young women, pelvic inflammatory disease. And, of course, you can transmit these infections to others.

"The way I look at it is that by knowing your status, you're not only taking care of your health, you're also taking care of the health of people you love," Rosenthal said.

To protect against getting an STI, Rosenthal recommends using condoms.

"It's very effective in decreasing both pregnancy, transmission of HIV and STIs. But we realize that sometimes that doesn't happen," he said. "If that's the case, it's really important that you go see a provider and that you can get tested for STIs."

People have sex in different ways, Rosenthal added.

"So, it's really important that when you go to your doctor, you don't just pee into a cup to look for STIs," he said. "If you have anal or oral sex, you should also get swabs for gonorrhea and chlamydia and a blood test to look for HIV and syphilis."

He recommends screening at least once a year.

"If you have a risk situation or if a condom broke or if you aren't sure about someone's status," Rosenthal said, "it always is fine to get an extra test at any time."

Many teens are reluctant to get tested for STIs, he said. It's a combination of not wanting to talk about sex with their doctor, not seeing a doctor at all, or doctors not asking patients if they are sexually active, he said.

"There was a great quote from the Institute of Medicine saying, 'It's easier to be sexually active than to talk about sex,' and I think that's true," Rosenthal said.

Frank doctor-patient conversations are all part of making sure that people take ownership and responsibility for their sexual health, he said. He added that it is important for patients to know that their health care provider understands not only their sexual health and activity, but also their sexual orientation and gender identity.

The findings were published online April 11 in the journal Pediatrics.

Explore further Teens, parents view provider sexual health discussions as important

More information: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on sexually transmitted infections Nicole Liddon et al, Annual STI Testing Among Sexually Active Adolescents, Pediatrics (2022). DOI: 10.1542/peds.2021-051893 Journal information: Pediatrics

 2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

We're all familiar with the classic "look" of a movie bad guy: peering through narrowing eyes with a sinister sneer (like countless James Bond villains, including Christopher Walken's memorable Max Zorin in A View to a Kill) or pumped up to cartoon-like dimensions (like the Soviet boxer Drago who growls "I must break you" to Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV).

Yet a detailed new study of identifying criminal suspects finds, to the authors' surprise, no bias toward selecting people with threatening facial characteristics or muscular bodies. The study does find, however, that suspects with highly muscled, "threatening" bodies are most accurately identified by eyewitnesses in line-ups.

'No systematic bias'

"These findings suggest that while no systematic bias exists in the recall of criminal bodies, the nature of the body itself and the context in which it is presented can significantly impact identification accuracy," says the research published in the journal Memory & Cognition. "Participant identification accuracy was highest for the most threatening body stimuli high in musculature."

Eyewitness testimony and the identification of suspects lies at the heart of the criminal justice system. In the absence of incriminating physical evidence, an eyewitness can be crucial in convincing a court of the defendant's guilt. Previous studies have revealed identification errors may be due to people finding it hard to recognize unfamiliar faces, as well as height and weight frequently being underestimated.

Computer-generated images varying in levels of threat

"Misidentification of innocent defendants plays a significant role in most cases of prisoners later exonerated through DNA evidence," says study co-author Magda Osman, Head of Research and Analysis at the Center for Science and Policy at Cambridge Judge Business School.

"Having a stereotypically 'criminal' or threatening appearance has long been established to be a disadvantage in the judicial system, both in terms of the likelihood of initially being arrested and in terms of courtroom sentencing," adds co-author Terence J. McElvaney of the Department of Biological and Experimental sychology, Queen Mary University of London.

"What we wanted to establish through this new research was whether some people are also more likely to be falsely identified as a criminal because they naturally have a more threatening appearanceand, contrary to our expectations, we found that this was not the case."

In three separate experiments, participants were first presented with either the outline of a violent crime, neutral information, or no background information. They were then shown a realistic computer-generated image of the male suspect (target) and asked to identify him from a selection of images (foils) that varied in facial threat or body muscle.

"Although this does not match the procedural experience of real eyewitnesses, this allowed us to explore the potential biasing effects of criminal context while maintaining tight control over the stimuli," the study explains. In some experiments a delay between witnessing the crime and trying to identify the suspect was simulated. All faces in the dataset were Caucasian and converted to greyscale.

Three experiments form basis of study

Around 200 hundred adults living in the UK took part in each of the three experiments:

Experiment 1

Participants were divided into two teams, with one group told the person they were about to see was involved in an armed robbery. The other group was told the aim of the experiment was to see how accurately they could identify unfamiliar people. The groups completed 20 trials in total, identifying a different suspect each time from a selection of faces and body shapes with blurred heads. In each case, the target image was shown for one second, followed by a blank screen for one second, followed by the line-up.

Experiment 2

This experiment introduced a distractor task adding a five-minute delay between participants seeing the target image for 30 seconds and trying to identify it. Contributors were divided into three categories. In the crime and neutral groups, they were presented with background information such as a shop robbery resulting in a murder, or someone purchasing a winning lottery ticket. The final group was told to study the person for later identification. Fixation dots and a random noise mark were also added to the start of each trial to break concentration. This time, faces or bodies were shown individually with those taking part responding Yes or No to the question: "Did that face/body EXACTLY match the one you previously studied?"

Experiment 3

Participants were again provided with a criminal context, neutral context, or no additional information. They were given 30 seconds to study the target, then following a distractor task lasting ten minutes, were asked to identify him from a line-up of bodies only, from which the perpetrator was missing.

Impact of stereotypes on memory

The authors expected that if no background context was provided, participants would not show any bias in recalling a body or a face. They hypothesized that more threatening faces and larger bodies would be selected when the perpetrator was presented in a criminal context, rather than in a neutral context, but this did not turn up in the findings.

Previous research suggests associating someone with a crime can distort their appearance in memory by automatically activating racial stereotypes linked to the crime being committed, such as a Caucasian stereotype being activated for crimes such as identity theft or embezzlement.

This new research found giving criminal background information about the suspects did not significantly influence participants' memory. "Participants viewing images of alleged violent criminals were no more likely to overestimate the facial threat or musculature of the target stimuli than those who studied the targets in empty or neutral contexts," the study says.

"These results suggest that, although errors of eyewitness identification can or do occur, they may not be driven by systematic biases related to how threatening a criminal is later recalled."

The authors identified several limitations in their study. These included the use of computer-generated still images rather than video footage. Although a delay was introduced in the process, it does not reflect the days or weeks experienced by real eyewitnesses, or difficulties presented by lighting or distance.

Crucially, due to the images used, all the conclusions are restricted to Caucasian defendants.

"Although it's possible participants didn't perceive the images to be of a particular race because they're computer generated, further research could use morphing software to produce photo-realistic facial images of different races that vary in perceived threat", says co-author Isabelle Mareschal, also of the Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London.

The study in Memory & Cognitionentitled "Identifying criminals: No biasing effect of criminal context on recalled threat"is co-authored by Terence J. McElvaney and Isabelle Mareschal, both of the Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London; and Magda Osman of the Center of Science and Policy, Cambridge Judge Business School.

More information: Terence J. McElvaney et al, Identifying criminals: No biasing effect of criminal context on recalled threat, Memory & Cognition (2022). Terence J. McElvaney et al, Identifying criminals: No biasing effect of criminal context on recalled threat,(2022). DOI: 10.3758/s13421-021-01268-w
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Researchers believe they may have found a way to strengthen possible treatments for glioblastoma and reduce the speed at which the aggressive tumor progresses.

Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor in adults, and because it is often resistant to treatment, the most fatal too.

But researchers at the University of Sussex have now provided some hope by demonstrating the potential impacts of differentiation therapy, which can effectively "switch off" the malignant properties of cancerous cells and limit tumor growth.

A new study published in the journal Oncogene suggests that an inhibitor drug that targets a particular cell protein could refine therapeutic strategies against glioblastoma, making them more effective.

Professor of Cancer Cell Signalling Georgios Giamas and doctoral researcher Rosemary Lane at the University of Sussex worked with researchers from Imperial College London; the Royal College of Surgeons and Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, Ireland; Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China; and Genentech and the University of Southern California, in the U.S.

Their research focused on differentiation therapy, a method in which malignant cells are "switched" into a more benign composition using drugs. The cells then divide and grow more slowly, limiting tumor growth.

Professor Georgios Giamas explained, "By slowing or limiting the growth of tumor cells, we essentially make glioblastoma an easier target for more conventional strategies, including surgery and chemotherapies."

In the study, the researchers tested different drugs that belong to a family of proteins called "kinases." They identified an inhibitor that targets a particular protein (PDGFR), and by altering the expression of downstream targets, it is able to switch glioblastoma cancer cells and glioblastoma cancer stem cells into neuronal-like cells and ultimately reduce their proliferation and invasion abilities.

Furthermore, through in-vivo studies, the team then showed that treatment with this particular drug improved the effect of temozolide (TMZ), the main chemotherapeutic drug used to treat brain cancers like glioblastoma.

Professor Giamas said, "New treatment options are urgently needed for glioblastoma, and over recent years, differentiation therapy has been proposed as an alternative bringing new hope to researchers, medical professionals and patients alike.

"We've not only identified a potential drug which limits the tumor growth by effectively 'switching off' their malignant characteristics, but also demonstrated an improved effect on an existing chemotherapeutic cancer drug.

"As a result, we believe that differentiation therapy holds great promise as a treatment option which could greatly benefit glioblastoma patients in the future and improve their quality of life during the treatment stages. But, as ever, more research is now needed to explore this area further."

Explore further Identification of PTPRZ as a drug target for cancer stem cells in glioblastoma

More information: Rosemary Lane et al, PDGF-R inhibition induces glioblastoma cell differentiation via DUSP1/p38MAPK signalling, Oncogene (2022). Journal information: Oncogene Rosemary Lane et al, PDGF-R inhibition induces glioblastoma cell differentiation via DUSP1/p38MAPK signalling,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02294-x
"God," Friedrich Nietzsche famously declared, "is dead."

God, it has been noted, made a similar yet more lasting pronouncement about Nietzsche.

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But before the German philosopher departed this mortal coil, he had some interesting things to say. Nietzsche argued that one of the most powerful forces in society was "ressentiment." Similar to the everyday word "resentment," ressentiment lay at the heart of new kinds of morality. In ancient times, nobility was associated with power. The downtrodden, the poor, the weak, the enslaved were ignoble.

The masses of have-nots, to use a more modern language, resented their plight for understandable reasons. But they were too weak to launch a real, armed revolution. Instead, the powerless resorted to a moral revolution, assaulting the concepts of nobility, goodness and morality and rendering them evil in the popular imagination.

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Wrote Nietzsche in his "Genealogy of Morals": "It was the Jews who, with awe-inspiring consistency, dared to invert the aristocratic value-equation (good = noble = powerful = beautiful = happy = beloved of God) and to hang on to the inversion with their teeth ..., saying 'the wretched alone are the good; the poor, impotent, lowly alone are the good; the suffering, deprived, sick, ugly alone are pious, alone are blessed by God ...'"

But if the Jewish prophets introduced the idea that success in this world was a sign of corruption and evil, the Christians perfected it, according to Nietzsche. "Christianity," he wrote, "was from the beginning, essentially and fundamentally, life's nausea and disgust with life, merely concealed behind, masked by, dressed up as, faith in 'another' or 'better' life."

Nietzsche wasn't a historian, but a literary philosopher. He didn't rely on many primary sources -- and it wouldn't have occurred to him to cite actual data of any kind. And he certainly had the devil's gift for quoting scripture. So one needn't agree with all he said, never mind take it as authoritative, to see that he was on to something about the cycles of civilizations. One can reject his writings completely while still acknowledging his impact on our society.

In 2015, our society is shot through with Nietzschean ressentiment. Today it is a great sin on college campuses -- and elsewhere! -- to make anyone other than the "privileged" feel uncomfortable, challenged or otherwise psychologically threatened by the use of the wrong words or concepts.

The University of California recently issued a set of guidelines about the terrible danger of "micro-aggressions" -- small, usually unintended slights that allegedly hurt the feelings of the newly anointed classes of victims. One must no longer say that America is a "melting pot," for to do so is to suggest that minorities should "assimilate to the dominant culture," according to the new moralists at the University of California.

And one mustn't say anything that advances "the Myth of Meritocracy." Saying "America is the land of opportunity" or "everyone can succeed in this society if they work hard enough" is now a form of bigotry.

Of course, the surest way to guarantee that America is not a meritocracy is to teach young people not only that it isn't one, but that it's evil to say it is, or should be, one.

Ressentiment is first and foremost the psychology of blame. It surveys the social landscape and blames the failures and hardships of the alleged have-nots on the successes of the haves. It is more than envy, which is a timeless human emotion -- and one of the seven deadly sins. It is a theory of morality that says the success of the successful is proof of their wickedness.

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Such is the allure of ressentiment today that it produces creatures like Rachel Dolezal, the blue-eyed white woman who had to invent an entire narrative around her stolen fictional identity as an oppressed black woman.

Such is the political power of ressentiment that Hillary Clinton, who earns in a one-hour speech five times what the average American makes in a year, feels compelled to campaign as a "champion" for all those who feel micro- (or macro-) aggressed by a system rigged by the very same institutions she is happy to shake down for donations. (When asked to explain the contradiction on "Fox News Sunday," a Clinton spokeswoman pointed to the fact that Clinton's mother had been downtrodden in her youth.)

When Nietzsche said "God is dead," he meant that there was no longer an ideal outside of ourselves to which we're all answerable. Everything was a contest of power and will. America isn't there yet, thank God. But it surely seems like that is where we are heading.

Jonah Goldberg is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior editor of National Review. His email is goldbergcolumn@gmail.com. Twitter: @JonahNRO.
Fully Adjusted Probability of Surviving From Age 25 to 65 Years by Wealth and Smoking. There were no deaths before age 30 years. The estimated survival curves are based on a model of age-specific mortality before age 65 years regressed on (A) wealth (in 4 categories) and (B) smoking history, controlling for all other potential confounders (ie, all covariates listed in eTable 2 in the Supplement; the model for wealth also includes education and occupational socioeconomic index, while the model for smoking includes the composite measure of overall socioeconomic status). All covariates except the specified variable (ie, wealth or smoking) are fixed at the mean for the sample. Credit: JAMA Network Open (2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.6547

Smoking dominates other factors, including amount of wealth, in shortening lifespan, reports a study by researchers at Georgetown University and the University of California, Riverside.

"Our results suggest that even if wealth has a causal effect on mortality, it cannot compete with the impact of smoking. If you want to live longer, you better avoid the cancer sticks," said corresponding author Dana Glei, a senior research investigator at Georgetown University's Center for Population and Health.

The new study finds that the percentage of Americans surviving from age 65 to 85 was 19 percentage points higher for someone with at least $300,000 in wealth than for those with no assets. But there was a 37 percentage point difference between those who never smoked and current smokers. Due to how the data was collected, wealth was measured in 1995 dollars. $300,000 is the equivalent of $558,000 today.

The wealth-related disparity in mortality was larger than the disparities by education, occupation, income, or childhood socioeconomic status. But smoking made the greatest difference among all factors.

"Our finding further confirmed that smoking shortens our lives and that abstaining from smoking might be cheaper and more effective for living longer," said Chioun Lee, an assistant professor of sociology at UC Riverside.

Glei, along with Lee and Maxine Weinstein, a professor at Georgetown University, used data from 6,320 participants in the Midlife in the United States, or MIDUS, study funded by the National Institute on Aging to examine the effects of childhood socioeconomic status, education, occupation, income, wealth, and smoking history on mortality for adults aged 2092 years old.

In fully adjusted modelswhich also controlled for age, sex, race, marital status, health insurance coverage, employment status, and numerous health-related measuresthe researchers found that wealth outpaced all other measures of socioeconomic status associated with living past age 65. Mortality declined at higher levels of wealth, but wealth above $500,000 (in 1995 dollars) yielded no further mortality benefit. This amount is the equivalent of more than $925,000 today.

"We already know having a good education, a well-paid job, and extra savings are critical factors that help us live longer and stay healthier. Among education, occupation, income, and wealth, we found that wealth seems to be most important for longevity. However, beyond a certain amount, additional wealth may not yield extra years of life," said Lee.

For smokers, however, the picture was much grimmer. Above age 65, the mortality rate among current smokers was three times higher than never-smokers. Former smokers had significantly lower mortality than current smokers, but slightly higher mortality than never-smokers.

"Health care practitioners cannot modify their patient's wealth, but they should continue to discourage smoking. Wealth may be associated with longevity, but just don't smoke," said Glei.

Explore further Americans with higher net worth at midlife tend to live longer

More information: Dana A. Glei et al, Assessment of Mortality Disparities by Wealth Relative to Other Measures of Socioeconomic Status Among US Adults, JAMA Network Open (2022). Journal information: JAMA Network Open Dana A. Glei et al, Assessment of Mortality Disparities by Wealth Relative to Other Measures of Socioeconomic Status Among US Adults,(2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.6547
Schematic of quarantine event sequence.Arriving travelers enter quarantine where they are subject to testing, isolation of detected infections, extension of quarantine for close contacts (i.e., family groups), and eventual discharge from quarantine. False-negative discharge tests lead to infected individuals entering the community. Tests are taken on days 3 and 12, with results on days 4 and 13. Isolation lasts for 10 days, after which the patient is discharged from quarantine. Quarantine extension lasts for 14 days and may be followed or interrupted by a 10-day isolation period, but multiple extensions are not implemented. Credit: Science Advances (2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm3624

A world-leading epidemiological simulation model to help improve future border quarantine practices for Australia and overseas has been developed by researchers at the University of Melbourne, the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and collaborating institutions.

The team of researcherswho advised the Federal Government on its National Plan to Transition Australia's National COVID Response last Augusthave published their model findings in the journal Sciences Advances.

The simulation model combines a detailed representation of person-to-person contact and virus transmission among both travelers and the quarantine workforce, with an accurate simulation of how infectiousness and virus testing accuracy varies over the course of a person's period of infection.

Researchers were able to include these factors into the simulation model by drawing on growing data from the operation of Australian hotel quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their inclusion can aid the design of quarantine systems to reduce the risk of virus transmission from infected arrivals in quarantine to the wider community.

Lead researchers Associate Professor Nic Geard and Dr. Cameron Zachreson, from the University's School of Computing and Information Systems (CIS), said the simulation model was developed to be adaptable and better calculate risks associated with various quarantine pathways including hotel quarantine, home quarantine and dedicated quarantine facilities such as the Victorian Quarantine Hub at Mickleham.

"We initially developed the simulation model in 2021 to help define effective quarantine pathways in the face of the Delta variant and the development of vaccines," Associate Professor Geard said.

"As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the simulation model will enable us to model how we could use quarantine facilities should more severe COVID-19 variants emerge.

The simulation model can also allow for variations in quarantine duration, testing frequency for both arriving travelers and quarantine workforce, and response to a positive test such as isolating potentially exposed members of a traveling group and extending quarantine duration.

Associate Professor Geard said that beyond COVID-19, the simulation model will enable governments and planners to make evidence-based decisions about the various forms of quarantine for future pandemic responses.

"It will allow public health decision makers to estimate the risk of quarantine breaches in the event of a pandemic, and aid in the design of a quarantine system that balances the benefits of reducing quarantine breach risk against the associated costs to individuals and the economy."

Dr. Zachreson said the simulation model can be quickly adapted for future pandemic outbreaks as early data becomes available from the international research community.

"Our epidemiological model is an important Australian contribution to the global community that will help us all to be better prepared for future pandemics," Dr. Zachreson said.

"We worked with experts in epidemiology, statistics and public health to ensure our model was accurately calibrated to current data on COVID-19 infectiousness, testing accuracy, vaccine effectiveness and the set-up and operation of quarantine facilities."

Explore further Research reveals impacts on hotel brands used for COVID quarantine

More information: Cameron Zachreson et al, COVID-19 in low-tolerance border quarantine systems: Impact of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, Science Advances (2022). Journal information: Science Advances Cameron Zachreson et al, COVID-19 in low-tolerance border quarantine systems: Impact of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm3624
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A Republican-authored bill to legalize medical marijuana in Wisconsin will be getting its first public hearing next week, achieving one goal of backers and the latest sign of progress for those who want to loosen the state's laws.

The bill won't become law this year because Legislature has adjourned and won't be back until 2023. But the April 20 Senate committee hearing on the medical marijuana bill will give supporters their highest profile chance to make the case for loosening Wisconsin's marijuana laws.

Thirty-seven states have legalized medical marijuana and 18 have fully legalized it, including Illinois and Michigan. Wisconsins other two neighbors, Iowa and Minnesota, allow medical marijuana.

I want to encourage every Wisconsinite who has an interest in this to come engage in the process, share your perspective, and learn about the bill, said the measure's sponsor, Republican Sen. Mary Felzkowski, of Tomahawk, in a statement Monday announcing the hearing.

Whether you think the bill goes too far, or not far enough, whats important is that we all come together to have an open, honest and respectful discussion about moving this idea forward, she said.

Felzkowski also chairs the Senate committee on insurance, licensing and forestry that will be holding the hearing. The Legislature's largest hearing room was reserved for the hearing.

Democratic Sen. Melissa Agard, the chief proponent for full legalization, said holding a hearing on the bill after the Legislature had adjourned was a cynical political ploy that gives people false hope about the prospects of this legislation."

Agard said she was encouraged that people will have a chance to testify, but she was disappointed it didn't happen while the Legislature was in session.

Sadly, Republicans are all talk and no action when it comes to legalization efforts in Wisconsin," she said.

This session in Wisconsin there were bills from Democrats and Republicans that would legalize medical marijuana, from Democrats that would also legalize it for recreational use, and a bipartisan measure that would decriminalize the possession of marijuana.

All of those measures died when the Republican-controlled Legislature adjourned its session in February.

But the hearing next week will bring new attention to the issue and perhaps provide momentum for next session. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has voiced support for medical marijuana, while Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu has said legalization is a federal issue.

Felzkowski introduced the same medical marijuana bill last session but it died without a hearing.

She has said the proposal was written in a limited way  it doesnt allow for smoking medical marijuana, for example  in order to gain support from Republican lawmakers. The Democratic medical marijuana bill would have allowed for smoking it.

Medicine is never one-size-fits-all, and its time for Wisconsin to have the conversation on adding this additional option which may help patients find the relief they need, Felzkowski said.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Mounting winds and sub-freezing temperatures are creeping into Missoula as winter holds its grip on western Montana.

Damaging winds whipped through northwest Montana on Monday, starting in Missoula and working their way up to the Canadian border. As of about 12:30 p.m. in Missoula, wind speeds were at 49 miles per hour, NWS Missoula meteorologist Ryan Leach said.

NorthWestern Energy started responding to calls of tree limbs down on power lines Monday afternoon around 3 p.m. No major outages were reported in Missoula as of Monday afternoon, NorthWestern Energy Public Relations Specialist JoDee Black said.

Black encouraged anyone who sees a downed line to report it to local authorities. Assume fallen lines are active and dangerous and stay away, she added.

Heavy snow was predicted to hit the Bitterroot Valley, but should largely avoid the Missoula area.

As of Monday afternoon, Hamilton had amassed 4 inches of snow, Leach said. The Bitterroot and Sapphire Mountains were estimated to get 8 to 10 inches of snowfall Monday into Tuesday morning. Lost Trail Pass and MacDonald Pass have an 80% chance of getting 8 inches or more. Lolo Pass and White Bird Hill Summit are estimated to get hit with 4 to 6 inches.

The Missoula Valley should avoid the brunt of the snowfall. Local meteorologists guessed Missoula wouldn't seen more than inch or so, Leach said.

He said wind speeds in Missoula were expected to decrease Monday night. Leach advised people to wear proper attire and layer up if they're planning to venture outside this week, saying temperatures in the 20s combined with wind threatens possible hypothermia.

Lows in Missoula are estimated to be in the teens on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The National Weather Service predicts temperatures in Missoula to shoot back up into the 40s later in the week, with no wind and a chance of snow in the forecast for Friday and Saturday.

The weather events are caused by a large, low-pressure system making its way along the Washington-Oregon border and into Idaho, Leach said.

Other parts of the state, including Helena, are expected to see more snow and frigid temperatures throughout the week. A Winter Storm Warning for Lewis and Clark and Jefferson counties is in effect until 6 a.m. on Wednesday. It predicts total snow accumulations between 5 and 10 inches across lower elevations in the area, and 10 to 20 inches in the mountains. High winds are expected as well.

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MILWAUKEE (AP)  Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson told backers at a recent event in Wisconsin that his plastics company benefitted from a key provision he pushed for in former President Donald Trump's tax bill in 2017, addressing a line of attack being made against him during his reelection bid.

Johnson made the comments in reaction to a question from an audience member at an event Friday in Medford, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday.

Johnson said that his company, Pacur LLC, some of his prominent donors and many other businesses benefitted from the small-business tax provision.

Now, did my business benefit? Sure. Did some of my donor businesses? Sure. When you give tax relief to everybody, everybody benefits, Johnson said. The Journal Sentinel posted audio of the interaction.

So they want to make it sound like I carved out some loophole for a couple of people," Johnson said in reference to attack ads on the issue. "What I did is I made sure that 95% of American businesses werent left behind in tax reform. Im really proud of that achievement.

Johnson is seeking a third term in November. Nearly a dozen Democrats are running for a chance to take him on in a seat that could determine majority control of the Senate.

ProPublica reported in August that the tax break Johnson championed resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in deductions to megadonors who funded his campaigns.

Johnsons campaign spokesman, Jake Wilkins, said the audio is exactly what Senator Johnson has said in public and private for years."

Despite strong opposition, he secured tax relief for more than 90% of U.S. businesses who benefited from it after it became law," Wilkins said. "It is a gross distortion to imply his tax cuts were a special deal for a few. His tax cuts benefited the many.

Johnson, in his comments at the Friday meeting, criticized the distorted attack ads that have run against him.

They said I doubled my wealth, he said. Thats true.

Johnson explained that after he got elected in 2010, he took all of his marketable securities and placed them in cash so that he would have no conflicts.

He said the reason his wealth doubled is that he sold his business.

I sat on cash, he said. Im still sitting on cash. I knew during the COVID recession that this was a good time to invest in the stock market. I didnt. I stayed invested in, Ive just got cash, OK.

He added: Im not asking anybody to feel sorry for me.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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The Montana State Hospital is set to lose its federal reimbursement funding on Tuesday after repeated failures to meet standard health and safety conditions, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a letter to the state on Friday.

The letter does not say how much money the state hospital will no longer receive once the federal government stops payment for services provided to Medicare and Medicaid patients.

There were 142 patients in the main hospital as of April 4, though it's not clear how many patients are insured by Medicare and Medicaid.

"It took many years for MSH to get to this point, and its going to take significant time to truly fix the problem," state health department director Adam Meier said in an emailed statement late Sunday. "DPHHS continues to reevaluate Montanas behavioral health system and ensure MSH is operating in a more productive, safe, efficient and effective manner.

In February, federal inspectors put the state hospital on immediate jeopardy status for patient safety issues, such as operating without an infection control plan while a COVID-19 outbreak whipped through the facility, killing three patients. The hospital was also cited for not preventing patient falls  one woman died Jan. 30 after suffering a hard fall from her wheelchair; it was the 13th time she had fallen in two months.

CMS had initially given the state hospital until March 13 to correct the issues that led to the immediate jeopardy designation, and, after the hospital had given assurances to meet those conditions, the federal agency gave the hospital an extension and additional conditions to meet. No date was ever assigned to the extension, but the concession was provided to the hospital due to its nature as a safety net for dementia patients who have no other place to go.

In March, hospital staff said a patient was life-flighted to a Missoula hospital after being attacked by another patient in one of the facilitys intake units. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, which oversees the state hospital, confirmed the attack had drawn federal inspectors back to the facility again for another inspection.

No further information has been released about the attack, and CMS made no mention of it in Fridays letter.

How much the Montana State Hospital relies on these federal reimbursement dollars to operate was not immediately clear Sunday. The hospital is already $7 million over budget, largely due to the paying inflated wages to contract staff to fill the gaps left by permanent workers, DPHHS said in March.

The state psychiatric hospital has been in anguish in recent months as long-term staff departed their careers in Warm Springs over dismal working conditions and what they referred to as an unresponsive hospital administration.

In an interview Sunday, Bernadette Franks-Ongoy, executive director of Disability Rights Montana, said her organization would do everything in its power to ensure patients who may have to relocate to other care settings due to the loss of funding at Montana State Hospital will get the help they need.

DRM is a federally mandated advocacy group.

I think the state had the opportunity to prevent this from happening, Franks-Ongoy said. I dont think they operated quick enough and in the best interest of the patients of the hospital and its employees.

Fridays letter included information for Montana State Hospital administration to assist with relocating patients. However, Franks-Ongoy said Sunday the letter does not explicitly tell the hospital to begin relocating patients.

DPHHS had sought and received applications for a contractor to move in and take over management of its facilities, with a focus on the state hospital. That contractor was originally intended to begin work in mid-February, although the state review process pushed the start date back. In a mid-March email, a department spokesperson said DPHHS had selected a vendor and the contract was being finalized.

"DPHHS has retained experts to address the immediate issues at MSH raised by CMS," Meier said in a statement. "These efforts are ongoing and the department is making considerable progress. MSH will also benefit from the outside expertise obtained through an (request for proposals from a contractor) to conduct a comprehensive assessment of all DPHHS-operated health care facilities and develop a strategic plan to enhance quality of care and improve operations."

An interim legislative panel that oversees the state hospital called an emergency meeting in February after the initial immediate jeopardy designations to request answers from the state on the hospitals situation. Lawmakers from both parties agreed to move forward with developing legislation to ease the burden at the hospital by finding community placements for dementia patients, whose acute needs have forced staff to develop care plans for a population that, by the hospitals own policy, were not meant to be housed there.

Rep. Mary Caferro, a Democrat from Helena on the committee, had also made a motion for the committee to issue a letter to Gov. Greg Gianforte's administration, urging his office to release additional funding from federal COVID aid to keep staff on board and to send in the National Guard to handle low-level work. Republicans, believing the administration would appropriately attend to the situation at the state hospital, voted against sending the letter, and the motion failed.

The Democrats have tried and tried and tried to get laser-focused on this issue, to use (American Rescue Plan Act) funds or any other funds possible to correct the problem and protect and keep the patients safe, Caferro said Sunday. Every step of the way we have run into roadblocks.

Meier said in Sunday's statement the administration was working "diligently" to address issues at the state hospital.

I want to be clear that our commitment to serving the patients at Montana State Hospital now and reforming the facility for future generations has never been stronger," Meier said. "The struggles at MSH have existed and remained unaddressed for far too long, spanning multiple governors. As I have said before, we must approach MSH comprehensively, strategically, and in a data-informed manner. There are no quick fixes for what MSH is currently facing."

Current and former employees began raising the alarm late last year about the conditions at the hospital, citing an unqualified and unresponsive workforce as the driver of the fast-moving staff exodus. Employees have attended legislative hearings in recent months to urge lawmakers to get involved before more patients and employees were injured due to low staffing levels.

Hope Hollingsworth is a traveling nurse who was one of the first to raise the alarm publicly about the state hospital administration and the working conditions there. She has since left the facility.

I do not find this development surprising, and I feel certain CMS did not arrive at this decision without thoroughly examining every alternative since MSH is a safety-net facility, Hollingsworth said in a text late Sunday. I remain optimistic, however, that this grim outcome was necessary to mobilize stakeholders to make the hospital a functioning and therapeutic facility the state can be proud of.

The letter noted payments may continue for 30 calendar days for patients admitted on or before April 11.

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When confronted with the immense pressure on our economy and health system during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of Montana temporarily waived over 130 regulations to boost health care system capacity and provide more flexibility in the private sector. Regulations waived included restrictions on access to telehealth, pharmacy technicians and even curbside alcohol pickup.

These short-term solutions during a period of crisis ended up having long-term benefits as lawmakers were able to identify and permanently repeal many old regulations that werent necessary to keep around anymore. In fact, Republican and Democrat legislators were unanimous in passing Rep. Rhonda Knudsens HB 43 last year, permanently repealing telehealth regulations waived in the pandemic.

The success of the flexible regulatory approach taken by Montanas government during the pandemic should be a model for what we can do next to unleash economic growth. Montana should join our neighbor states by creating a regulatory sandbox to fast-track innovative businesses with good ideas by waiving red tape standing in their way.

Montana has tens of thousands of regulations on the books, many enacted decades ago before anyone was even thinking about iPhones or the blockchain. These types of outdated regulations can crush entrepreneurs trying to launch innovative new products or services that dont fit into the established regulatory framework. Tech start-ups can wither and die when they wait years to get special permission to begin operating.

Thats where a regulatory sandbox comes in. Like the temporary waiver of regulations during the pandemic, a regulatory sandbox would create a mechanism to identify the unneeded regulations standing in the way and fast-track innovative businesses to the market.

Regulatory sandbox programs work like this: entrepreneurs apply to enter the sandbox and, if accepted, specific regulations are waived for a set period of time, say two or three years. Businesses in the sandbox program are free to test their innovative ideas in the market while still undergoing oversight to protect consumer health and safety.

Just like during the pandemic, a regulatory sandbox would give policymakers time to safely test and learn the effects of waiving certain regulations before deciding whether they should be reformed or repealed. This would be a perfect complement to the top to bottom review of regulations being done under Gov. Greg Gianfortes Red Tape Relief Initiative.

Coupled with Gianfortes commitment to keeping taxes on business low, the flexibility provided by a regulatory sandbox would act like a big Montana magnet for entrepreneurs fleeing places like California that are hostile to business.

Utahs regulatory sandbox for legal services has proven enormously successful in attracting businesses that would otherwise be prohibited by current regulations. Utahs sandbox is narrowing the access-to-justice gap by authorizing companies like Rasa, an app service helping to expunge the records of Utahns at a fraction of the cost of traditional legal services.

Cryptocurrency companies like River Financial are flocking to Hawaii where the states regulatory sandbox for financial technology has allowed flexibility on burdensome cash reserve requirements. Online banking companies like BrightFi are relocating to Arizona to participate in the states financial services sandbox.

Eleven states so far have adopted some form of regulatory sandboxes, including our neighbors Wyoming and South Dakota. Montana can maintain our regional economic edge by creating our own regulatory sandbox.

I believe Montana should be more than a destination state for remote workers and tourists. With a regulatory sandbox in place to fast-track innovation, our state could become a destination for business nationwide.

Kendall Cotton is president and CEO of the Frontier Institute, a think tank dedicated to breaking down government barriers so all Montanans can thrive.

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Donald Trump has long equated crowd size with success  reportedly even bragging of the size of the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to block the certification of the election and keep him in power.

GOP strategist Susan Del Percio said Trump is now falling short by that measure as his rally crowds decrease in size.

Thats what you saw there: a very shrinking base, she told MSNBCs Cori Coffin one day after Trump addressed a surprisingly sparse crowd in Selma, North Carolina.

Local newspaper The News & Observer reported that Trump spoke to about 1,000 to 2,000 people  a far cry from the 15,000 who turned out for him at the same venue in 2016.

Those crowds are getting smaller and people arent buying into it, mostly because Republicans want to move on. They dont want to talk about the Big Lie, Del Percio said in a clip posted by Raw Story, referring to the inaccurate talking point that Democrats stole the 2020 presidential election from Trump. The people of this country dont want to hear about it anymore.

The Selma event was the second in recent weeks marked by low turnout. In late March, the former president spoke at a rally in Georgia to a crowd local media called the smallest he has had in the area since the 2016 election.

Del Percio called it a sign that rank-and-file Republicans want to move on.

Theyre done with Donald Trump and his lies except for a small group that we see there, she said.

See her full comments from MSNBC, posted by Raw Story, below:

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

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The History Museum of Burke County will welcome Ed Phillips, CEO of the Burke County Tourism Development Authority, who will give a presentation at 10 a.m. Thursday at the museum as part of is Coffee at the Museum series.

Phillips said he will discuss the upcoming Last of the Mohicans reunion and festival scheduled to take place Saturday, May 14, on the grounds of the historic Burke County courthouse, as well as the importance of film-induced tourism in the area. He also will provide an update on Burke Countys tourism economy.

Phillips, a graduate of Western Carolina University, has 34 years of experience in tourism marketing, his biography posted at discoverburkecounty.com says. He is the former owner of Granite Communications, a destination marketing company that served tourism clients all across North Carolina. He is a former president of the North Carolina Travel Industry Association and is a member of the North Carolina Travel and Tourism Board. He has served as CEO of the countys Tourism Development Authority since 2010.

Ed brings a wealth of practical experience to the Burke TDA, including printing, publishing, photography and creative travel writing, the biography reads.

The presentation is free and open to the community. Refreshments will be served. All COVID-19 safety protocols will be observed.

For information, call the museum at 828-437-1777.

Staff writer Tammie Gercken can be reached at tgercken@morganton.com.
In this June 28, 2020 file photo, armed homeowners Mark and Patricia McCloskey, stand in front their house confronting protesters marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's house in the Central West End of St. Louis. The McCloskeys were last year pardoned by Missouri's Republican governor on assault and harassment charges. (Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP, File) (Laurie Skrivan/AP)

Henry Farkas letter blaming Republicans for the gun problem is correct although I might add three other reasons (Fighting crime requires fewer guns, not more endorsements, April 4). First, the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in District of Columbia v. Heller in 2008 was in error because it ignored the militia clause. In 1783, the U.S. didnt have a standing army so citizens were needed to be proficient in the use of firearms in case they were called up for national defense. That is obviously no longer the case.

Second, no less a conservative than the late Antonin Scalia stated in Heller that Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited. [It is] not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose. Republicans have consistently ignored this and have opposed all gun safety measures regardless of how slight.

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Finally, Republican support for gun ownership in virtually all cases has resulted in a proliferation of guns, many of which inevitably fall into the hands of people who should not have them. For example, in Tennessee, unlimited ownership of guns and people carrying them in their cars has resulted in a large number of them being stolen and used for nefarious purposes.

The flood of guns onto the market and falling into the hands of miscreants should be laid squarely on the shoulders of the Republicans who support the right of every American to own one regardless of their need to.

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 Alan L. Katz, Owings Mills

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Two women shot in family quarrel

An apparent family quarrel erupted into bloodshed along a narrow back road of Glen Alpine on Tuesday evening.

Deputies with the Burke County Sheriffs Office responded to a call about a shooting at a house in the Reeps Junction section of the town and found that Elsie Mae Crisp and her mother, Louise March, had been shot. The alleged shooter, Crisps husband, Alfred Crisp, was nowhere to be found. The only witnesses to the crime were those involved.

Neither of the women was in a condition to make a statement to police. Mrs. Crisp was taken to Grace Hospital to have surgery after being shot in the back. March was treated for a gunshot wound to the left arm.

Deputies deployed a K-9 officer to track the fugitive shooter. A neighbor had reported seeing Mr. Crisp running across a field across the street from his home, heading for the woods carrying a shotgun and a pistol. After searching for two hours with no results, they called the search off. Crisp turned himself in the next day.

Burke County makes Earth Day official

The Burke County Board of Commissioners signed a resolution at its meeting Tuesday making Earth Day official in Burke County.

The resolution designates April 16-22 Earth Week and April 21 Earth Day so that all may participate in an effort to make Burke County a cleaner, more attractive and more healthful place to live.

The resolution noted the reason it was passed by the board: There exists in Burke County much waste matter, trash, garbage and other foreign and deleterious matter, which is harmful to the senses, to the health and to the general welfare of the people in Burke County.

Gwen Eller, a biology professor at Western Piedmont Community College and faculty advisor for the SCARED (Students Concerned About Rapid Environmental Degradation) group at the college, received the resolution from commissioners.

Glen Alpine native rescues abandoned baby

Donna Marie Crabtree Onishi of Glen Alpine was hoping to make her adopted son, Joseph Isamu, nicknamed Sammy, an official member of the family in federal court in Asheville on Tuesday after she rescued him as an abandoned infant in Japan.

Onishi shared how she met her husband, Kenzo Onishi of Japan, at First Baptist Church of Glen Alpine. They married the following year and moved to Los Angeles, where Kenzo worked at an advertising agency and Donna worked as a loan officer at a bank.

She was seven months pregnant with their first baby when the couple traveled to Japan in 1969 to visit Kenzos family. Donnas doctor had told her three weeks before the trip that the baby would not live because it had a defective heart valve.

Donna delivered the baby in an apartment in Ehime, Japan, attended by one of Kenzos relatives, who was a midwife. As predicted, the baby died immediately. Curiously, a few hours later, she heard a baby crying outside. She opened the door to the apartment and found a newborn baby boy abandoned on her doorstep.

He had nothing on, Donna said. He wasnt even wrapped in a blanket. He was just lying on the floor.

She took the baby in and hired an investigator to try and find the babys relatives, with no success. Her husband objected to adopting Joseph, but Donna insisted, given that most orphans in Japan at the time did not get adopted. They were his best and probably only chance to live a good life.

Following Josephs adoption in Japan, the Onishis returned to Los Angeles and had a son later in 1969 and a daughter in 1970 before separating due to irreconcilable differences. While waiting for her divorce to be finalized, Donna returned with all three children to her parents home in Glen Alpine, where her parents help to care for the children while she works in the inventory department at Inmont.

Police called to pick up litter

Residents of Riverside Drive called the Morganton Police Department to clean up after someone who took a stack of Charlotte Observer editions tied in bundles in the parking lot of First Baptist Church Sunday and scattered them all along Riverside Drive.

The city department of sanitation was contacted before police, but a department representative told callers that sanitation workers dont work on Sundays. Officers completely filled the bed of a pickup truck with the papers they retrieved from the road before they were called to Vine Arden Road to pick up another stack of newspapers strewn about. No suspect has been identified in either incident.

Police chief grounded

Bill Lippard, chief of the Drexel Police Department, was grounded Monday when the Drexel board of aldermen decided at its meeting to uphold a decision by Drexel Mayor Glenn Murphy that the chiefs patrol car was to remain in the town hall parking lot when not in use on official police business.

Murphy made the decision after receiving numerous complaints about Lippard driving to and from work in the car, and the car remaining at Lippards home when he was not using it, making one less car available to respond to emergencies. Lippard said he lives less than a mile from the police station.

I didnt know it would cause this kind of trouble, he said.

Some of the aldermen showed reluctance concerning the decision and questioned the validity of the complaints, especially since those who made the complaints refused to appear before the board. Herman Powell, Drexel town manager, suggested providing Lippard with a second squad car and placing both cars on a 24-hour rotation. When asked if Lippards present car would be in good enough condition to use on a rotation basis, officer Terry Yount replied, You cant drive it from here across the street, hardly.

Since Murphys decision, Lippard has had a department employee working third shift drive him to his home and then pick him up for work.

This article is sponsored by the History Museum of Burke County, where the archives of The News Herald are stored.
Drivers suffered through almost daily hikes in gas prices when the war in Ukraine began. In the early weeks of the war oil prices jumped almost 25%. Then for a few days afterward there was a pullback, with oil prices falling over 20%. But during the same time period gas prices at the pump continued to rise, increasing both when oil prices rose as well as when oil prices dropped. It wasnt until a week after oil prices fell that pump prices also took a dip.

This situation has been dubbed the rockets and feathers of gas prices. The analogy means gas prices jump quickly like rockets when oil prices rise, but gas prices fall slowly like feathers when oil prices drop.

Indeed, one study found gas prices fall twice as slowly as they rise after a major change in oil prices. This means, for example, if it took four weeks for gas prices per gallon to increase 25 cents, it would take them eight weeks to fall 25 cents once oil prices returned to their starting level.

This pattern seems totally unfair to drivers  indeed, it likely seems unfair even to people who dont drive. When the price of oil increases, fair people would expect the price of gasoline to also increase because gas is derived from oil. People may not like the fact the price of gasoline rose, but they understand it.

But fair people would expect the same to occur when oil prices dropped. They would expect gas prices to also fall just as fast as they rose when oil prices rose.

This controversy about oil prices and gas prices isnt new. When I joined the North Carolina State University faculty in the late 1970s, the same issue was a hot topic in the media.

So, whats the answer to the gas price puzzle? There are several potential explanations.

One is collusion. This means gas station owners get together and agree to only slowly reduce the price when their costs fall. However, for this theory to be accurate, owners would need to cooperate and coordinate their pricing. But since there are over 14,000 gas station outlets in the country, with no single company controlling more than 5% of the market, collusion between owners to keep prices high is unlikely the answer. For collusion to be effective, it requires a handful of companies, not thousands.

Another possible explanation is that gas station owners worry that when the wholesale price of gas they pay drops, there is no assurance the price wont again rise, especially in a volatile period like the one we are experiencing. Hence, owners wait until they see a trend in oil prices. Their reasoning is that customer relations will be better if the higher price is kept for a while until the downward price trend is confirmed, versus immediately lowering the price but then being forced to quickly raise it again if oil prices go back up.

While the above story is plausible, many economists think there is a better explanation for the up like a rocket but down like a feather pattern of gas prices. Interestingly, the explanation is based on how drivers react to changes in gas prices.

While some drivers consistently shop around for the lowest gas price, most buy gas at one or maybe a couple of gas stations. They might be stations close to their homes or on a route to work or school. Even if we could save a penny or two per gallon by buying at another station, we know that some of those savings will be eaten up by driving to the less convenient station. Theres also the matter of the value of our time to find the lowest gas price.

But, when gas prices rise, more drivers shop for the lowest gas price in their area. With gas costs taking a bigger chunk of their income, drivers are motivated to seek any savings they can. The use of gas price apps increases and local news programs regularly report on the locations of the lowest gas prices.

The opposite behavior occurs when gas prices drop. Fewer drivers shop for the lowest price. One reason is they are just happy to see prices fall.

Sellers of gasoline know these behaviors. When oil prices drop, station owners will cut their gas price, but more slowly. Why? Because they know fewer drivers will shop for the lowest price. Instead, drivers will be relieved prices are finally dropping, and hence they feel less motivation to look around for the lowest price. Gas station owners will take advantage of this behavior to earn a little more as prices slowly fall. Gas prices will eventually decrease as much as oil prices; it just takes longer.

While this explanation may currently explain the up like a rocket and down like a feather pattern of gas prices, my prediction is it wont last. Why? Technology is the reason. More drivers will use apps that will not only search for the lowest gas price in the area, but will also calculate the benefits and costs to the driver of buying gas at alternative stations. Will these apps make drivers permanent shoppers. You decide.

Dr. Mike Walden is a William Neal Reynolds distinguished professor emeritus at N.C. State University.
Dr. James Patterson took in an hour of his 99th birthday on a bench wrapped in a thick orange blanket with friends and family and well-wishers gathered round and the town hes loved and called home for decades as the backdrop.

Others were dressed for the occasion, too.

Theres something about April in Butte that makes its cold, blustery days seem even colder, especially when they follow a spell of nice weather thats still weeks away from sticking around.

Almighty God, Father Patrick Beretta said in an opening prayer, looking to the overcast skies, we give you thanks for the gift of this beautiful spring day.

Catching himself, he looked around at the shivering souls in their winter coats or heavy jackets and said, I wrote this yesterday.

Everyone laughed, of course, and the Father picked up with the prayer.

And we give you thanks for the gift of Dr. Patterson, his career, his skills, his wisdom, dedication, love of people, he said. As a physician, Dear God, Dr. Patterson became your healing hands. He practiced medicine with a soul. He has the soul of a true healer.

Dozens were on hand Saturday afternoon as the Rotary Club of Butte dedicated a bench at the Maud S Canyon trailhead in honor of Patterson and his late wife, Meryl. The bench faces the East Ridge but a quick turnaround offers a sprawling view of Butte.

Patterson and Meryl came to Butte in 1957 and hes has been a part of Butte Rotary and its community contributions for 34 years. The club formed the East Ridge Foundation in 1984 to help conserve the Maud S Canyon and it now owns and preserves open lands in the area for public use.

Doc really emulates one of our tenets at Rotary which is service above self, said Butte Rotary President Joe McBride.

Patterson went to work as an internist at the Murray Clinic after coming to Butte. He and other physicians there eventually pooled enough money to build offices that are now near St. James Healthcare. He practiced until 1984 but his contributions continue to this day.

He and Meryl set up a charitable trust that grew over the years and in 2018, St. James announced that Patterson had made a generous donation to the hospitals foundation. The money was used to establish a Greatest Need Endowment supporting new programs and equipment.

He has also provided scholarship money to help nursing students at Montana Technological University and has offered guidance at Techs nursing simulation center.

St. James President Jay Doyle spoke briefly at Saturdays ceremony, as did Kacie Bartholomew, director of development at the St. James Foundation, and Janet Coe, director of nursing simulation at Tech.

J.P. Gallagher, Butte-Silver Bows chief executive, read a proclamation in Pattersons honor, noting his service as a doctor in the Korean War, his contributions to Butte, his 65 years of marriage to Meryl and, of course, his 99th birthday. Meryl died in 2013.

Longtime Butte physician John Jacobson also spoke, saying that he and his late wife, Judy Jacobson, had dinner with the Pattersons during a visit to Butte before deciding to move here in 1973.

Dr. Patterson was essentially the dean of us who were in internal medicine, Jacobson said before sitting on the bench beside Patterson. He set the standards and we tried to follow and I think we did a pretty good job, but he was the man.

Patterson was gracious throughout, thanking each person after they spoke. When asked afterwards how he felt about the ceremony, he first said, Speechless.

Then he added a few words.

Im just so thankful for Butte and everything, he said. Its been a wonderful town. You know, when I moved here they said, Why did you move to Butte? Well, anyone who lives here knows why.

Its a friendly town and if you want to join them, they welcome you. And if you dont, they dont care. Its a wonderful place to live.

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Police reports:

Wanted: Red Dodge Avenger

On a tip and request from police in Helena, Butte officers were on the lookout for a stolen red Dodge Avenger in the Mile High City this weekend.

They spotted one around 5 a.m. Sunday in the parking lot of Lucky Lils Casino on Dewey Boulevard with 25-year-old Anyssa Marie Burch behind the wheel. Shes from Helena, so was the Dodge, but they didnt belong together.

Police confirmed the car was indeed stolen and arrested Burch for buying or possessing stolen property, a felony if charged.

Felony horseshoe tossing

A Butte woman grabbed a decorative, wall-hanging horseshoe, threw it at a man she was arguing with and hit him in the arm before police were called.

Officers say when they got to the house in the 600 block of Colorado Street just before 8 p.m. Sunday, 36-year-old Kalene Jean Bowser tried to kick them before they could get in her in a patrol car. They managed and when they got to the jail, she was booked on complaints of felony assault with a weapon and misdemeanor resisting arrest.

Police arent sure what set her off to begin with but she was still in jail as of early Monday afternoon.

Felony parking

An officer was doing a standard drive-through of the parking garage on West Park Street early Monday morning and saw two men sleeping inside a tan 2001 Chevy Silverado pickup.

A check on the vehicle showed it was stolen so the man behind the wheel, Levi Jacob Edward Gordon, 22, of Butte was arrested for felony motor vehicle theft. It was clear the ignition switch had been tampered with, police said.

Back in Butte

A man from Alabama wanted for a domestic incident that happened in Butte was arrested in Missoula County and on Friday was sent back to Butte and jailed.

Police say 39-year-old David Jack Bost of Trinity, Alabama was wanted for allegedly strangling a woman and not allowing her to leave one day in March. He wasnt located immediately so a warrant for his arrest was issued.

He was booked into the Butte jail early Friday afternoon on a felony complaint of partner-family member assault by strangulation and misdemeanor unlawful restraint.

Passed out

Police say 36-year-old Robert Lawrence Kostrzewa was passed out on a sidewalk in the 500 block of South Idaho Street Friday afternoon and they tried to wake him several times so he would move along.

Paramedics were called to check on him and he was ultimately arrested for misdemeanor failure to disperse. But police say he was jailed primarily to protect him from harm by himself or others.

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The behavioral health resources in Butte-Silver Bow are trying to better support people in the community struggling with behavioral health, from grants to events for mental health awareness month.

St. James Healthcare received two grants that address mental health in and around Butte-Silver Bow, one of which wrapped up in March, the other which started in October.

Behavioral Health System Crisis Redesign grant

The former, called the Behavioral Health System Crisis Redesign grant, was awarded to St. James in 2019 for $34,200. The money was used by the newly formed Butte-Silver Bow Alliance for Improved Mental Health and Wellbeing to hire Bozeman-based firm JG Research and Evaluation to conduct an in-depth analysis of different mental health resources in Butte-Silver Bow, including Emergency Medical Services, St. James, as well as Community, Counseling, and Correctional Services, Inc., and a host of others.

The final report looks at the crisis response system between 2019 and 2020.

Its really a road map for what the Crisis Response System in the community should look like, said Scott Malloy, program director at the Montana Healthcare Foundation, which awarded the grant.

Malloy said the grant was awarded right before COVID-19 hit, and really evolved with the pandemic. He explained although St. James is the funded partner and backbone of the grant, the planning and redesign of the crisis system was handled by many players in the Butte-Silver Bow mental health field, such as CCCS.

Part of the goal of the analysis is to move Butte-Silver Bow to the Crisis Now model of mental health intervention, Malloy said.

He said the Crisis Now model is comprised of four legs. The first leg, early intervention, involves a help line, or somewhere someone experiencing a crisis can call without needing face-to-face intervention, he said.

The second leg, response, involves having a mobile crisis response team that can come to people experiencing a crisis rather than that person having to travel to receive care. The third leg, stabilization, requires a stabilization place, Malloy said.

Prevention, the fourth leg, is recovery and peer support.

Problems and possible solutions

The analysis found: the available mental health resources in Butte-Silver Bow dont know about each other, there arent a lot of early intervention services for mental health in the area, and, although there are lots of resources that offer preventative care, they are under-staffed, according to Kathy Dunks, the Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health Systems program coordinator at Butte CCCS.

Each mental health resource in Butte-Silver Bow offers one or more of the different legs of the Crisis Now model, but its important for one resource to know what other resources are available in the community to be able to effectively refer patients to the help they need, according to Dunks.

Collaboration of all the services is huge, she said.

Of all the behavioral health services Butte-Silver Bow has to offer, the only one that could be included in the research under the umbrella of early intervention was the Montana 211 call center through the Help Center, Voices of Hope and Missoula 211. Examples of early intervention resources are crisis response telephone lines, a same-day access program and a drop-in center, according to the report.

Another resource, the 988 line, should be operational by July 16, 2022, according to the National Alliance for Mental Health, and will add to the areas early-intervention services. The 988 line was designated by the Federal Communications Commission as a nationwide mental health crisis and suicide prevention line.

The overarching goal of the Crisis Now model is that people experiencing a mental health crisis will have somewhere to go other than the emergency room. Malloy said although the emergency room is the highest level of care, it isnt necessarily equipped to help people with mental health emergencies.

The St. James Emergency Department is heavily relied on for immediate stabilization of people experiencing mental health emergencies, according to the Butte-Silver Bow Crisis System Analysis.

After a patient goes to the emergency room, they can choose to utilize voluntary inpatient services for stabilization. Montana State Hospital, which has been struggling with inadequate staffing, is one of the places available for this.

Soon after St. James was awarded the grant, the county reached out to CCCS CEO Mike Thatcher to ask if he would take on the contract for a Crisis Response Team and Mobile Response Unit, Dunks said. He brought Dunks out of retirement to head it up and hire a team, which shes been doing since May 2020.

The response team employs two full-time and a few on-call response workers who service various places in the county, such as the Southwest Montana Community Health Center, Southwest Montana Veterans Home, and more.

Malloy said the Crisis Now model would like to see the mobile Crisis Response Team expanded, which Dunks said is a topic of upcoming discussion.

Dunks said the recent incident at Montana State Hospital has been hard both on her team and the people theyve referred there.

A lot of really super-sick people we refer there tell us Please dont send us there, were afraid well get hurt. Dunks said. Its been really hard on my team, because both people hurt in the last incident were committed by my team.

She also said the understaffing at Montana State Hospital is a large part of the problem, and that the recent incidents there arent a reflection of the quality of the staff, just a reflection of a staff stretched thin.

Dunks said as of now, there arent any available beds in any adult mental health in-patient programs in the state, which makes stabilization placement for patients in crisis more difficult.

Preventative mental health resources, like Western Montana Mental Health Center, AWARE, CCCS and Southwest Montana Addiction, Recovery and Treatment, are also understaffed, Dunks said. She said one way to solve the understaffing would be for these organizations to take better care of their staff. She also said preventative care in Butte-Silver Bow would be stronger if there was more case management to ensure patients stay on their meds and make their doctor appointments.

In order to have a better flow of mental health resources for patients, Malloy said another big step Butte-Silver Bow has taken is posting for a behavioral health coordinator, which will be fundamental in making sure the components for the crisis system redesign are seen through to finish.

Whats really exciting is the community of Butte-Silver Bow is driving these changes, Malloy said.

Mary Windecker, executive director at the Behavioral Health Alliance of Montana said the agency received money from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to look into implementing Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics in Montana, in partnership with the Montana Department of Corrections and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

CCBHCs have been implemented in several other states, Windecker said, and could be particularly helpful to rural areas in Montana because CCBHCs follow the same reimbursement model as federally qualified health centers.

Whereas now, mental health services can only bill for the cost of service, CCBHCs bill for the cost of service, the costs of receptionists, and travel costs for mental health professionals treating patients in rural areas, much like doctors can. This would make mental health services a lot more accessible, especially to people in rural areas, Windecker said.

The implementation of CCBHCs in Montana is still in the vetting process, and it will be at least a couple of years before they would become a reality, which could be helpful for the Crisis Response System in the state.

Rural Community Opioid Response Program Implementation Grant

St. James Healthcare was awarded a $1 million grant from the Health Resources Services Administration's Federal Office for Rural Communities Opioid Response Programs in October.

The Rural Community Opioid Response Program Implementation grant, will be used to conduct needs assessments and develop plans, including prevention, treatment, and recovery interventions for opioid use disorder in several organizations in Silver Bow, Deer Lodge, Beaverhead, Madison, and Jefferson counties, according to a press release from SCL Health published in October.

Katie Tiernan, the executive director of community impact for SCL Health, said the grant has a focus on pregnant and parenting women struggling with opioid addiction, but other people struggling with other addictions should feel welcome to utilize the services that will become available because of the grant money.

Tiernan said the seed for SCL Health applying for this grant was the Meadowlark Initiative, a two-year grant St. James Healthcare got approved for in 2018. The Meadowlark Initiative awarded the hospital $150,000 to implement routine screenings and treatment for substance use disorders as part of pregnancy and post-partum care.

It was really very eye-opening, Tiernan said. She explained pregnant and parenting women who struggle with addiction are hesitant to open up because theres a big stigma surrounding them. Theyre afraid to reach out, afraid to be judged, afraid their kids will be taken away, so we want them to have a safe place.

Much like the Behavioral Health System Crisis Redesign grant, St. James is just one of many organizations in the area working in partnership on the grant.

Tiernan said the grant will run for three years.

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Butte-Silver Bows Behavioral Health Local Advisory Council is holding both a conference and fair centering on behavioral health awareness for Mental Health Month in May. The theme of both is Circle of Life. Circle of life is the chosen theme because mental health affects people of all ages, said the LACs secretary Demetrius Fassas.

The fair, which will be at the Butte Plaza Mall on May 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., is open to the public, and the conference, which will be May 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., is geared toward behavioral health professionals.

It will feature a variety of mental health providers like Butte 4-Cs and Action, Inc., with booths that people can visit to get more information or to sign up for initial services.

Its a good way to hook people up with services and let them know what we offer, said the LACs chair of Mental Health Month, Annie Boucher.

The fair will also feature a stage where people who struggled with mental health in the past can share their stories, he said.

Its a stigma-reducing event, Fassas said of the fair. Its an open space for people to talk about things they were previously uncomfortable talking about.

There are limited spots at the conference, and registration is open for mental health professionals who would like to attend the event. The lineup of presentations includes a wide variety of mental health-related topics, such as perinatal mood, behavioral health and peer support, adult mental health, teens in crisis, aging and mental health, grief and more.

Fassas said the goal of the conference is to show different mental health providers what other mental health resources are available so there can be a better flow of resources for people seeking help with their mental health.

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As drought looms again, Montanans were justifiably shocked when a recent article reminded us that Governor Gianforte stopped the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks from enforcing its instream flow water rights on the nationally famous Smith River as well as the Shields River last year. Thanks to the right to know provision in Montanas Constitution, reporters got the documents  and they reveal that the governor betrayed both his Bible-sworn Oath of Office to uphold the Montana Constitution as well as the Public Trust Doctrine, in which he serves as trustee to preserve our publicly-owned rivers and their world-renowned wild trout fisheries.

To make a long and complex story much shorter, Montana allocates water rights based on the Doctrine of Prior Appropriation  which means those who divert water from rivers, lakes, and streams for beneficial uses have rights to the water that are prioritized as first in time, first in right. Simply put, those who claimed their rights first have senior rights to the junior rights that were claimed later.

Its no secret that Montanas rivers, like most of the West, are over-appropriated  meaning more water rights have been claimed than there is water in the river. During the severe drought that gripped the state last year and has worsened this year, the senior water rights holders can put a call on their rights and legally require upstream junior users to cease diversion until the senior rights are fulfilled.

For many years the concept of holding water rights for instream flows  to protect the health of the river, aquatic ecosystems, fish and recreation  were not legally recognized. But in 1969 Montana filed Murphy Rights that gave the state allocations on 12 major rivers, including the Smith. While these rights are junior compared to many of the water rights filed in the 1800s, they nonetheless are senior to the water rights filed after that time  of which there are 82 on the Smith and 44 on the Shields rivers.

When the flows on the Smith and Shields dropped due to lack of runoff from low mountain snowpack, Fish, Wildlife and Parks did what the agency should have done  prepared to put a call on its instream flow water rights to preserve the rivers, their fisheries and ecosystems.

But before that happened, Gianforte stepped in and ordered the agency to halt. In effect, the governor unilaterally decided to forego both his and the states responsibility to preserve the publics rivers in a stunning dereliction of duty and betrayal of the states Constitutional mandate that: The state and each person shall maintain and improve a clean and healthful environment in Montana for present and future generations. (Art. IX, Sec. 1)

Obviously, a river with little or no water in it is neither clean nor healthful. When rivers are dewatered the effects are significant. Low flows and high temperatures force smaller fish into the deeper holes where they are summarily eaten by the larger fish they would normally avoid by remaining in shallow water and side-channels. When flows fall even further and water temperatures exceed the tolerance of cold-water fish like trout, the big fish die, too.

It takes a black heart to knowingly sign a death warrant on a Montana trout stream as Gianforte did. But then again, this is a guy who shoots trapped, treed, and collared Yellowstone National Park research wildlife...so whats a few fish, ehh?

Last year was brutal on Montanas prized wild trout rivers and this year promises to be even worse  especially with a governor who so willingly betrays his public trust and constitutional responsibilities.

George Ochenski writes from Helena. His column appears each Monday on the Missoulian's opinion page.

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Way back in 2004, the Billings School Board changed its policy to bar anyone over age 19 by Sept. 10 from enrolling. No exceptions.

Enter Emily Pennington. A charismatic West High cheerleader with Down Syndrome, shell turn 19 before next year, her senior year. She wants desperately to graduate with her class. Illness delayed her initial enrollment. A bill passed in the last legislative session, HB 233, offers funding that would assume a bit of the cost. But to let Emily continue her education, the board must change its policy.

Emilys parents want that change. Confidentiality requirements preclude us from knowing the school districts side of the story, but according to the Penningtons, after months of being stonewalled, they deployed a scorched earth strategy to rally community support. It worked. The problem, of course, with scorching the earth is that it tends to set peoples hair on fire and the ensuing discussions generate more heat than light. So it proved on March 31, when the school board met to explain the ramifications of changing the policy and hear from the Penningtons and the public.

A protest rally preceded the meeting, which may explain why the ambiance felt more like a Cat-Griz game than a public meeting. Jeering and cheering started early and continued throughout. The superintendent was shouted over and at whenever he spoke. Superintendent of Public Instruction Arntzen assumed a respectful tone but fanned the flames of suspicion by urging the board to approach this issue with full transparency.

(Had Arntzen been fully transparent herself, she would have disclosed that when this issue came to her as a legislator, she voted against it. When it came to her on the School Funding Commission, she opposed taking action on it or even publicizing it. And although she claimed at this meeting that her office puts special ed first, the once bustling, engaged division of special education is now understaffed, swamped and unresponsive.)

No matter. Fires were already blazing and the central issue went up in smoke. Speaker after speaker rose to vilify, patronize, and ridicule the board. Yet the board chair ran the meeting with unflinching graciousness.

Not all comments were mean. Emilys classmates were terrific. Many parents gave heartfelt testimony about the struggles theyve faced navigating the special needs world with district professionals who seem unresponsive, dug-in. Important to know. The board listened.

One of the last commenters was a young man whod just been passing by, saw the fomenting outside, came in, watched the board-pummeling in progress and just had to pile on with the nothing he knew. Not exactly our right-to-participates finest hour.

Last week the board met again to take action. It was something to see. For weeks these nine people have been subjected to everything from defamation to death threats. Theyve returned home from meetings completely sapped, only to face more vitriol online. Yet that night they put all that aside to have a thoughtful discussion about how to serve not just Emily, but all students who need a little more time to get to the finish line.

They discussed several options on the agenda, ultimately settling on one that wasnt. (Its not a perfect solution. There is no perfect solution.) They clearly hoped to adopt the change at once, suspending their usual process. That requires a unanimous vote. In a board interaction that impressed me from start to finish, the next moment impressed me most. One trustee, no less battered than the rest, had the courage to vote no.

She was right to do that. Its a big change. The district hasnt identified the likely ramifications and the public hasnt had the opportunity to comment. Lets hope when that opportunity comes, people show up to build, not to burn.

I attended those meetings online because I support letting Emily and countless other kids graduate. I left both horrified at the figurative Mariupol scorching the earth risks. I keep thinking of Emilys classmates telling the board how much they want to share the halls with her next year and walk alongside her at commencement. Montanas public schools dont just serve a community. They create one. Dont risk that. Its the homefire you keep burning.

Mary Sheehy Moe retired as Deputy Commissioner of Higher Education in 2010. Since then she has been a school board trustee, a state senator, and a city commissioner in Great Falls. She writes from Missoula.

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WAPELLO  Louisa Countys new comprehensive plan, Plan 2040, has been completed and was presented to the Louisa County Planning and Zoning Commission (LCPZC) on Tuesday.

The first complete draft of the plan was completed by the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission (SEIRPC), which began work on the project in September 2020, shortly after the countys previous comprehensive plan expired.

SEIRPC Assistant Director Zach James told the LCPZC it normally does not take nearly two years to complete comprehensive plan updates, but a combination of previously identified issues ranging from the pandemic to public input apathy had slowed the process.

James said the draft still needed some tweaking for minor errors and omissions, but he and his staff felt those adjustments would be small enough the LCPZC could move forward with its review and other action.

He reminded the commission members they had already examined most of the various content parts of the plan, so reviewing the full plan would likely not be time-consuming.

He proposed a schedule that called for the LCPZC to hold a June 7 public hearing on the plan and a June 14 presentation to the county board of supervisors. The supervisors would then apparently hold two public hearings before formally adopting the plan.

However, supervisor Brad Quigley, who has frequently attended the LCPZC meetings, reminded the group that Iowas primary election would be held on June 7, which could possibly reduce the public hearing turnout.

The commission members agreed and decided to hold their review of the plan at its May 3 meeting, with the full public hearing before the commission on June 9. LCPZC Chair Michael Vance encouraged members of the public to attend either or both meetings to provide input on the plan.

James said the SEIRPC staff would load the plan onto the commissions website (https://www.seirpc.com) later this week and make it available for the public to view. He also said the staff would prepare a press release and conduct other activities to notify the public of the draft.

James said he felt the plan had turned out well and praised his staff, which included senior planner Jarred Lassiter, regional plans administrator Kansha Tiwari, regional planner Jordan Frahm for their efforts.

He also reported he would meet next week with the Louisa County Board of Supervisors to update its members on the plans completion. Following that meeting, James said he would arrange to have the draft presented to county department heads and other stakeholders who had assisted in its development.

That list would include Cole Smith, Louisa Development Group; Kathy Vance, ISU Extension and Outreach, Louisa County; and Collin Johnston, Port Louisa Transport.

Vance said he was hopeful that once the plan was fully approved, county officials and others would quickly begin utilizing the document.

What I really hope is this doesnt go through (the process) and then basically gets thrown into a cabinet somewhere and never paid attention to for the next 20 years, he said.

James said county officials and residents would need to guard against that possibility.

That is always up to you guys and the people of Louisa County, he said.

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WAPELLO  The Louisa County Board of Supervisors was unable to amend its April 5 meeting agenda on Tuesday, to include a closed session to discuss a potential law enforcement matter, after questions were raised by a reporter at the meeting over the efforts legality under Iowas Open Meetings law.

Supervisor Brad Quigley had proposed the closed meeting, explaining that Paul Greufe, the countys human resources consultant, and county attorney Adam Parsons also planned to electronically attend.

Weve got some employee things that we have to discuss, he told supervisors Chris Ball and Randy Griffin.

Im the only one who knows anything about it, he added, before responding to the reporters question if the employee involved had been contacted.

Its just bringing up for investigation. We have to get whats going on first and then well bring the person in, Quigley replied.

He eventually pointed out the issue involved law enforcement matters.

Iowas Open Meetings Law does allow for a closed meeting to avoid disclosure of specific law enforcement matters, such as current or proposed investigations or inspection or auditing techniques or schedules, which if disclosed would enable law violators to avoid detection.

The reporter also questioned how the supervisors could amend its agenda and hold the closed meeting without providing the required 24-hour notice.

After discussing the issue in the meeting and then consulting with Parsons, the board agreed to schedule the special Wednesday meeting.

The supervisors also responded to another question from the reporter, who asked if Louisa County Conservation Board Chair Sam Willson, Wapello, was under any investigation.

Quigley declined to comment.

I cant comment on that, he said, although when asked why, he said, we have investigations going on; we cannot comment. Leave it at that,

When asked if the supervisors had made any formal decision as a board to pursue an investigation, Griffin indicated that was not necessary.

Any one of us can contact the county attorney or Paul Greufe on any issue. They work for us, he said, adding he had not contacted either about any investigation.

Meanwhile, when he was reached after the meeting, Willson said he had met with Greufe; and although the consultant had not advised him that he was under any investigation, their meeting had that appearance. He said Greufe had also talked with LCCB Executive Director Katie Hammond.

Willson indicated the questions Greufe asked centered on wetland and other easements at the Indian Slough Wildlife Area and a March 1 meeting of the conservation board.

According to earlier reports, a recent effort to establish conservation easements on around 900 acres on the wildlife area apparently stalled after it was discovered easements had been placed nearly 30 years ago on much of the same area, meaning the more recent easements could not be completed.

The March 1 meeting issue allegedly involved an expletive being yelled at Quigley by Hammonds husband, Jeff, during the meeting, which had attracted nearly 50 people concerned over the proposed sale of the 18-acre Baird Timber. Quigley had requested Willson remove Jeff Hammond, but Willson had not, explaining later he had not heard the expletive.

Willson said he felt the supervisors were now using those issues as a subterfuge.

My personal opinion is they are using this as a witch hunt to remove me from the board and give grounds for the conservation board to remove Katie, Willson said.

In other action during Tuesdays meeting, the supervisors also indicated they would review applications and select a person for an open seat on the LCCB. To maintain gender balance, the seat is expected to go to a female. Anyone interested in applying can contact the auditors office.

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Maryland lawmakers will make the trek to Annapolis on Monday morning for a final day of legislating before the General Assembly adjourns at midnight and most of them strike out on the campaign trail ahead of upcoming elections.

Much of the agenda Democratic leadership marked as priorities was wrapped up over the weekend during a flurry of Saturday votes that overrode all 10 Friday vetoes from Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. The push left few high-profile battles, but still some important work for the final hours of the annual 90-day legislative session.

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Over the weekend, lawmakers voted to: put the possible legalization of recreational marijuana on the November ballot, enact sweeping new climate goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions, create a paid family and medical leave program, add new gun control restrictions to outlaw untraceable so-called ghost guns, expand abortion providers in the state and require most health insurance to cover abortions cost-free.

Earlier Hogan, wrapping up his final full legislative session as governor, struck deals with Democratic leadership to temporarily lift the states 36-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax, a reprieve that ends Saturday, and over a number of budget priorities. They included a deal on tax cuts that combined part of a long-sought Hogan priority  a $1,000 state income tax credit for Marylanders over 65  with Democratic proposals to cut sales taxes on many child care and medical items and to incentivize employers to hire from groups that traditionally have harder times finding jobs.

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A resurgent coronavirus pandemic in January cast a shadow over the beginning of the legislative session, with most lawmakers working remotely and all committee meetings handled over video. But rules loosened as the surge faded, with mask rules relaxing and members of the media allowed back on the floors of both chambers for the first time since the pandemic forced an abrupt end to the 2020 session.

Some of the celebratory atmosphere might return Monday to the State House with the public, for the first time since 2019, allowed to be on hand for sine die. The Latin term roughly translates as without [a] day, when legislators adjourn at the end of the last day of the current session.

With few major controversial issues still in play, the final push likely wont be as hectic as in past years. And, with a lighter agenda, lawmakers wont gavel in Monday until noon.

Still, here are several things that could get done on the final day.

Hogan criminal justice priorities

Two of Hogans criminal justice priorities, both championed by Republicans in the General Assembly, remain in play.

The governor and other Republicans have loudly demanded that Democrats pass a bill to stiffen criminal penalties and lengthen prison sentences for crimes involving firearms, claiming harsher sanctions would tamp down violence in Baltimore and elsewhere. But many Democratic critics contend the proposal would simply double down on failed tough-on-crime policies, and would fill prisons without addressing underlying causes of crime.

Despite Hogans repeated public appeals, the package  which he pushed in previous years, as well  has languished in the General Assembly. Thats left it with little time and a long way to go to succeed.

Maryland Policy & Politics Weekdays Keep up to date with Maryland politics, elections and important decisions made by federal, state and local government officials. >

A separate Hogan-backed bid to give voters more insight into how judges sentence people convicted of serious crimes seemed to pick up momentum. The states senators struck a compromise to publish aggregated averages for all judges in a jurisdiction, instead of detailing an individual judges record, which some Democrats argued could inject too much political pressure into the justice system.

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The Senate passed that bill unanimously, but it remains bottled up in the House Judiciary Committee. A last-minute push could get it through to the governors desk; its unclear whether it has the support among Democratic delegates for that to happen.

Policing Baltimores bus lanes

Last year, lawmakers gave Baltimore the go-ahead to install two speed cameras on Interstate 83, giving the city an automated way to control speeding on the often wild stretch of highway (and collect millions in projected fines).

Baltimore streets might soon get more camera enforcement, this time aimed at keeping drivers out of the citys bus-only lanes. A bill to authorize camera enforcement of bus-only lanes has passed both chambers, but lawmakers need to resolve slight differences over amendments to the bill.

If passed, scofflaws driving or parking in the lanes  which are supposed to be reserved for buses and bicyclists unless a driver is making a turn  would face a maximum fine of $100 for each camera citation, less than the $500 top fine for the (relatively rare) officer-issued ticket. As with other camera tickets, the citations would not be considered moving violations and would not result in points against a drivers license.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  U.S. service members who are HIV-positive cannot be discharged or barred from becoming an officer solely because they're infected with the virus, a federal judge in Virginia ruled. Advocates say it's one of the strongest rulings in years for people living with HIV.

The cases involved two service members that the Air Force attempted to discharge, as well as Sgt. Nick Harrison of the D.C. Army National Guard, who was denied a position in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said in a written order dated April 6 that her ruling bars the military from taking those actions against the plaintiffs and any other asymptomatic HIV-positive service member with an undetectable viral load "because they are classified as ineligible for worldwide deployment ... due to their HIV-positive status."

Peter Perkowski, an attorney for the plaintiffs, called it "a landmark victory  probably the biggest ruling in favor of people living with HIV in the last 20 years."

"The military was the last employer in the country that had a policy against people living with HIV. Every other employer  including first responders  is subject to rules that prohibit discrimination based on HIV status," he said.

The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to an emailed request seeking comment on the ruling or whether it intends to appeal.

The airmen, identified by pseudonyms in the 2018 lawsuit, argued that major advancements in treatment mean they can easily be given appropriate medical care and present no real risk of transmission to others.

In 2020, the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a preliminary injunction barring the discharge of the airmen. In its ruling, the three-judge panel said the military's rationale for prohibiting deployment of HIV-positive service members was "outmoded and at odds with current science." The appeals court ruling left the injunction in place while their lawsuit was being heard.

The Department of Justice argued before the 4th Circuit that the Air Force determined the two airmen could no longer perform their duties because their career fields required them to deploy frequently and because their condition prevented them from deploying to the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, where most airmen are expected to go. Central Command, which governs military operations in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia, prohibits personnel with HIV from deploying without a waiver.

The DOJ acknowledged that treatment lowers the risk of transmitting HIV, but said the risk is amplified on the battlefield where soldiers can often come into contact with blood.

An attorney for the airmen argued during a 2019 hearing that the odds of transmitting HIV in combat are infinitesimal and should not limit their deployment or lead to their discharge.

In its written ruling, the 4th Circuit panel said a ban on deployment may have been justified at a time when HIV treatment was less effective at managing the virus and reducing the risk of transmission.

"But any understanding of HIV that could justify this ban is outmoded and at odds with current science. Such obsolete understandings cannot justify a ban, even under a deferential standard of review and even according appropriate deference to the military's professional judgments," Judge James Wynn Jr. wrote in the unanimous 2020 ruling.

Brinkema said in this month's written order that she had temporarily sealed her ruling in the case to give both sides a chance to seek redactions within 14 days. The judge ordered the secretary of the Air Force to rescind the decision to discharge the two airmen and ordered the Army to rescind its decision denying Harrison's application to commission into JAG, and to reevaluate those decisions in light of her ruling.

Kara Ingelhart, senior attorney at Lambda Legal, one of the groups that brought the lawsuits, said in a news release that the ruling knocks down a barrier to preventing people living with AIDS from becoming officers, and "brings an end to the military's ongoing discrimination against the approximately 2,000 service members currently serving while living with HIV."

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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)  A weekend fire gutted a Home Depot store in the San Francisco Bay Area, sending up a huge plume of smoke and prompting orders for some nearby residents to shelter in place, authorities said.

The five-alarm blaze in South San Jose erupted around 5 p.m. Saturday and took about six hours to contain shortly before midnight, with some firefighters remaining overnight to douse embers.

Employees and customers inside the store ran for safety. No injuries were reported.

The fire apparently began in the lumber section of the store but the cause remained under investigation, fire officials said.

The fire also fed on flammable materials and chemicals such as paint thinner, which made it harder to fight, Fire Battalion Chief Brad Cloutier said at a briefing.

About 100 firefighters fought the blaze and protected nearby homes and businesses.

Concerns about unhealthy air prompted authorities to order people living nearby to stay inside, close their windows and turn off their air conditioning.

City Councilman Matt Mahan, who lives near the store, told the Bay Area News Group that the air in his home smelled of chemicals and burning plastic."

Dozens of animals also were evacuated from a nearby veterinary hospital.

The fire broke out about three hours after another blaze erupted at the Port of Benicia in the Bay Area.

That fire started on a conveyor belt carrying a refinery byproduct and spread to creosote-soaked timbers supporting a commercial pier, Benicia fire chief Josh Chadwick said.

No injuries were reported.

Two ships were moved away from the area, while fire boats from San Francisco and Oakland helped fight the blaze, fire officials said.

By Sunday morning, the fire had slowed considerably" and only three small flaming pockets remained, the city said in a Facebook update.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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While many segments of South Africas economy have been struggling to keep heads above water amid the Covid-19 pandemic, one has been flourishing  tech.

Across the world, technology firms have generally benefitted from the disruption that came from the crisis, with their innovative solutions offering alternatives to the ways of life that were no longer possible due to strict curbs on movement and business activity.

Zooms shares boomed because it offered a competent and free video-conferencing tool that appealed to businesses and home users.

Adoption of Microsofts Teams remote working software surged from 20 million daily active users in November 2019 to 75 million in April 2020. It then climbed to 145 million a year later.

Ecommerce sites like Amazon and Takealot also experienced tremendous growth as more people preferred or were required to shop online.

These changes have shown the potential of technological innovation in ensuring sustainable businesses and led to investors pouring billions more into the tech.

In South Africa, one particular area has received most of the attention  financial technology (fintech), including cryptocurrency.

Fintech firms like iKhoka and Yoco are making it more affordable for informal and small-scale traders to offer their customers the ability to pay with cards.

Cryptocurrency platforms such as VALR and Luno make it easier for the average South African to buy and trade digital assets.

Here are several South African tech companies that have amassed millions or even billions in funding since the start of 2021.

FlexClub  R74 million

Car subscription marketplace FlexClub received $5 million (R74 million) as a part of a seed extension round that brought its total investment to around $6.2 million (R92 million) since its founding in 2019.

The brainchild of Marlon Gallardo, Rudolf Vavruch and Tinashe Ruzanne, FlexClub is an online marketplace that provides customers with flexible access to long-term car rentals.

It has specially tailored an offering toward ride-hailing drivers that cannot afford or dont qualify for vehicle financing. It even has a dedicated section for Uber drivers on its website.

iKhokha  R1.5 billion for 37% of Crossfin

Patrice Motsepes African Rainbow Capital recently spent R1.5 billion to buy a 37.33% stake in the Crossfin Technology Group.

Crossfin will use the money to continue growing its portfolio of businesses, including iKhokha, a bank-agnostic payments company first launched at the end of 2014.

Since then, it has grown its footprint to over 35,000 merchants, supporting the growth of SMEs with low-cost mobile point-of-sale devices.

Mobiz  R59 million

Mobiz integrates hyper-personalisation into mobile marketing with a code-free tool that allows marketers, enterprises, and small to medium businesses to create and send SMS campaigns to their customers.

Founder and CEO Greg Chen established the company in 2014, building on his 15 years of experience in the mobile industry.

In November 2021, the startup announced it had raised pre-Series A round funding of $4 million (R59 million) from HAVAIC, Futuregrowth, Launch Africa, Allan Gray E-Squared Ventures, CapaciTech and Endeavors Harvest Fund.

It will use part of the investment to employ more staff, while the company is also planning to expand into the US.

Naked Insurance  R160 million

Disruptive app-based South African insurer Naked raised R160 million in a funding round led by Naspers.

The technology giant invested R120 million in Naked, with the firms existing investors, Yellowwoods and Hollard, also participating.

Naked offers users the ability to take out short-term insurance cover on their home, car, or individual possessions via an app or browser.

The app uses a set of questions posed by a chatbot and combines the answers with artificial intelligence to calculate a premium in less than two minutes.

Parcelninja

Specialised warehousing and distribution management company Parcelninja offloaded a 60% share of its business to JSE-listed logistics giant Imperial in February 2021.

Parcelninja offers a smart warehouse and tracking services for fulfilling orders made in small online shops. It provides real-time reporting on inventory as it moves from arrival at the warehouse to delivery at the customers door.

The company picks up and packs over 18,000 items for about 3,000 orders per day.

TymeBank  R1.03 billion

TymeBanks international arm Tyme raised an astounding $70 million (R1.03 billion) from Tencent and CDC in its latest round of funding.

Combined with the previous round, Tyme has amassed $180 million (R2.66 billion), which will go towards growing TymeBank in South Africa and funding GOTyme in the Philippines.

As recently pointed out in the Solidarity Research Institutes 2022 Bank Charges report, TymeBank offers the cheapest banking account in South Africa.

One of the banks distinctive services is the ability to print a card with initials from one of its kiosks, located at various Pick n Pay outlets across the country.

VALR  R738 million

The cryptocurrency platform is barely three years old but is already worth an estimated R3.7 billion.

Recently, it raised $50 million (R738 million) in a funding round for an expansion across new markets in Africa and India.

The funding came from Alameda Research, Cadenza, CMT Digital, Coinbase Ventures, Distributed Global, GSR, Third Prime and Avon Ventures, and existing investors Bittrex and 4Di Capital, among others.

Partner at Pantera Capital, Paul Veradittakit, who spearheaded the funding drive, believes Africa has a bright future for the adoption of cryptocurrencies for both asset diversification and payments.

VALR brings an amazing product and service to onboard both retail customers and institutions, he said.

Ozow  R709 million

Payments gateway company Ozow recently announced it had secured Series B funding of $48 million (R709 million).

Led by Tencent, the investment round also included Endeavor Catalyst and Endeavor Harvest Fund. Notably, Endeavor Catalysts investment committee approval was chaired by Greylock co-founder and former executive chairman of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffman.

The company said it was processing over $100 million in transaction volumes monthly across thousands of merchants, while users grew by over 120,000 per month.

It is using its latest funding to develop new products and plans to expand into the rest of the continent.

Ozow offers Instant EFT payments via Scan to Pay QR codes at points of sale and online shops.

Teraco  R28.12 billion

At the start of 2022, Digital Realty Trust confirmed it would buy a 55% stake in South Africas biggest data centre company Teraco, putting its total valuation at $3.5 billion (R51.67 billion).

Teraco has seven data centres across three metros in South Africa, offering a total space of 48,000m2 and power capacity of 75MW.

It plans to expand its facilities with a further 93MW of capacity adjacent to its Johannesburg and Cape Town campuses, while another project will deliver a further 19MW.

Stitch  R398 million

The API fintech has raised a total of $27 million (R398 million) in various funding rounds since February 2021.

Stitchs API allows fintechs, ecommerce players, marketplaces, and payment aggregators to integrate bank-to-bank payments within a few days.

The major advantage is that businesses pay 50% lower interchange and transition fees.

The startup expanded its offering to Nigeria towards the end of 2021.

Yoco  R1.2 billion

Affordable card machine and online payments provider Yoco announced it raised $83 million (R1.2 billion) in funding in July 2021, the largest ever for a payments company in South Africa.

Yoco offers a similar service as iKhokha, with low-cost mobile payment devices accepting contactless payments.

Its cheapest product is the Yoco Go, which can take contactless payments and costs as little as R199.

Yuppiechef  R500 million

Mr Price Group announced it planned to buy 100% of kitchen and homeware-focused ecommerce store Yuppiechef in March 2021. The Competition Commission approved the deal in July 2021.

The acquisition was valued at around R500 million, making it one of the biggest-ever ecommerce deals in South Africa.

Yuppiechef was started in Cape Town in 2006 by Andrew Smith and Shane Dryden. It was originally run from Smiths home.
Elon Musk floated the idea of turning Twitter Inc.s headquarters into a homeless shelter, prompting a tweet of support from Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos.

The new Twitter board member on Saturday posted a poll on the idea, saying that no one shows up anyway  an apparent reference to the companys policy to allow employees the option of working remotely  adding Im serious about this one.

The tweets come just days before hes set to join Twitter Chief Executive Officer Parag Agrawal at a company meeting to address staff questions.

Convert Twitter SF HQ to homeless shelter since no one shows up anyway  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 10, 2022

Bezos, a fellow billionaire, responded Sunday with a link to a report about a homeless shelter attached to an Amazon office building, noting that a portion of Twitters space could be converted, making it easier for employees who want to volunteer. Musk called the suggestion a great idea.

Or do portion. Worked out great and makes it easy for employees who want to volunteer. https://t.co/r0dZWsMxWT https://t.co/NbUNl1bkJ3  Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) April 10, 2022



People on Twitter werent sure whether to take Musk seriously. Amazingly ridiculous idea, one wrote.

The poll closed with 91% of people voting in favor of the shelter.

Homelessness is a particularly visible problem at Twitters headquarters, located in a part of San Francisco where residents have grappled with urban decay and drug addiction.

Convert Twitter SF HQ to homeless shelter since no one shows up anyway  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 10, 2022 Sent via Twitter for iPhone. View original tweet.

Over the weekend, Musk fired off a series of tweets suggesting that Twitter offer authentication checkmarks and zero ads for users that pay for premium features.

After investor Michael Burry complained about losing his accounts authentication checkmark, the billionaire and new Twitter board member told Burry hell get it back and also suggested that the company give authentication checkmarks to all Twitter Blue users.

Twitters monthly subscription service offers premium features such as some ad-free articles and the ability to retract a tweet before its visible to others and is available to users in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

He ruminated on various ways to structure payments for the premium service, including perhaps with the cryptocurrency Dogecoin.

Everyone who signs up for Twitter Blue (ie pays $3/month) should get an authentication checkmark  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 10, 2022

And no ads. The power of corporations to dictate policy is greatly enhanced if Twitter depends on advertising money to survive.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 10, 2022

Musk has already weighed in on the lack of an edit button as well as how little celebrities like Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift post on the social media network.
Uber has announced the launch of Uber Reserve and Uber Hourly in South Africa  two new dedicated driver reservation features.

The company previously rolled out a Premium Reserve feature which offers access to drivers and vehicles on the premium Uber Black tier.

For those who are certain of a future trip, this option provides an arrival time of 15 minutes ahead of schedule and a wait time of 15 minutes.

Uber has also launched Economy Reserve, providing access to budget-friendlier prices with vehicles on Uber Comfort, UberX and Uber Go.

This ensures up to a 5-minute early arrival and a 5-minute wait time.

The Uber Reserve options give riders the ability to pay for a trip at a fixed price up to 30 days in advance.

The feature is available in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, and Cape Town.

The other new addition is Uber Hourly, which lets users book a ride by the hour on Uber Black to cover multiple locations for different errands at a minimal hourly amount.

With professional drivers, riders no longer have to navigate to various locations with multiple ride requests, Uber said.

Uber Hourly will initially only be available in Cape Town.

Uber Sub Saharan Africas head of mobility operations, Kagiso Khaole, said the offerings would add to riders convenience, efficiency, and safety while travelling with Uber.

The opportunities provided by the new Uber Hourly  Black by the Hour and Reserve products give riders the freedom to use and plan their time as they wish, whether they are running multiple errands or attending business meetings, appointments, as well as sightseeing and shopping, Khaole said.

The new options would also unlock additional income opportunities for drivers.

We will continue to leverage our technology to stay on the cutting edge of innovation to allow us to quickly adapt and meet the changing needs of drivers and riders, Khaole stated.

The steps for booking an Uber Hourly or Uber Reserve driver are below.

How to request Uber Black by the Hour

Tap on the Hourly tile on your home screen. Tap on Get Started and select the number of hours you need Black by the hour as your ride. Optional  Add your first stop on the app. Tap Confirm Black by the hour. The up-front price shown will be the minimum for the number of hours selected (travel will be charged per minute or kilometre after that). As the trip goes on, youll need to update each stop in the app, including your final stop. Dont forget to sit in the back: Lets help keep each other safe on every trip. Please sit in the back seat to give you and your driver more space.

How to request Reserve Driver
Nobody was injured after a Sunday mishap in American Canyon in which a pickup truck struck another vehicle and then the side of a fast-food restaurant, according to police.

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The collisions occurred at about 2:30 p.m. at the Jack in the Box at 107 W. American Canyon Road, according to Rick Greenberg, chief of American Canyon Police. An American Canyon man was at the wheel of a Ford F-150 that hit a Toyota Prius before crashing into a wall facing the eaterys drive-thru lane, Greenberg said.

No injuries were reported to anyone in either vehicle, or to workers and customers inside the restaurant. It was not immediately clear how many people were inside the Toyota at the time of the incident.

The Jack in the Box closed for the rest of Sunday due to damage from the wreck, according to Greenberg. A restaurant employee said Monday that drive-thru service had resumed, but the dining room remained closed.

You can reach Howard Yune at 530-763-2266 or hyune@napanews.com
For the numerous groups paying attention to the health of Napans individually and as a county, there is no substitute for getting their messages across, person to person.

That opportunity finally returned Sunday afternoon when more than 30 groups gathered for Napa Countys first annual Public Health Fair since 2019, after the annual gathering was twice cancelled during the coronavirus pandemic. As hundreds of visitors strolled past a succession of booths and displays at downtown Napas Fuller Park, members of more than 30 groups encouraged passers-by to buy produce at the farmers market, learn about the dangers of substance abuse, provide life-saving CPR  or even get vaccinated against COVID-19.

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.

After nearly two years largely bereft of public gatherings, the return of the health fair has finally allowed Napans to see to a variety of needs all at once, according to organizers with the countys Health and Human Services agency.

We wanted to have an event where the community could come together, said Dr. Karen Relucio, the countys public health officer. We want to demonstrate that we have a lot of health and social service agencies that collectively contribute to the health of our community.

Its also about self-sufficiency and mental health. Health is not just about the absence of COVID; its about everything that people need for a fulfilling and healthy life.

Sundays fair was the first to be held at a city park after its move from the county health departments south Napa headquarters, a switch the organizers said was meant to place services closer to the city center and with easier reach.

Napa Farmers Market: The Tuesday market returns The Tuesday farmers Market returns on April 5 and will be open through December.

Groups taking part in the health fair ranged from Puertas Abiertas to Queen of the Valley Medical Center, ParentsCAN, the Healthy Bodies Coalition and others. In addition, more than 60 guests received primary or booster doses of one of the three COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S., and a few received their first shots on Sunday, according to Napa County spokesperson Leah Greenbaum.

Elsewhere on the park grounds, messages of physical and mental well-being were by turns serious and playful.

Albert Cano of Sonoma dropped by the table hosted by Napa Countys Alcohol and Drug Services division and pulled on a darkened pair of drunk goggles that re-create the experience of being intoxicated with a blood alcohol percentage of 0.25, more than three times the legal driving limit. Nearby, two pairs of colored markers lined a curving course just 10 feet long  but Cano wobbled unsteadily, clumsily stepping out of line twice on the brief path.

It was very difficult  no balance, not real control of where youre going, he admitted as he pulled off the visor and shook off his synthetic impairment.

At a booth a few feet away, Mona Leonardi chatted with fair-goers next to a photo montage of young men and women who had lost their lives to the drug fentanyl. One of the few dozen pictures was of Monas son Michael Leonardi, who was a 20-year-old college student in San Diego when he died in February 2020 after swallowing what he thought was a Percocet pill, purchased from a dealer off Snapchat.

This was the stark message of the Michael Leonardi Foundation, which his parents founded six months after their sons death to raise awareness about fentanyls dangers, especially when the opioid is disguised as other drugs.

Though the foundation is reaching out to local youth and parents both at in-person forums and in Zoom video calls, the chance to share the foundations message in person has been invaluable, said Mona Leonardi.

Its pretty big, she said. Our mission is to get the message out about fentanyl and fake prescription drugs, and its much easier face-to-face because people will stop and talk, and you can engage them in conversation.

Elsewhere at Sundays health fair, however, the tone was far more playful  and focused as much on healthy living as avoiding the pitfalls of disease and addiction.

At the Napa Farmers market booth, volunteer Heather Bailie caught the eye of visitors in her enormous green costume of peas in a pod, stem and all. Minutes later, she joined eight other women in a round of vigorous, blood-pumping Zumba dancing, a dollop of physical fitness set to a soundtrack of pop songs blasting from a public-address speaker.

Fair organizers emphasized their attention to the whole picture of health, and not just the absence of disease  as well as the ability for residents to comfortably ask for advice.

The goal was to get everyone together safely because we havent had the ability to get together, said Patricia Martinez, a county health education specialist and the health fairs director. Having in-person interaction can be life-changing; on the internet who can read about something, but you dont get the nuances.

Napa Countys fair coincided with National Public Health Week, an annual event in the first week of April that focuses on helping the public to lead healthier and longer lives.

You can reach Howard Yune at 530-763-2266 or hyune@napanews.com

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The Easter season is often associated with baby animals, from cute yellow ducklings to fluffy bunnies. And some families are adding these cuddly critters to their kids Easter baskets.

But Southern California duck and rabbit rescue centers have a message for them  dont do it.

Theyre warning people not to fall for the yellow feathers or little cottontails and make these critters their new pets. Soon after spring ends, the newborns cuteness wears off and the reality of caring for a live animal sinks in.

People see the Easter Bunny, cute baby ducklings and chicks, and suddenly they want their own, said Lauren Blunk, an exotic veterinary technician at Care Animal Hospital in Temecula. Its usually a spontaneous decision, and sometimes they cant afford the care thats needed.

Each year around this time, rescue centers and sanctuaries are overwhelmed with domestic birds and rabbits  many with health issues  that were abandoned in the wild or surrendered by former owners. Its a year-round problem that worsens in spring when the babies are born or hatched and breeders are selling, rescue founders said.

Theyre encouraging people not to buy ducklings, bunnies, chicks, or any baby animals if they cant properly care for them.

Theyre babies for a couple of months, and then they grow up, said Howard Berkowitz, who runs from his home The Duck Pond of Lake Elsinore, one of a few domestic duck sanctuaries in the Southern California region. People think (ducks) stay these cute, little yellow things forever. They dont expect them to grow so fast.

Breeders and feed companies said they offer tips on the animals care and encourage buyers to do research, so customers know what theyre getting into before its too late. But those who run rescues and sanctuaries said more awareness is needed.

Berkowitz said 90% of domestic duck purchases are impulsive, from families wanting to buy one or two for their kids. They often come from feed stores such as Tractor Supply Co. or Kahoots, which often promotes the sales.

They want people to walk in like, Oh my God, look how cute that baby duck is! Its only 5 bucks!

But ducks take up space at home, children grow older and life gets in the way.

Sooner or later, families no longer want to care for the messy, quacking, sometimes high-maintenance ducks, Berkowitz said. Hes cared for injured ducks left in tiny apartments, and has too often found them abandoned near bodies of water  such as the Temecula Duck Pond  with mallards and other wildlife.

But a domestic duck  which typically lives up to 10 years  is not accustomed to living in the wild, where they are prone to starvation and predators, Berkowitz said.

The Lucky Duck Rescue and Sanctuary in Sun Valley also grapples with the situation.

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On its website, the Los Angeles County facility called duck dumping an astounding and overwhelming problem. Ducks are being mass-hatched with breeders, in school classrooms, or being sold as temporary Easter basket toys.

Though it cant take in every injured or abandoned duck, the organization said it is going after the contributing sources of this ongoing atrocity to have the behavior stopped once and for all.

I am heavy-hearted about the situation, owner Carol Chrysong said. My little rescue is a bottle cap trying to catch a tsunami of ducks.

Karen Oren, a spokesperson for Tractor Supply Co., said in an emailed statement that the company emphasizes proper poultry care to customers and provides a sheet with best-practice tips and instructions for the animals care. The company  which has eight stores in Southern California and others across the nation  has shared blogs about how to raise ducks. It maintains an online Chicken Learning Center with reading materials on brooding, housing, feeding and the life cycle of chickens.

This is a responsibility we take very seriously  Oren wrote. We take every precaution to protect the health and welfare of the animals in our care before and after the purchase, from certifying our hatcheries to educating our customers.

Tractor Supply partners with hatcheries for poultry. It sells live chickens, ducks, turkeys and other birds online year-round, and in stores during Chick Days in the spring and fall.

Representatives for Kahoots, which has pet and feed stores throughout Southern California, did not respond to requests for comment.

Sometimes the rescued ducks have lingering health issues, from bumblefoot bacteria infections to severe malnourishment, and the care is costly.

Berkowitz feels the financial strain.

In 2021, he spent nearly $36,000 on food and medical expenses for over 100 ducks, including the well-known all-white, orange-billed Pekins and Khaki Campbells. A duck surgery can cost hundreds of dollars, and today there are fewer duck sanctuaries and options for exotic veterinary care, Berkowitz said.

While working to make his duck sanctuary a full-fledged non-profit organization, Berkowitz is fundraising to build a bigger, permanent home for the ducks near his Lake Elsinore house, where he built a 1,000-gallon pond in his yard. Hes been fined by Riverside County code enforcement officers for having birds  including ducks, geese, parrots  in a non-rural neighborhood. The ducks have destroyed his yard, but Berkowitz said he would save as many as he could anyway.

Why have I spent seven years saving all these animals, when people will just let them go back into the wild? Berkowitz said.

While rabbit rescues are more common in the region, owners of the facilities said they have more abandoned rabbits year-round than available foster homes. Though adopting Easter bunnies is more common in spring, its not long before families realize theyre a lot of work.

Caroline Charland founded The Bunny Bunch in 1984. The non-profit group has since grown into an adoption and education center, with two locations  and about 300 rabbits being sheltered  in Fountain Valley and Montclair, that serve Southern California.

People often get rabbits as hand-me-down pets, or from swap meets or online breeders, Charland said. Selling non-shelter rabbits in stores is illegal in California.

Though some owners rescued bunnies during the coronavirus pandemic, many were quick to give them away to shelters once virus restrictions lifted. Charland has heard every reason  from moving away or going back to work, to the high cost of care.

Shes rescued and cared for just about every bunny breed, from 2-pound dwarf rabbits and the red-eyed New Zealand white rabbit, to the floppy-eared Holland Lops and Flemish Giant rabbits that can grow as big as a dog.

Rabbits are generally not good pets for children because they dont like being outside too long or carried, and typically live between 10 and 15 years, Charland said. They are also big chewers with the ability to damage homes and possessions.

They cant be caged or they get aggressive  theyre not a toy to be held; theyre a living creature, Charland said.

People dont know how much real work a rabbit is, how expensive they are for vet care, she said. So they just dump them in random places, mainly outdoors where they cant fend for themselves.

Common health issues include broken legs or fractured spines, gastrointestinal and respiratory problems, and emaciation. A new hemorrhagic virus, common in unvaccinated rabbits, also poses a threat. Some abandoned rabbits Charland has seen were from owners who didnt want to pay the high cost of treatment, or to get their rabbits vaccinated, spayed or neutered.

Nancy Woolf, president of The Lucky Bunny Rabbit Rescue, runs an adoption center from her Murrieta home. She receives requests weekly from owners wanting to give up their rabbits, but theres a big waiting list  and the financial strain is being felt.

I tell people, especially if you have young kids, dont get a bunny. The kids are terrified and its certainly not a happy life for the rabbit, Woolf said. A month or two after Easter, people will start to call  we can only take what we can get, and what we can afford.

Though spontaneous duck and rabbit purchases might seem fun, many families arent cut out for the cute creatures.

A Tractor Supply Co. blog post titled Ten Reasons to Not Purchase a Bunny for Easter advises families to only buy a rabbit if you think 10 years is not enough time with such an amazing friend.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
According to information published by the Daily Mail on April 7, 2022, the United Kingdom will supply Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Ukraine in order to break the Russian siege of Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

RSS Tenacious firing Harpoon anti-ship missile (Picture source: Twitter account of Ryan Chan)



The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Defense, Space & Security). The AGM-84E Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM) and later AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER (Standoff Land Attack Missile - Expanded Response) are cruise missile variants.

The Block 1 missiles were designated AGM/RGM/UGM-84A in US service and UGM-84B in the UK. Block 1B standard missiles were designated AGM/RGM/UGM-84C, and Block 1C missiles were designated AGM/RGM/UGM-84D. Block 1C used a terminal attack mode that included a pop-up to approximately 1,800 meters (5,900 ft) before diving into the target; Block 1B omitted the terminal pop-up, and Block 1C provided a selectable terminal attack mode.

To strike targets on land and ships in port, the missile uses GPS-aided inertial navigation to hit a designated target aimpoint. The 227-kilogram blast warhead delivers lethal firepower against a wide variety of land-based targets, including coastal defense sites, surface-to-air missile sites, exposed aircraft, port/industrial facilities, and ships in port.

For conventional anti-ship missions, such as open-ocean and near-land, the GPS/INS eliminates midcourse guidance errors en route to the target area. The accurate navigation solution coupled with launch system improvements combines to offer better discrimination of target ships from islands, nearby landmasses, or other ships. These Block II improvements maintain Harpoons high hit probability against ships very close to land or traveling in congested sea lanes.

The Harpoon has been adapted for carriage on several aircraft, including the P-3 Orion, the P-8 Poseidon, the AV-8B Harrier II, the F/A-18 Hornet, and the U.S. Air Force B-52H bombers. The Harpoon was purchased by many nations, including India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and most NATO countries.
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The newly appointed Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Armenia, Frank Hans Dannenberg Castellanoswhose diplomatic residence is in Moscowpresented his credentials to President Vahagn Khachaturyan Monday.

President Khachaturyan congratulated the envoy on assuming this post, and expressed a conviction that during his tenure Dannenberg Castellanos will use his experience and professional skills to the utmost for the development of Armenian-Dominican relations.

The ambassador, for his part, assured that he will make every effort to further enrich and advance the agenda of relations between the two countries.

Subsequently, the interlocutors exchanged views on the prospects of intensifying bilateral relations and developing cooperation.

Particular importance was attached to the development of tourism between the two countries, noting the lifting of the visa requirements and the establishment of direct air communication between the two countries as an important factor contributing to this.
Serbia plans to buy Rafale multirole fighters from France, President Aleksandar Vucic said.

"We have been negotiating this purchase of 12 new jets for a year, and we are also looking at buying another 12 used (Western) planes from another country," Vucic told Reuters. He did not specify the type of the used planes.

Serbia and Dassault Aviation have discussed buying 12 Dassault Rafale aircraft, the French weekly La Tribune reported last week.

Serbia bought French Mistral surface-to-air missile systems in 2019 and bought helicopters from Airbus in 2016.

"We have an interest in this (procurement of Rafales), we are looking at the best way to pay for them without jeopardizing our public finances," Vucic said without elaborating further.
Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan received today the Ambassador of India to Armenia, Kishan Dan Dewal, the press service of the President informed.

At the beginning of the meeting, Ambassador Kishan Dan Dewal presented President Khachaturyan book by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, "The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World."

The sides exchanged views on the development prospects of Armenian-Indian relations and new directions of cooperation.

The sides noted that Armenia and India have great potential to deepen cooperation and can implement mutually beneficial programs in a number of areas, particularly in high technology, education, healthcare, transportation, air service, culture, and tourism.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and India, and accordingly, it was highlighted that based on the 30-year inter-state relations opportunities should be created for the implementation of more ambitious programs.
The Indian Air Force, in its enquiry, has found more than one official guilty in the case of the "accidental" firing of an armed supersonic missile into Pakistani territory, sources said, adding that severe action would be taken against the persons found guilty. The enquiry is being conducted by Air Vice Marshal R.K. Sinha, who is probing how the missile got fired during routine maintenance work. An unarmed supersonic missile "accidently" took off from Sirsa and landed at a place 124 km within Pakistani territory on March 9 evening. The Indian Defence Ministry had "regretfully" explained it as "a technical malfunction". The ministry had said that on March 9, in the course of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. The Indian government has taken a serious view and "ordered a high-level court of enquiry". "It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident," said the ministry. The Pakistan Foreign Ministry had warned New Delhi of "unpleasant consequences" over what it claims was an Indian originated, but unidentified high-altitude supersonic object that crashed in its territory. It had urged India to take effective measures to avoid such violations in the future. Pakistan claimed a supersonic missile took off from Sirsa and landed within Pakistani territory. Cruising at an altitude of 40,000 feet, the missile endangered passenger flights in both Indian and Pakistani airspace, and also civilians and property on the ground, it said. Pakistan had stated that at 6.43 p.m. on March 9, a high-speed flying object was picked up inside Indian flying territory by Air Defence Operations Centre of the Pakistani Air Force. From its initial course the object suddenly maneuvered towards Pakistani territory and violated Pakistan's airspace ultimately falling near Mia Channu. When it fell, it damaged some civilian property however there was no loss or injury to human life was caused. Major General Iftikhar said has "initiated requisite tactical actions in accordance" with the Standard Operating Procedures. Pakistan had picked up missile at a high-altitude of 40,000 feet and it was traveling at a speeding axis of Mach 2.5 and ultimately Mach 3. The total distance it travelled inside Pakistan was 124 km. From the total flight time of 6 minute 46 seconds till it hit the ground, it was in Pakistani territory for 3 minutes and 44 seconds. --IANS sk/vd ( 439 Words) 2022-04-10-22:58:03 (IANS)
Cooperation on the global food crisis sparked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine could open a new area of cooperation between the US and India, softening the fallout from the rift over dealing with the invasion. Hints of the possibility of such a joint effort have come from Washington: President Joe Biden's spokesperson Jen Psaki has said that during the virtual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Mod on Monday they will consult on "mitigating its destabilising impact on global food supply and commodity markets". And senior US official has spoken of "extensive discussions about ways to further our cooperation on global food security". A joint programme utilising India's wheat surplus to avert a global crisis of hunger could change the focus from the diplomatic differences over New Delhi's continuing ties to Moscow to cooperation between the US and India to protect vulnerable countries from the fallout of the invasion. Such an effort would also demonstrate the impressive progress achieved by India in the food sector. Moreover, it would build on India's role as a source of global humanitarian aid that came to the fore during the Covid-19 pandemic when it provided vaccines to countries around the world. Historically it would be a turnaround for India. In the 1960s, the US rushed shiploads of wheat to India to avert famine and allowed India to pay for them in rupees that were spent on projects in India. But now India is an exporter because of the phenomenal increase in agricultural production achieved through the Green Revolution launched with US help. The United Nations has warned of a food crisis arising from the Ukraine invasion hitting developing countries hard. Exports from the world's largest wheat exporter Russia and the fifth-largest exporter Ukraine have been disrupted by the invasion. The two countries account for about 30 per cent of the world's export of wheat, and according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development, about 15 African countries rely on them for more than half of their wheat imports. The problem is compounded by the zooming prices, with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reporting that its index of food prices is at an all-time high. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu warned recently: "Prices for staple foodstuffs such as wheat and vegetable oils have been soaring lately, imposing extraordinary costs on global consumers, particularly the poorest." Meanwhile, India is sitting on a stockpile of wheat estimated at about 100 million tonnes, which is beyond the needs of a safety net. A model already exists for cooperation between the US and India for humanitarian relief. The Quad, which is made up of India, the US, Japan and Australia, has launched an ambitious programme to provide vaccines to developing countries. Under the programme, India is making 1 billion doses of the Covid-19 vaccines, the US and Japan are helping with the financing, and Australia is to handle the logistics of distribution. Washington and New Delhi, possibly along with other countries, could launch a similar programme to provide the stockpile's surplus wheat to countries facing a food crisis. India is the world's second-largest producer of wheat after China, but because of the high domestic needs and the stockpiling, it has been only a marginal player on the international market exporting only about 6 million tonnes last year. India is also working to increase commercial wheat exports, helped by the higher prices of wheat and the weaker Indian rupee, and overcoming one of the factors holding back wheat exports, the relatively higher cost of wheat in India in relation to the international market. A way of reducing the stockpile through internationally beneficial actions could also help India in other ways. India has also problems with storage and handling of the huge wheat output - and according to the Trade Promotion Council of India, about 10 per cent of it is lost due to poor storage conditions. The Indian government is forced to directly acquire wheat at guaranteed prices from farmers and its attempts to move to a market structure was thwarted by the farmers' protests resulting in a further build-up of the stockpile. On the humanitarian front, India recently began sending that country 50,000 tonnes of wheat through the World Food Programme to stave off an imminent famine. When it comes to diplomacy, the Biden administration has taken a more understanding view of India's ties to Russia, which led to eight abstentions on Ukraine-related matters at the UN and continued trade with Moscow. Amid criticism of India and media disinformation, Psaki has pointed out that oil imports from Russia "is only 1 to 2 per cent of their imports. About 10 per cent of their imports is from the United States" and clarified that energy imports are not under US sanctions. The Biden administration also understands that India's dependence on Russia for its defence needs has to continue if India is to defend itself against China, given that India has a key role in its Indo-Pacific strategy of meeting Beijing's challenge. In return for cooperation on wheat, India may receive help with its energy needs - for which, Psaki has said, Washington was ready. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) --IANS al/vd ( 886 Words) 2022-04-10-23:14:03 (IANS)
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], April 11 (ANI/PRNewswire): GTPL Hathway Limited, India's leading Digital Cable TV and Broadband Service provider, announced its Financial Results for the Quarter and Year ended on March 31, 2022. Key Consolidated Performance Highlights: FY22 (All figures are Ex. EPC Business) EPC Contract revenue, EBITDA and PBT: FY22: Rs 413 million, Rs 24 million and Rs 24 million respectively Key Standalone Financial Highlights: FY22 Revenue at Rs 15,677 million Revenue (Ex. EPC) at Rs 15,264 million, up 7 percent YoY Cable TV subscription revenue at Rs 7,488 million EBITDA at Rs 3,292 million; EBITDA (Ex. EPC) at Rs 3,268 million; EBITDA margin (ex. EPC) at 21.4 percent Profit after tax stood at Rs 380 million; up 4 percent YoY Business Performance Highlights Digital Cable TV Launched GTPL Genie which offers live TV channels bundled with OTT Applications on Android TV based Hybrid Set Top Box, starting at an effective rate of Rs 459 per month Paying subscribers as on March 31, 2022, stood at 7.80 million GTPL continues to widen its footprint in its existing markets and penetrating new markets through both organic and inorganic route Expanded operations in 5 additional States during FY22 Broadband In FY22, the company added 830K Home-pass. Home-pass as on March 31, 2022, stood at 4.70 million Added 181K net broadband subscribers in FY22. Total subscribers as on March 31, 2022, were 816K, of which 360K are FTTX subscribers Average revenue per user (ARPU) for Q4 FY22 stood at Rs 450 Commenting on the results, Anirudhsinh Jadeja, Managing Director, GTPL Hathway Ltd., said, "We are proud to announce another year of consistent performance across all business segments. GTPL is the now the largest MSO in the country, continues to be the largest MSO and Broadband player in Gujarat and has significant presence in all other markets. "We continued to deliver on our KPIs and grew by expanding in new geographies as well as penetrating deeper in existing markets. The key highlights of FY22 are stable subscription revenues, profitability and return ratios with a healthy balance sheet. The Company's Board has recommended a dividend of Rs 4 per share for FY22. "The launch of GTPL Genie is a path breaking initiative bringing subscription of bundled Live TV and OTT applications at competitive prices to our consumers. "We are committed to delivering value to all our stakeholders with adept and prudent financial practices." GTPL Hathway Limited is India's largest MSO providing Digital Cable TV services and is the 6th largest Private Wireline Broadband service provider in India. The Company is the largest Digital Cable TV and Wireline Broadband Service Provider in Gujarat & is a leading Digital Cable TV Service provider in West Bengal. The Company's Digital Cable Television services reach 1,200 plus towns across India in 19 states including Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Goa, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Odisha, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. As on March 31, 2022, the Company has approximately 8.40 million Active Digital Cable TV Subscribers and 8,16,000 Broadband Subscribers and a Broadband home-pass of about 4.70 million. 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 11 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Thrive Now, one of India's most widely accepted new age ordering system for restaurants has integrated their platform with the innovating global addressing technology, what3words. This partnership will enable thousands of Thrive's restaurant partners to optimise food deliveries for their customers and improve their experience. Going forward, customers can simply add the what3words that correspond to their address while placing the order itself and ensure a seamless delivery experience without back and forth with the riders. In India, deliveries of any kind can be challenging. The country is home to bustling megacities and vast landscapes of unaddressed land. There are varying regional address formats across the country, and many streets and localities are often unnamed or difficult to navigate to. Delivery drivers can struggle to find exact drop-off locations - from the correct entrance of an apartment block, or an unmarked home. Addresses aren't always accurate, postal codes cover broad areas, and location pins drop in the middle of buildings. These are problems what3words is designed to solve. It has divided the globe into a grid of 3m x 3m squares, and given each square a unique combination of three random words: a what3words address. For example, [///caring.trick.handrail] identifies the perfect spot to take a photo of the iconic Taj Mahal. what3words is available in over 50 languages, including 12 South Asian languages: Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Nepali, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Odia, and Punjabi. With a what3words address, delivery drivers know exactly where to go, and food orders arrive fresh and on time. As of today, Thrive enables over 9500 restaurants across 76 cities in India, including Americano, Evoo Eatery, Toast Doughnut Shop, Suzette, Natural Ice Creams, Apsara Ice Creams, The Bombay Canteen, Fab Cafe and Punjab Grill, to deliver directly to their customers. Thrive Now has been driving the order direct movement in India, aiding restaurants to reduce their dependency on aggregators. Thrive unbundles the aggregator value proposition and allows restaurants to work with solutions of their choice thanks to its integrations with major POS systems such as Petpooja, POSist and Posify along with logistics service providers such as Dunzo, Shadowfax and Borzo. The brand works with restaurant partners and merchants across the country, and is steadily building their base. Their portfolio of partners has proliferated, being partnered with commercial kitchens, chains and franchises, cloud kitchens, stand-alone restaurants, as well as home chefs and bakers. Krishi Fagwani, CEO and co-founder at Thrive comments: "This collaboration is one that makes the whole process of direct ordering a lot more seamless for every entity involved. Whether our restaurant partners, our 3rd party delivery integrations, or the end consumer too. We're looking forward to understanding consumer feedback, to constantly keep a tab on how the integration is working out for them as a value added proposition. Our primary objective of making this technology available to all our restaurant partners is to promote the norm of #OrderDirect." Chris Sheldrick, Co-founder and CEO of what3words adds: "It can be very frustrating when a food order arrives late or cold. In order to offer the ultimate on-demand delivery experience, precise addressing is key. Now, Thrive and its restaurant partners can rest assured, knowing that with a what3words address, the driver will know exactly where to go." 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 11 (ANI/PNN): The Board of BSE listed (Code: 532029) Sindhu Trade Links Limited, as part of the company's endeavors to increase shareholders' wealth, has approved the issue of Bonus Equity Shares to the existing shareholders in the ratio of 2:1, i.e. 2 Bonus Equity Share of Rs. 1 each for every 1 existing Paid Up Equity Share, held by the shareholders on record date. The board also approved the increase in the authorized Share Capital from Rs. Fifty Two Crores to Rs. One Hundred and Fifty Six Crore, subject to approval by shareholders. Sindhu Trade links Ltd. indulged into several sectors such as business of logistics, transportation, mining, coal beneficiation, power generation to sponge iron and steel, stock broking, media, finance, food processing park, and Real Estate aims to be debt free by 2023. The company is a 'one-stop shop' for a wide range of support services in the field of mining and allied activities, logistics and transportation. STTL has already reduced its bank debt by Rs. 1041.5 million. With the outburst of covid 19 which disturbed the course of businesses across the work the company dared to take this step. The management is determined to keep the debt reduction which ultimately aims to go debt free by 2023. Sindhu Trade Links Limited has recorded a 200 percent year-on-year increase in net profit on higher realisation to Rs. 2,822 lakhs in the nine months ended on December 31, 2021. STTL's has 5 subsidiaries and associates, involved in diversified businesses, namely 1. Hari Bhoomi Communications Private Limited-Media Business, 2. Sudha Bio Power Private Limited - Bio Mass Based Power Generation, 3. Indus Best Mega Food Park Private Limited - Development of Food Park for Food Processing Industries, 4. Shyam Indus Power Solutions Private Limited - EPC of Power Distribution, Power Transmission, Railway OHE, Railway Track Laying, and 5. Param Mitra Resources Pte. Limited - Overseas Coal Mining. For Overseas Coal Mining businesses, the Company has several step-down subsidiaries, associates, joint ventures in Australia, Hongkong, Singapore and Indonesia. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
Dharwad (Karnataka) [India], April 11 (ANI/PR Newswire): Kabira Mobility, manufacturer of India's fastest electric bike KM3000 & KM4000 has began its Full Fledged manufacturing and delivery operations from its 150,000 sq. ft. Green Factory at Dharwad, Karnataka from March 2022. Kabira Mobility has also begun Nation wide deliveries of its Long Awaited Electric Bikes KM3000 and KM4000 from March 2022 through its Dealer Network. Customers can now reach out to their Nearest Dealer to get hands on the Electric Warriors today. The Manufacturing Plant has a Scalable capacity to Produce upto 40,000 units per Month, which will serve as Kabira Mobility's national manufacturing hub catering to the growing demand from the Indian Market. This plant is built in line with the Prime Minister's Vision of make in India, having a 85% Localisation of supply chain to achieve a maximum production efficiency and meet the Production demands without the fear of Supply disruption. Kabira Mobility so far has established its presence across Major South Indian cities with an Aggressive expansion plan to cover Tier 01 North Indian cities by December 2022. This Manufacturing plant will generate a direct and indirect employment of more than 2500 employees over the next 03 years which will be an excellent opportunity for the engineers in the region. To further improve the quality of its products, Kabira Mobility is in process to setup a fully automated Battery Pack assembly line to have a complete control over the process and the quality of the battery packs which would ultimately improve the overall quality of the Product. This mega factory is a Carbon Neutral manufacturing facility with zero Air Pollution, zero Toxic discharge and is powered by Solar Energy. Quote by Jaibir Siwach, CEO of Kabira Mobility "This mega factory is yet another step towards Mass adoption of electric mobility across the nation and is in line with our vision of Making india the global EV manufacturing hub by the year 2030." Kabira Mobility is an Electric 02 Wheeler Start-up from Goa, founded in 2017 by a team of 06 Engineers led by Jaibir Singh an Indian Navy veteran. Kabira Mobility had launched KM3000 and KM4000 in February 2021 which had received overwhelming response from the E2W community. Kabira Mobility has also launched Hermes 75, India's first Electric Delivery scooter which is designed for Last Mile deliveries and has a running cost of 12 - 15 paise per Kilometer. Hermes 75 is widely adopted by the Last Mile Delivery Industry. KM3000 and KM4000, The Electric Warriors are the Hi-Speed Electric launched by Kabira Mobility in Feb 2021. Having a top speed of 120 kmph and a max range of 150km these are Fastest and the Longest riding Electric bikes present in the Nation. Featuring a fireproof LiFePO4 battery pack which has been designed specially for the rough Indian Conditions. These bikes have been equipped with Powertrain from DeltaEV and have Combi-brakes system for improved control and safety of the Vehicle. For more information, please visit us at www.kabiramobility.com For updates please follow the social media handles at: Facebook: www.facebook.com/kabiramobility Instagram: www.instagram.com/kabiramobility This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PR Newswire)